Are We Expected To Freeze To Death? #fashion #RB4U #melissakeir

Are We Expected To Freeze To Death?

Thank you for stopping by today! I'm back to talk about something which has become very serious for many of us these days...warmth. The end of December was so cold that people and pets were in danger if they spent time outside, at least in much of the United States' Midwest and certainly here in Michigan. They close schools when it gets too cold for the children to stand out for the buses. Let's talk Jan 5th- The temp was -25F (with wind chill).

Have you done any shopping lately? I needed some new clothes for work and the winter weather but I really struggled. What should I get? What would keep me warm and look cute, too? Were retailers trying to make me freeze? What were they thinking? I wasn't trying to be silly but I was lost as I couldn't find clothes which would cover me from head to toe. I spoke about this with other women who also found some of the new trends a little frightening.....

Here's a few of the new styles which are available at many retailers.

1. Cold Shoulders

Many sweaters have open shoulders. Isn't keeping warm the point of a sweater? 

Yes, these are very sexy sweaters and who wouldn't want to look great like these women do? However, remember Michigan winter. I'm sitting here in my house with gloves on because I don't want to spend a million on heating costs each day. Nor do I want to include a jacket, extra sweater or t-shirt on or under this one, just to stay warm. I don't think doubling up will still give me the sexy look!

2. Distressed Pants
Jeans and slacks come with holes, not just one on the pocket but large slices throughout the legs. Warm is still an issue but also since I like my jeans a little tight, my *fat* erm..skin likes to sneak through.

What message do the distressed pants send? I'm trendy or something else. After all, if I keep wearing my own jeans until they fall of my body, people will pay more for them??

3. Crop tops

First, no one wants to see me in a crop top. After two children, my stomach isn't quite the same but let's go back to Michigan winter. When outside walking the dog or watching students at recess, I'm not about to leave any skin showing.

 A look for the younger crowd for sure, and very cute, if you have a flat belly. 








Sadly, these aren't the only trends in clothes. We have high-waisted mom jeans returning. 

My son's girlfriend works in retail and shuddered when she said that "Mom" jeans were back. Her other words were "What is (this retail store) doing? Are they crazy?"

But "Mom" Jeans aren't all that's stylish this year....Lace on sleeves and pants (see above about skin pushing through), open backs on dresses and sweaters then there's the open neck and shoulders.

All these models and outfits are beautiful and if I lived in Hawaii, maybe I'd wear them more often, but I live Michigan--and it's winter. On New Year's Day, we had wind chills in the below freezing during the afternoon. 

This is more me....

 

I appears I will have to wait until the spring to pick up any of those cute styles or maybe when I move to the equator. Until then, bundle up and enjoy a hot, sexy Cowboy instead....

Fall in Love with a man who works with his hands...a man who cherishes his loved ones...
Love a man who is Cowboy Strong....

The Cowboy’s Secret by Allison Merritt
Can an all-around cowboy make peace with his past and find love with a spunky cowgirl who steals his family’s heart?

Not the End, Cowboy by Autumn Piper 
Hitting humanity with a pandemic isn’t enough for Fate—she’ll make you survive it with the one person you never want to see again.

Bidding for the Cowboy's Heart by Melissa Keir
Going once, going twice, sold. Can a New York socialite find love with a Colorado bull rider she won at auction?

Saving Cowboy by Leslie Garcia
Betrayal embittered them both—can love heal their hurt and help them save a horse named Cowboy?

Welcome Home, Cowboy by Sara Walter Ellwood
Who says you can’t ever go home?
Lorelei Kent fears she’ll never find love again. Back on her ranch isn’t where playboy bull rider Tucker O’Connell wants to be. Will she welcome him home? Or will his secret promise to her ex destroy any chance they might have had?

Her Taylor Made Cowboy by D’Ann Lindun
As a successful model, Taylor Griffin hated being judged for her looks unless Waylon Wainwright can prove he sees the woman, and not just her beauty.

Only $0.99 or #free with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon

Until Next Month...

