Get Fit by Reading!

I think most people think reading is a sedentary activity. And it sure can be. I openly admit I find lots of joy in curling up with a great book, a yummy warm beverage, and a fuzzy blanket for hours. But there are ways to read and be active too!

I go to the gym. I don't love it, like many people do. I go because I need to. Parts of it I really despise. Like cardio machines. (Boooooring!) But I found a way to make it work for me. I take my Kindle! I increase the font size so it's easier to read. I set up the machine and choose a higher resistance. Burn lots of calories, heart rate high, but I go at a steady pace so I don't bounce around too much. Makes it very easy to read! I do most of my reading at the gym. And that 30 minutes on the elliptical flies by!

Another option is audio books. I have not tried this yet but many people tell me they love them. Then it doesn't matter how much you bounce or what you're doing. You can listen to an audio book while pumping iron or hiking or bicycling.

The only time I find it very hard to read while working out is if I'm reading a sad scene. I remember one in particular. Me on the elliptical, fighting back tears. I'm sure I looked ridiculous.

So, what do you do? Do you find ways to enjoy reading while also getting your workout in?? Got tips for me??

Location, location, location.....

Setting is a HUGE deal in any book, especially romance. It's a character all it's own with strengths and weaknesses, quirks and personality. It helps your characters, and hinders them, too. It can cause tension or help lessen it. Setting can cause conflict. It can save a character. No book can survive without a vivid setting.

Recently I've become kind of obsessed with the small town setting. Small towns just have a vibe of their own. A slower pace, a simpler feel. And there's always a fun cast of quirky characters to go along. Gotta have a gossip mill! The best conflict comes from it! Small towns have problems that become your character's problems. I didn't grow up in a small town, so it kind of fascinates me. The workings of a small town are so different from that of a city setting.

Do you love a small town setting? Or do you prefer city? Or is there something else??

"I just don't like to read."

I've heard that many times. And I guess I understand. Not everyone enjoys getting lost in another person's world. Not everyone enjoys laughter, suspense, romance, edge-of-your-seat excitement or drama. Not everyone enjoys a good story.

Oh...wait a minute. Movies are stories. TV shows are stories.

How can people not enjoy reading a book, but spend many many hours watching Netflix, going to the theater, watching DVRed shows? Why does the format of story-telling matter?

I guess I don't understand after all. Is it the time? I mean, yes, it does take a lot longer to read a book than to watch a two-hour movie. Is today's society just too pressed for time? Do they need the quickest form of story-telling possible? Is it something else?

Or maybe they just haven't found the right book yet. :)

The right book will suck you in and close you off from the rest of the world. The right book will keep you up til wee hours of the night, vowing "just one more chapter." The right book will grab you by the heart and pull you along on it's wacky roller coaster ride. No matter what kind of story you like, there's a book out there for you. More than one, actually. You just need to look ;)

What's your favorite thing about romance novels?

I recently asked readers why they love romance novels. What keeps them coming back for more. 

Eris Field said, "I read them to be taken away." I think that's a popular answer. All of us want to go somewhere else when we read. That's the point. For most, reading is an escape. It enables us to leave our troubles behind and lose ourselves in someone else's world...someone else's love story. Whether you have your own love story in real life or not. As Sarah Carol said, "I love romances because I hope to find my happily ever after someday." And I think we like to lose ourselves in someone else's problems, too. Maybe it helps us cope with our own. If they can do it, so can we! 

"I want realism. I want stupid problems. I want humor and sarcasm. I want to not see everything always so back and white. I want flawed heroines and heros." This is what Karen McClive likes in a  romance novel. I agree. I don't want to read about a super model who never gains a pound and never has a pimple, whose life is perfect in every way. Or a hero who always says and does the right things. How boring is that??? I want real characters. I want characters who I would totally hang out with in real life. I want to care about them. I want to root for them. Linda Smolarek likes "quirky characters in interesting settings." Me too. :)

Pat Poreda wants "to fall in love with that hero- with his soul, his mind." She likes the nerds ;) Heros are so so important to a romance novel. He's gotta be the perfect match for our heroine, though definitely not a perfect person. He needs to be sexy, but not always in the obvious way with bulging muscles and washboard abs. Romance has evolved past Fabios. (Not gonna lie though, I like me a nice muscular hero, too!) But it's more about him inside...how he treats her. 

So tell me....what brings you back to romance? Do you agree with my readers??

XOXO Reader Event!!!

I am soooooooo excited about this event!! It's an all day readerfest filled with special guests, sexy fun, surprises, games, and more, all from the comfort of your home!!!!!

