A Valentine's Day Blog Hop filled with love!

Cupid is coming and he's bearing gifts!

Love to read? Who doesn't?  Then come join in our With Love Valentine's Day Blog Hop! This is the perfect Valentine's Day gift for the reader in your life, or for yourself. Some 265 authors are participating, each hosting reader contests on his or her blog. The contest starts February 11th and ends on February 14th!  I'll be offering a copy of anything from my backlist.  Be there or be square!

Of Teddybears, Fairy Tales and Things that go Bump in the Night

Californication is back for its fifth season, and now we're several episodes in and I'm all caught up. **SPOILERS AHEAD***  It starts out a couple of years after the fourth season ended. We're all done with Hank's probation over the statutory rape of Mia and hopefully she won't pop up again. But having said that, one never knows. Karen is married to Richard Bates (you may remember him as the psychotic drunken writer who likes to show his schlong at inappropriate times), Marci and Stu are still together, and they have a child Stuart, who is actually Charlie's son, conceived after his vasectomy was found not to have taken. At the age of two and a half, Stuart doesn't speak, which disturbs Charlie, but Marci says it's normal. And now Becca, Hank's teenage moody daughter has a boyfriend. And damned if she didn't pick a guy just like her old man. Which he learns, when he catches said boyfriend cheating on her. What's Hank doing? He's writing a script for a rapper named Samurai Apocalypse, who's making the transition to actor, and it's called Santa Monica Cop. Don't dare compare it to Beverly Hills Cop, Sam gets really ticked off. On the flight from NY to California to see about doing this project, Hank meets a lovely lady on the plane and they do it in the bathroom. Of course, being Hank, Karma bites him in the ass when he discovers that he just boned Samurai A's girl.

Besides sharing custody of his son, Charlie isn't doing very well in the romance department (not that Hank is doing much better - he broke up with a girl in NY who turned out to be all kinds of crazy and torched his apartment, played by the actress who plays Winona Hawkins on Justified). Charlie's problem is that he treats women the way he sees them treated in the porn he loves - and that doesn't get him very far.  Now let's talk about Charlie for a minute. As an agent, he's had his ups and downs. If you'll recall, he was fired from one agency because he was caught too many times in the act of self-love while in his office. Hank's his main client, but Hank had a dry spell. And then the whole Mia stealing his book thing. He worked briefly for Kathleen Turner, who demanded he service her when she wanted it. It was through her that he met Rick Springfield and Marci got to have her fantasy fuck. Then there was the whole Vagina Town debacle, and his liason with the girl who became the porn actress.

 In last night's episode, Charlie got a long time wish when he and Hank went with Samurai Apocalypse on a ride along with the police department, to prepare for the role. Of course things got horribly fucked up. The policeman had a seizure at a donut shop and they had to call 911. At that point, they should have taken the car back and found something else to do. But that would have been sensible, right? Especially after Samurai learns his girl, who left him two weeks before, is out with some dude. Things go from bad to worse. After that, Hank gets a call from Becca. Her bf has gotten Richard drunk and he's exposing himself in public. In attempting to deal with that, the bf recognizes Samurai as one of the group that beat the shit out of him after Hank caught him cheating, and now Becca and Karen think he had something to do with that, which he didn't. And then Charlie ends up getting a blow job from a tranny hooker, which Hank and Samurai are bound to never let him forget.

Charlie Runkle. Yes, he's not perfect, far from it. But there is something about him. He's a teddy bear. He's cuddly and adorable. If I had to choose between him and Hank for dating purposes, sorry Hank, but I'm taking Charlie. Hank is not only hopelessly in love with Karen, he's also incapable of commitment and being in a long term relationship. Charlie has possibilities. I think with the right woman, he'd settle down and be a great husband and father. He has very pretty eyes. And bald is sexy, so yeah...

Grimm is still going strong, and I hope it stays that way. I enjoy the stories, the writing and acting are good. It's a definite twist on a police show, and I know there are interesting things ahead. I especially enjoy the relationship between Nick and Monroe, his werewolf friend. In one episode, Monroe suffered bodily harm from other supernaturals because of his relationship with Nick. But he decided he wasn't going to give in to their pressure, he'd help Nick all he wanted to. The make-up and cgi work is really great. The last episode was based on Hansel and Gretel and concerned a black market for human organs. They take familiar fairy tales and give them a modern twist. I'm not sure what the ratings are, so watch it while  you can. It's definitely worth it.

