Drum-roll please! And the winner is?

Some of you may remember a brown recycled cardboard box that sat on my table at the Books by the Bridge event in Sydney. It was an entry box to go into the draw to win the first ARC paperback I received of the follow-on story of ‘Ample Attraction’ called ‘Bellibone’.  Though I re-named it ‘Lustful Lovers.’ Recall the box?

 So without further or do…. I announce the winner on this YouTube clip.  Be quick and check it out now as it may be you.  The winner gets my first ARC paperback that hit Australian shores. Thank you to the 48 people that entered, and it was a pleasure to meet every one of you, but we can only have one winner. I apologise for my budgie making a racket in the background.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out ‘Lustful Lovers’ it’s available on Kindle now. Paperbacks are on the way.

Enjoy it any way you can!

Melissa Craig

 

A little cold this #winter? I have the perfect #winterwarmer this #weekend.

Grab a coffee, get under the covers and read my new novel ‘Lustful Lovers’.  For those that have been waiting a long time, Er what are you waiting for? Stop procrastinating,  you need to read for the follow-on of ‘Ample Attraction’.  This 50,000 word novel starts where the last book finished. Find out what happens with Ryan and Andy.  What about the Ducati Guy? Do you even remember what happened in the first book of The Breathtaking Series? Dust off the cobwebs, revisit The Great Barrier Reef  with ‘Ample Attraction’ and follow reading with ‘Lustful Lovers’. I will set your Sexy Sunday with a Melissa Craig Aussie Book Fest.  Download the digital version now. Just giving you the heads up that it’s not available on iTunes, Barnes and Noble or other online bookstores as Amazon have the rights for the next three months. Yes, I am giving Amazon Prime a go. Don’t get discouraged as the paperback will be available soon. If you would like to pre-order a signed paperback, leave me a comment on this post as we can get a shopping cart ready for you. As you can see, I received the proof copy this week, ekk… exciting.  But I have to rework a few pixels first.

Have a great reading weekend.

Enjoy it any way you can!

Melissa Craig.

 Picture with my Lustful Lovers manuscript.

 

 

 

Hi my name is Melissa Craig, and it’s been 18 months since my last blog post.

Yes, it’s been that long. Why you may ask. Well, about that time last year I got stomach and back pain, just after my last book signing at ‘Books by the Bridge’ in Sydney, 2017. It started off as a little niggle and I didn’t think much of it, but then as the months increased it got that bad I had to see a doctor. Then it started… tests, scans, more tests, etc. By the time June came around I could hardly move, work for over two hours at a time. When I couldn’t hold three coat hangers with clothes on it, it was time to go back to the specialist and find out what was happening, I couldn’t function. They narrowed the outcome down… I had varicose veins on my uterus/ovaries and the only way was to get rid of them was to have a hysterectomy.

Conversion that went down:

“I am 41, I have my kids. I don’t want anymore. Yep lets do it.” I told the specialist.

“The thing is this isn’t a normal hysterectomy. You can’t have it laparoscopic. You have to have the old fashion way, which we only do as a last resort, it’s not done anymore and all the new doctors will watch your surgery as it’s rare. And it will leave you with a big scar.”

“Damn, there goes my bikini modeling career.” The doctor and I laughed at my joke.  “Anything is better than not being in constant pain. How long is recovery?”

“By three months. you should be able to return to work three hours at a time.”

“Three months. Wow.”

“This is a major surgery Melissa. It isn’t a quick recovery I have five layers I have to cut through, skin, tissue, fat, abdominal muscle and more. I remove your insides, so your organs will move around and fill the gap inside you every time to stand. Lay down most of the time. It will look like a cesarean scar, but it’s not like the recovery of one. Most people will say you’re so lucky you won’t get periods every month. But I don’t recommend doing this hysterectomy at your age unless needed, it’s not nice. But yours is necessary.”

“Well three months of pain is better than pain for the rest of my life.” Sigh.

I have to say. It’s not nice, and I was sleeping for 18 hours a day for 6 weeks. I went back to work after three months…. and I think it was a little early. I work in fashion and was on my feet for every shift, tired was an understatement. So after six months I felt like me again. Writing wasn’t an option, sleep was. But the last six months have been better.

A year after my surgery I’ve got back into writing and finished the follow-on story of Ample Attraction. Thank gosh for that. Sorry that you’ve been waiting  for years. It’s available for pre-order  on Amazon and it’s called “Lustful Lovers.” It’s nice to finally get it out of my head and into words. 

Enjoy it any way you can!

