HUMP-DAY HUNK -- Chris Leabu

Current read: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Is he just gorgeous? Though I'm feeling much better, my illness has left me behind in everything, so rather than take the time to find my own hunk this week, I appropriated Chris from my friend Kealie over at The Menagerie. I just love his chest! He's an actor and model, of course.

Meet Me at Mama Writers

Current read: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Today I'm at Mama Writers blogging about strapping on your mask and taking a deep breath. What does that mean? Visit me and find out!

And I must give a shout out to my lovely friend Christina Phillips who just signed a two book deal with Berkley Heat -- congratulations, hon!

Tune in tomorrow for a hunk ;).

MEET THE HEROKade from Fatal Exposure

Current read: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Today it's my pleasure to welcome my lovely chaptermate Lia Slater. Her erotic romantic suspense, Fatal Exposure, debuted Friday at The Wild Rose Press, Wilder Roses. Isn't that a great cover?

Lia Slater thinks the world would be a better place if everyone read romance novels. There’s so much to learn from the storylines. Love. Loyalty. Confidence. Passion. Desire. Conflicts would be resolved with happy endings. And, of course, the sex would be mind-boggling.

Lia is well on her way to helping the world become a better place by writing steamy romance with heart-throbbing emotion.

Blurb:

Deception brings them together. Exposure can tear them apart.

Taking off her clothes every night for the patrons of Hothouse Gentleman’s Club was never part of Ava Lureau's life plan, but the sleazy strip joint was the last place her powerful ex-boyfriend would think to look for her. A life on the run kept Ava safe…but lonely. So when a ruggedly sexy stranger shows up and a lap dance becomes more than another dollar in her G-string, she takes a chance.

Kade Gavin’s job is simple – capture his target and deliver her to the man who hired him. Nothing but a paycheck matters in Kade's bleak existence…until the enticing stripper with soft curves and a puzzling persona climbs into his bed – and under his skin.

Whoa, great blurb! Now let's hear from the man of the hour, Kade:

You want to know about me? I’m not the best candidate to interview, you know. It would’ve been easier to ask Ava about this sort of stuff. She sees things in me that I don’t. And, well, she brings out the best in me. I was a sad case before I met her—on a one way street to hell. I guess you could say I’m a changed man now that I have something, or someone, to care about.

What draws me to her? That’s easy. She’s soft, feminine, and feisty. Damn, that woman has some spunk. She never puts up with my crap. And, believe me, I’ve put her through a lot. It’s a miracle she fell in love me. I’m still not sure how I got so damn lucky, but now that I have Ava, I’m never giving her up.

Kade sounds like a wonderful hero, Lia! Thanks for visiting. Readers, be sure to visit Lia at www.liaslater.com and www.myspace.com/liaslater.

PLEASE WELCOME C.L. TALMADGE

Current read: Song of the West by Nora Roberts

I don't normally blog on Sundays, but today I had the opportunity to visit with talented author C.L. Talmadge, so I jumped at the chance. C.L. is currently blog touring to promote her Green Stone of Healing series. The series features four generations of strong-willed female characters who inherit a mysterious green gem ultimately revealed to mend broken bones and broken hearts, protect against missiles, and render its wearers undetectable. Doesn't that sound intriguing? And if that isn't enough, the first generation heroine in her series is named Helen!

Today, C.L. is blogging about a topic I know a lot of us are familiar with. So take it away, C.L.!

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

Many of us search for years if not our entire lives for true love. We're convinced -- or at least hopeful -- that it’s out there, somewhere.

As the song laments, however, most of us are "looking for love in all the wrong places." We are also confused because we really never stop to define love in the first place.

So let’s do that now. True love is unconditional. That means no judgments, no standards, no exceptions, no hooks, no limits. No ifs, ands, or buts. Just love for all, despite our many imperfections and failings.

What’s more, not many of us would think to look in the mirror for unconditional true love. Or, if we do consider it, we usually dismiss it as mere narcissism. We are certainly urged to do so by our social institutions and political, communal, and religious leaders. The constant message: Self-love is selfish.

