My dh came into my office the other night and said, “The leaves are falling already.” I told him, “No, put them back!” I’m not ready to give summer up yet. The 95 degree weather has given way to cool breezy 60 degrees. I do love fall and the fall colors. I think about baking apple pies, apple crisp, apple anything. As the nights become too cool to sit out on our porch, watching movies become the option.

I love movies. All kinds from old classics, action-adventure, SciFi, suspense, comedies, some scary (not overly gross scary), and sexy/romantic movies are some of favorites.

I started compiling a list of the ultra sexy flicks and would love to hear from you for suggestions. A few favorites that come to mind are DECEPTION with Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams. An “accidental” switch of cell phones draws McGregor into an ultra wealthy and secret sex club called “The List”. What seems like a happy accident for McGregor turns into murder and corporate embezzlement.

WILD ORCHID, an older flick, but one of my favs is a fun, sexy movie with Mickey Rouke (when he was still hot), Jacqueline Bisset, and Carre Otis. It’s a sultry, erotic story set in Rio de Janeiro. I like exotic settings.  It’s a tangle of raw sensuality and emotions.

BODY HEAT with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. Again sex and murder makes for a classic, sultry and compelling combination.

BASIC INSTINCT- Very hot and suspenseful with twists and turns with Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas. Sharon Stone had a run of a few sexy flicks: SLIVER and BASIC INSTINCT 2. And Michael Douglas had FATAL ATRACTION.

 So these are just a few to warm you up on the chilly nights. What are your favorite ultra sexy flicks??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTE and APPEARANCES:  Reminder DRAGON WITCH is due out on September 15^th at Ellora’s Cave 

I’ll be doing a book launch party with Author Island on October 2^nd at: http://www.cyberlaunchparty.blogspot.com and giving away a copy of DESERT OF THE DAMNED mark it on your calendars. I hope to see you there.

Guest blogging with Fang-tastic Books   with book giveaway on September 28^th.

Guest blogging with Castles and Guns  on October 17th

Morning everyone! Hope your Labor Holiday was a good one. I’m still half awake. Got the coffee in hand, though.  So I’m ready to give you a great snippet of MAJOR PLEASURE and an awesome review I received on it just yesterday.

MAJOR PLEASURE is one of those novellas where everything feel together for me. True, it took more than one draft to get it the way I wanted, just as it does for everything I write. This one felt…good. One of those stories where I knew the heart was in it and there was a good chance people would feel that heart. I’ve gotten wonderful reviews for this story. Here’s a snippet of the latest from Night Owl Reviews:

“Major Pleasure is a very sexy novella with a lot of heart…There is nothing in this short novel that does not have the ring of true authenticity…The war operation is not detailed here, just a truly sexy, emotionally raw love story which I heartily recommend.”

You can find the full review at:

http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Reviews/Annfes-reviews-Major-Pleasure-by-Denise-A-Agnew.aspx

MAJOR PLEASURE was part of an anthology called BY HONOR BOUND and all three stories were connect by family ties. I’m so glad this story had a chance to come out as a novella on its own, because it’s reached a lot more readers because of it. This is a military romance, but it isn’t romantic suspense in any way as many military romances are today. And for this story that’s okay. Here’s a blurb and excerpt. Then I need more coffee. Oh, and there’s a longer excerpt on the MAJOR PLEASURE book page on my website if you want more.

MAJOR PLEASURE

He’s got the military command…

Army Special Forces Major Blayne Forbes has always desired Jemma Teagan, but knows she’s off limits for a casual relationship. The last thing he wants is involvement with a forever kind of woman. Jemma’s desire for the diamond-in-the-rough soldier has never faded, and when he tumbles into her arms, the tough guy sends her heart rate into orbit. She doesn’t want to love a man destined for danger, until he challenges her to a display of hardware she can’t resist.

* *

Jemma saw the big man walking toward her with confident strides. Her heart leapt in surprise and happiness, then thundered with excitement.

