Monday, February 25, 2008

Responsible Romantic Heroes Use Condoms



We have the priveledge of helping fellow EC author Shelley Munroe announce the upcoming release of Fancy Free! I've seen this topic alot on blogs I've visited LOL Just goes to show you never know where a What If idea will come from!
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Some readers prefer heroes to use condoms while others say the dose of reality kills all the spontaneity and romance. It’s a debate that repeats all over romance land—to use condoms or not to use condoms—since, after all, it is only fiction…

New Zealand erotic romance author, Shelley Munro took this a step further in her upcoming release Fancy Free, the story of an accountant who inherits a condom company. When Ms. Munro caught an Air New Zealand flight from San Francisco, she came across an advertising article about a new condom on the market. The ideas flowed and by the time she landed in Auckland, she’d outlined her plot for Fancy Free.

It’s not every day a girl inherits a condom company, and to say accountant, Alice Beasley is astonished and out of her depth is putting it mildly. For an almost virgin, she needs a quick education in all things condom because her inheritance is in danger. Someone is intent on sabotage and playing nasty, trying to destroy her new company.

Alice is suddenly getting down and dirty with charismatic James, the factory manager, all in the name of business, testing new condom designs. The sex is hot. Mind-blowing. It’s a dark thrill and an erotic journey. Yeah, it’s a hard job but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s gotta do.

The testing turns personal. Alice wants James. She craves his talented touch and sultry kisses, she desires passion and physical pleasure on a permanent basis but first she must convince bad boy James to give up his fancy free ways.

Note: condoms were tested and a few harmed during the writing of this story.

Fancy Free releases on 7 March 2008 from Ellora’s Cave www.ellorascave.com and is Ms. Munro’s eighteenth release from the pioneer erotic romance publisher.

Here is a little info about Aunt Alicia and some of the condom research she gathered...
Alicia started her company, Fancy Free on a whim—a business to occupy her time and keep her old school friends busy. Many of Sloan’s residents considered Fancy Free a strange business, and some were plain shocked, but Alicia didn’t believe in following conventions. Condoms were something she knew about. She’d researched them enough, heck, she’d even used a few in her time. Condoms were her passion, and so condoms were what her company produced. On her death, she left her precious company to her god-daughter Alice Beasley.

A snippet from Alicia’s collection of condom notes:

During Roman times, a magic condom became popular. This condom supposedly protected the users from pregnancy and from evil spirits. To make a magic condom the woman collected a large handful of fur from a she-mule’s mane. During the foreplay stage, the man and woman wove a condom from the fur, which was then used during lovemaking.

Alicia’s note – sounds uncomfortable and itchy but the foreplay might be interesting. Did it leak? Source: Humble Little Condom by Aine Collier


Get your copy of FANCY FREE, an erotic romance about condoms by Shelley Munro, from Ellora’s Cave on March 7, 2008.
To read an excerpt visit http://www.shelleymunro.com/coming-soon

May research lead you to the ultimate release
Mari

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Rissa's Dad



Right now I'm in a different place,
And though we seem apart,
I'm closer than I ever was ...
I'm there inside your heart.
I'm with you when you greet each day.
And while the sun shines bright,
I'm there to share the sunsets, too ...
I'm with you every night.
I'm with you when the times are good,
To share a laugh or two,
And if a tear should start to fall ...
I'll still be there for you.
And when that day arrives
That we no longer are apart,
I'll smile and hold you close to me ...
Forever in my heart.

Rissa's dad passed away Febuary 15th. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts. She has a tribute to her father on her livejournal blog. and a sweet list of things she'll miss about him on her other alter ego Melany Logen's Blog
(((MELS))) I know this is a difficult time for you.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

clutter is normal!


I have a confession. I am not only a procrastinator I have clutter all over my house! yes even now that its bigger each room seems to have piles begetting piles. Children's school work and art projects, books to read for fun, books and notes on research for books. magazines....catalogues. No matter how I try, once a pile is cleared up it seems to magically reappear someplace else!

I just read a short psychology article. In it they say disorganized clutter means you are ruled by the creative right brain.! See I knew there was an explanation! Its just my natural inclination! *blink*

Busy under the wire for a submission dealine! *fingers crossed* but we are chatting tonight at 9:00 at the M-spot. click here come on in and say hello.

HUGS May your clutter be filled with creativity.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day!



On this day that reminds us to appreciate those we love... cause lets face they are the ones we often start to take for granted... Its not the extravagant gift, that the commercials emphasize, we really seek. Its the gentle touch, the kiss from lips that mean it, that we all want to receive. Here are a few of my favorite quotes about kisses and what they can mean...

