Interesting Facts about Canada... Plus a #Giveaway!! #KaceyHammell

On Friday evening, my son came home all excited about some of the interesting things about Canada he didn’t know…and was THRILLED to tell me that there are NO snakes on the island of Newfoundland. LOL He knows the way to my heart, and I think I should consider moving there.

But I digress a bit, that’s a whole different blog! LOL

So I thought I would share a few of the interesting facts he was excited to tell me about.

And I’m offering up an EBOOK copy of 69 Mustang to anyone who comments below. Winner drawn on Wednesday of this week.

So, here's the facts:

>> Canada’s name comes from a misunderstanding between Jacques Cartier and some Iroquois youth who were pointing out a village (for which they used the word “Kanata”). They were actually trying to identify the small area which is present day Quebec City, but Cartier used the similar-sounding word “Canada” to refer to the whole area.

>> The Stanley Cup has its own bodyguard!
  
>> The Narcisse Snake Dens in Manitoba have more snakes in a concentrated area than anywhere else in the world. Tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes gather there every year.

>> There are no snakes on the island of Newfoundland.

>> Canada officially got its own national flag on February 15, 1965 — almost 100 years after it became a country (in 1867).

>> In 1962, Pincher Creek, Alberta experienced the fastest, biggest temperature change ever recorded in Canada as a result of a Chinook--a warm, dry wind that comes off the Rocky Mountains. The temperature rose from -19C to 22C in just one hour.
 
>> Forget the Loch Ness Monster: Canada has its own mysterious lake creature, Ogopogo, who reportedly lives in Lake Okanagan, British Columbia.

>> If you visit Dawson City, Yukon, you can join the “Sourtoe Cocktail Club” — all you have to do is finish a drink (of anything!) with a real human toe in the bottom. The club’s motto says, “You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow — but the lips have gotta touch the toe.”

>> Between 1984 and 2008, it was illegal to sell pop in cans in PEI. All carbonated drinks had to be purchased in refillable glass bottles. PEI was the only place in North America to have a “can ban.”

 
And remember to share your thoughts/a comment below, and be entered to win an Ebook copy of 69 Mustang, which is set in my hometown. *g*

Until next time,

Canadians in Space & a New Release from Jessica E. Subject #scifirom

If you've read any of my books, you know I love science fiction romance. I write about aliens on Earth, but also about traveling through space. And although not as well known as NASA, Canada does have the Canadian Space Agency where Canadians with enough experience can be selected to become an astronaut and train for upcoming missions.

Some of the Canadian astronauts include:

Roberta Bondar (Sault Ste Marie, Ontario)
She was 1 of 6 Canadian astronauts selected in 1983 to begin astronaut training.
In 1992, she flew on Space Shuttle Discovery as the Prime Payload Specialist for the first International Microgravity Laboratory Mission.

Marc Garneau (Quebec City, Quebec)
Also 1 of 6 Canadian astronauts selected in 1983 to begin astronaut training.
He was the first Canadian astronaut to fly as a Payload Specialist (1984) and he also served time as the President of the Canadian Space Agency.

Julie Payette (Montreal, Quebec)
She flew on Space Shuttle Discovery in 1999 as part of the crew that performed the first manual docking to the International Space Station, delivering four tons of supplies. As part of this mission, she was the first Canadian to participate in an ISS assembly mission and the first Canadian to board the ISS.

Chris Hadfield (Sarnia/Milton, Ontario)
Perhaps the most famous Canadian astronaut to date, he brought the world to the International Space Station through social media, and made space even cooler. He was selected to join the Canadian Space Agency in 1992 and sent to NASA Johnson Space Center the same year for training. His first space flight occured in 1995. He is the only Canadian to ever board the MIR space station, and in 2013, he was the first Canadian to command a spaceship as Commander of the International Space Station.





With my new release, HIS ALIEN VIRGIN, space travel is much easier. The story starts on a foreign planet, before being set on Earth.

His Alien Virgin

A 1Night Stand story

New Adult Erotic Sci-Fi Romance

ISBN: 978-1-61333-680-9

She is desperately seeking freedom...

On the eve before her twenty-first birthday, Skylar steals a ship and escapes from the planet Rebed. She refuses to be another wife for the slimy space pirate that is her betrothed. After hearing of her brothers’ success, she applies to the 1Night Stand service on her way to Earth, hoping Madame Eve can find her a hero, to make her feel special, even if for only one night.

He is trying to fit in...

A longtime friend to Skylar’s brothers, he’s always relegated her to the look and don’t touch category. Though, Daran traveled to Earth years ago, he still struggles to fit in on the planet. When his boss suggests a blind date, he reluctantly agrees. What would happen if anyone found out about his alien ancestry?

