Wednesday's Witty Words

The only way not to break a friendship
is not to drop it.

- Julie Holz

In the Author Spotlight & Contest

Michelle M. Pillow

CONTEST: Leave a post and one winner will receive a pdf copy of Realm Immortal: King of the Unblessed.

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

Michelle: Thank you so much for having me!

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

Michelle: I’m in the process of trying to set up a small greenhouse. I’ve never been that lucky with gardens so I decided this year to really study up and use the old greenhouse on our property. I love to try new things and this looks like it might be a fun and rewarding project—if I can get anything to grow.

AL: What new release do you have out for us to read?

Michelle: 2009 is a very busy year for me. So far, I’ve had Pleasure Island (EC, Jan) and the start of a new alternate reality series, Divinity Warriors: Lilith Enraptured (EC March), Faire Justice (NCP, April) as well as a three book release of the Realm Immortal series—King of the Unblessed, Faery Queen, Stone Queen (Samhain, March).

My newest release will be Divinity Warriors: Fighting Lady Jayne from EC May 15th. This series is so much fun and I’ve gotten some really steamy covers for them. Whew!

AL: What are you currently working on?

Michelle: I’m finishing up the Divinity Warriors series with book four. I’m almost done with the first draft. Books 1-3 are already contracted with Ellora’s Cave and due out this year. After that, I will be working on a new book for my agent.

AL: You write different genres, do you favor one genre over another?

Michelle: I love working in different genres. Historicals are my first love, but I really love the creativity of world building that comes with paranormals and futuristics. Not only do you get to make up cultures and societies, but technology, world events, mythologies. I also write contemporaries and fantasies. I like switching things up and trying new things. I’d love to be involved with some non-fiction projects and maybe do a photography art book….someday.

AL: Out of all your stories do you have one that is more near and dear your heart?

Michelle: It’s so hard to say. I love the straight historicals like Maiden and the Monster (EC) or the Realm Immortal (Samhain) fantasy romances where there’s bigger world building and a larger cast of characters. I also tend to fall for the bad guy side characters. I love writing them. King Lucien of the Damned in the Realm Immortal series seems to be a fan fave. Everyone wants me to redeem the unredeemable.

AL: You’ve been in the publishing game for several years now, what has changed? What has remained the same? Has there been any difficulties adjusting, or do you flow with the “winds of change?”

Michelle: I tend to just flow and try not to stress over things I can’t control. I try to focus on the positive. I’ve learned a lot since I’ve started and met a lot of great people. Ebooks continue to gain in popularity and notice. And the genre lines continued to blur. I know when I first started the marketing departments would scratch their heads when I said I wanted to write a dark paranormal romance. Now, you can get them everywhere. I love the options.

AL: I can tell it’s really important for you to help other authors. What got you started on this “kick”?

Michelle: As a newbie, I got a lot of different reactions from those who’d been at it longer than me. Some were great and incredibly helpful and others were, erm, not so great. I always said that if I got to a position that I could help others, I would try to. And I find that many of those I’ve helped are willing to return the favor when I need a hand.

AL: So, now for the important questions. Sometimes people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. I like to set them straight, so tell us what’s the most unglamorous thing you’ve done in the past week?

Michelle: Ugh, do I have to say? LOL Writing is so not glamorous. It’s hours staring at a computer in your pajamas, forgetting to eat, forgetting bedtime, forgetting social contact. Thank goodness for the internet or most of us would never talk to anyone. This last week? I deep cleaned the house. Covered in grime and sweat is about as unglam as you can get.

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?

Michelle: Well, if it’s a blockbuster, it’s not a story of the girl in her pajama pants staring at a computer screen. I think it would have to be something epic, a little funny, and definitely with some zombies thrown in. And the hero would have to have a sense of humor. I mean, he would be a comically epic zombie after all.

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?

Michelle: It would be a 1950 Merc, blue with suicide doors and maybe a little chop to the roof.

AL: Do you have a favorite sport, &/or team that you follow?

Michelle: Are cooking competitions a sport? LOL. With so many strange sports out there from wife carrying to cheese rolling to outhouse racing, it’s hard to pick just one.

AL: With Spring upon us, what’s some of your favorite things about the season?

Michelle: It’s great photography weather—mild temps with pretty flowers blooming, people out and about, the landscapes waking up. Though, to tell the truth, I think all seasons are great photography weather, lol.

AL: Please share a favorite quote(s) with us.
Michelle: "Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." E.L. Doctorow and “Fuck structure and grab your characters by the balls." Jack Kerouac

AL: Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Michelle. You’ve been in the game so long and have done so much to try to help other authors that I struggled to condense all the questions I had for you.

Michelle: You’re very welcome. Thanks again for having me!

AL: Want to find out more about Michelle and the many books she has for you to read? Please visit:

- Website – http://www.michellepillow.com/
- Blog – www.michellepillow.com/blog
- Newsletter - http://www.michellepillow.com/newsletter/?p=subscribe
- Raven Radio www.blogtalkradio.com/ravenradio

- Raven Free Story – http://www.ravenhappyhour.com/

FEATURED TITLE:

BLURB:

Sorin of Firewall lives in a land forever at war. In fact, the Starian men are so busy fighting, their marriage ceremony has been reduced to a “will of the gods” event where they simply pick a woman out of a lineup and claim her as a wife. With women becoming scarce, it’s necessary to trade the offworld Divinity Corporation for brides. Duty-bound to attend the ceremony, he has no intention of picking a bride, let alone one from another dimension. That is, until he sees Lilith, the bewitching woman sent by the gods to reward—or punish?—him.

Lilith, a data analyst for Divinity, is betrayed by the Corporation and wakes up in a primitive, uncharted dimension filled with warriors who only know war and duty. But her initial fears of becoming a sex slave to a big beefy knight become all too real when a warrior of god-like proportions claims she’s his new woman. As Lilith discovers, there are worse fates than being the focus of Sorin’s skillful and earthy seduction.

EXCERPT:

Sorin took several deep breaths, feeling as he did when about to go into battle. Heat filled him as tension worked its way into his limbs. With a single thought, he could will his body to spring into action. He could erase her from the world and end this before it started.

But it was too late. He was lost the moment he’d looked at her, had seen her big blue eyes staring at him in trepidation. No, he was lost before that, when he felt her looking at him, beckoning him with her unwavering gaze to find her in the crowd.

Temptress. Witch.

He willed the desire inside him to go away. It shouldn’t have been so strong. He’d relieved himself like he always did, had spilled his seed to ease the lonely ache.

Light from the fireplace shone through the white of her gown, silhouetting the long length of her legs and arms. The linen clung to her shoulders, swooping gently along the curves of her breasts—breasts that would be bare beneath. The tied hands were a new addition to the ceremony, thanks to Sir Aidan’s wayward woman, Lady Paige. Sorin’s barbaric side found he liked the addition.

Hunger rushed into every limb, lifting his cock beneath the long tunic. He didn’t think to hide the reaction. No one would care. It had been so long, so very long, since he’d had a woman in his bed. He suppressed a groan. Soft flesh. Round breasts. Taut nipples. Slick, warm vessel to catch his passion. That certain female smell when he pressed his nose to her sex.

A thought whispered in the back of his mind. Maybe she’s different. Maybe she’ll be better. Maybe this one will stay.

He cursed the thought. No. She wasn’t different. She wasn’t better. Sorin had made up his mind long ago. He’d come, he’d look, but he never, ever wanted to find someone. He wasn’t meant to have this, or her, or any kind of peace. Sorin was born into a land of war. He was made for it, every piece of him. One of the bloodiest battles in their history happened the very hour his mother gave birth to him.

Some were lucky to find peace in marriage, but not him. Tradition and necessity dictated he come to these ceremonies and try to find someone. He came from a noble line, a position of power, one that demanded he have sons to carry on his family’s name. But society could not make him choose. It could not make him step forward and lay claim.

“Mine.”

Where did that word come from? It sounded like his voice, booming over the hall to quiet all who watched into stunned silence. It felt like his body refusing to go to his place at the table, instead moving forward with arm uplifted to point at the blonde-haired beauty. But it couldn’t be his body or his voice. That would mean he’d just announced his claim. Everyone would have heard it. He couldn’t back out once the word was said.

“Sorin?” his younger brother, Ronen, hissed. Like Sorin, Ronen led one of the more renowned armies in all of Staria. Very few would dare to challenge their word or honor and the fact made it even more impossible for Sorin to take back what he’d done.

“Mine,” Sorin found himself repeating. Was he possessed? What madness was this? He kept walking toward her. She merely stared at him, those wide, gorgeous eyes capturing his. Straight blonde hair hung long down her back, just as a woman’s should.

“Brother?” Ronen questioned. The shock was evident in his voice. Sorin couldn’t blame him for the surprise because that very day he’d been instructing Ronen to stay strong and not fall for a woman’s pretty face. And what did Sorin do? He claimed a woman with a pretty face.

The hall remained quiet. Sorin stopped before the woman, noting with pleasure that she didn’t cringe and fall away from his looming presence. Her strength would serve her well. Years of frustrated desires surged inside him. He couldn’t put them off any longer. Deny it as he might, he needed a woman. He would never admit the words out loud. The need was not just for physical release, but for the softness of her, the sweet smell and the temporary relief from the endless fighting that such a creature could bring.

