Jessica E. Subject's Blog, page 69
January 26, 2016
Jessica E. Subject’s Weekly Writing Update ~ Just another week
Hello! It’s Tuesday, and time for my Weekly Writing Update. This past week, it’s been snow, kids with colds, and hubby on a new shift. Another week gone. But, I do have some good news. 
BRYCE ~ I’m now at 11,477 words, for a total of 678 new words.
MADE FOR HER ~ I’ve received the story back from beta readers. Now, I have to do some minor edits, then get it ready for formatting. I’m hoping next week I’ll have some pre-order links.
GOALS FOR THE WEEK ~ I will add as many new words to Bryce as possible. Plus, I will edit, format, and upload Made For Her for pre-order.
Please share what you have been up to this week. Are you reading or writing anything new?
January 25, 2016
Contest & Extended Excerpt from Tara Quan’s New #1NightStand FELINE VALENTINE @LaylaTarar @DecadentPub
A year ago, I released Fireworks at Midnight, thinking I would leave the world of A Witch’s Night Out forever (I’d planned the series as a trilogy). Unfortunately, my characters had other plans. Since I’d sicced Madame Eve on her cat familiar, earth mage Shelley Dupree insisted I make things right. To be fair, I’d already given her a magical handicap, forced her under house arrest, and buried her in bills—taking away her feline companion did seem a cruel and unusual punishment.
It took me two months of fictional time to even the scales with Feline Valentine. Part of Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand series, my interracial paranormal romance is set in Washington, D.C., where magic-wielding folk try to live alongside us pesky humans. It’s my first true “shifter” AND “foodie” romance (talk about ticking two boxes with one book), and a quick read of the blurb should tell you what I mean.
To celebrate this unexpected return to my favorite series, I’m giving away a $15 gift card. To enter, leave a comment here and drop your details in the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of this post.
FELINE VALENTINE
A Witch’s Night Out
by Tara Quan
Under magical house arrest in her great-grandmother’s suburban cottage, college graduate and reluctant earth mage Shelley Dupree whiles away most mornings spying on the warlock next door. Though erotic daydreams offer some distraction, she faces long working hours, cash flow problems, and a repeat burglar. On Valentine’s Day, she sets a trap for the mysterious intruder, intent on ending his crime streak once and for all. But her scheming cat familiar foils her best-laid plans, and, with a little help from Madame Eve’s 1-Night Stand service, she discovers a far more dangerous species of magical feline.
After moving in next to a ramshackle building on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., pastry chef Adrien Chatdurois is plagued by repeat sexual fantasies starring the same curvy brunette. In a state of constant arousal, he devotes his early mornings to grueling exercise and spends the rest of his day handcrafting the city’s best chocolates. When his younger brother stirs up trouble on the shop’s busiest day, the frustrated shifter is forced to pay a surprise visit on his reclusive neighbor. He soon learns not all witches are wart-covered hags, and one in particular might prove the most delicious of desserts.
Genres:
Paranormal Romance
Romantic Comedy
Interracial/Multicultural
Amazon | ARe | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | GooglePlay
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Check out the rest of the series here!
Since she’d removed the plastic wrap but had forgotten to eat, Adrien reached over and brought a strawberry to her lips. Shelley stared at him for a long moment. With a shrug and a grin, she swirled her tongue along the chocolate before clamping her teeth over the fruit. Biting off a chunk, she drew back and licked her lips clean.
Shifting his stance, he tried to focus on anything but the blood rushing to his groin. He hadn’t thought his jeans could get any tighter. He’d thought wrong.
The activity in the kitchen screeched to an abrupt halt.
She studied him through lowered lashes. “What? Is something wrong?”
Two could play this game. Caging her between the counter and his body, he brushed his fingers over her upper arm and along her neck. When she tilted her head to the side, he lowered his head so his lips grazed her earlobe. Grinning when her breath caught, he reached around her, his arm missing her breasts by a millimeter as he wiped her lower lip with the pad of his thumb. “You missed a spot.”
