Shiloh Walker's Blog, page 57
April 25, 2014
Friday rambles
KindleI spent yesterday updating my website. This is probably the biggest change I’ve done with it in…um, forever. Well, since I got a for real website and left yahoo ten years ago. At some point, I need to quit doing it myself, but I have control issues. 
How do you think it looks?
I had plans of doing some yard work this weekend–I wanted to plant some sort of flowering tree in the front yard, and then ivy and clematis on the pergola so it would eventually help shade it. But I fell Wednesday. And my right ankle has this lovely swelling thing going on. I can walk. With pain, but I can walk. However, I don’t think gardening is advisable. Which really bites, because I’m never in the mood for it and I was kinda really wanting to do it for once.
Sadly, my ankle doesn’t hurt enough to get me out of grocery shopping. I guess I’ll spend more time reading-I’m in the middle of the most epic glom ever–rereading all of the In Death books by J.D. Robb. And I need read the new Irish books–O’Dwyer cousins, I think? I have them, just waiting to read. I’m probably going to buy copies again this summer… cuz I’ll be at Turn The Page. Again.
I keep my appearances down on the sidebar, but I’ll be signing at Turn The Page in July with Nora Roberts (gah) Linda Lael Miller (gah!) and more…the full list of authors is here. If you can come, that would be awesome. But if you can’t come, you can still order signed books from me. And you should totally do that, because it makes me feel awesome when I’m signing books at Nora Roberts’ store. They have four of my titles listed, but if there are others you want, you can use the contact form and see if they can order the titles you’d like to have signed. Also… they ship internationally, so if you like outside the States, this is probably the ideal way to get a signed title from me.
BREAK FOR ME, the second novella in the Secrets & Shadows series, is available. It’s about Jensen, the middle Bell sibling…and the DA she has to work with from time to time. He sort of drives her crazy. The feeling is mutual.
~*~
The sight of her sitting with Guy Miller, one of the deputies with county, had him wanting to chew nails. Dean kept an easy smile on his face as he nodded at everybody, noting that Guy sat next to Ali, leaving a vacant spot between him and Jensen.
Maybe they weren’t there together.
Didn’t keep him from wanting to do something stupid, like put his hand on her shoulder, beat his chest, anything to make it clear he had an interest here.
Not that it was returned.
Jensen’s eyes, caught between brown and green and glinting with a sharp edge in that moment, met his and she lifted a brow.
“Hello, Dean.”
The chill in her eyes would have sent a smart man running. But Dean supposed if he was smart, he wouldn’t still be chasing after her, hoping against hope that something inside her would soften, that he’d get an opening—that the interest he’d seen spark in her eyes once or twice would flare. Just a chance. That was all he needed.
The slightest opening.
Read more…
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If you have read it (and BURN FOR ME) and wouldn’t mind taking the time, a review posted to Amazon and/or BN would be very much appreciated and they really do help. The more reviews a book has, the more they show up in the search algorithms, which makes them easier for new readers to find. My publishers also look at them…crucial things since I’m trying to sell another series.
April 24, 2014
Website work
KindleIf you notice pages changing/backgrounds updating, etc… trying to update the look of site. Please ignore. Will go back to (my) level of normal soon.
Bloggity stuff
Kindle
A couple more hits on the blog stop… if you visit, you can enter to win that Coach purse.
My street team leader helps put the blog tours together and those on my street team often get early readers and I do random draws for prizes and stuff, plus try to get together for drinks and that sort of thing when I know we’ll be in the same area for cons. It’s fairly low key, but if you’re a blogger or if you review on GRs or would like to pass out bookmarks to your bookclub, that kind of thing, you can read more here.
FYI, joining doesn’t guarantee anything..I try rotate things around, but I make no promises.
April 23, 2014
How much of a book addict
KindleIf you’re here, more than likely, you’re addicted. I think the quiz is rigged. I’m much more addicted than this.
