Vallory Vance's Blog, page 22

Black Friday Blog Hop Winners!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the blog hop. This was a fun way to spend the day! Now on to the winners!

The Vallory V Blog Winners are:

Marlena F.

Angela C.

Becca F.

(Check your emails, ladies)

The Grand Prize Winners are:

Kindle Fire Winner:
Angela Heart

$75 Amazon Gift Card:
Emma D.

Swag Pack:

Kim Brooks

Congrats to all the winners and thanks for making my day!

Happy Shopping Black Friday Blog Hoppers!

Happy Shopping!

I don’t know if this is the official greeting for Black Friday, but it makes sense to me. Since I’m not a participant in the after Thanksgiving ritual, I think I can plead ignorance and use it anyway!

So Happy Shopping to those of you who are braving or have braved the crowds today.

I prefer to shop online in my pajamas with a cup of coffee and a slice of pie. It’s still a lot of work on my part – multiple tabs, address books, gift wrapping choices. Whew!

When I’m done with my virtual shopping expedition, I’ll wander over to the sofa and snuggle up with a book and hopefully more pie. But for those of you who may have to stand in a checkout line or try to remember where you parked while icicles form on your noses, I’m giving away a few prizes today!  This offer is also good for those who are reading this from the sofa.

Three random commenters will receive a special edition paperback copy of A Miller Tradition, the Amber and Kevin Christmas short, so you can snuggle up with a book after shopping, a $10.00 Starbucks gift card so you can get your coffee as well and an electronic of copy of either In the Moment or Music for Her Soul, so you can read if you’re in the passenger seat!

Or if you’d like to wait for your electronic copy, Cheers will be released in December  2012.

About Cheers

As a successful Sales and Catering Manager for the posh Hayden Court Hotel located in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter, Darcey St. Claire is absolutely thrilled to be working on New Year’s Eve.  The commission and bonus, she’ll receive from the two day Guidry Construction event will not only fund her spring trip to New York City, but buy a cute pair of shoes for the plane ride!

Her enthusiasm quickly turns to barely disguised irritation when Vincent Guidry arrives hours early for his scheduled check-in, demanding access to his suite.  After he slashes the budget for the event, not even the crystal blue eyes of the former quarterback can quell the anger surging in her chest.

That is until he walks into the Chat Noir where she is trying to regroup after her irksome day.

In the private enclave known as the Cristal Room, Vincent willingly lights up Darcey’s New Year’s Eve and just may have lost his heart to the young woman who isn’t looking for anything serious.

Just tell me your Black Friday participant level and leave your email address:

Full participant – sunrise to sunset shopping

Limited participant – only going out for a few items

Non-participant – at home raiding the fridge

Winners will be announced tomorrow and chosen using Random.org!

Visit the other Black Friday Blog Hoppers to win other fun prizes. Remember the more times you comment, the better your chance at winning one of the grand prizes.

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $75 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Please note all grand prizes are international, with the EXCEPTION of the 3rd Grand Prize (this is for US participants only)!

 Good Luck and Happy Shopping!

Vincent Guidry…Part II

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you are enjoying your day so far. I’m getting this post in before I’m needed in the kitchen or Uncle Etienne’s Irish Coffee begins to take effect…

As you remember I was interviewing Vincent Guidry, former NFL quarterback for the Oklahoma City Stallions. As I said before, the questions were pretty pedestrian. The things the readers already knew – LSU quarterback, NFL quarterback and prominent Baton Rouge businessman. So the next question flowed out of my mouth without any thought.

VV: It has been speculated that your recent upswing in charitable giving is related to your interest in running for governor in next year’s election. Is this true?

VG: This is one those questions, I’m not going to answer. Except to say that the people of Baton Rouge are and have always been important to me.

VV: (Running for governor? What? It dawned on me then why I was conducting this interview. I’m not a reporter. I just like looking at cute guys. Eddie was counting on my innocence to get some answers. I started to read through the questions.)

