Familiar Ties

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...my mother was born. At least that's what my sisters and I always figured. The tale of her being born in England must have been a cover story. Otherwise, we have no way to explain the seriously odd things she told us as children. Oni Pony is one such example. When any of us would choke or cough, no matter the cause, she told us to raise both arms in the air over our heads and say the magical words "Oni Pony". This would somehow cause the ice cube or chicken bone caught in my sister's throat to dislodge so she could breath—at least this was mom's theory. She would continue to tell us this until we did as she asked, even when we couldn't draw a breath. This meant the ritual of Oni Pony could go on for several minutes. I would try to draw air through clenched teeth and the more she insisted, the harder I tried to get those words out. My face would go red, then pale blue and all the while she was saying, "Oni Pony! Oni Pony, honey! Come on, do it for your mummy! Put your arms up and say Oni Pony!" My sisters and I made a pact. If we ever had kids, we'd never make them say Oni Pony. We kept our promise. However, old tapes are hard to break and it seems our formative training in the magical art of Oni Pony still held sway. This was never more apparent to me than a few years ago when my far flung sisters converged on my house for a family reunion. We decided to go to dinner at a really nice steak house. Yes, a 'steak house.' Being the only vegetarian in a family of carnivores isn't pretty. But I digress.... The place was packed with diners; the volume level was loud and festive. At some point in the evening, my fifty-eight year old sister started choking and mum, raising her voice over the din said, "Oni Pony! Oni Pony!" My sister's eyes were red and bulging. She placed her hands around her throat to pantomime her situation for those too dense to understand. "Girls, girls—help your sister! She's too weak! Raise your arms! That's right. Now—Oni Pony!" My guy looked at me as if I were nuts when I raised my arms high over head and said in a clear voice, "Oni Pony." My sisters did the same, including the one choking. My brother-in-laws were staring at us as if we'd grown fur and fangs. All these "mature" women, raising their arms high in the air and repeating the words, Oni Pony. Mom join her voice to ours and was smiling as the bit of beef finally worked its way free and popped out of my sister's mouth to land on the tablecloth. Sis drew a shaky breath. We lowered our arms. Then I noticed something. The entire restaurant was silent and all the diners were staring in our direction. I looked at my guy and he nodded to the waiter. "Check, please!" Disclaimer: Our successful use of the words Oni Pony is coincidental, a fluke—so please do not try this at home or anywhere on this planet. — Cass

Contests at the MMC and winners recap

Just a reminder, with all the flurry of contests this month and coming in July, we want to make sure winners see the announcement posts so they can contact us and claim their prizes. Winners have 30 days from the date of the announcement that they have won, to claim their prize. After that, the prize is forfeit and it either goes back into the MMC Vault or a new winner is chosen from those who left a comment on the same contest post, and is at the sole discretion of the Moonmaids. As of today, we still haven't heard from the following past winners: Cindy C. — You were just announced today, so you still have plenty of time. :) But don't forget to contact us. Janice — Bloody Good contest winner — don't let this slip out of your grasp, contact us and claim your prize. Nina Pierce — Another Time, Another Place ebook winner

Winner of the Sexy Swimwear Vote Contest

Congratulations to Cindy C. [I Heart Book Gossip] You won the sexy swimwear contest! Please email us at: midnightmooncafe @ gmail .com (no spaces) to claim your prize! Thank you to everyone who voted. The winning swimwear chosen by your votes: C Well, those swim shorts looked great in the front, but even better in the back...if ya know what I mean. ::grins:: We hope to see you at our Smokin' Hot July Anniversary Party events this coming month at the MMC. Anniversary Week is July 6-11, with our Anniversary Bash on July 11. It's good to be three! ;)

The Flawed Hero and the Unsung Heroine

I’m a great fan of writing challenges. Be it a prompt, a fiction exchange with fellow writers or even just the personal goal of tackling something untried, I get a charge out of it. I think it makes for better writing when I’m pulled out of a particular comfort zone. That being said, I’ve had moments where I’d tackle an idea, get a third of the way into the project and think “Uh boy, I’m in deep doo. What now?” I had such a moment a couple of years ago when I was working on my fantasy romance, Master of Crows. The hero is a sorcerer. Outcast, poor, earthy, blunt, son of a prostitute, bad attitude. Writing him was a snap. Why? Well, a couple of years before I started writing MoC, I wrote a fanfiction (I’d call it a guilty secret, except I don’t feel in the least guilty about it, and it’s never been a secret) in the Lord of the Rings universe in which I made Grima Wormtongue the romantic lead. For those of you familiar with Lord of the Rings in both its book and movie canon, you probably just did a double-take and thought “Ewwww.” Right? Right? Tolkien only really hinted at Wormtongue’s less than stellar character, mostly via his name in my opinion. Peter Jackson ran with it, creating a slinking, pernicious character who became the ultimate Judas. He had neither charm nor looks to commend him. What he had in spades was avarice, will and a ruthless focus on attaining what he wanted. A thoroughly unredeemable man by all counts. I gave myself the challenge of writing Wormtongue as the romantic lead in a retelling of the events of the LotR trilogy as witnessed through the eyes of a woman healer once of Gondor and now of Rohan. I couldn’t give Grima a “makeover”. He had to remain exactly as Tolkien and Jackson portrayed him. What I had to do was convince the reader of the humanity behind his actions. How he was fatally flawed and yet not much different from many of us in the motivations that moved him to cross the line into the heinous. Basically, if I could turn this man into a believable romantic lead, every hero I wrote afterward would be a snap. I also had to create a believable argument for why this healer might fall in love with him, even as she recognized him as this brilliant yet broken creature. Four years later, 63k words and nearly 170 reviews from surprised and ultimately loyal readers, I firmly believe I met every one of my goals. And yes, every hero I’ve written since has been a cake walk by comparison. What I didn’t expect was to come across a similar problem while writing the heroine in Master of Crows. The problem? She’s a slave—had been one for twenty-two years and counting. Strong willed women who’ll tell it like it is, get in your face and kick your butt with one hand tied behind their backs are all well and good. Strength manifests in many forms, and if this kind of character serves to enhance the story and remains believable, baby, I’m there. Giving such attributes to a woman raised since childhood in abject servitude isn’t believable. A slave displaying these traits didn’t live long and usually died an excruciating death for his/her defiance. As I wanted my heroine to survive past page one, she couldn’t be Lara Croft or a female Spartacus. Well, she could, but would you, the reader be able to suspend that level of disbelief? Heroines in my other stories were not warriors. I had a spell-singer who became mistress to a dragon shifter, a weaver who moonlighted as a fiddler, a scribe of lesser nobility, and the sister of a naval commander—strong women in their own right who exhibited various levels of outspokenness. The commonality? They were free women. Such a status, even in societies where women might not be equal, gave me the freedom to sometimes show that strength through challenging dialogue, outspoken remarks, withering sarcasm, even a loaded crossbow. Introducing the constraint of slavery into this heroine’s history, especially slavery that began in childhood, added a whole ‘nother set of issues I never had to tackle with my other heroines. First and foremost, how do you show the strength of a seemingly passive character without making her appear weak? Passivity and the ability to blend in and not be noticed seemed requirements of survival for anyone occupying the lowest station in the social hierarchy. It’s a logical conclusion. It’s also a bitch to write. Believe me when I say there were times when I walked around going “WTF was I thinking to tackle such a heroine?” The entire time I wrote her, I kept in mind a couple of favorite quotations from Samuel Johnson and Samuel Beckett respectively: “Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength but perseverance.” “Ever tried? Ever failed? Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” The Sams were fans of fortitude, a trait I admire in anyone. I wanted to admire my wall-flower heroine—this quiet, cautious woman so in contrast to the volatile, in-your-face hero with whom I’d paired her. I wanted my readers to admire her too. With those quotes in mind, I built this enslaved woman bit by bit, gave her those more subtle traits I admire in other women—women who are close friends of mine. She might not wield a sword, tell an enemy to f-off or lead an army into battle, but she displays a grace under pressure when and where it counts the most. In her own quiet, subdued way, she helps change the fate of numerous people for the better, even if they never know it and she never speaks of it. An unsung hero in her own right.

June's MMC Monthly Contest Winner is...

The Winner of the Monthly Contest for June is... Dottie! Congratulations, Dottie! Please email us at midnightmooncafe @ gmail [dot] com (no spaces) with your name and mailing address so we can send out your prizes: Rob Thurman's Madhouse, and Linda O. Johnston's Back To Life, a way cool mermaid talisman pin and other bookmarks and more goodies!

