Mila Ramos is my Guest Author Tonight on Blog Talk Radio

Please join me tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio. Mila Ramos is my guest author, and she'll be reading from her paranormal romance anthology Echoes and Illusions, now available from Melange Books.

Show time is 11 pm et/ 10 pm ct/ 8 pm pt
Don't miss it!
*****
The Watchers

In a world where duty and honor are binding and crucial Selene, a Coven Enforcer, has to choose between the life she knows and the life she yearns. On a dark and stormy night Selene learns that some rules are meant to be broken, even immortal ones.

The Seventh Legend

Some stories are based on legend, some on rumor. Some stories are real. For a young woman her childhood book has something more than imagined. The book contains the story of a real hero facing an unimaginable evil that’s been after since she was a child.

Smoke & Mirrors

Dr. Ana Fiore has earned her reputation “Dr. Ice” by her solid work and rigid personality. Sent to a conference for determination of Chief of Staff, she is snowed in with rival and colleague Dr. Dakota Hastings. Face-to-face with Dakota, she learns she isn’t the only expert at illusion.

Reel-to-Real

A curious invitation mystifies acclaimed movie critic Moira Castle. In an industry where word of mouth is reality, Moira comes back home to the unexpected. Memories surge as an old movie reel and theater owner Toren McCann hold answers that have lain quiet for far too long.

Six on Sunday - A DIFFERENT YESTERDAY

Six paragraphs from A Different Yesterday
An erotic sci-fi, futuristic, post-apocalyptic romance novel
Available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid

1. He gazed at the two pictures, at the chunky, tow-headed boy named Drew with the almost pure white hair, and the girl named JoBeth with her hair twisted up in one of those French braids. They were goofing off in front of the kiosk’s camera. Here, they’d stuck their thumbs in their ears as the flash went off. The lower photo showed them forehead to forehead, staring at each other as the bulb caught their profiles. Jo’s hair was a deep, russet red. Not quite orange enough to be a redhead, but not brown enough to be called brunette. She had a mass of freckles all over her body, her face and arms especially. And bright blue eyes. She’d told him her parents called them cornflower blue, then they had gone online to look up what a cornflower was.

2. Tollson scribbled, and left it at that. If truth be told, he had made no other plans beyond getting to Renoir and looking for Jo. It had been his single purpose in life growing up. That, and learning every trick he could in order to survive the journey. Because traveling the two-thousand-plus-mile trip alone and virtually unarmed would take a whole handful of virtues like courage, and strength, and stamina, and “pure-dee ol’ luck”, as Uncle Carter called it.

3. Tollson swiveled around in his seat. At first glance he realized Polinski was accompanied by a female, rather than another man, and he automatically got to his feet. A second look at the slender young woman, and he felt his face growing taut and cold as blood rushed straight to the center of his chest. The woman was staring at him in disbelief. Her movements slowed as she seemed to hesitate to meet him. Wide, cornflower blue eyes glittered with gathering tears, and her mouth hung open in undisguised shock.

4. Seventeen years ago they had shared their first-ever kiss on the mouth. Three times they had pressed their lips together, just like they had seen adults do. Innocent kisses that had tasted like peppermint and spaghetti sauce. Kisses that had been pure and uncomplicated. Kisses that had meant nothing more than a silent, unspoken promise. Her mouth was hot and wet, and she tasted like cinnamon. He felt her breath catch in her throat as his tongue sought hers, met, and sealed together. These were lovers’ kisses not meant for children. He pulled back, questioning her with his eyes, and giving her the chance to stop him. Jo refused to let him go as she hungrily reached for him, melted into him, and silently demanded an end to years of loneliness. His fingers dove into her hair, massaging her scalp with his fingertips.

5. Tossing the writing materials onto the table, he bent over at the waist and dug his fingers through his hair. He had hurt her last night. He almost did the same thing tonight. The thought of physically abusing her was like bile rising in his stomach, searing his throat with its acidic fear. Tollson was unaware he was rocking forward and back until Jo placed her hands on his skin, trying to soothe him as she made soft shushing sounds. After several minutes she managed to coax him back under the covers where she joined him. Holding her in his arms, he felt her slowly relaxing against him. Her weariness was evident in the boneless feel of her body as she melted against his warmth. He listened as her breathing slowed, letting him know she felt certain that he wouldn’t have another episode tonight. Confident his terrors were restricted to one episode a night. There was no way he could assure her that was the truth.

6. He took the half-dozen steps leading up to the first landing in two leaps. The closer they got to Jo’s room, the faster he moved. Bednorz could see the tension building in the man’s face and in the way he continually gripped his hands into fists. It was like watching a wreck about to happen. Or the death of something too pure and good that couldn’t be allowed to live. Her stomach lurched, anticipating the outcome. Knowing it wouldn’t be happy, nor would it be the end. These two people needed each other. They had paid every debt owed to be with each other. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Drew and Jo were one soul trapped in two bodies. After seeing the two of them together, it was as if a puzzle had found all its missing pieces to finally become a whole picture. A picture of happiness and contentment. The truest picture of love that she had ever witnessed.

