#ThrowbackThursday A Quinceanera!

In Latin tradition, girls are given a quinceanera, or Sweet 15, in order to celebrate their passage from girl to woman.

We had a quinceanera for my daughter with our family and close friends as well as a number of her friends. It was a lovely time and I think everyone had a blast!

Part of the tradition is that the women of the family, mom, aunts, grandmother and godmother, each present the young woman with a gift that symbolizes the passage. Things like earrings, bracelets, rings and other items that a woman would wear.

Here are some photos of my daughter, her godmother (my sister), her aunt, her grandmother and me doing that rite of passage.

Here is a photo of my daughter, hubby and me. If you believe in such things, you will notice the orbs that were present in this photo and many of the others. One friend who attended and is a sensitive said the place was haunted. It could be. We had the celebration in an old inn that has been around since 1843.
Mom, Sam & Dad

#TeaserTuesday – Sneak Peek at Desire Calls a Vampire Romance Novella

Today I’m offering up a sneak peek at Desire Calls, one of the novellas in The Calling is Reborn Vampire Novels. This novella features Stacia and Blake, two characters that you meet in the earlier books in the series. I love these two characters because they are so over the top! I’m also glad I was able to finally give them their happily-ever-afters. Enjoy the sneak peek! You can purchase the full novella for only 99 cents for a limited time or get it for free in The Calling is Reborn Box Set Volume 1 for only 2.99!


Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Gyu96j
Apple Books: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1451916740
B&N: http://bit.ly/2TJNKnQ
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/desire-calls
Playster: http://bit.ly/2TzBnLi
Scribd: http://bit.ly/2TJPFsV

The Calling is Reborn Volume 1
Contains Darkness Calls, Danger Calls, Temptation Calls and a free bonus novella Desire Calls
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EaYkPm
Apple Books: Coming Soon!
B&N: http://bit.ly/2N8Jxrj
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2N5T1nq
Playster: http://bit.ly/2N75EyC
Scribd: http://bit.ly/2N7FTOC

Teaser

Welsh vampire Blake has given up on any chance of love.

From the moment Blake Richards runs into sexy college coed Meghan Thomas, he imagines that it’s possible for him to actually fall in love once again. But when he loses control during their lovemaking, he has to decide between letting Meghan die or turning her. Blake turns her earning her eternal hatred and losing his chance for love. Until he runs into vampire elder Stacia and her power and humanity call to him in unexpected ways and make him believe that love just might be possible with the beautiful immortal.

Vampire elder Stacia hasn’t felt the pull of love in centuries.

Hidden from humans and feared by her own kind due to her immense age and powers, Stacia has few friends and even fewer lovers. The other elders urge her to give up on eternal love, but something inside Stacia says that if she does she will lose the very last bit of the humanity in her heart. But after a chance encounter with Blake, his spirit and strength intrigue her and she imagines that finally she may have found the man worthy enough to be her eternal companion.

Excerpt

This excerpt is for Mature Audiences only due to sexual and graphic contest

Chapter 1

The piazza always provided a fine selection for dining, Stacia thought as she sat on the railing along the edge of the Bernini fountain in Rome’s Piazza Navona. She gazed at the choices available in various spots around the square. French. German. Italian, of course.

Her stomach rumbled with hunger. It had been a day since she had eaten. Placing a hand over her belly, she rose and sashayed toward her first pick, but as she neared the Frenchman, she realized he was beyond lubricated. The stench of cheap wine clung to his shirt and oozed from his pores.

Shaking her head, she thought of the oft-repeated adage all those television chefs used — If it’s not good enough to drink, it’s not good enough for cooking — or in her case, for eating. That cheap stuff just left a bad aftertaste in your mouth along with a wickedly nasty buzz.

She preferred something cleaner on her palate tonight.

Which definitely had her bypassing the Aryan god she had noticed just a short distance away from the Frenchman. Germans were always a trifle heavy in her belly, although the broad set of his shoulders and well-muscled chest made her reconsider. She loved her men big and strong and so she lingered by the front of the outdoor cafe where he was seated. Even made eye contact with him for a moment.

Amazing crystal blue eyes, twinkling with interest. That much was clear.

