Wednesday's Witty Words from Wise Women

"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths."

- Lois Wyse

In the Author Spotlight & Contest

Annmarie Ortega

CONTEST: Annmarie has a copy of Summer Solstice Scorchers from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid she will give away to one lucky winner. Make sure to leave a comment along with you email address for a chance to win.

AL: Hi Annmarie Thanks for being in the “Author Spotlight” this week.

Annmarie: Thank you very much for having me. I was thrilled when I found out I would be here.

AL: So, tell us what’s happening with you.

Annmarie: Well, it’s nice to be able to take a break and do this interview with you. Besides writing I’m also the President of my kid’s PTA, so I’m always running around for that. I’ve also become a gym rat the past few months and spend a few hours a day there. It doesn’t hurt that my personal trainer is a cutie and that inspires me to go!

AL: So, fill us in on your recent release.

Annmarie: My most recent e book is titled “Dead Girl Talking”. It takes place here in Chicago. It’s a contemporary written in the first person. It’s kind of like “Bridget Jones” meets “Interview With a Vampire”. It’s available from Resplendence Publishing. This is a book I LOVED writing. The hero is hawt which is way hotter than just normal hot! LOL. I am going to be in a new print anthology titled “Medieval Menage” that will be released from Resplendence later this month. The other two authors are Marianne LaCroix (who has an interview in the Feb issue of the RWA magazine RWR this month!) and Kimberly Garland. ( And Kim is actually my one and only cousin!)

AL: What other works are you deep into?

Annmarie: I have a few projects going on right now. I’m finishing up a book I started a few years ago titled “Guarding Pandora”. It takes the story of Pandora and puts a whole new spin on it. I’m also going to try my hand at my first police/true crime/erotica story. It’s going to take place here in Chicago too. Right now my working title is “Cocked and Loaded”. I also have an ongoing project with Kim, and another with Marianne. Lots of writing going on!

AL: You write in several different genres…do you have one that is most near and dear to your heart?

Annmarie: I find I like contemporary the most. I also have had a bit of luck writing in the first person which some people don’t find easy.

AL: When did you know you had to be a writer?

Annmarie: I come from a family of writers. My cousin Kim Garland is published at Resplendence too. I was going to Columbia College to get my Bachelor’s in Fiction Writing. I have 4 classes left to finish my degree.

AL: So far, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the writing industry?

Annmarie: Writing is a lot of work! You have to be great at time management. Not only do you have to write, but there’s so much more that goes along with it. You have to do promo like Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo groups, blogs, websites, twitter, etc. It can be a huge source of time suckage if you don’t stay focused on the task at hand. There’s no one standing over my shoulder telling me to write. I have to know what I have to do every day.

AL: You have just won five thousand dollars! But...you have to spend it all today. What will you buy?

Annmarie: Wow… I’m not sure. Can I take some friends shopping to help me spend the money? LOL I’m sure they’d be willing to help me.

Ann: Best movie you've seen recently?

Annmarie: Zombieland was great! Woody Harrelson is hot! And I LOVED The Ugly Truth. I laughed my *ss off during that one.

AL: Do you have a top 5 actors list? You know that list of men that make you go yum, yum that would be inevitable, if only....

Annmarie: Haha! As a matter of fact a couple of my friends keep a “5 guy list” like Ross and Rachel did on Friends! My list would be:

Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds, Christian Bale, Justin Timberlake, and Zac Effron. LOL

AL: If you could have any car in the world; would it be a slow rider, or one that the wind has to hurry just to keep up with you?

Annmarie: I wouldn’t care as long as it’s a convertible. I always wanted one.

AL: If I asked your best friend what type of person you are, what would he/she tell me?

Annmarie: I think she would say loyal. I will bend over backwards to help a friend. I am fiercely loyal to those people I’m close to.

AL: Please share a favorite quote(s) with us.

Annmarie: Ok… This is going to sound strange, but the other day I was talking to my best writing friend Marianne LaCroix, and we were talking about the gym. We were talking about using the weight machines and how you have to pull out that little pinto adjust how many pounds you’re going to lift. I said something about not always being sure if it was in correctly, and Mari said “Just stick it in and hope for the best!” Well, after she said it we both started laughing at how obscene it sounded! But then we said really that’s great advice for a lot of things in life! Hehe ; )

AL: Thanks so much for sharing with joining us this week, Annmarie.

