Archive for the ‘Contemporary Romance’ Category

Great Balls of Fire!

March 8, 2010 - 11:56 pm 5 Comments

Good God in heaven I’m tired!  I’ve spent the day finishing up Book Four of Daughters of Persephone - Tempus Fugit, Time Flees.  Bloody exhausting and exhilarating at the same time!  Of course, I only have the cover for Books One and Two, but it, the cover, that is, bears repeating.  Or perhaps bares repeating.  I do love that cover, so Dune-ish in a hot naked guy butt sort of way.

So…news…Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos is stumbling over Beauty and the Feast, my upcoming contemporary romance from Resplendence.

http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/

Stop over there and check things out – I’ll be giving away a free copy of this delicious, smoking hot romance.

I’m still running my recipe contest here – I’ve tried Lil’s bacon-inspired croissant sandwiches, Jen’s black pepper parmesan biscotti and Dana’s Lemon Cheesecake and so far, we’re on a big hitting streak!  Leave your recipe and you might win a copy of Beauty and the Feast.  My contest runs until April 1.

In other news, Tessie Bradford’s fabulous book, Possessing Eleanor, comes out today with Resplendence as does The Devil to Pay, by Pamela Labud – buy link:

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/

Okelie dokelie – ’nuff for tonight.

Oh gosh!  Over at Author Island in the Tiki Hut with my excerpt from Logical Lust’s The Cougar Book today.  I would love to have you drop in!  http://authorislandtikihut.blogspot.com/

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To Kick Off Beauty and the Feast…a recipe!

March 4, 2010 - 8:45 am 5 Comments

Beauty and the Feast

releases with Resplendence on March 16th.

The contemporary romance includes Eva’s recipes – you can find them at the end of the story.

To celebrate, I’m hosting a recipe contest.

Send me your sexiest, your most sensual recipe sometime over the next month, and I will choose three winners!  I’ll feature your recipes and your fake names (real names if you like) on my blog and send each of you a copy of Beauty and the Feast.

Feel free to leave your recipe as a comment here or email your recipe to me at Julia@JuliaRachelBarrett.net

I’ll announce the winner on April 1st, along with the winning recipes.

I’ll start!  Here’s one of Eva’s favorites!

Eva’s Wet Sauce

1 cup tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste

½ cup dark balsamic vinegar

½ cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup molasses

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. Tabasco

Whisk together and store in fridge.  Use as a marinade or dipping sauce.

Enjoy!


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Join me at The Good, The Bad, and The Unread!

March 3, 2010 - 8:06 am 3 Comments

Sandy M. and I worked on interview questions.

It was crazy, last minute and lots of fun.  We talked about writing, my releases, covers, life in general.  I’d love to hear you comments – here and over there!!!  The interview will be posted at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

http://goodbadandunread.com/

Tomorrow – if I can get my act together today, begins a month-long, very delicious contest for a copy of Beauty and the Feast, my upcoming contemporary with Resplendence.  Stop by and check it out.  Thanks!  Julia

P.S.  It’s up!  Go check it out!

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I have a shitload of things to do today -

March 2, 2010 - 8:19 am 6 Comments

Stay Tuned

I’ll post later and update you with everything.  OMG.  I have an interview to do today for The Good, The Bad, and the Unread – going up tomorrow!

A giveaway of Beauty and the Feast – my upcoming release with Resplendence – on Stumbling Over Chaos.

A contest on my own blog.

A newsletter to get out…

See the above picture?  That’s me!  Talk to you later!

Oh…in the meantime, check out Project Bacon – that recipe may make a convert out of me!

http://projectbacon.wordpress.com/

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Menage Manifesto.

February 26, 2010 - 12:07 am 6 Comments

I’m throwing my hat in the ring and trying my hand at menage.  My philosophy is this – there can be no slut factor and no positions that necessitate unrealistic contortions.  There will be a reason for one woman and her three men…a damn good one.  This is so scary and I wouldn’t do it if I hadn’t A.  dreamed a menage and B.  hubby hadn’t given me an out of this world idea for a second book – m/f/m.  Is that how you describe it?  I actually don’t know the difference between m/m/f and m/f/m.  Anybody?

Oh yeah – I’m off to work today, but Susi over at The Geeky Bookworm is hosting me today – guest blog – how Barry White influenced my romance-suspense, My Everything!

http://thegeekybookworm.blogspot.com/

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Down Time – a little trivia.

