Fun Friday: Halloween Recipes

Halloween's tomorrow, so I thought I would share with you a couple of my Halloween party favorites. Enjoy!

Witches' Brew (to fill a large cauldron or two large punch bowls)

3 64 oz. cartons pineapple juice
2 64 oz cartons orange juice
4 2 liter bottles Sprite
1 1.75 liter bottle vodka
1 1.75 liter bottle dark rum
Grenadine to taste

Mix together, chill and serve. I use dry ice, but it's fine without it. If you do use dry ice, be very careful not to touch, eat, serve etc. as it can burn you!

And for the kids:

Bloody Popcorn (my grad school neighbor used to make this every Halloween)

Pop up popcorn-- stovepopped, air popped, microwave.
Cover with butter spray and then sprinkle well with paprika or red seasoning salt.

Anyone have a fun, easy recipe to share (I'm all about easy on this holiday)?

Have a wonderful Halloween!

It's Character Parade Day!

My middle son is in 1st grade and at his school, it's Character Parade Day-- which means the first graders get to dress up as a favorite character from a book and parade around the school. Of all the characters in beloved children's literature he could have chosen from, my kid chooses ... wait for it ... Darth frickin Vadar from one of his learning to read Star Wars books. I was like, "Give me a break. Don't you want to be the Cat in the Hat?" His answer was a look of abject horror.

Anyway, I'm about to dash out the door to go watch his march around the school grounds, but I thought I'd throw this out there-- what beloved character from a book would you dress up as if you had a choice?

For children's lit, I think definitely Anne of Green Gables-- who kicked serious butt, btw. From what I read today-- probably Lucinda, from Sunny's new series. She's such an awesome heroine. Otherwise, I'd say Eve Dallas, but then, I don't have the ass to fit in her jeans, so maybe not ...Happy almost Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wolff Wednesday: On Being a Writer

Since this week I am all about waiting to hear from my publisher (and tearing my hair out while I do) I thought I'd spend a little time talking about this business of writing. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a writer. My official biography says that it was from the time I understood that letters made words that told stories, but maybe it was earlier-- and later-- than that.

From the time I could understand the words that came out of his mouth, my father told me stories. Wonderful, fantastical stories filled with whimsical happenings and happy endings. He made up songs to make red-lights turn green, had me sit in our backyard-- absolutely silent-- and listen to the world around us, identifying noises. Gave me a topic-- from my brand new Esprit shirt to the stuffed dog (Sad Sam the Doggy Man) they bought me the day my real dog ran away-- and had me tell him a story about that object. In other words, he exercised my imagination from the time I was a toddler until I was in high school and too cool to spend much time with hm (something I regret greatly now, as he died when I was 21).

But what I'm getting at, is I learned to tell stories when other children were learning the alphabet, learned to make up tales with HEAs when my friends were digging in the sand-- for me it is as natural as breathing. And the day I wrote my first story down, sitting in the car at the bank while my parents were inside getting a loan, I was hooked. The story was written in aqua marker in an old notebook my mom had in the car and it was about a rainbow, a pot of gold, an evil leprachaun and the princess who fell in love with him. I was seven and from that moment on, I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life.

Fast forward twenty-five years and hear I am, writing stories that I love about characters who interest me-- what more could a girl ask for? Well, the answer to that, is probably a Valium. Or a Xanax, or if you are as high-strung as I am, maybe both. I've never been a good waiter, never had a lot of patience. I'd rather be doing, doing, doing--as my agent found out this last few weeks when I had nothing to do but drive both of us up a wall. And now that I have a contract, I'm not much better-- and I won't be until I hear on the other three contracts that currently have me on tenterhooks.

To be honest, I'm not sure what the point of this blog post is, except to say that I've finally gotten what I want-- to be a published author-- but it hasn't gotten any easier since I signed that first contract. In fact, it's gotten worse-- because now it's not just about will I be published but will I still be published? Will I sell the next book and the next one, or will they just decide they don't want me anymore.

Publishing is a scary, scary world, and my friends and I complain about it regularly, but the truth is, I wouldn't want to do anything else. I love being able to write everyday, love being able to share my stories with the world. So, if I go gray early and get an ulcer waiting to hear from my editor, so be it. I think it just might be worth it ...

How about you? When did you know what you wanted to do with your life? Or are you still trying to figure it out?

New Release Day!

I love Tuesdays-- they're fabulous days for me, because Book Addict that I am, I can usually be found rushing out to get the new releases. Today is certainly no different, particularly since Nora Roberts's Bed of Roses and P.C. and Kristin Cast's Tempted released today. Also, my friend Julia London's new historical hits the shelves, so my arms will be full at Barnes and Noble this morning-- the best part, of course, is that my mom sent me a B and N gift certificate for my birthday so the books are in essence, free to me! I love my mom :)

So, how about you guys? Are there any books coming out soon that you're waiting with bated breath for? LEt me know-- as you're aware, I'm always on the lookout for a new author and am willing to try anything once!

Happy Tuesday!

Fun Friday Winner!

The winner of Nalini Singh's Angel's Blood is ALI F. Drop me you're snail mail addy at tracy@tracywolff.com and I'll get that in the mail to you this week.

And for my previous two winners, the books went out in the mail today-- sorry for the delay but things are INSANE as usual at the Wolff household.

