Welcome Diva Couch Guest Erin Nicholas

I met Erin at the Romantic Times Convention this year, after which Lexxie and I stalked her to the airport and talked her ear off for quite some time while she was probably hoping to wait quietly in the queue and decompress from the conventions. Oh well, better luck next time, Erin.

Her books are fun, sweet and sexy, a little quirky and satisfyingly emotional. Here she is to tell you a little about her latest release:

Just For Fun is the fourth book in the Bradfords series and I’m so excited that it’s out!  The first three books were released in 2010 and since then I’ve had lots of readers emailing to reinforce my desire to write these last two books!  The original three followed the Bradford siblings—Jessica, Sam and Sara.  But we also meet the other members of Sam’s paramedic crew—Mac, Dooley (Doug) and Kevin.  After meeting the guys (and seeing Mac get his happily ever after with Sara) I wanted to give Dooley and Kevin their perfect women.   And I finally did it!  Dooley finds his true love in Just For Fun on July 24^th and Kevin’s story, Just A Kiss, comes out in October!  Finally! 

There’s having fun… And then there’s falling in love.

The Bradfords, Book 4

It was a chance meeting, a spontaneous, hot moment, a never-to-be-repeated encounter. So when the gorgeous redhead he knows only as Sugar walks into the bar and heads straight for him, Doug “Dooley” Miller knows he’s in trouble. But he’s sure not going to mind.

 She needs a date to some swanky something-or-other. He’s a fish-sticks-and-denim guy, but for a woman who’s not afraid to get naughty in an elevator, he can stand a couple days of smoked salmon and Armani. 

 Morgan James admits she doesn’t really knowDoug, but she needs him to keep her mind—and hands—off her ex. A man who, despite the fact he stole her ideas, she’s afraid could charm her into repeating her mistakes. Only Doug can make her forget the weasel exists. Besides, it’s just this one time.

What started as not even a one-night stand has Dooley feeling things that he’s never felt before.  And that’s outside of the bedroom.  Don’t even get him started on what’s happening between the sheets.  Why does he have a feeling that, as far as flings go, they’re doing something wrong?  Then again, if they’re falling in love, they might just be getting that right.

Warning: Contains a woman who knows what she wants, a man who knows what he doesn’t want, and a proposition that shows them both that they’ve never really wanted anything like this before.

You can purchase this latest story from Erin at Samhain  Amazon and all the best e book outlets. And don’t forget the other books in the series, they’re fantastic

Excerpt:

“I need your help. And you owe me.”

“You need my help?” He faced her fully for the first time. He’d been avoiding it because he knew the moment he looked into her eyes, he’d feel like he’d been punched in the stomach.

He was right.

She was stunning. Her auburn hair fell to her mid-back when it was down. She had a killer body with generous breasts and curvy hips, enough for a man to have something to hold onto. But her legs were long and toned and her butt was tight.

She should have been a stripper. It wasn’t fair to humankind to not share every glorious inch.

She had a redhead’s pale, creamy skin, but there hadn’t been a freckle in sight. At least as far as he could tell. The lighting in the elevator had been good, but he hadn’t gotten her completely undressed. Just enough.

Her startlingly bright green eyes could have easily been mistaken for contact lenses, but they were real. They’d looked at him as if he could give her the world. Which had been exactly what he’d wanted her to think that first night. It was supposed to have been their last night as well.

She wasn’t looking at him like she thought he was a big shot hero right now.

He was dressed, as usual, in a pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt. His tennis shoes had seen better days, which made them his favorite shoes. They’d just come off a twelve-hour shift and he had some stubble going and knew his eyes were bloodshot from the lack of sleep he’d had last night.

He looked nothing like the man she’d met five weeks ago.

He did look great in a tux.

“Believe me, I’m not thrilled about it either,” she said, referring to needing his help. “But, as unbelievable as this may sound, I need your sophistication and—” she looked him up and down in obvious doubt, “—charm.”

There was a moment of shocked silence and Dooley braced himself.

Then his friends let loose with three equally delighted and loud whoops of laughter.

Sophistication and charm were not adjectives most people would assign him.

But Sugar—well, she’d seen his best side for sure. The side he’d almost forgotten he had.

Dammit, it had been fun.

Suddenly Kevin Campbell, another of his friends, bumped into her. Sam and Mac had shoved him forward.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, with the goofy grin that always had girls making goo-goo eyes at him.

“This is the best we can offer in the sophistication and charm department,” Mac said, slapping Kevin on the shoulder. “There are no promises here either, but he goes to church and eats with utensils.”

