Expectations...

Yes, I've been quiet because I've been back in my writing cave. My email is starting to backup, and things have gotten buried, I notice my "draft email" folder is getting awful thick. So if you've emailed me in the past week, and I haven't gotten back to you, mea culpa, but I am slowly plugging my way through my mail and will get to you eventually.

I'm working on the final little tweaks to Chad's story -- I really really really need to find a title for it. (It's the next in the Hauberk series. But I don't want to go with another title starting with Ps or even any sort of alliteration--not deliberately anyway.) There may be a poll going up about that soon, LOL.

I've also been working on the prequel to Texas Tangle. Yes, I've decided to go with the story that talks to me the loudest. Of course, last night as I was drifting off to sleep another story started talking to me, but this one I've managed to (almost forget) shove aside to write another day. In fact it really wasn't much more than a scene that may only end up to be a short story...So it was very easy to shove it aside.

The writing has been between the Mom's Taxi Service business I've been running lately. (Having one car sucks) A couple nights ago I went over to Anara Bella's to work on a secret project, and yesterday I met a girlfriend for coffee at our local bookstore (which turned into a road trip to a bookstore in another town because it had a copy of a book she wanted our local store didn't have in stock.) While we were there, I picked up a copy of an author who is an auto-buy for me. I don't generally auto-buy authors--money is generally too tight to spend on a book that I may or may not like. Because face it, there are some books we like better than others for whatever reason no matter who the author.

Anyway, I started to read the story last night, expecting to be wowed by this author the way I normally am. Only I didn't like the first page. I didn't like the second page either. Or the third. Or the fourth. So I did something I rarely do--I started flipping through the book to see if it got any better. All I kept thinking as I was reading more and more about this heroine was...well, I'm going to redact what I was thinking but I will say I found myself unable to connect with the heroine in this book because her actions, her choices, made me dislike her. Not Too Stupid To Live, just against the 'honorable code' I expect of my heroes and heroines. The thing is I know women who have behaved the same way in real life as the heroine does; my sister in fact, which may be why it's a bit of a hot button for me. But what it comes down to is I've already put the book down and figure I won't read anymore.

(I am not saying it's that a book is bad, it's not. One thing you learn very quickly as an author is that reading is subjective. A best-selling big-name-authored book that one of my critique partners absolutely adores and is her go-to comfort read is one that makes me cringe and just cannot finish no matter how many times I try.)

Naturally enough, it's made me nervous about whether my readers of my previous books will have a similar reaction to the next ones I produce. Which is making me go over those edits of Chad's story yet again. Guess I need to learn how to deal with Second Book syndrome still...

Guest blogging at Bitten by Paranormal Romance

I'm over at Bitten by Paranormal Romance today as part of their "7 Days of Summer Erotica Heat" extravaganza. I'm giving away a copy of my backlist, so if there's one of my books you haven't read yet you have a chance to win it today by leaving a comment.

Historical vs Contemporary: Which would you read?

Do you buy an author no matter what genre they write, or do you buy each particular book based on the blurb?

I'm about to submit a proposal to my editor at Carina about a story I've got outlined and the first three chapters written. It's inspired by a conversation in Texas Tangle a lot of people have commented on--the dinner scene with Gramma Barnett, where she reveals that her grandparents had been in a permanent threesome. The story I have planned would follow how the grandparents ended up in that arrangement. Which means we're talking 1890s Texas--historical.

But I've also heard a lot of contemporary readers say they refuse to read historicals.

Which makes me wonder if instead of working on the prequel I should first work on a sequel, following Dillon's brother Griffin.  I've got an idea of what I want to do with him; I've even written the first chapter. I have a strong idea of the external conflicts and the direction the story can go. (For Texas Tangle fans, yes, Dillon, Brett and Nikki will appear, as will Gramma Barnett, Dillon's parents Faith and Jackson who will all be embroiled in the fallout over D/B/Ns lifestyle decision.)

This is Gandalf aka Merlin in Texas Tangle

I still want to write the prequel, the characters are really talking to me. Actually they're yelling at me lately for even considering delaying their story. (I don't need a psychiatrist. Honest. Other writers will understand that statement.)

Mainly it's a matter of timing -- do I write the contemporary follow-up to Texas Tangle first, then the historical prequel? Or the historical prequel followed by a contemp sequel?

Which do you want to read?

Libraries are Spicy!

I've loved the Old Spice ads -- I crack up every time at the "I'm on a horse" ad.

I was fascinated when the Old Spice man went on Twitter and responded to people's tweets (and Facebook comments too) including to Alyssa Milano,




There are about four more videos, including a response by Alyssa (dressed only in a towel in her bathroom) and George Stephanopoulos (who asked what else President Obama could be doing...)




He even responded to someone asking him to comment on libraries:





Now it's spawned a "New Spice" response -- in favor of libraries and studying, who can resist?  (Thanks to Vivi Andrews who posted this over on her blog)

More reviews in for Texas Tangle

Having a book you've worked on for ages finally release, it's not only exciting, it's a little scary.  Will readers like it? Will they hate it? Did I miss ... something that everyone else will catch and think WTF?

Or maybe it's just me...

Anyway, each time I see a tweet or an email coming talking about a review for one of my books, I go through this mental debate--"should I look at it?" Maybe I should get someone else to read it first and give me a thumbs up or down. (I do know other authors who take this route.)  But inevitably I end up clicking on the link or opening the email and reading it myself. So I was thrilled to open the email to read Lea's review of Texas Tangle over at Blackraven's Reviews:

...how many synonyms are there for tremendous, enjoyable, fabulous and awesome? If you’re looking for an emotional, sensual, heartwarming story, this is it. I will definitely be recommending all of Leah Braemel’s books to my friends, and Texas Tangle will be a birthday gift to my sister.

Just go get Texas Tangle and you’ll see what I mean! This book is a must read.

Rated 5 Ravens and a Recommended Read by Lea!

Then two days ago I opened my email and found another note saying that the lovely ladies of Whipped Cream Reviews (That's the Long and Short of It's erotic site) have left me a review too. Tiger Lilly said:

I closed this book, having laughed, cried, sighed and smiled. Plus the three of them together is really hot. I had to check the screen for singe marks. If you want a story that will stick with you long after the last page, then you need to read Texas Tangle. I give it 4 cherries.

And today? I just received an email from Night Owl Romance. Chris had just posted her review -- it's another Top Pick review, folks!

This story was totally different from other ménages I’ve read in the past....Dillon’s grandmother stole the show when she gave her opinion at the dining room table. I about lost it. A very emotional story that explores how a ménage can develop, and it’s not just for the thrill of kink. We watch all three parties change, grow and make discoveries that help them mature and realize what they really want.

Can I once again express my appreciation to all reviewers, no matter whether they liked Texas Tangle or not--I find it exceedingly difficult to define what it is that I liked about a book (or what I didn't) and summarize a book the way they do.  So here's a huge thanks to them all for taking the time, and making the effort.

Playing Around

I told you the other day I was going to Mike Weir's Charity Classic in Toronto. (for those of you who don't follow golf, and I'm assuming that's probably most of you, Mike Weir is one of our premiere Canadian golfers. A few years back he won the green jacket at Augusta. Gizmo Guy is a huge golf fan, and to cheer on a Canadian to the win of such a prestigious event...well, he's got a big picture up in the office with the newspaper article from the following day.)

