Archive for the ‘excerpts’ Category

Hoofin’ it to the Altar is available now!

Aug 30, 2012 Filed under: D/s, excerpts, m/m, men in uniform, paranormal, shapeshifter, vampire

Bound on over to Changeling Press and grab my latest contribution to the Protect and Serve series!

Hoofin’ it to the Altar

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?

Excerpt:

I’m Jason Fleetfoot, deer shifter and crime lab tech. I might look like a badass, but lately, I’m embarrassingly domesticated. I’m living like an old married man with a vampire. That’s right, a vampire. Me and my man have settled down into a predictable routine just like upstanding normal folks. A few months ago, I moved in with him and volunteered to keep working the night shift at the crime lab while he’s out chasing down bad guys. He’s a big, bad detective. Yeah, a vamp who works for the good guys. We come home from work, have dinner, well, I do. He has me for dinner. Then we watch a little TV and tuck in for the night or, rather, day.

What about the sex? Don’t look shocked, I know you’re interested. The sex is anything but predictable. Drew is hotter than a solar flare. We’re both stronger and faster than humans and willing to try almost anything. I’ll just say we’ve damn near brought the building down a few times and leave it at that.

I can barely believe we’ve been together for a whole year. Before I met Drew, if I fucked the same guy for a week, I started to get antsy, but now I’m in love. Yeah, I admit it. This badass stag shifter is all mushy-gushy, I-don’t-ever-want-to-leave-you in love. And love makes you dumb. Dumb enough to think a vampire would care about celebrating our anniversary.

I made us reservations and kept them a secret until today. I surprised Drew with the plans when he woke up early this evening, and he seemed happy, if a little distracted. I thought he was into my idea even though we rarely go out unless we stop by Shift for a beer on our night off. Drew doesn’t eat, but he likes to watch me when I order something special. I love to eat, and sometimes I really get into my food. Drew says I look like I’m about to come from the deliciousness, and he likes that, a lot.

So I got all dressed up, well, all dressed up for me, which means a collared shirt and a coat with my jeans, and planned to have a nice, civilized evening. But Drew went to do some errands after he got up, and now he’s a half hour late meeting me at the restaurant, and he’s not answering his phone.

Now, my anger turns to fear as I think how unlike him it is to be late. He just closed a case involving a werewolf pack that was kidnapping young women. Supposedly, the guilty parties were in jail, but what if they’ve found a way to get retribution? And they are far from the only people who’d like to see Drew permanently dead. Thanks to the news coverage of his kidnapping and forced Change at the hands of a vampire crime boss and the city’s unlikely decision to let him keep his job with the police force, Drew is fairly well known. There are plenty of people out there, human and vampire, who don’t like the idea of his kind fighting crime.

I grab my phone to call Drew again, but as I do, he walks through the door. He looks amazing. He’s wearing gray dress pants and a pale blue shirt that strains against his broad shoulders. He even has on a tie, blood red, of course. He must have bought the outfit while he was out, because I’ve never seen any of those clothes in his closet. He smiles at the hostess, the smile that gets most female witnesses to tell him anything he needs to hear. It used to make me jealous when he looked at others like that, but now I just smile and think how lucky I am to have him all to myself.

He catches sight of me, and his smile widens. My heart pounds. Even after a year, I still get excited when he looks at me like that. I’m so relieved he’s not decapitated in an alley somewhere that I can’t stay angry about his tardiness. He’s too damn charming in his suave clothes.

When the hostess walks away, Drew’s hot gaze pins me in place. “I’m sorry I’m so late,” he says.

“You didn’t answer your phone.” Shit! I sound like a nagging wife.

“First time you called I was paying for something. Then I rushed home to change. I thought it would be better to get here as fast as I could rather than wasting time calling you.”

Logical, but annoying. “I was worried.”

Drew frowns. “Why?”

“Um, you’re a detective, remember? You chase bad guys who’d be happy to see you dead, and you just put some savage pieces of shit in jail.”

“Oh yeah.” He looks thoughtful.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen tonight?”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m just distracted.”

“Did Seth call? Did you get a new case?” Seth is Drew’s lieutenant and also a good friend.

“No. I’m fine, really.”

Our server approaches the table. Drew looks relieved that I can’t question him any more.

We place our drink orders, and I try to engage Drew in conversation, but he’s doing his cold, distant vamp routine, and it’s pissing me off. “If you didn’t want to go out, why the fuck didn’t you say so?”

The server times his reappearance perfectly to save Drew again. I wonder if he heard me, but I’m too angry, and I don’t care about making a spectacle. Why was Drew acting like he’d rather be anywhere else?

I order, and the server turns to Drew expectantly. Drew gives him a smile that shows fang. His eyes widen, and he steps back. “So that will be all then, gentlemen?” He nearly chokes on the last word.

“Yes, thank you,” I say. I glare at Drew. “What was that for?”

“I don’t want him hovering.”

“You don’t want him flirting.”

He shrugs.

Drew attracts men and women without trying, whether it’s because he’s a vampire or just his natural magnetism. He usually finds several admirers wherever we go, but he’s more likely to scare them away than flirt back.

He smiles at me, and instead of looking disinterested like he did before, he looks turned on. What game is he playing?

Abandoned is Available Now!