Nothing could be further from a fundamental spiritual truth. Most of us are aware that a wise teacher named Jesus admonished his listeners to love their neighbors. Yet we generally ignore the phrase that followed this teaching, "as thyself."

In other words, Jesus gives as much weight to self-love as he does to loving others. The two are equally important and depend on each other. Hence the phrasing, "...love thy neighbor as thyself."

Our problems and issues with loving others, and being loved in return, stem directly from our problems with loving ourselves.

That tragic situation is absolutely the plight of the first-generation heroine of the Green Stone of Healing® speculative epic. Helen Andros has no sense of self-esteem or love. She is an impoverished, illegitimate mixed-race woman in a male-dominated society that is deeply divided by race, rank, and great disparity of wealth. She judges herself harshly precisely because she keeps trying to find acceptance outside of self from those who will never grant it to her.

Since we, like Helen, have not yet laid claim to self-love, we do not truly possess love to give to anyone else. If we do not own something, we cannot give it or even share it, much as we may want or try to do so.

Helen, for example, is a physician who loves her patients and takes great risks to help them heal. Yet because she does not also give the same love to herself, she pays a great price that unfolds as the series progresses.

Living without love, we struggle as best we can with our own and others' ambivalence, fear of commitment, unsatisfying serial relationships, and lifelong loneliness.

Indeed, much of the childish, self-absorbed antics of modern dating and romance are the effects of our lack. All we have to offer, in the absence of genuine self-love, is the appearance of love: the form without the substance; the longing without the fulfillment.

So what now? Where and how do serious spiritual seekers separate the chaff of self-absorption from the kernel of true self-love?

Those of us expecting some esoteric journey to far-off places that are supposedly more spiritual than other locales most likely will be disappointed. All we need do, really, is venture inward, to our own hearts.

The heart space within our own consciousness is unique and critical to our spiritual development. It is the one place within self where mind, body, spirit, and feeling meet. Only within our own hearts may we find our own self-love, reconnect with it, and experience its healing embrace.

Only then we will even be ready to give truer love to others and be open for love to come into our lives.

This journey to the heart is the most critical spiritual voyage we can make and will yield benefits not only for us, but for everyone our lives touch. Had Helen been able to make this journey successfully, her life would have turned out far differently and much more happily.

There are, however, many obstacles to making this voyage and along the way. These barriers and hindrances are by no means insurmountable, but it's best to recognize them so they will not delay us for any longer than necessary.

In the series, Helen and the subsequent generations of heroines and heroes learn a great deal about the challenges to self-love from a wise alien mentor named Maguari, a Mist-Weaver. They may not always be ready to act on his advice and perspective, but that since he loves them unconditionally, he does not insist that they do so. He remains ever the friend and counselor for those in need.

Thank you so much for being here today, C.L. That was a beautiful post, and words we all need to take to heart. Anyone who leaves a comment today will be entered in a drawing to win an autographed set of the first three books in the Green Stone of Healing series. Book Four will be released on October 1. To follow C.L.'s blog tour and have more chances to win this wonderful gift, click here.

Introducing Sandy Lender and Nigel!

Current read: Song of the West by Nora Roberts

Hey, it's the weekend, and I'm thrilled to be spending it with author Sandy Lender as she stops here on her blog tour to promote her book, Choices Meant for Kings. And of course, what better subject to chat about on a blog devoted to heroes than her hero! Welcome, Sandy!

Hi there, Helen. I’ve asked Nigel to join me for this interview, if you don’t mind. He’s helped me with marketing and promotion in the past and, since this interview is about him, I thought it only fair.

Wonderful, great to meet you, Nigel. Can you describe yourself?

Nigel will blush at this part of the interview. Sorry, dear. Maybe just look away from the screen for a minute. He’s about six feet tall, maybe a bit taller in boots. He wears his dark brown hair rather long, about to his shoulders, and it kinda curves and curls in a wavy sort of way. It’s not exactly feminine, you know, but it’s soft and just left to do what it will. During the summer months, the suns in his world kiss chunks of his hair a softer brown because he works out in the fields and out on his family’s estate. That work has given him a wonderful physique. He’s strong and solid; not overbuilt, of course, but steady and able to carry you out of burning building without breaking a sweat. And then he’s got these to-die-for gorgeous brown eyes. It’s the kind of brown that reminds you of molten hot fudge and you just want to drown in it.

