Sunday, December 30, 2018

A Truly Decadent Dessert



I travel a lot for my day job. Mostly it’s just around the country but sometimes it’s overseas. The main problem is that all I see is airports and conference rooms, except if I can sneak a day of personal time here and there to sightsee.
A few years ago I wrote the “Gay Travel Inc.” series, and the owner of Gay Travel Inc., Tyler Robbins, sent Quentin Wood to Australia. In “Gay Lovers Down Under” Quentin’s guide, Juz, introduces Quentin to all sorts of Australian food, but the sexiest of them all is the Chocolate Ripple Cake.

The Gay Travel Inc. books are available here: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Gay+Travel+Inc+series+Berengaria


Ingredients:
1 packet of chocolate ripple biscuits, or any other plain chocolate cookies (not chocolate coated, chocolate flavored)
170 oz of thick cream
1 chocolate bar, shaved or diced for decoration
Small amount of liqueur (optional)

Directions:
Pour cream into a bowl and beat until thick and stiff
Line a long narrow serving dish with a small amount of beaten cream
Brush liqueur onto each cookie (optional)
Sandwich two cookies together with cream and stand them upright on their side in the cream on the serving dish
Continue with all the cookies ensuring each one has cream on both sides
Cover the log cake with cream
Decorate lavishly with chopped or shaved chocolate

Berengaria Brown
Blog: http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Berengaria-Brown/e/B00541R3YQ/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berengaria.brown?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BerengariaBrown

Sunday, December 2, 2018

History Turns Me On



I’ve always loved history.

The only time I ever got caught reading under the desk in school (something I did a lot!) was in the Fifth Grade. I was reading one of my father’s Ian Fleming novels. (I mean, seriously, doesn’t everyone love James Bond?) The teacher was so annoyed that I was reading “trash” (James Bond? Trash? Never!) he handed me a copy of “I Claudius” and told me to write a book report on it. The joke was on him. “I Claudius” is history and I adore history so I loved reading the book. It was more like a reward than a punishment to me.


So it was inevitable that sooner or later I’d write a story set in the past. I have written several Regency-set romances. (I love Georgette Heyer, too. She got me addicted to Regency romances). But one day I sat down to write a medieval romance.

It grew and grew and ended up as a four-book series. It’s set in medieval Europe, but in no particular place or year, and follows the story of a woman whose father and brothers are killed in battle, leaving her in control of the family castle and lands, and all the people dependent on them.

Although women in that time period effectively managed houses, lands, castles, people and more, legally their rights were very limited, so Elinor comes up with a totally-off-the-wall plan to provide for and protect her people and property.


“Elinor’s Stronghold” Book 1: “Pillaging Elinor’s Castle”
“Elinor’s Stronghold” Book 2: “Defending Rhyannon’s Inheritance”
“Elinor’s Stronghold” Book 3: “Restoring Garnet’s Heart”
“Elinor’s Stronghold” Book 4: “Bringing Claire Home”


Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Elinor%27s+Stronghold+Berengaria
Available in digital and in print.

Berengaria Brown
Blog: http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berengaria.brown#!/berengaria.brown?v=info
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/BerengariaBrown


Monday, November 26, 2018

New Drakon Book!

Drakon's Tear, the sixth book in the Blood of the Drakon series is out today!

If you enjoy dragon shifters, you might want to give this book a try.


Drakon’s Tear
Blood of the Drakon, Book 6

Dying isn't an option. I've survived a kidnapping, and now I'm on the run from the Knights of the Dragon who want my gift. There's nothing a dragon loves more than treasure. I'm Abigail Owens, and I can sense gemstones. When I find myself drawn to a beautiful stone bracelet at a tiny shop in Moscow, I can't help but have it — even though I can sense it's power. But I didn't realize with this one decision I've just put myself in the middle of a war between the Knights and a Drakon.

I guess I'm just lucky like that.

The only person I trust even a little is Vasili Zima, which is weird since I’m not sure if he wants to kill me or protect me. I'm drawn to him in a way I hadn't thought possible, and he feels the same way, or he wouldn't be risking his life to help me. He's wanted by the bad guys just as much as I am, and staying with me, well, there's a hundred percent chance I'm about to get us both killed. But I will not be going down without a fight.
 
