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Interview with Lila Munro


Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Lila Munro to the blog today.  We are looking forward to learning a little more about Lila and her book Three for Keeps. 
Lila: Thanks so much for having me over today. I’ve been looking forward to being here and sharing my new release with your readers. I love to chat, so don’t be shy readers, chat away.

Q1) Please tell us a little about yourself
Lila: I’m a forty-something empty-nester military wife residing on the coast of North Carolina with my very own hero and our two doggies. I love bubble baths, museums, the beach, and I am a certified Kindle addict.

Q2)  Tell us a typical writing day for you
Lila: Short answer, there are no typical days. J My other job as VP of Business Affairs at Rebel Ink Press usually takes up my morning hours then once I’m caught up there, I’m transported into my fantasy world where Doms, Mistresses, Marines and damsels in distress run amok. My muses are pretty fickle. Depending on their moods that day dictates what I work on and for how long. Now I was asked recently if I have any strange rituals—the answer is a resounding yes. Well, some may not find it strange. I have a habit of going to the think tank—ie bubble bath—whenever I’m struggling with a scene. Time of day is no deciding factor and I’ve been known to sit in the blessed thing more than once a day if need be.

Q3) Have you always wanted to be an author or what made you become an author?
Lila: I’ve always known that on some level from the time I could say the ABC’s and I memorized The Little Red Hen. At that point I couldn’t write down stories, but I was really good at making them up. I had a very vivid imagination. When I was in sixth grade we traded teachers once a day in our teeny country school (I graduated in a class of fifty-two) and I was introduced to the world of creative writing by Mr. Trokey. I was very much taken in when he told me I had a knack for carrying a story line and that someday he knew he’d get the first signed copy of a book I’d written. I really doubt he thought that book would come in the form of an erotic romance. From there I tinkered with writing off and on until my muses went dormant when the children arrived. Apparently crying, screaming babies tend to terrify muses and they flee for the hills at the sound. Then one day I looked up and figured out I had turned forty and my dream was yet to be realized. It was at that point I dusted off the old notebook, found an idea or two and turned them into The Executive Officer’s Wife.

Q4) Tell us a little about your book Three for Keeps:
Lila: My latest book debuted November 17 from Rebel Ink Press, Three for Keeps. It’s an erotic contemporary romance encompassing ménage and BDSM. It’s a story about a woman named Zoey who is a product of the social services system and the three men she’s known from childhood, whom she’s in love with. They have quite the struggle to find harmony.  
Q5) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Lila: Here’s a bit of Lila trivia. I have a degree in sociology and I simply love figuring out sub-cultures. Polyamory fascinates me. And to be honest, once Zoey popped up and started chatting I had no choice but to tell her story.

Q6)  What is your current work in progress?
Lila: I’m finishing up books three from two different series: A Slower Lower Leap and Assumed Identity. I’ll also be working with my writing partners after the first of the year on the third installment in the Force Recon series. I’ve also got a new series in the works for 2012, The Sergeants of Echo Co. I’m very excited about that one as it’s taking me back to my first love, military romance.

Q7) Who are some of your favorite authors?
Lila: I get asked that a lot and to be honest the answer is I have many. My tastes are all over the place. For a short list we’ll go with this: Maya Banks, Cherise Sinclair, Loralei James and Julianne MacLean for my historical fix.

Q8) Have to ask because I am nosey.  That is in your to be read pile that you are dying to read next?
Lila: I have several Tymber Dalton reads lined up. Squeee! Yes, that came with a bit of jumping up and down. J I also have lined up some Eden Bradley, KA Mitchell and I’m a Kitty Thomas slut. Love, love, love her style and she really explores the darker side of kink unlike anyone else I’ve discovered yet.

Books-n-Kisses: Lila, thank you for taking the time to stop by the blog today to chat about yourself and your books. I am looking forward to reading Three for Keeps.  
Lila: Thanks again for having me over, and thanks to all the readers that came out today. I hope you enjoy reading Three for Keeps as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Zoey Matthews is in love. She’s been in love since the day she was dropped off by a social worker at yet another foster home on a back country road miles from nowhere, Missouri. At age ten, she met the men of her dreams. Over the course of sixteen years, Dane Cardwell, Jack Devereux and Ryan Wilkins fell in love with her, too. They’ve each told her they love her, they’ve shown her and each man has gone so far as to ask her to marry him. But what they don’t know is Zoey loves them all.

Her game of kiss and not tell all comes crashing down around her the night of her graduation from veterinary school and Zoey runs for the mountains. Of Colorado. Hoping to outrun her obsession with three men and forget them all together, she stays gone for ten years. But the wound has never healed. In fact, it’s done nothing but fester. Needing to clear the air, Zoey agrees to spend a few days back home with the boys never imagining it would turn into a week filled with comparison sex as Dane, Jack and Ryan each try to get Zoey to choose between them and their varied tastes.

When she finally tells the truth, a truth only one of them has known all along, Zoey fears the foursome will never be able to make a sharing relationship work. After all, aren’t there just too many personalities and desires to sort through? Add in the kink factor and things get really complicated. Zoey’s not convinced the truth has any merit, but there’s one thing she knows for sure…this time she’s playing for keeps.

