COZY Nooks for #Reading and #Writing

My Dream Nook

Almost everyone has their nose stuck in a book these days -- or a Kindle Fire or a Nook.  I'm always looking for a great place to read outside (weather permitting) and a certain criteria has to be met before I can put my thoughts aside and delve into a book.

I'm interested in hearing about where you like to read.

 


My Imagination at Work
(I'm such a Shabby Chic girl)

* Are you the kind of person who grabs a chapter or two on the subway?

*  Must you have complete harmonic stillness to read?

* Or do you spend your lunch break reading in the park?

* Do you head for your local bookstore (if it hasn't been closed) and curl up in a chair?

When I was a teen, I'd cuddle up on the porch swing with my latest book. Perfect conditions would include a slight breeze, sunshine, and solitude, except for the sounds of nature.

Once in a while I head over to a lovely, local botanical garden and sit on one of the benches scattered throughout. We're not talking a small garden plot here with several rows of flowers -- no, we're talking about an entire City block of trees, flowering shrubs and plants. The kewl thing about this garden (other than its beauty) is  a man built it for his wife who passed on ten years ago. She loved flowers and this is his tribute to her. Romantic, huh?

Now that I spend so much time writing, most of my reading time happens at home, and usually in bed before I drift off to dreamland for the night.

How about you? Tell us about your favorite place to read and what criteria must be met before you can lose yourself in another world?

During this horrific nightmare we're living through with the Corona Virus, I hope you'll find some respite and peace through enoying your family more, playing board games, talking long walks and maybe curling up with some good books. 

I've got you covered because I write across the spectrum, you're sure to find something to enjoy!

Take a look at the genres below and click on the link.
NOTE: I've put all my books in Kindle Unlimited #FREE to #READ or just .99 cents!

KETA'S BOOKS

Historical Romance

Decadent Deceptions (Suspense)

Moon of the Sleeping Bear (Family Saga, Book 1

Dark Night of the Moon (Family Saga, Book 2)

Dust & Moonlight (Fantasy/Time Travel)

Land of Falling Stars (Suspense/Civil War)

Sky Tinted Water, Book 1 (Clean Romance)

Sky Dance, Book 2 (CLEAN Romance)

Sky Dreams, Book 3 (Clean Romance)

Sojourn With a Stranger (Gothic/Ghost)

Cradle of Dreams, Book 1 (Time Travel)

Scoundrel of Dreams, Book 3 (Time Travel)

Whisper of Dreams, Book 2 (Time Travel)

Contemporary Romance

A Ghost To Die For (Suspense)

Bondage and Bliss

Caught in the Rain 

I Spy A Demon (Contemporary/Urban Fantasy)

Season, Unforgettable (Romance/Thriller!)

Three For the Win (Biker Boyz)

Gay

Blood Oath (Vampires Contemporary)

Crossroads, Book 1 (Contemporary/Crime)

Crossroads Revisited, Book 2 (Contemporary/Crime)

Crossroads, Book 3 (Contemporary/Crime)

Hot & Sticky (Contemporary)

Long Hard Ride (Historical)

Lip Service (Contemporary)

Magnolia Heat (Historical)

The Devil's Heel (Pirates Historical)

The Sin Eater’s Prince (Vampires Werewolves Dragons)

Valentine's Vindication (Contemporary)

Western Romance

Chasing the Dead (Romance/Ghost)

Comes An Outlaw, Book 1

Comes A Specter, Book 2

Where the Rain Is Made (Time Travel)

Thanks so much for stopping by today. We can get through this nightmare together. Remember to distance yourself from large groups of people, wash your hands frequently and try hard not to touch any part of your face, 

Did Dogs Descend From Wolves? Find out If and How . . .

Hey everyone,

Thanks so much for dropping by my blog today to read about one of my favorite animals: Wolves. If you know a little about me, you know I'm a huge animal lover, and if you've read some of my books, you know I occasionally write about wolves.They're a fascinating subject for many reasons: One, they've lived on our planet for centuries. Two, on many occasions, they've been hunted to near extinction . . . Boo! Hiss! But wolves are survivors and with protection from many governments, they'll probably be here a lot longer than we are. So, did dogs descend from wolves?

Many researchers/scientists who have studied their DNA and evolution say without a doubt, yes.

The dog, Canis familiaris, is a direct descendant of the gray wolf, Canis lupus: In other words, dogs as we know them are domesticated wolves. Not only has their behavior changed; domestic dogs are different in form from wolves, mainly smaller and with shorter muzzles and smaller teeth.
This dog cranium to the left was discovered in Germany in 2010, next to Neolithic human remains. The skull is about 4,700 years old.

