I've blogged before about ageism and the lack of characters above the age of forty in romance novels. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good romance with young, fresh characters discovering life and love together. But love happens at any age and it's just as wonderful, just as passionate, and even more complicated for men and women who have more life experiences to draw from, more family to interfere, more baggage to carry around. And I've been talking to many readers who aren't twenty-five any longer, in fact could be considered "of a certain age", and would like to read about characters they can relate to.

I'm happy to oblige. I'm really enjoying writing characters closer to my own age. I understand them better than characters who are younger than my children. And I'm even happier for them when they find a second chance at happiness. And besides, I have quite a soft spot for those sexy silver foxes. So that's why I named my series, Silver Fox Romance. My talented cover artist, Lacey Savage, designed a sassy logo - isn't it great?

So you can look for the logo on the upcoming books in the series which will begin releasing this fall. And OMG we're almost out of August, so you'll be able to enjoy them sooner rather than later! If you'd like to follow along with the news on the books, the characters, giveaways, and swag with the sexy Silver Fox logo, you can sign up for my mailing list.

I've also started a Facebook page. There's not much going on there at the moment, but I'll be posting info there soon, so click here to LIKE now.

The Silver Fox Romances are set in Best Bay, a fictional lakeside village in western NY. Most of the heroes are members of the Best Bay Volunteer Fire Department, guys who put their lives on the line and often dinner on hold to respond to emergencies in their community. With titles like Choose Me, Rescue Me, Trust Me they are sexy, emotional, character driven stories with humor and passion.

I hope you'll look forward to starting on the Silver Fox Romance journey with me!

Natasha

Resurrecting This Blog

Over the past few years, I've put this blog on hold while I blogged with a couple of great group blogs. I plan to continue blogging with Fierce Romance, but have also decided to begin posting to my own blog again as well. I'm working on a new series that I'm very excited about, Silver Fox Romance, and I think there are a lot of topics that writers and readers can discuss here. I'm excited about the positive response I've had regarding writing romances with mature characters - I call them Silver Foxes.

I'd love to hear all your thoughts!

 Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

For those of you who want to catch up, here are the last two posts I wrote for Fierce Romance:

January 11, 2016

I’ve read a lot about the need for romance to be more inclusive, to have characters of all races, characters who have diverse ethnic backgrounds, LGBT characters and those with disabilities. And I wholeheartedly agree. But rarely do I ever see an outcry for romances to include, or even feature, older characters.

I happen to be what’s referred to as a “woman of a certain age”-- guess that sounds better than “middle aged” or "mature". And while I enjoy writing romances with characters in their twenties and thirties, I would love to write some love stories where the heroines are closer to my own age. But I fear it would be a waste of my time.

Women in their forties, fifties, and beyond are vibrant, passionate women who need love as much as a twenty-year-old. They enjoy candlelit dinners and long kisses, and...gasp...sex! And I would love to show that to the romance reading community through my stories. But I’ve always been warned not to make my characters too old. That no one wants to read about them.

Older women are often treated as though we are invisible. We’ve had our time and aren’t interesting anymore. We’re treated as if we have nothing to offer to society. No one markets to older women.

I could go on and on about double standards ( http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/22/entertainment/maggie-gyllenhaal-too-old-feat/ ) but that’s not what this blog post is about. Still, there have been a few movies lately that show older women having romances, and they are mostly played by Meryl Streep. But look at Meryl Streep. Is she invisible? No, she’s vibrant and passionate and why wouldn’t readers enjoy romances about women like her? They’ve had experiences and histories that lend themselves well to the conflicts inherent to romances. And double standards aside, look at the silver foxes we have for inspiration for our heroes (Mark Harmon, Sam Elliott, George Clooney, etc.). Yet, I’ve been told I shouldn’t write about them. And the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to.

