M.A. Church's Blog, page 140

Wednesday Briefs Halloween Addition - Something Wicked Comes this Way

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:
“Eat, drink, and be scary.”

“Halloween is huge in my house, and we really get into the "spirits" of things.”

“Where there’s no imagination, there’s no horror.”

“True love is like ghosts: everyone talks about it but few have seen.”

“Which witch is which?”

“Nothing beats a haunted moonlit night on All Hallows Eve.”

“Trick or Treat!”

“I hate the dark!”

“What’s your nickname?”

“Life is tough.”

“The ship is sinking.” or use: ghost, fire, nightor use: blood, eye of newt, bottleor use: fang(s), red, moonor have your character give out candyor use: pizza, apple, metalor have a character singing in the showeror use: CD, ring, picture or “What are you supposed to be?”or “All I got was a rock”or “Crash into me”or “Want me to check your candy?”or “Hot and hairy, just the way I like it!”or “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?”


Something Wicked Comes this Waypart one“Ready for the par-ty, Luce?” Jazz sang out as he danced into my bedroom dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow.
“Just about.” I checked my image one last time.

It was Halloween night, and I was dressed as the Riddler. Black question marks covered the emerald green coat. The hat was green, with a swatch of purple. My shirt and pants were black. Deep, vibrant purple gloves, mask, and tie finished off the outfit.

“Hmm, nice. The purple goes good with your deep auburn hair and pale skin.”

My hair was long, but I’d tied it back, and my skin was naturally pale. And fuck all, freckles covered my body, and I was on the short side, but at least I was ripped.

Jazz slapped me on the ass and headed out of my bedroom. “Get your ass moving, sexy. It’s already ten.”

I couldn’t wait.

* * * * What was better than a Halloween party located in a mansion on a cliff overlooking the Pacific?

After a long drive, we arrived. The party was in full swing. We could hear the music from where we parked. It took forever to reach the entrance, but once there, Jazz spoke softly with the bouncer at the door.

There was a pause, then the bouncer allowed us inside, and Jazz immediately lost himself in the crowd. I soon followed. Everywhere I looked were monsters, ghouls, sexy cops, and… yup. Even Elvis was in the building. The crowd was mostly men, and damn near everyone was half-dressed.

There were acres of gorgeous, sweaty skin. I hit the dance floor, twisting and grinding, but no one caught my interest. Overheated and thirsty, I turned to leave. Suddenly a sexy vamp stepped in front of me.

He was dressed in tight, black pants, shiny knee-high black boots, a white peasant shirt that tied at the throat, and a long black cape. The long pitch-black hair and pale-as-death face completed the look. But his eyes…. My God. The pupils were bloodred, and sexy as hell.

Then he smiled.

Holy shit—fangs, and they looked real. The music thumped, the beat echoing through me. He slipped behind me, close enough I could feel the press of his body. I flirted over my shoulder, returning his smile,  as his hands settled on my hips. He pulled me back against him, his hard-on nestled against my ass.

“Oh,” I moaned, eyes fluttering closed. “Fuck yes.”

Opening my eyes, I moved with him, swaying with the music, and grinding against my mystery man. Need built as he rubbed that marvelously hard cock against my ass. Someone was certainly eager.

And hard.

And oh yeah, hung like a horse.

I reached behind my head, my hand slipping behind his neck, and pulled him closer. He slid one hand off my hip, his nimble fingers tugging at the bottom of my shirt. Whimpering, I let him. Hell, encouraged him even. I needed, dammit.

He must have known, because his hand slipped into my tight dress pants, hunting for my… yes. He nibbled on my neck, a sharp sting of fangs that lit me up as he stroked my aching dick.

“Good?” He whispered in my ear.

“Could be better.” I hinted, pushing my ass against him, trying to tempt. Please God, let him understand what I needed. He stroked my length, his light touch driving me insane. Need sank its sharp talons into me.

“You want me to make you scream?” He flicked the head of my cock.

“Oh yessss,” I hissed. There was just a hint of pain in the grip, leaving me burning for more than just a quick touch.

“You are willing?” He licked a path up my neck.

The rush of air teased my sweat-soaked skin. “Willing and able.”

“Excellent.” He squeezed my cock.

My eyes rolled back in my head. Such strong hands. I hoped I got the chance for them to hold me down while he plowed my ass.

He nipped my neck one more time then unwound me from him. “When you scream, my name will be upon your lips.”

“I can so do that.”

He grabbed my hand and led me from the dance floor. “Come.”

I could do that too.

Out the door we went.

“Nothing beats a haunted moonlit night on All Hallows Eve,” he said.

He stopped, holding me close, then kissed me. Heat and desire. Oh, so good, so damn good. I arched in his arms. There was power and a… threat of something else.

He stepped back and licked his lips. “Just lovely.”

He took my hand again, leading me onward. There wasn’t a cloud in the moonlit sky. Finally he tugged me to the opening of a maze.

“Um, while this is nice and all, wouldn’t a bed be better?”

“There’s a gazebo at the center with a hanging platform.” He led me into the maze, the thick hedges standing tall. “There’s a bed waiting. Interested?”

“Really? Kinky.” Even if I jumped, I couldn’t see over the hedge, but I followed him.

We made several turns, taking us deeper inside the maze. The lights spread around the vast grounds couldn’t penetrate the darkness surrounding us. Even the moon had dipped behind a cloud. I could barely hear the music from the house now.

Then he dropped my hand and started backing away, the darkness reaching for him.

“Um, what are you doing?” I asked.

