Chloe Harris: Hot Spiced Historical Romance

New Release Day and Great Discounts

2011-09-27T15:42:00.001-05:00

Check out the newest Chloe Harris in Silent Night, Sinful Night then get great discounts on the first two Chloe Harris Books Paperback: $5.60 Kindle Edition: $6.89!!!

Sometimes He Appears

2011-07-31T13:56:00.000-05:00

I'm doing a short series on Tumblr about finding the perfect person to cast as a character after the fact.

Part 1 -Reinier Barhydt

Part 2 - Winston Matthews

Of Cynical Pearls of Wisdom and Affirmative Power Thoughts

2011-07-21T02:56:00.015-05:00

by Barbra

We all have those days ... Some are good, but some are harder than others. When it's one of those days - when life hands you lemons - it's good to remember the following Pearls of Wisdom:

1. Money cannot buy happiness but it’s more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than it is on a bicycle.

2. Forgive your enemy but remember the bastard’s name and where he parked his car.

3. Help a man when he is in trouble and he will remember you when he is in trouble again.

4. Many people are alive only because it’s illegal to shoot them. (Go ahead. Make my day. Do you feel lucky?)

5. Alcohol does not solve any problem, but then neither does milk.

Now, I'm aware that these are cynical and pessimistic Pearls of Wisdom. I'm not saying I'm above those - surely not when it's that time of the month (especially #4!!!) - but I do try to live up to my personal affirmatives, or my Power Thoughts* nowadays:

1. Forgive
Forgiveness of myself and others releases me from the past. Forgiveness is the answer to almost every problem. Forgiveness is a gift to myself; I leave behind all feelings of not being good enough. I forgive, and I set myself free.

2. No Blame
I release the need to blame anyone, including myself. We are all doing the best we can with the understanding, knowledge and awareness we have.

3. No more Fears and Doubts
I now choose to free myself from all destructive fears and doubts. I accept myself and create peace in my mind and heart.

4. Uniqueness
There is no competition and no comparison, for we are all different and meant to be that way.

5. Life is a Mirror
The people in my life are really mirrors of me. This affords me the opportunity to grow and change.

*abridged, based on several Power Thought Cards by Louise L. Hay.

Now, don't think just because I have all those lily-white, pure affirmatives and Power Thoughts on my bedside table that my erotic-romance-writing-mind isn't as filthy as it used to be. No worries, I can think of lots and lots of dirty (and less deliciously kinky) things for the characters to try out and see how they like it ... hehe

When to Accept the Inevitable

2011-07-14T10:41:00.006-05:00

by Barbra

I’ve just finished a spectacularly bad novel by a renowned (!) author I've never read before. It was remarkably boring, amazingly inconsistent and astonishingly incoherent. I truly wonder if it wasn’t the guide–on–how–to–not–write–a–book textbook. It had all the typical rookie flaws in it:

the promise–but–not–deliver, ever–changing plotline (which immediately told me that the author was just typing something instead of plotting a beginning–middle–end. I mean, if you want to be regarded as pantser, fine. But – admit it – even pantsers need to know where they’re starting, where they’re going, and when they type “THE END”),

the non–existent character build (where every character looks and thinks and speaks and does the same – and oh, how pathetic those characters were),

the – if present, mind you – cliché descriptions and characterizations (yawn),

the head–hopping from one paragraph to the next (headache–inducing, accompanied by much going back over paragraphs to see in whose head you’re really in now or was it just another authorial narrator passage – in which case another yawn),

pages of showing instead of telling (now why should it be there if it’s not so important that the writer can’t be bothered to let me experience it so that I can make up my mind about it myself? What’s the point? I kept asking myself, is the author going to make a point anytime soon or just rambling on and on for the sake of word count?),

the sex scenes void of emotion and which had no point whatsoever (made my eyes glaze over and I constantly fell asleep – can you believe it??? That never happened before. I mean, I couldn’t even stay awake long enough to skip over the passages!),

the overuse of the word “then.”

The "spectacularly bad book" was clearly the very first manuscript the author has ever written (hey, our very first novel still has a chance, Noelle, do you hear me???) but it was published sixth or seventh. Maybe the author tried to get into another genre. But after an experience such as this and even though the author has already published several other books, I’m convinced I won’t ever touch another book by her. As a writer myself, I have my pride. And my pride would never allow that I’d publish the very first try (The monster-of-a-novel-that-shan’t-be-named will be forever Noelle’s and my dark secret - the very first manuscript always is, there’s a reason for it!!!). I wouldn’t wish that first try on my worst enemy, so why would I want to offend and possibly alienate my reader thus?

But all of this made me wonder: When do you decide to not read an author (any longer)?

I have the “Three Times” rule, as I like to call it. I’ve read many contemporary authors over the years. I’m an ardent admirer of some, others where a good ride, and the rest are experiences I won’t repeat again. Although I call myself an ardent admirer, I’m not a totally uncritical fan. True, when the new book of one of my favorite authors is out, I’m among the first to storm the bookstore. But if said favorite author doesn’t deliver, (s)he gets transferred to the less favorite, the so-called “trial” stack of books. If the next book disappoints again, the author is transferred to the “parting” stack. I’m not as fast to buy the next book and I’m not as enthusiastic about reading it. If that book then (the book after the second disappointment) is in my opinion another throwing–against–the–wall material, I don't read any other book by that author ever again.
However, the “Three Times” rule works both ways. If I find a book surprisingly good after the first disappointment, or reminiscent of the old glory after the second disappointment, the author is transferred back to the next higher TBR stack of books.
Every writer can have a bad day every once in a while. Being disappointed three times is as much as I can bear.
Are you as critical? More tolerant? Or less?

Whether an author has jumped the shark or not also depends on publicity: good reviews (by those who have read the book and understood it), bad reviews (by those who have read the book but not understood it or those who haven’t read the book at all), those reviews that are in between and don’t really tell you if it’s a good or bad book, biased reviews, you name it.
I don’t read reviews in general because I want to approach the book as unprejudiced as possible. But how much do you let yourself get influenced by a review? Do you read just one or more – or none at all?

What about you? Let me know your thoughts!

Here's What You Missed on Tumblr

2011-07-10T11:43:00.001-05:00

My Tumblr Avatar

I have to say I really like tumblr. Twitter is not for me at all and I like to use facebook more for close family and friends than writing stuff. But tumblr seems to work for me. One great thing is that you not only share your own thoughts but can easily reblog things you love and share them with your followers. I've mentioned Coverspy already but some of my other favorites are:

Bookshelf Porn - Photo blog of lust worthy shelves of books.
My Daguerreotype Boyfriend - LOVE LOVE LOVE this. Thier Slogan is "Where early photography meet extreme hotness"
Doctor Who Crafts - Yes there is a whole tumblr devoted to Doctor Who inspired crafts!
Some of the other members of the romance community I follow: Mfred - Librarian Extraordinaire and Authors Zoe Archer and Olivia Waite

Here is what you missed on my tumblr recently:

I've started something called "I Don't Plan it but Sometimes He Appears" - Where I post pictures of casting possibilities for our characters. Part 1 is Nikolaj Coster Waldau as Reinier.
I reblogged a particularly nice photo of a historically hot guy taken in 1847 by Louis Adolphe Humbert de Molard and a blog on our favorite poet John Donne.
I posted my Beach Reading List. I can't wait to dive into these new to me authors!

B&N Romance Panel

2011-06-26T18:47:00.001-05:00

Get Your Romance On: Cool Summer Days and Hot Summer Nights

2011-06-25T09:49:00.000-05:00

Almost ready for the signing today. More pictures later.

Get Your Romance On: Cool Summer Days and Hot Summer Nights

Which one is your favorite?

2011-06-15T00:44:00.001-05:00

by Barbra

It so happened as I was watching X-Men: First Class at the cinema last night that I bought Popcorn and ... well, I couldn’t buy the usual (which is yellow M&M’s), because I’m on a strict “NO chocolate!” diet. Bummer. So I had to settle for something else. What should I take? What? What? Oh! Here they are. Jelly Beans. Haven’t had one in, oh years, I guess, so why not try it again?

It occurred to me only later that when it’s dark I can’t really pick out the ones I don’t like. So every bite is a surprise. And right after that I thought that must be how J.K. Rowling invented Harry Potter’s wizardry sort of jelly beans - forgot what she called them, the ones that make you do all kinds of funny noises. Know which ones I mean?

So, in the pack were the following flavors:
blueberry, bubble gum°, buttered popcorn*, candy floss, chocolate pudding***, coconut, green apple°, island punch, lemon lime, lemon, liquorice**, orange sherbet, peach°, pina colada, strawberry daiquiri, tangerine*, toasted marshmallow°, tutti-frutti, very cherry, watermelon°.

° Top 5 in my opinion
* yuck!!!!!
** very YUCK!!!
*** you know, that really tastes like E.B. just ... you know what.

It really seemed that the pack was full of the yuck - and especially the very yuck - flavors and none of the good ones, so I had to put it aside. Every time I bit into a very yuck one, disgust made my face pucker and I closed my eyes involuntarily - and so missed another millisecond of drooling over Mr. Fassbender (ohhh ... now that I think of it: Can I have your baby, Mr. Fassbender? Why don’t you send it in the mail. An ice chest should do the trick). I brought it home with me (the Jelly Beans, not the ice chest!) so that I could write this thought-provoking post.

I was wondering: Do you like Jelly Beans? If so, what’s your favorite flavor? And your least favorite? Or your Top 5 favorite/least favorite?

Smart Kitty and ... uhm ... well ...

2011-06-02T09:45:00.002-05:00

Awesome! Kitties are sooo smart!

Q.E.D., eh?
Kitties are the smartest in the whole wide world ...

as opposed to ...

;-P

Tiny Juicy Tidbits

2011-05-27T06:54:00.000-05:00

I love this video for the same reason I'm obsessed with the tumblr Coverspy . It's little tidbits like who's listening to what and who's reading what that give you these tiny juicy peeks into people that as a writer I just can't get enough of.

20 in a Blink of an Eye

2011-05-25T16:34:00.000-05:00

Today, the 25th, is my 20th wedding anniversary. We were just babes in our early twenties. Stupid things. But I must say things are just starting to get really good.

We celebrated back on the 14th by running a 5k mud run together called the Warrior Dash. It was a blast!! I wouldn't want to have celebrated any other way. I can't wait for 20 more.

Tumblr

2011-05-19T19:01:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why but I'm on tumblr. Rumor has it it's the next big thing in social networking.

Find me at http://chloeharris-noelle.tumblr.com/

Dog Tease

2011-05-12T03:10:00.000-05:00

by Barbra

I stumbled across this video and I wanted to share it with you:

Review of Provocative in Pearls (The Rarest Blooms, #2)

2011-05-06T20:57:00.000-05:00

Provocative in Pearls by Madeline Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'd just read another book by another author that was too fast paced with too much action and no down time for the H/H to interact and develop a deep relationship so this was just what I needed.

What she is masterful at is the internal conflict. I love it when the majority of the conflict is between the H/H and about the relationship and not some big bad external force. It's much harder to do and much more satisfying for me.

I didn't see the Heroine as TSTL at all. But then again I have a 20 year old and I know exactly just how stupid young people can be even without dealing with being abused by relatives and I also know what crazy things losing a parent can do to your head. So I saw her character in the beginning as perfectly genuine for her age and circumstances.