Winner of the Wicked Desires Giveaway

Happy Saturday, everyone! Thank you so much for joining me yesterday to celebrate my book release. I appreciate you all very much. :*) Now, with no further ado, the winner of Cora Zane's Wicked Desires Giveaway is... Yolanda Sfetsos! Congratulations, Yolanda! Your name was drawn from the oogly boogly magical hat, so that means you've won a prize pack with nifty book cards, bookmarks, candies, tea, and nifty little doodads for your desk. You've also won a book from the MMC vault that will be chosen at random. Please email me at corazane [at] aol [dot] com with Wicked Desires Giveaway in the subject line. Don't forget to include your shipping address to claim your prize. :0) A special thanks to everyone who dropped in to comment and play! Be sure to visit us again for more chances to win at the Midnight Moon Cafe blog.

Swimwear Voting Is Still Open!

Readers: The voting is still open in our MMC Sexy Male Swimwear Contest! If you haven't already voted, go to: http://midnightmooncafe.blogspot.com/2009/06/sexy-swimwear-vote.html or scroll down to view the options. Please leave a comment on the swimwear post (only!) to cast your vote and enter the contest! Thank You.

Bloody Good Contest Winner is...

JANICE! Congratulations! Please email us at midnightmooncafe @ gmail.com (no spaces) and be sure to include your full name and mailing address so you can claim your prize, a signed copy of Georgia Evans book, Bloody Good and a Pixie prize pack of goodies from the Midnight Moon Café's treasure chest o' fun! :)

Wicked Desires Release Day Celebration

Woot! It's finally here. The erotic vampires of the Immortal Lovers series are back and hotter than ever... Wicked Desires is available now at Cobblestone Press! About Wicked Desires: Acolyte Liliana Ashton has one goal in mind, to seduce Serge Dmitriev into selecting her as his lover. Her family is depending on her to secure the Ashton line in vampire society for another generation, and she will do anything to have the handsome vampire as her personal Biter. In her quest to snare him, she offers her most precious gift of all - her virginity. Will he take the bait, and offer her a position in his harem as a protege? Or will she have to settle for being just another one of his wicked desires? Author's note: Wicked Desires is an erotica story. It contains very graphic sexual situations, and graphic language. You must be 18+ to download this ebook. :: WIN THIS STUFF :: In the meantime, if you post in the comments today, your name will be tossed into the hat for a chance to win a superific Cora Zane prize pack filled with candy, bookmarks, bookcards, tea, nifty little desk doodads, and a surprise paperback from the MMC book vault! Everyone is welcome to enter, even if you have won a prize from the MMC in the past. One entry per person, please, and no multiple user names. You have until Friday night at 10 pm CST to enter. One winner will be chosen at random, and the name will be posted here on the MMC blog Saturday morning, June 27th. Good luck! ~_^

The Midnight Brew Presents: Georgia Evans

Georgia Evans is the pseudonym for an expatriate Brit, retired special ed teacher and grandmother, who now lives in Ohio and has a wonderful time writing stories of vampires and shapeshifting pumas. Romance readers may know her better as bestselling author, Rosemary Laurey. The Brytewood books are a different venture from her Paranormal Romance and the series is very special to her as she grew up in the Mole Valley - the setting for her imaginary village - and some of her earliest childhood memories are of seeing the damage wrought on the area by the Blitz, and listening to stories from her mother, grandmother, aunts and older cousins on how they coped with rationing, bombs, the blackout and shortages of all sorts. These books are a testament to the hundreds of thousands of women who struggled, did without, and made do under dire conditions and survived the war and to those who didn't. The Midnight Brew is honored to welcome Georgia Evans to the Midnight Moon Café! MMC: When did you first become interested in the paranormal? Georgia: It was rather the Paranormal found me :-) I was writing a book —a contemporary I thought when I discovered my hero was a vampire. That became Kiss me Forever. MMC: What made you decide to write historical paranormals set during WW2? Georgia: Kate Duffy, my editor asked me to write a WW2 book. MMC: How did you come up with your backstory for this series? And how does that setting affect your main characters? Georgia: I grew up in England, in Surrey in a village in the Mole Valley... Seemed natural to set the books there as it played quite a significant role in the war and was one of the German invasion routes. MMC: I understand you did extensive research for your new series. Did you find it easier to write than your previous paranormal books, or harder? Georgia: Different, not easier or harder. I did find myself doing masses of research but had fantastic help from friends and found it fascinating... MMC: Now that I've whetted our readers' appetite, please tell us more about Bloody Good, which is the first installment in the new series. Georgia: Bloody Good is set in the fictitious village of Brytewood... (see www.brytewood.co.uk) and set in September 1940 when fear of invasion was very real. This book centers around Alice Doyle the village doctor and Peter Watson a Conscientious Objector who is sent as her assistant. Her first reaction is to write Peter off as a coward, but events prove her very very wrong, and they fall in love. But a German vampire spy bent of sabotage and general mayhem rather complicates everyone's life. And by the way—didn't mention Alice is a Pixie, like her grandmother...and there are some other unusual inhabitants in the village. MMC: What challenges did you face in the process of writing Bloody Good? Georgia: The biggest one, I think was making sure the historical details were correct. For example in the first draft I made mention of clothes rationing which didn't happen until 1941 so I had to fix that. Fast. Other details too, like when villages received air raid sirens (much later than most towns and cites). MMC: What do you enjoy most about writing this series? Georgia: My characters.. As always. I love spending time playing with them. MMC: Can you give us a sneak peek hint of the next book in the series? Georgia: Bloody Awful features Gloria Prewett—the district nurse and a were-fox... and Andrew Baron (human) who is the admistrator of the munitions plant near Brytewood. In Bloody Good Gloria has already foiled a sabotage attempt (as a fox) but in this book another, better planned, attack is about to happen. This time the vampires are determined to succeed and are counting on the help of the Luftwaffe. MMC: What do you think is the key to writing a truly memorable story? Georgia: The characters without a doubt. MMC: Now to the fun questions. What's something that your readers may not know about you? Georgia: I used to be a Special Ed teacher. Have had other jobs but that was the longest... I'm a grandmother. MMC: What’s your favorite guilty pleasure? Georgia: Lavender scented perfume and bath products. MMC: Do you have a newsletter, blog, or website where fans can read about you and your books? Georgia: see www.brytewood.co.uk for these books, and www.rosemarylaurey.com for my other books and that web site has a link to sign up for my yahoogroup. MMC: Thank you so much for joining us today and letting our readers get a glimpse at your Brytewood series. Click HERE to watch the video book trailer for Bloody Good! Bloody Good by Georgia Evans Brytewood, England September 1940 Publication date: June 2009 ISBN 10: 0-7582-3481-3 ISBN 13: 978-0-7582-3482-7 In the first of a trilogy of the supernatural battle for WWII, Dr. Alice Doyle finds the power to fight evil comes from places she'd never believe... At the height of the Battle of Britain, a lady doctor has more than enough trouble to keep her busy even in a sleepy hamlet outside London. But the threat is nearer home than Alice knows. German agents have infiltrated her beloved countryside, Nazis who can fly, read minds, and live forever. They're not just fascists. They're vampires. Alice has no time for fantasy, but when the corpses start appearing sucked dry, she'll have to accept help from a lowly Conscientious Objector, an able-bodied young man who says he's no coward though he refuses to fight. And, of course, from her grandmother, a sane, sensible woman who insists that she's a Devonshire Pixie. Indeed, whatever it takes to defend home and country from an evil both ancient and terrifyingly modern. .:: CONTEST TIME ::. Want to win an autographed copy of Bloody Good from best-selling and award-winning author Rosemary Laurey? Simply leave a comment and you're entered to win. You'll also get a very cool bonus prize packet from the moonladies of the MMC if you are a Bloody Good winner. :-) Contest ends midnight, Friday, June 26. Winner will be announced Saturday. Good luck, mate! Now for a little mood music and a trip back through time, courtesy of You Tube!

Sexy Swimwear Vote!

We need help from our readers! Cora, Tempest, A.E., Grace, and Cass are planning the MMC virtual July Anniversary Party and the theme is Beach Blanket Bingo. The MMC Staff will be decked out in beachwear, but not sure which swimwear looks best on us guys and we need ladies to offer opinions. What do you think? Please vote for one of the swimwear designs below by casting your vote. A name will be drawn at random from all comments and someone will win a bookmarks and more prize pack. Thanks for voting! A. B. C. * Voting ends Sunday, June 29. Winner will be announced Monday, June 30.

Pop Quiz: What Puzzle Are You?

You Are a Crossword Puzzle You are well read, and you have a good head for remembering facts. You are a wordsmith. You have a way with words, and you're very literate. You are a mysterious person who enjoys dropping little clues every now and then. What Kind of Puzzle Are You? Cassandra Sightings! Today, Tuesday, June 23 - Cassandra will be guest blogging at Minx Malone's author group blog, The Naughty Girls Next Door: http://TheNaughtyGirlsNextDoor.blogspot.com Stop by and say hi!