He smirked at me. “Going to see how long it takes you to get there.”

I looked around. It was so desolate here. A chilly breeze blew through the maze. “You like games, do you?”

He kept backing away from me, heading deeper into the maze until I couldn’t see him. His voice drifted back to me, the sneer easy to hear, even if I couldn’t see it. “It adds spice. Scared? Fear can add just a touch of pleasure.”


TBC on Thursday
Chris T. KatCia NordwellVictoria AdamsRavon SilviusKazy ReedTali SpencerJulie Lynn Hayes

Welcome Ashley Ladd - Spooky Sojourn

Spooky SojournThis is a paranormal erotic male/female romance



Blurb:
Someone’s trying to kill Deanna, but is it the ghosts she doesn’t believe in, the rich socialite who might be a murderess, or someone else with a beef against The Gilroy Hotel and Resort that Deanna has just been hired to manage?  The Gilroy’s owners want the ghosts, or whoever is causing the trouble at the hotel eliminated, and they are pressuring Deanna to do the job as quickly as possible. Harry DeVeaux, paranormal investigator comes highly recommended to do the job and against Deanna’s better judgment, she hires him.
Although Deanna thinks Harry’s crazy for believing in ghosts and Harry thinks Deanna has a closed mind to the possibilities of ghosts and they highly annoy each other, sparks fly. Deanna can’t help but fantasize about Harry and inspired by a romance convention visiting her hotel, writes her fantasies in a private blog that Harry finds, hacks, and reads. Ooh la la!

Excerpt:Wow!Deanna reread her fantasy, barely able to believe she’d penned it, wondering if she should delete it. Did she really want to make out with Harry, a perfect stranger, on a public beach? Did she really want her words on the Internet, even in a supposedly private blog under a make-believe name?Well, it was confidential, right? As long as she didn’t give anybody the web address or password or tell them about it, it would remain secret.Enough fantasizing! She had to get back to work. Dragging the files out, she familiarized herself with the ghost sightings as well as Lynette’s and Grant’s history. By the time she finished, she knew how they’d died and the theories about their suicides-slash-murders. She also knew that everybody was afraid to point fingers at the now very influential and powerful Roxanne Cambridge-Anderson. Could Roxanne be behind the haunting nonsense? Did she want the hotel shut down? But that made no sense. The rumors portrayed Roxanne as a murderess. It wouldn’t be in her best interest to keep their legend alive.Deanna’s temples began to ache the harder she thought about everything, so she decided to go to sleep. Hopefully she’d awake if any hijinks took place in the bowling alley.About three a.m., deafening booms awoke her. Light brightened lane fourteen and all but one pin lay scattered on the wooden floor.Groggy, Deanna tried to gather her senses. She looked around then, to her horror, she saw an iridescent figure of a man on lane fourteen picking up a glowing ball. Collecting her presence of mind, she grabbed her webcam, pointed it at the ghostly shape and turned it on. Shaking, she tried to hold her computer steady. Not believing what she was seeing, she knew there had to be a rational explanation. Perhaps some machine was projecting the image onto the lanes. Perhaps a real person stood in front of her in glowing phosphorescent powder.Whatever or whoever it was, picked up the ball, and knocked down the spare pin. Then the ‘apparition’ bowled three strikes in a row.Unexpectedly, he turned and glared at her, fire shooting from his eyes. Pins flew from all the lanes at her. Her heart racing, she ducked under the score table.
Buy links:https://www.totallybound.com/spooky-sojourn

CONTEST!One lucky blog tour visitor for Spooky Sojourn will win a $20 Amazon gift certificate. Be sure to enter your email address so Ashley can contact you if you’re the winner. The contest will run until midnight October 31st
. Rafflecopter code:a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:

Ashley Ladd lives in South Florida with her husband, five children, and beloved pets. She loves the water, cats, and playing on the computer.She's often incorporates humor and adventure into her books. She also adores very spicy romance, which she weaves into her stories.
How you can contact Ashley:chinara@aol.comhttp://www.ashleyladd.blogspot.comhttps://www.facebook.com/ashleyladdauthorhttp://www.twitter.com/ashleyladdhttps://www.goodreads.com/AshleyLaddhttp://www.shelfari.com/search/books?Keywords=Ashley%20Ladd
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ashley%20ladd&sprefix=ashle%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aashley%20ladd

My Sexy Saturday - Be My Human

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.
For this week, I thought I’d do something from my upcoming Dreamspinner release, Be My Human. It’s book 2 in the Moonlit Skies series.



Excerpt:“Mmm, babe, your stripes are showing,” Reed panted.“That’s not all.” Taz’s grin was quick, a flash of joy that turned into a yelp of pleasure when Reed slammed him down hard. Taz’s tail whipped about them, fluttering madly, while soft purrs filled the space around them.Suddenly Reed held Taz still, holding him tightly so he couldn’t move. Taz meowed pitifully, straining to be released.“Hold on.” Reed pulled Taz against his chest, his hands leaving Taz’s ass.“What—?” Taz let out a startled purr of happiness when Reed undid his braid, loosening his hair and spreading it out over his shoulders. Mollified, a grinning Taz shook his head, sending waves of multicolored hair everywhere.Taz blinked when Reed reached up, his hand holding Taz’s chin so they could look into each other’s eyes. “You are so beautiful, Taz. Stripes, tail, all that sexy long hair…. You mean the world to me, my lovely little alien. You, and only you, complete me.”
“Oh, Reed.” Taz bit his lip to keep the tears back. “I feel the same.”




Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5554
Print: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5636

Wednesday Briefs - In Enemy Hands #1.4

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:
or “I haven’t been bowling since the Nixon administration.”

or “That was no football game, that was a massacre.”

or “Well, give me some beans and I’ll grow you a beanstalk, if you like.”

or “Shit that's spooky, I just emailed you 0_o” (face is optional!)

or “Wake up and fetch my purse”

or “Give me a kiss”or “You don’t really think I’m going to let you have all the fun, do you?”

or "Time and time again you…"

or "You want me to do… what?"

or "Now see, that’s a problem."

or "I never dreamed this would happen!"

or "You look like the cat who ate the canary.”

or "Kneel for me."

or "Touchdown!"

or "I got to second base."

or use: carpet, iron, mug

or use: clippers, needle, CD

or use: pen, tile, pavers

or have your character fly a kite

or have a rooster in your story

or have a character trying on clothes

or have a character plot a murder

or find a new use for honey



Chapter 1.4
Haus jerked his hand out of the way before Sarik’s boot landed on it. “Why in the Goddess’ name would we want to get to the surface? Once they get the SSN up again, we’ll be trapped there. They’ll hunt us down like animals. And I hate the dark too. It’s nothing but darkness there!”
“I know. They call it a Nightshade planet for a reason. I said it would get us to the surface. I didn’t say I wanted to land on the surface.” Varo stopped at the deck labeled Shuttle Bay and kicked out another side panel. “We’re there.”
Haus climbed out of the shaft after Varo. “Then what are you planning, sir? And why do you think they won’t just shoot us out of the sky?”
“Because, I’m hoping you can hotwire the shuttle so we can activate stealth mode.”
Haus’ eyes widened. “But, Captain, that’s more Darn’s job. She’s the engineer.”
“I’ve seen you hotwire more than one com panel, Haus.” Varo nodded to the shuttle.
Haus swiped a hand over his face. “Okay, so maybe I can, but what good will that do?” Haus walked to where Artan stood by the open shuttle door.
“The net is down, and that’s an opportunity I can’t pass up. If you can manually activate the shuttle’s stealth mode, we can go invisible and get past them. We set coordinates and aim for their capital city. With any luck, we can use the shuttle as a weapon and blow up their royal family.”
“Oh,” Haus breathed. “Suicide mission.”
Varo paused at the shuttle door. “I won’t order any of you to join me. If you can get the stealth mode working on the shuttle, you can stay here if you wish, Haus. Same goes for you, Sarik and Artan. Slavery or death is the only option we have now. I choose death. Hopefully, I can take a few of their royal family with me.”
“I’m in.” Sarik nodded. “But they live in places literally carved directly into cliff faces.”
“And can you imagine what a shuttle with a warp engine exploding on contact would do to that rock face? I promise you, that explosion would be seen from space,” Varo answered.
“What a morale booster that would be if we could pull it off.” Haus pursed his lips. “At least death would be quick.”
Artan crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t really think I’m going to let you have all the fun, do you? Of course I’m in.”
“I’m in too, Captain.” Haus stepped onto the shuttle.
“Well then, let’s tinker with this beauty and get her set up.” Varo slapped Haus on the back. “Go work your magic. We need to leave like five unit minutes ago.”
Activity picked up around the shuttle. Haus lay flat on his back, with a panel off under the Helm, busy with the wires. Artan monitored the approaching Helkan fighters. Sarik sat in the pilot’s chair, checking the systems.
Varo leaned over Sarik’s shoulder. “How it’s coming?”
“I’ve…” Sarik tapped the screen a few more times. “Yes! Son of a dirty comet, he did it. We’re a go, Captain. Haus, you big sexy goof, you did it!”
“Oh goddess, would you stop that?” Haus wiggled out of the guts of the Helm and sat up. “You are such a perv.”
“You’re just now figuring that out?” Varo shook his head and sat in the co-pilot’s chair, thankful his officers had loosened up a bit. He was about to die, and he wanted to be around friends, not subordinates. “Okay, Sarik, you’re the best pilot we have on board, so let’s go stealth and get out of here.”
“Yes, sir. Everyone strap in.” Sarik tapped the Helm controls. “Closing shuttle doors and releasing Shuttle Bay dampeners. And here goes nothing…” Sarik engaged stealth mode. “Good. Our systems are limited, but we do have some operational, Captain.”
Varo activated his part of the Helm panel. “Requesting coordinates for the last known location of their royal family and…”  The screen jumped, static disrupting it. Varo smacked it with his fist. “There we go. We have a location.” Varo manually typed in the information. “Excellent. Course laid in, Sarik, and good news is it’s not on the other side of this stars-cursed planet. According to the flight path I’m reading, we’re right on target.”
“Let’s hope this is accurate.” Sarik tapped a button, and then tapped it again until it responded. Finally a hologram appeared in front of Sarik.
With a swipe of his hand, the shuttle bay doors opened. Another tap and the smaller ship lifted off the flight deck. Moving his hands in connection to the hologram screen in front of him, he gently eased them toward the open end of the bay and the blackness that was space.
“Even if it’s not, at least we can cause some damage.” Artan held his breath as the shuttle moved farther down the runway, then outside and away from their ship.
“And we are clear of the main ship and on course,” Sarik said.
“Fighters incoming.” Varo expanded his sonar screen to view their distance from the enemy.
“Noted. They don’t appear to know we’re here.” Sarik kept his eyes on the Helm. “They are scanning the main ship. Wonder what they’ll think when scans show no life forms?”
“If they aren’t stupid, they’ll scan the surrounding area for life forms that match ours.” Varo watched the Helm’s screen. “Let’s hope they think we abandoned ship. They should when the scan shows missing escape pods. Come on, come on,” he muttered to the little blips on the screen. “Nothing to see here. We’re all gone, so just go on about your business while we slip down to the planet and blow your asses up.”
Sarik snorted at Varo’s whispered mutterings. “They are indeed scanning the surrounding area.” Our scans show they aren’t powering weapons. Yet.”
“Good. Continue course to the planet.”
Silence reigned in the cockpit, no one uttering a word as enemy fighters circled the abandoned ship. As they watched, the warbird moved away from where autobot ships worked on the satellites that were part of the net surrounding the planet. The warbird dwarfed the ship they’d abandoned.
He growled softly when he saw a tractor beam attach to his ship. He really wished the main computer system had been operational so he could’ve set the ship’s autodestruct. It would have been a pleasure to watch the Helkan’s warbird blow up. Only thing better would have been blowing up and taking out the SSN.
They piloted on, slowly making their way to where the net’s satellites were down.
“Okay, here we go,” Sarik said. “If the SSN is nonfunctioning—and scans say it is—then we should slip through the hole in their defenses undetected.”
TBC

