B is for Breast

APRIL-2013-CALENDAR-001I’m so excited to join in the A to Z blog hop!!! Truly, I regard it as a terrific challenge and a wonderful kick-start to my new website. My topic for the entire 26 days will be romance, particularly erotic romance. My structure will be as follows:

I am going to first list the pertinent words for the day and then discuss one of them in alphabetical order , of course.

B:  breast, bawdy, bitch, booty, balls, ballocks, and bugger.

The above are my list of sexy and/or erotic and/or romantic B words. Feel free to chime in with your own!

For the second day of the A to Z blog hop challenge – I choose the word Breast.

Breast definition: either of two soft rounded organs on each side of the chest in women and men. In women the organs are more prominent and produce milk after childbirth.

What is it about the female mammary glands that so fascinates men and boys? And has since the dawn of time? True there are leg men and ass men, but do you know a single man (heterosexual or otherwise inclined) who doesn’t fixate on the TV screen when the Baywatch intro with Pamela Anderson running in slow motion plays?

And the obsession is not regulated to adolescents and older males. I remember vividly vacationing with my two youngest sons on a beach where a couple of European women were suntanning topless. My sons were happily digging in the sand and fetching water from the sea. They ran up and down the beach past the women for ten minutes or so. Then, on the way to the water, my youngest son dropped his pail, squatted next to one of the women, gleefully grinned, and then jiggled both her breasts. He must have been all of five at the time. I was mortified.

Did you know that Breast Cancer is the leading cancer killer of women? In 2011 an estimated 40,000 women will die from breast cancer in the U.S. Three of my good friends have been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. One had to have two radical mastectomies and her insurance refused to pay for reconstructive surgery. She was twenty-seven a the time. I was – am – appalled and enraged. It’s time we started a campaign to change this.

To go to another blog on this challenge hop, click on one of the following or on the badge at the top of the post:

Wanna buy a duck

Between the Keys (AC)

Surrounded by Books Reviews (BO)

Tropical Territory

Cherie Reich – Author (WR)

Cheers,

Jianne

 

A to Z Blog Challenge – A is for Aphrodisiac

APRIL-2013-CALENDAR-001I’m so excited to join in the A to Z blog challenge!!! Truly, I regard it as a terrific test and a wonderful kick-start to my new website. My topic for the entire 26 days will be romance, particularly erotic romance.

My structure will be as follows:

I am going to first list the pertinent words for the day and then discuss one of them in alphabetical order , of course.

A: aphrodisiac, ass, ambisexual, amour, anal intercourse, anorgasmia, areola, asexual, and autoeroticism.

The above is my list of sexy and/or erotic and/or romantic A words. Feel free to chime in with your own!

For the start of this blog – I choose the word Aphrodisiac.

Aphrodisiac definition: A food, drink, or drug that stimulates sexual desire. A thing that causes excitement.

Human beings have been searching for the magical stimulant to put us in ‘the mood’ since the drag-‘em-by-the-hair caveman days. The desperate have eaten goat testicles boiled in milk, drank fresh snake blood, consumed reindeer penises, and imbibed ground rhino horn dissolved in water. In modern times, Spanish Fly (the dried remains of beetles which serve only to irritate the urogenital tract) and Ecstasy (actually a mood enhancing drug with a severe side effect of preventing arousal) have been the aphrodisiacs of choice.

In reality, all of the above have one thing in common – no once can prove any of them work. Sexual desire is a nebulous, confusing, and contrary issue. What arouses me may repulse you and vice versa. While that makes the hunt for a ‘true’ aphrodisiac virtually impossible, it’s also what makes the world go around – i.e. for every rat there is a particular piece of cheese.

Trust me—that’s actually a Trinidadian saying that translates to — for every man there is a woman and for every woman there is a man.

With that said, here’s a list of the top ten foods reputed to have aphrodisiac qualities: Oysters, Chocolate, Avocados, Chili Peppers, Bananas, Honey, Figs, Arugula, Asparagus, and Almonds. (What’s with all those A foods?)

I’ll send with this quote from Dr. William Granzig, dean of clinical sexology at Maimonides University in North Miami Beach and president of the American Board of Sexology.

“Your biggest sex organ is the one between your ears. What is desire, after all, other than the hope that you can fulfill your sexual fantasies. And that’s all in your mind.”

Every comment during the month of April will be entered into a contest to win one of my backlist books – your choice!

