A Very Different Hot Seat with Cover Model Jason Aaron Baca

Since it's inception the Hot Seat interviews have been designed to highlight new and established authors and their works. Well as a Happy Holiday Treat for all my friends I've decided to do something special. Today we have cover model Jason Aaron Baca with us in the hot seat. I suspect that by the end of the interview some of you will feel like you're actually sitting in the hot seat, especially after seeing some of his covers and other pictures he's allowed me to include in this post. 

Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed Jason, and for offering a giveaway of a signed model card for one lucky follower that comments on this post. Before we get started with the questions here's a little bit of information about Jason for those who aren't familiar with him or his work.

Jason Aaron Baca is a Romance Novel Cover Model from Los Gatos , California USA. he was born and raised in Los Gatos, CA where he played baseball for Los Gatos High School. While playing ball at college level, Jason changed careers and began modeling after being discovered by a photographer on location for the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. With a goal of becoming a versatile and sought after model Jason began doing fashion, glamour, fine art, and even Playgirl modeling shoots. He has also acted appearing in such movies as the Demon Within and Nash Bridges but has consistently placed his modeling career first. Today he has modeling for over 100 romance novels.

Now lets see how Jason answers our hot seat questions.

About your work:

How did you get started in your career as a Romance Novel Cover Model?

This is a question I have been asked most often I’d say.  I had been doing the mainstream

Modeling for a good 10 years. I was about to call it quits when  I walked into a bookstore to do some reading. As I walked in, something caught my attention. It was a romance novel. The guy looked my age, had my look, and was expressionless but with character to his look. I knew that from that moment on, I knew that I wanted to be a romance novel model. It was in my eye, in my heart and in my mind and it became part of my entire body. 

Why do you do what you do for work?

Because I love it. For years, I was searching for something in my life that was gratifying. I tried so many different lifestyles but none really seemed to give me that satisfaction. After seeing myself on my first romance novel it became apparent to me that this was what I was born for.

Have you ever had a day you wanted to quit and do something different?

YES of course! There are moments when things don’t go your way or you see graphic artists using other models that you feel you are better than. I have learned to relax and realize that I won’t be on EVERY cover that comes out.

Do you feel lucky to be doing what you are doing?

No actually. Luck to me is when money falls from the sky and you collect it. But I have created what I do. I don’t accept no for an answer. I go at this stuff with the attitude of “how would I approach this career if I knew I could not fail?” I feel that once I set my mind to do something and have envisioned what I’m after, I go for it. Sure there will be a lot of NO’s.. But it’s the yes’s that matter.

Tell me how you got to where you are today?

I got here from doing something every single day towards that goal. I mean everyday it could be as big as being in touch with a big publisher regarding a shoot or it could be as small as making sure I hit the gym that extra 10 minutes to bring in those muscles.

How do your family/spouses react to your work? Do they know what you do?

Not that well. In the beginning they didn't really know about what I was doing then when the book covers started coming out they got a little interested. But then after like the 5^th or 6^th cover they said, okay now that’s enough. I’d send them a book and they wouldn't bother responding. I understand though. It’s just not their thing, Its mine. And I rely on all of you for acceptance and receive it well. I’m very thankful for it.

About you:

What are you passionate about in life?

I’m very passionate about reaching this goal. I won’t share that goal with you until I have conquered it here. Once I do, I’ll be out of the business but for now, I enjoy pursuing it!

If you had to give a thank-you speech at the Oscars, who would you thank and what would you say?

I’d thank all those in this business that gave me a chance. Those that didn't get tired of me contacting them with follow up letters, etc.

What are the three most important life lessons you've learned that might make life easier for others?

#1 That if someone in the business says “No” that it doesn't mean the entire business is saying no to you. Just that one person’s opinion.

#2 – Find the guys at the top and figure out what it is they are doing. Mirror them. They will save you time.

#3 – Think Big. I've never allowed myself to think average or just settle. I want to either go 100% or not at all.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. Whom would it be and why?

I’d have to say Bob Lazar. He is the engineer that was brought in to Area 51 to try to reverse engineer that UFO. I’d LOVE to be able to know what he knew or saw with his own eyes. Only he knows the real answer.

What's the worst thing you did as a kid?

