Monday, March 30, 2009

Angelic Forecast ~ XXX

“After the storm,” I say to my unicorn, Shimmeria, while I stroke her glistening alabaster neck. We await the Heavenly One. “And the sky is such a gorgeous shade of blue, perfect for the Age of Aquarius,” I continue.
She nods, her golden horn subtly flashing in the sunlight.
“Yesterday was a storm of sleet, rain and snow. The sleet struck my window forever. It means weather and Earth changes are on the way, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” the Cherub agrees, gradually floating downward. “As we have spoken before, the time is at hand. Mother Earth wishes to return to a more tropical landscape. And there are other forces at work.”
I sigh to my soul, wondering what that really means for the future. Looping my arm around Shimmeria’s neck, I give her a hug. She nuzzles my cheek in return with a sweetness my heart feels.
“Did you notice?” The Heavenly One grins, his countenance aglow with mischief.
“Notice? Do you mean the obvious?”
He nods and waits, offering his palm to Shimmeria.
“Today is the 30th of March. And this is the 30th Angelic Forecast. This synchronicity of numbers is getting scary.”
“It only means, you live your path successfully,” he soothes. I have my grave doubts. “It also symbolizes that this is a day made for serious and significant communication.”
“This day also breaks down to an EIGHT day ~ infinity and money,” I contemplate. “The world economy and the world soul, are they in conflict?”
“Yes, in conflict. More divinely important, the infinity of soul now commands the world’s economy and all monies.”
“That is divine. However, it means nasty conflicts since those in power will fight to keep their economic power.”
“True.” The Cherub has a far-away somber look in his purple eyes.

The forthcoming week is one of great opposites. There are wonderful energies which encourage fun and lightheartedness, so take advantage. Dance your cares away, so to speak. In opposition, there are Saturn-stern energies which will demand an accounting for the poor use of the Earth, for the greedy use of resources, and will come against all those who steal from the peoples of Earth.
This opposition will show up on an individual or personal level. However, the largest affect will be against all those on the world stage, who lead the world into poverty instead of being Wayshowers for prosperity.

Angelic blessings from Volcano & Sedona
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is no Spring in 2012...

WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS

Where angels fear to tread, 2012 Earth ~
Is a stranger on a superspeed motorcycle her savior from the brutal endtimes?


Blurb: Winter Solstice, December 21, 2012 – The end of the Mayan Calendar
What happens when a world weary, worn out incarnated angel, Sedona, who believes she is merely human has three choices after her old van breaks down? ...more

~~~ NOW IN PRINT ~~~

Author Discovery by Lindsay Townsend, BookStrand author of FLAVIA’S SECRET and A SECRET TREASURE ~
http://sirenbookstrand.blogspot.com/2008/08/author-discovery-savanna-kougars-when.html ~

WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS ~ adventure fantasy erotic romance ~ available from BookStrand ~
http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/savannakougar/wagaf.asp ~ http://www.bookstrand.com/ ~

Spring Kisses from Savanna Kougar...

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance
~~~~~~

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Deception Revealed is available for pre-order



Good morning,

I'm very happy to announce that Deception Revealed is now available for pre-order at www.bookstrand.com. It will be available mid-2009.

JoAnna has raised her son alone, her hard work dissolving with the appearance of a dying man looking for forgiveness. Now James wants to be a part of their lives as if his betrayal hadn't happened.

Magnificent Abandon is also on the pre-order list. This story is about finding your first one night stand at your sister's wedding. Standing before the man she'd once given herself to freely years before, she felt her cheeks heat at the thought of how she allowed him to love her with no restraints.

I'll post the cover as soon as it's finished.

Remember, Her Alpha Male and Just One Night are still available for sale. www.bookstrand.com

For more details, you can go to www.lillithpayne714.com. l8 and over only please.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Theme Weekend on the Siren-Bookstrand Loop

"In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love..."

..... in ALL its wonderful forms!

We are having a THEME WEEKEND WITH A DIFFERENCE at Siren Bookstrand, on the PUBLIC
LOOP on May 2nd-3rd.

http://groups. yahoo.com/group/SirenBookstrand/

We open on Saturday morning with sweet and sensual romance. Grab an early coffee or cuppa and come join us in a celebration of male-female romance for all! Our BOOKSTRAND mainstream authors will be there to chat and share their excerpts. Come and see - you will find many names and friends whom you know. (Many of our talented SirenBookstrand authors write widely within the romance genre, as you will discover.)


At 2pm EST Saturday until late Saturday night, we feature titles, excerpts and authors from the MENAGE AMOUR line, where love and romance comes in many forms. Chat to our writers about this exciting form. Many best-sellers!




At 2pm EST Sunday until late Sunday night, we will be featuring work from SIREN. Erotic male-female romance with happy endings. More best-sellers!

On Sunday morning there will be a chance for you to put your questions to our writers and for our writers to share details of their latest releases. Bring your coffee and enjoy.



