On life, the universe, and coffee.
Oh yeah, and books... |
**this is an 18+ blog!**
On life, the universe, and coffee.
Oh yeah, and books... |
It's that time again, lol! This week's feature is a hot (wink wink) one by Lea Bronsen. If you like dark romances, check this one out. Runo Wiggins is a scarred man, the wounds etched into his psyche deeper than those on his skin. But he loves his job: fighting fires helps reenact his survival of a house fire as a teen, one that killed his mother and brutal stepfather. Dawn Caravello is married to a psychotic drunk. She can take his beatings as long as he doesn't touch their children, and she'll do anything to put food on the table, even if it means stealing from the town hero. When Runo meets the fiery Dawn, sparks fly. But he suspects she is victim of the same abuse as his mother was. As day turns to night, the past and the present blend in an exhausting, nerve-wrecking chase to prevent another death. Excerpt:
Dawn's eyes shimmered with a mix of stubborn pride and extreme sadness. They seemed to be made of molten brown stone. Runo had never seen eyes like these. So vibrant, saying so many things. They revealed her life, her endurance, her dreams, her combats, her despair. And she was still so young. While he stared, she leaned forward and kissed him, an act a whole lot more intimate than he was comfortable with. A short, hard peck, a statement. Not the tender gesture a kiss was supposed to be, but one telling him her gratitude as well as her dignity. She thanked him, but was going to go back to her life and continue fighting. He stood shocked, his entire body rigid, didn’t know what to do. She, such a small woman thing a whole head shorter, shook him, a giant of muscle and stupid testosterones inside a hard shell. He would definitely take care of Dawn and her kids. Any way possible. Alert the authorities and make sure they got the protection they desperately needed. She stepped backward, her features softening, and turned on her heel. Not so fast. He cleared his throat and called, lifting a weak hand. “Hey, wait!” His heart hammered in his chest, blood pulsed in his ears. She turned. “What?” “Promise to be good. Promise it’s the last time you do it.” “Do what?” Her eyes gleamed with humor. “Kiss you?” In the midst of this emotional turmoil, she found the strength to tease. “Steal.” And lie. She pursed her lips, looking like a disappointed little girl. Maybe she still was a child inside. A child taking care of children. A child beaten savagely. He swallowed. “Promise.” After several long seconds, she nodded. But her gaze told a different truth. Liar. Links: Amazon.com / Amazon.uk / paperback Add the book to your Goodreads list! About Lea Bronsen: I like my reads hot, fast, and edgy, and strive to give my own stories the same intensity. After venturing into dirty inner-city crime drama with my debut novel Wild Hearted, I divide my writing time between psychological thriller, romantic suspense, and erotic dark/contemporary romance. I love to hear from my readers! Write to [email protected] or meet me on: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon / Pinterest
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Happy Sunday! This week's spotlight is Degree of Resistance by Nicola Cameron, the first book in her Pacifica Rising series. Enjoy! A perfect society hiding a terrible secret. An innocent man condemned to cyborg slavery. A brilliant woman determined to set him free. Freelance tech Evie Contreras belongs to the Employee class of the Pacifica Protectorate, the “perfect society” that rose from the ruins of the West Coast. But Evie knows about Pacifica’s festering core and the secrets that keep it in power. And when she discovers that Pacifica has turned her fiancé Ben into a cyborg soldier/slave, she will risk everything to rescue him. Saving Ben is the first step in a deadly game between Pacifica and a shadowy resistance group known as Rubicon. In return for Rubicon’s help, Evie must retrieve a hidden artificial intelligence that may hold the key to protecting Earth from a deadly new disaster. Assuming the protectorate doesn’t find Evie first… Excerpt:
Evie opened the control box wired to the pressure tank that took water from the Burgess well. A set of dusty but functional solar cells sat on a pole fastened to the tank, and insulated wiring led from the cells to the control box. “Okay, the well is definitely not dry and the battery is pulling juice from the cells, so it’s got to be a failure in the pump,” she said, rooting around in the bag of borrowed tools next to her. Ben crouched down next to her, making sure he was in between her and any potential restart of the McBride/Burgess water war. “Think you can fix it?” She gave him an “are you kidding” glance, then returned her attention to the dusty innards of the control box. She leaned closer, nose wrinkling. “Ew.” “What?” Grimacing, she reached into the box and pulled out a small, stiff body. “I think it’s a deep-fried lizard. Can they chew on wires?” He gingerly accepted the small corpse. The arid air had done a fine job of natural mummification on it. “Not as much. It might’ve peed on something, though.” “Yay.” She peered deeper into the box. “Yeah, I think you’re right—looks like a contact got corroded. I can fix that.” As she got to work, Ben kept an ear cocked to the radio clipped to his jacket pocket. After giving them a royal chewing out for taking an unauthorized beer break, J.C. was overseeing the repair of the War Wagon while a chastised Vince and company drove the bartered food and the wounded security officer back to the base in the Bandit. Rob had volunteered to stay behind as backup, and Evie’s presence had been requested