Melissa Keir

www.melissakeir.com

Follow Your Cowboy Heart by Janice Seagraves

I had fun writing this short story. The Character of Max was actually based on my husband. He's dark headed (or used to be) and worked hard for his family growing up. Giving all his money to his sister to help run the household. My husband's story differs in that he left to join the Navy and later on married me.

In my story, Max is grown, still lives at home and works hard, giving all his money to his mom to keep the farm and home running. After his father passed away, his mom had been managing things--badly.  Max finds out exactly how badly as the story progresses. He wonders if he'll have to stay forever and keep his family from losing the farm.

And what about his future?


FOLLOW YOUR COWBOY HEART by Janice Seagraves
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Chili Peppers Rating: 1

Max struggles daily to hide his psychic gift with animals. Being a hired hand at a local dairy probably wasn’t his best idea, but his mom needs the money he brings in. And there’s the dairy owner’s sexy daughter he can’t stop thinking about. Will he ever have anything other than himself to offer her?

Except:
“Max. I’ve been looking for you.” Linda took his hand, and an electrical sensation flowed up his arm. “Let’s step over here.”
“But I…”
“Only for a couple minutes. Your sisters can spare you that long.” She dragged him away to the Galloway’s backyard. The tall fence blocked off some of the noise from the party, giving them the illusion of privacy.
She pressed him against the fence and kissed him, hard. Surprise had him opening his mouth, but it also gave her entrance. Her tongue skimmed across his, and he was lost. He invaded her mouth, pursuing her. He placed his arms around her and pulled her against him, flattening her breasts against his chest. Desire spiraled through him.
She slowly pulled back and snuggled against his chest. “Wow. I always wondered what kissing you would be like.”
Rubbing her back, he noticed a little black bird in the tree limb above them. He whistled, and it cocked its head. He continued to mimic bird song, until the starling flew down and perched on his extended finger.
“How did you do that?” whispered Linda.
“It must be used to humans,” he lied. “Did you know starlings are better mimics then mocking birds?”
“No, I didn’t.” She smiled.
“What do you think of Linda?” he asked the bird. Forming what he wanted the starling to do in his mind.
It did a wolf whistle. Linda giggled.
——————————————————–
ONLY 99 cents

PURCHASE LINK:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Roping-Cowboy-Romance-Janice-Seagraves-ebook/dp/B01M0V7X71/

Follow Your Cowboy Heart by Janice Seagraves

Hi, my name is Janice Seagraves, one of the authors in the anthology, Roping the Cowboy.
It is now on preorder at Amazon.
My story is called Follow Your Cowboy Heart.
Its a sweet, one pepper.

This story is inspired by some of the Ag students I knew in HS, and my husband who handed over his paycheck to help his family.

Max the hero is based loosely on a good looking senior (when I was a sophomore) who lost his mom, but in my story he had lost his dad. He wore nice western wear and a cowboy hat. He had black hair he kept short. In my story Max can't afford a hair cut and wears his black hair long and in a ponytail. He doesn't have a lot of nice clothes, but wears his one nice outfit to look for work.

The story is told through Max's POV.

Linda the heroine is based loosely on someone I knew who had became the Barn Queen, but in my story she had been the Homecoming Queen. Her father owns a dairy.

Both Linda and Max are twenty years old in my story, and bump into each other two years after graduation, when Max is looking for a full time job.

Max is from a family of psychics, each with their own particular talent, and Max's talent is animals.

Blurb:

Max struggles daily to hide his psychic gift with animals. Being a hired hand at a local dairy probably wasn't his best idea, but his mom needs the money he brings in. And there's the dairy owner's sexy daughter he can't stop thinking about. Will he ever have anything other than himself to offer her?

Excerpt:

Linda pressed him against the fence and kissed him, hard. Surprise had him opening his mouth, but it also gave her entrance. Her tongue skimmed across his, and he was lost. He invaded her mouth, pursuing her. His placed his arms around her and pulled her against him, flattening her breasts against his chest. Desire spiraled through him.

She slowly pulled back and snuggled against his chest. “Wow. I always wondered what kissing you would be like.”