Darwin was wrong about dogs. He thought their remarkable diversity must reflect interbreeding with several types of wild dogs. But the DNA findings say differently. All modern dogs are descendants of wolves, though this domestication may have happened twice, producing groups of dogs descended from two unique common ancestors. How and when this domestication happened has been a matter of speculation. It was thought until very recently that dogs were wild until about 12,000 years ago. But DNA analysis suggests a date of about 130,000 years ago for the transformation of wolves to dogs. This means that wolves began to adapt to human society long before humans settled down and began practicing agriculture.

Prehistoric fossils suggest modern dogs evolved from a single population of wolves

The dogs of ancient Europe probably looked a lot like the mutts roaming Europe today, new DNA discoveries from dog fossils suggest. In the ongoing debate over how many times dogs were domesticated from wolves, this new study suggests it happened just once.

Dogs are the very first species that humans tamed, but the details surrounding dogs’ origins are a little fuzzy. Now, ancient DNA extracted from two 7,000-year-old and 4,700-year-old dog fossils discovered in Germany offer scientists a glimpse at dog evolution. Modern dogs probably descended from just one population that lived continuously in Europe for millennia.
Above, two gray wolves in the wild.

Another team extracted DNA from two more dog fossils discovered in Germany over the last 20 years. They recreated a canid family tree by comparing chunks of DNA from these ancient dogs and today’s purebreds, mutts, and wolves. By counting the genetic differences, and estimating how long it would take for those differences to show up, they could roughly date when each of these groups split apart. For wolves and dogs, that was roughly 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. For Eastern and Western dog populations, it was probably between 17,000 and 24,000 years ago. The two ancient German canines turned out to be genetically related to one another, and to the dogs of today despite living thousands of years apart.
 
Domesticated Siberian Husky on your right


Our furry friends likely evolved from a population of wolves domesticated sometime between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. Exactly who domesticated these wolves, when, and how many times, is still a mystery, and scientists don’t agree on the answer. Dogs were probably domesticated by accident, when wolves began trailing ancient hunter-gatherers to snack on their garbage. Docile wolves may have been slipped extra food scraps, the theory goes, so they survived better, and passed on their genes. Eventually, these friendly wolves evolved into dogs.

 Now, a little about the Wolf I wrote about in Dark Night of the Moon, Book 2. (Moon of the Sleeping Bear is Book 1)

(May contain spoilers!)
One of the Native American characters dies in DNOTM and in a valiant attempt to reunite his kidnapped wife with their children, he takes the form of a WOLF.  I just love shifters, don't you?

Tagline from Moon of the Sleeping Bear (BOOK 1):

Twins separated at birth through the evil act of a midwife are reunited 20 years later when Fate steps in.

Tagline from Dark Night of the Moon (BOOK 2)

Sage has been kidnapped by savages. Can a stalking wolf and an ancient healer help her gain freedom?

READ FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED 

Thanks so much for visiting today!

 

"I Just Love A Good Spanking" - #Amazon Reader

Welcome to Saturday Spanks!This week I'm featuring a scene from one of my

#GayFiction #GLBT books, Lip Service.

One reviewers said, "I love a good spanking in a book!"

I'm hoping you do too. 


ABOUT LIP SERVICE:
After their recent tiff, Bryan took off for Japan on a business trip, leaving Navarre to worry and fret at home. Bryan is expected home soon after two long weeks of separation, but fate has other plans. Upon landing in the United States he discovers his outgoing flight has mechanical issues, and since there’s an enormous conference in the city, obtaining a rental car is out of the question.

Navarre is desperate to see Bryan and make amends after their heated argument. And what does a desperate man do? Find his own means to get to the man he loves.

After a lengthy road trip, he arrives at the hotel where Bryan is staying and has second thoughts about challenging fate.

Bryan has company in his hotel room!

"Lip Service was one of those wondrous little stories that packs great characters, sexual tension and erotic heat into a few pages without leaving the reader wishing there was more." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Lip Service was naughty at the right point, without pushing too much: Bryan and Navarre, put aside the D/s factor, are a long-term couple that still enjoys being together." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Excerpt:

The elevator door opens. Like the clerk said, the sign tells me to turn left to find Room 468. I stand in front of his door and can’t fucking believe I’m here, seconds away from bliss. I raise my hand to knock and . . . hear muffled laughter and voices through the door.

Bryan’s and another man’s unfamiliar voice.

My heart falls to my feet. Someone is in the room with him? How could I be so stupid? Ice rushes through my veins and a wave of dizziness nearly brings me to my knees.

Two can play this game . . . two can play this game.

I look around for something to throw up in, just in case I can’t stop the bile rising up in my throat. I spy a potted plant, but rather than douse it with vomit, I want to pitch it through the nine-paned window nearby. Bryan is in his hotel room with another man, and the visions storming my brain devastate me.

