Current Reads

I had lunch today with some of my Ellora's Cave friends. My editor, Heather, is in town for the holidays and as always, organized a little get together for the So Cal people. Unfortunately, Jennifer (the other half of the amazing Ashleigh Raine) couldn't make it due to an illness, so we missed her today. The awesome Lena Matthews just had a baby, so she she wasn't there, either. I love her, by the way. She sent me a picture of her beautiful family (thanks, Lena!) We also missed Mari Byrne and Mary Wine. All in all, there were five of us. Sylvia Day, Lisa (the other half of Ashleigh Raine), Donna (EC editor), Heather and yours truly.

The day started off at Borders where we oohed and aahed over new books. Afterwards, we trekked over to the Elephant Bar and had a long, fun lunch. Some of the stuff we talk about would make an ordinary person blush, but hey, it was par for the course for us. LOL. Had a great time. Thanks, ladies. Looking forward to seeing all of you again soon.

At Borders, I picked up a couple of books. Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm supposed to be working on my new futuristic series for Ellora's Cave. I'm taking a little time off (an hour here and there surely won't hurt, right) to read. I picked up Sylvia's The Stranger I Married (she very graciously autographed my copy, yay!) and Shayla Black's Wicked Ties.









Both of these authors are great, so I'm looking forward to reading their books. If you've read anything good lately, let me know. When I need a break from writing, what do I do? I read, of course. LOL. What else is there?

Holiday Madness

I've yet to recover from the madness that holidays usually bring. As always, I've indulged too much in food! *groan* I'm going to have to start a new diet (again!) next week. LOL. I'm good for the first week or so. After that, it's all downhill.

This Christmas, I decided to give gift cards to a majority of my family. I figured it was easier. For one thing, they won't have to stand in line the day after Christmas to return the unwanted or wrong-sized gifts. And at the very least, they'll be able to choose what they really want, and I won't have to go nuts trying to figure that one out. LOL.

I've noticed that people seem to have less patience during the holidays, too. Instead of being filled with joyous spirit, people snarl and growl and generally freak out at the drop of a hat. Parking is hopeless, bringing out rude, uncivilized behavior in humans. There was one guy who cut an elderly lady out of a spot she'd been waiting for. And what does he do? He calmly gets out of his car and walks away. Merry Christmas to you too, dude!

Long lines are a given. It doesn't matter where you are or what time it is. If you're going Christmas shopping, then you better expect long lines. There's no use bitching about it or muttering under your breath. Patience is the key here, folks. Ranting and raving won't make the line move any faster, trust me. You're just ruining your day and mine.

Aside from that, I spent a nice Christmas with my family. This year I'm so proud of my son, who works for a major coffee company (they have one in every corner). *g* He worked extra hours to earn money for the holidays and bought gifts for everyone. It was such a nice thing for him to do and I can tell that he was happy to be able to do it. *sigh* My son is growing up. Finally. LOL. About time. He'll be going off to college next year.

I hope you had a fun, peaceful holiday with your family. Remember to say thanks for your blessings and don't forget those who are not as fortunate as you are. Have a Happy New Year everyone!

Coming Soon from Changeling Press

Sorry for the silence lately. With the holidays going on, I've been swamped. I have a large, extended family, so you know I'm up to my ears in shopping, wrapping gifts and just getting ready for a big get-together on Christmas Day. Not to mention the annual New Year's Eve party at my house. We ring in the new year at my place every year. Big party. Great fun. Hangover the next day, but hey, it's all worth it. *g*

My new book, Bandar: Pursuit of Pleasure will be coming out on January 12 from Changeling Press. Isn't the cover pretty? I'm not a big fan of poser, but Sahara Kelly, who has done two of my covers, does a really great job. I'm grateful for that. I love it.

Here's the blurb for Bandar: Pursuit of Pleasure

Desperate and on the run, Ariana abducts Earth Federation Commander Dax Morrison. How hard would it be to convince the handsome commander to help her and her family get to safety? She’s willing to pay him anything. Whatever he demands…

Dax Morrison is outraged at being tricked by a mere female. But once he learns of the menace that threatens his beautiful captor, he’s duty bound to give aid. The catch? He has to fly them through perilous space in an old bucket of a ship without a weapons system.

Things take an erotic turn when Ariana agrees to pay him personally for his services. In the shadow of danger and the constant threat of discovery by the enemy, Dax and Ariana will find stolen moments to indulge…in the pursuit of pleasure.

Here's a hot little excerpt.

“I’m grateful for your help. I know the decision didn’t come easy, considering what I had done to you. I’m glad it was you at the club that night.”

Oh, for heaven’s sake. “I’m simply helping because if the Xerexians are not stopped, we’ll all be in a hell of a lot more trouble,” he tossed back gruffly.

It didn’t faze Ariana. “Still, you could’ve just overpowered all of us and escaped. You’re a good man, Dax.”

She thought he was a good man? He stifled a disgusted snort. He’d rather she thought of him as sexy, irresistible, hot. Dax stepped close to her, intentionally invading her personal space. “You might not think so after I demand payment for hauling all your asses to safety.”

She blinked. “What do you mean?”

His gaze dropped to her chest. The meaning was unmistakable. “No jump drive. No weapons. That means if the Xerexians ever get wind of us, we’re good as dead. For putting my life on the line for you and your family, I figured I deserve a payment that’s equal to the risk I’m taking.”

Ariana took a jerky step back. “The crown jewels are worth an awful lot of cash currency.”

