Tory Richards's Blog, page 125

I hate my new glasses! I couldn't wait to get them and no...

I hate my new glasses! I couldn't wait to get them and now that I have them I hate them. I've worn reading glasses for ten years, but these are progressive. Didn't really understand what that meant until I put them on. In stead of moving my eyes it seems I have to move my head now, in order to focus them on what I'm looking at. Did I tell you I hate them?

I have sixty days to get used to them or I can go back to the doctor for something else. Okay, I know it's only been two days but everything is so damn blurry to me. I can see distance okay, but where I need them most, the computer, it's just not happening for me. I shouldn't have to sit here bobbing my head until I find the right angle to see clearly...should I? I actually make myself nauseous. lol

I'm pretty sure I won't need sixty days to make up my mind.

Stacy Juba Eggcerpt Exchange

Sink or Swim Mystery/Romantic Suspense Book Featured In Egg-cerpt Exchange
February 27, 2014 by Stacy Juba Leave a Comment



I am participating in Tina Gayle’s Eggcerpt Exchange, a great way for readers to learn about new books and authors. I’ll be featuring my mystery/romantic suspense novel Sink or Swim.


Blurb: How do you change the channel when reality TV turns to murder? Personal trainer Cassidy Novak has gained fame for starring on a hit reality show. Not only does she lose and have to walk the plank, but upon returning home, Cassidy discovers she is being stalked. As her former competitors get killed off, Cassidy refuses to play by the stalker’s bizarre rules. She’s also being shadowed by photographer Zach Gallagher, who has been assigned to capture her personal moments for the local newspaper. She wants to trust Zach, but fears he may not be as nice as he seems. When the stalker forces a showdown, Cassidy must walk the plank again – this time for her life. Sink or Swim was a Nook Top 20 Bestseller and was a Nook Mystery Bestseller, and was also a #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller in the Women Sleuths and Romantic Suspense categories.

Excerpt: Cassidy sat poised in her chair as former contestants filed onto the soundstage at WBC in New York. Together, the studio audience and television viewers had watched the recorded footage of her walking the plank. Gabriel would now interview the competitors from the inaugural season one final time. More importantly, he would announce her prize. If it erased most of her debts, then it would at least make this whole embarrassing experience worthwhile.

Cassidy’s heart kicked in her chest and sweat moistened her brow. As one of her old teammates entered, her heart rate skyrocketed for a different reason. Josh Sanchioni slid into a bucket seat, carrying himself stiffer than normal in his sharp gray suit. Studio lights caught his sunbleached strawberry blonde waves, brightening the reddish gold tints.

Cassidy slipped her gaze to his leather shoes. If Josh hadn’t been engaged, they could have been an item. Instead, they’d been good friends until that one evening when the cameras were off and they almost kissed. They’d both realized their mistake and backed away. Things were strained until Josh walked the plank a week later. Tonight, not only did Cassidy have to face Josh, she would probably meet his fiancée.

Her cheeks heating, Cassidy focused on the competitor beside Josh as a distraction. Adam Horton sat erect, hands folded in the lap of his olive green khakis. He wasn’t military, but he dressed like an Army wannabe. His reptilian eyes drilled into Cassidy, his angular face revealing the shape of bones underneath. A blond goatee darkened his pointy chin. Cassidy shuddered involuntarily. Adam never said much, but he made her uncomfortable just the same. She’d sense someone watching her on the ship and Adam would be lurking in the hatches. Luckily, he only lasted on the show two weeks.

“Before we catch up with our former contestants, I’d like to congratulate Cassidy on a job well done,” Gabriel said in the middle of the circle.

Applause thundered from the audience and a wave of excitement crested over her. Cassidy offered a smile for the cameras as Gabriel finished, “I’m proud to present you with your prize – a luxury vacation for two to the Bahamas on a real cruise ship with $3,000 spending money!”

