V.L. Locey's Blog, page 94
May 10, 2014
Happy Mother`s Day
I just had to share the lovely bouquet that my daughter gifted me with. I`m also sharing some thoughts about my Mom over at Christina Cole`s Time For Love blog.
For those who are celebrating, may this day being you everything you hoped for.
Time For Love
May 8, 2014
Please Welcome Jillian Chantal
Give Jillian a big hello! She`s a fellow Secret Cravings author, and has a new release with the incredibly clever title, Tequila Mockingbird. The floor is yours, Jillian.
*~*
Thanks for having me here, Vicki! I appreciate the invite. It’s a nice warm day here on the sunny gulf coast of Florida and I wanted to share a little about my story Tequila Mockingbird. It is set in Los Angeles as well as Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
A few years ago, my sister turned 50 and invited me to accompany her on a Mexican Riviera cruise. We hit three ports of call including Puerto Vallarta. When we were there, we took a bus/walking tour and traveled quite a distance- from the shore to the edge of the jungle. It was awesome- and I even held an iguana. I was pleasantly surprised at the texture of that guy. His skin was soft to the touch and not at all scaly like I thought it would be.
As we rode the bus up into the mountains and the guide pointed out where the movie, Night of the Iguana was filmed as well as the house Liz Taylor lived in when she was there with Richard Burton, I was inspired to one day write a story based in the area. It’s really cool how the town on the waterfront with the beaches turns to tree-lined streets and then eventually to jungle. The views looking down to the water from the highs of the edge of the mountains are breathtaking. Such beauty in the world inspires me as well.
The name of this story comes from my two sons. We live in the south- about two hours from where the story To Kill a Mockingbird was written and so, of course, the kids in school here must read the novel. Each of my sons would come in from school and tell me they had to read a few more chapters each night. They both slurred the title and said it so fast, I heard it as Tequila Mockingbird. I actually had the title for two years before I thought of a story to go with it. And what better than a story set in Mexico- the home of tequila? Did I also
BLURB: Two years ago, Kestral Falco was an up and coming prosecuting attorney in Los Angeles. His life was set until he found out his fiancée cheated on him. In a misguided attempt to be chivalrous, he let her put the blame on him, never imagining the repercussions. Treated as an outcast, he leaves the practice of law and moves to Mexico where he’s recruited to join the Drug Enforcement Agency and go undercover to fight the war on drugs. His code name is Mockingbird.
Rachel Newsome, a defense lawyer who blames Kes for breaking her friend’s heart, has a client who desperately wants to find out Mockingbird’s true identity. When Rachel’s sister is kidnapped and taken to Mexico, Rachel becomes desperate to find her. She’s more than a little upset when she’s forced to team up with Kes as he has the knowledge Rachel needs to help save her sibling.
Excerpt
A week after the fiasco at the bar, Rachel strolled down the corridor at the courthouse after her motion hearing concluded. Her briefcase bulged with the file from hell. This case would be the death of her. Both of her opposing counsels were named Michael but one went by Mike. They were also like little boys in a playground. She thought of them as two kids playing tug-of-war while she sat back on the swing set and watched the action. She was convinced that eventually she would win the case and it was just a matter of how bloody it would get between them before the final bell rang. Good thing she liked her client.
As she strolled alone she waved to several colleagues who passed by. She turned the corner. Up ahead she recognized several male lawyers congregated around the area near the stairwell. They were laughing and making a lot of noise. Her stomach clenched when she recognized one of them.
Orry Falco leaned against the wall with one hand in the pocket of his dress slacks. She’d seen him off and on in the courthouse in the two years since his brother Kes had jilted her friend at the altar and left town but the easy friendship of the past was gone. Kes had left a swath of bitter feelings in his wake and a lot of relationships changed due to his selfish actions.
Rachel hoped Orry wouldn’t notice her but no such luck. Almost as soon as she arrived at the stairs with the intention to sneak past the rowdy group, he turned. His eyes widened and he jerked his head back around.
Now a little peeved, Rachel wondered what the heck that was all about. Really?They couldn’t even be cordially distant now? He was going to flat-out snub her?
She stopped in her tracks and peered around his back to see who else was in the crowd. She sucked in a breath when she saw the profile of a buff man with a ponytail and a scruffy beard. Could it be the same man from the bar? The one she’d thought was so sexy getting into the cab?
The crowd parted and the man with the ponytail turned around. Rachel did gasp then. Loudly. She dropped her briefcase. It landed with an echoing thud at her feet.
“Rachel Newsome. What a pleasant surprise.” The tone of Kestrel Falco’s voice told her that he was anything but pleased. He bent down and picked up her briefcase. “Yours, I presume?”
She snatched it from his hand. “Yes.” God, he’d changed physically. He’d always been handsome but gone was the staid lawyer in the three-piece suit with the short haircut. In his place was a man in a pair of jeans and a white shirt who could be a god from Mount Olympus. He’d bulked up, his long hair in the ponytail was dead sexy and she didn’t even want to think about what the scruff on his face would feel like if she touched it.
“Most people would respond with a thank you.”
“Thank you.” She came back to herself and snapped the answer more harshly than she’d intended.
“Oh, dear. She didn’t sound very grateful, did she fellows?” one of the men in the crowd asked.
The rest of them all guffawed their agreement.
Rachel tucked the briefcase under her arm. “You all do know this is a courthouse, right? You’re all making way too much noise. This isn’t a bar or a men’s club.”
“Well, not to be mean, Rachel, but it really is a men’s club. Or at least it was until you walked up,” one of the men she didn’t know said.
“How do you know who I am?” she asked the rude jerk.
“Everyone knows the ice princess.” He sneered.
“Ice princess? What does that mean?”
“It’s the reputation you have around here, Rach,” Orry said.
“And you know, princess, if it was truly a men’s club, we’d have some hot chick here half-naked, not a prissy stuck-up female lawyer who probably hasn’t been laid in five years.” The jerk lawyer stepped forward and into Rachel’s personal space.
Before she could react, Kes moved closer. “Cut it out, Jack. That was uncalled for and rude. Apologize to the lady.”
“Why should I? Why should you defend her honor anyway? Isn’t she Deidre’s pal?”
“She is but that’s no reason to be rude.” Kes’s voice lowered an octave, which actually scared Rachel. She’d never seen him so tense and wired. He acted as if he was going to lunge at the man.
Jack raised his hands in front of his face in a defensive posture. “Sorry, Kes. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to her.” Kes, fists clenched, tilted his head toward her. “And you better be sincere about it.”
“I’m sorry I called you an ice princess, Rachel.”
Kes literally growled. He sprang forward. His brother grabbed him. “Let it go, bro. He’s not worth it.”
“I’m going to head to my hearing now.” Jack sneered again and walked away.
Rachel looked up at Kes. She didn’t remember him being that tall before. Maybe it was all the new muscle definition. “Thanks for trying to make him apologize. Some people are cruel and there’s no dealing with them, but I appreciate your effort.”
“You’re welcome.” Kes bowed. “I better go now. I have a meeting with one of the prosecutors to discuss my testimony tomorrow.”
“So you’re here for a case?”
“Yeah, I am. As a witness though, not a lawyer.”
“Interesting change of position there, isn’t it?”
“Sort of but not really. It’s not like I’m on trial.”
“Good luck then.” Rachel moved down the stairs.
Before she got more than three down, Kes called after her. “You can’t even say it was nice to see me?”
Where to Buy
http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=219&zenid=199f7aaf623f330c6098ec7ff7b84addhttp://www.amazon.com/Tequila-Mockingbird-Jillian-Chantal-ebook/dp/B00JU73KLA/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399557831&sr=1-5&keywords=tequila+mockingbirdhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tequila-mockingbird-jillian-chantal/1119276535?ean=2940149576470
To contact Jillian
https://www.facebook.com/jillian.chantalhttp://jillianchantal.com/
*~*
Thanks for having me here, Vicki! I appreciate the invite. It’s a nice warm day here on the sunny gulf coast of Florida and I wanted to share a little about my story Tequila Mockingbird. It is set in Los Angeles as well as Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
A few years ago, my sister turned 50 and invited me to accompany her on a Mexican Riviera cruise. We hit three ports of call including Puerto Vallarta. When we were there, we took a bus/walking tour and traveled quite a distance- from the shore to the edge of the jungle. It was awesome- and I even held an iguana. I was pleasantly surprised at the texture of that guy. His skin was soft to the touch and not at all scaly like I thought it would be.
As we rode the bus up into the mountains and the guide pointed out where the movie, Night of the Iguana was filmed as well as the house Liz Taylor lived in when she was there with Richard Burton, I was inspired to one day write a story based in the area. It’s really cool how the town on the waterfront with the beaches turns to tree-lined streets and then eventually to jungle. The views looking down to the water from the highs of the edge of the mountains are breathtaking. Such beauty in the world inspires me as well.
The name of this story comes from my two sons. We live in the south- about two hours from where the story To Kill a Mockingbird was written and so, of course, the kids in school here must read the novel. Each of my sons would come in from school and tell me they had to read a few more chapters each night. They both slurred the title and said it so fast, I heard it as Tequila Mockingbird. I actually had the title for two years before I thought of a story to go with it. And what better than a story set in Mexico- the home of tequila? Did I also
BLURB: Two years ago, Kestral Falco was an up and coming prosecuting attorney in Los Angeles. His life was set until he found out his fiancée cheated on him. In a misguided attempt to be chivalrous, he let her put the blame on him, never imagining the repercussions. Treated as an outcast, he leaves the practice of law and moves to Mexico where he’s recruited to join the Drug Enforcement Agency and go undercover to fight the war on drugs. His code name is Mockingbird.
Rachel Newsome, a defense lawyer who blames Kes for breaking her friend’s heart, has a client who desperately wants to find out Mockingbird’s true identity. When Rachel’s sister is kidnapped and taken to Mexico, Rachel becomes desperate to find her. She’s more than a little upset when she’s forced to team up with Kes as he has the knowledge Rachel needs to help save her sibling.
Excerpt
A week after the fiasco at the bar, Rachel strolled down the corridor at the courthouse after her motion hearing concluded. Her briefcase bulged with the file from hell. This case would be the death of her. Both of her opposing counsels were named Michael but one went by Mike. They were also like little boys in a playground. She thought of them as two kids playing tug-of-war while she sat back on the swing set and watched the action. She was convinced that eventually she would win the case and it was just a matter of how bloody it would get between them before the final bell rang. Good thing she liked her client.
As she strolled alone she waved to several colleagues who passed by. She turned the corner. Up ahead she recognized several male lawyers congregated around the area near the stairwell. They were laughing and making a lot of noise. Her stomach clenched when she recognized one of them.
Orry Falco leaned against the wall with one hand in the pocket of his dress slacks. She’d seen him off and on in the courthouse in the two years since his brother Kes had jilted her friend at the altar and left town but the easy friendship of the past was gone. Kes had left a swath of bitter feelings in his wake and a lot of relationships changed due to his selfish actions.
Rachel hoped Orry wouldn’t notice her but no such luck. Almost as soon as she arrived at the stairs with the intention to sneak past the rowdy group, he turned. His eyes widened and he jerked his head back around.
Now a little peeved, Rachel wondered what the heck that was all about. Really?They couldn’t even be cordially distant now? He was going to flat-out snub her?
She stopped in her tracks and peered around his back to see who else was in the crowd. She sucked in a breath when she saw the profile of a buff man with a ponytail and a scruffy beard. Could it be the same man from the bar? The one she’d thought was so sexy getting into the cab?
The crowd parted and the man with the ponytail turned around. Rachel did gasp then. Loudly. She dropped her briefcase. It landed with an echoing thud at her feet.
“Rachel Newsome. What a pleasant surprise.” The tone of Kestrel Falco’s voice told her that he was anything but pleased. He bent down and picked up her briefcase. “Yours, I presume?”
She snatched it from his hand. “Yes.” God, he’d changed physically. He’d always been handsome but gone was the staid lawyer in the three-piece suit with the short haircut. In his place was a man in a pair of jeans and a white shirt who could be a god from Mount Olympus. He’d bulked up, his long hair in the ponytail was dead sexy and she didn’t even want to think about what the scruff on his face would feel like if she touched it.
“Most people would respond with a thank you.”
“Thank you.” She came back to herself and snapped the answer more harshly than she’d intended.
“Oh, dear. She didn’t sound very grateful, did she fellows?” one of the men in the crowd asked.
The rest of them all guffawed their agreement.
Rachel tucked the briefcase under her arm. “You all do know this is a courthouse, right? You’re all making way too much noise. This isn’t a bar or a men’s club.”
“Well, not to be mean, Rachel, but it really is a men’s club. Or at least it was until you walked up,” one of the men she didn’t know said.
“How do you know who I am?” she asked the rude jerk.
“Everyone knows the ice princess.” He sneered.
“Ice princess? What does that mean?”
“It’s the reputation you have around here, Rach,” Orry said.
“And you know, princess, if it was truly a men’s club, we’d have some hot chick here half-naked, not a prissy stuck-up female lawyer who probably hasn’t been laid in five years.” The jerk lawyer stepped forward and into Rachel’s personal space.
