Mistletoe Magic On The Way

For the first time today it was really really cold where I live. Not sure what the temp was. I didn't look. Didn't care to know. I shivered all day long. Along with the cold, I have an upper respiratory infection too. So not having a good time today for sure.

But when I walked out on my front porch to let the dogs out the gate and noticed just how chilly it had gotten, I immediately thought "winter is here". And with that thought came thoughts of Christmas too. I need to get out the Christmas decorations and get the actual tree up, don't I?

Well, I think I'm going to wait until I'm feeling better. So maybe by the end of the week I can do just that. And with all of that came the realization that I rearranged the living room since last year and now the tree is going to be in a different spot. Hmmm...not sure I like that spot. But I do like the furniture where it is so I guess it'll have to do. My house is set back from the road in such a way that there isn't a need to put the tree in front of a window anyway. No one can see it from the road.

But I might put some candles in the windows just so I can see them when I am coming down the driveway home at night. I haven't really decorated a lot in the last few years. I've been preoccupied quite a bit it seems. Writing and editing have taken precedence for a while now. But not this year. I'm going all out. I WANT MISTLETOE. lol

Now why I want mistletoe I'm not really sure. It's pretty doubtful that some hot silver fox is going to walk into my house and conveniently stand under a sprig. So it must be just the idea of having it in my house and the romantic notion it represents. After all, I AM a romance writer. lol

Have you ever been truly caught under the mistletoe? Now I'm not talking about standing there and having your best friend push the dude of your dreams under it with you. I'm talking about not realizing there was mistletoe over your head and having the dude of your dreams see it and run over to get under it with you. OR neither of you knew it and BAM---Mistletoe Magic!

Time For Some Man Candy!

Well, here I am, after Thanksgiving, still fighting the flu I've been fighting for a week now. My head is stuffed up, my back aches, my nose is running like a spigot, and I'm coughing so much I sound like Sydney Greenstreet when I talk (yeah, my age is showing!). So I need a serious pick-me-up, and I know everyone loves pix of man candy, so today I'll give you a meal of flesh that will rival the turkey dinner you ate on Thursday. I want to talk about television man candy and the men who influenced how I view my male characters in my books.

I'm not surprised the TV show "Hawaii Five-O" has become the big hit of the new season. In my conversations with the women who watch it, I suspect a big reason for its popularity is that it's chock full of gorgeous men. I know plenty of women, like myself, who are still upset over "Moonlight" being cancelled. I watched "Three Rivers", too, and I figured "Hawaii Five-O" would mean three times the charm for Alex O'Loughlin. And it worked. I can bask in the glory that is Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan, and Daniel Dae Kim every Monday night from now on. And I do. Has anyone else noticed the sexual chemistry between McGarrett and Dano? Those two bicker and banter like an old married couple.





When it comes to my fiction, I usually have a certain actor in mind for my characters. Here are a few examples to give you an idea where my thoughts head when I create the men in my stories.

An Unexpected Guest: The main love interest in this book is Jason, and it's rather hard to tell exactly where he's coming from. I imagined him as tall and slender, muscular without being macho, and his sense of humor is off-putting in a good way. He's my Beta-Male. When I created him, I imagined the way Jason Isaacs (one of my favorite actors) looked in the Harry Potter movies. My Jason certainly doesn't act like Lucius Malfoy, but he has the long blond hair and boyish features. I must admit that it was hard to find a picture of Malfoy where he wasn't scowling. Jason doesn't scowl.



Feral Heat: There are two delicious men in this one; bisexual werewolves named Grant and Sam. Grant is the serious and rather gloomy one. Sam is the more stable of the two. When it came to Grant, I pictured Hugh Jackman, particularly as Wolverine (no surprise there) and in "Australia". As for Sam, I pictured Orlando Bloom as Legolas Greenleaf in the "Lord Of The Rings" movies. Yup, it's that long blond hair/boyish features thing again. I see a trend.





