Giveaway: 1 ebook copy of Horsing Around by Wynter Daniels
City girl Paige Eastman arrives at her recently deceased father’s Ocala, Florida, horse ranch to settle his estate, but she finds more than material assets with his business partner, resident cowboy Jake Skinner. The two engage in a hot fling until Paige learns she must sell the struggling enterprise out from under Jake.
All Jake wants is a chance to turn the business around since Paige’s father nearly ran it into the ground. But his attention quickly shifts to wrangling the hot prima donna who is now his partner. Can they overcome their differences without dousing the fire burning between them?
As with all of the giveaways you have until midnight (Pacific) today to enter.
Today I want to tell you about a book that has gone through more transformations than Joan Rivers! I first wrote Playing With Barbie several years ago. It was about twins with a nasty sibling rivalry. About halfway through the book, I decided I wasn’t feeling the love, so I started from scratch. Same main character – Barbie, but all the secondary characters and the hero changed. Now Barbie became a prude with an accountant boyfriend who is secretly into S&M. Parts of that book were really funny, but again, I got to a point where I was avoiding working on it. For me, that’s a sure sign that the book sucks.
So, I set the manuscript aside for about a year and a half. Then the idea came to me. Barbie morphed into a children’s book author who is on a deadline to marry in order to inherit a big chunk of money from her grandfather. She looks everywhere for a man who fits into her mold—a clean cut, white professional who wears a suit every day, goes to church and wants a family.
Keno Jensen is a Bohemian artist from Trinidad with long dreadlocks and an aversion to relationships that last longer than one night. When he starts working with Barbie to illustrate her latest book, he fights the attraction as hard as she does. But it’s no use. I had a ball with these characters as they clashed on just about everything as they heated up the pages.
Playing With Barbie - Available March 9 from Loose Id.
Excerpt:
Barbie unclenched her fists as she walked Keno to the study. She had no choice but to work with him. Her editor had made it perfectly clear on the phone yesterday. The publisher had been lucky to find Keno on such short notice. No way could they replace him and keep her on deadline for her next book.
She’d have to learn to ignore her body’s response to the man. Focus her energies on meeting someone her grandfather would find suitable. Like an accountant or a lawyer or a dentist.
Hmm. Maybe I ought to have my teeth cleaned. Again.
She thought about her dentist with his unconvincing comb-over and his slightly creepy smile. No. She couldn’t do it. And her accountant had a wife and enough kids to star in a reality TV show.
Keno sat on the couch, and his exotic scent wafted to her, intoxicating her. Being so near him made her nipples harden. Against her will.
Damn it!
She crossed the room to the chair farthest from him and took a seat, folding her hands on her lap. “Did you finalize any drawings for the first section?”
He nodded once and opened his sketchpad. Glancing down at it, he frowned. “I’m still working on Bashful Beaver. He’s a little tricky.”
He held the drawing toward her, but from across the room, she could barely make it out. “Sorry. Unless you’re Wonder Woman, I bet you can’t see this.” He stood and closed the distance between them.
The instant he approached, his scent surrounded her, mesmerized her. She’d somehow managed to keep a lid on her attraction for him for the past few days, but her resolve was wearing thin. Her pulse quickened, and a pleasant ache settled low in her belly. She tried to concentrate on his sketch, but with him so close, she could only think about him touching her, kissing her, making love to her.
Her nipples pressed against the lace of her bra. She focused on the sketch. He’d drawn the beaver even better than Michael had, more in line with her vision. But his depiction of Honey Bunny made her gasp. Since when did the bunny resemble her so much? For heaven’s sake. It even had breasts. Big ones.
“What the --”
Keno glanced from her to his picture. He immediately clutched the pad to his chest. “Sorry. Wrong one.” Sweat beaded on his forehead. He frantically flipped through pages. “Um, here it is.” He turned the tablet to face her.
