Revisiting An Old Favorite.

TheFlameAndTheFlower

Recently, I took a stroll down memory lane and revisited one of my favorite authors, Kathleen Woodiwiss. Her classic novel, The Flame and The Flower was first published in 1972 when I was six years old. The novel was the first book to have detailed sex scene between the hero and heroine which completely revolutionized the historical romance genre.

Her novel was one of the first book I had read where the hero was clearly an alpha male. Captain Brandon Birmingham was tall, ruggedly handsome, wealthy and use to getting his way. As a master of his world, he commanded men and women fawned over him. That is until a certain waif disrupts his orderly life.

At that time, I didn’t realize I liked the ‘take charge’ man. A man who is decisive and bold, he knows what he wants and is not afraid of going after it. A man who makes a promise and keeps it.

Through the years, I’ve met a few more alpha male character that I’ve fell in love with. All of the men in JR Wards’ Black Dagger Brotherhood and Jericho Barrons in Karen Maria Moning’s Fever Series comes to mind.

I first read the novel in the early eighties. I had my own preconceived teenage notions about love and romance which I can no longer recall.

Though written all those years ago, The Flame and The Flower is still a fresh read. The author’s writing style has stood the test of time. What I loved about this novel and are the strong characters and rich plot. That is what turns a reader into a lifelong fan. After reading Mrs. Woodiwiss’ first novel, a lifelong fan is exactly what I became.

Mrs. Woodiwiss has since passed on, but her words and by extension, part of her, will always be alive. I will be eternally grateful to her for introducing me to her wonderful, romantic world.

Making Connections Blog Hop

MAKING CONNECTIONS: ANNIVERSARY BLOG HOP!

Congratulations on your 1st year!

making connections blog hop

Day 12

L IS FOR LOVE

Loving what you do, so much that whether you’re a bestselling author or just starting your journey to penning the next blockbuster, you do it for the love of the written word. Writing is an art which requires time and a nurturing environment to flourish. It needs LOVE, from the author and those supporting that author on their journey. So, I send my LOVE and good wishing to all the authors plugging away on their keyboards. Never give up the dream.

Leave a comment and your email address for a chance to win some great prizes.

Kindle paperwhite-WiFi

Kobo Glo Reader

NOOK Simple Touch with

GlowLight

Sneak Peak Sunday

Sneak Peek Sunday Banner

Enjoy six paragraphs of Everlasting, the sequel to my debut Eternity. Coming Soon.

Strands of his long hair swept across his face, partially hiding his expression. Alexis brushed the wayward locks away. She skimmed her palm down his sculpted check and through his short beard. His eyes widened and . . . he stopped breathing. Amazed that she had actually caused a man to stop breathing at her mere touch, Alexis leaned  in for a taste, that’s all she promised. One kiss to settle the heat stirring in her blood. Centimeters away from his lips, she paused . . . then drew away.

There’s a reason you’re celibate, Alexis. Too many relationships had soured quick and left her swearing off men for the past year. But if there was ever a reason to end her diet, Reign was it. He waited. Not a muscle betrayed his emotions, yet a vein pulsed wildly at the base of his neck.

But he lied. What if you approach this logically? You want him. Your panties are sticking to you, you want him so bad. So have him. Leave your heart out of it. Hell, men do it. You can do it too. Screw him, let him work all your kinks out. Just don’t fall in love with him so when the shit hits the fan—I won’t be the one cut by the blades. She pressed her lips to his.

Holy hell! Nothing had ever tasted so delicious, felt as delightful as his firm lips slanted across her mouth. His whiskers gently brushed her skin, heightening her senses. His scent, woodsy with a hint of musk, filled her lungs. She leaned into him, parted her lips, and licked the seam of his closed mouth. He shuddered and his lips parted. His tongue darted inside her mouth and ignited her blood.

He wanted her. She didn’t just feel in it in his touch, but knew it as if she were peeking into his soul.

