Tory Richards's Blog, page 156

Sneak Peek Sunday!

Link to participating authors What is sneak peek Sunday? It's where a group of authors post 6 paragraphs (no more, no less) from either a WIP or a published work. So make sure  you click on the link above. No telling what you'll come across. And just have fun!
This week I've decided to post 6 unedited paragraphs of a current WIP I'm just about to finish up. Let me know what you think about it.

Barnie was weaving in and around her bare legs, arching his back for attention. He seemed oblivious to her sudden concerns. Brooke got to her feet, wondering what she should do. She remembered reading an article once, about sleeping with your car keys so if someone broke into your house you could set your car alarm off, and possibly scare them away. Now she wished she had taken the advice more seriously.

Her next thought was that her cell was in her purse, downstairs. Lord, how could she have been so careless? Knowing there was no land-line she would have to make her way down there and get it if she wanted to phone the police. Another, louder sound decided it for her. She tried to gauge where the sound had come from.

Meow!

“Not now, Barnie!” she whispered sharply. Brooke slowly made her way to the bedroom door, pausing to listen in the thresh hold. Whoever was downstairs must have thought they were alone. They weren’t even trying to be quiet. That was good because as long as whoever it was made noise it would tell her where they were, while she made her way to her purse.

She closed the door, shutting Barnie inside her bedroom, and walked to the top of the stairs. All the lights were off, but the outside security lights were on and shining through the sheer curtains at the windows. Giving off just enough light so she could see the layout of the room below, and that no one was there.

The noise the intruder was making was coming from the kitchen. Brooke was almost certain she heard them slam the fridge door closed, and then the distinctive sound of someone opening a can. Are they actually drinking a beer? She’d brought a six-pack with her, along with a few other staples to get her through the week. Diana and Alex had left her food but there were some things she couldn’t live without.

Taking a deep breath, Brooke rushed down the carpeted steps in her bare feet. She stopped at the bottom and listened again. Her jaw dropped in surprise when she noticed the kitchen light had been turned on. Talk about a brazen burglar! She glanced toward the living room, remembering that her purse was on the floor at the end of the sofa. In order to get to it she would have to pass the kitchen doorway.

Look who dropped in today!

Forever: The Dragon Wars by Rebecca Royce 
BLURB:

Devin Owen has come back from the Dragon Wars a changed Werewolf. For one thing, he's lost his wolf side as well as most of his desire to live. He spends most of his life doped up to handle the pain from his injured leg.

Lena Knox knew the moment she met Devin that he was her mate. But, she'd been a child at the time and he hadn't noticed her at all. Now, all grown up she wants Devin to be the wolf she’s waited for. Not that she has a lot of time for longing with life crumbling around her.

A couple of heated encounters draw them together but is it enough to overcome the war wounds they both carry? Or will an outside enemy destroy them before they get the chance to know?


EXCERPT:

One lone tear escaped, and she quickly batted it away. She might as not have, as he’d be able to smell her distress. Trying to be as sly as she could, she glanced over at Devin, hoping he wouldn’t notice. He stared up at the ceiling, his gaze distant and removed.

She cleared her throat. “Would you like to shift and go for a run?”

Lena couldn’t think of anything she’d like better than to escape this room. He’d brought her utter and complete pleasure and then shattered her soul.

Devin rolled over, his back facing her, his head turned away. “You go ahead. I can’t shift anymore. Haven’t been able to since I came back.”

He couldn’t shift? A strange buzzing sensation filled her mind. This was important. It had to matter that Devin had been disconnected from his Wolf.

“That’s why you can’t heal your leg? You can’t shift to fix it?”

He turned to look at her, his eyes tired. “It’s pretty disgusting, I know. Trust me, no one likes looking at it less than I do. Twisted flesh, the bone poking out from where it should be—yeah, it’s gross.” 
Lena wasn’t exactly certain what was going on, but she’d somehow stepped into a minefield. She hoped she could find her way out. Fast.

