Jessica E. Subject's Blog, page 194

It's Christmas? Yes, Captain! by Rebecca Royce & Giveaway!!

It's Christmas? Yes, Captain! by Rebecca Royce

"Acton."  Lizbeth walked over to stand over her lover's shoulder.  "What are you doing?"

For the last few days, Acton had been consumed with some project he wouldn't share with her.  His duties as Captain of their starship should have been enough to keep him busy.  Well, captaining and making love to her.  But he'd been involved in some activity that consumed all of his attention.

"I've told you a few million times now that I'm not going to tell you.  That's why it is called a surprise."  He rolled his eyes even as she saw joy travel over his expressions.

"Fine."  Lizbeth knew she pouted.  It had been a long haul of time when they had been separated.  She didn't like not having his total focus for the brief periods of time when he didn't have to focus on something the ship needed.

She paced over to the window. The stars outside looked like small balls of light in the distance.  They were too far out to be able to really see anything but the blur of far away galaxies.

"Hey now." He stood up and moved until he was behind her.  She could feel his hard length pressed into her.  Apparently, he wasn't as uninterested in her as he'd acted like he was.  "I am doing something for you."

"What is it? Whatever you're doing, I'd rather have you present in here with me."

"Its Christmas. I'm making you a gift."

She shook her head. "It's what?"

"It's an Earth thing."  He sighed, his warm breath heating up her skin.  "One of the few things from my time there that I really came to love. I'd like to share it with you. So, I've been working on a few things."

Her heart leapt at his words.  What could he be planning?

She turned around in his arms.  "Alright. I'll be patient. For Now."

Want to know more about Acton and Lizbeth?  Check them out in Yes, Captain.

Buy Link: 
Yes, Captain Blurb:

Lizbeth is having a rough time. After her captain and best friend Acton is kidnapped from their ship, she is forced to serve under the disgusting hand of one of her least favorite people, Troy. But things have improved because she has located Acton. Now, she just needs to convince Troy to turn the ship around so they can go and get him.

Living on Earth with no idea that he is actually the captain of a major space vessel, Acton will have to rediscover his past quickly. The Instigator and all of its crew are under attack from an enemy that will do anything to protect what it values most above other things: the sanctity of Earth.

But as Acton and Lizbeth become reacquainted, they will need their new love to help them defeat the traitor who hunts them and wants only their deaths to satisfy his desires.

Happy Holidays, Everyone! Comment for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card. 
Best RR

I'm blogging at 30 Days of Decadence ~ There are prizes to be won!!

The 'Light up the Holidays with Sci-Fi Romance' event continues over at 30 Days of Decadence where I interview Frey, from Celestial Seduction, about how he spent his first Christmas on Earth. I'm sharing one of my favorite recipes to make over the holidays, and giving stuff away! So be sure to stop by and leave a comment for your chance to win.

Fortune Cat's Visit – An Exclusive short from SFR author Heather Massey

Fortune Cat's Visit by Heather Massey

San Francisco Chinatown, 2089

The door chime of the Moon Trading Company heralded the arrival of a customer.

Duty called. Lynnput down the fortune cat she'd been cleaning in preparation for Chinese New Year. It was already eight o'clockin the evening, and the whole store was a dust magnet. She was never going to make it. Sorry, mom. "Ni hao," she called out. "Hello. Can I help you?"

She carefully navigated her way past precarious stacks of cheap, gold-colored trinkets and overflowing bins of floral brocade slippers to the front of the store. Tucked in a sunken room onJackson Street, the Moon Trading Company didn't get many visitors on such a cold winter night.

"Hello," came a man's soothing, harmonious voice.

With an appreciative glance, Lynnabsorbed the sight of the dapper businessman standing inside the threshold. At least, she assumed his black, three-quarter length overcoat, sleek gloves, and stylish boots indicated a business occupation of some kind. She'd never seen him in the neighborhood before, either in her parents' shop or anywhere else. Of course, that didn't mean much. Chinatownhad a lot of people. But Lynnhad a feeling she would have remembered this man's striking appearance if she'd already encountered him.

