Guest Post from Jake Bible!

There are endless blog posts and workshops and seminars about character, plot development, voice, cutting passive voice, and all that authory stuff. There are entire websites devoted to spotlighting great covers and mocking the not so great ones. Authors jabber on about their muse and their depressing childhoods and how they had that moment in the shower where their entire novel came to them in a flash and they had to jump out all soaking wet to write it down.

But, you know what?

You don’t hear much about the titles of novels.

Yes, sometimes authors complain on social media about not being able to come up with a title. But the reality is, the title is just as important as everything else, yet it’s almost a throwaway item. An afterthought.

For me, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

I’m all about the title.

The vast majority of the time, I’ve come up with the title before I even have a concept of the novel. I will admit that sometimes the title is the concept. Take Roak: Galactic Bounty Hunter, for example. Can you guess what that one is about? Or a new project I’ll be working on in a couple of months, Mech Corps? Not exactly brain surgery to figure that one out.

Now we come to Stone Cold Bastards.

This title slammed into my brain and I instantly made a note on my phone. I loved the name. Stone Cold Bastards. It brought to mind Lee Marvin and The Dirty Dozen. It conjured images of 1970’s WWII grindhouse action flicks. I knew someone in that book had to be chomping on a cigar. Oh, they had to be.

But, what was it about?

Again, it was right there in the title. Stone and cold.

Gargoyles.

Oh, hell, yes! Gargoyles!

I hadn’t done a gargoyle novel before. I mean, I hadn’t even read a gargoyle novel before, but, damn if I wasn’t going to write one!

So, I channelled all that Lee Marvin cool swagger and set to work creating a world where a ragtag team of misfit gargoyles have to protect the last of humanity from the demon-possessed hordes that have taken over the world. I created a n apocalyptic setting and wrote in a genre that I wasn’t all that familiar with. I brought those bastards to life.

And all because three words popped into my head one night.

Folks can have all their character analysis and plot development and other authory stuff they want. For me, it all begins with a smashing good title.

Stone Cold Bastards is now available from these retailers:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mgq4ua

About the Author:

Jake Bible, Bram Stoker Award nominated-novelist, short story writer, independent screenwriter, podcaster, and inventor of the Drabble Novel, has entertained thousands with his horror, sci/fi, thriller, and adventure tales. He reaches audiences of all ages with his uncanny ability to write a wide range of characters and genres.

Jake is the author of the bestselling Z-Burbia series set in Asheville, NC, the bestselling Salvage Merc One, the Apex Trilogy (DEAD MECH, The Americans, Metal and Ash) and the Mega series for Severed Press, as well as the YA zombie novel, Little Dead Man, the Bram Stoker Award nominated Teen horror novel, Intentional Haunting, the ScareScapes series, and the Reign of Four series for Permuted Press.

Find Jake at jakebible.com. Join him on Twitter @jakebible and find him on Facebook.

Anthony Francis – Guest Post!

The Philosophy behind Jeremiah Willstone and the Clockwork Time Machine

Jeremiah Willstone is a special novel for me, because the smallest of inspirations blossomed into a project that reflects my deepest values. I fell in love with steampunk at Dragon Con 2009, where I saw many amazing steampunk costumes, in particular a young woman with a steam-powered gatling gun. My training as a science fiction writer makes me pick at the loose threads of imagined worlds, so I started to wonder not just what technology could power that gun, but what social changes could have enabled a young woman to become a Victorian soldier.

I’ve been interested in women’s rights since I was a child. Most of the protagonists I write about – Dakota Frost, Cinnamon Frost, Serendipity the Centaur – are female. I once even described myself as “hyper-feminist” until I met some genuine radical feminists with far more militant views, and to whom I gladly donate the term for use in their cause. Still, without trying to crimp the style of men who enjoy being men, women who enjoy being women, and people of all stripes who enjoy their differences, I’ve always been committed to the proposition that everyone in our world should get a fair shake no matter their gender – and always appalled as I learned more and more about the history of oppression of women.

So I decided to make the liberation of women a central feature of the Jeremiah Willstone world. During my research I was surprised to find that the mother of Mary Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a women’s liberation pioneer over a century before modern women’s suffrage; I was also surprised to find that Queen Victoria was a renowned women’s rights opponent. I researched the whole Victorian era, becoming quite appalled at how married women could be forced to work by their husbands – who could then confiscate all those earnings and go drink them away. The Victorians made great progress over the course of their era, mind you, but I wanted to create a society where those problems were already solved.

Thus, in my world, Mary Wollstonecraft survived to pursue women’s rights. Her daughter, Mary Shelley, changed her name to Mark Willstone to make the case for full liberation. Her daughter in turn became the first in a line of female soldiers that eventually produced my protagonist, Jeremiah Willstone. I imagined a world every bit as liberated as ours – perhaps moreso – but with key differences. For example, rather than collapsing male and female pronouns into a generic “they”, the people of Jeremiah’s world always say out “men and women” or “gentlewomen and gentlemen” as a way of writing inclusion into their everyday language.

Writing this world from Jeremiah’s perspective was difficult. After all, I’m a “guy” – technically speaking, a hetero-leaning bisexual male presenting a cis-normative appearance – and no matter how much I try to learn and empathize, I don’t have the experiences that a woman has growing up in an often male-dominated world. So I did research from a variety of perspectives, trying to give voice to real arguments by feminist scholars into the story. I didn’t get everything right. I probably still didn’t, but when depicting the clash of cultures between Jeremiah’s world and our own, I inadvertently made Jeremiah act as the stand-in for her entire world, and made the women she met as a stand-in for our entire world.

But one person is not the whole world. Our world is filled with Queen Victorias and Mary Wollstonecrafts and a whole spectrum of people between. I listened carefully to all the comments of my friends and beta readers, some of whom had strong opinions, which led to long conversations. I shaved off some of Jeremiah’s prickly edges and added nuance, but it wasn’t enough. Finally, in conversation with my editor Debra Dixon, we had a brainflash: to flip many of the arguments that I wanted to make. Instead of having Jeremiah come off as a full-of-herself lecturing crusader, I instead expanded the world, creating new characters and new situations that challenged Jeremiah to respond with respect and nuance.

The world you and I share has made many advances in women’s rights, but it’s still a world where a young woman recently won a Nobel Prize for getting shot in the face for advocating the radical proposition that she should be allowed to go to school. Jeremiah Willstone and the Clockwork Time Machine is a novel of derring-do and steam, action and adventure – but one in which issues of women’s rights are first and foremost, even as the novel recognizes and respects the broad spectrum of opinions of people on this fundamentally important topic. I hope your visit with Jeremiah makes you think about the history and progress of women’s rights – but those issues never get in the way of having the fun on her adventures. Enjoy!