View all my reviews

What Costumes, Context and Inflection Can Do

2011-04-29T10:32:00.000-05:00

Cover for the Sept. '11 Release

2011-04-27T08:19:00.000-05:00

Timeless Love

2011-04-09T08:22:00.000-05:00

I saw this on one of my favorite sites How to be a Retronaut and I almost didn't share it. It's such a juicy tidbit to try and work into a story I wanted to keep it to myself but just couldn't. A 200 year old love letter has been found hidden in the arm of a chair in Gloucestershire, England bought at an estate sale in France. The letter is in French and written for a man to a woman. I can only imagine the recipient reading the letter in secret and quickly hiding it in a tear in the upholstery as someone enters the room.

“‘My dear small love, do not be worried, do you seriously believe I would tell anything to these people, who don’t understand anything about love?

“‘If someone insists that I say something, it will be anything but the dear love acquired by you, which is the great treasure hidden in my heart.

“‘I didn’t tell you to come yesterday because I didn’t have the opportunity, but do come every Tuesday around 5:30, and Fridays as well; I count/hope on you tomorrow.

“‘At the moment I write this letter, I can hear my aunt yelling, who else annoys us all day long, today and tomorrow.

“”My dear, I cover you with kisses and caresses until… I need you in this moment of desire. I love you.”

2011-03-18T05:27:00.003-05:00

MARCH the 17th!

SLEEP the 18th

Erin Go Read!

2011-03-17T05:01:00.002-05:00

Out of Ireland have we come, great hatred, little room, maimed us at the start. I carry from my mother's womb a fanatic heart. William Butler Yeats

Wondering how to celebrate this fine holiday? Here are my top 4 ways to spend the high holy wearing of the green day

4. Party down!!

This is number 5 because well, I’m not much of a partier. But I did spend a wild St. Patrick’s Day in Charleston SC way way back in the day. There was drinking and laughing, good times with good friends and possibly a conversation with an ATF agent and a ride from local law enforcement. But it was a very long time ago and the memory is a little foggy. Other cities good for getting your Guinness groove on include New York, Boston, and Savannah.

3. Stay In with Some Telly

I never ever watch QVC. It’s just not on my radar at all. But on St. Patrick’s day I could watch it all twenty four hours. Waterford crystal, wool in every shape and form, more Connemara marble and silver jewelry than you would ever know what to do with and anything else made in Ireland that can be sold and shipped!!

But what I will be watching every minute of tonight is the four hour live from Ireland search for the Banshee on Destination Truth!!! Go Josh, I can’t wait.

2. Eat something Irish.

No not anything from yesterday’s post. But that would be a hell of a way to celebrate. So yeah, if you can, go ahead and do that. But if you can’t how about the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage. Or if you’re actually Irish some Bacon and Cabbage. And when your Irishman is famished from the afore mentioned activities, build his strength back up for the next round with some Chocolate Guinness Cake with Irish Cream Caramel Sauce.

1. Spend it with a Great Irish Themed Read

Of Course you should! If you can’t be Irish or be in Ireland, being swept away to Ireland or by an Irishman is the next best thing. And when you choose an Irishman to sweep you away we hope it will be Connor O’Driscoll. But if Connor is not enough here a list with something for everyone! St. Patrick's Day Reads

Have a glorious St. Patrick’s Day and remember “A trout in the pot is better than a salmon in the sea.”

Out of Ireland Have We Come

2011-03-16T05:23:00.110-05:00

Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy - William Butler Yeats

What makes Irishmen so Sexy? Lots of people have pondered that age old question. Even the great oracle, Yahoo Answers, has been consulted. But I think Yeats was on the right track.

Ireland’s history of mystical mythology, great art and culture and beautiful landscapes juxtaposed with bleak hardships and English oppression all combine to give Irishmen that air of dangerous sensuality. It’s those puzzling contrasts that keep us intrigued. It’s a melancholy undertone to his wit and humor. It’s a tough exterior hiding the soul of an artist. It’s the face of an angel with the devil in his eyes. It’s black hair and blue eyes. *sigh*

All this is why Connor, hero of In Deep, has such a special place in our hearts. When we’re writing we don’t ever have an image of anyone in mind but as part of the St. Patrick Day celebrations here are three real life Irishmen that just might be able to play the role of Connor. Take a long leisurely look, place your vote or suggest your own!

First Candidate – from Douglas in Cork, the enigmatic Cillian Murphy

Next a new favorite of mine, a classically trained actor from Clodalkin, South Dublin, Mr. Aidan Turner

And last but never ever least, my all time favorite, born in Dublin and raised in County Cork, the devil himself, Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

What do you think? Are any of them Connor in your mind? Do you have any other ideas?

Et tu Barbra?

2011-03-15T03:16:00.001-05:00

!!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Those Sexy Irish Eyes are Smiling

2011-03-14T07:26:00.000-05:00

This is going to be a great week !

First of all tomorrow is the Ides of March and that can only mean one thing…its Barbra’s Birthday!!! This year is about new beginnings for her and I hope it keeps going with a fabulous Birthday. Please remember to stop by tomorrow and wish her a very Happy Birthday.

But all week long we’ll be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in honor of In Deep’s Irish Hero and Heroine Connor and Jaidyn. We’ll be talking about sexy Irishmen and the best of Irish food, traditions and celebrations here on the blog and Facebook. And on GoodReads you’ll have a chance to vote for your favorite St. Patrick Day Reads.

So put on your Aran Craft sweater and Connemara Marble jewelry, grab a Waterford crystal glass of Jameson whiskey and stop on by all week long.

Romance from the Emerald Isle

2011-03-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi all. I'm hoping to create a listopia list over at Goodreads with Irish themed books in honor of St. Patrick's Day and our own Irish Hero, Connor from In Deep.

Do you have a favorite Irish or Irish-American hero or heroine or romance set in Ireland? Let me know!

Island Spice Page

2011-02-12T10:36:00.000-05:00

Facebook is finally letting me change the name on the Secrets of Sin Fan Page to Chloe Harris - Island Spice

So we are switching over to an author page from a personal page. Come join us!!

Chloe Harris - Island Spice

Passionate Ink's Sixth Annual Stroke of Midnight Contest

2011-02-03T14:00:00.003-05:00

== EXTENDED to Feb 7th ==

Link to Enter
Entry Form and details

Make the first 35 pages of your novel so compelling that an editor has to have more!

Five Sizzling Finalists in Five Categories:

Contemporary – novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in a contemporary setting. Includes series and single-title length romances. Can also include elements of romantic suspense/intrigue.

Historical – novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in a historical setting.

Futuristic/Fantasy/Sci-fi – novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in any setting in the future, an alternate world/reality, or another planet. Includes elements such as elves/faerie, sword & sorcery, aliens, etc.

Paranormal/Time Travel – novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in any setting that includes elements of time travel, angels, vampires, werewolves or other paranormal themes.

Novellas - novellas of 10,000 to 25,000 words with erotic elements that focus on developing romantic relationship in any setting.

**All categories are open to alternative lifestyle entries and any entry that reflects an erotic romance between two or more people, straight, gay, bi, or any romantic combination.**

All entries must be in RTF format.
All entries must be at least 10,000 words in their completed form.

Link to Enter
Entry Form and details

Judging and Prizes:

First Round:
Preliminary-round judging will be completed by three qualified judges – Passionate Ink and other RWA members experienced in critiquing and/or published authors familiar with our genre. All scores will be added and averaged to determine the entrant’s ranking. Every attempt will be made to provide entrants with detailed score sheets and judges’ comments from this preliminary round. Top five entries in each category will move to final round.

Final Round:
The top five finalists in each category will be ranked by the following industry professionals:
Contemporary: Angela James, Carina Press
Historical: Treva Harte, Loose ID
Futuristic/Fantasy/Sci-fi: Kelli Collins, Ellora’s Cave
Paranormal/Time Travel: Melissa Jeglinski, The Knight Agency
Novellas: Lindsey Faber, Samhain Publishing

First place winners in each category will receive a free one year membership in Passionate Ink ($25 value), a certificate, and an award graphic for their website. (Writing teams will split the membership.) All other finalists will receive certificates and a finalist graphic for their website. All entries will be returned after finalists are determined and statistical information is complete. Winners will be announced at the Passionate Ink gathering at the Romance Writers’ of America National Conference in New York. Results will be listed on the Passionate Ink website, in the chapter’s newsletter, as well as have their names published in the Romance Writer’s Report.
The decisions of judges are final.

Link to Enter
Entry Form and details

Eligibility:
* All contest entrants must be 18 years of age by the contest entry deadline date.
Contest is open to all authors with unpublished, uncontracted full-length erotic romance manuscripts of at least 25,000 words (except novellas which must be at least 10,000) in the category they wish to enter.
* All entries must be electronic in RTF format.
* All entries (synopsis and entry) must be in one file.
* All entries and payment must be received completed by MIDNIGHT EST Feb 7, 2011.
* All materials, including entries and entry fees, must be received by that date.

Link to Enter
Entry Form and details

Dimples and Abs, oh my!

2011-01-28T08:10:00.007-05:00

by B*

Finally, Spartacus is back!!! I've waited so long - and have to wait longer still until the complete season 1 is available on DVD here.

But find me drooling over "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" every Friday meanwhile. Drooling, because it's no secret that I've got the hots for dimples. Or an Australian accent. Or blond hair. In "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," Dustin Clare, an Australian actor with blond hair (for this role) and cute dimples, plays Gannicus. *sigh*

I loved "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." Andy Whitfield is simply gorgeous as Spartacus.

I hope he'll win the battle against cancer - and not because I'd love to see him as Spartacus again. That's just a role any actor can fill. I really wish him all the best. Read more.

The series has the history geek in me bounce up and down with joy. I've always been fascinated by ancient Roman life. The very first character I created and wrote stories about was a Roman. He was proud and aloof, arrogant and "devishly handsome", as Noelle put it. And one day he will re-emerge and get his own story. There's a time for everything...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's the first episode called "Past Transgressions" (aired last Friday):

B* got a Tattoo!

2011-01-22T07:17:00.004-05:00

Next on my list of things to do still:

*) Getting a Tattoo

This pic was taken three hours ago. That's Andre there tattooing. I'm still waiting for the big pain to hit. Nothing so far.

I've wanted a tattoo for a decade, if not more. And like with every life-changing decision in my life, the one and only design that I'd want to commit to and be proud of for the rest of my life came to me in my dreams. For the rest, I want to thank The Vanishing Tattoo for invaluable info on tattoo symbols and design. Thanks also to Tattoo.Johnny.com for the inspiration. And thank you, Andre, the tattoo artist at Raciel Style Store, for patiently listening to all my ideas and getting the design just right for me.

People warned me it's going to hurt - like hell. Well, guess what: it didn't. Should have known.
I suppose if you ink before you think, your subconscious makes it that much worse for you. Well, that certainly wasn't the case with me. Also, pain is different for everybody.

So I can check *) Getting a Tattoo. Now on to the next thing on my list!

Check it Out

2011-01-20T09:46:00.001-05:00

Changing things around just a little bit. Check out the new tabs on the blog. More to come!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Back into the Groove

2011-01-15T08:13:00.003-05:00

by Barbra

2007 my (now ex-)husband told me he’d been seeing other women for quite some time, because he couldn’t cope being with me otherwise. My mistakes - in his opinion - were that I was too headstrong, too ambitious, thinking too independently and that I was convinced he hadn’t created the world in 7 days but some other guy did that.
When I asked him to end it in dignity, he said no. What came then was what I’d never expected. Each time I thought it couldn’t get worse, it did. As I found out the hard way, a man doesn’t have to beat up a woman to be an abusive bastard. Players have more subtle ways to torture you; they love you or manipulate you into self-loathing (or both) when they’re playing, and they hate you with a vengeance when you see them for what they really are: soulless and thoughtless egotistic shells.