Mar 26, 2012 Filed under: book release, D/s, excerpts, m/m, sci fi

Abandoned by Silvia Violet

Now available from Silver Publishing!

Lark Zaccaro and Derek Carlson were partners and friends. Lark wanted more. Then someone at the Intergalactic Investigations Bureau sold them out to enemy aliens. Lark was forced to abandon Derek to the enemy, and Derek bought the IIB’s story that Lark betrayed them all.

When Lark’s deep cover mission and Derek’s new job in search-and-rescue collide, the desire simmering between them explodes. Lark needs Derek’s help to escape a new enemy, and Derek needs to discover the truth about what really happened on that alien planet. Can they overcome lies and betrayal and find the love and comfort they seek, or will their past forever keep them apart?

Excerpt:

Lark Zaccaro smiled as he stepped out of the dripping jungle heat and into the prison building. Even inside, the stale air was so splyvin’ hot it belonged in an oven. He didn’t know how anyone could breathe. Not that he was supposed to give a fuck if his prisoners got air or not. He took as deep a breath as he could and headed straight for the interrogation room.

A few hours earlier, his guards had discovered a man crouched in the underbrush, spying on their enclave. Lark’s morning had been hell so far, and a vicious interrogation suited his mood perfectly. The two guards flanking the door stepped aside, so he could enter what was truly more of a torture chamber than an interrogation room. At least that’s what it had been for his predecessor, and the longer Lark lived on Lancarina, the more he found himself becoming like the man he’d assassinated and replaced. He pushed that disturbing thought away. He wouldn’t dwell on how low he’d sunk since he’d left his partner to die in a Lithusian prison cell.

The captive hung from the ceiling, suspended by a heavy chain circling his bound wrists. His toes barely scraped the floor, forcing his arms to support the weight of his large body. The dirty chain bit into his wrists, and blood dripped down his arms. In this squalid jungle, he’d have a deadly infection in no time. Lark would have to do something about that. The man had a ship with advanced defenses. Thus, he was Lark’s ticket off this cesspool of a planet.

The man’s clothes hung in shreds, and Lark couldn’t help but admire his muscular body. His gaze slid over the captive’s hard thighs, the impressive bulge in his pants, and the well-defined and disturbingly familiar planes of his chest. When he saw the man’s face, he froze. No. It couldn’t be. His former partner would have no reason to be here. But Derek Carlson, the man who had haunted Lark’s nightmares and his fantasies every day for the six Old Earth months he been in this hellhole, was right in front of him. Chained. Suspended. His to do with as he pleased.

Lark’s cock hardened, pressing against the confines of his pants. His body knew what it wanted from Derek, but his mind was less sure. Retribution? Forgiveness? A hot fuck before he threw him in prison to rot? Salvation? His gut knotted at that thought, and he fought to keep his guards from noticing how off-kilter he was. He had to play his role, not rush this moment.

There would be time later, in his private quarters, to decide what he wanted to know and how he was going to get the information. If the vessel they had captured in the jungle was Derek’s private-issue ship, then he’d finally forsaken the lying scum at the Intergalactic Investigation Bureau. They might say their mission is to protect everyone in the five galaxies, but they only care about protecting their own asses. Lark intended to find out why Derek had left, but his guards would play no part in that interrogation. Derek was his.

Lark took a few steps toward the prisoner and studied him. He’d wanted him for years, from the moment they were assigned to work with each other at the IIB. Derek had turned down all his advances, saying they should keep their relationship professional. But now Derek was his prisoner, not his partner. If he wanted to live, he’d do whatever Lark told him to.

From the way Derek hung limply in his bonds, he was either unconscious or doing an excellent job of faking it. His former partner had fought hard from the look of him. A livid bruise stood out on one cheek and purple splotches decorated his ribs. A deep gash on his arm had dripped blood trails that were now dry. He would have to tend to Derek’s wounds.

Lark needed the man’s piloting skills. If he were going to kill Derek for believing those liars from the IIB when they told him Lark had turned traitor, he intended to do so with his own hands–after they got off planet. Fortunately, he kept a fully stocked first aid cabinet in his quarters. He just needed to find a way to get Derek there without making his men suspicious.

Nothing but fear and the promise of a huge payoff on their next deal kept Lark’s men from turning on him, in the same way he’d turned on the man he had been sent here to investigate. He pulled a long, thin blade from his boot and pretended to examine the sharp edge as he circled Derek. He had to suppress a gasp when he saw the maze of scars criss-crossing Derek’s back. If he let himself think about how Derek got those, he might be sick right here.

“Leave us,” he said to the guards who were eyeing the prisoner in obvious hope of getting some play time.

When they didn’t move, Lark turned on them. “Is something wrong with your ears? I said eave.”

The less hostile of the two started for the door, but Grant, the most likely candidate for leading a mutiny, stood his ground, clenching his fists. “The little shit bit me. I want a piece of him.”

“As I understand, it took four of you sorry fuckers to bring him down. I’m hardly going to reward your incompetence with a chance to get your rocks off.”

Buy it now!

Abandoned is available for pre-order!

Mar 5, 2012 Filed under: BDSM, book release, D/s, erotica, excerpts, m/m, sci fi

Don’t you love this gorgeous cover by Reese Dante?