Dooley rolled his eyes. He deserved all of this. Had any of his friends been on the receiving end of the gorgeous redhead’s attention he would have been doing the same exact thing.

He had to get her out of here.

But before he could tell her that, she turned and looked Kevin up and down. “The next time I need to pray or have dinner I’ll keep him in mind. What I need right now, though, I need from him.” She pointed at Dooley.

Mac, Sam and Kevin raised their eyebrows in unison.

“You sure?” Sam asked.

“Oh, yeah.” She said it in a husky, seductive voice that had Dooley’s blood pumping harder.

There were only three things she knew he was good at: dressing up, playing Blackjack and giving her orgasms.

 (Blackjack and orgasms–sounds like my kinda night)

 And now for a little fun before we have to say goodbye to Erin.

1. If you knew your next meal would be your last, what would you have?

Pizza.  No doubt.  Not very exotic or exciting but absolutely my favorite!  (Now, if you asked what dessert would be my last… that would take a lot more thought and angst!)

2. Tell us about the worst day job you ever had

I was a motel maid for one summer in high school.  One summer.  In high school (ie, desperate for money and not qualified to do much).  My BFF and I worked together, which made it tolerable.  But we found *huge* messes (peanut butter smeared all over the sliding glass door, for instance) and everything from yes, condoms—used and unused—nude photos, money, jewelry (which we, of course, turned in) and dirty magazines (which we did not turn in… took those with us to the next beer party!

3. Describe your writing in 3 words

Impossibly frustratingly addictive (for me… not necessarily anyone else! )

4. Imagine you had a time machine—oh let’s just call it a Tardis. What time period would you travel to and why?

Regency England definitely—but only if I was part of a family with money and one of those huge beautiful houses.

5. Favorite comic book superhero?

Spiderman.  He’s so human while still having super powers.  And they always depict him as a bit of a nerd… which is a soft spot for me.

6. What is your worst vice or habit?

Coffee.  And not just the coffee part… that sugar and creams and syrups and stuff I love to add!

7. Best writing advice ever received

Just do it.  Even when you don’t feel like it.  It’s easier to fix words than a blank page.

Thanks so much for visiting with us today Erin!

If you want to find out more about Erin or her books vist her website, or find her on facebook or twitter

Now go book shopping

Sami

Blog Happenings and Free Stuff

We’ve been working on getting a few more guest bloggers in to visit us at Divaland Downunder so we’ll hopefully be filling up our guest post Wednesdays a bit more regularly from now on. Today I just have to give you a sneak peek of who we are having over next week, because I’m really excited.

Yep, the fabulous Erin Nicholas will be joining us to talk about her NEXT book which is the latest installment of her Bradford siblings series. If you’re not familiar with the series yet, now’s the time to grab them. All three of the first books in the series are temporarily discounted at Samhain so you can start at the beginning AND pick up a bonus free read that will lead in to the next two books in her series. What a great idea! Erin’s contemporary books are sweet, sexy and fun and we’re looking forward to having her on our Diva Couch next week.

PS while you’re over at Samhain, don’t forget you can still download your free copy of Chasing Sunset. It’d be really fun to jostle Erin out of that No 1 spot on the sales list, mwhahahaha!

Cheers

Sami

Look at me, the cheap tart

I’m excited to share some brilliant news with you. But the title of this post might be misleading. I’m not cheap, I’m…FREE!

Yep, you read that right. For a limited time, my menage novella, Chasing Sunset is available as a free download from most of your major outlets. Amazon and Barnes & Noble so far, but keep an eye on the Samhain and Sony stores in the near future.

If you download the book and like it, I’d love it it you’d leave a review at the outlet from which you downloaded it. We authors love reviews, and they help other readers decide if they might like the book too. Thanks!

Chasing Sunset:

After an unsettled childhood, Sidney McCall has finally found a home in Graceville. This dream town comes with a dream boyfriend. Drew Buchanan is charming, romantic, completely devoted to her—and he cooks! Now if only the whole commitment thing didn’t give her night sweats…

Drew, a professional chef, wants nothing more than to give Sidney everything she’s ever dreamed of, both in and out of bed. Even if it means serving up her most secret wish complete with a whipped-cream topping: a tryst with two men. His best friend Brody Nash is the missing ingredient, and the only man he trusts with the woman he loves.

What starts out as a little harmless sexual play quickly boils over into something none of them expected. An emotional minefield that could forever change the course of their lives.