Dumbfounded, Cassidy watched as a video depicted a majestic ocean liner on the large TV screen. “Set sail with us to the Bahamas, where you can swim with dolphins in turquoise waters, relax on sugar white beaches and explore the island’s history as a haven for pirates,” said the female announcer in a voice-over. “On your voyage, you can enjoy our ten lounges, two outdoor pools, luxury spa, casino, cinema, dynamite shows, and glass walls and elevators that get you up close to the ocean views.”

Another boat? More ocean views? Were they friggin’ serious? A frozen smile hovered on Cassidy’s lips. Too bad she’d already seen the counselor that afternoon and he’d attested that all her screws were still in place. This travesty might be enough to unhinge her.

Buy links:
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Smashwords
iBookstore
Kobo
Audible

Author Links:
Website: http://stacyjuba.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacy-Juba/100155471301
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stacyjuba

Look where I'll be at 2:45 (1:45 est) today! This is a huge event folks and I hope to see you there! Platinum's Multi-Author Book Lovers Event on facebook.

Syfy

I'm watching syfy right  now and I think it's so funny that people freeze and scream their heads off when they're about to be eaten by something. Wouldn't that be a good time to, like, run? lol

Another thing I get a chuckle out of is that when they are running, they always seem to fall, which then allows the human eating monster, or ax wielding killer to get them.

Last not but least, have you ever noticed that during the chase scenes in like, Halloween, that the victim is running their ass off and the killer is walking, but somehow he manages to stay right behind the person who's running?

Oh, yeah, let's not forget about the vehicle not starting at the most crucial moment...I could go on and on. It's amusing to watch.

What have I been doing?

Went to the eye doctor yesterday. I've only needed reading glasses for about ten years but now I've graduated to progressive glasses, which means I will need to wear them all the time. I've noticed a big difference in my eye sight the last year or so, so I wasn't too surprised. I still heard what I wanted to hear, that my eyes are healthy. So I'm happy!

This weekend I'm cat-sitting for my niece. She has 4 inside cats, a dog which she puts in the kennel when they're gone, and an feral cat with bone cancer in his leg mending in the garage. Last time I cat-sat she had a feral in the garage mending from a urinary tract infection. She takes care of about 10 outside cats and has given them all names. Feeds and waters them twice a day, and has put out carriers with blankets in case they want to use them. They don't know how lucky they are to have my niece. Or, maybe they do.

Be looking for the release of Kiss Me! on the 15th of this month!

Joan Simon Eggcerpt Exchange

Synopsis:
Voicing those questions, those desires which convention has tamed out of the ‘’good” female, Joan Barbara Simon and her chorus of eloquent, critical protagonists dare to sidestep propriety in their search for sincere personal fulfilment and a redefinition of the intimate experience. A collection of poetry and short stories.


THE RED ROOM
Against her better judgement. She sent him a message. A harmless one: she was having lunch with the children and would plough her way through some work in the afternoon. She was hoping he would invite her to come over. She was hoping and yet it was what she feared the most. She waited... but in the end she brought the girls back to school and drove home. Yes. It was better that way.

Her phone rang.
He said he had the afternoon free and thought she meant she was spending the afternoon with the children. So, she’s not? So, she’s at home? He did not ask her to come.

Can... can I come? she almost whispered.
Yes.

I’m on my way.  
She sent him a message. She sat in her room, trying to resist the temptation to write to him, to contact him. She opened one, two bottles of wine and downed them. She wanted to live the feeling of being in love; that which makes the world go round. She wanted to love him; his freedom, his pride, this glorious, threatening man she orbited round as though warming up to a dare. She wanted to contaminate herself with the freedom he accorded, knew she was of a similar spirit, yet she fell short, guilt like a nail pushing up through her shoe.
Her attention kept being drawn to the place her thighs met. She couldn’t breathe. Squeezed her hand to that troublesome place. Felt it throb. Brought her fingers to her nose...sighed.

She fucked her mattress every night she found herself alone. Fucked the walls, the door edge, the table corner, the chair. Anything that was hard enough. Or near enough.