Annmarie: Thank you for this opportunity. I had a great time chatting with you! I’d like to mention that I will be at a few book signing events in March and April. If you go to my blog I’ll have information posted about them.

AL: If you’d like to find out more about Annmarie please visit:

www.annmarieauthor.blogspot.com

FEATURED TITLE: DEAD GIRL TALKING

Blurb:

Until recently, I led a pretty normal life. But then I did something that kind of changed things for me: I had a one night stand with a vampire. Things got a little carried away and he bit me, turning me into a vampire too. I guess you can say I learned the hard way that love bites, and once bitten there's no going back.

Excerpt:

I'm not a slut. I've never been the type of woman who has a one-night stand with a man I just met. I have to know a man for a while before getting naked in front of him. So it was completely out of character for me to be lying flat on my back getting my brains screwed out by a guy I just met, but I did just that. And sleeping with that stranger changed my life forever. It just so happens that my one-night stand was with a vampire who in the throes of passion bit me making me a vampire too. I learned the hard way that love bites, and once bitten there's no going back.

I usually go to one particular nightclub to meet my roommate Veronica. This particular night she never showed up and I honestly wasn't all that surprised. She had a boyfriend that she was with all the time and she was hardly ever at our apartment anymore. I knew it was just a matter of time before she'd tell me that she was going to move out of our place and in with her boyfriend.

After waiting around for Veronica for a while I decided to go home. The club scene wasn't my thing and I'd much rather put on my favorite flannel pajamas and read the book I bought earlier that day. I was walking towards the club doors to leave when a man I was passing stopped me.

"Hey, you're not leaving now, are you?" He had an exaggerated frown on his face when he grabbed my arm. I had never seen this guy before and was positive I'd remember him if I had. He was gorgeous. While he spoke, I was baffled as to why he was even talking to me. Let's just say I'm no model. I have long brown hair, brown eyes, average height and thighs a little too large for my liking.

I laughed while nodding my head to him. "Yeah, sorry I'm about to go." I knew he was trying to pick me up, but I wasn't interested.

"My name is Jake. How about you let me buy you a drink before you go..." he trailed off waiting for me to tell him my name. He comically raised an eyebrow waiting for my response.

I looked at him and thought about my pajamas and book waiting for me at home. Then I decided one drink couldn't hurt. "My name is Janice and I'll stay for one drink, but that's it." I emphasized the word one so he'd know I had no intention of hanging around all night.

"Cool, come on." He turned to lead me back towards the bar. "Is vodka and tonic ok?"

"Yeah, sure that's fine," I answered.

We sat next to each other on stools and he ordered us drinks. We sat at the bar and talked for a while, joking and making each other laugh with silly small talk. When I finished my drink I pushed the glass away from me on the bar indicating I was finished.

"Jake, it was nice meeting you and thanks for the drink. I have to be going now." I stood up to leave.

"You're going to go? I was thinking that maybe we could dance?"

"Oh were you?" He was a smooth talker and probably they type of guy who got everything he wanted. I knew his type well; too well in fact. I had been in a relationship for a long time with someone who reminded me a lot of this guy.

"Dance with me," he pleaded as he got up and started to pull me by the hand to the dance floor. I thought he was adorable and I knew I wasn't going to say no to him. We danced to a few songs together on the overly crowded dance floor. I started to notice a lot of women staring at us. Then I realized actually they weren't staring at us, they were staring at him. He was the kind of man you'd see looking at you from the glossy pages of a magazine, not in real life. He had light brown hair that was all one length and hung past his shoulders. His eyes were a light brown with amber colored flecks in them. He wore a white t-shirt and faded jeans over his muscular frame. It was obvious to me that he worked out from the muscles I could see bulging through his shirt.

When the song we were dancing to ended, he took me by the hand leading me off the dance floor. I didn't even ask where we were going. I followed him up a tall flight of stairs to the second floor of the nightclub. There were various rooms upstairs, each one painted a different color. Some rooms had overstuffed sofas or chairs for people to sit and talk. He led me to a room painted a bright peacock blue; the only furniture was a red sofa shaped like a pair of giant lips against the wall. He led me to it, sitting down then pulled me down to sit on his lap, straddling him.

