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A Christmas Sale!
Which has much less Darren McGavin than A Christmas Story, but bear with me. In the spirit of the year (and because all of us need a bit of a lift right now) I’m putting both Two Thrones books on sale for 99¢ until New Year’s Eve. So if you’re new to the joint kingdoms of Hellas and Ypres, this is the perfect chance to check them out.
Mid Week Tease: Palace of Scoundrels #MidWeekTease #MWTease
Yeah I sort of screwed up last week by not posting because I had told myself to set up a post since I was going to be busy traveling to Ontario for the Evernight writers’ retreat … and promptly forgot to make the post. My bad. So in apology, have a longer teaser from my new MF fantasy romance Palace of Scoundrels (Two Thrones Book 2). This teaser features Lord Tomas Villiers, the Winter Wolf and protector of the northern border of Ypres, and his beloved Lady Sibeal de Clerq, who’s been engaged to someone else against her will. They’re hoping that King Matthias can do something about that; in the meantime, Sibeal is hiding with Tomas at his hunting lodge, and being in such close confines is making things … difficult.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
Spring has sprung in the island kingdom of Hellas, but with no signs of an occupant for the royal nursery Queen Danaë is starting to worry about her own fertility. Her concerns aren’t helped by the arrival of the legendarily conniving Dowager Queen Atilia of Illium–or the woman’s handsome grandson Prince Marcus, on the run after being accused of poisoning his older brother.
In the neighboring kingdom of Ypres, Danaë’s royal husband Matthias is dealing with dangerous family politics and a wolfish duke who has kidnapped a young noblewoman for immoral purposes. Or has he? Can Matthias ward off the threat of civil war, outwit his relatives, and deal with a charming rival in his wife’s own palace?
Tomas Villiers was used to sleeping rough while on patrols with the cavalry. He prided himself on being able to catnap in a downpour with nothing but a woolen cloak for shelter.
And yet, in a wide, comfortable bed made up with the finest linen and softest blankets, he couldn’t get to sleep. Too comfortable, belike. I’d feel better if I bedded down in front of the fire.
Or out in the fields. Or anywhere other than this hunting lodge. Then again, where he truly wanted to sleep was his own bed in Wolf’s Den, with his legally wedded wife curled up in his arms and his men stationed on the battlements to repel any intruders. But that was looking more and more like an impossibility, if he insisted on Sibeal as his wife.
He’d known taking her from Riens was madness, but it was madness she had shared with him willingly. Her frustration and fear that her mother would force her to marry Clement Reynard served as a spur to grab her and ride hell for leather away from Lierdhe. She had assumed they were riding north for Kelles, but he knew it would be the first place the Lierdhe men at arms would look for him, assuming her maid was questioned and revealed who her mistress was meeting. Sibeal swore that the girl knew nothing, but Tomas wasn’t about to risk it.
Instead, they made for his family’s hunting lodge in the hills north of Mons. He had paused only long enough to send one of his men with a message to Kaarsen telling him to send servants and guards to the lodge. Afterwards they’d ridden through the night, only stopping to change horses at an inn with an attached stable. Poor Sibeal was almost falling out of her saddle with weariness by the time they reached the lush hill country and the lodge.
The first day, it was easy enough to forget that she was staying in the room across from his—they were both exhausted and sleep was far more demanding than anything else. The servants and men from Wolf’s Den arrived the next day. Tomas busied himself with dispersing the guards around the lodge while Sibeal declared herself fit for chatelaine duties and spent the afternoon planning meals and a cleaning schedule with the maid and cook.
As they settled into a routine, waiting for Kaarsen to approach the king and make his request for a visit, Tomas became more aware of Sibeal’s presence in the lodge. Traces of her scent hung in the hallway between their bedrooms, an enticing fragrance of rose and jasmine that seemed to emanate from her skin. He started listening for the sound of her voice, wanting to hear her discussing matters with the servants, or singing to herself as she found little tasks to do.
And every time she appeared, he had to fight the urge to sweep her into his arms, carry her off to his bedroom, strip the gown from her sweetly curved body and make love to her for the rest of the day. He knew full well she shared the same frustration, judging from the longing looks she would give him over a meal or across the great room.
But his beautiful little bride-to-be had the passionate nature of her people and kept discussing what she wanted in whispered little asides and hints. He had been forced to retire to his room more than once, there to shove his trousers down and take himself in hand, quickly stroking his aching cock. And always he imagined Sibeal naked and breathless underneath him, white fingers digging into his back, perspiration beading her beautiful face as she begged him for more.
Finally he would spurt over his fingers, the abrupt release of pressure in his balls followed by a momentary relief and a deep-seated discomfort that he refused to acknowledge as shame. Not so much that he was forced to relieve himself, he told himself, but that he was doing it so damned quickly, like a boy barely into manhood. I am Duke of Kelles, and I will show restraint, dammit.
Even if it killed him.
Finally, Kaarsen had sent word that King Matthias would be arriving for the requested visit. Instead of solving matters as Tomas had hoped, he made things even worse by admitting that he couldn’t order Lady de Clerq to lift that damned spell of barrenness. Knowing that Sibeal couldn’t get pregnant made her even more damnably desirable, ironic as it seemed. He could get up, go into her room, and spend the rest of the night learning how to make her moan his name, and there would be no wagging tongues after the birth of his heir. Except that he had promised the king that he wouldn’t take her virginity, and a Villiers’s word was adamantine.
A low rumble of thunder sounded overhead. The storm that had been threatening that afternoon was finally making an appearance. Good. Maybe it’ll soothe me enough so that I can sleep.
