Drawing Lessons by Julia Gabriel

The rules have changed.  It’s acceptable to be interested in another man when a woman is going through a divorce filed by her husband.

Marie Witherspoon figured this out when her best friend gifted her drawing lessons with a local artist, Luc Marchand.  Yes, he’s very French!

Marie thought her marriage was for love, yet her senator-husband considered it a great connection for business.  Marie’s father is also a senator.  Marie’s husband thinks he’s found a better prospect in the women’s aisle and wants to rid himself of his dead-weight wife.

Sex and drawing go well together and the story is very sensuous.  Yet, Luc and Marie have baggage, which gets heavier when Marie’s husband wants to call off the divorce. 

I enjoyed the provocative romance played between Luc and Marie, and as I began to wonder what the conflict might be, the bomb dropped.  Luc and Marie must now leave fairytale land and deal with the husband. 

Drawing Lessons is an old fashioned romance with a bucket-load of modern problems.  A great read for a chilly autumn night.

Happy reading,

Dawn

Interview with Kae Elle Wheeler author of The Price of Scorn

Alexis: Today we have Fairytale Fantasy author Kae Elle Wheeler who is talking about her release The Price of Scorn. Welcome Kae Elle!

What made you choose this title? 

Kae Elle: Have you ever thought about Cinderella’s Evil Stepmother? What made her so mean, so evil? Well, I suppose I wondered and thought, most people turn out the way they do for a reason. There might be an exception here and there—which always makes me think of that movie, The Bad Seed. That’s a great movie, but in most cases, I believe people are equal products of environment and heredity. So, if someone were raised “Scorned” in almost every aspect, there would be a price. 

Alexis: Interesting. Which authors inspire you?

Kae Elle: My absolute favorite author is Jayne Ann Krentz. She also writes historical and paranormal. I read ALL of her books. I love the quirky heroines and how they always seem to throw a wrench into the hero’s plan for the ultimate revenge. Which ends up turning him into the perfect hero because he has to stand by his word, but hadn’t expected her inadvertent interference. It cracks me up.

Alexis: That's great :-) What are you working on now? 

Kae Elle: Currently, I’m re-editing The English Lily which is a side book of The Surprising Enchantress – book iii of my Cinderella Series. I’m also writing Pampered – Martini Club 4 – The 1940s. Part of a series with my Martini Club 4 friends. The 1920s series came out last February. Talk about fun!

Alexis: So where did you get the idea for The Price of Scorn?

Kae Elle: It was really the readers who left reviews for the first three books in the series. They were dying to know what happened to the evil stepmother, wanting her to “get her due” and in a strange twist, she did. I just don’t think the readers were expecting to feel bad for her. I’m quite pleased with the reviews.

Alexis: How long did it take you to write this book? Why?

Kae Elle: I started the story almost two years ago. I was at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. Originally, I felt the story would be no longer than 20k words and would just give it away to readers who bought the original three stories. Hm. Didn’t quite turn out that way. It fit right in with the length of the other books.

Alexis: I bet your readers were happy about that :-) Thank you Kae Elle for visiting Happily Ever After Thoughts. It was great to have you.

Check out the excerpt below from The Price of Scorn.

Excerpt:

“SO, WE’RE TO HAVE a new papa?” Pricilla stood on her tiptoes, surveying the array of items laid out on Hilda’s vanity. To a curious child it must resemble a market full of sweet meats for the taking.

Her glance moved from a sleeping Esmeralda on a pallet before the hearth to Pricilla. Hilda took a small jeweled box from Pricilla’s hands and set it back on the vanity out of reach.

“Where on earth did you hear such a thing, ma chère?”

“From Cousin Dirk.” Her tiny fingers clasped a necklace laced with emeralds.

Hilda frowned at Pricilla’s reflection in the mirror. “What exactly did Cousin Dirk say?”

Her nose wrinkled as she studied the clasp. “That if you married him, he would be more a papa than Gustaf ever had been.” She gave up on the necklace, dropping it back on the vanity before latching onto the matching bracelet and slipping it onto her wrist.

