Monday Moons!

And here's the rear view! Don't you just love guys who will show you whatever you like?

Not many of them will. It's a mystery as to why that is, but with Thanksgiving just a few days past, it gives us one more thing to be thankful for.

I'm deep into writing guest blogs for Fugitive's blog tour in January. Fortunately, most of them have given me a topic, which makes it much easier to write them, but there are TWELVE of them! Between that and trying to figure out what to get everyone for Christmas, my brain is just about fried.

January looks like it's going to be a very busy month. I'm attempting to set up some booksignings in the area, but getting in touch with the right person at each store is a challenge. They're never there when you call or visit, and they aren't very good about calling you back--or so Marie tells me, and so far, she's been correct. Guess it's time for the Cat Master to get tough!

Sunday's Hunk of the Day!

Having fun this weekend? Got all your shopping done yet?

Here's the full frontal. Tomorrow you get the buns!


I'm also on Wickedly Romantic today. Come on over!

Saturday's Hunk of the Day!

Remember the fellow from last Thursday's post? This is another of him. I'll post the full frontal tomorrow, but I think you'll agree that these that tease are better than those that deliver.

In the meantime, enjoy the day!

RT Booklover's Convention!

It's official. Barring disaster, I will be attending the annual Romantic Times Booklover's Convention in Columbus, Ohio this spring. It was a debate, but an author on one of the Yahoo loops I'm on wanted a roomie, so I'm going.

I think my experience at the INRWA retreat helped me decide. I'm not an outgoing person among strangers, and this was a difficult decision. I'm sure my roommate, Caroline Fyffe, is a lovely person--and she is, I've seen pictures!--but I've never met her before. However, sharing a room with another writer at the retreat--whom I'd also never met--was no trouble at all, so I'm feeling better about it. You have to wonder if all of your little quirks will drive someone else up the wall, or whether they might do the same to you, and since we'll be sharing a room for six nights, we may either end up being the best of friends or hating each other!

Of course, the fact that the RT event is at the Hyatt Regency probably won't hurt any. I'm already looking forward to the Nashville RWA conference next year. I've been to Nashville a few times (and I'll be going again in February) so I'm comfortable enough with the town itself, but staying at the Opryland Hotel should be interesting. Maybe not as interesting as the West Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick, but from what I hear, it's quite a place!

One nice thing about the RT convention is that there are men there--hunky guys competing for Mr. Romance, Ellora's Cavemen and such--which makes it very different from the RWA Nationals. If you will recall, I took no hunk photos in DC. But in Columbus, who knows? I might even get a picture of Fabio!



























The other nice thing about the RT convention is that it's not just for writers, but for readers, as well. It would be just too cool if some of you ladies could be there. We'd have a blast!

But whether any of you will be in attendance or not, rest assured, I will be blogging from the hotel, so if there are any good hunks, you will see them here!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's something to be thankful for: You don't have to cook this pumpkin!

Amazing, isn't it? It's a real one, too. This photo was taken in the lobby of a local restaurant where we'd gone for a dinner celebrating the three Eagle Scouts our Boy Scout troop promoted this year. Sam is there to illustrate just how big it is.

I'm thankful for a lot of things this year, some of them involve my writing career, and some have absolutely nothing to do with it.

Sam getting his Eagle is one. Needless to say, I'm very proud of him, but I'm also very pleased with the progress that Mikey is making toward his future in computer graphics technology. Maybe someday he'll be working on an animated version of The Cat Star Chronicles--or not. Can't see him animating a Zetithian penis, for example. He'd die of embarrassment!

But, I digress. I've got another year with my sweetie to be thankful for, and when I see just how hard it is for some folks to find lasting love, it makes me that much more thankful that I've had it for thirty years.

Finding a love that would last wasn't something I ever thought I'd find. This came up in a conversation the other day, and it made me stop and think for a bit. I never thought I'd even have a boyfriend, but I found one, and he's still my boyfriend after all these years. I've never met anyone I'd trade him for, either. Sure, we've had our ups and downs, but he's still the one, and for that, I am truly thankful.

Have a great day!

The Blair Cat Project!

Kendra mentioned in an email the other day that the only one of my cats she'd ever seen was Snake, so I took my trusty Sony Ericsson with me when I went to feed the horses last Thursday morning. I will post pics of the house cats another time, but for what happens outside, video is required.

