LAZY HAZY HOT SUMMER DAYS by Yvonne Lindsay

My husband and I are taking a couple of days to ourselves and have been offered the use of a friend's holiday home by the beach. And it's beautiful! 

We arrived on a stinking hot day and were instantly mesmerised by the sea. I have to admit that I wondered whether or not the constant crash of the waves would wear me out but I've found it to be distinctly soothing. I've always loved the water and loved swimming but I'm a bit cautious on that this time around because there's a bit of an undertow here and the waves can be quite strong and there's the recovering frozen shoulder that has plagued me for several months which makes swimming probably a not so safe option for me at the moment. It doesn't bother me, though--I'm happy to observe the waves and the birds and, well, just take a few moments to sit and relax and enjoy.

New Zealand is enjoying a hotter summer than I can remember in a long long time. Yes, we've had some good summers but always interspersed with a great deal of rain, which has dampened out annual camping holiday on many an occasion. So much so that we've pretty much put camping on the back burner for now. 

Our kids are horrified, of course, but then again they're both back at work while we're still on holiday playtime and last night was deeply relaxing as we enjoyed a glass or two of wine and slowly watched the sky change as night fell. It feels like such a privilege to be able to simple stop "doing" and just "be", even if it's only for a few days.

So, that brings us to the beach, where I'm going to watch my husband have a swim while I peacefully munch toast on the deck in the sunshine and let my mind take a break.

What's your favourite way to relax?

Sunday Smooch with Michelle Douglas

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from  First Comes Baby..., but first ...

the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is -- BN100!

Congratulations, BN100. Can you please contact Alison Stuart at: alison (at) alisonstuart (dot) com to receive your copy of By The Sword.

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Michelle Douglas's First Comes Baby...

Meg has always dreamed of having the perfect family, and when she learns her baby window is closing there's only one person who can help...

Ben has been Meg's best friend since childhood. Their relationship is strictly platonic--except for that one unforgettable kiss. Helping her to become a mother is the easiest decision Ben has ever made. Only, soon he wants to be more than just their baby's "uncle." Can he convince Meg that he's ready to do the unthinkable and settle down to be a real father?

Scene set-up: Meg and Ben have just had a heart to heart about their childhood and are now paddling on the beach...on a warm summer evening.

He pulled her in close for a hug. She clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth as she forced her arms around him to squeeze him back for a moment. She started to release him, but he didn’t release her. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and bit her lip until she tasted blood. It took all her concentration to keep her hands where they ought to be.

And then his hand slid down her back and it wasn’t a between-friends gesture. It was…

She drew back to glance into his face. The hunger and the need reflected in his eyes made her sway towards him. She planted her hands against his chest to keep her balance, to keep from falling against him. As soon as she regained her footing she meant to push him away. 

Only, her hands, it seemed, had a different idea altogether. They slid across his shirt, completely ignoring the pleasant sensation of soft cotton to revel in the honed male flesh beneath. Ben’s chest had so much definition. And he was hot! His heat branded her through his shirt and his heart beat against her palm like a dark throbbing promise. The pulse in her throat quivered.

She swallowed and tried to catch her breath. She should move away.

But the longer she remained in the circle of Ben’s arms, the more the strength and the will drained from her body and the harder it became to think clearly and logically.

And beneath her hands his body continued to beat at her like a wild thing—a tempting and tempestuous primal force, urging her to connect with something wild and elemental within herself.

She lifted her gaze to his. A light blazed from his eyes, revealing his need, an unchecked recklessness and his exaltation. 

‘I’ve been fighting this all night,’ he rasped, ‘but I’m not going to fight it any more.’

He tangled his hand in her hair and pulled it back until her lips had lifted, angled just so to give him maximum access, and then his mouth came down on hers—hot, hungry, unchecked.

His lips laid waste to all her preconceptions. She’d thought he’d taste wickedly illicit and forbidden, but he didn’t taste like whisky or leather or midnight. He tasted like summer and ripe strawberries and the tang of the ocean breeze. He tasted like freedom.

It was more intoxicating than anything she’d ever experienced. 

Kissing Ben was like flying.

A swooping, swirling, tumbling-in-the-surf kind of flying.

 I really do think the beach is a romantic place for a kiss. Where's the most romantic place you've ever snuck a kiss? 

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from Fish Out of Water by Ros Baxter will be posted!

Life's a Beach

by Michelle Douglas

One of the things I really enjoyed about the RWAust Gold Coast conference was the location. Oh the joy of sneaking out for a walk along the beach!

I love the ocean and, while I know I’m not alone in that, I love it more than I do a river or a lake. There’s something about the surge and movement of waves and tides, the salt tang in the air, the sound of waves breaking onshore and the cries of seagulls on the breeze .

It makes me feel alive.

I live on the coast. I can drive to the most glorious beaches in less than five minutes. Of course, I hardly ever do, but I’ve decided to change that. I love walking, and I love the beach. So I’m making the effort to get myself to this most inspirational of locations to soak up the atmosphere and recharge the batteries. And man oh man is it blowing the cobwebs away!

So, in an effort to share the love, I thought I’d share my beach walk with you.

This is where I start my walk. If you look to the very end of the beach, just above it on the bluff is a car park -- that's where I walk to. And then I turn around and walk back. Depending on my mood and energy levels it takes thirty to forty minutes all up.

This is the halfway point, looking back the way I've come. This is my favourite spot to just gaze out to sea, sigh in bliss and soak up the atmosphere. :-) I mean, man, look at the colours!

And this is when I've reached the other end. Nice view, huh?

Here's the midway point again. Can you see those incoming storm clouds ?

Oh, my, look at those storm clouds!

And here I am nearly back at where I started from. And can you see the building at the end of the beach? You probably can't make it out too well, but it's over three levels and is mostly glass--it's called The Surfhouse. There's a cafe on the lower level that makes the most excellent coffee...and gives you the most divine place from which to watch a storm play out.

So what about you? Have you been doing anything to recharge your batteries lately? And do you have a favourite beach you like to visit?

P.S. If you'd like a chance to win a copy of my October release Bella's Impossible Boss, as well as The Man Who Saw Her Beauty, pop on over to Jennifer Doloski's blog. She's running a fundraiser for two special little boys in need. :-)