Jeremiah Willstone and the Clockwork Time Machine is now available at these retailers:

• Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lOrVFz
• Kobo: http://bit.ly/2ld3m1T
• Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/2lLRS9m
• Google: http://bit.ly/2mhT3uK

About the Author:

By day Anthony Francis studies human and other minds to design intelligent machines and emotional robots; by night he writes fiction and draws comic books at the collision point of hard science and pure fantasy. He was inspired to study artificial intelligence by Douglas Hofstadter, to become a writer by Isaac Asimov, and to write urban fantasy by Laurell K. Hamilton and Richard P. Feynman. He got his Ph.D in AI and his brown belt in Taido from Georgia Tech; he currently supports his out-of-control reading and writing habits by working at the Search Engine That Starts With a G. Anthony lives in San Jose with his wife and cats but his heart will always belong in Atlanta.

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

First, I love the way the point of view was given. First person for Sophie and third person omniscience for Liv and her crew. It made the story feel fresh again every time it switched over.

Now, for the actual story: I LOVE SOPHIE SO MUCH. She’s bold, vibrant, and sure of everything she does. She doesn’t back down – even if she probably should – and it continually works in her favor, even if it may not seem like it will at times. Liv has some of the same qualities, though she’s not as fierce with them as Sophie is. Throughout the book, in fact, Liv struck me as the subdued version of Sophie. It was interesting because Liv’s story was basically Sophie’s story – just on a smaller scale. MUCH smaller. They have similar traits, they both fraternize with the enemy (albeit with different goals), they both have a sister or female confidant to help them, they’ve both lost their husbands, and are determined to hold on to what they love.

I did enjoy Sophie more than Liv, but I still love Liv because of how much she cared for Sophie. Also, although I like Liv and Mo’s relationship, I felt like I was just reading about Louisa and Lily again from After You. More “responsible” person takes in “less” responsible person and they become best friends. But I loved Mo much more than I ever liked Lily. So that’s something.

Overall, this is a beautiful story. I love that it’s during WWI because I haven’t gotten to read much that takes place in that time. It seems like usually, when dealing with a German enemy, authors will run to the obvious choice of WWII, so this was extremely welcome. TGYLB gives an interesting sense of “who dunnit?” as far as the trial is concerned. Personally, I love that. I was guessing the entire time what the full story could be. Thankfully, the outcome was not underwhelming. I think it fit perfectly.

 

About the Author:

Jojo Moyes was born in 1969 and grew up in London. After a varied career including stints as a minicab controller, typer of braille statements for blind people for NatWest, and brochure writer for Club 18-30, she did a degree at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, London University. In 1992, she won a bursary financed by The Independent newspaper to attend the postgraduate newspaper journalism course at City University.

Jojo worked as a journalist for ten years, including a year at South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, and nine at The Independent where she worked variously as News Reporter, Assistant News Editor and Arts and Media Correspondent.

Jojo has been a full time novelist since 2002, when her first book, Sheltering Rain was published. Since then she has written a further eleven novels, all of which have been widely critically acclaimed.

Jojo has won the Romantic Novelist’s Award twice, and Me Before You has been nominated for Book of the Year at the UK Galaxy Book Awards. Me Before You has since gone on to sell over 8 million copies worldwide.

The film adaptation of Me Before You starring Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games) and Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) was released in June 2016 and was a huge box-office success. The screenplay was written by Jojo.

For more information about all of Jojo’s novels, please visit the books page here.

Jojo lives (and writes!) on a farm in Essex, England with her husband, journalist Charles Arthur, and their three children.

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

I have a feeling this will end up being my least favorite out of all of the books. Just because I’ve found that the second book in a series like this is usually just filler. In a way, this book meets that assumption. That’s just because by the time it ends, nothing has truly been accomplished. That doesn’t mean it isn’t good! It’s great!!

I did love this book because it answered almost all of my questions from the first book. Forty pages in and I was bragging to my friends how I was, “finally getting answers!!” Of course, after finishing, I have more questions that will – HOPEFULLY – by answered in book three. Also, *possible spoiler alert* but Pete is a friggin’ punk and a half. Never trust a man with big, beautiful, green eyes. -_-

I so desperately wanted Amy to be able to help him. I was trying to think of ways myself! And although I understand his feelings behind what he did, that doesn’t make it okay. Part of me is saying screw him, save Ozma, sayonara Pete . . . but more of me is still saying save both of them, then just never talk to Pete again – that will probably be the better option for Amy. I could have called her “battle with the darkness” from a hundred billion miles away, blindfolded, but I am enjoying how it’s playing out. Every time you think, “Oh. She’s done with it. She knows better now, she’s fine.” Then she’s turning into a – literal – monster right in front of you! These books are great! I’m enjoying them so much. Pick up The Wicked Will Rise by clicking this link!

 

About the Author:

Danielle Paige is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dorothy Must Die series, and the upcoming  Stealing Snow series (Bloomsbury, 2016). In addition to writing young adult books, she works in the television industry, where she’s received a Writers Guild of America Award and was nominate d for several Daytime Emmys. She is a graduate of Columbia University and currently lives in New York City. You can find her on twitter and instagram.

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

I received this book for free as an advanced reader’s copy.

When I started it, I figured it was going to be just another book about a teenage girl who’s suicidal and is stuck in a hospital the entire story, but I was sorely mistaken. Each character in this book is written so beautifully. Even if we only meet someone for a second, there is so much detail put into who that person is, we feel like we’re really meeting them in person. Charlie is so relatable as a main character, it was easy to read as if I was her, to put myself in her shoes. Her relationships with other characters are extremely real. The people she meets and befriends aren’t perfect. Each one has a unique personality with problems of their own. As far as “romantic” relationships go, there’s no studly man who saves the day. Charlie makes her life her own, but she learns to accept help when necessary. The story doesn’t move slowly or too fast.

Girl in Pieces is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. It shows that no matter how bad things get, people can always change or redeem themselves, but it also shows the other side of that, what happens when someone can’t fix what’s broken inside them. That may be why I love it so much. Not to mention the countless references to Van Morrison and Bob Dylan and the two paragraphs near the end that I will never be able to get out of my mind. This book spoke to me and pulled me into a book hangover. “Fucking angelic,” as Ellis would say. 😉

 

About the Author:

Kathleen Glasgow is the author of the New York Times best-selling novel, Girl in Pieces.

