Exciting News

I have so many projects in the fire, that I've neglected many things along the way. Unfortunately, one of them was my blog. I want to tell you all about what I've been doing.

First of all,I sold ten books at one time and have been hard at work on those. I've also had my first pirate trilogy, called PIRATE'S BOOTY come out in print. The book looks fantastic. They used the cover shot from my first book in the series, called THE VIRGIN PIRATE and it's beautiful and sexy Besides THE VIRGIN PIRATE, HER PIRATE LOVER, AND THE PIRATE BRIDE are also in the trilogy. The books are available at ResplendencePublishing.com, ARe publishing and at Amazon.com and best of all, if your budget can't swing the print book, they're still available in e-books. So read your heart out.

Now as for what I've been working on. I'm revisiting the Pirate Booty Series, by adding three more books. The first one is already out, called THE BLACK PIRATE a tale based on some fact. Under Benjamin Franklin's orders, Caleb Howard is in charge of several ships who sail to Ireland to capture as many British ships and prisoners as possible so they can trade for American prisoners, one of them is Caleb's brother. Along the way they rescue a shipwrecked Irish lass and her wild wolf dog, who join the American pirates.

The second book in the series is finished and going through edits. It's called THE PIRATE PRINCE, definitely a departure from my normal pirate stories. This one is set in the Indian Ocean and involves a Mogul Prince from India and a Persian Princess who sails to India as the bride of his brother, who has poisoned their father and stolen the fabulous Peacock Throne. Again, this is loosely based on facts. Lots of intrigue, excitement and sex.

The next book in the series is the one I'm working on now. It's called A PIRATE'S KISS about a buccaneer who has papers from the English government to infiltrate the pirates plaguing England's shipping lanes, especially Captain Kidd. He finds himself with a missionary on his hands, a woman on her way to India to join her father in his mission. She seems to spend every waking hour on her knees. He can think of better things for her to do on her knees than pray, but tries to respect her calling until he realizes how beautiful and desirable she truly is.

After I finish the last pirate story in this series, I'll be working on the third in the Dark Paradise series, a vampire trilogy about vampire hunters who must fight their attractions for vampires. The first two, DARK PARADISE and DARK SECRETS tell of the Stanislaus brothers and their attempt to capture wily vampires, one in Michigan, the other in Ireland and the beautiful women who claim their very souls. This third book, DARK SURRENDER is about their younger sister, MARISKA who is only a 100 year old virgin who's about to learn about wicked, handsome Vampires.

After these books, I'll be doing a trilogy called A SEASON OF WITCHES and another Scottish trilogy called SCOTTISH LOVE SONGS. By the way, my last Scottish trilogy, FROM THE SEA will be out in print soon. So there you are. You know what I'm doing a lot of and loving every minute of it. Happy Reading to you all.

THE BROODING HERO

When someone says, brooding hero, I immediately think of Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre or Heathcliff and I remember the vicarious thrill I got in first meeting such difficult characters and how happy when the heroine is able to tame his savage heart. I've always loved a good brooding hero. That's why in borth of my recent books from Resplendence Publishing, HER PIRATE LOVER and DARK PARADISE, I've used the brooding hero. They just worked perfectly. And in each book I tempered their brooding quality with a touch of humor or with a heroine so sweet and appealing even my brooding hero couldn't resist. I think a brooding hero brings out such a knee jerk reaction on our part (our being every red blooded romantic woman) to change them and bring them to the light. My heroines do just that, but not in a calculating, manipulative way. In HER PIRATE LOVER, Hawke's dark soul is intent on revenge and he means to use the beautiful, virginal Abella as his means, but Abella's purity and her generous open heart capture him and show him what love is all about. Abella changes Hawke so his love for her is stronger than his need for revenge, but will have to give her up, after all? DARK PARADISE's Romanian Vampire Hunter, Matthew Stanislaus is another brooding hero. The very nature of his quest leaves him longing for a simpler more normal life which he believe has slipped beyond his grasp. And the woman who might be able to save him is coping with her own destiny as she slowly turns to one of the undead. I used humor to soften the grim darkness of this story and Had a wonderful time writing it. Matthew and Molly went along with my approach and in the end found solutions for both their problems. I don't think either book would have been as touching if I hadn't used a brooding hero. I wouldn't like ever book I write to have such an intense character, but for these two books, they worked.

