Apocalypticon, by Clayton Smith - An Excerpt

My upcoming novel, Apocalypticon, tells the tale of two men's sometimes fun, sometimes gut-wrenching, always terribly dangerous odyssey through post-apocalyptic America, from Chicago to Disney World by way of the ruined South. I'm wagering it's unlike any dystopic story you've read before, and I hope you enjoy it! The novel gets its wide release on March 17. Here's a little preview...

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It didn’t take long to plan the journey. Not because it was an easy journey to plan, but because there just wasn’t much they could plan for. There was a time, not so very long ago, when getting ready for a trip meant typing a destination into Google Maps and loading up the Santa Fe with three more suitcases than were necessary, most of them filled with shoes. All one really needed to “be prepared” was a full iPhone battery and a spare tire. But M-Day had made things a bit more unpredictable. For starters, the Internet was little more than a smoldering pile of melted tubes. And cars! Ha! Cars were completely impractical. The vehicles of the dead choked the roads, at least in the city. Sure, the interstates were probably a little less crowded, but even if Patrick and Ben could weave a car out through the city limits, they’d be out of gas before nightfall. If the charred remains of the BP down the street were any indication, there would be no fuel along the way. Bodies of would-be gas thieves with dried blood caked from their slit throats? Sure, plenty of those. But gas itself? No way.  

Since Patrick was the marginally more responsible one and Ben was the King of Food Mountain, it seemed natural that Ben should handle the canned goods and Patrick should be in charge of pretty much everything else: can openers, utensils, rope, blankets, his Leatherman, pens, pencils, notebooks, first aid kit, and anything else he could get his hands on. They would each carry their own clothing, of course, and any weapons they could scrounge together. Also, one of them needed to be the expedition leader. They were certain to face extreme dangers outside the apartment building--murderers, thieves, treacherous landscape, starvation, inclement weather, maybe even a few surviving Jehovah’s Witnesses--and if they were going to survive all that, they would need to think and act as one person with one brain. “And I will be that brain,” Patrick explained.

“Wait, wait, wait. Why do you get to be in charge?”

“Because this is my trip. It was my idea.”

“So? Maybe that puts you too close to the situation. Maybe you’re too invested in this trip to make logical, objective decisions. Maybe the fact that it’s your trip means I should be the one in charge.”

“No, it absolutely does not mean that, and I’ll tell you why.”

Ben crossed his arms. “Fine. Why?”

“Because Disney World is south.”

Ben snorted. “So?” 

“So why don’t you show me which direction that is.”

Ben hesitated. Patrick had leveraged his greatest weakness. He had to make a confident decision, and he needed to act quickly. He took a chance and pointed firmly toward Lake Michigan. 

Patrick nodded. “That’s why I’m in charge.” The point was conceded with no further objection.

“So Disney World. That’s where we’re going. That’s it,” Ben said.

“That’s it,” Patrick agreed. “If by ‘it’ you mean ‘everything.’”

Ben tented his fingers and shook them at his guest. “Okay, now I’m not saying Disney World is a dumb destination. But listen, Pat. Disney World is a really dumb destination. Seriously.”

Patrick reached across and grabbed Ben’s hands in his own. “No, Ben. Disney World is the best possible destination. Decades of snappy marketing tricks have made it so.”

Ben yanked his hands out from under Patrick’s. “Let’s make a list of destinations that are less dumb than Disney World. Ready?” He spread his hands wide, as if he were offering a magnanimous gift. “Las Vegas. Grown-up Disney World. Let’s go there.”

“Pass!” Patrick slapped the coffee table with both hands, his eyes growing wide and bright. “Disney World or bust!”

“No, don’t do that,” Ben said, shaking his finger at Patrick’s crazy-eyed face. “This is your trip; it’s your decision. All right, I get that. I understand. If you want to go to Disney World, well, hell. I guess we’ll go to stupid Disney World. But Disney World is for babies and honeymooning Christians. Not for real life grown-ups. And do you know the only thing lamer than Disney World? Burned out, rusted up Disney World full of charred baby skeletons.”

