How delightful is your afternoon?

Afternoon Delight by Desiree Holt

New release from Total-e-bound

Buy it at http://www.total-e-bound.com/

Savannah and Lori were spending the afternoon sunbathing nude on their condo patio and bemoaning the fact that their lives were at the moment devoid of men. And wondering if either of them would ever meet that special someone who seemed to be so elusive. Making serious inroads into a pitcher of orange mimosas, they were indulging in their own sex play when their new neighbour, Deke, hopped over the short wall separating the two patios and invited himself to their party. As if the steam afternoon wasn’t a sexual delight on its own, with the three of them in every conceivable combination, when Deke invited them to dinner and his friend Slade joined them, they not only discovered a new meaning to erotic pleasures, but maybe, just maybe, that special someone they’d been looking for.

Both women froze. Lori nearly pitched off the lounger onto her face, and Savannah frantically tried to think if she could hide the things in her hands.
“Don’t let me stop you, ladies. In fact, maybe I could give you a hand.”
Savannah swivelled her head to see a huge hunk of masculinity jumping lightly over the low brick wall that separated their patio from the one next door. At least six four, she thought, with sun streaked blond hair, broad shoulders and lean hips, and muscles that flexed smoothly beneath tanned skin that shouted hours outdoors, not the gym tanning lamp. Then she looked up and nearly drowned in the exotic, emerald green eyes gleaming with good humour.
He leaned his hips against the wall, powerful arms folded against his broad chest. In the soft jogging shorts he wore, it was impossible not to notice the nice big tent his cock was making.
Savannah was mesmerised, unable to tear her eyes away from so much raw sex appeal.
“I, um, didn’t hear you moving around over there.” She nodded at his patio. His condo and the one she and Lori shared were the only two at that end of the building, which gave them a degree of privacy. The two patios were separated by the low brick wall their visitor now leaned against.
He grinned. “And here I thought you were putting on this show just for my benefit. Deke Rogers,” he said, introducing himself. “And please, don’t let me stop you. I’m enjoying the show.”
Lori sat back on her haunches, her eyes glazing over. Savannah could she she was just as hypnotised by the visitor. Savannah had to restrain the urge to leap up and run her tongue over every inch of his body. When she could make her mouth work properly, she said, “I’m Savannah Rogers. This is my friend, Lori Avondale. We own this condo together.”
“Do you, um, do this often?” He gestured at them with his hand.
Savannah smiled at him. “Only to keep from getting bored—when we don’t have a walking sex god around to help us.”
“Sex god, huh?” He laughed, a warm, honeyed sound. “I figured you hadn’t just decided to try this for the first time. You look like you’re having too much fun.”
“We thought you didn’t even notice us,” Lori told him, fluttering her eyelashes in an exaggerated move.
“Oh, I noticed all right. I’ve noticed a great deal. So, is this an exclusive game or can anyone play?”
“We’re very particular,” Savannah told him, coyly lowering her eyes.
“I hope I fit your selection list because I got tired of waiting for my invitation and decided to crash the party.” He reached over the wall and lifted up a wine cooler with three bottles chilling in it. “My contribution, in case you asked me to play.”
Lori turned her head, and she and Savannah exchanged a wicked look. They both nodded imperceptibly.

Prophecy of Vithan Reviewed by Fallen Angel Reviews

I was pleasantly surprised when I recieved notice on myspace that Prophecy of Vithan was reviewed by Fallen Angel Reviews.

The link for the review is http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2008/June/Jean-ProphecyOfVithan.htm

It got 5 angels which rocked my world. Thanks Jean of Fallen Angel Reviews.

Charlene

It's my birthday and I'm asking you to make a difference.

ON THE RUN releases June 20
The Wild Rose Press

To celebrate its second anniversary The Wild Rose Press and Editor-in-chief Rhonda Penders wanted a project that would give something back to the community. What could be better for a publisher than a book, and I was honored to be asked to write it. The result is ON THE RUN, a romantic suspense that focuses on domestic violence. The first check from sales of the book will go to the Victim’s Advocacy Office of the San Antonio Police Department, chosen because the most of the story takes place in San Antonio. You can help contribute to this fund by purchasing a copy of this book and passing the word along.


Domestic violence should not happen to anybody. Ever. Period. But it does - and when it does, there is help. Maybe you have lived with abuse, maybe it happened just once; maybe you work or live next to someone who is being abused right now. In a 1995-1996 study conducted in the 50 States and the District of Columbia, nearly 25% of women and 7.6% of men were raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or dating partner/acquaintance at some time in their lifetime (based on survey of 16,000 participants, equally male and female). Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States. In 2000, 1,247 women and 440 men were killed by an intimate partner. In recent years, an intimate partner killed approximately 33% of female murder victims and 4% of male murder victims. And so to all of these victims, many of whose story will never be told, I dedicate this book.


ON THE RUN

When Robin Fletcher saw her sister brutally murdered by her wealthy, abusive husband, she grabbed her five-year-old nephew and ran. Months late, living in Memphis with new names and a new life, their sense of security is shattered. First Andy is diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Then fate sends them directly into the path of the killer. Can Andy’s doctor who’s captured her heart protect her or will she again have to go ON THE RUN?

Excerpt:
Taking the highway into Oregon might have been easier on her, but she was sure that was the first route C.D. would check. Instead, she cut east immediately into Idaho. Besides, evading C.D., she had a specific reason for coming this way. Tomorrow they’d get to Helena, where she had important business to take care of. Things that would help keep her and Bobby safe. Robin had only a vague idea of how long they’d been driving but it felt as if she’d been doing it forever. Her eyes were gritty from lack of sleep and her muscles rigid with tension. It didn’t help that she was constantly watching for some ca to run her off the road or but her off. She’d been lucky enough to find a couple of drive-through’s where she fueled up with coffee. Caffeine raced through her system like a wild horse, revving her up and making her edgy. She slid a glance at Bobby, wrapped in a blanket and buckled into his car seat. What a lucky thing he was sleeping so heavily. Still, she knew they needed to find a bed pretty soon. And food. Starvation wouldn’t be a pretty way to die. By the time they reached Kellogg, Idaho, she was more than ready to stop. She pulled gratefully into a motel whose sign blinked ‘Vacancy’ in big red letters. It was the most welcoming site Robin had seen in a long time. Nervously she left Bobby in the car while she registered, keeping one eye on the parking lot, terrified that any moment she’d hear the screeching of brakes and C.D. would leap out of his car. At last they were in their room at the back of the motel, well hidden from the street. She toted in her duffel bag and laptop, then tucked the little boy into bed. After that she treated herself to a shower. Tired as she was, she still needed to wash away the strain of driving nearly three hundred miles at night. All she wanted was to wash the fatigue from her muscles before she climbed into bed. But as the hot spray beat down on her physically and emotionally exhausted body, her control disintegrated and tears began to cascade down her cheeks. She was thankful that the drumming of the water against the tiles drowned out the huge gulping sobs that wracked her body, so Bobby couldn’t hear. She cried as she had never cried before in her life, tears of despair and grief. And self-condemnation, that she hadn’t been able to do anything to save her sister. She didn’t think that particular guilt would ever leave her. Jamie! Oh, Jamie! How did I let this happen to you? The water ran cold before the last shudder died from her body. She drew in a long breath and blew it out slowly. Her heart ached unbearably, but she had a responsibility now. A mission, and she would not fail, no matter what. Keep Bobby safe and away from C.D. Create a whole new life for the two of them. This would be her tribute to her sister.

Friday

There it is. The cover for my romantic suspense. The book begins with a bang, so to speak. Gun shots crashing through the window of the baby's nursery. Shards of glass flying everywhere. Ellie Paxton, my heroine, accepted the position as a nanny for a three month old baby boy. Her employer also hired her for her computer skills.

A perfect setting in the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle. Ellie thought of herself as a kind of Julie Andrews characater in the Sound of Music. Singing in the mountains. Breathing fresh air. Away from the shops in Seattle where she racked up charges on her credit cards until she had to do something. Like take a job way out in the country. What could be more perfect?

