A Hussy Update

AUGUST CONTEST WINNER!!

Michelle D is the winner of our August Contest. Congratulations Michelle. We’ll contact you privately to arrange for delivery of your prize. Thanks to everyone who entered.

SEPTEMBER CONTEST

This month the Hussies are teaming up with the fantastic Angels from Fallen Angel Reviews to bring you an entirely new kind of contest.

"So You Think You Can Review?"

Ever read a review and thought to yourself, "I'd like to do that!" Well now's your chance at having a review published on The Fallen Angels Reviews site!!

Visit us online at The Hussies to find out how you can enter.

LATEST RELEASES IN THE HUSSIES SERIES:

When it comes to men ...

I really do love cowboys and country boys. While the Wall Street Banker may be very real beneath the expensive suit a country fella is the kind of man you can fall into the creek with and have a mud-wallowing good old time or snuggle up with on the porch swing at night and find the rhythm of nature.


Maybe I'm just a simple gal. It doesn't take champagne and diamonds to thrill me. Take me to a boot-scootin' bar and serve me tequila and nachos and I'm a happy woman. Kinda like the gal in my upcoming Quickie from Ellora's Cave. Sin in Jeans releases Sept 5th and features a real down home fella named Ty that is a good example of why I love cowboys. Here's a little excerpt for you:)

Excerpt from Sin in Jeans, a book in The Hussies Series by Ciana Stone

Dale cursed as the beer she was lifting suddenly sloshed over the rim of the mug, down the front of her t-shirt and onto her jeans. Her head whipped around, eyes narrowed and ready to give whoever had jostled her a tongue-lashing to beat the band.

And went brain dead. Completely mute without the ability to utter a word.

“’Cuse me,” the tall man with the worn Stetson, faded denim shirt rolled up to expose strong forearms and eyes the color of a Carolina sky said with a smile. “Ol’ Shorty back there’s a little deep in the cups and fell against me.”

“Oh, well…that’s okay. Accidents happen,” she said, finding her tongue.

The man signaled to the bartender. “A draft, Jimmy? And one here for the lady.”

“That’s not necessary,” Dale protested. “Really.”

“Yeah, it is,” the man replied and angled to face her, propping one elbow on the bar. “Haven’t seen you here before. You new?”

“Just passing through. Here to see a man about a horse. “

“That almost sounds like the truth. ‘Cept there’s no horses here.”

“A fella at the Inn said it was a good place to have a beer, a burger and not be in the middle of the mouse crowd, whatever that is.”

Another laugh from the man had something warm curling in her belly. Damn if he wasn’t sexy. And not trying to be, she’d guess. The smell of soap said he’d showered, but the five o’clock shadow said he hadn’t taken time to shave. Which meant he either thought the rough look was more appealing or he didn’t much care.

She suspected the latter. The shirt had seen better days, the jeans were worn and faded and those sure weren’t dress boots on his feet. He wasn’t dressed to impress, which meant it was more likely that he was just relaxing with friends, not on the prowl.

“Mouse crowd means tourists,” he explained and thanked the bartender for the beers. “We are in Mickey’s backyard, you know.”

“I guess so. Well, if the burgers here are any good, then the fella did me a good turn.”

“Burgers are real good,” he said and looked around. “You here alone or is there a Mr. Here to See a Man About a Horse getting ready to bust my chops for hittin’ on his woman?”

“Is that what you’re doing?”

“Is there a fist in my face coming if I say yes?”

“No danger of that.”

He grinned and lifted his mug to his mouth, eyeing her over the rim before he drank. “Then I reckon it is. How’m I doin’?”

“Not bad.” She gave him a teasing smile. “But you could try a little harder.”

Throwing back his head, he laughed. A low, sexy laugh that sent a delightful little shiver straight down all the way to her toes. “Well, honey, I think I can muster up a little more effort. What say you and me grab that empty booth, have another beer and order up some burgers?”

“Hey now, you’re starting to speak my language. Seducing me with grilled meat and beer. Lead the way, cowboy.”

“This way, ma’am,” he said and led the way.

It was pure pleasure watching the man walk. He had that low-center-of-gravity, loose-hipped walk that only one breed of man possessed. A man who spent time in the saddle.

Strong long legs led to a firm tight butt and on up a lean back that flared into very nice broad shoulders. There didn’t appear to be any spare meat on him. He was lean and long, just the kind of man who switched all the neurons in her brain from reason to lust. Just the kind of man that had her all too willing to say I do.

Dale had to remind herself that she wasn’t there looking for love. In fact, the L word had been stricken from her vocabulary for good. All love had ever gotten her was trouble.

But lust? Now that was a horse she could ride.

This is Ciana, wishing you a fabulous Friday and fantastic Labor Day weekend!

How To Spot A Player

If you've ever dated then you've likely ran into some players. But how can you tell if he's genuine or just out for fun and games?