Her skin darkened to the color of milk chocolate. Though he couldn’t wait to find out how she tasted, he mustered enough self-control to return to the task at hand. The sooner he fed the witch, the sooner they’d shift to more delicious activities. “Keep eating. I don’t need another tantrum on my hands.”
“Oonn ieet.”
As she polished off the strawberries, he whisked a pair of eggs in a separate bowl before combining his two mixtures. He placed a small container of butter in his palm. A few seconds later, it softened and melted. Shifters generated far more body heat than humans or elemental mages, which came in handy since his host’s microwave seemed to have been rescued from a 1980s Dumpster.
Soft footsteps approached him from behind. “Can I help?”
He turned, glanced at the empty plate on the counter, and answered her sheepish grin with a smile of his own. “Feeling guilty?”
“You’re not off the hook, or anything.” Her cheeks darkened. “But my temper might have been a bit more…explosive than usual. I’m sorry I punched you in the face, but you’re not forgiven for acting like a horny asshole.”
“I kind of am horny thanks to—” He managed to shut his mouth before allocating part of the blame to her vivid sexual fantasies. “Erm…. Anyway…. All is forgiven. Blood sugar dips make women’s moods go haywire. When paired with my lack of filter…let’s say there’s a reason I learned how to cook.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I’m pretty sure male moods are affected by hunger as well.”
“Yes, but we tend to prioritize filling our stomachs over most other tasks.”
Finding an empty patch of counter space, she seated herself and watched as he finished off the batter with freshly grated orange zest. “Do you always say what you think?”
“Yup. It’s a hazard.” Covering the bowl with plastic wrap, he placed it in her fridge to rest. “Then again, there’s no point getting someone to dig a fake version of me.”
He turned in time to catch her rolling her eyes. “You might want to give them some time to warm up.”
“Oh, stop pretending. You like me. Admit it.”
She looked him up and down. “I hate to break this to you, but while I might think you’re hot, your attitude leaves much to be desired.”
He worked on the oranges and lemons for the sauce. “What’s wrong with my attitude? Here I am, slaving away to put food on the table—”
She snorted.
“What? It literally describes what I’m doing. And what about the repairs I did before finding out what you looked like? All my altruism has to count for something.” He floated a pan over to the stove and started melting some sugar and butter. The distinct smell of caramel soon filled the kitchen.
Rolling her shoulders, she arched her back. The stretch puffed out her chest, and his physical reaction almost made him lose control of his telekinesis. He’d never met a female so unaware of the gorgeousness of her boobs. At this rate, he risked permanent damage to a very important body part.
An idea hit him. With a slow wave of his finger, he sent melted sugar into the air, allowing it to cool for a moment before directing a slow stream toward the witch. When she opened her mouth, he deliberately dripped the caramel over her chin and down her neck before bracketing her body with his.
“What”—her voice turned husky—“are you doing?”
“Snacking.” He ran the tip of his tongue from the base of her throat, up the column of her neck. The sauce’s smoky sweetness lingered as he followed the sticky path to her mouth.
When he caught her lower lip between his teeth, her fingers trailed up his forearms to clench over the sleeves of his shirt. He sucked, teased her with light nips until she sighed and melted against his chest.
She tilted her head back, and he took it as permission to devour. Hidden under layers of chocolate and strawberry, he discovered his personal addiction. He pushed her further, forcing her to meet him stroke for stroke.
“This is a bad idea,” she murmured between sipping kisses. “Madame Eve isn’t any old dating service.”
“I don’t care.” He circled one arm around her waist and pulled. Her thighs parted, the counter height positioning her for his taking. He ground his tented fly between her spread legs, relishing her soft moans as she hooked her ankles behind his back.
Lifting a hand to fondle her breast, he pumped his hips. His quest for relief only aggravated his arousal. He channeled his mounting frustration onto her neck, leaving hickeys as he nibbled his way to her collarbones. Pulling down her hoodie’s zipper, he marked the swells of silky skin then tugged at her neckline so he could explore.
