Thursday 13 :: Joy Daniels

I'm back with another edition of Thursday 13 with lightning interviews of my authorly peeps. Enjoy yourself :)

 

1. Latest release?  "Revving Her Up" (Samhain Publishing), my debut novella about a New York lawyer who gets more than her car fixed when she runs into a stock car mechanic in a small town in Virginia.

 

On February 12, a short story called "Lights Out" for the Riverdale Avenue Books' "We Love New York" anthology to raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief.

 

2. In the hottest scene...kisses or condoms?  Condoms for sure - my sex scenes are steamy but safe. :-)

3. What are you working on?   An MMF menage called Nashville Threesome - my first novel-length work and my first menage story. Sexy, fun and very hot.

4. What have you Googled for research?  For Revving Her Up I learned all about stock cars and drivers by spending A LOT of tie on the NASCAR.com site. For Nashville Threesome I've Googled famous Nashville bars, the country music industry, types of guitars and classic Harleys.

5. What do you drink when writing?   Herbal tea - often rooibos with steamed almond or coconut milk.

 

6. Do you have a writing uniform?  Yoga pants, long-sleeved shirt and T-shirt or sweater. If it's really chilly I'll wear a T-shirt dress so my legs are warm too. But always comfy yoga pants.

7. Where do you write?  I had a separate office but it was too cluttered and small. I've since moved into the upstairs office/library where my husband also has a desk and I'm much happier.

8. What was the last thing you read?  Fiction: Darkest Mercy, the final book in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series. (GREAT!)  Non-fiction: The Wild Life of Our Bodies by Rob Dunn

9. Paper, audio, or ebook?   Paper because I get most of my reading material from the library and used bookstores. I am getting more into e-books for the convenience - love having so much reading material at my fingertips!

10. Favorite book in the last few months?  Impossible to say. I'm a huge fantasy/ urban fantasy fan. Recent loves include: Iced (Karen Marie Moning), the Farseer trilogy (Robin Hobb), and the latest books in series by Jenna Black, Laura Resnick, Christina Henry, and Diana Rowland.

11. Favorite social network?  Facebook - it feels like real socializing, it's a fun way to keep up with people's lives and I love posting pics.

12. Secret super power?  I can grow veggies throughout the winter in my Maryland garden and turn almost any grown thing into yummy pickles/kimchi in a week :-)

13. Guilty pleasure?  Staying up late on a Saturday night to finish a book even thought I KNOW I'll be exhausted when the kids wake me the next morning.

 

Joy Daniels, Author
Erotic Romance that is Smart, Sexy & Down-to-Earth

Website: www.authorjoydaniels.com

Twitter: @authorjdaniels

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/joydaniels/

Menu Plan Monday

Monday : chicken sate with peanut sauce and cucumber salad
Tuesday : steak fajitas
Wednesday : creamy chicken enchiladas (Pioneer Woman)
Thursday : salmon & cauliflower
Friday : tilapia & broccoli
Saturday : sauteed chicken with mushrooms and green beans

In Review...Caribbean Christmas

I just realized I never did a rount-up post of the fun reveiws I found for Caribbean Christmas. Since the reviews for the second interlude in the Under The Caribbean Sun series, Caribbean Casanova, will star to pop up soon I figured I better get to it!

"There’s no doubt this book will put you in the holiday mood and leave you wishing for your own holiday magic!" Guilty Pleasures Reviews, 4.5 stars

Thursday 13 :: Kimberly Lang

 

I'm back with another edition of Thursday 13 with lightning interviews of my authorly peeps. Enjoy yourself :)

1.Latest release?

In February I help launch the new KISS line with The Downfall of a Good Girl and follow it immediately in March with a second book, The Taming of a Wild Child. My LaBlanc Sisters duet is set in New Orleans and was so much fun to write. These books even have an original soundtrack provided by singer/songwriter Cristina Lynn. (Details on that collaboration and the music are on my website, www.BooksByKimberly.com)

2.In the hottest scene...kisses or condoms?
I don’t always specifically include condoms, especially if doing so would break the rhythm and flow of the scene. I rather assume my readers are all adults who understand the importance of safe sex and birth control, and since my characters are also adults with good sense, readers can just assume they are taking all the necessary precautions.