The last three years I had plenty of time to explore the various stages of mourning and heartache. At first I found excuses for his failing me. Then I thought I could make it all go away by jumping into more and more work (clearly I’d hit the stage of denial). After that, sadness so profound swallowed me that I thought I wouldn’t live to see another day. Since then I’ve had time to lick my wounds and wallowed in self-pity some more. I raged at how unfair it all is and at last cried myself to sleep.

Last Thursday at 2:50 pm the divorce was final. I wasn’t sad, quite the contrary; I felt cleansed and reborn.

So, since I’ve already gone through all the stages of mourning and mending a broken heart, I think it’s time to get a post-divorce check list together. I’ve already done the following:

* built a new nest
* celebrated my new found freedom

What else? I’ve got plenty more ideas, but maybe there’s something I overlooked? Any ideas?

(Public Sex in) Vienna by Night

2010-12-10T12:10:00.003-05:00

by Barbra

To get the mood right, I suggest you listen to this song while reading this blog post (if you can). It’s a grand remake of Fendrich’s ‘Wien bei Nacht’ (‘Vienna by Night’). They just haven't gotten around to make a proper video yet.

In case you didn’t know, Vienna has a population of about 1.7 million. Vienna is Austria’s biggest city and our capital.

Also, it's a tourist's paradise. There’s the
Schönbrunn Palace with its magnificent gardens and the zoo.

Or if you’re more into buildings, take a tour with the tram along the Ringstraße, where you first pass the Opera,

then the Hofburg on one side

and the Museum of Fine Arts

as well as the Museum of Natural History on the other side.

Around the corner (careful, the ride with the tram is rather bumpy at that point) there’s the Parliament on your left

and the next stop is right in front of the Burgtheater.

But I mustn’t forget to mention the Prater!

And you've got to see the Central Cemetary where they buried Mozart among others.

(To learn more about what to see in Vienna, please have a look at this site).

Lately however, there’s also a lot to see by night. A video has been posted on youtube about a young couple having sex in the venerable U1, one of Vienna’s five subways (here’s a link to the video on youtube; on this site you can see the same video if you scroll down a bit and on this site is another video).

Some people react with outrage, but most people think it’s funny. I have mixed feelings about it. I think it’s sad that you can apparently do anything when using the subway at night without a policeman close-by. Yay!
On the other hand, you can see that the two (who, according to eyewitnesses, were drunk and had only met there and then) were just teenagers, fooling around. (???) Did they have no money left to get a hotel room, because they’d spent it all on booze before? It was too cold outside two nights ago, so any of the magnificent greenery and parks of Vienna were out of the question, I totally get that.

Which begs the question: When you visit another country and marvel at, say, a brilliant sculpture in the middle of a breathtaking park, do you ever wonder what happened the night before under that tree you’re standing right now? Do you wonder why the earth beneath your right heel is a bit softer than that under your left one? Was it because there might have been rain the night before, hm? But the streets had been dry when you’d woken up that morning...

I’ve never thought about it, but from now on I’ll never look upon places which invite people to have public sex (and places that don’t, which again do, which is, in fact, mind boggling, isn’t it?) the same way again. Moreover, I now understand why they’d really taken the old upholstery (a very odd mix of violet and pink plush) away and fitted all subway cars with those ghastly orange plastic chairs instead. Easier to wipe and disinfect.

What do you think about it? Gross? Hilarious? Sign of the times?

And One More

2010-12-06T00:40:00.002-05:00

I'm blogging at Savvy Authors about

Finding Your Comfort Zone (with Giveaway).

Stop by and tell me what you think!

New Review of In Deep

2010-12-03T22:21:00.000-05:00

Sarah Silversmith at Romance Readers Connection
has a nice review of IN DEEP.

Here, There and Everywhere

2010-12-01T15:45:00.000-05:00

Check out all the places you can find us on the net.

RT Book Reviews have an exclusive look at the making of In Deep, how we work together and why we chose the setting. There is also a never before seen excerpt.

Check out our Holiday wish to readers at The Romance Readers Connection.

Chloe Harris is a Complete and Total Fraud. Find out how and win goodies at Seductive Musings

Another chance to win a copy of In Deep & Secrets of Sin is at Coffee Time Romance & More
Featured Contest Author

2010-11-15T20:00:00.002-05:00

RT 2010 Reviewers Choice Nominee

2010-11-05T07:34:00.000-05:00

We are very excited to announce that In Deep has been chosen by Romantic Times Magazine as a

2010 Reviewers Choice Nominee for Best Erotic Romance!!!

Seasons or Sun?

2010-10-12T10:17:00.000-05:00

I'm blogging today at the Aphro Blog about seasons.

Do you like to read about warm climates in the winter? Do you like to see the seasons change or have it be warm and sunny year round?

Please stop by and let me know your thoughts.
http://www.aphrodisiaauthors.com/blog/2010/10/11/3842/

My Anniversary

2010-09-10T00:33:00.004-05:00

by Barbra

Hi. I'm B* and I haven't smoked a cigarette in a year. Hooray!

It's 6332 cigarettes I didn't smoke.
This morning it's the 270th day that I didn't cough my lungs out when I woke up.
I no longer suffer from a sore throat all the time.
I no longer have cold fingers and toes all the time.
I'm no longer as pale as a corpse.
I no longer smell like an ashtray.

Unfortunately, I've gained a few pounds. Okay, a lot. But I let the treadmill suffer for it. Eventually--I'm absolutely certain of it--I'll lose those extra pounds.

Unfortunately, my olfactory sense has returned to its full capacity. My BFF calls me "truffle pig". Another friend says she went through that when she was pregnant and she hated it. She admires me for enduring "stink" all the time.

The Difference The Right End Can Make

2010-08-27T04:47:00.004-05:00

by Barbra

I'm blogging at Savvy Authors today about

The difference the right end can make.

Also, I'm giving away 3 copies of Secrets of Sin there.

Stop by and tell me what you think!

GTL- Does Not a Hero Make

2010-08-18T11:13:00.000-05:00

I'm blogging at Kiss and Tell about why the men of the TV show Jersey Shore would never make good romance heroes.

GTL-Does Not a Hero Make . Stop by and let me know if you agree with me or not.

Cat Marsters is also guest blogging today so be sure to check that out too!

WORKSHOP: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Grammar & Style But Didn’t Think It Really Mattered

2010-03-25T12:11:00.002-05:00

DEADLINE EXTENDED! ONLY FIVE MORE DAYS TO REGISTER!

The Carolina Romance Writers Chapter of RWA is pleased to announce our April Online Workshop:

WORKSHOP: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Grammar & Style But Didn’t Think It Really Mattered

INSTRUCTOR: Annie Oortman and Darlene Buchholz

DATE: April 5th- April 30th 2010 Standard Workshop

Regular, (Month-long) classes, consisting of at least 2 lessons per week for CRW and HCRW members is $15, all others $25

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Grammar-crammer… who cares about how verb tenses; dangled, misplaced, and squinted modifiers; and that dreaded passive voice? You should!

Most people would rather have a paper cut on the inside of their lip than learn better grammar. But good writing requires good grammar. Without it, you can’t really be sure your reader will understand the information you’re trying to convey, the story you’re trying to tell, and the mental picture you’re trying to paint.

The Grammar Divas (an English teacher and a professional copywriter, both budding novelists) do something most “grammar-for-better-writing” books, courses, and websites don’t do—focus on grammar for fiction writing.

First, we’ll go over the basics to ensure you haven’t forgotten everything from school. Then, we’ll move onto issues that affect sentence structure and paragraph development. Next, we’ll review the finer points of punctuation and style as well as common grammar errors. Then, we’ll show you how to enhance your writing’s curb appeal to make the most of your writing’s appearance, readability, and impact. After that, we’ll demonstrate how cutting the fat from your writing is the quickest and surest way to improve your writing. Finally, we’ll solve some crimes against sentence, sharing the grammatical forensics you can use to uncover evidence of poor writing and troubleshoot problem sentences.

INSTRUCTOR BIO:

Grammar wasn't Annie Oortman's first love (actually, it was a cute boy in her second-grade class named Henry Talley) or even her second (avoiding barn work). However, after getting an A for content but an F for readability on a third-grade book report, she learned having great ideas was one thing, communicating them well on paper another. Annie became a disciple of the church of Proper Grammar and card-carrying member of The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (www.spogg.org). Nowadays, she diagrams sentences for fun (yes, for fun), corrects her children when they say "I did good on the test" (I did well.), and argues with fellow grammar devotees on the acceptability of ending a sentence with a preposition (don't do it).

BTW, Annie is hoping to see her name on the cover of a fiction novel soon... very soon. (And, if you’re wondering, Henry Talley never even noticed Annie as he had a mad crush on blonde-haired, blue-eyed Libby Boxler.)

Darlene Buchholz fell in love in the first grade with a boy named Neil. He shared his crackers and milk at recess after someone took her snack and never got caught. She’s loved romance and intrigue ever since. By the third grade, she discovered Nancy Drew mysteries and developed a great passion for perky heroines who drove convertibles (proof they were in charge of their own lives). She wrote her own one-hundred-page mysteries, giving the heroine a much better hero than wimpy Ned Nickerson, who seemed more fashion accessory than hero. What woman wouldn’t prefer a cowboy or a cop named…well, Neil, of course?

Darlene never thought of grammar as a challenge. It was, instead, a tool to help her express the ideas she felt passionate about. She served as a peer mentor in junior high and high school. Becoming a high school English teacher was a natural for Darlene. She loved sharing ideas expressed in great literature and exposition.

Now, family raised, Darlene has decided to write stories again. She writes romantic suspense, and sometimes her heroines drive trucks rather than convertibles. Her heroes are still cowboys and cops. She hopes to publish soon.

BTW… Darlene disagrees with Annie about the acceptability of ending a sentence with a preposition. Yes, you can! No one, absolutely no one, including Annie, says: On what did you step? Not in casual conversation and not in situations where you’d like to impress the committee in charge of awarding you a grant or a fellowship. We all say: What did you step on?

Register at http://www.carolinaromancewriters.com/april10.htm

WORKSHOP: Muse Therapy DEADLINE EXTENDED!

2010-03-25T12:10:00.000-05:00

DEADLINE EXTENDED! ONLY FIVE MORE DAYS TO REGISTER!

The Carolina Romance Writers Chapter of RWA is pleased to announce our April Online Workshop:

WORKSHOP: Muse Therapy

INSTRUCTOR: D.D. Scott

DATE: April 5-30, 2010 Standard Workshop

Regular, (Month-long) classes, consisting of at least 2 lessons per week for CRW and HCRW members is $15, all others $25

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

D. D. Scott style - is all about injecting life into tired and/or stressed out muses. I'll give writers fun and fabulous tools to analyze their muses' funks, reign in their creative divas and up their page counts.

Discover what makes your muses tick. What ticks them off. And what makes them dance like nobody's watching.

We'll name your muses and host a very special meet-and-greet just for them, then dig deep into their psyches by examining "muse disorders" such as:

** Unleashing Your Inner Sybil

** Writing Bi-Polar: I Suck vs. I'm a Genius

** What Do You Mean I'm Neurotic? No, I'm Not. Well, Not Exactly. But Okay...There Are Times When. Like You Need To Know That. Anyway, I Was Thinking, My Jeep Is Red.

