Archive for the ‘contemporary’ Category
Mischief Corner Books New Shenanigans Blog Tour
Aug 30, 2013 
Filed under: book release, contemporary, excerpts, m/m, paranormal
Mischief Corner Books – What Happens When Creative Minds Start Thinking Too Much
We didn’t set out to do this. Honestly, we didn’t. MCB was born of a need to keep a bunch of friends writing together who miss each other too damn much. We live all over America and even in Australia, for gosh sakes, and we only get to see each other maybe once a year, if that.
It’s tough being separated but group writing projects made us feel like we were still in the same room, bouncing ideas off each other, making outrageous suggestions just to see if someone would take us up on it. Someone always did. But the more we worked on these things, the more we realized…we needed to go legit. So Mischief Corner Books was born as a company.
Today, we thought we’d share some details and some snippets of MCB stories – both from the current release and some past ones that are getting ready for individual release soon.
The current release, Horns and Halos was a reader selected anthology. We like that kind of thing. You guys tell us what you want. We go out and interpret the request each in our own unique way. We had three takers on this one: Toni Griffin, Freddy Mackay and Angel Martinez, and while we had originally asked for short stories, this collection of three tales ended up at 99K words. Um. Yeah. Some of us need to learn the meaning of short. *ahem*
The prompt? Write a story about angels and/or demons. Take your cues from whatever culture you like. Write in whatever genre you see fit. We ended up with an interesting trio.
Archie’s Accidental Kidnapping by Toni Griffin (M/M Fantasy – Hellhound Shifters)
Hell may not have any fury like a woman scorned, but even that’s nothing compared to a Hell Hound when you get between him and his mate.
Snippet:
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Sleeping. What does it look like I’m doing?” Archie asked quietly as sleep tried desperately to take him away. Really, Archie was starting to wonder about his kidnapper with a question like that.
“You get kidnapped and think it’s okay to just go to sleep?” The man sounded genuinely confused. Archie didn’t know why. Everyone needed sleep.
“See, told you that you kidnapped me.”
Internment by Freddy Mackay (M/M Fantasy)
Tadashi’s life spirals out of control, and he hides away on his mountain taking care of the one place he knows he is safe, and people are safe from him. But the world has a way of interrupting life.
Snippet:
The squirrel danced around the broom, determination on its face. It sat back on its hind legs and pointed at him. “Bad human!”
“Argh!” God, it talked. It really fucking talked. The broom came down on instinct, landing right on top of the demon squirrel. It squeaked. That seemed normal.
“Stop trying to squish me!”
That did not! Its tail flicked wildly under the bristles.
“Get this broom off me!”
“Stop talking!” he demanded, his chest heaving. His head felt kind of light. That couldn’t be good.
Hell For The Company by Angel Martinez (M/M Science Fiction/ Humor
Shax, the Demon Prince of Thieves, has reconciled himself to exile. He has a grand time careening around the galaxy as a high-end, intergalactic purloiner of pretties. Everything’s going just fine, thank you very much, until he comes across an injured angel in a psychedelic alien jungle.
Snippet:
“Ver.”
“Hey, trouble.”
Shax sipped his coffee, staring in confusion down into the not-quite-empty-anymore hold. “We have cows.”
“You figured that out all by yourself.”
“They’re…floating.”
“Yeah.” Steam rose from Verin’s nostrils when he snorted. “They’re antigrav cows. The guy explained the science-y stuff about how they have some kind of extra antigrav stomach built into their genetics but I wasn’t really listening.”
Cabin For Two was our first anthology, inspired by…our cabin. Ha. That’s where we all met, though, and it was quite an inspirational place 🙂 Next month, we’ll start releasing the Cabin for Two stories as individual pieces, nice little bite-sized Mischief Corner stories just for you. A few tastes to hold you over:
Their Natural Habitat by Silvia Violet (M/M Contemporary)
A forest ranger and his lover just want a nice weekend away. The bear baiters have other ideas.
Snippet:
Dan had been told how to handle a bear encounter countless times. Why the fuck couldn’t he remember what to do? He looked down stupidly at the flashlight in his hand. Carry a flashlight if you go out, Parker had said. What the hell was he supposed to with a flashlight? Shine it in the bear’s eyes? That seemed unwise. Try to bash it over the head? That would be sheer stupidity.
A loud clang behind him nearly stopped his heart. The bear dropped to all fours and took off into the woods. Dan stared, unable to move.
“You okay?”
Parker’s voice snapped him out of his paralysis.
He turned to see his lover holding a large bell. He tried to find the words he wanted to say, but his mouth just hung open as he tried to remember how to breathe.
Parker lifted the bell. “I keep this on the porch, because it’s good for scaring off bears.”
“You could’ve told me that.”
Three Little Words by Mathilde Watson (M/M Historical
Lifelong friends have returned from the Korean conflict and now need to fight their way through the feelings they’ve harbored for each other for so long.
Snippet:
Hugh opened the door and disappeared inside. Gary followed him into the bedroom and took in his surroundings, once again frozen in place. The room had a tiny closet, a chest of drawers… and one large bed. Only one. Gary swallowed hard and watched as Hugh moved around the room.