Saved By a Deputy
Website: http://carol-mckenzie.com
blog: http://xanga.com/mckbooks

Twitter: 
http://twitter.com/mckbooks

Buy Link:
http://tinyurl.com/cj2soy

Blurb:

In a small mid-western community, a deputy sheriff hears of Liberty Carmichael's plight. This rugged ex-Marine named Will Banes offers to help Liberty escape her dire situation by protecting her. A widower and gentleman, Will inadvertently wins her affection...and passion.

From the first moment they lay eyes on each other, the chemistry is scorching. Their desire builds until their relationship screams for consummation. 

Then the insane man from Liberty's past threatens show back up, but Will plans to stop him cold. 

Excerpt:

He stopped hammering and shot her a perplexed look. "Be careful. There's no telling what you'll find."

"Okay, thanks." Liberty felt his gaze attach to her backside as she left the house and crossed the driveway, walking toward the barn. Standing at the planked gray door, she undid the lock with one of the keys that Carrie had given her. A cloud of dust and eerie darkness greeted her when the door opened. She stepped inside and marveled at all the antique items in the barn—old bicycles, garden utensils and black iron lawn furniture. Some items were probably made in the early 1900s. When the door shut with a slam, she jumped, and her heart beat like a tom-tom.  

She forgot the noise and oohed and ahhed at the items and likened her visit to stepping into a time capsule. Old traps and strange, rusty implements hung from the beams. A tall, slender Coca-Cola sign had been nailed to a beam. Waving a fireplace poker that she had picked up inside the door, she swiped it through silvery webs. Farther she poked and inched into the recesses of the shadowy fringes. Buckets and jars of jelly and pickles occupied shelves. Rusty license plates littered a planked wall, one was dated 1955.

"Amazing," she said. She turned and walked to the left.

The door creaked behind her. Daylight flashed inside. Spooked, her heart almost stopped, and she turned back and looked. A coal-colored, foreboding silhouette of a man stood in the light. Fear shot through her. Martin? Oh God, help me! Screaming, she turned, slammed into a partition and slid down a wall. Pots jarred loose above and fell on her. Tears, hot and harsh, stung her eyes. "No!" She fought Martin's strong hands that grasped her arms.

"Liberty. It's Will! You're okay."

Liberty realized she'd temporarily lost her sanity. "Oh no." Her chest heaved as the rush of adrenalin subsided, leaving her limp, weak and utterly embarrassed. An elongated pause followed. "I'm so sorry."

His tone held caring concern; he was soft and calm. "I can't even imagine all he's put you through. Let me get this." Will took the pot that had fallen on her and threw it aside. He pulled her to her feet and powerfully into his hard arms. With strong sureness she wouldn't soon forget, he slipped his spread hands, palpating her back, moving over her blouse and bra closure. Up her spine his hand traveled, inciting long lost needs. It felt so natural to accept his taut lips when they contacted hers. The feel of his delicious body meeting hers and even his scent, stirred needs that were long hidden in forgotten places, just waiting to come out again.

His arms offered such a tender, comfy respite from the dreadful preoccupations and cares that somehow crept into her psyche.

She began to savor and accommodate his plunging, sliding tongue. Feelings of safety intoxicated her. The scratchy lace of her bra chafed her nipples while they rubbed against his hard chest.


They stood in the warm darkness of a horse stall, their feet planted to the dirt floor, their mouths fused for several heated seconds. Neither Will nor she made a prompt attempt to end it. His hands continued rubbing over her back as the lusty probes of his tongue continued in the recesses of her mouth, stirring her to passion. Her breathing rate increased, and she entertained untoward ideas of letting him fuck her right there. She knew she would forever equate the smell of a musty barn to that moment that he held her in his embrace.

He broke the kiss before things got out of hand by raising his mouth from hers. "Are you okay?" he murmured, his lips hovering a half of an inch above hers. His tickling breath smelled of mint.

She brought her fingertips to her mouth. "Oh dear God."

They lingered a moment more before he stepped back and walked toward the door. "Don't feel bad. It was beautiful." He left her, stepped out of the barn and into the daylight. He peered her way. "Then again, maybe I shouldn't have taken advantage of the situation."

Thursday, March 26, 2009

COVER - Sinful, by Raina James


There’s less than one week to go until my next Menage Amour release on April 1 (no joke), and I’m starting to get pumped!

To add to the excitement, artist Jinger Heaston has created a very sexy cover for Sinful. The yummy male model in the foreground is a perfect match for my hero, Dylan, and I think the font used for the title is eyecatching.

Sinful is a 17,000-word contemporary erotic romance about a man who finds the adventure he craves with the sexy woman of his dreams, while she discovers the passionate love she’d always wanted.

Khariss Lloyd is attracted to Dylan Sanders the moment he walks into her dance studio for tango lessons. Something about Dylan's boy-next-door good looks and friendly smile make her want to get to know him better.

Dylan suspected he was being set up when his sister called on him for a favor, then left him standing alone and partnerless at a tango class, of all things. However, one look at the gorgeous, leggy instructor convinces him that for once he doesn't mind the matchmaking.

Khariss and Dylan are quickly swept away by a love every bit as scorching as the passion that flares between them — passion made all the hotter when Khariss introduces Dylan to unrepentant hedonist Marcus O'Grady.

