Is it gravy or sauce?

My brother stopped by this morning and gave me a copy of Gravy Wars: South Philly Foods, Feuds & Attytudes by Lorraine Ranalli. The title is not misspelled and it captures the essence of Philadelphia. The book is full of Italian traditions, superstitions and delicious recipes – gravy, meatballs, pizzelles...

It's available at Amazon.

I’m not Italian but I grew up in South Philly and no matter what your ancestry may be, the stories are bound to bring back memories of your own family and holidays past.


Lorraine does answer the age-old question “Is it gravy or sauce?” You have to read the book to find out. Does anyone outside of South Philly refer to tomato sauce as gravy? Whatever you call it, this book took us on a trip back in time and brought back all sorts of pleasurable memories and some bittersweet ones as well.


There’s something about welcoming in a new year that makes me nostalgic. Rather than ring out the old, I prefer to remember times past while I bring in the new.


Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays! - a cappella

Deck The Halls - a cappella Christmas multitrack (Julien Neel - trudbol) Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday!

A New Year's date with The Weekend Novelist

Have you made your New Year’s resolution yet?


I have and it’s all about an unfinished, barely started manuscript.


Way back in April of this year I embarked on a project with Delilah Devlin, Elle James and the other wonderful ladies at Rose’s Colored Glasses. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the group, it’s a place where writers can learn about writing, receive one-on-one assistance understanding the basics of writing or join group workshops to learn the different elements of creating a saleable manuscript.


Our goal was to work through the book, The Weekend Novelist by Robert J. Ray and Bret Norris.


“A Dynamic 52-week program to help you produce a novel …
One weekend at a time.”


I didn’t get very far - intro and skeleton sketch – before I found myself falling behind. Fortunately for me, everyone else did too. We all agreed to put off the project until next year. Time flies and here it is, almost next year and we’re gearing up again. I’m really excited. I still have the bare bones plot in my head and the notes from April. This time I have every intention of sticking with it. It’s my New Year’s resolution for 2011. I’ll be posting my progress meter and updates to keep me on the straight and narrow. Stop back and give me push every now and then...

The Wolves of Colusa Mountain invade Black Wolf Gorge

AHROOOOOOO WOO WOOOahhhhh!

I think my guests are here. Welcome Calisa Lewis and friends. Come in. The coffee's on and there's bottled water for your pack.

What a lovely room you have here Gale. Thank you for inviting us in. Mmm and our fave brandy fudge goes great with your coffee.

Glad you could make it. Yum, I feel the calories settling already. Oops, sorry. My guys are a little territorial. There will be no pissing contest today boys. Take it outside. Let me get you a mug Calisa and we can chat.


I’ll begin by introducing myselves. (Have I mentioned I also have multiple personalities? I hear that happens a lot with pre-published authors trying to discover who they want to be in the publishing world. My hopes are for a well rounded author to merge from the many people inside me!) I’m Calisa Lewis, and I’m a writer. That should cover it. No? Well we hang out at our own blog here, http://www.Calisa-Lewis.blogspot.com, we’re also on Twitter/CalisaMS, and Facebook/Calisa Selfridge. We write about small town love, usually-but not always- cowboys. Always contemporary.


I’ve never suffered writer’s block, unless I can count the hours I’ve spent trying (and usually failing) to come up with an intelligent topic for my blog. I blog only once every week or two for a reason. So when Gale asked me to come here and blog, of course, I jumped at the idea. Why not? I obviously love to torture people, namely myself, or I wouldn’t be a writer! And, guess what? I still don’t have a solid clue what to say. So, I’ve decided to regale you all with song… Nooo, not really! Sheesh.

Much as I'd love to hear you sing, I really want to hear about your wolves.

 I love my cowboys, but I have a paranormal series in the works. These also veer from my usual sweet/spicy-ish romances in that they are really not nice men. They don’t talk nice, and they don’t act nice. Typical bad boys?


Sure, if typical grew teeth and bit the heroine to gain that sexual euphoric high necessary to claim their true life mate!

Definitely my kind of guys.


These are about a Cherokee Indian tribe cursed by the medicine man, or Kutani, back in the 1800’s. Vsigli cursed all males of the mountain, while protecting his pure bloodline. (Here you need to understand that bloodlines of the Cherokee people flows through the females, rather than the males.) For decades his female descendants only throw more females. But the men of the mountain become wolves when they reach the age of adulthood, of accountability. Now, this age varies because not all men come to this point in their lives at the same age. Mental growth varies and so does accountability.


