Because I'll probably forget later, I thought I should post a happy
holiday to you all while I'm thinking about it. Enjoy the season. Don't
stress. Have fun. Don't worry about getting along with some of your
weirdo relatives, just enjoy the good parts of the holidays and ignore
the rest.

Thanks to any and all who helped my career this year by buying, reading
or just being interested in my books. I appreciate all of you out there
who give me a reason to keep on writing. Don't know what I would do with
myself without it now. It has become an addiction.

Heads up on releases for next year.
January from Samhain, SHIFTER'S CAPTIVE is a paranormal menage about a
waitress who gets caught up with helping a wolf and panther shifter save
their people. Lots of sex and humor.

February from Loose Id, SEDUCING STEPHEN, co written with Summer Devon,
is about a jaded rake and a virginal young man who hook up by accident
at a mutual friend's home. The older man gives the youth a primer in
sexuality, but student becomes teacher when Stephen gives Peter a lesson
in love.

April from Samhain, FAIRYTALE FANTASIES: DEMON LOVER with Marie Treanor.
If you enjoyed Cinderella Unmasked, this Rumplestiltskin tale is even
better I think. Gwyneth the miller's daughter can't spin straw into gold
despite her father's claim. She makes a deal with the devil and the
story kind of morphs into a Persephone style tale as Gwyneth is taken to
the Underworld by her demon lover. Stuff happens. It's fun and sexy.

???? from Loose Id, WOUNDED HEART, co written with Summer Devon.  I love
this story dearly because it contains one of my favorite archetypes, the
Artful Dodger-style street lad. A wealthy lord suffering from war time
trauma takes a young whore home to enjoy one last dalliance before he
plans to check out. But the gregarious, cheerful, clever, spontaneous
and outspoken Jem soon gives Alan every reason in the world to want to
live. I'm totally in love with Jem.  You will be, too. It's impossible
not to be.

Okay, so happy holidays to all once more.

I've been wanting a Dear Author review for ages and finally got one for a Hearing Heart, HERE . The book has garnered some great reviews overall. Here are a few to tempt you to read it if you haven't yet...

Mrs. Giggles, 92
This one is a slow burn of a romance that manages to be a most satisfying and tender romantic read. While Jim is a larger-than-life hero who is hurt enough inside to make me go "Awww!", Catherine comes off as a smart and nice heroine who is nonetheless restricted by her own prejudices now and then - a heroine with enough flaws to prevent her from being too much of a saint, in other words. Their romance is very sweet, so much so that I feel as if my heart is both hurting and melting as a result.

Just Erotic Romance Reviews, LT Blue, 5 stars
I absolutely loved A Hearing Heart. Catherine and Jim had a way of communicating that showed they were truly meant to be together. The sex wasn't as hot and spicy nor was it often, yet it did fit with the characters. There are plenty of secondary characters which helped the story to flow. I was also surprised by the bit of Old West action that Ms. Dee added in. I recommend A Hearing Heart as a perfect read for any season.

Love Western Romances, Carol, 5 spurs
What makes this erotic romance a cut above the rest is the multi dimensional characters and Ms. Dee's ability to make romantic heroes out of imperfect men. And it is these imperfections that give her stories the weight and wonder that keep you turning pages. Catherine and Jim will stay with the reader long after the book has been put aside. Erotic and heartwarming, an interesting and tantalizing romantic combination.

Karen Scott's Blog, AztecLady, 8.5 of 10
A Hearing Heart is a very moving story. From the setting to the issues it touches on, A Hearing Heart is definitely worth reading. The story is told from both Catherine and Jim's points of view, and Ms Dee does a wonderful job of showing us the very real obstacles between them, given the setting and period. ... I particularly enjoyed the fact that both Jim and Catherine face a bumpy ride. They are both good people, but as people do, they second guess themselves, make some unfortunate decisions with the best of intentions, and generally speaking, are human.

Night Owl Romance, Melinda, 5 stars
Oh my Bonnie Dee has a hit with this one. I loved that she produced a storyline that in not traditional and made it very memorable. Jim Kinney is unlike any man Catherine has known but something about him makes him very heroic. Cat is definitely a woman who completed him in every way. I loved that it takes one near experience for them to see that love comes in many forms.

Romance Junkies, Katie, 4.5 blue ribbons
The respect and care these two have for one another is a beautiful thing to read. It was great to see Catherine and Jim's relationship grow and the way they act with one another is sweet. When Jim and Catherine share that first kiss with one another, you will be smiling and when these two move on to more adult intimacies, those scenes are sexy and very passionate. A HEARING HEART is one book that sticks with you long after you finish reading.

BookWenches, BD Whitney, 4
This is a sweet and sensual story of clandestine love that features a hero and heroine from two different end of society who would never normally come together and who must overcome obstacles both natural and man-made in order to find love and happiness together. I found this to be an appealing and diverting read whose characters are facing an interesting dilemma.

Coffee Time Romance, Cherokee, 5 cups
I adored A Hearing Heart. Catherine and Jim are sweet enduring characters showing a great deal of compassion and love. Bonnie Dee fashions a poignant story that moved this reader beyond words.

As for new releases. The next one from me is in January. Magical Menages: Shifters' Captive at Samhain. About a woman kidnapped because she's prophesied to help save a shifter clan from a mysterious psychic illness.  She teams with both a wolf and mountain lion shifter in some very intimate ways.

Summer Devon and I have co-written Seducing Stephen, a m/m historical about a rake and the young man who reforms him. Turns the traditional on its ear. The book will be released from Loose Id in February. We have another m/m historical coming out a bit later in the year, Wounded Heart, a wonderful story about a street lad and a lord. Since I'm a huge Artful Dodger fan from way back, this one was a joy to write for me.

I've co-written a little menage sci fi story with Mima about a duplicated star captain and the female agent that is assigned to bring him--both of him--into her...headquarters. Mirror Image will be available at Liquid Silver.