***SPOILERS***Once Upon a Time is getting really good too. After the death of the Sheriff, Emma was elected as his replacement, to Regina's dismay. Mary Margaret and David try to fight their feelings for one another, as David is trying to be a good husband to a wife he doesn't remember, but their love is too strong.  After a storm, Regina has had Henry's secret play area torn down, to his distress. And his book is now missing. Emma tries to catch her in misappropriation of town funds, but only succeeds in making her look better when it's revealed that she's planning a park for the children, including Henry, to play in. Emma turns to Sidney, whom Regina has cast off, to help her take the Mayor down, and we learn about Sidney's story - as the wicked queen's one time lover who became the genie in the mirror. What Emma doesn't realize is that Sidney is not what he appears to be, and he's still in Regina's pocket. A stranger has come to town, and Emma and Henry both wonder why and who he is, cause strangers never come to Storybrooke - other than Emma. I suspect he's Henry's father, but we'll just have to see. Sunday nights on ABC - definitely worth watching.

Top Chef Texas is winding down, hopefully they have a great replacement waiting in the wings. Not the best Top Chef season they've ever had. In last week's we were down to five chefs, and I was afraid Edward was going to be axed, but he's still in. I'm really happy that Beverly got taken out, I just hope she doesn't come back with that little survivor thing they have going on after each episode. I think we'll find out this week. Apparently, she beat Nyesha, so let's hope someone beats her or we'll see her back again. I'm rooting for Edward all the way!

There is a new Restaurant Impossible this week and a new Chopped. Looking forward to those. No Iron Chef America, instead it was a night of Cupcake Wars. I watch that sometimes, but it's of limited interest. New Alcatraz tonight, looking forward to it. I'll talk about the new season of Vampire Diaries another time.

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Sexy Villain Sunday; Jim Profit's the Man

The definition of a villain lies in the eye of the beholder. According to Merriam-Webster, a villain is "a character in a story or play who opposes the hero."  But what if the villain is the hero? In other words, the protagonist. Does that change anything, such as the perception we have of him? Conversely, does it make the good guys the heroes? I guess it depends on your point of view.


I just finished watching the pitifully few episodes of Profit that were made. It was never picked up for a second season, and never given resolution.  At one time, shows had the plug pulled and never had the opportunity to wrap everything up in a neat little package, knowing they'd been cancelled. Hence, we left the brave castaways still shipwrecked on Gilligan's Island ('til many years later, when the miracle of TV movies rescued them at long last). The bad thing about this scenario is that we don't find out the answer to the burning questions we have regarding our favorite characters. Of course, on the other hand, some series that were allowed to do this, did it pretty ridiculously and we'd have been better served if they'd simply avoided it. One example of this is St. Elsewhere, whose resolution involved an austic boy's dream. The entire series. Seriously? That's worse than the Bobby-dream sequence season of Dallas, which was horrible too, but at least we only lost one season. In the case of St. Elsewhere, it was all in a child's head, nothing more.

Profit was the brainchild of David Greenwalt and John McNamara, produced by Stephen Cannell. The trouble with Profit is that it was ahead of its time. Cable networks weren't what they are now, and although it was picked up by Fox, it proved to be too edgy for mainstream television audiences. I'm convinced, to quote Judas in  Jesus Christ Superstar: If you'd come today, you would have reached a whole nation. Okay, maybe he was talking about Israel in 4 B.C., but you get the point. If Profit were to air now, it would be quite successful, of that I have no doubt.

The protagonist of Profit is, of course, Jim Profit, played  by the delectable Adrian Pasdar. He is the hero, but arguably he is also a villain. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants - power, wealth, control - inside of G&G, Gracen & Gracen, his employers.


****SPOILERS******  A little background first. Jim Profit was born Jim Stakowski in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His father was worse than neglectful, he was abusive. He stuck the year old child into a large cardboard box, with a slit cut out through which he could view the television; once a week he threw in food and supplies. The television was Jim's only contact with the outside world. He grew to hate it once he became an adult. He decided to make a place for himself at G&G - not surprisingly, the box was one of theirs, the only family he has really known. As the series began, Jim has just received a promotion following the death of the former VP of Acquisitions at G&G. G&G is a family-owned business. Chaz Gracen is the CEO, bumbling brother Pete is Senior VP of Acquisitions; Jack Walters is married to their cousin, and is President of Acquisitions (but not for long); Joanne Meltzer (Lisa Zane) is Jack's ex and the obsessive head of Security who is determined to destroy Jim Profit at all costs.

