Welcome to the Diva couch – Taryn (My Secret Romance)

Please welcome Taryn from My Secret Romance to the Down Under Divas today.

We’re especially thrilled to have her because we thought she wouldn’t have time to blog here. Taryn is in the middle of moving across country, and frankly, we have no idea how she has time to breathe, never mind blog. (Seriously, perhaps we should call her blog Wonder Woman’s Secret Romance!)

Taryn’s blog is a feast for the eyes, and when you make your way over there after reading her post, beware. You might find yourself spending ages browsing!

Oh, and here is something you didn’t know about Taryn:

She held my fantasy in her arm.

Twice!

I kid you not. Read on to see what I mean.

Jess

Tell us about Taryn

Hmmm…I don’t know! Haha I hate talking about myself! I never know what to say! Let’s see….Taryn is a very short and small, but an opinionated chick. To be frank- I don’t beat around the bush. I have no time for that and say it like it is. Seriously. I’m just topping in at 5 feet and I have a big mouth. I’m actually very shy but won’t open up until I’m comfortable enough to. Though, you’d never know it through facebook. Everyone is pretty shocked when I say it. But it’s true. 

(Jess popping in to say: anyone else thinking about Dawn now? Remember? The blogger who described herself as quiet?) 

What else… I’ve been with my husband since I was 17. We met on the set of a music video actually where he played the boyfriend and I was a backup dancer. It’s true, I swear! We were married two years later and now have two boys. People see me and assume I’m 18 years old, and the older sister of my kids. It’s cool for the most part, but sometimes it can get annoying.

(Jess again: *Ahem* Where is the video???)

 

Tell us all about My Secret Romance Book Reviews – how it began, how it’s grown, what it’s all about.

It all started by chance really. See, I’m a horrible writer. I’ve always struggled with it. Not as in writing books or anything, just writing in general. I became an avid reader about five years ago and started reading reviews. I was so impressed by the reviews and wanted to write some, but also very intimated by them. The more I got to thinking the more I realized that the only way I’m going to get better is if I start writing. And so I did. A few months later, I wanted to start a blog to share all the books I love to read, but I didn’t have a name for it. I told my husband about the idea and asked for name suggestions. Tony said, “Taryn, you have sex with your books every night. How about My Secret Romance?” And so it stuck! Hahaha And that’s how My Secret Romance began.  

(Jess says: Taryn’s hubby sounds like a genius!)

As MSR grew, I realized I needed reviewers to help. So I put an add out. Long story short, I now have eight reviewers who are the best girls I could’ve asked for- Nadine, Lee Anne, Janna, Amanda, Crystal, Bridget, Alyssa, and Sophie. Some know them as “Taryn’s Girls” LOL Truthfully? I totally credit them for the reason why my blog is still going. Right now I’m in the process of moving from New York to Florida so my girls stepped up and took it over for me. I’m in shock really by how much they’re doing for the blog and helping. They do so much to contribute to the blog and I could never thank them enough for all that they do. My Secret Romance is not just my blog, but it’s their blog as well.

My Secret Romance is a very honest review blog. We don’t star rate books, but we will post any review for any book so long as there is no author bashing in it, which my girls know. I don’t believe in star rating on blogs and I don’t believe in only posting only reviews higher than three stars either. That’s not being honest to me. I feel like that tends to sway readers so I’d rather let them decide once reading a review.

How do you pick which books to review or authors to interview?

For the most part I’m pretty easy going. I want blogging to be fun-not stressful-for my girls so I let them decide what to read. When a review/tour request comes in, it will get posted in our review group and whoever wants to read it can. Sometimes when the review comes in, the author will request an interview or guest post. Or if after reading any book and we want to interview the author, we do. Really, I have no strict rules on my blog. Everything goes!

What was the first romance book you read, and how did your love for romance develop from there?

It’s funny, because before I started reading I hated sappy romance books and refused to read them! I like to say I was just young and dumb at the time and didn’t know what I was talking about!

It started because of Twilight actually.

(Jess again: Anyone else noticing a pattern with Twilight and bloggers?)

I was picking my kids up from school one day when a mother turned to ask me a question, mind you- I had like no friends because I’m so damn shy that I couldn’t open my mouth! One of the mothers said to me, “Have you read Twilight?” I said, “What’s Twilight?” She nearly threw the hardcover at my head and said read it. I remember looking at the book and telling her it’s going to take me a years to read a book that size. Needless to say, I finished it in two days. I loved it, but realized I need a more adult read (and sex!). So the first adult romance book was *I think* the Sookie Stackhouse series. Or it could have been the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Or The Dark-Hunter series. I really can’t remember. When I found I actually liked to read, I started reading everything super fast and the time just started to blend together.

Do you have preferred genres – you know books you gravitate to?

Anything with romance for the most part! Oh, and hot sex too! J I do love reunion romances, cheating, and love triangles. Those are my favorite. If you asked me this four years ago I would’ve said only paranormal romance. Now it’s contemporary romance.

Rubs hands together Oh shit. This make me nervous!

You’ve told me you’re easy…now prove it.

Here are some fun questions for you to answer. The skies the limit with these. Feel free to say ANYTHING that comes to mind.

Your ideal threesome: You and…? To be quite honest, I’ve never, ever thought about this! Haha And that’s probably because my hubby can WORK IT BABY. For real. I’m not lying. Sometimes I feel like I went horseback riding bareback style afterward. Sometimes I even say… never mind.  Hey, you asked.

Your ideal MMM threesome? ^^^ see above.

The one person you would never say no to is…? (And yeah, I mean no to a hot night in bed—or out.) Hubby of course! He is the life of the party

If you could have a quiet dinner with one famous person, who would it be? Mariah Carey. I love her. I know, I know…people laugh when I say her, but I like her!

Heels or flats? I like both. I love to wear heels to go out, but I also like to drink when I got out and worry about falling! Haha No, no. I’m not a sloppy drinker. I just like to have fun, but those cracks in the sidewalk come out of nowhere!

Chocolates or crisps? Chocolate

Coffee or milkshakes? Coffee!!!!!!!!!!

Men or women? For what? To be president? Men. To cook? Woman.

Dogs or Cats? Cats

Your favorite romance book ever? Come on now. You know that’s not an easy question! If I had to pick, I’d say Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward. I love mean bastard heroes. The meaner the better for me.

Your favorite movie ever Dirty Dancing. Gahhh I love that movie!

Worst movie? I watched one with the hubs about a month ago but can’t remember the name for the life of me. I do remember thinking that I couldn’t believe I sat through the whole thing because it was that bad.

The most embarrassing moment of your life? Now why would I tell you that?

(Jess says: Coz these are the juicy details we need to know!) )

 Bill or Eric (and if you say “who?” I won’t be able to post the interview.)

LMAO!!!! 

Go ahead, eat your heart out!!!!

 

 

Oh, yes. TWICE!

*Jess just fainted with jealousy.*

(Does Taryn not know Eric is my not so secret fantasy?)

And on a lighter note…OMFG!!!!! You met Eric/Alexender Skarsgard? You touched him??? OMFG!

Maroon 5 or Jason Mraz Maroon 5!

Star Wars or Star Trek? Neither! I can’t stand either one.

Titanic or Terminator? Titanic

——————————

Any Special links?

I’m a goodreads whore. I love that site- http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2724584-taryn-at-my-secret-romance

Blog- http://www.mysecretromancebookreviews.com/

Facebook-  https://www.facebook.com/MySecretRomance?ref=hl

Showcase Day 3 – Red Hot Ann B Harrison

 Last year I got to meet the delightful Ms Harrison on Facebook. I loved seeing comments from her as they always left me with a smile on my face

And then…I met her in person at the RWAus conference, and honestly, she is just lovely as can be. I am jolly proud indeed to welcome her to Day 3 of the Aussie Author Showcase at the Down Under Divas.

