Date Night Wins!

Okay, it's date night and you and your partner are all geared up, looking forward to a night away...but then you're left scratching your heads. "What do we do?"

Here are some amazing ideas for a fab date night, and some of them you don't even have to leave the house.

1. Sit down and make a bucket list together. Pair this with wine or a cocktail and dinner, and you'll learn more things about your partner.

2. Pack a picnic and take it to your favorite outdoor spot for a romantic evening under the stars. For dessert, play music from the car radio and dance.

3. Buy ingredients for dinner and spend date night cooking together. It has been said "Couples who cook together, stay together". 

4. Take a yoga class together. Yes, you heard right. Yoga. Better yet, take a yoga class targeted for couples. 

5. Get a couples massage. 

6. Take a cooking class.

7. Do a coffee crawl. Start at one coffee shop and visit 2-3 more local shops, trying different drinks. However, if you don't want to end date night feeling like you're bouncing off the walls, go for decaf...or instead, stick with trying desserts only.

8. Visit a museum. You might think this isn't your thing, but you'd be surprised how many people go and find out that museums ARE their thing. A bonus, many museums are FREE or with cheap admission days.

9. Stay in and watch a movie together. Each pick out a movie and watch both.

10. Go on a road trip. See where the road takes you. The greatest adventures sometimes are unplanned.

11. Have your partner read a book allowed. This might seem silly, but a lot of women love when their partner reads to them, especially if the book is spicy :)

Looking for a book to read? How about my latest, All Cowboy and Heart? Here's an excerpt...

Buy here

He leaned against the edge of the dresser, savoring her with those alluring eyes, looking mighty fine. “Dusty’s an interesting name for a girl. Is that a nickname?”

“I guess my dad wanted a boy, but instead he got me.” She set the bottle down, cleared a spot on the desk then lifted herself up to sit.

“I have a feeling you gave your dad a run for his money.” One thick brow popped up over those twinkling eyes.

“I certainly surprised him a time or two. He was your traditional male role model. You know the type. A penis makes you a man and a vagina makes you good with your hands in the kitchen.” She lifted the bottle, taking another nip, starting to feel very relaxed.

“Do you cook?”

“Does boiling water count?” She wiped the back of her hand across her lips. “I’m not much for cooking or baking, but then, I never tried. I was a bit rebellious.”

“Oh, you had something to prove, huh? Always doing the complete opposite of what was expected of you.”

 “A woman can do anything a man can do, sometimes better.” She crossed her legs and leaned back on her hands. “I haven’t ever needed a man, except for one thing.” Did she hear a low growl from him when she pointedly dropped her gaze to his zipper?

“Ah, come on. We’re good at loosening tight lids on jars and saving beautiful women from bastards.”

“I have one of those handy dandy rubber gadgets. Works like a charm. And eventually I would have saved myself from Griff. You were definitely a bonus though.”

“How about plunging toilets? I haven’t met a woman yet who likes that task.”

“I have the plumber’s number on speed dial. You’ll have to try harder than that, Cowboy.”

“Is that a challenge?” he asked.

“If you see fit. I’ve always liked a challenge myself.” Against her better judgement she took another drink.

His grin widened. “I’m not surprised. So, Dusty…” he said her name with an even drawl that made her toes curl. “What’s your last name?”

“Why don’t we keep some things a mystery.” She found it quite satisfying teasing him. The verbal foreplay was an absolute turn on.

“Now how’s that fair? You know my full name, my brother, and a few of my secrets.”

With a casual shrug, she handed over the bottle for him to drink. In the golden candlelight his eyes were a shade darker, like the sky before a rainfall. “We both know we didn’t come back here to talk, Cowboy.” He passed the bottle again. She licked a droplet of whiskey off her top lip as she pulled it away from her mouth.

He tilted his head, resting his cheek against his broad shoulder. “So why are we here, Dusty-no-last-name? As far as Alamo is concerned, we’ve already served him a dose of reality. I could leave now and it wouldn’t change what he thinks.” He hooked his thumbs in his front pockets.

There were moments in every woman’s life when she had to decide whether to go big or go home. And Wales Dawson—she moseyed her gaze down those wide shoulders and tight-fitting Wranglers—was big.

“I’d like to get comfortable.” She hopped off the desk, twirled on the heels of her boots, and lifted her hair. “Can you do me a favor and unzip me?” Did she hear the hiss of his breath as the air left his lungs?

The tips of his rough fingers met her skin and although she expected it, she still gave a little jerk. Her body was ultra-sensitive. She liked being high on desire and having raw need coursing through her, warmer than the whiskey—warmer than anything she’d experienced. Being that she’d never strayed from her rules of having no contact with the cowboys, she’d never invited one back to her room and flirted without a care.