Before she could react, Kes moved closer. “Cut it out, Jack. That was uncalled for and rude. Apologize to the lady.”
“Why should I? Why should you defend her honor anyway? Isn’t she Deidre’s pal?”
“She is but that’s no reason to be rude.” Kes’s voice lowered an octave, which actually scared Rachel. She’d never seen him so tense and wired. He acted as if he was going to lunge at the man.
Jack raised his hands in front of his face in a defensive posture. “Sorry, Kes. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to her.” Kes, fists clenched, tilted his head toward her. “And you better be sincere about it.”
“I’m sorry I called you an ice princess, Rachel.”
Kes literally growled. He sprang forward. His brother grabbed him. “Let it go, bro. He’s not worth it.”
“I’m going to head to my hearing now.” Jack sneered again and walked away.
Rachel looked up at Kes. She didn’t remember him being that tall before. Maybe it was all the new muscle definition. “Thanks for trying to make him apologize. Some people are cruel and there’s no dealing with them, but I appreciate your effort.”
“You’re welcome.” Kes bowed. “I better go now. I have a meeting with one of the prosecutors to discuss my testimony tomorrow.”
“So you’re here for a case?”
“Yeah, I am. As a witness though, not a lawyer.”
“Interesting change of position there, isn’t it?”
“Sort of but not really. It’s not like I’m on trial.”
“Good luck then.” Rachel moved down the stairs.
Before she got more than three down, Kes called after her. “You can’t even say it was nice to see me?”
Where to Buy
http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=219&zenid=199f7aaf623f330c6098ec7ff7b84addhttp://www.amazon.com/Tequila-Mockingbird-Jillian-Chantal-ebook/dp/B00JU73KLA/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399557831&sr=1-5&keywords=tequila+mockingbirdhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tequila-mockingbird-jillian-chantal/1119276535?ean=2940149576470
To contact Jillian
https://www.facebook.com/jillian.chantalhttp://jillianchantal.com/
May 7, 2014
Nina Mason and The Queen of Swords Blog Tour
Nina Mason is visiting today as part of her Queen of Swords blog tour. Throwback Thursday Tunes will be back next Thursday!
Author: Nina MasonPublisher: Vamptasy PublishingHeat level: sizzlingFormats: Kindle and paperbackWhere to buy: Kindle: http://smarturl.it/queenofswords (or http://smarturl.it/queenofswordsUK)
Blurb:
When Graham Logan, a Scottish earl turned vampire by a dark wizard’s curse, draws the Queen of Swords, he knows he’s about to meet the love of his life. For the third time. But surrendering his heart will mean risking her life…or making her what he is. Neither of which his morals will permit him to do. Graham, who believes he lost his soul to the curse, rages at God: Why give her back only to take her again?
Cat Fingal, the third incarnation of Graham’s twin flame, won’t let him escape so easily. As soon as they meet, she feels she knows him and begins having past-life flashbacks. A white witch, she casts a spell to summon him, wanting answers and to fill the void she’s felt all her life.Graham has other problems, too. Like the seductress who wants him for herself and the dark wizard who cursed him and killed his beloved the first two times.
Will he find a way to save her this time around? Or will she save him?
Excerpt 1:
12th May. Visited Caitriona tonight for the first time since becoming a monster. She slept, unaware of my presence, & for a time, I was content simply to observe. As the hours passed, I began to wonder what might happen if she awoke to find me in her room. Would she think me a wraith? Would she think it a dream? Desiring to know, & to get closer, I sat down on the corner of the bed, alert for any stirrings. Seeing none, I crawled up the bed until I reached her side. Still she did not stir. Ever so carefully, I set my head upon the pillow next to hers. She slept on. Drinking in her scent, I felt contentment for the first time since fate & Fitzgeraldtore us apart. I closed my eyes & must have drifted off, because next I knew, her arm fell across my chest. Startled awake, I found her blinking at me in disbelief.
I lay there, still as death, waiting for her to react. Her hand moved up my chest to my face. She dragged her fingers across my jaw, pressed them against my lips, touched the end of my nose, my eyebrows, my forehead. As she combed back my hair, she whispered: “This must be a dream. But you feel so real, so alive. I don’t ken how such a thing is possible; nor do I care. I only pray I shall never awaken.”
I kept still. I could hear her heartbeat, smell her blood, but her blood was not what I craved. She set her head on my chest & started to sob.
“Am I dreaming?” she asked, soft & low.
“Aye.”
She raised herself up, came over me & pressed her mouth against mine.
“Can we make love in my dream?”
“Aye.”
When it was over, I collapsed beside her, feeling so elated, so profoundly moved, I very nearly wept.
She set her head against my chest. “Will you promise me something?”
“Anything, m’aingael.”
“Always come to me like this in my dreams.”
Excerpt 2 (Spicy):
On a sudden impulse, he swept her into his arms and carried her into the walled garden, never releasing her mouth. The pleasant perfume of peonies, roses, and lily of the valley filled his nostrils. He laid her down on the grass, kissed her face, her neck, her ears, her hair. He began unbuttoning her blouse. Her bra was black lace. Pulse quickening, he lowered his face, pulled down the scalloped edge of one, and flicked his tongue against the nipple.
“You’ve got lovely wee tits.”
“You don’t think they’re too small?”
“I think they’re perfect.”
He didn’t know why he wanted to take her outdoors, he just did. There was something magical about making love en plein air. The trees, the breeze, the smell of earth and grass. Taking the nipple between his lips, he urged it to grow. She pulled up his shirt, her hands seemingly as eager as his for the feel of bare flesh. Feeling his sporran inhibiting his growing arousal, he reached behind his back to release the buckle. She tugged up the pleats of his kilt, baring his arse to the moon and stars. He moved to her other breast, pleased to find the nipple hard. After giving it a few flicks with his tongue, he returned to her mouth.
He nibbled her lower lip between kisses. He wanted to savor every moment of this, squeeze every drop of sweetness out of the experience. Her hands caressed his cheeks. He deepened the kiss before pulling out of it, rising up on his knees, and stripping off his t-shirt. She swept her hands down his ribcage and over the front of his kilt, snagging his erection. Her touch was clumsy yet ardent. Closing his eyes, he reveled in her naive sensuality as she explored the most sensitive part of his anatomy. The hand dipped underneath, up his inner thigh, and across his stones. Desire’s arrow struck him hard, making him quiver.
As she continued playing under his kilt, he set his hands on the lawn beside her spilled hair and brought his mouth down on hers in a torrid kiss. Taking his weight on one hand, he exposed her breasts, which were just as he remembered: round and full, but not too big. He’d never been particularly fond of overlarge bosoms—any more than a handful being wasted and all. He put his hand on one of hers, a perfect fit. She shuddered and he moved his mouth to her neck, trailing feather-soft kisses from collarbone to ear.
The tantalizing scent of her jugular called his fangs. Pushing up, he looked down at her. She was so familiar...and, at the same time, so strange...and still so achingly lovely he couldn’t bear it. Trailer embed code:
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Nina Mason is a hopeful romantic with strong affinities for history, mythology, and the metaphysical. She strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten. Three of her books will be published in 2014: The Queen of Swords, an urban fantasy/paranormal romance; The Knight of Wands, book one in the Knights of Avalon Series; and The Tin Man, a political thriller about the dangers posed by media monopolies. She is currently at work on Book Two of the Knights of Avalon series and is itching to get back to a book she started a while back about a merman who falls for an oil company spokeswoman after a phantom tanker capsizes on the coast of the Hebrides islands. When not writing, Nina works as a communications consultant, doll maker, and home stager. Born and raised in Southern California, she now lives in Woodstock, Georgia, with her husband, teenage daughter, two rescue cats, and a Westie named Robert.
Social-media links:
Website: http://ninamasonauthor.comBlog: http://ninamasonromance.blogspot.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/ninamasonromanceTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/ninamasonauthor(@ninamasonauthor)Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ninamasonauthorYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ninamasonauthorGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/105622637668245901733/posts
Q. Tell us about your book.A. The Queen of Swords tells the story of a bookish white witch who returns every century to reunite with her earthbound soul mate. He’s a Scottish earl turned vampire by a dark wizard’s curse back in the Regency era on the eve of their wedding. She came back once before in the Edwardian era only to be killed by his maker in the same manner as before. He believes he has no soul, so can’t understand why she keeps coming back. She believes he does have a soul and that she comes back to free him from the curse. The story follows their journey as they try to work out who’s right and how they can stop history from repeating.
Q. After this, what's your next project?A. My current work-in-progress is book two in The Knights of Avalon series. After that, I haven’t decided. Probably another paranormal romance/urban fantasy. I’ve got a stalled manuscript about an oil company spokeswoman who gets involved with a merman during an oil spill in the Hebrides. Might get back to that one, or write one featuring Benedict and Avery, the secondary couple in The Queen of Swords. I’d also like to maybe write a sequel to The Tin Man, my political thriller releasing in August. It tells of two journalists thrown together to solve a series of murders tied to a global conspiracy to take over the media.
Q. What inspires you to write what you do? A. All of my paranormal stories are inspired by my love of the history and mythology of Scotland, my interest in the unknowable, and my belief in the redemptive power of love.
Q. When did you start writing?A. About as soon as I could write the alphabet. When I was a kid, I won an essay contest sponsored by the local library (I was an avid reader and always did the summer reading challenge). Back in the days of typewriters, I wrote a romance novel about a couple of ballet dancers, but never did anything with it. Didn’t try my hand at fiction again until five or six years ago, when I started what is now The Queen of Swords.
Q. What inspired you to write the book?A. I started the first draft after reading Twilight.While I liked the saga, I also found myself frustrated by the lack of sex and Edward’s lack of history. In literature, vampires originally personified uncaged sexuality, so a chaste vampire seemed counter-intuitive to me. Plus, I felt writing an immortal creature provided fantastic opportunities to build an interesting backstory. What had he/she seen and experienced over the centuries? How was he/she affected by it? My immortal characters all have a history tied to the world and what they’ve seen and experienced has colored them in some way.
Q. Are you a careful planner or do you let the story guide you? A. I do a bit of both. I work out the characters and their motivations, setting, and where I want the story to go. I also tend to do index cards for each scene or major plot point from start to finish. Once I begin to write, it can go completely off the rails, depending on where the characters want to take it. As long as they’re reaching the touchstones, I let them do what they want. If they go too far off track, I either re-plot the novel or rein them in, depending on which direction seems better at the time.
Q. Who is your favorite among your characters?A. I love them all, of course. Graham, the hero in The Queen of Swords, is both noble and funny. Callum, the hero in The Knight of Wands, is a good-hearted romantic. Leith, the hero of my WIP, is a bit on the dark side, but still well-intentioned. If pressed to pick just one, I’d have to go with Alex Buchanan, the journalist hero in The Tin Man. He’s very complex and has lots of demons to overcome, but also is a really good guy.
Author: Nina MasonPublisher: Vamptasy PublishingHeat level: sizzlingFormats: Kindle and paperbackWhere to buy: Kindle: http://smarturl.it/queenofswords (or http://smarturl.it/queenofswordsUK)
Blurb:
When Graham Logan, a Scottish earl turned vampire by a dark wizard’s curse, draws the Queen of Swords, he knows he’s about to meet the love of his life. For the third time. But surrendering his heart will mean risking her life…or making her what he is. Neither of which his morals will permit him to do. Graham, who believes he lost his soul to the curse, rages at God: Why give her back only to take her again?
Cat Fingal, the third incarnation of Graham’s twin flame, won’t let him escape so easily. As soon as they meet, she feels she knows him and begins having past-life flashbacks. A white witch, she casts a spell to summon him, wanting answers and to fill the void she’s felt all her life.Graham has other problems, too. Like the seductress who wants him for herself and the dark wizard who cursed him and killed his beloved the first two times.
Will he find a way to save her this time around? Or will she save him?
Excerpt 1:
12th May. Visited Caitriona tonight for the first time since becoming a monster. She slept, unaware of my presence, & for a time, I was content simply to observe. As the hours passed, I began to wonder what might happen if she awoke to find me in her room. Would she think me a wraith? Would she think it a dream? Desiring to know, & to get closer, I sat down on the corner of the bed, alert for any stirrings. Seeing none, I crawled up the bed until I reached her side. Still she did not stir. Ever so carefully, I set my head upon the pillow next to hers. She slept on. Drinking in her scent, I felt contentment for the first time since fate & Fitzgeraldtore us apart. I closed my eyes & must have drifted off, because next I knew, her arm fell across my chest. Startled awake, I found her blinking at me in disbelief.
I lay there, still as death, waiting for her to react. Her hand moved up my chest to my face. She dragged her fingers across my jaw, pressed them against my lips, touched the end of my nose, my eyebrows, my forehead. As she combed back my hair, she whispered: “This must be a dream. But you feel so real, so alive. I don’t ken how such a thing is possible; nor do I care. I only pray I shall never awaken.”
I kept still. I could hear her heartbeat, smell her blood, but her blood was not what I craved. She set her head on my chest & started to sob.
“Am I dreaming?” she asked, soft & low.
“Aye.”
She raised herself up, came over me & pressed her mouth against mine.
“Can we make love in my dream?”
“Aye.”
When it was over, I collapsed beside her, feeling so elated, so profoundly moved, I very nearly wept.
She set her head against my chest. “Will you promise me something?”
“Anything, m’aingael.”
“Always come to me like this in my dreams.”
Excerpt 2 (Spicy):
On a sudden impulse, he swept her into his arms and carried her into the walled garden, never releasing her mouth. The pleasant perfume of peonies, roses, and lily of the valley filled his nostrils. He laid her down on the grass, kissed her face, her neck, her ears, her hair. He began unbuttoning her blouse. Her bra was black lace. Pulse quickening, he lowered his face, pulled down the scalloped edge of one, and flicked his tongue against the nipple.
“You’ve got lovely wee tits.”
“You don’t think they’re too small?”
“I think they’re perfect.”
He didn’t know why he wanted to take her outdoors, he just did. There was something magical about making love en plein air. The trees, the breeze, the smell of earth and grass. Taking the nipple between his lips, he urged it to grow. She pulled up his shirt, her hands seemingly as eager as his for the feel of bare flesh. Feeling his sporran inhibiting his growing arousal, he reached behind his back to release the buckle. She tugged up the pleats of his kilt, baring his arse to the moon and stars. He moved to her other breast, pleased to find the nipple hard. After giving it a few flicks with his tongue, he returned to her mouth.
He nibbled her lower lip between kisses. He wanted to savor every moment of this, squeeze every drop of sweetness out of the experience. Her hands caressed his cheeks. He deepened the kiss before pulling out of it, rising up on his knees, and stripping off his t-shirt. She swept her hands down his ribcage and over the front of his kilt, snagging his erection. Her touch was clumsy yet ardent. Closing his eyes, he reveled in her naive sensuality as she explored the most sensitive part of his anatomy. The hand dipped underneath, up his inner thigh, and across his stones. Desire’s arrow struck him hard, making him quiver.
As she continued playing under his kilt, he set his hands on the lawn beside her spilled hair and brought his mouth down on hers in a torrid kiss. Taking his weight on one hand, he exposed her breasts, which were just as he remembered: round and full, but not too big. He’d never been particularly fond of overlarge bosoms—any more than a handful being wasted and all. He put his hand on one of hers, a perfect fit. She shuddered and he moved his mouth to her neck, trailing feather-soft kisses from collarbone to ear.
The tantalizing scent of her jugular called his fangs. Pushing up, he looked down at her. She was so familiar...and, at the same time, so strange...and still so achingly lovely he couldn’t bear it. Trailer embed code:
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Nina Mason is a hopeful romantic with strong affinities for history, mythology, and the metaphysical. She strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten. Three of her books will be published in 2014: The Queen of Swords, an urban fantasy/paranormal romance; The Knight of Wands, book one in the Knights of Avalon Series; and The Tin Man, a political thriller about the dangers posed by media monopolies. She is currently at work on Book Two of the Knights of Avalon series and is itching to get back to a book she started a while back about a merman who falls for an oil company spokeswoman after a phantom tanker capsizes on the coast of the Hebrides islands. When not writing, Nina works as a communications consultant, doll maker, and home stager. Born and raised in Southern California, she now lives in Woodstock, Georgia, with her husband, teenage daughter, two rescue cats, and a Westie named Robert.
Social-media links:
Website: http://ninamasonauthor.comBlog: http://ninamasonromance.blogspot.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/ninamasonromanceTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/ninamasonauthor(@ninamasonauthor)Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ninamasonauthorYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ninamasonauthorGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/105622637668245901733/posts
Q. Tell us about your book.A. The Queen of Swords tells the story of a bookish white witch who returns every century to reunite with her earthbound soul mate. He’s a Scottish earl turned vampire by a dark wizard’s curse back in the Regency era on the eve of their wedding. She came back once before in the Edwardian era only to be killed by his maker in the same manner as before. He believes he has no soul, so can’t understand why she keeps coming back. She believes he does have a soul and that she comes back to free him from the curse. The story follows their journey as they try to work out who’s right and how they can stop history from repeating.
Q. After this, what's your next project?A. My current work-in-progress is book two in The Knights of Avalon series. After that, I haven’t decided. Probably another paranormal romance/urban fantasy. I’ve got a stalled manuscript about an oil company spokeswoman who gets involved with a merman during an oil spill in the Hebrides. Might get back to that one, or write one featuring Benedict and Avery, the secondary couple in The Queen of Swords. I’d also like to maybe write a sequel to The Tin Man, my political thriller releasing in August. It tells of two journalists thrown together to solve a series of murders tied to a global conspiracy to take over the media.
Q. What inspires you to write what you do? A. All of my paranormal stories are inspired by my love of the history and mythology of Scotland, my interest in the unknowable, and my belief in the redemptive power of love.
Q. When did you start writing?A. About as soon as I could write the alphabet. When I was a kid, I won an essay contest sponsored by the local library (I was an avid reader and always did the summer reading challenge). Back in the days of typewriters, I wrote a romance novel about a couple of ballet dancers, but never did anything with it. Didn’t try my hand at fiction again until five or six years ago, when I started what is now The Queen of Swords.
Q. What inspired you to write the book?A. I started the first draft after reading Twilight.While I liked the saga, I also found myself frustrated by the lack of sex and Edward’s lack of history. In literature, vampires originally personified uncaged sexuality, so a chaste vampire seemed counter-intuitive to me. Plus, I felt writing an immortal creature provided fantastic opportunities to build an interesting backstory. What had he/she seen and experienced over the centuries? How was he/she affected by it? My immortal characters all have a history tied to the world and what they’ve seen and experienced has colored them in some way.
Q. Are you a careful planner or do you let the story guide you? A. I do a bit of both. I work out the characters and their motivations, setting, and where I want the story to go. I also tend to do index cards for each scene or major plot point from start to finish. Once I begin to write, it can go completely off the rails, depending on where the characters want to take it. As long as they’re reaching the touchstones, I let them do what they want. If they go too far off track, I either re-plot the novel or rein them in, depending on which direction seems better at the time.
Q. Who is your favorite among your characters?A. I love them all, of course. Graham, the hero in The Queen of Swords, is both noble and funny. Callum, the hero in The Knight of Wands, is a good-hearted romantic. Leith, the hero of my WIP, is a bit on the dark side, but still well-intentioned. If pressed to pick just one, I’d have to go with Alex Buchanan, the journalist hero in The Tin Man. He’s very complex and has lots of demons to overcome, but also is a really good guy.
May 6, 2014
Marie Lavender Joins Us Today
Please welcome the talented Marie Lavender to our corner of the interwebz! She`s here to share some information about her new historical romance, Upon Your Honor.
Deception is a dangerous path…
New York City, August, 1891 – Orphaned after the death of her father, Chloe Waverly stows away on La Voyageur to escape the clutches of her cruel fiancé, Lamonte Beckett. Gabriel Hill, a strange and compelling gentleman, comes upon Chloe and promises to protect her without knowing the true circumstances of why she is running away. During their journey, Gabriel doesn’t bargain on being distracted by her fair beauty or succumbing to her many charms. As their attraction to each other grows, so does the danger and Gabriel suspects things are not as they should be.
Both are determined to get to New Orleans, where she can start a new life. But, once they reach their destination, events spin out of their control and Chloe is captured by the fiancé she escaped. Gabriel is left wondering if he can overlook her betrayal. Soon he finds himself in a race against time, to reach her before Beckett can exact revenge.Excerpt:
Chloe’s eyes grew very heavy in the dim lighting of the room. And images began to swarm in her mind.She was dressed in a red gown, and her blonde hair was pulled into a half updo, where part of it spilled down her back in ringlets. She was at a ball of some kind. Gabriel had her in his arms. They were waltzing. Soon, the dance made her dizzy and as the room spun, people began to disappear. The room went black, except for where she could see the man who held her. A lock of his dark red hair fell over one eye as he leaned down. His face blotted out the light as his lips took hers in a kiss so tempting that her fingernails clenched on his overcoat. His mouth was gentle like a whisper over her lips, teasing her until she trembled beneath his onslaught. She parted her lips, and their tongues danced.The band of his arm around her back tightened, and he drew her closer against him until her senses only absorbed him. The world seemed to fall away. Suddenly, they were on a bed made of feathers and she was naked before him. His mouth traced her skin with a reverence she found heartbreaking. The contrast of his dark red hair against her pale skin was somehow appealing. And as her back arched and she moaned with pleasure, her eyes closed. When she opened them again, he was leaning over her. No, something else was happening. She couldn’t tell what it was, but she liked it. And then, her body nearly screamed with ecstasy. She cried out, unable to keep quiet.There was a strange knocking sound that interrupted the intimacy of the moment.Chloe jerked awake, her breaths labored. She put a hand over her racing heart. She gasped, trying to get her breath under control. Her skin felt incredibly warm, and she could hardly believe how fanciful her mind had become.The knocking came again. She blinked and looked at the door dully for a moment. Then she realized someone was there. Chloe smoothed her hair and dress, and went to answer the door on legs that were leaden.The man who stood on the other side took her breath away. She blinked a bit, taken back for a second to the dream. She shook it off though, and tried to compose herself. “Yes?” she asked hoarsely.Gabriel frowned. “I came to fetch you for dinner. We’ll dine with my father, if you would like, this evening.”“Oh. Yes, that is fine.”He lifted a brow. “I thought I heard something just now. Did you fall?”She frowned. “What do you mean?”“You were yelling.”A hand covered her mouth. Had she been vocal with her dream? How embarrassing. “Oh, I did not realize so much time had passed. Truly, I did not. I was resting.”“Oui, but I heard—”“It was nothing. A dream.”He frowned. “A nightmare? Do you want to talk about it?”She shook her head. “I barely remember it.” That wasn’t likely to happen. She could hardly get those images out of her head as he stood before her. His presence made it impossible.“Well, I only want...I hope you are well.”“I am. I promise.” As he stood there with the lights from the passageway playing like highlights over his red hair, she wanted to step forward into his arms, to continue all of those wonderful things that had happened in that dream. It was not to be. Reality was a cruel reminder.
Author Bio:
Bestselling author of UPON YOUR RETURN and 18 other books. Finalist and Runner-up in the MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013. Top 50 Authors on AuthorsDB.com. Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.
Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for over twenty years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands.
At the tender age of nine, she began writing stories. Her imagination fueled a lot of her early child's play. Even growing up, she entered writing contests and received a certificate for achieving the second round in one. She majored in Creative Writing in college because that was all she ever wanted - to be a writer. While there, she published two works in a university publication, and was a copy editor on the staff of an online student journal. After graduating from college, she sought out her dream to publish a book.
Since then, Marie has published nineteen books. Marie Lavender's real love is writing romances, but she has also written mysteries, literary fiction and dabbled a little in paranormal stories. Most of her works have a romantic element involved in them. She just released Magick & Moonlight, a paranormal romance, in March. Upon Your Honor is her second historical romance. Feel free to visit her website athttp://marielavender.webs.com/ for further information about her books and her life. Marie is also on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
A list of her books and pen names are as follows:Marie Lavender: Upon Your Return; Magick & Moonlight; Upon Your HonorErica Sutherhome: Hard to Get; Memories; A Hint of Scandal; Without You; Strange Heat; Terror in the Night; Haunted; Pursuit; Perfect Game; A Touch of Dawn;Ransom; Leather and LaceKathryn Layne: A Misplaced LifeHeather Crouse: Express Café and Other Ramblings; Ramblings, Musings and Other Things; Soulful Ramblings and Other Worldly Things
Author Links:
http://www.marielavender.webs.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104926404745289477307/posts
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavenderhttp://www.amazon.com/Marie-Lavender/e/B00C10Q94I/
http://youtu.be/dLOteuscV04
Deception is a dangerous path…
New York City, August, 1891 – Orphaned after the death of her father, Chloe Waverly stows away on La Voyageur to escape the clutches of her cruel fiancé, Lamonte Beckett. Gabriel Hill, a strange and compelling gentleman, comes upon Chloe and promises to protect her without knowing the true circumstances of why she is running away. During their journey, Gabriel doesn’t bargain on being distracted by her fair beauty or succumbing to her many charms. As their attraction to each other grows, so does the danger and Gabriel suspects things are not as they should be.