The sound of his chamber door creaking open was almost lost in another roll of thunder. Still, Tomas heard it and sat up, reaching for the dagger he always kept under his pillow. “Who’s there?” he demanded.
“It’s me,” a feminine voice whispered. “Did I wake you?”
Every muscle in his body went slack with relief. He peered at the shape revealed by a flash of lightning. “Sibeal? Sweetheart, what are you doing in here?”
“The lightning woke me up,” she said. He felt the mattress sink as she climbed in beside him. “Can I stay with you?”
“I—” And she was in his arms, snuggling close. By all the gods, how did she manage that so quickly? “Sibeal,” he said, trying to edge his lower body away from her so that she wouldn’t know he was naked under the covers, “this is improper. You need to go back to your own room.”
He could only see her outline in the dimness, but he imagined her smiling up at him, eyes sparkling with mischief. “But I don’t want to. It’s cold and drafty in there, and I’ll be warm in here with you.” Her small hand spread out on his chest. “You don’t want me to fall ill, do you?”
He captured her hand in his own. It felt soft and warm. “You’re dreadful at making excuses, do you know that?”
“I know.” He felt more than heard her sigh. “I wanted to know what it was like to lie in your arms one time. It may be the only opportunity I get.”
Despair and fury made his gut roil. “Don’t say that, sweetheart. It’s not over yet,” he said. “I won’t let you marry Reynard, I swear it.”
“If the king orders it, what will you do? Give up your dukedom and run away with me? You know you can’t do that—you owe it to your people to stay.” She laughed, the sound soft and sad. “And even if we did run away, I still wouldn’t be able to have children. And I want them so, Tomas.”
“I know.” He held her close, frustrated by his inability to protect her. “Let me go talk to your mother, explain how we both feel—”
She shook her head. “You didn’t see her when I told her I couldn’t marry Clement. It was as if every bit of love and light had gone out of her. She frightened me, Tomas. I don’t know what else she would have done to me if I’d stayed.”
Tomas kissed her temple. “I can’t lose you, sweetheart. I’ll make this right somehow.”
The warm body in his arms clutched him tight for a moment. “You may not be able to. And if you can’t, this may be the only night we have together.” She raised her head and lightning flashed outside, allowing him a split second to see the tear tracks on her face. “If I can’t spend the rest of my life with you, then give me this night with you. Let me have a memory I can treasure for the rest of my days.”
He fought the sudden, overwhelming urge to turn her onto her back and make fierce love to her. “Sibeal, I promised the king—”
“That you wouldn’t take my maidenhead, I know.” She touched his mouth, tracing his lips. “But there are other things we can do.”
He ground his teeth. Already he was starting to harden, and twisted further away to hide that fact. “I’m begging you, sweetheart, don’t do this to me. I can’t touch you and not want to … to take you.”
“You’ll have me,” she soothed. “We just can’t do that one thing. I won’t leave you aching, I promise.” Before he could stop her she’d shifted across him, straddling his naked thighs. The soft curls at the junction of her thighs brushed his heated flesh in the movement and he bit back a groan.
“Trust me,” she murmured, stretching forward to kiss him. With a sour thump, he realized that she was right, this might be the only night they had together if the king couldn’t help them. Gods damn me, but I need her too much.
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Houston, we have liftoff!
I pulled the trigger and the Palace of Scoundrels file and cover are now at Amazon awaiting approval. I’ll post links here as soon as I get them. I’m currently setting up the Smashwords and ARe files, and again, links when they’re live. For those of you who prefer to hold a book in your hands, the print version will be up at CreateSpace by this weekend.
In the meantime, here’s a sneak peak of the cover. Enjoy!
Fabulous Friday Reads: Deciding Her Faete
Let’s kick off this lovely weekend with the second entry in Elena Kincaid, Maia Dylan, and Sarah Marsh’s Beyond the Veil series, Deciding Her Faete. Take it away, ladies!
Thanks so much for hosting us on your blog today for the release of Deciding Her Faete, book number two in our ménage paranormal romance series. The Beyond The Veil series started out as a fun exercise in our Sinfully More Erotic Street Team group and we’ve had such a great time writing them! So far, we have 5 books planned in the series, but I wouldn’t be surprised if more sprout up along the way. All three of us fell in love with this mysterious world Beyond The Veil as well as our very overprotective Shifters on this side of the Veil.
April always knew that she was a little different. She spent most of her life trying to forget that fact, but when her instincts tell her to pack up everything and move to an entirely different country, she can’t help but listen … and then a handsome stranger comes to her rescue one night. The force of her connection with Jason and then later, his brother Donovan, pierces her soul. When she and Jason are abducted by a crazed maniac, claiming that she isn’t human, she doesn’t know what to believe in anymore.
Jason and Donovan had taken a huge risk when they left their pack in the hopes of finding their mate. April is everything the brothers had ever dreamt about, but she’s even more special than they know. The battle between their enemies on the other side of The Veil comes crashing into their lives at the worst possible time, just when Jason and Donovan now have something precious to lose.
Will April be able to accept the truth of her real heritage and embrace it in time to find her happy ending?
Story Excerpt
When she stepped out of the bathroom, Donovan and Jason were waiting for her in the bedroom. Donovan sat at the edge of the king-sized bed while Jason looked at her from the armchair next to it. She didn’t miss the fact that they both ogled her bare legs as she stepped closer to them. She felt her entire body heat up from the intensity of their stares.
“I like the way my shirt looks on you, angel.” Donovan’s voice was low and husky. He got up suddenly from the bed to stand in front of her. “Talk to us, April. Please.”