A DIFFERENT YESTERDAY Gets a TwoLips Reviews Recommended Read!

When 11-year-old Andrew Tollson's parents moved him from Texas to Maine, he had to sacrifice more than the only home he'd ever known. He had to leave the most important person in his life, next to his parents, behind.

Drew and 9-year-old tomboy JoeBeth Wythe lived in each other's pockets. They shared everything, including their first on-the-lips kiss. It tore them both up to be separated. And then the sun blew up, turning the Earth into a cold, barren wasteland. For years, neither knew if the other had lived through the apocalypse, but they never forgot each other, to the point that neither could make a go of a romantic relationship with anyone else.

After 17 years of training in lethal hand-to-hand combat, Drew has finally decided he has no other choice than to go back to Texas to find Jo. Or her grave. Mute, after the trauma of the vicious murders of his brother and parents by raiding scavengers, the pudgy little Drew has grown into a six-foot-two inch, muscle-packed killing machine versed in all the skills he'll need to travel by foot halfway across the country and arrive there alive. Along the way, he strikes without warning, to defend both himself and the innocents he encounters, and somewhere between Maine and Texas, people begin calling him the Silent Wraith. But to Jo – when he finally finds her, living in the hidden cave-compound of Promise, Texas – he is still her Drew.

On the day these two childhood sweethearts reunite, the sun catches fire again in their own private sky, but when Drew's violent night terrors threaten Jo's safety, he knows he has to again leave her behind. However, Jo isn't about to let him off the hook a second time. Setting out after him, she encounters more danger than the snowy cold. Scavengers have been raiding the Promise food stores, and when Jo stumbles into their path with no help in sight, where is Drew? Only if his heart turns him around, will Jo have a chance to survive at the hands of thieves who can't afford to leave a witness behind.

Having gone through several would-be publishers who dropped the ball – which is to their loss, I must say – on getting this wonderful book out to readers, I'd venture a guess that Linda Mooney's A Different Yesterday is a very different kind of love story than you've ever read before. Due to the sun going supernova – which isn't caused by “global warming” as one reviewer postulated – childhood best friends Jo and Drew believe they will never see each other again. On the surface, the string of events that lead Drew back to Jo after 17 years seem contrived, but as you come to know these two, you know that their relationship couldn't have evolved any other way. It goes to the premise that when destiny holds your future in its hands, what is meant to be will be, even under the most dire of circumstances.

I love Ms. Mooney's writing. I've read most of her books, and they've all been truly wonderful, but none of them has been, from cover to cover, as good as this book. A Different Yesterday will tear you apart and put you back together again. It will make you cry, so be sure you have some tissues on hand. It will make you smile and warm you all the way to the very bottom of your soul. It will even give you hope if your own future seems hopeless. It's simply one of the best books I've ever read, with one of the most touching endings imaginable. Don't miss it!

Beetles

Make Your Own 3D Object

Life Hacks 2.0

Bubbles!

I was amazed at how this photo was shot and turned out.

Jess Macallan is my Guest Author Tonight on Blog Talk Radio!

Jess Macallan is my guest author tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio. She will be reading from her paranormal romance Stone Cold Seduction, Set in Stone, Book 1 from Entangled Publishing.

Show time is 11 pm et/ 10 pm ct/ 8 pm pt
Don't miss it!
*****
“Elle. It’s just Elle.”

When a regular night of Robin Hood‐ery results in the manifestation of some, um, unusual paranormal abilities, perfume‐maker Elleodora Fredricks realizes the normal world she lives in isn’t quite… normal. And neither is she, thanks to her father, king of the shadow elves. Not only is he evil incarnate and the reason Elle moonlights as a burglar—someone has to take care of all his victims—he’s stolen her memories.

And only reading her fate can fix that.

Good thing she’s got a trio of hotties willing to help her find said fate, but only if she gives them something in return. Saving her oracle BFF’s fiancée, falling in love with the gargoyle, and making up for breaking the phoenix’s heart ought to be a piece of cake for the princess of the shadow elves.

If only the king didn’t want his daughter dead…

Six on Sunday - DEEP

Six paragraphs from DEEP
An erotic sci-fi romance
Available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=607

1. For a split second she caught the reflection of herself in the mirror above the collapsible sink. Her hand involuntarily lifted to touch her cheek. Angrily, she straightened up and glared back at her image. “It's over,” she told herself firmly. “For the next two years there's nothing holding you back. Nothing. Got that?”

2. When she stepped out of the stall, her eyes immediately went to the mirror above the dinky sink. To her surprise, Deep's image was staring back at her. If she didn't know any better, he looked hurt. She opened her mouth to make a comment about his expression when she noticed his eyes gliding down her body in a slow perusal. The effect on her body took her aback. A nice hot bubble of lust burst between her legs, leaving her tingly and unfulfilled. Its hard edginess twisted in her womb, and sexual desire sizzled brightly, mixing with her blood in her veins. For a moment Lawn wondered if she might be able to slide back into bed and masturbate herself into a reasonable state of satisfaction. There was no way she could avoid the fact that Deep's holographic image was the sexiest thing she had seen in a very long time.