VG: Is there anything else, Ms. Vance?

VV: (I’m searching….Questions about Morgan Fitzhugh and Xavier Loving’s role in the upcoming campaign.) Uh…uh…

VG: I do have another meeting to attend. It has been a pleasure meeting you. (A quick handshake and he’s gone. I’m sitting there wondering if I just broke a story!)

I called Eddie and told him everything. He wasn’t as excited as I was, but this is going to be a story that I’ll be following. I just may become Vallory Vance, Political Reporter.  Your very own Christiane Amanpour!

Coming December 14, 2012!

Cheers

As a successful Sales and Catering Manager for the posh Hayden Court Hotel located in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter, Darcey St. Claire is absolutely ecstatic to be working on New Year’s Eve.  The commission and bonus, she’ll receive from the two day Guidry Construction event will not only fund her spring trip to New York City, but buy a cute pair of shoes for the plane ride!

Her enthusiasm quickly turns to barely disguised irritation when Vincent Guidry arrives hours early for his scheduled check-in, demanding access to his suite.  After he slashes the budget for the event, not even the crystal blue eyes of the former quarterback can quell the anger surging in her chest.

That is until he walks into the Chat Noir where she is trying to regroup after her irksome day. In the private enclave known as the Cristal Room, Vincent willingly lights up Darcey’s New Year’s Eve and may have lost his heart in the process.

Vincent Guidry…Part I

I got a call from Eddie Bordelon this morning. He wanted to know if I could make a quick trip up to Baton Rouge today for a freelance writing gig, since I was visiting New Orleans for the holiday.

I said no. The fifty dollars for the assignment would only be used to buy gas and pecan logs. It wasn’t worth it. He tried to sweetened the deal with a detailed description of the assignment – the chance to meet the developer of The Northern Bluffs. The twenty-three acre development is supposedly the premier example of the new urbanism movement in the South, combining office, living and entertainment spaces into a single cohesive design. In essence, a village within a city. Interesting. But not interesting enough for the 90 minute drive.

Then Eddie gives me his coup de gras! (I’m enjoying being back in the Crescent City.) The developer is Vincent Guidry!

I’ve had a crush on him since the first time he stepped on the field as quarterback for the Oklahoma City Stallions! Local boy done good and so freaking good-looking it just wasn’t right.

No wonder, I ended up sitting in an anteroom. All the buildings had a similar look so I didn’t know if I was in living or office space. The room itself was all white – white walls, white fluffy rug, two armless white leather chairs. (There weren’t any kids running around in here.) The only color in the room was from a shadow box on the far wall, showcasing memorabilia from Vincent’s days as quarterback for LSU.

I was tempted to look, but the heavy steps over the marble floors kept me in place. And the large man with crystal blue eyes had me squirming in my seat and fumbling with my recording equipment. Thank you, Eddie!

Vincent Guidry: Ms. Vance, it’s a pleasure to meet you. (His hand practically swallowed mine.)

VV: (Y’all know I was scrambling for words. Luckily, Eddie already had the questions printed. All I had to do was ask. I didn’t even have to write anything down.) Thank you. Let’s get started.

VG: Before we do, I didn’t receive my copy of the questions prior to this interview. (He has a deep southern accent that lifts his declarations into questions.)

VV: (I scan the questions quickly. It’s all the regular stuff – football, business, charity work.) I’m sorry. Eddie was supposed to send the questions over. But it is pretty pedestrian.

VG: Okay. If there’s something I don’t want to answer, I won’t.

VV: (One look into those baby blues, twinkling below his dark brows and everything’s fine with me.) That’s fine. Let’s just get started…

Check back with me tomorrow and find out how my interview goes awry. For once it isn’t all my fault.

A Miller Tradition – A Christmas Short

Yes, I’m just as bad as the stores!

I’ve been so surprised and excited about the popularity of my novella, In the Moment. It has changed a lot since its first publication in March 2012 as a 6000 word short story. Now it is available on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble as a 13,000 word novella.