She lives in Tucson, Arizona and is a researcher for The Writer’s Almanac. Girl in Pieces has been named to “best of lists by Goop, TeenVogue, BN Teen, Refinery29, EW.com, TeenReads, and more.

INSPIRATION AND LEMONADE

The story behind Beyond the Misty Shore

by Vicki Hinze

Into every life, lemon juice does pour.  If you’re lucky, you learn to love lemonade. I’m lucky. And it’s a good thing because…

I was having a pitcher-full and a truth about life and lemonade settled in:  Loving lemonade is a choice.  I mean, we can’t avoid lemon juice any more than we can avoid challenges. We can fight it, but we are going to lose. Lemon juice will be poured; it’s inevitable. But that doesn’t mean it has to be bitter. We can make a different choice. Sprinkle in a little sugar or Splenda, so to speak, a little water, and we’ve got lemonade, which tastes quite good and, on a hot day, it’s amazingly refreshing.

So I got juiced. I was at this crossroad in my life, debating which way to go, and this lemonade truth kept stealing my attention. I refilled my glass with half-a-pitcher to go, and another thought came to mind.  We have a choice. When life throws us lemons, we can choose to make lemonade, or not. Another thought chased that one:

What if we couldn’t?

What if we didn’t have a choice. Or the choice wasn’t ours to make. We’d be stuck. Literally swimming in lemon juice without lemonade or a solution or resolution in sight!

I didn’t care for the feeling, and it shot holes in my theory that I had at least a little control in my life. Don’t you hate it when that happens?  When your illusions are shattered and as leaky as a sieve?

I more than didn’t like it, I hated it…but I was intrigued. So I thought about it.  Okay, so you have not a pitcher full of lemon juice but a barrel full. You’re already banged up.  (Can anyone get to adulthood in life without getting banged up?  Unlikely.  Rare, even.) So you’re chugging lemon juice from the barrel, eager to drain it and get the nastiness behind you.  You’ve deciphered your problems and have progressed to looking for solutions, and you’re feeling good about that because, while the bad stuff isn’t behind you yet, you’ve made progress.  You’re on your way to getting rid of it.

Only you’re not. You’ve wracked your brain and there just are no solutions. Not even one. Worse, not only have you been robbed of a solution, your choice in what to do has been stolen, too.  Now what?  What do you do?

That was the situation I found myself in that led me to write the Seascape novels, and Beyond the Misty Shore specifically.

Being stuck doesn’t exactly inspire you to be in the most receptive frame of mind. Sunshine is arrogant when you’re grieving, right? But isn’t it true that the worst possible time is always when important things happen? When life-changing things happen?

That’s been true in my life, and so I made it true in TJ MacGregor’s life, too.  He is the hero stuck at Seascape Inn in Beyond the Misty Shore.  Add more lemon juice in the form of Maggie Wright, a woman who loves to hate him, and Miss Hattie, the wise Seascape innkeeper (who seems to know everything about everything but won’t just tell anyone anything because “some things are best learned firsthand”), a colorful cast of local characters, Maine cliffs, and a little otherworldly intervention, and, well, T.J. has his work cut out for him, doesn’t he?

He did, and so did I. But don’t feel too bad for him.  We’ve all tasted the tart of the juice and, you know, sometimes when we’re broken, we have to really hurt to ever get beyond the pain. We have to figure out that we can heal before we do heal.

Eventually, we get it. And when we do, magic happens. We no longer just survive. We truly live.

Like you and me, he’ll figure it out… eventually. So will Maggie.  And what fun to watch without personally sucking lemons!

I’m getting a little misty here. I think I’ll pack a bag and go visit Seascape Inn again . . . just as soon as I finish this glass of lemonade.  Care to join me?

 

 

Vicki Hinze’s Seascape Trilogy is on sale through March 1^st! Pick up these paranormal romances today!

Beyond the Misty Shore – Free!
Whimsy. Serenity. And a Touch of Magic. The Seascape Inn.

Marketing executive Maggie Wright and artist T.J. MacGregor are linked by a mysterious car accident that killed Maggie’s cousin, Carolyn, T.J.’s fiancée. When Maggie arrives on the Maine coast determined to get answers from T.J., she discovers a tortured man who is bound to the Seascape Inn by supernatural forces.

Despite the tragedy that stands between them, Maggie and T.J. begin to fall in love, seeking answers and a healing spirit they may never achieve.

 

Upon a Mystic Tide – Only $1.99!

With their painful divorce looming on the horizon, radio psychologist Bess Cameron and her soon-to-be-ex-husband, John Mystic, meet at Maine’s Seascape Inn to finalize the terms of a property settlement. Bess believes John is in love with someone else, and she’s determined to move on without him. Their marriage appears doomed until the Inn’s matchmaking ghost, Tony, and its irrepressible owner, Miss Hattie, take matters in hand.

Sometimes you have to leap upon a mystic tide and have faith the sand will shift and an island will appear . . . The second book of bestselling author Vicki Hinze’s Seascape Trilogy brings readers back to the gentle magic of a place where love is always stronger than the fragile boundaries of life.

         

 

Beside a Dreamswept Sea – Just $5.99!

Welcome to the third book of The Seascape Trilogy, three mystical romance-mystery novels by bestselling author Vicki Hinze.

New love isn’t on the agenda for widower Bryce Richards, who comes to the peaceful Seascape Inn with his three children, hoping the ethereal setting will help them recover from the death of their mother. Likewise, fellow inn guest Callie isn’t looking for romance either; she’s recovering from an emotionally abusive marriage.

It will take all the matchmaking skills of innkeeper Hattie Stillman and her ghostly assistant to bring Bryce and Cally together.

 

About the Author:

Raised in New Orleans, Vicki Hinze began writing before Kindergarten but her journey to writing books included a lot of corporate pitstops. Eventually, she settled in and her first novel landed an array of awards and on the bestseller list. With nearly 40 books published, she’s been back many times with awards in multiple genres and appearances on multiple bestseller lists, including USA TODAY. Vicki is recognized by Who’s Who in the World as an author and an educator and is best known for chilling suspense, trailblazing, and creating series that genre-blend. Her works include suspense, mystery and romance. Since 1994, this former VP of International Thriller Writers has written heavily about military and military families and in nearly all genres except horror. Hinze is a Floridian married to a former Hurricane Hunter/Special Operations Officer. She constantly pushes the boundaries on existing genres, opening the door for new novel blends.

