I'm clearly having one of those days

So, today we were supposed to have a really fabulous blog by another author about writing love in YA books. I screwed up and now it is not posting.

Sigh.

Have you ever had one of those days either in writing or life? Nothing you do goes exactly as you would like it to?

Today, I am able to write in spurts and stops. I'm lacking concentration.

How are all of you?

My Apologies...

Sorry for the delay today folks. Blogger is playing tricks with me again and a blog that should have uploaded, never did.

Be back in a minute....

Rebecca

Portia Da Costa: Walking on the Wild Side Books

A Walk on the Wild Side Books presentation

Blurb:

Portia Da Costa presents five short, sexy works that have also been published as standalones, all bundled together in a naughty medley offering over 40,500 steamy words at a super value price, half the cost of buying all the individual items separately!

This frisky erotic potpourri includes tales of BDSM, exhibitionism, m/m, m/f/m, an office lust/hate relationship... and zombies! Obviously not all those elements are in one story... but who knows, one day that might be one helluva project to tackle!

Here's the lineup:

The Efficiency Expert - erotic short story

Still stinging from a stringent management review at her workplace, office girl Susie encounters the very last man she wants to meet when she hits her favorite bar to relax and unwind. Gorgeous Noah Stevens is the ruthless company troubleshooter who's been making her life hell for the past three weeks, but after hours, he soon proves that his dedication to "efficiency" can work wonders in the bedroom.

Glint - short story of exhibitionism and voyeurism

While enjoying a lazy day at the beach, sexy holidaymakers Suzy and Gavin see a sudden glint of light flash from the headland overlooking their patch of sand, and realize that somebody's watching them through a pair of binoculars! Far from being alarmed, hedonistic Suzy finds the forbidden scrutiny deliciously exciting, and turned on by her own latent exhibitionism, she and Gavin decide to put on a titillating performance… and really give the distant voyeur something to watch!

Wesley and the Sex Zombies - erotic horror short story

Computer wizard Wesley Greensward is having a terrible day. His girlfriend is cheating, his best friend has let him down and he hates his job. Then, in a grungy motorway service café, a vision of unearthly loveliness walks into his life. It's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen... and the most beautiful man.

But while Wesley weaves an erotic fantasy about these two mysterious and delectable strangers, Luciferia and Maximillian are plotting and planning too... and their arcane scheme might mean the end of Wesley's life!

Forbidden Treasures - BDSM novelette

When Alice Porter finds a chest full of vintage curiosa at an antique market, she little realizes how her discovery of the forgotten treasures of an Edwardian disciplinarian will change her life. The sexy hoard includes a punishment ledger and a well used rattan cane, and the bygone items intrigue her husband Julian too. Sharing and experimenting with the writings and the wicked implement, the lovers begin a voyage of forbidden sensuality that shocks and thrills them both, revealing dark secrets from Julian's past and bringing the two of them closer together than they've ever been before.

Power of Three - romantic/erotic menage novella

Sun-drenched days and lush steamy nights stir strange desires in singleton Laurie Jones. She's been betrayed by her philandering fiancé, but that doesn't mean her libido is dead, no way. In fact the rampant hedonism of the lovers' resort where she's spending her solo honeymoon only makes her feel hornier than ever; especially when she watches her raunchy neighbors cavorting in a blatant threesome.

But relief is at hand for Laurie in the form of Ed and Denny, two gorgeous hunks sharing another nearby cabana. Golden boy Denny, and dark, enigmatic Ed are red hot for each other, but they also adore women too, and the sexy, generous pair quickly draw Laurie into a sizzling erotic ménage that not only expands her sexual horizons in a way that blows her mind, but also heals the pain inflicted upon her by her lost fiancé.

Author's note:

These stories contain explicit scenes of erotic activity and experimentation, including sex with multiple partners, spanking, caning, exhibitionistic sex and voyeurism and male/male lovemaking.