But kisses… I love a good kiss scene. ~sigh~ They’re so difficult for me to write because I want them to be perfect. These characters only get one First Kiss and I want it to be memorable!

3.What are you working on?
*Looks at inbox* Hmm, seems I have two sets of revisions waiting patiently for me to get to them. The first is for my contribution to KISS’s first continuity series, a fun project I’m working on with Aimee Carson, Amy Andrews and Heidi Rice. It will be out later this year. The other is for the novella I wrote as part of the When Honey Got Married… anthology with Anna Cleary, Kelly Hunter and Ally Blake for Entangled Publishing. That’s due out later this spring. And I’m writing up proposals for new books for 2014 and beyond. Hmmm… I guess I should really get to work!

4.What have you Googled for research?
The last book-related Google search was to find out how good/bad cell phone reception was in the state park near Montauk, NY. Turns out, it’s pretty darn good and I had to change a plot point because of it!

5.What do you drink when writing?
Hot tea and Diet Coke. I usually have both on the desk at the same time and alternate between the two. (And I drink lots of both. My teapot holds over a quart at a time and I should really own stock in Diet Coke.)

6.Do you have a writing uniform?
Whatever is comfortable and clean (and in the winter, warm). I do have to wear a bra, though. I think better wearing one. (I don’t know why. It’s not like I’m particularly endowed or anything.)

7.Where do you write?
Either in my office, which is at the front of the house and gets lots of sunshine, or in the recliner in the living room on my laptop. There’s no pattern or reason, though, just wherever I feel like it that day.

8.What was the last thing you read?
Instant Gratification by Jill Shalvis. Very fun.

9.Paper, audio, or ebook?
E or paper. I don’t have a preference. Books I buy are usually e, but books I’m given are usually paper.

10.Favorite book in the last few months?
Mira Lyn Kelly’s Waking Up Married. Such a fun way to launch the KISS line! [Jenna here - Mira's book is FREE right now. Download it and enjoy ;)]

11.Favorite social network?
Facebook. I am on Twitter and try to keep up, but I feel like I’m lost in the middle of seven conversations. I find it hard to jump between them. Facebook, though, is fun and I can keep up with it.

12.Secret super power?
The ability to consume ridiculous amounts of caffeine and still sleep like a log.

13.Guilty pleasure?
I don’t believe in feeling guilty over things that bring me pleasure. Chocolate, pedicures, whatever. I refuse to feel guilty about enjoying them!

www.BooksByKimberly.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kimberly.lang.520
Twitter: @booksbykimberly

After The Final Chapters Interview

Who is Jenna Bayley-Burke?  An alarm clock, referee, short-order cook, stylist, chauffer, coffee enthusiast, writer, math tutor, amateur photographer, housekeeper, dog walker, gourmet chef, barber, and competitive Words with Friends player. You know, the typical mom/wife/friend combo.

Check out the answer to a dozen more questions, plus a review of For Kicks on After The Final Chapters.

Menu Plan Monday

Early basketball practice and late ballet class clash this week, not to mention dueling boy scout meetings. Is there such a thing as a normal week?

I'm thinking of trying some Pioneer Woman recipes. I have both her cookbooks, though I rarely buy cookbooks anymore. I just have such affection for her. She seems so warm and genuine. Plus she loves the same things I do - family, food & photography. Think she's addicted to romance novels too?


Monday : beef sesame noodle salad
Tuesday : leftovers
Wednesday : chicken spaghetti
Thursday : chicken parmesan
Friday : chipoltle steak salad
Saturday : enchiladas

Thursday 13 :: Teri Brown

I'm back with another edition of Thursday 13 with lightning interviews of my authorly peeps. Enjoy yourself :)

 

1. Latest release? Summerset Abbey
2. In the hottest scene...kisses or condoms? Kisses! (I wonder what condoms were like pre WW1?)
3. What are you working on? Summerset three: Spring Awakening
4. What have you Googled for research? Edwardian underwear
5. What do you drink when writing? Coffee or water with the occasional glass of wine in the evenings.
6. Do you have a writing uniform? In the mornings: t-shirt, sweats and fuzzy blue robe. In the afternoons I take off the fuzzy blue robe.
7. Where do you write? In the dining room. Which is now my office.

