Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! With my name and freckles, it’d be irresponsible not to mention the holiday. And with my Blaze debut just around the corner, I’d be negligent not to run a little contest and invite you all to try your own luck at scoring a paperback copy of Caught on Camera!

My April Blaze is chock full of luck…much of it bad luck. The story is about an Australian hot-shot TV survival show host, Ty, and his long-suffering production assistant, Kate, lost in the snowy wilds of Saskatchewan following an ill-fated dogsled crash. But they aren’t just boss-and-assistant, traveling companions, and professional partners—they’re also best friends with two-plus years of repressed sexual attraction, sizzling enough to melt all that snow.

For more information about the book, click here. And if you’re interested in a chance to win a copy, just leave a comment on the topic of luck, and I’ll select a random winner (maybe two) at 2pm EST on Sunday, and announce it in an addendum to this post.

Good luck, and enjoy your St. Paddy’s Day!

Sláinte,

Meg

Addendum!

Winner time! Thanks to everyone who participated! I decided to pick two winners, and selected them at random with the help of random.org. They are (drumroll) …

Summer and Laney4!

I will do my best to sleuth out your e-mails and get in touch soon for your mailing addresses. If you don’t hear from me by Tuesday, e-mail me at meg (at) megmaguire (dot) com.

Thanks, everyone!

his hat? (yes, HAT). LOL I posed this question on Twitter yesterday as I had my heroine in a new Blaze bet a friend about who could get a cowboy to give her his hat at a party. But there are rules: 1) You can’t ask for it 2) You can’t tell him about the bet and 3) He has to let you wear it for the rest of the party.

On Twitter, I received a lot of funny replies, the most amusing from the western women I follow: “Who would want it?” (all sweaty, LOL) and “Good luck — maybe if you shot him.” Although there was a tip of the hat (so to speak) to chivalry — a cowboy might give up his hat if a woman didn’t have one of her own and was in the hot sun or the rain, etc.

Just for fun, I did a little cowboy hat search on Google and found these fun bits of info:

* I discovered, via the Mythbusters TV show site, that a cowboy hat cannot be shot from someone’s head without injuring or killing the wearer (never know when that little tidbit could come in handy)
* John B Stetson created the first cowboy hat in 1865 for his own comfort, which he sold to a passer-by right off his head for a gold piece — and then opened a factory that was selling around 2 million hats 50 years later.
* A ten-gallon hat actually holds about a half-gallon
* “While it remained a universal image of the American West, subtle differences in the shade, shape size, and style provided accurate information about the cowboy’s background and geographic base.” (www.everycowgirlsdream.com)
* Men tip their hat when saying hello to a woman, take it off when introduced. They don’t tip their hat to another man, they just nod.

There are all kinds of etiquette about when to tip, take off, leave on, etc that I am sure gets interpreted in a number of ways in the real world, but what I’d really like to know is any insider knowledge you all have about cowboys and their hats (something I heard once, that women would steal the hat of a guy they wanted to kiss or…get to know a lot better *G* — true?). Or, tell me how YOU would get a cowboy to hand his hat over to you.

At the end of the day, I’ll choose three comments to win a copy of any book from my backlist as thanks for helping me think about cowboys and their. . .hats.

Sunday I wrapped a bunch of gifts, Monday I went out and did the rest of the shopping, and today the baking starts. It won’t be as much as we’ve done some years, but I want enough to have some in the house, bring to my sister’s for Christmas Eve, and give to friends (especially that, since if they are all here, there’s not enough exercise in the world to help…).

Christmas is when I pull out the cookie recipes I got from my mother and her Italian, Polish, and many other friends. They’re the kinds of recipes people keep in the family, and usually the kind you have to show someone how to make, because there’s always some trick or tip that defies being explained in the recipe. That means they’re made of memories as much as sugar and chocolate.

I can’t even begin to think of how many hours I spent in the kitchen with my mother, to all hours of the night, making all kinds of baked goods. She was a stickler, too — it had to be perfect, and you used every little bit of dough in the bowl. I can still hear her say “There’s a whole cookie in there — get it out!” LOL I say that to anyone I am teaching to bake, or baking with, if they don’t scrape all of the dough out, too.

At Christmas I make her date breads, her Italian Fudge Cookies, Biscotti, the Mexican Wedding Cakes (which she called Snowballs), the Rum Cakes, the Khrustyky, and others, and making these recipes is more than just the urge for a sweet treat, though they are definitely that, too. They are the way I connect with my mom and all of those memories every year, and how I keep her with me even though she’s been gone for almost fifteen years now.