When he lifted his head to examine his handiwork, he found her flushed and panting. Each labored breath lifted her plump breasts, their perfection marred by his dark brands. The rush of possession brought an indescribable high, the cat in him recognizing what neither human seemed ready to admit.
“Your clothes,” Adrien rasped. “Take them off.”
“You first.” A split second before Shelley surrendered to temporary insanity, the sharp crack of breaking glass yanked her from the brink. Cursing her wayward hormones, she jumped off the counter and headed for the back door.
With a rumbling curse, Adrien grabbed her upper arm and swung her behind him, using his much larger body as a shield against the harmless kitchen exit. “Stay inside. I’ll handle—”
“Oh please. It’s my house. All you’ll do is stumble around the backyard half-blind. I’ve got this.”
Spinning on his heel, he gaped at her. “You’re seriously pulling a women’s lib moment on me now?”
“Yup.” She pointed at the stove. “Finish the dessert like a good househusband while I deal with the break-in.”
Globetrotter, lover of languages, and romance author, Tara Quan has an addiction for crafting tales with a pinch of spice and a smidgen of kink. Inspired by her travels, Tara enjoys tossing her kick-ass heroines and alpha males into exotic contemporary locales, paranormal worlds, and post-apocalyptic futures. Her characters, armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, are guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever after. To receive updates about her new releases and get a free sexy read, subscribe to her mailing list at www.taraquan.com/newsletter.
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January 23, 2016
#8Sunday: She would never allow anyone to clone her ~ Made For Her #scifiromance
Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warriors post! I’m having a lot of fun getting to know the other participating authors and reading their wonderful and intriguing snippets.
Earlier in the week, I sent Made For Her to two beta readers, one who had read the story when originally published, and the other who belonged to the Canadian Armed Forces. Their feedback will let me know if everything jives with the revisions I’ve made. Today’s snippet follows immediately after last week’s.
He stepped out from behind his desk, lowering his arms. “I can see how intimate this situation is to you.”
She glared at him. “Oh, really?” The only way to get more personal was if they’d created a clone of herself, and she would never allow that.
“You need to be quiet and listen, or I will have you escorted out of my office.”
Mikayla plopped into one of the leather chairs in front of the general’s desk. She gripped the arms, holding in her anger, though she still had so much of her mind to tell him.
The general sat back down. “Just so you know, Daniel did grant permission to be cloned when he was first contracted to Onatria.”
~ MADE FOR HER ~
After terrorists murder the love of her life, Colonel Mikayla Jones trains squadron after squadron of the clones he brought to life, to take to the skies. When she discovers a young clone of her husband in her newest class, her world spins out of control. How can she command the look-a-like when she can’t help but yearn for him to fill an ache in her heart?
Dare was created to be the best. As the first Daniel clone to leave Onatria labs, he needs to prove he is more than just a DNA copy. To do that, he must rely on the wife of the man who donated his genes. But when she refuses to train him, Dare faces discharge and returning to the labs. Can he convince Colonel Jones to finish his training and find a way into her bed? Or will long kept secrets unhinge the entire clone project?
This story, recommended on both USA Today’s Happily Ever After blog, and io9 is not yet available, but will be soon.
~*~*~
Weekend Writing Warriors is a Sunday short-snippet blog hop in which authors excerpt from their books (published or unpublished). There’s a variety of genres–something for everyone! To visit the participating authors, click on the logo:
Her yellow-eyed alien shifter #MySexySaturday from ALIEN LOVER #scifi #erotica
Hello and welcome to the 125th week of My Sexy Saturday.
Here are the details: every Saturday, published and unpublished authors will be sharing 7 words, sentences, or paragraphs from a work-in-progress or an already published story.
Today’s theme is…
MY SEXY SHIFTER
While I don’t generally write about paranormal shifters, I do have some alien shifters in my stories. Here’s seven from Alien Lover. Enjoy!