at J.C.’s side once she was finished with the well pump. He watched her frown in concentration at the control box. “There, that should work. I already primed the pump so—” She flipped a switch and the pressure tank rumbled before settling down to a satisfied gurgling. “Damn, I’m good.” “Yes, you are.” She squinted at him, patches of color blooming in her cheeks. He didn’t think it was because of the blustery wind. “Thanks. We better get back to the War Wagon.” He got up and gave her a hand, hanging onto it once she was on her feet. She didn’t try to pull away, which was reassuring. “I’m sorry about punching the wall in your office,” he said. “I shouldn’t have done that.” The corner of her mouth quirked. “I think you were justified.” “I don’t, but thanks for that.” He stared at the hollows between the hills of her knuckles, the elegant strength of the hand. He never wanted to let it go. “I just hate the thought of you going back to Pacifica without me.” The wind drove strands of dark hair across her face, curtaining it. “I know, but I don’t have a choice. Ballardie and I are the only ones who know how to shut down Lilith’s server. He can’t go so it has to be me. But I’m going to have Mark, Rob, and Lisa backing me up, and they’re all armed and extremely psycho. I’ll be fine.” Ben wanted to smile at her description of the security officers. “Baby, you could head in there with a cyborg army at your back and I’d still worry." She snorted. “Is there anything I could say that would make you feel better?” “Not really.” He brushed the hair away from her face. “I guess … I’m feeling useless right now because I can’t protect you, and I’m scared I’m going to lose you again, and if that happens…” He didn’t want to think about the yawning abyss that would become the brief remainder of his life in that case. Those lovely russet eyes softened. “I understand about being scared,” she said, cupping his cheek. “That’s how I felt every time you went on deployment. I never knew if you were going to be in danger or not. All I could do was wait and pray that you came home.” “Shit.” He pressed into the warmth of her hand, memorizing how she felt against his skin. “If this is how you felt, I’m sorry.” “There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s part of loving a soldier. I knew that going in.” Her thumb stroked his cheekbone. “But I also knew if there was any way for you to come back, you’d take it. And you proved me right. You survived twelve years under Camden, and you came back to me. So I’m telling you right now that I’m coming back to you, and I’m bringing Ally with me.” He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers. “You better. I don’t think I can live without you.” “Same here. Twelve years was long enough.” Her lips quirked. “And as for you being useless, may I remind you that you just walked into a strange town alone, convinced an armed man to let you into his bar, singlehandedly negotiated a ceasefire between two crazy people, rescued a bunch of our guys in the process, and you didn’t fire a single shot or spill a drop of blood doing it. You’re about as far from useless as it’s physically possible to be.” He considered what she’d said. Viewed in that light, it was kind of impressive. “I was just doing my job,” he said, self-conscious. “That’s what heroes always say.” “You think I’m a hero?” Her smile was blinding. “Well, you’ve always been my hero.” Christ, he loved her. He pulled her into his arms, resting his cheek on top of her head. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” he murmured, “but damn, I’m glad I did it.” “So am I.” She leaned back and kissed him, her lips cool and soft. “And I know this is kind of pointless to say to a hero, but try not to worry about me. The thing is—” She shifted, her hands moving. He suddenly found himself on the cold ground, right arm straight up behind him with his hand flexed in a wrist lock and her foot braced under his shoulder blade. “—I’m not exactly what you’d call helpless.” He huffed out a rueful laugh. He could break the lock with his augmented strength, but not without hurting her. And if he was honest with himself he was damned impressed that she’d put him on the ground so neatly. “Someone’s been practicing.” “Yup. Rob’s pretty damn good at hand-to-hand, and I still remember everything you and Tio Christo taught me.” Her voice dropped. “I’m coming back, Ben. And I’m bringing our daughter with me. You’re not going to lose either of us ever again.” The grip around his wrist disappeared. He rolled onto his back, staring up at the most beautiful mouth in the world. Upside down, he wasn’t sure if she was smiling or frowning. She planted her hands on her hips. “You believe me, right?” He grinned. “My momma didn’t raise stupid children, ma’am. I believe you.” “Good.” She toed at the dust. “Now get up. I’m freezing my ass off out here and I want to go home.” BUY LINKS:
Nicola Cameron is a married woman of a certain age who really likes writing about science fiction, fantasy, and sex. When not writing about those things, she likes to make Stuff™. And she may be rather fond of absinthe. While possessing a healthy interest in sex since puberty, it wasn’t until 2012 that she decided to write about it. The skills picked up during her SF writing career transferred quite nicely to speculative romance. Her To Be Written work queue currently stands at around nineteen books, and her mojito-sodden Muse swans in from Bali every so often to add to the list, cackling to herself all the while. Nicola plans to continue writing until she drops dead over her keyboard or makes enough money to buy a private island and hire Rory McCann as her personal trainer/masseur, whichever comes first.