Abandoned is available for pre-order now.

Blurb:

Lark Zaccaro and Derek Carlson were partners and friends. Lark wanted more. Then someone at the Intergalactic Investigations Bureau sold them out to enemy aliens. Lark was forced to abandon Derek to the enemy, and Derek bought the IIB’s story that Lark betrayed them all.

When Lark’s deep cover mission and Derek’s new job in search-and-rescue collide, the desire simmering between them explodes. Lark needs Derek’s help to escape a new enemy, and Derek needs to discover the truth about what really happened on that alien planet. Can they overcome lies and betrayal and find the love and comfort they seek, or will their past forever keep them apart?

Unedited Excerpt:

Lark Zaccaro smiled as he stepped out of the dripping jungle heat, and into the
prison building. Even inside, the stale air was so splyvin’ hot it belonged in
an oven. He didn’t know how anyone could breathe. Not that he was supposed to
give a fuck if his prisoners got air or not. He took as deep a breath as he
could and headed straight for the interrogation room.

A few hours earlier, his guards had discovered a man crouched in the underbrush,
spying on their enclave. Lark’s morning had been hell so far, and a vicious
interrogation suited his mood perfectly. The two guards flanking the door
stepped aside, so he could enter what was truly more of a torture chamber than
an interrogation room. At least that’s what it had been for his predecessor, and
the longer Lark lived on Lancarina, the more he found himself becoming like the
man he’d assassinated and replaced. He pushed that disturbing thought away. He
wouldn’t dwell on how low he’d sunk since he’d left his partner to die in a
Lithusian prison cell.

The captive hung from the ceiling, suspended by a heavy chain circling his bound
wrists. His toes barely scraped the floor, forcing his arms to support the
weight of his large body. The dirty chain bit into his wrists, and blood dripped
down his arms. In this squalid jungle, he’d have a deadly infection in no time.
Lark would have to do something about that. The man had a ship with advanced
defenses. Thus, he was Lark’s ticket off this cesspool of a planet.

The man’s clothes hung in shreds, and Lark couldn’t help but admire his muscular
body. His gaze slid over the captive’s hard thighs, the impressive bulge in his
pants, and the well-defined and disturbingly familiar planes of his chest. When
he saw the man’s face, he froze. No. It couldn’t be. His former partner would
have no reason to be here. But Derek Carlson, the man who had haunted Lark’s
nightmares and his fantasies every day for the six Old Earth months he been in
this hellhole, was right in front of him. Chained. Suspended. His to do with as
he pleased.

Lark’s cock hardened, pressing against the confines of his pants. His body knew
what it wanted from Derek, but his mind was less sure. Retribution? Forgiveness?
A hot fuck before he threw him in prison to rot? Salvation? His gut knotted at
that thought, and he fought to keep his guards from noticing how off kilter he
was. He had to play his role, not rush this moment.

There would be time later, in his private quarters, to decide what he wanted to
know and how he was going to get the information. If the vessel they had
captured in the jungle was Derek’s private issue ship, then he’d finally
forsaken the lying scum at the Intergalactic Investigation Bureau. They might
say their mission is to protect everyone in the five galaxies, but they only
care about protecting their own asses. Lark intended to find out why Derek had
left, but his guards would play no part in that interrogation. Derek was his.

Lark took a few steps toward the prisoner and studied him. He’d wanted him for
years, from the moment they were assigned to work with each other at the IIB.
Derek had turned down all his advances, saying they should keep their
relationship professional. But now Derek was his prisoner, not his partner. If
he wanted to live, he’d do whatever Lark told him to.

From the way Derek limply hung in his bonds, he was either unconscious or doing
an excellent job of faking it. His former partner had fought hard from the look
of him. A livid bruise stood out on one cheek and purple splotches decorated his
ribs. A deep gash on his arm had dripped blood trails that were now dry. He
would have to tend to Derek’s wounds.

Lark needed the man’s piloting skills. If he were going to kill Derek for
believing those liars from the IIB when they told him Lark had turned traitor,
he intended to do so with his own hands after they got off planet. Fortunately,
he kept a fully stocked first aid cabinet in his quarters. He just needed to
find a way to get Derek there without making his men suspicious .

Nothing but fear and the promise of a huge payoff on their next deal kept Lark’s
men from turning on him, in the same way he’d turned on the man he had been sent
here to investigate. He pulled a long thin blade from his boot and pretended to
examine the sharp edge as he circled Derek. He had to suppress a gasp when he
saw the maze of scars criss-crossing Derek’s back. If he let himself think about
how Derek got those, he might be sick right here.

“Leave us,” he said to the guards who were eyeing the prisoner in obvious hope
of getting some play time.

Pre-order it now at Silver Publishing!

Bear Talk Blog Tour – Johnny Miles (NSFW)

Feb 28, 2012 Filed under: Bear Talk, bears, excerpts, eye candy, guest blogger, m/m, web event

Welcome to the Bear Talk Blog Tour. Johnny Miles is here with me today to share some thoughts about bears and share an excerpt from his wonderful book, The Rosas of Spanish Harlem. When you’re done, see the bottom of the post for links to more Bear Talk goodness.

Be sure to leave a comment for the chance to win an e-book version of The Rosas of Spanish Harlem!

