I’m back! Exhausted, but glad to say this was the best RT I’ve yet attended. Why? I’m trying to figure that out. For one thing, it was comfortable and laid back, and for lack of a better word, classy. Plus, the west coast seemed to offer a plethora of talent for the panels. For instance, I was held spellbound by D.P. Lyle’s–physician and author of Forensics for Dummies– panel on forensic science. He made it specific for writers, and was he a goldmine of relevant and interesting information. Needless to say, I downloaded his book and gobbled it up on my plane ride home. Among other panels of interest was Dean Koontz’s talk for authors. He’s funny and wise. Here’s a photo–that’s him sitting there at the table in front of the microphone. Sorry, but with all the avid authors and Dean’s bodyguards, getting a photo was difficult.

I sat on two workshop panels myself. Here’s a photo of the panel for How to Create Emotionally Intense Love Scenes, which I thought went really well. My panel-mates are some very smart ladies. Below, from left to right, me, Tracy Wolff, HelenKay Dimon, Lauren Dane, Megan Hart.

Of course, what’s RT without the opportunity to meet up with friends, bloggers, authors and readers?

Lorelie James, Lauren Dane, Beth Williamson

Tracy of Desert Island Keepers, Julie James, Jane of Dear Author

Shelli Stevens and Kelly Jamieson at the Bradford dinner

And what would RT be without the Mr. Romance competition? Mr. Romance is the short-haired, dark guy in the middle. His name was Len.

Well, as of 6:15 tomorrow morning, I am L.A. and RT bound. Can’t wait to see all my writer and reader friends, kick back and chill, and talk books, romance, writing…life.

I got a very special picture over at Twitter from Rissatoo, who won The Hometown Hero Returns contest and 150 dollars toward an eReader of choice. She chose to upgrade to the premium Kindle, and was kind enough to send me a pic of her baby.

Thanks for letting The Hometown Hero Returns be the first book, Rissatoo!

Hi all! Hope you’re enjoying a relaxing weekend. I’m frantically trying to get things done before leaving for RT on Tuesday. Can’t wait! I’ve got a short excerpt for you from my story ON THE JOB from the Three to Tango anthology coming out in May!

Three To Tango
An anthology coming from Emma Holly, Lauren Dane, Megan Hart and Bethany Kane
Four of erotic fiction’s most talented authors carry readers away with all-new tales of ecstasy that prove that the most delectable things in life come in threes…

Sex is best when it’s one-on-one…plus one.

Excerpt
ON THE JOB by Bethany Kane

He was back there, watching her. He was on the job, and Madeline knew better than most how important his job was to him. He wouldn’t abandon it, even if he had abandoned her. She held him in a trap, and it was sweet . . . delicious to torment him for his sense of duty, to make him pay for his noble intentions.

She reminded him of what he’d sacrificed as she stroked her erect nipples beneath a hot Tahoe sun. So what if they’d just been kids at the time, fools suffering from the heatstroke of a wild infatuation? She’d needed him, and he’d failed her. First Madeline’s father had died unexpectedly, then Walker had left. Madeline’s hurt had changed to anger over the years. Eventually, the sting had faded.

It had, anyway, until she’d walked onto the terrace this morning and seen Walker Gray talking to Tony.

Her clit begged for attention, but Madeline refrained. With effort. She longed to punish him, not only for eleven years ago, but for having the temerity to suddenly appear again in her life. His brisk, professional manner made a mockery of the fact that she’d been floored by his unexpected presence. He’d barely said two dozen words to her since Tony had asked her if she recalled their old friend from their high school and college days, Walker Gray.

She recalled, all right.

She’d make sure the bastard remembered just as graphically.

She sat up and took a sip from her glass of iced hibiscus tea mixed with lemonade. Her fingers strayed to the tie at her back. She pulled slowly on the string. She tossed the flimsy top next to the sweating glass and stretched out again on the dock.

It wasn’t a big deal. She sunbathed topless once in a while on Tony’s boat. True, she’d never gotten the impression that her bare breasts had received any of the focused interest from Tony as they once had from the man who stood behind her in the yard. Sure, she’d never have done it if it were another one of Tony’s employees standing guard. The point was, Madeline was perfectly comfortable sunbathing topless in this situation.

Perfectly aroused.

She doubted very seriously she would have ever cupped her breasts in her slick hands from below, making the nipples point upward, like dark pink arrows, to the sky even in front of Tony, but the heretofore unprotected parts of her skin needed SPF, didn’t they?
It felt good, so warm, so arousing . . . so powerful.

