So today’s Guilty Pleasure is the still gorgeous, totally wonderful Mark Harmon! Sigh.

The story is filled with glamour at a themed Atlantic City casino and also adventure as the sexy casino owner, Prince Alexander Ivanov, and determined FBI Agent Samantha Martinez try to discover if money laundering is going on at the casino and battle their attraction to one another.

I thought I’d share some visual inspiration for the two (who also kind of remind me of Jesus and Michaela from HONOR CALLS!)

Love that very alpha look on Alexander’s face. Also love that Samantha will surely wipe it off as their romance develops during the story!

Mason Storm is set to marry Veronica Chance in seven days. When he receives a mysterious text message he immediately packs and leaves without saying a word to anyone. After meeting with his former boss, Mason knows his past has finally caught up with him. In order to clear his name of false charges he returns home to Boston ready to put the issues to bed. Veronica, however, isn’t making it easy. She’s determined to help despite his claims of being the only one to make things right. As the investigation intensifies, Mason is captured and Veronica holds the key to his release. Will she make it there in time to save him and their wedding or will everything fall apart?

Excerpt

Mason sat on the edge of the bed, pulled out the pre-paid, and stared at it for a few minutes, trying to think of the right words to say so he wouldn’t outright piss Veronica off. Eventually he tapped her number into the phone and hit call. He didn’t even hear it ring on his end.

“Storm?”

“Yeah, Veronica, it’s me.” He shut his eyes, picturing her face, keeping him calm.

“Good thing you called, I was checking flights,” she said. He smiled, imagining the cute way her brow furrowed when she was ticked. “I need to talk to you.”

“Okay.”

“Are you safe?”

“Yes, I’m safe…making headway.”

“I found something.”

“What?” His eyes popped open, body leaned forward and tensed. Paper rustled in the background.

“This Todd Jackson guy is on the evidence logs from the Masterson case—”

“I know.”

“Did you know he and Ben Carter worked together during your case?”

“A passing memory of it, but that’s not important.”

She huffed. “Well did you know there are only three business cards logged in from her purse?”

“Three?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck.” Mason knew every single piece of evidence tied to the Masterson case. They accused him of stealing her clothing, the actual police reports, and the lipstick from her purse. The business cards weren’t even mentioned during his trial. More proof his gut was right. Someone was covering up Tiffanie’s murder.

“Yeah,” she replied, snarky. “Still don’t want my help?”

“I appreciate it, but no. I don’t. I’ve got everything under—”

“So you know the other piece of evidence that’s really missing that’s not in your case file?”

Mason sighed. She wasn’t giving up. Deep down he loved her more for it but wished she’d let it go. He’d never forgive himself if she became a target. “No, I haven’t even touched the Masterson file, Veronica. Tell me.”

“The first time we talked about it you said you sent a piece of her skirt with a blood stain to the lab. Well it’s not in the evidence logs or the final lab report. It never got processed.”

“Son of a bitch,” he spat, ran his hand over his skull. He was so screwed. “Anything else?”

“Not much else I can do from here.”

“It’s more than enough already. Thanks.”

“Don’t shut me out, Storm. You know I can help.”

“I’ve already got too much on my mind…you gotta let me do this my way. Give me a little more time—twenty four hours. If I’m not closer to figuring this out you’ll be the first person I call.”

“I don’t believe you,” she said. “I know there’s something you’re not telling me, Storm. I’ve never pried because I didn’t want to be that girl, but you’re not making this easy for me.”

“Please, Veronica, you have to trust me. I need to stay focused.”

“I won’t get in your way, Storm…be careful,” she replied, sniffled.

His gut twisted, but didn’t change his tune. “I will. And I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay.”

“Hey. I love you.”

“Me too,” she said then ended the call.

The pit in his stomach increased, a frown creasing his mouth as he stared at the phone. Her attitude toward him was already changing, and not for the better. He had little time to resolve this and get back to his life before the rift ripped them apart.

Mason refused to let that happen.

