Book Trailer ~ Playing For Keeps by Devon Gray

Playing For Keeps by Devon Gray

Pasts are best left behind, hidden deep in your memory—that is where I buried mine. The feel of his hands and mouth on my body, the height of sensuality I reached beneath his touch. I'd fought so hard to forget—how could just the sight of him bring it all back, forcing me to become lost in him? Again.

Years before I had watched him, craved him—a guitarist in a band riding the wave to stardom—my brother's best friend. On the verge of womanhood, I never dared to reveal how I yearned. Until a cold New Year's Eve when I offered myself as the woman I'd become, bringing to fruition the deepest of wants. As that night turned, so did my life. Devastatingly so. I never dreamed I'd become another of his one night stands.

Can pasts be exorcised if they come back to haunt you? And when a notorious playboy who broke your heart offers you his…how do you know if he's playing for keeps?

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I am stuffed and tired! But, yesterday was a great day with family and friends. I love entertaining and having everyone over and cooking bunches of stuffs :-) I'm a good cook (if I DO say so myself) and I love feeding people. (No wonder I need to go on a diet the first of the year!)

Today in History: 1582-- William Shakespeare (18) and Anne Hathaway (26) pay for their marriage license. Six months later, their child Susanna is born. To read all about, you can check out This Day in History.

For a different take on this marriage, check out Karen Harper's upcoming book, Mistress Shakespeare, which is being released in February.

In Mistress Shakespeare, Elizabethan beauty Anne Whateley reveals intimate details of her dangerous, daring life and her great love, William Shakespeare. As historical records show, Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton is betrothed to Will just days before he is forced to wed the pregnant Anne Hathaway of Shottery. The clandestine Whateley/Shakespeare match is a meeting of hearts and heads that no one—not even Queen Elizabeth or her spymasters—can destroy. From rural Stratford-upon- Avon to teeming London, the passionate pair struggles to stay solvent and remain safe from Elizabeth I’s campaign to hunt down secret Catholics, of whom Shakespeare is rumored to be a part. Often at odds, always in love, the couple sells Will’s first plays and, as he climbs to theatrical power in Elizabeth’s England, they fend off fierce competition from rival London dramatists, ones as treacherous as they are talented. Persecution and plague, insurrection and inferno, friends and foes, even executions of those they hold dear, bring Anne’s heartrending story to life. Spanning half a century of Elizabethan and Jacobean history and sweeping from the lowest reaches of society to the royal court, this richly textured novel tells the real story of Shakespeare in love.

Thursday Thirteen: Thanksgiving Day

Thirteen Pieces of Thanksgiving and turkey Trivia

13. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.

12. Congress passed an official proclamation in 1941 and declared that now onwards Thanksgiving will be observed as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November every year.

11. Sarah Josepha Hale, an editor with a magazine, started a Thanksgiving campaign in 1827 and it was result of her efforts that in 1863 Thanksgiving was observed as a day for national thanksgiving and prayer.

10. Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.

9. Domesticated turkeys or the farm-raised turkeys cannot fly.

8. According to an estimate, during the Thanksgiving holiday more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and around 525 million pounds of turkey is eaten.

7. The red fleshy growth from the base of the beak that hangs down over the beak is called 'snood'. It is very long on male turkeys.

6. An estimate of 50% of Americans put stuffing inside the the turkey. The other 50% keeps stuffing as a separate side dish to the meal. Which way do you prefer?

5. The Pilgrims did NOT wear big buckles on their shoes and hats. I know we all think it a trademark of the Pilgrims though somewhere along the line this was made up! Buckles were not actually in style until the late 1600s - especially during the Salem Witch Trials.

4. In 1947, the first Presidential pardon was ceremoniously given to a turkey.

3. As far back as 1000 A.D., Native American Indians raised turkeys for food. Aztec Indians in Mexico were raising them as early as 200B.C.

