Happy 4th!

I honestly can't say why I remember those who have given so much so I and mine can live free more today than on Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Maybe it is more of a celebration of life and living, more noise and more memories for me. Whatever the reason, I must send a major thanks to the men and women I know, and those I remember, "Thank you, thank you."


It is for you that I write and for you that I built my first published story of fiction. The book, Dark Days of Promise will be released later this year (2012) in September. For you that are here, I am aware that I will never know or even begin to understand the part of you that you left behind or the pain that fills that void.

None of us that have never slept in the jungles or on the hot sand or worn a buddy's blood for days wanting a shower will understand. The noise of the big city will never compare with the screaming bombs, ear shattering grenades or pounding roar of enemy fire. Nor will the quiet of a friendly desert be the same as the hot sands bordering enemy territory. But I will try to remember and tell others that life does go on for the brave that come home carrying the traumatic stress of battle.

The Sizzling Summer Contest

"The Sizzling Summer Contest" starts today!

The contest runs July 1st through July 31st.
Voting (by readers) will open July 29th and run through August 4th.

Have you got a kiss you'd like to share? Have you got what it takes to write a Sizzling Kiss?
You are invited to participate in sharing your best Sizzling Kiss.

1) Submit your "Sizzling Kiss" as an attachment to shassidy@comcast.net between July 1 and July 31. (Yes, polish that kiss.)
2) Include "Sizzling Kiss" in the subject line of your email.
3) Entrys are to be between 100 and 500 words.
4) Sign your kiss with your first name and blog link.
    Limit: one entry per blog addy.

I am looking for at least ten (10) submissions/entries. If I get at least that many, there will be a prize awarded in addition to having your "Sizzling Kiss" posted here (with your name). The winner will receive a romantic suspense E-book, Dark Days of Promise by yours truly, due to be released in September.

Don't be shy. Now remember, this is just a kiss, not a bedroom scene. No erotica, I'm not allowed to post such so keep it sweetly warm and borderline sensual. Erotica will be disqualified. Published work cannot be submitted for contest.Now remember, we have several examples of kisses already posted here. You are welcome to go back and read them.




Remember, the dead line is July 31st. Send your submission, limited to a single scene to mailto:shassidy@comcast.net  as an attachment. I must have at least 10 entries. All entries (except those that are erotic) will be posted here for voting the end of July and first of August. You must be a follower of this blog to vote and your vote/comment must be signed to match your follower tag.

Saturday Simmers with May Williams' Cape May Serenade

Blurb:

Brad Stevens thinks he has life just where he wants it. He's back living in his hometown, restoring a house he loves, and building his carpentry business. When Carolyn Kent, a former USO singer, comes to Cape May one summer to perform, Brad's simple life gets complicated. He finds it easy to love Carolyn, but keeping her may be a difficult job. She has ambitions as a singer that could take her far from him. Will Brad's love and life in a beautiful seaside resort be enough to tempt Carolyn to stay or will she follow her dreams back to the big city?
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-314/Cape-May-Serenade-May/Detail.bok


Excerpt:

Carolyn nearly burst with excitement when Brad finally pulled into his driveway and parked his truck next to the workshop. Not seeing her, he swung over the wooden side of the truck's bed and grabbed a large box of tools. She rushed to him, waving a letter in her hand when he dropped back to the ground.

"Brad, you're finally home." She launched herself into his arms. The box of tools clattered onto the ground, but they barely heard it during the kiss that followed.

"A man could get used to this kind of welcome home."

She slid down the front of his body. "I thought you'd be home earlier. I've missed you so much."

After a drink with Brad the other night, she left him and returned to the Grand Cape May to reason with her parents. They rebuffed her attempts to explain her relationship with Brad, and the next morning they were simply gone when she went to find them after breakfast. A job took Brad up the coast for a few days and left her too much time to think about him and the problem with her parents.

"I missed you and this." He swooped in for another kiss and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Ummm, you smell of wood and apple pie." Carolyn nuzzled his neck.

"Pie's in the cab. I don't always get paid in cash." He ran his hand down her back and over her bottom, tugging one of her legs up to wrap around his waist. "Why don't you come inside and have some pie with me?"

"Tempting." For a moment she was caught in a wave of heat and desire, then she remembered her reason for coming and pushed him back. "I want to show you my letter, and I don't have much time before tonight's show." He took the letter from her hand and scanned the contents. "I'm being offered a chance to record a demo in New York. Don't you see? This is what I've been hoping for."

"I'm happy for you." With his usual smile and a congratulatory kiss, he handed her the letter. "When do you go?"

"Early tomorrow. Eddie was able to call in a favor with another singer to cover for me."

"Will you be gone long?" He bent over to pick up the scattered tools.

"Through the weekend. I'll be back on Monday in time for my show." She squatted next to him to see his face, but she couldn't read his expression. "Brad, you are happy for me, right?"

"Yeah, of course," he reassured her. "It's what you want. I'm just imagining how you're going to knock'em dead."

"I hope so."

"I know you will." He hoisted the toolbox to his shoulder and walked to the workshop. "You'll be signing a recording deal before the weekend's over."

"Wouldn't that be wonderful? I've spent so much time wishing for this. I can't believe I finally get the chance."

"Will you stay with your parents in Manhattan?"

"I think it's best. Maybe I can talk to them, and they live close to the studio where I'll be recording." Carolyn leaned in the open door of the workshop while Brad returned tools to their places. "Why don't you come up over the weekend? How long's it been since you were in New York?"

"I have a few army buddies in the boroughs. We get together every few months."

"Then you're no stranger to the city. Please come."

"I don't know. I have a lot of work to do here." He gestured to the house with the hammer he held.

"Promise me you'll think about it at least. I'll leave their address with you." She glanced at the clock over his workbench. "I better get back for my evening performance, then I have to pack and be at the train station early."

"How long will it take you to pack tonight?"

"Not long. Why?"

"I'll pick you up at eleven."

She cocked her head to one side. "I have to catch the train at seven in the morning."

"Then we'll have eight hours before you go to be together." He came to her and rested his hands on her hips. "I want you to spend the night with me here."

"I can't look tired." She gazed into the depths of his gray eyes. Passion was there along with something she couldn't quite identify. Was it sadness or worry?

"I'll let you sleep -- some. And if I do my job right, you'll glow from head to toe." He put a soft kiss on her forehead.

http://www.amazon.com/May-Williams/e/B005KVEZNC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Sizzle from "Decision to Love"

By: Michelle Sutton      
We ran out of Sundays for Michelle to Sizzle. This one is available on Amazon kindle and Nook It will be in paperback in July.

She gazed at him. Her attention slid to his lips. The signal sent a rush of warmth through him. She was giving him a signal he hadn't seen in a very long time. She wanted him to kiss her.