I’ve always known I was different from other boys. I just had this innate feeling about it but was never able to verbalize, let alone think it to myself. I lacked the words at such a young age.

But here are some ironies for you to ponder.

Even from before I ever saw “The Wizard of Oz” my favorite animals were, and still are, lions and tigers and bears. As for my favorite childhood movie, you’re correct if you guessed “The Wizard of Oz.” Looking back, these may or may not have been indicative of the gay man I would eventually become.

But wait. Here are two more ironies. (more…)

Holiday Recipe Extravaganza – Sugar Cookies

Dec 11, 2011 Filed under: book release, contemporary, excerpts, holiday, Holiday Recipe Extravaganza, m/m, recipes, sweet treats Tags: Christmas romance, gay romance, m/m romance, sugar cookies

Today I’m celebrating the release of my Christmas story, One Kiss. When I decided to write a Christmas story back in the heat of summer, I knew I wanted to highlight the significance of family traditions. One thing I loved about Christmas as a child were all the holiday activities we did in the same way year after year. They were as comforting to me as a steaming mug of cocoa.

With that seed in my mind, Ben and Jake’s story began to take form. As I got to know Jake’s family, I gave them some of my own traditions, some plucked from the Christmas traditions of friends, and some I’d like to try to add into our already crazy holidays.

One thing I did every Christmas when I was a child was make sugar cookies with my grandma. We used a recipe that my great aunt, Leola, had given my grandma when my mom was young. The recipe, written in my great aunt’s scrawly handwriting on a small card, is still in use in my house today. It is simply titled Good Cookies.  Some years we dye the dough red and green as I usually did with my grandma and some years we leave it plain, but we always enjoy selecting the cookie cutters we want to use and decorating the cookies with lots of sprinkles.

Great Aunt Leola’s Good Cookies

1 cup butter

1.5 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3.5 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Preheat over to 350F. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together then add to butter mixture and stir until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours. Then roll out dough, cut out cookies and bake until edges have a hint of brown, approximately 7 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how thin you roll the dough.

One Kiss by Silvia Violet

Jake Sanders comes home for Christmas after a dreary semester filled with sleepless nights and a cheating boyfriend. Finding a new man is the last thing on his mind until he discovers that Ben Swinburne now owns the bakery where they both once worked.

Five years ago, Jake and Ben shared a single kiss, and Jake has never forgotten the way Ben’s lips felt against his. When Ben catches Jake under the mistletoe, passion ignites between them.

This time around, Ben wants more than one kiss, but Jake isn’t sure he’s ready for another relationship. Can Jake move past his pain and open his heart, or will he miss out on a second chance with the man of his dreams?

Excerpt

 

Holiday Recipe Extravaganza: Cheese Biscuits

Dec 1, 2011 Filed under: book release, erotica, excerpts, holiday, Holiday Recipe Extravaganza, paranormal, recipes, sci fi, shapeshifter Tags: cheese biscuits, erotic romance, futuristic Regency, horse shifter, Regency sci fi

Stallion’s Accord will be available later today. In that story, Raya and Calder enjoy some cheese biscuits that are one of Calder’s cook’s specialties. While I’m sure she made her biscuits from scratch, as I do on most occasions, I’m sharing a quick easy and super crazy yummy recipe for garlicky cheese biscuits that I got from my mother-in-law.

The first time I had these biscuits, I was nineteen and I was staying at my then boyfriend, now husband’s house for New Year’s. His mother made two pans of these biscuits, set them on the counter to cool, and then went out to do some errands. Upon discovering them (with no note or explanation attached I might add), my boyfriend, his younger brother, and I decided they looked like a great snack. Yes, the idea that they’d been made for a particular occasion went through our minds, but here were these warm, delicious-smelling biscuits right there in front of us. We each ate few and then a few more and then a few more. (Warning: If you make these, make several pans, they are addictive.) By the time we finished there were none left, in either pan.

Around supper time, his mother was getting ready to go out to a party. She came into the kitchen and asked where the biscuits were. Poor woman, I think she thought we’d actually wrapped them up for her after they cooled. “Biscuits?” my boyfriend asked.

She narrowed her eyes at us. “They’re for the party. Did you eat some?”

“Some?”

She glanced toward the sink and spied the empty pans. The game was up. “We kinda ate them all,” I confessed.

Needless to say, she was not pleased with us. But once her anger had abated, I got the recipe and we’ve been making them at some point during the holidays ever since.

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Makes 1 pan but I’d double or triple it.

1 can large refrigerated biscuits

1/2 cup butter, melted.

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced (or 4 or 5 or as many as you like)

Stir cheese and garlic into melted butter. Separate biscuits and break them into quarters. Roll each quarter into a ball then roll dip it into butter/cheese mixture until thoroughly coated. Place in a 8 in round pan (cake pan). It’s ok if they are touching. Drizzle with some of the remaining butter and cheese mix. Cook according to biscuits directions.

Stallion’s Accord by Silvia Violet

Raya Varvara is what Orianians refer to as a techno snob. She thrives on her fast-paced urban life on New Earth. At least she did until she met Calder Brinkley, a horse shifter and regional governor on Oriana. Calder likes wide-open spaces, the fresh air of early morning, and turning off technology in favor of face-to-face conversation. He also likes Raya. He likes her so much he’s willing to alter some of what he enjoys about his low-tech planet.

