Monday, May 2, 2011

And let's have a teasing taste of Downstroke

Caution: Adult excerpt

Just released last month from Ellora's Cave and now available at all virtual book stores.


It’s been twenty years since Charley Roper and Dallas Creed parted with great bitterness. In that time she’s made a career for herself with the FBI and private security and he’s been a country rock music icon…tumbled to the bottom and risen again. Now someone’s trying to kill him and Morgan Creed wants Charley to protect his brother and find out who’s after him. When they meet again after all this time it’s obvious the chemistry is still there, stronger than ever. They’re older but are they wiser? Caught up in the bitter wash of memories and the tension of a killer in stalking mode, Charley and Dallas begin a roller coaster ride that is emotional erotic and suspenseful.  Is their love strong enough after twenty years to pull them back together? 

Excerpt:
The night had a magical quality to it, a perfect Texas night with stars blinking against a black velvet sky. A very soft breeze stirred the air, chasing away the last heat of the day. The sense of expectancy in the outdoor concert facility was nearly palpable. Anticipation fairly zapped through the air like bolts of energy. I could even feel it myself, the kind of feeling you got on Christmas morning when you ran downstairs, or when you were right on the brink of the most outstanding orgasm you’d ever had. Seventy-five hundred people moved restlessly in their seats in front of me. An almost equal amount were spread out on the rise of the hill behind me, drinking and staring at the stage with binoculars, even though at the moment there was nothing to see. They were all waiting for the same thing.
The curtain was drawn across the stage, heightening the edge of expectancy. Especially for me, much as I hated to admit it. What was behind there? What was his band like now after they’d tasted success once and were back on top with him again?
I could feel the energy sizzling through the crowd. Well, why not? If nothing else, Dallas Creed had always had an electric presence. Add in the staging, his suck-my-tongue voice and the electricity of his music and you had a knockout winner.
The soft notes of a viola floated in the air from behind the curtain, joined immediately by violins, and I wondered what the hell? Violins? Then I realized it was a synthesizer. And obviously a damn good musician coaxing music from it. The sound that mimicked violins seemed to hold the audience in thrall, as if they were expectantly awaiting a grand moment. The music built and built as the magician behind the synthesizer added the full-throated sounds of woodwinds and the rich tones and powerful chords of an organ, swelling to a crescendo. The last note held and held and held, flowing out into the crowd, pulling at us as if to say, Wait for it, it’s coming.
Then I heard the familiar first downstroke of the rhythm guitars as they began the intro to the first song. The curtain drew back slowly to reveal the band onstage, the bass guitar and keyboards now adding their voices, the drums accenting them with a syncopated beat.
All sound ended abruptly and the crowd stilled for a breathless moment. The band launched into a rich intro to one of Dallas’ hits, an upbeat tune called Cowboys Get It Right, a song I realized the synthesizer had laid the foundation for. The spotlight came up and the man himself jogged onto the stage.
To my dismay, my traitorous heart tripped at the sight of him and an emotion I refused to name clogged my throat. Dallas Creed was definitely a lot older, forty-three to the twenty-three he’d been the last time I saw him in person. Newspaper photos had kept me up with his aging process, but no picture could do justice to the energy still radiating from this man. The energy that had drawn me to him in the first place.
And damn it. I still wanted him as badly as I had years ago. Wanted his hands on me, stroking my body. His mouth on my breasts, sucking them and nipping them the way he used to, the way that drove me so wild. His cock inside me, thrusting in and out with slow, powerful strokes, coaxing me from one orgasm to the next.
Hell and damnation.


Calen (BK 1 My Soul To Keep Trilogy) by Rie McGaha



Blurb:

When Calen MacLeod begins having dreams of an ethereal beauty who beckons to him, he passes it off as just having an itch he hasn't scratched in a long time. But when he leaves on a journey to find her, following the directions she's given him in his dreams, he begins to doubt his sanity. And when he finds himself high in the Mackinaw Mountains in a secret fortress with unicorns and a pink and white castle, surrounded by women, each one more beautiful than the next, it's a fantasy no man would want to wake up from. But Arianna is the only woman for Calen.

The women of the Fortress have lived in peace, hidden away from the humans who tried to annihilate them all. But now a 500-year-old demon is out to destroy the women's matriarch, Ariella, and he'll stop at nothing to complete his mission. When Calen MacLeod shows up, he throws a wrench into Damon's plans. Never let it be said Damon isn't ready for anything, but when he kidnaps Arianna and takes her to modern day San Francisco, is he ready to meet Calen, who will stop at nothing to save his ladylove?

