This is looking like those miscounted votes in Florida a few years back!
No, really. Torsha Baker and her 787 Word entry have received the most votes but technically it is disqualified due to the word count. Torsha also entered her kiss in a fewer word count entry that received only one comment and no votes.
That means that the prize goes to another. (I must follow my own rules.)
Honorable Mention for the Summer's Sizzling Kiss contest goes to Tiffany Page! http://tiffanypage.wordpress.com/
Tiffany will receive a $10 Amazon Gift card.
Winner of the Summer's Sizzling Kiss Contest Booby Prize goes to Britney Gulbrandsen!
http://www.britneygulbrandsen.com/
Britney will receive a copy of Dogs, Blogs and Hobbits by Valerie Steimle.
And the winner of the Summer's Sizzling Kiss Contest for Best Sizzle is Ariell. http://muddledmindtherapy.blogspot.com
Ariell will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate and an e-book, Dark Days of Promise by Shaunna Gonzales when it is released on September 21, 2012.
Congratulations to all of the winners.
Please contact me at shassidy@comcast.net to verify your email and mailing addy so that your prizes can be delivered to you.
August 4, 2012
August 3, 2012
Fiesty Friday with Dave Butler
He clambered down into a kneeling position between the two bunks and dug for a box of lucifers in his pocket. With a practiced twitch of the wrist, he snapped a match along the outside of the box, and it sputtered into flame—
a hard-toed boot kicked Jed Coltrane in the face, and his vision exploded into stars.
“The hell!?” he yelled, and tried to roll away.
For his trouble, another kick crashed into his ribs and he spun through the air, slamming hard into the iron door of the cabin.
Forget the knife. Jed pulled the Pinkerton’s gun from under his arm and squeezed the trigger. Zing! Zing! The odd weapon only flared slightly in the pitch black cabin, but as the bullets clanged off the room’s walls and bit their way into the furniture, they threw up sparks, enough for Jed to see a shadowy form looming up in front of him.
Damn thing didn’t seem to have legs—
zing!—
the boot, or maybe it wasn’t a boot after all, smashed Jed’s gun hand and his lost his grip on the pistol, which disappeared into the gloom.
“Damn you—” he shouted, and then a strong hand with long nails, almost like claws, grabbed his throat and threw him bodily to the floor, a knee on his chest and something cold and hard against his cheek.
He smelled lavender. And soap. Some sort of cloak fell around him, covering his chest and legs.
“Hold still, shorty, or I’ll cut out your eyeball.” The voice was so incongruously sweet that it took him a few seconds to realize that it was feminine.
Coltrane, you just got beat down by a woman.
The hand—the soft, sweet-scented hand—came away from his throat and he heard a click. A blue light sprang into being a few inches above his face, a glimmering globe held in the palm of a woman who was graceful, fierce, freckle-faced, cute as a button, and kneeling on Jed’s sternum. She wore dark goggles on her eyes and held a curving, vicious-looking knife to his face.
Not a woman, dammit. A girl. Poe’s gonna kill me.
Here is the Liahona Amazon link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008EPGDWC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008EPGDWC&linkCode=as2&tag=rock08a-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008EPGDWC
And here is the Liahona Smashwords link:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/175871
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(Links below picture.)
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NERR5Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008NERR5Q&linkCode=as2&tag=rock08a-20
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/206976
August 2, 2012
Dragon Clans
Hi everyone and thanks to Shaunna for hosting me to talk about my newest release, young adult fantasy 'Dragon Clans' – the second book of the Dragon series.
Dragons are cool! I love reading and writing about dragons, my favorite mythical creatures. I've been an avid fan of Anne McCaffrey and her Dragons of Pern series for years.
The dragons of the Treaty Alliance have their own communities, histories and morals. They are the indigenous intelligent species of Nuer. They work well together, but the red dragons are not part of the Alliance and are considered a dangerous enemy.
In the first book of the Dragon series, 'Dragon Flame', the human settlers are welcomed by the four dragon clans. 'Dragon Clans' relates the story of Sie, an orphan who is rescued from the sea by the leader of the red Valdra dragons. The Valdra adopt her and she agrees to help them contact the Alliance. Will she need to interact with the humans of Nuer to achieve this?
