Gretchen McLaren has her life mapped out.  A tour of duty with the Peace Corps, then working as a social worker for the elderly.  But her boyfriend Joe Walker doesn’t agree with her plan, and tries everything in his power to change her mind.  But will he succeed?  Or will his efforts drive her into the arms of another man?   Troy Anderson finds himself hearing the words no man wants to hear, “I just want to be friends.”  But when a skilled manipulator tries to tear down the woman he loves, will he fight for her?  Find out what happens when jealousy upsets the balance of love and ambition.  Has Gretchen been blind to true love the entire time? 

Meet Joseph Walker, master manipulator of the female species-

 

I find that a bit harsh.  I don’t manipulate anyone; I simply point out where thinking is flawed.

 

Ahem.  As I was saying, Joe, you have to admit some of the tactics you use on women tend to backfire.  Your last girlfriend, for instance.

 

I didn’t understand why she felt the need to buy that expensive makeup all the time.  What’s wrong with whatever that stuff you girls buy at the discount store?  It’s cheaper and does the same thing.

 

Not all cosmetics are equal.  And this interview is about you, not to give you a platform against everything we do wrong.  So let’s begin with your childhood.  Are you parents still together?  Divorced?  What was the general ‘mood’ while growing up?

 

(scowls)  Oh hell…you want to psychoanalyze me?  My parents should have gotten divorced a long time ago; money was tight because my dad inherited the family farm and tried to keep it running; Mom did what she could to raise me and my five siblings.  I was told I couldn’t go to college unless I paid for it myself, and when I did make it into IV Tech, I only had enough funds for one semester.  Meanwhile, my baby sister won a full ride to Indiana University, and my younger brother went to Purdue on a basketball scholarship.  My three older siblings didn’t have any interest in higher education.

 

Wow….I’m sensing a little jealousy and resentment.

 

Yeah.  I’m angry because no one gives a shit about my wants.

 

Why didn’t you try for an academic scholarship?

 

Because I didn’t find out until my senior year that there was no money for college.  I assumed since no one else had gone, that I’d get the supposed savings.  But there was none left; my parents had used all their savings to save the farm.

 

So why did you start dating Gretchen?

 

When you work for a trucking company, you don’t expect to find a lot of brains in your temporary help.  I mean, if you’re book smart, why the hell wouldn’t you go to work in an office or something?  It floored me when I found out Gretch was one of those bleeding heart save the world types.

 

Can you tell me why you’re so antagonistic toward her friends?

 

Because frankly, Troy’s not ‘just a friend’.  I know his type; he can’t have her, but he’ll do anything to try to take her away from me.  And from hearing her friends talk, they’re all just a bunch of selfish snobs who can’t keep their pants on.  Even Gretchen didn’t have the decency to wait for Mr. Right….she gave it up to the first one who asked.  And that guy she introduced me to at Christmas….geez.  She told me she couldn’t stand him when they were growing up, but now she hasn’t seen him in three years and they’re suddenly buddy-buddy?  Makes no sense to me.

 

To you, if you don’t get along with someone, then you’re enemies for life?

 

Pretty much, yes.  I’m decisive; I make a decision and stick with it.

 

Getting back to the book:  Do you think Molly gave you enough space to show your side?  Or is Balancing Act a one-sided account?

 

Nah, she did a good job of recording the arguments.  Toward the end, I think the constant fighting was wearing us both down.  But I still had hope for us.  I think her friends interfered a bit, and messed with her head though.

 

Are you resentful of the way you were portrayed?  And are you in any of the other books?

 

I’m mentioned in Forbidden Love, and again in the next book, I think.  As for how she portrayed me….I’m upset about a certain scene toward the end.  I mean, there are some things which are supposed to be private, you know?  And now everyone’s going to think I’m mental or something.  I hope Tom doesn’t read it.  I don’t want to lose my promotion.

 

If I may ask, what happened?  Were you mistreated by women in high school?  Or all your life?  You just didn’t wake up one morning and decide “I’m going to do everything in my power to prove I know what’s best.”