3. “I got…” She couldn't think. Training and the instinct for survival were driving her as she frantically tried to claw her way over the buoy's hull for something to grasp. There was no room for her to put another finger inside the connector. Lawn grew terrified that the buoy would rip her finger off her hand. If that happened, it would also tear the glove, and the breach in her suit would mean instant death.

4. Incredulously, she remained mute and watched as Deep‟s holo image reached for her injured hand. As his ghostlike fingers touched hers, three smaller extensions slid out of the metal rod. The faux fingers appeared to slip into alignment with Deep‟s as though they were slipping into a glove. So when he cupped her hand in his, Lawn felt the metal rods gently touch her.

5. No. That couldn't be right. It had to be his image was frozen as the ship dealt with cooking her breakfast and whatever other inner workings it had to simultaneously keep track of. Regardless, seeing him there gave her a very naughty sense of voyeurism. She remembered the hard-on she thought she'd seen earlier and debated whether she should try to see if she could have him produce another one, but common sense kept telling her it would be a futile gesture. On the other hand, the little devil sitting on her shoulder asked, “Hell, why not? Consider it an experiment…of sorts. After all, he's a ship, for crying out loud!”

6. “Do you think I planned to fall in love?” he asked her, before giving a little chuckle. “Hell, I didn't even know I was capable of such an emotion. But I should have known. I should have expected it. I mean, I can feel hate. Disgust. Curiosity. Happiness. Why not love?”

Check out Kelley Heckart's Free Read This Week!

This week's free read over at the Truly Madly Deeply Romance Authors Blog is by Kelley Heckart. It's entitled "Birds of Calm", and it's based on the Greek myth of Ceyx and Alcyone.
****
Is it too late for a second chance at love?

Rating: PG-13
Genre: Greek mythology, Paranormal, Contemporary
Heat Level: Sweet

My September Foodzie is Here!

This month's box had a theme - It's Tea Time! Included in the goodie box were:

* Bengal Breakfast Tea
* Snicker Dudes (these are HUGE!)
* Tupelo Honey
* Salted Rosemary Shortbreads
* Coconut Chili Macadamias

Believe it or not, I fixed me some of the tea first. After a hard day at teaching Kindergarten, I found it to be a great little treat.

New! DEEP, an erotic sci-fi romance

DEEP

An Erotic Sci-Fi Romance Novella
From Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=607
Word Count: 39.7K

As one of Earth’s Galactic Enforcers, Lawn Bascomb is assigned to Area R6Y6 for the duration of one year. Her only companion in this desolate section of space is Deep, her sentient Vogt ship.

The Vogt line is an experimental breed of unique vessels, each with its own artificially enhanced intelligence, created specifically for use at the deep space guard posts. Able to project himself in holographic form, Deep is not only Lawn’s sole fellow crew member, but he is also her confidant and friend. It isn't long before he becomes her lover.

But their tenuous arrangement is suddenly and fatally shattered when their post is threatened by an unknown and perhaps alien force. Lawn and Deep soon face the realization that, in order to save Earth, one—or both of them—must die.

Warning: Contains ship sex, governmental cover-ups, an orgasmic indoctrination, temperamental buoys, self-sacrifice, alien invasion, and doing the 9-to-5 in the buff.

From Reader Views - What to Disclose in the Synopsis

Irene Watson has a very interesting article regarding "What to Disclose in the Synopsis: Reader Reactions to Surprises."

In short, she mentions that some authors do not reveal in their synopsis any content that some reviewers may find objectionable, such as explicit sex, alternate lifestyles, profanity, paranormal activities, horror and gore, etc. I know that when I upload my books to Manic Readers, or to other review sites, they ask if there may be content they need to be aware of before offering it to their reviewers.

I know I may be guilty of neglect in this department. For example, if I upload an erotic romance, and list it as erotic, I don't put a warning that the book's content contains eroticism. Should I? 

Same goes for a horror story. If it's labeled as horror, should I mention that it contains scenes of explicit gore?

There's a Whole New Slew of Free Reads on the Truly Madly Deeply Blog!

It's time for Round Two of Free Reads on the Truly Madly Deeply Romance Authors Blog!  This time we're highlighting Fairy Tales, Myths, and Legends. And beginning this week we have "Safe Tonight" by Lydia Nyx.

Luther Heppenstall has returned to London to help his old friend Mathias Adderly rid Peckham's streets of the demon known as Spring Heeled Jack. However, in the aftermath of Jack's defeat, Luther has to face some old demons from his past as well.

Rated: PG-13 (for mentions of violence)
Genre: Historical, Paranormal
Heat Level: Sweet

New Release and Giveaway Tonight on Blog Talk Radio!

Tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio, I will be reading from my brand new release, DEEP, an erotic sci-fi romance from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid!

And during the show, one lucky listener will win a PDF copy!

