The Tortured Male

by Deanna Wadsworth

Today I wanna talk about one of my favorite things... the sexy tortured Alpha Male.

This is definitely a trope in the romance world that I LOVE!

One of my favorite authors, Sherilyn Kenyon, does a great tortured Alpha Male. He's usually an angry man cut off from others, a loner, but deeply lonely because of people in his past hiring him and destroying his ability to trust. One time I reread ALL her books in a row, from Fantasy Lover to Acheron (I don't recommend this because they get real predictable—Sorry Sherilyn!) but I was attempting to study how she made these type of characters so appealing.
I found a few common threads, and thought I'd share them.

1) The hurt was always far in his past, so it was believable that he was ready to heal and the story did not have too much angst

2) Hero resisted falling for the heroine with words and actions, but while in his POV the reader got a window into the truth, that he was fighting himself and wanted to be loved

3) A stubborn protagonist who refused to give up on him and saw thru his tough guy act

4) Finally, he made the grand gesture where he did the one thing he swore he would never do again... All for love!

LOL I never get sick of it! There is just something so endearing and sexy about this type of hero, a man who can be healed by the love of the right woman... or in the case of what I write, the love of the right man. ;)

Why do readers eat up these characters and fall in love with them so easily?
I think this type of hero captures the heart of the reader because the crux of a good romance novel is the idea that love conquers all, even a broken past.

What do you think? What is your favorite type of hero to read? The beta hero? I would love to hear from you!!

Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.

Like Deanna on Facebook facebook.com/deannawadsworthauthor

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Find Deanna on goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4264579.Deanna_Wadsworth

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Check out Deanna’s Blog deannawadsworth.blogspot.com

Real-life heroes and heroines

Betting it All available HERE

by Cate Masters

My husband’s addiction to The History Channel can be a good or bad thing. Bad when it’s a seeming replay of war and all its related weapons (in much too much gory detail) but good when it sparks a story idea. Some time ago, a feature about the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco caught both our attentions.

Like most story ideas, it gelled in my brain awhile, niggling at me to learn more. Being the research addict I am, I trolled the Web and found a treasure trove of stories waiting to be told. Stories of real-life heroes and heroines who overcame immense odds to rebuild the city after its worst tragedy to date.

Before the great quake, San Francisco was one hot city. The ninth largest in the U.S., it was home to 400,000 people, and rife with crime, prostitution, opium dives and most any vice you can imagine, mostly concentrated in the Barbary District. There, the city’s Vice Squad – for a price, of course – turned a blind eye to the scandalous dance halls, peep shows and whorehouses. More tame fun awaited at the Chutes and Zoo, an amusement park, or the Golden Gate Donkey Rides, where children could ride in goat carts or on donkeys.

Ragtime music was in its heyday, and Enrico Caruso enjoyed immense popularity – he was actually in town during the quake, having performed the night before at the Grand Operahouse.

While Enrico survived the earthquake, not much else in the city did. The Richter Scale had not yet been invented, but geologists estimate the quake to be equal to 7.8, and more than 270 miles of the San Andreas Fault ruptured. More than 3000 people lost their lives, either during the quake or in the resulting fires that destroyed what the quake had left.

The Golden Gate Bridge had not yet been constructed, so residents used the ferry to get back and forth to outlying islands. Trying to crowd onto that ferry to escape the devasation, more lost their lives.

How the survivors managed to carry on, I don’t know. But they did, in an incredible, roll-up-your-sleeves and get-down-to-business way. After President Teddy Roosevelt sent the military with wagonloads of rations, people set up tent cities, food lines and began cleanup efforts. Businesses reopened within days, as shopkeepers were determined to rebuild. Again, every single story told of actual heroes, many who never found recognition for their amazing courage.