So, apparently this post on older characters in romance novels has turned into a comment on ageism and double standards. I think they are important topics and I encourage you to not only learn more about them, but think about the way we perpetuate these ideas. Here’s an interesting article on ageism. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amancay-tapia/ageism-or-the-last-accept_b_8186304.html 

I did hesitate to spend my time and energy on something that possibly no one would want to read. But I’ve decided to write a series of “mature romances” anyway. I hope the market for them will be out there, older women who want to read about characters closer to their own age, and romance readers of all ages who simply want a good love story. So later this year look for my Silver Fox Romance series. I’m excited to be writing them. I hope you’ll look forward to reading them too.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

January 18, 2016

When looking for inspiration for the characters in my Silver Fox Romances series, I didn't have to go any further than Pinterest. I've spent probably more time than I should have scrolling through mouth-watering pics of handsome men with silver hair, or white or sexy salt and pepper. Their faces aren't baby smooth but etched with laugh lines and experiences. (And here's where I say there is nothing wrong with a sexy younger guy - I drool over them too!) If you want to see what I'm talking about, you could check out my Silver Fox board:

https://www.pinterest.com/natashamoore144/silver-foxes/

While men seem to get a pass for having silver hair, women are another story. I let mine go to my natural salt and pepper quite a few years ago and I had many people at the time tell me how much older I would look. It was hard to do at the time, but I'm glad persevered. I've had many women come up to me and tell me if they knew their hair would look this good they'd do it. I tell them they'll never know until they try, I know I'll never dye my hair again. I wish Pinterest had been there back then to give me inspiration as I lived through the half gray/half dyed brown hair phase. Now, Pinterest has tons of inspirational pics of gorgeous women who have let their crowning glory shine with shades of silver. See what I'm talking about here:

https://www.pinterest.com/natashamoore144/silver-foxy-women/

I found many pics of mature silver fox couples too. How can you not imagine romance stories for every one of them?

https://www.pinterest.com/natashamoore144/silver-fox-couples/

I'll be adding to these boards often, and I'm starting to set up boards for the individual stories I'm planning. So feel free to follow the boards if you'd like. And of course, sign up for my mailing list if you'd like to get notifications of my releases.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Blogging at Fierce Romance

I'm happy to announce that I will be joining the gang at Fierce Romance, blogging on Monday's. There's a great bunch of authors over there, so stop over often.

I also blog once a month, on the 12th, over at RomErotica Writers.So you can stop over there too.

I will no longer be keeping up this blog (I've never been a good daily blogger anyway) I'd rather use my time and energy writing new stories for my readers to enjoy!

So stop by Fierce Romance on Mondays and RomErotica Writers on the 12th of the month. Leave a comment when you have the chance. I'd love to hear from you!

Natasha
Romance with more...sizzle
www.natashamoore.com

DARK ANGEL is out today!

I thrilled that my newest release from Red Sage, DARK ANGEL, is one of the first of 2009. I love stories with dark, tortured heroes and the women who bring light back into their lives. I hope you do to. Here's the blurb:

Disfigured in an accident that killed his wife, reclusive photographer, Rafael D’Angelo wants to be left alone amid rumors the car crash was no accident. Julie Brightman has been secretly in love with her sister’s husband for years. When a violent thunderstorm strands her at his secluded house, she discovers the man in the mask is not the Rafe she remembers. Trapped together, their happiness is threatened by the past that haunts them and the secrets they keep from each other.

And an excerpt:

She should have been here by now.

Rafael D’Angelo paced the widow’s walk atop the roof of his old Victorian house as thunderclouds rolled across the late afternoon sky. Dark and turbulent, they churned like his stormy thoughts.

Irritation at his sister-in-law invading his sanctuary had given way to worry. And the fact that he was now worried irritated him even more. What right did she have to call him out of the blue and announce she was on her way from the airport? She said she just wanted to talk, but Rafe knew she really wanted to ask questions. Wanted to search for meaning in the scattered pieces of his shattered life.

He’d long ago stopped wondering what it all meant. He just didn’t give a damn anymore.

The wind whipped around him; tearing at the sleeves of his black shirt and the hair he didn’t bother to cut anymore. He scanned the swaying tree tops, as if he could see her approach through the thick Pennsylvania forest.

He could smell the rain in the air. There had been little sunshine in the past few months to soothe his tortured soul. Only storms to feed the churning emotions within him. Lightning burst in the distance and it wouldn’t be long, he knew, until it was flashing overhead. The air grew oppressive with humidity and angry thunder rumbled through the air.

The clouds opened up and a driving rain slashed through his clothing. He abandoned the roof and descended the two long, narrow flights of stairs to the main floor.
Thunder crashed, closer this time. It seemed to echo around him, bouncing off the walls and through his skull. An unfamiliar emotion tugged at him beneath the hard shell he’d built around himself. If he didn’t know better, he’d think it was eagerness.