Show time is 11 pm et/ 10 pm ct/ 8 pm pt
Don't miss it!
****
As one of Earth’s Galactic Enforcers, Lawn Bascomb is assigned to Area R6Y6 for the duration of one year. Her only companion in this desolate section of space is Deep, her sentient Vogt ship.

The Vogt line is an experimental breed of unique vessels, each with its own artificially enhanced intelligence, created specifically for use at the deep space guard posts. Able to project himself in holographic form, Deep is not only Lawn’s sole fellow crew member, but he is also her confidant and friend. It isn't long before he becomes her lover.

But their tenuous arrangement is suddenly and fatally shattered when their post is threatened by an unknown and perhaps alien force. Lawn and Deep soon face the realization that, in order to save Earth, one—or both of them—must die.

Warning: Contains ship sex, governmental cover-ups, an orgasmic indoctrination, temperamental buoys, self-sacrifice, alien invasion, and doing the 9-to-5 in the buff.

Never Forget

Shakespeare Insult Kit

Next time you're stuck for an original insult...

Red Hat Linux

What Each Kiss Means

The French Really Know How to do Romantic Magazine Ads

And for the toilet, no less!

Now Available! PETER AND HIS WOLF

Peter and His Wolf

An erotic re-telling of the fairy tale
Word Count: 3.6K
From Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
Available at All Romance eBooks, Amazon, and BookStrand

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-peterandhiswolf-599481-139.html

http://www.amazon.com/Peter-and-His-Wolf-ebook/dp/B005LD5RXG

http://www.bookstrand.com/peter-and-his-wolf

Remember hearing the musical story by Prokofiev when you were in elementary school? About the boy who lived with his grandfather, and who captured a wolf by the tail? Did you ever wonder if the story was real? Did you ever wonder whatever happened to the wolf? More importantly, did you ever try to guess what happened to Peter after he captured the wolf?

This is the real story that was never told...until now. 

Lilly Cain is my Guest Author Tonight on Blog Talk Radio!

Join us tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio when Lilly Cain reads an excerpt from her newest release, The Naked Truth, an erotic sci-fi romance from Carina Press!

Show time is 11 pm et/10 pm et/ 8 pm pt
Don't miss it!

*****
Captain Susan Branscombe was the victim of brutal torture at the hands of terrorists. Though rescued, she's now facing an equally brutal accusation: treason.

The only way she can prove her innocence is to allow Asler Kiis, a Confederacy Examiner, to delve into the depths of her mind. Asler is Inarri, the alien race that made contact with Earth just months before. His duty is to find the truth, but when he explores Susan's mind he can't resist drawing her into a more intimate experience.

Susan takes comfort in Asler's heated sensuality. Their erotic sensory exploration chases away the darkness and her body aches for more. But as their desire reaches new limits Susan finds it difficult to suppress the memories she is desperate to forget.

Is the passion they share enough to let Susan push aside her fear and trust Asler, not only with her mind and body but with her ever-opening heart?

Happy Labor Day!

Six on Sunday - RHEA 41070

Six paragraphs from RHEA 41070

An erotic sci-fi romance novel
Available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=536

1. “They’re Replacements,” Via spat out. She shoved herself away from the walkway’s railing and confronted the female scientist. “That’s why you’ve got all that firepower, and the secrecy, and the ungodsly amount of money the rawlstone was going to give us. He’s bought himself a fucking Replacement!”

2. He dropped his hands into his lap. Rhea stared at them, wishing they would reach back into her hair and do those wonderful motions again that pleasured her down to her toes. For some strange reason, the commander saw where she was staring and hastily clasped his fingers together over a rather large bulge in his pants. She’d seen other men do the same thing, lace their fingers together, especially over their reproductive organs when they tended to expand.

3. His decision wasn’t hard to come by. His survival instincts had kicked in back at the medical facility, at the BIMIC as Rhea called it, when he discovered Veerim had implicated him in illegally transporting a Replacement. With all the crap he was currently having to deal with—the Adrolls and their missing shipment, and the money they believed he still owed them—the last thing he needed was to have his holo transmitted to every law enforcement agency in the universe. The authorities would leave him alone with regards to the Adroll case, because that was considered within the Adrollian jurisdiction. But this bit with the Replacement, this was an intergalactic matter. That meant a bigger problem, tougher punishment, and longer sentence. Possibly a two-life term.

4. Rhea screamed as she left the floor. At the same time, strong arms snatched her around her waist, and she was thrown down upon the bed. Bock pressed her against the bedding with his body as he grabbed the edges of the bed with both hands and held on. Miraculously the furniture remained stable as the cruiser bucked, but loose items flew around the cabin. Something hard banged him in the ribs and Bock grunted in pain from the impact. The ship jumped again, the roar of the engines making every inch of the cruiser vibrate. And then, as quickly as it started, it was over.

5. Which was why, when Bock had heard her soft plea for him to show her sex, to give her a taste of perfection between a man and a woman, having to deny her had been a knife slicing away inside him. The pain hurt so fucking much, he would swear he was hemorrhaging inside.