Here are the next five blogs on the hop or you can click on the badge on top to go back to the home page:

A Daydreamers Musings

2 Encourage

Dawn M. Hamsher – The Write Soil (WR)

Movin Dirt

Margery Scott

 

Cheers,

Jianne

 

Author Kay Berrisford & Lord of the Forest!

kayberrisfordMy guest today is talented UK-based author, Kay Berrisford. Kay and I first met (online)about a year ago when her first book was about to be released. Fast forward a few scant months and lo and behold Kay’s third novel, Lord of the Forest, will be released in April. Awesome job Kay!

Kay used to be a historian and press officer. Then she realized making stuff up and adding fantasy, sex, and BDSM fun was even more exciting than the “day job.” She loves writing stories set in any time and place where she can indulge her love for research while imagining two hot guys getting it on. She has a particular passion for English folklore.

Kay lives in Southampton, Hampshire, UK, with her beloved “other half,” in a very small flat that blesses them on occasion with outbreaks of moths and mould. When they aren’t both madly working, they enjoy drinking wine, visiting castles and gorgeous countryside, and stalking cats and greenfinches. Kay loves to hear from readers.

Take it away Kay!

Robin Hood – the ultimate hero?

Robin Hood has been about for eight hundred years. He’s passed the ultimate endurance test, so what’s his appeal? I’ve always been a huge fan, both of storybook and movie representations, and for me, the answer is obvious. He’s always the good guy, always on the side of right. He’s loyal and brave—he’ll fight to the death for the good cause he believes in, and of course, for the people he cares for. He’s the ultimate hero, but he’s also incredibly adaptable. Every generation has re-written his story in a different way, sometimes many times over. He’s been a common woodsman, an earl in disguise, a returned crusader, and many other incarnations (hey, Disney made him a fox!) He’s usually a great lover—and by no means only of Maid Marian. She was a late addition to the story, first mentioned in 1508.

Robin’s also a kick ass warrior, though not always the very best. Right from the earliest stories, Robin was usually a brilliant archer, but often bested in other forms of battle (sword and staff) and not beyond needing rescuing by his men—Little John et al—on occasion. Robin’s famous “band of brothers” have been there from nearly the start. One of Robin’s first historians, John Fordun, writing in 1341, tells of “Robin Hood and Little John” who lived with their companions as outlaws among woodlands and thickets, celebrated as heroes by the poor people they helped. The appeal of this image is obvious—especially to us writers and lovers of m/m romance. What a better place to escape the shackles of social and sexual conventions than in the forest realm, with all its mystery and magic?

When I decided to write Robin Hood as the hero of my new Greenwood novel, Lord of the Forest, I took these ideas as my starting points. My Robin is fighter for justice, who values friendship above all things, and always strives to do right. It’s a great way to live, but what if this ultimate hero never found true love? That’s the challenge I set Robin in Lord of the Forest, and I had a hell of a lot of fun throwing obstacles in his way. He falls for a royal spy, not exactly the ideal guy for an outlaw. Oh, and he’s got to save England from an evil baron and the forces of dark magic too, but hey, he takes that all in his stride. After all, he is Robin Hood!

Here are the first two books in the series:

KB_BoundForest_coversmall           KB_BoundBeast_coverlg

Lord of the Forest – blurb:
England, 1217. Dark forces are rising. In the Greenwood, foul spirits grow powerful, and greedy barons plunder the lands. Only one man dares fight back—Robin Hood.

Robin’s band of brothers is broken. Now a lone warrior, he denies his famous name and laments the friends and lovers he’s lost. When the fair folk capture Cal, a beautiful young forester descended from the Greenwood’s ancient protectors, Robin rescues him and forges a new alliance.

Despite a sizzling attraction, Robin senses Cal isn’t like his old comrades, and he’s right. Cal’s been raised as a royal spy. He plans to seduce and betray Robin, but can’t harm the man he’s falling hard for. Mistrust and arguments spill into passionate lovemaking, as Cal learns the meaning of loyalty, fighting beside Robin, the only friend he’s ever known. Even the enchanted forest seeks to bind Robin and the returned protector ever tighter.

Their connection will be tested by nature’s wildest forces, Robin’s past, Cal’s lies, and in a baron’s darkest dungeon. To survive, Robin and Cal must admit their love and embrace their true destinies. Only then can they save England and each other—and win their happiness ever after.