Welcome Ann!

Last year I was lucky enough to join good writing buddy Annie Seaton on a trip to the States and one of the places we went was San Francisco. Oh how I love that place. We took a bus trip down the coast to Monterey and Carmel and the wild coastline took my breath away. I knew I had to write a book set in that area and it wasn’t long before Red Douglas started niggling at me to get his story down. Red Hot takes in both the city and awesome coastline with a dash of sexy thrown in.

For me Red is a different kind of hero to what I have previously written. I usually go for bossy alphas. This time I wanted a geeky unsure of his own sexuality kind of guy. I hope he comes across the my readers that way.

BLURB – RED HOT

Red Douglas is a geeky scientist. He rides his Ducati pushing the limits

with speed to ease his sexual frustration

Rhian Gallagher is a veterinarian suffering from a long term man drought.

When Red crashes his bike at her front door, she takes it as a sign from the

Fates.

Determined to take the shy scientist under her wing and into her bed as soon

as possible, Rhian talks him into a relationship, but fails to tell him her

wiccan secret

Their happiness depends on Red admitting there is more to the world than

what he sees under his microscope.

EXCERPT – RED HOT

A cool soft hand wiped his brow and Red struggled to open his eyes. Someone had removed his helmet and everything was foggy without the special visor.  He did a quick mental check of painful spots. His head wasn’t one of them thankfully but his ass was on fire from the contact with the road and his elbow screamed in pain.

“Shush now, just relax. Don’t struggle so, you are safe with me.”

Red tried his best to relax under the soft hum of her voice and the strange sensation of floating overcame him. His blood pressure was probably through the roof. He debated whether it was all a dream, in which case he could roll over and stay where he was to sleep it off. The pain racking his body made him more than aware that it was not the case and he had to move or risk getting run over when another vehicle came this way. He sighed and tried to open his eyes again. Without his glasses or his made to order helmet visor, he struggled to see clearly. The foggy vision that leaned over him appeared to be smiling. Her blond hair fell over her shoulders, cascading down to tickle his jaw, distracting him momentarily from the pain. The smell of fresh flowers and honey filled his brain and sent his body into overdrive.

Willing himself to stay calm he struggled to lift himself up on his arms.

“Arrgh.” Red fell back and rolled to one side, clutching his injured arm with his good hand. His breath came in short pants as he tried to control the pain that was washing over him.

“Let me see that.” The vision reached out and ran her fingers lightly down from his shoulder to his fingertips. She prodded around his elbow, moving his hand at the same time, ignoring his groans of pain. “It doesn’t appear to be broken, possibly a bad sprain though I’m thinking.” The sound of her voice washed over him and brought back memories that had lain buried in his past. “Would you be liking for me to heal this for you?” she asked, a faint Irish lilt to her voice, holding his hand in hers.

“Are you a doctor?” His voice was rugged even to his ears and he wished he could sound a bit more enthusiastic but the pain overrode any niceties he should have used.

“Of a sorts, yes.” Her soft laughter made him more aware of her holding his hand and he resisted the urge to pull away from her. “Should I try then?”

“I would hardly turn down help now, would I?” Red grimaced as another burst of pain shot through his elbow, making him break out into a cold sweat. He leaned back and closed his eyes, breathing through his mouth. When he felt more composed he watched her through heavy lidded eyes.

She lifted his hand and laid it down across his chest, then brought her palms together. Holding them to her face, thumbs on her chin, she whispered words that Red couldn’t hear clearly. Then she rubbed her hands briskly together and ran them up and down his arm before gripping his elbow firmly. The heat from her hands radiated through his arm, warming until it was almost unbearable and then dropped to a soothing warmth once again.

“There now, that should do it.” She leaned back and held a hand out to help him up. Red gripped her fingers in his and pulled himself into a sitting position. He sat quietly while his head swam and then he checked his arm.

He prodded his elbow. Finding it normal and almost pain free, he looked at her. “What kind of doctor are you?”

“Not the type you are used to, I’m sure.” She laughed.

He squinted and tried to get a clear picture of her. Red gave up and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and withdrew his glasses case. He breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t damaged. He opened it and took out his offending thick glasses.

Red brushed the hair out of his eyes and slid them on. He blinked a couple of times and when his vision cleared, he looked over at his mystery woman. She sat on her heels in the grass, smiling serenely in the sunshine as he floundered for the right words. Long blonde hair flowed around her shoulders and she waited for him to speak.

Diva Couch Question Time:

1. Imagine you had a time machine—oh let’s just call it a Tardis. What time period would you travel to and why?  Since I have a massive thing about kilts I would have to say Scotland before pants were invented. All those lovely butts encased in tartan, be still my beating heart. swoon worthy. What more can I say?
2. What super power would you like to have and why?  I’ve always wanted to be able to fly (without the cape though) because sometimes walking isn’t just fast enough for me. My brain goes at the rate of knots and I want my body to be able to keep up with it. Not having wings slows me down. Does that make sense?

1. If you were to design a bumper sticker or T-shirt slogan, what would it say? Funny you should ask because my daughter has just done  one that I adore. She is a bright very out there person and she gets copied heaps. It says ‘ SHEEPISM: The act of being a mindless sheep, following the herd. If you don’t think for yourself, you are giving into sheepism.

A great reminder for writers to be yourself I think and keep your own voice.

1. Describe your favorite outfit. Jeans or shorts depending on the weather and t-shirt. I’m a slob, I admit it freely. Comfort over style every time for me, I don’t do dresses at all.
2. What is your worst vice or habit? Procrastinating instead of writing. I need a major supply of bum glue and this year I have committed myself to writing in blocks of 500 words times six every day. I need a goal or I fluff around too much. I did manage six books last year but still, I can tidy up my writing habits a lot more.
3. As you’re typing the answers to these questions, what are you wearing? (that’s not a naughty question unless you have a dirty mind…) I do but I’ll contain myself. I’m doing this in the car on our way home from our Christmas break with our youngest daughter so I’m in shorts and singlet. It’s a two day drive so I need comfort.

1. Tattoos—love or hate? Love them. All of my kids are big fans and I got my first one in Las Vegas last year at Hart and Huntington. The kids were so envious.

Thank you Ann for joining us here at the Divas. For more information about Ann and her books, please visit her website

Jess

Please welcome guest blogger…Kylie Scott

Please join me in welcoming a new friend to the blog today: Kylie Scott.

I confess to not knowing Kylie until a few months ago. Don’t get me wrong. I’d heard about her. Heaps. In fact, no matter where I went, her name just kept popping up.

See, Kylie has just released her first book, Flesh. And she’s done it with Momentum Publishing. (Yep, the same publisher causing a stir through Australia, as a digital-only publisher.)

I could tell you more about Kylie and her new book. I could tell you about how hilarious she is too. But all you need do is read her post to find all of this out. (And believe me, the post is worth reading. Pay special attention to her last five answers if you really wanna laugh.)

Jess

Welcome Kylie!

1)    Who is Kylie Scott?

I’m a romance book fan with a fetish for ‘B’ grade horror from the 80’s. I love a happy ending and if there’s some chaos and carnage along the way, all the better. My family and I live in beautiful South East Queensland and have a plan in place should civilsation go to pot. Well….by plan I mean we did talk about it once over beers.

2)    What does Kylie Scott write?

I adore a steamy love story. Pair that with some scary fast-paced action and adventure and you’ve got Flesh. Plus grit. Grit is great.