Excerpts of the individual stories are available at:  www.portiadacosta.com/selfpublished.html

Available from Smashwords, All Romance eBooks, Amazon Kindle US, Diesel eBooks and Amazon Kindle UK. Other vendors to follow.

Please welcome New York Times bestselling author, Heather Killough-Walden!!!

A few years back, I had a dream about a man with piercing blue eyes. I caught flashes of him, mere glimpses of the curve of his neck, the collar of his shirt, the strong line of his jaw covered in five-o-clock scruff. In the flurried chaos of sleep, I caught a whiff of cologne, clean and masculine and powerful. There was music playing; drifts of notes floated over me. I heard bits from a dance club, the fierce, ominous beat of techno dark wave, and the lonely, deep pulls of a Cello solo. But above it all was the sound of leather soled shoes on pavement. I saw a figure in the fog, tall and broad-shouldered, draped in black.

The images haunted me, coming closer and then slipping away. I awoke with a pounding headache and an aching need to know more. But dreams are fickle, and the shadow-killing rays of the sun are ruthless. Night slips away, sleep evaporates, and the sounds, sights and smells of our reveries are more often than not lost.

But the man with the blue eyes came back. The following night, he not only returned to my dream realm – he declared himself king. Before my mind’s eye, a story unraveled, playing itself out to breathless, erotic perfection. The man had a name. And when I awoke this time, I wrote his name on paper, using it as the title for the first story I would ever share with the world on a grand scale.

As I said, that was several years ago. Since then, I’ve had many dreams, both waking and not. In one, a man’s stark green eyes followed me across the TGB while he directed his men to block every one of my exits and cage me in. I wrote his story under the spell of his perfect, mesmerizing voice and am enraptured by it still. In another, the rumble of a motorcycle vibrated my soul and the smell of leather followed me back into the real world, seducing me to pick up the pen once more.

It’s an enormous gift to be a writer – to be able to take these temporary obsessions and share them with the world in such a way that my obsession is effectively passed on to some other unsuspecting soul. To know that I am not the only one who falls in love with my characters is truly amazing. I have been hypnotized by the men of my other realms, seduced by them, held prisoner by their every undeniably charismatic attribute. But lucky for me, I don’t have to suffer this captivity alone. As long as you all continue to open my books and read, I’ll be in good company. ;)

- Heather Killough-Walden, New York Times bestselling author

The Hunt, by Heather Killough-Walden is the fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Big Bad Wolf series….

Byron Caige has been a prisoner for the last fifty years of his supernaturally long life. Just when he gives up hope of ever knowing the taste of freedom again, he is unwittingly rescued by the very same woman who only wants to see him dead. Katherine Dare – Kat – is smart, fast, strong and beautiful – but unfortunately she’s a Hunter, and she’s convinced that Byron murdered her father twenty years ago.

She’s also Byron’s dormant.

As supernatural war breaks out amongst the otherworldly of Earth and threatens the existence of entire races, Kat is faced with a terrible decision. Should she give up her cause and believe Caige when he professes his innocence? Or should she fight him and possibly avenge her father’s taken life – even while she forfeits her own?

The Hunt is the fourth book in Heather Killough-Walden's New York Times bestselling Big Bad Wolf series.

The Hunt Excerpt

“You smell good,” he told her, closing his eyes and inhaling slowly. When he spoke again, his fangs were fully elongated. “Like promise.”

“I’ve heard…. ” Katherine broke off, swallowed, and started again. “I’ve heard that’s what a lot of alphas think a dormant smells like.” There was no conscious thought behind what she was saying. Byron’s nearness was playing tricks on her and her mouth was simply spitting things out unfiltered.

Byron chuckled softly and opened his eyes. They were glowing again; a bright platinum that took her breath away. “I can imagine,” he said, offering her a purely depraved smile.

Katherine had no time to wonder how things between them had shifted so quickly into the state they were in now. A day ago, she’d wanted to kill him. And now she wanted…. What?

