Happy Almost Christmas!

To those who celebrate...Happy Almost Christmas!! Ever since I was a kid, Christmas Eve has always felt almost magical to me. It's a day of excitement, hope and good spirit. My eldest kids eagerly put their gifts under the tree this morning for us, each other and the little ones. And then immediately asked if they should take them back in case Santa thinks we already have enough gifts and decides not to leave any more LOL! I love to see them so happy, so excited, so full of life and love :).

Regardless of what holiday you celebrate, or if you celebrate nothing at all, best wishes to you and your family. Here's to a new year filled with health, happiness and productivity! I've planned 2012 to be a key year for me writing-wise. I plan to ramp up my writing output, open up some new avenues, get my books a wider distribution and try out some new things, including some longer lengths. I hope you'll join me!

Stay safe, consume much and laugh loud with those you love and who love you!

Kaily

Why I'm thankful to be a writer

It's Thanksgiving here in the US and we're celebrating it in traditional style. Hubby will cook an elaborate feast, we'll stuff ourselves and then complain about how much we ate for the rest of the day LOL. I've been looking at posts for a couple days that talk about what people are thankful for. I'm incredibly fortunate and thankful for so many things, but at the top of that list is my family. I have a husband who only annoys me like 13% of the time :) and happy, wonderful kids who haven't managed to serisouly injure each other yet. What's not to be thankful for, right?

The other thing I'm incredibly thankful for is being a writer because it's only relatively recently that I even knew it's what I wanted to do. I've already had one successful, rewarding career. It was challening, engaging, satisfying and even fun, but it wasn't my passion, it didn't drive me, it didn't consume me, I didn't need it. That's what writing is, all of that. It's the career of my heart. And this is why I'm thankful for being a writer:

• There's no dress code. If I like, I can wear my PJs all day. Of course, the kids don't like it when I have to do drop offs at school that way, but the additional sick pleasure I get from torturing them is just an added bonus.
• I get to work from home. All the time. Within shouting distance of the fridge, the coffee machine and the left over Halloween candy. Okay, okay, that's not exactly a perk LOL.
• I'm the CEO of my own business. I'm my own boss and get to set my own hours, develop strategy and decide where I'm headed with all of this. I don't answer to anyone. Of course, that means if I slack off I have to kick my own ass.
• I get to write about sex. A lot. I get to come up with the ways my characters will get it on and how they'll get off. And I have to be careful. They can't get too much, too soon. What would be the fun in that?
• I get to construct the perfect man. Every book. Alpha? Check! Hot? Check! Knows his way around a woman's body? Check! Sacrifice anything for his heroine? Check! Sigh....
• I get to hang around online. What!? Hey, it's 'marketing and promotion'. Right? Regardless :), it enables me to interact with people I never would have otherwise, readers and writers alike, and I LOVE that immediate connection. Of course, if I do it too much, see point number 3 above.
• I am the grand ruler of the entire universe!!!! In my books, that is. I decide everything, down to the smallest detail about my characters and who they are, what they want, how they act, their dreams, goals and fears. I get to torture them mercilessly before I give them their happily ever after, but I haven't heard any complaints from them so far.

See? Pretty cool, huh? That's what I'm thinking about today - how thankful I am that I'm doing what I love, surrounded by people I love.

H A P P Y   T H A N K S G I V I N G to those who celebrate it and if not, why not be thankful for soemthing anyway? I'd love to hear what YOU'RE thankful for!!

A gift...for you

So...it's that time of year again. Everyone has their holiday wishes out on the blogosphere, so I'll be brief with mine :). Enjoy the time with family and friends, stuff yourself with good food (I plan to) and look favorably towards the coming year--may it bring you good health and much happiness.

To celebrate, I'll be giving away either a copy of PICTURE THIS or PAY UP (winner's choice) to a random commenter on this post through Sunday 9:00 pm (EST). Tell me what you like about the holiday season (or don't) or what's the best (or worst) present you ever received!

And now...I'd like to leave you with a never before shared excerpt from PAY UP. Warning: it's hot and steamy and adult! Enjoy!!!

    Carly felt odd being in his bedroom. She’d been in his place before, but never this room. This was the room he dressed and undressed in, the room he slept in, the room he…fucked in. Well jeez, she assumed he didn’t always have sex up against the wall of his entry.
     What did he sleep in anyway? He didn’t seem the pajama type. She quickly grabbed a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt and opened and closed a couple of drawers until she found his underwear.
     Oh God.
     They were all black, snug boxer-style briefs. Every single pair. She laughed. Not a lot of imagination, but hey, he so didn’t need any window dressing. They had to look incredible on him, so why would he mess with perfection, right?
     She felt depraved as she fingered the soft fabric, imagining what the material cupped when he had them on. She’d never much gotten into going down on a guy but the urge she had to look at, touch and taste Rio almost made her tremble. She wanted to lick his length, suck on him, cup and lick his balls until he trembled against her. She wanted to kneel in front of him in submission, his hands in her hair, urging her on until she brought him to the brink. And then she’d start all over again. She’d never let a guy come in her mouth before either, but she knew she’d let Rio. God, she’d insist. Just the thought of it and she was hot, wet and aching with need. What would he say if she won that dumb bet and claimed her prize as a blowjob for him?

Tis the season to...

I love this time of year. It's full of fun and hope and optimism for the coming new year. Things are shiny and new and oh so special. It has a magic and a mysticism to it, especially if you have kids and can live it through their eyes. I love in the States how the entire period from Halloween through New Year is just called 'the holidays'. It seems you get through one celebration and then you're immediately looking forward to the next one. It's a wonderful, wonderful time, although my hips could certainly do with a break! This year we're spending our time at home and have no family visiting. Yay us :)!! I think it'll be really nice.

My most favorite part of this time of the year though, is looking forward to the new year. It's time to reflect on what's been accomplished, think about goals met (or not LOL) and start to firm up objectives and wishes for the coming year. I've always believed that you can do anything, be anything if you want it badly enough. Possibilities are endless and opportunities abound. The only limitation is yourself. It's why entering a new year is always so exciting for me. It's almost like the slate is being wiped clean and you can start fresh all over again. It's just up to you to make it happen.

So, while I'll be thinking about my goals and what I want to accomplish for 2011, what's YOUR favorite part of the holidays?

Just...Thanks

Although I've lived in the US for many years, Thanksgiving is still a bit of an odd holiday for me. I didn't grow up with it as a child, it wasn't ingrained in me through those informative years so I do feel a bit removed from it in a way. We still celebrate it fully and fairly traditionally, but I take it as an opportunity to really think about how fortunate I've been and what I truly have to be thankful for.

So, what am I thankful for?

• A happy marriage, when so many are in disarray or fall apart these days. 
• Healthy kids, when so many others are fighting terrible sickness and disease.
• My own health (knock on wood).
• That we have food on the table and never have to go hungry when so many around the world fight for every scrap they can get.
• That I have the luxury to pursue my dream of being a writer and author when so many don't get to experience their dreams.
• The fact that I have readers! I'm so very thankful that my books have been well received, have gotten great reviews and the reader comments I've seen just...ROCK!

So, what am I doing on Thanksgiving? Hubby is in full feast mode and is cooking a Turducken. Yep, that's a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey. Should be...interesting :).

For those of you celebrating the holiday or those just taking the opportunity to think about the things they're thankful for like me--Happy Thanksgiving!

What are YOU thankful for?