Stacia smiled back, thinking that maybe he might be worth a nibble. Maybe they might actually even click, finally providing her with true pleasure after nearly two thousand years of undead life.

Mr. Tall, Blonde and Brawny rose from his chair, seemingly intent on making a move in her direction, but suddenly an equally tall, blonde and muscled woman joined him. Seeing that his attention was on Stacia, his companion began a harangue loud enough to make heads turn. The man plopped down into his chair like a dog with its tail tucked between his legs.

No spirit. That was so not good, Stacia thought and moved onward, still in search of something to satisfy her hunger.

She needed a man who could not only take a lickin’, but gave as good as he got. And not just when he was in a fight. It had been a good long while since any man had really satisfied her in bed, one of the downsides of having lived so long. Of being a vampire elder.

Even her own kind avoided her at times, aware that with her age came vast power, but also vast hunger. For blood. For sex. For control over lesser vamps. She didn’t want to admit that in her case, she still hungered for love. For real passion and desire.

Things she hadn’t felt in way too long.

Some of the other elders might say that she was foolish to yearn for such things. That she should let go of the last little bit of humanity within her that prompted such desires. Then and only then could she truly relish the immense vampire power that her age provided.

Stubbornly, though, Stacia refused to relinquish that last trace of humanity. Of want for something more than an eternal existence filled with only . . .

A fine looking American caught her eye as he laughed at the antics of his rowdy friends in front of one bar. He was as big and blonde as the whipped Aryan she had bypassed earlier, but as his gaze met hers, she saw steel there. Luscious grey eyes were framed by a sheath of shaggy sunbleached hair.

Stacia circled Mr. Surfer Dude, making eye contact and clearly letting the young man know that this might just be his lucky night.

It worked without her even using a bit of her vampire power. A flirtatious smile and her feminine wiles had been enough.

He approached, leaned down from his greater height and in awfully accented Italian, asked, “Parla Inglese?”

“Do we need to talk?” she said with a sexy wink and inclined her head in the direction of a nearby alley.

The young man smiled broadly and after a quick glance back at his friends, who hooted and carried on at his “score”, he took hold of her hand and followed her.

Stacia led him farther and farther back into the narrow alley, although not so far that he would think anything was amiss. Just far enough that he would think a strong shout could still be heard out in the piazza. Not that she would give him the opportunity to call out.

Toward the middle of the alley, the night closed in around them, with only the dimmest light from the full moon above. Clothed in darkness, the young man surprised her by becoming the aggressor, grabbing her forcefully and pinning her to the jagged brick wall.

“Like it rough, do you?” she said, but he didn’t answer since with quick hands he had already undone the laces on her leather vest and was gazing down at her breasts as they spilled free.

When he bent to suck at them, she moaned, thinking that he was exceptionally gifted with his mouth. Between her legs, the throb of human desire rose up, aching for fulfillment.

She quickly undid his jeans, reached past the loose folds of denim to the boxer shorts below.

How she loved this new fashion that made it so easy to free him. To stroke the rather magnificent length of him.

He bit down on one nipple as she caressed him, dragging a gasp from her.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, although he was already lifting the almost non-existent hem of her black leather miniskirt to cup her bare buttocks and urge her upward.

With a surge, she jumped up and wrapped her legs around him. Drove down, crying out as the long thick length of him penetrated her. He was deliciously big, much like the rest of him.

His own groan was from the gut as she leaned back against the brick wall and he pounded into her, all finesse forgotten as he strove for release. As he looked down and watched the play of his hips against hers, as if fascinated by that sight. His blonde curls brushing the naked skin between her legs.

Stacia considered the emotions flitting across his face. Passion rose, dilating his eyes into shards of slate grey. Almost charcoal grey she realized as he met her gaze before dipping his head down again to suck on her breasts.

Inside her, heat built. Desire awakened the demon that hungered for so much. She threw her head back, allowed the beast to emerge so that it could experience it all. The dark of the night, enveloping them in its secrecy. The strength of his youth, bringing her closer and closer to completion. The musky smells of their lovemaking, pushing her over the edge.

She called out her physical completion and laid her face against his. Bent her head and kissed the crook of his neck. His skin was damp. Salty. His blood surged, singing through his veins as his heart beat quickened while he strove for his completion.

