Congrats to Teresa who commented on the excerpt for Wings of Desire. You win the $10 gift card to Amazon. I don't have your email address, though, so please use the contact form located here to claim your prize!
The winner of the autographed print copy of Wings of Desire is Debby! Congrats! I'll contact you for your information.
Congrats and thanks to everyone who partied with us yesterday!
Hugs,
Arianna
Monday, March 5, 2012
My winner is...
The winner of an e-copy of Grey's Lady (Carte Blanche #1) is Andrea.
I will be contacting Andrea by email and she will have 72 hours to get into touch with me. If she doesn't reply, then I will pick another winner at that time.
Thank you to everyone who commented on my posts. :)
I will be contacting Andrea by email and she will have 72 hours to get into touch with me. If she doesn't reply, then I will pick another winner at that time.
Thank you to everyone who commented on my posts. :)
Winner Announced!
WINNER IS...
Angel
Angel
Since there was no email address to contact initial winner, I had my daughter draw another winner!
I will be contacting Angel via email address provided.
Congrats Angel!
Thanks to all who entered my giveaway and Goddess Fish for hosting this party.
Today is also the last day to enter Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop for a chance to win one of three ecopies of Dee Days.
Hop on over to My Blog enter!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Winner of Backlist from Mahalia Levey
Mel! Thanks for commenting on Crimson Rage post! You've won a choice of backlist from my website. www.mahalialevey.com You can pick anything but Tell Me No Lies and The Price of Defiance!
my email is mahalialevey@yahoo.com please email me with your choice and I'll email you your pdf copy!
Thanks,
Hales
www.mahalialevey.com
my email is mahalialevey@yahoo.com please email me with your choice and I'll email you your pdf copy!
Thanks,
Hales
www.mahalialevey.com
The party is over and it's time to announce winners. I sincerely wish that all of you could have won but that is not the way life works, is it? My husband was kind enough to draw the names for me so you who won know who to thank. And now, congratulations to the four winners in alphabetical order:
1.Catherine Lee
2.Debby
3.Na
4.Shadow
I will be sending an email to each of you to check that I have it correctly recorded.
Please respond and then I will send a copy of Maid of the Midlands.
If you have a problem with downloading it, contact me at swift2208@yahoo.com
and I'll resend.
This has been a special day for Maid of the Midlands. In addition to the Goddess Fish party, the book has been released on Amazon, Smashwords, and Monkeybars in digital format at $2.99 and will soon be on Amazon as a print book at $8.95. If you were not a winner today, I hope you will buy the book from the distributor of your choice and read all of Matilda's and Jodalar's story. The sequel will be available later this year, and they and their children will be involved in the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. Who knows, perhaps their grandchildren will be the book after that.
1.Catherine Lee
2.Debby
3.Na
4.Shadow
I will be sending an email to each of you to check that I have it correctly recorded.
Please respond and then I will send a copy of Maid of the Midlands.
If you have a problem with downloading it, contact me at swift2208@yahoo.com
and I'll resend.
This has been a special day for Maid of the Midlands. In addition to the Goddess Fish party, the book has been released on Amazon, Smashwords, and Monkeybars in digital format at $2.99 and will soon be on Amazon as a print book at $8.95. If you were not a winner today, I hope you will buy the book from the distributor of your choice and read all of Matilda's and Jodalar's story. The sequel will be available later this year, and they and their children will be involved in the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. Who knows, perhaps their grandchildren will be the book after that.
Today's winner for Cindy Spencer Pape
Is Michele! (Commented on my post 'So what do you think about series?') Congrats, Michele. Contact me to claim your prize! Thanks so much to the Goddess Fish goddesses for hosting today and to everyone who stopped by!
Thank you and Aloha!
Aloha everyone! Sleep well and goodnight.
It is definitely past my bedtime but I want to thank you all for such a fun day and having me out to the party. I have certainly added a bunch of books to my to be read list and I hope you will consider reading one or two of my Beach Side Lover series.
Lots of Love,
Missy Lyons
www.missylyons.com
It is definitely past my bedtime but I want to thank you all for such a fun day and having me out to the party. I have certainly added a bunch of books to my to be read list and I hope you will consider reading one or two of my Beach Side Lover series.
Lots of Love,
Missy Lyons
www.missylyons.com
Not Just for Valentines by Lucy Felthouse (PG13)
I know Valentine's Day is long gone and you've forgotten all about it, but that's actually the point of my post. Just before V-Day, a new anthology released from House of Erotica which contained one of my stories, and also features tales from Victoria Blisse, Sommer Marsden, Nicky Raven, Scarlett Knight, Billy Rubin, Penny Goodweather and Vanessa Sade.