When Raya returns to Oriana after a long, painful absence, she learns about the changes Calder introduced. Her certainty that she could never live on this backwater planet begins to falter. Can Calder convince her that being together is more important than either of them having their way, or will her stubbornness keep them forever apart?

Excerpt:

Raya leaned forward, tangling her hands in Obsidian’s mane, relishing the feel of his strength beneath her. She was thankful her lover needed to return home quickly after their tryst by the stream. Riding his alternate form exhilarated her. Discussing the fact that a confession of love had escaped her — as Calder worked her into a frenzy — would make her cringe.

She didn’t want to be in love. She couldn’t live on Oriana, and Calder wouldn’t leave. No matter how good the sex was, their lifestyles were incompatible. That’s why she’d run from what she felt months ago. She’d tried to deny what he meant to her, but seeing him again had brought all her feelings to the surface. Then he’d touched her, and she was lost.

But she wasn’t a coward. She wouldn’t deny what she’d blurted out in a fit of passion. She was in love with Calder, and she had to face the consequences of those feelings. But the longer she could put it off, the better. Perhaps Calder would give her one night to revel in their need for each other before questioning her intentions.

All too soon, the stable came in sight, and Obsidian slowed to a trot. Finlay, the stable master, was there to greet them. He gave Raya a sly wink. “I see you’ve returned, and you’re riding Obsidian as well as ever.”

She smiled and ignored the heat that crept into her cheeks. “Damn right I am.”

Obsidian snorted as they both laughed.

“I’ll see to him,” Raya said, sliding from her lover’s back and grabbing a currycomb from the wall, ready to give Obsidian a loving brush down.

“He’d certainly love that, Miss Varvara, but his guests have already begun to arrive.”

Obsidian whinnied loudly and gestured toward the door with his nose.

Finlay nodded. “I’ll take care of it, sir.”

Raya raised her brows in question.

“He needs privacy to shift, ma’am. Not all of tonight’s guests are aware that Obsidian and Lord Brinkley are one and the same.” Calder was an unregistered shapeshifter. His mother belonged to a centaur-like race known as the Canterini, but as a half-blood, he could shift between human and horse form.

“Ah,” she nodded. Guests. Ugh. The last thing she wanted to do was stuff herself into one of the fancy dresses she’d been forced to purchase for her business on Oriana and socialize with Calder’s guests. Maybe she could feign fatigue from the long journey. Or better yet from the thorough fucking he’d given her.

Finlay closed the stable doors and locked them. Obsidian shimmered briefly, and Calder stood where he’d been, naked and obviously ready to go another round with her. Finlay tossed him some clothes and boots, and he dressed quickly. He looked damn fine in the tight tan riding pants and tall polished boots. His black shirt strained across his powerful shoulders and muscular chest. He left the top two buttons open in a manner considered rakish on Oriana.

“Lord Partington has arrived with his daughter,” Finlay said as he unlocked the doors. The stable master looked pointedly at Raya. “Miss Varvara’s arrival will be of interest to them, I’m sure.”

Calder’s eyes brightened, and he smiled wickedly. “I do believe it will.”

Raya didn’t like the sound of that. “Who is Lord Partington?”

“An idiot who thinks I’d pay his debts in exchange for his daughter’s hand in marriage.”

“Fuck that.” Raya’s stomach churned. Calder was hers. She didn’t want to be in love, and she didn’t want to live on Oriana, but… damn it, he was hers.

Calder chuckled. “Try to keep your claws in.”

Raya glared at him. “Why are they here?”

“I’m hosting a party tonight to celebrate the conclusion of the legislative session.”

Raya pondered his words. “Is that customary?”

Calder nodded. “When the session ends, most of the regional governors return to their own lands, and life in and around the capital slows down for several months.”

Raya tried to imagine the pace of life being any slower than it already was and failed. She’d originally met Calder when her job at Intergalactic Investors Bank brought her to Oriana to broker a deal for a client. She’d hated everything about the backwater planet except for the fine horseflesh Calder owned and Calder himself.

She’d never let herself get involved with a client before, but she loved beautiful horses and beautiful men, and Calder literally brought all the untamed strength of a stallion into his human form. He’d been impossible to resist, but when he suggested she stay, she refused. No way could an urban girl from New Earth be happy here, not even with a stud of a man like Calder.

She’d ignored him for the intervening months just like she’d ignored the terrifying mix of hot and cold that raced through her when she thought of him. She had no place in her life for romance.

When she’d received the paperwork confirming her client’s purchase of Calder’s horses, she’d chosen to surprise Calder rather than be forced to explain why she’d failed to contact him for months. She caught a flight to Oriana that afternoon, barely taking time to comm her supervisor and let her know she’d be out of the office for the next week. Now here she was, admitting to feelings she’d didn’t want to have, confused and longing to ignore the world and spend the night making love to Calder. But he had a house full of overdressed, stuffy Orianians who would find her exotic if not downright crude.

As if hearing her thoughts, he glanced down pointedly, looking at her nipples standing out against the damp cloth of her dress. Between the heat and the dip she’d taken in the stream her dress looked rather disreputable.