Jake had an expression that made my pulse race; there was a fire raging in his eyes. He put his hands on my face and stared at me intensely, then pulled me to him so our lips touched. Our first kiss was gentle, but then he seemed to lose control and his kisses became harder and more intense. His tongue pushed against my lips and I opened myself to him. I knew that I should get up and leave but I let what my body was feeling control me instead of my sense of reason. I missed kissing, and I guess I simply let myself be carried away.

Jake's hands caressed my hair as I wrapped my arms around his neck. My entire body turned hot from his kisses. His mouth left mine and started to trail down my neck. I could feel his breath against my skin as he groaned low against my throat.

He took one of my hands in his and guided it to his lap and the bulge between his legs. I could feel his rock hard erection under the denim of his jeans. My head was thrown back, my mouth slightly parted as I caressed him and he continued to kiss my neck. His mouth moved from my neck to my ear. "God, I want to fuck you, Janice."

I didn't say anything back; I was completely lost in him. He could have taken me right there and I wouldn't have protested.

All of a sudden, the music stopped and the overhead lights in the club came on. It was jarring and brought us back to reality quickly.

"What time is it?" he asked.

The way he stopped kissing me was abrupt, and from the way we'd been kissing, his actions surprised me. "Well if they're turning on the lights then it must be four in the morning." I couldn't believe that time had gone by so quickly with him. We had spent almost the entire night together.

"Damn. I have to go right away." He was clearly upset because of the time.

"Oh, ok." I got up off his lap. I was disappointed he seemed in a hurry to leave all of a sudden.

Jake stood up. "Bye," he said then kissed my cheek. He turned around to leave and started to walk to the staircase we used to get to the second floor. I watched him pause, then turn around and rush back to me. He took my hands in his. "Listen, I'm so sorry I have to leave like this and I'd really love to see you again. Could you meet me here next Saturday night?" His eyes looked anxious and he seemed tightly wound, as if he was fighting the urge to run down the stairs out of the club.

"Sure, I can be here." It was obvious we were attracted to each other so hell yeah I wanted to see him again. When I had gone there that night, I hadn't planned to meet anyone but I enjoyed him kissing me and feeling his hands on me. I hadn't made love with a man for a long time and quite honestly, the idea of having a one-night stand was appealing to me.

"Good. So I'll see you next weekend." He turned around to leave again, then once again hesitated and turned back and kissed me one last time. He rushed back to the staircase and hurried down the stairs. I walked over to the balcony that overlooked the entire dance floor. I saw him look up at me to smile and wave before he disappeared into the crowd of people leaving through the club's front doors.

I stood there for a moment with my hands on the railing, thinking about everything that had happened that night with Jake. I wondered if he would really show up next weekend. One thing I did know; I would be there to find out.

REMEMBER: Annmarie has a copy of Summer Solstice Scorchers from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid she will give away to one lucky winner. Make sure to leave a comment along with you email address for a chance to win.

Wedneday's Witty Words from Wise Women

"Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn her back on life."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

In the Author Spotlight & Contest

Kimber Chin

CONTEST: - Kimber will give away 3 copies of both Breach Of Trust and Invisible in PDF to those who leave a comment, so please make sure to leave your email addy for a chance to win. Characters from these two novels appear in my latest release Flawless.

AL: Hi Kimber Thanks for being in the “Author Spotlight” this week.

Kimber: Thank you for having me, Ann. Ann is one of my favorite names. The heroine of my first novel Breach Of Trust is Anne but with an ‘e’ ‘cause she’s a fancy schmancy type of chick.

AL: So, tell us what’s happening with you.

Kimber: I’m currently on a business gig and working 12 plus hours a day. Combine that with the release of Flawless, my follow up novel to Invisible, and what I’m NOT doing is sleeping. If this interview gets a bit Alice In Wonderland strange, you know why. Not that getting Alice In Wonderland strange is a bad thing, especially if Johnny Depp makes an appearance.

AL: Business, high-stakes and murder….Tell us about one of your upcoming or recent releases.