Marie Treanor and I have co-written another Fairytale Fantasy, Demon Lover, based on the Rumplestiltskin legend, and a little bit on Persephone's tale. This hunk is no gnarled gnome, however, and his name isn't Rumplestiltskin.

Thanks to all for your support of my writing career. Hope you keep on reading!

Still mourning the loss of his lover to invading forces, Marr Hingo operates his farm under a dictatorship while keeping his mind—and feet—planted firmly on the ground. Spring arrives right on schedule, bringing with it something completely unexpected—an unconscious pilot from a downed star jet. Unable to bring himself to give up the handsome aviator to searching troops, Marr hides him in the barn's cellar.

The last thing Davan Siedel remembers before ejecting is getting in a couple of good blasts against a Galactic Forces F150. He wakes to find his vague memory of being carried by an angel wasn't far off the mark. A tall, dark-haired, dark-eyed farmer has brought him to safety and is tending his injured leg.

The attraction between solid, earthy Marr and clever, quicksilver Davan catches them off guard—and their sexual union is as sweet as it is powerful. Yet the longer Davan lingers, the tighter the enemy's web grows, threatening their love, their freedom…and their lives.

Warning: Contains hot male/male loving, sweet sexual healing, a down-to-earth farmer who knows how to wield a…plow, a smart-mouthed pilot with fast…jets.

Congratulations BIRDSOOONG@..., You've won a paperback of any of my books in
print. Contact me with which book you want and your snail mail address so I can
send it.
Thanks to all who participated.

Tomorrow is the release date for Cinderella Unmasked, co-written with Marie
Treanor. I'll be back tomorrow to share the details.

When love reaches its prime, there's no resisting the passion.

Sexual heat can't be denied in this trio of tales about older women and the younger men who fall for them. In "Moving On" by Bonnie Dee a widow is seduced by a hot young moving guy and opens herself to the possibilities of life once more. When a repressed divorcee places an online sex ad in Veronica Wilde's "No Strings Attached," the young man who answers it unlocks her heart as well as her fantasies. In Vivien Dean's "A Spark of Snow," a burned out cop rediscovers more than her love for life when a gorgeous young teacher shows her passion doesn't care about age.

Three women with experience to spare, three hot men with passionate hearts, three unforgettable stories of rebirth and second chance love.

No Strings Attached by Veronica Wilde:
Raised in a stifling religious environment, placing an online sex ad is something Corey Jamison never thought she'd do. But getting divorced has left her eager to explore her fantasies, particularly those kinky ones she'd be too embarrassed to tell a serious boyfriend. Finding a non-judgmental stranger to dominate her sounds like the perfect solution.

At twenty-six, Donovan Halloran is too young and too good-looking to take seriously. Naturally dominant, he seems like the perfect candidate to help her live out her secret desires. But their erotic adventures lead both of them into dangerous emotional territory--and soon Corey finds that Donovan has claimed her heart along with her body.

Moving On by Bonnie Dee:

Recently widowed, Camilla is moving to a new apartment, leaving her home of seventeen years to begin life as a single woman once more. She shares a moment of connection with Ryan, a handsome young moving man, which leads to an unexpected passionate encounter. In one erotically charged evening, everything changes and Camilla awakens to new possibilities in her life.

A Spark of Snow by Vivien Dean:

After fifteen years as a cop in LA's Juvenile Division, Rachel Foley is burned out. Quitting doesn't feel like a real option, so she takes a leave of absence to travel across the country and visit her sister. White Bluff, Illinois is a far cry from the urban lifestyle Rachel's accustomed to, but a few weeks with family seems to be the break she's looking for. All she wants is time to regroup. A gorgeous twenty-four year-old with a killer smile and a body too distracting for its own good should not be on her agenda. Even if that's the only place he would like to be...

Here's an excerpt from Moving On...

"Carpe diem. Isn't there some poem about that?" He finished his wine and put his glass on the end table.

"`Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. Old Time is still a-flying: And this same flower that smiles to-day, to-morrow will be dying.' Robert Herrick." She leaned against the back of the couch, her eyes half closed, a pleasant buzz from the wine making her drowsy.

"Wise man." Ryan reached over and traced her ear with his fingertip, a light touch around the curve to the lobe, only that, but it sent fire burning through her.

Camilla opened her eyes and turned her face toward him. He was so damn beautiful. She loved his long, thick, sandy hair and the way it fell messily across his forehead. Back when she'd been dating, stiffly gelled spikes had been in style. Running a hand through hair as crisp as cornflakes hadn't exactly been a turn-on. She imagined Ryan's hair would feel soft and smooth between her fingers.

He slid his hand down the bare length of her arm from shoulder to wrist, making her glad she'd put on a tank top after her shower. Her skin prickled with gooseflesh as if touched by a cool breeze. When his large, warm hand curved around hers, she spread her fingers apart so they could lace together with his.

They stayed like that while time stretched as taut as a rubber band close to snapping, the air between them vibrating with possibilities. Camilla pictured them there--two people sitting side by side in a quiet living room holding hands. She felt the heat of his body close to hers, heard his soft breathing, and at the same time, watched from a distance as the woman leaned toward the man and kissed him.

He tasted of sweet wine and tangy spices. His mouth was soft, lips yielding to the pressure of her kiss. He cupped the back of her neck, holding her as he kissed her harder. She welcomed his tongue as it teased delicately between her lips. How strange it was, two tongues coiling around one another in a sinuous dance. Like a key in a lock, it opened her and made her want more.

Ryan pulled her closer. She swooned against his body like a fainting damsel and slid her arms around his back. His muscles were so hard and his flesh so hot that the insides of her arms tingled at the contact. It seemed like forever since she'd been held like this. His strength flowed into her, wrapping around her and supporting her, making her want to cry with the pleasure of leaning into him.

He cradled her face in his palm while his other hand roamed down her back. He paused at her tailbone just above the swell of her ass and she wanted him to go farther, grab her butt and knead her cheeks hard.

