Winter is a time for loved ones to come together and honor the sense of family and deep friendships.

What do you love to do during winter?

I look forward to drinking hot chocolate, snuggling into a cozy throw with a pillow and a good romance novel, listening to Christmas music and watching the twinkling lights on our Christmas tree.

The bare trees and somewhat desolate landscape of winter prompt me to go within to find inner richness. Snow owls, white foxes and polar bears are quiet, withdrawn creatures that operate in the stillness. Snow spreads a blanket of sparkling gems that make everything look pure and clean.

When I was younger I loved the shopping hustle and bustle, and while I can still get into it, the stillness of sitting by a crackling fire watching the flames leap has more appeal to me these days.

My novella, Christmas Spirits, is a ghost love story that takes place in an Irish castle at Christmas time. It is a tribute to undying love that transcends all obstacles. It was a joy to write.

How about you? What do you enjoy most about the winter?

Enjoy the blog hop and thanks for stopping by!

Every year there are some really hot new hero costumes at Halloween. We are all familiar with superheroes like Batman, Superman, Ironman and other such superhuman hunks. Or the more refined James Bond types.

Are you drawn to brain or brawn, or can we have it all? Who do you think the hottest heroes are this Halloween season?

I’d like to nominate a category of hot heroes, whether it’s Halloween or any other time.

Hail to firemen! They put their own lives in danger constantly to save others. To me they embody the best qualities we can hope for in a man. They must be intelligent, are clearly compassionate, and are almost always in excellent physical condition.

I don’t think fireman costumes are all that popular, at least I haven’t seen many in north Texas. All young people are looking for a good role model and I doubt you can beat a fireman as an excellent role model.

This post is dedicated to all the firemen who lost their lives saving others in 2013, and their families.

Thank you.

So, now, what is your idea of a hot Halloween hero?

You have at least one guilty indulgence, right? We all do, but not all of them can be shared on a public forum.

So let’s divulge a few here… creamy ice cream, dark and rich Swiss chocolate, expensive perfumes, silk stockings, books… lots and lots of books. My personal library attests to the fact this has been one of my guilty indulgences for years, although e-books are helping me wean myself.

My guilty indulgences change over the years. Nowadays my pleasure is taking a soothing scented bath with an aromatherapy candle and soul-stirring music. Add a handful of rose petals, or clary sage oil, or eucalyptus, whatever suits my mood. Once in a while I’ll take a glass of wine or champagne with me. Then I enter the realm of imagination.

My latest, newest novella in the Sheikhs of the Golden Triangle series has just released and I’m excited! Princess Yasmine of Zahiria is the heroine of The Sheikh’s Crowning. She’s given me permission to share her rather unusual guilty indulgence with you. She morphs into Sula the belly dancer. It’s the only way she can allow herself to express her passionate nature.

Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ll browse around and enter to win my prize. Just leave a comment telling me about one of your favorite guilty indulgences and include your email address. One lucky winner will be drawn to receive an e-copy of The Amulet, the prequel to the series. Happy blog hopping!

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Fall is my favorite season with its cooler and shorter days, leaves turning red and gold, and the promise of winter stillness in the air. We enjoy the earth’s bounty with pumpkins, cranberries and sweet potatoes on our tables. This is the season of gratitude.

What is the perfect Fall evening? I envision steaming mugs of hot chocolate, a good book to curl up with, or an e-reader, and the glow of a warm candle. Fall is a time of delicious home cooking, sharing with family and friends, and preparing for winter.

Equinox is a time of balance, when there is equal darkness and light… the characters in my new novella grapple with this theme.

This is an exciting time! The Sheikh’s Crowning ~~ the newest sizzling love story in The Sheikhs of the Golden Triangle series ~~ was just released!

Rick and Yasmine share their love story with you. What do an American undercover agent and a Zahirian princess have in common? At first glance, besides a sizzling chemistry, not a whole lot…

Rick is a man with a lot of secrets and a dangerous job. He’s fallen head over heels in love with a foreign princess, but he has no illusions. It’s a captivating fantasy but nothing can come of it because he’s out of his league.

Yasmine’s a lonely princess whose husband was killed in an assassination attempt that targeted her brother. She vowed never to love a man with a dangerous job again. Will Rick give up his career?

Are they as mismatched as they seem? Love grows as they learn to trust each other amidst surprises that change the destiny of the region. A formidable enemy unleashes his wrath, intent on keeping them apart.

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Sunset on Summer Fun

Hope you had a great summer! Did you spend time stretched out on a chaise lounge at the beach, close to the water, reading a sizzling romance? Or hibernating in your air-conditioned cave with a stack of good books or an over-loaded e-reader, devouring one love story after another?

To me, summer time means ice cream, iced latte and other cool and refreshing summer treats. Long warm days, a profusion of flowers, and quality time spent with loved ones in the outdoors. And the sunsets… don’t forget the dynamite, awe-inspiring sunsets!

Now the sun is setting on another summer, and I hope you created fun memories and read exciting stories that warmed your heart.

It’s time to stock up on Fall reading material, decide on Halloween costumes, and plan for Thanksgiving, the season of gratitude.

I’m excited to announce the release of the latest hot novella in my Sheikhs of the Golden Triangle series, The Sheikh’s Crowning. It’s the story of Yasmine and Rick, a widowed princess whose greatest fear is falling in love with a man with a dangerous career, and an undercover agent who has a passion for his lethal job and figures a princess is far beyond his reach. Can they overcome these obstacles and tune in to the song in their hearts?

What was the highlight of your summer? Please leave a comment and your email address to be entered in my drawing for a free copy of The Amulet, the prequel in this series. Thanks for visiting my website and happy hopping!