“My things are all in the bottom two drawers. You can have the two on top. And I’ve got some extra hangers in the closet… What is it?” Hugh frowned at him from across the room. Gary took a deep breath, willing himself not to panic. He cleared his throat.
“Where…” One word and he ran out of air. Gary took another deep breath, carefully trying to keep his tone light. “Where do I sleep?”
Hugh looked pointedly at the bed. His eyebrows were drawn together over a puzzled expression. “In the bed.”
“With you?”
“Well, yeah. Unless you want to sleep on the floor…” Hugh sighed, his voice softening. “I warned you that this place was small. But the bed, it’s big enough for the both of us.
We’re on a roll now – look for lots more in the future, including our (yet to be titled) Cowboy anthology coming out later this fall! Stay with us folks. It’s going to be an interesting ride.
RJ’s April Blog Hop for Autism Awareness
Mar 31, 2013 Filed under: contemporary, excerpts, m/m, web event
I’m thrilled to be part of this blog hop to raise awareness about autism and prejudice.
After reading, leave a comment for a chance to win your choice of any ebook from my backlist.
Autism Fact: Autism affects the way a person communicates with, and relates to, other people.
When my older daughter was three, she had a very small pre-school class and one of the girls in the class had autism. The little girl had a very limited vocabulary, she didn’t join in most class activities, and she left class for part of each day for speech or occupational therapy. At the beginning of the school year, I wasn’t sure how my daughter would react to this girl since my daughter was speaking with more complex sentences than most three-year-olds and was very observant and would wonder why the other girl left class with different teachers. But instead of being concerned by her differences, my daughter made sure the other girl knew she was welcome to join the class when they made crafts or had snack, and she talked to her just as she did the other children in the class even though the little girl didn’t answer back.
Whether it had to do with my daughter’s attitude towards her or something else about my daughter, the little girl started sitting beside her at snack, playing with toys beside her and generally attempting to make friends in her own way. Her mother and I became friends, and the girls played together outside of school. My daughter never saw a reason to treat her differently from her other friends.
No one at the pre-school talked about there being anything “wrong” with the autistic student and the teachers treated her the same way they treated the others students. I think my daughter saw that and modeled the behavior herself.
It wasn’t until several years later when her friend went to an elementary school with a special needs program that my daughter realized her friend had something society consider a disorder. As far as she was concerned, her friend just thought and communicated in her own special way. I was so glad that this was how my daughter formed her early impression of children with special needs. Rather than having a pre-conceived idea of someone with autism, she got to know her first and then found out why her brain worked differently. It would be great if we could all meet each new person we encounter without making any assumptions about them ahead of time.
Sadly, that’s not possible for most adults, but when I find myself judging someone I haven’t met, I remind myself of all the times my pre-conceived notions (or prejudices) have been wrong and the person I got to know was nothing like I would have expected.
My most recent release is Astronomical. In this story, Greg MacIntyre, an astronomy professor, defies most assumptions people make about geeky astro-physicists.
Astronomical by Silvia Violet
Blurb:
When sexy, kilt-wearing astronomy professor Greg MacIntyre moves in next door, Blake Theriot knows he’s in trouble. Blake is a research librarian, and he likes things orderly and controlled. But in his secret fantasies, he craves a big, powerful man like Greg to stir up his life.
Every time Blake tries to talk to his erudite neighbor, his brain shuts down and his vocabulary is reduced to one-word utterances, but when Blake’s niece challenges him to invite Greg to dinner, he does. A few shots of after-dinner whiskey loosen Blake’s inhibitions, and the two men share a hot kiss and the promise of more. Can Blake relax enough to give himself a chance with Greg, or will his fear of letting go ruin his hopes for love?
Excerpt:
The front door banged open, making me jump. I muttered a curse as I looked at the spaghetti sauce I’d splattered on my shirt. I’d have to change before I headed to work.
“Blake, are you in the kitchen?”
“Yeah.”
My sister’s shoes made a swishing sound as she walked through the living room and into the kitchen. “It smells great.”
“Thanks,” I answered absently as I looked through the spice rack for cayenne.
“Have you been outside lately?”
I shook my head. Renee had a conspiratorial tone in her voice that told me trouble was coming. I focused on stirring. I would not fall prey to her scheme, whatever it was.
“You should come check out the view.”
“What?” I tasted the sauce and added more pepper. “Why?”
“When you told me your new neighbor was an astronomy professor, I imagined someone even geekier than you.”
Heat rose to my cheeks like it did every time I thought about Dr. Greg MacIntyre. No one had caused such a strong reaction in me in years. The man was truly devastating—tall and beefy with wavy red hair I longed to run my hands through, preferably while on my back throwing my legs over his shoulders. No need to choose between brains and brawn with him.
But during the few conversations we’d had, I’d babbled like a fool in response to his erudite remarks. If Greg was gay—and he’d given me no solid reason to believe he was—he wouldn’t want a drooling imbecile for a partner.
Renee started to say something else, but she was interrupted by her daughter, Haley, rushing into the kitchen. “Hey, Mom. I thought I heard you come in.”