Many Kutani women have come and gone through Vsigli’s lineage. Somewhere along the line these women began to try to undo the curse. Their efforts have only altered it through the years so that when my stories begin the heroes can change at will, or shift, to wolves. They live ‘normal’ lives.

I love the premise. You put a whole different spin on the shape-shifter story.


In book one, Logan, meets Beth. They discover along the way that she’s a descendant of Vsigli. She’s not allowed on the mountain. They have to overcome this obstacle to find love and forever happiness. Her greatest obstacle is Logan’s brother, or rather his influence over Logan. John will not sway from the original law that NO KUTANI are allowed on Colusa, so Beth must go. Both Logan and his inner wolf have chosen Beth for their mate- and as we all know, wolves mate for life. And when she becomes pregnant, her ancestor offers a solution through visions.


John has his comeuppance in book two, when he meets Silver. He wants to run away when he finds out that she, too, is a descendant of Vsigli. He doesn’t want to explain that the desire he has for Silver comes from a much deeper source than mere human love. John wants to reject the woman his inner wolf has claimed as his life mate. He has reconciled his strong beliefs in the heritage he grew up relying on, used it to make sense of the hated, forced imprisonment on the mountain. If offered the opportunity, John would never shift again.


Youngest brother Bank meets Kaleenah who has no connection to the mountain, or does she? His inner wolf denies Kaleenah as its mate, though Bank wants her desperately. He’s forced to convince the geneticist that he isn’t what she thinks he is. But it’s against Colusa law to ‘tell’ anyone about them, so Bank must find a way to show her. A scientist, and not one to believe in ‘ghost stories’, Kaleenah is convinced that she can ‘cure’ the man she’s fallen in love with. When she learns that she is one of the Kutani, and there is no human cure because of ‘her kind’, she runs. How can she face Bank when she’s responsible for his hell, his family’s hell?


I hope to bring these couples to you soon. So let me know here, would you read these? Would you like to hear about Tanner, Cody, Sam, Kato, or any of the other cursed wolves? Should I allow the curse to be broken?

Sounds like you have the makings of great series. I can't wait to read more.

Thank you again for letting me come and share my brave heroines and their Wolves of Colusa Mountain, Gale. It’s their first public appearance, so be kind and they promise not to bite too hard.


Thanks so much for sharing your stories. Please let us know when we can expect more. Sounds too quiet out there. I think we better check on our packs...
 

MATING CALL is leading off the Winter Heat Week Grand Giveaway at Fire Pages!!

Zee invited me to lead off her Winter Heat Week Grand Giveaway! And I’m thrilled to be part of the fun and in the good company of so many great authors.



Enter at Zee's Fire Pages: http://www.fpreviews.com/


Zee is reviewing 11 Books in 10 Days by 9 Authors, starting with her review of MATING CALL, plus an interview and a sneak peek at an upcoming release.


The contest will run from Wednesday, December 15th through Thursday, December 24th.


If you leave a comment for all 11 reviews, you’ll be entered into the GRAND GIVEAWAY!


What will you win?


Books and lots of them!


Every author has agreed to give away a copy of one or more of their novels that Zee will be reviewing.


My contribution is a paperback copy of MATING CALL, bookmark, pen and notepad.


Put a shortcut on your desktop and visit often for more chances to win.


Good Luck!

My Morning with Rachael Ray

Anyone watch the Rachael Ray show? I have to admit I never turn the TV on until 6:30 pm when TMZ comes on. This morning as I sat in the hospital waiting room while my husband had his stress test I got to see what I’ve been missing.

I settled in, took out my new Blackberry and checked email. When I saw all the work coming in I got agita and put it away. I had three hours to kill and a loaded Kindle in my bag. Perfect. I was just getting into a good romance when someone came in and turned on the TV. Urgh!

At first I could tune it out, but then Rachael came on and it was like fingernails on a chalkboard. Does anyone else find her voice annoying? Or is it just me? I read the same paragraph three times and then locked myself in the bathroom. This worked only until someone needed to use it. The next time I reached my limit I took a walk down the hall. I didn’t want to go too far because I was there in case they needed me.

Finally the last person left the waiting room and I turned the sound down on the TV. Five minutes later my husband came walking out, ready to leave. Gee, time passes fast when you’re having fun. Of course my husband thinks I’m nuts. He loves Rachael. I’m just glad to be back home where it’s quiet…

WIN A KINDLE! at SILVER PUBLISHING

On January 1, 2011 Silver Publishing will be releasing their 100th book. To celebrated they’re giving away a Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology to one lucky winner. The contest will run from December 10, 2010 until January 1, 2011.



