Olivia Starke's Wild Wednesday

  What part of a man do you find most attractive?

I know many of us love humor, intellect, and compassion when it comes to the opposite sex, but today I want to celebrate all that’s masculine, be it sexy pecs, eyes, abs, or booty. Those wonderful things that make us blush and make the heroes of our stories so wonderfully tasty for the mind’s eye.

While brainstorming ideas for today’s Wild Wednesday, I figured what the hell, let’s just indulge in eye candy. Maybe it’s reverse sexism, maybe it isn’t PC, but I enjoy gawking at photos like these. So sue me, I’m a red-blooded female that enjoys her hotties.

A finely honed male physique does funny things to us, and it’s not simply indulging in a fantasy, it’s evolutionary. Long ago we looked for a man who could defend his territory and bring home the bacon—quite literally—so it’s hardwired in our brains. 

Of course with today’s longer life expectancy, we usually want more in our mates—an intellectual, a good listener, someone who can program the remote, probably things that weren’t too important way back when we had to struggle to survive. But that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge our primitive psyche with a little ogling, er, appreciation of the rougher sex ;;)

So feel free to leave a comment, perhaps debate a little, on what you find to be the yummiest part of a man’s body. I’ll pick a random commenter (from the US, it’s a Customs thing) and you’ll get some fun swag!

Olivia Starke

www.authoroliviastarke.comhttp://romancingthepentoday.blogspot.com

Reclaimed by Diane Alberts

Hello! I’m Diane Alberts, and I wanted to stop by on this Wild Wednesday to talk about my upcoming release, Reclaimed, coming out December 23rd. It’s a paranormal romance book, and my first and (so far) only full length novel. To introduce you to it, I decided to ask the two main characters the same question. But first, here’s a blurb to make you familiar with my story:

Blurb:

After moving to England, Sabrina tumbles into an unknown world when she meets the man who has appeared to her in her dreams. After recovering from shock, she wonders how it is possible that Isaac could be in her dreams-before she met him. The shocking answers catapult her into a world where ruthless creatures roam freely along unsuspecting humans, and battle lines are clearly drawn.

While embarking on a dangerous and passionate affair, a bitter enemy appears from Isaac’s past that will stop at nothing to remove her from Isaac’s arms. Permanently. In order to establish a foreseeable and solid future, Sabrina must first deal with a tumultuous past. Navigating a shadowy world she never knew existed; Sabrina fights for her newfound love…and her life.

Interview:

Me: Sabrina, what did you first think when you saw Isaac?

Sabrina: I thought I was going insane. I’d had a dream or two about this amazing man who stole my senses away, and here he was. In the same room as me. I’d never seen him before, except in my dreams, so how could it even be possible? What else could I think, except for how soon I’d be committed into the mental ward? *she gives a light laugh at this point and turns to Isaac with a smile*

Me: And Isaac…what about you?

Isaac: *laughs and hugs Sabrina* I thought life was about to get really interesting. All these years, I’d been hoping to find her. Hoping it could be possible for true love to win. Instead, it turned out I had no idea what I’d felt in the past, and was about to get hit over the head with shock, love, and pain. After all of it is over, though, it turned out to be the best thing to ever, ever happen to me.

Sabrina: Aww. *kisses his cheek*

Well, there you have it! Stay tuned for more interviews and behind the scenes information, leading up to the big release on December 23, 2011! Til then, happy reading!

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.

Zombies, Vampires...and Broken Arms!

On the 27^th of September, I joined Literal-Addiction-Paranormal-Book-Club and Book Monster Reviews for a joint event to help get the word out about When A Mullo Loves A Woman and Sweet Irish Kiss. Little did I know, that chat would turn into the gate way to me overcoming my irrational fear of...zombies. I have no  idea how it happened. One minute we were howling with laughter about a kilt wearing vampire donning a leaf-blower and Aquanet for his only protection against zombies, and the next...zombies!? Me and my big mouth; I should keep my fears to myself in the future.

The conversion quickly moved to a suggestion that I write said story of our landscaping vampire as therapy, and because the story was hilarious. It sounded like a hoot, and I had four weeks before Halloween. I could it. So I jumped at the chance.

But life can be crazy, and mean. Just when you think you've got it all mapped out, your husband goes and fractures an arm and your daughter has an accident at school, almost doing herself some serious injury, too.

With all that going on, I was running out of time to write our vampire verses zombie story. But, somehow, I managed to get it all done. Miracles never cease. It must have been meant to be.

