New Orleans, Day 3
Bet you thought I’d forgotten to post about the rest of my trip, right? Nope! Day 3 was a hubby and me day, since Katie had left us. *sob* But it was all good, because I knew we were heading there in a couple days to spend the night at her place.
Here’s a shot of me standing in the courtyard garden of our B&B just outside the French Quarter, ready to start our day. Very private and romantic, huh? I think hubby picked a fabulous spot.
After walking through the Quarter we hopped on the bus to get to the Civil War Museum. So exciting! I was like a kid in a candy store there. They had all kinds of Confederate weapons and artifacts, and a great selection of books. I bought one about a Union medical officer.
After I spent way too much time in there we were starving, so we walked back and took the St. Charles Ave. streetcar to the garden district. There we hunted down two places we’d seen featured on our favorite Food Network show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The first place was Guy’s Po Boys, and let me tell you the food was fantastic. We each ordered a small, but the sandwiches were at least six to eight inches long and almost as tall. Mine was filled with delicately fried shrimp, Creole mustard, lettuce and tomato. Amazing, and a huge amount of food considering how cheap it was. After that we walked for a while and hunted down The Creole Creamery, an ice cream place where they make homemade and unique flavors. Mine was Mexican Hot Chocolate (you know how much I love hot chocolate), a dark chocolate base with cinnamon, cayenne pepper and ancho chilies. Delicious and creamy on the way down, but then you get a bite of heat on your tongue. Really neat! It’s the only ice cream I’ve ever eaten that made my nose run 🙂
On the way back to the Quarter on the streetcar, I have to mention my husband was the only man to get up and offer his seat to a woman holding a toddler and stroller. I started to get up too, but he stopped me and guided the woman into his spot. He’s just like that, but I was very proud of him. Seems to me there are very few men like that left out there, and I wish everyone had manners like his.
We got spiffed up for our romantic dinner we’d made reservations for at the Cafe Amelie and strolled over. Not an easy feat in three inch heels when there are cobblestones everywhere, and sure enough I twisted my ankle. But the romantic setting and awesome food more than made up for it. We ate outside in a cozy 300 year old courtyard while a fountain bubbled nearby and lanterns flickered from the boughs of a huge live oak. The stars winked to life overhead while we ate dessert, and it was hands down the most romantic dinner of my life.
The Quarter’s night life was just starting up when we made the short walk over to St. Peter’s Street to Preservation Hall. We stood in line for the better part of an hour to get into the tiny hole-in-the-wall jazz club, but the Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s performance made it well worth while. A visit to New Orleans wouldn’t be complete without seeing that!
New Interview
Stop by Long and Short Reviews today to read this interview and learn more about me and my writing process. I’ll be over at the LASR Yahoo Group tomorrow, chatting with readers and introducing them to my special ops heroes. Hope to see some of you there!
Here in Vancouver we’re experiencing a ridiculous cold snap and it’s freaking freezing right now. Minus 8 Celsius, with a wind chill that takes us down to a bone chilling -18. There’s a bit of snow on the ground, but of course now it’s turned to ice. Lots of fun to drive on. It’s supposed to get even colder tomorrow, then start warming up on Thursday so we’re all looking forward to that except we might get more snow. What’s up with that? Snow belongs on the mountains, not down here in the city! My palm tree is out there shivering in my backyard. Right now I’m curled up on my couch with a blanket next to one of our Christmas trees while a fire crackles in the hearth, and I don’t plan on leaving the house again until I have to pick up big weasel from school. Great excuse to get some more writing done!
Ben’s Vindication
Over the weekend I got word that Ben has finally bested Dec in this little rivalry going on between them, and he’s pretty damn smug about it. In the few contests I’ve entered both books, so far they’ve jockeyed for position in the top three, with Ben tying or coming in second to Dec. But this time, No Turning Back has won the 2010 Laurel Wreath Award for best romantic suspense, and Cover of Darkness came in third. So now they’re even. Of course that’s not okay with either of them, though. Hopefully a tie breaker will decide this at some point in the future, but for now the boys will just have to cope.
So Zosia, if you’re reading this, Ben’s preening with a huge grin on his face.He’s so high maintenance. Even after I’ve finished writing about him he’s still a handful. Some things never change I guess 🙂
News!
Newest Release!
Hostage Rescue Team Series #5
Release Date: June 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-928044-10-9
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format: ebook & print
Length: Novel (89,000 words)
ISBN: 978-1-928044-10-9
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format: ebook & print
Length: Novel (89,000 words)
Blurb:
When the past and present collide…
Taya Kostas is a survivor. She’s clawed her way back from the hell she was subjected to at the hands of an undercover agent working for the U.S. government. Since then she’s dedicated her life to preventing the same from happening to anyone else. Now her story has come full circle. She’s about to take the stand as the key federal witness in the biggest terrorist case the country has seen in years. But even though the man responsible for her nightmares is behind bars, the evil she escaped is still hunting her. When fate places her safety in the hands of the man who saved her life once before, together they race to stay one step ahead of a lethal enemy.
