Archive for the ‘book release’ Category

Arresting Love – Chapter One Sample and a Contest

Jan 2, 2013 Filed under: book release, cowboy, first chapter, m/m, paranormal, shapeshifter

Here’s the first chapter of my brand new release, Arresting Love (Wild R Farm 2). Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win book 1 in the series.

Arresting Love (Wild R Farm 2) by Silvia Violet
http://www.amazon.com/Arresting-Love-Wild-Farm-ebook/dp/B00AUVNSF8

Blurb:

Billy Lawson is jealous. Every day he watches his boss, Cole, and his boss’s lover, Jonah, prove again and again how deeply in love they are. Billy’s never had a real relationship, and he didn’t believe true love existed until Cole proved otherwise. Now, he longs for what Cole and Jonah have.

When he meets Levi, a scared, wounded shifter who needs his help, he ignores the chemistry that flares between them, thinking he’d be taking advantage of Levi at a vulnerable time in his life. Before Levi can convince Billy they were made for each other, his past catches up to him, and both men must fight for a chance at love.

Excerpt:

The crazy cuckoo clock his boss’s lover had rescued from the farmhouse attic began to chirp, signaling the start of a new year. Cheers went up from the hands, and Billy watched his boss, farm owner Cole Wilder, pull Jonah to him for a kiss.

Billy took a pull from his beer and tried to make himself look away, but he couldn’t keep from staring as Cole staked his claim, seeming to devour his young lover. Jonah gave back as good as he got, and Billy’s cock stirred in his pants. The two men were beautiful together.

When Cole finally pulled back, the look on his face made Billy’s chest ache. No one could miss seeing Cole’s love for Jonah. They had a bond that was strong as steel, and Billy was jealous.

Four years ago when he’d been hired as barn manager at Wild R Farm, Billy had developed a crush on Cole, but he’d quickly realized Cole would never see him as more than a friend. He’d accepted that. He treasured their friendship, and he’d never forgotten that Cole had given him a chance when he could have hired someone better educated with years more management experience. But watching Cole and Jonah together made him long to connect with someone. Having a man look at him the way Jonah looked at Cole would be a taste of heaven.

Billy drained the rest of his beer. That line of thinking would do nothing but depress him. He needed to be thankful for what he had. The chance of finding the kind of love Cole and Jonah shared was nearly non-existent. He was starting another year doing a job he loved on a farm where he didn’t have to hide the fact that he was gay. Considering he’d been kicked out by his family at seventeen, he’d done a damn fine job of pulling his life together.

It wasn’t in his nature to be morose, but he’d be turning thirty this year, and he was getting tired of living in a bunkhouse, no matter how much he enjoyed the company of the hands he shared it with. He was weary of men who wanted nothing more than a hard, rough fuck behind a trailer at a horse show. He wanted a home and someone to share it with. Age was making him soft.

He stepped onto the farmhouse porch and took a breath of the chilly night air. He shivered, but he’d rather be out here than in the crowded house especially in his current mood. He leaned against the porch railing and listened to the rush of water in the stream that ran behind the house as he tried to push his depressing thoughts away. One of the horses whinnied, and he wondered if going for a midnight ride would help.

“What you doing out here?” Cole asked, stepping out on the porch and letting the screen door slam behind him.

Billy shrugged. “Just gettin’ some fresh air.”

Cole frowned. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, you know I don’t like crowds.”

Cole snorted. “Me either. I’m about to get rid of everybody since we’ve rung in the New Year. This whole party thing was Jonah’s idea. I had a much better plan for the night, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Billy forced himself to smile. “I’m guessing your plan involved Jonah naked and flat on his back.”

Cole grinned. Then he narrowed his eyes and studied Billy. “Are you sure you’re all right? You’ve been grouchy for weeks now.”

Billy raised his brows and looked pointedly at Cole.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m grouchy all the time. I know it.” Cole said.

Billy rolled his eyes. “Damn temperamental wolf.”

Cole snorted. “I’m better than I used to be, now that I’ve got Jonah.” As soon as those words came out, Cole tensed.

Jonah’s brother, Nathan, had kidnapped Jonah, drugged him so he had to remain in horse form, then sold him. Fortunately, he’d ended up at Cole’s friend’s horse sanctuary. As Cole and the rest of the crew at the farm fought to keep Jonah safe, Billy ended up in a fistfight with Nathan. In the aftermath, Cole finally realized Billy had hoped for more than friendship between them. Fortunately, Cole hadn’t freaked out, but he was still sensitive about talking to Billy about his relationship with Jonah. Billy wished he’d just get over it.

“You’re right. Jonah’s been good for you.” Billy clapped him on the shoulder, and Cole looked his way, tension easing.

“You should take some time off,” Cole said. “With planning the addition to the barn and new horses coming in, you’ve been working non-stop for weeks.”

That was true, but when he was working, Billy didn’t feel lonely, and he didn’t have time to be jealous of Cole. “I don’t mind. I’d rather be working with the horses than doing anything else.”

Cole frowned. “When was the last time you left the farm?”

Billy shrugged. “I don’t know. I went into town a few weeks ago.”

Cole raised his brows and glared.

“I’m fine. Really.”

“You need a vacation.”

Billy shook his head. “I’m happy here. There’s nowhere else I want to go.”

He’d spent his late teens and early twenties wandering, finding work where he could, never staying anywhere long. Now that he had a place he felt safe and accepted, he never wanted to leave.

Cole leaned closer and sniffed. It had taken Billy a while to get used to Cole’s werewolf habits, but now he took such things for granted.

“Something’s bothering you,” Cole said. “I can smell it.”

“I’m just keyed up. It’s probably the barn addition. I want to be sure I’ve got all the details right before we break ground.”

“You need to relax,” Cole insisted.

Billy scowled. “The last thing I need to is sit around on my ass. You know I can’t stay still long.”

“Maybe you need to learn how. You’re taking a three-day weekend starting next Friday, and I won’t listen to any complaints.”

Three whole days to think about everything he didn’t have instead of concentrating on what was right in his life. “Where the hell do you expect me to go?”

Cole frowned. “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out and let you know.”

Billy glared at him. “You’re not sending me on a trip.”

Cole growled. “The hell I’m not. Consider it a bonus.”

* * * *

Billy put up a token fight, but in the end, giving into Cole’s plan was the only option since he threatened to bodily remove Billy from the farm. So, against his wishes, Billy had driven to Nashville, checked into a fancier hotel than he’d ever stayed at in his life, plopped down on the bed, and stubbornly started making spreadsheets for the next week’s horse training rotations. Cole could make him leave the farm, but Billy would be damned if Cole would keep him from thinking about farm business.

