Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

My special guest today is Ellora’s Cave author, Brandi Evans. So who is Brandi Evans? I’ll let Brandi tell you in her own words.

I’m a stay-at-home mom with a serious addiction. The compulsive need to tell sexy stories to whomever will listen!

As much as I can’t imagine a day without a book (or Kindle) in my hands or a story “under construction” on my computer, I haven’t always been addicted to the written word. Don’t hear many author bios start like that, do ya? But it’s the truth.

Even despite my late start, I’ve never been accused of having a dull imagination. Yowza! If only people knew just how dirty my mind is! For years, I was actually ashamed at how nasty the characters in my head acted. Now, I celebrate their boldness and wish some of their kick-ass-and-take-no-prisoners attitude would rub off on me.

Brandi’s new release is called Lust, Lace & Lingerie, and today she’s sharing some of the research she needed to do to write her book.

When I set out to write my newest release, Lust, Lace & Lingerie, I didn’t know the difference between a nightie and a negligée. Heck, I didn’t even know there was a difference, LOL. Did you? Let me clarify…
A nightie is a type of lingerie, which encompasses any sexy undergarment from bras to garters. A negligée is simply a term for fancy nightgowns. Who knew?! If you’re like you, you probably lumped them all into one category: sexy clothes to turn on your partner.

Learn something new with every book, LOL.

But my research didn’t stop there. For a scene later in LLL, my heroine is helping a customer pick out some lingerie so I thought it would be a good idea to do some research on buying lingerie for each body type. Anyway, I thought I’d share that research with you today. If you’re like me, buying lingerie is intimidating enough, LOL. Hopefully, this will help you lessen your anxiety.

Buying Lingerie to Fit Body Type

1. For women with small busts: Ruffles or other “decoration” at the bust area can help give the illusion of volume. In addition, tops with underwire can lift the breasts, giving beautiful cleavage. Also, try a halter-style top to really display all that beautiful cleavage you’ve just created.

2. For women with big busts: Plunging necklines are a great way to accentuate your positives. Corsets can give you good support and create sexy cleavage. And what guy doesn’t want that!

3. For women with slender, athletic frames: Skimpy boy shorts (booty shorts) can give the illusion of curves. Look for something with a sexy bra or corset and you’ll have your guy/gal eating out of your hand.

4. For women with large hips, thighs or backsides: A babydoll teddy or other pieces that hit around mid-thigh work great a concealing these problem areas. Get a nice sheer material that’ll tease the eyes and get his/her mind—and libido—revving.

5. For women with those dreaded “muffin tops”: A corset or the like can cinch 2 to 3 inches off your waist. If that’s not comfortable, try longer or tunic-style pieces to give the illusion of a slimmer waistline. A babydoll teddy will work great here too as it can hide big tummies. Lastly, remember, dark colors are slimming! I’m not just talking black here, ladies. Dark blue and dark reds are great too.

A final thought…

There’s nothing worse than wearing lingerie that isn’t your size. If you’re a size 18-in-denial, you’ll never find something that truly fits. The last thing you want is to have things squishing out! Measure yourself before going shopping or have one of the sales persons do it for you. Most stores will have sizing charts to help you find your perfect fit.

~Brandi Evans

p.s. In honor of Lust, Lace & Lingerie’s release, anyone who comments on this post will be entered in a drawing for these Truth or Dare coupons!

Here’s the blurb for Lust, Lace & Lingerie:

I love managing the sexy Dallas boutique Red Light Lingerie—talking to people about sex, toys and bedroom wear. One of my favorite erotic benefits? My boss, Maxwell Penn, is a Matthew McConaughey lookalike—but with a hot British accent. Okay, he can be domineering and I spend most of my time on the clock fluctuating between “I want to bed him” and “I want to strangle him.” But still…yum.

Tonight, however, everything will change.

An old friend of Max’s from Britain, a lingerie designer, has flown in to show Max a couple of possible pieces for our new Risqué line of bedroom wear—but their model canceled. Can you see where this is going? Yep. I go from manager to model, and before I can say G-string, this spur-of-the-moment modeling gig ignites in passion and little ol’ me finds herself sandwiched between Max and his dark-n-sexy best friend.

