On The Wild Side

You Tarzan.

Me Jane.

Me likey.

Me likey very much.

"When authorities warn you of the sinfulness of sex, there is an important lesson to be learned. Do not have sex with the authorities." ~Matt Groening

Who Wants To Be A Superhero?

Have you watched this show?


Oy.

I have. And I have one question:

Are these people serious?

Creature (she's apparently a fairy from another planet and regained her powers by eating fruit).

Monkey Woman (who makes a sound like a monkey and wears bananas on her belt).

Fat Momma (who has donuts hanging off her belt, I kid you not. And a really catchy theme song: "Fat Momma, Fat Momma, I'm here to save the day. Fat Momma, Fat Momma, I'll take your food away").

The Iron Enforcer (has some kind of honkin' huge death ray gun strapped to one arm).

Rotiart (spoiler alert for later on in this post).

Nitro G (19 years old).

Cell Phone Girl (is this a sign of our times or what?).

Feedback (microwaves make him nauseous).

Tyveculus (a 34-year old fire captain).

Lemuria (wearing a gold lamme body suit).

Levity (works as a toy designer and wants to be the first gay superhero).

Major Victory (a former male exotic dancer whose catch phrase is "be a winner, not a weiner").

Here's the spoiler alert, so if you haven't watched this show and don't want to know what's going on, stop reading here.

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Pretty much before the "competition" started, Rotiart revealed himself to be a mole. Rotiart is "traitor" spelled backward. Needless to say, one of the superhero candidates had to turn in his costume. By the end of the one-hour show, yet another candidate turned in his costume as well. Levity and Nitro G have to be superheroes only in their dreams.

Two down, nine to go.

Not sure I'll be watching any more of this.

If you watched it, what did you think?




"The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else." ~Umberto Eco

My New Job

I've worked 3 days now at the new job. Sigh. Let me fill you in a little.

The company has roughly 90 employees, many of which are part-time. It's a drug-testing facility, so much of the office staff are phlebotomists and other professional technicians. The owner seems like a nice man and the employees I've met so far seem nice as well. My boss is someone I've worked with before, so I know we can work well together. She actually called me about the job.

What's the job? Right now it's a Human Resources Assistant. (Yep. I'm back in HR. But after I've been able to distance myself from my last mind-wrecking job, not going back into HR seemed like an entire waste of the last 20 years of my life.) After next week, I'll only be working one day a week except when my boss is gone. But the whole idea is that, sometime within the next 3-4 months, my boss and I will transition to co-workers and will job-share the HR Administrator (Manager) position. At that point I'll be working 2 1/2 to 3 days per week.

My hours are very flexible. I'm optimistic that, once I get into the swing of having to go to work again, I'll still be able to write. Just not as much. :(

I'll keep you posted.



"Personally, I have nothing against work, particularly when performed, quietly and unobtrusively, by someone else. I just don't happen to think it's an appropriate subject for an 'ethic'." ~Barbara Ehrenreich

New Review For THE CLAIMING

This just out from Coffee Time Romance:

4 Cups!

"This hot read is jam-packed with emotion. Women who have never considered any type of domination just might think twice after reading The Claiming. Written with such passion between the characters, Ms. Quinn will get your heart racing and have you wanting more... This story touches on a lot of genres, none of which are overdone. The storyline is solid and well paced. It is clear Ms. Quinn has worked very hard on this book and I can only hope I will get to read more from her."

The Claiming, available at Amber Heat.




"God gave us a penis and a brain, but not enough blood to use both at the same time." ~Robin Williams

Report On The Job Front

My first day on the new job went...fine. Can I tell you how much I hated being there?

Oh, not there the place of work--the company and its employees seems nice enough. No, it was just the fact that I had to be there. Back in corporate America. Not sitting at my laptop writing.

Bummer.

Double bummer.

I'd much rather be talking to you about this:


or even this (or I should probably say... especially this):


But, no, I'm blogging about work.

Bum.

Mer.



P.S. I'm over at NCP today, with a post about my latest review on The Praetorians: Discovery. Check it out.



"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind." ~Aristotle

Off To The Land Of Oz

I got this from my oldest niece, and it's just too good not to share. It's not a political statement on my part, it's just damned funny.

~ * ~

Four U.S. presidents got caught up in a tornado... and off they whirled to the land of Oz.

When they reached the Emerald City, they went to find the Great Wizard.

"What brings you before the great Wizard of Oz?"


Jimmy Carter stepped forward and timidly said, "I've come for some courage."