 

 

Kathryn Kelly – Author Spotlight!

***WARNING*** ADULT SCENES AND LANGUAGE ARE TO FOLLOW – FAIR WARNING.

Author Spotlight

 

Kathryn Kelly is living her dream and writing books. She’s always been an avid reader and still devours books in her spare time. She also enjoys football, socializing, music, eating, and jokes. In her head, she’s the ultimate biker babe. In reality, she’s an ordinary girl-next-door and a native New Orleanian.

 

 

 

Misled (Death Dwellers Book One):

Blurb:

He deals in a world of violence, sex, drugs, and crudity. As president of the Death Dwellers’ Motorcycle Club, Christopher “Outlaw” Caldwell presides over a club in chaos after the death of their longtime president and his mentor, Joseph “Boss” Foy.

 

Megan Foy runs from her abusive stepfather, hoping for her daddy’s intervention to save her and get her terrified mother away before it’s too late. Only problem is, she soon discovers her beloved daddy is dead and the man who killed him is the man she’s falling in love with.

 

This is a full-length novel.

 

Warning: FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. CONTAINS PHYSICAL ABUSE, VIOLENCE, RAPE, AND EXCESSIVE PROFANITY.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US

itunes

smashwords

 

Excerpt:

A scream rose above the music and laughter humming in the background. Then silence. Complete and utter silence. Rack winced. Outlaw pulled his nine, a reflex reaction and started down the hallway. Light reflected off the gigantic mural of the Grim Reaper, his scythe dripping blood, his eye sockets burning red.

“Daddy!”

He stared into familiar eyes. Blue. Intense. Brilliant. A perfect mirror of the former president of his MC. Only these eyes were unfamiliar. And not because of the dark circles ringing them.

They were the eyes of the daughter of the man he’d killed.

 

MISAPPROPRIATE

(DEATH DWELLERS’ MC #1.5):

 

Megan Foy is finally getting the big wedding she’s dreamed of. With her new child and the affection of the brothers of the Death Dwellers’ MC, her life is settling down.

 

However, a new threat rides into town and targets Christopher “Outlaw” Caldwell, forcing him to reevaluate his life once more and endangering everyone. Most of all, it threatens Meggie’s newfound peace.

 

This is a full-length novel.

 

 

 

Warning: FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. CONTAINS A FEW HOT ALPHA BIKERS, LOADS OF STEAMY SEX, AS MUCH MUSHINESS AS OUTLAW CAN HANDLE, VIOLENCE AND EXCESSIVE PROFANITY.

 

 

Goodreads

 

Buy Link

Amazon US

Excerpt

“Do you realize how inappropriate this is, Mr. Caldwell?” the priest sputtered.

He had to give it to the old geezer. He was determined to show he had balls. Motherfuckers might be useless but they were big.

“Don’t give a fuck if it’s misappropriate or not.” He narrowed his eyes at the priest. “I’m the most misappropriate motherfucker you’ll ever meet, so this ain’t nothin’ but a thing.”

Johnnie cleared his throat and beckoned Christopher closer. Probably to complain about his bad language to Father Wilcunt.

“What, fuckhead?”

“Er, Outlaw,” he whispered. “Misappropriate isn’t the right word. That means misuse of shit. Inappropriate means not suitable—“

“The word mean whatever the fuck I want it to mean, motherfucker,” he snarled, jerking away from his cousin. “Don’t need you to give me no fuckin’ definitions.” He knew Johnnie only wanted him to make as much of a good impression on Father Wilcunt as possible, but that fucking shipped had sailed. The man didn’t like him and he didn’t like the man. Besides, it reminded Christopher of his 9th grade education. It reminded him he didn’t speak the proper English cuz he’d been more interested in street smarts.

That boat had floated, too, and he was what the fuck he was.

He scowled at Father Wilcunt, who continued to glower. The priest slanted a quick glance to the phone—thinking Christopher was fucking blind—before he nodded. “Fine. The wedding can go on.”

“Megan,” he said quietly, then snapped his mouth shut, not sure where to start. He was good as fuck at being dirty with her, but sweet words didn’t come easy to him. Even when their sex was gentle, he still thought of it as fucking. Deep down, though, he knew he was making love to her. But he wondered if she knew. Did she understand how he felt about her even though he just said he loved her and none of the other romantic bullshit she deserved? “Megan, I ain’t a romantic motherfucker.”

She looked up at him and gave him an uncertain smile.

He pulled an envelope out of the inside of his jacket and tapped her nose with it. “This letter here is from me to you.” He shrugged. “Cuz I’m me and I ain’t gonna walk around tellin’ you no sonnets every-fuckin-day.” He picked up her hand. “But I promise you, baby. On every anniversary, I’m gonna give you a letter and I’m gonna tell you.” He swallowed. What he was about to say would put his feelings out there more than he ever had, even with Megan. “Maybe, some of your romance shit rubbed off on me. Not sure, baby.”

She cocked her head to the side in that way she had when she listened intently to something.

He laid the letter in her lap, tempted to let her read it, and be done with it. “I love pussy—“ He paused at her frown and pulled at his hair. “I love girls, Megan. I studied bitches as a pastime.” He cleared his throat and winced at her wide eyes. Maybe, he should’ve stuck to the letter. The shit coming out his mouth wasn’t the shit he’d written.

“This is—“

He held up a hand. “Wait, baby. Let me finish.”

Her look skeptical, she nodded.

“But ain’t no girl I ever met make me as hot as you do just by thinkin’ about you. From the moment I met you, Megan, I couldn’t fuckin’ focus on nothin’ and nobody else. All I could think about was you. Wantin’ you and wantin’ to protect you. I once told you you was gonna drive some poor motherfucker and I’m one lucky fuck that it’s me. A girl who challenge her man, hardly never fuckin’ listen to him, tell him to go fuck himself when he pisses her the fuck off is worth every fuckin’ minute of every fuckin’ day. No matter what, baby, I’m always with you. You,” he emphasized and grabbed her neck to pull her close and kiss her. “Those pretty pink lips.” He glided a hand down her arm. “Your beautiful, little body.” He bumped her nose against his. “Those gorgeous fuckin’ eyes of yours. All of you. We real with each other. Me and you. You don’t have to hide a motherfuckin’ thing from me. You can be you. Scared. Happy. Wild. Angry. Kinky. I don’t give a fuck cuz I always got you. No matter how many times you need liftin’ up–” He held out his hand and tapped his fingers in it– “I’ll catch you and raise you back where you need to be. I love the fuck outta you, Megan, and I ain’t ever gonna stop.”