Wednesday Briefs - In Enemy Hands #1.3

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:
“That’s better than nothing.”

or "Give me a good reason not to…"

or "Your other left."

or "Are you watching that?"

or "You need a time out."

or "You’re awfully close to the ground.”

or "That’s better than nothing, I guess."

or "Walk away now."

or "How did he/she get up there?"

or use: board, snow, rack

or use: track, pilot, star

or use: box, light, ghost

or have your character step on a nail

or have a fire in your story

or have a character steal something

or have a race in your story or “That one almost got away…”or “Necessity is the father of brilliant ideas”or “You win some, you lose even more”or “Of course I trust you, you’re my best friend”or use a pig in a poke in your story

or “He’s the cock of the walk”
Chapter 1.3

“Everyone not Senior Staff evacuate the Bridge.” Artan yelled. “May our Goddess Ruim deliver you safely home.”
Varo watched his crew leave the Bridge. “Artan, can you monitor the pods to Yesrian space?”
Artan stabbed at a couple of buttons on one of the damaged Helm’s panel. “Sorry, Captain. That’s a negative. Certain parts of the panel aren’t functioning properly. I can tell you pods are vacating the ship, but I can’t track them to safety.”
“Understood.” Varo glanced at Artan. “Sarik, keep an eye on the pods for as long as possible.”
“Yes, Captain.” Sarik bent back over the panel.
“And Haus, are you able to track the enemy ships?” Varo asked.
“Yes, sir, but not visually. All I can access is a sonar map of the area.” 
“That’s better than nothing, I guess.” At this point anything was a gift.
Darn entered the Bridge. Her uniform was in disarray and a dark stain marred her cheek. The ponytail she usually kept her white-blond hair restrained in was a mess. “Reporting as ordered, Captain.”
“Good. Start checking nonfunctioning com panels. Maybe you can salvage some of the systems.”
“Yes, sir.” She hurried to the nearest panel.
Satisfied the other officers were busy, Varo motioned to Artan. Together they moved away from the other men. “Artan, am I correct in remembering there’s one extra pod?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Varo worked to keep his breathing level. “This is going to get nasty. I want Darn and Joff on that last pod. They have the least experience in warfare, and they’re the youngest. Thoughts?”
“I agree we should send them. Joff has a child on the way, and Darn has two mates at home. The rest of us aren’t mated and have no children.”
Varo nodded. The two were going to disagree, but he was Captain. His word was law. He knew what they were facing. If he could save the majority of his crew, then he would die happy. He’d heard too many vile rumors about the Helkans. He wasn’t going to become a slave if he could help it.
“Status?” Varo asked.
Sarik checked the Helm panel. “All but one pod gone.”
Haus frowned at his viewing screen. “The warbird is staying close to where the net went down. The fighters are approaching, but slowly. They are still quite a distance out.”
“Good.” Varo readied himself for the arguments coming his way. “Joff and Darn, I want you to take the final pod and go.”
“What? Sir!” Joff jerked around. “No, sir. I will not—”
Darn’s shout drowned out Joff’s. “Not going to happen, Captain. I refuse to leave the rest of you—”
Varo held up his hand and silence descended. “That’s an order.  I do appreciate the thought, but… You can go to the pods under your own steam, or I can have Artan stun your asses then put you in the pod. Either way, you will leave this ship.”
Both officers grumbled, loudly.
“Time’s running out. Go, or I’ll have you taken.” Varo nodded at Artan, who held his stunner. “I’m trying to save your fool lives, so get going.”
“Captain.” Joff’s lips trembled. “I would gladly stay, you know this.”
“We both would,” Darn added.
“I know, and I am honored by your willingness to give your lives. But…” Varo clutched both crewmembers by the shoulder. “I refuse, refuse, to allow those animals to take any more of us than necessary. I will not have one drop of your honorable blood shed by our enemy. Go back, and tell my father what you saw here. Tell him how the SSN collapsed. Maybe something good will come from this. Now, go.”
“May the Goddess Ruim keep you safe.” Joff clasped Varo’s hand.
“Sir.” Darn nodded. “We will tell your father how brave you were. Many voices will be raised in honor of your sacrifice.”
“I can’t ask for more.” Silently, he watched Darn and Joff leave the Bridge, with Artan closely behind them.
Sarik rested his hand on Varo’s arm. “They will live to fight another day, Captain. It was the right thing to do.”
“Too bad I couldn’t stuff you, Haus, and Artan on there too.”
Haus snorted. “Artan would have stunned you if you tried.”
“There is that.” Varo lowered his body into his captain’s chair. “Now we wait for the end, my friends.”
“It’s a good day to die,” Haus agreed.
“Be that as it may, don’t you hate just sitting here, waiting for them to decide our destiny. I wish… If I’m going to die, I’d rather it be on my terms.” Sarik waved his hand toward the blank screen. “We won’t even know if they plan to blow us up until… well, until they blow us up.”
Haus snickered. “Still so articulate I see, even in the end.”
Sarik narrowed his eyes at Haus. “Speaking of ends—”
Haus blanched, quickly glancing at Varo.
Varo rolled his eyes. “We’re about to be incinerated, and the both of you are worried if I’m aware you’re bouncing on each other? Not that it matters now, but officially I’m unaware. Unofficially? Neither of you are as stealthy as you think.”
Haus groaned.
Sarik just laughed. “Sorry about that, sir.”
“If I thought you were doing more than fucking, it might have been a problem. You know committed couples can’t serve on the same deck levels.” Varo shrugged. “But since it isn’t, I ignored it.”
“And glad we are you did.” Sarik slapped Haus on the back, a smile on his face. “Even if Haus is slightly embarrassed by you knowing.  I however, am not.”
Varo chuckled. “Sarik, you wouldn’t know embarrassment if it bit you on—”
“Captain?” Artan’s voice cut off Varo’s words.
Varo hurried to his captain’s chair and hit the in-ship com “Go ahead, Artan.”
“Darn and Joff are off.”
“Good.”
“Also, did you know Darn fixed the shuttle? She told me before they entered the escape pod.”
“I didn’t, no. When did she finish the repairs?”
“This morning, right before the cloud hit and everything went ass up.”
Excitement flooded Varo, and he glanced at Sarik. “Sarik, you may have just gotten your wish.” This was the break they needed. “Artan, stay there. We’re on our way to you.”
“Yes, sir. Artan out.”
Haus glanced at Varo. “What…?”
“Let’s go.” Turning, Varo ran to the elevator lifts, Sarik and Haus behind him. “We’ll have to take the shafts down to the shuttle bay since the cloud knocked out the lifts. Make it quick, gentleman, time is not our friend.”
Sarik jerked a panel off, exposing the shaft. One after the other, they descended the ladders in the narrow tubes that ran from deck to deck.
“Okay, what’s taking the shuttle going to do for us?” Haus huffed as he carefully positioned one hand after the other on the ladder. “The shuttle’s warp drive is probably messed up, as is weapons.”
“But it also runs on good old fashion fuel,” Varo volunteered.
“So?” Haus shook his long hair out of his face. “There’s not enough to get us home.”

