Inspiration

Authors are asked all the time, “Where do you get your inspiration?” The truth is, I don’t always know. Or maybe it’s that I get it from everywhere. Narrowing down inspiration to one source is impossible for me. I simply try to be open and receptive whenever it passes my way.

Sometimes it’s a song that comes on the radio and inspires a character—this happened for me with Abby in ASSASSIN’S MARK. (The song was “Me and My Broken Heart” by Rixton.) Or a TV show. I’ve been watching Dark on Netflix, and it’s made me realize that villains might be terrible, but they can also be compelling. Places can be inspiration—I find many of my ideas while my mind rests out in nature, for walks especially. Oddly enough, the treadmill never gives me inspiration; now why is that? 😟

Where do you find inspiration? What sets your imagination soaring?

Positive Life

I admit that there is one aspect of a POSITIVE LIFE that is giving me some negative moments:

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 😟

It seems like every time I make a push to get more active, an old injury rears its ugly head. Recently it’s been my knee—I have damage to one knee that is limiting both how vigorous I can be and even slow activities that require me to bend, like tai chi.

*whine* I just want to work out and get it over with! *whine*

So what obstacles get in the way of your physical fitness? How do you overcome them? I could use the encouragement, so share your story with me!

Sexy BDSM

I can’t remember what my first BDSM romance read was. I can tell you who my first favorite was, though: Cherise Sinclair. Her Shadowlands series, with sexy Doms and women who match them in strength and love, are perennial favorites for me.

The series is up to twelve books, but oddly enough, my favorite has always been #2, Dark Citadel. The schoolteacher, raised naive and totally unsure if she really fits in the world she’s so desperately interested in, was always uniquely relatable for me. And her cop Dom, widowed and scarred, has the perfect touch of asshole in him. (Yes, I do enjoy a touch of asshole attitude in my heroes, but only if he’s redeemed of his asshole ways by the end, LOL!)

Have you read this series? Which book is your favorite? Does a dominating cop and a sweetly shy schoolteacher sound like a story that would hold your attention?

April Contest!

April isn’t just about pranks and eggs—it’s about spring, school being out, baby animals, family. New beginnings. With ONLY FOR THE MOMENT almost complete and ready for edits, that means a new book beginning, probably early next month! So this month, our April contest is all about IF ONLY.

You can win signed print copies of ONLY FOR THE WEEKEND and ONLY FOR THE NIGHT with their fantabulous new covers! I love great romances of all kinds, so I want to know—what are your favorite romance subgenres, tropes, and themes. Do you love alpha assholes? Shifter romances? Billionaires and secret babies? How about second chances, triumphing over adversity, or making love last after the “I do’s” have been said? Tell me; I want to know!

Head on over to my Facebook page to enter!

*** On APRIL 27th, one commenter will be chosen for a beautiful set of IF ONLY books of their very own! (Likes and shares with your romance-loving friends appreciated but not required!) ***

When Do You Decorate For the Holidays

It's December, and that means all things Christmas! Do you decorate early or are you just getting started? Feel free to share pictures!

Gratitude

Gratitude.

The contest this month is about gratitude, but not only because this is the month of the US Thanksgiving celebration. I’ve been thinking about gratitude a lot. I have so much to be thankful for:

* Wonderful readers—I have no delusions! There are so many choices out there for fantastic books, and to know that so many readers have picked up one of my books, read it, and loved it (and often read more) is a tremendous blessing in my life.

* A supportive family—I’ve been blessed with a family, including my awesome sister and loving daughter, who understand the long hours of writing and marketing, the frustrating blocks, the endless loops of nerves and “I don’t think I know what I’m doing’s.” 😝

* Fantastic characters—They’re deep, emotional, difficult, and always riveting to me. I couldn’t create meaningful books with characters that were anything less. I’m thankful these characters choose to reveal themselves to me (or, in some cases, that they choose not to reveal themselves and I have to get angry on their asses, LOL!). They make work worth it every day.

So I know I’ve asked you to share the people you’re thankful for in this month’s contest, but today, I want you to share what you’re thankful for. What else has been a blessing in your life?