A few hours later Billy ordered a burger and watched a pointless movie filled with motorcycle chases and things blowing up. At least the fast-paced film distracted him from the quiet of his room. At the farm, he was never lonely for long. Here, in a hotel room, it was painfully obvious he had no one to share this forced vacation with.

He survived the evening holed up on his own, but the next day he got restless and decided to go for a walk. The temperature was hovering around freezing, and the wind cut right through his fleece-lined jacket. He noticed some beautiful carvings of horses in a gallery window. Danielle, the farm’s head trainer, would love them.

The gallery appeared to be having a craft fair, and he decided to take the opportunity to get out of the cold. He found the booth with the horse carvings. They were so detailed and life-like they looked like they might take off running despite being only six inches high. He purchased a galloping stallion for Danielle then spent nearly half an hour talking with the artist and his partner. They reminded him of Cole and Jonah. They had the same settled, unabashedly-in-love look about them. He sighed as he waved good-bye and headed back into the cold.

He shivered as he stepped out of the gallery. The wind howled along the storefronts, and it felt as if snow was on the way. He scurried across the street into a coffee shop. He’d joked about designer coffee plenty of times, preferring his brew strong and black, but he was supposed to be on vacation, and he did have a thing for chocolate. So, after a casual glance to make sure he didn’t see anyone he knew, he ordered an enormous mocha with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles on top.

He sat down with his drink and pulled his tablet from his satchel. He read some articles on the care of newborn foals. Then he scanned through some of the horse care message boards he frequented. By the time he’d finished his drink, he was jumpy from the caffeine. He couldn’t sit still any longer. He walked around the city for a while, trying to ignore the cold that seemed to settle all the way to his bones. He hated winter. He’d much rather be dripping with sweat on a burning August day than checking the sky anxiously for snow. Sooner than he wanted to, he headed back to his hotel where he flipped through channels and paced the room.

When the silence got to be too much, he decided to go find a bar. He didn’t think there was a chance in hell he was going to meet someone who was interested in more than a quick fuck, but if a warm body next to his for a few hours was all he could have, he’d take it. He was on vacation after all. Maybe with a few drinks in him, he wouldn’t care so much.

He did a search for gay bars in the area and found one a few miles away. He considered walking so he could drink as much as he liked, but when he glanced out the window a wet mix of sleet and snow had started to fall. No way was he walking in that crap. He shouldn’t drive in it either, but he couldn’t spend one more minute in the hotel.

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Wild R Farm 1: Finding Release is available here.

Finding Release – First Chapter

Dec 19, 2012 Filed under: book release, cowboy, excerpts, m/m, paranormal, shapeshifter

Read the prologue and first chapter of Finding Release and if Cole and Jonah seduce you, buy the book at Amazon, ARe, or Barnes and Noble.

Finding Release (Wild R Farm 1)

Prologue

 

“That should be the last of it.” Jonah tossed the final sack of feed on the back of Cole’s truck parked outside his family’s feed store. “You need anything else?”

Jonah looked at Cole with his big brown eyes as if he needed something. Cole caught his scent, and his wolf stirred to life. He smelled like horse and sweat with an underlying citrusy scent, young and clean. Prey. Cole’s cock wanted to fulfill all Jonah’s needs, but Cole wasn’t stupid enough to even flirt with an eighteen-year-old high school senior whose stepfather had been the most vocally anti-gay preacher in town. The only reason the Marks family deigned to sell him grain was because in these hard times they needed his money.

Cole tried to ignore the fantasies playing out in his mind. “Nope. We’re good.”

Jonah looked down at his dusty boots. “You got a minute?”

Cole took a deep breath. He glanced around. They couldn’t talk here, not openly. Jonah needed a friend, and Cole had once been young and different and scared. “Sure. You wanna get a cup of coffee?” He tilted his head toward the diner down the street.

“Yeah.” Jonah looked at his watch. “I’m due for a break.”

“All right. Mind if I leave the truck here?” Cole asked.

“Nah, we’re not expecting another big delivery until this afternoon.”

They walked to the diner in awkward silence.

Cole couldn’t let himself think about how gorgeous Jonah looked, staring at him with those puppy dog eyes. Jonah was off limits for too many reasons to count.

They got a booth by the front windows, and Cole ordered coffee for them. Once the waitress brought the steaming mugs, Cole let himself look at Jonah. His red-brown hair was rumpled from finger combing. A combination of sunburn and embarrassment tinted his cheeks. His denim jacket hugged his broad shoulders and… No! Cole wasn’t going to let his perusal go any lower, not even in his imagination. His wolf growled deep inside, his werewolf nature recognizing the equine inside Jonah, the shifter side his family forced him to deny.

He concentrated on Jonah’s strong, pale hands as they wrapped around the coffee cup, holding it tight for warmth and stability. Cole wanted to reach out and take Jonah’s hands in his own, but that would be bad for both of them.

Cole realized he’d made a mistake. He should have told Jonah he was in a hurry to get back to the farm, or something that would’ve kept him from sitting here alone with a very young horse shifter who was having an indescribable effect on him.

“Mr Wilder?”

Well, being addressed as ‘Mister’ certainly burst the lurid fantasy in his mind. He was only thirty, but now he felt ancient. “You know you can call me Cole.”

Jonah’s cheeks got even redder. “I know… it’s just… I was wondering if you’d consider hiring me. I know I don’t have experience working in a barn, but, I… well… I’m kind of a natural with horses.” He grinned as he said this.

His cutely upturned mouth made him look even younger, and Cole cursed his inappropriate thoughts. The boy needed his help, not his perving.

Jonah’s home life had to be hell. His father had left them when he was little, and his mother and elder brother were both self-righteous Bible-thumpers. From what he could tell, Jonah couldn’t do a damn thing right in their eyes, but Jonah working at Wild R Farm would be a disaster. Cole could smell Jonah’s desire for him. Sooner or later, he’d give into his own desire and exploit that. Jonah deserved freedom and a man who had more self-control.

Cole’s wolf growled, the sound almost escaping Cole’s mouth. If he put his hands on Jonah, he feared his wolfish instincts would take over. Jonah smelled like prey, like something to be consumed, possessed. Cole shuddered. No. He could never let those desires loose. “Jonah, I—”

“Please…” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “My family… I can’t live with them anymore.”

“Your mother’s not going to let you work for me.”

“I’m eighteen. She can’t stop me.”

Cole tried a different tactic. “You need to finish school. Didn’t I hear you’d won a scholarship?”

Jonah looked directly into Cole’s eyes as if willing him to understand. “Yeah, but I can’t take it anymore.”

“You’ll graduate in four months. Then you can get out of here, go to college.”

He shook his head. “I won’t last that long.”

He wouldn’t last long on Cole’s farm either, if Cole snapped and let his werewolf side take control. “Why ask me?” Cole thought he knew, but he wanted confirmation.