6. Rhea’s neuro-gasms were over. She was left lying in a semiconscious heap on the floor. Her breathing remained ragged, and her hands continued to twitch like the death throes of an animal, but she was alive. Bock reached for her with the intent of throwing her over his shoulder. Instead, Via grabbed him by the back of his jumpsuit and nearly jerked him off his feet as she ran past him on her way out. He stumbled, but managed to regain his balance to sprint after her, with Patt already leading them to where the Bleak Tempest was tethered. Still, he managed one last glimpse back over his shoulder at the petite young woman lying still and silent, and prayed she would understand. And forgive him.

The Scariest Place in the World to Play Tennis

It's 1000 feet in the air. Go here to read more about it, and to see more photos that will make you drop your jaw.

September is “Australian Authors Appreciation Month” at Whiskey Creek Press!

September is “Australian Authors Appreciation Month” at Whiskey Creek Press!


Every Australian Author Full Length EBook Is Just $2.99 All Month!

Click here for the TORRID side, or click here for the Mainstream side.  Either way, you can save BIG from our great authors Down Under!

The State of Education, Part 2 - U.S. at a Glance

This information was gathered a few years ago, but I still find it relevant today. You can see a bigger version here.

The State of Education

Some days I can't help but to tell it like I see it.

Faith

Go here to see a larger version.

Dani Harper is My Guest Author Tonight on Blog Talk Radio!

Dani Harper returns as my guest author tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio! She'll be reading from CHANGELING DREAM, book 2 of her erotic wolf shifter romance series!

Show time is 11 pm et/10 pm ct/ 8 pm pt
Don't miss it!
****
In times of stress Jillian Descharme has always found calm in her dream of a great white wolf with haunting blue eyes. But she is startled when the visions return and this time seem so real. Late at night he comes to her, speaks to her, touches her.

Thirty years ago James Macleod lost his wife and unborn child to a killer bent on destroying the Changelings. Though he longed for death, his animal instinct fought for survival and James has been a wolf ever since.

Yet now a woman has reawakened the man in him, taming wild instincts but arousing still wilder needs.

With his ancient enemy hunting the legendary white wolf, James must fight for new life, new hope, new love.

Six on Sunday - HEARTCRYSTAL

Six paragraphs from HEARTCRYSTAL
(Sequel to HeartFast)
An erotic sc-fi romance novel
Word Count: 98,600
Available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
https://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=369

1. Star played some more with the empty bottle. “We went on a couple of easy missions. Then there was this one assignment. It got...hairy. It exhausted us. For me, I’d never had to face something that drained me so emotionally, and I was a wreck. I couldn’t stop crying. Next thing I knew, Hunter was there. He was this... rock. This solid, comforting, gentle man who let me cry on his strong chest. He held me and let me cry all I wanted, without making any kind of derogatory remark about it. No roaming hands. No insinuating comments. I couldn’t help myself. Whenever things got really tough, he was always there for me, without any snide remarks about me being weak.”

2. Ca Fadici nodded. “They’re the only black crystals ever unearthed by the miners. And for some reason we haven’t been able to fathom, we can’t date them. We have no idea how old these crystals are. We can place a pretty clear age on the other jewels in terms of how long it took for them to form, and how long they’ve been in the miasmic rock. But these babies.He shook his head. “They don’t conform. Our equipment can’t get a handle on them. So we’ve dubbed them the Temporal HeartCrystals. And to be honest, we had no idea how they would react.” He ran a finger over the crease between his chin and lower lip. “About a half-hour ago, Peldark called me to tell me he was getting some weird readings from the Temporals. I’ll bet you that was when you two entered the palace. He told me it had to be a reaction, but since we’d had no prior experience with these jewels, we were working in the dark, let me tell you.”

3. The wormhole had appeared out of the nebulous void like death silently stalking its prey. Ovoid, flat, and dangerous, it loomed behind Transport Two, sucking space into its core with unimaginable power. It grew faster than thought as its maw whirled in a voiceless rotation—a roar that was felt in the very marrow of her bones, even if she never heard it.

4. The petite woman watched as her friend buried her face in the tunic and breathed it. Something was wrong. Something that Morning Fire couldn’t name or put her finger on was happening, and it scared the hell out of her. Her internals bells were going off in her head like a double claxon alarm. This wasn’t right, this sudden, nonchalant, almost reserved way Star was acting. She should be crying. She should be beating her hands against the floor or the walls and screaming in rage. Or she should be like Sender, oblivious to the world around her until she could come to terms with her loss, and later begin the long, painful journey to acceptance.

5. There was nothing. Nothing. No Guardian Command, no base, no transport bay, no meeting room or dormitories or labs or training room. Not even the remotest clue that such structures had ever existed or once stood there. And if there was no sign of past occupation, that left little doubt in Hunter’s mind as to where he stood. No, not where. When. They had come home. Into the past.