Enter here:
http://silverpublishing.info/contest


Believe me it’s a great prize. I already own a Kindle and I love it. And when you stop by to enter the contest, take a look at all the great books they offer – including mine of course.


SILENT KNIGHTS also available at Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/Silent-Knights-Kindle

**** 4 Stars for MATING CALL ****

I was thrilled to open the January 2011 issue of my favorite magazine, RT BOOK REVIEWS, and find a 4 Star review for MATING CALL. If you don't aready get the magazine delivered, give yourself a subscription for Christmas. I guarantee you won't be sorry. Besides over 200 reviews you'll find great articles, interviews, and giveaways for readers and writers. 

Genre: E-book, Paranormal, Erotic Romance


**** RT Rating


Stanley’s second book about the shapeshifters of Black Wolf Gorge is hot enough to shoot sparks from the pages. It goes a little bit beyond in a unique twist on the mating habits of shapeshifters. The independent heroine will appeal to readers; the men, however, might elicit a slightly darker reaction, as they capture and then confine Sable in order to study her. Readers who like to go outside the box will get a fiery, emotional story.


Wolf shapeshifter Sable is captured by twin brothers Jude and Jonas Outlaw and her double nature is all that keeps her alive, as these two brothers hate anything even remotely involving wolves. But Sable intrigues and attracts both brothers, drawing them into fiery ménage and claiming both as mates. When Sable gets pregnant by both men, the three of them will have to make their family work despite society’s disapproval. (SIRENPUBLISHING.COM, dl $5.99)
Reviewed By: Sabrina Cooper



Thanks for letting me share!

MATING CALL is available at Amazon:

http://tinyurl.com/Mating-Call-Kindle
and
Bookstrand:

http://www.bookstrand.com/mating-call

Can you hear me yet?

You know me and electronic toys – the easier the better. I hate the learning curve involved whenever I have to buy a new model, but when your ten year-old granddaughter has a better phone than you, it’s time to upgrade.


My husband and I had been thinking about it but couldn’t decide what we wanted. When hubby found a deal that got us 2 phones for $0.01 each we couldn’t pass it up. And they were flip phones, a style we were used to because we both had been using the Motorola Razr. It’s not easy to find a flip-style smartphone so the Blackberry Style for Sprint seemed the perfect fit. Even so I dreaded the thought of setting up a new phone, especially one with all the bells and whistles.


The phones were ordered through Amazon Wireless, gray for hubby, purple for me. They came the other day and I was intimidated right off the bat when my husband downloaded a 600 page manual. I ignored the telephone book and used the small Get-Started book that came with the phone. We got off to bad start when my husband couldn’t find the pin number we needed to activate service but a phone call to Sprint took care of the problem.

Here it is, 3.8 by 2.4 and it has a full QWERTY keyboard. It comes with an 8 GB memory card, but you can upgrade. The plastic body is glossy in front and slightly textured in back. Headphones included. It’s got the Blackberry 6 OS. There’s no touch screen and the trackpad takes a little getting used to – it’s slippery. I still overshoot my mark once in awhile.


It’s a Blackberry so I guess it’s geared toward business use. I didn’t find a lot of ringtones and games – ones that worked anyway. I downloaded a bejeweled type game and when I tried to play, it blanked out my screen. I looked at that white expanse and panicked. Nothing I did got me back to my home screen. Hubby came to the rescue. He took the battery out and reinserted it and everything went back to normal. Needless to say I deleted the game. The ringtones from my old phone worked on the new, so I was happy.

Email, Facebook and Twitter were extremely easy to set up. The screen is a bit small for surfing but I haven’t done web browsing yet so I’ll probably get used to it. I haven’t tried the camera or listened to music yet. Hey give me a break, I couldn’t play with the phone all day. I had to do some work too.


Only two cons so far. The keyboard is a bit flat compared to my old Razr. And the selection of ring tones and games could be better. I think that will be rectified in the future. So far I’m loving my new phone.

NaNo No More

There’s only one day left in my obsession to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. Only 45,607 words to go. As much as it pains me I had to remove my NaNo word count box from the sidebar and admit to myself – it ain’t gonna happen.