Guest Author Cora Seton

What do the words ‘writer’s block’ mean to you?

               I’m pretty fortunate in that I rarely experience the kind of writer’s block that leaves you staring at a blank page. Sometimes I have days in which I write a lot of words, but they’re just clunky. It’s like I’ve lost the rhythm of the language. When that happens, it really helps me to listen to audiobooks, go for long walks and do housework. That seems to get my brain working again.

 

Do you read your book reviews? If yes, how do you process negative reviews?

               I almost never look at them, because seeing a negative review can shut down my creativity. I work from the assumption that I am my target reader. If I write a book that I like, a certain segment of romance readers will also like it. When someone has written a negative review, I figure they’ve self-selected out of my audience, and that’s a good thing, because if they don’t like my books, they’re not the right reader for them. I want to concentrate on writing for the people who do like my books, not the people who don’t like them.

 

If you could time travel, would you go back or forward in time?

               I’d like to travel back in time because I have a lot of questions about time periods I’ve studied, but of course I want to go forward, too, because I’d like to see how it all “turns out.” I am insatiably curious about all of it. I have an unhealthy fascination with the Dark Ages, I love all the different styles of clothing people have worn through time, and I’m also curious to see if what’s going to happen next.

 

In one word, describe yourself.

               Determined.

 

Do you find yourself getting emotional when you write? Is there a scene that sticks out as being the most emotional to write?

               Yes. In fact, if I don’t cry when I re-reading/editing a book, then I know I’m not done writing it. Probably the hardest scene to write was in A SEAL’s Vow. My main female character has a stalker who finally gets her alone and she has to fight for her life. I edit my books many times and when I was done with that one, I was in a state.

 

What are you working on now? Can you give us a sneak peek?

               I’m working on House For Sale, Navy SEAL Included, book 1 in my upcoming Elliotts of Chance Creek series. It’s about five brothers coming home to bring back to life the tiny ghost town of Elliott Ridge in Chance Creek county. The series is military and western with suspense elements. I can’t wait for everyone to be able to read book 1, which is available for preorder now!

Excerpt of All Cowboy and Heart

 

Buy here

“I have a feeling you gave your dad a run for his money.” One thick brow popped up over those twinkling eyes.

“I certainly surprised him a time or two. He was your traditional male role model. You know the type. A penis makes you a man and a vagina makes you good with your hands in the kitchen.” She lifted the bottle, taking another nip, starting to feel very relaxed.

“Do you cook?”

“Does boiling water count?” She wiped the back of her hand across her lips. “I’m not much for cooking or baking, but then, I never tried. I was a bit rebellious.”

“Oh, you had something to prove, huh? Always doing the complete opposite of what was expected of you.”

 “A woman can do anything a man can do, sometimes better.” She crossed her legs and leaned back on her hands. “I haven’t ever needed a man, except for one thing.” Did she hear a low growl from him when she pointedly dropped her gaze to his zipper?

“Ah, come on. We’re good at loosening tight lids on jars and saving beautiful women from bastards.”

“I have one of those handy dandy rubber gadgets. Works like a charm. And eventually I would have saved myself from Griff. You were definitely a bonus though.”

“How about plunging toilets? I haven’t met a woman yet who likes that task.”

“I have the plumber’s number on speed dial. You’ll have to try harder than that, Cowboy.”

“Is that a challenge?” he asked.

“If you see fit. I’ve always liked a challenge myself.” Against her better judgement she took another drink.

His grin widened. “I’m not surprised. So, Dusty…” he said her name with an even drawl that made her toes curl. “What’s your last name?”

“Why don’t we keep some things a mystery.” She found it quite satisfying teasing him. The verbal foreplay was an absolute turn on.

“Now how’s that fair? You know my full name, my brother, and a few of my secrets.”

With a casual shrug, she handed over the bottle for him to drink. In the golden candlelight his eyes were a shade darker, like the sky before a rainfall. “We both know we didn’t come back here to talk, Cowboy.” He passed the bottle again. She licked a droplet of whiskey off her top lip as she pulled it away from her mouth.

He tilted his head, resting his cheek against his broad shoulder. “So why are we here, Dusty-no-last-name? As far as Alamo is concerned, we’ve already served him a dose of reality. I could leave now and it wouldn’t change what he thinks.” He hooked his thumbs in his front pockets.

There were moments in every woman’s life when she had to decide whether to go big or go home. And Wales Dawson—she moseyed her gaze down those wide shoulders and tight-fitting Wranglers—was big.

Guest Author Mia Downing

 

What do the words ‘writer’s block’ mean to you?