I really need to stop with the physical description now. He’s complaining, which goes very well with his moody, broody nature. He really tends toward the quiet, contemplative type of hero. He likes to size things up and make rational decisions that will stand the test of time. When he has to, he makes the quick decisions and acts in haste and really surprises the daylights out of me (and the other characters) and it usually gets my adrenaline pumpin’. I like to write the scenes where he’s taking action and everybody better just get out of the way.

Sandy, what does Nigel want most out of life?

Nigel’s desires have shifted somewhat in the recent past. What he wanted before he met Chariss—the heroine in Choices Meant for Gods and Choices Meant for Kings—was to be left alone. He just wanted to work on the family’s estate, keep the school there running smoothly, keep his mother and sister safe from his imbecile father, keep everything calm and copasetic. Now that he’s met Chariss, all that’s turned on its head. He’s exploring the dual nature that he has thanks to his birth mother and learning how to use that to his advantage, how to use it to help Chariss and her cause. What he wants most out of life at this point is to keep Chariss safe.

What three adjectives best describe him?

Focused, determined, tormented

Personally, I'm a sucker for a tormented hero. What draws him to Chariss?

Probably her spirit and courage. She embodies all that he wants to be for her.

What draws her to him?

Stability and security

Who or what inspired you to create Nigel? Is there a little bit of someone you know in him?

He is who he is. Nigel Taiman has existed as long as Chariss has existed. They belong to each other. So when Chariss appeared to me with her story, Nigel was lurking (as he does so well) in the background. I didn’t need to speak to her for very long before I noticed him…he wasn’t created…he WAS. As far as people I know being “in” him, I’d be hard-pressed to come up with names. Nigel is the perfect hero in his moodiness, broodiness, strength, resilience, romance, integrity, compassion, justice…I don’t think you’ll find too many men in the real world who embody those types of characteristics and embody them well. I have a friend named Jim who is kind to his mother in the way Nigel is kind to his mother; can tease her and laugh with her yet respect her and love her. He carries that over to me now by managing a blog where he makes fun of me.

I don’t know if I’ve ever known a gentleman who can pull off moody and broody in the right measure the way Nigel does without overdoing it and becoming annoying. Nigel hits it just right…knows when to rest in the shadows of his family’s estate where they seem to hold him in some kind of embrace, some kind of comfort, and then knows when to come out into the light and be a beacon or source of comfort himself. And I’ve never known a man who knew when to be the strong pillar and when to shut up, yet Nigel does. Maybe Nigel is the embodiment of all the men we don’t know. And that lucky Chariss has him eating out of her hand…

Are there any celebrities who capture his look?

Funny you should ask…This is John Taylor, the bass guitarist for Duran Duran, specifically around 1987.

Nice! Love the photo. Thanks so much for stopping by today, Sandy, and introducing us to Nigel. Readers, be sure to comment to be entered in a drawing for a signed copy of Choices Meant for Gods. To follow Sandy on the rest of her tour, click here.

Blurb for Choices Meant for Kings:

Chariss is in danger. Her geasa is hampered by the effects of a friend’s marriage. The dashing Nigel Taiman hides something from her, yet demands she stay at his family’s estate where he and her wizard guardian intend to keep her safe. But the sorcerer Lord Drake and Julette The Betrayer know she’s there, and their monstrous army marches that way.

When prophecies stack up to threaten an arrogant deity, Chariss must choose between the dragon that courts her and the ostracized kings of the Southlands for help. Evil stalks her at every turn and madness creeps over the goddess who guides her. Can an orphan-turned-Protector resist the dark side of her heritage? Or will she sacrifice all to keep her god-charge safe?