2. THREE is the number of places nationwide named after the holiday's tasty gobbler. Turkey, Texas, is the most populous, with 496 residents; followed by Turkey Creek, La. (357); and Turkey, N.C. (267). There also are 16 townships around the country named "Turkey," three of them in Kansas.

1. A spooked turkey can run 20 MPH.

Thanks!

Truthfully, aside from listing those things for which I am thankful (My daughter, my husband, my pets, a home, food, a writing career), I'm a bit blank as to what to write today. It's been a long month, with my routine in disarray because of several unplanned events. My brain just isn't working the way it should! So, instead I'll give you a few quotes about gratitude and Thanksgiving:

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer

It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast. ~W.J. Cameron

And one last one, not quite so serious:

I love Thanksgiving turkey. It's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts. ~Arnold Schwarzenegger

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends!

So Thankful!

"I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." ~Woody Allen

I know a bit cliched, but I love this time of year, and I am really thankful for so much. So, today I wanted to just express what I am thankful for.

~ My Family: The one I was born into, the one I married into and the one I made. They are all so amazing. They've supported me in all my endeavors, laughed with me, cried with me and are just awesome to share a gene pool with.

~ My Friends: Always there for me to lay my head on their shoulder and cry or complain, they are also the part of my family that I made. They worry when they don't see me for long periods of time (unless I'm writing) and have been known to show up on my doorstep (both in the real world and the virtual world) for no apparent reason except that they haven't seen much of me.

~ My dog: He may drive me nuts with his overprotective and downright SCARY flipping barking, his dumping the trash in my living room if I leave for only 10 minutes but when he lays across my feet while I write, or when he simply sits next to me demanding attention I would do just about anything to see that silly doggy grin of his.

~My home: When so many people are losing their homes due to the horrid economy, we are truly blessed to have a home we can afford and is actually a rather nice size for our family. Now if I could just get it organized the way I want it to be!

~ My job: I am so lucky to do what I love and still love it at the end of the day. The kids bring me great joy and I have so much fun passing on my knowledge of dance to them.

~ Laughter: Laughter is the absolute best medicine. If we can laugh in the face of adversity then we can find ourselves in a much happier state of mind on most things. (Did that make sense?)

So, I am tired right now (extremely actually, sorry) so that's all I can think of off the top of my head that I'm so thankful this Thanksgiving season. I hope everyone else has a beautiful holiday filled with love and laughter, family and friends and most of all... LOTS of fabulous food. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Promo Op ~ Guest Blogging

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.

Book Trailer ~ The Healing Spell by Kiki Howell

The Healing Spell by Kiki Howell

Samantha, a confident witch, is eager to help David, a creatively frustrated ad executive she happens upon. She proposes a daring venture in which she will lead him through the steps of a sexual magic spell with the intent to heal him. Instantly mesmerized by her beauty and knowledge, he soon learns that pleasure is magick as they create an energy circle by bathing, massaging and arousing one another in various positions.

Yet, once the spell has been completed, he finds he cannot just take his talisman and walk away from her, and the witch finds her carefully protected heart on the line. When the tables turn will David be able to teach the teacher a thing or two about romance…

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Want to see your book trailer here? Go here to find out how!

Who Shot JR?

That was the question that was fascinating not only the United States, but the world twenty-eight years ago. What was it that made 350 million people world-wide tune in to find out the answer? As writers, this is a question we need to ponder. There are writers who have managed to grab the readers' attention and make them want to know "what next"? Harry Potter, the Twilight series, Sherrilyn Kenyon's books, the Outlander series....all of these come to mind.

What is it they have? And, how can we as writers grab that elusive "something"? I don't have an answer. What about you? What do you think makes some series so fascinating? And, what characters have you read that leaves you wanting to know...what next?

And... for you lovers of Procrastination Friday:













Created by Anu
Garg.