They yanked apart, she panting while Reign inhaled sharply and exhaled deliberately. His pecs heaved as his gaze devoured her. Nothing made sense, not the heat surfing through her body or the hunger gnawing at her soul. Kissing Reign erased the presences of every man who had ever touched her.

Be sure to check out Eternity. Available now.

Snowbound Love Blog Hop

Snowbound Love Hop

 

 

 

I love trapping a couple in a situation they can’t retreat from. In my debut novel, Eternity, I’ve trapped my couple, Roman and Stella, in a cabin in the woods. They can’t leave because they’re hiding from a serial killer. In the secluded cabin, they admit they love each other and together they defeat an enemy sent from the Egyptian Gods.

 

 

Wanna meet some more great authors? Click here

Leave a comment for a change to win a $15.00 Amazon Gift Card.

Eternity-Final242 (2) (480x640) (225x300) (150x200)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now for a snow melting excerpt of Eternity:

Roman hovered over Stella as she came back to earth. Waiting for entry, he rubbed his swollen tip against her opening. The coldness in his soul begged for her warmth, her slippery heat surrounding him, but most of all his soul begged for her trust. To trust him not to hurt her. Trust him with her body, her heart and soul.

Stella opened her eyes. “Roman.” She smiled dreamily and then immediately stiffened.

“Sweetheart, I’m not going to hurt you. Relax.” But all of her muscle tensed, waiting for an attack. Her small hands pushed against him.

He couldn’t do this; take what she wasn’t ready to give. Defeated, he laid his head on her shoulder. His hope disintegrating.

“He hurt me,” she whispered against his neck.

Roman buried his pain and kissed her collarbone, her neck and jaw, her eyes, the tip of her nose and finally her lips. No passion, no lust, just two shattered souls clinging to each other. She clung to him, giving as much comfort as she received. Carefully, he slid his hand between them. “Where did he hurt you, Stella?” he touched her core and rubbed with little flicks of his fingers. “Was it here?”

She nodded. Her hips surged against his palm. Tears cleared and stormy gray eyes danced passionately. He stroked her again. She moaned and held his gaze while her hips undulated.

“Am I hurting you?” He slipped in a finger and stirred and ground his palm against her clit.

“Roman.” She gasped and brought her lips to his.

“Am I hurting you?” he repeated the question.

“No . . . no . . .” She shook her head back and forth as her body reawakened for him.

“Tell me how you feel.” He breathed in her ear before he took the lobe between his teeth.

“Oh God, it’s exquisite.” Her eyelids fluttered.

“Look at me.” Urgently, he positioned himself at her opening, waiting for permission to enter. “Am I the man who hurt you?”

“No.”

“Am I the man that tried to kill you?”

“No, Roman, no. You’re not him.” Her voice quivered with need.

“Take me.” Ready and waiting for her touch, he took her hand and guided her to him. He died a little when her cool fingers wrapped around him. She stroked—up, down, around—and led him to her wet center.

Again, her body braced for pain.

He captured her face and entered her slowly. He worked himself inside her wetness, losing his mind in excruciating increments as her legs fell open and her hips tilted to receive more. “Siete belloTi amoLascilo all’interno del vostro corpo stretto.” In Italian, he spoke words of love as he slowly lost his mind.

“Yes.” Her voice strained as waves rippled from her core, tightening and releasing her slick walls around him.

He settled inside her and begged for the strength not to come. Then he set the rhythm and watched ecstasy spread throughout her body. Her legs wrapped his waist and he lengthened his strokes, diving deeper into her heat, his control slipping. She writhed beneath him. His hands grabbed her hips. Her nails raked his chest and she moaned his name.

Wild and frantic, Stella pulled his head down to hers. Weight braced on his elbows, Roman held her face as he moved harder into her. Never would he forget this moment when she completely gave herself to pleasure. Head thrown back, hair streaming, her body thrashed while her tightness seized him. “Who’s loving you, giving you pleasure? . . . I am.”