You tried this before, Sorin. Such things are not for you.

Fool.

Idiot.

Weak.

His accusing thoughts infuriated. Reaching for her bound arms, he took hold of the ropes. Not even his condescending inner voice could stop his actions. Sorin held her gaze steady, stating so she couldn’t mistake his claim, “You are mine.”

CONTEST: Remember to enter for a chance to win...leave a post and one winner will receive a pdf copy of Realm Immortal: King of the Unblessed.

Wednesday's Witty Words

I'm not offended by all the
dumb blonde jokes,
because I know I'm not dumb...
and I also know
that I'm not blonde.

- Dolly Parton

In the Author Spotlight

Alisha Rai

Ann: Hi Alisha! Thanks for being In the “Author Spotlight” this week.

Alisha: Thanks Ann! I’m honored to be spotlighted. Spotlit. I love it all!

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

Alisha: Well, my day job is kind of seasonal (florist), so I just finished up Easter, next weekend we have prom and weddings, and then Mother’s Day, for which I will crawl into a cave and not emerge until the 12th of May. Good times. I’m enjoying the business-and the money-while it lasts, though, since the summer means a flat line for us. Other than that, I have two family members getting married this summer, so I’m busy helping them plan.

Ann: What do you have gracing the virtual bookshelves?

Alisha: My debut novel, Glutton for Pleasure, released last month! So exciting. It’s a ménage with a pair of hunky twins and the shy chef they fall for.

Ann: What other saucy tales are you cooking up for us?

Alisha: Right now, I’m working on Devi’s sister’s stories; I’ve finished the rough draft for Rana, and outlined Leena. Rana was complicated, so I’m going to let her simmer for just a bit.

In the meantime, I just finished a tale about a hermit who lives in the woods and a naked, injured cutie who tumbles onto her doorstep. Keep your eyes out for it.

Ann: I see you love to cook and your heroine is a head chef. Will characters from your other books love the kitchen just as much as you and your heroine from, Glutton for Pleasure?

Alisha: You know, I gave my latest project to a beta reader, and the first thing she did was e-mail me back to ask: “why do all your heroines love to cook so much?!” I found this funny, as the heroine was the aforementioned hermit, and the food was not the focus of the story at all. I suppose I do tend to stick it in subconsciously.

In Leena’s story, she does not cook, at all. When you grow up in a restaurant, I guess you either lean one way or another!

Ann: What was the defining moment when you realized you wanted to be a writer?

Alisha: Gosh, I don’t think there was one. I feel like I’ve always been writing. When I was little, I used to tag along to my dad’s office. He never had crayons or markers, so I couldn’t draw. He used to give me a pen and paper and tell me to write him a story.

I’ve known I wanted to be a romance author since I was about fourteen though. There’s no other job where you can dream up perfect men AND happily ever afters.
Ann: When you write do you do a detailed outline before you get started or do you have the idea then just 'fly by the seat of your pants?

Alisha: Er, what’s an outline? When I start a book, I do know who my characters are, what the conflict is, and how it will resolve. Everything else gets filled in as I go along.

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

Alisha: Oh gosh, I’m a total techno geek, so I would probably go on a spree at Best Buy or something. I need a netbook or two, a dedicated e-reading device (financial concerns have kept me away from that delicious red Sony). From there, I’d run over to the toy store to go on a buying trip for the various children who seem to be running all over my house. And then? The grocery store, for the makings of a full course gourmet meal for my friends and family. I’m talking name brand ingredients here, none of the generic crap.

Just in case you think I’m being too selfless, there’s totally a pit stop to the Coach store somewhere in there.

Ann: You’re snowed in for a week in the Swiss Alps. You’ve enough firewood and food to get you through the blizzard waging outside. What are three things that you would have to have with you?

Alisha: Do I have electricity? In that case, my computer (can’t live without it, and then I’ll have a DVD player and an e-reader), my babies (pure entertainment value), and lots of chocolate and marshmallows. Cause, um, calories you consume while you’re snowed in don’t count.

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

Alisha: Lost! I love that show so much, despite all of its WTFery. Though I’ve never been so desperate for a series to end, so I can find out what the whole deal is.

Ann: By day you’re a florist. By night you’re a writer of sexy, curl your toes stories. What other things do you enjoy doing?

Alisha: Reading! Of course. I also love to knit and crochet, and really just curl up on the couch with the people I love. I’ve never been an exciting person, I guess ;).

Ann: Please share a favorite quote with us.

Alisha: I absolutely adore kid’s movies, so my favorite quote in the world comes from Horton Hears a Who: “In my world, everyone’s a pony, and they eat rainbows, and poop butterflies!” If you haven’t seen it yet, you probably won’t quite get it.

Ann: Thank you so much Alisha for sharing with us today.

Alisha: Thanks Ann, for having me! I love to hear from my readers, so if you’d like to chat, please visit me on the web at http://www.alisharai.com/ or e-mail me at alishawrites@gmail.com

Ann: You can also visit Alisha at http://alisharai.wordpress.com/

Featured Title:

BLURB:

They’re craving something sweet. She likes it spicy.

Devi Malik knows how to heat things up. She does it every night as head chef in her family’s Indian restaurant. Her love life, though, is stuck in the subzero freezer. Now, with a chance to fulfill a secret fantasy with her long-time crush and his brother, it’s time to put her desire on the front two burners.

For Marcus Callahan, a love-’em-and-leave-’em attitude isn’t only a necessary evil of their kink. It’s a protective device. Lately, though, his brother Jace has been making noises about craving something more.

Jace’s dissatisfaction with their lifestyle grows with every glimpse of sweet little Devi. Yet Marcus is too haunted by the pain of their shared past to give love a chance.

Despite their reputation for vanishing with the dawn, they discover one night with Devi isn’t nearly enough. And Devi finds herself falling in love with two very different men.

It’ll take more than explosive sex to light up the shadows surrounding the Callahan brothers’ secrets. But Devi’s never been afraid of the dark…

Warning: This title contains two sizzling men for the price of one, ménage a trois, oral sex, anal sex, fun toys, great food, and creative uses for syrup and dressing rooms.

EXCERPT:

Excerpt contains strong sexual language and profanity. Please do not read if you are under eighteen or easily offended.

"I didn’t hear you knock.”

Devi spun around, her hand pressed against her chest. “Oh. Marcus. You startled me.”

“I was in the garage.”

He stood in the kitchen doorway in only a pair of unsnapped jeans. A sexy smear of grease highlighted his rock-hard abs. Involuntarily, her gaze slid over his bare chest, the arrow of hair that trailed into his open jeans. She was suddenly all too aware of the little toy she wore, forgotten while she’d toured the house.

“Um, Jace told me to just come on in. He’s upstairs, showering. I hope that’s okay.” He didn’t say anything. “I like your house. Or what I’ve seen of it.”

“Take off your clothes.”She blinked. “Wow, you’re not one for social niceties, are you?”

“Are you hungry?”

“Not really.”

“Do you want a drink?”

Devi slicked her tongue over her lips. “No. I’m good.”

“Good. Take off your clothes.”

“Marcus.” She frowned, though she really wanted to laugh.

“I want to see if you’re wearing the stimulator.”

“I said I would, and I am.”

“You wore it from the minute we dropped you off?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Devi stared at him, confused. “What?”

He grinned and slid his hand into his pocket. The first gentle vibration had her legs stiffening in shock. The little box came alive, rubbing against her already-stiffened clit like the finger Jace had likened it to. She relaxed and allowed the slow pleasure to sink into her bones. Marcus didn’t allow her time to appreciate it, and he must have turned a dial up somewhere, because the vibrations against her over-stimulated clit increased in their intensity. She moaned and leaned against the couch, her legs boneless and incapable of supporting her weight.

A low male chuckle reached her. “I think we can believe her.”

She opened her eyes to find Jace standing in the room as well. Clad only in a sexy pair of black boxer briefs, water still glistening on his chest and hair, he watched her with a small smile and narrowed eyes already heated with lust.

Just as her climax yawned before her, the soundless stimulation ended. “What are you doing? Turn that back on, this instant.”

Marcus tsked and walked forward until he stood right in front of her. “Didn’t we discuss you giving us orders?”

Heat rose from his body. All of the relentless unappeased desire from the day welled up inside of her. She frowned at him. “I was about to come.”

“We don’t want you to, yet.”

“I don’t care,” she said waspishly. “Turn that damn thing on again or one of you fuck me here.”

Amazing how a couple of days of ceaseless pleasure could lower her inhibitions—she felt no hesitation in making the demand.

“No.” With that simple announcement, Marcus startled Devi by scooping her off her feet.

She shrieked and grabbed on to his shoulders. No one had carried her since she’d been a small child. Pudginess had crept up on her at a young age, so even her father had declined picking her up. “I’m too heavy for you. Put me down.”

He ignored her and spoke to his brother. “Where are the supplies?”

Supplies?

Jace studied her with predatory interest. If she hadn’t already been soaked, that look would have done it. "In my room.”