Thursday before Thanksgiving

...and where has this year gone? I won't be here next week, so I thought I would tell y'all thirteen things I'm cooking for Thanksgiving dinner:

1. roast turkey-- we've thought often about changing, but there is something to be said for tradition

2. my grandmother's cornbread dressing-- I've used this same recipe all my life and it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it

3. Giblet gravy

4. Brown gravy-- yep, we do two different kinds, because I like them both :-)

5. mashed potatoes-- I DO do this a bit differently than my grandmother did. For several years now, I've not been peeling my potatoes. Just scrubbing them good. More fiber, more vitamins, and time saving...what's not to love???

6. green bean casserole-- another traditional food, but this is one we have several times a year... not just on Thanksgiving

7. white acre peas -- we always had this particular kind of pea when I was growing up. It's a tiny light green pea and I just love eathing them, so I always try to find some for Thanksgiving

8. Shoepeg corn-- this, too, is something I grew up with. We would eat regular sweet corn the rest of the year, but for Thanksgiving we always had shoepeg.... :::shrugging::: who know why, but... it's tradition.

9. regular cranberry sauce-- I normally put two cans in the refrigerator around this time. The kids love cranberry sauce

10. fresh cranberry sauce-- DH, on the other hand, loves his fresh, with whole berries. So, I buy several bags and stick them in the freezer. I'll make it for Thanksgiving and again for Christmas.

11. "Grandma's Orange Salad"-- not MY grandmother, but my mom. She makes a wonderful salad with jello, whipped cream, sour cream, and mandarin oranges. It's always first on the list of things we have for any special dinner.

12. dinner rolls-- these vary depending on my mood. Sometimes we have biscuits, sometimes regular dinner rolls.

13. Desserts: pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, pecan pie, etc. It's a pie-lovers haven!

What are y'all going to have???

Pondering...

I know we, as authors, value our reviews. But do you think they ultimately make a difference in whether readers buy your work?

This question was posed on a blog I read, and the comments (9 of them) said that reviews mattered little compared to recommendations from friends and supporting writer friends.

I pondered this for a bit and wondered why I buy books, especially from a new author. And, you know what? I DO consider reviews IF they come from reputable source... I almost never use Amazon reviews because I don't think they're necessarily authentic.

I do read reviews at reviews sites and blogs, and I take them all into account before I buy. I don't trust one review, necessarily, but will compare several and see what they say.

I do prefer recommendations from friends, since they know me and my reading habits well. And I certainly support my author friends when they are published, but I don't think reviews can be discounted out of hand.

What do YOU think?

Accent-Uate The Positive

Yup, that's what I want to talk about today: Accents!

I know you're probably scratching your head wondering what that's all about, but I really do have a point. How much is too much? "Huh?" you ask.

What is the right amount of accent/language to include? As a reader what do you like or not like? I know that I have a few friends who don't really like to try and decipher a heavy accent like a Scottish brogue, but don't mind a little thrown in for flavor. Myself, I don't mind it as long as it goes with the feel of the story. I kind of like trying to figure out what certain words mean, but I'm a bit perverse that way. As an author, I love trying to find new ways to say familiar things. The reason this is in my head today is that my NaNo project has a few Gaelic speaking fellows that had me wracking my brain... imagine my surprise when one told me: "Royally screwed? Means ye're rightly bollixed and regally fecked!"

So, as a reader, what do you like to see? Read? Whatever. Do you like seeing the accents and languages? Or are you a purist: just give you the meaning and insinuate accent? I'd love to know your take on it.

Promo Op ~ Guest Blogging

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.

Book Trailer ~ Engaging Deception by Summer Jordan

Engaging Deception by Summer Jordan

What do you do when you need a fiance and a diamond ring in a hurry--and your steady guy says ""no way""?

To get her nagging mother off her back, Erin Fox has told her she was engaged. Now, with the rapidly approaching marriage of her too-perfect cousin Angel, Erin needs to show up on the arm of a handsome man, wearing a solitaire on her left ring finger. But she doesn't have a man.