“If you so badly want to mark up your body, little Kat, I can do it for you,” he told her then. “And it won’t hurt nearly so much.”

Kat’s stomach did a flip and her heart skipped a beat. Instant warmth flushed across her stomach and spread lower. She tried to step back on pure reflex, but Byron’s grip on her wrists tightened, and he used the hold to pull her forward, stopping her retreat.

“That way leads only to pain,” he told her, his gaze flicking to the open cave entrance just over her shoulder. At once, Kat understood. She’d nearly stepped out into the sunlight. Byron was ruining the effects of twenty years of self protective training in the course of seconds flat.

“Please,” she whispered, not knowing what else to say.

“Please what?” he asked, pulling her further into the darkness of the cave. She stumbled after him, her gaze trapped in his. In the dark, his eyes glowed more starkly, filling her with an anticipation that very nearly bordered on fear.

“I…” She didn’t know what to say.

“Do you still think I killed your father, Katherine?” he asked, his grip on her arms lessening now that they were well away from the cave entrance.

Katherine digested his question and then shook her head. It was true. She didn’t believe it any longer. Not at all. She knew, in her heart, that he was innocent. And she knew that the warlock king was not.

“Do you fear me?” he asked next.

Yes, she thought without hesitation. That, too, was true. Byron Caige scared the hell out of her. Everything about him screamed danger. He was big, he was strong, he was powerful. He could send the city into a blackout if he wanted to; of that she had little doubt. He had glowing eyes and razor sharp fangs and he smelled like the most delicious sex in the world just waiting to happen. Byron Caige represented everything a mother ever warned her daughter about.

And he was standing over her now, his hands wrapped lightly around her wrists, his smooth, deep voice sending rivulets of pleasure across her skin. “Yes, you scare me,” she told him.

“Good,” he replied. There was no hesitation on his part either. His smile broadened, ever so slightly, and he leaned in. “I’ll let you in on a secret,” he said. He was so close, she felt his words whisper across her lips. “I can smell just how very much I scare you.”

A hard, hot embarrassment ramrodded through her at those words. She knew exactly what he was referring to. His kiss on her wrist, his nearness right now – they were making her wet. And he could scent it on her.

You can find The Hunt and the rest of the Big Bad Wolf series at Amazon and Barnes and Noble Nook!

Cover Love

I have to tell you, I absolutely love the covers that Decadent has given my stories. First off, Cinderella Wore Combat Boots will be released August 26th. Now I want to tell you something special about this story. Psst, come closer.

As a US Army vet and mother to a Marine serving in Afghanistan, this is a very special story to me. It will be the first story I’ll have released with Decadent Publishing as part of their 1NightStand series, http://wwwdecadentpublishing.com

All royalties I earn from the sale of Cinderella Wore Combat Boots will be donated to The Wounded Warrior Project, https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org

This organization provides help to vets wounded in conflicts and support to their families as they recover from their injuries, helping them to move forward in their lives with dignity and honor. Please consider purchasing Cinderella Wore Combat Boots and help me give back to those who have given so much in the line of duty.


Now it's time for a little gratuitous blurbage: 

Sometimes Fairytales come true.


First Sergeant Cori Valentine faces a bleak future. She’s turning forty in three weeks and her life as she knows it is over. An injury received while on deployment has earned her an early retirement from the Marine Corp, something she’s not sure she’ll survive. Things get even crazier when interfering Marines set her up on a blind date for a party she doesn’t want. The guy has to be a total toad to want to go out with her. Right?

When Madame Eve tells Retired Seal, Sol Keller she’s found his perfect match, he doesn’t believe her, but takes her up on the challenge. One look at the sexy First Sergeant in a ball gown and combat boots has him wondering if fairytales really can come true. Madame Eve might just be the legendary Fairy Godmother, and

Cori his Cinderella. Now Sol intends to show the Marine beauty a Prince Charming she’ll never forget, and that retirement isn’t the end of her story, but merely the beginning.

One more cover...