6. Without a second thought, Hunter threw a dark, swirling mist of obedience over the already terrified Guardians. Using his powers, he kept the others at bay, giving him the chance to steer the craft and keep it directly in the center of the vortex. The ship could not touch the sides of the wormhole. How he knew such a thing, he couldn’t explain. He just knew. The ship couldn’t touch the inner walls, or else they would all die.

******

They were the Guardians. Sixteen special men and women with incredible powers, who had sworn their lives to the protection of their galaxy, while upholding the laws of their world.

For Master Hunter and StarLight, it seems the worst is over. With StarLight still recovering from her near-death experience with the Ombitra, they are ready to resume their lives as the first-ever married Guardian couple in history. Ready for a new life filled with love and extraordinary passion.

But there are unknown perils when working in outer space. There are dangers beyond description--unforeseeable events and catastrophes that can bring nightmares to any sane person.

They had sworn they would share a lifetime together.

The universe had other plans.

Genius Inventions

I want one!

You can find more great inventions here.

50 Ways to Cope With Stress

Good Dog

This photo says it all. During Navy Seal Jon Tumilson’s funeral Tuesday, his trusted canine friend Hawkeye guarded him one last time.

That’s a good dog.

New Contract!

Coming March 15, 2012

SECRET IDENTITY
An erotic urban fantasy romance novel
From Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
http://lindamooney.com/SecretID.htm

(This book is the first in a planned trilogy.)
*****
Brenda McKay has no man in her life, and she really doesn’t have time for one. That’s not a problem, since Brenda’s new job responsibilities keep her too busy for any sort of social life. But the day she is saved by a strange man who calls himself The Defender is the day her heart will never be the same.

Lorne Palmer has loved Brenda since they were in grade school. Shy, introverted, and the middle brother of two over-achievers, he has never really approached her for anything other than to help her with her homework. And to be there for her when her other boyfriends deserted her.

It wasn’t until he finally acquired his super powers and became The Defender did Lorne finally decide enough was enough. If he couldn’t work up the courage to claim her as himself, perhaps The Defender could.

Warning! Contains sabotage, weird chemical names, smiley boxes, floating root beer, corporation hanky-panky, isolated safe houses, chocolate-covered strawberries, and things that go BOOM! in the night.

How Do Boys Feel?

One day a girl posted this on her blog:

And someone posted this response:

We boys don’t get butterflies, we get fireworks. We don’t have you on our mind 24/7, but we do have you on our hearts. Often, yes we wait for you to go online, sometimes simply even just being online makes our heart skip a beat, even if we don’t talk. Whenever you talk to us, our face forms that half-smile; it means we are happy but are trying our hardest to not show it, and fail at hiding it. We do miss you all the time; granted, we’d spend all our time with you if possible. We don’t think of the smallest things you say, we think of every word you say, panicking at every single word, trying to define what it really means, to read between the lines. But wait there’s more.

We would love you in a million ways. And once we start loving you there is no going back for us. No matter how hard we try we will always love a girl that has touched us. Us boys when in love will think of that girl first thing in the morning, and think of that girl last before we sleep at night. Whenever we see a couple, our thoughts immediately jump to that girl, and imagine that the couple was us. Every single detail about her is loved; the way she walks, talks, speaks. The sound of her voice. Her laughter. The sparkle in her eyes. Her shy smile. The way she dresses. That cute face she makes when she’s asleep. And the way she says our name that our hearts just explode with mirth, a simple act that no-one else can replicate.

A boy in love with a girl is no simple thing, though ladies stereotype us guys as simple. A man in love is not simple. No. He will be unpredictable. He will be persistent, stubborn, and given the circumstances, if it means carrying you from one side of the world to the other to win your heart, a man in love would. He will be a martyr, giving his all and asking for almost none. He will show you how to appreciate the beauty of the world in a thousand ways, and then he will tell you how much he appreciates your beauty in a million ways.

A man in love is no simple thing.

Jean Murray is My Guest Author Tonight on Blog Talk Radio

Join us tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio as Jean Murray reads from her paranormal romance novel, Soul Reborn, Book 1 of her Key to the Cursed series.

Show time is 11 pm et/ 10 pm ct/ 8 pm pt.
Don't miss it!
*****
“Only the strongest love can unlock the souls of the Underworld.”

THE HUMAN REALM, HIS BATTLEFIELD.

Asar, the Egyptian God of the Underworld, has been tortured and left soulless by a malevolent goddess, relegating him to consume the very thing he was commissioned to protect. Human souls. Now an empty shell of hatred, Asar vows to kill the goddess and anyone involved in her release, but fate crosses his path with a beautiful blonde huntress who has a soul too sweet to ignore.

DEADLY SECRETS BETTER LEFT UNEARTHED.

Lilly, fearless commander of the Nehebkau huntresses, is the only thing standing in the way of the goddess' undead army unleashing hell on earth. But Lilly has a secret—one she is willing to sell her soul to keep. If the Underworld god discovers her role in the dig that released the goddess, she will lose everything, including his heart.