Movie Monday: Favorite Chick Flicks

I thought I'd do something a little different today, for this Movie Monday. I spent the end of last week having a chick-flick fest with a dear friend. We watched some tried and true girl movies and some new ones, so I thought I'd compile a list of some of my favorite.


We started with The Proposal, which I thought was wonderfully funny. I've been a fan of Ryan Reynolds since Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (he was definitely the shining star in that sitcom) and think he's really starting to come into his own. He was absolutely yummy in this movie.

I also love The Lakehouse (I guess I have a preference for Sandra Bullock moview). But this one has just enough of a twist to keep it really interesting-- plus it has Keanu and that, in itself, is more than enough to make me like the movie.



We also watched Music and Lyrics this weekend-- I know, it' s not the best romantic comedy in the world, but I'm a HUGE Drew Barrymore fan and I think she did a great job playing a slightly neurotic hypochondriac who falls for a down-on-his-luck eighties pop star. Plus, Hugh Grant was HILARIOUS as said pop star.


My next chick flick pick is Beaches, because there is just something about that movie that gets to me. Though it came out when I was just a kid myself, I have to watch the movie at least once every few years-- preferably when I want to cry. Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey do a kick-ass job as best friends turned enemies turned best friends.



Then comes Boys on the Side, which, is another old film (1995) but that I love. Whoopi Goldberg and Drew Barrymore are wonderful in this movie and I think it is a fabulous tale of love and friendship and the strength that women draw from those closest to them.

And finally, Dirty Dancing, because, really, what's a chick flick list without this movie? I love this movie, love everything about this movie-- so much so that my oldest groans whenever he sees the box in my hand. "Again, Mom? Didn't we just watch that like last month?" But, seriously, this was my favorite movie the year it came out and it still is.

So, that's a small list of movies I love to rewatch-- preferably with a good girlfriend and a big bowl of popcorn. How about you? What are some of your favorite girl movies?

Fun Friday: Scavenger Hunt!

Hi, ladies! I thought I'd do something a little different today for Fun Friday. So how about a scavenger hunt? I've listed five questions below. Go to the websites indicated and then e-mail me your answers at tracy@tracywolff.com and be entered to win a copy of Nalini Singh's Angel's Blood, the first in her brand new series. So with no further ado:

1. What is the name of the heroine in Sherry Thomas's book, Not Quite a Husband?
2. What is the heroine's profession in Julie James's Just the Sexiest Man Alive?
3. What problem does Eve have in Sylvia Day's Eve of Chaos?
4. What's the name of Lauren Dane's erotic sci fi series for Berkley?


You can find the answers here:

http://sherrythomas.com/
http://juliejames.com/
http://www.sylviaday.com/books/marked/
http://www.laurendane.com/books/

Thanks for playing along. Happy Fun Friday and have a fabulous weekend :)

Wolff Wednesday: Ideas, anyone?

So, I mentioned last week that I sold three Superromances to Harlequin, but what I didn't mention is that my editor is looking for a couple Blaze proposals from me as well. The first proposal I have done-- it's a romantic comedy type called Lyrics and Lingerie that is a little out of my comfort zone as there's nothing dark or spooky about it. At the same time, I love it-- I'll post the beginning here, so you can tell me what you think.

But I'm struggling with the second proposal, trying to decide what kind of occupation to give my hero. This is a darker story, one that is more my usual style. My heroine, Cara, is a tax attorney who has basically run away from her boring life, looking for some excitement. She finds my hero (who is still nameless because I want to know what he does before I pick a name that fits him from the list you guys gave me before) who is "mad, bad and dangerous to know." I don't know much about him yet, except that he has a new tattoo (they meet in a tattoo parlor) he's tall, dark and handsome (big shock) and he's also pretty cynical about love and women.

So, any ideas on occupations for tall, dark and handsome? What kind of jobs seem sexy to you?

Oh, and as promised, here's an excerpt from Lingerie and Letters. It's still in the proposal stage and may never see the light of day, but I had a ton of fun writing the first few chapters ;)

Excerpt from Lyrics and Lingerie

She was the most erotic, ride-me-til-I’m-blind wet dream he’d ever had—and that was saying something, especially as he would have sworn on a stack of platinum records that he was wide awake despite the early hour of the morning.

After pushing aside the gauzy curtains his decorator had hung over his sliding glass door just last week, Jake Rawlins leaned against the already warm glass and spent a few moments simply reveling in the view. After all, it wasn’t every day a man—no matter how famous he was—came home to a woman bent over the railing of his fourth floor balcony and wiggling her naked ass for all it was worth.

Though if he was being honest—something sixteen years in show biz had convinced him was highly overrated—she wasn’t actually naked. That lacy little scrap of lime-green nothingness resting between her nicely rounded cheeks definitely counted as clothing of the best kind, but there was more than enough of her hanging out to convince him she had the sweetest, sexiest, heart-shaped ass he had ever seen.

Not to mention a killer pair of legs and some pretty impressive stamina.

As he contemplated just how many hours of yoga little-miss-I’ve-been-a-bad-girl-and-really-need-a-spanking must have needed to be able to hold that upside-down-ass-in-the-air position for this many minutes, his near-dead libido sprang to life for the first time in way too long. It took every ounce of self-control he possessed—and then some-- to keep from reaching out and seeing if that creamy skin was really as soft and silky as it looked. But until he figured out exactly who she was and what she wanted, Mr. Happy’s rodeo days were on hold.
So who was she? His eyes narrowed in speculation. The one fan who hadn’t yet thrown him over for Toby Keith? An aspiring star trying to sleep her way to the top? Or an escapee from an insane asylum?