Renee was raising Haley on her own. She worked as a nurse in pediatric intensive care and had arranged her schedule to work three night shifts in a row and then have four days off. Haley usually spent those nights with me and occasionally stuck around for a few hours after school on the first of Renee’s days off so her mom could catch up on sleep or run some errands.
Haley turned pleading eyes on me. “Dr. MacIntyre is outside. Can I go meet him now?”
My shirt was stained. I’d overslept and raced out the door without shaving or doing anything to tame my curly hair. I was rushing to get dinner made because I’d agreed to fill in for someone at the main campus library and had to go back to work.
But Haley had been anxious to meet Greg since he’d moved in a week ago. She loved astronomy and all the mind-boggling math it required. She’d seen Greg setting up a telescope in his backyard and hoped he’d let her take a look through it. I couldn’t deny her the chance to meet a real-life astrophysicist, especially one so well-respected that Louisiana State University had lured him away from Berkeley for their Advanced Gamma Ray Survey Mission. I wasn’t sure exactly what the program’s professors did, but their work sounded impressive and expensive.
I sighed. I’d already made an ass of myself with Greg, so what difference did it make how I looked?
“Sure. Just let me—” Before I finished my sentence, Haley shot out the door. I nearly busted my ass racing after her. Renee laughed as I stumbled down the porch steps.
When I reached the yard, my heart nearly stopped. Greg was indeed outside, up a ladder, fixing a broken gutter, wearing nothing but a utility kilt. A fucking kilt. Could he get any more perfect?
I stared, frozen to the spot. My mouth watered as I took in his muscular legs, his round ass, and the broad expanse of his back. He reached up to hook the gutter back in place, and I bit my lip to hold in a groan at the sight of his muscles flexing.
“Uncle Blake?” Haley snapped me out of my trance. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Uh…yeah. I’m fine.”
Her lips turned up in a mischievous grin. “You like him, don’t you?”
“Who?”
She rolled her eyes. “Dr. MacIntyre.”
I prayed her loud whisper hadn’t carried across the yard. “He’s a nice man.”
“Right.”
Not a conversation I wanted to continue. “Come on. Let me introduce you.”
As we got closer, I had to resist the urge to look up Greg’s kilt. Sweat rolled down my temples as I wondered whether he was naked under there. At least in the Louisiana heat, everyone was sweaty.
“Hi, Greg,” I called.
He looked down and smiled. His green eyes sparkled, and my cock responded. I so didn’t need to be standing there with a hard-on.
“I know you’re busy, but I wanted to introduce you to Haley.”
“Hi, Haley.” He waved at her, and she blushed a deep red. Even nine-year-olds couldn’t resist him.
He started down the ladder, his kilt lifting with each step. I couldn’t stop myself from peeking. I nearly passed out when I caught a glimpse of his pale, hair-covered ass cheek. My cock hardened more, and I prayed he—or worse, Haley—wouldn’t notice.
When he reached the ground, Greg shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too. I was hoping you’d show me your telescope sometime. I’ve been reading Seeds’s Foundations of Astronomy, and I’ve got lots of questions.”
His smile widened. “Most likely you already know more than most of the freshmen I’ve taught. I’d love to answer your questions and do some stargazing together.”
Haley grinned. “Great!”
I nearly swooned. Greg was hot, brilliant, and apparently also good with kids.
“There are lots of cool things I can show you. How much math have you done? Any algebra yet?”
I barely heard his questions. My gaze was glued to his hand as he ran it casually up and down the handle of his hammer. I couldn’t stop imaging him touching my dick the same way.
“I’ve been working on algebra on my own,” Haley said. “My stupid school won’t let me move ahead, and my class is still adding fractions.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ll help you with the math too.”
Haley lit up. I couldn’t recall ever seeing her so happy. “That’s awesome! Thanks!” She glanced at his kilt. “So are you, like, Scottish or what?”
He laughed. “On my father’s side, yes, but I wear kilts because I like them, especially this style. It’s got lots of useful pockets and straps.” He slid the hammer he’d been caressing through a loop on the side as a demonstration. “Pants get too confining.”
My knees threatened to give as I thought about what was under his kilt, unconfined.
“Hmm.” Haley considered his statement. “I like shorts better than skirts. You can do cartwheels in shorts without showing your underwear.” She demonstrated, flipping herself over on his lawn.
He laughed. “You’ve got a point there, but it’s been a very long time since I attempted a cartwheel.”
I wondered if I could convince him to attempt one after Haley left.
Renee motioned to Haley as she exited my house and walked to the car. “Come on. We’re going to be late for your piano lesson.”
“All right. I’m coming,” she yelled to her mom. “I’ll see you soon, Dr. MacIntyre.”
He smiled at her, and I got all wobbly again.
“Call me Greg,” he called as she ran off.
She turned back, grinning. “Awesome.”
“Haley, come on,” Renee called impatiently. She waved to Greg from her spot by the car. “I’m Renee. Sorry to be in such a rush, but I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”
Greg smiled at her, but he gave no indication he was checking her out. Renee and I were twins, and, like me, she had thick, curly black hair and dark brown eyes. Where I was tall and lean, she was short and curvy, very curvy. Straight men did a lot of staring when she was around.