Happy Sunday all! Today, I'm happy to bring you a spotlight for a book I had the chance to beta read, Seamus's Mate by Elyzabeth VaLey. There's lots of hot sex, and a perilous trip through hell (literally) as these two fight their pull for each other during their attempt to save Kaila's sister. This is the second book in Elyzabeth's Alpha Protectors series. Kaila is His. His Mate. Forever. When Seamus discovers Kaila is in danger he sets out to save her. He couldn’t care less that she doesn’t want him there. His objective in life is to love and protect her. Besides, she might refuse to be with him, but her body knows better. With both their lives on the line, she can’t say no to his aid, can she? For years, she has ignored her feelings. Kaila’s mission was supposed to be easy: enter the demon’s lair and save her sister. Then, he came along. For close to twenty years she has been fighting against the mating pull. She has avoided Seamus at all costs, but now they’re both trapped in hell and she has nowhere to run, except, maybe, into his arms. Excerpt: “Wait up, Kaila.” She didn’t acknowledge him, and he rushed to catch up with her. He grasped her wrist, spinning her around with force. “Didn’t you hear me?” he asked. Kaila’s gaze narrowed. Her lips pursed into an ugly grimace. “Let go of me, Seamus. Why don’t you let this weak human die already?” She poked him in the chest with her index finger. “I didn’t ask for your help.” Seamus scrubbed a hand over his face. “What is wrong with you? You’re not making any sense. I know you didn’t ask for my help. I gave it freely, but you aren’t going to deny that we are different, are you?” “Fuck you.” Blinding rage took over him. Seamus dug his fingers into her arm. He was tired of all this nonsense. He pulled her closer. Her arm shot out to keep him away, but not fast enough. He swooped down and claimed her lips. She gasped, and he seized the chance to push his tongue into her warm recess. He groaned. She tasted better than he remembered. For a brief moment, she grappled with him, attempting to break lose, but he grabbed her arms with ease and held them behind her back. He twisted his tongue around hers, drawing it out from its reluctance and forcing it to battle with his. Something in his chest tightened as she responded. Yes. He sucked and tugged and demanded more. She gave it to him. Her body arched against his, her mouth seeking his with almost as much desperation as he possessed. His hold on her slackened. He wanted to touch her everywhere. To press his lips to her body and taste every inch of her. His hand trailed to the curve of her ass, then to her waist. Then, bang! Her knee slammed against his leg. He released her, cursing. He’d probably be incapacitated for life if she’d hit her mark. “Fuck you, Seamus.” “Whenever you want, babe. I know you’ve got the hots for me, even if you just tried to castrate me and failed miserably.” He laughed. Kaila spun and walked away from him again. She was probably not trying to be sultry, but her hips swayed in that way that drove a man to stare. She lifted her arm and gave him the finger. He grinned. She was pissed and sexy. He loved it. Seamus took in a shaky breath. Watching her back on her feet, her spirit alive and surging, was soothing. He rubbed at the spot where she’d kneed him. It hurt, but it was proof that she was herself again, not lying in a puddle of blood, shredded to pieces by a monster. He glanced at the Dream Catcher’s skeleton out of the corner of his eye. He hadn’t told Kaila the details of what he’d suffered inside the beast. The images of her dead body, broken, destroyed. He didn’t wish his worst enemy a fate like that. He stretched his wings and snapped them back into place. Even they ached. He adjusted his now-flaccid cock and shuddered. He hurried after Kaila. The place appeared deserted. There were no scones in the wall giving off light. Instead, the walls themselves seemed to pulse with energy. They glowed from the inside as if behind them a relentless flame burned. He frowned. He extended his arm and placed his pinkie on the rock. It burned. “Damn it.” He put the digit in his mouth, hoping to sooth the sting. “Don’t touch the walls, babe. They’re hot.” Kaila didn’t reply, but she moved a little closer to the center of the path. Available at: Evernight Publishing Amazon.com Amazon.uk Bookstrand and more! About Elyzabeth M. VaLey
Elyzabeth M. VaLey is a writer of sizzling, sexy romance who firmly believes in happy ever after. From paranormal to contemporary, fantasy, or historical, she enjoys exploring her characters' darker side and writing stories about tortured heroes, strong heroines, and all that comes between them and their love. When she's not writing, she can be found walking in the Spanish countryside with her black Lab, exploring castles, or enjoying some tapas with her friends. Follow her at: Blog Website Instagram (@elyzabethm.valey) Goodreads Pinterest (Seamus’s Mate has its own inspiration board) Amazon Does anyone else get a "book hangover" when they finish writing a book?