And am I still dog-frightened of zombies? Well..I watched a full episode of the Walking Dead to help get in the 'zone'. It didn't give me nightmares, this time, but I did have a cushion close by! I'd say that was a small step forward. Okay. A tiny step forward. But it's a start.

Halloween has been and gone. I know. But monster movies and halloween specials still haunt our TV program guide. And so...I thought you may like the link to enjoy the spoofy vampire verses zombie story I wrote for Literal-Addiction-Paranormal-Book-Club.

It's spoofy, be warned! And it's FREE!

Be Stihl My Unbeating Heart by JoAnne Kenrick

Leaf blower in tow, and his secret weapon at the ready, Archie focuses on getting back to his damsel in distress at all costs. But zombies, while slow, are tenacious, and it just might cost him an arm and a leg.

Can Archie battle his way through zombieland and save his lady love before the sun comes out to play again? Will Aquanet sufficiently hold his hair in place so he can maintain his hero good looks til the end of our tale? Will we ever discover if he’s a true Scotsman?...erm, will he sufficiently use his head for something other than zombie food?

Available to read online via Scribd, or as a PDF download. If you hit the 'mobile' selection in Scribd, and you have your reader plugged in, it will send the story to your reader.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/70718704/Be-Stihl-My-Unbeating-Heart

And talking of vampires...have you been bitten by Dracula's Kiss yet? My latest Decadent Publishing release is available in most ebook stores.

AMAZON | ARe | BOOKSTRAND | COFFEETIME

Cathela's Office Halloween Ball is a complete bust. She spills out of her Dracula's Bride costume, and her vamp fetish chases away her boyfriend. Only redeeming feature to the night? Necking multiple shots of Dracula's Kiss--a lush Black Cherry Vodka cocktail--and an interlude with a gorgeous man dressed Gary Oldman style.

No one comes close to satisfying Alec Murray's needs until he meets Cathela during some lame-ass party for bankers. One taste of her blood, sweet yet darkly dangerous, he knows she's perfect for him.

A night of goth bondage is planned for one. For the other, a night of sexual control is a must. A perfect fit. Alec is compelled to reveal his true nature but can their relationship survive his dark secret?

Here's a little reading I did for ebook-eros' 4 Letter Word blog

http://4-letterwords.ebook-eros.com/2011/10/excerpt-draculas-kiss-joanne-kenrick/

book trailer code:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ABDhDtQR9RA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Until next time.... have a wild Wednesday, but not too wild!

X

JoAnne Kenrick

Fruit Brings Out the Wild Girl In Me

by Maureen O. Betita

I’ve been known to get a little wild, especially when presented with a pineapple. You see, there is something about the acid in fruit. One summer, in band camp…

*****

ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!

This is an emergency interruption of your regular blog.

Invaders have been seen on the streets of Tortuga!

All residents are to be on alert for strangers in wool outfits from another era, dark colors, very pale skin. They will smell of grease, oil and strange metals. Most often wearing goggles.

DO NOT APPROACH! These are the forerunners of an invasive force. If you suspect you’ve spotted an invader from Novan, send word to vampire King Keitran or Michael March, of the Cursed Quill.

The pirate paradise of Tortuga needs you to be alert! So, put that glass of rum down, sharpen your blade and man the crows nest!

Prepare to fight for freedom. Bring your pistols, cutlass, blunderpuss, cannon, sword, slingshot, staff, claymore…uh…large club…and all to the harbor!

This has been an emergency interruption of your regular blog. Thank you!

*****

Yup, I love pineapple and they do tend to bring out the kink in me.

Now, I have a new book coming out this week. The Chameleon Goggles is the second book in the Kraken’s Caribbean series. Full of steampunkvspiratepunk adventures! If you want to see how it all turns out…get thee to the e-book store and prepare to download the rollicking adventures of the Kraken’s Caribbean!

Keep an eye out on my blog and author FaceBook page…I’ll be giving away some swag to celebrate soonest!

www.maureenobetita.com

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Maureen-O-Betita-Author/155907664465540

Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/maureenobetita

and

www.romancewritersrevenge.com (Where I babble as 2^nd Chance, the bartender of a ship full of writing pirates.)

Hot Firemen, Offensive Language and Self-Promotion

Wild Wednesday with Casea Major

WARNING:  This post contains hot guys, offensive language and blatant self-promotion.