A Young Adult romance released thru Desert Breeze Publishing. "Dragon Clans" is the second volume in the Dragon series.
Plucked from the sea by a red dragon, the human woman Sie joins the Valdra Clan. Her red friends wish to join the dragon Treaty Alliance, but the other clans consider the Valdra wild and aggressive. Byron, a human friend of the Mondra Clan, works with Sie to overcome the many obstacles in their path. Will the other clans be able to forget the Valdra's past betrayals and present day destructive behavior? They believe they have succeeded but the planet has its own way of disrupting their carefully laid plans.
Publisher's Link for further information: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-325/Dragon-Clans-Sue-Perkins/Detail.bok
Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/dragonclans
Webpage: http://www.sueperkinsauthor.com/
I hope you enjoy the excerpt below and don't forget to leave a comment to be in to win an ebook of 'Dragon Clans'.
Excerpt used by permission of author.
The waves washed over the boat, swamping the small vessel. Sie huddled in the stern, her knuckles white with cold, hands clamped to the wooden sides. The hood of her cloak had blown back some time ago, allowing the rain to plaster her red hair across her face. She didn't dare raise her hand to clear her eyes, this would mean letting go of the boat. Clothes soaked with rain clung to her body, and the chill went through to her bones.
What am I doing here?
At the front of the boat her two older brothers struggled to keep them afloat. The crashing waves filled the vessel with water and with food bowls in hand they tried to bail the water back into the sea. Gorva, the eldest, yelled at her to come and help, but Sie couldn't move for fear. She knew this would mean a beating later, but surviving the present held more importance.
Ever since her parents' death her life had been miserable. The older brothers had grudgingly provided a home for appearance sake, but they didn't want her with them. A fifteen-year-old cramped their style. She hated her life in their house as a drudge. If anything went wrong they blamed her, and the rebuke often ended with a smack across the face or worse.
They'd come up with this stupid idea and dragged her along. Dragons lived on the other continent, and they were convinced there would be dragon treasure to steal.
The two idiots hadn't planned anything, the normal way for their escapades. They'd set off in a boat too small for the journey across the ocean. The food had run out after a few days, and she'd borne the brunt of their anger, catching the blame for everything. Now the storm had descended on them with the sea and rain crashing and pounding their frail craft.
Someone help us, please! We're in the middle of an ocean in a terrible storm. The boat will sink soon. Please, if you can hear me, I need your help!
Sie knew no one would hear her mental scream. If they did, who would care enough to rescue them? A clap of thunder shook the sky, followed by a lightning flash into the sea. Huge waves crashed across the boat. Her younger brother lost his grip, and Sie heard him cry out as he disappeared overboard.
"No!" Gorva lunged to the side, but his movement made the boat lurch and dip lower, curtseying to the waves. Sie grabbed the sides as the vessel overturned and threw her into the water.
Her cloak tried to keep her beneath the surface, but Sie fought against the drag and rose up for air. Nearby, the upside down boat tossed in the waves, and she swam toward it, grabbing hold of the ridge along the upturned bottom. Once secure, Sie looked round for her brothers, but could see no sign of them. The tumultuous sea and the dark clouds scudding across the sky filled her view.
I'm going to die. A sob caught in her throat as an icy cold wave blinded her. No one knows where I am, and no one will know I'm dead. I might as well let go and drown quickly. I don't want a slow, horrible death.
A small part of her refused to give up, but time passed and her strength ebbed away. Her fingers began to slip and her cold fingers tightened their grip. How much longer could she hold on?
A shadow darkened the sky.
More storm clouds. How much more are you going to throw at me Mother Nature?
A wind beat down on her, and Sie looked up. Huge red talons reached for her and plucked her from the water. The scream died in her throat as the owner of the claws curled the talons around her. The loss of her brothers, death stalking her, and now this. Darkness crowded in and unable to take anymore, Sie fainted.
Dragons are cool! I love reading and writing about dragons, my favorite mythical creatures. I've been an avid fan of Anne McCaffrey and her Dragons of Pern series for years.