Jonah glanced around the restaurant. Only a few tables were occupied, and no one sat nearby. In a voice so low even Cole’s sensitive ears could barely hear, he said “Cole, I’m… different, like you. If my brother finds out…”

If Nathan found out, he’d kick Jonah out, maybe beat him. Cole wished Jonah didn’t stir him up so much. “I’m sorry. I’ve got all the hands I need right now.”

The eager light went out of Jonah’s eyes. He sloshed coffee on the table in his haste to get out of the booth. “OK, I understand. I’m sorry.”

Cole grabbed Jonah’s arm before he could run. Heat snapped between them, nearly making Cole let go. “I’m sorry for what you’re going through.”

Jonah shook his head. “Not sorry enough.” He pulled free and left.

Jonah’s condemnation hit Cole like a punch to the gut. Cole leaned back and closed his eyes, willing the thick, bitter coffee to stay down.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 1

 

One year later

 

What the hell was Cole doing at a horse rescue center? He needed some promising colts, not another stray. But he’d run into his friend April when he stopped for lunch on the way to visit a breeder, and she’d sweet-talked him into coming out to her farm to see her rescue organization’s latest adoptees. Cole was probably the most soft-hearted werewolf in the history of his kind. His inability to resist a stray was legendary.

April ushered them into her kitchen and plied him with her illegally delicious chocolate chip cookies. Cole let himself relax and enjoy just sitting and talking for a while. He’d forgotten how much he enjoyed April’s company. They’d met when he was in college, and when he’d moved back to Cranford, they’d gotten reacquainted, though he saw her less than he meant to. Billy, his barn manager, kept telling him to take more time off. Working all the time made Cole act old and cranky.

Eventually, they headed to the barn, and Cole braced himself for a hard sell. As they walked down the aisle looking at the latest rescues, Cole saw a quarter horse he thought a friend could use so he gave April the contact info. As they neared the end of the barn, Cole thought he was going to escape empty-handed. Then a terrified whinny broke the silence, making Cole shudder.

“That’s Demon.” April walked toward the heart-rending sound. “His owner died and a neighbor saved him from being destroyed and brought him here. He’s been beaten and starved. He won’t let any of us touch him, and he’s not eating.”

Cole followed her. He heard stomping and banging as if the horse was slamming himself against the stall door in his panic. His heart ached for the poor horse. “He’s going to hurt himself.”

April nodded. “I know. He’s already been injured trying to escape. I’m scared we’ll have to put him down if we can’t get him to eat.”

Cole reached the end of the barn and saw the roan stallion. His ribs stood out. His coat had the potential to shine like autumn leaves in the sun, but lack of grooming had made it dull, and scars and saddle sores marred his back. Demon lifted his head and stared at Cole. Suddenly the fight drained out of him.

The force of his stare made Cole step back, instincts on high alert. Something in Demon’s eyes called to him, melting his heart and making the hair on the back of his neck stand up at the same time. Cole wasn’t sure how he knew, but his life was about to change irrevocably.

Demon stared at Cole for several seconds, standing nearly motionless. Then he stuck his head over the door of his stall, snorted gently, and stretched his neck. He was hoping for a treat.

Cole hardly dared to breathe. Nervous horses normally got more skittish around him. He’d never been able to gentle a horse before. His human half made riding possible, but he still needed much longer to bond with a horse than a pure human would. Some of the animals grew to trust him, but the truly wild ones never accepted him.

April laid a hand on Cole’s arm. “I’ve never seen Demon act this way. He’s never shown interest in any of us.”

Cole stayed where he was, but spoke to the horse in a low voice. “Easy, boy. You want a treat?”

Demon whinnied softly. Cole took a step toward him.

Demon stayed put.

Cole took a deep breath and counted to three, not wanting to move too fast. As he waited, frozen in place, he noticed something in the barn smelled familiar, a bright scent he couldn’t place.

April laid a hand on his back. “Keep walking slowly. See if he stays calm.”

Cole took a few more steps. Demon whinnied loudly, but it was a happy sound. No hint of his earlier terror remained. “Wait here,” April instructed. She backed away slowly, and then returned with some carrots in her hand.

Cole couldn’t figure out what was going on. Why would a terrified horse show an interest in him? Had a werewolf been kind to him in the past? The familiar smell tantalized him again. He tried to pull it deep enough into his lungs to figure out what it was, but memories only teased him.

Demon flared his nostrils. He smelled the carrots, but he wasn’t looking at Cole’s hand as most horses would. He looked right into Cole’s eyes, studying him as if he knew him.

Cole had never seen this horse before. No one would forget him. If the animal hadn’t been abused, he’d be stunning. But the sense that their meeting held a deep significance took hold and wouldn’t let go.

Cole held out his hand, palm up, offering the carrot. Demon ate it quickly, and then nuzzled Cole’s hand. Cole stared, unable to believe what he was seeing. The horse was starving. If he’d snatched the treat and backed away, Cole might have dismissed his easy acceptance of a man with wolf blood, but Demon still wanted attention. He rubbed Demon between the ears. The tantalizingly familiar smell was stronger now. Was it coming from Demon? He rubbed the horse’s nose and concentrated, but he couldn’t grab the memory before the scent of hay, leather, sweat, and other horses overwhelmed Cole’s senses.

April cautiously stepped up beside him. “I can’t believe it.”

“Me either.”

“He hasn’t responded to anyone else. We’ve barely been able to take care of his wounds and offer him food without getting hurt. Then in walks a half-breed werewolf, and he’s as content as can be.”

“Do you think he’s known a wolf before, a civilized one like me?”

April grinned. “Sweetie, there aren’t many like you.”

Demon snuffled as Cole scratched his ears. How could someone treat such a wonderful horse so badly? His gut knotted as he looked at the horrible scars on Demon’s back. He couldn’t imagine what could make someone think they needed to beat a horse. “You’re going to be OK, now. You know that don’t you, boy?”

Demon snorted and nodded as if truly answering. Cole smiled. “You’re a smart boy, aren’t you? April is going to take such good care of you.”

Demon pulled back and stomped his foot as he shook his head vehemently.

Cole looked at April. “Is he saying ‘no’?”

She grinned. “Looks like it.” April stepped up to the door of the stall, and Demon laid his ears back. His nostrils flared. “Demon, do you want to go with Cole?”

“April.” Cole growled, but Demon’s ears perked up, and he nodded.

Cole didn’t need another rescued animal to join the growing pack of dogs and cats, and… hell, some of his grooms were rescues too. He didn’t have time for this project, but how could he say no? The last time he’d turned someone away… well… Jonah had never been found. He might have died because Cole didn’t have the courage to hire him.

He couldn’t atone for what he’d done to Jonah by taking in an abused horse. But ever since Jonah disappeared, Cole had been incapable of saying no to someone in need. Billy kept pointing out how expensive this habit had become. They’d nearly come to blows over his decision to hire an ex-con Cole believed had been wrongly accused. So far the man had exceeded every one of Cole’s expectations.