If you’re not familiar with the Amber and Kevin saga, it began with a flash fiction piece entitled Rainy Day Surprise which details an afternoon encounter between the two lovers.

Then came the ever growing In the Moment – the story of how these two got together in the first place.

Now there’s A Miller Tradition. This flash fiction piece is available on Goodreads.

I’ll also be giving away print copies as part of the Black Friday Blog Hop on November 23, 2012 so make sure you stop by for your chance to win!

So what’s next for these two? Yes, there will be a full length novel available in 2013. I’m very nervous about this project because I want to get it right. Amber and Kevin deserve the best!

Author’s Note:

For the readers who have asked about Heather and Keith. They’ll have a hot short available in Summer 2013. I’m still working out their details because Heather is a handful!

Happy Reading!

Pirates…Not Captain Jack Sparrow At All

In my novel My Lord Ax, third entry in the Lovers of Leonesse series, the hero and heroine don’t get along, not a bit.  As explained in the blurb:

When the king of the Nords wishes to end the generations-old war with a marriage between his daughter and the Purdhan ruler’s son, VicomteFrançois faces a problem:  His son is only seven years old.  Then His Majesty comes up with a clever solution…

He betroths his illegitimate son and warlord, Ax, to the Nord King’s daughter, and peace is ensured…except for one minor detail…

Neither Ax nor Princess Astrid want to get married, especially to each other.

Axel thinks his bride is a spoiled, pampered , and inconsiderate little chit.  Astrid considers Axel a rude, crude, uncouth barbarian . She’s  determined  their  marriage  will  never be consummated and so far, her trusty dagger has kept the randy young warlord at bay.

So here we have two people, at odds before they marry, and even more so afterward. Any advances Ax makes, amorous or otherwise, Astrid spurns.  The few times she begins to see him in a halfway friendly light, he goes and does something completely stupid to spoil it all and they’re again back to Square One.

So what does all this have to do with pirates?  And well you might ask that.  It’s like this…

There’s a shipwreck, so…enter the Raiders of the Seas…but they may be a disappointment.

They’re not handsome and rakish like Cap’n Jack—far from it—nor are they  hired by the government to be privateers, as Jean Lafitte and Captain William Kidd were, neither are they comically vengeance-seeking like Captain Hook. They’re just plain mean and looking for victims.

Their clothing was  odds and ends. Two were wearing nothing but

ragged braes, barefoot with no hosen. They were barechested

and sun-darkened, arm and faces mottled with blue

tattoos. Axel recognized those marks. It signified two

were Tezpari, one of the southern Venitani tribes, fierce and

savage warriors. Another two were from a different tribe,

bodies adorned with red symbols and gold rings piercing

ears and nostrils.

 The fifth man was different altogether, and even Axel,

who thought he knew all the tribes, was startled. The man

was black-skinned, his body unmarked except for a number

of chains and beads encircling his neck and a single golden

hoop dangling from each earlobe. He seemed to sense Ax’s

surprise, for he smiled slightly, revealing teeth filed to

points.

The sixth man, standing in front of them, was the only

one completely clothed, though his garments were shabby

and bore evidence of having been worn for a long period, as

did his boots. They were so dirty, their original color was

barely discernible.

All were armed, daggers at their belts, swords in hands.

The pirates fly their very recognizable flag, the jolie rouge, which Axel recognizes and gives him a bit of a warning before they land.  Most of us know this as the Jolly Roger, the black flag with the skull and crossbones, but it wasn’t always black. That flag has changed quite a bit before becoming the comic Halloween piece we know and love.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, privateers flew a version of the flag of the country under which they were hired, usually with some sigil indicating death, a skull or a skeleton, on it.  Gradually, black flags began to be used, with each privateer embellishing it with his own personal insigne. One, tied to the gallows on which its crew was executed in 1723, had a “Portraiture of Death, with an Hour-Glass in one Hand, and a Dart in the other, striking into a Heart, and three Drops of Blood delineated as falling from it.” Edward Teach, known as the pirate Blackbeard, used a black flag with a skeleton holding a sword pointing at a red heart. Pirates also had their own individual design for the flag.

