Flight of Fancy--A Review

From The Romance Reviews

4 stars Book Reviewed by BookAddict

Do you like it when the geek and the jock are paired together? Or perhaps the jock isn't really just brawn, he's actually Mr. Perfect at everything, except making friends.

Aidan is a telepath who constantly has to be perfect to feel good about himself. He never messes up a mission and his standards are high. It is intimidating to be around him, not just because he excels at everything he does, but also because he can read a person's mind. He tries not to, but some people think so noisily, he can't help but read it...

...This is the first story of Ms. Harte's I've read that contained a BDSM theme. I love it! I want to read more. Ms. Harte writes some great smexy scenes that blend into the story. I recommend this story to m/m readers who want a bit of kinky BDSM undercover tricks.

To read the full review, check out The Romance Reviews

When To Go Indie

So you've written a book and you're not sure where to put it. Do you submit and wait the requisite 6 months to a year to hear back? Do you go traditional print or ebook? Publish it yourself? Have you been through countless rejections and decide to throw caution to the wind and publish it yourself? 

I think it all depends on the writer and what she/he wants. In my case, I started out writing for (electronic) publishing houses, and I'm glad I went that route. I write for small press, and my books typically release in electronic format before print. I also write for several publishers. This has been a very good thing for me because:

1. I'm used to the editorial process.

2. I understand there's more to the story than the actual story. There's cover art, editing, proofs, marketing, etc.

3. Having many editors makes me look at my writing from several perspectives, which typically results in a very clean finished work.

4. I've built an audience, so that when I published my first book myself, I wasn't starting from scratch.

For me, self-publishing was an experiment. I took a book I'd released with an ebook publisher years ago, had the reverted rights, and revised it, designed a cover, and put it up for sale for .99. The book sold well, and I decided to try a second book, then a third. I now have five self-published works with more in mind. And though I'm still confused as to why one particular book will sell more than another, I'll take what I can get when I can get it. 

The book cover above is for a book I love called Tip of the Spear. I came up with the idea for it in 2009 at the San Francisco RWA conference (thanks Cat and Teri). I wrote it soon after. Then I sat it on it, edited, reedited, and passed it around for publication. Publishers didn't want it because it's hard to market. It's an Amazon/Western/futuristic/dystopian/erotic romance. Basically the old west with some paranormal twists, too much apart from cookie-cutter to be comfortable to the big 6. Agents didn't want it either. Many said they liked the writing, but they weren't sure how to sell it in this day and age.

I wrote this 92,000 word story years ago. The first of four books. And it's been languishing on my computer ever since. I could have submitted it to any of my current publishers to see what they think (no book is ever a guaranteed contract), but I'd mentally targeted the book for mainstream print. I don't think longer books sell as well in smaller publishing houses, because any ebook priced over $5.99, in my opinion, is too much. I understand that publishers have to set a price to cover fees for edits, formatting, cover art, marketing, etc, but by publishing a book myself, I can set my own price.

There's also the control factor. I get to control the content, the edits, the cover art, the release date. Anything and everything to do with the book goes through me.

For Tip of the Spear, indie is the right choice. No one seems sure what to do with the book, but I love it. I think it fits because it doesn't fit, if that makes sense. 

Now, some authors preach that indie is the only way to go, while others say never try it on a first book. There's no right answer. I'm glad that the stigma of self-publishing is slowly fading. Oh, it's still there, but not as prevalent anymore. From an article I read online, it appears most authors make less than $10000 a year, and half of them actually make less than $500. (Note, I'm not going to argue the validity of the actual statistics, but from the many authors I know, the aforementioned figures seem to be closer to the truth than that every self-published author will clear fifty grand with one book the first time out.)

If you're brand spankin' new and no one has ever heard of you outside of your immediate family, who will know to buy your book? Granted, you could be a breakout like Amanda Hocking, but she's one in a million. Because if it was that easy to write a million-dollar-earning best seller, we'd all be doing it. Then too, you could alway sink a small fortune into PR and advertising, only to start out your writing career with a negative balance. At some point, spending $300 to advertise your .99 book makes less and less sense.

This isn't to say you shouldn't self-publish. You just need to look at why you're doing it. To earn a living? To self-validate? To start a writing career? Only you know the answer to that question.

