The Final Word: WARNING: NAUGHTY CONTENT

I have really enjoyed being with all of you today.  It's such a wonderful opportunity for a new writer like me to be able to connect with lots of people.  I like to surround myself with friends and since becoming a published author, I have been the recipient of so much support and kindness.  It makes me proud of the career path I've chosen and keeps me going even when I feel like a bumbling idiot.  I hope you've enjoyed reading my posts today as much as I've enjoyed writing them.  And I do hope that you'll consider hopping over to my personal blog, "The Southern Belle from Hell", from time to time so that we can keep in touch.  I can also be found on Facebook under Alexandra Christian and Lexxx Christian, The Southern Belle from Hell. 

And as a reward for being so patient with me today, another excerpt from "Masquerade!" 

********

Instantly his lips kissed lightly across her collarbone, lingering in the tiny cup formed at its center. Ever so softly he traveled down her front weaving a maze of burning kisses, then nudging the loose fabric encasing her breasts aside to kiss around the swells of each breast. Her nipples were so sensitive that the smooth silk scraped against them like fine grained sandpaper. It was almost painful until he freed them with a gentle tug then captured one of the swollen buds between his lips. She moaned with the delicious agony as he suckled at first one and then the other, tugging the prickled flesh against his teeth.

"Wait…" she panted. "There are so many people…"

"Look around, love," he murmured.

She opened her eyes and blinked, trying to clear them. In the dim firelight of the room, she could see that what she had thought were merely masked dancers taking their revelry was really a seething crowd caught up in a dance of sexual decadence. Their bodies were so contorted around one another, that in some cases Blythe couldn’t tell where one person ended and the other began. Some were couples, others threesomes and still more were simply being passed from one group to another. Hands and mouths caressed bare flesh, their moans simply fading into the dark symphony. He smiled wickedly, watching her eyes glaze over with a lustful gleam.

"There is no shame in taking pleasure. Why hide it?" His hand slid along her thigh where he still held her against him. The train of the gown was slit nearly to her waist, making it easy for him to gain access to her most hidden places. "They are beautiful, are they not?"

"Yes," she sighed, feeling his fingertips, so cool against her hot skin, creeping farther back until they reached the edge of her sex. She gasped but didn’t recoil. "So beautiful."

"Doesn’t it arouse you to think that some of them are watching you now," he purred against her ear just as he slid the tip of a finger between the outer lips of her sex. "Each of them getting more turned on as they watch your body tense and hear your desperate whines."

The sinuous digits delved deeper, collecting the slippery drops of fluid that clung to the tiny petals. He slid the pads of his fingertips around the opening of her sex, massaging gently until she was arching against him involuntarily. With an evil chuckle he pulled away, leaving her empty, her sex clutching for something to grasp hold of.
****************************

Alright, my lovelies.  It's been a pleasure.  I hope to see you over at my blog soon where you'll be leaving comments about how you bought "Masquerade" on 12/17 and have now Been Belled!

Spooky Movies! Which do You Watch to Be Scared?

I thought for my final post, I'd write about some of the movies I guarantee to scare the spit out of me. Now this is going to need a little cooperation from the audience. I'll want to know here at the end which movies scare the spit out of you.

So what are guarantees for me?

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? ~ 1962 ~ Bette Davis and Joan Crawford

Ok this one really freaked me out the first time I saw it because well, Bette Davis is just darn scary when she's being powerful. Now add the quirk-factor and that doll...well, she's really freaking scary.

And in case this is a spoiler, the rat scene. Shudder...I don't like mice much, but one on a platter? Ew!

Halloween ~ 1978 ~ Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence

I'll give you this, this one is sort of a given. If you don't get a little creeped out...well, you're stronger than me. What really gets to me about this movie is that as impossible as parts are, there are a lot of parts that are possible. Think about it. Who hasn't baby sat, thought about/had the boyfriend over and been more than a little edgy knowing that someone could be looking in those windows? Just saying the mind games in it are enough to scare me.

In Dreams ~ 1999 ~ Annette Benning and Robert Downey Jr.

Now this movie might be one of those ones that sorta flew under the radar for you. It wasn't for me. I've only seen it once, but that was more than enough. Why? I'm not real big on having the crap scared out of me. I'm not. For me, this one really did get into my dreams. I love Robert Downey Jr. He's handsome. Maybe it's because of his past that he can play the neurotic psychopath so well. All I can say is when she goes into the water and doesn't come out right away...it literally chilled me.

So what about you? What movies are good for a scare-fest for you? Thoughts on my list? I'm listening.