In real life, such disaster is heartwrenching. In fiction, it’s fodder for a great story, especially when it has such a hopeful aftermath. I loved placing my heroine and hero in these circumstances. Already down and out, Norah Hawkins and Gerard “Mac” MacKenzie are looking for a better life in San Francisco. Do they find it? Well, you’ll have to read the story to find out. :)

And as of today, you can! It's release day for my historical novella Betting It All! Woot! :)

Here’s the blurb:

Norah Hawkins wants a new life as far from her old one as possible, but where can she ever find that chance? When a letter arrives promising her the deed to property in San Francisco, Norah packs her bags and flees the broken shards of her troubled past.

With its anything-goes atmosphere, 1906 San Francisco suits Irishman Gerard MacKenzie just fine. He loves tending bar in Norah’s saloon, and verbally sparring with the shrewd businesswoman for more privileges and work. Her beauty, wit and sass make his blood boil with need.

But disaster looms over their promising new lives when a terrible earthquake buries their dreams and threatens to shatter their future. Norah and Mac must rebuild their lives from the ruins and they’ll need each other more than ever, but can their ties to each other save them or tear them apart? 

About Cate

Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

Cate loves to hear from readers! Email her at: cate.masters@gmail.com

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A Cowboy with a Heart of Stone

“A classic in the making!”~Under the Covers Book reviews

A sizzling new series packed with heart from Amazon bestselling author, Amanda McIntyre.

RUGGED HEARTS—Book I, The Kinnison Legacy! Meet Wyatt, Dalton and Rein, the formidable men of the Kinnison Legacy and the women who will tame them!

Blurb:

Rugged, quiet, hardworking, Wyatt takes his position as head of the Kinnison family seriously. But the scars of betrayal by the women to whom he once trusted his heart now prompt his stark, simple game plan, and no one in hell is going to convince him any differently. What matters most, besides the welfare of his brothers, is to manage the ranch left to him and never risk his heart again to something as foolish as love—but after meeting Aimee, Wyatt begins to realize that a man should never say never to a determined second grade teacher.

When vivacious, resilient Aimee Worth loses her twin sister in a tragic accident, she makes the choice to live out her sister’s dream of teaching in the small mountain community called End of the Line, Montana, never suspecting she’d meet her Mr. Right in the middle of nowhere—he just doesn’t know it yet. Used to challenges, her spirit shatters the perceptions that have kept him isolated from living life beyond the ranch, proving to him that when it comes to love, the greatest risk is not taking one.

Excerpt set-up; stranded a few days before Christmas with students from her class who’d been on a field trip, Aimee and Wyatt battle an attraction started from the first night they met…

She was warm, sweet, and responsive to him in a way Wyatt hadn’t expected. His fingers found the sash of the robe and gently pulled it free. He cupped her face and kissed her like he’d thought of doing a million times since the day in the parking lot. He pulled her close, lifted her into his arms, and set her on the countertop. She held his face, her kisses soft yet demanding more, driving his hunger. His fingers fumbled with unfastening the buttons of the flannel shirt she wore. She braced herself on her hands and allowed him to peel away the fabric.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, drawing his hand over her silky flesh. He cupped her soft breast, and she fit his palm with sweet perfection. After another fiery kiss, he trailed his lips over her skin, taking in her musky scent. Encouraged by her hand holding his head in place, he helped himself, closing his mouth over her rigid tip, teasing until she forced his head up to look at her.

“Wyatt.” She breathed his name.

He wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and carry her to bed, but he knew that was impossible under the circumstances. Instead, he relished her passionate kisses and slipped his hands between her thighs. He pressed his fingers to her warm, wet flesh. She squirmed at his touch. Her mouth dropped open with a soft sigh.

He swallowed hard and reminded himself that the kitchen counter, surrounded by a houseful of kids, was not how he wanted their first time to be.

“Oh God,” she whispered. “No, no…I can’t. Not here.”

She grabbed his hand and pulled him to her in an explosive kiss that nearly burst Wyatt from the confines of his jeans. He cupped her face and was angling to deepen the next kiss when she pulled away.

“I have an idea.” She straightened and held her hands against his chest. He heard her heavy breathing.

“Yeah, I’ve got a couple of my own.” He reached for her again.

She leaned over and turned on the light, temporarily blinding him.