I know that it's a common enough thing when reading a book. I get it when I've read something that is so engrossing that you lose yourself completely - take, for instance, Heather Long's Fevered Hearts series (especially the last one...damn...) - but sometimes when I finish writing a book, before I can even go into serious editing mode, I have to take a few days to almost reset my brain. I see other authors that will finish a book in the morning, and then start right in on the next one later that day. How do they flip that switch in their brains like that?! I have multiple works in progress, and can work on one book one day and another the next, but there's something about saying a book is "done" that's like setting off the 5pm whistle in a factory and screaming "all stop!" What I'm getting at here is that I've finished writing Alpha's Beta (North Woods Wolves #2). And even though I know there's editing to be done, and I might have to add in another little bit at the end for a more satisfying closure (according to one beta reader so far, whose opinion I trust), and I've already started book #3 a couple months ago, I just open the file and stare. I wouldn't call it writer's block, because I don't feel stuck. I feel like I'm waiting for the characters to tell me the rest of their story, as if I've hit pause on a movie to run to the bathroom. Part of me wonders if this is where being a plotter vs pantser comes into play. I've never really been able to plan out a story, and am in awe of those who know what's going to happen before they ever write the first word. My writing has always been more organic, and often it's through the process of writing the story that I figure out what's going on. So I guess I'll just be over here, binge watching netflix and cleaning my house, while I wait for the movie in my head to start again. In the meantime, here is an accurate portrayal of my writing process: Hello and happy new year all! I took a bit of a break from blogging over the holidays, things got a bit hectic around here, and I barely got any writing done, let alone anything else, lol! But we're going to jump back into the regular posting routine this week with a steamy M/M from ED Parr, The Night Gardener. From the author
Inspired by some wild countryside, and a rushing river that stormed under a bridge so loudly I couldn’t hear what a friend said to me, for me this story is as much about nature as love. I’ve always believed there are more things in the elegant stream of life than we know about, and this story is about a young man who loves life so much he finds a way to live it. There are some heartstring tugs in this story, and some hot love scenes, because this is a love story. It’s a journey for both characters, Dane and Zachary to deep, lasting love. Architect Dane Lovell takes an off-season vacation in an old New England mansion, hoping to ease his broken heart, and spark his imagination. Impressed by the pretty gardens, he’s surprised by the sinister atmosphere of the river that winds through the estate. Dane settles down to his vacation and tries to immerse himself in his drawings. One night, the sound of the back door smashing open in the wind and rain shocks Dane from his work. Spooky, gorgeous, and enigmatic Zachary Yarrow has brought logs for the fire. He’s the estate gardener and brings with him not just passion and a love affair for Dane, but a strange, spine-tingling mystery. Who is Zachary, and what will happen when Dane finds out? Excerpt: The gardener slotted his logs into the spaces between other logs already in the nook bricked into the side of the fireplace. “Zachary Yarrow.” Dane folded his arms over his body, wishing he’d thought to close the door as chilling air swept along the hall and into the room. “Dane Lovell.” Zachary stood, having completed his task. “You’re here off season. I guess you know. I always do the gardens off-season—have done for the last—well, for years. When I’m here, I usually stay in this cottage. I guess I need to find somewhere else this time.” Cold, Dane accepted the information with a nod. “I need to close the door, Mr. Yarrow.” He returned to the back door and closed it up. Zachary Yarrow had followed. “You can call me Zachary.” Dane hung around near the back door. The gardener showed no signs of leaving and Dane didn’t know how to be rude enough just to ask him to go. “It’s way too dark to garden. You’re wet through.” Dane’s gaze ranged over the sodden sweater Zachary wore, and along the rain-darkened jeans covering Zachary’s muscled thighs. The guy has to be cold. “Can I offer you a cup of coffee?” Zachary grinned happily. “A cup of coffee, yeah, that will be great, thanks.” Dane led the way back into the kitchen. “Sit by one of the radiators and try to dry out a little.” He put water to boil and heaped instant into mugs. “I can lend you a dry sweater…” Zachary leaned close to the radiator. “It’s okay. I’ll drape my sweater on here. It’ll be dry in no time.” He pulled the soggy item over his head and arranged it on the hot metal flutes. Dane experienced a shock of attraction as he took in the smooth, muscled chest on display when Zachary turned to him. “Look, it’s already