Friday, January 31, 2014

AMBER LEA EASTON & ANONYMITY



A Blurb of Anonymity
New year, new beginnings. Alyssa McNeil is on a mission of breaking free of her comfort zone, reinventing herself, and forgetting the fact that her ex is getting married on New Year's Eve. She's in Belize for a week of sun, fun, adventure, and flirtation. Meeting Luke is an unexpected bonus…falling in love with him, though, simply isn't part of the plan.

Luke Picket is more than happy to go along with her idea of a no strings, uncomplicated weeklong fling. He embraces his bachelor lifestyle and can't see that changing any time soon. But when they find themselves trekking through the jungle and facing turbulent seas together, his hard heart softens.

But they'd agreed on anonymity, on a first-name-only-no-strings love affair, and neither wants to ruin the moment with unwanted declarations. Old beliefs are challenged. Doubts questioned. Will they stick to their deal and go their separate ways when the week is over? Or will the new year bring them a new attitude about love?

Excerpt of "Anonymity"

Her thoughts drifted to Luke. She'd admired how he'd laughed after tipping in the kayak, bantered easily with Rosie, smiled at her as if he'd known her for years, and had obviously made friends with the scuba divers who acted like he was a part of their group. He had a way about him, a magnetic pull. She grinned at the way his shirt had molded to his body. Yeah, even now as the rum haze wore off she wanted to strip him naked and explore that body. Laughing at her thoughts, she tossed the ring onto the pillow and closed her eyes.
The knock on her cabana door surprised her. Probably Rosie. Had she signed the bar receipt? She couldn't remember.
Showered and dressed in a loose yellow sundress, she walked barefoot toward the persistent knocking. She yanked the door open and stared. There he was, dressed in dry blue t-shirt, khaki shorts, and flip-flops. He tilted his head a bit to the side as he assessed her, his grin contagious as he held up the forgotten metal box.
"You forgot your treasure at the bar. I was a little hurt. I risked my life for this."
She rocked back on her heels, struck by how the blue of his shirt emphasized his eyes. "I thought you were going out with your friends."
"They're not my friends. I met them the other night, a diving club from Dallas or somewhere like that. We had a good time last night with my family at the bar that ended up with us all jumping in the pool fully clothed. I guess I left my shirt behind, but that's it." His shrug pulled the shirt tight over his shoulders. "We had a deal, didn't we?"
Every fantasy she'd ever had came to life in her mind. Sex on the beach, against a palm tree, on the deck, in the king-sized bed behind her...every image created a slow burn deep in her gut.
"Scared? I'm harmless, I swear. Rosie can vouch for me, she's known me for seven days now, that's the equivalent of a lifetime on this small island."
"Said the serial killer right before he pulled a knife."
"I know you want to." His voice had lowered to a seductive purr. "Come with me. Have some fun. Live a little."
She hadn't anticipated him showing up, not with the leggy brunette hanging all over him. She already had her e-reader prepped for a night of hanging out in the hammock listening to waves lap against shore. She gripped the frame of the door and stared.
"Dinner and a town tour. Simple," he said even as his gaze skimmed over her neck to her cleavage.
"Why do you want to keep our deal?" she asked.
His gaze snapped back to hers. "You're the most interesting thing that's happened to me in a long time. I want more of that. Simple."
"I'm not..." she'd almost said she wasn't brave, that she'd been dizzy from rum and travel, but the look in his eyes stopped her. "What's the matter?"
"Why do you think something's the matter?"
She squinted. Guilt shadowed his eyes, but there was something else there, too. "Did I miss something after I left?"
"I may have led people to believe you were my girlfriend." He winced without breaking eye contact. "Don't slam the door in my face."
"Are you afraid of the supermodel who was coming onto you, Luke?" She folded her arms across her chest and smiled at the idea of him using their brief flirtation as an excuse to ditch the group from the bar. "Do you need me to save you from the gorgeous brunette?"
"Save me, Alyssa. Please." He leaned a hip against the door and extended the box toward her.
"Are you bribing me with your found treasure? Interesting." She took the box and laughed.
"That's not much of a bribe. You should hold out for more." He winked, his good humor convincing her that she'd be a fool to say no.
She tilted her chin up, hoping the fact that her knees were buckling didn't show. Going or not wasn't a question of want...she definitely wanted. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and studied him through narrowed eyes. If she followed through with impulse, she knew she'd end up sleeping with him before the night ended. Did she want to cross that line? Did she really want to seize the moment, embrace carpe diem and all of that bullshit she'd been telling herself since getting on the plane in Denver? Those were the questions that made her hesitate.
"You won't regret it." His blue eyes danced with mischief, almost as if he knew exactly what questions tumbled through her brain. "Please come out and play, Alyssa."
She smiled at his boyish use of the word 'play.' "Since you said please...give me a minute to get ready."
Opening the box, she chose a bracelet laced with various colors of blue stones, brushed the sea salt and sand from it, and wrapped it around her wrist. She couldn't help but laugh.
Well, grandma, I'm definitely out of my comfort zone and taking chances.