 I’ve been questioning why I couldn’t do it this time around and it just comes down to, not enough hours in the day and weeks in the month. I spent more time with family and friends, some of whom I may not see next year, and I have priceless memories to relive. I finished a manuscript and worked on edits. I gave myself a pat on the back for trying and hey there’s always next year.

 Here’s a few pictures of some of those precious holiday moments - the Winterfest Light Show at the beach and a visit to Santa. I hope you all made wonderful memories this month!

I'm at Whipped Cream!

Today I'm guest blogging at Whipped Cream -The Long and Short of it Reviews.


http://wcguest.blogspot.com/


The topic is - Romantica! It’s not your mother’s romance.


Stop by and comment to be entered in their weekly contest.


Happy Reading, Gale Stanley

The First Thanksgiving

Bric-a-Brac: The First Thanksgiving

Christopher Walken and John Madden land in the new world with the rest of the pilgrims. They must decide whether to give thanks for it, or completely annihilate it...


From blamesociety.net
All voices by Jason Stephens
http://monkeybusinessinstitute.com/
Written and Directed by Matt Sloan and Aaron Yonda
All music by incompetech.com (Kevin MacLeod)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Let me make myself perfectly clear

The bad news is – I am so far behind in NaNo I don’t think I’ll be able to make my 50,000 words by the end of the month. With the holiday coming up, it seems even less likely.


The good news is – there’s a good reason. Several in fact. I finished a manuscript, always a good reason to rejoice. A reader asked for a sequel to SILENT KNIGHTS and it got my head going. I wrote SLEEPLESS KNIGHTS, a MMM erotic romance, and it was accepted for publication. Whoo hoo! This one’s for you L. I don’t have a date yet, but stay tuned.


In the midst of this I got the edits back for POINT OF BEGINNING, the first book in my GENTLEMEN’S CLUB series. There’s a fair amount of work involved. Mostly due to the number of times I used the characters names. This got me thinking - and provided me with a blog post. How do you clarify who’s doing what without yanking the reader out of the story?


As a reader, I’ve been pulled out of the characters head, and the story, after seeing his/her name repeated too many times. As a writer, especially in stories with a lot of same sex characters, I don’t want to confuse the reader. Where do you draw the line?


I’m so close to the story, I know who everybody is, because I live with them and I see everything unfold in my head. But sometimes in the process of putting scenarios on paper they lose clarity. I over compensated and over used character names.


It helps to have someone’s objective and knowledgeable viewpoint. Thank God for a good editor. Right now I’m tagging my characters – adding more of their unique characteristics so readers can tell them apart without constantly seeing a name.


How do you differentiate the characters in your writing?

We Have a Winner! for * BEST LOVER IN TOWN *

It's been a pleasure to meet Brenda Woody and Steve Tindle, authors of erotic romance. I really enjoyed interviewing them and hosting their contest for a signed copy of their book BEST LOVER IN TOWN. The contest ended Friday 11:59 PM PST and a winner was selected. Congratulations Tonya! Happy Reading!


Thank you, Brenda and Steve, for visiting. I hope you'll come back and share your upcoming releases with us.

Temptation Triggers is due to be published in the summer of 2011 by Charles River Press.

Brenda & Steve can be found here:

http://www.charlesriverpress.com/best_lover_in_town.html
http://www.brendawoodystevetindle.yolasite.com
http://www.myspace.com/blt_bestloverintown
http://www.goodreads.com/brendaandsteve
http://www.authorsden.com/brendaandsteve
email is: bestloverintown@gmail.com

Today I'm chatting with Brenda Woody and Steve Tindle, Coauthors of erotic romance

Today I'm interviewing erotic authors, Brenda Woody and Steve Tindle, who reconnected after 30 years and are writing as a team.

GS: I understand you coauthored BEST LOVER IN TOWN. How did you get together?


Steve: Brenda and I met in high school back in 1974. Although we were not friends we had classes together and knew each other by reputation. When our 30 year high school reunion was coming up, Brenda found me on MySpace and we started communicating. We learned a lot about each other through emails and long phone conversations. We started writing “Best Lover in Town” by connecting our computers while talking on the phone. After several months Brenda moved to the Dallas area so we could finish our book and start writing several more.


Brenda: I was looking for classmates on MySpace since our 30th reunion was nearing. There was not that many classmates but I found Steve. We started messaging back and forth which lead to emails and Yahoo IMs. Then we exchanged cell #s. We talked every night and during the day on our lunches and breaks. We even watched the same movie sometimes while talking on the phone long distance; that was fun. We really got to know each and talked about everything.


