This blog is for those 18 and older.

Friday, May 27, 2016

You Absolutely CANNOT Fix Stupid...No Matter How Hard You Try!

Hey, all!  How are ya?  Long time no talk.  I know…I know…that’s totally my fault!  I took off for the convention in Nashville without the power cord for my laptop.  So I had to go online and order a new one from Amazon and have it shipped to the hotel…but, alas, too late to get my blog written.  So my apologies for being MIA!!!

Okay, so I’m back online with my new power cord, and this week’s blog is about stupidity.  Those of you who know me know that there’s nothing that gets me spun up faster than stupid…and like Ron White says, “You can’t fix stupid.”

And I know it’s not just me that agrees with that because I used to have a trailer hitch cover that said, “You can’t fix stupid.”  Used to.  Not any more…someone stole it.  Speaking of stupid, I think that one speaks for itself!

Anyway, my friend, K. T. Roberts, and I drove across the country for the Nashville conference, and I’m happy to report that stupidity is alive and well everywhere!

For starters, we stopped in New Mexico at a fast food restaurant, which shall remain unnamed.  Suffice it to say, when my son was very small, he misunderstood the commonly accepted nickname of the restaurant chain and insisted on calling it “The Gold Narches”.  Enough said.

Anyway, K.T. and I pull up to the speaker and I order “two large iced coffees, black…one decaf, one regular.”  Seemed easy at the time.  Oh, silly me!

“Two large iced coffees?”

“Yes, black…one decaf and one regular.”  I’m making sure they don’t miss anything.

“Would you like cream in that?”

Seriously?  K. T. and I look at each other and shake our heads.  “No, black.”

“You want sweetener?”

Really?  “No…black.  Just coffee and ice.”

“You want that iced?”

Sigh.  “Yes.  Two large black iced coffees, but we need one of them decaf and the other regular.”
“Okay.  That will be (whatever the price was) at the first window.”

Finally!!!

So we get to the window and the coffees come out.  I look at them and they look suspiciously identical.  So I ask, “Which one is decaf?”

I get the blank stare.  “Decaf?”

Sigh.  “Yes, decaf.  One is supposed to be regular and the other decaf.”

She shakes her head.  “They’re both regular.  We can’t do decaf iced.”

Are you effing kidding me?

I take a deep breath, glance at K. T., and struggle not to laugh at the look on her face.  “Do you have decaf coffee?”


The girl nods.  “Yes.”

“Do you have ice?”

She nods again. “Yes.”

I know it’s wrong, but this just called for condescending.  “So just pour the decaf coffee over a large cup of ice.”

I get the blank stare.  “But the ice will melt.”

Are you freaking kidding me?

I take another deep breath and smile.  “Yes, it will.”

She is still confused.

How?  How is this confusing?  How?

I must be skating dangerously close to the “out of control” foul line because she now has to go get the manager.  Clearly annoyed, the manager comes to the window and informs us they don’t have iced decaf coffee.

Noooooooooooooo…not the manager too?!

Again, “Do you have decaf coffee?”

The manager nods.  “Yes.”

“Do you have ice?”

She nods again.  “Yes.”

“Then put lots of ice in a big cup and pour the coffee over it.”

And I am NOT freaking kidding you…I get, “But the hot coffee will melt the ice.”

I’m still smiling…now it’s because I’m desperately trying not to laugh because I can’t take much more stupidity.  And I don’t dare look at K. T. because her internal thoughts (and mine) are shrieking though the cab of the truck—Are you effing kidding me?  It takes all I can muster to reply, “Yes, it will…and that’s fine.  Just use lots of ice.”

Problem solved.  The manager now turns to her employee and gives her permission to pour hot decaf coffee over the top of a cup of ice and give it to the morons at the drive-thru window.  Yeah!!!

Oh, wait…one more thing she needs to confirm—“Do you want cream and sweetener in that?”



WTF?!!!!!  NO!!!!!!!!!!!!  When did “black” stop meaning “black”?



We get our drinks…finally…and we leave the drive-thru, about to pee our pants because we are laughing so freaking hard.  I have never in my life had so much trouble trying to order an iced decaf coffee, black.  What the hell is so hard to understand about that?  Seriously?

Well, the story doesn’t end there…not only did we encounter the same scenario at least twice more on our trip…almost verbatim…but our next stop was a dollar store.  Now, keep in mind that this is one of those dollar stores where EVERYTHING in the store is…wait for it…ONE DOLLAR!

So K. T. and I do a little shopping and take our treasures to the checkout.  I’m the first to be rung up and my bill comes to $24.00 and change…which means I’ve purchased…you got it…23 items, give or take a bit for sales tax.  I swear on my life, the checker processed my card and then looked at me and asked, “Would you like a bag with that?”