I have two men in mind for my soon-to-be-released book "Indiscretions: Vol. 2 - The Mile High Club and Room Service". This book will be released in 2011, and it's a continuation of my "Indiscretions" series, beginning with Indiscretions: Vol 1 - Caught and Wild Child, which is a cougar series involving Kevin and his hot next door neighbor, Betsy. In Vol. 2, my heroine Caryn hooks up with Jeremy (my button-downed businessman) on a airplane flight in the first story, and later enjoys both Jeremy and her old love Takeshi in her hotel room in the second story. Here are the two men who influenced my look for both men in the book; Jeremy's inspiration on the top and Takeshi's on the bottom.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (You know him as Sam and Dean's dad on "Supernatural".)



Sean Ching (He's just plain hot. )



I can't let the ladies feel left out so here are the two actresses who inspired my look for Lina and Charlotte in my f/f/f sexy adventure, Neighbors, which is appears in the "Vamps" lesbian anthology. Both women are dark, with long dark hair, muscular from years of scenic painting on movie and stage sets, and very exotic. I had Angelina Jolie in mind for Charlotte and Charlotte Lewis in mind for Lina. These two women are polar opposites who compliment each other beautifully, with Charlotte being the adventurous and chattering one, and Lina being the quiet but don't-be-fooled one.

Charlotte Lewis



Angelina Jolie (Like you don't know what she looks like.)



So now you know what kinds of men (and women) I had in mind for the characters in my stories. I do tend to like a certain "type", I suppose. Quiet but intense ... or light and cheeky. And I'm a sucker for slight but tall men with long blond hair and boyish features. So what kinds of men do you like in your reading and writing? Do you have a particular type that turns you on more than others?

Cover for NOT THE MAN SHE THOUGHT!

Got my cover for NOT THE MAN SHE THOUGHT, my sexy new sci-fi spanking romance from Blushing Books! It features the very hot Jimmy Thomas and the artist is Rae Monet, who does all my covers at Blushing Books. It's so gorgeous, I love it!






Beautiful Laken Andara is determined to find a way to be with her fiance. The only problem is that he’s on a planet half a galaxy away. To get there, she sneaks on board a cargo ship heading in that direction. But stowing away is a crime, and the captain has his own special way of dealing with spoiled brats who sneak on board his ship. He puts them over his knee and spanks them!

Outraged at being manhandled by the handsome Rade Karsten, but desperate to be reunited with her fiance, Laken has no choice but to put up with Rade and his spankings.

As Laken gets swept up in Rade’s world of piracy and intrigue, she discovers that men can sometimes be more - and sometimes less - than what they first appear, and she finds herself falling hard for the rogue who drags her over his knee for a sound spanking every time she disobeys his orders.

Read an Excerpt Here!
http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/ExcerptNotTheManSheThought.html


Coming Soon from Blushing Books!


*hugs*
Paige

"Stories so hot, they'll make your cheeks blush!"

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/
http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

Things We Do For Love

By A.J. Llewellyn

I've blogged before about some of the crazy part-time jobs I've taken to supplement my addiction to writing, but my recent return to plant watering for my friend Jen is about as crazy as it gets. I've never worked so hard for such little money ($8 an hour) but there is something to be said for lifting hefty buckets of water and tending gardens.

I get story ideas seeing how the other half live and some places I've seen wind up being in my books. So, it's all good.

My favorite account is the wonderful French woman who owns her own winery and has a house filled with valuable plants. All are exotic and difficult to tender, requiring special care. What I find especially intriguing is that each flower inside and out is the color of red wine, to match her business.

But I digress

The accounts I covered yesterday were in Pacific Palisades, an upscale neighborhood overlooking the ocean here in LA. Jen emailed me the addresses, expected arrival times and the list of plants to be watered. I had five accounts and she told me it should all take about five hours - for which I earned $50 (the extra was for gas).