Whoo hooo! I lurv this cover! How hot can cool get? This story is for the 1NS Christmas series, release date to be announced. It's a little paranormal and a little science fiction.
 
Blurbage: 
 
One night. One party of a lifetime. One secret a century old, which could end it all.


Shiya, a Yupik supermodel, travels to Alaska in pretense of attending a party where she’ll find the man of her dreams, but her real intent is to lure the man of her nightmares to where she can finally end the deadly game of cat and mouse.

Gunnar is on Earth for one reason—to recover the wreckage of a Doppelganger crash, but recovering the ship isn’t as easy as expected. The debris is scattered for miles, throughout a resort and human settlements. In order to get closer, he agrees to a date to attend a ball and finds himself face to face with a Terran woman who doesn’t know her genetics are from his world, or that she was born to be his. She’s also in grave danger from a Doppelganger hunter.

Now the only way to save her, is to claim her, and Shiya isn’t about to make it easy.

It's Friday

Beat the heat... it's Hot, and all I got is something to help you stay cool while I idle the moments away at the dealer with my car!! Enjoy :)

Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out.-© J. Hali Steele

Please welcome Nina Pierce!

Please give a warm welcome to Nina Pierce. One commenter will be chosen at random to win a download of the "Blind Love, the first book in the Tilling Passions series. Be sure to leave your email address with your comment.

Finding the Beginning by Nina Pierce

I’ve gutted and redone two houses. I love it! Well, not the guting part, but the point where the sheetrock is newly primed and the floors are bare. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a bedroom or the living room, the possibilities are endless on which way to take the mood and color scheme.

The first time I had a room to decorate I panicked. It was only the bathroom, but still, it felt daunting. I had no idea where to start. The floor? The paint on the walls? The shower curtain and towels? Ahhh, my head was going to explode with possibilities. I really didn’t know what to do. So I started with the shower curtain. Think about it, besides the fixtures (which were neutral), your curtain sets the tone for the whole bathroom. So I poured through the local bathroom retailers trying to decide a color scheme. Once I’d chosen the curtain everything fell into place from the ceramic tiles to the pictures on the wall.

But every room I’ve redecorated since then seems to have started in a different place. Sometimes it was an area rug I just had to have. In another room it was a picture I knew would display perfectly over the mantle of the fireplace that decided the mood of the room. I once did a whole room around an antique chair. Truth-be-told, I’m sort of all over the place when it comes to decorating.

And what does this have to do with writing? Everything!

One of the first questions people ask me when they find out I’m a writer is, “how did you come up with that idea?” And I wish I had one answer for them. But my writing (much like my decorating) is just kind of this weird conglomeration of stuff that comes together. I really couldn’t tell you if a particular story started with a dream, a cool picture I saw, a setting I just couldn’t resist or the “What If …” question. My brain just sort of plays with all of the elements until it comes together on the page.

I’m what’s called a “pantser”. That is, I don’t know the full extent of my story or my characters until I’m writing. Then slowly after I’ve written a chapter or two, like painting the walls and laying the floor, my story has a foundation. The quirky details my characters develop, like the knick knacks in a room, (hopefully) pull the whole thing together to make a well rounded story for the reader.

My newest release “Love’s Bounty” is the second book in the Tilling Passions erotic suspense series about three sisters from Maine. Though it is written as a standalone story, there is an overarching story about the Tilling family that can be enjoyed through all three books.

Blurb:

A woman determined to protect her heart…

Landscaping in Delmont, Maine hasn’t been DEIRDRE TILLING’s only passion. Up until two months ago, it had included a live-in lover. Jilted for the third time in as many years, Deirdre’s decided to give up on love. With her feet firmly planted on the path of one night stands, she finds herself heating up the sheets with a dark haired stranger she met at her new employer’s party. But one night with the man who is both sexy as hell and compassionate, may not be enough.