As it had been months since anyone had so much as asked him to sign a body part, he was definitely leaning toward the latter. But who knew mental institutions had such hot patients? When it came time to get back into the swing of things, he might have to lay off the single bars in search of greener pastures.

Taking an absent swig of his rapidly warming beer, Jake took his time checking out every glorious inch of his unexpected visitor that he could see—which wasn’t as much as he would have liked as her fabulous ass was currently blocking his view of her breasts. But what he could see looked so good that he might be able to live with the disappointment.
She wiggled again, a wicked little twist of her hips that made his cock hard and his beer go down the wrong pipe. Sweet Jesus, she was explosive.

Do it again, he urged silently when his coughing fit finally ended, please do it again. She shimmied—almost as if she’d heard his plea—and his blood pressure skyrocketed. What would it feel like to have her move against him that way as he plunged into her over and over again? She wiggled a third time and he decided—crazy woman or not-- he had to find out.

Dropping his beer on the end table, Jake fumbled the balcony door open and stepped into the wet and sticky New Orleans air. Before he could talk himself out of it, he reached a hand out to see if –- maybe, just maybe—that peaches-and-cream skin felt as good as it looked.
“Hey, watch it!” The indignant yelp that greeted his tentative touch was definitely not as friendly as he’d been expecting. She was, after all, the one currently flaunting her flexibility on his balcony.

“I am watching it,” he answered. “Hard not to as it’s one of the finest I’ve ever seen. And so’s that pretty little scrap of lace currently playing at preserving your modesty.”

One angry sapphire eye peered around a shapely knee. “Got a thing for underwear, do you?”

He wouldn’t exactly call it a thing. There was a time not so long ago when women had tossed their underwear to him by the thousands—everything from bikinis and edible undies to boy shorts and what amounted to little more than lace-edged dental floss. But as he eyed the storm clouds gathering in that one cerulean eye, he decided discretion might definitely be the better part of staying alive. So he contented himself with a simple, “No more than the next guy.” Her answering snort told him she wasn’t overly impressed with his hard-won modesty.

“Well, this is all there is to see. So why don’t you head back in and—“ she looked him over from neck to toe with that one, narrowed eye—“get some sleep. No offense, but you look like hell.”

He felt like hell, but that was no reason to break the party up so soon—especially since he hadn’t finished his beer yet. “I was on my way to do just that when I noticed you. Manners and simple curiosity compelled me to come out and see if I could be of assistance.”

“I don’t need your help.” Her tone was acerbic, but her face was growing redder by the moment—more, he had no doubt, from her upside down position than from any embarrassment she might be feeling.

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “Then you’ve simply mistaken my balcony for your latest yoga lesson?” he asked in the Tennessee twang he’d never been able to shake. “I think my last girlfriend called that position the downward dog.”

The eye narrowed even more, until all he could see was a slit of cobalt. It really was a shame that such a shapely backside belonged to such a prickly woman. “I wouldn’t know.” Her voice could have frozen water vapor in hell. “I’m not a big yoga aficianado.”

Jake clucked his tongue as he sadly shook his head. “And here I was having such fantasies about what I could do with a practitioner of the fine sport of yoga. You just went and spoiled all my fun.”

“And the day started off so badly.”

Book Tuesday: Tempted

I know I've mentioned that I'm writing a YA-- Rip Tide-- and that I am currently obsessing about it as it is out on submission. But what I haven't told you is that while I was working on the partial, I read every YA I could get my hands on, trying to strike the right balance. I am an erotica author after all, and I wanted to see just what was acceptable in YA and what wasn't.

Anyway, as I gobbled up a ton of YAs, particularly paranormal YAs as that is what Rip Tide is, I fell for the P.C. and Kristen Cast House of Night Series. Originally, I picked up one just to get a feel for it. Two days later I was back at Target, buying the next four. Which leads me to the book of the week: Tempted. It is the much anticipated book 6 in the House of Night series-- which documents its main character (Zoey Redbird) being marked as a vampire and the adventures that happens to this priestess in training in her first years at the House of Night Academy. And I am dying to get my hands on it-- unfortunately I have to wait a whole week as it doesn't release until October 27th. But I can promise I'll be first in line for the book Tuesday morning (yes, I obsess about books, in case you haven't noticed ;)

In the meantime, here's the back cover blurb to tide you-- and me-- over :

So…you’d think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark’s life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break. Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang. Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions. Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings. Aphrodite’s visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal. Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn’t go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul? Find out in the next spectacular installment in the House of Night series, TEMPTED.

Movie Monday: Fame

So, I'm a big fan of the Arts and a big fan of musicals, so the remake of the classic Fame should have been a shoo-in for me to love. Which is why I dragged husband to see it, over protests of how The Informant was such a better movie. Yes, ladies, you read correctly. I loved the first Fame so much that I willingly gave up a Matt Damon movie (sigh) to see it. And boy, was that a mistake.

