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Hot Cowboy Hero Interview

May 17th, 2012 | Author:

Holy crap! Cynthia Sax stopped by and had a bunch of questions for Chet, from Elemental Heat. She was all flirty and fun and its a darn good thing Jenna was tied :) up elsewhere. Otherwise we might have had some fur flying!

Thanks Cynthia! It was great of you to interview Chet!

~~~~~~

Chet’s cowboy hat shadows his face as he settles himself down in the chair. He relaxes and rests a booted foot on his knee. Every move he makes is fluid and powerful. He fills the room with his presence and everything appears to dwarf around him.
Cynthia: (smiles at Chet) Thank you for joining us today, Chet. (shakes his hand, Chet’s grip is strong and warm) Please have a seat. (Chet’s six foot-plus frame fills the over-stuffed guest chair) We’re discussing online dating. You were previously married.Was online dating an option when you were last single?
Chet: Well, Cynthia, I’ve never really dated through on line channels. It seems a whole lot a trouble to me. My kids showed me a social networkin’ site. They thought I needed to get out there and make some friends. I was workin’ too much in their opinion.
Cynthia: You’ve recently had a face-to-face dates with a woman you met online. Was she what you expected?
Chet: (Smiles) Yes. She was way more than I expected.
Cynthia: (raises eyebrow) Was that a good thing?
Chet: A very good thing, Cynthia. Jenna is an amazin’ woman and I’m lucky to have found her. I knew she was special long before we met in person.
Cynthia: Did you suspect Jenn was interested in you as more than a friend?
Chet: Oh, she was a challenge. She made it perfectly clear she wasn’t interested in a long term relationship. I think she mainly wanted to have a little bit of… fun.
Cynthia: (blushes) And, ummm, did you have fun?
Chet: (leans forward with a conspiratorial whisper) I think that, darlin’, is a little private between Jenna and I. But, I’ll tell ya this, I didn’t not have fun.
Cynthia: Then she has long-term potential?
Chet: (laughs) In my opinion that is a definite yes. We’ll have to wait and see what Jenna thinks about it.
Cynthia:  Hmmm…. (smiles) Would you recommend online dating to others?
Chet:  Well, again, I didn’t really go on a dating site, so I can’t recommend that. But I definitely do think its a fine thing to put yourself out there. You never know who you might meet.
Cynthia: Do you have any friends. (covers her mouth with surprise she asks so boldly)
Chet: Cynthia, darlin’. I have load of friends.
Cynthia: (stands. Chet stands also and pushes his hat back on his heat a little) Thank you, Chet. (shakes hands) I wish you and Jenna all the best.
Chet: Thanks for having me, Cynthia. It’s been my pleasure.
Cynthia: If you’d like more information about Chet and Jenna, their story is told in Cristal Ryder’s Elemental Heat.

 

Jenna takes a big risk and decides to live in the moment. After months of communication by social media, she accepts an invitation to Colorado where she finally meets her cowboy. Burned by past romances, Jenna is determined to move on and goes with one goal in mind—a booty call with a tall, dark, sexy cowboy.
Chet is a romantic at heart and when Jenna arrives, he knows there’s more to her than a pretty face and a hot body. A casual fling won’t do. He’s smitten and decides to woo her the old-fashioned way with time and patience. And of course, hot sex.
Their chemistry is elemental and they come together with heat that sears the snowy peaks. When Mother Nature steps in, Jenna is forced to face the feelings she’s tried so hard to keep buried and Chet has to draw on his mountain skills to save the woman he has come to love.
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Stress Release!

May 15th, 2012 | Author:
Its stressful releasing a book. You want to make sure everyone knows about it and hope they want to read it. So yes, it is a stress release when release day is finally here.
Whew, and we are halfway through May and I’m shocked how fast we got here. It’s a long weekend coming up and  I do believe I will be offline for most of it. Heading to the cottage where the is no internet access unless we drive into a town called Collingwood. I know there is a Starbucks there with wifi. But part of me is ready for a down weekend. A weekend of campfires, s’mores, early morning and sunset walks on the beach with our Golden Retriever Emma, being lazy, afternoon snoozes in a hammock and bbq’s. Oh yes, and maybe a little bit of writing on my current seawitch story.
Oh if you want to know where we are going for the weekend….google Wasaga Beach. A bit of useless trivia, it’s the longest freshwater beach in the world and in Georgian Bay.
But before I can enjoy that weekend I have some work to do. My third release with Ellora’s Cave comes out today. Elemental Heat. It’s set in completely opposite type of land than the beach. The Rocky Mountains, in fact, the Colorado Rockies. I’ve been to the Canadian Rockies, Banff  and Lake Louise and they are spectacular.
