Vallory Vance's Blog, page 5

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today, I’ll be hanging out with my kids as hubby is away on a sales trip and won’t be home until Sunday. Of course I got the chocolate before he left. Now that’s not romantic in any fashion, but that’s my life.

Thank goodness, I have the fictional life of others to make me all warm and fuzzy on Valentine’s Day even though I get the all the pillows for the next few nights.

***The Couple***

If you haven’t met Darcey and Vincent, I think they may be having a spectacular Valentine’s Day…and night.

Darcey St. Claire met Vincent Guidry in a posh hotel in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve. Though he was fourteen years her senior and her VIP client, the naturally flirtatious Darcey couldn’t stay away from the handsome former quarterback.

She broke the cardinal rule of hotel sales – You don’t sleep with your client.

Vincent made that part easy with his gleaming blue eyes, rock hard body, and attitude which said he was entitled to have anything he wanted.

In the follow up to their steamy meeting, Vincent Guidry gave up on the thought of Darcey as a casual fling. The young woman had rooted herself into his thoughts and refused to budge.

He’d showered her with everything his wealth could provide and yet she pushed away from him at every turn. Though her copper eyes sparkled, he hadn’t missed the glint of sadness.

What he wouldn’t give to wipe it away.

Their story is done but I don’t think Vincent is done with the showering of gifts for this woman. What is Darcey getting for Valentine’s Day? Here’s a few hints to help with your answers.

Vincent’s first gift to Darcey was a set of platinum earrings with pink diamond centers.
Darcey is a first generation American. Her father is from Jamaica and her mother is from England.
Vincent has never traveled outside of the US.
Darcey is a huge fan of the Miami Dolphins.
Darcey is a clothes whore. This is the woman who would rather shop than eat.

There you are readers, for your chance to win a $10.00 iTunes gift card to be sent via US mail, tell me what Vincent is getting Darcey for Valentine’s Day.

The winner will be chosen at random by Random.org among those who answer the question. The winner will be contacted by Vallory Vance via email so be sure to leave your email addy.

Winner will be announced on Monday, February 17th. Another holiday? Maybe he’ll do something really big!

~Val

Phantom Lover by Tamaria Soana

Genre: Paranormal Romance



Can true love transcend life and death?

Olivia Shaw-Clayton’s life revolves around her job ever since her husband was killed eight months ago in Iraq. She slaves away at her desk in hopes of numbing the pain of her loss and the guilt of longing to fall asleep once again to be joined by her phantom lover.

 

***My Thoughts***

This is short story about a widowed attorney, Olivia, dredging through her days as she fights the pain of losing her husband in Iraq. The one thing she has to look forward is dreaming of the man who has been visiting her for the past few weeks. Since this is a short story I won’t give away much but I loved it. It was sweet and steamy sexy and had me smiling from ear to ear. I give this four enthusiastic stars!

About the Author:
Tamaria Soana is middle aged, but just feels her life has begun. She writes sexy contemporary romance stories that always end with a ‘happily ever after’. Growing up she loved to read and make up new places in her head to escape to. In her late teens she began writing short stories and poetry; it wasn’t until her late thirties before she began to spin a full story.

She’s married and a stay-at-home-mom of two beautiful young girls, they reside in Western New York. Cuddling up with a good book under an electric throw is her way to escape the cold Buffalo nights. Besides writing, she co-owns Shades of Rose Marketing and hosts a talk show on Talkshoe called Live with Tamaria ~ Giving authors a voice.

Author Links: Site | Facebook Author Page | Twitter

Be sure to follow the rest of the tour:

2/3 - Ella Jade
2/3 - The eBook Promotions

2/3 - To Pen a Dream

2/3 - Viari Rose

2/3 - Reading, Writing, and Roses

2/4 - New Age Mama

2/5 - A Book Junkie’s Obsession

2/5 - Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reivews (Review)

2/6 - The Avid Reader

2/6 - Londons Scribbles

2/7 - Sexy Between The Covers (Review)

2/10 - Corey’s Book Reviews

2/10 - Find Your Next Read

2/11 - A Little Fiction of Every Flavour

2/11 - Reader’s Girls (Review)

2/12 - Vallory V (Review)

2/12 - Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews 

2/13 - The Talent Cave (Review)

2/13 - BookwormBridgette’s World

2/14 - Booklover Sue

2/14 - Kristy Centeno

Spotlight on Cupid’s Bow by Jewel Quinlan

Recently heartbroken, Raine Daniels arrives home in Las Vegas, Nevada, to help with her parents’ fortieth anniversary party only to discover they are planning to separate as soon as the last guest walks out the door. Everything she thought she knew—her very foundation is rocked to the core.

When she learns that Alexander, the sexy stranger she’d sat next to on the plane, is really the god of love, Cupid—she asks for his help, but he declines. The god of love, now long divorced from Psyche and living on earth among mortals, no longer believes in love.