About Jenn Nixon

Jenn Nixon resides in New Jersey. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Liberty State Fiction Writers. Her love for thrillers and suspense often finds its way into her novels whether they are Science Fiction or Romance. When not writing, Jenn spends her free time reading, absorbing pop culture and current events, and social networking online.
Website: www.jennnixon.com
Blog: http://jennafern.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennNixonAuthor
Purchase at Amazon: Purchase TRUST ME, TELL ME at Amazon
Twitter: @jennnixon

LOL, yes, sexy. My daughter and I have both discussed for a while how these animated characters can be sexy. Shang from MULAN and TARZAN were always some of our favorites.

Don’t think animated characters can be sexy? Well check out David Kawena’s take on the Disney heroes for an eye-opener!

Take a moment to tell me who was your favorite!

In this installment, crafts editor Anastasia Pollack’s stress level maxes out when her well-intentioned mother meets and seduces TV producer Lou Beaumont. Suddenly, Anastasia and her fellow American Woman editors find themselves roped into unpaid gigs for a revamped morning TV show. However, not everyone involved enjoys the idea of the overhaul, and a disgruntled staffer takes action by trashing the studio set. When that doesn’t halt production, vandalism escalates to murder, and a member of the production team is found with one of Anastasia’s knitting needles plunged through his heart.

The network decides the show must go on, but morning TV turns crime drama as a blackmail plot is uncovered, and another body is found. Because Anastasia fears the killer might go after her and Mama next, she has no recourse but to launch her own investigation. Unfortunately, her snooping lands her directly in the killer’s unforgiving spotlight.

I began my writing career firmly entrenched in the romance genre because I love the happily-ever-after ending. However life doesn’t always lead us on a straight path, and I found myself segueing into writing mystery a few years ago. I’m still a romantic at heart, though, so for me, my mysteries have to come with a bit of romance. That wasn’t possible with Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, because Anastasia was very recently widowed.

Death By Killer Mop Doll opens six months later. For those of you who enjoy some romance with your mysteries, you’ll be happy to learn that things finally start heating up between Anastasia and Zack. After all, just how long can a girl be expected to mourn a dead louse of a spouse who left her and her kids one step removed from living out of an eight year old rust bucket of a car?

Intrigued yet? Here’s an excerpt I hope will tempt you further:

Upstairs, the front door slammed with enough force to register a five on the Richter scale. Dust dislodged from the exposed basement rafters and drifted down like polluted snow, settling over the basket of clean laundry I’d been folding. The ensuing shouting, barking, and yowling drowned out my muttered curse of choice and yanked my attention away from the now Dalmatian-spotted white wash.

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends,” squawked Ralph, the Shakespeare-spouting African Grey parrot I’d inherited when Great-aunt Penelope Periwinkle died two years ago. “Henry the Fifth. Act Three, Scene One.” He spread his wings and took flight up the basement stairs to check out the action. I raced after him, eager to prevent World War Three from erupting in my living room.

“Muzzle that abominable creature, or I’ll have the pound haul him away,” shrieked Mama. “He’s traumatizing Catherine the Great.”

“So shove some Prozac down her throat,” said my mother-in-law Lucille. “What the hell are you doing back here? And don’t you ever bother to knock? Just barge right in like you own the place.”

“I have more right to be here than you. This is my daughter’s house, you…you pinko squatter.”

As I hurried through the kitchen, I glanced at the calendar tacked next to the telephone. Mama wasn’t due back from her Caribbean cruise for another three days. Damn it. I needed those three days to steel myself for the inevitable explosive reaction that occurred whenever Flora Sudberry Periwinkle Ramirez Scoffield Goldberg O’Keefe, my mother and the former social secretary of the Daughters of the American Revolution, locked horns with Lucille Pollack, my mother-in-law and current president of the Daughters of the October Revolution. I’d been swindled out of seventy-two hours.

By the time I entered the living room, Mama’s and Lucille’s voices had reached glass-shattering decibel range.

“Crazy communist!” yelled Mama. She stood in the middle of the room, cradling Catherine the Great, her corpulent white Persian with an attitude befitting her namesake.

