Vivian Arend's Blog, page 82

The Big Bad Crazy Mad iPad Contest

Yeah, it's a bit of a mouthful, but wait until you get a look at the PRIZES!! Moira Rogers and I are hosting a four week long contest, with HUGE bag of print prizes and ebooks weekly, and a grand prize of an iPad. We've got a whole lot of awesome authors who have donated prizes for this, and I'll be featuring them and their books here at the blog.

If any of you want to pass on info about the contest to others, feel free to share–and be sure to come by here all week for more info on the great authors participating. To enter, click the banner. Good Luck!

Snippet Saturday- History is calling

The theme for today is past history. This is one of those 'open to interpretation' themes–and I bet there will be some variety in the types of snippets you get to read today!

My snippet is from Tidal Wave. A flashback to history between the hero and heroine.

Slippery when wet…

Forces of Nature, Book 1

From her first kiss to her first sight of dolphins dancing on the waves, Alexia Colten has always held a special place in her heart for Jaffrey's Cove. Now that she's back to help her grandmother settle into a home, she discovers this place has lost none of its remembered magic. In fact, it seems more magical than before—and more erotic.

After she's gifted with a beautiful, dolphin-etched medallion, she finds herself surrounded by the golden boys of summers past. Her body is filled with longings she can't explain and dreams of blue lights that turn into lovers.

Joshua Marley and his cousin Anthony are merfolk, a people capable of living beneath the waves as either dolphin or human. Alexia holds the medallion that marks her as the next in line to lead their people—if she can prove she can transform. Working in tandem, they're sure they can arouse her passion and protect her from those who would use her simply to gain power.

But their strength alone may not be enough to help her face the challenge of her new position…

Warning: This title contains a conniving granny, naked men in the surf and shifters who take fun in the water to new depths. Snorkels not required.

—-

He mumbled something too low for her to hear, his face turning even redder. He met her eyes and must have seen her confusion. He took a big breath and let it out in a slow, uneasy stream before speaking louder. "Can I give you a kiss?"

She collapsed onto the sand as her legs gave way in surprise. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude and I know it's strange for me to pop up and ask something like that when I don't even know you and I can understand if you say no but…" His gaze swung back to the boys who whispered behind their hands and slapped each other on the backs. Joshua squared his shoulders and looked Alexia straight in the eye. "They've been teasing me about being the baby of the family and one of them said I'd never even kissed a girl and before I knew it, they were daring me to kiss someone on the beach and they don't think I will and…" He shook his head. "Man, it sucks to be the youngest."

Alexia felt for him, even as blood rushed through her and made her squirm. She heard one of the brothers give a catcall and suddenly her embarrassment turned to anger. She knew what it felt like to be teased, and she wasn't going to let the fact he was gorgeous stop her from fixing his jerks of brothers. She crawled to her knees and faced him.

"Okay."

Joshua stared at her, then his eyes widened. "You mean it?"

She nodded slowly. "Just a quick kiss, right? Nothing else?"

He shook his head in denial so fast she smiled. He cleared his throat a few times before holding out his hand to her again. "You are a true friend, and if I can ever come to your rescue, I would be honored to repay the favor." His grin went from ear to ear.

Alexia smirked back at him as they shook hands, conspirators together against the bullies of the world.

She closed her eyes. That was about the extent of her knowledge when it came to the kissing deal. She waited, barely breathing. His lips brushed hers, cool like an ocean breeze, before he pulled away quickly.

Alexia opened her eyes. Her cheeks were hot and flushed, but she was still there and hadn't melted from embarrassment. The hooting and hollering faded away in the distance, and she turned to see the rest of the boys retreating down the beach.

"Thank you."

What was she supposed to say? "You're welcome. Will they leave you alone now?"

He nodded. "I know it seems silly to let them get to me, but they are family and I guess I figured…" He gave a wry smile. "Anyway, thanks for helping me. They'll stop teasing me, for a while at least."

He rose to his feet and Alexia stood too, feeling strange to remain kneeling at his feet. Joshua shyly passed her a shell. "Here, for your castle. Or to take home as a memento of the holiday."

She dropped her eyes to see a perfect shell, the edges intact and the spiral tracing counterclockwise to a fine point. "Thank you, it's beautiful." Alexia lifted her gaze to his. She caught a glimpse of something in the water beyond his shoulders and sucked in air. "Look!"

Fins surfaced in the water near shore. Suddenly a smooth body rose into the air, somersaulted and dove back in nose first.

—-

~BUY LINKS~

Ebook available: Samhain |  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Drop in with these other authors for more tastes of the past.

Emma Petersen, Leah Braemel,  Mari Carr, McKenna Jeffries, Taige Crenshaw, Delilah Devlin, Eliza Gayle

A chance to help

We've all heard about the devastating storms that took apart the south. In our travels, we passed through part of that area just after it hit, having on a whim deciding to remain slightly longer in Southern  Carolina instead of heading to our new destination. The RV park we showed up a day after the storm? One mile away from a touchdown.

We feel very very fortunate.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, my good friends Bree and Donna of Moira Rogers were surrounded by the storms in Alabama. You can read the account Bree posted on her blog. It's heart-wrenching. But they too made it out unscathed.

Not everyone was so lucky.

So we want to help, and I want to encourage you to give as well. The easiest way is to donate to the Red Cross. They are there, and can give where it is needed. But if you'd like a little different approach, a group has organized a benefit auction. Here's our contribution:

One refurbished Nook (3G + WiFi) still in box + digital ebook bundles from Vivian Arend & Moira Rogers, including:

Vivian Arend: Wolf Signs, Wolf Flight, Wolf Games, Wolf Tracks, Tidal Wave, Whirlpool, Turn it On, Turn it Up, Falling Freestyle, Stormchild, Stormy Seduction

Moira Rogers: A Safe Harbor, Undertow, Cry Sanctuary, Sanctuary Lost, Sanctuary Price, Sanctuary Unbound, Crux, Crossroads, Deadlock, Wilder's Mate, Sabine

If you'd like to bid on this item, please drop in here. For all other items up for bid, check here. Thank you for considering helping, any way you can.

It's not the years, it's the miles…

Today is a special day. Twenty-five years ago my best friend and I did things up right and got hitched. Yes, I was about 4 years old when we got married…no, not really. But it simply doesn't seem possible. I don't feel old enough to be married that long!

And over the years we've always joked "It's not the years, it's the miles…" Yes, some of you will know that's from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Harrison was my second choice…

So this morning, we decided to do a little slide down memory lane. We went through our travel journeys, and made a list of all the trips we've done together. Only the ones together. Then we added up the travel distance to get there, if it was a flight or a drive. We added up the distance of the hiking, bike, paddle or ski.

Fly/Drive: 269,488km
Hike: 581km
Canoe: 800km
Ski: 821km
Cycle: 240km


That comes to a total of 271,930 km. The distance around the World at the equator is 40,074 km. This means that my sweetie and I have traveled around the globe a total of 6.79 times. So far.

I can officially now say that it's both the years AND the miles.

For the curious, some of the places we've been:

Alaska, Assiniboine, Aster Lake, Asulkan Hut, Austria,Banff, Big Island, Bow Glacier, Broken Islands, Bryant Creek, Bugaboos, Canmore, Chilikoot Trail, Conrad Kain, Crimson Lake, Rocky Mountain House, Crowsnest Pass, Deception Pass, Dempster Highway, Disneyland, Drinnon Pass, Dyea, Egypt Lake, Elenor Lake, Elk Lakes, Everglades, Fairmont Hot Springs, Faye Hut, Flathead lake, Floe Lake, Fort St James, Fryatt Hut, Galatea Lakes, Goat Creek, Granite Lake Cabin, Haines, Holland, Jasper, Kananaskis, Kathleen Lake, Kauai, Keno, Yukon, Kikoman Creek, Kokanee Glacier, La Ronge, Lake Ohara, Lakeland,,Las Vegas, Leman – Burstall Pass, Maritimes, Maui, Maui Crater, Meadowlake, Medicine Lake, Mexico, Molar Meadows, Moonshine Lake, Moose Lake, Moyie Lake, Na Pali Coast, Nelson, Oahu, Osooyo, Panarama, Paradise Cove, Phoenix, Queen Charlotte Islands, Radium, Rampart Creek Youth Hostel, Revelstoke, Ripple Ridge, Rock Lake, Salmon Arm, Silver Spray, Silver Triangle, Silverstar, Skagway, Skoki Lake, Stanley Mitchell, Sylvan Lake, Three Isle, Beaty Lake, Tombstones, USA loop, Utah, Vancouver, Waterton, Wates Gibson, Wells Gray, Whitehorse, Yoho Valley, Yukon,  Yukon River, Zillertaller Alpen

Huge contest–on it's way

Okay, this proves I'm only a geek wanna-be. I preprogrammed a blog post regarding the HUGE contest Moira Rogers and I are planning for May. Only, with the storms that hit Alabama, we're going to be starting a few days late.

But that post still went out as scheduled. :headdesk: So, for any of you that got it? And are looking for the links to the giveaway? They aren't up yet.

It's not you, it's me.

We hope to be ready to roll this coming week. Stay tuned for more info, and this next time it will be for real.

Huge contest! May iPad giveaway!

Moira Rogers and I called in a ton of friends and we've got an entire month of books lined up to show off.  Every week during May we'll have new books for you to check out, and chances to win ebooks, gift bags full of print books, and a GRAND PRIZE that's out of this world.

Try a NEW iPAD!!

Sound exciting? Follow the link for your chance to win, and

Returning to…Snippet Saturday!

I've taken off the past six months as I traveled, but it's time to get back into the swing of things! Snippet Saturday is the brainchild of Lauren Dane, and there's a group of authors who on a weekly basis post a snippet from one of their stories based on a common theme.

I love the way the different authors interpret the themes at times. It's a good chance to discover new books, or be reminded of old favorites. I hope you'll start returning regularly to enjoy a snippet and then visit the other blogs as well. It's a great Saturday morning coffee activity!

Just for fun, I'm going to post a snippet today, for practice. Using my own theme of 'Returning to old friends'. From Stormy Seduction.

Sensual water shifters meet volatile air shifters—there's a storm coming.
Pacific Passion, Book 2
As morning-afters go, this one is looking pretty bright. Both air shifter Laurin Marshal and water shifter/shaman Matthew Jentry are aware, though, that trouble won't be long in coming. And they're right—before they've barely begun to work out the details of their mystical bond, the People of the Air find them to challenge Laurin's right to choose Matt as her mate.Fending off Laurin's would-be suitors is easier than Matt anticipated, but there's another dilemma still to face. His own people. Laurin is just beginning to trust that his heart and body are completely hers, a radical change after she's spent the past two years alone and on the run. What will happen when his skittish, innocent partner encounters the playful, sensual—even lusty—ways of the Otter Clan?

Especially since they are arriving at the peak of the traditional summer solstice fertility rituals. And tradition demands they be the main attraction…

Incoming extreme passion yielding one otherworldly adventure. Don't let the book length fool you—there's enough heat in this story to challenge global warming. Four plus two equals one ceremony so explosive it may throw the earth off its axis.

—-

The heavy mooring rope thudded onto the deck, followed by the landing of a dozen feet. Matt wiped his smile from his face. The otter clan did nothing without a full contingency of supporters. Even now he saw the official greeting committee waiting on the dock. The entire clan must have turned out.

"Matt!" A pair of arms wrapped themselves around his neck followed by hard slaps to his back. He twisted to look into the eyes of a close friend from his university days.

"James, you devil. What are you doing here?" Matt gave him a quick hug. James had switched tracks from medicine to pure science, and Matt hadn't seen him in months.

His friend grinned. "If I need to research algae, can't I at least do it in the comfort of my own clan's territory?"

Damn, it was good to see him again. Matt snorted. "I suppose. Personally, I think if you're going to study algae you should have your head examined."

James punched him good-naturedly in the shoulder. His gaze darted past Matt, and his eyes widened. He whistled softly. "Excuse me, mate. Angel needing assistance."

The other man snuck around him before Matt figured out what had caught his friend's attention. When he did turn, a string of curse words rose to his lips and he bit them back in rush. Laurin had gone below to grab her bag and had just appeared up the steps into the full sun of the late afternoon. Her blonde hair shone in the light like a halo, her pretty face and tidy dress drawing attention to her trim body and firm breasts.

Fuck.

The otter folk clambered around the ship deck, fastening the Stormchild to the pier, grabbing medical supplies from the cargo section, and generally snooping into everything. Through the chaos, all Matt saw was James hanging over Laurin like a lovesick sea cow.

He should have expected this to happen. Of all the clans, the otter folk were the most blatant in their sexual appetites. Not that any of the People of the Sea were shy, but the otters—they took the whole definition of sensual to new levels.

"Thank you, but no." Laurin twisted James away and pushed between his shoulder blades to direct him toward the pier.

"Troubles?" Matt called, fighting his way through the extra bodies on the deck to her side. It was hard to believe they'd been the only two on the ship ten minutes ago. It felt like forever since they been alone.

Especially when she turned and gave him that look—the one that said she had something very naughty in mind. He concentrated on keeping his body in control. He did not want to sport a massive hard-on when he met the greeting committee currently marching toward them. It could be too easily misconstrued, and he didn't need any immediate offers of "servicing" from one of the many willing volunteers.

A cool breeze floated past his mind—that light touch he was beginning to associate with Laurin's connection with him as a Hawáte. She winked, then smiled sweetly. Damn, he was going to paddle her butt. She knew what she was doing to him.

He cleared his throat and focused on the issue at hand—his friend, who was as close to a sexual bomb as anyone could possibly be. Matt stared pointedly at James. "Laurin? You having trouble with anything? Anyone?"

Even as she shook her head, she pushed James's hand off her shoulder. "No, no troubles in particular. Why would you ask?" She tugged James's fingers off her waist.

James pressed against her back and leered over her shoulder, not even attempting to hide the fact he was peeking down the front of her shirt. "I've missed you, sweet teacher. I'm longing for more advanced lessons than you gave me last time you visited."

More? What the hell had the bastard done with her? Matt shoved James away and tucked Laurin against his side. He glared hard, sending out all the warning signals he could. "There will be only lessons in pain if you try to seduce my woman."

James froze. "Really? She's with you?"

Matt nodded, thankful for once Laurin added nothing in response. "Really."

The otter shifter held up a hand. "No worries then, mate." He paused for all of two seconds before his face brightened. "Of course, if you need a third, you know where to find me."

The man just didn't give up. Matt pulled Laurin toward the pier. She leaned closer to whisper in his ear. "Third? You've been doing kinky things I need to know about?"

Sweet Jesus. That was exactly the kind of question he wanted to avoid having to answer with a full formal greeting about to occur.

Although—this was the otter clan, and he had his suspicions about exactly how this greeting was about to run. Could she really not know what to expect? "I thought you said you'd visited here before."

She grinned. "Well, since you're aware James already propositioned me, you should know the answer to that one."

Any response he would have made was lost as the rest of the clan moved forward to greet them.

—

Ebook available: Samhain | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

See you next week!

Thursday Thoughts

Random things floating past my brain. Enjoy!

1. My editor at Samhain, Anne Scott? I

2. I'm currently living on Prince Edward Island. The soil is red. My fluffy white puppy's tummy is now tinged red from running in the field.

3. When I see reviews on my books that range from 5 star to 1 star, I am reminded again that I write for MY pleasure and the people that enjoy my books. That's not everyone, and…that's okay. Really.

4. Revising a book is a little like renovating a house. Sometimes you have to tear apart even the bits you like to make the whole structure more sound and WOW.

5. Getting an email from someone who just read their way through the Granite Lake series? Makes me smile.

6. Having friends deal with loss and disaster makes me feel powerless. It also reminds me to hold onto my happiness.

7. My husband and daughter have the weirdest taste in movies EVAH.

8. I swam 2400m tonight. I'm still too competitive–simply HAD to be at the front of the line. If you hear screams of pain in the morning? It's me and my shoulders/back etc.

It's a long and winding road…

I'm talking about revising, and adding, to the Six Pack Ranch series. The first book, Rocky Mountain Heat, will be out in November, and I'm getting the pleasure now of adding more to the story. Making it shinier–since it was one of my first books released I've grown a lot over the past couple years.

But getting to revisit old friends is so much fun. Tiny unedited tidbit:

Travis carried the bag to the counter and Jaxi grabbed the other supplies she needed, pulling a crock-pot over and loading it with the fixings for overnight cooking.

She was in the middle of measuring vanilla when he stepped behind her, reaching around to grab the brown sugar. He adjusted the lid carefully, organizing her supplies. All the while he stayed close, rubbing and bumping against her at every chance.

Double oh brother.

She glanced across the room. Yeah, the twins had noticed. Joel opened his mouth, probably to lambaste Travis, but his damn competitive spirit would just encourage him more. It had taken a long time to figure out Travis's weak spots, but now that she knew them, she had no objection to exploiting them.

"If you're all going to hang out and get in my way, you may as well be useful. Jesse, grab me the eggs from the fridge. Joel, I need some cheese grated, about a cup, please. Travis, move your ass back two feet or I'll be using your balls for playing marbles."

Jesse snorted.

Travis stepped away. "You don't want to be doing that."

"Course she doesn't," Joel teased. "That would be like playing with peewees. Makes it tough to win anything."

A trip back to Granite Lake

They handed out the Sammies today- and Wolf Games won 3rd place in the reader's choice for ebook cover for 2010. YEAH ANGIE!! SO I'm doing a little walk down Granite Lake lane. FIRST KISSES IN ALL THE BOOKS!

If you want first chapter excerpts, click the covers:

Wolf Signs

This stranger made her mouth water, and she hadn't had a real taste of him yet. She opened her lips a crack, to see what he'd do and his eager tongue slipped past to trace the edge of her teeth.

Damn, he tasted good.

A sudden rush of scent filled her head and made it spin. Tingles raced down over her body coming to land between her legs. She reached out a hand to see if something was pushing on her crotch, but nothing was there except the internal pressure that made her want to squirm.

Keil's hand slipped around to the back of her neck, drawing her closer and shifting her mouth to a different angle as he continued to kiss her. She pressed into him, enjoying the pleasurable sensations flowing through her. Yet even as she kissed back she wondered what she was doing. Why she wasn't pulling her knife on him and getting him to back off?

He lifted her around to lie on top of his body as his tongue worked its magic on her mouth. His heart beat under her hands, the long, hard length of his body warm against her torso and limbs.

And she realized the long, hard length of something else nestled between her legs. Oh. My. Word. She pushed up with her hands on his hard chest to stare into his dark brown eyes, uncertain what to do. She felt safe, even if this had to be the most insane thing she'd done in her life.

"Are you feeling better?" Keil mouthed as he traced a finger over the ear she'd been clutching moments earlier. Robyn nodded. "Let's get some more sleep. We'll talk this through in the morning, okay?"

She nodded, lowering her mouth to give him one more gentle kiss, before crawling off his body to rearrange her sleeping space.

Wolf Flight

Missy seemed deep in thought and Tad fought a case of wandering hands. The need to touch her was so bad it made his whole body hurt. Missy gave him one of her shy smiles. "I'm sure Robyn will be fine. She always was extremely independent."

He hurried to reassure her. "I know, I just like to worry. It comes with the territory."

They stared at each other.

Missy looked away first, biting her lower lip. Tad shut his mouth tight so the groan that wanted to escape was locked away. Everything about Missy called for him to step forward and—

She grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged until he stood between her legs, their torsos nestled together. Lips, soft and warm, brushed his, that strange electric sensation enveloping his body at the same time. Tad pulled Missy closer and kissed back, nibbling her lips, caressing the curve of her cheek with small touches. He snuck a hand into her curls and cupped her head to direct her mouth to the right angle to enjoy her fully.

She opened her lips and he tasted her for the first time. Sweet and spicy, intoxicating.

Addictive.

His tongue made a tentative dip into her mouth, a brief stroke against hers, then retreated as they explored the newness of the kiss. What he'd imagined as a teenager was nothing like the experience as an adult.

Heat rose between them as his body reacted to Missy's softness. Tad fought to keep his hands loose around her instead of trapping her against the plane like he wanted to. He forced himself to kiss her instead of feasting on her lips, forced himself to let the sweetness of the experience flow over them like a fine wine.

They separated at the same moment, fingers linked together even as their lips parted. Tad stared into Missy's eyes and saw his need reflected back.

Sweet mercy, she wanted him too.

Wolf Games

They stared at each other.

"Would you be comfortable if I touched you?" she whispered, looking him straight in the eyes.

Comfortable? He was dying for her touch. "I'd love it."

She lowered her gaze again. "I haven't been around many wolves recently. I'm frightened by what I'm feeling. I think I know what this is, but I'm scared…"

Oh mercy. "I'll take care of you."

He took a step to the side, still standing waist deep in the water. With one hand on the grass on either side of her hips he caged her between his arms. They both glanced toward the others to make sure they weren't being watched. Then like conspirators, they leaned together and their lips connected.

Sweet summertime air. The feel of the wind through his fur on a moonlight run. All the most treasured moments of his life faded in comparison as he tasted her. This, this was the moment he'd waited for all his life. She met him with her mouth slightly open, her breath mingling with his before their tongues even touched. He forced himself to keep his hands in place but she had no such compunction. As they kissed, slow and easy, learning each other's flavour, she caressed his shoulders, rubbing her palms over his brush cut. Smoothing her long fingers down his chest. His skin shivered in anticipation of where she would touch next. Light, fleeting touches that brought his blood to a boil.

He concentrated on enjoying her scent, drawing it into his very being. Nibbles on her bottom lip, light kisses across her cheek. He licked softly at the pounding pulse at her throat. His gums itched with the desire to bite, to mark her permanently as his. But not yet. Not now that she'd confessed her fears. Still, his wolf demanded he take some action. The beast within grew as wild as he'd ever felt it, driving Erik to claim his mate. Instead of biting he suckled, drawing the soft skin of her neck into his mouth until he'd brought the blood to stain the creamy surface. The moan of desire escaping her lips nearly made him change his mind and take her right there on the embankment.

Oh hell, he wanted her. All his. Now.

Wolf Tracks

Man-oh-man, his eyes were so incredible she swore he was using some kind of hypnosis. Turning away was impossible as he stared at her, tracing her hair, her face, one finger outlining her lips before he slowly lowered his head and brought their mouths together.

He brushed his lips over hers like a gentle breeze, his fingers tugging her hair to redirect the angle of her head until their mouths meshed together. Tentative strokes of his tongue brushed fleetingly past her teeth. Teasing, barely giving her a taste of him before he broke away and dropped his forehead against hers.

"Holy shit, you taste good," he panted. "Incredibly fabulous. I'd never dreamed a woman could taste like you. Or make me feel the way you make me feel."

Screw the sweet talk. She hadn't had nearly enough of his kisses. She tried to regain possession of his lips. Arched her back in an attempt to press their bodies together and let her feel his muscles, his desire for her.

He groaned softly. "You're killing me. We shouldn't…"

She stepped on either side of his leg and pasted her aching crotch to his thigh. A short gasp escaped her as the impact made her clit throb.

"Fuck it." TJ grabbed her butt and dragged her hard against him, wrestling control from her as this time he kissed her senseless. Sucked the air from her lungs, twined their tongues together. An almost desperate, mindless, seeking touch. He demanded her response and she gave it eagerly. The pleasure in her sex rose like a rocket blasting into outer space.

His hands were everywhere. Skimming her torso, touching her breasts. Clutching her hips and grinding her hard onto his thigh. Excitement washed over her, the rapid beat of her pulse making her lightheaded, out of breath. He licked a path down her neck, nibbled on her collarbone and something electric shot to her core.

"I want you, Pam," he growled against her skin. "You're going to be mine."