Come visit me on my Facebook page and tell me what you're thankful for!

Inspiration!

Friday Inspiration

I’m thinking about a nightclub scene in the next IF ONLY book, something sexy and sensual and definitely leading to…well, you know. ;) I’ve been garnering “inspiration” from the couple in this video.

Whew! I think I need a drink!

Balance

How do I find that balance?

In all honesty, I think that’s a never-ending journey. Every time a rock shifts, we have to realign. Every time something settles, we have to readjust. In this new stage of life, I’m still finding my way. I know I’m doing something right, though, because I’m writing. And I’m finding joy. Those are the best indicators of balance for me.

How about you? How do you find balance? How do you know when you’ve succeeded?

Balance.

It’s an easy word to say. Not so hard to live.

A lot of the parts of my life are out of balance right now. Getting my oldest settled in college. My youngest getting his driver’s license—oy! Reorganizing my work so I have more time to focus on writing. Things falling by the wayside, and new things cropping up to stuff themselves in their place. If I’ve learned anything in over four decades of life, it’s that the chaos never stops, but my body and emotions need balance.

Binge Reads!

So what about you — series or not? What’s your favorite? (I need to add to my TBR! :P )

Want to check out Eden and Scarlett’s books? You can, right here:

http://www.edensummers.com

http://www.scarlettcole.com

I love reading a romance series. There’s nothing better to me than being able to visit couples from previous books again and again and again, seeing little glimpses of their lives while learning all new things about characters I’m just getting to know. The past couple of months, I’ve binged on two fantastic series that my assistant introduced me to: Eden Summers’s RECKLESS BEAT series and Scarlett Cole’s SECOND CIRCLE TATTOOS series. I’ve loved them both! And Scarlett’s series even has a followup, PRELOAD, that I now get to start on. I can’t tell you how excited I am. 😃

September Contest!

* * * September Monthly Contest * * *

Blue Collars Vs. Billionaires

September, finally! Cooler weather is coming, and before then, we get Labor Day — YAY! So this month I’m celebrating the broad range of alpha heroes by asking which one you like best:

*Blue-collar heroes – mechanics, soldiers, fighters…

OR

*Billionaire heroes – CEOs, heirs with a cause, tech geniuses…

Tell me who you love! (Bonus points if you *show* me. ;) )

One lucky commenter will win e-book copies of TWO of my backlist books. (Already have them all? Enter anyway; I’ll give you two of another author’s backlist books instead!)

*** Likes and shares with your booklover friends are appreciated but not required! Contest ends SEPTEMBER 29th. ***

Hop on over and check out the contest on my Facebook page!

Photo Inspiration

I’ve been working on my assassin book this week. Levi is so damn rough — and so damn sexy. I wanted to share the image that has inspired this week’s scenes. Every time I see this picture, my gut clenches!

Hop over to my FB page and take a peek, tell me what you think.

Do You Reread Your Favorite Books?

Some of my fave rereads are almost anything by Christine Feehan (love me some Carpathians!), Linda Howard, Lara Adrian, and Karen Rose (those dark thrillers…*shiver*). What about you? Do you reread your favorite authors over and over? Share your number one reread with us!

I admit, between writing (and the business that goes with it) and my day job as an editor, there’s not a lot of time for reading, much less searching out new authors. I’m a rereader through and through. It saves me the time of trying to find a new book to read that I know will be good. (Guess what? I’m the same way with TV and movies. Go figure… 😜)

August Giveaway

I’ve still got Ireland on my mind! This month I’m giving away a gift pack I brought back from my trip specifically for one winner, including:

* A journal from Trinity College Library, home of the Book of Kells

* Whiskey-infused chocolate from the Jameson Distillery on Bow Street, Dublin

* Seed packets from the poison gardens at Blarney Castle

* “Hot Irishman” Irish coffee mix

* A signed paperback copy of DECEIVE ME (featuring my very own Irishman, Fionn McConnough)

* A signed paperback copy of Dani Wade’s Backstage Pass Anthology, including one of my favorite Ireland-set BDSM romances — and boy, is it hawt! — STRIKING A CHORD (check this great series out here if you haven’t read them yet: http://amzn.to/2v4xbdp )

What do you have to do to win? Share a little secret with me…what accent do you find to be the sexiest in the world? Irish? Australian? Cajun? Inquiring minds want to know! And you get double the entries if you share a gif or video clip that includes an example. J

*** Likes and shares with your booklover friends are appreciated but not required! Contest ends

Naughty Hotties Memorial Weekend Blog Hop!