When the War of Spanish Succession ended in 1714, many privateers found themselves no longer needed and thus turned to piracy in order to continue plying the only trade they knew. When they changed from being “paid pirates” to freelancers, the flag, the most obvious indication of their status, changed along with them.

The first official notation of the skull-and-crossbones on a flag is found in a December 1687 entry in a French logbook, in which the captain states, “And we put down our white flag, and raised a red flag with a Skull head on it and two crossed bones (all in white and in the middle of the flag), and then we marched on.”  By the time the red flag became recognizable as the sign of a pirate ship, the skull and long bones (femurs) were added to indicate those flying ship would give no quarter (no mercy) to any other it encountered.  Captain Richard Hawkins, captured by pirates in 1724, noted that his captors flew a black flag with the figure of a skeleton stabbing an hourglass with a spear.  He also brought to the public’s attention that if they flew the black flag, they wouldn’t kill, while the red flag indicated no mercy would be given.  As stated, his captors flew a black flag so he lived to tell the tale.

As for the name itself? It’s believed the name Jolly Roger is a corruption of jolie rouge (French for pretty red) which was the color of the flag flown during a naval battle to indicate no mercy was to be given.  Later, this was combined with the quarentine flag (black) and the symbol of death (skull and crossbones) as a distress signal, to lure other ships seeking to assist what they assumed to be a stricken one, into close enough range to be boarded.  It’s been suggested that Jolly Roger is a play on the words Old Roger, which was a term for the devil, as in the poem about 15 men on a dead man’s chest.  Since this was taken from a fictional sea chanty in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island (1883) and later made into a poem, “Derelict” by Young E. Allison (1891), even though it features the words, “Drink, and the devil had done for the rest,” it’s a little late to be the source. Another theory is that since “roger” was an Elizabethan term for beggars and because Sea Beggars was an epithet used for Dutch privateers, that’s where the name came from.  Another rare one is that a17th century Tamil pirate Ali Raja gave his name to the flag.

Take your pick.  They’re all relatively feasible.  I chose the first explanation.

The pirates Ax and Astrid face fly the Jolie Rouge, so the reader can imagine what fate awaited them when those men landed on the beach.

Whatever the origin and whichever flag was flown, the purpose was to frighten the victims into surrendering because it indicated they were outlaws.  It was doubted if mercy would be given, in any case.  Because pirates were hanged if captured, they would receive no mercy from the Crown, so a captive could expect none, from either the black flag or red.

EXCERPT:

They burst onto the beach, Axel shielding his eyes as

he looked across the water at the ship. The sun was so bright

reflecting off the waves that for a moment, he was dazzled,

seeing nothing but bright splinters of light. He blinked,

focused, and made out the colors of the flag flying from the

mainmast. Red, black. Oh no. Axel’s mouth tightened.

“Fetch me that spy-glass, would you, sweet?” He made

the request as quietly as possible. No need to frighten her

until he was certain of what he was seeing.

Obediently, she ran to the cave, returning with a small

telescope that had been Captain Luwes’, another item

retrieved from the sea. Axel took it, opened it full-length,

then put it to one eye, closing the other. Immediately, the

image of the ship rose up to meet him, and the flag. It was

red, as he’d thought the black spot in its center a skull.

“Le crane noir…oh Goddess…” Axel lowered the spy

glass. Behind him, Astrid was feeding green leaves to the

fire to make the smoke more noticeable. Without turning

around, he said, “Astrid. Stop. Douse the fire.”

“What?” Though she looked up, she didn’t stop what she

was doing.

“Douse the fire,” he repeated. Dropping the spy glass, he

turned and pulled her away from it, taking the remaining

leaves from her hands and tossing them away. He began

kicking sand onto the blaze.