Set-up: Molly set out on a journey to find her fiance, not believing he perished when his ship exploded. While she doesn’t find him, she does find an alien who looks like him. Here’s where she gets a glimpse of what he really looks like….
Yellow eyes gazed up at her, no longer matching her fiancé’s. “I can’t keep his shape any longer.” His words were strained.
“I don’t care. Please, I offer myself to you.” The time for doubts had come and gone. She would make it work no matter what he looked like.
He plunged his thick muscle inside her, darting it in and out. She rocked against his face, drinking in the intensity of having her G-spot licked. Ohlan’s nose teased her clit, and the combination sent her to the edge and beyond. Her body tensed then released. The orgasm barreled through her in a frenzy of simultaneous explosions.
The creature swirled his tongue around her swollen folds. She struggled to hold still as the sensations continued. Gods, he knows how to draw out pleasure.
In an instant, he raised onto his knees, showing off his sleek figure. He reminded her of a runner, with taut muscles all over his body, his skin a deep purple.
She stared at him with admiration. Never had she met a space traveler from beyond Earth she would consider gorgeous. Not until Ohlan.
She pulled him down, tucking her leg under his, and rolled on top of him. It was her turn to explore. Trailing her fingers down his chest, she followed them with kisses, his skin soft and warm.
~ ALIEN LOVER ~
Unconvinced of her fiancé’s demise, Molly combs the galaxy to search for him. As her supplies run low, she is forced to turn around and set a course for Earth, alone. But, a Moloxian Starcruiser halts her retreat, and the single passenger transports onto her ship without permission. Taser in hand to defend herself, she is startled as the form remolds into her fiancé. Has Diego found her or is her tired mind playing tricks?
Only 99¢ from:
*This title is also part of Cosmic Desires.
For more My Sexy Saturday postings, check out the participants’ list
January 22, 2016
5 Books I’d Love to see Produced for Film or Television
Some of the books I have read and loved have recently been produced in film, The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Host, The Martian, and as of today, The 5th Wave. I’ve even heard that Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout has been optioned for film.
So, I thought I’d share a few other titles that I would love to see produced for film or television….
The Hunt (series) by Andrew Fukuda
This is a series about a world run by vampires. They breed humans to hunt them down. But, there is a human living among them, disguising himself as one of them. I don’t usually read about vampires, but I loved the first book so much, I had to read the rest of the series. I think it would make a great set of movies.
Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher
This story grabbed me from the very beginning, and the concept of aliens as ghosts is so intriguing. I think this would make a great sci-fi movie.
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
This is one of my favorite series. I don’t want to give any spoilers as to what happens later in the series, but I think it would be fabulous in film or on television as it changes settings.
Hell Squad series by Anna Hackett
It is in the future, and aliens have taken over the planet. But groups of survivors team together and are fighting back. While the stories are romances, I think the world would make a great television series. Kind of reminds me of Space: Above and Beyond.
Maximum Ride series by James Patterson
A group of kids whose DNA contains that of birds escape from the laboratory that created them. This series is about their adventures and fight for survival. I think it would make a great television series.
What movies would you like to see on film or television?
January 21, 2016
Detectives. Love. Handcuffs. ILLUSIONS, a #newrelease from @KaceyHammell #romsuspense
ILLUSIONS
By Kacey Hammell
Book 1: In the Arms of the Law
Protection. Adventure. Love.
It’s all found within The Arms of the Law…
Detective Isabella Knowles, a tough-as-nails cop, lives by the law, and knows what she wants out of life. And it doesn’t include marriage or all that comes with it. Everything Isabella has ever known seems like an illusion when a new relationship makes her feel more alive than ever before. She isn’t happy about it and fights it every step of the way.
Burned by his fiancée years ago, seer and P.I., Brady Jacobs never wants another commitment in his life. But his bachelorhood and heart are threatened when he has one of his visions and see a killer striking too close to the woman he has recently come to love.