She wiped her hands on her red blouse as inconspicuously as possible. Tried not to let her gaze linger on the man's smartly cut, raven-black hair. Failed to suppress her ogling in every way. He was practically a sculpture.Lynnbrushed a stray hair from her face and smiled. "Looking for anything in particular?"

The stranger flashed a grin in turn. "Just browsing. For now."

His smooth, self-assured manner set Lin's heart pounding. But of course, he was just a customer. And she had work to do. "I'll be at the cash register if you need anything."

"M joi nei sin."

His Cantonese response of "thanks" stirred her curiosity about his origins. Reluctantly,Lynnsat on her stool and resumed her cleaning. The task was more busy work than anything. With her parents gone, both having died eight months ago in a car accident, there was no one around to nag her about cleaning up, unpacking inventory, or hand-selling to customers. Still,Lynnwasn't sure it was a freedom she wanted. She sorely missed their cheerful presence.

Peering between a large Buddha statue and a display of cloisonné vases, she stole glances at the stranger as he wandered down the first aisle. This was more excitement in one evening than she'd had all year. Had it been that long since she'd been on a date? A quiet, wistful sigh escaped her.

"Excuse me, what is this item here?"

The stranger had stopped before one of the large glass cases near the wall. Lin hustled over to his side. "Yes?"

He pointed to the largest item in the locked case. Over three feet tall, the grayish-green hunk of alien metal gleamed in the warm light of the display case. One side featured a panel of some kind, with ornate symbols on an array of evenly-spaced squares. The singular machine was in sharp contrast to the store's other, more mundane products.

The stranger leaned forward for a closer examination. "Interesting piece. Do you know what it is?"

Lynnbit her lip. A few months before they died, her parents had stocked the shop with this…unique product. "It supposedly belonged to the Sojourners. Some of their tech made its way into the bla—into the market after they left Earth. My parents used to own this place, and bought it right before they passed away. They said they were told it was some kind of time machine."

"Time machine?" He chuckled, his skepticism obvious.

"Or portal to another dimension. I can't remember."

"Does it work?"

Lynnshrugged. "Maybe you could buy it and find out."

"Maybe I could at that!" The stranger laughed. Then he abruptly sobered. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents."

Lynnnodded in acknowledgment. "These things happen."

He removed his gloves and extended his right hand. "I'm John Yuen, by the way."

Lynnstudied the searching look on his face as she reached out to shake his hand. It was as if he expected her to react to his name in some specific way. She searched her memory, but it came up empty. Yuen was indeed a stranger to her. But she didn't fear him. In fact, she felt quite the opposite of fear. He sure was a friendly customer, one whose hand felt warm and nice. "Lynn Chong. Nice to meet you."

"So," he said, gesturing to the alien machine. "How much do you want for it?"

Lynn's heart started pounding. She fought to keep her expression neutral. Her parents had insisted on keeping the Sojourner artifact price-tag free, explaining to her that the price would reveal itself when the right buyer came along.

But suddenly, she felt reluctant to sell it. Not because the object had belonged to a group of aliens who had made first contact with Earth in 2079, only a decade past. They had freely shared their technology, butLynnwasn't inclined to exploit her artifact in some way. The true reason was that in effect, the artifact had belonged to her parents, however dubious the actual ownership. They had been planning on selling it to the highest bidder and retiring in style. The accident had stolen away that dream. Now, she didn't think she could sever that link to them.

Lynnaverted her eyes. "So sorry, but I don't think you can afford it."

Yuen's dark, mesmerizing eyes glinted with intrigue as he cocked a brow. "Try me."

Oh, what have I done? She moistened her lips in preparation for the most outrageous stunt in her life. "One million dollars." Surely that price would dissuade him. However,Lynn felt an ache of sorrow at the thought that he'd soon be gone from her life.

The stranger nodded. "You've got a deal. I've been searching weeks for just the right showcase piece for my new office. This will do perfectly." He raised his left hand and showed her the pale silver circle marking the embedded chip. Thanks to the Sojourners, the device was all the rage these days. "Where can I pay?"

