LOVE IS A LUXURY

The flash of light caught his attention. He stopped, his feet on each side of the ring. It lay on its side, the band caught in the dip between the paving tiles.  Around him the commuters flowed, their path split by his stationery figure. A shoulder bumped him and then another.  He bent and picked the ring up, grasped it tightly in his fist and moved to the side of the passage, muttering ‘excuse me’s to the constant river of bodies heading to the commuter trains. He reached the quieter space hard against the wall, and leaned against the bricks while his gaze quartered the floor. In the snatched views between the pounding feet, he looked for a container, a broken box, something that had once held the ring.
There.  A gap in the crowd revealed a small box near the opposite wall. Waiting for a gap he changed sides and retrieved it. Inside the satin lid he read “Abercrobies Fine Jewellery, High Street’.  In the dim lighting of the passage the ring sparkled as he slid it into the empty slit.

He needed a diamond ring to convince Kathy he loved her.  She’d said so.  “Prove it to me,” she’d said. “Buy me a ring.” He’d thought her instruction lacked love but what did he know of women and their ways? This was his first foray into the emotional dance of courtship. He may not get another chance as good as this.  A ring like this would convince Kathy of his devotion, wouldn’t it?
Then he remembered Anthony Trollope’s quote.  He’d been reading a lot of Trollope lately.  What was it again?
‘Love is like any other luxury. You have no right to it unless you can afford it’
He certainly couldn’t afford Kathy, that much he’d learned in the last few weeks. Ah well, if she loved him she’d wait till he saved the money. If she didn’t wait then she wasn’t the one. He turned against the flow and headed back to the main street, turning right to find the jewellers further up the road. He clutched the box , not risking it dropping through the hole in his pocket.
To steal another’s dream would only bring him more bad luck.

BY VIRGINNIA DE PARTE

Victoria interviews the lovely and sexy Kate Belle!

I'm delighted to welcome Kate Belle to our blog today and have asked her a few questions about life, the universe, and everything writerly.


Welcome, Kate.



Hi Cravers, thanks for having me over at your lovely blog today. I’m relatively new to the erotic fiction world, so shall I tell you something about myself?

What’s your name and where do you come from?
I’m Kate Belle. I grew up in country Northern Victoria (we moved 7 times by the time I was 7), but have lived in Melbourne for over 20 years.

Tell us a bit about your latest release.
The Yearning is an erotic novel set in country Australia in the 1970’s. It’s a story about a teenage girl who lures her charismatic teacher into an affair with anonymous erotic love letters, the consequences of which affect them both in ways they never imagine.

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
The ONLY other job I would choose would be to work with Aboriginal communities on social justice issues and reconciliation. It’s something I feel deeply passionate about.

Do you have a favourite character from your books? Why are they your favourite?
Too easy – Ramon Mendez from my Master of Love series. He’s handsome, charismatic and the world’s greatest lover. Just give me an hour with him and I’d die a happy woman.

What trait do you find the sexiest?
Confidence. All manner of other sexy things come from confidence. And long hair. But that’s not a trait is it?

How do you decide how hot or not your book is going to be?
I don’t. My muse does. He leans over my shoulder and whispers all the action into my ear. If I don’t write it the way he tells it he gets cross with me and leaves.

Is the stuff you write about from experience or mostly imagination?
Experience? I wish!!! Nope, all from a very active imagination. I think, in truth, everyone has a very rich fantasy life. The great thing about writing sexy stories is that you get to share and feed those fantasies in readers. What a great job!

What’s your idea of a perfect romantic evening?
It’s all about atmosphere. Sexy music, mood lighting, burning oils or incense, a glass of something very cold and bubbly, a warm summer breeze through the window, someone I can be cosy with. Gosh, it all sounds a bit complicated doesn’t it? No wonder it doesn’t happen very often.

Tell us something that might surprise our readers.
I’m a qualified astrologer. I studied it for four years here in Melbourne at the Chiron Centre. My very first published article was an abridged version of my ‘thesis’ study, which I did on one of the dark Goddesses, Lilith. She’s a speciality of mine.

 

It’s 1978 in a country town and a dreamy fifteen year old girl’s world is turned upside down by the arrival of the substitute English teacher. Solomon Andrews is beautiful, inspiring and she wants him like nothing else she’s wanted in her short life.