“I didn’t say it was gross. I just asked if that was why it wasn’t fixed.” She rubbed her eyes. “What do the doctors say about why you can’t shift?”

“Nothing. They have nothing to say.”


Describe A Day In The Life On A Writer 
Well, okay, you asked for it. LOL!!

6:00 AM—It’s still dark outside. Pitch black, actually. Very different from when we lived in New Jersey. But, now we live in Central Time or maybe that’s not the reason. In any case, I’ve had six months to get used to living in Texas. I need to get up. GET UP, Rebecca.
I throw my legs over the bed and climb out. For a moment, the room is not steady. How could it be? I desperately want to still be asleep. It rights itself and I walk, trying not to trip over the dogs, cats, toys, shoes, or whatever else is all over my bedroom floor. I try not to wake my husband. He’ll have to get up in a second but I like having the bathroom to myself for a few minutes.

Quickly, I brush my teeth and wash my face. I cross the room again. My husband gets up and I go upstairs to wake our three children. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, the toddler, who is three, has climbed into my bed some time during the night. But today he seems to have spent the night in his own bed. (Hallelujah!)

I wake up all three of them. Two of them always get up well but one of them is really hard to get up. He’s always mad or crying about it.

6:30 AM-Breakfast. I’m a short order cook. Eggs, Waffles, Bagels, Cereal. Whatever they feel like eating that morning. My middle son has stopped crying and he eats his breakfast. Everyone eats and rushes up the stairs to get dressed. I get dressed in temporary clothes.

7:25-Leave the house with two of three of my children. Drop the older two at school. Turn around. Come home.

8 AM-I eat breakfast, which right now is not very exciting. A diet shake. Oh well, not forever.

8:40- Take the toddler to nursery school. Traffic. No way to avoid it.

9:15-Arrive at nursery school. Drop off 3 year old

9:35-Arrive back home. Shower. Put on clothes for the days.

10 AM—WRITE

…………………..

12: Eat lunch. A diet shake. Think about my book.

1 PM—Leave for nursery.

1:20—Pick up 3 year old.

2—Get back home. Snack for 3 year old. Eat my own diet snack.

2:20 PM—Leave house to pick up older two children.

2:45—Get back home.

3 PM on—After school activities. These might include: Piano, Swimming, Speech, Soccer, Basketball, Swimming, Cooking or playdates

5—Make dinner and lunch for the kids for the next day

6—EAT.

6:30 Baths. Kids watch TV or read with husband. I WRITE.

7:30 Kids go to bed.

8—Spend time with husband.

10-11 PM—BED

Do it all again…..
AUTHOR Bio and Links: 
As a teenager, Rebecca Royce would hide in her room to read her favorite romance novels when she was supposed to be doing her homework. She hopes, these days, that her parents think it was well worth it.

Rebecca is the mother of three adorable boys and is fortunate to be married to her best friend. They’ve just moved to Texas where Rebecca is discovering a new love for barbecue!

She's in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and tries to use all of these elements in her writing. She's been told she's a little bloodthirsty so she hopes that when you read her work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. Rebecca loves to write series because she loves to see characters develop over time and it always makes her happy to see her favorite characters make guest appearances in other books. In Rebecca Royce's world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

Website: http://www.rebeccaroyce.com/books.html

Buy Links: 
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Forever-The-Dragon-Wars-ebook/dp/B00B6UFX82
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/rebecca-royce


Rebecca will be awarding a $50 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/01/virtual-book-tour-forever-dragon-war-by.html

Guest Author Liz Crowe

MUTUAL RELEASE By Liz Crowe 

BLURB:
Disclaimer: This is an 18+ book with erotic BDSM scenes and explicit language.

Can two dark souls ever make a light?

As president of her own distribution company, Julie Dawson has all she ever wanted -- money, power, and respect. But her carefully crafted façade conceals a torment of abuse and helplessness. After years remaining emotionally aloof, she is finally independent, but alone. Because she refuses to rely on anyone but herself ever again.