Both are determined to get to New Orleans, where she can start a new life. But, once they reach their destination, events spin out of their control and Chloe is captured by the fiancé she escaped. Gabriel is left wondering if he can overlook her betrayal. Soon he finds himself in a race against time, to reach her before Beckett can exact revenge.Excerpt:
Chloe’s eyes grew very heavy in the dim lighting of the room. And images began to swarm in her mind.She was dressed in a red gown, and her blonde hair was pulled into a half updo, where part of it spilled down her back in ringlets. She was at a ball of some kind. Gabriel had her in his arms. They were waltzing. Soon, the dance made her dizzy and as the room spun, people began to disappear. The room went black, except for where she could see the man who held her. A lock of his dark red hair fell over one eye as he leaned down. His face blotted out the light as his lips took hers in a kiss so tempting that her fingernails clenched on his overcoat. His mouth was gentle like a whisper over her lips, teasing her until she trembled beneath his onslaught. She parted her lips, and their tongues danced.The band of his arm around her back tightened, and he drew her closer against him until her senses only absorbed him. The world seemed to fall away. Suddenly, they were on a bed made of feathers and she was naked before him. His mouth traced her skin with a reverence she found heartbreaking. The contrast of his dark red hair against her pale skin was somehow appealing. And as her back arched and she moaned with pleasure, her eyes closed. When she opened them again, he was leaning over her. No, something else was happening. She couldn’t tell what it was, but she liked it. And then, her body nearly screamed with ecstasy. She cried out, unable to keep quiet.There was a strange knocking sound that interrupted the intimacy of the moment.Chloe jerked awake, her breaths labored. She put a hand over her racing heart. She gasped, trying to get her breath under control. Her skin felt incredibly warm, and she could hardly believe how fanciful her mind had become.The knocking came again. She blinked and looked at the door dully for a moment. Then she realized someone was there. Chloe smoothed her hair and dress, and went to answer the door on legs that were leaden.The man who stood on the other side took her breath away. She blinked a bit, taken back for a second to the dream. She shook it off though, and tried to compose herself. “Yes?” she asked hoarsely.Gabriel frowned. “I came to fetch you for dinner. We’ll dine with my father, if you would like, this evening.”“Oh. Yes, that is fine.”He lifted a brow. “I thought I heard something just now. Did you fall?”She frowned. “What do you mean?”“You were yelling.”A hand covered her mouth. Had she been vocal with her dream? How embarrassing. “Oh, I did not realize so much time had passed. Truly, I did not. I was resting.”“Oui, but I heard—”“It was nothing. A dream.”He frowned. “A nightmare? Do you want to talk about it?”She shook her head. “I barely remember it.” That wasn’t likely to happen. She could hardly get those images out of her head as he stood before her. His presence made it impossible.“Well, I only want...I hope you are well.”“I am. I promise.” As he stood there with the lights from the passageway playing like highlights over his red hair, she wanted to step forward into his arms, to continue all of those wonderful things that had happened in that dream. It was not to be. Reality was a cruel reminder.
Author Bio:
Bestselling author of UPON YOUR RETURN and 18 other books. Finalist and Runner-up in the MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013. Top 50 Authors on AuthorsDB.com. Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.
Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for over twenty years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands.
At the tender age of nine, she began writing stories. Her imagination fueled a lot of her early child's play. Even growing up, she entered writing contests and received a certificate for achieving the second round in one. She majored in Creative Writing in college because that was all she ever wanted - to be a writer. While there, she published two works in a university publication, and was a copy editor on the staff of an online student journal. After graduating from college, she sought out her dream to publish a book.
Since then, Marie has published nineteen books. Marie Lavender's real love is writing romances, but she has also written mysteries, literary fiction and dabbled a little in paranormal stories. Most of her works have a romantic element involved in them. She just released Magick & Moonlight, a paranormal romance, in March. Upon Your Honor is her second historical romance. Feel free to visit her website athttp://marielavender.webs.com/ for further information about her books and her life. Marie is also on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
A list of her books and pen names are as follows:Marie Lavender: Upon Your Return; Magick & Moonlight; Upon Your HonorErica Sutherhome: Hard to Get; Memories; A Hint of Scandal; Without You; Strange Heat; Terror in the Night; Haunted; Pursuit; Perfect Game; A Touch of Dawn;Ransom; Leather and LaceKathryn Layne: A Misplaced LifeHeather Crouse: Express Café and Other Ramblings; Ramblings, Musings and Other Things; Soulful Ramblings and Other Worldly Things
Author Links:
http://www.marielavender.webs.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104926404745289477307/posts
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavenderhttp://www.amazon.com/Marie-Lavender/e/B00C10Q94I/
http://youtu.be/dLOteuscV04
May 5, 2014
Tuesday Tales - Free
Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week I`ll be sharing excerpts from my 2013 NaNoWriMo novel, Laco Law – The Gnarled Oak. Laco Law is an M/M historical western romance, set in the fictional county of Laco, Texas in 1867.
This week our word prompt 'Free’. In this excerpt Clayton and Zeke grow closer to finding Boyden.
A note for my readers: This is a gay romance novel, and so the romance that occurs is man on man. If this is not your cup of tea, no one will think less of you if you read no further.
As this is my NaNo work, it is quite rough. I do ask that you overlook any glaring mistakes you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!
We never made it to San Antonio proper. We happened across a small group of sheep grazing free alongside a furrow that used to be a creek. Now just a ribbon of water trickled along the baked rocks. When the two young men who were guarding the flock saw us, they rose to their feet, their faces drawn into worry as Dog began prodding the nervous herd forward. Zeke spoke to his companion in Tonkawa. The canine seemed unhappy to be called back from his herding exercise for his tail hung low and still. I called the boys over. I judged them to be no older than twelve. They were proper bookends, each a perfect copy of the other. Twins they were, both with copper hair, freckles, brown eyes, and gangly legs and arms.
Both lads stood silently, brown eyes locked on Hessie`s hooves as I spoke.
“Can you boys tell me where we can find the home of Caldwell Emerson?” I asked. The boy on the left jerked his head upward. His face went pallid under the freckles.
“No Sir,” the lad croaked after averting his sight from mine.
“Never heard of no such name, Sir” the second one said. I shifted in my seat. A spark of misgiving flared to life. When I glanced over at my deputy, his body said he could care less. His eyes told me he had picked up the same tingle of suspicion that I had. I leaned forward a bit, my forearms resting on the pommel of Hessie`s saddle. Neither boy could find it within himself to look me in the eye. I asked once more. The reply was the same. The rather large herd of sheep had moved off. Dog yipped. The herd moved as a whole to the left. One did not need a nose like Dog to smell the fright the young shepherds exuded. I thanked them for their cooperation. Off they went as fast as their legs could carry them, shepherd crooks in their hands.
“Never seen such young people out alone with a herd,” Zeke commented. I watched the two boys until the herd swallowed them up. The rambling white wave of wool dropped down into the creek bed and out of sight.
“Odd they weren`t armed,” I said. Hessie and Storm started nipping each other. Zeke shook his hat at my paint. The mare tried to bite the leather hat.
“She is foul-tempered,” he snarled as he ripped his hat from her big yellow teeth. She whinnied in triumph.
“That she is,” I murmured lost in thought. The sheep, and their apprehensive caretakers, had climbed out of the nearly dry creek bed. There was something out of the ordinary about this situation. Granted, some folks out here had children younger than twelve doing the work of a man. Life was a daily struggle to survive in Texas. But to send the young ones off into the wild where coyotes, rattlesnakes, catamounts, and warring Indians were commonplace was foolhardy to say the least. Sending boys out without a sidearm to defend the flock from predators, or themselves from a passing war party? That raised my misgivings to monumental levels.
“You want to trail them?” Zeke asked. Dog was on his feet in an instant, his one ear standing at attention as was his fluffy tail.
“It seems Dog wishes to do so,” I remarked. With a soft word from his master, Dog trotted off into the high grasses and wildflowers. Zeke and I turned our horses slowly.
“We`ll ride the outskirts, stay out of the boys sight. Dog will keep the sheep tight,” Zeke explained. I thought that was a less than stellar arrangement but bit my tongue. “They have to either return to a camp or the main house. I suspect this far out it will be a camp. Either way, by this evening we should have a clearer vision of what we face.”
My reply was a grumble. Another delay, more time wasted. It chafed me terribly.
“I know going slow is not your style,” he said. I shot a fast look at him. Zeke waggled a dark eyebrow. He did amuse me, but not now. Not when Boyden`s life could be in the balance. “Clayton, we must know what we face. This Emerson, he could have a small army guarding him and his . . . shepherds.”
“If Boyden is in pain while we . . .”
“Then you can lash out at me for delaying his rescue.”
I threw a glare at Ezekiel then tapped Hessie`s sides. There are times that a man does not wish to say that he knows that the cautious road is the best choice.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week with more from the old West!
This week our word prompt 'Free’. In this excerpt Clayton and Zeke grow closer to finding Boyden.
A note for my readers: This is a gay romance novel, and so the romance that occurs is man on man. If this is not your cup of tea, no one will think less of you if you read no further.
As this is my NaNo work, it is quite rough. I do ask that you overlook any glaring mistakes you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!
We never made it to San Antonio proper. We happened across a small group of sheep grazing free alongside a furrow that used to be a creek. Now just a ribbon of water trickled along the baked rocks. When the two young men who were guarding the flock saw us, they rose to their feet, their faces drawn into worry as Dog began prodding the nervous herd forward. Zeke spoke to his companion in Tonkawa. The canine seemed unhappy to be called back from his herding exercise for his tail hung low and still. I called the boys over. I judged them to be no older than twelve. They were proper bookends, each a perfect copy of the other. Twins they were, both with copper hair, freckles, brown eyes, and gangly legs and arms.
Both lads stood silently, brown eyes locked on Hessie`s hooves as I spoke.
“Can you boys tell me where we can find the home of Caldwell Emerson?” I asked. The boy on the left jerked his head upward. His face went pallid under the freckles.
“No Sir,” the lad croaked after averting his sight from mine.
“Never heard of no such name, Sir” the second one said. I shifted in my seat. A spark of misgiving flared to life. When I glanced over at my deputy, his body said he could care less. His eyes told me he had picked up the same tingle of suspicion that I had. I leaned forward a bit, my forearms resting on the pommel of Hessie`s saddle. Neither boy could find it within himself to look me in the eye. I asked once more. The reply was the same. The rather large herd of sheep had moved off. Dog yipped. The herd moved as a whole to the left. One did not need a nose like Dog to smell the fright the young shepherds exuded. I thanked them for their cooperation. Off they went as fast as their legs could carry them, shepherd crooks in their hands.
“Never seen such young people out alone with a herd,” Zeke commented. I watched the two boys until the herd swallowed them up. The rambling white wave of wool dropped down into the creek bed and out of sight.
“Odd they weren`t armed,” I said. Hessie and Storm started nipping each other. Zeke shook his hat at my paint. The mare tried to bite the leather hat.
“She is foul-tempered,” he snarled as he ripped his hat from her big yellow teeth. She whinnied in triumph.
“That she is,” I murmured lost in thought. The sheep, and their apprehensive caretakers, had climbed out of the nearly dry creek bed. There was something out of the ordinary about this situation. Granted, some folks out here had children younger than twelve doing the work of a man. Life was a daily struggle to survive in Texas. But to send the young ones off into the wild where coyotes, rattlesnakes, catamounts, and warring Indians were commonplace was foolhardy to say the least. Sending boys out without a sidearm to defend the flock from predators, or themselves from a passing war party? That raised my misgivings to monumental levels.
“You want to trail them?” Zeke asked. Dog was on his feet in an instant, his one ear standing at attention as was his fluffy tail.
“It seems Dog wishes to do so,” I remarked. With a soft word from his master, Dog trotted off into the high grasses and wildflowers. Zeke and I turned our horses slowly.
“We`ll ride the outskirts, stay out of the boys sight. Dog will keep the sheep tight,” Zeke explained. I thought that was a less than stellar arrangement but bit my tongue. “They have to either return to a camp or the main house. I suspect this far out it will be a camp. Either way, by this evening we should have a clearer vision of what we face.”
My reply was a grumble. Another delay, more time wasted. It chafed me terribly.
“I know going slow is not your style,” he said. I shot a fast look at him. Zeke waggled a dark eyebrow. He did amuse me, but not now. Not when Boyden`s life could be in the balance. “Clayton, we must know what we face. This Emerson, he could have a small army guarding him and his . . . shepherds.”
“If Boyden is in pain while we . . .”
“Then you can lash out at me for delaying his rescue.”
I threw a glare at Ezekiel then tapped Hessie`s sides. There are times that a man does not wish to say that he knows that the cautious road is the best choice.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week with more from the old West!
May 4, 2014
Decadent Kane Steele Your Soul Blog Tour
Readers/Fans Rafflecopter:1 X Captain Hook Killian Jones Necklace.1 X E- Copy of Steele Your Soul.
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Display Link:http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5150ee62/
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Presented by:
Title: Steele Your Soul
Series: The Trouble with Elves
Volume: 3
Author: Decadent Kane
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Audience: Adult
Formats: E-Book
Publisher: Breathless Press
Cover By: Fiona Jayde
Editor: Leona Bushman
Pages: 40 pages
ASIN: B00JX4UY9G
Date Published: April 24, 2014
When Pepper set out for the day, the last thing she expected was to come face to face with a pirate. But when she locks eyes with the Captain, she's ready to let him pillage or plunder whatever he wants. At least until his drow shipmate decided to steal her for himself.
Captain Joren Steele has a love for his ship, money, and females, usually in that order. When Pepper steps into his life, he's certain his love 'em and leave 'em status will remain intact. But when he discovers she's a victim of the drow, he has to make a choice. His ship or the elfess.