"No problem!" said the Wizard. "Who's next?"

Richard Nixon stepped forward. "Well, I think I need a heart."


"Done!" said the Wizard. "Who comes next before the great and powerful Oz?"


Up stepped Dubya and said, "I've been told I need a brain."

"No problem," the Wizard said. "Consider it done."

There is silence in the great hall. Bill Clinton just stands there, looking around, but didn't say anything. Finally, irritated, the Wizard asked, "Well? What do you want?"

"Is Dorothy here?"

"When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before." ~Mae West

And Yet Another Funny Commercial

OMG, this is too funny!

LOLLOLLOL!!!


"Safe sex--with a condom, rubber gloves and a wet suit is fine as long as you don't fall in love." ~Kerry Thornley

Sleep Time

I'm so ready to crawl back into bed, especially if I can have him waiting for me!

'Nuff said.

Oh, except for the fact that I'm SExing today. Come on over and see what's up.




"The sexual embrace can only be compared with music and with prayer." ~Marcus Aurelius

More Skinny On Naked Men

Or, at least, partially naked men.

A friend shared with me a website in the UK where you can "hire" a butler for your party.

Now, these boys aren't just any butlers.

No, sirree.

They're Butlers in the Buff. They serve food and drinks, clear away afterwards, and stand around looking pretty. And guarding their apron strings, I'd imagine! *G*


I would dearly love to show you pictures here but, alas, all their pics are copyrighted. As you can see, I pulled a picture of their calendar, and I might be pushing the limit with it, so I'll stop here and give you the link to their website. Go take a look, then come back here and tell me what you think. Okay?

All I can say is... If Alfred on Batman had looked like this, I would've been hangin' out at Bruce's place. You know what I'm sayin'?



"I think sex is better than logic, but I can't prove it." ~Anonymous

Is He Better Than...

Let's face it. Sometimes, at certain times of the month, this is a legitimate question...

Well, shoot. It's pretty much a valid question any time.

I could be wrong.

But I don't think I am...

~ * ~

I'm at the Coffee Time Readers Group today with other Amber Quill authors, beginning at 12 a.m. EST (I'm up at 1:00 EST). Join the group and come chat with us!




"There is good sex and there is bad sex, but chocolate is always chocolate." ~Author unknown

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Sometimes in this crazy job of writing, for every step of progress I make, I end up taking a few steps back.

Case in point: I'm working like a mad woman on Beyond the Beast, my wolfie story. I had almost 80% of it finished and in the hands of my critique partners. Only 3-4 more chapters to go, and the first draft (well, truth be told it's more like the fourth draft, but the first draft that I got all the way through) would be done. Wahoo, right?

Uh-uh. See, my critique partners are kick-ass, take-no-prisoners people--my kind of women. No holds barred attitude, although done in love. And from Chapter 19 through 21 (the furthest I'd gotten), none of it was going to work. The heroine had accepted a major secret about the hero waaaaay too easily--I'd resolved the romance, which is the major story plot, and still had at least three chapters to go. Then there were all kinds of other questions that I absolutely have to answer, so all the way back to Chapter 15 for a major revision there, then adding bits and pieces of information along the way.

Aargh. And because I'm a linear writer (meaning I write from start to finish, no hopping around writing a scene at the end, then back to the middle) I had to make those changes before I could proceed.

So, if you've been paying attention, my stats on the side for Beyond the Beast have gone from 67,250 out of 85,000 words to 59,750. I had to chop over 7,000 words. Of course, I've been working on it since I first chopped, so I am making progress once again. And some of what I chopped (a really hot oral sex scene) will be used at the end of the book, so all's not lost. *G*

Phew. It's hard work, this writing gig.

I wouldn't change a thing!

Another Funny Commercial

This got me to thinking... Can't you just see this scene happening in an erotic comedy?

"Humor is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one of out greatest earliest natural resources, which must be preserved at all cost." ~James Thurber

Hie Ho, Hie Ho...

... it's off to work I go. Dammit.

No, actually, this is pretty good news, for being bad news. LOL

Last September, as many of you know, I was in a position to quit my job. Which I did. My plan all along has been to take one year to focus full-time on my writing, before the money was partially depleted and I'd have to go back to a day job. The closer I've gotten to September, the less I wanted to go back to work full-time. I have enough still in my savings to take me another year without working, more than that if I went back to work part-time.