She stared at the drawing, identical to the other, except Honey Bunny no longer had huge breasts, and the face didn’t mirror Barbie’s. Had Keno shown her the first sketch on purpose? She didn’t think so. If he’d been obsessing over her in the same way she’d been about him, she was in deep, deep trouble.
I’ve had a great time here on the island this week. Thanks so much to Katie for inviting me and to everyone who sailed over to say hi.
Thank you, Wynter, for hanging out with us!! For more information about Wynter check out her website or Naughty Author Chicks, where she blogs bi-weekly. I'll announce the winner of the contest tomorrow :)
Please welcome guest author, Wynter Daniels, back for another day on the island! Today she shares her Desert Island Keepers!
When I read purely for pleasure, I’ll pick up a contemporary romance nearly every time. Add some humor, a little heartache and a hunky guy and I’m good. Regardless of the hunky guy description, in my head, he’ll look like George Clooney most of the time. If not George, Johnny Depp will do. The strange thing is, when I started thinking about my favorite books, the ones I’d bring to the island, I realized that not all my favorites are contemporaries. Two are historical and one’s a paranormal. Less than half! Then I thought back to why I’d read those books in the first place. The paranormal was a gift and the two historicals were recommended by friends. I’ve learned a valuable lesson here already. I might actually like something that doesn’t necessarily fit into my little pigeonhole! So here we go in no particular order:
Savages by Shirley Conran. A group of corporate executives bring their pampered wives to a South Pacific island. The men are trying to buy mining rights before it gets out that the land holds a valuable commodity. Unfortunately for the men, there’s a coup and they are all executed. The wives return from a boat ride and witness this horror. With no other choice, the women along with the boat captain are forced to hide out in the jungle and deal with an array of misfortunes and eventually, the captain’s death. This is a total survival story and captivated me from the very first page. Maybe I could pick up some survival tips for the island if I keep rereading it!
Patty Jane’s House of Curl by Lorna Landvik. This lady is my fave author and I hear she is also a professional comedienne. Think Steel Magnolias set in Milwaukee in the 1950s and 60s. Actually, the book spans thirty years. It is the story of two sisters, Harriet and Patty Jane who each have a little happiness, then a little tragedy. Patty Jane’s beloved husband disappears before their first child is born only to surface without a memory years later. Harriet is in love with a quirky millionaire, but of course, that must also end in tragedy. The book is a roller coaster of comedic highs to tragic lows and made me laugh harder and cry harder than I ever did for another book. I could read this book over and over – perfect for the island.
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. Set in Victorian London, this isn’t your typical Victorian novel. Sugar is a prostitute who meets a wealthy businessman whose wife is always ill. Sugar is well read and dreams of a better life, but she is ruthless in her pursuit of that life and is a difficult character to root for, yet I found myself fascinated with her. The businessman sets her up as his personal mistress in a house, then eventually brings her to his home as his daughter’s tutor. The book provides a gritty and incredibly detailed view of the few pleasures and the many hardships of Sugar’s life, as well as her deep hatred for men. I’ve read this book several times and liked it more each time. The best thing about it as far as the island goes – it’s really, really long. It would keep me occupied for days.
Hmm, I don't know if I'd worry about having things to occupy my time on the island, lol ;)
Tall, Dark and Dead by Tate Hallaway is another favorite island read. This is paranormal chick lit with loads of humor. Garnet Lacey is a witch on the run from Vatican witch hunters who killed the rest of her coven. She hides in plain sight, managing an occult bookstore. Garnet meets Sebastian, a vampire/witch with a forever adolescent son who seems to hate him. This would be my light island read.
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. This one is more women’s fiction than romance. It takes five friends through three decades in their Minnesota neighborhood. They form a book group that helps keep them connected. Cheating husbands, battered wives, illegitimate babies, the women deal with it all. This is also a very long book, but I loved the humor and the backdrop of the political events of each era. Another great read I would come back to again and again.
These are all interesting choices! I've actually never read any of them, but I dig Tate Hallaway! I was introduced to her with Dead Sexy and loved it!
