Meet Dana and Max-and the seductive Enchantor Key

Today my first novella for Total-e-bound, CRUDE OIL is out. Yay! Please come take a look. It's hot, it's steamy, it's romantic, it will take you to those secret places where you live only in your mind. So come on, join the fun.

Dana Devlin was still recovering from a messy divorce following an even messier marriage. When her sister Jodi sent her to Enchantor Key for a weekend of relaxing and unwinding, the last thing she expected was a Meet Your Mate event. And the last person she expected to see what sexy hunk Max Hollister, who divorce attorney about whom she secretly fantasized. Touch was enough to turn her on, but when he brought out his special oil, she was lost to an erotic adventure.

Dana Devlin leaned back in her beach chair and resumed devising painful ways to kill her sister Jodi. Her excitement at the gift of a paid weekend at lush, exotic Enchantor Key had turned to shock when she’d arrived to find herself in the middle of a singles weekend. Signs everywhere read “Meet Your Mate”.
Yeah, right. She’d already met hers and one was enough, thank you very much.
And this place! She was shocked to realise what kind of resort it really was. At least for the weekend. At first she thought it was great how every guest had his or her own tiny bungalow away from the main building. But then she’d explored her “home for the weekend” and discovered it was stocked with all manner of sex toys, creams and fragrant oils. And God only knew what else. She’d stopped looking after finding the first stash.
Did Jodi really think this would be a good idea for her.
Not that Dana didn’t know what some of the stuff was. Or hadn’t used one or two to give herself the satisfaction Greg the Dipshit had never given her. But use them with someone else?
Jodi, Jodi, Jodi. Just how far did you think you could push me?
A splash of something wet on her thigh jerked her from her reverie and she got her second shock. Standing next to her, a tall, frosted drink in each hand, was her divorce attorney, Max Hollister. What in the hell was a stud like him doing at a weekend like this? And at a place like this?
A sudden image flashed through her mind of Max Hollister using some of the toys from her room on her and she felt a hot flush creep over her body.
Whoa, Dana. Rein it in.

Why Do We (Females) Like the Bad Guys?

I've been watching the Star Wars saga today with my husband.
The thing that struck me, and I have found it in romances, movies, even in real life.
The tendency of females to desire the bad guy. Not Villains mind you, just Bad Guys.
Anikin Skywalker was exciting before he actually turned to the Dark Side and became a villain.
Hans Solo was a Bad Guy - gambler, smuggler, playboy, but not a villain.

Don't get me wrong. My husband is a wonderful man. He is one of the good men. But when I watch a movie or read a book, my pulse beats a little faster and my pupils dilate with emotion as I watch or read about a bad guy.
Why is that?

From what I can tell from my limited experience and from what I could find on the internet, these seem to be the main reasons:

1. Bad Guys are exciting because they are pushing the envelope of what's acceptable.
2. Bad Guys present an aura of confidence because he ignores social constraints.
3. Bad Guys have a "edge"
4. Bad Guys keep you entertained and on your toes.
5. Bad Guys have an appetite for life.
6. Their hair is a little ruffled, their eyes twinkle with mischief
7. Bad Guys are outspoken, confident, secure in what they want, and very independent.
8. Bad Guys are not needy.
9. He is unavailable.
10. Bad Guys are always very hot and dangerous.
11. And last but not least Good Guys are boring.

Now I personally like my bad guys to stay in movies and in romance books. Real life Bad Guys have a tendency to create chaos in the lives of the female friends I have. Jail time, unwanted pregnancies, heartbreak all come from real life Bad Guys.

Happily, if you visit Cerridwen Press or Ellora's Cave you will find plenty of romance novels that offer you heroes with just the right combination of outspoken, confident, secure, very independent, handsome beyond imagination with hair that is a little ruffled and eyes that twinkle with mischief.

Tell us if you like Bad Guys and why. Do you like them in real life or in books and movies or both? And do you agree with my list?

Charlene Leatherman

Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz

“What’s wrong, Bella?” He straightened, alert.

She smiled. “Nothing, sugar.”

He grabbed her hand and for the first time noticed the dark stains on the brown shirt. He pushed up her wide, bell-shaped sleeve. The raw and oozing scrape ran up her arm.

“Dammit, Bella.”

“It’s no big deal, sugar.” She tried to pull back her hand but he wouldn’t let go.

“The hell it’s not. Got any iodine?”

She sighed, causing her magnificent breasts to rise and fall. “No, but I’ve got some antibiotic cream in the bathroom.”

He stood back and motioned with his hand. “After you.”

“You’re a stubborn man, Hank McHenry.”

“I could say the same about you.”

“Hmm,” was all she said as she walked out of the kitchen, the cat at her heels.

He followed her to the bathroom, trying to ignore the sway of her hips.

