JAMAICA, BABY!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

So tomorrow the dh and I are up at the butt crack of dawn to catch a six a.m. flight. Our final destination is the Hedonism III resort in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, the same resort we visited this time last year and which inspired my erotic short, Montego Lay. Hedo is not for the inhibited, and features, among other interesting things, a nude beach. As much as I'd like to bring back photos for your viewing pleasure, I can't, as you can see from the photo below which I took last year:

Here are the dh and I at the airport awaiting our flight out last year. Looking energetic, aren't we?

But no sooner had we arrived, when we were bursting with energy! Coming from high altitude, we felt like we were on oxygen all week.

Tune in Wednesday. Although I'm away, my hunk will automatically post. I'll be back next week with tales of my adventures. Enjoy your week!

TODAY I'M AT MAMA WRITERS

I'm talking about changes at Mama Writers today. Please stop by and tell me about any changes you've made recently in your life.

Tomorrow my husband and I celebrate twenty years of marriage! We're leaving for Thanksgiving in the mountains with my sister and her family, and Monday, we're off to Jamaica with some friends. Sun, drinks, nude beach...oh, yeah...



Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

DONE!...and an Amazing New Cover!

50,147 words, baby! So done...and I'm so not writing a word until December 7 (when I get back from Jamaica...)

This morning I was thrilled to find the cover for The Cowboy and the Cougar in my inbox. It's incredible, it's beautiful, it's HOT -- and it's designed by the amazingly talented Tuesday Dube. Thank you, Tuesday!


Blurb:

A hot time with a gorgeous young cowboy is just what the doctor ordered for forty-year-old Holly Taylor. But after a night of amazing passion, she leaves discreetly. Life has other plans for her at the moment.

After the best sex of his life, single father Jack Sherwood isn’t ready to give up his mystery woman. When he runs into her several months later, he’s relentless in his pursuit, and he doesn’t care a whit about their eleven year age difference.

Holly’s life has taken a new course since her first meeting with Jack, and she’s convinced she’s not what he and his adorable son need. Can her new friends at The Cougar Club persuade her to stop running? Or will she lose the best thing to ever happen to her?

Watch for The Cowboy and the Cougar on December 11 at Aspen Mountain Press. Enjoy your weekend!

I'M AT KAYE'S TODAY

Still plugging away for NaNo. Need about 3K today and I'm done! Heavy burden lifted...

Today I'm visiting my talented friend Kaye Manro. Stop by and find out why I never say never!

Have a wonderful weekend. And here's the amazing Charles Paz -- Mr. Romance himself! -- who will be blogging with me next month.

NANO BURNOUT

NaNo total so far: 44,839.

Still a little behind. I need to make 2500+ words tomorrow and Friday to make 50K by my self-imposed deadline of the third week of November.

I remain a proponent of NaNo, but I must admit, this year (my third) has been the most difficult. I've had trouble caring about my story and characters, trouble staying on track. Last year, my daily goals never wavered. This year, I've had to redistribute words several times to pick up words lost when I didn't make my daily goal. Not good.

Why have I had this trouble? Honestly, I don't know. Maybe because it's been a busy year with writing and editing. My recent release, Slow and Wet, was my sixth this year, and I have another coming next month, The Cowboy and the Cougar. My work as a freelance editor for two small presses is coming to an end, and I have three full length projects that need to be finished by the first of the year. I'm busy. Stressed. A little burnt out.

In 2007, I finished NaNo with a 50K manuscript that went on to win an award and be requested by several editors. Last year, I wrote its sequel (the third in a trilogy, actually) and though its first draft didn't come out as well as its predecessor, it is a good story and has a future. This year, I will finish NaNo. But I honestly don't know if I will have anything salvageable at the end. That's how rough it's been.

I hope it is going better for the rest of you!

MEET ME AT RACHEL'S

Still in NaNo hell here...

...but I'm also over at Rachel Moniz's blog talking about critique groups. Please stop by and say hello!

And for your NaNo inspiration...

