Flash Fiction Friday - 12-30-11

Flash Fiction Friday. What can you do with only 100 words?

I stood and watched as the banter continued. They’d been flirting all day, and now they’d agreed to an arm wrestling match.

Each took a position on one side of the picnic table, readying themselves for the impromptu duel. It was completely silly, and over a disagreement on whether or not there should be marshmallows in hot chocolate.

Never in a million years would I have expected this to happen the first time my two best friends met. They were completely opposite, but you’d have to be a fool not to feel the sexual tension coming off those two today.

Behind Closed Doors is now available for pre-order

You can now order your paperback on Behind Closed Doors on the TWCS website. The e-book will be available for download starting February 9, 2012.

http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/books/detail/46

Elizabeth Marshall spent the last nine years doing all the things she was supposed to do. She went to a good college. Married a man with a promising future. Elizabeth even had a nice house in a respectable part of town. There was even the promise of 2.4 kids in her future. From the outside everything looked picture perfect.

Then one night, the world she lived in came crashing down. Six months later with her husband dead and her friends gone, Elizabeth moves to the small town of Springfield, Ohio to start a new life where no one knows who she is or about her past.

Christopher Daniels enjoys the simplicity of his bachelor life. After his divorce three years ago, he swore off women. He has no desire to change that philosophy.

When Elizabeth Marshall moves into the apartment below his in the small Victorian house, she makes him reconsider the motto he’s lived by for the last three years: women are trouble. She is everything his ex-wife is not, and it doesn’t help that she is his wet dream come to life.

He is determined to resist her charms; however, when someone sends threatening messages to Elizabeth, he finds himself in the role of protector. Can he protect Elizabeth and still resist the pull she has on his body and his heart?

Congratulations!

Congratulations to ER Pierce, winner of my very first blog contest!

She will receive an ARC of Behind Closed Doors as soon as I can wrestle it from the hands of my editor. For the rest of you, Behind Closed Doors will be released February 9, 2012 through The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House, Amazon, B&N.com, and other Internet book retailers.

Elizabeth Marshall spent the last nine years doing all the things she was supposed to do. She went to a good college. Married a man with a promising future. Elizabeth even had a nice house in a respectable part of town. There was even the promise of 2.4 kids in her future. From the outside everything looked picture perfect.

Then one night, the world she lived in came crashing down. Six months later with her husband dead and her friends gone, Elizabeth moves to the small town of Springfield, Ohio to start a new life where no one knows who she is or about her past.

Christopher Daniels enjoys the simplicity of his bachelor life. After his divorce three years ago, he swore off women. He has no desire to change that philosophy.

When Elizabeth Marshall moves into the apartment below his in the small Victorian house, she makes him reconsider the motto he’s lived by for the last three years: women are trouble. She is everything his ex-wife is not, and it doesn’t help that she is his wet dream come to life.

He is determined to resist her charms; however, when someone sends threatening messages to Elizabeth, he finds himself in the role of protector. Can he protect Elizabeth and still resist the pull she has on his body and his heart?

Flash Fiction Friday - 11-23-11

Flash Fiction Friday. What can you do with only 100 words?

The snow came down with increased intensity as she ran through the cobbled streets. She needed to see him before tonight; to feel him beneath her fingers.

The streets were deserted due to the sudden snow storm, but she didn’t care about the weather. In fact, it worked in her favor. No one would be able to see them.

She reached the entrance to the square, spotting him standing a mere twenty feet away. With renewed excitement, she picked up her skirts and ran the remaining distance separating them.

In one fluid movement, she was there. Her world was right.

Christmas Traditions - TWCS Holiday Blog Hop

TWCS Author Blog Hop - Our authors are sharing holiday traditions Dec. 12 - 23. Each day an author will post on their blog a personal holiday tradition or a holiday tradition of their characters. They will also post the blog hop icon. You will notice in the bottom right hand corner of the icon a holiday/winter object. You will need to write these objects down and keep the list handy. In addition to great giveaways happening each day on the authors' blogs, we will have a grand prize drawing on TWCS's website (http://www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/publishinghouse). To enter the grand prize drawing you will need to have collected all 11 objects.

What is the grand prize? An ebook of Season of Love, your choice of paperback (Connected, Take This Regret, Slave, or Fourteen), TWCS coffee mug, bookmarks (many are signed by the author). TWCS pen and notepad.

Growing up, Christmas was an all day event.