 

(shifts in his seat)  I’m not sure.  My two older sisters bossed me around; my older brother dated an airhead who read romance novels for ‘research’, especially when it came to sex.  I decided early to follow a strict moral code, and if anyone couldn’t understand that, then they were hypocrites.  Mom never really had time for me, so maybe I’m just a product of bad parenting.  But on the other hand, I’m a hard worker, and know what I want out of life.

 

Thank you for being here today Joe, and sharing your side of the story.  Look for Balancing Act to be on virtual shelves in the next month or so.

 

Wait….you recorded this?  I demand to change a few of my answers! (stands up and clenches fists at sides) You’ll make me the laughingstock of Service National!

 

(Presses silent buzzer and door opens.  Two men enter)

 

Nick Slater:  Is there a problem, Kenzie?

 

Joe was just leaving.

 

(Nick Slater and Shane Winters ‘escort’ him from the room)

 

Joe:  Get your hands off me!  I’m going.

 

Balancing Act, book #4 in the Arbor University Tales series by Molly Daniels, will be available this summer at Secret Cravings Publishing.

Hi, Everybody!  Coming May 4-6 from Secret Cravings Publishing, a weekend blog-a-thon of fun and contests, where some of the  author's evildoers get their chance to tell their side of the story. My most infamous evildoer is the shapeshifter from Fire and Ice, the infamous Dökkálfar, or Dark Fairy.  She is named Vigdis, and she is a wicked destroyer and shape shifter.  She has decided to tell her side of the story.  So, I've decided to give her a chance to explain why she does the things she does in a one-on-one interview. Expect some delicious prizes.  I'll be posting announcements and sending out emails closer to the date. Plan to be here. A party just isn't a party without you!

To remind you who Vigdis is, here's a little excerpt from her story,
Fire and Ice:
Harald came out of the woods in a crouch and quickly cut his bindings with a wickedly sharp knife.  Before he’d managed to get the last thong cut, the dark elf appeared in the mouth of the cave. Harald slashed the last rope and threw the short sword to Jory before drawing his own.  Jory grabbed it in midair and jumped down off the rock to face the hag, but was surprised to see she  had shifted again into another shape.  Now she had the appearance of a tall, beautiful woman.  Her skin was a corpse white, and her hair as black as a raven’s wing.  Her eyes had a strange red glow, and she seemed to glide rather than walk toward them. 

Jory and Harald shifted to either side of her, and she pivoted to look at each of them in turn.  Suddenly she threw back her head and screamed, a harsh, bloodcurdling sound that echoed off the rocks around them and multiplied, surrounding them.  She seemed to grow in stature until she stood over three and half meters tall.

She drew back her lips and bared long, yellowed fangs as she came first at Jory.  Harald roared his anger and leaped at her, landing on her back.  He wrapped his muscular legs around her waist and stuck his knife into the side of her throat again and again.  She shrieked and plucked him off as easily as if he’d been an insect and held him out at arm’s length, smiling as he slashed at her.   She opened her mouth and it seemed to section open wider and wider.  Her horrible mouth, dripping saliva,  drew closer to Harald, when suddenly and without warning, Brandr fell on her from the cliffs above , wrapping himself around her back. He twisted her head in his hands, trying to rip it off.   His golden wings beat around her as she screeched in agony. 


Add Comment   Great News for SCP 03/31/2012 0 Comments   Secret Cravings Publishing has been named the Publisher of the Year for the New York Chapter of the RWA!!  Terribly exciting news for SCP and all its authors!  Jean Joachim, an author at SCP has been named their Author of the Year.  Wow!   Our publisher is without a doubt one of the most professional people in the business and so fast!!  Not one of these pubs that make a writer wait months to even hear back from them and then more months before their book finally comes out.  Love me some SCP!
My book Training Tristan is still hanging in there on the top list at Siren/Bookstrands.  Today it's at 20 on the Alternative Romance section of the list.  Go Tristan! Add Comment   Great News for Training Tristan and for Secret Cravings Publishing 03/25/2012 0 Comments   First my news, cause I'm excited--Training Tristan is now #30 on the Siren Bookstrand Bestseller Top 100 List!  I've never made this list before so I'm understandably excited!  Thanks to all my lovely readers for liking this story as much as I did.  You can check out an excerpt on the Excerpt Page.