Luke's gaze moved over her like a light caress. Rather than a predator or some sleezeball who picked up women on a whim, he resembled a confident man about to take a woman on a date. Black hair no longer stuck out in every direction; rather it fell lightly across his forehead and skimmed his ears. Salt no longer stuck to his neck yet the impulse to taste his skin beneath her tongue superseded all common sense. Exhilaration pumped through her veins at the idea of possibilities.
"I promised you fun and I always keep my word. Trust me," he whispered against her ear while she locked her door. His hand touched the exposed skin of her back.
Her hands trembled at her sides. Desire rushed through her like lava erupting from a volcano. Everything she'd wanted while sitting at the bar doubled in intensity. She turned within the small space between his body and the door and surrendered to temptation. Standing on tiptoes, she slid her hands over his chest and up to his shoulders.
"It's cliché to say I don't normally do this kind of thing, but I honestly don't. This is a first for me," she said.
"What part? The traveling solo part or the going out with a stranger in a foreign country part?"
"Both."
"No past, no future." He slipped his hand behind her neck and stopped within a fraction from kissing her. "No judgment, no regret."
He surprised her by stepping back and snagging her hand. Laughing, he pulled her to the sand and toward the beach.
"Tease," she said, bumping her shoulder against his.
"You've been bossy enough—stealing my treasure, bullying me into taking you out—tonight I'm in charge."
"Oh, really?" She liked that idea more than she'd admit. The thought of him taking charge, being in control, turned her on in ways she hadn't imagined.
From the way he looked at her, either he'd read her mind or they were on the same page. 
They walked along the beach into town, hands grazing each other, arms touching. The stars shone like crystals in the night sky that meshed with the blackness of the ocean. Wind tossed her dress around her knees and plastered it to her thighs.
"Any excursions planned?" he asked after a lengthy silence.
"Tomorrow I'm going on the Lamanai trip to the mainland to see the Mayan ruins. I booked it online when I made the reservation here, but now I wish I hadn't." She watched a water taxi speed buy them loaded down with rowdy tourists.
"I'm on that trip, too."
She squinted at him. "No, you're not."
"I am. My family was here all last week and I have little nieces and nephews. No one wanted to do the adventurous things with me so I waited until they left." He smiled down at her, black hair falling across his eyes with the steady wind blowing inland. "I did see the zoo, though. Fun times."
"What did they think of you staying behind?" She pushed her hair behind her ears, wishing she had brought a hair tie of some kind.
"They're used to me doing my own thing." He shrugged and looked toward a passing boat. "What did your family think of you coming down here alone?"
"It's uncharacteristic." She fell into step with him as they resumed walking into town.
"You seem pretty adventurous to me." He winked and then laughed when she looked away. "I meant it when I said this was a simple dinner...after that, whatever happens, happens. I don't expect anything. Don't worry."
She felt the blush heat her face and purposely averted her gaze to the sand in front of her feet. Maybe he didn't expect anything, but she did. She swallowed the sudden flood of saliva at the idea of getting him naked. 
It's official; I've lost my mind.
She sighed and forced her thoughts away from sex. Okay, so maybe she hadn't slept with anyone since Scott and only one other man before him, which was years ago. Horny was an understatement. Luke made her crave skin-on-skin. She'd wanted him to kiss her, was a bit annoyed that he hadn't.
When music wafted down to the beach from one of the bars, he snagged her against him and pulled her into a dance. She laughed at the spontaneity.
"You're deep in thought," he said with a smile. "That's not allowed."
"No?" She laughed when he dipped her backward before snapping her back up to face him. "Are you always so happy?"
"I'm on vacation and dancing with a gorgeous blonde in the moonlight, of course I'm happy." He moved her into a tight circle on the beach. The feel of his body against hers created havoc with her nerves.
"This is crazy," she whispered, not entirely sure if she was talking about her reaction to him, their date, or the entire situation.
"Madness."
Give in, a voice encouraged from deep within her psyche.
She skimmed her fingers over his neck before sliding them into his hair. Grinning because it felt good to abandon inhibitions, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
He slid his lips against hers, eyes wide open and reflecting moonlight. His hands gripped her hips. Slowly, they savored the taste of each other.
Tremors of desire began where their lips met and rocked through her body to her toes until she felt certain she'd collapse. Shaken, she locked her fingers behind his head and teased his lips with her tongue. He opened his mouth and deepened the kiss. Intense. Hard. Perhaps it was the beach or the aftereffects of Rosie's special concoction, but she'd never felt like this from a kiss.
With a gasp, he lifted his face from hers and stared into her eyes. His chest rose and fell against hers with each steadying breath.
"Why do I feel like I just dove off a cliff?" he asked without letting her go.
"Just go with it." She smiled against his chin before sliding down the length of him until her feet were firmly on the sand. Emboldened by the knowledge that his reaction mirrored her own, she laced her fingers with his.
"Oh, I'm going with it." He pulled her against his side. "I'm the go-with-the-flow kind of guy, remember?"

