Monday, March 29, 2010

This Week At The Tiki Hut - J. K. Maze

This week's special guest is mystery author Joan K. Maze to talk about heroes.

Meet J.K. Maze:

I've always been involved in the arts, music, writing and painting, beginning with studying voice at Northwestern University. I interrupted this endeavor for a family, but finally finished my degree at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota. The emphasis, this time, was in subjects related to writing.

My first attempt at fiction was at the age of eight when my mother taught me how to use her turn-of-the-century typewriter. It was so heavy I couldn't lift it, but that didn't stop me from spending hours learning to type and, supposedly, write. As far as the story is concerned, it contained every mistake known to the publishing world, but it sparked my interest, which grew from that point on.

After spending years learning the craft of writing and producing stories, I joined Romance Writers of America, then KOD, the mystery and suspense group, and subsequently others. While I've received help from a local non-RWA writers' group, I credit RWA for bringing my writing to the point where it was considered publishable. Red Rose Publishing is a great organization to work with, and I'm delighted and honored to be one of their authors.

My first published novel, MURDER BY MISTAKE, is a cozy and the first in the Mollie Fenwick Mystery Series, it was followed by FRAMED IN FEAR, a single title romantic suspense. The second Mollie Fenwick mystery is almost ready to present to Red Rose Publishing, and is entitled MURDER FOR KICKS.

VISIT WEBSITE

How does a writer choose between two heroes? by Joan Maze

I’ve been asking that question ever since working on Murder By Mistake, the first in a cozy mystery series (also Chicklit). When I originally planned this book, it was to be a stand-alone mystery. That quickly changed when I realized I wanted to keep this protagonist, and thirty-something widow. She’s also an artist and works part-time for a bus company, transporting seniors and the disabled.

She’s also psychic, and when she sees a vision of a murder in her apartment, she decides not to inform the police of the clues. Who would believe a psychic?

The hero I originally planned for this mystery is her next door neighbor, a hunky homicide cop. Below is her first impression:

I couldn’t help grinning at the memory of the hunk. He had stood there, glaring at me, his arms folded across a broad chest, his legs slightly apart. Despite my agitation, I’d been unable to resist looking him over, my eyes going from the top of his head to his feet. His hair was a sort of russet brown with an errant lock tumbling over his forehead. He wore jeans molded to powerful looking thighs.

Then the unexpected happened. Another man walked onto the set and absolutely refused to leave, at times overshadowing Hero #1. How could this happen? I hadn’t planned him at all.
To discover why I didn’t want to get rid of him, check out the following excerpt, where she meets him for the first time.

Knowing Gladys’s penchant for the unusual, I thought I was prepared, but when we walked into Jack Wolf’s studio, I damned near fainted. The man out-intimidated Bartholomew by a mile. Wolf’s black hair was long and loose, Indian style, his short-sleeved white shirt hung open, revealing the bronzed skin of his heritage and a six-pack I simply gaped at. He wore his jean shorts low, and his muscles made it obvious he still worked out regularly. He was tall, maybe six foot three or four, and his eyes were black. The room was lined with shelves containing art supplies, and three easels contained paintings in various stages of completion. The whole scene before me suggested emotions and feelings in a big way. There was also strength, as evidenced not only by the paintings themselves, but by the man.

Wolf has become a very important part of the series; in the second book, Murder For Kicks, he becomes the heroine’s kickboxing instructor, and the heat index goes up about fifty degrees, maybe more.

So, how does a writer choose between two heroes? I still don’t have an answer. Not only is my protagonist, Mollie, unable to choose, neither is this writer. And guess what, there’s a third hero waiting in the wings, anxious to take a larger role in the next book, Murder By Spook. (That’s spook as in spy, not ghost.)

The first time a character took over, I tried to fix it. It didn’t work. Now, after many such occurrences, I’ve decided it’s logic taking over.

Either that or my characters are smarter than I am.

WIN - Leave Joan a question or comment here at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut this week and your name goes in the hat for a free download of her book MURDER BY MISTAKE. Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you're our winner! Good luck!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Shirley Tallman's Tiki Hut Winner

Thanks to all who stopped by to celebrate the release of Shirley Tallman's new Sarah Woolson Mystery SCANDAL ON RINCON HILL with her and congrats to Julia Rachel Barrett, your name was drawn to win an autographed copy of one of Shirley's first three Sarah Woolson books. Please email AuthorIsland at yahoo.com, along with your mailing address and which of Shirley's first three Sarah Woolson Mysteries you'd like to have, so we can get you out your prize!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Gale Laure's Tiki Hut Winner

Thanks to all who stopped by to chat with Gale Laure about her book EVOLUTION OF A SAD WOMAN and congrats to Jerry B. Please email AuthorIsland at yahoo.com with your mailing address so Gale can get you out an autographed copy of her book!

This Week At The Tiki Hut - Shirley Tallman

Hi fellow Islanders, and thanks for inviting me to blog on Authorisland! I’m honored to be asked.

First of all, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Shirley Tallman and I'm an author and screenwriter. I've written a syndicated newspaper column (titled Penny Pinchers), movies for ABC, CBS and NBC (including THE BABYSITTER'S SEDUCTION starring Keri Russell), stage plays, romance novels for Harlequin/Silhouette, and murder mysteries for St. Martin's Press (the Sarah Woolson historical mystery series).

My husband and I live in Eugene, Oregon (GO DUCKS!!!), but we spend a lot of time at our cabin in Lake Tahoe (the Nevada side). And no, I don't gamble because I never win. If I just once hit a jackpot -- JUST ONCE! -- I could probably be persuaded to change my mind. But I never do. Oops! All right, you caught me. Maybe I still give it a try every now and again. I mean, come on, there's gotta be a first time, right??

Okay, now that you know a little bit about me, let me tell you something about my books – mystery whodunits set in 1880s San Francisco. My heroine, Sarah Woolson, is young, intelligent, and beautiful – the only daughter of an eminent, well-to-do family. She is, in fact, the sort of woman any man would be delighted to marry. There’s just one catch: Sarah has no intentions of entering the domestic state, which would legally allow her husband to pretty much control her life! (Sounds awful, doesn’t it? But that’s the way it was in the 1880s).

To the dismay of her family and friends, Sarah has chosen a very different path. Defying Victorian convention, she has vowed to become an attorney, a decidedly unwomanly profession! As far as nineteenth-century San Francisco is concerned, women belong firmly in the home. To venture outside this realm is to go against God’s will – a firmly held belief most men, and a surprising number of women, are all too willing to say to her face.

In MURDER ON NOB HILL – the first book in the Sarah Woolson series – feisty Sarah finagles an interview at one of the city’s most prominent all-male law firms, managing with a little subterfuge, to be hired on as the company’s newest, and only female, associate attorney. She soon acquires her first client, a lovely young society matron accused of murdering her wealthy, and abusive, husband. Ignoring her employer’s protests, Sarah champions the young woman, only to find herself embroiled in shady legal maneuvers, a daring Chinatown raid, and a secret and very scandalous sex club.

Book two in the series, THE RUSSIAN HILL MURDERS, finds Sarah once again risking her job, and her reputation, to defend a man whom she believes has been unjustly accused of murder. Faced with her first criminal trial – and an unfriendly judge and jury – she very nearly loses her own life in an effort to prove her client’s innocence.

In THE CLIFF HOUSE STRANGLER, Sarah and her reluctant colleague, Robert Campbell, brave the worst storm of the season to attend a séance at San Francisco’s famed Cliff House. After a dramatic display of spirit apparitions, flying trumpets, and phantom music, Sarah and Robert make a grisly discovery: One of the twelve people seated with them around the séance table has been brutally strangled!