Frustration! Heartache!

Actually, there is usually a reason why I have writer’s block. I’m a pantser (meaning I write from the seat of my pants instead of an outline), so I might not know enough about the characters yet. Sometimes, I’ve gone the wrong path in the book, one that wasn’t motivated or worked with the conflict. I usually review what I’ve written and start thinking more about the characters and their goals, motivations, and conflicts.

Do you read your book reviews? If yes, how do you process negative reviews?

I don’t read my reviews anymore unless someone comes to me and points out formatting errors. I had one book with a publisher that did something weird with the pages after downloading. I had the publisher fix it.

My most negative (and shortest) review was from some guy who said, “Dum.” Not even spelled correctly. I just burst out laughing.

If you could time travel, would you go back or forward in time?

That’s an interesting question since this series deals with time travel! They all can go backward in time. I’d love to see the Victorian era and early Egypt.

In one word, describe yourself.

Nice.

Do you find yourself getting emotional when you write? Is there a scene that sticks out as being the most emotional to write?

Not usually, though I can recognize more moving parts. If I can get my editor to cry, I’m doing good. She loves angst.

The hardest book was Ripped (m/m), because the main character dealt with an alcoholic parent (as did I.) A publisher acquired that book on a Thursday. My dad died that Saturday. I think that was divine intervention to help me sort through a lot of issues.

What are you working on now? Can you give us a sneak peek?

I’m working on proofing Freezing Time and writing Making Time, both of the Bonded Souls series (books 2 and 3). I’ll give you an excerpt from the first book, Chasing Time, since I don’t have a cover yet to show off for Book 2. I can’t find a hero I like to represent him! I adore my cover for Chasing Time. This is how I pictured the characters!

Chasing Time is a second chance romance. Skye is prickly and wary and done with men. Marek is a sexy cinnamon roll hero who has no problem showing her that she needs a man like him in her life. There’s a little magic and time travel in this (not the traditional kind.) It’s something very different than anything I’ve ever written, and I love these guys so much.

This scene is their first kiss. She’s wary, and he jokingly asked by email if he could claim a kiss on their first date. She had responded there’d be no tongue or groping. (She’s not that straight-laced. She’s just done with men.)

Excerpt from Chasing Time (Bonded Souls book 1).

Skye

Marek’s slippered feet came into view, and his hand tucked under my chin to draw my gaze back to his dark-blue eyes. “I’m going to claim my kiss now, to make you feel better.”

“What?” My mouth went dry while my brain panicked.

His thumb swept over my cheek, but his fingers held my chin firmly. “Shh… One, closed-mouth kiss. No tongue, no groping. I know the rules. Remember, no cons to this.”

Before I could protest, his mouth drew closer, and his lashes fluttered closed. As his lips touched mine, I snapped my eyes shut. Most kisses started with a blast of unfamiliar energy that bombarded my senses. His lips held nothing more than a tiny but enjoyable shock as they slanted for a better angle.

Before I could begin to enjoy it, the pressure lightened, and he gently lifted, dropping a small kiss to the tip of my nose.

I opened my eyes to find his crinkling at the corners as he smiled.

“There. That’s out of the way,” he said, his voice a little hoarse.

My hand fluttered to my throat as his hand slid to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing my jawbone. I should be jerking away from him, but instead, I leaned into that slight touch. “Thank goodness.”

“We wouldn’t want to be tempted to do that again.”

“No,” I agreed, though every cell in my body ached for more. How could I get another taste of him without looking desperate? “But if you had to, you could petition for a second kiss.”

His mouth quirked at the opportunity. “Oh, I didn’t realize that was a thing. Well, consider yourself petitioned. What are the rules?”

Rules… For some reason, the mention of rules sparked a blurred memory of a closet and a man’s lips on my neck as he stroked his fingers deep inside me. My smoldering insides burst into flames, and all rational thought went up in a trail of smoke. I wet my dry lips with the tip of my tongue, and his gaze dropped to follow the subtle movement.

“Uh.” Think, think. “What if the second one lasted a little longer…”

“Oh?” His breath blew across my cheek, tickling the skin.

“And maybe…a little tongue the next time.” I bet he wouldn’t ram his tongue down my throat like other guys. No, it’d be like a slow, gentle dance that got dirtier as the drinks got stronger. I hadn’t had that, but I’d seen it in movies.

“Groping?” His thumb brushed over my bottom lip suggestively.

A thousand tiny shocks of pleasure raced along my skin. God, yes. “No groping.”

He nodded as if considering that kiss. “What about kiss three? I’m petitioning for kiss three, too. There should be a lot of tongue and groping at kiss three.”