The dragons of the Treaty Alliance have their own communities, histories and morals. They are the indigenous intelligent species of Nuer. They work well together, but the red dragons are not part of the Alliance and are considered a dangerous enemy.
In the first book of the Dragon series, 'Dragon Flame', the human settlers are welcomed by the four dragon clans. 'Dragon Clans' relates the story of Sie, an orphan who is rescued from the sea by the leader of the red Valdra dragons. The Valdra adopt her and she agrees to help them contact the Alliance. Will she need to interact with the humans of Nuer to achieve this?
A Young Adult romance released thru Desert Breeze Publishing. "Dragon Clans" is the second volume in the Dragon series.
Plucked from the sea by a red dragon, the human woman Sie joins the Valdra Clan. Her red friends wish to join the dragon Treaty Alliance, but the other clans consider the Valdra wild and aggressive. Byron, a human friend of the Mondra Clan, works with Sie to overcome the many obstacles in their path. Will the other clans be able to forget the Valdra's past betrayals and present day destructive behavior? They believe they have succeeded but the planet has its own way of disrupting their carefully laid plans.
Publisher's Link for further information: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-325/Dragon-Clans-Sue-Perkins/Detail.bok
Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/dragonclans
Webpage: http://www.sueperkinsauthor.com/
Excerpt used by permission of author.
The waves washed over the boat, swamping the small vessel. Sie huddled in the stern, her knuckles white with cold, hands clamped to the wooden sides. The hood of her cloak had blown back some time ago, allowing the rain to plaster her red hair across her face. She didn't dare raise her hand to clear her eyes, this would mean letting go of the boat. Clothes soaked with rain clung to her body, and the chill went through to her bones.
What am I doing here?
At the front of the boat her two older brothers struggled to keep them afloat. The crashing waves filled the vessel with water and with food bowls in hand they tried to bail the water back into the sea. Gorva, the eldest, yelled at her to come and help, but Sie couldn't move for fear. She knew this would mean a beating later, but surviving the present held more importance.
Ever since her parents' death her life had been miserable. The older brothers had grudgingly provided a home for appearance sake, but they didn't want her with them. A fifteen-year-old cramped their style. She hated her life in their house as a drudge. If anything went wrong they blamed her, and the rebuke often ended with a smack across the face or worse.
They'd come up with this stupid idea and dragged her along. Dragons lived on the other continent, and they were convinced there would be dragon treasure to steal.
The two idiots hadn't planned anything, the normal way for their escapades. They'd set off in a boat too small for the journey across the ocean. The food had run out after a few days, and she'd borne the brunt of their anger, catching the blame for everything. Now the storm had descended on them with the sea and rain crashing and pounding their frail craft.
Someone help us, please! We're in the middle of an ocean in a terrible storm. The boat will sink soon. Please, if you can hear me, I need your help!
Sie knew no one would hear her mental scream. If they did, who would care enough to rescue them? A clap of thunder shook the sky, followed by a lightning flash into the sea. Huge waves crashed across the boat. Her younger brother lost his grip, and Sie heard him cry out as he disappeared overboard.
"No!" Gorva lunged to the side, but his movement made the boat lurch and dip lower, curtseying to the waves. Sie grabbed the sides as the vessel overturned and threw her into the water.
Her cloak tried to keep her beneath the surface, but Sie fought against the drag and rose up for air. Nearby, the upside down boat tossed in the waves, and she swam toward it, grabbing hold of the ridge along the upturned bottom. Once secure, Sie looked round for her brothers, but could see no sign of them. The tumultuous sea and the dark clouds scudding across the sky filled her view.
I'm going to die. A sob caught in her throat as an icy cold wave blinded her. No one knows where I am, and no one will know I'm dead. I might as well let go and drown quickly. I don't want a slow, horrible death.
A small part of her refused to give up, but time passed and her strength ebbed away. Her fingers began to slip and her cold fingers tightened their grip. How much longer could she hold on?
A shadow darkened the sky.
More storm clouds. How much more are you going to throw at me Mother Nature?