And they are not at all meant to be together...

Has Madame Eve made a huge mistake, or will Daran tread into forbidden territory to be with the one woman he’s always wanted, and become the hero Skylar craves?

Available from:

Amazon US / UK / Canada | All Romance | Decadent Publishing

Until next time,

Post-Catastrophe Canadian series

Happy Spring everyone!!

Before we begin, I have to say Spring is on the way here in Canada! I am seeing robins, red-winged blackbirds and also some cardinals. It's about time, yes?

If you enjoy such shows as Revolution and the Walking Dead, you might like my post-catastrophe series “The Desperadoes”, a m/f/m/m erotic romance ménage series that takes place near and in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.  

I based this series on a movie I saw long time ago “Where Have All The People Gone” (a very cool movie) starring Peter Graves where solar flares have disintegrated much of the world’s population.

 

I used that idea for The Desperadoes. Aside from solar flares killing most of the people, the flares have also wiped out all electrical grids. Only the strong survive. Many people know that large towns and cities are dangerous places where desperate people will kill and eat you...yes, everyone is hungry...because not only is their no electricity, the earth’s temperature has dropped to the point where it is always cold and it is very hard to grow food outdoors.

Many survivors have taken to hiding in the countryside, the foothills of the Rocky Mountains as well as the Rockies themselves.

Some women are doing things they never thought they would ever have to do in order to survive. Teyla Sutton is one of those women and The Pleasure Girl is her story.

Here’s a peek at The Pleasure Girl (Siren-Bookstrand Publication)

[Ménage Amour: Erotic Futuristic Ménage a Quatre Cowboy Romance, M/F/M/M, light bondage, spanking, sex toys]

A fiery eruption of solar flares disintegrates most of Earth’s human population, frying electrical grids around the world and thrusting everyone into a cold, harsh land where only the strong survive.

Forced to become a pleasure girl in order to survive, Teyla Sutton reluctantly agrees to service dangerous desperado Logan Leigh and his two friends. White-hot pleasure becomes addictive beneath Logan’s tender touches and his hard, muscular body.

What Teyla never expected was to fall in love.

Logan knows he shouldn’t allow the Pleasure Girl into his heart, but he also knows it’s too late because she’s already there.

Soon three desperadoes are whisking Teyla away on an exquisite journey into her hottest dreams and forbidden desires. When she learns they are members of the notorious Durango Gang, can she allow them into her life, or will she send them away forever?

Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among the men.

 Siren | iTunes | Nook | Nook UK | Kobo | Google Play |

 Kindle: US | UK| Australia | Canada | Germany | Italy | Spain| France| Japan | Mexico | Brazil | India

Paperback: Amazon CN, Amazon US, B&N or check your own country's Amazon for a print copy.

Next time we’ll take a look at the next story in The Desperadoes series – In Her Bed.

Author note:  I must admit, I do have quite the vivid imagination...sometimes it borders on...shall we say...very descriptive. I had to take a break from this series because it seriously scared me...the thought of a future without electricity and how people will react if the temperature drops and we cannot grow our own food is my fictional view of this world I have created...but what if it really did happen? It is a disturbing thought. Besides the first three published stories in this series with Siren-BookStrand, I have three more stories planned. One day, when I gather my nerve again, I will continue with the series...so stay tuned.

 

Happy Reading!

Jan

 

 

 

 

Romancing the Capital - An Ottawa Romance Convention (RTC 2015)

Are you attending Romancing the Capital (RTC2015), the upcoming Ottawa Romance Convention hosted and sponsored in part by Eve Langlais?

When: April 17th & 18th, 2015

Where: Holiday Inn & Suites Ottawa/Kanata, Ontario

Registration: $115 for Readers / $150+ for Authors

 

I invite you to join me and other authors, April of 2015, in celebrating the romance genre. The convention will provide workshops, panels, fun events, swag bags, a chance to meet and interact with authors, and of course a book signing! On Saturday evening, I will be hosting an awesome dinner followed by awards and dancing – 80′s style (fist pump!) I'm really hoping you'll come and make this event one to remember. ~ Eve Even though the event is just over a year away, we've already got some fabulous authors lined up:

Attending Authors:

• Eve Langlais (Canadian Author, Event Organizer & Bestseller)
• Opal Carew (Canadian Author - New York Times & USA Today Bestseller)
• Deborah Cooke/Claire Delacroix (Canadian Author - New York Times & USA Today Bestseller)
• Sara Fawkes (Canadian Author - New York Times & USA Today Bestseller)
• Kali Willows (Canadian Author)
• Layna Pimental (Canadian Author)
• Jessica E. Subject (Canadian Author)
• Victoria Danann (USA Author - Bestseller)