In Elemental Heat we have a mountain cowboy as our hero and a Canadian city girl as our heroine. Two completely different people from opposite sides of the continent. Mother Nature also makes an appearance and she causes some serious havoc for Chet and Jenna.
I hope you enjoy the excerpt from Elemental Heat.
You can find me at:
An Excerpt From: ELEMENTAL HEAT
Copyright © CRISTAL RYDER, 2012
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
“I can’t believe the stars.”
“Magnificent isn’t it?”
“Totally.”
“I dare you to pick a star and wish my name on it.”
She giggled. “That’s not a dare.” Jenna inhaled the wonderful scent of wood smoke, night air and barbequing meat. For the first time in a long time a sense of well-being filled her. She reclined on the lounger, pulled the blanket to her chin and searched the sky for the perfect star. “I found one.”
“Where?”
Chet put the lid down on the grill and came to sit at her feet, holding her ankle gently with his big hand. She trembled at his touch, and loved the wave of arousal that swept up her leg to settle between her thighs. She wanted his touching to be so much more. Time for that later. Jenna pointed to a bright star a little bit off to the right. “See? The large one there.”
He glanced up and right at that moment a shooting star streaked across the sky and right over top of the star she just picked.
“Holy shit! Did you see that?” Jenna bolted upright and watched the fiery trail the meteor left behind. “What are the odds of that happening?”
“Yes, I saw.” She heard the smile in his voice.
“What does that tell you?” Jenna asked him.
“I think the important thing is what it means to you.” His voice was soft and she switched her gaze from the sky to his face.
“To me? Well, a sign.”
“What kind of sign?”
She hesitated a moment, quite struck by the shooting star. What were the odds that just as she chose a star a meteor would streak over the one she picked? There was a whole big sky up there, a great vastness and yet the celestial streak happened in her minuscule portion of it where she picked a star to wish his name on. It told her volumes, but she couldn’t really express it without feeling ridiculous.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, feeling embarrassed to almost voice thoughts she normally would never let enter her mind. “Maybe that our visit was written in the stars…”
Chet squeezed her ankle gently. “I hope you made a wish on it.”
“I didn’t!” Was it too late? Jenna squeezed her eyes shut and wished. Wished with all her might that maybe, just maybe she was wrong and that she could find true love. Her birthday was this week, while she was here with a very sexy cowboy. One who seemed almost too good to be true.
If it seems too good to be true it usually is.
Jenna opened her eyes and glanced at Chet. Was he hiding any secrets?
“I hope it was a good one.” Chet’s deep voice reached her through the dark.
She pulled the blanket tighter. “Time will tell. There’s been lots of wishing upon stars over the years and I think only one has ever come to fruition.”
“Which one was that?”
Jenna laughed. “A horse. When I was little I would go outside every night and search for the first evening star and wish desperately for a horse. I finally got my wish when I was twenty. But I had to wait an awful long time.” She glanced at his now achingly familiar face, his rugged features softened by the bonfire. “I hope I don’t have to wait as long for this wish.”
“Sounds to me like you don’t have a whole lot of patience. Remember, all good things come to those who wait.” He winked at her and stood.
Jenna watched him walk to the barbeque. He was all fluid grace. For such a big man he wasn’t awkward at all and she couldn’t wait to see him in the saddle. He’d promised they’d go riding tomorrow. But there was a lot of time between now and then. She watched him flip the steaks and take a sip of wine from his glass, then hold the spatula aloft. The image was ingrained in her mind and she swore she would never forget this moment.
Before she knew what she was doing or could change her mind, Jenna swung her legs off the lounge and stood. Chet turned and watched her approach, the dark dreaminess of his eyes drew her. She needed to taste him, to feel his lips under hers and if he wasn’t going to make the first move then she would.
The blanket slipped down her back and she clutched the edges below her breasts.
He put the spatula down without looking where he placed it and it clattered to the patio stones. She stood before him and wound her arms around his neck, holding the corners of the blanket, wrapping them in the warmth of the wool. Her fingers pressed against his neck and the strength in his muscles made her feel truly feminine.
Almost at eye level, she had to look up only slightly to meet his gaze. All her senses tuned in to him, his essence permeated her and she let it. The long-distance teasing they had done the past few months came to a head and Jenna trembled with desire. She tipped her head back and pulled him to her. The hesitation when their lips were a hairsbreadth apart was exquisite. Energy crackled between them in the moment of anticipation before fulfillment.