She couldn’t restrain how her breath quickened and her body hummed whenever she saw him. It didn’t matter that months of separation parted them, or that he traveled the world keeping freedom, hope, and democracy intact. No, she responded to him with unadulterated pleasure and a full-on lust she couldn’t control.

Then reality intruded. What was Blayne doing home? She almost called out to him in greeting, until she saw his slight limp and the tired expression on his face. Pale, with five o’clock shadow and a haunted look in his eye, he didn’t appear like the tough, indomitable soldier she’d known for almost two years. He caught sight of her and his trademark sultry smile started, then came to a dead stop. His mouth opened but instead of greeting her, he put one hand out to prop against the doorframe.

“Damn,” he muttered as his eyelids started to flutter.

Worried, she reached up to cup his face in one hand. “Blayne, are you all right?”

The dazed look in his eyes retreated. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

With instincts honed by years of growing up with brothers who didn’t see the doctor unless their parents hogtied them, she shifted her touch to his forehead. “You’re feverish. What’s wrong?”

He blinked as if someone had just told him he’d jumped out of a plane without a parachute. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m good.”

A little surprised by his gruff tone, she withdrew her hand. His stubble-roughened jaw scratched against her palm, and though he looked tired, he could still make the molecules in her body come to a standstill and take notice. No doubt about it, in her personal dictionary under the word hunk, the description said Blayne Forbes. From the first time Graham introduced them, she had a gut-level reaction to the man. Blayne’s unique combination of gallantry combined with a dangerous edge intrigued her. So did the soulful, sexually charged nuance in his thickly lashed dark eyes. A short, military cut restrained the curls in his lustrous, thick ash-colored hair. His somewhat crooked nose and strong jaw line added to the craggy image. His incredible, conditioned body spelled sin. In the recipe book of life under delicious there should be a picture of Major Blayne William Forbes.

For too long, steamy, sexy dreams of being with him haunted her. It didn’t help he looked delicious enough to eat. Swirling heat filled her loins and mixed with her extreme pleasure at seeing him. God, the man is gorgeous.

Today he wore a black leather bomber jacket, thick red turtleneck sweater, and butt-loving jeans showcasing his long, muscular legs. But it didn’t matter what he wore because every time she saw him, her libido caught on fire whether she liked it or not.

More often not.

After all, getting involved with a footloose, rough-and-tumble Special Forces officer didn’t define her idea of safe and secure. He had a risky job. Chances are one of these days he’d come back from a mission in a flag-draped coffin.

Right now, though, he looked anything but tough and it worried her.

He kept his hand on the doorjamb. “Sorry, Sweets. It’s been a long day.”

Sweets. Only Blayne could get away with calling her something like that. And she’d been too damn chicken to ask him why he’d pinned her with the nickname not long after they’d met. He never said it in an insulting manner, but always in a warm, teasing tone.

“I didn’t know you were coming home,” she said. “I figured Graham would have mentioned that your unit was back.”

A grim, almost sarcastic smile spread over his face. “Graham may not have heard. I’m back alone.”

“Why?”

Clutching at the doorjamb, he shrugged those mile-wide shoulders. “Long story.”

Her eyes narrowed as she frowned. “I saw you limping. Is that why you’re back?”

His mouth thinned, his gaze sharpening. “Among other things. Is Graham here?”

“I stopped by to see if he wanted to go out to lunch, but he apparently ran out to do some errands.”

“I should have called first.” He released the doorjamb gingerly, as if unsure he could stand without the support. “It doesn’t matter. I needed to come on post anyway.”

His gaze centered on Jemma again and this time the way he looked at her brought wild, rushing feelings back to her. Warm and appreciative, his attention caressed her face. Her cheeks flushed under his unbridled interest. As her nipples tingled in response, she wanted to reach up and hug him. Every so often she thought she caught two emotions running across his expression and it always caught her off guard.

Lust and tenderness.

**

Hope you enjoyed this snippet of MAJOR PLEASURE.

Here’s the wordle I created:

Enjoy, and many blessings!

Lise

(also writing as Elle Amour)

www.lisefuller.com, www.elleamour.com

Claimed and Guardian Angel now out with Ellora’s Cave.