I woke up early, handled my writing business, made a sandwich, walked the dog and raced off to my first account, a real estate office in a tower on Sunset Boulevard. I found free parking - yay! - and arrived early - Yay! Yay! - Jen said this client is a stickler for punctuality.

At this point, lugging my huge duffel bag with two watering cans, gardening sheers, scissors, rubbing alcohol (for one account's plant bug problem), garbage bags, fertilizer, and my cup of java, I tackled the first account with enthusiasm and a smile on my face.

I greeted the front office assistant who looked surprised. I felt a ripple of pleasure soar through me. Obviously, whoever last handled the account had arrived late.

I found the kitchen, filled my buckets and swaggered down the hall with as much authority as a guy carrying water can muster. I started watering, trimmed a few yellow leaves, telling myself that writers must do what they have to...for the things they love. Like writing. And eating. And feeding my animals. And going to the movies. And eating. And buying Peet's Coffee.

I wrote in my head, which being a writer, I'm wont to do.

From office to office I ran like a gazelle, watering, snipping...plotting a future with Jen, perhaps, opening a plant watering business in Studio City. Yeah, me, the mini mogul!

The office assistant looked in on me at one point and said, "What are you doing here?"

I glanced at him. The plant was a cactus, but they need love too and the soil seemed so dry.

I finished giving it a nice burst of water and pounced on the next office.

Again he followed me.
"What are you doing here?"

"Watering the plants." I indicated the two wilting lilies on the sill that bore deflated balloons from some celebration, apparently a hundred years ago. I wondered if the occupant had been fired, since a layer of fine dust covered everything.

"You don't want me to water these?" I asked, ready to do battle for thirsty, dying plants. Cruelty is cruelty.

"You've got the wrong office," he said.

"Oh, right. I figured this one was no longer in use."

"No. I mean the WHOLE office. You got the wrong place. You want the real estate office across the hall."

Oh, shit!

I packed up my bag, shuffled out the door and ran across the hallway.

"You're late," the office assistant snarled.

Yep, the story of my life.

Aloha oe,

A.J.

GUEST AUTHOR - Lauren Fraser!

The stories I'm always drawn to.

In both my reading and my writing choices, I find myself drawn to a certain type of stories time and again. I love reading and writing about the bonds between friends or tight knit families. Whether that's the bond between women or a friends to lovers story, I really like how seeing the way people interact in their friendships gives you insight into the characters you are reading about.

One of my favorite types of stories is one with a friends to lovers theme. It's so fantastic to watch a couple struggle with their changing feelings, whether it's been growing for quite sometime or it's just a POW moment where they turn around and really see their friend for the first time.

Not only do you get to watch the emotions behind taking that leap and changing the relationship but when the couple does cross over that line, the relationship that ensues develops so quickly because it's like starting on the 5th date. You don't have all the awkward getting to know you stuff to deal with. What you do have is a loving relationship that has come out of nowhere and that just adds a whole wack of landmines that the characters need to navigate through. It can make for a really delicious read.

In my latest release The Geek Next Door I have alot of fun with the challenges of turning friends into lovers.


Now the other type of story that I find myself drawn to are ones with really strong female friendships, whether that's a sibling that you can always turn to, or that amazing group of girlfriends. You know the ones. The friends who will dig into their own pint of chunky monkey when you get dumped and wallow in a great male bashing night when the need arises. The bond between women is unlike anything else out there. Where else will you find someone who recognizes every one of your faults and has probably dissected them at one time, but loves you regardless. That same person who chowed on icecream with you last week but will now give you that kick in the butt you need to get out of those horrible jammies and into your sexiest outfit to get back out there, because damnit you've wallowed long enough. LOL

As a writer that amazing bond gives you alot of room to play with and it can really add depth to you characters. I know that kind of fantastic female friendship got my heroine Celeste into a lot of trouble, while in Mexico on a girls vacation in my upcoming release from Ellora's Cave, Sex, Sin and Surf coming December 10th..