So, I got a call Wednesday from a former boss (not the one who I quit!), asking me if I'd come to work for her starting 1 day a week. The idea is to work up to us job-sharing, with each of us working 2 1/2 days per week, probably by September or October. Right on my timeline. My first day is tomorrow. Initially I'll be working one day a week while she's there, then my one day a week will be on Friday, the day she doesn't work. And she's really flexible, so if I need to switch around days because of author commitments, she'll work with me.

It can't get much better than that! And thankfully I'm still in a position financially that if this turns out not to be as good as I think it will be, I can quit. Again. LOL

**UPDATE: 10:45 a.m. PST. My new/old boss just called to ask if I could start next week instead of this week. Like I was all excited to be going back to work to begin with. LOL While she has the owner's verbal okay to hire me, she wants his John Hancock on the hiring form, just to be sure. You know, it's the old CYA syndrome, which I completely understand. See, she's the one who hired me on the job I quit back in September. When she quit (because she couldn't take the boss anymore), I took over her job. I lasted 3 1/2 years in it, before I quit, too (because I couldn't take the boss anymore). Sooooo... I understand making sure you have verifiable proof that you had permission to do what you did. Otherwise, the excrement hits the oscillating unit and splats right back on you!**


On another note, I've started the second book in the Praetorian's series. I still haven't settled on a title. Hopefully it'll come to me by the time I finish it. *G*



"I believe that sex is a beautiful thing between two people. Between five, it's fantastic." ~Woody Allen

Phoenix Rising I Anthology

As I've reported here on my blog, my novella The Wolf of Cnoc Meadha was accepted for one of the 10-year anniversary anthologies coming in October from New Concepts.

Here are the authors sharing the anthology with The Wolf:

Michelle M. Pillow, Arrested Desires
Marie Harte, Deceptions Calling
Morgana de Winter, Nightshade
Alicia Sparks, Morpheus


There will be a second anthology (Phoenix Rising II), with the following authors:

Mandy M. Roth, Mating Behavior
Angelique Anjou, Pleasure Master
Donna Grant, Prince of Desire
and two more as of yet undetermined

I'm so excited about this! These will most likely be put in print; I'm keeping my fingers crossed.



"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it." ~Mae West

New Reviews for THE CLAIMING and ATONEMENT

4 1/2 Hearts!

This is from Dawn at Love Romances (and, even snipped, it's a long one):

"The Claiming is Ms. Quinn’s first book at Amber Quill and it definitely makes you sit up and take notice. Each page is a soul stirring, edge of the seat ride that will capture the reader’s heart and have them sigh in pleasure through out it all. The Claiming tells of one woman’s struggle as she tries to balance her job with her unresolved feelings for a former flame... This character made this reviewer want to applaud with appreciation at her take-charge attitude... Rhys is a vampire prince who always loved Kass yet when circumstances found him with her again, but under different circumstances, he has to prove to her that he is the only one for her... Both these characters are multidimensional and capture the reader’s attention from the beginning... Ms. Quinn is one of this reviewer’s favorite authors and, as always, never fails to deliver a heart pounding story with characters that will capture the imagination in places so sensual it leaves you with goose bumps! Run to grab this futuristic quickie and fall in love with the erotic writing of Ms. Quinn! Check out The Claiming for a great way to get that quick fix in erotic romance!"

Read the full review here. Read an excerpt or buy here.

3 1/2 Hearts!

Also from Dawn at Love Romances:

"Atonement is a wonderfully well-written short story... with a great cast of characters and a fast paced storyline, the reader will be lost in a world where heaven and hell will work hand in hand for a change! Tessa is... strong, yet vulnerable... a fine steel blade encased in silk! Simon is a vampire that exudes strength and power. He made this reviewer shift in her seat with his commanding presence and powerful sexual aura! Ms. Quinn captures the essence of these characters beautifully... With an exciting cast of characters and a love story that will leave you breathless, read Atonement and see what happens between Simon and Tessa!"

Read the full review here. Read an excerpt or buy here.




"If sex doesn't scare the cat, you're not doing it right." ~Anonymous

Sometimes I Feel A Little Blue

Sometimes I feel a lot of blue... and it's allllllll good.




"Sex is like air; it's not important unless you're not getting any." ~Author unknown

Another Great Review For THE PRAETORIANS: DISCOVERY

From Maura at Coffee Time Romance:

4 Cups!

"This is a very suspense-filled work. Cat and Max are great characters with a lot of chemistry. Cat is spunky and full of wisecracks, while Max is very much the alpha male. Quinn and Yankee are funny, but much more than just comic relief. I want to see more of this series."