Then Derek, a handsome, hot-blooded bartender, winks at her one night and she hopes she's found the right guy to play the role. But when they wind up making torrid love every chance they get, she realises she'd like to sign him on for real. She's falling for him and he can't get enough of her, but he's made a commitment she doesn't know about, and everything Erin thinks she knows is untrue.

Derek is under a deadline of a different kind, but each must make a move by the same date. Is he really engaged in deception, or is he just too kind for his own good?

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Want to see your book trailer here? Go here to find out how!

Friday with Jenny

I love writing... and I need to make more time to write but it seems outside things (which are all important) keep leeching time away from me. I think scientists should truly invent a time machine... not so much one that lets you travel through time, but one that generates time.

How is it that we have all the time-saving devices that have been invented in the last hundred years or so, and yet we seem to have a lot less time now than the people of previous generations have? It doesn't make sense to me.

And, speaking of history, today in 1851---Moby Dick:

On this day in 1851, Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville about the voyage of the whaling ship Pequod, is published by Harper & Brothers in New York. Moby-Dick is now considered a great classic of American literature and contains one of the most famous opening lines in fiction: "Call me Ishmael." Initially, though, the book about Captain Ahab and his quest for a giant white whale was a flop.

To read the rest of the article, go to This Day in History.

And, for you fans of Procrastination Friday:

Check out the Fireworks over London

Thursday Thirteen: Spelling!

Thirteen words I routinely misspell
aka Thank God for spell check

(I'm reminded of a joke from comedian, Gallagher, when talking about the craziness of the English language and he said something to the effect of - "one" sounds like it has a "wa-wa" at the beginning but it doesn't, then "two" has a "wa-wa" you don't even need!!)

13. Foreign - an exception to the i before e rule... argh.

12. Embarrass -- I always want to use only one "r" in the middle.

11. Marriage / carriage - that dang "ai" or is it "ia"??

10. Psycho-anything (I want to add ph)

9. Anything that ends with "in" because I always, always add a "g" to make in -ing

8. Of... yes really. When I'm tired I totally forget how it's spelled.

7. Acknowledge (I always want to write it like awkward - awknowledge)

6. Its -- drives me nuts that it's possessive, and doesn't have an apostrophe!

5. Success -- if Rick Springfield hadn't named an album "Success Hasn't Spoiled me Yet", I'd never be able to spell the stupid thing. Why so many double letters? Do we really need them??

4. Business -- What the heck do we need that "i" for anyway?

3. Sheriff -- I recently wrote a story with a sheriff as hero, and I wrote "sherrif" every single time.

2. Rapport -- in my head, I know it's French, so I try to spell it with an "oir" (like reservoir, etc): repoire

1. Vicious -- Just today I was talking to Jenny about my dog and I called her viscous! ROFL. Every time I try to type vicious, it comes out wrong.

What about you? What words do you commonly misspell?

Twitterotica Contest

Ravenous Romance™ TwittErotica Contest

Are u the Twitter Master? Can u get ur message out in 140 characters or less? If so, then prove it. We challenge u to put ur fingers to ur twit & send us ur hot, erotic short, but remember, short is the key... it has 2 fit in2 140 chrctrs...or less! Check back on Dec 1 to read all entries + the winning Tweet!

Winner receives a $15 gift certificate to Ravenous Romance = 3 novels or 15 shorts! Submissions: Twitterotica@RavenousRomance.com

Ready, set...tweet!

Also, sign up for the mailing list and enter win a free iPod while you're there.

Alpha? Where?

My NaNo project is moving along in my head... if only I could get a chance to sit down and just write it. This particular story actually started a few months ago (some of you know exactly when, lol), but I basically started over for NaNo. Lately I've been finding notes that I've written while out and about in my purse, the diaper bag and even in my husband's notebooks as it's the only thing to do when an idea strikes me of late. Write it down on what's handy and hope I get a chance relatively soon to write it out and make it work.

