Oh, What He Doesn't Know...

Okay, maybe it's just me, but I can become more turned on not by pretty words or flowers or even foot rubs (ooh, but that's a close one there), but by simply seeing a man in his element. By purpose or by coincidence, to watch a man, unnoticed, while he goes about his business is sexy as hell. He could be cooking, he could be working on a computer program, he could be mowing the lawn, it doesn't matter, really. There is something about a man who is focused on his task, who knows what he is doing, what he is about, that catches me. In my heart, and yeah, right *there*, too.

Earlier, I espied my man outside, in his flannel shirt, faded jeans, tousled hair, sitting in front of his lathe. His focus is entirely on the piece of wood he's transforming before him. Not me, not the weather, not anything but the whir of his machine and how his hands manipulate the tools to the block of wood, turning it into something amazing. Soon he cuts off the machine, stands up, stretches, *sigh* and brushes off the excess sawdust before sitting in a more relaxed position, now moving onto fine sanding or carving. His intensity is an aphrodisiac to me. When he comes inside the house, he'll smell of walnut or cherry or some other wood, and I can't help but bury my nose to his chest, wanting to strip him down right there, but instead dancing away with a low laugh as he trys to cop a feel with chilly hands. But man, later on, what he can do with those hands....whew.

So I keep it my secret, how I love to watch him work.

What about you? What seemingly innocuous task does a man perform that wets your whistle?

The Day After

I sit here, writing to you, snuggled in new pajamas, cradling a hot cup of fresh brewed coffee in hand, while visions of white dance outside the windows. Picturesque. Sort of. In reality, my new pj's are cozy, but more for summer than winter. The coffee is hot, but the brew could be better (hey, I can complain as I bought and made it myself :)  ), and the weather outside may contain swirling snowflakes, but the ground is wet and muddy and the white stuff may not last too long. I'm too far south to have anything consequential stick. Oh well.

Today, a normally bustling, hustling day, will joyfully be spent inside. The kids are gleefully ensconced within their own happy Santa gifts, the husband is doing his own thing, and I get to curl up in front of the computer. To write? To edit? *shakes head with a smile* No. Neither. Today I'm going to read, read, read. I've collected a sweet little pile of stories from the recent ARE 12 days of Christmas book give-away, or whatever they titled it. Either way, I'm going to pamper myself today and immerse myself into anothers story.

Thank you to the many writers out there, who work hard at your craft to give the gift of storytelling to another.

Have a happy day-after, and a safe one at that!

Oh, and to those who celebrate it, Happy Boxing Day!

Merry, Merry Christmas!

I think I love Christmas Eve almost more than Christmas Day. On Christmas morning, everything is over, but on its Eve, the evening is an overabundance of anticipation. Especially if you have or have been around children.

I have a trio of 'em and let me tell you, their excitement is infectious. First, they wrapped the presents they chose for each other. I was thrilled to see their enthusiasm of this simple but important act of giving. Next came all the last minute preparations. One child furiously added tons of stuff to his Amazon wish list, another wrote a thought provoking letter to Santa with questions such as, "how do you deliver all the presents in one night?" while the littlest one plated a cookie spread with determined perfection.

Finally came bed time. This is, surprisingly, one of the easiest nights to get them to even want to go to bed. It may take them a few extra minutes to settle down, but they realize the faster they go to sleep, the faster tomorrow will come.

So now my little ones are all snug in their beds while visions of sugarplums dance in their heads (or visions of dirt bikes, Nintendo and Pillow Pets), and I'm soon off to greet Santa for our own Christmas magic.

No matter which holiday you celebrate this time of year, I hope all your dreams come true and that the lives of you and yours are filled with peace, love and joy.

~Ayla

40: A Milestone Come and...

I put down many thoughts for this blog and realized I sounded quite depressing. Yes, today is my birthday and yes, I am now 40. ~~Happy Birthday to me!~~

This birthday has hit me hard. Logically, I know there is absolutely no reason. I am no different today than I was yesterday, yet I feel...off-kilter, I suppose you say. I believe it's that I have to mentally wrap my head around this new number. In truth, I've not looked forward to this one. Birthday, that is. There were items on my infernal to -do list that I'd planned to have done or not done by this date. Oh well. C'est la vie!

As this day begins, however, I've decided I have to focus on the positives. That's what usually works to beat out the blues, right?

Let's see...I have my good health. I have a loving and supportive husband. I have a few amazing kids! *super proud Mom, here* I still have both my parents who can share in my birthday. I have terrific friends. And yes, I will be PUBLISHED in this amazing "40th" year. Really, who am I to complain?

So instead of moping about - which, with my family, would be an impossibility - I will do my best to liven up my day. I'll eat some cake and won't worry about the sugar. I'll decorate around the house, and most important, I will accept the love from my family and friends.

I hope your day goes as great and wonderful as I predict for mine!

Discourage Marriage?

I don't know if it's crossed your mind, but in most romance novels (of any type), the hero - or main hero - is usually an older man. In the past decade, most heroines are also edging upward in age. Late twenties and even into their thirties, if not older. I like this facet of romance. I wish this were truly the way in real life sometimes, too. With age comes wisdom.

As I grew up, my mother constantly told me not to hurry to the alter. Live life, she'd tell me. Enjoy being single. Date. Be free to do what you want to do. And I did. I didn't tie the knot until I was thirty, and I have her encouragement to thank. I'm glad I had those years to have heart-loves and heartaches, and at times, just a hell of a good time. Now my life is settled and most of my *ahem* "single" enjoyment comes from the words I read or write, but that's okay with me. Been there, done that, ya know.

I'm not saying that people who choose to marry young are wrong. I know several couples, even some of my relatives, who chose to marry right out of high school and seem to have happy marriages. Inwardly though, I shed a silent tear for them. It's a personal hang-up, I know. Everyone is different. Still, I cannot help but believe a person has to have time by themselves, to find themselves, if you will, before committing to another.

I take this so much to heart that I've even begun to instill this credo in my own children. I've told them all they are not to wed before they are thirty, at least. They're like, "okay, Mom." But last night, the four of us sat in one of their bedrooms laughing uproariously (me especially), because I suppose some of what I instill is hitting home. Each one of them shared with me why they weren't getting married: because their wives wouldn't let them play video games all the time or buy a certain "toy" they wanted or wouldn't let them do this or that. Through chuckles (they did get animated and were quite the exaggerators), I did amend that one day they would want to be married, but that yes, they would definitely want to do X and Y first, because with marriage comes change. In a marriage, you do have to think of others first. There's nothing wrong with that, but I believe if you haven't had the opportunity to think of yourself first, as a relative carefree single individual, then it makes life extremely hard to share with someone else all the time. 