Buy links:
Amazon: http://getBook.at/Anonymity
All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-anonymity-1379776-153.html




Author Bio:
Amber Lea Easton is a multi-published fiction and nonfiction author. For twenty years, she's worked in the fields of journalism and advertising with a brief detour into the financial industry. Although she holds a BA in Communications & Journalism, she is a perpetual student of life who enjoys taking classes on a wide variety of subjects when time allows.
Smart is sexy, according to Easton, which is why she writes about strong female characters who have their flaws and challenges but ultimately persevere. She currently has three romantic suspense novels out in the world, Kiss Me Slowly, Riptide and Reckless Endangerment, and a contemporary romance novella, Anonymity.
Her memoir, Free Fall, released on September 1, 2013, and is dedicated to suicide prevention, awareness, and helping others navigate the dark journey of grief.
In addition to fiction writing, Easton also edits and freelances. She also speaks on subjects ranging from writing to widowhood. Some of her videos on romance writing have appeared on the international Writers & Authors television network. Current radio appearances are linked via this site and her blog Kisses, Caresses & Whispers in the Night.
Easton currently lives with her two teenagers in the Colorado Rocky Mountains where she gives thanks daily for the gorgeous view outside her window. She finds inspiration from traveling, the people she meets, nature and life's twists and turns. At the end of the day, as long as she's writing, she considers herself to be simply "a lucky lady liv'n the dream."

Amazon Author Page: view Author Amber Lea Easton


Tuesday, January 28, 2014

First Amazon Review for FORTUNE CALLING

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging story January 27, 2014
Format:Kindle Edition
"Fortune Calling" by Hunter S. Jones is a short novel the first in a series, and it depicts a central moment in of Dallas Fortune, a musician in Tennessee, who is at a decisive moment in her private life and in her musical career.
The descriptions of the music scene, Dallas' talent and ambition (or lack of) bring immediate depth to an otherwise casual appearing plot. A fortune telling moves things forward and the future holds unexpected events.
Dallas is an engaging central character and her story is equally captivating. I loved this story.
Fortune Calling

Guitars. Hillbilly Music. Nashville, Tennessee.

Dallas Fortune is a small town girl with a gift for playing guitar. A member of her family has played the Grand Ol Opry since it began as a simple radio show in 1925. But, they are the minstrels, the troubadours--session players--not stars.
Dallas lives her life on the road. She’s just another guitar player with a dream until she finds an antique blue mandolin in a pawn shop. Her life comes into focus as the enchantment of the mandolin captivates her audiences. The Guitar God of Nashville beckons her. Everything is there for Dallas at last, until a stage accident sends her home and shatters her dreams. Blow after blow she fights the hand of fate. Is she destined to lose out in life? Hope, dreams, and love seem to be just out of reach. Every girl dreams of a happy ending. Dallas Fortune has the best Fairy Godmother in Country Music history. Will she help make Dallas’ dreams come true?

Is the future among the stars, in the cards or locked in your heart?

Fortune Calling is the first story in The Fortune Series. Set in contemporary Nashville and rural Tennessee, the series chronicles the life and loves of Dallas Fortune.

TAGS: Fiction, Country Music, Nashville, Tennessee, Guitars, Short story, Contemporary

© 2014 Ra Jones Publishing
Cover by Robin Ludwig Design

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Welcome to the Magical Mystical Worlds of Andrea Cooper



Today, please join me in the super uber mystical worlds of author Andrea Cooper. Lands where clans clash, fires flames and most importantly, lands where love still conquers all. Is there really anywhere else you would rather be? Thank you so much for sharing your stories with us today, Andrea.  
Viking Fire Blurb: In 856 CE, Ireland is a land of myth, magic, and blood. Viking raiders have fought the Irish for over half a century. Rival Irish clans promise only betrayal and carnage.
Kaireen, daughter of Laird Liannon, is suddenly forced into an arranged marriage with her sworn enemy, a Viking. She refuses to submit. With no mention of love, only land and the protection of her clan, she endeavors to get her betrothed banished from her country. Will love find its way around her stubborn heart?