I’d be in heaven if it wasn’t for the guilt swirling in Max’s blue eyes. But guilt for what?

Purchase at Ellora’s Cave

To learn more about Brandi and her books, visit Brandi’s website or blog.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is from Kim Knox’s Gambit, a sci-fi/futuristic romance from Carina Press.

The stream of venom from the innocuous little bug, one that looked so harmless when it sat on a client’s palm, flowed too fast over her thoughts. She grimaced, loathing the lack of control that would grip her in a few short seconds.

Page 2, Gambit

Captain Chae Beyon is a hustler, a mercenary pilot, a wounded woman who prefers her men to be easily thrown aside.

Daned Traern is a first-caste Ladaian bound by tradition and DNA to protect his race. He’s willing to align himself with the hot space captain if she’ll transport him home in time to ensure the right candidate is crowned—and thus prevent a bloody war.

Disguised as Chae’s sex toy, Daned is erotically bound to her through living gold, alien tech designed to increase pleasure. When he frees himself, their passion only increases…but succumbing to temptation will bind them together—permanently.

But there’s more at stake than their needs. As Chae is dragged into a world of insane princes and sentient stones, hired killers hound them across the quadrant.

And then, as only her lousy luck would have it, Chae must choose between the good of the galaxy and her own heart…

Purchase Gambit

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is from a romantic suspense called Running Scared by Cheryl Norman.

Shoving cell phone and pistol into her fanny pack, she grabbed her car keys and headed for her garage. An hour at the shooting range was just what she needed.

page 74, Running Scared

When newly divorced Ashley Adams thinks her ex-husband is trying to kill her, she’s not Running Scared. Months of therapy and determination have strengthened her resolve to stop being a victim, while months of dedicated training have prepared her to run her first marathon.

Homicide detective Rick Edwards is coping with the deaths of his wife and daughter the only way he knows how—by focusing on work. He hopes to solve the murder that Ashley has witnessed during a training run, but first he must win her trust. And keep her alive.

He soon realizes that Ashley isn’t a damsel in distress whom he must rescue. In fact, she may be the one woman who can save him. He finds danger—and also love?—when least expected.

Purchase Running Scared

Twin Trouble, my new release is out at Ellora’s Cave on 1 April. As the title suggests, my story features identical twins as the heroes. The Mitchell twins, Joe and Sly, inspired my topic this week.

Thirteen Facts About Twins

1. 1 in 250 pregnancies can result in identical twins.

2. Women pregnant with twins will have more ultrasounds, tests and prenatal appointments than women pregnant with singletons.

3. The average weight of twins at term is about 5.5 lbs

4. Identical twins share the same DNA, but have their own fingerprints

5. Fraternal twins (girls) have twice the chance of giving birth to twins than singletons

6. Gemellology is term use for the scientific study of twins

7. The chances of having a twin pregnancy naturally is increased by maternal age ( 30+), genetics and number of previous pregnancies.

8. China has the lowest rate of twins in the world

9. Twins share a special connection, and many report incidences of twin telepathy or extrasensory perception ESP phenomenon. Some twins create their own language.

10. Twins are generally born on the same day but in some cases twins have different birthdays

11. For the second-born twin the mortality rate at birth and within the first month of life is twice that of the first born

12. The use of fertility drugs, the increased use of in-vitro fertilization, and the use of contraceptive pills all influence the rise in the rate of multiple births

13. Twin Trouble is the name of my book featuring twins. Here’s the blurb:

Man wanted: confident and charismatic, a virtuoso in bed and capable of supporting a woman in her quest for freedom.

Shifter Kiera Pascoe is desperate to foil her brothers’ plan to ship her back to England. She needs help, and hunky Joe Mitchell is the perfect applicant. Joe misses his twin Sly, and Kiera presents a diversion from his isolated state. From the start, hunger explodes between them and sparks fly with each intoxicating touch. The sex is fun and challenging—mutual ecstasy with a little spanking and kink.