I'll be playing a game of Dirty Telephone at 1:30 pm EST. That promises to be hilarious. ;)

Check out this link with details and the event line up!! You won't want to miss this!!!

What do romance writers like to read??

In my opinion, if you want great book suggestions, ask a writer. They know how to craft an amazing story, so it only makes sense that they also know one when they read one :)

Other than their own, of course. When it's our own work, we often alternate between "THIS IS THE BEST THING EVERRRRRR!!!!!!!!!" and "This is the biggest pile of crap ever......" But in the end, we love our stories (that's why we write them!) and love reading other people's masterpieces as well.

For me, a great story has to pull me through a plethora of emotion. If you can make me cry, either out of utter despair or complete jubilation, your book is a winner. I love to laugh, and prefer to have a few giggles while I'm reading. I like steaminess. And I want to swoon! I know when I read romance that it will have the happily-ever-after I crave, but I want to think it just might not work out for those two crazy kids. I like twists and turns and I like being surprised. I like when the bad guy gets his just desserts.

So, if an author can do all that, I will love their books and devour every single one! Sounds like a lot, but it's really not. I just want to be immersed in the character's world and feel what they feel. :)

And if you want to follow along, I've started a board on Pinterest with some other fabulous contemporary romance authors where we post all our favorite reads. Check it out! You'll definitely find some awesome stuff there! Click the link below :)

Awesome Authors

A How-To Guide for Reading Steamy Romance

Sure...everyone knows how to actually read, but I think there is a process to making the romance-reading process even more enjoyable.

Step 1: Choose a book with the yummiest cover ever.

You need a visual for the hotness inside the book. Preferably a visual with rock hard abs that you want to run your tongue over.

Step 2: Find a reading spot.

I recommend somewhere comfy and quiet and private so you can avoid odd looks while you fan yourself and/or drool. Or if, perhaps, you'd like to participate along with the characters, if you know what I mean. ;)

Step 3: Acquire sustenance.

I like a glass of wine while I read. I'm sure others prefer coffee or other warm beverages. And a sexy snack is a must. Chocolate tops the list, even better if it's fancy with caramel or nuts or any other yumminess. Also acceptable, desserts of any kind, including, but not limited to, cookies, pie, cake, ice cream. Or if you have access to a hunky pool boy, he can feed you grapes so you don't have to take your eyes off the page.

Step 4: Clear your schedule.

As we all know, a great book will just suck you right in, flipping pages as fast as we can read the last word on the bottom. A great book can make you forget all about the laundry, the dishes, the whining kids.

Step 5: Lose yourself.

Sink into that comfy chair, sip that wine. Allow yourself to tune out the world and dive into the love, the angst, the sexual tension, and then the steamy sex when it finally does happen. Lose yourself in the world the author has created for you. It's a gift really. You've been given an escape to another world. Take full advantage ;)

And if you need a suggestion for a new destination, how about a lingerie shop and the cast of characters that operate it. Not to mention the hot guys they hire to be their "Spokespenises."

A sexy, laugh-out-loud love story about a woman trying to save her failing lingerie business with a new product—“personal massagers” made to the specs of the spokesman of her choice! But when she falls for the first model she meets, how can she prove she’s his perfect fit?



With their business in trouble, Mia and Bryn must pull out all the stops to save their shop. Things get sticky when Mia, owner of Classy ‘n’ Sassy Lingerie, has to go on five blind “dates” to find the right model for the big marketing plan that will save the store. But they aren’t your ordinary blind dates. Mia has to test out the “goods” to find the perfect spokespenis—the model for Classy ‘n’ Sassy’s newest line of lifelike dildos. 



Not realizing Mia is on a mission, Oliver Christensen approaches her in a bar and Mia mistakes him for model #1. Oliver decides to play along. But just how far is he willing to take this charade in order to get closer to Mia? And what happens if Mia’s Blind Date #1 turns out to be The One?

For purchase links, click here!

Ever read a book so moving....

...it makes you cry? And cry in public???

With the invention of digital reading devices it's easier and more convenient than ever to read anywhere you want. I think people read more on the go since devices are so easy to transport. People read on their phones too, and everyone always has their phone on them. Whether they're on their commute, at the gym, at the doctor's office, I think more than ever, people are reading in public.

And depending on what you read, some of these books can be pretty darn emotional. I openly admit, I cry at sappy movies. I cry at sad movies. And of course, books too. Sometimes the stories of the characters are so emotional and overwhelming, I can't help the tears. It's only human to be affected in this way. Sometimes the stories hit close to home. Other times they restore faith in true love and happily ever afters.

