Wake-Me-Up Wednesday

Sean Sullivan

Credits:
Rick Day
Doug Inglish
TETU Magazine


In light of our country's birthday approaching, I found a male model sporting his patriotic side, though I doubt our forefathers would likely agree. In any event, I hope someone at least enjoys this little firecracker. Happy Wednesday!

Friday 56: THE CONQUEST by Julia Templeton

Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Post any sentence from that page (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog. (If you do not have your own blog) post it in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Story Time With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Never had he imagined to be in such a quandary. His orders had been clear--bring Lord Malgor's betrothed to him at Almeron, safe and sound. That was it, plain and simple, then he would return to his life at Braemere.


And what did he do but kiss the very woman he had sworn to protect.


Fool.

Wake-Me-Up Wednesday

Brent Van Zant

Male Model (Fitness and Underwear)


Facebook Page

He's been on the covers of Men's Fitness and DNA magazines.

Honestly, I believe his pictures say more than I ever could. So, I won't waste your time any more than I already have. Happy Wednesday!

Blogging at Romance Books "R" Us

Come on over to Romance Books "R" Us where I blog on the 21st of every month. Today, I'm giving praise to a man worthy of inspiration.
Read more of the blog post...

Friday 56:

Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Post any sentence from that page (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog. (If you do not have your own blog) post it in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Story Time With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The way she suddenly  grew still reminded him of an animal that sensed danger. Tense and uncertain, her posture betrayed her desire to flee. As if aware of his scrutiny, she slowly turned to face him, and the amusement on her face surprised him.

"Entrancing? You must be in need of spectacles, monsieur. One would be hard put to label my features anything but average."

Wake-Me-Up Wednesday

Jordon R. Legault

Model
Birthday: Unnecessary

Website

Luis Rafael Photography

AJR Imaging

Hello all and good morning! It is a fine Wednesday indeed for I've found another man who may very well take your breath away. He did mine. But notice, I didn't bother to post his age because some of you would only cringe and that is not what I aim to do here on WMU Wednesday. My purpose is to "wake-you-up" and get you ready to take on your day. And this man can do just that.

He can dress up or dress down, depending on your taste, and still look mighty fine either way. He has the kind of eyes that can hold your gaze for an extended length of time without you realizing it. He has just the right amount of scruff on his face, and he's got the perfect "farm-boy" body - lean, mean, hay-bale-tossin' machine. Are you picturing it?

How about I just let his photos speak for themselves. Happy Wednesday!

Wake-Me-Up Wednesday

Bo Berta

Male Model
25 years old
6' tall


Website

Pictures by Luis Rafael Photography

OK, this man happened to be one of those guys who just kinda fell into my sights one fine day. And after searching him out, well...it's pretty obvious that this man is definitely WMU worthy. Now, I know he's young, but I've done you all a favor and scratched out his real age. So, all you need to look at now is his all-grown-up male body. I hope you enjoy him as much as I did.

You know....I used to think being a romance author had its perks...but after seeing these photos, perhaps photographers have more. Just some food for thought.

Happy Wednesday, ladies!

Lori Foster's 6th Annual Readers & Authors Get Together

This past weekend, I was able to attend my first READERS & AUTHORS GET TOGETHER in West Chester Ohio at the Cincinnati Marriott North. The conference this year benefited One Way Farm, a home for abused and abandoned children, and as always, was hosted by Lori Foster, Dianne Castell, and Linda Keller. Authors, publishing houses, and even readers generously donated large quantities of baskets and assorted gifts for the raffle held on Saturday, and the proceeds from that totaled more than $5,000! It was an amazing accomplishment indeed.

If you've never gone to this event, you are surely missing out! It was the best conference I've been to, and I will gladly continue to attend in the future. For one reason, I was pleased to have supported such a worthy cause. Second, I was able to spend some much needed leisure time with my Ohio Valley Romance Writers of America chapter and even brainstorm a bit with them on current projects. Thirdly, I was also able to converse and acquaint myself with so many romance readers and fans. We were all in one big ballroom, seated at round tables where readers could choose to sit anywhere amongst the authors. It was casual and very congenial. And that was only the atmosphere of the conference!

The conference itself held a used book fair, a Barnes And Noble book signing, and lots of workshops and presentations for authors and readers alike to attend together. Some included:

• Other Side of the Bookshelf: How books are marketed and sold Presentation by B&N bookseller, Linda Keller
• Twitter vs. Facebook: The Smackdown; Time to get with it! Learn how to use these online tools Presentation by Authors Keri Stevens and Becke (Davis)Martin
• Reviewing isn’t for the faint of heart: Bookclub 101: How to start and grow a bookclub Presentation by Sara Reyes of FreshFiction.com
• The Naked Hero: stripping down the hero! A fun chat with Authors Tonya Kappes and Misa Ramirez
• Editors discuss the world of publishing Monique Patterson from St. Martin’s Press and Margo Lipschultz from Harlequin

And that was to just name a few.

So if you are looking for a great opportunity to get together with some of your favorite authors, your online friends, or even have one-on-one appointments with New York editors and agents while supporting a great cause, then I highly recommend marking your calendar for next year's Lori Foster Readers & Authors Get Together in June 2011.