8. What was the last thing you read? Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone
9. Paper, audio, or ebook? Smoke and Bone was paper, but I read a lot of ebooks, too.
10. Favorite book in the last few months? Daughter of Smoke and Bone
11. Favorite social network? Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Facebook.
12. Secret super power? A kick ass, never to be questioned, sense of direction.
13. Guilty pleasure? The Bachelor. But don't tell anyone.

Summerset Abbey

1913: In a sprawling manor on the outskirts of London, three young women seek to fulfill their destinies and desires amidst the unspoken rules of society and the distant rumblings of war. . . .

Rowena Buxton :: Sir Philip Buxton raised three girls into beautiful and capable young women in a bohemian household that defied Edwardian tradition. Eldest sister Rowena was taught to value people, not wealth or status. But everything she believes will be tested when Sir Philip dies, and the girls must live under their uncle’s guardianship at the vast family estate, Summerset Abbey. Standing up for a beloved family member sequestered to the “under class” in this privileged new world, and drawn into the Cunning Coterie, an exclusive social circle of aristocratic “rebels,” Rowena must decide where her true passions—and loyalties—lie.

Victoria Buxton :: Frail in body but filled with an audacious spirit, Victoria secretly dreams of attending university to become a botanist like her father. But this most unladylike wish is not her only secret. Now, Victoria has stumbled upon a family scandal that, if revealed, has the potential to change lives forever…

Prudence Tate :: Prudence was lovingly brought up alongside Victoria and Rowena, and their bond is as strong as blood. But by birth she is a governess’s daughter, and to the lord of Summerset Abbey, that makes her a commoner who must take her true place in society—as ladies maid to her beloved “sisters.” But Pru doesn’t belong in the downstairs world of the household staff any more than she belongs upstairs with the Buxton girls. And when a young lord catches her eye, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever truly carve out a place for herself at Summerset Abbey…

Other books in the series:

A BLOOM IN WINTER (Summerset Abbey #2) March 5, 2013
SPRING AWAKENING (Summerset Abbey #3) August 6, 2013

Amazon: IndieBound: B&N: BAM: S&S:

 

BIO :: TJ Brown is passionate about books, writing, history, dachshunds and mojitos. If she could go back in time, she would have traveled back to England, 1910, Paris, 1927 or Haight-Ashbury, 1967. She resides in the burbs of Portlandia, where she appreciates the weirdness, the microbreweries, hoodies, Voodoo Donuts and the rain.

Find her: Website  Twitter  Facebook

Menu Plan Monday

What's for dinner? We all get that question. I hear it at least twice from each member of my family. Usually followed by, I don't want that. It's almost a guarantee.

I also have a Pinterest board, I Should Serve This, where I collect recipes I think most of my clan will eat. There isn't anything we all eat anymore. I avoid grains, the boys avoid vegetables, the girl is uncertain of anything she hasn't had before, and the husband lives in fear of whatever vegetable I have hidden in the meal.

This week I'm mixing a bit of new recipes with standbys...and trying to avoid the grocery store. I go there too much.

Monday : salmon & Caesar salad
Tuesday : chicken with bacon ranch salad
Wednesday : kung pao shrimp & rice
Thursday : loose meat/sloppy joes with oven fries and almond zucchini crisps
Friday : chicken marsala & broccoli
Saturday : pizza & portabella pizza

Hey...what's for dinner?

Resolution Tour 2012 : The Wrap Up

Thanks to all who stopped by, bloggers and commenters, to share their support and best ideas for my resolution to eat healthier. And thanks to all those that let me try my hand at advice giving on their blogs.

Knowing people were taking the time to help me out has kept my diet honest and clean - except for the salted caramel brownie at my mother-in-law's. But, hey, salted caramel brownie. Anyone would go there.