No. That was impossible. It had to be anxiety. He was man enough to admit to himself that he was scared to death to see Julie again. This would be the first time he’d see someone who knew him before his face, and his life, was ruined on a twisted stretch of asphalt along the California coast.

You can check out another excerpt and download your very own copy to keep you warm tonight :)

Natasha

Guest Blogging about those Gothic Romances

Hope you all have had a great holiday!

I'm guest blogging today with Emma Petersen, talking about those gothic
romances I loved to read while I was growing up. Those stories inspired
the novella I have coming out from Red Sage Presents next year (like,
tomorrow!) titled, Dark Angel. Stop by the blog and leave a comment and
you'll be eligible to win an autographed print copy of Seasons of
Seduction IV, which features my story, Taste of Honey.


Happy New Year!
Natasha

He Knows When You've Been Bad or Good

It's the 12th, so I'm blogging at RomErotica Writers. Stop by and leave a comment!

Natasha

Interviewed at Night Owl Romance

I chatted with the super-nice Tammie King the other day. The interview is up at Night Owl Romance. You can check it out here.

Natasha

Up to No Good!

Red Sage Secrets Vol 25, Wicked Delights is now on bookshelves! My novella, Up to No Good, is included in this anthology.

Blurb:

Former syndicated columnist Simon “Mac” MacKenzie hides a tragic secret. When freelance writer Alison Chandler seeks an exclusive interview, she threatens not only his carefully constructed lifestyle, but his longstanding ideas about love.
Is their passion a distraction or the key to surviving their war of wills?

Review:

~UP TO NO GOOD by Natasha Moore~
Until this anthology, I had never read Natasha Moore, but she is an author I will definitely be reading more of soon! I was very impressed with her novella, UP TO NO GOOD. The title itself intrigued me, and the story was just wonderful.
The banter between Allie and Mac is fantastic – I couldn’t get enough of it. This pair will certainly keep each other on their toes for the rest of their lives.
Allie is delightfully irrepressible – a fact that simultaneously intrigues and worries Mac. He can’t wait to see what she comes up with next, but he also fears she will not rest until she exposes his dark secret. Her penchant for ordering sexy bar drinks from him wreaks havoc on his libido, and leaves the reader laughing with each double entendre exchanged.
Mac is simply a great guy. Misguided, sure, but a really stand-up friend. He lets his past rule his present, and tries to keep himself apart from others, afraid he will be betrayed again, or worse, they’ll discover his secret and know the truth about who he is. Of course, Mac, like many of us, is much harder on himself than anyone else would be. It takes Allie’s unique perspective to help him overcome that past.
UP TO NO GOOD is a fun little romance whose lightness compliments the real depth of the story. I would bet that Natasha Moore finds herself with quite a few new fans after this gem releases.
~~Jennifer~BookMarks

I'm sharing the stage with three other awesome writers! Check it out today!

Natasha

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for. My wonderful family, great friends, my exciting writing career. New releases - one last week and one this week.

Have fun today - get stuffed with lots of turkey and other goodies, and then read a good romance :)

If you need any suggestions, there's Smoke and Mirrors, just released last Friday from Ellora's Cave.

And Red Sage Secrets Vol 25, Wicked Delights, which will be released on Monday, December 1st. This volume includes my novella, Up to No Good.

Have a great Thanksgiving!
Natasha

Carnal Desires by Crystal Jordan

Centuries after the destruction of earth, several species of altered humans still survive. These shape-shifters are exciting and exotic creatures, and their human forms do little to mask their most primitive and passionate instincts...

IN HEAT
Mahlia is a snow tigress in heat and now that her tiger king has returned to rule the planet Vesperi, she can no longer deny her desperate need to mate. She greets him as a woman, but their desire for sex is uncontrollable as they come together with a primal passion.

IN SMOKE
When Lady Katryn is called back to her home world to join Lord Nadir's harim, she is curious to learn more about her weredragon nature. What she discovers is a scorching eroticism that consumes her all over.

IN MIST
Dr. Sera Gibbons is one of only two human survivors after a five hundred year cryogenic freeze. Save by the merman Bretton Hahn, she savors the way her caresses her and makes her live out her wildest fantasies.

And if you want to get it online rather than going to a brick-and-mortar store, here are the links:

Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble
Chapters.ca

Check it out!
Natasha

That Old Black Magic

I'm blogging over at Romance Vixens today. Stop over and leave a comment about magicians and their illusions.

Natasha

Smoke and Mirrors Releases Today!