For what it's worth, I would advise new authors to try the more traditional route with a publisher, whether a print publisher or an e-publisher. Learn how to edit, what makes good cover art, and use the connections a publisher can give you (other authors, editors, etc) before striking it out on your own. Build an audience, get people to know you, then strike out on your own if you want to. And I know that's easier said than done, but if I had published my first few books myself because--at the time--I thought they were stellar, I might not be writing as much as I am today and making a full-time career out of it.

My two cents on a Monday morning. And it's a Raven Brew day. Cheerio.

At Romancing the Genres Today

I'm at Romancing the Genres today talking about what influences what we read, and about how my "small town" has had an impact on my writing. See you there!

New Release--A MATTER OF PRIDE

Today's the day, it's here!  A Matter of Pride is now available for download. You can find it at Samhain, Amazon, and B&N to name a few. To read the blurb below, scroll past the cover. For more information, click here.
 

Dean Chastell has a reputation as a troublemaker and a player. It's not his fault he's attractive, funny and hell on wheels between the sheets. Or that his pranks often leave the victim smarting. But for his older brother and pride leader to punish him with babysitting duty...  The woman he's supposed to watch is gorgeous, sexy as all get-out, and aggravating in the extreme. A prissy princess who's demanding and refuses to get her claws dirty. She calls him "hillbilly" and needs a swift kiss -- er, kick -- in the pants. Except when trouble comes calling, Dean finds he'll do anything to keep her safe. She's not nearly as annoying or stuck up as she seems. In fact, the princess brings out the prince in him he never knew existed. And he'll move heaven and earth to keep her safe, and in his arms.

A Matter of Pride--D-Day Minus One

Just one more day until A Matter of Pride releases from Samhain!  I'm excited about this book. Each time I read through it, I like it better and better. 

Here's a new excerpt. Enjoy!

With a sigh, Stacey returned to the table and sketched a few dresses she’d considered fit for the cold months. There was a different need out here in Montana—practicality and style. They didn’t have to be mutually exclusive, contrary to what she’d seen in town. Good God, but did the people around here ever wear anything other than jeans?

She lost herself in her work until someone barged in through what she’d thought was a locked front door.

“Oh good. You’re still here.” Dean Chastell walked through the empty store like he owned it. The man could have made a fortune modeling. He had looks that translated well through the camera. And that smile, a hint of kiss my ass combined with true amusement lit up whatever room he entered. As usual, he smirked at her, showcasing that adorable dimple she traced in her mind’s eye at the oddest moments.

“And where else would I be?” She sounded bored. Stacey did bored better than anyone she knew. But in this case, she had to work to mask the excitement and lust surging through her. For some reason, this obnoxious mountain lion pushed her buttons. And he had since she’d first met him over twenty years ago.

She’d developed a crush on him in kindergarten, one that had come and gone but never quite left her throughout the years. Dean Chastell all grown up was more than any woman should have to handle.

Unlike his older brothers, Dean was more than sexy and charming. He was handsome, almost pretty, to her way of thinking. Sandy hair a shade lighter than Grady’s and light amber eyes that winked with gold complemented a face that made women sigh and fawn. Next to her and Miles, Dean had to be the best-looking cat she’d ever seen. But his looks didn’t mean much, not when she’d been used to beauty for so long.

Rich and famous men wanted her. Athletes, CEOs, movies stars. They all wanted a piece of the blonde bombshell who designed stellar gowns for Miami’s elite. Yet Dean didn’t seem to want anything from her. Not a wink, a kiss or even a penny. He didn’t compliment her. Didn’t kowtow to her, and didn’t seem to want to spend time with her.

Annoyed, baffled and strangely intrigued, she did her best to give him a wide berth, which wasn’t easy in a town this size. And having to stay at the ranch and report her whereabouts all the time had worn thin weeks ago.

“Look, I had a change of plans. I’m heading into Whitefish after I run some errands. Make sure your brother, Burke or Joel knows you’re here.”

“Why bother the bear?” Joel Buchanan was one half of the bear couple at the ranch. An odd family, the Cougar Falls Pride. Made up of bears, cats, foxes and a wolf, the pride had more non-felines than cats. Yet they acted like blood, and when she and her family had been in trouble a month ago, they’d stepped in to protect her and her siblings.

“The bear is part of the pride, Miss Priss.”

She hated his nicknames.

“He’s interested in keeping you safe,” Dean continued. “Though God knows why he should need to. Just open your mouth and your enemies will run the other way.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Good to know. How about this? Get the hell out while I’m working.” He didn’t move, just put his hands on his trim hips, which made his forearms flex and his biceps bunch. She wished she wouldn’t notice such things, and on most men, she didn’t. But damn if she could look away from Dean, even when his brows drew close, signaling the end of his patience.