Passionate cries sang in his ear as he thrust deep inside her. He wrapped his arms around her and released. Centuries of loneliness and searching fell away and the coldness at his center vanished. Panting, still hard inside her, he watched her come back to earth and waited for that moment of recognition. She was going to remember everything now. And all would be right.

 

Eternity available on  AMAZON  and BARNES & NOBLE

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013

happy-new-year-2013

Happy

New

Year!!!!

I can’t wait for 2013! Not that 2012 was so horrible, but I have a premonition that the approaching New Year will be a great writing year.

By the end of 2011, I was completely disenchanted with finding an agent or a publisher. Many authors were—and are—gaining readers and making a living by taking the reins of their careers into their own hands. I took the time to study the pros and cons of self-publishing. After an internal debate, I decided on self-publishing. However, soon after my decision an Epublisher, who was interested in publishing my manuscript, contacted me. In early 2012, I signed my first publishing contract for my debut novel, Eternity. I had achieved the goal I had worked toward for at least the last five years. Now what?

As 2013 looms, I sat down and reassessed my writing goals. Which road should I take? Should I try traditional again? The query, submit and pray route had seriously lost its appeal to me. Should I submit again to an Epublisher? While I am thankful for my big break, Epublishing wasn’t quite what I expected. That left self-publishing.

 I have three books slated for self-publication in the coming year: Everlasting, the sequel to Eternity, an untitled novella based on Eternity and Everlasting, and Once A Wife, contemporary woman’s fiction novel. I’m looking forward to exploring self-publishing and the roads which it will take me. I’ve done my research. My expectations are realistic, but still extremely hopefully.

I’m also looking forward to a few writing conferences. Some will be local, within a two-hour drive, and one long distance conference. I love meeting with fellow authors, talking craft and sharing experiences. You can never learn enough and you should never stop trying. So that is my plan of conquering 2013. What’s yours?

Six Sentence Sunday 12/23/12

The feel of her blasted through Reign’s petrified center. He hadn’t realized how much he missed this, human contact. The simple act of touching and being touched. Warmth and the softness of a woman, so long denied, now he feasted.

He buried his face in her mass of curly hair and inhaled jasmine and honey. A moan ripe with longing ripped from his throat and he fitted her lush curves more intimately to him.

I hope you enjoyed that snippet of Everlasting, the sequel to my debut novel, Eternity.

Hot Autumn Nights Blog Hop

Welcome To The Hot Autumn Nights Blog Hop

I’m an October baby, so I love autumn. It’s my favorite time of year. The heat of summer is over, but winter’s bitter cold hasn’t set in yet. My ideal hot autumn night would be lying on a blanket in my backyard, with a bottle of wine, a tray of chocolate strawberries, and a sexy man next to me.

Tell me what is your idea of a Hot Autumn Night and win a $20 amazon gift card.

Click here to meet more great authors!

Now for a hot excerpt of my debut novel, Eternity.

Rocking, no longer the purr of a car, but a steady, slightly nauseating rocking motion woke her. The chug and rumble, and a glimpse of water out of the car window confirmed her location. She was on a boat. A few feet away, Roman stood at the rail.

Stella opened the door and stepped into a fine mist and a slick metal deck. The strong smell of diesel filled the air. She’d traveled on the Staten Island Ferry for a job interview once. Too afraid to go up on the open deck, fear of drowning kept her in the middle of the ferry, seated near the snack bar. This rusted wreck couldn’t compare. No deck chairs, no snack bars, and no lower levels. The water lapping against the boat seemed dangerously close.

She looked around, searching for other travelers. There were none. Roman and she were the only people. She glanced up and spotted a shadow in the weather worn wheelhouse. The captain, hopefully. The boat rode a crest and groaned when it slammed back into the water. Stella clutched the car to steady herself. Level again, she carefully walked around to the front of the car.

