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15 Reasons Why I Hate Winter

All of you lucky buggers living in the Northern Hemisphere may find it difficult to relate to this blog. But since I am sitting in my office, freezing my toes off, I believe I have every right to moan and complain about winter. We’re slap bang in the middle of my worst season. There seems to be no hope of summer ever returning, and all I want to do is feel warm again. I’m drinking about ten cups of tea a day. (Do you have any idea how many trips to the bathroom that translates into?) And for some peculiar reason, chocolate seems to be the only food that comforts me through the low temperatures. (Hmm, go figure.)

So, in an attempt to refine all the reasons I hate winter, I have made a list. Feel free to add to it at any time.

1) It’s cold.
2) My toes are always freezing—no matter how many pairs of socks I wear.
3) There is no way to warm up a cold nose. Believe me, I’ve tried.
4) Doesn’t matter how many boxes of tissues (Kleenex) I buy, there are never enough.
5) Getting out of a cozy bed in the morning is absolute hell.
6) Ever tried encouraging a dog to do his business outside when it’s freezing and rainy?
7) We never get to make snowmen or snow angels.
8) We can’t ski or skate outdoors. (Hey, it’s Sydney. It doesn’t snow here.)
9) There is nothing quite like the shock of cleaning your teeth in frigid, icy water.
10) Sushi does not make for a warm, nourishing meal. (Which is a damn pity, since it makes for a convenient, yummy one, and the kids love it—in summer.)
11) I desperately miss the heat of the sun warming my skin.
12) It rains altogether too much. (Yes, I know rain is a good thing, especially after years of drought. But day in, day out, rain and cloud can be pretty darn depressing.)
13) Ever tried finding cool activities for the kids in the middle of winter? In a city geared towards beach life and the outdoors, there is not much to do on a cold, rainy day. (Which makes winter school holidays a massive pain in the behind. And yes, school holidays begin on Friday afternoon. AARRRRGGGHHHH!)
14) Early morning swimming lessons with the kids are hell.
15) I cannot understand why my kids will not put on warm clothing when I am cold.

On the other hand, there is nothing quite like snuggling up to a warm , loving body on a cold night. It kind of makes up for most of the hardship of winter.

☺
Jess
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Passion Killers

As a romance writer it’s my job to make sure my books hum with passion and sexual tension. Every line in the book has to resonate with desire and lust and love. Which is why I found myself laughing out loud earlier today as I recalled a couple of incidents from my youth.

Some of you may identify with this post immediately, some may have to stretch your minds back a little to those days before you found your life partner. I’m talking about that continual search for ‘the one’. Or if not ‘the one’ than ‘the one just right for now’. Some of those ‘ones’ I remember with a fond smile, some with a slight blush, and there are those I think about with a shake of my head and a snort of disbelief. Then there are the two I think about with a howl of laughter.

Steve's Story Releases Today!

It’s here. Finally. The 28th of April. Which means the second book in the Circle of Friends Series, Steve’s Story is now available at Samhain.

Circle of Friends is a two part series. Only Tyler, released at Samhain on the 20th of January this year, is the first book. The series revolves around three best friends: Steve Sommers, Katelyn Rosewood and Tyler Bonnard.

STEVE’S STORY:
The Blurb

When love is threatened by truth, every moment counts…

Circle of Friends, Book 2

Steve Sommers is having a gut-wrenching week. His fiancée has left him, the woman who broke his heart is back in town—and they’re all gathered at the bedside of his best friend, who’s in a coma. The emotional ties between them are strained to the breaking point. Like it or not, it’s up to Steve to find the strength and compassion to support the four of them through the toughest ordeal of their lives.

In the midst of the turmoil and trauma, passion unexpectedly flares anew between Steve and the woman he loves. Suddenly the future he’d believed lost lies within his reach. But she still carries the secret that once tore them apart, and determined to protect Steve from the truth, she fights their rekindled relationship every step of the way.

Now the fragile bond they’ve developed hangs in the balance, threatened by a reality that love may not be strong enough to overcome…

Product Warnings:
This book might just make you cry, but it’ll make you smile as well. The story will probably get you all hot and bothered too. It contains naughty activities in the car, sex on the kitchen counter (and up against the wall), a quickie in the garden, a little experimenting with scarves—oh, and some hot loving in the bedroom.

You can get your copy of Steve’s Story right here!

Happy reading

Jess

Jess Dee
Dee-liciously Sexy Romance
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Can friends become lovers... Can lovers remain friends?

The title of the post is my question to you:
Can friends become lovers…Can lovers remain friends?
Perhaps Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal sum it up best in one of my all time favorite movies ever: When Harry Met Sally.