Growing up, every Christmas Eve was also a birthday party in our house, as Christmas Eve was my mom’s birthday. I hope you’ll send a little birthday wish up for my mom this week, and then tell me about your favorite cookies and cookie memories (share and I’ll pick someone to get a signed copy of my December Blaze, I’ll Be Yours For Christmas).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

Sometimes, in the midst of work, life, family, obligations, and the rest, we need to do something special that gives us a boost, but it’s often harder for us to give gifts to ourselves than to others. Like opening a nice bottle of wine, going for a massage or a manicure, having a long bath with candles lit and a good book, or buying something that we would not ordinarily buy for ourselves.

A little self-indulgence now and then is good for the soul, I say. In my case, it came in an unexpected form this fall, when I received a store coupon for a Coach bag in the mail. I was going to give it to a family member to use, but as I looked for a winter bag and couldn’t find one, that coupon became very tempting. I thought, what if I used it for myself? Normally, I never even bother going into the Coach store, except to browse and think “why would anyone spend that much on a bag?”

Well, now I know. I decided I wanted to find THE bag. A bag good for the grocery store but nice enough to go out to dinner. Jeans or dress clothes. All seasons. It had to be perfect.

I found it. It took me three hours of walking around the mall to talk myself into using that coupon and buying it, but I did. As you can see, it’s a rather understated, classic bag, but I love the black leather and the silver hardware, the grommets, buckles and the adjustable strap. The leather is like satin — just touching it is a joy. I understand the difference now in the construction of a high-quality bag — the zipper opens and closes completely without effort, the strap is comfortable, the pockets are just right. I love every single little detail.

Even buying it was a treat. The sales people fall all over you, of course, and I love the little touches, like your receipt being all folded up nicely and put in a pretty little cardboard holder. It comes with a silky storage bag that it will likely never see. I am happy every time I look at it, take it somewhere, and get to coo over it with a friend. I have not had one second of buyer’s regret. In fact, I may be spoiled for life. My husband, bless him, didn’t even blink, never asked how much it cost. I showed it to him, and he admired the style and the liked the silver hardware, and then went back to what he was doing. Many, many reasons why I love this man.

So. . .that was my indulgence this fall, and I think it will be one that gives me a boost daily for a long time. What big or little things have you done for yourself lately? And if nothing, what would you like to do? The holidays, while fun, can be stressful, and a little self-indulgence is called for, I say. On that theme, maybe I can help you along a little. If you post here, I will pick a winner on Monday morning to receive the basket pictured to the left (the wonderful Joanne Rock and I put it together for you — full of bath items, books, and chocolate!). (Unfortunately, due to increased postage rates, I have to make this a US only giveaway, sorry.)

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me how much I dislike winter. I know we’re just in the middle of lovely autumn, but I can feel it looming in the gray skies that will eventually dump lake effect on us by the truckload. I hate the cold, the dry, the slippery and the never-ending white. I’ve grown up in it, and a few times I have tried to enjoy it (positive thinking and all) – doesn’t work. I love the colors and life of Spring, Summer, and Fall, the warm, sunny days and not being encumbered by layers of heavy clothing. All of those seasons exude their own kind of sexiness: the heat of a summer night, the rich spring blooming, or picking apples with your favorite someone on a fall day. However, it’s difficult to find much about winter that I enjoy.

So I ask myself (and you), what is sexy about winter?

Well, for one, there is Blaze. I am very psyched about my December Christmas book, I’LL BE YOURS FOR CHRISTMAS, (Romantic Times, 4.5). It’s the first book I have set here in Central New York, at a pair of wineries set on Cayuga Lake just above the city of Ithaca, and it is very sexy (RT called it “Naughty…” ). The wineries I write about are fictional, but there are many wineries in the area, and a glass of Finger Lakes Wine will really warm you up. This could be another sexy thing about winter if you are curled up with a Blaze or your honey.

I guess the other thing I enjoy in the cold months is being able to haul out my quilts. If I lived in a warm climate, I would never have use for them. Cuddling under a big quilt on a cold night is definitely a sexy part of winter.

I do like flannel shirts. I don’t know if mine are all that sexy, but I love a man in a flannel…. That’s it. I’m out of sexy winter things, so you will have to help me out.

So. . .what do you think is sexy about Winter? Share, and I’ll pick someone Sunday evening to win an early copy of I’LL BE YOURS FOR CHRISTMAS. I’ll also add in one of the bars of soap I have had made for the book and some bath items (since a nice hot bath with someone could be a very sexy thing to do in winter!).

The appeal of Blaze interests me, and not just because I write them and read them. As an observer of culture, I think it’s neat to see what brings us back a romance line again and again. Obviously, if we were just wild about the romance part, we could find that in any one of the Harlequin series each month. But you and I return to Blaze. Not just for romance, but apparently for the steam factor too. The covers and titles in Blaze make the “red-hot” component a prime selling point and it’s one readers have really responded to.

But I think there’s more to the unique appeal of Blaze tales than just steam. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certain we all enjoy the sizzle factor. Today, however, we’re going to dig deeper to see what it is that sends us to the shelves for a sexy story.

