Thursday, September 30, 2010

Do You Want to Win a Copy of Unicorn's Peril?



Well...do you?

Unicorn's Peril will be released in just over a week! I can't believe it. So how do you win a copy? It's simple and really easy. Leave a comment on my blog post about the competition right
here telling me why you'd like to win an eBook copy. I will draw the winner at random on release day, so you have until then to comment :-)

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Midnight Secrets contest!




Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm sad to say that I'm a bit late with giving away a copy of Midnight Secrets since it came out last week! If you've read Confessions, you need to hop on over to www.lyricalpress.com/wendy_ely to get a copy or leave me a comment to be entered to win one! Why? Because the herione in this book is the sister of Chelsea in Confessions!





And here is an excerpt from the book:



“Guess who, Alli?” the male voice asked.

The voice. The nickname. She didn’t have to turn around to know who stood behind her. “Let go of me,” she demanded. She twisted to make him let go of her. Once she saw the face, she froze. It seemed as though all those years that had gone by came rushing back. So did the urge to slam her knee into his groin, which she never had gotten to do the last time she’d seen him.

Mitch laughed and patted her head as if she’d suddenly grown a long tail, sprouted fur, and turned to barking as a form of communication. “Oh, not happy to see me?”

She shoved his hand aside and stepped out of his reach. “Don’t ever touch me.” How had such a good day gone so shitty in a heart beat?

“Chill out, so we can talk.” He reached for her again, but she moved out of the way before he could put his slimy hands on any part of her.

Her arms crossed over her chest. “What should we talk about? Maybe the fact that you blew me off to marry some bimbo? Or perhaps it was keeping your children a secret and putting me down?”

His face froze. Shock maybe? “Oh, that.” Had he actually thought she’d forgotten what had happened? It was possible that the incident had completely slipped his mind. He reached for her, but she put her hand up to block his touch. “I came back to see you and our kids. Don’t you miss me? Don’t they?”

“You haven’t seen your son since he was two. You’ve never seen your daughter. Hell no, they don’t miss you. They don’t even know you!” She spun on her heel and stomped to the door. If she stayed outside with him one more minute, she was likely to knock his ass out. He’d deserve it too, but landing in jail wasn’t on her to-do list. She slammed the door a little too hard behind her.

“Go hide in your little hole, Alli, but you’ll have to see me sometime. Wilson is a small town and I’m back for good.” He must’ve walked up to the door to yell those words at her, because she could hear them clear as glass, even with the door shut.

Once she was certain he had left, she crumpled to the floor and leaned up against the counter. Her face dropped into her hands. She cried and then cried some more.He couldn’t be back. Why would he step forward now and claim to be a father? It just didn’t make sense, but that didn’t matter. He could take her to court, do a paternity test, and force visitation rights. How would the kids react? Probably not very well. Her body shook with deep sobs. She was so deep in her sadness, she didn’t even know anyone had come into the bakery until strong arms pulled her against the brawny chest she’d missed.

“Miguel,” she started to protest and put half an effort into pulling away.

He rubbed her hair and said, “Shh. It’s okay to cry, honey.”

She quit fighting and rested her head against him. Tears continued to run down her face. “I’m making your shirt wet.”

He held her tighter. “All I care about right now is that I’m here for you.” Miguel kissed the top of her head, making her heart swell.

After a few minutes, she pulled from his embrace. “I’m really sorry.” She stood up.

“For what?” He got up from the floor and looked at the bare walls.

“Not calling you at all and then making your shoulder all soggy.” She wiped another tear from her cheek. “I hate crying.”

He waved at her. “It’s okay. You can use my shoulder to cry on anytime.”

~~~~~

Don't forget to leave a comment so I can give away a copy of Midnight Secrets and I'll talk to you soon!

Wendy Ely

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Naughty...Wicked...Fantasies...

*waves at all our Wicked friends* Howdy!! I hope everyone has had an awesome week? Mine week's been productive with writing, writing and woohoo more writing! I'm almost finished writing book 2 ~ Phoenix Rising ~ in my Hell series (my goth "horrormance" series) and book 1 ~ Pandora's Box ~ hasn't even been accepted yet!! Only been subbed 2 weeks and I'm antsy for a response already. Someone tell me to chill-out already!! *cheeky grin* I'm loving these characters so much and their world is so alive, I'm having no problem remembering the minor details. I'm eating, sleeping, daydreaming and falling asleep at night thinking about them. Being so focused on a storyline, puts me in a naughty frame of mind. I guess because I'm living the emotions and passions right along with them.

Okies, I'll shut up about my excitement with my characters and give you a photo that hit me hard this week (I can't remember where I found, but somewhere on the world-wide-wicked-web).....



Does this photo bring to mind any thoughts? Comments? Fantasies? lol

Woohoo!!! We've reached 100 followers!!! Let's see how many of our followers actually read our posts...leave me a comment in this post and I'll give away a pdf copy of Elfin Blood and/or a paperback book cover. Your choice or both...whichever the winner prefers. By the way, the contest ends TODAY at midnight CST.

~~~~~


Now....off to my review of Nostos The Homecoming, by Nancy Barone Wythe.