As I work, and research and think I keep coming back to one question: What is it about an Alpha male that draws us? What is it that draws a seemingly sane, independent woman to fall for an Alpha male?

The main hero in my story is definitely an Alpha in just about every sense of the word. He's intense, demanding, impatient, sometimes downright rude... and have I mentioned he's a werewolf? Why do I find that so sexy? Especially when I consider the fact that if he ever said half the things to me that he's said to my heroine I'd punch him in the mouth!

So what is it that we love about this type of man? I know that I love the thought that even though I like to control so much of my life, he would take that control and do as he wished with me. *shiver* I love the thought of looking into his eyes and seeing that he KNOWS he has that power over me.

So, as I write my NaNo story, and fall more and more under the spell of my hero I ask you: What do YOU love about an Alpha hero? I'd love to hear your take on the draw they have.

Until next time.

Promo Op: Guest Blogging!

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.

Friday Fun with Jenny

hmmmm....and what kind of fun shall we have with Jenny today? Jenny has been a slacker and should be punished. What a bad, bad girl she's been. You should help us decide what kind of punishment Jenny should have....leave your suggestions here :-)

Jenny is getting ready for a brand new start....her story is at a standstill, but she has some ideas to get it out of the rut. So, she'll be working on that shortly. What are some of the things you enjoy seeing in an erotic romance book? And, if you are a writer yourself, what books would you suggest for my....ahem.....edification?

And now... a fun game from Jenny....I'm all for mindless games to let the batteries recharge:

This is one of my all-time favorites. It's a free download, so enjoy and let those creative brain cells rest while you play this game. Free DX-Ball Download

Thursday Thirteen ~ Pictures I've Taken

On behalf of The Menagerie I apologize that we fell behind this last week... but I warned you! And, since I am firmly stuck in NaNo mode and not really able to focus beyond that my Thirteen this week are some pictures I've taken. I don't claim to be a great photographer, but I really like the way some of these turned out. Enjoy!

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So that's it for this week's 13. Hope you enjoyed them, and that y'all have a great rest of your week and on into your weekend.

To Sequel, or Not to Sequel?

Recently, I've been contemplating series and sequels. My DH says, "Write a series -- that's where the money is." (As if I am writing for the money... do I wish I was J.K. Rowling? Absolutely, lol... realistically, however, I write because I have to).

I've frequently read books that I wish had a sequel or two. I'm also a fan of one or two series (the "In Death" series by J.D. Robb being my fave), but I've also seen series that run out of steam, and I've stopped reading (the alphabet mysteries by Sue Grafton being one, for me at least... I stopped at "O").

So, do you plan a series? Or not? Do you plan a sequel? Or not?

I know, I know ... baby steps, and one thing at a time and all that, but I think writing a book that is intended to be the first in a series requires different planning than one that is not.

On the other hand, planning a series seems a bit presumptuous for a novice author... though that didn't stop J.K.!

What do you think? Series? Sequels? Or not?

Turning It Off.. To Keep It Going

So, NaNoWriMo has officially kicked off. I'm excited, but terrified that my book will SUCK. Why? Because my internal editor ANNIE is fighting me every step of the way. Yes, she has a name. :-) She is a pain in my @$$! I know I've blogged about this before, but it's on my mind again right now, and I wanted to talk about it.

Mysti is constantly telling me that writers write... we just do it. And that is the basic tenet of NaNo, just get the words out and fix it later. It's all about the word count. The problem I'm running into is that ANNIE is not nice... and she's not quiet. So, as I type she's complains, "Well, that's real nice... That's not very descriptive... Are you sure you want to type THAT?" GAH!!! So, now it's all about turning the witch off and just writing.

Anyone else out there NaNo-ing? I know I have a few friends who are, and I would love to hear how y'all are doing so far. Is your internal editor being a pain? Have you figured out how to turn her/him off? Does yours have a name? LOL Well, I hope your struggles are few and your writing is profilic. Have a great week.

Promo Op: Guest Blogging!

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.