MEET THE HERODale from Slow and Wet

Hi everyone -- I hate to say that I'm still behind on NaNo. Not good. But only by 3400 words. My last week of NaNo (this week) is supposed to be down to 2K per day. I should have finished last week at 40K. Instead, I'm at a total of 36,665. So, instead of 2K per day this week, I need to do 2667 per day. Doable, but I'm not thrilled that I didn't meet my goal last week. Yes, I had a release (see the hot cover at right!) but I should have been able to do it. No excuses! I'll make it up this week.

So I'm heading back into my NaNo cave, but before I go, here's a smokin' excerpt from Slow and Wet, featuring my hunky cowboy hero, Dale. (Warning -- explicit sex and language.)

Dale thrust two fingers into her wet channel and sucked her clit hard. She shattered, her walls clenching around him as he massaged her G-spot and fresh cream drizzled over his hand. When her spasms slowed, he removed his fingers and pulled her into the warm water.

He sat down on the bench, the water coming midway up his chest, and pulled Jill onto his lap. “I want you to slide your clit up and down my hard cock, darlin’, while Trav fucks you. Would you like that?”

“God, yes,” she said.

Dale watched as Travis, condom already in place, moved behind Jill. His lady didn’t know it yet, but this was the last time she’d fuck another man. One last gift to her, to be sandwiched between two men, the object of both their desires. A jolt of jealousy speared into him and shattered his resolve for a moment. But he inhaled, gripped Jill’s slippery body, and willed to give her this satisfaction one last time.

BEHIND!

And no, I'm not talking about yesterday's photo...

I'm behind on NaNo -- 3K behind to be exact. My total so far is 34,253, and I need to be at 40K by the end of today to be caught up. Wish me luck...

But there's always something to celebrate...even if it's that I'm behind. Happy Friday the 13th!

MEET ME AT LIA'S

Still drilling away for NaNo -- but I wanted to peek out and invite you all to visit my good friend Lia Slater where I'm guest blogging today. See you there!

Back later with today's wordcount...

Happy Veterans Day

NaNo total so far: 32,190. I still need about 2K more to be where I need to be by the end of today. Wish me luck!

I want to give a shout out to the lovely Margo Arthur at The Romance Studio for her glowing Five Heart review of Blood Wolf. She says it's "one of the best books I've read this year." Thank you so much, Margo!

Enjoy the rest of the day, everyone, and be sure to hug a Veteran if you can. Please take a moment to remember all those who have served and still serve in our Armed Forces. We wouldn't be where we are today without all of them.

RELEASE DAY!

I'm very excited to announce my first release with Ellora's Cave -- Slow and Wet, a hot western menage. You can find it here.

Jillian loves her gorgeous bronc-busting boyfriend, Dale. She just hasn’t told him yet. After a satisfying romp, she walks naked into Dale’s kitchen, shocked to find another hot cowboy. Travis likes what he sees and is eager to take up where he and Dale left off four years earlier—as two men giving one woman the ultimate pleasure.

To please Dale—and herself—Jill agrees. Under the Wyoming summer sky, she yields to the desires of both men. They cover her in her favorite beverage, Dale’s homemade honey-lemonade, and lick every drop from her body. But will this erotic encounter with four strong hands, two delectable mouths and two determined men lead to what Jill ultimately wants—Dale’s love?

Back to my NaNo cave -- made 3K on the dot yesterday, for a total of 28,153. Pop over to Mama Writers today and tell me how your NaNo project is coming!

MEET THE HEROJere from Demonic Pleasures

One week of NaNo down! My total so far is 25,153 words, and my goal this week is 3K per day. As I shift back into my NaNo cave, please welcome my friend and chaptermate Rena Marks, who's here to introduce us to one of her many hot Ellora's Cave heroes, Jere from Demonic Pleasures. A little about Rena:

Rena Marks has written several novels, the paranormal/erotic theme is a recurring twist to her plots. She began writing in 2006 and had her first novel published in January, 2007.