Blurb:

For over a thousand years, LORD AIDAN HARTLAND OF WESTLAKE and his lover have in turn been eating each other’s hearts in order to regenerate. Now he’s back with his new identity- and the perpetual mission of protecting his woman and mankind from the demon Zendor that has no mate and eats human hearts at random to survive.

FBI agent ROBYN WAINRIGHT, assigned to investigate the strange deaths, is still unaware of her past, and determined to nail Westlake, with his mad tales of demons, paranormal powers and his eternal love for her. But the erotic visions she keeps having are driving her insane…

Review:

My biggest beef is that this story isn't long enough.I wanted more time with the characters because they're both likeable and I would have loved to have gotten into the head of the demon Zendor. But, hey, I'm weird that way because I end up loving the evil characters as much as I do the hero and heroine. This isn't a real beef because it's a compliment that I wanted to spend more time with the characters. The first scene where Lord Aidan Westlake arrives with his Great Danes is a very strong visual. I got this mental image of Aidan standing on a hill, above everyone else, with his Great Danes (beasts) straining against their tethers and Lord Aidan restraining them with ease. I can't remember if the sun pierced through the clouds to shine on just him in that moment, but if it didn't, it should have! :-) I loved Aidan's arrogance—who doesn't love reading arrogant men?—and Robyn's snarky attitude was just as much fun. She was definitely a tough as nails sort of woman. I won't give away the shocking details of the moment I sat straight up and said "WTF". For several pages Nancy left me worried how I could give a favorable review after the way she traumatized me with what she did to her characters. lol Nancy cleared that dilemma up by the time she wrote "the end".


Nostos The Homecoming is a creative story, built with a great imagination. Action punched through scenes in short lively bursts and Nancy Barone Wythe sure knows how to wallop you with great descriptions. For example:
"He had the timeless gaze of an immortal to whom the world had entrusted all its
secrets."

Wow! Immediately I knew Aidan had the look of an 'old soul' in his eyes. Another great line is when Aidan said this to Robyn…

"'You are like daybreak in my darkness…you leave me stunned and bewildered…'"

Dear God, I want someone to profess that type of emotion for me! :D

To get your own copy of Nostos The Homecoming by Nancy Barone Wythe, click here.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Story of Bors is almost here!

To those who’ve been asking about when Bors’ story will be out, I now have an answer—October 2010! Yes, this funny and lovable Knight brother will test how well you liked him in Irresistible Knight.

 

IrresistibleKnight She’s a rich violinist. He’s an FBI agent always hanging out behind alleys and dirty dumpsters. Together, can they make a beautiful symphony or break each others heart?

*********************

Wolf’s Soul, my newly released paranormal received awesome reviews.

 

WolfsSoulMidnightHowlCover

“This story is simply amazing! Tierney O’Malley knows how to write an Alpha make character that has both strength and an emotional depth that any reader will fall instantly in love with.”—Happily Ever After Reviews

The characters just about leap off the page, and the plot is very exciting, but the real focus and best part is the love story between the wolf and the human.”—Coffee Time Romance

*********

Now that the second book of the Knight Brothers Series is almost here, it is time to burn my time finishing the third—Gawain’s story. :D

 

I love hearing from everyone!

 

Tierney O’Malley

http://tierneyomalley.com

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Shapeshifting: Would Wasps Be On The Menu?


I miss all my wicked bloggers. Sorry I haven't posted lately but I've been too busy being a mom to three very active kids. I feel like a taxi driver..whew...when do we break for the holidays?! Happy Fall!

I have three minutes until midnight to post my blog so I'm in a giant rush. I'm on the last leg of my current shapeshifter novel.

Okay, so what if we could shapeshift into a gecko? Would you do this? I've been watching two geckos stalk a wasp nest on my front porch where I write. This picture isn't my wasps and gecko. This one is from Australia. Have you ever seen this down under, Mark?



Love and hugs to all!
~Alisha

Thursday, September 16, 2010

So Much Has Happened

Okay, where do I begin? Well, first, the contest I ran last week was a great success! Thank you to all who posted. And a BIG, BIG thank you to Gracen who helped spread the word.

Now, seeing as the contest was a huge success (as I said) ALL those who posted a comment can get an eBook copy of Shadows of the Mind. Yes, you heard correctly! So...

Joder
Brandy B
Booklover0226
hotcha1
Gracen (yes, you, mate)
and even Wendy *grin*

Just give me a couple of days to email you your prize if you left your email address. If not, email me at markalders at yahoo dot com and I'll send it to you then :-) Simple hey

Missed out on the contest! Well don't fret, because right now, from the 15th to the 28th of September, you can get all of my titles for a crazy 25% off from All Romance eBooks. Here is the link! So, to start the Pembroke Eve Chronicles, there is no better time.

A lot has been going on lately. I have just completed the first round of edits for the second novel in the Keeper of the Land series, Centaur's Awakening. I can't wait for the series to begin, starting on the 1st of October with Unicorn's Peril! Then, on the 15th of October, the final for Pembroke is released, Hope of the Spirit.

Also, there have been two covers come out for my books since the last time we spoke. Here they are in all their glory:

First, Part five of the Pembroke Eve Chronicles now has a cover:

Hope of the Spirit Cover Revealed!


