#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 147

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. It's Thursday today so get your flash ready to celebrate and write a #flashfiction thread! Welcome to Week 147 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 8 PM Mountain 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 147:

Former graphic designer, movie fanatic, and pre-published romance author, Michele Sieniarecki.

Michele on Facebook

Michele on Twitter

Michele on Google Plus

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"It was impossible.”

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!

Mid Week Tease - The Bone Flute - Love is Love

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a new year of Mid Week Tease hosted by Sandra Bunino.

Authors: this is a great opportunity to spotlight a few lines or even a paragraph or two from a new release or backlisted title. Readers: you get to sample some delicious snippets! We’ll do our best to tease, titillate and tantalize you into the weekend.

I suddenly realized I hadn't read my own post. LOL So this will be the last snippet from my new paranormal romantic suspense set in Las Vegas, entitled The Bone Flute. Next week I'll have something from Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack. But I can't just cut you off cold turkey, so in this unedited snippet, Rain is trying to figure out the nature of Jozsef's curse so they can figure out how to dismantle it.

She let that one go for a moment. “Okay, so you met up with a ‘magic user’ each time. Always in the same place?”

He shook his head slowly. “I don’t believe so. The first man appeared to be wealthy and lived in an ornate house on the water. He had a wife and children, but he also saw another woman most intimately. His mistress, I think. She was unhappy with his refusal to buy her better dresses than his wife and poisoned him for it.”

“Damn. You watched him die? Why didn’t you warn him?”

Jozsef shrugged. “What could I do? I was a ghost with no ability to communicate. Besides, he was a pig like Horváth. I had little interest in helping him.”

Rain sighed. “Who did you meet next?”

“A gypsy woman who told fortunes at all the villages along their route.”

“A fortune teller?” Rain snorted with derision. “Was she accurate?”

“Most of the time. Unfortunately, she told a ruling prince something he didn’t want to hear, no matter how true it might have been, and they stoned her for her ‘lies.’”

Rain gaped at his cavalier response. “Where were you then?”

He frowned in concentration and ran a fingernail over the edge of her table. “Rus, I think.”

“And you didn’t help her, either?”

“Rain, I was a ghost. How was I to help her?”

“You could’ve warned her or even distracted those who captured her. I assume you just watched her die, too.”

Jozsef opened his mouth to say something, but just gestured helplessly.

“Sheesh. Who’s next in the execution lineup?”

He told her about a rich Norwegian Prince whose half-brother wanted the crown on his head and took it, with the head still attached. Jozsef had learned how to make coherent sounds at by then, but hadn’t used them to help the Prince. The next time he awoke, he’d found himself in the hands of a handsome, young English painter. The young man had been lucky to find a wealthy patron, who had also been his lover. Unfortunately, the wealthy lover was jealous of the painter’s talent and attentions. He killed him one night when he thought the painter had accepted a tryst with another man.

Rain scowled. “Why did you let the painter die?”

“He was unnatural.” Jozsef shifted uneasily in his seat.

“He was not unnatural.” She slapped her hand on the table, frustration rising. “Homosexuality is as natural as heterosexuality. Love is love.”

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading. If you want to read more from other authors, click the link and enjoy...
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Mid Week Tease - The Bone Flute - Experimentation

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a new year of Mid Week Tease hosted by Sandra Bunino.

Authors: this is a great opportunity to spotlight a few lines or even a paragraph or two from a new release or backlisted title. Readers: you get to sample some delicious snippets! We’ll do our best to tease, titillate and tantalize you into the weekend.

I'm working on a new paranormal romantic suspense set in Las Vegas, entitled The Bone Flute. In this unedited snippet, Rain just swiped her hand through Jozsef while he sat talking to her and they both felt something extraordinary. He'd jumped up and sifted straight through her, then demanded what she was doing. We're in Rain's POV.

Rain shook her head to Jozsef’s question. What could she tell him? That she doubted his ghostliness and had to test it? Hell, she was a scientist. She had to experiment. She hadn’t expected to feel wetness between her legs or the hard points of her nipples pressing against her shirt as her hand sank into him. She certainly hadn’t expected the arousal or the desire to wrap herself around his handsome body. Again.