3)    Why Zombies?

It was actually a dare, funnily enough. We watch Zombieland and George A. Romero films pretty regularly in my house. Romero is known as the Godfather of Zombie Films. I was working on an idea for a new project and nothing was grabbing me. My husband dared me to write a zombie book and here we are almost three years later.

4)    Tell us about your new release, Flesh.

Ali has been hiding in an attic since civilisation collapsed eight weeks ago.

When the plague hit, her neighbours turned into mindless, hungry, homicidal maniacs.

Daniel has been a loner his entire life. Then the world empties and he realises that being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Finn is a former cop who is desperate for companionship, and willing to do anything it takes to protect the survivors around him.

When the three cross paths they band together; sparks fly, romance blooms in the wasteland and Ali, Daniel and Finn bend to their very human needs in the ruins of civilisation.

Lust, love and trust all come under fire in Flesh as the three battle to survive, hunted through the suburban wastelands.

An excerpt from Flesh:

53 Days Post Apocalypse

Daniel looked down the barrel of the shotgun all set to blow his brains out and grinned. These days even a gun-toting, trigger-happy female was a delight to behold, and she was perfect.

Sunlight streamed in through the kitchen window. She all but shone with it, like an angel or a princess or something. Something a little overdue for a bath and a lot on edge, but something very good just the same. The feeling of sweet relief rushing through him nearly buckled his knees.

Tall and curvy, around thirty at a guess, and uninfected, she was by far the best thing he had ever seen in jeans and a t-shirt. Not even the dried blood splattered on the wall behind her could diminish the picture she made.

Sadly, his girl did not appear to share his joy.

Wary gray eyes devoid of even a hint of elation watched him down the barrel of the gun. He refused to be discouraged; his smile did not waiver. “Hey.”

“Gun on the floor. Slow.” Her voice sounded dusty with disuse. “Eject the
clip.”

“Okay.” Daniel did as told, keeping his happy face on her the whole time, hunching a little when he stood back up. He gave the old rucksack at his feet a nudge with the toe of his sneaker. It currently contained the sum total of his worldly goods, but she was welcome to it. “There are just a few cans of soup, and Irish stew. Help yourself.”

Plush pink lips parted as though she might speak but then paused, as if she thought better of it. The grimy finger squeezing the trigger shook some. It was good to know she wasn’t completely okay with blowing his brains out right here and now. That was nice. Of course if her nerves got any worse, they might be in trouble just the same.

He softly cleared his throat, trying not to startle her. “You’ve, ahh, got the safety on. You see there?”

Daniel nodded to the dangerous firearm pointed his way and waited for the confusion to cross her pretty face, for the golden moment of distraction to appear. It didn’t happen. Her lips puckered but not for kissing. The withering glare confirmed it.

God bless her. She wasn’t falling for any of his bullshit. Which made it time for Plan C. Plan A would have had her falling into his arms, demanding immediate sexual gratification. He wished. And B was for the Bullshit, which had not gone down, thus leaving only C for Clusterfuck.

Then, everything happened at once.

5)    Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book? (You know the one you go back to over and over.)

I tend to re-read ‘The Stand’ by Stephen King every couple of years. He’s such a wonderful writer. His characters are all individuals with their own faults and follies. Plus, total downfall of civilization. It’s an epic book.

Okay, now let’s have some fun…

6) So, you took a cruise on a luxury boat. Unfortunately, the darn boat sprung a leak and is sinking. There are over a hundred passengers on board – and only one lifeboat. Why should the captain choose you to be one of the lucky ten who gets a seat on that lifeboat.

My in-depth knowledge of apocalyptic catastrophes will make me invaluable to navigating survival on the boat, and on the desert island upon which we will inevitably be stranded. Plus it would be unconscionable to deny the world the follow-up book to Flesh, which I haven’t finished yet. Play fair.

7) You don’t know anyone else on the boat. Well, not personally anyway. But there sure are a lot of familiar faces. Just before the captain lowers the lifeboat, he tells you that you can choose one other passenger to climb in with you. It could be ANYONE. Who do you choose, and why?

Richard Armitage, because I love him. No, he’s mine. Get your own imaginary second husband. Now where’s that desert island?

8) Your heart is now pounding a mile a minute. You know why? Because on board that lifeboat with you are two people you’ve always wanted to have a ménage with. (Told you there were lots of familiar faces on the big ship. J ) Who are they?

Richard, obvs. So my third imaginary husband, Michael Fassbender, must therefore be the other. Ah, what sweet love we shall make.

9) You had to get out of your cabin in a hurry to get on the lifeboat. What are you wearing, and what did you manage to shove into your pockets?

Jeans. I’m always wearing jeans. Sorry, it’s not skimpy lingerie. Maybe next time. Yes, jeans and a t-shirt. Hopefully it’s not my ‘Warning: Ninja Expert’ shirt because that could be embarrassing.

10) What is the last thing you say to the captain?

You’ve done the right thing. Be brave. Now get the hell off my lifeboat. There’s only room for me, Richard and Michael and that king-size bed I grabbed from the state-room. Goodbye.

Note fom Jess: See? Told you she was hilarious.

If you’d like to find out more about Kylie, visit her at:

http://www.kylie-scott.com/

www.facebook.com/kyliescottwriter

@KylieScott12

Or find her book, Flesh, at:

http://momentumbooks.com.au/books/flesh/

Please welcome…Tracey O’Hara

Please join me in welcoming a truly wonderful woman to the Divas today. Not only is Tracey O’ Hara a brilliant author, she is also one of the most generous people I have ever met.

Tracey, author of both urban fantasy fiction and erotic romance, took a year off from her own writing in order to work on a project to get new and unpublished authors published. And she was HUGELY successful, as you’ll see further on down in the interview.

I adore this author to bits, and you only need read on to see why.

Jess

1)    Who is Tracey O’ Hara?

I am still trying to work that out myself. I am a wife, mother and full time computer analyst/programmer working for the public service. But I am also an story teller. I love spinning tales. My work will never change the face of society or have some analytical/political literary meaning. All I want to do is entertain my readers with a good yarn for a few hours.

2)    There’s a world of fiction out there. Why romance? Why paranormal/urban fantasy?

Actually I write whatever story speaks to me. Currently I am working on a few different projects including an historical Australian Colonial saga and a post apocalyptic erotic romance. To me the story dictates what direction it goes in. That said – when growing up I loved action/adventure and horror so most of my stories have elements of those things. And Romance – well where would the world be without romance.

3)    Tell us about your first two Dark Brethren Novels (which I absofreakinlutely love BTW).

Night’s Cold Kiss was my first book and was published in 2009 with Harper Voyager (or Eos as it was then called). It followed the story of Antoinette and Christian and really got me started on my world and is the sexiest of all the stories as Antoinette was an extremely passionate character. Basically it is a vampire stories although in my world they are called Aeternus.

The second book Death’s Sweet Embrace came out in early 2011 and this story had 2 new protagonists – Kitt and Raven – who are shapeshifters. This book showed another race of my world. Kitt and Raven are ex-lovers with a very rocky past.

All the Dark Brethren books are part romance, part mystery thriller with horror elements.

4)    Now, you have a new release in the same series. (Rubs hands together.)  Details please! 

The third book which came out last month is called Sin’s Dark Caress. This is my favourite book of the series. Again we see another aspect of the world with two new protagonist. This time it is about witches. Here is the blurb.

An ancient darkness has risen from the ashes . . . and terror has been loosed upon an unsuspecting world.

Forensic witch Bianca Sin has never seen anything like it: homeless teenage girls torn to pieces by dark magic in the cold shadows of the city. More terrifying still is the symbol written in blood on an alley wall—the unmistakable seal of the Dark Brethren.