Raine decides to take matters into her own hands, even if a god tells her she’s wrong.  With her life falling apart around her and the solution seemingly within her reach she dares to try and make everything better. Unfortunately, she’s unprepared for the consequences of stealing Cupid’s bow …

Where you can buy it:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks | Decadent

About the Author:

From a young age, Jewel Quinlan had an abundant imagination and strong desire to write novels.  She particularly enjoys writing paranormal and fantasy romance. An avid traveler, she has visited fifteen countries so far (which she enjoys using as settings in her novels) and has plans to see more of the world. She has a particular fondness for Bavaria and studies the German language as one of her hobbies. During the day, she works as a pharmaceutical sales representative and, at night, she writes romance. She currently lives in Orange County, California with her two dogs; Shimmer and Penny.

Contact Details:

For more information visit her website and blog or you can follow her on Facebook and Twitter

Enjoy the following excerpt for Stealing Cupid’s Bow:

From the corner of her eye, the back of a blond head, paired with broad, strong shoulders, caught her attention.

She knew who it was instantly.

Alexander was walking up ahead of them in the same direction. Her entire being zeroed in on him at once and she felt her pulse spike.

Jane was saying something to her, but all of her attention was tied up with trying to see his face. He’d moved off to the side now, and it looked as though he was watching someone intently. Actually, a couple of someones—a man and a woman. On the surface it looked like he was strolling along casually, but she could not mistake the intensity of his gaze on them. It seemed almost…predatory. Was he following them?

Both her mom and her aunt walked so slowly it was almost an agony for her. She didn’t want to lose sight of him. But there was nothing she could do. If she tried to make them hurry, it would spark questions from all three. And the most likely result of her telling them why would be her mother flagging Alexander down in a loud voice, which would be embarrassing.

Jane continued to chatter away, but Raine still couldn’t focus on her cousin.

Up ahead she saw that the man and woman had stopped next to a fountain. The man was saying something. From the look they shared, it seemed to be one of those special moments. Alexander stopped, too. He was leaning casually against a pillar watching the couple.

The man Alexander watched sank down on one knee while retrieving something from his pants pocket.

Alexander changed his stance at the same time. Out of nowhere a bow appeared in his hands. He quickly notched an arrow from the right side of the quiver on his back. He drew and took aim, gazing along the shaft of the arrow.

From what she could see there was only one target apparent in that direction: the woman.

As he released the arrow, a scream rose from within her, but the sound caught in her throat. The gleaming shaft streaked across the space and sunk deep into the woman’s chest, emitting a shower of golden sparks on impact. A second arrow struck the man as well and another cloud of gold erupted. She stopped walking and, since their arms were linked together, Jane did, too.

“Did you see that?” Raine asked.

Jane glanced at her. “See what?”

She pointed in the direction and her cousin peered up ahead.

“What is it, Raine?”

Her cousin wasn’t reacting at all and neither had either of their mothers. And none of the people that had passed right by the scene of the crime were disturbed. She looked again at the couple, afraid of what she might see…and blinked.

There was no blood. No body lay on the floor. No arrow shaft stuck out from either of them. Quite the opposite. The woman was unharmed and glowing with happiness. She had accepted the ring and the man was now swinging her around in joy.

“Did you mean the couple getting engaged?” Jane asked. “Oh yes, it happens all the time here.”

Raine was stunned. Her eyes found their way back to Alexander.

Almost There – The Scent of a Witch

I’m on the fifth draft of my first paranormal romance and I think I’m almost ready to turn it over to one of favorite editor’s, Khriste Close of Scribe Ink Editing. This is a novella so I’m working through this one extra hard because I want to make sure that all the questions are answered in less than 30,000 words and it has the feel of a longer work. I don’t want to miss a thing.

And I think I’m finally ready to share a little bit of the story, so here goes! This is the first meeting of Ada Trevors and Ewan Hathorn.

The Scent of a Witch

“She’s new.” Ada pointed to a female bartender at the smaller bar near the entrance. The shapely blonde poured a line of shots for a group of guys. “Whoo,” she yelled out after throwing the first one back like it was water. “Who’s buying the next round?” Her laugh-filled holler rang in the air.

“Maybe you should buy the next round for her.” Ada nudged Russ, disrupting the fourth check of his watch in the last thirty seconds. “She seems approachable.”

“We’re leaving.” Russ glared at her.

“We have three minutes. Go talk to her.” Ada pinched his thigh as she’d done when she needed him to focus on course work in college. “Do it or I’ll start tickling.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“Huh?” Ada released her hold on Russ’s thigh and looked up at the man who had appeared at their table. Of course she wouldn’t have heard him approach. The band was playing at an earsplitting level and the guys surrounding the side bar were laughing just as loud, still she jumped a little at the sound of his voice.

“Your credit card. It’s on the house.” The man held a gold card between his long fingers and smiled.

“Cool.” Russ jostled in the seat next her, indicating that she should move.

Russ’s bounce to get out of the booth rocked her body from side to side on the springy cushion, but she remained otherwise motionless. Her gaze locked with that of the man in front of them.

He was as out of place as she was in the bar. Among a crowd of button down cotton shirts and jeans, he wore an olive green suit that fit his lean body like it had been sewn into place. He was the first man she noticed all night because stood with a wide stance of absolute confidence not some imagined, alcohol-induced swagger. And an unfettered smile stretched her own lips upward.

“Thanks” She managed to take the card from his hand and shove it into what she hoped was her purse. “We appreciate it.”

It wasn’t that he was strikingly handsome – his brows were too thick and dark for his parchment colored face, his chin ended in a point and his smile revealed incisors that appeared sharper than normal. It was his eyes that held her in place. Looking into the dark orbs rimmed in a flaming gold was like looking into a pond in the moonlight – playful beams of light mingled in the shadows creating something beautiful and slightly dangerous. Her heart skipped a beat then two then three as she searched the depths of his eyes for her reflection in them.

For a moment she thought he sought the same. That was until he spoke again.

“Management hopes you have enjoyed your evening but you are being asked to find entertainment elsewhere.” His voice was deep and smooth, devoid of the Texas twang she encountered in the small town, like it was meant to be heard accompanied by a saxophone. She could have listened to him talk all night.

Only if he hadn’t just told her to get out.

“What?” Ada gulped the last of her now tepid beer, trying to find relief from the heat that overtook her body with the speed of a forest fire. Asking her to leave or not the man was quietly but deftly triggering her libido. “Wh-why?”

He raked his long fingers through his midnight black hair which hung in a straight line inches from his shoulders and groaned.

Ummm…

She could also bear to hear that deep throated sound all night. Of course it would be better if her hands were twisted into his silky looking hair and her naked body was writhing beneath his.

Shit, had it been so long since she’d been with a man that good grooming and a sexy voice had her body humming a symphony? Maybe.

And just maybe she imagined the slight rock of his body backward and the gentle purse of his lips as if he were following her thoughts down the same licentious path.

Spotlight and Review of Arranged Love

What It’s About:

They think they’re fooling their parents, but really, the joke’s on them.

Kayla Ames’s parents could win an award in meddling. Every time she turns around, they’re setting her up with someone new. Try as she might, she can’t convince them to butt out of her love life.

Ryan Newell isn’t looking for love. After having his heart torn to shreds by his ex, he’s determined to never again fall in love and leave himself that vulnerable to being hurt. His parents, however, believe he just needs some help finding the right woman, and their friends’ daughter, Kayla, might be a perfect match.

Realizing they both have the same problem—parents who won’t stop nagging them about finding a partner—Ryan and Kayla agree to an arrangement of sorts. All they have to do is pretend to date, and they don’t even have to see each other, they can discuss the details of their “dates” via email. But then the email conversations lead to real dates, and Kayla finds herself struggling to keep her feelings for Ryan in check as he’s made it clear love will not enter into the equation for him. Then Kayla’s parents suddenly announce they’re getting a divorce, and she begins to wonder if maybe Ryan has the right idea.

When it all gets to be too much for Kayla, she has a hard decision to make—agree to stay with Ryan and never experience love, or walk away for her chance to find it.

Content Warning: contains adult language and graphic sexual content

 Excerpt:

Leaning forward, Kayla grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. It was early still and since she wasn’t tired, sleep wasn’t an option. She could go out again. Maybe call a friend to go to a club or something. Or she could go back to the bar from last night…no, no she couldn’t.

If she went out though, she’d have to change. And she was really comfortable. She grabbed the remote again, and as the TV turned on, she swore she heard someone tap on her door. Was Bunny chewing on something she shouldn’t be?

Kayla got off the couch, but saw the rabbit had taken a corner and was lying there, far away from the front door. She peeked through the peephole and, to her surprise, she saw Doug, or whatever his name was. Why was he there? And what was he carrying in his hands?

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. “Hi.”

“It’s nice to see you again.” He smiled an oh-so-sexy grin. “Your parents sent me with food. They insisted I get this to you right away.”

“They did, huh?”

He held the bag out to her and she took it. “Could I come in?”

She sucked in her bottom lip and weighed her choices. Send him away and be done with this, or see what he wants. What did she have to lose? “Sure.”

Doug brushed past her into her house. She stood back a moment, watching him as he glanced around and then finally took a seat on her couch. Kayla joined the mystery man in the living room, tossing the bag of food on the coffee table as she sat on the love seat opposite of the couch he was on. Her stomach rumbled as she inhaled the aroma from the bag now sitting on the coffee table.

“So, what brings you by, besides the food?” she asked, and quickly added, “Please tell me your real name as well. It’s only fair since you know mine.”

“Kayla, and it’s a lovely name. Mine is actually Ryan. Ryan Newell.” He took a moment to rub his temple and proceeded. “Obviously, our parents are interested in us hooking up.”

Hooking up…they’d covered that already. “I’m sorry. My parents are a bit over the top.”

“I’d have to agree. Yours are a little worse than mine. Usually my parents leave me alone, but with your folks, it was like they were double-teaming me. They feel very strongly about you and I getting to know one another.”

“Figures. I’d say we accomplished that in a way they probably weren’t wanting.”

He grinned again. Her heart fluttered. She needed to pack this man up and get him out of there.

“Why don’t we give them what they want?”

What did he say? He couldn’t really want to go along with them. “Excuse me.”

“Let’s date, for them. It’ll get them to leave us alone.”

She laughed. He wasn’t serious, was he? “Brilliant plan, but I’ll pass for now.”

“Just hear me out. I’m not looking to fall in love. But if we pretend to be dating, our parents won’t try to set us up anymore. We don’t even have to see one another. We can discuss our dates and be on the same page with our stories.”

“Wait.” She held her hand up, staring at the dark-haired man that made her stomach do summersaults. “You’re saying we aren’t going to actually date. We never have to see one another. But our parents will think we are.”

He nodded.

“I’m in.” Kayla shrugged. “What could go wrong?”

 Buy Links:  Beachwalk Press

My Review of Arranged Love

Over all I liked this book and give it a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I love a quirky heroine and Kayla didn’t disappoint. She spends her days working from home as a freelance editor with her pet rabbit, Bunny. She dresses up like a “hooker” as her mom says for a dinner and quickly regrets her decision. She made me laugh on more than one occasion and I could believe her struggle with her feelings with the hero, Ryan.

I liked the romantic arc of the story and the sex scenes were HOT!

My only wish for this story is that was more of a reason for the characters to be involved in the fake relationship to the extent they were. Did that stop me from finishing this book in less than a day? No, because the story was so good and I wanted them to make it work!

 I received a free ARC for review in return for an honest opinion of this work.

More About the Author:

Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.

Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.

Author Links:    Site     Twitter    Facebook

Sad Song Tuesday – Total Eclipse of the Heart

Researchers have found, according to an NPR report on a random day, that Americans are most unhappy on Tuesdays. The happy effect from the previous weekend has passed and the upcoming weekend seems far away.

One of my favorite lines:

I don’t know what to do and I’m always in the dark

We’re living in a powder keg and giving off sparks

I really need you tonight

Late January 2014 Update

Late January 2014 Update

I’ve promised myself that I’m going to be on track this year for writing. And I’m already off to a bad start.

The monthly update is late!

In January, I started work on my first paranormal romance, a novella, tentatively entitled The Scent of a Witch. It has gotten some good feedback from my beta readers. Now, I’m working to get it wrapped up to send to an editor before I submit to a publisher.

I’m a little hesitant to release something different. I’m a new writer and I’ve only written contemporary romances to date, so how will this be received? I don’t know, but why not start my year with some excitement?

I’ve written a story I enjoy with the elements I like in the paranormal romances.

The heroine: Ada Trevors, professor of anthropology, is spending her summer in the canyons of West Texas searching for the truth behind the Ap-Muea legend. Stories of a man who can change into a puma have been told for centuries in the region and she has reason to believe that they based partially in fact.

The hero: Ewan Hathorn is Ka’lai. He reigns as the chief magistrate of the five clans of the Ap-Muea who roam the canyons. As the Ka’lais before him have done, he must protect their way of life and keep their existence secret even if it means silencing a beautiful woman.

The setting: The canyons of West Texas – second only in size to the Grand Canyon.

The puma: I had fun researching this animal. A few quick facts for you – Pumas, cougars, mountain lion and panthers are all names for the same animal. The Cherokee held the puma as a sacred. The Apache held that the puma’s wail meant death. Pumas screech and hiss instead of roaring. Males often spit at each other. They are primarily solitary animals.

The language: This was great. I got to play around with developing an Ap-Muea language. Shortly, you’ll learn what Najuo jina lako means.

And the witch? Well that’s a secret.

Love Chains Blog Tour

Love Chains Blog Tour

Welcome to the Love Chains Blog Tour!LeTeisha Newton and Lillian MacKenzie Rhine have partnered together in a co-op marketing duo the likes that have never been seen before. “Love Chains” has become the calling card for their novels Accepting Their Claim and Wronged Dersires, respectively, to be released from Amira Press in early 2014.

I was lucky to get a chance to sit down with these ladies and get some looks at the teasers they produced for their books…and they are hot!