She let one hand trail across the sensitive skin at the sides of her ribs and across her belly. Her clit beckoned. It burned in protest at being ignored. She slipped two fingers beneath the top of her bikini panties. Her labia were moist and swollen.
She slid a finger into the juicy cleft and moaned in pleasure.

Was he suffering? God, she hoped so.

Her eyes popped open a few seconds later when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. He’d moved so quietly, and she’d been so involved in her little game, she’d never heard his tread on the dock.

“What—?”

“Surely you’re not going to ask me what I’m doing, Madeline.” She saw his clamped jaw and her shocked reflection in the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses. “Because I would have thought that was obvious. I’m giving you what you’ve been asking for.”

She gasped in surprise when he slid his forearm beneath her thighs and lifted. The next thing she knew she was flying down the dock in Walker Gray’s arms.

–Four red-hot writers take you on a wild ride…Kane’s story particularly shines, with a strong plot and well-defined characters.
4 stars from RT Book Reviews

#86, rissatoo!

Many thanks to everyone who participated! I hope you’ll give The Hometown Hero Returns a try when you see it at your local bookstore, grocery store or Wal-Mart. :)

Happy Reading,

Beth

Commenter #10, Stephanie M.

Thank you to Jill Sorenson for stopping by and to all who helped us celebrate Release Day!

Harlequin author Jill Sorenson and I are celebrating the release of The Hometown Hero Returns and Stranded with Her Ex by giving away a copy of each book today to one commenter at our blogs!

Jill writes sexy romantic suspense. We are talking hot adventure and hotter men, here. :) Check out her latest, Stranded with Her Ex! (Who can resist that title?)

An exotic wildlife preserve is a dream come true for conservation biologist Daniela Flores. Until she finds out her ex-husband is leading the research team. World-famous shark expert Sean Carmichael has only grown more ruggedly appealing in the time they were apart…the passion between them more intense than ever. But how could Daniela forgive Sean for betraying her when she needed him most?

Sean had come to the remote Farallon Islands to study killer sharks. Now a real killer is on the loose, threatening the woman he’s never stopped loving. And this time, he knows he can’t walk away. Marooned together during a deadly storm, Sean vows to go to hell and back to save Daniela…and for the chance to begin again.

Read an excerpt of Stranded with Her Ex here.

Please leave Jill a meaningful comment here to qualify to win a copy of Stranded!

Check out Jill’s blog where you can leave a comment to qualify for a copy of The Hometown Hero Returns.

And don’t forget…a free eReader of winner’s choice is still up for grabs in The Hometown Hero Returns Contest! Look for entry information just following this blog.

Happy Release Day, and Good Luck to all!

The Home to Harbor Town series debuts on March 22, so we’re going to celebrate! I was excited to see that The Hometown Hero Returns will be selling for 3.99 in ebook (4.99 for print). On March 29, I’ll be giving away an eReader to one person who throws their hat or wig into the ring. Here’s the fun thing: you get to make the choice of eReader, as long as it retails for 150 dollars or less!

Here’s how you enter. Since The Hometown Hero Returns takes place in a quaint, lakeside vacation community, leave a comment here and tell me about your favorite vacation memory or a family vacation hotspot.

IN ADDITION, to enter you must do one of the following:

1. Sign up for my newsletter on the homepage of my website

2. Follow me on twitter

3. Follow me on Facebook

4. Join the Total Exposure yahoo chat group

***If you have difficulty with any of the links, the information is also all on the CONTACT page of this website

*** If you already participate in one of the above, just let me know in your comment, and you will be entered.
So a valid entry might be: My favorite family vacation hotspot is Lake of the Ozarks. I already belong to your total exposure chat group OR I just followed you on twitter, etc. Once I draw a winner on March 29, I will check and see that the requirement is fulfilled. If it isn’t, I will choose another winner until a valid one is found.

I will contact the randomly chosen, valid commenter and announce the winner here on March 29.

That’s it. Now, a bit about the reason for the celebration, The Hometown Hero Returns.

The Hometown Hero Returns

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN.
At eighteen, Marianna Itani thought she’d found the man of her dreams in Marc Kavanaugh, the quintessential boy-next-door. That perfect romance flew to pieces when an unspeakable tragedy tore them apart. Yet when Marc appeared in her life fifteen years later, the sparks that flew were as explosive as the day they first met.

Now their reignited passion was changing their lives in more ways than one: Mari was pregnant! She was set on putting the pain of the past behind her—not reopening scars that had never truly healed. And their baby might bring these star-crossed lovers back together—forever!

Read the prologue of The Hometown Hero Returns

On sale, March 22.