Warning: Contains explicit sex scenes including; ménage a trois, oral sex, stripper heels, creative use of whipped-cream deserts, sex in a public place, light bondage, hanky spanky and hunky, bossy men. In short, more than enough naughty business for one little novella!!!

Excerpt

“Brody?” Sidney’s mind blanked at Drew’s answer. “What’s Brody doing here?”

She’d rarely seen Drew appear sheepish, but it was the only word she’d use to describe the expression that crossed his strongly carved features. “Ah, that’s what I was trying to talk to you about.”

Sidney watched as Drew refastened his jeans, only then remembering to smooth down her dress. She was still dizzy from the aftereffects of the fantastic sex they’d just had and figured it must be adversely impacting her hearing. “Did you invite Brody here tonight?”

“Yeah. I did. But it’s not what you think.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. If Drew thought beer and poker was in the cards tonight after she’d spent all afternoon cooking, she’d kick him right in his cute behind with her five-inch stripper heels. “You mean you didn’t arrange some kind of boys’ night on our anniversary?”

His laugh held an irony she didn’t understand. “No, definitely not a boys’ night. More of a girl’s night, actually.”

Sidney squinted at him, confused. “Huh?”

The rapping on the door boomed once again and Drew called out impatiently, “Just a sec.” He turned back toward Sidney. “I meant to explain this as soon as I got home, but you looked so damned sexy. And then you started rubbing up against me and the words just”—he waved a hand in the air—“disappeared.”

Rubbing up against him! He made her sound like a stray cat. “I swear, Andrew Buchanan, if you don’t start making some sense I’ll…”

She bit off the end of her threat as the knock came again.

“Do you guys want me to get out of here?” The sardonic lilt of that masculine voice confirmed that their visitor was indeed Drew’s best friend. Sidney uttered a frustrated sound. She whirled around and swung open the door. Surely, once Brody got a look at the way she was dressed, the fifty or so candles she’d lit and placed all around the dining area, he’d get the message loud and clear that she and Drew were busy.

Brody Nash stood in the hall, almost filling up the rectangular space formed by the open door with his wide shoulders. He carried a bowl of something that looked creamy and decadent tucked under his arm. Brody was one of the best dessert chefs in the business, a skill Sidney had always considered incongruently delicate for such a hulking bear of a man.

The gaze he raked over her held a wealth of blatant masculine interest. He didn’t bother to hide the fact he was x-ray visioning everything beneath the racy black dress she had donned for Drew’s benefit.

Sidney fought the urge to shuffle her feet. She was assailed by the possibility that Brody had heard everything that had just happened. He must have been in the hallway, right on the other side of the wall she’d just demanded Drew fuck her against. His dark brown eyes held a hint of wicked knowledge that seemed to confirm he’d been privy to all that crazy dirty talk she’d screamed because she knew it drove Drew nuts. Not to mention all the banging against the wall she’d been doing while she’d been banging her boyfriend.

Her cheeks grow hot beneath Brody’s lazy scrutiny of her body. But it was the burst of something else unexpectedly heated that made her breath still in her lungs. As the man’s gaze brushed over her cleavage, Sidney’s nipples pebbled. She still felt sensitized where Drew had so recently been inside her, and those nerve endings zinged with something that had nothing to do with embarrassment.

The thought that Brody had heard her howling at Drew to make her come actually turned her on.

Sami

 

Random Rant

I read a book recently that kinda annoyed me. I’m not going to name it or the author. The book was well written and for the most part I enjoyed the read. Except for this one thing that stuck in my craw.

Hypocrisy.

We have a female character who takes exception to the constant parade of ‘bimbos’ who throw themselves at the hero. He was famous so these are groupie types we’re talking about. Okay, fair enough. I was even okay with her badmouthing these other women because who wouldn’t be annoyed if while on a date with a man some random woman tried to flash him her boobs?

Move on to the story. This woman went on to sleep with the hero anywhere and everywhere from the first day they met and onwards. She later agrees—nay asks—to have a group thing with him and his two hot friends. She spends the weekend getting drunk on tequila and taking it six way til Sunday from these three guys. Okay, fair enough. In real life I probably wouldn’t go that far but I wouldn’t judge anyone else for doing it. Whatever makes you happy and all that.

Now here’s the annoying part. Our hero, who was admittedly a bit of a douchebag, compares our heroine to a groupie because of all she’s done with him and his buddies. She takes offense, and I mean major offense. How dare he compare her to those ho bags! I’m nothing like them!