steaming.” Dane tore his gaze from Zachary’s body and glanced at the sweater. The kettle boiled and he whipped around to make the coffee, thankful for the diversion. “Do you take sugar or cream?” Zachary’s voice came from immediately behind him. “Black, thank you, no sugar.” Dane closed his eyes to dissipate the surprise Zachary’s silent approach gave him. He edged around to face Zachary, who stood so close Dane’s composure flew clean away as his whole body reacted to the proximity of this complete hunk. Holy hell, he is completely gorgeous. Dane stepped sideways and picked up a mug. He handed it to Zachary. “Coffee, er, sorry, its instant. I’ve given myself a vacation from grounds and filters.” He smiled apologetically. Zachary studied him for a few seconds. Dane had the distinct feeling Zachary knew exactly what he was thinking. http://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-night-gardener-by-e-d-parr/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XH4TFSS https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XH4TFSS http://www.bookstrand.com/the-night-gardener-mm Amazon global link http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B06XH4TFSS Find E.D.Parr Twitter https://twitter.com/parr_books Amazon page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01MUNJ3I8 Blogs: https://parrx.blogspot.com https://parrx.blogspot.co.uk/ https://edparr.blogspot.com G+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/109826263935095799032 Manic readers https://manicreaders.com/EDParr/ TRR http://www.theromancereviews.com/EDParr Happy Sunday all! Today's spotlight is a joint venture between Lydia Michaels and Allyson Young. Forfeit is the start of their Degrees of Separation trilogy, and is a bit on the darker side. WARNING: This book contains subject matter suitable for mature reading audiences. Some content may be offensive to sensitive readers. Degrees of Separation is a ménage trilogy with many emotionally graphic encounters and challenging situations that break the rules of traditional romance. December and Austin have a traditional, storybook marriage complete with defined roles. Married young, they’ve shared nearly a decade of passion and love. December’s submissive nature is perfectly suited for her husband’s authoritative, yet adoring response and he seamlessly holds the indisputable role as head of the household. But Austin harbors secrets, and the pressure of losing his job makes those festering skeletons impossible to ignore. Turning to alcohol instead of his wife, Austin finally drives December away and into the arms of their closest friend, Cord, despite her intense loyalty. Cord has loved December since the day they met. His moral compass is challenged and lines are blurred when Austin steps aside and insists Cord take his place. Forfeiting all, Austin must face a harsh truth. Take control of his life, or forever lose the woman he loves. EXCERPT: It was like he no longer saw her, just looked right through her, when she used to be all he could see in the whole world. No matter what she did, he stayed away—alone—wandering through the house at night and sleeping all day. She had pride too, and he’d been chipping away at it, scarring her with deep tattoos of doubt. Something happened to a woman when her husband no longer touched her. First there were the superficial frustrations of unrequited desire, but then it became something worse. The insecurity, fear, and uncertainty ate away at her insides. Her self-esteem fractured, perhaps beyond repair. Tiny little shards of self-worth were all she had left. Even if he came to her now, begging and full of apologies, she feared someone might get cut. This rut seemed to get deeper and darker every day. She was losing sight of the light and worried she’d never see herself out. She needed to feel alive, feel something. She needed to reclaim control and pull herself back to her feet, which was why this job with Cord was imperative. Amazon B&N iBooks Kobo Lydia Michaels
Lydia Michaels is the award winning author of 30 romance novels. Her novels from the darkly compelling Surrender Trilogy were iBooks Bestsellers and her work has been featured in USA Today. In 2015 she was the winner of The Best of Bucks Award and she has been nominated as Best Author in the Happenings Magazine two years running [2015 & 2016]. She is a four time nominee for the prestigious RONE Award. Her books are intellectual, emotional, haunting, always centered around love. Allyson Young Allyson lives in cottage country, Manitoba, Canada with her husband of many years and numerous pets. She has written for many years and after reading an erotic romance, quite by mistake, decided to try her hand at penning one. A best selling Amazon author, she has now published three series and several stand alones in contemporary, sci fi, fantasy and suspense genres, as well as several novels under a different pen name. Allyson will write until whatever is inside is satisfied, until the heroes man up and the heroines get what they deserves. Love isn’t always sweet, and Allyson favours the darker side of romance. www.LydiaMichaelsBooks.com www.AllysonYoung.com Good morning my everybodies!