Calen by Rie McGaha - EXCERPT
Calen dipped under the water to rinse and came up with a splash, and almost choked when he saw her standing at the water's edge, staring at him. Afraid to move a muscle, he feared she'd disappear if went toward her. He watched, mesmerized as she raised her hands and slipped the thin gown off her shoulders, letting it pool on the ground at her feet. He made a strangled sound as he drank in the sight of her nude body. Never had he seen anyone so beautiful. She took one slow, careful step at a time until she stood less than arm's length from him. Silent and still, he held his breath.
She reached out to him, placed her hand on his bare chest, and let her fingers slide beneath the water over his stomach. He placed his hand over hers and stepped into her. Reaching for her, he touched her silky hair, and let his fingers fall to her shoulders. She was so small, he thought as he looked down at her, the water that barely reached his ribcage rose to her chest, causing her breasts to float and making hard peaks of her nipples.
He grasped her around the waist and lifted her to him. Her hands laced around his neck, weaving through his hair as his mouth met hers and he drank. She opened to him with a sigh and wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands fisted in her hair, pulling her head back as he took the kiss deeper. The air sizzled and popped, the earth tilted, and the wind whipped the branches of the trees. Desire ripped through him, and he pressed her, demanded more from her, and she gave willingly.
His mouth bruised hers as their tongues mated, and his hands slid down her back, over her bottom, and he lifted her. The tip of his hardness pressed against her; with one movement he could be buried deep inside of her. A growl rose from his chest as he fought the urge to slam into her. He would not take her like this, not the first time. So he forced himself to break the kiss, to pull back, and sucked in a lung-full of air. She tilted her head as he looked into her eyes.
"Not like this," he said on a ragged breath and carried her through the water to the bank. He scooped up the gown she'd worn and carried her to the bed he'd made by the fire. He set her on the pallet and used a clean shirt to dry her, then slid under the blanket and pulled her in close to him. She curved into his body like she'd been made for him. He rose on one elbow and looked deep into her eyes.
"I don't even know your name." He kissed her forehead, her eyelids, and her cheeks.
"Arianna," she said softly.
"Arianna." He repeated her name reverently, like a prayer.
He kissed her again, gently, and sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and the kiss went deeper. She followed him, kissing him back like it was something they'd done time after time. Moving his hand down her body, over her flat stomach, and down her legs to the soft flesh of her inner thighs, his fingers searched, until she shifted, and he found the center of her heat. He moved a finger over her, and the downy hair parted for him as she raised her hips to him.
While gently stroking her clitoris, he watched her face. She gasped, and her eyes flew open. Gazing into her clear, blue eyes, he continued to stroke her. When she gave in to the sensation, her eyes glazed, and he slipped a finger inside her. His tongue flicked over his lips, then he kissed her again, while she wrapped her fingers in his hair and lifted her hips, writhing beneath him. Stroking the taut little nub, he brought her ever closer to the edge, until she dug her nails into his skin and arched beneath him, shouting her release.
Moving up her body, he sucked a nipple into his mouth and laved it gently as he positioned himself between her legs. When she looked up at him from beneath thick lashes, a contented smile curving her lips he slid into her slowly, stopping when she gasped. He kissed her temples, inhaled the scent of her hair, and forced himself to remain still until she relaxed again. He entered her little by little, stopping when he met the barrier of her virginity.
"It's going to hurt you," he whispered hoarsely. "I'm sorry, but it'll only be for a moment."
"I know." She kissed his lips and ran a finger over his brow.
"Hold on to me." He pushed into her, and she sucked in a breath at the intrusion. He stilled, allowed her to adjust to him and then moved slowly until he was buried inside of her. "Are you all right?"
"Mmmm," she purred, "more than all right."
"You feel so good." He moaned and pressed into her as far as he could. He moved. She moved.
"Just like that," she murmured.



Dancing with Fate - Excerpt #4

This is from one of the earlier chapters of the story, before Terpsichore and Myrddin meet, when she believes her mission is over - when really it is just about to begin!


I'll draw a winner from everyone who comments on my posts at the party! (Please leave your email address or a means of contact if you wish to be included)


How long had it been since she was last in this place? On Olympus, time meant little to a god, but in the land of mortals it was different. Terpsichore took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air and looked around. The grass seemed a little greener, the leaves on the trees darker, thicker. The season was drawing on toward summer. She studied the sky, the color of the bluebells which had carpeted the clearing when she first arrived, now replaced by blossoms of many different hues. A few wisps of cloud drifted lazily across and the air shimmered, warm and still.