Maybe Greg is gay after all. Or am I just seeing what I want to see? As I considered my track record with relationships, I doubted I could be that lucky.
Greg waved to Haley as they drove off. “Your daughter’s great,” he said, looking at me.
“What?” The word flew out as my brain worked to comprehend what he’d said. I’d been observing the hard planes of his torso and marveling at the way his golden chest hair glinted in the sun.
“Your daughter?”
“Haley? She’s not my daughter. She’s my…uh…my niece.” I wished I could melt into the ground. Why did he have this stupefying effect on me? “Renee’s my sister. I’m not… I mean, I don’t have any kids.”
Greg’s emerald eyes sparkled as his gaze drifted up and down my body, assessing me. “I see.”
Is he flirting with me?
He smiled as if he sensed he’d gotten me flustered. “Are you interested in seeing the stars too?”
Was I ever, but not in the way Greg meant. At least I didn’t think he meant it that way. My cock, on the other hand, was convinced it should be ready for action. “Well… I…”
“Because I’d love to show you my telescope.”
To my lust-crazed ear, his low voice was filled with sexual intent. My cock strained against my pants, and the dryness of my mouth rivaled the Sahara’s. I forced myself to swallow as I tried to remember how to speak. “That sounds…um…great. Yeah, great.” I grabbed my phone from my pocket and looked at the time. “Work. Late. I-I’m going to be late.” What a blubbering idiot.
Greg grinned, and heat flashed in his eyes. “Go. We’ll talk later.”
Buy it at Amazon, ARe, and Loose Id
New Release! Fitting In
Feb 24, 2013 Filed under: BDSM, bears, book release, contemporary, D/s, first chapter, m/m, men in uniform
Fitting In is now available at Amazon, ARe, BN, and Smashwords. Get your copy today!
Blurb:
Two cops walk into a bar. Mason, the bartender, waits for the punch line, because no way in hell are these ridiculously hot men real cops. They’re straight out of a cop-fetish fantasy. But he quickly learns that Jack and Gray are the real deal, and they want him in the worst way.
What starts as a night of hot, three-way sex becomes a lot more. The two cops fulfill Mason’s submissive fantasies, but they also meet a more basic need, comfort. They want to take care of Mason, to offer him unconditional friendship, but their concern for him unnerves Mason more than even the kinkiest sex.
To find happiness with his new partners, Mason must change his belief that love is as much a fantasy as a pair of gorgeous, handcuff-wielding cops landing in his bed.
Excerpt:
Two cops walked into a bar. Mason, the bartender, waited for the punch line, because no way in hell were these ridiculously hot men real cops. They were one hundred percent fantasy material. He hoped to hell they were strippers, and they’d be willing to do a private performance for him.
Their dark blue uniforms were snug, hugging their bodies in all the right places. The taller of the two men was big enough to bench-press Mason. His shirt looked like it might burst at the seams, and Mason hoped it would. Dark, wavy hair fell over his forehead and softened the hard lines of his face. His eyes were dark without being warm, just right for a cop.
His partner was shorter, about Mason’s own five foot eleven or so. He had buzz-cut dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He looked younger than his partner, like he hadn’t been out of the academy for long, but he was just as ridiculously hot as the bigger man. His looks were the all-American-boy type. He’d probably played baseball in school and won the heart of every girl he smiled at. He was a perfect counter to his partner’s rough, domineering appeal. They could play a scintillating game of good cop, bad cop, and Mason would love for them to play it with him.
If Mason were in a porno, the cops would cuff him and drag him to a back room where they would proceed to plow his ass until he couldn’t stand up. Sadly, this was real life. They were probably relentlessly straight and only here for a beer.
They headed toward the end of the bar by the register where there weren’t any customers during the midafternoon lull.
“What can I get for you, officers?” Mason asked.
The big one smiled. “Anything cold.”
The shorter man punched his partner’s arm. “Nothing. Thank you. We’re here on official business.”
The big man rolled his eyes. “Can’t I at least get a soda?”
“Fine. Two Cokes please.”
Mason was glad to have the simple task of scooping ice and pouring fountain drinks to distract himself for a few minutes. What official business would they have here? While the occasional fistfight broke out, most typically during the NCAA basketball tournament, Nathan’s Public House was hardly a hotbed of crime.
He picked up the drinks and faced them again, willing his hands to stop shaking. It wasn’t like he hadn’t served plenty of attractive men in the past. What was it about these two that had him so stirred up?
He set the drinks on the bar in front of them and watched as they both took a sip. His cheeks heated when he realized he was staring, openmouthed, at the flex of muscles in the bigger man’s throat as he swallowed.
Focus, Mason, focus. “So…um…what kind of business brings you here?”
The shorter man smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Officer Jack Abney, and this is my partner, Gray Sadler. We want to talk to the staff who were working last night when Gino’s was robbed in case anyone might have seen or heard something that will help with the investigation.”
Mason took Jack’s hand. His skin was softer than Mason expected, and he held Mason’s hand a few seconds longer than he needed to. “Um…I’m Mason Shields.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Shields,” Jack said, grinning.
