Welcome to my first Wacky Wednesday!
I have a kid story to kick things off. A couple weekends ago I was at my cousin's house. We each have two kids between the ages of 9 and 4. Well, the first night my cousin and I went to bed about 11:30p and I zonked right out!
The next morning, after breakfast, my cousin asks me, "Do you know where your kids were at midnight?"
My reply: "Considering they were sleeping in the same room as me, and asleep when I went to bed, they should've been with me."
She laughed and explained how she lay in bed the night before and heard noises downstairs. Her first trip downstairs to check on things showed all was fine. Back in bed, she heard more noises and trekked down again. When she opened the door to her daughter's room she caught my two munchkins kneeling next to the bed trying to wake up her two. When she asked what was going on, my dear daughter replied, "We're just carrying out our part of the plan."
At midnight. The "Plan" was to wait for us grown-ups to go to bed, and then they'd all get up and play while the adults slept. And with my kid's ability to stay up much later than they should, they almost succeeded. Because I didn't hear a thing--even when my cousin herded my two back to bed in the room I was sleeping. LOL
Hard to be upset with them though when my cousin and I remember coming up with plenty of "Plans" whenever we used to get together as kids.
Any "Plans" your kids have cooked up lately? And did they succeed or did you thwart them?
Stacey Joy netzel
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday Share: A Fair of the Heart
Here's an excerpt from Donna Marie Rogers first story in the Welcome to Redemption series, A FAIR OF THE HEART.
Single mother, and work-at-home beautician, Lauren Frazier can barely keep a roof over her head, never mind stop it from falling down around her. When handyman Caleb Hunter shows up at her door for a haircut, it’s like the answer to her prayers—and the attraction is instantaneous. Too bad her troublesome ten-year-old son isn’t quite as thrilled to have Caleb hanging around.
Old wounds have kept Caleb from returning to Redemption permanently. When he receives word of his mother’s unexpected death, guilt and regret bring him home again, but will the love of a good woman keep him there? Beautiful, witty, and strong, Lauren excites Caleb like no one ever has, but she’s a package deal, and he’s not sure he’s prepared to take on a ready-made family.
~*~
EXCERPT:
“I think this moment has waited long enough, don’t you?”
Caleb cupped the side of her face, his thumb tracing along her cheekbone as he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. It was a chaste kiss, all too brief, and Lauren barely held back a whimper of frustration. Had he decided he’d had enough from just that small sampling? Had there been no spark on his end? Because, good God, the man had practically melted the mascara from her eyelashes with just that one simple kiss. Her heart pounded furiously against her ribs as she waited for his next move.
He pulled back slightly and met her gaze, almost as if gauging her reaction. Then he leaned back in and reclaimed her mouth—this time with ravenous need. Finally, the kiss she’d been craving all week!
Lauren wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life as he slanted his mouth across hers and proceeded to kiss her breathless. His lips were soft and coaxing, yet firm and demanding as they worked their magic, sending needles of pleasure to every nerve in her body. Caleb maneuvered them so he could sit down on one of the chairs and pull her onto his lap, never breaking the kiss. Lauren met the rasp of his tongue stroke for stroke, caressing the nape of his neck, tunneling her fingers through his thick, baby-soft curls. She couldn’t remember ever being this turned on before, this into a kiss. Holy fricken wow, talk about worth the wait!
She moaned, leaning into him, dissolving into his heat, pulse roaring in her ears. Lauren turned in his arms, bringing her leg around so she could straddle his lap and snuggle even closer, plastering herself against his broad, hard chest. Caleb answered her silent plea with a growl of his own, crushing her in his arms, his hands caressing a fiery trail down her back, cupping her butt in his big hands. Their mouths meshed with escalating hunger, their tongues moving in a dance as old as time, both giving as much as they took. Lauren felt sure she would drown in the heady sensations coursing through her.
The proof of his desire was nestled between them, and it took all her self-control not to move against him. It had been so long since—
Caleb tore his lips from hers and rested his forehead against hers, his breath coming out in ragged pants.