Evan Adams is no stranger to success, or personal demons. The horrific trauma that destroyed his twin sister, and tore his family apart, forced him to craft a new life from the ashes of the old. He's content enough, focusing ahead and not dwelling on his murky past. But something important is missing. He knows what that thing is but refuses to acknowledge it. 

When a chance encounter brings these two strong-willed but damaged people together , what seems like a long, erotic journey through hell could lead them to a match made in heaven.

MUTUAL RELEASE 
A coming of age novel about trust...on the long road to love.[image error]


EXCERPT:

A leather chair appeared from the gloom. Evan looked around, then took the seat, disappointed but intrigued. He could hear Jack’s voice, his laughter low and inviting. What the fuck? Was Gordon getting in on action while he had to watch? Then he heard Jenna’s annoying giggle and realized the club must be making her watch too, only she got to do it with her date. He sighed, leaned back, and prepared himself to be underwhelmed.

“No,” a sexy, rough female voice broke through the clamor in his head. It must have surprised everyone because all the people on the couches glanced up. “I want him. Out here.” Evan looked straight at her and saw the hot-as-shit Domme point her bullwhip right at him. He gulped, actually looked around like a dork, thinking there must be someone behind him. He was no sub.

She crooked her finger, her ruby-red moist lips drawing his gaze and making him feel positively hypnotized. His cock kept up its painful pressure along the inside of his zipper. A drop of sweat formed on his temple but he couldn’t move his arms to brush it away. All he knew… was her.

“Mr. Adams,” the disembodied voice said. “Your presence has been requested by our Mistress. Please. Do not make her wait.” The sheer curtain separating him from the crowd parted as he stood. Shoving his hands in his pockets and no longer aware of anything at all but what he wanted right now, he took the few steps down to the main floor.

“Stop!” She held up a hand. “Do not come any closer until I tell you.” She snapped her fingers. A tall man dressed only in leather pants emerged from somewhere to her left. A woman approached him, smiling and holding out a tray filled with… He stared, then shook his head, backing away, his brain on fire and his body in flight mode. “Where are you going, slave?” The woman cracked her whip. Evan sensed its bite near his cheek.

“I am no one’s slave,” he croaked out, sounding like a whiney kid.

“Perhaps. But I am not just anyone.” Before he could catch a breath, the woman was in his space. He kept his hands at his sides, knowing if he touched her he would be punished. Her full lips were inches from his. She leaned in, placed a tender kiss on his cheek, then stepped back.

“The Mistress has chosen!” the voice boomed and the room heaved a collective sigh. Evan whipped his head around, suddenly terrified and hornier than he had been in his entire existence. He closed his eyes as a loud whooshing sound started echoing around in his head in perfect time with his heartbeat. He held his ground, biting the inside of his cheek raw to keep from falling to his knees and kissing his way up her shiny patent leather shoe. The woman stood, the cape-like cloak draped around her tall, perfect body. He couldn’t move and had no idea what to do now anyway.

She took two long steps and was back in his space, tugging his tie, lifting it free of his collar and letting her lips linger over his, tempting, teasing, and bringing his body to full attention from his scalp to his toes. What in the hell was going on here? He was a sub? But the whooshing sound would not stop; it deafened him and he started to shake. The woman put her hands on his shoulders and kept kissing him just enough to make him insane. Disembodied hands removed his suit coat. Then, with a powerful jerk, She ripped his dress shirt into two scraps of expensive cotton that hung from his wrists.

His nipples hardened, his skin broke out in goose bumps. More bodiless hands unfastened his cuffs and took what remained of his shirt away. The woman kept smiling, trailing her fingertip down his chest. Evan’s lungs hurt he was breathing so hard.

“You are very…” She leaned in and touched her tongue to a nipple, making him gasp. “In need of…” She licked her way across his chest to the other hardened nub of flesh and bit, hard, making him yelp and grunt to distract himself from coming in his trousers. “A lesson in what it means to wield control.”

She unfurled the whip, keeping her lips on his skin, licking and nibbling her way up his neck as he stood, fists clenched and teeth grinding. Then she bit down on his lower lip, bringing tears to his eyes and yet more urgency to fuck. What was happening to him?

“Sit.” She shoved him down. Evan dropped, hoping someone had put a chair there. His ass hit leather and wood. Watching mesmerized as she dug a sharp heel into his still-covered thigh. The pulsing behind his zipper had reached a level he’d never experienced. It was as if he were already coming, in his head, trying to relieve the pressure without actually ejaculating. This was a total goddamn trip. He sighed, looked up at the ceiling.

“Don’t look away from me, slave.” Her rough voice made the whooshing sound return between his ears. She snapped her fingers. Two nearly naked women scuttled to his side, undid his belt, unzipped his pants, and pulled off his shoes while removing his trousers, leaving only his tie and boxers.

“Holy fucking mother of… ah!” he cried out, unable to stop when the woman stood over him, her warm, inviting sex right at his eye level. Other hands rubbed, teased him through his underwear. But he kept his eyes trained up as he sucked in a lungful of her heady scent.

“You think this is all there is, don’t you, boy?” The woman’s voice filled his head. “Your giant cock and what you can do with it.” She stepped away from him, flicking her whip at his inner thighs, breaking up the pleasure with a bite of pain that made him curse and lean forward. The lovely, soft hands that had been on his aching shaft disappeared. “Oh no you don’t. You sit; you take, and you do notcome. For any reason. If you do, I will make you very,” she slid the handle of the whip along his reddened inner leg, “very sorry. Are we clear? Dear?”
Buy Links

Amz: http://www.amazon.com/Mutual-Release-Stewart-Realty-ebook/dp/B00C5TO154/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364999101&sr=1-1&keywords=Mutual+Release

ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mutualrelease-1145557-147.html

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mutual-release-liz-crowe/1046376041?ean=2940016573205


AUTHOR INFORMATION: 
Microbrewery owner, best-selling author, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great Midwest, in a major college town. Years of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse, plus making her way in a world of men (i.e. the beer industry), has prepped her for life as erotic romance author.

When she isn't sweating inventory and sales figures for the brewery, she can be found writing, editing or sweating promotional efforts for her latest publications.

Her groundbreaking romance subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” has gained thousands of fans and followers who are interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”)

Her beer blog a2beerwench.com is nationally recognized for its insider yet outsider views on the craft beer industry. Her books are set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high-powered real estate offices. Don’t ask her for anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury.

www.lizcrowe.com
www.brewingpasssion.com
www.a2beerwench.com
www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor
www.twitter.com/beerwencha2
www.facebook.com/groups/romanceforrea...
www.facebook.com/jackgordonrealtor


Grand Prize: Paperwhite Kindle (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GEKXUO/ref=fs_cl)
1st Prize: Signed set of first 6 books (Includes all books in the series *except for* Mutual Release)
2nd Prize: boxed set of first 3 Stewart Realty ebooks (Floor Time, Sweat Equity, Closing Costs)
3rd Prize: Zazzle store Stewart swag pack (including canvas tote bag, mug, t-shirt, keychain)
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/02/book-blast-mutual-release-by-liz-crowe.html

Hump Day Special! Purchase any of my autographed books from this page for 50% OFF! While supplies last.

Got hit by a stomach virus or the flu over the weekend an...

Got hit by a stomach virus or the flu over the weekend and still feeling the effects. Had all the fun that goes with it, too. Haven't been sick like that in like, ten years. While I was working full time, too I might add. Now I'm retired and go out like, once a week and I get something. That's what I get for not sanitizing that one shopping cart on Friday.

Still, I made myself go out today and take care of some stuff. Had to give blood, that's always fun. Then bought myself a new recliner, and yes, I will take a picture of my old one and post it, as requested believe it or not by some readers. I will miss that old chair!

Also got a new mattress and some other stuff. Doing a little remodeling in my part of the house. The cats also got a new toy, which Jezzie claimed first as usual. 

Sneak Peek Sunday

Link to participating authors

Here's 6 paragraphs from Hot Spot
Sammy opened a bright red cooler, grabbed a bottle of water, and continued toward  the edge of the lake. She scanned the area, seeing some familiar faces, some not so familiar. Pat and his new wife were relaxing on inner tubes, holding hands to keep from drifting apart no doubt. At least one of them was getting some. She was actually glad her ex was happy. Taking a drink of water, she turned and froze.
John O’Malley was standing in the open doorway of his cabin, his tall body braced by one arm against the jamb, while he took a sip from a brown bottle. As he lowered the bottle their eyes met, and the crooked smile Sammy remembered slowly spread across his rugged features. The years had been good to him. There didn’t seem to be an ounce of spare flesh anywhere on his forty-four-year-old frame, but there was gray in his black hair, which was shorter than she remembered.
She smiled at that. It was hard to believe it had been almost twenty years since she’d seen him last. He was far removed from the lanky, cocky teenage boy with long hair and a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. And he was probably thinking something similar about her. Back then, Sammy had been short and a tad heavier than she would have liked. And she’d lacked the self-confidence to accept that a boy like himcould really be interested in her.
She realized she was staring at him. God, I hope I’m not drooling! He looked simply delicious, and a heat began spreading over Sammy at this awareness. What was he thinking? He had yet to take his brown eyes off her.
He finally acknowledged her with a slight nod of his head, and Sammy was undecided on whether to ignore him or approach him. After all, he was family. But, in spite of the changes in his appearance over the years, he still reeked of a dangerous attraction that spelled trouble. On the other hand, they were adults now and she was suddenly curious beyond belief to know what he had been up to since the last time they saw one another. Had he remarried? Did he have children? What did he do for a living?
Before she knew what she was going to say, she found herself walking in his direction.“Well, well, well. If it isn’t good-little-girl Samantha O’Malley.”

50% OFF!

Hey, check it out! The Wild Rose Press is offering All the Right Moves at 50% off! Now is a good time to pick up a copy if you haven't already. It's offered in print and ebook.

Too much drama!

Oh my God...my daughter cracked me up today. This is the scene that played out between us as we waited our turn behind a car at the bank. We were there to deposit a check into her account, from mine. Proof that growing up in a generation with computers and where everything is done online, isn't always a good thing. 

(me) "Did you make out a deposit slip?" 
(Michelle) "Deposit slip? She can do it (meaning the teller)."
(me) "No, you have to make it out."
(Michelle) "I don't have a deposit slip, I just have checks. Where do I get a deposit slip?"
(me) Here's where I begin to laugh. "There should be deposit slips at the back of your checks."
(Michelle) "I don't have anything like that, I just have checks." She flips through to the end of her checks. "Oh." 
(me) "Now you make it out and give it to the teller with the check. Just put down the amount you're depositing, what you're keeping, date it, and sign it because you're getting cash back."
(Michelle) She begins to fill the deposit slip out and gets frustrated, and impatient. "This is why I have direct deposit. This is too much drama. Here, you fill it out." She hands it to me.
(me) I didn't have my glasses so I couldn't fill it out either. 
(Michelle) She takes the slip and tosses it. "She can do it (meaning the teller again)." By now the car in front is gone and we pull up.

My daughter sends the check through and tells the teller she doesn't have a deposit slip and would she please fill one out for her. The teller, surprisingly, fills it out. In the meantime, Michelle notices the container filled with bank forms next to her and says, "What are these?" She picks one up. "Oh." They were deposit slips.

Cheryl Douglas is visiting today!

High Stakes by Cheryl Douglas 

BLURB:

Former party girl, Alisa Turner, made a deal with her daddy, Trey. He’ll provide the seed money for her new business venture as long as she promises to stay out of trouble. Too bad her good intentions tumble 30,000 feet when she meets a sexy stranger on a flight to sin city.

Hotel mogul, Liam Bryson, has never believed in love at first sight, but when a sexy little siren twenty years his junior tempts him into a night of high stakes Blackjack, he’s suddenly playing for keeps.

Alisa wakes up in Liam’s bed the next morning, cursing Tequila and the five carat diamond on her left hand. She demands an annulment before her over-protective father finds out she reneged on their agreement, but her new hubby isn’t prepared to let her go without a fight.

EXCERPT: 
Liam Bryson cursed his big mouth. Speaking his mind was part of who he was, and he knew people judged him because of it. They’d called him opinionated, arrogant, insufferable, stubborn—the list went on, but those qualities helped him build one of the most exclusive boutique hotel chains in the world, so he refused to apologize for the attributes that made him successful.

But when he realized his unwarranted opinion had offended Alisa, he immediately wished he could retract his words. He’d lumped her in with all of the other women he’d dated, and it was obvious to him in the few moments they spent together that she was nothing like them. She was special. He didn’t know how he knew, and he didn’t question it. He trusted his instincts, and he knew he had to find a way to get back into her good graces, because even if he never saw her again after their plane touched down, he didn’t want her to think poorly of him.

He hadn’t considered another person’s opinion of him in years, and he’d never, ever gone out of his way to impress a lady. He’d never had to, not when the prospect of accessing his bank account seemed to be the only enticement they needed.

He stood up to let Alisa slide into her window seat and impulse prompted him to settle his hands on her waist and pull her flush against his chest as he whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry.”


AUTHOR Bio and Links: 
Cheryl began her professional career as a nutritionist, but her love of books started at an early age. She studied writing for many years before she decided to pursue her passion as a full-time career. After receiving constructive criticism from several well-known authors, Cheryl finally had the confidence to write her first romance novel.

The first book in the Nashville Nights series, Shameless, was a book that had been dwelling in Cheryl’s subconscious for years. For her, the surprise came when the manuscript began taking on a life of its own. Characters came to life, secondary characters became more prominent, outlines were forgotten, and a single title evolved into an eight book series, and another eight book spin-off series entitled Nashville Nights, Next Generation.

One word would aptly describe Cheryl: workaholic. She lives and breathes her writing, when she’s sleeping, watching TV, driving, reading… it’s always in the periphery of her mind. Her imagination rarely takes a holiday, even when she escapes to a sandy beach with her husband and son, she’s planning, plotting, outlining, and daydreaming.  Cheryl feels blessed to be able to get up every day and do something she loves. The thousands of fans who have embraced the Nashville Nights have made that possible. She writes for the readers who ask for more, she writes to satisfy the muse residing inside of her, but most of all, she writes because she couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her life. It took her thirty-seven years to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, but now that she knows, she’s convinced she’s found her purpose.


Buy Links:
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Stakes-Nashvill...

BARNES & NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/high-...

Other Links
Website: http://www.cheryldouglasbooks.com
Facebook: http://www.cheryldouglasbooks.com

Cheryl will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host. She'll be awarding the following prizes to randomly drawn commenter's during the tour:

two $20 Amazon Gift Cards
ten trading card/cover flat packs (US/Canada)
ten eBooks from the Nashville Nights series (winner's choice)
two sterling silver necklaces (US/Canada)

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/01/virtual-book-tour-high-stakes-by-cheryl.html

Coming April 15th!!!

This is the second installment of the Evans brother’s trilogy folks! You read Beau and Marissa’s sizzling romance in A Perfect Fit. This next stand alone romance is Blade and Callie’s story. 
If you read A Perfect Fit then you know the three brothers are identical triplets! 
Next up...Chaz and Val's story!