Happy holiday weekend! If you're visiting, you're probably traveling along the Nice Girls Writing Naughty blog hop, right? Well, I definitely have a hunk to share with you, my hero from TRUST ME, Jack.

Jack is as alpha as they come, but his woman, Maddie, is more than his match. At the end of TRUST ME, they've only known each other a few weeks, but Jack is certain they're meant to be together.

So what does he do? At a weekend bonfire, he waits until their guests say good night, then convinces Maddie to agree to whatever he asks. ;)

I've included the scene below for your Memorial Weekend enjoyment. Comment on this blog (and the others in the blog hop) for a chance at the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card.

And I'll also choose one lucky commenter to receive their very own copy of TRUST ME so you can read the rest of Jack and Maddie's gripping story. Don't miss out! Be sure and comment.

* * *

She was beautiful in the moonlight, the fire’s faint glow flickering over her skin. Jack couldn’t breathe, looking at her. Knowing she belonged to him. Knowing she’d chosen to stay instead of running, to trust him when everything in her world had taught her that trust meant pain. He reached out, tugging the hem of her tee up to allow his lips access to the smooth skin of her stomach.

“What is that for?” she asked.

“What do you think?” He nipped her in a particularly ticklish spot, then ran kisses over the place where Reed’s bullet had left such a horrible bruise. She’d healed, but he’d never forget it. He never wanted to see her in pain again. He wanted to love her, pleasure her. Right now.

But there was something else he had to do first.

For once words escaped him. He dug in his pants pocket, gripping the jewelers’ box tight before pulling it out for Maddie to see, only she wasn’t looking at him, so he placed the box carefully on her breastbone, right between her perfect mounds. Then he went back to kissing her.

“What’s this?”

He couldn’t answer; he was too afraid his voice would crack.

Maddie stared at him for a long moment. When he still didn’t speak, she sat up, the velvet-covered square in her hand. He held his breath when she opened the lid.

“Oh Jack.”

He sat up too.

Inside, nestled on a satiny white pillow, lay a narrow gold ring. Chocolate diamonds nestled in clusters along the band, formed into small rosettes that sparkled in the moonlight. His throat got tight as the same chocolate sparkles stared up at him from her eyes.

“I know it’s too soon to get engaged, but I wanted—”

But Maddie was already shaking her head. “You’re always worried about too soon, you jackass. Who cares about too soon? Worry about what you want instead.” She dug the ring from the box and slid it onto her left ring finger. “It’s beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful.” And his ring on her finger… His breath got choppy. “Strip for me,” he said. Without waiting for an answer, he unzipped his jeans, the relief bringing a sigh to his lips. He pushed the stiff material down and lay back to watch as Maddie removed her clothes one piece at a time. The little tease was making him wait. Only when he circled his stiff erection and pumped roughly did she hurry up.

“Did you need something?” she asked teasingly.

He growled as she got to her knees, her breasts bobbing in the moonlight. “You on my dick.”

“Aren’t you charming.”

“Always.” He gripped her by the waist and tugged her atop him. Maddie spread her legs, and hot liquid settled against his needy shaft. They groaned together.

Jack swore his voice went so rough it scratched his vocal cords. “I want you, Maddie.”

“You’ve got me.” She rocked atop him, coating him in her sweet cream.

“Forever?”

Maddie went still. She stared down at him for a long time, her eyes too dark to read in the dim light. Jack held his breath. Finally she leaned forward, her full breasts coming to rest on his chest, her lips a whisper away from his. “Forever, Jack.” She kissed him. “Forever.”

