by Mlissa | Apr 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
Emotion. It’s something some of us experience deeply and something some of us bury so deep… Some of us want to feel everything and some of us don’t want to feel anything. Emotion encompasses, good and bad, love and pain, hurt and anger, sadness and joy, boredom and excitement.
But when we think of emotional scenes in books, we often picture the deepfelt, heart wrenching scenes of love or hurt.
I know for me, Cheryl Holt and Lisa Kleypas are amazing at these kinds of emotional scenes. There’s a scene in Lisa Kleypas’ Suddenly You that breaks my heart every time I read it and it’s one book that the pages are worn thin from so much re-reading. The same for nearly any of Cheryl Holt’s books. The sex in her books isn’t scorching, but the emotion to me has been WOW…
That’s one of the things I want to learn to create in my books. That soul searing emotion, the kind that grips your gut and twists and holds tight and makes you feel it…
Snippet:
Caroline watched out the driverâs side mirror as Buck walked around the back of the trailer. He was checking the locks one more time to make sure they were secure. She was tired, and her eyes were gritty. Sheâd cried some before she went to sleep then cried again when he made love to her early this morning.
She was a damn basket case, worse than she ever figured sheâd be. But Buck was solid. His lip hadnât even quivered. He didnât tell her not to go. He didnât ask to come with her. He didnât even say heâd call, write or send up a flare.
He didnât want things to end either, though. It was in the way he touched her, the way he kissed her, the way he looked at her when he thought she didnât know. They were both grownups. They could do this. People moved and separated all the time even when they cared for one another. AndâŚif she kept telling herself that, she might actually start to believe it by the time she reached Atlanta.
âEverything looks good. Got the keys?â
He stood at the window. She wanted to reach out and touch him but didnât dare. âYeah. In my pocket.â
âOkay then, Iâd say youâre all set. Take care with the turns.â
Theyâd had this discussion before that sheâd never towed anything on the back of a vehicle. âI will. Iâll be fine, Buck.â
âI know you will. I would say call me when you get thereâŚâ
âI donât know if I can.â
He nodded. She knew he understood and that it didnât make things any easier. âBe careful.â
It was her turn to nod as she cranked her Jeep and put it in drive. It was awkward, this feeling of something being unfinished. She wasnât used to it and didnât like it. Not one bit. There was more to say, more to do, oh hell lots more to do, butâŚ
âYou need to get on the road. You donât want to hit Atlanta anytime between now and eight tonight.â
He was trying to make a joke, and she did manage a smile that didnât seem forced. Not to mention, Atlanta was hell on traffic. She dreaded going up I-75 anywhere near the large city. Come to think of it, I-75 sucked no matter if you were near Tampa or Valdosta or Atlanta. There was construction at every mile marker it seemed and dumbass drivers that didnât know they werenât supposed to brake on the interstate. Hence, the lack of traffic lights and stop signs.
Thank you was on the tip of her tongue, but it wasnât enough to convey what heâd brought to her life in the months sheâd known him. He saved her from that too with his next words.
âItâs okay, Caroline. Nothing needs to be said.â
He stepped back and hooked his thumbs in his waistband. She drove out of the driveway and turned at the street just as she had for the last twenty years. Only difference was she wouldnât be coming back. On the upside, she was getting exactly what sheâd wanted all along after her divorce. On the downside, sheâd met Buck in the midst of it all and the large stone sitting in the middle of her chest making it hard to breathe reminded her of something more she wanted but hadnât dared hope for. A second chance at love, kinky love, hot and delicious in blue jeans.
Her heart skipped a beat when her cell phone rang. It wasnât him.
End Snippet
Now, it’s time for you to hop around on this Easter weekend to the following blogs for more emotional scenes and snippets.
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
Rhian Cahill
Eliza Gayle
Mandy M Roth
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Leah Braemel
Shiloh Walker
TJ Michaels
Lauren Dane
Have a great day!
~lissa
by Mlissa | Apr 5, 2012 | In the kitchen with...
Jane is the resident candy maker around here. She makes truffles. Dark chocolate truffles infused with peppers. She was looking for a hobby when she signed up for a candy making class, but ended up with a new best friend, Edward, and a new business.
You might remember Jane. Her book was called Sugar Rush. She had a really hot affair with a really hot Cowboy Surfer by the name of Graham. Well, the title has been changed back to its original, Melting Jane and it’s being revised for re-release.