“How could the two of you still possibly want me?” April’s words came out rushed and strangled. She closed her eyes, swallowing the rest of the speech she had prepared for them as if her vocal cords stubbornly refused to say goodbye to them.
“Cut that shit out, April,” Jason bellowed before he, too, stood before her. She flinched at the harshness of his tone. “I’m the one who failed you. Not the other way around.”
“How can you say that? It was me Kheelan was after all this time. Not you. He took Dee and God knows how many others, all to get to me. Oh God, Dee! Have they found her yet?”
“No,” Donovan said quietly. “But we will. I swear it.”
“He’ll just keep coming for me.” She reached out and placed her hand on Jason’s cheek. “I felt so helpless when you were in that cell. I can’t bear the thought of him hurting you like that again.” She turned to Donovan and put her other hand on his cheek. “And it’s not only Jason’s screams I dreamt about. Sometimes it was you I pictured Kheelan torturing. I’d rather die than to ever let him get his hands on either of you. Not when I can prevent it.” She took a deep steady breath. Her words would not fail her this time. “You both have to let me go.”
“Fuck that!” Jason growled. Before she even had time to blink, she found herself tossed on the bed. Her hands were held above her head by Donovan while Jason fiercely, unyieldingly took her mouth in a fiery kiss. She returned it with the same fervor, unable to help herself.
April had no time to think, to collect her thoughts, for as soon as Jason released her lips, Donovan took his place. He released the grip he had on her wrists, but instead of pushing him away, she wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She’d only had a brief taste of him when he came to rescue her from the dungeons, so this felt like their first real kiss. She found her resolve quickly fading because she sensed their pain at the thought of her leaving them. She knew she didn’t have the strength to walk away from them on her own, and it seemed that neither of her stubborn men was willing to let her go.
When Donovan ended their kiss, he looked deeply into her eyes and cradled her face. Like that first night with Jason, she felt as if he could see the inside of her soul. He wasn’t repulsed by her or angry. Instead, he looked at her with longing and adoration.
“That’s not the way this works, my angel. Whatever happens to one of us, happens to all three.”
“And we would chase you to the ends of the Earth, April,” Jason added. “So don’t even think about running from us.”
“Let us show you how much we want you, angel.” Donovan nuzzled her ear as he spoke.
“Yes,” she whispered, closing her eyes, prompting Donovan to continue with his assault on her ear. He licked her inner shell then proceeded to torment her ear with soft bites and kisses, eliciting a few successive moans from her. He moved onto to delivering the same attention to her neck while Jason’s warm hands caressed her bare legs.
Donovan cupped her face. She opened up her eyes for a brief moment and saw him hovering over her. His lips quirked in an adorable sly smile before he pressed them to hers. He kissed her softly at first, their tongues barely touching, but when she hugged him to her tightly, he deepened the kiss, moaning into her mouth. His hand cupped her breast over the thick sweatshirt, but she felt it searing into her skin as if she had been wearing nothing at all.
She felt Jason shift in between her legs. His hands roamed up her thighs, and under her shirt, stopping at her hips. He placed his forehead on her lower stomach. “Do you have any idea how difficult it has been lying here, not touching you, knowing you had nothing underneath this sweatshirt?” His voice, muffled by said shirt, sounded strained.
Donovan hummed in agreement and moved on to kissing her neck. She nudged him a little so that he could give her room to sit up. She then lifted her hands in the air. It didn’t take long for them to catch her meaning. Donovan peeled off the sweatshirt from her body, slowly revealing every naked inch of her to their gaze.
Where to Buy
Evernight
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
About the Authors
Sarah Marsh was born in British Columbia where she still lives. She has only recently began her writing career, finding it the perfect outlet for taking the edge off a nine to five office job. She’s been a science fiction and romance junkie for years and when her imagination started to take the characters she’d read about even further in their adventures, she decided to try writing something of her own.
Sarah’s also a former pastry chef and spends a lot of time cooking and baking for friends and family as well as painting and knitting. Her biggest weaknesses are animals of any kind … she even loves the ones that wake you up at four in the morning because they can almost see the bottom of their food dish.
When it comes to life in general, she’s a big believer that laughter is the best medicine and that there’s no such thing as too much love, which is why she’s such a sucker for a happy ending.
Bookstrand | Amazon | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Facebook Street Team
Maia Dylan lives, loves and works in beautiful New Zealand. She married her best friend and they have two adorable, but stubborn children who obviously take after their father.
Maia’s career has featured a lot of travel, and she has filled her time at airports and in the air with books, books and more books. Her love of erotic paranormal romance has seen her amass a huge library. She has been an avid reader and lover of ménage romances since she read her first book in this genre about three years ago.
Outside of writing, Maia loves to eat, so she loves to cook! Her herb garden is legendary, but she still has issues getting tomatoes to grow. She’s been a performer for years, and has even sung on international stages, she would love to own a classic Ford Mustang one day and of course have the opportunity to race it on a race track without fear of a speeding ticket.
Although ultimately her dream is to be able to write full time on a sandy beach with a Mai Tai at hand, she is quite happy to fit her writing in when she can. As long as someone reads her books, gets a laugh and maybe come to love her characters and much as she does, then she feels that she is living her dreams no matter what!
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Elena Kincaid is an award winning author. She writes Erotic Paranormal and Contemporary MFM and MF Romances. She developed a passion for reading and writing at an early age and loves to write what she loves to read and that is usually romance with a paranormal twist. Her desk is constantly cluttered with journals, sticky notes, and torn out pieces of paper full of ideas.
