Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.
Stockvault.net
Stacey sat near the edge of the cliff, looking out across the lake that held countless memories. Today would have been their first anniversary. Finally empty of tears, she took in the grandeur of the day. The blue skies stretched far and wide to kiss the edge of the lake. Simply beautiful.
She knew this day would come. When she woke this morning it called to her. He wasn’t coming home.
She closed her eyes, slipped the ring from her finger and tossed it in her purse. Collapsing back onto the grass, she let the memories in, one last time.
Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.
In the aftermath of a major health scare Pepper Holts makes the relief inspired decision to seize the day. Unfortunately most of her “seizing” involves a bit of Merlot and her best friends pants! After a shared night of passion she realizes that her feelings for Jax are a lot more complicated than she ever thought.
Jax has finally realized that his allergy to marriage has nothing to do with the institution itself, and everything to do with the women in his bed—specifically the one woman not in his bed. Her reaction to their one night together has him scrambling to regroup. So he does what he knows best—he disappears and he thinks. The plan?—convince Pepper into staying with him at a secluded cabin for one week. One week pretending to be a happily married couple to show her how great they could be together. After all, what’s a little bondage between friends?
I’m a romance writer and author, but I will always be foremost a reader and lover of romance. It was my first love (pun intended) and ever since I made the decision to leap into the writing world I’ve fallen even deeper in love.
I write paranormal and contemporary romance and admit to being an out of the closet nerd. I spent years in a science and research lab and am married to an engineer so trust me when I say I can’t seem to avoid adding a bit of “nerdology” or “geek-dom” to all of my books.
However, don’t let the glasses and knowledge of genetics fool you. I grew up and currently live in Miami, Florida where divas are known and expected to strut their stuff. So my Diva Card would be revoked if I didn’t provide my heroines with sexy and kick ass shoes. In Miami, we worship everything strappy, open toed and just plain hot!
Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.
Stockvault.net
“I have nothing more to say.” Julie turned, half hoping Matt would stop her. “I’m heading back to the house.”
“Come on, let’s talk. It took a lot of finagling to get you down here.” Matt grabbed her hand.
“What all did you do?” She pointed to the bucket. “Get Cliff to catch something?”
“What is that anyway, a lobster?”
“No, it’s a crayfish.”
She observed the crustacean sitting at the bottom of the bucket. It had no choices left, unlike her. Matt’s fingers slipped from her hand. She didn’t want to lose him.
“Can we go and observe?”
“Absolutely.”
Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.
Hello to you, S.J., and all your lovely readers! I don’t know about you all, but summer to me means hot sticky days out here on the east coast. I’ve always loved the night, but in the middle of July, it’s a godsend. Which is probably why my new release takes place at Christmas time and largely once the sun has gone down! It’s a sizzling hot story but hopefully thoughts of snow covered pine trees will give you that cool escape you’ve been looking for like me. I’m so honored that you invited me to your place for the day and I hope you enjoy this sneak peek into Sin’s Flower, the second book in the Sin Pointe Novel series. Enjoy! Love stories rock!
Xoxo,
Carlene Love
Sin’s Flower Blurb:
When Jaxon James, a sexy rock star and struggling single-father, is invited to ditch California and spend Christmas in Tennessee with his estranged family, he hesitantly accepts for his young daughter’s sake. But his attraction to his best friend’s baby sister, Lily Elstone, threatens to unravel the bonds he’s made for his daughter. The honorable thing to do would be to give up Lily. But his instincts are telling him she’s exactly the one who could bring light to his life and the missing fire to his bed. Unfortunately, Lily’s too sweet for his world. He fears his rock and roll life style will taint her. How far are Jaxon and Lily willing to go to find what’s missing at home?
Sin’s Flower Excerpt:
Jaxon watched Lily’s hands sinking down into the sand from behind as hesitancy chopped up his steps. Years of ending up in dire situations had made him a decisive man when he needed to be. He was making one of those executive decisions right now. It didn’t matter why she’d come. And he was close to dismissing his reluctance over whose baby sister she was. Not when she wore that swishing angelic lavender top that covered her from neck to shoulder to fingertip, driving him insane with curiosity. God, and that flaming hair which had gone from neon just yesterday to a flattering shade of cinnamon temptation tonight. His grip tightened around the folding chairs he’d gone to fetch. Purposefully, he slowed down.
Then stopped.
Wanting her was one thing, but hurting this young woman was not okay.
Standing back, he took another couple minutes to contemplate what could happen tonight. What he could control and make happen.
He knew they should talk. He just hoped she didn’t mind how close he intended on being to her while that happened. His grip loosened and one of the folding lounge chairs fell to the sand. There would be plenty of room for the both of them on the one. He walked until he made it back to her side and unfolded the chair to its full length.
