Flourishing Through Adversity

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Let me start by saying this is not a short post. If you’re looking for short and fun, this ain’t it. I’m on a little bit of a rant but I’m also trying to reassure friends and readers who are finding it difficult to navigate the tidal wave of waters from the current administration of this country. I know I’ve said before that I wouldn’t get all political here, but sometimes I just have to. Especially since this morning the stress got to be too much for hubs and he blew up in such an out of control way, I had to yell at him, which I never do. And of course, it terrified all the babies and one peed on the floor.  I just have no words sometimes. Other times, I have to channel it into an almost rant. So here I go.

For those who wear Trump colored glasses (yes, I made those!) what I have to say today may not seem true nor resonate with you. That’s okay. You all can just pass on by since this post isn’t really for you. If you believe in alternative facts just keep going and don’t bother to read this or comment. I will, without malice, delete any pro-Trump/anti-what I’m saying comments unread. This isn’t the forum for those. There is enough negativity in this world and I’m not going to willingly subject myself to any more of it despite the fact that today’s post is indisputably political in nature which tends to draw out all the people who think differently than I do.

Just be aware that I bear you no ill will for being a Trump supporter. If you are one, that’s fine. Just don’t come to my blog or my Facebook feed and post your alternative facts in my space. I will unfriend you. I will block you. I will delete your Facebook posts and I will delete comments here if I have to. In return, I promise not to come to your space and post any proven facts or tell you that I think the POTUS is an irresponsible bully surrounded by people who will lie to support him (ie Kellyanne Conway, Sean Spicer) and people who got close to him in order to increase their own power base and agenda (Steve Bannon, Rex Tillerson.) You stay over there and I’ll stay over here, and we can get together when the subject is something we’re not polar opposites on. We’ll get along just fine this way. Respect my space and I’ll respect yours.

That being said, some of us feel as if we are living in a time of great adversity. We feel as if we were cheated during the election because our popular vote meant nothing for the second time that I can recall in my lifetime (Al Gore being the other one.) We believe the president (not going to capitalize it when he can’t even behave like one) is going to ruin our country, that he’s only there for the rich people, that the poor like myself are only going to suffer more under his leadership. We’re horrified by the way he uses social media to attack not only our allies (Australia) but our own federal judges (“so called” judges.) And we’re afraid of his ties to Putin, his closeness with Breitbart’s Bannon, the way he’s provoking Iran, needling the Israelis, banning Muslims and pretty much making the rest of the world community take a step back from us. He’s allowed Bannon to basically tell the world that the media needs to be shut up, restrained. His administration has been caught in numerous lies in the first three weeks and instead of apologizing for it they try to skew minds and reality by calling the lies alternative facts. That right there is where I personally took a step back.

When the government tries to get rid of or muzzle the media, when they spout lies that are proven to be untruths, and when they straight up push those lies on the people of this country, trying to make them believe that the truth is not the truth…that’s not a democracy. That’s Nazi Germany, Orwell’s 1984 and Nixon during Watergate. Which is why so many thousands of people have taken to the streets, something that has given me a spark of hope.

Let’s go to Dictionary.com for a moment and I’ll get back to the protests in a minute.

Fact [fakt]
noun
1.  something that actually exists; reality; truth:

2. something known to exist or to have happened:

3. a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true:

Yeah. No room for “alternative” facts there.  What the administration is saying may be alternative, but in no way are they facts. In actuality, they’re about as factual as the Bowling Green Massacre that Kellyanne Conway made up. And this is the pap that this administration is feeding us and insisting we eat. It’s no wonder we’re all nauseous.

Anyway, this adversity we live with daily, the fear that the global community will turn their backs on us because our POTUS is a bully and an authoritarian, the fear that he’ll let the apocalyptic Bannon, sitting on the National Security Council, talk him into eradicating radical Islamic terrorism by pushing the nuclear button, these are real fears that people live with daily now in this Trump ruled country. So how do we go about our daily lives now while living with very real fears?