You can take the quiz here.
There’s a book tour going on with the release of BREAK FOR ME…you can hit the blogs and get more chances to win. First stop is here.
Just a reminder, if you review, you can request BREAK FOR ME and LONG FOR ME from Netgalley. I don’t think they’ll be there long, so grab them while you can.
For those who have read BURN FOR ME and BREAK FOR ME, if you feel so inclined, reviews posted to Amazon, BN, iBooks, etc…it helps a LOT… publishers look at these things and since I’m trying to get them to buy another series, having reviews going up would help an awful lot. Cuz…well, they like seeing those.
Snippet!
“It’s okay, Jensen. I get it. You and me, we’re not going there. So I’ll . . .” He blew out a breath. “I’ll just stop.”
The words ripped out of her. “Stop what?”
He didn’t answer. Long fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle of Woodford Reserve he had next to him and he rose. “I hope you can get some rest this weekend. Find some peace.”
“You didn’t answer me.”
He paused halfway up the steps. “I can’t stop myself from thinking about you. But I haven’t made much of an attempt to hide the fact that I’m interested. I can do better, so I will. You don’t want to see it, so I’ll keep it to myself. Sooner or later, it will fade.”
Will it?
She stared at the strong line of his back as he crossed the porch, her heart slamming away in her chest.
A knot formed in her throat.
This . . . this intensity she felt every time she looked at him. That could fade?
It was the most real thing she’d felt since . . .
She didn’t even realize she was moving until he’d turned to look at her.
Then she was doing the very thing she’d dreamed about.
His skin was warm against hers, the light stubble scraping against her palms. Because that light touch wasn’t enough, she kept one palm on his face and then drove the other hand into his hair, tangled it in his dreads. The texture was coarse against her hand and she shuddered at the thought of feeling him, all of him.
“I don’t want it to fade,” she whispered as she rose onto her toes and pressed her mouth to his.
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Check out the contest…you can win a Coach purse and books!
April 22, 2014
Break For Me…now available
KindleKeep up with the Bell family…Jensen’s story is now available
“How was your weekend?”
“Enchanting.” That slow smile tugged at his lips and he asked, “Yours?”
She had to give the man credit. With a lazy smile and a simple word, he turned her heart to putty and also managed to make her clench with want. Mouth dry, she had to swallow before she could say, “About the same.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
The look that must have been relief melted her that much more. She went to say something else, but in that moment, an odd hush fell over the bull pen. She looked up and her belly twisted as she realized the guys were turning to look at her, one by one.
“What . . .” The question died as she caught sight of Chief Sorenson. He stood there, his eyes on her.
She didn’t even understand why, but the look on his face had the strength draining out of her legs.
She sagged back, bracing her hips against the desk as he came striding toward her.
“Jensen, I need to speak with you. Let’s go to my office.”
“Sir?”
He reached out, touched her arm.
Dazed, she looked down at his hand and then lifted her eyes back to study his heavily lined face.
“Some kids were messing around, down at the river, at the park a few blocks outside of town,” he said, his voice level, pitched low so that only she could hear. “Come on, now. Come to my office.”
She shoved off the desk, started to move.
But she didn’t head to his office.
She started to run.
By the time any of them realized where she was going, she was already out the door.
Distantly, she heard the slap of shoes behind her. She put on a burst of speed, but still, he caught up with her.
Dark, strong hands caught her arms.
“Jensen!”
Sucking in desperate breaths of air, she glared at Dean. “Let me go!”
***
Her eyes were pure hell.
Reaching up, he cupped her cheek.
“Calm down,” he said softly. “And I will.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!”
“I’m not letting you run off in the middle of the street.” He shrugged. “Sue me.”
Her mouth fell open and then, abruptly, she slumped, her narrow shoulders shuddering as she took in one slow, steadying breath. “Okay,” she murmured. “Okay. I’m good. I can walk.”
