Heart Beat Collection

 

Three erotic stories of music and passion.

Meet Gavin Guevaro

Crescendo is one of the THREE stories in the Heart Beat Collection. The story is about a meek young cellist named Yarrow Panesh. She is a well-healed publishing heiress of Panesh Publishing. She's tired of being pushed around and having life decisions made for her. Then she bumps in Gavin. Literally. He's a speedy bike courier, zipping by as she makes her way home from symphony rehearsal. She tumbles to the ground, her cello goes flying, and suddenly -- her heart springs to life.

Gavin has smoldering brown eyes and a wildness... What the heck! That's talk to him:)

Me: Hey Gavin, how's it going?

GG:  Great. My art is finally becoming my life. Thanks to Yarrow, right?

Me: Well your talent has something to do with it.

GG: Sure. The portrait I did of her was crazy popular.

Me: Still ride the bike?

GG: No deliveries anymore, thank God.

Me: I think you're looking chubby. You're not burning a bazzilion calories anymore, delivering packages."

GG: Shut up... (he's blushing...so gorgeous!)

Ebook winners! Thanks for playing!

Hey, shout to the winners of my two free ebook give-aways! I really hope you like Dragonfly Dance! A big thank you to The Romance Reviews for hosting this contest. They do such great things for authors over there.

Dragonfly Dance is the first in my Heart Beat Collection --  a series of novelettes all centered around music. In this story, Lori Littlehawk plays the fiddle like nobody's business on the wide prairie of South Dakota. An erotic romp with a big dose of fresh air.

The socond in the series is about Annalee and recruitment into a drum and bugle corps. She plays her drums and marches with the all-male group, falling head over heels with the drum major. If you like drums and dogs and hot sex with an ex-marine -- well this might be for you!

Both of these are released this month as a two-fer frfom Torrid Books.

http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=62&products_id=691

And another delightful review for Rhythm of the Rain, also a 2011 release.

Thank you Long and Short Reviews!
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/index.htm

Rhythm of the Rain

By Gemini Judson

Release date: 10/01/2011

 

Review by Stephanotis at Long and Short Reviews

What a unique story! It's about dog grooming, drill teams and yes, lots of romance, too. I liked Annalee from the beginning. She came across as a real life character running a dog grooming business, and in walks Tango with his dog. At first I thought he might ditch the dog with her and the story would progress from there with maybe her trying to track him down, but was more than relieved when he showed up and found out these two had lots in common.

One thing that struck me was the story seemed to have all the makings of a classic romance, boy meets girl, girl thinks he's not interested, and maybe he likes the best friend better; but what made it unique was Ms. Judson put a unique spin on the whole thing. She had all characters as part of a drill team and also took it up a couple of notches with some steamy sex scenes.

This story has good pacing, natural sounding dialogue, and characters I liked and cheered for. Rain, hence the title, is also a major factor in this story which had me wanting to curl up under a blanket and something hot to drink while I read this story. It's an quick read that I enjoyed.

Dragonfly Dance, released in early 2011, is the story of fiddle music under the wide South Dakota sky. Here is a review I received from Long and Short Reviews. Love what she has to say :)

Dragonfly Dance

By Gemini Judson

Release date: 2/1/2011

Review by Holly at Long and Short Review

Gemini Judson has written a delightful romance, filled with passion, romantic disillusionment and new love.

Lori Littlehawk was certain she had her future all planned. She would play the fiddle in the family band, Littlehawk Lightning, marry her childhood best friend Tucker, and live happily ever after.

When her brother mentions that a talent scout will be in the audience at the big Dragonfly Dance celebration, Lori doesn’t even think twice about it. That is, until she goes to Tucker’s place and finds him in bed with Casey, the singer from the band, and fires both of them on the spot.