“Wha—?” Lauren could barely draw air into her lungs to speak. “Is something wrong?” she finally managed to whisper.
“I think Emma woke up,” he whispered right back.
Lauren pulled back in alarm and shot a look toward the stairs. How could she have not heard her? “I’ll be right back,” she murmured, unable to meet his gaze. She climbed off his lap with as much dignity as possible and raced up the stairs.
Emma had indeed woken up, but Lauren rubbed her back for a few minutes, and she fell right back to sleep. She stuck her head in the bathroom on her way back to check her face in the mirror, make sure the words “bad mother” weren’t etched into her forehead.
Caleb stood as soon as she entered the kitchen. “Is she all right? It wasn’t her hand, was it?”
“No, just fussing. She fell right back to sleep.” Lauren wrapped her arms around herself and walked past him to the sink for a glass of water.
Caleb came up behind her, but didn’t touch her. “Is something wrong?”
She took a sip, then another, too embarrassed to turn around and face him. “I didn’t even hear her. What does that say about my maternal instinct?”
He frowned and took her in his arms. “You’re a wonderful mother, Lauren. You got wrapped up in the moment, which, to be honest, is a pretty big compliment.”
She gazed up at him, hoping her heart wasn’t in her eyes. “But you heard her. Does that mean you weren’t as...that it didn’t affect you the same way…?”
He silenced her with a quick kiss. “Shh. All it means is I’m a military man who’s attuned to the sounds around him. The kiss knocked my socks off, lady.”
A hopeful smile tugged at her lips. “Really? Well...good.”
Caleb chuckled softly. He reached up and cupped the back of her head, as if ready to prove his point, but then dropped his hands with obvious regret. “If I don’t leave now...”
~*~
Visit Donna's website for information on all her other great books!
www.DonnaMarieRogers.com
Old wounds have kept Caleb from returning to Redemption permanently. When he receives word of his mother’s unexpected death, guilt and regret bring him home again, but will the love of a good woman keep him there? Beautiful, witty, and strong, Lauren excites Caleb like no one ever has, but she’s a package deal, and he’s not sure he’s prepared to take on a ready-made family.
~*~
EXCERPT:
“I think this moment has waited long enough, don’t you?”
Caleb cupped the side of her face, his thumb tracing along her cheekbone as he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. It was a chaste kiss, all too brief, and Lauren barely held back a whimper of frustration. Had he decided he’d had enough from just that small sampling? Had there been no spark on his end? Because, good God, the man had practically melted the mascara from her eyelashes with just that one simple kiss. Her heart pounded furiously against her ribs as she waited for his next move.
He pulled back slightly and met her gaze, almost as if gauging her reaction. Then he leaned back in and reclaimed her mouth—this time with ravenous need. Finally, the kiss she’d been craving all week!
Lauren wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life as he slanted his mouth across hers and proceeded to kiss her breathless. His lips were soft and coaxing, yet firm and demanding as they worked their magic, sending needles of pleasure to every nerve in her body. Caleb maneuvered them so he could sit down on one of the chairs and pull her onto his lap, never breaking the kiss. Lauren met the rasp of his tongue stroke for stroke, caressing the nape of his neck, tunneling her fingers through his thick, baby-soft curls. She couldn’t remember ever being this turned on before, this into a kiss. Holy fricken wow, talk about worth the wait!
She moaned, leaning into him, dissolving into his heat, pulse roaring in her ears. Lauren turned in his arms, bringing her leg around so she could straddle his lap and snuggle even closer, plastering herself against his broad, hard chest. Caleb answered her silent plea with a growl of his own, crushing her in his arms, his hands caressing a fiery trail down her back, cupping her butt in his big hands. Their mouths meshed with escalating hunger, their tongues moving in a dance as old as time, both giving as much as they took. Lauren felt sure she would drown in the heady sensations coursing through her.
The proof of his desire was nestled between them, and it took all her self-control not to move against him. It had been so long since—
Caleb tore his lips from hers and rested his forehead against hers, his breath coming out in ragged pants.