Paranormal romance heroes

**short post today, I'm supposed to be writing a novel. shhhhh don't tell my editor...** The other day a writer friend and I discussed plot points of a novel she's outlining. It's pretty complicated--as her's usually are--alternate time lines, love lost, love found, hearbreaking choices, all sorts of creatures who go bump in the night... Pretty cool, really, and I'm a damned fussy reader. But when we started discussing the hero, the coolness train went off the tracks for me. With all the choices, all the options out there, when I asked her what 'brand' of immortal the hero was going to be, she replied, "Oh, that's easy. Vampire." Vampire?? EASY?!? Danger Will Robinson! Danger!! With all the urban fantasy funk swishing around in the story already, and she wants to go down the easy path most traveled? Oy vey. Forgive me, but aren't vampire lovers almost cliche in para rom nowadays? Srsly. If the sky is the limit, why fetter yourself to 'easy'? A smorgasboard of dark, troubled, sexy men that cannot die lays before you--what would you pick? As an author, I choose the breed that best fits the plot. Lately, I've been on a fuzzy bent. But that's just me. So, my question for you today is: if you had all the ingredients before you to bake the perfect paranormal romance cake, which seasoning would YOU choose? What kind of romance would you most like to sit down with a good cuppa joe to enjoy? Vampires, the common spice? Werewolves for something with a little more bite? (yes, pun intended :-P ) Dragon shifter? Faery?? Ghost??

Happy Solstice!

From all of us to all of you, Happy Summer Solstice! The Midnight Moon Cafe

Pop Quiz: What Pet Are You Like?

You Are Like a Ferret You are happy, carefree, and a total kid at heart. You have a ton of energy, and you're always up for having fun. You are a total charmer, and people can't help but be delighted when you're around. You are affectionate, social, and friendly. You love people as much as they love you. What Pet Are You Like?

Rescheduled Event!

Apologies to all who planned to attend the Herbal Magick Chat in the MMC Chat Pit today, but the area where I live has been experiencing severe thunderstorms and according to the weather channel, we can expect more of the same later today... about the same time I had planned to host the chat. :( Rather than fry yet another computer (I'm on a loaner as we 'speak' ), I've decided to postpone the event and reschedule it for a later date this July during our MMC month long anniversary. I hope you'll be able to join me then. Again, sorry for the late notice. Cass

Our Latest Contest Winners!

The Winner of Wednesday's Shifter Guessing Game is... Sue R. Congratulations! The Winners of Ms. VerSteeg's Contest are: Nina Pierce ~ winner of an ebook copy of Another Time, Another Place ~ and Amy S. ~ winner of a print edition of Another Time, Another Place ~ Congratulations! Please email us at midnightmooncafe@ gmail .com (no spaces) with your name and mailing address so we can send your prizes. The answers to last Wednesday's Shifter Guessing Game are: 1. shapeshifter (jaguar/big cat) 2. shapeshifter (wolf) 3. human 4.shapeshifter (shark) 5. shapeshifter (merman) 6. shapeshifter (kitsune/fox) 7. human 8. shapeshifter (chimp) 9. human 10. shapeshifter (dragon)

Time Travel With Author T. Sue VerSteeg

First off, a huge thanks to the gals at Midnight Moon Café for allowing me the chance to hijack…uh, borrow their blog. Ever get the feeling that you’ve lived in another time? I’ve dreamt about medieval England many times and feel a kindred pull to the many castles there. I guess it makes perfect sense why I chose that particular time period for my first time travel book, Another Time, Another Place. Now, the reason I write romance is a completely different cup of tea. ☺ This is due to the wonderful man in my life. My husband and soul mate Stephen is probably the most wonderful man to walk the face of the earth. He has taught me the true meaning of love in all of its glory. Now, he has had to shove my chair up to the computer many a time just to get me to finish that book. He never cursed at me, but he did utter a few things through clenched teeth. I admit I’m not the easiest person to motivate. If I would allow him control of this keyboard right now, he’d undoubtedly tell you that I am the most difficult person in the world, as a matter of fact. The important thing is that he never gave up on me and believed in me even when I didn’t. My husband is still my driving force today. Okay, now for freebies! I’d like to give one e-book and one print copy of Another Time, Another Place away. Just comment on this post and you’ll be put in a drawing. I’ll let the lovely ladies here choose the winners and I’ll get them out to you. How easy is that? Please feel free to stop by my website and sign my guestbook at www.tsueversteeg.com. I have two other romantic comedy titles available in e-book format with links to them on my site as well. Again, thank you Cassandra and everyone at Midnight Moon Café for this opportunity and I look forward to hearing from your followers.

Shapeshifter Guessing Game

Round One: See if you can guess which of these handsome hunks are really shapeshifters. Round Two: If you think you might know what kind of shapeshifter they are, then guess that too. Hint: A few of the hunks are NOT shapeshifters. ;) If you think a certain hunk is not a paranormal morphin' hottie, then put down the word: Human. If you are correct, you'll win a fabulous MMC goodies prize pack straight from the MMC treasure chest. The person with the most correct answers wins. In the event of a tie, you'll both win! Ready to give it a try? Man Number One Man Number Two Man Number Three Man Number Four Man Number Five Man Number Six Man Number Seven Man Number Eight Man Number Nine Man Number Ten So, think you have it figured out? Send your guesses to: midnightmooncafe @ gmail .com (no spaces) with your name and mailing address in order to be entered. Contest ends midnight Thursday, June 18, 2009 and the winner announced Friday, June 19th. Good Luck!

Tarot Talk: Make A Wish

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I'm glad you decided to drop by, because I'm poised to be your fairy godmother for today. *straightens tiara* I've been using the Farber & Zerner Wish Upon A Star cosmic fortune telling kit since last year, and was so impressed with it that I sent a set to Cass for her to check out too. This kit is really fun and simple to use for fortune telling. Lemme tell you a bit about it.... The kit comes boxed with a pouch of twenty-two resin stars (numbered), and a simple to use guide book to help you learn to pose appropriate questions and how to interpret the results you get. This is a fast and easy system (my favorite kind!), and about as no-cheat as it gets. That being the case, The Wish Upon A Star kit gets my personal stamp of approval for self-readings. Each of the twenty-two stars has a corresponding page in the guide book describing whether or not, or otherwise how likely it is, that you'll be to get your wish. As with most divination tools, questions requiring a straight-up yes or no answer aren't going to read well. At the bottom of each page in the guide book, there are key terms listed for each number, as well. When you don't get your wish, these terms (such as determination, fun, routine, risks, concentration, etc.) are meant to give added insight into your situation, and pose possible ways you can change your luck. I have quite a few divination kits, and this one is by far my favorite of the bunch. Today, just so we can all have a little fun with this cool kit, I'm going to guarantee a reading to the first five commentors here on the blog, and I'll do as many as I can throughout the day after that, until 1pm EST/2pm CST. One question per person, please! When you pose a question in the comments, I'll tell you what number I draw for you, and give you the non-word-for-word key meaning in correspondence with your question. I can't type the entire pages from the guide book, of course, but I think we will have fun with this all the same. Just remember, this is all for entertainment purposes only. ;0) The blog comments do have the time posted in EST on them, so be sure to get in your questions before the clock runs out!