Purchase Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-threeforkeeps-641736-144.html
My Links: 
Wedsite: http://lilamunro.weebly.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000962603050
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Review of Echoes of Magic by Donna Grant

Echoes of Magic
Book 2 Sisters of Magic 
By Donna Grant
Hiding a secret so awful that his only hope for survival is to remain hidden, Grayson has lived most of his life pretending to be someone he isn’t. After years serving as a commander to his lord and friend, Grayson can no longer hold back the past. He leaves in search of answers only to find evil awaits him. Until he discovers an achingly beautiful woman who stirs his deepest passions and all-consuming need.
Adrianna knows what her future holds for her as a witch – loneliness and heartache. She has accepted that. Until she discovers Grayson near death in the forest. Saving him is her only choice, and even as she falls deeper into the attraction surrounding them, can her magic be enough to stop Fate or the evil that awaits them.
My thoughts:
In Echoes of Magic we continue the adventures of the bana-bhuidseach (or witch).  But this time we follow Grayson & Adrianne (who we met in book 1) on an adventure to find answers to the many secrets that Grayson has been keeping.
Once Grayson & Adrianna met it is clear to each of them nothing will ever be the same for them.  Each step of their journey turns up a new secrets and surprises.  But when faced with the biggest challenge of their lives only true love and undying trust will be enough to overcome the evil that has them in its sights.
I really enjoyed this second installment of the Sisters of Magic series.  So far this is my favorite book to the trilogy. Grayson tries so very hard to be the person that everyone else wants him to be.  But when he learns that he needs to be that person for himself he finally learns how to live and love.  Adrianna is a very strong witch and know the pain of loss but is still willing to risk it all for Grayson.   I really loved Grayson & Adrianna. 
I am looking forward to third and final book of the Sisters of Magic series:  Dangerous Magic.  Jump in to the world of the bana-bhuidseach and learn that sometimes that magic of love is more powerful than any other form of magic. 
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~28

Welcome to Day 28 of Winter’s Favorites.
I am pleased to welcome the wonderful Kaye Spencer to that blog.  Kaye wrote a flash fic story just for us.  Take it away Kaye.
Romance Valley by Kaye Spencer
Last week he’d had an epiphany: Wife-napping was the solution to his dilemma. She’d never agree to his plan anyway, so for him, it was a reasonable strategy, especially since he wasn’t willing to begin another new year—only three days away—with the same regrets that had followed him into the current year.
He watched the main road from his sofa in his second story den, his attention fixed on the car coming slowly up the half-mile, winding private driveway. The antique clock in the hallway chimed a reminder that she was later than usual. Naturally—Murphy’s Law. Tonight of all nights, when he didn’t have time to spare, she’d stayed even longer at the office…again. For the past month, he’d worked in collusion with her administrative assistant and paralegal team to rearrange her schedule so they could cover her work until the end of January—if it took that long. He’d encouraged and supported her on her way to the full partnership she’d earned, but on Thanksgiving when her workaholic schedule had found her at the office and not at the family dinner, he knew he had to do something.
It was the proverbial now or never moment. Standing, he shrugged into his heavy coat then made his way in the dark to the balcony doors and onto the wooden deck. He paused to breathe in the cold December air as he looked up at the blue-white brilliance of the stars shining in a moonless sky. They used to take walks together on nights like this. Sadly, they’d lost that connection somehow, and he wanted it back.
Slipping down the stairs to ground level, he took his predetermined position in the shadows at the corner of the garage. The automatic doors rolled up, and she coasted into the garage. He was already on the move when she turned off the motor then was standing beside her door when she opened it and stepped out.
“Hello, babe. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“What—?”
Before she could grab her purse—and more importantly—her cell phone, he snatched her from behind and heaved her over his shoulder with enough force that it broke off her gasping protest for a few seconds—but only for a few.
In a half-dozen long strides, he made it to the rear of his pickup truck with the garage door lowering behind them. With their nearest neighbor a mile away, he wasn’t concerned that anyone would hear her railing outrage and come to investigate, and he dumped her literally kicking and screaming onto the foam mattress he’d laid out in the back of his pickup. He’d practiced closing the tailgate and slamming the camper shell door down until he could do it in one fluid motion, so he smoothly locked her in before she had the opportunity to escape.
Sliding behind the wheel, he started the engine, put it in gear, and headed toward the main road. He adjusted the rearview mirror in the center of the windshield until he had a clear view through the back window and into the pickup bed. The cab light gave off an adequate glow to see her sitting amidst their luggage, her back against the tailgate, arms folded across her chest, and glaring daggers at him. He chuckled. At least she’d settled down and wasn’t cussing and calling him names anymore.
Glancing at the speedometer, he backed off. Granted, he was on a little-traveled back road, but he couldn’t afford the delay of being pulled over. As it was, they’d barely arrive at the rendezvous location on time. Besides, he didn’t doubt for a minute she’d pitch a fit to be set free, and he knew her influence with the local police trumped his ability to fast-talk his way out of what would likely appear as a suspicious situation.
All things considered, his plan was unfolding with proverbial clockwork precision. In a few hours, he’d have her to himself. No phone calls, no text messages, no computers. No interruptions at all. That’s when they’d begin negotiations. He’d already determined his bottom-line, so the outcome of this excursion really depended upon her. It was long past time to reassess their priorities. Not so many years ago, they’d talked of having children, but somewhere along the way, life and ambition had interfered, and they’d lost sight of that part of their lives.
Satisfied and just a little smug, he patted the brochure on the seat beside him. He knew the content by heart.
Yearning for a vacation with that special someone? Needing to breathe new romance into a stale relationship? Wanting private time together to rediscover why you fell in love? Romance Valley is the perfect, intimate and secluded mountain valley haven for a couple’s retreat. Whether for a long weekend tryst or for an extended holiday, your personal Romance Valley planner will assist in designing an ultimate romantic getaway experience that not only meets your budget, but also fulfills your deepest desires. Your personal planner will handle all the details so you don’t have to.
It was a drastic move, but their marriage was teetering on the ragged edge of death-by-neglect, and one or both of them would likely succumb to infidelity-out-of-loneliness if something didn’t change soon. In his mind, there was no way to repair a relationship once the cheating line was crossed. Broken trust was a wound that would never truly heal, but only fester.
With a quick check on the time and another glance in the mirror at his disgruntled captive, he pressed his foot on the accelerator. The optimistic hope of rekindled love arriving with the New Year welled in his heart. For better or worse…Romance Valley, here we come.
Romance Valley © 2011 by Kaye Spencer
Find Kaye here:
Website: http://www.kayespencer.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000877686603
To enter for a chance to win an E-book of one of Kaye’s back list books. Please leave Kaye a comment, tell her what you are most looking forward to in 2012, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Review of Making Waves by Tawna Fenske