Maybe Cole could turn Demon into an all-star horse. Demon was asking for help in the only way he could. Yes, cozying up to a man with werewolf blood was strange behavior, but Cole had already begun to think of Demon as his horse

April studied Demon carefully. “Did somebody teach you how to answer questions?”

Demon snorted and shook his head.

Cole was astounded. “Are you sure he’s not a shifter?”

“If he could turn into a human, why did he stay with his former owner? Wouldn’t he have shifted and run?”

Cole considered her statement. “What if he was hiding from something or someone?”

April pointed to the scars on Demon’s flank. “What could make him endure that?”

Cole forced himself to look, to imagine enduring such torture. “You’re right. No secret could be worth such pain.”

April turned to him, but before she asked the inevitable question, he preempted her.

“Yes, I’ll take him.”

She grinned. “Thank you. I know Demon thanks you too.”

The horse snorted and nodded vigorously.

Cole was going to nurse him back to full strength. He had horses he trusted and loved, but he’d never truly bonded with one. He could bond with Demon, he was sure of it. They were perfect for each other.

* * * *

After leaving April’s, Cole spent a long, grueling day haggling with some of the best breeders in the area. Fortunately, his efforts paid off. He purchased two beautiful colts, the most perfectly gaited Tennessee walkers he’d seen since he’d taken over the farm. If his instincts were right, he’d gotten them at a bargain price.

Rain poured down on him all afternoon. He was splattered with mud, sweat-soaked after the adrenaline rush of haggling for fine horseflesh, and starving. He wanted to run into the house, grab something to eat, and take a hot shower, but he had to see to Demon first.

A terrified whinny sent Cole rushing to the trailer. “I’ll lead him out.”

His trainer, Danielle, eyed him as if he’d lost his mind. “I don’t mean to disrespect you, Boss, but I’m not sure you’re the best one to coax him out.”

“I’m the only one who can coax him out.”

Billy gave Danielle a look that told her to back off. She did, though she obviously wanted to know what was going on.

Cole approached the trailer. “Demon, it’s OK. I’m here.” He kept his voice low, talking like he would to a shy dog rather than a horse, an animal that “got” him, that could be convinced he was part of Cole’s pack.

The horse calmed and Cole climbed into the trailer. He rubbed Demon’s flank as he approached. “Easy, boy. We’re on my farm now. I need to put a halter on you and lead you to a stall. No one here will hurt you.”

Demon’s eyes were wide. A shiver ran along his back, and he tossed his head.

“Shhh!” Cole leaned close and hugged Demon’s neck. “I know this is hard. You’ve been hurt, but so have a lot of us here. We want to help you.”

Demon pawed the floor of the trailer. His ears swiveled, trying to interpret all the new sounds and check for danger.

Cole sighed. He worried his legs would fold under him. He’d give anything to lie down on a soft bed, but Demon needed him.

“I’ll stay with you as long as you need me, OK?”

Demon nodded. And snuffled softly.

Cole slipped the bridle over Demon’s head, feeling the horse tremble under his hands. “I’ll take it off once you’re in the stall.”

Demon nodded again. How the hell could the horse understand and answer so clearly if he wasn’t a shifter? But April was right. A shifter would’ve changed and gotten free. Demon had probably been owned by someone who trained him for a circus. Although Cole had never heard of another horse who could answer complex questions so easily.

He clipped the lead rope to Demon’s halter, clucked his tongue, and encouraged Demon to back out of the trailer. “Clear the way for us, or he’s going to panic.”

Billy, Danielle, and the grooms moved back, but they all stared.

“What the hell’s going on, Boss?” Shep asked. The groom had worked for Cole’s grandparents. He was the only employee who’d stayed on after they died. He’d witnessed first-hand how hard Cole worked to get the horses to accept him when he’d first come to the farm as a grieving teenager.

“I wish I knew. I don’t understand it either,” Cole said in a low voice as he emerged from the trailer. Demon nuzzled him and snuggled against his side as if he were a security blanket.

“Can he really talk?” another of the grooms asked.

Cole grinned. “His grammar’s not so good, but he’s got ‘yes’ and ‘no’ down.”

“Hell, my grammar ain’t so good either, city boy. You saying that horse is as smart as me?”

Cole laughed. When he got to the barn door, Demon pulled back and neighed nervously. “What is it, boy?”

Demon shook his head. Billy and Shep had entered the barn ahead of him. They were settling the colts he’d bought into their stalls.

He stepped back and scratched Demon between the ears. “You’re going to have to get used to being around the other horses.”

Demon snorted.

Cole tugged hard on the lead, but the horse scrambled backward. “Damn it.” Cole was exhausted, tired, and hungry. He should’ve stopped for a burger on the way home. He tugged again.

Demon flattened his ears.

“Fuck.” Cole kicked at the ground. “You’re going in the barn. I’m not going to hurt you, but we’ve got to get you into a stall.”

Demon still refused to budge. Cole forced himself to take a slow breath. “Is it the horses? Did you think you’d get a private barn?”

Demon shook his head.

“Then what the—oh, you don’t want my men in the barn, right?”

Demon’s ears came back up, and he gave a small nod.

“Billy, Shep, you got those colts settled?”

“Yes, sir,” Shep answered.

“Then do me a favor and head on to the bunkhouse. I don’t think Demon’s going to let anyone else be in the barn.”

Billy raised a brow. “That is one odd horse.”

“Yeah, but I guess we got to give him his quirks after all he’s been through.”

“Sure, but cozying up to a wolf. Hmmph. No accounting for taste.”

Cole flipped him off. “Fuck you.”

“Let me shower first, Boss.” Billy retorted.

“Ha. Like I’d want your bony ass.” Cole laughed as he remembered how lucky he was to have a manager he could joke with.

“I’ll make sure they leave some supper for you, Boss,” Shep called as the two men headed out the far door of the barn.

Once the men were gone, Demon followed Cole into the barn without further protest. The light outside was beginning to fade. Cole turned on the lights over the aisles, but the stalls remained deeply shadowed.

Cole’s stomach growled as they walked to one of the far stalls. He usually managed to keep his lupine instincts under control, but he’d let himself get way too hungry, and now the barn smelled like food. He wished Demon would let someone else groom him. By the time he got back to the house, he’d have to grab a steak from the fridge and eat it raw. Cole tried to live like a pure-blooded human, but sometimes the wolf inside him was damned hard to fight.

At least the others would be in the bunkhouse and wouldn’t see him. A few months ago, Billy had caught him stuffing raw meat in his face like a maniac. Cole feared his friend would run, maybe even quit, but he just made a joke about working for a savage. Other than ribbing him about it occasionally in private, he’d never said anything else. But Billy’s acceptance didn’t keep Cole from being embarrassed about letting his animal needs control him.