She sat down on the stool and pointed toward the medicine cabinet.

His gaze swept the bathroom, a pretty little room as feminine as its owner. Pristine white walls had apricot and yellow rosebuds painted on them. Fluffy large apricot towels hung on a dainty rack.

He opened the drawer, scanned the cabinet and pulled out a tube of ointment. “Do you have a washcloth you don’t mind getting a bit bloodied?”

She pointed toward a wicker basket overflowing with pastel washcloths and towels.

He picked one up at random and ran it under warm water. “Push up that sleeve, would you?” She complied and he gently washed her arm.

His head bent over her, he dabbed gently.

“You’re a good man, Hank McHenry,” she said quietly.

Her warm breath tickled his ear and sped up his heart rate.

The dabbing became a gentle stroking. “What kind of men are you used to, Bella?”

“Hard-edged, hungry men, sugar.”

For just a moment, his grip on her warm skin tightened. As the cat growled, his tail swishing, he forced himself to let go.

Picking up the tube of antibiotic ointment, he squirted it liberally on his fingers then gently rubbed it on her shoulder and arm.

He turned his head. Her lush lips were a breath away, moist and beckoning. She looked at him from heavy lids, her eyes as mysterious and deep as the ocean. He leaned closer.

The buzzer sounded loud and insistent from the foyer.

He drew back, willing his fingers not to tremble.

Unhurried, she stood up and pushed down her sleeve. “Thank you.” She headed for the foyer, her carriage as graceful and regal as a queen’s. The cat shadowed her like a witch’s familiar.

He waited a moment, fighting for control. He stared in the mirror. The man looking back at him was raw-boned and weathered with a head full of red hair turning gray. He planted his hands on the cool marble sink, leaned his head against the mirror and closed his eyes. What are you doing, McHenry? She is way out of your league.

I will be hosting a Name the Author's Baby Pic Contest. There will be a random drawing for a book download each day. To enter, you just need to leave a comment. Contest starts Monday at sandracox.blogspot.com

Time travel romance

Come time traveling with me and my wonderful characters in RING AROUND THE MOON. From this day on it is available from www.Cerridwenpress.com

Beth Ormond was pregnant with her first child when she rented Quest Cottage in Cornwall for one month. She looked forward to restful days and peaceful nights to plan her future as a single mom. But ...

"Gods laugh when people make plans." So said Woody Allen or another worthy philosopher.

A full moon shone overhead as Beth stepped from her car and walked up the flagstone path to the cottage. Suddenly a man emerged from a nearby stand of trees and called out to her.

"Elizabeth."

And that is where RING AROUND THE MOON begins. There's an excerpt on my web site.
www.anitabirt.com

Come time traveling with me and fall in love with Alan Tremaine.

Anita

Spring Brings New and Fun Stuff

Blog April 3, 2008


Spring is showing up.
I know the first day of spring was in March.
But Spring seems to be popping up all over.
Ads on the Internet for flower gardens are springing up.
Babies are being born, kittens are showing up in droves.
Little chicks are hatching.
New TV programs are blossoming.
My favorite catalogues are offering an easier way to grow tomatoes, strawberries, and a greener lawn.
Most of all, my cat has revealed her inner personality.
You see my cat is an alien. She comes from another planet and is saving me from
Invisible Space Alien Vampires.
She jumps up with no warning and scoots up the curtains in pursuit of the little monsters.
She hides under the bed and attacks them on my ankles, saving me from destruction.
She runs and pounces on the invisible critters outside.
And she watches.

Oh, and the most important,

I have a release date for Stone of Cruento May 1, 2008

I'm feeling old today.

So being forgetful I offer this joke for April 2. (I found it on the Internet. So if anyone wants either the joke or the picture removed, email. If I remember what I am doing when I read my email I will take them off. If I don't email me again. I am bound to remember sometime between wrinkles.)

Two elderly ladies are sitting on the front porch, doing nothing.One lady turns and asks, "Do you still get horny?"The other replies, "Oh sure I do."The first old lady asks, "What do you do about it?"The second old lady replies, "I suck a lifesaver."
After a few moments, the first old lady asks, "Who drives you to the beach?"

April Fools Day

Most of my friends don't bother with April Fool's pranks. To quote my husband, it's like drinking beer on St. Patrick's Day or making love on Valentine's. Amateur Hour. My kids, however are disappointed that his year it occurs during their Spring Break, so they don't get to terrorize each other and their teachers.

For any of you who thought April Fool was a recent phenomenon, you'd be surprized. Thomas Nast drew a famous cartoon in 1864: and it was an old holiday then.

Here's a website with some interesting looks at the history of the holiday: http://www.southcom.com.au/~seymour/aprilfool/april.htm
So tell me...what was your favorite April Fool's Joke?