In doing so, Khariss is taking the risk of her life — will she lose the love of a good man when Dylan finds out about her torrid past with O'Grady's exclusive nightspot? Or will Dylan get his own unfulfilled desires met with the help of the seductive owner of the city's most wicked sex club?

Sinful’s official release date is Wednesday, April 1, but it’s available for pre-order now.
Raina
:)

Raina James Romance

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

FREE READ from Mudflat -


If you've been following the Mudflat books, you know who Nicotiana is.  There is a short story for you about Nicotiana titled  Steampunk Man at Phoebe's website.  The link is in the title.  Enjoy.  - Phoebe Matthews


Cover for Deception Revealed


I'm so excited, I just got the cover art for Deception Revealed.
This novel explores how JoAnna has raised her son alone, all her hard work dissolving with the appearance of a dying man looking for forgiveness for falsifying DNA test results for money. Now James wants to insinuate himself into their lives; sharing custody will take all the resolve she can muster.
Accepting the facts will force James to rethink his history, reinforcing his grief for lost time and trying to find a balance with the woman he loved and abandoned and the son he never acknowledged.
My thanks to Jinger for the amazing cover. We have a projected release date of May, 2009. Visit me at www.lillithpayne714.com for more information. l8 and older only please.

Wednesday's Words for March 25, 2009



I was at a gathering of writers not too long ago, and one of them made a comment that I found interesting. She said that we who are authors of romance are in the business of selling ‘happy’. She further stated that therefore, whatever we write or communicate on the Internet should be ‘happy’ because what you write lives on line forever. In other words, we should always be selling ‘happy’.

I’m not really sure if I agree completely with that. I do know that in just about every venue I try to adhere to the practice of spreading ‘happy’. The only real exception would probably be these essays. And even then I’m not certain they’re an exception, really.

I know darn well that from time to time the tone in these weekly missives is anything but ‘happy’. I’ve even been told by some that I have made them cry, and that certainly would seem to be the antithesis of happiness.

In the beginning, I fully intended to always have a cheerful or upbeat message. But somewhere along the way my mission changed. One thing that spending a lot of time on line gives you, aside from the occasional headache, is a much wider exposure to people, many of whom you would never get to know, otherwise. Whether it’s in chat rooms or on blogs, in yahoo groups or on discussion boards, people from every walk of life, and every age abound, and they all have something to say and something to share, and for the most part are not too bashful to do so.

What touches me profoundly is the number of people who have endured or are enduring some tragedy or challenge, believing themselves alone on their particular journey. I’ve always been the kind of person whose first instinct is to help. That’s just how God made me, and I want to help in these instances. Of course, I couldn’t—I can’t—do anything about the challenges or tragedies other people face, but I could, and can offer the simple assurance that they weren’t alone on the path they tread.

You are not alone.

The sense of being all alone is a universal exponent, doubling or tripling the weight of any stressful situation, because along with any particular challenge or tragedy comes a sense of hopelessness. We often can’t see beyond the crap life throws at us, and the dreadful sense that we’ll never get past this—whatever ‘this’ is—makes dealing with it that much more dreadful and difficult.

How reassuring to learn others have walked this same path and come out the other side, whole and sane.

That’s an affirmation we all need from time to time. We all need to connect to humankind, to feel a part of the whole. We all need the comfort of knowing that some things transcend the individual—that deep inside we are the same, even if we don’t all speak the same language, worship the same God, live in the same country, or vote the same way.

That became my mission. To reach out and touch others, to showcase our commonality, and maybe, in sharing my experiences—and reading of yours in turn—to reaffirm that we are all the same, we all will get through the temporary tough stuff, and that we’re all, when you come right down to it, okay.

I do try to maintain that positive voice in my weekly essay; but positive isn’t always the same as happy.

I think that’s probably the way it was meant to be.

Love,
Morgan
She bet a heck of a lot more than the farm!
Brand new from Morgan Ashbury: Wanton Wager
http://www.bookstrand.com/product-wantonwager-14470-200.html

Monday, March 23, 2009

The Look - hot off the press and out of Africa....

The Look is due for release tomorrow (24th March) and I thought I share a little background, mainly on the setting, because this is my “stamping” ground – rural South Africa, with it’s interesting collection of “one-horse” towns (or is that one-shop?) dotted throughout the rolling farmland, where community is a way of life and values like family and loyalty prevail…

Thornleigh is a fictitious town, but it epitomises any and all of the little remote backwater “outposts” that you can stumble into on a leisurely drive through the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands region – and any other part of South Africa for that matter. “Town” is something of an exaggeration.

Thornleigh consists of a filling station, a general dealer (which also serves as the post office) and, of course, the farmers’ co-op. The general dealer usually stocks everything from pantyhose to safety pins to school shoes (our kids wear uniforms here) and beer. Oh, and brandy, let’s not forget that. Klipdrift, usually, a popular brand among farmers. The farmer’s co-op deals in anything from portable braai’s (barbeques) to irrigation systems and, of course, fertilizer.