Read an excerpt or buy.





"Isn't that what love is? You borrow each other's eyes... you want to know how the loved one experiences the world." ~Elvira Madigan

Coffee, Tea, Or...

...him?


Me, I say... him. Definitely him.



"Sex is a body-contact sport. It is safe to watch, but more fun to play." ~Thomas Szasz, M.D.

Funny Commercials

Okay, my brother put me onto these commercials. The second two are only on the Internet. Although my brother says he's seen a couple of Jack's commercials on TV, I haven't. And I watch a lot of TV...

What does this tell you about my sense of humor, that I find these hilarious?

This one's my favorite:





Well? What do you think?

And, of course, the problem is... now I have one more place to go and waste time at instead of writing. Phfffft.



"Humor is a universal language." ~Joel Goodman

I Made The Best Seller List! Again!

Yay!!!

Okay, okay. So it's not the NY Times Best Seller list. But it's my second time to be on any best seller list (the first time was Torrid Teasers Volume 3 making it to #9 at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid). Here it is...


The Claiming, my futuristic/vampire/dark fantasy/BDSM/exhibitionism (yep, it's got a little bit of everything!) is #2 for the month of June at Amber Heat. It's first month out, and it was almost the top seller!

Wah-hooooo!!

But wait. There's more!

The Claiming is also the third best seller for the entire second quarter. After only being on sale for one month.

How sweet is that?!?


The Claiming, available at Amber Heat.




"You know that look women get when they want sex? Me neither!" ~Drew Carey

Scavenger Hunt!

Michelle Pillow, one of my fellow authors at New Concepts, is running a scavenger hunt, and yours truly is one of the participating authors.

Check it out here.

Go play for a chance to win from a variety of cool prizes!

And because that's all I have today, here's a picture to tide you over...




Yum!!




"Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it." ~Charles Swindoll

First Review For DRAGON'S BANE

From Connie at Romance Reviews Today:

"DRAGON’S BANE is a unique, spicy approach to a classic tale... Sherrill Quinn spins an intriguing story set in erotic fantasy splendor. Adara and Ruarc make a scorching couple you will be rooting for from the very beginning. For those of us who always suspected fairy tales of having a little darker edge – DRAGON’S BANE is for you."

Available now at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid!

~ * ~

There's lots of other fun stuff happening today, too. I'm over at the Amber Quill authors blog, talking more about my first Chippendale experience.


Come over and "chat" with me. I have more pictures...

~ * ~

In celebration of the new website for Amber Heat, the erotic romance imprint of Amber Quill Press, my fellow Indulge author and I will be posting excerpts and giving away ebooks with other Amber Heat authors at the Amber Heat Readers group today. Join the group and join in the fun!

~ * ~

Liquid Silver Books has rolled out its Molten Silver line with two books by Anna J. Evans (Death by Seduction) and T.A. Chase (No Going Home), two very talented writers. If you like your romance hot, check out these books here.








"For me, love is very deep, but sex only has to go a few inches." ~Stacy Nelkin

New Release From Shelley Bradley

Available today at Amazon, B&N, or Chapters CA:

Strip Search by Shelley Bradley

A sexy CPA goes undercover as a male stripper in the mobster’s Vegas club to nail a Mafia kingpin. The perk? The club’s owner. Sure she’s got some unsavory connections, but how can anyone with those legs be all bad?

She's got a head for business, but is out of practice in the pleasure department. If anyone can strip her of her inhibitions it’s the new guy who’s stirring her wildest g-string fantasies. But besides the sizzling sexual chemistry they have in common, they both have secrets. They learn quickly that, with the mob closing in, what gets exposed is as irresistible as it is dangerous.

Read an excerpt or buy. (ISBN: 0-425-21109-6)

~ * ~

The authors in WCP Torrid's Summer Sizzlers Anthology will be chatting with readers today beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Love Romances Cafe--I'm up from 4-6 p.m. EST and Jenna will be chatting from 6-8 p.m. EST. I also may be back from 8-10 p.m. to help wrap things up. Come on over and join us!



Oh, goody, she was going to get to touch him. Even if he only offered her a handshake instead of an invitation to do the wild thing. ~From Strip Search by Shelley Bradley

My Fellow Americans--Happy Independence Day!

I'm celebrating in my own way, and you're invited to join in!




Don't you just love that ol' red, white & blue?!?