Kimber: Flawless is my latest release. It stars Tavos Santos. Some readers will remember this scarred, f-bomb flinging man from Invisible. Tavos is a bad, bad man. He is a killer, and he doesn’t magically change his ways because he falls in love.

Grace thinks she is about to die. She has a list of things she wishes to do before that happens. She gets the bright idea that Tavos is exactly the right man to do them with. Yep, she is a wee bit crazy.

AL: What are you currently working on?

Kimber: I just submitted Nik’s story. Nikolay also appears in Invisible. He is the grandson of a Russian mafia godfather. He is determined not to become his grandfather but we all know how history repeats itself.

AL: Working in the fast paced financial world, and meeting different “characters”, do any of your smug villains sound and look a little bit like a person you have squared off against in a conference room?

Kimber: My characters are their own people but as with anyone, I can see similarities to people I know outside of the fictional world. I know a lot of people so that’s bound to happen. I love people, love, love people. I think that’s why I write romance. Romance is all about people and personalities.

AL: What do you hope for your writing career in the next few years? Any goals that you have yet to obtain that you have set for yourself?

Kimber: I’d love to have a book in every library on the planet. I grew up dirt poor and quickly read through my local libraries. I donate quite a few of my books to libraries, along with cash donations, as a way of giving back.

AL: Which of your heroines best resembles you and why?

Kimber: There are a lot of stories swirling around my brain. The heroines I decide to write about are usually the heroines I most relate to at that time. With Breach Of Trust, I was feeling out of my comfort zone in the writing world. Like Anne does, I did more observing than talking. Maeve in Invisible is in a dark place at the beginning of the book. I was coming to terms with never having kids and was in a very similar dark place. Grace in Flawless doesn’t take anything too seriously. She gamely tackles each day as it comes. That is where I am right now.

AL: Now, let’s get personal. What is the most unglamorous thing you’ve done this week?

Kimber: I should say clean the toilet but I’ve been delaying that task (yeah, I know, too much information). Mom-in-law (a wonderful woman) gave me a chicken carcass. I stripped all the remaining meat off it and then boiled the bones for soup stock. Chicken fat must be the best moisturizer on the planet. My hands feel like a newborn baby’s bum.

AL: You’re the actress in a must see blockbuster movie that everyone’s been waiting all summer for. What’s the movie about? Who’s your character? And who’s your leading man?

Kimber: Yikes! That is my worst nightmare. I don’t like being in the spotlight so I’d be in an animated movie. Ohhh… maybe a remake of Beauty and the Beast. I’d wear big gowns and dance and sing (off key as I do). James Earl Jones could be the voice of the Beast. Darth Vader would make a yummy Beast, don’t you think?

AL: If you could drop everything tomorrow for an extended vacation, where would you go and why?

Kimber: The hubby and I do this all the time. Travel is our drug of choice. We are currently planning an extended vacation to India. For some reason, that is one country we haven’t yet visited. That is crazy, I know. We love the people, the culture, the food, and wowsers, the rich history. I’m sure the plot bunnies will be greatly multiplied after that trip.

AL: What would people be surprised to know about you?

Kimber: My internet buddies would be surprised to find out that I’m not Asian. My heritage is English/Irish. I had to marry a tall, dark, handsome Asian man to get the last name. I love the trend with headless heroines on covers because in my mind, ALL heroes are tall, dark, handsome Asian men.

AL: Your characters cuss a lot, what's your favorite curse word and why?

Kimber: That’s the amusing thing. I don’t cuss… AT ALL. Sometimes I say dang or jeepers or sugar but I don’t use the big profanities. I grew up babysitting. Use a cuss word just once and those little darlings will repeat it forever, telling everyone whom they heard it from.


My characters cuss for their own reasons. Hagen in Invisible uses the d-word to express his anger over his beloved great-uncle dying. Tavos in Flawless uses the f-bomb because he grew up in the slums of Belize. His first exposure to the English language sure wasn’t from English teachers. He is a smart guy though. He could stop using the word if he wanted to but he doesn’t want to. He uses it to warn the world ‘I’m a bad, bad man. Stay away.”

AL: Please share a favorite quote(s) with us.

Kimber: “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space.” – unknown.