What they lack in infrastructure, they more than compensate in a commodity beyond price – community. Everyone in the district is known. Their genealogy, who married who and is related to who and how, where their kids are at school (boarding school, of course), who owned that particular piece of farmland before them (right back to three and four generations) and what it was sold for in Nineteen-“voetsak” (a classic South Africanism which basically means the year dot).

The KZN Midlands is an incredibly beautiful area, stretching inland from the mild coastal areas. The land rises steadily upward from the Valley of a Thousand Hills, beyond the provincial capital, Pietermaritzburg, and on to become the foothills of the mighty Drakensberg mountain range. The scenery is spectacular – lush and green and softly beautiful in summer, and incredibly shaded in hues of rust and gold and brown in the drier winters.

It is part of the vast empire of the Zulu monarch, King Shaka, who forged a nation from the tribes he conquered and who ruled with an iron hand. A master-strategist, he revolutionised the tribal armies and turned his "impies" (battallions), with their massive shields and hand held spears, into a force that effectively challenged the might of the British Empire. The area is also steeped in other history, the canvas against which the Anglo-Zulu wars, and the Anglo-Boer wars took place, and before that the place of hope and new territory for the Boer farmers who trekked east and north, seeking to escape British rule.

It’s primarily farming country, cattle and horses, and crops as well. It’s well known for it’s trout fishing, with dams big and small opening their doors to anglers, and also hosts the Midlands Meander, a sightseeing trip drawing local and national and international visitors. A slow drive through farmland to all the little out of the way places reveals a treasure of tucked-away craft venues, with screen-printing, pottery, sculptures…. Anything you can think of, you’re bound to find it there.

It has also mushroomed with many bed and breakfasts – farmhouses opened to the public, where you can stay as long as you like, rest, take walks and hikes, horse rides, fishing… All of these offer the most amazing getaways, with hosts warm and welcoming and the atmosphere beyond description. Zulwini Lodge, which plays a big part in The Look, is just one of these places (Zulwini is the Zulu word for heaven). The Midlands area is also, with it’s sweeping vistas and water-painted views, a popular place for weddings, and venues usually have to be booked well in advance.

This is the remote backwater my heroine, the sassy, streetwise, Morgan Slater, finds herself in. She comes looking for facts. Instead she finds a truth far deeper, one that challenges all her assumptions and turns her life inside out. The Look is not just a story about love – although Morgan’s encounter with lodge owner Blake Thornton brings a whole new dimension, and conflict to her life. It’s about community, and family, and the layers that go into making us who we are. Layers that Morgan is forced to explore and confront and examine in her journey to things unimaginable.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! You can find it, along with an excerpt at: http://www.bookstrand.com/product-thelook-13952-330.html and I’ve included my blurb and author spotlight here…


Jude

Judah Raine
http://www.judahraine.com

Blurb:
With a secret that makes her pretty much a walking time-bomb with the potential to turn her own life and a whole lot of others inside-out, Morgan Slater's plans definitely don't include the suspicions of the determined and dynamic Blake Thornton.
She heads out to the back of beyond on a simple Quest for the Truth, but her first meeting with Blake draws the battle lines for a persistent confrontation that makes focusing on her real reason for being there extremely difficult. Worse, he has this uncanny instinct and a way of seeing beyond her sassy, street-wise confidence that makes their ongoing conflict more than simply a battle of wills.
But Morgan has also not anticipated a lot of other complications and, as she struggles to keep her secret and protect herself and others in a world of shifting boundaries and increasingly difficult emotional situations, The Look rapidly becomes...

Author Spotlight:

"I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book, because it explores the layers – in people, in situations, and in our assumptions about life and about truth and how they all fit together. Morgan's courage lies in allowing the process of stripping-away to become a process of adding-to, an intriguing journey that I think almost all of us can relate to." ~ Judah

Angelic Forecast ~ XXIX

“Spring has sprung. Corny as that is, I’ve always wanted to say that,” I say to the Heavenly One who is surrounded by a purply mist. I wonder why, of course.
“Didn’t you see a purple light above you, before you slept?” he asks, mischief in his gaze. He floats downward, standing on his feet before me.
I slowly nod. “I did. Was it you?”
“A friend of mine.”
“Another Cherub?”
“No. My friend is a light being from another planet-world. Or, she can shift to her light body and travel the Universe.”
“Fascinating. I suppose human beings have that potential, to shift into a light body and travel anywhere.”
“They do. They will.” He smiles enigmatically and I understand he won’t reveal any detail about how or when that will occur.
“Why did your purple friend visit me?” I link arms with the Heavenly One. We stroll over the greening tame prairie toward the overflowing pond, where the frogs are chorusing in great bursts of raucous song.
“She wished to see your aura and your light body.”
“I suppose there was a reason.”
“There was.” He pauses and I feel his seriousness. “She is studying how those of your vibration live in the material realms.”
I stay silent. Because I have no answers. Then, I say as the realization dawns, “I write.”
The Cherub strokes my arm tenderly. “Writers are sacred.”