“I can see we are not on the same page.” He sighed deeply and licked his lips. Her taste lingered on his mouth. She pulled her clothes together, hastily refastening the buttons he’d worked so hard to undo, and tugged the robe up around her shoulders. Only then did she look at him.

Wyatt rested his hands on either side of her, debating whether to stay or go jump in a snowdrift. He glanced up, eyeing her.

“I was just thinking.”

“Me, too.”

“About Christmas morning.”

“Hmm, that’s not what I was thinking about.” She put another knot in her robe tie and looked down at him as if to say playtime was over. Snowdrift, it is. “What were you thinking?”

“I have some candy canes in my book bag. I was going to give them out as treats at school. What would you think about using their shoes like stockings? I think they still fill shoes in Europe—Norway or someplace.”

He winced. “Maybe I can find some clean socks, instead.” His mind was stuck on his libido, and he marveled how she could switch gears so effortlessly. Given the circumstances, it was probably better he redirect his brain anyway. But as far as he was concerned, what they’d started tonight wasn’t over by a long shot. He had tasted bliss and he thirsted for more. Once those kids were out of his house and safely back in theirs, he intended to show her how good they could be. He lifted her from the counter, careful not to keep his hands on her too long.

What’s your most favorite Christmas memory? Comment to win an e-book of RUGGED HEARTS!

BUY LINKS:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Rugged-Hearts-Kinnison-Legacy-ebook/dp/B00CH3NZAK

Decadent Publishing:  http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=810

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rugged-hearts-amanda-mcintyre/1115165335?ean=2940016723389

All Romance e-Books : https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ruggedhearts-1169751-149.html

Social Networks:

Website: http://www.amandamcintyresbooks.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/amanda.mcintyre.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandamcintyre1

Kinnison Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kinnison-Legacy/375196125921871

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002C1KH2Q

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/519786.Amanda_McIntyre

Ice Cream Blonde

By Courtney Sheets

I was surfing the TV the other night in a fit of rampant insomnia and I ran across a movie called, Clear Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd, starring Loni Anderson. This was not the first time I'd seen this made-for-TV 1980s gem, but it had been awhile. (If you haven't seen this film, check it out. It is a fun flick with Loni looking gorgeous and over acting).

Thelma Todd was a movie star in the Silent Era. She was known as the Ice Cream Blonde and Hot Toddy to her friends. She was in several movies, 119 in all, during the course of her career and starred with some of the best comedic stars of the Silent Era. For example, Charley Chase, Harry Langdon and Laurel and Hardy.  She had an affair with her director Roland West of the movie Corsair.

In August of 1934, she opened a successful cafe in the Palisades called, of course, Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe. She attracted a diverse clientele of Hollywood elite, tourists, and..... (drum roll, please) gangsters.

Toddy had a penchant for drinking and dangerous men. She had so many drunken car crashes going from party from party; the studio demanded she have a chauffeur. After opening the cafe and moving into the apartment above with West, Todd began an affair with Charles "Lucky" Luciano. (Yep, that Lucky Luciano)

Lucky got Toddy hooked on  amphetamines in order to keep her line. He kept pressuring our Ice Cream Blonde to let him use one of the upstairs rooms as an illicit gambling den, but she flatly refused. After one such row with the notable gangster, Toddy shouted in the middle of the Brown Derby, "Over my dead body!" Supposedly, Lucky responded "That can be arranged."

Sure enough on December 16th, 1935 Thelma was found dead by her maid, May Clearhead, slumped over the steering wheel of her convertible. The ignition was on, but the engine was not. There were two gallons of fuel inside the car, and a smudged handprint on the door. She was 29-years-old. She had blood on her forehead.

The L.A. Surgeon estimated the time of death between 5 and 8 am on Sunday morning. He explained the blood as being a result of Thelma hitting her head against the steering wheel.

No one really knows what happen to Thelma Todd. Some say that she was killed by Lucky and his men. Some say accident.
    Thelma Todd was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery and you can visit her grave if you ever visit.