“Did you hear me? I’m too fat to be carried around like this.”

Marcus walked out of the room and back into the grand entryway. He glanced over his shoulder. “I think the toys were a bad idea. They’ve made her way too contrary.” He jostled her until she tightened her arms around his neck in reaction.

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here. Wreck your back, see if I care. And the toy doesn’t make me contrary. Hours of sexual deprivation make me contrary.”

“Then you should be nicer to the men who are going to end that deprivation,” Marcus explained patiently. “In the meantime, why don’t you pretend your hero is carrying you off to be properly ravished instead of worrying about your damned weight?”

Devi paused. He had a point. Once she thought past her sexual frustration, of course. She relaxed into his arms. “Sorry. I’m not a very good heroine, I guess.”

He handled the dark stairs with ease, not even breathless. He turned right at the top of the stairs and entered a tidy bedroom lit by soft track lighting. Peripherally, she got the impression of heavy wooden furnishings and a huge four-poster bed. Marcus looked down at her, his face cast in shadows. “That’s okay. I’m no hero.”

She slid her palm over his jaw, the slight stubble catching on her skin. “I think you’re doing a pretty good job.”

Devi caught the hardening of Marcus’s jaw under her hand. “Then your judgment sucks.”

Happy Friday All

I thought this was a riot. My family raises cattle so to me it's a riot...

Wednesday's Witty Words

Sorry, I missed last week. I was sick, sick and sick.
Here's what we missed...


You know what real power is? Real power is when you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing the best it can be done. Authentic power. There's a surge, there's a kind of energy field that says, "I'm in my groove, I'm in my groove." And nobody has to tell you, "You go, girl," because, you know, you're already gone.

- Oprah Winfrey

In the Author Spotlight & Contest

Cat Johnson

CONTEST: One lucky reader will receive a cowboy charm & rawhide bookmark so make sure to leave a comment along with you email. :)

AL: Hi Cat! Thanks for being In the “Author Spotlight” this week.

CJ: Hi Ann! Thanks for having me.

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

CJ: Well, it’s convention season again. So with the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Orlando in April, and Book Expo America in New York in May, I’m traveling a lot this spring. It’s exciting though, because I host the All Romance eBooks’ What’s Hot in Romance Blog Talk Radio Show and we are taping live interviews on site with authors at both events in my very own custom made recording booth. On top of that is my spring booksigning tour, which is taking me to bookstores in NY, NJ, PA, and CT nearly every weekend. I’ve been pretty busy.

AL: What do you have out for us to read?

CJ: There is always, of course, my Task Force Zeta military romance series. I just love the last release in that series, A Prince Among Men, which is the sequel to Model Soldier and is about my soldier friend’s platoon in Afghanistan, but my most recent release, Rough Stock, is about rodeo cowboys.

That is not as much of a departure from my soldiers as it sounds since one of the characters in Rough Stock joins the Army, and actually, the original kernel of the idea for Rough Stock came from my soldier friend who consults me on the details for my military books. He popped on IM one day and told me that his Bravo Team leader used to be a bull rider, and then asked me if a cowboy turned soldier would make a good story. I was like YEAH! And why didn’t you tell me this before?! So that was the beginnings of the two saddle bronc-riding rodeo cowboys in Rough Stock. I have to thank my soldier friend because Rough Stock has done really well in both sales and with the professional reviewers.

AL: What are you currently working on?

CJ:I had a feeling after completing Rough Stock that it would be a hot book, so I immediately pitched another cowboy ménage story and its sequel to my editor and she loved the ideas. And while researching Rough Stock, I became friends with a real life rodeo cowboy. He helps me so much with the details, I couldn’t NOT write more cowboy books, so right now I am just finishing up final edits on the first of 2 new cowboy stories and I am well into writing the second. The series is tentatively named Studs in Spurs and the first book has a working title of Unridden and the sequel, Bucked, but you know the publishing world and sometimes (often) these things change.

AL: It looks like you like the Army boys and the cowboys…what is it about these men that call to you and beckon such great stories?

CJ: I’m beginning to wonder if I have a boot fetish. Combat boots, cowboy boots, doesn’t seem to matter! But seriously, I tend to write Alpha males. Of course they have a soft side, or a least a soft spot when it comes to the heroine, but who doesn’t love to see the tough guy tamed by love? And military men and cowboys are some of the toughest guys you can find.

In addition to that, I really immerse myself as much as possible in the worlds I research for my books. It’s the only way to absorb the nuances that make them really accurate and believable. I’ve become close friends with a soldier, a Marine and a cowboy. These real men are so wonderful in the way they selflessly help me with my little old romance novels, and I really respect each one for what they do and how they live their lives, it is easy to be inspired by them and model characters after them all.

AL: Of your books, do you have a favorite hero and heroine?

CJ: I don’t have a favorite heroine because quite honestly, I fall in love with all my heroes and I’m jealous that the heroine gets to have them and I don’t! As for the men, as I said, I love them all. Each and every one of them. Who could possibly choose from a lineup so wonderful?

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?

CJ: Of course, like most authors, I would love a contract with one of the big NY print houses, though I do realize that is probably one of those ‘be careful what you wish for’ situations because there is something to be said for being with a smaller publisher. Besides that, my long term, reach for the stars, dream goal is to have one of my books made into a movie or TV series. It doesn’t even have to be a big Hollywood production. I’d be happy with Lifetime Television. I’m easy!

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

CJ: I think I write a little bit of myself into each heroine. And I definitely weave in some real life experiences though I really hesitate to say that since the last two stories I wrote were pretty hot ménages and I don’t want people thinking I’m having a kinky threesome with two cowboys. Honestly, I’m not that lucky in real life. LOL.

So anyway, I always wanted to have a really fun name, like Laurel. I guess I would name myself that. Laurel would be a sassy, tough, take no bullshit type of heroine…which is pretty much like me in real life on a good day (when I’m not stressed out about a deadline or something!)

AL: Now that we know what kind of heroine you are and your name, why do you fall in love with the hero?

CJ: Laurel would fall in love with the hero because he loves her for who she is, faults and all. He allows her freedom and independence but is also always there to support and protect her… The perfect hero is a modern man with a medieval chivalrous streak. And of course he would be hotter than hell, incredible in bed and have eyes only for her. LOL. I guess the heroine in me wants a hero with it all! Good thing this is fiction, huh?

AL: In your next life, if you came back as a critter, what would it be? (I might know the answer to this one already…)

CJ: You are probably correct in your guess. No question about it. As I look around my bed at all my many cats lying in various positions of total relaxation and snoring, I know for sure, I want to come back as a cat.

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?

CJ: I already own my dream car. It’s a black Thunderbird convertible and I love it. The V8 engine is amazing, though I have to watch my speed because it is easy to be breaking the law and not even realize it because it is so fun to drive. And it is so gorgeous I get comments from men, women and children alike.

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

CJ: Well there are the usual philosophical quotes that I truly believe in, such as the before mentioned “Be careful what you wish for”. But as far as quotes for entertainment value and cleverness, I particularly love one quote from Rough Stock. The heroine, April, has just confessed to her gay male best friend, Ben, that she had a summer-long, threesome relationship with two saddle bronc rodeo cowboys and Ben says, “If you choose men who think 8 seconds is a long time, perhaps you do need 2 of them.” I love that line!

AL: Thank you so much Cat for sharing with us today. I hope the questions were fun, or at the very least made you ponder for just a bit. LOL!

CJ: Yes, and thank you! I had a great time and thanks again for inviting me.

AL: If you'd like to find out more about Cat and her work, please visit:

http://www.catjohnson.net/

www.myspace.com/authorcatjohnson

FEATURED TITLE:

BLURB:

Bronc riders Mason and Clay have shared both good times and bad, but they never expected to share their boss’ daughter, April. Can two friends love one woman, body and soul, without it destroying them?

The heart wants what it wants. For April that means not choosing between the two cowboys she loves, no matter how wrong it may seem inviting them both into her bed. But can the relationship survive when life sends the three lovers in opposite directions?

Filled with hot sex, passion, and realistic characters, and set amid the world of rodeo where life is lived eight seconds at a time, Rough Stock sends author Cat Johnson galloping full speed into the tantalizing realm of ménage romance.

EXCERPT:

“I’ve thought about us being together…like that. The three of us.”

She stared straight up at the ceiling as she let that bomb drop on them both.

For once, even Clay was speechless. All Mason heard come out of his friend was a soft shocked wheeze of air at April’s comment. She’d said it so casually, as if she hadn’t just blurted out the most outrageous, tantalizing thing Mason had ever heard in all of his eighteen years.

He realized just how close their three faces were. So close, that when she turned her head slightly on the pillow, her breath tickled his nose. Her hand came up to pull Mason’s head even closer. She kissed him softly on the lips.

Then, as Mason’s heart pounded with the possibilities, April turned her head and planted the same soft kiss on Clay. Only Clay wasn’t as polite, or perhaps not as shocked, as Mason had been. It took barely a second before Clay tangled his hand in her hair, tilted his head and kissed her deeper, just inches from Mason’s face. He watched his two best friends kiss, amazed, aroused, confused…

As their tongues tangled and Clay let out a small moan, Mason began to wonder what the hell to do. Should he leave? Stay? Join in? Mason moved on the bed, sitting up, unsure until April blindly grabbed his denim-clad thigh with one hand and held him there. Her touch sent shockwaves through his body, directly into his now rock hard erection.

