M.A. Church's Blog, page 139

Pride Promotions presents Protector of the Alpha by Parker Williams and a giveaway!

Book Name: Protector of the Alpha: Shifting Needs Book 1
Author Name: Parker Williams
Author Bio: Parker Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that comes with melding lives together.Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions, an LGBT author promotion service.
Author Contact: Connect with Parker on:Twitter: @ParkerWAuthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parker.williams.75641 Or you can visit his website: ParkerWilliamsAuthor.com
Publisher: Self-published
Cover Artist: Laura Harner
Blurb(s): Adopted at an early age by a wealthy family, Jake Davis’s life appears easy. Even in college, he is blessed with good grades and an apparently clear path to a pro football career. Good thing his best friend keeps hanging around to keep his head from getting too swollen. Zakiya Incekara has always been...odd. Being fluent in six languages and having a flair for international cooking should open the world to him, but those skills leave him isolated.When Jake sees Zak for the first time, with water beading down his slender form, something inside him shifts, and it hungers for Zak. To have him. To claim him. And Jake knows that whatever it is, it won’t be denied.

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, New Adult, Paranormal

Excerpt: Jake's hand was rough, his skin dry. Zak loved how his fingers gripped tightly, but not so much that it hurt. Jake said nothing as they walked along the streets of the campus. There were few people around, but Zak did not care if everyone was watching them. He was confused as to his attraction to Jake, but it was something he could not deny.The soft jazz music poured from the door of the pub when Jake pulled it open. Jake's hand on his lower back urged him inside. Zak sniffed appreciatively at the scent of Cajun spices, no doubt from the blackened catfish special. His stomach protested, and he heard Jake snicker, but he could not seem to raise the ire he should. Jake escorted him to a booth and allowed Zak to sit back against the brushed leather.“Two dinner specials coming up,” Jake said brightly.Zak gazed at Jake's hulking form as it moved away, marveling at the sinewy grace as he dodged patrons and servers. It was odd. He had never met anyone like Jake. He doubted there wasanyone like Jake. He felt comfortable in his presence. Jake’s size did not intimidate him. In fact, that made him all the sexier. But his eyes were what made Zak melt into a puddle of goo. The way they twinkled in the dimmest of light. When Jake so much as glanced at him, Zak felt he was the sole thing Jake saw. Jake turned from the bar, and Zak watched as the bright smile turn into a sneer. He dropped the tray, the catfish crashing to the floor, before he stalked to where Zak sat. Jake grabbed a man, probably about forty, by his throat and pushed him against the wall.“You don't so much as breathe near him,” Jake snarled.The man looked cool as he smiled and croaked out. “You are everything I had heard you would be, and more, my lord.”
Pages: 237 pages
Tour Dates: November 11, 2014
Tour Stops: Parker WilliamsRafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rafflecopter Prize: See picture above

Sales Links: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Protector-Alpha-Shifting-Parker-Williams-ebook/dp/B00OX7FZLK/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414611776&sr=1-3

Pride Promotions presents Protector of the Alpha by Parker Williams

Book Name: Protector of the Alpha: Shifting Needs Book 1
Author Name: Parker Williams
Author Bio: Parker Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that comes with melding lives together.Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions, an LGBT author promotion service.
Author Contact: Connect with Parker on:Twitter: @ParkerWAuthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parker.williams.75641 Or you can visit his website: ParkerWilliamsAuthor.com
Publisher: Self-published
Cover Artist: Laura Harner
Blurb(s): Adopted at an early age by a wealthy family, Jake Davis’s life appears easy. Even in college, he is blessed with good grades and an apparently clear path to a pro football career. Good thing his best friend keeps hanging around to keep his head from getting too swollen. Zakiya Incekara has always been...odd. Being fluent in six languages and having a flair for international cooking should open the world to him, but those skills leave him isolated.When Jake sees Zak for the first time, with water beading down his slender form, something inside him shifts, and it hungers for Zak. To have him. To claim him. And Jake knows that whatever it is, it won’t be denied.

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, New Adult, Paranormal

Excerpt: Jake's hand was rough, his skin dry. Zak loved how his fingers gripped tightly, but not so much that it hurt. Jake said nothing as they walked along the streets of the campus. There were few people around, but Zak did not care if everyone was watching them. He was confused as to his attraction to Jake, but it was something he could not deny.The soft jazz music poured from the door of the pub when Jake pulled it open. Jake's hand on his lower back urged him inside. Zak sniffed appreciatively at the scent of Cajun spices, no doubt from the blackened catfish special. His stomach protested, and he heard Jake snicker, but he could not seem to raise the ire he should. Jake escorted him to a booth and allowed Zak to sit back against the brushed leather.“Two dinner specials coming up,” Jake said brightly.Zak gazed at Jake's hulking form as it moved away, marveling at the sinewy grace as he dodged patrons and servers. It was odd. He had never met anyone like Jake. He doubted there wasanyone like Jake. He felt comfortable in his presence. Jake’s size did not intimidate him. In fact, that made him all the sexier. But his eyes were what made Zak melt into a puddle of goo. The way they twinkled in the dimmest of light. When Jake so much as glanced at him, Zak felt he was the sole thing Jake saw. Jake turned from the bar, and Zak watched as the bright smile turn into a sneer. He dropped the tray, the catfish crashing to the floor, before he stalked to where Zak sat. Jake grabbed a man, probably about forty, by his throat and pushed him against the wall.“You don't so much as breathe near him,” Jake snarled.The man looked cool as he smiled and croaked out. “You are everything I had heard you would be, and more, my lord.”
Pages: 237 pages
Tour Dates: November 11, 2014
Tour Stops: Parker WilliamsRafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rafflecopter Prize: See picture above

Sales Links: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Protector-Alpha-Shifting-Parker-Williams-ebook/dp/B00OX7FZLK/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414611776&sr=1-3

My Sexy Saturday - The Harvest: Taken

Happy Saturday and welcome to My Sexy Saturday ! For this hop you post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. It can be from a WIP or something published.
This week’s theme is a sexy first. A sexy first could be anything: a sexy first kiss, a sexy first meeting, a sexy first spaceship ride with that sexy someone. It could be with some awesome billionaire on his yacht, or how about a night of just stargazing for two wonderful geeks who have somehow managed to find each other in this crazy world. We're going to show you the good, the bad, and even the hilarious moments that could comprise a sexy first.
For this week, I thought I’d do something from The Harvest: Taken.

