An interesting dream, or what would you do?

I started drafting this blog yesterday about the common complaints of a writer. Too many things to do and not enough time. There are so many things I never have time to get around to doing. I could do webmail all day, but then I'd never write. And I could write all day, but then I'd shut myself off from friends, and of course the everlasting promo.
I didn't really expect the promo bit when I was focused in on being published. Now fourteen books later I'm juggling my time like a circus clown. That's was enough venting, but if any of you have ideas to help, what promo works the best, etc. do let me know. AARRRGHHHH!

Guess I was feeling unusually frustrated, and then last night I had an interesting dream. My current hero (Jono in 'Quest for Magic', book 5 in the Songs of the Mages series)) is undergoing an emotional awakening so maybe that's what triggered it. In my dream a good friend of mine and I had gone to a second hand shop looking for a desk for her. I love second hand shops, by the way. We found a lovely little desk and loaded it in her car somehow. Don't know quite how. Maybe it was a station wagon, but I not only dislike them but have a bad back that should have made me of no help. I'm not loading anything when awake! Anyway we got it to her place, carried it to her office and she left me to do something or other. This is a dream, remember. They can be short on logical details if you want them to be. While she was gone I was cleaning out the desk for her and found an old coin wedged in the back of one of the drawers. Don't ask my everybody else had missed it, this is still a dream. I knew enough about old British coins to know this was an exceptionally valuable gold pound piece. Worth beaucoup bucks. (I don't know much about them at all, but again, this is MY dream, so don't quibble.)

Anyway I stood there looking at it, wondering who it belonged to? Me? My friend?
The consignment shop owner? Doubtful, but if we reported it to her would she track down the former owner or pocket it? The former owner? The desk was old enough it probably had several owners. Which one do you pick?

Finders keepers doesn't seem quite right here. Or does it?

Some dreams are fun....

Do you dream?

Do you dream? I think every one of us does at some time or other. Some more often than others. Dreams are the images, thoughts and feelings experienced when we aren’t consciously controlling our minds. The world of dreams is mysterious and fascinating and the rules of reality do not apply. Many dreams are about sex. They can be triggered by hormones or natural biological urges we are supressing for some reason. Psychologically, sexual dreams are often a blunt expression of unconscious sexual desire. The scenario may reveal your hidden wishes or fears. If you dreamt about sex did you wake up feeling warm and fuzzy after cavorting with the man or woman of your dreams? Perhaps you dreamed of being carried away by Prince Charming, meeting your dream lover on the beach or making love before a crackling fireplace with wine and roses.

In Dream Strokes, to be released by The Wild Rose Press this Friday, Erin, my heroine, has just had a disastrous breakup of her engagement. She is emotionally wounded and unhappy, hiding out in one of four isolated cottages to try to heal. She dreams of a fantasy lover who comes to her each night making the most passionate love to her. When she awakes in the morning, the memory of the dream is so vivid her body even aches in the right places. Dallas, my hero, has suffered a similar emotional upset as well as a physical one. A wounded Navy SEAL, he has come to this area on the beach to heal both his mind and his body. And he, too, is having erotic dreams that mystify and confuse him. When they finally meet, they wonder if reality is intruding on their dreams and if something beyond the ordinary is pulling the strings.

She woke to sense a presence nearby, the feeling that another person was close. Forcing open her heavy-lidded eyes, she saw him standing beside her, broad shoulders tapering to narrow hips, silver light glinting over the curls on his chest and brushing glistening streaks through the rich golden hair on his head.
He was big all over, and hard. Not workout hard like the men she knew. A warrior’s body. There didn’t look to be an ounce of give to him anywhere. He was without a doubt the most masculine man she had ever seen, muscles limned in the ambient light, his face defined by a square jaw and high cheek-bones. She couldn’t see the color of his eyes in the dark, only that the faint light from the sky shone in them, reflecting the lust burning there.
Her heart trip-hammered, and she tried to move away on the bed.
He reached out and placed it a hand on her arm, stopping her. “No. I won’t harm you. Don’t move.”
She looked around. Yes, this was her bedroom, her window with the moonlight streaming in. But who was this man standing so close to her?
He lifted the sheet covering her naked body and drew it back, as if unwrapping a package, his eyes devouring her as each inch of her was revealed. Her flesh shivered under his gaze. When she lifted her arms to cover herself, he shook his head. “Why would you want to hide a body so beautiful and tempting?”
Erin dropped her hands to her sides, unexpectedly craving the stranger’s touch, the caress of his gaze on her skin. Her heart hammered against her ribs and heat bloomed throughout all her erogenous zones. How could she be doing this, exposing herself to a total stranger? Yet it seemed so very right. So…so…fated. That was it. Fated. As if arranged by a power greater than both of them.
Come visit me at www.desireeholt.com

Buy the book at www.thewildrosepress.com

Sweet Dreams

I talked about dreams today on my blog, so I wanted to share a dream scene excerpt today to tease and tantalize. This is from Djinni and the Geek available now at Ellora's Cave. Click on the cover for more info:




“Djinni and the Geek”
By Cindy Spencer Pape
ISBN: 978 14199 13730
Available NOW at Ellora’s Cave:
contemporary/paranormal

THIS CONTAINS ADULT MATERIAL

if you are under 18 or easily offended, stop reading NOW!

