Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Guest blogger: Samantha Hunter


10 Guilty Pleasures….

Who doesn’t have them? The cover on my August release, Pick Me Up, reminds me of a few, and since the book is part of Blaze’s Forbidden Fantasies mini-series, I thought guilty pleasure was a good topic to blog about. You know, the little goodies in life that always come to us with the initial thought “oh, I know I shouldn’t, but. . . .”

Here are ten of mine in no particular order… Is it bad that I have this many? LOL


1) Afternoon naps. On weekends, these are completely legal, but every now and then I doze off in my chair while working on a weekday afternoon (is this a bad sign? LOL), and enjoy one on a Tuesday. Why is it that nap sleep is the best sleep in the world?

2) Fritos. Those simple little corn chips that are loaded with salt, trans fats, and absolutely no redeeming nutritional qualities whatsoever except that they are the best tasting chip on the face of the earth, especially when you get several and smush them all together while eating them. I crave Fritos, but I only indulge now and then. There are several foods I could fill in here, but for some reason I always feel extra naughty about Fritos.

3) Daytime TV. I almost never, ever watch TV in the daytime – who has time? But now and then I crash, and I’ll watch something on cable or DVD for several hours. Only happens maybe 2 or 3 times a year. The last time I watched 5 episodes of The Pretender back-to-back, while eating Fritos.

4) Michael T Weiss (from The Pretender). I have my list of standard hotties (dh knows, so I don’t have to feel to guilty), and MTW tops the list. Here’s his picture, and that probably explains everything, yes?

5) Reading my own books. I’ll own up to it, I love my own books. I got caught up in reading my own galleys last week. When I get author copies, I usually will sit down and read one cover to cover.

6) Reading other people’s books. Life is so busy, that yes, reading at all has become a guilty pleasure. Spending several hours with a book, more than the 30 minutes or so I can usually fit in before bed, is a real treat.

7) State Fairs. I am a huge fan of the New York State Fair, and this year I’m also attending The Big E, the New England Six State Fair. It’s a veritable fest of guilty pleasures, the fatty, sugary treats everywhere, the crowds, the concerts, the vendors, the fun. I suspend every bit of guilt I have an enjoy.

8) Kitchen goodies. Beautiful bowls, powerful blenders, nifty knives. I am remodeling my entire kitchen at the moment, and that’s a real treat, but I love buying nice kitchen equipment from the simplest item to expensive appliances. I just bought the in-drawer block for my Henkels knife set and a new Braun Blender that’s supposed to make great crushed ice for drinks. ;)

9) Reality TV. Man vs. Wild tops the list right now, but I enjoy Dirty Jobs, Age of Love, Survivor, The Amazing Race, and have watched many others. If I could only watch one kind of TV, it would be reality TV. I don’t know why, I just love it.

10) Blogging. Oh, sure, it’s for work, it’s to stay connected to other writers and readers, it’s for promotion. . . .that’s all the stuff we tell ourselves, but we know the dirty truth: it’s just plain fun. It sucks up time that we probably should be doing other, more responsible things, but hey, that’s what a guilty pleasure is for, right?

There are probably more, some completely unmentionable, but enough about me. What are some of your guilty pleasures? Share, and I’ll choose from someone who comments to give away a copy of my Blaze Forbidden Fantasy, Pick Me Up, so it can be one of your guilty pleasures. ☺
Samantha

39 comments:

Helen Brenna said...

Coffee with loads of half and half.

Sorry, had to get that out there before I started drooling over my keyboard. I gave up coffee several years ago in favor of tea, but indulge occasionally!

I share many of your guilty pleasures. Life's so busy fulfilling all are musts that so many of our likes get pushed to the side.

Welcome, Samantha!! Love your cover - love those abs. He's hot.

Do you write exclusively for Blaze?

Samantha Hunter said...

Hey Helen! Yes, coffee... I hear ya. ;)

I have written exclusively for Blaze to this point. Pick Me Up is #8, and #9 will be my Christmas Blaze this December, Talking in Your Sleep... #10 is a Summer Anthology for 2008 I am writing right now.

However, I am also proposing to Superromance and possibly Nocturne, and I'm currently working on a single title paranormal, so we'll see how that all goes. I love writing Blaze, though, and don't plan to stop. There's just something about the line that's always clicked for me, from the start...

Sam

Anonymous said...

how about chocolate anything but especially Hershey's Kisses - yeah I know they are bad for you but isn't that what a guilty pleasure is suppose to be?