Life isn’t TV. There should be no repeats! We’re given additional years of living to do something different than we’ve done the year before. Push your boundaries.

AL: Thanks so much for sharing with joining us this week, Kimber.

Kimber: Thank you SO much for letting me drop by, Ann. I had a blast!

AL: If you’d like to find out more about Kimber please visit:

http://businessromance.com/

FEATURED TITLE: FLAWLESS
 
Blurb:
 
Grace Williams has a list of things she wants to do before she dies: walk a tightrope, dye her hair purple, skinny dip in the ocean, kiss the scarred stranger sent to kill her…
 
Yeah, Tavos Santos is a killer but f— it if he’s going to be Grace’s killer. There are other relationships he’d rather have with the gloved beauty. None of them requiring knives.

It takes a killer to catch a killer. Now Tavos must decide… Is love worth killing for?

Excerpt:

“Excuse me.” She rested a gloved hand on his sleeve. Was that a flinch? No. His face was like granite as he turned to face her. This man would never flinch.

“Fuck,” he said under his breath. “What do you want?” Louder. The grating language offset by a deep, low voice, the sound touching the very depths of her.

What did she want? Looking in his flat brown eyes, she knew. To live. To love. To…

“This.” Grace plucked the toothpick away from his lips and, before fear overwhelmed the impulse, she leaned forward, into his warmth, and brushed her mouth against his.

His lips were hard. Unyielding. Like him. Like fate.

She didn’t know what she had expected. Not that. Disappointed, Grace withdrew to the safety and coldness of her own personal space. She had expected more. She took a pen out of her purse. Didn’t matter. Number four. She crossed it off the list. It was done.

“Fuck.” A hand gripped her waist, spinning her and the stool around. His face fierce. He was going to kill her now. Right here, in public. For daring to kiss him. Grace opened her mouth to scream, only to have it covered with his. She struggled. His hand gripped the back of her neck, not allowing her to retreat, hard lips grinding down, his body slamming against her, knocking the wind, the fight out of her, allowing his tongue inside.

It was hungry. Primitive. Deadly. Was death by kissing possible? Her body sagged against his, all resistance gone. Her right hand crept up, around his shoulder and into his hair. He was so lean, hard, not an ounce of softness in his body. A finely trained weapon. To be used against her.

She didn’t die. He stepped back, a dazed look in those eyes. She touched the corner of her mouth with the tip of her tongue, tasting…blood.

“Fuck.” The killer ran a hand through his shiny black hair, smoothing down the tuft she had clenched. “Fuck.”

REMEMBER: Kimber will give away 3 copies of both Breach Of Trust and Invisible in PDF to those who leave a comment, so please make sure to leave your email addy for a chance to win. Characters from these two novels appear in my latest release Flawless.

In the Author Spotlight & Contest

Jamieson Wolfe

CONTEST: Jamieson has five copies of HARD and five copies of HARDER to give away! The first ten people to leave a comment will win a free ebook copy of Hard or Harder! So, remember to leave your email!

AL: Hi Jamieson. Thanks for being in the “Author Spotlight” this week.

Jamieson: Hey Ann! Thanks for having me! It’s a real pleasure to be here.

AL: So, tell us what’s happening with you.

Jamieson: What’s going on? Well my husband and I will be celebrating our fifth anniversary this March, so that’s a good thing.

I’m also a lot busier than I thought I would be in 2009! I’m teaching workshops in March, October and November so far, so I’m preparing for that.

Other than that, I’m working hard at my day job, reading and spending far too much time playing video games on my Nintendo DS. Currently I’m enjoying Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars. It’s awesome!

AL: Cleo, Cupid, wolves and the professor, oh my! So, tell us about a current or upcoming release…

Jamieson: Well my newest release is called HARDER. It’s the second book in the Hard series and continues the adventures of Owen Wolfe. He has the incredible luck of having his fantasies come to life, whether he wants them to or not!

Coming up is a short titled Glory that will be published by Breathless Press in March!

AL: You write in several different genres, do you prefer one over another? Do you find it difficult switching from say paranormal fiction, to non-fiction?

Jamieson: I think if I had to pick a genre I prefer, I would have to say speculative fiction. I love having that fantasy element in my writing. Of course, this means I can write romance, suspense, young adult, whatever tickles my fancy at the time.