~ ~
About Wendi Zwaduk:
I always dreamed of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favorites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line. I tend to write books with titles taken from songs because music is one of my many muses.
I earned a BA in education at Kent State university and as well as a Masters in Education from Nova Southeastern University. I've tried my hand at teaching, waitressing, and retail sales, but writing holds my heart.

I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals. I have more stories in my head than my brain can handle percolating. I can't wait to share them with you!

www.wendizwaduk.com
www.wendizwaduk.blogspot.com

My Favorite Vampires

For my last post, I thought I'd talk about the second most popular Halloween character. The vampire. I'd say the witch is number one, but I didn't really want to look at witches. I wanted to look at hot (for the most part) guys that are vampires.

See what you think of my choices and feel free to add your own. This is just my top three. I'm always willing to consider additional vampires. You can never have enough vampires. Now on to the list.


I start with my crit partner's favorite vampire. Does he do it for me? Meh. Too pale and there's things he's done I wasn't impressed by. Still, he's good looking. You want his arms wrapped around you, even if there's a good chance he'll use those fangs. He looks sullen, yet you want to help him. Talk about a great way to pick up chicks. "I brood, therefore, I am." It works, doesn't it? I'm pretty sure he'd not be in the sunshine but hey, it makes a great picture.


This one's great because it's classic. This is how I grew up seeing vampires. They said, 'bluh, I'm going to suck your blood, bluh" and walked around with a cape. He looks dangerous and sexy in a father figure sort of way. You don't want to trust him or turn your back on him, but somehow you want to be around him.



I think this is my favorite image of Dracula. He's just so...sexy. And isn't that part of the story and the whole biting aspect? Being turned on by the bite? By the charismatic man you just can't look away from? Maybe its the long limbs, the reckless look in his eyes or his devil-may-care posture, but I can't look away.

Now let me know what you think. I'll be here all night and can't wait to see your thoughts.

About Megan: When she's not writing the stories in her head, Megan Slayer can be found luxuriating in her hot tub with her two vampire Cabana boys, Luke and Jeremy. She has the tendency to run a tad too far with her muse, so she has to hide in the head of her alter ego, but the boys don't seem to mind.
When she's not obsessing over her whip collection, she can be found picking up her kidlet from school.

She enjoys writing in all genres, but writing about men in love suits her fancy best.

Currently hanging out every Wednesday and Friday at the Menagerie Authors site, hunting Hotties for the Saturday posts, and working on the next great story brewing in her head!

http://www.wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm
http://theauthormeganslayer.blogspot.com/
http://menagerieauthors.blogspot.com/
http://www.menagerieauthors.com/home.htm

What's Your Favorite Costume?

I don't know about you, but for me the fun of Halloween is the costumes. I get to be whoever I want to for the day. And no one asks questions.

So what have I dressed up as? Funny you should ask.
A prom queen
DH
Twins with DH
A vampire
Race Fan
A haggard parent

So instead of trying to find pics of me dressed up, I thought I'd post some fun costumes I'd either like to dress as or would love to see DH as. :-)


Yeah, I saw Top Gun. Guys in flight suits are hot. Hands down they are.


Ok, so it's not really the Michael Keaton/Christian Bale version, but beggars can't be choosers.


This was a request by DH. Then again, he agreed he'd go as Dr. Naughty. Shaking head. What am I gonna do with him?


And well, this one, hey, it's fun to dress up as a bloodsucker.

So what about you? What's your favorite costume? Least favorite? Which do you want to dress up as? Tell me. Come on. You know you want to.

~ ~

About Wendi Zwaduk:
I always dreamed of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favorites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line. I tend to write books with titles taken from songs because music is one of my many muses.
I earned a BA in education at Kent State university and as well as a Masters in Education from Nova Southeastern University. I've tried my hand at teaching, waitressing, and retail sales, but writing holds my heart.

I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals. I have more stories in my head than my brain can handle percolating. I can't wait to share them with you!

www.wendizwaduk.com
www.wendizwaduk.blogspot.com

Holy Crap - It Felt Real!

For my second post, I thought I'd talk about one of the scariest books I've ever read. I know we love to read. If we didn't, we might not be on a book/review/promo blog like this. So.

What book had me literally turning pages, shaking in my boots and NEEDING to know what would happen next?

Bag of Bones by Stephen King.

Before I get into the whys, this is one thing I have to state. This isn't a review. It's my opinion, yes, but I'm not trying to get you to buy the book. Heck, I'm not even trying to get you to like the book. Look on the purchase sites. It's been loved and hated. But I digress.

So why did this book scare me? The realism. For me the book was a page turner. Things happened and I didn't totally know why, but as the pieces fell into place it made sense. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but it's not all as it seems. There's things that seem innocuous, but then you see how they are integral.