New Contracts...and a CONTEST

Current read: Song of the West by Nora Roberts

The end of another week -- I'm still under the weather, unfortunately, but I did get some news that brightened my day. The lovely Patricia Tanner, senior editor of the Cactus line at The Wild Rose Press, offered me contracts for my novellas Rhythm of the Drum and Love Will Find You. I'm very excited about these stories, as they're companion stories to The Outlaw's Angel, my novella in the Lawmen and Outlaws anthology. My hero in TOA, Bobby Morgan, is one of my favorites, but he may have a rival in Garth Mackenzie in LWFY. As for ROTD, the hero is a very sexy Native American called Silver Raven. Yes, delicious heroes, all three!

This makes contract numbers ten and eleven. As I promised, once I hit ten I'd have a celebratory contest, so here goes: All through the month of October, anyone who comments on my blog will be entered in the contest -- one entry per blog comment, so comment often ;). I'll be adding to the prize package throughout the month, but so far, it includes:

A print copy of Lawmen and Outlaws
A signed copy of Passionate Ink: A Guide to Writing Erotic Romance by Angela Knight (one of my writing bibles)
A .pdf of Dirty Business, donated by my lovely friend and CP, Monica Kaye (Thanks, Monica!)
A .pdf of Seduced in Seoul

I'll add to this package weekly, so stay tuned.

More news -- my editor at Aspen Mountain Press, the lovely Celina Summers, gave me a release date for The Cowboy and the Cougar -- December 11. I was shocked. I figured we'd be going into 2010. So I now have three more releases this year.

Busy, busy -- I just need to stop coughing!




Be sure to stop by tomorrow and Sunday when I have some special guests. Talented Fantasy Romance authors Sandy Lender (Saturday) and C.L. Talmadge (Sunday) will be visiting, courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions. See you then!


And of course I can't leave you without some man meat. Enjoy the weekend!

HUMP-DAY HUNK -- Ignacio Casano

Current read: Tempting Demons by Rena Marks

Is that a beautiful man? And yes, you've seen him before.

I'm repeating a hunk today. I've been sick as a dog with whatever crud my boys brought home from school, and I'm also busy, busy, busy with edits, so I didn't have time to research a new hunk. I chose Ignacio not only because he's drop-dead gorgeous, but because he's a very kind man, as well. He left a comment a few days ago on the April blog where I originally showcased him. To read his comment, click here.

I hope you enjoy Ignacio's encore!

MEET THE HERO Ral from Ral's Woman

Current read: Tempting Demons by Rena Marks

Today I'm thrilled to welcome Ellora's Cave author Laurann Dohner. Laurann and I met on the EC loop, and she's here to talk about her debut release, Ral's Woman. And is that a gorgeous cover, or what?

Blurb:

Ariel never knew aliens existed until she finds herself kidnapped and taken from Earth. When the Anzon declare humans useless, she learns her fate—prize for the winner of a brutal fight between large, muscled alien men.

Ral is a Zorn warrior. He has also been kidnapped by the Anzon, along with his crew. Forced into slavery, he’s got one thing on his mind—freeing his people. That is, until he sees the small human woman he’s willing to fight to win. He doesn’t just want her body, he wants her heart forever.

In the hands of a hot alien, Ariel is about to discover how pleasurable captivity can be.

The blurb's got my attention! Now let's hear from Ral himself:

At nearly six and a half feet of muscled male, I know I’m intimidating to the small human woman I want to touch more than my next breath. I’m a warrior from the planet Zorn, the future leader of my world one day, and yet this pale, small woman of Earth draws me like a flame that warms my soul. I fought other Zorn Warriors to win her. Ariel looks up at me with her beautiful pale blue eyes and I know I will never give her up. Her slightest touch makes me quiver with need to put my hands on her, taste her, to make her mine in every way. I claim her forever until I take my last breath. I will fight and kill anyone that tries to take her from me. If they want a human, they can go to her planet to claim their own female. This one is Ral’s Woman.

Okay, fanning here! Laurann, we're all dying to know how you came up with this hottie.

Writing Ral’s Woman was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done. The story of Ral and Ariel was just there, in my head, waiting to come pouring out. It was almost like they wrote this story themselves. Ral has some of the best qualities of a man. He’s strong, tough, yet not afraid to love. He is feared by other men yet is tender and devoted to the one woman that owns his heart.