“You are such a pain in my ass.” Dean shook his head. “I can’t for the life of me figure out why I—”

She’d started to take offense, but his confession stopped her. “Why you what?”

He seemed unable to make up his mind about something.

She sighed. “Look, Jethro. I really do have work to do. So take your hillbilly self out and—”

He took three steps, closed the distance between them and kissed her.

And like that, her entire world rotated off its axis and crashed.

Men and Women, Same Planet, Different Worlds

I was forwarded this email and laughed out loud while reading it. It's hilarious!!! I just read it again and can't stop laughing.

 

_______________________

It's offered by an English professor from the University of Colorado as an actual class assignment:


A Creative Writing professor told his class one day, "Today we will experiment with a new form called the 'tandem story'. The process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person sitting next to his or her desk."

"As homework tonight, one of you will write the first paragraph of a short story. You will e-mail your partner that paragraph and send another copy to me. The partner will read the first paragraph and then add another paragraph to the story and send it back, also sending another copy to me. The first person will then add a third paragraph, and so on back-and-forth."

"Remember to re-read what has been written each time in order to keep the story coherent. There is to be absolutely NO talking outside of the e-mails and anything you wish to say must be written in the e-mail. The story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached."

The following was actually turned in by two of his English students:

Rebecca (PINK)
Bill (BLUE).

THE STORY:
(first paragraph by Rebecca)

At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home, now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he liked chamomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about him too much her asthma started acting up again. So chamomile was out of the question.

(second paragraph by Bill)

Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago."A.S. Harris to Geostation 17," he said into his transgalactic communicator. "Polar orbit established. No sign of resistance so far.." But before he could sign off a bluish particle beam flashed out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. The jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and across the cockpit.

(Rebecca)

He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one woman who had ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4. "Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel," Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news simultaneously excited her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her youth, when the days had passed unhurriedly and carefree, with no newspaper to read, no television to distract her from her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.

(Bill)

Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live. Thousands of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership launched the first of its lithium fusion missiles. The dimwitted wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace disarmament Treaty through the Congress had left Earth a defenseless target for the hostile alien empires who were determined to destroy the human race. Within two hours after the passage of the treaty, the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth - and they carried enough firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The first lithium fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. Seconds later, even the President, secure underwater in his top-secret mobile submarine headquarters, felt the massive explosion which vaporized all life on earth's surface - even poor, stupid Laurie.

(Rebecca)

This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic semi-literate adolescent.

(Bill)

Yeah? Well, my writing partner is a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium. "Oh, shall I have chamomile tea? Or shall I have some other sort of F--KING TEA??? Oh no, what am I to do? I'm such an air headed bimbo. I guess I've read too many Danielle Steele novels!"

(Rebecca)

A$$h@le.

(Bill)

B*tch!

(Rebecca)

F*** YOU - YOU NEANDERTHAL!!

(Bill)

In your dreams, Ho. Go drink some tea.


(TEACHER)
A+ I really liked this one!

What's Up at Loose Id

If you're a Loose Id buyer, you know something has been wacky with the website. Server issues. Ugh. Here's a more detailed explanation from the publisher. I'm crossing my fingers the issues are taken care of soon!

A Letter to Our Customers

Iddies:

We’re sure you’ve noticed that the Loose Id site was down for several days, and that it’s back up again with a new look. We know you have a lot of questions, so we’re going to skip the fluff and get straight to the point.

What happened?
In a nutshell, a planned server migration to improve the speed of the old site failed during catastrophic thunderstorms and power outages at our Information Technology center, and it knocked everything offline. Despite being able to recover the data, our current host was unable to bring things back online in a timely fashion, which brings us to the next thing.

What’re you doing to fix it?
As you’ve probably noticed, we’ve got a site up at www.loose-id.com now and we’ve got the most recent month’s worth of releases, plus the new books that didn’t get released on our site last week and the ones that were due to release today. A lot of you have already written to tell us you like the new look. That’s great! But don’t get too attached.

See, this site is an interim design to get Loose Id’s books back on Loose Id’s site. We’re busy working behind the scenes to get the actual new design (that we’ve been working on for months) up and running. So there’s a lot of stuff that’s not actually on this interim site right now. We’re sorry for the inconvenience of that, and we’re working as hard as we can to fix it as soon as possible.