Now, Lori is ready for freedom and adventure, and throws caution to the wind. She meets a tall and handsome stranger, a photographer who warms places in Lori that she never knew were cold. But Bruce Burns is more than just a photographer, he is the talent scout, and after the first performance, he ‘accidentally’ meets up with Lori. The strong attraction and Lori’s newfound sense of freedom lead them to his camper and to a heated but brief encounter. Can Littlehawk Lightning beat out the other local bands for the movie contract? Will Casey and Tucker’s accusations turn the people against Lori and the band? Can Lori and Bruce find happiness together?

I love the pacing of this story, and the marvelous character development. The world Ms Judson has built is one of beauty and delight, and I could just imagine those dragonflies dancing in the warm summer air.

 

Loralei ‘Lori’ Littlehawk is a delight. I love her strength and resilience when faced with the betrayal by the man she thought loved her completely. She took time to cry, but also realized that it didn’t hurt as much as it should have. I liked her spirit and her willingness to move on to new adventures.

Bruce Burns is the handsome talent scout. He is determined to woo Lori, and doesn’t want her to think he is just after the band. I like that he never exactly lies to her about who he is, but just doesn’t volunteer everything right away. He is sexy and gives Lori exactly what she needs to feel strong and independent.

This is a wonderful romance, one that gives hope to those who have lost their dream only to find another waiting to be fulfilled. The characters work well together, and I would love to read more about this family, especially Lori’s two brothers, Henry and Cameron. I would hope Ms. Judson can find their stories and bring them to life in the same fashion as she did Lori and Bruce.

Turning Teal is a re-release of RING AROUND THE SUN. I pulled this one from a publisher where is was dying on the vine. A shrivled shell of a book... OK, enough botany metaphores. I was so bummed because the book got great reviews and even an EPIC nomination. Now I find myself in a wasteland where I don't know how to promote it. Can I toot about RING AROUND THE SUN, when this is the same book with a different title? Can I say "Look at this review for RIng Around the Sun!" and "This is the same book, only with a better cover!" I did the cover for RING AROUND THE SUN, so I can say that. It was my very first cover :) Anyhoo, I'm in a quandry. 

A new release! Very exciting. This one will be available in print too. Hang on for details.

Archetypes
I think I finally understand them. I had to commit the sin writing the same archetype over and over again until I realized, "I've met you before, oh hero of my story."
I tend to write the same kind of guy. SImilar unough so that I'd say they are of the same ARCHETYPE.

Here he is: He's kind. He's a bit of a fuck up. Tall, slender. Funny. Perhaps aloof.
Hmmm... is that an archetype? I guess I can't wrap a single word around him. Like the damsel in distress -- I write those women a lot. Never write bitches. I don't like to spend time with bitches in my real life and don't intend to spend my make-beleive world with them either.

Back to my guys. Let me list them. First their was Conrad Manzey. Tall, virile, not a fuck-up at all. In fact he is capable of just about any feat. He is sensitive and uber-masculine. Blonde, blue-eyed.

Along came Adam Vianetti. Adam is beefy and muscular. Ah-ha! Not slender. He is sensitive and intelligent. This guy has a head for business. Dark hair, dark eyes. So far so good. Two completely different men -- archetypes.

Then Kevin Shepherd. My love, my favorite. He was tall, slender, kind, funny, aloof. Curly black hair, brown eyes.

Ah- Steve Rider. My lost soul. He's just stumbling along without a real life plan. He's an animal man -- manages a team of horses. Strapping and strong from  hard work. Brown hair.

Bruce Burns... He's an older dude. Not a young buck, but in great shape for 40. Tall, slender, muscular. A buisnessman too, but kind of a power freak. Like to be in control, and he dominates Lori in a wild and erotic way.

Tango Petit. Ex-marine, buff and burly. Dog-lover and of course warm-hearted. He's a bit bull-headed but eager to do what's right. He's actually really a sensitive type and gifted pianist. Go figure.

OK, SO I FEEL BETTER. They are not all alike. I'm getting to know a new man and worried he was a recreation of the others. His name is Gavin Guevara. He's hot stuff and an artist, fit as a fiddle as he earns a modest living delivering packages on his bike.

Stay tuned for Gavin and Yarrow in Crescendo. Coming soon to a theater near you :)

NEW RELEASE!