I don't mind watching golf, I even play it occasionally. And since Mike's event involves a mixture of professional golfers and celebrities I thought it would be a nice day out.  It turned out to be a gorgeous day. The course was lush and challenge (and I'm just talking about walking it as a spectator) 

Team Dillon!

One of the Texas Tangle reviewers, Sparklybearsy, said in her review that she was Team Dillet (because she couldn't choose between Dillon or Brett) so when I saw the name on this caddy's vest I immediately thought of her.   Yup, Team Dillon was there!  In reality, it's not named for my Dillon but for the guy in the striped shirt--Kevin Dillon from Entourage.

Camillo Villegas

If I ever write a story involving a professional golfer, I'm pretty sure I'll be using Camilo Villegas as a model -- he is one seriously cute golfer.  You may have heard about him --he's often called 'Spiderman' because of the unique way he reads a green.

Cdn golfer Stephen Ames and Dragons' Den Robert Herjavec

They set the rounds up so the amateurs get to play 9 holes with a celebrity and 9 holes with a professional golfer.  Some of the celebrities were Damon Allen (he's a famous Canadian football player), Steve Nash & Martin Brodeur (two players on Canada's gold medal winning Olympic Hockey team), Jon Montgomery (medal winning Skeleton racer from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics), along with hockey players Dion Phaneuf and Steve Stamkos. Musician Tom Cochrane was also playing and entrepreneur Robert Herjavec whom Canadians know from Dragons' Den and Americans may know from the Shark Tank. Oh and I already mentioned Kevin Dillon. And last but not least, Samuel L. Jackson. Yup, that's the famous Samuel L just beyond me in my paper cowboy hat (yes, really, it's made of recycled paper, but it's as durable as all get out)  I got close enough to touch him, almost, while he was signing autographs but missed him by that || much.

Me and Samuel L. Jackson

I did get to meet one other celebrity that day -- though he wasn't on the golf course. Erik Estrada was there on Monday to help promote one of the sponsors. For a guy who is 61 (OMG did that make me feel old) he looks fantastic. Yes, he was wearing his CHiPs uniform, complete with knee high leather boots, though as Gizmo Guy pointed out--no gun. Of course, this is Canada, after all!

Leah and Erik Estrada

And since it was a golf match, I guess I should mention that there were professional golfers there as well -- naturally enough Mike Weir was there, as were Trevor Immelman, Fred Couples, Luke Donald, Canadian Stephen Ames, Luke Donald, Anthony Kim, Sean O'Hair, Retief Goosen and straight off his second-place finish at the British Open the day before, Paul Casey. (yes, I did know all those names, thank you.)

Gizmo Guy went back the next day with Curly -- GG likes the practice days as you're allowed to take your cameras which you're not allowed to do on tournament days. And you can imagine what'll be on the television this weekend...

Mike Weir

Guest blogging at Delilah Devlin's

Once you're done reading Anara's interview, drop by Delilah Devlin's blog where I'm talking about what it is that we find sexy about cowboys. (Delilah's got a contest going so leave a comment to enter)

Anara Bella's Brazen or Bust

Anara Bella is my real life neighbor and has been for years. But neither of us knew each other until last fall. In one of those weird twists of fate, we met during a Sherrilyn Kenyon booksigning at our local Chapters bookstore. I was standing in line when the person at the cash started having problems with the debit card (does anyone actually carry cash these days?). To pass the time I was fiddling with a Twilight bookmark (I think that's what it was--it was a Twilight something or other, maybe a deck of cards?). I made some smart-a$$ comment to the lady standing in line in front of me about how they couldn't put my bookmarks out for public consumption.

"Oh, are you a writer?" the lady asked.

"Yes, I have two erotic romances out with Samhain Publishing," I replied, thinking I'd have to explain who (or is it what?) Samhain Publishing was.

Imagine my surprise when she replied..."Me too! Only I've got three books with them."

Turned out we live within walking distance of each other. We've kept in touch, going out for lunch now and then and we've bounced ideas off each other and given each other needed boosts of confidence when we were feeling low. So I'm thrilled to have Anara as my guest today...

Meet
Anara Bella

By day Anara Bella’s a mild-mannered writer pounding out stories at her trusty keyboard. But by night she’s the Domestic Avenger (can you hear the deep echoey voice? LOL), ready to fight any and all evil that gets in her way. Okay, so the evil in question are only despicable dust bunnies and dastardly dirty dishes but they are evil. Can’t make the darned things go away either. And besides, the Domestic Avenger thing sure sounds a lot more exciting and fun than the reality because Anara, in fact, lives a fairly uneventful life in the suburbs with her hubby and two adorable cats. A past Brava Novella contest winner, she’s now happily multi-published with Samhain Publishing. To learn more about Anara or her books go to her Website, check out her Facebook and MySpace pages, or follow her on Twitter.

In Brazen or Bust, your heroine decides to change up her look. Have you ever done that? And what were the results?  (Of course we both know you’re perfect the way you are… ;) )  ~

Hahaha! Laughing hysterically over the ‘perfect’ comment. LOL

I’m afraid I have to own up to the fact that in my entire life I’ve never come close to being daring as far as my looks are concerned. No drastic makeover’s for me, no sirree. Any changes I’ve made have been gradual as befits the big chicken that I am. When I was younger, I was way too self-conscious to try anything new. It was just too scary. And yet, the time to be wild is when you’re young. That’s when you should really have fun with your appearance and experiment while you figure out who you are.

That’s probably why I love Nica, the heroine in Brazen or Bust, so much. It would be great to do the gutsy things Nica does in the book. I had a blast writing her story and living vicariously through her. And Logan’s freaked-out reactions to the sexy change in Nica’s appearance, and her single-minded pursuit of him, cracked me up both while I was writing the book and every time I’ve read it since then.

I’ve heard it said that writers should always have cats. You have two—how do they help you write? Do they inspire you at all, calm you? Or distract you from your writing?  

I’d have to say they’re more of a distraction than anything else. And highly entertaining with all the silly and cute things they do. LOL Both of them are rescue kitties who immediately settled in and took over our home. We’ve had JuJube for almost three years and she still hasn’t gotten used to the interloper we took in a year ago. Thankfully, JellyBean couldn’t care less. She’s a real rascal, totally fearless, gets into everything and is so sweet. Actually, they’re both very affectionate cats and I don’t know what I’d do without them. But they’re favorite thing to do is play, which would be great except they don’t want to play alone, or with each other. They want to play with me.

So the usual scenario is that I’m working away at my computer when one of them will suddenly drop their favorite toy at my feet and expect me to stop whatever I’m doing and play with them. In fact, that’s what I’m doing right now as I’m answering these questions. I have to keep jumping up to throw the toy down the hall, then rush back to my desk and type a sentence or two as fast as I can. Before I know it JellyBean has fetched her favorite little mouse, dropped it back at my feet and is sitting looking up at me expectantly until I have no choice but to get up and throw the toy again. LOL I figure it’s good exercise for me but it’s not so great for my concentration or production levels. Oh, and lookie here, the little rascal’s back again. LOL

Your three books are novellas – what is it that you like about shorter length stories?  Any plans for a full length one day?

There are a number of things I like about novellas, both in reading and writing them. But the main thing that draws me to write shorter stories is the way I can focus entirely on the hero/heroine’s journey to finding love. I love that. No added extras or subplots to distract from it, just the main event, so to speak. Having said that, odds are pretty good that I’ll eventually start writing full length stories, but even then I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing novellas.