How much pull would his predatory instincts have if he were a full-blooded werewolf? He couldn’t imagine fighting stronger urges than those he already felt. No wonder so few werewolves were civilized enough to live among humans. He’d once longed to be a pureblood, but after a year of trying as hard as he could to shift with no success, he’d denied his wolf whenever possible and worked at being human.

Being pulled in both directions was tearing him apart. He imagined hunting prey on four legs, racing through the woods like sleek muscular vengeance. He’d sink his teeth into his prey and… no, best not to think about that. Such animalistic freedom might make it hard to become human again.

As he led Demon into the stall, he smelled the familiar scent again, a bit like fresh hay but orangey and bright and… young? What did that mean? Maybe he was going crazy.

He’d found a horse that preferred a half-werewolf to a human, and he believed the horse could answer his questions. Yep, he sounded crazy all right. Smelling strange things was just an added bonus. Thankfully, April had seen the horse answer him, or he’d be convinced he’d lost it.

Cole unhooked the lead rope but kept hold of Demon’s halter. “Are you going to let me groom you? I promise to be gentle.”

Demon nodded.

“Good. I’ll be right back.” Cole slipped out of the stall door, latched it behind him, and went to get a grooming kit. When he returned, Demon was waiting patiently for him. He selected a curry comb and started working the dust out of the horse’s coat. Demon hadn’t let anyone on April’s farm groom him, and his hair was a mess. Tonight wasn’t the time to really get him good and clean, but Cole wanted to make a start. He rubbed in firm circles, careful to avoid the freshest wounds which were still healing.

As he worked on Demon’s flanks, the horse studied him curiously. His big brown eyes held confusion, fear, and longing—for safety? For a real home? Cole sympathized, and he hoped to God he could give Demon some security.

He finished with the curry comb and rubbed Demon’s nose. “I’m going to brush you and clean your hooves. Then I’ll get you some dinner.”

Demon pushed against Cole’s hand and watched him, his eyes soulful, familiar.

What? How could they be familiar? Cole stepped back. The barn spun around him, and the citrusy smell floated in the air again. What was wrong with him? He shook off the feeling that he was missing something important and grabbed the brush. He’d be OK once he got some protein in him. He’d just waited too long to eat. That would explain the swirling of his thoughts and the sloshy feeling in his stomach.

He brushed Demon quickly. The horse continued to watch him as if he was trying to figure something out or trying to memorize every inch of Cole. The constant attention unnerved Cole.

By the time he finished brushing Demon and cleaning his hooves, the horse’s ears stood up and Cole would have sworn his mouth curled up in a smile. “Do you feel better, boy?”

Demon nodded vigorously.

“Good. I’m going to get you some hay, and then I’ll have to get my own dinner.”

Demon nodded again and nuzzled Cole.

Cole patted his nose before leaving the stall. He headed to the far end of the barn and grabbed a feeding bucket. But a few seconds later, a clattering sound made his skin prickle. Something was wrong. He dropped the bucket and ran to Demon’s stall.

Demon wasn’t there.

Jonah stood in the middle of the stall, pale and thin and completely naked.

Cole rubbed his eyes. He had really gone over the edge now. “J-Jonah?”

 

 

Needing A Little Christmas – First Chapter

Dec 14, 2012 Filed under: book release, contemporary, excerpts, holiday, m/m

Let Needing a Little Christmas put you in the Christmas spirit!

Read the first chapter here then buy at Silver, Amazon, ARe, or Barnes and Noble.

Chapter 1

“What do mean you’re not going to be with Dave’s family for Christmas? Why?”

I pulled the phone away from my ear. I’d known my mother would be upset, but her reaction was even more vehement and loud than I expected. “Apparently one of the junior partners at his firm isn’t nearly as boring as I am. They’ve been having an affair for months.”

My mother made a sound of disgust. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry, and you are not boring.”

“Sure, I know, but Dave thinks I am.” And honestly, I thought he was probably right. I preferred to stay at home rather than go out. I spent most days in sweats and T-shirts. When Dave did drag me to a party with his socialite friends, I inevitably embarrassed him with my lack of knowledge of current affairs. I’d taken to hiding out in the bathroom writing notes for my next book on my phone. He’d even attempted to coach me in the art of party conversation. I’d used his lessons in a book but ignored them as they applied to me. The book had done well; readers found the lessons hilarious.

When Dave suggested I was not only an uninteresting social companion but boring in bed as well, I’d taken that seriously. I might prefer a quiet lifestyle, but I knew how to please a partner sexually. After pondering what I could do to shock him, I’d gotten my nipples pierced, something I’d secretly wanted to do for years. He’d laughed. I should have broken up with him that night. We’d only had sex a few times after that, and each time, Dave raced to completion, showered off the scent of me, and promptly fell asleep.

I heard my mother’s heels click against the floor. She must be pacing, something she always did when strategizing. “I’m so sorry, honey. Do you want us to cancel our cruise?”

That was the last thing I wanted. “Of course not. You’ve been looking forward to it for months. I’m fine. Really.”

“Are you sure?”

I held the phone between my shoulder and ear as I poured myself a generous measure of whiskey. “Yeah, things hadn’t been great between me and Dave for a long time.”

She huffed. “That doesn’t give him any excuse to—”

I held up my hand even though she couldn’t see me. “No it doesn’t. He acted like an ass, and I think he knows it. He moved out of his beloved apartment and told me I could keep it.” Not that I could afford it for long unless my next book was a runaway hit.

Mom sighed. “I don’t want you spending Christmas alone.”

After draining my drink, I’d wandered into my bedroom and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes were red from lack of sleep and they looked more hazel than their usual bright green. My curly dark hair stood out at odd angles. The stress of trying to meet the deadline for my book and trying to hold on to a relationship that had died long before I caught Dave fucking his colleague in his office hadn’t been good for my appetite. I’d lost weight and the bones in my face showed prominently. I was definitely not looking my best, but I wanted a few more days to wallow in self-pity.

“I really don’t want to be around anyone right now.”

My mom sighed. “But it’s Christmas.”

I ran my hand through my hair, making it stick out even more. “I’m not in the mood for holiday cheer.”

“Your dad and I can go on a cruise another year.”

“No, arranging this once was difficult enough. Rick and Cindy will want to spend next year with you since they’re with Cindy’s family this year. And Ally’s trip to California is a special one-time deal. This is our gift to you, and I won’t be responsible for screwing it up.”

“You wouldn’t be responsible, Dave would be.”

“I wasn’t exactly looking forward to listening to his family brag about how wonderful they all are. I’ll have a better time alone.” My mom’s pacing stopped, and I realized I’d said the wrong thing.