I'm so excited that Smoke and Mirrors is finally available! I have to admit this is one of my favorite stories! Here's the blurb:

Love is nothing but an illusion.

Heiress Gabriella Winslow learned that lesson years ago when her magician boyfriend abandoned her, sick and alone, hundreds of miles from home. In the years that followed, she’s tried to forget him and the erotic bondage games they used to play. But the life she’s made for herself since then still leaves her restless and yearning for something more.

Now a successful illusionist, Alexander Black has returned to settle an old score. And to seduce Gabriella. With a blindfold and handcuffs and blood red roses, he entices his former lover and magician’s assistant back to his Las Vegas penthouse. Alex is an expert at smoke and mirrors. If all goes according to plan, she’ll never even know she’s his prisoner.

And a short excerpt:

“Gabriella,” he murmured and captured her lips with his.

Soft and gentle at first, he brushed his lips against hers, teasing her with his taste, so intoxicating, so familiar. Gaby parted her lips for him, aching for his tongue plunge into her mouth. But he didn’t do that right away. He swept his tongue along her lips, wetting them, making them slick. Making her yearn to drink him in.

Her body itched with restless need. She didn’t want sweet and gentle. She didn’t want anything close to emotional. She needed hard and hot and physical. And she needed it now.

Maybe he was psychic too, for just as she was about to reach up and pull him closer, he slid his hands down her arms and pinned her wrists to her sides, still sweeping his tongue back and forth across her lips.

Then he began to nibble.

First he nipped at her bottom lip, hard enough that she wondered if he drew blood. Then he ran his mouth along her jaw line, sucking and nipping until he reached the tender skin of her neck. She shivered with delight.

“You’re so delicious,” he murmured. “A rare treat for my taste buds.”

Gaby laughed out loud. “You’re so full of shit.”

Alex shook his head slowly. “Gabriella, we have to talk about that mouth of yours.”

“You like my mouth,” she said and ran her lips along his throat. “You love my mouth. The way it tastes. The things it does.”

He released her wrists then and grasped her shoulders, pulling her tight against him. His hard cock pressed into her stomach and a thrill of arousal ran through her. This time, when he took her mouth, he was no longer gentle, but the bruising kiss was just what she needed. He plunged his tongue inside and she had what she wanted at last. Her senses whirled as he circled the interior of her mouth, stroking the recesses, coaxing another groan from deep within her.

He ran his hands beneath her hair and brushed his fingers along her neck, drawing them along her throat, sending sparks of sensation shooting along her skin. She pressed her hips harder against him, the desire whirling stronger. The need building, concentrating between her legs. She clenched her bare pussy as tingles of arousal prickled the sensitive flesh.

Alex moaned and cupped her shoulders, sliding his thumbs beneath the neckline of her dress. She was certain he was going to pull the dress down as he had in the limo. Her skin was so heated, her breasts so swollen, her pussy so wet, she silently urged him to get the damn dress off her.

But he didn’t.

Instead he slowly slipped his fingers from under her dress and lifted his lips from hers. He swallowed and stared at her, his dark eyes unreadable. “I forgot. You didn’t want to have sex again.” He scooped her wineglass off the table with one graceful move. “How’s the Chardonnay? Shall I refill your glass?”

You can check out another excerpt and buy your very own copy for immediate gratification here:


Natasha
Romance with more...sizzle
www,natashamoore.com

Blogging today at RomErotica Writers

I'm blogging about my upcoming release from Ellora's Cave at RomErotica Writers. Stop by and leave a comment and you may just win a free download of Smoke and Mirrors!

Natasha

Smoke and Mirrors Cover

I am so in love with my new cover! Smoke and Mirrors is on the Coming Soon page at Ellora's Cave! I loved writing this story, it is so sensual and sexy! Here's the blurb:

Love is nothing but an illusion. Heiress Gabriella Winslow learned that lesson years ago when her magician boyfriend abandoned her, sick and alone, hundreds of miles from home. In the years that followed, she’s tried to forget him and the erotic bondage games they used to play. But the life she’s made for herself since then still leaves her restless and yearning for something more.

Now a successful illusionist, Alexander Black has returned to settle an old score. And to seduce Gabriella. With a blindfold and handcuffs and blood red roses, he entices his former lover and magician’s assistant back to his Las Vegas penthouse. Alex is an expert at smoke and mirrors. If all goes according to plan, she’ll never even know she’s his prisoner.