Annalee Wells is innately programmed to keep a constant rhythm. She’d been a competitive drummer in college and it was the best time of her life. She high-stepped through her university years and planned a bright future in veterinary medicine. Her future veered off course when her father was stricken ill. She went home to help him die and her rhythm has been off ever since.

When a fun-loving golden retriever enters her pet-grooming salon with a handsome man on the other end of the leash, her heart plays a forgotten cadence. She’s immediately smitten with the dog, and a little star struck when she learns that her new client, Tango, is the drum major for the best drum and bugle corps in the Midwest. When he asks her to join the notably all-male group, she’s blown away.

Is this the very thing that will bring the heartbeat back to her life? She’d let go of all her dreams when her dad died. Maybe Tango and the Blue Devil’s drums could bring them back.

New Cover!

Coming from Whiskey Creek Press in February 20100

NEWS!!!

Good news is dripping from the ceiling! I've got a new contract with Whiskey Creek Press Torrid for a novelette titled DRAGONFLY DANCE. Cover images are swimming in my head. No wait...those are moths! More later...

Guest blogging!

Hi all! Wonderful author Paige Tyler has graciously given me space at her blog. Come say hi!

http://nicennaughtyauthors.blogspot.com/2010/10/guest-author-gemini-judson.html

I am at fiddle camp today but I will pop on over from T to T.

Later!

A Bit Drafty

In HOME TO HAWK RIDGE, Steve Rider is a teamster. He's a logger and uses a team of horses to harvest trees. This is big business in some parts of the country. It's a low impact alternative to clear cutting. We used a team when we just wanted a few big trees removed from our property, but didn't want someone to come in and chew up the forest with a big machine.

In my story, Steve's favorite mare is a Percheron. Beautiful Beth, a shining black beauty. Percherons are a draft breed, like the familiar Clydesdales and Belgians. They are also called plow horses, but that phrase conjures up an unfair clumsy image. Does the horse in the photo look clumsy to you? But they certainly are work horses. I'm amazed by their strength and willingness to cooperate with insignificant fleas like us.

Steve handles his team with the ease of an eight-year-old girl handling her bicycle. He's done it all his life. He knows horses and he knows trees. In my story, he's about to get to know a bit of magic.

MEET KAT

An Interview with Katerina Bauer, the heroin in my latest release, Home to Hawk Ridge
I caught up with Kat out at Steve's farm. She pulled her nose out of his bookkeeping long enough to talk a moment.

KAT: (giggles) Seems funny to be called a heroin.

GEM: In my story, you call yourself “a bit of a witch”. What do you mean by that?

KAT: I was raised in a household – not a home – of self-proclaimed gypsy witches. There was always talk of spells for this or that. My heritage, on my mom’s side of the family, has a long history of herbal magic. From as early as I could remember, I heard about how I would need to create my personal enchantment potion. Every gypsy witch has one. And it was made very clear to me that mine had better be a whopper, because I had very little charisma of my own.

GEM: You’d been sort of programmed into a life of self-doubt. Why do you think your family did that?

KAT: Of course I didn’t realize it growing up, but now I think the aunts resented my mother’s strength and independence. And of course—I look different than anybody else in the family! I’m a fair blonde in a household of dark beauties. It was pretty simple to single me out and make me feel like a freak. Steve thinks that it was because I was the most beautiful—Layla was jealous. He has an especially strong resentment of her. Can we move on? I’m not a Bauer anymore.

GEM: Sure. So do you still call yourself a witch?

KAT: Hmm. No, but I still do simple charms every now and then. Especially on Steve’s horses. They respond so nicely to natural magic and Steve appreciates their improved moods. I don’t fascinate people.

GEM: Really….?

KAT: Okay so maybe a little bit—to get a good table in a restaurant or extra whipped cream in my latte.

GEM: I work hard to give my characters a recognizable character arc. I want them to grow as the story progresses. Did you grow in Home to Hawk Ridge?