GS: That is such a great story. It’s wonderful how the internet can help us find old friends and make new ones. But I’ve often wondered how difficult it would be to coauthor a book. Do you share an office? Alternate chapters or collaborate on everything?


Steve: We have a home office set up but find we are freer to talk about where the story goes when we are in the Jacuzzi. We call it our “muse”. We write together on our laptops and collaborate on every page. We talk before hand about the story, beginning, middle and ending, before we write. Once we start typing in the notes we discuss where the story is leading and any plot changes. Together we ensure the story flows the way we want it to go.


Brenda: Sometimes an idea or story hits me and I have to grab a notepad and write it all down. Then I read it to Steve to see if he likes it. Which he does. LOL We work best together on our stories. We have tried writing singular and we don’t like it. Once in a while we come up with a story line but end up using the idea as a scene instead.


GS: Wow! Tossing ideas around in the Jacuzzi, I’m going to try that. Do you have critique partners or do you rely on each other to critique your work. What happens if one of you disagrees on how the plot is progressing?


Steve: We critique our own writings although I like to send the completed work out to a select few friends for their inputs. This gives me instant feedback before we submit to our publisher, Charles River Press.


Brenda and I have never disagreed on where the plot is heading. We talk about it and if it needs to be changed we alter it.


Brenda: Thanks to our publisher, who had faith in us, our last edit of BLT was a self edit. We learned a lot. After we have written a page or two, I read what we wrote to Steve. It’s a good way to hear the story out loud to see if it flows.
Steve is right, we are very in sync when it comes to the characters and plots.


GS: How much of your own life experience is reflected in your book?


“Best Lover in Town” is a combination of our experiences and fantasies.


GS: What made you decide to write an erotic romance? Is it a genre that you generally read?


Steve: Brenda had written a few pages of a novel she wanted to get published several years ago. She sent me the file. After I read it, I suggested to her about making it erotic. We kept the female character’s name Janet, the location and went from there.


Brenda: When I sent Steve those few pages I had written, he was very supportive something I had not had in a relationship. We took my story and together created an erotic novel.
I like to read mysteries and erotic – well I read the erotic stories to Steve.


GS: How did you come up with the title for BEST LOVER IN TOWN?


Steve: We already knew Janet’s favorite sandwich was “BLT”. So I was looking for a title with the same initials. While Brenda was still in Portland, my children and I brainstormed different words for BLT. Out of this conversation we came up with “Best Lover in Town”.


Brenda: Steve is really good creating the titles and I am very good in coming up with the characters’ names.


GS: How do you come up with your character’s names?


Steve: The names we pick relates to the time period and their position in the story. Nathan was the hardest name to come up with. You will have to read the book to understand this hint.


Brenda: Most of the character’s name just comes to me. We already have our story unfolding and the name really defines our character.


GS: Have there been any writers that have inspired you?


Steve: I feel life is the inspiration I draw from. I love to talk to fans and to hear their stories. I’ve talked to several who have told me they could relate to situations in “Best Lover in Town” then went on to tell me about their past. In some way it is therapeutic since they hadn’t told anyone else about their experiences. We have considered adding the fans’ situations in up coming novels.


Brenda: As far as writing romance, my influence have been Katherine Woodiwiss and Norma Roberts. My inspiration for erotic has been Steve, I am able to truly express myself. And boy do we have fun researching! LOL


GS: I just bought myself a Kindle recently and I love it. What do you think of the e-book revolution? Are e-books here to stay?


Steve: eBooks are here to stay but printed books will never die. We have several fans who bought the eBook so they could read it the same day but tell us they want a printed book for us to sign for them.


Brenda: I think eBooks are for the readers on the go. There are a lot of people that still like to curl up to a good print in hand.


GS: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?


Steve: Write every day, even if it just notes on the plot or character. This keeps your story in front of you. Don’t allow rejections from family or friends to keep you from your dreams.


Brenda: Take a pen and notepad with you wherever you go, you never know when an idea will present itself. Always reread what you wrote the day before. This is a good time to check your grammar, punctuation, and make any necessary changes. It also gets your writing juices flowing. Also have Adobe Reader read your story to you. This is easy – click View then Read Out Loud.


GS: Good advice. I’ve had ideas pop into my head in the oddest places and they pop out just as fast unless I write them down. What are you working on now?