Bram, the Viking, finds himself without future or inheritance as a younger son in his family. A marriage to the Laird’s daughter would grant him land if he swears fidelity and if his men will fight along with the Liannons against any foe—Irish or Viking. However, the Laird’s feisty daughter only holds animosity for him and his kind. Is marriage worth the battle scars of such a relentless opponent?

With the blame for a rival laird’s death treacherously set against the Liannons, Kaireen and Bram must find a way to lay aside their differences as an unforeseen darkness sends death snapping at their heels.


 Viking Fire Excerpt
Chapter One Ireland 856 CE (condensed)

“I renounce Father for this.” Kaireen threw the elderberry gown.

“Shame on you and your children for speaking such.” Her handmaid, Elva, gathered the damask and then dusted off the rushes. “It’s a wonder one of the clim has not scolded you from your hearth for such talk.”

“No, curse Father for a fool.” She plopped on her bed and a goose feather floated away. With a huff, she leaned against the oak headboard. Red curtains puffed like a robin’s chest around oak poles supporting her wooden canopy.

Her bare feet brushed against the stone floor.

“You know your da arranged a marriage within a season.” Elva smirked.

Kaireen shook her head. “To another land holder,” and waved a hand in disgust, “not t-this heathen. Twice they raided our land in the last month alone. Now father wants me as wife to one of them?” She clenched her fists. “No, I will not marry this Viking.”

Elva smiled, reminding Kaireen of the rumors of her handmaid’s uncanny foresight.
Whispers of Elva making strange things happen and often blamed as the cause of
Kaireen’s stubborn refusal to behave as a laird’s daughter should.

“You’ve not seen him yet.” Elva wiggled her brows.

“So?” Kaireen shrugged. “I would like to never see him.”

“Well then, would you not like to know if you have a handsome husband or not?” She waited for her response, but Kaireen scowled. Elva chuckled. “I would rather get a good look at him now than the morning after.”

Kaireen’s ears heated. “I am not marrying.” She shook her head for emphasis. “So there will be no morning, nor night, nor wedding.”

“If he is handsome, I may fight you for him.” Elva smiled, deepening the wrinkles around her eyes.

“Welcome to him either way.” Kaireen laughed.













The Garnet Dagger Blurb: Everyone knows what happens when a vampire bites a human…but what if the victim is Elvin?
Forbidden to cross the Elvin barrier into human lands, Brock cannot sate his curiosity. Cursed by a vampyre bite that forces him to feed on the life-essence of others, he is unable to touch another without taking their life. Chained by prophesy, he must find a witch, pierce her heart, and draw her blood for his cure. 

Celeste must escape the monks who have held her prisoner for years. Her magic has been kept dormant by her captors. An ancient powerful Warloc craves her powers. If he succeeds in devouring her magic, she and his world will die.

When Brock falls in love with Celeste before realizing her demise is his cure, will love triumph over his desire to be healed? Will he risk everything to save her from a Warloc, an oath breaker, who also wants her dead?
  
The Garnet Dagger Excerpt:  Chapter One (condensed)
I’ve known death. For over half a millennia, I escorted many to death at the end of my sword. In the eyes of the dying, I watched it shroud them. Foolishly, I thought many more eras would pass before death came for me. It came so swiftly that I could not run; I could not escape. At a village, dressed in human clothes, I took in everything.
I delayed my return to my people as I watched human jugglers bounce torches and knifes. It was autumn equinox and the festivities would continue well into the night. Children laughed as they chased each other. A trail of leaves from their costumes twirled after them. It was dark when I reached the forest.

I hiked slower than my normal speed, so as not to startle whatever human called out. My leather boots crunched upon dried, diseased leaves and bark. Horrified, I glanced up. Branches twisted around each other to suffocating. Lifeless limbs cracked in the wind. Flesh of the trees sloughed off in layers, exposing its bones. Gashes hollowed out chunks of warmth. Fragments of leaves clung to finger tips, marking sepulchers of the dying trees. Trees mourned with wails like splitting wood, and I brought my hands over my ears. I must flee before I became infected, they told me. Flee before the stain of this defilement creeps into you, they warned. Trees spoke to my kind, always had. Yet these trees were in such agony of death that I could not breathe. Felt as though my lungs had folded in on themselves, like a moth unable to break loose from its cocoon.
Cooper, Andrea R. (2013-03-25). The Garnet Dagger (Crimson Romance) (Kindle Locations 60-67). F+W Media. Kindle Edition.