According to The Online Slang Dictionary a player, often pronounced playa, is "Someone who dates more than one person at a time, usually just for sex or other perks. Will typically do anything to have sex with someone. Carries a heavy negative connotation. Usually used to describe males, but could be used to describe females who act in this manner."

First and foremost a guy who is genuinely interested in you will treat you with the respect and consideration you deserve, and he's going to put you first. A player may seem to have all the right moves but only does what keeps him on top of the game.

Players never call when they say they will and have a million justifications for why they didn't. They are consistently late or cancel at the last minute. They never make plans in advance. And there are often long intervals between the occasions they do contact you.

If everything else in his life comes before you then most likely you're being played. When you're together, you never have his full attention, especially when out in public. He's constantly scanning the room.

He has no desire to hear about what interests you or in meeting the important people in your life. He doesn't invite you to his house or introduce you to his friends and family because you're his dirty little secret.

He does not waste his time trying to learn when your birthday is or what activities you enjoy because he doesn't plan on being around long enough for it to matter.

Instead of calling you by your name or a pet name that has significance to both of you he'll use common endearments so that he doesn't slip up. That doesn't mean every guy who calls you sweetheart isn't genuine, but if he rarely uses your name its a good indicator of a problem.

He also has no time for traditional dating or wooing, instead gets very intense, very quickly. He's rushing you for sex. Should you ask him to slow down, he'll break records in the fifty-yard dash in the opposite direction.

Even if you date him for a while you'll only ever get his cell phone number or pager. He's not about to have you calling him at home or work.

Listen to your gut instincts. Once you start questioning whether he's playing you or not the most probably answer is yes.

Does this review make me look fat?

Before I started writing and actually getting paid for it, I’d never heard of book reviews. Sure, I’d seen a couple of book critics share their opinion of a book in some newspaper or other. But it was always books I wouldn’t ever read. The Great Boring Classics, or whatever they are. A fantasy novel review? Science fiction? Romance? Horror? Nowhere to be seen. So I’ve always looked at book critics as “meh”.

After my first book went on sale, I discovered this whole online world of romance reviews. A fresh thing (to me) that smelled of new car and plastic! Ooooh, le shiny. It wasn’t long that I discovered the power these reviews had over authors. Some of them (the writers, not the reviews) would go to great lengths to make sure they had positive reviews to show. Sure, I want five stars too. I want people to pat me on the back and say, damn, that was a good book, yo. But if they don’t, that’s okay. There’s still something valuable in a one-star review. I’m not trying to pontificate and convince people to love everyone. I don’t love everyone. Ask me about bullies and I’ll be happy to share my impolite opinion of them. But having a book out there, taking a story from one's imagination and sending it out there in the world implicitly means that one wants to share it. That author wants others to read it. Otherwise, he or she would just write and never send the manuscripts to editors.

To me, reviews are like asking your guy if this outfit makes you look fat. Come on. That’s a loaded question, isn’t it? If he says, “you’re hot” and looks as if he means it, that’s full of win and woohoo. But what if he says, “doesn’t work for me”, or worse, “meh”. What then? You *did* ask for his opinion. Doesn’t that mean you’re ready for the potential of receiving something else than positive feedback? Just like I wouldn’t want to be in a guy’s shoes when his gal asks him if this outfit makes her look fat, I wouldn’t review books if someone paid me. As reviewers, you get some books for free, sometimes, but I sure as hell wouldn’t want to deal with the emotional responses my review would (or not) trigger.

After all, it’s just one person’s opinion. To get worked up over it (and I mean really worked UP) is immature and, in the end, self-defeating. That's my opinion. And if someone disagrees with it, that's all right, I'll live.

Best Friends Becoming Lovers - Good or Bad?

Maria and Dan worked together for nearly a year before they went out on a date. Before that nervous night they’d been buddies. They’d gone to clubs, shared meals, jogged together…they were best friends until… the kiss. It had been a mutual kiss that just sort of happened.

Sound familiar? So did you start out as friends first? Lovers second? This has raised an important question among relationship study groups. Are men and women capable of having a ‘just friends’ relationship. And if so, is it the woman who keeps things platonic? In other words, is it instinct for a man and woman to hook up?

There are many things to consider in a sexual relationship, the most obvious is chemistry. If sparks are flying, you can be certain a scientific chemical process altering the brain chemistry is going on, especially when couples became lovers. But, does that discount the one thing touted as separating us from the animal kingdom – our minds?

Many people who do move to that next stage of a relationship often describe themselves as being out of control, head over heels, obsessed…and the list goes on. Again, all these emotional responses have been studied and analyzed and trimmed down to a chemical reaction, but does that mean we feel it any less? No way! This kind of attraction is often compared to any other kind of addiction. The couple can lose all logical reasoning if they become consumed with their next fix. Ah… Is that so bad?

Well, it could be if they neglect other things in their lives in a true demonstration of addiction.

