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Monday, February 28, 2011

Plotting the menage

In plotting my newest story, Killer Vacation, I had to take 3 people and their emotional and sexual growth into consideration.

  • There's the love match between all three.
  • There's the threesome where one person is the object of love by the other 2 parties of the menage, but they aren't necessarily in love with each other.
  • There's the one where 2 are a couple and are dominant over a third.
  • And then there's the friends with benefit; all about lust and experimentation, but it's not a favorite of mine. I prefer love.

Often jealously comes into play, if it's not a true love match or it hasn't developed into one as of yet. Course, that's part of the fun in writing it. And getting over it. Make up sex is always fun!

What's your favorite menage?

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

New thoughts

Or even anything relevant on writing, books, marketing, and the like. I had no idea that when I started this blog I'd have such a difficult time keeping it updated.

Yeah, I can talk about my writing to anyone who'll listen for half a second, which aren't many any more. And yes, I can chat away about current events, baking, cooking, food (a favorite past time) and pretty much whatever else strikes my fancy.

But is that what I should post here? Shouldn't my writing blog be for writing-related stuff? I think so, but now that I look back at what I've posted...or not...I wonder if I should expand my thinking.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

New contract!

I did forget to post that I have a new contract with Ravenous. Book due August 1. I'm still playing with plots, but I have a vague concept for it.

Plus I'm working on Killer Vacation where my FBI threesome try some downtime in beautiful Hawaii, only to be caught up in jealousies and dangers.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Friday recipe

In honor of Valentine's day (OK so it was Monday) I thought I'd post this icing recipe from my favorite recipe site. The cookies are easy enough with a roll of sugar cookie dough (store bought naturally) and a heart shaped cookie cutter. I don't recommend doing this by hand, trust me when I say that. It never ends well.

Ingredients
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract assorted food coloring

Directions
In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

Prep Time: 15 Min Ready In: 15 Min

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Sick and work

They don't mix well. Or at all. It's difficult to plot when your head is muddled with stuffiness. But to get me through the day, other than really bad daytime TV. Man, there's nothing on! I can at least think about my plot. Maybe not get any forward motion on the story,  but pictures of Hawaii sure do make me feel better!

Here's a favorite of Hanauma Bay, Oahu

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

How dark is to dark?

I love dark, complicated, men. Women, too for that matter, but the darker the man the more I like it. very sexy. The question I'm wrestling with now is where's the line between dark and complete and utter bastard. It's a thin line, granted, and I don't want to cross it.

In my new full-length, Killer Vacation, I take the threesome from Killer Valentine and send them on vacation to Hawaii. They've been together slightly over a month now but aren't comfortable with each other, not completely.

My problem is with the lead, Jareth. A darkly intensive man, he's teetering on that fine line between sexy and dark and total jerk. Trying to steer him toward sexy but he's resisting my best efforts.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Excerpt: Killer Valentine (Rated R)

It's Valentine's Day, that commercialized holiday of candy, chocolate hearts, flowers, and last minute purchases. (You know who you are!) Pft. Blame it on Hallmark commercials.

If they weren't tracking a serial killer intent on adding unsuspecting tourists to his list, FBI agent Jareth Reese would have found Valentine's weekend in beautiful snow-covered Aspen much more pleasurable. But he and his team barely have time to sleep, let alone indulge in an erotic getaway with each other.
Always a strong man used to getting his way, Jareth won't let one serial killer stop him from forcing both Tony and Sophie to submit to his every command. Though their ménage is new, and the three of them are still exploring their boundaries, he molds them to his will as he teaches them much needed lessons in submission.

In a gorgeous mountain cabin, Jareth indulges in his lovers, but their bond is tested as they confront evil, their own inner demons, and Jareth's intensifying need to control them both. When they follow a killer deep into the forests will they all return or will one be left behind?

What happens when hunting a serial killer through the Colorado wilderness? What happens when your jobs puts you in danger? Everything explodes and you have to hold on to enjoy the ride.

Excerpt from Killer Valentine: Rated R

The phone ringing for a second time that evening woke her. Sophie stretched and listened as Tony searched for his cell. His end of the conversation consisted mostly of “yes” and “huh.” She climbed out of the bed, and came up behind him and slipped slipping her arms around his waist.

