Naughty New Year JustRomance.Me Blog Hop

12/30/12 Addendum to my original post: There's a new naughty boy in my life! He's just six weeks old and cute as the dickens. Naughty Neo who loves to nibble on Mommy's toes -- hey stop that kid!  The sharp-toothed little bundle of joy came to live with us just last night. We managed three whole hours of sleep in one go!

Thanks for joining the JustRomance.me Naughty New Year Blog Hop! If at anytime you get lost, just return to www.justromance.me.

I'm at somewhat of a loss about what to blog about. Resolutions? Nah, I don't do them. 

Plans for the New Year? Get my writing room organized at last! For those who haven't followed my adventures this past year, we moved! Into our forever, and ever, amen, home. I don't know why the last dozen boxes are kicking my rear, but they are. I think it's because they're all paperwork. Evil, hated, dreaded paperwork! Does it need to be kept? Shredded? Simply tossed? Oh the decisions!

Pretty much like my latest hero, Brennan Shaughnessy, of the Sexy Shaughnessys in my Open Window Series. It's New Year's Eve and he's taking his number one lady to lunch, making plans for the big night out. He has tickets to the biggest party in town, one where he's also a guest of honor. He also has a room at the hotel where the party is. All he needs is the social worker he's hot for to finally agree to go with him...

Scene from "Changing Directions" 

Book Four of the Open Window series

Brennan held out the folder with tickets and room reservations. He fully expected Whitney to smile and tease him with description of her dress. 

"I'll pick you up at seven. Bring an overnight bag and we'll do the night up right. Room service for breakfast if you like."

Whitney patted her lips with the white linen napkin, her eyes on her bowl of soup rather than him. "Brenn, I've been trying to tell you..." Warm brown eyes filled with sadness finally met his. "I can't. I'm leaving town as soon as we finish lunch."

Brenn sat back in his half of the booth. "What? Why?"

"My father--" she choked and reached for her water glass. "My mother called an hour ago. He had a heart attack. The first flight out I could get leaves at five. From here I'll go back to my apartment to pack and then catch a cab to the airport. I have to go."

Brenn deflated as if he'd been punched in the gut. The wound felt as mortal as if she'd shot him point-blank. "Wh--"

The chime of Whitney's phone announcing a text interrupted and she grabbed for it. "My mother," she said as her eyes scanned the message. "He's at the hospital and stable, but they're talking triple bypass in the morning. Just a sec, let me text Mom my flight details.  I'll get in around two in the afternoon."

Brenn shook his head. "You'll have a long layover somewhere, can't you take a red eye from here? One with less of a layover in Seattle or wherever. You could still catch part of the party."

Whitney hit the final button on her phone and looked up. The aristocratic lines of her face all drooped with sadness like he'd never seen before. He'd seen her upset, angry, depressed, even writhing in ecstasy that he'd given her, but he'd never seen her looking so utterly desolate. "I can't, Brenn. Look, I know tonight is a big deal for you. You should take someone who could relax and enjoy themselves. Someone like..." she looked around the dining room and Brenn knew who she was going to suggest before her eyes lightened, "... there, take your favorite waitress. Didn't you meet her at a similar event last fall? She goes to these things regularly. She'll fit in and be good for your networking. You know you get more clients when she hands out your cards." 

Shaking his head he held back the panic in his heart. "No, that's not fair asking a woman at the last minute. We've planned this for months now." Or rather he had. Fresh back from the double wedding of his twin siblings Cassidy and Cayden, he was ready to pour all his energy into pursuing Whitney. Tonight was to be the launch of his new campaign to get her focused on him as much as she focused on the kids she saved through Social Services. 

"Brenn, I can't believe you! I'm sorry this ruins your plans for tonight, but my parents need me. Mom's a mess and Dad can't pick up the pieces for her this time. I need to be there. Even if I went for a few hours, I just can't pretend nothing is wrong and act like I'm having fun. I'm not wired that way. Look, I know she'd love to go with you. I've seen the way she looks at you. I've seen the way you flirt with her. She's got a piece of your heart no matter how much you want to pretend otherwise."

And that was how he came to find himself asking Blaire to the Chamber of Commerce New Year's bash at the Sheraton. Even that didn't go as planned.

Big green eyes sparkled back at him. "Thanks, but I'm already going. But tell you what, why  not use that spare ticket for my Grandmother? I've been trying to talk her into going, but my dad can't get another ticket. You have a spare. We'll meet you there at eight." Red curls bouncing as she nodded decisively, she set the tray with the bill down in front of him.

"Oh no. I'll pick the two of you up."

Dirty plates in one hand, she plopped the other on her hip. "But if she gets tired early..."

"I'll make sure she gets home safe and sound. Or she can use the room at the hotel and we'll take her out to breakfast before taking her home." Brenn handed back the tray with his credit card on it.

"Oh, okay." Blaire sighed. "Let me go give her a call and see what she says.  She'll have time to take a nap if I call her now. I'll be right back."

Whitney patted the hand he had lying on the table top. "There you go. All set. Now, I have to get home and get packed. I've got work notified. Have fun tonight."

"Call me when you get in?"

The nod she gave him was distracted as she pulled on gloves and settled a kit scarf around her swan-like neck. She was everything a woman should look like. Tall, slender with subtle curves. A model of breeding, raised in a cultured environment. She was polished, sophisticated and dedicated to the children in the system, safe from abuse and neglect. She had goals and drive. She even managed to wear Sorel boots in an elegant manner. Ready for the cold waiting outside, she began to slide from the booth. Brenn got to his feet and offered her a hand. 