“You’re going to scandalize my guests.”

Raya snorted. “Fucking prudes.”

Calder laughed. “My guests include some of the biggest gossips on Oriana. When we appear at the house together with you in that ensemble, rumors will spread like wildfire. By tomorrow everyone who’s anyone in Oriana’s capital will know we’re lovers. The only way I’ll be able to save your reputation is by marrying you.”

Marry me? Marry me? He has to be kidding.

Holiday Recipe Extravaganza – JR Loveless

Nov 29, 2011 Filed under: contemporary, excerpts, guest blogger, holiday, Holiday Recipe Extravaganza, m/m, recipes, sweet treats Tags: gay romance, holiday recipe, holiday romance, m/m romance, pumpkin bread

Since I was a baby, my mother has always made pumpkin bread from a recipe she’s had since before I was born. Whenever I have it, it brings back memories of family, friends, and loved ones.  I wanted to share this amazing recipe with everyone along with an excerpt from my new upcoming Silver Publishing’s Dreaming of  a White Christmas release ‘White Rain’. Snow brings memories back for the main character, reminding him of the one person he loves more than anything. Enjoy a slice of the most amazing pumpkin bread while reading my newest release due out December 8th! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!

 

***

 

Pumpkin Bread

 

1 tsp nutmeg

                  3 cups sugar

                  1 tsp cinnamon

                  4 eggs

                  1 cup oil

                  1 1/2 tsp salt

 

Mix the first six ingredients. Add the following in order:

 

                  1 cup canned pumpkin

                  2/3 cup water

                  2 tsp baking soda

                  3 cups flour

 

Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans or 3 (1lb) coffee cans. Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour. Check with a toothpick, if it comes out clean, that means it’s done.

 

***

 

Silver Publishing’s Dreaming of a White Christmas ‘White Rain’

Blurb:

Brand has spent the last four Christmases without the one man he loves more than anything. After Kia left for college, everything changed. Can Brand forget Kia, or will Santa Claus bring him what he wants most for Christmas?

Excerpt:

Kia stared at his best friend’s back in silence. He watched Brand’s muscles ripple beneath the dark gray shirt he wore. Brand looked even more beautiful than the last day he’d seen him. He still had a good six inches on him, but Brand’s body had filled out in all the right places. Amber haircut and combed neatly made Kia’s fingers itch to muss it all up, and it stung that he didn’t have the right to do it anymore. Not yet at least. The steel gray eyes he adored had seemed so cold as they’d studied him out on the front porch. Even now Brand refused to look at him.

Watching his friend setting a fire to crackle in the fireplace sent melancholy spiking through him. He’d missed Brand every single day, so much so it began to feel as though he couldn’t breathe, but he’d been determined to give Brand a reason to be proud to have him in his life.

 

Pain twisted his insides at how much he’d hurt Brand in his selfishness. It wasn’t until he’d spoken to Brand’s mother that he realized how much he had. She’d told him that Brand was  always alone and seemed so withdrawn from people after he’d left. The solemn facade had drawn him to Brand in the beginning. They’d met when they were thirteen; Brand kept to himself, either reading a book or staring into space. Regardless of the cold reception he received at first, Kia kept trying day after day to draw him out of his shell. It took time, but eventually he’d succeeded and Brand had opened up to him. It appeared that his desire to protect himself had only served to return Brand to the solitary person he’d once been. His throat felt dry as he searched for the words to explain why he’d stopped calling Brand, stopped writing or e-mailing him. How could he make him understand that he’d only done it because it hurt too much? Every time he’d talked to Brand on the phone, every letter or e-mail he’d read about his friend’s life, sent a knife straight into his heart. “I missed you, Bran,” he finally choked out around the lump in his throat.

 

Brand gave a cynical snort and turned hard eyes toward him. “Missed me, Kia? When? When you were too busy to come to the phone? Or maybe it was when you never returned my letters?”

 

Kia moved toward Brand only to stop as Brand took a step back. His heart sank even lower into his stomach, but he persisted in trying to make the one man he loved more than anything understand why he’d done what he had. The silence stretched out for long moments between them before he found what to say. He hugged himself as he started talking, staring anywhere except at Brand. “When I left for college, it was hard, Bran. So hard to be away from you. I wanted nothing more than to come home. But I couldn’t. I had to finish because I didn’t want to end up like my mom.”

 

Brand didn’t reply.

 

“I thought the more contact we had, the easier it would be. But it wasn’t. It was harder and made me miss you even more. So I selfishly started avoiding your calls and replying to your letters. At least, sending my replies to you. I wrote a letter every week telling you about school, work, and any little thing that came to mind but I never mailed them. I couldn’t.”

 

He had an entire bag filled with the letters he’d written Brand. One long letter every week for two years was a lot of letters. He’d planned on giving them to Brand when he returned and they were still in his suitcase out on the front porch. “I need you to understand, Bran. I wanted you to be able to be proud of me and have someone in your life worth knowing. Not someone who’d come from a poor family and has a weak mother with a bastard for a stepfather.”

 

“I didn’t care about that,” Brand said hoarsely, his hands clenched at his sides. When he looked up at Kia, Kia’s heart broke even further at the anguish in Brand’s eyes. “I needed you, Kia. You promised you’d never leave me.”