She was born in Ukraine and raised in New York, where she currently lives with her daughter. She graduated college with a BFA in creative writing and In addition to writing, she also started a graphic design business a few years after graduating. When not working, Elena loves to spend time with her family, travel the globe, curl up with a good book, and catch up on her soaps.
Blog | Website | Twitter | FB Author Page | FB Beyond The Veil series | Goodreads | Amazon | Evernight
Fabulous Friday Reads: Sparks of Blue
Let’s kick off this lovely weekend with the second entry in Rose Wulf’s Dark Light series, Sparks of Blue. Take it away, Rose!
Hello my lovelies! Thank you so much for having me today!
I’m here this time to talk about my brand new release, Sparks of Blue (Dark Light 2)! I am beyond excited for this particular book and I just know you’re going to love it!
Nearly a century ago warrior angel Kai and Nephilim Belle were lovers. Then he broke her heart and never looked back.
Now Second in Command of the angel armada, Kai knew he was the obvious choice for this long-term mission. And his job was clear: keep Belle and her patient alive. But he wasn’t prepared for the resurgence of old memories and long-ignored feelings. He’ll have to face what he did a hundred years ago if he wants a chance to be back in Belle’s arms…but even then, angels are forbidden from laying with Nephilim. If they were caught, Belle would be executed.
Born a Nephilim, Belle was neither angel nor human. But she was a healer, and she was damned good at it. Her reputation got her noticed by the armada and eventually earned her the title of Master Healer. It also earned her a terrible assignment: save the life – and therefore the soul – of a cursed human…under the protection of her ex-lover. And it turns out the chemistry they’d once shared may have been buried, but it’s a flame that could never burn out.
Story Excerpt
She shoved the frustration of the never-ending struggle to prove herself from her mind as she checked out, doing her best to ignore the obvious flirtation attempt from the man at the desk. He could hardly meet her gaze long enough to smile. But she didn’t care, she just wanted to get out of there. As soon as she was done she moved out of sight, heading for a couple of trees that would make disappearing a little easier.
“You want me to smite him for you?”
Kai’s question startled her, as did the sound of his voice coming from behind her, and Belle jumped. “Kai, you scared the crap out of me!” she exclaimed as she turned to face him. His words hit her, then, and she couldn’t stop the tease. “Smite, really?”
“Seemed appropriate,” Kai said by way of explanation as he stepped into her personal space. Before she could catch her breath at his nearness he’d slipped her bag from her shoulders with one hand and caught her hip with the other. “Stop taking risks,” he added, the order roughened by a distantly familiar thickness to his voice that sent shivers of anticipation down her spine. Before she could process what he was doing he’d tugged her up against his chest and caught her lips in a hard kiss.
Belle moaned as he plunged his tongue into her mouth, demanding and teasing at the same time. He kissed her like a man starved, winding both arms around her as she kissed him back. Her skin burned beneath his heavy, heated touch and she threaded her fingers through his hair. It was thick and soft, exactly the way she remembered. He rolled his tongue over hers, stroking and sliding, reminding her body of exactly what he was capable of. Heat pooled low in her belly and she leaned into him instinctively.
For a long, blissful moment it was as if nothing had ever changed between them. The past ninety-plus years never happened. They were just two people with a powerful attraction to each other. They’d never broken up. He hadn’t ripped her heart out and torn it to shreds with his cruel words.
Except that he had. And that reminder was enough to dampen the flame he’d reignited in her blood. No matter how mindlessly good a kisser he was, no man was worth that. She had more self-respect than to throw herself at someone who could think so little of her.
Belle pushed back, taking a full step away from him as she fought to catch her breath. Her body rallied against her, remembering all too well the pleasure he could bring, but she held strong. She just hoped he couldn’t see the tears stinging her eyes.
Where to Buy
Amazon
Evernight
Barnes & Noble
AllRomance
BookStrand
Kobo
Website
About Rose Wulf
Rose Wulf is a giant romance fangirl. Hot, protective, sometimes even downright barbaric heroes and spitfire heroines are her favorites. Rose has been writing for as long as she can remember, and over the years she’s only grown fonder of it. The bonds between characters have always captivated her, and as an author those are Rose’s favorite things to play with – not always to the relief of her fictional babies!
Behind the scenes Rose is a quiet personality. She enjoys spending her non-writing time with her German Shepherd, Shadow, her mom, and her friends. Be it a fun game of Cards Against Humanity or a relaxing movie night, Rose believes everything is better with company. As for her own romance, she’s still searching for her hero (and hoping that, when she does find him, he’ll be willing to cook!).
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Marvelous Monday Reads: Beauty in the Beast
Welcome to another edition of Marvelous Monday Reads, pumpkins! Today I’m featuring Elyzabeth M. VaLey and her yummy new erotic romance Beauty in the Beast. Take it away, Elyzabeth!
With a flick of a wand a pumpkin can turn into a carriage. If you meet an old man on the road and are kind to him, you’ll be rewarded with a golden goose, or great riches. An ugly duckling can turn into a beautiful swan… do you remember the stories that made you dream? The stories that made you believe that anything was possible? The stories in which good always won over evil?
Yep, I’m talking about fairy tales. We’ve all read them, seen them, heard about them, in one way or another. I love fairy tales and when Evernight Publishing announced its submission call for a line of Naughty Fairy Tales, I knew I had to participate. The Golden Cock came to life together with a whole new world full of possibilities: The Witches’ Mischief series.
For centuries Soussanna Wiles has created strife in the world, but her powers have unleashed a force that can only be contained with the help of another: her daughter, Morgana. Now, the darkness is coming and the women must unite forces to fight against it with the strongest magic ever known: love.
