M.A. Church's Blog, page 188

Follow Friday

 TGI Friday, y'all! Here's something new, lol! The link is at the bottom. This is kinda like a blog hop.  
~What hyped up book do you think was worth all the talk? 
Fifty Shades of Grey . I've started reading this book and I have to say I'm liking it. And there is certainly a lot of hype around these books. :)  Hop on over to Parajunkee to see more!
~M

Guest blogger Tali Spencer

The Known Sky 
During the editing of The Prince of Winds, one of the editors at Dreamspinner commented on how much she loved the scope of the world and the many landscapes it presents. Her observation homed in on something I deliberately wrote into the book—and that also mirrors my own life. More than any other of my stories, The Prince of Winds showcases the landscapes of my childhood and youth.
When I was seven, I looked out the living room picture window every morning at a view of Pike’s Peak. My father often drove us on day trips into the Rocky Mountains, along narrow roads into valleys filled with golden aspens. He also took us into a mountain, Cheyenne Mountain, where he worked. As a kid, I didn’t appreciate NORAD’s nuclear bunker. Most of my memories are of soaring peaks and deep gorges to the west, and of beautiful sweeping plains to the east.
We moved a lot when I was growing up. My father’s work in missile guidance systems took us to Massachusetts, the Marshall Islands, Texas, California, and Virginia—and several other states as well, every part of the continental United States but the deep South. Such diverse landscapes gave me a deep appreciation for nature’s variety and power. I know firsthand how quickly the desert cools at night, and how wide the sky can be, filled with stars. I drove into El Paso during a sandstorm and when we got out of the car, we saw the paint stripped down to bare metal. A blizzard in Boston left snow drifts deeper than I was tall—and I’m not short. I’ve driven a car on a frozen lake and nearly got caught in a flash flood in an arroyo. The dunes at White Sands, New Mexico are blinding. The Ohio River is a highway of water.
As a young mother, I spent time in South America, living for a while in Bolivia. There I experienced more new landscapes. Beautiful blue-green lakes reflected volcanoes. Inca terraces and inscrutable ruins shared mountainsides with native villages. I grew faint after ten minutes of playing basketball at 13,000 feet above sea level—yes, the air is that thin. Standing on the spine of the Andes while llamas graze nearby is amazing. The snow-capped mountains march to either side like enormous teeth. The triple peaks of the Illimani rise so majestically above the Altiplano, it’s no wonder the Incas believed it to be a god. The Amazon forest has both more sounds and more silence than any place I have ever known.
Cruises reveal as many wonders. Turquoise water and pink sand beaches. Storms at sea are terrifying when a ship stands between you and disaster. Beautiful islands surrounded by sea are nonetheless dependent on rain for water. The sun seems stronger at sea, and I adore watching the sun rise and set across the ocean’s vast horizon. 
And I haven’t mentioned the amount of time I’ve spent in the air, flying over mountains, forests, deserts, oceans, and plains through every season.  It’s humbling and amazing to watch the landscape change across the miles.
So when I wrote a story in which one of the characters could fly, I drew heavily on my experiences and the landscapes I love. The story of The Prince of Winds starts off in a desert. It moves to an island with a shore like that of Peggy’s cove and crags that resemble those I knew from hikes in El Paso. Melkor flies Rimmon back to his home over fields like Wisconsin and dunes like those of White Sands, toward mountains based on the Andes. The snowy mountain trails are pulled from Colorado. The gullies of the battle scene originated in Texas. There’s a scene at a mountain temple which is pure seven year-old me standing at the edge of an overlook atop Pike’s Peak. Every scene has roots in images and memory.
I gave the world of The Prince of Winds a name: The Known Sky. That’s what every invented world is. It’s what the writer knows. I hope readers enjoy the landscapes in this one.
Links to me and my books:
My Blog: http://talismania-brilliantdisguise.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @tali_spencer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tali.spencer
Dreamspinner Author Page: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_661
Resplendence Author Page: http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/m8/490-201-103-501-1--captive-heart-pride-of-uttor-series-book-one-by-tali-spencer.html

