Welcome to the seventh stop in the Cocktales Pub Crawl. I recently started exercising again. I did this for two reasons. One—my ass was getting huge. And two, I realized that I could read my Kindle while walking on the treadmill, therefore catching up on my enormous TBR pile. First day out, I opened up a Kelly Jamieson book. I wanted to read Rule of Three bad! Kelly did not disappoint—she’s an auto-buy for me. That gal can write the hell out of a book. So…today’s drink was selected with my dear Kelly in mind. She’s Canadian. Did you know?

For this seventh round, let’s try a Canadian Breeze. Remember to write down that drink title to be entered in the grand prize drawing. Details about the crawl can be found on my website (www.maricarr.com).

1 ½ oz. Canadian Whiskey

1 tsp. Pineapple juice

1 tbsp. Lemon juice

½ tsp. Maraschino

Shake with ice and strain into old-fashioned glass over ice cubes. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a cherry.

This week’s pub crawl is being held to celebrate the release of Screwdriver on Tuesday, March 20. It’s is available for preorder at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The Cocktales books are about four friends who own a combination bar/bookstore in Portland called Books and Brew (this is my DREAM business). Each woman runs a different aspect of the business—bartender, bookkeeper/office manager, the marketing/events coordinator, and the bookstore gal. 

Today, I thought I’d give you a wee little sneak peek at the very last book in the series. Screaming Orgasm isn’t even written yet, though I’ve started a bit of it. Wanna see some? Top secret like? Oh—and pardon my unedited mess.

Reaching for a tumbler, she filled the glass with ice, then reached for the Glenlivet Scotch. It was Elias’ favorite drink. She never drank usually, but tonight she felt the need for something stronger than her usual Shirley Temple.

“What are doing?”

Elias’s deep voice cut through the quiet and startled her. “Oh.”

He rose slowly and walked to the bar. She admired his smooth elegance. She’d never met a man quite like Elias. A research scientist at a local facility, everything about him fascinated her. Stephanie teased her about her crush on him, but what she felt for Elias felt too strong to be given such a juvenile description.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He claimed a stool at the bar across from her. Even though he’d been coming to Books and Brew since they’d opened, she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him sitting at the bar. He always opted for the out-of-the-way leather chair.

“You didn’t. I mean, I knew you were here. I think I was zoning out there a bit. What did you say?”

“I asked what you were doing.”

She looked down at the glass of Scotch she’d poured. “Having a drink.”

He gave her a slight smile. “You don’t drink.”

She shrugged. “I do tonight. Thought I’d see what all this fuss is about this Scotch of yours.”

He didn’t speak as she lifted the glass, silently toasting him, before taking a sip.

She gasped. “Oh my God. That’s terrible.” She put the glass down, quickly looking around for something to kill the taste.

Elias’ smile grew and she realized she didn’t see him smile often. It wasn’t that he was miserable. Quite the opposite, he was very nice, genuinely friendly. While she’d always found him attractive, the full-fledged grin took his face from handsome to freaking hot in an instant.

“I should have warned you. It’s an acquired taste.” He rose and walked to the end of the bar, gesturing at the hinged entrance. “May I?”

She nodded. He lifted the wood and joined her. It was a night for all sorts of odd occurrences.

Elias reached for a clean glass and began to mix together several ingredients. Stirring, he handed her the new drink. “Given your love of coffee, I think you may find this more to your liking.”

She raised the glass with caution and sniffed at it. Elias’ face proved he was amused by her reticence.

“Trust me,” he said.

It was all she needed to hear. She took a drink. The liquor was smooth and creamy and quickly erased the lingering foul taste of the Scotch. “Delicious. What’s it called?”

Elias moved a step toward her. Jayne’s breath caught in her chest. They’d never been so close or alone. “Screaming Orgasm.”

She swallowed. Because of his nearness, Jayne was forced to look up. She’d known he was tall, but she’d never realized how great the disparity in their heights until now. He topped her short, five foot four frame by at least half a foot, maybe more.

Yet another big disparity between them. Another roadblock. She’d been surprised to learn from Stephanie that Elias was forty-three to her thirty. While her friends perceived that age difference as too great, Jayne wasn’t sure she agreed.

“Screaming Orgasm,” she repeated. She gave him a sad smile. “Never had one of those before.” There was definitely a double meaning behind her response. In the past, she never would have made such a revealing remark to him, but tonight, she felt too weary to shield her words.

His eyes narrowed slightly and she flushed.

Shit. Way to go too far, Jayne.

“I mean—”

“I know what you mean, Jayne.”

Now how about a little contest? Leave a comment here on Kelly’s blog by 6 a.m. (EST tomorrow, March 19) and one winner will receive their choice of an ebook from my backlist. The question is a naughty one. What’s your most wicked fantasy? Kelly’s Rule of Three is about ménage. Screaming Orgasm will contain a bit of light BDSM. What presses your hot buttons?