Patrick leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I once knew a Ben Fogelvee who would have thought a burned out, rusted up Disney World full of charred baby skeletons sounded awesome,” he challenged.

“Yeah, you know, it does sound pretty bad ass,” Ben mused. “I’m warming to the idea. But try this option on for size. Old Cliff in 13B says he knows a guy who knows a guy who hosts a battle royale once a week in this dirt circle arena in his backyard somewhere in Detroit. These guys, they come from all around with sticks and knives and bats and iron pipes and just wail on each other for three hours until everyone’s dead.”

“Hmm.” Patrick pressed a finger to his lips and thought carefully. “Now, that sounds like something I would certainly like to play a video game about. But are you sure everyone dies? What about the last guy? He lives, right?”

“Hell no, he doesn’t live! First place is the quick, painless release of death from this stupid post-apocalyptic life. Everyone dies, one just less painfully than the rest.”

Patrick squinted and pointed a suspicious finger at his host. “Are you sure this is a thing?”

Ben pointed back and met Patrick’s squint. “Here’s what I think. I think we find you a stick, and we make you a champion. If we’re going Code White, make it the bright, blinding white of nuclear self-destruction.”

“I appreciate where your head’s at, Ben. I like your thought process. And it’s tempting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s extremely tempting. But we’re going to Disney World.”

“Why?” Ben sighed. “Do you at least have a good reason?”

“Of course I have a good reason. Because I’ve never been. And I read somewhere that you should go before you die.”

--

Apocalypticon will be available on Amazon in paperback and ebook formats starting March 17. For more information, find me on Facebook and Twitter!

The Bright Side of the Apocalypse

By Clayton Smith, author of the upcoming novel Apocalypticon

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Okay, yes. The apocalypse is a horrible thing. Cities will crumble, the seas will boil, and pretty much everyone you love will die. But hey, it doesn't all have to be doom and gloom! There are a few upsides to the end of the world.

Parking - When 95% of the population gets wiped out, guess what. 95% of the parking lot opens up! (Assuming, of course, the apocalypse happens at night. If all hell breaks loose at prime shopping hours, well, that's another story. Those cars ain't leavin'.) Of course, in order to hoard enough gas to make a car viable, you'll need to really commit to braining other survivors with a log at the gas pump, but it's a small price to pay for convenience.

A Little "Me" Time - Tired of running the rat race? Problem solved! Money is worthless, so forget about clocking in to that 9-to-5. (Your manager's likely dead anyway.) The only race you'll have to run now is the one to food. And to shelter. And away from roving bands of maniacs.

Vegetables - You don't have to eat them anymore! In fact, it's probably best you don't eat them anymore. They're almost certainly radioactive now.

Jehovah's Witnesses - Gone! No more awkward front door encounters!

What are some other benefits of facing Armageddon? Share them with me on Twitter by tweeting them to @Claytonsaurus! (And hey, give me a follow while you're at it...there's a free chapter of my upcoming novel, Apocalypticon, in it for you!)

5 Fun (and Undeniably True) Facts About the Apocalypse, from Clayton Smith

Good news; Armageddon is coming! Not the Aerosmith version, but the real deal. Those Jamaicans are about to bomb the heck out of the rest of the planet with their mysterious greenish gas, and 95% of the world's population will be wiped right off the face of the earth. (Don't believe me? Read Apocalypticon, available on Amazon later this month!)

Bleak, no?

We all know that the apocalypse spells certain doom and gloom for our friends and neighbors. But here are five things you might not have realized about the end of the world:

1. We'll All Get Pretty Salty
After all natural food sources are destroyed and refrigeration becomes impossible, you'll have to rely on canned food to survive. The only problem is, most canned food is obscenely high in sodium, which is why it preserves so well. The more you eat, the more salt gets into your body, and without reliable clean water to regularly flush your system, your blood pressure will skyrocket. Heart disease and strokes will be the norm in post-apocalyptic America, killing more people than machete attacks and zombie bites combined.