"Take care, Brenn. This may very well be good-bye for us." She laid a gloved hand on his cheek. "If Father is so very ill I may move back to be nearby. They need social workers in New York, too. I know how you feel about me. I wish I could return your feelings. Please, find another woman who deserves you more than I do." 

"You're cutting me loose?" The words came out strangled from a throat too tight to speak.

"It's for the best." She rose up and kissed his cheek. "You're a special man. More special than you know. Find the woman just as special as you."

"But--" 

Whitney whirled away, her short brown hair swinging out like carnival ride. Before he could summon the energy to go after her, she was gone and Blaire stood at his elbow.

"I'm so sorry, Brenn," she said quietly. "You didn't deserve that."

Drawing in a deep breath, he bit back the retort he wanted to spew. "Yeah, well..."

"Look on the bright side," she said with forced cheeriness. "You're now taking the two feistiest women in town. We won't let you brood. Grandma says you better have your dancing shoes on."

"I don't suppose I can back out now, can I?"

"Nope, you're not only double-booked for dates, you're one of the award recipients. You have to go." She shoved the tray with the receipts and his credit card into his hand. "Sign the paperwork and I'll bring a cheesecake--on the house--and fresh coffee."

By the time he left, his mood had lifted. How could it not when Blaire led the parade to cheer him up? Everybody in the kitchen made their way out one by one to slap him on the shoulder and sing Blaire's praises until she blushed the way only a red head could, deep red from her creamy cleavage to the roots of her hair. It was so endearing he couldn't help but chuckle, and even, a little, begin to look forward to the evening. Dancing with petite and perky Blaire, Blaire who knew everyone in the business community, with twinkly green eyes and generous, soft, curves that would make a saint cry. Yeah, he had something to look forward to after all.

***

Win one of these three books by commenting below and following the instructions for chances to win the Grand Prize, a 7" Kindle Fire HD!

Continue on with the hop!!  You have until December 30th to enter by commenting on blogs and registering!  

* Live chat and grand prize drawing at 7PM EST on Dec 30th *

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Or

Thanks Boone Brux for Picking Me to Carry Onward!

It's the day after Christmas. Are you hitting the sales? I might later today. Or are you laying around feeling fat enough to hibernate for a month at least? We're celebrating the fact that we're nearly a week beyond Solstice and the sun is coming back! Slowly but surely from here until June the hours of returning daylight will slowly start increasing. And that is truly an awesome thing to celebrate!

My dear friend Boone sent me the list below and asked me to jump in on the day after Christmas, no less. But, hey, I'm game! Be sure to check out her blog for the other authors she invited to play. This Next Big Thing Blog Hop is HUGE. So much to look forward to in the coming year, including a big supply of great new books! I love books and I always want more! So here's what you can look forward to from me:

What is your working title of your book?

~ Changing Directions, but I may change it. We'll see when the book is done.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

~ It's Book Four in the Open Window series featuring those sexy Shaughnessys. It's Brennan's turn to drive me crazy. He's not as cooperative as his sister or brothers.

What genre does your book fall under?

~ Contemporary Romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

~ I really have no idea. These characters are all red heads and there is a dismaying lack of red headed actors out there. Particularly really attractive men. I'd love to see more red heads on the big screen!

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

~ Brennan must make up his mind, then convince his heroine she really is his fist choice.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

~ The first part of the series was contracted by Lyrical Press. We'll have to see if they like this one when it's done.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

~ Still working on it, so I can't answer that question. Fastest book from concept to publication was That Olde Christmas Magic. From start to pub was about three weeks. That one practically wrote itself like a Christmas miracle!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

~ It will go with the other Shaughnessy books like a double blind dovetail joint.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

~ Brennan has been around since Cassidy's book. So far he's featured in every story. It's his turn. But he's been so indecisive that he's been something of a challenge.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

~ It's set in Alaska! And we'll get a peek at how the other Shaughnessy's are doing: Cassidy and Niall (Til Death Undo Us), Cayden and Candace (Courage to Live), Aiden and Azzette (Weathering the Storm - 2012 royalties go to flood relief!). We'll also see the introduction of at least one of the younger brothers, but whether it's Ethan, Declan or Finn remains a mystery.

Look for more next week. I've asked a few friends to play along by posting the same questions (with answers even!) on their blogs next week. Look for:

J. Morgan

Adriana Kraft

Gail Delaney

Doreen Orsini

Piper Denna

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season and the celebrations are all you wished them to be.

Comics and Romance: The Final Bam!

When I started this blog series, I wasn't sure where it was headed. I just wanted to talk about one of my favorite topics and make it as enjoyable as possible for those of you reading it. I hope I succeeded in some of that. But, as I starting writing about the connection between comics and romance, I began to notice how strong that connection truly is. For me, at least it is. For some of you too, from the comments it has gotten.

This is what I hope you've gotten from all this. Comics are the beginning of wonderment for a lot of kids, boys and girls alike. Why wonderment? It's very simple. Until we get our first dose of Superman, Spider-man, or you can insert your own favorite hero, we have no idea what it feels like to imagine to fly, or run faster than a speeding bullet. We simply have no concept that those things are possible. They aren't, but in our burgeoning imaginations they become possible. Comics teaches us to dream. For some of us, those dreams become stories. Those stories go on to make us writers or readers. We want to escape as authors, as much as you do as readers.