As a kid I did a lot of bad things. Probably the worst was when I was in 8^th grade and cut school at 10am with a friend. We had $8 plus some change but we ran down to the 7/11 and had someone buy us a 6 pack of Budweiser. We ran down behind the school yard and each chugged 3 in a row. We both tried to return to class but I kept burping the whole time. The rest of the students were totally distracted by me. Plus I didn't know how to act. I just remember feeling so loose and comfortable and very happy inside. Not good for a kid that age.

What do you do to have fun?

Fun to me is being in the gym, working out hard! If it’s not that, its spending time with family or traveling.

Share a funny incident in your life.

Well when I was in high school I went to a party at a friend’s house. About 50 people showed up, we were all having a great time. Well the end of the night came and everyone took off but me. They told me I could sleep on the couch. Well I didn't know it at the time but they had a big guard dog that they let in the house that didn't know me. I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night so as I was walking down the dark hallway I stopped and heard a Grrrrrrrrr… I realized it was this mean dog… SO… I walked back to the couch and just tried to fall asleep without going to the bathroom. 

Fun Stuff:

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?

I’d like to see Jason Behr play my part… We’re the same age so he could get into character no problem.

 

If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?

I’d be an abalone! Because its rare, a delicacy and delicious!

What is your favorite color- food- song- movie?

Dark Blue, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Clash Of the Titans (the original version)

What's the funniest pick up line ever used on you or one that you've used?

I can’t remember… It’s been forever since I've used a line.

What's the one thing you can't live without?

Beverly Hills “Advanced Youth Recovery Crème”

And finally:

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, it's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus: 

                       -An old lady who looks as if she is about to die. 

                       -An old friend who once saved your life. 

                       -The perfect partner you have been dreaming about. 

You can only fit one person in your car, who would you choose to offer a ride to?

Okay, is this a trick question? Hmm, then here is a trick answer... I’m not going to take the old lady since she’s about to die anyways. I’d choose the old friend that once saved my life… If it wasn't for him, I’d have not been able to save anyone.

For publishers, indie authors or graphic artists interested in purchasing stock of Jason for book covers visit http://jasonaaronbaca.deviantart.com 

Rules and Instructions are in the Journal on how to purchase photos.

Thanks so much for appearing today Jason, it's been great having you here. I'm sure Jason would love to hear what you think of his work so please leave a comment along with your email address and you'll go in the draw to win a signed model card from Jason. 

  

Does Size Matter - Romance Heroines

So far in the Does Size Matter series we've looked at the size of the story, the men who appear in them and today I want to discuss the women we read about in romances. Yes, I'm an equal opportunity blog :)

Last week it became clear to me that readers definitely want men that are larger than life, the ultimate rarely attainable man, bigger and better than what we have in our own real lives. This week I'm wondering why it appears to be the opposite scenario for the women we read about. It appears to me, from talking to friends and readers that what we want from our heroines in the books we love is a bit of reality. We don't seem to want to our romance women represented the way a lot of media portrays the feminine form - stick thin insect like creatures. We want curvy, voluptuous, Rubenesque. We want real women and according to Google (yes the authority on everything...lol) the average (real) size for women in the US is a size 12-16. It's much the same here in Australia as well.

So why do we want ourselves in romance novels but not our other halves? Real life women are familiar to us, I don't have any cover model gorgeous friends, but I do have sexy, attractive friends that don't fit the image of what's portrayed in the media as such. I think part of it is being able to relate to the heroine. I know I want to read about someone who may not fit the mold of 'beautiful' but is still seen as being gorgeous in the eyes of the man who loves her. Especially if he's a hunky sex god. But I don't just want my heroine to be curvy or larger bodied, I want her realistic in more ways than that. I want sassy, a woman who can stand up for herself and isn't the typical damsel in distress that need a man to save her. I want a woman who would like a man but knows she'll be okay if she doesn't end up with Mr. Sexy by her side. 

Having said all that, as an author, I firmly believe that when it comes to our heroines size doesn't really matter. It's the attitude that counts. Yes, a lot of my heroines have been curvy and voluptuous but I've also written heroines that are thin. Realistic women is what it's about, how the character sees themselves is how I write them. In Healing a Cougar's Heart my heroine, Isabelle, was stick thin. This is how she described herself; 

She looked in the mirror. Red hair, long and a bit frizzy when it wasn't wet, framed her face. She was thin, not very buxom at all. She’d always consoled herself that no man needed more than a mouthful when it came to a woman’s breasts. Her legs were her best asset; at least they were long. Not that they went anywhere. She had narrow hips and only the slightest curve to her butt. She looked like a human greyhound, lean and sinewy, built for moving fast.  