He’ll risk it all to save her.
For five years Special Agent Nathan Schroder has been battling his inner demons, but lately it seems like he’s on the verge of losing that fight. Then Taya is suddenly thrust back into his life and in imminent danger, so he steps in to protect her. He’s never forgotten her or the way she held up under fire, and this time he’s not letting her walk away. The terrorists determined to prevent her from testifying will stop at nothing to silence her forever. She might be in official protective custody, but she’s way more than a job to Nate. When the enemy finally strikes and her life hangs in the balance, he’ll do anything to keep her safe.
Buy Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Kobo
iBooks
Google
Paperback
Excerpt:
He opened the door wide a few moments later and stepped aside for her to enter. “All clear.”
She passed by him and into the room, her entire body buzzing with awareness as he shut the door behind her. The room was standard, with two queen-size beds and a small bathroom. She barely noticed any of it, too caught up with having over six feet and two-hundred-plus pounds of the sexiest man on earth standing just feet away from her. The skin along her spine buzzed with an almost electric charge, her entire body aching for his touch.
But then doubt suddenly overtook her. Compared to him she was ridiculously inexperienced at this. And she could just imagine how good he’d be in bed. While she was fairly certain he wouldn’t turn her down if she threw herself at him now, she didn’t want to seem pathetic and desperate, either. It was hard not to think about all the other women who called him.
Now or never, Taya. This could be your only shot with him.
She took a deep, bracing breath, and started to turn around. Before she could, two strong hands curled over the muscles at the top of her shoulders and squeezed. Taken by surprise, she smiled and let out a little groan of pleasure as her eyes slid closed. “Oh my God, that’s exactly the spot.”
His deep chuckle ruffled the hair at her nape as his hands kneaded her stiff muscles with firm, toe-curling pressure. “It’s cuz I’ve got magic hands.”
Oh, she had no doubt of that. Just the thought of them stroking over her naked body made her wet.
She turned to look up at him and the expression on his face stole the breath from her lungs. Hungry. Focused. Watching her closely.
Waiting. A hungry panther ready to spring.
Desire shot through her, her pulse thudding in her ears. When he reached up to pull the ball cap off her head and ran his hands through her hair, she couldn’t stop the moan that spilled from her throat.
Those gorgeous, skilled hands that were equally capable of taking a life and saving one tightened in the strands, his gaze locked with hers. A heartbeat later his mouth crashed down on hers.
She’d been waiting for it, even expecting it on some level, but the heated urgency of the kiss took her off guard.
Taya gasped and grabbed hold of his broad shoulders, her fingers sinking into the hard muscle there. That coiled strength beneath her palms had carried her when she’d been too weak to go on, was protecting her even now. The sense of security combined with the feel of his mouth moving over hers, setting her blood on fire.
She pressed against the full length of him, hungry for the feel of that strength wrapped around her. He made a low sound in his throat and drove his tongue into her mouth, sending a velvet shock to the center of her abdomen and between her thighs. Her nipples were hard, achy points against the lace of her bra as they met the hard wall of his chest.
His mouth was hungry over hers, taking complete charge of the kiss until her head spun and she couldn’t breathe. Raw need roared through her, growing stronger with every throb of her heart.
*end excerpt*
News!
- June 2015 – Rekindled and Hunted are Aspen Gold Contest finalists!
- May 2014 – Ignited is a Daphne Du Maurier finalist!
- April 2014 – Lethal Pursuit and Ignited are both 2014 Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence finalists!
- April 2014 – The Vacant Chair is a 2014 Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence finalist!
- March 2014 – Lethal Pursuit is a 2014 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence finalist!
- November 2013 – Dangerous Attraction box set hits #21 on the NYT List!
- November 2013 – Dangerous Attraction box set hits #35 on the USA Today Bestseller List!
- April 2013 – Darkest Caress is a finalist in the NECRWA Bean Pot contest!
- March 2013 – Darkest Caress is nominated by The Romance Reviews for best paranormal romance of 2013!
- March 2013 – Darkest Caress is a 2013 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence finalist!
- March 2012 – Deadly Descent is a 2012 New England RWA Bean Pot finalist!
- March 2012 – Absolution wins the 2012 EPIC Awards!
- November 2011 – Absolution takes 3rd in the 2011 Laurel Wreath Awards!
- October 2011 – No Turning Back wins the 2011 Aspen Gold Competition!
- October 2011 – Relentless takes 3rd in the 2011 Heart of Excellence Awards!
- September 2011 – Absolution is a 2012 EPIC Finalist!
- July 2011 – Cover of Darkness and No Turning Back are finalists in the Aspen Gold Competition!
- July 2011 – Relentless and Absolution are finalists in the Colorado RWA Heart of Excellence Awards!
- May 2011 – Cover of Darkness is a finalist in the Daphne Du Maurier Awards!
- April 2011 – No Turning Back is an OKRWA National Readers’ Choice Awards finalist!