Excerpt:“Well, hell, kiss me,” I whispered.

Gently he eased over me, his lips softly brushing against mine. I opened my mouth, letting his tongue slid against mine, dueling and exploring me. I moaned deep in my chest as his hand sank in my hair. Finally his tongue subdued mine as I gave way to him. His mouth slanted over mine, urging me to respond to his kiss. The feel of his shaft rubbing against mine had me melting into him.

“So good,” he purred against my mouth, his lips moving down the column of my throat.

A small nip was the only warning I had before he sucked hard at the base of my neck, marking me. The hand buried in my hair kept my head still. “Holy hell, that tongue.”

A soft purr rose from Keyno. He tightened his hold on me, grinding our cocks together. The silkiness of my pants rubbed against my erection, causing more sensations to spread through my body. He nudged at my chin until I tilted my head back, baring my neck to him. He eagerly rubbed his cheek against my throat.

“What—what are you doing?”
“Marking you.”




NOTE: This is a previously published work, but there has been some new material added. AReAmazonSmashwords

The Valjevo Encounter by Jay Vaughn and a giveaway!

I’m very excited to be here at Decadent Delights, promoting The Valjevo Encounter, which was released on Halloween. It’s a vampire novel, which I think is pretty funny because I generally don’t like vampire novels. I have no idea what possessed me to write one.Well, actually, it started out as a short story. Some publishing company had a call out for stories where one of the MCs was a “macho man.” It was supposed to be 4000 words. I started writing and hit 4000 words before the macho man even made an appearance. I guess short stories are not my forte. JIn the original story, Tigger’s attacker was simply a thug with a knife and Guy put him down in hand-to-hand combat. I showed it to one of my beta readers, and she suggested I take it paranormal. I’m glad I did. It’s fun to write about supernatural beings.In the story, late one night, in a dark alley, “Tigger” is attacked by a vampire. Luckily, the vampire, Valjevo, is himself being hunted by Guy Salluci, who charges into the alley and drops him with a special dart gun. Guy whisks Tigger away to safety, leaving Valjevo behind to recover and hunt another day.Guy is a vampire hunter who works for a clandestine organization called EERIE—Encounters with Evil: Research, Investigations, and Exterminations. He is Tigger’s dream-man-come-to-life. He’s 6’3” of testosterone-laden muscle, with broad shoulders, rock-hard abs, chiseled jaw, five o’clock shadow, and a mysterious eye patch. He rides a Harley, carries weapons, wears black leather, and is an unapologetic badass. He’s also smart and sensitive and seems to know things that he should have no way of knowing. In spite of his imposing, alpha-male disposition, Guy turns out to be surprisingly gentle when he treats the injuries Tigger sustained in his encounter with Valjevo. Tigger, a young, beautiful, and impressionable college student, with a penchant for nerdiness, is instantly smitten. Guy is also attracted to Tigger in a way he has never been attracted to anyone before. Of course, he thinks Tigger is lovely, smart, and sweet, but there is also something deeply instinctual about his attraction. Tigger smells divine and Guy is instantly addicted. He struggles against his desire for the young man, thinking Tigger deserves someone who is more stable and normal than he is. Circumstances throw them together in a protective custody situation and things heat up, although not nearly as quickly as Tigger would like. Meanwhile, Valjevo has fixated on Tigger and is hunting him. I won’t give away the rest of the plot, although I will let on that it has a happy ending. I think it’s unlikely that I’ll ever write anything that doesn’t end on a positive note. “Tigger” is an unusual name for a main character, although during the course of the novel, encouraged by Guy, he leaves behind his childhood nickname and starts going by his real name, Mel. It didn’t occur to me while I was writing it that I’d have to talk about “Tigger” in the blog tours, etc., otherwise readers will be confused. When I read an excerpt from it at GRNW Meet-up, I warned the audience that it wasn’t actually Winnie-the-Pooh.
The Rough Boys trilogy was such an epic story with many emotional highs and lows, I wasn’t sure how to follow it. I wanted to write something shorter and less dark and just get that next novel out there. The Valjevo Encounter is certainly shorter, although not as short as I expected. And I wouldn’t classify as “light” either, but it doesn’t deal with as many serious themes as Rough Boys. The Valjevo Encounter is somewhat tongue-in-cheek—I didn’t take myself too seriously while I was writing it. I hope it comes across that way rather than simply seeming cheesy. I had a lot of fun writing The Valjevo Encounter, and although it’s a stand-alone novel, there are a few questions, mainly about Guy’s past, that go unanswered. I left the door wide open for a sequel. J Meanwhile I’ve been working on a dystopia novel, which I’m posting chapter-by-chapter on my author website, http://authorjvaughn.com.

GiveawayI’ll give an eBook copy of The Valjevo Encounter to a randomly selected commenter.I’ll also give a copy to the first person who can tell me the name of the city that is the setting for The Rough Boys trilogy.