The first Fame was filled with plot twists and character studies-- moments of real angst and real exhiliration. Moments that were painful for the audience-- and exciting. The new movie, which had a lot of potential, was nothing but a cop-out. There were no particularly interesting story lines, and even the ones they tried to mimic form the first movie (Coco sobbing as she let a man photograph her nude for her chance at a big break or Bruno and Mr. Zeferelli's argument over classic musiv vs. modern music) were handled so badly that they were superfluous to the plot instead of important to it.

Now, in case you hadn't noticed, I much prefer to spend Movie Mondays and Book Tuesdays talking about books and movies that I did like, biut this movie was so disappointing thta I couldn't resist saying something here. Not because it was an awful movie (I can still respect awful movies because they take risks. Riskys thatdon't pan out, mind you, but risks nonetheless). This movie, which played off the glory of its predecessor, didn't even do that. The word that comes to mind most, when I think about the movie, is Blah. Two hours of boring, blah, manufactured conflicts.

I can't believe I gave Matt Damon up for this.

So how about you? Did any of you see Fame this time around? Did you like it? If you haven't seen it, what movies have you seen in the theater lately? What do you recommend?

Winner of Lucinda, Darkly

The winner of Lucinda, Darkly is Linda Henderson. Congrtaulations!! E-mail me at tracy@tracywolff.com and I'll get it out to you this week. Thanks, everyone, for commenting!

Family Game Night-- a disaster in the making!

As you've probably gleaned from other posts of mine, I have three kidlets who I love excessively-- and who drive me absolutely bonkers at least part of the time (they're all male, which is an experience in and of itself). Anyway, there's a wide gap between my oldest and my youngest (ten years) with my middle one seven years younger than the oldest. What this usually translates to is three children running off in three separate directions with me in the middle like elastigirl trying to follow all three of them.

Which is why I came up with the brilliant idea of playing a board game the other night. My friend, Lori Borrill, blogged on board games over at our group blog ( http://www.sizzlingpens.blogspot.com/ ) the other day and her post made it sound like so much fun that I figured it couldn't be as bad as I remembered it being the last time I tried to play a game with the group of them. I was right- it was so much worse.

The oldest (a 7th grader who is so sophomoric I fear his head-- or mine-- will explode at any minute) did nothing but torment the younger two with the fact that he was more proficient at the game than they were. The middle one whined incessantly about the fact that the oldest was beating him, and the baby-- well, he did what he always does. He climbed into the middle of the game board at a crucial point and started throwing all the game pieces and cards around. Needless to say, the game ended with tears and angry shouts from the oldest two and a promise to myself not to try this again for quite some time.

Family game night is wonderful in theory-- not so great in application when you have a just-turned three year old running around. We gave up on Pirates of the Caribbean and ended up playing Lucky Ducks instead--you know the game with the ducks on a circle and the absolutely obnoxious quacking noise that goes nonstop? My oldest two dropped out quickly, less than impressed, and I was left with a headache of gigantic proportions.

So much for bonding over Milton Bradley. Maybe next year ...

How about you? Any favorite games you like to play-- now or as a child? Any suggestions on a game that might captivate the whole family?

Good News!

It's a quick Wolff Wednesday today as I am swamped, but I wanted to share the news. I just got a three book contract with Harlequin for my next three Superromances, including Matt's story (the best friend in From Friend to Father) so I am very, very happy today! And the news came yesterday-- on my birthday-- so who could ask for a better present???

Here's a quick excerpt from what I have written for Matt's book so far. Presently, the working title is What Love Means but that is definitely subject to change. My heroine, Camille, is a commitment-phobe to the extreme, so hopefully you'll enjoy the merry chase she leads Matt on before she catches him ;)