Harry Burns: What I’m saying is – and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form – is that men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.
Sally Albright: That’s not true. I have a number of men friends and there is no sex involved.
Harry Burns: No you don’t.
Sally Albright: Yes I do.
Harry Burns: No you don’t.
Sally Albright: Yes I do.
Harry Burns: You only think you do.
Sally Albright: You say I’m having sex with these men without my knowledge?
Harry Burns: No, what I’m saying is they all WANT to have sex with you.
Sally Albright: They do not.
Harry Burns: Do too.
Sally Albright: They do not.
Harry Burns: Do too.
Sally Albright: How do you know?
Harry Burns: Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.
Sally Albright: So, you’re saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive?
Harry Burns: No. You pretty much want to nail ‘em too.
Sally Albright: What if THEY don’t want to have sex with YOU?
Harry Burns: Doesn’t matter because the sex thing is already out there so the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story.
Sally Albright: Well, I guess we’re not going to be friends then.
Harry Burns: I guess not.
Sally Albright: That’s too bad. You were the only person I knew in New York.

LOL.
What do you think? Can men and women have platonic friendships, or will the sex thing always get in the way. This is the basic premise of my print release, Photo Opportunity.

Can friends become lovers? Can lovers remain friends?

Daniel Tanner’s through with being loved like the proverbial brother. He intends to make his best friend, Amy Morgan, blaze with the same desire he feels for her. The plan? Initiate a series of escapades that will have Amy falling into his arms—and into his bed.

When her trusted buddy suddenly turns up the heat, Amy finds it impossible to resist his sexy advances. But as his best friend, she knows a thing or two about Daniel. While he may be charming and gorgeous, he’s also commitment phobic.

If she trusts her heart to him, she’s sure he’ll leave it—and their friendship—shattered in a million pieces.

Warning: Contains smoking hot love scenes between two best friends who can’t seem to keep their hands off each other.

Photo Opportunity releases in Print on the 31st of March, 2009.

Jess

Famous Love Triangles

After A Question of Trust, from The Menage and More Anthology was released, I put together a list of famous threesomes which I then published on my blog. That was in September last year. I’m still astounded how many daily hits I get on that particular post.

So I thought it only appropriate now that Only Tyler (Book One in the Circle of Friends Series) has been released, I put together a list of famous Love Triangles. (Yep, Only Tyler is about a love triangle. Katie Rosewood is engaged to Steve Sommers, but is in love with his best friend, Tyler Bonnard.)

So, I hit the internet, and these are some of the well known love triangles I discovered:

1) Princess Di, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.
2) Angelina, Brad and Jennifer.
3) Julia Roberts, Danny Moder (her hubby) and Vera Moder (his now ex wife.)
4) Richard Burton (husband), Liz Taylor (wife) and Eddie Fisher (her lover.)
5) Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra and Ava Gardner (his lover, his future wife and his future ex-wife.)
6) Mia Farrow, Woody Allen and Soon Yi-Previn (Mia’s adopted daughter, and Woody’s lover.)
7) Spencer Tracy, Mrs Tracy and Katherine Hepburn (his long term lover)
8) King Arthur, Guenevere and Sir Lancelot
9) Kevin Federline left Shar Jackson for Britney Spears. (Do I sound like a twit admitting I have no idea who Kevin Federline or Shar Jackson are?)

Then I searched for famous TV love triangles. There are lots of them. You just have to think about any of the soap operas to know the list could be endless. Here are the ones that have stuck in mind over the years…

1) Friends: Rachel, Ross and Emily
2) Grey’s Anatomy: Alex, Issy and Denny and Meredith, Derek and Addison
3) Sex in the City: Big, Carrie and Aiden
4) Lost: Sawyer, Kate and Jack
5) Beverley Hills 90210: Kelly, Dylan and Brenda
6) Melrose Place: Amanda, Billy and Alison
7) Ally McBeal: Ally, Billy and Georgia

Can you think of any more? I’d love to see how long we can make the list.

Jess

The Book That Should Never Have Been Written

It’s with a ridiculously large smile on my face that I stand here now and say, “I am thrilled to announce the release of Only Tyler, Book One in the Circle of Friends Series.” I’d be lying if I said that writing this book and having it published was smooth sailing all the way. On the contrary, from the very start I was warned, over and over: Do not write this book! A love triangle, I was cautioned, is not good material for a romance. It’s frowned upon by most readers and publishers. Especially a love triangle in which the woman is in love with her fiancé’s best friend. More than that, infidelity is a no no. How can you possibly justify it to your readers?

I guess I should have listened. I guess I should have put the book aside and worked on something else. But you know what? I couldn’t. Tyler, Katie and Steve kept me up at night, insisting their story be told. And so, against the rest of the world’s better judgment, I wrote the book.

The things we shouldn’t love…but we do…

On Monday my hubby returned home from a 10 day trip to Canada. He’d taken our 4 year old and gone to visit his family. That left me and our 7 year old home alone, while they jet setted around the world. And you know what? I loved every minute of it. Instead of slinking around feeling miserable at being left out of the travel plans, I relished every second. I loved how I got to spend real quality time with my seven year old. I loved how easy school lunch was to make for just one kid. I loved the quiet and stillness of the house after bedtime. I loved the “me” time. I didn’t have to watch hubby’s favorite programs. Or cook big family dinners. (We had take out almost every night.) Washing was a breeze with only half as many dirty clothes, and I could sleep slap bang in the middle of the bed.