Healing a Cougar's Heart, Jan Graham, 2012.

Having a stick thin heroine didn't hurt reviews in anyway, RT Book Reviews rated it 4 out of 5 when they reviewed it in October this year and the book sold as well as all the others in the Sydney Cougar series. Does that prove size doesn't matter when it comes to our heroines, I'm not sure. 

Most of the romances I read tend to describe the heroine in one on two categories, curvy or thin. So how curvy is too curvy? Would we accept a heroine described as obese, or fat. Instead of curves are rolls acceptable on our heroines body? I haven't written any women described in such a manner but I have read books where women have been overweight or obese. It didn't bother me, they were still great characters, well written, interesting women. And their weight certainly didn't bother the hero of the story. Real women come in all shapes and sizes, I think that's reflected well by most authors when they construct a romance. Unlike our heroes physical type, our heroines vary greatly and I think that's a good thing because women vary greatly in real life and that means your bound to find yourself reflected in a romance book somewhere.

So as readers and authors, what do you think? Does size matter when it comes to the females we read and write about? Is a real woman, attitude and personality wise, more important than how she looks or does every physical type of female need to see herself reflected in the books she reads?

Truth or Dare Tuesday with M.Christian

I'm so excited about today's Truth or Dare because one of my favorite authors of erotica is here to play. It's just like an early Christmas gift for me really.

M.Christian is here today, answering some tricky questions and opening up with a few personal details that I'm sure you'll be fascinated by, I know I was. For those of you who haven't heard of him before, below is a quick bio about his amazing career. After that he'll tell us why he chose truth over dare today.

M.Christian is the author of more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and in fact too many anthologies, magazines, and sites to name.  In addition to writing, he is a prolific and respected anthologist, having edited 25 anthologies to date including the Best S/M Erotica series; Pirate Booty; My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica; The Burning Pen; The Mammoth Book of Future Cops, and The Mammoth Book of Tales of the Road (with Maxim Jakubowksi); Confessions, Garden of Perverse, and Amazons (with Sage Vivant), and many more.  M.Christian's short fiction has been collected into many bestselling books in a wide variety of genres, including the Lambda Award finalist Dirty Words and other queer collections like Filthy Boys, BodyWork, and his best-of-his-best gay erotica book, Stroke the Fire.  He also has collections of non-fiction (Welcome to Weirdsville, Pornotopia, and How To Write And Sell Erotica); science fiction, fantasy and horror (Love Without Gun Control); and erotic science fiction including Rude Mechanicals, Technorotica, Better Than The Real Thing, and the acclaimed Bachelor Machine.  As a novelist, M.Christian has shown his monumental versatility with books such as the queer vamp novels Running Dry and The Very Bloody Marys; the erotic romance Brushes; the science fiction erotic novel Painted Doll; and the rather controversial gay horror/thrillers Fingers Breadth and Me2. 

 

I picked truth over dare as I always try to live honestly ... well, as honestly as I can ... that and I have this odd 'thing' about being embarrassed.  Sure, I can write, or say, pretty much anything but doing something makes me shiver (burrrrrr).

Hmm, doesn't like being embarrassed, *evil grin*...very tempting but I better behave. Now, lets see what the truth is according to M. Christian.

Who is a movie villain you find attractive?

So very, very, very funny you mention movie bad guys because I've always had a thing for cinematic villains – in fact I've been working on and off on a book about them, called They Only Wanted To Rule The World: A Celebration Of Cinematic Villainy.   

Anyway, this a toughie because there as just so many very cool, if not downright sexy, bad guys (and girls) out there it's really hard to pick just one.  Like with usual human beings I have a thing for intelligence, creativity and style – but with villains I'd actually like to have a bit ... just a bit, mind you ... of what they have but not necessarily have sex with them (I'm straight, after all).  At the top of the list has to be Hans Gruber from Die Hard: not only is Alan Rickman absolutely brilliant but Hans is elegant and, best of all, scary-smart.  Right next to him has to be Ernest Thesiger as Doctor Septimus Pretorius from The Bride Of Frankenstein: he's not just a genius but creepy with elegantly smooth confidence.  Last, but not least, would have to be the various incarnations of Dr. Mabuse (I even wrote my own Mabuse story).  Mabuse isn't really sexy, per se, but he's absolutely fascinating: indefinable, fantastic, otherworldly – his intellect puts him outside of the world, beyond human comprehension ... and wouldn't that be amazing to experience, if just for a little while? 