“Eli, why didn’t you tell us you didn’t want to go home with Dave? We would never have agreed to the cruise if we thought you’d be miserable at Christmas.”

I tried to back pedal. “It would have been fine. I enjoy visiting Boston even if the company leaves something to be desired.”

“Hmm.” My mom didn’t sound convinced. “Maybe we could get you a ticket for the cruise. It might not be full.”

The cruise was supposed to give my parents some uninterrupted time together. And the last thing I wanted was be trapped on a ship with lots of happy, smiling people encouraging me to socialize while my mom fussed over me. “No, thanks. I really, truly would rather be on my own.”

“But what will you do?”

“Stay home and drown my sorrows in Christmas cookies and eggnog.”

She gasped. “Eli, I’m going to see if we can schedule the cruise for another time.”

I rolled my eyes. “Mom. I’m kidding.” A little. “I’m truly not that upset over Dave. More than anything I’m angry I didn’t end it sooner. I’ll enjoy having some quiet writing time.”

“You work too much. At least if you’d gone to visit Dave’s family you would have been forced to get off the computer for several hours a day.”

While being tortured with small talk and the dreaded Christmas play Dave’s family put on every year with Dave playing a wise man who somehow became the star of the show. “I like my work.”

“Still, you shouldn’t be in that apartment for Christmas. There are too many bad memories for you. You need to get away.”

“Mom, I haven’t been in love with Dave for a long time. I’m not going to be lying around pining for him”

“Well…”

I imagined she was weighing what she could and couldn’t say. To help her out, I said, “I know you didn’t like him.”

“He didn’t respect you.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “No, he didn’t. I realize that now.”

“What did you see in him? I mean, he’s lovely to look at, but—”

What had I seen in him? He was older, successful, and interested in me when I would never have expected a man like him to be. I wanted him to want me. He’d lavished me with gifts and had been very attentive initially, if a little bit cold. At first I found his reserve charming. He was a fantasy, and I didn’t want to admit he didn’t really live up to my expectations. “I think I liked the idea of him more than the man himself.”

“Hmpf. You made his life way too easy. The nerve of him to cheat on you after all you did for him.”

Mom was right. He’d never taken my work seriously since I could do it from home in my pajamas, and I’d reinforced his thinking by doing the majority of the domestic chores since I was home anyway. No wonder he hadn’t wanted to break up with boring old me. How could I have been such an idiot?

My mom made a little noise of excitement. “I’ve got a great idea.”

My stomach knotted. What crazy scheme had she come up with now? I loved my mom, but once she concocted a plan, getting her to let go of it was next to impossible.

“Linda and Jim are going to visit Rosalind this year so they won’t be using their cabin. Let me call Linda and see if you can use it. At least a trip to the mountains would get you out of that awful apartment.” My mother had always found Dave’s apartment spartan and uninteresting, and she had a point.

“Mom, I don’t need to—”

“You need a vacation.”

I wanted to protest further, but my mother’s tone told me it would be useless.

“Think of it as a writing retreat if you must.”

There was no stopping her. If I didn’t give in to this scheme, she would cancel her cruise, and I’d never get over the guilt. And, as much as I hated to admit it, she was right. Getting out of Charlotte for a few days would be good for me, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to go anywhere as remote as Linda and Dave’s cabin that was located in Middle of Nowhere, Madison County. It did have the advantage of being only a few hours away so I wouldn’t have to stay long.

“Fine. If the cabin is free, I’ll use it for a holiday writing retreat.”

My mom sighed. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” And I really would. I’d gone home for Christmas every one of my twenty-eight years.

“I’ll give Linda a call and see what I can arrange.”

“Okay, Mom. I love you. Tell Dad I love him too.”

She made kissing sounds into the phone. “I love you too, and so does your dad. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” Angry, embarrassed, and disgusted, but fine.

“You want me to do some damage to him, you just give me the word.”

Her words made me smile as she’d known they would. My mom might be five feet even and girlishly thin, but she was a force to be reckoned with. Dave would not want to tangle with her. “Thanks, Mom.”

Christmas Blog Hop: Needing A Little Christmas

Dec 1, 2012 Filed under: bears, book release, contemporary, excerpts, holiday, m/m, web event

I love Christmas. I don’t allow myself to watch Christmas movies or listen to Christmas music in the “off season” except during my kids annual Christmas-in-July party, but once November hits, I wait impatiently for the official kick-off of the Christmas season. No I don’t mean the day after Halloween like so many retailers but the day after Thanksgiving.

Rather than fighting crowds at the mall on Black Friday, I spend part of my day pulling out the boxes of Christmas decorations, books, movies, seasonal artwork my kids have done, ornaments that remind me of past Christmases and cookie tins. Cookie tins that will soon be bursting with our selection of holiday cookies. Sitting down with Christmas-themed cookbooks and magazines and selecting the cookies and candies my daughters and I are going to make is one of our favorite traditions.

I love the domestic coziness of Christmas – baking, admiring the Christmas tree lights in the evening, drinking cocoa while reading our favorite Christmas books, cuddling on the couch and watching A Christmas Story for the gazillionth time. That warmth and making myself slow down to enjoy more family closeness is what I treasure each December. When I write Christmas stories of my own I try to make sure my characters get a taste of this snuggly type of Christmas cheer.

In Needing a Little Christmas, Eli is used to a cozy Christmas with his family. He’s twenty-eight and he’s never once spent Christmas Day anywhere but at his childhood home with his parents and siblings. This year, however, Eli and his brother and sister have given their parents a special gift, a holiday cruise.

Eli is supposed to spend Christmas with his boyfriend, but when he finds his boyfriend doing the naked tango with a co-worker, he’s left on his on. At his mother’s insistence, he decides to get out of the city and go to one of her friends cabins right as a major snowstorm hits. When he realizes he’s trapped with no wood to heat the cabin, he calls Mac’s Wood Delivery and unknowingly saves his Christmas.

Mac has also spent every Christmas of his life wrapped in the warmth of family. He can’t stand the thought of Eli being alone without even a Christmas tree. He knows Eli needs a little Christmas, and Eli knows that what he needs most is Mac.

To offer you even more Christmas cheer, comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of my 2011 Christmas story One Kiss, filled with truffles, cinnamon rolls, light-up polar bears, and Christmas aprons.

 

Needing A Little Christmas will be released on December 6. You can pre-order it now.

Excerpt

“What do mean you’re not going to be with Dave’s family for Christmas? Why?”

I pulled the phone away from my ear. I’d known my mother would be upset, but her reaction was even more vehement and loud than I expected. “Apparently one of the junior partners at his firm isn’t nearly as boring as I am. They’ve been having an affair for months.”

My mother made a sound of disgust. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry, and you are not boring.”