And then there's Bobby (Lisa Blount). We first see her in the pilot, at the end of the first hour. Jim is told he has a visitor in his office. He enters, sees her and closes the door, whereupon the woman practically throws herself into his arms and they proceed to kiss rather warmly. When they finally pull apart, she greets him with, "Hello Jimmy," and he responds with, "Hi Mom". Yeah, right. I was very amazed myself at first, until it's revealed that she's his stepmother, not his biological mother.  However, I learned when I watched the extras on the dvd that originally Bobby was his mother, and that the reason for the first rejection of the series was due to that. Fox picked it up, but before it was actually shot, they requested the change to stepmother.

Every good villain needs a sidekick, right? For Jim Profit, it was Gail Koner (Lisa Darr).  She's Jack's assistant, and a nice person. But he learns her secret (everyone has at least one) - she's skimming a few cents here and there, in order to make her mother more comfortable in the nursing home she's in. Jim thinks that's an admirable motive - as he tells her when he reveals his knowledge of her crime - and would she please do him a favor? Thus begins their relationship. Gail ends up as Jim's assistant, and he leads her down the path of... well, that's for  you to decide. Personally, if that were me, I'd have no problem doing what he asks of her. He's charming, sexy, handsome, intelligent. Did I say drop dead gorgeous?  Is Gail a good guy or bad guy? I guess that depends on how your moral compass swings. And how you view Jim Profit. In just the few episodes made, you can watch her evolution from unwilling accomplice to trusted sidekick, her dreams of being a player in this world shattered by indifferent corporate execs - until Jim Profit takes her in hand. . I like to believe that under Jim's tutelage, someday she achieved her goals. 

Jim uses whomever he needs to use. He exploits the loneliness of drunken Pete's wife Nora, becomes her friend, hints at more, plans a romantic assignation, but at the last minute tells her he cares too much to do that to her.(But he manages some mighty fine manipulation in the process) When he finally kills his father - an action begun when he was fifteen  (Jim handcuffed him to the bed and set the trailer on fire, then took off), he thinks he's rid of his stepmother, but the plucky Bobby has other ideas. She's loud, brash, loose and amoral. She loves to live high on the hog but she doesn't want to do any more work than is involved in spreading her legs. And she knows the value of an audio recording. So he tolerates her, and has to give in to her demands, material and otherwise, for now. And yes, he continues to service her as well. At least he goes through the paces. You just know she broke him in, years ago. Theirs is a love/hate relationship, as much as Jim can feel love. Which isn't much.

One of the most shocking, haunting, mind blowing images you'll ever want to see occurs at the end of the pilot. Throughout the series, you see Jim at home at his computer, sitting before it in the nude. He has a secret area in his apartment, where no one is allowed, where he makes his Machiavellian plans. You might think he's attempting to wrest control of G&G, but you'd be wrong. He doesn't wish to step into the light, he chooses to remain in the shadows. To be the power behind the throne. To eliminate everyone who gets in his way. In the pilot, he gets  a program, thanks to Gail, which gives him virtual access to G&G, and everyone's files, including digital representations of everyone there. He delights in blowing up these 3-D images as he destroys each person. 

But about the image. As I said, he spends a lot of time at this computer, scheming, sitting there in the nude (if you're hoping to see something, remember - this was shown on Fox, not happening). At the very end of the pilot, when he calls it a night and retires, we see what we haven't seen before - he has THE box, there in his little sanctuary. The one he was brought up in.  (If not the very one, then the same type, we're never sure, but it's definitely a G&G box). And he curls up in it and sleeps there, every night. I'm telling you that was one hell of a surprise, and that image is indelibly burned into my brain. 






I realized while watching the extra something that probably explains at least part of my attraction to Jim Profit. It's that whole power behind the throne angle. Just like the man who's my historical crush - Cardinal Armand Jean Duplessis Richeileu. Although he virtually ruled France for many years, he was content to appear to be the king's right-hand man. Richelieu was a very complex and fascinating character. And yet if you ask most people today about him, they'll say he was a villain. Why? Most likely because Alexander Dumas painted him that way in his Musketeer books, a portrayal which has been replicated in the film versions. It's all a matter of perception.


So there you have it - Jim Profit is my modern day Cardinal Richelieu. No wonder I'm attracted to him.


Sinner or Saint?  You make the call.  There is no right or wrong. I recommend that you check out Profit - you'll be glad you did.




Until next time, take care!


♥ Julie

Guest Blogging with RC Bonitz

Today I'm visiting with RC Bonitz on his blog, and talking about hookers and blow. Er, I mean book titles. Drop by and you'll see what I mean.

The newest installment in my Forbidden series came out on February 1st, at Romance First Publishing. Never fear, I am hard at work on the third part of the story. In order to beat the winter chill, RFP is having a contest, and part of the prize is a copy of the first and second chapters of Forbidden! Stop by and enter to win! Better hurry, the contest ends tomorrow!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Follow Friday #37

Good morning and happy Friday! Time for another Follow Friday and Blog Hop, sponsored by parajunkee.com. We have a new logo! Thanks for stopping by, and on to today's questions:

Q: Define what characteristics your favorite books share. Do they all have a kickass heroine or is the hot love interest the Alpha Male? 