Chet’s vigor and arousal radiated from him in pulsing waves. The whisper of air between their bodies vanished when he snaked his arms around her waist and brought her hard against him. Jenna sucked in a breath and a little “oh” popped from between her lips.
“This is where I’ve wanted you all day, woman.”
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Whoops

May 15th, 2012 | Author:

If you suddenly received a zillion emails in your inbox, I heartily apologize. I was doing some maintenance on my website and tried to import my other blog to this one and it went nuts! I tried to stop it, I really did, but I couldn’t.

I beg your forgiveness and promise to ask for help next time I attempt anything technical.

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Spinning w/ an Excerpt

May 11th, 2012 | Author:

I’ve been busy, busy, busy. Oh yes. And tomorrow is a pretty big day. Little old me, is on an author panel with some pretty great authors. I pale in comparison. Check out the list.

  • Kelley Armstrong
  • Stephanie Bedwell-Grime
  • J.K. Coi
  • Christine d’Abo
  • Vicki Essex
  • Ann Lethbridge
  • Molly O’Keefe
  • Cristal Ryder

Oh see! There’s me at the bottom. I’m quite thrilled to on this panel at the Toronto Romance Writers meeting tomorrow. I have my notes in case someone asks me a question. And I’ve written out my goals, that is the topic of the meeting tomorrow.

But wow, to be in such company.

Being busy? Elemental Heat comes out in five days, MAY 16,  with Ellora’s Cave. A blurb is below and I’ve also included an excerpt for you.  Plus, I’ve submitted a quickie follow up to EH that I hope my editor will love and contract. Once I know, you’ll know :)

My current project is tentatively called Seabitch, but that might change. Its a story of a sea witch, mermaid – she ain’t like Arial! and a man wanted by both of them. When good things are done with bad intentions and bad things with good intentions it brews a whole lot of trouble. I’m targeting this for Ellora’s Cave Hex, and again, time will tell if I have the chops to pull it off.

The very secret project is moving along nicely too and almost ready to hit *send* on it.

So, I’ll post news as it arrives and hope you stop back for more.

Excerpt:

An Excerpt From: ELEMENTAL HEAT

Copyright © CRISTAL RYDER, 2012

All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

“I can’t believe the stars.”

“Magnificent isn’t it?”

“Totally.”

“I dare you to pick a star and wish my name on it.”

She giggled. “That’s not a dare.” Jenna inhaled the wonderful scent of wood smoke, night air and barbequing meat. For the first time in a long time a sense of well-being filled her. She reclined on the lounger, pulled the blanket to her chin and searched the sky for the perfect star. “I found one.”

“Where?”

Chet put the lid down on the grill and came to sit at her feet, holding her ankle gently with his big hand. She trembled at his touch, and loved the wave of arousal that swept up her leg to settle between her thighs. She wanted his touching to be so much more. Time for that later. Jenna pointed to a bright star a little bit off to the right. “See? The large one there.”

He glanced up and right at that moment a shooting star streaked across the sky and right over top of the star she just picked.

“Holy shit! Did you see that?” Jenna bolted upright and watched the fiery trail the meteor left behind. “What are the odds of that happening?”

“Yes, I saw.” She heard the smile in his voice.

“What does that tell you?” Jenna asked him.

“I think the important thing is what it means to you.” His voice was soft and she switched her gaze from the sky to his face.

“To me? Well, a sign.”

“What kind of sign?”

She hesitated a moment, quite struck by the shooting star. What were the odds that just as she chose a star a meteor would streak over the one she picked? There was a whole big sky up there, a great vastness and yet the celestial streak happened in her minuscule portion of it where she picked a star to wish his name on. It told her volumes, but she couldn’t really express it without feeling ridiculous.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged, feeling embarrassed to almost voice thoughts she normally would never let enter her mind. “Maybe that our visit was written in the stars…”

Chet squeezed her ankle gently. “I hope you made a wish on it.”

“I didn’t!” Was it too late? Jenna squeezed her eyes shut and wished. Wished with all her might that maybe, just maybe she was wrong and that she could find true love. Her birthday was this week, while she was here with a very sexy cowboy. One who seemed almost too good to be true.

If it seems too good to be true it usually is.

Jenna opened her eyes and glanced at Chet. Was he hiding any secrets?

“I hope it was a good one.” Chet’s deep voice reached her through the dark.

She pulled the blanket tighter. “Time will tell. There’s been lots of wishing upon stars over the years and I think only one has ever come to fruition.”

“Which one was that?”

Jenna laughed. “A horse. When I was little I would go outside every night and search for the first evening star and wish desperately for a horse. I finally got my wish when I was twenty. But I had to wait an awful long time.” She glanced at his now achingly familiar face, his rugged features softened by the bonfire. “I hope I don’t have to wait as long for this wish.”