The following week is one of adventure. Even the smallest shopping trip can turn into a small adventure, whether frustrating or unexpected fun. You can let the adventures come to you. Or, you can plan an adventure for this week. If you are an author, the adventurous scenes in your story should flow more smoothly. Certainly, it’s an opportunity to be wild and wonderfully imaginative, beyond what you thought possible.
This is also a week where a pet will feature prominently. If not your pet, one which belongs to a friend or relative. Keep an eye open for our animal friends.

Angelic blessings from Volcano & Sedona
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


There is no Spring in 2012...

WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS

Where angels fear to tread, 2012 Earth ~
Is a stranger on a superspeed motorcycle her savior from the brutal endtimes?


Blurb: Winter Solstice, December 21, 2012 – The end of the Mayan Calendar
What happens when a world weary, worn out incarnated angel, Sedona, who believes she is merely human has three choices after her old van breaks down? ...more

~~~ NOW IN PRINT ~~~

Author Discovery by Lindsay Townsend, BookStrand author of FLAVIA’S SECRET and A SECRET TREASURE ~
http://sirenbookstrand.blogspot.com/2008/08/author-discovery-savanna-kougars-when.html ~

WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS ~ adventure fantasy erotic romance ~ available from BookStrand ~
http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/savannakougar/wagaf.asp ~ http://www.bookstrand.com/ ~

Spring Kisses from Savanna Kougar...

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance
~~~~~~

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Spring rain in Mudflat -


There is a new astrology fortune cookie up on my website AND I have added a Blog page. I blog on other people's pages but somehow never set up my own. So visit Phoebe, check your fortune, and then come on over to the blog page.


Urban Fantasy MUDFLAT Series by Phoebe Matthews

TARBABY TROUBLE, 2009 Eppie AWARD WINNER for best Fantasy
WELCOME TO MUDFLAT, BABY, 2009 Eppie AWARD finalist for Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
MUDFLAT TOY BOY, now available from BookStrand

New G-Spot!


I’ve just sent out the latest issue of my newsletter, The G-Spot.

Highlights this issue:

-- Upcoming Author Appearances
-- What I’m Reading/Recommended Reads
-- New Reviews (Excerpts)
-- This Issue’s Novel Excerpt: HER ALPHA MALE by Lillith Payne
-- This Issue’s Author Spotlight: Erotic Romance Author LILLITH PAYNE
-- This Issue's Newsletter Contest—SUBSCRIBERS ONLY!

And more!

To check out the current and past issues or to subscribe, visit: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewnewsletter.asp?AuthorID=623

Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Wednesday's Words for March 18, 2009



Mothers are very special people.

I know that I sometimes do an essay about mothers in preparation for Mother’s Day. But a friend of mine recently lost his mother, and though that loss was expected, the reality of it has hit hard.

I don’t care what anyone says, you’re never really ready for the loss of a loved one; and I think that the loss of one’s mother must be one of the hardest to bear.

For most of us, our mothers are the very first people to love us. It is into their arms we are given after being wrenched from the womb, after suffering our first major trauma of life, birth.

This turning to mother after life’s traumas is a pattern that, if we are blessed, follows us for most of our lives.

Our mothers are the ones who bathe us, bandage our cuts, and stand us in the corner. They are the ones who sit up nights with us when we are sick. They are the ones who watch over us at the kitchen table making sure we do our homework; and they’re the ones who take our successful test papers and stick them on the fridge.

Mothers are the ones we turn to when our hearts are broken, the ones we go to when we’re faced with a dilemma we don’t know how to solve, and the first person we want to call when we fall in love.

Moms love us, no matter what.

If we are very lucky, and if we’re very smart, we take all those wonderful lessons mom taught us and use them to go forth unto the world and prosper. If we’re blessed, we have families of our own, and infuse our own children with the wisdom of our parents. This is their legacy to us, and one way they remain with us when, as nature intended, we are one day faced with carrying on without them.

Years ago I remember having a debate with a friend, about whether it was easier to lose a parent as a child, or as an adult. I used to think that suffering that loss in childhood was harder—an opinion colored not in the least by the fact that I was eight when I lost my father, and twenty-one when my mom died.

But I’m older now, and I’ve watched several friends and my own husband and his siblings cope with the recent loss of elderly parents, and I’ve changed my mind.

Life is a progression. We start out relying on our mothers to do everything for us when, as helpless newborns we can do little more than scream in outrage at the strangeness of the world. Then we begin to grow, and almost immediately we fight our mothers for our independence. We want to stand on our own and run on our own—that is, until life jumps up and bites us in the butt.

Then, again as nature intended, our Mothers become older and if we are fortunate, we have the opportunity to return some of the nurturing we were so freely and lovingly given.

Blessed are the adults who get the opportunity to care for their parents, to show these progenitors not only how much they are loved, but that their investment in us was not in vain.

No, it’s not easy losing your mother. Only those who have experienced that loss truly understand. Yes, the sun rises and sets every day afterward, and life does go on.

But it is never, ever, the same again.

Love,
Morgan

WANTON WAGER – brand new from Morgan Ashbury

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

It ain't easy being green...







In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I decided to blog on what it means to be green. Sure, we can all wear green, drink green beer, and even swim in the green Chicago River (though I wouldn't recommend it) on St. Patrick's Day. But what does it mean to be green?