Here's a snippet from my story, Butter Fingers:
Louise inhaled deeply as she stirred the butter cream mixture. The delicious smell invaded her nostrils and made her mouth water. She’d always loved cooking. Not just for the end result but for each and every stage; from measuring ingredients, stirring them, dipping her finger into the mixture every now and then to check flavors and textures, right through to watching others enjoy the fruits of her labour. You could definitely call Louise a foodie.
So engrossed was she in her task that she didn’t hear Simon come home. He parked the car, unlocked and opened the door, removed his shoes and crept right up behind her. She was none the wiser. Double checking that the utensil in his wife’s hand wasn’t a sharp one, Simon grabbed Louise about the waist and said,
“Honey, I’m home!”
Louise shrieked and jumped, then spun in Simon’s arms to scold him. As she brandished her wooden spoon at him, a blob of the mixture flew off it and landed on his cheek. She giggled, and Simon raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, it’s like that, is it?” Simon asked in a mock-stern manner. “You want a food fight, eh?”
Still laughing, Louise tiptoed to lick the mixture from her husband’s face, sensuously dragging her tongue across his stubble-dotted skin. She noticed his breath catch and, much lower down, something hard digging into her hip.
Pressing Louise against the work surface, Simon reached behind her and stuck his fingers into the bowl she’d been using, scooping up some of the mixture.
Before Louise could react Simon had slicked it onto her face, making sure some went on her lips. Bending, he started to remove the sweet mixture, using maddeningly slow strokes of his tongue, reminding them both of how he liked to tease her clit. He licked off every last drop, deliberately leaving her lips until last. By the time he got there, Louise’s mouth was open and ready, her breath quickening as her arousal increased.
Simon sucked the delightful concoction from his wife’s lips, pulling the plump flesh into his mouth and teasing it for much longer than was necessary. Soon, the two of them were kissing hungrily, their taste buds being tantalized both by one another, and by the sweetness of the mixture they’d both consumed.
Want more? Check out the info and buy links here: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/absolute-valentines/
And with that, I shall take my leave! I'm in the UK so I'll be fast asleep as you're reading this, but will pop back online tomorrow morning to read and answer any comments.
I hope I've inspired you to add some naughty books to your to be read lists!
*****
*CONTEST* for THE SIN EATER'S PRINCE
TIDBITS ABOUT THE SIN EATER'S PRINCE:
What is it we love about the paranormal and all the creatures that haunt our worlds? I think the possibility they might exist or at one time existed fascinates us. It's more interesting to read about creatures/humans with supernatural powers than it is to read about the common, mundane man. The supernatural/paranormal are also fascinating to research, create and write.
When I wrote The Sin Eater's Prince, I loved exploring the ancient myths and lore enveloping Wales. There are many paranormal aspects and characters in The Sin Eater's Prince, but I've chosen only a few here to tell you about. That means, if you want to know more about the others, you'll have to read the book. Clever of me, don't you think? You can buy the book on Kindle, or if you're a Prime member, you can get it for FREE through the lending program.
Tylwyth Teg, Faeries/The Fair Folk
Welsh faeries that are good, dance & kidnap children with long golden hair. They possess glamour and can change into goats, dogs, cats and foxes. They live underground in mountains and caves. The way to their wooded country the Land of Enchantment with meadows of bright flowers is underneath hollow banks that overhang the deepest parts of lakes, or the deepest pools in rivers. Mortals can not follow them further than the water.
The Tylwyth Teg are dark-haired, one to three feet tall, wear birch leaf coats, moss breeches & gorse flower hats. They are associated with poisonous foxgloves which are called petticoats. They use glow worms for torches. They ride white horses and the women have bright dresses of red, white, pink, blue and green on Mayday. The Fair Folk play harp and violin music; feast on wine in golden cups.
Their sacred well which humans cannot drink from is full of fish of every color and also golden fish. Their lake is populated by herons, geese, cormorants, eels, leeches, water-hens, water-lilies, rushes & sedges. On nights when the moon is full the Tylwyth Teg celebrate a merry night. At midnight they rise out of the ground in every combe and valley, join hands, form circles, and sing and dance until cock-crows. Then they vanish like the mist.
Knackers/Knockers, Mischievous elf-like creatures that haunt the mines of Wales
The Knocker, Knacker, (Welsh) or Tommyknocker (US) is a mythical creature in Welsh folklore. They are the equivalent of Irish leprechauns and English and Scottish brownies. About two feet tall and grizzled, but not misshapen, they live beneath the ground. Here they wear tiny versions of standard miner's garb and commit random mischief, such as stealing miner's unattended tools and food.
Their name comes from the knocking on the mine walls that happens just before cave-ins – actually the creaking of earth and timbers before giving way. To some of the miners, the knockers were malevolent spirits and the knocking was the sound of them hammering at walls and supports to cause the cave-in. To others, who saw them as essentially well-meaning practical jokers, the knocking was their way of warning the miners that a life-threatening collapse was imminent.
According to some Welsh folklore, the Knockers were the helpful spirits of people who had died in previous accidents in the many tin mines in the county, warning the miners of impending danger. To give thanks for the warnings, and to avoid future peril the miners cast the last bite of their tasty pasties into the mines for the Knockers.
Dyn Hysbys, Welsh WizardDyn hysbys is a title rather than a name, the most common term in Wales for a wizard. The soul of the druid, too imperfect for Christian heaven and too good for hell, inhabits the body of the dyn hysbys. Among the powers of the dyn hysbys is the ability to know and reveal the unknown, especially events in the future pertaining to love and death. Such powers might also be applied to commonplaces, like finding money that has been lost or helping a Welshman to escape from an English gaol. He is said to possess the power of breaking spells by undoing the evil perpetrated by witches and others.
A dyn hysbys might also undertake to heal an animal or human by using charms and incantations. His powers are especially potent on the days when the world of the spirits is thought to come closer to that of humans, such as May Day, St John's Day, and the eve of winter. There are three kinds of dyn hysbys: clerics, men who had learned their craft from esoteric books, and those who had inherited the power from their families. Other Welsh terms for wizard are: conjurer, magician, and charmer. The names of many dyn hysbys survive, and some were renowned beyond their time and place.
Note: In The Sin Eater's Prince, Owen Rhys, the sin eater is discovered to be a dyn hysbys, his powers passed down through the generations.
Gwrach y Rhibyn, Hag of the Mist
The Welsh “Hag of the Dribble” or “Hag of the Mist” may suddenly leap out of a water channel, but otherwise she’ll invisibly stalk her victims until they pass a crossroads or stream. Here she’ll become all too visible and audible, for in both instances her cries, like those of the Banshee are harrowing. If the person thus doomed to die (either the observer or someone they know) is a man the The Hag will holler “Fy ngwr! Fy ngwr!” (“My Husband! My Husband!”) but if a youth is to succumb, then she’ll cry “Fy mlentyn! Fy mlentyn bach!” (“My child! My little child!”)
She is a hideous sight to behold, with her crooked back, hooked nose, long filthy hair and manic eyes. She is pinched and scrawny, yet her superficial mass likely betrays her true strength and vigor. The most frightfully inhuman of all her features, however, are her long thin arms, for not only do they end in dreadful talon-like hands, but black scaly wings also hang from these extremities. These bat-like appendages are thought capable of flight.
* CONTEST *
Leave a comment - tell me about your favorite paranormal creature for a chance to win a copy of LAND OF FALLING STARS, an Erotic Historical Romance.Keta's Bio:
Keta is a multi-published author of paranormal and historical romance and gay fiction. In 2009, her erotic romance Decadent Deceptions was a finalist in the RWA Molly contest. In 2010, Keta's entry Phoenix Rising finaled in the Scarlet Boa contest and in 2011 Keta's acclaimed paranormal shifter, Where The Rain is Made, was nominated by Authors After Dark for a Bookie Award and by Deep In The Heart of Romance for Best Romance of the Year.
Many of her books, including her gay fiction series CROSSROADS, have won numerous awards: Top Reviewer's Pick, Recommended Read and Best Book of the Month.
If you'd like to know more about Keta and her latest releases, she haunts the Net here:
Keta's Keep Blog, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo
Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/KetaDiablo.Author
Gay Fiction Blog: http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo
Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/KetaDiablo.Author
Gay Fiction Blog: http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com
Who are your favorite goddesses?
For The Magic of Lavender, the goddess Iris was the logical choice to launch The Goddess Connection series. Little is known about Iris, but she's the messenger between this world and the next, a bridge between mortals and gods. For this reason, she's considered the goddess of the rainbow, linking the two worlds.
In Dancing with the Devil, the goddess Persephone is the grandmother of my heroine, Lily MacInnis. The name MacInnis has special meaning as well - on a trip to Ireland, my sisters discovered it means, literally, "descendant of angels." So Lily's ancestors are from opposite worlds - The Undeworld and heaven.
Researching angels was fascinating, too. I used The Dictionary of Angels to find just the perfect match for Lily - Bodiel, the Ruling Angel of the Sixth Heaven. Bodie for short.
Here's another sneak peek at Dancing With the Devil, coming March 30:
“It’s best to avoid any sort of temptation while you are there.” Especially in the form of a certain archduke. Lily’s virginity was a highly sought prize in the Underworld.
From her tender expression, he knew she understood what he meant. But other temptations might present a greater challenge. One he’d have to trust her to overcome.
He ran his hands up her arms. The way she yielded to his touch ignited a fiery passion, but he quenched it with thoughts of banishment. If his superiors stripped him of his assignment, and his position as Ruling Angel of the Sixth Heaven, Bodie would be powerless to help her in any capacity. He had to stay strong.
“Lily. I will do everything I can to ensure your safety.”
“My safety,” she repeated dully, staring at the ground, then met his gaze to ask, “What if I need more from you?”
He searched her eyes, but knew too well her meaning.
“What about after all this?” she asked.
“I don’t understand.”
“When I return from the Underworld safe and sound, but still a granddaughter of the Prince of Darkness, then what? Will I ever see you again?”
Bodie had no answer. He’d never leave her side; he never had. He’d certainly be able to see her, well enough to torture him for the rest of his existence. But would he be confined to the other realm after completing this task? “I don’t know.”
On tiptoe, she pressed closer. “Can’t you stand up for yourself?”
“Yes, of course.”
She eased down. “So you don’t want to be with me. Not the way I want to be with you.”
“I didn’t say that.” He couldn’t, without lying.
“Wow. Are you sure you’re not the Ruling Angel of Cryptic?”
Rules bound him to silence. He ached to tell her everything. “It may be one of my subtitles.” He quirked his lips, but was fairly certain it didn’t resemble the smile he intended.
“Sooo funny. You may have missed your calling as a standup comedian.”
“No, I wouldn’t be successful at it.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I don’t care what others think.”
“Obviously,” she said on a sigh.
“Except you. You know that, Lily.”
“I don’t know anything anymore.” She toed a pebble, turning to walk away, but then whirled into his arms.
He cradled her, his cheek against her hair. “It will be fine. You’ll go on this journey of self-discovery. Have a brief visit with your family in the Underworld, then realize they’re better left underground. And you’ll return to your life, surreal as it may be.” And I will return to you.
So long as he didn’t lose her to the family who wanted only to ensnare her in their web of deception.
Do you have any favorite goddesses? One you'd like to see in an upcoming Goddess Connection novel?
Kathryn Meyer Griffith's LAST Excerpt for Blood Forge
Hi Goddesses,
Okay, okay....ONE MORE Excerpt of my new romantic horror/thriller Blood Forge-Revised Author's Edition (originally a 1989 Leisure paperback http://damnationbooks.com/people.php?author=79 ) that just came out March 1 from Damnation Books. It's my 13th book (new and rereleased) from Damnation Books/Eternal Press since June 2010. And in July 2012 Evil Stalks the Night-Revised Author's Edition, my first ever published novel (originally from Leisure paperbacks 1984) will be out, as well. Then I'd have come full circle in my 40 year writing career (I actually started writing at 21 but it took 12 years to get that first book published....life got in the way) ....all 14 of my old novels will be out again, rewritten and all in ebooks for the first time ever! I'm so happy. Tired, too. Sigh. It's been a lot of rewriting, editing and promoting. But my babies are alive again. Funny, I can't believe time has flown by so swiftly. I blinked my eyes and, wow, it's all these years later. Warmly, author Kathryn Meyer Griffith www.myspace.com/kathrynmeyergriffifh
Blurb:
Blood Forge-Revised Author’s Edition (originally a 1989 Leisure paperback). An ancient snake-demon lays trapped behind the stone walls of an Incan prison, for centuries demanding blood sacrifices and scheming to escape. Then it discovers a pathway into the world of men, forging itself into a malevolent 357 Colt Python, and making itself capable of incomparable destruction and misery. Through decades it torments, decimates, the unfortunate people whose lives it comes into until a loving married couple, Emily and Sam Walters, have enough love and faith–and the help of a mysterious priest who’s much more than he appears to be–to fight against and destroy it forever…and to send it back to hell where it belongs.***
EXCERPT #3:
From a distance she heard a phone ringing. She fought the heavy chains of sleep to reenter the world. Rubbing her eyes, half-dazed, she groped for her cell phone. It was three A.M on her clock’s lighted face.
“Hello!” she practically screamed into the phone once she’d maneuvered it to her ear. It slipped out of her hand and clattered to the floor. She retrieved it and slammed it against her ear again. She hated it when she got a telephone call in the middle of the night—it usually meant something bad—and when she smoked she could never make much sense of anything. That’s why she always waited until so late at night; there was no possibility that anyone would call or bother her. She couldn’t cope with anything when she was high. Her mouth was dry. Cotton mouth. It made it hard to talk because her tongue kept getting in the way.
“Hello! Who is it?” she roared into the phone. If this is one of those prank calls I’m going to screech in their ears so loud I hope I break their eardrums.
“Lori?” Michael’s voice asked, unsure. “Is that you?”
She sat up in bed, her senses instantly alert. Leaning against the headboard, bringing her knees up to her chest under the covers, most of the fog lifting. If it was Michael, then it was a hot story. He’d never bother her for anything less.
“Yes, Michael, it’s me. Listen, pal, you better have one good reason for waking me up in the middle of the night. What is it?” She muffled a yawn, shutting her eyes.
“Sorry for waking you, but I think you’ll agree, this couldn’t wait.” She caught an odd ambiguity in his tone. “You awake now?”
Oh, oh, Lori thought, getting ready for it. It wasn’t like Michael to hold her in suspense. It must be big. “Yeah, I’m awake. You going to stop pussy footing around and tell me why you called?” Her voice was all business now. Her fingers found the on button for the lamp.
“All right. I think I’d better start at the beginning. You listening?” He didn’t wait for her answer, but launched into it. “I happened to be out driving around town tonight. You know, looking for a story? Too bored to sleep. Went by the police station. I don’t know.” Lori could almost see him scratching his head as he often did when something upset him. “I guess it was around one thirty or so. Something like that. Well, I saw an ambulance and a lot of commotion outside and decided to investigate. Who knows, I told myself, might be something. So I snuck in during the confusion.
“Lori, you won’t believe what I found out.” His voice had become a titillating whisper.
“What?” she whispered back, every newspaper nerve alive and tingling in her body, wide awake now.
“I kind of hid off to the side and stayed quiet and listened. Watched. It seems that there was a murder in town earlier tonight—a real scandal—a man shot another man over his wife. Seems she was going to leave him for this other man and he couldn’t take it. Went off his rocker. So he lured him over to his house this afternoon, they were best friends, you see, and boom! boom! boom! Shot him so full of bullets you couldn’t hardly recognize the poor slob. Killed him.” Michael was breathless.
“You’re kidding? In Fairfield? This afternoon?” Lori was instantly suspicious. “Why didn’t we hear about it?”
“Hold on, I’m getting to the best part!” Michael interjected. “Let me finish. We weren’t told about it because the police hushed it up. It’s going to be a heck of a media circus and now—whew!—even bigger.”
“Hushed it up?” Lori was astounded. “Why?”
Michael sniggered. “Because the two men involved were both cops here in Fairfield. They put the one in jail tonight.”
“Both cops?” An alarm went off in her head.
Emily was married to a cop, wasn’t she? “Who are they; did you get that information?”
“Uh huh. The one who was killed was, let me see, I got it written down here somewhere...a Tom Johnston, and the one who did the killing was named Roger Greene. Both patrolmen. Both married. The one who did the killing has two little girls. They were in the house when it happened. Probably traumatized, but unharmed. They’re with their mother. The woman the whole mess was over.”
Lori released a sigh of relief. It wasn’t Sam. If one of them had been Sam, knowing Emily as well as she did, she would have just died. Michael was right, what a hell of a scandal this was going to be. “This Roger Greene, they have him locked up? What are the charges?”
“None, now.”
Lori was almost speechless, but not quite. “Michael, are you saying that the police are going to cover for him? A murderer?”
“No, I’m saying there are no charges because a short while ago Roger Greene hung himself in his cell. Committed suicide. He’s dead. That’s what the commotion was at the station. I was there when they notified his wife, Sandy, by phone. Overheard it.”
Lori felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach as she remembered something. Roger and Sandy Greene. She’d heard Emily mention those names before. Two little girls. That was them, all right. Sandy was Emily’s best friend. They were close and always had been. In fact, she now recalled Emily speaking about Sandy and Roger a lot. All of them were friends.
God, this would kill her when she found out.
“Good Lord,” Lori swore. “I don’t believe it. You said he hung himself? How? Weren’t they watching him?”
“Yeah. He still did it. Found the poor guy hanging from the bars. He’d taken his shirt and torn it up and noosed himself with it. They said he looked horrified when they found him. Well, is that a story or isn’t it?
“I snuck into the cell when they weren’t looking,” he chuckled wickedly, “and snapped a couple fast shots of the scene of the crime. Then I ran like hell and slipped out of the place. It was bedlam by then. It was easy.”
“Good boy,” she replied, biting her lip. “I’m sure we’ll use them too. It’s going to be quite a story.” She stopped and thought for a moment, and added, “See me first thing in the morning. I’m going to get our best crime reporter on this thing right away.” Lori squinted at the clock. Way too early. But in a few hours it would be daylight. Then she could get someone on it. “In the meantime, find out anything—anything—else we might be able to use, all right?”
“Sure will, boss!” Michael responded. “Sorry to wake you like that.”
“Don’t mention it. You did good. Bye. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye,” he replied and the line went dead.
Lori hung up the phone and, shivering, slid back under the covers, cradling a purring Modred in her arms as the headlines came fast and furious. Lurid love triangle ends in tragedy for two cops! Cop killed in cold blood by closest cop buddy! Cop kills another cop over wife and then hangs himself in his cell out of guilt! Lord. What a story. What a juicy scandal.
Poor Emily, though, Lori contemplated soberly, stroking the cat absentmindedly. Poor Emily. She had known both of them. Closely. They’d been her friends. Sam’s too.Lying there in bed, Lori found herself wondering if Emily knew what had happened yet. Well, if not, no doubt she’d know soon enough. ***
Character Motivation and Between Brothers
A story tends to evolve when I am writing. I usually get hit with a small part of the story in my head and the characters personalities come out as I write them. At least that is how it's been with the last few books I've co-written books with Cherie Denis.
Sex on the Beach was supposed to be simple. A little rendezvous on a beach, and then we met Harry Ford. He has a lot of mental baggage he had to work through in order to have a good relationship again. He was only on the island because he won a trip on a dating gameshow, but once he opened up his past, he had a lot he had to work through in order to have a good relationship with a woman again. How could he ever trust a woman again after finding his ex-wife slept with his brother?
He had a serious trust issue and he really had to be able to work through this thing with his brother in order to be free of the mental baggage he was carrying. So how convenient was it to have his brother, Gerald Ford come to the wedding? Very.
I expected the guys to work it out and finally communicate, but in the end Harry was difficult and when he was finally forced to confront his brother, it ended badly. They both ended up with black eyes in the wedding pictures.
Sally is asking to renew the vows so she can have pictures she would be proud to share, but that's another story.
Inspiration comes in a lot of forms, but this book was inspired by the characters themselves. When I started the book, I just wanted to think about glittering white beaches, and basking in the sun on them while watching aquamarine waves hit the shoreline. It amazes me how much more it became without any real help at all. Sex on the Beach almost wrote itself.
Curious to read more? You can purchase Sex on the Beach at the Whispers Store here:
And you can read Gerald's side of the story in Bareback on the Beach. The sequel to Sex on the Beach from Sugar and Spice Publishing here:
Lots of love,
Missy Lyons
www.missylyons.com
I'm also on Facebook and Twitter:
Twitter: @missylyons
Last excerpt from Maid of the Midlands
I had an agent refuse to represent this book because the
hero wasn't a knight or lord and the heroine a lady. But I found the working
class characters more colorful to write about and much more appealing. I hope
the readers will also. And for those readers who like this book, there is a sequel already written about Matilda's and Jondalar's three children, set in the time of the Gunpowder Plot, and Guy Fawkes is my historical character in that one.
Excerpt:
Unmindful that she wore no
gown, the maid ran headlong down the stairs and flung herself upon the
prostrate guard. Her hands feverishly
examined his muscular chest, seeking the source of his wound, and touched the
leather thong about his neck. And when she saw the medal hanging from it in the
fold of his tunic, she knew at once he loved her still.
“Jondalar,” she wept
profusely, “speak to me. Please do not
die. I would not want to live without
you.”
Willy Douglas shook his head
in bewilderment. Then, seeing the maid
was in a state of undress, he placed his cloak upon her shoulders to spare her
further shame.
Jondalar groaned weakly.
“He lives,” Matilda said
joyously. “We must tend his wounds at
once before all his blood is drained.”
She tore a strip from her
clean white underskirt and sought to staunch the copious flow from his
side. Another shot had grazed his head
and sticky crimson mingled with his copper-colored hair making it impossible to
separate the two.
“My dearest,” she
crooned. “I will take care of you. All will be well.”
“Huh?” the guard opened his
eyes and seeing Matilda so close to his face, blinked as if to verify the
vision.
“Jondalar, please speak to
me,” she entreated once more.
“Me luv,” he whispered, “. .
. save the . . . queen.”
VAMPIRES & WEREWOLVES - THE SIN EATER'S PRINCE
Owen Rhys, the sin eater, has been shunned by the local villagers all his life--except for Andras Maddock, the local physician. In love with the one man he believes will never return that love, Owen is shocked when Andras saves him from death at the hands of a vampire.
Dagan, Dark Lord of the Underworld, vows to avenge his father’s death and obtain the Prince of Wales’s mystic sword from Andras. The claymore’s power holds an immunity the vampires have coveted for centuries.
Star-crossed love, sorcery, and bloodlust collide on a vengeful path where only one side will remain victorious.
Watch the video
So hard to pick just one review since there are so many wonderful ones! I picked four snippets that should give you an idea of how much people have loved this book. WARNING: There are scenes of graphic and intense man love in THE SIN EATER'S PRINCE.
"There is much to love in this lush novel from Ravenous Romance." --Erin O'Riordan, Pagan Spirits Blog (5 stars)
"Keta Diablo's The Sin Eater's Prince pushed Keta onto my list of favorite authors. Buy a copy and enjoy!" --Literary Nymphs (5 "nymphs")
"I've never seen anyone write like Keta Diablo. I enjoyed this read and give it the Recommended Read Award." --Two Lips Reviews (5 "kisses")
Thanks so much for reading and stay tuned for the contest on THE SIN EATER'S PRINCE!
The Granite Rose from Linda McMaken
Dacia was a real place, today it is called Romania. The Dacians did indeed have a very real King Decabalus (pronounced - Deck-a-ball-us). He did have a sister named Dochia, and he did tangle repeatedly with Rome. While I did not find any historic proof that he had a daughter, I think if he did she would have been much like Sianna, my feisty heroine in The Granite Rose.
The Dacians were a proud people, a warrior people with their own language, as well as being fluent in Latin and Greek. They had their own laws, schools, and currency.
King Decabalus was a strong leader and he wanted his country to be free of the crushing weight of Rome. For many years he managed to successfully keep Rome apeased, while maintaining a very independent nation.
Powerful leaders however, are sometimes blinded by their own power, ambition, politics and of course the lure of gold -- something that Dacia had in abundance.
While my fictional kidnapping did not start this war, there is little historical documentation as to what exactly did, the perverbial "who fired the first shot," if you will. It was a combination of things that triggered the final battle that ended in the annihilation Dacia.
Gold was certainly an enticement as the Roman Senate and the Emperor wanted to finance a beautiful Rome, and Decabalus built a forbidden army because he wanted Dacia to be free at any cost.
Gold was certainly an enticement as the Roman Senate and the Emperor wanted to finance a beautiful Rome, and Decabalus built a forbidden army because he wanted Dacia to be free at any cost.
The Granite Rose began when I read a small paragraph in a now forgotten book about Rome. One sentence was all it took for my imagination to take flight.
I hope it takes you to Ancient Rome for a few hours, where lives were held on the edge of the Emperor's sword, politics could instantly alter a man's fate, and love could appear where it was least expected.
I hope it takes you to Ancient Rome for a few hours, where lives were held on the edge of the Emperor's sword, politics could instantly alter a man's fate, and love could appear where it was least expected.
www.linda-mcmaken.com
Purchase at:
Purchase at:
I will be giving away an eBook copy of the Granite Rose to one lucky commenter!
Would you vote for him?
Per the speech below, would you vote for him? Why or why not?
"I say what I mean and
mean what I say. My words are neither
eloquent nor sophisticated, just the simple ramblings of a novice
politician. A couple of years ago I lost
my job as an architect. I almost lost my
home, cars, well everything. My wife and
I were living the American dream. The
only problem was that we couldn't afford it.
Any of you have credit card debt?
Late with your car payments or mortgage?
Don't know how you are going to pay for your kid's tuition? And then you lose your job. A bad situation turns into a desperate
one. I got lucky. My best friend and campaign manager, Roger,
set me up with a job. Others of you
don't know someone as great as he is.
What do we all do when we don't have a job? Time to watch lots of TV, right? Don't you all feel good when you hear about
the millions, billions, and even trillions pissed away by Washington? We’ve all heard how broke our government
is, yet they continue to borrow money
from certain countries so that they can give it away to other countries? They call that 'foreign aid.' Kinda like the town drunk buying the whole
bar a round and then putting it on his never-ending tab with the
bartender. Except our bartenders are
China and Saudi Arabia, and soon they will want us to pay up …OR. Not sure what the OR is, but it won't be
pretty. And I'm scared. Anyone here wh can't afford your medical
bills? Yet people who are here illegally
don't have to worry. They somehow
qualify for Medicaid. Again, you turn on
the TV and get mad. You hear about
bailout programs for Wall Street, unethical banks, and businesses that get your
tax dollar to save their skins. What
about you, your family, neighbor, or friend having to go out of business? Do you get any kind of bailout plan? And what about the auto industry...” Dina Rae, dinarae.co
The Last Degree is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and dippub.com (DIP Publishing).
Far From The Usual, by Avril Ashton *NC-17 excerpt*
Any other man but him.
After business was done, everything confirmed for the dinner party the next day, Genevieve made them a quick brunch. Arden stomach grumbled at the smell of bacon and eggs sizzling and she mumbled a thank you before diving into all the greasy food. Normally she’d stay away from it, but she figured what the hell, she owed herself an indulgence and since sex seemed quite a ways off, this was the next best thing.
She’d just put her licked-clean plate in the kitchen when a vehicle pulled into the driveway. She lifted the curtain at the window over the sink and peered out.
“Ah, fuck me.”
Cam’s blue, dented pick-up truck sat behind her car. She watched as he exited the cab of the truck, a black t-shirt stretched taut over his wide shoulders and forearms, long legs covered in worn denims and black work boots.
He looked good. And she shouldn’t be noticing his ass, but damn. He glanced at her car, took two steps, then stopped.
Arden frowned. He looked at the house, jaw working, then back to her car. His lips moved and he trailed his hand covered in black fingerless gloves across the passenger side door almost reverently.
She felt that touch, a tangible caress on her skin. Her body flamed and Arden spun around from the window with a gasp. He’s a rude, crass man. But her body was warming to him and for him. No! She yelled at herself. He’s Clark’s brother.
And off limits.
Not that she wanted him.
“Arden, that should be Cameron,” Genevieve’s voice drifted to her from upstairs. “He’s here to fix the dishwasher. Tell him I’ll be down shortly.”
“Okay,” she called back as the front door open. Suddenly she wanted to run and hide, duck below the table even. Anything to get away from those ice blue eyes.
Instead she couldn’t move to save her life and she remained rooted to the spot at the sink, heart jumping to her throat when he made his appearance. She had to breathe through her mouth, fighting not to squirm as he undressed her with a glance, mouth twisted into a smirk.
His gaze stopped at her knees, exposed by the tight denim shorts she wore, and then climbed to her face slowly. Arden gulped. She didn’t know where to look, what to do with her hands. Hell, she’d forgotten her name.
The dislike from last night shone in his eyes, but so was the hunger. Potent and dark, she felt it wash over her skin and tried not to let her tremors show.
Not good. Not good.
She licked her lips and immediately regretted it when his gaze dropped to her mouth. “Good morning, Mr. Mercer.” There, no wobble. “Your mother will be down shortly.”
He held her gaze as he walked toward her. Slow and steady. Unlike her heartbeat that ratcheted higher and higher with each step. She backed up, hips pressed into the counter obstructing her escape.
She stood her ground on weak knees as he stopped in front of her. He placed both hands on the counter on either sides of her, caging her in as his scent—mild sweat and something spicy—teased her nose. She pursed her lips, locking in the whimper in her throat as her pussy flooded, soaking the crotch of her shorts.
He stared at her mouth and she remembered the brief brush of his mouth over hers the night before. The barest of touches and yet she still felt it.
“You should call me Cam,” he murmured against her ear. “Mr. Mercer would be a bit much to scream out when I’m buried deep inside you, don’t you think?”
A sound left her, a pleading whimper as her knees buckled. She threw out a hand and grabbed his arm for balance, staring at the contrast between her dark skin and his vibrant tattoos.
He had plans to fuck her and judging by the way her clit pulsed at his words, her body had no objections. But she did.
Arden swallowed and met his eyes, mentally stiffening her spine. Time to nip this shit in the bud. “You cannot have me, Mr. Mercer. Despite what you may think, I’m not a toy to be used up and thrown away. Keep your fantasies to yourself.”
Footsteps sounded on the stairs and she shifted away, but he grabbed her nape. She moaned at the sensation of his fingertips on her skin.
“Make no mistake, Princess, I’ll be fucking you.” He dragged his tongue over her cheek.
Arden shuddered and almost collapsed.
“And you’ll be begging me for more.”
COMING MARCH 15, from Evernight Publishing
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