I often read at the gym, while on the treadmill or cross ramp. I hate cardio machines. I prefer getting my cardio in enjoyable ways like Zumba. But there aren't classes everyday, so I do get on the machines too. But the most I can stand without something to keep me entertained is 5-10 minutes. So I started bringing my Kindle. It really makes the time fly by. One day I started a new book. By the end of chapter one there was a horrific car accident and a character died. Have you ever tried to keep your pace on a cross ramp while holding back sobs? Not an easy thing to do.

So how about you?? Ever been in public reading and unable to hold back the emotions??

Spring break is coming! Need some beach reads?

It seems everyone in the spring is escaping somewhere warm. Well, the ones who don't normally live in a warm location, anyway :) And being from the north east, many of my peers travel to warmer designations. And I'm totally jealous! But we rarely travel in winter or spring. It's usually summer and fall.

But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy one relaxing part of vacationing- the beach read! And it doesn't matter if you are actually on a beach or not! For me, a beach read is a book that sucks me in and I can easily sit/lay/lounge for hours in complete bliss.

I'm told my books are great beach reads, since readers are easily able to dive into my books and instantly lose themselves in the worlds I create. My books are fun and flirty, but full of emotion. I love creating characters people can identify with and root for.

So, for the spring escapists who have like a week or so, you may want to check out my Karma books!

Karma may be a bitch, but sometimes she knows what she’s doing.

When author Lexi Marshall’s perfectly fabulous life of designer clothes, nights on the town with her sexy boyfriend, and a successful writing career literally go up in flames, she must take on Karma and fight to gain control over her life.

Lexi believes her cliché-filled novels are the reason for Karma’s wrath and after a high calorie pity party, she’s determined to rebuild her life to what it once was...that is, until her gynecologist utters a phrase she never expected or wanted to hear: she’s pregnant. Unfortunately, the father is her fresh out-of-the-closet best friend and not the new man in her life.

Karma is back, but this time she’s not completely to blame. 

After surviving a heart- wrenching tragedy, Lexi Marshall is determined to find happiness with her wacky, new-age family. Stumbling through her first few months of motherhood, she's achieved the perfect balance living with her son, the love of her life, and her best friend and his lover. But happily-ever-after all under the same roof doesn't last long. 

For one thing, Rich doesn’t exactly agree living with everyone is ideal. With their gay/straight double wedding fast approaching, he wants to find a place of their own instead of continuing to sponge off of Marcus and Kevin. But Lexi isn’t ready to give up her easy lifestyle...or the never-ending wisdom of her lifelong best friend, Marcus. 

Torn between assured comfort and true happiness, Lexi has to make a choice, and fast. Will she lose everything, or can she trust karma, and have it all? 

And if you only have a few days away, here are some shorties:

Paradise is nothing if you choose to enjoy it alone.

When Shelby Meyer jetted off for a relaxing week in Cancun, she never expected to fall in love with the quaint piece of Mexican heaven. Or make on offer to buy it.

The Paradise Cove, a run-down Cancun resort, is in desperate need of TLC. Shelby can easily envision the resort as it was in its heyday and sees its potential. She vows to do everything in her power to return it to its former glory.

Though the previous owners’ grandson, Gabriel, insists that she will destroy his family’s resort, and a neighboring resort owner doubts in her ability, Shelby’s resolve strengthens.

But when she finds her lists of repairs and the stack of bills piling up around her, hope begins to fade. Will she swallow her pride and accept Gabriel’s love and financial help, or be forced to give up her dream of Paradise Cove?

It's never too late to start over. 

Robyn Miller is perfectly happy in her immaculate home, playing stay-at-home mom and devoted wife. That is, until she's channel surfing one day and sees her high school sweetheart Derek, acting in a lead role in her favorite old soap. Watching Derek's show becomes her secret pleasure...and brings back memories best forgotten. When Derek's mother throws him a big celebration in town, Robyn tries to avoid seeing him, but ends up in his arms for a dance. 

Derek has finally hit the big-time, but he hasn't found happiness. He regrets losing Robyn, and his show's ratings are falling. He longs to get her back in his life--both personally, and as a writer on the show. Those love scenes she used to dream up were Emmy material. Knowing her marriage is a sham, can he convince her to follow her dreams and give the show--and him--a shot?

Click the "Excerpts" tab above to read the opening chapter of each of my books! And Click here for purchasing info for all my books- Kindle, Nook, Etc..!