Excerpt:


It was her, the dark-haired beauty from the tournament last month. The violet-eyed belly dancer he’d wanted so badly but had never been able to find again.

But now she was here, hot and soft in David’s bed. He didn’t know how he knew it was her, the lights were off but he’d swear he knew her touch, her scent. Her long curls wrapped around both of them. Dave could feel the ends tickle his butt. Her lush curves filled his hands and Dave squeezed, his grip on her plump cheeks drawing her closer to him, plastering her against his chest.

Surprisingly strong arms wound around his neck, pulling his face down to hers and he didn’t resist. What red-blooded male could? He found her lips, touching them gently with his own. He forced himself to go slowly so he wouldn’t scare her away. He didn’t want to lose her—not again. He reveled in each soft stroke of his lips on hers. It was she who deepened the kiss, who opened her lips to nibble on his, who let her hand trail down his spine, pulling his groin even closer to the lush cradle of her hips. He plunged in with his tongue, giving her a foretaste of what he was about to do for real.

Goddess, he wanted her. He couldn’t remember when he’d ever been this hard, this hot. He pulled back so he could trail his lips down her chin to taste the soft skin on the side of her neck. She tasted of sugar and cinnamon, with just enough salty sweat to make the mixture headier than a drug and he licked and kissed his way down to the damp valley between her full, round breasts.

“What’s your name?” His voice was a husky whisper as he paused just long enough to inhale her scent. Spices again and feminine musk. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever smelled and he nuzzled the sides of her breasts, drinking it in.

She moaned, twisting to bring her nipple to his mouth. “Anissa.”

“Anissa.” It was as lovely as she was, feminine and exotic. He sighed with pleasure and caught her dusky brown nipple between his lips, making her cry out. Her nipple was full and plump and hard as a button. He swirled his tongue around it before pulling it in and pressing it between his tongue and the roof of his mouth. She arched her back, thrusting it deeper. He palmed her other breast and kneaded while he suckled.

“Oh yes.” She undulated beneath him and he trailed his hand away from her breast to the thick nest of curls between her legs. He could smell her arousal but he still groaned against her nipple when he felt the thick flood of wetness against his fingers. “Please.”

Her whimpered plea was all the encouragement he needed. With one last kiss, he released her breast and covered her body with his. His hand slid through her drenched slit, rubbed at her swollen clit for a second, then positioned his cock at her entrance. With one hard push, he rammed himself home, filling her hot tight pussy with his aching flesh.

He couldn’t go slowly but she didn’t seem to mind. Her lips lifted to meet every thrust and she made soft little whimpers each time he pushed against her cervix. Her sharp nails dug into the skin of his back, urging him on. He wasn’t going to last long and he wanted to make damn sure she came with him, so he angled his body enough to get his hand in between them and he fingered her clit, swirling it with her juices, then pressing down hard.

That was enough. She convulsed around him, her tight walls gripping his cock like a fist. It was all he needed to send him over the edge and he jerked his hips and shouted, spraying into her with everything he had.

His own cry of pleasure woke him up. As his eyes popped open and sleep drifted away, he could swear he heard her voice echoing in his ears.

The box. You have to open the box.

Have a great week, everyone!

From Wishes to Reality

I just returned home from a weekend away at my niece's 4th birthday party and realized it was my turn to blog. Oops!

I've reached some great writing milestones recently. My second Ellora's Cave book, I Put a Spell on You released July 13th. My first Cerridwen Press book, Best Laid Plans, released August 16th. I just finished writing another story for EC, tentatively titled Mystic Circle and I found out that my third EC book, Ronan's Grail will be released November 14th.

These are all wonderful accomplishments and I'm thrilled, but this week I accomplished something even greater. All my niece wanted for her birthday was a Dorothy Gale (Wizard of Oz) costume complete with the ruby slippers. I have Target.com to thank for the ruby slippers, but I sewed the blouse, jumper and bows from a pattern I designed by watching youtube videos trying to get the costume just right. (Yeah, I'm a little OCD about costuming) ;)

I stayed up late (did I mention I'm a procrastinator?) broke three needles, and sewed for hours. I was tired, but when my niece opened it and I saw the look on her face, it was worth any frustration and more. She threw her little arms around my neck and said, "You made all my wishes come true."

I guess that's what I like most - making wishes come true - whether it's for the characters in my stories or the children in my life. I have the most amazing job, family and friends in the world and I wouldn't trade a thing.