It’s actually kind of funny that I don’t already write longer stories because my very first book was a category length Contemporary Romance. And believe it or not, I’m currently in the process of fixing up that first book in hopes I’ll be able to get it published soon. I still love the story, and I’d love to get it out there for others to read. It just needs a little work and TLC. For now, that’s probably the closest I’ll get to putting a full length story out there.

Want to do lunch again? ~  I’d love to. Anytime!! =)

Three contemporaries, one paranormal. Any plans for future paranormals? ~

I do have plans for another paranormal. I’m just now fleshing out the bare bones of a sequel to my first paranormal, The Trouble with Curses, which was Rafe and Selena’s story. In the Hunter family Rafe is the slayer and his sister Larke is the visionary who helps Rafe find the vampires he slays.

The sequel will delve deeper into some of the things that were brought up in The Trouble with Curses but it will mainly focus on Larke’s story. Larke’s husband was murdered by a vampire and she’s wanted revenge ever since. Now her visions tell her that the vamp in question has come back to town and she’s intent on killing him herself. She hits a snag, however, when she runs into the Hero who is just as determined to stop her from doing it. For his own mysterious reasons, of course. =)

If you could go back to meet yourself as you were just getting out of high school, what advice would you give yourself? 

Oh wow. There are a number of things I’d love to go back and tell myself. First off, to be thankful for my height instead of being embarrassed by it like I was back then. I was so self-conscious it was unreal. Also, to not care so much about what other people think and just do what I want with my life. And a biggie would be to not get married so young. Don’t get me wrong, marriage is great. But I really wish that I’d just moved out on my own, and given myself time to grow up, experience life and just enjoy being young and single with no responsibilities for a while instead of settling down so quickly. Actually, that’s advice I’d give to any teen.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do just to kick back and relax?

I’ve been an avid reader my whole life so reading is always at the top of my list of favorite things to do. But since I started writing I find that to really get the break I need, I have to do something that isn’t related to books. So, I’d have to say watching movies has taken over as one of my favorite ways to unwind at the end of the day. But you know, I still read a lot. LOL

What's your favorite memory from when you were a child? Have you ever used it in one of your own stories?

Most of my favorite memories are connected to my cousin, Sylvia. I’m an only child but whenever school was out my cousin would stay with us because her mother was a single parent working full-time. Sylvia’s the sister I never had and I love her more than I can say. Anyway, on our own we were both pretty well-behaved kids, but when we were together we could really get into trouble sometimes. Like the time we almost lit my mom’s brand new blanket on fire with a lamp. LOL

One of my favorite memories was when we used to try and stay up until we were sure my parents were asleep. If we managed it, then we’d try to sneak outside. I have no idea why this was so important to us, but bear in mind, we were very young so it seemed like a very risqué thing to do at the time. LOL Anyway, every time we’d try, something would happen to stop us, like the floor would squeak, we’d bump into something, or whatever. Terrified of getting caught we’d run back to bed and forget about it for that night. After who knows how long of attempt after attempt, we finally pulled it off. We tip-toed all the way to the front door, quietly unlocked and opened it, stepped outside, looked around… and realized we had no clue what we should do out there. So, we scooted back to bed and never tried it again. The thrill was in getting out there, I guess.

We still laugh about it to this day and just writing about it now has put a huge grin on my face. A really happy memory for sure. And yes, I used a version of it in The Trouble with Curses as a memory that Selena has of her childhood. Just my little way of remembering one of the silly, fun times my cousin and I had together as kids. =)

Leah again:  When I interview my guests, I send them a series of questions and tell them to choose which ones they want to answer from each section.  Anara was asked to choose one of the three following questions: she answered all three.  Talk about an overachiever, LOL.

Sandy Caribbean beach in February or Scottish castle in June? ~  Blissful sigh. Both sound fabulous to me. This really is a toughie. If you’d asked me this question six months ago when I was sick to death of winter, I’d have gone with the sandy Caribbean beach. But since you’re asking me when the temperatures are sweltering outside, I’ll go with the Scottish castle. How fun to roam around in that castle imagining the past and the people who had lived there.

Leah: Bet she'd change her mind if it was a Scottish castle in February, LOL

Open toed shoes or closed toe? ~ Open-toed for sure!

Mani/pedi or massage? ~ Can’t I have both? *pouts* Okay, if I have to choose one I’ll go with the mani/pedi. Kinda goes with the open-toed shoes. What can I say? I like to flash my toe rings. LOL

Brazen or Bust

Plain Jane Nica has a sexy new look and a brazen new attitude to match. Blindsided and dazzled, Logan doesn’t stand a chance…

Perpetual tomboy Nica Morelli has wasted years mooning over Logan Donovan. Always viewed as nothing more than an honorary little sister, it’s way past time to make him see her as a desirable woman. A sexy makeover is just the way to do it, and with the new brazen attitude she’s adopted there’s no stopping her. Now, sexed-up Nica is armed to the teeth and taking no prisoners.

Logan doesn’t know what hit him. One day Nica’s the plain, trustworthy girl he’s known since they were kids, the next she’s a sex kitten doing startling things to his libido. Turned on and tied up in knots, he doesn’t know what to do with the intense emotions she’s generating now. And taking the enticingly tasty bait she’s dangling in front of him isn’t an option. If only the forbidden wasn’t quite so tempting…

Warning: This book contains hot ‘n steamy graphic sex brought about by the flagrant use of seduction, near-nakedness and lavish amounts of tempting, teasing and tequila.

Want to read more about Brazen or Bust? You can read an excerpt on Anara's website. (Pssst, Anara's shared a second excerpt that you can only find by following this link! See what having friends in the right places can do for you?)

Want to buy it? You can do that too -- just click right here.  Want to win an e-copy of one of Anara's backlist (The Trouble with Curses, Batteries Not Required, or Ready or Not)?  Tell us if you've ever changed things up -- or if you haven't what you would like to change--hair color? Hair cut? Total wardrobe overhaul?  Did/would you go Brazen?  Or was it a bust?  (Contest will close next Monday night at 11:59 pm Eastern Time)

Phew! Did I wear you out with all those guest bloggers? Now we're getting back to the regular schedule of guest blogging on Wednesdays only and you'll be stuck with me on the other days. 

So what's been happening at the Braemel household?  Well, Guitar Hero got a full-time job working for a local electrical firm so he can continue his apprenticeship. He's working hard tearing out and rebuilding his old elementary school as it gets turned into a new campus for a local university.  Curly is done school and has been working almost full time at the grocery story. He's decided to take a year off as he tries to decide "what he wants to be when he grows up." Gizmo Guy is chugging along doing well after last year's health scare. 

And me? Well, I'm exhausted from all the promo for Texas Tangle but it seems to have paid off -- Texas Tangle reached #4 on Barnes & Noble's Best Selling Erotica's list, and #20 and perhaps lower on Amazon's Best Selling Erotic list (not just the Kindle list but amongst their regular list that includes paperbacks as well).  Reviews have been pouring in from Book Junkie, Night Owl Romance (there are two reviews over there, one of which gave TT Top Pick status!) Romance Junkies, Bitten by Paranormal Romance, Strictly Reviews, Ramblings of a Book Bitch, Bad Barb's Reviews, Smexy Books and Dear Author (ok, so to be honest, DA didn't like it so much but gave it a C+ rating).  There's another one that's still in the editing phase from Blackraven Reviews--the reviewer gave me a heads up that one would be on its way. I'll share it when it goes live.

