Sunday, July 24, 2016

What Are We Afraid Of?

Two young women excitedly approach my booth at a recent Third Thursday event in Joplin, Missouri, giggling as they looked over all of my Damsel in Defense self-defense products. I tried to educate them about their chances of being assaulted over their lifetime and the importance of not being an easy target, but their only fascination with the stun guns, pepper sprays, striking tools, personal alarms, and other items was how much fun it would be to "zap their boyfriends."

A father of three young girls came later, only to say that his girls were 'careful' and he'd 'think about it', as if there were no urgency in teaching them about getting away from strangers or predators or providing them with tools to help do that.

A woman that works the evening shift at a local hospital followed, stating if anything happens to her in the parking lot after work, it would be security's fault...

"The problem is, they don't get it." Kevin, a man with the motorcycle ministry group Spoke N Word SW Missouri Chapter, had been watching me from his presentation area next to mine. "You have good products that could really help them, but they don't realize the danger." And that's when I realized...he's right.

As parents, as a society, we are teaching our women to fear the wrong things. Terrorist attacks, rattlesnakes, sharks, spiders. Look up the probability of being injured by one of those common fears. To put this in perspective, a little more than 2 million people are injured in car accidents in the US each year, which is roughly ONE in ONE HUNDRED SIXTY people. But we always wear our seat belts, and make sure our kids are strapped in, because we consider the risk of injury so great.

HOWEVER,
ONE IN FIVE WOMEN WILL BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED IN THEIR LIFETIME.
ONE IN FOUR GIRLS ARE SEXUALLY MOLESTED AS CHILDREN, AND ONE IN SIX BOYS.
A VIOLENT CRIME HAPPENS IN THE US EVERY 26 SECONDS.


A sexual assault is so much more than physical. It hurts the body, the mind, and the heart of the victim. Forever.

Most of my customers are those that have either been assaulted, or have a loved one who has been and were forced to recognize the dangers that surround them on a daily basis. How I wish they had recognized it before. How I wish they had known the importance of having SOMETHING with them so they weren't perceived as an easy target. How I wish they had been taught, by their parents, by society, by those they look up to and respect.

As my new friend Kevin suggested, women and girls need tools to help them when they are in an uncomfortable position, but first, they have to be afraid of the right things. The real dangers that are all around them. And as parents, as a society, we have to begin recognizing these things and teaching them.

So, what are we afraid of?



From now until the end of the month, I'm donating 10% of everything sold to Spoke N Word Ministries SW Missouri Chapter.
Like their Facebook page here:   Spoke N Word Ministries SWMO Chapter 


Visit my Facebook page to learn more about the products we sell here:  Kelly's Damsel in Defense


Friday, July 15, 2016

Cover Reveal: NOLA Naughty Nine

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NOLA Naughty Nine


Guilty Pleasure. Perfect Sin.

Just 0.99!


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Cover Reveal Synopsis

Bayou Shadows by Erzabet Bishop

Voodoo dreams and buried lies bring Delia to New Orleans. A sexy shifter with secrets of his own might just get her to stay…

Sultry by Amanda Byrnes

Ash is really fuckin' tired of being a virgin. Rory's suddenly got an urge to seduce him. But can their friendship survive?

Sinfully Hot by Tina Donahue

A hotter-than-sin reaper. A badass demon. Hell doesn’t get steamier than this.

Playing with Fire by Margaret Madigan
When Vlad Golakov is sent to New Orleans to find a missing woman, he plans to get the job done quickly, then enjoy the Big Easy. He doesn’t expect to fall in love with the woman-turned-werewolf or teach the pack’s alpha that when you play with fire, you’re bound to get burned.

Creole Corsair by Wren Michaels
Sabine Chauvet needs closure on her family’s past. But when she runs into Jasper Carrington, her old high school crush, the one thing in her past she wasn't searching for finds her instead.
Phenomenal by LeTeisha Newton

We all lose, and it snatches our souls right out our chests. When I lost her, I wanted to destroy the world with the same bloody hands I used to pound my enemies. When I win her back, she won’t get away again. I’ll risk my life for it.

Change of Heart by Liv Rancourt

Preacher always said New Orleans was a den of sin, so of course Clarabelle had to see for herself…

An Evening at Crossroads by Kate Richards

They broke every taboo, an ancient vampire, an exotic shifter on the run sharing gay romance under the roof of the newest and most daring club in New Orleans

Lion of Frenchman Street by Teresa Noelle Roberts

When saxophonist Peter Lyons invites New Orleans newcomer Kelsey into his world of jazz and kinky sex, his dominance ignites her body and his music speaks to her soul. But Peter’s hiding old pain and when Kelsey’s offered a job out of town, everything goes out of tune.