“What are you doing?” She reached out to stop him.

“Don’t, Ax, you’ll put it out. They’ll think they didn’t see

anything and leave.”

 “Good.” He bent, using his hands to scoop sand, didn’t

stop until the fire was successfully smothered, and only a

faint wisp of smoke trailed upward. “We’ll at least be safe.

That’s a Venitani flag, Astrid.”

 “I don’t understand.” She knew little of Venitania except

that it was a kingdom further south.

 “The ship’s a pirate corsair and they fly the jolie rouge.

That means they don’t take prisoners.” He retrieved the spy

glass. This time when he looked, he saw a long boat being

lowered over the side. “Shit! Come on.” Pushing her toward

the trees, he went on, “Head for the other

side of the island where I put the raft I’m building.”

“What about you?” She looked back and he hoped she

wasn’t about to be stubborn. They didn’t have time for an

argument.

“I’ll follow in a few moments.” He didn’t wait to see if

she obeyed but dashed into the cave. His boots lay near the

trunk. He pulled them on, checking to make certain his

dagger was in place. Then, he retrieved his sword from the

trunk, strapping it around his waist. Picking up his spear,

Axel ran from the cave. As he followed his wife through the

trees, he marveled at how heavy the blade felt against his

thigh. Strange, how a man forgot the sensation, though he’d

worn a sword most of his adult life until this past year.

Broken shrubbery, dislodged leaves and pine needles told

him exactly which way Astrid had gone. A two-year-old

could’ve followed the trail she left as she ran and Axel was

certain the pirates wouldn’t have any trouble, either. Still, if

they could get to the raft before the corsairs made it ashore…

Ozean, please send your waves to slow that boat.

 (Quotations above are taken from Wikipedia.com entries on “Pirates” and “Jolly Roger.”)

My Lord Ax will be available from Class Act Books after November 15: www.classactbooks.com

Giveaway: One commenter will receive a pdf copy of The Kings’ Swordswoman, Book 1 in the Lovers of Leonesse series.

 Author’s Bio:

Toni V. Sweeney was born some time between the War Between the States and the Gulf War.  She has lived 30 years in the South, a score in the Middle West, and a decade on the Pacific Coast and now she’s trying for her second 30 on the Great Plains.  Her first novel was published in 1989. An accomplished artist as well as writer, she has a degree in Fine Art and a diploma in Graphic Art and produces videos as well as writing.  Toni maintains a website for herself and her pseudonym Icy Snow Blackstone, and has been associated with the South Coast Writer’s Association, the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers, several other writer’s loops, myspace, Facebook, and YouTube. She has currently had her 34nd book published.

Connect with Toni online:

http://www.tonivsweeney.com
http://www.facebook.com/tvsweeney
http://www.myspace.com/tvsweeney
Twitter: @tonivsweeney

April Alisa Marquette and Turnabout

Native New Yorker April Alisa Marquette was once a tutor for middle and high school students. Yet these days she shares her love for reading with adults. She writes detailed sagas depicting smart, sexy, multi-cultural people. Her dazzling debut novel Absolution,about a gay male and his three women friends is the first in The Cohort Trilogy. She has also written The Sea Isles Series, a captivating trilogy that has her currently tweaking Books II and III for 2013 release.

Today, she’d like to share with you her novel Turnabout from April Rain Publications which has been called steamy and powerfully erotic…

Turnabout by April Alisa Marquette: A frustrating & exhilarating romance; this love story encompasses family, friends and foes…   

Sexy Abigail takes care of everyone in her circle of family and friends. Ruggedly attractive Joseph would like them to become a couple. Yet conflicting emotions and other people —namely Abigail’s ex, keep them apart. Amid misfortune, and Abigail’s ex attempting to advance himself, can the seemingly star-crossed lovers pull through?