Wednesday Briefs

Welcome to the Wednesday Briefers flash group. The short stories have a maximum of a 1000 word count plus links at the bottom to the other flashers. The prompt for this week is: "You are the sunshine of my ..." or use the alternate prompts:Use: butts, pudding, cat or "I'd like to make you an offer...." oruse something with stripes in your story or use: whole new world or"I always thought you look like..." 
I’m using: whole new world 
The Waiting Game-Part 2 
Mac looked up the stairs and grinned. His sub was up there... helpless and waiting. The least he could do was let Hal know he was in the house. Mac walked up the stairs slowly. But that didn’t mean the game was about to start.
* * * *
Mac stood in the door of their bedroom. Nothing got his blood pumping like seeing Hal restrained. Not that long ago, Hal had known nothing about BDSM outside of what he’d read or seen in videos. Mac had opened up a whole new world to Hal when they started a relationship.
He crossed the bedroom, stopping near the bed, and cleared his throat. He knew Hal heard him enter the room from the way his body tensed, but he wanted to make sure. One facility he hadn’t taken from Hal was his ability to hear. Hal was still new enough to the lifestyle he tended to panic if he couldn’t relate to his environment in some way.
Mac trailed his finger up Hal’s cock. “Excellent job, my sweet sub. I’m very proud of you.”
Hal’s body twitched on the bed in pleasure from Mac’s words, and a bead of precome leaked from his cock. A muffled groan worked its way from under the gag in Hal’s mouth.
“Excited, aren’t you?” Mac rubbed the bead of precome around the top of Hal’s cock, watching it jump from his light touch. “Five days is a long time, I know. I’ve missed you too. I ache to feel you twitching around my dick as I fill you. Hand jobs just aren’t the same.”
Hal’s hands fisted in the cuffs.
Mac licked the precome off his fingers, making enough noise Hal could hear him, and sat on the bed between Hal’s spread legs. “The plug was a little big, wasn’t it? Did it burn as you inserted it? Bet it did, since I didn’t give you much time to prepare. But that burn faded, huh? To be replaced with another kind of burn… a burning need for the real thing.”
Mac tapped the plug nestled in Hal’s ass. Taking the base of the plug, he slowly fucked Hal with it. His sub’s toes curled into the bedding and the muscles in his legs tightened as more precome slid down Hal’s dick.
“Oh yes, very excited. I wonder if you’ll be able to wait for permission to come? Will I have to spank that gorgeous ass of yours tonight? I do so love to see your skin redden under my hand.” Mac bent down and licked the length of Hal’s dick. A sharp whine sounded from the man tied to the bed. “Or, maybe I should use the whip. After all, if you come without permission that is breaking a rule.”
Mac closed his mouth over Hal’s dick, taking him to the root. His nose brushed against Hal’s hairless groin. Frantic sounds broke from around the gag in Hal’s mouth, and Mac lifted his head, removing the source of torment.
“It wouldn’t take much for you to lose control, would it, my desperate little sub?”
 Mac tweaked the clamped nipples. Truth be known, he was as needy as Hal. Five fucking days were too long, and he needed Hal as much as Hal needed him. Mac brushed his lips across the inside of Hal’s knee. The soft skin roughened with chill bumps. Hal was very sensitive, but tonight, he was too sensitive.
Mac rested his head against Hal’s knee. “I think we’re both are too close to losing control. We need to take the edge off, babe, or this night isn’t going to be much fun for either of us.” He felt the tension drain out of Hal. Mac either called Hal ‘sub’ or by name. He only used affectionate terms when he needed Hal to know it was okay to step out of their roles for a moment.
He unzipped his pants and pulled his dick out of his underwear. Stroking his cock with one hand, and Hal’s with his other hand, he worked them towards orgasm. The grunts coming from Hal told Mac it wouldn’t be long. Seeing his sub twist on the bed, hips thrusting, was enough to make his balls tighten, and that familiar churning in his gut told him he was ready.
“Gonna come… come, now!”
A sharp scream pushed through the gag in Hal’s mouth as his seed covered Mac’s hand. Mac followed shortly, making sure to come on Hal’s groin. The fact it hadn’t taken long for both of them to come told him he’d done the right thing. Now they could enjoy the slow build-up of their night together.
Mac patted Hal on the leg as he stood up. As he did, he glanced down; Hal lay on the bed, the rapid rise and fall of his chest slowing as he basked in the afterglow. This was much better. Now the tension could come from what he did to Hal, not Hal fighting his own body.
“Yes, much better now. Think we need to give those tender nipples a break before we start again, Hal.”
That was the only warning Hal received before Mac removed the clamps and rubbed the susceptible little nubs. Hal arched on the bed and cried out against the gag. From having his own nipples clamped, Mac knew that little ripples of pleasurable pain arrowed straight to Hal’s dick… a dick still soft, but showing interest.
Mac slipped the cock ring off, and went to the bathroom for a towel. Once he was done cleaning Hal, he tossed the towel in the dirty clothes basket and switched on the TV.
“Thirty minutes to recuperate, then we start again. Is the plug still vibrating?” Hal nodded his head and Mac grinned. “Good.”
TBC-Part #3 next week~MMake sure to drop by the other briefers:
Nephylim m/mMichael Mandrake m/mCia Nordwell m/mElyzabeth VaLey m/fTali m/fJulie Lynn Hayes m/m