“Where are we?” Afraid to cross the distance, Stella perched on the hood. Roman faced her. His shades were gone. In the weak light his eyes were deep, dark drowning pools.

“No one sits on the hood of a Shelby.

“Why?” was the only thing she could think of to say.

“Because, it’s a Shelby.”

As if that answered the question. Cautiously, she came to the rail and stared out into the dark night for any landmarks. Light twinkled in the distance, but didn’t cast enough illumination to pick out any details. “Where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere safe.”

“Does that place exist?” Her lips twisted in a wry smile.

“It’s my job to make sure it does, at least for you.”

“Is that the only reason why you’re here, because it’s your job?” She shouldn’t have asked, but the words slipped out without a care for her pride.

“Why else would I be here? I’m a mercenary. I have a job to complete.” Monotone, his voice held no life, no passion.

Something in her heart broke. “Just a job?” Watery, her voice wavered.

“Just a job.” He turned his back on her.

Streaks of sunlight stabbed the sky. If she cared to see, the perfect sunrise greeted the day. She couldn’t enjoy it, not when a continent separated her and the man standing inches away. And rightly so. Too much shit had passed between them for anything meaningful to survive. Its best she let go of what she thought they had. It’s not like she didn’t have other things to worry about.

Like the serial killer chasing them.

“Did you know?” Her heart already knew the answer, but her head needed more confirmation.

“No.”

“Not a clue?’ she pressed.

His eyes snapped to hers. Pain did laps in their depths. They said what his lips refused to impart.

She touched his stubbled cheek. “I’m sorry, Roman.”

He jerked away. “Don’t pity me.”

She couldn’t deny it. Pity is exactly what she felt seeing his pain.

“Landing in ten.” The captain cupped his mouth and yelled from the wheelhouse.

Roman gave him a single wave.

“Landing where?” she asked.

“A small town upstate.” He walked over and stopped in front of her. “Fifty miles from here is a cabin on a lake. That’s where we’re going.”

“Why there?” She wanted to keep him talking.

“It’s a good place to hold up and rest.”

A simple touch stopped him before he went to the car. “I’m sorry you were betrayed.”

Though he turned away, his shoulders rose as he took a great shuddering breath. This time when she pulled him, he moved into her arms and she couldn’t help burying her face in his neck. She pushed all her questions and valid reasons aside. Q&A would come later. Right now, their joined pain needed easing.

God, his scent shot through her blood stream like nicotine to a three pack-a-day smoker who had quit puffing a week ago.

Roman bent her body to his and molded every inch to his strength. Pressed against the entire length of him, his heart thudded, echoing her loneliness and his anguish. In this moment, they were one.

She didn’t want his arms around her. Naked, that’s what she desire most, to peel his shirt off and touch his perfect body. Briefly, his arms tightened as she pushed away, but he released her and stepped away. She grabbed his belt. His silly expression made her giggle as her nervous fingers fumbled with his buckle, belt, button and zipper. Laughter came to a choked halt when her hands dipped in the waistband of his briefs and she sprang his erection free. Tip glistening, her thumb ran over the wet opening and delighted in the passionate gasp her single finger evoked from him.

She fisted her hand around him and rolled her palm over the sensitive tip. His hips jerked when she gave a gentle squeeze and stroked downward. From the roll of his eyes and rhythmically pulsing of his hips, she commanded his passion.

As he commanded hers. The heat between her legs gathered. She stroked, up, around, down, and watched his face contort into painful pleasure, then pulled her hand away. He nearly snatched her hand back, but Stella met his lust-crazed eyes with her tongue licking her lips.

Slowly, she circled his tense body. The first time or the hundredth, the sight of him made her breathless. She stepped in front of him and unbuttoned her pants.

“We can’t do this.” His hand stopped the descent of her zipper.

Please teetered on the tip of her tongue.

He drew in a harsh breath. “I’m your bodyguard. Nothing more.” Still hard, he stuffed himself back into his pants and walked away.