I don’t find it too difficult changing genre’s. I never like to write the same story twice, so I’m always working on two or three different projects at the same time. The variety keeps me from getting too bored and produces a lot of work.

AL: What is the strangest source of writing inspiration you’ve ever had?

Jamieson: I’d have to say the talks I have at bus stops. The idea that strangers will talk to you about almost anything, even not knowing who you are, is the most bizarre thing to me. A lot of my short stories have come from conversations at bus stops. And some of them have been really odd, like something out of one of my novels!

But it just goes to show you that real life can be the best inspiration of all!

AL: Do you have a mentor or critique partner that you work with consistently?

Jamieson: I don’t have a mentor or critique partner, but I do belong to a critique group called Muse Macabre. Everyone who submits work writes speculative or dark fiction, so I fit in with no problems!

I love working with a critique group because you can get a good sounding board for a story or novel that is giving you trouble. And they’re always honest, which is a great thing when you’re a writer and very unsure of yourself and your work.

AL: Which of your books feature your family/friends, etc? What characters are modeled after them? Why?

Jamieson: Several of my books feature family and friends. In fact, The Hunted Series, my series of four books that revolve around soap operas and serial killers, feature my mother (Susan), and three of my good friends (Nai, Erin and Sandy).

More often than not, though, I try not to have too many of my friends or family in my stories. They get wierded out if there’s a sex scene, especially if it features them! LOL

AL: Here we go…it’s time to get personal! When you have a day all to yourself, no hubby and the she-cat is nestled asleep somewhere, what do you do with this sudden free-time?

Jamieson: Well I’ll write, no question. But I write till I feel like I’m done. Then I might work on a canvass or two, play some video games on my Nintendo DS and then read to my hearts content with a glass or two of wine. A bliss!

I’m also an artist. I find that with my writing I can express myself one way. With my art, I’m expressing things that I might not be able to put into words. So I will quite often put on some nice music and work on a canvass or two. I work with cante and mixed media on canvass most of the time.

AL: What favorite movie; or T.V. show makes you hunker down on the sofa and settle in for the night?

Jamieson: I have only one and it’s on winter hiatus. Sigh. But it’s GLEE. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that show. I have the first half of season one on DVD and am watching it now. I could watch Glee all day and still want to watch more! If you haven’t seen it, watch it. It’s television that will fill you with joy.

I also love to veg out so I watch lots of The Simpsons, Family Guy and Robot Chicken, oh, and South Park. Those are my faves.

AL: You are told you have to meet one paranormal creature, no safeguards, what do you choose? What do you bring with you?

Jamieson: I’d love to meet one of the Fey. Preferably a Dryad. I might bring a sketch pad and some coloured pencils or some charcoal. I’d hopefully be able to coax the Dryad from their tree and have a conversation about what it was like to see the world made.

AL: Valentine’s Day is around the corner…what do you and your hubby do to celebrate the day of love?

Jamieson: Well this year, we’re going to Montreal for a little get away. It’s also our anniversary of when we met on March 2nd, so we’re celebrating 5 years together a little early.

My husband isn’t a huge fan of Valentines Day. This year, he’s calling it Black Sunday. But that doesn’t stop me. I’ll be eating tons of heart shaped chocolate and, hopefully, get a little something. We’re probably going to exchange new wedding rings and redo our vows.

AL: Can you share some of your plans for 2010 and beyond?

Jamieson: Well 2010 will be a busy one. I have my memoir coming out later this year in paperback as well as the 2nd book in my Hunted Series coming out in paperback. I have two more paperback releases this year as well, a second book of short stories and a holiday novella. Beyond 2010? I have no idea! We’ll have to see what it brings.

AL: Please share a favorite quote(s) with us.

Jamieson: There’s one that I carry around with me all the time. It’s by Margaret Atwood and it goes: A word after a word is power. Isn’t that what all writers do? Put one word after another? It rings true for me, you know?

AL: Thanks so much for sharing with joining us this week, Jamieson.

Jamieson: And thanks for having me Ann, it’s been a delight!