Born in Colorado, she was raised in several different places, giving her a chance to observe new faces and spin stories about each location. Recently divorced, she loves meeting people and looks forward to continued travel as fuel for provocative stories.

BLURB:

Natalya Hershkle had been appointed ruler of Luciefyiore. But a girl makes one teensy blunder and the whole ungrateful dimension turns on her. Her punishment is to be banished to Hell on Earth until she can rectify the mistake. By causing true love.

Unfortunately, she’s no cupid. Humans are uncooperative, stupid creatures - until she meets Jere Rousseau. Even though she wants the sexy man for herself, she is here to learn how to be unselfish. A martyr to the end, she continually tries to fix his stormy relationship with his human fiancée. But a horny little demon only has so much willpower around the temptation of such a highly sensual man…who emits pheromones like nobody’s business. A man with ripped abs. Massive biceps. Beautiful muscular thighs. And a mighty fine, tight little ass.

Now, for a steamy hot excerpt from Jere's point of view (warning: graphic language and sex -- in other words, read on!)

Jere couldn’t believe his eyes. She was a blonde goddess, slinking half naked in a whisper of see-through fabric. He could see the pink of her stiff nipples poking through. And farther below, her puffy labia were clearly outlined.

He instantly hardened. His cock rose slowly to full attention at the sight of those luscious lips. She was rifling through a bathroom drawer and he followed quietly. She had the curviest ass he’d ever seen, like an upside down heart extending from her tiny waist. Smooth golden skin.

Everywhere.

She must sunbathe completely nude. His heart raced as he wondered if she was tanned even lower.

Her pussy.

Wondered if she’d ever spread her legs on a beach, shaven smooth and let the sun kiss her nether lips. Felt them swell with the warmth of the sun’s rays.

Dammit, he was horny. As usual. It was a curse he lived with daily.

Cari Quinn Debuts!

I'm quickly peeking out of my NaNo hole to give huge congratulations to my friend and CP, Cari Quinn, who's having her very first release day! Be sure to check out her HOT cougar story, Full Disclosure, over at The Wilder Roses.

There's a funny story that goes along with Full Disclosure and my upcoming cougar story, The Cowboy and the Cougar. Cari and I were writing our stories at the same time, hadn't shared with each other what we were writing, but found out when we exchanged crits that 1. we were both writing cougar stories, 2. both had heroines named Holly, and 3. both our Hollys are attorneys. It's definitely a great thing when you're that in sync with your CP!

Here's Cari's blurb:

Thirty-eight-year-old divorcee Holly Burrows has had enough of battery-operated love. Prompted by an ad left at her law office, she investigates Hunk Du Jour, a website designed to foster ‘adult connections’. After weeks of sexy emails and phone calls with surf hunk Kent, she's ready to test their chemistry in person. But first she has to get through lunch with her colleague Alex, a man with a brain as agile as his body. When their consultation ends with a bang, she barely remembers the man she'd lined up for dessert. Now she thinks she's juggling two hot young guys. How can she choose between her two gorgeous cubs – and why do they remind her of each other?

Run out and get your copy of Full Disclosure today! And on December 11, you can find The Cowboy and the Cougar at Aspen Mountain Press.

Back to NaNo -- my last day of 5K -- thank God!

HIT THE 20K MARK

Rough writing day, though. I see much revision in my future.

Today's count: 5038

Cumulative total: 20,060.

How are you all doing? I need to pick up my spirits -- ah, this guy should do the trick...

And The Winner Is...

Kaily Hart! Love your last name, by the way ;).

Thanks to all of you for your great comments last month. You got one entry for each comment, and five if you joined my Yahoo group. I drew a name last night, and Kaily, you are the winner! Email me at helenhardt@gmail.com and I'll arrange to get your prizes to you.

You've won the great prize package listed at left.

On to my NaNo wordcounts:

Yesterday: 5017

Today: 5004

For a cumulative total of: 15,022.

Only 34,978 to go! How are the rest of you doing? Need some inspiration? Here you go...

New Cover, New Review......and One Day of NaNo Down!

