Cherie Noel's Blog, page 33

In His Own Words--Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" Speech

I'll be back later to give you your weekly dose of mania. But for now, let the man speak. It will take less than twenty minutes, and if you've never heard his speech, consider it your history lesson for the month.


Take a moment, babies.
It's still relevant, nearly fifty years later.
And that?
Is the power of well crafted words, babies.
It's why I write.
To leave a little more beauty in the world than it had before I came.

An Unedited Snog from The Faery Tree

The following is a test of the Faemergency Broadcast System. 
This is only a test. 
In the case of an actual Faemergency, please proceed to the you local Faexpediton outfitter to gather supplies, and get your sorry ass to the Tonawandas, asap. When you reach the Tonawandas proceed with all haste to the Faery Tree and pass through the portal. There will be Fae trained in Human handling standing by to administer mouth to mouth excitation.
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Ee-an stood, back lit and perfectly framed in the dark wood of the door frame. He wore a pair of black leather trousers that molded to his firm thighs with loving devotion. And that was it. The pants laced up the front, but were only laced half way. I could see a light trail of dark hair leading down from his bellybutton to where the waist of the pants would lie if they were closed all the way. There the—oh so happy—trail broadened. His torso was gloriously bare. My gaze wandered across sculpted pecs, down across a firm mid-section which hinted at a six pack and then back up to the rounded tops of his well muscled shoulders.Oh yeah. I could so see myself holding onto those broad shoulders as he fucked all sense out of me up against a wall. I must have whimpered again at that point, because the next thing I knew Ee-an was easing me back down against the bed, his brow crinkling up and his lips pinching together."Thomas? Are you in pain?"His warm brown eyes searched my face, peering into my eyes as though he could see my very soul. I blinked owlishly up at him and then did possibly the stupidest thing I've ever done. I ran the tips of my fingers across the stubble lining his jaw and traced the outline of his plush lips. "So soft…"Ee-an's eyes darkened, and his nostrils flared. Score. Maybe not the dumbest thing I'd ever done then.He pulled in a deep breath, drawing my eyes and my stupid hands to his chest. His nipples hardened as I watched. He leaned down toward me, pausing just before his lips would have brushed my mouth."I'm going to kiss you now unless you give me aught reason I hsouldn't."I moaned again, closing my eyes and opening my mouth. Ee-an's lips lit upon my own as lightly as the brush of butterfly wings, once and again. Then he sealed his lips carefully over mine, slid his tongue into my mouth stroked it along mine teasingly. His hands slid over my chest, and I cursed the invention of clothing. My shirt kept me from feeling the rasp of his skin on mine. I could feel the heat though, and I thought in that moment that I could happily spend the rest of my life right here, with his tongue in my mouth and his hands on my body. Only in a perfect world, this would happen with far less clothing between us. A guy's gotta have goals, you know?After a bit the damned inconvenient necessities of life, like oxygen, got in the way of the best kiss I'd ever been blessed to participate in. Ee-an pulled back slowly, brushing my lips with his own, ending the kiss just as he'd started it, with a whisper across my lips."Delicious."Again I found myself blinking up into his melted chocolate eyes without two thoughts to rub together in my brainpan. I realized that my hips were straining upward; seeking to press my painfully hard cock against any part of him I could reach. I forced my over eager body to relax back down onto the bed."I…best kiss ever. Again?"
***************************This concludes our test of the Faemergency Broadcast System.This test is brought to you through the donations of Rooster & Pig Publishing.
Picture provided by Tim Trail, Graphics by Rooster & Pig Publishing.
More Snogging Goodness can be found courtesy of the AhMahZing Victoria Blisse, over at her regular Sunday Snog. You can also find a bit of a snog over at Maggie Nash's  place.Lily Harlem has a just added snog as well...but for up to the nano-second accuracy, you need the Blisse Kiss of Accuracy which can only be found on the  VICTORIA BLISSE  home page.
Vicktor Alexander's The Virgin Soldier's Kiss
Lisabet Sarai's Exposure
LeeAnn Sontheimer Murphy's Rebel Writer

Enjoy it, babies, and don't forget to stop over at Victoria's Place for the Big Blisse Kiss on February 12th. Go on. Get you some.


http://blissekiss.co.uk/

Holy Hell, Were Did Saturday Go?

Now just a fracking minute.

I could swear I set Saturday down right around here somewhere.

Oh.

It rolled out from under that 8hr planning session with Vicktor Alexander?

WTF?

Come back here Saturday. I wasn't done with you.

Well, shit, I guess I better just post a pic that inspired me with the plot for the second of my Second Class Shifters series...



*snort*

It really is worth far, far more than a thousand words, innit?

Friday's Inspiration...

I have 1,750 words in the first of a new story, the first of a new series, spun around this pic. All hail the hottie with the phoenix on his side.

*smirks and scampers off to write*

Shake It Up Baby...

So, gentle reader, here's the deal...

I got out of step toward the end of last year. The whys don't really matter. What matters is that I did, and once I fell out of the awesome rhythm I'd been using to keep myself in tune with both my life in here and now (i.e. family stuff and household issues) and my life on the net as an author (yeah, you'd better throw in the whole having time to write thing as well) ---well, once that got out of step I was screwed.

So, here's were I straighten things out.
Get myself turned around in the right direction and get headed where I want to go.
Set a schedule where I have time to write and blog and interact with all you lovely people.
Here's the game plan then, babies, and I shall do my very damnedest to stick to it.
I can't promise that life won't occasionally throw me some curve balls and force me to take a day or two off, but if it does, I will throw out an s.o.s. and let you know.
I think that'll be fair enough.

Weekly Blogs will follow this format with the exception of special occasions, and I will let you know about those at the beginning of every month. No, really. I pinky swear.
Manic Monday: wherein I will outline the week, let you know about special guest appearances and give a little insight into the insanity that is my daily "same ole-same ole".
Tuesday Teasers and Triumphs: wherein I will post teasers about upcoming publications, kick-off pre-release contests, and talk about what is making me jiggle with joy, as it were.
Work in Progress or Wicked Wednesday: Either excerpts or salacious pics...and occasionally other wicked things. Heh. You'll have to wait and see!!
Think Tank Thursdays: Where I'll raise issues or questions about stuff that makes my characters go..."hmmm"...and let them take the wheel to talk about it.
Fabulous Fridays: Yes, my flash shall return here. Free web stories. Oh yeah, bay-bee. The good stuff.
Saturday Snark from hither and yon: I'll be joining the amazing Anne Tenino for her Saturday Snark, and writing a wee bit about where in the world I am and why it matters.
Sunday Snog and Six Sentences: Sunday's are so nice I have to post twice, lol. No, really. I love the Snog with Victoria Blisse, and I adore Six Sentence Sunday. So I plan to do both.

This will all be kicking off starting this Sunday...I'm late to do the Six Sentence thingy officially, but I'll post six anyway and jump back on the official wagon next week.

Yep.

And that is all for now, because this lil' author needs to go get some writing done.

And this is all written from my personal corner of the world, looking out the window were my tree of inspiration stands.

I am serious about the tree. I think it actually grows plot ideas. Or perhaps it's just a portal to the land where my muse lives, but either way, it makes me happy.

Ciao, babies. I'll kick off the New Year in re-organized style tomorrow.
Smooches to ya.

Sunday Snog: Starting the New Year Right

The snog I want to talk about today is a sweet and simple one.

I kissed my daughter on the forehead. I love her and today, she let me show that in a way that made me feel good too.  A brush of lips, a smile, a happy glint in a pair of sassy hazel eyes...and a perfect start to the New Year.


Find more Snogging Goodness here:

Victoria Blisse's Wild Rendezvous
Lisabet Sarai's Incognito
Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy's Rebel Writer 

Resolute in 2012

I'm not one for making New Years resolutions most of the time.

I like to fly by the seat of my pants most of the time. But this year things are a little different. I am a big sister. I have a new home. I'm an author...and I love all those things. I want more of the good stuff, so I'm putting some thought and some elbow grease into getting it.

My resolutions?

1)Write two books a month.
2)Publish Two books a month.
3)Keep my liebling home where she belongs and keep her healthy.
4) Keep my baby brother safe, and well, and kick anyone's ass who fucks with him.
5) Kick their asses hard enough that their grandkids still feel it. Um and that goes the same for folks who fuck with my liebling (aka, the kidlet)
6)tell the people I love that I love them as often as possible.
7) Get Daniel here.
8) Buy a house
9) Remember to thank everyone who has been kind to me, and do it in ways meaningful to THEM.
10) Lick a stripper. Again.
11) Fall in love. Again.
12) Live life as it was intended, loud and proud. And have a helluva lot of fun!

Friday On the Other Side of the Pond

Pssst.

Hey, Psssst.

I've got some more Daniel A. Kaine to toss your way, luvs, but sadly not today.

Sigh.

He's Brilliant, Brittish, and Built...heh. Total Triple Threat.

And just as soon as I can convince him to pop by, you'll get to revel in his presence for a full 24hrs.

Alas, that day is not today. Today, we will drink and make merry like the other Friday Fools...

So slip into something sexy (like Daniel's smart and sexy book, Dawn of Darkness) and get ready for a rip-roaring good time tomorrow with the infamous Vicktor Alexander, author of Unthinkable.

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Oh, and don't forget to get ready for the new year, babies. Get your ducks in order, clean your cupboards, make plans to see your loved ones early in the new year and often after. And tell someone you love them. Plus, leave me a comment between now and midnight on the 31st to be entered in my year-end Sooper Sekrit drawing for a book of your choice from my backlist or a copy of my upcoming Silver Publishing release, Tian's Hero

Wanton Wednesday: Six Degrees of Lust

Taylor V. Donovan.

That name has become synonymous, in a very short amount of time, with witty dialogue and tightly written, evocatively descriptive writing. Today we're celebrating the release of Taylor's first full length novel, Six Degrees of Lust. So we're gonna do something a little different over here at the cave to mark the occasion.

Yes, there's a prize to be won. But this time, you have to be witty. And your wittiness needs to be shown in your comment. You still have to leave an email address or no matter how witty you are, you won't win. And I'm the judge of who is witty this time. So, read the interview, and then check out SDoL's teaser, and then leave a witty remark that gives me some insight into what the three interview answers mean to you, and why. It's worth a copy of the book. :)


Three little Questions


Cherie: Taylor, though you are a relative newcomer to the field of writing, you've achieved some notable success in the short time you've been around. To what would you attribute your early success?

Taylor: *throaty chuckle* First things first, dear. Thank you so much for having me on your blog today :)
In answer to your question, I'd have to say Heatstroke put me on the map. It is a beautiful story that touched reader's hearts and they've recommended it to their friends. I'm very thankful for that.

Cherie: I know this is a standard question, but the answers vary so much from author to author that I feel it's  always a valid one...What inspired you to write?

Taylor: A friend motivated me...and my many gay, bi-sexual and transgender friends inspire me every day.

Cherie: What moves you? Judging by your writing I would have to believe that you are a very passionate person in real life. So what is it in this old world where there's nothing new under the sun that moves you, Taylor V. Donovan, to stand up and be heard?

*smiling as she answers*
Taylor: Quietly so... ;) I don't talk much as a general rule. I'm more of an observer...not much of a talker. But I am extremely passionate about the people I care for and my beliefs. My love for them moves me. The need to see them well moves me. I want to protect them and see them happy. I'm also very much into civil rights. I advocate for minorities and equality. And I have very strong, adverse reactions to injustice and abuse of any type. I guess that, at the end of the day, is what makes me stand up and open my mouth. :)

Six Degrees of Lust


Le Blurb
New York City FBI team leader Samuel Shaughnessy lives for his immediate family and his job. After a marriage gone wrong he has stuck to a firm rule when it comes to relationships: he doesn't have them. Sexually active and emotionally unavailable keeps him satisfied, especially now that he is in hot pursuit of a serial killer targeting gay men.
Former firefighter Machlan O'Bannon now manages a successful sports bar in Houston and after years of waiting he's ready to stand up and be the man he always wanted to be: out, proud and drama-free. His politically aligned family wants to keep him locked in the closet, but Mac just wants to meet the man of his dreams.
One man is as high strung as the other is laid back. A chance meeting brings the two men together, and one night of passion ignites a fire neither can fight. Their lives are not only miles apart, but as different as day and night. They don't want to get involved...but will they be able to stay apart?


Le Excerpt
The gods must have been smiling on Sam because, after brushing his teeth, dressing in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and writing down a note for his mother in case she got up and went looking for him, it only took him forty minutes to make his way to Mac. At a club. He was picking him up as opposed to meeting him at his hotel room.Fucking unreal.What had possessed him to make such an offer? This wasn't a damn date. It was... a sexual meeting. Yeah. And he'd sped all the way from Queens to Manhattan in order to make it there as soon as possible, not because he was anxious to see this man, but because the sooner he took care of business, the sooner he could go back home.Yeah. That was it.He double parked a few feet away from the club's entrance, sent a message to Mac and instinctively scanned the street, something he'd been doing since his days with the police department. People would be surprised if they could see how many normal looking predators lurked the streets, especially around this club. It was the place where some of the victims on the Leviticus case had last been seen.But then the door opened and all coherent thought escaped Sam."Holy Mother of God..."He rolled down his window and signaled with his truck's high beams until he was sureTexhad seen him. Then he leaned back in his seat and just watched him.The guy was huge. He was wearing blue jeans that were tight in all the right places and a dark red shirt that brought out his lightly tanned skin and the whiter streaks in his golden blond hair. It also showcased bulging, rippling biceps. His full, sensuous mouth and straight nose softened the sharp angles of his face, and Sam could've sworn he was able to see Mac's emerald green eyes sparkle under the street lights.He was fucking stunning and Sam was insanely turned on just from watching him walk.Mac reached the truck and instead of getting in right away he stopped by the driver's side door and smiled. A low moan rumbled its way out of Sam's throat before he even realized it. He loved dimples, and Mac had them in spades."Damn," Mac said. "You are hotter than I remembered."Sam felt his face heat up a little under Mac's scrutiny, and all of a sudden wished he had taken more time on his own appearance. But if that burning, hungry stare was any indication, the Texan wasn't put off by Sam's disheveled state or the fact that he hadn't even bothered to shave. Thank fuck."Get in," Sam all but growled. He didn't take his eyes off the guy for a second. Once he was inside, he asked, "Where to?"As soon as Tex gave him the name of a trendy hotel in Chelsea, Sam rolled up his window and put his hand on the gear stick, and maybe because he was busy looking at the rearview mirror to make sure no other cars were coming, he never noticed Mac move until it was too late.A gasp jumped from his throat. He snapped his head to the side and zeroed in on his own hand, covered by hot as hell Texan's slightly bigger one."Rough couple of days, huh?" Mac's voice was low, his thumb gently caressing Sam's obviously injured knuckles.Sam cleared his throat and tried to pull his hand back, but seemed to be frozen in place by Mac's touch. "You could say that.""Then let's hope I can make it a little better for you, darlin'."Nodding, he took a deep breath when Mac removed his hand and settled in the passenger seat, leaving a tingling sensation behind and Sam feeling completely off balance. He wanted to tell the big guy nobody ever touched him without his explicit permission... then he wanted to tell him to bring that hand back, but wrap it around his cock this time.He wanted to tell him he had no use for words of endearment, even if that sexy as fuck accent made them sound prettier. He wanted to tell him to get the hell out of his damn truck.But he didn't.Goddammit, what was wrong with him? Why was he overlooking actions that would be deal-breakers with any other potential lay? Was it because the guy was going back home the next day and there was no chance of Sam running into him again? Or because Sam wanted him so damn much he couldn't see straight anymore? Whatever the reason, it didn't stop him from pulling his SUV out of the parking spot and driving them to Mac's hotel.They didn't say a thing during the short trip and that was fine. Sam had never been one for small talk. He had no problems sharing his body—to an extent—but his thoughts and feelings were off limits.He took a deep breath, feeling a little dizzy when Mac's clean, spicy scent hit his nostrils and filled his lungs. Christ. Whatever that cologne was, it had the same affect on Sam as pheromones, which was odd and annoying, as he was usually indifferent to such things. The anticipation permeating the interior of his truck was damn tangible, and the not so subtle way Mac kept glancing at his mouth, hands, and crotch with those intense cat eyes of his had Sam on the brink of combustion. It was madness, and all of a sudden he felt it was imperative that he take care of business fast, then get the heck away from the gorgeous blond as soon as he could manage.After finding a parking spot they strode through the hotel lobby, always keeping a safe distance between them. Once inside the elevator they both leaned against the far wall and allowed for their shoulders to touch. Mac's desire was obvious in his labored breathing, clenched jaw, the tension on his insanely broad shoulders, and the wild pulse on his thick neck. Sam couldn't remember anyone wanting him so badly before…or him reciprocating.By the time they reached the fifth floor the sexual tension was off the charts. There was no disguising the primal, unadulterated lust that had grabbed them both literally by the balls."I'm all the way down the hall."Mac pointed to their right and Sam considered getting back in the elevator and going home. Because the sight of that muscular, tanned arm lightly dusted with blond hairs almost made Sam drool, and he was afraid to find out what kind of reaction he would have once he got to see the man naked… or his cock...Lord, yes!And just like that he turned and headed in the direction Mac indicated, not waiting for him. He couldn't face the man. Not when he was having such a hard time pretending he wasn't anxious and completely out of his comfort zone.


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And there you have it, babies. Now it's your turn. Go on, dazzle me.

You can reach Taylor's website by clicking on the words Six Degrees of Lust above her lovely cover!

Twisted Tuesday: Part Two of the Double Header with Vicktor Alexander and Karenna Colcroft

Sorry Babies,
the techno idiot, aka moi, ran into some severe challenges yesterday and as a result ended up taking a whole extra day to get Vicktor's stuff up.

You'll forgive me once you see the AhMahZing Interview though.

LOL.

And I can't even take credit for it being so amazing.

*pouts* The equally amazing Lady A. did a bang-up job of interviewing Vic...all I had to do was get the stuff to post to my finicky blogspot...

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

The AhMahZing Interview of Vicktor Alexander
a shocking lot of goodness in two parts...or more...

Lady A: Hi Vic! So, tell me about The Tate Pack series. What are the books about? What inspired you to write them?


Vic: The Tate Pack series is about a bunch of shape-shifting cowboys who all find their mates in the most unlikeliest of suspects. The Alpha's mate is a dancer (in Tate Pack Book One, Unthinkable) and his Beta's mate is a cross-dressing performer (in Tate Pack Book Two, Inconceivable). What inspired me to write them? Well, while there are a few cowboy/paranormal stories out there, I had yet to read any where the mate was such a contrast to the shifter. And *I* love finding those characters that either get dismissed or ridiculed by others in the community. Unthinkable actually started as a totally different book, but after I started writing it the story changed drastically.

Lady A: What are you working on now?


Sneaky Cherie: *laughter--from moi, Cave hostess extraordinaire...what isn't Vic working on?*

Vic: I am working on quite a number of things (glares at Cherie) actually. I am finishing up the first round of edits for the first book in my Passion's Hero series. The book is entitled The Alpha King, and is a futuristic, sci-fi, paranormal set in a new world with elements of mpreg, mystery, suspense,tragedy, and family drama.

Sneaky Cherie: *imagine trying to find a tidy way to list that one--the mind boggles...I can't wait to read it*

Still the Vic: I'm also finishing up a Hanukkah novella (Wooing Elijah) that I'm co-writing with author Cherie Noel. I'm writing a book entitled Love's Enslavement. It has absolutely nothing to do with BDSM.

Sneaky Cherie: *O.O Really?*

Still the Vic: *ignoring the sneaky one* Love's Enslavement  is an interracial historical romance with elements of suspense, war, and disability. Honestly, I think that LE is going to be one of my favorite and probably one of my most heart-wrenching books. I'm working on a contemporary story called Daddy's Boy--


Sneaky Cherie: I love this one. It's holy shit good. Just sayin...

Still the Vic: ahem...as I was saying, I'm also working on book Three of The Tate Pack, Unassumed, and another contemporary (and yes, this one IS BDSM) called Mark Me. Mark Me will be the first in a new series, The Dom. Also working on my first Virgin Special Forces story, The Alpha Team, the Last Men on Earth series (first book is Discovery), my Damien & Roman series (first book is Damien & Roman: Forever). Warning--this one? Is very gritty. Don't pick it up unless you are ready to deal with some tough reality and have your heart used as a punching bag. *raises eyebrow* Got that?


There's Light the Way, The Agean Tasks, and cUm: Chance, Utopia & Micah...and...whew...I think that's it for now.

Sneaky Cherie: *opens mouth. Intercepts scathing look from Lady A. Shuts mouth.*

Lady A: How many works in progress do you have?!? Last time I tried to count, my eyes started to blur. *gentle laughter*


Vic: It is a very good thing that you're asking me this today, as the answer tomorrow will probably be very different. I currently have about 92 WiP's. These are books that I've gotten ideas for and have already sketched out the outline and the main characters for, and done character notes and chapter outlines for. That's not including the six "flat puppy" ideas that I've just written down while we talked.

Sneaky Cherie: *geez. Makes a girl feel intimidated...and oddly energized. If the Vic can do that much...smacks self on head. Ducks out of Lady A's sight*

Lady A: *tossing haughty look in direction of sneaky Cherie, and then smiling graciously at the Vic* 
How many of them have you actually started?


Vic: Are we talking actually started writing the first chapter? Because that would be about 80. If we're talking sketched out? Then all 92. If you're talking about the ones that I write a little in every day, I think it's about 9 or 10. You can see them listed above, where you asked what I was working on now.

Lady A: How is cUm coming? And how is TAK shaping up?


Sneaky Cherie:*sneaking a peek around Vic. Rats. Lady A. has her eye on me.*

Vic: cUm. LOL. The name of that book makes me chuckle every time I think of it. It is coming along very well. Chance and Micah haven't met just yet, still doing some world building right now, setting the stage if you will, but I do think that it's going to be a very enjoyable book. I know that when I sit down to start writing it I always end up having a nice little chuckle.

TAK? The Alpha King.  *Sigh* I swear I feel like I'm giving birth to this book. And for a gay man that is an amazing feat, I tell you what. The characters in this book, especially the main characters, Tal and Blaze, are so complex that every time I write them, I feel like I'm pulling back a new layer and discovering something that I hadn't seen in them before. It's fascinating. I love writing about them, and I love the fact that whenever I talk about them with other people they fall just as much in love with them as I do. TAK will hopefully be released toward the beginning of next year. *fingers crossed*

Sneaky Cherie: Ahem. Excuse me. Sorry Vic, Lady A., I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. But...Would you come back on Friday? I'm afraid I'm booked up tomorrow and Thursday...please?
*gazing out at the slew of readers eating up every word by the Vic and Lady A...*
Please? We can...um...run a contest? Who every leaves the most comments (one per day that Vic an Lady A. are present) until the end of the year gets a copy of something from the Vic's backlist? And if there's a tie for first we can have a drawing? What do you say?

Lady A.: well, if you behave yourself, Cherie. *sniffing in disapproval*


Vic: *openly laughing at Cherie* Sure. And what she said. *pointing at Lady A.*

Cherie: sure. Okay. Just come back. Please.

************
You can reach the Vic at his website: http://vicktoralexander.com/
Right, then. We'll have Lady A. and the Vic back on Friday. Tomorrow, I think (if we're lucky) we'll have the amazing Taylor V. Donovan, and then Thursday *shivers with excitement* Daniel A. Kaine returns.

Bye-bye Babies!