Hollywood is full of unsolved mysteries and mayhem. As a writer I love exploring the darker aspects of human nature and the darker sides of history. What stories intrigue you most?

How do you ménage?

The Frog Prince available HERE

By Deanna Wadsworth

Oh, yeah, I asked it! LOL Actually I want to talk about reading ménage, what you do in your own spare time, you can PM me about LOL

This topic came up because I just got tricked...yes I said tricked, LOL... into reading an M/F/M book the other day. I thought it was M/M because I barely glanced at the pdf book cover on my desktop. When I saw two muscled chests I just sent that baby to my kindle. I didn’t notice the girl on the cover, LOL. 

Per my usual I was in the mood for a couple sexy guys falling in love, so about  five minutes into the book I was like, “Whoa, there’s gonna be a chick in this? WTH?” I did a little mental grumbling—you know how it is when you expect one thing and get another?—but it was a well written book and I liked the dialog, so I kept reading. It ended up being a really good novella and I would probably read the author again.

Ms. Claus's List available HERE

One thing disappointed me. I wanted the guys to be into each other as well. But alas the quote was, “We need to have a woman between us,” hence the M/F/M, not the M/M/F that was what I was hoping for. If you aren’t an erotica reader, you may not realize that when the Ms are listed next to each other, it denotes the men have fun with each other, too. And likewise F/F/M means there is girl on girl action.

After reading this book—and I did enjoy it—I got to thinking about the ménage and polyamorous books I have written. MS. CLAUS’ LIST is just a good old fashioned orgy, LOL, where I make sure everybody plays with everybody. But then again in my Naughty North Pole series I establish that Santa’s elves are horny little critters and gender doesn’t matter. THE FROG PRINCE is a polyamorous story where the Prince Phillip is in love with his footman but needs a wife to break a curse and finds an open-minded girl who doesn’t mind being their new plaything.

In reading the above book I mentioned, I realized that my preference with ménage stories is everyone should be involved with each partner in SOME way. If you’re gonna do it, might as well go all in. Right? 

Maybe because I am on a m/m kick lately, but I like the idea of it being a total three-way, not just the fantasy of two guys being all about one girl. It’s hotter, for me anyway, when everyone joins in. And I DO NOT mean the men need to do it... but dayum! If you are so “cool” with your BFF, your “bro” that you wanna “share” a woman... um, you would think that those men would be comfortable enough with those naked parts mere inches from theirs to at least touch the other guys ARM or his LEG. While I love on-page M/M action, my ménage guys need to at least use their partner’s shoulder for a prop on occasion. If you’re a dude cool with a three-way with another dude and a chick... be comfortable enough with yourself that maybe you at least KISS the guy. Cuz, IMO, if you’re going down that road of naughty, heck, a kiss sure ain’t gonna make you gay, dude. LOL

What about you guys?

What is your personal favorite match-up in ménage?

M/M/F; M/F/F; M/F/M? I haven’t read F/M/F, but the second I typed it plot bunnies started talking to me...

Please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you!

~Deanna

Bestselling erotica author Deanna Wadsworth leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her hubby of 16 years and two demanding little dogs. She sold her first book to Decadent Publishing, an erotic retelling of RED RIDING HOOD in 2010 and it quickly reached #15 on Amazon bestseller lists. Her tenth Decadent Publishing title THE BEST EVER spent eleven days on All Romance Bestseller List and made it up to #20 as an Amazon bestselling gay romance.

Idle hands

Silk & Scandal available HERE

by Cassandra Dean 

We live in a fast paced culture, one fueled by coffee and adrenaline. We’re constantly on the move, rushing to get to work, to a meeting, to the kids’ sporting events, to our parents’ place for Sunday lunch. We’re doing housework, paying bills, cooking, gardening, doing a million things and running around and around and around. We never seem to stand still, and when we do, we feel that we should be doing something. Doesn’t the car need to be cleaned? Doesn’t the budget need to be done? Those dishes are looking mighty dirty...We’re our own worst enemies, with this constant need to move.