The parking lot was virtually empty, and except for a few cars scattered about, they were alone. He inched closer and rested his hands on her shoulders. She tilted her chin up and held his gaze.

For the first time in his life he was almost afraid to kiss her. He didn't want to lose her, but he didn't want to revert to the lover boy persona that charmed women in the past. He wanted to be real with her, and not worry about impressing her with his skills. He wanted to express his feelings of love for her. He just wanted her.

She didn't inch forward, but simply waited for him to make the next move. His throat suddenly parched, he forced himself to move past the fear and kiss her, hoping it would relax his nerves.

Lowering his head, he brushed his lips against hers. She had the softest, most pliable lips he'd ever made contact with, and he didn't want to stop. But after several long moments, he leaned back and gazed into her eyes. He had never kissed a woman so gently and yet with such passion before.

Charla smiled at him and said, "That was nice."

It was beyond nice, but he didn't want to say that. Who knew that a closed-mouth kiss would stir him so deeply? He wanted to kiss her again, but didn't want to rush things if it would upset her.

They needed to go slow if their relationship was going to last. Yet, he'd never wanted anything more in his life, and his voice sounded breathless as he said, "I would like to do that again."

She said in a tender voice, "I would like that, too."

Cupping her face, he lowered his mouth to hers again, and this time he moved his lips over hers. His heart pounded like never before and he knew for certain that he loved this woman. He loved her in a deeper way than he'd ever loved before.

His kiss had been motivated by love, and not just passion. Though his blood stirred and his body responded to her touch, this time it wasn't about lust.

Charla sighed against his lips and ran her fingers through his hair. He nearly wept from the pleasure her gentle touch brought. He never thought he'd fall in love again.

When he broke the kiss, he peered into her eyes and said, "I love the way I feel when I'm with you, Charla. I believe God gave you to me as a gift, and I will treasure you always."

Her eyes welled with tears and she smiled. He pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head. Yes, his love for her ran deep, and yet they had only been dating two months. Granted, they'd spent nearly every day together over the past few weeks, and they enjoyed each other's company, but what he felt as he held her in his arms made him think about forever.

Michelle Sutton - Healing Hearts - fiction making an impact on real lives...

new titles releasing in 2012... Decision to Love, It's Not About Her, Somebody Love Me,

Out of Time, and Surprise Love    You can find me here...

Thoughtful Thursday

One of the regular readers here made an interesting observation recently. We all know we are gearing up for a month of Sizzling Kisses, but this viewer asked (indirectly) if there was such a thing as a bad kiss. That depends on ones point of view. A couple of weeks ago, a kiss was shared on Simmering Saturday, (you can click on it on the Menu to the left.) From the character's POV that instigated the kiss, "hey, it was a kiss -- a means to an end," while from the receiving characters POV it most likely bordered on the prelude to rape. A bad kiss? Out of context, yes probably. But if you know the background of these characters, not so bad and yes maybe even a little siz...
Just a thought as you prepare your kisses for July.
Good luck and I/we are looking forward to reading them all!
(Watch for Kiss Contest on the Menu to scroll through them when you visit.)

On your laptop, Get writing, Enter!

The Sizzling Summer Contest is days away-- Sunday, July 1st starts the month of Sizzle!
Okay, so you want to know what's in it for you...how about an Amozon Gift card? The winning entry will recieve a $10.00 gift card.
Now remember, I don't get to vote---you do (the voting will open the end of the month.) But you must be a follower to vote but anyone can enter! Contest rules will be posted Sunday, July 1st and occasionally throughout the month.
Published kisses, even self-published kisses CANNOT be entered, so if you happen to read a kiss that you know is published elsewhere, be sure to let me know. (That means none of mine are allowed 'cause I've shared them here on my blog.) Authors are allowed to enter as well as those sharing that first romantic kiss of their lives. Some authors can't write a sizzling kiss to save their books so don't be intimidated! I'm still learning how to use this tool!
I even have a "booby" prize for worst kiss, so don't dispair. Instead-- write, polish, edit, research the "how tos" and Sizzling Kisses already posted here and give it your best shot. Who knows, maybe you will be the next incredibly awesome author on the New York Best Seller list!

Mysterious Monday Suspense with Deliverance from Evil

Excerpt by permission of Melanie Atkins:

Dempsey Spencer. Just as ugly dead as alive.

Tessa Doucet reeled back a step and stared at the flabby, tattooed body stretched out on Maurice's embalming table. One minute she'd been talking to Maurice about avoiding covering up the snake tattoo on the man's neck when she applied makeup to his set features, and the next she had glimpsed his face.

Her stepfather. The vile scum who'd taken away her innocence and gone to prison because of it. He'd been out of Angola for only a month and had already knocked on her door claiming he wanted to apologize, but she'd turned him away. That sick son of a bitch.

And now he's dead.

Relief splashed over Tessa in an icy wave. She drew in a steadying breath and glanced up at Maurice, a tall, angular, mahogany-skinned man with dexterous hands and a gentle manner.

He cocked a brow. "Is something wrong, Tessa?"

"Um... I-I don't think I can help you with this one."

"Unfortunately, you do not have a choice," he said in his musical Jamaican lilt, his dark eyes gleaming.

"His funeral is tomorrow, and I must leave in a few minutes to meet Ella at the airport. So I will need your help to complete the embalming process."

"Maurice--"

"What is the problem, child?"

"He's... he's..." She let the word trail away. If she refused to help him with Dempsey, she'd have to say why, and she wasn't sure she could reveal what her stepfather had done all those years ago. Besides, she didn't want Maurice to be late picking up Ella.

The mortician wiped his hands on a cotton cloth and tossed it beside the sink. "Go on."

"No. N-never mind." She lifted her chin. "I'll deal with it."

"Thank you, dear one." He winked at her and undid Dempsey's belt. "Ella will much appreciate my presence at baggage claim. She will have plenty of luggage to drag home."

"You should definitely be there to help her," Tessa said, her stomach roiling as Maurice adjusted the sheet covering her stepfather. "Is her mother feeling better?"

"Apparently, considering the amount of shopping they managed to do. Hopefully this will be Ella's last venture to Atlanta for a while."

"I hope so, for your sake."

"You do not think I make a good bachelor?" He laughed, his dulcet tones warming her blood. He retrieved the instrument tray from the counter by the sink and rolled it over to the embalming table. "Time to get started."

"All right." Nausea swirled in her stomach as she sidled closer. Maurice would first suture her stepfather's mouth closed, and then insert a mouth former to make him look natural. Dempsey's mottled face mocked her. She waved her hand in his direction and fixed her eyes on Maurice. "Wh-what happened to him? Why is his face so red?"