What flaw is enough to cause you to break off a relationship?  

I can't stand cruelty in any form: while I'm ridiculously easy-going around a lot of things – and love to experiment and open myself up to new experiences, viewpoints, etc. – I'm totally intolerant for intolerance (that's a joke, son).  As I suffer from depression, I'm extra-sensitive towards insensitivity: I look for partners that are supportive, enthusiastic, kind, and who truly care about me.  Luckily I've found more than my fair share – though have a few scars from bad calls on my part.  Still, I try and stay optimistic and am always looking for lovers, as well as friends, who will help me expand who I am.

Would you still love your significant other if he or she gained 100 pounds?  

Ah, a trick question: see, I have a 'thing' for BBW (big, beautiful women to all who don't know what that means) so weight isn't a problem for me – but even though I have a preference I never, ever look at people (at lovers) as bodies: I fall in lust and love first through a person's mind and personality ... and if they happen to be physically a button-pusher it's the cherry on top.  I adore people who are enthusiastic, dynamic, caring, intelligent, experimental, and who look at the world – and me – as a treasure to be explored.

What is the worst thing about being an adult?

Who says I'm an adult?  Sure, I might be little more than half a century old but I live by the mantra of child-like but not child-ish: I play video games, watch cartoons. Play with toys and adore discovering new and wonderful things: movies, foods, people, history, science, art ... I feel the world is an immense treasure that far too many people take it for granted or look out at it with half-closed eyes.  I may not be able to pull it off all the time, but I really do try to live as much as I can: to push myself as much as possible and learn as much as I can about everything and everyone.

What are you afraid of?

Even though I may sound fairly assured I have chronic depression: it's a battle to stay focused, optimistic, and to always remember that any negative emotions I may be feeling are not the truth but unfortunate biology.  But the major problem with depression isn't feeling like you're worthless but knowing, without a doubt, that you are: so my greatest fear would have to be that these negative feelings are not a chemical delusion but are what I am and how I'm seen (shudder).

But, like I said, I battle it constantly and try to take care of myself as best I can: I try to find joy and pleasure in my friends and family, ask for help when I need it, work to not let the brutal business side of being a writer get in the way of the ecstasy I feel when I tell a great story or finish writing a book.

I love those answers, Mr. Christian (why do I think of a tropical island and mutiny when I type that?). Thank you for being so honest with your replies. I'm sure a lot of us can relate to your fear, I know I can, having battled that demon myself. I'm also really impressed that the first male we've had on here loves big beautiful women. I'm doing a happy tushie dance around the living room at that answer alone.  I'd definitely love to see the villain book come to fruition and it has me wondering, what movie villain would you like to see included in M.Christian's book? My pick would be Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth in Blue Velvet, what's yours?  

Secret Cravings Five Favorite Things Contest

This weekend is where Secret Cravings Authors share their five favorite things. It's a bit hard to settle on just five things but I think I've managed it. I must say I felt a bit like Oprah when picking my favorite things but I doubt my choices will have the same reaction I've seen on her shows from the past. There definitely won't be any screaming, crying or joyous rapture as I announce them. Well unless you feel like it, and I'm only giving one thing away, not one of everything to everyone who visits the blog, but enough about my giveaway later.

Lets start with my favorite things list, these are in no particular order by the way. Deciding on five things was difficult enough, ordering them from one to five would be an impossibility.

1: Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
2: Laying in bed on a cold rainy day reading a great book.
3: Bacon with...well, anything really, because bacon makes anything taste better :)
4: Han, cheese and tomato toasted sandwich.
5: Seducing a Cougar (my fourth novella in the Sydney Cougar Series with Secret Cravings Publishing).

For those of you who would like to win a PDF copy of Seducing a Cougar leave me a comment and visit the Secret Cravings Readers Group Page on Facebook. All the participating SCP authors will be listing their favorite things on the Facebook page as well as their blog over the weekend so drop on by and see what other great books are also up for grabs. 