Barnes and Noble / Goodreads / Amazon
Pepper slammed into something solid. "Oaf." She fell on her rear and looked up.
Joren stood in front of her, tall, dark, and so hot.
"What are you doing, Tide?" His voice came out low.
Pepper peeked behind her. The drow had stopped.
"She's mine, pirate. Hand her over. You work for us. You have to do what I say."
Joren grinned. "Ye poxy bilge-sucker. I don't listen to ye. I help your king. He pays me to carry the cargo, not to hand over ladies to ye." His chest puffed out, and he set his legs apart, ready for a fight.
The drow didn't comment. Instead, he stepped over Pepper and slammed himself into Joren as he stomped off down the deck. Joren didn't budge or turn around to watch the elf go. His features softened, and he bent down on one knee in front of Pepper. Her heart skipped for an entirely new reason.
"Three saves in one day, me beauty. Ya owe me." He smiled and held out his rough hand to her.
She took it. "Three? I recall two. The crates and just now. Besides, I had the drow under control, so really, you saved me from the falling crates." She smoothed out her clothes and flipped her hair back. She should thank him, but he was so smug, looking over at her as if she was on the menu of his sexual dining experience.
Joren chuckled. A low sound, which lifted his shoulders. "Three, elfess." He pulled her grandmother's bag of spice from his front pocket and dropped it into her hands. He winked at her. "Iffin' ye had that drow under control, then what ye be doin' at me feet no more than a moment ago?"
Pepper raised an eyebrow. "You stepped in my way." She tucked the brown pouch into her pocket. She wanted off this wretched boat. She turned around and stormed away. The last thing she needed was to encourage a pirate. What did they do again? Oh, kill and loot, or pillage and plunder?
A hand spun her around by the elbow, and she found herself face-to-face with Joren and those blue eyes. He grabbed hold of her chin with his fingertips. "Wait a minute. I don't even get a thank you?" He frowned.
"Thanks." Pepper set her jaw.
"I be needin' something a little better than that. Tide will be back, and I will pay the brunt of saving your sweet little ass."
"What do you want?" She tried to break free, but he held fast.
"This." He bent over and claimed her lips with his own.
Youtube
Captain Joren Steele, pirate by trade, money lover, and swoon worthy. The kind of elf that makes an elfess scream out captain when pushed up against a wall in a shadowed corner. Always willing to save a damsel in distress, but never from himself. His 3 favorite things- His ship, money, and women. Usually in that order.
Title: Ribbon of DarknessSeries: The Trouble with Elves, #1
Author: Decadent Kane
Genre: Paranormal erotic romance
Audience: Adults
Formats: e-book only
Publisher: Breathless Press
ASIN: B00HA01FWA
Date Published: December 12, 2013
An old family secret draws Ribbon into an Elven world while Draven is forced to find a way to drag her back home to save Christmas magic.
Before Ribbon had a chance to get used to the idea of being an elf, she ran into Draven who's body jingled her bells. Unfortunately, he's the spy sent to haul her and her family back to the North Pole on Santa's orders.
Draven North has had one task for the last twenty-four years: find the Winters family and bring them home. He wasn't expecting their only daughter to deck his halls. No matter how hot and sassy he found his roguess, he had to take her back before the darkness devoured the Pole and Christmas magic along with it. But was it already too late?
Amazon / Goodreads / Smashwords / Barnes and Noble
Title: Tempting Clover
Series: The Trouble with Elves, #2
Author: Decadent Kane
Genre: Paranormal erotic romance
Audience: Adults
Formats: e-book only
Publisher: Breathless Press
Cover By: Fiona Jayde
Editor: Leona Bushman
Word Count: 19300 words
ISBN-13 : 978-1-77101-213-3
Date Published: 31 January, 2014
For two years, Clover has been at a goblin's beck and call. Two years of no orgasms. Until she heard a rumor the sage witch could help her break the goblin's curse. There's only a few minor details, like how would she find love on short notice and how deadly are nightshade berries?
Reed's life was simple, own a bar, walk to work, fight a little. He didn't expect to tangle with a wanton elfess who disappeared on him not once but twice. Let alone save her from a depraved goblin. He'd sworn off women like her for good, so why did he feel the need to protect her?
Amazon / Goodreads / Barnes and Noble
1 X Captain Hook Killian Jones Necklace. 1 X E- Copy of Steele Your Soul. a Rafflecopter giveaway
An elfess in human form, Decadent enjoys dipping her fingers into the human realm where she took pen to paper and began the tales of the trouble with elves. Her obsessions include reading, Dean Winchester, and honey.
She will devour your soul with glimpses of the feral ridden drow elves, with their dark skin and soul consuming. She'll sneak morsels of naughty thoughts to you via goblins, and seduce you into stepping inside the elven realm where females disappear when lust takes over among other elfish troubles.
Beware the sprites.
Follow the wisps.
But never look a drow elf king in the eyes...
Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Goodreads / Newsletter/ Amazon
Tour Schedule - One Week blog tour for Steel Your Soul, The Trouble with Elves #3 by Decadent Kane from May 5 to May 11, 2014 May 5 Bound 2 Escape - Spotlight with Excerpt http://www.bound2escape.com V.L. Locey - Erotic Romance Author - Spotlight with Excerpt http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/ Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom - Spotlight with Excerpt & Top Ten http://bookyramblingsofaneuroticmom.blogspot.co.uk/ The Avid Reader - Spotlight with Excerpt, Author Interview & Dream Cast http://the-avidreader.blogspot.com May 6 Coffe books & Art - Spotlight with Excerpt & Guest Post http://sarityahalomi.blogspot.com/ Indy Book Fairy - Spotlight with Excerpt http://paranormalbookfairy.blogspot.com/ A Cauldron of Books - Spotlight with Excerpt & Dream Cast http://acauldronofbooks.info May 7 Our New Generation for Reading - Spotlight with Excerpt http://jessica13bridgers.blogspot.com/?zx=6d9f048b0532a736 Bookaholics Blog - Spotlight with Excerpt & Dream Cast www.bookaholicsbloggers.blogspot.com Daydream Believer Book Blog - Spotlight with Excerpt & Dream Cast http://daydreambelieverbooks.blogspot.com Live Read and Breathe - Spotlight with Excerpt http://livereadbreathe.blogspot.ca/ Blushing Divas Book Reviews - Spotlight with Excerpt http://www.blushingdivasbookreviews.com May 8 MHZ Book Reviews and Giveaways - Spotlight with Excerpt http://mhzbookreviewsandgiveaways.blogspot.com/ Oh The Places I Go! - Character Interview http://torienjames.blogspot.com/ Angels with Attitude Book Reviews - Spotlight with Excerpt & Author Interview http://angelswithattitudebookreviews-joelle.blogspot.com The Idle Musings of a Writer's Mind - Spotlight with Excerpt http://theidlemusingsofawritersmind.blogspot.com May 9 Kathleen's Place to Reflect - Spotlight with Excerpt & Top Ten http://kathleensplacetoreflect.blogspot.com/?zx=4ec45fa22103cb95 Wicked Women Book Blog - Spotlight with Excerpt & Dream Cast https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wicked-Women-Book-Blog/217386075126777 Patricia D. Eddy - Spotlight with Excerpt & Guest Post http://www.pdeddy.com Becca Anne's Book Reviews - Spotlight with Excerpt & Dream Cast http://beccaannesbookreviews.blogspot.com May 10 Diane's Book Blog - Spotlight with Excerpt & Character Interview http://dianelynchbookreviews.blogspot.com/ Book Nook Nuts - Spotlight with Excerpt http://booknooknuts.blogspot.com/ Eclipse Reviews - Spotlight with Excerpt, Review & Dream Cast http://totaleclipsereviews.blogpsot.com Karen Swart - Spotlight with Excerpt, Review, Dream Cast &Top Ten http://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com Book Hostage - Spotlight with Excerpt & Author Interview http://bookhostage.wordpress.com/ May 11 Bibliophile Mystery - Spotlight with Excerpt http://bibliophilemystery.blogspot.ro/ Night Owl Reviews - Spotlight with Excerpt http://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Blog Bajgajka Loves Books And Giveaways - Spotlight with Excerpt, Dream Cast & Top Ten http://bajgajka.blogspot.com Darkest Cravings - Spotlight with Excerpt, Review, Dream Cast & Author Interview http://darkestcravings.blogspot.com
Embed Code:a Rafflecopter giveaway
Display Link:http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5150ee62/
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Presented by:
Title: Steele Your Soul Series: The Trouble with Elves
Volume: 3
Author: Decadent Kane
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Audience: Adult
Formats: E-Book
Publisher: Breathless Press
Cover By: Fiona Jayde
Editor: Leona Bushman
Pages: 40 pages
ASIN: B00JX4UY9G
Date Published: April 24, 2014
When Pepper set out for the day, the last thing she expected was to come face to face with a pirate. But when she locks eyes with the Captain, she's ready to let him pillage or plunder whatever he wants. At least until his drow shipmate decided to steal her for himself.
Captain Joren Steele has a love for his ship, money, and females, usually in that order. When Pepper steps into his life, he's certain his love 'em and leave 'em status will remain intact. But when he discovers she's a victim of the drow, he has to make a choice. His ship or the elfess.
Barnes and Noble / Goodreads / Amazon
Pepper slammed into something solid. "Oaf." She fell on her rear and looked up.
Joren stood in front of her, tall, dark, and so hot.
"What are you doing, Tide?" His voice came out low.
Pepper peeked behind her. The drow had stopped.
"She's mine, pirate. Hand her over. You work for us. You have to do what I say."
Joren grinned. "Ye poxy bilge-sucker. I don't listen to ye. I help your king. He pays me to carry the cargo, not to hand over ladies to ye." His chest puffed out, and he set his legs apart, ready for a fight.
The drow didn't comment. Instead, he stepped over Pepper and slammed himself into Joren as he stomped off down the deck. Joren didn't budge or turn around to watch the elf go. His features softened, and he bent down on one knee in front of Pepper. Her heart skipped for an entirely new reason.
"Three saves in one day, me beauty. Ya owe me." He smiled and held out his rough hand to her.
She took it. "Three? I recall two. The crates and just now. Besides, I had the drow under control, so really, you saved me from the falling crates." She smoothed out her clothes and flipped her hair back. She should thank him, but he was so smug, looking over at her as if she was on the menu of his sexual dining experience.
Joren chuckled. A low sound, which lifted his shoulders. "Three, elfess." He pulled her grandmother's bag of spice from his front pocket and dropped it into her hands. He winked at her. "Iffin' ye had that drow under control, then what ye be doin' at me feet no more than a moment ago?"
Pepper raised an eyebrow. "You stepped in my way." She tucked the brown pouch into her pocket. She wanted off this wretched boat. She turned around and stormed away. The last thing she needed was to encourage a pirate. What did they do again? Oh, kill and loot, or pillage and plunder?
A hand spun her around by the elbow, and she found herself face-to-face with Joren and those blue eyes. He grabbed hold of her chin with his fingertips. "Wait a minute. I don't even get a thank you?" He frowned.
"Thanks." Pepper set her jaw.
"I be needin' something a little better than that. Tide will be back, and I will pay the brunt of saving your sweet little ass."
"What do you want?" She tried to break free, but he held fast.
"This." He bent over and claimed her lips with his own.
Youtube
Captain Joren Steele, pirate by trade, money lover, and swoon worthy. The kind of elf that makes an elfess scream out captain when pushed up against a wall in a shadowed corner. Always willing to save a damsel in distress, but never from himself. His 3 favorite things- His ship, money, and women. Usually in that order.
Title: Ribbon of DarknessSeries: The Trouble with Elves, #1
Author: Decadent Kane
Genre: Paranormal erotic romance
Audience: Adults
Formats: e-book only
Publisher: Breathless Press
ASIN: B00HA01FWA
Date Published: December 12, 2013
An old family secret draws Ribbon into an Elven world while Draven is forced to find a way to drag her back home to save Christmas magic.
Before Ribbon had a chance to get used to the idea of being an elf, she ran into Draven who's body jingled her bells. Unfortunately, he's the spy sent to haul her and her family back to the North Pole on Santa's orders.
Draven North has had one task for the last twenty-four years: find the Winters family and bring them home. He wasn't expecting their only daughter to deck his halls. No matter how hot and sassy he found his roguess, he had to take her back before the darkness devoured the Pole and Christmas magic along with it. But was it already too late?
Amazon / Goodreads / Smashwords / Barnes and Noble
Title: Tempting CloverSeries: The Trouble with Elves, #2
Author: Decadent Kane
Genre: Paranormal erotic romance
Audience: Adults
Formats: e-book only
Publisher: Breathless Press
Cover By: Fiona Jayde
Editor: Leona Bushman
Word Count: 19300 words
ISBN-13 : 978-1-77101-213-3
Date Published: 31 January, 2014
For two years, Clover has been at a goblin's beck and call. Two years of no orgasms. Until she heard a rumor the sage witch could help her break the goblin's curse. There's only a few minor details, like how would she find love on short notice and how deadly are nightshade berries? Reed's life was simple, own a bar, walk to work, fight a little. He didn't expect to tangle with a wanton elfess who disappeared on him not once but twice. Let alone save her from a depraved goblin. He'd sworn off women like her for good, so why did he feel the need to protect her?