"I do not know. The coroner said he suffered a heart attack."

She nodded. Somehow, Dempsey dying of something as simple as a heart attack seemed wrong. He had lived a violent life... so didn't he deserve a violent death?

The warmth in her body disappeared the second Maurice turned away to wash his hands and don a pair of non-latex gloves. "I will embalm him and leave you to wash the body and do his hair and makeup. Can you handle that?"

"Yes." She glanced back at her stepfather, the man who had caused her so much pain. She didn't want to touch him, but she had no choice if she were going to help Maurice. Once she had finished embalming Dempsey, she would roll him to get him back into his shirt, coat, and pants, and then slather makeup on his ugly face and comb his scruffy halo of gray hair.

A river of disgust cascaded down her spine. The embalming room had always been a welcoming workspace, but today it seemed incredibly cold and sterile. Frightening, even. And all because of the monster on the table.

Melanie Atkins

Blog Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest
DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL--Coming in June--Desert Breeze Publishing
QUEST FOR JUSTICE--Available now!--Desert Breeze Publishing
BLOOD RITE--Available now!--Whiskey Creek Press

Blurb:


Tessa Doucet chose to go into mortuary science because the dead can't hurt her. Then a monster from her past turns up on her embalming table, and she's forced to confront the demon she thought she'd put to rest. Flummoxed by the case Tessa stirs up, Detective Cash Starkey finds himself falling for her, even though he swore to keep his distance. He doesn't want a relationship, especially not with a woman running from her past. Yet when Tessa's life is threatened, he runs into the fray, and together they defeat her demons and put the past behind them.

Buy link: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-301/Keller-County-Cops-Book/Detail.bok

http://melanieatkins.wordpress.com/

Sunday Sizzle

This is from Out of Time (releasing in mid June 2012 -- this inspirational has a sensual rating)
Excerpt used by permission of author, Michelle Sutton.

Tears filled her eyes and she covered her mouth. "It's so beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you are," he whispered. "Can I help you put it on?"

She nodded and lifted her hair so he could clip the chain without it getting caught in back.

He leaned close as he put the necklace on her. She could smell his minty breath and felt its warmth on her cheek. Now would be a good time to give him a real kiss, right? Her heart pounded as she slowly turned her head.

Donny lowered his arms once the necklace had been secured. She dropped her hair and studied him, noting how he hadn't moved away from her like he often did.

Maybe it was the fact they were dressed up and ready to go out that had her nervous.

She'd been this close to Donny a number of times, but had never felt scared before. Not like she did right now.

His gaze dropped to her lips, but he made no attempt to close the space between them.

When he did kiss her, it was often a brief peck when he picked her up or brought her home. He'd kept his hands to himself and treated her with complete respect.

She admired his restraint, but for once she wished he couldn't control himself. It would make things so much easier for her right now. What would he think if she kissed him first?

Rather than waiting until she lost her nerve, she plunged ahead and said, "Merry Christmas."

He smiled, until she inched closer.

Her lips captured his with as much emotion as she could offer. Her fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck and she pulled him closer. The scent of his aftershave made her dizzy with desire. Whatever scent he wore on his skin made him even more irresistible.

With a soft moan in his throat, Donny tugged her closer. He parted his lips like he wanted to taste her and ran his tongue over her lips. She relaxed in his arms while his tongue slipped inside and explored. What a heady, sensual feeling they made as their mouths moved over each other in a way that made her pulse pound. She could get lost in the sensation of their lips caressing and his tongue gliding over hers in an intimate dance.

To get even closer, she scooted until she sat on his lap. She couldn't miss his arousal, which made her passion spark to life until she groaned.

Parts of her body heated that she never knew kissing could ignite. She felt herself contemplating things they could do right now. Things she'd told herself they would not do. So why had she changed her mind? His kisses were like a drug, and she was hooked.

The way he kissed her made her rules seem silly. Kissing shouldn't feel this good, but it did. In fact, kissing Donny was sinfully delicious. Their contact was so sensual and alluring; she couldn't help but want to experience more. This was the reason she needed to stay away from him. She never should have opened the door through sensual kissing. Now it was too late.

He shifted on the couch as she eased away from him. He captured her gaze and said, "Wow. Was that my Christmas gift?"

She licked her lips and moved so she sat up straight and in the process she'd inched a bit further from him. She knew if she didn't create some space between them soon they would get into serious trouble.

"Yeah, it was."

Donny ruffled his bangs and blew out a tense breath. "What took you so long?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "I've been waiting for months for you to feel comfortable enough to kiss me, and wow, when you finally did, it was enough to set me on fire."

A shy grin tugged at her lips. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to tease you."

"Don't be sorry. It was amazing. Maybe because I wasn't expecting it."

"Maybe." She grinned. "Or maybe our chemistry is just right."

His eyes grew serious as he studied her a moment. "I'm not sure what to do about my feelings for you. They keep growing. You said you didn't want to be more than friends. Have you changed your mind? 'Cause I am so ready for more if you are."



You can buy Out of Time (in June) HERE

Polish your Kisses!

"The Sizzling Summer Contest" runs July 1st through July 31st. Looking for help to polish? See May 24ths post here for a short lesson...

Voting (by readers) will open July 29th and run through August 4th.
Have you got a kiss you'd like to share? Have you got what it takes to write a Sizzling Kiss?
You are invited to participate in sharing your best Sizzling Kiss.

1) Submit your "Sizzling Kiss" as an attachment to shassidy@comcast.net between July 1 and July 31. (Yes, polish that kiss.)
2) Include "Sizzling Kiss" in the subject line of your email.
3) Entrys are to be between 100 and 500 words.
4) Sign your kiss with your first name and blog link.
Limit: one entry per blog addy.

I am looking for at least ten (10) submissions/entries. If I get at least that many, there will be a prize awarded in addition to having your "Sizzling Kiss" posted here (with your name). The winner will receive a romantic suspense E-book, Dark Days of Promise by yours truly, due to be released in September.

Don't be shy. Now remember, this is just a kiss, not a bedroom scene. No erotica, I'm not allowed to post such so keep it sweetly warm and borderline sensual. Erotica will be disqualified. Published work cannot be submitted for contest.Now remember, we have several examples of kisses already posted here. You are welcome to go back and read them.

Remember, the dead line is July 31st. Send your submission, limited to a single scene to mailto:shassidy@comcast.net as an attachment. I must have at least 10 entries. All entries (except those that are erotic) will be posted here for voting the end of July and first of August. You must be a follower of this blog to vote and your vote/comment must be signed to match your follower tag.

Chatting with Dave Bond

Q:  Regular followers will notice that the scrolling books have disappeared. There is a reason for that... to accommodate my guest, Dave Bond. Dave, would you like to share with readers why you have requested this accommodation?