They kissed and kissed, small, tender nibbles followed by a hungry mashing together of lips and tongue, deep, desperate, powerful. When Ryan finally abandoned her mouth to kiss her cheek, her jaw and her neck, Camilla's lips were swollen and tingling. She'd forgotten the simple pleasure of making out for leisurely stretches of time. Her body felt both relaxed and open, and tense with need.

As Ryan slid his hand beneath her shirt and cupped her breast, she shifted. Her nipple was pebbled hard and eager for his touch, but she was nervous at the intimacy. Fondling her tit was the next step. Kissing, touching, then sex, which she craved and feared in equal parts.

He stopped nuzzling her shoulder and looked at her. "Okay?"

She bit her lip. "It's been a while, that's all."

"Of course. Your husband was sick."

"It was a while even before that. We weren't...close physically any more. Not often anyway." She hesitated over the words, embarrassed to admit such a private detail about her married life to this stranger. She couldn't quite pinpoint when the passion had gone, but it was well before Sam got sick.

Ryan nodded but remained silent. She was glad of that. Instead, he returned to sliding his lips over the curve of her shoulder and placing a necklace of kisses along the neckline of her shirt. Beneath her shirt, his thumb rubbed her nipple, teasing it to hardness through her bra cup. Her breasts felt tender and swollen as he fondled one, then the other. She pushed into his hand, wanting her clothes to magically disappear so she could feel his touch all over her.

As if gauging her readiness, he reached for the hem of her shirt, pulled it over her head and tossed it aside. He bent to press his mouth to her cleavage. The sight of his tawny hair and the slice of his profile against her breast was almost as exciting as the sensation of his mouth closing over her nipple and sucking it through the sheer material of her bra.

Camilla combed her hands through his hair, as silky as she'd imagined, and cradled his head. The tugging at her nipple sent a lightning bolt of pleasure crackling from her breast down to her crotch. When he blew across the dampened fabric, her nipple tightened ever harder. She moaned and her eyes half closed.

Ryan straightened. In one swift move, he peeled off his shirt exposing the chiseled muscles she'd only felt until now. His body was gorgeous, taut and toned. Youthful. It embarrassed her to reveal her own middle-aged body, still kept in shape by workouts, but inevitably sagging in places.

But if Ryan found her anything less than desirable, it didn't show in his hungry eyes, darkened with lust. Releasing the clasp on her bra, he freed her breasts. He caressed one then the other before he returned to suckling them.

Camilla quickly forgot any qualms about her body as she arched into his hands and mouth. She gripped his shoulders and rubbed her hands down his broad back, feeling the smooth skin and the bumps of his vertebrae. She wanted to touch him everywhere, to feel his skin gliding over hers, his heavy body pinning her down and his cock filling her. Excitement mounted inside her. She wouldn't turn back now even if she could. She wanted him. She wanted everything she'd denied needing for so long. Her body felt like it was growing and expanding, stretching as if she was a woman waking from a deep slumber.

One of Ryan's hands glided down her stomach and unfastened the button on her jeans. She sucked in a breath as he reached inside and touched her. He cupped her mound protectively in his palm for a moment, then teased his fingers beneath the elastic of her underwear and traced the lip of her labia.

Camilla whimpered and her thigh muscles clenched. This was happening now--a stranger's hand on her pussy. It had been so long since any man but Sam had touched her there.

Once more Ryan intuited her anxiety and stopped. He released her reddened nipple from his mouth with a wet pop and met her gaze.

"It's all right if you don't want to do this."

"No. I do. Don't stop." Her voice sounded as low and rasping as a smoker's.

He grinned and those charming dimples flashed, sending a stab of heat through her. Her body felt like flame, burning, yearning, sizzling. She reached to push her jeans down her hips, then lifted her ass off the couch as he pulled them off her.

When she was stripped bare, Ryan quickly peeled his jeans down his long, long legs, kicking off his shoes, tearing off his socks, standing by the sofa with his cock standing straight out from his body.

Camilla felt every coarse fiber of fabric tickling her backside and realized she'd never been naked on this couch. She and Sam had tended to confine sex to the bedroom, so this was new for the poor old couch as well as for her. She reclined against the cushions, feigning a relaxation she didn't feel, and stared at Ryan's engorged cock, straight and thick and flushed dark from the blood rushing through the raised veins. It trembled slightly like a divining rod reaching for water, and he gave a small hungry sound. Her stomach fluttered.

He examined Camilla with equal interest, his hooded eyes scanning her body before focusing on her sex. When he lowered himself over her, she caught her breath. He kissed her stomach, her hip bone, her thigh and all around her pussy in a tightening noose of licks and nibbles. Her anticipation built as he moved closer to his target, and her flesh quivered at the warm puff of his breath against her sex. His mouth nuzzled near the neat triangle of hair she'd trimmed earlier with fantasies like this in mind. When he finally touched her clit, she jerked at the mere brush of his lips.

Camilla closed her eyes and she gasped. Ryan chuckled, and the vibration against her pussy was a subtle torture. Her body was hypersensitive to his slightest touch, primed by all the kissing and fondling and by the outrageous fact of having sex with a stranger. She felt a tense vibration thrumming through her as if she'd had a jolt of too much caffeine.

Available today from Samhain, THE THIEF AND THE DESERT FLOWER .  This fun, desert romp is hot, hot, hot. Please check it out. You'll be glad you did.

Can a princess find love in the arms of a desert thief?

Princess Chala is facing an arranged marriage to a man she's never met. When her caravan is attacked in the desert and she's kidnapped by the nomad leader, she thinks only of escape—at first. But the charming rogue, Kyo is set on seducing her until she freely gives him what he's craved from the moment he saw her. The fiery-tempered princess and the unscrupulous scoundrel engage in a battle of the sexes.

Lust slowly turns to love as they share details of their lives and realize they have more common ground than expected. But Chala's powerful bridegroom, Brachas isn't about to let a merger between two kingdoms dissolve without a fight. His soldiers find and reclaim the princess, who now has an agenda of her own.