She broke the kiss with Clay and turned her head back to him. In the dim light, Mason saw her lick her lips before she leaned in. Then the tip of that tongue he’d watched dart out of her mouth just seconds before, was parting his own lips. Her mouth was hot and wet and tasted of toothpaste.

His eyes still open so he wouldn’t miss one moment, Mason saw Clay’s hand snake around from behind her to cup April’s breast through her t-shirt.

If Clay wasn’t fighting this, Mason sure as hell wasn’t going to.

In the Author Spotlight

N. D. Hansen-Hill/Melody Knight

AL: Hi Norah! Thanks for being In the Author Spotlight this week.
NH: Thank you so much for having me this week, Ann!

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

NH: I'm working, study postgrad archeology, plus spending as much time as I can with my teenage daughter. She and I are sci-fi buffs, and spend a lot of hours watching DVDs of TV shows such as Doctor Who and Stargate Atlantis. Last weekend I went on a behind-the-scenes tour at the zoo, and had an opportunity to feed a hippo, pet a rhinoceros, and get roared at by a lion (and was nearly sprayed - lucky I'm a fast runner!).

AL: Do you have a current or upcoming release you’d like to tell us about.

NH: I've had three releases so far this year: Artifact, Gray Beginnings, and Bane of his Existence. Artifact and Bane are written by Melody Knight (my romance side), and are quite hot novellas. Artifact is about a woman who gave up on love when the man she adored died, only to find that he is not deceased after all. Bane is a werewolf story, very spicy. Gray Beginnings is written by my N. D. Hansen-Hill side, and tells of a dowser with an out-of-control "gift".

AL: You write under two pen names, Norah Hansen-Hill & Melody Knight. Does it ever get overwhelming trying to keep up with both?

NH: I think I've given up keeping them separate, LOL! I even have some new books coming out under both names. Basically, if it's written by Melody, it's a romance, and may be quite sexy. If it's written by N. D., it's much more mainstream sci-fi/fantasy/horror, with little or no romance (or if there is romance, it's not the focus).

AL: You also write several different genres. What is your favorite genre to write in and why?

NH: That actually varies from book to book. Recently, I've begun writing historicals, which goes with my love of time travel novels. Most of mine end up having paranormal and sci-fi elements, so perhaps one of those? The problem is, I get bored easily. If I write too much in any one genre, it's time to move on to another.

AL: What was the first piece you ever wrote?

NH: Trees. It was a fantasy novel, and I followed it with 5 sequels (after rewriting it 13 times, LOL!).

AL: So, now for the important questions. Sometimes people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. I like to set them straight, so tell us what’s the most unglamorous thing you’ve done in the past week?

NH: Dishes. I hate dishes. Laundry. Going to work on the bus.

AL: Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter?

NH: Harry Potter, though LOTR is right up there, too. How can it not be? It was filmed here, and some people I knew made armor for it, were extras, and so on, LOL.

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

NH: A wood nymph, just so that I could confirm for myself that fantastic beings really exist. I'd bring a smile…and a camera.

AL: Besides reading and writing, what’s something else you enjoy doing?

NH: Archeology. Research. Painting. Watching DVDs.

AL: Describe yourself in 3 sentences or less?

NH: happy, dreamer, sometimes workaholic

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

NH: You never know what you can do until you try!

AL: Thank you so much Norah for sharing on Blog Bites. I hope the questions were fun.

NH: They were great fun, and different from any others I've had before. Thanks so much, Ann!

AL: If you'd like to find out more about about Norah and her books please visit:

http://www.ndhansen-hill.com/

www. MelodyKnight.com

FEATURED TITLE:

BLURB:

Claudia has it all—a long-awaited opportunity to work in Berenike, the ancient Egyptian Emerald City; a colleague interested in pursuing their relationship further; the thrill of ancient artifacts mingled with new discoveries. Her paranormal episodes may even be an advantage here, offering her some insight into past events.

There's part of her paranormal peculiarities that she'd like to leave behind, but he doesn't seem to be willing. Nigel, her spectral lover, has much more carnal interests that one would normally expect from the deceased. He's been visiting Claudia for six years, but Claudia wants a fresh start, particularly after meeting Carlton CT Sheffield. CT is an expert on Egypt, but he'd clearly like to become an expert on Claudia, too.

Now, Claudia must contend with two lovers vying for her favors—one living, and the other—unfortunately—dead.

EXCERPT:

Loving, lustful...living?Egypt...Archeology...Romance

Sir Julius Vogel Award Finalist

It was midday on the second day when it happened. According to her map, and her sources, there was a small town a mile or so off-road, which the mine workers had once inhabited. No one had done much more than note its existence, and Claudia felt the thrill of discovery. Who knew what a place like that might hold? Other Mons Smaragdus towns had yielded pottery and metals, low grade gemstones, and a variety of other, more homely items. There were sure to be buildings, if the place had been impressive enough to be noted on the map. Gooseflesh danced down her back. The wadi region was laden with small piles of rubble -- the remnants of ancient huts. This township held the promise of oh, so much more.

She readjusted her hat, conscious of her thirst. It seemed she was always conscious of her thirst in this wretched heat! She sucked on her canteen then mustered ahead. No track, so she'd just have to make her way. A couple of times she glanced back at the truck, even climbing one of the little hills to make sure it was still within sight. It was only on the last check that she saw it had disappeared, but that was what she expected. This was hilly country, after all, and the town should be just ahead.

Only, it wasn't, nor could she find the truck. She tried tracing her own footsteps, but this area was rock, rather than sand, and it was no use. Her compass was erratic, due to magnetic deposits, leading her nowhere. Two hours later, dragging her body through the heat, Claudia had to admit it -- I'm lost. Lost in the damned desert. Her water bottle was dry, but she refused to panic. If I don't check in, they'll come looking.

The sun had never been so hot, and Claudia knew she should have been resting midday away instead of hiking. But it was too late -- too late for anything. She rooted around in one of those piles of rocky debris, picking up rocks that burned her hands to pile them into a wall that might offer her partial shade -- if it didn't fall on her head first. She didn't possess the building secrets of the ancient Romans or the Bedouin. And her blistered hands were shaking so badly she didn't know how she'd survive the next few hours.

It was then an icy chill came on her, colder than death.

Nigel!

She didn't speak -- she didn't have to. He was there…for her.

Wednesday's Witty Words on Thursday

“I can support myself,” we say proudly, and then
we go to support groups, long for supportive
husbands, wonder why women aren’t supporting
other women, demand more support from our
institutions, and we wear support hose. So where is
it written we have to be consistent?...We can
support ourselves, and we want to – except when
we don’t want to.

- Wendy Reid Crisp

In the Author Spotlight

Lacey Savage

AL: Hi Lacey! Thanks for being In the Author Spotlight this week. It’s the “Year of the Blog” and it’s going great!

LS: Thanks so much for having me, Ann!

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

LS: Well, let’s see… I’m getting ready for my third move in 18 months. That’s pretty exciting (and frustrating and annoying and… well, you get the idea). This time, I’m hoping it’ll be the last move for a good long time. My husband and I have been building a house, and it’ll be ready for us mid-May.

AL: You have a new release out, Nothing to Fear. Want to tell us about it?

LS: Sure! NOTHING TO FEAR is an omnibus; a collection of 3 erotic stories that share a common theme, available now at Loose Id. The stories all revolve around phobias, and the power of love to help overcome them.

AL: You write several different genres, which is your favorite to write in?

LS: I have a real fondness for fantasy. Epic fantasy is my first literary love, but it’s expanded to include the paranormal and urban fantasy genres as well. There’s something very appealing about the otherworldly, things that couldn’t possibly happen… or could they?

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

LS: I love the initial stages of beginning a new project. There’s so much potential in a new idea, y’know? I love exploring possible plot paths and learning about my characters. My least favorite thing about writing has to be the middle of the project. I tend to lose steam halfway through and new ideas always seem so much more exciting than whatever I’m working on at the time. So I have to push through and persevere, even though I’m convinced this is probably the worst thing to have ever been writing in the English language.

AL: Who inspired you to go after your dream of being a writer?

LS: I’ve been very lucky. My parents were tremendously supportive when I began to write stories as a child. English was always my favorite subject in school, and I had kind, encouraging teachers. Later, my husband became my champion, supporting me every step of the way. I’m not sure I could have become a published author without everyone rooting for me. I rely heavily on my support system, which now includes wonderful authors like Caitlyn Willows, Adrianna Dane, Beth Kery and Fiona Jayde. I’m very, very lucky.

AL: If you were a Superheroine, would you wear tights and a cape?

LS: Absolutely! I’m assuming in this alternate universe, I’d also be 6 feet tall, blonde, busty and model-thin, right?

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?

