Sunday, March 9, 2014

Snippet Sunday - Bronco's Rough Ride - Waking up Dead


Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my upcoming release, Bronco's Rough Ride, a military romantic suspense set in Las Vegas. It's a prequel to The Navy's Ghost, set 10 years earlier. No paranormal critters in this one, though there's plenty of kick-ass adventure and hot sex. You can read last week's snippet HERE.

Chief Petty Officer John "Bronco" Andrews is on a PCS - Permanent Change of Station - to Coronado and stops in Vegas for one night of kicking back before he drives in the next day. Unfortunately, he winds up somewhere other than his hotel room after the bar.

John woke to find himself tied to a tilted bed, his feet slightly lower than his head. A thick strap wrapped around his chest holding him upright. He tried to jerk free, but his body wouldn’t respond. At all. What the fuck?

As a highly decorated and experienced SEAL operator, John had honed his body into an efficient and responsive killing machine. But that same body now lay against the table as inert as rag doll. His mind screamed at it to move, to roll, hell, to even wiggle its toes, but the messages went nowhere. He wanted to turn his head, to scan the room around him, but his neck refused to respond.

John inhaled to roar, to scream for someone to help. His lungs expanded and his chest rose, but the muscles of his throat wouldn’t tighten to make sound, and the air slid out his nose. Holy shit, what’s wrong with me?

Something tells me he's not going to like the answer when he finds out. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Bronco's Rough Ride, here's the tentative blurb:

What happens in Vegas, stays in the heart...

Chief Petty Officer John "Bronco" Andrews only meant to stay one night in Vegas for a little R&R before resuming his duties as a US Navy SEAL in Coronado. But someone slips him a mickey in the bar and he finds himself in Madame LeBeau's sex trade. As the product. Doped up on ketamine to keep him docile, Bronco has no choice but to let it ride.

Detective Lindsey Jarvis has been undercover in LeBeau's sex slave racket for two years and she almost has enough evidence to take it down. Between abduction, prostitution, and murder, she has LeBeau by the short hairs. All she needs is a "product". John is the perfect witness if she can get him out before the drugs shut down his heart. Then she'll be free to start a normal life.

Lindsey doesn't count on her overwhelming attraction for Bronco or her need to see him through detox. But she's a cop in Vegas and he's a Navy SEAL, two lifestyles with too much unpredictability to maintain a relationship. Neither have time for more than one wild rough ride, and what happens in Vegas, stays. Forever.

The release date is March 21 and it will be available at Smashwords, Amazon, and All Romance eBooks. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

Friday, March 7, 2014

#ThursThreads - Week 111 - Winners


Week 111 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales and a great turnout. I'm honored to see all of the returning writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write and for helping me celebrate these years of flash. It was also wonderful to have some new folks stop by. Welcome! Great thanks to Katalina Leon for judging this week. Be sure to check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on FB to keep up with news, etc.

Entries:
  • Olivia Starke | @OliviaStarke
  • Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
  • Anastasia Vitsky | @AnastasiaVitsky
  • Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil (prose)
  • Anna Lund | @AnnaLund2011
  • Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil (poem)
  • Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
  • Sandy Layne | @sandyquill
  • Hunter Frost | @HunterFrostMM
  • Louisa Bacio | @LousiaBacio
  • Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
  • Charles W. Jones | @ChuckWesJ
  • SJ Maylee | @SJMaylee
  • Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider
  • Nellie Batz | @solimond
Katalina says: Oh boy I had no idea how difficult it would be to choose a winner. There were so many great entries. Thank you so much for offering me an opportunity to judge. As I said the quality here was high and there are a couple more goodies that I didn't even mention.

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
Katalina says: The poem, Haiku-like, a concise bit of emotional dynamite.

Anna Lund | @AnnaLund2011
Katalina says: Clear, vivid images, less was definitely more in this case.

Louisa Bacio | @LouisaBacio
Katalina says: I was instantly hooked and drawn down the rabbit hole. I wanted to keep reading.

SJ Maylee | @SJMaylee
Katalina says: Strong use of prompt, great story. I was instantly hooked.

Week 111 Winner


Camera Shy: Hunter Frost

Katalina says: The fiction felt effortless, sensuous and sweet. Most of all it felt complete. At only 250 words I got a strong sense of the situation and the two personalities involved in the scene.

“Your lips are incredible,” I murmured, Mick’s mouth traveling down my chest and over my stomach, his kisses searing my skin.

My breath hitched as he brushed his rough cheek against my hip bone. He slid a finger slowly down the crease of my groin and my cock pulsed, waiting anxiously for his touch.

“You sure this is the one?” He asked, tracing lazy circles on the inside of my thigh with his callused thumb, making it difficult to think. I raised my head to find him staring at my hip.

I should have known he would see it, even in the dim light of the bedroom.

When we had met, Mick had told me he didn't like tattoos. And though all of mine are hidden from public view (and he was so hot), I hadn't lied. Apparently, he'd found that refreshing and asked me out anyway. We've been on nearly five dates now and I’m falling for him.

He didn't seem to mind the other tattoos, but I worried about the design on my hip. It’s a pink lotus flower and I got it to represent the joy of expressing myself as a gay man. I told Mick as much, but he’s so big and burly and hard that I figured he’d hate it.

I finally nodded, resigning myself to his forth-coming disapproval.

“You made it sound like I would burst into pink flames if I saw it.” He snorted. “This is…sweet, sexy, and beautiful. Just like you.”

Congratulations Winner Hunter, Sheilagh, Anna, Louisa, and SJ! Don't forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it!

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Thursday, March 6, 2014

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 111


Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. It's Thursday today, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 111 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? You're welcome to join the FB #ThursThreads group where we'll do events and make announcements. Need the rules? Read on.

Here's how it works:
  • The prompt is a line from the previous week's winning tale.
  • The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count.
Rules to the Game:
  • This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
  • Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count).
  • Post your story in the comments section of this post
  • Include your word count (or be excluded from judging)
  • Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
  • The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific Time
  • The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up.
How it benefits you:
  • You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we're all about promotion - you know you are!)
  • You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog!
  • Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus

Our Judge for Week 111:

Artist, bold kick-ass heroine, and erotic romance author, Katalina Leon.


And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“You sure this is the one?”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!