“No, it won’t. But it will get us to the surface of the planet,” Varo said.
TBC
Tali Spencer
Cia NordwellVictoria AdamsJon KeysCarol PedrosoJC WallaceMatthias WilliamsonAvery DawesJohayanJulie Lynn Hayes 

The Harvest: Taken (2nd edition) print book is here

Good news! I have the print version ready to go on Amazon and it's offered for $10.44. :) It took a little while, but the book is back now. I owe a huge 'thank you' to Cia for all her hard work and help with the project lol.

The plan is to have book 2 out in January. :)

~M

Pride Promotions presents Most Beautiful Words by Raine O’Tierney and a Giveaway!

Book Name: Most Beautiful Words
Author Name: Raine O’Tierney
Author Bio: Called "Queen of the Sweetness" (well, two or three people said it anyway!) Raine O'Tierney loves writing sweet stories about first loves, first times, fidelity, forever-endings and...friskiness?
Raine O'Tierney lives outside of Kansas City with her husband, fellow Dreamspinner Press author, Siôn O'Tierney. When she's not writing, she's either asleep, or fighting the good fight for intellectual freedom at her library day job. Raine believes the best thing we can do in life is be kind to one another, and she enjoys encouraging fellow writers. Writing for 20+ years (with the last 10 spent on M/M) Raine changes sub-genres to suit her mood and believes all good stories end sweetly. Contact her if you're interested in talking about point-and-click adventure games or about which dachshunds are the best kinds of dachshunds!
Author Contact:
Raineotierney.com | Dreamspinner Press Author Page | The Hat Party (LGBT Author Interviews!)
Facebook Fan Page | Twitter

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Blurb(s): Twelve-year-old Autumn's world is shattered when her beloved Great-Pop, Tommy Johnson, suffers a stroke that leaves him comatose. With everyone around her resigning themselves to the inevitable, Autumn is the only one not willing to give up. She and Great-Pop have more secret stories to share with each other, after all. More stories about Roy McMillan—the great love of Tommy's life whom he lost fifty years ago.
Autumn struggles to keep Great-Pop on this side of death's door. But how can she compete with the beautiful and mysterious Valley—a place of surreal magic where the sun never fully sets? Especially when there's someone familiar in the Valley who will do everything he can to keep Great-Pop from returning to her.