LS: It’s a fantasy romance set in a magical kingdom. I’m a princess who moonlights as a royal spy, so be ready for lots of courtly intrigue and suspenseful battle scenes to go with the romance. My leading man is Karl Urban. *sigh*

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....I have mine and other readers have shared theirs with me. ☺

LS: Oh, yeah! In no particular order:
- Karl Urban
- Clive Owen
- Christian Bale
- Keanu Reeves
- Oded Fehr

AL: What’s your favorite comfort food?

LS: Anything sweet. I’m a chocoholic, but I wouldn’t turn away an apple pie with warm vanilla ice cream if someone shoved one in front of me.

AL: Do you have a favorite sport, &/or team that you follow?

LS: No, I’m really not into sports at all. I am, however, a huge poker nut. I can tell you who won the World Series of Poker for the last 25 years (really!), and I’ve definitely got my favorites among the elite poker players.

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

LS: “The first draft of anything is shit.”
- Earnest Hemmingway

AL: Thank you so much Lacey for sharing your bits on Blog Bites. I hope you’ll come back and visit us.

LS: Of course! I had a great time – thanks so much for letting me play in your sandbox this week. :-)

AL: If you'd like to find out more about Lacey and her steamy reads please visit:

http://www.laceysavage.com

FEATURED TITLE:

BLURB:

Three women haunted by horrors from their pasts. Four men who want to show them there’s Nothing to Fear...

In the Air
If Kirk Healey hadn’t threatened to steal her biggest client, Meadow Gardiner would never have boarded another plane. In flight, only Kirk’s smoldering touch keeps Meadow from succumbing to soul-numbing fear. As kisses lead to a frantic encounter in the airplane lavatory, Meadow must trust her greatest rival to see her safely back on solid ground.

In the Dark
When a total blackout forces Shelly O’Rourke to face her paralyzing fear of the dark, she’s rescued from engulfing terror by the scorching caress (and occasional spanking!) of her estranged-and presumed dead-husband. Making love to a memory forces Shelly to confront her deepest fears...and some are just as menacing by the light of day.

In their Arms
Jennifer Meehan has no qualms about taking two lovers. A long history of cruel betrayal has taught her that unbridled sex is the only way to guard her heart. But the men she’s been seeing separately have joined forces, and now the time has come to reveal all: her body, her soul, and every secret fear she harbors in her heart.
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual interaction, ménage (m/f/m), mild spanking.

EXCERPT:

The last time Meadow had boarded an airplane, she had been sixteen. Unlike this massive three-hundred-passenger jet, that aircraft had been a four-seater private plane with one pilot, no flight attendants, and only two additional passengers -- Meadow and her mother, Diane. Her father, John, had piloted, a celebratory maiden voyage after gaining his license. His first and last.

The recycled air flooding the cabin slipped beneath Meadow’s jacket sleeves and raised gooseflesh on her arms. She’d strapped the seat belt tight around her midsection, for all the good it would do her. She’d also listened to the flight attendant go through all the appropriate safety precautions, listening with rapt attention for every bit of advice she could use should the unthinkable happen again.

Now there was nothing left to do but sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.

Or in her case, sit ramrod straight, clutch the armrests as though her life depended on it -- which it well could -- and try to remember to breathe.

The plane’s engines growled beneath her feet. The sound traveled all the way up her legs and settled like lead in the pit of her stomach. She sat motionless, fingernails digging into the plastic armrest, teeth embedded in the soft flesh of her lower lip. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the inevitable lurching motion of the plane pulling away from the gate. When it came, a whimper escaped her throat.

“I bet you’re not wearing anything under that suit.”

The unashamed bluntness of Kirk’s statement yanked her thoughts from their hysterical downward spiral. She froze, breath lodged in her throat. “What did you say to me?”

His full lips quirked up in a teasing grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Instead of mirth, she found nothing but concern and a hint of predatory heat in the green depths.

He leaned in, his mouth close enough to brush her earlobe. “I said, I’m willing to bet you’re not wearing a bra. In fact, I’d go as far as to say you’ve got no panties on, either. Which would mean your pussy’s clamped tight around the fabric of those pants, moistening the surface just a little each time you shift in your seat.”

A sudden flutter of desire breezed through her, bringing back a small measure of self-control. She couldn’t believe he’d spoken the words aloud, much less in public.

She and Kirk were the only two passengers in a three-seat row close to the back of the plane. While chances of someone having overheard him were low, the forbidden thrill of his statement had a profound, immediate impact on her libido.

Her nipples pebbled beneath the thin shift she wore under the suit jacket. His guess had been half-right. She hadn’t bothered with a bra, preferring instead the silky smoothness of the leopard-print shift she’d picked out from among Cuero y Cordón’s delectable offerings.

Not that he needed to know that. And if she’d been just a little less paralyzed with fear, she’d have told him exactly what she thought of his inappropriate comment.

Instead, she scowled and glanced out the window. She shouldn’t have.

Although night had fallen, red, blue, and white lights flooded the airport runway. A few feet away, a man waved two flares, no doubt signaling the pilot in preparation for takeoff. Rain pattered against the metal skeleton of the aircraft and dotted the small windowpane with shimmering beads of colored water. Fog rose from the dark pavement in patches, reaching diaphanous tendrils to brush against the plane’s wings.

The wheels rolled to an abrupt stop. A massive rumbling whirr boomed from the bowels of the jet, gathering force. The trembling whine caused Meadow’s seat to vibrate, and she gripped the armrests tighter in an effort to keep them from shaking.

Her stomach lurched. Unable to bear the menacing sights around her, she squeezed her eyes shut once more. If she could have dared to let go of the armrests, she’d have clamped both palms over her ears too.

A featherlight touch against her collarbone startled her. She tensed, every muscle in her body taut with frightened awareness. His fingertips slid down her skin, from the base of her throat to the valley between her breasts, where they paused for the length of a stuttering heartbeat.

“What are you doing?” she ground out between gritted teeth.

“Touching you.”

The plane moved. It gathered speed, zoomed down the runway. She pictured it sliding along the slick pavement, its sharp nose intent on splitting the air as it soared up into the darkness.

His fingers dipped beneath the lapel of her suit jacket. He found the top edge of her camisole and slipped beneath that too. The heat of his hand warmed her breast, sending a stream of erotic impulses to flood her tense body.

His other hand worked its way up to her throat. He cupped the back of her neck, slipped his fingers among her curls, and formed small circles with his thumb against her skin.

Intriguing though it was, she knew his touch couldn’t distract her from the inevitable lurch of the plane taking off. She braced herself for the moment her stomach would plummet to her ankles.

It never came. Instead, at the exact instant the airplane’s wheels left the runway, his lips fused over hers. His mouth claimed hers and settled there, soft and warm. He didn’t push or force the kiss to become more than what it was -- a soothing, genuine anchor to the world dropping away into oblivion.

Meadow’s reality shifted, righting itself as the airplane tilted, rocketing skyward. Unable to trust herself, she curled her fingers into her palm to keep from running them down his chest.

At that moment, she understood what his plan had been all along. He’d meant to distract her, and against all reason, it had worked.

But now that they were in the air, she could handle the fear. She’d gotten over the worst of it. Besides, she couldn’t very well keep her lips flush against Kirk’s for the next eight hours. She had to move away, to break the connection between them, and reestablish some much-needed boundaries.

She told herself it was gratitude that kept her from doing just that. But when the tip of his tongue caressed the seam of her lips, the desire pulsing through her veins took on a life of its own. Rather than pull back, she parted her lips and met his tongue with hers.

A sharp stab of need arrowed deep between her thighs at the contact. Her sex pulsed, fluttering madly against the leopard-print silk of her thong.

She caught his answering groan. His grip on the back of her neck tightened, and he pulled her closer as his tongue invaded her mouth. The tension keeping her spine rigid melted just a fraction, allowing her to lean into his kiss.

He tasted just as she remembered, like cinnamon and male heat. The rough scrape of his beard against her chin sent another wave of longing to shimmer through her veins, stoking the twin flames of desire and curiosity.

What would it feel like to have those lips pressed against her flushed sex? To know the intimate brush of his beard along her inner thigh? To clamp her thighs tight around his head as his tongue delved deep within her folds and --

“Pillow, ma’am? Sir?”

She barely heard the flight attendant’s question. She’d have ignored it altogether, but Kirk swiped at her lower lip one last time before pulling back and glancing up at the woman.

“We’ll take two of those.” He reached out and grabbed the offered pillows. “And two more blankets, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Meadow’s lips hummed with the lingering sensation of the kiss. Flexing her stiff fingers, she risked letting go of the armrest long enough to bring them to her mouth. Just as she feared, her lips were swollen from the kiss.

A blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. Her heart pummeled her breastbone, yet Kirk looked as calm and unperturbed as ever.

For a fleeting moment, she had the urge to slap him, just to see if he’d react with something other than a quirky grin. Squelching the impulse, she waited until the flight attendant returned with the blankets. The woman’s name tag read Shelly O’Rourke. When Shelly winked before turning away to tend to another passenger’s needs, it took all of Meadow’s self-control to ignore her.

Shifting so her back lodged against the armrest, she folded her arms across her chest and pinned Kirk with a long stare. “You had no right to do that.”