Teaming up with NYPD homicide detective Lancelot McManus and an elite task force headed by the shapeshifter Oberon DuPrie, Bianca knows her worst fears have finally come to pass. A new war of annihilation is looming that will plunge the worlds of vampire, shapeshifter, and human into chaos—and two adversarial tribes locked in uneasy truce will need to take up arms together to save the children. Trust will be essential for Sin and McManus, as the hunt forces them to confront their deepest terrors.

For the ultimate evil is no longer approaching.

It’s here.

5)    Are there any reviews we should know about? Like, oh, I dunno, 4 &1/2 star reviews from RT maybe?

LOL – yes I was very stoked to get a 4 ½ star review in the same RT review magazine as some of my favourite authors. And if I remember correctly – you also got a 4 ½ star review in the same mag. It was a great review. Mine said

The threat of the Dark Brethren rising hovers over O’Hara’s impressively compelling series with wonderfully chilling menace. This third installment explores witch clans and murder by deadly dark magic. None of O’Hara’s protagonists are without flaws, but all have guts and determination in the face of dangerous odds. O’Hara is on a roll!

And another great review from  Book’d Out

http://bookdout.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/review-sins-dark-caress-by-tracey-ohara.

Sin’s Dark Caress is a fast paced read with plenty of action, exciting twists and strong characters. With its mix of murder, mayhem and magic I think its the strongest book of the three and though it could work as a stand alone, I would recommend reading the previous installments.

6)    Do you write any other books, apart from the Dark Brethren novels?

I totally do. I write erotic romance under the penname of Tracie Sommers. I have 2 shorts out with Harlequin Spice Briefs – Tonight My Love and Blame it on the Moonlight. And I have a new short story coming out in November.

7)    I believe you’ve been responsible for a very exciting project lately. One that helped a whole group of authors get published. Tell us about that.

I have been working hard on a project with a bunch of other Erotic Romance authors. It started off as an Anthology idea suggested by Cate Ellink and then Mel Teshco and I just ran with it turning it into a great exercise for getting published authors to mentor unpublished ones. After nearly a year we had several stories and they were picked up by the Pan Macmillan new Aussie digital imprint Momentum. They have been fantastic. The first of the Hot Down Under short story series come out this November.

And the Divas played a big part in it. Rhian and Lexxie each have a story in the series and Jess has been an enormous support of the project from the get go by reading and mentoring some of the stories.

You can find out more about the Hot Down Under series at http://www.hot-downunder.com/

Fun Questions (Go on, be daring)

1) Name your fantasy manage combination (ie, who would you choose to have a ménage with?) (Yes, this is my all time favorite question)

Gosh – that is a hard one. Maybe Chris Hemsworth if he wore his Huntsman outfit and Antonio Banderas in anything – but also have a bit of a girl crush on Selma Hayek when she does her Santanica Pandamonium dance from Dusk til Dawn. Plus Antonio and Selma have great accents – so might have to go with them.

2) What five items would you take if you had to get out of your house in 5 mins or less.

My husband, my kids, my animals, my mobile and my laptop. They are all the important things.

3) Tell us about the worst day job you ever had.

Working for a fast food chain. I am not real good with customer service.

4) Describe your writing in 3 words.

Hot, violent and bloody. (tee hee(

5) If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you’d buy for yourself?

A new car – I have my eye on a nice Holden or BMW depending on how much I will I guess.

6) Favorite comic book superhero.

Wolverine – he has that animal attraction thing going on.

7) What food will you absolutely not eat?

Pumpkin – had to eat far too much of it growing up. Yuk.

8) As you’re typing the answers to these questions, what are you wearing? (That’s not a naughty question unless you have a dirty mind)

I would like to say nothing at all but since I am doing this in my lunch hour at work that might be a bit awkward. So unfortunately it is a skirt, top and jacket for the office.

9) Do you prefer a hairy or smooth chest?

Just a smattering of hair. Don’t like a lot of hair but enough to give an interesting texture to run my fingers over.

10) Tattoos—love or hate?

LOVE – have four and planning my fifth

——————–

FOr more information about Tracey, please visit her website.

Guest Interview: Kylie Griffin

Please join me in giving another Australian author a very warm Diva welcome.

Kylie Griffin is the author of The Light Blade Series, and has a passion for writing futuristic and fantasy romances, with a touch of paranormal.

Kylie Griffin Bio

Kylie Griffin’s obsession with all things paranormal/fantasy started at an early age, when she used to imagine the jacaranda tree in her front yard was a spaceship used to defend the world from invading enemies. Writing stories seemed a natural extension to her childhood adventures.

Today, she’s a primary school teacher sharing her love for the written word with young children. In her spare time, she writes and reads all things paranormal.

Kylie lives in a small rural village in outback New South Wales, Australia, where she volunteers in a number of emergency service organizations in her local community. Visit her website at www.kyliegriffin.com

So, without further ado, let me hand you over to Ms Griffin

Jess

Kylie Griffin: In My Spare Time…

What do authors do in their spare time? Hmm, good question, because it seems over the last two years of my life, since contracting with Berkley to produce the Light Blade series, it’s been nothing but writing! If it wasn’t creating a new book, it was revising one, completing copy edits, drafting up back cover blurbs and cover descriptions, or completing blog posts, guest posts and interviews for promotion and then telling the world about it.

When I tried to recall what I spent my spare time doing, top on the list was housework and continuous cycle of preparation and assessment for my “day” job (teaching), but then I sat down and really thought about it and discovered I do have a life outside of writing! LOL

I’m a keen amateur photographer and that goes hand in hand with my globe trotting, gardening feeds my need to commune with nature, reading takes me to some amazing places and the tactile/visual artist in me enjoys patchwork, but over the last 17 years a huge part of my life has been my “volunteer” work, and this is what I’d like to share with you today.

As a teacher I’ve taken up teaching positions mostly in rural Australia, usually very small places with populations between 150-3000 people. At the moment I live in a country village (population 203 – that 3 make all the difference!).

We have a local pub, a one person police station, a one teacher school with 10 children, two churches, a general store that doubles as a post office and an agricultural supply business. As it takes emergency services from the nearest larger towns up to an hour to respond to calls, our geographic location puts us in the isolated community demographic.

So we have also have two invaluable volunteer services – the NSW Rural Fire Service (http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/) & NSW State Emergency Service (http://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/about/).

Our volunteer fire brigade consists of five members – I’m the deputy captain and only female in the unit and we respond to both bushfires and structural fires. The SES unit helps out in floods & storms (and because of our isolation) we’re also tasked with the responsibilities of search & rescue, road crash, and community first response (aka ambulance calls). With only six members (and two of us are in both organizations) I’ve been Controller, deputy controller and grunt in this organization.

Our RFS unit trains once a month and the SES unit trains once a week, with our Community First Responder team (CFR aka ambulance response team) has an extra night of training per month. Depending on how much time you wish to commit to extending your basic qualifications, courses outside our own unit’s training are run by Regional Headquarters and they offer extra training if you want to reach a higher level of qualification.

When I took up my first posting as a teacher I never imagined joining an emergency service and learning the skills I now have – back-burning, blacking out, using a chainsaw, operating communications equipment, cutting vehicles up to free trapped casualties, monitor floods, help people stranded by flood waters, line searches for the missing, or learning how to use a defibrillator, an oxy-viva machine, and administering certain drugs.

One of the most heartbreaking call outs involved attending an emergency with two infants and having to perform CPR on them both until the ambulance arrived. One child survived, the other was declared DOA at the hospital. In such a small community as ours, this had a devastating effect (I taught some of the children in this family, and so this affected me deeply).