A: The complete answer is more technical than anyone, including me, wants to delve into, as a blind person, I use software on my "normal" computer known as "screen reading" software. It is very smart (and expensive), and simply reads what is on the screen. I have a tremendous amount of control over what it reads me, and how, including the speed and pitch of the voices, as well as the ability to change voices if I choose.

I use the standard voice pre-loaded with the software. The software is called JAWS (Job Access With Speech). You might derive from this name (first sold back in the early 90s I believe) how the focus of making computers accessible to blind persons has a connection to jobs. How well things have worked out is a topic for another discussion, but suffice it to say, because of JAWS, I can type using a regular computer and a regular word processing program (Word), and do most of what any other author is able to do concerning writing and editing a manuscript.

In recent years, with the Internet (and most other computer programs) becoming more and more graphical, screen readers struggle to interpret the screen properly, if at all. An image file of a building, for instance, has no data within itself to pass on to JAWS. "Hi, I'm a 50-story building. I am made out of mostly glass and gray stone. I'm facing east, with the rising sun giving all my glass a sparkling look. There are some high clouds, so the sky you see above me is a powdery blue."

Really? Anyway, graphics make things very tricky sometimes. The banners many blogs (and many web sites) display are not necessarily graphical (although they might be), but because they are moving (constantly changing), screen reading software is confused, as it tries to read the changing text, instead of other text I may be interested in reading. If the banner or scrolling displays are turned off, or don't exist, then my screen reader has a much easier time navigating and reading the page.

I hope this helps some understand the basics of using a screen reader!

Q: ...our disabilities are not limitations, but windows to new avenues in our lives. In my case, and I'm assuming in yours, our writing.

A: I am fairly confident I wouldn't be an author had I not lost my sight 24 years ago. I was 33 then, and working as a project manager for a construction company. I had a degree in technical illustration, and was a very "visual" person. It took some time after losing my sight, but when a window to write in fact opened, I did enter in and am glad I did!

Q: I also find it inspiring that you continue to enjoy the outdoors and would like to ask you about that.

A: Actually, my love of, and participation in the outdoors has lessened since losing my sight. I have years of memories of hunting and fishing, of hiking, of camping, and canoeing. I also did some skiing, I loved to play ice hockey on the ponds and lakes in the winter, and I loved playing church softball. I have tons of memories, and it's these memories more than any present day participation I interject into my stories.

Q: You know, I considered writing only after so many other avenues in my life where shut down, closed or pulled out from under me. I know I mourned over those things I lost. Did you go through a type of mourning, too?

A: I can't say I experienced a clearly defined period of mourning. Interestingly, now that I've been blind for about 24 years, I find I have "down" moments when I experience a kind of mourning. If you can call frustration and a little anger, mourning. I also tried a number of career avenues after the job I landed in after graduating college (as a blind person) was eliminated. This was in 2000. I initially sent out some resumes for non-profit organizations looking for a program director (my previous position) but soon gave up on that. I tried everything from web site design/maintenance, to becoming a certified nutritionist, to going back to college to begin masters working marriage and family counseling. But, writing eventually became something I quickly developed an interest in, and as they say, the rest is history!

Q: So, I hope I'm not spoiling anything from "The Attache", do you think the cable up the mountain is feasible? I mean it sounded totally possible to me, except that maybe if the mountain is public land there might be issues there. Obviously an author must pretend those political challenges don't exist.

A: Zach Brenner (the blinded male protagonist) inherited 300 acres, on which the mountain was located. So, it was not public land. I am fairly mechanically minded, and I "invented" the cable system based on what I considered a feasible concept. From a mechanical point of view. Because in reality, it really wasn't practical. But when Zach first thinks up the system, yes, it was entirely plausible IMO. Not that there wasn't any other way, but the cable system is what he thought up. FYI, in book 3 (Out Of The Desert), Zach's brother, Joel, returns to the Rocky Glen homestead, and, without giving too much away, Joel will end up with some of the 300 acres. You'll have to read the novel to see what he wants to do with it!

Q: Since you brought it up... Book 3. How many books are you planning in this series?


A: I've got 2 3-book contracts with DBP. Two trilogies, to put it another way. The Attaché was book 1 in the series entitled, 'All Things Are Possible,' and A Time To Build is book 1 in the series entitled, 'A Time For Everything' series. I hope to have my web site updated shortly where visitors can read more about these books/series, as well as see the cover art for both book 1's.

http://www.authordavidbond.com/newest.php

Q: Can you give us a blurb for 'A Time to Build'?

The short blurb which may appear on the Desert Breeze page follows:

Thirteen years is a long time. But not long enough for Brian Marshall to forget the face of the woman who stepped inside his office one July morning. Has the one mistake he made in his life finally come back to exact its toll?

Q: Can you share a link to your website?

http://www.authordavidbond.com/

Tickle Tease on Thursday

Tickling your interest with Dave Bond's new release, Just out today - A Time To Build.

Brian took his time making his way to The Corner Café shortly after five. The front door stood wide open at one of the vacant spaces half-way between the Donahue Brothers office and Hallie's place. He paused and peered into the darkened interior. He heard voices, but saw no one. He looked for a sign announcing what might be coming, but couldn't find one.


In front of the café, sure enough, a large butcher-block island stood on the sidewalk, as if the previous owners wanted to dump it and get away as fast as possible. He went up to it and gave it a tentative push. It barely rocked. A closer inspection showed him the block was probably eighteen inches thick, with massive legs. He wasn't so sure Joe would be strong enough to help him.

"You're here. Thank goodness."

Hallie spoke to someone inside then walked toward where he stood. He repeated his earlier push on the massive piece of wood. "This thing weighs a ton."

"I know. Wanda and I tried to move it." She lifted her eyebrows at his expression. "I'm tougher than I look."

A middle-aged man approached Hallie, and she turned and spoke to him for a minute. He stood, his hand resting on the oily, knife riddled butcher-block top. Brian's gaze stole a glance at this woman whose mysteries drew him to her like a magnet. She had a pair of work gloves on, and he detected the sharp smell of varnish. A dark brown speck sat on the tip of her nose as if she'd dipped it toward the open can to smell it.

He jumped when a finger jabbed his side. Joe smirked and nodded toward Hallie, still engrossed in a conversation. "Man. I was hoping you would have had this thing in there by now."

Brian repeated his pushing action for the third time. "Did you eat your Wheaties today?"

"Gees. Just leave it here. She can serve outdoor stuff."

"We're going to put this inside, exactly where she wants it."

"Rock climbing later?"

"I told you. No."

Had he subconsciously wanted to allow free time to be around Hallie? He looked at Joe, dressed in his sport shorts and woven athletic shirt. The guy had the look of a man with supreme confidence in himself, especially in the area of coaxing a pretty girl into some liaison. A glint in his eye wasn't hard to translate.