He studied her face for what felt to her like an eternity. The heat of his gaze lingered on her skin as sure as if he’d touched her.

“I wanted to,” he said at last, his voice low and husky. “More importantly, you wanted me to.”

Lingering traces of panic whispered through her mind. To her surprise, the terror had lost some of its severity. “I didn’t ask you to --”

“You didn’t have to.”

He unfolded one of the blankets, then spread it out over her legs. He did the same to the second and laid it across his lap.

She’d just opened her mouth to say she wasn’t cold when the lights in the cabin dimmed.

“I think they want us to go to sleep.” He reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. His knuckles brushed against her cheek. “Do you want to go to sleep, Meadow?”

March is a Big Fat Tease

March is the month that I think, "Yes, spring is here, warmer weather here we come."

Then it goes warm, cold, warming up, cooling down, warm, rain, cool, cold, SNOW, and warm again.

It teases me with it's many ups and downs. I can't get out on my bike and it's sitting in my garage beckoning me. "It's warm out," it says, "come and take me for a ride."

"I'd love to," I respond, pressing my hand to the glass, "but it's going to storm in an hour."

Sigh, hurry up nice weather.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Wednesday's Witty Words

Infatuation is when you think he's as sexy as
Robert Redford, as smart as Henry Kissinger,
as noble as Ralph Nader, as funny as Woody
Allen, and as athletic as Jimmy Connors. Love
is when you realize that he's sexy as Woody
Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as
Ralph Nader, as athletic as Henry Kissinger,
and nothing like Robert Redford - but you love
him anyway.

- Judith Viorst

In the Author Spotlight

Samantha Sommersby

CONTEST INFO: Samantha is currently running a contest that will end on April 30 over at Author Island. She’s giving away an autographed set of the first three books in her very successful Forbidden Series!

To get your name in the hat for this fantastic prize pack, head over to Samantha's Website and read the excerpt of FORBIDDEN: THE TEMPTATION to find out what Jake got the two of them to drink. Submit your answer through Samantha's contact page and be sure to tell her is for her "Welcome to the Island" contest. http://www.authorisland.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=6&Itemid=510

AL: Hi Samantha! Thanks for being In the Author Spotlight this week. It’s the “Year of the Blog” and it’s going great!

SS: Seriously? It’s the “Year of the Blog”? I had no idea. I need to get out more. I’ve had my nose to the grindstone.

AL: LOL. No, it's just the "Year of the Blog" on my blog. I was a terrible blogger, but with the help of wonderful authors I'm getting good at it. So, tell us what’s happening with you.

SS: The next few months are going to be really hectic because I have a lot of travel planned. I’m afraid it’s going to feel like I’m living out of a suitcase! Most of the travel will be to various conventions, but my husband and I just booked a get-away to Napa Valley that I’m excited about. We both really enjoy wine and we have a modest cellar in our house that holds about 800 bottles. It’s been a couple years since we’ve gone away, just the two of us, on a tasting trip. We’re looking forward to a long, relaxed weekend filled with good food, wine, and lovin’. Ahh.

AL: Forbidden… Vampires, wolves, are their bears? Oh my! J Tell us about your newest release and this great series.

SS: LOL! No bears.

Forbidden: The Temptation is the fourth book in my Forbidden series and my first shape-shifter novel. Although it’s set in the Forbidden universe, it really does stand completely on it’s own.

The book’s hero, Jake Madison, is an irreverent, dirty-talkin’ cowboy from Texas who, in the past year, became a werewolf. The heroine, Allison Connelly, is a newly divorced forensic psychologist. They meet during a freak snowstorm. Allison is visiting Yosemite and when the storm kicks up, the bank of snow she’s standing on shears off and she’s plunged down into an icy ravine. Although Jake rescues her, Allison is no damsel in distress. She’s a kick-butt heroine. The chemistry between these two is off the charts, so there’s lots of hot sex. Oh, and somewhere in the mountains Roane Devlin, a rogue Were turned serial killer is lurking. When threatened by Roane, Jake realizes that whatever danger his inner beast may pose to Allison, there’s only one way to protect her—unleash it.

AL: Are you focusing right now just on the Forbidden series, or do you have other sensual tales in the works?

SS: I have a WWI historical under contract with Red Rose Publishing, but I don’t have a release date for that yet. Book 5 in the Forbidden series, Forbidden: The Sacrifice, will be out this fall.

AL: Out of all your stories do you have one that is more near and dear to your heart?

SS: I find that changes over time. My stories are special to me for different reasons. I feel like I grow as a writer with each and every book. If I had to pick one, I think it would be Shelter from the Storm. The hero in that book is a social worker that works for Child Protective Services. That’s what my husband does. Although there’s a bit of him in every hero that I write, there’s an awful lot of him in that particular one.

AL: You’re snowed in for a week in the Swiss Alps. You’ve enough firewood and food to get you through the blizzard waging outside. What are three things that you would have to have with you?

SS:
My laptop
My iPhone with all my books on it
Bubble bath

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?

SS: What a cool question! Something where I get to be smart, unravel a mystery, and kick bad-guy butt. Leading man? Clive Owens.

AL: What’s your all time favorite movie?

SS: Casablanca

AL: What music do you jam to, or relax to?

SS: I have pretty eclectic tastes in music. I don’t listen to music when I write, I find that really distracting. I always have the radio on in the car and enjoy listening to music at the gym or when I’m cooking. This morning I was listening to Frank Sinatra.

AL: If you could go anywhere in the world on a “sweethearts” vacation, where would you go?

SS: Paris. I’ve never been and that’s someplace I’ve always wanted to go.

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

SS: “The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” – Joseph Campbell

AL: Thank you so much Samantha for laying it all out on Blog Bites. I hope you’ll come back and share with us all again down the road.

SS: Thanks so much for having me, Ann. I’ve had a lot of fun!

AL: To find out more about Samantha and her sizzling reads, please visit:

http://www.samanthasommersby.com/

http://www.myspace.com/samanthasommersby

Featured Title

Blurb:

A year ago, Jacob Madison got more than he bargained for during a rock-climbing trip to Yosemite. A freak accident left him badly injured, at the mercy of the elements—and the wolves who rescued him. If it hadn’t been for them, he’d be dead. He’d also still be human. Now he’s back, hoping to find out who he is and what he’s become. Instead, he finds smart, sexy Allison Connelly.

A forensic psychologist, Allison is newly divorced and proudly standing on her own two feet…until an unexpected storm shears off the snow bank she’s standing on. She plunges down an icy ravine, thinking she’s heading for oblivion. Then she lands in the arms of a tall, dark Texan. Jake.

Brought together by circumstance and bound by passion, secrets from their past threaten their future before it can begin. And somewhere in the mountains lurks a rogue Were turned serial killer. Whatever the danger Jake’s inner beast poses to Allison, there’s only one way to protect her—unleash it. Even if it costs him her love.

Warning: This book contains raging winter storms, truly inspiring sex, a kick-butt heroine, and one very hot, dirty-talking cowboy…who’s sometimes furry.

Excerpt:

When I returned to the cabin Allison was standing in front of the stove, wearing the only dress shirt that I’d brought with me.

“The stew has a way to go yet before it’s hot.”

“It sure smells good, though. And that shirt looks far better on you than it does on me,” I said as I kicked the door shut, my arms filled with a half a dozen logs. I dropped them into the wood basket next to the hearth, then pulled my gloves off.

“You don’t mind?”

I tossed one of the logs onto the grate, added some tinder, and stirred the ashes below, blowing on them gently until the fire caught.

“Honestly? I would have preferred you stay naked and in my bed.” I toed off my runners and placed them on the hearth where the heat would dry them out. I unbuttoned, unzipped, and just as I was about to pull down my pants I looked up.

Allison turned around, averting her gaze as I stripped. I hung the jeans over the back of one of the chairs so that the wet legs were closest to the fire, then I slipped on a pair of sweatpants and walked over towards her, wearing only them and a t-shirt. “But barefoot, half naked, and in the kitchen works for me too.”

I snaked one hand around her waist, pulling her against me, wanting her to feel the effect that she had on me. I glanced over her shoulder into the pot of stew. “It’s starting to warm up.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “It should be ready any minute.”

I swept her hair over one shoulder and leaned down to nibble on her ear. “I’m ready now.”
“I thought you liked it slow, Dallas. This is awfully fast.”

I could smell her arousal. She may have been expressing doubt, but her body wanted mine, that was a certainty that couldn’t be denied.

“You want me to stop?” I moved one hand to her breast and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“No,” Allison gasped. “No, I don’t want you to stop.”

She turned to face me. That’s when I noticed it, a gold chain dangling from her neck and on it a simple gold band. Her tits had distracted me earlier. I hadn’t noticed the ring when I had been undressing her, but I did now. It was a wedding ring.

“You’re married.” I released her.

It sounded like an accusation. I hadn’t meant it to.

Allison shook her head, then she walked around me, moving closer to the fire. “Divorced. It…ended badly.” She wrapped her arms around herself in what appeared to be a protective gesture.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and waited, wondering if she was going to tell me more. She didn’t.