Megan let out half-laugh, half-sob, tears streaking her cheeks. Christopher swiped them with his thumbs.

“I love you, too, Christopher. You make me hot and lustful for you, but it’s more than that. It’s about the two of us. You make me feel secure and loved and wanted. You’re a wonderful father and husband.” She placed a hand over his heart. “And you have a heart, Christopher. A heart that made me fall in love with you. I’ll always be here for you. No matter how many times you fall—“ She grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it—“I’ll always be there to pull you up. You own me body and soul. You’re my everything.”

He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her with all the tenderness flowing between them. Fuck him, but the look in her eyes made him want her pussy. His nostrils flared. “I want some more pussy, baby.”

“Why did you ruin our romantic moment?” she whined.

“Megan, every-fuckin-thing I said was the God’s honest truth, but I can only take so much mushy shit and mushy time is fuckin’ over.

She shook her head.

“C’mon, baby. You know you want to give me some more pussy in that small fuckin’ airplane bathroom right over there. You’re a freaky little nympho.”  

She smirked at him. “Yeah, but I’m your freaky little nympho.”

 

MISUNDERSTOOD

(DEATH DWELLERS’ MC #2):

 

John Donovan has been left in charge of the Death Dwellers’ MC while the club president is on his honeymoon. With six days left till Outlaw’s return and smooth sailing so far, complications bubble up. As the clock ticks, he’s determined to bring everything under control.

Kendall Miller, an attorney and the ex-girlfriend of another MC President, is in deep trouble. When her little sister is taken by her ex, she needs to report to a man who is frantic for information on the highest ranking members of Johnnie’s club. When she suddenly shows up at the clubhouse and arouses the suspicions of a very handsome blond biker, she finds herself being taken as his prisoner.

Evil is all around them. To save herself and her sister, Kendall has to rely on the man she betrayed. To save his club, Johnnie has to trust Kendall’s story. Before it’s too late. Because lives will be lost and hearts will be broken.

 

WARNING: This isn’t an easy or light read. Please be advised. The way to Johnnie’s and Kendall’s resolution involves death, violence, destruction, a sexual assault scene and suicide.

 

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Excerpt

His gaze flickered over her hair, her eyes, her nose. Her mouth. The silver in his beautiful eyes swallowed up the gray, leaving behind a burning intensity that melted Kendall’s insides. Looking at him, smelling his cologne, hardened her nipples and wet her panties. Because he was her illusion. The man she hadn’t expected to see again but whose memories she clung to.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he greeted with a heart-stopping smile. “What brings you back to my club?”

 

MISDEEDS (Death Dwellers, a Novella):

John “Johnnie” Donovan is determined to make his relationship work with Kendall Miller, the attorney he met during his cousin’s birthday party. Before he can move on with his future, however, he still has loose ends to tie up from the past in the person of a rival MC’s president who is also Kendall’s ex-boyfriend. As Johnnie tries to balance his club life and personal life, another tragedy forces him to make a choice between the two. Will Johnnie be able to live with the choices he makes?

 

Kendall Miller is trying to pick up the pieces of her life in the wake of her ex-boyfriend’s assault. She’s ready to move on with her life and the man of her dreams, the sexy VP of the Death Dwellers MC. She demands his complete attention and isn’t willing to share her man with all the baggage of the MC. She doesn’t want to be an afterthought to him nor does she want to live her life in the midst of the clubhouse, especially with the competition taking place between Kendall and the club president’s wife. Then, catastrophe strikes and Kendall’s life is once again altered. Can she and Johnnie have a future together or has their love been doomed from the beginning?

 

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Excerpt

Instead of Megan or any other woman, Johnnie stepped in and leaned against the door. He’d been running his fingers through his hair a lot, so the blond strands lay all over his head. The sadness in his eyes made her heart twist and she stepped closer to him before gliding her fingers along his jawline. The stubble that had grown since he’d shaved this morning scraped against her fingertips. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her nose against his neck, inhaling his scent. Smoke. Alcohol. The faintest hint of aftershave. Musk. And him. Johnnie.

She planted kisses against his throat and up to his mouth. He groaned and pulled her closer, taking control of the kiss and dipping his tongue into her mouth. Heat pooled low in her belly, her pussy slickening in need.

“I’m so glad you’re here with me, gorgeous,” he whispered, thumbing her nipples and thrusting his erection against her.

Kendall melted at his words and smiled, pulling back to stare into his eyes, burning with a silver intensity that seemed to reach into her soul. But she wouldn’t tell him again that she loved him right now. He was dealing with too much. Besides, she wanted to know how deep his feelings went for her. She couldn’t face his rejection.

“Come out with me?” he asked quietly. “I’m about to tell a hilarious story about K-P. Well, it’s more about us but K-P walked in at the end and—“ He rubbed the back of his neck and he shrugged before forcing a smile onto his lips. “I’d like you to be out there.”

Unable to deny him as much as she wanted to ask they return to their room, Kendall nodded.

His grin wasn’t as bleak. Grabbing her hand, he moved away from the door, opened it, and then guided her out. He went to the center of the floor and whistled to call attention to himself.

“You’d never know just by looking at our ugly mugs how two little guys have woven their way into our hearts,” he began when the room fell silent. “I’m going to be a father, too, thanks to my old lady.” He nodded to Kendall and she blinked, heat rising to her cheeks, not expecting Johnnie to make such an announcement.

Claps and catcalls reached Kendall, Johnnie’s loudest of all. She didn’t know how to feel about having so much attention focused on her and wished Johnnie would’ve discussed his intentions with her, so she could’ve been better prepared.

Sliding into the seat she’d had earlier, she ignored the stares directed at her, balling her hands into fists to keep from screaming at everyone to focus elsewhere. Like on Johnnie, who was finally launching into the story he’d mentioned to her in the bathroom.

Losing herself in the cadence of his voice, Kendall blocked out everyone else and focused on the anecdote.

MISBEHAVIOR

(DEATH DWELLERS’ MC #3)

Matthew “Val” Taylor, the Road Captain in the club, was introduced to sex at an early age. Saved from the streets by the club’s Enforcer and President years ago, Val now lives for women and the open road. Until the night the only woman he’s ever loved is almost killed. Val determines to change his ways and be the man Zoann Donovan should have and the father their son deserves.