Why are so many firemen H-O-T? Do you think that's why they become firemen – to put out the fires they start. LOL

In my city firefighters are by far the hottest civil servants.  They're the most gallant and helpful, too.

Don't get me wrong, policemen can be attractive.  But when you see a policeman face-to-face it's usually for a traffic violation, and they're generally writing you a ticket or forcing you to talk your way out of one.  You have to be pretty hot to overcome that kind of bad press. 

 
But when you see a fireman it's always because they've come to help in a crisis.

Take Fireman Stewart for instance (or better yet let me take him) – He's a local fireman selected by Jockey Underwear for their national ad campaign.  Seen here:   

I might stick my cat up a tree to get this guy to my house. (I don't actually have a cat, but maybe I could find one.)

Fireman really are the modern day KISA(Knights in Shining Armor) and there's nothing we romance readers like better than a good KISA, especially one that's as accessible as 9-1-1.

That was part of the inspiration for my new 1-Night Stand Story, One Knight in Brooklyn. 

My hero, Robert, a fireman and business owner from Brooklyn, has not dated since the death of his wife 3 years before.  But at the prodding, cajoling, and general pain-in-the-assin' of his in-laws (That's right in-laws) he books a one-night stand at the Castillo Resort in Niagara Falls.

He doesn't know how the fuck it happened, but he ends up in a castle near a forest where he meets a smokin' hot Lady Marianne.  According to Robert, "If she was a fire, she'd be a goddamn 5-alarm ringer! And she's what the guys at the station call a 10/10 – which means on a scale from 1 to 10, she's the top no matta which way she's facin' – if ya know what I mean."

Blurb: 

After signing up for a one-night stand through an exclusive matching agency, hopeless romantic Marianne Caldwell is swept away to a medieval land where she hopes to spend the night with a worthy man of honor.

Unsure of how she got from the Castillo Hotel in Las Vegas to a castle in the English countryside, Mare finds Robert, whose stunning physique and winning smile immediately convince her he's the Robin Hood she's been seeking.  But despite his efforts in saving her from a corrupt sheriff, his Jersey Shore accent and coarse ways unravel her romantic visions.

With her fairytale fantasies coming unhinged, Mare must decide if Robert is just a crass car salesman from Brooklyn or the chivalrous knight she's looking for.

One Knight in Brooklyn Excerpt:

“Well, Dallas, what did a pretty gal like you expect from this deal?”

There was no way in hell she would answer that question. So she employed her stellar skills of diversion and subterfuge. “What did a guy like you expect from this deal?” Okay, maybe not the cleverest line she’d ever come up with, but this guy with his mesmerizing eyes messed up her mojo.

He leaned back with his elbow on the mattress and flashed a brilliant smile. She swallowed hard. “To get to know a lovely young woman such as yourself and have a little adventure. You think you can handle that?”

Could he be any more cocky? His thinly veiled innuendo struck her with the delicacy of a baseball bat. No question he was hot. From a purely physical standpoint, he was perfection, but did anything rattle around behind those blue eyes?

She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her chin. “What I want to know is, can you handle that?”

Oops, she hadn’t meant for that to sound like a challenge or an invitation, but even to her own ears, it did. He stood, his long legs closing the distance between them in two strides. She braced her legs to hold her ground, but retreated toward a wall. So much for holding my ground. Pressing her head back against a branch, she looked up into his even stare. God, his eyes were Ceylon blue, his lips full and lush. He stopped in front of her, but continued to lower his head toward hers. Other than the rustling wind, only her ragged breathing sounded amongst the leaves.

Robert braced his hands on either side of her shoulders, effectively trapping her between him and the tree. Every cell in her body buzzed with electrical current, and her gaze helplessly transfixed on him. The lids of his eyes lowered, and his straight nose brushed against hers.

“Can I kiss you?” His whispered request tickled her skin.

Chills swept over her heated body. Her knees gave way, and she sighed out some inaudible response he apparently took as affirmative. He brushed her lips with a kiss.

One Knight in Brooklyn is on sale now at Decadent Publishing, Amazon and all major retailers.

BUYLINKS

You can find me at my blog:  http://caseamajor.wordpress.com/ or any of the following places. 