Sense of possibility – I like the idea that a sexy story has the “will she, won’t she” dynamic at work. By that, I kind of mean sexual tension, but in a more general way, there is a sensation of standing at the edge of a big ravine for our heroines. Will they cross that line and take a risk? When? We know they will sooner or later… the books promise that they’ll take that gamble. And it’s not just a gamble on romance. There is a bit of physical speculation that goes on, too. I think we enjoy this sense of “when anything is possible” for our heroines. But perhaps because it ties in to my next thought for why we love Blaze….

Sense of power – We like the adrenaline rush of that first love scene and the empowerment it gives the heroine. Now, I know that the sex is going to complicate her life in a big way. But side by side with the conflict is the realization that sex is a heady brew that gives the heroine a rush of “hoo-yah,” so to speak. Let’s set aside being P.C. for a minute and just admit that the headrush that comes with amazing sex is intoxicating. The idea that it can happen again is potent. And while sex makes us vulnerable on the one hand, it also makes us feel powerful on the other because we’re not the only ones feeling the heat.

Remember when? – We’re not just getting caught up in the hero and heroine’s romance when we read a Blaze. I believe there’s also a healthy dose of comingling our own memories of falling in love every time we pick up a romance. Is it just me, or isn’t all that heart pounding anticipation a fun cue to bring back your days of falling in love (or pre-love lust)? I think we savor those reminds of what it felt like to lose your heart completely to someone. And for readers who haven’t found “The One” yet, I think the books create a great vision of what the right partner could be like.

***So tell me this… as I try to think about the Blaze reader, I’d be curious to know what you’re reading when you’re not reading Blaze? Are you enjoying another series line? Reading sexy romance from other authors? Knee deep in non -fiction? Share with me on the boards today and I’ll give away a copy of my new 2-in-1 with Rhonda Nelson, 1-900-LOVER and Silk Confessions, to one random poster.

Is there anyone who doesn’t love cookies, or who doesn’t have a special cookie in their life? Maybe one your mom made, or one your family loves? Or decadent ones at the store that you only let yourself buy for a special treat?

In my spankin’ new release, MAKE YOUR MOVE, Jodie Patterson owns a Chicago bakery, and the frosting on her special “Passionate Hearts” cookies is very popular. With the help of a special formula created by her best friend and business partner, Dan, a scientific genius, the frosting provides a little erotic kick to female pheromones, helping women who eat them get any man they desire.

Now, I have never had a cookie that did that, exactly, but a few that come close. One family recipe for a cookie we often make is my husband’s favorite, and when I make them, he certainly gets a spark in his eye — a rich cookie wrapped around a mix of fudge and nuts, dusted with powdered sugar. I brought some to the Toronto Harlequin offices on my last visit, and I don’t know if they sparked any libidos, but I did get notes from people who seemed to like them just as much as my friends and family do. My own personal favorite is a simple but delicate sugar cookie I make (and I do shape them into hearts and frost them) and they really melt in your mouth. I grew up making cookies, especially all kinds of ethnic, Italian and Ukrainian recipes that I learned from my mom and her friends, and they are a regular fixture at Christmas and holidays.

However, I love store cookies, too. Pepperidge Farms make the most sinful ones, I think, especially their Amaretto Milanos, though Brussels are my absolutely favorites. On a more everyday level, I won’t pass up an Oreo, and love Nutter-Butter cookies, too! I will say one cookie I never did enjoy was a Fig Newton, but I know several people who love them.

So what is your favorite cookie? Does your family have special cookie recipes you always use, or that everyone loves? Share, and one commenter will win a copy of MAKE YOUR MOVE along with these gorgeous Harry and David cookies (US shipping only), and two others will win signed copies of MAKE YOUR MOVE (all eligible).

A benefit of living in tornado alley is the pretty brick mailboxes. I’ve posted a picture of mine on the right. This baby has come through 2 BIG tornadoes with winds exceeding 300 plus miles per hour.

You’d think the tornado is what scares me. Nope, what makes me nervous are the birds who like to make their home between the bricks and the bottom part of the actual box. If you look closely, you’ll see twigs, and what looks like a straw wrapper poking out as these industrious birds build their nest.

I’m not ashamed to admit it, my big fear is that when I open the mailbox, I’ll startle what birds are living there and they’ll fly into me.

So, for years now, I’ve been making A LOT of noise as I approach the mailbox. Clapping, clearing my throat. Your basic idiot stuff – but it all worked. No bird attack!

Then it happened.

The bird got me. I felt the flutter of its feathery wings on my bare arm. But I had the kids with me, and I have a strong commitment to not giving them my phobias. So I sucked it up. But I shuddered and screamed inside. And as I am while writing this.