What follows is quite terrifying and I must warn you: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!



I will say here, that except for the purposes of these videos, I am normally fussing at Peaches the whole time she is wrestling with the cats. The cats, however, fuss at her ALL the time! I only hope she outgrows the roughness before she gets much bigger, but something tells me she won't!



You don't get a very good look at Kittycat in that last one, but she, like Kate and Allie who live in the house, don't have tails--and I can attest to the fact that they were born that way. Their mother was a big, long-haired calico--with no tail!

I'm hoping that Peaches will eventually get too big to crawl under that gate in the barn and the cats will be able to eat in peace, but in the meantime, I have come up with a temporary solution.



This is the last one, I promise! I've put the hay out and the horses have gone out to eat it. Peaches used to hang out with them while they ate, but I suspect that now she goes and cleans up any uneaten cat food. The poor kittys may never forgive me for bringing a dog home. Fortunately, Peaches ignores them the rest of the time.



I'm blogging on Casablanca Authors today. Come on over if you have the time!

Tasty Tuesday Olie Bollen!

This recipe was sent to me by Donna, but I'm providing the hunk. I think you'll agree that they both look delicious! Olie Bollen

Servings:	48
Author Notes:	Olie Bollen, small round Dutch doughnuts, are a traditional food to serve on New Year's Eve in Holland. The name of these tasty treats literally translates to "oil balls." Don't let this unappetizing name fool you, Olie Bollen are delicious. The Dutch regularly STUD their Olie Bollen dough with raisins, currants or even finely diced apples. Why not use all three?
Ingredients:	1 envelope dry yeast 3 tablespoons sugar 1 cup warm water, divided 2 eggs, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon salt 4 cups all purpose flour 3 cups fruit (diced fresh apples, raisins or dried currants) oil for frying confectioner's sugar for dusting
Instructions:	Makes 4-5 Dozen Pour 1/2 cup warm water, about 85 to 115° F., into the bowl of a large food processor. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water and mix at low speed. Let stand for five minutes. Slowly mix in remaining water, eggs, vanilla and salt. Slowly add flour a cup at a time. Mix on high for about a minute or two. The dough should turn into a ball and roll around the processor. If the dough does not ball up because it's to dry, add water one tablespoon at a time until it does. If your mixture is more like a batter, add flour one tablespoon at a time. Mix in fruit. Remove from food processor. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large skillet. Punch down dough. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter. Drop dough balls into hot oil, frying until golden brown, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels and dust with confectioner's sugar. Serve hot. They might not be oily, but I still think they look tasty!

Rustic Monday Moons!

To quote our own Diva Donna, she would like:

A rugged outdoorsy man who lives quietly in a cabin in the woods. And doesn't try to be sexy. But it just rolls off his manly musky scent.

I told her I had just the man for her, and here he is, as promised.

This is another one Sharon sent me. I absolutely love it. Makes you want to tickle him and wake him up, doesn't it?

You'd have to be careful, though. If you were to startle him, and he moves too quickly with his feet through the bars like that, he'll hurt himself and start fussing. Then you'd have to do something to get him in a better mood. We've all faced this problem a time or two and when it does, it's nice to have some tried and true methods for taming the beast.

My DH loves having his back scratched, but I'd like to hear some of your tricks--things that are guaranteed to make a man purr!

Sunday's Hunk of the Day!

To correct the error I made yesterday, this really is Matt Bomer! He and Victor Webster do look quite a bit alike, though. I found yesterday's photo identified as Matt in the photo tag, but as Victor in the text. It was a blog about who should be the next Superman. I think either one could do it. What are your thoughts?


I'm on Wickedly Romantic today. Give Matt a hug and come on over!

Saturday's Hunk of the Day!

Someone mentioned this guy the other day, so I went looking for pictures. This was the best shirtless one, (though I could have done without the necklace) and you can't see the eyes very well, but aside from those minor flaws, it ain't half bad.

Enjoy your Saturday!

TGIF!!!!

It's Friday, so here's a nice, brooding Raphael to get your weekend off to a great start.

I know what you're thinking. He's got clothes on, but look closely at those pants. They're made of leather.

Puts things in a whole different perspective, doesn't it?

And I know you can't see them very well in this picture, but the baby blue sweatshirt matches his eyes. The shadows add even more to his seductive power.