 

What happened to all the books?
We’ve still got them. All of our books are still available at authorized resellers and we’ll be back online with all of our catalog when the new site is ready, hopefully in early August. The good news, of course, is that you can now purchase our most recent releases at www.loose-id.com again and at a 25% discount. More titles - bestsellers and some recommended reads - will be added as we're able.

 

What happened to my account? What about my wishlist?
One of the casualties of the Great Server Catastrophe of 2012 - at least for the immediate future - is the customer account system. Another, related issue, is the loss of wishlists. We know this is an enormous pain and we’re so sorry. It’s possible that future versions of the website may be able to restore some of this, but if it doesn’t, it’ll be because the new accounts system and wishlist features are so much cooler.

What happened to all the books I’ve bought in the past?
Second verse, same as the first. Your order history isn’t available on the interim site, but even if it were, you wouldn’t be able to do anything with it, since most of the older books also aren’t available on the interim site. The good news is, there’s a better than 75% chance we’re going to be able to get you access to your old orders after the new (not interim) site goes live. It may take awhile, but we think it’s going to happen.

In the meantime, if you bought something in the past, and you can’t get at it, and you really need it before we get that back online, drop us an email at no.reply.loose.id@gmail.com with the name of the book, the format, your email address (the one you bought it with) and we’ll verify and get it sent out to you.

What about my VIP membership?
If you had a VIP membership on the old site, we’ve entered it into the interim site using the email from your old account and your last name for the password (please change that ASAP for your own protection). If you have any trouble accessing your account and you are a VIP member, email us at no.reply.loose.id@gmail.com with your name and your email address and we’ll verify and get you working just as fast as we can.

 

What happened to my gift certificate?
Bet you already know the answer to this one: it’s not on the interim site. If you had a balance on a gift certificate on the previous site, contact us at no.reply.loose.id@gmail.com to find out how to use it on the new site. Please provide the gift certificate code you were issued in your email.


Why can’t I choose my format on the new site?
The technical answer is: because you can’t; the software doesn’t allow it. The actual answer is: at the present time, only the PDF format is available for immediate download. But we have all the other formats, so if you need a different format, after you’ve made your purchase and received your confirmation, please contact us at: no.reply.loose.id@gmail.com and include your full name, your order number, and the name of the titles you purchased. We’ll do our best to get that format to you within 4-8 hours.


Is all of my information from the old site secure?
Yes. Absolutely. Our credit card processing is secure. It’s not done on our server. So it’s always secure. No customer data of any kind was compromised in the Great Server Catastrophe of 2012.


Are you guys really going to get this all fixed?
You bet. We’ve been working on an amazing new site for a long time now and we’re so excited to be unveiling it soon. We’d originally planned to have it all done, perfect and prettified at the end of August, but the Great Server Catastrophe of 2012 forced our hand. So, things will be happening a little bit faster, and not quite as perfect at first. But we promise, it’ll all be worth it in the end.

We know this is a huge pain in the butt for you guys, and we’re really sorry. We’re doing our best, as fast as we possibly can, to get everything not just back to how it was, but better. Until then, we’ll be running a 25% off sale on top of your VIP discounts if you have them, and when we get the new site back up, we’ll have other sales to thank you for being the best customers a company could have.

Thank you all so much for your support and your patience. We’re looking forward to this being right again as much as you are. And if you have any questions we haven't answered, you can send those to no.reply.loose.id@gmail.com and we'll get back to you just as soon as we can.
Loose Id

The Key...To Great Coffee

It's a La Llave day. Yes, I'm drinking late in the day, but the words are flowing, like the coffee. This stuff is friggin' awesome. For all that it's espresso, it's not too caffeine crazy for me. I get my La Llave from Cuban Food Market dot com, if you're interested. And no, I don't get kickbacks for sharing. haha. It's not expensive and very smooth. Terrific flavor. Now, back to work...

An Unwilling Mind

Working Out has been such a fun story to bring to life. While I'm supposed to be--no really, I am--working on a PowerUp! story, I'm actually swimming with ideas for the next book in The Works series. Shelby found her hero in Bodywork. Mac tied up, er, found his love Maggie in Working Out. And now Trevor, Maggie's sexy, secretive brother, is going to meet his match in the next book. I just need to write it in between a million other things. And that's not even counting the new futuristic m/m story my muse wouldn't let me stop writing. Ack. Must turn off brain and focus...

A Questionable Practice

So last night I watched a television show that had me dropping my jaw. I live in the United States, a place where much is tolerated and a liberal viewpoint often taken. Yet there are many practices still followed in the USA that just baffle me, and I'm not talking from a religious standpoint, but from a practical one.