Manifesto, my mother-in-law’s runt of a French bulldog, stood inches from Mama’s Ferrigamos, his bark having switched to growl mode as he glared up at his nemesis. With a hiss and a yowl, Catherine the Great leaped from Mama’s arms. Showing his true cowardly colors, Mephisto, as we always called him behind his back and often to his snout, scampered to safety behind my mother-in-law’s ample girth.

Lucille barreled across the room, waving her cane at Mama. “Reactionary fascist!”

“How dare you threaten me!” Mama defended herself with a French manicured backhand that would have done Chris Everett proud. The cane flew from Lucille’s grasp and landed inches from Mephisto’s nose. Demon dog yelped and dove between Lucille’s orange polyester clad legs.

******

Death By Killer Mop Doll officially goes on sale January 8th. For those of you who will be attending the American Library Association’s Mid-Winter conference in Dallas, stop by the Midnight Ink booth (#1459) on January 20th to register for the drawing to win signed copies of Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun and Death By Killer Mop Doll, as well as the mop doll shown in the photo. The drawing will take place at 7pm during the opening reception.

In addition, as part of my tour throughout January, I’m giving away 5 signed copies of Death By Killer Mop Doll. To enter, post a comment to any of the blogs on the tour. The full tour schedule can be found at my website, http://www.loiswinston.com, and the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog, http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. I’m also giving away 3 copies of Death By Killer Mop Doll on Goodreads, http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/15173-death-by-killer-mop-doll.

Blonde, brawny and blue-eyed, Daniel was the perfect model for the sexy lord who has to make up for his reprehensible actions in the past in order to find true love.

I’ll have more for you on NOCTURNAL WHISPERS shortly, but for now, here is a little blurb for my second erotic paranormal romance novella:

For over a century, Lord Alec Wright has been condemned to wander the Earth searching for a mummy he stole from an Egyptian tomb. Cursed to see all his loved ones die, he also must endure the spirit that tortures him with unrelenting arousal every night until he atones for his crime.

After years of searching, Alec has finally found what he seeks—but museum curator Kate Morton stands his way. The mummy’s spirit is affecting her as well, driving her wild with desire. It is the perfect opportunity for Alec to seduce Kate and obtain the artifact. But in his quest to end his torment, will Alec wind up losing his heart?

Photo Credit: NYTrotter@en.wikipedia.com

As promised, I’ve got a guest blog from a fellow author, Amanda Arista! You may remember Amanda from when she visited to tell us about the first book in her “Diaries of an Urban Panther” series. Well Amanda is back with more for us today. So here’s a little teaser and excerpt for you this Wicked Wednesday morning.

TEASER

Violet Jordan Rule #2 of being a superhero: Find reliable sidekicks

Dear Diary,

Once I took down Haverty, the Primo of the city, I thought life was going to get better. After four assassination attempts, I’m thinking not so much. Haverty’s pack needs a new leader and I’ve just about run out of reasons why I’m not right for the job. Besides, having loyal followers would definitely help me fight off whoever’s out for my blood. Especially since my boyfriend is always busy playing White Hat to every Wanderer except me.

So now I just need to figure out how to mentor new shifters, run a pack, keep my “real” job, and have some sort of personal life. I guess it’s all in a day’s work for this writer-by-day / panther-by-night.

Excerpt

Chaz put the glass into the sink and reached out to pull me to him. “Tonight, I get you. Sacred Destinies be damned.”

“Oh, please don’t say that.”

Now that the words were out in the air, I was looking into every shadow and jumping at every random noise, just sure that is was another attack. I winced through stop lights on the way to the restaurant and jumped at a slammed car door in the parking lot.

“We’ve been out before,” he said as he opened the car door. “Even if something does happen, then we will take care of it together.”

I sighed. “Guess I can’t argue with that.”

He wrapped my arm around his as we walked into the restaurant. It was just a family style place, nothing special. I had suggested something populated. Using a crowd as a shield had become part of the life recently, which meant that usually we had screaming children running around us at romantic dinners.

We were seating and as usual, I got the seat with the kid on the other side kicking my booth.