Wordcount yesterday was 5001 -- only 44,999 to go! I need another 5K today, but first I want to share my cover for Slow and Wet. This will be my debut Ellora's Cave release, so I'm doubly excited. Watch for it a week from today.


Jillian loves her gorgeous bronc-busting boyfriend, Dale. She just hasn’t told him yet. After a satisfying romp, she walks naked into Dale’s kitchen, shocked to find another hot cowboy. Travis likes what he sees and is eager to take up where he and Dale left off four years earlier—as two men giving one woman the ultimate pleasure.

To please Dale—and herself—Jill agrees. Under the Wyoming summer sky, she yields to the desires of both men. They cover her in her favorite beverage, Dale’s homemade honey-lemonade, and lick every drop from her body.But will this erotic encounter with four strong hands, two delectable mouths and two determined men lead to what Jill ultimately wants—Dale’s love?

I'd also like to give a huge thanks to Fern over at The Long and the Short of It for her wonderful review of Blood Wolf. She says:

...If you’re a fan of furry critters, fanged vamps, and magic, you’ll love this story. Damian is everything you want in a hero. He’s strong, he’s sexy, and he wants to give Suzanne everything she needs–even if she isn’t aware of what that is yet. Suzanne is spunky and sassy, and refuses to place herself in a position of vulnerability again. Even still, she wants Damian, and common sense doesn’t always prevail when a man goes out of his way to woo and court you.

Strongly written, fast paced, and a joy to read, you’ll love Blood Wolf.

Come back tomorrow when I announce the winner of my October contest. I'm off to do my 5K!

MEET THE HEROGray from Bewitching You

NaNo is upon us! My wordcount for the day needs to be 5K. While I'm typing like a mad woman, my good friend Viola Estrella and her hero Gray are here to entertain you. Bewitching You is Vi's second release, and it's currently available at The Wild Rose Press. Here's a little about Vi:

Viola Estrella has had an infatuation with writing since her angst-ridden teenage years when she sat at her secondhand typewriter and pounded out her most personal secrets, fears and desires. Twenty years later, she’s a little less dramatic but still madly in love with the written word.

When she’s not writing or reading, she’s spending time with her loving family and food-obsessed Beagle in a small town just north of Denver, Colorado.

Her other titles include Angel Vindicated, a paranormal romance from Cerridwen Press. Find out more at www.violaestrella.com.

Blurb:

An interfering ghost, a nosy mind-reading grandmother, a psychic man-hating mother, and a spell gone wrong are only a few dilemmas Sofia Good has to deal with in order to find love. It’s not easy having control of your own destiny when you can’t even remember what you put on that morning, even worse when you’re given a “gift” of precognition to save people’s lives, and you have no clue how to use it.

Grayson Phillips lost his brother in a senseless accident, and now he’s trying to gain back control by maintaining a safe and uneventful ‘life plan.’ But after sexy, quirky Sofia crash lands into his world he’s forced to rethink his strategy.

When Sofia’s grandmother casts a love spell, it successfully maneuvers Sofia and Grayson into her home in secluded Amish country. Time will tell if the love spell helps or destroys Sofia’s only chance at love.

And here's Gray:

My twin brother died recently in a stupid, senseless accident that could’ve been prevented. I’m not telling you this to gain any pity. Pity is for the weak. I’m telling you this because I want you to know I never intended to let anyone close to my heart like that again. Life is too unpredictable and I’m a man who likes to know what events lay ahead.

I certainly never planned to let Sofia into my life. Talk about unpredictable. The woman unraveled me from the inside out before I even met her. Then, one day, she was there turning my ‘life plan’ upside down with those big blue eyes and that curvy little body. And that damn love spell. Oh, and her mother and grandmother? Jeezus. Don’t get me started.

I didn’t realize it at the time but Sofia was the best damn thing that ever crash-landed into my life. No one could ever accuse her of being perfect, and falling in love with her wasn’t part of my plan. But none of that matters now. She’s sweet, beautiful, sensual…and she’s all mine.