An agent hell bent on proving himself…

DEA agent, AYDEN SCOTT, has a lot to prove after a disastrous drug bust in Miami three years earlier that left a member of his team dead. Working undercover as lead investigator, he’s determined to bring down an elusive drug cartel smuggling heroin into central Maine. He’ll use any means necessary to complete his objective, including sleeping with the suspected drug Lord’s landscaper, Deirdre. He just hadn’t expected the feisty redhead to be so much more than long legs and dangerous curves.

One night neither of them can forget…

Deirdre and Ayden both thought one sexually explosive romp in the sack would be the end of their relationship. But Deirdre’s arrest for heroin possession and her father’s near-fatal heart attack prompts Ayden to confess his true identity. When Deirdre is kidnapped by the drug cartel and used as a pawn, Ayden is forced to choose between his heart and his mission. The question is…who will survive his decision?

Excerpt:

As fast as Jameson’s lawyer had gotten her out if the interrogation room, it had taken nearly an hour for the Cutler police to process her. She’d second-guessed her decision not to go with Jameson countless times while the wheels of justice rolled at a snail’s pace. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that Jameson hadn’t somehow managed to throw a wrench into her release.

Unwilling to wait for a ride at the police station, Deirdre had walked out the front door, called the only cab in town on her cell phone and come straight to the condo.

Now Austin stood in his kitchen, fixing her dinner and offering her help she didn’t deserve.

“Deirdre, here, drink this while I finish up the spaghetti. You’re still shaking.” Austin leaned over the bar and handed her the glass of scotch he’d just poured.

She attempted to smile, but her mouth, like every other muscle in her body, only trembled. Deirdre sat on the stool at the bar of the kitchen, sipping the scotch, hoping the liquid warming its way to her belly would take away the cold fear and confusion. Despite the heavy wool sweater Austin had pulled over her head, Deirdre was chilled straight to her core. She knew it had nothing to do with the night air.

“What did Mark have to say when you called him?” Austin asked. He stood at the stove absently sipping his drink and occasionally stirring the two pots.

“He thought it could’ve been one of the kids as well. It’s the only thing that makes any sense in this whole mess. I dump the refuse from my jobs at the school, and they use it as mulch on their farm project. Most of the time I leave the one-ton right there on school grounds.”

Deirdre shrugged before continuing. “They could’ve planned to pick up the drugs tonight while the truck was parked. Everyone knows I don’t bother to lock the equipment. There’s never been a reason.” She sipped absently at the scotch.

“With all the places that truck’s been and the number of people having access to it, it was no wonder Jameson’s lawyer kept them from arresting you. Anyone could get you off with the holes in that evidence. So what, the drugs were in your truck. There’s no way to prove they were yours.” Austin shrugged.

“At the moment my guilt or innocence doesn’t matter. Mark’s pulled the kids from the job. They won’t be going back to the Jameson estate. He’s figuring, with the arrest, we’ll likely lose the job anyway. I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but he’s probably right.” Deirdre thought about all the things she’d intended to do with the extra money. She knew better than to make plans. It only caused heartache.

Deirdre looked at Austin. “It’ll be for the best,” she said. “But it makes me feel like shit. I suppose I should call Shawn before I go traipsing up there tomorrow.” Tipping her head back, Deirdre downed the scotch. She knew it wasn’t the answer, but the numbing wash of alcohol would be a welcome relief from the overwhelming sense of doom beginning to envelope her.

“And to top it off, I’m bringing all this here to you.” Heat crawled up her cheeks. “After the way I treated you Saturday, I’m surprised you didn’t slam the door in my face.”

He turned to look at her, leaning against the counter. “Not in my nature to turn away a woman in need.”

“Even after she treats you like crap?”

“I’m a grown man, Deirdre. I knew the score that night when I brought you here.”

“But leaving the way I did was cowardly.” She toyed with the glass. “Would you believe me if I told you if I could do it all over again I’d do things differently?”