Now I'm curious what kind of stories do you find yourself being drawn to time and time again?Do you like a friends to lovers theme, or do you prefer those strangers in the night type of stories? What type of book is a must buy for you as a reader?

Cheers,
Lauren

http://www.laurenfraser.com/

Cover for SEXY SECRET SANTA!

Got my cover for SEXY SECRET SANTA! I think it captures the sexy, playful feel of the story, and I really like the way they're gazing into each other's eyes! Syneca, the artist who does my Ellora's Cave covers, always does amazing work!

Hollie Kerr has lusted after hot architectural engineer Dirk Fraser ever since they started working together, so she’s thrilled to discover he’s her Secret Santa at the office Christmas party. What she doesn’t know is that her friend has led him to believe Hollie prefers a good spanking over a boring, old present any day.

Though Hollie is surprised when Dirk put her over his knee, she can’t pass up the opportunity to get spanked by a hunky guy like him. Her upturned bottom isn’t the only thing that gets hot, however, and soon they’re having sex right there in the office. By the time they come up for air, the party has wrapped up, their coworkers have left and the building is locked up tight.

What’s a girl supposed to do when she’s trapped all night in the office with a gorgeous guy? Have sex in all the places she’s ever fantasized about, of course!


SEXY SECRET SANTA comes out Dec 22nd from Ellora's Cave!
http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8888-50-sexy-secret-santa.aspx

*hugs*
Paige

"Stories so hot, they'll make your cheeks blush!"

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/
http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

Vagabond Heart

By A.J. Llewellyn

I know I'm a prolific author but Vagabond Heart, my latest release for Total-e-Bound, has been waiting in the wings to come out this week and really is one of my favorite books - it has been a passion project since I got the idea. It's also quite a departure for me.
This story, of a gay make prostitute working in Honolulu during WWII came to me after I saw a riveting documentary on TV: Sex in World War II: The Pacific Front, in which the lives of 200 women who lived and worked as prostitutes in Hotel Street, Honolulu, servicing US servicemen were depicted.
I'm an insomniac (just by the by) and caught this program at 3am one cold winter day. I kept calling my own voicemail, leaving myself messages since I was too tired to get up and grab a pen and paper and had no DVR at the time.
The details of these women's lives staggered me. I could not BELIEVE that each one serviced at a minimum of 100 men a day, each, and that each man was given three minutes of time for three bucks. They were called Three Minute Men.
Apart from being working girls, these women virtually lived like nuns. They weren't allowed to go out to bars, restaurants, Waikiki beach, couldn't ride a bicycle (!!) or a street car. They couldn't ride in - or own a car. They weren't allowed to own a bank account OR send their money back home to the mainland.
Phew.
And the US military put them to take care of the men...but nobody really took care of them. Some women lasted only a few months. Rule-breakers or those crushed by the business, were shipped right back to the mainland and fresh workers would be shipped to the islands.
Of course, as I watched all this, my mind flew to the possibilities of...what if a man serviced the gay servicemen streaming in and out of Honolulu?
Every person I started talking to about the idea was haunted by these 200 women. Of course, I did a lot of research and the book took on a life of its own. In all my research I learned that there was a man dressed as a woman servicing some men - a WWII transvestite! - but I remain convinced somebody was secretly servicing men.
My character, Tinder McCartney, gripped my heart and wouldn't let go. I'm thrilled my editor at Total eBound loved the character and the book and Vagabond Heart is the first in a three-book series called Pearl Harbor.
A month ago, I returned to Honolulu and spent time on Hotel Street to complete my research. Some of the hotels still exist, but most don't. I was shocked how run down it was and it saddened me. I had my map of the Chinatown neighborhood from way back then with the hotels all listed. Almost all are gone. I also have photos and could visualize exactly where all those sailors lined up to "climb the stairs" to visit their favorite girls as they drank imitation gin, nursed fresh tattoos from the numerous parlors on Hotel Street.
Ironically, a few tattoo parlors remain.
Some people in Honolulu are ashamed of this particular piece of history and I think this is why Hotel Street is a shocking dump today. I don't see this chapter of US military life as shameful. I think it needs to be told.
These 200 women were the first sexual experience most of these young soldiers had. From the oral histories of two of the men who went to them, I've learned that the women were often maternal and caring and when they could, talked to the boys...some of whom died in battle soon after.
When Pearl Harbor was bombed, these ladies of Hotel Street gave up their beds to injured men and worked side by side with the nurses in the hospitals, tending the sick.
I think they were quite heroic.
I read "Honolulu Harlot", the autobiography of Jean O'Hara Hotel Street's most famous sex worker and I must admit I adore her. She once got beaten up by the local cops who kicked her teeth in. She defied all the rules and bought a car and wound up in the poky.
And yet, she cared about the men and provided a service.
I've interviewed so many people who were in the islands then and wish I could have talked to her but her book tells quite a tale.
Jean O'Hara disappeared a couple of years after Pearl Harbor was attacked. I wonder where she is and hope she's happy, rich and loved. I also wonder how she survived the damage done to her own...Vagabond Heart.

