A.R. Von's Blog, page 39

Interview/Giveaway with Christine Verstraete author of Girl Z - My Life as a Teenage Zombie

Synopsis for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie:Sixteen-year-old Rebecca Herrera Hayes' life changes forever when her cousin Spence comes back to their small Wisconsin town carrying a deadly secret—he's becoming a zombie, a fate he shares with her through an accidental scratch.The Z infection, however, has mutated, affecting younger persons like her, or those treated early enough, differently. Now she must cope with weird physical changes and habits no girl wants to be noticed for. But time is running out... Becca needs the help of her friends and other cousin to fight off hungry zombies and find their missing mothers. Most of all, she needs to find something, anything, to stop this deadly transformation before it is forever too late...  (Read prologue and download chapter 1 at book page, http://www.cverstraete.com/girlz-teenage-zombie-book.html)
BUY:
Amazon:  *Canada - China - France - Germany - India - Italy - Japan - Spain - US - UK * Books-A-Million   *Barnes & Noble   *IndieBound   * Powell's
Q: What’s your favorite line from any movie?"Tomorrow is another day." (Scarlett in Gone with the Wind)

Q: You've just been hired to a promotions position at Kellog Co. What would you put in a new breakfast cereal box as a gimmick?How about real food? haa! Make it a zombie cereal - with candy red skulls, though Becca (in GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie) has slightly odder tastes. Nope, not telling! It's not what you think!

Q: Name five adjectives to describe yourself.Short. Funny. Friendly. Impatient. Questioning.
Q: If you could visit any place in the world, where would you choose to go and why?If I could afford it, and it wasn't so dangerous, I'd love to see the pyramids in Egypt.
Q: If you could eliminate one thing from your daily schedule, what would it be and why?Exercising. I get bored.
Q: If you wake up as (name any famous personality), what's the first thing you would do?I'd like to be 1920s movie star Clara Bow and be able to see the time period myself. First thing I'd do is get on the phone and call Charlie Chaplin to go to lunch, then call my agent.
Q: Three things I think will become obsolete in 10 years:I hate to think it but probably print newspapers and magazines; and irons (who irons anymore? or hardly ever).
Q: When people look at me, they would never guess that I:.. Collect and make dollhouses.
Q: What are your favorite pizza toppings?Mushrooms always Pepperoni sometimes; sorry, not brains and worms. haaa!

Q: You wouldn't be caught dead where?At a strip club.
Q: Name 2 things you consider yourself to be very good at.Writing and crafting miniatures.
Q: Name 2 things you consider yourself to be very bad at.Housework and dieting. Necessary evils.
Q:  Do you scream on roller coasters? Do you lift up your hands?Oh yes! And it has to be the front or last seats. Love them!
Q: What’s your favorite horror movie?I thought Zombieland was hysterical. Scariest: Dawn of the Dead. But I always liked the old Wolfman movie, too.
Q: Tea or coffee?Tea.
Q: Tell us something you hate doing. Why?Now I hate putting on makeup. The older you get, the more you have to do, ha!
Q: As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up?An archeologist or paleontologist. Instead I have to settle for writing about them.
Q: Pen or pencil?Pen. Black.
Q: Any special top secret projects? Can you share with us?Then it wouldn't be TOP SECRET right? haa! Let's say I still like to write about zombies.
Bio:Christine Verstraete is a big Halloween fan who enjoys a good scare or two. Her short fiction has appeared online and in anthologies including Timeshares and Steampunk'dfrom DAW Books. Her new YA book, GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie was released August 1. Stop by her website at http://cverstraete.com or blogs, http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.comand http://candidcanine.blogspot.com.

*** Don't forget to follow along the rest of the tour! ***

GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie Book Launch Blog Tour - August 5-15

Monday, 8/5 - Marian Allen,- http://www.marianallen.comTuesday, 8/6 - Armand Rosamilia, http://armandrosamilia.com/Wednesday, 8/7 - GirlZombieAuthors, http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.comThursday, 8/8 - StraightFromHel, Helen Ginger, http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com/Friday, 8/9 - Dana Wright, ZombieGirlShambling, http://zombiegirlshambling.blogspot.com/Saturday, 8/10 - GirlZombieAuthors, http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.comMonday, 8/12 - AR Von, Dreamz of Dragons, http://dreamzofdragons.blogspot.com/Tuesday, 8/13 - B. Swangin Webster, Books, Shoes, Writing, http://booksshoeswriting.blogspot.com/Wednesday, 8/14 - DB Corey, http://dbcorey.blogspot.com/Thursday, 8/15 - Wrap-up - GirlZombieAuthors, http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com


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Review Green Eyes and Good Hair by Hugh O. Smith

"Green Eyes and Good Hair"
Author: Hugh O. Smith
Genre: Romance
Pages: 85
Source: Author in exchange for a honest review.

Published: May 6, 2013
Author's Website

Buy Links: Amazon

Goodreads Blurb:
Tony is young successful and used to getting his way. When he meets Olivia, he doesn't see her beauty or curves, he sees a way of enhancing his career. After all, she's only a big girl, no match for him, he'll work it out...

Olivia is intrigued when she meets Tony, he's a pretty boy and pretty boys are her weakness. Still she knows what he's all about, he's not her first playboy and certainly won't be her last. She knows his game, and sees him for what he is. He's only a playboy, she'll work it out...
My Review:
I enjoyed the realistic feel I got while reading Green Eyes and Good Hair. I really felt as if I was hanging out with all of the characters and in the conversation! A great read for any fans of the genre looking for something good and different to sink their eyes into :)
Olivia is a successful career woman. A single one that has yet to find and settle down with a good man. She’s getting a bit of pressure from her father because of it. He wants her to settle down and no longer be alone. But is she ready for it?
Tony is the type of guy that plays the field (so to speak). It’s what he knows. He has many…conquests and he’s also used to having full control when it comes to the bedroom and every other situation in whatever relationship he is on. For some reason this woman has him out of control. Doing things he’s never done and finding himself lost when he’s not around her.

My only complaint is I wish it was a bit longer. I REALLY want more of these two! Love their story and chemistry :)


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Review Cinda's Fella (Naughty Fairytales) by Nikki Prince

"Cinda's Fella"
Author: Nikki Prince
Genre: Erotic Romance
Pages: 50
Source: Author in exchange for a honest review.
Published: May 23, 2013
Author's Website

Buy Links: Amazon

Goodreads Blurb:
Once Upon a Dream, 2

Cinda A. Rella's life revolved around helping others. She's used to not getting what she wants, everyone else’s needs more important. She's spent her life taking care of her father, stepmother and two stepsisters. When her father and stepmother die, Cinda continues taking care of her stepsisters and runs from the only man who could give her everything she ever wanted.

Nicolai Charming is a Dominant used to getting what he wants, and he wants Cinda. Nico has the antidote for what ails Cinda, and he plans to make the fantasy he holds for them come true.

Will Doc Fairee's magic work one more time? Or will Cinda and Nico's relationship take a backseat to everything else?

Be Warned: BDSM, wax play, spanking
My Review:
Another wickedly respun tale by author Nikki Prince. She took a childhood fairy tale and turned it into an adult erotic romance that many fans of the genre will enjoy.
Cinda lost her father some time ago. The business he left behind was split between her and her step sister’s. No one else but her keeps the business going. All the others do is collect cash and cause more problems for Cinda. Because of how much responsibility she has as well as the fear of being left alone. She ends up pushing away the one man she adores, Master Nico.
Nico wants back his lovely submissive and he’ll do whatever it takes to get her!


I really enjoy this author’s adult spin with a nice BDSM kick. It’s like a whole new fairy tale for our adult years :)




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Spotlight with Shandra Miller author of Lethal Obsession

Lethal Obsession
Angela Martin is chief detective for the Moose Creek, N.C., police department, when a possible murder call comes in. At the scene she finds the body of a woman, hanging from hands bound overhead, eyes blindfolded, mouth gagged. Red whip marks crisscross the woman’s buttocks, the back of her legs. She recognizes the scene, knows exactly what happened to the woman before she died, because Det. Angela Martin was bound and blindfolded, gagged and whipped exactly as this woman had been. By a man she met on line. A killer.A master whose power over her is so strong she’s willing to risk everything – her career, even her life – to be with him again. LETHAL OBSESSION is a novel of desire and domination, suspicion and fear, and the mysterious way those emotions mingle into an inescapable pull, one that might cost Angela her life. *****An excerpt:
I am going to die.Because I’m stupid.That was the final lucid thought Angela was able to form before emotion replaced rational thinking. His hands – gentle yet deliberate in the way they had already worked the rest of her clothing from her body – unfastened first one strap that hung over her shoulders, then the other, and Angela felt her face flush as the chemise fell, leaving her nude.She heard a whimper as the hot sting of leather kissed her buttocks, then the whimper grew to a muffled cry with the second and third strike, and Angela realized it was her own voice she was hearing, what little voice she could form through the gag.Her body trembled at a fourth and fifth strike. Fear and adrenaline coursed through her body, and Angela moaned. Embarrassment competed with fear, embarrassment at being naked and vulnerable, and at the realization her body was responding to his actions, that she could no longer control herself, with each lash from the belt arousal grew; fear as the realization dawned on her, not rationally but in some deep, visceral way, that she was helpless and alone, at the mercy of a stranger who clearly had painful intentions for her.Then it all went away, replaced by the hard sensation of ice, first against her right nipple, then her left. Angela cried out at the cold, her body jerking, but the sound was muffled, and she moved little, with her arms stretched overhead, wrists bound, snuggly held in place by…by what she wasn’t sure, with her vision nothing more than blackness behind a blindfold. She turned her body away from the cold as much as she could, and Angela felt another sharp sting of leather across her buttocks.“You will stand still.”The voice, little more than a whisper, was firm and even. No anger, no frustration, just a simple command.Again the ice, but Angela held her footing, though her body trembled in spite of her attempt at remaining perfectly still. The cold pressed against her, hard, and then she felt the ice slipping around the nipple, making larger and larger circles outward, spiraling across her breasts. As suddenly as the ice had come, it was gone. In its place she felt his lips...kissing her right nipple, gently at first, ever so softly. A mix of sensations rolled through her body – the air against her left nipple, still wet from the ice, almost stinging cold, while his kisses brought warmth to her right nipple. Despite the embarrassment, the fear, Angela felt herself growing wetter than she could ever remember as his hands caressed her hips. She moaned, instinctively arched her hips forward and felt teeth clamp down on her nipple. Not hard enough to be a bite, but with enough force to hurt.She whimpered and, again acting on instinct, tried pulling away, which served to elicit even more pain before he released her nipple. “You are not very compliant,” he said. As before his voice was little more than a whisper, followed by the sound of leather slicing through the air and the sensation of it slapping hard across her butt, wrapping around her body, the tip of the belt kissing her, there, with pain.
***** About Shandra MillerShandra is a mid-western gal who left home at 16 and never looked back. Eventually she made her way to Florida, worked for three years as a carnie and another three with a circus -- yes, a real, live, honest-to-god circus. Traveled all through the South and Mid-Atlantic, town to town, on the road eight months at a time.Now she’s a small-town mountain girl, waiting tables on the Blue Ridge Parkway. She doesn’t own a cell phone or a TV, she takes long walks at night, lies in the grass in the day time and watches the clouds go by, and she writes erotica. Blazing hot erotica. And mystery stories dripping with lust, sex and suspense.You can follow Shandra at shandramillerwriter.blogspot.com or at https://www.facebook.com/shandra.miller.52 and on Twitter @shandramillerwrLETHAL OBSESSION is her debut novel. Her second novel, HELPLESS, Book 2 of the Lethal Obsession Trilogy, will be released Aug. 15. You can find LETHAL OBSESSION at Amazon: amzn.to/148DO67Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/315075Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lethal-obsession-shandra-miller/1114727993?ean=2940016377414
Or the JUST RELEASED audio version at http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B00E8ICPR6&qid=1375551801&sr=1-1

#WedBriefs Flash Fiction Lady #12 by A.R. Von

Hello everyone and welcome to Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction. As always, I was given many options to inspire this weeks brief. I chose to go with the three photos below and no word prompts for this weeks Lady. These three photos inspired me and just fit with what happened last week.

For those of you that have not read the prior week's portions and would like to. Click HERE to access them all.
I hope you enjoy & thank you for reading!

“Lady #11” by A.R. Von




I enter the bath Dezso has made for me and instantly feel calm and soothed. Lowering my entire form into the water, tingles-tickles of the bubbles are popping on my flesh, as if I’m getting a message from the tiniest hands in existence. I feel my body melt into the water and relax. I let out this sound Dezso once called a giggle and glance over at him.
He looks at me and smiles larger. He’s been smiling constantly since we entered his home. I enjoy his happiness. I know if I was in my unicorn form I would prance around in a circle. Balancing on my hind legs and swinging around my forelegs in a dance. But of course, if I were still unicorn I would not be here.
With Dezso…in his home.
My thoughts are interrupted by Dezso who’s next to the bath and kneeling beside me, handing me what I know is a glass. I’ve no idea of what’s within it though. It is red. As red as blood and smells sweet as a mixture of fruits and flowers.

“A drink for you Iria. It is called sweet wine. Only sip it though. It’s not like water. It’s more of a leisure beverage and I think it will help you to relax more.”


I take a tentative sip. Enjoying the explosion of flavors on my tongue and the warmth that flows from my throat down to my stomach. “Mmm…It is delicious and-makes me tingle.” I let out another of those giggle sounds.

Dezso chuckles as he removes the glass from my hand and places it to the side.

I watch him as he finishes undressing and when the last stitch of clothing falls to the floor I hold my hands out to him. Inviting him into the bath water with me.Wanting him close.As close as two can possibly become.


He does not hesitate to take one of my hands and steps in while tugging me forward. Easing himself behind me and setting my body between his thighs. I feel the firm flesh that’s him against my rump and my center tightens with the thought that his manhood is so very close to where I want it to be. 


I do not say anything. Just lay there while he runs his fingers through my hair and rubs some more bubbles into my scalp. I’m unsure what I should do. Should I do to him what he is doing to me or should I just continue to stay like this and allow him to tend to me as he sees fit.


My silent question is answered when he asks me to tilt my head back and pours warm water on my head. Removing the bubbles and leaving my hair strands squeaking. I hear it as Deszo squeezes some of the water from my hair. He then grabs a container of sorts and applies a cream of sorts in his hands. Then, he rubs it through my hair and combs through it with his fingers. Once again, messaging my scalp.


I seemed to drift into a dream state. Falling asleep from being in such a deep relaxation. I'm not sure how long I am asleep. But I open my eyes to find myself in a dark place once again. This one is not like the place I was when the goddess laid the bonding mark upon me. This one is cold and evil. 


I hear a scurrying around me as if many insect or vermin are surrounding me. I need light. I want to see where I am, this place frightens me and my Dezso is not here.I remember the word from Dezso’s memories the one he spoke to bring light upon his palm and I quickly said it with hope it’ll work for me. “Aduro!”


A bright orange glow forms within the confines of my hands and lights up the extreme darkness. Once my eyes adjust, I see I am surrounded by hundreds of scorpions the size of full grown ravens poised to attack. All of them are as black as the darkness that existed before I brought forth the light—Evil and vicious they are. I gasp in shock at what I see and am unsure of what I should do.
There’s no way for me to run because they’re in a complete circle around me. There is not one opening anywhere. Screaming will do me no good, because I think it might agitate them and cause them to attack. So, I stand there and try my best to calm my breathing and end up letting out a pitiful whimper.

Suddenly, there’s shaking, rocking. I’m about to lose my footing and fall directly into a scorpions sting. I hear someone calling my name in the distance. It gets louder and louder. It’s now sounding like a plea.


“My Iria—please wake up!”


My eyes flutter open yet again, but this time I am upon a soft surface. I’m breathing as if I’d been running and I feel disoriented.

Dezso is above me, looking concerned and grabs me to hold me as if I’m a precious infant upon his naked lap. Frantically and gently checking me over for harm. Satisfied he has found none, he looks into my eyes. “Are you alright my lady?”

I audibly sigh and nod my head. Wriggling my arms out, so I may touch him. Sitting up a bit I straddle his lap. I place each of my hands upon his face and look into his soul filled eyes. “I am now, my desire.” I pull his face to mine and drink of him deeply with a kiss. Feeling him harden beneath me and rubbing myself upon him with wild abandon. It is as if I might explode if I don’t have him now.


Losing my breath in the kiss, I pull away and lift myself a bit. Grabbing his cock and rubbing against my tender skin where I want it to be. He moans loudly and his eyes roll to the back of his head. Since he’s not said or done anything to stop me, I place the head of his sex at my entrance and lower myself upon it…


Be sure to come back for Lady #13...

(This story continues to be dedicated to my one and only sister, my Pookie. Her love of unicorns from when we were tots is what inspired me to write it. Love you my sissy!)



Here are other Wednesday Briefs for you to visit:


MA Church    Cia Nordwell    J.A. Harmon BL Morticia Nephylim    Tali Spencer    Julie Lynn Hayes

The last chapter of the Vikings and a GIVEAWAY in Week 17/Chapter 17 of Silver and Spice by Maria MacAuley!

Hello friends/followers! Welcome to week 17/chapter 17 (and the very end) of  Maria MacAuley's Silver & Spice. Now we present to you the last portion of a very exciting, romantic and all-around great story. We are looking forward to comments, feelings, thoughts, etc. of what you think for each portion posted. So please be sure to leave a comment in the comments section :)


ALSO be sure to scroll down and enter the giveaway to win a Amazon Giftcard!

Now I present to you... Silver and Spice!

View Prologue and chapter 1 HERE, chapter 2 HERE,  chapter 3 HERE,  chapter 4 HERE, chapter 5 HERE, chapter 6 HERE, chapter 7 HERE, chapter 8 HERE, chapter 9 HERE, chapter 10 HERE, chapter 11 HERE, chapter 12 HERE, chapter 13 HERE, chapter 14 HERE, chapter 15 HERE, chapter 16 HERE


Chapter 17


Erik knew his actions and words were harsh this evening, but years of knowing and keeping the secret of his brother's torment at Alfhilde's hands had finally exploded into rage.It was undeniable, Alfhilde had made his brother into a strong man, educated in Greek and Latin, disciplined in his actions. Erik was proud of his brother, proud of his skills.  However, Alfhilde had failed Kristr greatly by her abuse of the boy who grieved for his mother. How many more Norse sons had been entrusted to her care and had suffered?  Alfhilde was his aunt, his own mother’s sister.  She had no blood relation to Kristr, but she should have treated him as family.Not taking his eyes off Alfhilde, who was confined to the corner, radiating fury, he addressed his brother. 'Is Roisin safe?''Ja, I have concealed her, and when we get these boys under control and accounted for, I shall bring her back to the buildings. And you,' he stabbed the air viciously at Alfhilde, 'may get down on your knees and beg Roisin's forgiveness. You do not and will not have mine.' He turned from her angry stare, not looking backwards.'We three can take care of the young boys,' Erik advised. 'Go to Roisin.' Knottr and Johan had started to account for the foster-children in Alfhilde’s care. Kristr lifted a flaming torch from a sconce. There was no need for stealth now. Walking across the freshly turned earth for planting, he mused on the dissatisfaction he felt at MacRonan's death. He had wanted to watch him die slowly and painfully, to find out why he had cheated him in the first place.  Why had MacRonan’s last words been ‘Mother-Thief?’ He had not taken MacRonan’s mother from him; Aisling had believed her only son dead and was willing to take her chances with Kerik Halsrason than stay another year in her abusive marriage.  Peter MacRonan, however, had taken Aisling from not one son but two, in bitterness and revenge.
*****


Embarking onto the secluded boat, a soft smile crossed his face when he saw Roisin cocooned in the sleeping sack. She was fast asleep, her hand still curled around the knife. He crouched down and stroked her cheek, whispering her name, a little louder when she did not stir.'Kristr,' she smiled in her sleep, coming around slowly.'Ja, Sweetling. I am here.' He continued his small circular caress.'You are my true love,' her whispers were clear, and music to his ears.'And you are mine.' He never meant anything so much in his life. Shaking her very gently; she finally roused from her slumber.Opening his sea chest he brought out his new grey embroidered tunic, and held it up. 'This may be – just- a little big for you, but it is a lot more suitable to the climate than that silk gown you have been dressed in.' He ran his fingers over the raised embroidery, on the finely woven wool-cloth, tracing the outline of the rune. A chill ran down his spine as he thought of the previous days when he had come upon the finely threaded piece, the obvious care that she had taken in her work.She could not stop her tears. 'Kristr, I thought I had lost you forever. They wanted to make me a bed slave! MacRonan wanted to lay with me. If that disgusting vile creature had touched me...' She wriggled frantically out of the sleeping sack and vomited over the edge of the boat. ''Shhh, Sweetling.' He stroked her back and handed her a waterskin.  She drank gratefully. 'He can never hurt you again.' Starting to carefully unravel the twists of her hair from the circlet, he dropped a kiss on her forehead. 'Consider this a battle scar. Your tresses may be shorter, but it does not distract from your beauty.''I suppose it will grow again.' She pulled at the ornate style herself, freeing her shorter black curls. 'A small price to pay to be with you.' She smiled shyly, growing wider when she saw his mirrored reaction.'Only two more objects to remove, and you are again mine.' He worked the wires free around the ankle bells and threw them over the edge of boat, their gentle tinkling stilled with the immediate splash of the water. Alfhilde had no more hold on his precious Roisin. 'Mine.''Yours.' Her breathless words stirred within him. 'Make me yours.'She did not feel the cold grey fingers of the dawn as Kristr dropped sweet kisses over her body, around her neck where the slave collar had been locked by Alfhilde. He cupped and suckled on her breasts, marvelling in their softness and warmth. With each tiny moan of pleasure as he licked and nipped down over her belly, he nuzzled between her slender thighs, feasting on the intoxicating nectar that guided his way. Sensing her reaching her peak, and slowing down his celebration of her body, he chuckled as she gave a playful scowl and mewl of protest. Stopping to drink in the view of her lush curves and creamy skin, he knew he would never have his fill of her. Finally succumbing to her quiet pleas for release, he returned to his enjoyment of her sweet tender spot, as her voice became louder until she called out his name in ecstasy.Revelling in her cries of pleasure he claimed her honeyed entrance, the spasms of her womb guiding him in further. Locked in their lovers' embrace of the body, their eyes stared into each other's soul, green as the land into grey as the ocean. The passion was as raw and intense as a winter storm in the mountains of the north. For now, the boat was their world; nothing else mattered. With a final thrust, they collapsed in unison, the two becoming one.
****
When they arrived back at the hall, Johan, Erik and Taylr had assembled the young men in Alfhilde's care, gathering their tales as evidence for Alfilde’s trial at an Allthing.'Where is she?' Kristr growled, searching the hall.'Alone, bound in her bedchamber. It is still too good for the likes of her,' Erik snarled. Kristr watched his brother’s expression change when he saw Roisin, to the normal goodnatured grin for which he was known. Erik’s actions over the previous night confirmed to Kristr that his brother would be a fair Jarl and strong leader, when the time came. 'Roisin!' he hugged her and swung her around, her oversized tunic swirling around her tiny body. 'Besides my darling Ciara, I do not believe I have ever been so pleased to see a woman.''Nor I either.' Johan gave a small bow to Roisin, and winked to Kristr, the happiness evident on his face. As far as Johan was concerned, if Roisin was not wed to Kristr by the end of four seasons, with a babe in her womb he would move to Abyssinia, and tolerate sand and heat for the rest of his days.Settling in front of the hearth with the four men, Roisin finally asked, 'Why did he hate you so?' She shivered as she remembered his lascivious stare, when the women were dressing her. 'He said you were brothers. I did not know he fostered with you.'Kristr shook his head. 'Nei, we were not foster brothers, but he was my dearthair, my true brother, by blood. We shared a mother, but I did not know this until recently. His last words to me were Mother Thief. Aisling had believed her son dead before she came North with my father.'Silence fell over the group as they thought of a mother told that her son was dead, and of a son who was told his mother abandoned him.Johan interjected, 'When I met him in Dubh Linn, he was not aware that he was a brother to Kristr, although he knew that Aisling had left with Kerik.' He frowned, and glanced at his friend. 'Perhaps he hated you because Kerik Halsrason was your sire.' It was time to tread carefully to save Roisin's blushes. 'He knew Alfhilde; perhaps he was jealous of your, ah, friendship with her.''Well, my brothers, the key to that particular lock is not far away.' Taylr strood up and purposefully walked out of the hall.Taking Roisin's hand, Kristr kissed her palm tenderly. 'He is dead now, and she will be tried at the Allthing, but I have other plans to consider.' There was not even a desire to find the soaked ragged clothes of his enemy on the rocks. MacRonan was no more, and Kristr wanted no relics of his enemy's past to mar his future.Pushing Alfhilde through the longhouse, Taylr forced her to a stop in front of Kristr. Making her kneel before him, Taylr held a firm grip on her thick blonde braids, forcing her head so that she had to look up. Boring down into her eyes unblinkingly, she finally capitulated.'Well?' he demanded 'Perhaps you may share with us why MacRonan hated me so? Comply and the company of the Allthing may look favourably on you.'Alfhilde knew she had nothing to lose, except her life. 'He was eaten up by jealousy of you.' She spat the words 'Jealous that your sire took his mother, jealous that you were fostered by me, jealous of your wealth, and finally when the fool worked it out, jealous that you were his blood brother, by a mother who he believed abandoned him for a life in the North.'Kristr slumped on the bench. This man had wanted him dead for over ten summers. Kristr was nothing but a boy at the time, but looking into Alfhilde's ice blue eyes full of venom, it as clear how twisted a man or woman could become over envy, even to a child.
It was planned that Kristr would sail with Roisin in the remaining boat to Dun na Shee, accompanied by four of Alfhilde's older fosterlings, who would act as oarsmen. He had promised he would take her to see her father, and he would keep his word. Now that MacRonan was dead, the ransom demanded from him was void. There had been no quarrel with Raymond. His heart felt heavy when he thought how she would choose her homeland of Donegal over him. Erik, Knottr and Johan agreed to stay at Jarlshof, guarding Alfhilde and waiting for Kerik's ship. It would be less than a sennight before he arrived. The time would also permit Johan to talk with the fosterlings, and to help build the testimony against Alfhilde. The men and the women of the Allthing would decide her fate, but if she was merely banished to Vinland, the icy expanse to the very far North, she would consider herself fortunate.Before the ship sailed out of the river, with its crew of five plus Roisin, Kristr, cupping his hands around his mouth, called to his brother, 'Erik, do not wed until I return! I wish to see my brother finally take a wife!' He hoped Kerik would now give his blessing. There would be much to celebrate on the Halsrason steading. Kristr prayed he would be part of it.
***
Roisin could barely contain her excitement on the three-day journey home. She blamed her churning stomach on the rolling waves and the joy of seeing her father.As the boat sailed down the main lough, confusion crossed her face. Instead of a small committee to welcome the group, it looked like a war party, a rough throng looking for blood.'It is the Viking sail, Sweetling.' Kristr tried to soothe her, 'When we get closer, they will recognise you and all will be well.' She crossed herself in silent prayer, and hoped he was right. ‘Take this anyway, just in case.’ He strapped her dagger to her thigh, hidden by the oversized tunic.  She touched the blade and hoped it would not be needed.When the boat reached the water's edge, Roisin tried to call out to the men assembled. She recognised her brother. 'Patrick! Fergus! Please, I beseech you! I am well and this man means me no harm. Let us disembark.'As Patrick helped her off the boat, the men then swarmed over the craft, pulling Kristr and the boys off the vessel. Roisin screamed in rage as Fergus, hauled her off towards the rath as she watched Kristr helplessly. He did not fight his captors.'Unhand me, Fergus!' She was breathless and her words were rasping through her aching throat. 'You don't know what you are doing!' She tried again to twist out of his grasp but he was resolute, only letting her go when they were close to the simple replacement gates of the rath. ‘You look like your mother, little Roisin.  You should have obeyed your father and married MacRonan without argument.  Running and hiding in woods!’ He spat words at her. ‘Look at the walls and gates of the rath – your stubbornness caused this.  Your mother was too strong willed as well, and look what happened her!’ Roisin stopped struggling.  ‘What do you know of her death?’ ‘Nothing that needs to concern you.’  She gasped, and stared up at Fergus, the man she believed was one of her father’s most trusted warriors.  ‘You!  You had a hand in her death.’  Fergus said nothing.  No denial. No reason.  She did not need to hear an excuse.Anger overcame Roisin.  Once again, within a heartbeat she found her mother’s inner strength.  She stilled, in an effort to show capitulation. When his grip released, she slid down past the hem of Kristr’s tunic and drew out her dagger.  For the second time in her life she heard a man’s howl of pain as she stabbed him and ran.  Ignoring the state of disarray, she ran through the still scorched entrance of the ring fort, crying in joy when she saw her father.'Papa!' she sobbed into his tunic as he held her close, kissing the crown of her head. 'I thought I should never see you again!'Raymond could not speak. His daughter was in his arms; the daughter he thought was dead. Time flew back eighteen summers when he felt his joy and awe when Breda had handed him the tiny pink bundle, with a shock of black curls, barely an hour old. 'Roisin. My Roisin.' He fought his emotions, 'I thought I had lost you forever.' He rubbed his fingers through her shoulder length hair. 'Did the Viking do this to you?''No, Papa. He saved me twice. From MacRonan and a marriage...,' Raymond winced in shame '... and from a half-troll who tried to make me a slave.' Their reunion was cut short when Kristr was led into the hall. Roisin gasped in horror had been beaten around the face, his hands were tied and Patrick was yanking him forward by a rope about his neck. 'No!' she cried as she left her father's embrace and ran to Kristr. She would always love her father, but her love for Kristr was different, deeper. The unending love of a man and woman. Grabbing Patrick's dagger she started to gnaw at the ropes. 'This man is a good man, an honourable man, a man I..., I love with all my heart.'Kristr's bruised eyes flickered slightly, and through bloody lips he murmured 'And I you, Sweetling.'Patrick snorted in disgust, 'This Viking has addled one sister's mind, and who knows what has happened to the other.' Glaring at his prisoner, his eyes and expression black with hatred, he continued, 'Now that she probably carries his child, this Viking,' he could not call him by name, '...this Viking wants to leave her here.' He went to strike Kristr, but was intercepted by Roisin, the display of her new knife skills evident. Patrick may have been closer to the truth than he cared to realise. She knew that her courses had not arrived in one and a half moons, and from what she had heard around the sewing circles and looms, this might mean something.'Ciara is well, Patrick.' Roisin's voice was low, the dagger still in her hand. 'She has found her true love. So should you.' Roisin looked at her brother, the relief flooding though his body.  The  black cloud of fate that had suffocated him  and Ciara for six years had finally dispersed. Ciara was happy. Now that their planned union was all but dissolved, Roisin knew that he could make his own choice as Chieftain. In  her own quiet determination Ciara had not only survived, she thrived. Patrick would too.
'So, Kristr Halsrason,' Raymond still was not convinced, 'Why does a Viking maurader want my precious daughter?' This man had kidnapped his daughter from his own lands, and spirited her away. The Northman’s enemy had come and stolen everything of value and almost razed the rath to the ground.  MacRonan and his men came through, intent on destroying the clan and people of Dun na Shee and laying claim to his daughter as if she were livestock.'My Chieftain.' It was the closest term of respect that Kristr could translate. 'I do not regret taking your daughter.' Raymond unsheathed his dagger. 'I do not regret preventing a marriage to the underhand MacRonan, I do not regret welcoming her into my family in the north. I do not regret falling in love with her.' He stopped. 'But I deeply deeply regret the hurt that I caused her by not letting her say goodbye to you, and I regret that I failed to protect her from evil.' He took a deep breath. 'I do not deserve her, but I would like to make her my bride.''You expect me to pay a king's ransom for my daughter and then give her to you in marriage? I will never make a decision on my daughter’s behalf again.'  'There is no ransom now. The demand died with MacRonan.' Kristr now knew how Roisin felt when her stomach churned. His own belly lurched with nervous energy as he considered his situation. He did not wish to barter a bride-price for a woman so perfect, so pure of heart, like she were a prize milk cow. He looked Raymond straight in the eye. 'MacRonan owed me silver. There is no amount of precious metal in this world that I would hold back to have the privilege of making your daughter my wife, my partner. But only if she is willing.'Roisin careered back into her father’s arms, with a squeal of delight worthy of Marthe. 'Papa, please grant his request.' She would miss Donegal, but it was possible to travel over the seas, especially in the long days of summer.
'In return for letting me wed your daughter, I will provide all that you need to repair your home, to rebuild your boats and to prepare your land for the growing season.' I have four young men currently at my disposal who need to learn some farming skills, and some of the Gaelic language.' Kristr knew his plans. Land was scarce in the North and many men were making their way to this mild, wet Island. To prepare them as settlers, not invaders, could only smooth the change that were coming, and prevent bloodshed from feuds.
Raymond sat back in his chair and sighed. Roisin looked so much like, her mother. He remembered the same look on Breda's face as she begged Niall, her own father to permit her to wed the young untried man from Dun na Shee.'Kristr Halsrason, do you promise to protect my daughter with all your heart?''Chieftain, I give you my word.''Roisin of Dun na Shee, do you promise to be an honourable wife, but also promise to come back to me if you are unhappy?' He may allow Kristr to marry Roisin, but he would never give her away.'Papa, I do.'Straightening his back, and looking to Patrick, whose face had finally softened, he said, 'I agree to this union.'
*****
One full moon later, the simple Christian service in St Aonghus' church ended with the joyous pealing of bells. The couple left the church to the well wishes of those who lived inside and outside the rath. Blessings for a long marriage and healthy babes intermingled with some of the more raucous intentions of a man and woman joining as husband and wife.As a bride, she wore a deep red kirtle, as her mother had, on a cool Summer day nineteen years previous. Her linen cream underdress peeped through the wide bell sleeves, and her silver girdle, a bride-gift from Kristr, showed off her slim waist and curved hips. Her hair was decorated with rare tiny scarlet flowers that only blossomed once every three summers, for beauty, and leaves of oak for fertility. Kristr stood proudly beside her, his face healed and the fine embroidered grey tunic skimming over every toned muscle in his chest.In the Norse tradition, Kristr carried his wife over the threshold of the hall before the wedding feast could begin.  Ducking under the lintel, he stopped and asked her if she felt well. 'Yes, my love. I have some news for you of my unwell stomach.' She blushed as he looked to her abdomen and arched an eyebrow. With her shy nod, he gave a whoop of delight, planted a long loving kiss on her lips, and thanked every god in the known world, be they Christian, Norse, Celtic, Greek, Roman or Saracen, that through silver, Roisin had been brought into his world.

Thank you to:The dawn is copyright unknownswilly.org, the boat is copyright flickr Jomme from his Norway photoset and the other drawing and painting is E Paterson





Bio
Maria MacAuley is from Derry, Ireland and has a degree in Celtic Languages. She is married to the love of her life, and they live in relative peace with two cats.

She has a secret wish that her husband will investigate his Nordic family tree further and whisk her off on a longboat to Hammerfest to view the Northern Lights.

If Maria were to choose her favorite tense, it should be the subjunctive, and is always keen to discuss same over a pint of Guinness.
email: banbha@hotmail.com



~*"No portion of this story may be copied or shared without the direct permission of the author."*~



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Review Time's Forbidden Flower by Diane Rinella

"Time's Forbidden Flower"
Author: Diane Rinella
Genre: New Adult Romance
Pages: 38
Source: Author in exchange for a honest review.
Published: August 19, 2013
Author's Website

Buy Links: Amazon

Goodreads Blurb:
An eternity of passion cannot be quelled by society.

Once upon a time Donovan assured Lily all of her dreams would come true. But how could he keep the promise of a fairy tale when her truest goals could not involve him, though her deepest desires did? Now, Lily has it all—love, passion, a family, and the career of her dreams—with Christopher. But something is lacking. She and Donovan have spent the last ten years living apart, and the soul mates are eager to reunite. Can Donovan keep his promise to give Lily all she desires, even with Christopher in the way?

For Lily and Donovan, the past is a mirror to the future that cannot be shattered.

Donovan is convinced Lily has been his love for all eternity. Determined to unravel the past, they embark on a journey to discover where it all began. For centuries Donovan has stolen Lily’s heart while forced to suffer for his love. How much can a soul endure before the breaking point is reached and a monster emerges? Can the demons of the past be combated to pave the way for happiness in the next life? Or has the abuse suffered in this life already turned Donovan hell bound? Time and again, one woman has destroyed their happiness. It’s time to silence her once and for all.
My Review:
Time’s Forbidden Flower continues right off from where Love’s Forbidden Flower left off and goes further into the future of Lily, Donavan and Christopher. A great addition to the Forbidden series that any fans of the series and genre will enjoy.
Lily is now almost living the life she’s always dreamed of. She is happy and has accomplished her dream/goal. Now she’s to face many bumps and choices, even more than before. Some happy, some sad. But through it all she still has Donavan…
Donavan is now healed up from his ailments and starting a brand new life. All without letting go of his feelings for Lily. I do not believe he could even if he REALLY tried! He knows from deep within his soul what is meant to be in this life and the next, is what will happen.

I love stories that have to do with soul deep love, fate and the unstoppable draw of soul mates. This is one of them. I’m sad to see the series at its end but am very happy with its ending. I look forward to more of this authors future works :)

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Review No Second Chances by R.J. Greer

"No Second Chances"
Author: R.J. Greer
Genre: Erotic Romance
Pages: 348
Source: Author in exchange for a honest review.
Published: June 28, 2013
Author's Website

Buy Links: Amazon

Goodreads Blurb:
Another job interview that starts out just like all others, turns into a lustful struggle and control of a wild relationship between a techy UCLA graduate and the horribly damaged yet ravishingly beautiful VP of WCC.

Aaden Macgregor graduated from UCLA with the hopes and dreams of something greater. Destiny Walters is the control freak of a VP that is every man's dirty desire. Destiny's scent broke Aaden's interview fears and drove him to lay eyes upon a queen utterly out of his fantasies. Aaden decides to seize the day and overcome his social challenges by making a once in a lifetime confession that sparks an adventure unlike any other.

But why would a VP of a international company be interested in a guy full of self doubt? Will this adventure end with each of their wicked desires satisfied or will it turn into the most passionate relationship either has ever experienced?
My Review:
A surprise of a story and (I believe it will be a series, not positive though) a great start to a new series. High tech, sexy, exciting and in some cases shocking! A highly erotic read that any fans of the genre will enjoy :)
Aaden is at the point in his life that it must go on. No more late night hang outs with the guys, nope. It’s time for him to get a job and make a life for himself. Little does he know what he’s REALLY in for when he gets hired…
Destiny is a mystery. She’s made it to the top by working hard and even a little bit of play. She’s a bit twisted and I’m not 100% sure of the reason why. But I feel she’s had a very hard life. Now she has something, well someone that is like a dream come true in her world. But can she deal with the switch?

These two go through a lot together. Many firsts and I believe many lasts. I really enjoyed how they “power exchanged” in their bedroom play. It’s very different and fun to read.


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Character interview with Angela from Lethal Obsession

Angela Martin is a detective in the Moose Creek, N.C., police department, the first woman law enforcement officer in the small-town department and the only woman to obtain such a high position in any of the small, rural police departments in the foothills of North Carolina.She's worked hard to reach that position, always felt she had to be a little bit better, work a little harder, than other officers because she had to prove herself. She's been totally devoted to her career, and it's paid off with promotions and commendations and, more importantly, universal respect among her peers.She's also the main character in the novel Lethal Obsession. If you're interested, she's tall (5'10"), blondish, but plain and unassuming. As she says in the novel, she "carries a little extra weight." During some rather heated Internet messaging exchanges she goes by the name "Not Barbie."She's graciously consented to spending a little time with us.*****Detective Martin, we're delighted to have you today. I hope you don't mind, but we're going to dispense with the niceties and jump right in.
Question: There's a scene in Lethal Obsession, where you are meeting a man in a hotel room and he ties you up. You don't know him, you've never done this before, what was it like when he put those ropes on you, when you felt them tighten for the first time?Angela: Scary. And thrilling. As you said, I had never done anything like that before. Ever. Never even thought of it until we started chatting a bit online. I felt so vulnerable to start with, exposing myself like that – in some ways, just being nude in front of a stranger is the scariest part. I'm not exactly a model, and I was afraid he'd reject me. But then, when I felt that rope tightening around my wrists, and he pulled it hard and tied it off, then stretched my arms overhead and tied them to something, I couldn't see because I was blindfolded – I was thinking "my god, what have I done." I was trembling.
Question: So you really didn't know the guy?Angela: No. That's dumb, I know. As a cop, of all people, I should know better. But…there are circumstances in my life, things going on that drove me to make some unwise choices, I suppose. In this case, I wanted to know what this would be like, to be bound and helpless. It's hard to be more vulnerable than you are in that situation with a stranger.
Question: What did he do?Angela: (laughs). I'm sorry, I'm not going to tell, other than to say he drove me absolutely out of my head. By the time we were finished, I had done things I never dreamed of. It was scary the whole time, scary and arousing and…oh my, is it hot in here?
Question: (laughs) It is suddenly feeling a little warm. Didn’t your friend use a little ice on you to keep you cool?Angela: Oh my god, I can’t believe you brought that up. Yes, he was very creative.
Question: I'm sorry to turn this to a sour note, but things took a tragic turn, didn’t they?Angela:Yes. For many people.
Question: A young woman was killed, right? And when you found her, she was bound in the same way your stranger had bound you. As I understand it, the biggest difference was, where he had had done things to you, inflicted some light arousing pain, the killer had done the same to her, only to a level that would rise to torture.Angela:As best we could determine, that is the case.
Question: What did you do when you discovered that?Angela: (Sighs, followed by a long silence). I didn't handle that well. I struggled, I'm still struggling with what to do, should I tell the chief? I mean, sure, I should tell him, but … how do I explain that? I can't imagine sitting in his office, explaining what I was doing. I…I just don't think I can do that.
Question: Couldn't that compromise the investigation?Angela: Yes. I…I'm still working through that. I'm hoping I can figure out if my…if the man I was with was, in fact involved in the murder. If he's not, I can keep this quiet.
Question: How are you going to do that? You don’t even know his real name, right?Angela: That's right. I'm setting up another meeting with him.
Question:A public meeting?Angela: No. Another rendezvous. I'm…he's going to…I'm going to let him do it to me again.
Question: Is that safe?Angela: Probably not. But it's the only thing I have now. He'll have his way, but hopefully I can also learn about him, determine if he's involved.
*****
To find out what happens to Detective Martin, how her mystery stranger turns her life upside down, and how it all ends for the two of them, download a copy of Lethal Obsession by Shandra Miller, available at:Amazon: amzn.to/148DO67 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/315075Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lethal-obsession-shandra-miller/1114727993?ean=2940016377414
For more information about Shandra Miller and her work, check out her blog at http://shandramillerwriter.blogspot.com/
*****
Here's a quick peak at that first meeting between Detective Martin and her stranger:
I am going to die.Because I’m stupid.That was the final lucid thought Angela was able to form before emotion replaced rational thinking. His hands – gentle yet deliberate in the way they had already worked the rest of her clothing from her body – unfastened first one strap that hung over her shoulders, then the other, and Angela felt her face flush as the chemise fell, leaving her nude.She heard a whimper as the hot sting of leather kissed her buttocks, then the whimper grew to a muffled cry with the second and third strike, and Angela realized it was her own voice she was hearing, what little voice she could form through the gag.Her body trembled at a fourth and fifth strike. Fear and adrenaline coursed through her body, and Angela moaned. Embarrassment competed with fear, embarrassment at being naked and vulnerable, and at the realization her body was responding to his actions, that she could no longer control herself, with each lash from the belt arousal grew; fear as the realization dawned on her, not rationally but in some deep, visceral way, that she was helpless and alone, at the mercy of a stranger who clearly had painful intentions for her.Then it all went away, replaced by the hard sensation of ice, first against her right nipple, then her left. Angela cried out at the cold, her body jerking, but the sound was muffled, and she moved little, with her arms stretched overhead, wrists bound, snuggly held in place by…by what she wasn’t sure, with her vision nothing more than blackness behind a blindfold.She turned her body away from the cold as much as she could, and Angela felt another sharp sting of leather across her buttocks.“You will stand still.”The voice, little more than a whisper, was firm and even. No anger, no frustration, just a simple command.Again the ice, but Angela held her footing, though her body trembled in spite of her attempt at remaining perfectly still. The cold pressed against her, hard, and then she felt the ice slipping around the nipple, making larger and larger circles outward, spiraling across her breasts.As suddenly as the ice had come, it was gone. In its place she felt his lips...kissing her right nipple, gently at first, ever so softly. A mix of sensations rolled through her body – the air against her left nipple, still wet from the ice, almost stinging cold, while his kisses brought warmth to her right nipple. Despite the embarrassment, the fear, Angela felt herself growing wetter than she could ever remember as his hands caressed her hips. She moaned, instinctively arched her hips forward and felt teeth clamp down on her nipple. Not hard enough to be a bite, but with enough force to hurt.She whimpered and, again acting on instinct, tried pulling away, which served to elicit even more pain before he released her nipple.“You are not very compliant,” he said. As before his voice was little more than a whisper, followed by the sound of leather slicing through the air and the sensation of it slapping hard across her butt, wrapping around her body, the tip of the belt kissing her, there, with pain.

Review Bound to me by Jeannette Medina

"Bound to Me"
Author: Jeannette Medina
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 68
Source: Author in exchange for a honest review.
Published: May 25, 2013
Author's Website

Buy Links: Amazon

Goodreads Blurb:
A girl with nothing else to lose.
A life that’s brought nothing but pain.
A tattoo that’s more than what it seems.

Eighteen-year old Veronica has had enough. Her alcoholic mother has only delivered a slew of abusive step-fathers and life is only getting harder. What was to be a simple tattoo for her birthday brings more than she ever imagined.

Liam is a shape-shifting dragon. He lives on her shoulder, watching her, helping her. Having the dragon come to life and teaching her courage becomes a new lifeline for Veronica. But Liam will eventually become a permanent tattoo on her skin – never to take the shape of the protector she became attached to.

Will she embrace her life or will a broken heart shatter her soul forever?
My Review:
First off. I absolutely ADORE dragons. Make said dragon turn into a sexy male and I’m hooked! This book seems to me like an introduction of what’s to come… I hope I’m correct because I REALLY dislike being left hanging!  All in all a good read that any fans of the genre with enjoy :)
Ronnie recently had a birthday and is treating herself with a specific gift she’s wanted on her special day. Little does she know how very special the gift really is and what’s in store for her future.

A good start to a new series and I’m excited to see where the author will go next with it.


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