CrystalGB said...

Some of my guilty pleasures are:
luxury bath products/lotions
eating a sinful dessert
reading when I should be doing something else
shopping :)

Unknown said...

Welcome Samantha! So good to have you here in the con-ver-tible!

My guilty pleasures are legion. How about that Lindt 85% Chocolate? Bitter yes, but soooo chocolaty. . . and for those on a low carb regimen, it's heaven.

Also 500 or higher count sheets. Having a decadently comfy bed to slip into at night is definitely one of the sensual delights of life.

And I'm with you on the kitchen gadgets. I just bought some new knives from a company called "Cutco". Not a particularly intentive name but the knives and my new pizza wheel are MAGIC!

I also adore the Bluetooth hookup in my car. Never had one before, but now I wouldn't do without it. Hands free talking while I drive. Unfortunately, I still have the problem of talking with my hands. . .

Fedora said...

Oh, such a lovely topic, Samantha! Reading a book is always a pleasure (guilty or not--I guess the guilt comes in when I'm doing it instead of say, making dinner for the kids ;)), the occasional Krispy Kreme, an extra long shower by myself (without little hangers on saying that I'm hogging the water), and yes, always chocolate! Mmmm... Thanks for reminding me to go find some :)

Michele Hauf said...

Welcome, Samantha! Maybe we'll be seeing you over at the Nocturne Authors loop soon, eh?

Some of my guilty pleasures are bubble baths, a cup of steaming chai from Panera, Chocolate Chovered Pepper Pretzels, and my Mini Cooper.

I love the high-thread count sheets, like Betina. Last year I found 800-thread count at Target! So it's not quite as guilty a pleasure as it should be.

:-)

M

Samantha Hunter said...

Oh, you're all reminding me of some of my others... yes, high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, and shopping -- though not so much for clothes, but I love shopping for gifts and random house items, especially when we're traveling...

Chocolate -- that I consider a necessity. ;)

Michele, you never know -- I have an idea for a Nocturne, and who knows, the book I think is an ST could end up there, but we'll see what happens. As I'm learning from approaching Supers, writing and getting into the mindset of a new line or new kind of book is challenging, and also finding my own way into it, you know, the thing that still makes it "me."

Betina, I need that for the car. I simply don't answer the phone while I'm driving, I'm adamant about that, but the handsfree would be cool. I guess since I don't drive much, working from home, I haven't made it a necessity, but when you need it, you miss it. :)

What a great blog, thanks for including me here!

Sam

Samantha Hunter said...

Oh, and flchen -- yes, the Krispy Kreme. Cruel fate closed our KK here in Syracuse, and dh and I have yet to find other coffee we like -- we bought their beans and their coffee is so good. I liked their donuts, but the coffee is what really got me, and we miss it so much! I've been trying different ones online, but none as good as KK, sigh.

Sam

Debra Dixon said...

Samantha-- Fab cover!
Or, ab cover!!

Guilty pleasures? That covers sooo much ground. I'm into the higher thread count. Love my down mattress topper and down pillows.

I'm never guilty about reading.

Sometimes when I'm spending a lot of time in my quilt studio I have moments where the rational brain tells the happy brain that I really can't take this much time away from the things I *need* to be doing.

Debra Dixon said...

Re: Krispy Kreme

We have one of the big Krispy Kremes that almost 24 hours to the public because they also produce the donuts that go out to the local grocery stores from it. The red neon "Hey, we have fresh hot donuts right now!" sign is almost always on. ::sigh::

Amanda said...

I live in Potsdam,NY so the new york state fair is one of mine too! I love to go to the grandstand to see concerts each year, another guilty pleasure would be the turning stone casino...and harry potter, the sims 2 computer game, building my homepage, coffee from mcdonalds..i dont know why it's just best there, lol, harlequin blaze!!!...there's just so many, lol!

Amanda said...

don't think it went through so im trying again, lol...

I live in Potsdam,NY so the new york state fair is one of mine too! I love to go to the grandstand to see concerts each year, another guilty pleasure would be the turning stone casino...and harry potter, the sims 2 computer game, building my homepage, coffee from mcdonalds..i dont know why it's just best there, lol, harlequin blaze!!!...there's just so many, lol!

Samantha Hunter said...

Deb, so the real question is, how much of a bribe would you need to send me coffee??? LOL

I imagine you don't remember, but we met at your GMC workshop here in Syracuse -- loved it, and your ideas helped me write what became Fascination, the first HotWires book at the time...