Would you like to try to win a copy of Training Tristan?  Leave me a comment on why you'd like to read it and I'll choose one winner by the end of next week! 

Next and much more importantly, actually, SCP got great news yesterday.  It has been nominated as Publisher of the Year for the Romance Writers of America New York City Chapter.  Very exciting news!!

Add Comment   A Little Valentine's Heat 02/04/2012 24 Comments   Looking for something hot and spicy for Valentine's Day?  Try some Georgia Heat. I'll be giving away a free copy of this latest release from Remy and Shannon to everyone who comments on my blog from now till February 14th!  Here's a little advance:  (By the way, it's also available for purchase on Amazon, B&N, Bookstrands, AllRomanceebooks, and of course, Secret Cravings Publishing--just in case you decide you can't wait!)

Blurb: 

Thieves have been operating a huge car theft ring in a small Georgia town, crossing county lines. Atlanta detective Mark Bradley comes down to investigate.  On his first night in town he runs into an old flame he’s never forgotten.  Mark met Jake a few years before, and they shared a night of wild passion.  There was only one problem—Mark was married.  Jake is young, tough and has a giant chip on his shoulder when it comes to Mark’s betrayal, and Mark has a lot of explaining to do to obtain his forgiveness. When Mark discovers Jake has a connection to the theft ring, things get even more complicated.  Mark has to solve the case before Jake gets in way too deep.

Excerpt  Rated R:

    Jumping back in his car, he raced across town, thankfully avoiding any patrol cars at this ungodly hour of the morning, and pulled up outside of Jake’s apartment.  He noticed  the lights in the living room were still on and there was a strange truck pulled up beside Jake’s car.

    Mark reached over to the glove box and pulled out his Glock.  He began to get a bad feeling as he got out of his car, and didn’t close his door all the way to avoid making any noise. 

            He walked carefully up to the apartment’s un-curtained kitchen window and looked in.  He was shocked at what he saw going on inside the apartment.

            Some scruffy ass thug with shaggy hair was sitting on the sofa, his head thrown back with an expression of pure bliss on his face. Kneeling between his outstretched legs, his mouth fully engaged, was Jake.

            Mark had heard the expression,“seeing red” before, but he’d never fully understood it, thinking it to be some clichéd metaphor, but now he realized for the first time, exactly what the  expression meant. His eyes filmed over with a red haze which could have been the blood rushing to his head for all he knew.  Whatever it was, the urge to kill with extreme prejudice came over him. 

            The hypocritical son of a bitch.  How long after Mark left had he waited before making this booty call?  Five minutes?  Two?  Who was this fuckhead anyway?  Could it be the Zack  Jake had teased him with during dinner? 

            Moving soundlessly to the screen door, which of course was still open--the stupid son of a bitch never locked his door--Mark eased it open without making a sound.  Neither man in the room was in any condition to pay attention to much going on around them, so it was easy to slip silently up behind Jake and draw his 9 mm Glock. 

            With one sudden move, he put an arm around Jake’s throat, hauling him off the other guy’s cock ruthlessly and sticking the revolver’s barrel right into his mouth instead.  Jake’s sudden, huge intake of breath told him how much he’d surprised him. “Why don’t you try sucking this, asshole?” he whispered viciously in Jake’s ear.

            The scruffy jerk on the couch, who appeared to be very drunk or very fucked up on something, opened his eyes wide and yelled, “Damn, dude.  Put the gun down!”

Jake was being very still in Mark’s grasp, the only sign of his excitement being the rapid rise and fall of his chest. Mark pulled the gun back out of Jake’s mouth and stuck it up next to his temple.

            “Ask your friend to excuse you, sweetheart.  He has to leave now.”