BIO Joan Barbara Simon (Ph.D.); novelist, poetess, songwriter. Lecturer. Researcher. Trouble-maker. She's been called a brainy little nympho. She's been called a man without a dick, or a woman with one. She can learn to live with that. She's been reaping 5-star reviews for her fiction in all genres. She looks more closely at undefined spaces - linguistic, sexual, philosophical, political - because she knows how to resist the temptation, the comfort, of easy answers.

God, I hate tax time! Was up till 11:30 last night workin...

God, I hate tax time! Was up till 11:30 last night working on them and just finally efiled them off. 

Eggcerpt Exchange with Lyndi Lamont!

Ilona's Wolf: A Fairy Tale Romance

Steamy Fantasy Romance Novella

Blurb:

Imagine a world filled with magic, a tormented knight, a damsel in distress, an evil sorcerer...

While picking herbs in the woods, Princess Ilona is rescued from a woodsman by a wolf. When the creature licks her wounds, it is suddenly transformed into a man. A very handsome, very naked man who makes passionate love to her in a glade. She has dreamed of a handsome knight to aid her cause, but a werewolf?

Cursed by an evil wizard, Rolf was trapped in wolf form until he tasted the blood of a royal. Now he must escort the princess on a hazardous journey back to the castle to stop an ill-fated wedding and face the evil wizard who placed the evil curse on Rolf.

Excerpt:

She sat frozen, her back to the tree. Oh, gods, don't let it see me. She tried to cast an invisibility spell, but to no avail. The wolf looked at her, golden eyes gleaming, mouth open, showing off large, sharp teeth. She closed her eyes and gripped her throat with both hands. Quaking with terror, she listened as the animal padded toward her. She felt its hot breath on her cheek.

Opening her eyes a slit, she stared into the face of the wolf. Sad eyes stared at her, and her fears receded. Perhaps he'd been tamed. She reached out with what was left of her powers, but sensed no immediate danger. "Good wolf," she stammered.

She held out one shaking fist, and the wolf sniffed it before licking her knuckles. It moved closer, sniffing her clothing. To her surprise, the animal hunkered down beside her and laid its head on her leg. Carefully, she touched it, stroking the soft fur.

Relief flooded through her. Saved by a wolf, of all creatures. "Thank the gods you showed up when you did. I'd no wish to be ravished by the likes of him."

The wolf lifted its head and seemed to smile up at her, mouth open, tongue lolling.

She smiled at the canine as she continued to pet it. "Grateful I am for you rescuing me, but 'tis not exactly what a girl dreams of. Where's my knight on a white steed? 'Tis he who is supposed to do the rescuing."

When the wolf lowered his head, sniffing between her legs, she laughed and pushed it away. "Rude creature."

The animal responded by sitting up and resting its head on her breast. She put both arms around it and hugged it close, dropping a kiss on its head. "Do not misunderstand, Sir Wolf, but I still wish you were a knight. A strong, handsome knight like my Werner."

The familiar sadness filled her at the memory of her husband. "I miss him so much, you know. Dagmar says another knight will come for me, a handsome knight to protect us and make sweet, passionate love to me."

The wolf whined and raised his head to lick her cheek. Laughing, she tried to push him away, but he licked her full on the mouth. She closed her eyes, stunned when her powers came rushing back, like a flood of magic coursing around her.

Turning aside, she summoned her basket to her side. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the wolf jump up, staring at the basket. Her vision seemed to blur as the wolf's face slowly became humanlike, then shifted back. She must have hit her head harder than she'd thought if she was seeing things. She closed her eyes and shook her head, but the aching had receded.

When she peeked again, the wolf was gone, and a naked man crouched in front of her. A handsome, well-built man with shaggy brown hair and golden brown eyes.

Ilona's Wolf is available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, iBooks and https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/369097 Smashwords.

Find Lyndi online at:

Website: http://www.lyndilamont.com
Blog: http://www.lyndilamont.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LyndiLamont
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont

Supporting Parkinsons!

Hi everyone and welcome to Smut for Good: Curves Rule charity blog hop! This charity hop was organized by Lucy Felthouse and Victoria Blisse, editors at Ellora's Cave.