Except that she slept with the hero within hours of meeting him and then proceeded to fuck every one of his friends. How is that not kinda groupie-ish? Even, dare I say, slutty?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a fan of labelling women for their behaviour. I hate words like skank or slut or ho. What annoyed me on this occasion is that the character spent the first two chapters of the book labelling these groupies with just those sorts of words because they wore short skirts and made no secret of their desire to have sex with the hero. Then she put on a figure hugging tank top and banged not only the hero but his two friends, repeatedly. How is she not the same as the very women she criticises? And how are those women so much worse than the hero, who in the past freely took them up on their offers of casual sex? How come she had no problem with him?

Ah, that old chestnut. If a woman plays she’s a skank. If a man does it, he’s a legend. Like I said, this issue tends to stick in my craw.

So tell me, have you ever been annoyed like this by a novel? What are your pet peeves?

Sami

Here’s to Firsts

Yesterday was the 21^st of May, a date which marks exactly 3 months until the release of Erica’s Choice, a book that represents a lot of firsts for me. It was the first long novel I’ve written, the first one I penned in a really, really long time (I mean I really penned it, the first draft was on pen and paper. I wrote it when I was reminding myself who, and why, I started writing in the first place). It was also the first time I wrote anything featuring male/male interaction. This book has been a long time coming for me and I’m enormously proud of what I managed to achieve with it.

So imagine my excitement to have the book up for preorder at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Yay!!!! I’m so looking forward to August.

Blurb:

One three-alarm night ignites a firestorm of complications…

High school teacher Erica Shannon isn’t a one-night stand kind of girl. Pair that with an aversion to relationships, and she’s resigned to no love life at all. Then one horrifying discovery propels her off her take-no-risks path, and into the arms of the stars of her midnight fantasies.

When his friend and fellow firefighter threatens to make a move on Erica, Corey figures he’d better get over the notion that she’s way out of his league—fast—before he has to stand in line.

Griff never thought he’d get the chance to introduce Corey to the combustible delights of multi-partner play, until he senses the sheer volume of sexual energy surging beneath Erica’s repressed exterior.

A blazing night of passion has unexpected consequences. Corey is surprised to discover the woman of his dreams, and that he doesn’t mind sharing her—or himself—with Griff. But Griff finds his heart pulled down a romantic path he vowed he’d never venture again.

Erica? She’s got a problem on her hands. Hold two hardwired-to-rescue firemen at arm’s length—and away from her heart—until she’s fought and won a battle that may well destroy her.

Warning: One tortured woman and two hunky Aussie firemen indulging in three-way love. Scenes of the male/female, male/male, male/male/female and male/female/male variety (whew!). Also includes anal sex, mild spanking, cussing, phone sex, fire trucks and tearjerker moments.

 Excerpt:

Corey Wachawski watched as the woman of his dreams took a book out of her large black shoulder bag, opened it to a dog-eared page and began to read. It was a big book, the kind he’d never get through if he had a year to kill, which only reminded Corey how out of his league the pretty redhead with the big brown eyes truly was.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come out with us, Corey?” Madison purred the invitation into his ear while she stroked a fingernail up and down his forearm. “Vibe is the hottest club in the Valley right now. We’re going to have the best time.”

It was clear from her tone that the club wasn’t the only thing offering a good time. It would be easy enough to take Madison up on it, but Corey found girls like her a little intimidating—and a lot scary. He got the feeling if he went home with her he’d wake up naked, tied to a bed and minus the one credit card he owned. “No thanks. I’m going to have an early one tonight.”

Madison stuck out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. “They work you boys way too hard.”

Corey wasn’t about to tell her work had nothing to do with his refusal. He simply didn’t want to spend the night with Madison.

The woman he did want to spend some quality time with was sitting across the pub right now with her nose in a book, her silky straight red hair sweeping down to conceal her face, as out of reach as the moon. She probably thought he was some kind of man-slut because every time she came in here some random woman slipped him her phone number, or even her panties. Jeez. What did girls think he was going to do with a silky pink G-string?

Madison finally gave up and left. Corey’s sigh of relief was audible and beside him Griff laughed. “That was piss weak.”

“She isn’t my type.”

Griff remarked with a lopsided smile, “With an ass like that she doesn’t need to be. Besides, you might as well dip your wick somewhere. You won’t do anything about the girls who are your type, either.”