I just love that phrase - "my everybodies". It's adorable when my 3yo says it. Even for the ten-thousandth time of the day. Anyway, I figured an update was long overdue. As I mentioned previously, my husband had surgery, and he was out of work for much longer than expected. My boss is great, and gave me as many hours as I could take for the past two months. Problem with that, though, is I had little time or energy left for writing. So, there hasn't been much headway on the second book in the North Woods Wolves series. Or the third book, which I've also started, lol. BUT, today he went back to work (woo-hoo!!!!) so I am back to working only three days a week, and once I've gotten this house back in order and all decorated for Christmas, I *will* finish that damn book and get it submitted to the publisher! My goal is to have it submitted no later than my birthday, which is right around Valentine's Day. That seems quite reasonable to me. This is what I'm working on and looking at for 2018: writing: Alpha's Beta - North Woods Wolves #2, m/m, short story (almost done) Savage Alpha - North Woods Wolves #3, m/f short story (just started) editing: Elixir - the never-ending edits, lol. m/f, vampire, full length novel (60 thousand words). One day I'll manage to write a blurb and synapsis/summary and finish editing it to my liking so that I can submit it. Because I've already started books two and three in that world, too. :) Ok, I'm off to take the kids to the doctor, they both get checkups today, and probably shots, so they'll be cranky and clingy all afternoon...I can't wait, lol. Thank goodness for wine once they go to bed! Hope you all have a great day! Happy Sunday! Today's spotlight is on April Zyon and A Mate for the Sheriff, part of her Shifters-Match.com series. Jessica Morris has a secret that could get her killed. Hiding in plain sight, pretending to be normal, is all she’s ever known. And even though she’s been lucky so far, she knows that she can’t hide in Shifter Falls forever. Getting involved with the town sheriff is the last thing she needs, but lately it’s all she can think about.
Novak Porter has watched Jessica since the first day she came into town. He suspects that, like everyone else in Shifter Falls, she’s got a skeleton or two in her closet. She’s nervous around him, and for years he’s forced himself to give her time. But when a chance encounter throws them together for more than five minutes, Novak decides he’s tired of waiting. He’ll do whatever it takes to keep her around. Convincing her to work for him is easy, but getting her to believe in happily ever after might be a little more difficult. Excerpt: Jessica turned to the voice in the darkness. The sexiest voice on the face of the planet. “Sheriff,” she said, her pulse increasing when she turned to look at him. He looked as if he had been built of stone, and again she wondered just exactly what sort of shifter he was. No one seemed to know, or be willing to share, which was very strange in a town like Shifter Falls. Then again, she didn’t let anyone know what she was, either, so it could just be a privacy thing. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but suddenly all the electronics inside the car went completely dead. The lights, dash, everything. I’m afraid it’s the alternator, since it has a brand-new battery.” She might be a lot of things, but she wasn’t completely stupid. “And I think that Jagger’s cub swiped my cell phone, again, so do you think you could maybe call a tow for me?” She shook her head. “That little guy gets me every single time. I swear he’s taken more cell phones off of me than I can count. Phi is never able to find them, so there’s no telling what he does with them.” She was snickering as she said that. She didn’t know why she was talking so much, but she was. The sheriff was watching her intently and didn’t seem all that bothered by her random rambling. He merely pulled out his cell and put in a call for a truck. “Mick will come get your car. He said to leave the keys on the passenger front tire since he might be a while. They had to pull a couple cars from a slough after some young twits decided that drag racing with their parents’ cars was a good plan. Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.” She whistled. “Oh boy. I bet there are going to be some kids in serious trouble about right now. Thanks for the offer of the ride.” She grabbed her purse, locked the car, and put the keys on the front passenger tire as she had been instructed. “You’ll probably be going out of your way a bit. I live at twenty-nine Forest Acre Road.” It was a dirt road surrounded by forest and she loved it. Nature called to her, and at least there she didn’t have to worry about nulling any abilities as she typically did when she was near other witches. “No worries at all. It keeps me out of the station until the parents have finally wound down to a dull roar and the kids have had a few minutes for everything to sink in. Anyhow, I think that an hour’s worth of stewing before I arrive to come up with some interesting charges might help the situation. By then I’ll know if the lawyers have actually been called in or not and can figure out how to play this to keep the kids from doing something worse down the line.” The sheriff held her door for her, then shut it when she settled into her seat. A minute later he was setting out reflective markers behind her car before sliding in behind the wheel to take her toward town and home. “You are a good man. Too bad you can’t keep a secretary to save your gorgeous ass.” She felt her face turn red from heat when she realized she’d blurted that out. “Crap, ignore me. I don’t know what I’m saying.” She cringed, but