A more light hearted and amusing call out involved us heading out to assist a woman who’d gone into labor. She lived on a property in the middle of the bush and to get to their place we had to traverse a goat track, in torrential rain (which had been coming down for hours) and made driving the dirt track hazardous. There were three of us on the call out. When we got there we made the decision to evacuate the family of 5 as we knew we’d never make it back in there a second time. With two of us in the front of our 4WD vehicle, the pregnant woman and her family piled in the back seat and me in the canopied back sitting on top of all our medical supplies, we only just made it out of there.

Then we discovered the driver of the ambulance who had responded from the nearest town had managed to bog their vehicle twelve feet inside the front gate. So we transferred the family into the ambulance then used our road crash gear to pull the ambulance out of the bog and tow them back onto the tar road. We didn’t get to see the woman’s child born but then, I think the “rescue” of her and the ambulance was adventure enough for one night!

I’ve been to catastrophic bushfires, house-fires, motor vehicle fatalities, searches for missing people (whom we’ve found alive and deceased), ambulance call outs involving amputated limbs, heart attack casualties and emergencies where I’ve used CPR to sustain life. Every call out still gives me an adrenaline rush, but it’s the camaraderie of working within a tight knit team (members I trust with my life, and have done on some occasions) and the satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped someone that keeps me going back week after week to train and responding to that pager when it goes off. I wouldn’t swap that for anything.

And the wonderful thing is – these “spare” time activities allow the author in me to rejuvenate so that I can pursue a passion I really enjoy – writing!

Speaking of which, I must get back to it…

ALLIANCE FORGED

Book #2 of the Light Blade series

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a blind priestess lays claim to a half-breed warrior, body and soul…

Hunted and marked for death by Na’Reish demons for their half-blood heritage, the Na’Chi are searching for a new home—something an alliance offered by the human leader could provide. With both races divided by prejudice, when Light Blade rebels brutally attack the Na’Chi, the alliance seems doomed to fail.

Varian, leader of the Na’Chi, a hybrid race of gifted warriors, is cursed with the darker impulses of his demon heritage. Controlling the part of himself that craves the high of the battle is a struggle he’s afraid he’ll lose—until he meets Kymora Tayn, a priestess driven to serve her deity. While he’s unwilling to trust anyone outside his people, he finds himself drawn to Kymora’s strength and passionate nature, and discovers she has the power to calm the darkness inside him.

When the Na’Reish raid human territory for blood-slaves and kickstart a war, the key to the survival of both races—Na’Chi and human— is an alliance. However, when Kymora is kidnapped, pitting human against human, Varian realizes he must embrace his darker half, not only to save the alliance…but also the woman he loves.

If you’d like more info about Kylie, here are some useful links:

Website: http://www.kyliegriffin.com

Blog: www.kyliegriffinromance.blogspot.com

Newsletter: (sign up form on blog or website)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kylie-Griffin-paranormal-romance/152760788151938

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/KylieGriffin1

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4882841.Kylie_Griffin

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/Kylie_Griffin-author

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Alliance-Forged-Novel-Light-Blade/dp/0425256014/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324459468&sr=1-1

B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alliance-forged-kylie-griffin/1107000571?ean=9780425256015&itm=1&usri=alliance+forged+kylie+griffin

Books-a-million – http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Alliance-Forged/Kylie-Griffin/9780425256015?id=5244581890012

The Book Depository – http://www.bookdepository.com/Alliance-Forged-Kylie-Griffin/9780425256015

Fishpond – http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Alliance-Forged-Kylie-Griffin/9780425256015?cf=3&rid=7378568&i=1&keywords=alliance+forged

IndieBound – http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780425256015

Penguin – http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780425256015,00.html#

Diva Couch special guest S.L. Carpenter

RC:- Please welcome S.L. Carpenter to the Diva Couch. I asked S.L. to give as a little insight into what it’s like for him being a male writer of erotic romance in what is traditionally a female dominated industry.

S.L.:- A lot of people have asked me how I got into writing Erotic Romance and how writing from a man’s POV is different.

Most of the romance books I used to read were by women. I didn’t read a lot but when I did a few things did stand out as being a little off. Dialogue and perspectives were the biggest things. I’m an average guy so I tend to read and write the males in my books as men that act like I do.

The fun part of writing Erotic Romance and being a male is describing different things. Saying what a man feels during a sexual encounter is easy for me because I can talk about him thinking about baseball or fighting the urge to make a goofy face as he climaxes.

Trying to describe what a woman feels at her peak of desire gets tricky. That’s why I tend to ask a lot of questions from readers and other women in my life. It also gets me in a lot of trouble.

My appreciation for women helped me look and treat them as equals in the story. But I love spoiling the characters a little because books are an escape so why not be pampered a little. I have been very well trained.

When I started writing Erotic Romance it was always with a twist of humor. I looked at the genre from the side of reality and you have to admit, sexual situations are pretty damn funny.

Most of what I write is contemporary romances with characters that people can relate to. I have delved into a few different areas but tend to stick with what I know. Couples meeting and falling for each other, of course there is an abundance of sex.

The main thing I try to do when writing any story is to keep it real. Not all women are perfect and not all men have 10 inches of meat between their legs, can have sex for hours on end and never have gas or morning breath. Except me.

RC:- I know you’re not just a writer so where can we find out more about you and your various artistic talents?

S.L.:- To find out more about me stop by my website for details on my books, art, and upcoming contests!

I have 2 new books coming out – one this month and another in January. I will also be doing a  “Kindle” contest to kick off my new blog and celebrate the new releases. So stop by and leave a comment for your chance to win a Kindle or several other great prizes.

 

Released Dec. 18, 2011

Amazon (Kindle) —- B&N (Nook)

ARe (Multi) —- Smashwords (Multi)

 

Releases Jan. 17, 2012
Samhain

So let the fun begin!

S.L. Carpenter

Website - http://www.slcarpenter.net/

Blog - http://slcarpenter.blogspot.com/

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/SL_Carpenter

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002766103401

RC:- A big thank you to Scott for popping in to sit on the couch with the Divas today.

Dawn over at Day Dreaming is blogging about POV from the readers perspective today. Hop on over and see what she thinks - http://daydrmzzz.blogspot.com/

Welcome…Maggie Nash

One thing I learned quickly when I sold my first book, was that romance writers are an incredibly generous group of people. There was not one person I approached, looking for guidance and advice, who was not happy to share their valuable experience with me and point me in the right direction. But of all these amazing people, there was no one more generous and giving of her time than Maggie Nash.

This woman quite literally took me under her wing and guided me through the unknown world of e-book publishing. She held my hand the entire way, helping me with Yahoo groups, blogs, review sites and publishers. She was the person I turned to in times of need, and never once did she fail me. Without Maggie, I fear I would never have found my feet in this world. I guess you can understand why Mags will always have both a special place in my heart and my undying gratitude.

So when I say it gives me great pleasure to welcome her to the Down Under Divas today, know how much I mean that!

I put together a few questions for Mags, to help you get to know her a little bit better.

WELCOME MAGGIE NASH

1)    How did you start writing erotic romance?

I had submitted a book to a publisher, and the executive editor said she loved the premise, but could I add lots more sex. I thought about it for a few seconds and then thought “Hell yes!” and got right into it. After that I was hooked.  It’s like a drug. You just keep getting hotter because it’s never enough LOL

2)    You were an author at Triskelion Publishing when it notoriously closed it’s doors, shocking the e-publishing world. How did this effect you?