A show about purity balls and chastity ceremonies was on television, and I watched in incredulity as grown men and women encouraged their young daughters--not sons--to pledge their virginity to dear old dad (big ick factor here for me) until the girls marry, at which time their husbands will be in charge of their sexuality.

This backward practice further serves to shove female sexuality to the very bottom of the fish pond. Note the boys are encouraged to be men and do whatever the hell floats their boat. But the girls are supposed to let their fathers shelter (own) them, then let their new husbands shelter (control) them. How then can a woman know what she likes or doesn't like when her desires will be molded by the one man she sleeps with? 

I'm all for the try before you buy philosophy, not to promote promiscuity, but to learn about oneself through emotional and physical growth. I just can't believe people in our so-called "enlightened" society would oppress young women like this. I'm not advising to put a little eleven year old in hooker heels and cut a swath through the red light district, but for God's sake, let a girl kiss a boy, learn what it means to round the bases, and figure out who she is and what she likes about her own body before she gets married.

The purity ceremonies just perpetuate the stereotype that women should be subservient to men. And let's not get into the whole way-wacky symbolism of the girl exchanging a purity ring with her father, symbolically marrying him until she finds her husband. 

Sorry to start your Monday with these bizarro practices, but hey, it makes erotic romance look pretty damn good, doesn't it? That or I'm going to hell. Either way, I ain't marrying my daddy.

Don't Lie on Friday--Fun

A very funny Friday. If you've ever taken a polygraph, this will amuse the hell out of you. And if you haven't, this will STILL amuse the hell out of you.

Sometimes I Forget...

Sometime I forget the books I've written. That's like forgetting your children, but hey, when you've got more than sixty kids, you should be cut some slack. 

I had a reader ask about any strictly m/m books I'd written. Many of mine involve women at some point, but I do have a few that are just m/m stories. Then again, this one has one scene of m/f/m sex. But still, the characters are both men and they fall in love. So I was looking over the story last night (when I should have been working on my current WIP, I admit), and damn, but I still love this book. It had a lot of BDSM elements before BDSM turned "cool." Funny how everyone likes to jump on a bandwagon once the public finds it. 

(Just like all the authors who suddenly started writing paranormals and erotic material when the subject matter caught on. I'm never against limiting an author. Heck, I write in different genres to keep my muse in shape. Too much of anything can dull the mind. But I'd hope the creative process is more than about making more money.)

Anyway, so the book I was re-reading is one of my Creations stories, about beings who were created to submit. What a great concept. haha  Creation's Control has a wounded character who thinks he can handle his many problems but can't, until his new friend shows him how. Willingly submitting is much different than being forced to submit. 

Here's a peak into Creation's Control. (Note: This is a m/m romance, and it's through my British publisher, so some of the spellings are different.)Enjoy your Thursday.

“You didn’t complain about the coya fruit last night.” Drekk’s bland tone contrasted with the wicked look in his eyes.

“A*shole,” Ryen muttered as he attacked the plate Drekk set before him. Much as Drekk annoyed him, the jerk also amused him.

“Damn, is that a smile I see?” Drekk stared in mock astonishment.

“Cut it out.” Ryen’s grin grew wider.

“I think I may pass out from the shock.”

“Good. Then I’ll get my hands on that controller and fly out of here.”

“Have fun searching for it.” Drekk rubbed his chest. “I hid it on my body today.”

Ryen wanted to look for it, right now. Shaking free of such thoughts, he tried to focus on his food. But as he ate, he couldn’t stop glancing at Drekk’s sculpted chest through the v-neck of the vest he wore. Nor could he avoid the large arms Drekk flashed as he gesticulated while he ate. The taciturn man he’d once thought Drekk to be never seemed to shut up.

Oddly, Synster’s warnings of perversions and unnatural longings seemed less significant each day Ryen spent in Drekk’s company. What could it hurt to indulge in some human curiosity? Drekk was a hardy male. Ryen wouldn’t break him, as Drekk had said. Which made Ryen wonder what it would be like to lose control during sex, to let it all out...

“Okay. Today we work on your control.” Drekk stood and put his dishes into the wash receptacle. “If you finish that mound on your plate, we’ll get started.”

Ryen finished his meal in record time, eager to see what Drekk had in mind—to hasten his exit out of this place, he reminded himself. “We going to lose the cuffs today?”

