April 26, 2015

For Sexy Snippets - April 26, 2015

#SexySnippets are seven sentences, taken from a work in progress, or published book, brought to you every Sunday.


This is a #SexySnippet from Accepting Kaley, a novel I started a few years ago. Kaley is loyal, always playing sister's keeper and rescuing her lovelorn sister from romantic catastrophe. This time, Kaley tracks Katrina down at a Canadian ranch where she discovers her sister is engaged and planning a wedding to a near stranger. This scene is between my heroine Kaley and the owner of the ranch, Hunter.

Here are the seven sentences... Enjoy! :)


“I see we have our work cut out for us.”
“Oh this is nothing.  I’ve been doing this for years now.”
“Planning impromptu weddings with handsome strangers?”
“No, Silly, coming to Katrina’s rescue.” Kaley gave Hunter a playful shove. “And we’d better get started, like you said, we have a lot of work to do.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Hunter teased playfully.


If you liked this sexy snippet, please check out the other awesome authors participating in #SexySnippets this week as well as the other writing samples on my blog and check out my latest release Dream Hunter now available Smarturl.it/dhu

April 24, 2015

Losing my Mind - Writer Style

I'm giving myself whiplash and anxiety, and, just for fun, I'm burying myself under a whole ton of guilt.

I can't focus on just one task. Instead I am in the middle of 3 WIPs and 2 blog posts, behind in my email, and feeling hopeless about my to-do list. My ever growing, never shrinking to-do list.

I have a theory about multi-tasking. It's doing more than one thing at a time poorly. You accomplish nothing of significance and you just feel shitty about it.

I spend (probably) too much time reading about promoting and not enough time creating. There's no excuse for it. At the end of the day, should I really care if I've mastered the latest in social media tricks? Especially when the holy grail of selling books apparently doesn't even lie in promotion.

Still I take another spin on the merry-go-round until I fly off into the abyss.

Pimp published book.
Sub completed manuscript.
Blog.
Guest blog.
Pimp blog.
Write article.
Sub article.
Pimp article.

Basically 'scream' on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. Buy my book, read my blog post, like me!

Where does the writing fit in?

The whole thing is making me dizzy and not helping to accomplish anything. Except to feed my frustration over all the things I cannot control in my life. My health being my primary concern right now. I have been confined to mainly bed rest for 2 months now. And I don't have a diagnosis yet. It's most inconvenient.

I have a long to-do list and good intentions. But good intentions will not propel me forward. Especially when my attempts to complete tasks are thwarted by my disease - whatever it may be.

I am a numbers person. There's a certain safety in numbers, a logic to analyzing data and making decisions. Number of hits on my website or blog determine what content is working. Twitter followers and Facebook page likes show how many people I am reaching in those sites.

My obsession with numbers can be so rigid, so contrary to my creative side. It's the whole left-brain versus right-brain thing. I want to organize myself and keep to a writing and promotion schedule, but too many factors are in the way.

Primarily, you can't make your characters talk to you. But if you give them the opportunity to speak, they will. After all, for a writer, which is crazier - hearing the voices or not?

Oh and, by the way, can you 'like' my new Facebook Author Page? Just kidding! Not really... :) https://www.facebook.com/MayaTylerAuthor

April 19, 2015

For Sexy Snippets - April 19, 2015

A #SexySnippet from my short story Heart's Storm... between my heroine Lissa, a wannabe actress, and her new friend Aaron. Lissa had been on her way to a job interview in L.A. when her car broke down. On the way to find help, she met Aaron, who she later realizes is from 1858.

Here are the seven sentences... Enjoy! :)


“You’re different from other men I’ve known,” she said, tilting her head and staring him right in the eyes.
“And how many men have you known?” he teased.
She blushed at his words. “No one real.” She touched his cheek. “Where I come from everyone is pretending to be someone else. Even me.”



If you liked this sexy snippet, please read the full short story as well as the other writing samples on my blog and check out my latest release Dream Hunter now available http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00REOM11G

April 18, 2015

Against All Rules - Free on June 27-28, 2015

AGAINST ALL RULES

By


 SUMMERITA RHAYNE


About the book:

Office romance with a sizzle.

BLURB:

The efficient PA out of her depth...

Samara knows getting attracted to Tahir is like asking for trouble. He is her boss, he's got divorced recently and has sworn off any commitment. Short term is NOT on her list. But has temptation ever been stronger?

The man who has walled off his heart

Tahir doesn't want his office protocol disturbed. But Samara might just make him make an exception! An temporary affair seems a solution to his troubles but when he senses her vulnerability, things begin to complicate beyond his control.

Would they go against the rules?

...when the fire is set, it's hard to avoid the blaze...

Buy links:

Ebook


Print:




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Excerpt

Tahir stood with his back to her, the buildings and traffic of Lodhi Road spread out below, visible through the clear glass of the almost wall-length picture window. He turned when he heard her.

‘Last evening was a big mistake.’ He said without preamble. ‘I can’t tell you how sorry I am about it. Believe me, I don’t make it a habit to get drunk and accost my staff.’

For a second she could just stare at him, the rest of his words after big mistake not really penetrating her brain.

All night she’d dreamed wonderful, impossible dreams. Dreams in which he’d confessed to burning desire and unbridled passion for her. Of course it was all the end result of reading too many romantic historical novels. She knew how silly those imaginings were. Still, to have him denounce the kiss that had left her world spinning as a ‘big mistake’ was a hard lump to swallow. 

‘It’s alright.’ She said, trying to sound as though it didn’t matter. ‘You were upset.’ Her thudding heart steadied a bit. Look on the bright side, Samara. At least he was blaming their kiss on alcohol.

‘Which doesn’t excuse my crappy behavior.’ His mouth twisted in self disgust. ‘I don’t lose control like this usually...last night I was a lost case scenario.’

The words stung her. How hopeless to desire him when he felt like this about his wife. Ex wife, that was.

‘Please don’t blame yourself, Tahir. You were drunk.’ Samara took a step towards him, ‘It was one of those things that just happen. There’s no need for either of us to get into a tizzy about it. I shouldn’t have come to your apartment anyway.’

‘No, you shouldn’t have.’ He looked at her, his gaze dark and brooding, ‘I was the one who initiated that kiss but the fact remains that you didn’t resist me. It wasn’t just me last evening, was it?’

The tide had turned. Her legs trembled a bit. She moistened suddenly dry lips. ‘What do you mean?’

He came closer, his tread silent on the deep pile carpet. ‘Why did you let me kiss you, Samara? Why didn’t you stop me?’

His words sent a jolt through her. Had that sharp gaze of his managed to penetrate and look into her mind? She had known how astute he was. How long before he pieced everything together to discover the truth of her feelings for him?

 She thought quickly. Didn’t they say if you said the truth casually enough, it could pass off without attracting attention?

‘Well…just because.’ She offered and shrugged.

Dark eyebrows rose at her admission. She said with more confidence and a touch of carelessness. ‘You do yourself less than justice, Tahir. You’re idolized by hundreds of women. So why not me? You’re attractive and I admit, for a moment, curiosity got me…’ She held her breath. Would he buy that?

‘Whatever your reasons, you crossed the threshold as much as I did. Keep that in mind, if you talk about it.’

She frowned, ‘Talk about it…? Tahir, are you insinuating I’ll spread the news that we kissed?’

‘Girls are fond of gossip. And what better snippet to pass around than the experience of kissing the boss?’  

‘That was a sexiest remark!’

‘Was it?’ He shrugged, not too bothered. ‘Or you can consider it as an observation about the social nature of your gender. Whatever. Can you honestly say you would resist the temptation to share it with your friends?’

‘When it casts an aspersion on the whole of my sex, I would have to, wouldn’t I?’ she said, trying to inject a lighter tone. Then she saw he was really waiting for her answer and said more seriously, ‘It was a matter between you and me, Tahir. And neither of us stands to gain by making it public. I can assure you, I know that. Have I ever given you any cause not to depend on me?’

He looked back, meeting her steady gaze and at last nodded.

She took a deep breath she hoped he wouldn’t notice and added, ‘I know we can’t have anything spook our work relationship, Tahir. And I think we are both sensible enough to put that kiss out of our minds.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 


About the author

Summerita Rhayne loves to write sensual and emotional romance. There's no knowing when some quirky - or sometimes even not so quirky - happening in daily life might trigger her right brain and then she's off craving a new story. She loves writing characters who learn and grow and find their way out of their troubles and emotional hang-ups. Hot, sensual heroes and sassy but sweet heroines mostly fit the bill in her stories. She also believes that a touch of humor never goes amiss in a book.

She lives in India. Her day is spent juggling day job, family life and writing. On the offside she loves to embroider simple cross stitch patterns, cook and cheer for Team India. She loves winding down with music, movies and the internet.

Her links:

Website and contact page: www.summeritarhayne.com

Twitter @SummeritaRhayne



Other books from Summerita:

Historical : Hidden Passion

Short story collection: Unexpected Valentines

April 17, 2015

Book Spotlight - Wind Born

Welcome, Cherie Nicholls, it's great to have you for a visit! Wind Born looks like an awesome story! As a paranormal fan, I love books about shifters... Good luck with your new book, out on May 7th!



Thank you for having me!

Ok this is my book, Wind Born and it’s been a little bit of a labor of love. Those who know me, know that I’m not always able to dedicate the time I’d like to writing. Wind Born has taken me over a year to write, seriously.

But this annoying Air Element just wouldn’t leave me alone, so I was forced to write her story. Man when you’re a High Priestess you sure do expect everyone to do as you say… rude!
Let me introduce you to Aura and her best friend, Luka.

Blurb:

Luka Barend is an alpha lion shifter, member of the Shifter Council, teacher, and big brother. He's also stuck firmly in the “friend zone.” In point of fact he is King of the Best Friend zone. Sometimes it really sucks to be him.

Aura Vietor is a High Priestess, an air elemental witch, and a woman who really, really wants Luka to realize that his best friend is actually a woman, with needs. Many, many dirty needs. Stupid blind lion shifter!

Excerpt:

Luka lay facedown on his bed and wondered, not for the first time, what he could’ve done in a previous life to be cursed with a family like this.

Granted, what with them all being orphaned at young ages and ending up in children’s homes, he’d not had much choice. But still he must’ve really pissed off a couple of gods in a previous life if this crazy menagerie was his punishment.

“So I said to her, ‛Baby, if you’re impressed now, you should see what I can do with it.’ And let me tell you, she was really impressed.”

He looked up at one of his younger brothers and glared. In nature, lions and wolves didn’t mix. Sadly, that wasn’t the case here. He was a lion shifter, and Nate—well, Nate was a pain-in-the-ass wolf-coyote shifter. Another perk of being in an adopted, mixed breed family.

“Is there a reason you’re in my house?”

“Sure.”

He waited, but Nate didn’t seem to want to offer more.

“Nate, it’s been a long day. I’ve been in a council meeting for the last five hours. Tell me why you’re here before I shift and bite your tiny little wolf head off.”

“Seriously, bro, since you made the council, your fun meter has dropped, like, twenty percent.”

“Nathaniel!”

“Geez, chill. I’m here because Aura was looking for you. Something about a ritual and the lake. If she needs a sex sacrifice, I’m totally up for that.”

Luka dropped his head back to the bed and groaned.

“Please tell me you didn’t offer her your services.”

“I thought about it, and then I remembered the last time I kindly offered my time and how it took a month for the green color to fade from my fur.”

“Smart move. I’ll give her a call. Now get out.”

“I’m crashing here tonight,” Nate threw over his shoulder as he headed for the door.

“You have your own place.”

“Yeah, but your place is closer. I mean I’m literally already standing in it. So, win.”

He didn’t argue as Nate closed the door. It was true he did have his own place, but more often than not, Luka would walk into the kitchen to find one or more of his siblings there.

He was sure some psychologists would say it had to do with their childhoods. How losing their parents at such young ages had affected them. Now they would cling together, needing each other’s presence to feel secure and connected.

Personally, he thought that was all crap and they just liked eating him out of house and home.
With a resigned sigh, he rolled onto his back and grabbed his phone off the bedside table.

He punched the quick-dial number and waited for the call to be answered. It didn’t matter that it was near midnight. There wasn’t a worry that he’d wake up the person at the other end. Aura was a night owl, something he’d learned as a kid.

“About goddamn time, freak,” was the greeting he received. As tired as he was, he couldn’t help smiling.

“Sorry if I wasn’t waiting by the phone for your call, hag.”

“What were you doing? Off licking your own ass?”

“No, I was with the council planning our witch hunt.”

“Yeah, like you’d have any chance against us.”

“Us? Who said anything about the others? Nope, we’re just planning on hunting whining air elemental witches.”

“Flea-ridden alley cat.”

“Reject from The Wizard of Oz.

There was silence on the other end for a second before he heard the snorted laugh.

The sound warmed his heart. Aura might be an air elemental witch, a rare breed of witch to say the least. She might even be one of the most powerful magical women in the world. But first and foremost, she was his best friend. And wasn’t that all sorts of fun. Somewhere in their teen years he’d landed not only in the friend zone, but he was in point of fact, king of the best-friend zone. Yay him.

“So what did that boring group of dried up has-beens have to say this time?”

“That group of has-beens is the authority around here, and I happen to be a member, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I told you when they asked you to join that you’d be at least nine hundred years too young. But no, you wouldn’t listen. So deal with it, kitten.”

“No, please, Aura. You’re drowning me with your admiration.”

“Bite me.”

“Only if you ask me nice.”

He heard her breathy laugh come down the line again and willed his body not to react. He’d have more chance swimming up a waterfall.

“So, I hear you were looking for me,” he said, and tried hard to distract his body and the part of him that was getting hard at the thought of her luscious mouth on it.

“Sure was. The full moon is coming.”

“And? Happens all the time.”

“Yes, I know that, o wise one. But this one is different. It’s a blood moon. Rare and very powerful. I need to have a ceremony down at the lake. It’s going to happen, but I figured I should get your approval first, what with you being all council-like now. That way the boring old farts can’t shut me down.”

“You ask so nicely too.”

“You want nice? Okay, fine.” He closed his eyes. He knew what was coming and so did his body. 

“Please, Luka. Oh, oh, oh, God, please, Luka,” she panted down the line. “I promise to be a good girl, really good…oh, mmm, so good.”

He swallowed hard and forced out a laugh. “You’re getting better at that.”

“I should be. Practice does make perfect.”

That dragged a silent snarl from him. The thought of another man’s hands on what he’d always considered his had his lion pawing to get out.

“Fine, have your little magic show at the lake. But don’t poison the lake, don’t burn anything down, and, Aura, if you really must be naked, at least put up a border spell so I don’t find a group of teenagers all standing there watching you and your coven.”

“Man, Nate was right—you really have lost your fun side. Okay, fine, Mr. Prude. I’ll make sure the poor innocent boys are shielded from our perfection. I guess I shouldn’t really ruin them for all the other women.”

“I appreciate it. Now go away. I have sleeping to do, and your cackle grates on my last nerve.”

“Yeah, love you too, twinkle.”

He hung up, dropped the phone back onto the table, and lay back down.

Luka stared up at the ceiling and wondered again if the gods were messing with him.

© Cherie Nicholls 2015




Author Info:

Cherie Nicholls is an author of Paranormal Romance. By day she is an IT Manager and by night she whips up worlds where alpha men find their mates and people are always more than human.

Cherie was born and lives in London, UK, and is a daughter, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, aunt-in-law, great-aunt, and godmother in an ever-growing family. She has a passion for shifter stories, most any sport and thimbles…don’t ask.




Find Me Links:
Pinterest

April 12, 2015

For Sexy Snippets - April 12, 2015

A #SexySnippet from my short story Carrie’s Bliss... between my heroine Carrie and two masseuses, Lucinda and Rian. Carrie's best friend Jay decides she needs a little pampering after her recent break-up with Richard and books her for some special treatment at Bliss Day Spa.

Here are the seven sentences... Enjoy! :)



“Are you cold, lass?” Rian asked as he applied lotion to her thighs.
“No.” Carrie moved her legs apart so Rian could reach her inner thigh.
“Good.”
Under the sheet, Rian pushed her legs a bit further apart and rubbed the lotion in a circular motion, his fingers gently grazing her nether lips. The touch caused her to open up and Carrie ached to be touched more intimately. As Rian continued to work her inner thighs, Lucinda moved to the head of the table again and to apply lotion to Carrie’s arms.

“Yes?” Rian questioned as he pressed his hands on her inner thighs.



If you liked this sexy snippet, please read the other writing samples on my blog and check out my latest release Dream Hunter now available http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00REOM11G

April 10, 2015

Reading: Book or eBook?

Technology has changed the world? Of course it has. I personally can't live without indoor plumbing or electricity and don't get me started on the Internet. I'm 34 and I actually remember what life was like before the Internet. I may have mentioned this before, but it still shocks and amazes me that there was life before Google. We called it 'World Book Encyclopedia' and from those massive volumes we learned everything we needed to know about everything we needed to know about. If we had a question, my mom would say, "we don't guess, we look it up" and we would. Now my six year old son asks me to Google the stuff I don't know. I taught him how to use the microphone and he can actually use Google himself. It's kind of amazing!

Things change, but things also stay the same. My boys don't live in front of the TV or an iGadget. We take them to the library and they play outside. I know, we are terribly old-fashioned. My kids love to play and they have great imaginations. What I want more than anything is to foster in them a love of books and reading. I tell them "books are our friends" and we all look forward to the monthly book order from school!

Technology has changed how we read. My husband reads the news on his iPhone. I read novels on mine. Even the kids have eBooks (narrated ones). When I was a kid, we had books on record! We eRead, but do we still read 'real' books? Absolutely! My husband collects hardcover books by Clive Cussler. I won't even attempt to count the number of books the kids have. And me? I have a fair number of keepers myself, the books I love to re-read.

The majority of books I read now are eBooks though. I have a Sony reader from at least three years ago which I still occasionally use, but my device of choice is my phone. I have apps for Kindle, Kobo, and iBooks with about a dozen books on each. I find the Kindle the easiest to use, but I'm reading an iBook right now and I like that you can see the time when you're reading. Don't ask me why, but I am super obsessed with knowing the time. There are clocks in almost every room of my house... Four in the kitchen if you count the stove, microwave, radio, and coffee maker... I haven't figured out how to lock the screen in Kobo or iBooks, but that's not a deal breaker. It just means I can't be lazy when I'm reading lying down.

We have real choice when it comes to books. The ability to publish eBooks really opened up the market for writers. The dream of publishing a book is finally achievable! If you can't find the right publishing house, then self-publishing is an option. There are so many books out there - look at Amazon alone. Good for the reader, but a challenger for the writer. With so much choice, how can a writer attract readers? The answer isn't simple and there are a million or more (no exaggeration) articles out there to dissect the intricacy of book marketing and promotion. Right now my 'reader' hat is on and it's time to get back to my book.

Happy reading, folks, and have a great weekend!

April 5, 2015

For Sexy Snippets - April 5, 2015

A #SexySnippet from my short story Just For Tonight... between my heroine Laurie and her mystery lover. Laurie is a hard-working young woman, the sole caregiver of her younger siblings, who needs a little fun and excitement, a night away from all her responsibilities. Little does she know, she has a secret admirer who is willing to make all her dreams come true and not just for one night.

Here are the seven sentences... Enjoy! :)



She boldly unzipped her dress and stepped out of it, leaving her in a black satin chemise with garters.

For a split second she thought she saw doubt flit over the exposed features of her mystery man. But she was too far gone to care now. She advanced predatorily on him. He might have gulped but his sudden turnaround only spurred her desire. She had never been the pursuer before and she reveled in the feeling as he backed up toward the bed and abruptly sat down. Feeling like everything she had ever wanted was within her reach, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss.



If you liked this sexy snippet, please read the other writing samples on my blog and check out my latest release Dream Hunter now available http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00REOM11G

April 4, 2015

Writing about Writing: The Three Chapter Rule

In the beginning, it all seems so easy.

Have you ever read a book and thought you could do better?

I love to read. Some books are hard to get into at first. The story has a slow build up, the characters are unrealistic, the editing is atrocious... Whatever the reason... I always respected the time and effort of all those involved in creating the precious commodity we call 'book'. I used to force myself to read every book in its entirety whether I liked it or not. Sometimes it would take me years. Literally. I would read about 100 books in between, but I would finish it. Now I have a three chapter rule. I will give every book I pick up an honest chance to 'wow' me, but my time is as precious a commodity as the effort expended to produce the book. Not every book is for every reader. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it's a fail. It just means you don't like it.

The written word is as subjective an art as an abstract painting. Every reader may see something different, quite possibly even a different version of what the author originally intended. The author is omnipotent. The reader is not. The writer's challenge is to string together the words required to inspire the same images in the reader's mind.

What makes a successful writer? The ability to sell millions of books? To achieve celebrity status? The answer is as subjective as the art itself. I define success by the achievement of my goals. I like quantification. I want to be able to measure something to gauge the magnitude of my 'success'. As a novice writer, my goals are simple and modest.

I published my debut novella Dream Hunter in December and my first year goals include:
- obtain 50 reviews on Amazon
- keep sales rank above 500k

Are these achievable, relevant goals? Notice I did not set a goal for sales.

There is a direct correlation between my effort and obtaining reviews. I can send out review quests, I can query book bloggers, I can blast social media, in other words, there is action I can take to achieve this goal.

What is the relevance of sales rank? It is a statistic I can monitor to help determine the efficiency of my efforts to market and promote. Can I make readers buy my book? Of course not. But I can ensure my book is out there, just waiting to be discovered.

Writing a book is not a simple exercise. It takes a lot of hard work and a very labor-intensive process to create a book. I loved creating Dream Hunter and I'm really enjoying the challenge of book marketing and promotion. I bounce ideas off my writer friends. I read articles. I run with every idea I have. It's my new hobby and I've thrown everything I have into it! I am dedicated to the 'success' of my book... However success is defined.

What I really want is my book to be read. And enjoyed. And I would consider Dream Hunter a success if the reader liked it enough to get past the third chapter.

April 3, 2015

Book Spotlight - Wind Born

The book spotlight will return in a couple weeks with buy links... Thanks for dropping by! I'm so sorry for the inconvenience...

Maya