Lynngaped. How much money did this guy have? She regretted her impulsive statement. She should just tell him the truth. "I, ah, I appreciate your offer, but—"

Yuen shook his head. "Ms. Chong," he began.

"Please, call me Lynn."

He smiled nervously. "Lynn, yes, thank you. Listen, I still want the artifact and intend to negotiate further, but that's not the real reason I'm here."

Lynnslanted her brows as confusion overtook her.

"I know. This must seem strange." Yuen raised a hand to his mouth and politely covered it while he cleared his throat. "Do you remember what happened here on Chinese New Year's eve about twelve years ago? It was '77, to be exact."

Lynnthought back to that time. She'd just turned twenty. It was shortly before the Sojourners had arrived, and a time of global economic struggle. Like many vendors inChinatown, her parents had come perilously close to going out of business. She remembered frequent nights of plain rice and soy sauce, but not much else.

She shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry. I can't remember. Is there anything in particular you're thinking of?"

Yuen nodded. "There was a man. He was down on his luck in unimaginable ways. He came here, looking for a hand out. Your parents forced him to leave."

Lynnraised a hand to her cheek as memory came flooding back. "Yes, I remember now. He looked really awful." 'Awful' was an understatement. The man in question had been dressed in filthy, tattered clothing. His feet had been bare. Long, lank hair had obscured his dirty face. His breath had smelled like a sewer, and was rivaled only by his sour body odor. It had taken hours to air out the shop.

Yuen looked at her intently. "You ran out after him despite the cold. You gave him shoes and a bowl of hot rice."

Lynnremembered the night vividly now. The rice was supposed to have been her dinner. She'd gone without that night. "I would have given him money, but my parents might not have made the rent if I had." She shrugged. "It was the least I could do." She gave Yuen a measured stare as insight dawned. "Are you looking for him? Sorry, but I haven't seen him since."

"You have, actually."

Lynnfrowned. "I don't understand."

Yuen took a deep breath. Then he gazed at her steadily. "I was that man."

Lynn's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh, my goodness." She looked him up and down. "Really? You look wonderful. I had no idea." She turned away, blushing. "I'm sorry, that was awfully forward of me."

"No, not at all. I appreciate your kind words." He reached out and touched her shoulder lightly.Lynnshyly met his gaze. "Because of your kindness, everything changed for me that night. I'll tell you how I got to that terrible place if you like, but what's more important is how I turned my life around since then." He withdrew his hand and gestured to the Sojourner machine. "In fact, once I was stable, I made it my goal to pay you back properly some day. I own a business now. Have you heard of Tangerine Enterprises?"

Lynngasped. Tangerine Enterprises was fast becoming the global leader in photovoltaic textiles and other renewable energy products. "Yes," she replied.

"That's my company." He suddenly appeared contemplative. "I still have the shoes. So I never forget where I came from."

"I'm very happy for you." And she was. She hadn't thought about that homeless man until now, but she was glad to hear about his happy ending. "But just because you have piles of money doesn't mean you have to pay me back. That's not why I did it."

"I know. But I still want to thank you." He looked at her earnestly. "Thank you,Lynn, for helping me when no one else would on that cold, dark night so long ago." He rested a well-manicured hand against the case as a gleam lit his eyes. "Are you sure I can't buy this? Perhaps I underestimated its worth. How about two million?"

Lynnswallowed. "At the risk of sounding rude, I just can't sell it right now. It…belonged to my parents."

Yuen smiled. "I understand. Well, if you won't take my millions of dollars, may I please take you out to dinner?" Then he paled a little. "That is, as long as you're…maybe I shouldn't have presumed…are you with anyone?"

Lynnshook her head. "No. It's just me here."

Yuen's expression brightened. "Great! I mean, not great that you're alone, but…." He began rubbing the back of his head as his skin flushed red.

Lynngiggled into her hand. "I know what you meant." When she raised her gaze, Yuen was grinning.

Lynntook a step back, feeling giddy. "I'll lock up. Won't take me long."

Yuen pulled his gloves back on. "Take your time. I'll be waiting."