February 18, 2010 - 10:33 pm 14 Comments

I love mindless movies.  Totally love them.  The more mindless, the better.

Here’s a little mindless movie trivia.  I’ll leave the questions up for a few days.  Whoever can come up with the most correct answers will win a very nice prize – a copy of my upcoming contemporary romance from Resplendence, Beauty and the Feast, and ten dollars in Strandbucks for use at Siren-Bookstrand!  Yay!

Leave a comment here and email me your answers at Julia@JuliaRachelBarrett.net

Who says, and in what movie does he or she say the following -

A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.

Who says, and in what movie does he or she say this -

That left of yours is a thing of beauty.

Who says, and in what movie does he or she say this -

Didn’t you guys ever watch the show?

Who says, and in what movie does he or she say it -

Let go of her, you bitch.

Who says, and in what movie does he or she say this -

Death…is but the beginning.

Who says, and in what movie does he or she say this -

Fuckin’ Chuck Norris.

Who says, and in what movie does he or she say this -

Caviar should be round and hard and of adequate size, and it should burst in your mouth at precisely the right moment…

Who says, and in what movie does he or she say this -

...and anyway, I  really think I’d miss my sixty-two acres in Vermont.  I mean, Elizabeth is so happy there…and…well, you see…there’s this veterinarian that I’m seeing…

Last, but not least, and this is not from a mindless movie, but from one of my very favorite movies adapted from one of my very favorite stories…who says, and in what movie…

Maybe all I really know about Paul is that he was a fine fisherman.  “You know more than that,” my father said.  “He was beautiful.”

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Cougars – Grrrrrrr…For Valentine’s Day!

February 13, 2010 - 10:51 pm 4 Comments

Playing with the big cats – so much fun!

The Cougar Book has been officially released over at Logical Lust.  Yay!  I cannot say enough good things about Logical Lust’s professionalism and personal touch.  The pub has been amazing and the book is just as fine.

http://www.logical-lust.com/cougar.html

For a great read, pick up a copy.  My contribution is You Might Just Get It, featuring a forty-something nurse and a twenty-something chef.  The story is yummy!

So…one more hell day at work and then back to the usual schedule.  I do love me some cats!  Just ask Yoshi, Rico and Ichi-ban…and that cougar mama and her cub I run into at the wilderness park.  Shhhhhh – keep it to yourself, somebody will trap her…

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Guest Blog/Party Over at Tina’s Place!

February 13, 2010 - 7:02 am 1 Comment

While I’m working my little heart out on the day job, Tina’s hosting me today, so head on over and leave a comment – maybe it’ll ping you back a copy of My Everything!

http://www.tinadonahue.com/blog/

Ya’ll be good while I’m gone – and Dana, if you’re reading, hope you enjoy your book!  love, julia

P.S.  Got a sweet review of Captured from Roni over at:  http://romancebookscene.blogspot.com/2010/02/romance-book-review-captured.html

Author Cindy Spencer Pape gave me a nice mention so right back at her:  http://cindyspencerpape.blogspot.com/

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Releases and Contest Reminders Redux

February 10, 2010 - 7:47 am 3 Comments

My Everything

release date:  2/12/10

Cobblestone Press

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/

Contest – win a copy at Stumbling Over Chaos

http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/?p=5864http://

The contest runs through February 11th.

Mia Watt’s F.U. is up on that site also.

Otherwise, I am too pooped to pop!  I think my kitty may be able to come home today or tomorrow but now the other two are acting a bit sick.  Keeping my fingers crossed that they are tougher than Rico and can hang on without any near death experiences.  With love, Julia

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More Contest Announcements – And the winner of F.U.

February 8, 2010 - 8:27 am 2 Comments

Siren-Bookstrand authors are running an amazing week-long Valentine’s contest.  You can win ebooks and Strandbucks to buy books from Siren.  Sign into the Siren Reader’s Group for links to the blogs and contest give-aways.  My day is tomorrow, so check back here and find out how to win a copy of my science fiction romance, Captured.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SirenBookstrand/

You can find my interview over at the Logical Lust blog.  Leave me a comment and on Valentine’s Day, I’ll draw a name for a signed hard copy of The Cougar Book.  Link:  http://bit.ly/ZWnZq

Stumbling Over Chaos is running a contest for a copy of My Everything – my suspense romance coming out with Cobblestone Press on February 12th.  The contest runs through the 11th.  http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/?p=5864http:// Head over and leave a comment.  The book makes for a fun, sexy afternoon read.