I’m so happy to be taking part in this fantastic blog hop. If you’d like to donate to this important cause, please visit this JustGiving page, where every penny will go directly to the charity.

To keep in line with the theme of curves rule, I'm sharing a snippet from A Perfect Fit. My heroine Marissa is a plus-sized model.
A Perfect Fit
Handsome stud or not, Marissa decided to get right to the point. “Nothing against you, but you’re fired.” She tried to ignore the tiny scar at the corner of his sensual mouth.

“I don’t work for you. You can’t fire me.” He cocked a brow. “Even if you can take care of yourself.” His sexy drawl clearly said he didn’t think so.

Marissa pressed her lips together. “You caught me by surprise.” All of him caught her by surprise. He had the whole package right down to his muddy cowboy boots. He was a true Texan, and nothing close to her unflattering description to Kirk.

He laughed. “You think the killer is going to announce himself?”

Damn him! “Well, maybe I can’t fire you, but after what you just did, I can call your boss and demand another bodyguard.” Marissa slapped her hands on her full hips.

Why is he laughing again?

“My brothers and I own Evan’s Security and I’m afraid they’re all on assignments right now.”

Good God, there was more like him?

“I’m afraid I’m stuck with you.”

Marissa was preoccupied with the way his sensuous mouth formed the words, until what he said reached her on a conscious level. He was stuck with her? Her gaze returned to his. There was amusement swimming in his chocolate eyes. Rich, decadent chocolate that she could drown in if she wasn’t careful. Her lips twitched in response. She liked a man with a sense of humor, even directed at her.

Beau Evans was a big, well-proportioned man, and the way he filled out a pair of jeans revealed his powerful, muscular thighs. Marissa couldn’t help her wandering gaze as it moved down his body, then back up again. She gauged his height to be somewhere around six feet five. Not too many men made her feel small, but this one did.

“So, where’s the hat, cowboy?”

“In my truck.”

It figured he’d have a truck. Didn’t all macho Texans?

“What did you mean earlier when you said, ‘I have a lot to learn?’”

“I’ll show you after you put some clothes on.”

After years of modeling, Marissa was used to being in various states of undress around people. It came with the business, and she was very comfortable in her own skin. The minute she’d entered her dressing room she’d kicked off her heels and removed the sheer thigh length shirt.

“I am wearing clothes.”

If eyes could strip, she’d be naked right now. “If you insist, ma’am.”

Please Welcome Author Faye Hall!

Faye Hall's passion driven, mystery filled books are set in small townships of North Queensland, Australia during the late 1800's.

Each of her novels bring something symbolically Australian to her readers, from Aboriginal herbal remedies, to certain gemstones naturally only found in this part of the world.

Each of her books tell of a passionate connection between the hero and heroine, surrounded and threatened by deceit, scandal, theft and sometimes even murder.

These romances swerve from the traditional romances as Faye aims to give her readers so much more intrigue, whilst also revealing the hidden histories of rural townships of North Queensland.

Faye finds her inspiration from the histories of not only the township she grew up in, but the many surrounding it. She also bases most of her characters on people she has met in her life.

Faye was able to live her own passion driven romance, marrying the love of her life after a whirlwind romance in 2013. Together they are raising their 9 children in a remote country town in northern Queensland, Australia.


BLURBWillow Jameson knew nothing of her family’s past or their connection to the Morgan family when she first met Re Morgan. All she seen was his ruggedly handsome appearance, his gentle words luring her into his strong embrace. What she found was a passion beyond compare.She couldn’t have foreseen the lies and family betrayal that would inevitably rob her of the man she loved and forever change her life.
TEN YEARS LATERWillow returned to the town life she loved so much, no longer ignorant to those who had separated her from the man she’d loved. She was back now to make those responsible pay for all they’d taken from her. In her search what she found was the hardened man Re Morgan had become…
…a man whose mere glance reignited a passion she had thought long since forgotten.Re Morgan had left a horde of jilted lovers in his trail. When he seen Willow again across the crowded dancehall, he wanted nothing more than to add her to this list. Re wanted little more than a short, heated affair.
What he became involved in was far more scandalous than he could have ever imagined.

