Drinking and Winning: We have a Winner.

Okay people. We have a winner in our portion of the Drinking and Winning Blog hop to celebrate Reading Romances's Blogiversary. The winner is:

             shadowluvs2read

I'll be contacting you by email about your prize.

A special thank you to everyone who entered. It was great hearing from you all.

Keep your eyes open for my next novella tentatively titled Tessa's Trio.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit Reading Romances at readingromances.com

Hugs
Katie

Drinking and Winning: Last Chance to Win

So this blog is about my life and my writing, a boring subject to be sure. This specific post is about drinking and winning, a much more palatable subject. Combining the two subjects brings us to a decent place. By decent place, I mean Scotland. Yes indeed. If didn’t have children already, and my first grandchild on the way, I think I would move to Scotland, or maybe to Newfoundland. My reason? Simple both places have fabulous people, and great booze. Ten years ago, I would not have touched Scotch or Screech with a ten fool straw. Now, having visited Scotland and Newfoundland, I find that I am a fan of both drinks. Admittedly, Scotch is an acquired taste, but take my word for it and try a few out. A couple of my favourite Scotches are Glenmorangie  Astar, Rosebank, and Berry Brother’s Select. None of these is cheap. For a less costly drink, I am quite partial to Old Pulteney, it is very smooth and has a nice sweet finish. Screech is a rum made famous by Newfies. It is great with cola or ginger ale.

Are you a Scotch drinker? Which is your favourite? Been to NFLD? Were you Screeched in? Comment below for an extra chance to win.

Reading Romances is celebrating their BLOGIVERSARY!
Let's Party!

Be sure to stop by all the bloggers to meet some great people, read some wonderful posts, but most of all, to win some great prizes. http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=131236

How to Win:
I will give you one entry for each of the following. The winner will be drawn from all entries received between March 24 - March 28. Winner will be posted on March 29th and notified by e-mail. Winner will receive a digital copy of The Gift in the format of their choice. Winner will be selected by random draw.

To win:
Leave a comment here about your favourite summer drink.
Do any or all of the following and leave a comment that you have done so.
Follow me on twitter @KatieOhWrites
Follow me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/katieohwrites)
Follow reading romances on Twitter @readingromances
Sign up to follow my blog.

REMEMBER: You can enter everyday via comment or email!

Hugs Katie

Drinking and Winning: Holiday Beverages

I am completely in love with Reading Romances. I adore their blog! That's why I agreed to participate in their blog hop to celebrate their Blogiversary. We've been talking about favorite beverages.

I've been thinking about my first published novel, The Gift, takes place during the holiday season. It is not really a Christmas story as such; it just takes place around Christmas. So, in honor of Christmas, celebrations and traditions, am going with the easy drink today. The Mimosa! One part champagne to one part orange juice. It doesn’t get much easier than that. Of course, being difficult, I like to mix it up a bit and use Orange/mango/peach juice instead. I love to have a Mimosa on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. It is light and easy to drink, adding to the day’s celebration without making a person too wobbly. To keep the kids involved, we used to give them juice and sprite mixed. It looks the same and they love it.

Do you have any holiday beverage traditions? Share them in the comment section for a chance to win a digital copy of TheGift.

Reading Romances is celebrating their BLOGIVERSARY!
Let's Party!

Be sure to stop by all the bloggers to meet some great people, read some wonderful posts, but most of all, to win some great prizes. http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=131236

How to Win:
I will give you one entry for each of the following. The winner will be drawn from all entries received between March 24 - March 28. Winner will be posted on March 29th and notified by e-mail. Winner will receive a digital copy of The Gift in the format of their choice. Winner will be selected by random draw.

To win:
Leave a comment here about your favourite summer drink.
Do any or all of the following and leave a comment that you have done so.
Follow me on twitter @KatieOhWrites
Follow me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/katieohwrites)
Follow reading romances on Twitter @readingromances
Sign up to follow my blog.

REMEMBER: You can enter everyday via comment or email!

Hugs Katie

Reading Romances: Drink Up to Win!