A.  I love books of all different types, but I do enjoy a story that is different, with characters that aren't stereotypes or predictable.  The writing has to hold my interested, and I hate to be distracted with bad editing. Bad covers just keep me from looking at the book to begin with.  One consistency I do have is that in the Regency romances that I read, there is always a titled male character, who is generally some sort of a rogue, and a very strong character.  I think I like my male vampires to be rather Alpha, too.  Other than that, just give me a good story!

Guest Blogger West Thornhill

Please welcome back author West Thornhill, who today is going to discuss one of her passions - yaoi! For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, yaoi (pronounced yow-ee) is also known as boys love. In other words, when a man loves a man... Yaoi originated in Japan, where the best yaoi is still written. Join West and me as we sit in our favorite butler cafe, enjoying the food and the tea and the pampering. I've persuaded our butler to allow us to take his picture! Go ahead, West, while I get to know him a little better.

Yaoi Obsession by West Thornhill

I have an obsession that grew out of reading fan fiction – Yaoi. I love Yaoi. I even have a bag that boldly proclaims this. I kind of fell into yaoi when I was watching the anime Weiss Kreuz. The fan fic was always pairing up Yoji and Aya, either together or with members of Schwartz. Then I discovered P.L. Nunn’s artwork and my obsession grew.

In the past few years I have found one anime/manga that I can go to when I need a pick-me-up. That would be Junjo Romantica by Shungiku Nakamura. The three couples—Misaki/Usagi-san; Hiro-san/Nowaki; Shinobu/Miyagi—are fun and engaging. While I love Misaki and Usagi-san, Hiro-san and Nowaki are my favorites.

Shungiku Nakamura has another series that is just as much fun —Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi. The best part of this series is the fact that it’s about a shojo manga department of a publishing house. The ups and downs of putting together the releases and the relationships between the characters are great.

I enjoy several others—Loveless, Fake, Gravitation, Kizuna, anything by Nitta Youka and Minase Masara, the Finders series by Ayano Yamane, and more. Also among my Yaoi obsession is an obsession with Bleach by Tite Kubo. While Bleach is not Yaoi, there is a huge fan fic following dedicated to M/M pairings.

So, if you have read my first novel, Transcend, or seen the cover, I think you might understand a little more about the creation of my main characters, Gael and Jason. It took me a little while to figure out I was actually writing Yaoi-based characters. It doesn’t bother me in the least because it continues to be a fun and exciting journey. I love all of my guys and every one of them embodies some Yaoi aspect.

West, I totally join you in that love of yaoi!   Thanks for sharing with us today!  Ah, I could sit here all day, couldn't you?

Do you like yaoi? Who's your favorite author? Favorite characters? We'd love to hear! Leave a comment or a question!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Wednesday Briefs: Dallas in Wonderland #11

Happy Wednesday, time for another Wednesday Briefs! We have another Flash Virgin with us today, welcome if you will Scarlett Knight! If anyone is interested in being a Briefer, just let me know. Everyone is welcome!

This week's prompts were:  Use food in an erotic manner or  Use: Sims, emu and gratuity  or "I got records on my fingers and I just can't stop"  (courtesy of my daughter Sarah)  or  use some sort of dance.


As you'll recall from last week's episode of Dallas in Wonderland, Dallas and the mysterious Dr. Levi have met again. Find out what happens!

Dallas in Wonderland #11

Dallas felt as though his body were on auto pilot, impetuously reacting to the dulcet tones of the sexy Dr. Levi. His very touch induced a wanton neediness inside of him. A neediness Dallas hadn’t been aware he possessed. Warmth crept through Dallas’ limbs, his mouth parted breathily, as he leaned back toward him, wanting more. So much more.

Dr. Levi traced Dallas’ lips with one slender finger. Dallas felt his cock twitch in response. He turned his head toward the doctor, the need to be kissed overriding everything else. When their lips met, an electrical surge pulsed through his body, his moans muffled in the doctor’s mouth.

The jolting of the bus brought Dallas back to reality, dampening his lust and giving his brain a chance to function. He exchanged the warm and fuzzies that were toasting his soul with his need to know just what was going on, and who was this man who’d thrown him into such a tizzy. He had a right to know.