Excerpt:But Rook had no interest in waiting for permission. He’d come forward, snaking his arms around Toren’s sheet-covered waist and pulling him hard against his body. “It’s just a kiss,” Rook breathed before he put his lips against Toren’s. Should he protest? Had he protested? Toren couldn’t remember. In that moment there was nothing but Rook’s firm lips, gently teasing his own apart. Toren kissed back, tasting the other man, sucking at his bottom lip. Rook’s mouth was intoxicating, and quite suddenly, Toren forgot why he’d ever resisted. He liked kissing Rook. But after only an appetizer’s worth of his mouth, Rook pulled away. The sensation of their mouths pressed together lingered, and Toren was dumb with the moment. Lost on it. Uncertain what they’d even been talking about.
“Do you remember me now?” Rook asked.
“Mmn,” Toren agreed, warmth lingering on his lips. “Rook.”
Silence was his reply. The arms around his waist fell away, leaving him feeling cold.
Toren slowly opened his eyes to find he was standing alone, clutching his sheet, as Rook walked away from him toward the staircase.

Tour Dates/Stops: October 10: Angel Martinez, My Fiction Nook, Up All Night, Read All DayOctober 13: Amanda C. Stone, Decadent DelightsOctober 14: Jade Crystal, NephylimOctober 15: LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Velvet PanicOctober 16: Full Moon Dreaming, Dawn’s Reading NookOctober 17: Wake Up Your Wild Side, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue WordsOctober 20:Parker Williams, Inked Rainbow Reads
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card

Sales Links:eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5498
Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5499





Now for the interview!


How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since the third grade (1993) when a girl in my class wrote/illustrated a booklet about bubblegum and I thought to myself, “I could do that better.” I’ve since gone my own way and left the bubblegum-writing to the professionals.



What advice would you give a new writer just starting out? 
Be brave! You’re going to come up against so much ‘no, no, no’ and ‘don’t, don’t, don’t’—internally and externally—that you just be the best lionheart you can and say, with confidence, “Don’t you mean, yes?”



Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.

The first draft of Most Beautiful Words was written in 13 days for NaNoWriMo 2012. It then took an aching year of revision to craft it into the story I wanted it to be.

Plus, there’s a mention of trying to light a cow’s fart on fire, which I personally think is awesome.



What are you reading now?

I am, and feel that I have always been, listening to the audiobook of Stephen King’s The Stand. This is a first read through for me and I’m pretty sure that there is no ending and that King is literally writing the book as I’m listening to it and it will go on forever. That said, since I’ve spent months with these characters, when (if) the book ever does end, I’m going to have one helluva book hangover.



What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

Oh, I do weird research all the time…but the thing that comes to mind right now is the multitude of bathroom photos I’ve taken over the years. Specifically, bathroom stalls and lighting fixtures.



Do you use a pen name? If so, how did you come up with it?

I do, but only because I always wanted to have a new and exciting name. I’m very lucky in that I’m able to reveal what I write to my friends, family, and colleagues—so Raine O’Tierney isn’t really for hiding. She’s for being glamorous! My boss actually came up with the O’Tierney last name. I wanted to be Raine Mondadori and she said, “Uh, aren’t you Irish?” and I said, “Pretty much 100%.” She found a list of Irish last names and I fell in love with O’Tierney.



Describe your writing space.

I call it my writing cove. I’ve got dried roses, absinthe, a 1940s Royal Arrow Typewriter, an apothecary set, urban decay photography, and original artwork. It’s my favorite place in the world.



What is the hardest part about writing for you?

Quieting the little voice in my head who insists that I am—and will always be—incapable of writing a novel.



What are you passionate about these days?

Making resin jewelry! Ooh, and pithy quotes. And pithy quotes inside of resin jewelry! Pretty much that.

Winners of the 500K giveaway are...

winners for the 500K giveaway are...
Terri Culverwell 
Al 
Susan 

emails have been sent. :)~M

Wednesday Briefs - In Enemy Hands #1.2

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:or “Don’t sing the blues.”

or "You’re in the way."

or "Oh, that was smooth."

or "Now you’re cooking with oil."

or "Is that really you?"

or "You lost the bet, so…"

or "That makes me feel so warm and fuzzy."

or "They’re so different!"

or "Is it just me or..."

