Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Today's Special - - Tawny Weber

Today, we welcome Tawny Weber back to the Romance Dish!  Do you like contemporary romances with smart, independent heroines, sexy, alpha heroes and plenty of emotion and sizzle?  If you do, you'll want to check out Tawny's new series for Harlequin Blaze featuring rough and rugged Navy SEALS and the women who tame them. Tawny joins us today to talk about guilty pleasures.  I have to say, her books sure make my  list!  

Please give Tawny a warm welcome!







Guilty Pleasures

What is it about those things we know are bad for us, but we still can’t resist them?  Let’s see, my list looks something like;

See's Chocolates
·         Chocolate
·         Super high-heeled boots
·         Chocolate
·         Starting a book at midnight
·         iPad games
·         Potato chips
·         and Chocolate







There are plenty of other things I can’t resist that I have no trouble justifying, like chocolate (it’s got healthy things in it –I can’t remember what they are, but I read it somewhere),  boots with heels I can walk in, nail polish with glitter, scrapbook and office supplies, checking my email and Facebook page one more time, and chocolate.  And yes, I realize chocolate is on both lists (more than once) but it’s so special, it qualifies for both! 

But those bad but irresistible things are my guilty pleasures. 

You notice that the only book related guilt I have is starting one so late that I’ll be up all night *g *  I can’t think of any other guilt that can ever tie to books, can you? 

The heroine in my newest Blaze, A SEAL’s Seduction, is a big fan of not worrying about guilt.  She has just a couple of rules that she lives by, and as long as she doesn’t break those, she feels free to indulge in as much other pleasure as she finds.  Like chocolate ice cream, killer shoes and ogling hotties on the beach. 

But the few  rules she does follow are absolute. She’s determined to live life on her own terms.  To control her wilder impulses.  And to make sure whatever she does, she’s able to face herself in the mirror the next day.  But her most important one is No Military Guys.  None, never, no way, no how.   But when she sees the sexy hottie she met on the beach again, she’s hesitant, but since she’s pretty sure he’s not military, she figures it’s safe to give her wild attraction toward him a chance.  

Here’s a little excerpt from A SEAL’s Seduction:

“As soon as this is over, I’m outta here,” Alexia muttered. 
            “Not so fast.  Remember, we’re a part of the reception line.  You have to stand and smile until everyone’s done worshipping—I mean, congratulating Dad.  Besides, you should stick around,” Michael murmured, his smile pure delight.  “I’ll bet your night improves.”
            “I’m sure it will.”
            Just as soon as she got out of here and called Blake.  She surreptitiously glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner, noting it was already eleven-thirty. 
            Why couldn’t her father have toasted goodbye to all his glory at a reasonable hour, instead of pushing it to the limits and forcing everyone to stay so late?  She glanced around.  Most of the guests were pretty darned old.  They probably wanted warm milk and their beds instead of a boring speech and champagne. 
            Skimming the crowd, her gaze flew right past one particular face.  Then, her brain screaming a warning, her eyes flew back so fast she probably lost a few lashes. 
            Blake?
            Brow furrowed, she shook her head in denial. 
            What was he doing here? 
            Then her focus widened.  Horror filled her with a cold, icy sort of misery.
            No! 
            Her eyes bounced from his uniform to the medals glinting off his chest, back to his face and then to the crowd of men he was standing in.  SEALS.
            Navy SEALS.
            The man who’d driven her crazy, who had her thinking forever thoughts and craving a relationship, the one who made her want to play house—naked—was also the one thing, the only thing, on her forbidden relationship list.  Military.  Elite military, and up until one speech ago, under her father’s command. 
            How had she missed the signs? 
Why hadn’t he told her?
            And when the hell would these speeches be over so she could run away?    
             