Speaking of Blackraven Reviews, Lea recently reviewed Private Property and gave it 5 Ravens and a Recommended Read. Woot! I love that a book that's been out for 18 months can still garner attention.

People have been asking what's next--I'm finishing up edits on the next in the Hauberk series. And I've outlined a synopsis and am preparing a proposal to submit to my editor at Carina for a prequel to Texas Tangle that follows Dillon's great-great-grandparents (think that's the right number of greats) in a story referred to by Dillon's grandmother in a scene that seems to have captured a lot of people's attention. (Grandma Barnett is mentioned in a lot of tweets and reviews as being a larger than life character.)  And I'm also playing around with an outline for a sequel to Texas Tangle, this one following Dillon's brother Griffin that will also feature some of the fallout the Barnett family must deal with following Dillon's unconventional lifestyle choice. 

So I'm definitely taking on a lot of projects. Which means my blog may not get the attention it deserves, and my Twitter usage has fallen off, but I'm around.

Well, I'll be around after today -- I'm heading into Toronto today since Gizmo Guy got us tickets to Mike Weir's Charity Classic golf event which is the lead up to the Canadian Open. (You do know who Mike Weir is, right?) So I'll be hanging out with Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Dillon, along with Tom Cochrane and a bunch of hockey players (I'm sorry, I know I'm Canadian but I don't follow hockey. Yes, I'm a bad bad Canadian, aren't I?) But I'll be back at my desk and hard at work tomorrow.

Winner of the Newsletter Subscriber Contest

Joanne R

Joanne entered my newsletter-only subscriber contest and won her very own Texas Tangle t-shirt.

I got a little crazy and ordered swag of all types for Texas Tangle, so stay tuned for news about future contests for tote bags, a TT mousepad, even a Texas Tangle baseball cap!

Gizmo Guy Strikes Again

She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases.

On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candle-light, put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of spring-water.

When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the hollow of the curtain rods.

She then cleaned up the kitchen and left... When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days.

Then slowly, the house began to smell.

They tried everything; cleaning, mopping and airing the place out.

Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned.

Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting.

Nothing worked!!!

People stopped coming over to visit..

Repairmen refused to work in the house.

The maid quit.

Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.
A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house.

Word got out and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls.

Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going.

He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day.

She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home........

And to spite the ex-wife, they even took the curtain rods.

That is really a happy ending, don't you think so?

Party time - Texas style!

I'm over at The Romance Studio's release party event today. It started at 10 and goes until 7 pm EST today, with lots of prizes. Well, why don't I just let The Romance Studio tell you:

We're partying with the following authors to celebrate the release of their latest works THURSDAY, JULY 15th. There will be prizes - books and author prizes from TRS! Come out and meet some of our best and most talented authors:

Mari Carr

Ava McKnight

Bryle Tyne

Jodi Redford

Christiane France

Mary Alice Pritchard

Deidre O'Dare

L.K. Below

Melissa Schroeder

Laura Tolomei

Tory Richards

Kate Hill

Vivian Arend

Louisa Bacio

Nicole North

Kayelle Allen

Maddie James

Leah Braemel

Mary Winter

Mary Eason

PG Forte

Rhian Cahill

Tianna Xander

Carolina Valdez

Sierra Dafoe

Selena Blake 

http://theromancestudio.com/party 10 AM EST to 7 PM EST on 7/15/10! Don't miss it!
Also if you're reading this, enter our one day Twitter Contest. The prizes? One author will win a one year advertising package @ TRS. One reader will win a collection of 10 print books. Ready?
To enter:
Follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/romancestudio)
Mention us @romancestudio
The winner will be announced tomorrow at the release party.
You must have mentioned us by 7 PM EST, 7/15/10 to enter. 

I'm Guest Blogging over at Bernita Harris's today

Or is that Bernita Harris'?  Never can figure that out. When I went to school, the standard was the second way, but times they are a-changing. And you'll find out just how much they've changed for me over at Bernita's "An Innocent A-Blog" today where I'm talking about the precursor to texting and email rural style--the party-line.

Winner of Vaughn Demont's House of Stone contest

Armenia

Congratulations, Armenia. Please send me an email at contest @leahbraemel DOT com with your choice of format (go over to the Samhain website for a listing of what's available. http://samhainpublishing.com/aboutebooks ) And I'll send you your copy of Vaughn's book.

(Usual legal stuff, you have seven days to claim your prize or I draw a new winner.)

There were 8 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Armenia
2. Ally Blue
3. s7anna
4. Joder
5. Jennifer Thorne
6. Sweet Vernal Zephyr
7. Iokijo
8. Bernita

Timestamp: 2010-07-13 14:30:02 UTC

Guest blogging at Shelley Munro's

I'm over at Shelley Munro's today, answering her questions, and giving away a copy of Texas Tangle.

And as you may notice, I've been playing around with my blog...it'll change a few times in the next little while I imagine. If there's something you really despise, or love, about the changes, let me know. (Yes, I'm aware the header needs some reworking...all in good time.)

Winner of Contest #3 (Horseshoe Necklace)

Joder

Congratulations, Joder. I'll be contacting you by email to get your snail mail address. Thanks to everyone for entering my contest.

Don't forget you still have an opportunity to win a Texas Tangle t-shirt through my newsletter-subscriber-only contest. (If you haven't subscribed, I can still send it to you...but it closes on July 15th so the clock's ticking.)

Winner of June's Reader Appreciation contest

Gah, it's almost halfway through July and I just remembered this!

Sharon K

Congratulations, Sharon K! You've won an autographed print copy of my novel Personal Protection. (There may be a couple extra little doodads thrown in too) Please send me an email to contest @ leahbraemel DOT com with your snail mail address to claim your prize. If you do not contact me within seven days, I will draw a new winner.

Don't forget that you get entered for each comment you make on my blog during the month, whether there's an author contest or not.

(Only one comment counts per day, and the guest author of the day doesn't get added for her comments on his/her post but will be entered on other guests' posts.)

Next month's prize? A tote bag with the Private Property and Personal Protection covers printed on the side. Come on, you know you need something to tote around your books to the beach! Get commenting!