The day would start out with my brother and I waking up as early as possible to open our Christmas presents. By the time we were finished unwrapping gifts, the living room was littered with wrapping paper. Mom would find little scraps lying around the room for the next few hours or clinging to the bottom of our feet.

Sometimes we’d spend the rest of the morning playing with what we received, however the morning also typically included a nap for everyone except my mom. We’d get up so early to open gifts (my parents finally put a 4am limit to how early we were allowed to get up) that we needed to recharge before the family activities started. While we napped, mom used the quiet time to prep the food for dinner.

At twelve thirty, however, everyone was up and moving. We would all choose a new outfit we got for Christmas and put it on before leaving for our grandparent’s house.

At one-thirty, our family Christmas tradition truly began. Our entire family, including all my aunts and uncles and cousins, arrived at our grandparent’s house for lunch. Everyone would bring a side dish. Grandma would have ham and would make her homemade chicken and noodles. Make shift tables made of plywood and sawhorses were set up in the living room so there was enough seating for everyone.

Once everyone finished eating, we’d all gather around to watch Grandma and Grandpa open their gifts. My grandmother grew up during the great depression and hated to waste anything, including wrapping paper. It would take her forever to open gifts as she’s gently put her finger under each piece of tape, trying to get it to separate the paper without tearing it. Grandpa on the other hand grabbed a corner and ripped without ceremony. It was always amusing and we joke to this day at the contrast.

With lunch finished and gifts opened, everyone helped clean up before piling in our vehicles and driving to my aunt and uncle’s house. There, we’d all gather in the living room. My aunt would bring everyone cookies and candies that she’d baked and she’d give each family a loaf of homemade bread. Then, we’d all watched as each member of their family showed what they’d received for Christmas this year.

The rest of the day continued on like this as we went to each of my aunt and uncle’s houses to eat more treats and see more gifts.

Around six o’clock, my mom and dad would always make sure we were the first to leave so that we could head back to our house; the last stop of the day. Growing up, my parent’s always put on a large spread for dinner. My mom would say that this was her Christmas present to her family.

My grandparents have long passed, and so have many of my aunts and uncles, so our Christmas no longer begins with lunch at grandma’s or the caravan of families going from house to house. One tradition, however, remains. On Christmas night, all my living aunts and uncles, my cousins, second cousins, and now even a few third cousins; gather together at my mom’s house for Christmas dinner. We laugh, we cry, we sing carols, and we remember those who are no longer with us.

Dec. 12 Veronica Breville http://veronicabrevilleauthor.wordpress.com/

Dec. 13 Kathryn Gayle http://kathryngayle.com/blog/

Dec. 14 JD Watts http://jdwatts.blogspot.com/

Dec. 15 Michele Richard http://michele-richard.blogspot.com/

Dec. 16 Jennifer Schmidt http://jleeschmidt.blogspot.com/

Dec. 17 Sophia Duane http://sophiaduane.blogspot.com/

Dec. 19 Sherri Hayes http://sherri-hayes.blogspot.com/

Dec. 20 Michelle Birbeck http://apps.michellebirbeck.co.uk/Blog/

Dec. 21 Lindsey Gray http://lindsey-gray.blogspot.com/

Dec. 22 C. M. Smith http://cmsmithauthor.blogspot.com/

Dec. 23 E. L. James http://blog.eljamesauthor.com/

As an extra little treat, I am offering a 'Advanced Readers Copy' of my new romantic suspense novel, Behind Closed Doors, to one lucky winner. We are in the final stages of editing this novel, so the winner will receive the ebook ARC as soon as its ready. Below are instructions on how to enter. Good Luck, and Merry Christmas!

Six Sentence Sunday - December 18, 2011

Cali held on tight as he came down from his high. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she smiled up at him.

"Merry Christmas, beautiful."

She laughed, their bodies still joined so she could feel every inch of him. "Merry Christmas to you, handsome."

Season of Love

Amazon

For a limited time only discontinued on 31st of January 2012.



Flash Fiction Friday 12-16-11

Flash Fiction Friday. What can you do with only 100 words?

As much as I wanted to help him, I knew there was nothing I could do. I’d already offered to go with him today, and he’d refused. He needed to do this on his own. I understood that, but it was difficult to watch.

“Hey,” I said.

His head turned slightly to look at me. “Hey.” His voice was slightly off, and I wondered if he’d been crying.