“That’s certainly true enough,” Hilda muttered under her breath. Gustaf had been a menace. But instincts warned Dirk would be just as awful, in perhaps a different way. “But as things stand, I plan on marrying no one.”

Pricilla paused and turned large, worried blues eyes on her. “But where shall we live?”

“Here, of course,” Hilda told her. She lifted Pricilla’s wrist and surveyed the gap that would fit an additional wrist or two. “Very nice.”

“But I heard him say if you didn’t marry him, we should have to leave.” Tears shimmered into luminescent pools. “That we should have to live in the woods—in the dark.” Her tears spilled over. “I don’t wish to live in the woods, Maman. I-I don’t like the dark. Maman, you must marry him. S’il vous plaît, you must.”

Each panic-trilled word rose in hysteria, until Pricilla threw her arms about Hilda’s neck, sobs racking her small form.

Hilda squeezed her tightly, furious at Dirk’s nerve in saying such things to a child. Her child.

Buy Links: 
Amazon 

Kobo 

Nook 

iBooks 

Print

About Kae Elle:

Kathy L Wheeler (writing as Kae Elle Wheeler) graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a BA in Management Information Systems that includes a Vocal Minor. She is an avid theater buff (holds season tickets to Broadway Series in OKC), loves the NFL and NBA (also holds season tickets to Thunder Basketball in OKC), loves travel, people and karaoke.

She is a member of several RWA chapters, including OKRWA, DARA, and The Beau Monde. She writes both Contemporary and Historical romance. 

Kathy/Kae lives with her musically talented husband in Edmond, Oklahoma, has one grown daughter who recently had a baby, and one bossy cat!

http://kathylwheeler.com 
http://facebook.com/kathylwheeler 
http://twitter.com/kathylwheeler 
http://pinterest.com/kathylwheeler

WHAT DO LOGOS, BLABS, AND BOXED SETS ALL HAVE IN COMMON?

Hey there.  How are ya’all today?  Good, I hope!  Well, this has been a VERY busy week and continues to kick my butt.  LOL  So I’m going to keep today’s blog kinda short.  But the answer to the question “What do logos, blabs, and boxed sets all have in common?” is…The Butterscotch Martini Girls!!!

First, I want to tell you about something new that the Butterscotch Martini Girls are doing and then I’m going to leave you with an excerpt from my next novel to be released the end of November, One Dog Too Many.

Well, as most of you know, I am a member of a promo group called the Butterscotch Martini Girls, and we have really kicked this thing into high gear and are trying some new stuff on our blogs and in our promo activities.  So we’ve had a couple of weeks with a lot of new things happening.  First, we partnered with Cheyenne McCray’s Place on Facebook and executed a Blog Heist, where we basically took over Cheyenne’s blog for a full day.  There were prizes and fun new videos, and we rolled out some new logos that I have been designing.  We have a new mascot logo for the entire group, and we are also building individualized logos for each of the BMG’s.  This one shown here is the new mascot logo.  Like it?  You will need to watch our website to see the other new logos as they roll out…there will be one for each BMG.  It’s very fun and exciting for us as we customize our new logos to our individual brands.  Check back regularly to see whose new logo pops up at the  BMG Website.

The second new thing the BMG’s are doing is a weekly internet show called The Butterscotch Martini Girls Book Blab.  There is a cool new “thing” out in the social media universe that is like a video chat room on steroids, and it’s called Blab.  You get to it by typing Blab.im into your web browser and it takes you to a world where you can choose from hundreds (or maybe thousands) of internet discussions and you can watch live or, in some cases, you can join the discussion if there is room and you are approved by the moderator.  Anyway, it’s where the BMG’s are getting together each week to talk about whatever.  This past week the topic was Worst Dates, and we there were some doosies.  We had an absolute ball and we would love to have you join us each Wednesday at 4pm (Arizona time) at Blab.im.  Just go to the site a little before air time and follow the directions to sign in using your Twitter account.  Then scroll down until you find the picture related to the BMG Book Blab.