In honour of St. Patrick's Day (a day late!) this week's six sentences come from my book Irish Sex Fairy. The story is set in (fictional) Kilkenny, California. The Irish Sex Fairy in the book is a sex shop inspired by the much-forwarded email about the Irish Sex Fairy, which outlines all the benefits of sex. (TRUTH!). In the book, Keara's Aunt Maeve owns the Irish Fairy Sex Shop and tries to convince Keara that sex will cure all her problems (she has PTSD after the bank she manages was held up). 

When they stepped outside the small police office into bright sunshine and cool mountain air, she glanced at him.

“What?” he asked, looking at her.

She hesitated then said, “I want to have sex.”

Shane stopped walking. Glanced at his watch. “We’ll have to be fast. I’ve only twenty minutes left in my lunch break.”

---

Check out all the other Six Sentence Sunday authors here

I feel compelled to do my own Fifty Shades of Grey post. *sigh*. I apologize. I haven't read the book and I don't think I will. I have read the sample on Amazon and found the writing style to be a bit of a slog for me, but that's just me. Mostly it is the treatment of BDSM in the book(s) that bothers me, based on what I have read about it—the idea that the wounded hero who is into BDSM needs to be "cured" of that.

It also bothers me that this book has gotten so much attention for being edgy and original and ground-breaking, when the truth is, there are many, many books out there that deal with similar themes and are probably much better, which is really what prompted me to do this post.

I've read and enjoyed other authors' treatment of BDSM - my favourites: Joey Hill, Emma Holly, Shayla Black and Tiffany Reisz (although the book of hers I read is NOT a romance with a HEA).  But I write BDSM stories too, so here, I'm going to say it— if you read Fifty Shades of Grey and liked it and are looking for something along those lines to read, here are my suggestions from my own backlist (apologies for the shameless self promo on the wave of FSOG popularity)

Power Shift - features a deeply wounded hero who has used BDSM to get past his history, to make him a better man - he doesn't need to be "cured" of it, he needs to be loved for it. The heroine of this story is not innocent and virginal, she is a mature woman who once was sheltered and innocent but had to start a new life for herself and has become strong and independent.  Yes a submissive can be a strong, independent woman and in my stories, the dominant hero usually prefers someone like that to someone who is a "doormat" or just wants everything done for her.  Because submission actually takes a lot of strength and courage, this heroine has to be a partner for him.

Taming Tara - this is a retold Taming of the Shrew (not Twilight!) story, again with a strong, determined heroine who wants to be successful in a man's world. At first she confuses being strong and in control with being dominant, but when she meets the hero, who is most definitely dominant, she quickly learns that there is great pleasure in submitting to the one you love.

Power Struggle - of all my books, this would be the least similar to FSOG as it features an experienced "older woman" (she's not that old, but older than the hero) submissive who teaches a younger man about BDSM - a journey of self-discovery more so for the hero in this story who has to look deep inside himself and see himself as he really is, not what he thought he was.

Rigger - a friend- to-lovers story with an experienced Dom hero who's proficient in Shabari rope bondage. He teaches his best friend, who is somewhat innocent and disapproving of his lifestyle what BDSM is really about and she learns much about herself through this journey.

Sexpresso Night -  a short novella about a woman who was burned by a Dom who  wasn't a true Dom. In my books, my heroes are "caring Doms" who enjoy looking after their sub in many ways , including sexually. They aren't assholes who get off on power and control to the point of abuse. The heroine of this story turns to vanilla relationships but ends up unsatisfied until she meets the hero, a caring Dom who teaches her again that submission is strength and Domination is caring.

I've written a number of blog posts about BDSM and why I enjoy writing these stories. For those of you reading this who don’t read BDSM stories, let me assure you that all my books are very romantic, very emotional and very sensual stories even if there are scenes involving light bondage, domination, submission and yes, some ventures into mild sadism and masochism. When my characters have sadistic tendencies (and so far those have all been my main male characters, but stay tuned for an upcoming release that switches things up a bit!) they’re not sadistic just because it gives them pleasure to hurt someone. They’re definitely not cruel. Their pleasure comes from knowing that their partner needs, wants, even craves sensation, and that in giving it to her, they’re giving her pleasure, too.

The thing that all my Dom heroes have in common is that they are caring Doms. Because the Dominant in a relationship has power, he (and I only say “he” because my stories feature males Doms—certainly the Dom in a relationship can be a woman) he also has great responsibility. Just like Spiderman says. He is responsible for his submissive’s safety and her pleasure. That means knowing her, knowing what she wants and needs, knowing how far to take her. A caring Dom is kind and thoughtful. He loves and cherishes his sub. He takes care of his sub physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually. He provides safety and security and acceptance, and gives her the confidence and strength to give herself totally into his care. And although he takes control, he is ultimately controlling himself. He recognizes that even in a D/s relationship there has to be a balance of power and that it takes caring and understanding and commitment to achieve that balance. And he also recognizes that the journey of self-discovery never ends and there is always more to learn.