Can a clever princess and her determined lover save a desert people, bring a despot to justice and find a future together in a world of their choosing?

CAGE MATCH is available today from Loose Id .

A prince of industry, an imprisoned gladiator, fistfights instead of ballrooms -- Cinderella just got hotter.

A master in the arena but a slave when combat is over, Jabez is a cage fighter raised on the streets. Wealthy young Andreas Fortias rescues him from his bleak existence, offering him the chance for a new life. But Andreas will have to break through more than a slave cage to touch Jabez's heart. And Jabez may have to risk his new freedom to save his lover, so together can they expose a truth which may change their world.

Excerpt:

The anticipatory rumble of the crowd made the hair on Andreas's neck rise. They wanted blood and violence, maybe even death. The thick scent of lust and sweat hung in the air along with a pall of opium smoke. Andreas breathed it in through every pore, let the muttering roar fill his head and the adrenaline tingle through his veins until he was one with the primal vibe that simmered in the cavelike room.

A single thick beam of light sliced through the darkness, illuminating the cage below. The big man in front of Andreas shifted to say something to his neighbor, blocking Andreas's view. He bobbed his head to the right. The fighters were entering through barred doors that face each other across the circular arena. Both men were practically naked except for briefs, oiled bodies glistening. Tonight's match was a hand-to-hand fight with no weapons or armor, only muscle and skill.

Andreas fingered the gold chain around his neck as he studied the two opponents, both virile, stunning specimens. He swallowed and his stomach muscles tensed as his erection swelled. Leaning forward, he peered intently at the taller of the two men. He was the more battle-scarred of the two fighters. Red-haired and bearded, his broad chest also boasted a pelt of coppery hair. His muscles were hewn rock and his facial features were blunt and square. He looked like he could tear a man's arms off and beat him into submission with them.

Andreas looked at the other man and felt as if someone had delivered an unexpected punch to his gut. He exhaled his breath in a gasp. The second warrior was a chiseled and polished work of art compared to his adversary. Andreas's pulse quickened at the sight of his beautiful, sleek body, the wide shoulders, shining pecs and abs and long, sinewy arms and legs. The man sauntered rather than strode toward his adversary, but despite his casual manner, there was tension and power coiled in his lean body. His fingers clenched lightly making the muscles in his arms ripple all the way up to his shoulders. He was like a snake seemingly asleep in the sun but poised to strike.

Turning up the magnification on his image-viewer, Andreas studied the leaner fighter. His hair was cropped close to his scalp and he was clean-shaven unlike his opponent. His nose would've been a long, straight blade but for a kink where it had been broken. A scar bisected his right brow and turned down the corner of his eye, but the damage only added to his handsome features giving them character that the perfection of faces in the stands lacked. There were few in the crowd tonight who hadn't had some cosmetic surgery and Andreas thought all of them looked like pale imitations of the real man in the arena.

Guilt mingled with his pleasure at examining the attractive fighter. He despised himself for coming to these events, ashamed at the blood-lust and the voyeur aspect of watching two men tear each other apart with weapons or beat each other senseless with their fists. But at the same time, there was an undeniable craving in the pit of his stomach, roiling around like a bad case of food poisoning. He couldn't look away from the arena and wouldn't walk out now even if given the opportunity. He had to watch.

"Hey, Andreas," Timon leaned over and nudged his arm, "want to bet on the match? Blind stakes, I choose Redbeard."

"Blind stakes? What's that?" He glanced at his friend, noting that Timon had tinted his hair and eyes to exactly match his blue shirt. The garment was no doubt a top designer label. Timon was a fashion hound who'd rather be dead than underdressed for any occasion.

"New game Rabi and I invented. You place the bet without announcing stakes. They're revealed at the end of the match."

Andreas laughed. "That makes no sense at all."

"No, it makes it more exciting and it's fresh. Hurry, they're about to start. Are you in or out?"

"In, I guess." Andreas looked at his fighter again. Lighter, leaner and younger than the other man, he also looked faster and smarter. "Sure. My guy can beat your guy." And maybe I'll win back my boat, he thought. Last time they'd played cards he'd lost the brand new vessel to Timon after only sailing it twice.

The bell rang and the fighters began to circle one another. The crowd suddenly hushed to a low, rumbling murmur. Andreas tuned out the people around him, craned to see around the man in front of him.

He dubbed his fighter "Snake" due to the way he moved, smooth and deadly, circling slowly around his opponent. Andreas couldn't tell from this distance what color his eyes were, not even with the magnification of his image-viewer, but he could see they glittered as he stared at the other man. A chill went through him at the intensity of the gladiator's gaze.

For long moments the pair stalked around each other like a pair of cats. Andreas wondered how much of it was for show. Did the men really need to assess one another or was it expected by the audience and so they went through the motions? Were both of them aching to surge toward their opponent?

Viewing at such a high magnification, Andreas almost felt he was with his chosen fighter. He was so intent on watching Snake that when he finally did attack, Andreas started and gasped in surprise. The man was so fast. He darted at his opponent and jabbed a fist into his solar plexis, knocking him backward.

Andreas quickly dialed back on his viewer as the two fighters dodged in and out of his frame of vision. By the time he'd refocused, the pair were punching and flailing, rolling on the sand and kicking up so much dirt it was hard to see who was on top at any given moment.

Their grunts and the soft thumps of their fists were picked up by the cage mics and broadcast through the room. The crowd seemed to hold its collective breath as it listened. The fistfight was quieter than the exaggerated flesh hitting flesh in a vid, but more affecting because it was real and because everyone knew these men wouldn't stop until one of them was unconscious, possibly even dead. That was the thrill of the experience, the vicarious rush everyone came for.