No, this is no casual snapshot, but a carefully constructed trigger to set off explosions in your imagination. The look in his eye and the position of his hand are telling you that he could just as easily have posed for this one in the nude and the impact would have been the same.

Interesting, isn't it?

A blog without a picture is like a....

I nearly had a meltdown Tuesday night. Sharon had just sent me a bunch of new hunk pictures, and Blogger had developed some sort of "internal error" and was not letting me post them. ARRRGGGG!!!!

As the ducks in Berkeley Breathed's "A Wish for Wings that Work" once said:
"Catastrophe! Calamity! A considerable setback!"

Fortunately, that problem has been corrected, but how can one blog without pictures????

I suppose we all know the answer to that one: you just have to write more words. Not that this is a hardship for me, but sometimes when I have nothing in my head to write, I gaze at those images and the words begin to flow.

Take that picture of Derrick yesterday. I went through my files, chose it for the blog, wrote a blog, and then had a bit of a fantasy about what it might be like to somehow incorporate that pic into a story. A story about a photographer who has taken photos of a hundred different men and everything stayed strictly business, but then, there was Derrick, and the hands started shaking and the knees got weak.

You just never know how a person will react when they finally meet "the one." I'm exploring that in Renegade right now. Poor Dax has never met an available female of any species who did it for him--until now, and she's a girl who's down on men in general and only wants to go back to the one she left behind. Dax wants her for himself, but when it comes to enticing women, he's clueless.

I don't know about you, but the bumbling, awkward type gets to me a lot faster than the smooth-talking Romeo who can charm the pants off any woman he meets. By the same token, an accomplished rake whose skills desert him when he finally falls in love has a similar appeal.

But whatever kind of hero you like best, that image of him is important, whether it comes to you in a picture or in words. For some, a few descriptive words are best because they like to use their own imagination. Others like to have a very clear portrait drawn so that they know exactly what that character looks like.

What is your preference?

Whopping Weasel Wednesday!

When I first saw this photo, I thought: Oh, yeah, right.... somebody's trying to get all artsy-fartsy with the naked men, and I didn't bother saving it in my computer.

Later on, I ran across it again, or one of you may have sent it to me, and I looked at it in an entirely different light. I was like: OMG! It's freakin' Derrick!

Funny how that changed my attitude about whether it was being pretentious or not. I get it now. Derrick is not just another naked man; he's a work of art.

Some of it's natural--I seriously doubt that anyone but God is responsible for the shape of that yummydoodle--but the rest of his body wouldn't look anything like that if he hadn't put a lot of time, effort, and sweat into its creation. Of course, his being an ex-Marine might have had something to do with it, too.

I heard a funny little tidbit about Marines while at the retreat. Marine stands for: Muscles Are Required, Intelligence Not Essential. We all laughed, of course, but though I'm sure a good many Marines fall into that category, some would be offended by it, and Derrick just might be one of them. Something tells me there's more to him than meets the eye.

Wouldn't you love to find that out firsthand?

Tasty Tuesday: Pa's Pea Soup!

This recipe was written by my father many years ago and given to my mother's cousin Mildred, or Silly Milly, as she was often called. After my father's death, she sent me the original version which he had typed up for her on his trusty Woodstock. In her letter, she asked that I never let it be lost, and since the internet is forever, here it is.

I have transcribed it exactly as he wrote it, (including his footnote) but it loses a little something for not being on the original paper, which has yellowed with time but still reflects the force with which he would strike the keys. A much more accurate typist than I am, there's not a single mistake on the page.

Not being as big a fan of country ham as Pa was, I prefer to use regular ham chunks with little or no fat. Plus, I like to serve it with grated cheese on top, which thickens the soup like magic when you stir it up.

However you make it, it's an unbeatable tummy warmer for a cold night.

Enjoy!

SPLIT PEA SOUP

(Made in a 3 1/2 quart crockpot)

4 cups split peas
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 shakes of Cayenne pepper
1 to 2 cups chopped onion
Country Ham - as desired **
When all ingredients are in crockpot, fill with water to within 1" of top and cook on "low" about 6 hours or until peas are as soft as you like.

**Since I'm on a low fat diet, I only use about a 2" x 3" slice of Hickory Mountain ham with all fat removed. I use scissors to cut it into narrow strips and cut the strips into little cubes and fry it before putting in crockpot. Obviously, more and fatter country ham will improve the flavor, but I make some concessions in the interest of longevity.