Prologue for What Love Means

“Do you have to go?”
A twinge of uneasiness worked its way down Camille Arraby’s spine at the words, though she continued to load her overnight bag. “My flight leaves in two hours—I’ve got to get to the airport.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” Matt Jenkins climbed off the rumpled bed where they’d just spent another incredible night, and crossed to her.
She watched him prowl across the room, his long, lean, nearly naked form a truly beautiful sight this early in the morning. His dark auburn hair had fallen over his eyes and his too full lips were curved in the sexy grin she loved.
The twinge got a little more pronounced and for the first time that she could remember, Camille regretted the fact that she had to go. She wasn’t nearly as ready to leave Austin—and Matt—as she’d expected to be.
But Brazil—and Carnaval—were in full swing and they wouldn’t wait forever. Besides, it was better to walk away now, on a high note, than wait for things to sour as they inevitably would.
“So what did you mean?” she asked, lightly, as he circled her waist with his hands and pulled her close.
“I was asking you to stay.” He nuzzled her neck and she sighed, letting her head fall back as desire moved through her all over again.
“I can’t.”
His mouth moved lower, to the hollow of her throat, and she actually felt her knees tremble. “You can.”
“Matt. You knew all along I was leaving today.”
“I know.”
“So what’s the problem?” Her voice hitched as he flicked open the first two buttons of her shirt, ran his tongue over the curve of her breast.
“The problem is that when we made the deal, I didn’t expect that I’d want you to stay.”
“And now you do?”
He lifted his head so that his warm brown eyes met hers and Camille shuddered with unfulfilled desire. She’d never met a man like Matt, who could make her respond so effortlessly—and powerfully—to his lightest touch.
“Now I do.” He stroked the back of his hand down her cheek. “Stay, Camille. Please. I’ve never felt like this before and I want to see where it goes.”
“I’ve already given up my room and my job, already have my flights booked to Rio and then on to Italy.”
“You can stay with me for a while—and getting another one of those temp jobs of yours can’t be that difficult. You’ve been through three in the two months I’ve known you.”
For one long second, Camille let his words sweep over her. Let herself imagine staying here with Matt indefinitely—spending hours and days and weeks together, in bed and out.
Doing all those wonderful things couples did when they were falling in love.
The images that flashed through her mind didn’t send her running for the hills as they normally would have, and that—more than anything else could—had her taking a cautious step back.
Pulling free of Matt’s embrace, she turned back to her bag. Rearranged the items in it, once, twice, as she struggled for the right words to say. But nothing came and silent minutes dragged by as Matt waited patiently for her answer, not pushing her but not backing down either.
As she slid her make-up case to the bottom of the bag, Camille wanted nothing more than to run—as fast and as far as she could.
Wanted nothing more than to fling herself into Matt’s arms and stay until this thing between them burned itself out.
But doing that was only asking for trouble, only asking for entanglements. Already Matt had sneaked through a crack in her defenses and taken up residence in an untouched spot in her heart. If she stayed, his presence inside her would grow until she was no longer complete without him. And that was something she would never, could never, allow.
When she finally looked up at him again, Camille made sure none of her doubts—none of her longing—showed on her face. “I can’t stay, Matt. You know that as well as I do. I was perfectly clear about the fact that I was leaving when we hooked up.”
“I know. But plans can change.”
“Not mine.”
“Bull.” This time when he grabbed her, his hands weren’t quite as gentle as they had been. Somehow, the edginess was just as arousing as the care. “Your plans change all the time. They change with the wind, with your whims. Why can’t you change them now? For me?”
“My plane tickets are non-refundable.” Her answer was flippant, but her heart was pounding hard and fast.
He cursed. “I’ll pay for the stupid tickets. I’ll pay for a hundred tickets if you’ll stay for just a little while longer.” His hands slid up her arms and neck until he was cupping her face. “Please, Camille. Stay.”
“Matt.” She shook her head, fought against the lump in her stomach that was growing with every word he said.
“Damn it, do you think this is easy for me? I’m not used to having to beg a woman to spend time with me.”
Of course he wasn’t used to begging—he was gorgeous and smart, and if not rich, certainly well off from his partnership in one of the city’s leading architectural firms. He was a prime catch—just one more reason she was determined to throw him back before he could do the same to her.
Before she broke her own rules and let him all the way into her heart.
Before she was the one pleading with him to stay.
“I don’t want you to beg.” The words came out sharp, stilted.
“So what do you want?”
“To see Carnaval. To dance in the plaza and run through the streets with the parades. To visit the art museums and hanglide through the hills. I wasn’t to stand on the beach at dawn and watch the tide roll in.”
“Okay. All right.” He closed his eyes, ran a hand over his face. “Give me a couple days, let me rearrange my schedule and I’ll go with you. You’ll still see plenty of Carnaval.”
The twinge turned into a full-blown panic attack, and it took every ounce of willpower she had to keep her hand from shaking as she slung her bag over her shoulder. “Come on, Matt. It’s been fun, but we both know it’s time to move on—before things get messy and predictable.”
“They don’t have to—“
“Sure they do, sweets.” With a sassy grin, Camille reached up and patted her lover’s cheek. “That’s the way of relationships. Short and sweet turns long and nasty, until both people wish they’d gotten out when the getting was good.”
His eyes narrowed. “Do you really believe that?”
“I do. And so do you—at least you did six weeks ago, when we first met.”
“That was different.”
“Baby, it’s always different.” She started to say more, but a car horn sounded from the street in front of his house. “I’ve got to go. My cab’s here.”
“I thought I was taking you to the airport.”
“It’s still early—go back to bed.” Standing on tiptoes, she brushed her lips against his once, twice. Then gasped as his mouth turned frenzied on hers.
He kissed her like no one ever had—hard and hot and with a desperation that nearly overwhelmed her. That nearly had her dropping her bag and following him back into bed, where he was so sure they belonged.
That nearly had her saying to hell with Rio and Italy and the world—she was more than content to stay right here, in Austin, Texas.
But then the horn sounded again and she was pulling away. Smiling at him. Walking out the door and reminding herself, with every step, of all the reasons she was doing the right thing.
After all, there was a big, bright world out there and in her thirty-two years she’d only managed to see about half of it. It was time—past time—to get started visiting the other half.

Book Tuesday: Lucinda, Dangerously

Can I just say, right now, how much I love Sunny.? Love, love, love, love, loooooove her! I got hooked on Mona Lisa Awakening after it first came out and have been a huge fan ever since. I loved when she moved to mass market with her last Mona Lisa book-- good for her-- and was thrilled when she started a brand new series starring the Demon Princess, Lucinda. In the first book, Lucinda, Darkly, Lucinda, quite simply, kicks ass and takes names.

The second book in the series, Lucinda, Dangerously, is no exception. I love this book. I love everything about this book. The characters are incredibly sympathetic, the sci-fi/paranormal world she's built (hell) are awesome and the sex is hot, hot, hot. There's not much about this book that I can criticize. So, this Book Tuesday goes out to Sunny and her fabulous new release (and it is new-- it just came out last Tuesday. I was at my local B and N panting over it and searching through their book carts until I found it).