“Wha—?” Lauren could barely draw air into her lungs to speak. “Is something wrong?” she finally managed to whisper.
“I think Emma woke up,” he whispered right back.
Lauren pulled back in alarm and shot a look toward the stairs. How could she have not heard her? “I’ll be right back,” she murmured, unable to meet his gaze. She climbed off his lap with as much dignity as possible and raced up the stairs.
Emma had indeed woken up, but Lauren rubbed her back for a few minutes, and she fell right back to sleep. She stuck her head in the bathroom on her way back to check her face in the mirror, make sure the words “bad mother” weren’t etched into her forehead.
Caleb stood as soon as she entered the kitchen. “Is she all right? It wasn’t her hand, was it?”
“No, just fussing. She fell right back to sleep.” Lauren wrapped her arms around herself and walked past him to the sink for a glass of water.
Caleb came up behind her, but didn’t touch her. “Is something wrong?”
She took a sip, then another, too embarrassed to turn around and face him. “I didn’t even hear her. What does that say about my maternal instinct?”
He frowned and took her in his arms. “You’re a wonderful mother, Lauren. You got wrapped up in the moment, which, to be honest, is a pretty big compliment.”
She gazed up at him, hoping her heart wasn’t in her eyes. “But you heard her. Does that mean you weren’t as...that it didn’t affect you the same way…?”
He silenced her with a quick kiss. “Shh. All it means is I’m a military man who’s attuned to the sounds around him. The kiss knocked my socks off, lady.”
A hopeful smile tugged at her lips. “Really? Well...good.”
Caleb chuckled softly. He reached up and cupped the back of her head, as if ready to prove his point, but then dropped his hands with obvious regret. “If I don’t leave now...”
~*~
Visit Donna's website for information on all her other great books!
www.DonnaMarieRogers.com
Sunday Share: A Fair to Remember
For the first Sunday Share, here's an excerpt from my first book in the Welcome to Redemption Series, A FAIR TO REMEMBER.
Reformed gang member Wes Carter feels Redemption, Wisconsin, is just the place to relocate his financial business for reasons more than just the name. He’s ready for a nice, quiet life in small town USA. Tara Russell has decided it’s time to add some excitement to her life and get a little wild—no matter how uncomfortable it makes her or her overprotective family. They meet at the local fair one warm summer night and discover opposites attract for all the right reasons. Add a dash of Sugar in the form of an incorrigible Great Dane, and it’s destined to be A Fair To Remember.
~*~
EXCERPT:
Wes Carter took another bite of his hamburger and surveyed the baseball diamond in front of him as he savored the flavor of his cheap burger with ketchup and mustard. If the number of men on the far side of the field were any indication, they were planning quite the pyrotechnics display for later tonight. He might just have to hang around for that, he hadn’t watched fireworks in years.
He’d had a feeling about this town when he’d read the business listings on the Internet—and not only because of the name. Further research revealed Redemption to be just what he was looking for.
Well, except for the stalker with the dog.
A wry grin lifted his lips as he scanned the immediate area. It looked like he’d finally lost her. During the few glances he’d snuck, he’d noticed her trim figure in shorts and sexy tank, with just the right amount of curves up top, and a bouncing ponytail of shiny black hair that would reach all the way down her back when set free. He loved long hair.
But whoa, he was getting off track. Between the bikers he’d seen her chumming with, and the tatts on her arms, she appeared to walk farther on the wild side than he was comfortable with these days. Hell, she even had one on her neck…her slim, delicate, tanned neck. Wild. Maybe crazy was more like it the way she’d followed him around with that hulking monster of a dog.
Wild and crazy, and pretty to boot…he felt a little zing nip at his pulse. Yeah, he was the crazy one now. He was done with women like that, and, yes, he knew all about them, he’d grown up with them. A twinge of pain in his back made him wince, despite the fact the sensation remained only in his head. Though the wound had healed weeks ago, it kept reminding him of all he’d left behind—the big city fast track with the crime and the gangs.