Places of power

Have you ever walked into a place and had the hair on the back of your neck stand up? Get flutters in your gut and chills creeping across your flesh, too? That's the feeling I get when I enter one of nature's places of power. I'm most sensitive to those centered in the element of water. Since I was young--crooked piggy tails, freckles and baby fat that clings past toddlerhood--I've loved visiting lakes, rivers, creeks. I guess as a visitor, I over stayed my welcome, becasue my mother used to drag me out at sunset, water-logged with pruned fingers and toes. I loved it then. I love it now. But now I'm spiritually open and aware of the flow of divine energy. Over Memorial Day weekend, we traveled 8 hours by vehicle from Michigan into Jackson County, Wisconsin, then ten miles down a county two-lane highway, then further on a road edged with scruffy grass, and thick stands of pines and deciduous trees. I couldn't keep the smile off my face, because I knew where we were headed--Polly Falls. The mother of a friend of my husband (follow that line?) is part owner of a 1/2 mile square piece of Heaven, smackdab in the middle of the Wisconsin woods an hour north of the Wisconsin Dells. We are blessed enough to have visited the cottage twice now, and I thank what ever elements of the Universe that aligned to make it possible. My soul sings from the moment I step out of vehicle and hear the music of the falls. My heart, even now, dances to the rhythm of that rushing water. Out behind the cabin is a brick patio, and standing there you can feel the kinetic energy permeating the air, tickling on the skin and sinking in. It's amazing. But it only gets better the closer you get to the falls. The first year we visited, I spent as much time as I could watching and listening to the falls. In the morning, we played on the little beach like kids with our dog, wading near the edge. This year was different, so very wonderfully different. Between lunch and dinner on the last day, my husband comes in, his face glowing and eyes sparking an excited fire. "Come on, honey," he motioned toward the beach, "I've found a way up to the falls!" He didn't need to say anymore, I scrambled for clothes I didn't care about getting soaked and followed, child-like again, down the hand-hewn steps to the water's edge. My husband took my hand, guiding me over the slippery flat stones, right up to the edge of the falls! Thousands of gallons of water crashed on my feet, pounded out arthritic aches. But the energy! It zinged through my plams, held just in the spray, and through my arms into my core. It was like a battery charger, but the river's power pouring into me. Pure joy pulled my lips into a smile and tears from my eyes. I felt more alive in that moment, with the water crashing around me, and it's power filling me, than I have ever felt before. It was as if I was fully immersed in the divine energy that connects us all, and the water rushing over Polly Falls was the conduit. I hadn't even realized my husband had disappeared, until he returned, camera in hand. "I got a picture of you..." He said. I couldn't even muster an argument. You see, I hate cameras, hate pictures taken of me (that baby fat has returned). At that moment, though, hate, anger negative energy in any form, didn't exist for me. I was immersed in my element, my nerves were dancing and my soul soared above, below and within. A short time later, hubby reappeared, with our kids in tow. I'm not sure if they felt the raw earth power that I was absorbing, but my daughter scaled the falls and nestled in the water as though born of it. My son touched the falls, then returned to the cottage for a swimsuit. Soon, even my friend appeared, and we all were standing in, and on the falls. I know Lisa, as pagan as me, felt the falls' power. It was obvious in the lines of her face, in the light in her eyes. It is infectious. Even the dog joined in, throwing her stick into the small calm beside the surging white. Now, I must tell you, in the recorded history of the cottage, two people lost their lives in the churning waters of a sullen late spring. I'm not sure if their ghosts are there, there is no negative aura, or energy, but when you stand in the falls, and open your senses, you can *see* where they passed. It amazes me that there was no bad feeling at all when I was feet from the spot where the waters converge, sucking down before churning back up and eddying atop it's own bubbles. Maybe the spirits were happy to join the falls' power? I still wonder about them, but as for me, I will pack my bags this second, endure traffic in Chicago, and fast food meals if I can go there again. It is my dearest wish to be able to share my favorite place of power with my loved ones. Until then, I look at our pictures, feeling the echo of the divine energy in my soul.

The Human Component & Empathy

My introductory blog post, MMC readers, so I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Grace Draven and currently have work published with Amber Quill Press - http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/bio_Draven.html. Cassandra and crew welcomed me aboard recently, and I’m thrilled to be here as a Moonlette. I’ve read and loved romance since I was twelve when I picked up my first novel, The Black Lyon by Jude Devereaux. I still like a good historical novel these many years later, but I’m all about the paranormal and fantasy romance now. I enjoy reading it; I definitely enjoy writing it. Despite my fondness for the mysterious, fantastic worlds existing in these subgenres, I often want to read hints of the mundane, the common struggles and not-bigger-than-life quirks of the characters living in these worlds. I also want to see the smaller vulnerabilities. In my opinion, it’s these quirks that anchor the characters to their stories, bring them to life and connect them to us as readers. I’m not talking about back stories riddled with high angst and drama. I’m referring to everyday stuff you and I do and deal with—small, timeless things people do as part of habit and simple living. I have a novel due with Amber Quill in July (yeah, you knew the pimpage was gonna show up somewhere, right?) called Master of Crows – My hero is larger than life—a fiercely independent and incredibly powerful sorcerer. He’s the rebellious alpha with no tolerance for suffering fools. An entire priesthood of mages fears him, and he has no problem challenging a god to do battle. He’s also just a guy, struggling to make a living as an orange grower of all things. He suffers through a hangover, wakes up with bed hair, steals the covers, owns a smelly dog and is terrified of his feelings for the heroine. And all that nifty magic at his disposal? It ain’t free. There’s a price every time he casts a spell and sometimes it isn’t pretty. I have a heroine in Wyvern (part of the Drago Illuminare anthology - ~ding~ pimpage #2 – I am on a roll) in love with a man who is a dragon shapeshifter. Elsbeth is a weaver who moonlights as a fiddler. She takes care of an ailing grandparent and nearly pees herself from sheer terror when she comes face to face with her lover while he’s in his dragon form. When I step back and read the actions, reactions and quirks I’ve given these characters, I can rightfully be accused of author self-insert. Or can I? Wouldn’t many of these things these characters deal with be any different than what we deal with today in our own lives? Plenty of us have tied one on and lived to regret it the next morning. My hair is long enough to sit on, so you can imagine the spectacular awfulness of my bed hair. I bitch for hours about my bills. I also own a smelly dog. How many of us have taken care of a physically or mentally challenged child (my son is autistic) or an aging parent? And honestly, if you can stare into a reptilian face bigger than the front of a bus with fangs longer than a broom handle and not pee your pants…you have brass cojones, and my hat’s off to you. I love bigger than life characters. The paranormal and fantasy subgenres give writers great leeway in writing this type. I’ve written about dragon princes, mage kings and fire witches. Still, at the end of the day, they’re like the rest of us in many ways. It’s about balance and humanity. These things allow the reader to connect with these characters; to sympathize with them, empathize with them—and if we, the authors, nail it—fall in love with them.

Pop Quiz: Baby's Got Back

Your Butt Says You're Laid Back You are an easygoing, trusting person. You don't get too worked up, because everything usually works out in life. You are genuine and humble. You believe that there's more to you (and other people) than just looks. You are drawn toward close, one-on-one relationships. You crave a partner - romantic or otherwise. You are outgoing and confident. You are proud of who you are, and you are brutally honest. You tend to be a serious, straight laced kind of person. It takes you a while to warm up and let loose. What Does Your Butt Say About You?

Friday Finds: London Calling

Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge Her name is Pete Caldecott. She was just sixteen when she met Jack Winter, a gorgeous, larger-than-life mage who thrilled her with his witchcraft. Then a spirit Jack summoned killed him before Pete’s eyes—or so she thought. Now a detective, Pete is investigating the case of a young girl kidnapped from the streets of London. A tipster’s chilling prediction has led police directly to the child…but when Pete meets the informant, she’s shocked to learn he is none other than Jack. Strung out on heroin, Jack a shadow of his former self. But he’s able to tell Pete exactly where Bridget’s kidnappers are hiding: in the supernatural shadow-world of the fey. Even though she’s spent years disavowing the supernatural, Pete follows Jack into the invisible fey underworld, where she hopes to discover the truth about what happened to Bridget—and what happened to Jack on that dark day so long ago… Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge/St. Martin's/ISBN-10: 031294361X/ISBN-13: 978-0312943615/$6.99/352 pp.

Stellar Romance with Guest Blogger Lyndi Lamont

Midnight Moon Cafe This is such a fun place to visit and I'm privileged to be here. Special thanks to Cassandra Curtis for inviting me to blog about my upcoming release Alliance: Stellar Romance: A Collection of Erotic Romance. The anthology includes three stories previously published in e-book format: Alliance: Fertile Ground, Alliance: Galactic Affairs & Alliance: Cosmic Scandal. The greatest joy and the greatest challenge of writing speculative fiction is the world building. When I started my futuristic Alliance series, I had to create two whole worlds from scratch. That included everything from technology to government to everyday things like transportation and food to, yes, religion. My intent in writing the series was to bring together the people of two very different planets, Mhajav and Zigan and that included their spiritual beliefs, a thread that plays through all three of the stories in Stellar Romance. Planet Mhajav has a very open, modern society, technologically advanced and with few societal taboos. Their religion is close to what we call New Age, i.e. a belief in a higher, universal power, but without strict dogma or doctrine. Planet Zigan has two religions. The dominant Ziganese culture is a patriarchal society with a pantheon of gods similar to the Norse gods and goddesses of olden times. However, the female gods have little or no power. That led me to design yet another religion for the people of Algott, a separate continent on Zigan where my story Alliance: Fertile Ground takes place. The Algottans worshipped a fertility goddess called Maradon. The conquerors wisely added her to their pantheon, but the native Algottans never entirely gave up their goddess worship. Maradon makes an appearance in Fertile Ground and Galactic Affairs. Or does she? The characters who see her are never quite sure. Cosmic Scandal features an Algottan wedding conducted by one of Maradon's priestesses. I had fun designing the wedding ceremony. Alliance: Stellar Romance will be released later this month from Amber Heat. Thanks so much for having me. Lyndi Lamont "Romantic... Erotic... Come taste the sensual delights." Website: http://www.lyndilamont.com/home.html Blog: Lyndi's Love Notes MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/lyndi_lamont

J.K. Coi Immortal Contest Winner is...