            Blake watched the expressions chase across Alexia’s face.  Shock, then disbelief, quickly followed by fury.  Then she shifted.  Her body weight, the tilt of her head, and her expression.  It was like she’d slammed the door shut.
            Shit. 
            As much as he wanted to avoid any matchmaking from the Admiral, he was equally determined to hold onto the sweet, pleasurable oblivion Alexia’s body provided. 
            Hurry, hurry, hurry, he silently urged his commanding officer, knowing the longer Alexia had to stew, the harder it would be to charm her out of her snit. 
            Thankfully, the older man chose that moment to raise his glass in thanks.  Blake absently followed along with the rest of the room, raising his as well.  But his eyes didn’t leave Alexia. 
            A good thing, because as soon as the crowd shifted, she lost herself in it.  Clearly growing up with military influence had taught her a thing or two. 
            Of course, Blake had some pretty solid training on his side.  He noted the direction she was going, then skirted the outside of the crowd, cutting her off just before she reached the door. 
            He placed his hand on her shoulder with just enough pressure to stop her escape.  She hissed, like cold water being thrown on a sizzling fire. 
            Blake dropped his hand. 
            “Surprise,” he said quietly, suddenly very aware that they were surrounded by her family and his superiors.  None of which needed any details as to his and Alexia’s relationship.  “I didn’t realize you were Admiral Pierce’s daughter.”
            “And I didn’t realize it mattered who my father was.”  Her tone was as cold as her eyes.  A temperature he’d have sworn was impossible to drop to for a woman as hot as she. 
            “It doesn’t,” he said, dancing out of that trap.  Alert, knowing there were more to come, he weighed his words carefully.  “I hadn’t realized we had mutual interests.”
            She gave him a long, considering look that made him wish he was in combat gear. 
“I hadn’t either.  That’s one of those things that usually comes up in conversation.  Which is another thing we never had.
            Blake shifted to block her exit again.
            “Where are you going?” he asked.
            “Away.”
            Blake had swum through the Arctic Ocean once and swore, it’d been warmer than her tone.  Brows arched, he gestured to the open French Doors. 
“Why not go this way, then,” he suggested.  “We can talk.”
“No.”  Lips pressed so tight together they were white at the edges, she took a long, deep breath through her nose, then exhaled slowly.  “No, thank you.  I’d rather not go out on the patio.  I’d rather not talk.  I prefer to go home.”
            “I’ll go with you.”
            “I prefer to go alone.”
    
Uh oh.  I think Blake’s in trouble.  And I think Alexia’s pretty upset. 

Now, most of my personal rules are a lot easier to follow than Alexia’s:
·         - Everything looks better with cute shoes. 
·         - If you’re going to do it, enjoy it.
·       -   Empowering others is good.  Disempowering yourself is bad. 

How about you?  Do you have any special guilty pleasures?  And how about rules for indulging in those guilty pleasures?  

Tawny Weber has been writing sassy, sexy romances since her first Harlequin Blaze hit the shelves in 2007.  A fan of Johnny Depp, cupcakes and color coordination, she spends a lot of her time shopping for cute shoes, scrapbooking and hanging out on Facebook. 

Readers can check out Tawny’s books at her website or join her Red Hot Readers Club for goodies like free reads, complete first chapter excerpts, recipes, insider story info and much more.  And for a limited time, she has a few open spots on her Street Team

37 comments:

  1. Congrats on the new release, Tawny. My guilty pleasures include fried foods, makeup and purses.

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    1. Oooh, purses. Jane, those can add up to some very pricey guilt *ggg* But it's usually totally worth it!!

      And thanks so much for the congrats!!! I'm really excited about these books and hope readers will be, too :-)

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    2. I work part-time for a department store in the Accessories department where we carry...yep, you guessed it...purses. And jewelry. And gorgeous scarves. I have so much fun! :)

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    3. I'd be in so much trouble!!! The only worse departments would be shoes or the MAC counter. I'd end up having to pay to go to work!!!

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  2. I lost my first post so hopefully it doesn't show up someplace weird lol. I used to read a Blaze each Saturday night when I had the print subscription coming in the mail each month. Now I read everything in ebook on ky older kindle. I wished they had the subscription in ebook on Amazon cuz I'm behind and missed too many. I so loved your cowboy Reese and would love to read more cowboys from you. But too adore reading seals and thrilled on this new series. How many you have planned? Don't want to miss any! I indeed have some guilty pleasures! Mac & Cheese (especially homemade), variety puzzle books (love word games), jig saw puzzles, crystal light wild strawberry, and socks! Oh and coffee with vanilla creamer!