Then, my Christmas story, A Sangrille Christmas also has a shiny new cover! It's about a werewolf named Leroy with family issues and his boyfriend, Jordan, who convinces him to go to his parents house for Christmas dinner this year. Good times for all--not!


*phew* told you there was a lot! What with all that, there's my WIP's to do as well. Until next week!


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

It's my day here :)


So it is my blog day but I'm so dang tired. Last night I took my daughter and her best friend to the Jonas Brother's concert. Our seats were in the crappy section and we ended up standing. A little girl about the age of 5 stood in front of me. When Demi Levato (I'm not even sure that's how to spell her name!) took the stage, the little girl turned to her mother. Tears were in the little girl's eyes as she said, "Mom! That's really her! Demi is right there!" It took me back to when my own daughter had been 5 years old when she had gone to her first concert and the joy she experienced that night was renewed watching her favorite band last night. We ended up winning VIP tickets during intermission so when the Jonas Brothers went on stage we had great seats! We didn't sit down though. We spent the night singing and dancing instead.


Other than the concert, I have two tests in law to study for and a new release coming out next week! Here is a little peak of Midnight Secrets:


Will Miguel’s whispered midnight promises ever see the light of day?Content with her job as small town waitress and roll of single mom, Allison believes she's better off without a man. In her opinion, all they bring is chaos - and that includes the father of her child. So why has Miguel’s arrival shaken her so badly? It's not easy for Allison to keep Miguel a secret with someone set on shutting down her bakery and the local sheriff believing she harbors a vendetta against the town because of her tormented past. Keeping her secrets and clearing her name just might be harder than Allison ever imagined. Content warning; This book contains cold family situations during the day and hot nights.


Excerpt:


Even as she ran outside to her car, the temptation to dial his number remained strong. Tossing the phone on the front seat of her car, she locked the door. She would not call the man. Better to dive into her work instead, make herself so busy she wouldn’t have time to think about him.


She carried her notebook around and tried envisioning the diner. His face kept popping into her thoughts instead. It didn’t matter what part of the diner she tried focusing on, because an image of him always showed up there. Miguel sitting at one of the new tables, him walking out of the bathroom…once she even envisioned him in front of the stove and wondered if he knew how to cook. He had become imprinted in her mind so deeply she wondered if she’d explode if she didn’t have some sort of contact with him.



Allison closed her eyes. No thinking about Miguel. Only the bakery.
____
Talk to you soon,
Wendy Ely

Monday, September 13, 2010

Anne Marsh ~ Virtual Blog Tour ~ Bond With Me ~ Leave a Comment for A Chance to Win Big Prizes

I'm reposting my guest blogger here at Wicked Thorn and Roses to give all you wicked readers a chance to comment and win a gift package consisting of an autographed copy of The Hunt, a mother-of-pearl shell, shell necklace, tiare-scented bath salts, two monoi lotions, and monoi oil, all from Bora Bora ($75 value-See photo at the bottom of this blog. GO TO Alisha Paige's Blog and leave a comment for a chance to win!



Since Alisha’s getting herself a Nook…

As some readers know, Dorchester Publishing recently announced a rather radical shift in their publishing program. Instead of publishing mass market paperbacks, Dorchester decided to publish only ebooks for 2010 and move to a combination of ebooks and trade paperbacks in 2011. My fellow Dorchester authors and September 2010 releases learned about this change slightly more than two weeks before our release date. I’d read precisely one ebook before learning that I was about to become an ebook author: one of Harlequin’s very first Nocturne Bites. Despite (or perhaps because of) a day job as a technical writer creating online help for educational software, I loathe reading books in digital form. I adore my paper. I’d far rather stare at the Gutenberg Press than the Nook. But… all these people using ereaders have to know something I don’t, right?

Sure, I have the usual concerns: I don’t want (and can’t afford) to drop hundreds of dollars on an electronic doohickey; reading digitally is different (no matter what people claim, flipping electronic pages is simply not the same); eating and Nook-ing or Kindle-ing seems fundamentally wrong (because, while my new Kresley Cole has Cheeto stains on the edges, I wouldn’t dare do that to an ereader); and I can’t imagine taking an ereader into the tub given the number of books the Siamese has splashed when he decided that my bath time meant his playtime.

Five Things That Just Might Convince Me To Read eBooks:

1. Finding the sex scenes just got easier. Way easier. ‘Nuff said.
2. Publishers are teases. And this is a very, very good thing. Harlequin, for example, let me download five free Harlequins for Kindle. Sure, Harlequin wants me to buy more books, but I’ve never been offered a stack of print books to whet my appetite before. Dorchester has been giving away authors for a limited time as well; THE HUNT, my first release, will be available at least in part over on Border’s True Romance blog shortly.
3. Reading on the train just got more anonymous. While, in theory, I have no issue with the entire world knowing what I’m reading, in practice: I do. Particularly since the last time I was flipping through one of Lora Leigh’s racier books, I looked over—and the man sitting next to me was reading a very well-worn Bible.
4. My TBR pile no longer resembles the Leaning Tower of Pisa. While I’m secretly addicted to being surrounded by stacks of books (the unsurprising side effect of too many years spent working in libraries), I’m not a fan of the new airline luggage charges. Or dragging bags of books to and from the train station. Or running out of things to read when I get stuck on the train. Or waiting for the kids. Or… Portability is a good thing. I’d been holding out for an inter-dimensional portal space like the one Yaniff created in Dara Joy’s novels, but maybe an ereader would do the trick.

I’m still thrilled that BOND WITH ME, my new release, will be both a digital and a print release (even if the print release has been delayed until May 2011)—it seems like having my cake and eating it, too. Do you have a preferred format? What would it take to get you to change from one to the other?



Blurb for BOND WITH ME:

Fallen angels...They rule Moscow’s seedy underworld, promising untold pleasure to the females who dare to mate them. That promise – and Brends Duranov’s own raw sexual power – has hopefuls mobbing the velvet rope outside his elite club G2’s.

But Mischka Baran has no intention of hooking up with one of the Fallen. Not even after Brends gives her an unforgettable taste of the sin and seduction he can deliver with those wicked lips. She’s after information, not a stint as some Goblin’s toy of the month. What she doesn’t know is that with a sadistic killer carving up his brethren, Brends is playing for keeps, hunting the one woman whose bloodline can end the mayhem, whose bond can restore his lost wings.

Excerpt from BOND WITH ME:

Had his eyes darkened? Surely, he couldn’t smell her arousal. He couldn’t know what she fantasized about at night. He was a fallen angel, not a mind reader.
Then again, fallen angels specialized in bringing fantasies to life.
Self-consciously, Pell shifted on the leather seat, the slick material clinging to her bare skin. This was awkward. She knew Dathan had a certain reputation among her human friends, but she’d never seen this side of him. The charming, nonchalant companion had vanished.
Dathan’s hand, strong and sure, stroked an unfamiliar path across her bare thigh. His eyes didn’t release hers, and that hand—that wicked hand—continued its slow, bold march higher.
They’d been friends for ages, so why was he doing this now? And why was she so interested in letting him? Was this all because she’d told him about her stalker?
His hand nudged her thighs apart. She knew she should resist. But at the same time she didn’t want to. Nothing screwed up a friendship faster than sex, and yet…
His fingers inched to the edge of her thong.
“We’re in the middle of a club, Dathan. Someone will see.” Could he tell how wet she was for him?
He shook his head slowly. “This is mine.”
His fingers pressed against her, rubbing the soaked fabric of her panties against her pussy.
She heard herself whimper his name, the dark, needy whisper from her own mouth shocking her.
“You’re going to bond with me, Pell,” he said in the unfamiliar, hard voice. “And in exchange, I’ll keep you safe.”
From the man on her trail, maybe. She had no doubt he could do that.
But who was going to keep her safe from Dathan?



Anne will be giving away:~~for one randomly drawn commenter: a gift package consisting of an autographed copy of The Hunt, a mother-of-pearl shell, shell necklace, tiare-scented bath salts, two monoi lotions, and monoi oil, all from Bora Bora ($75 value).

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Everyday Living

I think sometimes when in the heat of writing one, two or three books at a time, it's possible to get so caught up in the creating that I forget to step back and take a breath.

It's a rainy Sunday here in NJ. That's good, we needed the rain desperately. I have to work tonight, but am off for the next two days. I have both days packed with writing on the books I need to finish and some I need to make some serious tracks on...but something more important came up that will delay those plans for a bit: my husband asked me out on a date.

Now, it's not anything big or fancy, but fun. I'm all for this. Most of the time we're both running in different directions at breakneck speed. Both of us working outside jobs while pursuing creative mediums. It takes a lot of time and committment, not to mention time spent not doing things together. We do have an unspoken rule in our house. When night falls and we're both home we meet in the living room to at least spend time together. Now, this usually involves watching television while we're both working, but at least we're together - even if it is just hanging out in each other's company. But every once in a while it's nice to go out away from the pressing work and just do something different.

He wants to go play carpet golf. Oh, man. Neither of us have done this in years! I'm looking forword to it. The weather is supposed to be nice (the rain in the area is supposed to clear out by Monday night.) I'll let you know how it goes. I might be very rusty. Hehehehhe...

I wonder if I can talk him into eating dinner at the new Mexican restaurant down the road from the carpet golf place? We'll see.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

-Kate

Saturday, September 11, 2010

NEVER FORGOTTEN!

One of the American flags found at the site Pictures, Images and Photos



Today, I want to remember the lives lost in the World Trade Center attacks. They should never be forgotten for the sacrifice they were each forced to make that day. It's a moment in our lives we'll all remember where we were when we heard the news. Me...I was 7 months pregnant with my youngest child and at work when we received the call from our boss lady to turn on the news. That day gripped me in numb disbelief.

Last October I received the chance to visit the site of where the World Trade Centers once stood. I thought I would feel a heavy weight of souls at unrest. I didn't. Instead the site was steeped in silence. Standing there looking at the chain-linked fence, lined in advertisement so you couldn't see into the site, I tried to get a sense for the location. But for me it's just so hard to wrap my brain around the fact that so many people lost their lives in one spot.

There was a metal ball located between the two World Trade Towers. It has since been moved to the park outside where you board the ferry to cross over to Ellis Island and the Statute of Liberty. This ball wasn't crushed by the Trade Towers crumbling, but was damaged due to the massive heat from the fire.


Photobucket

Photobucket



I'm known for being able to perceive and communicate (to a limited extent) with what I call ghosts. So, I was surprised when I felt nothing but silence at the site of where so many people died. It was only when I entered the church yard of the church across the street (St. Paul's) was I bombarded with ghostly conversation. And neither of them were from the trade tower deaths, but had died long before. Yeah, yeah, for those of you that think I'm crazy...I've heard it all, so save any of the criticism you wanna share. I'm here to today to honor the lives that were lost.


world trade flags Pictures, Images and Photos




All photos were snagged from Photobucket, except the The Sphere & the plaque detailing it because those were taken by me while visiting New York in October 2009.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Pembroke Eve Chronicles Finishes Soon!

OMG! I have FINALLY been able to log onto blogger! Three weeks it's taken me! Three weeks! Seems I have a google account conflict somewhere with my youtube and blogger names being the same and google not being able to recognise that I AM THE SAME person! ARGH! So when logged onto blogger I can't get onto youtube and vice versa! Now I know the problem, I can at least log on...

Anyway...here's my post. I will be here next week...promise.

It all started with "Shadows of the Mind" in February! A novel that introduced us to Jacob, a horny young man who yearned for a boyfriend. Then one night aliens landed in a field and everything changed. So began Jacob's adventures. He met Callum and Zane and Suzy and Mr. Barnaby along the way. With his new friends, there was love for him.


Then in April, "Light of the Body" was released and we found out a lot more about Jacob and his developing friendships and loves. We also discovered a enigmatic 'friend' of Mr. Barnaby lurked in the General Store's back room.

June saw a turn come to the series. Just when Jacob thinks that all is coming along nicely, a being known as an 'eternal' decides to take him as food. So was released, "Time of the Soul". Jacob is now alone and fighting for his life, part, present and future.

After defeating the eternal, "Fire of the Heart" added a complexity to the story. Jacob learns that there is a lot more going on, and indeed a lot more than just the sleepy little town of Pembroke Eve to worry about. He is taken to the dragon realm, where one mistake cost both him and Callum a lot of grief.



Now, coming soon on the 15th of October, "Hope of the Spirit" concludes the Pembroke Eve Chronicles. Jacob and Callum are in for the fight of their lives as they find themselves on the last place in the universe they'd ever want to be. The eternal homeworld.

Start the adventure today! By the time you have read up to Hope of the Spirit, it'll be released :-) Comment on this post to win a copy of Shadows of the Mind for those of you who would like a kick-start into the series :-)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Locations!!


How important is the location of the stories you read or write? To me it is really important. When I'm reading or writing, I get swept up into another world. If you've read any of my books, chances are the story has taken place in Arizona. Why did I choose Arizona for most of them? I have lived here for a few years and loved the place. The weather was new to me since I grew up in Oregon, the creatures scared the crap out of me, and it is just a whole different way of life.

But I'm tired of the desert! Okay, so the truth is that I live in the middle of a city, but you know what I mean. I'm tired of the heat since it is about 108 on average right now. I'm tired going outside and getting eaten up by bugs, I would like the swimming pool to be cold for once instead of feeling like I'm swimming in a giant bathtub. I could go on and on about what is irritating me right now in this place but the bottom line is that I'm just tired of Arizona right now. Maybe it is because I'm waiting anxiously for winter or maybe its because I don't have money for a vacation. I don't know but the last think I want to do is write about Arizona!

And you guessed it... I have books I'm working on that takes place in Arizona. Yuck. I want to write with a new location and have a few ideas but don't want to stop these works-in-progress to start a new project or I will never get finished with them. What is a girl to do?

So let's talk about location. Where do you like to read about or where is your favorite place to visit? What charms you about the place?

Talk to you soon,
Wendy Ely



Sunday, September 5, 2010

Edits and Sales, a week in review

So, a very short post today because I'm busy as all get out and need to write before my jury duty appearance on Tuesday.

1) Did 2nd round edits for both Bad Religion and Vermillion.

2) Sold Intimate Weapons to LSB - it's the sequel to Private Negotiations. So, big yay!

3) Cleared a few files on my plate so I'm able to move other books up in the long list of unfinished books I have on my thumb drives.

4) Actually wore a pair of jeans to lunch with a friend that I haven't been able to get on my fat ass into in months. So, another big yay to me.

5) Learned to love my Carved in Stone novel again. Found an angle that got me going again. Yet another yay.

That's about it. It's been a busy week, but without much to report. While I haven't been at my real world job, I've kept my nose to the grindstone trying to crank more of these stories out. I'm determined to plow through and finish the lot of them.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Buried in Edits...

Not sure what's up with blogger, but I'm about ready to kill it!! Grrr...everytime I try to log into blogger, it tells me "Service Unavailable". The only way I can log in and do anything is to log in through my other blog account. Grrr...again! lol

Anyway, I'm buried neck deep in edits. I'm almost finished with the edits on my new dark gothic romance series Where the Road to Hell Begins and thought I'd leave an excerpt. Tell me what you think.

A word of warning, this is a dark gothic paranormal romance ("horrormance" as I lovingly call it LOL), there is a lot of graphic content that some viewers may find disturbing. So, read at your own discretion!


EXCERPT: (I actually picked this excerpt because it was less violent than others)

Power twinkled from his palm like a firework sparkler and the deadbolt grated open. Humans and their pathetic security measures, they needed protective charms to guard against demons, not deadbolts and simple locks. Soon Madison and Amos wouldn't need protection. Then blood would run like rivers, turning the soil red and from it the fruits of his labor would sprout.

The door opened without a sound and he easily maneuvered up the stairs in the dark to the bedroom. Amos lay curled on his side next to Madison on the bed. Lightening flickered through the window long enough for him to see Madison wore yellow panties and a pale green sleeveless tank-top. She lay on top of the covers, hair haloing her head like a gold coronet, one arm thrown over her head and the other rested on her stomach. Her long legs caressed by demonic electrical energy and his appreciative gaze.

Soon he'd part her shapely thighs and fuck her, remind her that she was his, forever his. Only his. And he'd make sure she understood that calling in Phoenix Birmingham bordered on treachery.

Approaching the bed with silent tread, Beliel stared at the two subjects. They meant everything to him, both equally important to his ultimate purpose.

Kneeling beside Amos, he twirled his finger and deepened Madison's sleep. "Amos." Blue eyes fluttered open, instantly awake at his call. "Hungry?"

Amos nodded his head, scrunched the covers down and scooted up into a sitting position. Holding his hands up, Beliel waggled the fingers on his right hand and his nails lengthened into sharp dark red claws. He pressed the tip of a nail against his left wrist and black blood bloomed as thick and gooey as tar. With rounded eyes, Amos stared at the blood. His breathing grew reedy and awkward, much too fast like a sprinter at the end of an arduous marathon. Like a torpedo Amos launched across the bed, wrapped tiny fingers around Beliel's wrist and smashed his mouth to the demon's wrist.

Beliel smiled and pet Amos's head as the child slurped the dark hemoglobin.

* * * * *

Madison jerked awake, unsure what woke her. Sleeping peacefully, a rarity for nightmares not to plague her dreams these days, she tried going straight back to sleep, but something dragged her from the edge once again.

Lightening crackled outside the window and a long weary sigh whistled through her lips. The thunderstorm had probably woken her. But…she'd watched the news and the forecast hadn't called for showers. A balmy, unusually warm spring evening had been in order.

She blinked, peering around her midnight darkened bedroom, the sound of heavy rain hitting the roof. Eh…the weather man just got it wrong. Again. Nothing new in the macabre southern weather.

Madison rubbed her itchy nose and stretched. Halfway through the stretch, her breath froze in her lungs as a black shape shifted and loomed over her. White holes resided where eyes, nose and mouth should be located. She opened her mouth to scream…nothing but gurgling noises erupted.

How embarrassing!

The apparition smiled, exposing white teeth. No, they were better described as pointy fangs.

This had to be a nightmare! Nightmare, nightmare, nightmare! Only in her nightmares was she ever unable to scream.

Wakeup, wakeup, wakeup!

Nothing changed.

She pinched her thigh and winced. Not a nightmare.

Thunder boomed as she found her voice and screamed. A cackle came from the shape. With her heart threatening to pound out of her chest, she reached for Amos and found empty sheets. Turning her back on the intruder forced a knot of queasiness to settle in her stomach, but she had to find her son and protect him!

Whirling about on the bed, she located Amos as he slipped off the edge of the bed and with soft, childish steps, plotted around the end of the bed.

"No!" She scrambled toward him, but he ran out of her reach and came to stand beside the dark specter. Keeping one eye on Amos and another on the presence, she held her arms toward him and prayed he'd follow her instruction. "Amos, come to me."

He didn't. Dang!

"Red rover, red rover, send Daddy right over," Amos chanted, eyes flaming burnt orange around the edges and in the darkness, they surfaced brighter than normal. "Hellfire, hellfire, send Daddy right over."

A warm breeze hit her skin and coupled with the chilling second stanza, together they bubbled her flesh with shivers of dread. Who knew the lines to a kid's game could sound so chilling?

"In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to depart!" Where'd that come from? From the recess of her childhood apparently, proof she'd been listening with at least half an ear to her father's preaching.

Unfortunately, the Christian command did not work on this creature. He chuckled and she got the sick impression he sent an amused wink to her son. She didn't like the idea of them sharing secret jokes. Amos smiled up at the figure that grew more distinct by the minute. His body solidified, but his face remained blurry. Something dangled about his neck, a crystal of some sort.

"Get away from my son!"

A black arm reached out and tangled powerful fingers in her hair, dragging her to the edge of the bed. She fought, but her efforts were useless except to have strands pulled from their roots. At the edge of the bed, he yanked on her hair and forced her to her knees before him. This position was too servile for her liking and she refused to look up at him for fear he'd perceive it as reverence.

She clawed at his arm with her nails. He backhanded her, but with his hand tangled in her hair, her head remained steady taking the full brunt of his strike. The copper taste of blood flooded her mouth and she gagged as she swallowed the fluid.

He slapped her again. No point in that one apart from amusing himself since she ceased to struggle. Once more for good measure, her teeth shredding the inside of her cheek, until she choked on the blood in her mouth and spewed the fluid all over him and herself. When the coughing finally subsided and she could breathe without feeling like she attempted to suck liquid air into her lungs, she looked up at him with hatred boiling in her belly. Even this close, she could not discern his features, but she could make out her blood pock marking his face. This was just…odd.

He stunk to high heaven. Putrid as if he'd risen from the grave, but he seemed hearty and hale. He sure as heck was strong enough to prove his heartiness.

His tongue flicked out and licked her blood off his lips and chin. Bile rose to the back of her throat, but she forced it back.

"Mm…Mm…Good to the last drop." Great a supernatural creature that quoted commercials. "I'll have more of you soon," he said. "That's a promise, Madison."

Over her dead body!

That's what he means, you imbecile!

"Run, Amos, run!"

The creature smiled, displaying those eerie razor sharp teeth. Amos didn't budge, didn't even blink. He just continued to look up at her with a soft childish smile on his face.

Her attacker's eyes glinted like diamonds in sunlight, but without the aid of any light other than the frayed lightening. They sparkled with such vibrancy her eye sockets ached.

Not freaking human! She'd had enough of these supernatural creatures coming into her home!

Madison let lose another scream. Where the heck were the Birminghams? She thought they were here to protect her. But they'd traded her guest bedroom for a hotel room. Fled more likely. She couldn't blame them, she'd flee too. Any sane person would.

So, not the time to be thinking of that, Madison!

The demon dragged her hard against his granite-like immoveable chest, knocking the breath from her lungs with their sudden impact. Demon or not, he was buff beneath his clothing and as unforgiving as concrete. And that terrified her more! She couldn't compete with strength.

Not even an inhalation moved his rock hard pecs. A testament that he didn't live, or rather evidence he didn't need air to live. And if that wasn't enough to prove he was dead, she held her breath, trying to block out his stench, but failed miserably as his malodorous odor caused her eyes to water.

"I'll provide you security and safety, make you queen of all nations. All you need do is consent to come with me now."

Queen of all nations, huh? What an amazing offer. Kind of like winning the lottery without buying a ticket, but she guessed it came with a high price.

There was a familiar cant to his voice, but it was unfamiliar at the same time. Diamond eyed or not, buff or not, offering the world or not, he was in her home uninvited and he stunk to high heaven.

She sucked in a breath to scream again, but he slammed his mouth over hers, slicing her upper lip against her teeth and cutting off any sound she might have executed. The hand in her hair twisted her head to the side, so he could deepen his demonic kiss. His tongue swished inside and flicked across hers, her bleeding mouth making their connection wet and slippery.

Madison grunted and squirmed, slapped and punched, attempting to break free, but none of her efforts worked. So, she bit down on his tongue and gagged on his dark sludgy blood, like having a mouth full of mushy, rotten eggs.

He jerked backward and an outraged bellow struck her face, the stench knocking the breath from her lungs. Holding her steady by her hair, his other hand wrapped around her throat and constricted. Awful strangled sounds came from her, but he squeezed tighter and tighter until she thought he'd crush her windpipe.

Amos…

White pinpoints exploded behind her eyes and darkness began to drown out the limited vision she possessed in the darkened room. Bright lightening haloed his silhouette and his grip intensified as thunder rattled the windows.

If he murdered her, Amos would be left all alone with him.

She struggled to lift her arms and rake her nails down his face, but they weighed too much to maneuver accurately. They ended up banging against her thighs like a loose window shutter in a vicious thunderstorm.

In those few moments before loss of consciousness, his face transformed with concise clarity. All thought froze, shocked beyond comprehension, she couldn't believe her eyes. His identity couldn't be right.

The door to her bedroom burst open as Madison lost consciousness.

*****

The thunderstorm boomed hard enough to rattle his vehicle and because of it, Nix almost didn't hear Madison's scream. Scrambling from his car with pistol in hand, he took the steps to her room two at a time. Chambered inside the gun were special bullets blessed from the forging and the final product etched with a cross. One shot and any demonic bad boy would die screaming in a shitload of pain. Better than what they deserved in his opinion.

Locked. The fucking bedroom door was locked! Damn it!

Taking two steps back, he inhaled and kicked just to the side of the doorknob. The impact jarred up his leg, traveled into his spine and snapped his teeth together. But the door held steady. Sounds of gurgling penetrated the door and he almost panicked. Losing Madison wasn't an option, so Nix drew a long breath, expelled it, repositioned himself and drew one more deep breath. On the exhale, he kicked the door with everything he had. The door flew inward, loudly crashing against the inside wall. Nix stumbled, but caught the doorjamb and steadied himself.

His gaze swept the room fast. Amos stood beside a dark apparition. That apparition tossed Madison to the bed like disposable goods. She did a little bounce when she landed and lay limp. From where he stood and with only the hall light illuminating the room, Nix couldn't tell if she were alive or dead.

Gut instinct told him hours ago that something wicked came this way, but he might have waited until it was too late to help.

Nix reacted, aimed and fired. The demon jerked when the first bullet ripped through his heart and stumbled when the second one entered his gut. Unusual that he didn't explode upon the first wound, so Nix put a third slug into him, straight between the eyes. The shot jerked the demon's head backward hard enough to rip a human's head off. Unfortunately, the demon's remained intact.

The demon's features crystallized and a smirk tilted the edges of his mouth before he exploded into flames. Perplexed by the intensity and sparkling whiteness of the flames that consumed the demon, Nix protected his eyes with his forearm. The cackle that followed the demon from the room made abso-fucking-lutely no sense! Demons screamed and died in a dramatic explosion. They didn't laugh and die in sparkling white light.

What would Georgie make of this new circumstance?

His gaze jerked to Amos and the orange ring around the child's eyes spiked and thinned, but didn't disappear. Nix ran to Madison and slid across the bed on his knees. Her eyes were closed, but it was too dark in the room to see if her chest inflated with oxygen. Lifting one of her hands, he released it and it landed as limp as a wet noodle over her stomach. Pressing two fingers to the pulse in her neck, he detected nothing.

His heartbeat rocketed.

If she were dead, what would they do with Amos?

Nix jabbed his fingers through his hair and reminded himself not to jump the gun. One step at a time, take it slowly, assess the entirety of the situation. The first step was confirming Madison's status.

Taking a moment to collect himself, he breathed in and out, all the while commanding himself to calm down and get a fucking grip on his rampaging emotions.

Once his heart rate slowed a fraction, he adjusted the position of his fingertips and waited. A slow, but steady tap hit his pads.

Oh, thank you God!

"Momma hurt?" Amos asked in a small voice, sounding like a two year old rather than a boy of five.

"A little but—"

"Good." Nix whipped his head around, his neck cracking from the force of the movement. The child smiled and his eyes spiked anew, closer to the shade of burnt orange. "So hungry. I drink Momma's blood?"

Horrified by that question more than the sight of the demon flinging Madison on the bed, Nix stared mutely at the five year old. Drink his mother's blood? Did he drink the blood of the animals he killed too? As far as he knew, only two supernatural creatures drank blood. Vampires and demons. Neither were rays of sunflowers and puppy dog kisses. And they both gained power by ingesting the blood of their victims.

"No," Nix said in the most authoritative voice he could project, but inside he quivered and prayed there'd be something in the Sherlock Handbook to guide them accurately. "You cannot ever drink Momma's blood."

None of this made sense. Running a hand down his face, he thought they might be in way over their heads. But he'd made a promise to Madison not to give up and, for good or bad, he'd keep the promise. It didn't matter that the little voice in his head screamed run! He couldn't save others if he found his way to an early grave. Even so, he would still keep his word to her.

With the flat of his palm, he tapped Madison on the cheek. "Madison. Wake up, Madison."

She groaned, so he tapped the other cheek.

"Ow!" She swatted at his hand, blinked and blinked again. "Amos?"

"Momma!" Amos scrambled onto the bed and lay down by her side, positioning his head on her shoulder and wrapping his little arm around her waist. Even in the dark, he could tell Amos's eyes were back to normal.

Madison rubbed Amos's back. "It's okay, sweet boy."

Sweet boy? Pfft…only if you enjoyed psychotic rages, creepy orange-red eyes and children that drank blood.

"Demon?" Her voice sounded scratchy.

He almost said he didn't know and then realized she referred to the presence in her room and not her son.

"Gone." Nix brushed his knuckles across her cheek and she flinched. "Sorry." She nodded or at least he thought she did. It was hard to tell in the dark room. "I'm going to get the lights."

She caught his hand before he could move off the bed. "Was that a demon?"

"I—" He thought so. The creature sure smelled like a demon and the thunderstorm vanished with him, the full moon shining through her bedroom window proof the weather was a result of the creature's presence. But the way the creature reacted to the demonic bullets left him confused and unsure. "I—um…think so."


~~~~~~

Now, I have to write a synopsis--evil demonic plagues of the writing world!--and I suck at them. I wish synopsis weren't necessary evils, but they are. It'd be so much easier if the publisher just read the first page and if they liked it, keep reading! Make an informed decision from the actually book rather than a fast decision on a synopsis that may or may not catch the flavor of the book. Grr...but, hey, I can jump through hoops and write the synopsis and pray they don't put too much stock in it and give the book a chance. LOL

Hope everyone has a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!
~huggles~
Gracen

Friday, September 3, 2010

Do you have a business card?

Finally, I succumbed to one of Vistaprint’s many free offers. I ordered a hundred business cards and paid only for the shipping. Not bad actually. The cards are simple, but I am happy with them. Good enough for what I intend to use them for—promote my books.

 

When the box arrived, I thought to give a couple to my mom to hand out to her friends. She did and was actually glad to do the job. :D The other day, she called from her work to tell me the good news. One of her co-workers (she didn’t recall giving her my business card) came to talk to her. Apparently, one of my mom’s friends passed the business card to this co-worker who is a big fan of romance. She owned an Ipad, which she carried to work and showed my mom what she read during lunch. It was my book, Passionate Bid. :D Of course my mom was ecstatic and they started chatting.

 

The co-worker also mentioned that she had read my previous books and it was the main reason why she took the business card. Too bad I didn’t sign the back of it. It would have been awesome.

 

So if you haven’t tried ordering your business card, you might want to try it. It doesn’t have to be the special kind. Just a simple one with your name and website on it. You never know where it is going to land.

 

Till next time,

 

TOBusinesscard

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