 

Kia took a tentative step forward, his heart lifting when Brand didn’t move away this time. He continued until he stood right in front of him. Brand’s dark amber hair seemed longer than he’d remembered it, and there were lines around his mouth and eyes that hadn’t been there before. He reached up to lightly trace those lines with the tip of one finger. “I didn’t leave you, Bran. You never left my mind, my thoughts. All I could think about was getting home to you. I’m sorry. I never realized how much it would hurt you.”

 

Brand’s lips twisted and he reached up, grabbing Kia’s wrist to stop his movements. But he didn’t push Kia’s hand away. He merely kept it in the loose manacle his fingers made. “Not hurt me, Kia? I…” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

 

“What, Bran?” Kia pushed closer until the fronts of their bodies rested against one another. “Talk to me. Please.”

 

It didn’t look like Brand would say anything at first. His mouth opened and shut several times but nothing came out. Kia’s face fell. He wondered if maybe Brand had moved on without him and no longer loved him. He’d known how Brand felt about him. He’d seen it in the way he looked at him, the way he would unconsciously move his body toward him when they talked or almost hovered over him protectively in large crowds. It had taken the knowledge of Brand’s feelings to make him realize he didn’t want Brand saddled with a high school graduate who would go nowhere in life.

 

A whisper of words left Brand’s lips, sending agony crashing over him like a tidal wave. “I loved you, Kia. You broke my heart when you left, when you stopped replying to my e-mails and returning my phone calls.”

 

Loved? Did Brand no longer love him? Kia’s eyes grew moist but he blinked back the tears. He knew he had no right to expect him to love him after he’d practically cut all ties with him. “I’m sorry, Bran,” Kia murmured. “I always intended on coming back. I could never leave you

for good because I’ve loved you almost from the moment I met you.”

 

Brand stiffened, his gaze snapping up to meet Kia’s in shock. Kia smiled softly, reaching to cup Brand’s cheek. “Why do you think it hurt so much to leave you and why I wanted to come back home so badly? I do love you, Bran. I always have and I always will. Can you forgive me and

allow me to earn back your love?”

Holiday Recipe Extravaganza – Deanna Wadsworth

Nov 28, 2011 Filed under: book release, excerpts, guest blogger, holiday, Holiday Recipe Extravaganza, recipes, sweet treats, web event Tags: erotic romance, holiay romance, recipe, sexy elves, vegan chocolate cake

Grandma Helen’s Chocolate Cake

This recipe is totally vegan!!

mix 1 1/2 cup flour, 1cup sugar, 1/3 cup baking cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt

add- 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1tablespoon cider vinegar, 1/2 cup oil, 1 cup water
DO NOT OVER MIX

put in greased 8×8 pan

375degrees 25-30 min.

Garnish with powdered sugar

This has been my favorite chocolate cake since I was a child. I hope you enjoy it as much as I always have.

And if you like chocolate….I have another way to get your chocolate fix!

Wouldn’t it be great if other things could taste like chocolate? Well, in my latest holiday story, Book One of THE NAUGHTY NORTH POLE– MS. CLAUS’S LIST, Ms. Claus gets a special kind of chocolate in the bedroom….and oh yes, I’m talking about what you think I am. Candy flavored cum! LOL

Stay tuned for Book Two PIP’S BOXING DAY WISH coming soon from Decadent Publishing!

 

Ms Claus’s List by Deanna Wadsworth

Blurb

I am Ms. Claus.

Note the Ms. not the Mrs.?

Santa is my twin brother…not sure how the married rumor got started, eeew!…but he runs the North Pole except for that one most magical night of the year: Christmas Eve. When Santa is away, the elves will play. With me, if they’re lucky enough to be picked from my List.

Please, no nice elves need apply. Because I really want to find out how naughty you can be!

Excerpt

With a whistle, Nick shouted out, “Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer!”

Those weren’t the names of these particular reindeer, of course, but the call had become tradition. The elves and I joined in with the chant, too.

“Now, Prancer, and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!” Laughing, I looked down at Donna. Her face had flushed with excitement and cold.

Okay, I know it was cheesy, but hey. It was Christmas. If you couldn’t be cheesy at Christmas, when could you be?

Whoosh!

Magic sparks in red, green, and silver blasted from the back end of the sleigh, the release of magic, which made it fly. Another resounding cheer went up. I had to wonder if it was just the excitement of a year’s hard work being done and the joy of Christmas, or the show about to go down tonight, which had everyone so worked up.

The reindeer started to run in place above the ground as if they were on a treadmill, their hooves gaining speed. They might be awful creatures, but the sight they made was spectacular.

Nick raised his right arm and dropped it.

“Merry Christmas to all!!!”

On that command, the snarling beasts lunged forward faster than I had ever seen a reindeer move. All shouts and well-wishes were lost in a loud explosion, like blast of hot air from a gasoline-drenched pile of wood ignited by a firecracker. A rush of heat blew my hair back and the sleigh, our grandmother’s modified magical chariot, rose in the air. The jingle of bells and cheers were lost in the power of the vehicle.

Then my brother and his sleigh disappeared in a flurry of sparkles and heat.

It took a moment for the oxygen to sneak back into my lungs and I patted my face to be sure my eyebrows hadn’t been singed off.