The competition runs from 15th December to midnight on the 16th December. In your comment why not tell me what some of your favorite things are. Good luck everyone. 

Author Hot Seat - Lori King

The author hot seat specials are designed to help readers get to know some of today's popular and up and coming authors a little better. The questions are broken into four sections - About your writing, about you, fun stuff and finally. Some of the questions are easy, other may need a little more thought and some may cause our author friends to hesitate before answering. Still, they all answer.

 

Today we have Lori King in our author hot seat.  Let's see how Lori goes once we trun up the heat on the questions :)  Welcome to the Authors Hot Seat, Lori. Make yourself comfortable and we'll get started by asking some easy questions.

 

About your writing:

How did you get started as a writer?

I think I started writing as soon as I was big enough to hold a pencil, and realized I could create words with it. The first time I had something published I was fourteen and a poem I wrote was published in an anthology book put out by Poetry.com.

Why do you write?

Because I don’t know how not to. Even during the ten years I was having babies, and not focusing on my writing; I was still doing it. I was still jotting down poems and story ideas when I had time. It’s always been my way of expressing emotion and clearing my head.

Have you ever had a day you wanted to quit and never write again?

I recently had an encounter with a very mean individual, who related my writing to giving children porn, and the hurt she caused me personally made me wonder if I should walk away. I came to the conclusion that her remarks were made from jealousy, and that I had to learn to let criticism roll off of my back. Outside of that one day, I can’t remember any other time.

Do you feel lucky to be doing what you are doing?

Absolutely! Thousands of people dream every day of having a book published, and I’ve published two and have multiple others in the works. How could I not feel blessed? Tell me how you got to where you are today?

A supportive family, and determination. I set a goal for myself and wouldn’t give up until I had reached it.

How do your family/spouses react to your work as an author? Do they know what you write? 

My family knows what I write, and thankfully has always supported me. Even the ones who aren’t interested in reading erotic romance, have purchased books, and pimped my books for me to their friends who are. I’m very lucky.

About you:

What are you passionate about in life?

I’m passionate about grabbing life with both hands and pursuing your dreams even if they seem out of reach. As a mom with a fulltime job, I heard from many voices, that I would never be able to successfully write and publish books, but I proved them wrong. I’m still pushing myself to make new goals, and have bigger dreams. Life is too short not to.

If you had to give a thank-you speech at the Oscars, who would you thank and what would you say?

First: my husband, he has been my rock as well as a springboard for me. Second: my children, who constantly remind me to view things in a different way, and welcome the small joys in life. Third: the family members who have consistently voiced their support for my choices. Last: I would thank the publishers at Siren-Bookstrand for giving me a chance when I was an unknown in the industry. They saw something in me, and took a chance, and I can’t thank them enough.

What are the three most important life lessons you’ve learned that might make life easier for others? 

#1: Jump with both feet. If you just dip your toe in, the water will seem too cold, and you won’t want to risk it.#2 I am the me that I want to be, but there will always be ways to improve myself.

#3 Don’t let other peoples negativity deter me from the path I should be on.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. Whom would it be and why?

Jenn Leblanc, owner of www.studiosmexy.com she gets to take pics of some of the hottest men, to be used as book covers. I would LOVE to live in her world for a week.

What's the worst thing you did as a kid?

I was a good kid, but a TERRIBLE teenager. I was a partier that drank too much, had sex too much, snuck out, hated my parents, and anyone with authority over me. So there is no way I can pinpoint one thing I did that was the worst.

What do you do to have fun?

Besides reading erotic romance? I love to take to go camping with my kids and hubs. We all fish, swim, roast hot dogs and marshmallows…one of my favorite activities. Outside of those great weekends, I like to do DIY projects to my husband’s utter dismay. I’m always finding something crazy to try on Pinterest (I’m a pinning addict-look my boards up under Lori King).

Share a funny incident in your life.  