Charismatic and unconventional, Solomon easily wins the hearts and minds of his third form English class. He notices the attention of one girl, his new neighbour, who has taken to watching him from her upstairs window. He assumes it a harmless teenage crush, until the erotic love notes begin to arrive.

Solomon knows he must resist, but her sensual words stir him. He has longings of his own, although they have nothing to do with love, or so he believes. One afternoon, as he stands reading her latest offering in his driveway, she turns up unannounced. And what happens next will torment them forever – in ways neither can imagine.



For the complete first chapter follow this link: http://issuu.com/SimonSchusterAustralia/docs/the_yearning_by_kate_belle/1


Buy links:

Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/The-Yearning-ebook/dp/B00BSVMRC4)

iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-yearning/id576561492?mt=11)

Local independent bookshops: (http://www.truelocal.com.au/find/book-shop/)



Kate lives, writes and loves in Melbourne, juggling her strange, secret affairs with her male characters with her much loved partner and daughter, and a menagerie of neurotic pets. She holds a tertiary qualification in chemistry, half a diploma in naturopathy and a diploma in psychological astrology. Kate believes in living a passionate life and has ridden a camel through the Australian desert, fraternised with hippies in Nimbin, had a near birth experience and lived on nothing but porridge and a carrot for 3 days.

Blog/website: http://www.ecstasyfiles.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/katebelle.x

Twitter: @ecstasyfiles https://twitter.com/ecstasyfiles

Black Hawk Down

Or as I like to call it, Sausage Fest and Lots of Explosions.

(scowling men in lots of body armor and major firepower. what's not to like?)

 





 In case you are unfamiliar with this film, it's a great Ridley Scott movie from 2001 detailing the Battle of Mogadishu, based on a 1999  book of the same title by Mark Bowden. Very interesting, violent, and from my repeated viewing, including the exhaustive DVD extra, fairly accurate. I'd happily carry Ridley Scott's luggage wherever he wanted to because I'm such a fan of his, so I'm somewhat biased, but if you aren't into war pictures, let the cast impress you.

(aww...)

 

 

First up is one of my fave actors, Eric Bana. He plays "Hoot', but what most impresses me, other than the obvious attractiveness, is that his character SHOOTS a WILD HOG from a HELICOPTER and then he BARBEQUES IT! Okay, he's got marksmanship and culinary skills. All sorts of win there.

(sweetie, you can press my coffee anytime)

 

And then there is the lovely Ewan McGregor playing a clerk, Grimes, who goes on his first combat mission right into the middle of a hairy urban firefight. Bad timing there. But he knows how to make a proper pot of french press coffee, so again, major win. I have my main course and beverage managed, on to...

(I swear, I didn't do it. I'd probably like to though.)

 



 Jason Isaacs, fulfilling my need for bald, hot, grumpy, and rule-oriented men who have no sense of humor. Yes, that's one of my things. Looking back, the first hero I wrote shared a lot of these characteristics, so thank you Jason Isaacs for the wonderful inspiration.

 

I had to put Ewan in again, he's simply adorable even when he's all mussed up. So if you don't like violence, explosions, and general carnage, just fast forward through it to watch these guys, And if they aren't your cup of french press coffee, the movie also features Josh Harnett and Orlando Bloom to name a few. See, I told you, total Sausage Fest.

I have no copyright on these images, so if you object or dislike or are offended, let me know and I'll remove.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT--AND LUST

Here are a few different foods that are not only good for you—they are thought to increase the libido. And they are readily available in most grocery stores and supermarkets. I’ve included a recipe featuring each!

• Almonds are a traditional symbol of fertility with a slightly sharp and intoxicating aroma. Full of fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium, they supposedly arouse passion in women — or at least that's what's said to have worked for Samson when he courted Delilah.

ALMOND ROCA

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus more for the pan
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3½ cups coarsely chopped toasted slivered almonds
• 9 ounces 41% milk chocolate, melted

Directions

Lightly butter a 17 by 12 by 1-inch baking sheet (half sheet pan), and line with parchment paper to cover the bottom and all sides. (The butter will anchor the parchment to the pan.)

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, water, lemon juice, and corn syrup and and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture boils, stop stirring. Brush down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in water.

Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and cook for 15 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 300°F. If the mixture threatens to boil over, lower the heat as necessary. (If the liquid is too shallow to measure the temperature, tilt the pot to get an accurate reading.) Resist the temptation to stir; if the caramel is not coloring evenly, swirl the pan from time to time.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 2 cups of the almonds. Quickly spread the caramel in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely.

Spread the chocolate over the top of the caramel, then sprinkle with the remaining 1½ cups almonds. Let the chocolate harden at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Break the roca into irregular pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.

 

• Asparagus may not be in season in all parts of the world; however, it may be worth a splurge for slender stalks believed to "stir up lust in man and woman," according to 17^th century herbalist Nicholas. Asparagus is filled with potassium and folate, which are both believed to contribute to heart health.

ASPARAGUS WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces fresh shiitake or oyster mushrooms (see Notes)
• 1 pound asparagus
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• ½ cup chicken broth

Directions

Rinse the mushrooms in cold water; drain. Remove and discard the stems. Cut the caps into 1-inch strips. Wash the asparagus thoroughly. Break off the tough ends of the asparagus as far down as the stalk snaps easily. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons cold water.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and rotate the wok to coat the sides. Add the garlic, asparagus, and salt and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and continue to stir-fry until mixed. Stir in the oyster sauce. Stir in the chicken broth and heat to boiling. Stir in the cornstarch mixture; cook and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and remove the asparagus with tongs. Arrange the asparagus across a platter and top with the mushrooms.

 

• Lush voluptuous avocados are associated with both the female shape and male sexuality. The Atzecs called the avocado tree ahuacatl, which actually translates to "testicle tree." The avocado's nutritional benefits are numerous, including vitamins and minerals believed to increase libido in both men and women. And they are a good source of monounsaturated fat, which studies show may help in the prevention of heart disease.

 

GUACAMOLE

INGREDIENTS

• ½ small onion, very finely chopped
• Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 2 chiles serranos or 1 chile jalapeno), stemmed, seeded and very finely chopped
• 1 ripe, medium-large tomato, cored and very finely chopped (optional)
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and very finely chopped (optional)
• 10 sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped (optional)
• 3 ripe, medium avocados
• Salt, about ½ teaspoon
• ½ lime, juiced (optional)
• Additional chopped onion and fresh coriander, radish slices or roses, and/or a little crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese like feta or farmer’s cheese, for garnish

Directions

1. The preliminaries: In a medium-size bowl, mix the finely chopped onion and chiles with the optional tomato, garlic and coriander.

2. The avocado: Close to the time you are going to serve, halve the avocados lengthwise by cutting from the stem to flower ends, around the pits. Twist the avocado halves in opposite directions to loosen the meat from the pits, then scoop out the pits and reserve. Scrape the avocado pulp from the skins and add it to the bowl.

3. Finishing the guacamole: Using your hand or a spoon, roughly mash the avocado while mixing in the other ingredients, making a coarse, thick mass. Flavor with salt, then enough lime juice to add a little zing, if you wish. Return the pits to the guacamole and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the mixture. Set aside for a few minutes to let the flavors blend.

4. Garnish and presentation: The guacamole is very attractive in a pottery bowl or Mexican mortar, sprinkled with chopped onion, coriander, radish slices and crumbled fresh cheese; radish roses really dress it up.

Hot Heroes Love Children

Hot Heroes Love Children

When Melissa Keir asked me to appear on this blog to talk about heroes, I wasn’t sure what to talk about. Was I even a hero? All I’ve been is a husband and now father. But it got me thinking about what makes a hero—and yes, a dad is a perfect hero.

Dads are sexy. Just ask any woman who sees a guy holding a baby. Or in my case, kissing my lovely wife’s bulging pregnant belly. It’s because a guy who can love and snuggle with a new baby is the perfect man who will take care of not only the baby but also the mother of his child. That’s why a man out at the park with a baby is a chick magnet!

Being a dad means being a hero. You are your child’s hero. You want to put the world at their feet and protect them. And isn’t that what heroes do? Heroes are the guys who are willing to put their lives on the line for the people they love. Once you hold that child in your arms, the bond is amazing and you would do anything to make their life better than your own.