Terpsichore was content. She'd travelled the length of Cymru and inspired men and women to dance again. Whenever she came across a receptive individual, she'd given her gift and they in turn encouraged others to dance. The shadows of war had lifted for a while, and once more, the land was filled with music and the delight of movement. She'd finished her task. Of course, the time would come when Cymru would again need to rise up against her oppressors and the hills would echo with the sound of fighting. Wales, land of song, would once more know sorrow. However, Terpsichore had chosen those she inspired with care. The music of Wales would not die again. This time, they would not let her down. The joy of the dance would remain whatever befell these people. Her mission completed, she could return to Olympus.

The sound of the waterfall behind her caught her attention. Oh, how she missed the spring of Hippocrene, created when Pegasus struck the rock of the Helicon Mountain with his hoof and the crystal water poured forth. Beautiful as this country was, it would be good to be home. She turned and gazed at the water tumbling down the mountainside in a frenzy of white froth, the spray catching the rays cast by Helios, making rainbows dance in the clear air. The water called to her—she was, after all, like her sisters, a water nymph. She longed to immerse herself in its cooling spray, to be as one with the living water.

"What harm can it do? Cleanse yourself—rid your body of the dust of Earth before returning to Olympus. "

The voice in her mind was all too familiar. "Dionysus! What are you doing here? Get out of my mind"
"Certainly, dear sister, would you prefer me to materialize in all my glory?"

Before she could answer, he appeared, seated upon a rock, his ever-present maenads fawning at his feet.

He held out a goblet of wine. "You seem in poor spirits, sister. Have a drink; it will put you in a better humor."
"My humor’s  fine, Dionysus. I'm about to go home. I don't need any of your wine." She turned her head away from the sight of the maenads drunkenly running their hands over his body.

All at once, the purity of the day seemed tainted. How had he found her? Was it he who had eavesdropped upon her conversation with Apollo? She sighed. Somehow, she did not think so. Dionysus in his state of permanent intoxication could hardly have moved so stealthily, nor concealed his retinue of women followers.
Dionysus hiccupped loudly, causing the vines around his neck to bounce and rustle.

Again, he held out the goblet of wine. "Oh, we are 'Miss Prim and Proper' today, aren't we? Go on, lighten up, take a sip, it won't hurt you." He learned toward her, his handsome, if somewhat effeminate features wearing an innocent expression that belied the glint in his blue eyes. "After all, you wouldn't want to upset your brother, would you?"

Terpsichore refrained from commenting that he was, in fact, only one of her many half-brothers. She pursed her lips, reached for the goblet and took a small sip, before handing it back. It did not do to offend the god. She recalled that despite his affable manner, he had a dark side and it was better not rub him up the wrong way. "Thank you. Now, I really must be leaving."

His smile was more of a smirk. "All right, I can take a hint. If I were you, I'd have a good long soak in that pool before you go. Go on, you know you want to."

He lurched unsteadily to his feet, causing one of his Maenads to loose her hold on him, and fall over, giggling. He grabbed her arm and moments later they all disappeared like mist in the heat of a summer's day.
To Hades with her demented half-brother.  She pursed her lips. The more she thought about it, the more the allure of the water drew her to it. She should never have taken that wine—not even a sip. Who knew what enchantment he'd put in it?

She shrugged. What was she thinking? She was her own goddess, wasn't she? If she wanted to bathe, she would. She certainly didn't need any charmed wine to make her decisions for her. In an instant, her Celtic clothing melted away.




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Crack the Whip!

Excecrpt:


“So maybe if you tell me how it happened, I’ll answer your question about me.”

“Fair enough.” He set his cup back in the saucer. “Remember Chad Willoughby, my college roommate?”

Katie nodded.

“Chad’s brother was into the life big time. When Chad graduated from law school, he got Chad a guest pass at the private fetish club he belonged to and said he could bring a friend.” He looked down. “I’d…been to a club twice before when we were together. But never did any more than watch,” he added quickly. “That’s when I brought everything up to you. I was fascinated with the lifestyle and wanted us to try some of these things together.” His grin was rueful. “My idea didn’t work out so well, as I remember.”

“No. It didn’t.” If only she hadn’t reacted so badly. “So what happened at the club?

“It seemed I was finally going to experience the things I’d only fantasized about. Chad’s brother arranged for each of us to have a sub for the evening along with a trained instructor.” He paused to sip more coffee.

“And?” she prompted.

“To be blunt about it, I discovered a desire for it I didn’t even know I had. It was the most explosive night I’d ever had sexually. And that’s taking nothing away from what you and I had together.”