Making Waves
by Tawna Fenske
File Size: 571 KB
Print Length: 349 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (August 1, 2011)
When Alex Bradshaw’s unscrupulous boss kicks him to the curb after 20 faithful years as an executive with the world’s largest shipping company, he sets out to reclaim his dignity and his pension. Assembling a team of fellow corporate castoffs, he sails to the Caribbean to intercept an illegal diamond shipment. None of them counted on quirky blonde stowaway Juli Flynn, who has a perplexing array of talents, a few big secrets, and an intoxicating romantic chemistry with Alex…

My Thoughts:
In Making Waves we meet Juli Flynn.  She has been asked by her late uncle to spread his ashes out at sea.  Only problem is that Juli’s hates the ocean.  But being the ever good niece,  Juli’s sets out on the adventure to fulfill her uncle’s wishes.
Alex finds himself staring at his pink slip not knowing what just happened.  While drinking and brain storming with his fellow fired co-workers they devise a plan to get back at their former employer.   One thing Alex never planned on was the beautiful stow away sleeping in his bed.
Juli’s & Alex find them self on the adventure of a lifetime in Making Waves.  But will these two survive the adventure or will one of them have to walk the plank?

OMG!!! Let me tell you first I had the great pleasure of meeting Tawna over this past summer.  She is so much fun and her book Making Waves was just as much fun.  I am so glad that I meet her and pick up this book.

I could not put this book down and was laughing the whole time.  Let me also tell you that Jell-O salad and cheese doodles will NEVER be the same after you read this book!!! 
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Review of Shadow Magic by Donna Grant

ShadowMagic
Book 1 in Sisters of Magic Trilogy
By Donna Grant
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 376 KB
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0060LL9NA
Magic. Long has it been debated on whether it truly exists. Yet, exist it does, and in the most noble of women.
With a past soaked in sin and darkness slowly closing in around him to claim his soul, Drogan only wants to live his life in solitude. Years in the king’s service and his numerous deeds directed by the crown have left Drogan with horrendous nightmares and immeasurable guilt…
Serena is a witch, cursed and forever alone. She accepts her future. Until she meets Drogan. With Drogan a passion deep and unyielding awakens inside her. She is willing to sacrifice herself for his love, but can he put his past to rest and embrace the future?
My Thoughts:
In Shadow Magic we are introduced to the world of the bana-bhuidseach.  A bana-bhuidseach is a witch, but these witches have been cursed to forever be alone.  If a witch ever allows herself to love she will lose that love forever.
We met our first witch Serena in Shadow Magic.  She is a very loved and cared for witch in her community, but she longs for something that she can never have.  Love.  The one thing that she will never allow herself to do.  She saw what loving and losing did to her mother and vows to never fall in love.  But sometimes fate has other things in mind.
Lord Drogan of Wolfglynn has come to visit one of his very best friend to help him celebrate his new child.  Drogan is extremely happy for his friend, but can’t keep the darkness at bay even with the happiness for his friend.  That is until he meets the amazingly beautiful Serena.  She changes everything.
Drogan and Serena set out on a journey of a life time in order to help keep their friends safe.  The only goal is to get  friends  and infant child safely to Wolfglynn where they will be better protected from the evil that is after them.   But even as they fight the evil after them Drogan and Serena can’t fight what they feel for each other.
I am so glad that Donna re-released her Sister of Magic Series.  I really enjoyed learning about this new world of good vs. evil.  This was a really good book.  I am looking forward to book 2 Echoes ofMagic and book 3 Dangerous Magic. 
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~27

Welcome to Day 27 of Winter’s Favorites.
I have the wonderful Cari Quinn on the blog today.
Big thanks to Kelly for having me here today!
My favorite thing about winter has to be that first pristine snowfall, when everything looks so beautiful and fresh and clean outside. For some reason snow insulates to the point that everything seems hushed. It’s almost as if you can hear each individual snowflake hit the ground. I love the way the trees glisten and sparkle with the flakes and how if you look up at a streetlight, the snow crystals seem trapped in the glow. Although where I live in central NY – snow capital of medium-sized cities in the United States – we get many, many snowfalls a year. So many that I soon get tired of all the white stuff. Still that first one is amazing!
What about you? Do you love snow? How about driving in it? Someday I’ll get a big rugged Chevy Silverado truck and it won’t bother me to drive it in anymore.
Leave a comment telling me your feelings about snow, love it or hate it, and you’ll be entered to win your choice of ebooks from my backlist (including my new m/m/f holiday release, UNWRAPPED!)
Visit Cari Quinn at www.cariquinn.com
To enter for a chance to win an E-book copy of Unwrapped. Please leave Cari a comment, tell her what you love or hate about snow, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~26