Andrea’s Bio: Growing up in Houston, Texas, Andrea has always created characters and stories. But it wasn't until she was in her late twenties that she started writing novels.
What happened that ignited the writing flame in her fingers? Divorced, and disillusioned by love songs and stories. They exaggerate. She thought. Love and Romance are not like that in the real world. Then she met her husband and realized, yes love and romance are exactly like the songs and stories say. She is now a happy wife, and a mom to three kids (two boys and a girl).
Andrea writes paranormal and historical romance. When not writing or reading, one may find Andrea dancing in Zumba.
She believes in the power of change and counting each moment as a blessing. But most importantly, she believes in love.

The Garnet Dagger Book Trailer  http://youtu.be/ISi0u9LoseM
Viking Fire Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/m1bPZ3nUyzs
Author Website: www.AndreaRCooper.com

Buy Links:

The Garnet Dagger Amazon: http://goo.gl/rMEJ59
The Garnet Dagger B & N: http://goo.gl/Qp5i6A
The Garnet Dagger iTunes: http://goo.gl/s1Cugp
Viking Fire Amazon: http://goo.gl/71VAsf
Viking Fire B & N: http://goo.gl/EvBxwf

Viking Fire iTunes: http://goo.gl/fQuKBd

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Address to a Haggis - Robert Burns

Address to a Haggis


For my part in today's Burns Night Blog Hop, I write the following with love. So, gather round, bring the shortbread and pour a wee dram while I explain what has been told to me about this poem and this event. A wee word to my American friends...if you can eat fried Southern pork sausage, you can eat haggis. Now, off we go...

Address to a Haggis was written by Robert Burns in 1786 to celebrate his appreciation of the Haggis. As a result Burns and Haggis have been forever linked.

This poem is always begins the evening of Burn's suppers. The haggis is carried in on a silver platter at the start of the festivities.

As it is brought to the table a bagpiper plays a traditional, Scottish melody. An invited speaker then recites the poem before the theatrical and dramatic cutting of the haggis with the ceremonial knife. 

Due to his Scottish Lowlands, or Lalands dialect, (as the Scots still call it today, just like Burns did in his poetry) my late father-in-law was in great demand at Burns Supper events. This blog is dedicated to him, his love of the arts and his devotion to Rabbie Burns. 

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, 


Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye worthy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.


The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.


His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!


Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit' hums.


Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect scunner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?


Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!


But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.


Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis


Thank you for stopping by today! Three copies of Magic in Memphis, my Yule novella from A Celtic Tapestry, the Moon Rose Publishing anthology, will be given to the first three people who comment. Cheers!




Friday, January 10, 2014

The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3) 18+


The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3)




Release Date: December 28, 2013
Publisher: Sassy Vixen Publishing LLC
Heat Level: SEXTREME
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Categories: LGBT, bisexual, BDSM, spanking,    
Fantasy, redemption, erotic,
                      Paranormal elements
Sexual pairings: M/F and F/F

  Blurb

L.A. artist phenom Julia Santos appeared to have it all. Her creativity was at its peak and she had her muse and model Jacob Hartley to thank for it. He brought the fire and raw sexuality back to her sculptures and into her bedroom, while her best friend and confidant Carmen gave her a sense of security she’d never felt before.
Afraid of her emerging desire to give herself over completely to Carmen as her submissive, Julia delved deeper into the hedonistic lifestyle she’d come to rely on to help her escape the horrors of her childhood. Her sexual encounters with men didn’t give her the comfort she craved, but led her down the path of self-destruction.
Her behavior caught the attention of the Goddess Fate and her Guardian Angel Daniel. Together they intervene and transport her to the realm between life and death called the Island. There she’s given a choice: stay and wait for her next rebirth, or go back and fight to be with the one who had been there for her through every lifetime.
Will she take the easy way out and leave all the pain behind, or will she choose the long and hard road in order to have her happily ever after with the Mistress of her dreams?