It was a horrible time for a lot of authors. I think the main thing was a big kick in the guts of my confidence as a writer, and my confidence in people in general. I questioned whether or not anyone would want to buy my books again.  It was about a year before I had a book available after that, and that was a re-release.  It did teach me some valuable lessons about publishing and what to look for. I am also more assertive in what I want, although I am really lucky with my current publisher, Total-e-bound. A more ethical, supportive and hard working company you will never find.

3) Tell us about your genre/s of choice

I write contemporary erotica including BDSM, erotic thrillers and have recently ventured into Victorian historical erotic romances. I’m also writing an alternate reality thriller with paranormal elements and a fantasy based on Greek Mythology.  Okay, I like variety.

4)   Are your books all set in Australia?

All of my contemporary stories are set in Australia, but the historicals are set in Victorian London.

5)   Rumor has it you have a brand new book releasing soon. Can you confirm those rumors? In detail?

Yes, and I’m really excited as it is my first ever print release!  It is an anthology with the theme of Voyeurism and the title of the anthology is “Summer Spectacles”. My story is called “Illuminations” and the ebook version was released a couple of months ago. It’s my first foray into erotic historical romance, and revolves around a house in London where those with money can go to fulfill their sexual fantasies. The heroine is Gemma, who is a scullery maid, and the heroes (yes there are 2 of them!) are Darius and Jamie, who are learning how to pleasure women. They catch Gemma in the act of watching one of their scenes with a client, so decide to punish her by making her one of their lesson subjects. Phew, I get hot thinking about this. The boys are really good at what they do – especially Darius!  The book is available on Sept 26 from the following link:

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1385

6) Where can we buy your books ?

You can find all of my books at Total-e-bound.  Here is the link to my author page there: http://www.total-bound.com/authordetail.asp?A_ID=88

Okey doke, now to the fun part …

1)    If you were told that for some reason you had to desert your house, you had to get out in five minutes, and you had only five items to salvage, what five items would those be?

Easy. My laptop, my Kindle, my iPhone, PJs, and my wallet J

2)    Chocolate cake or custard donut?

I have to choose? Can’t I have both?

3)    Rare fillet and roast potatoes or fish and chips?

Rare fillet and roast potatoes!

4)    Tea or coffee?

Coffee all the way baby!

5)    Tea or scotch?

Depends on the time of day. Morning tea, evening scotch!

6)    Scotch or wine?

Wine, preferably Moscato!

7)    Wine or beer?

Definitely wine. Not a beer person at all. Eeewww!

8)    Manicure or pedicure

Since I have no fingernails, that would have to be pedicure. Besides, who can resist a good foot massage?

9)    Men or women?

LOL.  Definitely men. I have always had more male friends than female friends, and well…women can be so, you know.  That “B” word! LOL

Okay, now someone is holding a gun to your head. He names two people, and of those two people you have to sleep with one of them. And no, he doesn’t mean sleep. He means do the dirty. Very dirty. Who do you choose?

1)    Kevin Rudd or Julia Gillard

Kevin 07.  I’m a sucker for a nerd.

2)    Hamish or Andy

Andy for sure!

3)    Mark Holden or Dicko

Mark Holden, my rose carrying hero from my childhood!

4)    Brian McFadden or Ronan Keating

Ronan baby.  When he sings, he sings to me!

5)    Lexxie Couper or Rhian Cahill (Oops, how did that get in there?)

LOL I’m leaving that one. I mean, how could I choose! LOL.

6)    Bill or Eric. (Yes, I am talking about True Blood.)

Eric. Just because.

7)    George Bush or Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton! He’s had a lot of practice!

8)    Bill Clinton or Hilary Clinton

Bill. See above!

9)    Brad Pitt or Hugh Jackman

Hugh, no Brad. No Hugh. Brad. Crap…HUGH!

Okay, the same guy with the gun tells you that you have to have a threesome with two other people. They can be anyone at all. Who do you choose? And why?

A threesome. Oh wow…I always wanted to try that! Let me see. Hmmm. I think the best ménages contain partners who have completely different styles and personalities, but complement each other. So that leads me to think my perfect ménage partners would be Don Draper (Jon Hamm) from Mad Men, because he is arrogant, but uber confident in what he does, with that aggressive streak that is so sexy and dangerous, and then to complement him I need someone who is sweet and caring and really, really gorgeous.  That would be Hugh Jackman as himself. Yes. Yes. YES! Oh God. I think I just came.

And that note is as good as any to end the interview…don’t you think?

And now…CONTEST TIME!

Mags has been kind enough to offer a download of Illuminations, her book from the print anthology, Summer Spectacles.

For your chance to win this ebook, simply leave a comment, either responding to something Mags has said, or tell us about your favorite genre of romance.

Thanx Mags, for joining us today!

Jess

Kate Cuthbert

Please join me in welcoming Kate Cuthbert to the Down Under Divas.

For those of you who don’t know her, Kate is an integral part of the romance reading and writing community Down Under. She has a passion for all things related to books and reading,  and to quote her, she has a “strong and abiding love for a genre about—well, love.”

I like to think of Kate as a crusader amongst romance readers. She is one among us who is proud to stand up and say, “I read romance.” She’s proud to write about it too. (Look out for more info about this further on in the interview.) And with the bad rap romance readers and writers are continually getting, having someone so vocal about their love for all things romance, well, I can’t help but admire – and thank – her. (And stand behind her cheering!)

Kate has a multitude of talents, ranging from writing to reviewing to editing to mothering. I’d love to tell you loads more about it, but lets face facts. I’m a bore. Kate on the other hand is a delight. A funny, eloquent, warm and charming delight. And when you read through her answers to the questions I posed, I promise, you’ll be just as delighted by her as I am.

So, here she is…

Kate, the first time I met you, you’d just reviewed my very first book.  (And a lovely review it was, thank you.) How did you get into book reviewing?

I always liked talking about books, dissecting them, offering up my opinion. Reviewing was just an extension of that. I started simultaneously reviewing for All About Romance and writing a romance column for the Brisbane Courier-Mail. I’ve been reviewing ever since.

Are you still reviewing?

Absolutely. It’s an addiction!

For whom?

I review for the New York Journal of Books (www.nyjournalofbooks.com), Bookseller & Publisher Magazine, and I write the Booktopia Romance Buzz, for Booktopia.

(Note from Jess: Here’s a link to the June Newsletter from Booktopia: http://newsletters.booktopia.com.au/2011/06-june-romance-buzz.html )

Do you have a preference as to what you review?

I definitely prefer to review romance, mainly because I’m really comfortable talking about it. But I get to review a wider range of books with B&P and sometimes it’s fun to explore new books and new worlds.

Do you get to choose what books you review?

Most of the time, yes, though it’s often a choice between the books available.

What makes the difference between an A review and a B one? (ie, what qualities in a book need to stand out to make it amazing in your opinion.)

I think the book needs to become more than a sum of its parts: it has to move beyond great characters, an exciting plot, strong writing (though those things need to be present as well). Everyone knows what a good book feels like – it’s that delight, the surprise, the joy that comes from reading it. That’s your A book.

There’s a world of fiction out there. Why romance?

I answered this earlier this year for NYJB!  I think it says it all: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/news/why-i-read-romance-ny-journal-books-reviewer-kate-cuthbert-0

(Note from Jess – I LOVED this article. Go, read it. Then show it to everyone who has ever questioned why you read romance.)

(Another note from Jess: Miss Too-shy-to-mention-it Cuthbert has been short listed for a ROMA award for this article!)

Do you have any thoughts on romance cover art? What kind of covers grab your attention?