But, and this is the big question, why? Why is it so bad to sit idle, to take time to just breathe and look about? Why must we feel guilty for taking a moment, a minute, an hour, to ourselves?

It seems strange to me. Our bodies aren’t designed for constant movement. We have to rest, or we’ll soon know about it. Its the same with our brains. We have to switch them off, let them rest and revitalise.

To apply such a thing to writing, sometimes you must step away from your manuscript in order to fix the problem. You could be going round and round in circles, ready to tear your hair out because it just. Won’t. Work!!!

I’m pretty bad at the ‘rest’ thing. As a writer, my brain constantly ticks over, always finding the next story or scene. I find it extremely hard to silence my mind, to just be in a moment. Even worse, I’ll finish a series of task and then be at a loss, convinced I should be doing something.

However, sometimes, it’s okay to do nothing. I find stepping away, doing something else, allowing my brain to tick away in the background while I’m doing other things always does the trick. The answer will come to me, and then I can sit before my computer and get the job done.

This seems more productive than traditional “sit and stare at the machine” doesn’t it? It might seem like I’m piking, or being indolent-like, but in reality, I’ve saved myself time and frustration. By stepping away for an hour or so, I’m giving my subconscious the time it needs to work through the problem, to make the connections my conscious mind is simply too fatigued to make. When I sit before my computer once more, fresh and raring to go, I’m much more productive, and it’s all because I took the time to have a break.

So, is being idle really that bad?

I’d love to know your thoughts, peeps. Do you think stopping to smell the roses is a bad thing? How do you relax? Let me know in the comments below.

Cassandra Dean

THE SILK SERIES, BOOK 1

Eight years ago…
Thomas Cartwright and Lady Nicola Fitzgibbons were friends. Over the wall separating their homes, Thomas and Nicola talked of all things – his studies to become a barrister, her frustrations with a lady’s limitations.

All things end.
When her diplomat father gains a post in Hong Kong, Nicola must follow. Bored and alone, she falls into scandal. Mired in his studies of the law and aware of the need for circumspection, Thomas feels forced to sever their ties.

But now Lady Nicola is back…and she won’t let him ignore her.

Available NOW

Decadent Publishing

Amazon: US | UK | Canada

Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks 

Cassandra grew up daydreaming, inventing fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures. Once she learned to read (First phrase – To the Beach. True story), she was never without a book, reading of other people’s fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures. 

Fairy tales, Famous Fives, fantasies and fancies; horror stories, gumshoe detectives, science fiction; Cassandra read it all. Then she discovered Romance and a true passion was born.

So, once upon a time, after making a slight detour into the world of finance, Cassandra tried her hand at writing. After a brief foray into horror, she couldn’t discount her true passion. She started to write Romance and fell head over heels. 

The love affair exists to this very day. 

Cassandra lives in Adelaide, South Australia. 

You can find Cassandra at:

CassandraDean.com ~ Cassandra and Lucy ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Goodreads ~ Tumblr ~ Pintrest ~ Amazon.com

Food…and Sex?

By Dakota Trace

  Usually a good meal is a prerequisite for sex.  Or so they say.  But ever since I saw 9 ½ Weeks at an age I won’t mention, I couldn’t help but wanting to combine yummy food and sizzling sex. Then I ran across a call for Decadent’s new Foodie Romance line and inspiration struck!

  But I didn’t want to do just a simple recreation of the scene I watched in the movie.  I wanted whatever food I picked to be a sensual, if not downright steamy part of my story.   I wanted it to be a form a foreplay, but I didn’t want the food to be the traditional chocolate syrup or ice.  (Not that those condiments can’t be sexy as hell.)  

  So I came up with idea of using a more complex dessert – something that would require a chef to create it. Which makes sense since one of my heroes is a three-star chef).  But it also had to be the kind of dessert that could be used to tease…that’s when inspiration struck – BANANAS FOSTER! 