Bradford Woods Retreat!

I went to the INRWA chapter's annual retreat this past weekend at Bradford Woods near Martinsville, IN. I learned a lot, got to know a lot of great people; some I'd already met and some who were brand new.

I arrived at 4pm on Friday, armed with my computer and a pumpkin pie for the pitch-in. I was very impressed with the facility, which is an old manor house that was restored and turned into a retreat facility which is affiliated with IU. The grounds were beautiful: about 2500 acres with a lake and camping and other buildings including a barn with an area for therapeutic horseback riding for the handicapped. I don't consider myself handicapped, but I did get a bit of a workout having to climb these stairs whenever I went to my room. My knees actually feel better than they have in a long time as a result.




























I ended up sharing a room with Melanie, another newbie to the chapter. This is my bed, which was quite a departure from my queen-sized bed at home! There's my trusty fan, which Melanie didn't mind, otherwise, I doubt I would have slept a wink. As it was I didn't do too badly considering that huge black bag there is full of my pillows. I must have my pillows wherever I go, which explains why I'm always so exhausted when I go somewhere that I can't take them! I know . . . I'm such a wuss!



















The pitch in dinner was delicious, and afterward we had a fire in the living room area and plenty of opportunities to chat. I learned so much from talking with the other members, some published and some not, but all with something to contribute to the discussions.

I will admit to being nervous. I'd only been to two chapter meetings prior to this event, but an email from Melanie, who had only joined the month before, made me decide to attend when she said she was looking forward to getting to know everyone at the retreat. Me, I'm just a big chicken who has this phobia about being in a crowd of strangers. I'm not a party animal, nor do I mingle well. I have a tendency to sit back and observe, but this was difficult for me because I felt like I had to participate more than that. Not that anyone was anything but friendly and supportive, it's just a shyness thing with me.

After a slight panic attack following the Friday evening dinner, I was able to join in the group by the fire and talk without too much trouble, particularly when Judie Aitken, one of the members who emailed me last year and encouraged me to join, was there and made a point of asking me a few questions. She got me started talking about my books and my publishing experience which was very helpful to me. Of course, it didn't hurt that she'd read Slave and loved it!

Saturday morning we had breakfast and a great grammar workshop presented by Leshia, who is on the left in this photo.


























It was very fun and informative and I went back upstairs to my desk in the living room and got cracking on Renegade, putting what I'd learned to use.




















After a terrific lunch, I went for a walk on the grounds. Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera with me (what was I THINKING???) so I don't have a picture of the lake or the woods I hiked through. After my walk, I took most of these pictures during our free time, and since most of the ladies were off doing their own thing, these rooms look a little deserted!

This is the dining room. The food was prepared in the manor's kitchen and was wonderful. Best of all was the fact that we didn't have to cook it!




















The living room area. That's Melanie on the couch with her computer and Kathy over by the window.



















This is the porch where we had our goodie table. The Cat Master was good and only ate one piece of fudge and one small brownie from the stash, but there was more chocolate in that one building than you would believe. Seems I'm not the only writer who craves chocolate!





















We supposed to bring along a scene we had written where love between the hero and heroine is revealed and read them aloud on Saturday night, and the group would comment and critique your work. I read one from Fugitive, and was fortunate enough to go second because I was so nervous, I'd have had a stroke if I'd had to wait much longer. As it was, I got pretty choked up on the last two lines--and I hope you'll all feel the same way when you read it!

After that, I went up to bed and read for a while. Emma Wildes is in our chapter, and I'd bought her book off of the used book table, so that's what I was reading when Melanie came upstairs. We wound up talking until 1:30 before we finally went to sleep. She had never read any of her work to anyone before and was pretty nervous, too. During the short chapter meeting on Sunday morning, she won a scholarship to the Golden Heart awards, which helps pay her entry fee, so you may be hearing more from her in the future!

All in all, I had a great time and it was definitely worth doing. I would encourage any of you fledgling writers out there to join your local chapters and get to know the members. It's already been a big help to me in so many ways. I made some good contacts, learned a bit of grammar, got over some shyness, learned how to fix the em dash function on my Microsoft Word (thanks to Emma). That alone was worth the price!