When I decided to sell to an e-publisher instead of a traditional NY publisher, the decision wasn't made lightly. I've always had the dream of walking into a bookstore and seeing my books on the shelves. It is the dream of any writer.

So I started doing my research on traditional NY houses. I learned about advances, which thrilled me. Being paid upfront for work not even out, yet? Where do I sign! But then I learned about returns, and print runs, and all that goes along with that. I was shocked. Traditional publishers print a run of several thousand books right out of the gate with no guarantee even one will sell. This not only ties up a heck of a lot of money in overhead, it also wastes valuable resources (paper, chemicals, time, etc.). If the books don't sell, we now have several thousand books in a landfill somewhere. That's right. They just toss them out.

Are ya kiddin me? In this day of the digital age it just doesn't make much sense to me, which is why I turned to e-publishing. It made more sense, and is the more Earth-friendly approach.

An e-publisher has an online bookstore. All of their books are available on demand, downloadable immediately after purchase. No paper necessary. No landfills involved if the book doesn't sell well. And, if you're lucky enough, your book still goes to print, just in a much greener way. I say it's about time we take a closer look at how we can all be green...

There is a new trend sweeping the publishing industry. Well, actually it isn't new at all. It's been around for some time, but it's just now catching on (finally)! It's called Print On Demand, or POD.

Print On Demand with digital technology is used as a way of printing items on demand. In other words, unlike a traditional print run publisher, POD will only print the book when it has been ordered. POD has many benefits. Some of them are:
· You can still order books that otherwise would have been out of print and no longer available. As long as that book is in digital format, it will always be available.
· Large inventories of a book or print material do not need to be kept in stock, reducing storage, handling costs, and inventory accounting costs.
· There is little or no waste from unsold products.
· POD advantages reduce the risks associated with publishing books and prints and can lead to increased choices for consumers.

I'm doing my part at being green, or at least trying. I still eat off paper plates, use paper towels, and forget to turn the light off as I leave the room. Still, every little bit helps. I'm not going to chain myself to a tree to show my "greener" side, but by choosing an Earth-friendly publisher and buying e-books to read on my e-reader, I am showing that I at least do have one.

~Allie K. Adams~
"At Any Cost", Siren
"Seek And Destroy", Siren
http://www.alliekadams.com
~Eve Adams~
"Under the Covers", Menage Amour
"Riding Double", Menage Amour- ComingSoon
"Trio", Menage Amour - ComingSoon

Yikes! Return of the Hair Spray Killer

Kalypso fought her way out of the terrifying dream. Demon chihuahuas dressed for St. Patrick’s day appeared in every doorway of the old west ghost town. And she’d already used her silver bullets, killing a slew of them. Now her pistol, that looked like a child’s toy from the sixties, was empty, and the leprechaun chihuahuas surrounded her, their eyes glowing with menace and becoming blood-red. She backed up.
The second the nightmare lifted, Kalypso bolted upright. Her heart raced painfully. She sweated like a hog on the hottest day of summer, and she couldn’t breathe fast enough.
Feeling his strong arms embrace her, she slowed her breathing enough to murmur, “It was him.”
“Him?” Carefully Zryphus brought her against the solid warm wall of his chest.
“The Hair Spray Killer,” she whispered. Frowning, she committed the dream to memory while focusing on the scene still before her mind’s eye.
“He’s dry frozen. God, you feel good, beautiful.” He buried his nose in her hair, just above her hear.
“I know he’s super dry iced,” she impatiently muttered. “I think his consciousness is trying to communicate.”
“Or it could be his Elite Controllers using some tech-method to make it appear that way.”
“Could be,” she agreed. “Stop it, you beast. You already had your way with me. I even let you play Devilray.”
“Whinny, whinny,” he rumbled near her ear. “Tell me everything you remember, Kalypso. We’ll figure out what’s happening. Did it feel like a precognitive dream?”
“The Wearing of Spring Green parade and picnic is in two days. It’s based on the old St. Patrick’s day celebrations before the Conflicts,” she began...


~~~
Just for some St. Patrick’s Day fun, a scene between Kalypso and Zryphus, which takes place after their love story in MURDER BY HAIR SPRAY IN GARDENIA, NEW ATLANTIS.

~~~~~~
The future begins here ~

The emerald green Spring in Gardenia, New Atlantis...

The story of beginning a new world on a legendary land...
The beginning of a love Sheriff Kalypso Sun Wing never believed was possible for her, especially not after a hundred years on Earth...
The beginning of a love Federal Agent Zryphus has arrived on Earth to find, only he didn’t plan on remaining in a land where women are in charge...