October Whee

Hi everyone. Welcome to my blog. I try to get on here once in a while and post my thoughts about this and that. Six years ago I wrote a paranormal, a vampire book. I'd said for years I'd never write one. How could they be romantic and sexy. Every time I thought of a vampire lover, I thought of Gary Oldman, who is a fantastic actor but just not sexy in my book and the thought of his skinny chest was a real turnoff. Even the vampire movie starring not only Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderos turned me off on vampire lovers. They ate rats!! Enough said. Well, Antonio didn't and maybe that's why he's held a special place in my fantasies.

Anyway, I got around the problem of a vampire hero by making my heroine the vampire. Women can do anything in my book, so I made this poor innocent, bored thirtyish librarian meet up with Vasilek the evil, get bitten by the aforementioned monster and saved by a sexy as sin Hungarian vampire hunter who makes her mouth water. It was fun to write and now I'm working on a sequel with one of the characters in DARK SHADOWS. Nope, no hero vampires in this one either, just a taciturn, determined vampire hunter who runs into a sexy, playful Cat and learns, all work and no play is not good for the soul or anything else!

Now for some soulful thoughts. I ran into this note I'd written some years ago and decided it's still pertinent today.
Are we as individuals really unique, original or are we copy cats of what's gone before?To be or not to be. Hey, if Shakespere used it, why can't i? It was probably a common saying back then and he just pilfered it!
If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, etc. etc. Can we honestly under stand ourselves-better yet- I suggest this gleefully-can we understand who and what we are before we hit our forties? I remember my thirties as a time when I wanted to achieve, wanted to know there was more to me than the sum total of kitchen stove, washing machine and marriage bed, the instruments of my greatest triumphs, thus far. That was back when I fell into bed to tired to think of any fun things to do there. We are born, said I, in full dramatic cry, in the isolation of our suburban ranchers when we let go of those unknowning young women we had been and become someone new-someone who finds the courage to take pen and paper and write down what great things we think we've learned. Our new egos engage and we dare to believe what we think is worthy of other people's notice. Somewhere we stop looking at what other people are doing and thinking because we've become too busy doing and thinking and acting on new goals. Daring kicks in and we go forward unafraid, impatient with ourselves for the time we've wasted in getting here. Yet it was all part of the process. And you know what I'm liking what that whole process kicked out. I'm awesome! I'll bet you are too!

October is a Happy Month

Hi Everyone.
I can hardly believe September is nearly over and October with all its color and excitement is right around the corner. October is doubly exciting for me. I have not one but two books coming out.

The first is the sexy, beautiful love story, HER PIRATE LOVER, the second in my Pirate Booty series. I love this story, because it has a pirate captain, Black Hawke, who plans to use the innocent, virginal and very beautiful Frenchwoman, Abella Roche as a pawn in his scheme for revenge, but Abella, who is brave enough to throw aside her very life for a few weeks of happiness in the arms of a pirate, teaches him that love is stronger than revenge. Check out the sexy cover for HER PIRATE LOVER.

The second book for October is a funny paranormal about a small town librarian, Molly Prescott, who's bitten by a vampire, and Matthew Stanislaus, a Rumanian Vampire Slayer who tries to save her, but knows in the end he may have to kill her. Together they try to fight off vampires who want to kill Molly and harvest her DNA, and members of a Holy Order sworn to eradicate Vampires from the earth, all this without falling in love, but it's too late. Check out the cover for this one. What run!

If you Dare!

Okay, Everybody, Here's an excerpt from my new book, DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS. Hope you enjoy!
A pounding at the door startled her. Slowly, she rose from her desk chair, flicked off the light and slid out into the hall to peer around a wall of the reception area. Beyond the windows, the streets were dark with an oily sheen cast by streetlights on wet pavement. A light rain had started to fall. A man stood outside on the sidewalk. He looked tough, mean even. Probably a cop.

He saw her and motioned her to open up. She played dumb, shaking her head to indicate she wasn’t open. He persisted. She knew the kind. He’d never go away unless he got what he wanted. But what the hell could he want from her? She bit her lip, hesitating, then decided.

“We’re closed. It's after office hours,” she said, opening the door an inch. Now she could see him better and absently noted a scar that cut across his lower lip and down his chin. Still, he was attractive, tall and dark, his face rugged. The shoulders of his cheap suit were filled nicely and she bet his trousers were filled just as nicely.