Being that it’s the week of Easter, and being that I’ve been working on Jane’s book this week, she kind of put it into my head that we should share a truffle recipe with you. But, I’m going to do one better and share two.
First, Chocolate Chili Almond Truffles from The Spice House
Ingredients
1 Pound Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
2 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons Corn syrup
1 teaspoon Arrowroot
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoons New Mexican Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract
1/2 Cup Heavy whipping Cream
4 Tablespoons Dutch Cocoa Powder
1/4 Cup Toasted almonds
Serves / Yields
about 3 dozen truffles
Preparation Instructions
Take 9 ounces of the chocolate and chop it into small pieces. Place in a bowl with the butter, corn syrup, arrowroot, baking soda, chili powder and extract. In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil, and slowly pour over the chocolate mixture, stirring constantly until all the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Chill the chocolate overnight (or in the freezer for a few hours) until it is the consistency of a thick frosting.
Cut the remaining chocolate into small pieces and melt it over a double boiler. While this is melting, scoop the refrigerated chocolate mixture into little balls and roll until even. Quickly dip the balls into the melted chocolate to coat, and return to the refrigerator.
Place the dutched cocoa and almonds in a food processor and pulse together until blended. Remove truffles from the fridge and roll in the cocoa-almond mix.
Helpful Hints
Chocolate melts if manhandled too much, so if it’s taking a long time to prepare, work with only part chocolate at a time. Keep the remainder cold in the fridge.
(I love chili spiced truffles. They are rich and the kick of chili… Delicious!)
I think sometimes I view the chili truffles as a grown up candy, so I thought I’d sneak in a yummy truffle treat you could make for anyone. It’s easy and oh my goodness… They are so good. My daughter and her friends made two batches of these a couple of weeks ago and sold them all. With the profits, they all went to the zoo. Loved their ingenuity!

Second, Easy Oreo Truffles from Kraft Recipes
What You Need
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (15.5 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided
2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
Make It
MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.
SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
Kraft Kitchens Tips
How to Melt Chocolate: Place unwrapped chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 sec.
How to Easily Dip Truffles: To easily coat truffles with the melted chocolate, add truffles, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll truffles in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove truffles with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place truffles on prepared baking sheet; let stand until firm.
How to Store: Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Give some thought to homemade candy for Easter this year. I am… And be on the look out for Melting Jane’s cover and re-release in the next few weeks.
~lissa
P.S. Don’t tell Jane I shared another truffle with you. She might get a bit peeved… đ
by Mlissa | Mar 24, 2012 | Uncategorized
Bad Boys. At Night. Oh. My.
I have a few of those. Vinter. Dallon. Jaz. And readers LOVE bad boys…
Snippet: Simple Need
Vinter grinned again. He couldnât help it. Heâd watched her from the moment she walked in, to the moment she sat down at the bar, to the moment he couldnât stand it any longer and he got up to sit next to her. Heâd never seen her before, and while the bar attracted all sorts, the buttoned-up type of woman usually wasnât it. Heâd had innocent intentions from the get-go. He only wanted to say hello, talk to her for a few minutes, give her a friendly ear, listen to whatever her story was, because often people went to a bar for the first time because they didnât know where else to go. They wanted to get lost in a place no one would know them and some would open up in that safe environment of anonymity.
Vinter wanted to know what had brought her into his bar, and getting her into bed had been the farthest thing from his mind. However, the second he sat next to her and she turned those big emerald eyes on him, heâd been a goner.
Lust flared in the green depths when she looked at him, and his gut twisted into a knot that slid down to his nuts and tugged hard. She tried to bank it, to mask it, but it remained steady as her eyes traveled up and down his body, lingering on the tats on his arms, zeroing in on his mouth. Hers went slack and her tongue slid out to lick her lips. He would have kissed her but he had the feeling the moment his mouth touched hers theyâd be on the bar making out with him trying to get them both naked. Not that he would care.