My sex six sentences this week come from One Wicked Night. This is a conversation between Kaelin and Tyler, the morning after the wicked night:




“I think he sort of figured out what happened last night. I was still wearing the same clothes and…” She looked around the church as if to make sure the minister wasn’t within earshot.

“Sweetheart, nobody could even imagine what happened last night,” Tyler said. “Which reminds me. Your panties are sitting on the desk in our room."

See all the rest of the Six Sentence Sunday participants here. 

 

This is the week every year where we celebrate reading e-books! I'm a convert to e-books (which didn't happen until AFTER I was published by a digital publisher!) for so many reasons. I am waiting for the day when publishing is publishing and all books are available in either e-book or tree book format (even if it's POD or through that wonderful Espresso Machine) depending on your preference, and every book is considered equal! 

To celebrate Read an E-book Week, Smashwords is having a special promotion. Two of my books are available there and this week they are FREE!

All I Want for Christmas (okay I know it's not Christmas, but you know, you could download and read it in December!)

Crazy Ever After 

 Sometimes the only fights worth fighting are those you’re going to lose...

Fiercely independent Samara Hayden has been working her way up in her father’s coffee company since she left home seven years ago, broken-hearted and betrayed. Now her father has died mysteriously and she has to return home. She shares her father’s passion for coffee and she knows the business, so she’s determined to take over running the company.

Turning Samara down that night she kissed him seven years ago was the hardest thing Travis Murray ever had to do. Eight years older than her, and her father’s business partner, he knew she was way off limits. After Parker saw them together, he made Travis swear he’d never touch Samara again, and Travis has worked hard to regain Parker’s respect ever since. With Parker now gone, he’s the natural one to succeed him as CEO.

Samara’s still attracted to Travis, but she can’t let that get in the way of her plans to run the company. Travis can’t let someone so young and inexperienced take over the business he helped build. Samara and Travis go head to head over business decisions, including the project Parker was working on in Matagalpa, but with the attraction still hot between them, they’re fighting over more than business...

So go get free books at Smashwords and READ AN E-BOOK!

Welcome back to another Six Sentence Sunday! This week's six sentences come from my book Crazy Ever After, which is available next week FREE at Smashwords, to celebrate Read an E-book Week!

They both wanted it. Right now, right here, hard and fast and unbearably hot. But he wanted no doubt in Samara’s mind, wanted it absolutely, unequivocally clear to her that he was doing this of his own free will. 

Their hands grabbed at each other, and finally, he just used his strength and held both her hands behind her back with one of his, took her knees out from under her with one leg and sent her to the mattress. He fell on top of her, his weight holding her in place, their hands still trapped behind her back. She made a noise, and he shushed her again, putting his other hand over her mouth.

For the most part since becoming a published author, I have had to accept that I'm really not a reader any more. In my public persona I can't talk the same way about books as I used to when I was "only a reader".

But I am a reader and I buy books and when I read Jane's post at Dear Author last weekend "Dear Publishers: What have you done for me lately" that post was speaking for me as a reader.

When I bought my Sony reader a few years ago it didn't take long for me to fall in love with it. I loved the instant gratification of being able to buy a book in the middle of the night when I had insomnia. Being an avid reader, I calculated that it wouldn't take long to recoup the cost of the device because ebooks were so much cheaper than tree books. At first I bought most of my books from the Sony Bookstore and I loved how easy it was to just click and automatically have the book in my library. Then I started running into problems. Some of the books I wanted to buy were not available to me because I live in Canada. These were often new releases by favourite authors, books I was excited and anxious to read. I got annoyed. I complained to Sony. They apologized and said they were working on it. Then things changed again and I could buy some of these books. But they were often priced over $10. Sometimes $13 or $14.

In Canada, print books are priced much higher than the US price - so I am used to paying more for books. Even when the US and Canadian dollar are equal in value, there is still a "Canadian" price on the book that is several dollars higher. In the past I shelled out $18 for a trade paperback by a favourite author without flinching. I am fortunate that I have disposable income to spend on my "hobby" which is reading.

But spending $14 on an ebook just didn't sit right with me.

I don't have a Kindle so I can't shop at Amazon, although I do have the Kindle app on my PC and have bought a few things and downloaded some free books.

Then I discovered Kobo.

 

 A Canadian (at that time) company with fewer restrictions on the books available to me! They sell epub format and it works on my Sony. And often the prices were cheaper than at the Sony store! I was in heaven! So long Sony, I'm doing all my shopping at the Kobo store. I now also read on my BlackBerry Playbook, which has the Kobo store app preloaded on it and makes it super easy to buy books; but I can also read epub and PDF formats on the Playbook so I can buy elsewhere as well.

