I'm so excited to share this wonderful series with you. If you love a romance filled with danger and suspense, you are going to love The Protectors. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a PDF of the book! The Protectors When I started writing my first book, it was just that, a first book. Diplomat’s Daughter, a Romantic Suspense story about a covert operative, Jared Knight, and the woman he secretly admired from afar. There were certainly no plans for a series. However, the secondary characters started tapping me on the shoulder and I found myself writing more. Writing is wonderful, fun, and highly addictive. Stories formed in my mind and wouldn’t be denied. I entered one of the books, The Hostage, into a writing competition. And it won! Then I started to wonder. Maybe other people might enjoy reading these stories as well, telling the tale of a group of agents and how they formed a protection agency. So my one little book became seven. And all seven are contracted to Secret Cravings Publishing. They were a pleasure to write and I hope people enjoy reading them. The Protectors Book 2, The Scientist. A charismatic covert operative known for his love of danger… Simon Winters has a reputation for undertaking adrenalin filled assignments. But even thrill seekers need some down time. After an arduous desert mission he asks for a more enjoyable assignment. Preferably involving a beautiful woman in peril and a fast car. Dr. Elizabeth Barrett’s life is quiet and orderly until someone tries to burn down her research laboratory with her inside. Now she has to contend with a handsome flirtatious agent living in her home. With his designer clothing and cheeky attitude, he has an annoying habit of putting her in more perilous situations than he keeps her out of. Simon is captivated and intrigued by his beautiful scientist with her red hair and hidden fiery temper. But the danger escalates and what begins as a straightforward mission turns deadly when it seems someone wants Beth and her research dead. Excerpt Beth took a deep lungful of fresh air not tinged with the smell of hospital anesthetic. Her abused lungs objected, and her breath hitched. She couldn’t believe they had kept her there for three days. Despite her continuous insistence of being fine, it appeared hospital protocol could not be overruled. A barrage of tests, a full physical examination later, and she was finally free. Her breath hitched for a different reason. Her lab was a singed mass of smoke, a water-damaged crime scene. Beth clasped the box to her chest. She refused to let it out of her sight, and finally the nurses had locked it into the cabinet beside her bed. There had been no chance to look at the damage to her precious microscope. She would attend to that as soon as she got home. Her research wasn’t organic, so the slides she rescued didn’t need refrigeration and therefore should still be usable. This brought her to the next point. The Ball Corporation demanded she be protected. Beth was to meet her new bodyguard outside the hospital. Glancing around, she wondered where he was. The only people in the immediate vicinity were a family loading a woman in a wheelchair into a van and a very tall blond man walking away from a sleek black car. Beth rolled her shoulders to ease the tension in her neck. Where is this person? She just wanted to get home. She noticed the blond man heading her way. No, please, no flirting. I’m not in the mood. Men tended to flirt with Beth, and she never knew how to respond. “Hi.” The man held out his hand. “Hi.” Beth ignored the gesture. One finely shaped brow rose. “I don’t think you understand I am—” “No thanks.” She walked away, scanning the area for her recalcitrant bodyguard and jerked when she felt a tap on the arm. “I think there’s been some sort of misunderstanding. I’m the person you are waiting for.” “Don’t be ridiculous.” Beth shifted the weight of the box in her arms and turned her back on him. A minute later Beth felt another tap. She turned around. Her golden-haired stalker put a ringing phone on top of her box and walked back to the car to lean against it, arms folded. Beth stared at the phone for a moment then hesitantly put it to her ear. “Hello?” “Dr. Barrett.” A deep voice sounded in her ear. “My name is Jared Knight. I have been asked to clarify something for you.” Beth lowered the phone a minute later, forgetting even to disconnect the call. She glanced at the man by the car. He lifted his hand and gave her a jaunty wave. This...this...blond playboy is my protector? She stood clutching the box when she saw his expression change. Suddenly he was running toward her. Beth yelped as strong arms snapped around her and the box and swung her around to the footpath just as a black car roared past. She stared, dumbfounded, as it sped off. Her new bodyguard held her very close even as he tracked the car’s progress, obviously trying to see the plate number, but it was moving too fast. He pulled his attention back to her. “Hi again. Simon Winters at your service.” Beth was a tall woman, but she felt small in his arms. He had lifted and turned her effortlessly, and the only thing preventing them from being in full body contact was the box. Her heart tried to escape through her throat. “Hi.” “Do you always live such an exciting life?” he asked. “No.” He grinned. “That’s a shame. I do like a bit of excitement. Come on, Red, let’s get you home.” The Scientist is now available at Secret Cravings Publishing store. Get your copy today! http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=126
~~Carolyn is giving away a PDF copy of her book to one lucky person who leaves a comment!~~ Do you love steamy sexy reads with heart pumping sexual adventures? Given is a sizzling read! Given By Ashlynn Monroe In a world without choices, one woman will find herself caught in the middle of six men and the emotions they develop for her. Krista Damiani is one of the last women on Earth, and her patriotic duty is to make babies. On her twenty-first birthday, the government holds a lottery drawing to determine the men who will control her destiny. Her “six”, the men who win the right to call her their own, know they have to impregnate her quickly or risk losing her to a new “six”. As society fills with additional violence and unrest, her men keep her sheltered in a fortress of maximum security. When a mysterious man arrives and offers her the chance for freedom, will she be willing to leave the life she knows behind or will she remain “given”? Content Warning: contains voyeurism, multiple partners, ménage and anal sex Excerpt: "She's here." Jared's words came out in a whoosh of anticipation. They watched the black SUV with tinted windows as it pulled up to the front of the building. They stood in front of the grand capital tense, quiet—waiting. A uniformed solider opened the front passenger side door and stood, surveying the crowd. He opened the back door. Max sucked in a deep breath and the sound broke the spell the other five men seemed to be under. The crowd suddenly began shouting and the rabble of voices grew chaotic. The six men turned to watch a tall, grubby-looking man sprinting across the green grass of the capital lawn, running toward the SUV and their woman. A police officer tackled the man and the two rolled onto the ground. More officers swarmed the desperate man. "I just want to touch her!" the wild-eyed man wailed as they cuffed him. * * * * Krista stepped out, and the screaming men frightened her. She saw a police officer tackle a man only a few yards away. She started to get back into the SUV, but one of the soldiers grabbed her arm gently. "It's time, miss." "I'm afraid." "We'll protect you. It'll be all right. It's always like this on Giving Day. Don't worry. We will see you safely until you are under the guard of your private security." This was everything she'd feared, only worse. She hadn't expected the protesters. Someone shouted the word "whore"; she knew the man's hateful word meant her. How any of them could think she'd asked for this was beyond her imagination. Six young, well-dressed men stood in front of the steps of the large, white, domed building. They were looking at her with…possessiveness. The moment she saw them she knew that these men were her six, or more accurately, she was theirs. Everything had been sort of slow motion, but then as the crowd grew more agitated, the soldiers quickly ushered her up the sidewalk. The governor didn't come out for the official ceremonial signing of The Giving right, too many threats to his life and ugly behavior had changed this day. As men who couldn't qualify grew angrier with the government, The Giving ceremony became less pomp and more circumstance; and the circumstance was, until they had the woman away from the crowd, they were all in danger. A secretary