Lord of the Forest (The Greenwood) will be published by Loose Id in early April. The first two Greenwood novels (Bound for the Forest and Bound to the Beast) are out now, and the series can be read in any order.

All titles available from Loose Id: http://www.loose-id.com/authors/g-k/kay-berrisford.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kay-Berrisford/e/B006JLQ4L8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
All Romance: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Kay+Berrisford

THE LORD OF THE FOREST BLOG TOUR DRAW!

If you’d like a chance to WIN your choice any of the current Greenwood novels, Bound for the Forest or Bound to the Beast, in your choice of paperback or ebook—PLUS a $20 Loose Id or All Romance voucher—all you need to do is leave a comment here, including your email (please spell this out e.g. [email protected] would be katy at yahoo dot com.) You can enter the draw as many times as you like at the different blogs I visit on my Lord of the Forest blog tour (for schedule visit http://kayberrisford.com). Two runners up prizes will be a choice of any of my back catalogue titles, excluding Lord of the Forest.

Comp closes midnight EST, 12th April.

Thanks to Jianne for allowing me to blog here today!

And my thanks to Kay for the intriguing post! Don’t forget to leave your email address in the comment!

Cheers,

Jianne

 

Lucky in Love Blog Hop

CA BLOG HOP Lucky in LoveWelcome to the Lucky in Love Blog Hop! The prizes for this hop are awesome:

1st Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
2nd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

To those prizes, I’m adding a copy of Manacled in Monaco.

How to enter? See the options at the end of this blog.

What does the term Lucky in Love mean? Is it finding someone to love? Being loved by someone? Two soul mates meeting? A lifelong friendship? Parents who love you?
My vote is for all of the above. Unfortunately one of my latest heroines isn’t very lucky – here’s a teaser from a new work due later this year.

Wolf Without, Ricky’s Landing Book #1 – Unedited Excerpt:
    “Pilot and copilot’s getting ready to come out.” Donny crossed his arms and squinted against the bright sunlight. “Did you ever rustle up a pic of him?”
    “No. Apparently Seathe MacFarland’s paranoid about his privacy.” Genie considered undoing another shirt button and showing an oompful of clevage.
    Donny jabbed her in the side.“They’re out.”
    She fixed her stare on the top step. Her pulse hammered in her ears and muted the early morning parrot screeches common on a Caribbean island. Genie squeezed her eyes shut and promised God a whole lotta Sundays at church if he gave her an easy mark. She hadn’t survived this long on Santa Lucia without learning a few nasty tricks. Just let him be on the stupid side.
    She lifted her lids and found herself looking into the most glacial pair of blue eyes on the planet. Dread snaked up her spine and left a series of icy shivers in its wake. Intelligence and alertness radiated from his unblinking, predatory stare.
    A whiff of some smoky and spicy aroma enveloped Genie before he ambled to a halt not more than a foot away from her. “Tell me, Ms. O’Connor, why is this piece of crap landing strip the official airport when I flew over a perfectly appointed runway five miles south?”
    What? He was a pilot. Crap, crap, and more crap. She squared her shoulders and held out a perfectly manicured hand. “How lovely to meet you, Mr. MacFarland. My name is—”
    “Genie O’Connor, niece of Paddy O’Connor, last surviving member of the O’Connor family who once owned Santa Lucia island.” Not an ounce of emotion flared from those hypnotic eyes. His palm closed over hers and she struggled against the urge to yank out of his firm grip.
    Her throat went dry. She forced a smile. “I see you’ve done your homework, Mr. MacFarland. This is—”
    He dropped her hand and shifted his attention to Donny. “Donald Smythe, General Manager of Ricky’s Landing. I presume we have transport of some sort?”
    Donny grinned and waved to the building. “We do Mr. MacFarland, but you must clear immigration and customs first.”
    “You’re kidding, right?”
    Genie hadn’t even noticed the other man until he spoke. They were as different as chalk and cheese, as the old English expression went. Archangel and Demon standing side by side, one a Viking, the other a dark Highlander.
    “It is an international airport, Torolf. Ms. O’Connor, Mr. Smythe, this is my lawyer, Torolf Bristol.”
    Genie prayed her shocked dismay didn’t show. Why had MacFarland brought his lawyer? Had he heard about her rights as the sole surviving O’Connor? That was to have been her ace in the hole if things didn’t go their way.
    She kept her smile firmly in place though her cheeks ached from the effort. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bristol.”
    Torolf shook her proffered hand. “Torolf, please Genie. No need to stand on ceremony. We’re going to be seeing a lot of each other over the coming months.”
    Months? She choked back a gasp and spread her lips wider. What in hell had happened? When had her famous Irish luck taken a fricking hike?