But once again, something changed. Once again, the books I want to buy are priced too high.

Last week Sarah from Smart Bitches Trashy Books Tweeted a couple of coupon codes for Kobo - 35% and 40% off. Well, I was all over that. I could have my expensive "wish list" with 40% off! But no - when I tried to purchase the book and use the code, I was told due to publisher restrictions I could not use the code. So sadly I did not buy the books. That makes me sad for my fellow authors, who lost a sale because of restrictions their publisher put on their books. It doesn't make sense!

I'm a good customer for the publishing industry. Admittedly I don't read as much as I used to now that much of my time is taken up with virtually my second full time job of writing; but I'm still a very avid reader, one with disposable income to spend on books. Why make it so hard for me to do that? It doesn't make sense!

When I can't buy the books I want to buy, I still want to read. I go elsewhere. In the past I would go to the library. I would frequently check the "Express" book shelf, where new releases are loaned out for seven days, no holds, no renewals. I would also put a hold on new releases by favourite authors, especially if the book was only available in hard cover, and wait months until my turn came up. I didn't often shop at used bookstores, mainly because I'm such an avid reader that used books by my favourite authors are almost always ones I've already read.

Now when I can't buy books I want, where do I go? While I can access some digital books through my library, the selection is limited.  So I buy directly from publishers' websites like Samhain and Ellora's Cave. I'm finding new authors to love while the big NY pubs who put restrictions on what I can buy or who charge too much are losing my business.

Jane said: "Here are some recommendations to win over readers. Eliminate DRM. Sell direct to Kindle owners using a mobi format. Remove agency pricing. Allow the return of readership rewards programs, loyalty programs, discounts as print readers are allowed. Wholeheartedly embrace the idea of lending and sharing of digital books. Allow discovery of books via libraries. Eliminate geographical restrictions. Encourage the concept of ownership to increase value of the digital books to the readers."

The suggestion for publishers unhappy with Amazon's terms of service to start selling directly to the consumer - YES! I know this would work because this is what I've been doing, forced to do so by publishers' restrictions and high pricing. Let me borrow more digital books from the library. Let me exchange digital books with friends.

I really hope that publishers are paying attention to those suggestions. These are things that would win me, one of your best customers, back, and frankly…you need me.

Welcome to my first Six Sentence Sunday post!

These six sentences are from my most recent release, Rule of Three:

I don’t think I can do this. The words seemed loud in her head, but she hadn’t spoken them out loud. Determination to be bad, to show Dag, the rebel, she could be bad too, mingled with a desire to equally prove to Chris that she wasn’t shocked by the revelation about his past, and she was just as up for naughty fun as he was.

But uncertainty weakened her knees, made her hands tremble. She had no idea what to do. The arousal that had heated her earlier had been crowded out by nerves.

Just had to share - this isn't the first review for Rule of Three, got that one from
Sizzling Hot Book Reviews before it was even released! But I thought this one from  Fresh Fiction was really cool. I appreciate the reviewers comment about the cover. I love the cover, don't get me wrong, I think it's striking and beautiful, but it's true that the models in the image don't look anything like I describe the characters in the book. But that often happens with covers. I like covers that evoke a mood and this one definitely does!

Fresh Fiction says:

"RULE OF THREE is a beautifully written modern love story. Much like modern design esthetics, it's deceptively simple, with clean and simple lines. While the erotica element is prominent, it is ultimately a romance that expands the definition of "couple" to include three people. I was drawn to the three main characters; they are strong, loving, independent, and utterly comfortable in who they are and what they want. They have clear identities in both their personal and professional lives. The relationships, particularly that of Kassidy and Dag who are meeting for the first time, are given the attention needed to make the desire for a committed relationship believable. Their personal and professional conversations felt genuine. If there is one thing I didn't like about this book it's the cover. I point it out because the three androgynous, waif-thin models on the cover may invoke the wrong expectation in potential readers. Don't let the cover put you off. RULE OF THREE is a wonderful story between thirty-somethings who are established professionally and are discovering a new kind of fulfillment in their personal lives.

I'm already on the hunt for Kelly Jamieson's earlier books to see what I've missed. I can't wait to see what's next."

Release week is always crazy - busy, exciting, exhilarating, exhausting! I've been blogging and partying and giving away books and YAY! Rule of Three is #1 at the Samhain store!  Thanks to everyone who has bought Rule of Three!

Got my first reader email about Rule of Three and she said "Best menage ever!"  That made me SO happy!

Also made me happy when Carly Phillips tweeted:

Reading @KellyJamieson 's newest - scorching doesn't do it justice! #love

and

@KellyJamieson just finished! So emotional and wrenching- like if it was in real life, that's what everyone would feel. Awesome!

*Sigh*

And hey don't forget to vote for the Sammies! Some of my books are in there, but there are so many great books and covers!