Lynnquickly emptied the cash register and placed the money in the safe. As she shut off the lights in the back room, she whispered, "I'll clean up tomorrow, Mom and Dad. I promise."

Then she donned her coat, hat, gloves, and scarf. Yuen was standing by the door, waiting as promised. The streetlight shone through the front windows, creating a soft white halo around him. He looked so handsome and debonair thatLynncouldn't believe her incredible luck.

Yuen opened the door. A chilly, yet invigorating breeze rushed through the opening. "Ready?"

Lynn's keys jingled as she locked the front door. The night air felt cold and crisp, but she reveled in the feeling. Adventure of a new kind awaited her. As she slipped the keys into her purse, Yuen placed a guiding hand on her elbow.

"I should warn you," he said, then hesitated. "Oh, that sounded bad, didn't it? Sorry, it's just that I'm very excited to see you again. What I meant was, I wanted to let you know that I don't want to just take you out to dinner. I'd like…to get to know you. No pressure, of course."

"I'd like that very much," Lynnsaid softly as she linked her arm through his. "By the way, gung hay fat choy."

Yuen grinned widely as they walked up the steep slope toward Grant Avenue. "I was hoping I'd get the chance to hear you say that again. Gung hay fat choy, Lynn."

Bio:

Heather Massey is a lifelong fan of science fiction romance. She searches for sci-fi romance adventures aboard her blog, The Galaxy Express. She's also an author: Her latest book is Queenie's Brigade (Red Sage Publishing). To learn more about her published work, visit www.heathermassey.com.

Queenie's Brigade blurb:

Captain Michael Drake desperately needs an army to save Earth after a crushing defeat by alien invaders. When his damaged starship docks at a remote prison colony, he discovers Earth's last best hope—an army to replace the one he lost.

But Queenie, the feral goddess ruling the prison, has other plans for the rugged military leader. After imprisoning Drake and seizing his ship, she prepares to lead her blood-thirsty band to freedom before the invaders track them down.

Despite her intentions, Queenie secretly falls for the sexy, hotshot captain. Drake makes it plain he wants to win back Earth with her by his side. But is following her heart worth betraying her people?

***

A downloadable, three-chapter excerpt is available at Heather's Web site: http://heathermassey.com/queeniesbrigade.html

It's the Most Stressful Time of the Year (even for aliens) by Gini Koch

It's the Most Stressful Time of the Year

By Gini Koch

Hi, I'm Katherine "Kitty" Katt-Martini, and I narrate the true life story of what it's like to live and work with the most gorgeous people on Earth. Sure, they're originally from the Alpha Centauri system, and they have two hearts and a lot of talents that are like superpowers to humans, but really, they're just regular "folks".

Our aliens, or A-Cs as they preferred to be called, don't really celebrate Christmas, since they were exiled here because of their religion. I'm the product of a former Catholic (and former Mossad — don't ask) mother and Jewish father, and we don't really celebrate the December holidays all that much, either.

Martini: I think you should celebrate.

Kitty: Huh? Hey, Jeff, I'm doing a guest blog thingy here.

Martini: I know. And I think you should celebrate the holidays. Don't not do it on my account.

Kitty: I'm not. I'm not doing it on my account. And that was my polite way of saying 'bug off, this is my gig not yours'.

Martini: I know, but I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I don't get it. Most religiously mixed families celebrate both holidays, or they choose one and celebrate it. Why doesn't your family do that?

Kitty: First off, I know you're getting all your holiday information from old TV shows.

Martini: There's nothing wrong with Festivus or Chrismukka. They're jolly.

Kitty: Thanks for proving point one. Secondly, my father has a strong anti-over consumption bent.

Martini: There's nothing wrong with the exchange of small gifts to show love and respect.

Kitty: Uh huh, no argument. Last but in no way least, I'm hella preggers here, and the last thing I want to do is put up a Christmas tree or Hanukkah bush, and I'm not excited about lighting candles or wrapping presents, either. And the less said about actually shopping for anything the better. You could get some dreidel time out of me, but only because there's chocolate coins involved and I have a serious craving right now.

