Cooking to Score with L.C. Chase and Chloe Cole!

I've a very special (and delicious!) treat for you today: a "seduction menu" by the authors of the new Three to Tango, L.C. Chase and Chloe Cole!


Before we move on to delicious recipes and L.C.'s clever artwork, let's begin with some beautiful cover art and a blurb:

Best friends and roommates, Jace and Melody have been inseparable since middle school. Although Mel knows Jace is gay, she has yet to find a man who can compare. When they decide to add a third roommate to their nest, they both find themselves falling for him. It's not the first time they've wanted the same man, but this time, they're both determined to get him. Agreeing Alec should be the one to choose, they begin a heated competition for a place in Alec’s bed and his heart. Winner take all, no hard feelings...

Alec has lived with his two gorgeous roomies for six months. So far, he’s managed to relegate his desire for each of them to his daydreams. When he discovers that they both want him and have decided to compete for his attention, he sets out to prove that it can be win-win situation for all of them, and he shouldn’t have to choose.

Sometimes it takes three to tango.

And now . . . cooking to score!

Having an open court to work his magic on Alec while Melody was off at a volleyball tournament, Jace tore a page out of Grandma Mabel’s book, and created his very own “Seduction Menu.” He started with the aphrodisiac’s menu, and ended in Alec’s bed.

If you want to create a feast sure to strip the pants off your man, take a tip from Jace and ignite his hormones through his stomach. (Menu beneath the jump!)

Break and Enter Finds a Home! :D :D :D

Excellent news, folks! Break and Enter, the M/M cyberpunk novella I co-wrote with the fantabulous Aleksandr Voinov (of Special Forces fame), has been accepted at Samhain Publishing! We're shooting for a Dec 2011 release, and I suspect I'll be doing a lot of bouncing off the walls between now and then.

For those who are curious about the submission process, or at the submission stage for their own stories, or who just want to see what Break and Enter is about, here's the query letter we sent to Samhain (minus the biographical paragraph):

Major Victor “Cyke” Kellermann is on the run for a crime he didn’t— well, okay, did commit, but at least he didn’t realize it at the time. Cyke’s a good guy, you see: a security expert, a “white hat hacker” for hire. He’s also more teched out than the Bionic Man, even if the army did leave him to his ailing ’ware when they abandoned him three years ago.

Cyke’s latest series of break-ins-for-hire are proving  . . . difficult. Sentinel Tech’s security measures are top of the line, and though Cyke has no trouble getting in, he keeps tripping up on the getting out part. The cops hounding his ass aren’t helping matters, either. Why haven’t his employers told them he’s legal and called off the dogs? Cyke can see only one reason: someone’s stealing SenTech’s data for real and setting Cyke up to take the fall. 

Fortunately there’s Bear, a paramedic-cum-tech phreak fascinated by the mysterious stranger and his even more mysterious ’ware. Bear scrapes Cyke off the sidewalk after more than one brutal SenTech cyberattack. When Cyke is injured and out of options after a disastrous third break-in, he stumbles onto Bear’s doorstep. Cyke hasn’t trusted another man in years, hasn’t felt desire for one in even longer, and Bear’s none too thrilled about harboring an alleged fugitive. But the more time they spend together, the more they realize that each is exactly what the other needs. Together, they might just clear Cyke’s name and expose the ugly secrets of a company whose business is locking secrets away.

You can read a bit more about Break and Enter in an earlier blog post, here, along with a sneak preview of the novella. And because I'm feeling excited and celebratory and can't wait to share Bear and Cyke with you all, here's another sneak peek, beneath the jump.

Sexy Story Starters - Write and Win with Indigo Skye!

Indigo Skye, author of the new Noble Romance release, Her Captive Muse, is our guest today at Fantasy Unbound. She's holding a big blog tour for her new release, which is running through May 2011 (visit her blog, Indigo Skye: Ink and Art, http://www.indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com, for details). 