Steve: We are currently writing several short stories for our next book “Temptation Triggers”. We are over 3/4 complete with a deadline of January 2011. “Temptation Triggers” is due to be published in the summer of 2011 by Charles River Press.


Brenda: We also have 9 other books in the works – all in notes, waiting to come alive.

GS: You guys are really busy. Where can readers purchase a copy of BEST LOVER IN TOWN? And where can they find you on the internet?


Steve: “Best Lover in Town” is a print on demand book. We found it around the world on the web. I have Facebook friends who have bought it in Finland and England.


Brenda: BLT can be purchased at:


Barnes & Noble
http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?store=BOOK&WRD=best+lover+in+town


Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098209468X/sr=1-1/qid=1275352147/ref=sr_1_1_oe_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275352147&sr=1-1


Fictionwise
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b109725/?si=0


eReader
http://www.ereader.com/servlet/mw?t=book&bi=109725&si=59


Powell’s Books
http://www.powells.com/biblio/098209468X?&PID=32322


Indie Bound
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780982094686


AbeBooks – several international book online stores available
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?bi=0&bx=off&ds=30&sortby=2&sts=t&x=79&y=15&cm_ven=PFX&cm_cat=affiliates&cm_pla=links&cm_ite=k117601&afn_sr=gan&isbn=098209468X&pfxid=a_361874098


Bookstrand
http://www.bookstrand.com/best-lover-in-twon


Brenda: Steve and I can be found on:
http://www.charlesriverpress.com/best_lover_in_town.html


http://www.brendawoodystevetindle.yolasite.com/


http://www.myspace.com/blt_bestloverintown


http://www.goodreads.com/brendaandsteve


http://www.authorsden.com/brendaandsteve


Our email is: bestloverintown@gmail.com


Thank you for stopping by and sharing your story – and an excerpt from BEST LOVER IN TOWN. Enjoy!


Steve: Thanks for having us Gale. I really enjoy talking to fans about “Best Lover in Town”.


Brenda: Thank you Gale for spreading the word about BLT and doing this interview with us. It’s been fun!


SYNOPSIS: Janet Anderson is searching for sexual magic in the man who can match her in the bed. Janet suspects all this and more lies within her handsome boss, Nathan Lovett. During a work-related visit to Janet’s home, Nathan and Janet give in to an attraction beyond their control, and soon find themselves immersed in a pleasurable night of uninhibited sex and heated passion. To their dismay, their luscious interlude is interrupted, and Nathan must leave on a plane to a far away place; their whirlwind coupling on hold.


Three years pass, and with Nathan gone, Janet’s co-worker and best friend, Madison, urges Janet to end her mourning and explore other possibilities. Janet attends parties and events to fill the void left by Nathan, meeting four other men. Though she experiences new sexual delights and discovers more about herself; her suitors fall flat, and Janet is left longing for the touch of her Nathan. Will the best lover in town return to finish what he started?


EXCERPT:

Janet hears a car stop in the driveway. She takes one last look in the mirror hanging in the hall. “No makeup, yet my face glows.” She nervously opens the front door. Nathan’s hand is in mid air to knock. His breath is taken away when Janet opens the door. “My god,” he thinks. “She is beautiful.” He knows it is going to be hard to keep his mind on business.



He was glad to have won her over from his competing company after hearing how good she was at her past job. Since hiring her, he felt she must have been ready for a change. So far she hadn't openly expressed why she was eager to leave her other job. Nathan has a suspicion that Janet’s ex-boss was very controlling and verbally abusive. “I’m delighted she accepted the position because now I have the best advertising assistant in town,” he thinks.


Janet invites Nathan in. While giving him a tour of her house, his first thought is “organization” just like her desk at work. The earthy decor suits her.


"Well, let’s get started," Nathan says, clearing his throat to cover his nervousness.


“Why am I feeling like a kid in high school?” he thinks.


Janet cleans off the dining room table so they can lay out the ad. They stand a few inches apart viewing the large prints, aware of the nearness of each others body. Nathan again clears his throat. Janet leans over the table. Nathan has a nice view of her backside. “Nice long legs.”


She is conscious of his eyes moving over her body. This makes her nervous as a little grin forms on her lips. "This one," she decides as she picks up the print to hand it to him.


Their fingers briefly touch. The touch is like fire searing up each of their arms. Janet is the first to avert her eyes while clearing her throat. Nathan raises an eyebrow. “She is just as nervous as I am.”


“Would you like something to drink?”