“Sure, I know, but Dave thinks I am.” And honestly, I thought he was probably right. I preferred to stay at home rather than go out. I spent most days in sweats and T-shirts. When Dave did drag me to a party with his socialite friends, I inevitably embarrassed him with my lack of knowledge of current affairs. I’d taken to hiding out in the bathroom writing notes for my next book on my phone. He’d even attempted to coach me in the art of party conversation. I’d used his lessons in a book but ignored them as they applied to me. The book had done well; readers found the lessons hilarious.

When Dave suggested I was not only an uninteresting social companion but boring in bed as well, I’d taken that seriously. I might prefer a quiet lifestyle, but I knew how to please a partner sexually. After pondering what I could do to shock him, I’d gotten my nipples pierced, something I’d secretly wanted to do for years. He’d laughed. I should have broken up with him that night. We’d only had sex a few times after that, and each time, Dave raced to completion, showered off the scent of me, and promptly fell asleep.

I heard my mother’s heels click against the floor. She must be pacing, something she always did when strategizing. “I’m so sorry, honey. Do you want us to cancel our cruise?”

That was the last thing I wanted. “Of course not. You’ve been looking forward to it for months. I’m fine. Really.”

“Are you sure?”

I held the phone between my shoulder and ear as I poured myself a generous measure of whiskey. “Yeah, things hadn’t been great between me and Dave for a long time.”

She huffed. “That doesn’t give him any excuse to—”

I held up my hand even though she couldn’t see me. “No it doesn’t. He acted like an ass, and I think he knows it. He moved out of his beloved apartment and told me I could keep it.” Not that I could afford it for long unless my next book was a runaway hit.

Mom sighed. “I don’t want you spending Christmas alone.”

After draining my drink, I’d wandered into my bedroom and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes were red from lack of sleep and they looked more hazel than their usual bright green. My curly dark hair stood out at odd angles. The stress of trying to meet the deadline for my book and trying to hold on to a relationship that had died well before I caught Dave fucking his colleague in his office hadn’t been good for my appetite. I’d lost weight and the bones in my face showed prominently. I was definitely not looking my best, but I wanted a few more days to wallow in self-pity. “I really don’t want to be around anyone right now.”

My mom sighed. “But it’s Christmas.”

I ran my hand through my hair, making it stick out even more. “I’m not in the mood for holiday cheer.”

“Your dad and I can go on a cruise another year.”

“No, arranging this once was difficult enough. Rick and Cindy will want to spend next year with you since they’re with Cindy’s family this year. And Ally’s trip to California is a special one-time deal. This is our gift to you, and I won’t be responsible for screwing it up.”

“You wouldn’t be responsible; Dave would be.”

“I wasn’t exactly looking forward to listening to his family brag about how wonderful they all are. I’ll have a better time alone.” My mom’s pacing stopped, and I realized I’d said the wrong thing.

“Eli, why didn’t you tell us you didn’t want to go home with Dave? We would never have agreed to the cruise if we thought you’d be miserable at Christmas.”

I tried to back pedal. “It would have been fine. I enjoy visiting Boston even if the company leaves something to be desired.”

“Hmm.” My mom didn’t sound convinced. “Maybe we could get you a ticket for the cruise. It might not be full.”

The cruise was supposed to give my parents some uninterrupted time together. And the last thing I wanted was be trapped on a ship with lots of happy, smiling people encouraging me to socialize while my mom fussed over me. “No, thanks. I really, truly would rather be on my own.”

“But what will you do?”

“Stay home and drown my sorrows in Christmas cookies and eggnog.”

You can find a list of all the posts for the Christmas Blog Hop here.

 

Hoofin’ it to the Altar now at Amazon, ARe, and BN.

Nov 16, 2012 Filed under: book release, erotica, m/m, men in uniform, paranormal, shapeshifter, vampire

Hoofin’ it to the Altar, my most recent contribution to the multi-author Protect and Serve series, is now at Amazon and ARe and Barnes and Noble.

Blurb

Deer shifter Jason Fleetfoot and vampire detective Drew Danvers have been together for a year. When Drew proposes, Jason is thrilled but shocked. Vampires aren’t usually the marrying kind, even the few who side with the good guys. Drew wants to elope, but Jason’s sister, Natalie, insists on planning an elaborate ceremony.

As Jason and Drew fend off well-meaning friends and family, a far more serious problem threatens their union. A vampire killer is on the loose. He subdues his undead victims without a struggle and finishes them off by literally curdling their blood. Drew has no idea what could kill a vampire so easily, and everyone suspects he’s next on the killer’s list. Can he stop the killer in time for “Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today…” to start his wedding instead of his funeral?

Reviews for Hoofin’ It to the Altar

“Ms. Violet has the knack for infusing lots of witty humor into the dialogue between the characters. They click as friends and even better as lovers. The storyline was interesting and very sexy. This author knows how to write some hot sex scenes.”
— 4 Hearts from Beverly, The Romance Studio

“I absolutely adore Silvia Violet’s Protect and Serve stories in this multi-author series. She infuses her stories with some humor, lots of lovin’ and amazing characters. The writing is tight, story moves along at a nice pace and there were a few twists that had me flipping the pages quickly to see what would happen next.”
— 4 Hearts from Dawn, Love Romances & More

BDSM Excerpt Week – Deceived (Galactic Betrayal 2)

Oct 2, 2012 Filed under: BDSM, BDSM Excerpt Week, book release, D/s, erotica, excerpts, m/m, sci fi

Deceived (Galactic Betrayal 2) by Silvia Violet

Blurb:

Several months after confessing his love for Lark, his former partner at the Intergalactic Investigations Bureau, Derek Carlson is hired to extract a sniper from the Kraxnafton prison on Lithusia. He hopes the mission will allow him to uncover the identity of the traitor responsible for his own imprisonment.

Lark is certain the mission is a setup, but he won’t let Derek return to Lithusia alone. Derek is his now, and nothing is going to tear them apart–not a sniper out only for herself, not the IIB, not even the Kraxnafton torturers. Derek’s judgment is clouded by dark memories, and Lark must decide whom he can trust. The wrong choice would be fatal for both of them.

 

*Warning: This is an X-rated excerpt*

BDSM Excerpt Week – Oct 1-7

Sep 28, 2012 Filed under: BDSM, book release, D/s, erotica, m/m, sci fi, web event

All next week, October 1-7, I’ll be posting excerpts from my own BDSM titles as well as excerpts from my fellow authors. It’s a celebration of BDSM romance in honor of the released of Deceived, the second book in my BDSM sci fi series, Galactic Betrayal.

So please join us each day to find out more about some scorching reads!

Ravaged Author Blog Hop – Annabeth Leong and DF Krieger

Aug 3, 2012 Filed under: book release, guest blogger, interview, paranormal, shapeshifter, web event, werewolf

Ravaged Promo Blog Hop – 5 blogs, 10 authors, 10 copies to be won!

