We had a treat this weekend as some old time friends had tickets to the men’s semi-final at the U.S. Open. We watched a good match with Federer and Djokovic, but didn’t get to see the start of the match with Nadal and Murray. Did watch the finish on Sunday afternoon and it was an amazing match. I have to confess I was rooting for Murray who was the underdog, although Rafael Nadal had snared my attention with his appearance on the cover of New York magazine. You can click here for the sexy photos of Rafa and the article that was part of their Fall Fashion spread!
And as I watched the match on Sunday, there was the occasional sigh at the sight of those ripped arms. That whole pirate look with the dark messy locks and sexy Spanish eyes.
Nadal lost, however, and so tonight it will be a Federer-Murray finals match. A Brit hasn’t won since the 1930s, I believe, so I’ll be rooting for the underdog Scot again.
Nevertheless, here’s some more of sexy Rafa courtesy of Julisborelis at Youtube!
Today’s FUN FRIDAY is all about my new covers! I am so excited about them. The cover on the left is for my December romantic suspense release, SOLDIER’S SECRET CHILD (I think the model is hot, do you?). The cover on the right is for the e-book collection of the novels in the CAPTURING THE CROWN series which includes my August 2006 release, MORE THAN A MISSION.
Also for fun, I decided to collect all the different versions of my covers since when the books are re-released overseas, they sometimes change the cover or change the line under which the book is released. For example, in the United Kingdom the romantic suspense stories used to come out in a line called SENSATIONS, but they are now releasing these books as part of the United Kingdom INTRIGUE line. In Japan, the cover says the book is part of the LOVESTREAM line.
I’m trying to track down the Australian covers and hope to have them up soon.
If you check out the DARKNESS CALLS United Kingdom cover, it’s really cool. Of course, my all time favorite is the MANGA cover of MORE THAN A MISSION. It was so-o-o amazing to see the story turned into a cartoon! You can read more about this one by clicking here.
Making any kind of choice can sometimes be rough. Making the difficult choice can alter the course of your life. It’s why I try not to second guess the choices people make in their lives. It’s why I lean toward allowing people to be able choose.
Which I guess is why I’m kind of surprised by some of what I’m hearing about Sarah Palin, the presumptive Republican VP candidate. I’m surprised to hear and read comments which seem to imply that there was something wrong about her choice to bring a Down’s Syndrome baby into this world.
I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be told your child will have special needs. A life altering experience for a mother, a father and a family.
I could understand how some would choose not to undertake such a difficult path, but being pro-choice is also about being able to decide to keep that child.
Some thoughts for today’s Thursday, along with a return to an earlier discussion about SENATOR Hilary Clinton and sexism since it seems we’re back to that now with this candidate. I’ve already heard her described as a soccer mom, beauty queen and the hottest governer in the country.
It’ll be interesting to see what else will be said during the course of the next few months.
Before we get to today’s Wicked Wednesday with Blake, one of my all time favorite characters, I’d like to say CONGRATS to the lucky winners of the Lisa Jackson Blog: RachaelfromNJ and Barbara Elness. I’ll be e-mailing you later today for your postal addresses so I can send the goodies.
I’ve also started reaching out to the lucky winners of an autographed copy of HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE! I should be able to contact all the winners by the end of the week.
Now to today’s Wicked Wednesday! It’s amazing for me to think that we first met Blake in 2005 in TEMPTATION CALLS. I knew back then that he had to return as a hero and of course, eventually settle things with Meghan, the young coed who he turned. Of course, Blake’s route to hero has been circuitous, which makes him even more fascinating. And along that route, he met up with Stacia, the vampire elder who has also become one of my all time favorites because of how deliciously dark and tortured she is!
Oh my . . . Let me not spill too many beans, but you’ll see Stacia next year in ARDOR CALLS which is also doing something fun — taking THE CALLING Vampire novels to Miami!
Back to Blake — FURY CALLS will tell the tale of his efforts to woo Meghan, but for today, I’m giving you a taste of Blake and Stacia’s little interlude from DESIRE CALLS, which is still available as a free e-novella at eharlequin. Just click here for the complete novella.
Okay, so Stacia had basically dissed him. That still didn’t change the fact that she was absolutely stunning. A goddess.
Considering she was an elder, maybe that wasn’t so far from the truth; in the vampire world, the elders were like gods.
From the corner of his eye, Blake took in all of her. The black leather she wore looked as if it were painted on the womanly curves of her body. Her nearly black hair was a shock of dark against the ivory of her skin. Sleek and cropped close to her skull, her hair exposed the perfect shells of her ears, pierced with an assortment of golden earrings.
