Rhian Cahill's Blog, page 40

Six Sentence Sunday – Coyote Whispers Pt3 – #sixsunday

I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who stops by each week. I love all the comments. It puts a smile on face each time I read them. And now, following on from last week this weeks six:-

She was the one who should be doing this. She was the doctor. The person who stitched the cuts, set the broken bones and soothed the bruises.

Hands and fingers sticky with blood, Steve rolled her to her back and breathed a sigh of relief when she moaned.

“Doc? Can you hear me?”

You can find all the info on Coyote Whispers HERE!

And don’t forget to check out this weeks Six Sentence Sunday participants HERE!

Oh, and don’t forget Rhian Cahill now has an App! I’m running a contest in celebration and you can find out all the details HERE!

Snippet Saturday – How can you mend a broken heart?

This weeks theme is heart break and what can be worse than discovering your marriage was a sham?

Miki hung up the receiver and went back to the dining table. Not that it really bothered her to hear him say he loved her. No, what bothered her was that it made her miss him. Miss them and all they were offering. With a sigh, she plonked down in her chair. Five days without seeing them. Five days of continuous phone calls that should have driven her batty. Instead she lived for those scant few minutes where she got to hear one of their voices. Damn. She was so screwed up. And probably screwing up the best thing that ever happened to her into the bargain.

She dragged the next box closer to her chair and leaned over to pull the top photo album out. Her breath caught when the album below was revealed. A white embossed leather cover with gold script, an intricate pattern around the edges and a couple entwined on a love seat in the centre. Her wedding album. Miki traced the fancy design with a fingertip. So much lay hidden under the cover. So many dreams and hopes that had never seen the light of day. So many lies. So much deceit.

With trembling fingers, Miki picked up the album and, like it was a bomb about to explode, placed it gingerly on the table. The other albums were forgotten as she stared at that white cover now dull with age. It still felt soft under her fingertips. The leather, although in need of care, had stood the test of time and neglect. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen the photos inside. Couldn’t remember packing it away.

Reaching over for the dust rag, Miki carefully brushed the thin layer coating the album. She wasn’t sure how she felt about looking inside, but she knew she was going to. Lifting the cover to reveal the first page, she held her breath. What did it say about her that she couldn’t remember what picture would greet her? Her fingertips lightly traced the black and white shot. She and David running through the tunnel of bubbles their guests were blowing over them. The picture had been her favourite. How had she forgotten that?

The next few pages were her and her bridesmaids getting ready. She laughed at the look on Frankie’s face. They’d had so much fun getting their hair and make-up done, pulling on their dresses. Miki studied the shot of her and Frankie admiring the beading in Miki’s gown. The memory of that day came flooding back, Frankie bitching about the silly froufrou skirt and the girly peach colour. For all her protesting, she’d been a knockout in that dress. Her friend had been willing to do anything for her even though she’d hated the groom-to-be.

Miki frowned. Frankie had hated David with a passion, and at first she’d been upset that her future husband and best friend didn’t get along. But it had quickly become apparent that Frankie and David were happy to ignore each other as much as possible and be pleasant when they couldn’t. She had to wonder why Frankie had never said, “I told you so,” when things had started to unravel between her and David. Her best friend had lived up to the title by being everything Miki had needed every step of the way. Especially during the hard last few years of her marriage and then when David had gotten himself killed and the woman with him badly injured.

She turned another page and stared at the picture taken minutes after she and David had spoken their vows. Happiness radiated off the young woman in the arms of her new husband. Miki remembered being so happy, deliriously happy. But David…he looked happy enough, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes and he seemed to be holding her awkwardly as though he were uncomfortable. Miki looked closer. Why had she never noticed the strained edge to him before?

He’d always been happiest in the limelight, and yet in this picture it was like he couldn’t wait for it to be over so he could move away. Miki’s stomach rolled. She quickly flipped over another page and examined the photos carefully. The bridal party, everyone pressed together so they could all fit in, but David was angled away from her while she leaned into him smiling a dazzling white smile. Another picture, another tense embrace. Her stomach clenched.

Why had she never taken notice before? Had her complete joy over her wedding overshadowed her groom’s unhappiness? Because that’s what he was, unhappy. In every picture, on every page, on his face, in his eyes, his body language said he wasn’t happy. How could she miss that? Miki pushed the album aside, picked up a different one. This one held snapshots of their honeymoon. Again, there was stiffness in David’s embrace, but he did seem happy, at least his eyes were smiling in these pictures.

She flicked through page after page, album after album. Each one showing their lives until the last one held mainly scenery, the odd snap of her or him, but none of them together. The last photo was taken two years before David’s death. When had she stopped documenting their adventures? Staring up at her was David, the angry creases in his forehead, the frown on his lips and the fire shooting from his eyes. He hadn’t wanted her at the off-road racing gala day. He’d been furious when she’d shown up. It wouldn’t be until two years later that she would understand why.

Michelle had been there, one of the sponsor’s promo girls. It all made perfect sense. His disinterest in going places with her, the way he’d withheld information about where he was going, what he was doing. Miki closed her eyes, squeezed them tight against the pain lancing her temple, her heart. It had all been a lie. Every last day of her life was a lie. Tears flowed down her face, dripped from her chin. She’d thrown away her dreams and hopes on a man who’d never had an interest in catching them. In making them real.

Miki shoved away from the table, swept the albums to the floor and stared at the jumbled mess she’d made.

“Oh God,” she groaned, and bent at the waist as her stomach cramped. “What have I done?”

She stood up, turned around. Took a step. Stopped. Turned back. Miki lashed out, kicked the photo album closest to her. Pain shot through her big toe and into her foot, but she didn’t care. Pain was real. She kicked out again. And again. Stomping on the pictures that couldn’t hide the truth. Jumping up and down, she smashed the white album, tearing the leather with her rage. Then she stopped as suddenly as she’d begun and gasped.

Spinning on her heel, she ran from the room. “I have to go.” Miki searched for her shoes and keys. She’d wasted years on a relationship that never stood a chance and yet she’d been willing to walk away from one that felt as right as breathing just because it wasn’t normal. “Stupid.”

Purse in hand and flip-flops on her feet, Miki raced out the door.

You can find out more info on Truth Or Dare HERE!

The list of  this weeks participating authors :

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Jody Wallace

Mandy M Roth

Lissa Matthews

Leah Braemel

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Lauren Dane

Rhian Cahill App. Contest!

That’s right, I have an app! It’s available for both Apple and Android devices. How cool is that!

To celebrate I’m running a contest! All you have to do is download the app and tell me which book I’m holding in the pic with the gorgeous cover model Alex. Oh, and he happens to be ON the cover of said book.

Send your answer to rhian AT rhiancahill DOT com with App Contest in the subject line. The contest will remain open for two weeks and I’ll draw three winners from the correct entries. Each winner gets TWO downloads of their choice from my backlist.

Guess I should tell you where to get the app!

Android App

 

iPhone App

 

Six Sentence Sunday – Coyote Whispers Pt2 – #sixsunday

His heart kicked back in with a thud. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and the urge to cradle her in his arms took hold but Steve knew he couldn’t. Not yet. He had to check her injuries, stop the bleeding if he could. He ran his hands down her limbs to check for broken bones. In his limited knowledge he held back a howl of frustration.

Find all the info on Coyote Whispers HERE!

Don’t forget to check out all the other Sixes up this week HERE!

Snippet Saturday – Every breath you take.

The first thing El noticed was the pain lancing her side. She was lying on hard ground, sharp jagged edges digging through her clothes into her ribs and hipbone. The second thing she reacted to was the cold. She shivered as her senses came more awake. Moaning, she tried to move her legs and couldn’t. Something held them together.

Her eyes popped open, her vision unfocused at first but as it cleared she took note of her surroundings. She also took note of the fact her ankles and wrists were tied together with rope. The quiet indicated no one was near and remaining perfectly still, she concentrated on listening for any clue she wasn’t alone.

Nothing.

Not even the raspy sound of breathing.

She had no idea where he’d taken her or where he’d gone. The ground around her had been cleared of snow, small mounds of white sat in front of her and it covered the trees and shrubs in sight. A rock or stick dug into her thigh as she twisted to look behind her. The view was the same. He’d left her outside, in the forest somewhere.

Urgency grabbed hold. She needed to get away before whoever had taken her came back. El had no idea who the man was or what he wanted but the thought of him returning sent ice rushing in her veins and fear exploding in her gut. If he’d left her here, he’d meant for her to die alone. If not, he planned to come back. El didn’t like either of those ideas.

Clouds covered the sky, blocking out the sun so she couldn’t make out what time it was or which direction he’d taken her. The freezing temperature made her numb, but the rope around her limbs added to the sensation by cutting off her circulation. She wouldn’t be able to get away with her hands and feet tied. How could she get free? The nylon cords were biting into her flesh and she hadn’t tried to loosen them yet.

She needed to think, clear her mind of the panic and fear then work out a way to get untied and back to Rowan. El didn’t know what had happened at the house but she was pretty sure the guy who’d taken her had hurt her friend. Had Brogan and Quinn come back from their meeting and found Rowan hurt and El missing? Were they out here looking for her?

Pain streaked up her arms and pulling them in front of her for a closer look took effort. Biting her lip to stop from crying out, El studied the knots at her wrists. It didn’t look as if she’d be able to undo them. Her abductor hadn’t been kind enough to leave her with a neat bow to loosen them. She pulled the ropes to her mouth and used her teeth to tug at dirt-covered fibers.

They didn’t give and the movement rubbed the raw skin already circling both her arms. She needed something sharp. There was no hope of getting through the thick rope with her teeth. Frustration bubbled and a growl slid up her throat. Muscle and skin stretched and her teeth lengthened.

Her teeth.

With renewed hope, she brought her hands to her mouth and sank her coyote teeth into the knots. El gnawed at the ropes, felt them give a little. She could do this. Wiggling her hands and fingers to bring back the circulation, she bit down harder. One strand snapped, fell from her wrist. It gave her room to move and soon a second and third piece of rope fell away.

El breathed through the pain as blood surged back into her fingers. She shook her hands, clenched and unclenched her fists to try and ease the throb. She gritted her teeth and used her stiff arms to push herself up. The agony in her ribs eased but there would be bruises. The dull ache was manageable and she didn’t appear to have suffered any other injuries. Her legs, numb and weak from lack of blood, hurt but she drew them up to examine her ankle restraints.

She was greeted with bigger and more complicated knots than the ones on her wrists. She growled and bent double, thanking her lucky stars for years of gymnastics and yoga. Flexibility had always been her strong point. Her back and shoulders ached as she stretched to reach the knots with her teeth. Sensing victory within her grasp, El ripped at the ropes with teeth as sharp as any knife.

You can find all the info on Coyote Wild HERE!

The list of participating authors-

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Jody Wallace

Mandy M Roth

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

Shelli Stevens

TJ Michaels

Lauren Dane

New office, edits, galleys and guest blogging!

First, I’ve been really quiet due to numerous things but mostly because I had to set up a temporary office on my dining room table for two weeks while we renovated part of our house. We’re finally able to move back into that area now and I’m supposed to be setting up my office space but once I plug in the PC I kinda got distracted. Anyway, I promise to do a blog of before and after shots next week.

My editor and I finished edits on Spin The Bottle this week. It will release September 25th. I can’t wait! I’ll have more info, like the official blurb, cover, etc, in the coming weeks.

I also dealt with the galleys for Bondi Beach Boys this week. That means you’ll soon be able to get your hands on the print version of BBB. It’ll be released with two other novellas in the Beach Bum Anthology Vol.1 and as soon as I have a release date I’ll let you know.

Today I’m over at TRS Blue blog talking about threesomes. Come on over and let me know what your favorite three of kind is. CLICK HERE!

Six Sentence Sunday – Coyote Whispers Pt1 – #sixsunday

Welcome to another week of six! We’re moving onto the next book the in the Coyote Hunger series, Coyote Whispers.

The overpowering aroma of spilled blood masked her scent, but he knew she was one of the pack, her scent was familiar. Too familiar. No! His fingers brushed away hair to reveal her face and Steve’s heart stopped.

“Doc?” The hoarse whisper ached in his throat.

You’ll find more information on Coyote Whispers HERE!

And don’t forget to check out the other Sixers up this week. CLICK HERE!

Snippet Saturday – Authors choice.

Mmm…what to pick, what to pick…..

Mikaila opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Where was her canopy? The light from the bedside lamp gave off a muted glow that didn’t hurt her eyes, but it did nothing to clear the fog in her head. Images and snippets of conversation swirled around but nothing made sense. The last thing she clearly remembered was heading to a party with her best friend. Damn Frankie and her need to drag Miki out of her protective shell. And where was her so-called friend anyway? Come to think of it, where the hell was she?

With care, Miki lifted her head and peered around the room. Definitely not hers, but the plain decor gave nothing away as to who the room might belong to. The simple wood dresser held no photos or knick knacks to offer up a clue, and the only thing on the walls other than white paint was a scenic picture of a beach. When her head didn’t protest too much, Mikaila pulled herself up and rested on her elbows. Her head was all floaty, her body felt as if it weighed a ton and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth it was so dry.

Oh shit.

She was drunk. Or at least she had been. Now she was hungover. Had she crawled into one of the upstairs bedrooms at the party? Crap. She didn’t even know her hosts, Frankie did. Sighing, Miki flopped back on the bed. She regretted the move the second her head hit the soft pillow and her brain reverberated around her skull like a ping-pong ball. Miki brought her hands up to cradle her head and closed her eyes. Breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, she concentrated on stopping the pounding in her head. When it reached a manageable ache she opened her eyes once more.

The open blinds and sheer curtains revealed a dark sky beyond so it was still night. Maybe she could sneak out of here—wherever here was—and no one would know she’d taken a little siesta at all. Plan set, she scootered to the edge of the bed and sat up, her head spun a little but not enough to stop her. Her flip-flops sat on the floor beside the bed but before Miki could slip her feet into them and stand a creaking noise drew her gaze to the other side of the room and the slowly opening door. Damn. Escape without detection was not on the cards tonight.

Miki braced herself for a confrontation, but the slam to the gut she got wasn’t what she’d expected. Larger than life, wearing only boxers, stood Dayne and Grant. Memory flooded back. The party, seeing the guys again and the outrageous game of Truth or Dare Frankie had roped them all into. Jeez, and the numerous shots of tequila Mikaila had thrown back when she wouldn’t answer any of the questions. No

wonder she was feeling a tad out of it. Not that she was drunk now, a little tipsy maybe but not drunk. Well, not on alcohol anyway.

Her gaze travelled over every inch of the two fine male specimens standing in the doorway. Devouring all that naked flesh in front of her had certain parts of her anatomy drunk all right, but not on booze. Oh no, lust was rapidly taking over. And Miki’s common sense and brain had been sufficiently drowned in intoxicating liquor for her to open her mouth and comment before she could think better of it.

“God, you’re both gorgeous.”

She spoke in a low, breathy voice that hung on the air like molten sex. No, wait. That was the scent of her arousal. Moisture coated the tender folds between her legs and she squeezed her thighs together to relieve the pulsing ache their presence had produced. The thin layer of panties and sundress were no shield against the aroma they wouldn’t fail to detect if they came any closer. Neither man spoke, but they stared at her with an intensity that had her stomach flipping and her heart racing. That look coming from one man would be enough to melt any woman’s underwear, but double it? Miki shuddered.

Find all the info on Truth or Dare HERE!

The other authors participating this week -

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Jody Wallace

Mandy M Roth

Lissa Matthews

Leah Braemel

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

Shelli Stevens

Zoë Archer

Lauren Dane

Sinful Sirens Giveaway Hop! WINNERS!!

First apologies for being late with this post.

Anyway, without further delay the winners are……

rubyswan

Hillary Curran

Please contact me on rhian AT rhiancahill DOT come with the ebook of your choice (go HERE to have a look at my available books) and the format you’d like.

Congrats to the  two winners and thanks to everyone for participating.

Six Sentence Sunday – Coyote Wild Pt4 – #sixsunday

Welcome back to another week of six. We’re sticking with Coyote Wild again this week. Oh, and Christine I LOVE this cover too!

Her teeth chattered sending a jarring rattle through her head. Her fingers and hands were stiff with cold and the knuckles ached. Wrapping her arms around her body, El tucked her hands under her armpits, trying to ease the throb. Now that she stood still and took stock of her body she realized her jeans were wet and getting wetter and she was halfway to frozen.

If she didn’t work out which way to go soon Brogan would be the least of her worries. If she couldn’t find the house, she’d freeze to death before he got to her.

You can find all the details about Coyote Wild HERE!

And be sure to head over to the Six Sentence Sunday site to check out all the other sixes up this week. CLICK HERE!

And don’t forget the Sinful Sirens Giveaway Hop! has one more day! CLICK HERE!