Amazon / Goodreads / Barnes and Noble
1 X Captain Hook Killian Jones Necklace. 1 X E- Copy of Steele Your Soul. a Rafflecopter giveaway
An elfess in human form, Decadent enjoys dipping her fingers into the human realm where she took pen to paper and began the tales of the trouble with elves. Her obsessions include reading, Dean Winchester, and honey. She will devour your soul with glimpses of the feral ridden drow elves, with their dark skin and soul consuming. She'll sneak morsels of naughty thoughts to you via goblins, and seduce you into stepping inside the elven realm where females disappear when lust takes over among other elfish troubles.
Beware the sprites.
Follow the wisps.
But never look a drow elf king in the eyes...
Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Goodreads / Newsletter/ Amazon
Tour Schedule - One Week blog tour for Steel Your Soul, The Trouble with Elves #3 by Decadent Kane from May 5 to May 11, 2014 May 5 Bound 2 Escape - Spotlight with Excerpt http://www.bound2escape.com V.L. Locey - Erotic Romance Author - Spotlight with Excerpt http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/ Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom - Spotlight with Excerpt & Top Ten http://bookyramblingsofaneuroticmom.blogspot.co.uk/ The Avid Reader - Spotlight with Excerpt, Author Interview & Dream Cast http://the-avidreader.blogspot.com May 6 Coffe books & Art - Spotlight with Excerpt & Guest Post http://sarityahalomi.blogspot.com/ Indy Book Fairy - Spotlight with Excerpt http://paranormalbookfairy.blogspot.com/ A Cauldron of Books - Spotlight with Excerpt & Dream Cast http://acauldronofbooks.info May 7 Our New Generation for Reading - Spotlight with Excerpt http://jessica13bridgers.blogspot.com/?zx=6d9f048b0532a736 Bookaholics Blog - Spotlight with Excerpt & Dream Cast www.bookaholicsbloggers.blogspot.com Daydream Believer Book Blog - Spotlight with Excerpt & Dream Cast http://daydreambelieverbooks.blogspot.com Live Read and Breathe - Spotlight with Excerpt http://livereadbreathe.blogspot.ca/ Blushing Divas Book Reviews - Spotlight with Excerpt http://www.blushingdivasbookreviews.com May 8 MHZ Book Reviews and Giveaways - Spotlight with Excerpt http://mhzbookreviewsandgiveaways.blogspot.com/ Oh The Places I Go! - Character Interview http://torienjames.blogspot.com/ Angels with Attitude Book Reviews - Spotlight with Excerpt & Author Interview http://angelswithattitudebookreviews-joelle.blogspot.com The Idle Musings of a Writer's Mind - Spotlight with Excerpt http://theidlemusingsofawritersmind.blogspot.com May 9 Kathleen's Place to Reflect - Spotlight with Excerpt & Top Ten http://kathleensplacetoreflect.blogspot.com/?zx=4ec45fa22103cb95 Wicked Women Book Blog - Spotlight with Excerpt & Dream Cast https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wicked-Women-Book-Blog/217386075126777 Patricia D. Eddy - Spotlight with Excerpt & Guest Post http://www.pdeddy.com Becca Anne's Book Reviews - Spotlight with Excerpt & Dream Cast http://beccaannesbookreviews.blogspot.com May 10 Diane's Book Blog - Spotlight with Excerpt & Character Interview http://dianelynchbookreviews.blogspot.com/ Book Nook Nuts - Spotlight with Excerpt http://booknooknuts.blogspot.com/ Eclipse Reviews - Spotlight with Excerpt, Review & Dream Cast http://totaleclipsereviews.blogpsot.com Karen Swart - Spotlight with Excerpt, Review, Dream Cast &Top Ten http://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com Book Hostage - Spotlight with Excerpt & Author Interview http://bookhostage.wordpress.com/ May 11 Bibliophile Mystery - Spotlight with Excerpt http://bibliophilemystery.blogspot.ro/ Night Owl Reviews - Spotlight with Excerpt http://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Blog Bajgajka Loves Books And Giveaways - Spotlight with Excerpt, Dream Cast & Top Ten http://bajgajka.blogspot.com Darkest Cravings - Spotlight with Excerpt, Review, Dream Cast & Author Interview http://darkestcravings.blogspot.com
May 3, 2014
Sneak Peek Sunday
Here`s a fun way to discover possible new reads. Just hop from one blog to the next for six paragraphs from that author`s current WIP or published work! This week I`ll be sharing something extra special. Six more paragraphs from my M/M hockey romance Two Man Advantage. The response to last weeks peek was so overwhelming, I had to bring you readers a bit more of Victor and Dan`s romance.
Look for Two Man Advantage to be released sometime later this year as a stand alone novella. My idea of a collection has fallen by the wayside. Which is good for my readers because they won`t have to wait for me to finish then collect all those stories! The cover art is done for Two Man Advantage, and it is now in the hands of my most trusted hockey guru/beta reader.
This novella contains one of my favorite gay leading men, the highly abrasive Victor Kalinski. Be warned folks, there is really bad language in this excerpt. These are hockey players, not monks. So even if you clicked past the mature content warning and have gotten this far, if you are upset by dirty words, now is the time to leave. No one will think less of you. Also this is a gay romance. If that`s not your cup of tea, please feel free to move along to the next sneak peek. I will not be offended.
Since this is a rough draft, you may stumble across some errors. I do apologize about any mistakes anyone may find.
Don`t forget to check out the other Sunday Sneak Peeks!
Sunday Sneak Peeks
*~*
His handsome face screwed up in rage. “Man, I can`t believe you!” he hissed, his gloved hands flying around wildly. “You and me spend all night in bed, then when I touch you the following morning you act like I`m some sort of walking syphilis sore!” I threw a fast look around the stadium. No one could be seen. “Okay, for starters, you need to calm the fuck down,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “I don`t think either of us are ready to pull a Ryan Amirault.”
Ryan Amirault was the premier goalie in the minors who had come out in a big way after winning the championship with the Harrison Hawks last year. As one of the B people in LGBT, I was thrilled to see Amirault and his partner step out of the closet. What that move meant for him remained to be seen. He was still in the minors. Why and how I did not know, but I wasn`t taking the chance of having my career ruined by one person overhearing this fucking Degrassi-styled spat. Dan glowered but his lips compressed. I leaned my hip into the boards. He remained rigid, only moving to pass his weight from one skate to another.
“Now, why are you being such a bitch about this?” I asked. He shoved me to my ass. I sat there gaping up at the rugged little runt. I was torn between getting up and punching him in the face or taking him back to our hotel room to fuck him again. “That a bitch move?” he barked, crouching down to stare into my eyes. “I might be gay, but I am not a pussy. I will whip your ass if you say I`m a bitch again.”
“Fucking A,” I grumbled as I got to my skates. Dan lifted his chin. I towered over the man and yet he was not intimidated. I really liked that he didn`t take my shit. Most people did. Fucking him right here on the ice would be so hot. “My bad,” I mumbled, making a lunge for him. He met the move with an elbow to the mouth. My bottom lip split. Blood filled my mouth. My balls felt heavier. “You are a fucking lunatic,” I said then spat a mouthful of blood to the ice.
“Remember that. I don`t take being treated like a whore. Now, you going to be yourself tonight when we get back to the hotel, or are you going to be a human being? I will not be treated like I`m just a fucking orifice, Kalinski,” Dan snarled. I nodded. “Yes, you`re going to be a douche, or yes, you`re going to treat me like the man you want to share a room with?”
“The second,” I said softly, my pride rebelling loudly. “Good. You`re bottoming tonight,” he announced before skating away. Okay, how the fuck did I just get ranked down to bottom? And why the hell was I so aroused by the thought?
*~*
Looking for more M/M hockey romance? Check out Heir Apparent in Seduced by the Game:
Seduced by the Game
Or you can grab a copy of Goaltender`s Penalty, which contains the story of the above mentioned Ryan Amirault.
Goaltender`s Penalty
Look for Two Man Advantage to be released sometime later this year as a stand alone novella. My idea of a collection has fallen by the wayside. Which is good for my readers because they won`t have to wait for me to finish then collect all those stories! The cover art is done for Two Man Advantage, and it is now in the hands of my most trusted hockey guru/beta reader.
This novella contains one of my favorite gay leading men, the highly abrasive Victor Kalinski. Be warned folks, there is really bad language in this excerpt. These are hockey players, not monks. So even if you clicked past the mature content warning and have gotten this far, if you are upset by dirty words, now is the time to leave. No one will think less of you. Also this is a gay romance. If that`s not your cup of tea, please feel free to move along to the next sneak peek. I will not be offended.
Since this is a rough draft, you may stumble across some errors. I do apologize about any mistakes anyone may find.
Don`t forget to check out the other Sunday Sneak Peeks!
Sunday Sneak Peeks
*~*
His handsome face screwed up in rage. “Man, I can`t believe you!” he hissed, his gloved hands flying around wildly. “You and me spend all night in bed, then when I touch you the following morning you act like I`m some sort of walking syphilis sore!” I threw a fast look around the stadium. No one could be seen. “Okay, for starters, you need to calm the fuck down,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “I don`t think either of us are ready to pull a Ryan Amirault.”
Ryan Amirault was the premier goalie in the minors who had come out in a big way after winning the championship with the Harrison Hawks last year. As one of the B people in LGBT, I was thrilled to see Amirault and his partner step out of the closet. What that move meant for him remained to be seen. He was still in the minors. Why and how I did not know, but I wasn`t taking the chance of having my career ruined by one person overhearing this fucking Degrassi-styled spat. Dan glowered but his lips compressed. I leaned my hip into the boards. He remained rigid, only moving to pass his weight from one skate to another.
“Now, why are you being such a bitch about this?” I asked. He shoved me to my ass. I sat there gaping up at the rugged little runt. I was torn between getting up and punching him in the face or taking him back to our hotel room to fuck him again. “That a bitch move?” he barked, crouching down to stare into my eyes. “I might be gay, but I am not a pussy. I will whip your ass if you say I`m a bitch again.”
“Fucking A,” I grumbled as I got to my skates. Dan lifted his chin. I towered over the man and yet he was not intimidated. I really liked that he didn`t take my shit. Most people did. Fucking him right here on the ice would be so hot. “My bad,” I mumbled, making a lunge for him. He met the move with an elbow to the mouth. My bottom lip split. Blood filled my mouth. My balls felt heavier. “You are a fucking lunatic,” I said then spat a mouthful of blood to the ice.
“Remember that. I don`t take being treated like a whore. Now, you going to be yourself tonight when we get back to the hotel, or are you going to be a human being? I will not be treated like I`m just a fucking orifice, Kalinski,” Dan snarled. I nodded. “Yes, you`re going to be a douche, or yes, you`re going to treat me like the man you want to share a room with?”
“The second,” I said softly, my pride rebelling loudly. “Good. You`re bottoming tonight,” he announced before skating away. Okay, how the fuck did I just get ranked down to bottom? And why the hell was I so aroused by the thought?
*~*
Looking for more M/M hockey romance? Check out Heir Apparent in Seduced by the Game:
Seduced by the Game
Or you can grab a copy of Goaltender`s Penalty, which contains the story of the above mentioned Ryan Amirault.
Goaltender`s Penalty
May 2, 2014
Tamara Hoffa Drops By!
Please welcome the lovely Tamara Hoffa! She`s here to share some info on her new release, Fetching Love.
*~*
Some dreams take years to come true...
As a fourteen year old, Megan Malone thought Chad Ryan hung the moon, but the boy of her dreams was already a man. Chad left town for seven years. Now he’s back. He’s the new veterinarian in town and he’s working for her dad, in the Animal clinic that she manages. Never mate a dog from your own kennel, so the saying goes, but…
Chad Ryan is a dog. The skinny little girl who used to trail after him like a lost puppy, is now a beautiful woman. He has no business even noticing. On the heels of a failed relationship, and the beginning of his career, there is no time for love in his life.
A matchmaking mom and dad, a boisterous yellow lab and fate have different plans. When it’s dropped in their path, no dog can resist Fetching Love.
Excerpt 1
The back door swung open and Chase sauntered in. “Hi, Ma. It smells great in here.” He snatched a slice of tomato from the board in front of her and she slapped at his hand. “Get out of that, you. The tomatoes are for the sauce.”“You’re making sauce and Sam and I didn’t get an invite for dinner?” He gave her his best puppy dog face.“We’re having Megan and Doc over for dinner,” Chad interjected before his mother could speak.“I’m making plenty. I’ll send some home with you and you can make my Samantha some nice spaghetti for dinner.”Chase looked crestfallen. “Aww, come on Ma. You know I hate to cook.”“Yes, I know, but Sam has been working too hard and she is big as a house. It’s the least you can do for her. All you have to do is boil up some noodles.”“I’m telling her you said she was big as a house,” he teased.