There’s a contest running over at Romance Junkies too!  I just don’t know exactly where it is – but I think there are lots and lots of freebies over there!

In other news, my kitty will recover from his life-threatening illness – it was touch and go all weekend and he finally turned the corner.  The vet called to give me the good news.

The winner of Mia Watt’s F.U.?  Linda!  Here ya go!  Mia will contact you.  Congratulations!

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Interview with Logical Lust – The Cougar Book

February 6, 2010 - 11:30 pm No Comments

Today is my interview day on the Logical Lust Blog

http://bit.ly/ZWnZq

Drop by, leave me a comment and you can win a signed hard copy of The Cougar Book!

This is one sizzling read, containing stories from twenty-three amazing authors.

My contribution is – You Might Just Get It.  Here’s an excerpt:

Excerpt from You Might Just Get It, by Julia Barrett, The Cougar Book, Logical Lust

Eric lifted his eyes and studied the woman seated across the small table from him.  Her damp curls surrounded her head like a halo.  The first time he’d seen her, in the window across the courtyard, her hair had been damp, just like this.  Sweet.  Very appealing.  He wondered if she had any idea her kitchen window looked directly into his.  Probably not.  She’d only moved in ten days ago.  Eric assumed she was still busy unpacking.  That was one of the reasons he’d invited her to dinner, one reason among many.  He wondered briefly how old Kate was.  It was hard to tell.  She could be anywhere from twenty-nine to forty-five.  But he wasn’t about to ask her and he didn’t care.  Her age didn’t matter to him.  Her laugh did.  Her big brown eyes did.  Her luscious lips.  Her wide white smile.

When he’d arrived home and found her soaked to the skin and shivering on the stoop, he got to play the hero.  That was twice in two days.  There was no way he’d pass up an opportunity to spend time with her.  He’d hoped she’d accept his offer of dinner and he‘d been pleased when she did.  It was no big deal, one of his easy meals.  Oven toasted rustic bread with melted gruyere, roasted tomatoes, baby arugula and a soft fried egg.  Simple and sensuous.  The sandwich was messy and it required the use of all your fingers.  There was a lot of runny egg yolk and licking involved.  Eric hoped he could segue that licking into something else entirely.

God, there was a lot to like about her.  Not only was Kate easy on the eyes, she was intelligent, articulate, mature, and she appreciated his sense of humor.  Plus she blushed at the drop of a hat.  Eric found that adorable.  She wasn’t jaded or flighty, like so many women he’d met recently.  He’d bet the farm she hadn’t grown up in California.  Probably Iowa or Illinois.  Someplace rural.  An old-fashioned country girl.

“Where’d you come from?  I mean, where are you from originally?” he asked.

“Blair, Nebraska.  It’s a little town near the Missouri River.  I went to school there.  Dana College.  You?”

“Minneapolis.”

“You’re kidding?  You don’t have a Minnesota accent.”

“Yeah, well, I worked hard getting rid of that.  I can do it if you like.”

“You mean like…Minnesooooota, North Dakoooooota, ya think?  Like that?”

It was Eric’s turn to laugh.  “More or less.”  He looked at her plate.  “Finished?”

“Oh, yes, thank you.  The sandwich was great.  I can cook, but I guess it never occurred to me that such simple ingredients could taste so good together.”  Kate reached for his empty plate and set it on top of hers.  “Let me help clean up.  That’s the least I can do.”

He watched as Kate rose from her chair and stretched.  He enjoyed watching.  Her breasts were pert.  Not large, but pert with perky nipples.  Two handfuls.  That’s all he needed.

“You have a long day today?”

“Not too bad.  Really.  It would have been better if I hadn’t locked myself out.  But…what can you do?  I was sort of hoping to curl up in a hot bath with a good book, but I left my book in the car and then the key…well, you know the story.”  Kate carried the plates to the sink.

Eric followed with the empty glasses.  “You can still have a hot bath,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess,” she replied, rinsing off the plates.