Book Blurb
Excerpt from The Valjevo EncounterStreetlights and neon signs glowed brightly, chasing away the darkness as if trying to refute the after-midnight hour. People spilled out bar doorways and milled up and down the street, laughing and boisterous. Melvin “Tigger” Jacobsen wove back and forth on the sidewalk, trying to avoid running into other Friday night revelers. It was a long walk home from Pioneer Square—two or three miles, he guessed. He hoped the walk would sober him up some. A stiff breeze blew off of Elliot Bay, making the air smell briny. It had been a warm day, but even in June, Seattle nights were chilly. Tigger shivered and crossed his bare arms, almost immediately uncrossing them so he could use them for balance. Getting drunk had seemed like a good idea a few hours earlier. Now he wondered what he’d been thinking.I’m over Harold—I’ve been over Harold for a long time. So why am I such a drunken slob tonight? Harold was his high school crush and the only boyfriend he’d ever had. They had gotten together during their freshman year of college, but the long-distance relationship had only lasted a few months. He had been heartbroken when Harold had left him for the girl who was tutoring him in math. That was more than two years ago. Harold was still dating Becky and Tigger was finally over his hurt and anger. Aren’t I?Tigger was brought out of his musings by a horn blaring. Suddenly his booze-soaked brain remembered that he’d left Jon behind at the bar. He had spent some time looking for his friend, but had finally left without him to escape the unwanted attention of another drunk patron.He will just have to get by without me for the rest of the evening.He paused on a street corner and pulled out his phone. Struggling to focus, he didn’t even try to compose a text message. Instead he pulled up his favorites list and, after a few moments of squinting to make the letters quit dancing, he managed to press the button for Jon. He started walking again as he listened to it ring. When it went to voicemail, he hung up. He’d try again in a little while. The crowds thinned as Tigger left the Pioneer Square area and soon the Seattle streets seemed deserted. Shadows loomed, darkening alleyways and shop entrances, making it difficult to discern depth and detail. Tigger stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk, barely catching himself before he went down.How many drinks did I have?Too many.He’d been drinking something pink and sweet that had come adorned with a little, bright plastic jungle animal hanging off of the rim. He still had a green tiger and a neon orange monkey in his pocket.Drowning your loneliness in alcohol is never a good idea, no matter how cute the drinks, his inner voice scolded him. Ignoring the voice, because it really wasn’t helping any, his mind went back to the question he’d been obsessing over for the past year: Why can’t I find a boyfriend? Maybe because no one wants a skinny virgin, the cynical voice in his head suggested. Tigger was shy, but there were plenty of guys who liked to flirt with him. He even dated sometimes, but nothing ever lasted beyond a third date. It’s me. I’m too picky, he thought. Something was always missing. Finding a guy who made his dick hard was not a problem—actually it was usually too much of a problem. But finding someone who made his heart flutter? That rarely happened. When it did, the guy was never interested in anything more than a quick fuck. Tigger refused to settle for that—not for his first time. He and Harold had fooled around plenty, but they had never “gone all the way.” Am I the only guy in the world who wants a relationship, or am I just attracted to the wrong kind of guys? He’d asked himself those questions before, too, and had decided that the answer to both was yes. Most guys his age did not want to be tied down, and the type of guy he was attracted to—big, muscular, dominant, and imposing—that type of guy, in particular, was not interested in a relationship. Tigger turned a corner and started the long walk up a steep hill, away from the waterfront. A few minutes later, his stomach rebelled. When he realized he was going to lose his dinner to the street, he dodged into the nearest alley. Shadows deepened as he made his way past the first dumpster on unsteady feet. The scent of rotting vegetation and decaying flesh assailed his senses, making the need to expel the contents of his stomach urgent. He put his hands against the nearest brick wall, leaned over, and emptied his guts onto the cobblestones. Why, oh why, did I drink so much? He felt like the worst kind of low-life, dead drunk and barfing his guts out in an alley. When his stomach settled, his head felt clearer. He spat repeatedly, wishing he had some water. Finally he gathered himself together and headed back toward the street. That’s when he heard quick footsteps behind him. He spun around and was hit with a wave of vertigo. Stumbling backwards, he wind-milled his arms to keep from going down. He didn’t fall. Instead, frigid hands grabbed him as if he weighed nothing and flung him against the wall of the building behind him. His head slammed into the brick and his world dimmed for a moment. A tall figure dressed all in black crowded him, boxing him in. He looked up, struggling to focus through the blinding pain. He found himself staring into a pair of eyes that were bottomless pits of utter darkness. There were no irises, only blackness. This can’t be real. No one has eyes like that!His chest tightened as terror gripped him, spreading through his body in a flash, tensing every muscle down to his toes. He felt like he had turned to stone, except his heart was slamming painfully into his rib cage, no doubt trying to get out so it could flee. The angular face, so close to his, was unnaturally pale, framed with straight, black, shoulder-length hair. A sharp, acrid smell permeated the air. He felt his eyes widen in a completely useless defense mechanism. Instinctively he put his hands up to push the apparition away. I must be hallucinating. I wonder if someone slipped a roofie into my drink. The creature—he couldn’t possibly be a man—grabbed his wrists with icy hands and yanked them over his head, forcing them against the rough wall. He heard himself whimper softly. The being’s hands were so cold they caused a chill to spread from his arms into his core. His body began to shake uncontrollably.The apparition’s thin lips curled into a cruel smile as the unfathomable eyes shifted downward. Tigger could feel his gaze travel slowly down his body