"Sorry, gentlemen. Hello, Joe?"

Joe attempted a clumsy bow. "At your service."

Joe stepped around the hunk of wood separating him from Hallie and held her hand. "I've come by a few times during my lunch hour these last few weeks. Fantastic coffee."

"You look familiar. I'm glad you approve."

Hallie's expression lacked its usual save-the-world glow. She extracted her hand from Joe's and blew air through her lips which funneled up toward a few rebellious tendrils of hair sliding across her forehead.

"We'll get this inside so you can get back to whatever you're doing. You must have a million things to do."

"We've been working all hours, but it's coming along. Actually, I had a good day today. Three women from the church I attend volunteered to help me stain and hang wall coverings. The place is really looking good, if I do say so. You'll have to let me know what you think."

Her words might have been meant for both males standing near her, but her gaze never left Brian's face. She all but ignored Joe. Brian nodded involuntarily. A reflex action she had control of whenever she was near.

Hallie darted inside the café and returned with a heavy-duty dolly. The men wrestled the butcher-block onto it, then eased the solid mass inside. It took all of fifteen minutes to move it and deposit it where she indicated.

"Man. It's probably a good thing we're not rock climbing tonight. I think I used up my vitamins for the day."

Guilty Hearts Book Blurb

Dee Adams has done everything for the love of her adolescent son including lying to protect him from pain. When her old flame returns, her wall of secrets starts to crumble.

After thirteen years of running from the past, Matt Black returns to the only place he called home intent on making peace with his family and Dee. When he forms a tight bond with Dee's son Jared, Matt falls for her again and he wants to be a family. When Dee's secret is revealed, the only way to become a family is to forgive and rebuild their trust for one another.

Where to buy:

http://www.amazon.com/Guilty-Hearts-ebook/dp/B007K1OCQA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332552126&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/guilty-hearts-susan-jaymes/1107712025

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-guiltyhearts-751695-149.html

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-274/Guilty-Hearts-Susan-Jaymes/Detail.bok

Guilty Hearts Tease

http://www.susanjaymes.com/

"Give your mom a hug and a kiss goodbye." He resisted at first, but relented. "You be good. I'll see you tomorrow."


"Okay." He pushed away from her, looking around the room hoping no one important had seen them.

"Come on, crew." Sandra led the boys out with Nate following behind them.

"He'll be fine, you know. My sister is a wonderful mother, and Nate isn't so bad himself."

Tears pricked Dee's eyes and she blinked hard. If Matt had stayed in Pine Crest afterSteve's funeral, it could have been them walking out as a family, arm in arm. She wouldn't have to be alone. Why am I so emotional tonight? Did Sandra get to her that badly? She just sent her son into the lion's den, and he'd rather be there than with her. Every time Jared opted to spend his time with friends or Matt, she felt like he was slipping away. Dee shoved her hands into her back pockets.

"Yeah, I know. I just have such a hard time letting him go. Man, when he goes off to college, I will have to be locked away for a week!"

Matt shoved his arms into his jacket and zipped it up. He grabbed her jacket and held it open for her to slide into. "Come on. Put on your jacket and walk out with me before you embarrass the kid more by crying. If anyone he knows from school sees it, he'll never be able to hold his head high again."

Dee shook her head. "Gee, thanks. That helps a lot." He chuckled. She turned around and let him help her with her jacket. His arms slid around her as he pulled her close to whisper in her ear. "He'll always be your little boy. Just maybe not in public." He squeezed her tight, and she heard him inhale deeply as he breathed in her scent, tickling her neck. A warm sensation shot though her body, and she closed her eyes for a moment, savoring it. Then she recalled Sandra'swords, which chased away the comfort of being held. With all the force she could muster she pulled away and he let his arms fall.

"This probably isn't a good place for this, either, with Jared's friends here and all."

"Okay. I'll walk you out." He grabbed her hand and held tight. There was no way she could shake loose without making a scene, so she relaxed and let him lead her out. Gradually, for some reason, she lost the strength and the need to push him away. Instead she found the need to not let him go. All rational thought slipped away from her mind.

The air, cold but no longer frigid, didn't cool her desire. Warmer temperatures and the bright sun had caused the snow to melt, and the smell of wet earth tickled her nose, reminding her spring was near. Maybe it was cabin fever that made her want to jump Matt. No, that's just an excuse. She never stopped wanting Matt, and at the moment, she had no desire to resist him.

Jared had gone to Matt's sister's, and she was feeling weak after being attacked. There didn't seem to be a good reason to deny herself the comfort Matt could give her.He held her hand as they walked to her car in silence. There were no words needed, they both knew what was about to happen. Maybe Matt had planned it from the moment she sat down at his table. Although she still believed it wasn't right, she knew she wouldn't put up a fight tonight.

"Here we are, my dear." Matt stopped in front of her car.

"Where are you parked?"

"Over there." He pointed to his car.

"No more rusted Mustang?"

"Hey, I loved that car."

"Did it get you far enough away from me?"

Matt rubbed the back of his hand gently down her cheek. Dee leaned into it as her eyes closed. "Not tonight, Dee. Let's not discuss it right now. Tonight it's all about you and me and what we never finished."

Dee opened her eyes. "I don't want to finish anything. I just want to feel good with no guilt, just once."


Where to buy:


http://www.amazon.com/Guilty-Hearts-ebook/dp/B007K1OCQA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332552126&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/guilty-hearts-susan-jaymes/1107712025

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-guiltyhearts-751695-149.html

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-274/Guilty-Hearts-Susan-Jaymes/Detail.bok

Guilty Hearts Sizzle

This kiss runs on the heated side--sensuous. 

Dee hesitated for a moment, as if she was going to protest. To his disappointment, she didn't. "I agree. I don't think it would do either of us any good to try again now. We had our chance, and I guess we both blew it." She still sounded like she blamed him.


Matt nodded. "Fine." He nudged himself closer to her and studied her frightened eyes.When she didn't pull away, he leaned in and nibbled her lips. They tasted like chocolate chip cookies. She moaned and ran her hands up his back to pull him closer and turned the nibble into a deeper kiss as she devoured him with her tongue. This was not a girl ready to let anything go.Matt pulled away and scooted back. Her eyes, dulled with passion, begged him to continue. He rubbed the back of his hand down her cheek, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. His fingers traveled down her neck to her breasts, and she thrust them forward.

Wait. Now is not the time for this. The kids are here. Matt reluctantly decided to bide his time. One day soon, he'd make sure they were alone, so he could take this further and change her mind about them.