Unfortunately, I’m pretty much a walking comedy act. I’ve always wondered if I live in a world like The Truman Show, where I’m actually in the middle of a daily sitcom. J I’ll pick something from those terrible high-school angst days. When I was a sophomore in high-school I was big into theater, and the group of kids I ran with decided late one night that we should all go down to the local cemetery to share a case of beer, and stir up some trouble. (That’s just what we did in a small town for fun.) The only problem was that we didn’t take into consideration that the cemetery is closed after dark, and someone spotted us and called the police. When we saw the cop car pulling up the gravel drive, we all scattered. Me, being the brainiac that I am dropped to the ground behind a large headstone frozen and praying that I wouldn’t get caught. Well, the officer saw me, of course, and came over to question me. Instead of answering his questions I decided to use my theater talents, and began to wail and cry loudly. I was kicking my feet and pounding my fists on the ground, yelling at the top of my lungs, “Why did you have to leave me! I love you, I can’t live without you!” After a couple seconds of this act, the officer yelled trying to get my attention, and then proceeded to ask me my name, etc. I told him that my father just died and I was missing him, so I came to the cemetery to pay my respects. The only problem was, that I hadn’t bothered to look at the headstone I was crying too. The name on the headstone was Judith McConnell, and she died in 1984. Needless to say the cops escorted me hope, and ticketed me for trespassing. Guess my acting skills needed work. LOL

 Fun Stuff:

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Tina Fey. I’m a HUGE fan of her comedy, and my life could only be a comedy, so she would be my pick.

If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?

I would probably be a candy bar of some sort. I like making people feel better, and I have an enormous sweet tooth.

What is your favorite color- food- song- movie?

Color: Purple, Food: McDonalds cheeseburgers (yeah I know I’m still a 4yr old at heart), Song: Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce, Movie:

What's the funniest pick up line ever used on you?  

“I like your shirt…it will look great on my bedroom floor.” I kid you not, and before you ask NO it didn’t work.

What's the one thing you can't live without?

Diet Dr. Pepper. Without it every morning I literally get the shakes. I’m completely addicted to the caffeine.

And finally:

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, it's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus:
                       -An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
                       -An old friend who once saved your life.
                       -The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
You can only fit one person in your car, who would you choose to offer a ride to?

OMG, what a hell of a choice. Honestly, I think I would get out of the car, letting my old friend and the old lady take it, while I stayed back to make wild kinky with the partner of my dreams in the rain! LOL

Thanks so much for visiting and sitting on our author hot seat today Lori, it's been a pleasure havign you here. If you'd like to know more about Lori and her work, please visit the following links.

Buy Link: http://bookstrand.com/lori-king

Website: http://lorikingbooks.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/lori.king.author

Lori has also kindly provided us an excerpt from her books Reflections of the Wolf. I hope you enjoy it.
 

Excerpt from Reflections of the Wolf:

“She’s okay, Liam. She’s just exhausted and overwhelmed. Give her some breathing room.” Tina could hear another man’s voice talking to Liam, but she couldn’t seem to make her eyes open to see who it was.

“Why did she pass out then?” Liam’s voice was annoyed, and she thought she heard him growl a bit. Damn that was sexy.

“Who knows why women faint? What were you guys talking about?” A third masculine voice spoke.

“Shit.” Liam muttered. “I told her she was my mate. I didn’t mean to scare her.”

Tina could just imagine the look on Liam’s face right now. She understood that Caroline believed in this whole mating thing, and that was fine for her life, but Tina wasn’t interested in a serious relationship. She had lived through her share of heartache when it came to men, and the pain just wasn’t worth it anymore.

She took a deep breath and forced her eyes open a crack. Instantly Liam and two other men were leaning over her. What the hell did they feed these men? They were enormous and gorgeous!

“Oh my God, I’ve died and gone to single women’s heaven,” she said, moaning and then blushing when the two new men laughed, and Liam frowned. “Who are you guys?”

“Hey, Sweet Tina, nice and easy now. How are you feeling?” Liam’s eyes held compassion, concern, and a glimmer of apprehension. A gentle tug of desire shot through her body at his soft endearment. He helped her sit up, scooting to sit behind her to brace her back against his chest. She was now between his outstretched thighs with her head tucked just under his chin and his arms around her protectively.

“Like a werewolf beat the shit out of me,” she grumbled, and all three men laughed. She felt Liam relax against her a little bit. He rested his hands on her flat tummy, and his thumbs rubbed tiny circle patterns through the T-shirt she wore. She could feel sparks shoot across her skin, and she grimaced in her mind. Her body sure wanted a relationship with him.