as surely as if the creature had been caressing him with his eyes, undressing him. The hairs on the back of his neck and his arms stood on end, giving him the sensation of tiny bugs crawling over his skin. This can’t be happening. He then heard a snick and saw a switchblade his attacker’s hand, the bright steel reflecting the distant street light. Oh, god, this is it! He’s going to kill me now. He felt the cool blade against his cheek and he had to clamp down hard to stop himself from wetting his pants. Some distant part of his mind told him that it didn’t matter—he wouldn’t be embarrassed after he was dead. “Such a pretty face.” The man’s voice sounded like rustling leaves. He had an accent that Tigger had never heard. He slid the blade down the side of Tigger’s face, not cutting him, he was pretty sure; there was no pain. The knife slithered slowly down to his throat, to rest against his jugular. “It would be so easy,” the creature rasped, sliding the blade lightly across Tigger’s neck. Tigger was so frozen with terror he hadn’t taken a full breath for what seemed like minutes. Now he hoped he would pass out from lack of oxygen and save himself from having to witness his own death. “But I have other plans for you … yes,” the fiend rasped. “No easy death for you, my friend.” Tigger whimpered again and it sounded pitiful, even to himself. “Let’s see what that tiny body looks like.” The knife was suddenly no longer at his throat. Tigger took in a huge gasp of air and let it out in another whimper as the creature sliced the front of Tigger’s jeans and briefs wide open in a quick, long swipe that continued down one pant leg to his knee. Tigger felt the cool night air rush over his genitals. “Well, look at that,” the creature said. Moving the cold blade under Tigger’s balls, he used the flat of it to lift them up and bounce them gently a few times. A fresh wave of terror exploded within Tigger and the world began to fade out around him. All his muscles, which had been fully tense, suddenly went limp. He would have fallen if the creature hadn’t still had his hands pinned against the wall over his head. He heard himself moan softly as he sagged. Unfortunately he didn’t actually pass out and his head started to clear immediately. He wanted to close his eyes and pray, but some fierce part deep inside of him insisted that he pay attention so he wouldn’t miss a chance to escape. There won’t be an escape, his cynical mental voice told him. There is no way you can get away from a demon. He wasn’t sure what the creature was, but Tigger was positive he wasn’t a flesh-and-blood man. The demon had finished playing with his balls and moved the knife back to the top of his chest. Catching the edge of his tight T-shirt with the blade, he sliced slowly downward, the fabric falling open as he went. Tigger felt the sting of the knife biting into his bare skin. Looking down, he watched in horror as the monster sliced a shallow gash from his collarbone to his navel. Blood began to bead up in it. The sight of the blood caused something inside Tigger to shriek with terror. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He felt as if he were in a nightmare where he couldn’t scream or run. This can’t be real. Demons aren’t real. I must be dreaming. But the cut on his chest began to burn with an intensity that belied illusion. It felt all too real. The creature’s nostrils flared and his bottomless eyes began to glow with a faint amber light. He leaned over, stuck out a thin tongue, and licked the blood off Tigger’s chest in a long, slow swipe, letting out a low noise as if he was savoring something delicious. Tigger shuddered with horror at the demon’s touch. The monster’s tongue was as frigid as his hands, and the noise that he made shattered something deep inside Tigger—possibly his sanity. The scream that had been trapped within Tigger came out then, long and loud. The creature began to laugh, a cruel, chilling sound. But what plundered the last vestiges of Tigger’s wit was the glimpse of the fangs he saw in the demon’s mouth. His canines were long and sharp, and they glinted even in the meager light. Vampire! His brain identified the creature, but his reason had already fled and he couldn’t process what that meant. Something in the vampire’s face changed in that instant. He dropped Tigger’s hands and spun around. At the same time, Tigger heard a low whistling sound that ended in a quiet thwack. The vampire’s tall, thin body went rigid, and a heartbeat later all of the tension evaporated from it as he collapsed, falling to the ground as if he were suddenly boneless. Tigger found himself sitting on the cobblestones, his back to the wall, his knees pulled up to his chest, and his arms wrapped defensively around them. He didn’t remember his legs giving out on him. He was shivering violently.The sense of relief that enveloped him like a warm river was arrested in mid-flow as a huge shadow materialized out of the darkness, moving toward him at a rate that was too fast to be humanly possible.
Author BioJay Vaughn lives in sunny Seattle, a clean, progressive city that is way too expensive for a writer’s income. Therefore, Jay holds down a full-time, computer-industry day job, but writing is her passion. It’s a hobby-gone-wild, so much so that her teenage kids accuse her of being an addict.Jay carries her laptop everywhere and can often be seen combining other favorite activities with writing. For example, you can find Jay sitting at a small table in the back of the gay bar around the corner from her house, drinking wine and writing. Or waking up early while camping, dragging out the laptop, and writing. Or writing in the truck on the way to and from concerts, ski-trips, visits to relatives ... wherever. Jay’s favorite genres are sci-fi, fantasy, and M/M erotic romance. She discovered M/M quite by accident when she was writing a traditional fantasy novel, and one of her characters ended up in an all-male prison for a bit too long. Whoops!Find out what Jay is working on next at http://www.authorjvaughn.comor drop her a line at jayvaughn@live.com. She’d love to hear from you.
Buy Links The Valjevo Encounter is on sale for $3.99 until November 13, when the price will go up to $4.99.Divergent Publishing: http://www.divergentpublishing.com/?product=the-valjevo-encounterAllRomanceebooks.com: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thevaljevoencounter-1659021-153.htmlAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P4DUH3S
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=the+valjevo+encounter