Playing With Barbie by Wynter Daniels - Available March 9, 2010 from Loose Id
Everything fits into neat little pink-wrapped packages in Barbie Turner’s life. The conservative children’s book author goes to a different church every Sunday even though she doesn’t listen to a word of the sermon. She’s too busy searching the pews for Mr. Right. She knows she’ll recognize him when she sees him—he’ll be the one on the white horse.
Bohemian artist Keno Jenson lives life on the edge. He shuns all things conventional and safe and possesses every quality on Barbie’s list of no-nos. When he replaces her usual illustrator, he fights the intense attraction since she’s nothing like any of the women who frequent the revolving door to his bed. Too bad he no longer desires any woman except Barbie.
Don’t forget, tomorrow is Wynter’s last day with us so don’t forget to check back!!Leave a comment and be entered to win a copy of Wynter’s upcoming release from Loose Id, Playing With Barbie.
Please welcome the fabulous Wynter Daniels to the island! It’s her first time here and I’m so excited she agreed to join us! Wynter Daniels is the naughty alter ego of contemporary romance author Dara Edmondson. She lives in Central Florida with her husband of more than twenty years and their two nearly grown children. They are all the slaves of two very demanding cats. After careers in marketing and the salon industry, Wynter’s wicked prose begged to be set free. She currently writes for Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id and Red Sage Publishing. You can find her on the web at www.WynterDaniels.com. She is also one of the Naughty Author Chicks at www.NaughtyAuthorChicks.Blogspot.com.
Since this is your first time on the island, I have some important questions for you!
1. If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you bring with you? Can a person count as a thing? If so, my husband would be number one. If I didn’t bring him along, I’d be wondering what he was doing while I was gone. Next would be a giant size jar of Vaseline. Gotta keep moisturized and you never know when you’ll need glossy lips. After that I’d have to bring along a computer. No electricity you say? I’ll only bring it if it’s hooked up to a super-long extension cord. I don’t really need the Internet. I’d get so many books written, it would be obscene!
2. Boxers, Briefs, boxer briefs, kilt, commando:
Definitely boxers, but they have to be nice, silk ones and they can’t be too tight or too loose.
3. Favorite Heroine:
Wow – this is a tough one. I love the petulant types like Scarlet O’Hara. She had so much spunk and always went for what she wanted.
4. Favorite Sex song:
Now that’s easy – Chris Isaac’s Wicked Game. It’s the only song that makes me swoon.
5. What accent is guaranteed to make you do naughty things?
Definitely French. I took French all through middle school, high school and even a year in college. Can I hold a conversation now? Of course not. But it’s such a beautiful language, I don’t care what’s being said, just keep saying it in French.
6. How old is your inside voice?
Probably about 25. That might make me immature, I’m not sure. But I sure as heck don’t feel my age.
7. If you could be a hero, who would you be?
Harry Potter. What could be better than being able to do all sorts of magic?
8. Favorite drink to bring to the DIK party?
An appletini. It’s got everything – tastes like candy, lots of liquor and something good for you (apple, of course)!
Yum!! That sounds really good and I’m sure it’s five o’clock somewhere!
Can’t Stand the Heat – Available now from Red Sage
Savannah chef Marissa Walker thought she was through with her gambling ex-husband, Billy when he left for Atlanta. When their boss brings Billy back into her life, she’s forced to keep her emotions and her libido in check as they compete for the position of Head Chef. Little does she know that Billy’s gambling debts followed him to Savannah along with a dangerous bookie willing to do whatever it takes to make Billy pay. Billy’s deceit threatens to undermine the growing trust between the exes. Marissa realizes she’s the one who’s gambled not only her career, but her heart as well.
For more information on Can’t Stand the Heat, click here.
Wynter has been gracious enough to host a contest here at Desert Island Keepers so leave a comment today through Saturday and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Playing With Barbie, her upcoming release from Loose Id (more on that book later). We’ll be back tomorrow with Wynter’s DIK picks!