* * *

Remember, your comment is your key to two great prizes this weekend! And be sure to return to the Nice Girls Writing Naughty blog to continue along the blog hop for more great prizes.

TRUST ME is available at the following retailers if you'd like a copy of your own:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS

KOBO

IBOOKS

Hunky Holiday Blog Hop!

Does he look cold to you? ;)

Welcome to my stop on the NGWN Hunky Holiday Blog Hop! The NGWN ladies are known for their man candy on our Facebook group, but we want to share it with you, here, on our blogs this cold December weekend. Be sure and check out every stop on the hop for more chances to win great prizes, including a copy of one of my backlist e-books and the grand prize of a $50 All Romance eBooks Gift Card from Tina Christopher!

So which hunky hero am I introducing, you might ask? Well, it being the holidays, there was really only one choice: Damien.

My hero from Naughty Little Christmas heats up the cold Atlanta nights like no hero before him. I thought I'd share with you a little snippet of what Christmas with Damien is like, and exactly what he likes to get into under the Christmas tree...

*

Blinking away sudden tears, Harley watched as Damien lifted a hand to his collar and slowly, one by one, undid each button he encountered. Her skin hot, tight, she began to pull her shirt from the waistband of the miniskirt she wore, but Damien shook his head. “Nope. You are going to wait until I tell you to undress.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “I am?”

His wicked grin said he knew she’d obey, questions or not. “You are.”

So damn sure of himself—and, unfortunately, right. She waited, watching, anticipation stirring inside her as he revealed the smooth golden skin she loved to touch. When his shirt dropped to the floor, she swallowed hard. He let her stare, let her gaze trail the muscular width of his shoulders, the smooth skin stretched across his perfect chest, the six-pack that continued below his belt. And then his hands were grasping his belt, unbuckling, sliding the length of leather from each loop.

His words broke the silence. “I have this fantasy.”

Her knees went weak. “What about?” she croaked.

The belt joined the shirt on the floor, and Damien went for his zipper. “That very first night, when I saw your hair”—the metal hissed as he lowered it—“I thought it reminded me of these suckers I used to love as a kid. Strawberries and cream.” A chuckle quirked the side of his mouth.

“Life Savers?” she asked. He ate the miniature versions of the ring-shaped pops all the time, not that she really cared what he ate right now. Her attention was too absorbed in the wait for his pants to fall. She wanted to see his cock, wanted to taste it, touch it, ride it. Have free rein to do as she liked with the instrument of so much of her pleasure.

“That’s the one.”

“I thought you hated my hair.”

“No. I loved it. That’s why I wanted you to change it.”

Because even then, he’d been attracted to her, just like she’d been attracted to him. The knowledge warmed the pit of her stomach. “So what’s this fantasy?”

Damien toed off his shoes, then slid his pants and boxers down his legs, taking his socks with them. When he stood, he was gloriously naked. Aroused. Mouthwatering. Harley barely kept herself from falling to her knees and begging to suck him down.

“I want,” he said as he reached for a small bag on the mantel, “to run one of these candies over every inch of your body. I want to taste the sweetness on your skin, taste you, until every time I put one in my mouth, all I can think about is you. Tonight.” The last word scraped across his vocal cords as he took her hand and pulled her toward the bed. “Now strip.”

Harley hesitated. “There’s something I want too.”

“Hmm?”

“I want to taste you.”

His pupils dilated, shock and desire drowned in chocolate. “I think we can work something out.”

“Okay then.” And she stripped.

*

Doesn't that suit just make you want to muss him up? ;) There's lots more adventure under the Christmas tree in Naughty Little Christmas. Be sure and check it out!

And if you leave a comment below telling me your favorite Christmas candy, you could win a copy of Naughty or another book on my backlist.

Comments must be posted before 12 a.m. Sunday (EST) in order to win. I'll post my winner here, and Tina will post all of the winners on the NGWN blog on Monday, December 15th.