Plagiarized books

Guest post by Tali Spencer:
It happens all the time. A writer puts up a book, or a series of chapters that constitutes a first draft of a book, on a free site. The writer is seeking encouragement, connection with fans or readers, maybe advice. They don’t stop to consider—fully consider—that their work might be stolen by someone else and published. Most of the time, they never even bother to register copyright on their work. They know copyright is just a legality and think it doesn’t matter. After all, the work is theirs because they created it. Right?
Right. But there’s more at stake than who wrote it when someone else puts their name on it.
I found out this weekend that my book, The Prince of Winds, was stolen when it was up for a while on a free site. Many people enjoyed this story there and offered me encouragement. Fans said I should get it published. But I waited and posted more free material until I could believe in myself. Well, I guess I should have listened to my readers … because someone else took the book and published it before I did. Dreamspinner notified me Sunday morning (actually Saturday night, but I saw the email when I woke up Sunday) that a reader who had bought the book off their site complained that she already owned the book. I was asked to clarify the matter.
Did I write The Prince of Winds?
And so it began. This is how it played out. Saturday night the book was removed from all sales sites until the matter could be resolved. People looking for the book couldn’t find it and wrote to me asking what was going on. What did I tell them? The truth.
The book was published in March 2012 by a publisher called Forever Amber for a writer named Emily Wilcox. Check out this [HERE] to see the scoop on Forever Amber. Both I and my publisher have every reason to believe this publisher was in fact a single person using pseudonyms for the many plagiarized books the company published. My book was published as two books: “The Prince of Desire: Persian Prince Adventure” and “The King of Storms.”  The thief put the books up on Goodreads, too, [HERE].
This is bad for me in several ways. It’s bad enough some readers out there might think I’m the plagiarist. I never even copied homework. But they don’t know me from a street sign in Toledo, so now I have to rebuild my credibility as an author. I also have to rebuild credibility for this book. I could just write it off, but I’m not willing to do that—and neither is my publisher. The Prince of Winds is a fine book and I’m proud to have written it! Dreamspinner believes in it, too, and is keeping the book in print.
The book is already back on the sales shelf. There’s one reason and one reason only we were able to resolve this issue so quickly: I had registered the book’s copyright in February 2011. That’s right. As soon as I put it online, I paid my $35 and got a certificate that establishes me as author of this book. I did the same for Captive Heart, by the way. So when Dreamspinner asked if I could clarify the matter, I had only to go to my file cabinet and send them the copyright number and information. A quick check and some consulting with their lawyer and we were good.
The Prince of Winds now carries a disclaimer that an unauthorized edition was published. It names the other title but not the author. Because I’m the author of both versions. The copyright notice in the book now carries my copyright registration number to prove I’m the copyright holder. Anyone who bought the book on its original release won’t have those notices. The blurb now also carries the same disclaimer.
How do I feel about that? I hate having that language attached to my blurb. I hate having that other title even buried in in the copyright notice where most people never look. It’s like having a scar. It will always be there, but I don’t have to like it. Good thing I have enough life experience—and scars—to be able to chalk this one up to a lesson learned.
If you put your work out online for free, for fun, because you like the ego strokes or want to do something nice for your fans—do it. Just realize that someone else could easily publish your work as their own. And if someone does that, it might create problems for you down the line. If you try to publish your work, it could come back to bite you in the ass. My ass this morning is so sore I need one of those hemorrhoid pillows.
As for copyright registration? It didn’t keep someone from stealing my work. I will probably never track down the now vanished publisher (the book itself is also long since off any sales sites) to sue for damages … though I have the legal standing to do so. It may never convince readers who already think I am the one who pilfered someone else’s book. But what it did do was enable me to rescue this book before it was irreparably crippled by a horrible launch. It allows me to ask Goodreads to remove that author and the offending books. Worth every cent of that $35 as far as I’m concerned. Only my Sunday was ruined, not my month.
Here’s my final say: I love my publisher. Dreamspinner was wonderful and supportive and believed in me all the way. I love my husband and friends. They listened to me vent and put up with me at my worst. I love my fans. When I told the ones who wrote to me about what was going on, they rallied like troopers.
And I still love writing. I’m writing the sequel, and I’m pretty damn sure the thief can’t do that. 
Links.Forever Amber link: http://www.eroticromancepublishers.com/2012/04/forever-amber.html
Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3316671.Emily_Wilcox
 
This post also is running on Tali’s blog. I posted it here too, because I felt this needs to be seen by as many people as possible. I know several of y’all are thinking about publishing or about to be published and this is something an author should be aware of. This scares the hell out of me, frankly. Enough so that I also copyrighted the material I had up at the same free site.  I don’t want to debate the issue of 'should you/shouldn’t you’ post free stuff… that isn’t what this is about. What this *is* about is the risk of posting anything, anywhere. As I’ve said before, many publishers won’t even take anything posted before because first rights have used. That includes material on blogs. What happened to Tali shows why. This also isn't about whether you should or shouldn't copyright. But, because Tali could prove she held the copyright, she was able to have the situation resolved in little over 24 hours. Keep in mind Prince of Winds had *just* been released, also. What turned out to be nothing more than a little hiccup in her launch could have ended up being a disastrous turn of events. As it was, that hiccup ruined her weekend. Like I said, scary as hell. ~M