Intimate Deceptions now in print with Ellora’s Cave.

All reviews are subjective. We as authors know that not everyone is going to like our books. But it’s great, and a big relief, when a reviewer DOES like it. So I have to share this one from Romantic Times Magazine.

 4 Stars: “Excellent storytelling, complete with a demoness and her minions, enlivens the pages with shapeshifting space travelers bent on destruction. There is plenty of sex to titillate the senses and enough intrigue to challenge the mind.” Reviewed by Donna M. Brown.

Here’s the blurb she gave: “Sakari is a Drone who must give many offerings of chi to the rulers of Anartia to keep their planet in existence. Her goal is to capture Sha Warriors from Earth to utilize their superior sexual energy. Unfortunately she kills her first assignment. Not wanting to return to her slave status, she begs for another chance.

Once again Brad is passed over for the search and rescue team. He escapes to the desert, where he encounters a beautiful young woman. Brad and Sakari begin an adventure that takes them out of this world. Unfortunately, Sakari is monitored by other Drones who report her status to the rulers. She’s falling fast for Brad, a Sha Warrior and shapeshifter, and doesn’t want him sacrificed.”

 http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-8075-327-damned-and-desired.aspx

series instead. But I digress. One of the series, Hunters for Hire, is a multi-author science fiction series for which I helped to write the series bible. My first book in a planned trilogy for the series, Tomorrow, came out over a year and a half ago. And I haven’t started the next one yet. I was hoping to have it out this year, but clearly that is not happening. So, next year. But it will have been so long between books I may have to revise the book a little to remind readers of the first one. Popular wisdom says this is too long between books in a series. I sort of agree, but, dammit, I want to write the other books! So I will. I also have at least three other books I’d like write for the series, besides the others in the trilogy.

Before I can write any of the science fiction books, however, I have to write the next book in my Brothers In Arms Regency series. That book will be Very’s story. She’s a character I’ve had in almost all the books since the first, and readers (and my editor) have been asking for her book for years. I’ve promised. I did that stupid writer thing and promised readers it was coming early next year. So I’ve got to light a fire under it and get it done. Mind you, I’ve had her story plotted for years, so it’s not figuring out the story that will take time, just the actual writing process. I wish we could get brain implants so we could just think the story and it would appear on our computers.

Wouldn’t that be awesome?! I could write twenty books a year if I could do that. A hundred books. They may all suck, but by golly I’d get them written.

And in the meantime my brain forced me to write a sweet little contemporary m/m romance that it would not stop thinking about, to the exclusion of all else. And now my brain is completely occupied with my newest project, a mainstream m/f science fiction that I’m co-writing with my cp.

Stop the merry-go-round! I want to get off! Okay, not really. I’m glad the creative juices are still overflowing. As my kids get older, believe it or not, they actually require more time from me. I thought when I didn’t have to change diapers, wipe bottoms, spoon-feed, and try to translate baby babble into English I’d have lots of time to write. But now I’m Chauffeur Mom. School, swimming, Little League, boy scouts, playdates and birthday parties. My kids are too popular and well-rounded. I need to get them addicted to video games and bad t.v. so I can stay at home and write.

No, it’s not another Playstation or Xbox game. I found some interesting things about dragons while researching for my new book with Ellora’s Cave, Dragon Witch. Dragons appear in many popular movies: Dragonheart, Eragon, Dragon Slayer, Nerverending Story and others.

 Dragon mythology can be found in most cultures throughout the world.  The two most common types are the European dragon and the Chinese dragon. But there are many others I came across and each have interesting characteristics. Most dragons are huge reptilian-like creatures, with either one or two sets of lizard-like legs, a long tail and able to emit fire from their mouths. Dragons with no front legs are called wyvern.

 The European Dragon has bat-like wings protruding from its back. These dragons are hatched from eggs and are known to viciously guard treasures, hidden in a cave. European dragons are usually depicted as malevolent.