So am I against marriage as a whole, of course not. I'm just saying that it's okay to wait. Like the words we pen and we read, the right commitment is out there. If it's meant to be, it will be. Even if it takes time.  

In love with Writing Nights

I love nights like tonight...where, right after an early supper, I pack up my notebooks (paper and electronic), kiss everyone good-bye, and head out to my escape place to spend all night writing. I don't have to think about the dirty dishes, I don't have the dog nosing my hand off the keyboard, I don't have the cats climbing into my lap, and I don't have the well-meaning family member sticking their head around the corner with a, "sorry, don't mean to interrupt, but..."

*sigh* I'm in a happy place right now. We have a small cottage, if you will, where I dash off to, one or two nights a week. It's simple, small, has electricity, and most important, I am completely undisturbed. I mean completely. If I'm needed desperately, I can be contacted via phone, but it'd have to be life or death to bring me back to the house.

When I head out on nights like this, it takes me a little while to get into the writing frame of mind, almost as if I have to convince my muse that it can let go without worry of interruption (because doesn't it suck beyond belief to get into the "zone" of your scene/story and have someone or something barge in. You can never get back exactly to where you were). But once my muse is settled, it flies so far sometimes I have a hard time keeping up. I am able to write/edit/develop so much in just a small amount of hours it amazes even me.

Tonight I just about wrapped up the edits to a paranormal/futuristic (I'm not really sure what to call it yet), and man, is it hot! Raw, tense, a little scary, but with an ending of pure love. I cannot wait to tell you more.

Until later, hope you have good musings and your own undisturbed writing time~

Upates...

Hi World. Just wanted to drop a note to say that although I haven't been popping around too many places lately on the web, I am working. To date, I am attempting to put together a web site, I'm finishing up edits on a very exciting, very raw short story I hope to put out for submission within a couple of week, I'm trying to keep my inner reader appeased by picking up a book, or two, or three, to read. I'm also mentally reworking and planning through a blistering hot MMF story I'm going to pick back up on and finish once my short story is complete. On one hand, I know, it doesn't seem like much, but it keeps me running into overtime.

By the way, check out Romance Junkies. I'm so excited. On the main page (if you scroll down and look left), you'll see my cover! Excited am I! One more month 'till it's release. Forever it seems, but I know it's just around the corner.

Hope your holiday to-do's aren't strangling you too much. Ha, I haven't even begun our holiday to-do's. I need an assistant. Or a nanny.

Have a great Tuesday!

TMI

Do you, sometimes like me, wish for the simpler times? Yes, computers and technology and the web are great and necessary, but do you ever feel inundated with too much information?

For example, if I want a picture of, say, a bare-chested man, there are no less than thousands of pictures to flip through. Okay, this is not a complaint because, let's face it, it really isn't a hardship to sigh over thousands of bare chested men. Still, what started out as a five minute project turns into "damn, it can't be 5 a.m. already!"

All this to say that no, I have no bare-chested men on this blog, but I am busy working on my web site (when I should be writing, shame on me). I only pray that what should be a sweet and simple (ha!) endeavor doesn't derail my main purpose too much. That purpose being to bring to you highly erotic and fantasy-driven stories of love.

Hope you have a great day/evening~

Aack! I've Joined Facebook!

So now I, too, have joined the millions in this Facebook era. And guess what? I don't have a clue! lol. Bear with me as I pick my way around and try to figure out how to use this apparently "friendly" application. Do they have a "Facebook for Dummies" book?

Thanksgiving Day

Over here in the States we are celebrating Thanksgiving Day today. A day full of food, family and fiends. A day to take the time - make the time - to reflect on what we are thankful for. Our lives are so very busy that we often forget the simple act of "Thanks." Too often we open our mouths in a negative fashion instead of the much needed positive.

There is much for me to be thankful for: my life, my husband and kids, my extended family and all my friends... And I try to make it a point every day to let them know because who knows what tomorrow may bring... 

I chose this picture for today because it also reminded me, as I mentioned in the beginning, that today is more that what we are thankful for, as in "things," it's also for turning to the person next to us and saying "thanks for being a part of my life." In light of this thought, I turn to you, dear reader, and offer my thanks to you, for taking time out of your day to see what's up on my blog.

Thank you. And have a very blessed day, whether you're eating turkey or not.

~Ayla~

The Autumn Experience

Deep breath in. Hold. Release.

Ahh. Doesn't that feel good? I just stepped in the house after spending a few glorious minutes outside. I enjoy being outside, this time of year especially. I don't necessarily do anything; I haven't quite let myself get into specific yard work as I'm more the inside work person, but to be outside in fall/autumn is amazing.

The leaves of the trees are all turned and the air is cooler. Some days colder than others, but no more blistering heat waves. I can pull on my favorite sweater or jacket and curl up in a seat outside. The wind blows more, it seems, this time of year, and every little gust pulls loosened leaves from the trees to rain down in a cascade of color. The ground is a blanket of yellow, gold, red and orange. The trees who are practically bare still stand proud, ready for their winter slumber, yet still a tenacious leaf or two clings, determined to hang on despite the inevitable change. These too shall fall one of these days.

With the kids, I'll take them out and have contests of who can catch the most fallen leaves. I pulled out a rake yesterday (ooh my arms) and turned our yard into a huge maze of pathways that is practically covered over this morning, but allowed for much play and romp. Taking this same rake, haha, the kids and I pull the leaves into huge piles so they can live every child's dream of jumping into leaf piles. 

On a more grown-up note, I've always enjoyed love in the autumn. Yes, springtime is popular with new growth and fresh starts. But personally, spring leads directly into summer - one of my least favorite seasons. Okay, summer does bring out a certain sultriness, but it comes with sweaty, sticky, humid ickyness - and I'm not talking about the good kind, either.

But autumn, with its cooler weather, paints the perfect picture of hand holding and snuggling into each other. If I had to put an age to the seasons, Spring time would be the first blushes of new love. Summer time is the hot and passionate no-holds barred almost anyone is good lust. Winter is the contentment of everlasting love, and autumn...Autumn is for the deep, knowledgeable love. People who have been there, done that and know what they want from life and from their lover. Or is willing to accept what their lover wants or needs. Desires to be together stem from practicality, too. To remain curled up together because the floorboards are too cool to step upon, snuggling up tight to your lover at bedtime because of the nighttime chill. Secret whispers to each other seem to mean more.

Enjoy this season while you can, because it never seems to last long enough.