 

 

 

Did you like it? Want to read more?

 

Available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

ROMAN NICOLIS

Cursed for 2000 years, Roman Nicolis has tracked his lovers’ soul through each reincarnation only to lose her horribly every time. Reclaiming their love is their only salvation. He’s been her friend, her father, her neighbor, but never again her lover … until now.

STELLA WALKER

A late night walk home throws Stella into the path of a killer. The last thing she remembers are the deep blue eyes of the man trying to kill her—and the first things she sees after a seven-day coma are the same blue eyes in the handsome face of the man hired to protect her. Is he truly the owner of a security firm assigned to protect her or the man who wants to finish her off? Is it fear she feels when Roman touches her or the memory of something sweeter? She will have to push past her fears and reclaim a love that has lasted two millennia.

Past secrets haunt them. An angry demon stalks them.

Roman will do anything to recover what they had. Though Stella’s ruined childhood has made her close her heart and body to any man, he must get past the walls around her to gain her love and trust, for it will take their union to defeat an unexpected enemy sent from the Egyptian Gods. A man Romans respects, and Stella trusts.

TWO HEARTS. ONE SOUL FOR ALL ETERNITY.

Available on Amazon

Available on Barnes & Noble

Tasty Tuesday November 6 2012

Cheesecake for Election Day.

Now that we’ve reached the end of the election season, it’s time to sit back and enjoy some cake.

 

 

Original recipe makes 16 servingsChange Servings

  • 24 OREO Cookies, finely crushed
  • 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
  • 1 (14 ounce) package caramels
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan.
  3. Microwave caramels and milk in a microwaveable bowl on high for 3 minutes or until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Stir in nuts; pour half into crust. Refrigerate 10 minutes. Refrigerate remaining caramel mixture for later use.
  4. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over caramel layer in crust.
  5. Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.
  6. Microwave reserved caramel mixture 1 minute; stir. Pour over cheesecake. Melt chocolate; drizzle over cheesecake.

Kitchen-Friendly View

  • PREP30 mins
  • COOK1 hr5 mins
  • READY IN6 hrs10 mins

Footnotes

  • Note: Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F if using a dark nonstick springform pan.
  • Nutrition Information Per Serving: 480 calories, 31g total fat, 15g saturated fat, 110mg cholesterol, 370mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 37g sugars, 7g protein.

    NOW FOR A TASTY TEASER OF ETERNITY

    Available on Soulmate Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble.

    Stella’s eyes betrayed her. No matter how much she ordered them not to look at Roman, they continued to willfully stray. Damp hair curled around his ears and dangled into his eyes. A two-day shadow covered his cheeks and jaw, like stubbly grass on a recently plowed field.

    Her fingers ached to thread his hair and pull him closer just as her palms itched for the abrasive feel of his growing beard. Too busy devouring two porterhouse steaks, a heaping pile of potatoes, and corn, he didn’t see her longing. When he drained his beer, she got up and brought him another one. Raised eyebrows questioned her, she glanced away.

    “Thank you for dinner and the beer.”

    Cheeks hot, she started cleaning the kitchen and made room when he joined her. They worked well together. Within minutes the kitchen was clean and orderly. Roman grabbed another beer and went to the porch. She hesitated, but gave in to the need to be near him. Leaning against a pole, he stared at the quarter moon hanging over the lake.

    “Do you come up here often?” she asked studying his profile.

    “No . . . I need too, though. Solitude gives me clarity.”

    “So, you like being alone. I must have turned your safe, predictable life upside down.” Her voice broke with a shaky laugh. “Sorry for intruding. As soon as this is over, I’ll be out of your way.”

    The half empty beer in his hand shattered. Before she could react, he picked up the large pieces, kicked the rest off the porch and stalked back into the house.

    She followed, but he wouldn’t look at her while he checked the windows and locked the door. When he walked up the stairs to the bedroom and that decadence bed, he didn’t look back.