There were 162 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Sharon K
2. Estella
3. Bad Barb
4. EC Sheedy
5. Joder
6. Claire Robyns
7. Estella
8. Andrae Becraft
9. Kaz Augustin
10. Elaing8
11. Shelley Munro
12. Caffey
13. Shelley Munro
14. Chelsea B
15. Shelley Munro
16. Chelsea B
17. Elaing8
18. Lilly Cain
19. Natasha A
20. Claire Robyns
21. Cindy Spencer Pape
22. Armenia
23. Bernita
24. Laney 4
25. Flchen1
26. Flchen
27. Estella
28. marley Delarose
29. s7anna
30. Tarra
31. Mary G
32. Esetlla
33. Cecile
34. s7anna
35. Claire Robyns
36. Marley Delarose
37. Valerie
38. Flchen1
39. Heidi
40. Estella
41. Elaing8
42. Chelsea B
43. Toni anderson
44. Mary (Bookhounds)
45. Iokijo
46. Cathryn Fox
47. Amy S
48. Sharon
49. Chelsea B
50. Laney 4
51. Laney 4
52. Armenia
53. Joder
54. Estella
55. Lynne Roberts
56. Pamk
57. Chelsea B
58. SHG
59. Mary G
60. Chelsea B
61. Toni Anderson
62. Fedora
63. Scotialassie
64. Natasha A
65. Cecile
66. Cathy M
67. Chelsea B
68. Chelsea B
69. Cari Quinn
70. Chelsea B
71. Book Junkie
72. Chelsea B
73. Kris Starr
74. Natasha A
75. Estella
76. Sparklybearsy
77. Fran Lee
78. Natasha A
79. Mary (BookHounds)
80. Elaing8
81. Inez Kelley
82. Estella
83. elaing8
84. Janet
85. April Ash
86. Cindy Spencer pape
87. Taylor Tryst
88. Lynne Roberts
89. Claire robyns
90. Valerie
91. Natasha A
92. Natasha A
93. Marley Delarose
94. Joder
95. Fedora
96. Fedora
97. Estella
98. Armenia
99. Flchen1
100. Chelsea B
101. Amber Skyze
102. Red
103. Mitzi H
104. Bernita
105. Valerie
106. Estella
107. Laughingwolf
108. Claire Robyns
109. Jenny Schwartz
110. Estella
111. Chelsea B
112. Estella
113. Abby Wood
114. Armenia
115. Chelsea B
116. Jane
117. Renee Field
118. Laney 4
119. Cathy M
120. Pamela Callow
121. Jane
122. Julia smith\Bev Pettersen
123. Chelsea b
124. Elaing8
125. Jenny Schwartz
126. Chelsea B
127. Estella
128. Fedora
129. Lori
130. Cathy M
131. Cindy Spencer Pape
132. Natasha A
133. Joven
134. Skylar Kade
135. Liz Fichera
136. Cindy Spencer pape
137. Chelsea B
138. Donna
139. Jenny Schwartz
140. Jenny Schwartz
141. Jenny Schwartz
142. Elaing8
143. Mary G
144. Kathleen O
145. Estella
146. Fedora
147. Suzan Isik
148. kathleen o
149. Elaing8
150. Jane
151. Julianne Maclean
152. Fedora
153. Mary G
154. Bernita
155. Nancye
156. elaing8
157. Jamie D
158. Tarra
159. Lee Blackhorse
160. Helen Hardt
161. Chelsea B
162. Natasha A

Timestamp: 2010-07-11 23:27:48 UTC

Last Chance to enter

Just a reminder that the contest for the silver horseshoe pendant/necklace ends tomorrow. (at 11:59 pm Eastern time Sunday night -- that's between Sunday and Monday) so you've got today and all of tomorrow. In case you'd not seen the original post, here are your instructions again:

Contest #3: I'm going to be giving away a silver necklace with a silver horseshoe (it's not sterling silver, just silver-colored) in a cool little cowboy hat all its own.



So how do you win this necklace, you ask? Email me with the name of Nikki's dog (it's in the downloadable excerpt -- you can download it from Carina's blog or from my website.)


Get 10 extra chances by posting about it on your blog and sending me the link, or Twittering about it on Twitter (don't forget to refer to @LeahBraemel so I see it mentioned in my timeline.)

Contest closes on July 11th and the winner will be announced here on my blog on July 12th

Introducing Vaughn Demont's House of Stone

One of the things I love doing on this blog is introducing my regular readers to a new Samhain author.  Today I'm thrilled to introduce you to Vaughn Demont.  Not only did Vaughn's book, House of Stone, released a couple weeks ago, so to help him celebrate, I'm giving away a copy of Vaughn's House of Stone to a commenter. (I'm going to close this contest off on Sunday at 10 a.m. and will announce the winner Sunday afternoon.)

Meet 

Vaughn Demont

I’m a gamer geek. Old school. Pencil and paper. Table top. Kick in the door and roll for initiative, that’s me. I’ve been playing RPGs since I was seven, when I had to take over my cousin’s Dungeons & Dragons character because my aunt didn’t want him playing “the devil’s game”. She apparently had no problem with me playing it though. I was hooked instantly, and I’ve been a gamer geek ever since. White Wolf games helped me hobble through those awkward teen years, much in the same way I’d expect comic books and Dr. Who helped other disaffected nerds. I started playing werewolf musicians, and then vampire knights, until I found my calling in playing a young mage newly awakened to his power and forever living on the fringes of popular culture. It was from this character, who I named G. James Black, that I created a setting I called The City.

College brought along more serious attempts at writing, but I never thought it was going anywhere. The electives I would take in abnormal psychology and sociology would be for general education requirements, so I would claim. In reality I just wanted to know how to write more convincing societies and have a better idea why villains were so screwed up inside. I took a course on city planning and read everything I could find by Richard Florida to keep my setting somewhat believable, even though I’d have to account for the effect of a population of vampires and gods and werecreatures and all matter of supernatural beings that might have an opinion on zoning laws.

It was fun, though, asking all of these questions and coming up with the answers myself. It was fun to find and meet the more interesting citizens of the setting I’d created. But I wanted characters that were unlike the ones I’d read before, characters that had had every advantage. I wanted to look at the opposite end of the spectrum, such as a vampire who works as a data entry clerk, or a werecat who works a drive-thru window, or an all-powerful sorcerer that makes ends meet washing dishes in a diner.

Or, in the case of Richard Stone, the protagonist of my latest novel House of Stone, a minor Fae noble who works in porn because it’s the only creative outlet in his county. I asked all of the usual questions I ask a character, so as how they get by, do they like their lives, their opinion of their society, and most importantly, who their favorite band is. (Richard’s is Pearl Jam.) It all grew from there, taking a few turns I didn’t expect along the way (originally, in fact, Richard was supposed to slay a dragon, which the opening scene was supposed to foreshadow), until suddenly the short novella I’d been working on had turned into a full-fledged novel. I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish with Richard, and I’m looking forward to telling more of his story.

Vaughn R. Demont (the R stands for truth, justice, and sleeping late on Saturdays. It also stands for Radcliffe) is a writer trying to beat the odds and be a career writer. Gay, poor, and living in the sub-arctic tundra of Central New York, Vaughn likes to think of himself as a quintessential Scorpio. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Oswego State University, and his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Goddard College. He has published numerous essays, short stories, novellas, and a novel online.

Want to know more about Vaughn? Visit his page over at his webpage or follow his reviews at Goodreads.

House of Stone

Vaughn Demont

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Gay-Lesbian Romance
ISBN: 978-1-60928-061-1
Length: Novel
Price: 5.50
Publication Date: June 22, 2010
Cover art by Mandy M. Roth

A modern knight, a noble quest, and a magical sword. What could go wrong?

Welcome to the City, where gods run nightclubs, goblins hire out as mercs, sorcerers work their magic, the Fae hold court over every neighborhood…and humanity is blissfully ignorant of it all.
For minor Fae noble Richard Stone, life is going well. He has a decent fiefdom (okay, it’s a slum), a budding acting career (okay, so it’s porn), and one of only five magical swords in the City. An arranged marriage is barely a blip on his worry meter—until his family blade loses its magic. The shame of it puts his noble standing in jeopardy.

To regain his status, Richard needs help. Fortunately, his new bride is a sidhe knight and his servant Simaron has, er, his back. Together they embark on a quest to find the demon who slew his father, investigate a conspiracy that goes to the highest echelons of Fae nobility, and discover a secret family legacy that could ruin his House.