“Uh, hi,” she said shyly, her brow furrowing in concentration.
“Hey.” He sat down and held his arms out to assist her. “Sit with me?” He hadn’t given her much of a choice and caught her eye scanning the sandy trail where he’d come from. “Yeah, I figured we didn’t need that one.”
“Oh, okay. Wait, just so we’re clear here. You want me to sit, where exactly?”
God, she would kill him tonight. That amount of cute couldn’t be faked. “Here, with me.” Her eyes widened in disbelief so he scooted until he was flush with the back of the nylon chair and then opened his legs, letting one straddle each side. “There’s room.”
“You’re crazy,” she said shaking her head.
He let out a faked huff. His quick decision had been too fast for her and she wouldn’t believe this was his way of comforting her. “I’ll go fetch the other chair.”
She gouged her hand into her hip. “Wait. It’s just…I really don’t think I’m gonna fit.”
A hurricane couldn’t have swayed her decision to stay put. But she eventually bent her knees, bracing herself with strong hands, and lowered herself until her squeezable bottom met the chair. Because he wanted her closer, he took the liberty of placing his hands at each side of her waist and scooted her back until she was flush with his chest and his lap.
On second thought, that was way too close.
Someone would kill him for the throbbing going on so close to their little sister. He wiggled an inch of space between Lily and his now obvious and straining erection. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her thinking he was incapable of a conversation without sex ending up front and center. He had amazing amounts of control in that department. It came along with all the years he’d practiced on the road. Tonight, plainly put, he just wanted to be close to someone, to Lily. And this was the way he knew how to do that.
“So what did you want to talk about?” he asked.
“I, I don’t know.” It sounded like nerves had her.
They didn’t have to start with words. Fuck him for his appetite but he could say more by doing this anyway.
Hey you, horny fucker. This is the part where you pat her on the head, say you’re sorry, and send her back to her big sister. This is not the time for indulging. Pack it up, Jaxon.
Yeah, no questions about it. That’s what he should do.
In this flash, I was inspired by a picture of a pair of hot pink Chuck Taylors. I thought it could be an image of a memory long forgotten. The moment she remembers falling in love and losing her best friend at the same time. You’ll need to read the flash to find out if things worked out for Jessica.
Daily Picspiration has new posts everyday. Each member posts once every other week. I post every other Monday. A couple of pictures are chosen and the writer chooses the length, genre, and subject matter, but we have to tie in one or both of the photos into the story.
You’ll have to let me know if you’d like to read more from this story.
Visit Daily Picspiration to read a little about each author. You can go back daily for something new and, of course, go today to read my new flash, Memory Box. Enjoy.
Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.
With the blindfold on, Anya could only hear the brisk footsteps and labored breathing of their captors. Her heart thundered with the thought that tonight could be her last. The thought wasn’t unwelcome. She longed for a break from the sadness holding her tighter than the invisible bonds keeping her imprisoned.
Warm sour breath floated across her cheek and something sharp tore at the skin on her hand.
An explosion shook the room. She stumbled to the floor as her hands struggled with their freedom.
“Captain, here! Is this the one?”
She blinked as the blindfold was pulled away.
“Anya?”
Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.
Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.
Stockvault
“The place on Cedar Street closed?” Tad’s eyebrows raised and he tilted his head.
“A coffee house opened on Cherry a while back. It’s pretty good.”
Candy’s childhood crush was even cuter than she remembered. The way he listened had her convinced, he was just as pleased to see her. Excitement danced across her skin. Her body shook and her robe slipped, revealing her shoulder.
He reached out and caressed the tattoo now peeking out. “When did you get this?”
“Slowly over the last year.”
“That’s a commitment.” He pulled her robe down a smidge. “How far does it go?”
Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.
I’m excited to have the Mother/Daughter power duo known as Leslie C. Ferdinand back today. They were my very first guests a little over a year ago with their first release as Leslie C. Ferdinand, Wicked Allure.
Picture Perfect
by Leslie C. Ferdinand
Length: 293 pages
Released: May 20, 2013
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Genre: Romance
BLURB:
A Woman Determined to Rise Above Heartache and Ruin
Alexis Morgan returned to New Orleans just after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Determined to focus on rebuilding her interior decorating business and saving her home, Alex has no time for relationships. She refuses to fall into the same trap that her mother fell into and become involved with a married man. Then the soon-to-be married Elliot Walker storms into her life, tempting her to forget the hard lessons she learned as a child.
A Man Determined to Prove Himself
Businessman Elliot Walker is the youngest and only son, though adopted, of a wealthy and prominent New Orleans family. The Walkers’ natural children are models of society and Elliot will do no less. Once his older brother marries, Elliot knows their mother will push him to marry the woman she believes is perfect for him, a high-powered attorney with a thirst for money, power, and sex. With six months to go before his wedding, Elliot hires Alex to redecorate his home. Suddenly, keeping his mother happy by marrying Rachel, a woman he’s beginning to realize he barely knows, isn’t as important as having Alex in his arms. But Rachel intends to have it all, and she’s willing to murder to get it.
Out of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, secrets are revealed, relationships tested, and true love born.
Leslie C. Ferdinand is the mother/daughter writing team of Leslie C. Megahey and Shirley H. Ferdinand. Previously published as Christine Holden, they released their first Multicultural Erotic Romance in March 2012. Leslie is the founder of Inside Rose Rich Magazine. Wicked Allure is the first title in a series about the DeLeon sisters and the Steele brothers.
A psychic who’s afraid of ghosts and a millionaire with a haunted past and a hidden power find that only love can catch a spirit. With love, all things are possible—especially if you need to catch a Spirit.
Psychic Allison Dupuis has a soft spot for Logan Mitchell, even though she’s never met him. All it takes is one encounter for the millionaire’s true emotions to slip through Allison’s shields, and she is intrigued. He needs her help, but Allison soon discovers that the kind of help Logan needs is the kind she isn’t willing to give. Logan has a ghost, and Allison doesn’t work with spirits anymore.
But the ghost is the least of Logan’s problems. Born an empath, Logan is constantly barraged with human emotions. And while his talent has come in handy in the business world, it’s about to drive him insane. Literally. Logan has OCD, and his ability triggers unbearable attacks that have him counting and cleaning until he collapses from exhaustion.
Sex and money. That’s all anyone wants from him. Even worse, he’s plagued with recurring visions of his future wife’s death, so Logan has spent his entire life avoiding love. He’s given up hope of ever having a normal life, until he meets Allison. She’s everything he’s ever dreamed of, and now he has to decide if loving her is worth risking her life.
If she’ll even have him. Allison’s lost too much already — her mother to cancer, her father to suicide. But, Logan is so charming and so real, she can’t help but fall for him. Now she has to overcome her fear of commitment…and ghosts…or face spending the rest of her life alone.
She sensed them as they drew closer to her—many different spirits, their energy buzzing on varying frequencies.
“One at a time, guys. Please.” she said. But they didn’t listen. These were the spirits of the mentally ill, after all. Taking turns wasn’t their concern, and they all rushed her. She felt their presence closing in on her like an avalanche, and she was consumed. Every mental illness imaginable was thrown into her psyche as she tightened her grip on Gage’s hand and slumped down in her chair.
“Allison! Allison, are you okay?” Gage’s voice was a distant echo as she fought to hold on to herself. She was slipping. Sliding into the depths of despair and the spirits were pulling her down.
“It’s… No… There’s a light… You need to… You need to go to it.” She tried to help the spirits cross over, but they wouldn’t listen. There were too many. Twenty at least, and they were so consumed by their own illnesses they thought of nothing else. Paranoia, depression, anxiety. Allison felt it all, and it was going to kill her. The pressure. So hard to breath. Her hands cradled her head as the migraine overtook her. Sharp, pounding pain had her crumpled on the floor as she drew her knees into her chest and rocked back and forth.
“Make it stop. Please, just make it stop.” She was paralyzed. Frozen by the anguish of the tortured souls that forced themselves upon her. Hot tears streamed down her face and blood trickled from her nose. She gasped for air as she heard a faint voice call, “Get her out of here!”
BIO:
Carrie Pulkinen has always been fascinated with the paranormal. Of course, when you grow up next door to a cemetery, the dead (and the undead) are hard to ignore. Pair that with her passion for writing and her father’s insatiable love for monster movies, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for an exciting storyteller.
When she’s not writing stories of amazing sex with devilishly handsome men, Carrie likes to read, take pictures, and play with her kids. She also enjoys hearing from her readers, who can write to her at carrie.pulkinen@hotmail.com.
If you enjoyed this story, Sweet Release, her first published work is also available from Breathless Press.
I have a special guest in the Maylee ehouse today. Elodie Parkes is here to tell us a little bit about herself and her latest release. She’s brought the trailer and a giveaway. Plus, she’s brought one of the character’s with her. Please give her a warm welcome. Take it away, Elodie.
Thank you for inviting me to the blog for the release of The Last Time, my latest contemporary, erotic romance.
The Last Time
by Elodie Parkes
Release Date: May 1, 2013
Length: 44000 words
Publisher: Eternal Press
Genre: Erotic Romance
Just a little about me to let your readers know who I am.
I live in rural England, United Kingdom and I work in an antiques shop as well as writing. I have two dogs that keep me fit with their need for walks. Love the countryside and the coast.
I write romance, contemporary, and erotic with a twist of mystery, suspense, or the paranormal, now and then. I like to make the story unusual in some way, by a quirk in the tale.