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves. ~Albert Einstein

A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous. ~Ingrid Bergman

A kiss can be a comma, a question mark or an exclamation point. That's basic spelling that every woman ought to know. ~Mistinguett (Jeanne Bourgeois),

Kissing is a means of getting two people so close together that they can't see anything wrong with each other. ~Rene Yasenek

Soul meets soul on lovers' lips. ~Percy Bysshe Shelley

A kiss that speaks volumes is seldom a first edition. ~Clare Whiting

I am in favor of preserving the French habit of kissing ladies' hands - after all, one must start somewhere. ~Sacha Guitry

In trying to get our own way, we should remember that kisses are sweeter than whine. ~Author Unknown

Stolen kisses require an accomplice. ~Just One Fool Thing After Another: A Cowfolks' Guide to Romance

If you are ever in doubt as to whether to kiss a pretty girl, always give her the benefit of the doubt. ~Thomas Carlyle

A kiss is just a pleasant reminder that two heads are better than one. ~Author Unknown

Happiness is like a kiss - it feels best when you give it to someone else. ~Author Unknown

May I print a kiss on your lips?" I said,
And she nodded her full permission:
So we went to press and I rather guess
We printed a full edition.
~Joseph Lilientha

Kissing is like drinking salted water. You drink, and your thirst increases. ~Chinese Proverb

Her kisses left something to be desired... the rest of her. ~Author Unknown

A kiss is the upper persuasion for a lower invasion. ~Author Unknown

Kisses kept are wasted;
Love is to be tasted.
There are some you love, I know;
Be not loathe to tell them so.
Lips go dry and eyes grow wet
Waiting to be warmly met.
Keep them not in waiting yet;
Kisses kept are wasted.
~Edmund Vance Cooke

Kisses are like tears, the only real ones are the ones you can't hold back. ~Author Unknown

Ancient lovers believed a kiss would literally unite their souls, because the spirit was said to be carried in one's breath. ~Eve Glicksman

The sound of a kiss is not so loud as that of a cannon, but its echo lasts a great deal longer. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.,

May all the kisses you receive be purchased with love,
Mari

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Sixteen Random Things about Mari

A tag by Ann Aguirre has instigated Mechele Armstrong to tag me! Moi? sweet timid moi!

The mission: list sixteen random personal facts or habits, and then pick twelve of my friends to tag.
Well I am not sure if I can scrounge up 16 LOL my life isn't that interesting. But I will give it a go and I will try not to repeat the 8 facts about me in the May 15, 2007 blog entry. Also I don't know that many people here in blogdom, I am hoping to meet more but for now I will only tag 2. Here it goes:

1. My real name is Maureen and I am a Jersey girl.

2. I am a procrastinator

3. I tend to ramble on in a nonlinear fashion but eventually I get to the point. even when writing... Thank God for Cut and Delete and Move options or tweaking would be hell!

4. I have a gem and shell collection. My favorites being a sand dollar I found camping in Florida and A polished sphere of aventurine, which is supposed to enhance creativity. I keep it nearby!

5. When I can get away my favorite place to go is Cape May NJ. Sink my toes in the sand, inhale the ocean air and hoist a pint at the Ugly Mug!

6. I have 342 books in my TBR pile! There are just so many books and so little time!

7. I am addicted to reality shows like Project Runway and Top Chef. I watch Wife Swap and Super Nanny on occassion just to remind myself how lucky I am.

8. I play Colorstorm on webkinz to help my daughter earn webkinz dollars. It is addicting! I am determined to beat level 9! I think my electronic suduko is getting jealous.

9. I have a letter in varsity football from high school! I was the statistician!

10. The football coach chaperoned our senior class trip to Quebec. He slept on a cot in front of the elevator to keep the guys from sneaking down to the girls floor of the hotel. He knew my friends and I were Ranger hockey fans. So when Dave and Don Maloney and Ed Hospador got off the elevator and almost tripped over him... you guessed it I found myself sitting on a cot at 2am talking to members of my favorite team *swoon*

11. My first step into the yahoo group world was Christine Feehan's discussion loop. where I met a wonderful group of women just as insane as I am. I also met my evil twin from Australia, Mo, and she has me addicted to Tim Tams! I look forward to care packages from down under!

12. My favorite flower is the gerber daisy.

13. Umm my birthday is March 17th, making me a pisces.

14. We have two cats, Kiri (Mist in japanese) and Rainbow. They are like ying and yang. Kiri is all over and into everything and Rainbow is a docile purring machine.

15. I like to learn things. Favorite subjects being different places, mythology and history. Still trying to figure the Mayans out but I have created a premise based on their mythology *g*

16. Umm Marissa is just about to wrap up a WIP called Colm's Win! It's an Historical set in NY's five points in 1847.

Colm wants out of the city, but most of all he wants a future with Bess. The only things standing in his way are her father and a prize fight. He is sure of his fists and winning the prize, but he isn't sure he can win Bess' heart.

Though Bess has feelings for Colm, it is hard for her to go against her father's wishes, when he is all the family she has left. And when those she loves are threatened, she is willing to sacrifce her heart's desire to make sure they stay safe.

*g* as you can see the blurb is a work in progress too

Okay since Mechele tagged just about everyone I know in the blogging world... I am going to tag two. Nina Nash, see what you get for visiting here! *g* And Mary Stella.

HUGS, may all your random little things add up to a wonderfully fulfilling life!
Mari