Sunday's Hunk of the Day!

I chose this photo for obvious reasons, though perhaps I should have kept him for Whopping Weasel Wednesday.


The caption was put there for obvious reasons, too. Click on the picture and you'll see what I mean.




I'm on Wickedly Romantic and Casablanca Authors today.

I'm still at the retreat, but I'll be home this afternoon.

Have a great day!

Saturday's Hunk of the Day!

I did a little hunk hunting on Wednesday night, and I found a few keepers.

This was one of them. I thought he had nice eyes.


What are your thoughts?

Happy Friday the 13th!

Got to get ready for the retreat today. I'm making a pumpkin pie for the pitch-in tonight, but from the list of other goodies we'll be having, I'm not sure anyone will have room for dessert!

At the retreat, I have to read a two page scene from a book (one of my own, I presume) where love is revealed.
Any suggestions?????

I just realized that today is Friday the 13th. I'm not superstitious about that one, but I am about other things. Just ask any ICU nurse and they will tell you: NEVER MAKE A BED ON YOUR UNIT AFTER THE PATIENT HAS MOVED OUT AND THE ROOM HAS BEEN CLEANED UNTIL THE END OF YOUR SHIFT. This is carved in stone, people! If you make that bed, it will be filled by the end of the shift. Unless, of course, the unit is completely empty and you WANT patients just to relieve the boredom.

Which brings me to another nursing no-no. NEVER, under any circumstances admit that you are BORED!!! This will bring the crazies out of the woodwork and you will be sorry for the rest of the night!

Full moons. This is not a superstition: This is FACT! Things go wild on the night of the full moon. The last full moon was on Halloween. It was also the night that the time changed from Daylight Savings Time, and, since we had to work for 13 hours, we decided to have a pitch-in. FATAL MISTAKE!!!! The shit hit the fan from word go, and by morning the unit was full. We really should have known better!

I haven't run up against many writer's superstitions, but I haven't been a writer for nearly as long as I have been a nurse, but I'm sure I will develop a few of my own if the writing career continues, like, Never turn off your computer until the last second before you go to bed, (or leave the house, or get in the shower, etc), because you will instantly think of something you need to add the moment you hit the off key. Another one might be turning around three times before emailing a manuscript to your editor, but I haven't tried that one yet, so I don't know if it will make her like it better or not.

But enough of my ramblings. Let's hear it from you. What are you superstitious about?

What a difference a day makes....

I'm feeling MUCH better now! I got my car back last night, fixed the Steak Pie for dinner, which was quite delicious and looked REALLY COOL! I took a picture of it and added it to Tuesday's blog, so be sure and take a look at it. I'm doing my Nursing Skills Day today, so that's done for another year.

My editor got Hero. No telling when I'll hear back from her, but it is supposed to go to the copyeditor pretty soon, so it shouldn't take too long. If she doesn't like what I did to it, there's no telling what will happen after that.

But right now, that's not my problem. It's HER problem!

So tonight I'll get ready for the retreat tomorrow and hope I can sleep in a room with three or four people. I like to sleep with a fan on (most night-shifters do; it drowns out all those daytime noises when you're asleep and no one else is) and I'm not sure how well that will go over with my roommates. These are ladies that I don't know particularly well, and I'm not as comfortable insisting on my fan as I am with the gals from the hospital.

I'm not very good with people I don't know. One of our monitor techs claims that she had worked with us for a year before I ever spoke to her. It's a shyness thing. (I know: The Cat Master, SHY????) I had the same problem in DC, but I felt like I knew at least some of my Casablanca sisters through email. These ladies are some that I've met in person, but during chapter meetings, there isn't much time for bonding. I was also reluctant due to the fact that Hero was in limbo, but I'm free to go now--at least, I think I am. One other thing that decided me was an email from a brand new chapter member who was looking forward to "getting to know everyone at the retreat". That's the attitude I needed to hear, I guess, because after that, I signed up.

I'm going to try to post blogs from the retreat, but just in case I can't, I'll post the usual weekend hunkage. I'll be on Casablanca and Wickedly Romantic on Sunday, and I think I'd better post those before I go.

But enough about that. Here's to a book finished and a bit of downtime! Kick back and have a bit of virtual bubbly on me!

A day in the life.....