My housework awaits.

Melissa Craig.

Who am I to deny a Nonna?

I work in the fashion industry and I have this beautiful Nonna that comes in about once a month and buys a dress off me. She is in her late 70’s and is the happiest person. She is an inspiration this lady. She has a colostomy bag and has for five years, yet she never lets it get her down. She still has her spunk, she has her own individual style for clothes, loves life and always puts a smile on my face. She walks in the door yesterday.

“My bella Melissa. You got any new dresses?”  With her Italian accent. I didn’t as all the ones in store were short, not her style and she needs the length as it lifts at the front to cover her bag. She gives me the Italian kisses and cuddles me. “Still so beautiful.” She ran her hands over my hair. Makes me miss my own Nonna.

“No, Rosa I don’t have. Well I do, but you won’t like them.”

“Show me, show me.” I did, and they weren’t like the traditional dresses she likes to wear.

“I have more dresses coming in this week. I will call you when they arrive.”

“Sure, Sure.” Then she spotted something. She went to purchase it and was 70 cents short. She only ever uses cash. I couldn’t have the till out by even that little amount, I couldn’t discount it and I couldn’t bare to see the disappointment on her face. “Just wait, Rosa.” I dashed out the back she’s talking in Italian and I did not understand what she was saying. I grabbed 70cents out of my wallet and put it in her hands. You would have thought I gave her the world. Who was I to deny a Nonna a beautiful sparkly scarf?  She gets up every day, puts effort into how she looks. In the two years I have known her I haven’t heard her whine about anything. She keeps going and always in high spirits.

“La mia bella, Melissa.” She cries.

“Don’t cry, you’ll make me cry.”

“I’ll give you a dollar next week.” she says.

“No, don’t worry about it.”

She embraces me in a cuddle again. It doesn’t take much to make a persons day. Not only did she get to enjoy something new, it worked in my favour, too. She boosted my mood seeing her smile. Don’t forget sometimes it is the littlest of actions that people remember. Be nice to someone today as it gives the brain a serotonin boost.

Enjoy it any way you can!

Melissa Craig

Mwah!

 

 

 

 

 

The Power And Passion Of A Kiss!

I thought it was time to throw my article published in the Born Organized Magazine out of the wood works again. Especially with Valentine’s Day as I found the VD cards full of crap that no one wants to hear or say. Never under-estimate the power of a kiss people. An amazing kiss can take you to another realm.

(January Column 2014) The Power and Passion of a Kiss!

With the school year approaching, mums are busier than normal. Just as Christmas winds down it starts all over again, however the only things on your mind are getting those supplies for school. Whether it be books, stationary, shoes, backpacks or uniforms your time is dedicated to the preparation of another year of education. We are stressed and sometimes the one thing that always gets forgotten is pampering you and your partner. And by all means I don’t mean going out and spending lots money on weekends away or going out for dinner.  Gosh, going back to school and Christmas cost enough as it is, plus you don’t have time in your schedule. You’re busy thinking of a million things at once and time is a contributing factor, but a kiss or two a day doesn’t cost anything and doesn’t take long. A kiss will revolutionize your relationship.

The one thing I have found through studies is that kissing is the key to helping put things back on track. Kissing stimulates endorphins (testosterone when addressing it clinically) which is responsible for sex drive, it releases neurotransmitters associated with wellbeing and pleasure. That’s why I always include a lot of kissing in my books, as kissing and the feeling of euphoria helps stimulates the reader to connect with the characters mind, body and spirit. A simple thing you can adapt into your everyday world, especially now at one of the most stressful times of the year.

Twenty seconds a day is all it takes. Yes twenty seconds to help re-establish the excitement of sexual anticipation with your partner. A ten second kiss departing in the morning and a ten second on reunion, can positively influence your feelings for each other. Try it. A ten second kiss is a lot longer than you think and of course during that time you may as well open your mouth, allow your tongues to entwine and experience the warmth travel all the way down your inner core. For ten seconds, twice a day you can forget about all your school stress and focus on embracing one another, feeling each other’s strength and the love you share. It’s time to stop thinking, hurry up let’s get this done already with a quick peck. Take a moment to focus on one another and be lost in the moment of the kiss. Excite one another again with that magnetic pull, the passion of lips locking is power.

Everyone can manage twenty seconds a day, even for the busiest couples. A kiss or two a day will help bond a couple ever more deeply with each other. I know a kiss to me means more than anything, it ignites that flame, it makes you breathless, and it will end up lasting more than ten seconds that’s for sure. Pucker up and put that lipstick on. Don’t forget you are important and it’s not always about the kids. Pamper yourself with the passion of a kiss. Enjoy it any way you can! Mwah!