** Rorschach For Writers: I See Dead Lines

** Stimulants: When Coffee, Chocolate and Martinis Aren't Enough

Once we recognize, acknowledge and accept our muses' afflictions, we'll find terrific tricks and "trips" to treat our word witches.

I'll provide fabulous hand-outs and super-cool tchotchkes for all participants.

So if your muse is in need of a tune-up, grab a comfy couch or chair and put up your feet. You're in the right therapy session.

INSTRUCTOR BIO:

D. D. Scott is an agented, romantic comedy writer and muse therapist in the making.

She writes stories with big hearts and a bunch of sass. Once a small town newspaper crime reporter and now a HarperCollins Publishing Returns Center Executive Assistant, D. D. has learned that great fiction comes from the streets as well as which jacket covers meet early deaths.

Ms. Scott's romantic comedies are all about sexy, sassy, smart, career-driven women and the men who complete them. They're a bit chick lit with a gone-country twist. Her series BOOTSCOOTIN' BLAHNIKS - think Sex and The City meets Urban Cowboy - is under consideration by several NY publishers.

She's a member of Indiana RWA as well as RWA's Chick Lit Writers of the World Chapter and ScriptScene RWA. She's been featured in both Indiana RWA's and ScriptScene's chapter newsletters and been a guest blogger on Romance Writers on the Journey. She also has an active blog of her own on her website at http://www.DDScott.com and is linked to on Romancing the Blog.

You can find her online teaching several Muse Therapy Classes. And if you're ready for some Muse Therapy while on the beach, join her in March 2010 in Pensacola FL where she'll be doing a live Muse Therapy Workshop for RWA's Gulf Coast Chapter.

She's currently driving her darling hubby nuts waiting to hear whether her Muse Therapy Article Series will debut in RWR and if she'll be chosen to provide Muse Therapy for RT's 2010 Convention and RWR's 2010 National Conference.

Register at http://www.carolinaromancewriters.com/april10.htm

The Friday 56

2010-03-19T10:59:00.001-05:00

The Friday 56

via Lynette's Two Cents by Lynette on 3/19/10

Who saw this at Shiloh Walker blog just now and it sounded like so much fun that she decided to do it and then I saw her post I decided to do it too!

Lynette's sentence if from Pride/Prejudice by Ann Herendeen

"No," Elizabeth agreed. "But I have seen for myself, having spent nearly a week at Netherfield, that his romantic attentions are all directed at one who, while perfectly genteel, is not a lady."

Mine is from Mysterious Loveswept #133

"Give you enough rope to hang yourself with -- Mrs. Jennifer Blake."

The Rules:

Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
Turn to page 56.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beware Your Birthday!

2010-03-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

One of the things Barbra and I have in common is that we both thought ourselves too special to pick an ordinary day for our Birthdays. But at least I picked a happy day! ;) -Noelle

Happy Ides of March Birthday Barbra!

Aphro Blogging - A Hard Man to Love

2010-03-12T07:01:00.003-05:00

UPDATE AGAIN: The Aphro Site is back up! So come check out the post!
UPDATE: The site is temporarily down. I'll let you know when the blog and contest will be reposted
Here is the pic of Daniel Craig that to me says "A Hard Man to Love"

After you comment on B's post hop over to the Aphrodisia Authors Blog.

I'm talking about how I love heroes that are hard to love and giving away another copy of Secrets of Sin.

A Hard Man to Love - Oh and a really Yummy Picture of Daniel Craig is included for your TGIF enjoyment.

Not Your Cup of Tea

2010-03-11T14:15:00.003-05:00

by Barbra

Secrets of Sin got a negative review! *lol*
Oh, don’t worry. I haven’t lost all my marbles. I just think it’s funny.
If I had found one sound reason in the review why Secrets of Sin isn’t good, I’d have been inclined to take this review seriously. But the reviewer just went through each and every one of Noelle’s “5 Reasons Not To Buy Secrets of Sin”. When reading said review I was immediately reminded of them (abridged):

1. If You Want a Perfect Hero
2. If You Think Strong Women Can’t Have Weak Moments
3. If You Like Things Black and White
4. If You Don’t Believe Love Can Redeem
5. If You Only Like Plain Vanilla

The reviewer hated Reinier (1) from the start because she was introduced to him in a brothel. She didn’t like Emiline falling for Reinier so easily (2). Apparently, for the reviewer divorces were so common and so easy back in the 18th century that if you wanted to be rid of your husband, you didn’t jump at the offer to actually get his signature on the divorce papers--and that after just three days. What’s more, the reviewer didn’t like Emiline because she fell in love with Reinier AGAIN (3). If you want to divorce the man who broke your heart once, you don’t fall in love with him again--as simple as that! Also, for an erotic *gasp* romance there were far too many sexy scenes (5). Obviously, the reviewer also skipped the spicy scenes entirely or else she would have noticed that it was then that Reinier and Emiline bared their souls--and that it was in those most intimate moments that emotions resurfaced they’d thought they’d long buried for good (4).

In my opinion it’s a pity the reviewer was biased and completely opposed to reading erotic romances. Why review Secrets of Sin at all then?

I’d never ever review a romance novel where all the H/H ever do is hold hands, simply because it wouldn’t be fair. To me, love in a romance novel isn’t complete without physical interaction. I don’t believe it’s in real life either. So I’d never be happy with a HEA that’s sealed with a chaste kiss on the cheek.
(Note: Jane Austen is the exception. She wrote amazingly sensual stories that also showed the materialistic and egotistic side of women of her time which they needed to survive!)

When I read a novel, I’m looking for amazing word painting, gripping dialog, a plot based on emotional conflict and an exterior conflict that keeps me on the edge of my seat, but above all I want to feel the love. Describing mechanically what they’re up to isn’t it. The hot scenes must add to the emotional turmoil the H/H have to endure. Let me see what H/H really mean to each other in those most intimate of all moments and I’m completely and utterly happy.

I guess what it boils down to is this: I don’t like to plod through hundreds of pages of sexual teasing without getting a reward. “When will they finally get together?” as story-worthy problem isn’t good enough for me. In an erotic romance (“erotic”, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, means “showing or involving sexual desire and pleasure”!!!) the hero and heroine get together fast. The tension, therefore, comes from the romantic side (and not the sexual teasing), keeping the reader guessing “How will they ever manage to put aside what’s really between them and stay together happily ever after?” That’s what I’m looking for!

Description, dialog, internal conflict, external conflict, spicy scenes that add to the internal conflict and couldn’t stand alone--those are essential ingredients for me.
One point each. You’ve got me interested with three points, hooked with four points, and you’ll get a place in my imaginary hall of fame if you reach five points. Yes, I’m a harsh critic--but I’ve mentioned that once or twice before I believe. I’m also a loyal fan.

What are you looking for in a romance novel? Do you have a set of requirements or rules?

Coffee Anyone?

2010-03-06T10:40:00.000-05:00

I'm blogging today at Coffee Time Romance.

Stop by and Take a Sip of a Caribbean Brew with Chloe Harris

Poo By Any Other Name

2010-03-04T12:52:00.005-05:00

by Barbra

Forced Seduction is a plot device that’s believed to be dead. It’s responsible for the negative connotation of romances, which some people still conceive of as bodice rippers. And don’t you just hate that name?

For me, Forced Seduction is highly disturbing, because it’s basically a rape fantasy: an alpha male rips a hapless . . . erm, helpless is what I wanted to say, or was it witless?
Anyway, the uber-alpha-testosterone-poisoned-hung-like-a-bull-male tears his dumbfounded victim’s clothes and pride (and legs, mustn’t forget those!) apart and takes her. Hard. Fast. Sweaty. Dirty.
Don’t forget to imagine the sounds that go with the image: he’s probably grunting like a Neanderthal man, the woman bleating in the face of his superhuman-sized c . . . oh erm, danger! Danger, I mean! And the woman is turned on by his dominance and climaxes again and again.

I’m sorry, but here’s where I draw the line. Anything “forced” is, as the term itself indicates, done against somebody’s will, not safe, not sane and certainly not consensual. Or am I wrong?

However, I’m well aware that there is such a thing as “rape fantasies”. Why women would have rape fantasies when they are repulsed by the thought of actual rape is beyond my grasp, never mind that such fantasies feature sex acts they would want to do only with attractive men.

There might be a number of explanations for psychologists (compare Why Do Women Have Erotic Rape Fantasies?). However, most of them are based on wild speculation. See for yourself:

The simplest explanation psychologists could find is that some women are just masochistic. Experiencing helplessness and suffering humiliation gets them turned on - provided they know what they’re going to is a game only.
Then there’s what psychologists call “sexual blame avoidance”. Some women are still brought up with the belief that a woman mustn’t crave sexual attention or experience sexual desire. Sex is, after all, dirty. By having sex against their will they avoid feeling guilty. This is one extreme.
The other extreme is “openness to sexual experience”. If you like sex and you’re also into the kinky stuff, kinky rape fantasies turn you on. But that’s not an explanation why a woman could have such fantasies if you ask me. It's just stating that if you have a healthy sexuality, you can deal with that stuff.
A thought-provoking concept is “desirability”. Some women believe themselves to be so irresistible so that men simply cannot bring their inner beast to heel. Again I can hear the Neanderthal’s grunt, can you too?
And speaking of the grunting, rutting Neanderthal: According to the article women still think men’s fantasies exclusively revolve around being sexually dominant.

*whip swishing through the air and landing on the slave’s butt* Hilarious, isn’t it? Now hurry up. My heels aren’t clean yet and I want to truss you up as soon as you’re done. You're up for a little CBT! *kicking the slave so that it remembers its place*

Sorry. Where was I? Oh yes.

I guess this Forced Seduction BS fits into evolutionary history where the female is predisposed to surrender. You and me, baby, ain't nothing but mammals, and the male must hunt the female down and defeat her. By doing so, he proves he’s worthy of mounting her. (Again I can hear a Neanderthal’s grunt!)
And when we’re talking of predisposition, acting on instinct is what some can do best. In times of danger, a fight or flight response is activated: heart rate speeds up, you’re breathing faster, your pupils dilate - and you get aroused.
Uhm . . . really? I mean, are you serious??? You get aroused when you’re frightened to death? Sounds contradictory in itself to me. Be that as it may, I ain’t no psychologist. And them psychologists call that reaction to fear “sympathetic activation”.
The last explanation the article gives is “adversary transformation”. The definition is so ludicrous, I have to quote it here:

In one survey of romance novels (which tend to be written by and for women), the lead female character was raped in 54%. The male heroes are usually rugged warrior types and these books may illustrate a desire to "conquer the heart of the rapist" and tame him for marriage.

Okay, so, let’s sum up: Some women have rape fantasies. They’re generally no problem unless they pose a problem for the woman who fantasizes about being taken against her will. Psychologists lean toward explanations that involve earlier sexual abuse, masochistic tendencies, or just plain depravity.

Ahem. Sounds like women have a problem, but men don’t. I do beg your pardon, but - HUH?????