“Sounds to me like you don’t have a whole lot of patience. Remember, all good things come to those who wait.” He winked at her and stood.

Jenna watched him walk to the barbeque. He was all fluid grace. For such a big man he wasn’t awkward at all and she couldn’t wait to see him in the saddle. He’d promised they’d go riding tomorrow. But there was a lot of time between now and then. She watched him flip the steaks and take a sip of wine from his glass, then hold the spatula aloft. The image was ingrained in her mind and she swore she would never forget this moment.

Before she knew what she was doing or could change her mind, Jenna swung her legs off the lounge and stood. Chet turned and watched her approach, the dark dreaminess of his eyes drew her. She needed to taste him, to feel his lips under hers and if he wasn’t going to make the first move then she would.

The blanket slipped down her back and she clutched the edges below her breasts.

He put the spatula down without looking where he placed it and it clattered to the patio stones. She stood before him and wound her arms around his neck, holding the corners of the blanket, wrapping them in the warmth of the wool. Her fingers pressed against his neck and the strength in his muscles made her feel truly feminine.

Almost at eye level, she had to look up only slightly to meet his gaze. All her senses tuned in to him, his essence permeated her and she let it. The long-distance teasing they had done the past few months came to a head and Jenna trembled with desire. She tipped her head back and pulled him to her. The hesitation when their lips were a hairsbreadth apart was exquisite. Energy crackled between them in the moment of anticipation before fulfillment.

Chet’s vigor and arousal radiated from him in pulsing waves. The whisper of air between their bodies vanished when he snaked his arms around her waist and brought her hard against him. Jenna sucked in a breath and a little “oh” popped from between her lips.

“This is where I’ve wanted you all day, woman.”

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Cowboy & his Lady

April 29th, 2012 | Author:

Seventeen days until you will meet Chet and Jenna. Elemental Heat, from Ellora’s Cave.

I hope this blurb and excerpt tempts you enough to want to read more about my cowboy and his lady.

COMING SOON – May 16

Jenna takes a big risk and decides to live in the moment. After months of communication by social media, she accepts an invitation to Colorado where she finally meets her cowboy. Burned by past romances, Jenna is determined to move on and goes with one goal in mind—a booty call with a tall, dark, sexy cowboy.

Chet is a romantic at heart and when Jenna arrives, he knows there’s more to her than a pretty face and a hot body. A casual fling won’t do. He’s smitten and decides to woo her the old-fashioned way with time and patience. And of course, hot sex.
Their chemistry is elemental and they come together with heat that sears the snowy peaks. When Mother Nature steps in, Jenna is forced to face the feelings she’s tried so hard to keep buried and Chet has to draw on his mountain skills to save the woman he has come to love.
An Excerpt From: ELEMEMTAL HEAT
Copyright © CRISTAL RYDER, 2012
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
“I can’t believe the stars.”
“Magnificent isn’t it?”
“Totally.”
“I dare you to pick a star and wish my name on it.”
She giggled. “That’s not a dare.” Jenna inhaled the wonderful scent of wood smoke, night air and barbequing meat. For the first time in a long time a sense of well-being filled her. She reclined on the lounger, pulled the blanket to her chin and searched the sky for the perfect star. “I found one.”
“Where?”
Chet put the lid down on the grill and came to sit at her feet, holding her ankle gently with his big hand. She trembled at his touch, and loved the wave of arousal that swept up her leg to settle between her thighs. She wanted his touching to be so much more. Time for that later. Jenna pointed to a bright star a little bit off to the right. “See? The large one there.”
He glanced up and right at that moment a shooting star streaked across the sky and right over top of the star she just picked.
“Holy shit! Did you see that?” Jenna bolted upright and watched the fiery trail the meteor left behind. “What are the odds of that happening?”
“Yes, I saw.” She heard the smile in his voice.
“What does that tell you?” Jenna asked him.
“I think the important thing is what it means to you.” His voice was soft and she switched her gaze from the sky to his face.
“To me? Well, a sign.”
“What kind of sign?”
She hesitated a moment, quite struck by the shooting star. What were the odds that just as she chose a star a meteor would streak over the one she picked? There was a whole big sky up there, a great vastness and yet the celestial streak happened in her minuscule portion of it where she picked a star to wish his name on. It told her volumes, but she couldn’t really express it without feeling ridiculous.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, feeling embarrassed to almost voice thoughts she normally would never let enter her mind. “Maybe that our visit was written in the stars…”