Melissa Craig

Melissa Craig Column “The Power and Passion of a Kiss!”

What is it about hats? I’m curious.

I did the groceries the other day wearing a simple blue jeans and white t-shirt with a cap. The whole time I got the weirdest of looks. I didn’t think my co-ordination of clothes were that bad. I know I wasn’t wearing makeup (maybe that was it) but it concerned me. I thought, Holly shit I can’t even go out without makeup. Do I look that bad? I don’t care about what people think about my dress sense as I’m confident within myself. But I was being self conscious.

If I was wearing heels, skirt and blouse I could understand the look as I get that from many women at book signings if their partner is with them. Plus, a few women in Cairns dress that way and I get.. “Love are you up from Sydney?”. But I wasn’t dressed up, or my hair straightened. I was wearing boyfriend type jeans and a white shirt, a cap and pony tail. It’s my go to outfit when I don’t want to think of what to wear or while writing. Maybe people were trying to work out if I was a lesbian or not. I don’t know.

It bothered me that a cap makes people look twice. I got men and women of all different ages giving me evil glares, or the total opposite with smiles of “how you doing” People were helpful when I dropped items from my trolley. Yet I turn the isle and walk pass a woman and I got the death look. People not like caps inside shopping centers? Am I being disrespectful? I know I got in trouble two weeks ago from my Dad as I sat down for lunch with my hat on and he made everyone wait until I took it off before we could eat. My bad. My kids loved it. I got in trouble with my Dad at my age.

I don’t know why I got good and bad looks. I’m not a nasty person. 😦 Hence the reason for a rant on my blog. I’m curious and today is the day I will try it out again. Plain and simple outfit, but with a little bit of makeup. People are funny creatures and damn my curiosity. Wish me luck. 

Enjoy it any way you can!

Melissa Craig

 

 

Can I go back to my writing cave please?

I love Christmas and the festive season, but I am over the long work hours. (Blah at working everyday. I am more of a three days a week sort of girl.) Being face to face social, smiling and being happy with people that are rude, grumpy and whine about money  is doing my head in. I can be a socialite. I love nothing better than wining and dining when I have time. But too much of it makes me want to hide and write, but no one understands that. Except my writing friends, who I haven’t had time for.  (Love you guys if you are reading this.) Yep, I can be antisocial and I love it.  Being home alone…(no pun intended with the movie and Christmas time) sounds perfect right about now.

How do I know I am over it? I took my poor baby Hugo (puppy) outside for his morning wee. Yay he is waking up at a more civilized time now, thank gosh. Anyway I took him out, he did his business. I called him to come and he didn’t. I went to pick him up, he ran away. He did it again. “Hugo, come!”  He wanted to play and I got cranky at him.  Hate time wasting with a passion. I paused and realized. Playing for ten minutes with your puppy isn’t a waste of time it’s down time. It gives me a chance to watch the sunrise, to hear the birds chirp and take a moment to relax before this crazy rat race of a week. Plus I  didn’t get to do my normal muck around play time with him the night before and I was buying Christmas Presents. My fur baby wanted mummy time. Who can blame him right? *joke*
I published  two short stories in the last week and I haven’t had time to promote them, Playful Distraction and Nothing Innocent .  Which is a pain, as you put so much effort into getting them out there and if you don’t promote people don’t know about them. 😦 My short stories are self published and it takes a lot of time formatting for kindle and iBooks as they are different formats, plus it had been a while since I have done it. My mind was working overtime. Re-working the book covers was a… How do I change the pixel width  again?  It was a relief when completed, and yes I let my hair down afterwards for a whole weekend. Starting the minute Playful Distraction was available on Kindle. I finished work on the Friday night and headed to a mates house and  enjoyed two bottles of wine. Erm a little queasy on the Saturday, but a good  sweaty workout fixed that. I knew I should have been promoting, but Sunday was a perfect day for the reef; 2 knots. The gods wanted me to go, it was perfect weather so I did.  Love driving the boat out to the Great Barrier Reef when it’s dead calm, not a boat could be seen.  I got to swim with a shark or two and survived. Bonus. The 2.5m  hammerhead shark  made me look around constantly on shark duty while out there so much so it was only a half a day trip. But helped with scenes that need to be written in Bellibone.