Unfortunately, having lived the past year homeless, with fear a constant, daily companion, I’ve learned a thing or two. I can tell you unequivocally that yes, you can do it. No, it’s not optimal, but it’s doable. First and foremost, you need to take care of yourself. Even someone as poor as me finds small ways to take care of myself whether it’s a bottle of special lotion with witch hazel from Mother’s Market for my neuropathy or a small bag of sugar free dark chocolate covered mints, it’s something that makes me feel good. And for those few moments that the lotion or the candy makes me feel good, I rise above adversity. I found out Friday morning that my friend and mentor Steve Duff had died the night before. The only thing that has made me feel good since the moment I found out and right now was those damned chocolates.

To rise above adversity, to flourish even, you have to commit to not giving in to it. Don’t let the fear mongering of our current government take away all the things you enjoy most in life. Don’t stay holed up in your home, watching the news, waiting for the next bad thing to happen.  Or conversely, don’t stay away from the news just because there’s the possibility of more bad stuff happening. With this administration, we can pretty much guess that more bad stuff WILL happen. But don’t let the fear keep you from being informed, don’t let them drive you away from the news or other shows that tell you what’s happening in the world and your local area. I watch the morning news because I want to know if there are protests scheduled locally. I want to know what my community is doing to fight back. I want to know if other cities are protesting. I find hope in the fact that so many people across this great nation (yes, it was always great and doesn’t have to be made great again) are taking to the streets in a show of solidarity against a man and an administration that would turn our democracy into an authoritarian society.

But to flourish, you have to continue to find joy in your life wherever you can. Hug your kids. Pet your furry kids. Cuddle them, cuddle your partner, your spouse. Watch your favorite shows, go to the movies. Eat the foods you love. Read books. Write and write and write. And post the good stuff!

I know I need to do more writing. The first new material I’ve written in more than two years, a military MM novella Extraction, came out Nov 18, my oldest brother’s birthday. I haven’t written a whole lot since but I need to.

And speaking of my brother reminds me that he always rose above adversity when the world was scary. My brother Tom marched with MLK. He belonged to the Democratic Central Committee and should have been at the Ambassador Hotel the night Bobby Kennedy died, but he got the Asiatic flu. He wore a “Legalize Marijuana” button in the late 60’s, something kids today probably can’t even comprehend as having been an issue so long ago. I remember him and my parents chanting “Impeach him!” during Watergate. Today, I see how many ways Trump is like Nixon.

I might have been young during the Nixon administration but I come from a family of individuals who were not afraid to be political, not afraid to tell me what was going on. Cesar Chavez visited my father’s barbershop in Gonzales, CA.  So did Leon Panetta when he ran for congress. Panetta knows my brother who has worked as a California lobbyist.  My brother Tom, at 76 years old, is still a voting member of the Democratic Party.  He’s never given up on democracy despite all the bad stuff he’s seen and lived through and causes and candidates he fought for — Vietnam, Watergate, assassinations, impeachments, protests and the eventual legalization of marijuana at least at the state level.

We shouldn’t give up either. We have options even though we feel as if everyone, everything is against us. Trump’s been put on notice as of last night that the judiciary isn’t going to stand for him making executive orders that are unconstitutional. They aren’t going to stand for him calling out our federal judges like a bully on a playground. And ultimately, more of us voted for Hillary than for him and he’s not untouchable. If Nixon can be impeached so can Trump. So just think about that for a moment, and then remember that we need to rise above adversity.

Join me in rising above, in flourishing during adversity. Let’s write and read and enjoy what we can in this life. If you feel bad just reading for pure enjoyment, go get a copy of All the President’s Men and read about history and the tenacity of two reporters determined to get the truth even if it brought down a presidency. I’ve read it before. It’s an amazing read. I’m going to read Switched by NJ Walker, about a guy who was switched at birth. It sounds like a really emotional, angsty read.