Wednesday Briefs - In Enemy Hands #2

Welcome to the Wednesday Briefs flash group (click to go to the site). The short stories have a maximum of a 1000 word count plus links at the bottom to the other flashers. If interested in joining us, drop me a line and I'll tell you how. :)Prompts for this week:
“We’ve been in this situation before.”

“It’s easy to come back and say…”

“Next question?”

“I didn’t see this one coming.”

“Walk the tightrope.”

“Oh, it gets better…”

“Well, that’s a rough break.”

“I hate the dark!”

“He/She is one of the most giving persons…”

“It’s harder than you believe.”

“I’ve never seen this before.”

or use: floor, paper, hair

or use: wind, football, field

or use: cart, record, shore

or have your character order pizza

or use: hip, black, ball

or have a character catch a fish

or have a character take a shower

or “Catch anything?”or “Put something on, you’ll catch your death of cold”or “Where’s summer when you need it?”or use a cop and a broken radar gun

or use a snake in the grass

 Chapter Two
The tension climbed in the shuttle as they drew closer.
“We will be entering the net in five… four… three… two… one… and it’s a go.” Varo held his breath. So far, so good. Once they passed the net, they could—
A bright, sparking flash jumped from one satellite to another. The energy produced electrified the surrounding air as the SSN reactivated.
“Stars and curses! No, no, no. This can’t be happening. Not now , not yet!” Snarling, Varo slammed his hand on the com. The light leaped from one satellite to another, then hit them with a hard blast of energy that shook the shuttle. Varo was grateful he was strapped into the chair. Alarms sounded through the cabin, along with harsh voices cursing.
“All systems down! I repeat, all systems are down. Helkan’s Satellite Surveillance Network is operational, and the bedamned thing caught us. Stealth mode is offline. We are visible, Captain, and have incoming ships. We’re on an uncontrolled descent toward the planet with no way to use thrusters to reduce reentry heating.”
“Are we going to burn up?” Haus yelled, leaning forward as far as he could to see Sarik.
“I…” Sarik shouted back as he bounced in his seat while fighting to control their descent. “I don’t think so, but it’s going to get very hot in here.”
“Any chance of getting to the destination we programmed in?” Varo hollered, heat already seeping inside the shuttle.
“Negative, Captain. We don’t have the speed to make that now.” Sarik wiped his forehead, then snarled at the Helm that blinked with a multitude of nonworking lights. “As unbelievable as this it, we’re going to crash-land in an area of the planet that isn’t rocky. There’s no mountains with lovely Helkans for us to blow up anywhere around us, unfortunately.”
“Figures,” Varo yelled above the screaming alarms.
Artan huffed, fighting to breathe in the stifling heat. “It’s getting rather warm in here.”
“Master of the understatement, as always.” Haus snorted from his chair.
“Gentlemen, hold onto your asses, we’re going in hot,” Varo roared as the dark clouds gave way to an even darker rolling, rocky landscape.
Between the screaming alarms, he heard voices praying. Varo added his as they barreled down toward the unforgiving ground. “Goddess, please take my men quickly. Don’t let them suffer.”
* * * *
Varo’s eyes snapped open, then he slammed them right back shut. A sharp pain stabbed through his head, and little aches made themselves known everywhere. Bouncing his head off the loading dock on his ship during a game of spaceball hadn’t hurt this bad. A long, tired sigh escaped Varo. Well, one question answered—he was still alive. He leaned back against the headrest, body strumming with anxiety as he took stock of his body.
One galaxy-size headache appeared to be the worse of the damage he’d sustained.
It appeared his goddess wanted him to live, so best to get on with it. On the second go-around, he took his time opening his eyes, not that it made any more of a difference. His head still throbbed like a rotten tooth. Blinking repeatedly, he tried to clear his distorted vision. The objects around him swam, gently rolling up and down on unseen waves.
His stomach didn’t appreciate the sight, and showed its disapproval with a mighty heave. Saliva flooded his mouth, and after a brief, desperate discussion, he talked his stomach back down to where it belonged. That settled, he took note of how sounds were weird, distorted. Distant. Whatever was blaring around him, he wished it would stop.
He stared out of the shuttle’s main window, the vision before him not making much sense. As far as he could see in any direction, a light mist covered the land—land covered in tall trees and vegetation. A multitude of purples greeted him, as did vibrant, almost glowing, shades of blue.
He was unaware the planet could support large, lush jungles. How interesting that scans penetrating the protective cloud showed mountainous ranges, but not the thriving jungle that Helkan…
Helkan.
“Stars!” Reality snapped back, his fascination with the surrounding area gone.
The horrific blaring was the alarms inside the shuttle. How could he forget they’d crash-landed on the planet? Even now their enemy must be tracking them. That got his attention.
He leaned over and shook Artan, shoving Artan’s long, honey blond hair out of the way. “Artan! Answer me. Haus? Sarik?”
Not a word. Frantically, Varo unbuckled the straps that held him secure and lurched from his co-pilot’s seat. Varo checked Artan, then the other two men. All were breathing. Artan groaned, drawing Varo’s attention.
Varo hurried back to the front of the shuttle, toward Artan. “Artan, come on, I need you to wake up.”
“Varo?” Artan opened his eyes. He rubbed at his face, a line of blood winding down from his scalp. “What happened?”
“We crashed. Don’t move around much—”
“I’m bleeding?” Artan held his hand in front of his face, bewildered.
Varo grabbed the bloodstained hand and lowered it to Artan’s lap. “And yes, you’re bleeding from the head, but it doesn’t look bad. I’m going to get the portable mediunit. I’ll clean the blood just as soon I know you’re okay.” Varo stumbled to a cabinet that held medical supplies. The mediunit was a small device that checked the body for injury and reported health stats.
Varo retuned and ran the mediunit above Artan’s body. “No internal bleeding or broken bones. Heart rate elevated…”
“Not surprising since we just crash-landed on enemy soil,” Artan commented.
“I’ll say.” Relief flooded Varo.
Artan sounded more coherent. He finished the scan and applied a thick gel that would act as a bandage to the cut. Then he handed Artan a medically treated wet wipe to mop the blood off his face, staring into Artan’s startling jade green eyes. Eyes that were clear now, no longer shaded with confusion.
“The cut wasn’t bad. The gel will disinfect it and help promote healing. Your scan was fine.”
“Fine,” Artan echoed, rolling his shoulders. “Tell my sore body that.”
“Okay… that.” Varo snorted when Artan chuckled.
“Captain, your sense of humor still sucks dead space.”

“I’m aware.” Varo grinned, but let the moment slip away as he shoved several shattered pieces of equipment aside to get to the rest of his crew. Would this be the last time Artan got to tell him how bad his jokes were? 
TBC
Carol PedrosoMatthias WilliamsonJon KeysAvery DawesRavon SilviusCia NordwellJC WallaceVictoria AdamsElyzabeth VaLeyTali SpencerSarah HayesJohayanJulie Lynn Hayes 

Welcome Tempeste O’Riley - Truth in Lace

Truth in Laceby Tempeste O’Riley
Desires Entwined , #3.5
Gay, Gender fluid, Contemporary, Coming of Age
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: November 5, 2014 (ebook)
Length: Short / 24 pages



Order:
♥ ♥ Dreamspinner Press♥ ♥ All Romance ♥ ♥
Add to: Goodreads


Description:When Alexander James Noble looks in the mirror, he sees a freak looking back at him. Despite his high grades and plans for culinary arts school after graduation, his parents would hate him if they really knew him.

