Bleach—an aphrodisiac?

Buy Easy Peasy HERE

by Stephanie J Grace

When I first heard about the prepper series, I thought it was interesting, but had to think hard about if it could work as a central theme in a romance story. I mean, what is romantic about having fifty bottles of laundry soap or a waterless toilet?

I happen to have a personal line on a few modern day preppers...my parents. So, I asked about what they did, why and what they’d want ideally if all they had to do was prep with unlimited funds. I honestly thought my dad would be the one with all the ideas, but it was my mom who ran with it. She got all kinds of excited talking about water tablets and canning and sinking a bunker with multiple power sources. And all the while my dad smiled from his chair, listening in and adding a few bits once in a while, but it was my mom’s show and he looked really happy.

So, there’s passion in preppers for prepping. Where there is passion and excitement about a task, there’s the possibility to share that passion and passion begets...more passion. Even a sweet romance needs the spark, the possibility, the start. Writing Myra and Oakes’ story was such a joy (as my mother called me every week, casually asking how it was going) and this story not only nods toward prepping, but also to first love, new love and even established love still going strong. The mix...ah, it’s one I hope my mom enjoys because she’s been waiting!

Do you prep on purpose? Or maybe you’re a ‘stocker upper’? What’s your favorite thing to have on hand *just in case*?

All the best,

Stephanie J Grace

www.stephaniebeck.net

www.facebook.com/StephanieJ Grace

www.twitter.com/StephanieJGrace

www.pinterest.com/StephanieJGrace

Easy Peasy

Myra’s childhood in a prepper bunker facilitated her self-sufficiency, but at twenty-four, she’s tired of being a lone mitten. With her business keeping her busy, she’s not sure when she’ll find Mr. Right, but hopes he likes long walks in the park and princess movies.

Oakes Willowbee, just starting his prepping, needs all the help he can get. Former military and in over his head, he’s trying to get his life in order to be ready for a worldwide catastrophe, but he’s having a hard time getting past sheep. With Myra’s help, Oakes gets a taste of prepper life, but his fascination with preparedness might kill their budding relationship.

Despite the attraction between them, finding a balance between living and surviving could be anything but easy peasy.

Wrap Yourself in Sugar: Read a Sweet Romance

By Stephanie J Grace

I’ve been an advocate of sugary, drippingly sweet romances for years. I want heroes who are too sweet to be true. I want doe eyes and happy tears and the heart flutters that come up with the first hand holding. I want lives changed because of the love and togetherness, whole hearts thrown into love for love’s sake. I want flowers and chocolate and the lovely long glances that lead to…love.

Why?

Because it is soooo damn good. How many truly good things are there in the world today? It seems like every decadent, wholly awesome thing comes with a hefty price tag or repercussion (anyone else have a muffin top maintained by the occasional chocolate sundae?).

Not so with sweet romance. It hurts nothing for a reader to fall in love with a leading man or lady. Nobody I know reads romance as a way to modify their life (like I’ve read romance books since I was 13 years old, but I didn’t expect my relationships to be like the novels. I’ve also read horror stories and I don’t expect my trips to the coasts or drives down gravel roads to result in blood and gore).

Falling in love with characters and being uplifted by a plot that genuinely leads to good things only brings good. An extra smile after you’re done reading, a happy dream after you put the book down, hell, maybe an extra little kiss for your honey because you’re in a good mood.

So, help save the world, or at least perk up your mood: read a sweet romance.

All the best,

Stephanie J Grace

Stephanie J Grace is the sweeter and more faith-based side of romance writer Stephanie Beck. With a genuine love for romance and building relationships, Stephanie found the sweeter side of her writing needed its own world to grow and that happens through Stephanie J Grace. With a growing family and growing writing career, Steph stays busy running around in real life and in her imagination, but between the sprints, she enjoys reading, knitting and crafting.

Find Stephanie online at www.stephaniebeck.net and feel free to contact her at stephaniebeckauthor@gmail.com

Felines and Flowers

by Stephanie J Grace

During high school, Warren was just Wendy’s youth pastor. All grown up and shepherding over her own flock of church kids, Wendy Miller turns to her old friend for help. Not that Warren is that old. In fact, the two have a lot more in common than Wendy would have ever thought.