(Author's Note: This book is NOT first person point of view.)
 
 
TEASER:


His heart pumped hard in his chest, and his lungs expanded with each breath he took. He met her gaze. “You are mine.”

He waited to see if she would object. He knew times had changed. Women were independent. And while he had no problem with that, even admired it, there was a part of him that was far more primitive.

She belonged to him, and he belonged to her.

“You are mine.” She gave his words back to him, and his dragon, which had been restless for centuries, practically purred. He wanted to be claimed by her. Wanted to belong to someone in this godforsaken world. Needed a reason other than the gaining of knowledge and wealth to occupy his days.

Abigail would give him purpose, a reason to carry on. But mostly, he wanted her love.

“I am,” he told her. He arched one brow and waited.

“I am,” she repeated.

He knew she truly didn’t understand what she was agreeing to, but he didn’t care. He hadn’t felt lonely until he’d met her. Hadn’t understood the depths of his emptiness until she was suddenly here, pouring into every crevice and canyon of his being.

“Abigail.” Such a perfect name for such a perfect creature.


Buy Links:

Entangled: https://entangledpublishing.com/drakon-s-tear.html
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drakons-tear-n-j-walters/1129819271
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/drakons-tear/id1441318340
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/drakon-s-tear 

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Woven Dreams

I'm thrilled to announce that Woven Dreams, book 3 of the Tapestries series, is available once again. It has a gorgeous new cover.

If you're looking for a smokin' hot ménage a trois to warm up the cold nights, you might want to give it a try.


Woven Dreams
Tapestries, Book 3

Forever beaten and abused by her cruel brothers, Genita Craddock has only managed to endure it by escaping into the imaginary world of the tapestry she created, one that features her brothers’ sworn enemies, the enigmatic Bakra brothers. But when she learns of her brothers’ plans to marry her off to a ruthlessly and brutal clan, she knows she must flee. Stealing away into the night, she unknowingly stumbles onto Bakra land—and into a world of unimagined pleasure.
 
Scarred and maimed from a battle with the Craddock brothers, Jarmon Bakra knows chances are slim that he and his twin brother, Garrik, will find a bride. So the two are stunned when they discover a beautiful young woman wandering on their land—especially one so open to their amorous advances. As they indulge her in every imaginable form of sensual bliss, hoping to secure her as their own, they also sense that the woman is harboring a dark secret that could somehow harm them and their family.

As their erotic adventures capture Genita’s heart as well as her body, she’s torn about revealing her true identity, fearful that the brothers will reject her. And when they vow to avenge the wounds inflicted on her, she knows they’ll face a battle more fearsome than any they’ve fought before. But with it would come the opportunity for Jarmon to even the score for his own injuries—and the chance for Genita to finally have the glorious life of love and passion she’s always desired…


“N. J. Walters [has an] exceptional talent for writing great stories with memorable characters and erotic encounters. This one is sure to leave you panting in excitement.” —Goodreads

BUY LINKS:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KMKHMV6/
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/907285
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/woven-dreams-nj-walters/1100322117
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/woven-dreams-2

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

The Naughty Cornucopia Giveaway

The Naughty Literati are giving away our bookshelf, along with various ebooks and audiobooks written by the Naughty Literati Authors.
There are many ways to enter from November 7-23, including a daily bonus entry, so come back every day to increase your chances of winning.
Winners will be announced Thanksgiving Day.
Prizes include:
A free copy of each ebook on the Naughty Literati bookshelf
A plethora of ebooks and audiobooks from our Naughty Literati Authors
Good luck and happy reading!