Right now the kiddos are still having snacks I'd had in the house before we made the turn to healthy. I'm hoping that as I make better choices, and the crackers run out, they'll make better choices too.

Variety seems to be the key around here. Boxes of mandarins, bags of pears, and whole pineapples are not safe. We went through three cantaloupes last week. Hmmm, maybe fruit is endangered in our kitchen. I'm trying to get them to like spaghetti squash, and that is not happening. Even when I let them drench it in butter, thereby negating all health benefits.

Baby steps.

Resolutions Tour 2013 :: Eat Healthier with Cassiel Knight

Welcome Cassiel Knight, author of Hit Me With Your Best Shot to Jenna's Romantic Notions. Tell me, what do you think of my resolution to eat healthier?

I think this one is on my resolutions each year—all through the year – every year. Eating healthier is a good idea in so many ways. Helps us lose weight, puts us into better moods, gives us more energy, can help us live longer. So why do so many of us fail at this every year?
 
‘Cause it’s freaking hard! And there are so many other nummy things out there, and by God, I’m an adult and if I want to eat that cake, I’m gonna. Sigh. Not a great start to sticking with my resolution is it? And certainly not going to inspire you all to eat healthier.
 
But, here’s the thing—we know we should be. We KNOW this. It takes effort, planning and willpower. And a dedicated commitment to yourself. Aren’t you worth it? I know you are; I know I am so let’s make 2013 the year we actually eat healthier. Here are a few tips I’ve researched that actually make sense:
 

• Baby steps. Take stock of where you are, what you eat now (and I don’t mean a journal – ugh, that sounds like too much work). You know your weak spots. Maybe reduce or eliminate one thing. I resolve to reduce my mocha frappe’ consumption to two per week (versus the four I’m currently doing).
• Be a responsible consumer – don’t shop when I’m hungry (everything looks good) and read labels. Know the carb content (I’m pre-diabetic) of what I’m eating, as well as fat and calories. What’s your hot button?
• Forget exercising. No, it’s not what you think. Basically, it means don’t think of exercising—think in terms of increasing the level of activity. If it means you use the elliptical, by all means, go for it. But don’t think of it as exercising.
• Focus on eating foods with staying power. No empty carbs. Fiber, healthy fat, etc. Eat more fruits and veggies as well as change to whole grains.
• Make sure you include indulgences. Small portions and infrequent but don’t forget them. You’ll be less likely to overeat if you don’t deprive yourself of the things you love. My indulgence is ice cream. Vanilla. I’m not giving it up – it will make me resent taking better care of myself but I’ll have in moderation.

I’m sure there are more but I thought I’d start with these. I can do them. You can do them. Good luck!

Have a fantastic 2013!

Cassiel Knight resides in the beautiful, and evergreen, state of Oregon with her husband of over 20 years and two female Shih Tzus, which are her children in every sense of the word. When she isn't editing, writing or reading (and that is most of the time), she can be found playing with her Shih Tzus, gardening (when the weather permits and sometimes when it doesn't) and cooking fancy meals as long as someone else does the dishes. She writes paranormal romances with kick-assitude that blend archeology and mythology—just a few of her favorite things—for Samhain Publishing, Lyrical Press and Champagne Book Group.

You can find me at these places:

Website : Blog : Goodreads : Facebook : Twitter

Resolutions Tour 2013 : Head First into that Hot Fudge by Cathryn Cade

Welcome Cathryn Cade, author of Hawaiian Heroes III; Blooming in the Wild to Jenna's Romantic Notions. Tell me, what do you think of my resolution to eat healthier?

I have a hero.  No, this one’s not Hawaiian. She’s a slender little blonde from New York. I’ve never met her, and she doesn’t write romance novels. Geneen Roth writes and speaks about her life-long struggle with eating, and how she finally made peace with her body and with food.

The header of her website has this quote. ‘We don’t want to eat hot fudge sundaes as much as we want our lives to be hot fudge sundaes.’  Well, yes, and can I just dive in head first and stay?  Don’t bother throwing me a spoon, I’ll just slurp it up.