Zoann has loved Val for a long time. Violence and bitter betrayal forces her to ignore her feelings and distance herself not only from the sexy RC, but her beloved brother, too. Until she discovers the truth. Can Zoann ever be forgiven for all the pain she’s caused? Will Val overcome his own demons and have a future with her and their son? Who will survive in an MC filled with lust and revenge, love and hate?

Warning: This is a tale of rape, murders, deception, heartache, lies, and infidelity. The road to redemption is a tumultuous struggle where only the strong survive and justice is served…Outlaw-style.

 

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Excerpt

“You need me to eat it again?”

God, no. “No.”

He slid a finger into her heat, thumbing her clit. She sucked in a breath and clutched his shoulders.

“So fucking soft and delicate.” He added another finger and licked her nipple, his fingers working in and out of her and moving in unison with his thumb on her clit.

Desire stripped away her resistance and she cried out, grinding against his hand and coming apart.

“On your knees.” He gave her the order, but didn’t wait for her to comply. Instead, he rose to his knees, flipped her over and lifted her legs, opening her wide to him and sliding into her when she had not yet recovered from the orgasm he’d given her.

“Come for me.”

He thrust into her, his tight balls tapping against her clit with every move he made and she screamed his name, the force of her orgasm shaking her entire body and making her ears ring. He gripped handfuls of her hair and pulled her head back, licking her lips. The moment she opened her mouth, he stuck his tongue out and touched the tip of hers, urging her to follow suit. Once he stopped, he released her hair and leaned over her, his thrusts into her wild now.

“Best. Pussy. Ever.”

One, last time he slammed into her and jerked inside of her. He pulled his dick out of her and flattened his hand against her back. She felt his nose first. A second later, his mouth covered her entrance and sucked.

She nearly knocked herself out hauling herself away from him and careening into the headboard.

“Ow!” she whined, holding her head and turning to glare at him as he wiped his forearm across his mouth. “You fucking pig.”

He shrugged. “I want to get my cum out of you.”

“Once it’s in, it can’t come out, asshole.”

“That shit leaks out all the time. A few hard sucks have to slurp it out.”

“If it leaked out or could be sucked out, the earth wouldn’t be populated. I’ve never heard of cunnilingus as a form of birth control.”

He barked a laugh and smirked at her. “You liked it.”

 

MISJUDGED

(DEATH DWELLERS’ MC #3.5) 

Have we ever misjudged a situation? Looked at life one way only to realize it’s something else entirely?

Christopher “Outlaw” Caldwell is at a crossroads. He worships his old lady, Megan. After almost losing her, he’s realizing marriage is harder than he thought, especially when he’s the president of one of the most notorious MCs around.

Megan Caldwell has been immersed in grief over her lost son, blaming herself for his death. She wants another baby and she wants to be the old lady her husband needs her to be.

Reality has a way of changing perceptions. Both Megan and Christopher will have to find answers to some hard questions. Most important one?

Where do they go from here?

 

 

Warning: This story contains a little of Kendall Miller’s backstory and a present-day decision on her part. It isn’t for the faint of heart and isn’t a hearts-and-roses type of romance. It has a little intensity, a smidgeon of fighting, a lot of loving, and approximately 1360 ‘f’ words or variations thereof.

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Excerpt

He wanted to motherfucking leave this bullshit amusement park, the last fucking place in the world he wanted to fucking be.

“Christopher!” Megan called, her tone filled with beautiful, fucking happiness, a sound he hadn’t heard from his wife in fucking weeks. Her carefree joy almost made this fucking torture worthwhile.

All-fucking-most.

For this bullshit, Megan would have to…

What…?

She already did what he asked of her, so spending the evening at an amusement park racing her in stupid fucking go-carts, feeling fucking ridiculous on the Ferris wheel, wanting to slap the fuck out of two dickheads screaming like pussified girls on the rollercoaster, and fucking with arcade games, shouldn’t have been such a pain in the fucking balls. He’d had enough miniature golf and bumper cars to last a fucking lifetime. And the fucking shame of the goddamn carousel.

The carou-fucking-sel. He’d sat in one of the carriages with Megan snuggled close to him, her eyes bright and sparkling.

They’d already been there for three fucking hours and he was considering having this motherfucker blown to bits and fucking pieces so Megan would never, fucking ever-ever-ever, get it in her head for them to have a motherfucking date here again.

Fucking never.

Every-fucking time, they ended up back at these motherfuckers. The go-carts. After the third fucking time stuffed into those small fuckers, he wised the fuck up and let Megan win. It became fucking clear to Christopher she wouldn’t move on until she beat him.

 

MISGUIDED

(DEATH DWELLERS’ MC #4)

A biker: Lucas “Mortician” Banks stopped believing in love after a bitter betrayal. As Club Enforcer, the Death Dwellers MC is his home, where no rules exist and brotherhood rule. He never expected to fall for the daughter of K-P Andrews, a biker from the old guard, who is now deceased. Is love enough to survive secrets, brutality, and betrayal?

A beauty: Bailey Andrews was fascinated by the biker from the first moment they met. She seized the opportunity to have his phone number and, somehow, ended up married to him when she accompanied Mortician on a run to Las Vegas. She uncovers the connection between her father and Mortician’s father and the horrible betrayals it led to within the MC. Can she leave the secrets stay buried? Or will she expose them and ruin her marriage to the only man she’ll ever love?

A bet: Smug in his assumption he’d never fall as hard for as woman as his Prez fell for a girl, Mortician put his money where his mouth was and made that bet. With 20Gs on the line and two weeks left before he wins or loses, Mortician has to decide if Bailey and their marriage is more important or saving face and keeping his money. Having only ever seen the destruction of love gone wrong, what will Mortician decide?

A baby: Now, Bailey’s pregnant with his baby and hiding another detrimental secret that she, herself, recently discovered. Will she have to choose between her life and the baby’s? Or will she find a way to save both herself and her child’s?

Warning: This is a brutal tale of worlds colliding—a mega-church with the command to destroy, powerful men with their own agendas, and raw and dirty bikers who will win at all costs. Contains violence, drug use, and excessive foul language.

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Excerpt:

3:33AM

Every decision for life-changing events happened at 3:33 in the morning.

Or so his father claimed.

To Mortician, though, three thirty three represented something different. Symbolized half of evil and, when put together, created a whole.

Six fucking six six, divided by two, equaled half of fucking Satan. Fitting. Sharper and Charlemagne Banks equaled the demonic fucking duo. One couldn’t work without the other. Therefore, life-changing events always took place at three fucking thirty-three—because Fat & Skinny, Evil & Eviler, Slicker & Slickest, worked together.