An excerpt from Turnabout:

Quickly he bent. Holding her beneath her arms, repeatedly he kissed the swell of breast just above her portrait collar. However, when his tongue sought her nipples, he backed away. “Gimme ten,” he said, although he needed a lifetime really, to love her.

When she was alone, Abigail hugged her self. She bit her lip, thinking forget it, all that had just transpired, especially the intense heat. She needed to focus on the displayed measures of Joseph’s success. Then she would think straight.

She gazed at platinum albums and plaques. Yet her thoughts returned to the man in the adjacent room. She ran a finger over an EssenceAward, and ‘saw’ Joseph’s brown skin. She touched the Black Achiever’s Association award and was ‘touching’ Joseph. She eyed a certificate from ASCAP, and numerous AMA’s and a Grammy, and recalled sexy saying that each next award brought more demands for his services. How she needed his ‘services.’

Abigail sighed. No more thinking about slipping out of her dress, and tiptoeing through those doors. No more picturing herself nude and slipping into Joseph’s shower… His mouth would be on hers, as water sluiced over them. With his big hands at her sides, he would slide down her body, and his mouth would trail heat over her breasts, her belly…

Oh! Abigail looked up and her eyes widened, because she was not supposed to have actually entered his cozily lit mosaic tiled lavatory!

Joseph saw her, as glistening, he exited the doorless shower. He watched her eyes travel from his parted lips, to his sparse haired muscular chest. He watched them round when they traveled lower, passing his taut belly to take in his extended formidable male member.

Abigail licked her lips, as forgetting his towel, Joseph crossed to her. Her hands rose. Her palms rested on his chest as he pulled her close. She got stuck again, this time not by thorns, but by his throbbing male staff. Wanton, she moved against him, as he took her mouth with his own. He forced hers wide, as he gave her his very big tongue. He kissed her like he was hungry and had not eaten since who knew when.

Then before she knew, with skilled musician’s fingers, he had her dress at her waist, her thighs parted, and the crotch of her teddy aside. Suckling a needy nipple through the fabric of her dress, Joseph also slipped a middle finger into…her heat…

  Get your copy of Turnabout here:

Amazon 
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords



  Connect with April online:


Amazon Central https://www.amazon.com/author/aprilalisamarquette
Blog: http://www.aprilalisamarquette.com/blog
Twitter: @AprilAMarquette
Email: AM(at)AprilAlisaMarquette(dot)com
Author’s site: http://www.aprilalisamarquette.com/

Meet The Decedents of Ra

The men of the Nicolis Family by Tmonique Stephens

Four men: Twins, Roman and Reign, and two of their adopted brothers, Avery and Tyrone. All are alpha males with deep secrets and scars that have shaped them into the sometimes brutal, sometimes gentleman, oftentimes rogues, but full time warriors.

Roman Nicolis

Cursed for 2000 years, Roman Nicolis has tracked his lovers’ soul through each reincarnation only to lose her horribly every time. Reclaiming their love is his only salvation. He’s been her friend, her father, her neighbor, but never again her lover . . . until now.

Reign Nicolis

Kill the beast, save your brother, win your freedom from the Goddess of the Dead. No problem for a 2000 year old warrior. Falling in love with the cop trying to arrest you? Problem.

Tyrone Gregory

Born of a goddess and raised as human in Harlem, he searches for the truth his mother denies him. His quest will take him to the dangerous desert sands of ancient Egypt and into the arms of the only woman he has ever wanted and cannot have.

Avery Nicolis

One stupid mistake has left him scared inside and out. Guilt fills his heart. Fear fuels his soul. One chance meeting is all he will have to correct his wrong and get the only thing that matters right.

TWO HEARTS.ONE SOUL. FOR ALL ETERNITY.

Cursed for 2000 years, Roman Nicolis has tracked his lovers’ soul through each reincarnation only to lose her horribly every time. Reclaiming their love is his only salvation. He’s been her friend, her father, her neighbor, but never again her lover . . . until now.