Friday, November 2, 2018

Bossy Characters



My characters arrive in my head and start talking to me. I don’t start writing until I understand what they want me to do with them. And things do surprise me on the way. A couple years ago I was writing the “Forever Yours” series. All three books are set in the Smith Tower office and apartment building. The first two books have a ghost in them and naively I assumed book three would as well. But while I was still writing book 2 one of the minor characters interrupted me and said, “I’m a vampire. When are you going to write my story?” By the time I’d cleaned up the coffee I’d spat on my screen and gotten my breath back he was busy telling me I should have known that already because of his name. So I googled his name and well… the rest is in “Eternity”.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Eternity-sequel-Intensity-Complexity-Publishing-ebook/dp/B004FV54L0


"Forever Yours” is a contemporary-set series based in the Smith Office Tower building. Each story is a stand-alone novella, but various characters reappear throughout the series, such as Atal, the night security guard and one of the heroes in “Eternity”.


“Intensity”: Amos, Wesley and Keziah have been bed partners for a while. Amos and Wesley want Keziah to move in with them and become a permanent partner but she has refused, wanting to be independent. Then she stands up for her friend and loses her job. Amos and Wesley convince her to move in with them and plan to screw her insensible to make her want to stay. But chaos erupts at the company board meeting as Amos's incompetent father tries to use the menage as a weapon to take control of the company from Amos, so Keziah decides the only solution is for her to leave. And the ghost has his own agenda...


“Complexity”: An asthmatic unwilling to relax enough to enjoy life, two men hell-bent on putting their stamp on her, an embezzler who wants to keep what he has stolen, and the ghost of a murdered girl. Will an endless night of passion with Finn and Simeon be pure pleasure, or only make Tia's life more complex and messy than it already is?
“Eternity”: Yolanda is a bodyguard and used to dealing with men. But falling in love with two vampires is a different kind of challenge. How will she deal with her job AND them? Yolanda is very attracted to night security guard Atal and his partner Zadok. She agrees to a morning of acrobatic sex with the two yummy men, only to find herself falling in love with them, and wondering if they are vampires—if vampires truly exist. And she’s not at all sure that they do.

Three book series: https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Yours-Intensity-Complexity-Publishing/dp/1610342526/

Blog: http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Berengaria-Brown/e/B00541R3YQ/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berengaria.brown?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BerengariaBrown

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Mexican Street Corn Casserole and Gorgonzola Butter for Steaks


Today was probably my last chance to grill for the season, and boy did I grill. Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola butter, Mexican Street Corn, along with sauteed mushrooms & onions. Definitely not keto. Such a yummy cheat meal! And hey, I'm on vacation. Vacation calories don't count ;)

Mexican Street Corn Casserole

Skill Level: Easy

Ingredients:
32 ounces frozen corn kernels or 7 ears corn
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:
If using ears of corn, cut the corn off the cob. Spread corn on a baking sheet. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes, turning the baking sheet every few minutes, to get a light char on the corn.
Remove from oven and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cheeses and egg, stir until well mixed. Add the corn and stir to combine.
Grease a casserole dish with butter. Pour in the corn mixture and bake for 30 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle Cotija cheese, cilantro and chili powder over casserole.
Serve with a wedge of lime.

Gorgonzola Butter for Steaks

*Shhh, I borrowed this picture from the internet*

Skill Level: Super Easy


Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed

Directions:
Using food processor or with a stick blender mix all ingredients together until well combined.
Chill.

The meal paired with with some sauteed mushrooms and onions, and a DuClaw Sweet Baby Jesus! Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter. :D

Going into a carb coma in 3...
2...
1.

Saturday, October 20, 2018

Nicole's Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Since last Spring I have been living the ketogenic lifestyle, which has had a major impact on my cooking. As a result, I've adapted many of my classic recipes to fit my new way of life. My loaded cauliflower casserole is an adaptation of my favorite comfort food, Mac & Cheese. At only 4.2 net carbs and packed with protein it's the perfect keto indulgence.

Nicole's Loaded Cauliflower Casserole


Skill Level: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
24 ounces cauliflower florets
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup green onions
8 thick slices of bacon, crumbled, divided
2 ounces Pork rinds, crumbled
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an casserole dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a large microwave safe bowl, add cauliflower (broken into bite size pieces) and 2 tablespoons of water, cover and microwave for 3 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together half of the cheddar, cream cheese, sour cream, butter and green onions until well combined.
Add the cauliflower and half of the bacon. Stir to coat.
Pour mixture into prepared backing dish and sprinkle with remaining cheddar, bacon and crumbled pork rinds.
Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the cauliflower reaches desired softness.
Enjoy!