"I like a man who's good, but not too good--for the good die young, and I hate a dead one." ~Mae West

The Chippendales - Oh, My

Hoo-boy. I went to my first Chippendales show Saturday night. A bunch of guys in leather pants, long, dark coats and bow ties. Well, they were in leather pants and long, dark coats for a couple of minutes, anyway. I really didn't mind if they left the ties on...

Holy Hannah!


First of all, let me say that all the guys were gorgeous. Of course they were. But I thought Elvin and Angelo (and of course I remember their names! LOL) were especially fine. Look here:




Phew! They were very sultry and sexy as they danced and humped various objects... *G* (Although, here it looks like Angelo forgot his Chippendale boots! Doesn't have quite the same impact, does it?) LOL


Going into the show, I really thought it would be more like a cabaret show--you know, where they do their thing on stage, but they stay up on the stage. These guys came out into the audience 3 different times and shook what their mamas gave 'em in women's faces.

And got money stuffed down their pants.

Yours truly stuffed twice. Once with a booty shaking in her face, and once with... other parts shaking in her face. She stuffed very gingerly, for she is not a wild and crazy gal. Not like a lot of the women there.

Boy, put a bunch of buff, nearly nude guys on stage--or up close and personal--and some women get really crazy. My friend S, who's been to male stripper shows before, got kissed both times she slipped money in a guy's pants. But then, she was stroking their skin and holding onto their heineys, so that may have been the signal for the guys to be a little... friendlier. I have too many inhibitions, I guess. Plus, it seemed many of the guys were bored. I watched as they were gyrating with women in the rows in front of me and, as you can imagine for guys who do however many shows they do a year, it seemed very routine for them.

I will say, though, there is something about seeing a guy rip his t-shirt off...


Ay carumba!

I have to think on this show a bit more before I share any more of my experience. But I will say, a good time was had by all... LOL



"So many men, so little time." ~Mae West

Review For THE CLAIMING

This has got to be one of the best reviews ever! Jolie at Romance Junkies just completed her review of The Claiming. Here's part of what she has to say about the book:

"First, let me say that I have never been an avid fan of shorter books. That being said...I am raising my hand high and announcing that after reading THE CLAIMING, I rescind all my preconceived notions about short stories and vow to read more! THE CLAIMING took all of my rigid biases and threw them out the window... This story grabbed me by the imagination and didn't let go until the very final word. Ms. Quinn...left me craving more of this captivating world she has created... If this is the first book you read by Sherrill Quinn, like me you will find yourself scouring her backlist looking for more of what you may have regrettably missed."


This is my first review from Romance Junkies. A great way to start, wouldn't you say? *G*

Oh, and for a look at that backlist she was talking about, check the side header here at my blog, or click here.

OH, OH, OH! The Claiming is the #2 Best Seller for the month of June at Amber Heat! Not too shabby for its first month out, wouldn't you say?!?

~ *~

And I'm over at Torrid Temptations today, talking about my two new releases there, plus I'm sharing a tasty patriotic cowboy pic. Check it out and say hi! :)



"Too much of a good thing is wonderful." ~Mae West

They're Here! DRAGON'S BANE and SUMMER SIZZLERS

Available today at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid:


At 26, Adara Tremeirchion is the youngest--and the best--fairy godmother in the guild. By successfully joining Cinderella with her Prince Charming, she's made a powerful enemy in the person of Cinderella's wicked stepmother. Ruarc of Melthione, a prince from a neighboring country, has also gotten on the wicked witch's bad side.

She gets her revenge on both by cursing Ruarc to be a dragon by night, man by day. Adara's powers are stripped and both she and Ruarc end up in the Hinterlands, where the dragons rule.

For Adara to get home and save Cinderella from her stepmother, she must have the blood and scales of a dragon. For Ruarc to reverse his curse, he needs the blood of a virgin.

Will he and Adara save each other, or be each other's doom?



In the third story in my seasonal series, Brandt de Winton, part owner of the private investigation firm Friends, Incorporated, comes face to face again with the woman he'd loved--and lost through his own short-sighted dedication to the job.

Now she's back, asking for his help. Will he be able to convince her to let bygones be bygones and let him back into her life?

Perhaps, but there's gonna be payback, and it involves the use of his handcuffs...




Also in Summer Sizzlers is Jenna's story, Sizzling Summer. It's fabulous!


And, as if that's not enough, Kate's first book is out today, too--Torrid Teasers Volume 8.


Go now and get your copies at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid.



"The world has little to bestow where two ond hearts in equal love are joined." ~Anna Letitia Barbauld