“Last summer I worked on a divorce case that just about killed me,” I told her. “It was a mess. And the worst thing was that they used the kids to get to one another. I swore off divorce law after that. It’s not my cup of tea, watching people who used to be in love tearing one another down.”

Allison walked over to me. I placed my hands on her waist and pulled her closer, spreading my knees to accommodate her.

“And what kind of law is your cup of tea?”

“Criminal law, prosecution.”

“Keeping the world safe from bad guys by day and rescuing damsels in distress by night. You’re a real hero, Dallas,” she teased.

I reached behind me until I found the edge of the covers, then pulled them down and inched back.

“I probably deserve a reward of some kind. Don’t you think?”

There was a pretty obvious tent forming in my sweats and her eyes drifted down to it. She licked her lips.

“I’m not good at this. I’m out of practice,” she murmured, almost to herself. Her cheeks flushed and she started to turn away, unable to look me in the eye.

“I can help with that,” I offered, holding my hand out and encouraging her to climb onto the bed and straddle my hips. “Question is,” I added, cupping the side of her face so that I could gaze searchingly into those dark sable eyes, “how much help do you want?”

Allison smiled, then relaxed, placing her hands on my chest.

“How much you willing to give, Dallas?”

“Shucks, ma’am,” I teased, grinding myself into her pussy, “you ask me real nice, I’ll give this all to you.”

She looked past me, her expression clouded over with momentary indecision.

“You gonna be thinking about him?” I fingered the gold band that still hung from the chain around her neck.

“Would it matter?”

“Yes,” I admitted, much to my chagrin. “I guess I’m old fashioned that way.”

“He proposed to me on that bluff, right where the snow sheared off. This ring was supposed to be a symbol of his love and fidelity. In the end he gave me neither.”

The sadness in her voice was almost palpable. I felt the urge to tell her that I was sorry. Not sorry that it ended, it probably needed to end, sorry for the pain and disappointment. But before I could say anything she shook off the mood, pulled back her shoulders, and continued.

“Jake, I came here intending to throw the ring down into the ravine. Right now, I can assure you, I’m not thinking about anyone but you.”

I turned the necklace around until I could see the clasp. It was delicate with a small catch.
“Were you going to keep the necklace?”

“No.”

I released the catch and the ring slid off the chain, onto the bed. Allison picked it up and placed it in my outstretched palm.

“As soon as the weather clears we’ll go back there, together,” I promised, reaching back to drop the necklace on the nightstand.

“And in the meantime?”

I slipped my hand around her neck and lowered her head towards mine before tracing the outline of her lush lips with the pad of my thumb.

“In the meantime…I’m going to explore this warm, wet mouth.”

The first kiss started tenuously, soft and slow, lips skimming over lips, uncertain. A little nibble, a flick of the tongue and she gasped, opening her mouth so that I could slide inside.

I laced my hands through her long, thick tresses to pull her head closer, make the kiss deeper. I wanted to savor it, savor her. Allison’s tongue responded as I stroked it, curling around mine, then pushing past my lips. She was taking what she wanted and I liked that.

She straddled my thighs, her palms flat on the mattress above my head, one on either side. My cock pressed into her taut stomach. She shifted slightly, her pussy grinding against my hipbone. I could feel her dampness and the anticipation of sinking inside of it, inside of her, was almost my undoing.

Allison broke off the kiss, breathing heavily, her tits rising and falling in time with each exhalation.

“I want to feel you, skin on skin,” I told her, reaching down with both hands.

“Don’t—”

She wasn’t quick enough. I tore through the lace panties, ripping them to shreds.

“Jake! Those were almost forty dollars!”

I lifted her off of me, then in one fluid motion I changed our positions. I wanted on top. I pulled the t-shirt over my head and stripped off my sweats.

“They were in my way.” I hooked one hand underneath her knee so that I could lift her leg and open her up nice and wide. As soon as I did, the tip of my cock found its target, velvety smooth and dripping with desire.

Before becoming a werewolf I would never have even considered having unprotected sex. Now, disease wasn’t an issue. I couldn’t catch a thing. Not even a common cold. And, another strange side effect, I’m only fertile for a couple months in the winter. The rest of the year I can get it up just fine, but I’m shooting blanks.

“God, I want you,” I groaned, silently rejoicing in the fact that despite the snowfall outside, this was spring.

“Wait!”

“Wait?”

“Couples who are about to…” She seemed to be searching for the right word.

“Fuck?” I interjected helpfully.

She frowned. “Have sex.”

That made me smile.“Say fuck,” I begged, letting the head of my dick slide up and down the length of her slick slit. “If you can’t say it, I’m not sure you should be doing it.”

And the Winner is...

Donna W.

Congrats Donna. You won a free copy of Bait & Switch.
Thanks to everyone who posted. :-)

I hope everyone will check Bait & Switch out at:
http://www.lindenbayromance.com/product-baitandswitch-7294-149.html

It's a fun story with a lot spice.

Wednesday's Witty Words

I want to have children, but my friends scare
me. One of my friends told me she was in labor
for thirty-six hours. I don't even want to do
anything that feels good for thirty-six hours.

- Rita Rudner

BAIT & SWITCH IS HERE!


In honor of Bait & Switch's release I'm going to have a CONTEST. For those of you that leave me a post I will draw a name and send the winner a book come this Friday, the 20th. So make sure to post. :-D

From Linden Bay Romance comes the tale of:

One workaholic. One gigolo. One week in Sin City. You do the math…

Frisky Business, Book 1

Anna Jackson’s ex-boyfriend may have stolen her promotion, but she’s not mad. Not anymore. She’s getting even—by beating him at his own game. So what if she has to give up all her free time and any semblance of a personal life? With a partnership in a law firm as prestigious as Beckam, Beckam and Leland on the line, she’s willing to pay the price.

Las Vegas escort Devon McGuire is charming, sexy, and damn good at pleasing women. He’d better be, it’s what he gets paid for. Always up for a challenge, he’s looking forward to his newest job. Who wouldn’t enjoy a week as the companion of a smart, sultry, high-powered attorney—no strings attached?

Devon’s used to pushing boundaries, but there’s something about Anna that makes him want to turn up the steam. And when she learns to let go and unexpectedly opens to him, he finds himself falling right in.

Whoa, hold it. Love was never part of the plan…

Warning: This book contains a sizzling, drop-dead gorgeous, sex-on-a-stick gigolo who wants to make women’s fantasies come true, and a woman who won’t cooperate and let him do his job.

To read the Chapter One please visit: http://www.lindenbayromance.com/product-baitandswitch-7294-149.html

EXCERPT:

Anna didn’t know what to do. Was she supposed to pay? Was he supposed to pay? She grabbed the bill, but his hand came down over hers. “I have this, Anna.”

She lowered her voice. “I don’t know the-” she was struggled to find the word, “etiquette in situations like this.” Good God, there had to be a better word, but that was all she could think of.

He grinned and winked at her. “Don’t worry, all of this is covered.”

The reality of this meal came crashing in on her. Not that she’d forgotten what he was exactly, but it just seemed so unreal. Her friends had apparently taken care of all the details and that included meals and any extracurricular activities.

Groaning, she grabbed her purse, jumping when he took her hand in his and placed it on his arm. She frowned at him. She didn’t want him to act like a gentleman. She didn’t want to like him. She wanted to be disgusted with him, but for some reason, she found that she really wasn’t.

Something about him was extremely appealing to her. Not to mention the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous. But there was also a kindness about him, a patience that most men didn’t have. She wondered if he’d been in the business so long that he’d perfected how to portray exactly what a woman wanted.

They took the elevator up to her floor and he walked her to her room. She knew he was chuckling at her as she hurriedly dove into her purse for the room key. With the card clutched in her hand, she cleared her throat nervously, and looked at him.

“Well, thank you for an…interesting evening, Devon. I’ll be busy all day tomorrow, but maybe we can get together the next day.”

He laughed and leaned in close, his hands coming up on either side of her head, trapping her against the wall.

She swallowed with great difficulty as his face came closer to hers, his breath fanning her cheek. Her mouth went dry, and she had to fight not to lick her lips.

“No, Anna. Janie supplied me with, as she put it, your…” his lips brushed her jaw, “…outlined,” her earlobe, “detailed,” his tongue swirled and he sucked the lobe between his lips. She felt herself quiver, her eyes closing briefly before he pulled away, gazing down at her, “Five times thought-out and approved schedule for this whole week.” His body moved in closer, brushing against hers. “I know that you have a meeting in the morning, one after lunch, and that you’ll be free for the rest of the day.”

His lips were so close. She stared wide-eyed at him, hoping he would kiss her, yet at the same time knowing that she shouldn’t want him to.

She licked her lips. Damn.

Finally he touched his mouth to hers. She had to fight not to moan as he deepened the kiss, his tongue probing for entrance. She obliged.

His delicious caress scorched her mouth, and she returned every sweep of his tongue with her own. His hands came down to grasp her arms, his body pushing into hers.

Nothing about him was soft. Every inch, every angle was hard, wreaking havoc on her senses. His hands still gripped her arms, running up and down their bare lengths until she finally caved in and wound them around his neck. Her hands went into his hair.