Six on Sunday - HEARTFAST

Six Paragraphs from HEARTFAST

An erotic sci-fi romance novel
From Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
https://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=340

*****
1. Hunter chewed absent-mindedly on the knuckles of one hand as he kept track of the lithe figure dressed in midnight black. StarLight was the only female member of the Guardians who chose to wear a full-length body suit as her uniform. And she filled it out to a perfection that was almost too painful to observe. But the ebony costume, with its ever-changing pattern of stars running over its surface, did its job well in camouflaging the woman against the darkness of space. As well as the thick flow of raven hair she wore loose down her back. He’d seen her just once in regular clothes, with her hair pulled back into a long tail thicker than his wrist. The woman was intimidating no matter what she wore.

2. Staring down at his hands, Hunter clenched his fingers into white-knuckled fists. Tomorrow he would know every velvet inch of her. He would touch her, taste her, learn the exquisite expanse of her iridescent skin, and then he would plant his body into hers and give her his seed. Every night, at least once a night, for the next fourteen days and then a minimum of three nights per week as required by law.

3. Memories of last night lay just below the surface. Hunter tamped them down, although the temptation to relive them was almost too much to control. It had been years since he’d been with a woman. Three, in fact. But every time he had bedded one, he had done so, trusting his heart to let him know if this one was the right one. If, this time, he had finally found the woman he could share his life with. The one who would always be there, beside him, unwavering in her love and dedication. It only took one night for him to determine the truth. In the way she reacted. In the way she responded to him. Until last night, Hunter had not sensed any kind of permanency with another. Until last night.

4. Life was in his lips. He gave her life. Intoxicating, soul-shaking, mind-blanking life. He held her cheek with one hand, and his lips possessed hers until she could do nothing but fall weakly against him and let him have absolute control of her. Hoping he would take her over and over. Feeling his tongue delving as deeply into this part of her body at this moment the same way he’d taken her virginity in her lonely little bed back at Guardian Command. Taking her further and further away from here and now, until the center of her universe was contained in the length and breadth of one man. One friend, one teammate, one incredible lover.

5. There was such a place, a planet another half-parsec away. Weak, yellow rays of sunlight filtered over its desert-like terrain, but it was capable of sustaining life forms, if such existed on its surface. The moment Star’s booted feet touched the ground, Hunter stood before her. Before she could say another word, to either question him or beg him to leave, he swooped over her, crushing her against his chest. She sobbed his name.

6. The soft sound of weeping told them that Morning Fire had succumbed to the horror the man was revealing to them. Turning a hateful look on the man, Disaster growled, “You…and Clearlian…and Sassidy…you plotted with the Ombitra to destroy this planet? You deliberately placed Star and Hunter on the HandFast list so she would get pregnant and sacrifice herself and the baby, because you thought she wouldn’t fight the Ombitra to save this world instead? Because you thought she wouldn’t deliberately kill her own child to save others? Have we got that right? You monster!”

*****
They were the Guardians, sixteen special men and women with incredible powers who had sworn their lives to the protection of their galaxy, while upholding the laws of their world.

It was a world that, eons ago, had suffered a devastating plague that had rendered more than half its population unable to reproduce. As a result, in order to assure the survival of their species, the HandFast law was enacted. Every month, twenty couples were drawn by lottery. Couples whose sole purpose would then be procreation, the continuation of the species. For the length of one year, two complete strangers would follow the edicts of the HandFast, until the woman conceived. Once that was accomplished, the couple was no longer bound to each other, and they could go their separate ways while the child was given to a couple unable to bear children.

It was a cold and impersonal law, but it worked.

However, the Guardians were exempt from having their names drawn in the lottery. The very nature of their jobs, risking their lives day in and day out to protect their galaxy, precluded any thought of bearing children.

Which was why, when StarLight and Master Hunter heard their names called out to be HandFasted, their neat, orderly lives were turned upside-down. Gone was the comfortable companionship they'd known. Gone was the brother-sister working relationship and the friendship.

Now they would be forced into an intimacy neither had wanted, nor expected.

Neither would they be prepared for the overwhelming passion they would find in each other's bodies, as well as in their hearts.

And things would only get more complicated and dangerous. Because their names had been deliberately placed on the lottery, and the drawing had not been a fluke. Instead, it was the first step in destroying their world and every Guardian living.

A Very Serious Question - Posthumous Publishing

A very serious question. Or rather, a set of questions regarding the death of an author:

If the author has books already contracted, but they haven't gone through the editing phase, or have a cover, who handles the edits? Or approves the covers?

Does the family (estate benefactors) continue to receive the royalites?

Once a book has fulfilled its contract time, can the family make the decision whether to leave the book as is, or to request its rights back?

If there are completed books that have yet to be contracted, can the family submit those books to a publisher and also sign the contracts for them?

My August Foodzie is Here!

This month's selection is called "Childhood Faves, All Grown Up"
Included are:

* gourmet scooping ketchup
* frrrozen hot chocolate
* sweet potato chips
* nut butter sampler (including chocolate hazelnut butter, maple almond butter, classic peanut butter, and honey peanut butter)
* marshmallow crunch bar
* nut and herb bars (sage nut and honey, and coconut nut and honey)

And, yeah, the Rice Krispie Treat imitator was the first to be devoured!