"Cody, we better hit the road." Dee's eyes popped open, and Matt let his hand drop. She ran her hand up to her throat as she came back to the present. "You may say we are over, Dee,but your body tells a different story. We do have something going on here. Think about it."

http://www.susanjaymes.com/

 Where to buy:


http://www.amazon.com/Guilty-Hearts-ebook/dp/B007K1OCQA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332552126&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/guilty-hearts-susan-jaymes/1107712025

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-guiltyhearts-751695-149.html

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-274/Guilty-Hearts-Susan-Jaymes/Detail.bok

Sunday Sizzle

When Love Collides

Excerpt used by permission of the author, Michelle Sutton.

He coughed into his hand and rubbed his eyes. "I wish I had known. I never would've let you go. I would have loved you the way you deserved, so you wouldn't have gone back to him."

She touched his damp cheek, turning his face toward her so she could look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"The thing is..." His voice thickened, "I never stopped loving you."

He said he still loved her?

Cradling her face with his hands, he drew closer. "I still love you."

His lips gently pressed against hers. She expected it to remain chaste and end there, but he deepened his kiss, exploring her mouth as he caressed her tongue. With a low moan deep in her throat, she plunged her fingers into his hair and drank as much sweetness as he poured into her. If she'd known his kisses would be so sensual and intense, she might have persuaded him to kiss her a long time ago.

He eased away from her, his breathing ragged. "I need to catch my breath."

Still amazed at her intense physical response, she trembled, afraid to look at him. Where did he learn to kiss like that?

"I... I need to take you home."

She'd never known such depth of emotion in her life. Or such heated passion. She'd never felt this way about Carl. Not even close. Scott had opened the door to his heart and offered her entrance. Now she wanted so much more.

But could she give him her heart in return?



You can buy When Love Collides HERE

Building a Simmering Saturday Scene

Author Jordan Bollinger is sharing  some writing helps. You are welcome to visit her at http://jordanbollinger.blogspot.com/ or email her at jordanbollinger@rocketmail.com

Mini-Lesson - Adding Tension Between Characters


Today's mini-lesson is on building tension between characters. It is the gradual, yet continual, building of tension that makes for a great plot. Tension 'turns up the volume' on the story's conflict. It is this tension that 'your characters' are immersed in that makes them more real for the reader; and therefore, captures and pulls them into your story. And taking the reader captive is why you 'show', instead of 'tell'. However, for this lesson, I'm going to be 'telling' you about how they feel. Do Not Do This At Home!


There are two types of tension we have available: regular tension and sexual tension. Of course, we want a certain amount of sexual tension between our hero and heroine; and we want it to grow gradually. You want to make your reader 'beg for it' - for that sizzling first kiss, or initial more intimate encounter.

After thinking about this, I came up with several ways of creating, what we'll call 'regular tension'. If you sit and think about it for a while, I bet you can come up with some of your own. Mine are:

• Preconceptions

• Assumptions

• Conflicting ethics

• Miscommunications

Some ways of adding 'sexual tension' between characters are:

• Day dreaming

• Close physical proximity

• Having one party interact with others, or perform some physical task while the other party watches

• The use of double entendre and/or suggestive (or accidentally suggestive) conversation

Let's meet our 'soon-to be-blossoming' couple: Sarah and Mark. They are about to meet for drinks, after being setup by two friends - Danny and Grace. Mark and Danny have been friends most of their lives; and Sarah and Grace went through Catholic school together. Danny and Grace aren't a couple, just friends and co-workers.

After talking over lunch, they've decided that Mark and Sarah are perfect for each other. Grace has repeated Danny's description of Mark to Sarah verbatim, 'As a great guy!', which tells Sarah absolutely nothing about him. Which is why Sarah is looking at the steadily growing pile of discarded outfits on her bed and giving serious thought about just not going.

Of course, Grace's description of Sarah as 'having a bubbly personality' was no better. It has Danny convinced she's 'less than perfect'. And, of course he's passed this assumption on to Mark, who is considering standing Sarah up.

Isn't miscommunication wonderful? They haven't even met yet and both are nervous and having serious doubts.

Okay, now Sarah's found something she actually thinks she looks nice in, and has, perhaps after a serious lecture to herself, arrived five minutes early - because punctuality is extremely important to her. Mark arrives about ten minutes late, not concerned at all about his tardiness. Now Sarah's waiting for an explanation, and when she eventually says something he's starting to believe he's made an awful mistake.

Clash of ideology - it's a great way to not bound.

Once they get seated and order drinks, Mark asks Sarah about herself, which is good, right? Things are smoothing themselves out . . . until Sarah tells Mark about how she and Grace met in Catholic school; and goes on to tell how she still writes to several of the sisters. Now Billy Joel's 'Only the Good Die Young' is running through his head; and he's already feeling frustrated. (Hey, guys are guys - right?)

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Sarah sees his fallen face and reads it as he doesn't find her attractive.

Ooh! We got both assumption and pre-conceptions with that one.

The beauty is that they all work equally as well after they've gotten to know each other and started to fall in love. You just need to think about it, and you'll come up with ways of throwing a monkey wrench into their budding romance.

And, we haven't even touched on things others might say - to them or about them; meaning for them to hear it or not. That opens up even more possibilities.

So, let's move on to 'sexual tension' and get back to our hero and heroine. Mark broke up with his last girlfriend several months ago, and has been avoiding women in general. But, he has allowed himself a little bit of fantasying, which in turn has caused a 'rise in his libido'. He finds Sarah attractive, smart (he's never liked dumb girls) and has a great laugh. Maybe this could go somewhere - if not tonight, in the future.

And, since we're all modern women, we know women can fantasize too.

There's a little dance floor and, after some encouragement, Sarah agrees to take a little turn with Mark. Both find the other's perfume/cologne very nice. They also like the waythey feel  in each other's arms. In addition, because of the dim light, Sarah hadn't noticed how very green his eyes were, and Mark hadn't appreciated how rosy her complexion was. Their nauseousness has changed to that wonderful 'new romance' excitement.

Close physical proximity - it's a great way to 'raise' expectations!

Which, in case you haven't guessed, leads us to 'double entendres', flirty talk and careless, and sometime embarrassing, badly worded comments. Our hero and heroine have imaginations, as we discovered above. Even the most innocent of comments start the brain working. Now, you have to work on double entendres - you want them suggestive, but in a tasteful way - even if you've decided to cross over the line into erotica. After all, we're not writing porn!

Remember all those Bond movies with Sean Connery? He and Cubby Broccoli used to play a game of who could think of some little 'naughty' thing and dare the other to include it in the movie. That's where all those double entendres came from.

Here, I should also mention that you have the option of using questionable comments by others as a way of not only building tension between one or more main and secondary characters, but it adds tension between the main characters themselves. If Mark punches a drunk out because of some rude comment, it causes conflict and tension between the soon-to-be lovers, as well. Embarrassment and fear are great motivators.