Bound by Fate-The Next Generation

 Szin's story
“Keyno? Could I speak with you and your mate, please?” Takeo asked. Ti and Cielo were standing at his back and the party was going full swing.  
Keyno looked at Ti. “Is this what I think this is?” 
“Yes, my friend. Takeo had something very important to ask you.” Ti had his arm around Cielo’s shoulders. Both were smiling.
“Would it have anything to do with Szin?” Dale asked as he fussed with party favors.
“Yah, bro, it does.” Cielo grinned at Dale, but Dale didn’t grin back.
“Then let’s go inside away from the party. We need privacy for this.” Keyno motioned for all of them to follow him inside. Cielo turned and frowned at Ti. Why weren’t Dale and Keyno smiling? Once they gathered in the living area, Dale turned to Takeo.
“Takeo, I’ve known you since you were a little thing, and I love you as much as I love my young. But… Szin feels—” 
Takeo held up his hand, cutting Dale off. “I know. I know how he feels, and I plan to show him that he’s just as good as any Ta’Narian around here. Better even. I’m formally requesting Szin as my mate.”
Dale rolled his eyes. Dealing with Alpha males could be a pain sometimes. “You didn’t let me finish, Takeo. Keyno and I have known Szin was your mate since birth. You already know he tends to think more like a human than a Ta’Narian,” Dale said. Now came the part he dreaded. “Then, there’s the issue of the mating itself. He’s been adamant he doesn’t want to mate you.”
Takeo soft, angry hissed was answered by Ti clamping a hand on his shoulder. “What are you saying? Are you denying my claim? He’s my mate and I won’t be—”
Cielo looked at Dale. “Yo, bro…”
“I thought you’d understand, Cielo.” Dale tugged his long ash brown hair in frustration.
“I’d advise you not to finish that sentence, Takeo.” Keyno glared at the young warrior.
“Stop!”Ti’s voice rang out. “Before this becomes something none of us can recover from, let Dale and Keyno say what they need to say so we can understand. Anger isn’t the answer, Takeo.”
Keyno tail twitched on the floor. “Takeo, we aren’t denying your claim. What we are doing is asking you to give Szin some time.”
“Time? What good will that do? That’s just more time for him to convince himself how wrong he is for me. No, I’ve waited long enough.”
“Takeo, listen to me.” Dale sighed as he looked at Cielo and Keyno. “You have no idea what’s it like to be forced into a match, to have no say in it. You don’t know what that does to you. I know. And… so does Colt.”
“Si.”
“When I was harvested, it wasn’t like it is now. There were no volunteers. Earth had a lotto system, and there was an age limit. I was under the age limit, but during the final harvest Keyno took me anyhow. I had seen Chad taken in the harvest a year before, and it was horrible. This wasn’t a happy time, Takeo. It was filled with anger and fear. I lost my best friend, and a year later my parents watched as I was dragged out of my home and carted off. I was scared to death.”
“My situation was a little different.” Cielo dropped the gangbanger accent, something he rarely did. Takeo raised an eyebrow. “I was on death row waiting to be executed for several murders. The great USA included what they considered the worse of us in the last harvest.”
“To say I wasn’t happy was an understatement.” Keyno shrugged. “These types of males would be more trouble than I thought they’d be worth. No Ta’Narian would want to deal with them. They were dangerous. Which Colt promptly proved when he tried to take over my ship.”
Takeo’s mouth dropped open. “Shit.”
Cielo laughed. “That’s not the half of it. As chance would have it, I ran across Dale while trying to escape. We fought.”
Takeo looked at Dale. “Ouch.”
Cielo snorted. “Don’t assume, Takeo. He knocked me out.”
“Get out of the universe!” Takeo turned wide eyes to Dale.
“Lucky kick, that’s all.” Dale mumbled. “It was Keyno that nearly killed Cielo.”
“W-what?” Takeo’s head snapped around to look at Keyno.
“It’s an automatic death sentence to hit a royal. And yes,” Keyno looked at Cielo. “I was furious he hit Dale.”
“Gods!” Takeo sat, stunned.
“They tried to reprogram Colt, and it wasn’t going good. Plus, any prospective mate would know what Colt had done. There was talk about selling Cielo as a slave, and I flipped out. He hadn’t asked to be harvested any more than I had. On the heels of that, a distress signal came in for a ship under attack from space pirates. An Onfre ship.” Dale added.
“We had a peace treaty with the Onfre, but both species avoided each other after the war. The understood rule was to leave the Onfre alone. I broke that rule when I offered Ti help.”
Ti spoke up. “He started a true peace with that act. Well, that and Dale’s surprise offer to share a meal with him and Keyno. And I also found Colt and took him as mate. Again, Colt wasn’t given a choice, just as Dale wasn’t.”
“Why the hell have I never heard all of this?” Takeo demanded.
“You don’t need to know everything about our lives,” Cielo said.
Takeo smirked at Cielo. “I know more than the four of you think I do.”
Silence greeted that remark. Finally Dale groaned. “I don’t even want to know how you know this. Do Raiden and Szin know also?”
“Raiden does. I don’t know about Szin. Not that your relationship shouldmatter to us, or what the four of you do. I love you and Keyno just as much as Ti and Cielo.”
“Well hell.” Dale sighed. “And we love you, Takeo. We would be honored to have you mate Szin, but…”
“Yes, but.” Takeo stood up and walked to where Dale was and sat on the floor near Dale. “I understand. How about this? I’ll give Szin time, as long as he doesn’t run from me. He runs, and all bets are off. I will not allow him to put himself in danger. That’s the best I can do. I don’t think giving him more time is going to solve anything.”
“Dale?” Keyno asked.
“It’s not enough, dammit. Takeo, I’m sorry but I can’t give you my blessing as long as—”
“If things do end up with me taking Szin, would it help if I get him to admit he wants me? That the only reason he’s avoiding the mating is because he feels like he isn’t good enough? If he loves me and wants me… will that be enough for you?”
“If I hear it from Szin, then maybe. But until then, I can’t give you my blessing, Takeo. God, I wish I could.”
“But you won’t hate me?”
“Oh God, Takeo. I could never hate you, and neither could Keyno.” Dale hugged the young warrior. “And if Szin asks for our blessing, then I’ll happily give it to you both.”
“We both will.” Keyno added.