I’d never wanted a third kiss so badly before, but I couldn’t give in that easily. “We’ll have to see. It’s a surprise.”

He dropped another kiss on my nose and stepped away. “Surprise is my middle name.”

***

Blurb from Chasing Time (Bonded Souls Book 1)

Skye Worthington’s quest for family brings more than she bargained for…

My already turbulent life flips upside down the moment Marek Young appears. Nightmares from a childhood jumping between foster homes edge into sexy dreams of a man in leather pants with a simmering magical touch. As Marek is an important client at the bookstore where I work, I can’t say no when he asks me to dinner. I didn’t expect the pull of desire or the sizzle of familiar energy the first time we touched, but I need more than satisfaction. I need the truth. Yet the truth he offers seems too bizarre to believe…

One fated jump through time destroyed Marek Young’s life…

I have only one mission—make my wife love me again. Except the aloof bookstore clerk and grad student has no recollection of me. An emergency jump through time left Skye to grow up in this era with no memory of our adventures...or me. Unfortunately, she’s always had a temper. My time is running out, but if she discovers what I did to strand us here, she’ll kill me anyway.

Chasing Time is the first book in the exciting Bonded Souls series. This is a gut-wrenching, second chance romance with a spark of magic by Mia Downing. Jump into this magical new world today!

***

Mia Downing’s Bio and Links:

Mia Downing started creating heroes at age four, but her heroes back then rode ponies to the rescue and only kissed her on the cheek. Today, Mia’s heroes still rescue those in need, but the price of their toys and the expertise of their seduction leads to a whole lot more.

When Mia isn’t busy creating new stories for her readers, she ensures justice runs smoothly in a New England courthouse. She lives on a small farm with her family and enjoys horses and knitting.

 

Connect with Mia Downing on social media!

 

Website: www.miadowning.com

All Retailers: https://books2read.com/ap/8YEWm8/Mia-Downing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiaDowningAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/miadowning007

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mia-downing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miadowning007/

 

Release Day!!!!

 

Buy here!

What do the words ‘writer’s block’ mean to you?

Incapable of reaching my pre-stories embedded inside my brain

 

Do you read your book reviews? If yes, how do you process negative reviews?

Hell no! Not anymore. After reading a harsh review that had nothing to do with my book, I decided I’m healthier by not reading.

If you could time travel, would you go back or forward in time?

Back in time, for sure

In one word, describe yourself.

Thinker

Do you find yourself getting emotional when you write? Is there a scene that sticks out as being the most emotional to write?

Yes. Many times I cry and laugh.

What are you working on now? Can you give us a sneak peek?

My book All Cowboy & August is released today!

 

Here is a sneak peek

A flush shimmied through her weakened limbs and she swore she heard thunder outside. Or maybe that was her heart. “Can we please not mention his name ever again?” She took the keycard from him and dropped it next to his hat followed by her purse.

“Fine by me.” He grabbed the bottle and read the label. “I could use a taste. How about you?”

“Just a touch will do. I hope you don’t mind paper cups.” She watched him pop the lid. He wrapped his wide fingers around the neck of the bottle and brought it to his lips, taking a long swig.

“Or that’ll work too.” He held out the bottle and she sipped, squinting as the fire of the alcohol burned down her esophagus and settled into a puddle of warmth in her belly. She wasn’t much of a whiskey drinker but tonight she’d make an exception. She took another long drink and the sting wasn’t as strong.

He chuckled and scratched his beard. “Pace yourself, darlin’.”

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself.” She looked at him through the fringe of her lashes.

He leaned against the edge of the dresser, savoring her with those alluring eyes, looking mighty fine. “Dusty’s an interesting name for a girl. Is that a nickname?”

“I guess my dad wanted a boy, but instead he got me.” She set the bottle down, cleared a spot on the desk then lifted herself up to sit.

“I have a feeling you gave your dad a run for his money.” One thick brow popped up over those twinkling eyes.

“I certainly surprised him a time or two. He was your traditional male role model. You know the type. A penis makes you a man and a vagina makes you good with your hands in the kitchen.” She lifted the bottle, taking another nip, starting to feel very relaxed.

“Do you cook?”

“Does boiling water count?” She wiped the back of her hand across her lips. “I’m not much for cooking or baking, but then, I never tried. I was a bit rebellious.”

“Oh, you had something to prove, huh? Always doing the complete opposite of what was expected of you.”

 “A woman can do anything a man can do, sometimes better.” She crossed her legs and leaned back on her hands. “I haven’t ever needed a man, except for one thing.” Did she hear a low growl from him when she pointedly dropped her gaze to his zipper?

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