Martini: I'll get you whatever chocolate you want, but I do want a better explanation for why you're avoiding the holidays. I think they're interesting.

Kitty: Yes, they are. They're religious in nature, but my father thinks they've gotten over-commercialized.

Martini: Maybe he's right. But that doesn't mean we can't celebrate. We could just do it without a lot of fanfare.

Kitty: You already have something planned, don't you?

Martini: Uh, no. No, not at all. Why would you think that?

Kitty: Because you're looking at your shoes and you look hugely guilty.

Martini: Fine. Yes, I got you a present. Since Christmas and Hanukkah are happening at the same time this year, I picked something out that I hope you'll like.

Kitty: I'm sure I'll like it, Jeff. But why does this matter so much to you?

Martini: Well, we're about to have a baby, and that baby will be half-human. I think it'd be nice if we're able to share what the real joy of the season is with our child.

Kitty: You really are an old softie, aren't you?

Martini: I suppose. You want your gift now or you want to be surprised?

Kitty: Oh, surprise me.

Martini: Okay, if I have to wait.

Kitty: Yes, you have to wait. Even though I can tell you don't want to.

Martini: I don't, but since I can tell you now want to get me something, let me say that what I got is a gift for us, so you don't have to buy anything.

Kitty: The empath stuff I'm sort of getting used to, but the mind reading never stops being freaky.

Martini: So, okay, we'll wait until it's closer to Festivus.

Kitty: I prefer Chrismukkah.

Martini: Glad I'm wearing you down. Chrismukkah it is.

Kitty: Honestly, we should call it Hanmastarion or Almaskah to include the Alpha Centaurion side.

Martini: I love them!

Kitty: I was kidding.

Martini: No, I really love those names. Hanmastaurion is great and so is Almaskah! Maybe I'll send out a directive that we all celebrate it this year. I'll put the names up for a vote. I'll be right back…I'll bring back some hot chocolate for you, too.

Kitty: Extra whipped cream on the hot chocolate, please and thank you.

Martini: You got it, baby!

Kitty: I've created a monster. But I know when I'm beat. A happy Hanmastarion to all, and to all a lovely and peaceful Almaskah.

Alien Proliferation blurb:

After the wildest wedding ever, Katherine "Kitty" Katt-Martini and her Alpha Centaurion husband Jeff are hoping life will settle down. But alien attacks are on the increase, and someone is testing a dangerous new drug on unwilling subjects within their group. As if that's not enough, Kitty and a number of the A-C women are expecting their first babies.

No one is certain what this baby boom will lead to, but after almost losing Kitty in childbirth, they discover that their newborn's talents are off the charts — and potentially dangerous. And just to add to their worries — the bad guys want their baby.

The last thing anyone in Centaurion Division needs after that is a conspiracy to kill the heads of the C.I.A.'s Extra-Terrestrial Division and the Presidential Terrorism Control Unit, otherwise known as Charles Reynolds and Kitty's mother, Angela Katt.

Then, suddenly, key members of Alpha and Airborne start vanishing.

Can Kitty, her remaining team members, friends old and new, and a totally unexpected new partner rescue everyone and figure out how and why Kitty's become a superhuman? Most importantly, can they pull it all off before the event Kitty dreads most — her Alpha Centaurion baby shower?

Author Bio

Gini Koch lives in Hell's Orientation Area (aka Phoenix, AZ), works her butt off (sadly, not literally) by day, and writes by night with the rest of the beautiful people. She writes the fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine "Kitty" Katt series for DAW Books and the Martian Alliance Chronicles series for Musa Publishing. She also writes under a variety of pen names (including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch), listens to rock music 24/7, and is a proud comics geek-girl willing to discuss at any time why Wolverine is the best superhero ever (even if Deadpool does get all the best lines). She also speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business.