Erogenous Zones

When we write romance, of any kind, we put down on the pages a man (or men) we can be proud of, we can love, who can in turn love us completely. Men who can eventually understand us, and if not understand, at least accept us. This is why I find it interesting to browse around at some of the men's point of view sites, to see how the male species see us as women. Are they on the mark or still struggling?


I stumbled upon this particular article that seems to hit the right spots - pun intended. Even though, in my opinion, it does miss one important one: our minds. Still, wouldn't it be nice if more men read and actually practiced the blatant advice given?


http://www.askmen.com/dating/love_tip/32_love_tip.html

Positive or Negative?

Can you guess what is in this picture? I'm sure most of you can. It's a pregnancy test strip.

When was the last time you saw one of these? When was the last time you had to use one, and were you panicked or thrilled knowing you were testing yourself?

This past weekend I had my own reacquaintance with the ol' test strip. I've felt under the weather this past week, nothing serious, just...off kilter. I really worried when we went to a small festival in town that featured a few little kid rides. I took my youngest on one that simply turned in a big circle. No big deal, right?  

Well, I usually have an iron stomach when it comes to rides, but yesterday, whew, I didn't think I'd make it. I stared at the lettering on my son's shirt and prayed hard for the ride to be over. I never did get sick, but it felt too damn close for my liking.

Naturally, I thought I was pregnant. So did my husband. Now you should know, he doesn't want us to have any more children (but he did admit, if I am, then we'll love this one, too). I'm content as we are, but wouldn't be adverse to another. So on our way home from the festival yesterday, I bought a test kit. This is the first one I've had in a few years and let me tell you, the things that went through my head were phenomenal! I was happy with the thought of being pregnant, yet so much boggled my mind. Again, if you've ever had to use one of these tests, you know what I'm talking about.

This was me last night: I'm already making plans and lists of things we need, how we would get them, looking on the calendar to see how far along I probably am, when I'd need to see my doctor, what kind of lifestyle changes we'd have to make with another little one to come. When would he or she come, a name for the little he or she...a major stressor!

All my worry last night and lists I'd made were put to the test this morning. I went to the bathroom, used the test strip, and the result...a resounding negative. I was left with a nothing-to-do Sunday as all my plans (planning for baby number four) fizzled out in less than three minutes.

Am I happy? or Whew? I'm kinda both. The more I think about it though, "whew," fits the bill. I have enough stress in my life as it is. haha

So you tell me, what would run through your head if you found yourself needing to use a pregnancy test kit? Now take it one step farther; wouldn't it be great to put something like this into a story? Potential for so much emotion... 

I'm sorry officer; it really wasn't my fault

I wish I could have said that. I also wish I could have pulled off the ditz angle like in the pic. Unfortunately, my kids were with me, and I cannot do the dumb routine in front of them.

As if my jumble of a life couldn't stand one more hit, I got pulled over a couple of days ago...for speeding. I was only going 41, jeesh, and on a five lane road at that. But the kicker, it was in a school zone during school end time. Man, the $$$ fine!

I had just picked up my own kids at a nature class they take every couple of weeks and it honestly didn't register to me that other kids were getting out of their regular school at this same time. We go down this particular road quite a bit (not anymore), and the officer pointed out the blinking lights - overhead. I look for school zone blinking lights along the roadside, not overhead. I still was written up.

This beyond stinks! He could have let me go with a warning, ya know. I have an impeccable driving record and our car is a little blue thing, not some kind of sporty number. I definately would have learned my lesson with a warning. The ticket was quite a bit overdone, in my opinion.


Hope your week's gone better...

What I love about Writing

Despite the edits, the endless wait for a response, the rejections, I still love to write. In good days and bad, I know I can always take pen and paper or fingertips and keyboard and immerse myself into another place and time. I can do this with a good book as well, and trust me, I sometimes spend waaaay too much time engrossed in someone else's story. At the end of the day though, my own ideas always fulfill me the most.

I can't stop the ideas. I can be in the shower, sitting outside, heck, even watching a cartoon with my kids and slam! an idea or a character will drop into my head and stick. This is excitement and anticipation, like meeting a prospective lover for the first time. What do I do? Quite simply, I play. What do the characters look like, what are their names, what is going on in their lives? What is the problem and why? What is the solution? Why would that person/problem need a particular solution anyway?

The list of questions can go on and on and most often these questions never get answered directly in the story, but the Q&A works to develop the individuals and the plot.

Earlier tonight (rather, late last night), I met with my good buddy Marie Harte and among many other discussions, we chatted about a story I'm working on. The heroine played basketball at one time and guess what? My knowledge of basketball stems from tidbits I remember from middle school. (I'll be honest, I am not nor have I ever been into sports as a personal goal or enjoyment. I actually found a way to exempt my PE requirements in college!) Well tonight, I felt like a complete ditz asking Marie to explain, exactly, what constitutes a free throw, what exactly is a rebound, asking her if she knew of a "Dummies" book for basketball.... Let's just say we had several good laughs - all at my expense. In all sincerity by the way, thanks Marie!

My point, when the story is all said and done, will it have tons of detail about basketball? No. But in order for me to depict realistic characters, I have to know about them. And, as this one person is a basketball gun-ho type of chick, I need to be up this knowledge or she'll flop.

Even though I am not a sports person, I am enjoying learning about this sport now. Am I going to go out and play it? Ha! Not likely. Will I ever use this information again? Perhaps, depends on future characters and storylines. Am I having fun learning and writing about this basketball chick? Yes. Will I enjoy putting this new found knowledge into legible and understandable script? Most definitely!

Luckily, I haven't lost this love of writing. I'm saying this because I've heard stories of people in creative professions who become wrapped up in the ins-and-outs of the technical or even the economic aspect of their career that their creative edge becomes a chore. I am also writing this to remind myself that should that day come for me, I'll need to look back and remember why I write in the first place. It's a love. A pure love.

Sit back and enjoy the pics...

So sorry to disappoint, but this post is down now. Please enjoy any of my current Saturday posts, which is now the picture day. :)

Veteran's Day: Remember and Reflect

"Courage/Bravery doesn't mean you aren't scared. It means you go anyway."

I think this says it all...

The Varying Shades of Menage

Periodically I have come across interesting articles regarding threesomes. How to participate, proper etiquette, and whom to involve are some of the most common themes. What I always find interesting, however, is the absolute minuscule "advice" on having a m/f/m threesome. Yes, as erotic romance authors, we read and/or write about this particular group with abundance. But according to the "real" world, this type of grouping seems nonexistent.