He looked as though his world had come to an end, and in a way I guess it had. It wasn’t every day you learned that your mother had cancer and died.

Six Sentence Sunday - December 11, 2011

Her back hit the cold tile wall behind her, but she didn't have all that much time to register it before he was there again, pressing against her. She could feel every inch of him as he leaned forward leaving no space between them.

His mouth hungrily took possession of hers. He was acting like a starved man, desperate. It was rare for her to feel him so out of control and edgy. She'd only felt this from him one other time.

Season of Love

Amazon

Flash Fiction Friday 12-9-11

Flash Fiction Friday. What can you do with only 100 words?

The day had been perfect. Never in a million years had she thought she’d be marrying such a wonderful man who loved her and was devoted to her above all else. It was a dream come true.

Now, she sat her waiting in the pose he’d carefully placed her in, wondering what was next.

Heavy footfalls brought her back to the present. He was coming, and she was finding it difficult to contain her excitement.

With her head up, his tall figure came into view. “Hello, my pet. Are you ready for what I have in store for you tonight?”   

And We Have Snow

As the sun rose this morning, I noticed something. There was white on the ground!

Now granted, it was only a dusting of snow. Kind of looked like an artist gently brushed their paint brush across my grass leaving plenty of green still beneath the white.

 

I sort of have a love/hate relationship with snow. As a kid I loved it. My mom has pictures of me bundled up in my winter coat out playing in the snow. I went through a period of time there in my teens where I just flat out hated it. It was annoying and in the way, not to mention all the extra work of shoveling it and making sure to leave extra early so that you'd get to wherever you're going on time (i.e. school).

Although my feelings haven't changed in relation to snow when it comes to driving in it or shoveling it out of my driveway, I have come to appreciate the beauty of it and also the way people seem to find their inner good Samaritan during the winter. It's not uncommon to hear of individuals shoveling their neighbors driveways or sidewalks. Or even helping a stranded motorist out of a ditch.

Last winter I was driving on a back country road when I hit a patch of ice and ended up in the snow. Had there only been a couple of inches on the ground, I'd have probably been fine and able to just drive back onto the road. Unfortunately, we had over a foot built up, and if you live in a place that gets a fair amount of snow then you know how compact the snow at the side of a road is after it's been sitting there for days.

Luckily for me, a gentleman who a four wheel drive truck stopped to help. He hooked up a rope to the back of my vehicle and in a few minutes had me out of the snowbank and back on my way.

This was after the holidays, so this wasn't the 'Christmas spirit' at work. No. This was the winter spirit. The cold, harsh weather seems to bring out a willingness to help others even when it may not be what we'd normally do. It's the golden rule at it's best.

Six Sentence Sunday - December 4, 2011

Matthew took his time. No matter how much she tried to get him to hurry his pace, he would  not be deterred as he tortured her with his hands and mouth. Her head fell back onto his shoulder as she gave herself up to the sensations. "Good night?" he asked.

"Much better now," she whispered.

He chuckled, the vibrations rippling over her damp skin as he buried his face in her neck.

Season of Love

For a limited time only discontinued on 31st of January 2012.

Flash Fiction Friday 12-2-12

Flash Fiction Friday. What can you do with only 100 words?

Why she wanted to watch this old black and white movie he had no idea. Already he found it completely unappealing. Then again, romantic comedies, even modern ones, held no appeal for him.

She sat beside him, totally engrossed in the movie. The woman on screen lay on the floor looking too innocent for the situation, while the man leaned her. It didn’t take a genius to know what he wanted.

Getting an idea, he changed their positions, turning her to mimic the woman on screen. “What are you doing?” she asked, startled by his sudden movement.

“Enjoying the movie.”

4, 7, and 8

TWCS announced their top 10 list today for the month of November. Slave, is number 4 for the fourth month in a row. Season of Love, which contains my short story 'A Christmas Proposal'. And Hidden Threat, my debut novel, appears for the first time at number eight! Thank you everyone who has purchased my books and spread the word.

1. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
2. Fifty Shades Darker by E. L. James
3. Unwritten Rules by M. A. Stacie
4. Slave by Sherri Hayes
5. Take This Regret by Amy Lichtenhan
6. Pulled by Amy Lichtenhan
7. Season of Love anthology
8. Hidden Threat by Sherri Hayes
9. Fourteen by C. M. Smith
10. Last Call by Jennifer Schmidt