Our escape enables you to find whole new worlds beyond this one we live in. That's a very good form of release in my book. Better than sitting in front of a TV or playing video games. Though, I have nothing against either of those. I do it quite a bit myself, but reading enables you to open your mind and visualize for yourself the wonders an author places before you. How many of us has seen a movie or TV show based on a book, and just shook our heads saying to yourself, 'that's not how I saw' and felt a little disappointment over the fact. Why does that seem to happen? Because, our imagination is greater than anything someone else can come up with.

Romance does the same thing at a different stage of our mental development. Most of us read our first book in our teens. Talk about putting an unfair level for our boyfriend or girlfriend to measure up to. Tough, it's that level that tells us what we truly want. We might settle for second best, but most of the time second best is better than what our minds dream up thanks to those books. I hate to knock my genre but it's true. We as authors paint unfair expectations on those who read our books. Why? Because, we visualize what we want. Hey, what can I say? We're delusional and write about it.

The thing is Comics and Romance are learning tools. Believe me. I've learned some things in a Romance Novel that would make a hooker blush. Despite that, we read and absorb knowledge both directly and indirectly through others. Some of it makes us who we are today, and some of it makes us the people we want to be. Not bad, for a few hours of escapism.

How does this all tie into J. Morgan? If you've read any of my books, you know I start with a definite line between good and evil. Why? Because Stan Lee did it that away. More than that, in a world where there's more grey than black and white, I wish we could tell right away who wore the black hat and the white hat. As a result, I love my heroes. They are bigger than life and most of the time, the men I want to be. Subconsciously, I guess they are a part of me, like what any writer does when crafting a character. The heroine? I wish I could say they're the women I would want to fall in love with. For the most part, they're the only woman I've ever truly fallen in love with. My wife, Jenn. I couldn't think of a better role model for my heroines. That doesn't mean they're a hundred percent her. I have the greatest honor to know and have known some amazing women. They've found their way into my heroines. So, we're talking fifty to seventy percent Jenn, and the rest I steal from my friends and family. Still, not a bad ratio. My villains, I owe to Stan Lee, and any other comic author who made it plain, the bad guy is the bad guy. You'll know him or her by the evil oozing off them. And, I guess I do have a dark side that comes out on the computer screen, instead of me going postal on the rest of the world.

Authors are the result of their environment and experiences. That being said, I guess that makes me a costume wearing superhero behind a keyboard. So what should my superhero name be? The Amazing Spider-Jmo? Uh no. Shooting stuff out of my wrists sounds narsty for some reason. The Mighty Jmo? Mmmmm… I do like big hammers and lightning bolts? No, I think for now, I'll just be Jmo and let you guys be the superheroes and superheroines. After all, to me you already are.

Hope you enjoyed this series. Now, jump into your phone booths and up, up and away. I got a deadline to not be too late on. Join me next week on The Writer Limits as we kick off SciFi September. On the Diaries, we've got something special planned. I just have to track down Morgan O. and find out what it is. Bye, for now.

Peter Parker is a Man Ho!

Peter Parker is a man ho! Some people might call that statement outrageous, but if you look at his track record you can see two very important things. One, he has no clue when it comes to women. Secondly and the most important, he has done untold damage to the sex lives of geeks for over 35 years. Hey don't give me that shocked look. I know from which I speak. I was once one of those geeks. Sure, when you read a comic and see him juggling hot blondes and redheads like nobody's business, you can't help but think that this guy has it going on. Forget about the whole superpowers thing. Who wants the proportionate strength of a spider, be able to stick to walls, and shoot webs out of your wrists? Let's not even go into what that stuff really looks like. What we need to do is see if old Pete's palms are hairy like a spider's. That's what we need to be doing. Seriously!

But, I digress into the realm of a Kevin Smith movie. I'm here to talk about Peter's love life.  Let's go back to the very beginning. Peter Parker was a nerd. That's the only way to describe it. Nothing wrong with that. All of my friends started off in the throws of nerdom. Then, bam! He get's super powers and everything changes. If we can trust Tobey McGuire, he also gets six pack abs. I believe those were CGIed, in case you were wondering. That's when the problems with this story really begin.

Instead of Unc Ben telling Peter with great power comes great responsibility, he should have told him that he needed to keep it in his pants. So where does all this man hoing start. If we trace it back to his high school days, we have to say it began with Liz Allen, his high school crush. Sure, it really didn't lead anywhere, but she was just a practice run for him. An aside, Liz would go on to marry Harry Osborn, Peter's best friend and just would justso happen to go on to become the second Green Goblin. From there he would have flirty run-ins with Betty Bryant, J. Jonah Jameson's secretary at the Daily Bugle. Being a bit older than our teenage photographer, Betty didn't succumb to his spidery ways but she did dip in the well a couple of times. Once she came to her senses, she married Ned Leeds, who goes on to become Hobgoblin.  That's two ladies in the Parker harem. Anyone find it strange that one taste of spider-love makes them go running into the arms of super villains? I'm not saying he's a menace, but J. Jonah might be on the right track.

They were just a couple minor setbacks on his rollercoaster of love. One fateful day, his life would be irrevocably changed. Face it, tigers. He hit the jackpot. Well, as close as he could come in the form of Mary Jane Watson. I'm a bit partial to redheads as a result of this one. She presented the perfect foil to Peter. Ms. Watson saw through the façade. For one thing, she was smart enough to realize he was Spider-man, while everyone else wondered where Peter got off to every time Spidey showed up. Come on, people. Buy a clue. She was also able to resist the Parker charm for close to 200 issues of continuity. If she had gone on to give in to his nerdish advances way back around issue 42 the rest of this rambling missive might not have clogged up your mental passages.

