Vivian Arend's Blog, page 29

Travel Picture Wednesday

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It’s Wednesday, and we know what that means… travel pictures!! I love looking at Viv’s travel pictures, and this week I have an amazing pic she snapped on a recent trip.

These are the arches – the three gossips. So beautiful!

Feature Friday: Black Gold

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Who loves a sexy wolf shifter? Check out Shawn in BLACK GOLD!

“Excuse me, ladies.”

Shaun ducked in front of a table of laughing women and caught the flying beer mug in mid-air before it could slam into the center of their party. Unfortunately, there was no time to respond with more than a wink to their admiring feminine responses. He twirled to grab the nearest bear shifter by the scruff of the neck, hauled him away from the innocent bystanders and thumped him face-first into the rustic wood-paneled wall. Another glass shattered inches to Shaun’s right, and he sighed.

Bloody den buddies. Wolves might drive him crazy, but after a few too many drinks bears were even worse. Should have cut them off hours ago and sent them all packing.

“Let me know if you need a hand,” Evan called from behind the bar, amusement tingeing his voice.

“Fuck off,” Shaun tossed back easily. Just what he needed—an Alpha with an attitude. Not.

Evan laughed as he reached over the counter and nabbed the nearest two troublemakers by the hair. He knocked their heads together and grinned with satisfaction as the shifters tumbled to the floor.

Shaun pulled his current object of attention off the wall a foot or so, examined the man’s eyes carefully, then slammed him back harder than the time before. The bear shifter went limp and puddled downward without a sound. Shaun turned to the remaining crew of shaggy-headed rabble-rousers currently making Tuesday afternoon in Whitehorse a little too exciting for the locals.

Of course, at this time of day the only occupants of the Moonshine Pub were shifters, and for the most part, they weren’t as picky about how wild the party got.

“Hey, watch it, buddy. You’re shaking the dartboard.”

Shaun flipped the visiting wolves the finger. Figured they’d sit and observe the chaos instead of offering to help. This wasn’t their territory, so he couldn’t blame them for staying out of it. And with Whitehorse in the strange position of having two packs sharing territory—sometimes not getting mixed up in local werewolf politics was the safest way to keep your fur intact.

He took a swift survey of the bar, noting only four grizzly shifters remained standing. Well, three standing, one swaying violently as he attempted to chug the remaining half pint of beer in his mug and keep an eye on Shaun.

Talk about not taking matters seriously. For some reason the big brute’s lack of concentration pissed Shaun off. He shook his hands at the man like an irate Italian. “Hey, you. Put the glass down and let’s see some effort here. Sheesh, what kind of barroom brawl is this?”

His opponents exchanged glances, and Shaun cracked his knuckles in anticipation. Finally he’d get to inflict a little bodily damage. Not that he had anything against bears personally—it had simply been too long since he’d let off some steam.

One bear rushed him. Shaun sidestepped, turning with his elbow raised high and hard, connecting with a satisfying thunk to the idiot’s head. The second swung at him as the third lunged forward. Shaun seized the ham-sized fist on his right as it approached, pulled the man off balance and into the direct line of the dive-bombing attack of his buddy. The two connected with grunts of pain, tangling together to land in a twisted mess on the floor.

Too damn easy.

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Travel Picture Wednesday

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It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for a travel picture from Viv’s adventures.

Viv took these images a couple years ago while out walking around her house. So beautiful, but it just LOOKS cold!!

 

First Line Friday: Ride Baby Ride

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Love romances with amnesia in them? If so, RIDE BABY RIDE will be the perfect weekend read for you!

If any place was the epitome of a laid-back, good ol’ boys, redneck tavern, Traders Pub fit the bill. Country music blared over the speakers encouraging those out for the start of the weekend to kick up their heels and let loose.

Familiar sights, all too familiar sounds.

Even more familiar was the ache in Gage Jenick’s gut as Katy Thompson shimmied past, her trim body clad in nothing fancier than a pair of jeans and a western shirt, but he was still damn near drooling.

He deliberately turned his chair away and picked up his beer, the Alberta equivalent of an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

If he didn’t look, she wasn’t really there.

Wasn’t really there, in spite of the sweet apple-blossom scent clinging to her skin that wafted over, like it did during the day while they worked together at her family’s garage. How many times in the past six months had he been in the middle of welding repairs or lugging tires from one rack to another, and found his mouth watering? His head turning involuntarily as she sashayed across the wide concrete space with a question regarding billing or a parts order for one of her brothers working the floor.

He hadn’t always had a hard-on for his best friend’s little sis. For years she’d been Katybug—the tagalong annoyance he’d tolerated for Clay’s sake, and later for the sake of the baking they’d snitch from the kitchen she’d taken possession of when her mom had passed away.

It was like a switch flipped. One day she was this invisible creature, and the next?

He could still vividly picture it—months earlier when he’d stopped work for the day. He’d rounded a corner at the garage in time to see a hose burst on her.

Water sprayed everywhere as she’d struggled to catch the flailing end.

“What the hell?” Gage rushed toward Katy who stood laughing, the broken hose writhing as if it were alive. It only took a minute for him to shut off the water at the source, but that was long enough to end with them both drenched to the skin.

“Sorry, Gage.” Katy hiccupped, she was laughing so hard. “Oh, Lord that was fun. Good thing it’s a warm day, right?”

He turned to deliver some timely big-brother-like, smart-ass comment, and got slammed with an eye-opening lightning bolt.

Her shirt was plastered to her, revealing more than any trip to the lake or swimming hole ever had, and to his utter shock, Katybug had hips and breasts.

And nipples.

Nipples he could clearly see pressed to the front of her soaking wet T-shirt because she didn’t appear to be wearing a bra.

Purchase

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Audio: Audible | iTunes | Amazon

Viv’s Travel Pictures: Yukon

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It’s time to share another of Viv’s travel pictures. This is from Viv’s travels through the Yukon. I am in love with how serene the lake looks. And that reflection, AMAZING!

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Cowboy Romance Giveaway

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This week only, enter to win a Kindle Fire and 55 sexy cowboy romances!  Rocky Retreat is up for grabs, as well as cowboys from Beth Williamson, Tori Scott, Sharon Hamilton, Cathy McDavid, Cora Seton, and many more!

Enter Giveaway Here

Rocky Mountain Heat First Line

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Who wants to see the first line from ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT?

Prologue

Calgary Stampede, Alberta, July



“Are you sure you can’t last a bit longer?” Travis looked away, but not before she’d spotted the disappointment in his eyes. The annoyance.

Jaxi leaned her temple against the wooden boards of the pen, fighting to keep herself vertical. The familiar scent of farm animals did nothing to ease the swirling pain. She felt like the bottom of a horse stall and faking her way through any more of the day was impossible. “I’m sorry. I have to go home now,” she pleaded.

“We bought tickets for the grandstand show tonight and—”

“Why are you two still here? I thought you’d headed back to the fairgrounds. All our livestock showings are done.” Blake Coleman’s deep voice cut through the pounding to soothe her aching head. She opened her eyes a crack to peer up at him.

People wandered past, admiring the animals on display in the livestock pavilion of the Stampede grounds. Watching the rodeo and chuck-wagon races kept many of the visitors entertained, but a good crowd remained here in the quiet of the barns, far away from the roar of the midway rides. A low murmur of voices and the contented sounds of animals filled the oversized building. All of that faded into the background as she focused on Blake’s strong jaw and concerned gaze.

“Ahhh, Jaxi’s being a wuss and wants to cut out early,” Travis bitched.

“Jaxi? A wuss? Get real.” Blake tugged her arm to bring her to his side. His hand rose to her forehead and she caught her breath.

In spite of the lingering sensation of being kicked by a mule, his touch had its usual effect. The tingling in her limbs had nothing to do with the fever consuming her. She dropped her gaze and bit her lip. He wasn’t supposed to affect her this way. Going out with Travis put big brother Blake firmly off limits.

“Damn, you’re burning hot. Jaxi, why didn’t you mention you weren’t feeling well? You guys could have done the Stampede another time. Last day isn’t until Sunday.” A crease folded between his eyes.

“Travis wanted to come today and so did his buddies. I was fine until after lunch. I guess I should have stayed home.” Jaxi wrapped her arms tighter to contain the shivers that threatened to surface. She drew farther from Blake’s body and the temptation to lean into him, let him hold her close.

“Travis will take you home in my truck and I’ll drive the others later,” Blake offered.

“I want to stay for the show. All my friends are here and I don’t want to leave…” Travis’s voice trailed off. Blake had slipped him a head nod, indicating he wanted a private conversation.

Jaxi sat on a nearby bale of hay, holding as motionless as possible in the hopes the world would stop spinning. Their voices went quiet but remained clear even as Blake dragged Travis away from her down the length of the main barn of the exhibition grounds.

“She’s your girlfriend and she’s sick. I’d think you’d want to get her home safely instead of taking off to hang with your friends. Come on, Travis, do the right thing for a frickin’ change.”

“Hell, Blake, it’s just…this is the first time in a long while some of my buds have made the Stampede.”

“Not good enough. Any better reason to leave her high and dry?”

“Fuck you.” There was a pause, then she barely heard the rest. Travis dropped his volume to a whisper. “Things ain’t been so hot with Jaxi lately and, well, I planned on breaking up with her sometime soon. So it would be a damn pain in the ass to leave when everyone else is sticking around having a good time. I’ll just go home alone and end up with blue balls again anyway.”

Jaxi bit her lip. So, the other shoe dropped. Travis had reached his limit of her not putting out for him, even though she’d willingly played his games.

The room whirled.

Purchase:

Digital: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Samhain | iBooks US | iBooks UK | iBooks CA| GooglePlay | Scribd

Print: Amazon | Barnes & Noble  | Book Depository | Booksamillion | Powells | Samhain

Audio:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Tantor | iTunes

Travel Picture: Moab

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It’s Wednesday and time for another of Viv’s travel pictures. This is the Arches Delicate Bridge from her trip to Moab. It’s absolutely beautiful!!

Travel Picture: Yosemite

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It’s Wednesday, which means we have another travel picture to share! This week we have a picture that Vivian took while hiking to Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite. So beautiful!!

Travel Picture Wednesday

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This Wednesday I have a picture to share from Viv’s most recent trip! Death Valley looks gorgeous from this view.