Muscles twitching in anger, Mortician hunkered down in the pew, glaring at the overcrowded pulpit and searching the choir stand for Char as Sharper’s voice droned on.

Mortician had spent too many Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in this fucking building. As the membership grew and Sharper’s pockets swelled, their status inched up. And the fucking deceit went out of control.

A flash of silver material caught his eye and Mortician shifted, angling his head to get a better glimpse of her. Char. Still gorgeous with her dusky skin, high cheekbones, and slanted eyes. Bitch couldn’t compare to Bailey, though.

Not wanting to think of Bailey right now because he needed to keep calm to get to her, Mortician gritted his teeth and shifted, scowling at the imperious lift of the brow from the older suited-up motherfucker next to him. Suit and tie bent and whispered something to his wife and she peeked around her husband. She was younger, could have been his daughter, except for the way the man buzzed her lips with his own.

Unable to help himself, Mortician winked at her. Sadity, stuck-up, society bitch, who would open her legs to him in a minute. He tried his best to stay away from married bitches, a certain cop’s wife being the exception.

The nose-far-enough-in-the-air-to-drown-in-a-drizzle motherfucker angled his body toward Mortician in clear warning.

He wanted a dick measuring contest here? In church? Really?

If not for the maid he’d bribed—well, the knife to her throat had helped—he’d be bored as a motherfucker listening to his father’s baritone voice singing Praise Is What I Do.

He needed to act normal. If his dad thought for one minute that Mortician knew he had Bailey, he’d give the order and have her killed.

That thought fucked with his head, so Mortician leaned over to fuck with Mr. Asshole and Mrs. Sadity. “If your dick too limp from all the steroids you must fucking take to get so built, I’ll fuck her for you.”

Anger lit the man’s dark eyes. Finally, some fucking entertainment. But it didn’t ease the ache in Mortician’s chest.

He needed Bailey.

No. He needed to get Bailey safe. He didn’t need her. He’d needed his mother and he’d needed Charlemagne and he’d had his heart ripped out both times.

Give it up, asshole. You need Bailey. You want her. You love her.

So now he was hearing romantic fucking voices in his head? Fuck off. He’d prefer to talk to his dick. Once upon a time, he’d named it Roscoe.

Had he ever told Bailey that his dick’s name was Roscoe? Had he even remembered? There wasn’t much he remembered when he was around Bailey. She consumed him.

Mortician shook a little, almost unable to remain in his seat and pretend she wasn’t somewhere in one of the million rooms of this mega-church.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. But, mostly, he wanted to fucking kill. And he would. Brutally and viciously. Slowly and methodically.

 

Misconduct 

(A Death Dwellers MC Novel):

In the final full novel of the series tells the story of Digger Banks, traitor to the Death Dwellers MC. His brother and club enforcer, Mortician, is charged with the task of putting him to ground. Will both brothers survive and can the Death Dwellers withstand another betrayal and tragedy?

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Excerpt:

Bunny drew in a deep breath, stubbornly holding her tears at bay as the car sped past emergency vehicles and motorcycles, all hurrying towards the club. At the intersection of the main street and the dead end that led to the MC, traffic was mounting.

Traffic. When this small town never had traffic. That was the magnitude of the morning’s calamitous events.

The chaotic confusion aided Digger’s escape. He swerved left. To frustrated drivers and rushing law enforcement, his maneuver would appear as a way to beat the ever-increasing vehicles. No one seemed to care that the car was the only one speeding away from the scene and not towards it.

Little Man tugged her hair. She’d had it in a careless knot at her nape, but she’d lost her pins somewhere along the way. “Bun-Bun, I want MegAnn.”

Bunny hugged him tightly, afraid if she spoke, emotion would overtake her voice and he’d pick up on her grief and fear when he was scared enough.

“MegAnn,” he repeated in a trembling tone.

“Shut him the fuck up, Bunny,” Digger yelled, his voice vibrating in the small confines of the car.

Veering off the road onto a private access road, he waved around the gun he held. In case he pulled the trigger, she wrapped her arms around Little Man’s head.

 

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27 Thoughts I Had During My Week-Long “Game of Thrones” Obsession

***WARNING SPOILERS BELOW***

Man, people weren’t kidding. Death, sex (including, incest and rape), children being injured, the works! All in the first episode!

I had never watched GoT before or read the books. COMPLETELY new fandom for me. I was enthralled.

2. Joffrey gets hit more than anyone else I know.

And those screams of peril! “Ahhh!” I’m sure you’ve all noticed the girl screams and had quite a thrill.

3. Wait, who’s Sansa and who’s Cersei? Why are their names so similar???

4. There’s no way they’re killing Ned, he’s a mai—OMGOMGOMG!

5. Joffrey is the worst….well you know what they say about inbreeding…..

The other two seem normal enough. Well except the whole Myrcella, “I’m glad you had sex with your sister, dad.”

6. Cersei’s name is pretty and she’s pretty, but they are nasty af…

7. Wait, I thought Catelyn didn’t like Snow….oh wait, that’s Robb. Too many lookalikes!!

8. Wait, who’s this? And this? And this?

Why does everyone look the same??

9. I’m such a girl. I’m only paying attention to Sansa, Daenerys, and Arya’s stories. What are the dudes doing?

10. Wait…did he just…? No. no. no. NO. *Looks up spoilers on internet* BETTER NOT BE BRAN AND RIKKON, YOU JERK!!

Although later I do feel suuuuper bad for Theon but come on, Alfie Allen is fire as all get out. He is ACTING as Theon Greyjoy who is ACTING as Reek who is ACTING as Theon Greyjoy. What a time to be alive.

11. Okay, I feel like I heard about this red wedding a couple years ago, right? So if there’s five seasons, must be somewhere here in season three? But when? HOLY FFFFFFF THE BABY!

My mouth literally dropped open when they started just stabbing Talisa in the stomach. I could not believe what I was seeing. And I never knew how much I loved Robb until he wasn’t alive anymore. The more you know.

12. JOFFREY IS CRAP. SERIOUSLY WHEN IS HE DYING??? Oh thank god.

I have never been happier to see a teenager die in my entire life. What a fitting, nasty, ugly end. Good riddance.

13. I knew those Tyrell’s were up to something. I support it. 😀

14. TYRION DIDN’T DO IT! GAAAAAAHHHHH. GO TALK TO THE OLD LADY!

15. Daenerys is seriously my fave character. DIGAF what anyone else thinks? Nada.

The thing is, people say she’s spoiled and whatnot, but she is a GODDESS and a WARRIOR. And she’s gonna win the whole damn thing. AND DRAGONS!!!!!