Another result of Mary Jane playing hard to get was Gwen Stacy. If anyone knows anything about comics you know what happens. If you don't, stay tuned for more exciting revelations! Gwen might be considered Peter's first true love. The love of his life. But, really aren't all first loves the love of your life? For awhile, the women of New York were safe from this shameless lothario. Love swept him up in its embrace and with all the tenderness of a Greek tragedy ran him over like a freight train with only one casualty. The one thing Peter had always feared came true. One of his arch villains took the life of someone he cared for. Issues 121-122 of The Amazing Spider-man, the Green Goblin, after remembering Spider-man's secret identity goes after Gwen to prove to Peter that no one is untouchable. Faced with the choice of saving Gwen or a bunch of kids, he tries to do both. Unlike the movie, the comic Spidey wasn't up to the challenge.

How does he deal with his loss? For twenty issues or so, he locks his heart away. For non comic readers twenty issues or so equals three weeks in real time. Real time? I'm a comic geek, so real time applies. Then he was off chasing anything with a ponytail and silk underwear. College gave him the perfect opportunity to search out his next victims. Deb Whitman, another go with the married Betty, a couple run-ins with MJ, and I refuse to go into the new continuum started because of Marvel feeling the need to rewrite his past.

Okay, this is the point we reach Peter's second love, unless you count MJ, who hung around through all this. Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, appears first as a villain then as a love interest who keeps him on his toes for a nice long time. There's a lot of does she, will she, but the break up finally happens because sweet little Peter Parker can't take the fact that she loves Spidey more than him. Well, duh! Who wouldn't? This of course results in another chorus of poor unfortunates skipping through his web of love.

Finally, Peter convinces Mary Jane that he is her one true love. She already knew this of course but her common sense had saved her up until this point. In Annual 21, the deed was done, and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Parker were born. If this had been a novel of the romance variety, we could have inserted a tidy happily ever after in at this point, but comics like soap operas seldom give you what you want. Instead we ended up with almost twenty years of angst, super villain attacks and a costume becoming a super villain, not to mention clones out the ying yang. It's enough to make ya stop reading comics, which I did. Well, not comics but Spider-man, so I avoided the whole clone thing, even though it keeps popping back up. Whether I want it to or not.

Now, I promised not to mention the continuum thing but let's touch on it briefly. Aunt May is dying because Peter revealed his secret identity to the world. To save her life Mary Jane trades her and Pete's love to the devil for a do over. Now, none of the above stuff ever happened, and he's free to sleaze his way through the Marvel Universe all over again. Shesh. And, you think romance novels have got the market cornered on angst and tragic happily ever afters.

What's the point of all this? Besides Peter Parker is a man whore? Partly. Mainly, it's that comics and romance novels have a lot in common. Both throw a hero and heroine into impossible situations that naturally bring them closer together in such a way that the reader can't help but stick around to the bitter end. With comics, it just takes a little longer. Now, I have to go. The new Spider-man just came in, and Morbius, the living vampire, the Lizard and Peter Parker have all planned dates with Carly, the hot CSI detective. I can't wait to see how Pete is going to wow her by taking her to Burger King before swinging away without paying.

Join me next week, as I examine more comic connections to romance with a little story I like to call, So, how do they fit all that in that little spandex?  It'll be at my shared blog The Writer Limits so make sure to stay tuned to that same Bat channel.

Summer Reading Trail

Have you discovered the Summer Reading Trail yet? No? Check it out! There are many free reads featured, and the list changes each month. Some of the reads are entire books, some are chapters.


I have two books on the list: Cowboys Dream Too (A Morgan O'Reilly book) and Rachel Dahlrumple (by Shea McMaster). Both have the full first chapter posted. In a few days, when the calendar rolls over to July, the titles will swap out. If you haven't read the books, and you're curious, jump on it! 


Come July Jmo will also have a book on the reading list, so make sure you check back, possibly while chillin' over the 4th. 

Blog Hop Day 5

Yes, sadly, we're at the end of the blog hop, but we're also down to the top ten movies on our list of all time favorite Romantic movies. Know that we argued long and hard over this. I still have bruises over most of my body and in places no man should have bruises. Morgan O. fights dirty in case you didn't know.

Be quiet before that soprano lilt to your voice becomes permanent, Jmo. Because, I'm still thinking Murphy's Romance needs to be in the top ten, but our other choices didn't allow it. 

Do you mind putting down the cattle prod? Pretty Please. I agreed Murphy's Romance was the closest thing we had to a tie for ten. However, you know as well as I do, Dennis Quaid in his prime trumps James Garner after his prime. 

So--drum roll please--without further ado,we present the Greatest Morgan Romance Movies of all time!!!!!!

10. The Big Easy
9. Romancing the Stone
8. Bridget Jones' Diary
7. The Ghost and Mrs Muir 

6. African Queen
5. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
4. Notting Hill
3. Princess Bride
2. The Quiet Man
1. Casablanca

Thanks for playing along with us. Be sure to coast through to the end and get signed up for the grand drawing. One luck winner will get a Nook loaded with ebooks, and of course, something fabulous from me, a Morgan O'Reilly tote bag and pen. Very cool stuff! Jmo has a book in there as well.  Join our blog and stay in tune with what's newest and greatest in the world of the Morgans. It's sure to be entertaining!