Redbeard scrambled out of the other man's grip and pulled himself to his feet with the aid of the cage grille. Snake also retreated, rolling and pushing himself upright in one smooth move. Both men stood panting for a moment then Redbeard let out a roar and ran at Snake. He bent and rammed his big head into the other man's stomach like a battering ram, driving him back into the bars. Snake grunted as the air was driven from him. He doubled over the other man. Redbeard brought his body up, snapping his head into Snake's face.

The audience groaned in sympathy as the lighter man took a beating. The bearded giant kept him pinned against the bars and used him as a punching bag.

Timon leaned toward Andreas. "Doesn't look too good for your guy."

Andreas didn't answer. He winced every time Redbeard's meaty fists drove into Snake's body. His fighter tried to keep up his guard but the blows were coming in from every angle.

Then Redbeard made his mistake. He grappled Snake's body close in a wrestling hold, twisted him around and cast him down. Sand puffed up as he hit the ground. Redbeard took a second to raise his arms and turn in a circle facing the crowd, receiving applause for his prowess then he turned back to his opponent, crawling away across the floor, and ran at him.

"Body slam!" Timon announced.

But as the big man drew himself up for the leap, Snake's long leg swept out, cutting both his legs from under him. Redbeard toppled rather than leaped and missed his mark. He landed on his face on the ground.

Snake scrambled to his feet and jumped on top of him, driving a knee into his back. He gripped Redbeard's head by the hair and slammed his face into the ground over and over. Redbeard struggled to knock him off or flip over, but Snake was tenacious. He continued to pound the man's head into the sand with single-minded ferocity until he stopped struggling.

Andreas felt sick as he looked around him at the cheering crowd, the avid, hungry expressions of the beautiful people. Deep inside the stomach cramp of guilt remained, but at the same time his pulse pounded. He was as entranced and addicted as everyone else. He pumped his fist in the air and shouted until he was hoarse.

Down in the arena, the unconscious fighter was placed on a stretcher and taken away. The promoter raised Snake's arm high above his head, declaring him the official victor and another roar of approval came from the crowd.

Timon leaned toward Andreas to complain. "You lucky bastard. There was no way he should've won over Redbeard. Now for the stakes."

"My sailboat," Andreas answered promptly. "I want it back detailed and pristine, the same condition in which you took it."

"Whoa, boy, you don't understand how this game works. The winner doesn't get to say what he's won. The loser tells you."

"That's ridiculous! Who'd give anything valuable?"

"We're all stinking rich," Timon pointed out. "None of us is going to be cheap about it. The point is to think up something extraordinary the winner would never have asked for on his own."

Andreas shook his head, but laughed. Timon was nothing if not inventive. If he ever turned his considerable cleverness to something useful, he could change the world. "All right then, what have I won?"

His friend's slow, evil grin tipped him off that he might not like his prize. "Rule is you have to accept what you've won no matter what."

"Oh no, Timon, what are you up to?"

"Something good. Something fun and different. Trust me, you'll love it." He grabbed Andreas's arm and pulled him down the row, bumping peoples' knees as they went.

This was a small venue, nothing like the stadiums where full scale battles were waged for the audience's entertainment. Still it took a few minutes to get out of the stands and reach the stairs leading to the lobby. Behind them the announcer called out the next pair of warrior's statistics while the excited murmur of the crowd swelled again.

"Your fighter showed mercy. He could've snapped Redbeard's neck. No holds barred in cage-fighting," Timon remarked as he led Andreas across the lobby and toward the backstage. "Stay here a second."

Timon trotted ahead, spoke to the man guarding the off-limits area and handed him some money then gestured Andreas over. "Go with this guy. He'll take you down to meet your hero."

"What?" No! I don't want—"

"Rules of the bet. You take what you've won and, my friend, you've won one full hour to do anything you like with that hard-bodied beast. These guys have all had their shots so you don't have to worry about catching anything, just ride him hard and enjoy that sweaty meat."

I'm happy to announce the release of a historical, A GYPSY'S VOW at Liquid Silver Books today .

It's a sweet little tale about an innkeeper's daughter whose ready for a change and the tall, dark stranger who enters her life at precisely the right time.

A proper, level-headed woman. A handsome, wandering rogue. Sparks fly between them, but does the innkeeper's daughter dare leave behind all that's familiar to run away with a gypsy?

After managing her drunken father's inn for most of her adult life, Bess is presented with an offer of marriage from a member of the local gentry. She should be thrilled at the proposed match with a man so far above her station, but knows Lord Wallace is more interested in the income from her successful business than he is in her.

One day while shopping in the market, she meets a charming stranger who shakes up her world. She's unprepared for the onslaught of powerful feelings Alexi rouses in her as he woos her with passionate intensity. Now Bess must decide what she truly wants from life and how she chooses to live her future.

Excerpt:

1902, Dorset, England

Sunlight sent fragments of light winking and dancing, catching Bess's attention. Following the sparkles to the source, she discovered a small gold hoop in a man's earlobe framed against glossy black curls. The man's face was tan, thin and sharp-featured. He stood by a cart displaying leather goods to a prospective customer. Over his white shirt he wore an embroidered waistcoat that set him apart from the local tradesmen and farmers. From the ring in his ear and the flamboyant vest, she guessed the stranger was a gypsy.

Her breath caught as he looked at her from across the crowded marketplace with an expression so intimate it seemed he knew all her secret thoughts and frustrated wishes. His dark eyes were too knowing and too disturbing. A flash of white teeth rivaling the earring's glitter illuminated his face and, without thinking, Bess smiled back. Then she blushed and quickly dropped her gaze to the raspberries she was sorting through.

"Buy the basket and I'll throw in an extra pound. It's nearly the end of the day and they're going soft." Sarah Pickett always had a deal for Bess. "You know I'd be happy to stop by the inn. There's no need for you to come all the way to the market."

"Thank you, but I don't mind." She didn't mention that shopping trips were a welcome respite in her busy day, a chance to get away from the Thorn and Thistle.