But will it be too late?
Beauty in the Beast is the last book in the series. Now, is the time for good to prevail over evil… but will it?
In any case, don’t believe the myth that fairy tales are only for children. They’re for adults too and below is a list of things you’re going to love about these magical stories.
Top Ten Things to Love about A Naughty Fairy Tale (and The Witches’ Mischief series)
- Fantasy. Magic. Flick that wand. Show me some powers, baby. Soussanna Wiles knows how to use her magic to seduce and tease.
- The ancient powers of good versus evil are back. There’s a dark presence that looms over the world in The Witches’ Mischief series. That means…it’s adventure time, sweetheart!
- Did someone say adventure? Yep! Live it up with the characters. Get into a sword fight, climb out a window, outrun a group of thieves, run naked through a forest, and fight the shadow that threatens to destroy us…
- Speaking of naked, the key here is in the naughty. These aren’t kids running around. These characters are adults with needs. Things can get heated up before you can say abracadabra. The big bad wolf can be a Dom, the three little pigs can be three women, a bear can be a shifter, and a cock can have magical proprieties…
- Hot sex. Scorching hot sex.
- Humans, paranormal creatures, whatever they are, they have feelings, emotions, things we can relate to because we feel them too. For instance, Simon, the hero in Bear Heart carries heavy guilt in his heart for his past deeds. On the other hand, Christopher Bexley, the hero in Beauty in the Beast is more of a trickster at hear.
- The hero doesn’t always rescue the heroine. Sometimes it’s the other way around. Whatever the order, there’s always love. As Morgana the witch says: Love is power.
- Everything is possible in the fairy tale world.
- There’s a HEA. Of course there is a Happily Ever After. What kind of fairy tale would it be if it didn’t have one?
- These stories are all about hope and in this day and age we all need some more of that, right?
What are your favorite things about fairy tales?
Morgana Wiles has spent her life, alongside her mother, fighting against the arrival of the creature known as The Darkness. Unfortunately, neither of them were able to stop him and now he’s here, ready to destroy all that is good in the world. Morgana must face him, but now that the time has come, she finds that things are not as simple. Her mother is gone, self-doubt is creeping in, and her visions are unclear. To make matters worse, a man with evil intent has entered her life and is bent on complicating her mission. Will she be able to resist him in time to fight The Darkness or will she succumb and become that which she despises?
Christopher Bexley is no gentleman. He enjoys trickery, deceit, mischief and above all seduction. Sexual intercourse is the greatest source of power there is or at least there was, until he heard about the Gem. Now that he has discovered there’s a stone that can make him the most powerful magic user of all time, he must have it. The only problem is that the only other person that might know where it is, is a stickler for rules and being good. Morgana is too innocent for his liking, and there’s only one thing he can do to change that: corrupt her.
Story Excerpt
“Going anywhere, little one?”
She stared at Christopher. His hair was all over the place, his robe open to reveal a chest smattered with dark hair. His eyes glistened deviously, matching his grin.
“Are you keeping watch over me, Mr, Bexley?” She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping that he couldn’t see her beaded nipples.
Christopher laughed.
“No such lucky, Miss Wiles. I thought I heard a noise and came to investigate.” He looked her up and down. Her cheeks burned. “I suppose you heard something, too, or you would have dressed more appropriately before coming out of your bedroom.”
She hastened to cover herself up. Sweat dripped down her back.
“Don’t do it on my account, I’m quite enjoying the view.”
Morgana scowled. Where was this heat coming from? “No. I couldn’t sleep. I’m waiting for Anne.”
“Are you? I haven’t seen her since we arrived”
She licked her lips. She needed a fan. Christopher shifted his weight and it hit her. It was him. His energy was like a hot ball of fire. Like an animal that had come from a hunt, or from a run. Primal. He took a step toward her. His robe shifted, revealing more of his chest. How would it feel to run her fingertips across his flesh?
“Yes.”
“Are you all right? You seem flustered.”
“I’m fine.”
Christopher raised his eyebrows.
“I’m fine,” she repeated. She tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’m just tired.”
“Maybe you should try and get some rest. If you can’t sleep, I’ll be happy to hold you.”
“Like you’re holding the woman in your bedroom? I think I shall pass down your offer, Mr. Bexley.”
He shrugged. “Your loss.”
He started to turn around but stopped. “You know, Miss Wiles, I don’t think your rejection sounded very convincing.”
Morgana stared at him. “I beg your pardon?”
Christopher’s eyes lit up as he sauntered toward her. Morgana backed up against the wall. He crowded her against it, placing his arms on either side of her head.
“You’re smothering me.”
“Good.”
“Mr. Bexley, this is—”
Christopher dipped his head so that she was staring into his eyes. They were the color of crushed pine needles. “Mr. Bexley this, Mr. Bexley that.” He gently grabbed her chin. Her heart skipped a beat.
“You’ve been watching me, little one. Watching me and wondering about my energy. I can tell a woman’s, a witch’s curiosity, and you are dying to know what my energy feels like. Will it really make you feel more powerful? Will it hurt you? Is it what you need to defeat that dark thing you’re so afraid of? I don’t have the answer to any of that, but I can tell you the surge of power you feel when you share your body with another human being. It is amazing. Your powers will be heightened, and you will have the ability to be faster, stronger, and to learn things quicker.”
Morgana swallowed. She should get out of here now that she could, but she was mesmerized. Yes, she was curious, but she knew better than to be led on by a man like him. She took in a deep breath, determined to say something witty and be rid of him. Instead his scent curled around her. He smelled musky and masculine, different from anything she knew.