Well, I’m no closer to understanding than I was before. This is what I was trying to do here. I wanted to understand. I like to get the facts to a problem in order to understand it. Only then I can try to work toward a solution. You see, I had today off, so I thought I’d get comfy and read a book. The first third was fine. But then - wham! - I was confronted with a Forced Seduction - I thought nowadays it's no longer done!
I hated it. I have no rape fantasies, perhaps that’s why. It totally freaks me out when I read a book where the heroine is turned on by being manhandled - and I'm not talking about a little bondage and spanking here. I'm talking about a "fearing for her life, being beaten to unconsciousness and waking up to chains immobilizing her"-situation.
Forced Seduction is not for me. I guess I’ve finally found I do have limits!

Where are your limits when it comes to reading? What makes you uncomfortable? What is disturbing for you?

Bringing Sexiness To Queen and Country

2010-03-03T20:54:00.001-05:00

Today is the UK Release Day for Secrets of Sin!

Tell all your friends across the Pond!

First Lines

2010-02-25T15:14:00.004-05:00

by Barbra

First impressions are everything. As a writer, you should spend an awful lot of time on crafting the perfect opening sentence for your story. Many still seem to think the very first sentence isn’t all that important - the first paragraph is. Let me tell you, you’re wrong. With that attitude, you shoot yourself in the foot. The first line is the first thing a reader sees and it will determine whether or not she’s going to read the rest of the first paragraph or not.

I’ve read a few books already. Some I had to read, some I read for pleasure. The reason why I read a book aside, I discovered I enjoy books with a great first line much more than books starting like:

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the house-tops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.

*eyes glaze over*

or:

I was born in the Year 1632, in the City of York, of a good Family, tho' not of that Country, my Father being a Foreigner of Bremen, who settled first at Hull; He got a good Estate by Merchandise, and leaving off his Trade, lived afterward at York, from whence he had married my Mother, whose Relations were named Robinson, a very good Family in that Country, and from whom I was called Robinson Kreutznaer; but by the usual Corruption of Words in England, we are now called, nay we call our selves, and write our Name Crusoe, and so my Companions always call'd me.

*yawn*

Granted, those are examples taken from the canon so the books are supposed to be great fiction no matter how I feel about the first sentence or the story as such. There are good examples for great first sentences from works in the canon as well:

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins.

Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress.

I’ve got to stop now, or I’ll forget the next part of my blogpost! You can read more about the 100 best first lines from novels on this website.

Romance is the best there is, if you ask me, even though it’s not exactly supposed to elevate the spirit like literary works of art in the canon. I couldn't care less. I LOVE it. OMG, I love writing it. I love reading it! Ask me what I'd take with me onto a lonely island, and I'd answer 1000 romance novels and a hunk (or two if you insist I decide on three things).

In those numerous romance novels I’ve already read (and I read indiscriminately if you remember, historical, paranormal, fantasy, futuristic, you name it) I’ve also encountered numerous good first sentences. Here are examples of the books I still have here (the others have already moved *lol*):

A sound halted me at the door to my room, a rhythmic rattle, like a blind flapping against the window—except the sound was too fast for that, too fast and getting faster.

Chains rattled on the rough stucco wall as Audrey stretched her arms.

“Charles? What kind of name is Charles for a vampire?”

If I were to be totally honest I’d tell you that the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew I was in trouble.

“Oh, sugar, can you cook,” the woman purred as she thrust narrow hips off cream satin sheets and up his driving cock.

Only one kind of marriage ever bore Society’s stamp of approval.

She met Adam Serre on the night his wife left him.

The combination of a horse galloping far too fast, a muddy lane with a curve, and a lady pedestrian is never a good one.

Zoe Clare saw dead people.

Oh and let’s not forget this - if I may say so - brilliant *lol* first sentence:

If a lady was thinking of doing the unthinkable, she should dress unobtrusively.

How do you feel about opening lines? What’s your favorite first sentence?

Where the Hell Have You Been and What's Been Going On?

2010-02-22T21:40:00.001-05:00

Well let's see DH and I cleaned out the garage this weekend...Oh you mean what's been going on with Chloe Harris, quite a few things. (Notice how I completely ignored that first question, that's because I don't have a good answer.)

There is a great interview with Barbra up at Erotic Romantic Crush Junkies. The Giveaway runs until the 28th so check it out.

I'm representing Chloe Harris on Goodreads please stop by and be our friend or ask any question you can think of at the Chloe Harris Q&A discussion group.

Some big news is that Connor's book has a title. In Deep will be out in Dec 2010. No cover yet but keep your fingers crossed for a good one. I sent them a picture of Vennessa Kelly's Sex and the Single Earl and said please dress the cover hunk like this. You can find a blurb on In Deep on both the Website and Goodreads.

We've gotten a few great entries in the Hot Guy Contest and are extending the deadline to 3/26. Check out where he's been seen so far on the Facebook FanPage.

That should be enough to keep you busy for a while. ;)

So what's been up with you? Yes you, tell me what you've been up to lately.

Romance Cover Hunks Anyone?

2010-02-12T05:47:00.004-05:00

by Barbra

Man. I can't tell you how stressed out I am. Yesterday was the first day in weeks where I could relax for an hour.

So what did I do? There's always something on on TV. So I started zapping a bit until I got hung up on this channel where fortunetellers promise to (fore)tell you you'll win the lottery in 6 weeks to 6 months. You know what kind of channel I mean, don't you?

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a no-nonsense person and when you want to tell me about my aura or my energies and that you'll ask an angel for advice for me (who incidentally will only answer in a strange language that sounds like a baby blabbering to me), I don't believe you. But to each his own I always say. I, for example, read cards myself and I don't wear a gypsy's turban and wear hundreds of silver rings while staring into a crystal ball, murmuring some mystical and/or mysterious incantations. I just shuffle the cards, cut them and lay them out. That's it.

Uhh... where was I? Oh yes, the mystical life coaching session. Let me tell you, they only have hunks as employees on this channel. That's why I stopped zapping in the first place: I needed some eye candy and there it was - live on air. He has long, wavy black hair, ebony eyes and the T-shirt he wore was to tight around the shoulders. It also accentuated his V-shaped upper body. When he stepped away from the table he used for laying his cards, I realized his jeans rode dangerously low on his narrow hips. And the jeans were strategically cut so that you could see a hint of his tanned, muscular legs whenever he moved.

NO, I'M NOT KIDDING YOU. This is not some story I make up. I'm telling you I was drooling over a real life hunk on TV yesterday and it was no Hollywood A or B (or some other kind of) movie!

The hunk looked me in the eyes and said - I have to interrupt here to say that I didn't get at first what he was saying. I was too busy swallowing all that drool and wiping the rest off my chin.
He said: "My PIN is . . ."
And the first thing I thought was: "Is what? Too small? Aww, honey, don't worry, we can work around it somehow. Or it's what? Too big? Aww, sweetie, don't you know there's no such thing as too big?" *LOL*

Well, enough of that. What I'm trying to tell you is, he was a hunk who must have stepped off a romance book cover!

Maybe his mom read romances and hid them under the bed and when he was looking for his dad's hidden high gloss magazines, he found this instead and thought "This is what I'm going to look like one day come hell or high water!"

He looked a little like this guy. Although looking at that pic I immediately wonder: What the heck is that in his pants??? A Boa Constrictor? Good Lord Almighty, get me the smelling salts!

Come to think of it, that guy doesn't come close to the hunk I've seen on TV yesterday. This one's definitely more like him:

Although when seeing that pic I immediately ask what's up with those eyebrows? Like a Neanderthal man. They're not yet connected at the root of the nose, are they?

This one may be more like the hunk I've seen, but . . . see for yourself:

What's with all that fur??? Huh? Eww, gross.

Ahhh . . . *happy sigh* . . . Those old romance book covers! I've already posted about them (see my post on "Cover Art"). Kitsch as kitsch can be. Embarrassing, weren't they? But they were part of the (guilty) pleasure of reading those delectable romances. I think I already invited you then to tell me about what you did to hide the books with those telltale covers. Of course, I'm still interested in your story. Or have you met a romance cover hunk and would you like to share part of the story?

Aphro Blogging on the 11th - Win One of My Favorite Reads

2010-02-11T05:00:00.009-05:00

It's the 11th again and that means Chloe is over at the Aphrodisia Authors Blog.

In the post I list 13 words or phrases plucked from the pages of Secrets of Sin. Use at least four of them in your comment in any way at all that you choose (even a list of your faves) and be entered to win a copy of Secrets of Sin plus a second Kensington title. Your choice between three of my favorites Wild Heart, Sinful Surrender or His Woman.

So don't lay there like a bedcover. Put down the cafe-au-lait, get over to the Aphro Blog and get posting. It might just payoff with a sweet as sugarcane prize!

Thursday Thirteen Secrets of Sin Style

Stop By and See Me Sometime

2010-02-09T18:42:00.000-05:00

Come on over to Kiss and Tell and tell me about something on your desk, in your backyard and on your computer.

SUN FUN - Another Mini Cat Pic

2010-02-07T08:57:00.002-05:00

Here's another Sun Fun picture with our Mini Cat and this time big Sam joins in.

A Chef, a Gate Traveler & an Apocalypse Survivor Walk into a Bar...

2010-02-05T05:25:00.002-05:00

This week's Those Guys Is Fine

is a salute to the men of my hometown or there abouts.

A Chef

A Gate Traveler

And an Apocalypse Survivor

To Every Thing There Is A Season

2010-02-04T03:49:00.008-05:00

by Barbra

My mom is in hospital.

Monday morning she broke down. The ambulance came. They reanimated her. They took her to the hospital. She had a severe case of pulmonary embolism, my dad and I were told later in the ICU. She's better already.

I'm still in shock. Reason knows that she won't live forever and that death is a part of life. But my heart wasn't ready to let her go just yet.

I'm glad I still have some time with her. I know others aren't/weren't that lucky.

I'm a Kiss and Tell Girl!!

2010-02-03T05:28:00.003-05:00

I am happy to announce that I'm a Kiss and Tell Girl! I'll be blogging now every Tuesday at Kiss and Tell.

Samantha Kane, Eliza Gayle, Mari Freeman and Lissa Matthews are group of amazing erotic romance authors that all happen to be Carolina girls.

Pop over and check out my first post: I'll Take a Pizza Stone, a Cheese Grater and Bondage on a Beach Please.

What's Up with the Strawberry Flowers Perfume?

2010-02-02T05:20:00.005-05:00

The strawberry: "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did." - Dr William Butler, 17th century English writer

Everything in the Hot and Huge prize pack has a reason for being there. The Strawberry Flowers Perfume by Fresh is one of the gifts I'm really excited about. As Barbra will tell you,, she has a "nose like a truffle pig" so scents are something you'll find mentioned throughout Secrets of Sin and the sequel coming in December. Strawberries are part of Emiline's scent.

It's on her lips.

Emiline’s full rose petal lips were slightly ajar. Goodness, he still remembered what it was like to kiss them, how gentle they were, supple, trembling under his shortly before she’d melt in his arms and arch her body into his. And they tasted like sweet strawberries, seductive, yet innocent.

And in her hair.

Whatever she wore, she looked like an angel, especially now that she had her hair down, her still wet, wild curls that fell down her back. He knew they smelt like strawberries. Small wood strawberries, like the ones he gathered when he was a boy back home.

And it can be your scent too when you submit a picture of the Hot Cover Guy to the Facebook Fan Page.

What about you? What's you favorite Scent? Do you like when scents are mentioned in a romance?

Sun Fun

2010-01-31T05:02:00.002-05:00

by Barbra

Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a funny pic in my current mood? It's got to be something with a kitteh, of course. And snow. Because all I see is snow.