âWhatâs your name?â
âDoes it matter?â
Does it matter? Of course to hell it mattered. How was he supposed to whisper it in her ear as he pounded her ass if he didnât know it? âYes.â
âReally? Why? This is just about sex. Names donât figure into it.â
Was she serious? It might start out as just being about sex, but he had a feeling that it wouldnât end that way. âTrust me, names do figure into it. Maybe not tonight or even tomorrow, but by the end of the weekend, names will be figuring into it a lot.â When she stood there with her lips compressed into a thin line and her eyes looking everywhere but at him, he relented. Only for the time being, though. âVery well. You donât have to tell me yours. Yet. However, mine is Vinter.â
Her eyes snapped up to meet his. He read relief there that he wasnât going to press the issue. âThank you. I just think names are a complication this kind of thing doesnât need.â
âThis kind of thing? Just what do you think this is?â
âYou know, one night.â
âHuh.â He nodded once, though he completely disagreed and slid off the barstool, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him. She stopped short and had he not been paying attention, heâd have bumped right into her. As it was, he was able to catch himself just a hairsbreadth from her. When she turned around, her nose brushed his chest and she ended up being the one to stumble back in surprise. He caught her around the back of the neck only to haul her into his body.
Her breath came out on in a whoosh. âTh-the drink. Are you sure?â she panted out, her gaze locked in the center of his chest.
âIâm sure.â Vinter breathed in deep, the warm scents of fruit and spice wrapping around him. She looked up, questions in her eyes, and he smiled. âI own part of the house.â
âOh. Okay then.â
She gave him a short, crisp nod and maneuvered out of his hold and out the door. He ignored the laughter ringing out behind him from the bartender and followed her outside into the cool night air.
She was on him in a second. The force of her launching herself at him pressed him back against the wall of the building as she pulled his mouth down to hers. Maybe she wasnât as buttoned down as heâd first thought.
Her kiss was hungry and desperate. He hated that sheâd been driven to need what he could give, but at the same time, heâd give it all and then some, grateful that he had what she needed. He was suddenly very glad that heâd stopped at the bar on his way home.
Snippet – Carnal Ecstasy
Dallon wiped down the bar for what seemed the hundredth time. Damn. Was the night ever going to end? He didnât want to be there. It was that simple, but what he couldnât figure out was why. He loved the bar, loved being in the bar, loved owning his third of the bar. It was his home, his safe haven, but tonight he just couldnât muster up the love for it.
Tossing the rag in the sink, he knew exactly why he was so restless. Carrie. The woman heâd met at the grocery store earlier in the day. Heâd walked out, carrying his purchases and stopped dead when he heard her voice as she talked on the phone and just stared at her. Dressed conservatively in a knee-length skirt that hugged her hips and a blindingly white, stiffly starched button-down shirt, he couldnât take his eyes off her. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and all he wanted to do was pull it. Heâd wanted her on her knees right then and there, sucking the hell out of his dick while he held his bags of pretzels and cans of peanuts in one hand and pulled on that ponytail with the other. And here hours later, he wanted her still, naked on the bar, with her legs over his shoulders while he ate at her pussy. He wanted her and the innocence in her eyes so much he hurt.
They spoke briefly when sheâd approached him and asked for directions to her new job. Sheâd explained that she was new in town, knew how to find her way from her apartment to where she would be working, but that sheâd gotten all turned around while running errands and was lost. As she talked, all he could see in his mind was his ass burning in hell for the outrageously impure thoughts he was having about her mouth, her tits inside a bra he figured was serviceable and not at all sexy, and the holy land between her thighs. Heâd had virgins and innocents before, and at times loved being the one to pop cherries. But this particular cherry was not going to be picked by him because she worked at the one place in town he swore never to associate with again, and that included the people there. She was off limits.
What a goddamn fucking shame too.
Sheâd asked his name and had willingly given hers, something he could have gone without knowing because now he knew what to call out when he came later. And that was just going to make it worse. Her name on his lips, in his mind.
Dallon looked up at the clock. Thirty minutes and he could close everything down for the night. He could lock up and head upstairs, jack off to the memory of her sweet, soft self. It was probably a good thing he didnât know where she lived or thatâs where heâd be going. He didnât think someone like her would venture into a bar, so he was safe there too, even though sheâd asked where he worked and if it was likely sheâd be seeing him again, how it would be nice to have at least one friend.
Heâd cursed himself for telling her where the bar was at the same moment he was giving her those directions too. Resisting temptation had never been his strong suit and damned if he wasnât tempted from head to toe by her lush body and sweet voice and dark, melted chocolate eyes.
âHello, Dallon.â
His head shot up and his gaze landed on her. âWhat the hell are you doing here?â he barked.