Summer Solstice is Upon Us!

You've found the Sexy Solstice Blog Hop!! This is the stop for Morgan Q. O'Reilly and J. Morgan. If you're lost or want to find the beginning, just go to JustRomance.Me and get on board!


Starting today we're celebrating the longest days of the year with the JustRomance.Me group of bloggers and hopping from on sexy fun blog to the next!


With the exception of the queen of the frigid north, Morgan O, we're fighting summer-melt-you-into-a-puddle conditions. Ignore her whining about days in the high 70s. She doesn't know what real summer is. Okay, so she doesn't have A/C in her house. Who needs it in Alaska? Seriously, go sit on a glacier.

That said, what better way to spend those long hot summer days and nights than with the greatest romantic movies of all time, a comfy chair, and the air conditioning tickling your toes? Morgan O. and I decided to help you out by giving you our top 100 movies of all time. The electric bill is on you though. We do movies. How low you set the thermostat is all you. 


So how did we decide which movies to slip into our top 100? Simple. They're the movies we, meaning the twin Mo's, can watch over and over again. We just can't live without them. Now you have to bear with us as starting tomorrow we'll get this thing Summered up with the first 25 movies and count down until we hit that magic numero uno. 

We invite you to play along with us. Hit us with the movies you think are too low, don't belong or just hit you in the heart. Even better let us know which movies you can't live without. Believe me, our DVD shelves are over flowing like crazy, just like yours are. Yes, it's true, we have no lives. Sad isn't it? Good thing we write for a living or we'd never have a vacation.


By vacation we mean, those little trips  inside our heads, that you get to read.


So get in the game! Comment to be entered into the drawing for whatever it is we're giving away.  I know there's a Nook loaded with great reads up for the Grand Prize at the end of the hop. We'll also be doing some impromptu give-aways as the spirit moves us.


And as a bonus, if your favorite love story has not been made into a movie, tell us what it is and why you think it deserves to be on the big screen. If you just happen to mention of our our books, well, you might get special preference!  


Stick around, view the pages listed to the right and be sure to say nice things to us. We really like that!


Click Here For The Start of The Romantic Movie Countdown.
Click HERE for Part Two of the Countdown

Cupid's Choice... Who Won?

Big, big drawing today. Many awesome books given away. So sorry you all couldn't make the chat, but never fear, you still get to win.

Our first winner, announced at the chat is Shadow! She won a copy of Til Death Undo Us, by yours truly, Morgan Q. O'Reilly.

Winner of Jmo's book, Were the Moon Don't Shine, is Ilona!

Both winners have been emailed, so let us know if you don't get them.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left a message!! We hope you had as much fun as we did.

The Morgans

Cupid's Choice Stops At The Morgan Diaries

Yes, it's another fun and rollicking Blog Hop put on by the awesome authors of JustRomance.me and we're playing for all we're worth this weekend and getting in the mood for Valentine's Day. If you're starting here, be sure to pick up the hop at the beginning by clicking on the link above.


Frankly, this year it's taking a little work to get in the mood. Jmo and I have both been nose to the grindstone, writing, writing, writing. Which is a good thing. A great thing! But tends to leave our significant others wondering, yet again, where we're traveling inside our heads. 


So, with romance in the air, I got to thinking about some of the most romantic moments in my life and I asked Jmo to give me a little nudge. He never disappoints. 


Jmo on Valentine's Day

It was a dark and stormy night. Not really, but we authors say that when we're struggling to come up with something genius. When it comes to Valentine's Day, that means we say it a lot, especially us guys. No matter how romantic we seem on the outside, that one day of the year scares the crap out of us. Mainly because we know nothing we do the rest of the year to show our wives how much we love them matters as much as we do this one day of the year. That said, my wife is the greatest! She never asks for much. A dinner out. Great chocolate and no Star Wars for at least the day of. I can usually manage two of those.

She, on the other hand, knows exactly how to tug my heartstrings. Every year she makes it a point to get me the most romantic thing in the world! Yep, you guessed it. A giant Reeses peanut butter heart. Hey, I'm a guy. We're simple like that. The point I'm trying to make is this. Women know men better than we know them. Men in general spend at least a good week coming up with the perfect gift, or so we think. Like women want something to make housework easier or a Quesadilla maker to, well, make us quesadillas. That realization hits us, oh, about the time our special someone tells us that the night before Valentine's Day. Which is why the local Walgreen's is bombarded and drained of not-so-nice smelling perfume and cheap heart shaped boxes of chocolates by 9am Valentine's Day. It also explains why restaurant reservations suspiciously get lost when we take you out for fine dining.

So, ladies, in advance, I'd like to apologize for my bonehead brothers in confusion. We promise to do better next year or you can kill us. It'd be so much simpler than torturing us for the rest of our lives.

Morgan's Take

So that's why we spent an hour in a crowded anteroom at Sullivan's Steakhouse last year waiting for a table? A last minute decision to go out for a late dinner on Valentine's. At least they served wine and munchies while we sat elbow to elbow with a few dozen strangers.

And while that was, in a way, very romantic, it's really hard to beat the Valentine's Day before our wedding.  Yes, there have been many good ones since, but that one, well. Let me tell you the story. There's a teeny bit of history here. 

Roses from Mr. O'Reilly many years later.
He's still romantic!