Danger lurks close to home and neither Brady nor Isabella like that they can’t control every situation…especially matters of the heart.
Author’s Note: Illusions was previously released with another publisher. It has received minor revisions for reissue. Also includes a bonus short story TIED DOWN.
Genres: Contemporary, Suspense, Paranormal, Erotic, Romance
ISBN: 978-0-9877993-3-3
Word Count: 50,000
Amazon | Smashwords | Kobo | B&N (Nook) | iTunes | All Romance
Kacey Hammell, © 2016
Replacing the receiver, she sighed, resigned to leave the comfort of her bed. “Got to go to work, Izzy?”
Brady’s voice came from behind her and not for the first time, Isabella wondered if he realized he used so many variants of her name. She had noticed it a lot in the last few weeks but didn’t think he did. Tonight, for some reason, it bothered her more than ever.
When he was driving into her or when they were warm and cozy, sharing a few quiet moments, he called her Bella. She found herself coming to enjoy every time the name rolled off his tongue. It was special to her but she didn’t want to dwell on why at the moment. Instead, she counted off in her head his use of Isabella.
When they were around others, coworkers or just talking in general, he used her full name. At times like this, when interrupted by her job, he used Izzy in a distant, unaffected tone. The tag was starting to grate on her nerves.
She twisted on an angle toward him, unable to keep from caressing his body with her gaze. The sheet only covered his hips and navel, leaving his abs and biceps exposed to her hungry eyes.
What I wouldn’t give for ten more minutes with him tonight.
“Umm, yeah. It was Connor. I have to go. A woman who’s been missing for thirty-six hours was found dead down by the docks.” She headed to her closet as Brady got off the bed.
“Damn. Connor suspects foul play?”
Pulling a denim shirt from her closet and a pair of jeans, Isabella turned to look at him as he grabbed his clothes. Her breath hitched as he covered his tight ass with his Jockeys and jeans. It was a shame to see such perfection hidden.
With a small shake of her head, Isabella pulled herself from her musings and reached into her top dresser drawer for panties and a bra. “Yeah. The woman’s been missing for over a day and from what he said, she’s naked.” Her hands shook as she put on her panties and willed herself to calm down and think it all through.
“Connor didn’t say much else.” Turning her back to Brady, she shook out her jeans, put both legs in and pulled them up. So lost in her thoughts and trying to get a grip on her emotions, she didn’t hear him come up behind her, until he placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Do you want me to go with you, Izzy? I’ll assist in any way I can.”
Touched beyond means by his offer, she turned in his arms. “Thanks, but no.
You know I’ve been through it all before. Don’t make it a bigger deal than it has to be. I’ve seen this kind of thing many times, over and over.”
She sounded like a bitch but couldn’t let the fact they were having sex get in the way of her job. They had an unspoken agreement, no commitments, and let one another do what they had to do, never coddling each other or making bigger issues of anything.
“I know you have, Izzy, but sometimes…. Hell, never mind. It’s cool.” She could tell by the look in his eyes he was frustrated but didn’t want to show it.
Good, let him be pissed, irritated or anything other than caring. She understood he was a man used to taking care of others, but she’d be damned before she leaned on him.
After taking her gun from where it was locked up, she clipped the holster to the waistband of her slacks and adjusted it to where she liked it. Pulling her hair back into a scrunchie, she turned to face her lover, certain she had her emotions in check. “Thanks for coming over tonight. It was, as always, the exact thing I needed.”
For just a moment, she saw an emotion—maybe anger—cross his face, but it was gone so quickly she might have imagined it.
With what looked like a forced smile to her, Brady shrugged. “Always here for you, babe, whenever you have an itch.” His voice held the cold, detachment she was coming to dislike. He grabbed up his leather jacket near the door, but stopped before crossing the threshold. He turned to her, staring at her in a way she had never seen before. “I know you won’t—seriously know you won’t—but if you happen to need me, I’m only a phone call away.”