Congratulations to F. Chen! You spotted the hidden graphic and commented to win! We know you'll love the books. Enjoy! More guest bloggers, fun, games, and contests coming up this month, so keep checking back. Next time could be your chance to win! Cora, Cass, Tempest, A.E., and Grace The Midnight Moon Café

Shadow Heights Forum Fun

Moonmaid Cassandra Curtis will be chatting with readers tomorrow at Stella and Audra Price's Picnic in Town Square Park at http://www.shadowheights.com/forum/ and giving away treats to a couple of good little witchlings. So stop by, sign up, and say hi!

Forever Immortal With Guest Blogger J.K. Coi

Hello MMC! I’m very excited to be here. I love dropping by the Café whenever I can and always look forward to a lovely array of drinks, very bedcrumb-worthy guys, and great tips for keeping things spicy ☺ Today I’m feeling very privileged to have been asked to talk about my upcoming release Forever Immortal. This fourth book in my Immortal Series is very near and dear to my heart. I fell half in love with Gideon way back when he showed up in book 1 (although I worried that his heroine Lyssa was going to gut me with a spoon if she caught me drooling), and I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell his story ever since. What I like best about Gideon is that he doesn’t fit very well in the Immortal scene. I mean, seriously, the guy was a lab rat before his transition, a biochemist who hoped to make his mark on the world through scientific research. He’s brilliant. He loves his family to death. He feels things very deeply. And he wants to do what’s right... But he fails miserably, spending the next eight years paying for his mistake—a mistake that sends an innocent human woman to a hell dimension from which there is no escape. A lot of people would have given up at that point. They would have said to hell with it all, believing that they would never be able to make up for something so horrible. And in fact, Gideon believes this too, but he doesn’t give up. Instead he assumes responsibility for his failure, faces up to the fact that his old life has to be put behind him, and throws himself deep into the world of the Immortals, learning all he can, training ceaselessly until he can be assured that he will never make such a mistake ever again... That is, until the woman he sentenced to a fate worse then death comes back from hell, and Gideon is forced to choose between what his heart tells him and what his duty demands. Because Lyssa is no longer human, but the very thing he is sworn to destroy...demon. In celebration of the release of Forever Immortal on June 16, I’ll be offering one lucky commenter a free download as well as a signed print copy of one of my other releases—winner’s choice! Thanks again to MMC for letting me be a guest! I always love a chance to talk about my Immortals ☺ J.K. Coi writes dark and edgy paranormal romance, where love is all consuming, the stakes are always high, and the immortals are to die for. Forever Immortal is coming June 16, 2009 from Linden Bay Romance. Website: http://www.jkcoi.com Blog: http://www.jkcoiblogspot.com Myspace: http://myspace.com/jkcoi Twitter: http://twitter.com/jkcoi Contest Time! So what do you have to do to win? Just go look for the image below on JK Coi’s website at jkcoi.com, then email the moonmaids at: midnightmooncafe @ gmail .com (no spaces) with the subject line: J.K. Coi Immortal Contest, and tell us what page you found the "hidden" graphic on. But don’t forget to comment with questions for JK Coi as well, since she’ll be stopping by throughout the day! Note: You'll need to email and leave a comment to win the daily double Immortal prize pack. When you email us, make sure you include both your preferred ebook format AND your full name and mailing address. Contest ends high noon (12:00 noon EST), Wednesday, June 10, 2009! Good Luck!

Animal Attraction Winner is

Ladytink 534 Congratulations! You've won a download of Animal Attraction from Paige Tyler. Please email us at midnight mooncafe @gmail .com (no spaces) with your preferred file format!

Every Girl Wants a Guy Who's an Animal in Bed!