Drinking and WInning: Day 3

Well, the weather outside if frightful. I mean really, I thought spring was here and I look outside and it is SNOWING. AGAIN. Sigh. So I’m thinking warm summer thoughts hoping to scare the snow away. What better way to ring in summer than with a Vodka Paralyser. Oh yeah! Mmm. It really is the perfect summer drink, and with milk in it, it is nutritious. Right?

Vodka Paralyser

Ingredients:

1oz. Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua)
1/2 cup Cola
1/2 cup Milk
1oz. Vodka ( Tequila may be substituted for Vodka.)

Method:

Pour Kahlua and vodka into a glass with ice.

Pour Cola over mixture.
Stir gently.
Slooooowly pour milk into the glass, trying to pour it directly onto the ice. (This seems to help with the problem of curdling.)
Stir and enjoy.

My favorite vodka story: Many years ago, when our kids were just learning to read, one of them wandering into the kitchen early one morning and stood staring at the bottle of vodka on the kitchen counter. She knew that alcohol was for adults, not kids and I guess she wondered why it was out at breakfast time. (Hold-over from guests the night before.) She stood there hands on her hips, clearly trying to sound out the label and finally said, “What is this VODAK stuff anyway.” Since then, around our house, vodka has officially been re-named Vodak. Cheers.

Reading Romances is celebrating their BLOGIVERSARY!
Let's Party!

Be sure to stop by all the bloggers to meet some great people, read some wonderful posts, but most of all, to win some great prizes. http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=131236

How to Win:
I will give you one entry for each of the following. The winner will be drawn from all entries received between March 24 - March 28. Winner will be posted on March 29th and notified by e-mail. Winner will receive a digital copy of The Gift in the format of their choice. Winner will be selected by random draw.

To win:
Leave a comment here about your favourite summer drink.
Do any or all of the following and leave a comment that you have done so.
Follow me on twitter @KatieOhWrites
Follow me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/katieohwrites)
Follow reading romances on Twitter @readingromances
Sign up to follow my blog.

REMEMBER: You can enter everyday via comment or email!

 

Hugs Katie

Drinking and Winning: Day Two



Welcome to the Drining and Winning Blog Hop

Blogiversary Day 2:

When I think about parties, I think about ice cream, which naturally leads me to thinking about floats. To help celebrate Reading Romance’s Birthday, I am posting a different party drink each day. Today I give you a cool summer favorite of mine, the Bartender’s Root Beer Float.

Bartenders Root Beer Recipe

Can't you just tast it already?

1 oz Kahlua
½ oz Galliano
3 oz Coke or Pepsi
2 oz Soda Water

In a beer mug glass build the drink and stir to combine ingredients and stir gently.

Add in a couple scoops of ice cream.

Garnish with a cherry.

Serve with a straw and a spoon for scooping.

  



Reading Romances is celebrating their BLOGIVERSARY!
Let's Party!

Be sure to stop by all the bloggers to meet some great people, read some wonderful posts, but most of all, to win some great prizes. http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=131236

How to Win:
I will give you one entry for each of the following. The winner will be drawn from all entries received between March 24 - March 28. Winner will be posted on March 29th and notified by e-mail. Winner will receive a digital copy of The Gift in the format of their choice. Winner will be selected by random draw.

To win:
Leave a comment here about your favourite summer drink.
Do any or all of the following and leave a comment that you have done so.
Follow me on twitter @KatieOhWrites
Follow me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/katieohwrites)
Follow reading romances on Twitter @readingromances
Sign up to follow my blog.

 

REMEMBER: You can enter everyday via comment or email!

 

Bonus Entry for today only: Leave me a recipe that uses icecream and I'll give you two extra ballots in the draw.

Hugs

Katie

(PS: If you are having trouble posting a commnet, drop me an email with your comment to be entered. katieoconnorwrites@gmail.com)

Welcome to the Drinking and Winning Blog Hop.

Blogiversary Day 1:

Reading Romances is celebrating their BLOGIVERSARY!
 Let's Party!

I've been a fan of the Reading Romances Blog for quite a while now. I enjoy their honest reviews. Recently, they asked me to help them celebrate their blogiversary. Over the next few days, you'll have the chance to enter to win a digital copy of my first published book, The Gift.