Author's Note: I make a cup of espresso and brush some over the bacon, add a bit of fresh ground pepper, then bake it at 400 degrees until crisp. Yes, it sounds weird but tastes amazing if you like coffee. Because, come on, coffee and bacon, what's not to like.

Nutrition Information
*Note: I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared below should only be used as a general guideline.

Nicole's Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories411
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g41%
Saturated Fat 17.2g86%
Cholesterol 94mg31%
Sodium 1013mg44%
Total Carbohydrate 6.4g2%
Dietary Fiber 2.2g8%
Total Sugars 2.3g
Protein 25.5g
Vitamin D 5mcg27%
Calcium 372mg29%
Iron 1mg6%
Potassium 439mg9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet.2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Monday, October 8, 2018

What if the weather….



With earthquakes, tsunamis, twisters, and more happening lately, one day I thought to myself, “What if?”.

The politics, economics, and meteorological aspects of the climate change debate don’t really interest me. It’s not as if my adding my two cents into the discussion will change anyone’s mind. But I am interested in how such things affect people. As a writer I find how people think, act, and react endlessly fascinating.

I started thinking about people driving smaller, more fuel efficient cars. The advantages and disadvantages. I thought about paperless offices. Again, advantages and disadvantages. As an author who is published digitally, in print, and in audio, I see a lot of advantages to digital books. No shipping costs. No remainders being pulped. No dead trees, no fuel used in transportation. All of these are good and mean prices remain more affordable. But for someone working in a paperless office, maybe there would be some disadvantages.

Then I thought about recycling. I’m a big fan of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” movement. And I thought of a particularly naughty twist to that system.
Phoebe works for a company that’s determined to keep its carbon footprint as small as possible. Mostly she thinks that’s very good. Then there was the day she got caught in a flash flood. And rescued by a couple of extremely sexy pirates…

“Flash Flood” blurb
Phoebe is on her way to a business meeting when a landslide causes a tsunami of water to flood the road, sweeping her car into a river. She is pulled from the river by Connor and Patrick. A night of extremely satisfying “thank God I’m alive” sex seems a fitting end to the day.

Phoebe has a week off work to recover, and the two men invite her to accompany them on a business-and-pleasure trip. They have a great time, the sex is awesome, but Fi is unsettled by undercurrents and things she cannot quite grasp. She finds herself humming “For I am a pirate king”, possibly because of their tendency to tell pirate jokes. Or maybe not.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Flood-Siren-Publishing-Menage-ebook/dp/B00S5ER0V0/

Berengaria Brown
Blog: http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Berengaria-Brown/e/B00541R3YQ/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berengaria.brown?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BerengariaBrown

Saturday, September 8, 2018

I Had A Dream



I know that as a reader, I’m ambivalent about sequels. I like to know the hero and heroine (or whatever combination of main characters) are still living happily ever after. But too often, in books something nasty happens to one or another of them down the track, in a long series. Or even to an important secondary character, like JK Rowling’s Dumbledore.

But sometimes, even though the hero and heroine are satisfactorily together, the story just isn’t finished. Other characters are screaming for their turn in the limelight, the villain escapes from captivity, or something else just appears.

This has happened to me several times now, so in each case I’ve written a stand-alone sequel where the main characters remain HEA, but other characters pick up the storyline.

My most recent sequel situation came about very differently.

The opening scene was a dream I had. I got out of bed, and wrote it down, but I had no idea what it meant, or where it was going. I showed it to author Anny Cook, and asked, “What do I do now?” She told me to keep writing. She said that sort of thing happened to her a lot. Either it turned into a book, or it would just stop. Well, I took her advice, kept writing, and it turned into three books. And finally, with the third book, I realized what the connection was. It is actually what happens more than fifty years after the “Raw Claiming” series I wrote.