"Just a beer if it’s not too inconvenient." Nathan watches Janet walk away into the kitchen. He considers what it would be like to run his hands down her body while kissing her. “Okay, keep your mind on work.”


Janet returns with two bottles of beer.


“Ah, someone knows their beer.” He takes the chilled dark brew from her hand. Again their fingers touch, this time they linger a few extra seconds.


"I think what our client is looking for is a worldly attitude," Janet says to break the silence.


She turns toward the table in thought. Nathan can see her long neck as her head is arched back. He imagines the roundness of her breasts underneath her t-shirt. Nathan steps closer not realizing that if Janet turns around she would be against his chest. Janet can feel his breath on her hair.


"Janet, I want you to know, I…" He stops.


"Yes?"


Nathan cannot help himself any longer.


He whispers in her hair. "I want you."


Janet is surprised to hear these words from Nathan. Her mind starts playing games with her. “He’s my boss. He’s 10 years younger than me. Why does he want me when he could have anyone he chooses? But oh man, he would feel so good right now!” She could feel her own wetness building up inside. Her body is ready yet her mind won’t yield to her desire for pleasure.


All Janet’s life she has wanted to find the perfect mate to explore the magic of sex. She is well read. However, she has never acted on her desires thinking there is not a man willing to teach her. Does Nathan possess the passion she is craving? Will a younger man have the knowledge she needs to drain? Will Nathan be willing to act out all Janet’s fantasies? Janet’s mind is finally getting in sync with her body as her sweet wetness is now moistening her jeans.


As Janet regains her thoughts, she deliberately leans her body into Nathan’s. She wants him to hold her close as he kisses her hair. The thought of Nathan touching her excites her. She wonders how he will react to her being so bold. Her pulse is racing. She feels his breath on her hair. She has already passed the stopping point whole heartedly giving into her body’s desires.

 

NaNoWriMo Update

NaNoWriMo is killing me!


Okay the first week of National Novel Writing Month is over and I’m nowhere near where I wanted to be. I think I should have somewhere around 12,000 words. As you can see from my NaNo widget, I’m way off.


I got off to a decent start but then I jumped over to another WIP and got totally sidetracked. I keep telling myself to go back, but it’s tough when you get immersed in something else. I’m beginning to think I won’t be writing THE END on November 30th.


Anybody else having problems?

A New Contract and the Saga Continues

Siren-Bookstrand just offered me a contract for CAPTIVE, the third book in the Black Wolf Gorge series. I couldn’t be more happy. Writing these books has been a real labor of love.


I feel very fortunate to be doing something that gives me so much pleasure and knowing the readers enjoy the series is nothing short of fantastic.

The projected release date for CAPTIVE is March 2011. I’ll keep you updated with news about the cover and edits.


Other news:

The Goodreads Giveaway for CALL OF THE WILDS ended October 31st. Congratulations to the 4 lucky winners. Each will receive a paperback copy of the book. I sent them out today.

699 readers entered. I wish I could have given them all copies. Check back often. There will be other giveaways and contests.

MATING CALL is up for the October Book of the month at Happily Ever After Reviews! I would love to have your vote.

http://hea-reviews.blogspot.com/p/best-book-contest_30.html

HEA reviewed MATING CALL on October 31st.

LynnMarie gave it 4 Tea Cups and said “I was very excited to review Mating Call after reading the first book in the Black Wolf Gorge series, Call of the Wilds. Gale Stanley's writing does not disappoint. She expertly pulls you into the world she creates and keeps you there.”

Read the rest of the review here:
http://hea-reviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/review-mating-call-by-gale-stanley.html

Happy Reading!

The Hardhats are back

The hardhats are back at the beach. The sand pumping will run through December 23rd and the construction operations and equipment run around the clock. Hopefully I'll be able to get some pics of the actual pumping.

Bibliotherapy??

Yesterday I came across something in the paper that knocked me for a loop – bibliotherapy. Ever hear of it? It’s just what it sounds like – book therapy.


This exciting new idea comes to us from School of Life, an organization in London dedicated to helping us improve our lives. Their Bibliotherapy department will prescribe books, not necessarily self-help books, which will help their clients, deal with life issues. According to what I read the idea is to provide a one-to-one service for people who don’t have “seriously big issues but need to get through the nitty-grittiness of everyday life.” Of course all this service comes with a price.