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=982

Aloha oe,
A.J.

Saturday Soulful Quotes

And we're back for another installment of soulful, sappy, or even suggestive lines from authors who write great romance. And this month, they're all from authors I've had the pleasure of featuring on my new romance site, Deep In The Heart Romance.

So pull up a chair, grab a pen and paper, because you are definitely going to want to add these books to your TBR list!

The notion of walking in on William while he was curled up, fast asleep in bed at the misty hour of midnight was too romantic to ignore.
Amy Corwin, The Bricklayer's Helper

His right temple throbbed like a mother. Play. He could use a little of that himself. He’d not played in…well, if you were talking about adult play, too damned long.

Maddie James, Hard Candy Kisses

“Elise?” Aidan crossed his arms over his lean but well-muscled chest and glared down at her with sparks of fury shooting from his emerald green eyes. “You were about to explain why I have a five-year-old daughter I didn’t know about.”
Cindy Spencer Pape, Motor City Witch

“If I come in, it won’t be to rest.” He stepped into view.

Amy Corwin, The Vampire Protector

With a shake of her head, she tried to snap herself out of the sensual haze surrounding her. She could not stop picturing him naked. Why was it they’d always just been friends again? Right, because she needed him as her friend. He kept her sane.

All right, so friends. She could do this. Erin took a deep breath and slipped back into professional mode. She adjusted the shoulder seam and smoothed her hand down the fabric. “This fits really well.”

Dylan shuddered beneath her touch and all professionalism went out the window. Awareness hovered around them.

Her stomach flipped at the intensity of his look. To hell with just being friends.

Lauren Fraser, The Geek Next Door

Cover for PROTECTIVE CUSTODY!

Got my cover for my upcoming release PROTECTIVE CUSTODY and I absolutely love it! There's a scene just like it in the book, so it's perfect! Kendra Egert is the artist and it features the very hot Jimmy Thomas!



Paisley McCoy is a sexy reporter who writes about the San Francisco club scene for a local magazine. Having a dad on the police force has led to one hard and fast rule--she doesn’t date cops. She likes her men sensitive and intellectual, two qualities in short supply in any cop she’s ever met. However, when her safety is threatened and her life in danger, she gets stuck with a standard-issue cop for a bodyguard - aggressive, opinionated, and certain he’s always right. In short, the complete opposite of the kind of man she usually goes for.

Gray Beckham is a no-nonsense cop who’s peeved about being taken off a major burglary investigation to babysit the captain’s bratty daughter. Just because she’s gorgeous doesn’t change the situation. His career is important and she acts as if the whole situation is a joke and insists she doesn’t need his protection. While she might be sexy as hell, there’s no way he’s going anywhere near her, not if he can help it.