            Scruffy dude jumped to his feet, buttoning his jeans and backing toward the door.  “Take it easy, man,” he said, holding out both hands in front of him. “I’m going now.  There’s nothing between us, man, nothing at all, I swear.  I don’t want to get involved in this shit at all, man.”

            Mark nodded toward the door.  “Then get the hell out, man.”

            He turned and hit the door running, and Mark chuckled softly.  “Your hero, Jake.  You sure know how to pick ‘em.”

            Jake was still saying nothing,  breathing hard.  Mark stood up with his arm still around Jake’s throat, forcing him to scramble to his feet.  He pulled him roughly to the door of the bedroom and then pushed him onto the bed, slamming the bedroom door behind them.  Jake fell facedown and turned over rapidly, beginning to get to his feet.  Instead he met the barrel of Mark’s Glock again, pointed at his forehead. 

            “Sit down, motherfucker.  We’re going to talk.”

            Jake subsided back on the bed, still staring at Mark disbelievingly, saying nothing.  Mark smiled.  “Oh, you got nothing to say now, motherfucker?  You said plenty earlier.  You were a lot tougher then, too, as I recall.  As a matter of fact, you were hell with those vases of flowers, not to mention the baked potatoes.”

            Jake smiled back, a bitter, pissed off little smile.  The only way he betrayed any emotion at all was the still rapid breathing, but Mark had to admire his nerve.  Jake was definitely holding his own.  “Well, hell, Mark,” he said, his voice shaking only a little, “a baked potato isn’t much of a match against a goddamn gun.”

            Mark kept the gun pointed at Jake.  “You’re going to listen to me, now Jake, and I don’t want to hear shit from you—maybe not ever again.  And when I say what I have to say, I’ll get the hell out of here.  Do you understand?”

            Jake nodded, his lips pressed together so tightly there was a white line around his mouth.

            “What you heard earlier, jerk, was me talking to my best friend, another cop named Buckley, who’s been my best friend for a lot of years. I was telling him  I didn’t really think you were involved in the car theft ring we’ve been investigating, but I thought you might know some of the guys involved.  I also explained to him if you were involved,  I would get you out of it somehow, because I’m stupid enough to be in love with you, and I was going to use this weekend to try to talk to you and tell you everything and offer to help you, if you needed me to.”

            “Yeah, probably I should have told you sooner, but we’ve been pretty busy ever since we met each other again fucking each other’s brains out every time we get together. There hasn’t exactly been a lot of time.  But you were too busy chucking potatoes and steak sauce at me, trying to bash my brains in to listen to anything I had to say.”

            “So I leave here, and get back to my room and think, hell no, this is not going to end this way.  Jake is too important to me.  So I come back here, ready to make you listen to me, and find you sucking some guy’s dirty dick.  Not thirty minutes after I left, I might add, you two bit, fucking, cunt whore!”

            Mark un-cocked the Glock and stuck it back into the waistband of his jeans.  “To think I was actually going to go home Monday and ask my wife for a divorce.  For you. Bullshit!  Don’t worry, Jake, I won’t be back.  You’ve made yourself quite clear about how you feel about me. I won’t be seeing you again.  But if you are involved in this shit at work, you’ve had your only warning from me.”

            He turned around without another word and walked out the door, closing it firmly behind him.

           