OKAY! The contest winner of the $20 gift card is....Ashley!! I've emailed you Ashley.

Thanks so much to everyone who came by to help me celebrate! Now to get on with the next twenty books...
:-)

Rule of Three is out, and I'm celebrating because
THIS IS MY 20th PUBLISHED BOOK!

I can't really believe it myself, because I still feel like such a complete noob when it comes to this whole writing and publishing thing!

I've been giving away copies of Rule of Three all over the interweb (still chances to win at The Romance Studio Valentine's party, at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews, and at The With Love Valentine's Day Blog Hop (see below) until midnight February 14, and at Melissa Schroeder's blog on Thursday February 16.

But to celebrate 20 books right here I'm giving away a $20 gift card for either Amazon or Barnes and Noble, winner's choice. Just answer the following question:

What was my very first published book?
(Hint:  my books are all on the side of this blog, and they're in order from newest to oldest...)

I'll draw the winner Saturday February 18!

Welcome to the With Love Valentine's Day Blog Hop! I'm celebrating my Valentine's Day release of Rule of Three. Yes, it comes out February 14, a very nice Valentine's present for me! And for the blog hop I'm giving away a download of Rule of Three, so leave a comment if you'd like to enter!

My husband will be working on Valentine's Day  - he's the photographer for the Winnipeg Jets, our NHL team, and it's game night, so we won't be having a romantic dinner for two that night. But we are planning an overnight getaway with a couples massage and dinner out next weekend, which I'm quite excited about!






Spicing it up for Valentine's Day

From Romantic Moods, here are some tips to spice up your love life:
Try role playing…
Meet at a bar and pretend to be strangers… The excitement will be flowing in no time…
Fool around but don’t have sex…
Remember high school, when you’d make out for hours and never even take off your clothes? NOT having sex can be a huge turn on. (Kelly says: I *highly* recommend this one!)
Try an evening of finger foods…
Feeding each other gooey, messy, bites can be incredibly erotic…
Watch a dirty movie…
Either it will turn you on, or give you a great shared laugh.(Kelly says: Or read a sexy romance!! Maybe one of mine!)
Share the fantasy night…
Whisper your fantasy in his ear in public and let him stew in the thought until you get home. Have the stage set.
Send flirty texts..
In the hours before your date – by dinner, the anticipation will be driving you crazy.
Try something you never have before…
Whether it be a public place, bondage, or blind folds, it will bring a whole new dimension to your lovemaking.
Start with you nude in your heels…
Have him to put your garter belt and hose on you,  again you might not get past one leg.
Wear sexy underwear…
That you know your mate will love – it will be an extra special gift as he unwraps his “present”.
Let your date pick from a grab bag of coupons…
For different sex acts from a sensuous massage to intercourse in the room of his choice.
Mix it up and do it in a different room.
Sometimes a little variety can easily be found just by mixing up a small aspect of your lovemaking. A change of scenery certainly fits the bill. Get creative with places you can try such as stairs, the bathtub or shower, a guest room or even the living room.

Leave a comment with your favourite tip above or one of your own to be entered to win a copy of Rule of Three!

To further warm up your Valentine's Day, here's a little excerpt from Rule of Three:

Kassidy awoke in the morning to a feeling of heavy heat, surrounded by two men in the king-size bed.

Oh dear god. She was in bed with two men.

What had they done?

She squeezed her eyes closed and her body tensed as if trying to shrink away from the two male naked bodies on either side of her. Images ran through her mind, reliving highlights of last night, and she almost groaned aloud.

She searched inside herself for her feelings about all this, trying to figure them out. Because she had a lot of feelings and they were all tangled up into a mass inside her and indecipherable. She guessed that was called confusion.

There was no denying the arousal that lingered, low down in her womb, an insistent throb that couldn’t possibly mean she wanted more sex. Could it? Holy crap. She’d had three orgasms last night by the time they fell asleep and that was a first. Her body tingled at the thought.

Chris. Oh god, Chris. Terror at what he might be feeling today gripped her and stole her breath. But as she went over things in her mind, she knew he’d wanted to do it too. Unless her memory was playing tricks on her, she didn’t think it was a case of him being pushed to do something he didn’t want. Truly, he’d made her feel strong and special and amazing for doing that. She’d seen no signs of jealousy, just…arousal.

If she’d done anything that would hurt Chris, she didn’t think she could survive it. If he woke up and was upset about this, she was going to die. She couldn’t shake the vague guilty feeling that she’d cheated on him with his best friend. Except he’d been right there, participating. She pressed a hand to her stomach, quivering with nerves.

And with even more guilt, she had to admit she’d enjoyed every minute of it. Which was also freaking her out a bit.

What did that say about her, the fact that she’d enjoyed it so much? The pleasure of having two men focus all their attention on her, telling her how beautiful she was, how hot, how sexy, knowing they couldn’t keep their hands off her, knowing when they got inside her they came so fast and hard there was no question that she’d aroused them.