Anyway, if you're a fan of paranormal romance, erotic romance or paranormal erotic romance, this is the book for you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Have any of you read Sunny before? If so, tell me what you think of her. Which book is your favorite? If you haven't, leave a comment and be entered to win a copy of her brand new Lucinda, Dangerously.

Movie Monday

Can I just say how much I am looooooving U-Verse? We just switched to it and got the big package for the first six months-- the one that gives you every station known to man. I'm not a huge TV person but I love movies (in case you couldn't tell) and I am having a blast being able to switch on the premium channels at midnight and find a movie that I haven't seen in a while as a wind down and get ready for bed.

So this week's movie is Apollo 13. I know, I know, it's an old one, and I didn't even like it that much when it first came out. But watching it fifteen years or so later really sent goosebumps up and down my spine. The relationship between Tom Hanks and his wife was fascinating to me-- the familiarity, the comfort, the angst, the passion, the unshakable belief in one another. As a romance writer, I loved it, because it is that kind of relationship that drove me to write my first book, A Christmas Wedding. The whole concept that Happily Ever After is just the beginning.

In my book, the hero's and heroine's relationship is falling apart after twenty-seven years of marriage-- it actually opens when the hero asks the heroine for a divorce. The rest of the book is made up of flashbacks that show snippets of them falling in love and how they got to the state they are in and scenes that show how much they still love each other despite their differences. Writing the HEA for that book was one of the most satisfying I've ever written.

Anyway, back to Apollo 13. There's one line that just sends shivers down my back. When the NASA PR guy is asking Marilyn Lovell (Tom Hank's wife) to let the news people put a tower on her lawn, despite the fact that they hadn't been interested in the flight before the explosion, her answer is something along the lines of: "Those people aren't putting one piece of equipment on my lawn. If they don't like it, they can take it up with my husband. He will be home ... on Friday."

You've just got to love that kind of unfettered faith and optimism, even as her husband is spinning off into space. And, of course, the best part is: he does make it home by Friday. I love me a happily ever after ...

So, what about you? What old/older movies have you recently seen that you like?

The Tie Me Down Contest Winner!

I'm excited to announce the winner of my latest Tie Me Down Contest-- Amy M.! Amy, drop me an e-mail at tracy@tracywolff.com and I'll get the book in the mail to you. Thanks to all who participated-- come back soon for another contest!

Fun Friday--Help!!!

I'm starting a new proposal for a mainstream paranormal (Fire Born, which is Book 1 in my Sisters of the Flame trilogy) and I need a strong, sexy name for my hero. He's getting involved with a witch who wields fire, so he's a pretty self-confident, strong, hawt kind of guy. Oh, and he's tall, dark and more than a little bit dangerous.

After starting a series like Dark Embers-- that has nine male characters I eventually hope to write about-- I am totally out of cool guy names. Drop me a suggestion here and be entered to win a copy of my latest release, Tie Me Down.

Thanks, in advance, for your help :)

Reality TV

You know, though I am a pop culture freak-- I love People and Us and Rolling Stones, watch movies like they're about to be wiped from the planet and spend far too much money on books every month, I'm really not much of a TV watcher. It could be because most afternoons the Disney channel is on one or all of my television sets or it could be because the idea of memorizing the fall line-up every year is just too much for me (I remember in my single days I used to know what was on and when. Now I'm lucky if I even know what shows made the line-up).

Anyway, I bring this up because my two closest friends are Reality TV JUNKIES. I mean, seriously, they need their fix. From The Real Housewives of Orange County and Atlanta to America's Top Model to the Biggest Loser, they love Reality TV. I on the other hand, simply can't get into it. I just don't know what's so great about watching a bunch of people I don't know do embarrassing and often immoral things just to make a "good" show.

However, I admit to one small Reality TV addiction-- Top Chef. I love Top Chef. I rush home from work Wednesday nights to catch it at 10 p.m. and for that one hour a week, I just sit and veg out in front of the TV. Even though more than half the dishes are ones I would never eat, let alone create, there's just something incredibly fun and relaxing about kicking back and watching these people cook. This season, I'm rooting for the brothers-- because they're obviously the best cooks. But I also really like Samantha and Kevin because they're fun to watch.

So, how about you? Any deep, dark reality TV confessions? Any TV shows (reality or otherwise) that you like to watch. Let me know if you have a good one-- and what day/time its on-- and I'll try to catch it. Now that I'm off deadline, there's a whole new world opening up to me ...

Dark Embers

So, I just finished my first paranormal novel, Dark Embers (the number one reason I was a bad blogger for two weeks there). It's the beginning of the Dragon's Heat series-- a series about dragon shapeshifters who live in the caves under New Mexico's deserts.-- that I will be writing under the name Tessa Adams. Because it's a series, I started with the king book-- or in my case Prince. This was particularly difficult for me as I'm never a fan of this book in other series-- whether its Wrath from J.R. Ward or Mikhael from Christine Feehan or someone in between, that whole princely thing just isn't my cup of tea as a reader.