Ariel is tossed into a circumstance that she never imagined could happen. One day she’s on Earth, the next she’s captured, in outer space, and dazed by the reality that aliens really do exist. Everything she’s ever known is gone. The only thing she can count on is this huge, super sexy, very masculine warrior that brutally fights other men to win the right to claim her. Ariel has thoughts and reactions that I think a lot of ‘real’ women would have in her circumstances. I wanted to write this story so that I could put myself in her shoes and hopefully, the readers could too. It was just a joy to tell their story and I hope you do a little falling in love yourself if you read it.

Thank you, Helen, for having us on your blog! We truly appreciate it.

You are very welcome! Have a wonderful day, everyone, and be sure to tune in on Wednesday for a new hunk!

CATHERINE'S HERE!

Current read: Tempting Demons by Rena Marks

Today I'm blog swapping with my friend Catherine Bybee. Be sure to visit me at her blog, where I'm giving her the lowdown on my real life hero and what he thinks of my erotic romance writing.

Catherine has one of the most entertaining blogs I've come across. I especially love the days when she posts a video blog, or "vlog." And today she's posting one here all about things to do while you're waiting for your editor to get back to you. Take it away, Catherine!




Insightful and entertaining as always, hon -- thanks for vlogging with me today!

To the rest of you, happy weekend!

MEET ME AT DAYANA'S

Current read: Tempting Demons by Rena Marks

I'm visiting the lovely Dayana Knight today. Please visit and leave a comment for a chance to win a pdf of Montego Lay.

Be sure to stop back here tomorrow when Catherine Bybee will be vlogging!

HUMP-DAY HUNK -- Patrick Swayze

Current read: Tempting Demons by Rena Marks

If you were a young woman in the eighties, you knew Patrick Swayze. Ruggedly handsome with some wicked dance moves, he first made headlines as a teen star when he was a little older than a teen. His big break came with the box office sleeper Dirty Dancing. What girl didn't want to be Baby in that movie? My favorite role of his, though, was Sam Wheat in Ghost. That pottery scene? Oh my... He and Demi Moore steamed up the screen. Enjoy the photos and the video, which stars another phenomenon who passed on too young, Chris Farley, in one of my favorite SNL skits of all time. Rest in peace, Patrick.

Patrick Swayze - Chippendale

MEET THE HEROAce from Montego LayAnd a Wonderful Review!

Current read: Mercenaries by Angela Knight

As I promised, I've revamped my Monday's Hero spotlights. Now we'll be hearing from the heroes themselves. Today you'll meet Ace from my newest release, Montego Lay, which debuted on Friday at The Wilder Roses and has already earned a stellar review from Seriously Reviewed:

A sexy man, a hot, exotic location and enough hormones to sink a battle ship.......Put them all together and what do you think you will have? Another of Ms Hardt's fulfilling tales that will leave you breathless and panting :)

I have read a few books from this author and must confess that I have never been disappointed, Montego Lay is no exception. Tantalizing and forbidden. New and exciting. With enough of a promise of the future to make it worth the smile at the end. The middle.......oooooooooooo yeah!

If you have not taken it upon yourself to read anything from this author, I strongly encourage you to pick up this title or any of her others. You won't be disappointed.......maybe needy but not disappointed :)

Many thanks to the lovely ladies at Seriously Reviewed! Now let's meet Ace:

I'm a man with simple needs. The sun, the surf, work that I love, and a beautiful woman to hold in my arms. The first three I have in my job at Pleasure Cove Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. But the woman eluded me until I met my sweet Lisa while I was demonstrating bondage techniques at the resort. Though I don't practice the art myself, it's part of my job to teach what our guests want to learn. Lisa caught my eye when she impulsively raised her hand during my demonstration. Yes, it was impulsive. I knew by looking at her that she knew nothing about bondage. I had loads of fun teasing her during the lesson.

What do I love about Lisa? Her sweet naivete which conflicts with the sizzling sensuality that exudes from every part of her. A beautiful contradiction, and it makes her irresistible. Now, with Lisa in my arms, my life is complete. And she's got me thinking more about bondage...