What you can expect:

• Book signing featuring all the attending authors
• Swag bags and giveaways
• Intimate Author Chats
• Workshops/Panels on a variety of topics
• Fun and Games
• Awards Ceremony (Saturday Night) to celebrate the awesomeness of Canadian Romance Authors
• 80's Dance (Saturday Night) - Hosted by Eve Langlais
• Dinner for 200 (Saturday) - Hosted by Eve Langlais

More events will be added as authors and publishers submit their plans.

Questions: RTC Staff

Location, Location, Location, Quickie Style ~ Layna Pimentel

I'm sure everyone has heard that phrase before--maybe not quite the same, but you know what I mean.

Whenever I work on my contemporary books, I almost always try to slip in a quickie in a very public and crowded place.  Which isn't all that hard when you come from a city like Toronto. Let me see there's: Cherry Beach, Humber Park, sheltered parking lot of Yorkdale Mall, and a that's only amount of places one could have an indiscretion or two.

However, when working on my Pleasure Garden Follies series, I decided to have a scene take place in an open park that was quite popular with the public for a number of reasons. Can you tell I'm a fan of these? Do you have a favorite location for your characters, or do you have a particular spot you'd love to be featured in a quickie?

I'd like to take a moment to share one of those reasons with an excerpt from my debut erotic historical romance Scandal at Vauxhall.

Nathaniel reached the entrance lined with ancient oak trees and hedges. What will it take to convince her that we belong together? He turned his head side to side, noting the sparseness of people occupying the park. With any luck, he would catch her before the maze.

Proceeding along, he halted by a bench where a couple affectionately held hands, completely engaged in their own seduction, when he discovered an odd shadow opposite of them. Intrigue and his swollen cock led him on, curious to see if the shape belonged to Isabel. And if it did, what in the world she was doing?

He closed in, quietly taking cover behind a tree. A smirk crossed his lips as he watched the woman spying on the intimately involved pair.

There had not been a moment these last twenty-four hours when the duchess did not occupy his thoughts. He dreamt of disrobing her out of those ridiculous layers of clothing, palming those beautiful round breasts, giving them the proper attention they required. Then, he would bury his face between her silken thighs, delving into her slick folds, edging her closer and closer to ecstasy as her eventual release shook him to the core.

Nathaniel shifted slightly to adjust the bulge in his breeches when he stepped on a twig, snapping it. The splintering wood drew the woman’s attention in his direction. Attempting to conceal his location, he moved into the shade, where he could not be found. Nevertheless, he had finally found her. The devil take it! Isabel, of all people, stood there, observing the couple lying down.

Nathaniel approached cautiously, to avoid alarming the duchess, until he stood behind her. She turned to face him, with shock splashed across her face. He locked her wrists above her against the trunk, leaving her nowhere to escape his assault of tender kisses. Lowering his head, he nipped at her lobe and dragged his tongue down the side of her neck.

“Darling, you do realize what you are doing is called voyeurism and is quite illegal.” He released her hands, only to wrap his arms around her, pulling her into chest. Her derrière firmly pressed against the throbbing ache of his manhood.

“Nathaniel!” she whispered angrily. “Release me this instant, you oaf!”

“Not on your life, Your Grace,” he quipped. “Had I known you were interested in such wicked things, I would have indulged you sooner. There are several establishments in London catering to those particular needs.

“On the other hand, my love, I will have you know, I can attest to my skills at pleasuring women. And I can assure you with the utmost certainty there will be no need to scandalize you further into taking you in such establishments. No proper lady should be in attendance to begin with.”

~*~

I hope you enjoyed the sampling. If you're interested in reading more, Scandal at Vauxhall will be free on Amazon from March 19-23, so be sure to get your free copy.

Time Travel in Nova Scotia? 3 Year Anniversary of Timeless Heart @KarynGerrard #timetravel

TIMELESS HEART by Karyn Gerrard

It's the three year anniversary of my very first contract, TIMELESS HEART, and I could not have asked for a better debut, it really got me off and running. Who would have thought my very first submission would be accepted? It must of been a hell of a story because the manuscript was a hot mess. My thanks to the editor who was extremely patient with such a novice and to Evernight Publishing for taking a chance on me.This is a Time Travel/Fantasy/Erotic Romance novella.