All while keeping up appearances to a society that demands perfection. And they say a noble’s life is easy…

Warning: This book contains explicit gay sex, not-so-explicit gay sex, explicitly implied gay sex, routine breaking of the fourth wall, occasional bouts of Pearl Jam fanboy-ism, and plot. Side effects include confusion and headaches, and are best avoided by reading the pages therein in numerical order.

Read An Excerpt Online or you can go here.

Like what you've read so far? Buy House of Stone from My Bookstore and More or All Romance eBooks or Amazon.com

How Amy Ruttan Lost her Author Virginity

I want to thank Leah for having me here today, and especially that I get to talk about the book which stole my virginity. The first book I ever finished in full.

Now, the first book I ever published was Masque of Desire with Ellora’s Cave back in 2007, but that was not the book which took my innocence and introduced me to the world of writing.

The book which made me realize my dreams was Enemy Enchantress, which came out with Eternal Press on July 7, 2010.

I started writing it in 2003 after my daughter was born. She was my first child, and I was bored while she napped. Since she slept through the night from day one, I didn’t need to nap and the characters for Enemy Enchantress just walked into my head. I started writing it on a yellow legal pad, slowly. It was agonizingly so. I went back to work after my year of maternity leave was up, and I forgot about it to be honest. I knew I always wanted to write, but I was scared.

In 2006 I had my second child—a child who almost didn’t make it. He was in the NICU for a month, in a medicated coma for the first 3 weeks of his life. Those long days and nights by his bedside made me realize I had to go for my dream. So during my year of maternity I took the plunge and finished Enemy Enchantress, well the first of many drafts.

I started to do research on Romance Writing and found an online critique group. I signed up for the Romance Writer’s of America and discovered a writing contest—The Central Ohio Fiction Writer’s Ignite the Flame. I entered and to my utter amazement I finalled in it.

Still, Enemy Enchantress had some ways to go. In the mean time I did NaNoWriMo and joined my local RWA chapter the Toronto Romance Writers and met one of my fabulous critique partners Christine d’Abo. I submitted my first story to Ellora’s Cave and made my dream come true. I was published, but what to do with that darn Enemy Enchantress. Would it go under the bed like the unfinished stories I had written when I was a teen? I really didn’t want to see it subjected to that.

I sold it to Linden Bay, but then due to a bad twist of fate Linden Bay shut its doors and I got my rights back. Hey, I was lucky. A lot of authors aren’t. After yet another tweak I sent it to Eternal Press and within a couple of weeks it was sold.

It’s been a crazy long haul. Enemy Enchantress was a book I started to learn from. I guess we were both ‘innocent’ in that way.

Finally after 7 years, and countless other books in between, it is getting its day in the sun, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Enemy 

Enchantress

Trying to catch his breath, he preened at the sight of her panting on the ground, his for the taking. Her short tunic had ridden further up her thighs. It sent his blood racing. He tossed his sword aside and dropped to his knees, leaning over her, staring deep into those smoldering gray eyes.

“Now for my reward,” he said in a husky voice as leaned down to kiss her.

“Nay,” she begged, but only for a moment. Their lips met and instead of the resistance he expected, she melted against his mouth. He kissed her hungrily, tasting the sweet fullness of her red lips.

By Ari, she tastes like fresh, sweet honey.

Her mouth opened to his kiss and his tongue slipped past her lips, entwining with hers as his hand wandered down to her breast. Her nipple instantly pebbled at his touch. He rubbed the pad of his thumb across it and she moaned in pleasure, bucking her hips up at him, sending fire racing through his body. Her fingers grasped his shoulders as she instinctively arched up toward him.

This enchantress tasted of all things sweet.

She tasted like heaven.

Don't forget to drop by Amy's website to find out about her other books or read more about Enemy Enchantress. You can also follow Amy on Twitter. 

Of course, don't forget to Buy Enemy Enchantress.

Why Skylar Kade's Glad She's Not Living "The Dream"

I first hosted today's guest Skylar Kade during last July's birthday bash. When I went back to see what Skylar had written then, I discovered this little tidbit (in answer to what she loved listening to):

Skylar: I love listening to ....Chris Young.


Leah here ... I'd not heard of Chris Young before, so I did a little Googling. What a niiiice looking man - I foresee a cowboy showing up in one of my stories soon...

Back to present day: Now at the time I added that note, I'd not started writing Texas Tangle; I didn't start writing TT until early September 2009, though I knew I'd wanted to do another story separate from the Hauberk series. And now I look at this picture, this is exactly how I picture Dillon right down to his black hat!

So, Skylar, thanks for blogging for me last year--without either of us realizing it, turns out you inspired Texas Tangle!

Welcome Back
Skylar Kade

My first novella, Maison Domine, is out in print today in the Binding Ties anthology by Samhain. I’ve been squeeing in joy for the past year, and groping my copies of the book for weeks, but its also made me examine my writerly life.

Writing is not my day job. By all accounts, this should not be a good thing; it is, after all, what I wish my career to be. I do not have hours on end to write, I don’t pop stories out in a handful of months, and I certainly don’t make enough from writing to live on. Thank God, because that means its still something I enjoy doing.

I’ve seen, all too often, people who have a passion—until it becomes their day job. I have no idea whether this would apply to me and my writing, but I’d rather not find out at this point. As it stands, writing is my escape from the day job; it’s the thing that propels me through the day. It is still my creative outlet, my de-stressor. And I have few obligations to it, which means that sometimes, it falls to the wayside. I’ll spend time with family, knit, crochet, or hell, just watch TV—and I love it just the way it is.

Knowing me, even if it becomes something I do full-time, I’ll be doing a mix of non-fiction freelance work (copywriting, anyone?) and various fiction projects. That is my dream, being surrounded by the written word in its various forms. I don’t want to drown in storytelling, but I do want to write.

So, to help me and any other bored-too-easily writers, here’s the beginning of my “Things I Can Do as a Writer That Give Me Money” list (catchy title, huh?). It encompasses many of the skills we have to learn as both writers and promoters of our works, and looking at the list, I think we sometimes underestimate just how many non-writing skills we acquire.

1.    commercial copywriting

2.    business social networking: facebook, twitter, etc

3.    blog about a non-writing passion

4.    work for a site like examiner, allvoices, or Suite101

5.    freelance articles for magazines and newspapers

6.    editorial work

7.    small-business newsletters

8.    teach creative writing at community college

9.    be a writing tutor—talk about a good hourly rate!

10.    mentor budding writers (unpaid, but fulfilling! And if they’re the next Nora, well, you helped to get them started)

Any other brilliant ideas? Please share!

Organic chemist Lara Brunner is at loose ends. Since childhood, her life has been focused on work and achieving success in her field. Only now, weeks away from her tenure review, she realizes she’s pushed herself too far. Casting about for a way to release her stress-crazed body from career tension, she visits a BDSM retreat, hoping a weekend of sexual submission will do the trick.

Inducting her into the lifestyle is her at-work nemesis—Jaxon Greene. But the sinful intent she encounters in Jaxon’s sexy eyes makes her heart race with desire…and fear. Gorgeous men like him don’t go for zaftig academics like her. Once the fantasy weekend is over and real life returns, he’ll forget all about her.

Jaxon is blindsided by his intense attraction to Lara. The more time he spends with her, the stronger their invisible bonds become. Bonds that are stronger and more permanent than any knot he can tie. He’s not normally into converting vanilla women to his lifestyle, but something makes him want to cast his inhibitions aside and claim her for his own.