16. Did they change that actor? Oh, they did.

17. I need to read these books. I’m reading them. *buys book one* this is different, this is different, this is different, I LOVE EVERYTHING.

18. I KNEW SHAE WAS A WHORE, BUT I DIDN’T THINK SHE WAS AN ALL OUT SKANK. CALL HIM LION ONE MORE TIME, HOE!

19. You know nothing, Jon Snow…

But for real, though when Melisandre knew the line. FORESHADOWING……

20. I really hate creepy church people. Leave me alone.

21. I accidentally read spoilers and I know you die, but I love you, boo. (Basically me to every character.)

22. WHERE IS BRAN??

23. Arya is a badass. You get that revenge, girl.

“OYSTERS, CLAMS, AND COCKLES!!”

24. ICE DEATH MONSTERS ARE SCARY AND ARE IN MY NIGHTMARES, THANK YOU GEORGE

No thank you, White Walkers.

25. Is it just me or are we kinda feeling bad for Cersei now? How are they doing this to me???

26. NOT JON. Dude. They are just killing these Stark kids in order, huh?

27. I need to re-watch episode 1……or just the whole show again…..ONWARD!!!

^^ Me watching/reading GoT. I can already tell that I will never not be totally obsessed with this show and book series….here comes the niki fandom. 😉

Val Shapiro’s 10 Tips For Living With a Hellhound by Parker Blue

1. Set boundaries right away—you are not your hellhound’s servant (no matter how much he treats you like one).

2. Never, ever feed him dog food. Keep a good pizza delivery place on speed dial—it’s the best way to shut him up and keep him occupied. Besides, with his constitution, he can eat anything.

3. Get used to having your every thought listened to and commented on. If you can’t take it, move out, ’cause he’s not going to. There are benefits, though—he can read other demons’ thoughts and clue you in.

4. If you own a motorcycle, get him his own seat and a pair of goggles—he’ll want to go everywhere with you, so you both might as well be comfortable.

5. Don’t lie to yourself or him, even a little bit—he’ll definitely call you on it. Repeatedly.

6. Find him a hellhound girlfriend—it’s the only way to get him out of your hair for a bit so you might be able to have a normal relationship with a guy. It helps if the hellhound girlfriend is a self-involved diva, so she’ll keep him hopping.

7. Teach him how to use the remote. TV is a great babysitter when you’re too busy to entertain him.

8. Buy lots of lint rollers—the shedding is a pain!

9. Praise him constantly—his ego needs it. Plus, he usually deserves it.

10. Keep him happy, ’cause he’s the best friend you’ll ever have. Sometimes he even offers good advice.

BITE ME is on sale for FREE til January!! I know I’m picking it up, are you?

And the best part is that it’s a series! Grab the rest of The Demon Underground novels at the links below! I’m totally fan-girling right now. ;D

 

About the Author:

 

Parker Blue lives in Colorado Springs with three rescue dogs, one of whom resembles her favorite character, Fang, the snarky hellhound.

 

Christian by D.B. Reynolds Excerpt (NEW RELEASE)

CHRISTIAN – book ten of The Vampires in America Series – is publishing November 15th! Read an exclusive excerpt below and make sure you order CHRISTIAN by clicking the link! 😀 

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It’s too dangerous for you to stay here…”

Natalie’s unease at what he was saying overrode her irritation at his tendency to give orders. “Dangerous? Do you really think—?”

“That Anthony would hurt you?” Christian studied her for a moment, as if trying to decide if he should tell her the truth, as if wondering whether she could handle it.

“Tell me the truth,” she demanded.

His lips tightened briefly, and he said, “Yes.”

“But he’s never done anything like that before.”

“And he’d probably regret it. But in the final analysis, only one person matters to Anthony, and that’s Anthony. I don’t believe for a minute that he plans to retire quietly to New Orleans. He has a game in play that will maximize his own power and wealth after the succession. We just don’t know what it is yet. But whatever it is, I’ve spoiled it for him, and he’ll do what it takes to get rid of me. He wants you for

himself—”

She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued.

“—I can see it in the way he looks at you. He covets you, as if you’re already his. He may even have convinced himself he loves you, or that you love him. But if he gets angry enough, he’ll hurt you. Either to claim you for himself, or to get to me.” He stepped closer in the confined space, cupping her cheek in his big hand. “You matter to me. Anthony knows that.”

Natalie looked up at him, unable to stop herself from leaning in until her breasts nearly touched him. Her chest felt constricted, her heart too big for the space, pounding in her ears until it was all she could hear. Christian tightened the fingers of his other hand around her hip, pulling her in until there was no space between them, and the tips of her breasts scraped the thick muscles of his chest. His gaze traveled over her face, lingering on her lips, and she knew he was going to kiss her.

When his mouth met hers, her lips were already open in welcome. She expected to be ravished, but was enticed instead, his lips caressing hers with delicate, sliding kisses, his tongue quick and teasing, until she went up on her toes, and pressed her mouth to his to demand more. She felt his smile against her lips, felt him shift the angle of her head as he sank deeper into her, as his tongue swept forcefully into her mouth, stroking, tasting. Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck with a pleasured sigh. She couldn’t remember wanting anyone the way she did Christian. She was hungry for him. Every inch of her longed for him, from the ache between her thighs to the swell of her breasts, and everything above and below.

But he was being so careful with her. As if she were something fragile, as if he had to hold himself back. She wasn’t terribly experienced. Hell, she’d never experienced a man like Christian. But she wasn’t going to break, either. And she didn’t want him to hold back.

She boldly closed her teeth over his lower lip, stopping just short of drawing blood, shivering as his growled response rolled down her throat, trembling deep between her thighs, and knotting her nipples into hard peaks. His arm tightened around her back as he jerked her even closer.

“Careful, ma chére, or you’ll get what you ask for.”

“Good,” she whispered fiercely.

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Whoa, baby! Ya know, I’ve been wanting to get around to this series for a while and if the rest of it is anything like that, I think I may have to start tonight! 

---

About the author: 

D.B. Reynolds is the RT Award-winning author of the Vampires in America series of paranormal romance, and an Emmy-nominated television sound editor. She lives with her husband of many years in a flammable canyon near Los Angeles, and when she’s not writing her own books, she can usually be found reading someone else’s. Visit her blog at www.dbreynolds.com for details on all of her books, for free stories and more.

Thanks everyone! Happy Friday the 13th! 😀