But the real deal? The characters stayed with me. Honest. I don't mean like I thought oh gee, what if this happened. That's great and all but this was different. I dreamt about them. I had this dream, I swear I was in the book, trying to help the little girl and save the day. Let me tell you, I woke up gasping for breath and hoping like heck I was actually home, in my own bed and had never been to the dirt road with the trailer.

Have you ever had a book that just grabbed you by the shoulders and wouldn't let go? I'd like to hope it was mine, but hey, can't have everything. So what was it? What was the thing about the book that stuck with you? I'm always looking for the next good read and if it's a little scary (or a lot), that's great, too.

About Megan: When she's not writing the stories in her head, Megan Slayer can be found luxuriating in her hot tub with her two vampire Cabana boys, Luke and Jeremy. She has the tendency to run a tad too far with her muse, so she has to hide in the head of her alter ego, but the boys don't seem to mind.
When she's not obsessing over her whip collection, she can be found picking up her kidlet from school.

She enjoys writing in all genres, but writing about men in love suits her fancy best.

Currently hanging out every Wednesday and Friday at the Menagerie Authors site, hunting Hotties for the Saturday posts, and working on the next great story brewing in her head!

http://www.wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm
http://theauthormeganslayer.blogspot.com/
http://menagerieauthors.blogspot.com/
http://www.menagerieauthors.com/home.htm

Now I'm Here....Now I'm There....

Halloween pets. I know. A strange way to open the blog fest. As Jim Morrison sang, 'When You're Strange"...what can I say - I am strange.

So what's your favorite animal for Halloween?

Mine? Hands down a black cat. Why? A couple towns over there's the Black Cat Ball - an adoption drive to give black cats good homes before Halloween. That just sounds like a lot of fun.

Why else? I have a black cat. He's ornery, rambunctious, gets into everything...expects to be fed when he wants, not when you're ready to get up.

But he'a also a quintessential Halloween animal. He lives to cross your path and trip you. Runs roughshod through the house, careening wildly on the hardwood floors. And he sings. Yes, two am...I get the distinct sounds of "Do so la Me oooo" as interpreted by a black cat. The pill.

Now, I want to share a somewhat scary story about this cat.

When the boys want to get frisky, it seems like it is a call of the wild to the cat. He has to be right there watching. I think he was a voyeur in another life. And brother, he will NOT get off the bed. That's his spot and beware, he will use his claws if there are feet - especially under the covers - in his area.

So I'm making sure the house is locked and getting ready to crash. I account for all the animals but him. Seems he's nowhere to be found. I, in turn, freak out. Can't find him. It's also like three nights before Halloween last year. We live in the boonies so yeah, there's creep-os around here that do not nice things to animals, let alone black cats. I'm panicking. I don't want to explain to the youngling how I managed, with the windows and doors shut, to lose the cat.

I go upstairs to hunt again and notice the balcony door is wide open. That's not strange, but the fact that the screen is open is really bad. Oh crud, he got out, he's a climber and a jumper so I am totally screwed. I go out onto the balcony to call him. Naturally there's a fog in the yard and field below. I get the shivers.

"Where are you?"

"Meow."

OMG! I screamed and whirled around. I don't see anything because it's dark. Depending on how you look at it, thankfully the clouds shifted and some moonlight illuminated the balcony. All I see are two glowing green eyes. To say I was freaked out is mild. I knelt down to make sure it was him and not a mountain lion or something on my balcony and POOF! He's gone. The snot.

Buy this time I'm cold. I head into the bedroom and flip on the light.

In the middle of the bed, staring at me, is the cat. Like, what took you so long?

He's a pill and I love him, but man, I hate being scared like that.

What's your scary moment to share? Tell me! I'll beg.

About Megan: When she's not writing the stories in her head, Megan Slayer can be found luxuriating in her hot tub with her two vampire Cabana boys, Luke and Jeremy. She has the tendency to run a tad too far with her muse, so she has to hide in the head of her alter ego, but the boys don't seem to mind.
When she's not obsessing over her whip collection, she can be found picking up her kidlet from school.

She enjoys writing in all genres, but writing about men in love suits her fancy best.

Currently hanging out every Wednesday and Friday at the Menagerie Authors site, hunting Hotties for the Saturday posts, and working on the next great story brewing in her head!

http://www.wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm
http://theauthormeganslayer.blogspot.com/
http://menagerieauthors.blogspot.com/
http://www.menagerieauthors.com/home.htm

Pick Your Poison! Halloween Candy!

I thought for my first post, we'd have a little fun. We all know candy has calories and most of the time isn't really good for us. So first I'd like to know what's your poison? What's your favorite Halloween candy?

Mine?

Chocolate. Hands down. Chocolate. Hersheys, Godiva, Cadbury...I'm good, heck, send me all three.