Of course in the big scheme of things, this isn’t a big thing to get over. That’s not always the case with our favorite Blaze heroines. Our brave ladies seem to fall into two categories – those who get over “something” in the book or those who’ve just gotten over “something” and are ready to hit life all over again. That’s what makes them special. (Okay, and there could be another type – feel free to add.)

What’s your favorite kind of Blaze Heroine?

I did not need to see this movie. I lived it. I counted, and in my younger days, I was a bridesmaid 7 times. Luckily for me, only one of those dresses was hideous…and it really wasn’t all that bad. It was just very plain and totally not my style or color, meaning I’d never wear it again in a thousand years, but luckily, it hadn’t been expensive and it did look good in the pictures.

But I love weddings. Even when I’m not a bridesmaid, I’ve often been involved in the wedding. I sang at two weddings and did the reading at one. I have given more showers than Mother Nature in April and I watch shows like SAY YES TO THE DRESS and MY FAIR WEDDING all the time.

Why is it then that I’ve never once written a wedding book before now?

It’s a popular enough trope in the romance genre and yet, because I write for Blaze, rarely do my characters end up with a proposal, much less a whole wedding. I’m lucky if I can get those randy so-and-sos (those would be my main characters) to commit to each other in the end. They’re so fiercely independent, it’s hard to wrangle. But I love weddings, so I jumped all over the chance to write a 3-in-1 Encounters for Blaze called 3 SEDUCTIONS AND A WEDDING that will be out in June.

The premise is thus: A wonderful couple, Bianca and Coop, have been together for over ten years. They started dating in college, fell madly in love and got engaged. The trouble is, they’ve never gotten around to getting married. They’re too busy going on adventures around the globe for their jobs (she’s a translator and he’s a software designer) to stand still long enough to say, “I do.”

Well, Coop’s best friend, Leo Sharpe, has had enough. He also has a secret agenda. He’s been pining for Bianca’s bff, Jessie Martinez, for just as long as Bianca and Coop have been engaged. They, too, were once madly in love–until Leo screwed up and Jessie told him to take a hike. Now, he’s planning on using the excuse of throwing a surprise wedding for Bianca and Coop as a reason to work his way back into Jessie’s good graces.

There are two other couples in the book, too. Coop’s older sister, Annie, and Bianca’s younger brother, Drew as well as Coop’s boss, Ajay, and Bianca’s boss, Mallory. Everyone gets into the wedding spirit! In a most Blaze-like way.

In fact, next week (beginning on April 26th), eHarlequin will begin publishing a free online read (short story length) about Bianca and Coop and what is happening between them on the eve of their return home. They have no idea their friends are planning a wedding…and they might not even make it down the aisle if they do. It’s a rough couple of days in the Costa Rican jungle for these two…and did I mention it’s free?

But I also have author’s copies! If you’d like a chance to win an early copy of this book, just answer the following questions:

Do you like weddings?
Were you ever a bridesmaid?
Tell us about either your prettiest bridesmaid dress or your worst…(and if you weren’t ever a bridesmaid, feel free to tell us about the worst dress you ever saw at a wedding…)

This should be fun!

Do I have your attention? Good. Because I’m not talking about what you think I am. No. Instead, I’m addressing the commitment that may exist between you and your reading choices. Are you married to a certain genre? Devoted to a specific line? Since this is the Blaze Authors blog, it’s a pretty good bet that you’re a series reader. But are you faithful to only Blaze? Or do you stray every now and again and sample other genres? Pick the enticing novels up in shadowy bookstores, fondle them, hold them close, inhale their stories like a musky, forbidden scent?

I guess what I’m really asking is have you considered cheating on Blaze with our girl Sofie Metropolis?

Sofie is our sassy Greek-American series character, budding P.I. and Queens girl. She’s starred in several of books so far, with the fourth title, WORKING STIFF, now available everywhere in paperback. She has a wacky Greek family; a sometimes insufferable but always adorable male Jack Russell terrier named Muffy who is both her roommate and sidekick; and so far she’s gotten herself into more trouble than she can get out of…especially in the love department with the presence of two men in her life that tempt and frustrate her no end: the hot, mysterious bounty hunter Jake Porter, and the sexy, mouthwatering Greek baker Dino Antonopoulos.

If you enjoy our Blazes, I’d like to encourage you to give Sofie Metropolis a try. At the very least, she’ll keep you entertained between our steamier titles. At most…well, she just may persuade you to expand your reading interests and turn your single act of infidelity into a full-blown affair!

Come on: take a walk on the wild side – Greek style!

To make things a little more interesting, we’re offering up copies of the first three titles in the series – SOFIE METROPOLIS, DIRTY LAUNDRY and FOUL PLAY – to one lucky poster at day’s end. All you need do to qualify is say ‘hi!’ Good luck!