Be sure to stop by all the bloggers to meet some great people, read some wonderful posts, but most of all, to win some great prizes. http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=131236

Because my husband plays lacrosse, I had the change to visit London, England. Twice. (I can’t wait to go again.) While I was there, I discovered a wonderful British drink, Pimm’s Classic. Pimm’s is a Gin based beverage spiced up with a secret blend of herbs. Not feeling like a pint of beer, which is totally unlike me, I tried a Pimm’s Classic on a whim. And my-oh-my, is it ever delicious. I was totally hooked. But take my advice, don’t drink a pitcher all by yourself then go for a long walk and a trip on the London Eye. (Nobody’s bladder is that big.)

Pimm’s is a fabulous summer drink for those back yard parties, it is a great drink for sharing with friends while touring London and in my recent book, The Gift, the ladies us a craving for Pimm’s as a ruse to chase their men out of the house so they can indulge themselves a fantasy.

 Make Yourself a Pitcher of Pimm’s Classic

• Pimm's No.1, 50ml for a glass (1.5 oz) or 200ml for a jug (7 oz)
• Lemonade
• Mint
• Orange
• Strawberry
• Cucumber

Method

1. Mix 1 part Pimm's with 3 parts of lemonade over ice.
2. Add strawberries, slices of orange and cucumber and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Be sure to try some Pimm's this summer. I know you'll love it.

How to Win:
I will give you one entry for each of the following. The winner will be drawn from all entries received between March 24 - March 28. Winner will be posted on March 29th and notified by e-mail. Winner will receive a digital copy of The Gift in the format of their choice. Winner will be selected by random draw.

To win:
Leave a comment here about your favourite summer drink.
Do any or all of the following and leave a comment that you have done so.
     Follow me on twitter @KatieOhWrites
     Follow me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/katieohwrites)
     Follow reading romances on Twitter  @readingromances
     Sign up to follow my blog

Hugs

Katie

(PS: If you are having trouble posting a commnet, drop me an email with your comment to be entered. katieoconnorwrites@gmail.com)

Journey to Creative Genius: A Travelling Blogger

Happy Dance!

Okay, I admit it. There is the possibility, albeit slight, that I might not actually be a creative genius. But my Mom thinks I am and that's good enough for me.

That said, today I am doing my first guest blog post.
I'll be blogging over at http://www.steenaholmes.com/blog/
While I'm there, I'll be talking about my own personal creative journey.

I've been a fan of Steena's books for a while now, and recently had the opportunity to meet her. Wow! She is such a great lady and a writer of great stories. We've only just met, but I think we'll become fast friends. Take a minute to stop by and visit us on her blog today.

Hugs
Katie

Stages of Seduction: Smell

            Moving right along, today we’re going to talk about the sense of smell. Humans have between five and six million scent receptors high in their nasal passages. These little cells are what allow us to smell things, which in turn elicits a response in our brains that tells us what we smell, and whether or not it is pleasant to us. Scent is a part of our life. Sometimes it is lovely, sometimes not so much and we all try to use scent to our advantage.

            We all do it, we stroke on a little scented lotion, spritz on a bit of perfume or cologne. We use soap and a little deodorant to keep the nasty smells at bay. It’s part of living in the civilized world, and dealing with others without being offensive. But more importantly, it is part of the lovely game of seduction.

Scents can bring back fond memories, arouse us, or even repel us. We’ve all had those moments where the hint of an aroma triggers a memory from our past. For me, the scent of lavender or spicy-ginger-molasses cookies makes me think of my grandmothers. Fresh cooked fish reminds me of the deep sea salmon fishing trips I took with my man. I had one boss who wore entirely too much aftershave, to this day, that scent makes my stomach churn. Other colognes and aftershaves bring to mind different men I have met over my lifetime, some good, some bad.

            For me, the smell of beer has a dual effect. It makes me think either of my man (date night is often beer and wings) or lacrosse players celebrating after a big win. (Mmm, sweaty near naked men … yummy.)  That brings to mind another type of dual scent, masculine sweat. Stale sweat is not pretty, in fact it is quite revolting (think dirty sports gear) but fresh sweat, oh my, it makes a man totally lickable.