She paid for the berries and was about to pick up the basket when a small body barreled into her. Bess bent toward the dark-haired child who'd fallen on his backside on the ground. "Are you all right?" Grasping his hand, she helped him to his feet and gazed into his black eyes. She smiled and ruffled his hair. "Where's your mother?"

The boy pulled away from her and started to run again, only to be stopped by a hand clamping down on his shoulder. "Radge chav!" a low voice barked.

Bess lifted her gaze to the face of the gypsy man, scowling now as he lightly shook the boy and spoke harshly.

She reached out her hand. "It's all right. He didn't mean to run into me. I'm fine."

"No, it's not all right. Here." He reached into the boy's shirtfront, and when he removed his hand her purse dangled from it, strings cut. The man clicked his tongue as he rapped the boy on the back of the head and sent him on his way.

"Oh." Bess was stunned. She hadn't even felt the boy take it. The stranger offered her the purse, and their fingers brushed as she accepted it.

"I apologize for the little animal. I'll let his parents know and make sure he's punished." Despite the disapproving words, his tone was mild. A foreign intonation accented his English. "But let me make it up to you. I'll carry your basket."

Her pulse raced as if he'd suggested something else. "No, thank you."

"I promise I won't steal it. Roma aren't all thieves."

Both of them had grasped the basket handle. Bess didn't want to have a tug of war that might draw attention and end in spilled fruit, so she conceded with a small nod.

"Don't you have a stall to mind?" She glanced at the cart he'd abandoned where another dark-haired boy who resembled the one who'd run into her was hawking belts, purses and shoes.

"Marius can manage without me. Where am I escorting you?"

"The Thorn and Thistle Inn." Pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders, she walked briskly through the crowd, aware of many pairs of eyes watching her and the stranger.

"Is the innkeeper's daughter as prickly as the establishment's name, Miss Andrews?"

She flicked a glance at him. "How do you know who I am?"

"I asked someone before I came over to speak to you." His smile was even more overwhelming close up. Its brilliance stole her breath and made her heart skip a beat. No wonder gypsies were rumored to have magic powers. His sheer magnetism made her dizzy and had her consenting to things she never meant to, such as letting him carry her basket for everyone to see.

The man strode alongside her, moving gracefully and with an erect posture that suggested arrogance, or at least, self-assuredness. She was intrigued by the contrast between his obvious poverty--scuffed boots, darned patches in the colorful waistcoat and a rip in the shoulder seam of his shirt--and his almost regal bearing, as if he were royalty rather than an itinerant traveler.

"So, I know your name, Bess Andrews. Can you guess mine?" He flashed another grin that made him look like the very devil his question implied. Folk stories claimed Satan couldn't say his own name, and one way he could gain power over a person was by getting them to say it. Bess understood the joke and couldn't resist a smart retort.

"Rumplestiltskin?"

His hearty laughter invited her to join in. "My name is Alexi Cosmescu."

"Pleased to meet you," she replied automatically, but walked even faster, anxious to be rid of his company and safely back at the inn. Common wisdom claimed gypsies were an illiterate, thieving, feckless lot, but this man was clever and well spoken and he made her nervous.

As though catching the drift of her thoughts, he said, "Do I make you uncomfortable? Perhaps you fear I'm damaging your reputation simply by talking to you? That's a sad commentary on the world." He sighed. "My people are slandered at every turn. Isn't there a saying about letting God judge who's righteous and who isn't?"

They were almost to the edge of the square and the street that led to the inn. She should relieve him of the burden and send him on his way. "I don't mean to be rude, Mr. Cosmescu, but I really would prefer to walk alone. May I have my basket back?"

He faced her, looking deeply into her eyes. "I guess I was wrong. I saw you and thought something about you was different--that you wouldn't be like them." He nodded at the people buying and selling in the marketplace behind them. "Small-minded."

"Just because I don't wish to walk with you doesn't make me small-minded." His accusation upset her. She'd always considered herself more insightful than most of the people in this rural community. Books had opened her mind to the world beyond Framingham.

"No. I suppose not." He extended the basket toward her. "But it makes you a fool, because now you have to carry this heavy basket all by yourself." He winked, daring her to hang convention and take a chance.

She considered his challenging look and the fact that there was no one watching them any longer. What was the point in refusing his help now? "All right. Carry it for me, and thank you." She walked on, acutely aware of his presence by her side.

"My people are camped in the hollow by Old Ford Road. You should come there this evening. You'll see we aren't the demons people make us out to be."

She didn't dignify his invitation with a reply. He had to know there was no possibility of her ever setting foot in a gypsy camp.

"You think I'm teasing, but I'm not. I like the way you look, Bess Andrews, and not just because you're beautiful. There's something about the set of your chin or perhaps your eyes that tells me you're a strong woman and someone I'd care to know better. We won't be here long so I can't afford the time to court you properly."

"Court me?" She stopped walking and gaped at him. "Is that what you imagine this is?"

He shook his head, setting his black curls and the small hoop in his ear swaying. "Perhaps `court' isn't the right word. My English is not always perfect."

"Oh, I think your English is fine and that you said exactly what you meant. But this is flirting, not courting, and whichever it is, I'm not interested. At the inn I'm often approached by traveling salesmen. I'm not naïve. I know what men like you want."

"What is it you think I want, Miss Andrews? To ravage you? I'm no barbarian. I only want to spend a little time with you."

The Samhellion blog has a scavenger hunt that's been going on all week. Each day there were free reads and scavenger hunts with ebook prizes. Today I'm in the mix. Stop by the Samhellion blog  to enter and join in the fun!

Dream Across Time  is available at Liquid Silver Books (previously published as Piscean Dreams, re-edited and expanded)

Separated by time, two lovers meet only in their dreams.

Aiyana, a Native American healer and Connor, a civil lawyer, are lovers who live in New York state—several hundred years apart. They meet in increasingly vivid dreams.

As vague, erotic encounters become more concrete, the two form a connection that transcends time and space. Both search for a way to make contact during waking life, and they come together through astral projection. But can the lovers ever meet on the physical plane? And is their newfound love strong enough for one of them to be willing to sacrifice a familiar life to live in a foreign world?

