Dariel Raye's Blog, page 11

Release Day: “Dangerous Beauty, Sexy Beast” with Excerpt

Dangerous Beauty, Sexy Beast
Drayden saved Treva’s life, but her incessant need for vengeance could mean the end of his.
Thirteen years after the brutal murder of Treva Evers’ entire family, a cloaked stranger shows up just in time to save her from the same fate. When he disappears as quickly as he appeared, she is drawn into an underworld replete with magic and long forgotten customs, a place where nothing is as it seems, including her mysterious savior, and every word or action could result in brutal consequences.
Amazon

 

Enter the giveaway here  OR  Here

She interrupted him by placing her index finger to his lips. She already knew his name, address, cell phone number, and every other detail years of careful research and perseverance could provide. Entering a room with a man she didn’t know wasn’t something she would ever do under normal circumstances, but these were not normal circumstances, and he was the one who needed to beware. “No names necessary. I have a fantasy that I’ve been playing out in my head all day, and you look like just the man to help me fulfill it in the flesh. Are you willing?” She dug deep, offering him a sultry smile this time as she waited, certain of his answer.
“So, I look like your fantasy man in the flesh, huh?” His voice must have dropped to a low rumble as he grinned like a lone buzzard hovering over the spoils of war. “Simone says take off your clothes, every stitch, and get in bed on top of the covers.”
“Why above the covers, baby? Daddy might get a little cold.”
Swallowing the disgust conjured by his inappropriate connotations, she offered him the sweetest smile she could manage. “Oh, I promise to warm you up real soon.” You sick fuck.
He complied, attempting a rushed strip-tease before falling onto the bed. The fact that he was already inebriated would make her mission even easier to accomplish.
Treva cuffed his wrists to the iron head post, then spread his legs and proceeded to strap his feet and ankles to the bed with electrical tape. He began to look uneasy, so she smiled and pulled back one side of her neckline, revealing her black lace bra. Next, she knelt over him and pulled the knife from her bag.
She held the weapon in front of his eyes and slid her finger along the blade, sucking her finger clean when the razor-sharp blade drew blood. “This is one of the sharpest knives in the world, Todd, made from the same alloy as a Samurai sword.” She kept her tone low, sweet, and matter-of-fact.
Three nodded nervously, his eyes growing larger, his expression wild and uncertain, but to her surprise, he remained silent.
“The Evers family sends regards and wants you to know that you missed one – me.”

“Dangerous Beauty, Sexy Beast”

Dangerous Beauty, Sexy Beast
Drayden saved Treva’s life, but her incessant need for vengeance could mean the end of his.
Thirteen years after the brutal murder of Treva Evers’ entire family, a cloaked stranger shows up just in time to save her from the same fate. When he disappears as quickly as he appeared, she is drawn into an underworld replete with magic and long forgotten customs, a place where nothing is as it seems, including her mysterious savior, and every word or action could result in brutal consequences.
Amazon

 

Enter the giveaway here  OR  Here

Get “Mystic Realms” on iBooks

 

MYSTIC REALMS
A Limited Edition Collection of Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Romances
What goes bump in the night? What causes you a fright?

While the answers for each may vary, I promise that these stories will not leave you wary.
From vampires and demons to shifters and creatures that you’d never suspect, this set will leave you breathless in the best possible ways.
So, don’t be afraid. Come, step inside our realm. Allow the mysticism of romance in many shapes and forms fall over you like a veil of sweet, soothing, spine tingling comfort.
We promise… you won’t be sorry.
Purchase on iBooks:
https://itunes.apple.com/mt/book/mystic-realms-limited-edition-collection-paranormal/id1348421156?mt=11
Featured Authors and their stories:
Secrets of the Hollows (Book 2) by Nicole Morgan
What’s a girl to do once she falls in love with a demon?
Fallen by Tamsin Baker
Gabriel thought he’d do anything to earn his way back into Heaven. He was wrong.
Cursed by Tracy Goodwin
Forbidden love. Dangerous prophecies. Limitless power. Fate is a witch.
Avenging Aingeal (Protectors of the Earth 1) by Lynn Crain
Bound by vengeance, she is humanity’s one hope…
Her Fate, His Mate (Wolves of Windsor Woods) by Krista Ames
Can she accept all he is and all he stands for?
Sleeping in the Dragon’s Den by Lexi Thorne
His Hungry Dragon My Curious Desire

His Tattoo Curse My Wet Dreams
Dark Side of the Moon by Laura Baumbach
Vampire rentboy vs. the world.
Angel Vindicated by Viola Estrella
Some sins are hard to avoid…
A Wolf’s Touch by Christine Donovan
Can she love him–wolf and all?
Dr. Magic (Vampire Island, Book 1) by Jo Grafford
One more dance with the devil…
Dark Heat by Jan Springer
Betrayed by her two forced mates, she hides within Vampira.
Torkel by Mardi Maxwell
Love unites them in the mists of time.
Silent Storm by Sadie Carter
Sometimes the monster is the good guy…
Tangled Sin by Georgia Lyn Hunter
She was the light in his eternal darkness…
Seduction’s Scent by C.I. Black
Giving in to temptation threatens everything.
Ghost Mate by D. Anne Paris
She was going to kill him even though he was already dead.
Living on the Edge (Clan Book 1) by Laverne Thompson
Mate wanted. Dead or alive.
The Warrior’s Curse by M. Elliott & T. Eden
What comes next may be the end of it all.
Three Days From Hell by Dariel Raye
Can a permanent resident of Third Hell be trusted?
Just Tell Me What You Want by Tina Donahue
Her wishes will leave him breathless…

 

Mystic Realms – Enter Our World

http://darielraye.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Mystic-Realms-MP4.mp4

 

A Limited Edition Collection of Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Romances

From vampires and demons to shifters and creatures that you’d never suspect, this set will leave you breathless in the best possible ways.

So, don’t be afraid. Come, step inside our realm. Allow the mysticism of romance in many shapes and forms fall over you like a veil of sweet, soothing, spine tingling comfort.

We promise… you won’t be sorry.
Purchase Links:  Amazon   iBooks   Kobo   Nook

Featured Authors
 
Nicole Morgan – Tamsin Baker – Tracy Goodwin
Lynn Crain – Krista Ames – Lexi Thorne
Laura Baumbach – Viola Estrella – Christine Donovan
Jo Grafford – Jan Springer – Mardi Maxwell
Sadie Carter – Georgia Lyn Hunter – C.I. Black


Anne Paris – Laverne Thompson


Elliott & T. Eden – Dariel Raye – Tina Donahue

Mystic Realms Boxed-Set

MYSTIC REALMS
A Limited-Edition Collection of Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Romances
What goes bump in the night? What causes you a fright? While the answers for each may vary, I promise that these stories will not leave you wary.
From vampires and demons to shifters and creatures that you’d never suspect, this set will leave you breathless in the best possible ways.
So, don’t be afraid. Come, step inside our realm. Allow the mysticism of romance in many shapes and forms fall over you like a veil of sweet, soothing, spine tingling comfort.
We promise…you won’t be sorry.
Purchase Links: Amazon iBooks Kobo Nook

Featured Stories
Secrets of the Hollows (Book 2) by Nicole Morgan
What’s a girl to do once she falls in love with a demon?

Fallen by Tamsin Baker
Gabriel thought he’d do anything to earn his way back into Heaven. He was wrong.

Cursed by Tracy Goodwin
Forbidden love. Dangerous prophecies. Limitless power. Fate is a witch.

Avenging Aingeal (Protectors of the Earth 1) by Lynn Crain
Bound by vengeance, she is humanity’s one hope…

Her Fate, His Mate (Wolves of Windsor Woods) by Krista Ames
Can she accept all he is and all he stands for?

Sleeping in the Dragon’s Den by Lexi Thorne
His Hungry Dragon My Curious Desire

His Tattoo Curse My Wet Dreams

Dark Side of the Moon by Laura Baumbach
Vampire rentboy vs. the world.

Angel Vindicated by Viola Estrella
Some sins are hard to avoid…

A Wolf’s Touch by Christine Donovan
Can she love him–wolf and all?

Dr. Magic (Vampire Island, Book 1) by Jo Grafford
One more dance with the devil…

Dark Heat by Jan Springer
Betrayed by her two forced mates, she hides within Vampira.

Torkel by Mardi Maxwell
Love unites them in the mists of time.

Silent Storm by Sadie Carter
Sometimes the monster is the good guy…

Tangled Sin by Georgia Lyn Hunter
She was the light in his eternal darkness…

Seduction’s Scent by C.I. Black
Giving in to temptation threatens everything.

Ghost Mate by D. Anne Paris
She was going to kill him even though he was already dead.

Living on the Edge (Clan Book 1) by Laverne Thompson
Mate wanted. Dead or alive.

The Warrior’s Curse by M. Elliott & T. Eden
What comes next may be the end of it all.

Three Days From Hell by Dariel Raye
Can a permanent resident of Third Hell be trusted?

Just Tell Me What You Want by Tina Donahue
Her wishes will leave him breathless…

Old Friends

 

In this flash piece, just over 100 words, I play the role of the muse, speaking of myself, the writer, in third person. This is pretty much the relationship we have, though

A Recap of Our National Love Your Pet Day

We’ve gone from this…
to this…

and this face is still the most lovable thing ever!

 

 

So…
to show her a little extra love today, I took her for a long ride, then a walk in the park. It’s like spring here right now. She got to pick out her own toy at PetSmart, as if she needs something else to destroy. Then, we came home and I played ball with her upstairs – well, actually she ran up and down the stairs while I stood at the bottom and threw her ball, but she’s perfectly fine with that arrangement. After dinner, she went outside to chase possums, another of her favorite activities, then came back in for her bedtime treats. She’s now sleeping soundly in her bed.
It takes so little to make them happy, so I found this great article online with more ideas. You don’t have to wait until the next ‘love your pet’ day to try some of these. Take a look, and I hope your furbaby enjoys them

Top 10 Things To Give Up For Lent

Lent started yesterday, Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), and lasts for 40 days, not counting Sundays (actually 46 days). It is a time set aside to focus on fasting and praying by giving up something, usually something that’s bad for you anyway, like chocolate, swearing, etc. Interestingly, the tradition started around the same time Valentine’s Day started, in 325 A.D. Most principles of Lent have been relaxed or watered-down to a great extent since its beginning, but the main principle of taking time to focus on and return to a relationship with Jesus Christ remains. It is believed that through fasting and prayer, we remove some of the clutter and noise from our lives that keeps us from being able to hear God’s voice and follow His purpose for our lives, so to that end, the benefits far outweigh the 46-day sacrifice.
Interestingly enough, the main source of my information turned to social media, namely, Twitter, to find answers to the question, “what are the top things people give up for Lent?” Here are the top 10.
1. Social networking – ironic, since that’s where this list came from.
2. Twitter. Ha! See number 1.
3. Chocolate  But what about all the after V-Day sales?
4. Alcohol
5. Sweets. All of them? Really?
6. Meat
7. Swearing
8. Coffee   I know. Just the thought makes about 70% of the world nervous.
9. Facebook. Here we go with the social media again.
10. Fast food
Whether you’re giving up something for Lent or not, I wish you success in your endeavors.

