Cherie Noel's Blog, page 29

Think Tank Thursday: Should I Stay or Should I Go...

Some days this should just be my anthem. Some days I know what the dealio is, and I have my little chicks in order. And some days I can almost make sense of the am I banned am I not banned flippity-floppity dance the distributors and PayPal have been doing. Then again, some days I can't even seem to find my like button on FaceBook. To all the other techno amoebas out there... I see you. Let's celebrate our tiny triumphs together with a freaking classic from the Clash.

Work in Progress Wednesday

I am scurrying, babies, trying to get the next WIP ready for publication in seven more days. So for today's treat, get yourselves over to Silver, and download this week's Silver Shorts... the Silver Shorts are absolutely FREE, and I know you'll love my Minuet In Blue.


GET IT HERE

Monday Slipped Away with a Quiet Sigh...

Okay, babies... I can admit that Monday got away from me before I got a chance to post for you.

The normal mania ensued, and I accomplished what I consider quite a bit considering I was working with a migraine. I got two loads of laundry done, wrote just shy (six words or so) of a thousand words, and then dealt with the kiddo who was still awake at 9:30 at night when I got home from doing said laundry. Grr.

I adore my kidlet, but just once I'd like her to do what I ask without me having to stand over her while it's being done. *hark, it's the lament of the parent with a pre-teen or actual teen*

Right.
So, migraine gone-ish, and I'm outta here my dears, gotta go get my write on so I have a triumph to write about later today.

Too Many Fires... the final clue in the Second Chance Giveaway

Alrighty.
I've got too many fires to tend today, so it's taken me a bit to get to the final Second Chance Giveaway clue in a basket--er, I mean clue in an excerpt, lol. So, here you go.

The question is what is Lewell'yn's favorite fruit?
And the bonus question is why does Tian smell like it?

***********************

The suddenly electrified feeling pulled Lewell'yn towards the slave. With his rich red hair shot through with streaks of blond and his sun-kissed skin, the man looked as though he might smell of peaches. Lewell'yn loved peaches, the way their flesh felt firm to his teeth, the way the fine hair on them tickled against his lips and tongue.Peaches became Lewell'yn's absolute favourite fruit as soon as he realised they came packaged in such a splendidly wrapped for-adults-only form. Lewell'yn's mouth started to water, anticipation and imagination combining in his still clenching gut as his eyes roamed his brand-new favourite treat. He moved with unhurried, lethal grace towards the slave. He caught a whiff of the man's scent, a hint of musk, a whisper of sweetness tied together with vibrant warmth.Sweet Light, the man even smelled like peaches.
***************************The bonus question's answer lies in the origins of Tian's people...and you either know it or you don't from previous excerpts. Remember to put your email addy up in your response. You have until Noon tomorrow. Ciao.

A Very Parkour Snog

Goddammit.How did he keep getting into these situations?Right in front of him Jason flipped up over the edge of the concrete wall blocking their way, the glint of his golden hair dropping away into nothingness. Shit.Where the hell did he—Lee leaned forward to gain momentum, pushed off the ground hard and grabbed the top edge of the wall, straight arming himself up. Holy Christ. There was a run off canal carved into the side of the hill here, and Jason was bouncing back and forth off the walls. Lee's lover dropped farther and farther away. The base of the structure looked to be at least a hundred feet down. Jason was easily two-thirds of the way down. This was way beyond his level of expertise. Lee flipped himself up and over the wall in the seconds it took to assess this, and let himself fall as far as he dared. He could only hope that Jason managed to pull this one off, because they couldn't stop, not with the gang of white slavers hot on their heels. Seriously.Real deal white slavers, for fuck's sake. They hadn't expected to find anything like this when they went looking for Michael's missing cousin. They'd found the boy and gotten him out of the dingy apartment he'd been tied up in. Sam had him, and Michael was giving them backup while Jason and Lee played bait and drew the dickheads who'd stolen the boy off. They just hadn't expected the set up they thugs had to be so high tech, nor for them to have so many bodies available to throw into the chase. Lee and Jason were running for their lives. Jason reached the bottom, and nailed his landing on the narrow ledge next to the fast moving water rushing along the bottom of the man-made gorge. He took off running along the thin strip, and Lee turned a hundred percent of his attention to getting down as quickly as he could without killing himself. He figured he had about twenty to forty more seconds before the guys chasing him caught up and climbed the wall at the top of the gorge. They had guns, and he was pretty sure they wouldn't hesitate to shoot him. Voices echoed from above.Lee ran flat out, clearing the corner in five seconds."Naw, man. No way they went down there. Why you even looking? If they jumped that fence they dead anyway.""Shut the fuck up Niki. They got skills man. I seen them."A guffaw sounded, and then a loud cracking noise echoed dimly down. Jason jerked Lee up against him into the shadow of an overhang. Lee grabbed Jason's face between his roughly callused hands, tilting the smaller man's head up. He whispered against Jason's lips."I—damn babe, you scared the shit out of me."Then he kissed Jason with everything in him. Jason just opened up, sweet and easy like he always did. Lee sucked Jason's tongue into his mouth, stroking it with his own. He pulled back slightly. "We need to get back home. Get Michael, Sam, and Ryan and get the hell out of this place."Jason nodded, and then they were running.
*********************  You can find all the snogging goodness you can handle and  links to even more over at the home of the Original Sunday Snog, Victoria Blisses Land of Kisses...right here:  http://victoriablisse.co.uk/

The Final Post for Second Chance Giveaway

Will be posted tomorrow.
Today got crazy, dudes.
No, really.

Saturday Second Chance

Today I won't snark (much) and I will (at 8pmish my time) pick a winner for the second chance thingy I've been talking about for the last week or so. Um...since the 10th I think. So, here's how it goes. I've been putting clues up every day about the boys from Tian's Hero, and if you've been gathering them, you only need yesterday's-- an emergency trip to the Emergency Room with the baby bro sidelined my intent to get yesterdays up late but still there... I know, I know, I'm a hot mess lately. Or, you know, always.
So, here's yesterday's excerpt. Check it out, and find out what invaluable lesson Tian learned from his Abtiss.
**************

. Tian mentally ran through his "approved" list of phrases, selected one, and let the words fall throatily from his mouth."Yes Kay."Kay slit his eyes open and snickered at Tian. Something warm and sweet flowered open in Tian's chest.Kay must be an exception to Abtiss's rule about men not enjoying laughter in the bedroom.Tian clambered up on the bed, feeling giddy. He allowed a small giggle to slip out of his mouth. Kay didn't seem to mind at all. He just smiled and held his hand out for the oil."Is this our lube then?""Yes Kay."Tian couldn't help himself at this point. He collapsed on the bed, giggling madly. Kay laughed right along with him. 



***************


Okie Dokie. Now on to today's excerpt and clue...hmmm. 
Now that is more tricky. 
I may have to think about it, and put the clue up a little later. 
In fact, why don't I put the clue for today up right at 8pm EST (or thereaboutts) and give y'all until tomorrow at noon EST to gather up all ten clues? Hmm? Sound Good?


That way you've got time to look back til the 10th of this month, get all seven (I think) clues and get your answers in. Of those who answer correctly I'll draw out a name, and send you a copy of the book tomorrow. However, you can only be entered if you remember to leave your email addy with your clue list (unless you absolutely, positively) know I already have it, I wouldn't chance not leaving it.

Thursday Think Tank: Saying I Love You

I learned today that my fellow MLR author, and an amazingly gracious and kind man, William Neale, died sometime last night. It made my heart heavy, and made me remember that life gives no guarantees...

Tell those you care for that do. Do it now. And show a face full of grace and humor to the world.
Or, as Damon Suede would say, "Do something extraordinary today. You might die tomorrow."

Don't Forget!!

Wednesday is Silver Shorts Day!
A free anthology of Flash Fiction by an awesome lineup of Silver Publishing Authors.
Check them out. Silver Shorts...get 'em while they're hot...

Work in Progress Wednesday: Before Tian's Hero

So, for those of you not yet in the know...
Every Wednesday I do a little work in progress action over here in the Cave.

So here I am, and your next clue is in the little excerpt I'm leaving you. Question is how did Tian's arm get broken the year he made the Banquet for the Festival of the Light?

Easy, peasy.

********************************

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but I'm afraid your arm is broken young man."Tian bit down hard on his lip, blinking up at the healer-priest. The man had to be wrong. Tian knew, he just knew that Brother Armund must have made some mistake, possibly the first one after being inducted into the Brotherhood and earning his healer's robes. And the silly way Tian's arm was dangling was something that would pass in a few minutes. Or, possibly with a glass or twenty of strong irizim wine. Because there in no way could the week long preparations for the Festival of the Light banquet Tian had earned the right to make could be done by an inexperienced chef with only one working arm. Burnt brioche, there had to be some way out of this mess. Why had he let Jeram talk him into trying to climb the side of the old cliff face without a safety harness? And why in the name of the Blessed Light had he ever thought it a good idea to let his fumble handed friend climb up before him? Of course Jeram slipped. Fell. Knocked Tian off the cliff, and then landed right on top of him.  "But, Brother Armund, surely my arm is just strained."Tian attempted to raise his right arm. The world went white around him, and then he found himself lying where before he'd been sitting on the good brother's exam table. Tian cast a misty eyed glance up at the grizzled priest leaning over him. The man's rough edged voice cut through the echoing waves of pain. "Tian, I am sure Father Bellasa would be willing to take over the preparations for the feast. Your arm is broken. I have to immobilize it."Holding a vial of mimseela root extract to Tian's lips, the priest's craggy face softened. "Drink, lad. Your Da will have my head else, and I shudder to think what your Abtiss will say if I leave you in pain so that you might argue with me."Tian opened his mouth, swallowing the concoction down and then scrunching his face up. He couldn't in good conscience let Brother Armund face Abtiss's wrath. His father in a rage was a fearsome thing. Tian wouldn't wish that on his worst enemy, let alone on the temple's healer. He'd have to think of some other way to make this happen. Well, that was fine. Tian knew how to improvise.*****************************