Corey didn’t pretend ignorance. His gaze once again strayed to the corner booth and the woman sitting there. She wore an ordinary grey skirt, black heels and a plain white blouse, the collar trimmed in lace. Her haircut was of the sensible, I’m-not-the-type-to-primp variety, a chin-length bob that framed her high cheekbones and wide brown eyes. She exuded none of the glamour of a woman like Madison yet she fascinated Corey on a level that went beyond appearances. He wanted to get to know her better, had since the first time she’d come in a few months ago.

But the idea of approaching her made his palms sweat, so he’d settled for watching her from across the room, waiting for… something. A sign maybe. Some kind of magic that would make everything click into place.

He offered Griff his excuse. “She’s really into that book.”

“She’s alone. Nobody comes to a noisy pub to read. She’s probably dying for you to go over and talk to her, dickhead.” At Corey’s skeptical look, Griff insisted, “Look, she doesn’t even have a drink. Go buy her one before somebody else does.”

Corey scowled. “Who’s going to buy her a drink?”

“Maybe I will.”

Corey wouldn’t have been more surprised if Griff had punched him in the gut. “You wouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“She’s not your type.”

Griff laughed. “And that means?”

Corey didn’t know how to express what he meant without dissing his friend’s usual taste in women. Eventually he settled for, “She’s delicate.”

Griff raised a brow. “I like delicate. I like soft women. Hell, I just like women. Matter of fact, I’m talking myself into it. I’m going over there.”

“No.” Corey stood at the same time Griff did. They met eye to eye, Griff’s hazel irises twinkling with amusement. Corey figured his own expression was less jovial. His voice came out sounding threatening, which surprised him more than it seemed to surprise Griff. “I mean it, Griff. Don’t you hit on her.”

“What’s to stop me?”

“The guy code,” Corey said. “I saw her first.”

Griff chuckled. “You’ve gotta actually do something about it in order to activate the guy code. Sitting here with your thumb up your ass does not constitute staking a claim, so stand back and start taking notes. I’m about to show you what a move is.”

______________________________________

Hope you enjoyed!

Sami

You Might Have Noticed…

That the blog looks different. That was me getting a bee in my bonnet (is that an Australian term?), and deciding to spruce up the Divas look. Do you like it? Would love to hear your feedback because I might still be tweaking (haven’t mentioned that to the other divas though ). You might also have noticed I’m not Rhian. We’ve swapped blogging days for a while and RC will be stopping in on Fridays while I take over Tuesdays.

So, what to talk about on this fine Tuesday? Something that’s been on my mind today is my writing (no kidding). I typed a line of dialogue today and it struck me as familiar. Not familiar like I’m ripping off When Harry Met Sally familiar (and believe me I wish I could come up with something as catchy as baby fishmouth), but familiar as in I know I’ve written this before. Or thought it, I’m not sure which. I’m also not sure that if I did actually write the line before, if it has already appeared in one of my published books or was it something that ended up on the cutting room floor? I’ve written and discarded many, MANY, more words than I’ve had published over the years. How do I know if I’m repeating myself or just polishing an old gem that deserves a chance to shine? If I did repeat myself, would it be the end of the world? Would anyone notice? I mean, it’s not as if my books are being studied at universities the world over.

In any case maybe the line sucks and shouldn’t be used anyway. What do you think? Have bolded the line I’m referring to:

“We’re not having sex tonight, I told you that.”

The fact that he was making a solid effort to keep their bodies separated finally started to penetrate Sarah’s lust-fogged brain. She blinked at him. “Are you kidding me?”

His smile was a mirthless twist of his lips. “I wish I was.”

“But I thought… I assumed…”

“That I was a sure thing?” A little humour seeped into his taut expression. “My, my, should I be insulted?”

Sarah scowled. “David, I’m practically throwing myself at you.”

“Don’t think I don’t appreciate the effort.”

“The effort!” With a vicious yank Sarah pulled the quilt over her body as though it could form a barrier between them. “Don’t flatter yourself!”

He he. I still like it.

Sami

Going Retro

But why doctor? I came in about my broken toe.

A little while back I blogged over at my place about the return of Loveswept books, some of which have been rereleased as ebooks. In that post I mentioned my fondness for those books, as well as the Harlequin Temptations I used to devour back in the ’80s and ’90s (Harlequin Temptation changed my reading habits for life). I recently discovered that Harlequin has also established a Treasury line, e book rereleases of some ’90s classics. This has probably been around for ages but I can be completely oblivious at times. Whereas Loveswept has updated their covers for the ebook market, Harlequin hasn’t and I’ve been so enjoying going through the collection.