It is now 6:30 PM on Monday night and there are two scans running on my computer which is slowing everything down. It's a wonder the damn thing doesn't crash, but I digress. . . .

I have a stray horse in my yard. Most people have stray dogs, but I pick up strays of every kind, so it's not surprising that I would have one of the equine variety. Actually, she's visited us before, so I know where she belongs, I just don't have the time or the inclination to take her home. My DH is gone to his financial planning class and people are calling to find out if it's too late to turn in their Boy Scout pizza orders. I have no idea, but I have to finish Hero tonight because I won't have time to work on it again before it's due on Wednesday. I worked last night and got up early to add a couple of things. In the process, I screwed up my Microsoft Office Word's capability to turn this: -- into a nice, smooth dash. I was literally pulling my hair out, just like Trag does.

I finally gave up and went to the barn, discovered the stray, decided not to do anything about her (she's doing just fine out there grazing in the part of the yard we call No Man's Land) then I came back and figured out how to fix the dash problem. Then I fixed and ate dinner, trying to avoid fat and carbs (which is really hard to do). I left the dishes in the sink because the dishes from yesterday aren't dry yet. Sam thinks we need to clean the house tonight and told me I should vacuum, but he's not going to clean the bathroom until tomorrow. Now, I ask you, IS THIS FAIR???



I need to write this and several other blogs because I'm going to that INRWA retreat this weekend and I don't know if I'll be able to blog from there. I'm on WR on Sunday and Casa Authors on Saturday. I have no idea what to write about, but Donna sent me some great pictures of Cody Cummings doing what he does best (showing off his dick). Too bad I can't use them on those blogs.

One of them is him in a police uniform. My question is: Where was he when my car got smashed? If he had been the one to respond to my call and write up the report, I would have felt so much better about the whole thing. As it is, I'm still driving the truck and I took the car in a week ago. I got the check from the insurance company for that little hit and run fender bender today, which will cost $1500, of which I have to pay $500. Right now, all I really want to do is get drunk and watch Casablanca, but I have to write.

I know what you're thinking, and you're absolutely right: these are minor, piddly-shit details that are a part of everyone's life. But this is what happens when you have a deadline. The shit literally hits the fan. Or maybe it just seems that way.

And I just remembered that it's Veteran's Day and I don't have anything patriotic to post.
No, wait, I have him here somewhere. . . .

Ahhhh. . . . There he is!




That's MUCH better!



Happy Veteran's Day!

Tasty Tuesday Hunky Steak Pie!

This is Zdenek from that Scandinavian site I mentioned the other day. Looks a little like a young Mark Hamill from Star Wars, doesn't he?

The guys on that site all looked VERY young, but can you believe that Donna sent me there, as opposed to Sharon?

She thought you younger ladies might like some fresh hunkage, along with this yummy recipe.

Enjoy!








Hunky Scottish Steak Pie from the Butt and Ben in Ontario, Canada

Prep Time:
30 Min

Cook Time:
20 Min

Ready In:
50 Min

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound cubed beef stew meat or cut up Sirloin Steak
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry mushroom gravy mix
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef stew meat, and cook until browned on the outside. Add the onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushroom gravy mix and 1 cup of water. Season with Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Turn heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Transfer the beef mixture to a casserole dish. Roll out the puff pastry to cover the top of the casserole dish. Press edges onto the rim of the dish to seal. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water in a small cup using a fork. Brush over the top of the pastry.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Monday Moons

"Never underestimate the power of a great pair of buns."

That's not a quote, but it should be. Or maybe I'm quoting myself, but you get my drift.

I know I've lamented the lack of good hunkage lately, but the lack of it on the street is even more sad than what you can find on the Internet. But, of course, the Internet is where I must go to find them.

*sigh* Most of the guys I find are too muscled, too scary, too homely, or, I hate to say this, a little too . . . . gay. Which sends me back to my archives to dig up some that I've used before.

I really hate being repetitive, almost as much as I hate baggy jeans on a man!

They need to be snug to show off one of man's greatest ASSets.

Like these! Which is why we love our Benji so much.
























I rest my case.

Sunday's Hunk of the Day!

Close but yet so far....




Maybe if someone were to tug on his nipple rings he just might lose the pants entirely.

















But then there are SOME pants you really don't have to lose to get the full effect!






















I'm blogging on Wickedly Romantic today. Visit if you can!