Eric set the glasses down on the counter and ran a hand lightly through the chestnut locks that hugged the back of her neck.  He watched goose bumps rise as he trailed his fingers along her shoulders.  He heard Kate’s sharp intake of breath.  He waited momentarily to see if she’d move away, but she remained still.

“I mean, if you’re interested, you could have a hot bath…with me.”

***Today begins the Siren-Bookstrand Valentine promotion.  Win ebooks and Strandbucks.  Contests will run all week on

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SirenBookstrand/

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Tons of Happy News!

February 6, 2010 - 8:13 am No Comments

It never rains but it pours!

Let me try to pull my thoughts together:

The contest for F.U., by Mia Watts, is still alive!!!  Write the words – Enter me!  Enter me now! – and you’ll be entered in the contest for a free copy of F.U.  I’ll draw the winner at random on Monday and announce right here.

My own contest, hosted by Stumbling Over Chaos, runs through February 11th.  Stop by the site and leave a comment and you could win a copy of my Romance/Suspense, My Everything, from Cobblestone Press.  Damn, that cover is hot!  The book comes out February 12.  The link:  http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/?p=5864http://

You can find My Everything over at Cobblestone:  http://www.cobblestone-press.com/

Other news – The Cougar Book, with Logical Lust comes out on Valentine’s Day.  My short story, You Might Just Get It, is one of twenty-three fun, sexy, hot reads.  The book is available for pre-order in both ebook and print and I think if you order early, you can get a copy of Swing!, another sizzling anthology.  Here’s the link:  http://www.logical-lust.com/cougar.html

Every day in February, a contributing author from The Cougar Book is being interviewed on the Logical Lust blog.  My day is Sunday, February 7th.  Please drop by and leave a comment.  If you do, you’ll be eligible to win a copy of any book from my backlist, including Captured, my new sci fi with Siren.  Link:  http://bit.ly/ZWnZq

Katie Couric is officially a Cougar – dating a man 17 years her junior.  Go Katie!

Last but not least, the authors over at Siren-Bookstrand are running a seven-day event, beginning tomorrow.  You can win Strandbucks by visiting blogs all week.  There will be lots of contests.  Head over to Siren-Bookstrand and join the Siren Readers Group.  It’s a great opportunity to get to know some fabulous authors in all genres and pick up some Strandbucks to buy a few books!  http://www.sirenbookstrand.com/

Paranormal and Sci Fi Day is Tuesday, so stay tuned for my blog and my contest!  You can win a copy of Captured!

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CONTESTS!!!

February 4, 2010 - 9:16 pm 8 Comments

I have a contest going on at Stumbling Over Chaos:

http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/?p=5864

The link will go live after midnight tonight, Pacific Time.

Drop by.  Leave a comment, and you might win yourself a copy of my new romance/suspense with Cobblestone Press – My Everything.  The contest will run through February 11th and the book releases on the 12th.

In other contest news – check the post below regarding Mia Watt’s menage/multiple, F.U.

Leave a comment with the words – Enter me!  Enter me now! and put yourself in the running for a copy of her fantabulous book.  I’ll choose a winner, at random, on Monday and announce it right here.

In the meantime, enjoy the cover and stay tuned for exciting announcements over the weekend and next week.  Interviews!  Contests!  A week of Valentine’s fun and prizes from Siren-Bookstrand authors!

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Menage.

February 4, 2010 - 9:28 am 50 Comments

First thing, I’m going to admit that I’m not a big fan of menage.  That doesn’t mean I think it shouldn’t be written, it means I don’t usually read it.  I’m a flaming one man/one woman fan and for me, a work of menage is generally a big, fat, red stop sign.  Why?  The ick factor.  While the concept of menage on paper is intriguing, not to mention stimulating, the reality can be somewhat less than scintillating.  There are only so many things of so many sizes that can fit into so many orifices at one time and still be pleasure inducing.  There…said it.

As a result, unless a friend writes a menage, I pass right on by without a second glance and yes, I know how popular menage is right now.  That message has been drummed into me by many, many writers…editors…advisers.

However, author Mia Watts sends me sliding down that slippery slope toward M/M and Menage without even trying.  Because the sex is so great?  Well…yeah, that goes without saying, but more because her writing is so evanescent.  She writes about love, whether it’s male-male or multiples, like her new work, F.U. I read it in one afternoon.