He waited silently while she made her perusal.

“See anything you like?” he asked, grinning. He stepped closer, the movement raw and challenging in its power ploy.

“I told you we’re closed.”

“I’m not looking to buy your services, Billie,” he said, but his gaze said otherwise. He was in the market all right for what she wasn’t selling. He stuck the toe of a black loafer in the door. She braced her small frame to keep him from any further intrusion. Her short skirt slid up revealing a good portion of thigh and he leered.

“What do you want?” she demanded, scowling. “And how do you know my name?”

“I do my homework. I just want to talk,” he said, tearing his gaze away from her anatomy. His dark gaze caught hers, bold and challenging and totally unyielding.

“What about?” she asked, trying to sound as tough as he looked.

“Let me in and I’ll explain. Here.” He held up a badge. “I’m a cop.” His expression was implacable.

“Is this the way cops question honest citizens?” she demanded without yielding one inch.

“If we have to. Open up.”

“Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin,” she quipped. He shoved, hard and fast, catching her unawares so she flew backward and sprawled on the floor. Her skirt flew up, the hem nesting in her crotch.

“Nice view,” he commented.

“You son of a bitch,” she raged, jumping to her feet and extracting a tiny stiletto she kept hidden in the top of her stockings. She flew at him, the weapon raised, ready to cut out his black heart.

He sidestepped her onrush, took hold of her wrist and twisted so the stiletto fell from her nerveless fingers and she was caught in his iron grip, her back against the solid wall of his chest, her derriere nestled against his crotch. She felt his cock harden and push against her and she struggled, but he held fast.

“If you really are a cop, I’ll call your superior and have you on suspension so fast, you won’t be able to snap your shorts,” she threatened. “What’s your name and badge number?”

“I’m asking the questions here. Tell me your full name.”

“Bastard, if you don’t know who I am, why did you attack me? What do you want with me? Let go.”

“Not until I’m sure you don’t have some other little surprise hidden in your stockings, Billie.” He jerked her around so now she faced him, although she was still pressed as tightly to his hard body as before and this time, she felt his arousal grind against her belly. His hands surged over her body thoroughly and completely, searching for additional weapons. He grinned. He was liking this.

“You want to do a cavity search too?” she snapped.

“I’m willing, if you are.” His dark eyes held humorous lights.

“You bastard cop,” she cried, outraged. “I’ll kill you if you try to touch me again.”

“Like you killed Pepe Cosimero?”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” she said, growing still for a moment. She had an inkling. He stepped back from her, pushing his dark hair off his forehead.

“I think you do,” he said quietly. “I need some answers, Billie, and I need them now.”

“Go to hell,” she cried and broke away from him, running back toward her office. Darkness had fallen over the city and the lower level of her building lay in shadows. He was right behind her; she could hear the thud of his shoes against the floor. His hand closed over her shoulder in a cruel grip that made her cry out with pain.

He threw her backward. She collided with the wall hard enough to jolt the breath from her body. For a moment she leaned, struggling to draw in air, then he was on her, his hands hard as they gripped her arms and pinned them against the wall above her head. He let the solid weight of his body trap her so she couldn’t struggle against him. She felt the heat and tensile strength of his body. Her breasts flattened against his chest, his pelvis ground against her, his arousal was complete now, hard and turgid against her mound.

She felt a betraying surge of desire and screamed her frustration. She’d never given in willingly to rape and she wouldn’t now. She’d killed the last man who tried. She’d kill this one. She bucked against him, but he rode her back against the wall and in that moment, something changed in the way he held her and the way she responded to him. She sensed it and shook her head wildly against the changing emotions. Though he still held her tightly, his clasp no longer hurt her.

His hands were large so one was all that was needed to hold her wrists above her head. He was leaning into her, breathing hard, his dark gaze studying her face. Their breath intermingled, their gazes caught and held. He moved against her slightly, the motion less punitive, more seductive. His gaze still holding hers, he slowly lowered his free hand and ran it over the curve of her breast.

In their struggle her jacket had come undone and the only thing between his flesh and hers was a thin silk camisole. The full roundness of her breast rested in his palm as if it had come home. She felt her nipple harden, felt the answering tingle between her legs. Her thighs twitched to part. Time stood still, went backward to some more fundamental evolution where all that mattered was a man and a woman wanting each other.