2. Thanks for Nothing, Tree
The life-ending gas doesn't just affect humans; it destroys plant life, too. At least 80% of the world's trees will be killed off by the Jamaican bombing. This will have several large scale and important impacts on your life. When the trees die, their leaves will drop and will not grow back, offering now buffer from strong post-apocalyptic winds, which are obscenely cold because of apocalyptic winter (more on that later!). Because these winds will be stronger, they'll uproot these dead trees easily, ripping the roots out of the soil. This makes trees unstable, and it also makes it nearly impossible for them to catch and trap water. You can count on more mudslides and floods in post-apocalyptic America.

3. Your Tax Dollars at Work
Because the thick, green gas will blot out the sun, the average temperature is going to drop all across the country. The chemicals in the air will also wreak havoc on the natural precipitation system. One of the byproducts of this will be an excessive number of potholes in paved roads, caused by frozen precipitation expanding in the soil beneath the pavement and weakening the surface. With no road crews to fix these potholes, streets will be completely useless as transportation ways, even on foot. It'll be like walking through a detonated minefield.

4. Free as a Bird (Sort Of)
When the bombing starts, it'll be quick and severe. The actual apocalyptic event will be over in a matter of minutes. But the poison gas will be contained to the lower levels of the atmosphere, meaning many commercial flights will be above the fray. If you're on a plane, you'll get a great view of the end of the world!

That's the good news. The bad news is, with no one left on the ground to guide your plane in, and with hundreds of other planes scrambling to land, there's about a 97% chance your aircraft will collide with another one and/or the ground rather than land safely. Your survival victory is likely to be short-lived.

5. A Super Result
Eventually, we'll all try farming again, even though we know the soil's pretty irradiated from the gas and from the nuclear meltdowns that happened when there stopped being people around to manage the power plants. But hey, people gotta eat! We'll grow vegetables again, and these vegetables will contain harmful, sometimes nuclear properties. Some people will die instantly from eating them. Others will feel no harmful effects. But a small subset of the remaining humanity will actually benefit from this radioactive food. They'll exhibit small benefits; a bit of extra strength, slightly higher defenses against sickness, etc. Eventually, these improved humans will breed with other improved humans, and the strengths will become greater with each passing generation until we breed our way into a society where one in every 20 people is a superpowered individual. After as few as 150 years after the apocalyptic event, the world's society will have superheroes and supervillains whizzing around and engaging in various superpowered dealings.

Want more information on the apocalypse? Get ready for my new novel, Apocalypticon, by following me on Twitter and Facebook!

Zombies versus Robots -- ULTIMATE SHOW DOWN! Giveaway!

Zombies vs. Robots

I was originally just going to do an excerpt, but then this thought occurred to me. A random thought really. It was while I was talking with my sister and best friend at dinner, before we headed to the movies. Of course they thought I was absolutely insane, but I think it’s a logical and very feasible theory. Zombies versus Robots. Which apocalypse will happen? Will the undead rise up or will robots over throw us?

I’ve begun to wonder if the zombie apocalypse is indeed on its way. Perhaps not the dead clawing their way from their graves, but a virus-based zombie. And it’s all beginning in the south, the wonderful sunshine state of Florida. There have been two cases of human consumption, all based off of “bath salt” drug-induced delirium. Coincidence? I think not!

(Government conspiracy)

 Or it’s just my over active imagination running ramped. I have begun the starting process of editing a new manuscript for a zombie apocalypse novel (release TBA).  So maybe my mind is just a little zombie-crazy right now.

Maybe it won’t even be zombies. We’ve begun to rely heavily on technology. You can’t turn anywhere without seeing at least one person on their phone.

A zombie vs. robot showdown?

I’m for the zombies. I think they’d be harder to destroy. With robots we can just call on Will Smith and Bruce Willis.

Really, I’m probably just crazy and this is the random driveling of a writer who’s spent way too much time in the fantasy world. But still, it would be interesting to see everyone weigh in. How do you think (maybe prefer?) to see the apocalypse go down? Does everyone have their zombie survival plan in order? Weapons preset? Gear ready? Everyone brushing up on their hacker skills and mapping out escape routes?