As she twirled around the rather large Goth, laughing and playing her sexual games, the golden ring at her brow winked enticingly as did the ring through her navel.
She was something to behold, he realized, although nothing like Meghan, who was like the light of the sun to Stacia’s dark night. Fun to Stacia’s fear since, despite his earlier denial, on some level he was afraid of her.
Stacia could take his life with a flick of her finger. He would be foolish not to respect her and yet…
There was something different about her tonight. Something almost…human. He tuned out the young woman next to him and kept an eye on Stacia. Not that she needed protection.
The young man with her might be a mountain of muscle but he was mortal. Blake knew that much from the lack of power that came from the Goth. He was no match for Stacia, even if she was such a little thing.
He liked his women petite, Blake realized, recalling Meghan. Stacia was of similar height, but much more womanly with all those delectable curves.
Not that he was interested, Blake thought. He had enough problems with women in his life, and without a backward glance, abandoned his dance companion.
Unlike Stacia, who seemed to have few problems finding a man, he thought as he stalked back to the bar, wondering why Stacia’s intense dance with the Goth was bothering him so.
Maybe because Stacia’s idea of a dance was…
He gulped, fighting the thrum of power she was releasing as she played with the Goth. He wasn’t the only one feeling it, he realized as a surge of awakening told him that the other vampires in the club were also experiencing it. Tapping into the spill of her elder power like chum for vampires.
Only the price to be paid for fully experiencing a kiss of that power could be lethal if the elder was so inclined.
Tonight Stacia seemed intent on satisfying other needs, Blake thought, sipping his wine as he watched her sway against the young man. Run her hands up his arms and over his exaggerated muscles.
He glanced down at his own arms. Lean and mean, he had nothing to be ashamed of, he thought, and returned his attention to the antics of Stacia and the Goth.
The young man was clearly smitten, unaware that beneath the body he was so eagerly moving his hands all over was destructive power. Strength beyond that of anyone else in the room. Lust and desire that would ensnare you in its grasp, but then drain you dry if you gave into it.
Blake sucked in a shaky breath, feeling the pull of her even across the distance of the club. Feeling himself harden and rise from the spillover of her ardor.
But he was not alone. As Stacia faced the bar, their gazes connected and he realized that she sensed his awakening passion. Passion stronger than that of the puny mortal with her.
While facing him, she raised her hand up to caress the Goth’s face.
Blake felt the sweep of her hand as if against his own cheek. So soft. Cold.
She shifted her hips back and forth, and he had to grip the edge of the bar as that movement transferred itself to him and his erection strained painfully against the tight fabric of his jeans.
All the time, Stacia kept her gaze locked with his, clearly conscious of her effect on him. Increasing her caresses and movements until he was nearly undone and she finally broke free from the Goth, done with his weak mortality.
She began to head his way, well aware that the pleasure of Blake’s body and blood would surpass that of any puny mortal.
And Lord help him, he was ready to give in to her despite knowing it would be a mistake. A major mistake.
Stacia could never love anyone.
But love was highly overrated anyway, wasn’t it? Blake thought as he rose from the stool and walked toward her.
The Goth clearly didn’t like being left behind wanting. He grabbed hold of Stacia’s arm, spun her around so he could voice his displeasure.
With the barest movement of her arm, Stacia broke free from the young man and raised her hand. The Goth dropped to his knees, his face reflecting disbelief at his seeming inability to control his own body.
Blake approached and, despite his better judgment, laid his hand over Stacia’s. Barely half a foot taller than she, it took little for him to bend down and whisper in her ear, “Let the young fool go, luv.”
Stacia shot him a look, but beneath his hand, the hum of power surging outward warmed his palm. The young man was swaying and beginning to turn blue, but Blake couldn’t tell just what Stacia was doing to him until she broadcast the vision she had in her mind.
He saw it then, compliments of Stacia’s power. She was encircling the Goth’s heart, slowly crushing the life from it. If she didn’t release her hold on him, the foolish boy would soon be dead.
“If you finish this—”
“When I finish this,” she corrected, and almost as if for the fun of it, gave the young man a shake.
“Let him go. You’ve proven your point,” he urged, and surprisingly she did as he asked.
“Thank you,” Blake said, but Stacia shook her head at his words.
“Don’t thank me, Blake. If you don’t know by now, I expect payment for that request,” she said, and was about to walk away when the Goth’s friends surrounded them.
As two of them helped their friend back to the booth, another two blocked their way. Their stances were fight ready, their looks surly.
Blake raised his hand. “You don’t want to do this,” he suggested in a low tone.
“That’s right. You don’t want to do this. At least, not here,” Foley, the owner of the bar, said as he approached the group.
The two young men looked at Foley, and one of them nodded and said, “Let’s take it outside.”
Blake was about to protest that there was no need, only Stacia and the two men were already stalking away to a back exit to the alley.
Shit, he thought, following them. He hated being a hero.
Click here to get the FURY CALLS Countdown widget! Place it on your site or social network page to spread the sexy word about Blake and FURY CALLS!
My friend, Irene Peterson, is kind of an expert on psychic things. You can read more about her and her studies of the paranormal, by clicking here to visit the British Institute of Paranormal Studies also known as BIPS.
Now, before we pull your leg too much, BIPS is Irene’s creation and can be found in one of her Works In Progress – KISS MY ECTOPLASM. But be sure to check out her latest novel, KISSES TO GO.
As for Irene’s psychic abilities? Well, why don’t you try Irene’s tips for testing your psychic abilities.
Are you a sender or receiver or both?
According to the kindly folk at BIPS, the British Institute for Paranormal Studies, telepathy is the ability to project one’s thoughts or receive thoughts from another individual, even at great distances.
Do you possess telepathic abilities? Do you “hear†things other people are saying when they haven’t said a word? Better yet, do you think you need to call your friend in California and when you do, she says, “I need to talk to you, I’m so upsetâ€?
Oh, telepathy is not “hearing in your mind†your mother’s rant about not ever spending time with her or your significant other’s groans over watching yet another movie on Lifetime, but getting actual words or pictures in your mind.
Here’s a simple method of detecting telepathy…be it sender or receiver, and also a nifty game to play at parties when everyone is sober.
You will need seven small index cards, plain, unmarked on the back side, with no tears, marks, or folds to distinguish any card whatsoever.
On the back of one card only, lightly draw a small X.
Then, the person who is going to try to “send†should place the cards blank side down on a flat surface, being careful to remember the position of the card with the X, but telling no one. The person who is to be the “sender†must give absolutely no indication, facial or otherwise, while the experiment is going on. (Might as well just point to the card if you’re going to grunt or squint or do something dramatic when you attempt to send.)
The “receiver†is then to slowly run one hand over the backs of the cards, approximately an inch above the surface.
When the “receiver’s†hand is above the X card, the “sender†should think something like “this is it†or “here†or just think of a weight pressing down on the “receiver’s†hand.
There are times when an especially sensitive “receiver†will actually feel his/her hand bounce down on top of the X card, as if a weight had pressed upon it.
Concentration is key to “sendingâ€. The sender can’t be distracted by lots of noise or onlookers and the receiver should sincerely be intent on picking up telepathic messages.
A really good team will have a strong sender and an equally strong receiver. But, alas, not everyone is sensitive. Not everyone can send or receive anything. It’s a gift, like being good in art or a good singer, and equally as hard to develop if the gift isn’t there.
It may be latent, however, so trying this method can’t hurt.
And remember, with gifts like these, it is often necessary to learn how to turn them off when the time comes, but that’s another lesson. Good luck!
Well, good luck and thanks to Irene for this info!
On what is traditionally considered the last day of summer, the only Guilty Pleasures Monday choice that seemed right was the ultimate Boy of Summer — Laird Hamilton. Hamilton is known was one of the greatest big wave surfers if not one of the best all around surfers ever.
If you get a chance, check out the movies RIDING GIANTS and STEP INTO LIQUID.
I actually used Laird Hamilton as the inspiration for “surfer dude” NYPD Detective Peter Daly who appeared in TEMPTATION CALLS as well as a number of other novels in THE CALLING vampire series.
So, enjoy this last day of summer and a this little video tribute to Laird Hamilton.
This cool little site comes to me courtesy of my good friend Irene Peterson.
Have you ever wondered how many other people share your name? You can visit http://www.howmanyofme.com to find out!
I discovered there’s only ONE of me – Caridad Pineiro. Hmm. People always said I was “unique”. Do you think that’s what they meant?
Also interesting that there are only 9150 people with Caridad as a first name, making it quite “unique” and also quite feminine since 99.9% of the people with that name are female. Most famous person with my last name — Joel Pineiro, the baseball pitcher. He’s currently playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. Wonder if we’re related somehow?
What about you? Are you unique?
HowManyOfMe.com
There are 1 or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A.
Making any kind of choice can sometimes be rough. Making the difficult choice can alter the course of your life. It’s why I try not to second guess the choices people make in their lives. It’s why I lean toward allowing people to be able choose.
Before we get to today’s Wicked Wednesday with Blake, one of my all time favorite characters, I’d like to say CONGRATS to the lucky winners of the Lisa Jackson Blog: RachaelfromNJ and Barbara Elness. I’ll be e-mailing you later today for your postal addresses so I can send the goodies.