Welcome to the Ravaged Author Blog Hop

To celebrate the release of Ravaged this weekend the authors have done a little Q&A hosted by five of the authors on their blogs.

Each blog features two interviews and if you comment you have a chance to win one of 10 PDF copies of Ravaged kindly donated by all the authors.

The blog links can be found below so please go and check out all the interviews.

An Interview with Annabeth Leong

About the Story

Title of your story, main characters and what it is about?

Title: The Arcadian Cure

Main characters: Kyle, Melissa, and the mysterious innkeeper Mrs. Stavrou.

Summary: A mysterious innkeeper’s warnings are part of the spooky thrill Kyle hopes to get when he climbs to the ruined altar of Zeus at the top of Greece’s Mt. Lykaion. The thrill turns to terror when Kyle returns from his expedition with the curse of the wolf. His girlfriend Melissa turns to the innkeeper for help, and discovers that the traditional “Arcadian cure” for the curse calls for sexual adventures far beyond what the couple has previously dared to try.

 

Where did you get the inspiration for your story?

I love researching myths and folklore in preparation for writing a story. I looked up a bunch of stuff about werewolves, and discovered that the ancient Greeks and Romans believed exhaustion could cure lycanthropy. In my story, the cure for the curse of the wolf requires a very particular kind of exhaustion…

 

Favorite line:

“Surely, you have seen what happens to a man after he spends his essence. That’s exhaustion. But be warned. The wolf is more…vigorous…than any normal man.”

 

About the Author

 

How long have you been writing and how did you become a writer?

I’ve been writing all my life, and I believe a person becomes a writer by practicing writing. Anyone who sits down and puts in the time on a regular basis deserves the title. I’ve been writing and publishing erotica specifically for about three years. For me, that was an exercise in self-acceptance. I let go of my ideas of what I ought to be writing and started writing what I wanted to write. It’s been tremendously freeing.

 

Have you got anything else out/due out?

In October, Breathless will publish my werewolf novelette, Not His Territory. It’s based on a different conception of werewolves from that in “The Arcadian Cure.” In Not His Territory, werewolves as a society are weighed down by legalistic traditions meant to keep their animal natures in line. The story is about the woman who inspires a Werewolf Council investigator to break out of that culture of restriction.

 

My other work includes The Six Swans, an erotic retelling of  the fairy tale, published by Coming Together; The Snake and the Lyre, an exploration of the shame and desire at the heart of the myth of Orpheus, published by Forbidden Fiction; and “Violets,” a modern-day lesbian fantasy about love spells, published in Circlet Press’s Like Hearts Enchanted. I write a lot of types of erotica, but it’s often based on folklore, or kinky, or lesbian, or some combination.

I keep a full list of available and forthcoming stories on my blog, http://www.annabethleong.blogspot.com/ and welcome anyone interested in other work to check it out. It’s currently running down the right side of the front page.

 

Top tip for writing/publishing?

The part of the process that a writer has control over is the writing. I recommend scheduling regular time to write and sticking to it. A person can’t help but get better at writing with frequent, faithful practice. Having a solid foundation of regular writing is the only way I can handle acceptance, rejection, revisions, and all the administration and emotion that go along with publishing.

 

Just for Fun

If you were a shifter what animal would you change into?

A wolf. I like the classics.

 

Favorite food and drink?

I am like a little kid. I love pizza, french fries, and milkshakes.

 

Favorite movie?

A short list: Tombstone, Legally Blonde, Clueless, and The Warrior’s Way. I have two quite opposite streaks of appreciation.

 

Boxers or Briefs?

Boxers.

 

Finish this sentence: I have never…

I have never worked my way through The Kama Sutra.

 

Stalker Links:

Blog: http://www.annabethleong.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @AnnabethLeong

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Annabeth-Leong/e/B007UUBXJU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1343061693&sr=8-2-ent

E-mail: annabeth.leong@gmail.com

 

An Interview with DF Krieger

About the Story

Title of your story, main characters and what it is about?

Her Pride My Joy is about the BDSM style sexual relationship between a zookeeper named Tina and a shape shifting lioness named Kenya

 

Where did you get the inspiration for your story?

I often wonder what a zoo would be like after dark.

 

Favorite line:

She’d learned long ago that the darkness boasted things—creatures—that could be as cruel as they were kind.

 

About the Author

How long have you been writing and how did you become a writer?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I don’t know how I became a writer, there’s been a book in my head and a pencil in my hand since I could draw and long before I could read.

 

Have you got anything else out/due out?

Quite a few books in both regards. You can check my website for me details.

 

Top tip for writing/publishing?

Edit your work before you send it to a publisher. Too often a manuscript is turned away because an author didn’t bother to even run a spell check.

 

Just for Fun

If you were a shifter what animal would you change into?

A panther, for sure!

 

Favorite food and drink?

Iced tea or Coca Cola and Long Grain Wild Rice (Uncle Ben’s Brand)

 

Favorite movie?

Practical Magic

 

Boxers or Briefs?

Neither…Nakey!!!

 

Finish this sentence: I have never…

Poked a badger with a spork.

 

Stalker Links:

http://dfkrieger.weebly.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/D-F-Krieger/177107165643929

 

His True Nature – Free at All Romance eBooks

Jun 28, 2012 Filed under: book release, contemporary, free story, m/m, men in uniform

His True Nature, the story I wrote for the M/M Romance group at Goodreads is now available for free at All Romance eBooks and Goodreads in epub, mobi, and pdf formats.

Here’s the prompt that inspired me:

After being shunned by his family for coming out, the dark haired guy buys a camper and moves out to a campground to get away from it all. Moving from the suburbs to the woods hasn’t been an easy adjustment, but that all changes when he quickly becomes friends with the hot, tattooed and supposedly straight grounds keeper. The dark haired guy’s survival skills are seriously lacking and his sexy new friend finds that quite humorous. It turns out that both of them have skills worth sharing with each other. Their relationship brings loads of sexual tension. They must have a HEA with no cheating and I’d love a beautiful sex scene, please.

 

And this is the inspirational photo.

 

 

A Sexy Mind Blog Hop: Contest Time!

Apr 27, 2012 Filed under: book release, chat/contest, contemporary, m/m, Sexy Mind Blog Hop, web event

And the winner of a copy of Always MJ from the interview post with Matty and Jay is …….

Julianna

Jo will contact you soon about your prize.

And now for a chance to win all three Blog Hop Titles, Moving Mountains by Freddy MacKay, Always MJ by Jo Peterson, and Astronomical by me, click here and answer a question related to each book.

 

We’ll announce the winner tomorrow when we take over the Silver Publishing FB page. Stop on by and see what kind of trouble we can get into!