What do you think? Do you mind if a former hero or heroine gets killed off in book five? Does it bother you if the end of the story is left hanging?

“Forbidden Future”: Blurb:
More than fifty years ago, wicked winds, carrying deadly diseases, swept across the land, and their ancestors fled to a protected valley. But now the easy-to-gather food and fuel are used up, and the people struggle to feed themselves. The goods their ancestors had brought with them are worn out, and life is hard trying to feed and provide for themselves.
Zuri, Udo, and Tau love each other, but have to meet in the forest to make love. The people decide to go to the city to look for food and fuel. It’s Zuri who finds the ancestors’ truck and asks for a gift in return—that she, Tau, and Udo could be together. Their request is granted. Then everyone plans for the trip to the city. It’ll be very dangerous, but the three of them will be together. But will they find any food? Will they even survive?

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Forbidden+Future+Berengaria


“Embrace the Future” Series: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Embrace+the+Future+Berengaria

Berengaria Brown
Blog: http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berengaria.brown#!/berengaria.brown?v=info
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/BerengariaBrown

Saturday, August 18, 2018

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Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Cookbook romance from Berengaria Brown’s, “Terracotta Warriors”




Recipe: Terracotta Baked Potatoes

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb small new potatoes (approximately 24)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make Terracotta Baked Potatoes
1. Wash the potatoes carefully, trying not to damage the skin which must remain on, and place them in a casserole.
2. Strip the rosemary needles off the sprigs and add them to the potatoes. Sprinkle the lemon juice, water and salt over, put the lid on and shake the pot well.
3. Place in a preheated oven and bake for 60 minutes. Test the potatoes at the end of the cooking time, they may need a few minutes more. Serve hot.

Food flashfiction:
The head waiter, Harry, saw Branden arrive and snapped his fingers for the barista to make Branden's favorite cinnamon mocha latte. The barista just nodded.

Everyone was well aware of Mr. Verwendahl's almost-addiction to coffee. But no one would ever tease him.
He was much too good a tipper.
Branden noticed all this byplay as he was led to his reserved table. I suppose I should cut back on my caffeine intake. But not today.
Sloan arrived at the same time as Branden's coffee, so the server just nodded, raised an eyebrow, and said, "And one for you too, sir?"
"Long black, please."
Branden let his hand rest lightly on Sloan's. The man's hand felt warm and strong and wonderful to his jittery nerves. "If you don't like her, if you don't want this, no pressure. I love you very much. Want you. Want us," he said quietly.
"Relax, I understand. I can't be happy if you aren't happy. I get that you need both. Shh now."
Branden picked up his coffee and sipped it, loving the soothing taste of it sliding down his throat, his gaze moving to the doorway. There she stood. Five foot eight and one hundred percent woman with lush curves -- generous breasts, ample hips and a nicely rounded ass.
God, she made his dick harder than a spike. No other woman ever had that effect on him. He put down his cup to signal her, but she'd already seen him and was walking toward them, her blonde hair bobbing on her shoulders, her gray eyes dark and worried.

“Terracotta Warriors” Blurb
Naomi has a casual sex-buddy relationship with Branden, a bisexual man. When she loses her job Branden offers her a short-term position in the Museum of which he is a director, but more than that, he wonders if she could be the solution to his sexual problem. He and Sloan are very happy together, but Brand needs the softness of a woman as well as the harsher, more animal mating of two males together.
Sloan and Naomi join Branden on a business trip to Xi'an. Will adding Naomi to the mix be a disaster -- or the solution to all their needs?


Naomi called her boss a f**ing idiot. In the lunchroom. Oooops. A Story Excerpt from “Terracotta Warriors”.

"Only a f**ing asshole like Shannon could imagine for one moment that we'd be able to do a brand new test without spending several days running trials and recalibrating the equipment," said Naomi to her best friend Alison in the lunchroom at the scientific laboratory where they both worked.

The usual noisy chatter of the lunchroom had dropped to deathly silence as Naomi spoke, and now that hush was broken by multiple gasps, snorts and sniggers. Alison's mouth was hanging wide open, her eyes filled with horror.