Welcome to Day 26 of Winter’s Favorites.
We have two very special ladies on the blog today.
 The wonderful team of Gayle Donnelly and Robyn Mackenzie 
(aka Donnelly Mackenzie)
Mitch Miller and Pecans!!
When Kelly asked me to write something about my favorite thing during Christmas, my mind immediately went to Mitch Miller and pecans.
OK.  I know I need to explain because one doesn’t normally think of those two subjects together so here goes……
When I was little, every day after Thanksgiving, my mother would wake us all up with Mitch Miller blaring over the stereo system (and yes, I mean a literal stereo with a turntable and everything!)  For those of you that don’t know who Mitch Miller is, go to iTunes and listen up.  It is one of the BESTEST Christmas albums I have EVER heard!
Anyway, it was tradition to wake up early, eat breakfast, and then spend the day decorating the house for Christmas.  Now one thing about my mother is….she is the Queen of Christmas!  Her living room looks like something that should be in Southern Living and every year, it gets even better.  The ornaments were handmade goose, chicken, and ostrich eggs, cut out and decorated like you wouldn’t believe.  Here is a photo of one that has survived all these years:
Anyway (again), that day was always one of my favorites.  We would flit around the house, decorating and singing Christmas songs.  I never really liked Barbara Streisand but her Christmas album rocks as well.
Now, to the pecans.  My mother makes the BEST pecan balls on the face of the earth.  I can remember coming home from school, going straight to the pantry, grabbing a Christmas tin and eating as many as I could (yes, I was young and skinny and could do this type of crap!)  They would melt in your mouth and the more powdered sugar, the better!! 
Now, I make the same cookies with my daughters and they have a blast using the chopper on the fresh pecans they get from my in-law’s lake house.  It’s now their job to roll the dough and then cover with sugar while they’re still warm from the oven.  The pecan balls are always the first cookie to be eaten up till they’re all gone.
If you are interested in making and tasting the BESTEST pecan ball EVER…..here is the recipe:
Pecan Balls
1 C Butter
1/2 C sifted powdered sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 C flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 C pecans – chopped
Bowl of powdered sugar on the side
Preheat oven to 325
Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla
Sift flour and salt into mixture
Add nuts
Roll into small balls
Bake for 20 minutes
Let cool and roll in powdered sugar
Thanks to Kelly and to all of you and I wish you and your families peace and happiness during this holiday time!
If you liked anything in this post, PLEASE comment for a chance to win a copy of Infinite Betrayal ~ Book 1 of the Infinity Series – recently nominated by Romantic Times as one of the Best Indie Paranormal Romance Novels of 2012!!

To enter for a chance to win an E-book copy of Infinite Betrayal. Please leave Donnelly Mackenzie a comment, tell them you favorite holiday treat, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~25

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!
Welcome to Day 25 of Winter’s Favorites.
Today on the blog we have one of the FUNNIEST authors I have had the pleasure of getting to know, Darynda Jones.
We also have the very talented m/m author Lee Brazil!!!
I will step aside and let them have the floor.
D, you are up first:
My Favorite Thing about Winter
If I were Lorelei Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls, I could smell my favorite thing about winter before it even arrived. Any Gilmore fan would know from that clue that it’s snow. Living in the Southwest, I don’t get to see a lot of snow, which could explain my love. But to me there is nothing more elegant or surreal as a snow falling softly on a blue-gray day.
As much as I love snow, I am certain that hot chocolate started it all. It was a process, really. A series of events that makes me associate snow with all things warm and wonderful. When I was five, I remember sitting in my father’s lap by the fireplace while the snow was falling outside, our living room adrift with the scent of burning wood. My brothers and I had cut wire hangers and were stuffing marshmallows onto them to roast in the fire while an animated Christmas tale was playing on the television. My father had to help me with my marshmallows. They would catch fire and I would squeal and run away until he blew it out. But he always saved the gooey remains for me. I remember his hands, strong and loving and safe. The highlight of the evening, the piece de resistance, came later when my mother brought over hot chocolate, thick and smooth and warm.
That evening, as I sat wrapped in my father’s arms, I ate roasted marshmallows and drank hot chocolate while watching the snow fall outside. And the world was a perfect place. Later, after everyone went to bed, I snuck to my bedroom window to watch the snow fall some more, but it had stopped. In its place was a crisp, blue night and a fresh blanket of white. But the most amazing thing about the snow was how it sparkled in the moonlight. Thousands of tiny lights shimmered on the ground and in the trees. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life.
My father died shortly after, but I have never forgotten his hands or the feeling of being wrapped in his arms. I have never forgotten the way the burning wood smelled that night, or the taste of those roasted marshmallows. And I have never forgotten the way the snow sparkled with promise and shimmered with hope.
So, yeah, snow. That’s my favorite thing about winter. 