This was the first Valentine’s Day in … forever that she had a man in her life. Hell, she had two. And still she doubted she’d be spending it like every other attached woman in America. Tugging the scarf from her one wrist, she examined it.

At least it was red. Sophie squinted at the tag: Valen-tied. She chuckled at the name of the company. Very apropos.

Tony ended the call and dropped the phone onto the pile of clothes.

“What did Jareth say?” she asked, pressing her lips to the middle of his back.

Her hands moved over his belly to cup his cock. He was hard and she stroked him, loving the feel of him beneath her fingers. Already wet, she imagined his thick cock in her body, or better, taking his hardness into her mouth, her fingers deep in her own body.

The three of them had been together only a month, and they’d already turned her into a nymph.

Sophie shook her head and focused. Or tried to, with Tony’s hard cock in her hand and images of him in her mouth, Jareth’s cock in her body. She shook her head again and pushed that fantasy aside.

He took her hands from his body and turned in her embrace.

“What’d he say?” she asked again when Tony didn’t answer her.

He looked down at her with an inscrutable expression. Before she could do more than register the odd look, he pushed her against the wall. Not hard, not in anger, and she hated that this show of force aroused her further.

“If I tell you to stay here,” he said in a low voice, body hard against hers, golden-green hazel eyes as unreadable as a moment ago. “And not to ask any questions, not to leave this place, then you’re to comply.”
She gave him an exasperated look. “I can’t believe you’re asking this of me now.”

Tony didn’t answer, only pressed harder against her. Slowly, she nodded, unable to believe she did so, that she agreed. “Yes,” she whispered.

Tony kissed her, hard and possessive, branding her, she thought in that small bit of her mind that still functioned with his hard cock pulsing against her belly his mouth taking her as surely as his body did.

“Jareth thinks there’s a second killer out there,” Tony said, taking half a step from her. “Wants us in for the interrogation.”

“That’s all you had to say,” she muttered, pushing off the wall.

Tony gave her another strange look, and again she couldn’t quite decipher it. Still turned on, and hoping for a quickie in the shower, Sophie wondered where all this, with Tony, Jareth, the pair of them, was all going.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Friday Recipe: Indian Lamb Korma with Cucumber Raita

*Read in a 1950s announcer's voice, so stares every 3rd word*
This is the ongoing saga of crock pot, dinners, and the quest to find something simple, easy, and delicious.

Now granted, I still don't know what Korma is, but it's rather tasty. Not a fan of cucumber, but this was a light summery mix that worked well in February. A little expensive (it is winter in the northern hemisphere after all) but well.

This is the recipe I used by going to bing.com, typing in crock pot recipes; crock-pot.com then clicking on lamb & veal for ingredients. And no, mine didn't look as pretty as the picture here, that I got from the internet.

Indian Lamb Korma with Cucumber Raita
Cucumber Raita Ingredients
1 large cucumber, seeded and grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

Korma Ingredients
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large dried chile peppers, seeded and de-stemmed, finely minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
2/3 cup ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions
1.In a medium skillet, sauté the onions, ginger, garlic and chilies in the oil.
2.Add the turmeric, cumin and coriander and blend well.
3.Add the lamb, turning the meat as it browns.
4.When browned, spoon the lamb and spices into the Crock-Pot® slow cooker.
5.Add the tomatoes, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and water and mix thoroughly.
6.Cover; cook on Low 6 to 8 hours (or on High for 3 to 4 hours).
7.Thirty minutes before serving, stir in the heavy cream and re-cover.
8.For the Cucumber Raita: In a small bowl, sprinkle the cucumber with salt, and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain off the cucumber liquid. Stir in the yogurt and mint, and serve with the Indian Lamb Korma.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

New Release!

Never Too Many Valentines

Valentine's Circle by Trinity Blacio
Killer Valentine by Kristabel Reed
Nashville Valentine by Bethany Michaels

Can't get enough of hearts and flowers and chocolates?  Why should you?  Curl up with our Valentine's Day collection of romantic stories about three in love.  You'll find:

* Kristabel Reed's tale of lusty spies who just can't keep their hands off each other while tracking down a serial killer...
* Trinity Blacio's shape-shifters with secrets that can only be shared between mated lovers...
* Bethany Michaels'  hot story about a country music trio that will make all their female lead singer's Valentine's dreams come true...

So pour the champagne, open that box of chocolates, and enjoy the ride!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Characters

Wondering what actors will make good character models.