You can find Gini at:

Website: http://www.ginikoch.com

Blah, Blah, Blah Blog: http://ginikoch.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @GiniKoch

Facebook: facebook.com/Gini.Koch

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hairspray-and-Rock-n-Roll-Kicking-Evil-Alien-Butt-since-2010-GINI-KOCH

Alien Collective Virtual HQ/Official Fan Site: http://aliencollectivehq.com/

Six Sentence Sunday: 12/04/11 ~ Beneath the Starry Sky on #sixsunday

Thank you to everyone who keeps coming back to read and comment on my excerpts every week. You all rock!

Back to Beneath the Starry Sky, a contemporary romance, which releases from Decadent Publishing December 16th. (blurb here) Josh receives a text from Madame Evangeline, owner of the popular 1NightStand service.

The beautiful woman in your suite is waiting to spend the evening in your company.

He groaned, fighting the urge to throw his phone on the ground and stomp on it. Yes, he'd tried to set his brother up on a date, but he would never consider that kind of service for himself. And this was supposed to be his time to himself. Alone. No, I never applied to your dating service. I'm not even looking for a relationship right now.

Visit http://www.sixsunday.com/ to find out who's participating in Six Sentence Sunday this week or follow the #sixsunday hashtag on twitter.

Blogging at Daily Dose of Decadence – Visit and WIN!!

Today, I'm over at my publisher's blog, Daily Dose of Decadence, talking about the science fiction romance special feature I'm hosting all month long on my blog.

Stop by the blog for your chance to WIN any sci-fi romance from Decadent's line-up!!

Holiday Interview with the Vampire from Lisa Lane

Please welcome vampire Karen from The Darkness and the Night trilogy, who will share the unique holiday traditions on which she and her blood donor Jason raised her half-vampire twins Anna and Andy.

Thanks for joining us today, Karen!

Karen:  It's my pleasure.  Thanks for the interview.

Why don't you start by telling us a little about your holiday traditions?

Karen:  Well, I was raised celebrating Christmas and Jason grew up celebrating Yule back on the commune, so instead of one of us giving up family tradition, we decided to combine the two.

Combine Christmas and Yule?  How do you do that?

Karen:  At first, it seemed like a difficult task, but the more we looked into the two holidays, the more in common we found they had.  We actually learned that Christmas integrated Yule tradition, slowly taking over the holiday.  Yule songs became Christmas carols.  The Yule log gave way to the Christmas tree and Santa entering through the fireplace.  Ritual sacrifice became gift-giving.  The Yule feast transformed into the big, family Christmas dinner those of us who celebrate it know so well.

So I take it you approach the holiday from a secular point of view.

Karen:  Not entirely, but I think that's for a different interview.

Fair enough.  Let's talk about that big, family Christmas dinner.  How exactly does a vampire family go about that?

[image error]Karen:  Neither of the twins drank blood until they matured, so Christmas/Yule dinner for us was more normal than you would think.  Even though I couldn't partake personally, I prepared a ham every year along with all of the fixings.  We sat together as a family, then when the kids went to bed, Jason and I kissed beneath the mistletoe and cuddled by the burning Yule log.  Sappy, I know, but it's true.

What about Christmas/Yule morning?  Did you take the Santa route?

Karen:  For Andy.  There was no fooling Anna, given her omnipresence, but she was happy to play along for her brother.

I suppose that made gift-giving a little complicated too.

Karen:  Only for Anna.  How do you find the perfect gift for someone who can just pull whatever she wants from the Astral?  Even so, she always played the gracious child—and the gifts she would come up with for the rest of us every year were amazing.

Can you give us an example?

Karen:  I think the neatest gift Anna ever got anyone was when she transformed the back yard into an amusement park for Andy.  We all enjoyed that a lot.

We want to thank you for sharing your holiday tradition, Karen.  Is there somewhere readers can learn a little more about you and your very untraditional family?

Karen:  Again, it was my pleasure.

For more information about us, check out The Darkness and the Night erotic horror romance trilogy, by Lisa Lane.  Note that the series can be scary (and a little bloody) at times, and also contains explicit sex with strong language, so it may not be appropriate for all readers.  You can find Lisa Lane's website at http://www.newsensuality.blogspot.com.

Happy holidays!