He didn’t mean it, not a single word—the apology, the I love you, or the part about missing me. How can he miss me while he’s fucking another man? I tell myself it was all lies, the wing flap problem, the National Guard convention, the whole shebang.

Pacing the hallway, I wonder what I should do. Knock? Barge in? Or simply leave and toss myself over the nearest bridge? What about our life, the condo we share, the Wedgewood and the fucking Ocean Breeze candles? Everything Bryan loves or says he loves. Are they all lies too? My stomach lurches and my gaze wanders to the Shefflera again with its plastic yellow and green foliage. Maybe I’ll have to use it as a puke bucket after all.

Yeah, I’m a submissive I tell myself, but not a doormat. I gave Bry five years, the best five years of my life. The anger rises from my gut like a geyser about to erupt. I’m not simply walking away, nor am I going to toss myself off a bridge. I decide right then and there, I’m going to confront him and his lover. Besides, I’m more than a little curious about what the man looks like. It seems important to me to see the stranger’s face and know whether his eyes are blue, brown or gray like mine. I must see him in the flesh or it won’t ever seem real to me.

FIND OUT WHO WAS IN BRYAN'S ROOM . . . AND WHY NAVARRE EARNED A SPANKING FOR HIS BEHAVIOR!

 

 

READ FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED OR .99 CENTS 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Don't forget to check out the other wonderful authors sharing their Spanking Snippets today. LOOK BELOW:

  

The Sin Eater's Prince #gayromance #vampires #MFRWHooks #MFRWAuthor

Welcome to #MFRW Weekly blog hop (known as #MFRWHooks)


Some time back I wrote The Sin Eater's Prince. I really enjoyed writing this book because it took me on a mental journey to the country of Wales. For those who don't know, Wales is steeped in legend and lore where superstitions abound in spades. Between the pages of The Sin Eater's Prince, you'll find all the following paranormal creatures and MORE!

The FAIR FOLK:
Fairies, which are known as “y Tylwyth Teg” in Welsh, meaning the fair folk or family. They come in five varieties: Ellyllon (elves), Coblynau (mine fairies), Bwbachod (household fairies), Gwragedd Annwn (underwater fairies), and Gwyllion (mountain fairies).

Hag of the Mist: 
The Hag of the mist, known in Welsh as the Gwrach-y-Rhibyn or the Cyoeraeth, is a hag spirit in Welsh folklore, comparable to the Irish banshee. Like the banshee, the Hag of the mist is portrayed as an ugly woman, whose shriek or cry is said to forewarn of misfortune or death.

Tommy Knockers:
About two feet tall, and often described as greenish in color, Tommy Knockers look like men and are most often spied wearing a traditional miner’s outfit. Living beneath the ground, they have been “known” to have committed both good and bad deeds through the centuries, often playing practical jokes and committing random acts of mischief, such as stealing unattended tools and food. 

SIN EATER:
A sin-eater is a person who consumes a ritual meal in order to spiritually take on the sins of a deceased person. The food was believed to absorb the sins of a recently dead person, thus absolving the soul of the person. Sin-eaters, as a consequence, carried the sins of all people whose sins they had eaten. 
 

Type: Vampire, Date / Time: 1875
Comments: One of the few vampire reports in Wales, a creature attacked a young girl in this building. One of her brothers witnessed the attack and shot the monster in the leg. The blood trail enabled them to track it to the village graveyard, where it was dug up and burnt.Vampire

If you like reading about paranormal creatures, VAMPIRES and Werewolves, you'll love The Sin Eater's Prince. Here's just a few RAVES about the book! 

"1842 Wales, one of my favorite settings, for this wonderful dark and gritty m/m vampire paranormal romance. There was a lot of folklore and history of the place and time, I love stories with enough background, it gives it so much more realism and makes the story that much more enjoyable to read."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I got lost in the feeling of this dark set romance. The trials of life the sin eater accepted, the love of a just man whose own darkness proved his virtue. The sexual chemistry. Really all around just well done.I wish there were a sequel. I love this type of work and  Keta is first rate

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

About THE SIN EATER

Unlike the villagers, physician Andras Maddock has never shunned Owen, the Sin Eater. How can Andras ignore the one man he loves? Owen is stunned when Andras saves him from a gruesome death at the hands of vampire and then wonders how a simple man acquired supernatural powers?

Dagan, Dark Lord of the Underworld, vows to take the mystic sword from Andras, a weapon that allows his vampires to wreak their diabolical havoc in sunlight. Dagan will do anything to avenge his father’s death, and in the process, make the Sin Eater his slave.

Star-crossed love, sorcery, ancient myth and lore collide on a vengeful path where only one side will taste victory.

READ FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED or .99 Cents

Thanks so much for visiting! 

Please stop by all the author blogs on the list below to read their snippets!!!