Check out the book trailer HERE .

Thanks to all who read and enjoyed Hearts Afire: January last month and made it such a great seller for T.A. and me. Hope you'll try Dream Across Time. You can read several excerpts HERE .

Stop by Erotic Muses blog  today for a chance to win a print copy of "Never Have the Same Sex Twice" by Alison Tyler. This sex guide includes an excerpt from one of my short stories. Drop a comment for a chance to win.

According to Alison Tyler, her monogamous relationship of more than ten years is "filled with extreme, kinky, varied, crazy, never-have-the-same-sex-twice sort of sex." The secret of not getting into a sexual rut lies in the power of the imagination and pure dedication. In this distinctive guide for couples, Tyler introduces each chapter by sharing her own personal sexual experience. Following that is a short erotic story that not only instructs readers in the how's and why's but helps them visualize what they can do to invigorate their sex lives. From having a weekly date night to using sex toys to experimenting with light BDSM to erotic foreplay, this book guides couples to sexual satisfaction over and over again.

Liquid Silver Books  launches its year long fireman series, HEARTS AFIRE today. I'm lucky enough to be in the inaugural volume, HEARTS AFIRE: JANUARY  with the talented T.A. Chase. Both stories are smokin' hot m/m romances. T.A.'s is contemporary suspense and mine's paranormal.

Blurb for Ignite! by Bonnie Dee:

Fireman. Firestarter. When the two come together, their world ignites!

Pete Santori is a New York City fireman, who is committed to his job and doesn't take any time for personal relationships. That all changes one night when he saves a man from a fire that the victim appears to have started. As the man in his arms makes a confession, a strange connection passes between them.

Alan Delaine is a firestarter, not an arsonist. He manifests powerful energy when he experiences strong emotion and things in his vicinity ignite. He's been held captive in an unidentified facility, where he was tested physically and psychologically. When he meets Pete, he's been living on the run after escaping the lab.

As the two men come together, each has qualities the other needs. Physical attraction grows into something deeper. When the pair is kidnapped, can they make it out alive and build a future in which Alan can live a normal life?


Blurb for Where the Devil Dances by T.A. Chase:


Scars aren't always on the outside. Architect Eric Sandel is living proof. He moves to Morley after surviving a terrible fire in order to rebuild his life and hopes designing the new Opera House will help him bury the past.

Firefighter David Browdie hasn't had time for serious relationships, his "on call" status tends to leave relationships in the dust. When he meets Eric at the neighborhood dog park, sparks fly and he thinks maybe this time, serious will win after all.

But a demon from Eric's past haunts him. David and Eric must work together to find a way to stop the mad man before they all go up in flames.

I have a new print anthology out today from Samhain! Strangers in the Night  contains stories from Bettie Sharpe, Veronica Wilde and me, Bonnie Dee. (I just realized I'm with Bettie and Veronica. Does that make me Archie or Jughead?)

My story is "The Valentine Effect" which some of you may have already read in ebook form. "Like a Thief in the Night" and "Erotics Anonymous" are the other ladies' stories and you can read about them below...

A man whose passionate heart has been torn apart. A woman who's never risked hers. Can love bring them a new beginning?

Carrie Morrison is resigned to spending another Valentine's Day alone, but Cupid brings her a surprise—packaged in the hot body the father of one of her third grade students. When Enrique Torres stops by her classroom to discuss his son, sizzling chemistry erupts between them. Ric is a widower, father, garage mechanic, and the hottest Latin lover a woman could wish for to fulfill her Valentine fantasies. One hot night with Carrie in his bed leaves him wanting more, but she's not sure if she's brave enough for a relationship beyond a one night stand.

But Ric isn't about to let Carrie go that easily. She has healed his broken heart, and he's ready for forever.

LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT by Bettie Sharpe. She's a heartless assassin; he's an immortal thief. In another life, they would have been lovers. In this one, he's her target and she's his prize.

EROTICS ANONYMOUS by Veronica Wilde. She joined a secret society of masks and sex games. What she found was a forbidden love.

Not in the mood to pay print book prices? PLEASE check out The Countess Lends a Hand , sequel to The Countess Takes a Lover. You won't be disappointed. It's a sexy historical with a damaged hero and heroine who find the solace they seek in each other.

Some of you may know that Samhain is offering free reads every day of December. Today it's my turn with a short story titled "Gift Exchange" HERE . It's set between my novels The Countess Takes a Lover and The Countess Lends a Hand (available on Tuesday at Samhain). Find out what gift Chris brings Meredith from his travels abroad.

On Tuesday read more about Chris and Meredith's relationship and meet a new romantic couple in The Countess Lends a Hand.

"The man of her dreams is a nobleman. What's a poor ladies' maid to do? Reinvent herself, of course.

La Comtesse de Chevalier is back! This time Meredith, the heroine of The Countess Takes a Lover, helps her maid, Cecile Lambeaux pass as a gentlewoman in order to gain the attention of Sir Nathaniel Covington.

For the first time in her life, reserved Cecile has fallen madly in love…with a man she's only seen from a distance. She's willing to have even a brief affair with Sir Nathaniel, whose haunted face touches her heart across the social chasm separating them.

Many burdens and secrets weigh down Nathaniel's lonely soul. He goes to the countess's house party to take a break from his troubles and finds a woman who stirs him deeply.

As Cecile and Nathaniel's connection grows stronger, Cecile's lie hangs over her head. Meanwhile, Meredith and Chris work through their own relationship issues regarding trust. Will both women learn their lesson about keeping secrets before they ruin their chance at love?"

Reviews

All About Romance, Reviewer Abi Bishop, B+
The romance between Cecile and Nate is the deep but quiet kind that develops for the reader, through the characters' thoughts more than their actions. Both of them are quite introspective so you learn much of their feelings in prose, not dialogue.