Wiping her hands on her apron she placed her hands on her hips and gave her middle son the stare. Chad turned back to his tomatoes so he didn’t get caught in the crossfire. “I beg your pardon, young man. Did you just threaten your mother?”Chad struggled to keep a straight face, laughing now would earn him a smack in the head, but it was so funny to see his itty bitty mother squaring off with her six foot plus son. Watching out of the corner of his eye he saw Chase drop his head and mutter, “No, ma’am. I was only teasing.”Chad bit his cheek and continued to peel tomatoes. “Shoo, you two. Get out of my kitchen. Go eat your lunch in the living room.” She took the knife from Chad’s hand and pushed him toward the door.
He grabbed the bag of food from the table. “Grab us a couple beers, Chase,” he tossed over his shoulder as he exited the room.They settled themselves on the sofa and Chad pulled the sandwiches and chips from the bag, along with some napkins. “I got you roast beef. That okay?”“It’s great. So, how’s the new job going?”They made small talk while they ate. Catching up on the goings on of the ranch and local gossip. When they had finished their sandwiches Chase sat back on the couch, took a long sip of his beer and leveled his gaze on Chad. “Okay, spill. I can tell you have something on your mind, so quit pussy footing around and let me have it.”
“I never could get away with anything around here. I swear, between you, Chance and Ma, a man doesn’t stand a chance.”“Quit stalling.”“Okay, okay. Well, you remember Doc’s daughter, Megan?”“How could I forget? That poor girl had such a crush on you. She followed you around like a little puppy. Oh, no. She’s not still trailing after you, is she?”“I wish,” Chad muttered.Chase stuck a finger in his ear and wiggled it. “Did I just hear you right? You want little Megs following you around?”“Obviously you haven’t seen little Megs in a while. She’s not so little anymore. In fact, she’s a stone fox.”
“Seriously? So, what’s the problem?”“I don’t know what to do. She runs the All About Animals office now, we work together. I know I shouldn’t pursue her, but I can’t get her out of my mind.”“Is she still stuck on you?”“I really don’t know. She always acts very professionally, but every once in a while I think I catch her watching me.”“So, ask her out. The worst she can do is say ‘no’”“No, that’s not the worst she could do. We work together. What if it doesn’t work out?”“What if it does? Are you really such a chicken shit that you’re willing to ignore your feelings for this girl because of a maybe?”“I don’t know. Julie really—”Chase interrupted. “Screw Julie.”
“Been there. Done that. Got the broken heart to prove it.”“So you are a pussy. You’re going to let that gold-digging bitch dictate your actions for the rest of your life?”“No, of course not. I’m just wary. I thought she was the one and she wasn’t at all who I thought she was. What if I’m wrong again? What if Megan doesn’t even want to go out with me?”
“You’ll never know if you don’t ask, but the way that girl mooned after you in high school, I can’t imagine her saying no.” He paused and sat forward on the couch. “Seriously Chad. Samantha is the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life. I want that for you too. Take a chance. Ask the girl out and see where it goes from there. You’re both adults now. If it doesn’t end up being a forever romance, it doesn’t mean you can’t still work together. Hell, I’m still friends with a lot of the women I dated before I met Sam. Even if it ends, it doesn’t have to end badly. As long as you don’t do something stupid and screw around on her or some shit like that.”
“You know I would never do that.”“Yes, I know and I don’t think Megan would either. I’ll admit I haven’t seen her in a while, but you know how gossip is in this town and there have been no rumors about Megan. I don’t think I’ve ever even heard about her dating anyone. So if she has, it couldn’t have been serious or it would have made the grapevine.” “That’s for sure. I think everyone in town knew the day you took Sam to your little league game. I heard about it all the way in Knoxville,” Chad said with a laugh.The look on Chase’s face made the decision for him. His brother’s face practically glowed with love and contentment. Chad wanted that for himself. He needed to man up and take the chance. Megan was worth it. He would ask her out tonight.
*~*
Excerpt 2
As Carolyn rose and began to clear the table, Chad turned to her. “Would you like to take a walk and let dinner settle a little before we have coffee and dessert?”She glanced at her father and he nodded slightly, giving his silent consent. “I’d love to.”Chad rose from the table and pulled back her chair. He was such a gentleman. He extended his hand and she placed hers in it, loving the feel of his calloused palm against her smooth skin.
The sun had set while they were eating and stars twinkled in the clear night sky. That was one of the advantages of living in the country, no city lights to dull the beauty of the stars. Megan took a deep breath and the scent of pine and hay tickled her nose, along with a hint of Chad’s spicy cologne. They walked down the porch steps and Chad put his arm around her shoulders. She stopped and looked up into his face. “Okay, what the hell is going on, Chad? You’re acting really strange tonight. What’s with all the touching?”
Chad pulled her around the corner of the house and stopped. He framed her face with his hands and leaned in to brush his lips across hers. Megan stiffened for a moment and then allowed herself to melt against him. His thumbs brushed across her cheekbones and his hands slid into her hair as he gently made love to her mouth. His lips were so soft as he pressed tender kisses to the corner of her lips and then swept his tongue along her lower lip. She opened to him and he deepened the kiss, gently sweeping the inside of her mouth and causing a sigh to escape her lips. Her arms crept around his shoulders and she leaned into his body, the brush of her breasts against his hard chest a delicious torture.
He pulled back from the kiss slightly, nibbling her lips and then planting small kisses down her cheek to the crook of her neck. He inhaled and held her close for a moment, before leaning back and looking deeply into her eyes. “I’m tired of fighting my attraction for you. You make me crazy. Do you feel it too?”“You know I do, Chad.” She laughed. “I was going to make a play for you tonight and see if you were really interested or if I was just imagining it.”
“Great minds think alike,” he said with a quick hard kiss to her lips. “So, will you go out with me then?”“On a real date? Like a, get dressed up and go somewhere nice, kinda date?”“Yep. I’ll take you anywhere you like. Maybe you could wear a dress for me and I could get a glimpse of those sexy legs of yours I’ve been dreaming about being wrapped around my waist.”Megan slapped his arm and blushed to the tip of her toes. “I don’t think I own a dress, and I don’t have sexy legs. I have chicken legs.”
Chad smacked her ass. “Cut it out. I love your body and I won’t have you insulting my taste.”Megan raised an eyebrow. “You love my body?” she asked shyly. “You don’t think I’m too skinny and…” She waved a hand over her chest. “Small.”He slid his hands from her waist to cup her breasts. “More than a mouthful is a waste,” he said, stealing another kiss. “And I think you are just perfect.”
Megan felt her heart swell with…dare she even think it, love. Hell yeah. Of course it was love. She’d been in love with him since she was fourteen years old. God, I hope I don’t get my heart broken.“We better get back inside before your dad eats all the cheesecake.”“Cheesecake? Damn, let’s go,” she said as she tugged him toward the front door.
*~*
Buy links:
Secret cravings Publishing - http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=860
Bio Tamara Hoffa lives in central Tennessee, with her husband of 30 years, her three grown children, two grandchildren, 4 dogs and 2 cats. Tamara started reading when she was four years old and has rarely been seen without a book at hand since. At home you will usually find her in “nana’s chair” with her kindle, her laptop or one of her precious, precocious grandson’s in her lap. Tamara is an author, a reviewer, an editor, a professional reader and runs the SSLY blog with her best friend of thirty years, Beverly Ovalle. Tamara is proof positive that it’s never too late to reach for your dreams.
Contact Links:
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTamaraHoffa
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/TamaraHoffa
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6537898.Tamara_Hoffa
Blog: http://sslyblog.wordpress.com/
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/tamarahoffa/Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tamara-Hoffa/e/B009FG9PCE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1398090026&sr=1-1Goggle + https://plus.google.com/u/0/100155539737780435355/posts
Other books by TamaraHeart of a SoldierRoping LoveA Special Kind of Love
*~*
Some dreams take years to come true...
As a fourteen year old, Megan Malone thought Chad Ryan hung the moon, but the boy of her dreams was already a man. Chad left town for seven years. Now he’s back. He’s the new veterinarian in town and he’s working for her dad, in the Animal clinic that she manages. Never mate a dog from your own kennel, so the saying goes, but…
Chad Ryan is a dog. The skinny little girl who used to trail after him like a lost puppy, is now a beautiful woman. He has no business even noticing. On the heels of a failed relationship, and the beginning of his career, there is no time for love in his life.
A matchmaking mom and dad, a boisterous yellow lab and fate have different plans. When it’s dropped in their path, no dog can resist Fetching Love.
Excerpt 1
The back door swung open and Chase sauntered in. “Hi, Ma. It smells great in here.” He snatched a slice of tomato from the board in front of her and she slapped at his hand. “Get out of that, you. The tomatoes are for the sauce.”“You’re making sauce and Sam and I didn’t get an invite for dinner?” He gave her his best puppy dog face.“We’re having Megan and Doc over for dinner,” Chad interjected before his mother could speak.“I’m making plenty. I’ll send some home with you and you can make my Samantha some nice spaghetti for dinner.”Chase looked crestfallen. “Aww, come on Ma. You know I hate to cook.”“Yes, I know, but Sam has been working too hard and she is big as a house. It’s the least you can do for her. All you have to do is boil up some noodles.”“I’m telling her you said she was big as a house,” he teased.
Wiping her hands on her apron she placed her hands on her hips and gave her middle son the stare. Chad turned back to his tomatoes so he didn’t get caught in the crossfire. “I beg your pardon, young man. Did you just threaten your mother?”Chad struggled to keep a straight face, laughing now would earn him a smack in the head, but it was so funny to see his itty bitty mother squaring off with her six foot plus son. Watching out of the corner of his eye he saw Chase drop his head and mutter, “No, ma’am. I was only teasing.”Chad bit his cheek and continued to peel tomatoes. “Shoo, you two. Get out of my kitchen. Go eat your lunch in the living room.” She took the knife from Chad’s hand and pushed him toward the door.
He grabbed the bag of food from the table. “Grab us a couple beers, Chase,” he tossed over his shoulder as he exited the room.They settled themselves on the sofa and Chad pulled the sandwiches and chips from the bag, along with some napkins. “I got you roast beef. That okay?”“It’s great. So, how’s the new job going?”They made small talk while they ate. Catching up on the goings on of the ranch and local gossip. When they had finished their sandwiches Chase sat back on the couch, took a long sip of his beer and leveled his gaze on Chad. “Okay, spill. I can tell you have something on your mind, so quit pussy footing around and let me have it.”
“I never could get away with anything around here. I swear, between you, Chance and Ma, a man doesn’t stand a chance.”“Quit stalling.”“Okay, okay. Well, you remember Doc’s daughter, Megan?”“How could I forget? That poor girl had such a crush on you. She followed you around like a little puppy. Oh, no. She’s not still trailing after you, is she?”“I wish,” Chad muttered.Chase stuck a finger in his ear and wiggled it. “Did I just hear you right? You want little Megs following you around?”“Obviously you haven’t seen little Megs in a while. She’s not so little anymore. In fact, she’s a stone fox.”
“Seriously? So, what’s the problem?”“I don’t know what to do. She runs the All About Animals office now, we work together. I know I shouldn’t pursue her, but I can’t get her out of my mind.”“Is she still stuck on you?”“I really don’t know. She always acts very professionally, but every once in a while I think I catch her watching me.”“So, ask her out. The worst she can do is say ‘no’”“No, that’s not the worst she could do. We work together. What if it doesn’t work out?”“What if it does? Are you really such a chicken shit that you’re willing to ignore your feelings for this girl because of a maybe?”“I don’t know. Julie really—”Chase interrupted. “Screw Julie.”
“Been there. Done that. Got the broken heart to prove it.”“So you are a pussy. You’re going to let that gold-digging bitch dictate your actions for the rest of your life?”“No, of course not. I’m just wary. I thought she was the one and she wasn’t at all who I thought she was. What if I’m wrong again? What if Megan doesn’t even want to go out with me?”
“You’ll never know if you don’t ask, but the way that girl mooned after you in high school, I can’t imagine her saying no.” He paused and sat forward on the couch. “Seriously Chad. Samantha is the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life. I want that for you too. Take a chance. Ask the girl out and see where it goes from there. You’re both adults now. If it doesn’t end up being a forever romance, it doesn’t mean you can’t still work together. Hell, I’m still friends with a lot of the women I dated before I met Sam. Even if it ends, it doesn’t have to end badly. As long as you don’t do something stupid and screw around on her or some shit like that.”
“You know I would never do that.”“Yes, I know and I don’t think Megan would either. I’ll admit I haven’t seen her in a while, but you know how gossip is in this town and there have been no rumors about Megan. I don’t think I’ve ever even heard about her dating anyone. So if she has, it couldn’t have been serious or it would have made the grapevine.” “That’s for sure. I think everyone in town knew the day you took Sam to your little league game. I heard about it all the way in Knoxville,” Chad said with a laugh.The look on Chase’s face made the decision for him. His brother’s face practically glowed with love and contentment. Chad wanted that for himself. He needed to man up and take the chance. Megan was worth it. He would ask her out tonight.