Oh, and quilting! I'm a quilter as well -- talk about guilty pleasure, try being a fabric addict, huh?

Love "ab cover" LOL Yes, he's nice to look at. I was very distracted the day I got that one in my mailbox...

Also, for anyone interested, just discovered eHarlequin is having a Forbidden Fantasies sale at http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html

Sam

PS: at some point, you all have to come guest at Cigars! Michele has been there, now I'll have to chase down the rest of you. ;)

Samantha Hunter said...

Amanda, we went to see James Taylor at the Fair last year -- it was amazing. He kept coming back for encores, and even after we left, he came back again, and we gathered with a bunch of people who also stopped to watch from the lot, and he was singing How Sweet It Is to Be Loved By You and we were there on that summer night with all of these other people in a parking lot, dancing... it was just the coolest moment... That, and I got to feed a zebra there last year. Was way cool...

Sam

flip said...

Guilty pleasures
1. coffee
2. brownies
3. sexy romance novels
4. watching movies for hours on the weekend.
5. eating in bed (pizza is the best)
6. pictures of hot guys scantily clad
7. long, long, hot bubble baths
8. blogging
9. football on sundays
10. an ice cold beer after a long day of work

flip said...

actually, I have a lots and lots of guilty pleasures. I agree on the 500 count sheets. They spoil you.

I am love to enter online contests. I have won a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame to play ball with Nolan Ryan. I also won a trip to LA to go shopping with a stylist. They gave $2,000 to buy clothes.

Debra Dixon said...

Sam-- Oh, I can hook you up with some beans! Even if you guys tortured me for more book examples in Syracuse. (g) Just email me. Hit the website and use the contact button.

Plus you'll have to fill me in on the quilting!

And I'll have to go check out FASCINATION. I love to see how people use workshops as fuel for creativity.

Cherie J said...

My guilty pleasures are:

1)Soaking in a hot tub
2)Fritos corn cips
3)Fudgy brownies
4)Snicker bars
5)Pina coladas
6)Bushwackers (the drink)
7)Reading
8)Staying at a bed and breakfast

Samantha Hunter said...

Ah, Deb, you are a forgiving soul, since I am probably the one who vetched most about book examples -- I find the movie examples difficult to relate to writing, and I don't like the Wizard of Oz. I know, I'm a reprobate. ;)

I just started quilting two years ago, and I never sewed a stitch before that, in fact, when I went to the quilting class I didn't even know how to thread a machine. ;) But I got addicted quickly, and have made a lot of quilts since -- I have two queen size in process now, and one smaller one I am making for a winner on the Brenda Novak diabetes auction... I love it. I never, ever imagined I could sew anything, and still maintain I can't sew -- I don't know how to make clothes or even hem pants, but I can quilt like crazy. ;) I'll send you some pictures of a few I've made... When I go into a fabric shop, I buy things I don't necessarily even have use for, but I know I have to have it, a certain pattern or color. They all get used eventually...it just satisfies something down deep.

Oh, Cherie! a sister of the Frito!

Unknown said...

Reading

Getting a diet pepsi and getting on the computer first thing in the morning.

Chatting with friends and authors.

Ice cream

Butterfingers

Christie Ridgway said...

Samantha: Thanks for taking the ride with us. Love your guilty pleasures (am also a fritos girl when I can overcome my guilt). However, I am happy to say that my guilt does not include reading other people's books. I love love love to read and while I may cut back when I'm under deadline pressure, I always manage to get a lot of reading in (even on the treadmill). I also listen to books when I'm doing boring household tasks. I can also read while blowdrying my hair.

Where there's a will there's a way!

Kathleen Eagle said...

A man in a cowboy hat. And boot cut Wranglers.

Welcome, Samantha!

Samantha Hunter said...

Hey folks! Hi Christine and Kathleen. :)

Reading while you blow dry? That's a talent! LOL

Kathleen, sounds like Pick Me Up might work for you. ;)

I love Butterfingers too -- aside of Mounds, probably my favorite candy bar.

I have to announce that my new kitchen cabinets are in! Woo! I'm so happy. I just had to tell the world. I had the oldest, skankiest kitchen, and so this is a huge deal. The floor, etc has to be done yet, but the cabinets were a huge deal... they look so nice!

So, that said -- I have to head out for a few hours, but I'll check back at least once later on. I am giving away a book, so I hope I can contribute to your guilty pleasures, or your not-so-guilty ones...