That was about the hottest thing of all.

Available for pre-order at

Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Samhain Publishing

Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you know that there was a glitch at Amazon but it has now been fixed and Rule of Three is available for pre-order there now!

Amazon

Of course it's also available at B&N and at the Samhain store.

This past week Book Lovers Inc did a great interview with me at their blog. Well, I don't know if my answers were great, but I thought the questions were! Lea asked questions about One Wicked Night that really dig beneath the surface of the story and I loved answering them. Check it out, and if you leave a comment there's still time to be entered in the giveaway of a copy of One Wicked Night - it goes until February 11. There's also a little about Rule of Three (Out February 14!!  I'm so excited!!)

Lea also reviewed One Wicked Night at Book Lovers Inc - "Author Kelly Jamieson crafts an emotional story introducing readers to three characters who want and need each other but are separated by years of pain and guilt,"

It's a little over two weeks until release day for RULE OF THREE so I thought I'd give you a sneak peek. Rule of Three is available for pre-order at Samhain (SALE! Only $3.85) and at Barnes & Noble, but strangely not at Amazon yet.

If you follow the rules, you miss all the fun...

Kassidy is a good girl who wants to be bad. Dag is a bad boy who is very, very good. And Chris? He likes to watch…

When wicked-sexy Dag returns to Chicago to catch up with his old college buddy Chris and meet The Girlfriend, none of them are anticipating the unexpected turn of events that switches a loving twosome into a scorching hot threesome. As old feelings resurface, and new attractions are explored, a storm of sexual sparks is unleashed that leads them into forbidden areas.

Always the good girl, Kassidy blossoms under the attentions of two loving men, but neither she nor Chris are expecting the ménage to take a quarter turn toward Dag…and his feelings for Chris. When it’s revealed that Dag’s attraction to Chris is one big reason he left town, a tangled mess of old hurts and new feelings might destroy friendship. Love. Might destroy everything.

Warning: This book contains a couple already in love, a couple falling in love and a couple in love who didn’t know it; also multiple scorching sex scenes including girl with boy, girl with two boys, boy with boy and two boys with girl...whew!

Here's the excerpt:

 

After a while, Dag said, “Come dance with me, Kassidy.” He set down his drink and rose to his feet. He held out a hand, and she looked at Chris, who smiled and nodded. She took Dag’s hand and followed him back to the dance floor, feeling a little like she were being led down a dark downtown alley at midnight, nerves fluttering in her tummy and her pulse leaping.

They moved to the music, a throbbing Latin drumbeat. Dag was a good dancer—of course—nothing flamboyant, but he knew how to move his body with an athletic grace. She let herself absorb the music, let it move her body, never taking her eyes off his face. When the rhythm slowed and merged into a slower song, he slid his hands over her waist, hips, around almost onto her ass. His heat enveloped her, the scent of his sultry aftershave filled her head as she slid her arms over his shoulders. Their hips moved together to the beat of the music.

Sex.

It felt like sex. Liquid heat slid through her body and pooled between her legs.

She bit her lip and looked over to where Chris sat. He’d crossed one ankle over the other knee, one arm stretched out along the back of the couch, looking so big and handsome and watching them.

Watching you with anyone would be a turn-on.

He lifted his chin in acknowledgement of Kassidy’s glance. She was almost afraid to tear her gaze away from him and return it to the dangerous man she was dancing with.

“Chris is watching,” Dag said.

“Yes.”

“He likes to watch.”

Dag knew that about him?

Their gazes locked. His hands slid lower on her hips, to just below the curve of her ass and his fingers moved. Dear god, he was pulling up her skirt. And it was short enough to begin with. Her pussy pulsed.The silky fabric slid higher, bunching a little beneath Dag’s fingers. “What are you doing?” she asked him through tight lips.

“Giving your boyfriend a show,” he said with a wicked glint in his eye.

I'm loving this song by Flo Rida right now.

Yesterday I went to my first NHL game since the Jets returned to Winnipeg. I've been eagerly watching every game on television but I finally go to experience the excitement of a live game. And I had fantastic seats, in Row 2 close to the blue line. Wow. Apparently our fans are becoming known through the league as noisy and crazy. We went fifteen years without an NHL team after the Jets left. It took 20 minutes for season tickets to sell out for the next three years. Just getting a single ticket for a game is almost impossible. So yeah...the fans are crazy in love with our new team. The atmosphere in the building has been described as electric.

There were hard hits on the boards only a few feet away from us, hits that made me cringe. At that level, you can really see how fast those players move. Again, wow! They go full out, and in  confined space like that, you can see how injuries happen so easily. I loved being able to see the players' faces. Defending the net, I saw the intensity on Mark Stuart's face again and again as he stared down his opponent, trying to anticipate his moves and keep himself between the puck and the net.