Chinese Dragons resemble a snake and can have many legs. They are said to possess great wisdom and magic. Chinese dragons can take on human form (Ancient shapeshifters-ha!) and were thought of as benevolent.

 One of my characters, Kai, is a shapeshifting dragon with an interesting lifecycle. I did find a few shapeshifting dragons in my research but none with the peculiar traits that Kai has.

The Eight Types of Dragons:

1.      The Naga –  A wingless dragon from India. They prefer watery dwellings and sometimes guard treasure like the European dragons. 

2.      The Bakunawa – From the Philippines. It’s a deity that looks like a serpentine dragon with 2 sets of wings and a large mouth. Bakunawa translates to “moon eater” or “man eater”.

3.      The Yilgean – From Siberia – A reptilian dragon depicted as a man-eater.

4.      The Korean dragon – Similar to the Chinese dragons. They were supposed to be peaceful and kind and like watery places—rivers, ponds, lakes and oceans.

5.      The Niòhöggr – From Scandinavia. A Norse legend and a nasty one. It lives below a giant ash tree, trapped in a seething caldron of corpses. An equivalent of Hell.

6.      The Zmaj – In the Republic of Slovenia – Three heads, green scaly skin and fire-spitting. All the usual traits associated with dragons.

7.      The Chuvash dragon – The European part of Russia. Winged, fire-breathing, but can shapeshift from dragon to human and back.

8.      The Cuélebre – A Spanish dragon from Auturias/Cantabria. It’s serpentine, winged and has colorful scales. They’re immortal and hoard treasure and fairy-like blonde nymphs.

Dragon Witch

Dragon Witch will be available on September 15^th.  http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8624-50-dragon-witch.aspx

**

Love can be a bitch…

Romance author Gina Aames has hit a low point in her career. Sequestered in an isolated mountain cabin, she hopes for inspiration. She lapses into a fantasy featuring her old college friend, gorgeous Ryan “Irish” Ahern. When Ryan appears at her door, unconscious and packing a weapon, her instincts tell her Ryan brings danger with him. At the same time, her body and heart yearns for the cocky agent.

Love can be dangerous…

Ryan awakens in a cabin with a woman who claims to have known him for ten years but he can’t remember her. All he knows is the pretty woman who fires his libido stirs protective instincts inside him, and his intuition tells him peril lurks around the corner.

Love can save the day, or break a heart…

Something unholy draws nearer, and as they escape into a shadowy realm unlike anything they’ve seen before, only their scorching connection and answers to an incredible mystery can save Ryan and Gina from a terrible fate.

**

Another thump hit the door, hollow and disturbing. She licked her lips, her heart pounding like a triphammer.

“Who is there?” Gina asked with conviction.

When she received no answer, she wondered if a bear or other large creature had found its way to her door. Gina didn’t know which to be afraid of—human or animal interference.

She undid the deadbolt and left the safety chain hooked. Slowly, she inched the door open and peered around the side. A head of thick black hair appeared at foot level. Not a disembodied head, but one attached to the big, gorgeous body lying on the porch. A body belonging to a man she’d know anywhere.

Ryan Ahern had materialized right from her fantasy straight into reality. “Oh my God.”

He moaned and she undid the chain to open the door completely. Ryan flopped onto his back, half in the door and half out, his eyes closed. He clutched a nasty-looking firearm in his right hand. Stark fear gripped her.

Stunned into immobility by Ryan’s abrupt appearance, Gina stared at him.

“Shit,” she murmured as she knelt by his supine body and felt for a pulse in his tanned throat.

A steady beat under her fingertips sent a sigh of relief between her lips. Glancing over his formfitting blue T-shirt and worn blue jeans told her nothing about his condition. No blood. No tears in his clothing. The weapon gripped in his hand like a lifeline shouldn’t have surprised her—he’d joined the same government agency Tara’s fiancé Marcus belonged to. Was Ryan on assignment?

Thunder growled, and moisture scented the air. She had to remove him from the elements. Placing one hand on his stubble-rough cheek and one on his shoulder, she tried to rouse him. Damn, but his muscles felt solid. Big and invincible. She palmed down to his muscular chest and her breath caught as he heaved a soft moan. Laced with pain, the sound worried her. Nothing mattered now but making certain he was all right.