Really?

I cut my gaze to K. T. and she had the same stunned look on her face that I’m sure was on mine.  Now, I don’t care if all I bought was chewing gum…23 packs of chewing gum would be tough to navigate to the truck without a freaking bag!

You would have been sooooooo proud of me!  I didn’t give her “the look”, I didn’t point out how difficult it would be to carry 23 items—makeup bags, bows, nail files and brushes—to the car without a bag.  I didn’t do any of that.  Nope, I didn’t even smile and say, “Here’s your sign.”

BUT I WANTED TO!!!

No, I just nodded and said, “Yes, a bag would be good.”

She gave me a bag, we bagged my stuff, K. T. paid for hers (and got a bag too), and we hightailed it out of there.  And you can bet we didn’t drink the water…it could be contagious!



Ron White is right…YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID!  And as his buddy, Jeff Foxworthy, would say, “Here’s your sign.”



That’s my story, stupid and stupendous, and I’m stickin’ to it.  Hang on tight now, ‘cuz we’re gonna go real, real fast!



Love ya,


Kayce

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Alone in the Dark by Karen Rose




Another masterpiece by a truly gifted thriller/suspense/romance author!  Her novel may be 700+ pages, but there’s never a dull moment.

Homicide detective Scarlett Bishop is called to a murder and immediately runs into the man she’s been thinking about for the last nine months, Marcus O’Bannion, the local newspaper owner.

It’s obvious why a homicide detective would show up at a murder scene, but why would a newspaper owner be there first and wearing Kevlar?

Everything has a reason and Marcus was trying to help the woman now lying dead at his feet.  Not to mention he’s the one who specifically called Scarlett to the scene because she’s been caught in his dreams for the last nine months, also.

It’s a great trip through the underground as Scarlett works on solving the case.  She allows Marcus to see more than the average newspaper is allowed for reporting purposes, but he has special privileges.

And the extra privileges extend into the bedroom where Scarlett and Marcus have their own mystery to solve about relationships.

I thought the suspense and thriller aspects of the story held great merit and I’ve never been disappointed by one of Rose’s stories.  Plenty of romance littered the pages, granted the conflict between Scarlett and Marcus seemed a bit weak.  Although, if the conflict had kept them apart more, then the hot romance would’ve been less, so either way I consider it a win-win story!

 

Happy reading,
Dawn                   

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Catching Rebecca by Siera London available now and with a Free Book Giveaway!


Catching Rebecca 
by Siera London 
Going to the chapel, and we’re gonna get …Scandalous.


Trapped by family obligations, Rebecca Lynn Holbrook, the heir to Holbrook Industries, is not the spoiled rich girl everyone thinks she is. She’s a company asset to be sold and traded. In exchange for the cash infusion the company needs, Rebecca Lynn has seven days to complete a negotiated marriage contract. There’s just one hitch in the plan—her lover—sexy ex-Navy officer Darwin Masters.


Darwin Masters is not the man he used to be. He has no use for the constraints of society nor family expectations. When a tragic accident leads him back to Shell Cove, he finds healing and comfort in Rebecca Lynn’s arms. Focused on starting his security firm and building a new life with the woman he loves, Darwin is blindsided by news of Rebecca Lynn’s impending nuptials. 


But nothing is as it appears. When an impulsive decision lands Rebecca Lynn in Darwin’s arms once again, it sets off a chain reaction of dangerous consequences neither of them anticipated.


 With Rebecca Lynn in danger, and Darwin’s fledgling company in jeopardy, how will they protect their love and outwit the powerful enemy fast approaching?


Excerpt from Siera London's CATCHING REBECCA.

Banging at the door had Rebecca Lynn tunneling shaking fingers into her hair. Well, it would have been hair, but the half-cocked halo veil overflowed her hands long before she felt a single strand of hair.

"Go away. I'm sick," she yelled. The force of the knock rattled the door within the frame. Not Mother Margaret this time. A man stood on the other side of the door. Had Margaret returned with reinforcements? Obviously, Mother's prompting led Dick to express some interest in Rebecca Lynn's whereabouts. He'd remained blank faced while Rebecca Lynn showered him with her gastric affection. Had her fiancé come for his bride? If so, Dick could suck Rebecca Lynn's teacups because she would leave this room when she was ready and not a moment sooner.

The cash infusion Holbrook Industries needed dictated when she married. Her father controlled whom she married. Margaret, with her wedding marshal tactics, oversaw the wedding’s execution. It might not be much, but Rebecca Lynn would decide the hour she walked down the aisle.