To celebrate the release of her first novel, Ms. Skye is giving away a copy of her e-book to one lucky winner on this blog. To enter, simply choose one of the story starters below and create your own lusty tale. Post it here, or if you're shy, just send it to indigoskyeinkandart@gmail.com with the subject line "Story Starter Contest." (Please send all stories to Indigo, whether you post here or not.) She'll publish the best one on her blog and send the winner a free copy of Her Captive Muse! And for those of you brave enough to share your story publicly, I'll offer up an editorial critique to one poster at random, as well; if you'd like to be considered for it, please mention that in your comment.  

Before we move on to the story prompts, let's have a little blurb and cover art for Her Captive Muse:

When Brendan Delaney answered an ad for an artist's model, he was looking for an easy way to earn some extra cash. But Morgan Roan wanted more than just a model. 

Soon, Brendan finds himself caught in a web of deception and desire, lust and betrayal—her captive muse. What price pleasure?

Now on to the fun stuff . . . here are the Sexy Story Starters by Indigo Skye!

1.  Our date began with an embarrassment of red roses, and too many apologies. Everything went wrong...but being with Julian felt so right. Over dinner, I wondered, Is it possible to fall in love on a bad blind date?

2.  When I first met Mark, we couldn't stand each other. I thought he was stuck-up. He thought I was too shy. We met again at a party a year later, and he was too drunk to remember my name. I hate that. The third time we met, he looked great. He remembered my name, and asked me to dance. It was lust at third sight...

3.  I was in love with a man who didn't even know my name. I suffered for a year and a day, painfully shy, unable to make a move. I saw him every morning. I knew he liked his coffee with lots of cream and sugar, and that his eyes were a beautiful shade of green. When he ordered his coffee, I thought, Today's the day he will notice me. But he never did. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to take matters into my own hands. I borrowed my friend Sharon's copy of 101 Love Spells, and began to concoct a plan...

Happy writing, folks!

Interview Fun and a Shiny New Paperback!

Greetings all :-) As I mentioned a few days back, Sublime: Collected Shorts is now available in print at just $6.95. For those of you who found Createspace's shipping costs prohibitive, I'm pleased to announce that the Sublime trade paperback came available on Amazon this evening, where it's eligible for free shipping. In that regard, I'd like to turn the floor briefly over to Jay Sherman, who has a wise and important message for you all on my behalf ;-)

In other news, I'm being interviewed over at Leanne Dyck's blog today. And tomorrow as well, actually, as the interview went kind of long, so she's posting it over two days. Peek in on or after 9 AM pacific time to learn all about my sordid history as a game store owner and how that helped me become a writer.

And don't forget that tomorrow there'll be some writing prompt excitement with the one and only Indigo Skye, who'll be giving away one free copy of her upcoming release to an amateur writer among us. I'll be sweetening the pot by offering an editorial critique on one person's prompt-fic, of the kind I used to do for contracted authors when working editorial at Avalon Publishing.

Lastly, I've made a few updates to my website, RachelHaimowitz.com, in particular on the "About Me" and "Upcoming Works" pages. If you've ever wondered how I look in hippie facepaint (and surely that question keeps you all up at night), go on and check it out.

Crescendo Sneak Peek & Writing Contest

Morning, folks!

Did you all catch that Crescendo excerpt at the bottom of my bullet-pointed list of hilarity (well, to me, anyway) about my vacation? What's that? No? *izshocked* Well, that's okay, because here's another one below the jump.

Also, be sure to join us here on Saturday the 26th to participate in a very creative guest post by Indigo Skye (author of Uniform Behavior and Her Captive Muse). She's got some writing prompts for you all, and there'll be two winners: one on my blog and one on hers. You'll definitely want to check that out, along with some other fun upcoming events.

But for now, another Crescendo sneak peek, beneath the jump.

Chatting with Veronica Lynch - ATRS Interview & Giveaway!

Afternoon, folks! I've been fortunate to have a number of lovely guest bloggers over at Fantasy Unbound lately, and today the trend continues with All Things Romantic Suspense author Veronica Lynch, who's here to answer my weird questions and share a bit about her latest release. She's also giving away a free mouse pad to one lucky commenter, so be sure to stop in and say hi :-)

As always, let's begin with a blurb and some cover art:

Revenge is a dish best served cold. 