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

BUY Link for Kindle Lovers: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057XV0F4

BUY Link for Nook Lovers: http://tinyurl.com/6a8fqvy

BUY Link for all other formats: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68862

Award winning author, Nina Pierce, is finished gutting houses, but will no doubt continue to find interesting situations, pictures and “what if” scenarios to entertain her muse for years to come. You can find all her books on her website (http://www.NinaPierce.com) or follow her happenings on her blog (http://www.NinaPierce.com/blog), twitter (http://www.twitter.com/NinaPierce), or facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Nina.Pierce ) .

It Takes a Village

I'm a firm believer that it takes a village to write a novel. I know there are authors out there who don't require critique partners or beta readers, and that's great. I envy them. I wish I could achieve that level of non-dependency, but it's a while away for me. I have too many ideas. I'm pulled in too many directions. And honestly, I'm too green as a writer to be left to my own devices.

I have a couple of critique partners who are my lifelines. They don't blink now when I email them one version of a book. Then a day later email them the same book with new beginning or ending chapters. (Beginnings are always the hardest IMO.)

My betas are also worth their weight in gold for the same reason. They'll re-read previous book plus the current project to make sure I haven't missed any details or contradicted myself. That very thing is what leads me to the bulk of this post...where a beta reader saved my hide. I directly contradicted a rule of my world laid out in the first book in the second book. It was a single line, but it would have raised eyebrows. So, yeah, I could write on my own. It just wouldn't be pretty. ;)

Here is a recounting of that beta's experience.

When I am sick I tend to do my best work. That may sound crazy as it makes my mind all fuzzy and it takes me a long time to process what I need to do, but it is for that reason that I do so well. I have to actually take the time to stop and think about what I am doing. Back in the middle of March Hailey asked me to read Evermine for her. My first instinct was YES! I want it, *gimme now*.  I had to inform her that I was sick, which was both good and bad. It would take me longer than normal to get through the book and get back to her on my thoughts. I also wanted to reread Everlong before I began reading Evermine to have it fresh in my mind.
Well because I was sick I was not getting very much sleep and I very much wanted to sleep badly, but I was up all hours of the night. It gave me plenty of time to read. When I did sleep, after finishing Evermine, that was when the fun stuff began. If you are a fan of the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher then you are aware of how he talks with himself in his subconscious. Well I had and out of body experience similar to that. There had been something bothering me about the book, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Instead of driving myself crazy about I thought I would let it go for the moment. I went to sleep, and instead I had a bizarre dream where I talked to myself about the book.
So I am standing in this void. Everything is black. There is nothing in the blackness except one other person. I look over and there I am. Of course there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with seeing yourself and going over and saying “so why are you here”.Then having yourself respond “why I was waiting for you, took you long enough” Then pondering that statement and saying “well I am here now” and waiting expectantly.
*blinks* *waits* and then “well I know what is wrong, where to look with what’s bothering you” Then tilt my head as if considering what I was saying to myself, and wait expectantly for myself to continue. “In Everlong, Maddie smells bad to the mated men” I say to myself. “In Evermine……”I stop and have a moment of complete clarity, then say “OMG!! You are right that is it. I have to tell Hailey.”I have never had a dream where I talked to myself before. It was so crazy that I had to tell Hailey that the combination of her book and my illness caused me to split in two.  I guess it was my way of breaking the book down and making sure it all made sense. Of course a normal person would probably have taken notes and not felt the need to contact her inner self for enlightenment. Of course that makes absolutely no sense to most people. It was a dream where I talk to myself. It should be expected to have been bizarre. I mean it made sense to both of me and that is what mattered, lol.

Taking the Plunge – Becoming a Writer

I have been an avid reader of any type of book since the days of the Baby Sitters Club in elementary school. I have been an avid reader of romance since I read Twilight. Yes I know – Twilight. I read it and wanted to know what happened in those scenes that she glossed over because it was YA and not so much and adult series. So I did. And now 5000 books later I am only slightly addicted. LOL

But as I read and read my brain refused to shut off. I wanted to know more about those characters and the events they go through. Or maybe my brain added a new character or even a new story that fit my personality better. This was happening so much that I started to write my stories down. Eventually I came up with completely new worlds and families that I fell in love with.