24 Comments   Revenge: A Dish Best Served Cold? Or Hot and Sexy? 01/19/2012 0 Comments        Revenge tragedies started way way back, nearly 500 years ago.  (Think Hamlet) and even before that in the stories of the Greeks and Romans.  But what about today? A new TV show called Revenge has garnered a lot of popularity recently, so people still seem to be fascinated by the idea of payback with a vengeance.
     How does this possibly translate into an erotic romance?  Oh the possibilities!  The classic revenge tragedy has a villain, a hero, a ghost (who tells the hero what happened).  Then the hero decides to act mad in order to "catch the conscience" of the villain. Then of course at the end, the villain in brought to justice and everybody dies.  Well, it is a tragedy, right?
     Not exactly the stuff romances are made of.  But let's throw in a happily ever after ending, and a villain who's not really such a villain, but just defending his family.  And a hero who's not such a hero, but more a strong, virile Alpha male, who's intent on making the "villain" pay, (and yes, I'm talking sex, here) and you begin to have an idea for a great romance.  At least I certainly hope so!
       This is the plot, sort of, for my latest WIP, a Mountain Wolf Pack story set in the North Carolina mountains.  Here's the idea:  When Rory, a young Gamma, protects the mate of his Alpha by killing a rogue wolf kidnapper, he doesn't think twice.  He's protecting a vital member of his pack.  Trouble is, the rogue's family wants revenge for the killing and the brother of the victim shows up at the compound ready to take his place in the pack.  Actually he only wants to gain access to Rory.  Imagine his shock when he sees Rory and discovers that the handsome young wolf is his blood mate!  He is totally drawn to him and can't resist, and certainly can't kill him.  What can he do to exact his revenge? 
       Therein lies the story.  Aidan, the victim's brother, has to figure out a way to take a lasting revenge on his own blood match  mate, without destroying both Rory and himself in the process.  He decides to take him captive and hold him against his will while he "avenges" himself.  Makes for a very hot revenge story!  I'll be posting excerpts, so tune in again soon! 


Add Comment   Secret Cravings One Year Anniversary! 01/04/2012 12 Comments  
Secret Cravings Publishing celebrates one year!  Come join us in the fun and win some great prizes*...From Secret Cravings, 
First prize - Kindle Fire
Second prize - Amazon GC $50
Third prize - SCP GC $25

Every participating author is having their own give-way, so make sure to stop by every blog and comment for more chances to win.
YOU MUST comment on EVERY blog over the next month to be eligible for the main prizes listed above- no purchase is necessary and please leave your email address.

Remember!!!   I'm giving away my own special Anniversary Treat.  Leave a comment and I will randomly select one winner for a copy of Come Hell or High Water, a new male/male erotic Romance!
Here's a  little about the story:
Football jock Brandon fell in love with fellow student Will when they met freshman year in college.   Now seniors, they’re still madly in love and Brandon is still deeply in the closet.  At the college Christmas dance, Will forces Brandon  to make a decision.  When he panics and makes the wrong choice, he loses the best thing that ever happened to him.  He has only one more chance at love on Christmas Eve. Does he come out to his friends and lose their friendship and respect or does he admit who he really is and realize his sweetest dream? If he makes the wrong choice again, he’ll lose the best Christmas present he could ever hope to have.

Excerpt:  Come Hell or High Water
Brandon felt his heart do a little flip, and another damn blush started stealing up over his cheeks.  He buried his head in his book and did his best to pay attention for the rest of the class and to not look in the cute boy’s direction for the remainder of class.

                Finally the bell rang and Brandon almost leaped from his seat.  He made it almost to the door, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.  He turned in dread to see the cute guy looking up at him with interest.   “Hey man, sorry to bother you if you’re in a rush, but I wanted to let you know a few of us have started a study group for this class, if you’re interested.”  He lowered his voice conspiritorially, “Miss Lyons is pretty well known as a hard-assed bitch who’ll fail you if you’re not careful.  She seems to get her rocks off that way, actually.”

                “Uh, okay, yeah,” Brandon said, shuffling his feet a little.  Seen close up, the cute guy had beautiful green eyes with some kind of gold flecks in them. He wasn’t as big as Brandon, only being about 5’9’ but he had a great body, lean but well toned.  His hair was dark brown and curly, and he had a great smile. A beautiful mouth, really, Brandon thought, with nice full lips.  He wondered how those lips would feel as they slipped over his cock.  Brandon lowered his eyes at the sudden thought and  knew he should say something else, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say, his mind so full of the image of this boy  on his knees in front of him, so he just stood there like a big dumbass. 

                “My name is Will, by the way,”  the boy said.  “If you decide to join us, we’ll be at the student center at  6 o’clock.  We’ll be studying for the test Friday.”