Her eyes widened at his harsh tone and the question heâd carelessly thrown out at her. He hadnât meant to, but he was too close to the edge. He couldnât remember the last time he wanted someone so much. âIâm sorry, I didnât mean it that way, I justâŚâ
She smiled and walked closer to the bar and to him, undeterred. God help him. He flinched inwardly at his choice of word. âItâs okay. Iâm sure weâre both equally surprised.â
She was so pretty, so downy and pure. He wanted to defile every inch of her flesh until nothing could ever erase the memory of him from her skin. He wanted so much but he fucking needed her to leave. âYou shouldnât be here, Carrie.â Literally, the man or woman upstairs needed to send a bolt of lightning south and strike him dead for the thoughts he was having about this woman.
âWhy not? This is a bar and I want a drink.â She sat down on a barstool directly across from him and linked her fingers on top of the dark, scarred wood.
He sighed. Why not? Oh, because the kind of things he wanted to do to her would ruin him for any other woman. And heâd bet sheâd never had a drop of alcohol before. âYou do, huh? Anything in particular?â Thereâs no way heâd give her just anything. He didnât want her throwing up.
âMaybe a beer? One of those kinds with lime. You know, from the commercials of the couple on the beach. I like lime.â
Right. Beer wasnât a bad choice. He personally couldnât stand the stuff, but it was milder than a whiskey or tequila or rum. He dug around in the ice chest to his right for a Corona, popped the top off with the bottle opener and placed it on a cardboard coaster in front of her. âTake it slow. Donât take a big swallow at first.â
She nodded and picked up the bottle and inhaled. It was the cutest thing how her nose wrinkled. She tentatively put the beer to her mouth, and just before she wrapped her lips around the opening, she looked up at him and lowered it slightly. âDo you like beer?â
Should he be honest or should he tell a little white lie? âYes, every now and then.â What could the fib hurt? Whether he drank beer or not didnât matter. What did matter was her feeling as if she werenât completely alone in this.
âOkay.â
When she wrapped her mouth around the lip of the bottle and tilted it up, letting some of the smooth, golden liquid flow across her tongue, Dallon fought back a groan. She swallowed, and as he watched her throat working, all he could think of was her mouth wrapped around his dick and her swallowing his come. âWhat do you think?â
She took another small sip then a bigger sip, and then set the bottle back down on the coaster. âItâs hard to describe. Itâs not really a pleasant taste but itâs not a bad one either.â She smiled. âI think I like it. How much do I owe you?â
âYou donât. Itâs on the house.â
âOh no, I couldnât accept that,â she said, and reached into her purse.
Dallon reached across the bar and stayed her hand. The contact was sizzling hot. âYes, you can accept it. Itâs on the house,â he said again. He didnât want to let go of her wrist, but he did. It was time for her to go, time for him to lock up and forget heâd ever met her. He liked being single, unencumbered. He liked one-night stands and no morning-after awkwardness. If he had her once, heâd have her again and again. Not good for his peace of mind and his carefree existence. âI need to close up.â
He didnât know what else he should say, but she didnât respond. She was looking around the bar, turning full circle on the stool. When she faced him again, she picked up the bottle and took another swallow. Damn, but she had a pretty mouth.
âI donât want to leave.â
Shit. Donât say anything. Not a word. Not a single solitary word. âYou should.â
She raised her eyes to look him square in his, a silent challenge reflected there. âWhy?â
Dammit. He planted his hands on the edge of the bar and leaned toward her until he could smell the beer on her breath. âBecause you donât know who I am and you donât know what fire youâre playing with.â
She licked at her lips. He wasnât even sure she knew she did it. âW-who are you?â
No sense lying about it or anything else now. âThe devil himself.â
Snippet – Ink Spots
âDid she tell you why I couldnât be there for her?â
âYes.â
And she took that moment, that one serious moment to use that tongue of hers on her fork. It snaked out and licked at a drop of the liquid sugar before it could drip back onto the plate. His dick ached painfully under the table. He had to force himself not to reach down and adjust himself. The damn woman was hell on him.
âIt doesnât bother you?â he managed to croak out.
âWhat? That you were in jail for a bit? No. Should it?â
She just kept licking syrup from the tines. Heaven help him. She dipped the fork in the syrup on her plate then lifted it to her mouth and slowly licked at it, front and back, repeating the process a few more times, making it really difficult to resist the urge to pull her across the table and shove his cock to the back of her throat. âYou need to stop that.â
Wide eyes flew up to lock with his gaze and that damnedable blush was back. She took one more long, slow lick of the piece of silverware before putting it down. The tip of her tongue took a swipe of her lower lip before retreating back behind her teeth.
âSorry.â
She didnât look one bit contrite, so he wasnât sure he believed her on that. âHow many candles?â There, he was changing the subject to something very, very safe.
âItâs not polite to ask a woman her age.â
âI didnât. I asked how many candles. You could say one, two, thirty.â
âUh-huh.â She smirked and he winked. âForty.â
âYouâre shittinâ me.â
âNo.â
âYou donât look a day over thirty. Not that Iâve ever been good with guessing peopleâs ages, but you donât look any older than me.â
âHow old are you?â
âThirty-five.â
âWell, Iâm not too much older than you and Jackie is my age.â
âI know, but she doesnât look it either, and if I had to guess her age, I wouldnât think sheâs forty.â
âForty is the new thirty, you know.â
âAge really doesnât mean a whole lot to me.â
âWhat does? And if age doesnât mean anything to you, whyâd you ask?â
âSo, Iâd know how many birthday swats you get. And at the moment? You. You naked means a whole hell of a lot to me.â
The last blush hadnât completely faded before another took its place, and he couldnât stop himself. He pushed his plate then hers out of the way and leaned across the table. His intent was to give her a small kiss, but the second his lips touched hers, his tongue was inside her mouth, tasting sweetness that had him on the brink of a whole lot of improper public displays of affection.
When he pulled back, her eyes were dilated and her pulse was visibly throbbing in her neck. Reluctantly he nudged her back down and he sat, both frustrated and pleased with himself at the reactions he could cause in her. âCanât very well do that here in the pancake place though.â
âThen I guess we need to go.â
Her words caused his dick to jerk in his jeans and Jaz couldnât blame it for wanting at her as soon as possible. He looked around the very busy and full-for-one-thirty-in-the-morning restaurant and lifted his hand when he spotted their waitress. She nodded and would eventually make her way over to them.
Mandi picked up her fork again and was drawing designs in the syrup with it. He could think of a lot of things he would like to do with the syrup and her body. He cleared his throat and took a sip of his water. For not even trying, the woman had him so horny, so damn ready to fuck on the table. He couldnât remember the last time a woman had made him feel that way.
Every time he saw her at Katz, he was ready to throw down and fuck her. Right now, in the middle of a family restaurant, was no different. There werenât really any families to speak of at the moment, but⌠Even he didnât know what it was about her that had him so tied up in knots, but that was quite all right with him. He didnât need to know. He just needed to make sure she never forgot him, never forgot anything he did to her earlier, or would do to her later. He wanted to imprint himself on her body, on her mind, eventually on her heart.
âYou really donât care about age?â
âNope. Itâs just a number.â
âGood. I have a confession to make then.â
âIâm all ears.â
âIâve been crushing on you since my first night at Katz. I argued with Jackie when she wanted to seat you and your friends at one of my tables.â
âWhy were you arguing?â
âLust at first sight, I think. I donât know. I saw you walk in behind Vinter and Dallon andâŚâ She shook her head and looked away. Hell if he wasnât going to make her finish that statement.
âAnd?â
âI canât say it.â
âOh yes you can. Spill it.â
âNo, I canât.â
He couldnât tell if she was just being a tease or if she really was embarrassed because she still wasnât looking at him. âWhat do you want to do after we leave here?â
That got her attention. She turned back to him. âUmmmâŚyou.â
âGood. I wanna do you too. But weâre not leaving here until you tell me what comes after the âandâ.â
Her mouth dropped open for a split second before she closed it. âThatâs not nice.â
âI didnât say anything about nice.â
âYou make me wetter than any man Iâve ever known.â
âIs that whatââ
âYes. I creamed my panties when I saw you. Felt them get all wet as I watched you looking around. Every other guy paled in comparison. I told Jackie I couldnât wait on you. That I couldnât talk to you. She just smiled and said she understood.â
âSo she was matchmaking from the very beginning.â
âYes.â
âWe need to go. Now.â And lucky for them, their waitress chose that moment to stop and drop off the check. Jaz didnât hesitate in picking it up. He tossed a few bills down for the tip and held his hand out for Mandi. When she took it, he pulled her up against him. âAnd weâre even too.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âYou give me more hard-ons than any woman Iâve ever known.â



I just couldn’t resist. Now, once you’ve fanned yourself, head off to enjoy snippets from the following awesome authors.
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
Rhian Cahill
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Mandy M Roth
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Leah Braemel
Shiloh Walker
TJ Michaels
ZoĂŤ Archer
~lissa