“I’m going to kiss you now, Morgana. I’m going to kiss you and show you an inkling of what this feels like.”
His lips mashed against hers before she could think to protest. Morgana froze. They were warm and soft. He pulled back a bit and kissed her again. Her eyes drifted shut. Christopher put his arms around her and pulled her closer. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged. She gasped. Her heart hammered against her chest. Butterflies rushed throughout her body, touching her with their wings and making her fly. She wound her hands into his hair, the silky strands slipping against her fingers. His tongue wormed its way into her mouth, curling around hers. Sparks danced behind her eyes. She arched her back and moaned. She could feel the outline of his cock beneath his robe. Liquid fire rushed to melt between her legs. Her swollen nipples rubbed against the material of her gown, begging for attention. Energy crackled between them. She could hear it, feel it, and taste it in his kiss, in his touch. It was palpable. Christopher slid his hands down her waist, over her hips. She held her breath. He tugged her bottom lip between his teeth. She groaned, following his mouth even as he pulled back. He grasped her chin and tilted her head. Morgana opened her eyes. Christopher looked at her as if bewildered. His brow was furrowed and though desire still shone deep in his eyes, there was also something akin to amazement.
“What?”
He blinked and the moment was gone. His eyes lightened and he grinned mischievously. “There you have it, little one. The power of a kiss.”
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About Elyzabeth M. VaLey
Considered weird by normal standards – what is normal anyway? – Elyzabeth M. VaLey enjoys making up songs about mundane things, doodling stars and flowers on any blank sheet of paper, talking to her Lab whenever he feigns interest and coming up with love stories to make readers dream.
From contemporary to historical or fantasy, she enjoys writing stories about good and evil, love and passion and all that comes in between happy ever after.
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Happy Release Day, EMPRESS OF STORMS!
Lord, I’m tired. But I had a hella fun release party last night that was well-attended and responsible for a nice spike in sales, judging from the numbers I’m getting from Amazon and ARe.
But first, thanks must go where they are due. Huge thank yous go out to everyone who attended, to the people who made production of this book possible (killer betas Ceit, Peter, and Lisa, editrix extraordinaire Michelle, and inspirations Daniel and Rooney), to the awesome Jay Aheer who made a stunningly gorgeous cover, and to mu husband Ramón who tolerated an increasingly dirty house and held my hand while I tiptoed into the waters of epic fantasy romance. You people are all in the will.
And come to think of it, thanks must also be paid to the ineffable Jenny Trout, who brought this whole foofaraw to my attention and made me think, “Huh. You know, I could self-pub an 80K book in six weeks with pro editing/cover. Okay, let’s try.”
And hell, let’s thank the woman who kicked it all off. If it wasn’t for Payne Hawthorne, her cock-juggling thunder cunts, and her challenge, I wouldn’t have a book that’s currently climbing the fantasy romance chart at Amazon. So thank you, Payne.
Of course, now that it’s out there I have to do all the promotion. The book is currently priced at 99¢ and will stay there until 11/21 so you have plenty of time to go get it at sale price. After 11/21 it goes back up to the regular price of $4.99, so get it while the getting is good.
Amazon US | Amazon UK | All Romance eBooks | Smashwords
And remember, if you do buy a copy please leave a review at your place of purchase. Review honestly help and get a book more exposure, which gets it more sales, which means Nicola can feed her cats the GOOD kibble.
Okay. Time to get back to my NaNoWriMo project. Bwahahahahahahahaha!
(Apropos of nothing, I counted up how many rounds of editing I did on this last night. After the first draft there were two rounds of editing which resulted in a draft sent out to the betas, a third round where I added in all the beta comments, a fourth round where I added in the editorial changes, a fifth round where I got rid of weasel words, a sixth round where I nuked as many adverbs as I could, and a seventh round with Scrivener’s spellchecking/grammar tool where I cleared out all the spelling/grammar/punctuation goofs I could find. I suddenly feel content with myself.)
Apparently I can write fantasy. Who knew?
So far I’ve gotten feedback on Empress of Storms from two of my beta readers. These are people I trust to tell me when I’m fucking up, and apart from some spelling/punctuation errors they’ve been enjoying the story. One BR, who is gay, said that he was even kinda frustrated because his husband wasn’t home and my smut made him want to jump hubby and, I repeat, “bang him like a screen door in a hurricane.”
When a MF story has that effect on a gay man, you know you’re doing something right.
While I’m waiting for copyedits from the team I’m going through and doing a third edit/polish and setting up the ebook formatting. It will be available in all formats through Amazon, All Romance eBooks, and Smashwords, and will be available as a print book through CreateSpace by next week (I need to format the interior and get the page count to Jay so that she can calculate the spine size and do the front and back cover for me).
And of course we’re doing a release party on FB this Sunday, so make sure you come over and join in the festivities. The lovely and talented L.D. Blakeley will be joining me to cohost and we’ll be doing giveaways, posting pics, and generally having a grand old time.
Apropos of nothing, I got into a discussion about inspiration so I thought I’d share the pics that I’ve been staring at for the last six weeks while I wrote feverishly. The hilarious thing? I had no idea they’d been in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo together (why, yes, I’m kinda slow when it comes to popular culture).