Ohhh, how about this one:

The Next Stop is Very Seductive

2010-01-29T06:46:00.000-05:00

I'm guest blogging today to a wonderful new blog that you NEED to have in your Google Reader.

Come say hi at SEDUCTIVE MUSINGS.

And don't forget the Hot Guy -Hot and Huge Contest

Winter Sux If U Aks Me

2010-01-28T10:00:00.004-05:00

by Barbra

Or as my dear FB friend Dave would say: “Not happy, don't feel good, not feeling the love, hating more than a couple things, I am not fit for human company right now.”

I'm not Eeyore. I’m just sick and tired of winter. I think I need to move to Florida. Or Georgia. Alabama. Mississippi. Louisiana. Texas. New Mexico. Arizona. Or southern California. Or Australia! Someplace where it’s warm all year round!

The other day I was talking to a colleague. She said she loved winter; for her there was nothing better than a really cold winter day when the sun shone. I looked out of the window and then drew up my “you’ve-gotta-be-kiddin’-eyebrow” while saying “Oh yeah? I saw the sun last . . . oh wait, last year. Remember we had a lovely December!” (You won’t know that but until December 21st we had about 60°F here, then within two days the temperature dropped to -4°F - and it has been that cold ever since). She frowned, admitting reluctantly that I had a point there.

Winter is AWFUL (and that's putting it nicely) - in my opinion. What’s to like about it? It’s cold and snowy, the days are too short, the nights are too long and you have to wear too many pieces of clothing so that you don’t freeze to death whenever you (have to) leave the house. You don’t get enough sunlight and as a result of that lack of melatonin a seasonal affected disorder lurks just around the corner - and let’s be honest, sooner or later it bites you on the butt no matter what you do.

Well, no. Not “no matter what you do”. I mean, if you can afford it, you spend the winter where it’s warm. I know of a lot of people who dodge gaining those extra frustration pounds that way. Others use a tanning booth as a means to hold depression at bay.

I don’t do either. For one I can’t leave my kitty alone for three months. As for tanning booths, yes, I did that when I was young. But I prefer skin as white as alabaster nowadays. *lol*

So what do I do instead? I prefer reading about warm, sunny and in a word nice places. Historical romances (btw, in case it escaped your attention somehow, but a really nice spicy yummy historical with a Caribbean setting is finally available!!!), contemporary romances, but I’ve yet to discover a paranormal romance that’s set in a warm and sunny place. Stupid lore says something about vampires being highly allergic to sunlight . . .

Do you think I should emigrate? If so, where would be best in your opinion?
Or maybe you could just tell me what you do to pass the time until spring is finally back again.
Or can you tell me a great new novel set in a warm, sunny, nice place besides Secrets of Sin?

I’d appreciate your input. But don’t sound too cheery. I’m not in the mood. Or as Erin (another FB friend) would say: “I know I'm in a bad mood when I find other people's happiness irritating.” *lol*
Just kidding.
Well, maybe.
A little.

Have You Seen This Hot Guy - Hot and Huge Contest

2010-01-26T10:14:00.001-05:00

We’re having an uber contest to celebrate the release of Secrets of Sin. There will be weekly drawings with cool prizes plus a huge grand prize at the end.

All you have to do is find the Hot Guy on the cover of Secrets of Sin and take his picture in one of the following places to be entered:

1. On a bookstore shelf.
2. Somewhere fun around the house if he came to you through the mail.
3. Or if you can figure out how to show him on your ereader you’ll be entered twice!

Then post his picture either in a tweeter picture to @chloeharris and/or the Secrets of Sin Fan Page on Facebook. The contest runs from 1/26/10 to 3/26/10 with the grand prize winner announced Monday March 1st.
The Grand Prize will include at least the following in a roomy black Kensington tote bag :

Strawberry Flowers Perfume by Fresh
Signed copy of Secrets of Sin with matching bookmark/postcard
Stuffed Wolf Toy from Kate Douglas author of the Wolf Tales series with signed tag.
Aphrodisia pocket compact with mirror from Lip Tonic,
Sinful Surrender and matching signed bookmark from Beverly Kendall,
Wild Heart with matching signed cover flat from Lori Brighton
His Woman with matching singed bookmark and cover flat from Diana Crosby
Sinjin by Julie Templeton
A signed selection by Susan Lyons
A signed selection by Elizabeth Amber

Happy Hunting! First weeks prize will be 2 of the same books in the grand prize. Stay tuned for weekly updates and details on each item.

Win another copy of "Secrets of Sin"

2010-01-25T11:08:00.004-05:00

Hi,

I'm guestblogging over at K&T about real life things influencing your writing illustrated with an example from behind the scenes of Secrets of Sin.

I'll be giving away one copy of Secrets of Sin!

Good luck!

Mini Cat LOL

2010-01-24T15:53:00.002-05:00

Photo by MCS

No Blaze of Glory

2010-01-21T06:19:00.008-05:00

by Barbra

It’s no secret I love historical romances as much as paranormal romances if not even more so. I gobble up books - whatever I can get my hands on as long as it isn’t a phone book or a manual. I usually read a great book in eight hours. Books that take me two days to read are still amazing or, depending on their length, good. If I love a book, I’m not ashamed to admit it.
As a rule, I throw away bad novels on day three. Any book that survives day three in my house may still not be good, but it’s tolerable and not a complete waste of money and time.

I hope no one minds me being blunt but I've noticed something with paranormals I just had to speak up about.

I’m okay with a few inconsistencies here and there, because writers are only human and it’s perfectly normal to forget a few things (says the woman who sometimes forgets her own name).

Book series are popular these days and have been for quite some time. Most readers seem to be oblivious to the fact that once an author has established themselves, readers buy a book because of the author’s name (“brand loyalty”). Publishers surely don’t mind earning a little more by publishing just one more before the last book in a series.

Ideally, at the end of a series the inferior villain(s) go down spectacularly and illuminate the superior heroes in a fiery blaze to celebrate their high moral standards, unwavering loyalty and utter and complete devotion and contribution to the greater good and, well, their glory! Not to mention the (often different) H/H having saved the world on various occasions, etc.

To be honest, I’ve never had the stamina to stick with a series long enough to read the end of it. The first 5 to 7 books (a very optimistic estimation) may be fascinating but then - in my opinion - the author jumps the shark and I lose interest.

I’m a harsh critic and an unforgiving reader. I’ve jotted down a few things that make me hate a series right away if I detect one or more of the following flaws, which I call the 5 Biggest Series Mistakes Ever:

1) Introducing new elements into the mythology that are in complete opposition to the existing/established mythology
Now, why would you want to do that? Just to make a twist fit? Well . . . Think AGAIN! It has to do with consistency. If you don’t care to stick to the original plan, why would your readers care to continue reading your work?

2) Introducing more and more villains - and the good guys are helplessly outnumbered
That’s just plain boring. You really expect me to keep up with all the villains? What do you want me to do? Take a pen and paper and make notes? *snorts*

3) Making bad guys good and unsympathetic guys likeable
Why bother painting them in the worst light possible in the first place if you’re thinking of making them redeemable heroes/heroines in the 5th book? If I don’t like the character why would I read or even want to read about him or her as the protagonist of the next book?

4) Not sticking to the original character plan but changing a character’s psychological build up to fit the tiny average mold of the average model hero
So your characters are all the same in the end? Fancy that. Oh? They’re also the same in the beginning? Why, of course I’d love to read the same story over and over again. Same plot, same characters, same obstacles in the way - only different names. That sounds about as exciting as watching ice cream melt!

5) No character development anywhere in sight - they remain static heroes/heroines
(I’ve already posted about that one in my blog post First Person Narration)

What is the one thing that made you so mad or that got on your nerves that you had a moment where you didn’t like a book?
I'd love to discuss the list or even expand it with your help. But please keep it vague. Let’s play fair. No author’s names or titles of books.

Is That a Romance Novel in Your Purse?

2010-01-19T21:22:00.002-05:00

I did a guest blog recently at The Season talking about books on my keeper self and forced proximity, one of my favorite tropes. So many people commented with wonderful book selections I realized it had been a little while since I'd read anything new apart from Lori Brighton's Wild Heart. Which I highly recommend.

It's a sad fact that as a writer with a day job I have little time for reading. But while I was sneaking Secrets of Sin postcard/bookmarks in random places at my local Borders I picked up two new books. Gorgeous as Sin by Susan Johnson because her books are my opium and Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare because I felt like the only historical romance reader on earth that hadn't read it. These are not the very latest by these authors but they are the first in their latest series.

I'm a huge fan of SJ as I've mentioned before but I'm not a blind fan. I know what issues other people have with her books, I see their points but I love the books anyway. Yes her heroes are normally more permiscuious and autocratic than is politically correct and sometimes the plot lines are similar. They still give me a thrill and Gorgeous as Sin was no exception. I also love at it's Victorian Set. Victorian Historicals and Steampunk (alternate world Victorian) Paranormals are both at the beginning of a huge popularity up swing.

Rosalind is a widow, suffragette bookstore owner and secretly a writer of erotica. Fitz is the nobleman with a dark childhood that loves his mother and is not afraid to get his hands dirty with commerce. They meet when he's buying up her block for a new development and she's refusing to sell. His hobby is sex so why not try to persuade her with what he's good at. I like the way they butt heads and I love the love scenes. Yes I would rather him have not been such a philanderer. Yes I wish her reasons for not selling had been a little more believable. But I still enjoyed the ride none the less.

It's a gut instinct with me to buck the crowd. So when everyone was gushing over Goddess of the Hunt and Dare began skyrocketing to huge popularity, I balked. But as the praise continued through two more books I felt it was a good professional move to see what it was all about. I started it yesterday while waiting at the pediatrician's office. I ended up staying up late reading and I'm already almost half way through. Damn it, it's really is as good as everyone said. So far that is. More on G of the H once it's done.

What was the last thing you read? Have you read something that did or didn't live up to it's hype? Do you have an author you love to read no matter what?

Another Chance at Winning Secrets of Sin

2010-01-13T08:35:00.000-05:00

Hi all I'm blogging today at The Season about a book I love on my Keeper shelf and giving away three copies of Secrets of Sin!

The Season

Win a Copy of Secrets of Sin!!

2010-01-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

Today is the very first chance to win a copy of Secrets of Sin!!

I would love it if y'all would help me out by coming over to the Aphro Blog and commenting and/or spreading the word.

And even through I'm giving copies away I'm also giving you FIVE REASON NOT TO BUY SECRETS OF SIN.

Happy Holidays!!!

2009-12-23T07:03:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays!!

We wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season filled with both comfort and joy.

In the new year we will be back and ready to celebrate the release of Secrets of Sin with lots of news, guest blogging and giveaways.

See you then!

Sun Fun

2009-12-20T02:48:00.002-05:00

by Barbra

HOOK ME!!

2009-12-18T09:37:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays All!!

Secrets of Sin is today's entry in the weekly Hook Me feature at The Season Blog!!

Please stop by and vote for it or leave a comment if you get a chance!

HOOK ME

B*s Green Thumb

2009-12-17T04:58:00.003-05:00

by Barbra

Castanea sativa is a species of the flowering plant family Fagaceae, the tree and its edible seeds are referred to by several common names such Sweet Chestnut or Marron. (Wikipedia)

You all know how it goes. It’s the that time of year again where you sit by the (possibly open) fire on a wintry evening, glühwein or punch in one hand and in the other hand you have a freshly roasted chestnut you nibble on.