And how the hell are you going to do that now that you’ve proved he’s a ghost?

Something was seriously wrong with her.

“I’m sorry.” She gripped her coffee cup tightly with both hands to keep them from shaking. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to be sure.”

“Sure of what?”

“Sure you were telling me the truth.”

His brows lowered. “That I’m a ghost?”

“Yes.”

“Are you satisfied now?”

Not hardly. “Yes.”

Jozsef didn’t move from his post and she didn’t blame him. If he’d felt half as much as she did, she wouldn’t want to come closer either. Rain shoved off the wall and returned to her chair. She didn’t look at him, but turned her attention to the wooden box on the table. So innocuous, and yet it held a magical artifact. From a human body.

She shivered and dragged the box closer, lifting the lid. The bone flute lay where she’d left it and remained unchanged. Except there’s a ghost in my house. Jozsef said he was attached to it somehow and…

“Did you say you woke up being molested?”

“I did.”

“How could you be molested when you’re a ghost?” Please let me be wrong.

He didn’t say anything for a short time. He leaned backward with his hands braced on the counter, pushing his chest out and widening his shoulders. His lips tightened as he stared at the tips of his boots.

“The bone flute is part of me.”

“Dear God, is this your femur?”

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading. If you want to read more from other authors, click the link and enjoy...

Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Snippet Sunday - Christmas ICE Magic - Not Quite Living

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 Christmas novella, Christmas I.C.E. Magic, a paranormal romance set in the mountains northeast of Las Vegas. It's one of four stories in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge Anthology, and it's only sale for only $0.99. And in a few weeks, the sequel to Christmas ICE Magic is coming out. If you missed last week's snippet, you can read it HERE.

In this snippet, Lily Sinclair is dreaming in her tent out in the snow. She gets her wish to see her brother one last time, but the conversation isn't quite going the way she'd expected.

“Bullshit.” Linus pushed her down on a nearby crystal. “You’d wanted to see what Christmas was like in the tropics and you got the opportunity.” He dropped beside her. “No one could’ve known what would happen. You can’t live your life defensively. That’s not living.”

Lily huffed a laugh, swiping at her tears. “Says the dead guy.”

He grinned. “I should know, shouldn’t I?”

“Heh. Yeah.” She rubbed her nose on her sleeve.

“Here’s the thing. I’ve been with you every step of the way, keeping an eye on you, and you’re starting to freak me out a little, Lil.” He took her hand and met her gaze, his usually dancing eyes serious. “You’re pushing too hard and it’s going to end up killing you.”

Lily pursed her lips and looked away. How could she tell her dead brother she didn’t want to live anymore? “There’s nothing really left for me…here.”

I think her brother needs to teach her about life. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Christmas ICE Magic, here's the blurb for the Anthology:

At the Crescent Moon Lodge, anything is possible and Christmas wishes come in the most unusual packages.

Christmas I.C.E. Magic – By Siobhan Muir
For Lily Sinclair, Christmas means sorrow and loss since the death of her twin brother. The magic is gone and she only wants to see her brother one more time. As an Ice Demon Zachary Snow is used to rescuing people in winter, but he’d never rescued anyone like Lily. Now he must convince her the magic she wants is in life itself.

A Howling Yuletide –By Shannan Albright

Fleur Delecourt knew her Christmas holiday was doomed from the start. Not only did she hate the cold and snow, but also she found herself saddled with a ski instructor, courtesy of a friend’s twisted sense of humor. Werewolf Rory Furr left Scotland to find a life and pack of his own. What he was not prepared for was finding his mate in the form of a petite redhead who tests both his self-control and patience.

Bon Appetite from the Lunar Eclipse Restaurant-By R.M. Sotera
Executive chef vampire Michael Stake loves his job at the Lunar Eclipse Restaurant. Although food critics do not visit often, he welcomes world-renown critic Penelope Rothchild to his establishment. That’s when all hell breaks loose. World-renown food critic Penelope Rothchild looks forward to her new assignment in Las Vegas. Christmas in the West, what could possibly go wrong? Everything. But it’s all in the name of the perfect meal.