This Endris Night After & "does this chocolate cheesecake make my ass look fat?" recipe & Giveaway!

This Endris Night After by DL Jackson

"So, let me get this right. You Terrans believe a fat guy with a good sense of humor, flies in a winter recreational vehicle, pulled by wingless reindeer—around the world, delivering presents to well behaved offspring, from a bag that has a never-ending supply of toys?"

Shiya tipped her head back and laughed. "When you put it that way, it does sound odd. Don't you have holidays you celebrate, with fun things like Santa Claus."

"We've got our traditions, but no fat men with wingless, flying reindeer." The expression on his face was so serious she had to fight the giggle that threatened to bubble out of her throat. She'd never celebrated the Holiday, but thought it might be fun to do it together, since she had someone to spend Christmas with, and nothing better to do on his ship other than the obvious. And she needed a break from that. If they kept boffing like they had, she'd soon be too crippled to walk. At least the baking seemed to keep him distracted a little, and it was amusing to see the look on his face when she explained Santa Claus.

"I can't believe you'd buy into that. It sounds ludicrous." Batter splattered up, hitting his cheek. "And other people really believe this?"

"It's called Christmas magic—fun. Why is it so hard to buy into? People believe aliens exist." She reached out, scooped the blob off his cheek and stuck her finger in her mouth.

"That's different. We do exist, and on my world, you're the alien."

She pulled her finger out with a pop. "Do I look like an alien?"

He'd stopped stirring and stared. His eyes glittered with wicked light and his gaze dropped to her finger. "Do that again."

"You don't have any cheese cake on your face for me to lick off."

His expression went blank for a second, and then hungry. "You'd lick it off if it had cheesecake on it?"

"I'd lick cheese cake off anything. This stuff is amazing." She stuck her finger in the batter and slid it into her mouth again. "I could devour that whole bowl. We Terran women have a thing for chocolate and cheesecake."

Gunnar tucked the bowl under his arm, grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward his quarters in the back of the ship.

"Uh, where are we going?"

"I've got something for you to lick cheesecake off of. I think I like this Terran Christmas tradition, and we should investigate further."

"It's not a…," she said as she followed him. Christmas tradition. But on second thought, she might be sore, but she wasn't dead. Licking anything off that body, would really put the ho, ho, ho in her Christmas.

"The decadent, does this cheesecake make my ass look fat?" recipe.

Three blocks of cream cheese.
¾ cup of sugar.
1tbs of vanilla
1 tub of sour cream
1carton of whipping cream
1bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bar of dark chocolate (grated)
6 large eggs
Package of Oreo cookies
Half a stick of butter
A shot of your favorite liquor, if you're feeling adventurous. I like rum.


Crush ½ package of cookies, add butter and press into the bottom of a greased or lined spring-form pan.
All ingredients should be at room temperature before starting. This will prevent glacier-sized crevices in your finished cake.
Preheat oven to 350.
Beat cream cheese and sugar together until creamy. Add vanilla beat and begin to add one egg at a time, being careful not to over-mix. Add sour cream.
In a small dry sauce pan. Melt the chocolate chips. When completely melted, pour into batter while beating on slow. Set to the side.
Whip cream until fluffy. Fold in shredded chocolate and then fold into mixture.
Pour mixture over cookie crumb, stopping ¾ inch from the top. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350, then turn down to 250 and bake 1-2 hours, until the center is no longer shiny and liquid. Shut oven off and let cool for an hour before refrigerating. Stick in freezer if you don't have time to chill overnight. Garnish with white chocolate curls, or slice strawberries, drizzles of caramel or anything that suits your fancy.

*Disclosure*

No aliens were harmed in the making of this cheesecake.

This Endris Night blurb:

One night. One party of a lifetime. One secret a century old which could end it all.

Shiya, a Yupik supermodel, travels to Alaska in pretense of attending a party where she'll find the man of her dreams. But her real intent is to lure the man of her nightmares to where she can finally end a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Gunnar is on Earth for one reason—to recover the wreckage of a Doppelganger crash that is scattered for miles, throughout an Alaskan resort and human settlements. In order to get closer to the ship's debris, he agrees to a date and finds himself face to face with a Terran woman who doesn't know her genetics are from his world, or that she's being tracked by someone whose duty is to eliminate all threats to their secret. Shiya's heritage has placed her at the top of the killer's list.