At least that’s what the idyllic ideal would be like. I have no access to an open fireplace. I haven’t had glühwein or punch in ages, but I still like to have roasted chestnuts. So I go and buy them, score them, let them soak in water and then roast them in the oven.

Mmmmhhh!

The last pound I bought was so fresh that several sprouted and guess what - I kept one. You already know how I like to tend to plants, don’t you? Well, if you don’t know, you know now. (Really? I haven’t pointed out a hundred times how proud I am of my 28 orchids and 12 hippeastri? Really? I’ve forgotten to mention that? I mean... REALLY???)

My chestnut tree is almost ten days old and it’s already 6 inches high. It grows an inch a day now!!! This morning I did a lot of research on sweet chestnuts - so I know what to expect. I’ll have to find a pot that’s big enough very soon! Spring 2011 I’ll have to find a nice, sunny place for it outside. The soil where I’m going to plant it is as I found out the best for chestnuts!!! I can’t believe how lucky I am!

Oh I’m so looking forward to harvesting my first own chestnuts in 20 years!

But as I found out there’s also another use for sweet chestnuts:

Sweet Chestnut is the remedy for people who have reached the limits of endurance. They have explored all avenues and see no way out of their difficulties. They feel there is nothing left for them but annihilation and emptiness. The person in a Sweet Chestnut state is genuinely at the end of the line: theirs is appalling, final despair. In this extreme state, the remedy helps us remain masters of our lives, and renews our hope and strength. (Dr. Edward Bach on Sweet Chestnuts 1936)

Well, it’s good to have one then I guess.

Look Inside Secrets of Sin!!

2009-12-16T11:34:00.002-05:00

The Look Inside feature for Secrets of Sin is now available at Amazon.com.

You can now read the first few pages and also pick a random page to check out! So cool!

Sun Fun

2009-12-13T12:29:00.002-05:00

by Barbra

It's That Time Again!

2009-12-11T10:26:00.002-05:00

It's the 11th again so swing on by the Aphrodisia Authors Blog and check out a new except from Secrets of Sin and tell us about your best gift ever.

Popovers and Hardbackers

2009-12-08T12:42:00.011-05:00

What’s been going on lately you ask? Well let’s see…

I’ve had a sneak peek at our Debutante feature in the next “The Season” ezine /newsletter. I couldn’t be more thrilled! Beverley Kendall does a fabulous job with her site. Please check it out and run don’t walk to buy her debut novel Sinful Surrender.

If you need a stocking stuffer for a reader in your life, check out the Hardbacker @http://hardbacker.com/. This durable adjustable book cover comes in lots of great colors and protects your paperback and disguises the cover if your care about that kind of thing. It comes in both trade and mass market sizes. I received one as a gift and I love it.

Right now my hardbacker is keeping safe my 15 year old copy of Teresa Mederios’s Thief of Hearts. I have the honor of kicking off a new feature at The Season –Blog where guest bloggers review one of their old favorites. I’m re-reading the book now and hope to have the review ready to post in January so stay tuned.

Anything else? Nothing book wise but with my other love cooking I did
successfully make popovers on the first try! Popovers were featured the Christmas classic I watched over the weekend, Remember the Night .
DH loved them. I’m not a huge fan of the internal texture. The entry right under popover in the Joy of Cooking was Yorkshire pudding. Now I’m obsessed with finding an occasion to make Roast Beef with authentic Yorkshire pudding. The only meal I normally host at Christmas is breakfast and that’s not quite breakfast fare.

But enough about me, what about you? Got any good stocking stuffer ideas for readers or writers? What’s your latest food obsession?

I forgot to note that comments from me will be slow. Day Job has now blocked blogspot. I can get to the blogger dashboard but not the blog itself to comment. :(

Sun Fun

2009-12-06T16:32:00.001-05:00

by Barbra

TGIF - Hits a Driver Straight up the Fairway

2009-12-04T04:30:00.000-05:00

Camilo Villegas is young, hot, Columbian and a world champion golfer with a wicked sense of style. If that's not fine I don't know what is.

No Wonder I'm So Tried All the Time

2009-12-01T22:08:00.003-05:00

Quote of the Moment:

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal - Albert Camus.

No wonder I'm so tried all the time!

I’m slack on my blog this week because I came right off the Holiday into a ridiculously tedious training class for my day job and a fun online writing class. The writing class is about time travel and I can’t wait to get deeper into it. Continuing with that theme I’m working on a blog about some of my all time favorite time travel romances. So stay tuned.

And speaking of the day job, now can’t get into the main blog and comments from there anymore so excuse me if I’m late to respond to comments. :(

Sun Fun

2009-11-29T12:56:00.001-05:00

by Barbra

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine . . .

2009-11-26T14:08:00.010-05:00

by Barbra

Well, hallelujah! It’s that time of year again.

Christmas doesn’t only mean decorated trees, Christmas carols all around, homely fires and spending time with your family. It’s also the time of year where you try to find a suitable gift for your family and friends.

I’ve been asked what I wanted for Christmas - and I couldn’t come up with anything. I buy books all the year round so they are definitely out of the question. What do I want besides love, health and harmony?

A new nail polish perhaps. That color is gorgeous, isn’t it?

Or a new perfume, perhaps? I love Lancôme’s.

Or Clinique’s! Just imagine, Wrappings is reissued only for Christmas!!! I’ve got to have it!

Or costume jewelry so that I also look like a Christmas tree? Nah . . .

I think this year I want to get my hands on Fawlty Towers on DVD!

What do you want for Christmas this year? Or what are you going to give others?

Few Interesting Links on this Holiday Week

2009-11-24T05:44:00.000-05:00

Just some random things I've come across lately.

Publishers Weekly has a great article on how well our publisher, Kensington did in 2009. This is great news that I hope continues in 2010. Kensington Has a Winning 2009.

Here's a random bit of trivial news I thought was fascinating.

McKinlay Distillers is funding an expedition to rescue 100 year old scotch buried in arctic ice.

The creates of wiskey were left behind by famed explorer, Ernest Shackleton. Check out the full story.

Lastly, if you have not yet checked out The Season, the best place on the web for everything you need to know about Historical Romance then what are you waiting for!

Have you come across anything interesting lately?

Have a great holiday everyone!

TGIF-Say Hey

2009-11-20T04:20:00.000-05:00

That Guy Is Fine gets musical again with Michael Franti

The Hydra

2009-11-19T01:49:00.002-05:00

A Lesson in Human Nature
(for and) by Barbra

Facebook has a few fun appliances (“games”), such as Castle Age (“CA”), where you can summon beasts like dragons or hydras among others. The tricky thing about hydras is that you need to launch 5 different siege weapons that are crucial to slaying that snake. You have 7 days to slay a hydra. The reward for killing a hydra (“loot”) is awesome - but it takes a lot to get there.

For each siege weapon you need to ask for assistance from others. They click on the link you provide - and you’re one step closer to launching that thing. The Catapult requires 10 people to help you, the Ballista 20, the Cannons 40, the Blizzard 80, the Firestorm 150 and the Last Stand requires 300 people to help you. When all those weapons are deployed you still need 130 people to actually attack that monster in order to finish it off. Each click requires one point of your character’s stamina, an attack costs 1 stamina, a power attack 5 stamina.

To sum up, this is what it’s about: finding people to help before standing as one and finishing the monster off together, aka: working as a team.

Lesson #1: With a few exceptions to the rule, it is human nature to do nothing selflessly.

When you ask people to come help you launch those weapons, you have to return the favor (“rtf”) of every click received. Or you don’t return them - but what does that say about you? Of course you couldn’t care less if you’re the not-returning-the-favor-type, but those among us who still believe in team effort and fighting together couldn’t live with it.
Naturally, you need to seek out places where others ask for help for their hydras as well. When you help them, they’re supposed to help you, but basically you spend twice as much stamina on getting people to help you, because - surprise, surprise - for whatever reason not everybody will return the favor.

I set out to finding people willing to assist me regardless. My army has grown ever since and I’m glad a handful of those 90 people in my verra small army are reliable and actually helped me!

Lesson #2: With a few exceptions to the rule, it is human nature to let others do one’s work whenever you find someone (who is naïve enough or who clings to the old-fashioned and nowadays quite asinine concept of honor, following through, sacrificing themselves for the greater good - pick one!) to do so.

You can fill the slots for actually fighting that hydra off before all the weapons are deployed. So there were quite a few “one-timers” there - people who only clicked once to attack the monster and then just sat back and waited for the loot to come their way. Oh and have I mentioned that a hydra is extremely hard to kill? Well, the few of us - we few, we happy few! - who really fought that snake with everything (read: every point of stamina) we could spare were left outside alone.

Lesson #3: With a few exceptions to the rule, it is human nature to exploit goodwill and kindness.

This hydra I’ve tried to put out of its misery wasn’t even mine. Ever idealistic, I believed the more I give, the more kindhearted I am, the more I will get in return. There are enough examples in history to prove this thought to be utterly idealistic bordering on delusional.

A rl-friend (isn’t it fascinating how one has to distinguish between fb-friends and rl-friends these days?) gave me an invaluable piece of advice some time ago. She said:

You must learn to forgive people for not being what you hoped them to be or what you wished they could be. It’s not their fault. No matter how much you want somebody to be nice, truthful and reliable; if it’s not in their nature, they’ll never be - no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you give.

To be honest, I never completely understood until I met that hydra - suddenly everything connected and made sense.

I can see clearly now... the rain is gone... *lol*

Was about time too. Hey, at this rate I'm turning into a wise old woman in no time. Nah, just kidding.

I Wish I Was Bunny Watson

2009-11-18T11:00:00.009-05:00

Yesterday wasn’t the best day. I had a very challenging project at the Day Job. Then when I got home DH was nice enough to do soccer practice so I could write but it turns out I lost 1500 words from Saturday. I spend the night trying to recover them but couldn’t.

It’s at these kinds of times that I think about how nice it would be to be Bunny Watson.

Who the hell is Bunny Watson you say? She’s the manager of the reference library at the Federal Broadcasting Network in the 1957 movie Desk Set. She’s in charge of a huge library (two stories!) staffed by some great ladies. People come in or call and Bunny and the girls answer their questions about literature, movies, history, politics and more. And during the holidays they drink and party in the office.

She’s a smart as a whip independent working woman with a dream job, great friends and the cutest clothes. She lives in the most darling NYC apartment where she cooks full dinners from scratch on weeknights with mysterious deserts like floating island.

((HUGE SIGH)) I really want to be Bunny Watson.

Desk Set is a Hepburn and Tracy romantic comedy set during the holidays so if you have not seen it, now is the perfect time!

What about you? What book, TV, or movie character do you wish you could be sometimes?

Sun Fun

2009-11-15T03:16:00.003-05:00

by Barbra

The House Wife’s Favorite

2009-11-13T02:34:00.002-05:00

The House Wife’s Favorite really has to be the worse nickname in all of sports. But that’s what they call Sabastien Loeb driver for the Citroën Total World Rally Team and six-time world champion.

You can keep your NASCAR, Rally is so much sexier just like Sabastien.

Be sure to scroll down all the way to the last picture it’s the hottest of all.

The Point I’m Trying To Make

2009-11-12T11:20:00.001-05:00

by Barbra

It doesn’t really come as a surprise to me that I have no witty thing to talk about again this week. So I’m trying to distract you from the fact that I don’t have anything to say once more!
I often wonder why it is that I don’t have anything to tell you. I mean... let’s look at a typical day in my life:

6:00 am: I get up

11 pm: I go to bed.