She couldn’t even ascertain what sensations spread through her body at his words. As she watched him walk out of her bedroom, she could identify only one emotion.
Loss.
Feeling like she was on a tightrope easily broken at any moment, she shook herself of her musings as she heard the front door close. She patted her pockets and sides. Keys, badge, gun. She was ready to face the night ahead. Detective Isabella Knowles, one of Trenton’s finest, was ready to catch the bad guys.
Too bad she couldn’t allow herself to be caught. Love and the badge didn’t mix. For a few short hours she could let her hair down, let her lover drive himself into her body and fill her thoughts.
But she’d never let a man drive himself into her heart. Never.
Connect with Kacey…
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January 20, 2016
Kissing the wrong man…again! #MidWeekTease from THE STAR PRINCESS @DecadentPub #scifiromance
Happy Wednesday! It’s time for Mid Week Tease! For those who don’t knowMid Week Tease is an author meme hosted by Angelica Dawson, where authors share snippets from their recent releases, back list titles, and works-in-progress (WIPs). So, please check out my tease and visit the other participating authors listed below.
For today’s post, I’m sharing an excerpt from THE STAR PRINCESS, which is available in ebook and audio book.
This excerpt happens on the lift in the castle. It’s not their first kiss, but the first should have never happened in the first place. Not without Princess Ro’sa knowing the truth.
As his lips touched hers, her body tingled with desire. She moaned into his gentle kiss, unable to control the sound. At the delicate ply of his tongue, she opened to him, her mind filled with a maddening wave of pleasure.
He kissed along her jaw to her neck. Her synapses exploded, and she squeezed his fingers. A ball of desire pooled low in her belly. Her breathing turned ragged, and she yearned for more.
Cyrus continued his torture to her sensitive skin, licking and sucking.
Her moans turned to cries of pleasure. He nudged her legs apart with his knee, bringing the two of them even closer, yet not close enough.
Drawing her hands from his, Ro’sa reached between them, grasping the zipper of his suit. She dragged it down, reaching inside to touch his bare skin. Splaying her hand across his chest, she felt the pounding of his heart. It beat in time with hers.
She rocked her hips, grinding across his thigh. An unfamiliar motion, but she couldn’t help herself.
“I want you,” he whispered across her skin. Grabbing her buttocks, he drew her farther up his thigh.
She wrapped her legs around his waist. Through their clothing, his hardness pressed to her mound, giving fuel to the fire growing inside her.
A sudden ding filled the small space, clearing away the lust in her head.
Cyrus lowered her to the floor and backed away, staring at his feet. “I’m sorry. I only meant to forget where I was for a moment, not to get so carried away. I… I can’t help myself around you.”
~ THE STAR PRINCESS ~
In one week, Princess Ro’sa will board a spaceship, leaving her home on Minjet to be with her betrothed on Earth. The only problem is, she detests the prince’s selfish and arrogant ways, preferring to spend time with his personal aide, a man who stirs her desires in ways she never imagined possible with his radiant blue eyes and smouldering lips. And oh, the way he touches her.
Earth’s post-apocalyptic landscape offers little but the alliance offers much and a princess must do her duty, no matter the danger to her person and to her heart.
Also available as an Audio Book!
Be sure to visit the other Mid Week Tease participating authors…
January 19, 2016
Jessica E. Subject’s Weekly Writing Update ~ Snow, writing, and more snow!
Hello! It’s Tuesday, and time for my Weekly Writing Update. This week, I’ve had to deal with snow interrupting my writing time. We were lucky to not get much snow at the end of 2015. But, the new year dumped a bunch of the white stuff on us. It disappeared over a weekend, then came again. This past week, it’s been non-stop. I’ve been shoveling every single day, which means less time to write. Yet, I did manage to write every day during the week, which was one of my goals for the new year. I’m hoping it continues again this week.
BRYCE ~ I’m now at 10,799 words, for a total of 1,534 new words.