Speaking of angsty reads, I’m about 20K from finishing Out of the Pocket, the sequel or companion really to Scrambling. If you thought Scrambling was angsty, Out of the Pocket blows it out of the water. The first five thousand words of this book won the Rebecca Award a couple years ago. I wrote the rest of the book under the influence of Percocet and ended up having to scrap everything but that first 5K and start over. Now, it’s become a really heartbreaking story of two men torn apart by their jobs in the NFL.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m going to watch the news and see if there’s anything else good today. And even if there isn’t, I’m going to spend an hour reading and an hour writing before I head off to work on book covers for Louisa Bacio and JM Dabney and begin adding books to Sean Michael’s website. Have a great, flourishing Sunday!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

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fb_greatnewyearsgiveawayThank you to all the authors who participated in the Great New Year’s Giveaway and the 30 Days of Christmas. I couldn’t do this without all of you donating your books to the readers! Also, many thanks to all of you who shared the posts on Twitter and Facebook.  And lastly, thanks to all the readers who came out and commented! You’re the reason we all do this!

And now, without further ado, the winners of the Great New Year’s Giveaway are Jean Reads for the New Year’s Eve books and Tracey for the New Year’s Day books!

I will get the winner email addresses out to the authors in the next day or two and then the authors will make sure you get your books. Anyone from the first 25 days who has not received their books please email me at lex at lexvalentine dot com and remind me which books you won so I can go back and check it against my list and contact the authors.

Many thanks to all of you and Happy New Year!

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Pineapple Chiffon Cheesecake Diabetes Edition

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Happy Rose Parade Day! I know all of you want to know the winners of the Great New Year’s Giveaway and I’ll do that tonight. But right now, my friend TC Blue asked for some info on my diabetic version of my mom’s Pineapple Chiffon Cheesecake. And I know Lane Hayes will be interested too!

So here’s the lowdown on the cheesecake. It’s not your standard cheesecake. My Mom Mable made up this recipe and I’m pretty much the only one in the family who knows how to make it.  She never wrote it down, but I helped make it many, many times over. What can I say? I’ve got a great memory.

For the full fat, really luscious version of this dessert, use real butter, full fat Philly Cream Cheese, Extra Creamy Cool Whip, dark brown sugar and extra fine baking sugar. Here’s a photo of the full fat version in a 9×13 pan. This is from some years back.

3134861966_da2750225f_o

Here’s a photo of the diabetic version I made yesterday in a square 9 3/8 x 9 3/8 pan. The graham cracker crust didn’t turn out as dark without the dark brown sugar. The Splenda brown sugar was more golden brown.

cheesecake_panYou can use a 9×13 pan or an equivalent square pan as I did yesterday.

Now, I bet you’re wondering what’s in this thing. Well, here’s a grocery list and you can click the links to see what Fooducate has to say about the sugar, fat and carbs on some of the items:

For the Crust

1 – 13.5 oz box of graham cracker crumbs (Honey Maid or Keebler)

Cinnamon to taste – I use about 3 – 4 TBS but I like it cinnamony. I put enough for it to turn the graham crackers darker.

Dark Brown Sugar – For diabetics use Splenda or Truvia Brown Sugar Blend. Truvia is pretty much only at Target. Splenda can be found in Walmart and most grocery stores. I’m not sure how much to use. A couple of handfuls is how I measure it. You may need to adjust the taste to your liking depending on how sweet and cinnamony you want the crust.

1 lb Real Butter – You can use whatever margarine you want to replace the real butter. I leave it out to soften for about an hour.

I mix the graham crackers and cinnamon together first. I dump them in the pan and mix with either my fingers or a fork. Make sure they are mixed well and there’s no pockets of cinnamon. Then mix in the brown sugar. Again, make sure it’s mixed well with no lumps of brown sugar, using fingers or a fork. With the Splenda brown sugar, it smells kind of weird, but it won’t taste weird so don’t let that initial smell turn you off.