No more looking over his shoulder, and wild women didn’t fit into the nice, quiet, stable life he planned to build in this town. No matter how pretty they were.
“Sugar! Heel!”
Wes started to look over his shoulder at the sound of that sharp command called out so close behind him, but he never made it past the pitching mound. Next thing he knew, he laid face first in the grass, his hamburger smashed against his chest and a heavy weight on his back. He turned his head to the side so he could breath and something wet and warm doused his face from chin to eyebrow.
“Ugh,” he managed, concluding pretty quick that a dog stood on his back—a large, whining, panting monster of a dog. He hunched a shoulder and wiped the slobber as best he could, but the beast did it again.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry.”
He twisted his head to look in the direction of the voice. Slim ankles and tanned legs registered before that side of his face got swiped. That’s it—he preferred to eat dirt.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman continued, “she just pulled right—”
“Get it off me,” he said into the grass.
“What? I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
Wes turned his head with a frustrated growl, which only excited the dog into a licking frenzy. Its massive paws dug into his shoulder blades as Wes clenched his teeth to keep its tongue out of his mouth.
“Get. It. Off.”
“Oh, right, sorry.” He felt her tug on the leash. “Sugar, heel.”
He mentally rolled his eyes. Obviously, that was a useless command.
“Sugar, come on. Here, baby. Sugar.”
The dog went still and made a sound deep in its throat. Wes frowned when the animal did it again. That’s when it dawned on him the woman’s pleas had become urgent.
“No, Sugar. Off. Sugar! Come!”
That didn’t sound good. He fought to free his arms from under his body and succeeded just as the brute made a horrible retching noise and something spilled onto his back—
~*~
Thanks for reading and watch for A FAIR TO REMEMBER July 1st, 2011 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
Stacey Joy Netzel
~*~
EXCERPT:
Wes Carter took another bite of his hamburger and surveyed the baseball diamond in front of him as he savored the flavor of his cheap burger with ketchup and mustard. If the number of men on the far side of the field were any indication, they were planning quite the pyrotechnics display for later tonight. He might just have to hang around for that, he hadn’t watched fireworks in years.
He’d had a feeling about this town when he’d read the business listings on the Internet—and not only because of the name. Further research revealed Redemption to be just what he was looking for.
Well, except for the stalker with the dog.
A wry grin lifted his lips as he scanned the immediate area. It looked like he’d finally lost her. During the few glances he’d snuck, he’d noticed her trim figure in shorts and sexy tank, with just the right amount of curves up top, and a bouncing ponytail of shiny black hair that would reach all the way down her back when set free. He loved long hair.
But whoa, he was getting off track. Between the bikers he’d seen her chumming with, and the tatts on her arms, she appeared to walk farther on the wild side than he was comfortable with these days. Hell, she even had one on her neck…her slim, delicate, tanned neck. Wild. Maybe crazy was more like it the way she’d followed him around with that hulking monster of a dog.
Wild and crazy, and pretty to boot…he felt a little zing nip at his pulse. Yeah, he was the crazy one now. He was done with women like that, and, yes, he knew all about them, he’d grown up with them. A twinge of pain in his back made him wince, despite the fact the sensation remained only in his head. Though the wound had healed weeks ago, it kept reminding him of all he’d left behind—the big city fast track with the crime and the gangs.
No more looking over his shoulder, and wild women didn’t fit into the nice, quiet, stable life he planned to build in this town. No matter how pretty they were.
“Sugar! Heel!”
Wes started to look over his shoulder at the sound of that sharp command called out so close behind him, but he never made it past the pitching mound. Next thing he knew, he laid face first in the grass, his hamburger smashed against his chest and a heavy weight on his back. He turned his head to the side so he could breath and something wet and warm doused his face from chin to eyebrow.
“Ugh,” he managed, concluding pretty quick that a dog stood on his back—a large, whining, panting monster of a dog. He hunched a shoulder and wiped the slobber as best he could, but the beast did it again.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry.”