This leads us to the last means on my list about building tension between our hero and heroine - having one character watch the other participating in some physical activity. I think that punching a guy out counts, but you don't have to use violence. Performing some brave deed, like saving a child from an approaching car, or executing a perfect dive off the high board will work just as well.

I trust you to understand that this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but I hope it will give you something to think about.
-----
Thank you Jordan for sharing this. If you aren't a writer, we hope that you still enjoyed this and maybe next time you read that wonderful novel, you'll appreciate what the author has gone through to entertain you. Again, Jordan loves new followers as much as I do. So slip over to learn more from her at these links (Ooh, I hope they work--if not, copy and paste them.)

jordanbollinger.com
jordanbollinger.blogspot.com
jordanbollinger@rocketmail.com

It's Not About Her - Sizzling Kiss

It's Not About Her by Michelle Sutton (excerpt used with permission)
http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com/

The idea of her purity held his attention, because that same innocence had captivated him once before, when he'd loved Annie. "So you've never kissed a guy?"

"No." Her eyes met his, glistening with emotion. Was that shame? Why? She had nothing to be ashamed of.

"Wow." Tony stared at her for several seconds. "I thought you and Chase…"

Choking on her tears, Deena cried, "I'm sorry we teased you."

Loosening his grip on her wrists, he paused. Then it suddenly occurred to him. She was embarrassed by her lack of experience.

Chase, being a nice guy, probably befriended her to boost her confidence, not because he was attracted to Deena.

His heart thumped as a soul-stirring impulse filled his mind and permeated his bones. "I could be your first…if you want."

Her eyes widened and she gasped, "My…first?"

His heart now slamming against his ribs, he smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Okay." Her cheeks reddened.

He could feel her small frame trembling underneath his weight. He hoped she wasn't afraid of him. He would never hurt her, or any girl for that matter.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he lowered his face until their lips met. The softness of her welcoming mouth surprised him as his lips clung to hers, drinking her in. He couldn't seem to pull away, and savored the taste of her a moment longer than he'd anticipated.

He hovered above her for several seconds, staring into her gorgeous eyes. She tasted pure and innocent, reminding him of Annie, only Deena's hungry mouth moving beneath his felt even more sensual and appealing.

As he observed the emotion displayed in her eyes, an unexpected earthquake of pleasure shook Tony to the core. Stunned by the intense emotion her kiss had brought to his soul, he sat up and released her hands. Never before had a simple kiss rocked his world to its very foundation.

To his surprise, he actually wanted to kiss her again. The thought startled him as his gaze lingered on her lips. His heart pounded until he could hear his pulse in his heartbeat.



You can buy It's Not About Her HERE http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-About-Second-Glance/dp/0983883661/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Sizzling Kiss from Dark Days of Promise

Wondering how I put the exercise of writing a Sizzling Kiss together in my own work?
My first effort last fall  for your perusal.

(excerpt are unedited)
Going to the refrigerator, I pulled the gallon jug from the cold, shaking it.
“Oh those boys, I can’t seem to keep milk in the house. Looks like we’re almost out.” I pulled the last clean glass from the cupboard to pour the last of the milk. He stood to join me near the counter. The milk looked refreshing. I licked my lips in subconscious knowledge of the sweet coolness of the liquid.
“Why don’t you drink it?” He suggested, making a fist to cover the cough that escaped with his words.
“I couldn’t, I poured it for you.” I answered, offering the glass to him.
“You have a few swallows, then I’ll finish it.” He accepted the glass but didn’t lift it to his lips.
I gazed into the warm recesses of his eyes, overwhelmed with his nearness. My previous immunity to his charisma wilted before plunging into the warmth of his magnetism.
“Drink,” he ordered placing the glass in my hand.
“Yes sir,” I answered, lifting the glass to my lips while watching his eyes. They seemed to change, their color growing richer, warmer and more intense. I busied myself with swallowing and watching his eyes and didn’t notice when he reached in his pocket for the mistletoe again. When I handed the glass to him, he finished the milk with two large swallows. Smiling, he lifted the mistletoe above my head once more. I glanced up at it before returning my gaze to his eyes. My stomach flew to my throat. His presence overwhelmed me.
“Another kiss on the cheek?” I murmured the question with a smile.
He lowered the mistletoe while setting the empty glass on the counter. His gaze locked with mine. “Do you trust me?”
“Do I have a choice?” I whispered.
With the mistletoe still in hand, he placed it at the back of my head. I felt the strength of his fingers as they became entwined in my hair. My heart accelerated its beating dance, knowing a much more euphoric rush would accompany his kiss. More than his first visit, more than his peck on my cheek, more . . . A warm quiver of anticipation settled over me, fixing me to the spot. The music from the movie in the next room swelled, intensifying the moment. His lips brushed mine hinting of gingerbread and milk. In that instant, I wondered if I had ever truly experienced such a kiss. The gentle pressure was warm and sweet, inviting me to live in the moment. An experience that had eluded me in all my years with another . . . I couldn’t even remember his name. My adrenalin roller coaster revved its engine in my stomach before climbing with massive force in an upward motion before dropping to my deepest core. And yet it didn’t last long enough. He no sooner released my lips than I had the distinct feeling that he reclaimed everything he had just given me.

---Not enough sizzle? Stay tuned for more Sizzling Kisses and the second kiss between these characters--- but no promise as to the date as some wonderful authors are sharing theirs as well. *snicker -tease*

Reminder - The Sizzling Summer contest is 2 1/2 weeks away!

Sending out a personal invite to readers everywhere.

Announcing "The Sizzling Summer Contest".
The contest will run July 1st through July 31st.
Voting (by readers) will open July 29th and run through August 4th.

Have you got a kiss you'd like to share? Have you got what it takes to write a Sizzling Kiss?
You are invited to participate in sharing your best Sizzling Kiss.

1) Submit your "Sizzling Kiss" as an attachment to shassidy@comcast.net between July 1 and July 31. (Yes, I'm giving you time to polish that kiss.)
2) Include "Sizzling Kiss" in the subject line of your email.
3) Your entry must be between 100 and 500 words.
4) Sign your kiss with your first name and your blog address/link.
    Limit: one entry per blog addy

I am looking for at least ten (10) submissions/entries. If I get at least that many, there will be a prize awarded in addition to having your "Sizzling Kiss" posted here (with your name). The winner will receive a romantic suspense E-book, Dark Days of Promise by yours truly, due to be released in September.

Don't be shy. Now remember, this is just a kiss, not a bedroom scene. No erotica, I'm not allowed to post such so keep it sweetly warm and borderline sensual. Erotica will be disqualified. Published work cannot be submitted for contest.