Evidently they want to treat reading as an outlet for escape. What will they think of next? Duh! I’ve been doing this all my life. And part of the joy and escapism includes pouring over covers and titles in a bookstore or on Amazon. With my Kindle I can even download sample chapters to help me decide on a purchase.


But if you feel the need to pay someone for a list of eight books they have chosen to help you improve your writing skills, deal with divorce or search for love, you can visit: http://www.theschooloflife.com/Bibliotherapy

Happy Reading!

Same Kind of Different As Me

Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent 


So many books, so little time – and this one sat on my to be read shelf far too long. When I finally picked it up and started reading, I literally could not put it down.


This is the true story of two men from widely different backgrounds. Denver grew up a sharecropper on a plantation. Ron, an art dealer, lived a life most of us can only dream about.


It was Ron Hall’s wife, Deborah, who brought the two men together. At her urging Ron volunteered at a homeless shelter and it was there he met Denver Moore, an ex-con. Their lives intertwined and they formed an unlikely friendship, teaching each other life lessons they may not have learned otherwise.


The inspiring story, told in alternating voice by the two men, breaks down every preconceived notion about the wealthy and the homeless. Each man struggling with his own individual conflicts seeks God in a different way. Denver’s story is sometimes very painful but the overriding themes are strong and hopeful. It’s an inspiring tale, one that encourages the reader to be more understanding and compassionate. I found it to be an emotional story that really touched me.


Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review program. All opinions expressed herein are mine.

Weekly Roundup or How I Learned to Love Book Promotion

This week has been another whirlwind of interviews and blogs. On Monday I did a Double Feature at Michele Zurlo’s Steam Room: http://www.michelezurlo.com/apps/blog/show/5075457-gale-stanley-s-call
We did a great interview and a giveaway and Michele let me talk about my new releases in October.


On Tuesday I visited Escape into Romance. I always enjoy chatting with Stacey Espino. We had a great time and you can read all about it here:
http://staceyespino.blogspot.com/2010/10/welcome-guest-blogger-author-gale.html

On Wednesday I stopped by Golinowski’s Gambol to talk with my friend Denise: http://gaiasong.livejournal.com/16404.html

Thursday was the best day of all; I babysat for my little men.


Whew, the week went fast. Here it is Friday and I feel like I haven’t done any writing. A book can be great but if no one knows it’s out there, they’ll never read it. Promotion is a necessary evil, so I try to make it as much fun as possible. The possibilities of promoting on the internet are truly amazing. I have a website, 2 blogs, a Facebook page and I Twitter. I belong to writing organizations, loops for readers and writers and I have bookmarks and business cards. I can check my sales and reviews wherever my books are being sold and see the ratings.


It’s easy to fall into the trap of looking at your stats everyday and agonizing when you fall from #4 to #5. I try not to do it. It takes way too much time away from my writing. And the writing is where it’s at – creating another story and making it the best it can be for the reader.


Because the biggest success I can hope for is to know I entertained the readers. When I get an email from someone telling me they couldn’t put my book down it makes my day. That’s what it’s all about. So now I’m going back to work on a new story that I hope you’ll love as much as I do.


In the mean time – Happy Reading!

NaNoWriMo

I must be a glutton for punishment. I’m doing NaNoWriMo again this year. And it’s coming up fast. What is NaNoWriMo? Glad you asked.


According to the website, National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.


Okay so at the end of the month you will not have a novel that you can submit to a publisher. What you will have is a very, very rough draft. Okay, more like 175 pages of crap. But hopefully it can be edited into something
usable. So what’s the point of doing it?


Some people need the motivation to SIT and WRITE. And at the end of the month they will have the exhilarating feeling of reaching a goal. Last year more than 165,000 people participated. More than 30,000 hit the 50K goal. I was one of them. And it was a great feeling of accomplishment.


It also helped me with another goal. I was trying to cure myself of the editing as I go habit. It slows down your writing and takes you out of the zone. When you do NaNoWriMo there is no way you can edit as you go. There’s just no time. The only thing that matters is output. Quantity over quality. Writing on the fly. You are forced to put that quest for perfection aside. I’m sliding back into that over editing mode so I’m counting on NaNo to help me with that again this year.


I’m a pantser. I can’t write an outline to save my life but I have a few things planned out to help me get started. I know my genre - sci-fi romance. I have a good idea of my opening hook and I know how the story will end.


I’ll have a progress widget on my blog to shame me into sticking with it. And I’ll give you updates. Wish me luck!


If you’re doing NaNo and you want a buddy, you can find me here:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/413301