Chet squeezed her ankle gently. “I hope you made a wish on it.”
“I didn’t!” Was it too late? Jenna squeezed her eyes shut and wished. Wished with all her might that maybe, just maybe she was wrong and that she could find true love. Her birthday was this week, while she was here with a very sexy cowboy. One who seemed almost too good to be true.
If it seems too good to be true it usually is.
Jenna opened her eyes and glanced at Chet. Was he hiding any secrets?
“I hope it was a good one.” Chet’s deep voice reached her through the dark.
She pulled the blanket tighter. “Time will tell. There’s been lots of wishing upon stars over the years and I think only one has ever come to fruition.”
“Which one was that?”
Jenna laughed. “A horse. When I was little I would go outside every night and search for the first evening star and wish desperately for a horse. I finally got my wish when I was twenty. But I had to wait an awful long time.” She glanced at his now-achingly-familiar face, his rugged features softened by the bonfire. “I hope I don’t have to wait as long for this wish.”
“Sounds to me like you don’t have a whole lot of patience. Remember, all good things come to those who wait.” He winked at her and stood.
Jenna watched him walk to the barbeque. He was all fluid grace. For such a big man he wasn’t awkward at all and she couldn’t wait to see him in the saddle. He’d promised they’d go riding tomorrow. But there was a lot of time between now and then. She watched him flip the steaks and take a sip of wine from his glass, then hold the spatula aloft. The image was ingrained in her mind and she swore she would never forget this moment.
Before she knew what she was doing or could change her mind, Jenna swung her legs off the lounge and stood. Chet turned and watched her approach, the dark dreaminess of his eyes drew her. She needed to taste him, to feel his lips under hers and if he wasn’t going to make the first move then she would.
The blanket slipped down her back and she clutched the edges below her breasts.
He put the spatula down without looking where he placed it and it clattered to the patio stones. She stood before him and wound her arms around his neck, holding the corners of the blanket, wrapping them in the warmth of the wool. Her fingers pressed against his neck and the strength in his muscles made her feel truly feminine.
Almost at eye level, she had to look up only slightly to meet his gaze. All her senses tuned in to him, his essence permeated her and she let it. The long-distance teasing they had done the past few months came to a head and Jenna trembled with desire. She tipped her head back and pulled him to her. The hesitation when their lips were a hairsbreadth apart was exquisite. Energy crackled between them in the moment of anticipation before fulfillment.
Chet’s vigor and arousal radiated from him in pulsing waves. The whisper of air between their bodies vanished when he snaked his arms around her waist and brought her hard against him. Jenna sucked in a breath and a little “oh” popped from between her lips.

“This is where I’ve wanted you all day, woman.”

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Letting Go

April 18th, 2012 | Author:
Today fellow Ellora’s Cave author is visiting.  She’s here to tell us about her new release Collision and about “letting go”.
~~~~~
Letting Go
by Cassandra Carr
Writers sometimes hear an adage along the lines of, “You probably won’t publish your first book/first few books/first several books,” as if these books were just practice. Well…maybe they are, and maybe they aren’t.
My first book, which yes, is still unpublished, was Should’ve Known Better. The second one I wrote was Talk to Me, and that ended up being my debut novel. My third was Collision and my fourth was Impact, both of which serve as the first two books in my Buckin’ Bull Rider series with Ellora’s Cave.
Now, this is not to say everyone has the same experience. Some people will write several books before they sell one. But this is not a tried-and-true thing – plenty of people sell their first/second etc book. So should you let go of a book if you keep getting rejected? That depends. Do you keep getting the same feedback? If so, can you fix what people are telling you is wrong?
I don’t know about other writers, but I hate writing words that don’t sell. It truly bugs me when I write a story that I’m unable to sell. But yet I shelved that first book, Should’ve Known Better. Will I ever come back to it? Maybe, now that I know more about how to fix a story. Plus, the hero I wrote for it is one of my absolute favorites and I’d love for everyone to know his story.
Maybe you should figure you’re going to write for a while before you sell anything, but here’s the way I’d rather look at it: learn lots about your craft, write the first book, and hope for the best. After you submit it, start writing another one. That way, if you do get rejected you have something else to sell.
How many books did you write before you sold one?