Cover Reveal Buy links

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NOLA Teaser Image 3 1000x1000 Sexy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO2L1efPVZs
Cover Reveal Meet Naughty
Tina Donahue Picture - Color.jpgTina is an Amazon and international bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly,Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic novels (Freeing the Beast, Come and Get Your Love, and Wicked Takeover) were Readers' Choice Award winners. Another three (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep, Dark, Delicious) were named finalists in the EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic contemporary romance, was chosen Book of the Year at the French review site Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. Two of her titles (The Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. Take Me Away and Adored both won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different years). Tina is featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.
DSC_2232.jpgWren hails from the frozen tundra of Wisconsin where beer and cheese are their own food groups. But a cowboy swept her off her feet and carried her below the Mason-Dixon line to Texas, where she promptly lost all tolerance for cold and snow. Fueled by coffee, dreams, and men in kilts, Wren promises to bring you laughter, sexy fun time, and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The easiest way to her heart is anything to do with the Green Bay Packers, Doctor Who, or Joss Whedon.
 
Teresa Noelle Roberts 72 dpi for WEB-14.jpgTeresa Noelle Roberts started writing stories in kindergarten and she hasn’t stopped yet. A prolific author of short erotica, she’s also a published poet and fantasy writer—but BDSM-spiced contemporaries, hot paranormals, and sexy science fiction romances have become her favorite things to write.
She shares her Massachusetts home with her husband, a Leo in law enforcement, and three cats. She and her husband would visit New Orleans all the time if she could get the dang teleporter to work.
 
selfie with roses.jpgI write romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire … or sometimes demon … I lean more towards funny than angst. When I’m not writing I take care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. My husband is a soul of patience, my dog’s cuteness is legendary, and we share the homestead with three ferrets. Who steal things. Because they’re brats.
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So I think this is the part where I’m supposed to say something super cool, win you over, and make you my life-long superfan…OR wait, is that how I am about my anime collection?
Probably.
Basically, I’m an author, blogger, geek, and villain lover (Joker IS MINE!). There shouldn’t be any surprise then that I tend to love my heroes a bit broken, all messed up, and in need of someone who understands them just the way they are.
Hell, my heroines are right there with them. You see, love is nice, it’s sweet. It can be all rainbows and glowing stars. And then it can be dark, twisted, hurtful, and feel so damn good you have to scream about it. So I write like that. From one side of the spectrum to the other, because that’s real. That’s life. And that’s what we crave–delving into a fantasy world or not.
Erzabetflowery.jpgErzabet Bishop is an award-winning and bestselling author who loves to write naughty stories. She is the author of Lipstick, Crave, Snow (Three Times More Lucky Box Set), Malediction (upcoming-A Wicked Halloween Box Set), Map of Bones (upcoming-A Wicked Affair Box Set), Sanguine Shadows (Vampire Bites Box Set), The Science of Lust, Wicked for You, Heart’s Protector, Burning for You, Red Hot (upcoming), Bayou Shadows (upcoming-Nola Naughty Nine) Hedging Her Bets (Alpha Fever Box Set), Cat’s Got Her Tongue (Alpha Heat Box Set), Arcane Imaginarium: Spirit Board, Holidays in Hell, Mallory’s Mark (upcoming),The Devil’s Due (upcoming), Charity Benshaw’s Enchanted Paddle Emporium (upcoming), Sigil Fire, Glitter Lust (upcoming), Written on Skin, Club Beam, Pomegranate, A Red Dress for Christmas, The Black Magic Café, Fantasies in Red, Sweet Seductions, Holiday Cruise, Fetish Fair, Temptation Resorts: Jess, Temptation Resorts: Marnie, Taming the Beast, The Erotic Pagans Series: Beltane Fires, Samhain Shadows and Yuletide Temptation along with being a contributor to many anthologies. She lives in Texas with her husband, furry children and can often be found lurking in local bookstores. She loves to bake, make naughty crochet projects and watch monster movies.
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When she’s not plotting ways to sneak her latest shoe purchase past her partner, Amanda writes sexy, snarky romance and urban fantasy. She likes her heroines smart and unafraid to make mistakes, and her heroes strong enough to take them on.
If she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking hot chocolate, and trying not to destroy her house with her newest DIY project. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and no, it really doesn’t rain that much.
I write a variety of different kinds of romance for Entangled Publishing, Evernight Publishing, and M&M Publishing. I'm an Oregon Ducks fan. I'm a donut and pastry addict (pretty much any carbs, really). I like cats. I'm terrified of balloons. When I'm not writing you'll find me in a college classroom teaching English, and of course, wrangling my family.
Kate at WWW 2016 (1)Kate Richards divides her time between Los Angeles and the High Sierras. She would gladly spend all her days in the mountains, but she’d miss the beach…and her very supportive husband’s commute would be three hundred miles. Wherever she is, she loves to explore all different kinds of relationships in her stories. She doesn’t believe one-size-fits-all, and whether her characters live BDSM, ménage, GLBT, spanking, or any other kind of lifestyle, it’s the love, the joy in one another, that counts.
Cover Reveal Connect