Boo Christmas – By Johanna Riley
All Elvira "Elle" Grant wanted for Christmas was to get out from under her famous paranormal investigator parents' shadow. But being a medium she's always haunted by their profession. Thanks to a contest win, she gets the chance to do her own paranormal investigating during Christmas at the beautiful Crescent Moon Lodge near Las Vegas, Nevada. With hunky (albeit dead!) Casper Van Beau’s help. Can Elle get over her own insecurities long enough to open up to the possibilities of eternal love?

Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge is only $0.99 at Amazon, All Romance, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Pick up your copy and get swept away for Christmas. And keep an eye out for Cloudburst Ice Magic coming early August 2014!

Mid Week Tease - The Bone Flute - Wake Up Call

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a new year of Mid Week Tease hosted by Sandra Bunino.

Authors: this is a great opportunity to spotlight a few lines or even a paragraph or two from a new release or backlisted title. Readers: you get to sample some delicious snippets! We’ll do our best to tease, titillate and tantalize you into the weekend.

I'm working on a new paranormal romantic suspense set in Las Vegas, entitled The Bone Flute. In this unedited snippet, Rain is trying to understand why Jozsef (pronounced Yo-zheff) is really in her home and swears magic (and ghosts) aren't real. Rain asked for the story behind his alleged curse of being a ghost tied to the bone flute.

“Do you think her last action is why you become a ghost?”

He shrugged and nodded. “I can only surmise. When I woke again, I found myself being molested by a fat man.”

“Oh, dear. That’s probably not a nice thing to wake up to.”

“No.” Jozsef grimaced. “I had no ability to speak to him or anyone else around me. He touched me in an intimate way, but he seemed completely unaware of my existence. He died soon after and I fell back into oblivion.”

“Was that the only time you’ve woken up?”

“No.” He couldn’t stop the smirk from returning to his lips. “But waking up to you made all the other unpleasant awakenings seem trivial.”

Rain shot him a dry look. “Cute.” She frowned. “You’re sure it’s a curse to keep coming back to this world again and again?”

He gave her his own flat look. “What would you call it?”

“No, you’re right, that kind of existence would suck, especially if you couldn’t communicate or stay long.” She pondered for a few moments, tapping a nail against her mug. “Do you know what the curse is about?”

“About?” Jozsef frowned. “What do you mean?”

Rain spread her hands. “In all the old fairytales, curses were used for a purpose, you know? Like to teach some sort of lesson or change bad behaviors. What do you think you’re supposed to learn or change here?”

Jozsef blinked. “I don’t know.” Rain sighed and he added, “When the bone flute is given to a magic user, the magic sparks me back into awareness and your world. I rarely know when or where I am, or who I’m with.”

“How very Quantum Leap.”

Jozsef shot her a blank look. “Sorry?”

Rain shook her head. “Never mind. I know you’re convinced I’m some sort of witch, but I don’t have any magical abilities. All I got is logic and observation.”

Dread clenched his gut and he reached for one of her hands before he could think. “Please, Lady Rain, the bone flute has been given to you. Help me find the way to end this and I shall leave you alone.”

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading. If you want to read more from other authors, click the link and enjoy...
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Mid Week Tease - The Bone Flute - Origins of the Curse

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a new year of Mid Week Tease hosted by Sandra Bunino.

Authors: this is a great opportunity to spotlight a few lines or even a paragraph or two from a new release or backlisted title. Readers: you get to sample some delicious snippets! We’ll do our best to tease, titillate and tantalize you into the weekend.

I'm working on a new paranormal romantic suspense set in Las Vegas, entitled The Bone Flute. In this unedited snippet, Rain is trying to understand why Jozsef (pronounced Yo-zheff) is really in her home and swears magic (and ghosts) aren't real. Rain asked for the story behind his alleged curse of being a ghost tied to the bone flute.

“What proof?” Rain couldn’t hide her skepticism.