Rubbing her back, he noticed a little black bird in the tree limb above them. He whistled, and it cocked its head. He continued to mimic bird song, until the starling flew down and perched on his extended finger.

“How did you do that?” whispered Linda.

“It must be used to humans,” he lied. “Did you know starlings are better mimics then mocking birds?”

“No, I didn’t.” She smiled.

“What do you think of Linda?” he asked the bird. Forming what he wanted the starling to do in his mind.

It did a wolf whistle. Linda giggled.

 Amazon.co.jp 

Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Amazon.fr

Amazon.de
Amazon us

ABOUT FACE—A COVER STORY by Andrea Downing #CowboyRomance #RB4U

FABIO.

You, dear reader, most definitely recognize the name and are conjuring up the flowing hair, the square jaw, and the open shirt displaying a musculature only rivaled by Arnie’s. But Fabio hit his stride in the ‘80s and ‘90s, years of Dynasty and Dallas, big hair and big shoulders, and, apparently, big men.  Now pushing sixty, Fabio has long been in retirement, but his wannabes roll on, it seems. Jimmy Thomas, now thirty-five and weighing in at 220, claims he has graced more than eight thousand romance covers. Somewhat in the Fabio mold, his bared broad shoulders and come-hither eyes have been a huge success. But is this what women really want?  Maybe we want the eyes concentrating on only us, the longing that’s been made evident there, but is that really the body we long for in our beds?

For me, it’s a definite ‘no.’ The thought of some well-oiled muscular body in my bed is not at all enticing.  For openers, doesn’t all that breadth of thigh and chest make the part of the anatomy that really matters look incredibly small?  Lost even?  And do I want someone with longer hair than mine, hanging in my face as he lies above me, wisps finding their way into my mouth?  I think not. No, I don’t want flab and I don’t want someone thinner than my good self, but neither do I want to find myself in bed with Robo-man, some cartoon character or washboard/six pack combo who I’m afraid might smother me should the idea strike—and whose brain is, in ratio, smaller than his abs. I ask you, what is the attraction?

To research this post, I checked in at http://popkittybookreviews.com/top-ten-10-hottest-romance-cover-models/  Top 10 Hottest Cover Models?  Well, there was one I was actually attracted to:  Hollis Chambers.  Looks like my kinda guy:  buff, handsome, athletic, but not overly muscled.  I’d have him in a Stetson—and my bed—any day of the week. The same could be said of man of the moment, Jason Baca, who graces the cover of Come Love a Cowboy. Fit. Nice looking.  Not overly large. So is my aversion to the Mr. World, Atlas kind of guy an unusual repugnance—am I alone, or have I got cohorts in this apparent peculiarity?  Do women want Fabio back in the picture or was that a passing fashion just as Jean Harlow and Mae West gave way to Jane Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe and they, in turn, have given way to the anorexic coat-hangers of today. For the answer, I turned to my fellow authors in the anthology, Come Love a Cowboy. And there seems to be something strange going on here. 

Best-selling author Keta Diablo seems to agree with me; she tells me she’s “never gravitated toward body-builders or muscular men. Seems I've always been attracted to lean men of average height or somewhat taller. They can have muscle, but not the ones you see with huge biceps and massive chests.” Best-selling author of  ‘The Snowbird Series,’ Hebby Roman, says the same:  “My body type for a guy is muscular but not muscle-bound.” And Patti Sherry-Crews is of like mind:  “I don't go for the big muscular guy, and whenever I see a character described as having "thick thighs" it's a turn-off for me, but I believe I am in the minority on this since I see it so often as a turn-on. So, yeah, in choosing a cover I might go with bulky-muscled guy since that seems to be what the reader wants.”  Is it what the reader wants? Award-winning author Julie A. D’Arcy seems to think so, although, again, that sort of man is not her type. She says, “I married an average height, rugged looking, muscly shouldered, football player with a good sense of humor.…I am not that wrapped in seeing half naked muscle bound guys on covers, but they seen to appeal to a lot of women that buy romance novels.” Kathleen Ball, author of numerous best-selling western romance novels, also sees this dichotomy—“In real life I love a fit well groomed man. On my covers I love 6 pack abs. A big smile and a cowboy hat…" 