His knee moved between her legs, pressing into her, and she felt instant heat pool in her belly to settle in slick need at her juncture. He felt so delicious, all man, all male strength as he held her against the wall. She pushed her body against his and moaned.

He released her, slowly pulling away, but not before he placed another lingering kiss to her lips. She stared up at him through a haze, seeing his grin of smug male satisfaction, realizing he’d gotten what he wanted.

Her surrender to his kiss. Damn.

He tugged her close again, hugging her tightly around the waist, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Sweet dreams, Anna. I’ll see you tomorrow, here in your room, at five.”

He left her then and she watched, leaning against the wall, her legs still wobbly, as he walked back up the hall and disappeared around the corner. With trembling hands she unlocked her door, made her way shakily across the room and fell on the bed. Grabbing one of the pillows, she buried her face in it and groaned.

To read the Chapter One please visit: http://www.lindenbayromance.com/product-baitandswitch-7294-149.html

In the Author Spotlight & Contest


Tracey H. Kitts




CONTEST: I’m running a contest on my blog right now. Stop by my blog and enter my monthly contest: http://traceyhkitts.blogspot.com/




AL: Hi Tracey! Thanks for being In the Author Spotlight this week.

TK: Glad to be here, thanks for having me.

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

TK: Well at the moment, besides writing (I’m always writing). I’m playing Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. LOL I know, I know, I never grew out of video games. Hopefully I never will. I’m working on my TBR pile of books, which continues to grow and I’ve been doing a little modeling for a friend of mine, which was loads of fun.

AL: Wolves in space…paranormal bleeding into Sci-fi. Tell us more about Lilith Mercury Werewolf Hunter Series.

TK: Well, it’s not exactly wolves in space, but I suppose there are a few out there. The series begins with Red. In book one we learn that lycanthropy, the werewolf virus was engineered as a biological weapon on the planet Terra. This is where the whole story starts with a very brief sum up given by Lilith.

Some werewolves fled to Earth and The Hunters (an organization created to control the lycan population) followed.

Beyond that the story follows Lilith as she grows as both a woman and a Hunter. She has lots of tough decisions to make and she doesn’t always make the right one. But that’s what makes her still somewhat human to me and easier to relate to.

AL: Is this going to be an ongoing series?

TK: Absolutely. I have already written through book six and outlined through book ten. That doesn’t mean there won’t be more, that’s just as far as I’ve gotten.

AL: I noticed on your website that you have made a declaration that 10% of all your royalties for every book you write will go to St. Judes. That’s a wonderful thing and a great example of philanthropy. If I’m not prying too much, why is this organization so close to your heart?

TK: It’s hard to explain really. Well, maybe hard isn’t the right word. It just breaks my heart to think of children suffering. If I could spare anyone pain, it would be a child. I do what I can where I can. Like you say, it’s just close to my heart.

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

TK: Hmmm, that’s a good one. I have lots of strange sources. LOL I’m a strange person. But probably the weirdest was years ago. I was taking night classes at the time and on my way home (on a full moon) a large leaf, I think it was maple or something, blew across my windshield. I had to pull over to the side of the road and jot down my thoughts. It inspired me to write a short story, The Crow Lady, which was published later that year in a local anthology.

AL: What was the first book you ever wrote? Do you still have it? Is it published?

TK: The first novel I ever wrote was Red, book one in the Lilith Mercury Series.

AL: Can you describe yourself in 3 sentences or less?

TK: I don’t make excuses for who I used to be. I’m not afraid of who I am. I aspire to be more than I have become.

AL: Your Empress of the Space Station, describe your perfect man.

TK: Data. LOL Seriously, I’m a Trekkie and I’ve always had such a thing for Data.

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

TK: Dexter. It’s gruesome, but severely addictive. I can’t wait for season four to start.

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

TK: Hmm. If I had to spend it all today I’d pay some bills and give some to charity.

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

TK: To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come – William Shakespeare

AL: Thank you so much Tracey for sharing with us today.

TK: You’re very welcome. Thanks again for having me.

AL: If you'd like to find out more about Tracey and her books please visit:
http://www.traceyhkitts.com



FEATURED TITLE:
BLURB:

The time has come for Lilith to make a decision about the wolf pack and its leader the super sexy wolf king, Marco Barak. Will she become his queen and help him lead the pack? And if she does, where does that leave her relationship with Dracula?


EXCERPT:

“I warned you,” he breathed against my ear. “Allowing me such access can be very dangerous.”

He had not moved, however, his voice seemed to float from one ear to the other, tickling along my skin. Alek knew this trick too, but Alek wasn’t this sexy.

“I assure you, I am not trying to seduce you. In fact, I am withholding a great deal of my power. If I were to desire it, I could capture your mind,” he whispered. His voice flowed over me once again and I broke the contact, mentally and physically.

We were once again on the couch in my sitting room, and I was no longer touching Dracula. I looked around and realized by how much the candles had melted that we had been in contact for quite a while.

“Do not be afraid,” he said calmly.

I was already less apprehensive when his voice didn’t try to make love to me anymore.

“I would never take advantage of your invitation,” he said reasonably. “It takes practice to resist me.” He smiled and just that subtle curve of lips set me on fire.

“Well, I’ll work on it,” I panted.

“Perhaps it is the lack of sex,” he said. After the look I gave him he added, “Or perhaps it is none of my business.”

When I rose from the couch he followed me into the kitchen. My craving for chocolate had been eliminated, but I was dying of thirst. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked toward the refrigerator.

“Thank you,” he said softly. “I really do appreciate what you did. I know it seems a simple thing to be able to taste chocolate, but it is a pleasure I have long been denied.”

I turned back to him as I said, “I thought vampires lost their taste for food. Or, I should say their desire.”

He laughed. “You believe that? We all have things we miss. To some it might be wine, which I was also fond of, to others it might be a nice rare steak. The point is, we remember what it was like to experience these things. The ones who say how wonderful it is to be vampire and how they do not miss the human element are full of shit.”

Dracula followed me back into the sitting room while I laughed at his comment. Another thought occurred to me then. “Why did you come here tonight?”

I lit a few more candles around the room while I waited for his reply.

“Do I need a reason to see my partner?”

“No,” I answered with a smile, “But you always have one.”

“Yes.” He smiled and it made his eyes sparkle in a different way than his usual wicked grin. “I came to invite you to the opening of my club.”

Dracula had neglected to tell me when he began construction on his nightclub; however, I had heard it on the news. I just assumed he was waiting to surprise me once it was completed. I was right.

“I was wondering when you planned to tell me about that,” I said, as I took a water bottle from the fridge.

“My deepest apologies.” He smiled as he removed a small ivory envelope from his shirt. “I wanted to wait until it was finished before I mentioned it to you. Please do not think I have left you out. Yours is the first invitation I have extended, and the only one I will personally deliver.”

“Thank you,” I said as I took the envelope.

“Will you be coming?”

Another question with a double meaning.

“Yes, I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it.”

He smiled and I was once again grateful to have eyes.

“I have another surprise for you,” he said. “But this one I will save for opening night.”

My heart fluttered unpleasantly. I didn’t like waiting for anything. I also didn’t enjoy anticipation of some unknown event. For example, if someone says, “we need to talk,” I practically cringe on cue.

He read my expression. “It is not an unpleasant surprise, my angel,” he said softly. And then he kissed me. His lips were suddenly on mine and I couldn’t refuse him. Honestly, I didn’t want to. His kiss was unexpected and welcome. It was like being given a present you hadn’t expected. Dracula had had years to practice, and his kiss could be considered a work of art. He touched the right places, inspired the correct emotion. It was a dance, just as surely as if we were on a dance floor, and I responded. I let myself enjoy it thoroughly before I pulled away.

“You should go,” I whispered.

“Have I done something wrong?”

“It’s the wrong time of the month,” I lied.

“For whom?” he replied sarcastically.

“Go home, Vlad,” I said more firmly.

“As you wish.” He bowed slightly and headed for the door.

I followed him, and as he stepped onto the porch I couldn’t resist saying, “I’ll be thinking about you.”

“Be careful that you do not think too hard. You might slip into my mind. My mind is like a comfortable silk robe, easy to get into. But if you are not careful, you cannot untie the belt to remove it.”

“Oh, I don’t think we’ll be removing any belts this evening,” I teased.

And with that, I gently closed the door on his smiling face.

I wasn’t lying when I said I would be thinking about him. In fact, several hours later, I fell asleep thinking about him. But, I consoled myself by saying that I was only thinking. I would never cheat on Marco. Dracula had initiated the kiss, and that was not my fault. Although, I had enjoyed it. But let’s be honest, who wouldn’t enjoy a kiss from Dracula?

As I felt myself drifting closer toward theta brain waves, I continued to think about Dracula to avoid thinking about Peter. I didn’t want to have sad dreams, and I didn’t want to wake Alek and ask him to give me another dream. He had gone to bed before Dracula arrived, saying he didn’t feel well, and I wanted to let him rest.

So with visions of vampires dancing in my head, I finally fell asleep. This was a mistake.


Original Sin is part of a series with reoccurring characters. However, each book has a different plot and can stand on its own.To purchase Original Sin, click here: http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/originalsin.htm