AL: If you’d like to find out more about Jamieson please visit:

www.jamiesonwolf.com
www.jamiesonwolf.blogspot.com

FEATURED TITLE: HARDER
Blurb:

Owen had always fantasized about Sebastian. Working in the same publishing house, Owen saw Sebastian every day but they never spoke. Owen always imagined what Sebastian would look like naked, what it would be like to touch him.

One day, Owen’s fantasy comes to life when Sebastian makes a pass at him.

But the fun has only just begun. And Owen's cock will be harder than ever before by the time the day is over...


Excerpt:

Every time Owen saw Sebastian, he felt his heart swoon, just a little bit.

Sebastian was straight, so there wasn’t a hope in hell, but a boy could dream. He was over six feet with dark hair. He had serious blue eyes and pouty lips, framed by a closely shaved goatee.

They worked as copy editors for the same publishing house. Owen had yet to hear him utter a word even though they sat only a few cubicles apart from each other. Sebastian would come in, do his job and go home.

Owen fantasized about him all the time.

He wondered what Sebastian’s cock looked like. What Sebastian looked like shirtless. Owen wondered if Sebastian’s chest was hairy. He wondered what Sebastian’s voice sounded like. Would it be deep or a soft, smooth baritone?

At home, late at night, he would let his imagination play. Owen would close his eyes and picture Sebastian naked: toned but not too muscular, a scattering of hair on his chest leading down to his crotch. Owen wondered what it would be like to kiss him and to have Sebastian kiss him back.

Picturing Sebastian, Owen would stroke himself, letting the thought of Sebastian’s hands roaming over his skin drive him over the edge.

He wondered about the size of Sebastian’s cock.

Owen soon got his answer.

REMEMBER: Jamieson has five copies of HARD and five copies of HARDER to give away! The first ten people to leave a comment will win a free ebook copy of Hard or Harder! So, remember to leave your email!

Wednesday's Witty Words from Wise Women

"You have not lived a perfect day...unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

- Ruth Smeltzer

In the Author Spotlight & Contest

Abby Wood

CONTEST: I’ll offer one lucky person who leaves a posts their pick of either Going Down at the Dock or Throwing a Kink in the Kidnapping. I’ll draw the name Sunday and email the winner. Please make sure to leave your email addy.

AL: Hi Abby. Thanks for being in the “Author Spotlight” this week.

Abby: Thank you for having me, Ann. I’m excited about being here.

AL: So, tell us what’s happening with you.

Abby: Which day is it? Lol Half the time I feel like I am running in several directions, and trying to figure out exactly what I should be doing. Between four teenagers, taking care of the farm animals, and writing I lose track of the time easily.

AL: So, tell us about your new release.

Abby: I’d love to. Going Down at the Dock is a hot peek into the lives of a Master and his slave. I loved showing how a strong business woman gives up control to visit her wild side. Master Darren knows exactly what she needs to find fulfillment too.

AL: What other erotic tales do you have simmering on the stove for us to eat up?

Abby: I have three books coming soon. Tagging Her Lynx is an erotic paranormal set in Alaska, and Winning Off the Court is a short tale featuring a woman who finally heats things up with two of her tennis mates. Both of those will be coming out with Breathless Press. I also have another paranormal erotic coming out at Loose Id called Didja Know…? Of course, Throwing a Kink in the Kidnapping is a newer release that you can read while you wait for all these books to hit the stores. 

AL: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? An erotic writer at that?

Abby: I’ve always wrote, but last year I was approached and asked to try my hand at writing the kinky stuff. I’ve loved it ever since. I love delving into my characters, and writing what happens in and out of the bedroom brings them more to life for me.

AL: What do you hope for your writing career in the next few years? Any goals that you have yet to obtain that you have set for yourself?

Abby: I want to keep putting books out there and growing my reader base. I’d love to get to that point where I hear someone is dying for my next book. lol

AL: What do you like best about writing? What is your least favorite thing?

Abby: My favorite thing is staying home. With having a family, it is nice to be right here looking over everybody. My least favorite…gosh, that’s hard because I love writing. I’d have to say finding homes for my books. It’s hard and a little scary.

AL: What’s the most unglamorous thing you’ve done in the past week?

Abby: Um, I live on a farm. There are a lot of unglamorous jobs! This week I would say it was cleaning the chicken coop.