     Other authors seem to prefer—no surprise here!—the same man they married, or would date.  Best-selling and award-winning author Caroline Clemmons says, “I like clean shaven, clothed even if the shirt is partially unbuttoned, dark hair, blue eyes, nice shoulders. That is the type that also appeals to me individually (my husband).”  But perhaps it was Margo Bond-Collins who had her finger on the pulse.  Margo told me, “I adore the hard-bodied men on the cover of many romance novels--at least in an abstract, appreciating-the-aesthetics kind of way. I think they're lovely to look at. And hot bodies and hard muscles are great in fiction. In my own life, I don't care what people look like. I am attracted to kindness, to generosity, to intelligence, to wit, and to strength of character. I find that the people I love become beautiful to me, regardless of whether they fit into any culturally approved standard of beauty.” 

So perhaps the answer is that we, as authors, are selling fantasy and the fantasy is that the muscles, broad shoulders and Greek god looks personify the strengths we seek in a partner. We wouldn’t necessarily seek out a man who looked like that, but those attributes are symbols, on a book cover, of the inner strengths, care, protectiveness, love and attention that we do want in our men. 

Maybe.

COME LOVE A COWBOY

Eight stand-alone Contemporary Western Romance novellas from Bestselling and Award Winning Authors.

From firefighters, bronco busters, and wealthy ranchers to bad boys, we have them all for you!  If you've ever wanted to fall in love with a sexy, alpha cowboy of today...now's your chance.

A savings of more than 75% if the books were purchased separately.

Luke’s Fate by Kathleen Ball

Meg O’Brien hoped never to lay eyes on the one man who broke her heart. To her dismay, Luke Kelly arrives at her ranch a much different and broken man. Can Meg ever forgive his callous treatment of her and help Luke become the man he used to be?

Grant Me The Moon by Caroline Clemmons

All Tory Fraser intended was to show her high school history club students a local archeology dig. How could she know the excursion would involve a murder?

Three for The Win by Keta Diablo

Hollis should have known better than to fall for a bone-melting man like Stede. He’s gone now and Eli is left to pick up the broken pieces of her life.

Border Affair by Hebby Roman

When his partners’ daughter is kidnapped in México, a self-made millionaire must confront his feelings about their affair and the future of their relationship.

Leaving Necessity by Margo Bond Collins

Mac has one week to convince his ex-girlfriend Clara not to sell his oil company. In this high-pressure reunion, can they strike love again?

The Shape of Destiny by Julie A. D’Arcy

A young male shape shifter. A beautiful female ranch owner. Can love be born in a web of deceit?

Bad Boy, Big Heart by Andrea Downing

She’s a New Yorker escaping her parents.  He’s a Wyoming cowboy supporting his dad. One summer, two young people—three months to find love.

Desert Heat by Patti Sherry-Crews

A single mother struggling to keep her guest ranch puts her own desires on hold. When a handsome and persistent fireman sets his sights on her, she must decide how much she’s willing to give.

Universal Link:  myBook.to/Come-Love-A-Cowboy

Been There... Done That....Cold December Mornings....#RB4U #FoodPorn

Cold December Mornings...

Hello and welcome back to Melissa's Musings. Each ninth day of the month, I drop by to share my thoughts, wonderings, happenings, and life. Lucky you! You're in for a treat today!

If your family is like mine, mornings are not our favorite time of the day. Youngest child--who is now an adult working as an electrician is up and in the shower by 6:00, I'm doing my hair for work or phoning in my movie review to the local radio station by 6:30. At this time of year in Michigan, it's dark...and cold!

It's hard to think about food, let alone have time for yummy meal. Forget cereal... too messy and you have to sit down and eat it. The breakfast bars are okay if you like cardboard. They also leave me hungry about 10 am. Stopping at the local hamburger joint is fine but expensive. With the holidays, I don't have a dollar to spare!

I cut my time down to the second so that I can sleep just those few extra minutes. Beauty sleep is important. I didn't get this way on Botox alone! *wink*

So been there, done that... I've tried to make up breakfast meals ahead of time. They didn't turn out so good. Think messy and boring. But you will receive my special secret recipe today.... just because I love you, all!