    Cathie, reader

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    1. Ack -I hate it when I lose posts. I'm glad this one showed up, Cathie :-D

      I really wish Harlequin would offer the digital subscriptions, too. I was talking to someone else about that exact thing recently. Now I need to make a note to talk to my editor and see if it's even a remote, somewhere on the horizon type of possibility :-) I've had subscriptions to so many of the lines over the years, and it was always my favorite day when that box of books arrived. I miss that.

      Mmm, Reese *g* He was a yummy cowboy. And as a matter of fact, I have a cowboy-esque series that'll start next year!! The stories revolve around a family that owns a horse farm, and although most of the heroes work for the family Security company, there are horses and boots and cowboy hats involved *ggg*.

      As for my SEAL's, it's just these two - A SEAL's Seduction this month and next month A SEAL's Surrender. I do have another Uniformly Hot coming out, but that's not until next February.

      I love your list of guilty pleasures :-) Mmm, homemade mac and cheese is delish!! Now I'm hungry, and think maybe that needs to go on tonight's dinner menu!!!

      Thanks tons for the sweet words, and for the dinner idea :-D

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    2. Hi Caffey! I'll second your wish for the e-book subscriptions. I'm willing to bet there are a whole lot of people out there who would sign up.

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    3. I love all of your heroes, Tawny but I do have to admit that I adore cowboys and military men!

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    4. Thank you :-) I do adore both, too. Probably because my husband was military and sometimes wears a cowboy hat *g* But I think bad boy heroes are my ultimate fave. Mmm, talk about yummy guilt!!!

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  3. I actually try not to feel too guilty about the things that give me pleasure. After all, life is just too short to feel guilty about it.

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    1. You are one smart woman, Mary :-)

      I'm with you on not hanging onto the guilt. I do dip into it a little more often than I should, though. Like today, eating that third piece of Sees, then blowing off my workout because my head-cold has me feeling blech. I think if I'd stopped at two pieces of candy, the guilt wouldn't have been an issue *g*

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  4. A big happy hug to PJ and Andrea :-) Thank you SO much for having me to visit today!

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  5. Morning All! Welcome, Tawny! It's great to have you here again. I'm off to work but I'll be back this afternoon to chat. After dealing with on-the-job construction all day, I'm thinking I'll be due a few of those guilty pleasures. ;-)

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    1. HI PJ and thanks so much for having me!! I hope you have a fun day at the job *g* And that you have lots and LOTS of great guilty pleasures waiting for you when you get home!

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  6. Good morning, Tawny! Congrats on your newest release. I love reading about SEALs! They are the true meaning of "hero". :)

    I must say that I like Mary's answer! Don't feel guily because life is too short. A wise woman, indeed! :)

    That being said, I love dark chocolate. *g*

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    1. Hi Andrea, and thanks for having me to visit again. I love it here- it's always so comfy and fun ;-)

      Mary's answer IS great. I love enjoying life :-)

      Of course, I love fitting in my jeans, too. And in the season of Sees, the guilt is the only thing making sure I still do LOL.

      btw, they have dark chocolate.

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  7. Congratulations on your newest! Oh, some things are more fun with a bit of guilt lol. Buying too many books, staying up late to read those books and spending too much time on the computer, an occasional trip to the casino with my friend and cabernet savignon or freshly-ground coffee with chocolate :)

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    1. Thank you :-D

      Oooh, yes, there is a spice that guilt adds. Kind of a naughty layer of pleasure. I like that kind of guilt. Its sort of like a message that, yes, we are indulging and should really, REALLY enjoy it!

      And whats this 'too much time on the computer' thing? There's too much?

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    2. I like your guilty pleasures, catslady!

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  8. Ooh, how great is this? Some of my favorite people all in one spot. Waving madly at Tawny and the Dishes! Tawny, huge congrats on A SEAL'S SEDUCTION, lovely to see all the buzz it's getting! Oh, guilty pleasures! Too many for me - which makes me think there must be something wrong with my definition of 'guilty'. Definitely potato chips! And bad TV. And as you say starting a book when you KNOW it's going to keep you up all night but you just can't resist its papery goodness.