As I told her, it’s not your usual menage.  Most menages that authors send me are about shifters and I rarely read them, other than Fran Lee’s Hallie’s Cats, which is a spicy little number.  I skip most shifter menages because after reading a few, I began to feel like the cougar or were or bear should just pee on the woman’s leg and be done with it.   The machismo and territory marking become almost comical.  And…here’s where the ick factor comes in for me – sometimes the contortions these characters go through during sex are just god-awful unrealistic and flat out painful and I have to assume they are thrown in for shock value.

Here is why Mia’s F.U. multiple, cuz it ain’t menage, works for me.

The story is damn good.  The writing, superb.  The style, spare, clean and clear.  Despite the fact that four men share one woman, there is a building love story between the guy I consider the alpha dog and the woman, who I consider his mate.  When he shares her, he still directs all the action.  It’s as if the secondary characters, who are drawn quite vividly, are an extension of the alpha dog’s own personality and soul.  F.U. may be a multiple, but it’s overarching theme is that of soul mates – two sets of eyes meet across a room and you know to the depths of your soul he or she is the one and it scares the bejeezus out of you.  Because there are four men involved, the story could easily have crossed the line into sleazedom, but thanks to the author’s skill at shaping characters and situations, it never does.  The female character is an assertive, confident woman and the male characters not only want to fuck her…they respect, cherish and protect her.  It’s actually pretty dang cool.

This is probably the only time I’ll ever post something remotely resembling a review because I believe – to each his own and I respect the time and effort writers put into their creations.  In this case, I have to tip my hat to Mia Watts.  She’s made a believer out of me.

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I have been declared a MILF.

February 2, 2010 - 2:46 pm 1 Comment

Enough with the nicey nice nice posts.  I’m  a MILF!  It’s official.

Pardon me for a moment while I paraphrase Kohelet, or as he’s known by his more common name, Ecclesiastes:

Vanity…vanity…all is vanity.

I admit it…I am as vain as they come.  A couple weeks ago I headed over to Whole Foods and I got the look…in fact I got several looks…you know the head down, eyes up appraising look, the interested double take…got it from three guys having coffee in front of the store -sitting at three different tables.  I called my daughter and I said, “I am so vain…I tell you, I am so fucking vain.  The day I no longer get those looks is the day I hang it up.  Does that sound awful?”

Like mother like daughter, she replied, “No, mom, I totally get it.  I feel exactly the same way.”  Thank you Jesus!

I’m not vain in the plastic surgery or makeup or short dresses or manicured nails way.  Never had plastic surgery, don’t wear makeup, hardly own a dress and I bite my nails.  But I am vain in the I like the attention of the opposite sex kind of way.

Follow me here…

1.  Two days ago, my husband and I went out to our favorite local dive with a couple friends and I ran into a guy I used to hike with…he’s maybe ten, fifteen years my junior and hot.  And married.  And I like his wife.  A lot.  He gave me a hug and took down my new cell phone number so he could call me about going on a hike.

2.  Yesterday afternoon, I had to go for a mammo because there have been some issues lately that I am not ready to discuss until I have the good word – anyway – the little Hispanic mammo tech, as she’s fitting my small breast into the machine of squish torture asks me if I have kids.  Grimacing, I say, yeah, three.  She replies, three kids!  You are one hot mama!  You are what my sons would call a MILF! I burst out laughing while she giggles and tells me to hold my breath and says – See, now it don’t hurt so much!

3.  Last night, my old friend (see no. 1)  sent me a text and then he called.  He said – I was so happy to see you the other day!  I felt like a teenager again.  You look so good, I wanted to jump your bones. His words rendered me speechless, which doesn’t happen very often, but I finally said…we’re both married buddy.  He said, Yeah, I know, but damn girl!

4.  It’s called the stress-related don’t eat, don’t sleep, exercise excessively, along with a lot of hot, hard middle of the night lovin’ from your sweetie school of MILFing.

5.  I am gloriously happily married to love of my life and the best fuck I ever had so ain’t nuthin’ ever gonna happen, but  damn girl…I’m gonna enjoy my MILFing while I still got it!

In other news, my good MILF bud, Mia Watts, has a new release and if you head over to Resplendence you can pick it up along with any book you like and get a discount in the bargain – so go!  Type in: Mia20 and receive 20% off your book purchase!!!

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/

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