Sly arrives home unexpectedly, creating chaos with their erotic hijinks. Emotions tangle and create a dilemma for all three. Joe has feelings for Kiera and wants to keep her. Kiera worries about exchanging one set of pushy males for another while Sly lusts after his twin’s lover. Two sexy shifter twins and one gorgeous feline woman—they’ve got trouble in Middlemarch and it’s gonna take time to unravel the steamy muddle.

Read an excerpt for Twin Trouble

Do you have twins in your family? (My husband’s mother is a twin, but not an identical one)

My guest today is author, Jenyfer Matthews. After the recent upheaval in Egypt, she’s currently in the United States. She’s finding some subtle changes now that she’s back home. She explains below. Don’t forget to check out her newly released books as well!

I’ve lived abroad for just over a decade and in that time have traveled to more than ten different countries, yet I’ve rarely experienced any culture shock except when I come home to America to visit.

That may sound strange, but think about it: it is pretty obvious that when I travel to Asia or within the Middle East that I am not a local. No one really expects me to know how to do things or how to get around. I’m a foreigner and people are more than willing to cut me some slack as a result.

It’s a different story when I come back to America. Unless I actually go around explaining my background to everyone I run across, people just assume that I’ve been here all along, keeping up with the various technological changes that have occurred. For most of you, these changes have occurred so gradually that you didn’t notice them. For me, every year it’s like I took a time machine to the future and am utterly lost. Self check-out, digital signature pads, DVR, smart phones, GPSs – even just dialing a phone number can be a struggle! The list goes on and on – I’m sure there are many things that I don’t yet know I don’t know how to do.

I go through this every summer when I come back to visit, but I can ignore a lot of the things I don’t understand once I get to my father’s house, deep in the north woods, because aside from his Direct TV connection, life in his home and the surrounding area is pretty simple. Besides, I’m usually only in the country for a month. Circumstances are a little bit more extreme for me at the moment, having evacuated my home in Cairo, Egypt on February 1st. My husband is back at work in Egypt but my children and I will very likely stay in America for the rest of the school year and the summer at the very least.

American cities being what they are – spread out – I decided I needed a car. Renting a car is too expensive but I didn’t want to commit to a lease either. The friend that I am currently staying with offered me the use of her car, but I wanted a bit more independence in at least one area so I went shopping for an inexpensive used car. My target budget made it a discouraging process to say the least (I guess I’m out of touch with what things cost too!) but in the end I found what I consider to be a gem.

It’s a 2000 Volkswagon Golf with the original stereo: a radio and cassette player.

Ironically, I left the US for my life abroad in 1999, so buying this car is a bit like picking up where I left off, technologically speaking. While this car has plenty of bells and whistles for its vintage, there is nothing that I am unfamiliar with except a manual transmission, but I’m learning. Unless I buy an iPod and an adaptor (unlikely), I’ll be finding a few radio stations and catching up on newer music, filling another gap that has developed in the last decade. Many of the “classic / oldies” will be new to me!

Funnier still? The friend I’m staying with actually still had a couple of mixed tapes that I’d made for her 20 years ago and returned them to me to use in the car. To say I never expected to see or listen to these cassettes again is an understatement – I don’t really even remember making them! Anyone up for some Eurhythmics, B52s, or C&C Music Factory?

I have the feeling I’m going to have a lot of fun in this car. I love it for another reason as well: coincidentally, two of the three heroines of my three contemporary romances have Volkswagons. Considering I feel like a character from a story myself right now as I flounder around trying to find my footing, I find this interesting. Hmmm…maybe I can use this sometime…

All four of my books are available in multiple formats from All Romance Ebooks, on Kindle, and if you purchase your copy from Smashwords.com this week you can get an extra 25% off until March 12th. Visit my website for more information and excerpts.

I’m visiting the Romance Author Hotspot today to talk about writing, a few of my favorite things, and my new print release, The Bottom Line.