Six books later I am hoarding my work on my computer. If I could, I would print it out and hide it under my bed. I consider myself an author – just not a published one. As a few of my friends know I have been scared to death of even approaching the subject of publishing let alone the scariest thing of them all – rejection.

However, after a couple of years of tiptoeing around the fact that I wanted to be published I found a series that I thought I could contribute to. It was a series of shorts that had the same premise – a premise that I loved. So after a few encouraging words from a friend I went for it. I wrote a rough draft that I liked but thought something was missing. Because I was and am new at this and really had no idea what to do next so I asked for help. My author friend had offered to help me even before I tried writing so I emailed her back and said YES! She agreed with me that the parts I was having trouble with needed some help. So imagine that – she helped. Now I know that there may be others out there who wouldn’t be as much help and be so free with advise but this woman is AMAZING and read and reread my work until we both felt it was good enough for submission. She even came up with my title. Seriously – AMAZING.

So I took the next step. I emailed in my submission and waited on pins and needles for a response. One day after I was finished teaching a class I was packing up my notes in front of my 400 students and my phone buzzed with a response from a publisher.

I was rejected.

Wasn’t the happy ending you were waiting for? Me either. Inside I thought my world was ending but on the outside I pasted a smile on my face, said goodbye to the 400 eighteen year olds who seemed to be staring at me and went to my office to email my author friend that I hadn’t won.

She seemed as shocked as I – and that made me feel better.

I did cry, but only because I was confused. Then I was angry at myself for even agreeing to do it. Then I put on my big girl panites and told myself to get over it and try again.

So yes readers, I didn’t get my happy ending with that manuscript. But I am NOT quitting. I will buck up and do this again. I will step onto that ledge and take a leap. And you know what – someday I will get an acceptance of one of my submissions. I will get to know the next part of the process of meeting a new editor, finding a cover, getting a release day and going on a blog tour. I will.

I may not have been published on my first try, but other than those lucky few, who does? I know rejection is part of the job and I have had my first taste of it. I know it’s not my last, but I do know that my first taste of admission and success is just around the corner!

Carrie Ann Ryan is an aspiring author who may or may not be addicted reading romance novels. After reading over 5000 books in only two years she decided to take the plunge and try her knack at writing her own stories. She lives in Pennsylvania with her hubby and two kittens who think they own the place.

You can find Carrie Ann at her Blog: http://carrieannryan.blogspot.com/

Or follow her on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/CarrieAnnRyan

Irresistible

This is it folks.

Release day!

Does it ever get any easier?

No.

The nerves are jangling and it would be best for all if I stayed away from caffeine for the day.

As always, I've planned some fun activities to celebrate Irresistible.  I'll be guest blogging at Sizzling Hot Books Reviews on 7/21, Paranormal Haven on 7/22, and Night Owl Reviews on July 7/26 with giveaways. I'll also by chatting at The Romance Reviews tomorrow.

I'm also celebrating my Birthday this week! Come join in the week long party at my blog where some of my friends have come with gifts.

I'm giving away a copy of Irresistible today so leave a comment with your e-mail so I can contact you.!

Werewolves believe in soul mates. Sirens eat theirs.

Sirens, a mutation of mermaids, need sexual energy to survive. Marie Laframboise lost her only food source when her strip club burned down. Not wanting to kill any of her victims, she’d learned to glean the lust off her clients, and now she is starving. She can’t resist the temptation to invite herself to the singles shifter party held by local werewolf stud, Maxwell Cox, and feed.

Max doesn’t want a soul mate, but to his dismay, she shows up at his party. Just as Marie can’t resist the temptation to feed, Max can’t resist the instinctual urge to claim her. Marie has never wanted a relationship, but she can’t shake off Max’s pursuit. He offers her things she has only dreamed of, but she fears the hunger will turn those dreams into nightmares.