Saturday's Hunk of the Day!

Is Manx!

Looks like the folks at Sourcebooks have given Fugitive a new cover, but at least they didn't change the name--which I heard they might do. That would have been so confusing....

So, what do you think? Is this one a keeper?

Party Time!

Donna sent me this in an email and suggested that we have this party on my blog. I dunno about that.... I don't really have time to host a party, but here's the invite anyway....

You are invited to a special Pampered Chef Party!
WHERE: MY HOUSE


I know how busy you all are and that you probably hate being invited to any home parties. And to be honest, I haven't had a party like this in ages, and I need to update my kitchen gadgets.

Pampered Chef has come out with new consultants and products that are fabulous.
I have attached below samples of the new home party products...

GOTCHA!!!!!
Now, aren't you sorry you groaned and said, 'not another party'????

Eleven weeks old!

I'd have waited until she was twelve weeks old to post another photo of Peaches, but she has a vet appointment on Friday for more shots, so I figured this was as good a time as any. Not that I'm out of hunk pictures, but I'm saving them for the weekend.

I've been teaching her to walk on a leash, and she's getting better all the time, but she still likes to chew on the leash. My favorite cat, Snake, who disappeared when Peaches came to live with us has apparently decided that the dog poses no threat, and has come back home. Now when I go to the barn, I'm surrounded by three horses, three cats, and a puppy. Peaches has been learning not to bother the cats while they're eating, but I think Black Cat has helped with that. He keeps her in line. Of course, the fact that we work on learning to sit at that time with a bit of cat food as a treat probably helps, too!


The horses have accepted Peaches completely, and she likes to hang out with them while they're eating their hay. I wish I could get a picture of that, but whenever I go out, she comes running back to the house. I can only see this through a window.

She's gotten quite good at posing for pictures on the porch, though. Whenever I stand in the driveway with the camera, she runs up on the porch and sits down. This isn't something I taught her to do, she just does it. Smart puppy!

She's not always a good puppy, though. She's been digging in my rose beds and emptying the potting soil out of my flower pots, but hopefully she'll quit doing that before spring rolls around, or there will be hell to pay!

Ana's Halloween Tale!

Ah, missed deadlines! We all know how hard it can be to get things done on time, but better late than never!

Ana has been working on another episode with James and Eliza, so, without further adieu, here it is!

The hunk is courtesy of Suzy!

It had been two weeks; two long, long weeks since Eliza had last seen her
boss and lover, James. His business trip had taken him to New York, and
thanks to the argument they had the night before he left, she had
stayed behind. Now, she was at the annual office Halloween party. Alone.

She and James hadn't spoken during those two weeks, but he had sent her a
text that morning telling her he wanted to speak to her after the
party. She didn’t know what he had planned, she hardly ever did, but she was curious. She had gone all out with her costume because she wanted to feel sexy, at least one night. Her wig was chin-length and blonde compared to her long brown hair. The mini skirt and black corset felt like silk on her skin, and she kept her hands near her hips so she wouldn’t fuss with the black fishnet stockings or knee high leather boots.

But she didn’t feel as naked as some of the other women in the office with their bunny costumes or their--what was that? A genie, a belly dancer? She didn’t know the women of the office were that brave. But everyone had the extra courage to wear such costumes since they all wore masks to add a bit of mystery. Her own mask was black and had a cat-eyed look to it. She stayed away from the chatter of everyone else, noting that Melissa, the traitor, was flirting with a cowboy. She had promised to stay with Eliza until James arrived. That had lasted, oh, five minutes, total.

No sense complaining about it now, though. She drank some citrus punch and her eyes looked around but she found no sign of James. The party had been going on for almost an hour and she was wondering if he was even going to bother showing up.

“Enjoying the party?” A familiar and low voice whispered in her ear, causing her entire body shiver lightly.

She’d recognize that voice anywhere. She tilted her head up and was surprised at the sight. James was wearing a mask the color of his eyes but he was dressed in a black suit and a blood red tie. For some reason he reminded her of a dark prince or a vampire, some kind of creature that only came out at night. She realized he was waiting for an answer so she blushed. “Uh, yes. Yes, I am. I’ve been looking for you.”

“Mm and I have been looking for you. I have a surprise for you.”

“You do? Now?”

He smiled and shook his head. “After the party. Come on, let’s have a bit of fun.”