Mason thought he might melt, but this wasn’t a time to become a puddle of lustful intentions. The robberies had shaken up most of the business owners in the part of downtown Durham where Nathan’s was located. The break-in at Gino’s was the third one in the area, and all the robberies were believed to have been inside jobs pulled off by well-organized professionals. The occasional group of kids breaking a window and trying to get into the till or taking valuables customers foolishly left lying on the seats of their cars wasn’t uncommon, but this type of systematic criminal activity was something new.
“I was here last night, but until I heard sirens, I had no idea anything was going on. It was really crowded, and I had a long line at the bar so I was focused on making drinks and keeping customers happy.”
Jack stood up and looked toward the windows. “Not much of a view of the place either.”
Mason shook his head. “Once the lights go out over there, I can’t see a thing, especially with people blocking my view out front.”
His partner, Officer Sadler, looked at Mason then, his dark eyes calculating. “We understand one of your servers worked at Gino’s until a month or so ago.”
“Yes, Gwen did.” The idea of Gwen working for a band of criminal masterminds was ludicrous. She could barely manage to serve a couple of tables without fucking up their orders.
“Was she working last night?” Gray asked.
Mason thought through the evening. Gwen had been there, but he didn’t remember seeing her after the dinner crowd left, and he’d wondered why they were understaffed when the rowdy game watchers filled the place up. “She was, but her shift must have ended by nine.”
“Is that unusual?” Jack studied him as carefully as his partner had. Having the two gorgeous men staring at him was doing unsettling things to his insides, and his expanding dick was making his pants uncomfortable.
“I guess so. Kinda. Usually most of the waitstaff works until eleven on weekends, but I really don’t think—”
Jack held up his hand. “Just routine questions.”
“Okay. Maybe it would be better if you talked to my manager.”
“We will,” Gray assured him. “But right now, we want to talk to you.”
His voice was low and sexy. If Mason didn’t know better, he’d have thought Gray was flirting with him, but he had to be imagining it. Jack was staring at his partner like he’d lost his mind.
Mason looked back at Gray and was caught by his cool gaze. He bit into his lip, needing the sharp pain to break the spell and allow him to look away. Gray exuded dominance. Mason had no doubt he was a man who expected to get his way, and Mason would be happy to give him just that. The thought of being pinned under him and told exactly how to please him made Mason shudder.
Needing to break the tension vibrating among the three of them, Mason said, “The bartender knows all, is that the theory?”
“Something like that.” Jack’s sly grin made Mason’s knees weak. These two were going to be the death of him.
The officers asked a few more questions, but Mason truly didn’t have anything useful to tell them so they moved on to questioning the servers.
He was glad there weren’t many customers in the bar because both cops had asses worthy of his devoted attention. He sighed as he watched them while pretending to wipe down the bar. What he wouldn’t give to peel them out of their tight blue pants and get a closer look.
The intensity of his attraction puzzled Mason. Gray’s size and dominating presence pushed all his buttons, setting off submissive fantasies that had him reeling. And Jack, Mason could imagine him reveling in a hard, rough fuck or giving the orders himself with the confident air he used for interrogation. If the two men had told him to drop his pants and bend over the bar, he truly might have done it, which unnerved him. While he’d had his share of hook-up sex with no names exchanged, he wasn’t usually quite so slutty.
Maybe the fact that it had been months since he’d bothered to find a partner at all was part of the problem. He’d never really enjoyed the anonymous club sex, but he’d learned the hard way that depending on someone to be there for you was pointless, so he wasn’t much for relationships either. Hitting the clubs was the easiest way to take care of his sexual urges. He’d stepped out of his comfort zone often enough to keep from dying of unfulfilled lust, but the last few times he’d hooked up with someone in a grungy bathroom, he’d felt more sick than satisfied after it was over. For the last few months, he’d reveled in his nerdy side, the side of him that still hoped to go back to college, get his degree in chemistry, and then move on to grad school. Instead of going out he’d been spending his time off reading scientific journals and watching his favorite Star Trek episodes over and over. Perhaps he was experiencing temporary insanity from lack of sex.
Christmas Recipe Blog Swap and Contest
Dec 22, 2012 Filed under: chat/contest, contemporary, excerpts, holiday, m/m, recipes, sweet treats
Today some of my favorite authors and I are going to be sharing holiday recipes. If you comment and share a favorite recipe of your own (a link to one is fine) you’ll be entered to win your choice of my Christmas titles, One Kiss and Needing a Little Christmas (These stories are temporarily unavailable).
One of my favorite things about the holidays is making cookies. I love to bake year round but at Christmas I usually go a little crazy making as many as a dozen different types of cookies and giving them as gifts. But one kind that we make every year are Oatmeal Hershey Bar Cookies. They hold together well for shipping once the chocolate bars on top are set and they are usually gobbled up quick as lightning. I always save plenty for our family and I have been known to eat embarrassing amounts of them when someone else doesn’t beat me to it.
Oatmeal Hershey Bar Cookies
(This recipe makes 10-12 dozen cookies. When I make it at other times of year, I usually halve it.)