She placed both hands on his chest. “Irish? Come on, Ryan. Wake up.”

His eyes popped open, and he sat up so fast she toppled back on her ass with a squeak and grunt. His eyes, mountain-sky blue and ringed by thick black lashes, latched on to her without remorse. An angry gaze pinpointed her like a laser. A weird little thrill tumbled in her belly at the intensity in that expression. She’d become so used to warmth and acceptance in his gorgeous eyes—the fierceness in his gaze startled and aroused her in a whole new way. Wow. She’d had rare glimpses of his kick-ass-and- take-names personage years ago, but this glaring, forceful man startled her. She stood rapidly.

“Who are you?” His voice, a raspy, deep sound tinged with a hint of Ireland, always sent tingles straight to her stomach.

“Who am I?” Her echo sounded incredulous. “We’ve known each other for a long time. How can you ask that question?” He blinked, his gaze turning a bit unfocused and confused. “I found you lying on the porch up against my door. Did you hit your head?”

He scrambled upright, his muscles fluid as a panther as he came to his feet, still in possession of the gun. He towered over her, his gaze laser strong. He swayed and his eyelids flickered as he leaned one shoulder against the doorjamb. While he defined black Irish with his tousled, collar-length black hair, blue eyes and normally pale complexion, he’d acquired a tan in the last couple of years during the summer.

She approached him as she would a wounded animal. “Ryan, why don’t you sit down?”

He glared at her then his eyelids flickered again.

“Oh, no you don’t,” she said in alarm, afraid he’d pass out. Quickly, she went to his side. Ignoring the gun he still clutched, she slipped under his arm. “Come on. Lean on me.” To her surprise, he did as told. She staggered under his weight as they wove their way to the leather couch. She eased him down. “Here. Lie down.”

She expected him to protest, but his gaze turned foggy. He slid sideways onto the pile of pillows, his eyes closed. She scooped his heavy legs up onto the couch, and he sprawled in a male abandon both defenseless and primal. He still possessed the weapon, his arm lying over his stomach. God, if she tried to take it from him—no, that wasn’t a good idea. She hurried back to the front door and closed it, then returned to the couch.

Apprehensive about touching him again, she got down on her knees beside the couch. Slowly she brushed a tangle of thick hair away from his forehead. She gently touched the pulse point in his throat. His pulse beat rapidly under her fingertips. She didn’t see any blood or obvious bruising.

“Ryan? Ryan, can you hear me?”

Worried, she stood and went to the kitchen to get a cold cloth for his forehead. She had to try to rouse him and obtain medical attention. Reaching into a small cabinet, she retrieved a cloth and then went to the sink to wet it. After soaking it thoroughly and squeezing the cloth out, she turned around.

“Oh, shit!” she gasped, startled.

Ryan stood not that far away, just beyond the kitchen counter, weapon in hand. Muscles tensed, he represented uncompromising masculinity. Once a soldier, always a soldier described him.

No one compared to Ryan Ahern. Every line of his body boasted tensile strength and sinew. Corded muscle bunched, flexed and made sensual promises. She recalled one day when she saw him chopping wood during the summer. Raw power had drawn her eyes to the long lines and distinct masculinity in each powerful swing as he brought ruthless metal down into wood.

“Ryan, what happened? Why are you here?”

He turned toward the front door with a jerk then stalked in that direction. He swept the door open and surveyed the wilderness outside. He closed the door and locked it with a firm click, engaging the chain.

“Damn it.” He rammed the deadbolt home. “This might not hold for long once it finds out where I am.”

“It?”

He continued to stare at the door, as if expecting something to crash through it any minute.

Fear returned as she watched his broad back ripple with strength. “Ryan—”

“Lady,” he said as he swung back toward her, “we don’t have time to play games. We’re in serious trouble.”

***

Hope you enjoyed this peek into HIDEAWAY. See you next week!