Jozsef’s face creased with mortification. “He said he could no longer get a, uh, well…” He trailed off with a vague gesture toward his groin.

Rain stared at him while his face went redder and redder. Then she laughed.

“He couldn’t get a hard-on and he blamed Marika for that?” She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Man, the shit men come up with to blame women for their impotence.”

Jozsef cleared his throat and rubbed her table with his fingers. “Yes, well, he claimed she’d cursed him when he refused her offer to share his bed.”

“And you believed him?”

He shrugged, his shoulders tight. “I was young and hot headed. And jealous of her beauty. She could’ve had anyone in the village and I was too blinded by my need for an heir and my interest in her as a beautiful woman to see reason.”

“So you were young, dumb and full of cum, is that it?”

Jozsef grit his teeth and nodded once. “Yes.”

Rain sighed. “So then what happened?”

“Laszlo took advantage of my anger and said he had a plan to make the witch pay for both our pain. He said she would confess her sins and then we’d be rid of her influence in the village.”

A cold feeling built in the pit of Rain’s stomach. “What did you do?”

Jozsef looked away toward her backyard where the sun was heating the gravel paths through her desert garden. A few vegetable plants growing in the shade of the ash and fig trees she’d planted, but succulents and gravel took up most of the space. It was beautiful and serene, but she didn’t think he saw any of it.

“Nothing. Laszlo trapped her in her cottage and hurled his accusations of her to the crowd. She refused to come out and he set fire to the house. She never got out.”

“Are you saying he burned her alive inside her house? And you let him?” Her hands tightened on her mug.

“Yes.” Jozsef’s jaw was set and anger slid through his expression.

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading. If you want to read more from other authors, click the link and enjoy...
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Mid Week Tease - The Bone Flute - Science vs. Magic

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a new year of Mid Week Tease hosted by Sandra Bunino.

Authors: this is a great opportunity to spotlight a few lines or even a paragraph or two from a new release or backlisted title. Readers: you get to sample some delicious snippets! We’ll do our best to tease, titillate and tantalize you into the weekend.

I'm working on a new paranormal romantic suspense set in Las Vegas, entitled The Bone Flute. In this unedited snippet, Rain is trying to understand why Jozsef (pronounced Yo-zheff) is really in her home and gets a lesson in symmetry.

“You’re going to have to explain this to me. I don’t really understand the whole curse thing. I didn’t know anything about the bone flute until yesterday afternoon when a lawyer brought it to the office as a piece of my inheritance from my grandmother.”

“You inherited it from your grandmother, but you know nothing about it?” He raised an eyebrow.

“We weren’t close.” Rain shrugged. “My dad wanted nothing to do with his family. I never really knew my grandmother or the rest of his relatives.”

“How could you learn to hone your magic skills if you never knew your grandmother?” Then his expression cleared. “Ah, you learned it from your mother’s people.”

“What? No, no, I’m not a magic user of any kind.” She gave him an understanding smile. “I’m a paleontologist.”

His frown returned, with a heavy dose of confusion. “A ‘studier’ of…what?”

“Studier of ancient life.” Her smile widened. “I study fossil animals and their ancient environments to give me clues about environmental changes that may happen to our world in the future.”

“So you use ancient life magic to predict the future.” Jozsef nodded slowly.

“No, I don’t use magic at all. I use science. And I can’t predict the future, only make educated guesses about where the environmental patterns are leading based on what we’ve seen in the past.”

“What is science?”

“It’s the knowledge or study of the physical or material world through systematic observation and the collection of facts.”

He snorted. “Is that not the same as magic?”

“No, not at all. In science, we observe the interactions of things, note patterns or discrepancies, and find the truth based on systematic data collection over time.”

“How is this different from the practice of magic? Doesn’t a witch use the same sort practice and observation to understand how to control the magical forces that make up the patterns you’ve seen?”

“Magic isn’t real.” Rain set her coffee down before she spilled it. “It’s just the term we use for illusionists and charlatans on the Strip, or a plot point on a fantasy story. It doesn’t exist.”

“Like ghosts?” His lips curled and she snapped her mouth shut, her teeth clacking with the force.

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading. If you want to read more from other authors, click the link and enjoy...
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Mid Week Tease - The Bone Flute - Guest of Ether

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a new year of Mid Week Tease hosted by Sandra Bunino.

Authors: this is a great opportunity to spotlight a few lines or even a paragraph or two from a new release or backlisted title. Readers: you get to sample some delicious snippets! We’ll do our best to tease, titillate and tantalize you into the weekend.

I'm working on a new paranormal romantic suspense set in Las Vegas, entitled The Bone Flute. In this unedited snippet, Rain crept downstairs, looking for her ghostly visitor, and when she can't find him, thinks she's home-free. Or ghost-free as the case may be.

“Huh,” she grunted with cautious satisfaction. Maybe he’s gone. Maybe he hadn’t existed in the first place and I dreamed the whole thing.

Rain tiptoed down the stairs, listening and looking for any movement other than Rimshot. She opened the blinds and moved cautiously toward the other rooms, creeping through the archway to the family room and kitchen. No one sat on her futon couch or at the kitchen table, though the box rested on its surface where she’d left it. The man who’d frightened her the night before was nowhere to be seen. Sunshine flooded through the windows of the breakfast nook and the sliding glass door to the backyard, warming the space and settling her nerves.

Rain let her breath out in a sigh, suddenly realizing she’d held it. She snorted with contempt for herself and shook her head, striding quickly to the coffee maker to brew her favorite libation.

“Coffee,” she growled under her breath. “Must have coffee.”

She damn near dropped everything when she heard someone tapping on the glass of her closed backyard door. Turning around, her heart climbed up into her throat as she peered through the glass.

Jozsef stood there, his knuckles against the barrier. Damn, he was bigger than she remembered. She didn’t want to let him in, though a small part of her brain reminded her he was at least being polite. If he’s really a ghost, what’s a little sheet of glass gonna do to stop him coming in?

Rain hesitated, wondering if she could keep him out if she didn’t invite him in.

That’s vampires, stupid, and he’s already been in the house. Just let him in and see what he wants.

She walked to the door and flipped the locking mechanism, sliding the door open.

“So you’re really here.”

“Yes.”

“What do you want?”

“May I come in?”

At least he asked this time.

She let out a deep sigh. “Yes.”

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading. If you want to read more from other authors, click the link and enjoy...
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Snippet Sunday - Bronco's Rough Ride - Every Last Drop

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 current 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.

This is the last snippet from Bronco's Rough Ride I'll be posting. Next week I'll have something new for you. :) Lindsey managed to get John dressed and down to the club. He has the use of his body back, but he's unstable and appears drunk. They're almost home free until they run across one of Lindsey's acquaintances in the Club. The snippet is a bit longer than usual as a farewell. But you can get the whole book at the links near the blurb. We're in John's POV.

“Ms. Black, I see you’ve gotten a new boy toy to play with.”

John released Lindsey as they swung around to face an elegantly dressed woman in crimson seated at the bar. The other woman scanned John from head to toe with lascivious interest and he let his features go slack with exaggerated drunkenness. Something about her perusal soured his stomach.

“Yes, I found him here at the Club. I’m looking forward to seeing what all he can do.” Lindsey’s shoulders straightened and she ran a hand possessively over John’s chest. She wrapped her fist around his tie and tugged on him until he looked her in the eyes. “And you’re going to do everything I ask you, aren’t you, Mr. Smith?”

John swayed as he nodded dumbly. “Uh-huh. Yeah.”

“Good boy.” Lindsey turned her gaze back to the woman in red. “Where’s your toy, Lady Katy?”

The other woman shrugged with a negligent toss of her head. “Oh, it expired recently. I’m waiting for a new replacement.” Her gaze fixed on John and she licked her lips, her eyes full of avarice. “Do let me know how this one works out for you. I might want to take him for a spin if there’s anything left when you’re done.”

Lindsey’s laughed chilled John to the bone. “You know I don’t leave leftovers. I use every. Last. Drop.”