Her appetite is not one to mess with. Max thinks he’s found the perfect mate, but Marie may have found the perfect prey.

Graphic sexual content, hot shifters, and one scary-ass siren.

Excerpt:

Sighing, Max settled his head into his hands. “I never wanted a mate, Chad. Now, I’m shackled to this stranger.” He glared at Chad. “Who left me in the middle of the night without giving me her name. Part of me is glad she’s gone, and the other half is insulted as hell that she dumped me.”

Chad folded his arms over his light blue t-shirt with a surfing logo on it, a spitting image of his father, Max’s best friend. “You’re screwed.”

Max stared daggers at him.

“Was it fuck-at-first sight? Is that how you lost your clothes?”

Growling, the older werewolf grabbed and lifted the cub by the front of his shirt and tossed him in the pool. The weight almost strained Max’s shoulder. He needed to stop thinking of Chad like a cub. On his last birthday, he’d turned twenty. God, that made Max around forty. He’d stopped counting awhile back.

Chad splashed to the surface and laughed, then he pulled himself out of the water. “I take that as a ‘yes.’ Nice to know some people don’t get wiser with age.”

“Rub it in when I’m down.” Max sat in the chair, at ease with being nude.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know. She’s beautiful and…” Knows how to fuck. He shook his head to clear it. “Why does the animal side of us chose who we spend our life with? I don’t know her. Maybe she likes all the stuff I hate. Am I supposed to change for her?”

“Of course not. You’ll see, she’ll come back.”

“Come back? You don’t know much about women, do you?” Max shook his head. If she left without so much as a kiss goodbye then something was up that he wouldn’t like. “She didn’t act like a shifter. Just dragged me into a secluded spot, stripped, and gave me the best damn blow job.” He’d never begged before last night, and didn’t like that he’d have given her anything to continue if she’d stopped. Yet…his beast had loved it.

“Sounds like she’s a great match for you. Maybe you should give her a chance then freak out if you don’t like her.”

“Yeah.” That was his fear. What if he ended up more than liking her? She’d be better off without him. His beast half didn’t agree and struggled for dominance of their body. Max controlled his animal instincts and gazed at the red material still clutched in his hand. Her scent clung to it, sweet and heady. “How good are you at tracking smells?” The beast would never leave him alone if he didn’t even try finding her, although for her sake, he hoped she stayed lost.

“Like a hound? Not as good as Dad but okay.” Chad stood at the pool’s edge and approached. “What do you have in mind?”

“A hunt.” He tossed the bikini bottoms to the younger werewolf then released his struggling beast and gave it the reins to their fate. Power coursed through his body until the animal he harbored grew out of him. Bones snapped, muscles reshaped, and brown fur bloomed from his skin to cover the bipedal werewolf standing where Max used to be.

He swung around and watched Chad’s transformation end with the elongation of his muzzle.

They inhaled the scent from the cloth then raced to the woods. Both males possessed enough alpha traits that competition came naturally between them.

The younger werewolf reached the forest first, but the more experienced one knew how to find the trail faster. Unable to communicate with words, Max howled as his mate’s scent grew stronger. Crashing through the undergrowth, he followed with his nose to the ground until he reached the edge of the water. He snorted the sand from his nostrils.

She’d gone swimming in the lake? Maybe she’d wanted to wash after sex, although it also ended his trail.

Chad arrived, his chest billowing as he followed the same trail to the water. His beast’s form melted back to a human. “What now?”

Copying the cub’s action, Max changed back to a man. “I’ll head north and you south. She exited somewhere along the shore. Maybe we’ll pick up the trail again.”

“Meet back here in an hour?”

Max grimaced at the excited hunter. He might look like his father, but he acted like him. “If you find her, don’t forget she’s mine. Let the hunt begin.”

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Annie Nicholas

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http://www.annienicholas.blogspot.com/

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