He twisted his head to look in the direction of the voice. Slim ankles and tanned legs registered before that side of his face got swiped. That’s it—he preferred to eat dirt.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman continued, “she just pulled right—”
“Get it off me,” he said into the grass.
“What? I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
Wes turned his head with a frustrated growl, which only excited the dog into a licking frenzy. Its massive paws dug into his shoulder blades as Wes clenched his teeth to keep its tongue out of his mouth.
“Get. It. Off.”
“Oh, right, sorry.” He felt her tug on the leash. “Sugar, heel.”
He mentally rolled his eyes. Obviously, that was a useless command.
“Sugar, come on. Here, baby. Sugar.”
The dog went still and made a sound deep in its throat. Wes frowned when the animal did it again. That’s when it dawned on him the woman’s pleas had become urgent.
“No, Sugar. Off. Sugar! Come!”
That didn’t sound good. He fought to free his arms from under his body and succeeded just as the brute made a horrible retching noise and something spilled onto his back—
~*~
Thanks for reading and watch for A FAIR TO REMEMBER July 1st, 2011 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
Stacey Joy Netzel
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Sunday Share submission guidelines
Sunday Share: Sundays will be excerpt days. Mine, friends, anyone who wants to submit for me to post.
Authors who want to submit their excerpt, please follow these guidelines**:
Thank you!
Stacey Joy Netzel
Authors who want to submit their excerpt, please follow these guidelines**:
- send email to StaceyJoyNetzel (at) gmail (dot) com
- subject line: Sunday Share excerpt
- attach JPEG of book cover
- IN BODY OF EMAIL, please include:
- Title, genre, heat level (sweet, sensual, spicy), and short blurb.
- Book excerpt, about 1000 words and rated at most PG-13. (Sensual excerpts okay, but NO explicit sex in the excerpts, please).
- Personal note to readers (optional), short author bio, Author website and buy link(s) for the book.
- whether you will offer ebook giveaway (completely optional, but giveaways tend to draw more visitors)
Thank you!
Stacey Joy Netzel
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
News!
It's been a bit since my last post, so here's the news!
My oldest son graduated High School at the end of May! I'm so proud of him and excited for him to start his Law Enforcement program at the local tech college this fall.
Country USA Oshkosh is this week, and I can't wait to see Gloriana and Lady Antebellum.
My third book in the Colorado Trust Series, Shadowed Trust, has a release date of October 14th, 2011. Yay--finally! It's my favorite of the three, so I'm really hopeful it's as well received as the other two.
Lastly, my critique partner Donna Marie Rogers and I have received the rights back to Welcome to Redemption. What's that mean? Well, we're going to self-publish the Welcome to Redemption Series with Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook.
We've re-edited and added to the first four stories, and we've each written a BRAND NEW story in the series. We're shooting for a July 1st release date on the first two stories for sure, and hopefully all 6 will be available shortly after. They will each be sold separately, and while you can buy one story at a time, we really hope you to check out the whole series. *grin*
Here are the new covers our wonderful cover artist Tamra Westberry designed:
What do you think of the new covers?
Stacey Joy Netzel
My oldest son graduated High School at the end of May! I'm so proud of him and excited for him to start his Law Enforcement program at the local tech college this fall.
Country USA Oshkosh is this week, and I can't wait to see Gloriana and Lady Antebellum.
My third book in the Colorado Trust Series, Shadowed Trust, has a release date of October 14th, 2011. Yay--finally! It's my favorite of the three, so I'm really hopeful it's as well received as the other two.
Lastly, my critique partner Donna Marie Rogers and I have received the rights back to Welcome to Redemption. What's that mean? Well, we're going to self-publish the Welcome to Redemption Series with Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook.
We've re-edited and added to the first four stories, and we've each written a BRAND NEW story in the series. We're shooting for a July 1st release date on the first two stories for sure, and hopefully all 6 will be available shortly after. They will each be sold separately, and while you can buy one story at a time, we really hope you to check out the whole series. *grin*
Here are the new covers our wonderful cover artist Tamra Westberry designed:
What do you think of the new covers?
Stacey Joy Netzel
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