When I first laid eyes on my son, I couldn’t believe that miracle was a piece of me. He was perfect in every way. I had to thank Father Grissom for his intervention in the event. After all, if it wasn’t for him, I’d have still been in a coma. But thanks to him, I was able to be there for the birth of my son. Holding my little guy in my arms was the most amazing moment. It was as if I could bench press a mountain. However, I was so afraid that I’d do something wrong.

Do heroes have fears? You bet! They are heroes because they face their fears head on and still do what is right. In my case, it is changing those really stinky diapers at three in the morning so Sherri can catch some sleep. Have you smelled one of those loads? Ewww! So dads are heartthrobs and  heroes. Thank you for having me visit.

A Christmas Accident (spicy- Contemporary Romance)

Expecting her first child, Sherri Wilder Davison wants nothing more than to spend time with her father over the holidays, but fate has a way of changing her best-laid plans.

Adam Davison is willing to do anything to make his pregnant wife happy. He will face hell to have her home for the holidays.

For Sherri and Adam, the holidays are a time of celebration and love, but this Christmas will be unlike any they have ever faced.

When a horrible blizzard causes an automobile accident that puts the lives of those Sherri loves on the line, can a Christmas miracle save them?

EXCERPT:

Looking over at Adam, I’m amazed that such a handsome man could love me. Stubble showed on Adam’s rugged face. I liked the way the short growth of beard rubbed on my face when he nibbled on my ears. Adam’s dark brown hair was cut short, emphasizing his deep blue eyes and strong nose. The small dimple on his chin made him seem more approachable and much less serious. His tall stature and muscular body always made me feel precious yet delicate, like a porcelain doll, but Adam never treated me like anything other than a desirable woman.

“How are the roads? Do you think we can stop so I can use the bathroom? Your son is pushing on my bladder.” Wiggling in my seat, I tried to alleviate the uneasy pressure.

Adam looked over at me with a dreamy expression on his face. His gaze settled on my stomach as it undulated. “Sure, I could use some coffee. How are you feeling? Little Pea looks active tonight.”

“I’m okay except for the kicks to the bladder. I swear he’s practicing his temper tantrums so he has them right when he comes out. Oh Ricky, we are in so much trouble,” I replied with a silly high pitched whiney Lucille Ball-type voice, then smiled.

I am thankfully in the third trimester of my pregnancy. I’d passed the dangerous stage where many women miscarry as well as the dreaded morning sickness phase that sucks the very life out of a body. Now I had abundant energy and looked forward to finally getting ready to meet our son. We still had two more months to go but I already felt like a beached whale, not to mention the walking with a waddle. Adam loved talking to my stomach, he’d even been reading storybooks to our peanut each night.

Adam and I had eloped to Hawaii five years ago during our Christmas vacation. We’d kept our wedding private, only us. Today we are closer than most married couples, enjoying the same things, especially our cottage home on the Huron River, old movies, television shows, and snuggling up with a blanket on those cold Michigan nights.

While we both loved our families, neither one of us enjoyed traveling which became the basis for the fight. I’d won the the argument after the announcement of my father’s recent diagnosis. I’d spent hours on the phone with my sister, then on the internet gathering information on Alzheimer's. The dementia had already begun to kick in when Dad accidentally set fire to his home. Luckily, Syndie had already moved in with Dad and got him out of the house in time. My need for family had only become stronger since I’d learned about my pregnancy and the arrival of the first grandson.. I didn’t want my baby to miss out on his remaining grandparent.

Fear about my father never getting to meet or know my little peanut became a constant in my mind. Adam and I had distanced ourselves from our families over the years. We were always so happy spending time with just each other, we’d just never considered what those choices did to others. Having a baby changes things. My sister’s wedding invitation plus my dad’s diagnosis, well, both convinced me that we needed to get back to Ohio. Christmas seemed like a perfect excuse.

After pulling into the gas station, Adam stopped the car next to the pump. I grabbed my purse. “I’m going to use the bathroom, grab your coffee, then get a snack while you fill up. Is there anything else you want?” I walked over to Adam’s door as he let himself out.

Adam bent down to kiss my belly, making my muscles clench. How does such a beefy man do that yet still look so masculine?