You want to involve two women and one man? Twenty-five (hundred) articles will tell you how. You want to convince your girlfriend/wife to do one? Twenty-three (hundred) more explains the ins and outs of this. Involvement of two men and a woman -- in any combination -- you'll end up seeing lists of erotic romance titles or porn sites. Doesn't seem quite fair, does it? Especially when you know relationships of the latter do exist.

Maybe, I wonder, we hear less of a two-guy, one girl relationship because...why, really? Are they more intimate? Do they tend to make the men involved (even if they men aren't "doing" each other) seem less manly? Or maybe it's simply because in this type of relationship/encounter, discretion is an unspoken agreement. Maybe because women, in general, can be more discreet than a man and usually, the woman in the group is the one in control. Think about it. Even in a D/s situation, where the woman is the sub, she can always say her safe word and back out. That's a lot of control. And control means not feeling the need to brag on every little thing that occurs in her life. She doesn't feel the need to stand at the proverbial water cooler and tout her sex life to everyone within hearing distance.

Or is there a sadder side of the story? A woman involved in a f/f/m encounter may be labeled loose, but most of the time her encounter can be brushed aside as an experiment, whereas a woman involved in a m/m/f or m/f/m situation is a darker breed of woman as in one who'll walk on the darker side of life?

A conundrum of ideas.

Me? I am okay with any menage combination really. I will admit, though, as a woman, that a mix involving two men way ups the scale of sexiness. What can make this combo even more sexy, again, in my opinion, is how the relationship even begins. Is it better to already be involved in a two-person relationship then add a third? Or is it better for everyone involved to begin at the same place? I'll share my thoughts on this in a latter post.

For now, what do you thing about the many variations of the entanglement of three people? Do you have a preference, and why? I'd love you hear your thoughts...

Are You a Listmaker?

I live my life by lists. It started sometime in college perhaps, but I'd be lost without my personal list of to-dos. I like to be organized and list making helps make that possible. Now, looking at my desk, you may scratch your head and wonder how. I know my husband does. So I may have a few piles here and there, or my filing drawers may have a piece of paper sticking out, so what? I know exactly what is in that particular pile, and I know that the paper sticking out is exactly where it should be. It may not be neat as a pin, but damn it, I know where everything is!  You want last year's power bill? Here it is. You want the manual for the weed eater? There it is. You want that receipt for the watch that no longer works? It's right there.

But I digress... Back to the lists. I am not scatterbrained - I don't think - but I do have a lot on my mind. Any mother out there will tell you the same. Between the kids needs, the schooling needs, the husbands "wants," your own needs, including the writing needs, the pet's needs, the housekeeping, the cooking, the errands, ad nasuem, you know the picture.

Most mornings I wake up (late, I am NOT a morning person by any stretch of the imagination), grab my cup of coffee, my notebook and pen and try to find a few quiet minutes. Usually it's outside, but the weather's getting nippy so it's a little corner inside for now. I sip my coffee, thank God for the new day, and write down, in list format, things I hope to accomplish today. Not only for me, but for my family as well. I'll have a list for family to-do's, personal to-do's and writing to-do's. Do I always finish these lists? No. Sometimes my day completely veers from the list. That's okay though, because I always have something to go back to.

My husband likes to tease me about my lists, but I would be a miserable lost puppy without them. What about you? Are you a lister too, or are you more of a fly by the seat of your pants type person and how does that work for you? I'm always curious about these other sides of life.

It's All New!

Yea! I am thrilled to give you a first look at my upcoming release through Total E-Bound. This is the amazing cover. Doesn't it just look delicious! Many thanks to the great art department at TEB!

This first release of mine through TEB, The Deciding Factor, involves a high school teacher (Aly) moonlighting at a school for furthering the learning of erotic arts, a college flame (Sawyer) wanting to renew his acquaintance with her and a high school ex (Luke) who shows up to rock her world.

Aly doesn't know what to make of Sawyer and Luke. Well, she knows she wants them, and they don't mince words when tell her they want her too, but what's the solution? Whom will she choose? Or will she?

Here's an excerpt...

“You’re right in what you said, Aly,” Sawyer said suddenly, stepping towards her with Luke right beside him.


“I am? About what?”

“Everything you said tonight,” Luke answered. “I don’t know why we didn’t think of it ourselves. But Sawyer believes we need to sit on the idea some more. Make sure it’s the right decision, overall. I say, let’s start now, but he wants to wait.” The look Luke shot Sawyer let Aly know Luke didn’t agree with his friend’s decision to wait, for whatever reason, but he’d go along with the results. If she read their silent communications correctly.

“Okay?” She didn’t want to delve into details of what they were talking about, she simply wanted out. “So I can go now? No hard feelings? I’ll see you later, then?”

At their nods, she walked forward as if to move between them. Just before she brushed past, Sawyer reached out and cupped her face. “Where do you think you’re going without a goodbye kiss?” he murmured.

“No kisses,” she started to say in protest, but the words ended on his lips as his mouth took hers fully. Her hands shot up to stop him, not believing he dared kiss her right in front of Luke. What if she got hit in the head when Luke swung?

In only seconds, she nearly forgot about Luke, moaning as Sawyer stroked his tongue against the length of her own, the caress racing all the way through her core. She reached up to touch his face and stiffened when a set of hands gripped her shoulders. Sawyer ignored her lapse and deepened the kiss, softly demanding her response. Luke’s body crowded her from behind, his heat warming her back. Aly couldn’t decide if she should be scared off or turned on.

“My turn.”

She barely heard Luke’s whispered comment, but it must have made its way to Sawyer’s ears because the next thing she knew, large hands turned her around. Sawyer’s mouth slid off hers, only to be replaced with the fierce demands of Luke’s lashing tongue. She surrendered to the assault, whimpered as her panties went from damp to sopping, and gave herself over to the kiss, even when Sawyer began rubbing her back.

It wasn’t right to compare men. She should be bored with Sawyer’s lazy kisses. She should be repulsed with Luke’s aggressive mouth. Instead, both intrigued her and heated her body like no one person ever had. It’d be impossible to choose between the two of them. It had to be both or none.

Aly made up her mind to go with whatever the guys wanted. Her reference to a threesome had been a joke, but if they were serious, at this point, she wouldn’t argue.

Her thoughts went no farther because all of a sudden, she found herself standing in the hallway outside the door with both men opposite her, staring at her with pure lust.


“Sleep on it, Aly. Like Luke said, plans have changed. We need to decide what we’ll do.”

The door shut softly in her face.