“Good. I was afraid you were just going to say fine or something silly like that.” His amusement rippled through her, making her smile.

“Hi, Tina. I’m Rafe Whetstone. This is my brother Ryley.” He indicated the beautiful godlike creature standing next to him. “We were quite impressed with your show of bravery in there, but you better take it easy for a bit. If your back gets worse, Liam will get you to the doctor. You hit that wall really hard when he threw you. And now with you passing out on us like that, it makes me wonder about your head. Is it hurting?” Rafe looked like a Viking warrior with golden-blond hair that was a little shaggy and electric-blue eyes that seemed to assess her in one lazy sweep. She shivered at the look of interest heating his gaze and instinctively pressed backward into Liam. His arms tightened around her possessively.

“Yes, but I took a baseball bat to the back of it a few hours ago, so it’s to be expected. I think my head hurts more now because it’s trying to process all of this…umm…this werewolf love story my best friend is apparently living.” She rubbed her temples trying to ease the ache. Liam’s strong hand moved to the base of her neck and started massaging the tension away. She groaned softly, and Ryley laughed loudly.

“Yeah, well, if Liam has his way, you will be living your own shortly. We have to go talk with Dev and Damon. Take care of your girl, Liam. I wouldn’t want to have to sweep her away from you and make her fall in love with me.” Ryley winked at Tina, and Liam growled a threat.

“Oh, pumpkin, that’s sweet, but I’m just not sure there is a man alive that’s qualified for that job,” she said, smiling sweetly at Ryley as he and the others laughed.

“Oh brother, you’re going to have your hands full with this little spitfire. Good luck!” Ryley teased Liam, and Tina’s eyes narrowed at him.

“He won’t have to worry about me shortly,” she grumbled, but the pressure increased from Liam’s hands, and a low moan escaped her throat. All three men ignored her implied threat, and it grated her nerves.

Ryley really was very sexy. He matched his brother in golden looks, but he kept his hair much longer. It brushed the tops of his shoulders, and his eyes were just a touch lighter than Rafe’s with flecks of green in them. It seemed all of the firemen of Battalion One were flirts with bodies built on Olympus. She would have to see about spending more time with Caroline if this was the company she was keeping.

She watched the two Viking warriors walked away and had to swallow hard at the sight of their tight butts. Wow, maybe I hit my head harder than I thought. She chided herself for drooling over those two men when the one that really scared her was holding her in his arms. Worrying now about what Ryley had said, she fidgeted in Liam’s grip. Liam couldn’t really believe that she was his mate, could he? Goose bumps prickled over her skin when Liam’s kissed the nape of her neck where he had been gently massaging.

“Are they family, too?” she asked Liam curiously.

Liam tensed before replying. “Yes, they are my adopted brothers. You can trust them. Well, you can trust them with your life, but Ryley won’t ever stop trying to get into your pants.”

She laughed out loud and felt a surge of feminine confidence. “I’m sure I will enjoy his attempts.”

Liam growled behind her, and she stilled in his arms. That was definitely a possessive growl if she had ever heard one. Turning to look back over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, she took in his jealous frown and huffed with irritation. After a few moments of glaring at each other in silence, he sighed and relaxed, and she couldn’t help but smile at her victory. She wouldn’t tolerate being told who to spend time with, no matter who it was.

 

Truth or Dare with Lisa Kepins

Today, Lisa Kepins is our guest Truth or Dare participant. When I asked Lisa if she'd write a short paragraph about herself she replied - "I really don't know what to say about myself, can you describe me? You'd scare people less, lol. " So I'll tell you a little bit about Lisa and how I know her.

Lisa and my hubby used to play a game online, that's how Lisa came into our lives. Shane loved chatting with her and giving her advice on men and life in general. Lisa affectionately referred to him as Dad and as a result I became Mom (even though Lisa and I are nearly the same age). In fact Lisa still refers to me as Mom when she writes on my facebook wall :)

Lisa lives in Florida, she's a mum, and she lives life to the full. She is renowned for always speaking her mind and sometimes gets into trouble because of it. That trait was probably why she and Shane got along so well, he didn't hold anything back either.  

So let's hear from Lisa now and see how she answered her questions.

What do you think your best and worse physical attributes are?

My limp is the worst & my eyes are the best.