Last weekend was great as I had my little reward for finishing the stories. But now I need to pull my finger out (Oi, stop going there) and get back into writing, as writing makes me happy. If only I could say no to the day job today, hide in the writing cave and lock the door so no one comes in. LOL. Dreams are free. Ekk, I start in an hour I better get dressed for work. Sigh.

It’s two days until Christmas and I haven’t even organized what I’m cooking. Normally I have the Xmas menu finished the week before hand. I have the Turkey at least. Ah!  Gotta go. Thanks for the vent.

Merry Christmas and be safe.
Enjoy it any way you can!

 

You may need a ‘Playful Distraction’ this time of year.

Actually, you need it. Honestly, you do. Playful Distraction is my new short story involving the characters from The Pleasures Of The Professor Series. I know it’s not the novel you’ve been waiting for. But I felt I needed to get Rick and Logan out of my head so I could concentrate on Bellibone story.

Love the exclusive photo from Jimmy Thomas for the cover. Hello, who doesn’t like fingers travelling down ones hipbone? Erm focus Melissa. If you wish for me to sign your kindle edition *waggle eyebrows* Playful distraction is now on my authorgraph page. Why not send me a request to sign a book for FREE this Christmas?

 

 Enjoy it any way you can! Mwah!

Merry Christmas.

Melissa Craig

I will see you at Dymocks Bookstore, Carindale, Brisbane 7th January, 2017.

A quick update on the book front.

I’ll be heading to Brisbane in the New year for two book signings with Boolarong Press and I would love to meet you.

What do you do if you’re given a Dymocks gift card for Xmas? Pop into the Carindale book store on Saturday the 7th January between 11am – 2pm and come and say hi. Dymocks, Westfield Carindale. Level 1 near the food court.

Romance isn’t the genre you read? How do you know if you don’t try it? You might be surprised. Don’t forget Valentines Day is around the corner, waggle eyebrows.

If the Saturday doesn’t suit you with all the Christmas sales and shoppers come and visit me at  the beautiful New Farm Editions the day beforehand on Friday the 6th January, 2017 between 11-2pm. Not only can you pick up my book, but I am sure you will find something gorgeous for your house. Love the girls there.  New Farm Editions, Merthyr Village Shopping Centre, 5/900 Brunswick St, New Farm QLD 4005.

Enjoy it any way you can!

Keep smiling people.

 

Melissa Craig

 

 

 

 

The moment your heart drops, but kick starts again.

“Melissa I came off my bike. Got knocked out. I may need help,” said with ragged breath. This is one thing you never want to hear. Whether it be a son, daughter, friend, loved ones or a stranger. It’s an automatic stop everything moment, pull yourself together, help and freak out later. Mountain biking is a sport with so many more injuries than kite surfing, it does my head in sometimes. What makes it worse is that I suggested the ride. Guilt kicked in. If I said nothing, he wouldn’t be hurt now.

I was thankful he could talk. Conscious and coherent . No vomiting. Good. Can’t see any bones sticking out. Thank gosh. Eyes dilating evenly.  Head should be good. Grazes everywhere, surface only. Ran hands over big lumps I could see. Possible breakages or bruised bones. Check out head. Please god let there be no blood. Relief.  Check the ears for blood. Phew. He walks around. Then I see red, not just the blood. Dealing with a man that isn’t thinking straight from being knocked out, double my weight is like dealing with a toddler. “Can you stop walking around I need to check you out.” “No, need to keep moving. I’m good.” “No you aren’t. Do what you’re told and stand still, you’re limping.  “Yeah my hip hurts.” “I can’t see shit, I have to take your shorts off and check it out.” “Okay.” “And your shirt, as your back is covered with dirt.” Here I was stripping him off. I needed to see if I could drive him to the hospital or call an ambulance. Bruised, grazed, a battered back and shoulder though that seemed okay. I still couldn’t diagnose anything with his hip as he had bib shorts on. I pulled them partially off and cringed at the damage.

“Is this what is takes for you to pull my pants down?” I felt like flicking the Lycra back on him to induce pain, but I rolled my eyes instead. In an instant my concern changed. “You’re fine. Though I’ll take you to the doctors to get checked out if you need.”  Any man that’s able to flirt while injured is okay. Thankful as my heart kick started again, time will heal, no broken bones. Well, maybe will find out after x-rays. I think I aged a few years yesterday afternoon and a new recreational sport may be needed.  Anyone want to buy a mountain bike? I am getting too old for this shit.

Make the most of everyday people. Life can change drastically at any moment.

Enjoy it any way you can! (within reason)

Melissa Craig. x