Blurb for Collision:
Olympic Gold medal-winning figure skater Leah Fitzpatrick, dubbed “The Ice Queen”, is on the down slope of her career when she finds herself roped into a joint promo gig on the professional bull riders’ tour. She’s paired with “The King of Rodeo”, Brady Parrish, and although his looks could stop traffic, she’s got a future to worry about that doesn’t leave room for knocking boots with the sexy bull rider. No matter how hot he is.
Brady is living the good life. He’s at the top of his profession, and has no idea something is missing until the cool Leah is thrust into his life. But he sees something in her that hints at an underlying fire, and sets out to prove her nickname wrong. In the midst of their steamy affair, he falls hard. Blindsided by the potent combination of beauty and vulnerability Leah displays, Brady is determined to melt “The Ice Queen’s” heart.
Excerpt for Collision:
“Can I help you with something, darlin’? Need a hand back there?” Then he turned on the full force of his smile and she cursed her weak knees. As soon as she was able to recover, she berated herself. Here she was, a grown woman, practically falling at the feet of this cowboy who was so not her type.
“No,” she bit out, but then rolled her eyes and relented. “Well, yes. I need someone to help me into my dress.”
He winked and the phrase “bad boy” flashed through her brain. Yeah, this Brady was no Boy Scout. “Helping women into their dresses isn’t my specialty, but I’ll give it a shot. You must be Leah.”
She held up a hand to shake his, but snatched it back when the dress began to fall, briefly revealing the side of her breast before she was able to conceal it once more. “Yes, I’m Leah. And I need the wardrobe assistant’s help. She’s over there, brushing off some chaps from what it looks like, if you can believe it.”
Brady laughed. “Yeah, I wore them last night, they’re probably pretty dusty.”
Leah’s mouth fell open. She’d been making a joke about the chaps, hoping Brady would agree with her about the apparent cheese factor. “You wore them? In public?”
“Yes ma’am. But I’d be happy to oblige you if you need help—”
“No! Just get Sandy,” she commanded, adding, “Please,” when he didn’t move immediately.
Giving her another smile, as well as a smoldering look that had her nipples tightening and her thighs clenching involuntarily, he loped away. Sandy came to zip up her dress and then her hair and makeup were done. She was wearing twice as much makeup as she usually did, which was saying something, considering by necessity she wore entire vats of it to perform. Not only that, but the makeup they used were colors she thought were better suited to a burlesque dancer than a figure skater, but she was so eager to get the show on the road she sat there and let them do whatever they wanted without protest.
Through it all, she watched as other assistants fussed over Brady, helping him dress in his chaps, which she was quite sure he was perfectly capable of putting on himself, and smoothing their hands over his Western-style shirt on the ridiculous premise of making sure it wasn’t wrinkled. All the while Brady smiled and laughed and flirted, and Leah fumed. He was acting totally unprofessionally, like a country bumpkin on his first trip to the big city. And of course the girls were eating it up. It was disgusting to watch, and yet Leah couldn’t take her eyes off him. She didn’t stop to consider why it bothered her so much.
When they were both ready, David brought them together. “All right, now we’re going to take a whole bunch of pictures. All you two have to do is stand there and look good. We’re gonna play off your nicknames. Leah, did you know Brady’s is ‘the Rodeo King’? Isn’t that perfect?”
“Perfect,” Leah grumbled, not happy they were going to use her dreaded nickname.
As they were being positioned, Brady spoke to her out of the side of his mouth. “Come on, sweetheart. This whole thing’ll be a lot more fun if you loosen up a little.”
“I’m plenty loose,” she ground out between clenched teeth.
“You’re about as loose as a calf I’m tying up on the ranch.” He paused and then gave her another long, thorough perusal. “Though I like tying up women a lot more.” Despite the heat that flooded her in parts she’d rather not think about at the moment, she managed to throw him another glare which he laughed off. Did he take nothing seriously? Her career was hanging in the balance and he acted as if he didn’t have a care in the world. It would be nice if she wasn’t the only one with a stake in this.
Turning away from him, she concentrated on the cameraman. Through the next few hours, she simply shut down and gave them whatever they wanted, put on each ugly skating dress without complaint, even while knowing the pictures were only going to give more fuel to those who hated her for whatever reason. She posed however they put her, and smiled through it all. Brady continued to laugh and joke with the crew as if this was the most fun he’d had in months.
The cameraman gave them a break while he checked the pictures he’d taken thus far, and Leah took the opportunity to eat a sandwich and guzzle down a bottle of water. When the cameraman called them back, he said, “All right. We’ve got some good pictures so far, but I’d like to sex things up a little.”
“Sex things up?” Leah echoed.
“Yeah. Both of you are young and good-looking, let’s play that up. Now, Leah, if you could turn toward Brady. Great. Put your left arm around his waist and your right hand on his chest.” Rolling her eyes, Leah complied. As soon as her hand made contact with his muscular pecs it started to tingle and her breath caught. Luckily Brady was listening to the photographer and didn’t seem to notice her sudden discomfiture.
“Brady, put your right arm around her shoulders and stick the thumb of your left hand in the belt loop of your jeans. Pull them down just a little. Perfect.” He took a few shots that way and then cocked his head as Leah fought to get her breathing under control. No man had ever caused a pure visceral reaction in her like Brady did, and she was stumped about what seemed to draw her to him like bees to honey. “Brady, would you mind unbuttoning your shirt?”
Brady grinned and Leah snorted, trying her damndest to cover her still-increasing respiratory rate. Of course he didn’t mind. The women on the crew were already drooling and falling all over themselves—including her, much to her own chagrin. When he began to unbutton his shirt and finally separated the two plackets, pulling the shirt out of his jeans as he did so, it was all she could do to keep her own mouth closed. The man’s chest was mouthwatering, sprinkled with the same dark-blond hair that was on his head. His well-developed pecs led down to six-pack abs, where another trail of hair led to…
Brady cleared his throat and Leah’s head snapped up. “Excuse me?”
“The photographer is talking to you.” Brady was smirking and she had a crazy notion to shock him by kissing that expression right off his face. Instead, with her cheeks flaming she turned to the cameraman.
“Yes?”
“I want you in the same position as before, but,” he walked up and shoved her hand underneath Brady’s shirt, “put your hand here.” Leah’s stomach dropped as her fingers came into contact with the coarse hair and smooth skin of Brady’s chest. “Brady, lower your right arm and put your hand on Leah’s hip. Pull her into you. That’s good, very sexy.”
Her gaze flew up to Brady’s face. His brown eyes had darkened with heat. Forcing her eyes away, she concentrated on the photographer and tried to ignore how warm and hard his body felt against hers.
A few moments later Brady leaned down and whispered into her ear, his own breathing hitching, “Darlin’, if you don’t stop petting me we’re gonna have a mighty interesting situation that I don’t think any amount of airbrushing can disguise.”
Copyright 2012, Cassandra Carr
Buy links for Collision:
My bio:
Cassandra Carr is a multi-published, award-winning erotic romance writer with Ellora’s Cave, Siren, and Loose Id who lives in Western New York with her husband, Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out on Twitter. Cassandra’s book Caught was recently named Best BDSM Book 2011 by LoveRomancesCafe.
For more information about Cassandra, check out her website at http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com, “like” her Facebook fan page athttp://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraCarr or follow her on Twitter athttp://www.twitter.com/Cassandra_Carr.
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Subliminal Touch