I go by visuals and sometimes voices when I look for character inspiration, then I work out their backstory and how they behave as the story progresses. Actors work well for this because I know how they sound and can use them as mental paper dolls as I write. I already had Daniel in mind when I started writing Matthias (warrior king, tormented by his wife’s death, not thrilled about this new marriage, thousand yard stare, you do the math), so when I stumbled across a picture of Ms. Mara I thought, “Ooh, yeah, she’s got grit and determination, and she can pull off regal at the same time. She’ll work as Danaë.” It wasn’t until someone asked me if I was a Girl fan that I discovered what I’d done. I probably need to see the movie at some point.
Oh, I’ve also been asked why I’m using Nicola M. Cameron on Empress of Storms. I lifted the idea from the late, brilliant Iain Banks who wrote mainstream fiction as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks. It was a way of differentiating between the two genres without having to use a pseudonym, and I decided to use the same trick here, especially as I noticed the rather sharp falloff of sales with my MMF novel Deep Water. Nicola Cameron is pretty much associated with MM/MMM fiction by this point, so if you pick up a Nicola Cameron book that’s what you’ll get, whereas Nicola M. Cameron writes MF fiction with occasional forays into MMF. That should keep everyone happy.
Mid Week Tease: Empress of Storms #MidWeekTease #MWTease
*bangs head on keyboard* Empress of Storms is now through its second draft and is off to the betas. Now I can go to bed. The scene here takes place after Matthias and Danaë’s first argument as a married couple. Of course, when you argue with a mage, little things like unexpected thunderstorms tend to happen. Oops.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
When widower King Matthias IV of Ypres is called upon to fulfill a treaty with the neighboring country of Hellas and provide a royal consort for young Queen Danäe, the only Ypresian royal available for marriage is himself. Can he overcome his grief for his late wife and risk letting a blue-haired witch queen into his heart? And can Danäe, only half-trained as a water mage, root out a magical threat against Matthias before it kills the man she’s loved since childhood?
Matthias got to his feet as his wife came back in. The only way to describe her was bedraggled.
His irritation had settled during her absence. He had no idea that she’d been dealing with rumors that she’d killed King Cresus. Suggestions that Luna was his by-blow would be an additional and unnecessary humiliation.
And now, seeing Danaë damp and miserable like this, all he wanted to do was sweep her into his arms and get her warm and comfortable again.
“Shall I have Flavia fetch you dry clothes?” he offered.
She shook her head, damp curls swinging in front of her face. “I can do it,” she said quietly. “She’s tending to Luna. I don’t want to bother her right now.”
She went to her trunk, rooting through it for a night shift. Matthias turned his back to give her some privacy. “I can mull us some wine, if you like?”
“Yes, thank you.”
He went to the small brazier warming the tent, picking up the set of fire tongs hung on its side. He shoved them into the brightest part of the coals to heat, then busied himself pouring two goblets of wine. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right. Making it look like you’re raising my illegitimate child would be humiliating to you. I won’t do that.”
He could hear the rustle of fabric behind him, but she didn’t reply. He pulled the tongs out of the brazier, eyeing the dull red of the metal, then plunged them into the goblets. The surface of the wine bubbled and hissed, sending up spiced steam.
Picking up the goblets he turned to her, then stopped. She stood there in her dry nightshift, towel in one hand, as silent tears rolled down her face. Dripping off her chin, they made dark spots on the bodice of her shift.
His heart ached. “Oh, little bird,” he murmured, crossing to her. “Please don’t cry. I’m sorry. I was an ass.”
She shook her head, wiping at her tears. “No, you were right. I should have told you about the star chamber,” she said, gulping. “I’m sorry. I was terrified of how you would react.”
He put down the goblets and pulled her into his arms. She pressed her face against his chest, shuddering now. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she cried, her voice muffled by his tunic.
“Shh,” he soothed, rubbing her back. “It’s all right, shh.”
Sometimes a storm had to be allowed to blow itself out. He waited until her sobs had subsided, then kissed her hair. “I’ll tell you what I told Darius,” he murmured. “I have complete faith in you. I know you loved your father and would never do anything to harm him. Whatever happened that day, it wasn’t your intention. And I sincerely doubt it was your fault in the first place.”
She hiccuped softly. “I wish I could believe that.”
His hand came up, cupping her head and stroking her wet hair. “Then I’ll believe it for you until you can.”
She choked out a laugh, pulling back far enough to look up into his face. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Matthias, I truly don’t.”
He smiled. “I wonder the exact same thing. Come, let’s get your hair dried, and then we’ll have our wine.”
He plucked the towel from her hand, using it first to wipe the tears from her face, then to soak up the rainwater from her hair. When he judged he’d gotten it as dry as possible, he tossed the towel onto a trunk and picked up one of the goblets, handing it to her. “I don’t think that chair is strong enough for you to sit in my lap,” he said, “so let’s sit on the bed where you can pull the covers over you. I don’t want you catching a chill.”
“A few minutes in the rain isn’t going to make me sick,” she said, but let him take her to the camp bed and tuck her in a sitting position under the warm blankets. He went to the other side, still holding his goblet and shucking down to his tunic before crawling in next to her.
“Not a drop spilled,” she said, giving him a shaky smile. “I’m impressed, my king. That takes talent.”
“A remnant of a dissolute youth. Then again, I have all kinds of talents that you haven’t seen yet,” he said, putting an arm around her and pulling her close before sipping his wine. The warmth and spiced sweetness filled his mouth. “For instance, did you know that I played the flute?”
She was in mid-sip of her own wine and choked slightly before swallowed. “No, I didn’t. May I hear you play sometime?”
“Not unless you long for deafness. I said I played it, not that I played well.”
That made her giggle. “Talents. Did I tell you that our chamberlain also taught us how to juggle?”
“Why in the world would a professional criminal be able to do that?”
