Dark Desires of the Druids: Temptations and Treachery I admit, this was an additional story. I'd always wanted to tell Isadore's story, but the overall arc of my Druids was a trilogy. Then I realized just how perfect Isadore and James were together. How could I resist? Especially when prim & proper Isadore wanted more--more action, more adventure, more romance? I caved, and James Blackthorne did, too. *G*

Only available in ebook form: here and here (for only $2.49) and anywhere else you can buy ebooks.

Pppssst...have you entered my Title Contest?

Excerpt:
James hovered over Isadore’s chair, feeling protective toward her, and the need to distance Dinshaw from her. When they’d come up with this plan, he hadn’t counted on Dinshaw being taken with Isadore. Or Isadore’s reaction to him.

The council was gone, as was his carriage. Takoda lurked outside, and Irisi was back at Morgana’s house pretending they were all there.

“I think everyone believed our little scene,” Dinshaw said. He grinned at Isadore and James wanted to rip him to pieces.

“You’ve very convincing, Allen,” James said, deadpan. “I almost believed you.”

Dinshaw merely grinned and said to Isadore, “I’ll be at the North American with my business associates. Will the two of you lie in wait?”

“Maybe not lie in wait,” Isadore laughed. James saw red. “But we’ll be here should anyone try to enter your home.”

“Is there anything else we need to do?” he asked, pathetically excited over the entire endeavor.
“No.” James stated. “Wouldn’t want you to be late.”

“No, no,” Dinshaw said, standing, “of course not.” He kissed Isadore’s hand, smiled down at her. James grabbed his arm and hustled him out of the room.

“We’ll be here,” he repeated. “Make sure you protect yourself, don’t go off alone. And don’t come back too soon.”

Dinshaw nodded, gathering hat, cane, gloves. “Oh, I’ll be several hours at least.”

“Excellent.”

James hung back from the door, making sure no one saw him. The entire point of their plan was to make Dinshaw’s house the most appealing tonight.

“I’ll be back late, Alfred!” he called to his butler. James rolled his eyes. The door closed behind Dinshaw with a decisive click.

“There was no need to push him out the door,” Isadore said from beside him.

“Yes there was.”

“Oh?”

“I didn’t like the way he looked at you,” he growled, pulling her to him.

“James,” she chuckled, “he’s a consummate flirt, nothing more.”

“I don’t care,” he whispered against her mouth. “I’ve become very possessive of you.” He pulled back and looked at her. “I hope that isn’t a problem?”

He wasn’t sure he cared if it was. Isadore was his. In their short time together, he’d grown closer to her than anyone in his life. He wanted her more, he needed her more. The only thing stopping him from beating Dinshaw to a bloody pulp was the knowledge they needed him, and his house, for their plan to work.

“No,” she whispered. “But it might be when I return to England.”

“If I let you go.”

Countdown

This is Christmas week. Yes, suddenly it's upon us, or it's crashed down like a freight train depending on how you look at it. The Christmas music is on, some of those songs never get old (but for th love of God, people, please stop playing that Paul McCartney one! I can't take it any more!!)

For those of you who celebrate, how're you handling the season? Or are you one of those who only has to bring a dish or two and that's it?

And have you entered my Title Contest?

Monday Exerpt: Dark Desires of the Druids: Desert and Destiny

Dark Desires of the Druids: Desert and Destiny, can you tell I love alliteration? You have no idea how hard it was to come up with these, and I'm rather proud of all my titles. So, Gareth. The tough alpha male who doesn't know how to show his feelings, his affection. One fiance left him, and now there's this woman in his life. Good thing Arabelle doesn't take any of his shit!

Available in bookstores here and here, and online here (for only $2.49!)and here.

Pppssst...have you entered my Title Contest?

Excerpt:
Gareth sat on his cot and listened to the evening sounds. The diggers and bearers talked in loud groups off to one side, but he didn’t interfere. Arabelle assured them they were safe enough here with the guards the diggers would set out, but that wasn’t what concerned him.

His body’s reaction to the mere thought of her was instant. He wanted her, he always did. Gareth began to believe he’d never get enough of her. It scared him, but at the same time –

“Gareth?”

Arabelle’s whispered voice cut through the night, startling him out of his thoughts of her. She poked her head into the tent, and he stood, gesturing her in. Still fully clothed in her khaki dig clothes, she stood awkwardly there, staring at him for several long moments.

“I wanted to thank you for last night,” she said. “I should have before, but I didn’t want,” she moved her hands in a helpless motion and shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d want the others to hear me.”

For the first time, Gareth had a strange notion. Did she think he was ashamed of her? Ashamed of what they did? Unreasonably angry over that thought, he shook his head. How to make her understand he wasn’t?

“We’ve all been in that position at one point or another with Corwin’s accusations.” That wasn’t what he wanted to say, it wasn’t how he wanted to explain himself.

“Yes,” she nodded, holding herself back. He could see the tension in her shoulders. “Well I just wanted to thank you.”

She started to back away, out of the tent, and he was desperate to stop her. Gareth stepped forward, closing his fingers about her arm. “You look cold,” he said stupidly, wishing for something better.

No wonder Raven left him. That thought niggled at the back of his mind, something she’d said the other day during their argument.

“Here,” he continued, offering her the cot. “I’ll start a fire.” She started to protest, but he grinned at her. “A magickal fire. It’s all the rage; I’m surprised you hadn’t heard about them.”

Arabelle laughed, and he saw her relax. Fishing for something to talk about, without making her angry, Gareth settled for what little they had in common.

“I’m sorry you had to be there,” he said. “You should’ve let me kill Corwin when I had the chance in that warehouse.” He smiled to take any sting out of his words. But she didn’t seem to take offense.

“Possibly,” she shrugged, “but he still has enough followers to make things difficult for us. Still, perhaps you’re right. Perhaps it would’ve been better to rid ourselves of him then. I’ve taken precautions,” she added, “and I understand you and Lords Preston and Granville have as well?”

“Some,” he agreed, no longer holding onto the anger he had whenever Preston’s name was mentioned. “But we have limited resources here.”

She rose and moved in a small circle around the magickal heat. Staring at the orb, she said, “I wonder what we’re going to find tomorrow. I’ve speculated on this.”

She looked up at him in concentration, excited concentration as if this were a new find. And he supposed it was, and as she was an Egyptologist, this would be exciting for her on many levels.

“I’ve wondered, so many times on what’s in the repository, what the ancients stored for us. If you knew your civilization was going to halt, to stop, to end what would you store? What would you keep for others to find?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I’m not sure I can answer that tonight. I hope,” he smiled, taking her hand and drawing her next to him again, “the ancients took more time in compiling whatever they hid.”

“I wonder. Sometimes, you don’t know – you don’t believe – that things will change.” She shook her head and he heard the frustration in her voice at not being able to express herself. But she all but bounced next to him in excitement. It was contagious.

“That you won’t wake up to a new world. Would they prepare? Did they have the time? Or was it too late?” She turned to look at him and in the dim artificial light he saw her enthusiasm. “It was such a long time ago, I wonder if we’ll ever know.”

Cupping her face, he smiled at her. “You’re so beautiful when you’re enthralled like this. When you’re passionate.”

Arabelle smiled back. Then, surprising him she leaned forward and kissed him. Her body was warm against his as she shifted, controlling the situation.

“Make love to me,” she said against his mouth.

Thursday Progress: 1920s story

Yes. I'm still running the Title Contest, but here are some more details about the story.

1. Emma Hunt is a PI working undercover to discover who's behind a kidnapping for ransom scheme.
2. Jared Callon is working for the US Government. Yes, he's interested in solving these high profile kidnappings, but he has a secret he's investigating, too.
3. From the first they're attracted to each other, but who is Emma, really, and what's Jared's true goal?
4. February, 1922 in Washington, DC
5. Bootleggers
6. Prohibition
7. Vaudeville

I'm more than halfway finished with the editing/rewriting of this story and couldn't be happier with it. I can't believe I wrote some of this stuff, and clearly I changed plots about 1/4 way through and never went back to fix anything.

To be fair, I also immediately set this aside once it was (nominally) finished to work on other stories, and never looked at it again until I pitched it to a senior editor at the NJRW Conference.

Monday Excerpt: Dark Desires of the Druids: Sex and Subterfuge

Dark Desires of the Druids: Sex & Subterfuge now out in papaerback from Red Silk Editions in bookstores here and here and online here and here.

Ahh, Lucien, how I adore thee. Hunky sexy magicker who's strong enough to love a woman more powerful than he is. Plus there's that sexy dining room table scene. *le sigh*

Pppssst...have you entered my Title Contest?

Excerpt:
Morgana waited until she couldn’t see David from her front windows before returning to her bedroom. Lucien was there, naked, by the window. The heavy curtain was pulled only slightly back, and she wondered if anyone could tell he stared into the morning from directly across the street.

What did he do before coming into her life? No simple English earl, that was for certain.

“What did he want?” Lucien asked as the curtain fell back into place. He turned and looked at her, his eyes unreadable.

“Me,” she said. Then shrugged and untied her dressing gown.

“Too bad,” he growled and before she blinked, he was before her. She was held tight against him, the hard length of his body. “You’re mine.”

Morgana barely had time to nod before his lips were on hers. Lucien gently pushed her onto their bed, one hand already finding its way underneath the damask dressing gown she wore.

“Your skin is smooth as silk,” he said. “I’ll never tire of feeling you under me.”

“Lucien,” Morgana breathed, unbelievably aroused at his words, his possessiveness. Shocked at her own need, her own desire to be his.

Guest blogging, statistics and thoughts

First, tomorrow I'm over at Fang-tastic blogging about historical paranormals and why I find them fascinating to both read and write.

Now...statistics...

They're fascinating things. Here on Blogger, it's easy (now) to check your blog stats. For instance, I know my guest post from Keira of Love Romance Passion post from last year is still hugely popular, as is my review on Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife. (May-December 2010: 119 for Keira, and 236! for Mr. Darcy.)

I also seem to be popular in Russia and Hungary. (Spam anyone?) Even though the only thing I know in Russian is goodbye and that's in the Roman alphabet not Cyrillic. Hungarian? Nada.

The thing I notice is that people come. They read. They do not comment. I wonder why that is. Curious. My post on reviews and why you do them, where you post them, and if you comment on others gets hits, but no comments. Hmmm...

Even my guests get hits, especially after the fact, and yet very few comments. Example: Friday Guest: Wendi Zwaduk with 120 page views but only a measly 6 comments. 120 vs. 6...my math seems skewed.

I'm running a Title Contest, and have 2 comments, great suggestions but from only 2 people? Interesting.

And that's my tangent thought for the day.

Pictures to Smile at

These are from another forward. I don't know if they're staged, but they're adorable and made me smile. I hope they make you smile as well.


How can you not smile at the "I'm mad as hell and not going to take it anymore" look?

Just beautiful


Poor dog looks confused, but it's a great picture.

Took me a moment to get this one, but I kinda like it!

There, have I made you smile today?

Oh, and don't forget my Title Contest!

So you Want to be a Writer?

This was pretty funny, I really like the banter, it's oh so true! And if the video doesn't work, try this link.



Don't forget my Title Contest!

A date that will live in infamy

The USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor, USS Enterprise, Ford Island. Read all about it.

From wikipedia:

The Presidential Address to Congress of December 8, 1941 was delivered at 12:30 p.m. that day to a Joint Session of Congress by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, one day after the Empire of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawai’i. The name derives from the first line of the speech: Roosevelt describing the previous day as "a date which will live in infamy".

Within an hour of the speech, Congress passed a formal declaration of war against Japan and officially brought the U.S. into World War II. The address is regarded as one of the most famous American political speeches of the 20th century.

Roosevelt purposefully framed the speech around the perceived low moral character of the Japanese government. He drew a sharp contrast between the "righteous might" of the American people and the aggressive and deceitful nature of the Japanese regime.

Full speech either below (haven't managed to successfully embed a video yet) or here.



Don't forget my Title Contest!

Monday's Excerpt Murder and Magick

Dark Desires of the Druids: Murder & Magick. This is my first published book, now out for 2 years (seriously, time does fly!) I'm very proud of it and absolutely adore the cover! It's now available for the Kindle for 99¢, but also on Ravenous, All Romance eBooks, B&N, and anywhere else you can think of to buy ebooks.

Oh, and don't forget my Title Contest!

Excerpt:
With another growl, he pulled her across him, boots forgotten, to attack her mouth. “Minx.”

She merely offered a smug smile and drew him closer.

Silken under his mouth, her skin heated from his touches. The cottage lay in darkness. Though he’d have preferred to see his lover in the full light of the sun, he knew her body well enough to bring her to pleasure every time.

She was right of course; things could no longer go on as they had been. Mac didn’t care as he entered her, and that bone-deep satisfaction settled over him, sheathed in her wet warmth.

God, this was heaven. Nothing in this world or, he was certain, the next could compare to being inside Raven. He couldn’t give this up, wasn’t sure how to give her up.

Savoring each thrust, the way she moved against him, Mac let the moment play out, let it stretch into the heated air around them, each of holding the other’s gaze.

And then it snapped. Raven cried his name and rode her orgasm out beneath him, hips grinding against his, a picture of wild and wanton beauty.

His to hold, his to delight in. As his own climax overtook him, Mac’s last coherent thought echoed through him.

Raven was his.

Need won over duty.

1920s story redux

Tri-dux? Is that a word? Re-redux? Either way, I'm slowly widdling it down. Revamping, rewording, basically rewriting large sections to get this story ready for submission. Man, makes me wish I'd done this when I finished it! Would've saved me lots of time now...

Alas I didn't. So I am now. But all this is really why the term 'FIRST DRAFT' was coined. I'm on draft 3, and am so very much happier with this, I can't begin to describe it.

The good news is that I'm through Acts 1 and 2 (of 5) and moving on through Act 3. I think I actually will have this finished by Christmas!

And don't forget my Title Contest!

December?

It's December? I don't want to hear it. I refuse to believe it. I'm not ready.


Not for Christmas, nearly done with that shopping. But for the end of the year! Where did 2010 go? What happened to it? Why does time go by so darn quickly.


What did YOU accomplish in 2010? And what do you plan to accomplish for 2011?

And don't forget Friday guest Sandy Lender will be here!

OR my Title Contest!