“But you wanted more.” Oh, she was sure of that. She felt a trap opening, yawning like a big hole before her. “On a regular basis.”

“I did. A lot more. And more often. I for sure couldn’t look for action anywhere around the Hill Country. You know how conservative the ranching community is. Not even my brothers know about my…preferences.”

Katie gave him a quizzical look. “So what did you do?”

“Joined the club in Tampa Chad’s brother took us to. They have an arrangement for guest privileges in other clubs around the country. I…took a lot of business trips.” He stopped to take another swallow of coffee.

“Your brothers didn’t ask questions?”

He shook his head. “I timed my trips to coincide with legitimate business. Conventions. Meetings. Whatever.” His eyes raked over her face possessively. “But here’s the plain truth. I really wanted you, Katie. I wanted it all. You and the life.”

“Which is what led to the scene in our hotel room.” When she so childishly ran away. It wasn’t just the things themselves he was proposing. It was the total implication, the fear that she could lose herself in him completely. A very dangerous edge.

He grinned. “Yeah. That was some scene. I still remember how you looked, spread out…”

“Stop.” She held up her hand. “That’s not what I meant. Can we stick to the conversation at hand?”

The look he gave her nearly incinerated her dress. “Afraid to talk about it, sugar?”

How about a hot cowboy with a whip?

Just released By The Wild Rose Press/Wilder Roses
Buy here:http://thewildrosepress.com/wilderroses/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=87&products_id=822
Also available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Fictionwise and All Romance eBooks

When rancher Reece Halliday met the new manager of his fetish club, Rawhide, he was shocked to see Katie Warren, the woman he'd loved and lost because of his sexual preferences. But a lot of time has passed and Katie has discovered the lure and satisfaction of BDSM—including the pleasurable sting of the single tail whip. Will Reece be able to lure her back into his arms—and bed—when he cracks the whip during their private sessions? 

More about Hard Lovin'


But it at Ellora's Cave
www.jasminejade.com
Release date: May 11

Maybe going off with a stranger was a stupid thing to do but she as finally learning to trust her own instincts. And they told her she’d be safe with Grady Sinclair.
 “Not tonight.” She smiled at him. “Let’s go.”
He held out his hand to her and linked his fingers with hers. An incredible sense of rightness flowed over her, wrapping around her like a blanket. A peace she hadn’t felt since, well, just since. When they reached his pickup—dark grey and definitely well used—Grady leaned her against the passenger door. He stood there for a moment, one warm hand on her knee.
“You sure about this, darlin’?”
“I am.” Oh, yes. Inexplicably, unbelievably sure.
Grady cupped her face and kissed her. He kept it gentle at first but then passion, that wily beast, gripped them both and he sent his tongue deep, drinking her sexy sigh, loving the feel of her breath on his face. They were alone in the night, so he drew her against him loving the way her breasts settled against the worn cotton of his tee shirt.
Raw edgy lust was etched on his face. “Your name. Tell me your name.”
Tell him her name? But that made this so personal.
Well, dummy, this is personal! He’s taking you home to his bed where he’ll probably fuck your brains out. How can you be so stupid? Don’t you ever learn?
But she didn’t feel the risk. Not like there had been with Cal. She felt almost…protected. And what was that all about?
She wet her lips. “It’s Erin. Erin Braddock.”
Damn. Should I have told him my last name? What if he’s heard of my Daddy and calls him? Everyone kisses Rance Braddock’s ass. No. That’s not who he is. I just know that.
“Erin.” It sounded musical on his lips. “Beautiful. Like you. Maybe I’ll write a song about Erin. You’re so damn sweet. I just have to kiss you.”
He cupped her head, his hands gentle, as his mouth lightly touched hers. He seemed to be kissing her by degrees, waiting at each step to see if she’d bolt and run. To see if she could fall into this.  Muted sounds from the crowd filtered outside joining the song of crickets and passing traffic. None of it mattered. Just her and this man, a total stranger but yet not a stranger. Someone who seemed to have been waiting in her heart to come out at the right time.
At last, when they were both gasping, he opened the door of the truck and handed her up into the seat as if she were a piece of precious cargo. He grinned, swept a kiss over her mouth then checked her seat belt and closed the door.
They rode in silence, neither of them seeming to need conversation, comfortable with the quietness. Grady’s room was in a huge old-fashioned house in an older neighborhood in San Antonio.
“I was lucky,” he told her, leading her quietly up an outside flight of stairs. “I got the room with its own entrance. And the only one with its own bathroom. I think it belonged to her son once, or something.”
He unlocked the door, reached inside to flick on a light switch for the bedside lamp and ushered her into a large bedroom furnished with sturdy, time-worn furniture. The only modern touch was a small television on the dresser.
Erin pointed to it. “Is that yours?”
He shook his head. “The landlady provides one for every room. She’s great.” He leaned his guitar case carefully in one corner, then turned to face her, his hands gentle on her shoulders. “Are you sure about this, Erin?”
Mutely she nodded.
“I can still take you back to your truck. Just say the word.”
So different from Cal, who’d never seemed to give her a choice. Or T.J., who tiptoed around her as if she’d shatter any minutes. Grady was making it plain he wanted her but the choice was hers.
“I don’t want to go back,” she told him.
“Good.” He let out a long, slow breath. “Because I have to tell you, I can’t wait to get you in that bed.”