Before he could get out a word, Dr. Levi laid his finger across Dallas’ lips. “Not here,” he whispered. “Come with me.” He rose in a sensually sinuous motion, reaching for the cord, signaling his desire to depart to the driver. The bus jerked in response, but the graceful figure never lost its balance. The vehicle came to a relatively smooth stop, brakes squealing, hydraulics whistling as the doors automatically opened.  Dr. Levi stood poised inside them, his topaz eyes fixed on Dallas. Like a puppet, Dallas rose from his seat and exited the bus, his gaze riveted on the plait of auburn hair which fell down the doctor’s back.

Quickening his steps, Dallas caught up with the other man, falling into step beside him. He took a good long look at him for the first time. The doctor was resplendent in blue today. A royal blue duster fell to the middle of his booted calves; beneath it a teal velvet waistcoat over a pale blue shirt that was almost silver. Aquamarine pants completed the ensemble. On him the cacophony of blues looked—amazing.

“Where’d you come from?” Dallas blurted out at last, finding his tongue.

Dr. Levi reached for his hand, tucked it companionably into the crook of his arm. Without immediately answering, he turned their steps down a nearby side street lined with modest, middle-class, ranch style homes.

Dallas felt frustrated. Furious. Confused. And at the same time completely content to be in Dr. Levi’s company once more. He didn’t understand why the doctor made him feel this way. He didn’t even know him. Not really. And yet he felt drawn to him by a force he could not withstand.

When they turned onto a private street, Dallas realized now where they were. The more upscale homes in this area were leased by the university and in turn were leased to some of its professors. Especially those who came to teach for only a semester or two. Students were not allowed to be lessees; that was strictly against school policy. Dallas had not had occasion to be here before. Why was Doctor Levi here, he wondered.

The homes were farther apart, with uniformly trimmed lawns and hedges. The same expensive, modern style of architecture, nothing newer than twenty years old, representative of the current trends in upper class housing.  Nothing particularly distinguishable or original. Nice and neat little Stepford homes, all in a row.

So what were they doing there?

Stopping at one of the homes in question, they turned up the conglomerate path which led to the door, past the stereotypical gas light which stood like a sentry on the lawn. Dr. Levi opened the dark oak door, waving Dallas in with a smile. He closed the door behind him, shutting out the light. Placing his hand on the small of Dallas’ back, he guided him toward the back of the house, into what appeared to be a den. Decorated entirely in browns and reds, shadowy objects hung upon the wall which revealed themselves, once Dr. Levi had started a fire within the fireplace grate, to be the heads of various types of animals. Dallas shivered at the sight.

As if in response, Dr. Levi wrapped his arms around Dallas, pulling him into his embrace. He burrowed his face against the doctor’s shoulder, inhaling his scent. The sensual voice pulled him back to the present.

“How is your nephew?”

Dallas took a deep breath, and stepped back, out of the sphere of influence of those warm arms. He needed to think clearly, and he couldn’t do it there.

“He’s good,” Dallas replied, almost tersely, trying to sort out his thoughts and force them into coherent questions. That wasn’t as easy as it sounded; he was perilously close to ripping off every last stitch of Dr. Levi’s blue outfit … or his own clothes… or both.

“The other night,” he tentatively began, other thoughts and questions intruding. “Is this your house?” he finished, surprised. That hadn’t been what he’d meant to ask.

“No, I’m house sitting. For a friend.” Dr. Levi’s smile was quiet, but effective. Dallas felt his heart melting inside his chest.

At first Dallas thought that the music was inside his head—slow and sensual, almost film noirish. Muted trumpets and smooth jazz.  But when their bodies began to move together in a syncopated two-step, he realized it was really playing. But how?

“Dr. Lev—“, he began. The doctor stopped his words with a kiss.

“Call me Samuel, please.”

“Samuel,” he concurred, the word sending frissons of pleasure along his tongue. “How… I mean… what…”

Samuel Levi gave him a lazy-lidded smile and pulled him tighter, so tight that Dallas felt his desire, echoing his own. He felt the doctor’s breath against his ear, as he whispered, "I got records on my fingers and I just can't stop."  

Before Dallas could ask him what the hell that meant, Doctor Samuel Levi kissed him. Long and hard.

 tbc

Don't forget to check out the other Wednesday Briefers whose links are here! See what they did with the prompts!

Sara York     m/m

AJ Jarrett   m/m

Victoria Blisse  m/f

Nephylim    m/m

LM Brown   m/m

RC Donitz   m/f

Scarlett Knight    m/f    **FLASH VIRGIN**

Pender Mackie  m/m

Lily Sawyer    m/m

Don't forget to come back next week and see what happens between Dallas and Dr. Levi. Warning - next weeks episode might be unsuitable for some readers!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie