Vanessa Jaye's Blog, page 3

Six Months Later....

Has it been that long?! Crap.

So I'm trying something new, starting today. I checked my email and all my online/social sites this morning. 

And that's it.I won't check in online again till this evening because I *need* to get shit done. Particularly with my writing-- I've got several partial first chapters on my hard-drive. This blog has been dormant for months. I've slagged off on going to the gym, and I have a couple of Learn A Second Language CDs hanging around that I've been meaning to get.  And yes, I do have to check email in the morning because I’ve signed up for several new job notifications/emails.
 Speaking of which….

The temp/contract position I landed late last year, which had the possibility of turning into permanent gig at one point,ended in April. Needless to say I was big-time bummed, and watching my savings dwindle/facing having to sell my house hasn't been fun, but I can't continue to wallow/dwell on the situation. I'll eventually get another job, I can only keep looking. And if I have to sell, I know I'll buy again. at some point In the meantime, I can accomplish some goals rather than let anxiety/depression rule me. Easier said than done, of course, as anyone who has had to wrestle with these issues, knows; plus, yeah, I'm one of "those" writers whose creative dries up when I'm stressed out of my mind. lol. Considering my stress levels may not be changing any time too soon, just gotta put my head down and git-er done. One thing for sure, I can't keep trying to 'self-medicate' via online distractions. 

So, I've got a sci-fi cyborg hero idea, sci-fi/time-traveller heroine idea, a dragon-shifters series idea, a werewolf/secret baby(ack!!) idea and a succubus heroine idea, all with several pages written for each manuscript. I also have the first chapter of Mitch's story (follow up to Hunter of the Heart) just about done, nevermind the two story excerpts posted on my coming soon (ack!!) book page, each with several chapters already written and collecting on my hard-drive collecting dust. Oh yeah, every year I promise myself I'll write Jack Frost's story since my freebie, The Werewolf who Stole Christmas, 'visually' remains my most popular book in terms of the number of reviews it generates.  And of course poor Robert from Felicity Stripped Bare still needs his own book.

Yeah, I'd say I have more than enough to distract me from my problems. :-P

Merry Christmas

It was a close one here at Casa Jaye.

Because of the recent ice storm that sweep through southern ontario last Saturday, we were without heat and electricity since Sunday evening right up to this morning. *phew*

But here I am in the count down to get dinner on the table and I just realized I haven't posted a Christmas greeting on my blog yet!

*clears throat* :

Wishing you and yours all the best over this holiday season. Enjoy the food and company and may health, love and laughter be yours in the upcoming year, with just enough sorrow that you never take the rest for granted but find continued joy, peace, and gratitude in every moment you've been gifted with. :)

Merry Christmas!

Vanessa Jaye

Consider, It Might Be Better Not To Know

I just
skimmed a review of a book where someone noted in the comments that overall
they loved the series, even though they felt a little lost at times.  The comment struck me because the reviewer
noted that there were something they loved in this latest addition to the
series, something they  though were meh
and others they didn’t get, yet the rating they gave was still pretty high (4
out 5).






I contrasted
this with other reviews (or feedback/critiques) I’ve seen for other works
online.  There’s a lot of ‘why this, why
that, make this clear’ and it's posited as if any questions raised that don't make sense to the reader right away, are a very negative thing, when
technically, the opposite may not be.
As a reader,
you don’t really need to know everything on the first read through.  I’d even go as far to say as you really don’t
want to.  You should know/understand
enough that the flow of the story and suspension of disbelief is interrupted.
You should be able to fill in some gaps with a few theories and guesses that
make sense to the characters, world-building and plot.  But you really don’t have to know everything,
right now.






Why would
you want that? Where’s the fun and the intrigue? Often books resonate with you
well after the story on the page is done because there are a few little niggles
in your mind.  Sometimes those niggles
are enough for you to write the author; sometimes they are the very thing that
pulls you into the next book.
You know
what one of my greatest joys is as a reader? : re-reading a story later and
discovering something new—some nuance I missed the first time, or having a new
interpretation of something because I might be reading it in a different
mindset now, or with new knowledge gleaned from elsewhere—that delight in
discovery would have been lost if the author had pedantically laid every
mystery in the text wide open.  Not only
that, but when the author fills in every nook and cranny of explanation it robs
you the reader the experience of making that book uniquely yours based on your
life experiences or what you may need from that story emotionally at that time.






Granted, it what’s missing from the text is
causing frustration and confusion, then, yes, perhaps the author should have
provided more clarity.  The take away is,
enjoy not knowing for awhile and accept maybe never knowing except for what
your own imagination might supply.



On another note, yup, been absent again.  So the progress report is: the job hunt continues, it's no fun and prettymuch is a drain on any creative energy.

I went from Zig to Zag

I could've swore I posted my change of plans here or on my author Facebook page (btw, have you liked my author page over there? www.facebook.com/VanessaJayeAuthor  It's not superbusy, so you won't be swamped with posts, but I'm trying to get that ramped up in terms of writing news/progress, excerpts, etc., )



Anywhoo, I decided to put the contemporary books aside for a moment. Just couldn't get my mind set into them. Instead, I decided to play with a sci-fi story idea I had hanging around for awhile.  It's essentially a marriage of convenience story-- or maybe in this case an inconvenient, forced contracted sexual alliance.  The hero is a retired cyborg soldier with the unfortunate but duly earned nickname of The Beast of Beltrane-3. I've got some vaguish ideas for connected stories featuring his fellow brother-in-arms cyborgs, but that's for late.r.



These are the models for my H: Griffen Heller and h: Neri Senator. I know the actor's name is Ty Olsson (and he's Canadian to boot!). Not sure who the female model is. I'd love some more pics of her as inspiration, though.

























Dang they look good together! --but he needs a tan :-P  I've had pics of him on my hard drive for about a week now, but just found her pic this morning.



Last thing, I'm doing a Fast Draft with Catrina Brown for the next couple of weeks, so I'll post my progress in the comments to keep me honest. *g* I'm only aiming for 10 pages/day though. I know enough about how I write to know that I can only turn off my internal editor so much.

Writing Progress

How did 10 days go by already since my last post?



Got a lot of balls in the air obviously, but the writing is moving along.



The outline for the Dragon book is done,done,done! I think I wrote 9 pages double-spaced on it. Can't wait (even though I have to) to start on it. The dragon book will most likely be subbed to my publisher.



Right now, I'm working on a 3 book idea. Contemporary Romances. All stand-alones, but same setting and  the heroines for each book are all friends. Aiming for approximately 200 pages for these babies. These 3 books will be self-pubbed. Really hoping I can have 2 up for sale by December.  Hero in book 1 is a red head.  And, he's hawt! Oh, yes, he is; don't you give me that look.

Waaaaah

I mentioned a dragon shifter idea I'd been working on lately. It was an idea I came up with last year, but in the last month or so I've been playing with the concept, developing the world-building, plot points and my characters GMC (goals/motives/conflicts). Most of my playing has been on notepad ap on my phone since it seemed like the only way I could squeeze in any writing time was on the fly.



On the weekend I finally nailed down some stuff for the ending, but because I knew this was writing project #3, I didn't immediately email the notes to myself to add to the word document I had started/saved previously (and thank god for having that doc already started/saved!)



You can guess where this is going, right?



Decided to do the transfer from the notepad ap yesterday aaaand .... *poof* be gone! It's. Not. There.



I turn the phone off and on. Nope. Still not there. In fact there are no notes saved since June 1, so who knows what other random story ideas/concepts I lost but can't remember off the top of my head.  :-(



The one saving grace in all of this is that those scribblings in the notepad ap, where just that, notes. Not actual story text, written out scenes, etc. Also because I was making notes as I wrangled with plot points and GMC, etc., those items are still in my head, so it'll be fairly easy to write them out again, probably in a cleaner copy this time. Chances are I won't remember every little thing, but I remember the major most important ideas.



I posted my waaaah on Facebook almost immediately and writing buddy Amie Stuart suggested I get the Evernote ap, which I have done. Also downloaded it on the pc.  So, all's well that ends well.  Sorta.

Moving On

If you’ve
been  sorta/kinda checking in on this
blog over the last couple of years, you’ve run across more than one sheepish
blog post apologizing for an extended absence awhile alluding to dealing with daily stress and/or trying to gain some balance in my life, yaddahyaddahyaddah, blahblahblah.. 



My job really was extremely stressful; at one
point I was working 70-80hrs per week on average, never mind dealing
with some on the job interpersonal crap. 
A couple of weeks ago, I accepted a severance package.  It’s been a mixed blessing, on the one hand, glad
to be out of that super stressful situation, it was taking a toll on my
health. On the other hand being unemployed in this current economic climate is so not
great.  



Anywho,
moving on….



The job
hunt is underway. Plans are being firmed up regarding taking some
professional courses/training and I’ve got a great network of
friends who are actively helping out with leads by working their own
contacts/networks.  But a job hunt can
only take up so much of your time. Suddenly I find myself hitting the gym
regularly—lost 5lbs so far! The house is spotless. lol.



And Another very
positive change that has happened is:  I
find myself with the time and, more importantly, the mind-space to write, plot
and make plans re my writing career and marketing , etc.


 

Right now there are 3 stories I’ve
prioritized; a dragon shifter idea that I’m 99% done with the outline. As much
as I want to dive write into this story, once the outline is done, I’ll
back-burner it while I work on a couple of more pressing ideas:  
First - a sequel
to The Wolf who Stole Christmas, using the ‘villain’ Jack Frost as the hero.  This one is priority 1 because it’ll be a
short novella and I want it up for December. 


 

Next will be Rob’s story (Rob is the
best-friend and business partner of Daniel, the hero from Felicity Stripped
Bare). I’ve always wanted to write Rob’s story and came up with several ideas
over the years that just weren’t right. Yesterday, the concept of his story
just hit me out of the blue. I honestly can’t remember what triggered the idea,
but it’s perfect. I just need to wrangle with the outline, GMCs, plot points,
etc., but I *know* this is his story.   Now to re-read Felicity. *gulp* I haven't read it since it I finished the last copy edits, but I want to make sure I get the details right for this connected story. Will probably do a post on how I feel about that reading. *cringe*



Stay tuned for updates.

 

Reading Withdrawals

I've been going through a prolonged period of the *mehs* when it comes to reading.



It’s my fault.





I O.D’d on a bunch of
books that were in certain subgenres and featured a favourite hero type.  Also, I wasn’t all that discriminating when
it came to erm… the quality of the writing.  So had some hit and misses there while looking
for, primarily, a quick read.  Now I’m
finding it hard to even choose a romance/romance-subgenre book to download,
much less decide to read one.






Some of the blurb
words/phrases that have me backing away from possible downloads/buys:



- Billionaire hero/brothers/best-friends
(especially when it’s paired with something incongruous like Billionaire
Lumberjack(s), or Billionaire pastry chef, or if he’s only in his 20s.)



- “Book 1” or any
indication this is part of a novella/short story serial. (Read/started a couple
of excellent series/serials but I’ve hit my limit on them at this point. I will
only start a series/serial now if all the books/parts have been released.)



- BDSM (which I
actually like, but you can usually tell from the blurb when the element of bdsm
is not intrinsic to the story/characterization but more of a hook.



- Anyone (usually the
heroine) who is finding/exploring their sexuality, etc., - if this is the *main
thrust* of the story, I’m giving it a pass. There are a handful of authors who
write this trope very, very well, with layered/fleshed-out emotion and characterization.
But there’s a lot of crackalicious boink-fests out there too, with a sprinkling
of the heroine’s angst/backstory masquerading as story-depth.



- Sassy, Snarky,
Smart-ass/mouth as a description of the heroine.



- Anything that sounds
like it was inspired by Twilight/50 Shades.



There’s more, but
those are the ones that come to me at the moment. :P



While I still prefer a
romantic subplot in my stories, I’m shying away from full-blown romances or
romance/subgenres and more drawn to stories that are primarily about other things
(journey of self-discovery, mystery/thriller, etc).  But even there, I’m not making much progress.
I’m partway through a couple of excellent reads (Anna Dressed in Blood and The
Mystery of Mercy Close). In both cases, I enjoy the books while I’m reading,
but find it soooo easy to put them down and it takes forever to pick them back
up again.  



On the other hand,
I’ve been reading the newspaper daily, going through a variety of magazines, and
enjoying some really great writing on a handful of tv shows. 
 



I’ve gone through this phase before, it’ll pass.
But it sucks to be stuck in the *mehs*.

The Laundry Challenge

 
So…. I’ve
been having a spot of trouble writing. 


The motivation  (I want to write) is there, but the
inclination/discipline/habit – ie: butt in chair hands of keyboard—has been sorely
lacking.  A lot of it has had to
do with striving for life balance and juggling stress (particularly work related),
but I’ve over the worst of that, so it’s come down to feeling meh about various wip projects and not
pushing myself to get past that meh until
I find the sweet spot where I’m in the writing zone and completely immersed in
the story/characters.

There’s also an issue of
family sabotage. I think a lot of writers experience this. You’re finally
totally focused on your writing and… here come the incessant interruptions.
Nothing can be found without your help. No argument settled without your
input.  Mom, when’s dinner? Can you give me a lift to XYZ? We’re all out of ABC
food, etc. With my son, he always seems to need some beta reading/critique
feedback on some major sociology or poli-sci paper, or wants to share an anecdote
just at the moment I boot up my laptop to write.

Love him to death and
really enjoy our talks (if you’ve ever read any of my Casa Jaye posts, you’ll
understand), but I absolutely need a minimum 30mins focused unwinding when I
get home and then (would like) at least 1hr uninterrupted writing. I tend to
conflate unwinding with online  surfing,
which doesn’t help, but it’s the only ‘mindless’ thing I can do while he’s
yapping my ear off. ;-P Just thought of a solution!  -- Going to start taking my shower earlier in
the evenings, instead of just before bedtime.  That would give me my approximately 30mins of
de-stressing. Then, gonna put my foot down about the 1hr (at least) uninterrupted
time. The rest is up to me.

I also just ordered
another Alphasmart. I’ve had a couple in the past and they really force you to
focus on the writing. No surfing (not connected), no editing (because only
about 4 lines of text are visible), just pure writing. It’s lighter weight than
my netbook and will boot up and turn off quicker than the netbook. That should
hopefully help with writing on my commute/lunch break.

So what’s the title of
this post about? I’ve been off work since Friday and won’t be back till
Wednesday. Part of my plans for this mini-vacation was to write. Guess how much
of that I’ve done? Exactly. Managed to get a bunch of other things
accomplished, but somehow this goal has fallen to the wayside (as usual). I
have 4 loads of laundry to do today. Already have 1 load in the drier, and another
just started in the washer. Each load takes approximately 1hr 20mins in total
(wash & dry); plus there’s folding and putting stuff away. But I figure I
can write in 30min spurts for the next 3hrs or so. We’ll see what I get done by
the end of the day.



I’m going in…

That Kiss that Curls Your Toes

**Edited to add the lovely Dee Tenorio's excerpt.  Mea culpa, it was way past my bedtime when I  put this all together but I really should have sent Dee a gentle nudge/reminder before hitting publish. 



A couple of weeks
ago I caught an episode of COSMO TV. It was an lovelorn advice segment, where a bunch
of guys offer up their version of Dear Abby.


 

The advice seeker wanted to know
what she could to improve her (fairly new) boyfriend’s kissing--which she found
a turn off. The guys were astounded that dude actually made it to boyfriend
status. As far as they were concerned a first bad kiss as a libido killer that immediately
shunted you into the friend zone, no if, ands, or butts. No second chances.


 

Their advice? Break up with him. Lol. Harsh, but…they had a point.  Not sure any relationship would last long with
a slobberly kisser, or one who repeatedly jabs a rigid tongue into your mouth or
keeps their lips tightly pursed like they just sucked down a spoonful of alum.



 You get my
drift. 



The guys in the
following excerpts are expert kisses. Imagine David Gandy kissing you. Now
imagine the guys that make Gandy’s technique seem like he’s chewing off ingrown
toenails. These are those guys.  Not a single
slobberer amongst them.



In Celebration for
St. Valentine’s Day I thought I’d post some kiss scene excerpts from stories by
me and some friends – Dee Tenorio, Samantha Storm, Raine Weaver and Sasha White. As you may
know, Sasha writes erotic romance/erotic so her excerpt is a little bit nsfw and
a whole lotta  hawt! Lol.

 



Here’s the first kiss between my hero and
heroine in Felicity Stripped Bare:



All too soon they arrived at her front door.



Daniel stared down at her. “Do you still want to hear what I
thought of tonight?”



“Yes—”



His mouth locked onto hers.


Felicity grasped
his jacket as his fingers twined into her hair and he backed up to the wooden
rail where he settled and pulled her between his thighs. The night air touched
her with cool sighs, but Daniel’s mouth was pure hungry heat.



Then his kiss
turned to soft enticement, reeling her in as he nibbled and licked at her in
tiny teasing flicks that beckoned her lips to part and her tongue to seek his.
Felicity gave in and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his broad
shoulders as little mewling sounds escaped her.



“I know baby, I
know,” he soothed and captured her bottom lip gently between his teeth. Then
suddenly the hands that swept caresses along her back were crushing her to him
as he stroked his tongue deeper, forcing her to open wider for him.




 
(Now there’s a man who knows how to kiss! And he's just getting started...)



                                                                 * * *


From author Raine Weaver, we get a peek at her current work in progress, a untitled vamp romance:

Laryn had answers to all his arguments, of course. Points to be made about the distinctions between right and wrong. But they all seemed to disappear as he lifted her hand, grazing her knuckles with his lips. Softly. Persuasively. As seductive as sin itself. “I take it our lovely dinner is over?” she ventured.



“I promised to have you home in two hours. That means we barely have time for dessert.”



Her voice sounded unconvincing, even to her, when she spoke. “About that dessert? I’m not going to sleep with you, Pardo.”


And there was that killer smile, turning the chill in her heart to warm, thick slush. “I have yet to ask, m’lady.”



He’d barely touched her, had not even made a move for the blood. But the vague, sensual persuasion of the haze was already creeping over her, dulling her defenses. “It was just a reminder. In case your advanced age has made you forgetful.”



He chuckled, releasing her hand and running a finger along her temple. “Do you always keep it so tightly wound, or don’t you ever let your hair down?”



“Literally or figuratively?”



“Both.”



“As I said, you’re only paying for—”



Pardo’s arm tightened around her waist, pulling her hard against his body. “I don’t want to hear about the money. And don’t keep remind me this is all part of your job, dammit. I know you do it well.” His voice deepened, drawing her in. “But don’t pretend you don’t feel the attraction, Laryn. I’m not interested in buyingyour body. But I’ll have it nonetheless.”



The concentrated gaze of a vampire was naturally hypnotic; that of a Sang nearly mind-bending. Pardo, however, needed no such trickery. The sheer bulk of the man surrounded her, overwhelmed her, his strength testing her resolve. This was the creature she’d been elected to destroy, and she couldn’t seem to think beyond wanting him to touch her.



He was already aroused, his mouth hovering a fraction of an inch away from hers, warm and inviting. She wanted to touch him, feel that impressive bulge against her belly come to throbbing life in her hands. But the fierce hunger in the eyes that resembled nothing more than full, eclipsed moons held her as surely as his taut, muscled grip.



She couldn’t breathe. Stranger still, she couldn’t seem to care. It was the last earthly thought she had before succumbing to his kiss.



Tentative, searching at first. Irresistibly soft lips, impossibly warm, inviting. Testing her willingness, wanting more than professional courtesy. Demanding more than the blood without asking or giving quarter.



This wasn’t the time to give in. Not only would he wonder about her easy surrender, but she hadn’t had a chance to grab a weapon before leaving. She needed to get him alone, away from prying eyes and the deadly Bowden to do what was necessary.



A taste. Just a small taste of him. Because he stirred a heat inside of her that she’d buried long ago. Because it was wrong. And because she knew she was supposed to hate him, but the physical attraction was intensity itself. Her eyelids drifted closed, and she relaxed into the kiss, needing more, molding her body to his.



The low, base growl of a dangerous animal sounded in his throat, and he ground his mouth against hers, his fingers spanning her waist. She slipped her arms around his neck, her tongue between his lips, already feeling the effects of the haze, and purring with satisfaction when his huge hands fisted behind her back, trembling for control.



There was no mythology about this man. Laryn had met some of the most powerful vampires in the country, if only for feeding purposes, and she could tell. The strength in the corded muscles of his arms alone was unbelievable. And still he hesitated, held himself back, when he could so easily have taken what he wanted.



“Jesus.”Pardo jerked away as if he’d received a shock, but maintained his hold on her, his breathing harsh...



                                                                                   * * *
From Sasha White’s ABDUCTION, one of the short stories that's in her Mavericks of Space.






All
thoughts of Earth fled from Max’s brain when the alien dropped her pants. She
stood before him, completely naked, a bright glow making her silver skin seem
almost translucent.



Her body
was perfection itself. Small and tight, strength clearly defined in her
muscles, her breasts and the curve of her hips softening and rounding her in
the way only a woman can be. Aside from the dark curls tumbling down her back,
she had no body hair. Her skin was completely sleek and smooth, and he wanted
nothing more than to explore every inch of that sweet little body.



He should
hate her; despise her for stealing him away from his life and leaving him with
no choices. But when she stepped toward him his cock hardened and his fingers
itched to touch.



“Do you not
find me attractive, Max?”



Jaw
clenched, he didn’t answer, didn’t move.



“You found
me attractive at the bar.” She stepped around him, trailing a hand over his
shoulder, across his back. “You enjoyed my touch and were willing to mate with
me then. Are you still?” She stopped in front of him, her fingers lazily
stroking the small patch of hair on his chest as she stared straight at him.



“I won’t
belong to anyone, Tyla. No matter how much I want to fuck them.”



If he
thought she would flinch at his harsh words, he was wrong. Her eyes softened
and her lips parted, her pink tongue darting out to wet them.



“We’ll
belong to each other. And you do want to fuck me… that’s all that matters right
now.”



With a
slight push, he flew through the air and landed flat on his back, on the bed at
least twenty feet behind him.



Holy shit!
Before he could recover and jump off the mattress, she pounced on him.



Her thighs
straddled his hips and her mouth came down on his.



Gripping
her hips he started to lift her off him only to be distracted by the soft skin
against his rough palms and her tongue parting his lips.



Stop her,
his mind cried, but his body wouldn’t listen. He’d been without a woman for too
long, and she felt too damn good.



With a
groan of surrender, he slid his hands around her, cupping her firm ass and
pulling her closer. Damp heat seeped through his thin pants when she wiggled
and rubbed her pussy against his dick. Her agile tongue danced against his and
her unique flavor filled his head, making it swim.



When she
started to lick and nibble at his neck, Max slid his hands up her back and
around to wedge between them. Since he’d first set eyes on her his palmed had
itched to be filled with those firm little tits.



Tilting
back his head, he gave her better access to his throat, groaning when she
zeroed in on the spot behind his ear. She licked it and nipped at his earlobe
and a tremor racked his body. He gently rolled her nipples around, pinching
them when she ground her heat against him in response.



“God,
you’re an animal, aren’t you?” he gasped.



His whole
body was on fire and getting inside her was the only way to put it out. He
reached for the drawstring on his pants, but the feel of her smooth skin
distracted him and his hands skimmed down over her belly and between her legs.
His fingers delved into her wet heat and relief washed over him. Thank God, no
alien surprise there! He thrust another finger inside her and stroked until she
sat up sharply to undo his pants. Her new position not only shoved his fingers
deeper inside her, but situated the heel of his hand against her clit and for a
minute he gloried in the sight of her as she rocked against him before shifting
to pull back and push his pants around his thighs, releasing his dick.



"Oh,
yes," she said, a delightful grin lighting up her face. "This is
going to be most fun.”



You can visit Sasha
on her website here: www.sashawhite.com

                                                          * * *
From Dee Tenorio's The Virgin's Revenge:






Excerpt:



 



Cole stomped into the Suite Shoppe, surprised that the mile-long walk
had done virtually nothing to cool his temper. Not a thing. He didn’t even
consider himself a hot-headed person. He generally had to have his buttons
seriously pushed to gear up to a decent-sized blow-up. But in less than a week,
Amanda Jackman had managed to set it on fire more times than he thought
possible. It was like she had some kind of magic key right past all his comfort
zones, directly under the skin to parts of himself he no longer thought he had.



But this was it.



The final straw.



She wanted to amp the stakes on this game of hers, fine. He could do
that. But the kid gloves were off.



The door rattled shut, the damn bell overhead jangling like a dinner
call. One part of his brain was aware that they weren’t alone, that there was a
mountain of a man at the register, but he just didn’t give a flying fuck. He
cut through the racks of silky this and willowy that, his prey standing at the
partition between the fun stuff and the naughty stuff, as he’d come to think of
it.



And didn’t she look sweet and innocent, her eyes wide as she watched him
head her way. Those plump pink lips parted on a soft intake of breath, gleaming
with wet gloss.



“C-Cole,” she stammered, rubbing her palms on her jeans. She had on a
white short-sleeved blouse, almost a peasant cut. Pretty, especially the way
the neckline dipped and showed a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage while
maintaining her modesty. “I didn’t expect you to come by.”



“Oh, yes you did.” She had to know he’d come running like a well-trained
dog, ready to defend what belonged to him.



So what if he’d never thought of a woman as belonging to him before in
his life?



So what if she had no idea that this damned demand of Locke’s had become
real for him?



She was about to figure it out pretty damn quick.



Before she could get another word out, he was in front of her. Wrapping
his fingers around the back of her neck and pulling her into a kiss so hot and
wet he was sure the top of his head was about to blow off. She gave a wild
squeak, but it disappeared into his mouth.



Her hands landed on his arms, her fingers grabbing the fabric of his
T-shirt, holding on through the onslaught. And it absolutely was one. He took
her mouth like he had every right, lashing her tight against him, stealing her
breath and every thought she had in her head.



He thought she’d push him off, just to get a word in edgewise.



Instead she melted for him.



Soft and pliant, kissing him back with innocent licks against his tongue
and pleased little sounds at the back of her throat. That sound that got his
cock up and at ’em every time. This one was no different, especially when her
arms went around his neck and she held on for dear life. Then it was all he
could do not to pin her to the nearest wall and take her right there.



He heard someone saying his name, but since it wasn’t Amanda, he didn’t
bother looking up. Hell, if someone was screaming “Fire!” he wouldn’t have
pulled away.



The taste of her was sweet, like candy, but rich in the indefinable
Amanda way, and he wanted more of it. He almost wished he could make himself
relax his hold, be gentler, but the same possessive, Neanderthal urge that had
him heading her way in the first place had him tilting her head to take her
deeper. The temptation to stay there, kissing her senseless, was strong, but he
finally remembered kissing wasn’t what he’d come for.



She made a sound of dismay when he broke away. Her face was flushed, her
lips just a little puffy and parted, but her eyes watched him warily. Good, she
didn’t have a clue what was going on.



“I should have given you that spanking when I had the chance.” He didn’t
even recognize his own voice. It was deep, gravelly and so pissed off he
vaguely wondered if he scared her.



Her eyes did widen for a second, but then her lips spread in that happy,
pure-Amanda smile, and he realized absolutely nothing scared this woman.



He let go of her shoulders and grabbed her hand, already pulling her
back through the racks. “You wanted a real damn date, you’re getting a real
damn date.” And everyone in town would know she was with him. “So if you don’t
like it, that’s just too damn bad.”



She’d angled and teased and now she was getting what she wanted. But if
she thought he was going to let her get away with manipulating him, she had
another thing coming. The woman was going to pay for this, and he had years of
ideas for how she could make it up to him.


* * *




You can read a longer excerpt at her website. Or grab a copy at Amazon, B&N, or on iBooks.




From Samantha Storm’s Shadow Vision:




Van
pulled me close and we danced slowly to the beat. The man knew how to move. I
could feel the heat of his body through my clothes. I closed my eyes and
enjoyed the sensation.



“Van.”



“Hmm…”



“You
were saying something about my eyes.”



His
laugh was low and seductive against my hair. “Was I?”



“Are
you always this amiable when drunk?”



“Who
said I was drunk?”



“You
did.”



“I
said I had a bit to drink.”



“It
must have been quite a bit.”



“Amiable.
Interesting word.” He twirled me out and then pulled me back against him. Our
faces were now inches apart. “If I’m amicable when I had a drink or two what
does that make me when I’m sober?”



I
gave him a slow smile. “The word that pops into mind is scowling. And let us not
forget taciturn.” And I laughed when my answer produced a scowl. “Okay, maybe
not quite enough to drink.” My hand, of its own volition, rose and smoothed the
frown from his brow. He had such a strong face. Chiseled nose, determined chin,
sensual lips.



It
took me a moment to realize the music had stopped and the musicians where
taking a break. A bottle was being passed amongst them as they stood on the
edge of the encampment.



Van
and I were now standing in the shadows. The music stopped, but Van had not let
go of me, my body was still pressed firmly against his. I realized my fingers
were still gently pressed against his lips and I quickly pulled them back. I
opened my mouth, I am not sure to say what, but I never got a chance to say
anything. His mouth was suddenly on mine.



The
kiss was hard and deep, and when he finally pulled away we were both more than
a bit breathless.

I had been kissed before. But it had never been like that. And whatever that
just was, I wanted another taste. Our bodies came together again as did our
lips. His hands skimmed the back of my neck and I shivered. The sensation of
his hands on my skin. Honestly there were no words for it. Whatever he was
doing, I was all for it and wanted more.



He
suddenly pulled away. Strong fingers gently moved down and then across my
throat. Those dark caramel eyes watched me, waiting, for what? Me to pull away
and say no thanks? I pulled him close and brought my lips against his. My hands
moved around his neck as his right hand moved down my

throat and across my breast. The heat of his hand against the flimsy material
of the blouse caused my nipple to grow hard and taunt beneath his fingers.



At
the contact I gasped, but any sound I would have made was captured against his
lips. We stood locked

together, our mouths devouring each other. I was no longer aware of my surroundings.
No longer cared about anything, but feeling his body against mine. I could
blame it on the wine. But honestly I wasn’t that drunk. The feel of his lips on
mine had suddenly sobered every fiber in my body. When he broke contact again,
I cried out in protest. My hands reached out to bring him against me again.



                                                                * * *



Samantha
Storm is also giving away 3 copies, so leave a comment if you’d like to be
entered to win.  



Visit
Samantha on her website at:  http://www.samanthastorm.com/

 

                                                                                    * * *

 

If you're celebrating Valentine's, hope you have a lovely time of it with a few toe-curling kisses of your own. ;)