"Uh! What the hell?" I'm asking myself this. Are you curious to see if they're really going through with this? Will she barge back into the room or tell them to fuck off? Will the guys tell her to screw herself and fuck each other? So many decisions.... To find out the answers, mark your calendars for January 2011 when you can purchase this book from TEB to find out what just what decisions are made with Aly, Sawyer and Luke!

Oh, and have a happy Thursday!

Happy Halloween!

Ah, have you noticed that Halloween costumes for women are sexy as hell, but the costumes for men are, well, anything but. It seems as if the guy doesn't have the sexiness to begin with, there's not much help for him.  Too bad.

Anyway,

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!!

Shopping Site!

Okay, I usually don't out-of-the blue tell people to go shopping at any particular store or site. Most stores have very similar items anyway.

Not this time, though.

You have to check out CafePress.com. I just ordered a birthday present for someone from here that I know I would probably not be able to find anywhere else. In addition, you can custom order.

Even if you don't order, you'll love simply browsing around the site.

Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday! I'm off now to catch up with Sookie (yes, I am very behind in watching, but I am in the 3rd season already) and catch some zzz's. It's been a rough day today. Later!

Icky Monday!

It's Monday again, and I have news for you: Icky Mondays are not reserved for office people! Years back, ages ago, when I was an office worker, our favorite way to begin the week was to bemoan the Monday issues.

That life is nothing compared to my life of today. After the mess of three kids, schoolwork, lesson plans, housework, cooking something edible, edits, wip to complete, a home-bound husband, a dog that digs too much, a cat that wants out too much, and RAIN to force us all indoors...whew. I'd almost take that office Monday any day.

One thing keeps me going through days like today. Every Monday (or any icky day) comes with an evening, a bedtime, and then time for me. Ahhhh. I so look forward to the "me" time. Don't you?


Hope your Monday's happy!   

A Camping I Will Go...

This weekend I am braving the great outdoors with my family to go camping. No, not the RV or pop-up camper type camping, but the fabric tents and sleeping bag type camping. Do I look forward to this? In a way. I love being outdoors and being with my family, so that's not such a bad thing. On the other hand, things like bathrooms will be a joke, and I'm already girding myself for the whiny-kid syndrome which will definitely hit five minutes into the trip.

Do you know what I'll miss the most? My books and my computer. Reading will be a near impossibility so I'm not even going to try. And as for the computer - would you take a laptop into the raw woods? I don't think so. I will, however, carry a trusty spiral notebook and some pens with me. They may not get used as our weekend's packed, but I almost always carry paper around with me as you never know when a good idea will hit or when that sticky plot point will work itself out.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you next week!

Yummy Treats

The past several days have been a flurry, among other things, of getting ready for Halloween. Personally, I feel kinda "eh" with a shrug, about the holiday. Sure it's fun and can be exciting. I like the rockin' costume parties as much as anyone, but mostly, nowadays, it's all about the kids.


For the past two weeks, every single day I hear, several times, variations on the following. If you have kids, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Them: "Mom, when can we get out the Halloween decorations?"
Me, while I'm making dinner: "Soon."

Them: "Mo-om, how many more days to Halloween?"
Me, while I'm balancing the checkbook: "I don't know. Soon."

Them: "Mommy, you said we'd put up the decorations." This, of course, being said at bedtime. "Let's do it now."
Me, while I'm struggling with getting my 4 year old into pajamas: "Soon. Maybe tomorrow."


And so it goes. There is no way I am going to forget any holiday or event with my constant personal reminders. And they don't even take batteries!


Bu-ut, there is one part of the holiday, or any holiday, I love. The cooking parts. Whether it's the big meals or the once-a-year side dishes or the fantastic desserts, I absolutely love pulling together different ingredients to create something delicious or even amazing.  (The amazing parts don't always work, but I try :)


Today, I want to share two recipes I worked on over the weekend that turned out rather well. Especially if you have little ones and don't mind a temporary sugar overload, give these a try:


Chocolate Covered Bugs:

• Caramels, unwrapped and worked into flat disc (or other) shapes
• Red licorice sliced very thin
• Chocolate chips, melted (I used the ready-to-dip chocolate found in the microwavable dishes)
• Candies, nuts, other edible decor for decorations

I don't give amounts because you can make as many or as few as you want.


You do want to work on wax or parchment paper.

• Take one flattened caramel and press the red licorice onto the piece with parts sticking out. This will be the legs.
• Press the second piece of flattened licorice on top.

• Pour or drizzle the melted chocolate over the caramel. Make sure the sides are well covered.
• Press, shake or add your own decorations to make edible bugs.
• I then place the bugs in the fridge to harden.

*You can shape the caramels any way you want. Make them more oval or more rounded for example. I love recipes like this because your own personal options are endless.

The second recipe is for S'More's Cookies. I found this recipe in the magazine Family Fun. A fantastic mag if you have little kids. These cookies are unbelievably delicious! If you want to see a picture, click on the link below the recipe.


Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup crushed graham crackers

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 (1.55-ounce) chocolate bars {I used one really large bar and broke into a bazillion pieces}

1 (7-ounce) jar of marshmallow creme {be prepared, this stuff is extremely sticky!}

Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. .
• Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
• Add the crushed graham crackers, flour, salt, and baking powder and beat until well mixed, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl.
• Spoon half the dough into the pan and spread evenly with your fingertips {Use a rubber spatula if you can instead. The batter is not very doughy}.
• Break the chocolate into pieces and arrange over the dough.
• Spread a layer of marshmallow creme over the chocolate {Fun but sticky. Take your time putting dollops and then spreading them out}.
• Flatten the remaining dough into pancakes and lay them over the marshmallow. {Okay, my batter did not turn out where I could do this. I simply scoped the remaining dough over the cream and spread out with the rubber spatula.}
• Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let the bars cool before serving. {Slightly warm bars are better, in my opinion. The cookies are, as you can guess, rich, so cut them small. I must have been able to get 25 or 30 little bars from my pan. To serve, I put the individual bars into paper cupcake liners as they are sticky.}

For pic, go to: Family Fun Rockin' S'mores

I hope you enjoy! Let me know how you like them!

A Change of Reading Pace

My bookshelves and computer files and ereader is filled with stories of various heroes and/or heroines and the love that evolves between them. I also keep a dusting of various thriller, horror, mystery and general fiction. Why? Every once in awhile, I like to pull out something non-romance in nature, to remind myself that there is something else out there and to keep me in touch with a variety of genres and writers.  

For the past two days I've been reading an older fantasy novel, Elminster, by Ed Greenwood. My husband's been reading this series and in his telling me bits and parts, it intrigued me enough to say, "let me read when you're done."  