Sam Cheever launches her first Young Adult Fantasy!


Hey Everybody!

I couldn't let this new release party pass without mentioning my new Young Adult release. It hit cyber shelves on Saturday and I'm very excited about it! Here's a little taste:

~~*~~

Queen of Environment Club
Young Adult Fantasy
by s.i. decker (a.k.a. Sam Cheever #:0)

Rosalee Tatiana thought she was just an ordinary high school junior. She thought her biggest problem was finding a way to stand out from the crowd. But then she joined Environmental Club. Suddenly she had all sorts of new problems. Sexy fairy dudes showing up everywhere…fatally puffy toddlers…murderous litter…and a secret place beneath her favorite park where she discovered two things: one, her dad looks pretty good in a tunic, and two, life as a fairy can be a dangerous business!

~~*~~

Pert and pretty Sandra Smithers swayed up to the podium at the front of the room and placed a sheaf of papers onto the document rest. I figured the pages were covered with stick-man portrayals of Seth Parker, our uber-handsome quarterback football star, whom she was dating. Sandra could barely speak the English language, let alone write it.

That’s not to say Sandra was from another country. She wasn’t. She’d been born just a few miles from Forest High. But when she was growing in her mother’s womb, all the DNA, including the junk that was supposed to go to her brain, had apparently been hijacked to build Sandra’s phenomenal physical attributes. Her boob DNA had apparently sold real estate to her brain DNA with claims that it was softer and more comfortable there. Whatever. The end result was that Sandra’s physical attributes made boys forget to breathe and swallow their spit…and her brain struggled just to remember her name.

And now she was going to address the room.

I couldn’t wait.

“Um.” Sandra began. Boys stopped whatever they were doing and sucked in air, just in case their lungs ceased to function.

Sandra giggled and her boobs danced happily.

Drool could be heard hitting the tiles all around the room.

“Um, okay.”

Sandra was on a roll. She glanced at her friend Becca Fromme, who, though very pretty in a normal, non-breath stealing and drool free way, had normal brain DNA.

“Why-are-we-here?” Becca mouthed audibly.

Sandra giggled again and bronchial tubes around the room twisted in airless agony. “This is Environmental Club.” Sandra’s pretty pink lips curved in a smile that showed all of her perfect white teeth. “Welcome!”

Sandra swayed back to her seat and, almost as one, the boys in the room sucked air and swallowed.

I looked at Cia and she grinned.

Becca took the podium next and began stating the rules and goals of the club. I listened carefully and Cia made notes.

Nobody else made notes. But I was glad Cia did so I could look at them later in case I forgot something. I was really gonna give this environmental thing a good run. Hopefully I could finally succeed at something I tried.

Despite my good intentions, as Becca droned on I started to fade. My stomach grumbled and I looked around guiltily, hoping nobody else had heard.

That’s when I noticed him.

I’m not sure how I’d missed him up to that point. I mean he was sitting right next to me and he was the male version of Sandra Smithers. When I looked at him my lungs clenched and drool pooled in my mouth.

Refusing to lower myself to the subhuman strata of the human male, I forced myself to swallow.

He turned to me when my gaze landed on him and grinned, showing me a deep dimple on each cheek and soft silver-gray eyes with long, auburn colored lashes. His eyes sparkled when he smiled.

He was a total hottie.

I looked at Cia and jerked my head, rolling my eyes in his direction helpfully. Cia looked at me as if I’d lost my mind and returned to her note taking.

I turned back and he was gone.

Hmmm. What up? I wrenched myself around in my seat and looked toward the door, just in time to watch the heel of a black sneaker disappear around the edge of the door.

All I could do was wonder why he’d left so suddenly.

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~~*~~
Sam
Magic, Adventure, Love on the Run
www.SamCheever.com
"Ms. Cheever writes with class, humor and lots of fun
while weaving an excellent story." The Romance Studio