I hope you all enjoyed meeting Ace! Here's the blurb for Montego Lay:

Vacationing at a Montego Bay nude resort, Lisa Brooks finds herself volunteering in a bondage demonstration on the beach. She’d like to continue the instructions with the Jamaican native, but the gorgeous resort employee has other duties to perform. Though disappointed, Lisa accompanies a friend to an erotic casino night where the chips are free and redeemable for sex. A night for a mysterious encounter? If only she could buy the island hottie she really wants.

I'm making my debut at the Black Rose blog today, and I'd love for you all to stop by. And as always, be sure to come back on Wednesday for the unveiling of a new hunk!

MONTEGO LAY IS HERE

Current read: Mercenaries by Angela Knight

Vacationing at a Montego Bay nude resort, Lisa Brooks finds herself volunteering in a bondage demonstration on the beach. She’d like to continue the instructions with the Jamaican native, but the gorgeous resort employee has other duties to perform. Though disappointed, Lisa accompanies a friend to an erotic casino night where the chips are free and redeemable for sex. A night for a mysterious encounter? If only she could buy the island hottie she really wants.

You can find Montego Lay here.

Also, please come visit me at Mama Writers where I'm talking about intimacy with your spouse after children. Come share your secrets for keeping your relationship alive!

And I'm visiting my CP, Cari Quinn. Be sure to stop by!

Last, but certainly not least, please take a moment to remember the many people of our country who gave their lives eight years ago this day. God Bless America!

HUMP-DAY HUNK -- Matthias Streitwieser

Current read: The Secret Soldier by Jennifer Morey
That's one of my favorite hunk photos of all time, folks. Born in 1975, Matthias was an Israeli-Greek model who stood 6' 2 1/2" tall. Unfortunately, he passed away on June 1, 2009 in a hiking accident. May he rest in peace.

CUBS ANYONE?New Contract for Cougar/Cub Story

Current read: Nothing But Scandal by Allegra Gray

I hope you all had a relaxing long weekend! My DH and I took a mini motorcycle trip to celebrate both our birthdays. Central City is an old mining town in Colorado that is now a gaming paradise. We had much fun, though neither of us won big. Maybe next time...

I came home today to find an email from Aspen Mountain Press. They are contracting my novella The Cowboy and the Cougar! My good friend and chaptermate Lizzie T. Leaf put together a new series for AMP called The Cougar Club and suggested I write a story for consideration. This is my ninth contract. I think when ten rolls around I'm going to have a big celebratory contest, so stay tuned!

To get you ready for my mouth-watering cub, Jack (age twenty-nine), here are two of my personal favorites to whet your appetite.

Emmanuel Delcour, age twenty-nine (and the inspiration for Blaise in Passion in Paris)

Miguel Angel Silvestre, age twenty-seven (oh, how I love a spicy red wine...)

Congratulations Cari Quinn!

Current read: Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Happy Friday everyone.

Today I'm offering hearty congratulations to my good friend and CP, Cari Quinn! The lovely ladies at The Wild Rose Press, Wilder Roses have offered Cari her very first contract for her erotic novella, Full Disclosure, a sexy cougar/cub story that is sure to leave you salivating. Here's her blurb:

Thirty-eight-year-old divorcee Holly Burrows has had enough of battery-operated love. Prompted by an ad left on her chair at her law office, she decides to investigate a website designed to foster “adult connections” called Hunk Du Jour. Holly finds a hunk there, all right, and after weeks of sexy emails and phone calls with Kent, she's ready to test their chemistry in person. First, she has to get through lunch with her much younger colleague, Alex, a man with a brain as agile as his body. But when their lunch consultation ends with a quickie on the side of the road, she barely remembers the man she'd hoped to enjoy as dessert. All of a sudden, she's juggling two hot young guys. How to choose? And even more importantly, why do her two gorgeous cubs remind her of each other?

Raise your glass in a cyber toast to Cari and have a wonderful long weekend -- I'm off to Central City with my honey for some gambling and other (ahem) fun...

HUMP-DAY HUNK -- Jason Momoa

Current read: Black Swan by Linda Nightingale

Of Baywatch and Stargate fame -- Jason was born August 1, 1979 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He's an American actor and model. And he's cub to his cougar, The Cosby Show's Lisa Bonet, born 1967. Lucky girl...