Remember, the more comments you leave, the more chances you have at that grand prize! So HOP BACK TO THE NGWN BLOG and visit some more Hunky Holiday Heroes!

~ Ella

Where in the World Is Ella? ~ Part 2

We continue my trip around the blogging world with a few more visits this week. Check it out -- and don't forget, some giveaways are still open! Babbling About Books

Katiebabs is graciously hosting me on November 7th to discuss my take on the "write what you know" mantra for writers. You get to see how much of Teach Me really is "what I know." :)

Ramblings from this Chick

I visited RftC to talk about why we love tough-guy heroes. Soldiers (like Conlan), cops, firefighters, MMA fighters...why do these tough heroes make us weak in the knees?

RftC is also hosting a giveaway, a copy of Dirty Little Secret and Naughty Little Christmas -- it's two books for one entry! :) Giveaway ends November 14th, so check it out ASAP.

Just Romantic Suspense

On Just Romantic Suspense, I'm talking villains instead of heroes. What makes a good villain? What makes my villains perfect to hate?

Where in the World Is Ella? ~ Part 1

I began a blog tour last week for the release of Teach Me. It's been so much fun writing about the things I've learned and my thoughts on writing and reading, heroines and sexy, sexy heroes. You can click over to any of these blogs and take a look at what I had to say. Some of them still have open giveaways too! Reading Cafe

The Reading Cafe hosted me for a guest post, "Five Things I Learned While Writing Teach Me." Julie B. kindly reviewed the book as well, so check out her thoughts on Conlan and Jess. This giveaway is open until Tuesday, November 4th!

Riverina Romantics

This was a fun one! I did a little guest post called "Love on the Run," where I discussed the disadvantages of, ahem, sexy times while the villain is in pursuit. ;)

Romance Junkies

I gave an interview to Romance Junkies that, if not a tell-all, does reveal some interesting things about me, including what my "perfect" hero is like and the place I'd most like to be whisked away to...

Savvy Authors

I'm over at Savvy Authors talking about the Power of Perseverance, how important it is to keep going, keep pushing when you have a story you need to tell.

Swept Away By Romance

Swept Away is hosting me TODAY, Monday November 3rd, to talk about how absolutely crazy I am. No kidding. ;) Hop on over and have your fears for me confirmed, lol!

Where To Next?

Stay tuned! Next week I'll have a couple more visits to share, and maybe some more giveaways. Don't miss it!

NGWN Teacher's Pet Blog Hop

Hello, everyone! I'm so glad you're visiting for Ms. Dakota Trace's NGWN blog hop, Teacher's Pet! I have my very own pet below. ;) Don't forget to gather your facts about him and return to the NGWN blog to enter the information and gain a chance to win that $50 gift certificate! Now here's my pet:

Brad is the hero from my latest release, Just a Little More. Here are five fast facts about him:

1. In high school, Brad was voted most likely to become a father early. He spent way too much time watching over all his friends -- and going out with the girls. ;)

2. The craziest thing Brad did in high school was...fall in love with his best friend. Oh, and there was that incident in the janitorial closet with what's her name, but we won't mention that...

3. Growing up, Brad wanted to be just like his big brother, Michael.

4. In college, Brad's crush was Angel, his best friend, but she lived hundreds of miles away. No other woman would do.

5. In high school, Brad was president of the student body. They were his responsibility, you know, and he had to take care of them. :)

There you have it! Brad was a favorite with the girls and all the boys looked up to him. So what happened after his illustrious high school/college career? Find out in Brad and Angel's book, Just a Little More:

Six weeks ago Angel had it all—a brand-new master’s degree, an apartment with her best friend, Brad, and the chance to take their friendship to a whole hot new level. But on the night of their first kiss, a would-be rapist ripped her bright future apart. Stuck in a never-ending cycle of fear and depression, Angel is determined to find herself again, even if it means putting herself at risk.

Brad has loved Angel since he saved her from a playground bully in the fifth grade. But just as it seemed Angel’s eyes were opening to the true feelings between them, it all fell apart. When Angel disappears on the night of a freak snowstorm, Brad is determined to find her. And when he does, he won’t let her hide any longer. It’s time to wake her up—to a life without fear, and to a love that can heal the deepest wounds.