FACEBOOK / GOODREADS / THE ROMANCE REVIEWS /

MANIC READERS/ AMAZON PROFILE

Survival of the Smartest

Charles Darwin

 by Wendy Burke

You know, Charles Darwin was right--survival of the fittest, or 'smartest' in some cases.  My concern is, however, (and don't worry, I'm not going to get into any sort of philosophical conversation here) that even a modicum of intelligence has some way been 'bred out' of the human species. The 'bar is being' lowered, it seems, even as we speak. Take for instance my beloved husband's encounter at a gas station the other day. Aside from the sticker on the pump reading 'Please prepay in advance,' (I'm sure one of Decadent's crack editors would have caught that!) the man on the other side of the pump, with nozzle in hand, was talking on his cell phone. Okay, you say, a minor infraction. NO--that was WHILE HE WAS SMOKING A CIGARETTE! 

You know, if you want to be stupid (read that an A-HOLE) go ahead, but don't take me to a fiery death while doing so!   Wonder if this guy was related to a young woman I once worked with? My 'real job,' is in a TV newsroom. A reporter was out in a station vehicle one day and called the office asking, 'The gas light in the Jeep is on, what should I do?'

OF COURSE, I didn't say, 'Go fill it up.' (Heck, she might have been on her cell phone while doing so!) I gave her the only good and true advice I could think of at the moment, 'Just keep driving around, it will eventually go out.' Hmm, maybe that was the DARWIN coming out in me!

 

 Wendy currently has two works on the Decadent Publishing shelves, and is in the process of writing 274 more stories which she hopes DP will be interested in! Find her on Facebook, Twitter and lurking about the internet. You could send her a nasty email-wendyburke1994@bex.net. When not playing with the people in her head, she has silly life with her way-too-cute chef husband and two furry feline kids in the Great Lakes area of the Midwest.

Jenna Jaxon's Almost Perfect Wednesday

 Hi, I’m Jenna Jaxon, a new author with Decadent Publishing.  My first release will be a title in their 1Night Stand series called Almost Perfect.  This was a fun and exciting story to write because I got to take my love for the beach and combine it with my love of movies and a thirst for adventure.

Here’s the blurb for Almost Perfect:

Pamela Kimball’s birthday present, a 1Night Stand adventure, is supposed to help her jump-start her life, put a new man in her bed, and help her forget her ex.  Unfortunately, movie-buff Pam’s Pirates of the Caribbean fantasy goes wrong when she’s abandoned on a not quite deserted island with ex-husband Roger Ware.  When Pam is forced to accept Roger’s offer of dinner,  she recognizes that he’s  changed since their divorce and his newfound sensuality re-kindles an old fire.  When he challenges her to find out how much his amorous skills have improved, Pam is torn between self-preservation and desire.  With time running out before they’re rescued, Pam has to decide if her heart can survive the consequences of becoming Roger’s “almost” perfect 1Night Stand.

And how about a tiny excerpt while we’re at it?

From Almost Perfect:

According to her friend Sue, her gift of one night of wild lovemaking with an Orlando Bloom-esque pirate would be the perfect thing to jump-start her back into circulation.  After five years of boring sex with Roger, and two years of self-imposed celibacy, she was ready to be ravished!  Would they do it in his cabin?  On a deserted island?  On deck?  The possibilities were endless.  Maybe on the beach, like From Here to Eternity.

Pam closed her eyes and her whole body tingled.  Sex to look forward to.  She opened her eyes and hurried after Miguel, who had already reached the gangway.  Almost show time.

Miguel introduced her to Captain Johnson, who was more than a little un-piratical:  nondescript hair, an ordinary face, and a slim build.  Dressed in nautical whites, he was a far cry from her vision of a pirate.  She turned to Miguel, low tones of reproach in her voice.  “I specifically requested a pirate-themed adventure, Miguel.  And while I’m sure Captain Johnson is quite…er…nice, he’s not what I expected.” 

The clerk’s handsome face flushed, but he smiled and shook his head.  “You misunderstand, Senorita Kimball.  Captain Johnson is the captain of the Castillo Resort’s yacht, Nautilus.  His task is to take you to meet your party, nothing more.”

A glance at the captain’s blues eyes, widened in horror, sent dual shivers of embarrassment and relief through Pam.  “My apologies, captain,” she said, with a forced smile.  “I was given no particulars about my…trip.  I’m sorry if I jumped to the wrong conclusion.”

The captain nodded, turned and all but ran for the wheelhouse.

“If you will follow me, senorita.”

Pam shook her head as she trailed after Miguel towards her stateroom.  It was hardly an auspicious beginning to her once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

I hope you enjoyed that little taste of Almost Perfect.  I’ll keep you posted about all the particulars of the release.  Just stay tuned to this blog site!