So take a few minutes when you finish reading this article to pop on over to the BMG website at the following link…

 Butterscotch Martini Girl Blab Recorded

…and view the recorded episode entitled “Worst Dates”, and don’t forget to scroll down to get a chuckle from some of the tweets that were going out while we were on the air.  In fact, our very own Lexi Post was mentioned in the show.  Can you find where she was mentioned in the video?  Maybe you can tell me how many hats I said she has?  (Not sure if I remembered the number correctly or not, so you will have to actually watch the Book Blab video to find the number.  But if you find it and you are the first person to leave a comment here with the number I quoted in the Book Blab, I will give you a free eCopy of one of my books…your choice which one.

Now, I said I would also give you an excerpt from my current work in progress, which is due to be released in late November—One Dog Too Many.  This is Book 2 in the Delta Jane Series which features a redneck fairy godmother on a Harley with a pair of lips tattooed on her ass, an inept fairy godfather in pink cowboy boots, and two love-matches that have to be made in the time it generally takes to make one.  What the hell can go wrong with that?

Someone recently challenged me to take 7 lines from page 7 of my current work in progress and post it on Facebook.  This excerpt has been expanded slightly from the 7 lines posted in the challenge, but it is still just a very short excerpt…hope you get a kick out of it.

~~~

“You just love to piss me off, don’t you, Fairy Boy?”

            A chuckle rumbled through the rafters of the porch. “Not like it’s a big challenge, Hag.”

            “Funny.” Delta had never met Call in person, so she didn’t have a clue what he looked like. But when he spoke, she pictured a small, thin guy with red, wispy hair, beady eyes, and tiny little feet and hands. It made her chuckle to picture his booming baritone coming from that wimpy image.

She pushed out with her foot and started her chair rocking. “What happened? Your tights shrink in the dryer? Puttin’ too much pressure on your brain? Or maybe this is just part of the ‘boxed set’ you guys get at birth.”

“Boxed set?” Bubba Ray squinted and tipped his head to the side. “What ‘cha talkin’ ‘bout, Sis?”

Delta stopped her chair from rocking and leaned forward. “I’m talking about stupid ideas. They come with the penis, like a boxed set wrapped under the tree on Christmas morning. Like cologne and aftershave—you get one, you get the other.”

To her total amazement, both men laughed.

Bubba Ray slapped his knee and brayed like a jackass stuck on the wrong side of a fence at dinnertime.

Delta closed her eyes and thumped her palm against her forehead.

He means well.

~~~

Now, don’t forget to go to the BMG site and view last week’s Book Blab video and then make a note on your calendar to stop by and chat with us next Wednesday at 4pm Arizona time…and watch for an upcoming announcement on the release date for One Dog Too Many.

That’s my story, boxy and blabby, and I’m stickin’ to it.  So hang on real tight now, ‘cuz we’re gonna go real, real fast!

Love ya,

Kayce

The Indianapolis 500

     As you know, I have two dogs (I’ve written about them before and their penchant for insisting that I play/pet them when I’m trying to write). Actually, they’re not really dogs (at least they don’t think they are). They are furry, four-legged reminders that my life belongs to them and not the other way around. Still, I love them!

      I have a doggy door, which is a necessity, in my opinion (otherwise, I’d never get a word written….I need to go out, I need to come in. Yes, I know I just came in but I really need to go out again...hence the doggy door). 

       So, I’m sitting here writing (or trying to) and I can hear my younger girl, Schatzie, running (like the puppy she still thinks she is) from one end of the house to the other, slide on the linoleum and barge through the doggy door like her tail is on fire. Thwap, thwap, as the door opens and closes…..bark, bark, bark then thwap, thwap as the door opens and closes again. Inside. Outside. Repeat.

     It’s like the Indianapolis 500! Oh, and she’s bringing all her toys outside, too!

     My older girl, Daisy, does not run in and out of the house like this. She’s much more dignified. No, what Daisy likes to do is stand with her nose outside and her tail end in the kitchen and look outside with the door open. Oddly, this made me think of my mother (I know, how weird is that!?!?!)

     Now, my mother, never once in all her days, stood in a doggy door, half in the house, half out, but I can hear her voice clearly saying to us kids when we had the front door wide open: “In or out! I’m not heating (or cooling) Bloomingdale.”

    What’s funny is that I say this all the time. To the dogs! Actually, I say a lot of the things my mother used to say. “Don’t borrow trouble” and “Don’t roll your eyes at me, young lady!” (yes, she said this to me ALL THE TIME) but my favorite ‘momism’ (and I used this on my son when he was young.): “Because I’m your mother and I said so!” Hey, it worked although it was a little frightening when this phrase came out of my mouth the very first time…in her voice! 

     But I digress….

     I was thinking about my mother. She was not a big reader, probably because she couldn’t see well, but she would read to me when I was young. Our favorite book? The Chosen Baby (many of you may not know that I was adopted at the age of 5 days…the book was a gift that explained the adoption process so a child, like me when I was a little, could understand).     
      My mother is gone now, but I still have that book and I can still hear her voice. “Hey, in or out! I’m not cooling Phoenix!”

As always, happy reading (and remembering)!

Marie

Kissing Alphas

The majority of romance novels involve an alpha male. They are the heartthrob of the story. Their kisses stir passion, desire, and fantasy. They take what they want without question or apology. Sigh!

I love them.

And then I read an article. It was based on these alphas and why, as writers, we should no longer allow them to dominate. That they should ask for kisses instead of stealing them. That, as women, we should stand against such behavior.

Hmm.

Yes, I understand the point. In the real world, a man can’t go around backing women into walls and kissing them stupid without their consent. But in novels, we are setting the scene, the heroine and her hero have an undeniable attraction. Her actions and words all give signals that the man reads. Sometimes he might go in slow, predatorily if he’s not one hundred percent sure and is trying to get a reaction. And I guarantee he will get a reaction. Isn’t that seeking her consent?

Not all of these men are alphas either. When my beta side-character becomes the main hero in his own story, he switches. He’s now the leading alpha in his own domain. That doesn’t mean he changes characteristics and mannerisms. It just means that it’s his turn to step up to the plate. He now has a chance to get the girl. He will look for similar signals as his alpha friends.

It’s a natural instinct. As writers we didn’t create these instincts, but we do use them.  

What are your thoughts?

COWBOY'S MATCH by Lexi Post has released!

Whoohoo! COWBOY'S MATCH is out!

This is the second book in the Poker Flat Series and it focuses on Lacey Winters, Poker Flat Nudist Resort's own bookkeeper/receptionist :-)

Buy links:

Amazon                 Barnes & Noble (still waiting)


iBooks                  Kobo

Page Foundry       Scribd

Two Hearts, Two Fires...

Cowboy Cole Hatcher became a firefighter to support his horse rescue ranch. He never dreamed it would lead him back to his first love, but a fire at the Poker Flat Nudist Resort lands him face-to-face with Lacey Winters. She may have started the fire that ended their relationship, but the sight of her reignites his long buried feelings. 

Lacey is shocked the hunky firefighter is the same man who dumped her eight years ago. Cole burned Lacey in the past when he failed to stand by her and she’s determined not to let him back into her heart. But everything about the new Cole is just too hot to resist. He melts her defenses, sweeping her away into a night of erotic passion only to rip open old wounds.

Determined to prove who set the Poker Flat fire and the original fire that destroyed their relationship, Cole investigates both, unearthing ugly truths that reveal even more damage. Now, he's not sure he can catch the arsonist or the heart of the woman he never stopped loving.

To learn when the third book in the series, COWBOY'S BEST SHOT, releases or for sneak peeks and surprise announcements, be sure you are on my monthly newsletter list. You can sign up here. 

I hope you enjoy Lacey and Cole's story. 

Always, Lexi

www.lexipostbooks.com

 

Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

What better place to find romance than in the mountains of North Carolina?  But when you travel through treacherous ice and snow and fog, get lost and injured, it doesn’t have the same appeal.  At first.

Dr. Emory Charbonneau decided to train for a marathon on the trails of the beautiful mountains.  While she went by herself, her husband had time to spend with his girlfriend, a colleague of Emory’s.  I say that with a bit of sarcasm, as her husband is less than ideal.

Emory starts her run in the morning, but the next thing she knows is it’s dark outside.  It’s dark with a snow storm whistling around and dark inside a small cabin.  The man leaning over her checks her injuries.

The cabin belongs to a man who won’t tell her his name.  Many reasons for that.  He tells her he won’t hurt her and he’s keeping her attacker at bay.  Whoever that may be.  She wonders if he’s telling the truth or if he abducted her.

He’s so hot and tasty on cold winter day.  Emory wants him, and he has a hard time admitting he wants her.  Emory’s leery, though.  Can she trust him?

Once again, Sandra Brown hits her mark with a novel of true suspense and a taste for the lust.  Too bad her stories have an end.

Happy reading,

Dawn

Jessica Nelson Interview and THE MATCHMAKER'S MATCH Giveaway

Alexis: Today we have Inspirational Romance author Jessica Nelson. She's giving away a copy of The Matchmaker’s Match, so be sure to answer her question for a chance to win!

So Jessica, what was the first romance you ever read? 

Jessica: I'm pretty sure it was one of my mom's Skye O'Malley books by Beatrice Small. She had them stacked in a closet and I, being an avid reader, found them. Let's just say that my education was greatly enhanced by her novels. *cough and wink* 

Alexis: I get that. For me it was Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss. Whoa, I learned a lot. What does your family think of your writing career?  

Jessica: I have an amazing family! They have been so supportive and think writing books is very cool. I've heard of other writers being ridiculed or scoffed at for choosing writing but I have been super blessed. Every single person has wished me the best in writing :-) 

Alexis: That’s excellent! What was your first writer’s conference? 

Jessica: My first conference was the Florida Christian Writer's Conference and it was absolutely amazing. Being around other writers felt like coming home. Plus, I was so excited to pitch my book to an agent. And then I found out it was supposed to be finished first! Whoops. :-) But that agent, Steve Laube, was incredibly kind and gentle and gave me sound advice. 

Alexis: We can all use advice now and then. Of all the books you’ve written, which is your favorite character?

Jessica: Right now, I think it would be Amelia in my newest release. She's just so strong and plucky. She's the kind of person I admire, even if she always thinks she's right. 

Alexis: She sounds like fun. So I just have to ask, because I know so many writers like sweets. What is your favorite treat? Why?

Jessica: I adore anything that combines mint and chocolate or raspberry and chocolate. I think Godiva Dark Chocolate truffles are the BEST!! There is no favorite, really, it just depends on my mood ;-)

Alexis: Jessica, thank you so much for visiting and bringing your gorgeous cover of The Matchmaker’s Match :-)

For a chance to win a copy of The Matchmaker’s Match, comment below and let Jessica know, when it comes to treats, what's your favorite?

Blurb of The Matchmaker’s Match

He has three months to find a wife—or lose his estate. Spencer, Lord Ashwhite, doubts he'll find a suitable bride among the ton, until the unconventional Lady Amelia Baxley agrees to provide a list of candidates. It should be an ideal arrangement, were Spencer not growing attached to the one woman Amelia refuses to consider as a prospect: herself.

Independence means everything to Amelia, who has been burned in love before. The charming marquis is quickly putting her entire life in turmoil, and controlling her stubborn heart has never been such a challenge. But does the ever-practical Amelia dare to go from bride-finder to wife?

Buy Links:

HARLEQUIN 
AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE
KOBO
CHRISTIANBOOK.COM

About Jessica:

Jessica Nelson believes romance happens every day, and thinks the greatest, most intense romance comes from a God who woos people to himself with passionate tenderness. When Jessica is not chasing her three beautiful, wild little boys around the living room, she can be found staring into space as she plots her next story. Or she might be daydreaming about a raspberry mocha from Starbucks. Or thinking about what kind of chocolate she should have for dinner that night. She could be thinking of any number of things, really. One thing is for certain, she is blessed with a wonderful family and a lovely life.

Website: http://www.jessicanelson.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessicaNelson

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Nelson/e/B005ZEU7I6/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Alexis: Don't forget for a chance to win The Matchmaker's Match to let Jessica know what your favorite treat is :-)