EXCERPT

Willow stood with her back to Re, never able to see his approach. She didn’t even see the look of horror on his face...nor did he see the gleam of tears on her cheeks. All he saw was her being held in Chris’s arms, her body only a breath away from his. It was a closeness he knew was far from accepted in polite society.

It was a closeness he shared with her...had thought to only share with her.

Looking to his friend, Re silently pleaded with him. He needed to hear him say it was all just a misunderstanding. He needed him to put at ease the quickly growing doubt in his heart.

But he didn’t hear any of this. All he saw was the obvious lust gleaming in the young man’s eyes.

Chris cocked his brow, as if it was obvious their reason for being together. When Re looked at him, begging to know the truth, Chris’s smile turned into an obvious sneer.

Slowly, he shrugged his shoulders.

“How could I refuse?” he muttered, his words almost a whisper.

Hearing this short statement through her distress, Willow knew someone had found them. Raising her tear-covered face from Chris’s shoulder she tried to free herself from his unrelenting grasp. Realising her struggles were useless, she turned in his arms to see who had approached them. Only too late did she realise just how suggestive her position would look.

Her eyes’ meeting the hurt and pain in Re’s eyes, Willow knew instantly what he was concluding of what he was seeing.

“Re,” she whispered, almost desperate.

His dark stare turned hateful.

“Damn you both to hell!” he spat at them, immediately turning back to make a quick return to the estate house.

“Re,’ she again called after him, struggling against Chris’s tight hold.

When Chris didn’t let her go despite her struggles, she turned slightly and pushed him away with all her might.

“You son of a bitch,’ she spat at him, suddenly realising this man’s intentions.

“I may be, madam,” he replied casually. “Yet even you can’t deny what you wanted when you lured me out here.”

Her dark eyes narrowed with hate.

“I hope you rot in hell, you bastard!”

Turning quickly, Willow ran after Re’s retreating figure. She knew what he must be thinking, but he had to know she played no willing part in it. He had to know the truth.

“Willow,” Chris called after her, slight anger in his tone. “Damn it, you know you want this as much as I do.”

But she never turned back to him. She only kept chasing the retreating figure of the man she loved.

She giggled knowingly. “I knew your name, Re, both your first and your last. How could I not.”

“Then why pretend you didn’t know me?”

She shrugged casually. “Would you rather me have told those ladies that we slept together?” 

- From Faye Hall's 'She's a Lot Like You', released April 2014
Faye Hall is an Australian author published with Red Sage Publishing. Her tales are all set in rural towns of North Queensland, Australia in the late 1800's.

Her second eBook, 'She's a Lot Like You' will be release April 2014. Set in Ravenswood, Queensland 1860, the story spans 10 years, and illustrates the constant struggles two people have to endure to be together. They have to overcome scandal, lies, and a tie between their families neither are aware of until it is too late.

Faye’s debut eBook, 'My Gift To You' was released late 2012. It is set in the small Burdekin shire, Queensland close to where Faye grew up. Starting in 1866, ‘My Gift To You’ tells the struggles two young people have, one hunting for those that murdered her parents, the other struggling to fit into the society around him. Together they find a passion filled love they’d dared not dreamed existed.

Throughout the script, Faye has mentioned a few native Australian icons such as Black Opals and Gidgy seeds, her way of including some of her countries unique heritage into her script.

A third eBook has also been contracted also with Red Sage titled 'Mistress of Purity'. Set between the townships of Sarina and Proserpine, it promises to bring suspense…scandal and intrigue unlike no other. There’s old estate houses…secrets passageways…murderers…hidden desires…

Faye’s books can be purchased direct from Red Sage at:-
http://eredsage.com/store/MyGiftToYou.html
http://eredsage.com/store/ShesALotLikeYou.html

From Amazon:-
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00DPIMSMW

Also you can visit Faye’s blog and website for any updates:-
http://www.faye-hall.com

Or find her on social networks:-
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Faye-Hall/174774709247649
https://twitter.com/FayeHall79