“James whatever you have planned, can we do it without the blindfold?”

He chuckled softly against the nape of her neck. “We can now.” He removed the blindfold along with her mask and smiled at her look of surprise.

“James…Is this your home?” she asked. She was standing in a spacious bedroom decorated in dark, but warm colors. He had never brought her to his home. They were always at the office or her apartment when she wanted him close by.

“Mm yes. I want to make love to you here, now.” He nipped her ear and started to undress her, impatient to have her.

He always did this to her: made her turn inside out, and even when he had stripped away all her clothes leaving her in just the blonde wig and mask, she didn’t feel embarrassed. She felt needy, wanton, and wet. She reached for him and didn’t say anything as she undressed him, leaving him in nothing but his mask. She didn’t understand why, but this night felt special, different. She wrapped her hands around his neck and gently kissed him. “Make love to me, James. Remind me how perfectly we fit with each other.”

He smiled and lifted her by the waist, laying her on his silk covered bed, placing kisses along her face, neck, and stomach. He spread her legs carefully and kissed her clit and the inside of her thighs. He didn’t tease her purposely, but she wanted more.

She grasped his hair and tugged his head back to her lower lips. “James please…”

“My sweet kitten is so impatient,” he teased and let his thick, long tongue run up her slick heat slowly, loving her soft moan. Grasping her inner thighs, he feasted on her sweet heat. He gently suckled her clit and even dipped his tongue in a little until she squirmed and whimpered.

“I want you James. Don’t make me wait anymore.”

Never again, he thought, as he reached up and kissed her. Thrusting his tongue into her mouth, he let her taste herself before he pulled away and licked her lower lip. Then he lifted her hips and smiled as he thrust in deeply, hearing her soft gasp.

“Oh James…” It always felt so good. He stretched her just right and she felt so full, so snug around his hard cock. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moved her hips against his, making him increase his tempo, loving that he went in just a little deeper with each hard thrust. She grabbed his neck and kissed him hard, passionately, loving the wildness that came out of him. She moaned against his lips as he changed the angle of his thrusts, hitting a sweet spot that made her whimper in sweet bliss.

How did this man make her feel such pleasure, so soon? How did he know exactly what she wanted? She never wanted this to end. She wanted to be with him always, but shy Eliza could never ask her boss that. She would never have the courage to ask him to be more than her lover. And that news hurt just a bit.

“Don’t Eliza" he murmured, as if reading her thoughts. "Don’t think about anything, except us, now, here.” Supporting his weight on one arm, he reached down with his free hand, his thumbnail flicking her clit hard.

She screamed out as her hips jerked up in surprise, her eyes widening as she came hard, her muscles milking his cock.

He groaned and thrust in one, two more times before he kissed her again, coming deep inside of her. They panted lightly and he licked up her neck before laying beside her, holding her chest to his, kissing her forehead.

“W-Wow,” she murmured, and he laughed softly.

“You make me laugh Eliza. I don’t do that with anyone else,” he confessed, then gently lifted her mask. “Let me see you, all of you,” he murmured, taking her wig off along with his mask. He smiled, running his fingers along her cheekbones and then kissed her nose. “You’re thinking of something, bella. Tell me what.”

She shook her head, biting her lower lip. “It’s nothing.”

“Alright.” He pulled away and sat up. She knew this was coming, the moment he would make up an excuse and leave her bedside cold. She closed her eyes to let the pain pass but then blinked as he placed something in her hand. She looked down at the small jewelry box then up at him. “James?”

He smirked and got down on one knee on the bed, opening the box. She gasped softly seeing the diamond and ruby ring inside the box. “Eliza, you mean the world to me and more. You’ve opened my eyes to something I want every day of my life. I want you with me, always. I love you. I want you to be my wife.”

“Oh James…” She wanted to say yes, but her logical mind fought her. “But what about work? What will--”

“Who cares what they think? You know we can work together and still make this work. We’ve been doing this all along. I want more. I want us to be together, always. Say yes, Eliza, say yes and make us both happy.”

Her eyes watered but then she nodded. “Yes.” She said hoarsely then laughed. “Yes!”

He grinned then got back into bed hugging her close after putting the ring on her finger. “Then let’s celebrate,” he murmured and loved her giggle as he rolled over her and made love to her again.

THE END
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