MADE FOR HER ~ I’ve spent the week revising the story, making sure the parts I’ve added mesh well with the rest of it. I’m almost ready to send to beta readers for their thoughts.
GOALS FOR THE WEEK ~ I will send Made For Her to two beta readers. And, I will add as many new words to Bryce as possible.
Please share what you have been up to this week. Are you reading or writing anything new?
January 18, 2016
No offer is more daring ~ BOLD SEDUCTION by @KarynGerrard #99cents for a limited time!
BOLD SEDUCTION
The Hornsby Brothers #1
by Karyn Gerrard
Kensington Publishing/Lyrical Press
No offer is more daring…
BOLD SEDUCTION
An Intriguing Proposition
Passion. Seduction. Pleasure. These are the qualities of any courtesan worth her salt. As owner of The Starling Club, London’s most notorious house of ill-repute, Madame Philomena McGrattan has seen it all, heard it all, done it all. There is little that surprises her anymore, and even less that excites her. So when she is presented a chance at an irresistible seduction, she can’t help but rise to the challenge.
A Dangerous Game
Studiousness. Practicality. Discipline. Such are the attributes of a good scholar, and such are the principles Lord Spencer Hornsby has built his life around. Alone in the Welsh countryside, with only his wolfhounds for company, Spencer has thrown himself into his work. There is little time for the pleasures of society, not even to think of the joys of the fairer sex. But when an unexpected guest arrives at his isolated hunting lodge, Spencer cannot help but be baffled by the presence of this dangerously beautiful woman. And when he discovers the reason for her arrival, and the pleasures she promises, he cannot help but find himself irresistibly intrigued . . .
Only 99¢ until January 31st
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Phil did have a fondness for reading Gothic novels. In fact, she’d brought a copy of Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Doom of the Griffiths with her. Never dreamed she would find herself in a Gothic setting, but here she stood, smack in the middle of one.
The hallways were dark and narrow, which made traversing difficult. Everything smelled of damp and decay. The lighting in the place consisted of a strange combination of candelabras and oil lamps, which showed how new mixed with old. With each step she took, the floor groaned and squeaked in response. At the end of the long hallway, a light flickered from under the door. The sound of barking dogs startled her; she nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Justinian, Theodora, quiet!”
Phil stopped dead in her tracks at the deep, commanding voice. The animals immediately silenced. Who wouldn’t at such a tone? It must have been the professor. Taking a deep breath, she stepped to the door and knocked. No response. She tried again.
Nothing.
To hell with it. She turned the handle and crossed the threshold. What struck her all at once was the coziness. A fire blazed in a large stone hearth on the left side of the room. Before it laid two large, gray dogs the size of ponies. Good God. The hounds of hell. They eyed her with indifference, but a keen intelligence shone in their gazes, which they kept firmly on her. What were the beasts, wolfhounds? Enough speculation on the dogs. Phil swung her gaze to the large, ornate desk at the front of the room and the man sitting behind it.
The professor sat hunched over, his pen scratching furiously. He was a great hairy man with nary an inch of skin showing through. From the light of the lamp on his desk, it appeared his long wavy locks contained a curious mix of gold and brown as they hung forward like a curtain. He did not look up.
Phil scanned the room. Bookcases stuffed with ancient tomes filled every wall. On either side of the desk were two tables, the surface covered with books, maps, scrolls, and a thin layer of dust. No doubt the man himself would smell as musty as this room with dust and cobwebs collecting on his shoulders.
“You may leave the tray, Mrs. Brickell.”
Phil gave herself a moment to let the sultry and deep rumbling tone of his voice seep into her being. The sound lingered and made her weak in the knees. Quite a surprise, since most men didn’t garner any response from her at all. His voice, though cultured and refined, held the dangerous purr of a large predatory cat. Oh enough, Phil.