I'm having a great time here today...

Sam

Kathleen Eagle said...

Betina, I love my Cutco knives. Bought them from one of Elizabeth's friends when she was trying to do that for a living. Tough way to make a living, but really great knives!

Lover of Books said...

One of my guilty pleasures is Chai Tea. I rarely have it but boy when I do I just sip and sip and sip slowly. lol That and French Silk Pie. lol

Kathleen Eagle said...

I grew up in MA when the fair was Eastern States Exposition. Is it still in Springfield? If you're a State Fair lover, nothing compares to the "Great Minnesota Get-Together." Man, these Minnesotans will eat anything on a stick, especially if it's fried. I can do the fair if there's a good concert into the bargain.

Elizabeth just gave her dad 2 tickets to see Louis Anderson (e?) next month at one of the Casinos, so we're in for some Minnesota humor. (I can do a casino if there's a good concert into the bargain. Or if it's Standing Rock.)

Kathleen Eagle said...

I love Starbucks hot green tea latte Ice cream. Fritos, yes! Love the chili poured into the Frito bag that they sell in New Mexico. Frito pie? Is that what they call it? Chocolate goes without saying. Fudgcicles.

Anonymous said...

beef jerky from slim jim, cornuts and sunflowe sseeds love them. Hi samantha

kim h

Fedora said...

Popping back in to say "Congrats, Sam!" on the new cabinets!! We just had our kitchen redone (and yes, our old ones were really yucky) so I'm right there with you... *happy sighs*
Enjoy!

Sue A. said...

My guilty pleasures are homemade ice cream, homemade pizza, Starbuck's Coffee Frappuccino, rich chocolate truffles...the list of food items go on and on. And during the hot summer months, long cool showers (but not too often-got to conserve water these days).

Sam I'm having fun following you around this month!

Anonymous said...

Mmm...guilty pleasures. :)

Here's mine in random order.


Dark chocolate truffles from See's Candy. Yum!

Gerard Butler in 300. *sigh* Actually any of the men in 300. LOL!

An awesome spa pedicure

A massage, especially a foot massage, hence the spa pedicures. :D

Ashley said...

Some of my guilty pleasures are teen movies/tv shows/books...I really like them lol They are much less complicated then anything with adults. Also buying new books when I already have a TBR pile that is over 900 :/

Samantha Hunter said...

Hey folks -- here I am back again... thanks so much for the fantastic blogging day -- I think we will make the book winner announcement in the morning?

Kathleen, yes! The Big E -- I'm going this year. I never knew about it, and I saw it on a cable travel show, and told dh we had to go. His family lives in Hartford, and yes, it's still in Springfield, so we're driving out and staying with them, and going for two days.

Amazing how many people love Fritos... ;)

Hi Kim! Sue, glad you're having fun blogging along with me...

Kaitlin, I've had massages, and love them, but never a pedicure... maybe have to try that, but I feel wonky about a strange person feeling up my feet. ;) LOL

Ashley -- that's a riot. I probably should have listed Buffy the Vampire Slayer as another guilty pleasure, though it's more of an addiction...

Off for the night, will check in tomorrow to congratulate the winner!

Sam

robynl said...

Guilty Pleasures:
plain potato chips/dill pickle dip
chocolate anything
note pads
candles and candle holders
bath products

Maureen said...

Fudge
Chocolate chip cookies
potato chips
pizza

Amanda said...

That sounds like it was a great show...how sweet it is to be loved by you is such a good song too!! I tend to go see the same people over and over again in concert, since I get sort of obsessed with one or two people at a time, right now my obsession is rod stewart...but he's only playing in places like scotland and such right now, I wish I was a billionare, I'd just follow him around on tour each year :) That's really awesome...getting to feed the zebras and all, I never got that close to any animals there except some horses..there's just so much to see at the state fair.

I get rambly at night, sorry...hehe :) I just finished your book, Pick Me Up, though...and I am totally jealous of Lauren Baker. Is it wrong to be jealous of a character in a book? oh well, I wish I were her!!

Samantha Hunter said...

LOL Amanda -- I hope you see my response, sorry I'm a little slow getting down here, but I think I was a little jealous of Lauren myself! ;) Brett's a great guy. Wait... can I say that about one of my own characters? LOL

Glad you enjoyed it. :)

Sam

Liz Flaherty said...

Home-made ham salad(made with really expensive bologna and mayonnaise). I want at least 12 ounces of it on bad-for-you white bread.