Forced on a shopping trip with his twin sister, Lyric, and her friends, Alex eyes the girls jealously, longing to be able to dress like them—to be them. The constant struggle of being “gender fluid,” wrestling with an identity that seems to change daily, begins to wear on Alex. But all those questions and fears seem more manageable when his sister gives him his first skirt and lace panties.

Other Stories by Tempeste:

        Praise:


“I found it a beautiful tale of unhappiness changed to romance and then love with a happy ending.” —Rainbow Book Reviews, on “Designs of Desire” “Tempeste O’Riley clearly has designs on our attention with Designs of Desire, a story as heart breaking as it is heart warming."—Sensual Reads, on “Designs of Desire”“The writer did an excellent job with the characters, they are likable and perfect. Not perfect in the way that they have no flaws, but in a way that they grab you and complement each other.” —Love Bytes Reviews, on “Temptations of Desire”

About the Author: Tempeste O’Riley is an out and proud pansexual gender fluid whose best friend growing up had the courage to do what she couldn’t–defy the hate and come out. He has been her hero ever since.

Tempe is a hopeless romantic that loves strong relationships and happily-ever-afters. Though new to writing M/M, she has done many things in her life, though writing has always drawn her back–no matter what else life has thrown her way. She counts her friends, family, and Muse as her greatest blessings in life. She lives in Wisconsin with her children, reading, writing, and enjoying life.

Tempe is also a proud PAN member of Romance Writers of America®, Rainbow Romance Writers, and WisRWA. Learn more about Tempeste and her writing at http://tempesteoriley.com.Website ♥Goodreads ♥ Twitter ♥ Facebook ♥ Google + ♥ DSP ♥ Blog

Winners of the Spooktacular Blog Hop!

Carrier Violet, Sula, and Jill! 
Y'all are the winners of the blog hop! Emails are on the way, lol. Sorry I'm a day late. It's funny how you have nothing to do, then suddenly... you have nine million things to do and like five minutes to do them, lol.
Make sure to check back. I have plans for a giveaway for Be My Human. That'll be coming soon. 
And in December, Trouble Comes in Threes is due out at the end of the month. I'm having art work done for this too, so I have *very* special plans for Trouble and my cat shifter, lol.
Early January The Harvest: Journey's End will be out. I'm releasing it. I'm also working my way through edits now.  
Busy, busy, lol. 
~M

Priceless - German translation

Hey Everyone! Earlier this week I got the news that Priceless had been translated into German! The release date is Nov 25th. Yay!




Funken sprühen, als Amor seinen Pfeil auf zwei Sterbliche in Las Vegas richtet: Randy Jones, ein ganz normaler junger Mann im Wochenendurlaub, schaut am Würfeltisch in Garretts Augen und es ist um ihn geschehen. All seinen Prinzipien zum Trotz lässt er sich auf ein leidenschaftliches, zweitägiges Abenteuer mit Garrett ein – und stellt erschüttert fest, dass er sich verliebt hat.

Der zynische Milliardär Garrett Shiffler hat alles, was man sich mit Geld kaufen kann. Da ihn andere Menschen vor allem als Geldquelle betrachten, hat er den Glauben an Unschuld und Liebe schon vor langer Zeit verloren. Doch als Randy verschwindet und ihn mit unerwarteten Gefühlen zurücklässt, nimmt er sich vor, Randy für sich zu gewinnen – und diesmal muss er mit seinem Herzen anstatt seinem Bankkonto kämpfen.

Währenddessen fragt sich Amor, was geschehen ist. Seine Pfeile verfehlen niemals ihr Ziel, es sei denn, das Schicksal selbst greift ein. Wenn Garrett Randy zurückgewinnen möchte, ist er auf sich allein gestellt, denn jetzt kann ihm selbst Amor nicht mehr helfen.




Buy: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5761




And now in English lol - 
Blurb:
Sparks ignite when Cupid takes aim at two mortals in Las Vegas: Randy Jones, an average guy on a company vacation, looks into Garrett’s eyes at a craps table and time stands still. Throwing aside everything he believes, Randy engages in a torrid two-night affair with Garrett—only to panic when he realizes he’s fallen in love.
Cynical billionaire Garrett Shiffler has everything money can buy, and most of his dates can’t see past the dollar signs. Life has taught him that innocence and love are figments of the imagination. But when Randy disappears, taking with him feelings Garrett thought he’d never know, Garrett wages the most important battle of his life to win Randy's love—but this time he fights with his heart, not his bank account.
Meanwhile, Cupid wonders what happened. His golden arrows never fail unless the Fates interfere. If Garrett wants to win Randy back, he’s going to have to do it on his own, because the Fates have other plans for Cupid.


Excerpt:
AFTER being carded yet again, the young-looking man entered the casino. Turquoise eyes sparkled with mischief as he searched the mob of people. He brushed his curly blond hair out of the way, looking for a certain type of person this time. Now he just needed inspiration to strike and he had his trusty arrows ready to go. Moving through the crowds, he looked this way and that. So many lonely humans to choose from, so many needed love in their life.He was known by many names, but he preferred Cupid, the name his mother had given him. Greek mythology, Roman mythology… he shrugged. Little did the humans know just how badly they had messed up the pantheon, not that it mattered. He knew the truth, as did others of his kind.His eyes searched the casino once more… there. There was what he was looking for. That man. With a grin he moved through the crowd.