You might want to double check your iPhone, you never know what Siri might be up to.

I really need to stop writing end of the world scenarios. You can check out some of them in my series the Theo Bourne Series.

Lay on me your survival plans and theories and enter in for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Just drop your e-mail down with survival plan/theory and I'll select a winner Monday the 9th. 

EXCERPT FROM THE HUNTING MOON

His eyes were just dark enough to be called mysterious, and by the way his long black hair fell into his face, obscuring it in sultry shadows, I knew he was someone dangerous. He held himself above everyone else, with an almost predatory stance that sent delicious tingles up my spine. He was ensconced in the back of the club, sitting in a booth on the other side of the dance floor, watching the crowd as it bobbed and swayed to the addictive beats the DJ spun. His friends had abandoned him two songs earlier, and he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to join them.
I had been watching him half the night from the corner of my eye. He seemed to dominate the club with his presence, and I knew I wasn’t the only one watching him. I also knew that I was going to be the one to get him tonight.
Some people call it gaydar, though I don’t believe in that -- I just call it good instincts. It also helped that he had been watching me under the veil of his long lashes.
I wasn’t looking for love -- hell, I don’t believe in love. I believe in quick fucks and one-night stands. And tonight he was going to be my conquest. From the way his glare met my stare, I knew I was going to be his too. I took a long swig of my beer, numbing my tongue just a little more. I was working on my third bottle, and tonight I had no plans of slowing down. If I was going to be back in the shit hole known as Columbus, Ohio, then I was going to be drunk facing it. I had left Columbus in pursuit of a career with the NYPD Preternatural Task Force. I had succeeded until six months ago, when my partner was killed on the job by a deranged lycanthrope. Now, after seven years of avoiding this place, I was back.
And this dark Adonis was going to make me forget why I had returned. I finished the last of my beer and set the empty bottle on top of the bar. He tipped his head to the side, his hair spilling back to reveal the sharp contours and angles of his face. His skin, when the light played across it, was a rich burnt caramel that left my mouth watering. The gray graphic tee he had on was straining against the hard muscles of his chest and broad shoulders.
I walked around the side of the dance floor, following the row of booths that wrapped around to the back of the club. He glanced up at me, and my fingers itched to brush away the silken tresses that fell into his long face. His full lips parted into a quick smile, and hunger churned in the pit of my stomach. This was a game I was very familiar with -- one that I was fond of.
“Hey.”
His voice was like liquid silk pouring over my skin and wrapping around my body, caressing every intimate part of me, and it held the faintest Spanish accent. My eyelids lowered in a hooded glance, and my lips twitched into a smile that was pouting and promising. I wasn’t giving him the option to back away. “Dance with me.”
Amusement lit up his dark eyes, but he didn’t protest. He stood up, towering over me by a good four inches -- and that was saying something, since I was six feet even. I slid my hand up his chest, and my fingers played over the silver designs of his graphic tee before fisting in the cotton fabric. I pulled him with me as I walked backward onto the dance floor. I didn’t look to see if people moved. I made them move, nudging them with my mind and guiding them away from the middle of the dance floor. My gaze never left his, and he didn’t seem interested in anyone around us either.
Large hands found my hips, and our bodies began to move as one, naturally. I rocked my hips into his, relaxed my grip on his shirt slightly, and coiled my other arm around his neck. His hair, which had to be well past his shoulders, spilled over and tickled the exposed skin of my arms.
The song pounded in my ears, and I couldn’t tell you what the lyrics were. I was hypnotized by his eyes; it was like staring into the eyes of a wild dog. They flashed with feral intensity, their chocolate color swirling with blinding deep golden yellow, like smoky topaz. He nudged his hips forward, rolling them so that his hard-on brushed against mine. A shock ran through me, and my breath came out in a stuttered gasp, earning a broader grin from him. He repeated the motion, and my grip grew tighter around his neck and shirt, pulling him closer to my body.
His hands spread up my back, massaging the tight muscles in my shoulders. My cock was straining in my Diesel jeans, chafing against the zipper. I let out a low growl, grinding harder against him in a vague suggestion of what was to come. He didn’t seem to need any further invitation. His mouth sealed over mine, his tongue pressing past the barrier of my lips. I opened my mouth wide, and it became all about tasting and feeling. He tasted of beer and cinnamon gum.
When I broke away for air, I met his eyes. They burned with the same hunger that I felt. I turned around before he could come in for another kiss, pressed my ass against him, and shook my hips.
He grabbed my hips again, his grip hard and demanding. I could just imagine his hands running up my body, pulling and guiding me as he drilled into me from behind. I closed my eyes with a flutter of lashes and arched, letting my hands tangle in the soft mess of his hair. It ran through my fingers smoothly, and I knew I could spend hours just stroking his hair.
“So what’s your name?” I shouted over the music.
His lips brushed my right ear, his tongue flicking out to nudge the silver hoop I had in. His hands wrapped around my waist to my stomach and traced the hard muscles of my abs through the black material of my T-shirt.
“Carlos,” he said in a low growl.
The song changed, but I didn’t know what to. All I could hear, all I could feel, was the sound of Carlos’s breathing as he tempted my body with his long fingers. I tightened my hold on his hair and pulled his head down, craning my neck so I could turn and kiss him. He rolled his hips at the gesture and eagerly sucked in my tongue.
Much more of this, and I was going to come in my jeans, right there on the dance floor. I released his hair, letting it whisper past my fingertips. With another promising smile I asked, “Your place or mine?”
He embraced me against his chest, his arms wrapping around me to secure my body. His lips branded my neck in a slow kiss, and I felt a quake run through me.
“Mine.”