"So am I, B." She recognized his voice instantly. The air froze in Rebecca Lynn's lungs. Darwin's soft bass flowed over her with the warming effect of softened butter on a fresh-from-the-oven biscuit. The best kind of Southern comfort. He was the only person to call her B. Your kiss is the sweetest thing I've ever tasted. Darwin made her feel as if she was the most beautiful girl in the world. His effect held true more than a decade later. He'd called her Honey B for the first time that day. Her cheeks warmed with a blush remembering her first kiss. The gentle force of Darwin's tongue as it parted her lips. The sweet caress–

"B ... open the door."

Rebecca Lynn jumped when the door shook behind her. Nervous fingers fiddled with the knob, the hinges squeaking when she flung the door wide.

Darwin's muscular frame filled the doorway. With both hands holding either side of the doorway as if he were caging her in, he was six sexy feet of everything she ever wanted in a man. His angular jaw more pronounced with his lips pressed together in a firm line. He had a slight crook to his nose, with a wider tip and thick brows over arresting blue moon eyes. His eyes held a rolling wave of sexual hunger when they met hers. Darwin – an Ivy League naval officer – turned his back on the privilege of affluence to serve his country. He'd cast off polite society's rules long ago. Everything about him was military crisp and raw. His blond waves, once soft and vibrant as corn silk, were gone, replaced by a precision cut at the nape and temple; the golden spikes resembled the plume of a Roman soldier's galea. He didn't make a move, so she did.

"Get in here," Rebecca Lynn said, pulling him inside. She peered left then right down the hallway before she slammed the door. She stood stock-still as he regarded her from bare feet to twisted halo. Unsure what to expect from his inscrutable expression, she threw her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. A bubble of laughter tumbled from her lips when he squeezed her tight. Confident and sure arms encircled her waist, anchoring her to him. The knot that had formed in her stomach seven days ago when her father had called her into his study to inform her that she was marrying Dick uncoiled. 

"Hey, babe," he whispered. The soft press of his lips to her forehead was like a spark to a powder keg. In an instant, her insides ignited demanding a deeper connection. "How you holding up?" At five-foot-eight, it was easy for Darwin to place a kiss in all the places she liked. Closing her eyes, Rebecca Lynn breathed in his familiar Cool Water scent and melted in his arms. She placed her parted lips on his neck, sucking gently, before delivering a moist kiss over the reddened area to soothe.

"Better ... now." Gripping his t-shirt, she pulled him closer.


Click link to buy your copy today:






About Siera

Siera London is the Bestselling Author of drama-filled, action-packed, and sexy, contemporary romance and romantic suspense. A native Floridian, Siera lives on the Gulf of Mexico with her golf loving husband, seven backyard iguanas, and a color patch tabby with a proclivity for jamming the printer. 


Siera loves to connect with readers. Here’s a *giveaway* to get you and Siera talking about romance. Sign up for Siera’s mailing list to receive a free copy of Chasing Ava, Book 1 in the Bachelors of Shell Cove series.



Follow Siera on Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest


Tags: #Sieralondon #catchingrebecca #romance #mustread

Friday, May 20, 2016

5 Venetian Masks to Give Away!

5 Venetian masks 
to be given away in May!

There is nothing like a beautiful Venetian hand-decorated mask from Italy to help celebrate spring and I have 5 to give away this month!

The first is this sexy red, black and gold mask which I will give away at the Authors Gone Wild Facebook party: https://www.facebook.com/events/1711979065681352/  I will be posting about this chance on Tuesday, May 24th when I talk about my latest release COWBOY'S BEST SHOT and the contest will be open for 24 hours, as all my contests are. And for those overseas, don't worry, I ship anywhere :-)
 
The next two masks will also be in the Authors Gone Wild Facebook party but on Thursday May 26th which is the day I'll be talking about my paranormal and sci-fi romance novels. This is exciting for me because the 3rd book in my Eden series, EDEN DISCOVERED is expected to release next month!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1711979065681352/

This purple silver sparkle mask is the one I will be giving away at Sabrina York's Facebook party: https://www.facebook.com/events/1011021802321087/. Since she loves bling, this one seemed the right one to bring. I'll be at her party on May 31st from 7-7:30 Eastern time.

Lastly, in my May newsletter, I plan on celebrating Memorial Day with a Red, White, and Blue mask going to one lucky subscriber. 

