Grown men shouldn't have stuffed toys!

Wow, I have a blog!!! Sometimes I forget about you, blog. (maybe because no one reads you?)

I thought I would participate in Sample Sunday! Once again, from Aurora Abroad!

Aurora and Emperor Lyric realize they're adrift on the wide, open sea. Then she teases him about his teddy bear. Enjoy! :-)

“Can you explain to me what happened there? What in the world was that? What in the world were those… those creatures?!”

“I have no idea.”

They were out of the frying pan and into the freezer, but they were too shaken to notice their new predicament. They were adrift at sea. They were floating on a small dingy, tossed by the open water.

“I just wanted to go back home! That’s all I wanted! And here I am, back where I started. I don’t believe this. Well, at least I’m not naked this time. And I can’t complain, because who knows what might be happening to Rachelle right now? Oh, poor Rachelle! But what could we have done? Those creatures wanted to abduct her… what could I have done to stop them? And it wasn’t as if it was my choice to flee. I’m only here because of you.”

“Lyric.” She tried to get his attention, to get him to stop talking, but it was no use.

“What do you think they’ll do to her? What do you think they wanted? I wish I could have done something! I feel so powerless sometimes.”

“Lyric!” She tapped him on the shoulder and tried to direct his eyes to the water that surrounded them on all sides.

“You think I haven’t noticed that we’re adrift on a tiny boat in the middle of the ocean?” he snapped. “Believe it or not, it has crossed my mind.”

“Well, you don’t have to be rude about it!” Aurora crossed her arms and turned away from him. “Then again, you’ve never been anything but rude. Maybe you can’t help it! I’m getting sick of your sarcasm!” A strong wave smashed against the side of their dingy. She had to grab both sides of the boat so she wasn’t thrown overboard.

“I was so close! SO close!” Lyric whimpered. “I was a carriage ride away from being back in my kingdom… back to my nice, warm bed!”

"And Pooka.”

He reeled on her. “Pardon?”

“Pooka. Your stuffed bear.”

“Right… wait… WHAT?!” Lyric’s eyes snapped open. “How in the world do you know about Pooka!?”

“I woke up in bed with you, remember?”

“How could I forget?”

“And I heard you mumbling about Pooka.” Aurora rolled her eyes. “Most men your age would be cuddling women, not stuffed bears. What are you, twenty-five? Thirty?”

“My age is none of your business!” Like a little boy, he stuck out his tongue.

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Regency Romance

When you think of the most popular authors of all time, who comes to mind? William Shakespeare? Probably. Charles Dickens? Maybe. I bet Jane Austen would be in your top 10 list too.

I feel like we owe a lot of Jane Austen. She might even be the only female author in your top 10 list. Her stories have endured over the ages, possibly spawning more film adaptations than any other author's work. Who could forget Colin Firth emerging from the water in BBC's Pride & Prejudice? Or Matthew MacFadyen's tight pants at the end of the Keira Knightley version. Wow.

If Jane Austen popularized the Regency, then Georgette Heyer definitely solidified it. I've always preferred sweet Regencies because Jane Austen and Ms. Heyer wrote... well... sweet Regencies! Sex just wasn't a part of courtship back then.

Which is why I wrote The Charitable Baron <insert shameless plug now> http://www.amazon.com/The-Charitable-Baron-ebook/dp/B005CFEF3Q/

Also... http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-charitable-baron-karen-kiefer/1104300852

It keeps it clean all the way through. (So you don't have to feel sheepish when you recommend it to your grandmother!)

Other Regency Authors worth checking out: Barbara Metzger (one of my favorites), Mary Balogh, Julia Quinn, Carla Kelly, Edith Layton, Kasey Michaels, Jo Beverly, Nancy Butler, Candice Hern & Loretta Chase.

Aurora Abroad: An Introduction to Charmaine's Vanity

          As Prince Charmaine gazed at his reflection in the mirror, he found it hard to concentrate on anything but himself. The old ladies were blathering about something or another, but all he wanted to do was stare at the handsome visage that stared back at him.

         “It‘s hard to think of her as a princess,” one of the old ladies said. “She’s very-down-to-earth… maybe even a bit of a tomboy. She likes to play with bugs, and she practices archery.”

          Charmaine yawned. He watched his reflection in the mirror as it yawned, momentarily awed by the sight of his perfect white teeth. He ran the tip of his finger along his blonde eyebrow, watching himself trace the impeccable arch. “But is she pretty?”

          Another old women spoke, failing to acknowledge his question. “She’s yet to find out about her lineage… that is to say, she doesn’t know she’s a princess, nor does she know the circumstances of her birth or the terrible curse that was put upon her. We wanted to protect her, so we thought it best not to tell her.”

          “But is she pretty?”

          The last woman spoke. “She’s such a sweet girl. When we took her from the castle and raised her as our own, we didn’t know what to expect, but…” She raised a handkerchief, dabbing the corner of her eye before any tears could escape. “I think I speak for all of us when I say we love her as our own.”

          “That’s nice, but it she pretty?”

          Meg, Molly and Mary exchanged uneasy glances. When they encouraged Prince Charmaine to inquire about his future bride, they had hoped his questions would be a little less superficial.

          Meg threw up her meaty hands in defeat. “Yes, of course she’s pretty! I challenge you to find a prettier girl in the entire kingdom of Avalon.”

          “Well, that’s nice to know.” Before he lowered the mirror, Charmaine winked at himself.