He let her go but instead of moving back, he held out a hand. “I can walk with you.”
She eyed his hand.
He continued to wait. “You really want to do this alone?”
She smacked her palm against his and then, as one, they started to move. She was painfully aware of the eyes on them, of Chief Sorenson drawing closer.
Even more, she was aware of the glittering ribbon of the Ohio, just barely visible through the buildings.
They started to walk, her heart pounding in her throat.
The park was only a few blocks away, something she could have reached in two minutes, easy.
It seemed to take forever, though.
By the time they got there, Sorenson was at her side.
And she was clutching Dean’s hand like he was the only thing keeping her from drowning.
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Check out the contest…you can win a Coach purse and books!
Wanna win?
KindleFrom BREAK FOR ME…
Everything else in the world spiraled away and she lost herself to just the sensations and the pleasure.
Her feet hit the ground and she snarled as he let her go.
But all he did was reach for the waistband of her jeans. “You’re overdressed.”
Falling back against the door, she stared at him in drugged, hungry fog. A few seconds later, cool air kissed her flesh as he came back over her, his elbows rising to bracket her in against the wood at her back. “There aren’t enough hours in the night for what I want to do to you,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her neck, her shoulder. “But that’s not going to stop me from trying.”
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Giveaway includes:
A coach purse
Signed books from my back list
$20 Gift Card to Amazon or Barns & Nobel
***Due to shipping & insurance, this contest will be limited to the US only***
Retail value $150
April 21, 2014
Break for Me…one more day!
KindleFor those who celebrate, I hope you had a lovely Easter. We went to sunrise service at church, then had a family pitch with all my brothers, their wives, the kids, my mom…
Comics & movies were discussed. “Who is best…Thor, Superman, the Wolverine or the Hulk…”…then we moved on to the topic of…”Would the Hulk survive if he was fired into the sun?”
So, yeah. That’s an almost normal discussion for my family.
We’re extremely excited about the movies coming out this summer. Books were also discussed.
I might have introduced my oldest nephew to J.D. Robb. He’s a guy who doesn’t mind a little bit of romance in his reads. Which kinda rocks.
Speaking of romance…I have another one due out tomorrow…
Break for Me the second Secrets & Shadows novella, telling the story of Jensen, continuing the story of the Bell siblings.
Everything inside her seemed to melt as his hands raced over her. Long, agile fingers grabbed the hem of her shirt and before she had a chance to steady herself, he stripped it off. Two seconds later, her bra followed. She blinked, dazed, and looked down just in time to see him trailing his fingers down the midline of her torso.
“So damn pretty,” he mused, his voice low and dark and smooth. It sent shivers down her spine and she found herself mesmerized by the sight of his hands on her. His hands, beautiful and so dark against her flesh, slid up and cupped her breasts.
She could feel a blush rising up to stain her cheeks red. She’d never been terribly self-conscious but in that moment, she was. Her body was what it was—strong, capable, not overly female.
“Look at me.”
Slowly, she lifted her head and found herself staring into his eyes.
“I think I’ve imagined seeing you naked about a thousand times now,” he said. “I didn’t even come close.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that. Fortunately, she didn’t have to.
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April 18, 2014
Net Galley users.. Break for Me & Long for Me!
KindleIf you use Net Galley, Break for Me & Long for Me are up there. Dunno how long they’ll be there, so grab them while you can.
April 16, 2014
Twenty Eight Days to RT…and Counting.
KindleI refuse to believe that’s how much time we have. I also refuse to look at a calendar, for fear that number is right.
Are you going to RT? If you’ve never been, there are some things you need to know.
You don’t get a lot of sleep. You walk a lot. Cons are notorious for making people sick. Food is often a) forgotten b) expensive c) both.
In the spirit of things, I decided to do an RT Survival post. We see a lot of these this time of year.
I decided to do my own. Cuz I’m lazy and this is easy and I got books to write.
So my suggestions, in no particular order:
Comfy shoes…remember, you’ll walk a lot. If you can do cute & comfy, go for it. I’m more for being comfortable, though.
hand sanitizer…that little kind you can throw in your bag. If you’re flying, you might want to just buy some and throw them into a ziploc bag to keep in your suitcase, but trust me, you want hand sanitizer. You will shake hands, you touch things, you will pick things up and as much as it pains me to say this, people don’t always wash their hands. You might be in a bathroom where the soap has run out. You want hand sanitizer.
Motrin…you’re going to be a place packed with lots of people and many are excited and talking loud, plus you’ll be on your feet a lot, often with little sleep and running on caffeine and often little food. Mortin or Tylenol or your preferred method of alleviating pain is a wise choice. Also, if you’re up late and drinking? Yep.
Water bottle…handy to keep in your convention bag. Keep it full and drink, so you don’t get dehydrated. That also helps fight the creeping crud. If you are gonna be up late and drinking? Keep hydrated with water throughout helps avoid hangovers.
Speaking of drinking…if you’re out and about…watch your drink. While absolutely in a perfect world, you should be safe to go out with friends, have a few drinks and have fun, it’s not a perfect world. You can find tips on staying safe in social situations at RAINN.org
Leave room in your suitcase…yeah, yeah, I know most of us are going to try and pack as much as we can so we aren’t lugging a bunch around, but if you’ve never been to RT, then you might not know about the swag. There are totes a plenty given away. Books. Pens. Bookmarks. Etc. You’ll need room somewhere for that stuff.
snacks…I mentioned that we don’t always have time to eat, right? Plus food isn’t always the cheapest thing to come by. Taking some of those meal bars, trail mix, etc can cut down on how many meals you have to buy. You can also find friends that you can maybe go together in on ordering pizza and that sort of thing.
Emergen-C…if you can take it, it can help booster your immune system so you can avoid the creeping crud. Cons & conferences are notorious for this…people are in closed areas and the fact is, we rush around, we don’t eat enough, we don’t rest enough and other factors contribute to that lovely thing we call the creeping crud. Emergen-C can help.
Tips offered via twitter!
@shilohwalker comfy shoes and snacks are my 2 must haves #RT14
— Cait Miller (@caitmiller) April 14, 2014
@shilohwalker Take breaks. Give yourself permission to leave the madness for some alone time.
— Lillie (@lillie_80) April 14, 2014
@shilohwalker don’t be afraid to ask questions. many people are happy to help you find your way. at least, i am
#rt14
— Katie Dunneback (@younglibrarian) April 14, 2014
@shilohwalker Not just for RT but for an RT in NOLA. B-complex is your friend
— Lillie (@lillie_80) April 14, 2014
@shilohwalker bring a power strip if you’re sharing room – never enough power outlets in hotel. Portable charger also convenient during day.
— Eva (@TXbookjunkie) April 14, 2014
@shilohwalker I tell people to wear poise pads cuz ‘yes you will laugh that hard’ and tissue cuz ‘yes you will laugh that hard’.
— Renee Bernard (@ReneeBernard) April 14, 2014
@younglibrarian Don’t ex afraid to join conversations or walk up to someone & start one. @shilohwalker
— Lynda Ryba (@FishWithSticks) April 14, 2014
@shilohwalker Don’t over schedule. Wear comfy shoes. Have fun. Carry swag with you. Talk to readers. Nap often. Don’t drink TOO much.
— Ann Aguirre (@MsAnnAguirre) April 14, 2014
@MsAnnAguirre @shilohwalker carry water, breath mints. try for some downtime (not sleep) every day to recharge your personal batteries.
— Melissa Ann Singer (@maseditor) April 14, 2014
April 15, 2014
Winner… DEEPER THAN NEED
KindleWe have a winner
If you didn’t win but still wanna read it, it will be out in less than two months.
**Note…excerpt is from my editing copy-may contain typos
Rattling. Metal rattling and clinking. Courtesy dictated that she leave and she looked around once more for Noah, but he wasn’t in there.
“Come on, Micah…”
He slipped free of her hand and darted forward.
“Micah Dean Ewing,” she snapped, starting forward. As she brushed by the desk, her purse bumped against a stack of folders and she swore, catching them as they started to topple over.
She righted them just as Micah opened the door to the back of the office. That rattling and clinking got louder.
She also heard a sound she hadn’t heard earlier…grunting.
Micah’s eyes popped wide, rounding in his young face as a grin crooked his lips. “Wow…” he mouthed, lifting a hand to point.
“Micah,” she whispered, reaching to pull him away. But as she did, she couldn’t help but look.
Wow, indeed.
Damn her lack of control anyway.
The rattling and clinking came from a chain…one that was connected to a punching bag and that punching bag was being pummeled, very proficiently, it seemed, by Noah. Noah, who had stripped down to a pair of running shorts and now he wore just the shorts and a pair of boxing gloves.
Sweat gleamed along his black, arms, and shoulders. Muscles flexed under smooth skin and that fine sheen of sweat just served to draw the eye even more. She wanted to drop everything she was doing and just cross the floor, rest her hands on his arms, stroke them down and then lean in, kiss the sculpted muscle…
Trinity stood there staring and the familiar burn of hunger punched through her, vicious and power, turning her blood to fire and her knees to water. Oh. Oh, my… I like. I like so very much…
Son of a bitch, this was getting out of control. If it was anybody else, she’d probably just bite the bullet and ask him out, see what happened.
But how did you go about telling a preacher that you were dying of lust? She was going to burn in hell for this. There had to be some sort of law or commandment or something against lusting over preachers, right? She was certain of it.
He was just so very, very pretty to look at…
Swallowing, she tried to tear her eyes but after a few failed attempts, she decided, What the hell. I’m already on the path to damnation anyway. I might as well have a nice memory to take with me…Memories they way muscles rippled and flexed. She’d wondered how he’d look under those faded T-shirts, the worn jeans. And oh, man…he shifted a little and she caught sight of his chest. He had chest hair. A light dusting of it, just enough to feel so good. Trinity felt her fixation teeter on the edge of obsession, ready to topple over. How would it feel to curl her fingers in the light scattering of it, to have it rubbing over her breasts as he moved over her—
“Noah! That is awesome!”
Blood rushed to her face and she cut those thoughts off, humiliated. She looked down at the towheaded, devious little angel standing next to her. How could somebody who looked so sweet be so good at embarrassing her?
The clinking stopped.
Breathing shallowly, she lifted her gaze and found herself staring into the dark, deep blue of Noah Benningfield’s eyes. Normally, she avoided looking into his eyes for very long—they were too penetrating and she had the most disturbing image that he could see straight through her, see all the shadows she was trying to put behind her, the regrets and doubts, the anger. Everything. She felt stripped bare around him and it didn’t help that he’d been there holding her as she felt apart.
But if she didn’t look in his eyes, she was going to look at other body parts. That chest, heavily layered with muscle and that tempting line of hair, his flat belly, the way his shorts rode low on his hipbones and the gleam of sweat on his skin.
She wanted to go over and lean it, press her lips to his chest and licked away one of those beads that was rolling down his pectorals.
Lust, the low, insistent tug of it, clenched in her belly and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from groaning. Heat flooded her face and she looked down, busied herself with the strap of her purse as she waited for the worst of it to pass. Too many years had passed since she’d actually wanted a man. Why did she have to find this one so damned attractive?
“Hi there,” he said, his breaths coming a little heavy.
Reflexively, she looked up just in time to see him flash a smile at her. It was an absent sort of smile, and then he shifted his attention to Micah. “You out running wild on the town there, kid?”
“Mom wants your job.”
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Secrets & Shadows Book 1