Suddenly, he stopped writing, flipped through a stack of papers, stroked his beard, glanced at the nearby bookcase, and muttered a quiet “oh.” He rose from his chair, and the loud creak that accompanied his movement meant the source to be either the banker’s chair or the professor. Revulsion moved through her upon seeing him lurch toward the bookcase to retrieve a stack of yellowed and stained parchment, keeping the same bent posture he had while sitting. Bloody hell, was the man a cripple? Another important fact those idiotic bastards neglected to mention. She shook the shocking revelation from her mind. The professor then moved swiftly back to his chair and sat all the while keeping the same crooked stance. Another disturbing creak could be heard, and she exhaled as she realized the sound came from the oak chair. The poor man was a hunchback. Well, no matter. She was paid to do a job regardless of the customer’s appearance.
“If you are referring to that drunk, putrid, old woman lurking about your filthy kitchen, I regret to inform you she’s done a runner.”
The professor laid his pen on the desk and slowly lifted his head, cocked his thick eyebrows, and gazed at her. “Indeed?”
Good God, she was correct, a great hairy beast. His unruly hair stuck out in all directions, as if it hadn’t been combed in many days. He stared at her with great owl eyes. His spectacles were huge, taking up one half of his face while the other half was covered in a bushy beard of all shades of color. Wouldn’t be surprised to find a swallow making a nest in it. The attraction that occurred at hearing his voice dissipated like a morning fog.
This man resembled one of the filthy beggars frequenting the streets of London. A duke’s son? Impossible.
COMING SOON!
The Vicar’s Frozen Heart
by Karyn Gerrard
Book #2 The Hornsby Brothers
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Pre-order from:
KOBO | Barnes & Noble | iTunes
Karyn lives in a small town in the western corner of Ontario, Canada. She whiles away her spare time writing and reading romance while drinking copious amounts of Earl Grey tea. A multi-published author with a few bestsellers under her belt, Karyn loves to write historicals, particularly in the Victorian era. She also writes the occasional contemporary. Tortured heroes are a must.
As long as she can avoid being hit by a runaway moose in her wilderness paradise she assumes everything is golden.
Karyn’s been happily married for a long time to her own hero. His encouragement keeps her moving forward.
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January 16, 2016
#8Sunday: The military crossed a very personal line ~ Made For Her #scifiromance
Welcome! Well, I’m onto my second Weekend Writing Warriors post. I had such a wonderful welcome last week, and I’m excited to post and visit other authors this weekend.
Last year, I received the rights back to a few of my stories. I re-released some right away, but kept some back to revise and expand. One of those stories, MADE FOR HER, is almost ready to go out into the world again. It is an erotic sci-fi military romance about clones. Here’s a snippet:
“How dare you!” She shouldn’t have barged into General Madison’s office, but Mikayla didn’t care. The military had crossed a very personal line. One she could never forgive.
Her commanding officer rose from his desk, his hands raised in the air. “Now calm down, Colonel Jones, and remember who you are talking to.”
She slammed the door. “I can’t believe you let them clone Daniel and then send him to me to train. I had no problem training them when I didn’t know who they were made from, but this is just…wrong. Daniel never gave permission.”
~ MADE FOR HER ~
After terrorists murder the love of her life, Colonel Mikayla Jones trains squadron after squadron of the clones he brought to life, to take to the skies. When she discovers a young clone of her husband in her newest class, her world spins out of control. How can she command the look-a-like when she can’t help but yearn for him to fill an ache in her heart?
Dare was created to be the best. As the first Daniel clone to leave Onatria labs, he needs to prove he is more than just a DNA copy. To do that, he must rely on the wife of the man who donated his genes. But when she refuses to train him, Dare faces discharge and returning to the labs. Can he convince Colonel Jones to finish his training and find a way into her bed? Or will long kept secrets unhinge the entire clone project?
This story, recommended on both USA Today’s Happily Ever After blog, and io9 is not yet available, but will be soon.
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Weekend Writing Warriors is a Sunday short-snippet blog hop in which authors excerpt from their books (published or unpublished). There’s a variety of genres–something for everyone! To visit the participating authors, click on the logo:
