Get C I N FREE

Readers still have a chance to receive C I N, the debut novel for FREE ( $2.99 value) with the purchase of the first e-short story, Donna Denning. OFFER EXPIRES JULY 15, 2012 (release date for book Two TRAITOR). Get two books for the the price of .99 now!

Blind Heat game and Giveaway Part 6 (adult)

Welcome to a some cool fun for a hot Sunday. To celebrate the release of Blind Heat, the second book in my Pantherian Passions series, I've set up a little game related to the story.

Our hero, Marcus St. Germaine has a habit he hasn't been able to kick. At the start of Blind Heat he gives into temptation and this time it gets him into trouble. I'll be sharing the first chapter in blog posts throughout the day. At the end of each post, I'll show you a picture and tell you the name of the blog where it's hidden. Simply email Master Bond ( the kinky French Chef from The Dungeon Gourmet) lemarquis.debond on gmail.com telling him where you found the picture. For every correct answer you send in, you'll get your name in the hat. The prize is your choice of my backlist:

The Tiger's Tale (First book in the Pantherian Passions Series)
The Dungeon Gourmet
Snatch Me

I'll announce the winner Monday morning on the Words, Women, Wisdom blog.
 Happy Hunting and good luck. I'll be checking back throughout the day, so if you have questions, leave them in the comments and I'll be along shortly with an answer.

Blind Heat: Excerpt 6

 Fortunately, medical labs came equipped with all the items he needed to keep from sprinkling his DNA everywhere, or leaving fingerprints. He started with a pair of latex gloves from the dispenser by the sink. He hesitated. There were cameras in the hall. More searching yielded scrubs and a lab coat, a medical mask and a paperclip. He pulled a little green cap over his hair and kept his head down when he stepped back into the hall.

He tuned back into the guard, the voice faint but just discernible. “That’s it, baby, touch yourself. Push those pretty fingers deep into your pussy. Let me hear how much you love fingering yourself.”

Marcus tried not to look, but the image was there in his mind unbidden, those slender fingers cupped over her sex, the languid look on her face, eyelids drooping. He heard every moan, imagined the slick, slurpy sound of female pussy tightening around thrusting fingers, the scent of her desire, the female tang against his tongue.

Marcus nearly moaned himself.

“Now stop,” the guard demanded.

Her eyes widened. Her whimper protested.

“I said stop.” His tone carried a faint trace of warning.

Marcus hauled his attention back on task. At the rate they were moving he could only count on them staying occupied another couple of minutes.

Marcus shuffled across the hall and dropped to his knees. As promised there was a concealed override. He slid the decorative cover back, inserted a paperclip into the spot and the door clicked open. He held his breath, waiting to see if opening the door might trigger any alarm.

If it had, the guy in the guardroom was oblivious. “If I was there, I’d rub that sweet honey from your pussy all over your nipples and lick it off.”

The paperclip slipped from Marcus’ fingers and pinged against the tile.

“Since I can’t do that I want to watch you do it. Such nice, big titties, I bet you can lick your own nipples.”

Marcus swiped at sweat on his brow with his sleeve, forced his mouth closed and clamped his teeth down on his aching tongue.

Move closer to the cam where I can see them. “Lovely, sugar. Lovely.”

They were lovely. Her nipples filled the screen, but they were a shade darker than the nail polish that had first caught his attention. “Speaking of attention…” he muttered. There were other places his needed to be. With a last, longing glance at nipples rolled between fingers and thumbs, sticky threads of liquid glistening between spread fingers when she dipped back in for more “honey”, Marcus slipped into the lab and closed the door.

A plaintive mew from the corner revealed the hybrid who’d called Marcus to her. The force of her personality had led him to believe she was bigger, close to his size. She was a small white domestic housecat—a long-hair with brilliant green eyes. She tried to get to her feet but a spasm of pain dropped her back into the straw on the floor of her cage. Her delicate frame strained to support a grotesquely distorted belly. He knew the source of her pain even before reading the chart attached to the cage. He should have known before now. That she’d managed to shield that from him, was a skill both admirable and alarming. He tugged a towel from the box they’d provided for her birthing, nudged the hybrid onto it, and wrapped her gently.

He turned away from the rows of gleaming eyes watching from other cages. Ignored the snuffles and thumps against the bars to gain his attention. He couldn’t save them all, but he could not leave parahuman infants in the hands of experimenters. He projected calm and visualized simple images of a safe place, which he hoped the mother could understand. She offered no resistance when he gave her head a reassuring pat and gathered her in his arms. Her eyes met his and locked his gaze, communicating both trust and uncanny intelligence.

Getting out wasn’t as complex as getting in, but more risky. He couldn’t take her down through the water. He chose the stairs again, though slower, he preferred them to being closed in the elevator. He never could separate far enough from his feline nature to be comfortable in an electronically controlled box. Hella, he decided as he bounded down the last set of stairs. The little hybrid had been a number in the lab, but he would give her a new name for her new life. Hella meant light, hope—there was little enough of that in her life up to now.

She mewed softly, her breath coming in short pants.

Just hold those kittens off a little longer. His thought fell on a semi-deaf mind, but there was no way to explain. Her mind existed in a reality without the boundaries of hours and minutes. And while those things she had no conception of impacted her life, she had no framework to comprehend a simple phrase like, Give me ten minutes, sweetheart and it will all be better.

He moved from the stairwell back into the basement. Depressing the button to raise the loading dock door didn’t sound any alarms. Security rarely tracked people exiting buildings. Marcus jumped from the dock into the parking lot, and his knees buckled— a sign of just how far his energy had been depleted.

He tried to reconnect with the guard but it was like seeing through fog, black silhouettes, distant and fuzzy, thoughts inaudible behind the buzz of pain in his body and Hella’s. He struggled back to his feet and limped across the parking lot into the woods. Once out of range of any outdoor cameras he stripped out of his clothes, bundled them around the cat for added warmth and forced his body into another shift. It was like trying to drive up a snow-covered hill, lose momentum and you slide back down. His energy shifted up and about a third of the way there plummeted earthward, leaving him naked, shivering, on his knees in the snow. He put a hand to the bundle containing Hella, nestled at the base of a tree. Her tiny pink tongue gave his finger an encouraging lick. Was he that pathetic that a laboring mother felt pity for him?

Pride swelled in his chest, pushed him past his own misery and back onto his feet. Before the cold gnawing at his bones could steal his power he snapped to the shifting plain and reappeared as a leopard. A slightly drunk leopard. Shifting so many times in such a short span had thrown off his sense of balance, destabilized his mind-body connection.

It took three tries to gather the corners of the towel in such a way that he could carry Hella in a sling with the towel between his teeth as if he were a feline version of the stork.

A stretch of woodland at the fringe of a public park was all that lay between him and his truck now. Hopefully there’d be enough energy restored by then to allow him to shift one last time and drive Hella to safety. Dawn light was slowly peeling back the cover of night. He needed the speed of four legs, the power of haunches that allowed him to leap streams, fallen logs, bound between rocks and hills. He managed a staggering lope.

He had just started across the trail winding between him and the pond when the sound of someone coming down the trail froze him in place. That he wouldn’t have been aware of that approach from the time he stepped out of the lab so stunned him, that he went still at the shock of it, costing precious time. He mentally sent Hella a warning, tucked her into a somewhat sheltered spot in the shadow of a bush and flattened himself in a patch of light and shadow pooled at the path’s edge. A leap to denser cover would likely have ended in a graceless belly flop that would attract the attention he sought to avoid. He went motionless, his caution telegraphing the seriousness of the danger so that Hella remained still and silent as well. The soft swoosh of shoes in snow grew in volume and a slender runner appeared at the bend in the trail.

He closed his eyes to thin slits, worried some light reflection of the liquid surface might give him away. His black and white coloring should mingle with the snow-patched ground, render him invisible. It didn’t.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



This one is hidden at NaraMalone.com

Writing Playlist (It's Music, Man)!

Music Saves My  Soul, by ~F-AYN-T

I blame movies.

We're used to actions scenes with bombastic brass, tender scenes with violins singing in the background (or synthesizers, if you're as old as I am), Bad Boy scenes with some kind of dropped bass and/or electric guitar.

All my scenes tend to have music. I don't always listen to it when I'm writing or editing, but I almost always do it better when I have mad tunes playing.

(Warning: YouTube links abound. What, you didn't think I'd mention music without giving you a chance to HEAR it, did you?)

The Sundered's playlist varied a lot, depending on the scene. Sometimes, it was moving, powerful, evocative and heroic (a la Two Steps From Hell: Heart of Courage). Sometimes, it was intimate and gentle, like That Dress Looks Nice On You, bu Sufjan Stevens or Lullaby by Assemblage 23. Sometimes I went for exotic and beautiful, like La neige au Sahara by Anggun ("Snow on the Sahara" - she has an English version, but she sings SO much better in her original language).

I chose odd things like Depth of Mercy by Kenosis paired with Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3.  I did lots of Apocalyptica (like Romance).

I even went on a Bad Romance (Lady Gaga) kick once (don't judge me). I made up for it with truly awesome things like Mari Boine (Gula Gula) and Lenore by Yunyu.

What about you? What kind of music do you like to listen to? Do you read to it, write to it, bathe to it, exercise to it? Tell me in the comments! I'd love to know.

---

THE SUNDERED – now available from Amazon:

A young man must decide who survives –
humanity, or the humanity's broken slaves.

Trade Paperback || Kindle || Read chapter one here!

Giveaway Time!

I have a confession. I love discounts, favors, freebies, coupons, early bird specials, and virtually anything that makes me feel like I got something you didn't. That said, here's something that can serve the same purpose for you: an eBook copy of Crimson Footprints in the format of your choice. Here's the deal. In order to win a copy, you must post a reply on this thread. A reply to what? Teehee. Pick one:


1. Famously hot guy or girl (I don't judge)  from a race other than your own,
2. Three super sexy traits the ideal romance hero/heroine should have,
3. Or finish this sentence. "I love me some...(romance related, of course). 


Oh, and here's the blurb in case you forgot what you were entering to win:


Crimson Footprints
When an insecure woman begins a cloak-and-dagger love affair with a Japanese American man, she is intent on keeping her bigoted family in the dark albeit with devastating consequences. On the night of her brother s murder, Deena Hammond stumbles upon Takumi Tanaka, lost and on the wrong end of a .32. After rescuing him from the certain fate driving through the hood in a Porsche will bring, a sweet kind of friendship begins. A balm for her grief. Maybe, Deena likes to think, it happened the day her white mother killed her black father. Or maybe, it was always a part of them, like DNA gone bad. Whatever the case, Deena knows that her family would never approve, hell, never acknowledge her fast-growing love for Takumi. And had he never made love to her that way, in that unraveling, soul-searching sort of way, she could've done the same. But love's a devil that way. So, their game begins. One where they hide what they are from everyone. Anyone. And Tak understands this for now. After all, Deena's career hinges on the favor of her mentor and boss, his hard-ass of a father. And the Hammond family is already stretched thin with grief. Yet, each step Deena takes toward family and career brings her closer to an acceptance she s never had. And away from him.


Amazon: http://amzn.to/KGTeZE
For Your Favorite eReader: http://bit.ly/LwN2Eo
Twitter: @ShewandaP
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/LoVWjJ
To Blow Me More Kisses: www.shewandapugh.com

Casting Call for Amber Lin's Giving It Up

I've had three people say that Giving It Up should be made into a movie, and I think all three of those people are very smart and awesome ;-) Coincidence? I THINK NOT.

Well okay, there's a lot of sex. Could it work? Honestly, if they wanted to make an X-rated movie, I would not be averse ;-)

One personal actually specified that it could be made by Tim Burton, and if it were animated, that would at least solve the issue of how to get all that sexytime angst onto the big screen. Plus there's the fact that he's an all around film-making genius, so I'm sure he could make anything work.

But in the case of a regular silver screen movie, let's talk casting. First I need someone to play Allie. She's young-ish with a girl next door appeal. However, she's also a bit sarcastic at times, and brash, and VULNERABLE. Contradictions, she has them. Plus she needs to go sexpot when she's all dolled up.

I think Ellen Paige would be fantastic in this role, because she's got the perfect look and of course she's a great actress.

Colin's a little more difficult. He's really rough, looks mean and cold. Basically he's a lot more rugged than any of the guys in Hollywood :) However, someone who I think would be great in this role is Channing Tatum. He definitely has the bulk required to fit the role, and he could probably be muddied up to suit Colin's rugged appeal ;-)

I love how serious he is in that picture... *shivers*

So that was a fun trip down imaginary lane. Hmm, now I'm comparing their pictures to my book cover...what do you think? It could work, right? ;-) Don't forget to stop by my first post of the day, where you can comment to win a copy of Giving It Up.

GIVING IT UP by Amber Lin

Allie prowls the club for a man who will use her hard and then ditch her. Hey, it's not rape if she wants it. Instead she finds Colin, who looks tough but treats her tenderly, despite her protests.

He tempts her, but kindness and a few mindblowing orgasms aren't enough to put her back together again. Allie has no hope for a real relationship. Two years ago her best friend betrayed her in the worst possible way – she’d be stupid to trust a man again. Besides, she has her daughter to think of, the only good thing to have come from that dark night.

But when her rapist returns, threatening her sanity and custody of her daughter, Allie turns to Colin. Under his protection and patient touch, Allie begins to heal and learns to hope. Colin’s no saint, though, and his criminal past draws danger of its own. Allie must fight to protect her child and the man she loves, hoping her newfound power will be enough to save them all.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: dubious consent.

“Giving It Up is original, affecting, emotionally draining, but well worth reading if you are brave enough to go along for the ride.”
—Annabel Joseph, author of Comfort Object

“A ballsy departure from romantic conventions. At once gritty and tender, stark and hopeful.”
—Cara McKenna, author of Willing Victim

“Giving It Up is an erotic, compelling story that takes us to the shadowy, lonely places but doesn’t leave us there. Amber Lin shows us that romance isn’t just for the rich and shiny. Love can find its way even into the dark corners of the most damaged hearts.”
—Tiffany Reisz, author of The Siren

“This is a book you MUST read if you like gritty, edgier romance that makes you think as well as turns you on.”
—Cari Quinn, USA Today Bestselling Author of No Dress Required

“Every page is chock full of sexy, angsty must-read-moreness.”
—Karla Doyle, author of Game Plan

“Giving It Up is a gritty, real romance that deals in an honest way with what happens to sexuality in the aftermath of rape…. Read it. You won’t be sorry.”
—Ruthie Knox, author of About Last Night

“Dark and edgy…but don’t be fooled. There’s a wonderful love story running through this book. Sharp, intense writing, sexy as hell, and such a cool idea!”
—Charlotte Stein, author of Sheltered

Book trailer and excerpt: http://givingitupbook.com/

Author website: http://authoramberlin.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/authoramberlin

Also, be sure to check out the Giving It Up release giveaway, where you can win cool prizes whether you've read Giving It Up or not!

AN EXPLOSIVE FIRST DATE (AND A GIVEAWAY)

Collin and Beth's first date is abruptly cut short when a mad man bent on revenge blows up their hometown. And this is only the beginning of their action-packed relationship...

Collin watched the glow in Beth's eyes as she talked to members of the orchestra. The delicate lavender color of her formal gown and the diamond clips in the upswept curls of her hair enhanced her physical beauty. However, it was the love of music sparkling in her conversation that really captured Collin's attention. 

Why had she neglected music? he wondered. Surely she could carve out time for something she so clearly loved in addition to running a restaurant.

Well, he would make sure their time together included the orchestra she enjoyed so much. And he did intend to spend time with Beth, Collin realized. Though this was their first actual date, it seemed he had known her forever. 

Inwardly, Collin took a step back. Such fanciful thoughts for a man whose life was devoted to a job requiring deadly focus and split second decision-making. 

The vibration of the cell phone in his pocket clearly reminded Collin of that job. Caller ID showed this interruption was a serious one.

He excused himself and went to the lobby to take the call. His team leader offered few details but to report ASAP.

Collin returned to the table and apologized to Beth. "Something's come up and I need to go."

He paused and frowned, irritated a call-out was pulling him away from the most pleasant evening he had enjoyed in recent memory. "I'm so sorry."

The sparkle in Beth's eyes turned to worry. "Is everything alright?"

If everything was alright, the SWAT team wouldn't be activated. But Collin couldn't say that. He couldn't destroy Beth's innocent concern. "One of the drawbacks of my job is being on call 24/7."

"Oh." Beth rose to her feet.

The scent of her flowery shampoo filled Collin's senses and sizzled through his body. She stood close enough he would only have to take a step forward to fold her in his arms. To protect her from the angry and distraught and plainly malevolent people he met every day on his job. 

"Do you mind driving my truck back to Halo after I stop at the station? I won't have time to make the trip."

Doubtful hesitation crinkled across Beth's face. "If you don't mind."

"I mind leaving you without a proper escort home."

Collin drove quickly to the station and pulled into a parking spot. Then he cupped Beth's face between his hands and kissed her gently. As the seconds ticked away, his cell phone vibrated again. 

He had to leave. He allowed one more moment of regret, then said goodnight, and strode inside to confront whatever emergency was once again claiming his life.

Irritation swirled through Collin as he entered the station. Beth was the first woman who had captured his attention for a very long time, and he had to cut short their date for a call-out. This had better be good.

A mass of organized chaos greeted Collin.

"About time you showed up, O'Shea." His team leader frowned. "We've got a town blowing up. We're sending all the manpower we can spare."

"What town?" Collin shrugged into his camouflage jacket.

"Halo."

Collin froze as a crystal clear image of Beth lodged in his mind. She was driving straight into a disaster.

To find out more about LIVING THE LEGACY and the other books of the Legacy Series, as well as how you can win weekly gift certificates or a grand prize at the end of the month, please visit my LEGACY blog at <http://oshealegacyseries.blogspot.com/>. 

Posted by Genie Gabriel <www.GenieGabriel.com>.

Dealing With the Word "No"

Getting a "no" can be rough.

Each time you get a "no" (be it for a job interview, an application to your favorite school, an audition for a part in a movie or play) it can really feel like that was it - the end. You'll never have another chance.

You will. I'm going to share two really simple (though challenging) things that kept me going through all the "no's," until I finally had my "yes."

Pull through

Churchill said it best: when you're going through hell, keep going.

Unless someone was going to chop your head off for failing that audition/not passing that exam/not snagging that literary agent, guess what? It's not the end. There will always be another chance. Keep going. Get ready to try again. Pull through the pain of that "no," and find the light on the other side.

The thing is, in order to keep going, you need to make a VERY important attitude adjustment.

Look Beyond

This is essential: do not set your heart on a one-time thing that might or might not come to pass.

Let's say your goal is to be a writer. Define that. When you say, "a writer," do you mean "writing things that move other people the way my favorite books have moved me?" Or do you mean, "being rich and famous and everybody knows my name?"

The latter goal might or might not happen. It's not in your control. Something like fame is entirely dependent on the market, on other people's money and time and interests, on competition, and things that you absolutely cannot affect no matter how hard you try.

But if your goal is to write, to create, to weave stories that people love to read… you can do that. That's a goal you can always strive to reach.

If an agent didn't want you, you can still be an amazing writer.

If you didn't win a contest, you can still be an amazing writer.

If you don't sell enough copies to pay off your house, guess what? You can still be an amazing writer… and the people who do read you will know it, and love you for it.

Look beyond the small goal you didn't reach.  Make sure you have a bigger one – one that isn't dependent on one single event.
Pull through. Look beyond. In fact, you know what? Here are two videos that say it better than I ever could.

Part One: It's Going to Suck - AT FIRST

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Part Two: Even When You Stop Sucking, It'll Take a While - AND THAT'S OKAY

Compare Your Life To Pixar from Josh Mirman on Vimeo.

---

THE SUNDERED – now available from Amazon:

A young man must decide who survives –
humanity, or the humanity's broken slaves.

Trade Paperback || Kindle || Read chapter one here!