Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 499

Sunday Report Card and we have a winner!

Catch a Naughty Read

I'm blogging in two places today. If you're in need of a sex-fix, be sure to head on over to Wild & Wicked Cowboys for a quick one!

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Sunday Report Card

This week was pretty productive. I wrote and wrote and managed to move some things off my plate.

1) I finished Dragon's Desire—and passed it off to my editor with instructions for her to pull me back from the brink. There are problems with some of the sexual situations, but if you've been reading me for long, you know that sometimes, I go there. Yeah, this is one of those stories. I couldn't stop myself. *sigh*

2) I worked on revisions of a short story entitled Two Hot and shipped it to my formatter. Hopefully, depending on her schedule and whether I can get a cover together quickly, you'll have a sexy little m/f/m story to read before the end of the month.

3) And I've plotted the next story I have to hustle out the door. A sequel to Bitten in the Big Easy. So this next week, I'll have my head down, writing like my hair's on fire. If you see me goofing off on line, you have permission to crack the whip!

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The Believe Fairy Contest Winner

I am trying to think about what I should do for the next contest, so I don't have something to post just yet, but check back during the week, because when I get a minute, I will. In the meantime, the winner of the Believe Fairy is…Ava [ava@guilty....]! Ava, congrats, and be sure to send me your snail mail addy so I can get your prize into the mail.

I have a couple other prizes sitting in the hopper, waiting for me to take an hour to package them up, so it's probably a good thing I'm taking a break do some catch-up!

Y'all have a great week!

Saturday Snippet: Romantic

Sorry, I missed the contest end date. I didn't even think about it until late last night. Tomorrow morning, I'll pick a winner of The Believe Fairy Contest. ~DD

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Your idea and my idea of what constitutes a romantic scene might be two completely different things. I'm not a hearts and flowers kind of girl. Give me a strong alpha male who's willing to risk EVERYTHING for his woman, and I melt. I hope you enoy this scene from Ravished by a Viking. Here, Dagr risks all to rescue his woman, Honora.

The Romance Studio's 2011 CAPA winner for Best Sci-Fi Romance!

"Clash of cultures, clash of myths, clash of powerful personalities…how many authors can bring out on paper the excitement and more-than-willing suspension of disbelief that old fashioned adventure stories once brought us?…a wonderful, action-packed, emotional roller-coaster of a read."

Alien Places

"With the intriguing meshing of the past with the future this was an engrossing read…"

Top Pick!, Night Owl Reviews

What a Viking wants, a Viking takes.

When his younger brother goes missing, Dagr, Viking warrior and Lord of the Wolfskin Clan, will do whatever it takes to get him back. But nothing could have prepared him for Honora—a feisty, intelligent woman who is nothing like the women of his world—women who are content to serve their men in all things. Drawn to her despite her recalcitrant nature, Dagr is determined to show her who's boss both in bed and out.

When the two enemies-turned-lovers join forces to find Dagr's brother they are thrown into a rousing adventure full of danger, intrigue and erotic abandon. Can their passion truly unite them or will their different worlds lead to destruction for them both?

Just as his skiff crunched against the rough edge of the beach, Dagr jumped to the ground, then spun to see how the battle fared. What there was left of a battle, anyway. The action was mostly a retreat—an ignominious run for safety. He counted heads quickly, assuring himself that every one of the men who had accompanied him had made it.

Frakki ran to his side. "Shall we save the bastards?" he said, disgust flavoring his tone. He nodded toward the Consortium soldiers doomed to die if the Vikings didn't mount a concerted rescue.

Odvarr loped toward him, his chest heaving, his face creased with worry. "Dagr, your woman!" he shouted, pointing toward the open waters.

A woman was on the ice! Dagr turned in time to see a slender figure pitch over the side of a skiff and slide on her belly perilously close to the edge. He didn't bother asking what Honora was doing there, or, more precisely, what she was doing on the frozen water. He broke into a run, heading for the closest boat, Frakki on his heels.

They both swung up, Frakki taking the steering ropes, and Dagr balanced on his feet at the raised nose of the small craft. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Stay still, Honora," he shouted, although the wind, the hollow roars of the beasts, and the screams from the remaining soldiers drowned out his voice.

He ignored the slashes of laser light that pounded the ice around him, dared the soldiers sure to die a gruesome death to kill him because he wasn't turning back. If the goddess Hel herself reached up from her frozen kingdom to drag him down, he'd fight her.

"Dagr . . ." Frakki said quietly, dread in his voice.

"I know."

Beneath them a dozen of sea serpents, in blue, green, and orange, swam, tracking them like prey, spiraling, shooting away for a few feet, then circling in closer.

One tapped beneath the hull of their small craft, and the ice groaned and crackled.

Behind them, came the scraping sound of more skiffs joining them on the ice. His men were skilled with the boats, often skimming just off shore. Just far enough to drill into the ice to fish, but close enough to the keep that the guard on the wallwalk could give them fair warning. None of his men were was as skilled as he at escaping the beasts because none dared travel the open seas.

Still they followed him, shouting and hitting the ice with the points of their pikes to draw the beasts away.

In the distance, Arikan's men continued to fire, shredding the solid surface beneath their feet in their panic, drawing the creatures who banged their heads from below to crack the ice, then shoot upwards, mouths agape to catch the men before diving deep to devour them.

Dagr could only worry about only one Consortium officer, who now lay on her belly on the ice, her face turned toward him, her eyes beseeching. That she was terrified was evident by the paleness of her skin and the roundness of her eyes. And by her silence. Honora was rarely silent.

When their skiff drew near, Frakki slowed only a fraction, just enough for Dagr to jump off the boat. He rolled, leapt to his feet, and ran for his woman, brandishing his sword and hoping that another of the boats was close enough to retrieve them once he had her before the dragons burst through the ice.

He prayed as never before—to Thor, who'd blessed his fathers' sword. Prayed that, just like Thor, who'd felled the giant Hrungnir with his mighty hammer, that his sword and his will would be enough to save the only person who'd ever made him feel complete, the woman who held the other half of his heart.

Honora lay flat on the ice, her head raised, watching Dagr draw near. As her muscles contracted with cold, relief and abject fear for him warred inside her.

He threw down his cloak, his furs, never slowing, running full out, his dark hair whipping behind him, his expression so fierce it took her breath away.

A loud thud sounded beneath her.

Honora couldn't hold back a scream as the ice cracked and lifted, splintering into large pieces like a jagged puzzle. She scrambled for a handhold, sliding gloved fingers over one raw edge.

A serpent pushed up, its dark orange head lifting the shard-like section of ice she held tight to, pushing on one edge with the end of its nose and tilting her toward the water. With her arms stretched, her body swinging, she cast a glance toward Dagr, sure he would be the last thing she saw in this life.

Dagr was close, and not slowing, although the ice broke beneath his feet. He took one last step and leapt onto the serpent's head, landing hard, and gripped his knees on either side of its wide skull.

Their gazes met for a moment, Dagr's filled with love and regret. Then the beast pulled down its head, dislodging the icy shard she clung to, and sending it sliding across the ice, away from it and Dagr.

"No!" Honora screamed, watching in horror as the beast shook its head, trying to dislodge Dagr, but he held tight, the hand not holding his sword gripping horny spikes atop the beast's saw-tooth brow.

The creature flung back its head one last time, and then tucked his its head down, preparing to dive.

With a roar, Dagr let go of the spikes, turned his blade upside down, gripped the pommel in both hands, and plunged it downward, piercing the beast's translucent blue eye.

The creature let out a loud, hollow squall, then crashed down his its head, slamming the ice and breaking it. Water closed over its head, submerging the beast and taking Dagr down with it.

Desolation clawed at her chest and Honora screamed again, shoving up to her feet and running to the edge of the ice to peer deep into the water, uncaring whether another beast burst from the water. Her heart was already lost in the cold, cold depths.

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Be sure to check out the snippets on these other authors' blogs:

Eliza Gayle

Rhian Cahill

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Alison Kent

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

Zoë Archer

Lacey Savage

Leah Braemel

Guest Blogger: Desiree Holt

Hi all. I'm really glad to be here today. Thanks, Delilah for having me as a guest. Be sure to leave a comment because at the end of the day I'll pick a name for a free ebook. ~Desiree

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They live in Texas and they wear cowboy boots, but they aren't ranchers. Nope, they build ranches. And a lot of other things, from houses to major developments. They are the McMann brothers—Alex with a masters in business administration, Josh with an advanced degree in architecture, and Tyler, the civil and construction engineer. Each one is better looking than his brothers and they cut a wide swath through the eligible women in San Antonio.

In Erector Set, you will meet each of them and learn his story.

First out of the gate is Erected, Josh's story with Vanessa "Ness" Bowen.

Who can resist a pint-sized female with luscious curves stranded in a parking lot? Not Josh McMann. It's his pleasure to save Ness Bowen, especially given the instant sensual chemistry that explodes between them. When she wrecks her car on the way to meet him for dinner, he saves her once again. And dinner at home takes on a whole new meaning as the sexual pull becomes too strong for either to ignore. The more they see each other, the more intense and erotic the sex becomes.

But Ness sees Josh as a player, and she's been dumped by men like him who were always looking for the next conquest. Josh has his own trust issues, having been burned by women interested only in his money and power.

When a breakfast date goes awry and Ness thinks she's been dumped once again, it takes a lot of fancy maneuvering from Josh to make amends.

"Yeah, hi," he said when a male voice answered. "This is Josh McCann. Did you guys tow a…" He looked at Ness.

"White BMW," she told him. "With navy interior. One day old," she added, anxiety edging her voice.

Josh repeated the information into the phone. "Okay, thanks. Uh huh. Hold on." He pressed a button on his phone, pulled out a slim stylus and wrote something down. "Got it. We'll take care of it."

He disconnected and shoved the phone back in his pocket.

"Well?" Ness looked to be more in control of herself even with anxiety written all over her face.

"They towed it. About an hour ago." He looked at her curiously. "Were you in the restaurant? Why didn't you give it to the valet?"

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Because I've already had one car demolished a couple of weeks ago and I was hoping to last another twenty four hours before getting a second one dinged. I thought it would be a lot safer here."

"Were you in there with friends?" He felt like he was digging the information out of her. "Where did they go? Can one of them take you to get your car?"

She sighed, fiddling with her hair again. "It was a business dinner. I can't ask a client to take me to pick up my car that got towed. Anyway, he's gone."

"Not friends. A client."

He looked at her cast then back at her face, one eyebrow raised.

She straightened her shoulders, trying to make herself taller. "My broken ankle has nothing to do with my ability to conduct business. I don't talk with my foot."

Josh swallowed a smile.

"Well, that kind of leaves you in a predicament, doesn't it?"

She did that straightening thing with her body again, as if somehow she'd grow another six inches. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really." She clearly put as much indignation into the words as she could. She needed to get her game face back on.

"Could have fooled me."

"Besides, I've bothered you enough. I'll just go on into the restaurant and they can call a taxi for me."

She turned and began to clump her way back down the sidewalk, shoving his handkerchief in her pocket.

"Hold it." Josh reached out to take her arm. "Hold it a minute, will you? You don't need a cab. I'll take you. And it's really not a bother."

How many times had he said that in his life?

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Find me at www.desireeholttellsall.com, Twitter @desireeholt and Facebook /desireeholt.

A question and thanks…

Flying out the door, so this will be quick! I'm heading to Hot Springs this morning with my daughter. We have some errands to run.

Thanks so much to everyone on FB and Twitter who sent their congratulations for the two awards I received on Valentine's Day! It means a lot—getting the awards, sure, but also the fact you are always there to support me. Thank you!

So, while I'm away today, here's a question to ruminate over—it's an important one (cough):

If snow could fall in any flavor, what flavor would you choose?

See? Life's simple.

Guest Blogger: Olivia Waite

Thanks to the marvelous Delilah Devlin for hosting me today!

Let me be the first to admit that I have a hard time sticking to one genre.

Oh, my three books are erotic historical romances, but they are, in order, 1) a Dickensian alternate history of the invention of the vibrator, 2) a straight-up Regency set almost entirely in a brothel, and 3) a story about a dead lord, in Hell, who falls in love with the demoness in charge of his punishment. So we've got an erotic steampunk romance, an erotic historical, and an erotic historical fantasy romance (for which I'm currently working on a sequel).

And that doesn't even begin to count the many half-finished and mostly-plotted ideas I'm working on behind the scenes. The young adult fantasy with yetis, Finnish magic, and the Arabian Nights. The Australian love-potion romance. The psychic noir. The fantasy adventure trilogy that starts in the Roman Empire, jumps to medieval France, and ends in Victorian London. The contemporary karaoke romance, or the time-travel romance epic fantasy, or the steampunk space opera menage with bonus sexy robots and squidshifters.

Someone—I'm sure they meant well—once told me to write the books you'd like to read. I want to read all of these stories. I want more crazy westerns and science fiction romance and more historical fantasy—oh, how lucky we live at a time when historical fantasy is coming into its own! I want to read genres that don't even have names yet! I want more books like Zoe Archer's Blades of the Rose, or Isabel Cooper's No Proper Lady, both of which I cannot recommend highly enough.

My own books—Generous Fire, Hearts and Harbingers, and Damned if You Do—are definitely unusual, but they're only a step or two outside the borders. I want to plunge headlong into the wilderness.

My question for you today is: do you have a favorite genre?

Or do you hop around Romancelandia, like me?

Guest Blogger: Cynthia D'Alba (Contest)

This post is proudly a stop on the TEXAS TWO STEP Blog Tour. For a complete listing of all stops on this tour, please visit here. All contests are for U.S. residents only unless otherwise noted. Comments left on this blog will be counted toward the Texas Two Step Faithful Follower Gift Certificate. To see a complete listing of Blog Tour Prizes, click here . Be sure to check out the freebies. Yours for the asking as long as they last.

A mega-thank you to Delilah for hosting this stop on my blog tour. DD has been an unfailing supporter and friend. She listened to me whine, complain, and basically kvetch about everything from a muse who took an ill-timed vacation to judges who just didn't like my voice. When I sold to Samhain, DD was one of the first authors I turned to for advice, and she's never led me wrong…well, maybe astray a few times, but there was alcohol involved and we agreed never to mention it again.

The hero of Texas Two Step (Mitch Landry) doesn't have a sister, but like most men, he knows the rule about messing with a friend's little sister…which is, Don't Do It. In college, he was in a fraternity with Travis and Jason Montgomery. During that time, he heard a lot about their little sister, Olivia (the heroine of Texas Two Step) and even met her once. But she had been in high school…just a kid, he'd thought to himself at the time. Now at SMU (Southern Methodist University) law school, he shares classes and a friendship with Jason Montgomery. He remembers Olivia as a teenager until he meets her at The Bourbon Cowboy bar on her twenty-first birthday.

Texas Two Step opens about ten years after this inadvertent meeting at The Bourbon Cowboy. So much of the time when a story opens and the couple has a history, we only get to hear about it in flashbacks or musings during the story. But Olivia and Mitch have such a love affair that I thought it only fair to share snippets of their past in a Texas Two Step Prequel. Today's installment is The Meeting-Part Two. If you missed part one and want to read it before today's episode, click here.

I never had an older brother to "watch" out for me or shoo the boys away. I had an older sister, but I'm thinking that's different.

What I want to talk about today is the older-brother-younger sister dynamics. Did you have an older brother? Was he protective of you like we romance authors like to portray older brothers? Did you ever date one of his friends? What are the rules of dating your brother's friend?

Today's TTS Blog Tour Prize

Many guest bloggers can offer a copy of a backlist book to be given away as a potential prize for a blog commenter. As a debut author, I don't have a backlist. But I do have some awesome author friends who have stepped forward and offered one of their books as a prize.

Today's TTS Blog Tour Author Sponsor is Turquoise Morning Press author Keri Ford. Keri will send Uninhibited in Apple   Trail, Arkansas Vol. 2 to one lucky person who leaves a comment. To find out more about today's Blog Tour Sponsor, you can visit her website, Twitter or Facebook.

To learn more about me check out these links:

website , Facebook. Twitter, Group Blog , and Personal Blog

And if those aren't enough, Sign up for inside scoops and special contests by receiving the newsletter I share with my blog buddies.

Remember! Leave a comment for a chance to win Keri's book!

Texas Two Step is available for preordering at Samhain, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble and I will be forever in your debt if you would buy it!

Tomorrow's Tour Stop is at Riding With The Top Down Blog and episode Three of The Meeting. Hope to see you there!

A question and an evil queen…

Oops! I promised on Facebook that I would choose a winner to receive a free download of Arctic Dragon from Saturday's commenters. That winner is (by random number generator)…Cindy Bartolotta! Cindy, send me an email to arrange delivery of your free book! And remember, if you didn't win this time, on Thursday, I will name The Believe Fairy Contest winner—so be sure to post a comment!

I had fun last night, tweeting during the Grammy's. I probably wouldn't have watched the whole thing, but it was so much fun keeping company with Dakota, Emma and Joy and a host of others who praised and panned the performers, that I stuck through to the end. How wonderful was Adele's performance? And Jennifer Hudson's? Bruno Mars has a new fan girl here too. His performance was so much fun!

I've been thinking about making the drive to Little Rock this week to watch a movie in the near future. I live in the boonies, so movies require an hour's drive.  I spent some time yesterday checking out trailers to see what looked like fun. I found this one…

Doesn't this look like fun?! Looks like Julia Roberts' evil queen will steal the show!

Do you have any upcoming movies you want to see on the big screen?

Sunday Report Card

RIP, Whitney

A note, first. I spent the night at my daughter's last night. We were playing with our new Razr phones, adding apps, battling Angry Birds, when the first message popped up about Whitney. Both of us were saddened. The Red-Headed Hellion was a huge fan. I remember her dancing in the living room as a very little girl with karoake mike in her hand, singing, "I wanna dance with somebody…"

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Chirping Like a Bird

Music means a lot to me. This morning, I wanted a reason to smile. I dare anyone who watches the video to not be twittering like a bird after watching this video.

We're hoping to snag tickets today for Tom Petty's concert at the Verizon, April 12th. Regina's opening for him!

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Sunday Report Card

This was a more productive week than last week. TG!

1) I have something in the works for Ellora's Cave. Another My Immortal Knight. I have new covers for books 2-4 that I hope will attract new readers to the series, because I want to continue visiting that world. The first thing is a repurposing of a quickie I self-published. My freaky little succubus story. Following that will be the completion of Viper and Mariah's story. Yay! Viper's been waiting for an HEA forever!

2) I submitted a paranormal story that's half-written to a publisher. Witches, demons, a bit of police drama in the mix. Cross your fingers!

3) Lastly, I am nearing the end of Dragon's Desire. I hope to finish it up in the next couple of days. Since it's a straight-to-Kindle project, it won't be long before you can read it.

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Remember, The Believe Fairy Contest continues! Be sure to click the link for the rules! And post a comment to enter! Ciao, for now!

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What was your favorite Whitney song?

Saturday Snippet: Cold Places

Enjoy an excerpt from an oldie set in a cold, cold place. The setting's perfect for the pair you're about to meet. I used a Russian Fairytale, a little Norse myth, and stirred it in a bowl together to come up with this odd little fairy tale.

"…ARCTIC DRAGON is a captivating fairytale…"

4 Kisses, Two Lips Reviews

"…Delilah Devlin is an awesome author who knows how to get a reader's attention and keep them coming back for more…Ms. Devlin has written a fantastic story that explodes right off the pages…"

5 Angels & Recommended Read, Fallen Angels Reviews

Headstrong, and seeking a little respite from a suitor's relentless wooing, Queen Larikke rides the arctic wind far beyond the bounds of Northland, only to have her horse bolt at a shot from a hunter's gun. Her "rescuer" is a handsome, mysterious man who lives alone in the wilderness, his cabin filled with erotic images of women.

Rather than fearing her fate, Larikke sets out to seduce him, hoping for one last fling before she settles down to do her duty and wed. Thinking he was saving a life, Drake dragged a very strange woman home, stripped her, and warmed her by his fire. Now he finds his long, self-imposed isolation may have made her allure impossible for him to resist and that he'll endanger her when he shares his special kiss.

A blanket of fresh powder muffled his footsteps. For a moment, the bitter cold wind died down. The stillness invited him deeper into the clearing. Something in the air alerted him, an intuition that was part of his true nature told him to wait.

Wind had blown snow against large tree trunks, forming deep banks where the tall green sentinels stood close together. Everywhere pure, pristine white dusted the tops of branches, cloaking them in rich, thick wonder. Precious sunlight peeked from behind a dark gray cloud and refracted like a billion tiny prisms on frozen crystals that gilded the uppermost layer of the snow.

His breaths seemed loud, intrusive and he concentrated on being quiet so that he didn't disturb—not that anyone was would hear him this deep in the wilderness.

Rather, all was hushed, expectant. Quiet like he preferred now. Content at last with his own company.

The first few months had been the worst. The silence had nearly driven him nuts. Now, he barely noticed. Sounds other than voices, the hum of electricity or the roar of a passing engine were replaced with softer, more predictable ones—the rustle of pine needles as a breeze swept through outstretched branches, the resonant creaking when snow weighed the branches down. The rustle of animals as they scratched in the snow for food.

The voices inside his head had also faded. The strident ones that had called him a freak and the startled screams—well, they couldn't reach him here.

If he missed the company of a woman—so be it. Other parts of his existence flourished in the solitude. Almost filling the aching void. The decision he'd made had been the right one. He'd spend the rest of his life—however long—alone.

Do no harm.

He lived by that rule now. At least in regard to people.

For now, he had a stew pot to fill, and he'd tracked a lone deer through the forest to this spot. A soft snort, and he found the doe digging with her hooves to uncover whatever she could still forage beneath the snow.

Drake tugged off his mittens and raised his rifle, setting the stock snug against his shoulder. He had the doe in his sights and slowly pulled back on the trigger, when an unexpected tinkling sound, like bells carried on the wind, drew his attention. His gaze strayed for only moment. As his attention returned to his quarry, a sudden icy wind swept up snow, obscuring his view.

The shadow of the deer still in his scope, he pulled the trigger, jerking the barrel upward at the last moment when he realized he wasn't looking at a doe at all—but a woman on a bay-colored horse!

The shot went wild, but the horse gave a high-pitched whinny and reared, dumping the woman to the ground before bolting.

Drake threw down his rifle, swearing silently as he clomped on unwieldy snowshoes toward the figure lying like a spill of red paint against a white canvas. Her fur-lined scarlet cloak fanned around her slender body. He knelt in its folds to reach for the woman who had yet to open her eyes.

He ran his hands over her body, checking for broken limbs, cursing himself for a horndog for noting generous curves beneath her dark gold gown. But it had been a long time since soft curves had yielded beneath his palms. Not much in the way of padded layers of clothing protected her from his inspection, just the soft fabric. What in hell was she doing wearing a costume in the wilderness in winter, even one made of heavy velvet?

Finally, she stirred, moaning softly.

He sat back on his haunches, noticing at last the luster of her mink brown hair and brows and the thick lashes that fanned the rims of her delicate eyelids. They fluttered then lifted, revealing gold-flecked brown eyes.

Struck by her beauty, he stared. Her eyes were wide set and large; her nose elegant and straight. The shape of her face was slightly triangular with a small chin that took no attention away from the sweet curves of her soft, plump mouth.

"Who are you?" she asked, with a voice as light and sweet as the bells he thought he'd heard before.

He shook his head to clear away his lustful thoughts. "The idiot who nearly shot you," he said, his own voice thick and rusty from disuse. He cleared his throat. "Can you move? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, I think."

"What the hell were you doing out here?"

She gave him a distracted frown. "Riding." Then rising on her elbows, she glanced around her, blinking. "My horse, Windancer…"

"He bolted when I fired."

Her confused stare returned to him. "He's gone?" Her eyes widened until the white surrounded the brown iris. "We must find him."

No "I must find him". She'd included him, without even wondering if it was wise.

Snow had begun to fall again—thick, fat flakes that swirled in the rising wind, a blast of arctic chill. Knowing it was the wrong thing to do, but seeing no other choice, he said, "I'll look for him after the snowfall ends. We need to get you inside."

Oh hell. He'd have to take her to his place. Something he'd sworn he'd never do. She might not be any safer there. He'd lived alone too long. With her lush beauty, she was too much of a temptation.

Her mouth opened, but then closed, her lips forming a thin line. "I have to find my horse. I can't stay here," she said, casting a wild glance around them.

"In a few minutes, we won't see more than a few feet in front of us. A storm's coming in."

"You don't understand—"

Although, it was the last thing he should do, he held out his hand. "Come. We'll talk later. After I get you out of the cold."

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Larikke stared in dismay. She couldn't go home with him. They'd be alone. Her, alone with a human? Unthinkable! Humans were so short-lived and violent. Think of the scandal it would cause!

"We'll both freeze if we don't get out of this weather," he said slowly, as though speaking to a child—one not so very bright.

Only she knew she wouldn't. Freeze, that is. This is what she got for her stubborn bid for freedom. Stranded in a wild land—with a man. Her mage would no doubt cluck like a hen when she recounted the tale of how she'd ridden the wind and landed on her backside in a snow bank before a human as handsome as any damnable frost faerie.

She'd only wanted to put Thure firmly in his place. Remind him who was in charge of her destiny—that she had a will of her own.

And maybe to inspire him to anger and to let go of the firm hold he kept over himself whenever they were together. She wanted to see the powerful male beneath his princely trappings.

Rather like the prime specimen before her.

Oh, why couldn't this human have been as hairy as a polar bear? Or as ugly as a walrus? Oh no! His eyes were a crystalline blue. His hair was silvery blond and fell well past his broad shoulders. Clean-shaven, his jaw was sharp-edged and strong. His brows, although drawn together in a fierce frown, were full and nicely shaped but hooded piercing eyes. Despite the layers of clothing he wore, she could tell his frame was tall and thickly muscled.

The few humans she'd met long ago, thickheaded and thick-bodied warriors stopping on their journey to Valhalla, didn't compare. A crude, ungifted species, they'd never aroused much interest. But this one, with his rumbling voice and burly frame, nearly stole her breath away.

Perhaps she was simply addled by her spill. Or maybe she was just feeling the familiar, deepening need for something different from her prescribed future—something wicked and deplorably wrong. She cleared her throat. "I must insist we find my horse."

He rolled his eyes and tugged her to her feet. Then before she could brush away the snow clinging to her mantle and give him the setdown he deserved for daring to handle her so familiarly, he bent and swept her over his shoulder.

Larikke's mouth gaped. Now, this was a view of the world she'd never seen. Upside down, suspended on the shoulder of a barbarian, several long moments passed before she could gather the breath to do more than sputter in feigned outrage—for his rough handling of her person was…intriguing. "What do you think you're doing?" she gasped.

"What you haven't the sense to do yourself," he grumbled, as he trudged through the snow.

* * * * *

Be sure to check out the snippets on these other authors' blogs:

Eliza Gayle

Rhian Cahill

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Alison Kent

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Shelli Stevens

Zoë Archer

Guest Blogger: Mary Marvella (Contest)

Psychics and Seduction

Ladies, I will be rich and sell many books and win tons of money and have love. Bethea and other physics said so. Really. Cool, huh?

Bethea emailed me one evening and said she awoke from a sound sleep thinking about me. She was dreaming about me, yeah, me. I thought for a minute she knew something I didn't, maybe that I was naked and… Nope, she saw me deliriously happy with all the money I could want, even better. She saw me in love, too, with the perfect man. Now I don't know about you, but that sounded wonderful to me!

Hmmm, I wonder, why would she dreamed about me, when we've never met. She promised me what most of us want, security and love. These seductive promises have been luring folks to fortunetellers and psychics forever.

This woman is good! She has offered me a FREE session and other beautiful totems, some even ancient relics. Well, actually, I can pay for them and she will refund my money if I am not thrilled. She said there were angels watching over me, druid priestesses wanting to help me, and she herself has cast spells for me. BUT there are evil forces keeping me from having the riches I deserve. Well, damn!

BUT, if I send her money to cast a bigger, more powerful spell, she will send me a pendant, or a bracelet, or a statue, or a rearview mirror charm for my car for only $19.99, or $29.99 or $39.99. Hmm, that doesn't sound free.

Marie the Magnificent, my own personal fortuneteller, said that if I do this, Bethea will have my money and my credit card info, and I won't EVER see a penny of it, even if I complain. MM suggested that if she had mentioned selling books, we might be inclined to believe her.

Why do I even read these emails? Because I enjoy seeing the predictions that I will have money for all the things I need (maybe a boy toy or three?), that all will be well in the future.

Now, I have a prediction for you. I see you reading Haunting Refrain, a book about a love story in the past and one in the present. Yes, I see you reading the love scenes and sighing or grabbing someone on whom you can try the sexy stuff. I see you straddling a handsome man in the front seat of a Mustang, with the driver's seat reclined as far back as it will go. I see you riding that man and moaning with….. You can write the rest.

Tell me what you think about psychics and fortunetellers or a story about an experience with one, and you can will a free download of Haunting Refrain. I'll give away 2 downloads.

You can buy the ebook for 99 cents before March 1. You can also return it if you hate it.

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