First, though, he has to free her from preconceived notions of proper sex…and love.

Warning: This book contains bondage and whips and sexy professors—oh my!

Oh my, indeed!  MAISON DOMINE is available both in ebook or in print as part of the print anthology BINDING TIES from Samhain's My Bookstore and More, Amazon.com, and All Romance eBooks.  Leah here: For my international readers, or even for those of you in the US, don't forget you can also buy the print copy from the Book Depository (they don't charge shipping to over 90 countries no matter how small (or big) your order.)


Want to read more about Maison Domine first? Visit Skylar's website at www.skylarkade.com Or you can follow her on Twitter: @skylarkade

Dreaming about Ann Bruce

Today's guest blogger's bio could be mine. Except for the part about the snowboarding (I'm seriously unco-ordinated and would break a leg or an arm (or both) if I tried going down hill with a board strapped to my legs). And the PS3 controller. (yeah, not a game player unless it's something like Bejeweled) And I didn't have nine jobs before I turned twenty-five; I had...(whips off socks to count toes...seven jobs and three careers. But everything else about Ann is just like me (oh, and I SWEAR I'm Pinky from Pinky and the Brain! Narf!)

Meet 
Ann Bruce

Ann Bruce is the pseudonym for a self-professed computer geek who, in between snowboarding, reading comic books, and wearing out the buttons of her PS3 controller, writes because it's an acceptable means of explaining all the voices in her head.

You want more? Really? Well...

I have wanderlust; I called five countries on three continents home.

I switched majors five times in university...and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

I had nine jobs and four careers before I turned twenty-five.


I watch mainly cartoons because they have better storylines than sitcoms and reality shows. (Pinky and the Brain trumps American Idol any day!)

One day I want to be a full-time writer. Maybe. Still haven't decided. I hear it doesn't pay very well. Being a superhero, sans cape and tights and decoder ring, is still an option. (Pay sucks for superheroes, too, but I'd have cool toys!)

And I'm easily amused and dis-- Ooh, shiny!

 

...

After seeing a very vivid scene in my head, I began writing Dark Side of Dreaming. Completed and polished that first scene in less than an hour. Loved it. Loved the mood, the characters, the beginnings of the story. I put it away to work on another WIP because an editor asked for a full. I wrote a page, deleted a page and half, wrote a paragraph, deleted another page, then figuratively threw up my hands in frustration.

Thinking the words would flow once more, I went back to DSoD. It didn't. The story that was so sharp in my head weeks ago was now as clear as mud. However, I forced myself to write because I kept thinking I could edit a bad page. (Little did I know there are some bad pages that are beyond editing.) I wrote a paragraph, deleted it, wrote a few more paragraphs, read them to myself and wondered what the heck was I thinking? The plot was convoluted and made as much sense as Jim Morrison on acid; my characters were acting...well, out of character; and I was using a trope I didn't like.

Ugh!

I slept on it. Slept on it some more. Completed yet another WIP. Went back to DSoD. Finished it, was still uncertain about it, but submitted it to my editor anyway and begged for her feedback. Awesome person that she is, she liked it and accepted it. Yay! I completed DSoD...and it only took two years.

Morals of the story: When inspiration strikes, go with it; and never submit an unfinished work because an editor might request a full. Imagine that.

Dark Side of Dreaming is about a former cat burglar who discovers that coming out of retirement is not as easy as she thinks--especially when she finds herself at the mercy of a mark who wants something more than her professional expertise.

The Excerpt

She liked bondage as much as the next girl.

Cleo, however, didn't think her current bound state was a prelude to more enjoyable things.

She yanked on the rope that secured her hands together and tethered them to something above her head. There was some give as the cloth-covered rope stretched, but not nearly enough. Stubbornness being a trait of all Moran women, she tried again. And again. And again.

A small noise of frustration escaped her throat.

Despite the dull, throbbing pain in her head, she decided more leverage was needed and twisted on the bed and sat up. And noticed the man seated in the armchair in the far corner of the room. He was immersed in the shadows that swathed the room so she saw nothing but a menacing outline blacker than the surrounding darkness. His silent regard felt like a thick blanket suffocating her senses.

Fear made her mouth go dry and her skin prickle with heat and sweat.

It was a full minute before she found her voice, a little hoarser than usual, but she lifted her chin to compensate. "Did you enjoy the show?"

No response. Not even so much as a muscle twitch. Her chest noticeably rose and fell with each shortened breath.

"Are the police on their way?"

More silence, and the lump in her throat grew.

"I need that statue more than you need another dust collector." She was babbling, knew it and couldn't stop herself. "It needs to be returned to its rightful home."

The silence continued and agitation flickered through her, slicing past the fear.

"Look, I tried the legal route, but you flatly refused all of my offers. I had no other choice."

A whisper of cloth on leather. He'd moved. Finally. She was beginning to think he was a statue himself. Then he rose, an imposing shadow that made her very aware of the pulse thrumming in her throat. He came toward the bed, stopping at the foot, and moonlight, stark and chilly, spilled over him.

He'd never be labeled handsome, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. Formidable frame, dark hair, deep-set eyes, broad face with rough-hewn features that looked as if they'd been carved of the same stone as the statue. Unlike the statue, his face was mask-like with its lack of expression. It took a concerted effort to ignore the tiny voice that urged her to cower against the headboard.

"Cleo Moran."

The sound of her name spoken by that deep, cold voice sent a jolt through her. Of course he knew her name. His administrative assistant had passed on enough messages from her in the past three months. And the man was reputed to be a shark, so he would remember the name of the woman who'd tried repeatedly to buy a relic for several times more than its appraised value.

"If I wouldn't sell the statue to you, what makes you think I'd just let you steal it?"

Absurdly, she winced. Steal had such an ugly ring to it.

"You weren't supposed to have a say in the matter."

A corner of his mouth quirked up and she was amazed his face didn't crack. In fact, it sent a shiver of sensation snaking along her spine.

"I'm the one who should be angry, not you," he said, the ice in his voice thawing. He slid a hand inside the front pocket of his trousers and his regard changed, feeling almost like a touch.

Jittery, but from more than simple fear, she brought her hands up and pulled back the strands of chin-length hair that fell over her eyes and clung to her lips. "You weren't supposed to come back here tonight."

A dark slash of a brow lifted and, without a hint of pique, he drawled, "So, the enthusiasm in my date tonight was faked."

She cursed her babbling tongue. Well, she'd never encountered this situation before and there wasn't a For Dummies guide that covered it.

"Unfortunately for you, I need more than a pretty face and man-made assets to entice me." A degree of heat wrapped around his voice. "Then I come home and you waltz in."

She had trouble filling her lungs with oxygen. "What now?"

His eyes glittered darkly. "Since the woman you hired to distract me didn't do her job, why don't you?"

She licked suddenly dry lips. "I'd rather you call the police."

Copyright © 2010 by Ann Bruce. All rights reserved.

Want to know more about Ann Bruce's Dark Side of Dream or Ann's other stories? You can visit her website.

Bring the popcorn!

Barb Hicks from Bad Barb's Reviews has put up all three of my Texas Tangle videos on her blog -- head on over and leave a note telling her (and me) which is your favorite and why.

Honeymoon Tales

To give you a break from all the promo that's been going on -- Gizmo Guy sent me this joke and I thought I'd share it with you:

A mother had 3 virgin daughters. They were all getting married within a short time. Because Mom was a bit worried about how their sex life would get started, she made them all promise to send a postcard from the honeymoon with a few words on how marital sex felt.