 Story Excerpt

The only way to the beach seemed to be through the sliding doors on the other side of the bedroom. The sound of sea gulls reached her ears as she stepped out onto the deck. A bubbling hot tub sat to her left and to her right was an outdoor kitchen, complete with a grill pit and cushioned deck chairs. Directly in front of her stretched the pale sandy beach. The waves called to her and she practically ran through the sand to get to the point where the water gently lapped against her calves. Julia wiggled her toes into the sand, loving the feel of it slipping and sliding between them. “This is sheer Heaven.”
Then it hit her. The whole confrontation with Jacob and Mario in the condo replayed on fast forward in her mind. She remembered drinking way too much whiskey and then swallowing some pain killers. “Oh, my God!  I just wanted to sleep. I didn’t want to die. This is why I’m here. I’m dead.” She sank to her knees in the surf and sobbed.
“Julia, you’re not dead.” A tall blond man stood before her on the beach. He looked to be in his late twenties, covered in tattoos and sporting multiple piercings. His eyes were what drew her right in. They were the blue green color of the ocean she sat in.   His eyes made her feel immediately at ease.
He held out his hand to her. “Come on. We’ve a lot to talk about and I’m sure you’re full of questions for me too.”
“Where did you come from? I thought I was the only one here.” Julia took his hand and allowed him to help her get to her feet and out of the water.  Goosebumps covered her body, but she wasn’t cold. “If I’m not dead, then how did I get here?”
He laughed. “I’ll answer all your questions, but first you have to give me a chance to do it before you fire off more.”  He wrapped a large beach towel around her shoulders as they made their way back up toward her bungalow. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up. I’m the Guardian assigned to watch over you and help you find your way back to the destiny chosen for you by The Three.”
She sat down on one of the deck chairs and beckoned to him to sit next to her. “Guardian?  As in guardian angel?”
He nodded. “My name is Daniel. The Goddess Fate chose me to watch over you and several other people. One of them you know already, Jake Hartley.”
Julia’s eyes filled with tears. “I hurt him so badly. Is he okay? I mean he stormed out of our condo last night. I don’t know where he went.”
Daniel shook his head.  “He was in a horrific accident on his bike. He slammed into the back of a semi—”
“No! He’s not dead. He can’t be.” Julia bolted out of her chair and barely reached the end of the deck before she threw up.
Daniel went immediately to her side, holding her hair out of the way until she stopped retching. “I’m not going to sugar coat it for you, Julia. Jake’s fighting for his life right now. But you need to believe me when I tell you he’s in good hands. His father is my partner and right now he’s there with him and the rest of the family.”
“He wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for me. I did this to him.”  Sobs tore through her body again. She’d never cried over anyone or anything before Jacob. All of it became more than she could take. “Please. Leave me here to die. Take care of him.”
The Guardian wrapped his muscled arms around her and held her against his chest. “That’s not why you’re here. In fact, you’ve been allowed to come here in order for your heart and soul to mend. Then, you have to make a choice.”
Julia wiped the tears from her face and gazed into Daniel’s eyes. “I don’t understand. What is this place?”
“We call it The Island. Basically, it’s what humans would call limbo. It’s the realm between life and death. The ability to come here is a gift given to you by Yeshua, Fate, and Lucius. You have to choose to either stay here and wait until your next life cycle, or go back to face your demons and fight for your chance to be with your soul mate and your chosen destiny.”
“The only person that’s ever loved me like that, the only one who told me he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, is fighting for his life in a hospital bed.” Julia managed to get back into the deck chair without having another wave of nausea hit. She curled up in the towel again and wondered if it would be the best thing to stay here and not go back to all the pain she’d caused.
Daniel smiled. “The only one? Think hard. Who’s been by your side through everything? Who has let you pursue all your desires and still loves you unconditionally?”
She smiled through her tears. “But Carmen can’t be my soul mate. It’s one thing to have an affair, but the love we have for each other will never be accepted, especially not in her world as a doctor and hospital administrator.  The religious groups in L.A. would crucify her if our relationship was made public. The hospital Board wouldn’t want to have that kind of publicity. Carmen’s worked too hard to get where she’s at in her career. I won’t be responsible for ruining another person’s life.”
“I understand your fears about that, but you and all those groups have it completely wrong. The Three didn’t create us as just male or female. We are both. Soul mates are just that, mates of the soul. Being a male or female isn’t part of it. Souls have no gender. They’re just pure life force.”
Julia shook her head. “That may very well be true, but after all I’ve done in my life I don’t deserve to have that kind of happiness. Jacob does. Carmen does. But not me.”
Daniel took her hands into his calloused ones. “Why not? If The Three feel you’re worthy, who are you or anyone to judge differently?”


ADULT EXCERPT M/F

“Julia, what on earth are we going to do with you?” Dr. Mario Carlos locked the door to the private hospital room and dimmed the lights. “You know how the nurses love to gossip. Eventually, one of them will put two and two together and figure out you’ve been faking all of these so called accidents.”
“Don’t kid yourself. I’ve not faked anything to get here. You know very well I’ve been preoccupied lately and under a lot of stress. I wouldn’t call these things accidents but more like I’ve been distracted.”
“What? Your boy toy-muse not able to alleviate the stress you have?” He snorted dismissively then turned on the charm once again. “You need professional help and I’ve got what you need right here.”  Dr. Carlos held up a small green vial of pills and shook them in front of her face.
She raised her eyebrows and licked her lips. “I’m not one of your other patients who come here for drugs.”
Mario shrugged. “You had to have a lot of stitches for that gash in your arm. When the local wears off, you’ll wish you had these bad boys.”
“Fine. If it will get you to shut up about it, I’ll take them.” Julia snatched them out of his hand and tossed them into the drawer with her purse. “I don’t need drugs from you and you know it.”
“Call it what you want but sooner or later, you will end up the hot topic around the nurses’ station. Some may even think you’re doing this on purpose to drum up publicity for your gallery.” Mario moved slowly across the room and stood inches from her.
His subtle musky cologne filled her nostrils and set her skin on fire. She wanted him. Now. “Who cares what those nosy bitches think.” She reached out and rubbed his already hard cock through his scrubs. “I need this pounding the hell out of my pussy right now.  So stop talking and start fucking.” Julia didn’t care what anyone else thought and right now, including Jacob. All she could think about was her current lover’s glorious cock filling her to the brim… the one outlet she knew would relieve her of the emotional upheaval the call from her mother set into motion.
Ever since being wheeled through the doors of the hospital, only the anticipation of Mario’s tongue darting in and out of her ass and pussy mattered. Just the flick of his tongue over his own lips made her shiver with delight and soak her thong.
The very same thong the good doctor tore from her body seconds after lifting her up to sit on top of sink in her bathroom. Her fingers wound through his dark wavy hair as his mouth plundered hers, taking her breath away. She loved the power she held over this man. Any time, any place she wanted, he always obliged. Tonight would be no exception.
Of course he kept her waiting a good half hour after Jacob left before he graced her with his presence.
She wasn’t amused by the delay and couldn’t care less if some other patients required his attention. It’d been their arrangement that whenever she showed up, he’d drop whatever and whoever and come running.
Now finally, he sheathed his dick with one of those ribbed condoms she demanded he wear whenever they fucked.
Julia still felt a bit miffed at him, but the feeling of his hands on her bare ass temporarily cleared her mind of all her complaints and the shit with her family.
Mario spread her legs wider, lifting her from the sink as he buried his dick in her dripping cunt.
Julia moaned and sighed as he slowly pulled out and plunged back in repeatedly. Even through it felt fantastic to finally have him fucking her, she wanted more. She wanted to be pounded until she was a quivering glob of jelly. Then maybe the images of her childhood would fade from her mind’s eye again. He knew what she desired and yet continued the slow pace, pissing her off anew. “Stop teasing me and give me what I want. Now!” Julia pulled his mouth away from hers, but not before she bit down on his lower lip, nearly drawing blood.
“You’ll pay for that, bitch.”

* * * *

“Promise?”
He pulled out of her abruptly and spun her around, leaving her hands momentarily braced against the sink. He kicked her legs apart and bent her over, so that her swollen outer lips glistened at him.
She shimmied and shook her hips, trying to entice him to enter her again.
He grabbed the bottle of hair conditioner and squeezed a large amount over the crack of her ass, slipping his fingers in and out of her, stretching her inner muscles to accommodate him. “I don’t make promises, sweetheart. I’m a man of action.” He slid the head of his cock into her ass, feeling her tighten around him and then stretch more. The sensation of her squeezing and releasing his entire member as he continued to glide in was almost more than he could take and nearly made him spill his seed. This time he wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of him exploding inside her. Not yet. He had other plans for his demanding lover.
“Oh, now this is what I’m talking about. I love your kind of action, doctor.” Julia panted and struggled to move against him, trying to take control of their session as always.
This time, he wasn’t going to allow it. He was tired of taking orders from her all the time. Just once, he wanted to be the one to call the shots. Tonight would be the first of many where Julia learned to work for what she wanted from him. He needed to hear her beg for a change.
He reached around her and cupped both of her large full breasts in his hands, pinching her nipples roughly as he pulled her up against him. He kept his cock firmly embedded deep inside her ass,
Her anal muscles spasmed out of control and squeezed his dick. Her head fell back against his shoulder as he nibbled along her neck. “Please, Mario.”
“Please, what?” He kneaded her breasts and twisted her nipples even harder, eliciting a whimper from her now.
“Please. Fuck. Me. Fuck me until I scream.” Her breathing became labored and her body trembled in his arms.
He knew she was close to erupting. He smiled and bit down on her ear lobe, bringing out yet another primal moan from her. His cock throbbed in response to every move and sound she made, especially when she talked dirty.  “God, you know I love your filthy mouth.”