SCANDAL ON RINCON HILL – which will be released on March 30th – opens when a badly beaten murder victim is discovered only two blocks from Sarah’s peaceful Rincon Hill home. Within the next week two more bodies are found in the same neighborhood, and the city is thrown into a state of panic. Reluctantly, Sarah agrees to represent the two young men accused of the killings, only to find herself faced with the all but impossible task of proving the men innocent.

Engaged in a desperate struggle to find the murderer, Sarah becomes involved in the erotic escapades of the town’s infamous high-end brothels, secrets surrounding a proper Anglican church, the volatile goings on in San Francisco’s theater district, and a vicious killer who will stop at nothing to achieve a scandalous objective!

I think you get the idea. Our resolute heroine is determined to go to whatever lengths necessary to defend her clients, even if it means taking on the entire male-dominated 1880s legal establishment! She’s one very brave and determined young woman.

But I’ve gone on long enough – probably longer than DeNita had in mind when she invited me to write a blog for her fantastic website. If you’d like to learn more about me, or my books and movies, please visit my website at http://www.shirleytallman.com/. While you’re there, you can check out my book video, read chapter one of SCANDAL ON RINCON HILL, visit my blog, the San Francisco Facts page, or just drop me a note to say hi. I LOVE to hear from you, and promise to answer all your letters personally.

Thanks again for letting me visit the Island and meet all of you. It was great fun!

Aloha,

Shirley Tallman
WIN - leave Shirley a comment or question this week and your name goes in the hat for an autographed copy of your choice of one of the first three Sarah Woolson Mysteries! Please leave your email address so we can contact you if your name is drawn. And don't forget to check out the fantastic contest Shirley has going on over at her website www.ShirleyTallman.com - she's giving away a KINDLE and $75 in Amazon cash this month to celebrate her new release!!

Monday, March 15, 2010

This Week's Special Guest Gale Laure

This week's special guest at the Tiki Hut is international selling author, Gale Laure.

Gale is a native Texan. She was born along the coast of Texas in an area referred to as the "Golden Triangle".

Gale Laure spent her young adult years in Tyler in East Texas, and Houston, Texas. She has resided in a small suburban town in the Houston area for more than 20 years with her husband and family.

As mysterious as her mystery-suspense thriller book and novel, Laure writes under a pseudonym. She is very adamant about maintaining her privacy and the privacy of her family as a mystery!

With an attitude that "you can do anything you set your mind to", Laure travels forward in life fulfilling all of her dreams. She credits her huge imagination and true love for research for taking her to this career decision to be an author. She also credits some special people in her life which offered encouragement to become a mystery writer.

She has gained her experience for writing from her careers including owner of a business service, marketing and consulting company, owner of her own travel agency, employment in the medical field including office manager, a short stint as a legal assistant, a paralegal, and employment in an insurance office and CPA's office.

Gale Laure enjoys her career and life as an author. She finds inspiration from her readers, friends and family.

Laure's hobbies include genealogical research, movies, creating stories for the children around her, involvement in her church and people watching. By watching people she obtains ideas for the characters in her books. So watch out! You may see some of your own traits in a character in her mystery, romance, and suspense-thriller books. She loves the "human being" and everything about them, both good and bad.

Gale Laure is known for her informal Southern style of writing. Books written by Gale Laure include her current debut, mystery-suspense thriller, Evolution of a Sad Woman. It is selling internationally as an ebook download, Kindle and a trade paperback.

WEBSITE *** BLOG *** MYSPACE *** TWITTER *** FACEBOOK *** GOODREADS *** AUTHORS DEN *** PODOMATIC


***
An Interview with Keziah Elaine Theriot
By Gale Laure

Keziah Elaine Theriot - or Kizzy, as she is called – is the main character and the murder victim in Evolution of a Sad Woman. Kizzy is described as being a different woman with each of the five men that she loved. These five men join forces as strangers to try and solve her murder in this mystery, suspense, thriller and romance novel.

Kizzy, how many men have you loved in your life?

I have loved only six men in my life. My father, Alan, was the first man I ever loved. My father was strong and gentle all at the same time.

Tom Hastings was my first true love. Tom was the most fascinating man I ever knew. I could feel weak in Tom’s arms. He was so big and so strong.

William Newton was the smartest man I have ever known. He was actually brilliant about everything. He had dignity and poise. His smile could light up a room.

Evan Picard was the gentlest person I ever knew. He tries to be tough with other people, but he always treated me with gentleness. His hands were strong and soft all at the same time.

Jimmy Smithson was the sexiest, bad boy I have loved. Even Jimmy’s badness was good. Jimmy does everything with a passion.

Father C.D. Casmiersky was the best person I have ever known. He is a genuinely good and God-like man. He was pretty good looking, too.

How many men have you had sex with, Kizzy?

(Giggles). I don’t think that number is important. I can tell you, many people have found me sexy and none of them have ever been disappointed.

What did you want for your life?

(Kizzy answers very solemnly)
I always wanted happiness. I wanted to be a movie star with the camera lights flashing around me. I wanted to strut on a deliciously, deep, red carpet with one of the men I loved on my arm. I wanted to go home from the event to my children sleeping sweetly in their beds. I wanted to kiss their foreheads and cover their toes. I wanted simple peace.

If you could live your life over again, would you change everything? Anything?

To change my life would say that I had done everything wrong. I think I would repeat meeting and loving the six men I have loved. Would I change everything? No. Would I change some things? Maybe. I would not do everything differently. You see this time I would know the outcomes of all my actions in advance. So I would do everything the same. It would only be the outcomes that would be different.

Do you feel your loss of innocence was your downfall in life?

My loss of innocence? I never lost my innocence right up to the end.

Do you think you are a good person, Kizzy?

Of course, I am. I am as good as anyone else. I am much better than many people. Believe me, I could name some.

Were you a different woman with each of the five men?

I don’t know why you say that. I am just me – always. Maybe they were different with me.

Kizzy, what do you think about the men you have loved falling in love with other women?

(Slowly moistens her large pink lips) Those five men will never love anyone the way they loved me. Once I love a man, he stays loved. (Smiles) They will never, ever forget me!

Lastly, Kizzy, what would you like to say to the readers?

Don’t judge me. You don’t know me.

(Leans forward and whispers) And, you never will!

(smiles)

WIN - leave Gale a comment or question sometime this week and your name goes in the hat for an autographed copy of her book EVOLUTION OF A SAD WOMAN. Please be sure to include your email address, so we can contact you if you are this week's winner!

The Cougar Book Winner

I want to thank our very special guest authors - thanks so much for sharing your excerpts with us this past week and hope you had fun...we sure did!!!

And thanks to all our fantastic readers, who stopped by to enjoy those excerpts and hopefully get to know these wonderful authors just a little bit better.

Congrats to joder!! You won the copy of THE COUGAR BOOK - I know you're going to love it!!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The Cougar Book - An Excerpt From Heidi Champa

Heidi Champa is a typical last-born child. Snarky, attention-seeking and rebellious, she started to create dirty stories to keep herself out of real trouble. Having tried her hand at a million terrible jobs, she bought herself a laptop and finally started typing up those handwritten tales. After much deliberation, she started to let other people read her work.

In addition to her flare with the written word, she knows every sentence of the movie Clue by heart and bakes a mean Funny Cake. When she is not writing, she can be found reading, hiking or filling her iPod with more music. Her life has taken her all over the world, but a piece of her heart will always be in Australia. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband. Her greatest wish is that her sarcasm would translate better in the written form.

She has been published in numerous anthologies including Best of Best Women's Erotica 2, Best Women’s Erotica 2010, Playing With Fire, Frenzy and Ultimate Curves. She has also steamed up the pages of Bust Magazine. If you prefer your erotica in electronic form, she can be found at Clean Sheets, Ravenous Romance, Oysters and Chocolate and The Erotic Woman. Find her online at heidichampa.blogspot.com.