I make egg muffins. They are super easy and I make them on Sundays, stuff them in a Ziploc baggie and with a quick pop in the microwave (1-2 min) they are ready to go. You can even make them into a sandwich if you want to give up an extra minute of your rest.

Egg Muffins

6-9 eggs

1/8-1/4 cup milk

Muffin pan

Cooking spray

Extras:

Cheese

Onions (green or sweet)

Bacon

Sausage

Ham pieces cubed

Mushrooms

And anything else you can imagine!

Preheat the oven to 350*. Spray the muffin tin with cooking spray (don't be a Grinch with it...make sure it's coated in the muffin spaces so the eggs come out.) 

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and mild. Wisk.

In the muffin tins, load up your extras. Go all out! Be creative!

Pour the milk/egg mixture over the extras in the muffin cups. Place in the oven and cook at 350* until firm and lightly browned (about 15 minutes or so).

Remove from oven and let cool. You can eat them when warm or place them into plastic baggies for future mornings. 

Now you have a yummy treat that won't waste your precious sleep time. In addition, these are wonderful things to make ahead for the holidays. You can wake up and warm up these on Christmas morning while the children are opening presents or serve them on New Years Eve, before your party guests go home.

Aren't you glad you got to learn from my own trial and error? If you make them, I'd love to hear what you put in them. My favorite is green onions, mushrooms, bacon, ham and cheese.

Now for a treat of a different sort... Yummy Cowboys!

Cowboys Forever 
Six Women—Six Cowboys Forever 
Six Cowboy Love Stories by the best selling authors who brought you Cowboy Up 1&2 

Marry Me Again, Cowboy by Allison Merritt 
An unlikely match made in Texas... 

Cowboy Apocalypse by Leslie Garcia 
Can a former Marine and a Hollywood diva facing apocalyptic changes in their lives salvage new beginnings together? 

Claiming A Cowboy’s Heart by Melissa Keir 
Even broken souls deserve a second chance at love… 

Rock-n-Roll Cowboy by Autumn Piper 
Never judge a rock band by its cover song. 

A Cowboy's Princess by Sara Walter Ellwood 
Oil and water don't mix...neither does Texas oil royalty and an ex-Navy SEAL turned rodeo cowboy until danger forces them together. 

Ride, Cowboy, Ride by D’Ann Lindun 
Can they find freedom together? 

EXCERPT FROM CLAIMING A COWBOY'S HEART:

The horse’s tail rose. A small leg became visible as the birth began. Holding his breath, he waited and watched.

With his gaze on the eminent arrival, he frowned. “Crap. That’s an upside down hoof.”

His friend drew in close. A second leg arrived. “Shit. The foal’s backward. Those are the rear legs.”

“We have to get the foal out now. If we don’t, it’ll drown.” He knelt next to the horse. “Get up front and soothe Cheyenne. I’m going to have to pull the foal out fast, and I don’t want her thrashing around.” Sweat trickled down his spine. Playing God was not what being a veterinarian was about. Losing an animal—any animal—took a piece of his soul. But to lose a new life…it might leave a permanent scar. I’ve been blessed so far. Would the blessing last?

Glancing to see that his buddy had followed his directions, Preston gritted his teeth and seized a hold of the offspring’s legs with both hands. “Ready, on the count of three…. One, two, three.” He heaved with all his strength, observing as the foal came out. Quickly, he tore open the sac, releasing fluid and giving the foal a chance to breathe. He gnawed on his lip, gaze glued on the foal. Was it alive? Come on. He whispered a silent prayer.

Free with Kindle Unlimited or only 99 pennies...(ebook) 
Buy Link: AMAZON

Thank you for stopping by today and be sure to let me know about your own extras!! I'm always up for trying a new treat!

Who Would You Invite? #November #RB4U @melissa_keir

Who Would You Invite??

Hello and welcome to everyone. It's Melissa Keir once again talking about romance books and life. This month our theme is the best party. I love planning parties. Attending them, not so much...but I adore picking out the food, planning who to invite and creating a wonderful setting for people to gather.