After the death of his wife, Warren was sure he was finished with relationships. Wendy changes that forgone conclusion with her bright spirit and zest for life. Lining up their desires when they’re at very different points in their lives proves a challenge that might take a little divine intervention, or at least help from friends.

Available at Decadent Publishing’s  Bono Books imprint and all major ebook retailers like Amazon

A few thoughts on Sweet Romance

By Stephanie J Grace

The big news at Decadent Publishing recently is the addition of a sweet line: Bono—which means good in some fancy language.

A few people I know kind of scoff at sweet romance and don’t see the draw. For some reason, they are under the impression that sweet means juvenile or uninteresting. I disagree. When I reach for a sweet romance, I’ve got a few things I’m hoping to see:

Smiles that mean something: That first look across a room—maybe it’s a shy smile or one full of genuine happiness at getting a glimpse of someone special. A lot can be said with a really good smile.

Holding hands: I absolutely adore holding hands with my honey. When we were dating, I had to convince him holding hands was something he could do and after being married eight years he still holds my hand when we can because he knows I like it. Seeing something simple mean a lot brings a simple sweetness I enjoy.

First kisses…without tongue: I like seeing on paper (or ereader) that others find those first sweet kisses as endearing and special as I did. A real romance and building can happen when small steps are shown. I find that in a good sweet story, I feel like I’m falling in love right along with the characters.

No cussin’, no bangin’, and no fu’’’’’: I get burnt out sometimes on ultra-hip, graphic, high-test stories. I love them, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I yearn for a reminder that there is something sweet and good and pure in the world. A sweet romance that makes me say “awww” fills that need.

Does anyone else feel the need for romance dipped in sugar? What draws you to sweeter romance?

Felines and Flowers by Stephanie J Grace:

During high school, Warren was just Wendy’s youth pastor. All grown up and shepherding over her own flock of church kids, Wendy Miller turns to her old friend for help. Not that Warren is that old. In fact, the two have a lot more in common than Wendy would have ever thought.

After the death of his wife, Warren was sure he was finished with relationships. Wendy changes that forgone conclusion with her bright spirit and zest for life. Lining up their desires when they’re at very different points in their lives proves a challenge that might take a little divine intervention, or at least help from friends.

It’s my birthday and I’ll sing copyrighted songs if I want to.

by: Stephanie Beck

 Twenty-seven. It’s a little hard to believe that I’m actually out of my teens, because I pretty much feel the same as I did when I graduated high school. Sure, now I have a husband, kids, a mortgage, and career—but I’m still a smart mouthed kid who eats too much candy and likes to make people laugh.

I’ve always really liked my birthdays, but as the third child in a family with four kids, I never really got the huge brouhaha you see sometimes for kids. Our simple parties were always full of family and friends, with good food and lots of love—the best kind of celebrations for kids.

As an adult, I want to be able to say that I’m all grown up and view my birthday as just another day. After all, if I want something I am perfectly capable of saving money and buying it for myself. If I want a cake, I can make it or purchase one from the bakery down the block. I’m able to get into my car and drive to the restaurant of my choice and enjoy my favorite meal any time I choose (you know, when I get a babysitter).

However…if someone were to cover my house in balloons, send me roses, sculpt me a princess castle cake with raspberry cream filling, get me a new party outfit with matching shoes, hire an onsite sushi chief, set up a pasta bar and make an ice cream sundae bar, I’d be a super happy camper.

So many people I know say ‘don’t make a fuss’ about birthdays, my husband included. But dang it, I want the fuss! I want to be driving down the road listening to my favorite radio station and hear “Happy Birthday, Stephanie Beck!”. I would love to open my mailbox and find it stuffed with cards from the people who thought of me, but couldn’t join me. I want to walk into my house, hear a huge shout of surprise and have a table full of prettily wrapped gifts with a few balloons in the mix. And then maybe we could have pony rides-my pony, naturally, would be the cutest.