Mark your calendar! Smoke and Mirrors will be released Nov 21st!

Natasha

Taboo Treats!

A new print anthology from Ellora's Cave features seven hot Halloween stories, including my, Nothing to Fear.

Here's the blurb:

Mason Blake's dark good looks and domineering personality give Kelly Long all sorts of forbidden fantasies. But when she agrees to play a damsel in distress for the community Halloween haunted house, Kelly finds herself tied to a bed and at Mason's mercy.

Mason knows Kelly is fighting her sexual needs and he hopes that a few hours of playing out her fantasies will prove to her that bondage - and Mason - are nothing to fear.

Just in time for Halloween, you can check out Taboo Treats here:

Happy Halloween!
Natasha

Holiday Hottie Contest

If you haven't already, you have to check out TJ Michael's newsletter, TJ on a Tangent. Now, until the end of the year, she's holding a Holiday Hottie contest. Many others (myself included) are giving away all sorts of cool things. Go to TJ's website www.tjmichaels.com and go to The Scoop.

And while you're at it - check out some of TJ's books. She's great!

Natasha

Good Friends and Autumn Leaves

I'm blogging over at RomErotica Writers today. Stop over and find out where I went this weekend!

Natasha

Romance With Your Fantasy?

Please join us at Romance Divas THIS WEEKEND!

Friday October 10th and Saturday October 11th, we will be joined by some huge names in fantasy and fantasy-romance for a workshop on what the difference really is between the two genres.




Natasha

The Ride of Her Life is in Print!

I'm blogging today at the Samhain blog. My first full-length, contemporary romance, The Ride of Her Life is now available in print! How cool is that?

Stop by and leave a comment.

Natasha

Lia's Warrior is Here!

Yay! Today my Sapphire Jewel novella, Lia's Warrior was released from Ellora's Cave. It has forbidden love, a little voyeurism, a hunky hero and lots of hot sex. What more could you want?

As Guardian of the Sapphire Moon, a crystal globe with a sacred sapphire embedded in the center, Lia must witness couples mating after they receive the Moon’s blessing. But she can never enjoy the pleasures of the flesh herself.

Weary warrior Roark has come back home to try to forget the horrors he’s lived through. He always believed Lia was his true mate and his body heats with desire for her. Then he’s told it’s forbidden to mate with the Guardian.

But a Warrior doesn’t take no for an answer.


Excerpt:

Lia turned then and feasted her eyes on the returning warrior. He’d grown taller, broader, harder since she’d seen him last. His skin was tanned dark. She’d heard that two suns heated the desert world where the war had been waged.

As he stood there staring at her, he appeared to be carved from stone and polished smooth. She almost reached out to brush her fingertips along his high cheekbones, but she couldn’t indulge in such weakness. She straightened her shoulders and braced herself against the foolish attraction she felt for him. “You have to go, Roark.”

He nodded, but he didn’t move. “I didn’t know it was you. When I heard the shouting and came in. I didn’t know.”

She swallowed hard. Her throat still hurt, but not as badly as her heart. “I thought you were dead. The reports said you died in battle.”

The lazy shrug couldn’t hide the pain she saw in his eyes. “Not quite.”

Oh that he could touch her. If only she could touch him as well. Feel those hard muscles beneath her fingers. Feel his mouth on her skin. A shiver ran through her, sending tingles along her skin and concentrating between her legs.

If the news of his death hadn’t arrived just before the Council came to her with their offer, would she have agreed to become the Guardian? She and Roark had grown up together, become closer as the years went by. She’d dreamed that he would be turn out to be her true mate. When her parents broke the news of his death, grief had paralyzed her. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t imagine her life without him in it. She’d grasped the chance to be Guardian as a way to live out the rest of her life without her mate.

Now he was back. But it was too late.

Tears pricked her eyes. “You must go. Before someone from the Council comes.”

Roark looked as if he was about to say something, but stopped, tightening his jaw. He bowed stiffly. “It was good to see you again.”

“Thank you for your help.” She almost reached out to him, but grasped the folds of her robe to stop herself. “I’m…I’m glad you survived the war.”

She felt her tears slide down her cheeks as she watched him walk away without a backward glance. His stride was sensual, his movement lithe and graceful, like a wild feline. Her body shook with longing and regret. He was a healthy male in his prime. How soon before he came back with a pretty young girl to seek the Moon’s blessing?


Check it out here:

Natasha