Excerpt of SPRING TRAINING by Heidi Champa
THE COUGAR BOOK

I looked out the window, watching the fluid, easy motion of his arm. He barely looked at the ball when he caught it. It was as if he were on autopilot; until the ball thrown by his partner sailed past him, and went careening off the wall of the building where I was sitting. My heart skipped a beat as I watched him running straight towards my window, his legs pumping hard. The ball skipped up against the base of the building. Before I knew it, Derek was standing right in front of my window. He bent down to pick up the ball and stood up, his eyes staring right through the glass at me.

I froze, unable to move an inch in my chair. I expected him to just run off, but he didn’t. He just kept staring, his eyes fixed on mine. A deep flush rose up in my face. His smile surprised me, as did his apprising gaze. His hand reached out and touched the window, just for a second. His hand truly was large, his fingertips leaving smudges on the thick glass. It felt like he was touching me, a jolt of electricity shot through me. He turned and ran away, returning to his buddies and their game of catch. Nothing had happened, but it felt as real as anything ever did. Turning away from the window, I tried to calm down. But, my breath was ragged and quick. I could feel a rush of moisture between my legs. My reaction seemed out of proportion, somehow odd. I looked at my clock. It was almost lunch time again. I cast one last glance out the window, before heading to the break room. Somehow a boring sandwich seemed like just what I needed.

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WIN - Six different authors will stop by this week with excerpts from their stories to give you a taste of the different genres covered in this one hot anthology! One reader who leaves a comment on each of this week's posts (March 8th - March 14), will win an autographed copy of THE COUGAR BOOK!!! Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner!!!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

The Cougar Book - An Excerpt From Craig J. Sorensen's ADRIAN'S LOVER

One evening at the close of the 1970’s in Caldwell Idaho, while sitting on a milk crate overlooking Tenth Avenue and waiting for a customer to come in and break up the monotony, Craig Sorensen had a revelation. It may not seem earth shattering now, but to a man not yet twenty years of age, this moment would be defining in ways he had yet to fathom: There had to be more to life than pumping gas. He also knew he couldn’t take the same course that so many seemed to suggest was the only proper way for a young man to get to the next stage of life. An answer seemed materialize from the cold, dry Treasure Valley air.

Sorensen joined the US Army where he learned to work with computers not long before the introduction of the PC. Armed with a blitzkrieg education in the programming language COBOL, he embarked on a journey to define himself as a soldier, programmer, businessman, manager and in creative pursuits. Many life changes later, family, career and fully succumbing to his first passion of writing, Craig has never forgotten what it means to experience a change that helps to define a person.

A nearly lifelong fascination with sexuality and a love of both beauty and ugliness that makes getting up in the morning worthwhile brought Sorensen’s writing to the fertile ground that is erotica. Though he loves to write in many genres, he is infinitely comfortable in the expression of passion and sensuality. By combining this with the study of those changes, sometimes small and sometimes big, that shape lives, he has found his creative voice, and is grateful to have found places to express this voice in numerous anthology collections by a host of editors including Rachel Kramer Bussel, Maxim Jakubowski and recently in Jolie Du Pre’s enticing collection, The Cougar Book. His story in this anthology, “Adrian’s Lover,” explores a change akin to that moment sitting alone in that gas station in 1979.

Beyond continuing to develop short stories, Sorensen’s recent efforts are devoted to writing a novel based on those days not long after that revelation overlooking Tenth Avenue as he joined a mixed bag of soldiers in a Military Intelligence unit in West Germany.

He maintains a blog at http://www.just-craig.blogspot.com/


ADRIAN'S LOVER by Craig J Sorensen
THE COUGAR BOOK

Setup:
Brendan Vivaldi is a young writer who has landed in a small town working for a local newspaper. He is searching for direction in his life when he is assigned to do an interview at a local bar with a little known musician from the 70’s named Adrian Parker. From the very beginning, Adrian provides him with more surprises than he can handle.

Excerpt:

Adrian ripped into her guitar and belted out the vocals for another set. This time, she plied even more from that Les Paul Junior Guitar, with those long, strong hands. Her powerful voice caressed the room, now nearly empty. The passion of her performance didn’t dwindle in the least. At closing one of the few that remained brought up her old album. “Jesus, darlin’ where did you find that relic?”

The man folded his hands nervously. “I bought it new.”

“Oh, you’re a doll.” She signed it. The man blushed.

“May I?” The rightful owner handed it to me. Adrian had indeed been skinny. Her hair had been straightened and was cut short around her angular face. They’d put a tight silky purple blouse on her to make her eyes appear even more exotic and to showcase her high, full breasts atop her slim chest. Her skin was warmly tanned and buttery.


“You’re more beautiful now.” I suddenly worried she’d think it was just another line.

Her brows lifted like a draw-bridge.


I shrugged. “Well, you are.”


A soft, sweet smile like I’d not seen on her face opened. “Thank you, darlin.”


“Um, listen Adrian, I haven’t, um, asked all my questions.”


One knee pressed between mine. “I was hoping you’d say that.”


A fresh hard-on stretched my zipper. She took my hand.



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WIN - Six different authors will stop by this week with excerpts from their stories to give you a taste of the different genres covered in this one hot anthology! One reader who leaves a comment on each of this week's posts (March 8th - March 14), will win an autographed copy of THE COUGAR BOOK!!! Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner!!!

Friday, March 12, 2010

The Cougar Book - An Excerpt From Sascha Illyvich's WHISKEY TASTING

Today's special guest, Sascha Illyvich.

I am a published erotic romance author with several releases out at Renaissance E-books and Total E-bound. My contemporary romance A Christmas Favor is a recommended read from The Romance Studio. I continue to write for Renaissance E-books and Total E-bound with releases throughout the year. I host the UnNamed Romance Show on Radio Dentata where we interview the hottest in today’s erotic romance fiction. I am also a founding member of the WriteSEX team, dedicated to educating authors of all genres on how to add erotic elements to any story.

Learn more at SaschaIllyvich.com

I'll share an excerpt from my story "Whiskey Tasting" which features a rather sexy yet familiar woman in my world, who just happens to own a cigar bar. Her favorite client comes in frequently. One night he comes in with a younger woman and Morganna gets irritated. Determined to establish and keep him, she arranges to have the bar open for him alone for a special type of tasting…

WHISKEY TASTING by Sascha Illyvich

THE COUGAR BOOK

Drawing the shades over the windows, she looked at the clock on the wall. Ten till 2.

If she knew him as well as she did, he’d be slightly early.

Her body hummed in anticipation of his arrival. Nervousness wasn’t something Morganna normally dealt with but the fact that another five minutes had passed way too slowly and Nicholas hadn’t arrived yet bugged her.

She looked down at an empty shot glass. Picking up a bottle from the bin, she poured herself a shot of single malt and knocked it back. Dutch courage for a cougar, she laughed.

The handle at the door jiggled.

Morganna looked up and walked around to the front of the bar. Reaching for the handle, she pulled the door open to see Nicholas standing before her in black jeans and a faded gray tank top. His suit coat hung over thick shoulders.

She licked her lips. “Come in.”

With a smile, he nodded and stepped into the bar. “Wow,” he looked around. “It’s odd being here when it’s quiet.”

She chuckled. “Yeah. It’s kinda nice sometimes. I can fire up a smoke, sample inventory or just clean extra thoroughly if I want. But you’re here for a different reason.” She winked.

He didn’t miss a beat. Shutting the door behind him, he reached for Morganna with one hand.
Catching her by the shoulder, he pulled her forward and wrapped his arms around her.