"What's wrong?" asked Naomi.

Alison rolled her eyes and worked her jaw until it finally closed.

"Would you care to retract that comment, Miss Hunter?"

"Oh shit!" Naomi spun around and there in the doorway was Shannon himself. Mr. Shannon Charles, Head of the Organic Chemistry Division of PVT Chemical Industries -- and everyone in the room's boss.

Her head spun, her cheeks blanched and her gut churned, but Naomi knew what she'd said was correct.

Incredibly stupid to say at work, but nonetheless accurate.

Pulling her shoulders back and her spine ramrod straight, Naomi took a deep breath, and then very deliberately threw her job away. "No, sir. I will not retract what I said. As you know perfectly well, I am one of only three people in the state qualified to sign off on the tests we do, and these new samples will not be accurate enough to pass the annual audit unless we spend several days doing trial tests and calibrating the machines properly. Our reputation for accuracy will be in the toilet." Like my job.

Shannon pulled his cell phone from his blazer pocket and clicked through his address book. "Julie, make up Miss Hunter's pay sheet right now. She's leaving us." He clicked again and said, "John, get to the lunchroom now."

No one in the room moved in the brief few minutes it took for John from Security to arrive. "Yes sir?" His hand was on his weapon as if he expected to have to break up a fight or apprehend a criminal.

"Miss Hunter is leaving us. Escort her to her desk and make sure she takes only her own possessions, then take her to Julie's office to get a printout of her salary entitlements and sign for them. That is all."

A few more gasps came from around the room, but Naomi marched through the door, head up, looking neither to the right nor the left as she set a fast pace to the Organic Chemistry Laboratory where her little office was. There she collected a large, empty cardboard box and packed her things by simply upending her desk drawers into the box, dropping the few personal items from the top of her desk into it, then balancing her potted plant and purse on the top of everything else.

Anger was burning through her at her own insanity at voicing the comment, and at the rightness of it. She snagged her jacket off the back of her chair, remembered to collect her log book, lab coat and safety goggles from the lab itself, then nodded to John who had stood well back from her, totally silent.

"Is that it, Naomi? None of your stuff in the bathroom or on anyone else's desk?" he asked carefully.

"No. I could delete my personal files off the computer but Shannon might say I took proprietary information. This way you are witness that I didn't touch it and I don't care if anyone reads my emails anyway," she replied, shrugging. Besides, her personal files were on her flash drive so it wasn't a big deal.

John nodded. "I'll carry the box for you. You take the plant."

When they reached Julie's office the paperwork was all waiting for her sign. Julie's face was alive with curiosity but Naomi simply said, "Goodbye" and "Thank you". She knew Julie would be on the phone to Alison as soon as she'd left.

John walked her to her car, loaded the box into the trunk for her, and she could see him still standing there watching her leave, as she exited the gate and turned onto the highway. She drove for a couple of miles toward her home, then pulled off into a side road, switched off the engine, folded her arms across the steering wheel, and burst into shattering sobs as the anger and tension exploded from her body.

“Terracotta Warriors” is part of the “Naughty Getaways: Eleven Sultry Stories” anthology.

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072LWRC7W/


Berengaria Brown
Blog: http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Berengaria-Brown/e/B00541R3YQ/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berengaria.brown?fref=ts
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Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Love fan fic? Love kinky romance? Suz deMello has a couple of great shorties for you! (#Sherlock #romance #sexy #99cents)

One of the ways in which publishing has changed since the advent of digital are rights, licensing, and reissues.  Time was that a publisher bought a license to publish an author's book almost indefinitely. With epublishing, that changed. Most of us recognize that the vast majority of sales take place within a couple of weeks of initial publication. Little if any promo would happen after those two weeks--it wasn't cost-effective for publishers to do anything more.

It was not a great business model for writers to allow books to languish in that manner. Most epublishing contracts provide for a much more limited licensing term, that is, the length of time a publisher has the right to put out an author's work. These days, a term of more than two years is very unusual, and often viewed as unfair to the writer

The vast majority of my books and stories have returned to me, and I'm busy reediting, re-covering them and putting them out in new editions for your reading pleasure. And here they are!