Sweet, sweet blood. Pulsing beneath her lips.

In a heartbeat, she loosed the beast, her fangs bursting forth and piercing the fragile skin of his neck.

He called out then in a strangled cry laced with pain, but also with the acknowledgement of passion like no other he had ever experienced — the passion borne from a vampire’s kiss.

Blood spilled onto her lips from her fangs as she drank, experiencing the surge of strength and lust that came from feeding. From his sweet, young blood bringing the rush of life to her undead body.

He tasted like the ocean and sun. Salty. So tasty that Stacia could have kept on going until she drained him dry, only he had done well by her tonight, satisfying one hunger while leaving another unfulfilled.

The young man’s knees weakened from the loss of blood and Stacia hopped off him. With her greater vampire strength, she gently eased him to the uneven pavement of the alley.

He was rather handsome, she thought, gazing down at him as he stared up at her, disoriented. The bite mark at his neck was already healing and come the morning, he would remember nothing. Feel no worse off than if he had a bad hangover.

And she would feel . . .

Still alone, she thought, hurrying from the alley as if by doing so, she could escape the bleakness of her existence.

Once out in the piazza, she realized that it was time to move on. She would not find satisfaction here.

New York would be good this time of year, it occurred to her as she strolled through the square. Lots of fine dining there and the wanna-bes at the Blood Bank were always good for a laugh.

Imagine, wanting to be human again, she thought. What good was that? she asked herself, ignoring the little voice in her head which reminded that with all that humanity came . . .

Love.

#ManCandyMonday – Jonathan Pierce from WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER

When you plot out a series, you have to think about who will be the heroes and heroines in subsequent books. I always knew that #2 in the At the Shore Series, WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER, would feature rebellious younger brother Jonathan. What I didn’t expect is how much I fell in love with Jon in #1 ONE SUMMER NIGHT. As he came alive on the page I realized he was a tortured soul that needed love so badly because he had already lost it twice. First when his mother abandoned him as a child and then when Connie pushed him away after their summer fling. Not to mention that for all his rebelliousness all Jon ever wanted with a place he could call home surrounded by family and the friends to whom he is loyal. That’s why I love Jon and I hope you will too. When I saw this model, I knew he was just how I pictured Jon to look, right down to that sexy grin! So what do you think about today’s Man Candy?

Jonathan Pierce What Happens in Summer

You can purchase WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER at the following locations:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2y6hi4h
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2y92UIQ
B&N: http://bit.ly/2BJNcov
B&N Paperback: http://bit.ly/2sHmY3l
Google: http://bit.ly/2hKg3BW
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2HlVlly
iBooks: http://apple.co/2hKgP1J
Kobo: bit.ly/koboWHS
Audible: https://amzn.to/2M2ZWfY

Also, don’t miss out on the special pricing for ONE SUMMER NIGHT! It’s just 99 cents for a limited time!

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2ik8EfG
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qsqdwx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fuEphL
Audible: https://amzn.to/2l2D0S2
Radish: Read three chapters for free – http://bit.ly/2AERQFk

#WisdomWednesday – You can’t buy happiness . . .

You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream and books and that’s the same thing! LOL! Today’s thought was inspired by this amazing photo my daughter took at the Museum of Ice Cream and my fav dessert: ice cream! There’s even a scene in WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER where Connie and Jonathan go get some ice cream at their fav place and then go for a walk along the boardwalk. My fav ice cream place is Day’s in Ocean Grove. I’m so bummed I missed the season opening on Mother’s Day, but you can bet I’ll be there over Memorial Day weekend to get some ice cream. Plus I’ll have a load of books for my summer reads on the beach. Have a great Wednesday!
ice cream and books, perfect together

#TuesdayTip – Why Should You Consider the Traditional Publishing Route Today?

There are a lot of people who don’t think taking the traditional publishing route today makes sense. I’m not one of those people. Ever since my first experience in publishing when the line I was writing for was closed down, I’ve always thought it makes sense not to have all your eggs in one basket. For that reason when it became possible for me to try more than traditional publishing, I did, but I also kept my foot in the door in the traditional area because the market is too volatile to turn down opportunities of any kind.