Now the only way to save her, is to claim her, and Shiya isn't about to make it easy.

Find DL Jackson here: http://authordljackson.com

http://backwardmomentum.blogspot.com

http://para-fanatics.blogspot.com

and on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

Giveaway!

WIN an ebook copy of This Endris Night from author DL Jackson. Simply leave a comment for your chance to win. Contest ends tonight at midnight EST. Winner will be notified tomorrow.

Light Up Your Holidays with Sci-Fi Romance

Today begins the Science Fiction Romance feature I'm hosting on my blog. Learn what your favorite SFR characters do over the holidays, read some exclusive short stories, and catch excerpts from some awesome books! Oh, and there might be some yummy recipes and fabulous prizes as well.

List of Participants:

December 1 – D.L. Jackson
December 2 – Lisa Lane
December 5 – Gini Koch
December 6 – Heather Massey
December 7 – Jessica E. Subject @ 30 Days of Decadence Holiday Blog
December 8 – Rebecca Royce
December 9 – Bella Street
December 12 – Sara Brookes
December 13 – Maureen O. Betita
December 14 – Jessica E. Subject @ Jennifer Lane's blog & TRS Book-a-day Giveaway
December 15 – Ann Mayburn
December 16 – Jeanette Grey
December 19 – Melisse Aires
December 20 – Diane Dooley
December 21 – Jessica E. Subject on Lisa Fox's blog
December 22 – Azura Ice
December 23 – Eve Langlais
December 27 – Ella Drake
December 28 – Cathy Pegau
December 29 – Marva Dasef
December 30 – Misa Buckley

Author Interview: Rebecca Royce tells us about 'I'll Be Mated For Christmas'

Welcome back, Rebecca to Mark of the Stars. It is a pleasure to have you here today. I've enjoyed so many of your books, including your upcoming release, I'll Be Mated For Christmas. Can you tell us about this story?

RR: Thanks so much for having me and for your kind words. Sure!

Tagline: This year Bethany will have a Werewolf under her tree…if only she can be brave enough to take the gift.

What inspired you to write I'll Be Mated For Christmas?

RR: Well, the idea was given to me to do a 1NS story that was centered around Christmas. The publisher preferred that I do a paranormal story, which is always fine by me! After that, boom, the idea just came to me like all my ideas do—out of the blue but totally consuming.

For those who don't know, can you tell us more about the 1 Night Stand series, to which your story is part of?

RR: The 1 Night Stand series is a multi-authored series that center around the workings of the mysterious Madame Evangeline.  She owns a dating service that promises to give the couple a great one night stand.  But she's very good at what she does and frequently one night turns into something much more substantial than that. Each story is a different author's take on their character's one night stand within the confines of the world that was set up for the series.

Did you have to do any research for this story?

RR: Some. I did have to learn a little bit about lap band surgery.

[image error]You write about many paranormals, but mostly wolves. Can you tell us what draws you to write about them?

RR: I love wolves. I just think they're so fascinating!

When it comes to your writing, do you have a clear idea of what's going to happen before you begin the story, or do you let the characters tell their story as you go?

RR: I let my characters guide me but I do start out with a general idea of things. That can change, however, over the course of the story.

[image error]What is your favorite holiday?

RR: New Years Eve. I love the promise of the new year.

Who are your favorite authors?

RR: I think everything Nalini Singh writes is brilliant.

You write short stories, novellas, and novels. Which do you find easier to write and why?

RR: I find them all equally hard for different reasons. I don't actually find any writing to be easy, ever. If it is than I'm not working hard enough.

What are you working on now?

RR: The next book in my Westervelt Wolves series.

Thank you so much for being here today, Rebecca! I really enjoyed reading I'll Be Mated For Christmas and I hope my readers will, too.

Find Rebecca on her Blog, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.