Lee Brazil please tell us your favorite thing about winter: 

My Favorite Cocoa
Hi, thanks for having me here at Books-n-Kisses!  *blows kisses* I’m Lee Brazil, author of m/m romance from Breathless Press and member of the Story Orgy. I’m here today to do some promotional stuff for Story Orgy’s anthology from Breathless Press, Word Play.
By that, *sips coffee* I mean I’m going to talk about my favorite cocoa recipe and leave you with a few blurbs for the stories in the anthology.
When I was a kid, we lived in a scattering of states where snow was common and cold lasted from October through April. We didn’t let snow and cold keep us from playing outside, and my parents sure didn’t let it keep us from doing chores outside.
There’s nothing quite like taking out the trash when you have to put on your boots and coat and gloves and wade through two feet of snow to pout the bags in the outdoor cans. Frozen metal cans, that is. The chill seeps through any number of layers of gloves.
 You don’t know what cold is until you’ve shoveled a quarter mile driveway.
My mom had a cure for that. She made the cold disappear with homemade hot chocolate. I’m not sure if there was instant cocoa available back then- but I know my mom didn’t use it. We’d come back in form shoveling and there’d be a pot on the stove bubbling away, chasing away cold with a warm rush of chocolate scent that seeped into your bones before you took the first sip.
Here’s that recipe.
Cocoa
1/3 cup of cocoa powder (unsweetened)
½ cup of sugar ( use more if you like it sweeter)
1 pinch of salt
1/3 cup of boiling water
4 cups of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine the dry ingredients in a sauce pan and mix well. Whisk in boiling water. Bring to a boil . Simmer and stir for two minutes.
Add milk. Heat, but do not allow to boil. 
Stir in vanilla.
Divide into four mugs. Top with whip cream or mini marshmallows.
And here’s how we serve it today at our house…
This is sometimes called a Snowplow. 
To 8 oz of cocoa, ad 1 oz of Bailey’s Irish crème, 1 oz of Malibu rum, ½ oz crème de cacao, and a dash of cinnamon. 
You can top that with whip cream too if you want…
Whichever you like, cocoa is a certain favorite in this winter holiday season! 
Happy Holidays to all of you!
Word Play
By
Story Orgy
From Breathless Press
I’m thinking that all of us will at one time or another need each others blurbs for Word Play – especially on my new handy dandy page I created on my blog!  *heads desk giggling*
So maybe we should post them all here?
Havan Fellows
Harlan’s Ryde
Ryder made a mistake Harlan can’t forgive.  Will Ryder cross a line no man should cross to obtain a second chance?
Ryder Halloway made a life changing decision about his relationship with Harlan when he was young and stupid.  Thanks to one rash moment, he lost it all.  He lost the only man he would ever love, his drive to even try to finish college and his zest for life.
Seven years later finds him in front of Harlan’s house preparing to take back what he lost with a vengeance.    He’s prepared to use all the tricks in his arsenal to plow through every wall, protest and excuse Harlan might come up with.
Of course, he never expected Harlan to put him in the hospital …
Harlan Mychels had his heart broken in college by the popular Ryder.  He learned his lesson about love and since then hasn’t allowed anyone even remotely close to his heart.  Then one morning he turns and sees the one person able to tear his walls down and destroy what is left of it.
He uses every defensive tactic in his possession to keep Ryder at arm’s length, but Ryder is persistent.  Harlan’s not sure if he can stay safe from heartache … and he starts wondering what the real heartache is – letting Ryder in again … or letting him go for good.
Em Woods
Harper’s Discovery
When Harper finally sees the light and dumps his cheating boyfriend, can Pitt convince Harper to trust him enough to let it all go?
When Harper Evans discovers his boyfriend in yet another bar with yet another Joe, he makes the final break and kicks him out. More relieved than heart-broke, Harper turns his attention to the letter burning a hole in his pocket that could mean a fresh start across the country.
Pitt Mullen has been looking for just such an opportunity and pounces on it – and Harper – when it shows up. But not everything is as it appears. When Pitt gets a late night call and rushes to another, will Harper understand or cut his ties before he listens to the truth? 
Hank Edwards
Wicked Reflection
A sexy, bad boy neighbor, a handsome detective investigating an unsolved murder, and ghostly warnings help Kirk uncover the deadly secret within his new house.
Kirk Stanford’s realtor never mentioned certain features of his new home during the walk through, such as mysterious rooms and brutal secrets. All Kirk knows is he has a lot of unpacking to do and a handsome, bad boy neighbor seems to have taken an interest in him.
But then the warnings begin to appear, written in steam on the bathroom mirror. At first, Kirk dismisses the messages, but when a prowler attempts to break into his house, and a handsome private detective shows up asking questions about the murder, Kirk realizes how much danger he is in. He’s invested too much money in his new house to just walk away, so his only choice now is to figure out for himself who the murderer is and what he still wants out of his house.
Dark secrets come to light and Kirk is forced to put his trust in a supernatural presence as he fights to survive.
Lee Brazil
The Park at Sunrise
First they were three, now there are two.
Can Jason and Morgan make a relationship work without Paul?
For years the three of them had been inseparable, first as friends, then lovers. It’s been ten years since they parted for what was supposed to be a year apart to pursue their dreams.   This isn’t the reunion they planned then.  It’s nine years too late for one thing, and they are one man short for another.
In the years since Paul’s death, Morgan hasn’t exactly been waiting for Jason to reach out to him.    He’s been too busy trying to forget, to move on.  Until Jason sends the right message. Is the painting just an excuse to see his ex again? 
JR Boyd
Off the Beaten Path
 Best Friends and landscaping entrepreneurs, Mitch Sterling and Colby Merritt, enjoy their comradeship. Can scouting country roads for business opportunities unveil a lifetime of passion?
 Best friends, Mitch Sterling and Colby Merritt have spent their whole lives together in a small town in the Hill Country of Texas. At twenty-four, the two entrepreneurs run a small landscaping company. Mitch works out in the field, leading the landscaping crews and getting his hands dirty. Colby uses his college education to handle the business aspect of the company from their office.
Outside work, the two can always be found together. A Saturday morning drive leads them to a dirt road that neither has ever traveled. With the help of a few beers, the hot Texas sun, and a secluded country pond, Mitch and Colby find themselves exploring new territory Off the Beaten Path.
To enter for a chance to win a signed copy of First Grave on the Left by Darynda or one of Lee’s backlist books.  Please leave Darynda & Lee a comment, tell them your favorite way to drink Hot Chocolate. then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Rebecca Zanetti’s Series