Have you ever been unfaithful to a boyfriend/girl friend?

No & damn it I wish I had because he was unfaithful to me.

If you could go out on a date with anyone in the world who would it be?

Doc Holiday.

When you are trying to impress people what personality trait do you hide?

My LOUD mouth :)

If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

I'd be a 250 lb instead of the 88 lbs I am now & I'd hurt a few people (sorry just telling the truth).

Well, I definitely believe you're telling the truth Lisa, I've never known you to lie the whole time I've known you.

If you'd like to participate in Truth or Dare, just like Lisa, please send me an email via the contact sheet on my website. Anyone is welcome to play, so far we've had authors, bloggers, and friends appear. Why not take the plunge and drop me a line.

Does Size Matter? - Romance Heroes

I thought I'd get this out of the way so you can all stop wondering about it. It's time to let your naughty imaginations run wild, sit down in the gutter and think about dicks. Yes, today we look at the male endowment of our romance heroes. Get the tape measure out, drop your favorite mans pants and lets talk about the size of our romance heroes dongers. For those sitting reading this and thinking WTF? A donger is Aussie slang for a man's penis. For those who aren't Australian and want to know how to incorporate this amazing word into a sentence in a real life setting it would go something like this... 

     "Oh. My. God, you have the biggest donger I've ever seen." 

or in relation to a discussion about romance novel heroes the statement could read...

    "Why do romance heroes always seem to have enormous dongers?"

 Personally I love a large penis, as long as it' nice looking, but that's probably a whole separate topic of conversation. When I write my heroes I make them big, in nearly every sense. Tall, wide shoulders, muscular legs and torso's but not muscle bound hulks. To me, if a man is going to be on the tall muscly side he needs to be large between the legs, not enormous, but ample enough to touch, slide against and stimulate every nerve ending inside the heroines pussy and have her screaming in delight. Is it realistic? No, of course not. Even tall strapping men can have micro dicks and weedy little nerds can have huge dongers. 

According to one Men's Health website I found the average penis when erect is 6.3 inches *clunk* 

(sorry, I accidentally typed 63 inches and fainted, lucky I found that typo) *fans self and regains her composure.* The site also states that 90% of all men measure between 5.6 and 7 inches when erect. Nine out of ten men are average, that only leaves ten percent of men in either the huge donger or micro penis categories. If we go 50/50 on the remaining 10% then romance men make up a mere 5% of the population, not great odds for those of us looking to find one in real life, but then romance heroes aren't real, are they? 

So why do I and a large percentage of romance authors design men that barely exist? Is it just an extension of the fantasy world we create? Perhaps. I often hear people say, I read romance to escape from reality. I know that's often true for me when I read. Is it then a necessity that our heroes are also unreal as well? A tall handsome, sexy man with cock to spare who can satisfy their woman in every way. A man who knows what the heroine wants before she does and who is happy to give it to her, both sexually and emotionally. So, is that what we want, or do we want a bit more reality in our heroes? 

Most of my friends and I have had the romance heroes always have big dicks discussion, it comes up on a regular basis (no pun intended) and it appears to be the accepted and encouraged norm. So as well as wanting a fictional (barely real) hero, does the size of his penis add to the titillation when reading about him? If 90% of men (our husbands/boyfriends/lovers) are average, then does the thought of having something big turn us on, firing our imagination as we read and making the story more pleasurable. Would the reading experience be the same if the hero fell into the normal category? Would Mr Average Appendage hero be a disappointment? I think he might, well at least for me. I want a hero that's larger than life in every sense. One who is so different from what I know or my experience, that I fall in love with him and stay in love even after the book is closed. 

I shouldn't say so but my favorite hero that I've written to date is Steve Jax. I fell in love with him as a minor character in Finding Angel and continue to love him even after I finished writing his story, Playing Jax. Of course he shares my heart with a few other heroes. Wrath, the blind king from the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series as well as Vishous from the same series, Gregori and Dominic from the Carpathian books, and my list could go on. I'm sure you all have your own favorites. 

In every day life there are two main catch cries from a lot of men and women in regard to male endowment. the first size doesn't matter, the second, it's what a man does with it that counts. So, why don't we read that sort of sentiment in our romances?    

What do you think? Would you still love a hero if he didn't have a huge donger?