The Grand Prize offered by BTS emagazine is that one winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7″ HD or NOOK HD (for US contestants only).  International winners receive Paypal Cash to spend as they wish. Wishing you good luck!

Click Here for Participants

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The Sheikh’s Crowning is now available on Amazon!

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Meet the Author and Interview With Character

Summer is slowly morphing into Fall, and cooler weather is around the corner. Thanks for stopping by my website on this fantastic blog hop!

Ever wonder what makes author Gemma Juliana tick?

I love gemstones and make jewelry as a hobby. I believe in the value of stones and crystals as healing energies and love to play with them. My favorite colors are green, gold and magenta. I’m a Capricorn and an astrologer. Sometimes I cast a chart for my characters to get more insight into what makes them tick. I enjoy cooking in the Fall and Winter, but come Spring and Summer I graze on salads and enjoy eating out more often. Dark, rich chocolate and a glass of Merlot make me very happy! So does uplifting music, color and the scent of aromatherapy. I see a plot in everything, everywhere!

Ever wonder where your favorite book characters are now?

Sheikh Adnan and his stunning wife Olympia (The Sheikh’s Spy) are taking a winter holiday away from their Kingdom of Zahiria and spending time at Winterthorne Castle in Ireland. Their siblings Rick and Yasmine (The Sheikh’s Crowning) accompany them for a true family event. Winterthorne Castle has long been in Adnan’s family, but even so the castle has secrets of its own. (Christmas Spirits).

What they’ve been doing since you read their story?

Adnan and Olympia settled into their new married life as the rulers of Zahiria. They return from their honeymoon to find Olympia is pregnant and expecting twins. Adnan is focused on putting the neighboring kingdom of Burindi under the control of an honorable leader and finds solutions closer to home than he anticipated.

What are their favorite colors or foods?

Adnan loves aquamarine blue, the color of Olympia’s eyes. His favorite meal is couscous with currents, nuts, berries and spices.

Olympia’s favorite color is pink. She is wild about white chocolate.

Yasmine loves the golden shades of the desert that surrounds them. Her favorite meal is lobster in a rich brandy sauce on a bed of white rice with salad.

Rick’s favorite color is red. It means action and he has always been an action-oriented man. His favorite foods are pizza, cheese burgers and French fries.

The location of their dream vacation?

Winterthorne Castle in Ireland has become a favorite destination for both royal couples.

Yasmine and Rick still need to take a honeymoon as soon as they can get away from the duties associated with their new life. They plan to cruise on board a luxury yacht, traveling the Mediterranean and creating their itinerary as they go, one stop at a time.

The number one item on their bucket lists?

Adnan: To find the source of power within the Golden Triangle (Map of the Golden Triangle).

Olympia: To sky dive above the Zahirian desert.

Rick: To visit Antarctica and see the penguins.

Yasmine: To find out Soraya’s secrets concerning the crafting of The Amulet.

Thanks for reading my blog post! I’m giving away a copy of The Amulet, the prequel in this series, to one lucky person who comments below. Visit the other blogs in this hop (my secret code word is Amulet) and have fun! Don’t forget to enter for the grand prize drawing!

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The Sheikh’s Crowning will be available on September 16, 2013!

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Christmas in July! It takes a vivid imagination to envision snow falling in July, especially deep in the heart of Texas where we usually hit 100 degree days throughout the summer. There are many ways to celebrate Christmas. I grew up spending Christmas on the beach of a small deserted island. True it was December 25 instead of mid-July, but in a way they are the same. We’d take a picnic, snorkels, masks, and fins, and explore for exotic underwater treasures. Instead of snowmen, we had sandmen. Instead of a sled, we zipped around on water skis. Instead of Santa’s sled being pulled by reindeer, it was pulled by a speed boat. When I spent my first Christmas in cold weather I fell in love with Christmas Irish style. Like the one at Winterthorne Castle in my novella Christmas Spirits where love and family reunions make the holidays special. It’s part of my Sheikhs of the Golden Triangle Series. Buy Christmas Spirits now at the following eBook e-retailers: Kindle by Amazon  |  Nook by BN  |  Kobo  |  iBooks  |  Smashwords What does Christmas in July mean to you? Christmas trees, a white landscape, ice skating, prettily wrapped gifts, turkey dinners and snowmen? Or can you adapt Christmas to true July weather in the Northern Hemisphere. See yourself lounging on the beach with a Candycane Daiquiri and a hunk massaging coconut oil – or is that peppermint oil – into your shoulders? Hmmmm… Merry Christmas, anytime! Thanks for stopping by~~have awesome fun on the blog hop and good luck!

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Keep on Hoppin!

Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop by Insatiable Reads What does summer magic mean to you? To me, it’s a great getaway coupled with fine food, laughter and a riveting read or two. Busy schedules slow down and we finally find time to relax and catch up on our reading. There’s no better escape than a good steamy romance novel. Whether you are hiking in the mountains or rubbing coconut oil into your skin while lounging by the ocean or a sparkling pool, indulging in a fine fantasy romance will carry you away on a magic carpet ride where you can travel fictitious worlds.  If you’re going away, don’t forget to pack your e-reader or take a few paperbacks with you. If you’re staying home, catch up on your to-be-read pile. Where else can you find so much entertainment for such a reasonable price than with a novel? Do you love sizzling stories that include sexy alpha males and fiery sensuous women? Check out my novellas in the Sheikhs of the Golden Triangle series where rich and powerful sheikhs rule their kingdoms and beautiful, feisty women conquer their hearts amid suspense and palace intrigues. These stories will have you splashing in the pool to cool off! Enjoy your summer, and be safe!

Follow the Hop below! Grand Prizes by Insatiable Reads #1 Kindle Fire #2 $50 Amazon gift cert

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