“Its not exactly Nine steakhouse, I know, but…”

It finally clicked: the date offer and his newly washed jeans. “Is this an anniversary dinner?”

The corner of his mouth turned upwards. “Maybe. Try again.”

I looked around at the red glittery décor and my face hit my palm. “Valentine’s day? Chaz, I would have suggested something a little more …”

He laughed. “It’s okay. Almost past me by as well. I’m just glad that we’re together.”

I sighed and looked through my fingers. “I suppose that we do have that to celebrate.”

The kid kicked the seat again.

As soon as the waitress took our drink orders, both our cell phones rang.

We both sighed and reach for our respective phones.

“Hello,” I answered to the unknown number. Might as well, right? Not like any one can kill me through a phone, but that was a pretty good movie idea.

“Miss Jordan, its Tucker Briggs.”

I turned away from Chaz when I recognized the voice. “Tucker? What can I do for you?”

The kid behind me kicked the seat again and I frowned.

“I wanted to see if we were meeting on Sunday like you said.”

“That was the plan. Did Shadow find you?”

“Yes, Ma’am.

“Are you guys okay?”

“Fine. He also told us of your kindness.”

I snorted. “I gave him leftovers.”

“You don’t understand Miss Jordan…”

I couldn’t let him finish. “Tucker Briggs. Take care of yourself for the next two days and you can explain it to me then.”

The kid kicked my booth for the fourth time, and then a tuff of yellow hair stuck out around the edge of the booth.

“Good bye, Tucker.”

I snapped the phone closed and stuck my head around the edge of the booth to be nose to nose with the little tyke with a foot like Landon Donovan. Just for an instant, I let the panther slip through into my eyes and let out a little growl.

The little boy slipped back into his booth and began to cry. Satisfied, I went back to looking at my boyfriend.

Chaz stared back at me with an arched eyebrow.

“What?” I asked innocently.

He leaned across the table and dropped his voice. “I don’t think that the Powers gave you this gift to scare children.”

The family behind me got up and took their screaming child with them, leaving Chaz and I alone in this small section of the restaurant.

“I’d like to think that I have earned having a quiet dinner with my boyfriend.”

About Amanda

Amanda was born in Illinois, raised in Corpus Christi, lives in Dallas but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel.
During the summer after second grade, she read every book in the young adult section of the library, much to the surprise of the local librarian. So she started making up her own stories and hasn’t stopped.

She has a husband who fights crime, one dog who thinks he’s a real boy, and another who might be a fruit bat in disguise. She spends her weekends writing at coffee shops, practicing for the day that caffeine intake becomes an Olympic sport, and plotting character demises with fellow writers Wolvarez, Killer Cupcake and Keith (names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent).

Random Facts:

Amanda is adopted and loves to share that story with others to promote adoption.

Amanda has a collection of turtle figurines that collects on her travels.

Amanda has a strange love of cheesy horror movies. She prefers demons and witchcraft to slasher films.

Amanda is a really good bowler and completely rocks at croquet.

To find out more about Amanda, you can visit her at:

www.amandaarista.com
Twitter: @pantherista

Which is why we’re having this repeat Man Candy since Jon Hamm is in the beginning of the movie. He is soo handsome!

Second, take a moment to stop by my gig at Romance Author Hotspot for a chance to win a copy of AZTEC GOLD and also be entered to win the site’s Grand Prize Kindle!

Photo Credit: Copyright AMC TV

The first blast of heat came as I was finishing up reviewing the galleys for THE CLAIMED, the second book in the Sin Hunters series. Wow, Virginia and Christopher have major heat going on, plus it’s been exciting to see the action scenes come together in the final version. I can’t wait for it to be out and hear what you guys think!

Of course, heading out into the cold on my walk to work has me needing a little more heat and since it is the holidays, I thought why not bring back an old favorite and help get you in the mood for trimming the tree. I did my Christmas tree yesterday along with my Christmas village. I’ll be sharing those photos with you tomorrow!

But for now, here’s our Guilty Pleasure for this morning and Man Candy Monday! Hope he helps warm you up!

Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win a Kindle and some free books!

But first, to visit other Thursday 13 participants, you can click here.