What? No, there’s no mistake. My life is so boring there’s simply nothing going on that might strike my fancy and make me tell you something hilarious. And the dilemma I’m faced with is: I’m supposed to make you believe my life is exciting and that I’m full of ideas - only problem is I don’t lie on principle.

The only exciting thing going on is the hydra I’m trying to deal with (in the Facebook game Castle Age you can summon hydras among other beasties - the hydra is extremely hard to kill). Or rather I try to successfully put it out of its misery. Before I started to take charge of getting about 1000 people around the globe to assist me with it, I thought I’d summon one someday as well. Now I know I’ll never ever summon a hydra. It’s just too much work.

See... I wrote another paragraph that was full of info that didn’t interest you at all. Ha, but I’m closer to getting a blog post together.

A blog post has got to have a point, right? Well, ain’t no point nowhere in sight here.

Let’s be honest: There are things you want to know that I don’t share and there are things I share that you’re not interested in. And somehow, somewhere we’re supposed to meet in the middle. Only I have no idea what you’d like to know. Tell me:
What would you prefer I write about? What would you like to read about? You can tell me anything. I won’t share. You’ll remain anonymous. Promise. Tell me in an email. Or send me a message on facebook.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

You'll Always Know Where to Find Us

2009-11-11T02:26:00.000-05:00

It's Veteran's Day which means it's the 11th. On the 11th of each month you can always find Chloe Harris blogging at the Aphrodisia Authors' Blog.

Today, in honor of the holiday, I'm talking about real life heroes and three things you can do to show your support.

There are Heroes and There are Heroes. Pop on over and check it out.

And if you get a chance, find a veteran and tell them thank you.

Sun Fun

2009-11-08T03:51:00.002-05:00

by Barbra

TGIF - Teasing the Muse

2009-11-06T12:16:00.003-05:00

In an effort to tease my muse out and get a good amount of work done this weekend I thought I would give her a taste of what inspired us in the first place - Ioan Gruffudd

Ten Reasons Why Noelle Thinks She’s Half Vulcan

2009-11-03T02:40:00.003-05:00

1. I love logic.

2. I understand that Valentine’s Day was created by a marketing department somewhere and couldn’t care less about it.

3. I can do that “Live Long and Prosper” V thing with my fingers on both hands.

4. I hate public displays of affection.

5. I’d rather be smart than fun.

6. I don’t care that my DH doesn't wear his ring. Most of the time it’s for safety and I don’t attach sentiment to it.

7. I’d sleep with Kirk but I’d marry Spock.

8. I hate made for Lifetime movies.

9. It’s hard to get an emotion out of me but they are extreme when they surface.

10. I have one pointed ear. (That accounts for me thinking I'm only half.)

So what about you? Ever feel like you’ve from another planet? If you could be of any race from any Sci Fi world what would you be?

The Facebook Enigma

2009-10-29T10:27:00.002-05:00

by Barbra

After Noelle revealed her secret, I’m going to tell you my secret too. I’ve never been a friend of facebook. As a matter of fact, I think there are few things I hated more. Well . . . I’m not sure if I’d really eaten fish or celery or both to avoid facebook. I probably wouldn’t have.

In my quest to get rid of negative influences in my life, I had a closer look at facebook. I really saw no choice but to do one of the two: finally (1) try to get better acquainted with facebook, or (2) delete my FB account. I’m not one to take drastic steps lightly, so I logged on FB and had a closer look at it. After an hour an idea took shape in my head and I formed a hypothesis. Immediately, I set out to prove it.

My hypothesis:
FB isn’t necessarily a place where only a certain clique meets.

That was always my problem. I didn’t like FB because I’ve never liked cliques or elitist thinking. Don’t get me wrong: That’s what I perceived FB was about - and I had nobody to tell me differently.
In reality FB is, as I found out now, about connecting - something else altogether. I’m a fairly simple girl and I like to have fun. So now I actually use FB. I pass the time with it and play (the following) games* (:)

Slaying dragons in Castle Age and training fish in My Aquarium are my favorites activities these days. Age of Castles is also nice, but I think it can’t compare to Castle Age. It’s like Mafia Wars or Vampire Wars. All three games are nice but for me they aren’t as fascinating as Castle Age. Farmville is funny and, like all the others, relaxing while having a break.

* I’d be delighted to welcome you in my army or if we became neighbors!

I usually work for an hour and then take a 15 min break. I get something to eat (since I stopped smoking I eat almost all the time) and then spend the rest of my break with doing quests, harvesting, plowing or planting or feeding my fish and cleaning the aquarium. In order to earn more virtual money and/or virtual rewards, I connect with people from all over the world.

I’m not fooling myself. I know I get easily bored and restless and eventually move on, but for now, these games capture my attention and I enjoy them.

Everybody needs to do what relaxes them and what makes them happy. For me it’s games on FB. What is it for you?

PD Classic: Stolen Car - Brainstorming

2009-10-27T04:02:00.002-05:00

A Whole New World in a Stolen Car- A Brain Storming Exercise

by Noelle

From time to time, we all need something to help us brainstorm and break us out of the dreaded writer's block. Not too long ago I was asked to lead a writing group with co-workers at my day job. Each month we'd have an assignment then each member shared their scene or essay or poem based on that exercise with the rest of the group.

Many of the assignments I pulled from The Writer's Idea Book by Jack Heffron but my very favorite exercise I developed from, of all things, a song by Sting. Everyone had a blast with the exercise and the scene I wrote lead to romantic suspense in progress.

There is a song on Sting's 2003 release Sacred Love entitled “Stolen Car.” In the song, the car thief imagines himself in the shoes of the car owner, seeing himself with a wife and kids at home and a mistress he takes out dancing.

The exercise worked like this, each member asked a friend, family member or co-worker the following questions and the answers could either be about their own car or they could make up the answers in any way they chose. 1. Describe a car 2. Describe something in the Glove box (not the registration) 3. Name the CD/Song in the CD/MP3 player 4. Describe something tucked in the visor 5. Describe something under one of the seats and which one 6. Describe a smell or smells in the car.

Each member shared the answers they received then each chose one to work with from all the entries. A couple of interesting things happened. First we got some very different descriptions. Some that were surveyed were totally literal: 1. A 2005 Toyota Camry with a leaking sunroof 2. A school fund raiser coupon book. 3. A mix CD with sunny driving music. 4. City Map 5. Half eaten goldfish crackers under the backseat 6.Smells a little musty from the leaking roof. *

And others tapped into their fantasies: 1.1956 Jaguar roadster 2. Dolce Gabbana shades 3. Bran Van 3000 -Glee (I still have no idea what that is) 4. Travel brochures for Belize 5. 9mm in a locked box under the drivers seat 6. Warm leather and sunshine. *

The most interesting thing though was how very different the writing could be when two members picked the same "stolen car." One member saw a Barney Fife-ish sheriff in a very small town in Arkansas where nothing ever happens finding the 1956 Jag abandoned on a deserted stretch of highway with the driver's side door still open. The items in the car were clues to the mystery. Another saw a female MI6 Agent driving the Jag down a mountain road in Turkey going undercover to catch a terrorist.*

If you're not writing a contemporary, you can tweak the questions and broaden it to “any type of vehicle” to encompass everything from a horse drawn carriage to an intergalactic trading vessel. Then ask someone to name three random items in the vehicle, a sound and a smell.

One of the best things about this exercise is that with different answers to the base questions it's ever changing and can be done over and over. Regardless of how simple or fantastic the answers you get, it’s a fun way to get the creative juices flowing for either a group or on your own.

*All examples used with permission

Mini Cat

2009-10-25T10:41:00.004-05:00

I know Barbra has already posted the Sun Fun for today but I thought B and her fellow cat lovers might like to see pictures of Mini Cat. Mini Cat was the only member of a feral litter that was not killed by the Tom.

Sun Fun

2009-10-25T03:13:00.003-05:00

by Barbra

TGIF –This is My Confession

2009-10-23T02:40:00.000-05:00

I have a deep dark secret to confess.

Okay here goes…

I…I…I…love the song stylings of Neil Diamond. There I've said it. Yes me, who loves The Killers and The Decembrists and prides herself on staying current with the latest music. I love Neil Diamond.

I also love Glee. And in a Kelso vs Hyde kind of debate between Finn and Puck, I’m a Puck girl all the way. Hot guy a mohawk and an attitude who likes older women and sings like an angel, what could be better. So when the cute as pie 27 yr old who plays a teenager sings a version of Sweet Caroline, I couldn’t in a million years ask for anything better to make me smile and Thank Goodness It’s Friday. And Mr. Mark Salling is more than fine.

The Wheel

2009-10-22T04:16:00.003-05:00

by Barbra

On Monday a friend of mine learned that her best friend (they went to kindergarten and school together) died. He fell off a ladder and broke his neck. He was only 34 years old.
I tried to comfort her as much as I could. I know there’s nothing I can do or say to make her feel better. But I can send positive vibes your way. Whether you believe in good thoughts making a difference or not, could you maybe spare a few seconds on thinking of her and thereby sending some positive vibes her way? Thank you very much. That’s very kind of you. I’d return the favor in kind. Just let me know where to send my positive thoughts and when.

We all know some days are harder than others, especially now when winter comes and depression lurks around every gloomy corner. Just as the seasons change, so does luck. Once we're on top of the wheel of fortune we fall down. Eventually though, we get back up again. Just like in the Tarot card.

Or, to be less occult and more poetical, here's something from Robert Frost:

In A Glass of Cider

It seemed I was a mite of sediment
That waited for the bottom to ferment
So I could catch a bubble in ascent.
I rode up on one till the bubble burst,
And when that left me to sink back reversed
I was no worse off than I was at first.
I'd catch another bubble if I waited.
The thing was to get now and then elated.

Better Late Than Never

2009-10-21T09:35:00.005-05:00

Yes the title applies to this blog being a day late but it also applies to me reading romance.

Back on Tuesday, October 13 over at Running With Quills Susan Andersen asked have you always been a romance reader.

My answer was no. I have not always read romance. I was a very pretentious preteen, teen and young adult and would not have been caught dead reading romance. In 7th grade I wrote poetry about the conflict in Northern Ireland and read A Midsummer Night’s dream. In high school I lusted after Russian male ballet dancers and read Chaucer and Chekov oh and The Little Prince in the original French. Ridiculous wasn’t it? Who in the world did I think I was? LOL Then in college the closest I got to mainstream fiction was Mark Twain.

But at some point in my late twenties a co-worker suggested a book called Outlander by Diana Gabaldon because she knew I attended the local Scottish games. I loved it! But when I went looking for more books like it I couldn’t really find anything similar until I tried an Arnette Lamb title from the romance section. And that was it, I was hooked for good. Now many years later, I’m not only a huge romance reader but also a writer.

So it just goes to show that there is hope for all those pretentious young women out there, they can be saved.

But what surprised me about the blog was the many other authors that also said they were late comers to romance. Lori Foster, Kate Douglas, Jayne Ann Krentz, A. E. Maxwell and Stella Cameron all mentioned in their comments that they were well into adulthood when they discovered the wonder of romance novels.

It extremely interesting to me but I’m not sure what that says about romance writers. Other than maybe it’s helpful in your craft to experience a wide range of literature before you focus on romance.

What about you? Are you a lifer or a late bloomer and why do you think so many successful authors are later bloomers?

Sun Fun: Make Love Not War

2009-10-17T11:10:00.004-05:00

by Barbra