                “Oh, okay.  I might see you there.  Thanks.” Brandon turned away and walked quickly out of the room, knowing he was being rude, but unable to stand there a minute longer, because he suddenly had the biggest hard on he’d ever had, just thinking about Will’s mouth on him.  He lowered his books over the front of his jeans and made it quickly and painfully into the men’s room, where he closed the stall door behind him and unbuttoned his jeans to give himself a little room.  Damn, but that guy was hot. He was gay too, Brandon knew, because as good looking as he was, he was also a little fem.  Brandon had seen them referred to in his magazines too as “flamers.”  Not that it was a bad thing.  It kind of turned him on, in fact, but it was pretty obvious that Will was gay, and Brandon was so firmly locked inside his closet.  If they were seen together too much, his secet might come out, and that was one thing he definitely wasn’t ready for.

                After a few minutes, he was able to come out of the bathroom stall, though still about half hard, and was horrified to see Will standing there, leaning against a sink, as if he were waiting for him.  Indeed, he must have been, because as soon as he saw him emerge from the stall, he walked over to him and leaned in close.  “I just wanted to see if you needed any help taking care of that boner?  If you do, my car is parked outside.  It’s a red jeep—you can’t miss it.  I’ll be waiting for you, if you decide you want to uh…come.  I know a spot nearby where we wouldn’t be disturbed or seen, if that’s a consideration.”  He ran his hand over Brandon’s crotch and smiled, then turned on his heel  and walked out of the bathroom, twitching his ass just a little. Brandon stood in the middle of the men’s room, totally confused for a full minute.  Then that brave, horny, WTF feeling came over him and he rushed out the door to find the red jeep in the parking lot. 

                He saw it right away, idling in lane that ran in front of the door.  He went up and opened the door, and Will smiled a sweet, sexy smile at him.  He threw his books in the back seat and strapped himslef in, ready for what promised to be a very wild ride.





_ 12 Comments   Is it Me or is Christmas Getting Too Hectic? 12/03/2011 8 Comments   ___After you read, please leave me a comment. Tell me how you plan to  make time for love over the holidays.  Prizes will be awarded to the best comments and suggestions!  Check out the Contest and Freebies page for more details.  Then hop on over to the next stop on the blog hop.   http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/


Every year it seems the demands on our time get greater and greater, leaving little time for romance.  This year, take some time to make some time for the one you love.  Here are a few suggestions!
First of all, Don’t stop moving 
You know if you go home after work, you’ll get comfy and never want to leave, right?  Call your partner and set up a date night.  Make it a point to go straight from work to your dinner dates at least a couple of days a week. It makes the day go faster, as you have that date to look forward to. It also allows you to get out of the office at a decent hour. What better motivation to leave work!”

Secondly, Expand your options 
"Make a point not to limit your options, but to expand them,” says Michelle DeAngelis, founder and chief executive of New York-based Joy Scout. “If you can’t swing a long, leisurely dinner date, then how about a quick drink or meet-up at a sushi bar? Or maybe a walk after he’s had dinner and the deadlines are done; then we're both more relaxed and ready for fun.”

Thirdly, Deploy your skills 
What about if you haven't met that special one yet?  Having time for love won’t just happen. “You must create and plan for it, just like you do for business presentations, conferences and meetings,” counsels Kathleen Hall, CEO of Atlanta’s Stress Institute. “Begin by asking yourself where you can go to meet the kind of person you want to date. Volunteer for an organization you are passionate about. Discover a yoga or meditation studio. Attend a lecture series at a local university or take a class in painting, drawing or writing. This plan creates play and relaxation time woven into meeting new dating prospects. You are not just exerting effort to find a date; you are creating an area of meaning and enrichment in your life.”

The key is being reasonable about striking a balance. No one is suggesting you abandon work, family or other commitments. But “if you try to make everything in life a high priority, you will feel stressed and overwhelmed,” explains Christi Youd, president of American Fork, Utah-based Organize Enterprise LLC. “Use the prioritizing process to let go of pressures placed on you by others. Once you are clear on your own priorities, you can do away with time-consuming tasks that don’t really support you and what you value. This will greatly improve the quality of your life.” And open up your schedule to love!
8 Comments