So, as I wrote Dylan (my dragon prince) I played around with what it means to be Prince. I asked myself questions like what if he was the second son and never meant to rule? What if his guilt over his older brother's death is still eating away at him? What if he really has no desire to be Prince but has to because his clan is in a particularly precarious position? As I answered these questions in the manuscript, Dylan emerged-- and I liked him. To be honest, I loved him. He's dark and dangerous, tortured and filled with a determination to save his people.

The book comes out in July 2010, and I hope you like him-- and the woman I paired him up with-- as much as I do. In the meantime, here's an excerpt to get you going ;)

Happy Wednesday!

Dark Embers Excerpt by Tessa Adams

Prologue

He’d failed. Again.
Locked inside his head, tormented by shades of might-have-been, Dylan MacLeod stepped into the night and closed the heavy, wooden door behind him.
He paused for a moment, sucked in a deep breath full of heat and sand and misery. Told himself it was no big deal. Part of him even believed it.
After four hundred and seventy years, he was damn good at lying to himself.
Shoving away from the small house with the cactus garden and stone swimming pool in the front yard, he walked the deserted street rapidly. It was three a.m. and his only company was a scorpion or two. The desert was quiet, the night solemn.
And he had failed again.
With each step he took, his conscience grew heavier.
With each footfall, his heart grew colder-- until he was once again at that place without hope. It was where he usually existed, where he’d spent the last century, mired in guilt and rage and a fear he refused to admit.
That he was here now was his own fault for trying to break out of it, for believing even for a moment that she might have been the one.
Agitation had him walking faster until his boots were pounding the pavement in rhythm with his too-quick pulse. Self-disgust had him blanking his mind until all he could think of was the night.
The stars.
The moon shining brilliantly over the desert.
At least until his jeans sagged around his ass.
With a muttered curse, Dylan yanked the faded denim back into place. Slid the button through the tab, jerked up the zipper.
What did it say about him that this latest encounter had left him so desperate to get away that he hadn’t stayed long enough to even get his clothes on properly? Worse, he hadn’t bothered to say good-bye to Eve—Eva? Eden?
For a brief moment he struggled to remember her name, what she looked like. Then let it go, as it mattered less than nothing. It wasn’t like he’d be seeing her again. Within moments of slipping inside of her, he’d figured out that she wasn’t the one—none of the signs were there.
No instant connection between them, as his clan mates spoke about.
No burning as the tattoo around his arm shifted to reflect the presence of his mate.
No searing pain as a part of her soul arrowed into his.
Nothing but a mediocre orgasm that had barely given his powers a pulse. Before she’d rolled off of him, he’d been plotting his escape and by the time the shower had kicked on in the bathroom he’d been halfway to the front door.
God, he was a fucked-up bastard. Cold as ice, despite the fire that raged within him. Hot as flame, despite the glacier that had taken up residence in his stomach. Was it any wonder, then, that he couldn’t find her?
He didn’t deserve her.
His laugh, when it came, was anything but humorous. That had to be the understatement of the year. The decade. The new millennium and probably the old one as well. Why else would it have taken him this long to do what everyone else managed in the first two centuries of their existence? Why else would he be doomed to failure night after night, encounter after encounter? He had screwed up generations ago and now he—and his clan—were paying the cosmic price. Big time.
His boots ate up the streets in the sleepy, little town, as he struggled to put distance between himself and his latest sexual escapade. Wind whipped around him, played with the tails of his shirt, caressed his bare chest. But Dylan didn’t bother buttoning up-- what was the point when he was headed right back to the bar to find yet another female shifter interested in taking it off?
Hope sprung eternal.
As he walked, he scanned the desert around him. Checked out every brush of the wind against cactus, narrowed his eyes at the rustle behind a random pile of heavy rocks. Then shook his head as a low, deep howl split the air next to him. A lonely coyote was the least of his problems.
If someone had told him four hundred years ago that he would be here, in this place, he would have laughed at them. If they’d told him he would grow tired of night after night of hot, anonymous sex, he would have told them they were insane. But youth was like that—arrogant, seemingly invincible, convinced the world was theirs for the taking. Or at least, that’s how his youth had been.
He’d spent centuries gorging on women, taking them each and every way he could. Glutting himself on their scent and taste and feel until his powers were at staggering heights. Devouring whatever they gave him with a grin and a wink and a softly whispered thank you.
He had plenty of time, he’d told his father when the man had told him to settle down. He was trying to find the right woman, he’d promised his mother when she’d fretted about the future. And then, from one heartbeat to the next, everything had changed.
His brother had been murdered. His parents had died soon after. He’d been crowned prince. And just that suddenly his people, his legacy, were without an heir. Bad enough that the second son was now the Prince. That he couldn’t find a mate, couldn’t deliver on his family’s legacy, was a nightmare.
There were others—his sister, his niece—who could take his place if he fell. But it wouldn’t be the same. The line of succession—which had remained unbroken for over three thousand years—would fall with him.
One more fuck up from a man who had never wanted to be Prince in the first place.
Dylan shoved the thought away—what he wanted didn’t play into things anymore. What was best for his people was the only important thing. And what was best for them now, was that he provide them an heir.
He should already have done so, should already have guaranteed his people’s survival through this millennia and into the next. God knew, he had tried—for nearly four hundred years, he had tried. And he had failed.
No mate meant no heir.
No mate meant night after night of anonymous sex as he searched for her.
No mate meant a dwindling in his powers that was not just concerning, but downright dangerous.—for himself and his people.
His was a precarious state of events for any centuries-old dragon, but for him it was an out and out disaster--particularly considering the state his clan was in.
Not that an heir would solve all the problems, but it would solve the most pressing—including the fact that it had been far too many years since a dragon young had been born to Dragonstar.
Far too long since they’d had something to celebrate.
His cell phone vibrated in his pocket and for one brief second, Dylan considered ignoring it. The day had been dismal enough— any more bad news and he might just take flight and never return. The idea was far more inviting than it should be, far more compelling than it had ever been before.
In the end, he grabbed his phone and flipped it open. Barked hello in a voice he knew was far from welcoming. He was Prince of the Dragonstar clan and as such could never be unavailable to his people. That didn’t mean he had to like it—especially tonight.
“Dylan, come quick.”
A shot of uneasiness worked its way down his spine at the panic in his best friend—and second-in-command’s—voice. As a rule, nothing fazed Gabe.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Marta. She’s—“ Gabe’s voice broke. “She’s sick.”
His stomach plummeted to his boots. “Are you sure?”
His brother-in-law’s voice was hoarse. “I’m sure. I tried to deny the symptoms, to ignore them, but that’s not possible any more. I don’t think—“ His voice broke. “I don’t think she’s going to make it through this.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Dylan was already running, his boots echoing in the deserted street as he stripped his shirt from his body. He didn’t bother with the pants or boots—they would take too long. Just blurred his image as he started to shift.
Pain—red-hot and intense as bones broke, reshaped, grew longer.
Pleasure— acute and all-consuming as he became what he was meant to be.
He ignored both sensations, concentrated instead on making it through the change. One more second. Two. And then he was in the air, his wings spread wide as he soared through the star-bright sky.
Not Marta, not Marta, not Marta. The simple phrase was a mantra in his head as he sped towards his lieutenant’s house, making sure to stay invisible despite the panic racing through him. So many of his friends—so many of his clan—had been taken from him in the last years. He couldn’t stand to lose his sister, Gabe‘s wife, too.
Please, God, not his baby sister too.
But when he landed in Gabe’s yard, he knew his prayers had, once again, gone unanswered. He could smell the blood from outside the house, could hear his sister’s non-sensical mutterings through the walls of dense stone.
Marta was bleeding out.
Delirious.
Probably already paralyzed.
If her illness followed the same pattern all the others had, she would be dead before the next moonrise. And there was nothing he could do about it.
Inside him the power sputtered to life, surged through him. The need to heal, to fix, to do what he was destined to do. But he’d tried it so many times before—on so many of his clan-members—and each time, he had failed. This disease was an enemy he didn’t know how to fight.
Rage and anguish welled within him, crushing his lungs and twisting his spine into hard knots. Throwing back his head, Dylan roared with all his pent-up fury—then went inside to watch his baby sister die.