Crushing her chest against his, she felt the firmness of strong muscles beneath the cotton shirt.
Hands cupped her bottom, squeezing her.

She squeaked and stepped back from him with a glint in her eye. Looking up at him, she saw her smoldering desire reflected in his gorgeous eyes.

He started to speak, started to dip his head down to meet her mouth, but stopped short.
Morganna parted her lips.

Nicholas didn’t move.

She arched an eyebrow. “Something the matter?”

He shook his head. The look in his eyes definitely spelled out desire. If there was any doubt, the bulge beneath his jeans reaffirmed his arousal.

“Then what, sweetie?” She touched his cheek, running fingers over the smoothness of his face.
He’d shaved, making it easier for her fingers to glide over smooth masculine skin.

Stepping closer, she inhaled. Picking up the rich scent of cigars, light sandalwood and his aroma, the smile on her lips widened. “You’re not used to being the seducer, are you hon?”

Nicholas nodded.

She smirked. “I thought so. Come this way and we’ll make this easier for both of us.” She turned, sliding her hand down his chest until she’d captured his hand.

Pulling him towards the bar, she led him into a seat where the first rocks glass and a bottle of highland single malt sat. She walked around to the other side of the bar and pulled off the top.
“This is a standard highland single malt, similar to the one you normally drink.” She poured a 1 oz. shot into the glass, then retrieved a glass for herself.

Nicholas picked up the glass and swirled it around. Shoving his nose into the glass, he inhaled a deep whiff of the liquid before bringing the scotch to his lips. Taking a sip, he kept his eyes on Morganna the entire time.

She mimicked his movements and took a sip of the strong scotch, picking up caramel notes along with charred oak before the liquid slid down her throat and confirmed her thoughts. She should know what the drinks in her bar tasted like.

Her eyes roamed up and down the length of Nicholas’s body. After the rest of the first shot hit him, he relaxed his shoulders just slightly. Leaning forward, he set the empty glass down on the bar and smiled. “Good stuff.”

Morganna moved down the line to the next bottle. Pulling the top off, she poured another shot into another empty glass and slid it forward before pouring a shot of her own.

Nicholas did the same thing, swirling, smelling and sipping the scotch.

By this time, the warmth of the liquid hit Morganna. She wasn’t feeling light headed by a long shot, and her inhibitions were never really a problem but the draft from the fans had ceased making her cold once the second shot of highland single malt hit her.

Licking her lips, Morganna poured another round for them both of the second bottle. “This particular highland malt could go great with those Hondurans you always smoke. The Patels?”
Raising his glass to Morganna, he nodded. “Good point.”

Watching the line of his throat work while he took a large sip excited her. The motion called to her desire to lick a trail down his neck and peel off that tank top to caress his chest with fiery kisses.

Setting the empty glass down, he slid it forward and smiled.

Morganna decided it was a good time to switch to shot glasses for his special treat.

He eyed her with curiosity. “Why the switch in glasses?”

Inhaling a deep breath before letting it out slowly, Morganna’s lips curved upwards in a wicked smile. She leaned forward, reaching for Nicholas. Catching him by the collar of his tank top, she tugged him forward. “I have a surprise for you, my favorite scotch drinker.”

Nicholas’s body became pliant to her pull. He moved forward, planting his lips against hers.
His mouth curved upward against her lips before parting.

She slid her tongue inside his mouth, swirling around the contours and his own tongue.

The two wrestled for control of the kiss.

Morganna inhaled deeply, the taste of scotch on his breath mingling with the heady after scent of Nicholas. Pure, masculine. Not in control.

Leaning further so that her breasts brushed across the bar, Morganna pulled back and nipped at his lower lip.

Fingers stroked her chin and along the side of her neck before reaching for her hair. And capturing tangles between nimble fingers.

Another hand pressed against the top of her breast.

Morganna adjusted herself and let his fingers wander down into the neck of her oh so tight top.
His fingers skittered along her skin lightly.

Her flesh tingled from his slight touch. She purred into another kiss, tasting him with a subtle sweep of her tongue. Her panties were wet by now, nipples had become taut against the fabric of her top.

Pulling back from the kiss, Nicholas’s eyes were somewhat glazed over.

Morganna felt a surge of pride at her ability to turn this man on. He may not know how to approach a woman bent on seduction but he sure as hell knew how to use his mouth. Bending over more, she nipped his bottom lip and grinned into another kiss before stopping to notice her feet were no longer on the floor.

Swinging back, she giggled and moved the bottles away from where she planned her next pour.
The smug look on Nicholas’s face confirmed what she suspected. He wasn’t sure where this was going, but was about to enjoy finding out.

He cocked his head to one side and licked his lips. “What are you doing?”

Morganna squared her shoulders. “Giving you a final taste of the last whiskey. This,” she picked up a shot glass and showed it to him, “is a special blend of various single malts from different regions of…” She pursed her lips together for a moment, then decided that her body was right.
She needed him in her. “Me.”

His eyes widened in surprise.

Grabbing the bar for leverage, Morganna hoisted herself up on top of the bar so that she squatted before him. Her skirt bunched up. Standing straight, she hiked up her skirt so that her panties showed.

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WIN - Six different authors will stop by this week with excerpts from their stories to give you a taste of the different genres covered in this one hot anthology! One reader who leaves a comment on each of this week's posts (March 8th - March 14), will win an autographed copy of THE COUGAR BOOK!!! Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner!!!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Cougar Book - An Excerpt From Donna George Storey's COMFORT FOOD

The Flavors of Pleasure

By Donna George Storey

I didn’t fall in love with my husband just for his literary last name, but I have always want to be a writer ever since I can remember. I finally followed my dream when my first son was born, and I started writing short stories during his naps. Thirteen years later, I’m still writing and loving every minute of it.

My true passions in fiction are a sexy love story and a celebration of good food—which can be almost as delicious in prose as on the table. In my erotic novel, Amorous Woman, which is based on my own experiences living in Japan, I linger as lovingly over the amazing meals I enjoyed there as I do over the amorous encounters. Likewise my story in The Cougar Book, “Comfort Food,” also explores how the art of cooking can nourish, heal and create a delectable connection between a woman “of a certain age” and a handsome young chef.

To me the appreciation of pleasure is more than hedonism. It’s a way to open ourselves to the beauty and poetry of the world. That’s what I try to do in my stories and in my kitchen. Bon Appetit!


Website http://www.donnageorgestorey.com/
Blog http://sexfoodandwriting.donnageorgestorey.com/
Book Trailer--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlnXqY-LyEE


Excerpt from “Comfort Food” in The Cougar Book

As soon as I got back to my room, I tore open the bag and ripped into the paper box inside. The waitress—or Joseph—had thoughtfully included a napkin and a plastic spoon, but like some wild beast, I pinched off a chunk of the rice pudding with my fingers and jammed it into my mouth.

The moan that escaped from my lips made me glad I’d retreated to my private lair. It was, quite simply, the most delicious rice pudding I’d ever eaten in my life. The texture was mousse-like, rich with cream but airy as a cloud. I tasted a kiss of rum, a heartier vanilla than the day before. Mexican perhaps? I’d only gotten a mere ribbon of sauce in my first mouthful but it did indeed taste like the essence of summer sunshine.

Joseph might be a recipe-hoarder and an incorrigible flirt, but when it came to pudding, the guy was a genius.