The gods laugh when people make plans and they must have been rolling around laughing at what happened to Ellie. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you want to read an excerpt, have a look at my web site, www.anitabirt.com for information about me and my other books published by Cerridwen Press.

Too Young To Die has had excellent reviews. And the hero? Brave. Intelligent. Handsome. And sigh - is a wonderful lover.

Friday

Excerpt of Hard Fall coming July from Ellora's Cave

Liam Derby stretched, letting the scarred back of the wood chair smack against the wall as he scanned the early evening bar crowd. The tall stools near the televisions were packed with local Red Sox fans but none of the people was anyone he knew.Thank God.

“Need another, cowboy?”

After glancing at the nearly empty Rolling Rock bottle nestled in his right palm, he nodded to the overly attentive waitress.

“Sure, thanks.”

She started to walk away, but hesitated, turning back to eye him cautiously from beneath dark lashes. “Um…Can I ask you a question?”

He lifted his eyebrows, silently inviting her to continue.

She pushed a few stray blonde curls off her cheek and giggled. “Is it true you—I mean cowboys…have sex with your, um—I mean their—hats on?”

Liam considered pushing back his hat to reveal his thick red hair or asking her if she’d ever seen an Irish cowboy, but that might force him into having to explain why he, a city slicker construction worker, was wearing a cowboy hat and an absurd Western-style shirt. The last thing he wanted to do was explain that. So instead, he winked and replied slowly enough to mask his Boston born-and-bred accent. “I never kiss and tell.”

Her slightly disappointed gaze darted up to the fresh-out-of-the-box black Stetson sitting atop his head down to his denim-covered crotch, then skittered back to his stunned face. But instead of saying something—which would have been the decent thing to do, she scooted off, dodging between the tables and giggling as she slid behind the bar.Jesus.What was it with women and cowboys?

Liam was about to check his watch again but the vibration of his phone stopped him short.He flipped it open and checked the display.Crusher.“Where the hell are you?” he asked, not bothering with pleasantries like hello.

No reply from his brother, only deep laughter.

“What the hell? I’m sitting here in this fucking hat and this hideous shirt, nearly getting mauled by the waitresses, and all you can do is laugh?”

“So you’re wearing it? The hat? And the shirt?”

“Yes. And yes.” Liam glanced down at the snug, red and yellow-flowered shirt and fingered one of the white pearl snap buttons. “The least you could have done was gotten me a shirt that fits.”

After another burst of laughter, Crusher came back with, “Oh shit, I wish I could see it.”

“What do you mean wish?"

His brother replied but the words were lost in a burst of frustrated yelling when the batter from the Sox struck out again. When the noise lowered to a discontented murmur, Liam repeated his question.

“You’re really doing it? You’re sitting in Swifty’s wearing that stupid hat?” Crusher was nearly giddy with laughter.

“I lost the bet. I’m wearing the damn hat.”

“And flowered shirt?”

“Yes,” he ground out.

“Want to make another bet? We could add chaps if your team loses again.”

Liam checked the score on the screen. Texas 7. Boston 0. “No,” he grumbled. “You’ve made your point. Hurry up and get here so I can leave.”

After another burst of ear-grinding snickering, Crusher replied, “Can’t make it."

The waitress slid up to the table, set down Liam’s beer with a gentle but firm thump, smiled, then slowly fell back, keeping her gaze connected with his until she nearly fell over backward when she bumped into a table. Still leering, she spun around and headed back to the bar, swishing her hips as she went.

Liam would’ve laughed, if he wasn’t feeling so stupid. As it was, he was in no mood to laugh.“What do you mean, you can’t make it?”

“Got something going on with Natalie.”

Liam softened at the mention of his brother’s new girlfriend. She was a keeper, as far as he—and the rest of their very close family—was concerned. And it looked like she and Crusher were getting serious, which was a good thing.But still—“I know. You think I’m an ass. So we’ll make a deal. According to the bet you had to sit there until the end of the game. Since I’m not coming, you can leave.”

He paused for effect, then added, “You’re off the hook. You have my permission to leave the bar."

“For fuck’s sake, I—”

“You miss me. I know. I’ll make it up to you, I promise, so—”

While his brother was still babbling, Liam snapped his phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket. He leaned forward, dropped the legs of the chair to the floor, getting ready to leave until a sudden burst of excited shouting stopped him. A square shouldered old man was smacking palms with a wide-eyed college kid while a trio at the end of the bar started pounding on the counter, yelling, “Head for home! Run!”

Liam reached for the fresh beer, figuring he may as well drink it and see if his team could manage to climb out of the slump they’d fallen into. But all intentions of watching the game skittered from his mind when he spotted a woman make her way into the bar.

A skimpy white tank top that curved around a pin-up worthy rack, long legs and a short floral skirt so light that a gentle gust of wind could easily blow it up far enough to reveal a lacy pair of panties. Or even better, a thong. When she pushed back the long curls that cascaded down her back, she revealed delicate bone structure and lips that looked full, even from a distance.Full and begging to be kissed.

Hard Fall will be released July 30 from Ellora's Cave

Excerpt of WIP Vials of Aquilonia

Vials of Aquilonia is my currrent work in progress. It is about a mermaid and a sailor. To set up this excerpt a bit. The sailor found the mermaid in a marketplace in a tank of rancid water.The mermaid has been changed into a human woman. She no longer has a tail.

This except is unedited.

Jaden spewed a chain of expletives as she rubbed her hip. Using the staff she was practicing with to push up, Jaden got up off the floor. She looked at the synthetic wood planking. She half-expected to see a dent considering how many times she had fallen.
“That must hurt,” Khai said from the doorway.
“It does. It hurt every time I did it. I can’t figure out what I am doing wrong. I am quite capable as a warrior underwater. Now, with two legs, I am useless.”
“Not useless from where I can see,” Khai said smiling at his wife.
“What does that look mean?”
“What look?”
“Your eyes are smoky and I feel as though I should be embarrassed, but I don’t know why.”
“Probably because I am imagining you without clothes, the way you were when I pulled you out of the tank. Glistening, radiant, all curves and so beautiful you took my breath away.”
“That was the rancid water that took your breath away,” Jaden said smiling. She lowered her eyes to her clothes. Morgan gave her a trim fitting flight suit. It fit over her legs and hips smoothly. The front closure lay flat over her muscled stomach and cupped her breasts comfortably. She had the neckline opened to the place between her breasts. Even with long sleeves she was not too warm. According to the Regent the suit was made to accommodate the body with an optimum temperature. She had set the gauges for Jaden to a lower than normal human setting since she was used to being in cold water.
“Am I ugly in these clothes? Is that why you are imagining me out of them?”
“Ugly? No, not at all,” Khai took the two steps to clear the space from the doorway to Jaden. He took her in his arms, pulling her tight to his chest. “You are magnificent.”

Also, Look for my other novels Prophecy of Vithan and Stone of Cruento

Sometimes Monday just keeps on going

Ever have one of those weeks? Monday is full of one headache after another. Then you wake up Tuesday, hoping for relief, and it just keeps coming? By Wednesday you seriously consider just staying in bed and hiding under the covers all day.

Just to let you know you're not alone, here's a couple of laughs from the evil geniuses at Despair.com. May all your wishes not end up as death by meteor.

Does Everything Seem Upside Down?

DON'T WORRY MONDAY IS ALMOST OVER!

Work in Progress - Vials of Aquilonia

Excerpt from "Vials of Aquilonia" wip unedited.