A late night walk home throws Stella Walker into the path of a killer. The last thing she remembers are the deep blue eyes of the man trying to kill her—and the first things she sees after a seven day coma are the same blue eyes in the handsome face of the man hired to protect her. Is he truly the owner of a security firm assigned to protect her or the man who wants to finish her off? Is it fears she feels when Roman touches her or the memory of something sweeter? She will have to push past her fears and reclaim a love that has lasted two millennia.

Past secrets haunt them. An angry demon stalks them. 

Roman will do anything to recover what they had. Though Stella’s ruined childhood has made her close her heart and body to any man, he must get past the walls around her to gain her love and trust, for it will take their union to defeat an unexpected enemy sent from the Egyptian Gods. A man Romans respects, and Stella trusts.

An Excerpt from Eternity

“We have to get out of here.”

Crouched low, he took her hand, together they crawled along next to the hedge. He looked over. His keen eyesight picked up nothing and no one. So why did the same excitement he used to get before a battle race through his veins? Stella squeezed his hand. Her wide eyes sent him a question he couldn’t answer.

He drew his gun from the small of his back and the silencer from his jacket pocket.

“Roman?” Her voice wavered.

He spared her a glance. “Whatever happens, do exactly as I say. Understand?”

Her head bobbed on her neck.

“Walk beside me, not in front or behind. Got it?”

Not far from the nearest road, they stuck to the trees and away from the open expanse of the Great Lawn.

Leaves crunched behind them. He’d never run from anything in his life. Even before the curse and his immortality, he stood his ground and killed everything in his path. Now, whatever stalked him, stalked her. His senses told him only one lurked in the darkness, but with Stella to protect, he couldn’t risk it.

The Delacorte amphitheater loomed ahead. He guided her into the shadows. Stationed behind a statue, he aimed and watched the route they had just taken. Stella clutched his jacket, her shivering body pressed close.

“Tell me.”

“There’s someone out there.”

“It could be anyone, ’kids maybe?”

“Maybe.” He agreed purely to reassure her. But as he spoke, one hundred yards away, something peeled away from the shadows of a large tree and charged.

“Stay.” He ordered. Through his jacket, her nails dug into his back. He pulled away, but she wouldn’t let go. He shrugged out of his jacket and advanced. She called to him, begging him to return, but the blood rushing in his ears drown out her voice. He rushed forward and focused on the attacking foe.

Wait. He skidded to a halt. He had a shot, but . . . something was wrong. The height was too short. Whoever ran toward him must be a child—or running on all fours. He squinted at the slice of darkness closing the distance between them. The tree coverage ended and speckled moonlight dotted the Great Lawn, uncovering the thing barreling forward. For a split second his mind tried to unravel the impossible nightmare quickly shrinking the distance, before he fired three shots between its widely spaced eyes. It roared and charged faster.

“Run, Stella!” He fired running back to the theater. She hadn’t listened. Instead of running away, she met him. He grabbed her hand and ran, but she couldn’t keep up and the thing behind them closed the distance.

“Is it him, The Strangler?” she shouted breathless.

They ran past The Preserve, rounded a column and then stopped. Shrouded in gloom, the outline of the pond appeared in front of the Belvedere Castle. He didn’t want her to see what chased them, but before he could stop her, she turned. Her scream pierced the night. Yards away, a bellow replied. He jerked her around and shoved. She stumbled and fell into the water.

“Go!” This time, she didn’t fight. For a second, he watched her swim. Then turned in time for claws to dig into his side.

 Get your copies here:

Amazon 
Barnes & Noble

Connect with Tmonique online at:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TmoniqueStephens

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tmoniquebooks

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tmoniquestephen/

Things I Don’t Know and Am Too Dumb to Ask

Earlier in the week, I posted about unpublishing A Night at the Wesley on Amazon and republishing on Smashwords. Thanks to Sharon Cooper‘s comment, I learned you could publish on both sites! Who knew?

Everyone but me!