“Why don’t you also grab me some pretzels. I don’t know if the coffee will be good on my empty stomach. But with the way the snow has been falling, I want to make sure we can take the turnpike rather than Route 2.”

Route 2 is known as Death’s Highway. The area of Route 2 between Bono and Sandusky claimed dozens of lives due to the large semi-trucks in addition to the awkward two lane road. People couldn’t see what was coming around the next bend so head-on collisions were frequent. The horrible blizzard-like conditions from Lake Erie only made the road more treacherous.

After grabbing the coffee, pretzels and some crackers for myself, then paying for them, I headed back to the car. The snow made the car hard to see from the door of the gas station. Driving in this mess wasn’t a comforting thought.

“Adam, the weather looks really bad. Maybe we should turn on a local radio station to check on the road conditions.”

Making slow progress, we listened to the bleak weather bulletin. Little did we know one single radio announcement would change our lives forever.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance Ebook

Secret Cravings Store

TGIF Hunk Friday-

I've seen his hot figure posted on Facebook a lot lately so naturally I've been intrigued  I wanted to find out more about the man behind the body. 

Gary Taylor is a man who believes in hard work. After a rough early life, he's made the most of himself and is setting out to go after his dreams. His Facebook page lists him as...father, friend, model, personal trainer, your inspiration...

He certainly is an inspiration for an alpha male in my book. His lean hard body is perfect for a working man to cowboy. He can rev my engine! What do you think? Will Gary Taylor haunt your dreams?

You can find out more about Gary Taylor and connect with him on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/garytaylorofficial

Persistence

Persistence-

Humans go blindly on faith into abysses all the time.  We hear about people who have stared caution in the eyes and decided that they could climb mountains or pursue their dreams. For me, being a published author was that leap of faith.

Growing up in the late 70’s, I enjoyed the sport of wrestling.  Strong legs and cunning could push a competitor out of the ring faster than anything could.  Being short was just another asset.  I had those three things in abundance and knew that wrestling was the sport for me, except for the small fact that I was a girl. Being the only girl on an all boy team was shocking. I was told that I couldn’t do it. I was told that I shouldn’t do it. Each time I heard that, it made me want it more. But when push came to shove (no pun intended) I couldn’t go through with it.  I lacked the persistence.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, to persist is to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of opposition, importunity, or warning.  As a pre-teen girl, it was more important for me to be liked by the boys (and not teased by the girls) rather than be seen as a competitor. That gender (Men) is still important to me today, but I’ve learned that there are some things that you can’t give up on, things you will fight for like your health or an education and things you will fight against like bullies or persecution. 

Being a writer isn’t an easy choice of a profession if you aren’t a persistent person.  Giving up will not sell your books or even get your books published.  As an author, you are told by a publisher that they either want or don’t want your story. Many publishers if they don’t want it, will at least be helpful and tell you what needs changing and give you a chance to resubmit. Even if your book makes it past the acquisitions desk, it has to go a few rounds with editing. Here you have to deal with someone who is only trying to polish your piece, but it sometimes feels like they are dissecting your heart. It is extremely hard to hear that you need to fix something that you worked on and poured your soul into. And if your manuscript makes it to becoming a book, you invite reviewers and readers to comment on it. That can feel like target practice and you are wearing the apple.

I liken being an author to being a presidential candidate. Some days you are on top of the polls and others, you are being run out of town for something you said.  If you want to see reviews of the candidates, watch the evening news or a few mud-slinging commercials.  Ouch! Just like candidates, authors must continue to “sell” themselves, their story, or even future projects after a bad review or modest sales.  Authors must continue to hone their craft to get better which requires us to continue to push forward in the face of opposition.

Let’s be honest here, if you want to be good at anything, you are going to need persistence. Michael Jordan didn’t win the NBA Championship because he shot one basket. No, he practiced and persisted when others told him that he couldn’t make it.  Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs…there are a million stories of being persistent in the face of failure, opposition or warning. I’m sure that if we spoke with any of those people, they would agree that persistence was a skill that was invaluable.

And who knows where I would be today if I hadn’t given up on that interest in wrestling, although I’m fairly sure that there are many more people happy about my romantic stories than about seeing me in one of those wrestling uniforms at my age.

What is one thing that you wished you hadn't given up on? How to do you persist when things are tough?