2 c. Butter (4 sticks)
2 c. Sugar
2 c. Brown Sugar
4 Eggs
2 t. Vanilla
4 c. Flour
5 c. Oatmeal, ground into powder (I do this in the food processor)
1 t. Salt
2 t. Baking Powder
2 t. Baking Soda
2 c. Chopped Pecans
3 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
12 Hershey Bars (the plain milk chocolate ones that are divided into 12 pieces)
Preheat oven to 375F.
Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and blend until creamy. Add flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Blend just until combined. Add pecans and chocolate chips and blend on the mixer’s lowest setting. (If I make a full batch, it overflows from my mixer and I have to do the chips and pecans by hand.)
Drop by tablespoons onto a parhment lined cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes. The cookies will be soft and will not look done when you take them out. The edges may have just a hint of brown. Do not overbake!
Before removing them from the pan, top each cookie with one section of a Hershey bar. After about 2 minutes, remove them from the pan and let cool. The chocoalte will remain gooey and soft for a long time.
Enjoy!
Needing a Little Christmas by Silvia Violet
Discovering his boyfriend’s affair with a co-worker wrecks Eli’s holiday plans. With his parents on a cruise and his brother and sister out of town, he’s on his own. His mother insists he escape to her friend’s mountain cabin. Eli reluctantly agrees, but he takes off unprepared and ends up driving into the worst snowstorm the area has seen in years.
He survives the trip, but he’s stuck with no logs for the woodstove and little food. Fortunately, he gets the number for Mac’s Wood Delivery. Mac doesn’t mind riding to the rescue, and his deep, sultry voice has Eli eagerly anticipating the delivery. Is Mac the little bit of Christmas cheer Eli has been needing?
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.”
Buy it at Amazon, ARe, or Silver
Visit the other post in the Christmas Blog Hop:
Angel Martinez: http://www.freewebs.com/
Laura Harner: http://lauraharner.com/
Lee Brazil: http://
Em Woods: http://authoremwoods.com/2012/
Havan: http://
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.
Free Story – Heat in the Kitchen
Nov 18, 2012 Filed under: contemporary, free story, holiday, m/m
Heat in the Kitchen is a Thanksgiving story that’s hotter than your oven after working overtime on turkey, pies and all those sides. This story appears in Silver Shorts Week 45, and you can download it here. Or you can read it now on my site…..
Heat in the Kitchen by Silvia Violet
“You want me to cook Thanksgiving dinner for your family?”
Allen looked everywhere but at Layton. “Well, yeah. You know what it’s like to suffer through my mother’s cooking, and we already decided not to fly to see your dad, so…”
“The last time your family came to dinner, you gave me a blowjob in the pantry, and I burned the chicken.”
Allen had the decency to blush. “You know how I get when you wear an apron. It brings out the animal in me.”
Layton gave him a hard stare. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”
“I’ll be good.”
Layton sighed. “No, you won’t, but that’s part of what I like about you.”
“Exactly.”
“So what should I make?”
Allen’s eyes widened. “You’ll do it? For real?”
Layton wanted to strangle him. “I didn’t think I really had a choice.”
“Well, there’s always dry turkey and instant mashed potatoes.”
“Any chance of skipping it all and spending the day in bed?” Layton asked.
Allen smirked. “I’d sure be thankful then, but no, my mom would be hurt if we were in town and didn’t spend the day with her. There’s always the day after Thanksgiving though.”
“All right. I’ll cook, but no interruptions this time. There’s no point in having me make dinner if we’re just going to eat something burned anyway.”
Allen raised two fingers and tried to look innocent. “Scout’s honor.”
Read the rest on the story page. And look at the other free reads on my site.
BDSM Excerpt Week – Amber Skyze
Oct 6, 2012 Filed under: BDSM, BDSM Excerpt Week, contemporary, guest blogger, menage
Adrift by Amber Skyze
Blurb:
Ben Eckhart has been the object of Kari Kirkland’s lust for almost three years. Yet he’s never spoken a word to her and why would he? She’s a plus-sized woman with scars that haunt her every day. And although Kari longs for happily ever after, she’s pretty much given up on love.
When their boss declares he’s having a mandatory picnic, Ben not only talks to Kari, he wants to know if she’s going and if she’ll be alone. Kari is, if only to fantasize about Ben in his swim shorts.
But Ben has other ideas in mind for Kari. He’s bringing along his best friend and lover Adam – to help him seduce Kari into believing there’s great sex and true love in her future.
Unexpectedly trapped on a deserted island, Kari witnesses the men having sex then lets herself get talked into sex on the beach and a whole lot more. But when they’re rescued, will Kari accept their proposition or cast their newfound love Adrift?
Excerpt:
“I expect everyone to be there.” Mr. Carlton stood up and continued talking to the small group in the conference room. “My wife looks forward to this every year, so I don’t want to disappoint her. There will be boats at the dock to take people back and forth to Carlton Island.”
Kari cringed just thinking about getting into a boat and being escorted over to her boss’s island. The last thing she wanted to do over her weekend was spend it with him and fellow coworkers. Kari enjoyed the peace and serenity of her apartment. She didn’t have to make small talk except with Pepper, her cat.