She’s not about to give in... He’s not about to give up...
But together they capture the elusive Hair Spray Killer

A 2051 suspense futuristic and a match made in intergalactic heaven ~
~~~~~~


~~~ Kalypso & Zryphus invite you to read their love story ~~~

MURDER BY HAIR SPRAY IN GARDENIA, NEW ATLANTIS ~ 2051 suspense futuristic, erotic romance ~ American Title IV finalist ~ rising from Siren-BookStrand ~ http://bookstrand.com/authors/savannakougar ~
~~~~~~

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY
May your most romantic dreams come true


Savanna Kougar

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

Irish Cream Kisses from the Kougar...
~~~~~~

Monday, March 16, 2009

3 Five Star Reviews for Love and Seduction

Love and Seduction, a multiple five star reviewed story, is sexy, provocative and thought provoking. It's also, as the reviewers point out, like nothing you've read. If you've missed reading Love and Seduction, you're missing out

Love and Seduction in Las Vegas is a wonderfully sexy book about the good and bad in human nature and the double standard between men and women regarding sex. Now available from BookStrand.

Loretta is thirty-nine, Bobby is only twenty-two and beautiful. At first Sparks fly, then the relationship catches on fire.


5 ANGELS: "I am always amazed every time I read a book by Dee Dawning. Just when you think the next one can't get any better, he pens a read that out tops the last. Love and Seduction in Las Vegas is more than just frolicking between the sheets. It is a story of understanding, love, and learning to accept the other, no matter what their past. The stories are believable. The sex is hotter than any sizzling skillet sitting on a hot stove. This read really leaves an impression." -- Linda L., Fallen Angel Reviews

5 ENCHANTMENTS: "You know it's kind of funny with your books, Dee, they appear so light hearted on the outside, but inside they hit some really significant issues. This book was extremely complex, but you pulled off a lovely story through a myriad of complexity. I was impressed! In some ways this story was all sex, yet in other ways it was complete desolation. I totally enjoyed the happy ever after, which is one of those things that make me tick, but the twists and turns it took to get there were phenomenal. Very creative and very intriguing, I completely enjoyed it." -- Desiree de Cleves, Enchanting Reviews

5 STARS: "There is lot to be said about Love and Seduction in Las Vegas...I am blown away with the way author Dee Dawning managed to draw me in from the very beginning. This is definitely like nothing I have read before. It reflects the point of view of four people who's lives through fate are intertwined together. This shows how tough it can be for a woman no matter what year it is. And it also show the determination of woman to make a good life for herself despite the many obstacles in her way. I definitely love the way the whole book shifted between the years in between of the life of Loretta Bishop in the span of almost thirty years. And of course who doesn't love a happy ending." --Estefanie L., Night Time Romance Reviews

Love and Seduction in Las Vegas
Love and Seduction in Las Vegas

Available in: Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Reader, HTML, Mobipocket

Price: $3.99

Buy Love And Seduction

Angelic Forecast ~ XXVIII

“It’s time for the wearin’ of the green,” I greet the Heavenly One. He approaches, the sky brightening around him, the grass greening vibrantly before he walks upon it, like his own personal pathway.
“The green carpet instead of the red carpet,” he jokes.
“Follow the green grass road, instead of the yellow brick road,” I joke back, badly.
“You look disappointed. Were you hoping for fairies and leprechauns?” His purply eyes twinkle, yet hold an infinity of compassion.
“I was. I’m spoiled seeing you every week.”
“You’re not spoiled,” he counters, his expression amused and jovial. “The wee ones are readying themselves for St. Patrick’s day appearances and miracles. It requires huge amounts of energy. Especially creating all those rainbows.”
I nod my understanding. “Do you have a shamrock-lucky message for us this week?” I ask.
“The gold falls from the heavens this year. It holds all the energies of the angels, combined as One vibration. Wear this gift of golden light as you would a fine garment. Envision a sheer layer of gold wrapping you. Let it swirl and dance around you, gleaming and gorgeous and glorious.”
I let my imagination follow the Cherub’s words. As I open my eyes, I see a mist of sparkling gold. The sparkles seem to sink into my arm while I behold them.
“Perfect,” the Heavenly One enthuses. “There is someone here to visit you.”
I glance up. A stunning alabaster unicorn stands at his side. Her wise eyes are dark and velvety.
“I know you,” I whisper, enthralled beyond words. “Where?”
“I await you... in another world, a dimension that flows from Ireland.” She speaks, yet it does not feel telepathic... exactly.
“Shimmeria,” I utter softly. A vague memory tugs at me.

The following week is crucial in several ways. It is a time to accept the golden energies, to open your spirit to their gifts. It is also a time to take a close realistic look at the world around you. What do you see? What do you really see? Is it to your liking? If not, begin making plans to change your physical surroundings, a move perhaps. Now is the time change your location, whether it is a matter of business, or a personal move. This week is all about movement. Look for ways to move your career forward. Look for ways to move your relationships forward. Move... this week. It will work to your advantage in every way.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY AND THE WEARING OF THE GREEN...

Angelic blessings from Volcano & Sedona

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leprechauns, do they show themselves in 2013 ~

WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS

Where angels fear to tread, 2012 Earth ~
Is a stranger on a superspeed motorcycle her savior from the brutal endtimes?