            As women, we use scents to invite a man closer, to snag his interest. I’ll bet that at least once, someone has told you that you smell great. I’ve been told that my perfume makes a man want to snuggle up and get close to me. Isn’t that the whole idea of perfume? One fellow told me I smelled like cookies and that he wanted to eat me up. (You’ve gotta love that vanilla lotion.)

            Now, thinking of scent as a part of seduction, picture the scene: The room is dim; the only light comes from flicking, vanilla scented candles. A soft breeze stirs the air bringing with it the crisp tang of a flirty red wine, and the citrusy smell of aftershave. There is a hint of mint on his breath as he leans in to kiss you softly. You snuggle closer, tasting, touching, pleasing. Your arousal grows; you don’t notice the secret scent of pheromones, only the clean tang of his sweat as things heat up … the seduction begins.

 

Beth watched him from across the room. Sweat glistened on the back of his neck. The game was tied, and both teams were exhausted, but she had lost interest in the game. All she could see was the sweat beading on his skin; she could almost smell its masculine aroma from here. She licked her dry lips, closed her eyes and lost herself in the image of licking the sweat from his skin.

What smells move you? Which ones turn you on and stroke your libido? Could it be baby powder, fresh soap, cologne? Maybe it’s chocolate, wine or leather.

 

Hugs

Katie

Stages of Seduction: Those Innocent Touches

            Today I continue with my Stages of Seduction Series. I’ve already covered visual attraction. Now we move on to touch.

Initially, I had thought it would be easy to define and describe the sensual, seductive touch, but as I ponder it, I find that putting it into words isn’t as simple as one might have thought. We aren’t all moved by the same things, and what is an obvious attempt at seduction for some is less obvious for others and there is always that gray area in between.

For the purpose of this post, I’m not talking about touching during lovemaking, but rather the kind of touching that leads us there, the caresses that over time bring two people together intimately. I’m talking touch between people who just met, strangers, friends, or lovers.

This is a visual post. Take off your filters, read and visualize the scenarios I’m about to portray. Picture this happening to YOU. Think about how it makes you feel. This isn’t about the brain; it is about the body and the heart and sometimes, if we are lucky, the soul.

 

Start by thinking back to your high school dating days. (Try not to focus on how many years ago it was.) Remember going on that first date, how tentative you were, how unsure of how things were going. Then, as you walked along, he took your hand and held it in his. Can you feel the thrill you felt knowing that you were wanted, that you were special? Remember that deep down tingle that went zinging through you at the feel of his calloused palm on yours. That’s the kind of touching I am talking about.

            I’m thinking of the subtle touching that is almost a prelude to foreplay, yet is part of it. The soft brush of finger tips as you pass him a drink. Or that moment when you shake a man’s hand and he holds yours just a moment too long or traces his fingers across your palm as your hands separate. Or, hugging a dear friend and his hand trails slowly down your arm to grip your hand briefly before falling away.

            Picture a gentle, teasing tug on your hair or the soft caress of his fingers brushing your cheek as he tucks a stray lock of hair behind your ear.

Remember the whisper soft touch of a foot under the table at the restaurant, or the ‘accidental’ brushing of shoulders or thighs before pulling away only to return a moment later.

            What about that time you hugged him in greeting and thought maybe, just maybe, his lips brushed across your ear? Or maybe that moment when he stepped in to join the group’s conversation; did his hand just brush lightly across your backside? Was that a squeeze? Or did you just imagine his touch and the thrill that came with it?           

            These are the kinds of touches that start the slow fires of arousal burning. The best part is that this fire is slow to die. Each touch is sensual, erotic and arousing on its own, but added together, even days or weeks apart they fan the fire until it is a raging inferno of desire that threatens to consume us unless we act on it. These touches are the earliest stages of foreplay. They are the touches that say “I want you, I need you. Where will this take us?” Sometimes they are part of that special flirting that goes on between people attracted to each other who dare not take it any further, when it is enough to know that you share something special. 

Here’s hoping you’ve got some touching and hugging in your life.

Hugs
Katie