Also, I’ll be picking the winners of the AMAZON AWAKENING release party later today and will announce the winners tomorrow!

Without further ado, here are Melinda Leigh and Robin Perini.

MELINDA LEIGH

In my debut novel from Montlake Romance, SHE CAN RUN (released November 28), Beth Baker is on the run from her violent and powerful husband when she takes refuge at a secluded mansion. There she finds herself under the watchful eye of former cop Jack O’Malley. Her secrets, his suspicions, and their desire clash when a killer strikes nearby.

Here are Thirteen random facts about me and SHE CAN RUN.

1. SHE CAN RUN is the first book I ever wrote.
2. It took two years to learn the craft and business of writing well enough to turn that crappy first draft into a marketable book.
3. I wear pajama bottoms whenever possible. Everyone in my neighborhood has seen me in them, including the UPS guy, the mailman, and once, when my then eight-year-old suddenly remembered at 9 pm she needed 30 cupcakes for school the next day, the night shift at the local supermarket.
4. After 20+ years on the police force, Jack is injured in a car accident.
5. Five is the number of complete rewrites SHE CAN RUN went through before I was signed by an agent.
6. I require, at minimum, half a pot of coffee in the morning before my brain is fully functional.
7. I often have a hard time picking titles for my books. Some go through a dozen before I settle on one. Most spend months on my computer entitled, “Current POS.”
8. Henry, the police dog reject in SHE CAN RUN, is named after Henry Tudor, who defeated Richard III in 1485 and won the crown.
9. Beth’s first husband was a fire-fighter.
10. I work best in organized clutter. Color coded note cards are strewn across my workspace. White cards are for character descriptions. Colored cards are for plot notes. I haven’t seen the surface of my desk since June.
11. I watch The Dog Whisperer. A dog will likely appear in everything I write, and you can be assured the pup will alive at the end of the book. The human characters have so such guarantee. Just sayin’.
12. In SHE CAN RUN, Beth is hiding from her violent husband. It’s estimated that 1.3 million women are abused by their husbands or boyfriends in the US each year.
13. 50% of protection orders granted to domestic violence victims are violated, and one-third of female homicide victims are killed by their intimate partners.

Find out more about Melinda at MelindaLeighAuthor.com. Connect with her on Facebook & Twitter.

ROBIN PERINI

In my debut novel from Amazon’s Montlake Romance, In Her Sights, (released on November 29, 2011), Colorado’s lone female SWAT sniper finds herself in the crosshairs when her past is exposed and an old enemy returns with a vengeance seeking to destroy her—and everyone she loves.

So, thirteen unusual facts related to In Her Sights and author Robin Perini.

1. There is actually a town named Truth or Consequences (aka T or C), New Mexico. The town’s name was changed from Hot Springs during a national contest to celebrate the 10th anniversary of a television show of the same name.
2. Robin is training in small-bore silhouette shooting and has discovered holding a rifle as steady as Jazz is not as easy as it looks.
3. Jazz’s favorite candy is Butter Rum Life Savers.
4. Luke Montgomery, the hero, has five brothers: Seth, Zach, Gabe, Caleb and Nick.
5. Robin’s ‘how-to-write’ workshops have been included on the Top 24 Workshops CD from the Romance Writers of America’s® National Conference CD five times (Bill Stephens Productions).
6. Jazz played basketball at Metro State in Colorado.
7. There were between 1000 and 2000 Russian female snipers in World War II. Approximately 500 survived the war.
8. The windage knob on a rifle controls the movement of the scope setting, usually in minutes of angle or actual inches, to move the bullet’s point of impact to the right or left.
9. The New Mexico state question is “Red or Green?” and refers to what type of chile sauce should be included with a meal. If you want both, simply ask for ‘Christmas’.
10. Jazz moved from New Mexico to Colorado just after she turned sixteen.
11. In Her Sights was a Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award finalist in 2011.
12. Luke Montgomery was an Army Ranger before he became an investigative reporter.
13. In Her Sights is Robin’s first published novel

Get more information about Robin on her website, robinperini.com. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.