WITH a lazy, bored air, Garrett scanned the casino crowd at the Palms in Las Vegas, his eyes not seeing anything around him. He was restless, and even the usual thrill of gambling didn’t interest him. Idly, he bounced the dice in his hand, uninterested in the high-stakes game of craps he was playing. The crowd around him gasped when his luck took a turn for the worse, and he lost more on one roll than what some people made in a year. But even that didn’t snap him out of his current mood. Suddenly his luck changed with the next roll of the dice.A shiver rolled through his body, and the hair pricked at the back of his neck. Something, a shift in the atmosphere maybe, caught his attention. Once again he scanned the crowd around the craps table, searching for… something. His eyes snapped back and focused on the man across the table from him. Time shifted and slowed, and the annoying noise of the casino floor receded into the background until all he could see was him.Garrett’s heart shifted into fourth gear, revving wildly, then kicked in and took off at a pulse pounding pace. His mind conjured up a series of Technicolor scenes that required the man across from him to pose, bend, and stretch into any number of erotic and explicit positions. Garrett’s eyes traveled up to startled molten silver eyes, and another shiver raced through his body.Those eyes shone with a sweet innocence Garrett rarely saw and doubted existed anymore. His mind crackled with disbelief. No one was that innocent, no one. But a long-buried part of his soul whispered in his ear… what if? What if the guy wasn’t a player and was what he seemed? Surprised by his body’s reaction, he decided to find out. He pinned the man across the table from him with his cold stare. A slight smirk hovered around Garrett’s mouth as he motioned the guy over next to him.

RANDY listened to the crowd cheer a player at the craps table. He strained to see, but being neither exceptionally large nor tall, he was at a distinct disadvantage. Then there was a break in the crowd and Randy wedged himself closer to the table. Dead center of the insanity, the very picture of male perfection stared at him intently.He was taller than Randy by several inches, and his hair was the color of coffee, with silver streaks around the temples. It was cut above his ears with the back touching his collar. The top was teased a bit to stand up. He had a goatee and a dimple in his cheek, giving him a seductive, chiseled look. His eyes were the most amazing shade of minty green.Muscular broad shoulders and a nice expanse of chest were wrapped in a desert sage dress shirt from the Prada’s line and matched with, oh yes, what was surely a tight ass poured into a pair of Botticelli’s handmade Italian jeans. He had to be in his early forties, a few years older than Randy.His fingers, long and narrow, idly shifted through a huge mound of chips. Randy’s startled eyes landed on the fortune in front of the man. His eyes widened at the amount of chips, then shot up to the other man’s eyes. Randy trembled as chills ran up and down his spine as they made eye contact. The man across the table lifted his hand and motioned to Randy. Randy glanced around, then pointed at his chest in question. Again the man nodded and motioned Randy to join him.“Me?” Randy mouthed at him.“You,” he mouthed back.

Spooktacular Blog Hop 2014

Welcome to the Spooktacular Blog Hop! There are some great authors and many goodies to be won. So put on your costumes, PJs, or fanged teeth and go a knockin’ at each of the blogs below! Click on the link for a spooktacular time. *evil cackle*



STARTS:October 31, 2014ENDS: November 2, 2014








Bawhahahaha! Welcome to my blog! Halloween is my favorite holiday, lol. Can you tell? Every Halloween I dressed up as a black cat for my class. Black shirt, black pants, black shoes… the whole deal. Of course, I had permission to do this. Since my school was K-2, we couldn’t be scary. I fixed my face to look like a cats and even had cat ears. My class loved it, lol. Hell, I loved it. Sometimes I had morning duty and even the car rider parents got into it. J I stayed dressed up and took the kids treat-or-treating that evening. My two were everything from pirates, to witches, Jason, a troll, a cheerleader, a football player, and bloody zombies. *snort* The three of us were still treat-or-treating when the kids were in high school, lol.So, in horror *snicker* of Halloween I’m giving away a copy of any book from my backlist to three boo-rific winners. I'll announce the winners on the 3rd. 
*Here’s what you do*

If you could dress up as anything, what would you be? Tell me!