“It can entertain a crowd and provide distraction while your partner is jimmying the back window.”
He thought. “I do believe the cook has some rolls left over from dinner. I can have them bring some in if you’d like to demonstrate.”
“I think another time might be better.” She relaxed against his side, her damp head resting on her shoulder. “We’re really married now. We’ve had our first argument.”
“I believe you’re right.” He squeezed. “I’m so sorry, little bird. I didn’t know the last year had been so bad for you.”
“I know. And I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Is there anything I can do to make things better for you? In Hellaspont?”
He felt one shoulder twitch. “I’ve done my best to be a good ruler, following in Father’s footsteps. The rumors are dying down, despite Pelas’s best efforts.”
“Is that the little toad of a grand magister? Your brother mentioned him.”
“Yes. Also my magecraft tutor. You can understand why I was more than happy to abandon it after Father’s death.” She took another sip of her wine. “Do you know what the worst part of all that was? The look on Mother’s face when she found out about the accusations. It was bad enough to have lost the love of her life, but to find out that her daughter was suspected of his murder? I’d thought she would be on my side like Darius was.” She let out a shuddering sigh. “But Pelas’s accusations found a foothold, even after I was cleared of all charges. From that point on until her death, she avoided me. She’d speak to me if I went to her rooms or if we had to appear in public together, but she never looked at me again. The last time I touched her was in her coffin.” She closed her eyes, eyelashes a sooty shadow against her cheeks. “I didn’t want to watch you turn away from me as well.”
He hugged her again, tighter this time. “I may argue with you, little bird, but I promise I’ll never turn away from you,” he said. “Rest easy in that. I wouldn’t be taking all this trouble to find Lukas if I didn’t want to hear his side of the story. I know it’s slender, but there is a chance he’s innocent in all this.”
She took a deep breath and let it out, relaxing. “You’re a good man, Matthias.”
“I do my best.” He put his own goblet on the side table, then plucked the goblet from her relaxing fingers and placed it next to its twin. “I think we should sleep now, don’t you?”
“Yes, please.”
He eased her down until she was lying flat, pulling the blankets up to her chin. She turned onto her side towards him, giving him one last sad smile before closing her eyes.
He watched her sleep, and wondered how he would be able to protect her with a mountain range in the way.
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Mid Week Tease: Empress of Storms #MidWeekTease #MWTease
Almost finished with Empress of Storms, thank Cthulhu, so I can come out to play again on Wednesdays. Here’s a snippet from the royal trireme after a long and difficult day.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
When widower King Matthias IV of Ypres is called upon to fulfill a treaty with the neighboring country of Hellas and provide a royal consort for young Queen Danäe, the only Ypresian royal available for marriage is himself. Can he overcome his grief for his late wife and risk letting a blue-haired witch queen into his heart? And can Danäe, only half-trained as a water mage, root out a magical threat against Matthias before it kills the man she’s loved since childhood?
Matthias kissed her temple as he rubbed her back through the thin fabric of the chemise. Her skin felt moist and warm. He wanted to strip away the cotton and run his hands over the delicate wings of her shoulder blades, down to her waist. He loved the way her hips flared out like an amphora, fitting the curve of his hands perfectly.
“If you’re tired we can simply sleep,” he offered. “The gods know it’s been a long day.” He had any number of questions about what had been in the report on her desk, not to mention what was going on between her brother and his cavalry officer, but he sensed they would be better asked tomorrow.
She looked up at him, blue eyes dark in the flickering light from the oil lamps. “I am tired. But I know our time together is limited, and I don’t want to waste any of it.”
“Time with you is never wasted,” he said, and found he meant it. “I’m happy to hold you in my arms and let you sleep.”
“Matthias.” Her voice was low and laced with something he recognized, a weariness that had nothing to do with the physical. Being a good ruler wasn’t all about wearing crowns and waving to the populace. It was a difficult and time-consuming job, juggling the well-being of a people with the attendant issues of finances, politics, the devising and passing of laws, the defense of the realm, and doing one’s best to make sure that one left an appropriate legacy for the next generation. He’d been doing it for over twenty years and couldn’t claim that he’d mastered the role. Danaë had had the responsibility dropped on her unexpectedly and had been at it for only a year. Her fatigue was palpable to him.
She needed the chance to relax, to hand over the responsibility of her position and simply be. He could do that for her.
He pulled her closer, feeling himself rouse at the warmth of her body. “Or you could give me a great gift,” he murmured. “Let go. For tonight, let me take the burden from you and make the decisions. I promise you, you won’t regret it.”
Her eyes grew even darker, pupils expanding and compressing the blue into thin rings. “I don’t know.” It wasn’t a disagreement so much as a tremor in the elemental pull between them. He could sense her need to to yield to him, if only for one night. He knew what it took to give up control.
He bent down to kiss her, savoring the softness of her lips as they opened to admit his tongue. He could taste wine, salt, lemon, fish, and something underneath that was purely Danaë. She moaned softly into his mouth, clinging to him as if she would slip to the deck without his arms around her. He explored her, mapping every ridge and soft spot with care and precision.
When their kiss ended he could see the spots of high color along her cheekbones, and the pulse beating in her throat like a hummingbird’s wing. He caressed her face, stroking the flushed silk of her cheek. “Let me do this for you, little bird. Let me give you this ease.”
After a long moment, she nodded.
“Good.” His cock throbbed at the spiced honey scent of her desire, the ripeness of her breasts and hips. He wanted to pull her to him, ravish her against the bulkhead, mark her as his own. But this wasn’t about his desire. Tonight would be about her and what she needed.
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