A wind beat down on her, and Sie looked up. Huge red talons reached for her and plucked her from the water. The scream died in her throat as the owner of the claws curled the talons around her. The loss of her brothers, death stalking her, and now this. Darkness crowded in and unable to take anymore, Sie fainted.
August 1, 2012
Sizzling Kiss Contest
It may be too late to enter the contest but we want your vote! Scroll through all the entries and vote for you favorite. Right now we are looking at a shew-in so your vote does count (especially since I don't get to vote.)
July 31, 2012
Last day to enter!!
Okay you procrastinators...today is the last day to enter the Sizzling Kiss Contest. If you are a follower of this blog, please click on "Contest Entry" on the left of the screen. Doing so will allow you to read them one after the other. Rules for voting.
1) You must be a follower of this blog to vote and your vote/comment must be signed with your follower tag.
2) You may cast three votes - 1 for "Best Sizzle" 1 for "Honorable Mention" 1 for "Nice Try" or "Booby"
If the voting is unanimous, my job will be easy, but if it is not, I'll need a couple of days to figure it out since I haven't run a contest like this in the past, so please be understanding.
1) You must be a follower of this blog to vote and your vote/comment must be signed with your follower tag.
2) You may cast three votes - 1 for "Best Sizzle" 1 for "Honorable Mention" 1 for "Nice Try" or "Booby"
If the voting is unanimous, my job will be easy, but if it is not, I'll need a couple of days to figure it out since I haven't run a contest like this in the past, so please be understanding.
July 29, 2012
Voting starts today!
The contest runs through July 31st.
Voting (by readers) runs through August 2nd. You must be a follower to vote and you can only vote in each category once (that's a total of three votes!) (Scroll down for details.)
The grand prize winner will receive a romantic suspense E-book, Dark Days of Promise, by yours truly, due to be released in September. (Publisher will not allow me to send it out until the release date on September 21st.)
Voting is now through August 2nd at 12 midnight PST.
To vote, you must be a follower of this blog and your vote/comment must be signed to match your follower tag.
Click on Contest Entry on the menu to the left to read all of the entries and make a comment on the three of your choice as ---Best Sizzle (our grand Prize winner), Honorable Mention, and nice Try (or Booby).
If you read a kiss that you are sure you have read elsewhere, please let us know when and where. Keep in mind that if you have read it as a published scene, we need to check with the submitter before it can be disqualified (and you need to help in that case.) Kisses published on the authors blog will not be disqualified as publishers expect us to promote our own work.
Best Sizzle winner will receive an e-copy of Dark Days of Promise on its release date of September 21 and a $10 Amazon gift certificate (gift certificate will be sent sooner.)
Nice Try or Booby prize winner will receive a non-romantic title, Dogs, Blogs, and Hobbits: Writings from a Widow's Perspective, by Valerie Steimle.
Voting (by readers) runs through August 2nd. You must be a follower to vote and you can only vote in each category once (that's a total of three votes!) (Scroll down for details.)
The grand prize winner will receive a romantic suspense E-book, Dark Days of Promise, by yours truly, due to be released in September. (Publisher will not allow me to send it out until the release date on September 21st.)
Voting is now through August 2nd at 12 midnight PST.
To vote, you must be a follower of this blog and your vote/comment must be signed to match your follower tag.
Click on Contest Entry on the menu to the left to read all of the entries and make a comment on the three of your choice as ---Best Sizzle (our grand Prize winner), Honorable Mention, and nice Try (or Booby).
If you read a kiss that you are sure you have read elsewhere, please let us know when and where. Keep in mind that if you have read it as a published scene, we need to check with the submitter before it can be disqualified (and you need to help in that case.) Kisses published on the authors blog will not be disqualified as publishers expect us to promote our own work.
Best Sizzle winner will receive an e-copy of Dark Days of Promise on its release date of September 21 and a $10 Amazon gift certificate (gift certificate will be sent sooner.)
Nice Try or Booby prize winner will receive a non-romantic title, Dogs, Blogs, and Hobbits: Writings from a Widow's Perspective, by Valerie Steimle.
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