ADULT EXCERPT F/F

Julia’s ass burned from the paddle and yet she craved more. She knew her Mistress would deliver the appropriate punishment. She always knew what to do for her to give them both the greatest amount of pleasure. “Yes, Mistress.”  Julia placed her palms flat on the carpet, curled her fingers inward, and gripped the plush fibers as Carmen worked her with the paddle. A few times the edges of the paddle connected with her cunt sending jolts of pleasure and pain through her body, igniting the passion she hadn’t felt in a long time. This was definitely where she belonged, with her Mistress, her true soul mate.
“You’re going to get to know this paddle well, my sweet, but not all tonight. We’ve plenty of time together and I’ve a lot of instruction planned for you.” Carmen slipped her fingers between Julia’s pussy lips. “So wet for me already, kitten. Do you know how much that pleases me?”
“I’ll do anything to please you.” Julia thrust back toward Carmen as her fingers slid over her clit and then quickly withdrew. “Please don’t stop, Mistress.”
Carmen laughed softly as she rubbed soothing cream with her soft hands over Julia’s thighs and bottom. “Don’t you worry, there’s going to be plenty of time for you to come for me, my love. Since it’s been such a long time, your skin isn’t used to being worked, but it will be.”
Shivers flew up and down Julia’s spine. The combination of the heat from the paddle, the coolness of the cream, and the touch of Carmen’s hands became almost too much to take, and yet it was exactly what she needed and longed for from the very start. She felt a tug on her outer lips as the bell clamps were removed and cream worked into the skin where they’d been for the last few hours. Julia moaned again as Carmen spread her ass cheeks and slipped two fingers into her tight opening, coating her with the cream and stretching her with each feathering stroke.
Carmen picked up the crop with the special latex covered handle and bulb at the tip. It resembled a long, thick cock and was in fact, one of Julia’s favorite toys.
Tonight she would be reacquainted with it. Just the sight of it made her body ache with need. The feel of the dildo sliding between her cheeks, sent a flood of her juices down her inner thighs with nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t hold it back any longer and hoped it wouldn’t displease her Mistress too much. A smile slowly formed on her lips thinking about what would happen next if Carmen followed her usual routine.
The bulb of the handle slowly slid passed the initial resistance to embed deep within her. Julia’s clit throbbed in response to the fullness of the crop buried in her ass, and her hips rocked. She ground her pussy into the ottoman, attempting to give her clit some relief.
Carmen wasn’t going to allow it however. “Kneel up, hands behind your back, kitten.”  She helped Julia get up and into position before shoving the crop a little deeper into her. “Now, I’m going to enjoy that hot bath you prepared for me. Keep your hands behind your back, legs apart, and that fake cock right where it is until I tell you otherwise. Are you okay with that or do you need a break, my pet?”
Julia swallowed hard and licked her lips. “I could use a drink of water, Mistress.”
 Carmen held a bottle of water with a straw while Julia drained nearly half of it in three gulps.
“Thank you.”
Carmen kissed her forehead and then her lips softly. “I won’t be long and then we’ll start again. I was thinking of our last session after you visited me today. We had such a short time together then, not enough to really see what both of us were made of. But this time, oh honey, this time we are going to be able to let everything and everyone else go.”



About the Author
As the founder of Sassy Vixen Publishing, Tammy has a lot on her plate. Not only has she established herself as an erotic romance author with Siren Bookstrand, but she's also published two books of poetry and has many more projects underway. Finding time to write and keep up a full schedule as a veterinarian in a very busy practice in the Pacific Northwest has been a difficult task, but one she takes on happily with the help of her husband, “Mr. Vixen.”
Through her website/blog Behind Closed Doors and her blog Not Enough Time in the Day you can get a glimpse into her hectic schedule.  Now she can add Best Selling Author to her resume as her vampire inspired poetry book The Courtship of the Vampyre is one of the top sellers on Omnilit (ARe affiliate).
The love of books of all genres helped her decide to write under four pen names. This way she's able to tell the stories all of her characters wish to tell whether it's the sweet and sensual or hot and spicy. Speaking of spicy, Tammy is also part of the Four Seduced Muses along with three of her Siren author friends. No topic is off limits with the Muses and that's the way “The Vixen” likes it!
Readers can also connect with her and her alter egos through Facebook and Twitter.
  
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