TINA DONAHUE


WREN MICHAELS


TERESA NOELLE ROBERTS


LIV RANCOURT


LETEISHA NEWTON


ERZABET BISHOP


AMANDA BYRNE


MARGARET MADIGAN


KATE RICHARDS
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Monday, July 11, 2016

New Release: Irresistible by Tara Vasser



BUY LINKS

AMAZON US

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AMAZON AU

AMAZON CA

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KOBO




SYNOPSIS


The opportunity of a lifetime…
With the chance to jumpstart her archaeology career, Nora embarks on a trip to Italy, where she unearths more than she bargained for.

An insatiable thirst for revenge…
Endre, an 1100-year-old Vampire, is hell-bent on ridding the world of Lorenzo—the “friend” who betrayed him and left him in a grave for the better part of a century.

When Nora is forced to accompany Endre to Paris on his quest for vengeance, she is thrust into his dark and forbidden world and finds herself drawn to the irresistible monster—even at the cost of losing herself along the way.

In a tale of deception, desire, and vindication, Irresistible will have readers gripping their nails as they dive into the bloodthirsty lives of Endre and Nora.



Cover Design by: Laura Hidalgo at Beyond DEF

Edited by:  C. Streetlights and Tiffany Fox at Beyond DEF 

Formatted by:  Deena Rae at EbookBuilders and Beyond DEF

Special Pre-Order Price $.99!!

AMAZON US

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AMAZON CA




Special Pre-Order Price $.99!!

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

AMAZON AU

AMAZON CA



Special Pre-Order Price $.99!!

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

AMAZON AU

AMAZON CA


KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY




ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Tara Vasser is a wickedly talented dark romance author who lives in the frozen north in Minnesota with her wonderful husband and two rambunctious little dudes. She is an engineer during the day, a crazy mom in the afternoon, and a writer at night. She enjoys spending her time playing in the dirt when her gardens aren’t covered in snow and listening to a wide variety of music that inspires her writing—sometimes doing both at the same time.    









Monday, July 4, 2016

"Hot" Flash Fiction for Independence Day #Veterans #IndependenceDay

I wrote this piece of flash fiction several years ago, but it's a wonderful reminder that not all of our veterans respond positively to fireworks. Please be considerate as you enjoy Independence Day.
 



HOT

I pointed at the man with a hand covered in the sticky blue syrup of a melted sno-cone. I remember it was hot. It's always hot.

"He's talking to himself," I said. Mother pulled me closer.

"Turn around. Watch the fireworks." She looked at the man sitting on the sidewalk. Torn clothes hung loose on his small frame, his hair was matted. He leaned against a large duffel type bag, his legs splayed in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest. She handed me a plastic flag on a cheap wooden stick.

A burst of red and green exploded in the air then dripped down the black canvas of sky before fading into gray trails. It was followed by another boom, then another, then another. Mother sang along to America the Beautiful. I waved my flag and turned again to look at the man behind me. He had drawn his legs to his chest, clutching his knees, and rocked back and forth.
  
"He's still talking to himself," I whispered to Mother.

"What? The fireworks are this way." She put one hand on top of my head, rotating it in the direction of the display. "I don't know why they don't clear those people out before," she whispered to a woman beside her that she did not know. Both women shook their heads and turned back to the celebration.
Several stolen glances between bursts, the man's body jerked with each discharge. By the end of the display, he had his hands clasped over his ears, his eyes tightly shut. I moved my mouth in sync with him, trying to discover what he was saying. 'ah. ah.' Hot?

It's always hot. A thin, cotton bandana protects my face from the sand. My arms are crossed over my head. Mother's hand. Look the other way. I hear gunfire, followed by a boom, then another, then another. The ground shakes beneath me. 

I move my lips and recognize the familiarity of the motion.

Stop. He had said. Make it stop.