What about you?



Now see, this is a great candy. No calories. No guilt, and those lickable abs....


I have an idea. Let's put the candy below and above him ON him. Yeah, he can be the bowl and we just come along and swipe what we want. Something tells me he wouldn't be there long and not because he's not loving the attention. I'm first in line. Anyone else?


So enjoy the guilt-free candies!!
Oh and while you are, post your thoughts. What are some creative, but PG ways we can use the above candies...any of them. I think the cowboys as permanent, quiet statuary for either side of the hearth would be fine.

Thoughts?
~ ~
About Wendi Zwaduk:
I always dreamed of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favorites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line. I tend to write books with titles taken from songs because music is one of my many muses.
I earned a BA in education at Kent State university and as well as a Masters in Education from Nova Southeastern University. I've tried my hand at teaching, waitressing, and retail sales, but writing holds my heart.

I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals. I have more stories in my head than my brain can handle percolating. I can't wait to share them with you!

www.wendizwaduk.com
www.wendizwaduk.blogspot.com

True Love's First Kiss ~ Wendi Zwaduk

Ah, the fun of the first kiss. Actually there’s nothing like writing about one, but what’s even better is writing the fits and hiccups that come before the first kiss. When I wrote Right Where I Need to Be, my hero was literally chomping at the bit to kiss the heroine. He forgot one minor problem—she wasn’t at all interested in kissing him. Here’s how it went:

Her body relaxed. Her sigh, like the mew of a kitten, thrust him into a new dimension. He wanted more, way more. His hands rubbed her back and trailed up her soft body to cup her jaw.
His eyelids drooped. He wanted to kiss her.
Cass tilted her face to look at him. “What do you think you’re doing?” Her no-nonsense tone jarred his common sense back into play. What was he doing? “Just because I liked you for the part Logan, doesn’t mean I like you.” She wriggled out of his grasp. “I’m not a notch on your belt. If that’s your inclination, then I’ll give the role to Mr. Speedle.”
He felt like she punched him in the stomach. She should’ve. “Cass, I’m not used to women walking away.”
Cass straightened her spine and squared her shoulders. “Then turn around so you don’t see me leave.” With that, she spun on her heel and left.

Yeah, he was more than a little taken aback and irritated with me. I mean, how could I, the author, take the chance to kiss the woman he’s infatuated with, from a Hollywood star?

Apparently, very easily. It wasn’t supposed to just happen like a story book (er...pardon the pun). I wanted that boy to work. At the same time, I wanted them to kiss because I liked them and I really liked the sparks when they were together. So what’s a writer to do?
Make him suffer a little longer and then make the moment that much sweeter. Like this:

His words washed over her like a waterfall. She wanted to give in, but if she touched him, she’d never be able to pull away. She turned back around. “Logan this can’t—”

He stood inches from her. His eyes flashed just as he lowered his lips to hers. A warm rush flowed from her brain all the way to her toes. She felt sparks radiate from his fingertips as he twined them with hers. A moan escaped her throat. Oh, he tasted too good to walk away from. But in that instant, he pulled back. “That’s just a sampling,” he murmured. “We could continue all night long, if you desire.”
Cass swallowed hard. His erection jabbed into her stomach. Maybe she could turn a man on after all. More thunder crashed, spooking the dog.“I’d better go,” she whispered.
Logan nodded. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

I just love it when things happen in a nice progression but not too easily. But now that I’ve whetted your whistle, I want to know...in your reading/writing ventures, what’s your favorite first kiss? Why was it so memorable? I’ll be back later, but I am absolutely checking and will respond to all comments.
I’ll leave you with the blurb for Right Where I Need to Be

Sometimes the love of your life isn’t the one you expect, but he’s the one you need.

Cass Jenson needs an actor for her made for TV movie. The previous actor dropped out, leaving her stranded. Her savior shows up looking sinfully sexy and totally right for the part, but what part is she auditioning him for? Her movie or her bed?

Logan Malone needs an acting job and fast. With his string of broken hearts, his professional life lies in shambles. To resurrect his career, he must audition for a television role which could be the job of a lifetime. That is, if he can work with distraction and Cass is a major distraction with a heart of gold. Is their budding relationship enough to survive separation, lies, and a couple zany fans?

About Wendi: I always dreamed of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favorites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line. I tend to write books with titles taken from songs because music is one of my many muses.

I earned a BA in education at Kent State university and as well as a Masters in Education from Nova Southeastern University. I've tried my hand at teaching, waitressing, and retail sales, but writing holds my heart.

I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals. I have six books under contract and more than my brain can handle percolating. I can't wait to share them with you! Visit me on my site and my blog!