Our guest blogger today is author Paige Tyler. I'm so excited! Animal Instinct, the sequel to my bestselling 2009 EPPIE Finalist paranormal erotic romance Animal Attraction, is now available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid! When I wrote the first book in the series, Animal Attraction, it was originally going to be a stand-alone book. As I was writing, I slipped a little background material in there about Hunter, the hero in Animal Attraction, having a twin brother. I didn't think that much about it at the time, but when my editor read it, she said, "Hey, it would be cool to do a story about the hero's twin brother!" That got me thinking, which can be a little dangerous, I know. LOL! But after Animal Attraction came out, I heard from my readers and they were all saying the same thing - we want a book about Hunter's twin brother, Luke! I was like, "I can totally do that!" LOL! Since the sequel is also part of the Men of Alaska Series, it's still based in Alaska, of course. But it's set in Anchorage instead of Fairbanks this time. I wanted Animal Instinct to be different than the first book in the series, though. So this time. instead of focusing on the heroine falling for a guy she doesn't know is a werewolf, I wanted to concentrate on what it would be like for a person, in this case the heroine in the story, to be bitten by a werewolf, then follow her through the process of turning into one for the first time. While hiking in the forest, Heidi is attacked and bitten by a wolf. She's rescued by Luke, who calmly tells her that she's been bitten by a werewolf and will turn into one during the next full moon. She thinks he's crazy, of course, and can't get away from him fast enough. But then strange things start to happen to her, things she can't explain or understand. As a writer it was fun to get into Heidi's head and imagine what she was thinking when all these strange things started happening to her. Ultimately,Heidi has no choice but to turn to Luke for answers - and that is where the story really starts to heat up! One thing that hasn't changed from the first book is the smokin' hot romance between the hero and heroine! Even though Heidi tries not to allow herself to fall for Luke, especially since she's only going to be up in Anchorage for the summer, she can't help but be drawn to his hotness! Of course, no story would be complete without a little danger. You didn't think the werewolf who bit Heidi would just go away quietly, did you? It wouldn't be a Paige Tyler romance without a healthy dose of action and adventure along with all that hot sex! So, I hope you love reading the story - I know I loved writing it. And BTW, while I was writing Animal Instinct, two more story lines for the series just popped into my head! So, stay tuned because more hot, Alaskan hunks are coming your way! Every Girl Wants a Guy Who's an Animal in Bed! Artist Heidi Gibson is spending the summer up in Anchorage doing some painting when she gets attacked by a crazed wolf. She is rescued by golden-eyed wildlife biologist Luke McCall, who calmly informs she has been bitten by a werewolf and will turn into one during the next full moon. Thinking he’s obviously out of his mind, she can’t get away from him fast enough. When strange things start happening to her, however, she begins to think the ruggedly handsome biologist could be right. Not knowing what else to do, she goes to Luke and is stunned to discover that he knows so much about werewolves because he’s one himself. As Luke teaches her what she needs to know about being a werewolf, Heidi finds herself falling hard for the Alaskan hunk. But while they’re intent on each other, the werewolf that attacked her comes back into the picture, and he’s not exactly happy that another of his kind is trying to take the woman he believes is his rightful mate. Can Luke and Heidi's attraction overpower the jealousy of the rogue werewolf? Excerpt: Despite the pain that was throbbing through her entire leg, she knew how lucky she was. If the man carrying her hadn’t gotten there when he did…She tightened her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his chest, forcing herself not to think about it. The T-shirt he wore was soft beneath her cheek, and she closed her eyes as she breathed in his masculine scent. He had gotten there in time, and that was all that mattered. When she opened her eyes again, she was shocked to see that they were already in the parking area. Oh God, had she passed out? It seemed like only a few minutes since she’d gotten attacked and it should have taken at least an hour to get back to the car. He had been moving a lot faster than she ever could have on the trails, but it was still hard to believe that they were there already. Okay, so she must have passed out. That was no surprise, though, not with the pain she was in. But then her brow furrowed as she abruptly realized that her leg was no longer throbbing nearly as badly. In fact, it barely hurt at all. That was a bad sign, wasn’t it? Maybe she was going into shock. Or worse, bleeding to death. Panicking at that thought, Heidi lifted her head from the man’s chest to tell him that he’d better hurry and get her to a hospital when he surprised her by setting her down on her feet. She stood leaning against him, thinking that he had set her down so he could open the door to whatever it was he drove and get her inside. When he merely stood there gently holding onto her upper arms, she looked up at him in confusion. Maybe he had parked at the Eagle River entrance to the trail and didn’t have his car there. “M-my car is over that way,” she said gesturing with her head. “We can take mine to the hospital if yours isn’t parked here.” But the man made no move to pick her up in his arms again, or even ask for her keys. “I know you’re going to think I’m crazy when I tell you this, especially after what just happened, but you’re not going to need to go to the hospital.” His voice was deep and velvety, and at any other time, she would have thought it sounded sexy as hell, but right then all Heidi could do was stare up at him in amazement. “What are you talking about?” she demanded. “Of course, I have to go to the hospital. I’m bleeding to death!” “Actually,” he said. “You’re not.” Her brow furrowed. What kind of idiot was he? “Yes, I am!” she snapped. “Look at my leg.” As she spoke, she took away the shirt he had given her so that he could see for himself, but when she looked down at her leg, all she could do was stare. He was right. She wasn’t bleeding anymore. She gently rubbed the shirt over the bite marks, bracing herself for pain that never came. As she wiped the blood away, she gasped. Where the skin had been ragged and raw from the wolf’s bite just minutes earlier, it was now jagged, pink scar tissue that looked days old. She lifted her head to find her rescuer regarding her with the most unusual gold eyes. How had she not noticed the color before? Because she’d been too busy thinking about other things, like bleeding to death. She shook her head. “I…I don’t understand. I’m confused. I must be in shock,” she said. “I was just bitten by a wolf. How can I already have a scar?” “Because you weren’t bitten by an ordinary wolf.” She frowned at him. “What the heck does that mean?” He was silent for a moment, as if he were trying to think of what he wanted to say. Finally, he ran his hand through his dark hair and let out a sigh. “Look, I know this is going to sound bizarre,” he said. “But you were bitten by a werewolf.” Heidi stared at him incredulously. A werewolf? She must be hallucinating or something from all the blood she’d lost because there was no way she could have heard him right. “A what?” “A werewolf,” he said again. Heidi blinked. Okay, so she wasn’t hallucinating. He was just a raving lunatic. Which was really hard to believe, considering he looked so normal. Not to mention disappointing, since he was so dang gorgeous. She took a step back, then another, her hands out in front of her. “Listen, I don’t know what you’re on, but –” He scowled. “I’m not on anything,” he said, taking a step toward her. “If you’d just give me a chance to explain –” “I think you’ve explained yourself quite enough,” Heidi told him. She quickly glanced over her shoulder, then at him before she began backing toward her car. “Look, I’m really grateful for what you did back there, but I need to get to the hospital.” Her rescuer followed. “Okay, if you insist on going to the hospital, I’ll take you,” he said. “But at least listen to what I have to say first.” Right. Like she was going to go anywhere with him. She dug into the pocket of her khaki shorts for her car keys and pressed the unlock button on the keyless entry, wondering if she should hit the panic button, too. But who would hear it all the way out there? “That’s okay,” she said as she opened the door. “I can drive myself.” Heidi was half afraid that he would insist, and she was relieved when he nodded. “Okay,” he said. “But take my card.” She stood there watching him as he reached into his back pocket for his wallet, wondering why she didn’t just get in her car and leave. He took a business card from his wallet and held it out to her. “Take it,” he said. She did, but only because she thought he might get upset, or even worse, follow her to the hospital if she didn’t. “You’ve been bitten by a werewolf,” he continued, “Which means you’re going to become one, too, and when your body starts changing, you’re going to need my help.” Did he even know how crazy he sounded? Probably not, or he wouldn’t be saying such bizarre things. “I have to go,” she said, turning back to her car. He caught her arm, his expression earnest. “There’s a full moon in a few days,” he told her. “You’ll need to call me before that.” Right. Like she was ever going to call him. WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANIMAL INSTINCT! Romance Junkies Gives Animal Instinct 5 Blue Ribbons! "ANIMAL INSTINCT was incredible! I loved the setting; Ms. Tyler did a fantastic job describing it, she really makes the reader feel as if they are in the story. The attraction between Heidi and Luke was great, and the way they came together was just fantastic. The romantic scenes were all very well written, and the chemistry between the two of them was phenomenal. The villain of the story was a real twist, you never would guess that he was the bad guy! All in all, ANIMAL INSTINCT was an excellent story. Ms. Tyler just keeps getting better and better!" ParaNormal Romance Calls Animal Instinct an Excellent Read! "This story was excellent! I loved the setting, it totally made me want to go visit Alaska, just to see it for myself, and maybe pick up a sexy Alaskan werewolf like Luke. Heidi's character was also very well developed, and I loved that she was not some wilting flower, she was capable of solving her own problems, but she was also woman enough to realize when she was over her head, and needed help. Luke's character was perfect-strong, able to take care of his woman, but not overbearing about it. He was alpha, but not to any extreme. He was able to control himself to let her go, and hope that she would come back to him. All in all, this was an amazing story, with some very hot scenes between Luke and Heidi. Excellent job!" The Romance Studio Calls Animal Instinct Searingly Hot! "This is a searingly hot, yet sweet paranormal romance that I just loved. I had been anxiously awaiting this book and was not disappointed. How could I be when it had my two favorite elements: mystery and lycanthropy? I read straight through, I just couldn't put it down. Overall the book was properly thought out and the story flows well. As in the first book of the series, the hero and heroine are wonderfully developed. I enjoyed the love scenes when, even at the most erotic, they remained romantic. The secondary characters are well written, Sukie is adorable. I can't wait to read more from this author. I'm really looking forward to more Men of Alaska." Read Chapter One! Watch the Trailer! Buy it at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid! Since I teased you with Animal Instinct, I thought I'd give you a look at the first book in the series, Animal Attraction, too! I don't usually try to come up with a story based on a specific theme that a publisher is looking for when they put out a "call for submissions." I tend to write whatever storyline pops into my head, so writing on demand about a specific theme isn't really my thing. However, when I first read that Whiskey Creek Press Torrid was coming out with a new line of books called the Men of Alaska Series, there was something about it that immediately captured my attention. I had been wanting to write a werewolf romance for a while, and what better setting than the wilds of Alaska? Besides, what's more exciting than a hot, hunky, outdoorsy hero, right?! Once I did a little bit of research on Fairbanks, the story just started to write itself! I thought it would be more fun for my heroine to be a skeptic, so I made her a reluctant reporter for a paranormal magazine. I knew that would lead to lots of amusing interaction with the hunky hero, who just happens to be a werewolf, of course! Not only are werewolves real, but they're damn hunky, too! Frustrated when none of the real newspapers will hire her as a reporter, Eliza Bradley takes the only job she can get – at a paranormal magazine. Her first assignment takes her to Fairbanks , Alaska to investigate the possibility that a werewolf has killed two local hikers. She forgets about the story, however, when she meets Hunter McCall, a local college professor and an expert on wolves. The man is an absolute hunk, and she finds herself spending more time in his bed than worrying about werewolves. That is, until Eliza finds out that Hunter isn’t just an animal in the sack, he’s an animal out of it, too - of the werewolf variety! Talk about a complicated relationship! But Eliza can’t dwell on Hunter’s little shapeshifting issues. There’s another werewolf out there with a taste for human blood, and she and Hunter are the only ones who can stop him. WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANIMAL ATTRACTION! 5 Blue-Ribbons from Romance Junkies! "ANIMAL ATTRACTION is one hot read. Ms. Tyler knows how to mesmerize an audience!" Night Owl Romance Loves Animal Attraction! "I found this work by Ms. Tyler to be well thought out and developed. It contained plenty of humor to go with the mystery, and some smoking hot sex scenes!" An Outstanding Read from Simply Romance Reviews! "ANIMAL ATTRACTION by Paige Tyler is one of those books that you just can't put down once you begin reading it, it is just that good!" 4.5 Pixies from Dark Angel Reviews! "ANIMAL ATTRACTION is a fun, lighthearted and humorous werewolf romance. The pace is quick, something is always happening and the humor just bubbles underneath everything. Ms. Tyler does a great job of bringing her characters and setting to life. The romance between our hero and heroine develops quickly and the sex scenes are seriously hot. Attraction leads to heat, then to love and the emotions are very vivid in this tale!" Wild on Books Reviews Goes Wild for Animal Attraction! "ANIMAL ATTRACTION is scorching hot. I blushed being witness to the sheer animalistic attraction shared by Eliza and Hunter. The love scenes were erotic but romantic, forceful but sensual, and naughty but playful. The feelings and depth of emotions were believable and so very sexy. I will never again look at a hot tub without remembering this risqué but thoroughly entertaining novel. Paige Tyler is now on my list of authors to watch for and I know that other readers will feel the same way!" Joyfully Reviewed Says Animal Attraction is Paranormal Romance at Its Finest! "Animal Attraction is paranormal romance writing at its finest. I really loved the interaction with Eliza and Hunter. They have this initial attraction that sizzles. Paige Tyler is an author with a knack for creating a werewolf who is sinfully sexy and she kept me totally engrossed right from the beginning. I am hoping for an additional story featuring Hunter’s brother Luke. I also look forward to more offerings from Ms.Tyler in the very near future. I would recommend Animal Attraction to anyone who enjoys stories of werewolves and shifters!" 5 Cherries from Whipped Cream! "Despite the cold climate of the setting, Animal Attraction definitely heats up the pages with its steamy romance. The attraction and chemistry between Eliza and Hunter is instant and enough to warm anyone up on a cold night. As their relationship progresses and Eliza learns more about Hunter, the two grow closer and I couldn’t wait to see how Eliza would handle the truth about Hunter. Not only did I enjoy the scorching romance of the story, but I also enjoyed the paranormal aspects. The twist behind the rogue werewolf was a nice surprise and I enjoyed watching Eliza and Hunter work to solve the mystery. Animal Attraction is a wonderful paranormal romance full of passion, heat, and romance!" TRS Gives It 4 Hearts! "This is a fiery hot paranormal romance that I just loved. It had everything I could ever want in a book -- eroticism, romance, seriousness, humor, murder, mystery, and lycanthropy. Overall the book was properly thought out, the plot is well developed, all relationships build befittingly, and the story flows seamlessly. I read straight through, I just couldn't put it down. The hero and heroine were wonderfully written, memorable, and charming. Eliza and Hunter engage in some sinfully sexy love scenes but even at the most erotic they remained romantic. The secondary characters are solid and fill in the blanks without taking the focus away from the couple. I can't wait to read more from this author. I'm really looking forward to Hunter's twin's story. I have already recommended this to everyone I know who enjoys paranormal romance." Read Chapter One! Buy it in eBook and Print at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid! Buy the Kindle Edition! Watch the Trailer! I also have a vampire series with Whiskey Creek Torrid Press as well, called Modern Day Vampires! The first book, Vampire 101, is available now, and I'm already working on the next book in the series! I've had a thing for vampires ever since I first saw the tall, dark, and hunky Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so when I decided to write a vamp paranormal romance, I thought why not write about a heroine who was as into him as I am? Of course, Savanna, the sexy heroine in my new book Vampire 101, ended up getting a little more caught up in the whole vampire thing than I think I would like. For one thing, she likes to hang out at Goth clubs on the weekend, figuring that's as close to the dark, brooding Angel as she's ever likely to get. Now I can honestly say I've never done that! It was fun to write about it, though. Since she's read just about vamp book ever written, and watched every television show and movie ever made about them to boot, Savanna considers herself somewhat of an expert on the subject. Of course, she doesn't really believe in her heart that vampires exist. It's just fun to think they do. She'd be happy just to find someone with a few vamp-like qualities - hence the Goth clubs. But then her whole world is turned upside down when she's bitten by a real-life rogue vampire and left for dead outside a Goth club. That's when she discovers the hard way that they really do exist after all. And when the sinfully handsome vampire Kaige, the hero of Vampire 101, comes to her rescue and saves her life by turning her into one, she learns that everything she thought she knew about vampires is wrong. But just because she was wrong about the details, it doesn't mean that she isn't in for the wildest, craziest, most sensual ride of her life! Time to hold on tight and find out how a modern vampire really lives! Being a Vampire Isn't What It Used to Be! Savanna Royce is a weekend Goth-girl who has always been fascinated with vampires. She doesn’t really believe in them, of course, but that changes when she is bitten by a rogue vamp and left for dead. Fortunately, two-hundred-and-seventy-eight-year-old vampire Kaige Travers is there to rescue her. Unwilling to let her die, he turns Savanna into a vampire to save her life, not knowing if she’ll thank him or hate him for it. While Kaige is teaching Savanna what she needs to know about being a vampire, neither of them can deny the chemistry that’s there. Somewhere between getting her registered at the local vampire admin office and teaching her how to order blood on the internet, they fall for each other, fast and hard. Just as things are heating up between the sheets – and everywhere else – they encounter one minor problem. The rogue vampire who attacked her is back and this time, he wants to finish the job he started. WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VAMPIRE 101! 5 Cherries from Whipped Cream Reviews! "Absolutely delightful and wickedly tempting, Ms Tyler has put a new spin on the vampire curse giving it a fresh look. Filled with deliciously sinful love scenes written to set the sheets on fire and characters that will make your mouth water and leave your eagerly flipping to the next page to see what happens next. Guaranteed to tease the senses, push you to the brink and leave you squirming in your seat!" Dark Angels Reviews Calls It Another Mouthwatering Hit from Paige Tyler! "MODERN DAY VAMPIRES: VAMPIRE 101 is another mouthwatering hit from Paige Tyler. I absolutely devoured this book. Savanna and Kaige are so mesmerizing that it felt like I actually knew them. They could have been my neighbors they were so realistic. The romance that blossoms between them is heartfelt and passionate. I was rooting for them from the very beginning. Kaige is such a protector of Savanna. He makes it his job to keep her safe at all costs. When it dawns on him that he's falling in love with her, I wanted to hug him, he was so dumbfounded about it. Savanna is a jewel. Sweet, innocent, charming and when it really counts, strong and passionate. At turns, MODERN DAY VAMPIRES: VAMPIRE 101 is hilarious, comical, suspenseful, erotic and downright captivating. Paige Tyler is wicked with a pen and knows how to yank her readers in and leave them breathless from beginning to end. If you're in the mood for a superb paranormal romance with some erotic scenes woven in with a splash of suspense for good measure, MODERN DAY VAMPIRES: VAMPIRE 101 is definitely the book for you. This one is going on my keeper shelves and I've already re-read it three times, so I guarantee you'll love it!" Night Owl Romance Says It Will Have You Panting! "Vampire 101, Modern Day Vampires is a wonderfully witty tale that will have you laughing at the witty repartee as well as panting at the hot steamy sex. Ms. Tyler gives a whole new take on vampires and what makes them tick. Her characters are all well rounded, interesting and for the most part normal people. They have all the hallmarks of being someone you might know, which makes them immensely likeable. The plot is well thought out and has enough of a mystery element to keep you guessing and wondering what the heck is going to happen next to keep you reading all the way to the end. The sex is very well written and doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the story. And of course love wins out in the end. Pick this work up and you’ll definitely be adding Ms. Tyler to your paranormal favorite authors list." Romance Junkies Gives it 5 Blue Ribbons! "VAMPIRE 101 was fantastic! Ms. Tyler delivers another great story, with a handsome, dreamy hero, and a heroine who is not afraid to stand up for herself. Kaige and Savanna have incredible chemistry together, and their love scenes together are smoking! The secondary characters, and the setting of the story all help to make it that much more realistic, and the outcome is a very entertaining read. All in all, VAMPIRE 101 was yet another example of Ms. Tyler's excellence in writing." Read Chapter One! Watch the Trailer! Buy it in eBook and Print at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid! For more of my sexy, erotic fiction, visit my website at http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/ and my blog at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/ "Stories so hot, they'll make your cheeks blush!" ***CONTEST TIME*** Leave a comment for your chance to win an ebook download giveaway of Animal Attraction, Paige's totally hot story! Contest ends tonight at midnight!