As a teen-ager, I mixed my reading between the mass market historical romance and the Dragon Lance and the like fantasy novels (quite a mix, huh?), so reading fantasy is nothing new to me. Still, it's been a long while.

I like the Elminster story, but early on I noticed that reading this book is providing me with excellent reader-exercise. I don't know about you, but most of the time when I read, I tend to "rush read." I get a feel for what's going on and the characters and etc., and even though I will read word-for-word, I seem to digest the story more in whole pictures than through the entire written word.  

I cannot read this current story in this fashion. Part of it is Greenwood's style, but if I try to whole picture the page, for example, I'll miss important or cleverly written little phrases, words or even twists of temperaments. I have to focus in a different way to absorb this story. I'm sure if I read fantasy novels as much as I read romance I'd be able to "rush read" there as well, but since I don't, I like that I am having to make myself adjust my reading habits in order to grasp every nuance.  

Of course, with every book I read, I try to figure out how what I've read effects my writing. Did the writer's dialogue or narrative attract me and how can I make my own dialogue better? Are the descriptions memorable and how can I make my own scenes more memorable? Does the author write in ways that are jarring and do I write jarring passages as well? How can I fix, adjust or make better my stories?

I haven't quite figured out how Greenwood's stories have or will effect my take on my stories, but I'm sure it will. In the meantime, I'm back off to magic and sorcery...   

Since when is a Female Orgasm a bad thing?

I sat down a few minutes ago, browsing through the news on my home page, and caught an interesting article regarding a Dr. Leonore Tiefer, a sexologist at NYU, who is disagreeing with the pharmaceutical companies making/marketing a type of female Viagra.  I personally do not know enough about this issue to comment one way or the other. 

However, after I read this brief article, I went to an attached link which sent me to a place where Dr. Tiefer wrote another article regarding female orgasms.  Here, she makes a claim that female orgasms are (in my own paraphrase) unnatural.  Yes, the female body may be capable of having an orgasm, but an orgasm does not and should not be a goal or even something to look remotely forward to. 

Excuse me?

I had to take a few minutes to process this. 

From when I was a young girl, ever since I first learned what sex even was, I always heard/read/was told that a female orgasm is attainable, but do not depend upon it.  I accepted this train this thought as normal (yuck!).  And if we were to really think upon it, male-dominated cultural influences have only enforced this thought.  The belief that once a man orgasms the sex is over is unwarranted, unfair and plain old bullshit.  Too bad way too many men and women believe this.  Too bad this is the acceptable norm for almost all sexual relationships. 

Relationships can go up and down, and individuals do have real hang-ups regarding sex and orgasms.  Maybe its medical conditions, maybe psychological.  Maybe it's just the wrong partner or the wrong hand. 

Yes, I do know there are real issues regarding a womans' inability or difficulty in achieving that final peak.  But to say that more women go without than with?  This I have a hard time believing.  Is it just me? 

As an erotic romance author, I understand the importance of female orgasms in our stories.  Do our heroines always come?  No.  Sometimes we write it as the fault of a poor lover or because of an event in her past that is hampering her ability to peak.  This then becomes part of the storyline.  There are times, very rare, when we might write our heroine not attaining her end.  There is a reason why.  Depends on the occasion, but there are times when the simple intimacy of being with a lover overcomes the have-to-have-an-orgasm.  And we can be okay with this because this can happen to us in real life.  But to write our heroines as women who can never orgasm, well, our industry would bomb and we'd be blamed for the degradation of women as weak.  

By the same token, one can ask, do we unnecessarily set women up to fail when we write about explosive orgasms every time she makes love?  I don't think so.  People need to remember we write fiction.  That's fiction people.  Do we blame Stephen King for all the nightmares in the world?  Of course not.  We write about love.  Sexual love.  Any time our heroine comes, it is wrapped up with whom she comes, how she comes and why she comes (my, that's a lot of "come"). 

We, as women, do know (no doubt from our own experiences) that a female orgasm can be elusive.  We write about worlds, about lovers, about life where we can be in more control.  Where it is okay to have an orgasm every time we have sex and that it is absolutely plausible to have simultaneous orgasms with our lover(s).  

Can this be true?  Absolutely!  Does it happen every time?  Absolutely not ... but it could.  Think about it.  Empowering, isn't it.  Still sound like fantasy?  Maybe a smidgen.  But remember, in every lie there lies a little truth.  In every fantasy there lies a possibility of fact.  

Sex and orgasms are a human event, not a clinical one.  I feel sorry for the women who believe the way Leonore Tiefer do, that the female orgasm is something to be belittled.  We need to remember these women and pray that one day their lives can be rocked to the moon and back.    

 

Reality Check

Sometimes when you become hum-drum about life, something comes along that can snap you out of it, and often in a surprising way.

My mother, a real go-getter in her 70's (but still with more than her fair share of health issues), has complained the past couple of days about her side hurting. Earlier today I convinced her to see the doctor, just to get it checked out.  She did like I would do.  She hummed and hoed and said we'll see.  I badgered her about it (as she'd do me in a reverse situation) until she went. Then a simple day turned upside down. 

Turns out she had appendicitis, a rarity in someone her age according to the doctors.  She went from the ER to a CT scan to confirm then straight to OR!  Luckily, the surgery went fine and her appendix was removed before rupturing (which probably would have happened within the next day or two if it'd gone unchecked).  She's recovering and will probably be back home soon.

Stories like this make me realize how much we, as women, take ourselves for granted.  I know I do, and I've seen over and over how my mother does as well.  We feel a twinge of pain or discomfort, and we put it aside.  Hell, we have kids to raise, animals to care for, a husband around the corner to check on, not to mention the cooking and cleaning and bills and well -- everything else that needs to be done!  We cannot (we let ourselves believe) pause our lives to go see the doctor who will only pat us on the heads and send us back home.  Our ache is probably nothing, anyway.

Way too often I've heard stories (and yes, it's happened to me as well), where we let ourselves go unchecked only to have whatever issue is wrong with our body grow worse to the point where we have no choice but to go to the doctor - usually the ER, where now we're fighting a bigger battle.

I strongly believe culture, over the years, has given credence to this behavior.  For too many years in the past, doctors would pat a woman on the head because she just had the "vapors," or a bit of a "headache."  I don't know about you, but aside from believing the world will erupt if we're not there to take care of it, I cannot stand to go to the doctor and be belittled for something that I know is wrong with my body.  I don't know exactly what, that's why I go to the doctor to begin with.  But then to have him scribble an innocuous script and send me on my way...

