My Sexy Saturday: Sexy Me Down

It's time for another My Sexy Saturday snippet. I'm sure everybody knows how this works, but just in case here's the low down. A sexy theme is chosen and authors pull 7 words, 7 sentences or 7 paragraphs from a story they've written for the you, the lovely readers, to enjoy.

The theme this week is Sexy Me Down and is a play off the poker term "Double Down." I've taken a bit from my paranormal romance novel Fox Hunt. In this scene Dilly has just woken up from a dream and finds herself in the arms of Mike.


Fox Hunt snippet:

Moving her gaze up to his face, Dilly noticed how inviting his slightly parted lips looked. Moistening her own, Dilly was about to lean forward to see if his lips still tasted like honey, when he said, “Dilly, are you okay?”

Just as his words had woken her, they now felt like a bucket of ice water. Uncurling her fingers and leaning as far away from him as she could manage on the small couch they shared, Dilly felt heat spreading across her cheeks. “Fine,” she said, trying to ignore the slight stammer in her voice. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. “I’m fine. What are you doing here?”

She heard him chuckle. “Well, I was sleeping.” Dilly’s eyes snapped open at his slightly cocky tone. Seeing the catlike grin on his face, Dilly quickly went from embarrassed to enraged. She threw a few kicks at his legs and shoved at his side. Just as a curse escaped past her lips, Mike grabbed hold of her wrists with a wicked laugh. “Hey, we just slept. What’s gotten into you?”

Feeling his gentle hands lock around her wrists, Dilly froze. She stared at his happy, curious face before saying, “Nothing. I just had a bad dream. Now get off.”

Suddenly Mike crushed her against his hard chest. Her nose was only inches from his and she felt his breath tickling her lips. All the laughter had left his voice, replaced with a heart-melting husky tone when he said, “A dream, huh?”

Caught speechless, Dilly gave a careful nod. A small twitch at the corner of his mouth foreshadowed the knowing smile she had been hoping to avoid. “Was it about me, Delilah?” His whispered words drifted like silk and for a second she wondered why her name sounded so tantalizing coming from his mouth.

She felt as if her words were trapped somewhere deep in her throat. The man under her was breathtaking and everything a woman could want in her mate, but he was not meant for her. He was a man who could protect her, could make her feel like the queen of the ball. He was the man her sister deserved. Struggling with herself, Dilly tried to find her voice. She had to find a way to place some distance between them. “Mike, I want…”



That's it for this week. Make sure to visit the other great blogs on the hop.

Fox Hunt buy links

Amazon
Nook Store
All Romance Ebooks

Works in Progress

As many writers know November is the official Nation Novel Writing Month. I took part in camp NaNoWriMo earlier this year, but was unable to reach my goal of 30k words. In fact I was only able to write around 10k words on my sci-fi romance. :( But we move on and keep at it. This year I won't be participating in the official NaNoWriMo. Why?

I've already started a story. Fire Hunt is already underway and rolling along. I'd hate to set it aside for a month to work on something else and starting NaNoWriMo with Fire Hunt wouldn't seem fair as I already had a head start.

What I am doing instead is setting a goal for myself. Because I do have to work at my "real job" through out this month I can't devote all my time to my fiction, but I am challenging myself to finish Fire Hunt, or at least be in the last chapter, by the end of this year. I'm a little over 30% now so I'm hoping none of the characters give me a hard time with this one. (Stares at Dilly from Fox Hunt)

In the spirit of NaNoWriMo I have installed a word counter on the blog. He looks a bit like this:

 

Isn't he cute. I found this lovely thing at Writertopia. They have a more traditional word counter too, but I couldn't pass this guy up. He'll also show different moods. I'm hoping he stays in the "writing" mood most often. 

That's it for today. Make sure to come by for the Full Moon Releases!

Halloween With The Boys

To celebrate Samhain in a special way I decided to sit down with the boys from the Saving Grace Saga and ask them a few question about Halloween. Tonight we have Aidan and Mike. Our third gust hasn’t shown up yet, but maybe he’ll be in a little later. 

Image by nvadim from freimages.com

Mike and Aidan are relaxed on the couch with a couple of beers enjoying some friendly banter when I interrupt them. “Okay fellas, what’s your favorite thing about Halloween?”

With a laugh Mike answers “The tricks. Dilly and I always get into a prank war this time of year.”

Aidan speaks up, “This time of year? You two are always going at it.” He turns to look at me and goes on, “I found a fake spider in a pot of chili last spring. Dilly figured Mike would the first one to dig in.”

“Really? A fake spider? Anyway, what’s your favorite thing about Halloween, Aidan?”

“I love the scary movies,” he answers with a grin. “The really scary parts make Rei jump right into my lap.”

I can’t help but laugh at this a bit as I ask the next question. “So what costume would you guys pick out for your ladies if you had the choice?”

Aidan’s the first to answer. “Easy. Little Red Riding Hood.” He tips his beer towards Mike and adds, “I could chase her through the forest to Grandma’s any night.”

Mike bursts out with his own laugh and answers, “I had an idea, but I like his better.”

image by Ale Paiva from freeimages.com

Just as I’m about to ask the final question the door bursts open and a tall, lean man rushes in. He closes the door quickly behind him and he appears to be out of breath. “Edmund! Glad you could join us just in time for the last question.”

Edmund struts over to an empty chair and flops down. He takes the beer Mike is offering and tips it towards me, signaling he’s ready. “Alright guys, finally what scares you the most?”

Mike and Aidan both look a little taken aback by the question. Finally Mike says, “Loosing Dilly.”

Aidan nods in agreement and answers, “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to Rei or our Aiyana.”

I look over to Edmund who is drinking his beer rather quickly. “Our readers want to know, Edmund.”

He holds up his finger as he finishes the beer and lets out a satisfied sigh. “My greatest fear?” There’s a loud bang on the door behind him and he turns quickly before jumping from his seat. “That she’s going to catch me,” he answers, running across the room towards the other exit.

The two hunks on the couch and I watch as one door slams open and Edmund escapes through the second. A pretty blonde races through the room, ignoring us completely.

And that concludes our Halloween interview. Hope you enjoyed!

P.S. Don't forget get to stop by on Halloween for the Howloween Blog Hop! There will be treats a plenty in store.

Fox Hunt Excerpt

I thought that a little peek at Fox Hunt may be in order. Enjoy the excerpt.

This feels so right, Mike thought, feeling Dilly’s fingers tracing down his chest as her lips left a trail of fire down his neck. Dropping hungry kisses on her throat, Mike groaned as her legs tightened around him. Her hips were slowly twisting, grinding her core against him. Just as his hand slid down her smooth back to squeeze her firm bottom, Mike felt Dilly tense above him. A wave of insecurity washed over him, and Mike slowed his kisses and hands.

He flicked his tongue lightly against the soft skin in the tender junction between her shoulder and neck. He knew that if Dilly had never been with another of their kind, then she would have reservations about laying with him. Surrendering yourself to a man who might be your mate would be scary. Feeling her relax a little into his gentle hands, Mike wondered if she knew how hot the fire was that her questing fingers burned against his skin.

Chancing a glance up to her face, Mike lost his breath. Her head was tossed back and her lips were parted as if waiting for a sigh to drift out. Her hair had fallen across her shoulders, and a burst of pride at how he made her feel coursed through him. Then he saw her wide eyes, and felt her confusion.

Smoothing his hands over her sides, Mike flattened them over her lower back. In the gentlest whisper he could muster, he spoke her name, “Dilly?”

Her eyes turned to his, and for a long instance they just stared at each other. Mike didn’t know what raced through her mind, but he saw the conflict between what she was doing and what she thought she should be doing. Leaning upwards, Mike brushed his lips across hers once more. “It’s okay. We don’t have to.”

As if his words sparked something inside of her, Dilly rushed to move. “I’m sorry,” she stammered, retreating to her knees several feet from him. “I don’t know what came over me. Look, I’ll tell you where my family is. You just go see them and take care of whatever business you have.”

Turned away, Dilly stood up and began searching for something. Mike took it as a sign to lift himself up off the floor and sat on the edge of the couch, straightening his shirt in the process. He watched Dilly throw her shirt back on, and return with a slip of paper. As she held it out to him, Mike asked, “What’s this?”

“Directions and a phone number. You should be able to find them with this,” Dilly answered. She wasn’t looking at him and a bright red blush had spread across her face.

Standing up, Mike took the paper and barely glanced at it before folding it up. As he slipped the directions into the pocket of his jeans, he watched Dilly. He brought his index finger up and nudged her chin up with his knuckle. “Thanks. I should have gone to your father first. I haven’t been very polite,” Mike said as her eyes drifted up to him.

Reaching into his back pocket, Mike pulled out one of his business cards. Gently, he took the pen that still hung loosely in her hand and scribbled his disposable cell number on the back of the card. “This is the number I’m using right now. If you need it, use it.”

Mike handed back the pen along with the card, hoping once her confusion cleared she would call. Seeing her take a small gulp, Mike wondered if Dilly was too young to understand why she was so mixed up. “Yeah, well, you take care,” she said, ushering him towards the door.

“You too, Delilah. Until we meet again,” he said, stepping through the open door.

Dilly crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the doorframe. “If we meet again,” she grumbled.

A little trace of her smile had returned, and Mike found himself smiling back. “Of course we will,” he assured her before making his way to his truck.

If you enjoyed the peek then you can find Fox Hunt for sale at:

Amazon

Barns and Noble

AllRomanceEbooks

Cobblestone Press

My Sexy Saturday: Sexy Afternoon

So I've found a new site, My Sexy Saturday. This site offers a blog hop every week featuring a different aspect of a novel. This week they'd like to hear about a "sexy afternoon" and I found just the right spot in my upcoming novel, Fox hunt, to feature. Our hero and leading lady are sharing an afternoon (more like an evening) with a video game.

Fox Hunt Snippet:

"At first, she had taken notice of every time they brushed against each other. Whether it was just their elbows bumping, or the feel of his thigh under her knee as she adjusted her sitting position, it slowed her down an instant whenever it happened. Dilly realized that Mike seemed unfazed by the slight touches and so she quickly forgot about them.

She got caught up in one particularly difficult level. They had spent nearly half an hour racing after the tiny gem scrolling across the screen. Dilly’s heart raced right along with the characters every time they got close to catching the red jewel, but they kept running out of time or getting smashed by a wall or other random obstacle before reaching the goal. Mike was just as determined to catch the gem, and she even heard him let out a good natured “Fuck!” when the thing got away yet again.

Nudging his shoulder with her own, Dilly confidently said, “We’re gonna get it this time.” The level started over, and both Dilly and Mike were completely lost in it. Waving her hands about as she raced the game, Dilly didn’t even realize her shoulder was still pressed to Mike’s. When Dilly’s game character blew up into a large bubble after smacking a wall of thorns, Dilly let out an aggravated growl, dropped her controller into her lap, and turned to encourage the man sitting next to her. “Come on, Mike. You can get it.”

Cheering him on as he raced through the last part of the level, Dilly tensed up in anticipation. A rush of triumph filled her as the little character jumped at the crystal and smashed it. Throwing her hands up, Dilly screamed, “You did it!”

“Heck, yeah,” Mike said, dropping his controller. Before he could say anything else, Dilly found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. It was rushed, and Dilly quickly pulled back with a big smile on her face, which disappeared when she realized what she’d done. She’d been so happy about beating that stupid level, she’d made a move on Mike.

Mike, the strange male wolf who had wondered into town looking for his mate. Mike, the guy Dilly had tried to convince to leave her alone. Mike, the man who sat beside her with a big Cheshire cat grin on his face.

Embarrassed by her actions, Dilly started to pull back from him, but Mike wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Instantly, his lips were back on hers, claiming his own victory kiss. His tongue traced across her lips and Dilly opened them to let him in. The velvet softness of his tongue slipped into her mouth, and Dilly felt herself sigh as she returned the kiss. The taste of warm honey coated her senses."

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Check out other great bloggers at MySexySaturday!

Interrupting Dilly for Some One on One

Last week I interrupted Witch Hunt to pull Mike aside and ask him a few questions about his thoughts on true mates and the relationship between his friends, Rei and Aidan. After doing that fun post for Romance & Beyond I started wondering what Dilly might think of true mates and the danger that werewolves face as they live their lives.

I’ve pulled Dilly aside just before the start of Fox Hunt. She has just arrived at her seasonal job where she is the winter time caretaker for a summer camp. So how about we get this ball rolling.

     Dilly, are you concerned about finding your mate?

I’ve got plenty of time before I need to start thinking about that and I’m sure when I do start to think about it my mate will find me with no problems. After all, at least one male shows up a year trying to court Lizzy or me. 

     Does that mean you’re not ready for your mate to find you?

Of course not. It’ll be years before I need to worry about that. Besides, Lizzy is the oldest. I’m sure she’ll be moving off with a mate long before I do.

     If you were to find your mate soon, what do you think he would be like?

Well, if he was my mate he’d have to be willing to stay near my family. I don’t want to leave them unless I have to. He would also need to be willing to let me do what I do. I’m not just going to sit at home and be a little housewife. I want to work and support myself.

     So you want to stay close to your family? Wouldn’t that make it easier for the burners to find you?

I don’t think those idiots could find much of anything. You hardly hear about them capturing anyone these days. I don’t think my family is in any real danger as long as we keep moving. It’s when you stop moving that you’re in trouble. 

 

     Does that mean your mate will have to move with you? What if he has a pack somewhere else he wants to stay with?

Typically males leave their pack when they find their mates, unless they’re the alpha, but I don’t think an unmated male is going to be in charge of his family. I don’t want a man who has too much control anyway. Alphas like to control everything.

     Is there any one way you think a mate shouldn’t act?

He shouldn’t think he has to protect me all the time. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. If that’s everything I’ve got a lot of work to get started.

Well, I think that concludes our interview with Dilly. She’s in for a bit of a surprise when Mike shows up just in time to help save the day. Lots of luck, Dilly and we’ll be seeing you before too long.

I Dub Thee ... Saving Grace Saga

I've finally come to terms with the fact that I should have put a name to the stories that occur in the world in which Witch Hunt and Fox Hunt take place. I have a third story in the works and I suppose I should let the cat out of the bag on what I've been calling these stories. Therefor I dub thee the Saving Grace Saga.

The Saving Grace Saga is a set of three novels and what will mostly become unpublished short stories that hide away in my desk drawer. Witch Hunt and Fox Hunt are the first two novels in the set and a third is still being written.

I was reluctant to use this name for the stories because I wasn't sure if the second novel would be published. If Fox Hunt had gone no where I would have had Witch Hunt stand on its own, but Fox Hunt is scheduled to be released in June. So be on the look out over the next month or so for news able Fox Hunt and a giveaway or two to celebrate its upcoming release.

As always good dreams and happy reading.

Musing Wolves

Remember this peeping wolf? If you follow my Hunter or Hunted Facebook page I'm sure you might. You may have even seen my Peek a Boo post here. For me this image inspired a big chunk of my soon to be published novel, Fox Hunt.

Fox Hunt was accepted for publication by Cobblestone Press at the end of March and is moving head first into the editing process this month. It is the second book in what I hope will be a three book set centered around a supernatural world that I created originally for Witch Hunt. In this world witches and werewolves are hunted by a Federal Government agency, known as Witch Hunters or the burners. While Witch Hunt dealt with both a witch and a werewolf, Fox Hunt revolves around werewolves and their struggle in the alternate America.

When I saw the picture above my main character, Mike, came to mind and I would often look at the image when I was having issues developing Mike past some catch in his personality. With the upcoming book I'm happy that Mike along with his counterpart, Dilly, will be enjoyed by others.

With any luck I'll have a cover to reveal by late May and a set release date for all of those interested in finding out more about peek a boo wolves.

Happy reading and as always good dreams.