Wronged Desires by Lillian MacKenzie Rhine

Accepting Their Claim by LeTeisha Newton

Thanks ladies for stoping by! Be sure to connect with Lillian and LeTeisha. They do tons of giveaways, videos, exclusive free reads, and more!

LeTeisha Newton

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Shifter’R'Us

Lillian MacKenzie Rhine

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Excerpts (Accepting Their Claim)

Excerpt 1

She didn’t know why she felt the need to leave her house in the middle of the godforsaken night and follow a whimper she’d heard in the darkness. She’d checked on her animals and none of them had taken on any new injuries. The small red wolf she had for rehabilitation was going strong and resting comfortably after a tangle with a trapper’s claw. The cow, three horses, and a group of other wolves were all okay. So, for some reason, Dr. Sonja Taylor was driving around the three square miles of her property following a damn cry. She should know better, but something was calling her. She couldn’t quite explain the feeling, but she knew she was needed and she couldn’t seem to settle back into sleep once the sound had awoken her. She’d felt an overwhelming urge to find the source of that plaintive wail. As a veterinarian for five years, she had yet to learn to be somewhat detached in her work. She still cried after every death on her operating table, mourned animals abused by their owners, and had a tendency to take in strays like she could save the world. Her assistant had told her she would have to learn someday, but she didn’t want to.

She’d started her job out of pure love of animals. Something about the feel of soft fur, the sleekness of a horse’s flank, and the soft cooing of a bird made her feel such love in her heart. She couldn’t save every animal in the world, she knew that, but she would at least try her best. That same want, well a need really, dragged her out of bed in thirty degree weather with only a windbreaker, jeans, and a T-shirt on to find the animal that now needed her help. She depressed the button on her searchlight to make it stay pointed on one side of her utility truck. She’d search that one side and then come back up the other when she got to the end of the road. She scanned the grounds to the right of her truck as slowly and thoroughly as she could. She knew that a wounded animal could be dangerous and had a tendency to hide—they wouldn’t realize she was trying to help them when she came upon them. She patted her tranquilizer gun reassuringly to make sure that it was there. She didn’t like to use it, but she knew the necessity if she was taking in a wild animal.

She saw a flash of a shiny black coat of fur and stopped her truck. She turned her searchlight in the direction and spotted one of the most beautiful examples of a wolf she had ever seen. He was massive. She knew wolves, and even by extreme standards, he was larger than he should have been. As she recalled, the largest reported was one hundred and ninety-five pounds. He could easily weigh twenty to thirty pounds more than that. His gaze, a piercing dark brown, nearly black in the night, was locked on her approach. She moved toward the wolf as slowly as she could, looking for injuries as she went. The same sad whimper that had dragged her from her bed leaked out once more as the wolf trembled. She knew his thick coat would protect him from the weather. He would be warm while she was quaking in the wind. His trembling told her he was in extreme pain. She had to be careful. If she didn’t come at the wolf just right, he would attack her and they would both be in deep trouble.

“Come on, baby, let me see.” She used a calm, steady voice as she spoke, easing her way beside the wolf. “I want to help you, but you have to let me see what’s wrong.” The wolf laid his head down and closed his eyes as if giving her permission, and she used that to get closer to him. Once she was nearly on top of him she knelt, with the tranquilizer gun at the ready and looked around the wolf’s body. Dark, thick blood pumped from him near his stomach. All thoughts of fear and worry vanished. She went instantly into fix mode. One time she remembered her assistant telling she did crazy things in that state. Sonja supposed, then, her assistant would think she was a lunatic for what she did next. She lay the gun down at her side and stroked the ruff of the wolf’s neck.

“I need to get you in my truck. I have a pulley that’ll help. It’s going to hurt, but I promise that I’ll make it better.” There was no way she was going to lift the wolf herself, and she wasn’t even going to try. She got back up, packing her rifle into the car before circling around the back to grasp the hook of her pulley. It latched into a bed of sorts that she would attempt to roll the wolf over on. She’d have to tranq him if he put up a fight. On second thought, she may have to do it before she moved him. She pulled the pulley around and laid the bed next to him, then retrieved her rifle again. Next to the wolf again, she knelt.

“Okay, big boy, I don’t want to have to shoot you with this medicine, but I will. Let’s go.” She reached for his legs so she could roll him easier, and the wolf twisted, baring its teeth. She leaped back and palmed her rifle, heart pounding.

“Don’t make me shoot you. I’m trying to help.” The wolf turned a plaintive gaze toward her, and Sonja got an eerie feeling that he was trying to communicate something to her. She tried to move him again and he twisted from her grasp, head slamming to the ground and pointing toward a hedge bush. He clawed at the ground as if trying to get to the bush.

“The hard way then,” Sonja began and then froze. Another, softer, cry filled the night air and Sonja ran back to the truck to adjust her light. There in the bush was a black and white timber wolf that was nearly as big as the one she’d found first. Too big to be a female, she thought to herself.

“You are calling for your friend over there? I’ll bring him along, too.” She didn’t know why she was having a conversation with the wolf like he could answer, but when he ceased struggling she thought that maybe he could understand. She eased toward the salt and pepper, her exhale catching in her throat when she saw that this wolf had a deep wound to the neck. If she didn’t get him to her home quick, he’d die out here. She retraced her steps back to the pulley and then dragged the bed to the wounded wolf. He didn’t fight, too lost to pain and his subconscious to know she was there. She rolled him into the pulley, secured him, and then went to the motor. She hit the switch and watched the chain as it dragged the wolf from the bush and near the black wolf. She then moved him, happy he didn’t fight, and secured him. She hit the motor again and then guided them safely into the truck bed. As she drove home she didn’t know how she was going to be able to work fast enough to save both wolves. They had some serious wounds. She was more worried about the neck wound, but the stomach wound of the other one could easily become an issue if she didn’t stop the blood loss and make sure no vital organs had been hit. She drove as quickly as she could back to her house, praying that her speed didn’t jostle her injured charges. Once at her home she used her pulley and a sliding table to transfer the wolves to her surgical space. In minutes, it seemed, she had IVs started on both animals, medicine quickly pumping into their system, and their tongues lolling out of their mouths. A quick buzz of her clippers cut away the thick pelts around the area so that she could see the ragged edges of their wounds better. They’d been shot. She grabbed her forceps, wanting to get the bullets out and the wounds closed. She had to stop the bleeding.

“What the hell?” She dropped intricately designed silver bullets into her pan from the wolves. Each of the four bullets she extracted was tipped with crosses and the sides deeply grooved from what she could see. She was amazed the bullets hadn’t crumpled on impact. She’d never seen a bullet stay intact after hitting flesh and colliding with bone. These wolves were lucky they hadn’t gotten ripped up by fragments. It would have caused even worse damage. If she had seen the poachers, she would have tried to rip them a part herself. The wolves may be large and dangerous, but they could have been captured and released safely. They didn’t have to be shot up, and with silver bullets no less, like they were some kind of damn werewolves. Sonja shook her head. Pushing dressing into the wounds to clean them, she then ran to get gauze and wrappings to have on hand after she sutured some of the torn edges. She hadn’t been prepared for surgery tonight, let alone two. She was dripping in sweat, drooping with exhaustion, and worried that, even with all of her work, the wolves may not make it through the night. She gathered all of the supplies as fast as she could, along with more medicine bottles, and rushed back to her patients. Then stopped in her tracks.

Where two large wolves had been, now two really naked, men lay. One, with soft, slanted eyes, bone-straight black hair, and a chiseled frame, looked as if he were Asian in ethnicity. The other, a salt-and-pepper haired god of roped muscles and full lips, looked like the best damn cowboy she’d ever seen. Something in the set of his jaw gave him a rugged appeal she’d always imagined belonged to the men of the horseback lifestyle. Call her naive, but she found it damn sexy.

“The Marlboro Man and the Last Samurai are in my house,” she said nervously, not sure if she wanted to faint or laugh her ass off. When one moaned and twitched, it somehow sounded like the cry she’d heard from the black wolf earlier, she figured she go for the former.

Excerpt 2 (Warning some hot scenes)

“We are not going to do this, Hideki. She gets the right to choose,” Tobias argued.

“I am not giving her up,” Hideki growled back, but Sonja was too shocked about everything that happened to listen to them anymore. She just forced her body to place one foot in front of the other. She had knocked out a woman, a shifter. She’d actually gotten in a fight with someone. Whatever Zora had been angry about, Sonja had survived an encounter with a woman who was not human. And all because of the two men bickering around her felt that she was one of their mates. When she woke up the morning before she was just Dr. Sonja Taylor with a full list of appointments. She had a quarter horse that was scheduled for her to check in on after having a colic bout, another who just had a colt. She had a conference she would be heading out to at the end of the week to speak about wolf migration and pack mentality. She was just a normal woman, a veterinarian, who handled wolves on four legs, not ones that walked on two, acted like humans, looked yummy enough to eat, and talked about mating.

And yet, her body was on fire. Watching Hideki move with graceful strides further into the house, she ignored the dark wooden paneling in the hallway. She ignored the sounds of people living behind closed doors. All she could see was the shape of Hideki’s ass in his jeans. God, the man was shaped like an Adonis. His back muscles moved and flexed with each step. He stopped before a door and opened it. His body rippled like a caged animal. Her mouth went dry, her nipples hardening. She lost her breath watching him. He walked in and waited for her to enter. She stepped past him, captured by his dark gaze as he watched her, still arguing with Tobias. But she didn’t hear a word he said. His mouth was a sensual feast, framing his words, the lilt of his accent rolling over her in waves. Tobias broke the contact by moving between them. She was lost, just like when she’d looked at Hideki. Tobias was so different, so rough and strong. His green gaze grabbed her as he went past her and she heard the closing of the door as if it was slammed. Her heart was in her throat, beating like a drum in her mind. He smiled at her, the crooked tilt of his lips making her already pounding heart summersault. What was she supposed to do? She was out of her depth with these men. She couldn’t decide which one touched her more. They both grabbed her attention with equal measure. She was supposed to give them a chance, and yet she couldn’t think about having them separately.

Like the dam was broken, fantasies she’d kept held back for so long flooded her body. In her mind she saw Hideki riding her ass, pushing her to heights, while she rode Tobias’s cock as he sucked her nipples. She screamed between them, riding their cocks, had them glistening from her juices, her pussy and ass gobbling them up. And then the vision switched as she moaned, Tobias sitting bellow her, pushing into her ass, as he gripped her knees and forced her to lean back so that Hideki could step up and push his thick cock into her pussy. She was between them, held so she couldn’t move, all she could do was take it. The pictures flipped through her mind with dizzying speed until she couldn’t tell what was real and what was fantasy. All she knew was that she wanted them, both of them. Nothing else quite mattered in that moment. She didn’t feel like herself. It felt like she was on fire, all she could see was Hideki and Tobias, arguing incessantly when she wanted more than they could ever imagine.

“Shut the hell up!” she finally yelled, needing them in a way she couldn’t say out loud, but knowing she needed.

“Stay out of this,” Hideki told her. Tobias and Hideki stared at each other until something changed. The very air altered.

“You know I can make you submit. We’ve been here so many times before,” Hideki growled. Tobias froze, everything stopping. With slow, deliberate movements, Hideki unbuttoned his jeans and slid the zipper down. He pushed them over his hips, baring his fiercely hard cock. It sprang from confinement glistening with precome. She swallowed, and was surprised to see Tobias’s sight locked on his cock as well.

“Strip,” Hideki commanded, looking at Tobias as he pulled out of his jeans and kicked them to the side. He palmed his cock, stroking it with long, leisure strokes. Sonja panted.

“No,” Tobias argued.

“Strip. I will not tell you again. You don’t, and I will do it for you.” Hideki moved to the side, crowding Sonja until she backpedaled. He kept his eyes on Tobias but pushed her until she fell on the bed. She scrambled back, so that she could see both of them. Tobias’s eyes were dilated, his breath coming quick. He gulped, never looking away from Hideki as his hand found the buttons of his jeans. He unbuttoned them slowly, something that made Hideki’s breath hitch. They were aroused, Sonja realized. This was the bond they had that she had picked up on before. This was what Hideki had hinted at when she called Tobias koibito. They had been here before. The realization made her lay back with a moan on the soft pillows. Suddenly the room was too small, she couldn’t breathe. Her body was overheating. She’d never felt desire like this before. They made a beautiful picture, the two of them, undressing. Tobias’s eyes glued to Hideki’s stroking hand, licking his lips when a bead appeared on the tip.

“To the bed,” Hideki ordered and Tobias went, for the first time looking at Sonja since Hideki had commanded him to strip. He froze, face twisting.

“No,” she whispered, too far gone not to see this. She had to witness them come together. “I know dominance for control. I’ve witnessed it. This isn’t what he’s doing. Hideki is doing what you want, what you need.” Sonja licked her lips, taking a leap she hadn’t even realized she was prepared to make.

“Give in. I won’t look at you different. Look at me. Look at what it does to me,” she whispered, gripping her heavy breasts and squirming on the bed. It was as if she wasn’t herself. As if she was living in a fantasy she had never told a soul about. Tobias shuddered, once more under Hideki’s spell. He leaned forward on the bed, his arms bunching as he positioned himself between Sonja’s legs. Hideki caressed his flank with a steady hand and leaned down and kissed the small of Tobias back. Tobias trembled against her legs, and she arched under him.

“Don’t worry, uruwashii, we won’t leave you out,” Hideki growled, and Tobias grabbed her pants.

Excerpts (Wronged Desires)

I sauntered barefoot through the halls to the master suite while memories of Kem and

I clouded my mind. We met in a freshman economics class on the first day of class. The

professor decided it was a wonderful idea to match the quiet, invisible black girl with the

popular, athletic white boy. At the time I was an academic scholar from meager beginnings,

raised by my grandmother, who was the only mother I knew. Since I was the valedictorian of

my high school graduating class in Houston, I was awarded my pick of top business schools

in and out of the country, but I chose to be an Aggie and stayed close to home. Kemington

Sutter, wealthy trust-fund heir, was the green-eyed, sandy-brown-haired, drop-dead gorgeous

tennis captain all the women—eligible or not—swooned over, especially when he took the

court in his white shorts and auburn shirt.

With cockiness bleeding from his pores, he approached me on the first day of class,

the green-eyed devil with only a few tattoos on his arms at that time. I resisted his charm

for months, but by the second semester we were dating and making passionate love every

evening like we were shooting for high marks on a statewide sex exam.

I remember the first time I took him home to meet my grandmother. He was dressed in

a suit and tie like he was meeting the Queen of England. She reamed him good the first few

visits, but it was an awe-inspiring experience to see him in the kitchen with her, cutting and

battering tomatoes while the two chatted, unaware that I was viewing the tender moment.

Next thing I knew, she took ill and Kem started footing the bill for her medical care, not

settling for anything less than the best medicines and specialists Texas could provide. Every

Sunday we would take the hour’s drive to have church service with her and dinner until she

passed away.

The day he proposed was something I would have never imagined. Kem knew I had

insecurities about us dating, mainly due to his parents being very vocal about me not being

a proper suitor for their son, a Sutter heir. I constantly received awful scowls from my peers

and hurtful, backhanded comments from his family. Kem had been grown to be an eligible,

elite bachelor for any of the prosperous Texas-bred debutants. His choice of a lower-middle-

class black girl with no familial background outside of her grandmother was unacceptable

by all. Those things alone were enough to give anyone doubts, but then the last tennis

tournament of the season in our senior year occurred. Of course I was present in the front

row of the bleachers, cheering Kem on. That season the team was undefeated, so it was no

surprise that they slaughtered the visitors in the final game.

As Kem approached the net to shake his opponent’s hand, the stadium lights were

glaring on his sweat-soaked shirt. Suddenly he was taking his cap off, shaking out his

wet cinnamon hair, and lifting his jersey off to reveal his muscular chest and bulging abs.

Screams erupted from all of the scandalous women who wanted to steal him away. As they

were celebrating the free show he was giving, tears started to form when I caught sight of

his purpose of putting himself on display. All the shouting started to die down when the

onlookers knew what I knew. In big, bold lettering, Kem had “Babygirl” inked permanently

over his left-side ribs. He shouted to the masses, “Victoria, you are now and will always

be my rib until my last breath. Will you do me the honor of being Mrs. Kemington Sutter?

Please marry me, Babygirl!” The crowd quieted. I was stunned and didn’t know what to do.

A man next to me cleared his throat and nudged me. I began to shake my head repeatedly.

“Yes…yes,” I said finally. Applause started slowly. Kem moved across the sand and

lifted me over the railing. The minimal clapping began and grew in volume, then Kem

wrapped his arms around me and whispered, “Thank you for being mine,” into my ear.

Where to Get Your Copies:

Wronged Desires by Lillian MacKenzie Rhine

http://www.amirapress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=443

Accepting Their Claim by LeTeisha Newton

http://www.amazon.com/Accepting-Their-Claim-LeTeisha-Newton-ebook/dp/B00HT5SIRQ

Spotlight on The Viscount’s Prize by Patricia Bates

The rogue spy and his sheltered courtesan must fight to find a far more ephemeral reward than mere passion – they must try to survive falling in love in a time when love isn’t fashionable.

Excerpt:

Frederique’s gaze slid past the queen as he knelt. His heart lightened when he recognized one of the queen’s maidens. “Elisabeth.” The name slipped past his lips in a soundless whisper. Shock reverberated through his body as she drifted into court a few steps behind her majesty.

His attention wandered to the other women in the royal procession and his heart nearly stopped when he saw the last woman in line. Dressed in silver, her hair was swept up into a loose pile of curls atop her head. Powdered to perfection, it had a pale glow to it. Her clear, stunning blue eyes swept the room with curiosity and a touch of anger. Artfully applied cosmetics highlighted her high cheekbones and small nose. Her red lips were tilted in a smile that did not reach her eyes. A small black mole decorated her upper lip in the fashion of the times. A fan hung from her hand, and the ruffles along the edges of her skirts fluttered like butterfly wings with each step. Her breasts seemed near to bursting out of the lace of her bodice. Ribbons and bows cascaded over the gown in simple splendor compared to the queen’s lavish bejeweled gown.

His body tightened as she bowed before the king and her full breasts pushed against the confines of her bodice. The king’s expression bore no hint of lust. Indeed, the king barely acknowledged her before turning to assist his wife into her seat. With the queen settled next to him, he motioned to the fair haired beauty standing a few steps beyond the dais.

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About the Author:

Currently I have over 20 books under contract under my own name and under my pen name Elise Whyles in multiple genres. My goals this year are simple to continue putting out stories my readers love, books they can relate to and characters they can identify with. For the full list of my books please check out my books page.

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The Things that Hurt

The Things that Hurt.