The ship rocked with the force of the wind and the waves. The eight original crew members were at their stations. The new men had all been assigned and were attending to their jobs. Jarvis was strapped in at the helm monitoring the storm. Carus paced the deck.
“Would you calm down?” Jarvis asked for the seventh time.
“I should be with her,” Carus said, pacing.
“I thought she was nothing to you.”
“Logically I believe that. My emotions are all tied in knots. I don’t even know what 'go to water' means, yet I feel I need to be with her.”
Jarvis unstrapped with one hand. He pushed up from the chair. Catching himself as the boat rolled he managed to walk to Carus.
“I don’t know the whole of it, but going to water means bad weather. Some how the mers cause it. I warned you about Jaden. With the plague and the vials and the change in you, you may be liked to her somehow.”
“Hell, I don’t know what is or is not anymore,” Carus said. “What is the weather doing?”
Jarvis moved back to the monitor. “Getting worse. I recommend that we dive below and wait it out.” Jarvis stumbled as the ship shuddered. He sat down and strapped in. “Carus, you have had a hell of a week. Why don’t you go below and rest. You sure as hell aren’t helping up here, Captain.”
Carus grinned lopsidedly at his captain. “Yeah, I guess I am in need of a nap. That and a drink. Damn, these things feel strange.” Carus touched the back of his ears. “Jarvis, take her down to 500 feet. See if we are below the weather at that depth. I will be in my cabin. If we need to go lower, use your discretion. Call me if anything comes up. Mister Jarvis, you have the helm.”
Carus slapped Jarvis on the back. Jarvis grinned back and nodded.

Carus poured himself a tall glass of brandy. He felt the vibrations of the ship as it transformed from sailing ship into underwater ship. The masts retracted. The fo’c’sle and the figurehead disappeared as the hologram was turned off. Mechanisms hummed creating a soothing vibration in the floor and his cot. Carus sank into the captain’s chair and put his feet on the desk. His boots thunked against the wood.
Many a night he slept in his cot being lulled to sleep with the ship vibrating beneath him. The hum of the engines was all for show sake. True shifting from sailing ship to space craft to submarine vessel took actual mechanisms. The engines themselves were of the highest tech. There was no vibration, no sound, no feeling of movement at all. Gyros kept the ships flooring constantly stable. However, studies found that humans needed to feel movement to keep their bearings.
So Carus felt vibration. He felt the ship begin its descent into the water.
The brandy in the glass was real, not the synthetic kind. Jarvis stocked his ship with only the best. Even though Carus was officially captain now he still considered Jarvis the real captain. He felt guilty sitting in the captain’s cabin while Jarvis manned the helm. Jarvis insisted.
Carus closed his eyes. He sipped the brandy willing his body to relax.
He heard the sound inside his head at first. He thought it was simply his mind wandering. Sweet singing, a melody with a warning built inside. The tones haunted him. The music grew louder and louder. Carus sat up in the chair. The glass of brandy dropped from his hand and smashed to the floor. He put his hands to his temples to drive the sound out of his mind.
She was calling him.


Jaden was vaguely aware of Triscaler watching her from an overhang in the rocks nearby. She sat on a precipice her tail curled under her. She stretched out her arms her hands open to the sea.
Jaden called to the denizens of the underwater world. She warned them of her sorrow. She warned them she wanted the water to respond to her feelings. Every sea creature, sentient or not, swam for cover.
Jaden wanted every sea creature away from her and hiding, safe from the raging storms that would result from going to water.
She wanted one man to be with her. Her chosen one. Jaden could feel Carus responding to her call. If she let logic control her mind, Jaden knew she should not call Carus. He was not hers to have. He was joined with her only to save his life from the plague. He did not love her, nor did he want her. Carus resented what she did.
Logic did not control Jaden at this moment.
Sorrow, loneliness, loss, mourning, and hurt controlled Jaden.
She intended to release all of her hurtful emotions into the water. She wanted Carus to support her, to hold her.
Jaden felt a warm masculine chest press against her back. Strong hands moved her hair over her shoulder. Muscular arms touched her arms as fingers interlocked with hers. A long thick tail curled around her.
Tail?
Carus has legs.
Jaden could lower her arms to push Triscaler away. If she did all the negative emotion would fester inside her. She would transform into a hideous sea hag. She would be condemned to forever be filled with negative evil emotions.
If Triscaler stayed he would override the joining between Jaden and Carus. She would be linked to Triscaler for the rest of her life. He would have his wish.
Carus would probably like that.
Jaden willed the water to swirl around her creating a water spout to the surface. She wanted to drive Triscaler off her. The center of the spout thrashed and pulled touching Jaden’s fingertips and pulled her hair into a whirlwind around her face.
Jaden felt Triscaler’s tail wrap tighter around her. His thick clumsy fingers curled over her fingers holding her in place.

“Carus, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jarvis shouted into the communications link to the shuttle bay. A light blinked on. The outside hatch opened.
“You have the ship. You are captain, always have been,” Carus responded. “I'm going after Jaden. She needs me.”
“Carus!” Jarvis slammed his one good hand into the control panel as the readout indicated there was one less person on board. The outside hatch closed.
Carus launched himself from the ship. The Odysseus was settled on a ledge about five hundred feet below the surface. It was a silver bullet in an agitated world of blue and green.
He could see tiny fish hiding among the branches of colorful coral trees. Larger fish sought shelter from Jaden’s storm in the caves that dotted the rock formations.
The call came from a plateau on the other side of the ridge. Not thinking of anything but Jaden’s call, Carus swam effortlessly through the storm stirred waters.
Reaching the ridge Carus realized why he didn’t have to struggle. The ridge acted as a breakwater. On the plateau in the middle of a tempest larger than Carus had ever seen sat Jaden. Her arms were outstretched. Behind her fighting to hang on Triscaler wrapped his tail around Jaden as he had when Carus saw them in the water before.
At that time Carus was concerned for Jaden’s well-being. If she and Tricaler had a thing going on so be it. That was Jaden’s concern not his.
Now was different. Carus wanted Triscaler away from his woman. He wanted the interloper destroyed. He was going to do the destroying.