Twenty-five years ago, Fiona Thorpe's classmates voted her most likely to explode. Through hard work and rigorous self-control she is now every woman's fantasy, every man's wet dream. Head held high, and less than half her former size, Fee returns to her high school reunion weekend. Her goal: exact revenge on those who made her life a living hell back in the day. Her first attempts are remarkably easy and give her profound satisfaction. But no one is more shocked than Fee when she discovers the handsome, respected man seated beside her at the opening banquet is a modern day Paladin, who avenges those unable to defend themselves. To make matters worse, he is her former chief tormentor, Mick Dineen. 

Are some wounds too deep to heal? Or can two former enemies find common ground? 

(Pages 68) Sensual. Available soon at The Wild Rose Press.

Veronica kindly supplied us with a quick excerpt from The List:

Frustrated with the holdup, Fee glanced around the room, hoping to see Dru the minute she entered the ballroom. A hand on her arm claimed her attention. “Here comes someone you should meet.” 

“Who?” 

“Last year's Eastman Award winner,” Rafe said, “And a helluva nice guy.” 

“Where?” 

“There, coming toward us.” 

One nano-second later, all thoughts of revenge evaporated like steam out of a boiling kettle. Thick gold hair flecked with gray grazed the collar of his jacket. His features were weathered, as if he'd already lived ten times over. Broad through the shoulders and chest, and narrow at the waist and hips, he possessed the long legs of a broken-field runner. Moving across the parquet floor as if born to a runway, he looked confident and  at ease with himself. Without disrupting that graceful, fluid motion, he undid his tie, then shrugged out of his suit jacket. 

She'd almost given up on finding a man like this. 

This one had the Look.

And now the interview, under the jump.

Happy News from a Dear Friend = Free Book Giveaways!

Just a quick post, folks, to let you know the brilliant and talented L.C. Chase and her cowriter (whom I don't know but who is presumably also brilliant and talented, or she'd not have earned L.C.'s admiration) Chloe Cole have just celebrated the release day of their very first book, Three to Tango!

First, a hearty congrats to them both. Second, if you'd like to win a copy of Three to Tango, head over to L.C. Chase's blog for chance #1 to win, and Chloe Cole's blog for chance #2 to win. They're each giving away a copy to one lucky commenter.

I shall leave off with a blurb and trailer to tempt you:

Best friends and roommates, Jace and Melody have been inseparable since middle school. Although Mel knows Jace is gay, she has yet to find a man who can compare. When they decide to add a third roommate to their nest, they both find themselves falling for him. It's not the first time they've wanted the same man, but this time, they're both determined to get him. Agreeing Alec should be the one to choose, they begin a heated competition for a place in Alec’s bed and his heart. Winner take all, no hard feelings... 

Alec has lived with his two gorgeous roomies for six months. So far, he’s managed to relegate his desire for each of them to his daydreams. When he discovers that they both want him and have decided to compete for his attention, he sets out to prove that it can be win-win situation for all of them, and he shouldn’t have to choose. 

Sometimes it takes three to tango.

Bleeding at the Computer: A Guest Blog and Ebook Giveaway by Cara Marsi!

Evening, folks! We've got a special guest and fellow Noble Romance author stopping by this evening: Cara Marsi. She's here to talk about writing and the evolution of her new release, Cursed Mates, and also to give one free copy away to a lucky commenter!

Let's start with her gorgeous cover and blurb, and then I'll turn the floor over to her.

Nick Radford is a reluctant werewolf who's been fighting the Beast within for nearly 500 years. He's never killed a human, but the Beast is gaining strength and Nick may not be able to ward off his inner demon much longer. Kyla Yaeger is an elite were-hunter with a scarred past. Her life's mission is to slay the werewolves that slaughtered her parents. Her quest has brought her to Maine, where she's been summoned to destroy the werewolf terrorizing the quaint little village of Heavensent. The last thing she needs is to get distracted by her mysterious—not to mention hunky—new neighbor, Nick Radford. By the time Kyla learns Nick is her target, she's already fallen for him, making her task of killing him that much harder. She is torn between her love for him and her duty to kill her sworn enemy. Nick fights his forbidden love for Kyla, knowing she is duty-bound to kill him. Kyla and Nick must join forces to fight an even bigger threat—one that will destroy all humanity. Only by their combined powers, can they destroy the evil and bring an end to a centuries old curse.