So bloggers, readers, writers – let me know the other things I’ve missed in this indie publishing journey of mine.

I wish I had specific questions for you. Alas, I’m too dumb to ask.

However, I did publish one of my favorites, In the Moment, on Amazon.  Yay!

Amber Grayson is a very practical woman and an efficient office manager for a law firm. Since her failed engagement, she has become involved in a satisfying ménage affair with her elliptical machine and her vibrator. All is wonderful in her self-ordered world until she meets Kevin Miller.

Kevin is brash and handsome and looks like he just stepped off a movie set for a cowboy film. His attraction to the conservative Amber is immediate. These two light up the pages and manage to fall in love in the process.

Excerpt

“I’m not going to want to go home tomorrow, if you keep spoiling me like this.”

“You deserve to be spoiled.” He kissed the top of her head and pulled her shoulders back to his chest. She felt good wrapped in the fluffy robe and he brought his knees up to cradle her sides. “You want something else to drink?”

“No.” She rolled her head across his chest. “I don’t know what Keith put in those margaritas but I’m dizzy after two.”

She was laughing in the musical way that stirred him and worried him. Watching her over the past the few days, the brevity of their time together had settled over him.

Eight more weeks on the Bingham Art House and then what?

He nuzzled into her hair and squeezed her shoulders. “What do you want to happen after I’m done with the job?”

Her fingers stopped their twirling dance over his knees and her hands dropped to her lap. Only his hands over her shoulders stopped her from moving away. “What do you want?”

He turned her chin up to face him. Her eyes were wary and he was surprised. “Amber Grayson consulting before giving her answer! I need to bring you here more often.” He couldn’t help laughing she’d caught him off guard.

Amber twisted around, folding her long legs in front of her. “Stop laughing! What do you want? Do you want to keep seeing me?”

He inched forward so that his legs rested over hers and tilted her chin up. “I want to keep seeing you. Now, what do you want?”

“I’m okay with that.” She smiled coyly.

“You’re not gonna say it?”

“I did.” She raked her hand through her hair and tilted her head to side, peeking up at him through the curls. The look of anticipation in her eyes showed she knew exactly what she was doing to him.

“I know what you’re doing.”

“What?” she purred and leaned up to kiss his chin, grazing her long fingers down his neck.

His skin heated under the gentle push of her body against his and he reached instinctively to the loose tie holding the robe closed. “I’m gonna let this drop only because you’re about to be really accommodating to me.” He flipped her onto her back, her dark eyes blazing with desire, and kissed her.

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Rethinking A Night at the Wesley

After getting my Nook, I discovered the many wonderful short stories out there. I love these quick little books and I can get through about five to seven every week. They are perfect for my daily train commute. Of course, the money I used to save on gas is now spent on books. But those are the woes of a reader!

Short stories are also a way for me to introduce my writing style to new readers for less than a cup of coffee.  My latest short, previously published in the KDP program at Amazon has been reworked (just a little) and republished on Smashwords.

I have enjoyed publishing on Smashwords but wanted to try another platform. After some research, I chose the KDP program. My thinking was that Amazon would provide more exposure for the story because of the lending program, the Amazon Prime program and the email recommendations. (I often get these and they recommend my books to me! LOL!). However after three months, I just didn’t see the results compared to similar works published on Smashwords in the same timeframe.

So I’ve moved back to Smashwords and will look at the results in the next three months. Since I’m in data analysis, I love this kind of stuff!

In this short story, Connie Atkinson is on vacation and ready to embrace her inner seductress in a five-star resort in Vail. However, a late deposition and a freak snowstorm derail her plans and she is forced to spend the night at the lackluster Wesley Hotel in downtown Detroit. 

In a gloomy mood, her spirits are lifted with the offering of a salaciously named cocktail and the appearance of her former college study partner, who didn’t think of her in that way. Since her divorce, Connie is opening herself up to new possibilities and a night with Noah Cohen has just made the top of her list.

 

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/248604