 

CONTACTS:

• Website: www.evelynshepherd.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Evelyn-Shepherd/133411650060305
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/eveeshepherd
• Tumblr: http://evelynshepherd.tumblr.com/
  Blog: http://singleauthorseeks.blogspot.com/

BUY LINKS:

• http://www.loose-id.com/The-Hunting-Moon.aspx
• http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunting-Moon-ebook/dp/B005IYZG3E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341689920&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hunting+moon
• http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hunting-moon-evelyn-shepherd/1104118339?ean=9781611184334
• http://www.loose-id.com/Event-Horizon.aspx
• http://www.amazon.com/Event-Horizon-Theo-Bourne-ebook/dp/B0071CKKFA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341689944&sr=1-1&keywords=event+horizon
• http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/event-horizon-evelyn-shepherd/1108580796?ean=9781611187397

How do you celebrate Halloween?

I’m back! Halloween is tomorrow and I’m running around my house trying to get my traditional tunnel of terror ready for the neighborhood kids.

This year we’re turning my garage into a witch’s hut. We've got scary portraits, a cauldron, severed limbs, rats and mice and friends willing to turn into mummies, witches and zombies.

As night falls I will wait for the children at the entrance to the house and guide them (with only a flashlight) through the hut, explaining the tale of the Witch's curse...then, when they lest expect it...

WHAM!

Lights off and monsters coming out of every corner! Or at least, that’s the plan.

Nonetheless, I know everyone will enjoy it because though Halloween in Spain has become popular only recently, we’ve been doing the haunted tunnel for quite some time and kids beg their parents to come see the witch's house.

Did you know that when I was a child in Spain no one knew what Halloween was about? As a matter a fact, I recall being around twelve years old and going trick or treating with my younger sister around the block. More than one rude and mean neighbor shut the door in our face! And we were only children!

Fortunately, that has changed and now Spanish children and adults celebrate Halloween too and enjoy dressing up as scary monsters and getting scared witless.

How about you, how do you celebrate Halloween?


Want to know more about me and what I’m up to? Check my website and blog: http://www.elyzabethmvaley.weebly.com/ and http://inadreambeyond.blogspot.com/

Get DEAD SEXY and Show a Zombie Some Love!

Readers often ask me how I come up with ideas for my books, so I thought I'd give you a little behind-the-scenes peek at how I came up with my new release, a paranormal erotic romance from Ellora's Cave called DEAD SEXY.