Here is a list of the special guests that were there this year:

Monique Patterson, Senior Editor, St. Martins Press

Margo Lipschultz, Editor, HQN
Christina M. Brashear, Publisher, Samhain Publishing
Marty Mathews, Author Liaison, Samhain Publishing
Lindsey Faber, Managing Editor, Samhain Publishing
Monette Draper, Senior Editor, Liquid Silver
Jennifer Schober, Spencerhill Agency
Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency
Linda Keller, Community Relations Manager, B&N
Joyce Ann McLaughlin, Blurb Writer, Publisher's Weekly
Angela James, Executive Editor, Carina Press
Sara Loftus, Publisher, Bonaparte Press
Pat Kempe, acquisitions editor, DCL Publications
Nancy Swanson, Wild Rose Press
Donna Wright, Publisher, Always Keepers Press
Becke Martin, Romance B(u)y the Book
Sheila Clover, CEO Readers Entertainment Group
DeNita Tuttle, Author Island
Kat Elder, Sensually Seductive Romance/Strictly Romance TV
Liz Bemis, Bemis Productions, website design and consultation

And check out the many authors who attended as well:

Lori Foster

L.L. Foster
Dianne Castell
Toni Blake
Ann Christopher
HelenKay Dimon
Joey W. Hill
Larissa Ione
Brenda Jackson
Erin McCarthy
Sarah McCarty
LuAnn McLane
Patricia Sargeant
Kay Stockham
Shiloh Walker
Lacey Alexander
Solange Ayre
D. Renee Bagby
Becky Barker
Jules Bennett
Jacki Bentley
Laura Bickle
Faith Bicknell-Brown
Trinity Blacio
F.L. Brown
Stephanie Burke
Monica Burns
Lynn Carmer
Beth Carter
Billie Warren Chai
Pam Champagne
Ashlyn Chase
Mary Ann Chulick
Lisa Cooke
Jamie Craig
Susan Crandall
Diane Craver
Sydney Croft
Paige Cuccaro
F.D. Davis
Dyanne Davis
Gia Dawn
Vivien Dean
Cherie Denis
Virna DePaul
Blake Deveraux
Cheryl Dragon
Louisa Edwards
Gabriella Edwards
M.A. Ellis
Judi Fennell
Madelyn Ford
Eliza Gayle
Liane Gentry Skye
Barry Gilfry
Susan Helene Gottfried
Jess Granger
Kestra Gravier
Xandra Gregory
J. F. Gump
Denise Gwen
Karen Hall
Mary Harrison
Beppie Harrison
Elysa Hendricks
Desiree Holt
Talia Hough
Aline Hunter
Marcia James
Jambrea Jo Jones
Stephanie Julian
Marteeka Karland
Beth Kery
Amy Knupp
Meg Lacey
Ashley Ladd
Emma Lang
Kaenar Langford
Bonnie Rose Leigh
Michelle Levigne
Erin Lynn
Missy Lyons
Donna MacMeans
Morgan Malone
Missy Martine
Janie Mason
Kelsey Maxwell
Charles Maynard
Janice Maynard
D. McEntire
Allison McKinley
Monette Michaels
Lynn Miller
Natasha Moore
Rae Morgan
Alison Paige
Nina Pierce
Anne Rainey
Misa Ramirez
Zenobia Renquist
Donna Richards
Pat Richardson
Linda Robertson
Judith Rochelle
Chandra Ryan
Jayne Rylon
J.A. Saare
Elizabeth Scott
Rhonda Stapleton
Michele Stegman
Sandy Sullivan
Violet Summers
VJ Summers
Sierra Summers
Veronica Towers
Leanne Tyler
Paige Tyler
Renee Vincent
Ann Warner
Joanna Waugh
A.M. Wells
Gwen Williams
Alayna Williams
Beth Williamson
Michelle Witvliet
Donna Wright
Tianna Xander
Nicole Zoltack
Wendi Zwaduk
J. T. Dutton

Friday 56: IF HE'S SINFUL by Hannah Howell

Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Post any sentence from that page (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog. (If you do not have your own blog) post it in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Story Time With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Ashton studied the four very serious faces of his friends. "You are about to give me bad news."

"It can wait," Brant began.

"No. Spit it out."

Wake-Me-Up Wednesday: Special Birthday Feature For Myself

John Schneider

American Actor, Director, Producer, and Singer
Birthday: April 8, 1960

Website

Past Works:
Dukes of Hazard (1979-1982, 1983-1985)
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993-1998)
Touched By An Angel (1995-2001)
JAG (1998)
Walker, Texas Ranger (1998)
Smallville (2001-2006)
Nip/Tuck (2007)
CSI: Miami (2008)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2009)
Phineas and Ferb (2010)
And the list goes on....

Ok, so this week, I was thinking about my life, the journey I have been on, and my past birthdays--since yesterday was my big day--and a thought ran across my mind.  When I was a little girl, my parents gave me my first record player (The BeeGee's) and my first album (yes, the vinyl kind). I no longer have the record player, but I still have the record in perfect condition (see left). I also recall having my first real crush on a man at that time, and yes, it was Bo Duke.

So, I thought that this was a very fitting WMU Wednesday feature to have this week. And I must add that John Schneider looks better now at age 50 than he ever did in his twenties.

I know I am taking some of you down memory lane, but I hope you all enjoy this week's feature, regardless. At least this time, I'll not have to listen to some of you cringing on his birth date and saying he's old enough to be your son. (And let me tell you, I better not hear any of you saying he's old enough to be your father either!)

Happy Wednesday!

(What he used to look like back in the days of my crush)

(And what he looks like now. The man has certainly gotten better with age!)

So now it's time to come clean...who else had a crush on Bo Duke?