I’ve discovered over the years, that the best way to get to know someone is to work with them. You’re able to see them in the worst and best situations and how they react truly reveals everything about them as a person. How they treat other people is most important to me. How are they as a fellow worker? Do they try to run over you and everyone else to get what they want? Do they take matters into their own hands and do whatever they like regardless? Or are they caring individuals who consider other people before their own desires and wants? Certainly, in the business world there are rules and guidelines to keep some behavior at bay, but again, people do react and respond to daily situations and these actions are very revealing of the real person behind the professional facade.

I was fortunate to work with my husband and become friends before we started dating. We genuinely enjoy being together. We’ve worked from home in our business for 11 years and still love being together. It has been a very fulfilling and profound relationship that grows deeper every day. Not all best friends end up with HEA, but a large majority does and those numbers far outweigh the ones who don’t.

Not all couples have the opportunity to work together though, so many of the things we discover about each other in the dating scene can be incomplete and even in some cases completely false. So what do you do to learn who that person really is? How do you break beyond that exterior best face and get to the person inside?

If you’re friends, then when do you decide to take the friendship to a sexual one? Or is it really a decision? Perhaps it’s something that just happens and you are unable to control. What do you think?

Guns, Aliens, and spaceships, oh my!

Hey, hussies! I want to thank the keepers of the Hussies Blog for allowing me to post today:)

Since I have a release coming up in two weeks from EC, I thought I would talk about my love of the futuristic genre. Hunting Mila is the sequel to Seducing the Saint. In it you find John Hunter escorting a society girl Mila, who has a hard-on for guns and action. Spies, aliens, kidnappings, all kinds of fun ensues.

I think my love of futuristics came from my movie and TV viewing. I wasn't so much into hard sci fi, although I do like some, but I loved the big space operas. I wasn't so into carefully constructed worlds, but I loved bigger than life characters who like a good fight.

Star Trek was one. I'm an X'er, so I saw this in reruns, but I loved the idea that you could take a whole ship of people and travel all over the galaxy. I liked the strange characters, the battles, and hell, even if you don't like him, you have to admire Captain James T Kirk-intergalatic stud. But, then my TV viewing switched to sitcoms and dramas. It wasn't until my 30s that I rediscovered futuristics with movies like The Fifth Element, IRobot, Blade Runner and the ulitimate masterpiece Serenity.

I guess many people who don't know me well would be amazed that the SAHM turned erotic romance writer would be so enamored with the action packed movies. But I do love them.

I think the writer in me loves to watch something that is completely invented by the writer or writers, that they make the rules. There is no one to say, "Hey, that couldn't happen." Of course, that might just be the control freak in me, lol. But the one thing I always felt they were missing was romance. Some of them have it, but not enough to satisfy me, so I decided to create my own.

It wasn't an easy jump. While I loved furustics, and I am writer, but I was raised a military brat and tend to be...let's say...a little too realistic about some things. But, I worked hard and one of the books that came out of that was Seducing the Saint. Now that Hunting Mila is releasing, I am working on the plot of Mastering Robbie, another book linked to the others, and the possibility of more in the future. I like writing all my genres, but futuristics allow me to indulge in my control freak ways, and shoot things up.

A girl can't ask for more than that.

So, tell me, do you like futuristics? Have one movie, book, tv show you like the best?

Sometimes, I'm Serious

Not often, but sometimes, there's a subject that just makes my inner Chihuahua want to gnaw her paw off.

And plagiarism is one of those subjects.

If you use someone else’s words and make no mention that you did, you committed plagiarism. Some people think it’s no big deal. Bah, words are a dime a dozen. Who cares? Whoever gets caught should deal with it privately with the interested parties, they say. I’ve never been the victim of plagiarism (some call it mind rape, I agree), but if someone would ever steal my speech bubble, you can bet your last tea bag that I’d go after them with all the frenzied energy of a Chihuahua on Red Bull. There’d be no place to hide, motherfuckers! Not because I'm too good to have my words copied, or think I own the alphabet. It's for the principle. And because it's wrong.

Let's look at it this way: writing is like building a nest.

A nest is nothing new. It's all recycled stuff, right. Like writing: everything already exists. Letters, words, sentences, paragraphs. You take all these little bits and make something new with them. You build a nest. No one has a nest like yours. It's unique. It's your spit (literally in the case of some birds...but I digress) that's keeping it together. That spit, it's YOURS, dude. For someone to come and pick at your nest, take a bunch of twigs here, a clump of feathers there, and use it to build their own nest without thanking you or at least mentioning it, is plagiarism.

Some may argue that on a "scale" of crimes, it's not as bas as, say, murder. Sure. But you know what? Ideas are what makes our species move forward. If we're not going to protect our ideas and how we put them on paper, if we're not willing to try to stop thieves from appropriating entire sentences, paragraphs, even pages, then what's the whole point of reading a book?