Last year she’d been able to get out of the company picnic, but something told her this time she wouldn’t be so lucky.
“This is bullshit.”
Kari swiveled her chair to see who else felt like she did, but was brave enough to voice his opinion. She was met with the most amazing blue eyes.
Ben.
Her heart caught in her throat. Was he speaking to me?
Ben Eckhart hadn’t uttered a word to her in the three years he’d worked at Carlton Technologies. Kari had admired him from afar, knowing he’d never be interested in someone like her. She wasn’t a size 2 pinup model like Ben probably dated.
“Does he think we don’t have a life outside of work?”
He was talking to her.
Hanging out on her deck with a book wasn’t in the cards for her this weekend.
“Have you ever been?” he asked.
“Once. I’ve managed to escape all the other yearly get-togethers, but I don’t see that happening this weekend.”
“I heard people have gotten let go for not attending.”
She’d heard that too, but thankfully it hadn’t happened to her. With the economy in dire straits, she wasn’t risking it this year. “That’s what they say. I can’t afford to take any chances. I’ll be going.”
“Me too, I guess.”
Kari groaned inwardly. She didn’t want to spend the weekend lusting over Ben. At work she could cover up her scars, but on Carlton Island she’d be expected to dress more casually.
Maybe she could think of a way out of this.
“Spouses and significant others are more than welcome too,” Mr. Carlton continued.
Kari turned her attention back to her boss. Right about now, she wished she had someone in her life she could bring along to ease the pain of watching Ben. Fortunately he wasn’t aware of her feelings for him.
He leaned closer to her chair and whispered in her ear. “You bringing someone?” Heat from his breath trickled down her neck, straight to her core. Images of Ben wearing only swim trunks filled her mind. She pictured a hard, smooth chest and abs of steel she could run her fingers along.
“No,” she snapped.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
She swiveled her chair slightly and glanced over her shoulder. His lips were close. Close enough that if she leaned just a little bit, she could graze them with her own. “I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just really frustrated about having to go this weekend. I’m going alone.”
“Hmmm. I guess I’ll see you there.”
“Guess so.”
Mr. Carlton ended the meeting. Kari gathered her notebook, pen, and coffee mug before heading back to her office. She wondered if Ben would be coming alone or if he would be bringing some lucky lady.
She prayed he came alone. He’d broken the ice by talking to her in the meeting. Maybe they could get to know each other better over the weekend.
As she sat in her chair, she realized she was fooling herself. Ben would never be interested in a size 12 disfigured woman. Even if he did show an interest, Kari couldn’t take her clothes off for him. Her scars were a reminder that she’d never have a love life again. It was bad enough that the memories of that horrible night still haunted her; visible scars stared back from the mirror. They screamed at her, taunting that she’d be lonely the rest of her life.
* * * * *
Try as she might, Kari couldn’t find a way out of the weekend. She packed enough clothes for the overnight excursion. Maybe she could feign sickness later in the evening. Surely Mr. Carlton would understand her leaving if she was sick.
Kari parked her car in the parking lot just above the boat launch. Grabbing her overnight bag from the trunk, she made her way to the dock. There wasn’t anyone waiting, and the boat ferrying people to the island was nowhere in sight.
She set her bag down and leaned against a wooden pole, waiting for the boat to return. The warm sun cascaded its rays down on her. Sweat beaded on her forehead. She’d have to remove the sweater she’d worn over her tank top soon.
“Hey, are you waiting for the boat?”
Wariness crept into her body. Kari was certain she knew that voice but prayed it wasn’t him.
“Kari!”
She used her hand to shade the sun from her eyes; even with sunglasses, the brightness was blinding. She looked toward the voice calling her name. Sure enough, it was Ben. He wasn’t alone; he was with another guy, who appeared to be around five-ten, Ben’s height. He had jet-black hair, a contrast to Ben’s sandy blond.
They dressed like twins in khaki cargo shorts and tight T-shirts. Ben’s was hunter green, and his friend’s an orange color. As they drew nearer, she noticed they moved in sync. Were they lovers? Their motions were as familiar as a couple. She dismissed the idea. Ben had seemed interested in her during the conference. He couldn’t be gay. They each carried backpacks in one hand and a cooler in the other, swinging it as they walked.
She hadn’t thought about bringing anything to drink. She had assumed Mr. Carlton would provide all the food and drinks they needed.
“Hey, Ben,” she said as they drew nearer.
“This is Adam. Adam, this is Kari. We work on the project management team together.”
“Nice to meet you, Kari.”
He placed the cooler on the ground and offered her a hand. She accepted. Tingling sensations filled her body. She pulled her hand back quickly, afraid he’d sense her arousal at his touch.
“The boat’s not here right now,” she said, looking out at the water.
“We’re not taking Mr. Carlton’s boat,” Ben said. “I have my own. Want to join us?”
Absolutely not!
She was not getting into a boat with these two gorgeous guys.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll wait for the boat.”
“Are you sure? There’s no one else here. At least you can talk to us on the ride over.”