Okay, got a little upset there, but I'm cool now.  All this is to say that I'm thankful my mother is fine and to remind myself that if I do not feel quite right, I need to make myself be seen by a doctor sooner rather than later.  Even if I have to force him or her to listen.  I hope you do the same. 

When your Muse works against you

Yes, having a muse can be a fantastic experience.  You garner terrific ideas and amazing plot lines and unforgettable characters.  You really cannot belittle this mysterious benefit.

There are those times, however, where as amazing as your muse may be, you want nothing but to shut it out, turn it off and throw it out the closed window.

For example, say I'm working on a story set in Atlanta, Georgia in the sweltering summertime between a sexy woman named Lolita and a burning hot man named Joe.  I have everything mentally in place to begin work.  I sit down before the evil necessity called a computer and tippty-tap away to my heart's content. 

Tap, tap, tap.  Tippty-tap.  Story, story, story.  Yadda, yadda, yo.  I'm going good, here.  Time passes unnoticed while I'm lost inside the places and the minds of what I've created.   

Then I need a break.  Maybe a run to the bathroom or a refill on the coffee.  Doesn't matter.  I return to the keyboard and my fingers poise excitedly over the letters and ... stall!

Did I forget my story?  Did the color of my heroine's hair color elude me?  Ha.  I wish.  No, my freakin' muse snuck in while I had a breather, and it chooses now to clear its throat politely before telling me a story between Sara and Jeff set in Alaska during an ever-long winter, chasing a forgotten buried treasure, is THE story I need to tell. 

Decisions.  My muse hasn't often failed me, and this new thought might have some merit.  I don't want to lose the story I'm in, but I like the new idea.  I quickly open a file and jot down notes to go through when I finish my current wip. 

Whew.  Got that out of the way.  Now back to the Atlanta story.

Stall.

What the heck does the mighty muse want now?!

Oh, just to let me know that no, no.  Sara and Jeff and Alaska wouldn't work.  I really need to set a story about Olivia and Connor and, and, let's sweeten the pot here:  Buck (where does my muse come up with these names - ha!).  The trio have met on some cruise and ... the muse goes on from here.  Once again, my mind gets caught up in this idea so I open another file to jot more notes.

And so my writing day goes on.

In truth, is it really my muse?  Nah, we all know this.  But will you catch me blaming a stalled out story on myself?  Never!

The Muse is Always to Blame! 

It's All about the Male???

I have three wonderful, precocious, amazing and at times, aggravating little boys.  Ever since the birth of our first child, I have always been happy to have boys and as each one came, I only wanted boys, truly.  Even now, when I am still wanting another (which to this wish my husband absolutely refuses to comply), I think about how much I would love to have another boy.  Why?  Perhaps because my life is already imbued with testosterone that the thought of an estrogen-filled little being startles me?


This thought occurred to me recently when I saw a group of girls, perhaps somewhere in the ages of 8 to 12, and I noticed how they were all aware of everything.  Aware of what they wore, for example.  Their hands touched hair and centered jewelry and straightened sleeves or belts.  Their eyes constantly darted around, even while they chatted with their friends, to see who was around and what others were doing, and - as I once was that same little girl myself - wondering who noticed them and how they looked or appeared to others.


Boys of a similar age, at least in my experience, are more about themselves.  (Ha, let's face it, does this ever change?)  They rarely care what they wear or what their hair is doing.  They notice others only if it is to their advantage and if the situation doesn't provide instant entertainment, they only want out.  Standing around hoping to be noticed is the last thing on their minds.  In some ways, simply by these observations, boys are easier to deal with.  That's my theory at least.   


Turning a page now, how do these observations translate into my writing?  A lot, it seems.  Those little girls caught my eye because I've forgotten this aspect of the feminine being.  Being a wife and mom can do this I suppose. 


For awhile now I've noticed when I delve into a story, I have the info about my hero lock-stock-and-barrel.  The heroine?  Well, let's just say I have to work a little harder there.  Seeing this group the other day made me realize that being surrounded by males day-in and day-out has made me lose touch with some of my inner girl-ness.  This in turn is what's made me work harder for my heroines.  Make sense?
 
So now I'm trying to work at getting back to that girl-ness.  That inner female that does notice others and is aware that others notice her, whether she wants this or not.  That female side that is inherently different from a male.  Jeesh, does this mean I need to wish for the not-going-to-happen baby of the female variety?  Laugh with me, I know my husband is, and wish me luck.  With the writing, that is! 


   

A Juggling Saturday

There once was a time, a long, long time ago, when Saturdays meant sleeping late, shopping trips and lazing around the house or the park.  Damn me for not taking advantage of these moments when I had them.  But that's life, right? 

I think back to my pre-marriage and especially pre-kid days, and I am amazed that I actually thought I was too busy then to dedicate myself to writing.  Puleeze.  Was I a moron or what?  Now, I am writing, and squeezing in the time between taking care of a husband, three kids and elderly parents.  And pets!  haha.  Maybe now is the time that I do appreciate the stolen and worked-in moments to write as I know the then and now.  Take advantage when you can!

Saturdays have actually turned out to be decent writing days for me.  At least, I'm trying this tactic.  Take today, for example.  I have kids who want me to go out and monitor them as they learn to skateboard, ride bikes and roll down the hills (good thing we live on a not-too-busy street.  Bad thing today happens to be a yard sale day across the way).  Then one of my sons has to go to a belt testing for karate and that takes up a few hours.  But when all the extracurricular activities are over, the kids can play video games, a no-no at our house during school days.  So while they sit glued to the TV and play Indiana Jones or Zelda or some kind of sport game, I can settle down and tap away at the keyboard.

No, my Saturdays aren't as leisurely as they once were, but I appreciate the difference now and use this to take advantage of every opportunity I can. 

One definite thing about marriage and kids and yes, even writing - lazy no more am I!

The Muse of Music

First of all, this pic really has nothing to do with my post.  I simply think it's sexy.  Enjoy. 

Now onto the post.  My taste in music is very eclectic.  I like New Age, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, some newer Country, Classical, the list goes on.  There is actually very little I don't like.  Then again, it depends on my mood.  Like reading a particular type of story, listening to a particular type of music has to either fit the mood I'm in or the mood I want to be in. 

Music also marks important dates in a person's life.  The song you had your first dance with your crush, the song that made you dream with longing about your boyfriend or girlfriend, the song that was playing when you drank a little too much and decided to go Coyote Ugly on the bar top...ahem, sorry.