Just a Little More is available at Loose Id, Amazon, ARe, B&N, and Kobo. And don't forget to go back and fill out your entry for the NGWN Teacher's Pet Blog Hop Grand Prize!!!

Recipes to Cool a Blistering Heat!

I have so much going on over the next month! Two books to finish, school to start for my kiddoes, work to accomplish, and decisions to be made. Southern Nights will be live October 23rd with book one, Teach Me. *squeee!!!* :) I can't wait for this series to come out! And still there's more to come, like... The latest Nice Girls Writing Naughty party!

Beginning today, Nice Girl (and FAB author) Jianne Carlo begins our NGWN August event, Recipes To Cool a Blistering Heat. Every day for the next two weeks, one of us Nice Girls will post a recipe sure to make the summer heat more bearable. We love sharing with you, our readers, the little things in our lives, including stuff we love to eat! And we want you to share with us too. That's why we're asking you to post your favorite recipes in the comments sections of the blog each day. Your recipe can be a drink (mine is!), an appetizer, an entree, or a dessert. At the end of two weeks, one reader will win the Grand Prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card. AND the Nice Girls, being nice ;) , will vote on the recipes we like most in each category, and the winners will also receive prizes!

Sound like fun?

Hop on over to the blog today (and the rest of the week) to share your yummy recipes with us and gain a chance to win one of FIVE prizes on August 17th! My post goes live tomorrow, and I assure you, it's cool, refreshing, and absolutely perfect for sipping off firm, beautiful abs. <3

And if you want to keep up-to-date with all the exciting things I've got going on these days (including new releases and fun contests), be sure and sign up for my newsletter. I promise not to hold back any sexy details -- or man candy. ;)

~ Ella

Sizzling Summer Nights Blog Hop

Welcome to the JustRomance.Me's Sizzling Summer Nights Blog Hop! Tons of prizes and tons of sizzling hot romances are up for grabs this weekend, including a Kindle Fire -- how's that for sizzling? :) Keep this up and we'll need to look like this guy <---- by the end of the hop, all wet and...okay, he doesn't look like that water has helped him cool off, does he? That smouldering look. Those muscles. That hair you just itch to run your fingers through. Ahem. Where was I?

Oh, right. Sizzling hot romances. Well, what makes a romance "hot" for me is certainly the hero! Much like Mr. Sexy over there, each of my books has a hero that leaves me melted into a puddle. I thought you might like to be introduced, because, you know, we can never have too much eye candy, right? ;)

Great! So here are the heroes of my Secrets To Hide series:

Alex Brannigan (Dirty Little Secret, STH #1)

Job: Vice President of Keane Industries, a top US technology company

Stats: 36, dark hair and eyes, 6'2" and muscular

Weakness: a curvy blonde with the sweetest caramel-colored eyes he's ever seen -- and a body that tempts him to sin

What I picture Alex looking like:

*swoon*

Damien Adams (Naughty Little Christmas, STH #2)

Job: owner of three of the hottest nightclubs across the US

Stats: 36, boyish good looks, brown eyes, 6'3" with a broad chest and shoulders to cry over

Weakness: LifeSavers Strawberries & Cream candies -- and the woman whose hair reminds him of them

What I picture Damien looking like:

*feeling faint*

Brad Donovan (Just a Little More, STH #3)

Job: charming bartender and manager in training at Thrice

Stats: 23, thick blond hair with brown lowlights that make you want to delve into them, 6'2", sexy gray eyes

Weakness: the spunky woman he fell in love with way back in the fifth grade

Here's what I picture Brad looking like:

So what do you think? Hunky heroes, right? If you'd like to read about them, check out my Bookshelf page for more sizzling hot details. And before you dash off to visit the other authors on the blog hop, don't forget to comment below for a chance to win a copy of Brad's book, Just a Little More.

Now...off to more Sizzling Summer Nights stops! :)

*Final photo courtesy of Michael Kelly.