14 Interesting Facts About Valentine’s Day (and 1 more for good measure)

1. The popular medieval folk belief that birds choose their mates on February 14 made doves a favorite symbol for Valentine cards. The dove was sacred to Venus and other love deities and was known for choosing a lifelong mate.
Beautiful, and I love doves, but this unlikely since birds generally mate in Spring.
2. Americans spend around $277 million on Valentine cards every year, second only to Christmas. 
Cool. And I always thought Mother’s Day was 2nd place to Christmas.
3. Started by a group of feminists, “Quirkyalone Day” is celebrated on February 14 as an alternative to Valentine’s Day. It is geared toward people who “resist the tyranny of coupledom.” Another alternate Valentine’s Day celebration is SAD (Single Awareness Day), which reminds people that they don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate life.
I love the movement, but couldn’t they have named it something other than “Quirkyalone” or SAD? There’s power in a name. 
4. The symbol of the ribbon, which often adorns modern-day Valentines, is rooted in the Middle Ages. When knights competed in tournaments, their sweethearts often gave them ribbons for good luck.
How romantic!
5. Lace is often used on Valentine decorations. The word “lace” comes from the Latin laques, meaning “to snare or net,” as in to catch a person’s heart.
So this explains why lace is so sexy.
6. The ancient Roman festival Lupercalia (“festival of the wolf”) is considered to be one precursor to Valentine’s Day. Celebrated from February 13-15, it was a purification and fertility ceremony. Reminiscent of the modern-day exchange of love notes on Valentine’s Day, boys would draw a girl’s name from a box on the eve of the festival and then escort her to the festival the next day—or, some scholars say, she would be his sexual partner for the next year.
Well, there’s a big difference between accompanying someone to a festival and becoming his sexual partner. Wonder which group of scholars to believe.
7. During the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia (an ancient precursor to Valentine’s Day), two boys would run through crowds of people swinging strings made from goatskins. If the strings touched a girl, it was divined that she would have healthy children when she grew up. The goatskins were called februa, which means to make clean and from which “February” derives.
Can you imagine all the girls running into the boys’ path in hopes of getting touched by a goatskin? 
8. Pope Gelasius established Valentine’s Day in A.D. 500 in an attempt to appropriate the ancient pagan Roman fertility festival, Lupercalia, into Christianity.
These attempts at changing the focus of pagan holidays and ceremonies took place quite often.
9. Valentine’s Day may have been named after the priest Valentine of Rome, who refused to follow Claudius II’s ban on Christianity. While he was imprisoned, children would pass him notes through the jail window. Before he was killed on February 14, he wrote one last note to the jailer’s daughter with whom he had fallen in love and signed it “From Your Valentine.
Beautiful and sad at once.
10. Teachers receive the most Valentine’s cards, followed by children, mothers, and wives. Children between the ages of 6-10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine cards a year.
Isn’t that sweet! Who knew?
11. The most popular flower on Valentine’s Day is a single red rose surrounded with baby’s breath. The red rose was the flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.
Ah! So perfect.
12. During the 1700s in England, a girl would pin four bay leaves to her pillow and eat a hard-boiled egg, including the shell, on the eve of St. Valentine’s Day. Supposedly, if she dreamed of a boy that night, she would soon marry him. Girls would also write boys’ names on small pieces of paper, cover them with clay, and drop them into the water. When the clay broke, the papers floated to the top. The first name the girls could read would predict whom they would marry.
Goodness! The foolishness women have endured, and still do. SMH
13. On Valentine’s Day, many people buy flowers. Different colored roses have different meanings. Red means love, yellow means friendship, and pink means friendship or sweetheart. Red carnations mean admiration, white carnations mean pure love, red chrysanthemums mean love, forget-me-nots mean true love, primrose means young love, and larkspur means an open heart.
I always knew about the different colored roses, but I really learned something interesting about the other flowers.
14. Traditionally, young girls in the U.S. and the U.K. believed they could tell what type of man they would marry depending on the type of bird they saw first on Valentine’s Day. If they saw a blackbird, they would marry a clergyman, a robin redbreast indicated a sailor, and a goldfinch indicated a rich man. A sparrow meant they would marry a farmer, a bluebird indicated a happy man, and a crossbill meant an argumentative man. If they saw a dove, they would marry a good man, but seeing a woodpecker meant they would not marry at all.
Can you imagine the reaction if you walked out and the first bird you saw was a poor woodpecker?
15. (1 for good measure) – A common symbol of Valentine’s Day is Cupid (“desire”), the Roman god of love. The son of Venus and Mars, he was originally depicted as a young man who would sharpen his arrows on a grindstone whetted with blood from an infant, though now he is commonly presented as a pudgy baby. This transformation occurred during the Victorian era when business owners wanted to promote Valentine’s Day as more suitable for women and children.
This one was just too eerie to ignore. Dark Cupid.  
I hope you’re having a fabulous Valentine’s Day