However, in order to win any of my masks, you must be on the list to receive my monthly newsletter. I provide cover reveals, sneak peeks, and always a prize ;-) So if you'd like to save time in some of the parties, you can always sign up ahead of time right here:  http://eepurl.com/D3MqT

I can't wait to give these away! I hope I will see you at the parties! No need to bring anything except your smile. We'll provide the rest :-)

Always, Lexi
www.lexipostbooks.com
lexi@lexipostbooks.com

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

A Weekend With The Authors


   

        This past weekend, I had the pleasure of being in Nashville, Tennessee.
It was my first time (that I remember….I’m told I was there when I was two but aside from some home movies, the memory has been lost). This time around, I’ll remember. So much warmth and hospitality from everyone I met, how could I forget?
         My weekend started when my husband’s brother and his beautiful wife picked me up at the airport and whisked me away for lunch, which was lovely and gave us a chance to catch up. It was funny…I’d gotten off the plane in Nashville but hadn’t really spoken to anyone until I met up with my in-laws. Well, they’re from New Jersey (and originally, so am I) and still retain their accent (so do I, especially when I’m excited about something) so I hadn’t talked to anyone until the waiter at the restaurant took my order….at that moment, I knew I had arrived in Nashville (and I could have listened to his speech pattern and accent all day…alas, he had orders to take and I had a conference to attend). After lunch, they took me around town and I got to see some of the old buildings (and new) along Broadway. There were quite a few bars along Broadway, all offering live music, and an interesting Pedal Tavern that you pedal around town (and yes, you can drink…it’s a Bring Your Own kinda thing). Went to one of those bars later on that night (it wasn’t the Pedal Tavern, which did look interesting) and listened to some fantastic music with some writer friends I hadn’t seen in a while.        
And then….it was on to A Weekend With The Authors. I’ve never been to a Reader’s Conference before. Mostly, I’ve attended conferences for writers, from newbies who are just getting their feet wet to multi-published authors with many, many books beneath their belts, but this was different. We authors were able to connect (and party!) with people who love to read. And it was fantastic! I met so many lovely people. They were warm and vital and filled with curiosity. As writers, so much of what we do is solitary, so I can’t tell you how wonderful it was being with a group of people who “get” it, who know why we write and can’t wait for us to write more. 
I am home now (still exhausted) and heading back to the day job, but this experience will live with me for a lifetime. I will definitely do it again. And again. And again.
Until next time….
Happy Reading,
Marie

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Pocketful of Diamonds

I'm thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Nadia Wolf series: Pocketful of Diamonds. It's a romantic suspense that takes place in the heart of Sierra Leone, known for it's conflict diamonds. Take a look at the book trailer (below)!


Pocketful of Diamonds

One unforgettable night. Two hearts in tatters. Three foes about to strike.

An award-winning novel from Nicolette Pierce, Pocketful of Diamonds is a continuation of the Nadia Wolf character series.


After Gwen steals from Ian twice, endangering not only his life but that of his family, he relentlessly pursues her for months. But soon after he finds her, outside forces threaten to destroy everything he’s worked for. His diamond mine in Sierra Leone is targeted once again by the feuding government and rebels, bringing war to the small village he has been trying to save. While he fights to keep the villagers safe, sparks ignite when Gwen returns, entwining their fate and revealing a secret she has kept for too long.

Gwen never meant to hurt Ian. It was her job to steal, and she did it well. But when she stumbled upon him a year before, she was struck by his kindness, his unwavering love for the village and its people. He was everything that she couldn’t have but desperately craved. She didn’t think their past night together would cause harm, but it did. She carried the memory and guilt with her, vowing to someday make it up to Ian. But the future didn’t belong to her. So when she was sent to the little village once again, she knew it wouldn’t end well. There would be no hope for forgiveness this time.

As Ian and Gwen are thrust into a brewing diamond war, they have to rely on each other. But that requires mutual trust, something neither are willing to give. They can’t hold out forever. Too much is at stake, including their hearts.


Book Trailer:



Find out more at NicolettePierce.com

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

She Can Kill by Melinda Leigh




Everybody knows everybody in Westbury, Pennsylvania.  Quiet, comfortable, good schools, jobs, and what more could you ask for?book cover of 

She Can Kill

Cristan Rojas wants all this for himself and his daughter.  A dozen years ago Cristan and his daughter escaped a massacre at the hands of his dead wife’s Brazilian family.  He didn’t want anything to do with his former life under a drug cartel and his job was to assassinate when necessary.

Cristan moves frequently and is always ready for another move until Westbury.  It’s so nice, his daughter has friends and she has no idea why he moves constantly, and well, he’d met Sarah.

Sarah was recently divorced from an abusive husband who still antagonizes her.  She Acted as a babysitter for Cristan’s daughter and interest is imminent between the two adults. 

Both have their reasons for holding back, get rid of the ex-husband’s intrusions, get rid of the family member still trying to kill Cristan, and such stuff. 

It’s too bad that the worst of Sarah’s and Cristan’s problems collide at the same time and no one knows who to trust and run from or run to.

It’s a kaleidoscope of issues that Sarah and Cristan must conquer to be rewarded with the simple thing we all want: love and trust. 

 

Happy reading,

Dawn