LL Cool J is hot in NCIS: Los Angeles, not that I remember to watch it every week, but he's very sexy in that show.

Jamie Bamber from both Battlestar Galactica and Law & Order: UK

Why is this harder than it seemed when I started this? I watch TV, okay not a lot of television, but I do watch it. Can't I find a couple actors from all the shows on TV?

Who I never want to cast what so ever: Charlie Sheen. *Shudder in revulsion* What a jerk.

Monday, February 7, 2011

edits

Finishing up edits for my Valentine's Day anthology submission, Killer Valentine. Don't have a cover yet, but am really looking forward to seeing it! If it's anything like my other covers, it'll be hot.

The title of the anthology is Too Many Valentines: A Collection of Valentine’s Day Ménage Novellas
Killer Valentine by Kristabel Reed
Valentine’s Circle of Love by Trinity Blacio
Nashville Valentine by Bethany Michaels

Friday, February 4, 2011

Friday Recipe: Bacon and sausage stew with beans

A friend of mine sent me this, I have no idea where she got it from, but it looks like from the BBC. Thought they were news, apparently they do pretty much everything. In looking over Rachel's Favourite Food for Living by Rachel Allen, I see some yummy chocolate and  hazelnut caramel (pronounce cara-mel, not car-mel) bars.

Now this sounds easy enough, but it's converting grams to ounces and rashers to American terms. Luckily, as you can see, she includes that for any Americans willing to try this recipe. And I have. And it's delicious!

Ingredients
75g/3oz dried black turtle beans (or black-eyed beans), 75g/3oz dried borlotti beans or kidney beans and 75g/3oz dried cannellini beans or haricot beans (or 2 x 400g of canned beans of your choice, rinsed and drained)
8 rashers smoked bacon (about 300g/11oz), sliced into lardons
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes or 800g/1lb 12oz fresh tomatoes
1.2 litres/2 pints chicken stock
225g/8oz cabbage (preferably green, such as Savoy), thinly sliced
300g/11oz smoked sausages, sliced into 5mm/¼in thick pieces
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method
1.If using dried beans, soak them in cold water for 5-6 hours or overnight, then drain, cover with fresh cold water and simmer for 35-40 minutes until they are cooked through.

2.Gently fry the bacon in the olive oil in a flame proof casserole on a medium high heat for a few minutes until golden-brown. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, then add the tomatoes and the stock and simmer for ten minutes.

3.Add the cooked, drained beans, then add the cabbage and sliced sausage and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Add the chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preparation time: 30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves 4

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Review!

I'm thrilled with my first review for Wickedly Wanton. 4 Lips from Two Lips Reviews!! Woot!

Sheila said:

I was very intrigued by this story. I wanted to know how Ms. Reed would handle a ménage tale in a period of strict social conduct. I liked how she had the characters worrying about their public reputations while in private they were lusty. While there is a lot of sex, it is not gratuitous. It is the hottest sex I’ve read lately and kept me aroused throughout the whole tale. On a side note, I want to say I loved the cover. It truly represents what happens between the pages of Wickedly Wanton. Excellent choice and a realistic cover--well done.

Wickedly Wanton is a good read in which social mores are maintained in public while the people enjoy lusty adventures in private.  I look forward to reading more of Ms. Reed’s work.

You can read the whole review at the Two Lips Reviews site.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Happiness is...

Apparently living in Norway. But it's so cold there! It's also freezing in Denmark and Finland, #'s 2 and 3. I guess that tells you something, huh. Too cold to go out in the winter? Happier at home. Course that's just a guess from beside my fireplace and having never been to any of those Nordic countries.

The World's Happiest Countries, taken from the Forbes article here.
In Nepal, for example, inflation is 11%, unemployment 46%. Yet a surprisingly high 50% of the people say they are satisfied with their standard of living and 81% have confidence in their banks. Could be they're scared of voicing their true opinion in a shaky democracy, or maybe the Nepalese are just endemically happier people. Legatum adjusts for this, adding a variable called "ability to express political opinion without fear."

According to the article, many small, sparsly populated countries make the top 10. So PEOPLE make one less happy? I may be reading too much into that.... The USA dosn't make the top 10--we're #14. Well, no we kind of do: in populations over 150 million, the USA is #10

Which begs the question, what does happiness mean to you?