I have to admit, I love romance covers. I love how they work so well as branding. No other genre has created such a strong look and feel right from the start.  When you see a romance cover, you know exactly what you’re getting. Although, I do have to admit some of the early e-book covers (you’ve all seen the scary dead eyes) and the cover for Big Spankable Asses (http://www.booktopia.com.au/big-spankable-asses/prod9780758221810.html) are immediate exceptions that come to mind!

A little birdie (Cough – Lila – cough – Dubois) mentioned you were an editor once. Are you still? Tell us a little about your experiences as an editor.

I am! That’s my day job – I work for a not-for-profit running their publishing program and that includes acting as Editor-in-Chief for their monthly magazine. It’s been a great way to gain a lot of insight into the publishing world, and to gain experience across a number of different mediums.

Publishing is a really hard industry to get into – one of those ‘you must have experience to get a job, but you need a job to get experience’ dichotomies. So in order to get some experience, I hopped online and started my editorial career with some of the smaller e-book presses. It was great experience, I got to read books I might not otherwise have read, and, yes, I met lots of great people.

Reviewing, reading and editing are not your only talents. Is it true you write as well?

Who have you been talking to??? It’s true! I worked for two years for a mass market children’s publisher, and some of that work included writing kid’s stories. It was great fun, and I really wish I still had opportunities to write about monsters and dinosaurs and fairies! http://www.booktopia.com.au/max-the-monster/prod9781741854046.html

(Note from Jess: Wow, I am blown away.)

I also participate in NaNoWriMo every year, and I generally write a romance novel. I find practising different styles keeps me engaged and interested in writing, and helps make all my writing better. Well – I hope it makes all my writing better! Writing fiction is a great way to learn about building a narrative, and that all important ‘show, don’t tell’.

(Note from Jess: Anyone else wondering where these romance novels are???)

You’re very actively involved with the romance writing and reading communities in Australia. Tell us a little more about your involvement.

I’m very lucky to be so involved! As one of the few people outside the industry who was willing to admit in public that they loved romance, I got my hands on the opportunities that were there – like covering the conference for All About Romance, or interviewing authors and guests, or hosting book launches and panels. I just love taking part, so I keep leaping at every chance I can get.

I’ve also been lucky enough to meet other readers who love talking about romance, so I’ve been involved with a few of the readers groups around the country. BRRAddicts, in Brisbane, sprang out of the focus groups I put together for my Master’s thesis, for example, and I was invited to moderate HEART in Melbourne by the lovely Louise McNally at Dymocks who recognised the importance of romance and wanted to start up a group.

Anything else you’d like us to know about you? Or about the romance genre? Or maybe how you’ve had not one, not two but three concussions…?

Eek! How did you hear about that?! I’ll just say that I’ve always been a rush into things kind of girl, and that sometimes includes going head first

You have a baby now. (CONGRATS!) How do you juggle being a mommy with being a reviewer/writer/editor/wife?

Thank you! She’s nine months old now, and charming the pants off everyone. Look, it’s hard. A lot harder than I expected it to be. I think I had this vision of myself sitting serenely at my laptop during naptimes, typing away at my latest review, or sipping a cup of tea while catching up on my blog roundup. No one told me I’d spend naptimes running around like a mad woman trying to get everything I needed two hands to do done! But, I think, as with all things, if it’s important to you, you figure it out. It’s late nights sometimes, and (okay, I’ll admit it) baby-on-the-floor-of-the-study-while-I-meet-a-deadline sometimes, and there has been more than one occasion where I wondered why I just didn’t stop already. But I never could. I’d miss it too much. It’s a really good way of remembering who I am, outside of my (much-loved) Mummy role.

(Yep, this is Kate’s baby. Go on. Admit it. She is ADORABLE!)

Okay, now let’s have some fun… 

 So, you took a cruise on a luxury boat. (Yeah, I know. Very nice!) Unfortunately, the darn boat sprung a leak and is sinking. (Hmmm, maybe not so nice after all.) There are over a hundred passengers on board – and only one lifeboat. Why should the captain choose you to be one of the lucky ten who gets a seat on that lifeboat.

Surely my natural good looks, inimitable charisma, biting intelligence, and overwhelming charm would get me through? No? Are you sure?

Well okay, I may or may not be willing to trade sexual favours. Depending on the captain. Picard? Oh definitely. Ahab? Not so much.

(Comment from Jess: See, I told you she’s charming. And funny. Hilarious actually.)

You had to get out of your cabin in a hurry to get on the lifeboat. What are you wearing, and what did you manage to shove into your pockets?

Heh. If I were in a cabin by myself, with no intention of going anywhere, I’m probably in my favourite pair of pjs, and this horrible old ratty sweatshirt I’ve had since university that is more holes than fabric but that I love much too much to ever throw away. It’s a bone of contention in my marriage, because I made my husband throw away his holey underwear, but I’d never give up this sweatshirt

 My pockets – definitely my mobile. I’m addicted to it. My Kindle, or whatever book I had on the bed stand (lifeboat trips can be dull), and my favourite picture of my husband and daughter.

What is the last thing you say to the captain?

Thanks for nothing, chump! …. No, you know what, I’d think that, but never say it. I’m too well-mannered, and my wonderful grandmother who drilled those manners into me would roll over in her grave. To be honest, I’m not the most eloquent person in stressful situations, so I’d probably say something inane like ‘Thanks so much’, or ‘Have a good day!’

You don’t know anyone else on the boat. Well, not personally anyway. But there sure are a lot of familiar faces. Just before the captain lowers the lifeboat, he tells you that you can choose one other passenger to climb in with you. It could be ANYONE. Who do you choose, and why?

I can be philosophical here.

I’d want someone to talk to, someone with good conversation. One person I’ve always had a lot of respect for, and someone I’ve always wanted to meet, is Archbishop Desmond Tutu. So let’s go with him. I’m sure he’d be endlessly interesting, which is helpful when waiting for rescue to come.

Also on an entirely less selfish note, I really respect the work he’s done, and I think his kind of attitude and teachings are the kind the world needs more of.

Your heart is now pounding a mile a minute. You know why? Because on board that lifeboat with you are two people you’ve always wanted to have a ménage with. (Told you there were lots of familiar faces on the big ship.) Who are they? (Yep, this is an erotic romance writers’ blog. You HAVE to answer.)

I have passes for two men from my husband – if they ever knock on the door and say, ‘Kate, I’ve come to take you away for a night of wild, indulgent passion’, I have free rein to say, ‘Awesome. Just let me grab my negligee’. (In case you’re wondering, my husband has no passes – he says he’ll never need anyone else. How romantic is that? I’m more practical. Or maybe just more into wishful thinking )

• Neil Gaiman: I find his absent-minded writer look incredibly sexy, and I love love love his books. That dark side? Passion just waiting to be explored!
• Benicio Del Toro: I’ve had a crush on him since that horrible movie Excess Baggage (did you see it? It’s terrible. But he is so swoon-worthy!). That penetrating stare? So intense. sigh

—————————————

Thank you, Kate. For joining us, for your open and honest answers, and for choosing two men I would never consider for a menage. You and me can share the same lifeboat anytime.

Jess

Wednesday’s Words wip snippet

Thought I’d share a little teaser snippet of my current wip. This is from Spin The Bottle which is part of the Party Games series I’m writing with the lovely Lexxie Couper. This is part of a self-satisfaction moment for the hero, Mackenzie Harris, he’s remembering an event from months earlier and getting just a little worked up.   As usual, unedited and any mistakes are mine. *grin* Enjoy!

****

He had no clue when it was that things had change. When she’d gone from being his best friend’s sister to the woman he wanted above all others. All he knew was he had to keep his hands off. Easier said than done.