March 30th, 2012 | Author:

There has been some fabulous covers recently. I’m in love with mine!  Elemental Heat, coming soon from Ellora’s Cave. When a sexy cowboy, woos a free loving city girl, the fire they ignite melts the snowy mountain peaks.
Even though this is set in Colorado, there is something distinctly Canadian about it. Can you spot what I’m referring to?

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Two Dates Max!

March 28th, 2012 | Author:

Today I welcome Missy Jane to the Cristal Palace! She’s here to tell us about her new release Two Dates Max and a little bit about herself.

 I like having guests; it’s kind of like having a party. Everyone comes to see what’s going on, hopefully leaves a message or two for Missy Jane and comes back often to visit the blog.

 Thanks for joining us today Missy!

Thanks for having me Cristal! I really appreciate it.

 1)      Tell us a bit about your new release, Two Dates max.

Two Dates Max is actually a sequel to my erotic romance, Two-Week Trial. The hero of Two Dates max is Sean Maxwell. In the first book he was kind of a not so great guy, but not really bad either. He stayed in my head and I really wanted to redeem his character. This book let me do that. I was able to show why he acted the way he did in the first book and give him a happy ending. The heroine in Two Dates max kind of bowls him over, but in a good way. He quickly learns he can’t resist her.

You can read and excerpt here: http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419939358.htm

You can buy it here: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9976-two-dates-max.aspx

 2)      Where do you get your ideas? For example Life experience, fantasies, experiences and fantasies of friends, etc.

Ideas pop into my head all the time. Sometimes it is an experience or something I’ve heard someone else experienced. It really doesn’t take much. Sadly I have over fifty works in progress, but I only try to keep up with about four at a time.

3)      What do you find draws you most to write?

Usually it’s the characters. I jokingly say I have voices in my head that make me write their stories, but it’s kind of true. For example, in my newest book, Sean wouldn’t go away. The book isn’t even from his POV, but I knew I had to write his story. A character will sometimes keep me up at night and I’m driven to get their story out of my head. Once I start I find it hard to stop, but if I’m interrupted it can be hard to start up again. I try to write when the kids aren’t home.

4)      What else do you have in the works?

I had a vampire book release last November (Day Shift) and I’m working on the sequel. I’m really excited about it because I’ve switched from the heroine’s POV to the hero’s POV. This is the first time I’ve written from a man’s POV but I think it’s going well.

I’m also working on two more books in my shifter world (They Call Me Death), and a sequel to my erotic romance Resignation.

5)      How do you name your characters? Any special tricks?

It really depends on the story and the character. I like the names to have meaning, so a lot of times I’ll use the site 20,000 names to research them. I also try to match the ethnicity of my characters to their names even if I don’t make their ethnicity obvious in the story. I’m very careful that siblings have similar names.

6)      Do you own an ebook reader or read on an electronic device? If so, what?

Yes. My husband surprised me with a Nook last year. I honestly don’t use it a whole lot just because I still have so many hard-copy books to read, lol. But I have been getting into the habit of buying ebooks instead, slowly.

 

7)      As a romance/erotica reader, what sort of stories do you personally prefer?

At the moment I’m reading mostly romances, all genres. I have a few favorite authors that I auto-buy in paranormal, historical and contemporary. However, I also love horror and historical fiction.

8)      What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?

Chocolate! I love just about every form of chocolate, except white. Right now I’m not eating it because of Lent and it’s killing me! Lol, I can’t wait until Easter.

9)      Any vacation or appearance plans this year?

Yes. In April I’ll be attending the Houston Indie Book Festival for the third year. It’s really a great day full of independent authors and small presses. There are poetry readings and I’m going to be on my very first panel. Hopefully I’ll make sense and not scare the crowd away.

 Cristal, thank you again for having me on your blog!

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win your choice from my back list. I’ll choose the winner via random.org tomorrow morning. Also, ALL commenters will go into a grand prize drawing for a Missy Jane tote full of my gently used books. Please add your email address to your comment. Good luck!

For details on Missy Jane please visit www.authormissyjane.com, https://twitter.com/#!/msmissyjane  & https://www.facebook.com/ms.missyjane

 

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It’s Release Day!

March 15th, 2012 | Author:

Friday March 16.

My very hot story, Switch Me Up, will be available from Ellora’s Cave.

Check out the excerpt below.