In addition, who doesn’t want to get paid in advance and have the assistance of experienced editors, cover artists, formatters and publicists to help you produce your work? I, for one, love working with seasoned veterans who bring out the best in my writing. I also want to spend more time writing and not running a business, especially since I still work full time and my free time is limited.

So how do you get together with a traditional publisher considering many of them won’t talk to someone without an agent? Going to a conference where agents and editors take pitches is one way. Putting on my President’s hat, the upcoming Liberty States Fiction Writers conference has over a dozen agents and editors who will take pitches for various genres. Taking off that hat, the national RWA conference is also a great place.

But like I said, not all the eggs in one basket which is why I’ll be doing a workshop at Liberty States about box sets and also joining some friends to offer a similar workshop at the National RWA Conference.

And speaking of eggs and baskets, I’m trying something new with some fabulous writers – a story bundle! Here is the info on it and I hope you’ll take a moment to try it out.

A Little More About the Bundle

The initial titles in the Sorcery and Steam Bundle (minimum $5 to purchase) are:

  • Alchemy and Steam by Fiction River
  • Familiarity by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
  • Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger
  • Blood and Magic by Ann Gimpel

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $15, you get all four of the regular titles, plus SIX more!

  • Specters in the Storm by Pauline Baird Jones
  • Rare Stakes by Michelle Fox
  • Valkyrie’s Vengeance & Hunger Moon – Ragnarok: Doom of the Gods 1-2 by Melissa Snark
  • Ghosted – Nikki Ashburne – Book 1 by Dayle A. Dermatis
  • Alys of Asgard by Catherine Banks
  • For Love or Vengeance by Caridad Pineiro

This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub, .mobi and .pdf) for all books!

It’s also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

  • Get quality reads: We’ve chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
  • Pay what you want (minimum $5): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth. If you can only spare a little, that’s fine! You’ll still get access to a batch of exceptional titles.
  • Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there’s nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
  • Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to AbleGamers!
  • Receive extra books: If you beat the bonus price, you’ll get the bonus books!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, tweet us at @storybundle and like us on Facebook.

#ThriftyThursday #3 At the Shore with Carlo and Emma

What Happens in Summer Contemporary RomanceBusy working on finishing #3 in the At the Shore series. This story picks up right after the end of #2 WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER and is the story of epic wedding planner Emma Grant and sexy caterer Carlo da Costa. I’m having a fun time showing Sea Kiss in the winter months, but also how Carlo wins over a very stubborn Emma who refused to believe that it’s possible for her to have a happily ever after. You’ll get to see more of Maggie and Connie from the earlier books and also more of Tracy and Carlo’s brothers.

If you haven’t read the first one, here’s your chance to do so at a very special price: 99 cents! So don’t miss the special pricing on ONE SUMMER NIGHT and if you’d like, read the first three chapters for free at Radish!

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2ik8EfG
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qsqdwx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fuEphL
Radish: Read three chapters for free – http://bit.ly/2AERQFk

WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER is now available for pre-order at the following retailers:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2y6hi4h
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2y92UIQ
B&N: http://bit.ly/2BJNcov
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2hKg3BW
iBooks: http://apple.co/2hKgP1J
Kobo: Coming Soon!

#ThriftyThursday Fight Back Winter with a little bit of summer!

OMG I HATE THE WINTER! Yes, I am screaming! I am so not a fan of the cold and the wet. It makes so many of the things I love so hard to do, like walking to work or taking a stroll along the boardwalk. That’s why I’m counting down the days until spring. If you feel the same way, how about fighting back winter with a little of summer! ONE SUMMER NIGHT is only 99 cents and WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER will be out in June, just a few months away!

So don’t miss the special pricing on ONE SUMMER NIGHT and if you’d like, read the first three chapters for free at Radish!

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2ik8EfG
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qsqdwx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fuEphL
Radish: Read three chapters for free – http://bit.ly/2AERQFk

WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER is now available for pre-order at the following retailers:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2y6hi4h
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2y92UIQ
B&N: http://bit.ly/2BJNcov
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2hKg3BW
iBooks: http://apple.co/2hKgP1J
Kobo: Coming Soon!