But seriously, I also tend to mark music by my muse.  So many times I'll listen to a song and a story will scream out to me.  It may not follow exactly what the musician had in mind, but it taps into the creative side of me and viola! another story will emerge.  

Such is the case with the short paranormal I've recently tapped out.  It needs some major editing as I am a rough first drafter, but it's there and I think, of course, it's hot! 

So sit back and turn on the radio, open your music files or flip on your ipod and close your eyes for a few minutes. 

What is your music telling you?   

Great (Funny) Blow Job Video!

This video is truly "priceless!"  Enjoy!

On a brief "work" note, hope your weekend's going well. Mine is rocking! Today I was able to zip out the rough draft for a really short story (for me), probably somewhere around 6,000 words. We'll see when the final product emerges. My word counts tend to vary to the extreme from rough draft to finished product. I had begun to write this story for the contest over at All Romance.com, but their limit is 3,000 words. Don't know if I'll be able to cut that much. Might just end up working on this and submitting somewhere for a really nice bite of lust!


Later!

Why Erotic Romance

I love to write.  I predominately like to write erotic romance.  Why?  The Romance is because I am one of those who believes "love makes the world go 'round," and no matter how un-romantic a person may be, relationships abound everywhere.  You cannot go through life without some type of relationship.  And the erotic part is because I firmly believe the physical aspect of love is absolutely necessary in any involved relationship.  Even if that love hasn't blossomed yet. 

Unless I know to expect it beforehand, it burns me up to read a story where the sex is behind closed doors.  I feel cheated.  Is it because I'm some kind of voyeur?  Perhaps. *chuckle*   But really, I want to know how the interactions play in the bedroom.  How being physical defines and grows the relationship.  Is she controlling in the kitchen but a submissive between the sheets?  Does he seem commandeering but lays placid while she has her way with him?  Do they laugh when they make love or is it high intensity?  Does he make her come or is she always left to hurry up and find that peak on her own?  Plus, lets face it, even if a person thinks they haven't the first hang-up about their life, there is always a hang-up of some kind when it comes to sex with someone else. 

Maybe she doesn't want the lights on but wants to be tied up.  Maybe he doesn't really like giving oral sex (very important to know because I'm sorry, I know of no woman who wants to be with a man unless he can enjoy going down on her).  Maybe s/he secretly wants a third (or fourth or fifth...) partner and has to internalize this in bed.  Maybe one of them has a scar they don't want seen.  The point of all this is when two or more people are bare-ass naked and about to go beyond skin deep, little details fill out and define a relationship.  These little details make or break relationships.  Period.    

Now, let me make it a little more clear that I've not expressly defined the erotic part yet.  Generally speaking, there are plenty of books out there with love scenes.  Most even go a bit detailed.  However, nearly all main-stream books cater to one man-one woman, with varying simple positions.  What's more commonly known as vanilla sex.  Don't get me wrong.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with this.  I love it.  Sometimes. 

Then, there are those times, let's admit it, when you want to feed that deeper, darker part of yourself.  That, in my view, is where the erotic part comes into play.  Let's pretend a minute.  Instead of wishing your partner(s) would say they wanted to "make love" to you, imagine them saying, "I want to fuck you."  This can be crude, yes, depending on how it's said and the persons involved.  Most of the time, in erotic romance, it's meant with an intensity that goes bone deep.  It's met with a level of excitement never before known. It's raw, it's heat, it's instantaneous panty-wet, cock-hard where your breath hitches as you grab the bed sheets and either stutter your surrender or shout out "hell yeah!" 

Whew. 

As a reader, as a writer, you are sucked so deep into the story at this point your house could cave in and you'd never know.  Why?  Most individuals know about "making love," or "having sex."  Yeah, it's cool in the story, but aside from the emotions, it's almost a kind of been-there, done-that way of reading.  Does it make the love scene any less enticing?  Of course not if it fits the story and the characters.   

But again, there are those times ... yeah.  There are those times when you want, you need, you're curious about just a little more.  Crude language, multiple partners, anal play, same-sex, a bit of BDSM, you name it.  Whether you've done it or wish upon the stars to do it, erotic romance can placate that side you never knew you had.

Happy Labor Day

Hope you have a chance to take it easy on this day and relax during this last summer holiday!

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's [back] to work I go...

Okay, maybe the dwarf song is a little out there, but it's been popping in and out of my mind today. 

You see, I'm back to writing after intentionally taking a writing break. 

Troubles with stories I'd been working on, school beginning (and I do the teaching myself; no shuffling off to a bus or anything), and simple "life sucks" happenings were overwhelming me that I simply put a stop to several things.

Including the writing for a short bit. 

For example, instead of having a comfortable time, or any set time, to write, I'd been attempting to squeeze it in when I had the time.  Unfortunately, it wasn't every day, and I suffered for my lack of order.  So I laid the writing aside to get my other life happenings straight (yea), and to get myself in gear to plan to write. 

I should have done this years ago.  {{forehead slap}}  Now, there is no more squeezing in here and there.  No more "I don't have the time."  Nuh-uh.  I have my writing planned out now.  I have times and dates and even --  dare I say -- goals to reach.  It's exciting for me to finally have some order going on.

Okay, okay.  Break off the happy-happy dance and settle down. 

It's time to come clean and speak heart-to-heart.  Earlier, I made it sound like I was a numbskull for not being more orderly years ago. 

Truth, I used to think writing would be able to simply flow, like a newly tapped font of fiction.  No real effort.  Just sit down and the words would come.  Hahaha.  Idealized of me, I know.  I've been avoiding this truth for awhile and like I said, my writing suffered.  Not only in the actual craft, but also in simply "getting it done."  

In the title of this post I exchanged the word "off" for the word "back," because I do feel like I'm getting back, but in a much better way.     

Hot Damn!!!

Recently finished reading a few of Larissa Ione's Demonica stories. 

Absolutely fantastic! 

I discovered her through a friend of mine (Thank you, thank you Marie!) who loaned me these books with a death promise attached (the books are still in terrific condition, I promise). 

Let's see ... Demons, sex, hospitals, slayers, tattoos, hot, hot, scorching hot guys, strong women, edge-of-your-seat plot lines, and did I say sex already? 

It thrills, it takes you aback with surprise at the twists and unexpected events (love stuff like this). 

It leaves you panting and pining for everything that goes on in these pages and, like all good writers do, Ione's stories makes you wish you could be a part of this high-paced and dangerous world. 

I can't say much more as I'd give away the goods, but if you haven't tried her out yet, you MUST read her stories. 

Ahem.

Today. 

Right now.  

You have no excuse. 

And you know you want to ....