*~*
Excerpt 2
As Carolyn rose and began to clear the table, Chad turned to her. “Would you like to take a walk and let dinner settle a little before we have coffee and dessert?”She glanced at her father and he nodded slightly, giving his silent consent. “I’d love to.”Chad rose from the table and pulled back her chair. He was such a gentleman. He extended his hand and she placed hers in it, loving the feel of his calloused palm against her smooth skin.
The sun had set while they were eating and stars twinkled in the clear night sky. That was one of the advantages of living in the country, no city lights to dull the beauty of the stars. Megan took a deep breath and the scent of pine and hay tickled her nose, along with a hint of Chad’s spicy cologne. They walked down the porch steps and Chad put his arm around her shoulders. She stopped and looked up into his face. “Okay, what the hell is going on, Chad? You’re acting really strange tonight. What’s with all the touching?”
Chad pulled her around the corner of the house and stopped. He framed her face with his hands and leaned in to brush his lips across hers. Megan stiffened for a moment and then allowed herself to melt against him. His thumbs brushed across her cheekbones and his hands slid into her hair as he gently made love to her mouth. His lips were so soft as he pressed tender kisses to the corner of her lips and then swept his tongue along her lower lip. She opened to him and he deepened the kiss, gently sweeping the inside of her mouth and causing a sigh to escape her lips. Her arms crept around his shoulders and she leaned into his body, the brush of her breasts against his hard chest a delicious torture.
He pulled back from the kiss slightly, nibbling her lips and then planting small kisses down her cheek to the crook of her neck. He inhaled and held her close for a moment, before leaning back and looking deeply into her eyes. “I’m tired of fighting my attraction for you. You make me crazy. Do you feel it too?”“You know I do, Chad.” She laughed. “I was going to make a play for you tonight and see if you were really interested or if I was just imagining it.”
“Great minds think alike,” he said with a quick hard kiss to her lips. “So, will you go out with me then?”“On a real date? Like a, get dressed up and go somewhere nice, kinda date?”“Yep. I’ll take you anywhere you like. Maybe you could wear a dress for me and I could get a glimpse of those sexy legs of yours I’ve been dreaming about being wrapped around my waist.”Megan slapped his arm and blushed to the tip of her toes. “I don’t think I own a dress, and I don’t have sexy legs. I have chicken legs.”
Chad smacked her ass. “Cut it out. I love your body and I won’t have you insulting my taste.”Megan raised an eyebrow. “You love my body?” she asked shyly. “You don’t think I’m too skinny and…” She waved a hand over her chest. “Small.”He slid his hands from her waist to cup her breasts. “More than a mouthful is a waste,” he said, stealing another kiss. “And I think you are just perfect.”
Megan felt her heart swell with…dare she even think it, love. Hell yeah. Of course it was love. She’d been in love with him since she was fourteen years old. God, I hope I don’t get my heart broken.“We better get back inside before your dad eats all the cheesecake.”“Cheesecake? Damn, let’s go,” she said as she tugged him toward the front door.
*~*
Buy links:
Secret cravings Publishing - http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=860
Bio Tamara Hoffa lives in central Tennessee, with her husband of 30 years, her three grown children, two grandchildren, 4 dogs and 2 cats. Tamara started reading when she was four years old and has rarely been seen without a book at hand since. At home you will usually find her in “nana’s chair” with her kindle, her laptop or one of her precious, precocious grandson’s in her lap. Tamara is an author, a reviewer, an editor, a professional reader and runs the SSLY blog with her best friend of thirty years, Beverly Ovalle. Tamara is proof positive that it’s never too late to reach for your dreams.
Contact Links:
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTamaraHoffa
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/TamaraHoffa
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6537898.Tamara_Hoffa
Blog: http://sslyblog.wordpress.com/
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/tamarahoffa/Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tamara-Hoffa/e/B009FG9PCE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1398090026&sr=1-1Goggle + https://plus.google.com/u/0/100155539737780435355/posts
Other books by TamaraHeart of a SoldierRoping LoveA Special Kind of Love
May 1, 2014
Secret Cravings Contemporary Blog Hop - Free Book Giveaway!
Hi and welcome to my little corner of the interweb. My name is V.L. Locey, and I`m a multigenre erotic romance author. I`m also a new Secret Cravings author, as my first release with SCP was in January. Before we get chatting, I want to remind everyone to return to the SCP main blog after visiting here so you can find links to other author`s blogs. There are lots of great prizes to be won, so make sure you drop by each participating blog!
Secret Cravings Blog
Being a multigenre author is great! Since I have a muse that likes to leap from one topic to another as her mood dictates, not being bound to one style or kind of storyline is a real boon for me. I can write a story about gay lovers during a zombie apocalypse, jump into a story about shapeshifters, or tell a spicy tale about hockey players and the women that love them. Ah, hockey players. I do admire them so. What`s not to love?
Contrary to popular belief not all hockey players are toothless primates, only capable of hitting each other in the face with a fist or a stick. Sure, it is a rough sport, and fights do break out on occasion. But many pro players are college educated men who excel in music, public speaking, fashion, philanthropic causes, and supporting the community they live and play in. Gone are the days of goons trolling the ice just itching for a fight. Well, most of those type of players are now gone. Today professional ice hockey is about skill, speed, and puck handling with the occasional extra-curricular thrown in.
I just adore the game. The fact that there are such handsome men in the NHL is just an added bonus. From college games through the minors, women`s teams to the pros, I am a hockey nut. What sports to you follow, if any? Who is your favorite team and/or player? Tell me about your fandom, or lack thereof, in the comment section.
Everyone who comments will have their names put into a drawing to win a free copy of Pink Pucks & Power Plays. I will choose twowinners!
If you like your novels thick with humor, sex, big strong men on skates, and lots of character-driven plots, then my To Love a Wildcat books are for you! So drop me a line and let`s talk sports, or why you don`t like sports! Remember to include your contact information when you comment. If you don`t leave your email I cannot contact you to let you know you`ve won. Sadly, I do not have the time to track you down, so if your email isn`t part of your comment, I will have to skip over you. I dislike having to do that, so make sure you leave that contact info!
Blurb:
Viviana Land just can`t seem to say no her younger sister. Somehow, the curvaceous society page reporter gets lassoed into serving as her niece's Busy Bee scout leader. One overheated engine later, Viviana and her girls find themselves in the Green Hills Ice Rink. Enter Alain Lessard, the charmingly handsome defenseman for the Philadelphia Wildcats, who is donating his summer to coaching the youth league.
When our intrepid reporter is given the opportunity to write the break-out story of her career, Viviana leaps at the chance. Thinking it would be easy to flirt and tease some juicy tidbits out of Alain, Viviana soon finds herself falling for the sensual, younger, kind-hearted man. Will she put aside her virtual pen for a chance to stay at her new paramour`s side? Or will Viviana finally get away from those mundane bakery opening articles by using the man she may possibly be falling in love with?
You can find Viviana and Alain`s book, Pink Pucks & Power Plays, the first book of the To Love a Wildcat series, here:
Secret Cravings Publishing AmazonAll Romance eBooksB&N
Painfully shy Liz Argon probably shouldn`t be dreaming of Veikko Aho, star goalie for the Philadelphia Wildcats. As she works side by side with 'The Count of the Crease' on his memoirs, she finds herself falling for the handsome goaltender. His tender ways with her and her mentally fragile mother are slowly claiming her heart. If only Veikko wasn`t already engaged to a woman far better suited to move in to 'The Count`s' world. In book two of the To Love a Wildcat series, we`ll see if a glass slipper can survive in the rough and tumble world of professional ice hockey. You can find Liz and Veikko`s book, A Most Unlikely Countess, here: (It is recommended that you read the series in order)Secret Cravings StoreAmazonAll Romance eBooksB & N
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, belly laughs, anything romantic, Greek mythology, New York Rangers hockey, comic books and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a steer named after a famous N.H.L. goalie, a pig named after a famous President, and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.
V.L. is a self-published and conventionally published author. She is a proud Torquere Press and Secret Cravings Publishing author. When not writing romantic tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand, writing, or cheering on her beloved New York Rangers. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads.
I love to meet new friends and fans! You can find me at-
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/VL-Locey/124405447678452
Twitter- https://twitter.com/vllocey
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807700.V_L_Locey
Secret Cravings Blog
Being a multigenre author is great! Since I have a muse that likes to leap from one topic to another as her mood dictates, not being bound to one style or kind of storyline is a real boon for me. I can write a story about gay lovers during a zombie apocalypse, jump into a story about shapeshifters, or tell a spicy tale about hockey players and the women that love them. Ah, hockey players. I do admire them so. What`s not to love?
Contrary to popular belief not all hockey players are toothless primates, only capable of hitting each other in the face with a fist or a stick. Sure, it is a rough sport, and fights do break out on occasion. But many pro players are college educated men who excel in music, public speaking, fashion, philanthropic causes, and supporting the community they live and play in. Gone are the days of goons trolling the ice just itching for a fight. Well, most of those type of players are now gone. Today professional ice hockey is about skill, speed, and puck handling with the occasional extra-curricular thrown in.
I just adore the game. The fact that there are such handsome men in the NHL is just an added bonus. From college games through the minors, women`s teams to the pros, I am a hockey nut. What sports to you follow, if any? Who is your favorite team and/or player? Tell me about your fandom, or lack thereof, in the comment section.
Everyone who comments will have their names put into a drawing to win a free copy of Pink Pucks & Power Plays. I will choose twowinners!
If you like your novels thick with humor, sex, big strong men on skates, and lots of character-driven plots, then my To Love a Wildcat books are for you! So drop me a line and let`s talk sports, or why you don`t like sports! Remember to include your contact information when you comment. If you don`t leave your email I cannot contact you to let you know you`ve won. Sadly, I do not have the time to track you down, so if your email isn`t part of your comment, I will have to skip over you. I dislike having to do that, so make sure you leave that contact info!
Blurb:
Viviana Land just can`t seem to say no her younger sister. Somehow, the curvaceous society page reporter gets lassoed into serving as her niece's Busy Bee scout leader. One overheated engine later, Viviana and her girls find themselves in the Green Hills Ice Rink. Enter Alain Lessard, the charmingly handsome defenseman for the Philadelphia Wildcats, who is donating his summer to coaching the youth league.When our intrepid reporter is given the opportunity to write the break-out story of her career, Viviana leaps at the chance. Thinking it would be easy to flirt and tease some juicy tidbits out of Alain, Viviana soon finds herself falling for the sensual, younger, kind-hearted man. Will she put aside her virtual pen for a chance to stay at her new paramour`s side? Or will Viviana finally get away from those mundane bakery opening articles by using the man she may possibly be falling in love with?
You can find Viviana and Alain`s book, Pink Pucks & Power Plays, the first book of the To Love a Wildcat series, here:
Secret Cravings Publishing AmazonAll Romance eBooksB&N
Painfully shy Liz Argon probably shouldn`t be dreaming of Veikko Aho, star goalie for the Philadelphia Wildcats. As she works side by side with 'The Count of the Crease' on his memoirs, she finds herself falling for the handsome goaltender. His tender ways with her and her mentally fragile mother are slowly claiming her heart. If only Veikko wasn`t already engaged to a woman far better suited to move in to 'The Count`s' world. In book two of the To Love a Wildcat series, we`ll see if a glass slipper can survive in the rough and tumble world of professional ice hockey. You can find Liz and Veikko`s book, A Most Unlikely Countess, here: (It is recommended that you read the series in order)Secret Cravings StoreAmazonAll Romance eBooksB & NV.L. Locey loves worn jeans, belly laughs, anything romantic, Greek mythology, New York Rangers hockey, comic books and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a steer named after a famous N.H.L. goalie, a pig named after a famous President, and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.
V.L. is a self-published and conventionally published author. She is a proud Torquere Press and Secret Cravings Publishing author. When not writing romantic tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand, writing, or cheering on her beloved New York Rangers. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads.
I love to meet new friends and fans! You can find me at-
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/VL-Locey/124405447678452
Twitter- https://twitter.com/vllocey
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807700.V_L_Locey
April 30, 2014
Throwback Thursday Tune
This is a thing. I see this thing over on Facebook. I thought I`d like to do this thing, so I`m going to do it but just a wee bit differently, which should surprise absolutely nobody.
Instead of posting pictures of myself as a kid, I`ll be posting links to great tunes. Let`s face it, you`d much rather enjoy some great music then see me at five in my Easter bonnet and dress. Feel free to jam along then leave a comment. Did you dig the tune? Are you feeling funky? Any awesome tune from yesteryear that you`d like to see on TTT? Leave your request in the comments, and if chosen, your name will appear in the header when your song request is posted!
So, for this first Throwback Thursday Tune, let`s have something from the world`s greatest rock & roll band.
Instead of posting pictures of myself as a kid, I`ll be posting links to great tunes. Let`s face it, you`d much rather enjoy some great music then see me at five in my Easter bonnet and dress. Feel free to jam along then leave a comment. Did you dig the tune? Are you feeling funky? Any awesome tune from yesteryear that you`d like to see on TTT? Leave your request in the comments, and if chosen, your name will appear in the header when your song request is posted!
So, for this first Throwback Thursday Tune, let`s have something from the world`s greatest rock & roll band.