If you are using cubed butter, nuke one cube at a time to melt. I mix the butter into the graham cracker mix one cube at a time. By the time you get to the last cube the graham crackers should be nice and wet and sticky but you shouldn’t see any puddles of shiny butter anywhere. You can do this with your fingers, but for this part I prefer a fork. (I cook most things with a fork.)

Pull out a couple of fistfuls (about a cup) of the crumbs for topping. Press the remaining graham cracker mix up the sides of the pan first, then level out the bottom. I use a fork to do this. You can put the crust in the fridge to firm up and cool off. Or not. It doesn’t matter really at this point in the process.

For the Filling

Superfine Baking Sugar or Splenda or Truvia Baking Sugar – about a quarter of a cup. I don’t use a lot. You may want to up the sugar to make the filling more sweet.

3 packages of Neufchatel cheese – This stuff tastes just like cream cheese with 1/3 of the fat. But you can use the low or non-fat or full fat Philly Cream Cheese.

1 – 20 oz can of Dole Crushed Pineapple in juice (no heavy syrup!)

1 – 8 oz container of Cool Whip – can substitute Sugar Free Cool Whip or Fat Free Cool Whip or Extra Creamy

2 packets of Knox gelatin (This usually comes in a box of 4 packets.)

You can mix this by hand, it’s not that hard, or use a mixer or a food processor, whatever floats your boat.

I leave the Cool Whip and the Neufchatel cheese out to soften for at least an hour. When the cheese is soft and at room temp I dump all three packages in a large mixing bowl with the baking sugar. Beat the sugar into the cheese.

Drain the pineapple into the cheese mixture bowl. You don’t have to drain the pineapple dry. The rest is going in the bowl later. Beat the pineapple juice into the cream cheese mixture until smooth.

Put the Knox gelatin in a 2 cup measuring cup or small bowl. Add about 3/4 to 1 cup of boiling hot water a little at a time, stirring constantly to ensure the gelatin all melts. Pour the melted gelatin water into the cheese mixture and beat until it’s smooth.

Fold in the pineapple. Make sure it’s blended well. Fold in the thawed Cool Whip and make sure it’s blended well too. Pour the mixture into the crust. Top with the reserved graham cracker mixture. The filling might be runny so be careful when you put the topping on.

Cover with foil or plastic. Chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight until the filling sets. Serve in squares.

This one is set correctly.

cheesecake_sliceThis one is not. I was impatient and cut into it too soon. HEH.

cheesecake_notgelledAnyway, that’s how to make Mable’s Pineapple Chiffon Cheesecake both full fat and diabetic versions! I hope you enjoy it!

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The Great New Year’s Giveaway – NYD

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It’s New Year’s Day, the last day of my giveaways. Yesterday we had books from Cailin Briste, Jenna Ives and Kim Carmichael. The winner of those awesome books will be announced tomorrow with the other winners of the Great New Year’s Giveaway!

Today, for the final Great New Year’s Giveaway, I’ve got the amazing Julia Rachel Barrett, who is giving away 2 books, the awesome Christa Paige and the fantastic Megan Slayer giving away some very hot reads just for you on this first day of 2017! Also, Julia has the distinction of having Winterheart Design covers on her books!

Julia Rachel Barrett – If one word describes me, it’s eclectic.  Or so my friends say.  I’m a lover of books, poetry, art, history, baseball, barbecue, chocolate, coffee, children, animals and the great outdoors.  I’m a hospice nurse as well as a writer, but I got my first job at the age of twelve so believe me when I tell you if my heroines are doing it, I’ve probably done it.  At the heart of every one of my stories is a real life event.  (Even in Captured!)

If I was pressed to brand my romances, I guess I’d say I write romance for the thinking woman.  Or I try.  I layer my stories with meaning – I have fun, yes, but I draw on my literary background and I love nothing more than to sprinkle a special pixie dust composed of one part mythos, one part symbolism. XOXO! Julia

You can find all my books on my Amazon Author Page.

Follow me on twitter @JuliaRBarrett

Website: Julia Barrett’s World

Blog: I Can Write Anything Blog

dinnerwithahighlandghost_200Dinner With A Highland Ghost

Emma Rose Steen arrives in the Highlands of Scotland hoping for a much needed breath of fresh air. Not only has the Arizona summer been a scorcher, she’s just barely managed to survive two miscarriages, the divorce from hell, and in the process she’s given up her life’s work—her beloved restaurant.
She never expects to encounter another living person on her first hike to Loch Ness, let alone a kilt-wearing bare-chested long-haired Highland hottie.
Pity he’s also dead.
John Charles McGregor has haunted the mountains above Loch Ness for three hundred years. Nobody has seen him, spoken to him. The solitude is torture, but in all that time he’s found no pathway leading to either heaven or hell. Until now. Until a woman from the Colonies, Emma Rose Steen, speaks to him.
He knows deep in his heart that her presence in his mountains heralds his release from purgatory.

ahanukkahmiracle_200A Hanukkah Miracle

Leah has had to listen to her mother’s nagging for months. It’s getting so much worse now that the holidays are approaching. Her mother seems bound and determined to find her a husband.

Leah, on the other hand, is determined to live life on her own terms. But it’s that time crazy of the year, a time for menorahs and candles, latkes, big family gatherings, cute guys, bad blind dates, and old-fashioned holiday fun.

Mix together a sexy Jewish delivery man, a dental chair, a sudden snowstorm and a latke competition and you get, just maybe, a Hanukkah miracle.

 

Strict professor by day. Romance author by night. Lover of all things alpha-male twenty-four hours a day. Christa Paige is a multi-published author in several genres. Her passion for love stories spans many tropes. She writes sensual, romantic tales and sweet love stories. Christa’s paranormal series features alpha male vampires who will do anything to claim their mates. The first trilogy is called the Blood-Vine and is published by Liquid Silver Publishing. Also, Christa has a contemporary series based on the brave men and women in the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and the series is called Kissin’ Cops. Christa co-writes with Vivien Jackson and their sexy Harlequin novella, is a naughty regency called Sophie’s Rogues. Christa’s last release is a Waterloo era romance, called One Last Kiss, and it is featured in the Beaux, Ballrooms and Battles anthology. Christa is thrilled to announce that there will be new cops and new vampire novels coming soon.

Come join Christa on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Ravelry, Amazon

boundbyobsessionBound By Obsession

In his long life, Traian Komar has managed to escape the mating noose. Being bound forever to a female isn’t anything he’s ready for. However, when he runs into Bethany, a woman from his past, every bonding instinct within him surges to life. Bethany’s the one who got away and he’s never forgotten her. Traian’s sudden obsession with her is all-consuming. But, he can’t do a damned thing about it. Dr. Bethany Miles is a mere mortal, and Kan Asma aristocrats are forbidden to mate with humans.

For several long years, Bethany, a child psychologist, has devoted her life to her work. When a request for an appointment with an adult comes in, she’s ready to refer the case to her colleague … until she notices the patient’s name, Traian Komar. Beset by memories, Bethany agrees to see him. When he shows up, she doesn’t count on the passion he awakens within her.

The moment they’re face-to-face only intensifies the burning lust they’d always resisted. This time, Traian doesn’t hold back. His lack of restraint turns both their lives upside down and uncovers secrets that could jeopardize their growing bond. Because of his refusal to conform to his people’s traditions, Traian risks losing Bethany and any hope they have for love. He must conquer the threat to their mating and find a way to make her his … forever.

Buy link on Amazon–https://www.amazon.com/Bound-Obsession-Blood-Vine-Book-ebook/dp/B005O0YK1Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1483150145&sr=8-3&keywords=bound+by+obsession

0wendiMegan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and BDSM themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best author, best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com and AllRomance Ebooks.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. Find out more about Megan and Wendi at: http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm

Megan’s blog: https://wendizwaduk.wordpress.com/

Megan’s Fan page! facebook.com/wendizwaduk.meganslayer

Megan on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Megan-Slayer/e/B008BJCFSC

Megan on Tsu! https://www.tsu.co/MeganSlayer

Megan on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5330530.Megan_Slayer

Megan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MeganSlayer

AuthorGraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/MeganSlayer

Newsletter sign up:  http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj

you-have-meYou Have Me, Battle Scarred, Book 1

When the rest of the world crumbles and fails, you have me.

Kynan Laing gave up his mortal soul to the will of the Sources, the ancient beings in charge of the universe. With the sensual grace and speed in his vampire form, he serves in his role as a Protector for the Supernatural world. But the impending war between the Supers and Hunters is heating up. The woman he’s charged to protect is all grown up and the perfect submissive partner he wants. Can he keep his heart under wraps while keeping her safe?

Alexa Mercury doesn’t know why she’s supposed to trust the vampire, but she does. Even when she pushed him away, Kynan watches over her. She craves him like no other and wants to submit body and soul to him, even if he is a Supernatural creature of the night. When circumstances beyond her control force them together, Lexa will have to decide whether to offer her heart to the vampire or risk her very soul.

This book was previously released by another publisher and has been reedited and revamped for this edition.

Available from:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/You-Have-Battle-Scarred-Book-ebook/dp/B01ATV40QY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1460497047&sr=8-5&keywords=megan+slayer

Loose Id: http://www.loose-id.com/battle-scarred-1-you-have-me.html

The Great New Year’s Giveaway – NYE

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It’s New Year’s Eve, time to start the Great New Year’s Giveaway! Today and tomorrow on New Year’s Day I’m giving away books from authors who write MF books! But first, I have to finish my 30 Days of Christmas MM giveaway by announcing the winner of the 30th Day books from Emily Carrington, Nat Kennedy and R. Phoenix! And the winner is…Sherry S! WOO HOOO!

So now it’s New Year’s Eve and time to get the Great New Year’s Giveaway rolling! Today, I have Cailin Briste, Jenna Ives and Kim Carmichael! These are three very hot authors with very hot books you are going to really want to read!

cailinCailin has been writing fiction for five years and non-fiction for two decades. Her non-fiction work has been published in magazines and in a non-fiction anthology. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, the RWA Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter, and the RWA Passionate Ink Chapter.

Cailin likes to flip convention on its head, creating a universe in which each planet is a study in different what ifs. What would happen to alpha men on a matriarchal planet where the women are not Dommes in the strictest sense but certainly have the attitude down pat? How would society handle it if girls born on their new planet developed empathic senses? Cailin throws her characters into these settings, heroes and heroines whose kink is a major defining attribute of their personality.

Social Media Links:
Website
Blog
Email
Twitter
Facebook
Google+

maonMaon: Marshal of Tallav #2

Maon Keefe has always been told he’s doomed to fail as a husband. He decides never to marry instead focusing on living life as a player and becoming a capable marshal of Tallav. When he is shot and the most-wanted criminal he’s escorting escapes, he fears that his career, his one success in life, is doomed. Assigned to ferret out the cause of missing shipments for a VIP aristocrat, he meets Selina Shirley CEO of the House of Shirley. He finds himself inexplicably attracted to her despite her frumpy appearance. When he meets a hooded and masked, scorching hot Domme, Lasair, at his friend’s BDSM club, he’s torn between the two women. Both fire his imagination and call to his submissive nature. Either might be the woman to change him into successful husband material.