One second he’d been in control, the next Lilli was in his arms, their mouths joined in the most erotic kiss of his life. Soft, pliant lips gave way and he slipped his tongue inside to taste more of her. A hint spice from their meal and the sweetness of her cocktail enticed him deeper. Mac slanted his lips across hers and their tongues collided in a frenzy of want and need. The combination of chilli and strawberry daiquiri lingered on her tongue, the fiery sweet flavour the perfect symbol of their scorching kiss. Wicked innocence.

Mac’s body tightened. Lust coiled hot and hungry in his balls. His cock lengthened—hardened, as his pulse pounded through his veins. He sucked in a breath and reached for his cock. Lightning shot through him at the memory of her hands touching him.

Lilli skimmed her splayed hands across his chest, over his shoulders and down his back—her fingers burning him through his shirt, her nails scoring his skin. He ground his hips to hers, his hard-on pressing against her stomach. She moaned into his mouth and pushed back, her lower body rocking into his. Mac gripped her arse, pulled her up on her toes and fitted their bodies together in perfect alignment to drive them both wild.

He’d gone too far, remembered too much, and past experience told him he’d need to relieve the pressure with his own hand and the vivid recollection of Lil’s mouth under his, her body pressed to his. Mac tightened his grip, pulled his cock harder as his orgasm drew closer.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, tugged on the short strands and sent shivers down his spine. He squeezed her arse as he worked his fingertips towards her pussy. Lilli wrapped her legs around his waist and the short skirt she wore rode up her thighs, exposed the part of her he sought. Heat and moisture met his skin, the thin barrier of her underwear no match for the hot need flowing from her core.

Mac’s harsh breaths and pounding heart echoed in his ears. He worked his cock harder, ran his thumb over the swollen tip, his pre-come easing the slide of his fingers. His sac tightened, tucked his balls close to his body as his release drew near.

He pressed the silky cloth under his fingers into her slit, parted her folds and searched for her clit. The hard knot of nerves stood tall, pulsed beneath his touch. She rocked against him, rode his hand on one side, his cock on the other. His mouth left hers to trail kisses along her jaw while he continued to torture her sex with his hand. Mac nipped at her ear, sucked the lobe into his mouth and flicked it with his tongue.

His hand moved faster.

Lilli’s hips bucked and more cream soaked her undies. He cursed the obstacle between them, wanted to feel her slick wet flesh on his skin. Wanted to slide his fingers through her folds and thrust them inside her. Drive them deep and find her G-spot, stroke her inside and out until she screamed his name.

“Mac.”

She rippled against him, her orgasm sneaking up on both of them as she bucked and thrashed in his arms. Heat and wetness coated his hand. Lilli buried her face in the side of his neck as she rode out the last waves of her release.

Mac pumped his shaft with firm, punishing strokes. His balls tightened and his spine tingled. He shouted Lilli’s name with the first spasm, groaned on the second. With each contraction a thick rope of sperm flew from his cock, the liquid hot on his skin as it coated his hand.

****

So what do ya think?

Rhian

The series is complete

Which series? you might ask.

Easy answer: The Three of A kind Series. The one that began with the smoking hot, m/m/f menage, Going All In, was followed up with the sexy as all hell, m/f/m menage, Raising the Stakes, and now concludes with the blazing m/m/f menage, Full House.

So wanna here about the final story in the sexy poker series?

It’s a cracker. Honestly, hotter than anything I’ve ever written. And the two heroes? Seriously to die for. Both of them.

Here’s the blurb:

FULL HOUSE:

A full house beats a pair any day.

Three of a Kind, Book 3

It’s been a long, lonely business trip for diamond dealer Max Ashberg. He’s missed his lover like crazy, and he’s come to the realization that he’s ready to take the next step: nominate himself to be Trev’s new housemate. Except when he gets to Trev’s place, there’s someone living in “his” room. A woman—with the face of an angel.

Six weeks shouldn’t make a huge difference in a man’s life, but in that time lawyer Trev Greenfield has realized two things: He wants much more than a standing Friday night “date” with Max. And he’s falling heart-over-head for his new housemate, potter Grace Miles.

Grace never meant to fall for Trev, but when a power failure turns their chemistry into live electricity, there’s no denying the spark. There’s also no denying the shock when Grace discovers a naked man in her new home.

With Grace poised to run and Max teetering between confusion and growing lust for the delicious possibilities, Trev has his hands full trying to hold the two loves of his life together…before they slip through his fingers. Leaving them all with shattered hearts.

---

Product Warnings

There’s a lot of sex in this book. I mean a lot! Hot sex. Sweaty sex. Gay sex. Straight sex. Ménage sex (M/M/F and M/F/M). Oh, and romantic sex. Lots of romantic sex. Hot romantic sex. Sweaty romantic sex. Gay romantic sex… You getting the picture?

Now, would you like a hot excerpt?

Well, okay then, here you go:

FULL HOUSE: A smokin’ hot excerpt

Silence permeated the room, broken only by the jagged breathing of the men beside her.

So focused had she been on her task, she’d failed to notice Trev and Max had ended their kiss and now both stared at her hands. Or Trev stared at her hands. Max’s gaze was fixed on Trev’s cock.

“Do it,” Max urged, his voice low and sexy as sin. “Touch him.”

As if she could stop herself. Armed with Max’s encouragement and a newfound strength in her convictions, she curled her fingers around the rigid shaft.

Trev’s breath escaped in a hiss. He straightened and threw his head back with a soft groan.

Her eyes closed as she absorbed his silky texture, his steel heat. She ran her hands up and down his length, loving the feel, loving his response—the harsh breath that rasped from Trev’s throat.

“Push his jeans down so he can take them off,” Max whispered in her ear.

Grace was curiously reluctant. She’d have to release Trev to do so.

As if sensing her dilemma, Max spoke again. “More freedom without pants. Better access.”

Ah, good points. She edged the jeans and boxers over Trev’s hips, pushed them down his thighs and let him finish the job.

Max was right. Way better access this way. Before Trev had kicked his jeans off, her hands were wrapped around his erection, one below the other.

“Hold him tighter,” Max instructed, “and ease your hands up and down real slow.” He cleared his throat as she followed his instructions. “Yeah, just like that.” As he spoke, he rocked his hips lightly, caressing her butt with his erection, or caressing himself on her butt, she couldn’t tell.

She didn’t care. Either way, the movement inflamed her. Heat flared between her legs. Her panties were sodden. Her mind was carefree.

“Now, faster,” Max said

Grace adjusted her speed. Trev groaned again.

“See?” Max’s voice was husky and soft. “He likes that.”

Grace watched, fascinated. As she stroked Trev, drops of precome beaded on his tip. She swiped at the wetness, coating her fingertip, then brought her hand up to Max’s mouth, offering him her finger while still pumping Trev with her other hand, exactly the way Max had instructed.

“You first,” Max growled.

What a gentleman. She popped her finger between her lips and licked it clean.

“Now me.”

A demanding gentleman. Grace repeated the action, dipping into Trev’s liquid and again offering Max her finger.

Max’s lips closed around her offering, the heat of his mouth sucking her finger in deep. He swirled his tongue around and around the tip, then closed his eyes with a sigh.

“Don’t swallow,” Trev said, his voice nothing more than a low growl. “Feed it back to Gracie.”

Max’s eyes darkened as he leaned toward her and captured her mouth with his. His tongue stroked over hers, once, twice, and she lost herself to the kiss, to the passion that danced through her veins, to the heat that burned in her pussy, to the taste that was uniquely a combination of Max and Trev.

—————-

Full House is available now at Samhain Publishing. And if you hurry, you’ll get it for the hugely discounted price of $2.45:

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/full-house-p-6300.html

Happy reading.

Jess