KAT: I did! Very much, thank you. I am much more confident in myself and happy with who I am. I came to Hawk Ridge with no compass—no direction. I knew my aunts were deceitful and what they did was wrong. I wanted to make a fresh start but didn’t trust myself. The first thing I did was a right out of the gypsy handbook! I cast a spell on Steve. That was wrong. Magic is still a part of who I am, but it’s not the answer to life’s problems. Not for me. Honesty and courage are more powerful.

GEM: Does Steve let you drive his team?

KAT: Heck no! He's so powerful with those big horses. I take Beth out for long rides though. I have a wonderful connection with her.

GEM: Good luck Katerina. You’re a beautiful person, inside and out. Say hey to Steve and Dorothy and the McBeth’s!

KAT: Will do. Thanks Gem.
__________________

Just released from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid

CONTEST WINNER!

It was sorta clunky, but I really did have my dog pick a winner. I printed out all the blog commentors and wrapped the slips of paper around a chunk of dry dog food. Vange in Colorado won! Perhaps she is dog-lover. I will send her a bottle of Fresh Grass scented lotion, one of my calendars and an ecopy of Green Grass. Thanks to all who commented! More contests to come!
Gem

They are making by book into a movie!

Not really. But that was fun to type....
So, as writers we like to indulge in that fantasy. We sit around and ponder who would play our characters. I saw this model in a newspaper ad -- don't even remember what store -- it was Kevin Shepherd, right down to the dark curls and sculpted cheekbones. I cut it out and taped it to my computer. Now there is this character on the TV show Old Christine. He plays Christine's brother. His name is Hamish Linklater. He reminds me of Kevin. Maybe not quite as cute as Kevin.

Adrian Culpepper...holy smokes. Who would play her? A petite blonde. A cute blonde. Is Dakota Fanning old enough? Kate Hudson? Oh, oh -- Hayden Panettiere!

Oh this is so exciting. Any movie execs out there reading this? (yeah, right...) Let's put these two lovely people togehter in my movie, Green Grass. Starring Hayden Panettiere and Hamish Linklater. You provide the set, the camera thingy, some donuts. I'll bring the script. Meet me in Maine.

Done.
Gem

Essentially, oils are difficult to get at

I like to dabble in aromatherapy, herbal medicine -- even crystal healing. I really believe there are hidden energies in plants and rocks and trees and everything else, all around us. But alas, my senses are just too 21st century to lock into anything but radio waves. I took a fairly down-to-earth herbal medicine course once -- lengthy and thorough and I started using some of the teas and tinctures for healing. I tackled only the simplest of ailments. Stomach aches, menstrual cramps, head colds. My daughter had cradle cap and I concocted a salve to "heal" her. She had a green scalp for months. (I like to think she is more clever now because of it :)

The one thing I have tried with some success is distilling essential oils from plants material. That's what Adrian Culpepper is up to in my latest release, Green Grass. She's a self-taught chemist. She brews huge batches of flowers and mixes up massage oils. OK, so here's my experience. I've done the easy stuff -- orange peels. I boiled down a pile of peels and collected the condensate. I got a tiny thimbleful of limonene. Smelled great. Then I tried a large flask full of lavender flowers and -- well I burned them and it stunk for days. I tried a flask full of simple green grass and got nothing more than a smear of oil. But that one did smell fresh.

Bottom line of this blog post? Distilling essential oils from plant material is tough. You need huge amounts of plant material to get a little bit of anything even remotely resembling an oil, and even then it's probably full of impurities.

I created Adrian to learn the art at her mother's knee, and a lot of trial and error. Read the book and see what her future holds! Essentially, it's a happy ending!

later - Gem

See that bottle of lotion? Top shelf, right? It's massage lotion from Garden of Eden! I'm giving away a bottle of that! I picked the custom fragrance of...you guessed it. Fresh Grass! No kidding. It smells like a dream and surely something Adrian would brew up! Also, I willthrow in a nifty desk calendar and a pdf copy of Green Grass for one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave a comment here, on my blog during the next week, August 2nd-8th. I will pool the emails and select one winner.