 

When I was a teenager it was well understood the seventies was a daggy decade. In the nineties we laughed at how big our hair was in 1985. Somewhere along the way, the nineties

Aye, me lusty wench, wanna see the inside of me bedchamber? Arrrrgghh

got daggy too. Still, I’d love to read some of these oldies. Some of the ’90′s romance writers remain my favs today. Shame the cover art hasn’t stood the test of time quite so well.

 

I’m heading off to watch the movie remake of the retro ’80s classic TV show, the A Team. I’m quite certain it will be bad, but Bradley Cooper’s in it, so I may survive the experience.

Have a great weekend,

 

Sami

 

 

Blast from the Past

On my recent trip to LA for Romantic Times, I was fortunate enough to meet a lovely lady by the name of Rhys Bowen, an author of mystery novels. Jess Dee and I sat down next to her at Club RT (not sure how happy she was to be saddled with two Aussie erotic romance authors, but if she was appalled at all she certainly didn’t show it). Turned out, Rhys was much more familiar to both Jess and I than we could possibly have realised.

You see many years ago, she told us, she used to write teen romances. Jess and I exclaimed that we used to love reading those back in the day, especially the Sweet Dreams books. Well, this lady’s pen name used to be Janet Quin Harkin and we could both remember reading some of her books. I’m pretty sure we squeeled like a couple of Justin Bieber fans. I couldn’t believe I was meeting someone who’d written those little stories I used to love, the ones that paved the way to my later appreciation of the more adult romances. They were mills and boon for teens with little more than sweet kissing and fluttering eyelashes littered througout the narrative. I can’t help feeling a bit sad there doesn’t seem to be anything similar available today… or am I missing something? Anyone know of any modern version of these books?

Last night I went on Amazon and even found some of my old favs. The covers that so attracted the innocent 12 year old that I was (oh yes, I was once innocent, flutters lashes) don’t exactly hold up in the cool stakes .

Pre GPS travel

Sadly, I had a haircut just like it in 1983

Guys don't make passes at girls who wear those glasses

Why does Stephen King's Carrie come to mind?

I remember Rhys saying to me at that meeting that she wrote a book called ‘Ten Boy Summer’. We laughed at how such a title might be interpreted now, but back in the ‘80s? Apparently no innuendos were allowed. You be the judge. Could we get away with any of the following titles in YA today?

It's the binoculars that make it creepy

Did they all look like Matt Dillon?

No words necessary

Ah. Wherever did our innocence go?

Sami

From the Mouths of Babes

These always help remind me what’s at the core of what we romance writers try to convey.

And some of them are just plain funny. 

‘Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.’
Karl – age 5

‘Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.’
 Chrissy – age 6

‘Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.’
Terri – age 4

‘Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.’
Danny – age 7

‘Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.’
 Bobby – age 7

 ’Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then  he wears it everyday.’ (Awww!)
 Noelle – age 7 

‘Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.’
Elaine-age 5

‘Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day’
Mary Ann – age 4 

‘I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.’
Lauren – age 4

‘When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.’ (a romance writer in the making there ) 
Karen – age 7

 And my personal favorite:

 ’When someone loves you, the way they say your name is  different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.’
 Billy – age 4

Hope you’re having a love-filled weekend.

Sami

Five More Reasons Life is Not a Romance Novel

1. No romance novel heroine ever has a truly boring job. No mind-numbing days stuck in a grey cubicle ticking boxes, moving paper from one side of the desk to another. Oh no. They’re all wedding coordinators or reporters or owners of quaint little bookshops frequented by impossibly sexy men looking for an out of print orginal novel for their much loved mother.
2. In romance novels, chubby girls are always irresistibly voluptuous to even the most gorgeous, hard-bodied stud around. The problem of her lack of fitness never seems to come up, nor does the possibility he’ll meet a Biggest Loser trainer at the gym while his lady love is at home in her porky pig pajamas, eating cookie dough ice-cream and watching While You Were Sleeping for the fiftieth time.
3. Nothing hurts in romance land except a broken heart. Virgins feel no pain, soap causes no irritation when rubbed over sensitive places and perpetual erections are seen as a sexy little bonus, not a severe medical condition in need of treatment.
4. Romance novel heroes never picture Jennifer Aniston while making it with their lady loves and heroines never compose mental to do lists during coitus. Err, not that women do that in real life either…
5. Romance novel heroes have a serious aversion to coming in a woman’s mouth. “Oh baby, you don’t have to do that

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(cover mock ups from world of longmire)

Sami