Something Wicked Comes This Way

I shivered in the darkness, straining to hear my vampire… or anything else. Silence draped me in its icy embrace. My skin pricked, and I whirled around. What was that? Was there something out there in the vast emptiness of the maze besides my vamp? “So you want to know if fear can add just the right touch to pleasure, huh?” I jerked back around at the sounds of footsteps close by. Smirking, I threw my head back and let the inhuman yell building tear loose from me. “Indeed it can!”  Not far away, an answering howl sounded, and a tall figure stepped into the moonlight. His ripped shirt hung on his muscular frame, and his pants were hardly in better shape. Even his shoes were gone. Eerie yellow eyes stared at me. Dark hair sprouted all over his chest, and claws grew from his fingertips. Ears now stationed atop his head twitched, listening for any sounds as a long, bushy tail slashed behind him. He smiled at me, sharp fangs glistening in the silvery light of the moon. The half-man, half-wolf was horribly beautiful and sinfully deadly, especially in this form.And he was all mine. “Ready to hunt?” I asked, holding my hand out to Jazz.A canine grin was the only answer I received. Together we hurried through the maze, his sense of smell so much better than mine. Excitement raced down my spine as we hunted, the thrill of the chase taking hold. Danger filled the air, the sense of others not unnoticed. We were not the creatures that prowled the night. “There,” I stopped, laying my hand on the deadliest werewolf in this hemisphere’s arm. “Do you smell it?”“Prey,” he snarled happily.Yes, indeed, our prey. Anticipation boiled inside me. He was close now. Jazz sniffed once more, then grabbed my hand, leading me through more twists and turns. When we suddenly burst into the center of the maze, I was surprised at the speed with which Jazz found our prey.And there he stood, frozen by the hanging bed, shock plastered across his pale face. My wolf howled as he bounded across the path toward our pretty little vamp. Slowly I followed Jazz, already plotting all the satisfying dastardly things to do our victim. A terrifying scream pierced the air. Ah, nothing got the blood pumping better than shrieks of terror. Jazz tackled the vamp, slamming him onto the bed. I followed, jumping on the madly swinging mattress. Clothes didn’t stand a chance against Jazz’s claws. I hummed happily. All that lovely skin Jazz had exposed. So pale. Well, except for the claw marks down that perfectly sculptured chest. The metallic smell of blood coated the air.Suddenly our prey jerked into a sitting position and grabbed Jazz by the throat. “Be good, doggie. No slicing until I say.”“I’m always good, Val,” Jazz snarled. “And I got your doggie right here, vamp.” Jazz rubbed his crotch.“Both of you be good.” I quickly kissed Jazz, then leaned forward and licked the dripping blood on Val’s chest. My two mates. Electricity buzzed through my veins. I sucked Val’s nipple into my mouth, pushing against him until he released Jazz and fell back. I straddled Val and quickly undid his pants. Jazz squirmed to the end of the bed and pulled the knee boots and pants off. Luckily, they’d mostly survived Jazz’s claws. The shirt was nothing more than a shredded mess that I threw to the ground. I stared down at naked perfection. “Why in the hell would anyone cover this up?”“Better question is why are you still dressed?” Val tugged at my coat. “Get naked, Luce.”Jazz slipped behind me and helped remove the offending garment. Val unbuttoned my shirt and that soon that floated to the ground. Then he flipped me, and the both of them finished stripping me. But even with two sets of hands on me, I still managed to get Jazz’s pants off. I stroked a strong, hairy thigh, sighing at the strength. “Exquisite.”A vampire with bloodred eyes stared hungrily at me. Next to him a werewolf panted eagerly. Such lovely monsters. I held my arms up to them, surrendering. We’d planned to stalk Val, but lying here with both paranormals staring at me…. Well, I changed my mind. I wanted them both.“Fuck me,” I whispered. “Both of you.”“Hot damn,” Jazz howled again.“Must you do that?” Val grumbled.Jazz snapped at Val, then licked the side of his face.I was still laughing when Val hauled me up. I barely had time to catch my breath before Val was on his back, and I was on my hands and knees over him. “Fucking hell.” I yelled when Jazz bent behind me, that wicked tongue of his licking, pushing, prodding at my hole. “Yes, my own, give us your sounds.” Val turned his head and nipped at my hand by his head. Oh, that was good. Damn things were shaper than daggers. Before the night was down, I knew he’d sink those fangs into me and drink my blood.Panting, I stared down at him, letting my moans and whimpers drift on the winds. Jazz was now easing one finger into me. I grunted, shutting my eyes. Jazz patted my ass, and then the bed swung suddenly. Surprised, I opened my eyes and tired to turn my head, but Val caught me. “He’s just getting the lube from my cape.” Relieved, I nodded. “Think we’d do this without slick?”“We’ve used blood before.”Val shook his head. “Not for this. You could tear too easily and none of us want that.”I shuddered. Well, that answered that. I’d said I wanted both of them, and it seemed like I was getting them, at the same time. Val kissed me while Jazz worked one clawless finger in, then two. Pleasure and a hint of pain sparked through my body. Jazz rubbed his hand over my back in comfort as he worked another finger inside. I rocked forward, then pushed back. Val used my hair to tug me down for another kiss, leaving my ass on display. I moaned into his mouth when Jazz fingered me, brushing over my hot spot. The bed swayed gently, adding more motion to my desperate rocking.Then Jazz pushed in a fourth finger. Pain battled with pleasure, but quickly retreated. My cock ached and I wanted—no needed, friction against it. Badly. I whined into Val’s mouth and tried to rub against him. A loud slap sounded in the night. I yanked my mouth off Val’s. “Oh fuck, yes.”A barrage of slaps landed on my ass, the heat building inside me. “Please,” I begged, the soft sound only able to be heard by those with supernatural hearing.Cool lube pushed into my hole. I looked down at Val, his gleaming eyes burning into me. Jazz held my hips steady as Val entered me with a long thrust. Oh. Oh, so good. Val bared his fangs at me. The violence and death the oldest vampire in the world was capable of didn’t scare me. Not me. I smirked at him, and he buried his dick in me. “Cocky,” he snarled at me.I laughed breathlessly. “Always.”Then heat covered my back. “Let’s make that cocky times two.”I gritted my teeth as Jazz pushed his cock inside me, alongside Val’s. By all that was unholy, I was so full.“Easy, mate,” Jazz whispered in my ear. “Let us in.”I was fucking trying, but they were both so big. I could do this, I knew I could… but damn. They filled me to overflowing.“Now you see why I was called the ‘Impaler’.”Oh please tell me he didn’t just say that.I snorted, but finally managed to relax. “Don’t fucking make me laugh, bloodsucker.”“At lease you loosened up,” Jazz gasped. “I thought you were going to strangle my dick.”I turned my head enough to see him out of the corner of my eye. “You will shift back at some point, just wanted to remind you of that.”Jazz thrust his hip, that toothy smile aimed at me. “Until then…”All tenderness vanished as they worked together, one of them sliding in, the other sliding out… filling me, owning me. Jazz’s claws pierced my hips and my dripped. The pain sidled up to the pleasure until I couldn’t tell one from the other. Cries floated in the cool night breeze. Some were sweet and lush. All could hear the need. But some were nothing more but terror-filled moans. But both propelled me on to the edge and left me straining. Val yanked me down and buried his fangs in my neck. Jazz pushed my hair out of the way and bit down where my shoulder and neck met. Yelling with pain and pleasure, they came in me and the sensation flung me over the edge and into the abyss.When I woke, I was nestled between my lovers… although, that really didn’t explain what they were to me. No words could. I’d brought light to a heartless vampire lost in the dark, and tamed the restless ways of a merciless werewolf. They’d found love with me, and in return, they sustained me through the endless years.
~And who am I, you might ask? Well, I have many names in many different languages. Luce is the shortened form of Lucifer. That’s right, I’mthe wicked that comes this way.

Happy Halloween, everyone! Stay tuned for the blog hop that's coming soon!~M