I set the story in the town of Truro, Nova Scotia. (population approx 12,000) As you can see on the map, Truro sits smack dab in the center of the province. It was a major railway hub from the middle 1800's until the 1970's, until the cutbacks.
It is still a major highway hub for the entire province feeding the Trans-Canada Highway and various provincial roads.

So why set my story here? My Regency hero, Jerrod Ross, lived near Truro, Cornwall, England, wouldn't it be cool to connect the two towns through magical, mystical time travel?

I have to confess, this story had its beginnings...in a dream. I kid you not.
I've always had vivid dreams, they play like Imax movies in my head. As a teen, I watched a BBC series, Poldark, with a dashing hero from the late 1700's.

I was so struck by the dream of him coming to my era and sweeping me off my feet (as only starry-eyed teens can dream) it stayed with me all these years. So for my first attempt at a manuscript, why not put the dream to the page?
Since Truro is only about a 45 minute drive from where I grew up outside of Halifax, I was very familiar with the town thanks to many Sunday drives over the years. I even had Jerrod and Sandra visit Halifax for a day and walk in the Victorian era Public Gardens. I had a ball writing this. It hit bestseller charts at All Romance, Bookstrand, Evernight Pub site and Amazon.

Ever dream of a gorgeous Regency hunk landing in your lap so you can bundle him up and take him home? Than this is the read for you! :D

5 STARS!  Timeless Heart is excellent. Jerrod and Sandra are the typical star crossed lovers, hot together but unable to avoid the angst of responsibility and consequences of their situation. The real surprise is that I never expected a time travel romance to have such humor and insight. Karyn Gerrard is amazing in the way she deals with a person from the past being astonished with all our modern conveniences, most of which we take for granted!  
The romance between Jerrod and Sandra is beautifully done, with sizzling hot sex scenes that start off as lust but quickly build into more. Timeless Heart is highly recommended~ Sizzling Hot Books

4 STARS! Timeless Heart was very well written, witty, sexy and romantic. The love scenes were fantastic. I adored both the hero and heroine and was left very pleased with the conclusion. --Happily Forever After

BLURB:  Sandra Cranston, an elementary teacher on leave, discovers a carriage deep in the woods. Inside is a man, Jerrod Ross, who fuels all of her wicked Regency dreams and fantasies. 

Ross has been torn from the only world he has ever known--1821 Cornwall, England. How will he adjust to the future and his growing desire for the lovely lady who found him? More importantly, how will he ever return to his time?

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON

ALL ROMANCE

BARNES AND NOBLE

BOOKSTRAND

KOBO

Karyn Gerrard Bio:

Karyn lives in a small town in the western corner of Ontario, Canada. She wiles away her spare time writing and reading romance while drinking copious amounts of Earl Grey tea.

Tortured heroes are a must. A multi-published author with a few best-sellers under her belt, Karyn loves to write in different genres and time periods, though historicals are her favorite. As long as she can avoid being hit by a runaway moose in her wilderness paradise she assumes everything is golden.

 Karyn’s been happily married for a long time to her own hero. His encouragement keeps her moving forward.

                               Karyn's Site/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest

Canadian Darlings LIVE! ~ post by Kacey Hammell

My Souvenir TShirt from this tour

I love seeing my fave musicians in concert. I've seen quite a few, had the pleasure of meeting acts like George Canyon & Johnny Reid in person.

One of my fave bands is HEDLEY. I know Jessica mentioned them in her recent post, which was just a few days after I went to see them once again LIVE in Kingston, Ontario during their current WILD LIFE Tour. This was my 3rd time, and OMG they just get better and better. The group of 4 is electric, I can't help but smile whenever I hear one of their songs on the radio or see them doing an interview, and seeing them live ... nothing compares.

Plus my love for them is shared by my 2 older kids, which isn't always common, and we all love the messages in a lot of their songs. And my daughter (almost 18 y.o.) says she's the future Mrs. Jacob Hoggard (lead singer) LOL

And the Bass Guitarist, Tommy, is my fave. And as you can see in the one pic, he was often smiling my way. He loved my scream out of "I love you Tommy" LOL My children were mortified. 

I thought I'd share some pix from their concert on March 8th that we went to. They really don't give the full effect/vibe of seeing them live, but I hope you enjoy the photos at least.  If anyone has the chance to see them, you must!!

Love their new album but one of my all-time fave songs of theirs is PERFECT...

Hope you enjoyed.

Canadian Music ~ Inspiration for stories & great to listen to - Post by Jessica E. Subject #romance

I love listening to music, dancing to it, and singing along when no one is listening. Not only does it make a bad day seem a little less stressful, it can also evoke all kinds of emotion. Like the books I write, music tells a story. All you have to do is listen to the words to find out what it's about.

So many songs have also helped to inspire stories. My stories. And today, I'm going to share some of the music by Canadian artists and bands that provide inspiration for me.

One day, while cleaning the family room, I was listening to my mp3 player, and Spaceman by Bif Naked came on. I plotted out an entire story that morning, pausing in my cleaning to jot down notes. And those notes became ALIEN ADORATION.




Another band I've listened to for years is Econoline Crush. And it was their song Psychotic that I listened to over and over while writing NEVER GONNA SAY GOODBYE, the third book in The Underground dystopian series.



Spirit Indestructible by Nelly Furtado was also a huge inspiration throughout writing all of The Underground series.



What's big on my playlist right now? That would be Crazy for You by Hedley. Doesn't matter what I'm writing, I can't get enough of this song. And as a sidenote, I voted for Jacob Hoggard, the lead singer of Hedley, back when he was on Canadian Idol.



There are so many great Canadian singers, songwriters and bands. Do you have a favorite?

Jessica E. Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to sexy. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous. And if you’re looking for something really steamy, check out her erotica stories written as Paisley Brown.

When Jessica isn’t reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook

Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

A PEI lighthouse, sizzling suspense and erotic romance!

You’ll find all three in Intimate Stranger - Book 3 of my Undercover series.

Emily, our heroine, lives in a lighthouse on a very secluded fictional island near Prince Edward Island, Canada. During the day she steers her old tugboat along the ocean shoreline and searches for seaweed. Did you know that seaweed harvesting can be a lucrative business? And that seaweed is used in many of our everyday products?

But Emily’s seaweed business is only one tasty ingredient in Intimate Stranger, a story that came to life when I visited and fell in love with the quaint Prince Edward Island back in the 1990’s.

Let's head back to the story...Since the death of her journalist husband, Emily lives alone. She’s just become engaged to a nice guy, who wants her to sell her place and move in with him back in the States so they can start the family Emily has always wanted. Emily is torn about leaving this very beautiful island but she knows she just has to stop mourning her dead husband and get back to living her life.

That is, until one night a mysterious and very sexy stranger, who claims to have been a friend of her late husband, breaks into her home and moves straight into her heart.

 

If you like Harlequin style romances, plus erotic love scenes in your story, Intimate Stranger may be for you.

Here’s a sneak peek :

 

Intimate Stranger

Undercover Series: Book Three
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Line: Breathless / Erotic Romantic Suspense
Book Length: Super Plus Novel
Book Type: ebook
ISBN: 9781419921735

When a rugged stranger appears at her secluded ocean lighthouse, Emily McCullen is overwhelmed by a scorching attraction that touches areas only her late husband could reach. Soon the sexy stranger is caressing her sensual side, making her feel so hot and alive she’s yielding to her most intimate desires and surrendering to him.

With a new face and identity, Steve McCullen returns home with a burning desire for revenge. His wife is about to marry his best friend—the man Steve suspects is behind his faked death and years of nightmare incarceration. He’ll protect Emily with his life, but how can he protect his heart and true identity when he’s caving in to his desires for her?

Passion dances with pleasure and danger collides with desire, but when the past arises and shocking secrets are revealed, Emily must put aside her feelings of betrayal to help Steve stop someone who is bent on destroying their second chance at love.

Note: While a stand-alone, novel is best enjoyed in series order.

ebook:  Ellora's Cave | Nook | Diesel | Kobo | ARe
Kindle format: US | Australia| Japan | UK | Canada | Germany | Italy | Spain | Mexico | Brazil | France | India

Paperback: Ellora's Cave, or your favorite online bookstore.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. :-)

Have a great day!!

 

jan

-*

Time to melt some snow...by Eve Langlais

I love being Canadian. I think we are the most awesome place in the world. Our unique culture rocks. Our friendliness and laid back attitudes make us super likable - in my opinion lol. We have beautiful scenery, untouched landscapes for kilometers, breathtaking natural formations (I'm talking about you, Bay of Fundy). We also have freaking cold and snowy winters lol.

I know, I shouldn't complain. Winter is after all a season that lasts only a few months, but I hit a point, usually in Feb, definitely in March where enough is enough. I'd take a blow torch to my snowbanks and melt them if hubby would let me. Since I'm not allowed to set fire to the snow, I'm going to generate heat the only other way I know how by throwing some hot stories your way.

He's on a mission...of love.
	99 cent special!!!! Fate Mates: Hot Shifter Tales
99 cent special!!!! Love Charms: Witches, Demons and Zombies, oh my!