The first girl sent a card from Hawaii two days after the wedding. The card said nothing but "Nescafe". Mom was puzzled at first, but then went to the kitchen and got out the Nescafe jar. It said: "Good till the last drop". Mom blushed but was pleased for her daughter.

The second girl sent the card from Vermont a week after the wedding and the card read: "Benson & Hedges". Mom now knew to go straight to her husband`s cigarettes and she read from the Benson & Hedges pack: "Extra Long King Size". She was again slightly embarrassed but still happy for her daughter.

The third girl left for her honeymoon in the Caribbean. Mom waited for a week, nothing. Another week went by and still nothing. Then after a whole month a card finally arrived. Written on it with shaky handwriting were the words "British Airways". Mom took out her latest Harper`s Bazaar magazine, flipped through the pages fearing the worst and finally found the ad for British Airways. The ad said: "Three times a day, seven days a week, both ways."

Mom fainted...

Claire Robyns: Betrayed

Thanks for having me here, Leah, I can’t believe how time has flown ~ the official Carina Press launch month has come and, well, I won’t say gone because those launch titles are still buzzing up the book-e-sphere, so maybe I could say come and stayed and extended into the second month.

Betrayed is my debut  book and I’m so excited I’m hopping on clouds right now. Harlequin is one of my favourite publishers, so for me it’s a special treat to have my first release come out with their digital love child, Carina Press.

Betrayed is a medieval Scottish romance set in the period just after the first King James I was released from English captivity. I particularly love plotting stories in this period, because all those wayward Scottish lairds had been without a king for many years and acquired a habit of doing exactly as they pleased without fear of consequence – as long as they had their men at their backs.

Two Feuding Families
Amber Jardin has no taste for the bitter feud started before her father’s banishment. But now that he’s passed, she’s had to return to Scotland and his barbaric people. After her bloodthirsty uncle kidnaps one of the family’s rivals, Amber is in turn captured by Krayne Johnstone, the enemy laird. Despite their enmity, their attraction is immediate—and unfortunate, as Amber has sworn to escape.

One Lusty Temptation
Krayne is amazed at the wildcat’s repeated attempts to flee. He should steel himself against her beguiling ways—yet with time, he is driven more witless with lust. When the ransom exchange fails and Krayne is left with Amber, he finds he cannot tolerate the thought of her with another man—and she cannot tolerate the thought of returning to her uncle’s home.

Will passion and love win out over mistrust and betrayal in time to prevent an all-out war?

Leah asked me some fabulous questions, so I guess it’s time to stop babbling and start paying attention :)
What's the most interesting/unusual thing you've done for the sake of research?

Not unusual, but certainly interesting: exploring medieval castles. I’ve dragged my family from one end of Scotland and Ireland to the other. I find those castles more delightful than the English ones, maybe because they are often mere peel tower shells and I can sit in the middle of the grassy ruin and let my imagination run wild. We also went to a medieval banquet hosted in one of those peel towers in Ireland, and it was almost like the real thing, served on platters and battered pewter mugs with minstrels plucking out their tunes in one corner.

With your latest release, did you have any specific inspiration? Did you do anything to help keep you in their world – music or a movie or something?

Betrayed first came to me as the title i.e. Betrayed. I’d been reading a lot of historical romance set in medieval Scotland and fancied writing one, so I knew where  and when Betrayed would be set. And that was all. From there on I had to trust in my imagination to build characters who would truly betray each other, not just pay a small tribute to the story name, but making sure they held the reader’s sympathy at the same time. What fun!

You know how stories come to some people in dreams? Well, no, unfortunately that’s never happened with me. But this is a ritual I go through with all books while I’m writing: when I get into bed at night, I close my eyes and place myself in the last scene I’ve been working on and sort of daydream about where it goes from there… a little like play acting the scene in my head. I usually pretend I’m the heroine, and I take it from there. Most times, the next block of the scene plays out for me before I fall asleep. This is a great way to get started writing the next day.

If your latest release were made into a movie, who would you cast as the hero and heroine?

Ooh, I’d have to choose Gerard Butler for my Scottish laird and I think Kate Winslet would do my English lady proud.

What is something unusual that you do or have done that people normally don't know or would be surprised to know about you?

This would have to be the dream-play-acting I do in bed each night. I’ve never told anyone about this, not even my husband. I mean, I’m a Pisces, so dreaming is expected of me, but this might be a bit too much for him to handle.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do just to kick back and relax?

I read as much as I can. I read even when I should be writing. At this rate, I’m never going to build up my own backlist!

I also love to play the piano, especially when I’m wired up: this relaxes me and takes me right out of the world around me. Unfortunately, I don’t play all that well, so I’m sure it has the opposite effect on those poor souls that live with me :)

Which would you rather meet – an alien or a ghost?

An alien. Preferably one that didn’t look like a cockroach and having multi-lingual antennae would be also be a bonus. I’m one of those people who just can’t believe we’re all alone in this universe. Somewhere out there…

(Leah here -- hey, I'm with you, after all I've seen a UFO...)

And now, a little more about Betrayed…

Krayne Johnstone became laird of Wamphray at the age of 12. He’s a man shaped by the harsh land. His heart is for pumping blood to his sword arm and nothing else. Before he could even start to fall in love with Amber, I had to teach the poor man what love is. But he is honourable and noble, and he has excellent reasons for distrusting scheming women.

Amber Jardin has led a pampered life in England and is totally unprepared for the barbaric realities of Scotland. But she’s not one to simper and bemoan her fate. She’s determined to shape her future and use whatever means on hand to do it. In this case, it’s her body. Amber is not perfect, far from it, but then I’ve never liked my heroines flawless. I don’t necessarily approve of everything she does, but I admire her courage and determination.

Here’s a small snippet that, I think, defines the characters of the hero and heroine, and how they interact with each other in this story. These two have such different views on life (and a woman’s place) and they were never going to have an easy ride…

   Her gaze slid down the length of this mighty warrior, missing no detail along the way, and she had to take a step back for fear of punching that expression from his face. “You will stand there, all muscle and brawn, and attack my only means of defence?”

   Krayne growled at the argument, refusing to admit she made a valid point. “God himself surely had a reason for blessing man with strength and ours is not ta question.”

   Her hands settled on the flare of her hips as a spark lit her eyes. “And God surely had a reason for giving women pretty curves and the intellect to use them.”

You can read a longer excerpt at http://www.clairerobyns.com/Betrayed.html
Betrayed is available from Carina Press on 5 July 2010.

Well, it’s been fun, but I guess it’s time to hand back Leah’s blog. Thanks for having me here.

You can connect with Claire Robyns on
Website: http://www.clairerobyns.com/
Blog: http://www.clairerobyns.blogspot.com/

Winner of Cari Quinn's contest

Joder

Joder, please send an email with your choice of Cari's backlist (yes, Ex Appeal is included in that list) to contest @ leahbraemel.com (remove the spaces)

Legal stuff: you have seven days to claim your prize or a new winner will be chosen.

There were 12 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Joder
2. Val
3. Shelley Munro
4. Helen Hardt
5. Armenia
6. Mary (Bookhounds)
7. Amy S
8. Fedora
9. Lynne Roberts
10. Cathy M
11. MamaKitty
12. Sparklybearsy

Timestamp: 2010-07-02 10:57:44 UTC