or use: alarm, floor, computer

or use: bricks, fire, chair
or use: cloud, sidewalk, rice

or have your character do a photo shoot

or have a baby in the story

or have a character walk/play a dog

or have a character go see a doctor


In Enemy Hands #1.2
His ship bucked and shuddered. Numerous alarms sounded through the ship. An ominous creaking sounded across the Bridge. Varo glanced up. Oh stars, was that a crack? Were the ship’s shields failing? If they lost integrity, they’d all die instantly. Internal lights flashed then shut off.
Blackness swallowed them. Several circuit boards on the helm exploded, sparks flashing and smoke filling the Bridge. Bodies flew from the impact. Varo found himself on the floor in front of his chair. Moans and cries echoed around him. The generator finally reinstated power, and a cold wash of red illuminated the Bridge.
“Report!” Varo struggled to stand, gripping his chair. The main viewing scene was snowy.
“Are you injured?”Artan demanded.
“No! Now report.”
Artan listened to the information pouring in from all stations. “Outgoing planetary communications are offline, but we do have station coms working. Several computer systems were down, but secondary power has restored some, for now. Life support is working. Sensors, both long and short, are still online.”
“Good.”
“Weapons we have are offline. Warp engines are offline. Shields are operational, but functioning at thirty per cent. Medical is operational and has wounded. Incoming reports are broken bones, laceration, and electrical burns.” Artan sighed. “Plasma burns too. I’m sorry, sir. We have casualties.”
“How many?”
“Three, so far.”
Varo said a quick prayer for his men. “Okay, someone get the portable foam extinguishers and put out the electrical fires.”
“Yes, Captain!” Haus yelled.
“Injured report to Medical at once.” Varo was pleased to see only two men left. “Okay, man stations and someone report on time to asteroid field arrival.”
“Now, Captain!” Joff replied.
Stars and curses, really? The aft of the ship faced Jux, which acted as a shield. He glared at the main viewing screen, which was still offline. He wished he could see how the SSN handled the incoming asteroids. Since Jux blocked them, their shields were holding.
“Confirmation that sublink message was sent?” Varo asked.
“Message sent, sir. We didn’t have long enough to log a reply.” Artan stepped next to the captain’s chair. “Sensors are recording reactions from the SSN. It appears the system is holding.”
“Understood.” Varo refused to allow his disappointment to show. Nothing seemed to defeat that system.
“And Captain, report from the Engine Room says warp is going to be offline a minimal twenty-four unit hours. We’ve also lost thrusters.” Artan lowered his voice. “We’re dead in the water.”
Varo replied just as softly. “Are we far enough away from Jux? We’re not going to get caught in its planetary pull, correct?”
“Correct. But we are floating aimlessly.” Artan stepped to Helm and fiddled with the controls. After a brief check of the readout, he returned to Varo’s side. “We might have a problem.”
“What?”
“We’re floating toward Helkan.”
“Cursed planet.”
“I’d say cursed solar storm.” Artan stared at the blurry main screen. “We’re blind too.”
Varo resisted the urge to pound his fist against something. “How about I curse the whole useless mission?”
“Works for me,” Artan quipped. He cleared his throat, a shrill beep catching his attention. “Hmm, that’s interesting.”
“What?”
“Scanners show a sudden flux of energy at the SSN.” Artan’s scowl increased. “I’m not really sure what is… Great galaxies! I don’t believe it. We have a massive breach in the system. Repeat, a massive breach in the SSN! The energy net that protects the planet is down. I repeat it is down. Captain! What do we do?”
Varo cursed under his breath, furious. They finally got a break, and his ship was useless. “Nothing. We can’t do anything, Artan. We have no weapons or any way to maneuver. We observe and document for future reference only. If that net came down once, maybe we can get it down again.”
“A chance of a lifetime, and we’re helpless,” Artan whispered. “Do you think the CME cloud had something to do with it? It was powerful.”
“Possibly. That, along with getting battered by huge chunks of rocks right after the cloud hit, may have contributed to it going down.”
“Captain, we have an incoming message.” The Communications Officer Sarik grimaced. “The Helkans demand we withdraw from their immediate planetary air space. Stars, they want us to move behind Jux. If we do not retreat, the message says they will send their warbirds.”
“Are outgoing communications still down?” Varo asked Sarik.
“Yes, sir.”
Artan snarled at the com center. “If they scan us, they’ll see we’re damaged and can’t respond or depart.”
Varo stared at the still snowy main screen. “Scans can be misleading, as you know. Shutting down systems will just show as systems down. They can’t tell whether we did that on purpose, or if we really have problems. That CME cloud didn’t leave any external damage that I’m aware of, either.”
“It’s stupid to think it didn’t affect us if it affected them,” Artan argued.
“True. And I doubt they care. Refusing to answer and refusing to move, especially while their defenses are compromised, could be seen as a threat. More importantly, there’s the fact we’re at war with them.”
“What do we do?” Artan asked.
“Keep trying to get Planetary Communications up and hope they don’t blow us out of the skies.” Varo paged the Engine Room again. “Can we at least get thrusters?”
“Sorry, Captain. That’s a negative. It’s a fried mess down here,” the Head Mechanic, Darn, answered, her voice stressed.
“There’s no way our ships will get here in time to help, Captain.” Artan glanced around the Bridge.
“I know.” Varo looked at the blank screen. They were blind and helpless, with no way to communicate, not that anyone could with the Helkans. There was only one choice.
“Sir! I’m picking up several smaller ships—fighters I assume—and one massive ship. Probably the warbird they threatened,” a female crewmember at the Helm declared. “Time of arrival is thirty unit minutes.”
Varo took a deep breath, then released it. “Well, that settles it then.” Varo typed in a code on the com that opened a shipwide speaker. “This is Captain Varo. Our ship is disabled, and the Helkans have deemed our presence a threat. They are likely to attack. Captain’s orders: Abandon ship. I repeat, abandon ship. Everyone but Senior Staff report to escape pods immediately. Senior Staff report to the Bridge. Varo out.”

TBC



                                                                            Varo's spaceship. Remember, its not very big











Shuttle that Varo and the others use to escape 















Make sure to check out the other Briefers:Avery Dawes 
Victoria AdamsKazy ReedCarol PedrosoChris T. KatMatthias WilliamsonTali SpencerNephylimJC WallaceCia NordwellJon Keys                                                              TC CollinsSarah HayesRavon SilviusJohayanTali SpencerShelly SchulzJulie Lynn Hayes                                                                          

Pride Promotions presents Bad Things by Varian Krylov and a Giveaway!

Book Name: Bad Things

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22924864-bad-things?from_search=true 

Author Name: Varian Krylov

Author Bio:
Growing up near Los Angeles, I spent much of my time frolicking in the Pacific Ocean and penning angst-twisted poetry. Now I'm living in sunny Spain writing pathos-riddled fiction.
I've always loved the music and substance of words, always loved writing in well-worn notebooks by hand, tapping at the keys of the computer, and, of course, conjuring up stories.