For many years my father was involved in Rotary and every year his club sold and delivered red roses. For $10, the businessman who forgot all about the day could have one dozen long stemmed red roses delivered anywhere in the city. Being the driving offspring of one Rotarian, there were a few years I got to do the delivering for him. Then there was the year I was working elsewhere and couldn't take the day to do the running. I was at my desk, working high above of busy warehouse when my sweetie arrived with a dozen red roses. He didn't say a word, just handed them to me, turned around and left. 

Curious, I went out on the balcony over looking the warehouse and watched as he walked across it to the other office and out the door. A few minutes later he came back carrying two dozen red roses. And the girls on the other side all crowded up against the window to see where he was going. He climbed the stairs, handed me the roses, turned around and went back the way he came.

Three trips, and a large bucket later, I had in my tiny office, six dozen roses. He made one more trip and came back with the seventh, and final bundle of flowers. 

I was laughing and amazed and completely won over. Again. Somewhere deep in a dark box I have a picture of all those roses. I need to dig it out. Twenty plus years later, it's a good reminder of how things started out. A good benchmark for all we've been through and how much better things are today.

Have a special Valentine's memory? Planning something big this year? One commenter will win a copy of Jmo's book The Southern Werewolf Chronicles Book Two: Were the Moon Don't Shine, which is also up for Review of the Week at Long and Short Reviews. Commenters will also be included in the big drawing for the Nook Touch which will be loaded with books, such as Morgan's Til Death Undo Us, Book 1 of the Open Windows series. Things get really hopping here and the generosity bug could take a big bite outta us and we might find more stuff to give away.

The Morgans

PS: If you haven't met us before and are curious, and who isn't really, at the top of this page, on the right, is a list of pages associated with this blog. The list includes J. Morgan's books, Morgan Q. O'Reilly's books, and a some we did together. Ya know, just in case you want more stuff to read, and who doesn't! We love to read! So dig in and enjoy.

New Release: Courage to Live

...And Other News from The Morgan Diaries


Things are hopping at TMD this week. Jmo is on a roll with his great review for Were Love Blooms from Joyfully Reviewed. (See previous post) Super happy for you, Jmo!


The second book in MorganO's Open Windows series released yesterday and already has two reviews posted. (Refresher: Book 1 Til Death Undo Us, Book 2 Courage to Live).


To read the reviews in their entirety, click on the Blog Titles below.


The first review came from Romance Book Scene, who called it "... an emotionally gripping story ..."


L.T. Blue from Just Erotic Romance Reviews said, “I found Courage to Live to be an awesome book giving huge encouragement to anyone in an abusive relationship.”


Could things get any more awesome? Sure! 


Starting Friday, Feb 10, we at TMD are participating in a Valentine's Blog Hop with a bunch of Just Romance Me authors. This means lots and lots of fun, and books, and great prizes for the blog readers who comment.

Sign up here for a reminder!

The winner of the Nook Touch will get a copy of Til Death Undo Us and we may be persuaded to come up with some other awesome swag. You'll have to stop by and see.


Until Friday, Jmo and I will be deep in our individual writing caves. Looking forward to seeing you this coming weekend!

Finding the Irresistibly Sweet Side of Romance

Sutton Fox of the Fox Tales blog has awarded The Morgan Diaries the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award!


Here are The Rules:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.

2. Share 7 random facts about yourself.

3. Pass the Award on to 10 deserving blog buddies.

4. Contact those buddies and let them know.

So first of all thank you, Sutton Fox! And you can find the fabulous Sutton and her books HERE at her website.

Seven random facts about The Morgan Diaries:

1. This blog started because J. Morgan and Morgan O'Reilly each needed a support system to do blogging. Well, that and we both have Morgan in our name. And we're really [cute] [smart] [funny] [sexy] [brilliant] together.

2. What's better than fun and comedy mixed with Romance? Doesn't matter if it's contemporary, futuristic or paranormal, we love funny love.

3. Anne McCaffrey will forever reign as the queen of Sci-Fi. Nuff said.

4. Jmo (J. Morgan) hails from Louisiana, as does MorganO, but she got transplanted to the frozen North (Alaska). We're married, but to other people.

5. He once played football. She likes watching football purely for the opportunity to watch physically beautiful men do athletic things in tight pants.

6. If you’d like a review, we can do those too. Or ask about hijacking our blog for a day or five.

7. Give Jmo an Oreo and he'll do almost anything for you. Honest!

Now for the fun part! I get to nominate ten of my friends! So here are a few of my favorites!

1. Boone Brux

2. Juniper Bell

3. Tam Linsey

4. Diana Castilleja

5. Lynne Connolly

6. Stephanie Burkhart

7. Gail Delaney

8. Melanie Atkins

9. Char Chaffin

10. A.R. Norris

So now I have to contact everyone and let them know! Congratulations and enjoy!

It's a Whole New Year!

Like this is news that the new year is here, but all the same...Happy New Year to one and all, from us here at the Morgan Diaries. So what have MorganO and Jmo been up to this holiday season? Spending too much, eating too much and sleeping too much, like the rest of you guys. But, all that's over with now. We have a brand new year to make promises that by February we will have completely forgotten about and had no intention of keeping in any case. Like we'd actually go on diets. Yeah, right.

But seriously, first of all, we vow to host more writers on our blog. Starting with a few virtual book tours organized by Goddess Fish. Dates booked so far:

Jan 9 Stories to Remember by Tom Mach

Jan 24 Fallenwood a fantasy novel by Leslie Soule (On Shea’s blog)

Feb 6 Courage to Live by Morgan O’Reilly

Feb 23 The World Among Us: Prince of Darkness by Beth Ann Marsarik

Feb 28 The Rancher and the Rock Star by Lizbeth Selvig, her debut with Avon Impulse

Want to join the fun? Contact us and we’ll find a date to fit you in. Unless you have a specific date that’s critical, Wednesday and Thursday are good days for us to host friends.

In individual news, Jmo has two books coming your way this year from Desert Breeze. The first is the second series of his Vampire books, Bite Marks Book One: Bite the One You're With. It will kick off a few months after Love Bites Book Five. His Vampires and Slayers are in the middle of a war with the Fallen. It's up to Stalking Shadow, son of Waterfall Woman, to protect Savannah's sister, Megan as the Fallen targets the families of the characters from the first series for death. It's going to be a nonstop thrill ride with all the comedy and adventure you've come to expect from these books.

Second up is Immortally Damned, the story of Caern from Immortally Yours. Our resident half-vampire is up to his neck in trouble as his past comes slamming home to draw him back into the world he'd fought to escape.

Lastly for Jmo, he’s started a side blog with some other friends named The Writer Limits. It will be your one stop, well stop, for everything SciFi, Fantasy and the Paranormal. So get ready for a double dose of Jmo in the coming year.

Morgan’s news includes a scheduled release February 6. Book Two of the Open Window Series is Courage to Live. If you read book one, Til Death Undo Us, then you were introduced to AF pilot Cayden Shaughnessy. This is his story and is set in Alaska. Book three of the series, Weathering the Storm is in the final stages of the first draft and is currently scheduled for a September release.

Courage to Live will initially release under Kindle’s Select program. What that means is it will be exclusive to Kindle for 90 days, the first 5 of which it will be FREE. This is fabulous news for those of you who fell in love with Til Death Undo Us. If you don’t own a Kindle, don’t fret! You can download Kindle for PC, or an app for many smartphones, totally for free and read from your computer or phone. Works great! After the first 90 days the book will be available on Nook, Sony and at other fine ebook retailers.

That's it for now, but stay tuned because we plan to rock you 2012 like a Mayan banging on a calendar.

Coming Soon - Jingle Bell Hop

Join the Jingle Bell Hop, December 9-11, get a new take on the Twelve Days of Christmas, and get a chance to win books and/or a Kindle Fire! What a way to ring in the holidays this year!

Upcoming Releases and Blog Tour

Exciting times are coming to the Morgan Diaries. We've got books! Jmo's next release is December and Morgan's Courage to Live, Book 2 in the Open Windows series is moving from galley to production for a Feb release.

But even closer than that, coming November 7 is the release of the long awaited Rachel Dahlrumple by Shea McMaster, aka Morgan's sweeter side. The good twin.

To really celebrate the release of Rachel, as the book is affectionately known by all who love it, Morgan is having a Book Launch Tour organized by the awesome folks at Goddess Fish Promotions. There will be prizes! I haven't decided if it will be a mug with the cover of Rachel, or a tote bag. I might let the winner of the drawing choose. Or I might have two winners. Depends on how many people comment and say really nice things to me. Or about me. Either works.

So here's the schedule. There will be a quiz later, and I'll be asking (reminding) people to drop by. Feel free to check out these sites ahead of time and get familiar with the owners. It will make for a fun time when the tour launches full force.

• Nov 7: Romance with an Attitude Blog: Breaking Writer's Block
• Nov 8: Megan Johns Invites Interview
• Nov 9: Carrie Ann Ryan Blog: Getting Over Betrayal. Fiction vs Real Life. Is there a difference?
• Nov 10: Romance in the Backseat Blog: How does being a writer affect you as a reader?
• Nov 11: Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews Interview
• Nov 14: Good Family Reads Blog: Critique Partners, a continuation of the Writer's Block blog.
• Nov 16: Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess Blog: I'm working on a topic now.
• Nov 17: Bookin' It Reviews Blog: A day in the life of Rachel Dahlrumple
• Nov 18: My Odd Little World Interview

As the blog tour doesn't start for three weeks, I don't have everything exactly in place just yet, but I will. I have to. I'm leaving for two weeks in Mexico starting next Friday. I get home at Oh-Dark-Thirty the morning of the 6th. Don't be hating, it's my first trip with Mom to the timeshare she's had for eons. It's finally my turn. Yes, I'll take pictures of the pool boys. Jmo's applying for the job as we speak.

Come play with us! Got a favorite J. Morgan, Morgan O'Reilly, or Shea McMaster book? We'd love to hear about it.

Morgan

Summer is Heating Up!

While Jmo swelters way down south, and I melt under Alaska's impression of a summer, things have been getting busy behind the scenes. So much so, we've neglected our blogging duties.

I can assure you, Jmo has been writing up a storm! Yes, he's been chained to his laptop, writing so furiously he hasn't even had time for my FaceBook jokes. That's sad. BUT, you will be the beneficiaries, as his Love Bites series continues on in it's fast-paced hilarious style. Besides, you have to check out his covers. Original art by the incredibly talented Nik Rainieri. It's awesome. The next one, Book Five: Lovership of the Stake comes out August 1.

As for me, the other Morgan, I've been editing like crazy. Not only my work, but I've been editing on the side, as a way to keep my mind sharp. That and people seem to think I know what I'm doing. Hey, as long as it gets me a little cash and more books, I'm willing to give my opinion in the formative stages. Whether they like my opinion or not doesn't matter. I'll do almost anything for free books. Now I just need the time to read them.

