Guest Author - Dianne Venetta

So glad to be here!  Thank you, Wynter for inviting me to blog this week.  Hopefully you'll still be happy upon your return. J  Never know what kind of trouble these guest bloggers can get into while the home blogger is away…especially with the mood I've been in!

I've been discussing guilty pleasures of late; a topic that is oh-so-appealing but oh-so-troublesome!  When there's guilt involved, you can be sure trouble is right behind.  Whether it's my guilt over that second brownie or third scoop of ice cream, the trouble to my thighs is sure to follow.

Or how about that sprint to the mall? It was more of an "I-had-to-get-out-of-the-house escape than an I-had-to-buy-something-new kinda spree which is never good.  Impulse buys not only ding the wallet but they attract all sorts of unwanted looks from your husband. 

Followed by the questions.  "What do you need with that?  Don't you have enough skirts? How many pairs of jeans can you wear at one time? Don't we have enough dishtowels?"

"It's an herb keeper and it will save money by keeping our herbs fresher, longer.  Now that you made me return to work part-time, I need more skirts.  One—obviously—but jeans shrink (really, it's the dryer—not me). And no, you can never have enough dishtowels."

Didn't even try to explain to him how cute these particular towels were or how styles change when it comes to jean fashion.  He simply wouldn't understand.  Speaking of things he wouldn't understand, one of my secret guilty pleasures is reading yummy books (the likes of which I wouldn't let my husband see the movie version!).

Yes, I'm talking bodice rippers, sexy contemporary flings, erotic romance...  You name it, I'm reading it. Funny, isn't it? How we humans are still engaging in the same types of behavior all these centuries later; tearing into clothes, tearing off clothes, passing time enmeshed in passionate lovemaking…

But allow my husband such spicy reading material? Well, isn't that what he has me for? :)

Oh—is that what he's for, too? But he's never ripped my bodice before and for good reason—those things are expensive! My last trip to the mall proved as much, though he has yet to see that little gem.  Though he did slip those fishnets off with without incident…

I'm sorry.  Am I revealing too much?  Dang if that isn't the problem with indulging in guilty pleasures—eventually one can get caught!

Perhaps I should stick with the exorbitantly priced glass of wine. You know, the Chardonnay that tastes like butter with a hint of oak and apricot? Or how about the Cabernet that rolls over the tongue with a rush of blackberry and tannin, followed by a smoky finish?

Hmmm...  I'm craving one just thinking about it. Can't usually afford the good stuff but  I do like to splurge on occasion. And by the way, splurging is good for the soul, kinda like purging, only better. By releasing pent-up desire, you don't allow it to fester. Festering of any kind is icky and highly undesirable. Get it out of your system. And stay healthy!

Now how's that for clever rationale?  Works for me!  Now I think it's time to get back to the old work-in-progress and start putting some of these "clever" ideas to work on my next novel.  How about you?  Any guilty pleasures you want to share?

There's a free copy of my debut novel in it for you!  Simply leave a comment on today's post and you'll be entered to win a free copy—print or ebook—of my recent release, JENNIFER'S GARDEN.

In a race against time, cardiologist Jennifer Hamilton is caught between her mother's dying wish and taking the risk of a lifetime with Jackson Montgomery. He's the man hired to complete the landscaping for her new home; the venue for her upcoming wedding. Jackson's everything she never wanted in a man, but as the job progresses, his lure pulls strong. It's an attraction she cannot deny.

And one that puts her career on the line.

Jennifer has some decisions to make, choices that pull her in opposite directions. Her best friend Samantha Rawlings is pulling her toward new horizons yet her traditional mindset resists. And then there's Jackson.

Personally, I'd follow him anywhere!  In fact, I could use a personal landscaper.  When not whacking away at the keyboard crafting my next novel you'll find me in my very own organic garden, chasing grasshoppers and plucking hornworms all while crafting wild analogies between kids and plants and men.  Definitely men.

A girl's gotta have fun, right?

You bet.  With guilt or not. J

Guest Author - J.K. Coi

Please welcome today's guest author - J. K. Coi. 

A lot of people ask me if I believe the things I write about. Well, I write about a lot of different kinds of creatures, including vampires, werewolves, ancient Chinese zombie warriors… so I can honestly say that my own personal beliefs aren’t really what it’s all about.

However, now I’m writing about angels, and that seemed a little bit different.

Except that my angels aren’t quite like any angels I had ever read or heard about before. My angels aren't sweet and pure. They aren't peaceful and helpful. My angels are selfish and powerful and a lot of them are out-and-out crazy psychopaths that would kill anything that moves.

But not all of them.

Some of my angels are bound by duty and honor. They’re trying to do the right thing. They make choices and mistakes just like every average person does, and they have to deal with the fall-out of those choices and mistakes.

The bottom line is that whether or not I believe in the paranormal creatures I write about, I always believe in their struggle. In the emotions and experiences that drive them, because deep down that’s what we all relate to as readers. Whether they’re working to save the world or just trying to keep out of the sunlight, my characters’ journeys are much like our own in that they have strong emotional conflicts to overcome, and I like to think that’s what makes them memorable to my readers.

What is it that makes a character or story memorable for you?
I’ll be giving away a digital copy of FALLING HARD to one randomly chosen commenter.  

In FALLING HARD (buy link: http://tinyurl.com/6klp9r5 ), my July 18 release from Carina Press, Gabriel’s poor choices have shaped him into the man he is, but he’s worked hard to overcome that. Except, the choices still to come are not going to be easy and he might very well lose everything in the end.

Blurb:

After a life filled with tragedy, rocker Gabriel Gunn thinks he's finally getting the better of his personal demons. Then he's attacked after a concert—and rescued by a warrior goddess brandishing a sword and white wings. As hard as it is to believe in an angelic bodyguard, Gabriel must face an even more impossible truth: he carries the devil's soul within him.

Amelia has been watching over Gabriel for years, using her angelic powers to prevent Lucifer's return. Now she must also protect him from warring angel factions with their own agendas. Amelia would do anything to avert another angelic war, even sacrifice her own emotions to avoid temptation. Yet with Gabriel she feels things she no longer wants to deny, and pleasure she never imagined.

But the closer Gabriel and Amelia get, the stronger Lucifer becomes. Will Amelia be forced to kill the man she's come to love to stop the war she's always feared?

J.K. Coi is a multi-published, award winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance and urban fantasy. She makes her home in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and son and a feisty black cat who is the uncontested head of the household. While she spends her days immersed in the litigious world of insurance law, she is very happy to spend her nights writing dark and sexy characters who leap off the page and into readers’ hearts.

Website: www.jkcoi.com

Blog: www.jkcoi.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jkcoi

***Update - The winner is KC Burn! Congrats.***