What this quote really says to me is that I am a sensual being, and I require a lot of sensory gratification. You know, things like soft, silky, warm, cool, crisp, icy, peppery, beautiful, comforting, enveloping, relaxing, energizing … the trouble is, I too often try to find all of these in food.

Which is why those fabulous diet regimens never worked for me. Tell me I can’t have it, and I want three, just to make sure I don’t miss out. Geneen’s advice is to eat exactly what our bodies crave, and stop when we’ve had enough.  So simple, and yet we distort it with ‘eat 4 ounces of this, don’t eat any of that because it’s bad for you, never eat after this time or before this time, always eat 3 of these a day’. Augghh!

If I’m cold, I go find a sweater or turn the heat up. I don’t berate myself for being cold, or tell myself that children in Africa are sweating right now, so I should be grateful for the cold.

So … why do we do that when we want a hot fudge sundae?  If that’s what we want, we should have one, not a celery stick. One hot fudge sundae will not make or keep us fat. And if we can trust ourselves to reach for what we truly want, then, maybe when we do want a celery stick we’ll eat one or two and enjoy the cool crunch, instead of reaching for a bag of something greasy because tomorrow we’re going on a diet and we can’t have it then so we have to have it now … Sound familiar? If it does, try one of Geneen’s books, or just one of her columns.  http://geneenroth.com/

Then maybe you can relax, and reach for another of life’s sensory pleasures … a great romance! ‘Cause they have no calories—yay! Although some are so satisfying we’d swear they must.

What’s the best sensual pleasure you plan to treat yourself to in the New Year? (Yeah, besides that. We can’t talk about that here, lol) Leave a comment!

Happy New Year,

Cathryn Cade

... red hot romance!

Goodreads, My Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Samhain Author Page,

And sign up for My Newsletter for a chance to win goodies!

 

Resolutions Tour 2013 : Eat Healthier? With Su Lute

Welcome Susan Lute, author of Dragon's Thief to Jenna's Romantic Notions... What are your thoughts on my New Year's resolution to eat healthier?

For me, this is the hardest resolution of all to talk about. There are so many ways to eat healthier. Gluten free. Sugar free. White bread free, to name just a few. The Mr. probably says it best, though neither of us abide by this advise. “Eat less and move more.” Also drink lots and lots of water. The colder, the better.

Many years ago I read a article about Biosphere 2, a self-contained human terrarium near Tucson, Arizona. The experiment's implications for colonizing desert terrains and maybe in the long run Mars was amazing, but what caught my attention was the salad they made from foods grown in the terrarium, which they claimed would prolong life. I don't know if that's true, and I don't remember all the ingredients of the original salad, but we ate it for months after. Today we bought a package of bagged salad reminding me of that yummy delight.

Shred cucumber and carrots. Add chopped cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Kale, Brussels sprouts, chicory. Mix in dried cranberries or raisins, roasted pumpkin seeds and a dash of poppyseed dressing. Serve and enjoy.

Do you have a favorite recipe that makes you look at your diet in a different way? The daughter does the cooking at my house, but I'll bet I can talk her into trying every recipe you suggest. And don't forget to eat less, move more and drink lots of water.

Where can find me :) Goodreads, My website, Facebook, Twitter and See Jane Publish. Sign up for my newsletter and have a chance to win a gift card to Amazon or BN. And don't forget to support your local authors by becoming a “fan” on Goodreads.

 **Thanks for stopping by to chat with Susan. Today, I'm Jessa Slade's blog. Help us both by stopping by and sharing your tips for getting organized.**

THE RESOLUTION TOUR - January 1 - 9, 2013

Maggie Jaimeson - Take a Vacation

Jessa Slade - Get Organized

Paty Jager - Volunteerism

Linda Mercury - Creating a Literary (or Creative) Life

Jenna Bayley-Burke - Eat Healthier

Cassiel Knight - No More Procrastination

Cathryn Cade - Take Time for those OTHER Creative Passions

Susan Lute - Reduce Stress: Find and Follow Your Bliss

Jamie Brazil - Shrink My Closet