And from my earliest memories, I've always been fascinated—maybe obsessed?—with sex and sexuality.
In my writing, sex is the medium, the expression, and the tool of discovery for my characters' insecurities, the needs that drive them, the comfort they can't live without, the joy and relish of life that makes each of them intense, strange, and alluring.


Author Contact:
variansfiction@yahoo.com

https://www.facebook.com/varian.krylov

http://variankrylov.blogspot.com.es/

Twitter: @VarianKrylov


Publisher: Smashwords


Cover Artist: Photographer: Ekaterina Zakharova; Cover design: Jay Aheer

Blurb(s):
Xavier makes a lot of people nervous. The rest, he flat-out scares. More than his hulking, tattooed body, it's his predator's gaze that makes people feel vulnerable, as if he had the power to read their thoughts and see their soul. For his lovers, it's Xavier's ravenous appetite for all things carnal—for the taste of flesh under his tongue and the feel of a trembling body under his control, for whispered pleas and muffled cries—that makes him dangerous.

But recently, driven by a festering rage against the men who attacked his sister a decade ago, Xavier has developed a taste for a different kind of hunt and conquest: stalking men who do truly bad things and punishing the predators he sniffs out. The problem with vigilante justice, though, is sometimes the man in your trap is innocent.

Carson suspects he's playing a risky game with dangerous men. But the lies are convincing, especially when they're slipped to him among hundred dollar bills. He never guessed how big and dark the secret hidden under all the lies and money could be. And he has no idea he's not the predator, but the prey, until it's too late.

And you can't beg for mercy when there's a gag in your mouth.

But when Carson escapes from Xavier's trap, he's forced to accept that Xavier is far from his most dangerous enemy. Xavier may even hold the key to overcoming the painful past that has kept Carson prisoner for almost two decades.



Book Categories: BDSM, Romance, Contemporary, Crime Fiction, M/M Romance, Erotica, Menage/Poly, Thriller, Fiction




Excerpt:

When Xavier moved in, Carson struggled against the restraints. “Fucking . . . Come on. This shit's not funny anymore.” Pleading gaze upturned from under his dark lashes.

Xavier laughed. “What's that look?”

“Come on, Xavier. I know I fucked up. Of course you're mad. But . . . come on. We're . . . ”

“What are we, Carson?”

“I thought we were . . . ”

“Did you think we were friends?” Xavier laughed. “Did you think that you sleeping on my couch and cooking me a couple meals makes us friends?”

He breathed in the smell of him. Nervous sweat rising over the scent of soap. He caressed his cheek.

Carson went dead still, then tried to mold his frightened expression into sternness. “You could go to jail for this.”

Carson's whining was getting on his nerves. Xavier lifted the lid on the chest of dark brown leather and took out the ball gag. Too funny, that perplexed expression on Carson's face, then horrified incredulity as he figured it out. Sitting on his thighs, gazing into those shimmering blue pools of terror, Xavier got it on him before he could complain much more.

Xavier grinned. “You're not the first guy I've had cuffed to this post. And that gag in your mouth isn't the only toy in my box of treasures. But it is one of my favorites, because it means I don't have to listen to a bunch of whining and begging. I mean, I love whining and begging. I get hard for whining and begging. But only for the first few minutes. Then it gets incredibly fucking tedious.

“But the thing I really love about the gag is, it's so much easier to get to know someone when they're being quiet. Just watching their face. Looking into their eyes. Without a bunch of blah, blah, lies, blah, blah rationalization to muddy the truth.”





Tour Dates/Stops:
9/22: Rainbow Gold Reviews9/23: Velvet Panic, Multitasking Mommas9/24: Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings9/25: Cathy Brockman Romances9/26: Michael Mandrake9/29: My Fiction Nook9/30: Amanda C. Stone10/1: It’s Raining Men10/2: Romance the Night10/3: Queer Town Abbey10/6: Decadent Delights10/7: Wake Up Your Wild Side10/8: MM Good Book Reviews10/9: The Novel Approach10/10: Parker Williams, Iyana Jenna10/13: Nephylim, The Blogger Girls10/14: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words10/15: Love Bytes10/16: Inked Rainbow Reads10/17: Prism Book Alliance, Dawn’s Reading Nook
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rafflecopter Prize: Ebook copy of ‘Bad Things’ by Varian Krylov
Sales Links: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/467815
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MW6UA9G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00MW6UA9G&linkCode=as2&tag=pridepromo-20&linkId=L3YNVFY7QOOF42XP







Bad Things
by Varian Krylov
5 stars

Manic Monday review:This is dark read and deals with non-con, so be warned. It’s got plenty of triggers: rapist, traffickers, and other criminals. Xavier is another character in Dangerously Happy, which I haven’t read. But I had no trouble following this book. What I found was that Xavier is full of anger and has a dark side to his nature. He’s a predator, but there is good in him, even though he sets up a situation that ends with him taking the other main character, Carson, hostage. This is where the non-con comes in, because Xavier uses BDSM elements to force Carson to comply. But guess what? Carson isn’t pure as the driven snow either. Xavier is definitely a tarnished hero, and Carson is just deluding himself about his involvement with the traffickers. The book does show how simple it is to get in over one’s head so fast, then have no way out. And how ugly such involvement can get.
If you’re looking for a sweet, fluffy BDSM romance, this isn’t it. This is hard-hitting, gritty, and it makes no excuses for the in-your-face attitude. It might make you cringe… and if you like that, then you won’t be able to put this down. It’s a risky book. And I totally think the author pulled it off. I’ve already read it several times lol. I have a dark side that needs to be fed occasionally lol, and this hit the spot.