Fated
Dark Protectors–Book One
Marry Me
Cara Paulson does not give up easily.  A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to fighting for whatever she wants, keeping a cool head, and doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter Janie.  But “whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous looking stranger with an attitude problem…
Or Else
Sure, the mysterious Talen says he’s there to protect Cara and Janie.  He also says that he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire.  Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…
Read an excerpt
Book Reviews
Book trailers
ISBN-10:0758259239
ISBN-13: 978-0758259233
Order Here: 
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CLAIMED
Dark Protectors–Book 2
A DARING RESCUE
Emma Paulsen is a geneticist driven by science.  But she’s also a psychic, so when a dark, good-hearted vampire frees her from the clutches of the evil Kurjans, she realizes he must be the man who’s been haunting her dreams.  But with a virus threatening vampire mates, Emma may discover a whole new meaning of “lovesick”…
A DEADLY DECISION
As King of the Realm, Dage Kayrs has learned to practice diplomacy.  Still, it’s taken three hundred years to find his mate, so he’ll stop at nothing to protect her–even if it means turning his back on his own kind…
Read an excerpt
Book Reviews
Book trailers
ISBN-10:0758259255
ISBN-13: 978-0758259257
Order Here: 
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TEMPTED
Dark Protectors– Novella 2.5
TEMPTED is an e-novella–available for download on March 27, 2012.  Available for preorder price of .99 cents now…no guarantee this price will last.  
CONSTANT DANGER
On the run from a mental institution and her vindictive half-brother, it’s safe to say that Sarah Pringle’s happy life as a schoolteacher is on hold. Too bad that as far as self-defense goes, “run and hide” is the best she’s got. And with the monsters that started her escape hot on her heels, that’s not going to cut it for long…
INSTANT LUST
That is, unless Sarah has a bigger, badder, hotter monster on her side. Max Petrovsky is right at the top of the list of alpha male ass-kickers. And he knows exactly what Sarah’s up against. Good thing, because the minute he sees her something primal kicks in, turning everyday attraction into red-hot desire. As long as they’re cooperating, why not mix some pleasure with business? Of course, Max should probably tell Sarah he’s a vampire himself…
Excerpt of Tempted
Pre order here: Barnes and Noble |Amazon |Books A Million |Powells |Book Depository | ITunes |Sony E-Reader |Target | Bookstrand
HUNTED
Dark Protectors–Book 3
Ready or Not
Moira Dunne is a witch–the quantum physics kind.  Time and space are her playthings.  Which might explain why her one-night stand from a hundred years ago has turned up to “claim” her–and request her family’s assistance with the war he’s brewing.  But the more she learns about Connlan Kayrs, the more she comes to think this is normal behavior for him…
There’s Nowhere to Hide
When Conn and Moira tumbled on the moonlit grass, Conn hadn’t meant to mark her for his mate for all time.  She was only twenty!  But it wasn’t easy to wait for her.  It was even harder to forgether.  So when he finally returns for his wicked-hot witch, he’s ready to let the sparks fly.  Even if he burns up in flames…
Pre Order Here: 
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ISBN-10:0758259271 
ISBN-13: 978-0758259271
    Book 4 Untitled
    Book 4 is about Katie and Jordan’s story.  It doesn’t have a title yet, or a release date…but I think I may have good news there soon.  There may not be the long wait between books three and four…  
    Here are the first couple paragraphs of chapter 1:
    Katie Smith smelled him before she saw him.  His natural scent of cinnamon and oak mixed with an edge of anger, choking the oxygen from the room.  She shut the door to her apartment, schooled her face and turned toward the threat.  “Hello, Jordan.  Forget how to knock?”
    His rangy body sprawled in the leather chair she and her roommate, Maggie, had spent three days haggling for.  He raised an eyebrow, arrogant and pissed.  “I sent orders for you to move to Realm Headquarters.” 
    Learn more about Rebecca here
    Website: http://rebeccazanetti.com/
    Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/RebeccaZanetti.Author.FanPage
    Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RebeccaZanetti
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    Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~24

    Welcome to Day 24 of Winter’s Favorites.
    I am pleased to welcome Dianne Hartsock back to the blog.
    Dianne, has written a special Christmas story just for Shelton and she is sharing it with us today..
    Merry Christmas, Shelton
    “Hush, love. Slower. We have to make this last.”
                Shelton drew a ragged breath and tried to calm a body driven wild with passion. Nevil pushed deeper inside him and pleasure sent his mind reeling. A tingle began in his fingers and raced along his nerves, all his energy gathering in his balls and the erection being stroked by Nevil’s skillful hands.
                He blinked, distracted by the Christmas lights flashing in his eyes and over Nevil’s beautiful face above him. He lost control then, his body demanding release.
                “I can’t…” he warned even as his penis jerked in Nevil’s hands. Nevil gripped Shelton’s hips and thrust madly into him, catching up and sending them both into heaven.
    *  *  *  *
    Shelton rested his chin on his hand as he watched the snow come down harder outside the window. It had begun to stick to the sidewalks. The roads would be next.
    “Any news?”
    Shelton glanced across the table at the young man opposite him then back to the text message on his phone. “The airport’s still open, but they’re worried about ice. Nevil’s plane doesn’t land for another hour and might be diverted. Damn this snow.”
    “It’s Christmas Eve. They don’t dare close the airport.”
    “From your lips to…”
    “Anything else, sir?”
                Shelton looked up into pale blue eyes, clear and earnest as they met his. Men shouldn’t be allowed such pretty eyes, especially surrounded by soft layers of dark hair cut in a bob at the chin.
                “I’m fine, Eran,” he said, reading the man’s name tag. “Paul?”
                Paul gave the waiter his most gorgeous smile. “Can I have another espresso?” They both reached for his empty cup and Eran pulled his hand back as if stung. Color flooded his cheeks and he murmured an apology and hastened across the room, retreating behind the counter.
                Shelton dragged his attention from the snow piling up outside to study his companion’s face. “Why don’t you ask him out?”
                “What?”
                “Don’t play innocent! You’ve been inviting me here after work for the last two weeks, then ignore me whenever you catch a glimpse of the beautiful Eran.”
                “Sorry, dear. Feeling neglected?”
                Shelton snorted. “Save your lines for Eran. But Nevil’s coming home and I won’t be able to play chaperone anymore.”
                Paul’s hazel eyes widened at a sudden thought. “I bet he thinks we’re dating. Shit.”
                Shelton felt the heat in his face. “He does not.”
    A smile curled Paul’s lips. Shelton wasn’t sure he liked the teasing gleam in the green eyes. “Shelton, you’re delicious. If I hadn’t sworn off older men I’d definitely be attracted. Eran must be playing it cool because he thinks I’m with you.”
                “I could leave,” Shelton said hopefully, then realized he was talking to himself as Eran approached with Paul’s coffee. The young man gracefully skirted the crowded tables, slim in dark jeans and tee-shirt and the green apron tied around his hips.
                Paul seemed mesmerized as he took the drink from Eran. Eran nodded at his murmured thanks and lingered to wipe the edge of their table with a rag. Shelton kicked Paul in the shins.
                “Owe. I mean, I’m Paul.” Paul held out his hand. Eran colored slightly as he shook it.
                “This is my co-worker, Shelton,’ Paul continued, waving in Shelton’s direction. “I’m keeping him company while his lover’s out of town on business.”
                He hastened to explain as Shelton laughed and Eran raised a brow. “I mean, we’re just friends. If you were wondering,” he added lamely.
                A smile touched Eran’s face and he tucked a strand of Paul’s brown hair behind an ear. “In that case, I’m off work in five minutes, if you want to meet me out front.”
                Paul gaped at him and Eran’s smile widened, showing even white teeth. Shelton saw the flick of a pink tongue before he left them. Paul turned his wide hazel eyes on Shelton. “Did you hear him? Was I dreaming?”
                “Merry Christmas. Now go on. You don’t want to keep him waiting.” He waved Paul away as he hesitated. “I can catch a cab when I’m ready to go.”
                “Thanks.” Paul grabbed up his coat and surprised Shelton with a kiss on the cheek as he hurried off.
                Shelton put a hand on his cheek and remembered other, more exciting lips that had burned along his jaw and burrowed against his throat.
                “I don’t want you to go,” he’d murmured and held Nevil’s naked body closer in his arms.
                “I don’t want to go, either. But I’ll be back for Christmas. Now kiss me goodbye. And don’t forget to water the Christmas tree while I’m gone.”
                They’d lingered over a kiss, then Nevil untangled from him, giving Shelton’s spent cock a last gentle squeeze before climbing to his feet. Shelton watched the play of colored lights on Nevil’s body as he dressed, already lonely for him.
                Shelton blinked away the memory and looked at his phone. Still another twenty minutes before Nevil’s plane landed. He watched the snow thicken outside the window and said a silent prayer for everyone traveling that night. God, he just wanted Nevil home safely.
                He jumped when a snow covered coat was thrown onto an empty chair and he raised his face to meet turquoise eyes full of fire.
                “Nevil?” he whispered and hastily cleared his throat.
                For answer Nevil pulled Shelton up into his embrace. Shelton met his hungry lips with his own seeking tongue, needing to taste and touch and smell his lover.
                “How?” he managed between searing kisses.
                Nevil smiled into Shelton’s eyes. “I heard the weather report and managed to catch an earlier flight. Merry Christmas, love.”
                “It is, now,” Shelton assured him, holding the love of his life safe in his arms. He knew the words were terribly corny, but he meant them with all his heart.
                “Let’s go home,” Nevil whispered in his ear. “I want to unwrap you.”
                Shelton couldn’t speak; only hold Nevil’s hand as they walked out into the beautiful Christmas Eve snow together.
    Dianne Hartsock
    Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
    FB: http://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
    Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock
    Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock
    Shelton in Love
    Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/shelton-love
    Shelton is falling hard for his best friend and roommate, finding Nevil’s dark good looks and moments of gentleness almost impossible to resist. But Nevil is more interested in affairs of the body than the heart. As Shelton’s desire for the man grows, he wonders if he can change Nevil’s mind. But does he even want to? Nevil might not stay, once he learns Shelton’s secret, and then his loneliness would be complete.
    Shelton’s Promise
    Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/node/108
    Shelton has a gift he’s eager to give to Nevil. At a party, Nevil flirts with one man after another, keeping Shelton on his toes. Then Percy, an ex, shows up to complicate things. Despite his best efforts, Shelton can’t find the right moment to give Nevil his gift. Will Nevil ever let Shelton get close to him, or will Shelton have to keep the gift in his pocket all evening?
    Shelton’s Choice
    Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/
    After a year of bliss with Nevil, Shelton is offered the promotion at the bank he’s been working towards. Unfortunately, it’s in another state and Nevil doesn’t want to move. As tension mounts between them, Shelton is given another challenge in the form of a besotted co-worker. Torn between desires, Shelton has to choose his future. That is, until Nevil takes the decision out of his hands.
    To enter for a chance to win an E-book copy of either Shelton in Love or Shelton’s Promise. Please leave Dianne a comment, tell her a your most memorable holiday travel, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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    Guest blog with Malia Mallory


    Naughty Holiday Lyrics
    I’ve always been a huge fan of holiday music. My iTunes Christmas playlist has literally hundreds of songs. As soon as Thanksgiving passes, it’s open season on playing them non-stop until New Year’s Eve.
    This holiday season the music has been a different experience for me. I’ve been working hard on my writing and even published an erotic holiday novella. I think due to this, my frame of mind has been different. I’ve been stuck in a rather “adult” mode.
    This year a lyric like “Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney” took on a whole new meaning for me. Suddenly many songs had hidden meanings like the adult jokes in a children’s animated movie. Never before had so many songs been so suggestive. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” or “It Must Have Been the Mistletoe” suddenly didn’t seem to represent a season primarily geared toward children.
    I’ve come to realize after a little thought, that there have always been songs with more adult themes. “Blue Christmas” definitely has an adult view with its description of a sad holiday breakup, something so many of us have experienced. And who can forget “Santa Baby,” a perennial favorite with a decidedly suggestive theme.
    Even though my outlook has been different, my enjoyment is still there. So thank you Elvis, Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald and all those great musicians who’ve brought us the classics we can all enjoy year after year. Have a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for the New Year!
    ***
    Malia Mallory is the author of The ABCs of Erotica (A-C available now) and Santa’s Backdoor Baby, a holiday novella. Her newest story, Mia’s Cop Craving, was released December 5.  All are available at major online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance Books. To receive a free copy of “B is for Beach” from The ABCs of Erotica, sign up for her newsletter at her website http://www.maliamallory.com.
    Holly is home for the holidays and working as Santa’s elf at the local mall. She’s embraced her sexuality and is looking for adventure. Will she find it with Jack, a fellow elf? Will Santa Nick fill her with the holiday spirit? In the end, she entices them both and learns the pleasures of taking on two men at once. (6500 words)
    This ebook contains graphic depictions of masturbation, oral sex, anal sex and double penetration with multiple partners. It is intended for persons 18+ only.
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    Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~23

    Welcome to Day 23 of Winter’s Favorites.
    I have another of my ALL-TIME Favorite authors on the blog today. 
    Please welcome the so beyond nice Jennifer Lyon.


    For the Gifts From the Heart
    A Lesson From my Children
    By Jennifer Lyon
         One of my favorite times of year is Christmas, once all the gift shopping is done.
         Gift shopping makes me really anxious as I constantly worry, fret and second guess myself. What’s ironic about that is the people on my list—my family—are pretty easy to buy for and never complain. Yet I always get that same anxiety.
         But once the shopping is done, I turn to something I love. Holiday baking. Growing up, my mom didn’t bake. But my sister-in-law did, and one year, she gave us a Christmas tin full of things she’d baked.
         I was amazed. I can still vividly remember seeing all the fudge and candies in their own little paper cups tucked into a pretty red Christmas tin.
         So I began teaching myself how to bake. But something amazing happened along the way. The days would turn cold (okay, as cold as it gets in Southern California), rainy and it got dark early. So my very young boys were bored and I got them involved in the baking. They loved it!

    But we ended up with a lot of baked goods. So we decided to give some of the cookies and candies to the neighbors. The kids and I scoured the stores for packaging, either boxes or tins, that we could afford.

    My kids were delighted. They loved this and it became a tradition in our neighborhood. Every year my sons couldn’t wait to get started on the baking. We would plan and shop and even had a few disasters along the way. On the evening we planned to deliver the baked goods, they were so excited they would barely eat their dinner. Almost as excited as they were Christmas morning.

    They delivered those gifts with huge smiles as their dad and I watched. They learned the true joy of giving with your heart, and I learned it right along with them. And it was all quite by accident. I certainly wasn’t smart enough to plan this as a life lesson, but like many of the best things in life—it just happened.

    Each year, as fall gives away to colder weather and shorter days, and I start to feel anxious about Christmas, I remember what my kids taught me—giving with love is all that really counts.
    Wishing all of you warm, safe and happy holidays filled with the gift of love.


    To enter for a chance to win one of two sets of Night Magic & Sinful Magic from Jennifer Please leave Jennifer a comment, tell her what Christmas means to you, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.