Book Tuesday: Sweet Seduction by Maya Banks

Okay, I'm the first to admit I'm a big Maya Banks fan, so it's hard for her to write something I don't like. She's done it more than once, but those books are few and far between. My much more common reaction is to love, love, love a book that she's written and Sweet Seduction is no exception. It might just be my favorite book of Maya's.

Fun, flirty and full of the give and take between the hero and heroine that I adore, Sweet Seduction is an incredibly enjoyable read-- so enjoyable that I stayed up most of the night to read it. The heroine, a spunky, take-no-shit salon owner, sends the hero away after giving him the most amazing sex of his life (this is after she spent all of the last book in the series lusting after him to no avail). The hero, knocked on his ass by the heroine and the amazing sex, is determined to have her again-- no matter what he has to do to get her.

Escapades ensue-- filled with hot sex, dark fun and moments of incredible tenderness. By the time Maya wraps up the book, I'm thrilled to see her H/h get the happy ending they deserve.

Can't wait for the next installment in the series.

Movie Monday: Good Will Hunting

Yes, I know. I know. Really, I know. I am a terrible blogger-- which is why I resisted the urge to do my own blog for so long. But I promise that I will get better. The last two weeks were filled with deadline hell, and then a trip to West Virginia for Lora Leigh's RAW (so much fun) and then digging out the disaster that was my house after hubby and kids had at it for five days.

But I'm back now and today I want to talk about my seriously favorite movie of all time: Good Will Hunting. It was on TNT yesterday and I caught it from the beginning as I was flipping channels-- needless to say, the laundry didn't get finished and lunch was a little late ;)
This is the movie that won Matt and Ben their Academy Awards and it is the movie that made me fall hopelessly in love with Matt Damon-- not just with the way he portrayed Will Hunting, but because he wrote the screenplay for this incredible movie. There's just something about a brilliant, terribly wounded man who is forced to confront his demons thta just gets me every time (of course, if yu read Tie Me Down, you know that already). Add in his relationship with Minnie Driver's character-- how he loves her but just can't trust that he deserves that love-- and I am a big pile of melted goo. Seriously, if you haven't seen this movie, See it! It rocks on every level.

Now, because I could talk about Matt all day and night, does anyone have another favorite Matt Damon movie???? I'm also pretty partial to Ocean's 11, Dogma, Syriana and The Talented Mr. Ripley-- as Matt's characters in those movies are filled with neuroses. How about you?