“Dramatic much?” Donna whispered.

I sniffed in agreement. “You know Nicky.”

The two elves manning the entrance pulled the levers back. The doors slowly closed. When the last cog locked into place, shutting out the cold air and the last sight of the sparking comet trail of the sleigh, the launch chamber fell silent.

All eyes went to me.

Donna stepped back, as did those nearby.

I did a slow, dramatic turn, clutching the front of my cloak. I smiled at all of my people, two forgotten races of elves who vowed to keep me and my brother company for all eternity.

I slowly strutted into the space Nick had recently vacated with his sleigh, hesitating before I spoke, to allow Donna ample time to maximize impact.

Stopping, I faced the largest collection of eager elves, all of them atwitter with anticipation. The light faces, the dark ones, the black eyes and the green, all locked on me, holding their breath in anticipation of my next words. Smiling at my people, I knew what they needed. Sure, Nick cared for all their needs, gave them a purpose with which to devote our eternity. But only I knew what they craved.

Then, very dramatically, I dropped my cloak, revealing the skin-tight, red velvet halter top and too-short mini. I raised my arms in the air and let out a delighted squeal, finishing up Nick’s cry—

“And to all a good night!”

Deanna Wadsworth lives in a small town in Ohio with the love of her life and three dogs. When she isn’t writing stories she likes to chill in her basement bar or hang out with her friends on her boat. You can find her at her blog and on Facebook and Goodreads

Holiday Recipe Extravaganza

Nov 27, 2011 Filed under: excerpts, holiday, recipes, sweet treats, web event

Writing, reading, and baking. Three of my favorite things so this holiday season, I’ve combined them to bring you lots of food and sexy reading for the holidays.

Every day from November 28-Dec 21, authors will be sharing a holiday recipe and an excerpt. I have two releases in December, One Kiss (m/m) and Stallion’s Accord (m/f). And I have recipes to share with both.

So check back here each day for a little sexy escape and something yummy to make.

 

Dinner with a Hero: Xavier Axelson

Oct 28, 2011 Filed under: book release, excerpts, guest blogger, m/m, recipes, sweet treats

Today we welcome my scintillating friend, Xavier Axelson. Xavier has a deep dark passion for food and he’s got yummy things to share with us.

I’ve been asked recently if I would ever consider writing a cookbook.  This may be because every one of my books features food.  Either being eaten, cooked, talked about, or used as an aphrodisiac, food features prominently in all my fiction.  I didn’t even realize the trend until someone brought it to my attention.

You can imagine my pleasure at being asked to come up with a menu for Silvia Violet’s blog.  The hardest part was deciding which of my characters I would cook for.  Being that The Birches is about to be released and is ALL about food I’m going to prepare dinner for Dock.  He is a self-taught cook and owner of The Birches and is the type of guy who would rather forget the rules when it comes to culinary and sexual pursuits.  I’m feeding him a hearty but simple and yummy repast.  I think he would appreciate the simple goodness behind these recipes, and would probably roll the dessert crust without his shirt on.  Lucky us.

I would start by serving a Bibb Salad with Basil Green Goddess Dressing.

Followed by a Perfect Broiled Steak

Served with Baked French Fries

And Garlic Green Beans

For dessert I would serve homemade Deep-Dish Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust

Swallow That!

If you’re still hungry and I know you are, here is an excerpt from my new release, The Birches available now from Seventh Window Publications.

Excerpt from The Birches

He pulled into the parking lot of The Birches and sat on his bike a minute. He felt nervous, like he was about to meet a celebrity and the self-doubt that plagued him made him queasy.

“You gonna sit outside or come in?”

Leo jumped at the sound of the man’s voice. He pulled his helmet off and looked around, but didn’t see anyone.

“Over here.”

Leo looked just past his left shoulder and saw a man emerging from the nearby woods that surrounded the little restaurant.

“Oh, hey,” Leo called out, his voice cracking.

“You looking for something to eat?” the man asked, coming closer.

Leo was shocked to find himself riveted to the spot, staring at the man who came towards him.

The man offered Leo a rough, calloused hand. “I’m Dock,”

“Hey,” Leo managed weakly.

“I was out back, picking blackberries, they grow wild around here.  I thought they’d make a great dessert. Don’t know what kind of dessert, but how can you go wrong when you have stuff like this?” He said as he offered up a large, wooden bucket half-full of dark, purple black berries.

There were purple smears across Dock’s white tank top that seemed barely able to contain Dock’s impressive chest. There were several brown freckles on Dock’s shoulders, next to where the strap of tank top clung to his body.

“Lucky berries,” Leo said under his breath.

“What?”

Sweat ran down Leo’s back, he felt so nervous. For a brief moment, he thought of hopping on his bike and taking off.  Instead he said, “Um, nothing, sorry, I just wanted to come by and–”

“You want to come inside and have an iced tea or something?” Dock asked, “It’s hot as hell out here and I know I need to cool off.” He swiped a hand across his face and left a smudge of blackberry juice across his cheek.

Leo’s heart was pounding, what was it about this place, this man?

Buy The Birches at Seventh Window or Amazon

You can find Xavier Axelson at his website, on Facebook, on Twitter and at his Examiner column.