Before I say anything else though, isn't that cover too hot for words?! When the art department sent it to me, I probably gazed at it for a good ten minutes in mouth-drooling appreciation before I could email them back telling the artist it not only rocked, but totally fit the book. The hero is "Dead Sexy," after all!

Okay, back to the story and how I came up with it. First, to set the stage, I need to share a little something with you about myself. Well, about my hubby and me, actually. We love zombie movies, from the George Romero gems to Shaun of the Dead and everything in between, including "Walking Dead," the new series on AMC. You just can't go wrong with a movie full of walking dead people, can you? Well, if you've ever seen a zombie movie (or even you haven't), then you know the creatures aren't the heroes of the film. I mean, how can they be, right? They're all dead and decayed and downright unattractive, not to mention pretty damn scary. Which was why you can imagine my surprise when my hubby suggested I write an erotic romance about a zombie hero. I was like, you're kidding, right? What woman in her right mind would fall in love with a dead guy? No way could that possibly work, or so I thought.

Turns out, my hubby wasn't kidding. In fact, he started working up ideas for the story.

"The hero didn't have to be a zombie all the time," he told me. "Think outside the box - take a little literary license!"

Okay, I thought. I suppose I could be open minded.

My hubby told me that in his out-of-the-box world, the hunky hero got cursed by an evil Voodoo priestess and only turns into a zombie sometimes.

"I'm listening," I said.

"And when he does go zombie, he doesn't have to be like the kind in the movies," my hubby added. "Well, he has to look like one, you know all dead and stuff, but he doesn't have to be a mindless creature or attack humans or eat anything gross."

So, brains are completely out, thanks goodness!

"Think Jensen Ackles or Jared Padelecki, with a really, really, really dark tan - (yes, my hubby knows I've got a thing for the Supernatural hunks!) - well, maybe more gray and black than tan, but you get the idea."

I thought about that for a minute. "So, the hero's dead, but he's still sexy, is that what you're saying?"

"Exactly," he said, giving me a grin as my eyes lit up with understanding.

By that point, my hubby had pretty much sold me on the idea. Of course, I knew if I ran with it, I was going to have to sell it to a publisher, and I knew that could be tough since the hero is a zombie. But I ran with it anyway and ended up with a full-length novel. And it came out pretty damn good, if I do say so myself! I still had to find a publisher for it, though.

About this same time, It just so happens that several of my other books were in the process of being picked up by Ellora's Cave and I thought what the heck? Why not pitch it to my editor there and see what she thinks? So I did, and she told me to send it to her. She was interested to see how I handled the whole zombie-thing. Well, long story, short, she liked it. A lot! My zombie romance with it's dead-sexy hero had a home! I was thrilled and my hubby walked around for a week with a smug, "I-told-you-so" look on his face.

I've been getting the word out there about DEAD SEXY ever since I signed the contract for it and I'm thrilled with the interest from readers who can't wait to get their hands on it! I can't wait for them to read it, too!

Now that I've revealed the story behind the story, I thought I'd share the blurb and an excerpt just to whet your appetite for more!


Blurb:

Romance author Simone Kent thinks she might just have found the most perfect guy in all of New York City - in bed and out. But Drake Parrish is about as far from perfect as any man can get. Eight years ago, he was cursed by an evil Voodoo priestess to live part of his life as a zombie. Since then, he has lived like a recluse on New York’s Upper East Side, afraid to go out for fear he’ll suddenly turn into one of the walking dead.

The sex is the hottest either of them has ever experienced and Simone discovers just how naughty she can be with Drake, while he finds himself feeling things for her that he hasn’t felt in a very long time. When the Voodoo priestess learns of their relationship, however, she comes after him again. She is determined to make sure he won’t have a future with Simone, even if that means killing both him and the woman he loves.




Excerpt:

As she led him up the steps to the second floor, Drake found himself wondering if she would ask him in. And wondering what he’d say if she did. When they came to a stop outside the door to her apartment, Simone turned to give him a smile.

“I had a great time tonight.”

“Me, too.”