Selina Shirley organizes her life like she organizes her business, taking control of all aspects of each. She’s concluded that she must marry to get an heir and that her future husband must be totally submissive. Mentored by the sector’s most famous sadist, she learns what it takes to be a proper Domme. Then, hidden behind a hood and mask, as Lasair, she meets Maon and her instant attraction to his full submission at the BDSM club leads her to break her own rules and become involved with him. But he’s also the marshal assigned to investigate thefts at her company. When his broad streak of protective alpha male comes into play, it obvious he’s not a 24/7 submissive. To stick to her plan to marry the perfect husband, she must ignore her heart and dump Maon.

Buy Links:
Loose Id
Amazon
iBooks
Kobo
Google Play
Goodreads

I’m award-winning author Jenna Ives. I write for several publishers under a variety of names, but mainly it’s to protect my poor sainted mother (who used to read sweet Harlequin novels) from discovering how sexy modern romances have become. And I DO write sexy…

Some fun facts about me:
-I love to dance and learned how to tango while on vacation in Buenos Aires
-My favorite band is the Rolling Stones – my parents took me to see them in concert when I was twelve years old, and since then I’ve travelled the world to hear them play in different cities and countries!
-You can find my personal recipe for “chocolate pizza” in my story Snow White And Her Seven Lovers. (This comes from the writer’s mantra ‘Write What You Know’… LOL.)
-For me, the best part about writing is coming up with crazy ‘What If…’ ideas (usually after a couple of cocktails), and then brainstorming them into a whole story. Humans falling in love with sex robots? That’s where the idea for my Tau Cetus Chronicles trilogy of stories came from. Blame it on the rum and cokes…

Social media:
Website: http://www.jennaives.com
Blog: http://www.fierceromance.blogspot.com
Twitter: @JennaIvesAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenna-Ives/609087989162481
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=jenna ives&from_new_nav=true

programmedtopleaseProgrammed To Please

Very human Tau Cetus police agent Jai Turner goes undercover as a Beautiful Dolls sex robot in order to bring down the planet’s most notorious arms dealer, Marque Callex. The police have never been able to get close to Callex, and Jai’s assignment is to coax information out of Marque on his illicit dealings – information that will lead to his conviction.

Reclusive arms dealer Marque Callex only accepts an invitation from Beautiful Dolls because with his deadly line of work – and the dangerous secrets he’s keeping – he can’t afford to let a real woman into his life. But neither Jai nor Marque are what they seem, and their week together has consequences neither expect.

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Programmed-Please-Cetus-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00HFJRY1W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456950398&sr=8-1&keywords=jenna+ives

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/programmed-to-please-jenna-ives/1117776380?ean=2940148992011

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/programmed-to-please/id599819881?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/programmed-to-please-1

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/281351

Kim Carmichael began writing twelve years ago when her love of happy endings inspired her to create her own. She has a weakness for bad boys and techno geeks, and married her own computer whiz after he proved he could keep all her gadgets running. When not writing, she can usually be found slathered in sunscreen trolling Los Angeles and helping top doctors build their practices.

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/kimcarmichaelnovels/?fref=ts

Twitter:  @kimcarmichael4

www.kimcarmichaelnovels.com

drawthelineDraw the Line

The performance artist and the con artist unite in the ultimate marriage of convenience.

Performance artist Argyle Brink lives life as one big art exhibit. He never misses an opportunity to take a chance and stand by his convictions. Only fame has eluded him.

In order to save her family’s estate, Malone Summersfield must never return to England. After conning an art critic into taking her to America, she realizes the con is on her when his wife appears. Needing to get married, she figures she’ll give it a go when Argyle offers to make an honest woman out of her for the price of co-starring in a reality show.

The show takes on a life of its own, airing everything from their dirty laundry to their public display of passion. However, when the INS investigates, and Argyle uses their dilemma to broaden his art, Malone wonders if she will ever be his priority.

With their marriage, their show, and her citizenship at stake, the two must decide if the ultimate truth lies in the art or in their love.

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