And now Cara, beneath the jump.

Obligatory Vacation Slides (Now With 50% More Hot British Dinnermate!)

I'm back from vacation and feeling so relaxed right now that I've actually slid off the couch and am typing in a boneless heap on the floor. I seriously cannot recall the last time I had such a wonderful trip as I just did. And as promised, I bring you recaps and (a few) photos. I'm too relaxed for complete sentences. You must settle for bullet points. I'm also waiting on many photos from friends, as I stupidly did not take a camera, so for now, you must settle for a towel animal and two pictures of islands. Totally worth it, though; that towel animal is ADORABLE.

All the ramblings, beneath the jump.

SUBlime Now Available in Print!

Evenin', folks! Just a quick note to let you know that Sublime: Collected Shorts is now available in print for only $6.95! The lovely and talented L.C. Chase did the interior layout as well as the cover art (the front cover pictured here, plus a back cover for the print book), so it's as gorgeous as you'd expect anything she touches to be.

Meanwhile, I'm working on my vacation post and hope to bring that to you tomorrow. Or, barring its completion, a fresh new excerpt from Crescendo, which is flowing at a lovely pace, thanks to my relaxing days at sea :D Until tomorrow, folks!

Back on Dry Ground!

Afternoon, folks! I just got in from my vacation, so of course the first thing I do before laundry or even unpacking is make a blog post :-p (Oh internets, how I missed you! *huggles internets*)

Since several people have been asking, I do plan to write up a post about my trip. It was a pretty hilarious vacation (in large part thanks to our four wonderful dinner companions from the UK), so hopefully it'll be at least a marginally amusing post. I'm waiting on other people for pictures, so I may end up doing a text-only post this weekend and a picture post later (you'll want to come back for that, trust me). For now I'm signing off to catch up on two weeks' worth of emails; if you've been waiting to hear from me or have me respond to a friend request, hopefully I'll get to everyone in the next day or so.

Chat with Ursula Grey & Win a $10 ARe Gift Certificate!

As promised, here is blog post #3 for the day. This one features the lovely Ursula Grey, to whom I owe an apology for posting up a day late. Alas, while there are a great many wonderful things about being at sea (check back in a couple days for vacation recap hilarity), sketchy satellite internet is not one of them. 

So, without further ado, here's Ursula beneath the jump. And remember, one lucky commenter will win a $10 gift certificate to All Romance ebooks, courtesy of Ursula!

Cupid is IN DA HOUSE! (And So Is Author Gracen Miller!)

Morning folks! I'm a bad blogger (or rather, there are bad internets out at sea), so today you're actually getting three posts: the Hottie of the Day, this post, and the one that was supposed to go up yesterday: the ATRS guest blog with Ursula Grey.

So, for post #2 of the day, let me introduce you to the lovely author Gracen Miller. We're doing a blog swap today; her characters are popping in to Fantasy Unbound to share an interview and very X-Rated excerpt from their world, and Ayden and Freyrik from Counterpoint are popping in to her blog, Moonlight, Lace, and Mayhem, to share an interview and excerpt with her readers. Cupid is moderating both interviews, so you know things are bound to get interesting. Be sure to check them out.

Now I'll turn the floor over to Cupid and Gracen Miller, who's so graciously offered to give one lucky commenter a pair of Betty Boop Valentine's Day knee high socks :D Hotness beneath the jump, folks!

Yearning for with Amy Lane

Greetings from the Caribbean! It's raining here today so I thought I'd do a bonus post with actual content--the amazing Amy Lane (of Talker and Keeping Promise Rock fame) has dropped by to share some thoughts on the agony of new releases.

(And don't forget, I'll be guest-blogging tomorrow at Simply Sexy Stories. You don't want to miss that one!)

Speaking of new releases, here's the cover and blurb for Amy's:

Teague’s in the game for redemption, and Jack’s in the game for Teague. Can they both get what they need at Green’s Hill?