Winner of the humor book Bad Sex is...

Inez Kelly Congratulations! Please email us at midnightmooncafe @gmail. com (no spaces) with your name and mailing address so we can send your prize.

Sunday's Little Sunshine

Enjoying the sunshine? I was until I realized the serious burn on my shoulders. Ouch! I'm one of those natural redheads who burn. Well, in my case it is more like, burn, freckle, peel, freckle, and then burn again. Ugh. For someone who always wanted a tan, it's a bit disappointing. If I were any paler I'd be invisible. :P But at least I found a recipe that seems to help stop the sun's burning rays from turning me into lobster bisque. While this recipe seems to help me, everyone is different, with different body chemical reactions and allergies, so I do advise caution and a 24 hour skin patch test first to make sure you won't have a problem. :) This is not my recipe, but one a friend of mine found on the internet. Use at your own risk. SUNBLOCK Recipe by Miriam K. This recipe may look familiar to those who've seen an anti-fungus/diaper rash cream recipe. The herbs in that one are replaced by black tea, and the oil here is sesame, with just enough wheat germ oil to boost the cream's lifespan. Here goes: SUNBLOCK 1 liter (proportions may be halved) Ingredients: 1. 4 teabags of plain black tea 2. 1 liter mineral or distilled water 3. 1 tablespoon Borax powder 4. 250 ml. cold-pressed sesame oil 5. 50 ml. wheat-germ oil 6. 100 grams beeswax optional: 7. 1 teaspoon tincture of juniper or rosemary, to lengthen the life of the cream Equipment: Container for steeping herbs: a screw-top jar is good. Chopstick or wooden spoon to put into jar, to keep it from shattering when the hot liquid goes in. Cheesecloth or a clean, thin sock to strain herbs 1 wooden spoon 1 glass or pyrex bowl Double-boiler or pan for boiling water as bottom half Hand mixer, blender, food processor or whisk Spatula Very clean, very dry jar for storage Method: 1. Bring the water to a boil. 2. Put the teabags and wooden spoon in the jar and pour the boiling water over them. Stir vigorously, remove the spoon and close the jar tight. 3. Meantime, gently melt the beeswax in the glass bowl, over hot water, stirring occasionally. 4. Add the oils. They will harden up at first; allow them to liquify. 5. Reheat the tea but do not boil. 6. Add the Borax to the hot tea and mix very well, making sure it is all dissolved. 7. Remove the wax/oil mixture from the stove. Very slowly, as in making mayonnaise, add the tea to the wax/oil mixture, whisking (or whirring) the while. Stop mixing when the cream has homogenized. 8. Stir in the tincture of juniper or rosemary. 9. Store the cream in your clean, dry jar. 10. Label it with the contents and the date. A very nice addition is 2-3 drops of essential oil of Geranium, Rose or Lavender, which will perfume your cream, boost its healing power, and help to preserve it. Stir the essential oil into the cream after it's gone cold. The cream should keep for up to two years, if stored in a dry, dark place. Do not keep in the bathroom: the steam there will spoil it. Please note: my text comes from a course I teach: Safe Use of Herbs for the Family. It is copyrighted; please respect this. Use it, share it, but please do not sell the recipe or put it to any commercial purpose. Have fun making and using the cream!