 

For those who happen to love food or be fans of Food Network, you realize this New Orleans dessert is a magnificent display of not only culinary talent but also showmanship.  Not only does it require some cooking skills in the putting it together, but the presentation is absolutely beautiful if it’s done right.  (For those of you who don’t know, this is a dessert that a chef caramelizes brown sugar, dark rum, and bananas by lighting it on fire AT your table before serving it over ice cream, waffles or crêpes.)  It seemed like the perfect dessert under the right circumstances. One couldn’t play with this dessert in the way I dreamed immediately after it was served…but reheated? Oh…yeah.  And that’s what occurred when my kinky chef, Isaiah decided to not only tie his lover, Sean to the dining room table, but use him as a canvas for the left-over dessert.   

So enjoy the snippet from His Just Desserts, and leave a comment for me about what you think would be the sexiest food to play with to enter the chance to win $10 Amazon Gift Card.  (Make sure to put your email address in the comment as well :D)

Excerpt:

“Never once have I considered you my kept man. There’s nothing wrong with me wanting to take care of the man I love. I may be a lot of things, but I never once acted like I was better than you, or like I thought you were inferior to me. We were in love, and when I asked you come with me to Iowa City, you said no. You could’ve graduated a year early, but instead you wanted to stay in that Podunk town. I had to take advantage of the scholarship to U of I, so I left.”

“You could’ve stayed. It was only a year.”

“Could have, should have—it doesn’t matter now. It’s all water under the bridge. What I want to do is to offer you a substantial amount of money to come to my home, prepare a meal for myself and the partners.”

Sinking down into the chair, he rubbed the back of his neck. There has to be a catch. Old lovers just don’t show up and offer vast amounts of money, Waterson. “But?”

“But now, I have a feeling no amount would be enough to get you to pretend to be my lover for the night, and that’s what I need from you.”

A bitter laugh passed his lips at the irony. “This is just grand. I never thought I’d hear the mighty Sean Whitcomb offer to pay someone to pretend to be his lover. You’re a lover extraordinaire who could have a man any day of the week. Isn’t that what you told me before you left?” Unresolved resentment peppered his voice as his anger boiled over. He wanted to do more than punch Sean. He wanted to hurt him right where his heart lived. “So why don’t you go find one of them to do it? Better yet, see if you can’t call one of the modeling agencies and have them send over some hot guy to play the role, because the only thing that would convince me to agree is if I got to top you for a whole weekend. And it would be no-holds-barred sex. You’d be my bitch, for once—and I’d make sure you screamed with pleasure.”

“Is that what it would take, Isaiah?”

The soft tone should’ve warned him, but anger made him rash. “Yeah, it’s the only damned way…but we both know you’ll never agree to it. You never bottom, you never give up control, so this discussion is over—”

“No it’s not over. I agree to your terms,” Sean said. “One meal, a couple hours of pretend, and you get me for the whole weekend. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your pound of flesh. I’ll call tomorrow with the details.”

A click in his ear told him Sean had hung up.

Baring It All

Bared Essentials available HERE

By Denise McCray

Hi all!

Hope you’re having a great summer so far. The weather here in the Burgh has been pretty up and down. For the most part, it hasn’t been too hot and this week it’s actually going to be a little cool for early August. As a middle-aged female, cool temperatures in the midst of summer are good, no, fantastic.  It’s bad enough we’re dealing with hot flashes, and hot, humid weather only adds to our misery.

Last week I took my niece, sister-in-law and great nieces and nephews to a local amusement park, Kennywood. We had a ball, riding the rollercoasters, playing games and of course sampling all the goodies. The park was packed with visitors from all over the tri-state area. Families streamed in with giggling children and coolers full of food and drinks. Everyone appeared to be having a wonderful day.

What a few of them seemed to have forgotten though was the rest of their clothing. I mean, there were women and a few men with next to nothing on their bodies. One of my dearly departed mother’s favorite activities while in the park was sitting back and commenting on people’s state of undress. She’d shake her head and point them out, despite our requests she not do so.

Although walking around in public in a pair of skimpy shorts and a midriff baring top is not my thing, especially since I’m not as toned as I used to be (stop laughing), at least they wore something. Not like the characters in my novella, Bared Essentials, who let it all hang out on a tropical island. Of course, wearing no clothes saved time when they wanted to get it on ;-)

Till we meet again, stay cool and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Love,

Denise 

Last Flight of the Ark

   

Last Flight of the Ark available HERE

By D.L. Jackson

   Today I am re-releasing my popular novel, Last Flight of the Ark.

   When Earth outgrows its resources, mankind looks to other worlds to sustain them. In Last Flight of the Ark, Colonel Kaleb Titan flies to a new world, to colonize the planet with plants and animals from Earth. But what he doesn’t expect is to face an alien enemy that has already laid claim to the planet he’s been sent to make habitable for mankind.

   What would you do to save the lives of two thousand, when the enemy who stands against you is faster, stronger and more intelligent? Would you break the law and face execution? Would you employ biological warfare against your own, condemning them to exile, not knowing if what you do can ever be reversed? What is the cost of living, and does one species have any more right to exist than another in the universe? Is there a price you wouldn’t pay? These are the questions Kaleb Titan, my hero in Last Flight of the Ark, faces.

   Now, throw in a wolf-human mutation and all the emotional and physical complications that come along with it, add an enemy that is higher on the food-chain and desperate to save their dying species, and you have the premise behind this story of love, human grit and mortal choices.

   When I first wrote Last Flight of the Ark, I wanted a hero that had to make some possibly immoral choices—if you will, decide between the worst of two evils. But can he do it? Can he choose to wipe out an entire alien civilization to save two thousand of his own?

   Blurb: 

Evolution never happened so fast.  

   Twelve hours outside of Terra II, Colonel Kaleb Titan, a molecular geneticist and commander of the Ark faces a life or death choice that could change the fate of mankind.

   The Genesis I, aka the Ark, travels with a hold full of wildlife and three crew members. When a wolf bite and genetically-altering gamma radiation transform Kaleb, he notices his senses have been heightened, his libido has gone haywire and he can’t keep his hands off his crew. Worse yet, they don't seem inclined to stop him.

   When their sister ship, the Genesis II arrives early, Kaleb’s problems compound. As soon as the command crew of the Genesis II boards, one whiff tells Kaleb they’re not from Earth or who they appear to be.

   When he discovers that they’ve kept the Genesis II’s crew of over two thousand alive, he begins to believe their reasons may be far more ominous than anyone could have imagined. However, he also discovers what’s holding them back. The hijackers seem to be allergic to canines.

   Now they're forced to employ biological warfare against their own, but will it be enough to save humanity?

   History is about to repeat and only one species will survive.

Excerpt:

“Barometric pressure?” 

“Stable.” Jessica’s voice crackled back through the com. 

“Radiation?” 

“Within normal parameters.” 

“Surface temperature in sector three?” 

“A balmy eighty-seven. Terra II is primed and ready. We should arrive within twelve hours. All the readings from the meteorological remote say it’s stable. No surprises.” 

There should be no surprises; they’d been through the numbers four times. 

“Good. That should do it. Why don’t you call it a night?” 

Melissa would relieve him soon, until then…. Colonel Kaleb Titan stretched and reclined. He threw his feet up on the instrument panel and yawned. Melissa would have a fit if she saw them on her baby’s console, but he really didn’t care. He wouldn’t be on this bucket of rust much longer. 

All he wanted to do was sit back and take it all in from the best seat in the house. They were close enough he should be able to see Terra II with the naked eye and he’d been waiting all night for the chance. She’d look more like a star from the distance, but that didn’t matter. Novae, the equivalent of Earth’s sun, would be illuminating the sector on the surface that contained their home—right about now. He had to see it. To date, he’d only viewed pictures of Terra II, sent by a satellite that monitored the world. 

Eight months. He’d worked so hard for this moment, and all his dreams were about to materialize. It couldn’t get any better than this. Well, maybe. He could use a cold beer and a slice of pizza. He flipped a switch and opened the visor, ready to soak in the view of his new home. 

Kaleb’s eyes widened. “Ah, shit.” His feet hit the deck with a thump. He’d been too busy going over the damned reports from the surface of Terra II to notice. He punched his com and paged Jessica, hoping she hadn’t left the lab yet. 

“Sir?” 

No, she’d lingered, perhaps feeling as restless and unable to sleep as he had. 

“What the fuck is that?” He leaned forward. A purple cloud spread before them. Electrical sparks danced like fireflies through the mass. “You got a reading on that?” 

“A reading on what, sir?” Jessica said.

So I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the re-release of one of my favorite novels, and discover what choice Kaleb Titan makes. For buy links, please stop by my website http://www.authordljackson.com. I’ll be updating it as the novel releases.

Thanks for visiting,

D. L. Jackson

Book birthday bash for Death Is a Bitch

By Cate Masters

For a writer, the stuff of myth and legend is treasure. Pure story gold. Heroes and heroines who don't simply embody the archetype, they invented it.

Immortals particularly intrigue me. Existing since the dawn of time tends to lend interest to a character, doesn't it? By definition, an immortal would still exist in present time, and I love nothing better than placing an ancient character in a modern setting.

I am not, however, a fan of stereotypes. I think I broke a few in my stories, particularly with Death Is A Bitch. The figure of speech provided the story title, and sparked the story idea. Too many times, Death's personified as a Grim Reaper, a scary hooded figure with a scythe, with maybe a glimpse of a skeleton beneath. Mythology generally depicts Death as male. But I loved the idea of a strong-willed, intelligent heroine with a serious work ethic. She has to be serious, with that huge workload.

Why did any harvester of souls have to be cold and unfeeling? My Death has a soft spot for children and the elderly. Maybe losing my parents in recent years influenced this. I liked to think any Angel of Death provided comfort to my Mom and Dad along their journey to the afterlife. I played with the names a bit in these scenes - my Dad's brother, who died just before him, was named Harry. My Dad's name was Joe, so I used the female variation of Jo for Harry's wife.

Raised Catholic, I avoided religious references, for obvious reasons. Every religion has its own version of Death, and I respect everyone's personal beliefs. Thankfully, fiction allows each writer great leeway in portraying characters as befits the story. For me, that's the only goal -- telling a good story. To me, angels are merely another type of immortal. Why shouldn't one immortal fall in love with another? Eternity's a long time to spend alone.

One year is less than a blip in eternity for Death, my character, but for the first anniversary of the book, Death Is A Bitch, it's an occasion to party! Bet you never knew Death was a party girl, did you?

Join the party!

Come and wish Death a happy one-year book birthday! If you're on Facebook, join Death and me on Saturday, August 3 at 1:00 p.m. EST for some fun trivia and of course giveaways!  Sign up here: https://www.facebook.com/events/417270428391691/

Giveaway:

I'll give one commenter on this blog an ebook of Death Is A Bitch - just tell me what kind of immortals intrigue you enough to pick up a book. Don't forget to leave your email address!

If you've read Death Is A Bitch, I hope you enjoyed it (and please leave me a review on Amazon or Goodreads!). If you haven't yet but would like to, you can find it here:

Decadent Publishing||Amazon||B&N

Blurb:

   Eternity can suck when it’s all work, work, work. Death harvests souls even when they stack up faster than pancakes in an all-you-can-eat-buffet. No wonder she can’t shed the Grim Reaper rep.

   As the patron angel of death and dying, Azrael works closely with Death but is dying for true intimacy. She’s the only immortal who’s ever aroused such powerful emotions in him. One taste of her leaves him needing her like humans need air and food, but will a demon’s lies leave a bad taste?

   No one escapes Death – except King Sisyphus. Twice. With the help of Damien the demon, Sisyphus tries again, and she’s determined to have justice. Some say Death’s a bitch, but only when she has to be. But will the price of justice be a broken heart?

Read the excerpt, reviews, view the Casting Call (who I imagined as these characters), the book video and more at:

http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2011/04/death-is-bitch-dark-paranormal.html