“Good enough,” Takeo said.
Takeo bowed to Keyno and Dale. “Thank you for explaining. It helps.”
Cielo stood also. “Yo, let’s get back outside before folks start wonderin’ what’s going on.” 
Dale looked at Ti and Cielo. “Are we okay?”
Ti grinned, his fangs showing. “Ask me that the next time I have you in the playroom.”
“Oh my… God!”
Keyno patted Dale on the ass. “I’d say we’re okay.”
They walked back outside, and Takeo went to find Szin. It didn’t take him long. He spotted Szin at the edge of the lighted area. Moving quickly, he stalked closer to Szin, and pulled him into the darkness. He clamped his hand over Szin’s mouth and dragged him toward the back side of where their flyers were kept.
Szin didn’t struggle, it would do no good. He wasn’t afraid; he knew whose hand covered his mouth, whose huge body pressed into his. As soon as Takeo touched him, he reacted. His body tensed, and desire flooded him. He was pushed up against the wall, and Takeo stood looming over him.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” Takeo accused.
Szin turned his head, refusing to meet Takeo’s eyes. There was something about those red eyes that were hypnotic. “Man, you just got here, how could I be avoiding you?”
“Don’t, Szin. Don’t lie to me. That is unacceptable.” Takeo gently grasped Szin’s chin and forced him to look into his eyes. “Don’t ever lie to me, okay?”
“I-I… aw God.” Szin was fast losing the battle with his desire.
Takeo hissed, his forked tongue testing the air between them and smiled. It was full of sensual promise. He leaned closer and nipped Szin’s bottom lip.
“I’m going to kiss you, and you are going to kiss me back. Understand?”
“I-I… yes, yes, I understand.”
Moving closer, crowding him, he slowly angled his head toward Szin. Takeo’s tongue gently flicked out to touch Szin’s lips.
Szin moaned softly, the sensitive skin of his lips tickled by Takeo’s tongue. Takeo drew back and watched as Szin licked his lips, savoring the taste of him. With a slight smile, he leaned into Szin again, and tasted him, his mouth covering Szin’s.
This time the kiss was hot, demanding, and much more aggressive. His tongue teased the seam of Szin’s mouth, seeking entrance. Szin groaned and opened to him, tongues dueling until Szin gave way. Again Takeo pulled back. This time when Takeo touched his lips to Szin’s he nipped his bottom lip, warning him to open immediately.
Szin whimpered softly against Takeo’s mouth and did as he was told. Takeo’s hand slid up the back of his neck, and fisted in his hair. He moaned as Takeo ravished his mouth, claiming the first part of his body. He knew that before the night was through Takeo intended to claim all of him. His cock ached in his tight pants as Takeo moved to his ear, blowing softly.
Takeo nibbled on the lobe, then gently bit down. Szin arched in his arms and Takeo took note that this was something Szin really liked. Harsh pants drifted to Takeo, and he could feel how hard Szin was. Desperate groans drifted to Takeo as he kissed down Szin’s neck, blowing lightly where his lips had been, causing Szin to shiver. His other hand rubbed the bulge in Szin’s pants making him thrust desperately.
“I’ve asked for Keyno and Dale’s blessing to claim you, Szin,” Takeo whispered. “You will belong to me and soon.”
Szin heard the words, but his body didn’t give a damn at the moment. His brain, on the other hand, was yelling at him to listen.
“You’ve run long enough; it’s time to stop running.” Takeo rubbed his fangs against Szin’s neck.
 That, more than anything, finally got through to Szin. He had to stop Takeo from marking him; if he didn’t then everything was lost. Takeo would end up regretting his choice for a mate.
“Takeo, please, not like this. Please, don’t do this here by where the flyers are housed in the middle of the night. Please.”
Takeo stepped back. “I hadn’t planned to, Szin. You deserve better than that, and so do I. I almost lost my head once; I won’t make that same mistake. I’ll claim you when I take your virginity.”
“H-how did you know that—”
“Why do you think no one wanted what you were trying to give that night at the srab?”
“What are you saying?”Szin demanded. He knew, but he wanted Takeo to admit it, dammit.
“Your virginity is mine, and I will not allow you to give away what belongs to me.” Takeo leaned into Szin. “I made sure no one would come near you—just as I always have.”
“Oh… my God, Takeo.” He has known, but his head still spun, and not in a good way. He’d never seen this side of Takeo before. This demanding, controlling—okay, that was sexy, but shit, he was grown, dammit. He would not be treated like a-a… slave. And if he lost his temper then Takeo… no, what he needed was to buy time and bury the anger about what Takeo had done. “I need… I need to talk to my dad, okay? I need to know… stuff. Jesus, Takeo, give me a minute to catch up.”
“You have until tomorrow, Szin. I can’t wait any more. You’ve been mine since before birth, and I cannot, will not, wait any longer to have you. I know you’re frightened, that you feel like you’re not good enough, but that simply isn’t true.”
“Jesus, you make my head numb, Takeo.”
“Do you want me, Szin?”
Shocked, Szin looked at Takeo. “Wh-what?”
“Do you want me? Do you care for me? If you didn’t have this nonsense stuck in your head about not being good enough… If you looked like a Ta’Narian and not like a human—would you want to be my mate?”
“What a stupid question. Of course I care for you, want you. I’d mate you in a heartbeat., but I’m not like other Ta’Narians, so this is silly. I’m more human than anything.”
“No human male I know of can give birth, Szin.”
“Jeez. Look, I can’t think with you this close to me. Just let me talk to dad, it would make me feel better.”
“That should tell you something. You affect me just as much, and this is right. You belong to me. I’ll be here tomorrow morning, and Szin... ”
“Yeah?”
“We are bound together.”
“Szin? Where are you? It’s time to cut the cake and sing happy birthday. Szin!” Dale’s voice carried to them.
“I have to go, Takeo. This is so important to my dad.”
Takeo buried the growl that threatened to break loose. “I know. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Szin turned away, making sure to keep his thoughts blank. Takeo watched as Szin hurried off. He lifted his hand and made a duplicated recording of the conversation he and Szin just had. If the shit hit the fan—as Raiden liked to say—Szin’s own words would be the proof Dale needed.
TBC ~M

Winner of the Carved in Flesh anthology

And the winner is: SusanB Sebrewster @ hotmail dot com

I've sent you an email, Susan. As soon as you email me back so I can confirm the email, I'll send you the ebook. :)

Thanks for taking part, guys. There were some very emotional responses to this, and I appreciate you guys sharing.

*Grin* be on the lookout for the next contest, coming soon!

~M

Contest-Carved in Flesh!

Hey everyone! Storm Moon's Carved in Flesh is now for sale! In honor of this very special anthology, I'm giving away a copy.

To enter leave me a comment and that email addy! If you want to address the subject of scars—in whatever form or fashion you choose—that's cool! If not, that's also cool. Just make sure to leave some sort of comment so I can enter you in the contest. :)

I'll announce the winner Sunday.

http://www.stormmoonpress.com/books/Carved-in-Flesh.aspx People often say that the true perfection in the human form is in its imperfections. Scars are visceral reminders of a person's past, a sign of an event that can never fade. Whether it was gained in combat, a traumatic experience, or part of a ritual with a lover, scars are the ultimate labels. They leave a permanent mark on the body and spirit that, one way or another, change a person forever.
Faded Love-
A near-fatal car accident leaves superstar model Ashley's face permanently scarred and his career into a tailspin. Only his lover, Will, can pull him out of his depression, provided his affection hasn't turned to Faded Love.


Excerpt:“Will?” Ashley’s hand was gently held and pulled down. Why did Will’s voice sound so funny, like he was hoarse? “Will? What’s going on? Where am I? What’s on my face?”
“Listen to me. You’re in the hospital.”
“Hospital? Why the hell am I in the hospital?” Straining, he was finally able to make out the pale walls, and smell a scent he had always associated with hospitals: cleaners and sickness.
“You don’t remember… anything?” Will bent over Ashley, still holding his hands. God, Will’s skin was so warm, and his was so cold. “Tell me what you remember.”
“Was on my way home from that shoot. You called. I was going to call you back… Will?” Ashley’s voice rose and cracked. “Then, nothing until now. What—what… Will?”
One of Will’s strong hands managed to loosen itself from Ashley’s death grip and brushed Ashley’s hair back from his face. “You’re in the hospital. There was an accident, a bad accident. You were hit on the way home two days ago.”
“Fuck me! Two days ago?” Ashley bit his lip as pain spiked in his ribs. “How bad? Who hit me?”
“It was pretty bad. You have bruised ribs from the impact with the steering wheel, your arm is bruised—not broken—and more bruises over your body. I forgot the driver’s name. They hit you on the passenger side, slammed you into a street light. Two people in the other car died.”
“Died? Jesus.” Every time Ashley tried to lift his hand to his face, Will stopped him. “What’s wrong with my vision? Why can I only see out of one side?”
Gripping his hand, Will hesitated. “You were struck so hard your head hit the driver side window.”
Ashley gripped Will’s hand. There was more, he just knew it. What little he could make out of Will’s concerned face told him that. “And? Tell me, dammit!”
 “The window busted. There was glass everywhere. Oh God, Ashley, I’m so sorry. You were cut. On your face… and—and… there’s going to be a scar.”
“A scar?” Ashley whispered, and then his voice gained in strength as horror stabbed at him. “A scar, on my face? My face? No! Oh my God, no! How bad, Will? How fucking bad?”
Tears soaked Will’s voice. “From the hair line to under your chin. Jesus, Ashley. I’m so sorry.”The screams from Ashley’s room brought most of the nursing staff at a dead run.

~M

Wednesday Briefs

Hey everyone! Welcome to the Wednesday Briefers flash group. The short stories have a maximum of a 1000 word count plus links at the bottom to the other flashers. The prompt for this week is: "Yesterday, you said..." or use the alternate prompts: 
Use: blessing, blacksmith, blunder or  
"When did you become such a ....?" or 
use some sort of dance in your story or  
use: trail, whisper, divine or 
"Maybe next time we can...." 
I’m using: “Yesterday, you said…”
 
The Waiting Game-Part 1 
“You’re on your way home? Oh, thank God!”
Mac smiled into his cell as he drove one-handed down their street. “Yes, babe. Actually, I’m about to pull in the drive.”
Hal Franks ran a hand through his hair and looked out the bedroom window. Sure enough, there was a flash of lights in the driveway. “Oh jeez, really? But yesterday you said…”
“I know, but things wrapped up early.” Mac turned off the vehicle and opened the driver’s door. “Remember what I said I wanted as my coming home gift?”
Hal blushed to his knees. Oh, he knew that tone. “Yes, sir.”
“You have thirty minutes.”
Hal hung up his phone and hurried to accomplish the task they’d talked about last night. Stripping, he opened the toy chest. He slipped a blindfold around his neck and grabbed a gag, then hunted for the plug Mac had wanted him to use. He set the vibrating butt plug on low, lubed it up, and eased it into his ass. He grunted as the widest part stretched his ring before sliding inside. He should’ve taken the time to loosen his hole, but time wasn’t something he had much of at present.
He really didn’t want to start the night off with a spanking because he hadn’t obeyed orders. Playful spanking was one thing—punishment spanking was quite another. The bright flare of pain passed finally and he moved on to the next thing on his ‘to do’ list. He picked up the cock ring and slid it on his dick.
“Oh shit,” Hal closed his eyes and fought down his body’s  urges.
Just the thought of what tonight would bring had his balls churning. Once he had things under control, he opened his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the nipple chain and clamped his nipples and positioned himself on the bed. The sting from his clamped nipples had him swallowing a moan. He hoped his master, Mac, was in a generous mood or there was a good chance he’d come without permission tonight. He was that needful.
He picked up the rope that always stayed under the bed, his hands trembling. There were hooks attached to both sides of the bed frame and the rope was already secured to the hooks. It was the perfect set-up to tie his legs open. Hal sat with his knees pointing up to the ceiling and looped first one pre-knotted noose around his knee, then the other pre-knotted noose around his other knee. Ropes around his ankles attached to the ropes around his knees. Hal finished up the knots holding him hostage and tested the give. Perfect.
There would be no closing his legs now, no matter how much he struggled. His cock throbbed harder at the thought. Panting slightly, he removed the gag from the night table. Hal stared at it, then slipped the ball into his mouth and buckled it around his head. The firm, red ball rested on his tongue—now his ability to speak was taken from him. Tingles raced from his head to his toes, and he still wasn’t done with all he needed to do.
Hal lay back on the bed and pulled the blindfold that rested around his neck over his eyes. Darkness surrounded him. Now sight was taken from him. His excited whimpers sounded against the gag as his dick throbbed. Fear and pleasure crashed through his body, sending him into overdrive. Hal took a minute to settle his nerves, then reached for the cuff attached to the center bedpost. With a click, one wrist was secured.
Now, this was the hard part—in more ways than one way. He rested his free wrist in the other cuff. There was only one thing left to do. Could he do it? Could he purposely bind himself—make himself helpless until his partner came inside and release him? Heart pounding, he fumbled around until he heard the click of the other cuff.
Once again he whimpered against the gag, fear battling to overcome excitement. Oh God, he was tied opened, helpless, clamped, gagged, blindfolded, and plugged. The cock ring tightened even more. He might be afraid, but his dick was hard as a brick. The low-level buzzing from the plug buried deep within his ass had precome leaking from his dick. Now… he waited.
* * * *
Jay Mackinnon, known as Mac, checked his watch one last time. There were still ten minutes to go. Mac rubbed his hand over his stiff cock while he imagined what was taking place upstairs. He tried to focus on the gentle waves and soft light from his in-ground pool in front of him, but couldn’t. He grinned. The day before he left, he had chained Hal to the handrail in the shallow end of the pool and teased him unmercifully for several hours before fucking him. That end of the pool was shaded, so he hadn’t had to worry about Hal’s fair skin burning.
He checked his watch once more. Thirty minutes had finally passed. He unlocked the door to his home and entered. After his five days at a work conference, they were both ready for him to get home. And he’d told Hal, his submissive, just what exactly he wanted to come home to.
Of course, if Hal ever tied himself up like this without him there to protect him, Mac would beat his ass until he couldn’t sit for a week. Which was why he sat on the back porch while Hal got ready. Never would he let his sub take such a risk. Anything could happen, and while tied, Hal was helpless.
Mac looked up the stairs and grinned. His sub was up... helpless and waiting. The least he could do was let Hal know he was in the house. Mac walked up the stairs slowly. But that didn’t mean the game was about to start.
 Part #2 will be next week. :)~M
Nephylim m/m Lily Sawyer m/m  Tali m/f  Elyzabeth VaLey m/f Julie Lynn Hayes m/m