She caught her bottom lip between her perfect white teeth and chewed on it thoughtfully as if unsure what she wanted to say next. It was probably an unconscious gesture, something she did whenever she was thinking, but to him, it was sexy as hell and all he could think about was kissing her.

Surely, one kiss couldn’t hurt. He desperately wanted to. He hadn’t kissed a woman in so long. It would be nice to see if he still remembered how.

Before he could stop himself, Drake tilted Simone’s face up to his and pressed his mouth to hers.

She tasted just as sweet and delicious as he thought she would. Her lips were soft and pliant under his as she kissed him back, her tongue eagerly seeking his out.

Drake groaned and slid his hand into her hair, deepening the kiss. Simone sighed into his mouth, running her hands up the front of his shirt to grasp his shoulders. The feel of her touch was like a tonic to his deprived soul and he let out another groan, deeper this time.

He ran his free hand up her side and around to her breast, cupping it through the soft material of her dress. He couldn’t stop himself and apparently, Simone didn’t want him to. She moaned and arched against him. He could feel the heat of her pussy through their clothes as she pressed up against his hard cock. Damn, she felt good.

Drake drew her bottom lip into his mouth and gently suckled on it before slowly kissing his way along the delicate curve of her jaw. Simone clutched his shoulders and tilted her head back. He eagerly trailed a path of hot kisses down her neck, then back up, his mouth finding hers again. Simone looped her arms around his neck, pulling him in even closer as their tongues met.

Down the hall, a door slammed, reminding him where they were.

Drake dragged his mouth away from hers, his breathing ragged as he tried to regain control. He had to get it together because he was about five seconds away from doing something really stupid. Like taking her to bed. “I should go.”

Her lips curved into a sexy, flirtatious smile. “Or you could stay.”

God, how he wanted to. But as much as he’d love to spend the rest of the night exploring every inch of her body, he couldn’t take the chance he might go zombie on her right in the middle of sex. Talk about coitus interruptus, And it had already been almost four days since he last turned, which meant he was already pushing his luck.

“You don’t know how much I want to,” he groaned. “But I can’t.”

Simone looked up at him with those big, blue eyes. “Why not?”

“Because I…” He hesitated, trying to come up with something that would sound believable. “I have a column due in the morning and I haven’t even started on it yet.” She knew all about deadlines, so she would understand that. Besides, he did have a column to write, it just wasn’t due until next week. “Rain check?”

She looked disappointed, but she smiled anyway. “Absolutely. How does coming over for dinner tomorrow night sound?”

It would be crazy to agree when he could be so close to having an episode, but he couldn’t say no. Not when she asked in that soft, sultry voice. “Sounds great.”

“Good. Be here at seven.”

“Seven it is.”

She pulled him down for another long, slow kiss on the mouth. “Don’t be late.”

His mouth twitched. “I won’t.” He bent his head to kiss her again, then groaned. “If I don’t go now, I’ll be here all night.”

Simone laughed. “Would that be such a bad thing?”

“Not to me, but my editor at Money Issues might not be too understanding when he doesn’t find my column sitting in his inbox tomorrow.”

She sighed. “Deadlines can be a real pain in the butt sometimes. Okay, go home and write your column. I’ll cuddle up with a bowl of ice cream instead.”

He chuckled. “Sounds better than taking a cold shower, which is what I’m going to be doing when I get home.” He closed his mouth over hers once more. “See you tomorrow night, beautiful.”

Resisting the urge to pull her into his arms again, Drake turned and walked down the hallway toward the stairwell. At the top of the steps, he glanced over his shoulder to see Simone standing where he’d left her, a sexy curve to her lips.

It took every ounce of strength he possessed not to go back and pin her against the door for one more long, lingering kiss. God, what he wouldn’t give to spend the night with her. Man, it was going to take more than a cold shower to get her out of his head.




Hope you enjoyed the excerpt and that you can't wait to read more! You can get DEAD SEXY from Ellora's Cave at http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8917-dead-sexy.aspx

You can also check out the trailer here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5D_YH6bYrE


If you decide to pick up DEAD SEXY, let me know how you like it!


*hugs*
Paige

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/
http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/