Ben had a point, but Kari couldn’t get her mind off him. Being on a boat making small talk should produce warm, fuzzy emotions, but she was nervous. She didn’t know what to talk about with either of them.
“Come on,” Adam urged. “We won’t bite.”
Too bad.
What the hell was she thinking? Neither of them would be interested in her.
“Please.”
Kari swung her head toward Ben. He’d moved to her side and whispered softly. Was she imagining it, or was there desire in his eyes? He looked like he was undressing her with those crystal blue eyes. For a moment she allowed herself to be mesmerized.
She swallowed the moan that threatened to escape and said, “Yes, please.”
Adam touched her arm, and Kari felt faint. How could she resist when they were practically begging?
“Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll go with you guys.” She took a step back, regaining some of her personal space. She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made the right decision.
BDSM Excerpt Week – Promotion
Oct 6, 2012 Filed under: BDSM, BDSM Excerpt Week, contemporary, erotica, m/m
Here’s an excerpt from a little piece of escapist erotica….
Promotion by Silvia Violet
Luke Jackson has been hot for his boss since the day he started work. When he’s offered the chance to win a promotion, he has no idea what his boss expects in return until he finds himself on his knees in his boss’s office. For Luke, his promotion doesn’t just come with better pay but also the fulfillment of all his submissive desires.
Excerpt
My heart pounds as I walk down the hall to my boss’s office. I have to get myself together. Yes, the man is fucking hot, but I have to learn not to be tongue tied in front of him, or I’ll never get the promotion he’s been dangling in front of my face.
A few days ago I was called to an executive level meeting out of the blue. My boss told me he’d chosen me to handle our newest accounts and that if I gave him everything he wanted, I’d be promoted to VP. I was speechless, as I usually am around him — speechless and horny as hell.
He’s the most perfectly put together man I’ve ever seen, but his presence is what really does me in. He fills the whole room, dominates everyone, gets whatever he wants with no more than a look. He’s ruthless power personified, and I want him. I want him to take me, use me, and do unspeakable things to me. But every time I see him, I start dropping things and goggling like a fish.
When I reach his outer office, his assistant buzzes me in. His back is to me as he types on his laptop. Rather than say anything, I simply take him in, his perfect posture, his smooth, long-fingered hands that I know would feel so good running over my body.
So much for my plan of keeping my thoughts professional. Now I need to use the file folder I’m carrying to cover the hard-on tenting my suit pants.
He curses and pushes away from his desk. When he glances up, something my twisted mind wants to believe is erotic interest flashes in his eyes. His lips curl up in a self-satisfied smile. Does he know I want him? I fight the urge to fall into his nearly black gaze. His eyes are so hypnotizing, I almost think he holds some supernatural power over me.
Several heart pounding seconds pass in silence. Then I find my voice. “What can I help you with, sir?”
He stands and walks around to me, invading my space with his heat and his nearly tangible aura of authority. He shifts his hips so he’s half sitting on the edge of his desk and looks me up and down. He’s close enough I could reach out and pet him — and I want to.
My gaze drops to his mouth as his lips part and his tongue swipes across them before he speaks. “Yesterday you said you’d be willing to do anything I needed. Did you mean that?”
His question makes my breath catch. Why do I have the feeling he isn’t just talking about putting in extra hours? I nod. “Yes, sir.”
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BDSM Excerpt Week – Heidi Lynn Anderson
Oct 3, 2012 Filed under: BDSM, BDSM Excerpt Week, contemporary, guest blogger, m/f
Ava’s Pleasure by Heidi Lynn Anderson
Blurb
Of all the sex clubs, she had to walk into his.
When prim proper Ava stumbles into a Miami sex club, she isn’t expecting to find the man from her dreams. Navy SEAL Logan is just wasting time between missions until this naïve and innocent woman turns his world upside down.
How was Ava Cullen supposed to know her prim and proper aunt was part owner of the premier sex club in Miami and a top-notch Dominatrix? When she stumbled into club Paradise and came face to face with her dream man, she had a feeling she stood on the precipice of something life changing.
Navy SEAL Logan Turner always knew he needed more out of life than the next mission. That’s why he opened Paradise with his best friend Julie. It didn’t hurt that he could reap the benefits of owning a sex club. That was until a sexy, doe-eyed woman walked in, making his control slip for the first time ever.
Excerpt
Ava’s tongue swiped over her lips. “I don’t know.”
Logan slid the blindfold over Ava’s eyes and stood back to drink in the sight before him.
“I don’t know if I like this,” she said.
“What don’t you like, honey?” Logan watched the pulse in her neck beat a fast tattoo.
“I don’t know.”
“Are you uncomfortable?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“I know you think you haven’t been in control of your life.” Logan grasped the flogger and ran the silk strands over his palm. “But the opposite is true.”
“You’ve been making all the decisions for yourself.” Logan ran the strands between Ava’s full round tits, tracing their curve.
The sound of her moan had Logan inhaling hard. He needed to be careful, if he didn’t want to blow his load too soon. “Honey, you’re beautiful like this.” Logan made his way slowly—almost painfully so—to her luscious pussy. The sounds of longing that came from Ava filled him with joy and love.