AL: If you had to write yourself as a villain, what kind of villain would you be? What would you be named?

Abby: I want to be the evil sister who causes havoc. Did you see how fast I answered that question? Lol I grew up the only female in the house. I have no idea what having a sister is like, and it would be fun to torment another girl for awhile.

AL: What were you like as a kid?

Abby: A total tomboy. All my friends were boys and I hung out with them playing sports. I play a hell of a game of basketball and usually win at tennis.

AL: What decadent delight must you have no matter what?

Abby: A cheesecake has never been thrown away at my house. Just saying…

AL: Can you share some of your plans for 2010 and beyond?

Abby: What? It’s 2010! Dang, there’s that loss of time thing happening again. I want to feel like a writer. I’m still pretty new at all this. I question everything, and cringe when I promote my books. By the end of the year, I’m going to figure it all out.

AL: Please share a favorite quote(s) with us.

Abby: "I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." By Audrey Hepburn

AL: Thanks so much for sharing with joining us this week, Abby.

Abby: Thank you! I’ve had so much fun.

AL: If you’d like to find out more about Abby please visit:

www.authorabbywood.com

FEATURED TITLE: GOING DOWN AT THE DOCK

Blurb:

Businesswoman Jasmine Kendall needs one thing to escape her high pressured life: a powerful man who will bend her and make her submit. Meeting Master Darren Finnagen can give her everything she dreamed. He’s a man who will control her every move, push her to new heightened orgasms, and bring her total happiness. His latest plans for her include a jaunt down a shipping dock where she must make three strangers come, but when she’s done, will Darren be waiting for her or was this just a test?

Excerpt:

“It pleases me to see you enjoying yourself. You’ve permitted that inner wild flower hidden inside to come out to play.” He gathered her in an embrace. “It turns me on to see you lose control of that high society, business owner, façade you wrap yourself up in every day in that high rise building you own.”

“I do it for you, Darren.” She sobbed. “Only you.”

“Aw, my poor love. Your body still needs attention, does it not?” He pulled back and gazed down at her face.

She nodded.

“Remember when I told you that your pussy is all mine?” He stepped back.

She wrapped her arms around her middle. “I’m sorry—“

He held up his hand. “No, love. ‘Tis my fault. I pushed you too far, but you had nothing to fear. I was watching you the whole time. I would not let another man have something so precious of mine.” The soft lilt of his voice smoothed her anxiety over displeasing him.

She tilted her head.

“You enjoyed knowing that I watched. The fact that others stopped and stared at your vagrant display of power over men twice your size turned you on, didn’t it?” He loosened his tie.

“Yes, Darren.”

“The difference between you and me, love…” He pulled his shirttails out of his trousers. “I know you prefer to have someone encourage you to obey. You want to feel small, feminine, and let someone bigger and stronger than you control every morsel of desire in that lovely body of yours, yes?”

“Yes, Darren.”

He opened his arms out to the side of him and walked in a circle. “How many people do you see watching us like we are a spectator sport and wondering what is going to happen? They gaze longingly at your long, golden legs beneath that very skimpy blouse and hope they will get a chance to see you wrap them around my hips as I plunge into you and take what is mine. Dare I even say…they hope I will punish you for letting three strange men have their freedom with you?”

She flicked her gaze at the crowds gathered up on the decks of the ships and at the end of the dock. A twirl of excitement started low in her tummy, spread out to the hidden bits of her womanhood, and brought her back to her high sense of arousal the other men brought out in her.

“If it’s okay with you, love, let’s give them what they ask for….” He stepped toward her and grabbing a handful of her thick hair at the back of her head brought her forward for a kiss that both urged her on and showed her exactly who controlled the situation.

She whimpered against his lips and he let her go abruptly. He stepped back. His hands trailed along the opened V of her blouse, grasped each side, and ripped the buttons off the rest of the shirt. She gasped. Her head fell back and she languished at the vulnerability that overcame her knowing the strangers gazed upon her body.

REMEMBER: I’ll offer one lucky person who leaves a posts their pick of either Going Down at the Dock or Throwing a Kink in the Kidnapping. I’ll draw the name Sunday and email the winner. Please make sure to leave your email addy.