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An excerpt from Amorous Woman: Amorous Woman Link-- ISBN: 1905619170

“And so I told him how living in Japan would give him a leisure no mere tourist has, to know the rhythms of the place, a land of tiny poems. In autumn, he’d see the persimmons glowing like huge, orange jewels on their bare branches, then winter’s dusting of snow on blue tile roofs. He’d learn why the old erotic pictures are called “spring prints” — because in that season the air is as soft as a lover’s whisper––and he’d sigh at the perfect coolness of iced barley tea slipping down his throat on a wilting summer afternoon. As the year passed, he would become part of it. The neighbors would stop staring and start to nod a greeting, and one day the tiny old lady in the gray kimono at the snack stand would wrap up his regular order of red-bean-and-rice balls before a word was spoken, and she’d flash him that first gold-toothed smile, and he’d be happy all day. ‘It’s like someone’s given you a whole other life, I told him, an extra life, to live for a while.’”

BUY THE BOOK

WIN - Six different authors will stop by this week with excerpts from their stories to give you a taste of the different genres covered in this one hot anthology! One reader who leaves a comment on each of this week's posts (March 8th - March 14), will win an autographed copy of THE COUGAR BOOK!!! Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner!!!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Cougar Book - An Excerpt From Jeremy Edwards' BOSTON. BREASTS. BOHEMIAN.

The libidinous fiction of Jeremy Edwards has been widely published online, as well as in over forty anthologies. His work was selected for The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, vols. 7, 8, and 9; he has read at New York’s In the Flesh and Philadelphia’s Erotic Literary Salon; and he has been featured in the literary showcase of the Seattle Erotic Art Festival. Jeremy’s first erotic novel is Rock My Socks Off (Xcite Books). Readers can drop in on him unannounced (and thereby catch him in his underwear) at www.jeremyedwardserotica.com .

Jeremy Edwards - My Fantasy, Her Story

There's no reason I need to know whether the fortyish woman I found sexy as hell in 1985 thought I was a cute twentysomething. It wouldn't have mattered then (we were both happily attached and monogamous), and it matters less now.

Don't get me wrong: I liked to *fantasize* that she thought I was a hot young pup. Hey, it still makes a great fantasy, even though I'm now older than she was then. As we know, the past can exist quite vividly in fantasyland.

But discovering the truth of her internal reaction to me--whether my presence made her want to lick her lips or roll her eyes--was not necessary to enjoying the fantasy. It might even have interfered with it.

And then, a quarter century down the road, I had the opportunity to write for Jolie du Pre's Cougar Book.

The story I tell in this anthology, "Boston. Breasts. Bohemian," is not my real-life story of the mid-'80s. But it draws on some elements of my memories. And through the puppet show of my characters--who only resemble me and "her" a smidgen--I indulge the fantasy.

And yet, as I tell it now, it is not a young man's fantasy. It is my conception of *her* story, my attempt to envision her needs, her passion, her perspective, and her complexity.

Here's a taste of the tale, narrated by my protagonist Claudia:

***

BOSTON. BREASTS. BOHEMIAN. by Jeremy Edwards

THE COURGAR BOOK, Logical Lust

I was never taken with the ambitious ones. Even if they were nice ...even if I judged that their interest in bedding me had nothing to do with their career aspirations ... I simply didn't respond to their suits, their calculating punctuality, and their disconcertingly smooth adaptation to the yuppie milieu of 1980s Back Bay Boston. Damn it, a twenty-two-year-old--male or female--should not look totally natural with a briefcase, I thought.

No, I liked the guys with the ratty knapsacks. The guys who weren't sure when or when not to drink at lunchtime; who didn't see that as cool as their thrift-store vintage jackets looked on the hanger, they didn't fit right; who still believed, thank goodness, that it was their art or writing or music that mattered, and not getting to the"day job" five minutes early--and who would say so out loud in their cubicles, being too naive to realize I listened from my open-dooroffice around the corner. They figured I disapproved of their chronic tardiness and forgave them; but in reality I loved them for it. It made me want to fuck them. It aroused what had never died in me, no matter how many meetings I had to take with marketing people and accountants and lawyers: my passion for beauty. And my passion for young men who really, really cared about something--who weren't, for instance, too occupied or tired or lazy to go see some incredibly important underground band I'd never heard of on a Wednesday night,even if it meant they had to walk home afterward and get short changed on sleep. I had no intention of listening to the latest "amazing"album, but I wanted to know my bohemians bought it the day it came out.

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WIN - Six different authors will stop by this week with excerpts from their stories to give you a taste of the different genres covered in this one hot anthology! One reader who leaves a comment on each of this week's posts (March 8th - March 14), will win an autographed copy of THE COUGAR BOOK!!! Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner!!!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The Cougar Book - An Excerpt From Julia Barrett's YOU MIGHT JUST GET IT

Julia Barrett has lived many lives, but the one central theme of each is her writing. She’s written prose and poetry since she was a child. She comes from a long line of men and women who love to read and write, starting with her beloved grandmother, a playwright. Julia has had articles published in medical and nursing magazines and poetry published in various literary journals. Now she writes romance in several genres, including science fiction, futuristic, paranormal, romantic-suspense and she dabbles in contemporary romance.

Julia and the love of her life live on the West Coast with an entire food chain of animals and three children who come and go frequently. She loves to hear from her readers! Website: http://juliarachelbarrett.net/ email: Julia @JuliaRachelBarrett.net

YOU MIGHT JUST GET IT by Julia Rachel Barrett
The Cougar Book, Logical Lust

EXCERPT:


Eric lifted his eyes and studied the woman seated across the small table from him. Her damp curls surrounded her head like a halo. The first time he’d seen her, in the window across the courtyard, her hair had been damp, just like this. Sweet. Very appealing. He wondered if she had any idea her kitchen window looked directly into his. Probably not. She’d only moved in ten days ago. Eric assumed she was still busy unpacking. That was one of the reasons he’d invited her to dinner, one reason among many. He wondered briefly how old Kate was. It was hard to tell. She could be anywhere from twenty-nine to forty-five. But he wasn’t about to ask her and he didn’t care. Her age didn’t matter to him. Her laugh did. Her big brown eyes did. Her luscious lips. Her wide white smile.

When he’d arrived home and found her soaked to the skin and shivering on the stoop, he got to play the hero. That was twice in two days. There was no way he’d pass up an opportunity to spend time with her. He’d hoped she’d accept his offer of dinner and he‘d been pleased when she did. It was no big deal, one of his easy meals. Oven toasted rustic bread with melted gruyere, roasted tomatoes, baby arugula and a soft fried egg. Simple and sensuous. The sandwich was messy and it required the use of all your fingers. There was a lot of runny egg yolk and licking involved. Eric hoped he could segue that licking into something else entirely.

God, there was a lot to like about her. Not only was Kate easy on the eyes, she was intelligent, articulate, mature, and she appreciated his sense of humor. Plus she blushed at the drop of a hat. Eric found that adorable. She wasn’t jaded or flighty, like so many women he’d met recently. He’d bet the farm she hadn’t grown up in California. Probably Iowa or Illinois. Someplace rural. An old-fashioned country girl.

“Where’d you come from? I mean, where are you from originally?” he asked.

“Blair, Nebraska. It’s a little town near the Missouri River. I went to school there. Dana College. You?”

“Minneapolis.”

“You’re kidding? You don’t have a Minnesota accent.”

“Yeah, well, I worked hard getting rid of that. I can do it if you like.”

“You mean like…Minnesooooota, North Dakoooooota, ya think? Like that?”

It was Eric’s turn to laugh. “More or less.” He looked at her plate. “Finished?”

“Oh, yes, thank you. The sandwich was great. I can cook, but I guess it never occurred to me that such simple ingredients could taste so good together.” Kate reached for his empty plate and set it on top of hers. “Let me help clean up. That’s the least I can do.”

He watched as Kate rose from her chair and stretched. He enjoyed watching. Her breasts were pert. Not large, but pert with perky nipples. Two handfuls. That’s all he needed.

“You have a long day today?”

“Not too bad. Really. It would have been better if I hadn’t locked myself out. But…what can you do? I was sort of hoping to curl up in a hot bath with a good book, but I left my book in the car and then the key…well, you know the story.” Kate carried the plates to the sink.

Eric followed with the empty glasses. “You can still have a hot bath,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess,” she replied, rinsing off the plates.

Eric set the glasses down on the counter and ran a hand lightly through the chestnut locks that hugged the back of her neck. He watched goose bumps rise as he trailed his fingers along her shoulders. He heard Kate’s sharp intake of breath. He waited momentarily to see if she’d move away, but she remained still.

“I mean, if you’re interested, you could have a hot bath…with me.”

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WIN - Six different authors will stop by this week with excerpts from their stories to give you a taste of the different genres covered in this one hot anthology! One reader who leaves a comment on each of this week's posts (March 8th - March 14), will win an autographed copy of THE COUGAR BOOK!!! Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner!!!

Monday, March 8, 2010

This Week At The Tiki Hut We Celebrate Logical Lust's New Cougar Anthology

This week, we celebrate a new anthology from Logical Lust that celebrates The Cougar in all women!


Hot on the heels of the successful anthology SWING! Adventures in Swinging by Today's Top Erotica Writers comes THE COUGAR BOOK, a stunning collection of hot stories of Cougar women.

What is a Cougar woman? She's age 40 or over, and she dates younger men. She's also intelligent, confident, attractive, enjoys sex, and she knows what she wants. These strong, successful ladies know exactly what they look for in a younger man - and they get it!

Available in both ebook and print, edited by Jolie Du Pre and with an introduction by Valerie Gibson - The Original Cougar, this new anthology from Logical-Lust features a "Who's Who" line up of authors: Rachel Kramer Bussel, Shanna Germain, Bill Brent, Madeline Moore, Jolene Hui, Emerald, D. L. King, Craig J. Sorensen, Jeremy Edwards, Donna George Storey, Sascha Illyvich, Heidi Campa, Tara S. Nichols, J. C. Wesner, Randall Lang, Adriana Kraft, Keeb Knight, Dona Lee, Doug Harrison, Brenna Lyons, Trish DeVene, Julia Barrett and Blue Canyon.

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Six different authors will stop by this week with excerpts from their stories to give you a taste of the different genres covered in this one hot anthology! To read an in-depth interview on each of the authors included in this collection, head over to the Logical Lust Blog!

WIN - One reader who leaves a comment on each of this week's posts (March 8th - March 14), will win an autographed copy of THE COUGAR BOOK!!! Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner!!!

The Cougar Challenge - Winners!

What a fun week!!!

Thanks to all the authors for being such great guests and thanks to all the readers who stopped with great comments and questions - you guys are the greatest!

Congrats to ALL the winners - enjoy there are some great books coming your way!!!

Joder - you win a free download of Samantha Kane's PLAY IT AGAIN SAM
S7anna - you win a free download of Lynne Connolly's BEAUTY OF SUNSET
Estella - you win a free download of Dalton Diaz's WINTER'S THAW
Maria - you win a free download of Desiree Holt's HOT TO TROT
Flchen1 - you win a free download of Mari Carr's ASSUME THE POSITIONS
Sweet Vernal Zephyr - you win a free download of Mari Freeman's SIN ON SKIN
Armenia - you win a free download of Ciana Stone's CAM'S HOLIDAY

And for the grand prize - CathyM - you win the beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon!



Sunday, March 7, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book Seven - CAM'S HOLIDAY by Ciana Stone

Seven of the wildest women of erotic romance pull out all the stops in a series about women who dare to take the challenge and experience the delights of sex with a younger man. Women who cast off their cloaks of conventionality and indulge their inner wild woman.



Call it fate or coincidence, but when Autumn Kelley, Rachel Bridges, Camille Stockton, Monica Allen, Elizabeth Winters, and Stevie Jones meet at Romanticon™, an Erotic Romance convention, an instant bond is formed. Not only do they share a love of Erotic Romance, but their lives are traveling remarkably parallel paths. All single due to quirks of fate (or unfaithful men), each of them longs for the kind of sexual adventure and romance they read about in the erotic romance books they so love. And each one is terrified at the idea of trying to pursue that dream.

When the convention ends, the friendship grows. They chat online and by phone and even blog on a private blog Camille sets up. They discuss their fantasies and tease one another about not having the courage to have a “real” Cougar experience. Soon they are joined by an unlikely new member, Edie Howard, unbeknownst to them an ex-supermodel.

One of the women gets a bit tired of “all talk and no action” or as she refers to it “the Elvis song” (a little less conversation a little more action) and challenges everyone to get out there and see what’s available.

And so they do.

Each woman finds her own brand of sexual adventure and perhaps sexual reawakening. And she blogs about it to her friends. They cheer one another on, laugh at the “oops” moments and tease each other good naturedly as their stories unfold.

Books in the Cougar Challenge Series:
1. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Samantha Kane
2. BEAUTY OF SUNSET by Lynne Connolly
3. WINTER’S THAW by Dalton Diaz
4. HOT TO TROT by Desiree Holt
5. ASSUME THE POSITIONS by Mari Carr
6. SIN ON SKIN by Mari Freeman
7. CAM’S HOLIDAY by Ciana Stone

Come meet the ladies of Cougar Challenge at Romantic Times Booklovers convention. The Cougar Growl on Thursday, April 29 2:30-3:30 will have the authors in person and feature lots of prizes and giveaways. Visit their blog for yummy pictures, posts and details!

CAM'S HOLIDAY By: Ciana Stone
Book seven of the Cougar Challenge series.

Fantasies about being with a younger man? Before her husband left her for a younger model, they wouldn’t have crossed Cam’s mind, but now she has plenty. After meeting a group of ladies at RomantiCon, Cam and the women form a blog celebrating younger men—Tempt the Cougar. Then they challenge each other to find a younger man to make their fantasies come true. It’s not a husband hunt. It isn’t about love. It’s about a night of hot, steamy sex.

When Lee Holiday enters Cam’s life, he seems like the right man for the job. A personal trainer, he makes it clear he’d love to ring Cam’s bell. And ring it he does. Repeatedly. Cam’s found sexual nirvana. Only Lee’s not going to be happy with a short-term, sex-only relationship. He wants the whole nine yards and is out to prove to Cam that he’s more than just a holiday from her normal life. He’s the man of her dreams.

BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book Six - SIN ON SKIN by Mari Freeman

Seven of the wildest women of erotic romance pull out all the stops in a series about women who dare to take the challenge and experience the delights of sex with a younger man. Women who cast off their cloaks of conventionality and indulge their inner wild woman.



Call it fate or coincidence, but when Autumn Kelley, Rachel Bridges, Camille Stockton, Monica Allen, Elizabeth Winters, and Stevie Jones meet at Romanticon™, an Erotic Romance convention, an instant bond is formed. Not only do they share a love of Erotic Romance, but their lives are traveling remarkably parallel paths. All single due to quirks of fate (or unfaithful men), each of them longs for the kind of sexual adventure and romance they read about in the erotic romance books they so love. And each one is terrified at the idea of trying to pursue that dream.

When the convention ends, the friendship grows. They chat online and by phone and even blog on a private blog Camille sets up. They discuss their fantasies and tease one another about not having the courage to have a “real” Cougar experience. Soon they are joined by an unlikely new member, Edie Howard, unbeknownst to them an ex-supermodel.

One of the women gets a bit tired of “all talk and no action” or as she refers to it “the Elvis song” (a little less conversation a little more action) and challenges everyone to get out there and see what’s available.

And so they do.

Each woman finds her own brand of sexual adventure and perhaps sexual reawakening. And she blogs about it to her friends. They cheer one another on, laugh at the “oops” moments and tease each other good naturedly as their stories unfold.

Books in the Cougar Challenge Series:
1. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Samantha Kane
2. BEAUTY OF SUNSET by Lynne Connolly
3. WINTER’S THAW by Dalton Diaz
4. HOT TO TROT by Desiree Holt
5. ASSUME THE POSITIONS by Mari Carr
6. SIN ON SKIN by Mari Freeman
7. CAM’S HOLIDAY by Ciana Stone

Come meet the ladies of Cougar Challenge at Romantic Times Booklovers convention. The Cougar Growl on Thursday, April 29 2:30-3:30 will have the authors in person and feature lots of prizes and giveaways. Visit their blog for yummy pictures, posts and details!

SIN ON SKIN By: Mari Freeman

Book six of the Cougar Challenge series.

Wild women do…

That’s the theme for the friends Stevie Jones found at an erotic-romance convention. But as the women share their experiences with younger guys on their Tempt the Cougar blog, Stevie discovers she’s the least wild of the bunch. Finding a younger man isn’t the problem; after a lifetime of unfulfilled desires, Stevie needs a younger alpha man. In the meantime, getting a tattoo is an easy, safe way to begin ramping up her wild side.

Tattoo artist Errol knows instantly what Stevie needs, and it’s not just a bit of ink. He’s hot, young—and he’s just invited Stevie to his private BDSM club. Before you can say “green light”, Stevie is experiencing things she’d only read in her favorite erotic novels. Sinful toys, spanking benches and voyeurism are just some of the stops on what will become the wildest ride of her life.

BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 Romanticon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.

Friday, March 5, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book Five - ASSUME THE POSITIONS by Mari Carr

Seven of the wildest women of erotic romance pull out all the stops in a series about women who dare to take the challenge and experience the delights of sex with a younger man. Women who cast off their cloaks of conventionality and indulge their inner wild woman.



Call it fate or coincidence, but when Autumn Kelley, Rachel Bridges, Camille Stockton, Monica Allen, Elizabeth Winters, and Stevie Jones meet at Romanticon™, an Erotic Romance convention, an instant bond is formed. Not only do they share a love of Erotic Romance, but their lives are traveling remarkably parallel paths. All single due to quirks of fate (or unfaithful men), each of them longs for the kind of sexual adventure and romance they read about in the erotic romance books they so love. And each one is terrified at the idea of trying to pursue that dream.

When the convention ends, the friendship grows. They chat online and by phone and even blog on a private blog Camille sets up. They discuss their fantasies and tease one another about not having the courage to have a “real” Cougar experience. Soon they are joined by an unlikely new member, Edie Howard, unbeknownst to them an ex-supermodel.

One of the women gets a bit tired of “all talk and no action” or as she refers to it “the Elvis song” (a little less conversation a little more action) and challenges everyone to get out there and see what’s available.

And so they do.

Each woman finds her own brand of sexual adventure and perhaps sexual reawakening. And she blogs about it to her friends. They cheer one another on, laugh at the “oops” moments and tease each other good naturedly as their stories unfold.

Books in the Cougar Challenge Series:
1. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Samantha Kane
2. BEAUTY OF SUNSET by Lynne Connolly
3. WINTER’S THAW by Dalton Diaz
4. HOT TO TROT by Desiree Holt
5. ASSUME THE POSITIONS by Mari Carr
6. SIN ON SKIN by Mari Freeman
7. CAM’S HOLIDAY by Ciana Stone

Come meet the ladies of Cougar Challenge at Romantic Times Booklovers convention. The Cougar Growl on Thursday, April 29 2:30-3:30 will have the authors in person and feature lots of prizes and giveaways. Visit their blog for yummy pictures, posts and details!


ASSUME THE POSTIONS By: Mari Carr

Book five of the Cougar Challenge series.

Damn Cougar Challenge!

Rachel’s thankful for the new friends she met while attending an erotica-book convention. They instantly connected and began sharing the relationship woes unique to older single women on their Tempt the Cougar blog. Then Monica issues that challenge… How is Rachel going to convince a younger man to have sex with her? Hell, even she doesn’t want to look at herself naked. To control her growing angst, she makes a list of eligible men then… Nothing. It’s been too long and her divorce was too painful. She’ll never be able to do this.

Ethan, one of Rachel’s physical therapy patients, is pissed when he learns of the challenge. Not because he finds it silly—because he’s not on Rachel’s list! So he does what any self-assured young stud would do. The luscious police officer gives her a copy of the Kama Sutra then asks her to make a new list.

And assume the positions…

BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book Four - HOT TO TROT by Desiree Holt

Seven of the wildest women of erotic romance pull out all the stops in a series about women who dare to take the challenge and experience the delights of sex with a younger man. Women who cast off their cloaks of conventionality and indulge their inner wild woman.



Call it fate or coincidence, but when Autumn Kelley, Rachel Bridges, Camille Stockton, Monica Allen, Elizabeth Winters, and Stevie Jones meet at Romanticon™, an Erotic Romance convention, an instant bond is formed. Not only do they share a love of Erotic Romance, but their lives are traveling remarkably parallel paths. All single due to quirks of fate (or unfaithful men), each of them longs for the kind of sexual adventure and romance they read about in the erotic romance books they so love. And each one is terrified at the idea of trying to pursue that dream.

When the convention ends, the friendship grows. They chat online and by phone and even blog on a private blog Camille sets up. They discuss their fantasies and tease one another about not having the courage to have a “real” Cougar experience. Soon they are joined by an unlikely new member, Edie Howard, unbeknownst to them an ex-supermodel.

One of the women gets a bit tired of “all talk and no action” or as she refers to it “the Elvis song” (a little less conversation a little more action) and challenges everyone to get out there and see what’s available.

And so they do.

Each woman finds her own brand of sexual adventure and perhaps sexual reawakening. And she blogs about it to her friends. They cheer one another on, laugh at the “oops” moments and tease each other good naturedly as their stories unfold.

Books in the Cougar Challenge Series:
1. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Samantha Kane
2. BEAUTY OF SUNSET by Lynne Connolly
3. WINTER’S THAW by Dalton Diaz
4. HOT TO TROT by Desiree Holt
5. ASSUME THE POSITIONS by Mari Carr
6. SIN ON SKIN by Mari Freeman
7. CAM’S HOLIDAY by Ciana Stone

Come meet the ladies of Cougar Challenge at Romantic Times Booklovers convention. The Cougar Growl on Thursday, April 29 2:30-3:30 will have the authors in person and feature lots of prizes and giveaways. Visit their blog for yummy pictures, posts and details!


HOT TO TROT By: Desiree Holt

Book four of the Cougar Challenge series.

Buying a ranch on eBay was the wildest thing Autumn Kelley had ever done. Past forty, she’d pretty much written excitement out of her life. But then she discovers the ranch comes with a foreman who makes her pulse pound and could give her an orgasm just by looking at her. As if that isn’t enough, he has a friend equally as mouthwatering—and the two of them take Autumn on an erotic trip that outdoes any fantasy she could ever have imagined.

If sex with one hot boy toy is fantastic, sex with two at the same time is a whole new level of amazing. But what happens when Autumn inevitably has to come down from the orgasmic high

BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book Three - WINTER'S THAW by Dalton Diaz

Seven of the wildest women of erotic romance pull out all the stops in a series about women who dare to take the challenge and experience the delights of sex with a younger man. Women who cast off their cloaks of conventionality and indulge their inner wild woman.



Call it fate or coincidence, but when Autumn Kelley, Rachel Bridges, Camille Stockton, Monica Allen, Elizabeth Winters, and Stevie Jones meet at Romanticon™, an Erotic Romance convention, an instant bond is formed. Not only do they share a love of Erotic Romance, but their lives are traveling remarkably parallel paths. All single due to quirks of fate (or unfaithful men), each of them longs for the kind of sexual adventure and romance they read about in the erotic romance books they so love. And each one is terrified at the idea of trying to pursue that dream.

When the convention ends, the friendship grows. They chat online and by phone and even blog on a private blog Camille sets up. They discuss their fantasies and tease one another about not having the courage to have a “real” Cougar experience. Soon they are joined by an unlikely new member, Edie Howard, unbeknownst to them an ex-supermodel.

One of the women gets a bit tired of “all talk and no action” or as she refers to it “the Elvis song” (a little less conversation a little more action) and challenges everyone to get out there and see what’s available.

And so they do.

Each woman finds her own brand of sexual adventure and perhaps sexual reawakening. And she blogs about it to her friends. They cheer one another on, laugh at the “oops” moments and tease each other good naturedly as their stories unfold.

Books in the Cougar Challenge Series:
1. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Samantha Kane
2. BEAUTY OF SUNSET by Lynne Connolly
3. WINTER’S THAW by Dalton Diaz
4. HOT TO TROT by Desiree Holt
5. ASSUME THE POSITIONS by Mari Carr
6. SIN ON SKIN by Mari Freeman
7. CAM’S HOLIDAY by Ciana Stone

Come meet the ladies of Cougar Challenge at Romantic Times Booklovers convention. The Cougar Growl on Thursday, April 29 2:30-3:30 will have the authors in person and feature lots of prizes and giveaways. Visit their blog for yummy pictures, posts and details!

WINTER'S THAW By: Dalton Diaz

Book three of the Cougar Challenge series.

OR nurse Elizabeth Winters is forty-one, divorced and determined to figure out what all the fuss is about sex. Her ex spent over twenty years crushing her sensuality and it is long past time for release. Literally, dammit! In her quest, she befriends a group of women her age who admit having a passion for younger men—and thus begins a challenge…

Thirty-year-old engineer Kevin Springer loves solving puzzles and “Elle” has him aching to fit the pieces. The more he gets to know her, the more intrigued he becomes, especially in bed. He quickly realizes he wants more than her offered no-strings-attached, wild sex, but convincing her to take a chance on a relationship isn’t going to be easy.

BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book Two - BEAUTY OF SUNSET by Lynne Connolly

Seven of the wildest women of erotic romance pull out all the stops in a series about women who dare to take the challenge and experience the delights of sex with a younger man. Women who cast off their cloaks of conventionality and indulge their inner wild woman.



Call it fate or coincidence, but when Autumn Kelley, Rachel Bridges, Camille Stockton, Monica Allen, Elizabeth Winters, and Stevie Jones meet at Romanticon™, an Erotic Romance convention, an instant bond is formed. Not only do they share a love of Erotic Romance, but their lives are traveling remarkably parallel paths. All single due to quirks of fate (or unfaithful men), each of them longs for the kind of sexual adventure and romance they read about in the erotic romance books they so love. And each one is terrified at the idea of trying to pursue that dream.

When the convention ends, the friendship grows. They chat online and by phone and even blog on a private blog Camille sets up. They discuss their fantasies and tease one another about not having the courage to have a “real” Cougar experience. Soon they are joined by an unlikely new member, Edie Howard, unbeknownst to them an ex-supermodel.

One of the women gets a bit tired of “all talk and no action” or as she refers to it “the Elvis song” (a little less conversation a little more action) and challenges everyone to get out there and see what’s available.

And so they do.

Each woman finds her own brand of sexual adventure and perhaps sexual reawakening. And she blogs about it to her friends. They cheer one another on, laugh at the “oops” moments and tease each other good naturedly as their stories unfold.

Books in the Cougar Challenge Series:
1. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Samantha Kane
2. BEAUTY OF SUNSET by Lynne Connolly
3. WINTER’S THAW by Dalton Diaz
4. HOT TO TROT by Desiree Holt
5. ASSUME THE POSITIONS by Mari Carr
6. SIN ON SKIN by Mari Freeman
7. CAM’S HOLIDAY by Ciana Stone

Come meet the ladies of Cougar Challenge at Romantic Times Booklovers convention. The Cougar Growl on Thursday, April 29 2:30-3:30 will have the authors in person and feature lots of prizes and giveaways. Visit their blog for yummy pictures, posts and details!


BEAUTY OF SUNSET By: Lynne Connolly
Book two of the Cougar Challenge series.

When Edie Howard meets cosmetic surgeon John Sung, she can’t think of anything except getting the younger man naked. Her friends on the Tempt the Cougar blog remind Edie of her promise—to seduce a younger man. It’s time for Edie to take action.

Dr. John Sung takes one look at Edie and knows he can’t operate on her. He signs off as her doctor and makes her a bet—if he can make her love her body as it is, she won’t have any surgery.

John’s bet involves close examinations—and torrid, sleepless nights. Their passion is far more than either expects, and John begins to wonder if he’ll ever get enough of this woman. Edie just counts her blessings and hopes their

BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.

Monday, March 1, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book One - PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Samantha Kane

Seven of the wildest women of erotic romance pull out all the stops in a series about women who dare to take the challenge and experience the delights of sex with a younger man. Women who cast off their cloaks of conventionality and indulge their inner wild woman.



Call it fate or coincidence, but when Autumn Kelley, Rachel Bridges, Camille Stockton, Monica Allen, Elizabeth Winters, and Stevie Jones meet at Romanticon™, an Erotic Romance convention, an instant bond is formed. Not only do they share a love of Erotic Romance, but their lives are traveling remarkably parallel paths. All single due to quirks of fate (or unfaithful men), each of them longs for the kind of sexual adventure and romance they read about in the erotic romance books they so love. And each one is terrified at the idea of trying to pursue that dream.

When the convention ends, the friendship grows. They chat online and by phone and even blog on a private blog Camille sets up. They discuss their fantasies and tease one another about not having the courage to have a “real” Cougar experience. Soon they are joined by an unlikely new member, Edie Howard, unbeknownst to them an ex-supermodel.

One of the women gets a bit tired of “all talk and no action” or as she refers to it “the Elvis song” (a little less conversation a little more action) and challenges everyone to get out there and see what’s available.

And so they do.

Each woman finds her own brand of sexual adventure and perhaps sexual reawakening. And she blogs about it to her friends. They cheer one another on, laugh at the “oops” moments and tease each other good naturedly as their stories unfold.

Books in the Cougar Challenge Series:
1. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Samantha Kane
2. BEAUTY OF SUNSET by Lynne Connolly
3. WINTER’S THAW by Dalton Diaz
4. HOT TO TROT by Desiree Holt
5. ASSUME THE POSITIONS by Mari Carr
6. SIN ON SKIN by Mari Freeman
7. CAM’S HOLIDAY by Ciana Stone

Come meet the ladies of Cougar Challenge at Romantic Times Booklovers convention. The Cougar Growl on Thursday, April 29 2:30-3:30 will have the authors in person and feature lots of prizes and giveaways. Visit their blog for yummy pictures, posts and details!


PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM By: Samantha Kane
Book One of the Cougar Challenge series.

Monica Allen has always been attracted to younger men. She even married one. But after the divorce, she thought she was through with them for good. Then she meets a group of ladies at RomantiCon, and they form a blog celebrating younger men, Tempt the Cougar.

After another lonely Friday night, Monica challenges her friends to each find a younger man to make their fantasies come true. She doesn’t have to marry him—been there, done that, threw away the t-shirt. But for a night of hot sex? Hell yes.

But Sam Lincoln refuses to be just a fantasy. He’s a graduate student with a yen for older women and he may have just found the one to make his own fantasies come true. With a little help from his roommate Josh, Sam fulfills Monica’s deepest desires. Can he convince this sexy cougar to give him a chance at happily ever after?


BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.