Jeez, I thought it came out on November 4th, but it seems Empath is available at Samhain now ! Please check it out. It's a great little suspense paranormal and here's the premise followed by an excerpt:

A gift or a curse? Jordan Langley's every touch of other human beings transmits their deepest feelings to him. Detective Lauren Sadler blocks her emotions so she can do her job. When a murder case brings them together, will Lauren yield to the power of the most intimate exchange she's ever known?

For nearly two years, Jordan has lived like a hermit, avoiding the world that affects him too deeply. He had spent his life dealing with his "gift" of empathy until a traumatic event drove him into seclusion. Now a friend needs his help to reach an autistic boy who has witnessed a murder.

Lauren Sadler, the detective on the case, believes in Jordan's ability after seeing the results of his touch on the boy. She doesn't count on how that touch will influence her. In the midst of the investigation, the couple shares a passionate night. But Lauren's not ready to open up to deep intimacy when her trust in herself has been shattered.

Solving the murder and coming to terms with love will challenge them both, bringing each to a new awareness of what they have to offer each other and the world.

Excerpt:

The woman walking down the hall toward them was beautiful. Her brown hair was pulled into a casual ponytail, but clear hazel eyes in a perfectly oval face gave her the aspect of a Renaissance painting of a saint. Her angelic features contrasted with the grim set of her mouth and tight jaw.

Avenging angel, Jordan thought.

She tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear and held out her hand, one raised eyebrow expressing her curiosity about Jordan. "I'm Detective Lauren Sadler."

"Jordan Langley. I'm an old friend of the family." Jordan couldn't refuse to take her hand. During the few seconds of contact, he felt a potent mix of feelings pour from her: tension, frustration, suspicion, uncertainty and an unexpected spike of sexual arousal. By the time he withdrew his hand, he knew Lauren Sadler was awash in self-doubt and conflicting emotions waged war within her.

Frowning, she rubbed her fingers against her palm and turned to Danny. "I've finished questioning Celia if you want to take her and Mike to your house. I can't get anything out of him in his present condition."

"My nephew wouldn't be easy to question on his best day, but he can communicate in his own way." Danny's tone was brusque. "Jordan's here to help."

"Are you a psychologist, Mr. Langley?" Her keen eyes narrowed slightly, assessing him.

"Not exactly. I'm just…" Jordan trailed off, unable to come up with a single good reason to explain his presence.

"Look, you can ask about his credentials later. For now, I just want to get Mike calmed down, and if Jordan can do it…"

Sadler glanced back and forth between them. "All right."

Danny led the way into his nephew's room.

Jordan took a deep breath, bracing himself for an onslaught of traumatic emotions.

****

Who the hell was this guy?

Lauren followed behind Stipe and his tall friend, her eyes drawn to the breadth of Langley's shoulders and the shock of shiny black hair that straggled messily over his collar.

More importantly, why was she about to let him talk to her witness? She'd made no headway with the boy over the past few hours. His own mother couldn't get him to stop rocking and muttering numbers. This guy, Jordan Langley, had already admitted he wasn't a psychologist, so what business did he have here, what connection to the McKenzie family, and could that connection make him a suspect?

Last, but not least, why was she checking out his ass? She was in the middle of a murder investigation, her one witness incapable of speech. This was no time to be staring at long legs and narrow hips in loose blue jeans.
Lauren turned her attention to Mrs. McKenzie and her son. Celia sat cross-legged on the floor, near but not touching the boy. He was staring at the floor, only the top of his sandy blond hair and a slice of his profile visible. He was small for a ten-year-old. Or at least Lauren thought so. She didn't know that much about kids. Mike's shoulders were hunched and he rocked slightly back and forth, exactly as he'd been when she'd left to talk to Warren, the head of the forensics team.

Stipe squatted beside his sister, resting a hand on her back. "Jordan's here."

Celia glanced up at Langley. "It's been a long time." From her expression, she was as perplexed as Lauren about why he was there.

For that matter, Langley himself seemed uncertain. He swallowed and clenched his hands lightly at his sides. He gazed at Mike, who continued muttering equations and making calculations with his rapidly moving fingers. Celia had explained this mental exercise was his touchstone, his method of achieving calm in the midst of chaos. How did Jordan Langley intend to reach through the protective shield of numbers and contact the boy?

Langley was one of those loose-limbed, gangly men who appeared to be uncomfortable in his own body. He lowered himself to the floor near Mike, folding his long legs awkwardly. A few moments passed before he extended a tentative hand and touched the boy's bare forearm.

Lauren waited for Mike to jerk away. He hadn't accepted anyone's touch, not even his mother's, batting at her hands when she tried to console him, but now he went perfectly still. The rocking stopped. The murmured numbers stopped. Time seemed to stop. The room became so silent Lauren could hear quiet breaths hitching in and out of the boy's chest.

Langley's long, angular face was pale beneath the shock of dark hair that fell across his forehead. His eyes were partially closed and a frown drew his thick brows together. His mouth was grim and his jaw flexed. Tension radiated from his body.

What the hell is going on here? Lauren's gaze darted to Detective Stipe, whose gaze was riveted on the pair, and to Celia McKenzie. The woman's eyes widened as she witnessed the transformation in her son.

The boy's fingers, ticking off patterns only he understood, slowed and stilled. His unfocused stare sharpened and he turned to look at Langley, as if the man were the only other person in the room.

The silent communication passing between them made Lauren's skin prickle. She neither believed in nor dismissed the idea of psychic powers, but it was clear something beyond the realm of normal was happening.

If you haven't read Perfecting Amanda yet and you have a Kindle reader, go to Amazon for a free download .

Yes, that's right, an absolutely free read, the point being to bring Samhain (and my) books to the attention of readers unfamiliar with the publisher (and me). But y'all are welcome to check it out. If you think you don't care for Westerns, give it a try anyway. The love triangle is unique and the anti-hero is a very unlikeable guy at first. Let me know if you think his redemption by the end of the novel works.