“You’re kidding, right? You’re going to need them later.”

Ryen immediately went on alert. “Why?”

“See? That’s why. I’m just screwing with you, and you’re ready to take my head off. I’m trying to teach you a new way to live, Ryen. I can’t be on my guard one hundred percent. Once you ‘hit the wall’, like I know you will, we’ll both be glad for the cuffs.”

“You keep threatening it. Just do it. Push me as hard as you can. Watch me handle it.” Ryen could taste his excitement. “I’ve been good the past three days, haven’t I?”

Drekk shook his head. “You’re not ready yet. Get over here and assume Petal One hand position.” When Ryen hesitated, Drekk turned mean. “Now.”

The need to obey hit him hard. Off balance, Ryen grumbled as he sat down and crossed his legs, but he had no thought to refuse. He tuned out of his surroundings and followed Drekk’s instruction. Soon basking in the harmony within himself, Ryen came to a sudden realisation, one that both shocked and unnerved him. He wanted to submit to Drekk, to a male who had saved his life, but who hadn’t bested him in combat. Emotionally stable and even-tempered, superior when it came to control, Drekk had yet to prove himself in an all-out fight.

Why do I want to submit now that I’m free? How f*cked up am I? Uncomfortable with the truth, Ryen pulled himself from his meditative state.

Drekk sat across from him, his legs crossed and his arms assuming Petal One position above his head, his hands entwined. Drekk’s sluggish pulse and stillness told Ryen he’d entered a similar state of calm.

The strong column of Drekk’s throat rippled when he swallowed. The scent of honeyed citrus lingered on his skin, from the blan juice he’d consumed. Muscles tanned by the harsh sun strained as he held his pose, and Ryen wanted to feel that skin under his palms. To cause the male’s rosy nipples to pebble, to feel the delineated form of Drekk’s abdomen as Ryen worked his way lower.

The temptation Drekk had planted, to see if sex with a male would equal what he imagined, taunted Ryen to take what he wanted. The advantage was his for the moment. With Drekk inwardly focused, Ryen could take him down. Not to harm him, but to test his friend’s—the man’s—reflexes. Now, when Drekk was vulnerable, Ryen could take what he needed, a warrior’s right. It wouldn’t be rape, he knew. Drekk had openly admitted he wanted Ryen. What better way, then, to see if Ryen returned the attraction wholeheartedly?  But under Ryen’s direction, not Drekk’s.

Ryen pounced.

He pinned Drekk underneath him in two seconds, one hand over the male’s entwined hands, holding him to the ground, the other around Drekk’s neck.

“One word from you and I’ll disable your tongue.” The angle of his fingers under Drekk’s jaw meant business.  “Nod if you understand.”
            Drekk glared and nodded.

“Good.” Ryen couldn’t help his arousal, nor could he miss Drekk’s. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he mimicked. “I just need to confirm something.”

Drekk remained still, curiosity warring with the anger in his gaze. Ryen didn’t care. He’d danced to Drekk’s tune, now it was his turn.

Ryen studied Drekk’s face, lingering on his lips. Wanting more, he slowly lowered his mouth. Drekk started to speak and Ryen tightened his hand. 

“I know you feel my hand around your neck. I’m not playing, Drekk. Shut up and let me...do this. I need to know.”

With a sigh, Drekk surrendered. The power crushing through Ryen swamped him. Heady that he’d regained control, he kissed Drekk full on the mouth. Unlike a female’s soft lips, Drekk’s felt firmer. Ryen plundered his mouth with a seeking tongue, tasting the essence of Drekk as his excitement grew.

Happy 4th! Celebrate it with Book Deals!

Happy July 4th!  I love this holiday, celebrating our country.

So while you're gearing up for fireworks and barbecue, take note of a few deals I've already nabbed. And note, none of these involve my own titles. I'm giving you this info as one reader to another. :)

All Romance eBooks is having a 50% storewide rebate. Check it out here: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/index.html

Samhain is offering 30% off your entire purchase today (not just new releases) and today only. http://www.samhainpublishing.com/

And as always, don't miss Ellora's Cave's free reads. The current freebies are A Wanton's Thief by Titiana Ladley and Annabelle Lee by NJ Walters.

So happy Independence Day, and enjoy the reads!

It's Finally Here: Tempting Traditions!

It's finally here! TEMPTING TRADITIONS is now available from Amazon.  Still no word from B&N, but I'm hopeful.

And soon it will be at All Romance Ebooks. Stay tuned...