10 Things We Can Learn From Our Dogs

10 Things We Can Learn From Our Dogs

 

The last several years have been an eye opening  mixture of sadness and appreciation. Until recently, I had three large house dogs, a broad head Black Lab (girl), a Dobie/Coonhound (boy), and a Rottie mix (girl). Both of my girls died of complications from Hip Dysplasia. The Lab, Tauris (yes, I meant to misspell it to make it more feminine :-), was 12, and the Rottie mix, Isis, was only 8. My boy, Jackson, the Dobie/Coonhound died of post-surgery complications following the removal of a cancerous growth. Now, I know this is sad and all, but bear with me – there’s a silver lining. About two years after Jackson passed, I’d finally mourned the loss of all three of them enough to get a girl, a German Shepherd/Pitt Bull (Staffordshire Terrier brand), and she is a handful.
I hear people say all the time that they don’t want anymore pets because it hurts so much when we lose them, but think about that for a minute – suppose we said we didn’t want to love people anymore because it hurts so much to lose them! I have always loved and admired animals, and they’ve always been an integral part of my life, so I can’t imagine living without them. They add so much to our lives, particularly when we pay attention to them. So, all that said, let’s talk about some things we can learn from dogs (translated, silver lining)…


Enjoy the little things. Any pet lover knows how happy our dogs get when they realize they’re going for a ride, or to the park, or just for a walk or run. Unlike us, they don’t take the little fun things of life for granted.


Enjoy your meals like you’ll never get more. I love watching them eat and enjoy their food. They’re content and appreciative, and Jackson always comes and finds me after he eats just so he can kiss my hand. I love that! His way of saying “thank you.”


Happiness is the standard. Unless there’s an immediate reason not to be, they’re joyous about living. They don’t worry about something that hasn’t even happened yet. They make the most of every living moment instead of killing time with negativity.


Giving without expecting reciprocation. They show affection in every way they can, even attempting to groom us without expecting anything in return.


Protect the ones you love. I’ve seen dogs protecting homeless people who can barely feed them, yet the dogs are willing to give their lives without a thought. I’ve seen them live with constant neglect and mistreatment by selfish, hateful owners, yet they sacrifice for these people and love them anyway.


Trust. Trust is really hard. It means a willingness to risk your heart. Dogs do it all the time. They trust us to make the best decisions for their lives, feed and care for them, and even when we make bad decisions and detrimental mistakes, they don’t judge (at least I’ve never heard onesayanything. LOL). Jackson is not friendly, so when we went to the vet and the tech took his temp (you know, at the back end), I wrapped my arms around him and turned his face towards me. He looked into my eyes when he realized what she was doing, but didn’t say a word. It was as if he was saying “If you say this is okay, I guess I won’t turn around and take her head off.” Now, that’s trust!


They follow protocol. They know who’s in charge, and they seldom challenge that. To them, being in charge doesn’t mean you’re the most important or most educated and certainly not the richest, and it doesn’t even mean you’re the one whofeedsthem. It means you’re the one they love the most, for whatever reason. I like to think they see our souls, or at least our auras and our hearts.


They’re honest. Dogs are guileless and straightforward.


They don’t complain about their condition. No matter what’s ailing them, they let you know about it if you’re an attentive pet owner, then they leave it to you to take care of. They don’t whine and complain and say “why me?” They accept and make the most of their situation, whatever it is. I admire that. I’m not there yet – nowhere near it. LOL


10.Last, but certainly not least…It’s not all about them; It’s all about you. As mothers, we get a taste of that, but we’re the ones giving the unconditional love in that instance. In fact, I think dogs and mothers are the only sources of unconditional love in the human realm, and not all mothers are even capable of this amazing gift. It’s still one of a dog’s most admirable traits, if not the most endearing. You are the center of their universe, because of that they forgive you for anything, and it’s that unconditional love that allows them to wrap their paws around our hearts forever