Le sigh, twenty-seven years old and I’m still a kid at heart.

Instead of dwelling on the ‘I wants’ I’m going to give today! Two commenters will get eBooks of their choice of my Decadent Publishing titles--Panties Optional or Felines and Flowers. Thanks so much for helping me celebrate my birthday!

Find out what and WHO Stephanie J Grace really is!

Fact #1

Stephanie J Grace is the sweeter alter ego of romance and erotica writer, Stephanie Beck. The ‘J and Grace’ are nods to my beautiful daughters Joy and Grace.

Fact #2

The cat storyline in Felines and Flowers actually happened in one of my dearest friends’ family. On the way to a wedding, one of the brothers lost their hat out their truck window. When they went to get it, a feral cat attacked him. I’ve seen the pictures...they are amazing.

Fact #3

The flower storyline is very personal to me. After my first daughter was born, both my mother and mother-in-law brought me plants instead of cut flowers. Both plants were dead within two weeks. In better news, my daughter has made it over 6 years under my care! Kids and animals do great with me, plants, however, still fear me.

Fact #4

Sometimes I like to pretend that I’m really good at drawing and then start sketching what my characters look like and what they see when they look out their windows. I even break out my color pencils and fancy paper. Much like when my urges to plant something in my flowerbeds arise, I’ve learned not to expect the results to match what’s in my head.

Fact #5

I’ve decided to stay twenty-six for a few years. I’m content at this age. I can vote, drive, drink, rent a car and my car insurance has leveled out at a more reasonable rate. I really see no real reason to claim any more years. But I will happily continue having birthdays :) with the hopes that one day my husband throws me a huge party with a giant red velvet cake in the shape of my knitting bag complete with balls of yarn, chocolate knitting needles and fondant socks.

Excerpt from :

Felines and Flowers

Available July 29, 2011

 During high school, Warren was just Wendy’s youth pastor. All grown up and shepherding over her own flock of church kids, Wendy Miller turns to her old friend for help. Not that Warren is that old. In fact, the two have a lot more in common than Wendy would have ever thought.

After the death of his wife, Warren was sure he was finished with relationships. Wendy changes that forgone conclusion with her bright spirit and zest for life. Lining up their desires when they’re at very different points in their lives proves a challenge that might take a little divine intervention, or at least help from friends.

Wendy ran her hand over the soft fabric and groaned out loud. There was someone she’d been trying hard not to think about. It was completely inappropriate. And yet…Warren. And he was Warren. She didn’t think about him as Pastor Carmichael anymore, and while that felt weird, it also seemed right. She hoped. A perfectly nice sweatshirt she’d had since high school hung in front of her, but Wendy grabbed the sweater. If things were going to happen, it wasn’t going to be because of a sweater.

Or because of the little bit of makeup she put on nor the extra five minutes she spent on her hair. Walking to the church, she kicked herself a little. Maybe she was being obvious. Maybe Warren still thought of her as a nice kid instead of an adult. Maybe he wasn’t over his wife. Maybe—

“Hey, Wendy, can I give you a ride the last few blocks?”

She turned to see Warren’s car pulled up beside the sidewalk. Coincidence had never been so fortuitous. Wendy walked to Warren’s car, a decent, older model in good shape. She laughed on the inside because she could say the same things about its owner.

Wendy leaned on the window frame. “Well, are you sure it wouldn’t be any trouble?”

When he grinned, she believed she couldn’t be alone in these new feelings. Whatever sparked between them was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. It also made her want to grin just like Warren.

“No trouble at all, lady. Come on in. We can plot on how to present a united front.”

She got into the car and buckled her belt. “Oh, an ally. I like that. As the new girl on staff I sometimes get the pat on the head treatment.”

“Shoot, I’ve been on staff for nearly two decades and still get treated like the new kid on occasion. Most of the time it’s prudent to just take the head pat and be patient. When things really matter, they always work out.”

“Always?”

He pulled into the church parking lot and looked at her for a moment. The combination of his gaze and the soft expression directed toward her gave her a thrill.

“Yeah, I’d say always.”