Buy Links

Ellora’s Cave

Amazon 

All Romance Ebooks

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.
An Excerpt From: SWITCH ME UP
Copyright © CRISTAL RYDER, 2012
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
He left her in the living room. Upstairs he tossed some clothes laying around his bedroom into the hamper, smoothed the bed that didn’t need fixing and turned on the bedside lamp.
He was about to have sex with a complete stranger.
Something so totally out of character for him it made him nervous. He may be apprehensive but he sure wasn’t dead and he wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass by. His heart started to race and his cock hardened. Sex. Tonight he was going to bang a woman ten years his junior. What did that make him?
A lucky fucking dog, that’s what. He smiled at his wit.
Once he was satisfied with the room Steve went back downstairs.
He totally expected her to be sitting on the couch waiting for him with her drink in hand. He half hoped she’d be naked or something. Instead she sat in the shadows out of the glow of the fire. She had changed clothes. Steve adjusted his balls and stiffening dick in his jeans.
What the fuck did she have on?
She stood and stepped into the light cast by the fire and lamp in the far corner. He nearly swallowed his tongue. Now he knew one thing she had in the suitcase.
“Do you like?” Clare smoothed her palms over her breasts, along her sides and ended her caress by placing her hands on her hips, tipping her shoulder forward with her hip cocked. Her voice, low and sultry, wrapped around him like hot honey.
Steve nodded.
“Speak, tell me you like it.”
His eyebrows shot up and Clare reached out a hand sheathed in elbow-length leather opera gloves and touched his shoulder.
“I like it,” he replied quickly.
Clare’s husky laugh didn’t seem to fit her tiny form. She circled and paused behind him, running her finger across his back from shoulder to shoulder before settling both palms on his hips. He craned his head to look at her and was distracted when her black, stocking-clad leg hooked around his knee. Steve’s hand dropped to her thigh and held her leg in place.
“I’m glad you like it,” she whispered in his ear.
He kept his gaze glued on her leg, rubbing his palm up her thigh to the scarlet top on the stockings and back down to her knee. It was a spectacular sight. He groaned when she thrust her hips against his ass and tightened her grip.
“Are you hard for me?”
Is she fucking kidding? “Why don’t you check for yourself?”

“Oh, what a delicious invitation.”

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For the Boys

February 29th, 2012 | Author:

I have my release date for Switch Me Up my EC for Men story. Mark your calendars! Thursday, March 16.

EC for Men is geared for he male reader, but that doesn’t mean the ladies won’t enjoy this story. To whet your whistle, I’ve included an excerpt.
Blurb:

Steve wasn’t sure how playing it safe to find a match on a dating site could have gone so wrong—or was it so right? Younger than him by ten years, Clare exudes confidence, sexuality and an erotic allure that leaves no room for misinterpretation. She wants him. And he wants nothing more than to bury himself in her heat. But she comes with some baggage. Literally. Once his predatory minx breaks open the suitcase and the toys come out, Steve knows he’s in for the wildest ride of his life.
An Excerpt From: SWITCH ME UP
Copyright © CRISTAL RYDER, 2012
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
He left her in the living room. Upstairs he tossed some clothes laying around his bedroom into the hamper, smoothed the bed that didn’t need fixing and turned on the bedside lamp.
He was about to have sex with a complete stranger.
Something so totally out of character for him it made him nervous. He may be apprehensive but he sure wasn’t dead and he wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass by. His heart started to race and his cock hardened. Sex. Tonight he was going to bang a woman ten years his junior. What did that make him?
A lucky fucking dog, that’s what. He smiled at his wit.
Once he was satisfied with the room Steve went back downstairs.
He totally expected her to be sitting on the couch waiting for him with her drink in hand. He half hoped she’d be naked or something. Instead she sat in the shadows out of the glow of the fire. She had changed clothes. Steve adjusted his balls and stiffening dick in his jeans.
What the fuck did she have on?
She stood and stepped into the light cast by the fire and lamp in the far corner. He nearly swallowed his tongue. Now he knew one thing she had in the suitcase.
“Do you like?” Clare smoothed her palms over her breasts, along her sides and ended her caress by placing her hands on her hips, tipping her shoulder forward with her hip cocked. Her voice, low and sultry, wrapped around him like hot honey.
Steve nodded.
“Speak, tell me you like it.”
His eyebrows shot up and Clare reached out a hand sheathed in elbow-length leather opera gloves and touched his shoulder.
“I like it,” he replied quickly.
Clare’s husky laugh didn’t seem to fit her tiny form. She circled and paused behind him, running her finger across his back from shoulder to shoulder before settling both palms on his hips. He craned his head to look at her and was distracted when her black, stocking-clad leg hooked around his knee. Steve’s hand dropped to her thigh and held her leg in place.
“I’m glad you like it,” she whispered in his ear.
He kept his gaze glued on her leg, rubbing his palm up her thigh to the scarlet top on the stockings and back down to her knee. It was a spectacular sight. He groaned when she thrust her hips against his ass and tightened her grip.
“Are you hard for me?”
Is she fucking kidding? “Why don’t you check for yourself?”

“Oh, what a delicious invitation.”
Come visit my home at Ellora’s Cave

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