“I’m interested in more than the crown jewels.” He boxed her in, the console at her back preventing her from moving away. “I’m interested in the body that wears them.”

She swallowed. “My mother?”

Through the lust that zinged through his flesh, Dax managed a chuckle. “Nice try. You know exactly what I mean.” He dipped his head toward her.

“W-wait…”

Heat swirled in his stomach, spreading lower to wrap fingers of fire around his suddenly erect shaft. Ariana’s lips were damp, quivering ever so slightly. This woman was dangerous. That alone should have driven him to step away and put some distance between them. But like a lamb being led to slaughter, he couldn’t stop himself from leaning in until he was just a hair’s breadth away. Her light scent teased his nostrils, evoking memories of a summer rain shower back home on Earth.

The darkening of her eyes told him she wasn’t immune. Good. At least he wasn’t the only one hot and bothered. “Let me show you what I want.”

“I don’t think—”

Dax never gave her a chance to finish what she’d been about to say. He wanted to proceed nice and slow, intending to coax a response. Her taste, sweet and fresh, exploded in his senses. The softness of her bottom lip roused the predator in him. Forget nice and slow. His good intentions flew out the proverbial window. With a low growl, Dax changed the angle of the kiss, intensifying the contact, his tongue delving deep in the damp cavern of her mouth.

Ariana’s soft moan could barely be heard over the hum of the engine, but it was enough to send fire shooting in his veins. Lust suffused his entire body, igniting places Dax never knew existed. He pulled her closer, kissing her like a starving man, greedy for more. Finesse didn’t even enter into it. He wanted more of her.

Bewildered by his unprecedented reaction to a mere kiss, Dax drew back. He was panting hard. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. His memory of their kiss at the club didn’t fail him. All along, he’d thought it was the spiked drink that made their encounter unforgettable.

Stunned, he stepped back, ignoring the vicious protest from his cock that demanded he stay. No other woman had ever aroused him with such intensity and swiftness. Damn.
“I don’t want the crown jewels. Nor do I need cash credits.” He ran a thumb over her damp lower lip. “There’s only one thing I want as payment for my services.” He tipped her chin up. “You.”

© 2006 Beverly Havlir

Hope you liked that. I had a lot of fun writing this story. The chemistry between Dax and Ariana was amazing, at times funny, certainly erotic. Bandar: Pursuit of Pleasure will be available from Changeling Press on January 12, 2007.

Publicity Shy

My family knows I write and some of my friends do. Not a whole lot of others, though. And for good reason. I'm publicity shy. I'd rather wander anonymously in a bookstore and snap a picture of myself with my phone when I see my book on the shelf (I've actually done this, BTW). It doesn't take a lot to amuse me.

One day, I came across a lady at the local Borders who happened to be reading the blurb of Bodyguard. She looked up and saw me take the same book--I just had to touch it, of course. Wouldn't you know it, she asked me if I liked the author. I swiftly debated whether I should tell her it's me, but then, for some unknown reason, I decided not to. I told her it's a book that's been reviewed well and to try the author's other books on her website. The lady ended up buying Bodyguard. I asked myself why I didn't tell her the truth. I have no answer for that. Except that I wasn't prepared at that moment to be Beverly Havlir, you know? Weird, huh? I can't explain it, either.

I'm rabidly shy. Really. My inner vixen comes out in my books. The things I write about are the stuff of fantasies. Mine and a whole lotta other women out there. My kids go to private Catholic school, and I don't know how thrilled the school officials would be to find out what I write. Now before you jump on me for being ashamed of what I write, I'm not. Really. But I have to think of my kids, too. It's not all about me. I don't hide it, but I don't broadcast it, either. There are a select few who knows. Other than that, they think I'm an ordinary Mom actively involved in school fundraising.

Henrietta (names have been changed to protect the innocent *g*) has a son whose friends with my son since they were little freshies in high school. My husband told her about my writing, and Henrietta asked me what my pseudonym was so she can buy my book. I gave her a free one, an autographed copy, and hoped she'd enjoy it. I did warn her that it's not for the faint of heart. Her reponse? She reads Zane, and she likes erotic romance. But when she didn't call me for a week, I thought, there goes a friend. She probably thinks I'm too freaky to hang out with. A few days later, I gathered the nerve to call her. It turned out Henrietta loved it! She was so enthusiastic about it, to my relief, and confessed that she'd read aloud some excerpts to her husband. Now that got me blushing. I'll never be able to face him again. She said, "Girl, at our age, we need that kind of stimulation." Yeah, baby! Someone who understands. I love it. Henrietta passed the book on to another girlfriend then looked up Ellora's Cave website and bought my entire backlist. I couldn't believe it. That made all the stress and hard work worth it.

Hey, inner vixen? You can come out and play anytime. *g*

A Heart-Wrenching Tale

I've been riveted by a story that's been in the media for the past few days. The Kim family, on a road trip in Oregon after celebrating Thanksgiving, took a wrong turn and their car got trapped in the snow. They were missing for nine days. The husband, James, took off on foot to try to find help. HIs wife and two daughters were left in the car. They were eventually found by a search helicopter.

James Kim was not so lucky. The devoted family man hiked ten miles, unknowingly going in a loop, and succumbed to hypothermia.

This is a heartwrenching story that broke my heart. I followed the story in the news and when they announced that his body had been found, a scant mile away from their stranded car, I cried. I said a prayer for the family. For the wife who lost the man she loved and for the two daughters who will never know the dedicated father who loved them.

Please say a prayer for them. It's never easy to lose a loved one in such a tragic way, but to lose him during this time of the year is even more painful.