Timelapse - The City Limits

Timelapse - The City Limits from Dominic on Vimeo.

This is both beautiful and awesome.

Pen Fail

 I love Pens.com, but sometimes I have to wonder if someone isn't proofreading what's being sent out.

If you order from this company, from time to time you get a sample pen from a new line they're carrying. Usually the pen is already stamped with your name, website, and tagline if you've used it on previous orders.

Yesterday I got this in the mail, and I nearly choked with laughter.  As you can see from the first photo, the pen is inscribed with SERVICE WITH A SMILE, and has a happy little cartoon teddy bear opening its arms to you.

Skip to the second picture where I've rolled the pen over, and there's my tagline - "Sensuous Romance with a Sci-Fi or Fantasy Flair".

That's right people! I'll "service you with a smile!"

These Fascinated Me

Reminds me of my book BEQUEATHED.

Anna James is My Guest Author Tonight on Blog Talk Radio

Anna James is my guest author tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio. She will be reading from her erotic paranormal romance novella entitled VISIONS, from Sugar and Spice Press.

Show begins at 11 pm et/10 pm ct/ 8 pm pt
Don't miss it!
*****
Prudence Bailey has just learned that Laura Bailey, the woman she has always believed to be her mother, is in fact a distant cousin. Laura adopted Prudence when she was four years old after her father, Joshua Adams, brutally murdered her mother, Jane, then killed himself.

She has no memory of the past and, after Laura’s death, decides to return home to Salem Massachusetts to learn more.

Twenty years have now passed since the murder / suicide took place.

Almost immediately she meets Detective Matt Cavanaugh, her neighbor. Matt is gorgeous and sexy and Pru is instantly attracted to him. Matt is also linked to her past. His father, now a retired police officer, was first on the scene the night of her parents’ deaths.

From the moment she returns Pru experiences visions that lead her to believe that the circumstances surrounding her parents’ deaths are not as they seem. The facts don’t add up. And when a recent murder that Matt is investigating is linked to the past they discover that Pru is right and the killer is still on the loose.

Will they discover the killer’s identity in time or will history repeat itself?

Six on Sunday - BEQUEATHED

6 Paragraphs from BEQUEATHED
An erotic fantasy romance
Available from Red Rose Publishing
http://redrosepublishing.com/books/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=265&products_id=933

1. “Hey, Mike. What should we do today? Want to go down to the lake and see if we can catch tonight‘s dinner?” She grabbed a clean bowl from the dish drainer and poured some kibbles into it. “Here go you, old man,” she said, bending down and placing it on the floor where she wouldn’t accidentally step on it. Straightening up, she looked back at the cat, and her heart leaped into her throat as the dark shadow vanished from behind the window. Her first reaction was immediately replaced with indignant anger.

2. “You’ve heard it, too?” She glanced around the living area, seeing it now from a whole new perspective. “How? You mean it’s haunted?” Tendrils of fear crawled up inside her stomach and threatened to chill her from the inside out, until she caught sight of Mike casually make his way across the living room floor as he headed toward the kitchen. The cat’s nonchalant manner reminded her of how the animal had reacted - or rather, hadn’t reacted - around Horne. In fact, the Bengal gave the deputy a wide berth as it sought out its breakfast. The cat didn’t necessarily distrust the officer, but it certainly didn’t give the man the warm welcome it had bestowed upon Horne.

3. This time she got a soft chuckle from him. The more she was around Horne, the more Claire realized she enjoyed being with the man. No, not enjoyed. It was like there was some kind of invisible magnetic force that kept drawing her back to him. That made her want to be with him. Her self-revelation surprised her. As absurd as this whole curse/spirit scenario may appear to most people, Claire was beginning to understand that not every reality was absolute. That sometimes fantasy and reality could mesh. The story of fairies existed because at some point in the past someone had actually met one. Had perhaps talked to it. Had learned of its existence, and thus the stories were born.

4. An icy blast of wind struck her from behind, but Claire didn’t care. This time the tears she shed had nothing to do with what she had discovered inside the hole hacked into the bedroom wall, and everything to do with the ragged hole left inside her heart.

5. Claire removed some of the salt from the inner space and rubbed it along the tips of her gloved fingers. “You thought you were safe from being found out, didn’t you, Oren? You thought that if the spirits couldn’t find their dead kin, then you were safe. But they got the last laugh on you, you sick bastard. They knew their friends were in here. They knew you were keeping them hostage, and they cursed you and the house anyway.”

6. Kneeling in front of her, he undid her jeans and pulled them over her thighs. He cupped her buttocks, holding her steady, and pressed his face between her legs. Claire shivered, but not from cold. There was no cold, no snow, and no wind within their protective space. She shivered from the desire filling her. From the heat of his breath along her skin, and from the sensuous kisses he was pressing against her mound. When he lightly scraped her with his teeth, she gasped and clutched his head.