I started writing when I was seventeen. Life intervened in my writing time and I stopped serious writing for some time. I started writing again seriously a couple of years ago, because I had so many stories in my head.
Blurb:
Actor Seth Carbery swears he will never fall in love again, that is until he meets private detective Bethany Snow.
Something strange is going on. Seth and other members of the movie cast and crew are receiving threatening letters, but no threat has ever been carried out… yet. Bethany Snow is sent on location by the Black Agency to investigate, and guard Seth Carbery against danger.
The case is not what it first seems and even when Bethany thinks it could be over, a new twist means she becomes a target.
Seth and Bethany find they can’t keep their hands off each other.
Who is sending the letters and why? Does Seth have a secret admirer or stalker?
With steamy romance, graphic love scenes, and a quirky story of what people do for love this erotic romance is for adults only.
Thanks, Elodie. Now for some inside scoop, I’d like to welcome Bethany, the heroine from The Last Time.
Tell us about yourself and the book you star in.
The book is ‘The Last Time’ and it’s probably the last time you’ll read anything with me in it. It’s a romance and set on a movie location. I get to have lots of yummy sex with someone who shall remain nameless, as that might be a spoiler. It’s a fun book although a little thread of suspense and mystery run through it.
Why will we not read anything else with you starring in there Bethany, that sounds intriguing?
I can’t say without giving away the end of the book, but let’s just say it’s a happy reason.
Most of us want to be different, so what is the one thing you wish the author had done differently with you?
I would have liked to give my point of view a little more often, in the love scenes, just because sex is different for a woman. I think that the author wanted to show the great relationship that the three central characters developed, me being one of them, but I didn’t have much influence over that either.
If you could have added something to the story, and the author would have let you, what would that have been?
I would have liked more physical action perhaps, to show off my martial arts abilities.
What do you think of the author?
I think she tries to give everyone a fair chance in the limelight. She gives characters their dignity too. She tries to make the sex scenes about the love people feel for each other. She’s okay. I guess she’ll be reading this interview.
You get the chance to have the author change your name what will it be?
I actually like my name although that would have been a hoot if suddenly someone had shortened my name, and I’d been with Seth, another main character, because it would have been Seth and Beth.
Give up three of your deepest, darkest secrets.
You’re kidding. Why would I do that? They’re secrets. Okay I’ll tell you a couple of things. I hate thong underwear, will not wear it, detest it, so when the author tried to get me in some I had a meltdown.
I’m a coffee addict…drink it almost nonstop, but then doesn’t everybody? All the authors I know do, well except my author, she drinks tea.
What else? I don’t really have secrets you know…they’re not healthy. I sort of spill my guts about sex and men in the book so there’s not much to say here.
What do you love best about yourself?
My hair if it’s a physical thing, and if not, then my compassionate nature.
What do you like least?
The author gave me smaller breasts than I would have liked. No really, I don’t mind that. (laughing) I suppose I quite like myself the way she’s written me.
How do you feel about the book you’re in?
It’s fun, sexy. It’s supposed to show a little of what people do for love and when they think they are losing love, or are in love and it’s the most important thing to them. We can be vulnerable and stupid, but if it’s right then it’s the best thing ever.
Can you share one of your favorite parts of the book without giving too much away and tell us why you chose it?
Okay it’s probably not what you expect given the amount of sex in the book, but here you go,
Seth was still sleeping. He looked gorgeous and Bethany stood in the doorway watching him for a moment or two. Suddenly his cell phone, which was on his bedside unit, began chirping. Like a flock of birds, the chirping filled the bedroom, and Seth sat up and looked around as if startled.
Bethany watched him suddenly realize it was his cell phone, reach for it, and shut off the alarm call.
He looked at her and smiled.
“Bethany you made me sleep properly for the first time in months.”
I chose it because that’s so cool to have helped someone like that. Have you ever been unable to sleep? It’s horrible.
How do you see your future? Without giving anything away.
Like I said in the beginning, you’ll not see any more of me. The other characters…well that could be a different story. Mine ends with this book.
Let’s say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?
I truly hope there’s no movie of this book because I have no idea who I’d want to play me, and they more than likely would want Seth to play himself since he’s an actor. I think that would be horrible, watching him on the big screen getting naked with someone else.
Anything else you would like to tell us?
It’s been fun being here and not having the author, editor, cover artist, proof reader, beta readers watching everything I do. Thank you for inviting me and try not to let the author read this.
GIVEAWAY
Enter the rafflecopter draw to win $25 US, or £25 GB Amazon gift card and an ebook basket, of all five of Elodie’s erotic romance books released to date.
Millie Reinvented, Two of them,The Horoscope Writer, A Celtic Tapestry in which Elodie has a short, The Picnic, and The Last Time.
S.J. Maylee 