rushed out and handed the men the last of the paperwork to sign. There wasn't a single introduction as the security, soldiers, and six young men surrounded Krista and rushed her around the corner and into a waiting limousine. They all hurried to get inside as the soldiers held back the men running toward them. Even inside the car, Krista could hear the angry shouting. The trunk slammed shut. Krista saw the driver slide into the front seat and the engine roared to life. **** They left her alone. She sat down on the bed and air whooshed from her lungs. She shook a little due to nervous anticipation. Oh God, who should I pick? Choosing felt so very wrong to her. She may belong to these men for a long time, and the idea of alienating any of them, or getting off on a bad start, twisted her stomach in knots of nervous anxiety. She stood up and unpacked her few belongings. The closet looked so empty after she'd put her scant possessions into it. She began walking down the stairs and she heard their voices. Krista paused to listen, feeling a bit evil for eavesdropping. "It's only right that she pick." "We've all waited so long, shouldn't we draw straws or something?" "For God's sake, she's a human being, not a new toy. Let the girl have her pick. We'll all have a chance." "What if we all share her tonight? Then it's fair to all of us." "It wouldn't be fair to Krista. If she was your new bride, would you want to pass her around to five other guys?" "There's no more marriage, so the question isn't valid. The world isn't nice and romantic. The fact is, she'll have to sleep with all of us." Beachwalk Press Buy Link ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About the Author: Ashlynn Monroe is a busy wife and mom. She enjoys writing about anything and everything paranormal or fantasy related. She spends most of her time daydreaming up her next tale of romance. Connect with the Author: Site Facebook Author Page Who hasn't dreamed of finding Mr. Right? But what if he isn't the guy you thought was right for you? Isle of Sensuality by Aimée Duffy Who knew being with Mr. Wrong could be so right? Caitlyn Hart is shooting her first movie, and she doesn't want to screw it up. Still, she's on a deadline and when her co-star, Mr. Hot Shot Campbell, holds filming up, he's immediately on her shit list. But she can't ignore his charms for long or the overpowering want she feels for him. Even though she knows he's her Mr. Wrong, she doesn't mind him being her Mr. Right Now. If only her silly heart would stay immune. Having been burned once, Jake Campbell doesn't have the capacity to love, but that doesn't mean relationships of a purely sexual nature are off limits. After all, a man has needs. His sexy co-star with fire red hair and a passion to match ignites his own desire and he sets out to convince her a fling is the only way to scratch the proverbial itch. Little did he figure that she'd be the one to penetrate the thick scars on his heart and make him feel. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt:
Are you looking forward to tomorrow?" Jake asked. Caitlyn's brows pulled together as she tried to work out what was so special about the following day. Nothing came to mind. "Tomorrow?" Jake turned to look at her, the cheeky grin back in place which had her heart beating out an unsteady rhythm. "Our characters will share their first kiss." Her eyes widened as her face grew hot. How could she have forgotten? Probably because she'd been too busy stressing over the love scene to worry about much else. "Not particularly," she breathed. Jake studied her with a teasing glint in his eyes. Her face flamed. "Not buying it." Irritation flared again and she clenched he"r hands into fists. She had to remind herself to keep her cool around him. She was supposed to be torturing him, not being tortured herself. Still, the thought that in less than twenty-four hours she'd have his lips on hers sent little heated jitters coursing through her body. She forced her stiff shoulders to shrug, mortified by her lack of acting ability in his presence. "You can believe what you like." He pulled the cling film from a platter of sandwiches and offered her the plate. Caitlyn picked up a smoked salmon piece and brought it to her lips. She groaned as the flavor of the bread and fish played across her taste buds. Jake's gaze went to her mouth and, feeling a little vindictive, she licked her lips. He swallowed and a thrill ran through her as she realized perhaps she really was torturing him. With his focus still on her lips, he asked, "Do you really want our first kiss to be in front of the camera?" The vindictive thrill vanished as panic started to creep in. She was alone with a man she barely knew for the second time in less than a day. Her thoughts were spinning with bad case scenarios and she couldn't even hear the voice of logic in her head telling her she was overreacting. All she could think of was she was there—literally flirting with danger—alone with Jake and no one had any idea where she was. "Hey, Caitlyn, what's wrong?" Jake's eyes were serious and he looked concerned. Her inner fear must have shown in her expression, but she couldn't feel embarrassed about it yet. The panic was still forefront in her mind. "Why did you bring me here?" She hated that her voice sounded small and frightened. His eyes widened in surprise. "I brought you here because it's the nicest place I've seen on the island and I wanted to spend time with you. Having dinner where we could watch the sun set was all I had in mind." She relaxed a little at his words. Jake sounded like he was telling the truth, and perhaps a little affronted she had doubted him. "I'm sorry, I overreacted." The voice of logic didn't have to whisper that in her head, it was obvious. He shrugged and a hint of a smile played around the edges of his mouth. "I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. That's not my style." He paused, took a bite of his sandwich, and swallowed before he continued. "Though if you wanted something to happen, I certainly wouldn't protest." He winked at her and for an awful moment, Caitlyn had the wildest urge to close the distance between them and plant her lips on his, pulling herself against his well-sculpted chest. "That won't ever happen," Caitlyn said with bite, trying to convince herself more than him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Giveaway: Aimee is giving away a digital copy of her book. To enter for a chance to win just fill out the rafflecopter below. Do you like Steampunk stories that thrill and entertain you? Revenge of the Mad Scientist is a perfect read for everyone who loves a great story! Lara is giving away prizes. Check out the giveaway and pictures of the prizes below. BLURB: When Lady Arabella Trunkett’s father, the High Lord Minister of Urbannia is kidnapped, all clues point to the mysterious country of Gandiss and the world is thrown into political upheaval. Arabella is convinced the more sinister nation of Carabarras is to blame, urged on by a mad scientist seeking revenge. So, she sets out on a perilous airship journey across a variety of exotic locales to save him, and halt the potential world war. But airship pirates, secret assassins and slave traders aren’t her only trials. The fickle hand of fate has made the captain of the only airship available for charter, the man who left her at the altar. For eight years she's wished him dead. Now he's her only hope. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt: “Benji I have to go after him. I have to find my father. The authorities are off on a wild goose chase and I can’t get to Her Majesty to explain for three days. Time is running out. By the time I get in to see the queen and convince her of the truth, the trail will be cold.” Benji straightened his collar and cravat. “Then we have no t, t, time to lose.” Belle stood. “Benji, I can’t take you with me. It wouldn’t be fair to put you in danger. Besides, I’m not really your legal guardian.” “Blast it all, Belle. I’m seventeen. In a y, y, year I won’t even need a guardian.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Besides, you c, c, care more about me than my bloody family ever did. You’re going to need my help and I won’t let you g, g, go without me.” “No need to curse, Benji.” She eyed the stubborn tilt of his chin and the mulish look about his eyes and knew he was right. His fountain of knowledge would be indispensable on this trip. Look how much he had already helped. It might have taken her days to figure out the meaning behind that stickpin. She also knew he would stow away or even follow her if need be. So she might as well keep him with her where she could watch out for him. She sighed. “Very well. Pack your bags and call us a hack. We’re going to Carabarras.