One Entry for doing any of the following to 5 Contests
My Fireworks for Kindle Fire (click on Contest above for other prizes)
500 Facebook Followers – autographed book
500 Twitter Followers – autographed book
Lucky in Love Grand Contest
Lucky in Love Jianne Carlo Contest

Like my Facebook Fan Page (extra prize given when I reach 500 likes- this is a new FB page)
Follow Me on Twitter   (extra prize given when I reach 500 followers)
Like my Amazon Author Page
Become a Fan on Goodreads
Review or rate one of my books on Amazon, ARe, Barnes and Noble, Fictionwise, Goodreads, or Loose-Id. For each book rated, you get an entry. A review wins you a special indulgence as well as an entry
Sign up for News about my Coming Releases
Tweet about one of my books
Post something about one of my books or me on your Facebook Page
Tell a book club about one of my books
Mention one of my books in a discussion group

If you can think of anything else – go for it – just let me know what you did!

You must leave a comment with your email address to enter the Lucky in Love Blog Hop and to win one of my prizes. Tell me what you’ve done in your comment and  put NO at the beginning of the comment if you don’t want to receive periodic emails from me.

And to make this a little fun – here’s a bonus question to win an eCopy of The Bear and The Bride:

In The Bear and The Bride – What’s Ainslin nickname? (hint – the answer’s on this site)

Click here To go to the next site on the hop: http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/

Note: Winners will be announced 03/21/13 here, on Facebook, & Twitter. Winners have 5 days to claim their prizes by commenting here or on my Facebook page or re-tweeting winner announcement.

Good Luck Everyone!

Jianne

Win Books and Prizes in the Night Owl Reviews Spring Fling Web Hunt

Dragon Naturally Speaking & Hot Romance

What a great couple of weeks I’ve had creative-wise. OMG, the ideas are pouring in and I can scarcely keep up with the words in my head. This year I made a decision to use Dragon Naturally Speaking for all new work and my experience thus far has been both rewarding and frustrating.

In two days I wrote the first chapter of four books, The Wolf with the Broken Heart, That Pearly Drop, Torch the Wind, , and Wolf Without, and I’m into Chapter 2 on all of them. For someone who works full-time and writes only in the down hours, that’s a significant productivity increase.

Dragon is fussy and demanding. If my allergies are acting up and I’m a tad nasal, it misunderstands me. The last thing you want to do with Dragon is become frustrated or angry – then the darned software doesn’t comprehend a single word you say. It appears that using Dragon will make me a more disciplined writer…we’ll see how that works.

White Wolf Banner 1 - Jianne_Carlo940x300_v2
Anyhoo, I thought today and over the next few days that I’d share excerpts from the coming books.
Here’s an unedited preview of The Wolf with the Broken Smile, White Wolf Book # 4

Blizzard conditions—check.

Transportation impossible—check.Being forced to spend the night at Chad Lexington’s condo—check.

“My sister keeps a few clothes here.”

The object of Lizzie White’s sexual fantasies for the last four months raked her from tilted beret to BDSM-style boots. Her nipples sizzled under his intent stare. She prayed her feverish desire and frazzled nerves didn’t show, and clamped her mouth shut.

“She’s shorter than you.”

His gaze fixed on her chest and no amount of willing her blood to cool worked. Sweat coated her nape and her grip on the laptop case white-knuckled.

“It’d probably be better if I loaned you sweats and a T-shirt. They’ll be big, but that’s better than wearing too tight clothes.”

The devil had it in for her. His sweats abrading her pussy. The material that gloved his cock riding her clit. Cat on a hot tin roof had nothing on the sexual tension driving her. “Thanks, but not necessary, I sleep in the altogether. I am sorry to put you to such an inconvenience, however.”

Lie number one, she wasn’t sorry at all.

Had Mr. Stoic actually blinked at her I-sleep-naked declaration?

“It’s not as if you caused the worst weather conditions in the last century of Chicago weather.” As usual his smile didn’t quite reflect in those impenetrable silver-rimmed eyes.