It was also cool to see the faceoffs from that angle, how focused everyone is as they wait for the puck to drop, and as soon as it does, how they move so fast, everyone knowing exactly where they're going. I saw the same pattern repeated several times, so these are obviously things they plan and work on.

The game started off a little slow, with not many shots for either team and I think that quieted the crowd a little. But it ended with huge excitement. Down 3-2, the Jets pulled their goalie for the extra man and banged away at the puck in front of the New Jersey net, seeming so close to getting it a number of times. The crowd was going crazy, trying to get the team going, but they just couldn't get that tying goal and ended up with a loss.

I wish my first live game had been a win, and I sure hope the Jets start winning again soon. I saw some ugly Tweets on Twitter from disappointed and disillusioned fans. Come on people! Your team can't win every game. Also, we wanted an NHL team. Nobody promised us Stanley Cup Champions. This team is still growing and we still get to experience NHL hockey in our city. It's great to be passionate about the team, but lets support them even through their losses.

I don't make New Years Resolutions because they're usually difficult to keep for a whole year and I always think it's just setting yourself up for failure. My husband always says his resolution is to work hard and make this year better than the last. I like that.

This year, however, I am going to make a resolution of sorts when it comes to my writing.

This is going to be my year of making writing fun again.

I think it's safe to say last year was a pretty crappy year for my writing. The fun got sucked out of writing. It got to the point where I sat down at the computer with my stomach in knots and stared blankly at the screen. I wasn't as productive. I wasn't as creative. I was miserable.

It happened for a few reasons. Some of them were beyond my control. Some things, though, happened because I let them. There were a few turning points in the year where I had to make some difficult decisions and take action, which was scary. But I did it. I took back control of my writing career. And things have improved so much.

How am I going to make writing fun again? 

In this business there are so many things that are out of our control. So this year I'm going to focus on the things I CAN control. Here are things I'm going to focus on, and things I'm NOT going to focus on:

I've had a five-year plan for my writing because I wanted to retire from day job and I hoped that my writing would help support me financially. I'm now two years into that plan and I can see it's not going to happen. But that's okay. I may not be able to write full time as soon as I'd hoped, but it will happen some day, and in the meantime, I still get to write and share my stories with people. So I'm going to focus on that.

I can't control the publishing industry. I entered into this business at a time where the industry is going through massive changes. This had an impact on my "plan" and is beyond my control. I need to let go of that and go with the things I can control. At first I thought that when the economy gets better and the publishing industry settles down, there still might  be hope of achieving my dreams. But now I don't think the publishing industry is ever going to go back the way it was, and I don't know what it's going to look like in the future. Maybe there will be a bigger place for me in it, or maybe not. I'm not giving up on the dream entirely, I'm just going to sit back and see how things shake out in the next few years. It may be that the dream I had just isn't realistic in this new world.

I love social networking, especially Twitter. I love all the information there is out there about writing and books and publishing. I love interacting with other writers and readers. But sometimes the world is a nasty place. There's a lot of hatred and ugliness out there. I'm tired of that. I'm tired of reviewers bashing authors any time they even talk about reviews; I'm tired of authors behaving badly over reviews; I'm tired of people who use all that negativity for their own agenda to draw attention to themselves, and thereby promote and perpetuate it.

Some of this I attribute to the Amazon phenomenon. There is so much pressure  - especially on self-published authors, whose only way of promoting their books is on their own -  to get reviews on Amazon, reviews which increase their rankings, which draw more attention to their books, which in turn sells more books. That's their livelihood and you can't blame authors for trying their hardest to do that. For self-published authors, I think it is safe to say that the majority of sales come from Amazon. It is HUGE. There are a lot of reviewers and traditionally published authors who don't get that. There are a lot of readers who don't understand that. It's caused a lot of conflict. Yes there are authors who have pushed too hard, reacted inappropriately. This is all new to people and people are making mistakes. But I'm tired of reading about it. All the time. People should just leave each other alone. So that is something I'm NOT going to focus on this year.

This year I'm backing away from some of the social networking. I think this will make me happier. It feels like a land mine at times, where an innocent comment can be misinterpreted and land you in a whole pile of steaming excrement. Having said that, if you want to interact with me - please do! I'm here and available through all the usual ways - email, Facebook, Blogger, Twitter. I will continue to send out newsletters to people who've indicated they want that. I will continue to Tweet about my writing and fun stuff and good news. I will try to post more on Facebook about those things. I will blog here and at the Nine Naughty Novelists and sometimes I'll do guest blog posts elsewhere. If you want to ask me a question or comment about my books, I'd love to hear from you.

I'm going to try not to focus on reviews (and I mean anywhere - Amazon, Goodreads, review blogs, review sites). This is a harder one, because every author wants validation for their writing. We all want to know if people like our work. So I have to keep reminding myself that there will always be some people who like it and some who don't. And that's okay. And I can't control it.