Sounds like time's up. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Bronco's Rough Ride, here's the 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.

It's now available at Smashwords, Amazon, B&N, and All Romance eBooks. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

Snippet Sunday - Bronco's Rough Ride - Hauling SEAL

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 current 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.

Lindsey managed to get John dressed and onto her back, but 200 lbs of dead weight man is still difficult to move. We're in Lindsey's POV.

When his weight settled onto her back, she grunted and her knees protested, but none of her joints buckled. Score one for me. Despite the small victory, carrying John, even the few feet to the door of the room proved difficult. Lifting each limb became an exercise in stable placement. If she didn’t get the balance right, she’d end up flat on the floor with him holding her down.

Lindsey paused at the bedroom door and leaned against the jamb, catching her breath. Holy shit, how the hell am I going to make it across the whole suite?

“Man, you’re heavy, Bronco. Let me just catch my breath.”

“Take…your…time. Getting…stronger.”

“Good.”

Crawling to the door took every bit of strength she had and her slinky dress didn’t make the best man-hauling clothes. John gathered control with every passing minute and she had to get them out of here before the orderlies came back to administer another dose of the drug. The sense of urgency gave her the extra endurance to make it to the entryway.

 

Sounds like time's up. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Bronco's Rough Ride, here's the 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.

It's now available at Smashwords, Amazon, B&N, and All Romance eBooks. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

Snippet Sunday - Bronco's Rough Ride - Walking Luggage Cart

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 current 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.

Lindsey managed to get John dressed, but 200 lbs of dead weight man is still difficult to move and she has to be creative. Think outside the box. We're in Lindsey's POV.

She didn’t think she could do a fireman’s carry with him. He’s too big and heavy for that. And he didn’t have the strength or control for staggering beside her yet. She could drag him, but she’d never get him to his feet at the door.

Lindsey glanced down at his lovely golden eyes and swore he raised a curious eyebrow at her. How else could she move him? Too bad I don’t have a luggage cart. Luggage…lugging…

“Okay, this is going to be weird.” Lindsey turned her back to John and knelt on the floor. “I’m going to wear you to the door.”

“Mmmpf?” His question puffed into the hair at her nape.

“Yeah, like a cloak.” She draped his arms over her shoulders. “You ready?”

Looks like she's getting a new addition to her wardrobe. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Bronco's Rough Ride, here's the 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.

It's now available at Smashwords, Amazon, B&N, and All Romance eBooks. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

Mid Week Tease - The Bone Flute - Stepping Out of Bounds

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a new year of Mid Week Tease hosted by Sandra Bunino.

Authors: this is a great opportunity to spotlight a few lines or even a paragraph or two from a new release or backlisted title. Readers: you get to sample some delicious snippets! We’ll do our best to tease, titillate and tantalize you into the weekend.

I'm working on a new paranormal romantic suspense set in Las Vegas, entitled The Bone Flute. In this unedited snippet, Jozsef realizes he's screwed up any chances of getting Rain to release him from the curse laid on him by her ancestor. This is in his POV.

“Please don’t hurt me.”

The words whispered at the height of his throat were heavily laced with fear, but they’re impact impaled him stronger than any sword. Combined with the tears flooding down her cheeks, he realized he’d frightened her so badly she’d resorted to begging him for mercy. Him, a ghost, with no power in her mortal realm. Except her warmth pressed against his groin and the trembling shaking her body rattled his world.

Regret and disgust flared through him. He’d never been one to hit or harm a woman, except the one time he believed the Headman’s son, and he’d paid dearly for that stupidity. But now he threatened another woman, and another member of the Szép family.

Saints alive, would he never learn?

Unfortunately, now that he had her pressed against the cupboards, the glorious scent of her hair and the softness of her breasts created a new reaction. His body hardened between them and she gasped, freezing as if he stabbed her.

Stabbing her with that sword is a fine idea.

And how are you going to do that, jackass? You’re a ghost and she’s a flesh and blood woman of the family you wronged. You can’t even touch her.