Reaching the ridge Carus realized why he didn't have to struggle. The ridge acted as a breakwater. On the plateau in the middle of a tempest larger than Carus had ever seen sat Jaden. Her arms were outstretched. Behind her fighting to hang on Triscaler wrapped his tail around Jaden as he had when Carus saw them in the water before.
At that time Carus was concerned for Jaden's well-being. If she and Triscaler had a thing going on so be it. That was Jaden's concern not his.
Now was different. Carus wanted Triscaler away from his woman. He wanted the interloper destroyed. He was going to do the destroying.
Carus watched the whirling water from a distance. He gauged the speed of the stream swirling around Jaden. He checked for angle and what force he would need to break through. Carus took in all the information in a moment. He was a fighter and a strategist. These kind of decisions were second nature.
Pushing off from the rock ledge Carus streaked toward the surface. Kicking against the water Carus propelled faster and faster. He burst from the water. Storm tossed waves struck against an indifferent Carus. He immediately dove back into the water, his speed tremendous. Diving straight for the underwater spout Carus struck the whirling water. With his speed Carus sliced through the wall.
Using the trajectory he computed earlier Carus careened head first into Triscaler. The merman was ripped from around Jaden with the force of Carus’ first strike. Slamming against the wall of water, Triscaler swirled past Carus for a moment. Leveraging his tail against the wall he careened off it toward Carus. He burst forward grabbing his rival by the throat.
Carus struggled as he was lifted from the rock floor into the air by Triscaler. He was small compared the merman since Triscaler had a tail. He felt his air cut off. Gripping the merman’s arms Carus fought to get free. He shifted his legs to one side. Wrapping both his legs around Triscaler's body, Carus raised one arm and slammed it across Triscaler’s elbows. The maneuver freed Carus. Moving his legs through the water Carus rammed his feet into the merman’s stomach.
Triscaler recovered, reaching for him again. Carus grabbed his hands. Over and over they tumbled and fought. Each battling and holding the other at bay.
Carus butted his head into Triscaler’s chin. He could hear the merman’s jaw crack. Triscaler pushed Carus away from him. He separated himself curling his tail under him.
Carus watched as small balls of swirling water formed in Triscaler's hands. He crouched down waiting for the next attack. The balls stretched longer and longer until they joined. Taking one end of the the water stream Triscaler flicked it toward Carus.
Carus fell back as the water whip sliced into his cheek. Blood floated inside the circle made by Jaden's whirling water spout.
Triscaler drew back his arm for another strike.
Carus planted his feet on the rock.
Two can play at that game.
Pulling power from a place hidden deep within Carus balled the water between his hands. He rotated his hands around and around creating a cannon ball of water.
Triscaler slung the water whip back and flicked it forward.
Carus hurled the cannon ball at the merman.
Carus rolled to the ground as he released the watery orb. The whip cut thru the water mere inches from his chest. Triscaler flicked the whip again as the cannon ball sailed through the water. Guided by Carus’ thoughts the ball swerved away from the whip and returned to its target. The whip cut hit Carus on the thigh.
Carus yelled as the water cut to the bone. Blood colored the water.
Triscaler raised his arm for the kill. The cannon ball struck him full in the chest. It pushed him toward the outer rim of the water spout.
Whirling water slammed into Triscaler. The moving wall shoved him off his feet ramming him into a crevice in a boulder. The merman was wedged between the boulder and the fast moving water. The crevice held him. The water was crushing Triscaler.
Carus heaved himself from the rock. He would not let a worthy opponent die in this fashion. He swam to where Triscaler was trapped. There was no way he could pull the merman free. Pushing or ramming against Triscaler would only trap himself. The only way to free the merman would be to use the same power that created the cannon ball of water.
Carus focused his mind on the line of connection where the water touched Triscaler's chest. He concentrated on widening the line. Slowly, tiny bit by tiny bit the water backed away from Triscaler. As the pressure on his body was released the merman glared at Carus.
"I won't let you die this way no matter how you feel about me,” Carus said into the water. His words did not go further than a few inches from his mouth. He continued to widen the gap between his rival and the wall of water Jaden was creating. The whirling water continued to encircle them. Carus caused a detour, a bend in the water tube. He didn't stop it. He couldn't stop it.
When the edge of the water was a few inches from Triscaler’s chest, the merman pulled himself from indentation. He mouthed words Carus did not understand. Pushing away Triscaler swam away, defeated.
Carus sank to the hard rock. He watched as the merman disappeared into the shadows.
Carus turned to look at Jaden. He watched for a few seconds taking in the wonder of the woman he saw. Beautiful, strong, alluring and dangerous. He was drawn to her. His body wanted her, but more than that his every existence seemed wrapped up in her.
He took a deep breath through his gills.
Carus pushed himself off to a standing position. The whirling water cut a wall around him. If he stuck a hand into the vortex he would be thrown into the cliffs like Triscaler. Carus looked around. Boulders loosened by the storm tumbled down the mountainside. The waterspout created by Jaden kept the avalanche from falling on her.
“Thank the Spirits,” Carus whispered into the water. His gills flared as he stood drawing much needed oxygen into his abused body. Staggering as though drunk Carus pushed through the enlarged eye of the storm toward Jaden.
Following instinct more than method Carus knelt behind the mermaid. He sat on his knees, his legs tucked under him. He put his arms around her waist and buried his face in the space between her neck and her shoulder. Breathing deeply through gills, Carus nuzzled close to Jaden resting from the struggle he had with Triscaler.
How strange it is to realize I can breathe in her scent underwater. Carus thought. This is where I belong.
“This is where you belong,” Jaden answered in Sea Speak. The words floated in the water. Carus did not understand them. Jaden repeated what she said. The words echoed in the water and in his mind at the same time.
The gold-green of Jaden’s hair danced around the two creating a frenzied cocoon as the whirlpool closed in on them. Strands of hair performed a ballet around the cut on Carus’ cheek and his chest. Soothing and healing Jaden’s hair touched each wound and each bruise.
Carus could feel his strength returning, his body being restored to health.
Stroking Jaden softly, Carus placed his strong hands first on the flat of her stomach. Moving slowly, savoring every moment, Carus cover her breasts. He thumbed the nipples until they were taut. Carus drew his hand away caressing the top of her chest dragging his fingers along her neck. Trailing his fingers he touched her arms. Smoothly he aligned his arms with hers.

Seven Hero Hunt

This afternoon my husband watched the movie The Seven Samurai. It is one of his favorite action movies. I knew that there was at least one movie that was a remake of this original. That is The Magnificent Seven
I decided to search for Seven Hero Movies and see if there were any other movies that could declare The Seven Samurai in their ancestry.
I found (not in any particular order)
A Bug's Life
Beyond the Stars
According to Wikipedia Dirty Dozen and The Guns of Navarone could claim The Seven Samurai in their ancestoral plot line.
Even The Three Amigos have a claim that they are derived from The Seven Samurai.

The plot is basic but then every good story has a basic plot. If you have a plot that is too convoluted the reader gets lost or the viewer gets bored.

A poor village is being bullied by a large fierce force of villains. The villagers find seven heroes. (more then seven or less than seven depending on the version) and they hire them to save the village. The heroes train the villagers to fight and to stand up for themselves. Some of the heroes live, some die, some find redemption, some find love, depending on the version you are watching. But no matter what the version, you have action packed fights, and heart pounding adventure. Sometimes the movie cloaks the heroic actions in comedy, sometimes it is sweetened for kids of all ages. But one thing is for sure, the hero who risks his life for the 'little guy' has been around for a very long time. Whether the heroes come in packages of only one, or three, or seven or more, Heroes are great to watch in movies and to read about.

The Goddesses of StoryTelling each and every one of them tell stories that will keep you turning pages into the wee hours of the morning. And isn't that what a good story teller does? If it's a movie, you watch and forget your popcorn if you are in the theater. Or you are frustrated when a commercial comes on if it is television. And a book takes you away into a whole different dimension where every day things fade away.

So, Find your seven heroes (or your one) and experience some adventure this week.!
Charlene

My so-called-writing career

It is late to be blogging but it is my Friday and to stay a current goddess I shall write a bit of this and that. We spent two days in Sidney, BC, in a lovely hotel. It's not far from Victoria and I certainly enjoy not having to plan and prepare our meals, shop, etc. etc. Typical female work. I didn't take my laptop.

About my writing career. I have five books with Cerridwen Press. Not doing great more like creeping along month by month. I asked Raelene about print possiblities - seems there is no possibility at all for any of my books. That really dashed my hopes to have at least my first book in print. A Very Difficult Man, is a historical romance, circa 1854, and was released on February 1, 2007. How are the rest of you faring? I believed, wrongly, that one of my books would be released in print. I don't know where I got that idea but it has certainly made me think about my future with CP. E-books do not do well in Canada since e-readers are not available here.
And to add to my litany of woes, I can't download the cover of my book. There's a gremlin at work and ... oh never mind. Goddesses are not supposed to whine so I shall end on a happy note.

The weather is to be warm and sunny for the next week. I shall work on my WIP, a historical romance, and figure out where to send it when it's wrapped up and in perfect shape.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

First Ever Jasmine Jade Convention !

The first ever conventions for Ellora's Cave, Cerridwen Press, and Lotus Circle authors and readers will be held in Akron, Ohio in 2009.

The following dates are being considered (all Friday-Sunday):

September 18th - 20th

September 25th-27th

October 2nd – 4th

If you are interested in the convention, respond with name, address, and phone number (optional) via email to mailto:mailto:conventions@ellorascave.com.

Tentative schedule:

Friday Night – EC/CP/TLC Celebration Party

Saturday Morning – Continental BreakfastDay – Workshops

Saturday Night – Awards Banquet

Sunday Morning – Continental Breakfast

Sunday Afternoon – Book FairEvening

If you want to participate or have a suggestion please include that information in your email. Once EC has an idea of the number of interested people (authors, readers, book stores, models), and they decide on the hotel, food, etc., they'll be able to determine the cost.

Cowboys? Someone said Cowboys?

So kind of Judith to get us started this week on cowboys. Why it's as if she knew that the third book in my Love at the Crazy H trilogy released from The Wild Rose Press, just last week. (wink) So anyway, how about a visit to Shirley, Wyoming, and a peek at Trip and Beth?

Always a Cowboy

Love at the Crazy H book 3

By Cindy Spencer Pape
Available NOW from The Wild Rose Press:

click the cover for more information

Blurb: Trip, the youngest Hall brother had a nice career going in Los Angeles until a car-crash gone wrong destroyed his future as a stuntman. Now he’s back in Shirley learning how to walk again and learning to be a single dad to baby Trevor. He doesn’t have time in his life for a woman, especially one with a three-year-old daughter. Beth learned her lesson back in high school about Trip’s playboy ways, and she knows better than to give her heart to him again. But when a stalker targets Beth and her daughter, will Trip be able to save them in time? When old friends reunite, danger threatens and sparks fly.

Excerpt: Moderately sensual:

Beth knew that letting Trip kiss her was a very bad idea. So why did it have to feel so darned good?

His lips were gentle, coaxing against hers. His breath smelled of coffee and peppermint, while the rest of him smelled like warm, sweaty male. He was wearing jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. Her fingers burrowed into the soft fleece sleeves and gripped, even while she told herself she was supposed to be pushing him away.

The hand under her chin slipped around her neck and sifted through her hair as he tilted his head to change the angle of the kiss. When his tongue probed softly against the seam of her lips, she opened, welcoming him inside.

So this is what it was like to kiss Trip Hall.

It was every fantasy she’d ever had in high school, and then some.

The bulky knot of her bathrobe’s belt acted as a bundling board between their bodies, preventing her from plastering herself as closely against him as she’d have liked. As his tongue explored every ridge and crevice inside her mouth, her nipples hardened and rasped against the cotton of her pajama top, and moisture dampened the flannel between her legs.

Oh, lord it had been so long. And even with Daniel she’d never gone up in flames like this, not from a simple kiss.

The kiss didn’t stop until they were both out of breath. She wasn’t sure if the groan she heard came from his mouth or hers as he dragged his lips away and pressed her face into the curve below his chin. He dropped another soft kiss on the top of her head and held her close.

“You going to be able to sleep?” he murmured, his breath still warm against her ear.

After that? Beth wasn’t sure she could speak coherently yet so she just shrugged.

“It’s okay, darlin’. I’m not going to let anything happen, to you or Bailey.”

Oh. That’s what he meant. For just a second there she’d actually forgotten about the threatening call. As soon as he mentioned it, though, all the fear came flooding back. She wrapped her arms around his waist and clung, giving in to the need for comfort. It had been so long since she’d had anyone to hold onto. She knew this wasn’t real, wouldn’t last, but just for tonight it was so nice to lean into his big strong body and feel safe.

Check out more at my website: www/cindyspencerpape.com

Faall in love with a cowboy

I live in the Texas Hill Country, where ranching is the primary business. Although we have only five acres and no cattle ()but we do have a herd of deer and a tame raccoon as well as a family of cave swalllows), we are surrounded by some of the biggest ranches in the area. In the good ol' days the cowboy was the glue that held the West together. Ranchers would hire cowboys to keep a watchful eye over the herds on the wide open range. Although the addition of the fenced in herds has removed some of the need for cowboys, you can still see the skills that these old cowboys had by attending a rodeo. Even today cowboys show off their talent with bullriding, using the lasso, and roping and tying steers. The herding technique was brought over to the New World in the early 15th century by the Spanish and used by Americans who had to control large herds of cattle over a wide open space. The traditional cowboy look didn't come about until after the Mexican-American War in the 1850s.

Many of the ranchers around here, whther they raise cutting horses or Tennessee Walkers or Santa Gertrudis or Charollais cattle, have been kind en ough to elt me visit their ranches and give me an insight into what today's cowboy lifestyle is all about. Many of them have excellent ranch m,anagers that allow the owners to have dual careers, like Ryan Cutter in Love With a Proper Rancher. Here's a taste for you of my cowboys, published by The Wild Rose Press and available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online book stores. And be suire to visit me at http://www.judithrochelle.com/

Love With a Proper Rancher
All Paige Cavanaugh wanted in life was a fairy tale romance with a happily ending. Too bad she kept getting frogs
instead of princes. Running from the wedding, she finds herself out of gas in the little West Texas town of White Tail.
She’s sworn off men, but here comes sexy, mouth-watering, let-me-drag-you-into-my-bed rancher/attorney Ryan Cutter,
a meeting closer to warfare than romance. When they least expect it, passion explodes between them and the rules of the
game suddenly change. But how will this fragile relationship survive when the jilted fiancé, hungry to complete his
business deal, shows up prepared to drag Paige back to the altar?
Cutter’s Law
Morgan Cutter’s disastrous marriage has soured him on permanent relationships. Especially with women who
think life begins and ends in “the city.” He is perfectly content with his life as Chief of Police in tiny White Tail, Texas,
until Allison Moore comes into his life and makes him feel things he hasn’t felt in a long time. A weekend visit to San
Antonio with her turns into a catastrophe and convinces him he’d been right in the first place. Allie has fallen in love
with the tall, hunky lawman, and has quit her job and moved to White Tail to begin her pursuit of him. Only now his exwife
shows up with a string of bad guys on her tail!
One Hot Texas Night
Tate Donovan was sure The Yellow Rose ranch would be his when his father died. After all, he’d grown up there
and it was his legacy. But Abby Culhane was King’s stepdaughter for many years and held a place in the old man’s heart
right up to the end. When King leaves her one fourth of the ranch and Tate’s grandparents’ home, Tate is shocked. Then
he sees the grown-up Abby and can’t decide whether he wants to fight her over the will or take her to bed. The entire
town of White Tail, Texas rolls up its sleeves and sits back to watch the fireworks.
Shadow of the Hawk
Hawk Riley’s life is in a downward spiral until his truck falls on him and he meets Maggie Devereaux. Maggie has
problems of her own. Lots of them. A neighbor is out to destroy her. On the verge of losing her cutting horse ranch, she
needs help to prepare for the Wayback Grand Rodeo, her make-it-or-break-it moment. Pursued by a red tailed hawk and
haunted by a persistent nightmare, can Hawk help Maggie save Mercy Creek and in doing so, save himself?

So come visit my cowboys. They'll spice up your life.

Father's Day

I am sneaking in a blog to see if this will go to the goddess blog. For reasons known only to the Blog gods, my last goddess post went to www.anita-birt.blogspot.com This blogspot turned up on its own. I didn't request it and it has totally screwed up all of my last week's blog on my personal blog.

Each day last week I blogged about my five books with CP with a snippet from the first chapters. Titled, Back To the Beginning, Blogs, I, II and III were okay but the last two IV V went to that new blog along with my brilliant goddess blog. I titled it, My not-so-famous writing career. If you are madly interested in reading it, check the new address above.

The trials and tribulations of working in cyber space.

I wish you a pleasant Father's Day. Our son, Martin, phoned from Toronto and our grandson, Fraser, phoned from London, England, to wish Bill a happy day. I am making his favourite dinner, back pork ibs baked in a barbeque type sauce. I don't barbeque, I do them in the oven. I guess barbeque should be spelled barbecue or BBQ. It's the Canadian in me, I guess. We mix up French and English in our various spellings.

Thanks for stopping by.

Anita

Gaining Hope

The release of the Legend anthology from Total E Bound is just around the corner and in it is the second book in The Debtor’s Daughters series, Gaining Hope. I love this series and hope to finish the third book soon. I hope that you enjoy this one as much as you have the others!

Gaining Hope
By Lacey Thorn


Shawn O’Grady had no idea what fate awaited him and his best friend Tommy. First there was the discovery of the bottle with the note and the necklace, followed almost instantly by the blonde beauty with fear in her eyes. She called to everything that was dormant inside them until they were the ones with fear. Fear of falling in love, fear of letting go. Fear of gaining hope.


Excerpt:
Hope almost gasped out loud at the words of the man who was lifting her into his arms. Just what had she gotten herself into? Were they gay? Damn it! Why were all the gorgeous men either gay or married? And if they were gay what did they want with her? What did he mean that he wouldn’t touch her without knowing that she would have them both? And why were her nipples growing hard at the mere thought of having sex with both men?
He eased her down on the bed and pulled one of the blankets over her. He ran his fingers down her hair, smoothing it away from her face and she wished that she had taken the time to really do her makeup before she left earlier in the day. But she hadn’t wanted to waste any of the precious time that she had left. Escape was all that mattered.
“What are you running from little one?” he murmured and Hope prayed that he was only talking out loud and didn’t realize that she was awake.
Her legs had fallen asleep and she had wanted to stand up and shake the feeling back into them. She hadn’t been in the closet too long and she wasn’t sure why her legs were already going numb. Must have been the way that she was sitting. But when she had reached up and tried to use the bar to pull herself up, the worst thing possible had happened. Instead of her going up everything else had fallen down. Right on top of her. Bringing the people on board right to her. And they weren’t even the nice older couple that she had envisioned seeing earlier. No, it was two of the hottest guys that she had ever glimpsed. Hope sighed with frustration. She hadn’t seen nearly enough before she decided to close her eyes and feign unconsciousness. What the hell else was she supposed to do? She needed time to figure out what the hell she was going to say to them.
She’d wait until she was certain that the other guy had motored them far enough away before she suddenly awoke. Only she had no idea what she would do when they finally confronted her and asked just what she was doing on the boat. Something had pulled her to this boat in particular. Out of all of the boats docked her eyes had kept coming back to this one again and again. Maybe it was the name, Irish Dream, that called to her. Whatever it was she just had to maintain the hope that these two men would help her get away from the future that awaited her on shore. And pray that she hadn’t caught herself in an even worse situation.
She did let out a sigh of relief when he finally moved from where she lay on the bed and left the room, pulling the door shut behind him. What should she do now?

Coming Soon from Total E Bound Publishing
Gaining Hope by Lacey Thorn
Legend Anthology

Lacey Thorn
It’s your world…unlaced.

A trial of sorts

I blogged on our blog on Friday and it turned up on my personal blog, www.anitabirt.blogspot.com I blogged with the Goddesses about my books and made a suggestion about a communal blog for we Goddesses and they all came to my blog. I told you about a dog eating a cane toad in Australia.

I am at my wit's end. Not a happy place to hang out. I'll see where this blog goes.

No. No. I'm not guilty

Goddesses. I wrote a blog. I really did. I put up all my covers. I wrote interesting things. And guess what. I wrote it on my own blog.Tears are streaming down my guilty face. Please go to my blog and read it. www.anitabirtstoryteller.blogspot.com

How can I make amends? Don't ask me to run into the garden and eat worms. I can't touch a worm. It's a phobia from my childhood. When I was a little girl (my mother told me this) I was out playing on our front lawn. It was summertime and I had on a sun dress. A neighbor boy came by and dropped a big earth warm down my neck. That did it. Not only am I phobic about worms, I'm not crazy about snakes either. We sometimes have grass snakes around the garden but they retreat when they hear me coming.

I pick up frogs and toads. Not adults, little baby frogs and toads.There was a story in the paper recently about a dog in Australia who accidentally swallowed one of their ghastly cane toads. The dog owner rushed the dog to the vet where they induced vomiting. At the second vomit, out popped the cane toad and hopped away unperturbed. Cane toads are poisonous so the dog was in grave danger. Now aren't you tickled pink I told you about the dog and the cane toad?

Please read my goddess blog on my blog because I suggested we goddesses get together and create a super blog that will be picked up by some big publisher and we'll all get rich.

It's Friday the Thirteenth! That's why I blogged on the wrong blog.

Anita

BookExpo 2008 LA

If you haven’t been to the BookExpo and you get the chance go. It’s huge and amazing, hard to describe. The goal of the event is to bring publishers, authors, booksellers, librarians, and other book industry people together. It’s basically hour after glorious hour of talking about books, looking at books, and getting free books—usually signed.

The first day I was in LA I spent the afternoon driving around in this sweet Nissan 350Z. Ahhh…. This picture was taken on Mulholland Drive at sunset on the way to Santa Monica Pier for some very silly, touristy sightseeing.

I spent the entire next day at the BookExpo, signing books at the Ellora’s Cave booth and zipping around chatting with anyone and everyone. Highlights included:

Talking with booksellers. They amaze me; they remember everything.

Taking a picture of William Shatner. I have to confess, I did not stand in the hour + line to get my book signed, I just cruised by and snapped a shot with my cell.

Getting a signed picture of Ziggy from Tom Wilson. He signed it LOVE, Tom Wilson; I have a sense he signs them all that way, LOL.

Quick meeting with my agent. New projects in the works…

Eating lunch in the Ellora’s Cave bus. The food was yummy, the company the best!

A Taste of A Serial Novel

Here is a taste of the Serial Novel I am writing on my regular blog.

The novel is titled A Rose By Any Other Name

Zna moved, twisted first one way then the next, stretching in preparation for the hunt to begin. There always seemed to be something that delayed the beginning of the hunt. Sometimes it seemed the broadcasters did something purposefully to increase their viewers. Suspense! Anticipation! All the elements of drawing in a larger audience. She glanced at the hunter, Lovac. He seemed as nervous and edgy as she was. Zna wondered what went through a hunter’s mind prehunt. She slightly shook her head. No, she didn’t wonder what went through hunters’ minds, only this hunter’s mind. She watched as the referees discussed something in low tones. She caught herself just before she reached for the key Tosca gave her. She couldn’t give away the location of the key.
The Minister of the Hunt appeared on the floating vidscreen hovering over the starting gate.
“We at the Ministry of the Hunt regret to announce that due to the lack of audience each night, we must cut back on expenses. As such we will be eliminating certain positions.”
Tosca and the other Handlers walked quietly onto the staging platform. Tosca had a look of resignation on his face, uncovered by his mask. The other Handlers looked confused, a little frightened. The referees moved away from the platform.
A light flashed brilliantly.
Zna blinked, partly at the light, partly to keep the tears from falling. Her feline eyes adjusted to the light immediately. She knew the humans, the referees, the hunter, all were blinded for several seconds. They did not see the bodies destroyed, disintegrated by the light ray. Rather they only saw the empty platform when the light cleared.
“We no longer need the Handlers. They have been transferred to another place,” The Minister announced over the vidscreen .
Zna heard the humans in the audience murmur in understanding. Those standing on the platform had been moved from one place to another place where they would be useful. Zna resisted the urge to extend her claws, leap into the audience and rip the throats out of the people. They are so stupid. They choose not to see the truth. Some day the government will turn on them. Leana will have her revenge someday.
The Minister of the Hunt bade everyone a good night. The vidscreen shimmered and changed to the view of the first lap of the hunt. Cheery lights and popular music danced around the staging area.
The hunt was about to begin.

If you would like to read the entire serial so far visit www.charleneleatherman.com

Just for Fun - 16 babies

The Sichuan Wolong Panda Protection and Breed Center is dealing with the results of a breeding boom -- 16 pandas have been born since July, 2006. The brood in cludes five sets of twins. The cubs are weighed and measured every five days . The heaviest tips the scale at just over 24 pounds, while the lightest weighs about 11 pounds. Once weane d, the panda cubs will attend panda kindergarten. In the meantime, more little ones are expected at the c enter since 38 giant pandas were artificially impregnated.

Want to take a delicious Night Ride?

Have you ever had a secret klover? Wished for one? Dreamed of one? Lily Ryan was tantalized by hers, wondering just who he could be. He'd been leaving a flower every day for the past month on her desk in her small office at Hellfire Ranch. Just one single lily. No name, no card. Any one of the cowboys working the ranch could have left it. Or could it be the man she’d lost her heart to? And now he'd left an invitation for a night of erotic adventure. Could she accept an offer of forbidden pleasure from a total stranger when her heart belongs to another? Could she take a chance that this Night Ride might lead to everything she desires? Or would she be stepping into a danger greater than she’s ever known?

Get it today at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ or http://www.fictionwise.com/

EXCERPT:

At exactly nine o’clock the doorbell rang.
When Lily opened the door she almost closed it
again. A very pleasant but nondescript man in dark jacket and cowboy hat stood on her porch. No one she’d ever seen before. In his hands, he held a large rectangular box.
For a moment she was filled with disappointment. Not at all the man she’d been hoping to see. Not the lover she longed for. But then he spoke, and she realized he was merely the driver.
“Miss Ryan?”
She nodded. “I’m Lily Ryan.”
He handed her the box. “From your date for the evening. I’ve been instructed to wait for you.” Then he turned and headed back to the car.
All right, then.
A folded note was taped to the top of the box.
Lily,
You have haunted my dreams for a very long time. Working, riding a horse, doing your errands in town—all the different parts of Lily invade my thoughts day and night. Thank you for accepting my invitation tonight. You won’t be sorry. I promise. Please follow the instructions and don’t be afraid. I would never, ever hurt you.
She opened the box with hands that trembled slightly. Another note lay on top of the tissue paper.
Please put on this dress and the earrings. No underwear. And wear your boots. Do not be frightened when the driver blindfolds you. I repeat: I promise no harm will come to you. You can trust me. Hurry. You don’t want to be late for the ride of your life.
Hurry? No underwear? And a blindfold? For a moment she was tempted to send the driver on his way.
But she so wanted it to be him. She trusted him. For him she’d take the chance.
Then her sensible brain warned, What

Maggie's Menage

My second book out with Total E Bound Publishing just released in May as part of the Brit Party Anthology. It is titled Maggie’s Ménage and is loosely tied into The Debtor’s Daughters series. I love this story and it has already received a great review! I hope that all of you agree! And the good news is that it is part of an anthology that is filled with scorching hot reads by sensational authors. So be sure to pick up your copy today. Here’s your look at my contribution to this exciting anthology.

Maggie’s Menage
By Lacey Thorn


Maggie had spent a lifetime trying to win the love and affection of her father, but nothing seemed to work. Now he was asking her to seduce and marry one of two men that he had selected for her…for the good of the family name and company. But Maggie has other plans. Plans that will leave both men thinking of her as something other than a wife. And her father’s plans for marriage in ashes.
Alex and Patrick were there to investigate Dom Houston and through the carelessness of his assistant managed to get in to see the man himself. But it was the blonde haired beauty that commanded their attention from the get go. And when she arrived at their hotel room later in the day, neither was willing to walk away. If Maggie wanted a ménage then they were more than willing to give it to her.
But for two of them it would be more than they could have ever imagined.

Adult Excerpt:
Resolve filled her, giving her the courage to walk up to the door the two men had entered more than an hour before. An hour she had spent sitting in the car watching. It was now or never. Maggie took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock, but she didn’t need to. The door opened and the taller, leaner of the two men stood before her in nothing but a pair of jeans which rode low on his hips. His chest was covered with a smattering of dark hair that encircled each nipple and trailed down over his abdomen disappearing into his waistband. He was sexy enough to have her mouth and more intimate places filling with fluid. But when he parted his lips and spoke in a husky British accent she could actually feel herself melting like butter.
“We were wondering how long it would take you to head this way love.” His voice slipped down her spine leaving a fiery warmth coursing through her. She was more than ready for her plan, more than ready to do anything he asked of her.
“You knew I was here?” It was a whisper, all she could manage with her heart galloping in her chest.
“We’ve been watching you since you arrived.” It was the other who spoke this time and he had the sweet southern tones of a Texas man. You could hear the “aw, shucks” in his voice and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that these two must work well together. What one couldn’t get the other would definitely be able to. He was still dressed in the suit from earlier and looked just as heavenly now. Though he was a few inches shorter than the other man he was more muscular and filled the suit out like it was custom made for him. If he moved in the same circles as her father then it probably was.
Thinking about her father was enough of a jolt to snap her out of the lust induced haze and remember that she was there for a reason. A reason that would take care of her itch just fine. Maggie casually moved around the man in front of her entering the motel room as if they had invited her in. She focused on the more dressed of the two and said the first thing that popped into her mind, a habit that she really needed to work on.
“So you like to watch, do you?”
Husky laughter filled the room as both men found her comment amusing. Her own smile trembled on her lips when she heard the door snap shut behind her and the click of the lock being turned.
“Watching is fine,” Mr. Brit said as he moved up close behind her. “But participating is even better.” His hands cupped over her shoulders and as he moved closer into her, there was no mistaking the heavy length of his erection where it touched along her spine.
“Both of you?” It was a question, an invitation, a wish, uttered from her lips as she did all she could to keep from rubbing wantonly back against him.
“Both of us,” South Texas said. He stepped in front of her and when all she did was blink at him he reached out and began to slowly unbutton the top buttons on her shirt. “You want both of us don’t you? Isn’t that why you came?”
“Yes,” she murmured as he changed the angle of his head to place kisses along each inch of exposed flesh. “Oh, God, yes.”

Lacey Thorn
It's your world...unlaced.

Time and tide wait for no man - Chaucer

I'm not waiting for the tide to come in - it's time to tell you about my latest release from Cerridwen Press TOO YOUNG TO DIE, my romantic suspense, has had a glowing review form Manic Readers. Here's a snippet. "...talk about suspense and action all the way. Too Young To Die is a roller coaster of adrenaline, bullets flying everywhere and a big strong gorgeous guy to protect you..."

The cover is deliciously mysterious and below is a blurb to tempt your reading appetite.

When Ellie Paxton accepted the position of Nanny with Computer Skills to care for three month old, Nicki Blesnicoff she cheerfully moved to her employer's mansion located deep in the Cascade Mountains in Washington. She'd save money, rescue her sinking bank balance and revive her credit cards. Private re-hab to treat her shop-a-holic problem.
What she hadn't factored into her new job were threats of rape, torture and death by armed thugs who invaded the mansion during the absence of Nicki's parents. A city girl not given to feats of derring-do, Ellie wrapped Nicki in a soft blanket and escaped with him into a dense, terrifying forest. At midnight.
As dawn light filtered through the trees, Jack Merano and his two tracking dogs found Ellie huddling with the baby. A nanny and a baby. What could be more innocently appealing? Rescuing her and the baby from the dangerous forest was the easy part but Jack soon learned there was a price on Ellie's head and a master criminal stalking her.

Back to my time and tide heading. A picture in our local newspaper, The Times Colonist caught my attention. It showed a picture of a couple walking along the Cordova Bay beach at low tide yesterday. Our area has been experiencing unusally low tides for the past two days. This will be repeated on July 3 when alignment of the sun, moon and planets exerts a strong gravitational energy on oceans in the area. Do any of you goddesses live by either the Atlantic or Pacific?
Mark July 3 on your calendar and let me know if your tides are affected.

And does the gravitational pull affect us? Hmm. I'll see how I fare on July 3. In the meantime, have a pleasant week-end. I have to plant some wax begonias to jazz up our garden.

Anita

www.anitabirt.com

Satisfaction Guaranteed now in print!

If you prefer your stories in print - Satisfaction Guaranteed is now in paperback from Cerridwen Press.

What's it about?

Workaholic, accountant Elizabeth Sewell needs a man. According to her well-laid-out life plan, it’s time to find Mr. Right and move on to the next phase of her life--married with children. The problem is, she’s been so busy working her way up the career ladder, she won’t spot Mr. Right even if he’s carrying a neon sign. So, being an organized businesswoman, she comes up with a strategy. She’ll hire a man to teach her what she needs to know to get what she wants.



Disillusioned, attorney Jack Harley needs a distraction. He’s left behind a high-pressure job with a prestigious law firm in Houston, and he’s determined to get his life back on track by opening a private practice in Dallas. When a sexy brunette mistakes his new office for the recently relocated escort service, he’s stunned silent by her request for ‘a variety of men and experiences’. But when she asks him if he’s man enough to uncover what turns her on, he finds his voice in time to accept the challenge.

What do the reviewers have to say?

"...sure to satisfy with this sexually unsure heroine and the man who wants to meet her needs both in and out of the bedroom.

"...when Jack and Elizabeth finally get under the sheets, their lovemaking is explosive and intimate. For a guaranteed sexy romance, SATISFACTION GUARANTEED is one I would recommend you pick up."

--Katie
Reviewer, Romance Junkies

"Ms. Isabelle Drake has written a wonderfully upbeat story which was detailed with various sub-plots to enhance the storyline. Her characters were so well created and enjoined that the book flowed brilliantly. Her supporting cast emerged to boost this unique plot. The work and family situations made this a work which expressed alternate activity so that there was great dimension in the book.

"I highly recommend this book to all who like to experience real-life people with a strong attraction which has some great ups and downs. It is a good book which I think you will certainly enjoy and remember for some time to come."

--Brenda Talley
Reviewer, The Romance Studio

Serial Novels, eBook Novels and Novel-tees

I have been writing a serial novel on my various blogs. This blog is shared with several talented writers so the serial has been on other blogs as http://www.charleneleatherman.blogspot.com/ or www.myspace.com/charleneleatherman

The title of the serial novel is A Rose By Any Other Name. Here is an excerpt. If you want to follow the serial you need to check in at the above blogs. The full novel so far is available in the archives.

Excerpt.

Lovac rolled his shoulders, stretching, readying himself for the hunt. He despised what the government called entertainment. The hunt was a tradition centuries old. His father and grandfather were hunters. In the old days, a hunter sought a lioness, pursued her then if he captured her he was given the right to compete against the lions for her attentions. It was the way of Dyad to keep the gene pool level between the feline based humanoids and the covjecji, or the non-lion humans.
Female covjecji used to hunt with the lionesses, bringing game to the lions to compete for the attentions of the male feline. The government stopped the female covs as they were called from hunting. Human females could only mate with human males.
Lovac watched as the gene pool became weaker. It had been ten years since a healthy baby was born to a totally covjecji couple. Dyad was simply not meant to have the species separated. Lion and cov were meant to compete, to couple, to mate. It was the way the Ancients planned it. The Spirit of Dyad, Leana was pictured as a woman with the head of a lion. The two species combined.
The government changed the way it was meant to be. The government chose blood-thirsty hunters out of the thousands of registered hunters. They sent the men out to destroy the lions. Wiped out hundreds of lions. Orphaned thousands of cubs and widowed hundreds of lionesses.
Probably took the husband of the beautiful lioness standing before him. She certainly held the look of hatred in her eyes.
The government also took advantage of the mating instincts of the lionesses. The female felines were almost driven to mate. The powers that be wanted to keep the lion gene pool unchanged. They wanted the lioness to mate with the covs. Lovac didn’t know the reason why, he didn’t care. The government also wanted the process broadcast over the moon-wide holovision.
Lovac took a deep breath. He hadn’t been given a choice. If he had he certainly would not have chosen to be part of some twisted Minister’s idea of entertainment. His father, in his old age, became a prolific gambler. Lost everything his family ever owned. Lost more than everything. The government took Lovac as a young man and enslaved him. He could have run, but the government still had his mother and sister as hostage. If he didn’t hunt, the Ministers would kill his mother and sister. So, Lovac hunted. And he hunted a lot since he was the choice of most of the audience.
Hunters were chosen for their gene appropriateness. Lovac was considered a perfect mate.
Perfect! Yeah, I’m perfect. A perfect stud. I hunt, or pretend to hunt depending on how badly the lioness wants to mate. I capture and impregnate. There is no hunt anymore. No thrill in the chase, no pursuit, no competition. All there was any more was a moon-wide broadcast of my sexual exploits. I’m perfect alright, a perfect whore. Lovac eyed the lioness before him. Perhaps she would be different. There was something challenging about her. The way she stood perhaps. The confident swish of her tail. The way her ears laid back. Not to mention her curvaceous body. The hunting jumpsuit did nothing to hide her lush hips, the full globes of her breasts and her flat stomach. Lovac could feel arousal thrumming through his veins. He inhaled deeply, pulling from his training as a hunter to remove the evidence of his attraction. The Ministers would not be happy if he displayed too soon.

If you like stories about strong mythical women and prefer a sensuous novel you should check out Prophecy of Vithan or you prefer your strong mythical woman to be HOT and Erotic you might enjoy Stone of Cruento. Both eBooks can be found at Cerridwen Press

Simply click on the the cover you prefer

And

This Novel-Tee tells it all. (You are under my spell. You will Read the Tee. Read the Tee)

If you are a writer or just like neat tees you can get this tee-shirt at www.cafepress.com/promoho.

Rainy days and Tuesdays...

Sitting here staring out the window at the rain and wondering why the words don't want to come--not for the blog, not for my WIP. So how about a little rainy-day romance? Here's a sneak peek at an unedited excerpt from "Heart of the Bear," coming July 7, from Total-E Bound.

WARNING--this excerpt contains sexually explicit material.

I awoke with my cheek pressed against something warm and fuzzy. It felt nice, so I snuggled into it. I was shivering like crazy and none of my limbs seemed to be working, but I could tell I was moving. After a second, the fog cleared and I realized I was being carried. The pleasant warmth came from a broad and hairy male chest.

By the time my eyes opened, we were up the wooden steps and at the cabin door. I’d like to think it was common sense that kept me from fighting him when I realized I was being carried back to shelter by the same naked man I’d run from in the first place. I could even blame my psychometry, since I got no sense of threat emanating from the places where we touched—just warmth and security. To be honest, though, I think I just held on because he felt and smelled incredible. My body simply overruled my fear.

Once inside, he set me down in front of the fireplace. My legs wobbled a little, but without too much help from his strong arms, they managed to hold me upright. I looked up at his ruggedly handsome face. High cheekbones and strong chin were framed by medium brown hair that was sun-bleached or frosted at the ends, and fell in sort of a straight shag cut. His eyes were a deep rich brown.

“Wh-wh-who are y-you?” I spoke through chattering teeth.

“My name is Evan Maddox.” His voice was a deep bass rumble as his big hands moved to the zipper of my jacket and began to peel off layers of wet clothing. “Anything else you want to know, I’ll tell you after we get you warm.”

Even to my fuddled brain, that made sense. I lifted my arms over my head to allow him to pull off my hoodie and the soaked t-shirt under it.

Had I imagined the little groan I thought I heard? I looked down to where his hands were undoing my jeans and realized two things. One, he was built like a god, and two, he was thoroughly aroused. His thick cock jutted long and hard from its nest of silver-tipped brown hair to brush against my stomach. My mouth went dry and it was all I could do to resist the urge to see how far I could wrap my fingers around him.

My panties had been the one garment not soaked by the rain, but now even they were wet. This time it was me who groaned as he pushed the scrap of lace down along with my jeans and bent to unlace my hiking boots. The movement put his head on a level with my now aching pussy. He inhaled deeply then bit his full lower lip and got back to work undressing me.

“Lift.” He pulled off one boot and sock when I obediently raised my foot. A few seconds later he did the same with the other foot, then tugged my jeans and panties away as well.

Now what? We were both naked, both obviously interested. Again, I got very little from him in the way of psychic sensation, but what I did get was admiration and desire. My rock-hard nipples might be attributed to the cold, but I could smell my own musk as more moisture seeped from my slit.

Evan grabbed an old Navajo blanket from the back of the ancient sofa and wrapped it around both of us like a cocoon. Before he pulled it tight, he made sure my waist-length wet hair was outside the blanket and he combed his fingers through the tangled black mess, fluffing it to help it dry.

Somewhere along the way, he manoeuvred us closer to the crackling fire and drew me with him down to the braided wool rug. Then he tucked the ends of the blanket under us and held me close.