then shrugged. Since it was too late to take her candid observation back, she pressed on. “Well, from what I understand, you have gone through thirteen of them inside of three months. That’s outstanding right there.” He leveled a look on her she couldn’t read. She was only thankful he seemed to ignore her initial comment and it allowed her cheeks to cool. “I have a specific way I expect things to be done. And, I admit, my temper can get the best of me. Everything we do can be called into question inside a courtroom. If even one I isn’t dotted right, or a T was missed being crossed, that is potentially a dangerous offender being allowed out on the street due to clerical error. Unacceptable in my book so, yes, I have some impossibly high standards I expect to be carried out by every man and woman in the department.” “No, not impossibly high standards. They are perfectly reasonable. The way that everyone made it sound you were seriously a neat freak nut job, but what you’re saying doesn’t sound like that at all.” She understood the importance of perfect record keeping, of ensuring that everything was where it should be at all times. “When the council took me on as their secretary, I had to redo a hell of a lot of stuff because the person before me couldn’t seem to understand that paperwork is filed by number then letter. Idiots.” She smirked and looked over at him. “I guess I have high standards as well. Then again since I’m a witch without abilities, I have to be able to contribute somehow, right? Especially with my mother’s coven proclaiming me to be nothing but a human.” That’s what all of Shifter Falls thought of her, and she was happy to keep it that way. When she’d first started out on her own, she’d wondered if it wouldn’t have been smarter, and safer, to try to hide even the fact that she’d been born into a witch family. Ultimately she’d decided that it was better to stick as close to the truth as possible. So she never tried to hide the fact that she had been born to witch parents. It was unlikely that she would ever run into anyone from her old coven, but on the off chance that she did, she didn’t want to arouse suspicion by being caught in a lie. Besides, being known as a witch without powers—therefore, more or less, human—kept her just as safe as if she’d tried to pass herself off as a normal human. “I’m glad you understand. Few do,” he muttered. “I think the council foisted their rejects my way for some form of payback. They all loved the idea when the mayor had me run for office and I won by a landslide, but the minute I arrested the first council member and wouldn’t take a bribe, they started to wonder. Told them the same thing I told the mayor when he hired me—I was going to run things my way, and if they found someone that could run against me and get elected that would be the only way they’d get me out of that seat. They haven’t had any luck yet.” Jess knew it was because the sheriff was respected by every citizen in the Falls as well as the other two cities that made up their exceptionally small county. While not everyone agreed with his methods and strict by-the-book ways, they liked how he’d cleaned up and kept the area protected from a drug problem several years back when he’d first taken the position. “You cleaned up the area. No one would run against you. You’re too good at your job, so it is what it is.” She shrugged. “You are strict and you can be an ass from what I’ve been told, but then again there are a lot of falsehoods that fly through Shifter Falls, aren’t there?” she asked with a smile. “True enough. The trick is determining what’s truth and what’s lie in everything that goes around town. It’s amazing what one can discover the moment they find that tiny thread and give it a tug. After all, there’s not a soul in this town that is exactly who they appear to be on the surface once you dig down a little further.” Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon AU Barnes & Noble | Evernight Publishing | Bookstrand | Smashwords | iTunes Hello my everybodies! My son calls his stuffed characters/animals collectively "everybody". When it's nap or bed time, he says "I need my everybodies!" and surrounds himself in his bed with stuffies. It's freaking adorable. Sorry for skipping last week's post. With the Thanksgiving holiday and then my son's birthday party on Saturday (omg he's three already!) and work, scheduling my weekend blog post completely skipped my mind. Today I have a lovely story by ED Parr for you! Heads up, it's a male/male, so if that's not your cuppa... From the author: The story ‘Falling Star Valentine’ was inspired by shooting stars. We all know shooting stars are falling meteorites, but the romance remains when one streaks across the midnight blue sky, and when two, in close succession, zoom over the night vista as you stand on your hotel balcony, it’s a sight to behold. I travel a little with my day job and in the autumn of 2016, I had to travel a lot more than usual. One night when I couldn’t sleep because I was churning worries around, I went out onto the balcony of the hotel room I was staying in and stared up at the sky. The night sparkled cold and the sky displayed an array of stars. Suddenly seeming only meters away a shooting star flew across my line of vision, then another as if it followed the first. I’m a die-hard romantic and immediately my sweet but sexy character, Valentine Steel, had formed in my head. He’s Falling Star Valentine on his way to visit earth. Will he find love? Fashion photographer Dale Walker takes a train to his hometown, relocating there after nursing a broken heart for six months in another city. His train makes an unscheduled stop to take on a mysterious passenger.