Except he touched her now and his cock sensed her heat pressed along its hard length.

He gritted his teeth and tried to rein in both his temper and his body’s rampaging desires. He still held her wrists in his hands, but he backed his body far enough away so they no longer touched.

Her eyes stretched wide with fear and the tears coursed down her face, but she didn’t wail or sob. She held perfectly still and watched him like she would a feral animal. She’s not far wrong and it isn’t likely to convince her to lift the curse.

Sighing, he bowed his head, but he never took his eyes from her.

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Anger still fired his blood but he pushed it back. “It has been a long time since I’ve met a witch of your strength and to find one from your family only makes me more impatient to be rid of my curse.”

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading. If you want to read more from other authors, click the link and enjoy...

Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Snippet Sunday - Bronco's Rough Ride - Sharp Dressed Man, Kinda

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 current 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.

Lindsey is trying to get John dressed, but 200 lbs of dead weight man is harder to manipulate than she thought. We're in John's POV and he'd really like to help her, but he can't yet.

She tugged the shirt around his shoulders then paused, giving a short laugh. “This would be so much easier if you could help me. Okay, up you go.” She shoved him into a sitting position, grunting with her efforts. The world spun as his head sagged and her arms wrapped around him to keep him upright. Well, kinda upright. He swayed and tilted, and his own frustration echoed the low growl rumbling in her chest against his back.

“This is so wrong, it’s funny.” She laid her head on his shoulder and took a few breaths. “Okay, I think I have to roll you onto your belly, lift your other arm to get it in the sleeve, then roll you back. God help me when I have to get the jacket on you. Ready?”

What could he say? She sat behind him and he couldn’t turn his head.

“All right. Here we go.”

Have you ever tried to move someone who's dead asleep? Same idea here. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Bronco's Rough Ride, here's the 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.

It's now available at Smashwords, Amazon, B&N, and All Romance eBooks. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

Mid Week Tease: The Bone Flute - Things Get Serious

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a new year of Mid Week Tease hosted by Sandra Bunino.

Authors: this is a great opportunity to spotlight a few lines or even a paragraph or two from a new release or backlisted title. Readers: you get to sample some delicious snippets! We’ll do our best to tease, titillate and tantalize you into the weekend.

I'm working on a new paranormal romantic suspense set in Las Vegas, entitled The Bone Flute. In this unedited snippet, Jozsef reminds Rain of the curse laid on him by her ancestor. Unfortunately, he loses his temper. This is in Rain's POV.

“Come, lady, surely you know the story of the bone flute and what it means to your family.” Disgust twisted his handsome features.

She looked at him blankly. “The bone flute?”

“The bone flute and the curse.”

His voice rumbled with anger and regret.

“There’s a curse attached to that bone flute?” She glanced at the box again. What the hell had she inherited?

He growled and her eyes snapped back to him. “There’s no need to play innocent. I’ve realized the mistake I made and I’ve paid and paid and paid for it. Tell me how to undo the curse and I shall leave you and your family alone for once and for all.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Have done, my lady!” His arms dropped to his sides, his hands fisting as anger suffused his face. “I’m sorry for the death of your relative, but you must know I’ve paid for my mistake. Now release me.”

Rain stared at the man glaring at her like an ancient barbarian warrior and wondered if he was an asylum escapee. She’d thought him nuts when he stood at her cubicle like some sort of Renaissance Faire reject, but now he just confirmed her suspicions. He definitely wasn’t dealing with a full deck.

Shaking her head, she flicked the knife blade at him.

“Get out. Take your delusions and weirdness with you and get out of my house.”

“By all the saints!” He vaulted over her island and pinned her to the counter with his weight as he ripped the knife from her hand. “I can’t leave your house until you release me from the curse your relative laid on me!”

The force of his fury broke through her courage and she blinked as tears leaked out the corners to slide down the sides of her face. In his rage, he could kill her without much effort, and all anyone would find would be her body.

Gathering what little courage she had left, she took a deep breath and raised her chin.

“Please don’t hurt me.”

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading. If you want to read more from other authors, click the link and enjoy...
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...