She repressed a grin. Of course, he’d never in this universe believe she’d caused the blizzard deliberately. But she had. It had all been part of the plan to seduce him. Lizzie couldn’t wait for him to see her without the glasses and the dowdy clothes she normally wore. As it was, the boots had had him flummoxed from the second she’d stepped into his condo.

“The snow’s so wet I wouldn’t be surprised if we lost power soon.”

Perfect. Hot sweaty sex happened in blackouts.

Both their gazes swept to the wall of windows opposite and the white sheets of dense flakes slapping the glass. Lizzie hoped the heat climbing her throat didn’t mean she was blushing. No man ever had this effect on her except Chad Lexington.

“What do you want to eat? I’m not sure how long The North Plains Kitchen will remain open and I don’t stock food beyond a stash of power bars.”

He didn’t glance her way but continued to stare at the falling snow.

Lizzie gritted her teeth. Not once in the last four months of working together day after day had he shown an iota of interest in her as a person or a woman. Night after night, she’d analyzed every minute of time in his company searching for some slight nuance that signified he returned her explosive carnal cravings for him.

Could such intense passion be so fricking one-sided?

It was so hard to read him. She’d studied every arched brow, flared nostril, and the steepled hands and mocking grin that so frustrated his opponents. If it hadn’t been for his one slip two days ago, she would’ve left Chicago wondering, wondering what his cock would feel like inside her, if he yelled his orgasms, or got a little rough in the sack. But he had slipped and tonight it was go big or go broke.

“I’m not fussy. I’ll have whatever you’re having.” She’d have him in a heartbeat.

“Why don’t you settle in while I order takeout for today and tomorrow? Any allergies or food restrictions?” He shifted to face her and she had to fist her hands to resist the urge to tuck his famous wayward forelock back into place.

“I’m not vegan if that’s what you’re asking. I like all food, too much, as you may have guessed.” She didn’t point out the obvious, her D-cup breasts and full hips.

A ton of men lusted after her Jessica Rabbit figure, but Chainsaw Chad, rumored to have ice in his veins and not a shred of empathy, had never deigned to notice the slightest thing about her body or her Vegas showgirl legs. Maybe that was why she couldn’t get him out of her head. Nothing sweeter than the unattainable.

“The Kitchen’s known for its rack of lamb—how’d you like it?”

“Medium rare. I like my meat bloody.” And my sex hard and fast the first time. She hoped he had an oversize, thick cock and the stamina of a ram. Once wasn’t going to do it for her. Not when tonight was the only time she’d ever have with him.

“So do I.” He had a broadcaster’s voice, deep and laced with a rough coarseness. “Bathroom’s stocked with all the amenities of a hotel. I’ll have them send up the food ASAP. I use the conference table for eating. Join me there when you’re ready.”

“Okay.” Lizzie followed the bunching of his glutes when Chad spun around and left the room. The man’s ass was perfection, tight and round and his thighs those of the honed equestrian he was, at least according to the media.

When the door closed behind him, she set her laptop case on a walnut-stained desk in the corner of the room, hung her purse on the chair, and shrugged out of her coat. Quick as flash, she retrieved the toiletry bag from the outside pocket of the case and trudged to the bathroom.

After brushing her teeth, she unraveled her customary tight bun, finger-combed her waist-length corkscrew curls, and studied her reflection in the mirror.

Lizzie had no delusions about her looks.

She had an ordinary face, neither pretty nor ugly, but her centerfold figure more than made up for her average features.

Professionally, she dressed to emphasize her brain not her femininity. She’d had enough trouble in her first job with unwanted male attention and had learned the hard way what not to wear. The bun, the librarian glasses, the baggy suits, and calf-length skirts, all designed to detract attention from her bountiful breasts, narrow waist, and mile-high legs.

She ticked an imaginary check mark.

No way was Chainsaw Chad going to ignore her tonight.

The bland camel coat she’d discarded had hidden her CFM outfit. She gave her thigh-high black boots that begged for a whip and a pair of leather cuffs, a thumbs up. If Chad didn’t get the message the instant she walked into the conference room, he deserved a flogging. The scooped neckline of her form-fitting top showed hints of the dark rose of her areolae and then some. The leggings tucked into her Dom boots were unmarked by pantie-lines. On impulse she unhooked her bra and sidled the harness off.

Commando all over.

Lizzie sucked in a deep breath. She’d never had to make the first move. What if he rejected her? Or worse, pretended not to notice?

Hope you enjoyed!

Cheers,

Jianne