I’ve moved into my new house, more or less unpacked and have just returned from a welcome and relaxing few weeks at the cottage.

It’s time to get back to work. Actually, it’s time to get to work since the move means I’ve been on scheduled hiatus.

September is “back to school” month at my house and I’m no exception. I’m back in the virtual classroom with two courses next month. And, I’m very excited to offer a new course in October. 

Here’s the listing:

The Journey Cycle

coming September 2010 through

Yosemite Romance Writers – Heart of California RWA

Course Description:

Is your protagonist poised at the Edge of the Forest, negotiating the Trail of Breadcrumbs, or facing the Mirror on the Wall? To reach a satisfying ending to any story, be it romance or another genre, each step in the Journey requires careful deliberation if your hero or heroine is to pass the Glass Slipper Test.

This course uses the familiar, symbolic world of Fairy Tales to reinterpret the Hero’s Journey into easy to understand motifs. As a story building tool, the course examines key issues and poses a series of questions about each stage to help writers “troubleshoot” their way to the next “level”. A 2-part assignment is included with each of the 12 lectures.

Whether you are seeking a better understanding of the journey process to create a stronger story structure or you are looking for some brainstorming ideas to conquer a certain leg of that journey, this course is for you!

Power Promotion

 
coming September 20-October 1, 2010 from Lowcountry Romance Writers

Course Description:

When you know everything there is to know about your story, it’s hard to stay focused on the Big Picture.

This intensive 2 week workshop teaches you how to convert your creative concept into bite size promotional chunks that will allow you to effectively market your manuscript.

Learn:

4 pre-writing exercises to presenting characters;
3 pre-writing exercises to synthesizing your plot;
and 2 key issues that will help you identify the unique features of your story.

Alphas: Leaders of the Pack

 
coming October 2010 from Savvy Authors

Course Description:

You don’t like me, Bond. You don’t like my methods. You think I’m an accountant, a bean counter who’s more interested in my numbers than your instincts. … Good, because I think you’re a sexist, misogynist dinosaur. …

Judy Dench as M to Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in Goldeneye

Someone has to save our skins. Into the garbage chute, fly boy.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia to Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars: A New Hope

Who is he and what’s her story?

Using numerous examples from movies and books, award winning author Robin Matheson demystifies the male and female alpha archetype.

Topics include:

1. The Basics behind Pack Mentality and the Dominant Wolf

2. Key Personality Profile Traits of a Typical Alpha

3. Identifying an Alpha Skill Set

4. Goals and Motivations: The Focused Alpha

5. Archetypal Alphas

6. On Being a Man—On Being a Woman: The Alpha’s Emotional Vulnerabilities

I’ve never written with a partner before. It’s an interesting experience. We’re doing it a bit slow and awkwardly, but I’m convinced we’ll hit our stride soon. We plotted the project on Scrivener, but discovered that we can’t share projects that way. Anyone else run into this? We even got a very polite response from Scrivener saying basically sorry, but we haven’t worked out that glitch yet. LOL So we’re writing in Word and just trading files back and forth. Today I’m going in and deleting old files so I always have just the most recent on my computer, to avoid mistakes.

I was surprised by how easily we were able to divide the book up into who does what. Well, not that surprised I guess. I asked this person to work on this book with me because I knew our individual strengths and weaknesses would compliment each other. And when we sat down and plotted and said I want this, you do that, it coincided perfectly. I love it when a plan comes together.

On another topic, Kathy’s post on rejections was quite timely for me. I just made up  my mind not to do a revise and resubmit. This particular agent wanted me to do it to turn my book into one she was more comfortable selling. She just didn’t have the experience or knowledge of the original genre, she thought, to do it justice. But she really liked my writing, and we hit it off when we spoke on the phone. But after a lot of thought I’ve decided not to do it. Because what she wants me to do with it isn’t what it is, or what I write. That was a tough decision. But I feel in my gut it was the right one. She did, however, have a lot of great suggestions about the book that I’m going to use in a revision, just not the one she wanted. LOL Writers. What can I say?