Jack and Teague are human ‘hunters’, who have been recruited to work as liaisons between the preternatural world of Green’s Hill and the ignorant humans that surround it. Teagues in the game for redemption – and Jack’s in the game for Teague.

Teague Sullivan is damaged and haunted – and about the loneliest man Jack has ever met. But Jack sees beyond his scars and his gruffness to kind and valiant man underneath. Unfortunately, Teague sees beneath Jack’s overtures to the naive, green idealist, and although Teague loves him, he makes it clear that a scarred old dog like himself will never be good enough for a sweet young pup like Jacky.

While the argument’s raging, Jack is injured in the line of duty and the two hunters are abruptly sucked into the paranormal world that they’ve been defending.  Teague is forced to reevaluate everything he’s believed about the two of them. He may be old and damaged, but that doesn’t mean he can let his Jacky go somewhere without him, does it?

(Be aware that future books in this series contain m/m/f menage.)

And now I turn the floor over to Amy--who is seriously one of the funniest ladies you'll ever have the pleasure to meet--beneath the jump.

Exclusive New Excerpt

First, some fun for all you Anchored fans: I'm guest-blogging at Chris Redding's blog today, and I've given him an exclusive excerpt of The New Kid, a piece from a not-yet-released short story collection that takes place in the Belonging world. This is the very first peek that anyone--my editor included--has had of these stories. The collection is a work in progress (so no release date yet) that focuses on Daniel's early years at NewWorld Media. Many of the stories, including this one, are told through the eyes of others. (If you'd like to suggest a theme or idea for one of these stories, you can do so here.)

And now, on to the Hottie of the Day. I've been thinking a lot about fighters lately, what with the Belonging-verse stories Aleks Voinov and I are planning, so for this week's hotties, the gloves come . . . er, on? Besides, who doesn't love a little threat of violence? :D


Under the jump for the workin' folks.

Bon Voyage!

Alas, my dearies, I must leave you now for sun and sand, tacky tiki bars, and hot men in speedos. (Well, okay, probably not that last part, but at least there won't be snow, which at this point is plenty good enough.) People have suggested that a Hottie of the Day would not go amiss, so I'm taking care of that now, and you can come back to see a nice little jem most days I'm gone. A couple days will even feature actual content, such as author interviews and maybe a sneak peek or two. And don't forget to join me at Simply Sexy Stories on February 14, where I'm sure my topic of choice will shock you all to the very core ;-)

Until then, I leave you with . . . well, not a hottie, but still pretty adorable. Behind a cut for potential NSFWness.

Shipping Out

Morning folks. Just a quick note to let you all know that I'm going on vacation tomorrow (horray Caribbean cruise!) and will not have terribly reliable internet while I'm gone. There will still be some blog posts--I'll be front-loading a few surprises for you, and of course my All Things Romantic Suspense guest interviewees will still be dropping by--but it's unlikely I'll have new content every day. Unless you want a Hottie of the Day? I can do that; I certainly have enough pictures worth sharing. In fact, here's one now :D

Yes/no? Leave a comment and let me know if you'd like to see things here while I'm gone :-) And in the meanwhile, I'll be working on Crescendo every day from a deckchair overlooking the ocean. The nice warm ocean. It's frankly kind of hard to picture a world not covered in snow right now, but I'm sure I'll manage. Somehow. Anyway . . . where was I again? Oh, yes, Crescendo. I'll try to post an excerpt or two while I'm gone, as well.

I won't be back until the 19th. (I guess some good things did come of the recession, like desperate cruise lines selling 12-night sailings for $549.) I'll have some fun stuff for you all when I return, and maybe even a contest to celebrate my relaxed and well-rested state. See you on the flipside!

Crescendo Sneak Peek #2

I think I've finally hit my stride on Crescendo. The words have really been flowing the last couple days, so I thought it might be fun to share some with you this morning. Fair warning: I am a bad, bad character-mommy. You've probably all noticed this already, but I tend to break my toys, and now is no different. My family tells me this is why we can't have nice things ;-) But I promise I'll kiss it and make it all better by the end, for whatever that's worth.