Blurb: Winter Solstice, December 21, 2012 – The end of the Mayan Calendar
What happens when a world weary, worn out incarnated angel, Sedona, who believes she is merely human has three choices after her old van breaks down? ...more


~~~ NOW IN PRINT ~~~

Author Discovery by Lindsay Townsend, BookStrand author of FLAVIA’S SECRET and A SECRET TREASURE ~
http://sirenbookstrand.blogspot.com/2008/08/author-discovery-savanna-kougars-when.html ~

WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS ~ adventure fantasy erotic romance ~ available from BookStrand ~
http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/savannakougar/wagaf.asp ~ http://www.bookstrand.com/ ~

Kiss from Savanna Kougar...

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance
~~~~~~

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Mudflat, where old magic lives -

Just like on TV, the presenter is handed the envelope and reads off the finalists -






And then, at the Awards Banquet at the 2009 EPIC convention in Las Vegas last week, the presenter pulled out the card with the winning name -






Thank you, friends at BookStrand, for your kind good wishes and your support of the Mudflat series.


TARBABY TROUBLE, Mudflat 1, 2009 Eppie for best Fantasy
WELCOME TO MUDFLAT, BABY, Mudflat 2, 2009 Eppie Fantasy/paranormal Romance finalist
MUDFLAT TOY BOY, Mudflat 3, February 2009


Along with a lovely trophy, the committee sent me the envelope and announcement card. Thanks again!

Phoebe Matthews

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Insider tips, straight from the horses' mouth...

Hi everyone! I'm here to tell you about Judah Raine, sweet-sensual romance writer from Durban, South Africa. It's grand, grand, grand to have another place to blog! (Yes, I lurrrve blogging, how did you guess?) Now where was I... oh, right, Judah Raine. First thing you need to know is all her bookies... um, I mean books, are set in South Africa. Surprise, surprise...

Anyway, to get us off to a great start, I thought I'd share a little inside information on the first book, Still Running, which left the starting gate in December 2008. (Before I get carried away and forget this really important piece of information, here's where you can find it: http://www.bookstrand.com/product-stillrunning-13915-330.html) Need to tell you that, otherwise I'm gonna get the hoof, if you know what I mean.

So, Still Running is set in "racing country" - an area just inland from Durban called Shongweni. The name is derived from the Zulu name “Ntshongweni”, which means "column of smoke", referring to the spray of the waterfall on the Ugede River. The magnificent Shongweni dam lies in a deep depression formed by the Mlazi, Sterkfontein and Ugede rivers.

The scenery of the area is dominated by spectacular sandstone cliffs, steep gorges and valleys, and rolling green hills that lead on into the picturesque Valley of a Thousand Hills. It is a "picture-perfect" setting for a romance novel.

And, of course, there are horses. Gazillions of them. Many of the top racers on Durban's popular horse-racing circuit are born, bred and trained in the Shongweni area. The hero from Still Running, Cade Harper, is a "horse man" - and a lot more besides, as Josie, the heroine, soon discovers!



Now this is where things get interesting... You see, Josie Tate has been running for a long time – from her past, from a tragic secret, and mostly from herself. Then her life is suddenly upended, and she finds herself back in the one place on earth she doesn't want to be. Worse, she is suddenly caught between an unforgiving past and Cade Harper's unrelenting pursuit.

As determined as she is desperate, he seems hell-bent on making sure that her running days are over. It doesn't help that Cade is the most gorgeous man ever. Or that the uncanny attraction between them seems to have a life of its own.

But Josie is determined to keep her distance from Cade. He is equally determined to shatter the walls she is raising up between them. And when her ghosts reappear in the flesh Josie's life finally implodes. The only way out seems to be to keep on running...

More than anything, Still Running is about real people and real "stuff", and how life itself sometimes comes to our rescue and conspires to make us face things. I like Josie – she's tough and gutsy and has integrity. This is her story, and it's about pain and joy, but mostly it's about love, and the power it has to heal and set free...

What the "punters" are saying...


"Romance is in the air from the moment Josie met Cade. The sparks of anger and love fly between these two. The plot is endearing and the characters likable. Still Running by Judah Raine is sure to please the most astute fan of romance." (Five Stars from http://www.reviewyourbook.com/review.cfm?reviewid=1571

"I truly enjoyed reading Josie and Cade’s story. Josie’s angst and Cade’s stubbornness seemed to flow from the book. Even now, I can picture these two having a face-off–and I’m not sure who’d win! “Still Running” is Judah Raine’s tale of a tortured woman and the man who just won’t give up on her. And I think we’d all like to have a man like that." (JJMachshev Book Reviews)

“I love Cade. (Are all South African men that nice and sexy?)… I can understand why poor Josie was so tempted and wanted him so badly… We forget how secrets can mess up lives… I’m definitely going to buy your next book… The children were cute too…" (From Kathy_C, Salt Lake City).

So there you have it...


This is an invitation to step into Judah Raine's romance world, where things are as Write as Raine. Visit her website at http://www.judahraine.com, find out more about her and view her Images of Africa slideshows. Or catch up with her on her blog at http://www.judahraine.com/romancewriteup. For a free read, visit her RomanticSynonymous Blog at http://judahraine.blogspot.com and check out the "neverending story".

Thanks for this time and the opportunity to share a little of my world. I hope to see you all again soon.
Henry the Horse