GOOD LUCK!

If you are in the Chicago area this weekend, join Julie James and I for a booksigning at Barnes and Noble, Webster Place. I’d love to meet you. I’ve been told by the book store that they will have copies of my not yet released THE HOMETOWN HERO RETURNS for sale.

Here are the details.
Sunday, March 13, 3:00-5:00pm
BOOK SIGNING WITH AUTHOR JULIE JAMES
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Webster Place
1441 West Webster Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 871-3610
*90 minute free parking in lot

The winners were chosen randomly and are as follows:

Larissa’s Winner: #48, TigMode

Cynthia Winner: #17, Robin K

Moira’s Winner: #19 Diane Sadler

My Winner: #32 Jennifer Graham

Many thanks to the authors for their generosity and to everyone who attended the Velvet Cataclysm Contest! Winners, please write me at bethkery@aol.com to claim your prizes!

Beth

It’s the last day of the Velvet Cataclysm contest. Many thanks to Larissa, Cynthia and Moira for peeks at their awesome books and their generosity, and thanks to everyone who has attended the party.

As some of you already know, I usually write either erotic or straight contemporaries, but I do love a good paranormal. For the Princes of the Underground series, I really threw myself into the project and had a great time creating a unique race of men and the powerful women who can grant them a singular gift–a soul. I just finished the second in the series, tentatively called Silken Rapture. Velvet Cataclym hits bookstores March 1! Check it out, and comment to win a $20 Amazon gift card tonight. All the other prizes will be announced tonight, as well!

Velvet Cataclysm
Available in Print
March 1, 2011!

In his battle to resist, he found the impossible. His soul.
Christina Astor’s telepathic ability is an asset in her job as a psychiatric social worker. What’s driving her crazy, though, is her elusive, gorgeous landlord. She senses that Saint Sevliss wants her with an all-consuming hunger that’s somehow…different. Just how different becomes all too clear when his dangerous world collides with hers.

For centuries, Saint’s kind have been called vampire and werewolf. Even soulless. But their true nature remains a mystery. Bound by a magical mandate to control his bloodthirsty clone, Teslar, at all costs, Saint will do anything to keep Christina away. She infuses his gray universe with life and color, but his world—and his need—would destroy her.
When an attack reveals the true power of Christina’s gift, one thing is certain—Teslar won’t rest in his underground labyrinth until he possesses her, body and soul…

Excerpt

“Run. You too, Alison,” she shouted, although she saw from the corner of her eye the thin girl remained frozen on the spot as she stared fixedly at Teslar. At least she heard her son’s rapid footsteps blending with the monotonous churn of the escalator engine.
The sight of the blood in her mouth caused one of the hideous males to let out a shriek of excitement. The tall one with the chestnut hair snarled, his handsome face twisted in fury. He barked an order.
The creatures tensed to pounce while their comrade continued to howl in pain and clutch wildly at his face. Christina braced herself, legs slightly spread, knees bent and fists cocked. She didn’t stand a chance against the nightmare monsters and she knew it. She lived only for the fading thump of Aidan’s tennis shoes as he leapt up the escalator. The creature farthest to her right—the one with a mouthful of pointed teeth and who wore what revoltingly looked like a necklace of human vertebrae—gave a throat-tearing snarl and sprang.
Christina prepared to die.
Something smacked into the monster midair with a dull thud. Her would-be-attacker fell to the platform floor several feet short of Christina, a large, dark gray wolf clamped around his throat. He writhed madly, trying to throw the animal off him. Howls of fury sliced through the still air as four more wolves launched themselves at the creatures, their pointed, gleaming teeth slashing and biting.
Christina turned away, knowing this was her only chance to follow her son.
“Alison!” she shouted again, trying to break through the young woman’s trance. She followed the girl’s rapturous stare. Teslar stood upright on the handrail of the escalator, a beautiful dark angel ready to take flight. He leapt and took to the air, his long coat billowing out behind him like leathery wings. He landed at the top of the down escalator. Aidan was just three steps away from him.
Teslar smiled at Aidan, his fangs fully bared.
“No,” Christina yelled, launching herself up the escalator. Teslar reached out for the boy. Aidan threw up his hand, instinctively trying to block Teslar’s grabbing fist. Teslar lunged back as though he’d been pushed, a look of surprise on his face. Christina paused, mouth hanging open when she saw a figure step behind and just to the right of Teslar—a figure that precisely matched Teslar’s height and breadth.

Video

This book contains some violence and smoking hot, explicit sex. In addition, there is brief M/M sexual interaction and a ménage a trois.