Which leads me to my next topic. MY next release. Yep, I got one. And I've been lazy about promoting it. So here it is:

Releasing Monday, July 18, 2011, Til Death Undo Us: Book One of the Open Windows Series. Manic Readers gave it a 4.5 star review already!

And here's the even cooler part, Book 2, Courage to Live is in edits for a February release! Book 3 is started. That's all I'm going to say on that one, but it should be out sometime next spring.

In other Coming Soon News, my alter-ego, Shea McMaster has a new release going through final edits as we speak. Rachel Dahlrumple, a full length Romantic Suspense is coming out this November. Keep an eye on that link, the blurb and excerpt will follow in the coming weeks. You can get a first peek at the beautiful cover there.

So, you think that's enough stuff happening? No way! There's more!

Due to the popularity of the Temp Tat from my last post, I've created a line of products for those who want to show off their love of eBooks. Or rather, books in general. If the Get Some Tonight heart makes you smile, share the happiness. Yes, you can get mugs, apparel, mouse pad, apron, magnet, or even a key chain with not only the Get Some Tonight logo, but some other doodling I've been doing, at my Zazzle store. Some of these items might even become prizes or give aways somewhere down the line.

NOTE: One little caveat. Just a teeny tiny thing. In order to see the Get Some Tonight items, you have to be set up to see PG-13 sites. There are a couple G-Rated items, but most are PG-13.

In the mean time, I'm handing out temp tats and bookmarks like CRAZY. A bunch are headed for the Midwest Fiction Writers Fall Harvest Workshop with Margie Lawson this coming September. You lucky ducks! I had so much fun last year and wish I could go again.

Okay. NOW I'm done. So much to do! So much happening! So little time to do it all! When the reading bug bites, we hope you think of us, The Morgans.

Love,

MorganO

Nominated for LASR Book of the Year!

I am so excited I could plotz! Long and Short Reviews has nominated The Southern Werewolf Chronicles Book One: Were Love Blooms for Book of the Year! I know! Right? Instead of preening over my own awesome, which is only as awesome as the people involved in the process of making this book possible, let me instead thank those people.

First and foremost, I have to send out a big this one's for you to my loving wife Jenna for inspiring me to love, write and to create Madison Lee. Yep, that's right she's Madison. Another big congrats needs to go to my wonderful crit partners who were with me every step of the way on this book with helping advice, comfort and a lot of support when I needed to believe in myself and didn't. You know who you are, but Morgan O'Reilly, Susan White and Helen Ravell thanks and please don't stop being those voices in my chat window. Finally thanks to Gail and Jenifer with Desert Breeze Publishing for taking a chance on me and this series. Without them, it would probably still be stuck on my computer gathering dust. Another thanks goes out to those of you, the readers, for continuing to support me and my work. Truly, I could not do this without you and wouldn't want to even try.

All that said my last thanks has to go to Long and Short Reviews for liking Were Love Blooms enough to nominate it and having as one of the Best Books of 2010. I'm in some great company, too. So, just being listed is an honor. I'm not just saying that. The voting begins February 14^th and runs through the 27^th.

Were Love Blooms and I hope to see you at the polls!

To The Stars... And Beyond!

Borealis Book I Borealis Book II

Two of your favorite authors, SIX great reads!

If you like Futuristic Science Fiction, then these two books will provide six times the pleasure. Of course, the entries by Jmo and me will be the highlights... okay, who am I kidding? They're all great and focus on six different sets of brave heroines and hunky heroes. What more could a girl want?

Below are the excerpts from the stories your Morgan authors contributed. This time Shea gets to step into MorganO's place for a fun romp through the space station.

Kiss Me, Kate by J. Morgan

K'Tyln Dar is a pampered prince who wants to finally become the man his planet needs so he goes in search of the baddest bounty hunter in the known universe -- The Professor.

Richelle is called The Professor because she knows every possible way to kill a man. Most people -- like K'tyln -- have no idea that the most ruthless killer in the known universe is a woman. And she likes to keep it that way. Richelle has neither the time nor patience for a puff-shirt, golden boy politician like K'tyln Dar.

When he brazenly demands to meet The Professor and reveals his desire to 'learn to be a warrior', her first thought is to put him in his pompous place. But, as he takes his licks -- and bruises -- and contusions -- she sees a glimpse of the man he not only wants to be, but the man he is deep down inside.

Bleu Lies by Shea McMaster

Commander Kal Raines began questioning the wisdom and guidance of the TPP when they exiled him to the Borealis. But, he's loyal if nothing else. Since then, he's questioned every choice he's made in the name of the TPP.

Summer Merriweather has worked for the Rebellion under many names and in many situations, and now she's on Borealis. She has a mission which includes sizing Kal and how he might be of use to the forces opposing the TPP. Is he ready to switch sides?

When Summer crosses Kal's path, she brings even more choices into question and he sees his loyalties have been thrown to the feet of swine. When he realizes he has the chance to help in the ultimate overthrow of the TPP… he stands and the precipice and must either step back or jump. Step back, and let the Rebellion die… Jump… and join Summer in an ongoing, stealthy battle to strengthen the rebellion and perhaps someday overthrow the TPP.

We hope you check them out and fall in love with a whole new world.

Morgan O'Reilly

Writing as Shea McMaster