Carved in Flesh

                  Carved in Flesh Pre-Order Now and Save 20%

 
 

Anthology eBook $5.59



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    Available September 14, 2012 http://www.stormmoonpress.com/books/Carved-in-Flesh.aspx                    
 

Bound by Fate-The Next Generation

 Szin's Story~Two days before turning of age by Ta’Narian standards… age 18~ Raiden and Szin were on Ta’Nar, and on the prowl. With a flyer that had warp capability they could reach the ‘big city’, as they called it, in no time. They planned to hit the srab, the equivalent to bars on Earth, and party hard. Szin, in particular, had plans for tonight.
One way or the other he had to break this bond between him and Takeo before Takeo made the worse mistake of his life—claiming him as a mate. And, Szin knew he was running out of time. The past few days Takeo had been very… aggressive. “So, how does it feel knowing in two days you’ll be a man?” Raiden asked once they were at a table.  “I really don’t see what the big deal is,” Szin shrugged.    “Damn,” Raiden said, looking around. “This place is packed. I’m gonna dance for a while. Order me an akdov to drink. I’ll get this round if you’ll get the next.” “Deal.”
“And if I disappear for a while—” Raiden purred as he stared at a certain male on the dance floor, one he knew well “—don’t come looking for me.” “Oh man, someone’s ass is gonna be sore tomorrow,” Szin laughed. “Damn straight.” Raiden winked as he left.
Several hours, and one too many drinks later, Szin staggered outside. His head spun, and his vision was blurry. His tolerance for alcohol wasn’t the same as Raiden’s. Leaning against the wall, Szin looked out at the lake near the srab, lost in though. He was ready to lose his virginity, but no one seemed interested in taking it off his hands.  “Swear to God, I can’t even give it away,” Szin whispered.
The first thing every male did was check his hair for a strip of color. Then throw in the symbols on his neck that classified him as royalty and most males wouldn’t come near him. He hadn’t planned on getting wasted tonight, but every male he approached avoided him like he had the Flugarina Bleed, a very deadly disease.  Little did he know that it wasn’t him that had the other males keeping their distance, it was the one who stood in the shadows with menacing red eyes and fangs that had the other males staying away. They got the message quick. This lovely, delectable Ta’Narian—who only looked human—was claimed, even if he didn’t know it yet. Standing several feet way, Takeo watched Szin. I’ve waited long enough. You are mine, Szin, and by the Gods, you need to realize it. 
“What are you doing out here?” Takeo asked from the shadows.  Szin jumped when an arm braced itself next to his head on the wall. “Takeo? I didn’t know you were here. I ain’t doin’ nothin’. Why?”
“You don’t need to be alone out here.” Takeo moved closer, slowly entrapping Szin. “It’s not safe, and you’re drunk.”
“Yeah, right,” Szin slurred, leaning against the wall. “I’m s-safe, trust me.” “Really? Szin, you wouldn’t see a threat until it bit you on the ass.”
Szin laughed loudly, and nearly fell over. “No one’s ‘terested in threatenin’ me, or bitin’ my ass.”
“That’s where you are wrong. Very wrong.” Takeo moved so fast Szin didn’t have time to react. A warm, muscular body slammed into his, pinning Szin against the wall. Forcefully, Takeo kissed Szin, the brute strength making Szin gasp. Takeo pinned those fluttering hands of Szin’s against the wall as he devoured him. He was hungry, starving, nearly out of his mind for a taste of this male. 
The connection he felt for the smaller male roared to life and Takeo knew this was his mate, the one that would belong to him. Szin was wasting time fighting this bond. Desperate for more, Takeo ground his hard dick onto Szin, growling when he felt Szin’s hard-on trapped by layers of clothes.  Szin couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, but by God, he could feel. That… something that always lurked close to the surface whenever Takeo was near burst free and consumed Szin as Takeo’s kiss ignited a need deep within his body. Szin whimpered into the kiss, giving in to the desire that raced through him. Once Szin stopped fighting, Takeo gentled the kiss, brushing his mouth over Szin’s, then nipped his bottom lip. Moaning, his head spinning, Szin gave himself over to the feeling. 
Takeo lifted his mouth from Szin’s kissed bruised lips and watched the flush of desire that highlighted Szin’s cheeks. Holding Szin’s wrists hostage, Takeo dropped to his knees and rubbed his face against Szin’s groin. The smell of aroused male drove his own desire higher. He had to taste him… had to. “Keep your hands against the wall, and don’t move,” Takeo growled, the command clear.
Quickly unbuttoning Szin’s snaps, he reached into those tight pants. His hand brushed damp silken mesh that held what he sought. Glancing up, he noted that Szin’s head was thrown back against the wall, the veins in his neck bulging, his chest heaving. Grinning slightly, he released Szin’s dick. It wasn’t long, but it was thick, smooth, and achingly hard. Precome leaked from the head. There was no hair that Takeo could feel, and his mouth watered.
“Please,” Szin whispered. “Oh God… please.” 
Takeo dipped his head down, licking, tasting. The heat and the musky scent of aroused flesh had Takeo panting. Taking the top of Szin’s dick into his mouth, he ran his forked tongue across the head, listening to the sound he dragged out of Szin. He eased down the shaft, wetting it as he went while Szin shook above him. Moving his head, he slowly bobbed up and down. Szin’s hand left the wall to angle in the long silken hair. Takeo immediately stopped, and pulled off. 
“Put your hand back, or I’m done,” Takeo hissed.
A small strangled moan sounded above him as Szin’s hand clutched his hair, then moved his hands back against the wall.
“Very good,” Takeo praised, pleased with how well Szin followed his instruction.
The feelings racing through Szin’s body confused him, and made his head spin. He wanted Takeo with all that he was. Just because he knew they wouldn’t make a good match didn’t mean he didn’t desire Takeo… hell… love him desperately was more like it. What he didn’t understand this need he had to… obey Takeo. But God, his hot mouth on his throbbing dick was heaven. Takeo worked him with a skill that had Szin ready to shoot. He tired to warn Takeo that his body was fixing to splinter into pieces, but the words couldn’t push past the lump in his throat. 
Between one heartbeat and the next, his body flew apart and he came. A hoarse yell ripped from his lungs finally as he flooded Takeo’s mouth. Swallowing quickly, Takeo sucked frantically, making it all the more pleasurable while milking Szin. Suddenly the warm body above him slumped and Takeo stood up, catching Szin as he fainted dead away. 
Lifting him up in his arms, he shifted Szin to where he could reach the tender area between his neck and shoulder. His fangs extended and Takeo nuzzled the unconscious form he held. He split the shirt with his sharp fangs and drew back—there was only one thing left to do now in order to claim his mate…
“Takeo,” Raiden called. “Don’t.
Red eyes gazed at the intruder. A sharp hiss warned of the dangers in interrupting his claiming rite.
“Listen to me,” Raiden said, standing near them. “I know, Takeo. Understand? I know what you feel for him. I’ve known all my life. And he feels the same, you know that too, no matter what insane idea he has about not being good enough. We’re connected, you know that. But we’re not of age by Ta’Narian standards until tomorrow.  I’m asking you not to do this.”
“Why not?”
“Ask our dabba for permission first,” Raiden urged. “You know how this works. Szin is of the royal family. Don’t cause unnecessary problems by claiming him before he’s of age and offending both your family and mine. I’m asking you to honor him by asking permission. Please, Takeo.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that word before,” Takeo replied. 
“What…? The word ‘please’? No, I don’t make a habit of saying it, but I’m saying it now, my friend.” Raiden took a step closer. “Plus, he’s fucked up. He never drinks. Damn it, he probably won’t remember any of this.”
Takeo held Szin close, and smiled as his blood cooled. Szin’s head was against his shoulder and he was snoring. 
“I’ll wait to claim him. But know this, Raiden, he’s my mate, and nothing will stop me from having him—not even him. I know what he had planned for tonight, and he can just forget that. His virginity belongs to me.” Takeo’s eyes gleamed in the dark. “And I’ve waited as long as I can.” 
“Believe me, I know how you feel. If he ever figures out how you and I have conspired to keep him a… Gods, he’d kill us both. Or at least try. Probably talk us to death.” 
Takeo snorted. His mate wasn’t short on brains, that was for sure.
“I’ll stand by you when you claim Szin too. But be ready, I got a feeling he isn’t going to just fall at your feet, no matter how he feels for you. He’s just so damn stubborn. ” Raiden sighed. “Guess the night’s over and we better head back. Follow me to our flyer.”
Takeo shifted Szin closer as he turned to follow Raiden. “Oh, trust me, I know. But I’ll have him on his knees and at my feet, soon. You know how my tastes run, and I think his do too. He’s just afraid.” 
“Which is what I meant about possibly fighting you.” Raiden shook his head. “He thinks he knows what’s best for both you and him.”
“Well, he can try. I’ll certainly enjoy it.” Takeo followed Raiden. “And he may think he knows what’s best, but he’s wrong. If he didn’t care for me… feel the bond between us… I wouldn’t push so hard. But he does. He’s as chained to me as I am to him. He loves me, Raiden.” “I know that. You know that… and he knows that too. Still not going to be easy.” 

“Nothing worth having is.”
Raiden snorted. “Remember you said that.” TBC. Next week is the Coming of Age party. As it turns out, Szin isn’t the only one worried about this mating. J~M