Despite their differences, though, Paisley and Gray can’t deny the chemistry between them. As that connection turns into a romance neither can avoid, they find out that the stalker is a far greater threat than they originally thought. They’re dealing with a crazed lunatic who has decided that if he can’t have her, no one will.


Look for it December 1st from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid!

*hugs*
Paige

"Stories so hot they'll make your cheeks blush!"

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/
http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

Shopping, Bah Humbug!

Leaks are out about what is going on sale for Black Friday. Saw on Dear Author where some of the e readers will be priced really low this year. Might be a good idea to start checking to see which one you want. I know I will.

Have you already started your Christmas shopping? I bought a couple of items yesterday. Not even a dent in what I'll need to do, of course. But I felt really smart because I got these items on sale. lol Now if I see them go on sale again at an even lower price I'll feel stupid too.

Shopping isn't my favorite thing to do by any stretch of the imagination. Even shopping with friends is not fun. I run through stores rather quickly--able to decide within seconds whether I want something. My friends always take forever to decide. I hate that. I'm just not a shopper.

I'm also one of those women who picks out the most expensive item first--you know what I mean--you're shopping for the perfect blouse or skirt, or the perfect pair of shoes and then you find them just to discover that the cost is NOT what you're EVER IN THIS LIFETIME willing to pay? Been there, done that.

Time is precious to me. I never like spending a lot of time looking around. I'd rather be somewhere else doing anything else but shopping. So the holiday shopping season leaves me cold to say the least. I'm blogging over at Four Strong Women today about shopping. It's an adventure to say the least. Join me and see if you can identify with some of the things I talk about. http://fourstrongwomen.blogspot.com/2010/11/c-section-in-cereal-aisle.html

SQUEE! New Contract with Ellora's Cave and GOOD COP, BAD GIRL is an EPIC AWARD Finalist!

I'm so excited! I just signed with Ellora's Cave for my Exotica Christmas-themed Quickie SEXY SECRET SANTA!


Here's the blurb!


Hollie Kerr has lusted after hot architectural engineer Dirk Fraser ever since they started working together, so she’s thrilled to discover he’s her Secret Santa at the office Christmas party. What she doesn’t know is that her friend has led him to believe Hollie prefers a good spanking over a boring, old present any day.

Though Hollie is surprised when Dirk put her over his knee, she can’t pass up the opportunity to get spanked by a hunky guy like him. Her upturned bottom isn’t the only thing that gets hot, however, and soon they’re having sex right there in the office. By the time they come up for air, the party has wrapped up, their coworkers have left and the building is locked up tight.

What’s a girl supposed to do when she’s trapped all night in the office with a gorgeous guy? Have sex in all the places she’s ever fantasized about, of course.

Also, and I'm so excited I can barely sit still, my erotic romance from Ellora's Cave GOOD COP, BAD GIRL is an EPIC Award finalist! I'm so psyched!






Gotta love a guy who comes with his own handcuffs!

When a hunky cop shows up at Julie Hanson’s apartment to tell her the police received a complaint about the noise from her birthday party, she assumes he’s a male stripper her girlfriends hired. Upon discovering the gorgeous Kirk Chandler really is a police officer, she’s completely mortified, especially since she teased him about giving her a birthday spanking.

Kirk appears at her door for a second time later that night, bearing gifts and asking if she got her birthday spanking. Julie not only gets her bottom nicely warmed, but is treated to a night of pleasure that qualifies as the best birthday present any girl could ask for.


Read an Excerpt!
http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/ExcerptGoodCopBadGirl/


Watch the Trailer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgnpc0sx354


Buy it from Ellora's Cave!
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8153-good-cop-bad-girl.aspx






For a sneak peek at DEAD SEXY, my other upcoming release from Ellora's Cave, and PROTECTIVE CUSTODY, my upcoming release from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, visit my website at http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/ and click on "Coming Soon!"


*hugs*
Paige

"Stories so hot, they'll make your cheeks blush!"

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/
http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/