So, excerpt beneath the cut. Before I launch into the sneak peek, one quick note you folks may find useful. It turns out that, on rare occasion, Groupon.com actually offers something useful. Who'd have thunk it? I don't mean to sound like an infomercial, but today's discount in my area was pretty epic for book-lovers: $10 for $20 worth of credit at Barnes and Noble--either in-store or online. So if you own a Nook, or like to hold a paper book in your hands, it kind of doesn't get any better than this: http://gr.pn/ezlID1.

But back to topic, here's today's Crescendo sneak peek, beneath the jump. And if you want to see more exclusive sneak peeks, be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter (the first one will be going out on March 1ish), where I will exclusively preview whole scenes.

Chatting with the Puppetmaster, Mindy MacKay (And Free Ebooks!)

Morning, folks. Wonky weather has left me a day late with this week's All Things Romantic Suspense Interview, so without further ado, here's Mindy MacKay, author of the Puppetmaster series, to discuss the writing life and her latest release. She's also included an excerpt, and she'll be raffling off both ebooks in the Puppetmaster series (Peacebreakers and Soulgame) to one lucky commenter, so be sure to share the love for your chance to win!

As always, let's start with the cover and blurb for her latest novel, Soulgame. It has zombies and romance . . . hopefully not together ;-)

Kiera has managed to eradicate the zombie threat and restore order to the new empire, but the death of her lover still weighs heavy on her conscience. It doesn’t help that the Queen is using her misery to win over sympathy from the press. When an uprising threatens the stability of the regime, the ruthless Queen offers Kiera a chance to go back and change where she messed up on the condition that she eliminate the resistance…through whatever despicable means necessary. 

All the rest of the fun is beneath the jump.

Win a Free Kindle, & It's Like High School All Over Again!

There's a popularity contest going on at D. Renee Bagby's First Chapters Blog, where people vote for the best cover, chapter, first line, and last line of all the first chapters posted at her blog in January. I'm the first to admit that the first and last sentence of Anchored's first chapter aren't the most riveting on their own (but work fine with the story, tyvm ;-p), but I do think the cover and the first chapter as a whole are pretty happening. If you think so too, I'd be delighted if you'd hop on over and vote. 

Now for the bit you really care about: winning a free Kindle. Noble Romance Publishing is giving away a pre-loaded Kindle for Valentine's day, along with additional awesome prizes like a $25 gift certificate to Amazon, a $25 gift certificate to ARe, and a bunch of author swag. Want to enter? Click here.

Sir/Nicky Update, and Snowpocalypse Part XVI

I heard today from the lovely folks over at Carina Press about my Sir/Nicky origin story, Master Class. Sir (or Devon, to you) and Nicky are the boys in Sublime, and Master Class is the story of how they met. I've been asked to revise and resubmit, which is definitely a happy thing, and I was blown away by the attention to detail and the editorial care taken with the suggestions sent my way. They'll make Master Class a much stronger story.

Unfortunately, that also means it's going to be a little while before Master Class will reach the figurative bookshelves. I don't know if I'll have time to work on heavy-duty revisions for that and still hit the deadline for Crescendo. Since Crescendo is under contract, it has to take first priority. It may therefore be a few months before I get Master Class resubmitted, and then of course it has to go through the review process all over again with Carina's acquisition editors.

Regardless of how it goes, I'll be sure to keep you all updated. I still have a great deal of love and excitement for that story, and for Devon and Nicky in general, and I'm as anxious to share it with you all as some of you are to read it.

Now, onto Snowpocalypse Part Bazillion. After last week's 16" of snow (and the two feet the week before that), we're all pretty damn sick of shoveling out. But apparently, Mother Nature's as sadistic a bitch as I am, for more is coming tonight, and it's gonna be a whopper. They say the storm will last about 36 hours, and in my region, they're expecting it to dump a lot of ice. Since our power lines are aboveground, this makes for a very high likelihood of losing power. Which means no heat in the single-digit weather, and even worse, no internet. I don't even have a smartphone, so if I disappear for a while, odds are good I'm just without power, and I'll catch you on the other side.

Oh also, here's the link to the Other Worlds of Romance podcast I did last night. I read the first two chapters of Anchored (zomg so embarassing!) and answered some questions about Anchored.