Just imagine, you are having a party and can invite anyone you want, living, dead, real or fantasy...Who Would You Invite?

I'm sure there are so many different answers out there. I'd love to spend another day with my family who passed on, but I think the best party to have would be if your own book characters came to life and attended the party. Can you just imagine?

Jake and Angela along with her daughter, Taylor. Of course, Jake's brother would show up. He does a lot of lurking in the book...determined to get back at Jake.

But it wouldn't be a party without Johnson and Debra...She's probably scoping out my house to see how much she can list it for. But if these two are coming to the party, make sure you hide the alcohol. We don't want them to fall off the wagon again.

Rob and Keira would certainly want to come. Hopefully, they won't cause a scene with their fights. With their marriage on the rocks, putting them together along with others is like adding fuel to a fire. Keira's certain to think Rob's flirting and then all H*ll will break loose!

Throw in Lissa and Alex as well as his ex-wife and Lissa's best friend...Chloe...Well, let's just say, my house isn't big enough to keep them apart and not fighting. Hopefully, Chloe has worked on her own marriage so she doesn't have to try to get Alex back.

As you can see, this party will be anything but ordinary. I'd love to sit back and watch the interactions. To make the party more interesting, throw in a few vampire hunters, shifters, and skin-walkers and you have a fabulous event. No one is going to be worried about the food with so many interesting people there!

Who would you invite to your party? What characters would you want to show up and how would they act? I'd love to hear your insights....

Melissa Keir writes small town romances that sizzle. She's also the local radio movie reviewer and owns her own publishing house. When not busy, she dreams of becoming a drag racer and living life on the beach. You can find out more about her and her books at her website or Amazon.

Everything's coming up roses...

Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit. I'm dead tired, there aren't enough hours in the day, I'm so busy I can't recall my characters' names at times, and at the end of the day I have been known to stare at articles (the word kind, not the item kind), such as 'the', and ponder - is that how 'the' is spelled?

Yeah, I'm busy.

That said, my releases are coming fast and furious this year. I have enough contracts to last me to the end of next year. For now, let me share the cover art and blurbs for my latest releases. One just came out, the other is due out June 24 (no links as yet).

EROTIC TAKEOVER

Erotic Contemporary

Released April 22

Amazon - Ellora's Cave

Blurb:

He’ll unleash her indecent desires…in the most provocative way possible

Working for a celebrated photographer of lush nudes, many with BDSM themes, isn’t easy for Jodi. She’s full-figured, wholesome and longing for Mac, her bad boy boss. His shaggy hair, wicked tat and total hotness make her dream of ditching her work as his assistant to get down on her knees as his eager sub. If he’d only notice her.

Who says he hasn’t? As laid-back as they come, Mac can’t get over how uptight Jodi is around him…like he might bite her. Not what he has in mind. Her guileless nature and voluptuous figure do dangerous things to his self-control.

Lucky for him a client’s request has Jodi finally yielding to her sensual nature, because Mac’s fully prepared to dominate, demanding her submission, delivering punishment. In other words, an erotic takeover.

COME AND GET YOUR LOVE

Erotic Contemporary - Romantic Comedy

Coming June 24

Blurb:

Their desire wasn’t supposed to be real…

With millions willed to her in an incentive trust, Lissa can get the dough to start her own country music label when she meets one of the no-contest clauses. Namely, reach middle age in twenty years, work in the hated family business for a decade, or marry someone not in the music biz.

Marriage it is, at least for a year to satisfy her greedy brother who wants the inheritance.

Enter Cass, a hot Texas rancher who dampens Lissa’s panties. With a pile of medical bills from his brother’s accident, Cass agrees to wed Lissa. She’s sweet to look at, surprisingly pleasant for an Atlanta debutante, and makes his jeans feel tight as hell despite their no-sex contract.

Uh-huh. The devil’s in the details. Longing gazes turn to tender intimacy and wild nights with pretend feeling all too real.

Damn shame it may be too late with her brother gunning for them both. 

Website - Blog - Amazon - FB - Twitter