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    1. Ooh, that is Anna Campbell speaking! Why am I anonymous? Whaaaah!

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    2. Ooooh, Anna, is that you? You looked so anonymous *g*

      Waving widly back at you and sending big happy hugs :-) Thanks for the woots. I'm so excited to see my hunky SEAL getting so much love.

      Oh man, potato chips. Those are evil. I can't ever have just one, and more than a handful tends to make me sick, butI see them and I need LOTS. I adore anything made with potatoes. Have you ever made homemade potato chips? Even the baked ones are soo good I feel guilty after eating the entire pan.

      And books. All nighter books. Oh, baby! Now that's pleasure :-)

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    3. Hi Anna! Potato chips! Actually, I have a hard time saying "no" to anything salty. I was out running errands Saturday and indulged in one of my favorite guilty pleasures: Chick-fil-A waffle fries. Hadn't had them in months and I savored every single one of those yummy bites of deep fried goodness. ;-)

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    4. The whole salt and fat thing gets me in like catnip to Grumpy Cat! I just can't resist. I KNOW they're bad for me - but I can't stop at one potato chip! In fact, a whole packet seems to disappear before I've had time to blink. I can't have them in the house, I just nosh the lot! Ooh, french fries. YUM, YUM, YUM! I had homemade potato chips at a restaurant once - they're REALLY naughty!

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  9. Congratulations on the new release, Tawny! Great excerpt too!

    I'm afraid at this stage of my life the Good Girl Syndrome is inescapable. I do feel guilty when I read a book when a project is due within days, when I let the answering machine pick up a call so that I can finish a chapter, and when I can't say no to ice cream. I'm convinced that pecan praline ice cream rather than ambrosia was the food of the gods.

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    1. Thank you so much :-D I love that you enjoyed the excerpt!!!

      Ahhh, the Good Girl Syndrome. I've heard of that. I'm usually worrying about Bad Girl Syndrome myself, but I would think it'd have the same effect *g*

      I think oftentimes the guilt is more an acknowlegement that we are making our lives more difficult (extra cookies means extra exercise, reading late into the night means a lousy sleep-deprivation headache the next day, etc)

      You may be onto something, though, about the praline ice cream being ambrosia. I think it can heal anything!!! And it tastes soooo good.

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    2. For me, it's Mayfield Moose Tracks ice cream. I don't buy it and do my best to avoid that aisle of the grocery because I can. not. resist. it. If I break down and buy it, I'm lucky if it lasts three days. Love it! :)

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    3. My daughter eats that up like crazy, too, PJ. It's her absolute fave!

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  10. One of my favorite guilty pleasures: Reality TV. I'm addicted to The Bachelor. Can't help it. Every season, I'm determined I won't watch and every season I get sucked straight in. lol

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    1. Ahhh, Reality TV. That does seem to draw in major addictions!! My husband is hooked on Moonshiners. Me, I'm not a big TV watcher, but you put on one of those Food Network reality competitions and I'm stuck on the couch for hours!

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  11. Shoes,Books,Shoes,Books,Shoes,Books & DWTS! I think I need to delete my name here

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    1. Oh my. You had me at shoes :-) I'll take the books, too. But the shoes get me every single time!!!

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  12. My guilty pleasure is buying books! And Coke, which I use for caffeine. Your book sounds great!

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    1. Books rock, Sharlene :-) I'm totally on board with that pleasure.

      And caffeine. I can't imagine life without it. I'm not sure I'd call that one a guilty pleasure as much as a simple necessity. I mainline ice tea, and anyone who's tried to talk to me before 8 oz can tell you that I'm not much good :-D

      Thanks for the book love, too :-D I loved writing this one!! I just hope readers enjoy it as much.

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  13. My two guilty pleasures are BOOKS and time on the computer. The first have taken over my house. The second keeps me up way too late at night.
    I have enjoyed your books over the years. This sounds like another good one.

    I hope you have a great Valentine's Day.

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