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUTHOR Bio and Links: Lara Nance grew up and lived in many cites throughout the South. She loves to write in a variety of genres, but the basis of all of her stories is a great tale that will take you on an adventure of imagination. If you want to escape and lose yourself in a novel, you've come to the right place. Choose your genre and settle in to be entertained. From thrilling mysteries and steampunk tales, to paranormal romance and adventure, she's willing to explore a variety of compelling stories full of danger and suspense, along with a touch of romance. Having been on the fencing team in college and now living on a sailboat convinces her that she was a pirate in another life, or possibly kin to Errol Flynn… However, due to the unfortunate demise of the romantic pirates of the past, she lives out her fantasies, thrills and adventures in her stories. Lara loves to weave interesting true historical tidbits into her fiction which invite the reader to explore further after the novel is finished. Currently docked in Norfolk, Virginia (until the wind changes) Lara enjoys living on her sailboat and spends time reading, of course writing, indulging a variety of artistic endeavors, cooking and sailing with her husband, Joe and their Yorkie, Rio. Link to Website: www.laranance.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lara_Nance Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lara-Nance-Author/164262596944196?ref=hl Buy link at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Mad-Scientist-Book-ebook/dp/B008XJ8LJ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353853847&sr=1-1&keywords=revenge+of+the+mad+scientist+by+lara+nance Lara will be awarding an autographed original map of Arabella's steampunk world to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop, and a $50 Amazon gift card and an original steampunk necklace to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
If you sign up for her newsletter on her website from Jan 29 - Feb 3, they will be entered for an autographed copy of her book as well as an original steampunk necklace. Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/12/virtual-super-book-blast-revenge-of-mad.html "Imaginative and fast-paced. Couldn't put it down!" - E.G. Foley, New York Times Bestselling author of The Gryphon Chronicles "This well-written and intriguing fantasy was a delight to read. I can't wait to read the second novel in this series!" - Linn B. Halton, author Never Alone on The Star Child by Stephanie Keyes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When all is lost, he will have to make the ultimate decision. Kellen St. James was just your average seventeen-year-old prodigy, until he eighty-sixed the Lord of Faerie and proposed to a Celtic goddess. Now everything in Kellen’s life gets turned upside-down when Calienta, Kellen, and friend, Gabriel Stewart, find themselves on the run from a seriously irritated group of faeries. The worst part? They have zero idea why. Suddenly, Kellen finds himself stuck in the middle of another prophecy that questions everything about him including where his loyalties lie. Plus, Calienta’s more than a bit different; she’s making choices that he doesn’t understand. And Gabe, his best friend? He’s started doing all sorts of freaky things that make Kellen question who he really is. Kellen and Calienta will fight to stay together and keep the hidden part of the prophecy from becoming reality. When the ultimate power is within reach, which side will he choose? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Release Date: 12-April-2013, Genre: YA Paranormal Romance Sounds good? If you liked Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, Need by Carrie Jones, or Fallen by Lauren Kate, you will love this book! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interested in joining the blog tour from 6-Apr? Click here to register! Blog Tour Registration Link About the author: Stephanie Keyes has been addicted to Fantasy since she discovered T.H. White as a child and started drumming up incredible journeys in her head. Today, she’s still doing the same thing, except now she puts those ideas down on paper. When she’s not writing Stephanie is also a graphic designer, presenter, teacher, musician, avid reader, and Mom to two little boys who constantly keep her on her toes. In addition, she’s best friend to her incredible husband of eleven years. Keyes is the author of The Star Child YA Fantasy series, which currently includes The Star Child and The Fallen Stars. She is currently hard at work on the third book in the trilogy. Giveaway (Open to US, UK and Canada) 1 wired star bookmark, 3 Star Child (Book 1) ebooks and 5 The Fallen Stars eBooks What are things that bother you? What things get under your skin? I grew up in a household of seven. My parents had five children. Each of us were as opinionated as we were unique. And luckily my parents taught us that we each were valid. Growing up, that led for some interesting fights over silly things as two or more of us thought we were right. No one really won those arguments but it was the notion that we could say our frustrations and explain our thoughts that made us feel better. Now as an adult, there is a lot of life that I have no control over. I can't make other people do what I want them to do, nor can I make them think the same way I do. But I am allowed to share my own thoughts and opinions, right?
You would think so. However, as I've grown up, I've learned that in order to get people to like me or get along with me (or even hire me...) I have to hide my thoughts and opinions. I can't be honest. This leads to a frustration like no other. Even my husband doesn't understand it. "Why do you make a big deal about laundry detergent? Just let it roll off your shoulders." I can't do that if I can't tell others why it bothers me. So tell me what frustrates you. What makes you see red or what makes you bite your tongue? And I'd love to tell y Science fiction and fantasy fans are going to love the second installment in this exciting new series by Marie Harbon. Marie will be awarding a free copy of Seven Point Eight: The First Chronicle via Smashwords and a 12 ebook swagbag including, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal and YA titles to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chance of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/12/virtual-excerpt-tour-seven-point-eight.html Seven Point Eight: The Second Chronicle by Marie Harbon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLURB: Seven Point Eight: 'The Truth Will Set You Free' In the second installment of the Seven Point Eight series, the legacy of the OOBE project weighs heavily on the conscience of Dr Paul Eldridge. Tahra Mamoun needs to muster all her courage and venture back into the alternate dimensions of reality. Through a series of challenging, surreal and frightening experiences, she comes to comprehend the destructive power she can yield and must face her own demons in the process. Paul continues his quest to understand the ancient knowledge of the cosmos, while dark forces seek to hijack his research to further a secret agenda. With their lives in jeopardy, Paul and Tahra confront their enemies against an international backdrop featuring the pyramids of Giza and the peaks of Switzerland. Meanwhile, Sam and Ava endeavour to uncover their past, even though it may irrevocably change their lives. In a tale of courage and tragedy, love and betrayal, their lives are interwoven around the demons of one man, Max Richardson, who'll stop at nothing to achieve his objectives. Written in the style of a TV series, Seven Point Eight draws together quantum physics, psychic powers, alternate dimensions, time travel, past lives, ancient wisdom and conspiracy in a soap opera for the soul. It’s the ideal read for lovers of sci-fi, contemporary fantasy, paranormal, metaphysics, ‘Lost’, ‘Fringe’, ‘Touch’, and Dan Brown books. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Seven Point Eight: The Second Chronicle Excerpt 4 We finally arrived at an empty sealed room. Why did it stand empty? Oh… It dawned on me I was the intended occupant and that meant I’d probably have to endure their procedures. After my experiences in Malthetika, I wasn’t ready for another trial. However, this didn’t matter to the machine elf. It touched a small panel on the wall and the observation window of the room became a transparent, shimmering screen. Reluctant yet submissive, I entered the room and it sealed shut behind me, silently. The observation window became solid again. Looking around, I couldn’t see any other entry or exit point, and the machine elf observed me through the window, without sympathy or emotion. Immediately, I felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and I began to panic. How long would I be confined in here? What would they do to me? And where were Nicholas and Curtis? I felt anxious and trapped, the walls of this sealed room closing in on me. I banged on the observation window, trying to appeal to the machine elf’s more compassionate instincts, but it didn’t seem to have any, it just stared at me. I got more and more upset, slapping my palms on the window irrationally, right in front of my captor. As I began to feel more upset, the pain in my head increased exponentially. The more I lashed out, the more it felt as if the machine elves were drilling into my skull. I dropped to my knees, clutching my head, crying at the same time but the machine elf displayed no compassion. Please stop, I pleaded with their empty hearts. The pain only increased, to force my compliance further. They wouldn’t stop. I had to let them carry out their procedures. Two more machine elves entered the room, and compelled me to sit in the reclining chair that emerged through the floor. I crawled over to it, pulled myself up and lay on it immobile, wishing Paul’s machine would power down. Only that could break the hold the machine elves had over me. They introduced a filament-like cable through one of my eye sockets and a corresponding needle-like pain seared through my head. Anytime now, the machine back home will power down. If only I could communicate with Paul, cry for help. Nothing. I’m alone in here. I tried to fight an internal battle, to block them invading my mind but they were too strong. Whatever reached deep into my skull, reached into the deep recesses of my mind. Memories…sounds…smells…so vivid. Intense waves of emotion surged through me at the stimulation of these memories; the excitement of childhood play, the intimidation of school bullies, the thrill of discovering my abilities, the ecstasy of making love, the joy I felt with Paul, the longing I felt around Max… My tears flowed freely and this fascinated the machine elves. The more distraught I became, the more curious they were. The machine elf who’d brought me here stared in a way that sent a cold chill through my body. It had to be hurting me for pleasure, and I decided there and then I was going to retaliate in the only way that I knew. AUTHOR Bio and Links: Marie Harbon has worked in both the retail and fitness industry. She has a degree in sport and fitness, and taught group exercise for several years, delivering aerobics and Pilates. For two years, she delivered BTEC sport courses and has also instructed dance and sport with children. Marie is a member of Nottingham Writers Studio, Her future plans include not only completing the 'Seven Point Eight' series, but involve writing YA, children's and adult books, short stories, novellas and scripts. Aside from writing, Marie is a self-confessed fabric geek and purveyor of beautiful, often ostentatious bags, bustiers and clothing. She lives in the town of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, which is in England. Website - www.marieharbon.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/marie.harbon Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SevenPointEightChronicles Twitter - @marieharbon Don't Forget...Marie will be awarding a free copy of Seven Point Eight: The First Chronicle via Smashwords and a 12 ebook swagbag including, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal and YA titles to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chance of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/12/virtual-excerpt-tour-seven-point-eight.html Heather Sharpe has an interesting tale here with For the Love of Sphynx. Make sure to check it out today. For the Love of a Sphynx by Heather Sharpe When time’s the enemy, there’s no room to pussyfoot around. Betrayed by her fiancé, Mahri Lassler swears never to risk losing her heart again. She’s convinced she may as well collect cats since she’s on the path to spinsterhood. She adopts a tomcat, and just as they’re beginning to learn each other’s idiosyncrasies, the cat bolts out the door, disappearing without a trace. Her quest to find the darn cat leads her to a confused, naked man writhing on the street. The hopeless look in his eyes touches something deep inside Mahri. Can she trust her heart enough to risk it on a man with no past? Will her love be enough to break his curse? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt: Unimaginable agony ripped through him, searing every nerve, and igniting his blood. Contorting in pain, his muscles contracted independently, twisting his body into impossible positions. What seemed an eternity later, he lay gasping in the dirt. He pulled his lips back in a painful grimace as he sucked air into his aching lungs and looked around for Brigid. He would think twice before giving her an opportunity to hurt him that profoundly again. In all the battles he’d fought, he’d never felt such pain. The clearing was empty. Brigid, the cottage, his horse, the small garden where they’d spent hours talking; all of it, had disappeared without a trace. A shiver of unease raced through his limbs. The breeze, gentle now, ruffled his hair playfully. Testing his muscles tentatively, he noticed only a slight tenderness remained after the unbearable agony of before. His muscle and joint pain paled in comparison to a sudden thirst. Climbing unsteadily to his feet, he stumbled to the brook. Whatever she’d done to him had messed with his vision. Everything seemed skewed. While trees and other still objects appeared fuzzy, anything that moved snapped with clarity, instantly claiming his undivided attention. A silver sheen blanketed the world before him. It dampened the saturation of the forest colors, but he noticed more small animals scurrying about than ever before. Closing his eyes to offset the dizzying effects of this visual phenomenon, Morgan stretched toward the musical bubbling of water over stones and lapped several mouthfuls before daring to crack his eyes open. After the tortuous eternity and weird theatrics, he was unsure what he’d expected, but it definitely wasn’t this. A furry black face with two short, pointed ears and feline eyes stared up at him from the surface of the water. What the hell? Publisher’s Buy Link ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About The Author: Heather Sharpe lives on six acres in Central Kansas with her husband, perfect baby boy, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law. In case the house isn’t full enough, it also includes four noisy dogs, one cat who inspired For the Love of a Sphynx and another who torments him, and a lizard. At night, all of them think they need room on the bed (except the lizard, thankfully). Up until the birth of her son, Heather taught elementary school. Now she chases around her toddler and writes whenever he naps. Connect with the Author: Site Facebook Today I'm so excited to share one of my favorite authors with you. Rosanne Bittner has written stories that have captured my imagination for years. I know you will love her books as well. Sweet Prairie Passion Book 1 of the Savage Destiny Series Amazon This book is exclusive to Amazon The first in a powerful series about the settling of the American West and its affect on pioneers and Native Americans alike. Zeke Monroe, a half Indian scout, meets 16-year-old Abigail Trent on a wagon train west, and therein lies the beginning of a magnificent love story that covers fifty years of passion and drama set against the rugged frontier of an untamed land. Excerpt: When Zeke and Abbie’s eyes met, their gazes held in the moonlight, and they both knew what had to be. In the next moment Zeke’s lips were on hers, searching tenderly for what he needed, and giving in return. … Abbie looked into Zeke’s eyes, once more searching. Then she smiled. “Even if it can’t be forever – it’s you I want. Only you.” Again, Zeke’s lips took hers … Rosanne Bittner Website Blog Goodreads I've been writing for nearly thirty years and to date have had 57 novels published, all about the American West of the 1800's and Native Americans. I write romance, but not the typical bodice-ripping adventures. My stories are deep love stories, often family sagas told as a series. It is the hero and heroine's love that holds them together through the trials and tribulations of settling America's western frontiers. I absolutely love the Rockies, the Tetons, the Sierras, and the wide-open plains, prairies and desert land west of the Mississippi. In my books, I strive to tell the truth about the settling of the West and how it affected our American Indians, as well as the gritty depth of what our brave pioneers suffered in their search for free land and a better life. I am a member of the Nebraska and Oklahoma Historical Societies, my local southwest Michigan historical society, Women Writing the West, Mid-Michigan Romance Writers of America (treasurer) and the national RWA, and a local charity group called the Coloma Lioness Club. I help run a family business and love doing things with my three young grandsons. If you visit my web site at www.rosannebittner.com, where all my titles are listed as well as a page that lists all my many writing awards; or you can visit me on Facebook. At either site you will learn news of new books to come as well as reprints of many of my past titles soon to be published in trade paperback and as e-books! I also have an author site at Amazon.com. #Book #Spotlight: Snow White- The Demon Huntress @Kerrianee Coombes #paranormal #romance #hotread1/19/2013
I'm excited to have a fellow Secret Cravings author visit today. Kerrianne Coombes is a fantastic author and a close friend. Her Demon Tales series is topping the charts. Snow White- The Demon Huntress is her latest release and sure to be another winner! Hi Melissa Thank you so much for having me on your blog today!!! I love to promote a new release, and this book is particularly exciting for me, as I LOVE the characters. Snow White Demon Tale 3 is a romantic paranormal romance that is chock full of action, thrills and hot love! ;-) Sam, the ram demon king, and Snow White—the hired demon huntress, are my dream characters. Sam is a hot blooded male demon who has a destiny that he is determined to fulfil, no matter the consequence to him, and Snow White is a vengeful woman who allows no one to get in her way! They are both such strong characters, and I had a ball writing them. Blurb;
Hired demon hunter and paid debt collector, Snow White lives with her heart encased in ice and her mind set on survival—until she accepts the one job that threatens to turn her world upside down. Blackmailed by hell gate demons, Snow has no choice but to accept the task of murdering a king. Dragged into a world of violence and death at a young age, Snow has no idea how to deal with king Sam, and his charm. When Sam’s evil mother died fifteen years before, she left a him with the knowledge that one day, she would return unless Sam breaks the spell. Living with the knowledge that he has to die on his wedding night in order to break his mothers spell, Sam has never allowed himself to dream of love…Until a little assassin breaks into his castle and steals his heart. But deals have been made and magic has been cast. Fate has no power over what is in the past… Thanks for popping by, and I hope you enjoy the excerpt x Snow looked up from where she rested her forehead on her knees when she heard the sound of footsteps outside her cell. A light flicked on, and the rusty iron bars of her door stood out starkly against the yellow light. Snow stayed on her bum in the corner, but quickly swiped her tears away as the footsteps came closer. The demon she had been trying to kill appeared in front of the doors, and Snow had to fight with her body not to gasp. He was tall, taller than she had noticed upstairs. And he was broad, not overly so, but Snow could see there was a lot of muscle under the demon's classy suit. He wore a gold watch on his wrist, a watch that could probably feed her family for a year, and a thin gold chain sat around his neck. He dripped with money and oozed power. Snow felt shamed by his presence. She took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to his face. Her heart stuttered at the intense way he was watching her. Though the light shone behind him, casting shadow across his beautiful face, Snow could see that he held his jaw clenched, as if biting back words. She raised her eyes and looked at his horns, and saw that they were dark: black, with small twists of white running all over them. They looked like marble and shone like polished glass. They were large, curling back over his head, but Snow had to admit they looked good, too. Handsome. I hope you enjoyed that little snippet! Snow White, and the other books in the series are available on Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kerrianne+coombes Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/kerrianne-coombes?keyword=kerrianne+coombes&store=allproducts Secret Cravings Publishing http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=104 Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=✓&query=kerrianne+coombes BookStrand http://www.bookstrand.com/kerrianne-coombes AllRomance Ebooks http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html You can find me on Twitter Kerrianne_xx Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kerrianne-Coombes/148877721876528 Hi Mary and thank you for coming to my blog to visit. It’s a pleasure to be here with you, Melissa, and your wonderful readers! Please tell my readers about you. I am a middle-aged french canadian, curious of everything with a very open mind. So it was no surprise that when I discovered ménage stories 5 years ago, I decided then and there that I would read only this genre after that. I am proud of my collection and to promote this genre. My reviews are based on reading so many of them. I am passionate and can be sarcastic if something bother me but I am always honest, never mean! You'll find my reviews a bit more personal and less of a critique as I like to share what a book makes me think, feel, question... I love my ménage world! How many books do you read on average a year? I usually read around 150 books. It all depends on the length, but my average is around three per weeks. It generally takes me two or three evenings to read a 150p book since I also spend a lot of time on Facebook and my blog to post my ménage reviews. But I probably review 1/3 of the 150 I read. First, reason is time. One of my motto in life is: "Born to read, forced to work". So work unfortunately slow down what I so enjoy doing: read and review a book. My second reason is that I decided when I started to review and blog (almost 2 years ago) that I wanted to have fun. And, I have absolutely no fun to review a story that I cannot give a minimum of a 3 stars. Out of frustration, it happened, but this is not my cup of tea. I love this genre so much that for me praising a ménage story and an author, share all the emotions that the story made me feel gives me an immense pleasure to do. So far, I reviewed around 180 ménage romances. Why did you decide to read strictly menage stories? Pretty much all my life, I read like the majority MF vanilla stories. A couple of years ago, I wanted to read something more spicy with my romance. Reading the poor 17ish virgin girl pursued by the usually millionnaire's 30ish bachelor womanize man did not fit with me a long time ago and I wanted to read romances again. One day, I visited my local library and saw Laurell K. Hamilton on shelf. That was a revelation. I devoured this series. I was then curious if I could find more erotic stories like this. I went on amazon, surfed around, typed the magic word "ménage" and bam! An endless list appeared! Lucky me! My first ménage romance that brought my attention was Colter's woman by Maya Banks. I did not have an e-reader or an android at that time so it was paperbacks from amazon. Pretty quickly, I discovered the ebooks, had my first e-reader and started my collection. And that's all it took for me to become a menage romance addict. One woman and multiple guys devoted to her exclusively? A woman never lacking of attention and love and care? How could I resist! I was never a groupie kind of girl and read one author exclusively so I found the variety totally appealing. Each ménage authors has its own vision of a ménage relationship and this is totally awesome to read so many different styles. What interests you in menage stories? I am fascinated by how several different people interact with each other. I think with two people it is already difficult and full of concessions, so just imagine how much more complicated it can be when there is a third partner, if not more, in the relationship. I think the more people involved, the more complicated the relationship is. All the insecurities and emotions, like jealousy for example, are amplified. We are also visual individuals and voyeurism in ménage erotica plays a big part as well as sharing our feelings. Being part of a ménage needs a lot of reassurance, tolerance and commitment as well as a great sense of communication. I do not read a ménage for the sex scenes but I would lie saying that it does not add brownies in the story! Unfortunately, most authors are not kinky enough in ménage stories, and they mix a lot BDSM with light bondage or think that the kinkiest sex scene ever is the one on the kitchen table or the dual penetration at the epilogue. There is a little lack of imagination most of the time but when an author knows how to write them, it is just the perfect finishing touch to the story. I truly think that the more characters involved, the more interesting is the relationship. It’s like in a team: if you do not work or play together, nothing will work. Different personalities mean more emotional involvement. Somehow, I also think that in such relationships, you can have the best of all. I love cuddles so one male can be sweet and tender, but at times I like him intense, so another male can be possessive and intense and a third could make me laugh, a fourth could be kinky etc. Why do you believe that they are popular stories these days? Women are more emancipated today. Today's stories are way more sexual than a few decades ago and they do not hide their needs anymore. Women are less and less shy to share their fantasies and they want explicit hot sex scenes in their romances. Ménage romances offer a large variety of phantasms they can live through their heroines. The more men, the more possibilities. If we add exclusive passion centered on the heroine, then you double or triple the pleasure. There is never a lack of love, lack of sex, lack of attention. The reader will find everything she is looking in several men and will find it way believable. Like several men may have flaws but all at once they are a perfect man versus a single man that cannot be perfect. For me, it totally makes sense anyway :) For a couple of years now, women are reading more and more gay romances and find it very hot. Ménage gives the best world if the heroes are bisexuals: they are front row and center. If readers prefer straight men dedicated exclusively to the heroine, they find that too. It depends on how comfortable and the limits of the kinkiness that the reader have. The ménage can be soft and sweet and centered to feelings (men are sharing a wife, but not the bed), I call that vanilla ménage, but it can be also very kinky and we enter the BDSM lifestyle..and everything in between. Somehow, ménage opens doors to every possible fantasies. I believe most readers have a two people relationships and never experienced a threesome. They would then live their fantasy through a ménage story, and have fun to feel a little bit dirtier probably, spicing up their love life without cheating or go against the society disaproval. Years ago women of all age related to 17ish virgin heroine. They found their ultimate fantasy to be kidnapped by an older debauched rich jaded bachelor. Today, they want to be a bit more adventurous and kinky: they read hot ménages. But sex is only part of a ménage. What makes a good story/book? Some MF authors will put the sex in #1 position, some will put the relationship #1 and for some it will be the plot. With ménage authors, it is the same, but they are even more challenged because they must include the multiple partners factor in each sex or relationship or plot! I believe that an author must be very talented to write this sub-genre. My idea of what makes a ménage a must read is this: Characters = relationship = plot = sex All of the above must be equally developed. Credibility and time factor must always be in the front of each story. If you read my reviews that is and always will be my pet peeves! In general, I consider a must read ménage when the author know what she/he is talking about. For example, if they write about BDSM, they must know the difference between BDSM elements vs BDSM lifestyle. A Dom is not a temporary status. But a male can have some dominant attitude in the bedroom. I always cringe a little bit when an author calls her heroes a Dom just because he likes to spank or play with cuffs or make a vague reference that he belongs to a BDSM club. I always feel it when an author put her/his soul into the story and that makes reading so very special. Although it is very rare that I dislike a book completely. It happens, but rarely. I always find something good in a ménage romance. This sub-genre fascinates me, plain and simple. A good original plot on top of everything and I am in heaven. Do you think that a menage can work in society and life? Yes. However, it takes a lot of communication and lack of jealousy of all involved. The possessiveness that we read in ménage romances rarely work in real ménage relationship. We are territorial mammals and sharing our male or female is not a natural behavior. I've never been a taboo girl and I had my own ménage. This is probably why credibility takes so much place in my reviews. But like a vanilla relationship between two people, it takes the same ingredients to make the relation work, but multiplied. Each people involved should be a piece of puzzle that complete the other people perfectly. The same way we find married couple, gay or straight, still in love after 30 years, the same way we can find polyamory long-term relationship. With the right people and love, everything is possible. Today, it is still extremely taboo to claim that you are in a polyamory relationship or a ménage à trois. People think that the woman is generally a slut and love gang bangs. They completely obliterate the love factor. People hardly associate feelings with a ménage, but sex. We were all raised to think that marriage = 2 people. To accept the concept to love more than one person is generally not accepted. Even if they do, they will find reasons to never give equal love for all and we call it "third wheel". So it takes very special people to make it works but for me love is love and since it is a beautiful thing, we should not limit our love to one person by obligation or because society condemn it. It should be a personal choice. Which type of menage do you think works best—one with two or more men or one with two or more women? Why? We are raised with the notion that harems exist and a harem is one man with multiple concubines or wives. I would not say it is natural for all but the old testament taught us that millennium ago this kind of relationship existed. We never read of the reverse: one woman and a harem of men. What is the first reaction when we see a man with two women? Lucky guy! What is the first reaction when we see a woman with two men? Slut! And there you have your answer. This said. I believe there is no rules. What works for one, may not for the other. If you put me in a position to choose. I am not bisexual and for me sharing my man would be difficult with another woman. But I would have no issue to share with another man if I am included in the relationship of course. Triangle love is not for me, I'm afraid. I love a woman's body. I love the lines, the curves, the softness. I admire and I can definitely stare a beautiful woman in the street if I see one. Mentally, I am rarely in awe with a woman. I guess I never met a woman that I could fall in love with. I will never say: “never” however. But I just love men. I love them from head to toes. I fell in love a couple of times in my life and I am lucky to say that I know what passion means. So naturally, I am partial. My type of ménage I prefer is one woman with multiple men, straight or bisexual. So it is all a matter who with who. Is it best? Best in what? For me there is no best. It all depends on how they fit together, not the genre. You may think that you type is tall, blond with blue eyes and no boobs and in the end you may fall for a brunette, not so tall with brown eyes… with or without boobs! lol If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to yourself? Do not loose time in something you do not feel comfortable with. Time is clicking fast and happiness is our decision. Never be afraid to take your destiny in your own hands and move on. Life is short! Please let my readers know anything important that you didn’t get to share.** Don’t forget to include the contest for your site and links.** Thank you for this unique opportunity and for your interview. I love this sub-genre, and I hope that some readers will be curious enough to read a ménage romance and hopefully get as hooked as I am. And because I love this genre so much, I would like to take the oportunity to invite you all to our First Annual Menage Romances Fan's Choice Awards. I thought it was time to dedicate a contest for ménage authors only! ;) 22 different categories to choose from: one vote per category but 22 chances to win prizes ! From January 5 to January 31st, 2013, use this FORM to nominate your favorite ménage authors and stories in the categories of your choice. The nominations will close at midnight January 31st and on Feb 2-28, 2013, everyone will get to vote (poll). Winners will be announced on March 1st 2013. So time to pay back and show your love and appreciation to this genre and nominate the ménage romances that stood out in your mind in 2012! I hope you will join the fun! Mary Where to find Mary: Blog Goodreads Don't forget to read all the small print and voting options here: http://marywhispers.blog.com/?p=1302.
Here's the link to the nominations form here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dE1jWS16RWRBVkM0X19ENWtkdGtKTkE6MQ Best of luck to all the authors nominated! I'm always excited to share with you another new book by Ella Jade. This is book one of a new series that promises to be a hot one! Master of The Inn by Ella Jade Book One in the Pleasure Inn Series Pleasure Inn… Where all of your fantasies become reality. Executive chef Elyse Clapton has had it with city life. She’s spent the last few years building her cheating boyfriend’s trendy New York City restaurant into a success. When their relationship ends, so does her desire to be in his kitchen. She flees to a quaint inn she remembers visiting as a child. She gets more than she bargains for when she meets the sexy, reclusive inn keeper. Handyman Logan Cole inherited Pleasure Inn against his wishes. Ever since he got caught up in a scandal involving another man’s wife, he keeps to himself – finding solace in a bottle. He didn’t realize how lonely he’d become until Elyse shows up on his porch. He’s instantly drawn to her and convinces her to stay at the Bed and Breakfast. Elyse comes to town looking for a getaway. She never expects to fall for Logan. It doesn’t take her long to believe the inn’s motto. Logan’s dominance in the bedroom makes all of her fantasies a reality. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Excerpt: A light came on in an upstairs window indicating someone was there. Elyse walked up the front steps and tried the door, but it was locked. Just as she reached for the bell, the door flew open and a large, muscular figure appeared. The old screen door and the absence of lighting in the foyer concealed his face. “Hi,” Elyse said. “I was driving by and wondered if you had any vacancies.” “Here?” “This is an inn, isn’t it?” “It hasn’t been for over four years.” He turned on the porch light. “I thought everyone in this town knew that.” His disheveled appearance made her think he wasn’t planning on entertaining visitors. His dark, thick hair looked as if he’d run his fingers through it causing it to stand on end. He hadn’t bothered to button his faded blue jeans or put on a shirt before answering the door. Elyse couldn’t help but notice how his well-defined abs disappeared into his waistband. “I’m sorry.” She moved away from the entrance. “I’m intruding.” “No.” He stepped out onto the porch in his bare feet. “I just didn’t expect anyone out here at this time of the night.” “I drove from the city. I thought I might stay the night. I used to come here as a kid.” She looked past his shoulder into the foyer. She saw a fresh stack of wood in the corner and several cans of paint. “Are you renovating?” “Trying to.” He nodded. “It’s a work in progress.” She caught a wave of alcohol on his breath. “Are you just passing through?” “I’m not sure. I just needed to get away and I remembered how perfect this place always was.” “Yeah,” he looked over his shoulder. “Not so much anymore.” “What happened?” “My uncle owned the place, but he couldn’t keep up with the maintenance. He and my aunt retired and left it to me. It’s just been sitting vacant since then. It needed a ton of work. I didn’t realize how much until I actually started ripping things out.” “How long have you been renovating?” “A little over six months.” “Well, thanks for your time. Maybe I’ll visit when you’re finished,” She smiled encouragement, but disappointment filled Elyse’s heart at the thought of not staying there. “Good luck with the renovations.” When she turned to leave, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “Wait.” When she turned, his ice blue eyes held her gaze. The intensity there made her stomach flutter. It should have been a warning sign to run fast and far, but her body responded in other ways. The sensation he created from just one touch coursed through her system, landing straight between her legs. Oh my… “For the past few months I’ve been renovating the third floor. If I’m going to live here and run this place, I wanted my rooms to be done first before I started on the rest of the inn. There are two bedrooms up there; both have private bathrooms. You could stay if you want.” “That’s very nice of you, but—” “Your room has a lock.” As if that would keep you out. You have the keys. “I’m not ready to have guests yet, so I wouldn’t charge you.” “I couldn’t, but thank you.” “You drove all this way to Pleasure Inn. There isn’t another place for miles. Spend the night and then you can leave in the morning.” She wasn’t familiar with the surrounding area and the drive had made her tired. What if she couldn’t find another place to spend the night? “I don’t blame you for being cautious.” He shrugged. “You do what your gut tells you: but you’re more than welcome to stay here.” She stared into his deep eyes for a few moments. She’d left the city to get away and forget about the disaster of a relationship with Phillip. She’d done nothing but work for years. She hadn’t been to a restaurant or on a vacation in months. She was too busy cooking for others. Would one night in a beautiful Victorian inn be so bad? How could it be, especially when the inn keeper looked like a goddamned Calvin Klein model? “I’ll stay on one condition.” “Sure.” “You have to tell me your name.” “Oh.” He ran his fingers through his hair and smiled for the first time since greeting her. “Forgive my manners. I’m Logan Cole.” He extended his hand to her. “Nice to meet you, Logan,” She said properly as she shook his hand. “I’m Elyse Clapton.” “Welcome to Pleasure Inn, Ms. Clapton.” He dipped his head as he held the door open for her. “Where all of your fantasies become reality.” >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> About the Author: Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can't be stopped. Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she's not chasing after her kids, she's busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you'll get lost in her words. Connect with the Author: Site Facebook Author Page Twitter <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Giveaway: Ella is giving away a digital copy of her book during her Tour. For a chance to win please fill out the Raffle copter below. Flash fiction is taking a photograph or an idea and writing a brief scene about what is happening in the story. It is usually around 200-500 words and doesn't really delve into the background behind the characters or their actions. It is like a hot, sizzling little preview for a larger story.
I love writing flash fiction because it challenges my writing. I have to convey a thought, a scene, a feeling in very few words. This is similar to writing poetry. The author must carefully select their words to entice the reader into the story. I've written quite a few different flash fiction pieces over the last year. I'm thinking about putting them together into a book. But this is where I want your thoughts and opinions. Do you enjoy Flash Fiction? Do you enjoy reading short scenes without all the details? I value your thoughts on this. Feel free to comment and let me know! Do you love a story with angels and the possibility of hell on Earth? Wormwood is the perfect read for you! Wormwood Blurb: Against a devastated, post-apocalyptic landscape, a legion of one hundred fierce half-angels is hell bent on purging the Earth of all humans. But one of them, the tormented Tiamat Wormwood, struggles against his mission, and when he rescues a beautiful woman named Kali, he finds the attraction as troubling as it is dangerous. Can Kali trust the one creature who could be responsible for her ultimate demise? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt: Wormwood by D.H. Nevins Despite the calming nature of having something purposeful to do, my hands shook. It had been impossible to ignore the view of the devastated landscape when I entered Tiamat’s camp, and it was with great difficulty that I suppressed the panic that was bubbling up inside me. I clenched my hands together and tried to focus. “This is going to hurt, Tiamat,” I warned him, wiping my shaking palms on my pants. “But it will be easier if you try to keep your arm relaxed.” He nodded and leaned his head back against the tree, waiting for me to begin. After shaking my hands out in an attempt to ease the tremors, I reached over and firmly grasped his injured limb, perhaps a little rougher than I should have. Immediately, bizarre ripples of some kind of energy shot savagely through my hands, burning up my arms like a white hot flame. I threw down his injured forearm, leaping away from him in panic. “Augh!” he grunted in pain, cradling the offending limb. “You certainly have an interesting way to set bones, Kali. And I apologize about the shock; I should have warned you,” he added. “What? What do you mean, you ‘apologize about the shock?’” I sputtered, the bubbling panic beginning to well over. “What the hell is going on here anyway? None of this can be happening! It can’t! And your arm… your arm shocked me! No, keep it elevated, damn it! It will swell!” I glared at Tiamat as he raised his injured arm again, his expression guarded. “What’s happening, Tiamat?” I demanded again, taking in his tight-lipped expression. “I’m losing my mind here and you won’t even say anything!” I stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate on the strange shock that most certainly originated from his arm… waiting for him to elaborate on anything. But after a long, drawn-out silence and no change to his guarded expression, I had to resign myself to the fact that I wasn’t likely to get any further at this moment. “Fine!” I huffed. “But at least tell me this. If I touch you again, will I get zapped?” “You will feel it, but I will not shock you again,” he promised. “I was taken by surprise before. You have a very firm grip,” he said with mock injury. Annoyed, I crouched down beside Tiamat again, resolving to get some serious answers from him in the very near future. However, despite my anxiety, curiosity won over, and I hesitantly reached out to touch his skin. Gently this time, I ran my fingers along his broken limb as tingling pins and needles undulated through my hands and crept up the skin of my arms. Feeling for the broken ulna bone, I braced my hands on either side of it and began to pull apart. Although I was careful to work slowly at first, the resistance from his muscles was incredible. I would have to exert a lot more force. Taking a deep breath, I gave a sharp pull. Letting out a yelp, Tiamat suddenly writhed. He flung himself on top of me, pinning me down as he stretched his arm high in the air, far away from my grasp. “Ow,” he said, as his lips twisted into a surprised, sheepish smile. “Contrary to what you obviously believe, I do have an aversion to pain. Is it not possible for you to be gentle?” Bio, D.H. Nevins: D.H. Nevins was born in Toronto and currently lives in a relatively remote area of Ontario, surrounded by forests and lakes. By day, she is a personable, friendly school teacher. By night, she silently chuckles as she writes about angels destroying the world. Her present project is Wormwood’s sequel, Angel of Shadow. When she isn't writing, she enjoys hiking, camping, traveling the world, flying around on her motorcycle or dabbling in live theatre. She loves to connect with others and can be contacted or followed a number of ways: Website: http://www.dhnevins.com/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/dhnevins Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dhnevins/ Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/DHNevins?ref=hl Facebook Wormwood Group: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/133020440053518/ Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5158514.D_H_Nevins Today I'm excited to share a wonderful story by a great author. Tamaria Soana writes tales that captivate readers and Obsession is an exceptional read! Obsession by Tamaria Soana Is there anywhere safe when you're the object of someone's obsession? Alexandria Stevens is a New York Times best-selling romance novelist. After she makes a guest appearance on a popular TV talk show, she creates a Twitter account. Within a few short weeks she meets a fan, and they become fast friends…or that’s what Alex thinks. When Alex finds herself being stalked, the person she least suspects is her new friend Jillian. What she doesn’t know is that Jillian has been obsessed with her for years. She wants everything Alex has, even her husband. Content Warning: sexual situations, adult language, violence Excerpt: Alex went into her study to answer some emails and go over the script for her movie again when the doorbell rang. Knowing Hudson was on a conference call, she went to answer it. She looked out the window to find a deliveryman with a long, white box. Her heart melted, Hudson had flowers delivered for her. He was always so romantic and thoughtful. God, she loved him. Alex opened the door and signed for the flowers. As she took them to the kitchen to place them in a vase, her mind wandered to all the ways she could thank Hudson properly after his conference call was over. Her favorite one involved her being down on her knees. Alex couldn't wait to see and smell the beautiful flowers. Giggling, she untied the ribbon and anxiously lifted the lid. She screamed and dropped the box. It was filled with a dozen black roses, a purple plastic butterfly attached to one stem. Fear rocked through her body as she remembered the note left on her car. Like a butterfly, a wild butterfly. I will collect you and capture you. Alex fell to the floor and wrapped her arms around herself. "Alex, oh my God. Are you okay? What happened?" Hudson asked as he placed his arms around her trembling body. She pointed to the black roses. "I thought you sent me flowers," she stuttered in between her sobs. Hudson looked at the roses with confusion, then Alex pointed to the butterfly and told him about the note she'd found on her car and how Colleen said it was nothing, probably a sick prank. "You should've told me, baby. I'm calling your father, this isn't just a prank." Hudson dialed Anthony, Alex's father and a police detective. Hudson held her tight and assured her that he wouldn't let anything happen to her and they would find out what was going on. Anthony was at his daughter's side within fifteen minutes with two policemen in tow. He asked a few questions and took the flowers for evidence. Alex just clung to Hudson as her father lectured her for not telling anyone about the note that had been left on her car. He was upset that the note had been destroyed, because there could've been forensic evidence on it that would help them figure out who was doing this. Alex looked into her father's eyes, he looked both angry and conflicted. She knew this had to be hard on him. He had to be both her father and the detective on the case. He assured them he would try and keep a lid on it for as long as possible. Alex let out a moan knowing what would happen if the media found out about it. Hudson asked Anthony about the possibility of the police providing some sort of security for Alex. She objected, saying she didn't want to be babysat. Her father quickly dismissed her objection, stating it was a good idea and he would arrange regular patrols of the street. He swore to her that he would catch the psycho who was stalking her. He hugged her before he left, which took Alex by surprise because he never showed emotion. When everyone was finally gone, Hudson got Alex some water and two sleeping pills. Soon she was in bed wrapped in Hudson's arms. Although she was both emotionally and physically exhausted, she felt safe next to him. She sighed and snuggled as close to his warm body as she could as she wiped away a tear and drifted off to sleep. Alex woke to her cellphone ringing over and over again. Who the hell keeps calling? She moaned as she grabbed her phone from the bedside table. When she looked at the screen and saw who the caller was, she rolled her eyes. "Mom?" "Oh my God, Alexandria, are you okay? Why do I have to find out from the media that someone is stalking my daughter?" Alex just let her mother rant—no good would come out of trying to stop her and explain things until she had it all out of her system. "And a movie deal? Why am I the last to know everything? Well, I'm waiting." "I'm sorry, Mom. I was going to call you today. Things have been a bit crazy. What do you mean you heard it from the media?" "It's all over the entertainment news." "Christ!" Alex took a deep breath. She needed to focus and find out what was being said. "Mom, I have to go. I promise I'll call you later and fill you in on everything. I need to find out exactly what has been leaked." Watch the Trailer: Youtube ~January being National Stalking Awareness Month, my Publisher and I decided to lower the price on Obsession to $.99 for the month of January! ~ Beachwalk Press Buy Link Slalking: No It. Name It. Stop It.
For more information about stalking visit The National Stalking Awareness Site ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About the Author: Tamaria Soana is middle aged, but just feels her life has begun. She writes sexy contemporary romance stories that always end with a ‘happily ever after’. Growing up she loved to read and make up new places in her head to escape to. In her late teens she began writing short stories and poetry; it wasn’t until her late thirties before she began to spin a full story. She’s married and a stay-at-home-mom of two beautiful young girls, they reside in Western New York. Cuddling up with a good book under an electric throw is her way to escape the cold Buffalo nights. Besides writing, she co-owns Shades of Rose Marketing and hosts a talk show on Talkshoe called Live with Tamaria ~ Giving authors a voice. Author Links: Site Facebook Author Page Twitter |
Melissa KeirGator Girl Extraordinaire Archives
October 2023
|