I'm going to focus less on promotion this year. Yes, we all want to sell more books, and reach more people with our stories. But there's a lot of stress involved in that too and it's always hard to know whether you're really getting any results. I'm not saying I won't do ANY promotion, because I will, but I'm not going to go crazy with a hundred guest blog posts with every new release and hammer-over-the-head promo Tweets about my books.

I will focus more on the fun things about social networking - interacting with people about fun and interesting things, celebrating other authors' good news and helping them share it, talking about books I love. I will unfollow people who are always negative, mean or self-righteous.

When it comes to my writing, one of the mistakes I made last year was trying to write what I thought I should be writing. So this year my focus will be on writing what I want to write. Yes I want to sell my books. But with other viable options for getting my stories out there, I'm just going to write the books I want to write and have fun doing it!

I think focusing less on the negative things and the things I can't control, and focusing more on the positive things and the things I can control will make writing fun again for me.

So I hope you'll come along with me for year of having fun writing and reading.

Today I'm at Long and Short Reviews guest blogging with a heartwarming Christmas story and a giveaway of my Christmas novella, All I Want For Christmas (which is also heartwarming!) Last chance for Christmas promotion! Hope you'll drop by and comment for a chance to win.

 

Ode to the male shopper

A last-minute buyer's cautionary tale

By: Doug Speirs

From the Winnipeg Free Press

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/ode-to-the-male-shopper-136130363.html

Enlarge Image

Dustin Byfuglien. (CP)

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Jim Slater (CP)

TRIBUNE MEDIA MCT e

Evander Kane.

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the mall
Not a woman was shopping, not a single one at all
The stores were jam-packed as far as you could see
With desperate male shoppers, bozos like me
The women were home wrapping, with ribbons and glue
They'd finished their shopping back in 2002

Us guys? We're just starting, to that I can vouch
We spent December napping, curled up on the couch
Now sweating profusely, with eyes all ablaze
We hunt for presents, manly zombies in a daze
Our wallets are stuffed, our credit cards ready
We'll buy almost anything: a bathrobe, a teddy

We do the same stupid thing, year after year
Put off all our shopping to eat snacks and drink beer
So now in a panic, we root through the stores
At the lingerie shops, we peer through the doors
We're afraid of lacy things, so we gaze from afar
Heck, it took us six hours to park the (bad word) car

We can't find a clerk, and they all seem so lazy
Listening to carols for months has driven them crazy
Our kids and our wives, they deserve so much better
Than bargain-bin toys, or a holiday sweater
See that jerk over there, the one crying by the door
He's clearly gone mad, he's shopped here before

But I won't give up, I'll browse till I die
My family will disown me if the perfect gift I don't buy
The kids want junk I wouldn't touch with a broom
Like, Alien Death Star or Zombie Killers of Doom
My wife isn't that fussy, it shows in her eyes
But I have no clue what she likes, or if it comes in her size

Time is running out, there are decisions to make
God help me if I repeat last year's shopping mistake
I thought it was brilliant, what I put 'neath the tree
It was the sort of present I wish she'd given to me
But apparently women do not get a big thrill
From a power tool set with a quarter-inch drill

So us guys trudge along at a very slow trot
Would our spouses be happy with Belgian chocolate?
As time ticks away, we start to grow frantic
What kind of (bad word) present makes a woman romantic?
A toaster? An iron? Some six-inch high heels?
Forgive us, we're guys, we're just spinning our wheels

What's that over there? It looks shiny and neat
That other guy wants it! His face I will beat
My Christmas spirit is really starting to sag
I haven't bought one thing; there's zip in my bag
Every guy in this mall is jacked on caffeine
We're edgy, we're angry, we're desperate and mean!

Dear Santa, please help me, I need a stiff drink
How do you do it? What's the name of your shrink?
Take a look in my eyes: They're lifeless and cold
Like a creepy Barbie doll (the last one's already sold)
We just need to buy something, we'll cough up the cash
Then out of this mall we'll (very bad word) dash

Hold on, what's that sound? I see a long line
In front of the Jets store; I pray I'm in time
My kids and my wife would love Dear Old Dad
If on Christmas Day in Jets gear they were officially clad
So I fight my way through, my elbows are high
A licensed Jets jersey I (more bad words) must buy

I think of the players, then call out their names:
"Bring me Slater and Byfuglien, and don't forget Kane!"
The hollow-eyed clerk forks over the gear
I've just paid a king's ransom for an NHL souvenir
But none of this matters; to home I must go
Sure, my gifts aren't original; I just went with the flow

But none of that matters, because I have to go far
Too bad I don't know where I parked the damn car
Still, I speak for all guys, the big and the small
We're just happy it's over; we're fleeing the mall
And you'll hear us exclaim, as we drive out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all, this last line don't rhyme!"
doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 23, 2011 A4