Sherlock's Scandal

(historical fan fiction; short story)




A bored Sherlock is a dangerous Sherlock. His twin vices of cocaine and sex could prove his undoing, until he meets his match in elusive, enigmatic Irene Adler. Hiding her heart, Irene deserts Sherlock in the midst of their affair. He schemes to win her back, but the lady won’t come easily to hand. Instead, she forces him to compete for honor, glory and love.

What others have thought about this story:

Five Stars! A heady and enjoyable romp
--JMyersBook, Amazon reader

***

More than spicy!
--Tammie, Night Owl Reviews

***

Captivating!
--Brenda Talley, Romance Studio

Find it here:

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Toe Cleavage


(short story)






Genre: contemporary erotic romance

Shelbie Nathanson resents Rick Saldano's ascension to C.O.O. of her family's shoe company, a job she's wanted all her life. But she can't resist his red-hot, sexy style of lovemaking--one that focuses on her passion: shoes.

What others have thought of this story:
“Deliciously hot!”
--Author Justine Elyot

“This book was great…very believable fun story…Thanks for the quick romp.”
--Black Disaster Fairy

“Five stars…brought me into a world I don’t have a clue about. Very well-written short story.”
--Kurt Wannanut (The Erotic Critic)

Find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MDLQ0O

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Hope you love reading them as much as I loved writing them! 

I'm especially proud of the Sherlock cover--I just created that one, and it was my first foray into using MSPaint3D. Let me know what you think!

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Pets in romance stories


Do you like your hero or heroine to have a pet or two? Does it make them more real to you if they cuddle a kitty after yelling at their true love? Or cry into their horse’s mane? Or maybe she owns a really clever pet bird that frightens away a would-be bad guy? Do you like the thought of your hunky hero going for a run with his dog?


I can think of one mystery author who always includes a cat or two in her books and the cats’ characters are every bit as vivid as that of the humans. And sometimes far more interesting to me, as a reader too.

I know of another author who adores animals and it shows in every line she writes about her shapeshifter wolves.

Then there are books I’ve read with a pet introduced in chapter one and never mentioned again in the book. I’m always left wondering, “What happened to the pet when the lovers hooked up? Is the pet going to get an HEA or not?”

There are a group of well-known authors who have written entire series of books where the hero or heroine is basically just a foil for the animal character that solves the mystery/ saves the world. That is another entire genre of book.

According to the God of all Knowledge, WikiAnswers, 63% of American households have a pet, the vast majority of them either a dog and/or a cat. Hamsters, fish, mice, guinea pigs, birds, snakes, bunnies, iguanas and ferrets are all in the top ten pets depending on who you believe.

So this is where I came in. If so many people own pets do they want to read about them in their books? Because they have a pet do they feel better if the hero/heroine has a pet?

Or do they see pets as something a kid needs to grow up with, rather like a bike and a football? Or just another household chore to perform? Do the laundry, cook the supper, walk the dog?

Many animals offer their human endless love, trust and companionship. They don’t fuss about unwashed blankets or unironed clothing. They adore being petted and at least pretend to listen when you talk to them. But does this uncomplaining attitude then make the hero or heroine look bad when they are upset at how their lover is treating them?

So what do you think? Should book characters be pet-owners? Or is this likely to make them be less appealing to their lover? After all, it is hardly romantic for the heroine to say, “I can’t go out without you tonight. I have to clean out the bird cage.”

Speaking of birds, in “Blue Bird of Happiness” Roland Clarke has a cat, Mr. Claws. Michael Taggart inherits two lovebirds, Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie can open the cage door and escape. Every time Roland and Mike try to get together the animals come between them. As you can imagine, their path to a happy ending is as much about the animals in their lives as the lust and love in their hearts.


“Blue Bird of Happiness”: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Paint-Publishing-Classic-ManLove-ebook/dp/B00NEWXO2W/
“The Paint Store Boys” series: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=the+paint+store+boys+Berengaria

Berengaria Brown
Blog: http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/
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