For a long time, Valentine Steel has hoped to meet a man who will love him. When he sees Dale on the train, he’s overjoyed to find a vacant seat beside Dale. Dale’s immediate attraction to Valentine has him on edge. He doesn’t want another broken heart, and yet Valentine is so magnetic Dale’s frozen heart begins to thaw. Valentine sets out to charm and capture Dale in his sparkling aura. He can’t let the chance to have Dale’s love slip away. This could be his last chance to stay on Earth, the planet he loves. Read a teaser: He gazed at Dale’s mouth as his stomach tightened and he experienced an intense longing to kiss Dale. He hungrily watched Dale’s lips move. “I don’t want to trouble you with my sad little story.” Dale’s stoic expression touched Valentine. He felt a thud in the region where his heart was. Then a ripple of tenderness radiated to every part of his body and his heartbeat grew strong. “Oh, but you must. You wouldn’t trouble me. There’s no shame in having a sad story. I had one myself some years ago.” He pushed his hand over the short distance of the table, longing to touch Dale. Dale took a deep breath and Valentine knew he was going to share his story. “I broke up with someone, a lover … it hurt to stay in the same city. I’d moved there for this person and now … there’s no need to stay.” Dale stared at Valentine’s hand and edged his own along the tablecloth. The server arrived at the table with their order. Valentine waited, impatient now, until the server spread the food before him and Dale, then left. “I’m sorry. Do you still love this person?” He avoided saying man, although he knew it was a man. Dale’s sexual preference was apparent in the way he looked at Valentine. His eyes traveled over Valentine’s face with a particular gaze only a gay guy would make. Valentine had long searched for a man who made his heart leap the way the sight of Dale did. When he’d heard Dale reminisce about a man, who could only be an idiot to let Dale go, he’d been elated. He’d yearned for Valentine’s Day then, when he could show himself. http://www.evernightpublishing.com/falling-star-valentine-by-e-d-parr/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MV2VKAJ https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MV2VKAJ http://www.bookstrand.com/falling-star-valentine-mm Amazon global link http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B01MV2VKAJ Find E.D.Parr Twitter https://twitter.com/parr_books Amazon page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01MUNJ3I8 Blogs https://parrx.blogspot.com https://parrx.blogspot.co.uk/ https://edparr.blogspot.com G+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/109826263935095799032 I've got JJ King here today to share her upcoming release, Sins of the Father. It's the final book in her Guardians trilogy. And there's a party!! Free stuff!! Here's what being said about the previous books in the series: “Where to begin? Katherine is a smart, strong, sexy heroine, but she's also vulnerable in ways that make her an extremely compelling MC! I loved her perspective, and her relationships with the other characters, including but not limited to her love interest, were so well-developed that I really felt immersed in her world. The bond between Katherine and her family, especially her mother, added a lot of depth to the overall story and raised the stakes in the more suspenseful moments. Then there's Quinn... His chemistry with Katherine was sizzling, and he was just the right combo of sweet and mysterious! The author really took the time to develop their relationship, and it was anything but predictable. There's a perfect blend of edge-of-your-seat action and steamy romance that kept my attention the whole way through, and I can't wait to read the sequel and see how this story continues to develop! Blood of Eden easily makes my list of top favorite werewolf stories and laid the foundation for a world I didn't want to leave.” ~ Amazon reviewer JOIN THE PARTY (https://www.facebook.com/groups/156258368451515/) to meet some amazing paranormal romance guest authors, win some awesome swag, and even get the chance to have your words included in Sins of the Father!!! The epic conclusion to The Guardians trilogy is going live on December 20th... so, mark your calendars and get your pre-order now while it's still just .99¢!!!
Blood of Eden .99¢ - https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Eden-Canadian-romantic-Guardians-ebook/dp/B01FZQKH4W My Brother's Keeper $3.99 - https://www.amazon.com/My-Brothers-Keeper-Canadian-Guardians-ebook/dp/B01LW2F66O PRE-ORDER Sins of the Father .99¢ - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0776G9KMW Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorjjking Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jj-king Website – http://jjking.ca Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jjking_author/ Twitter – https://twitter.com/JJKing_Author |
Author, wife, motherlover of wine, coffee, and reading. Archives
January 2019
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