Happy FEAT

Create a Stir about Autism - Dancing with the Louisville Stars Saturday, June 6 — Dancing with the Louisville Stars! The event will be held at the Downtown Marriott, and features local celebrities in an exciting dance competition with dinner, open bar, and auction. FEAT is proud of its financial support of approximately $125,000 each year to the Endeavor Program. For more information about FEAT and the Louisville chapter, go HERE. Together we can all make a difference! Watch last year's event: Dancing with the Louisville Stars

What Constitutes Bad Sex?

I once heard a guy say that even bad sex was better than no sex at all. On the contrary, after some of my more awkward disasters, I can safely say it would have been better had I remained celibate. LOL. Bad Sex -- Everyone's had it. But for some reason very few want to talk about it. Very few, that is, except the writers at Nerve.com. They've had some pretty bad sex and they have no problem kissing and telling. The stories in this unprecedented collection feature the most hilarious, heartbreaking, cringeworthy bad sex. We have chest-waxing gone awry; an unsavory attraction to a Frasier look-alike; hours-long hand jobs; Vienna sausages; and much much more. The stories are at once frank, outrageous, funny, and intense. What Nerve has done here should really be considered a public service—they did it so we wouldn't have to. Nerve.com has been publishing provocative essays and photographs, stimulating reporting, and sidesplitting commentary daily since 1997. The site has won dozens of accolades, including numerous Webby Awards and National Magazine Award nominations. What about you? Have you had any episodes of Bad Sex? Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a copy of the book, Bad Sex. Contest ends Saturday at midnight and a winner will be announced Sunday.

The Winners of the Once Bitten Contest are...

Chris! and elaing8! Congratulations! You've both won a copy of Ms. Price's book, Once Bitten. Please email us at midnightmooncafe@ gmail .com (no spaces) with your full name and mailing address, so we can make sure you get your prize. More fun contests and prizes this month, so if you didn't win this time, stop by again and try your luck. Who knows, next time it could be your name we pull from the magickal hat! :)

The Midnight Brew Presents: Kalayna Price

Kalayna has always been an avid reader and a dreamer. At ten she raided her father's fantasy fiction bookcase and her already active imagination went into hyperdrive. It wasn't long after that she decided she wanted to write, and at thirteen she began her first novel—one of many novel beginnings she would write over the coming years that would go to the unfinished novel graveyard. At twenty-three she finally finished her first manuscript and has written at least one manuscript a year since then. Three years after writing "The End" for the first time, her urban fantasy novel, ONCE BITTEN, sold to Bell Bridge Books. Once Bitten went on sale online and in bookstores January 2009. While Kalayna always knew she would be a 'writer' someday, she never dreamed she would be an artist. She took her first art class during her senior year in high school, and didn't take another until three years later. In 2004 she took her very first painting class and immediately fell in love with oil paints. Oils remain her favored medium to this day, though she dabbles in water colors and would like to have more experience in the medium. Her work has appeared locally in several shows but her true wish for her art is to have the skill to create illustrations and cover art (not for her own writing.) The Midnight Moon Café is happy to welcome author Kalayna Price. MMC: Who influenced you the most in your writing? Kalayna: The most? That's a tough question because I read widely, and always have, so my influences include a lot of writers. If I had to pick just one person, I would say Laurell K. Hamilton and her Anita Blake books back in the beginning when Anita was a cold, tough as nails vampire executioner. I started reading those books when I was fourteen, and I had previously read mostly high fantasy, so Hamilton's gritty modern setting and combination of mystery, fantasy, horror, and romance was totally new to me. Urban Fantasy as it exists today wasn't around then, but I would say my desire to write what eventually would be called UF was born around that time. MMC: What made you decide to write about vampires? Kalayna: Vampires have always fascinated me. I read Dracula at age ten and was hooked. In high school, I wrote a major history paper comparing vampire superstitions in different countries and time periods. MMC: Which would you say was your favorite character to write? Kalayna: You're going to make me choose between my characters? Okay, let's see... I'm going to have to go with Tatius, who is basically the vampire 'king' of Haven. While his appearance was planned from the beginning, when he walked onto the page, his personality totally surprised me. He's one of those characters that shows up and tries to upstage every other chacter. I had to promise him more page space in future books to make him behave in his role in Once Bitten. MMC: Can you tell our readers a little more about the book? Kalayna: Sure! Here is a quick blurb about the book: For the past five years, Kita Nekai has faded into the background of the human world, but when a rogue shifter begins littering the city of Haven with bodies, Kita's illegal status lands her on the suspect list. During a confrontation with hunters that she can't win, rescue arrives in the form of the mysterious Nathanial Deaton. Kita soon wishes it hadn't when his method of saving her leaves her undead. With only three nights to prove her innocence and a new liquid diet to worry about, Kita doesn't want to deal with her infuriating rescuer or the ghost from her past who is determined to drag her back home. But, she needs help if she's going to stand any chance of survival. Kita might be small, but she has a lot of attitude, and I had a lot of fun writing the book. I hope people enjoy reading it just as much! MMC: What are you working on now? Kalayna: I'm currently hard at work on the sequel to Once Bitten. It will most likely be out early next year. MMC: Is there a genre of book you've never tried writing, but might try someday? Kalayna: I've actually been toying with an idea for a Young Adult novel, but my writing docket is pretty full at the moment. I also have a cyberpunk world vying for attention . . . so many things to write, so little time. At least I know I won't run out of ideas in the near future. MMC: Are you a 'pantser' or a plotter? Kalayna: Plotter. I use sticky notes to throw ideas out on when I'm first planning a book. I then rearrange those notes into something resembling a plot arc, and from that write an outline. I don't necessarily stick to the outline at all times, but it's nice to refer back to if I get stuck while I'm working on a first draft. MMC: And finally, which is sexier: A vampire, a werewolf, or a witch? Kalayna: That completely depends on the character. ^_^ My inclination would be vampire, but if they are a twisted, mindless, blood sucking corpse—not so much! If they are alluring but mortally-challenged—definitely! MMC: Do you have a newsletter, blog, or website where fans can read about you and your books? Kalayna: My website is www.kalayna.com and my blog can be found at www.kalayna.blogspot.com : : : : :>> CONTEST TIME <<: : : : : Leave a comment and you'll be entered into the drawing for a copy of Ms. Price's book Once Bitten! Contest ends Thursday, June 4, 2009 at midnight. Two winners will be announced Friday, June 5. Good Luck!

Hunk-a-licious Wet Fun

We think this hunk would be perfect for our Lady Cass. What do you think? Should we interview him for a staff position? ;)

Tuesday Surprise

The Prince's Bride by Ciar Cullen Released today from LooseId! Sexy young knight Sir Geoffrey’s holy vision of the True Cross sends him questing after a virgin, a unicorn, a sacred scroll, and a cursed island. Rita is a plump, poor peasant who speaks with the finder of lost things, St. Anthony. She hasn’t been a virgin for quite a while, so she’s thrilled to win the hand of Sir Geoffrey, and moreso since Geoff delights in introducing her to his sexual peccadilloes, including a generous night of brotherly sharing. It comes as a shock to learn that Geoff’s vision includes his own martyrdom! Is Geoffrey’s vision the result of insanity, or is St. Anthony leading him to something priceless? Only Rita has the power to save her husband, with some help from her heavenly friends.

Summer Fun at The MMC in June

June is the start of a sizzling summer for readers. We have a great line up of guest authors stopping by to blog or to participate in our Midnight Brew series. Today kicks off our monthly contest here at the MMC. Leave a comment on any post between June 1st and June 28th and increase your chances to win! One reader will be picked from all the comments made during that time period. Contest ends midnight, June 28, and winner will be announced June 29th. The prizes for June are two paperbacks, Back to Life by Linda O. Johnston and Madhouse by Rob Thurman, some author bookmark goodies, and a way cool mermaid talisman pin! Here's hoping your June is filled with sunshine! To see our highlighted events this month, go to our website at http://midnightmooncafe.com