I’m also giving away a print copy of The Bottom Line to one visitor. Here’s the link to Romance Author Hotspot

I sold the final book in my Middlemarch Mates series today. Yes! The Mitchell twins, Joe and Sly, finally have their own story. Twin Trouble should be out in a few months at Ellora’s Cave.

And speaking of Middlemarch Mates, I have a Naughty Nooner called Lightning Strikes Twice coming out on 25 April.

Lisa Jordan lost her husband two years ago and now it’s time to start living again. At the Middlemarch singles’ ball, she’s attracted to a sexy shifter, but his identity is a shock. Years ago she used to babysit him and now she feels like a dirty old woman.

Sam Mitchell has harbored a crush on Lisa for years and is eager to stake his claim. A few dances turns into a one-night stand full of exciting, satisfying sex. Sam wants more but first he’ll need to persuade Lisa to his way of thinking.

I’ve started work on a new project today – a historical this time. What are you up to this week?

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser today comes from Tall, Dark and Wolfish by Lydia Dare. This is a historical romance featuring werewolves and witches. It’s set mainly in Scotland. I’m enjoying it very much.

“Not being able to change with the fullness of the moon was a huge problem for someone like him. It threw his whole life out of kilter.”

Page 18, Tall, Dark and Wolfish

Blurb:

He’s lost the most important part of himself…

Lord Benjamin Westfield is a powerful werewolf-until one full moon when he doesn’t change. His life now shattered, he rushes off to Scotland in search of the healer who can restore his inner beast, only to find she’s not at all what he expected…

She would make him whole, if she could…

Young, beautiful witch Elspeth Campbell will do anything to help anyone who calls upon her healing arts. Then Lord Benjamin shows up, and she suddenly discovers she may need him even more than he needs her…

Purchase Tall, Dark and Wolfish

Peeping Tom, which is book two in my Middlemarch Mates series, is now shipping from Amazon and The Book Depository! And, Peeping Tom has a new cover…

Here’s the blurb:

The residents of Middlemarch have a nickname for reporter Tomasine Brooks. They call her Peeping Tom and refuse to answer her questions about the mysterious black cats spotted in the vicinity. To them she’s an outsider—the enemy—who has no place in their close-knit shifter community.

Tomasine is determined to find a safe place to settle but earning the locals’ trust seems impossible. In desperation, she decides to seduce the sexy Felix Mitchell into giving away Middlemarch’s secrets because it’s a matter of life or death…hers.

From the moment feline shifter Felix Mitchell crashes into Tomasine outside the post office he desires her with an urgency that makes him suspect they are fated mates. When they are together the connection is hot, the sex is spicy and she makes him happy, but Tomasine is close-mouthed about her past—a past that can threaten their future together.

Purchase Peeping Tom

There’s nothing I like better than reading a romance with a strong heroine. Here’s a list of some of my favorites.

1. Kate Daniels from Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1) by Ilona Andrews

2. Anna Latham from Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs

3. Mercy Thompson from Moon Called (Mercy Thompson) by Patricia Briggs

4. Mina Wentworth from The Iron Duke (A Novel of the Iron Seas)

5. Alexia Tarabotti from Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

6. Destiny from Dark Destiny by Christine Feehan

7. Betsy Taylor from Undead and Unwed (Queen Betsy, Book 1) by MaryJanice Davidson

8. Cat from Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1) by Jeaniene Frost

9. Tayla Mancuso from Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1) by Larissa Ione

10. Riley Jensen from Full Moon Rising (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 1) by Keri Arthur

11. Jaz Parks from Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Jaz Parks) by Jennifer Rardin

12. Eve Dallas from Naked in Death (In Death, Book 1) by JD Robb

13. Xhex from Lover Mine: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward

And one more, even though she’s a bit bumbling at times – Stephanie Plum from One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) by Janet Evanovich

Source: I stole this idea and the list from the Auckland Library newsletter. The person who wrote the newsletter has great reading taste because her favorites are also mine.

Do you have a favorite kick-ass fictional heroine?