Now remember, we have several examples of kisses already posted here as well as helps to writing a kiss that SIZZLES.

Remember, the dead line is July 31st. Send your submission, limited to a single scene to shassidy@comcast.net as an attachment. I must have at least 10 entries. All entries (except those that are erotic) will be posted here for voting the end of July and first of August. You must be a follower of this blog to vote and your vote/comment must be signed to match your follower tag.

Note to published authors-- Still looking for books containing a Sizzling Kiss for prizes. (hint, hint).

Tickle Tease Tuesday

Do you see the counter to the right??? --->>>
I'm soo excited!!
Sorry, this excerpt isn't from that upcoming release but another project that I just can't let die.

Least readers begin to complain that I never post any of my own work these days...
Let me indulge by sharing a unedited scene from a manuscript I'm still debating on.

Trevor stopped Kim's hand as she gently dabbed at his face with his own. “I’m being doctored by a graduate of ‘Mickey Mouse’ first aid?”

“Who said anything about graduating?”
He reached for her to tickle her sides. She laughed and wiggled away from his hands while rolling her chair backwards. “Stop, or I’ll pour peroxide all over your cut!”
“No you won’t,” he stated, ready to resume his tickle attack.
“Then stop.” She continued when he leaned back in the chair. “Actually I did graduate from some organized first aid class, but I think I cheated.”
“You cheated? How can you cheat in a first aid class?”
She applied the bandage to his cheek. “I kissed the instructor.”
“Just one kiss?” Trevor eyed her suspiciously.
“Well,” she dragged her answer. “He said he was teaching me mouth-to-mouth.”
Trevor chuckled knowingly, “And you believed him?”
“No.”
“You’re right. You cheated.”

Launching Mysterious Mondays

A Legacy of Lies with Stephanie McGee.

It was cold.

Too cold.

The eerie silence of a moonless, starless night engulfed him.

Jim shivered. It had been high noon only a few minutes ago. Had he fallen asleep? He didn't remember being tired. He shook his head and tried to focus his groggy mind. He peered around cautiously. Where was his horse?

A rustling sound in the bushes startled him. His eyes darted to investigate. Nothing.

No, wait. There it was again. Off to the left. His eyes strained, searching for the slightest movement or shape. Something. Anything.

Silence.

He felt like a kid afraid of the dark.

Get a hold of yourself, man.

Fingers of fear teased along the back of his neck. The hairs stood on end. He shivered.

Where was that horse?

"Ciervo!" His voice sounded weak even to his own ears. He tried again. Now he was completely hoarse.

Swallowing the panic rising from the pit of his stomach, he took a cautious step forward.

He heard stirring in the woods behind him. Squirrels? He listened intently.

The noise came again. No. Definitely not a squirrel. Something was pacing in the woods. Deliberate. Stalking. Jim's mouth went dry.

Mountain lion.

His heart raced and he looked desperately around, scanning the darkness. Blackness blanketed the meadow. Jim hoped Ciervo hadn't wandered too far. He started to walk. Slowly. Calculating. He couldn't tell in what direction he moved.

His cell! He could use it as a light source. Jim's hand brushed at his hip. It wasn't there. He frowned. It always stayed on his belt. He never left the ranch without it.

Jim's eyes strained, but he could barely make out his surroundings. The farther he walked, the darker it got. His breathing came in quick, rapid intakes.

A shrill sound broke the silence. His heart leaped.

"Ciervo?"

Where was he? Was the mountain lion after him?

Hoof beats. Thank goodness.

They were pounding quicker than his rapidly drumming heart. A shadow appeared about thirty feet in front of him.

It wasn't his beloved horse. It looked like something galloping up from Hell.

The horrid creature ran wildly toward him. The cold air caused the hot breath to billow from its nostrils like a smoking dragon.

The monster's eyes looked like no earthly thing he had ever seen. The bulging orbs had a luminescent shine that came from deep behind the pupils. In the pitch black they glowed like a ghostly beacon.

The horse-shaped beast lowered his head. The creature was preparing to slam into him.

Jim threw himself out of its path and landed sharply on his hip. His right thigh slammed into a large, extruded boulder. Fire shot down his leg. Ignoring the pain, he jumped to his feet, eyes probing the darkness for the crazed brute. The ghostly version of Ciervo had vanished.

Despite the cold, he began to sweat. Jim felt eyes boring into him. Someone or something watched him. He was exposed. Unprepared. His heart hammered in his chest. His body refused to move.

Another sound. Different. It wasn't rustling limbs or bushes, and it certainly wasn't the horse's wild hoof beats. It was quiet, like a soft whisper. Crying? No, calling out for something.

He strained to catch the garbled words. The voice grew louder. More urgent. Still he couldn't make out the woeful tone. Then, as if his brain finished translating some cryptic code, the word became clear.

"James!"

Again. Louder this time. "James... James..." The voice rose and fell in the darkness. Its eerie sound slithered into his ears.

"Hello?" His voice echoed hoarsely. He held onto a feeble hope the voice came from someone nearby lost in the dark along with him. No one here knew him by that name. He stood holding his breath, listening.

Suddenly, a freight train of frigid air knocked him backward. Terrified, he dared not to move. The voice came again.

"You must help. Soon it will be too late--"

An insidious roar erupted around him. Hot, musty breath bathed Jim's face. He struggled backward. He couldn't quite make out the figure standing over him. The silhouette was enormous. Its shoulders spanned at least four feet. An odd-shaped head swayed from side-to side.

It growled.

Paralyzed with fear, Jim lay helpless. The creature rose to stand upright. Seven. Eight feet tall. Jim gasped for air. His feet tore into the soft ground, trying to gain footing. Desperately trying to get away.

The creature came crashing toward him.


Buy links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A-Legacy-of-Lies-ebook/dp/B007K1LS58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332042156&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-legacy-of-lies-stephenia-mcgee/1107713261?ean=2940014338950

Desert Breeze Publishing: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-273/A-Legacy-of-Lies/Detail.bok

Sunday Sizzle

In Sheeps Clothing

Michelle, I am seeing a trend with your kisses...they are getting better...Your first one was posted on May 6th and we have continued each and every Sunday since then with one from you. It is true, one gets better with practice and in writing, we know that the first kiss is the SIZZLE of the book.

(Excerpt used by permission of the author, Michelle Sutton.)

Jacob shrugged. He tried to act nonchalant, but his blood roared through his veins, making his pulse sound like it hammered in his ears. He'd never felt such an intense physical reaction when his ex touched him. His response to Stephanie was almost overwhelming. What could that mean?

Stephanie sighed and said, "Okay, so you aren't scared. But I get that you're nervous about kissing me. I'm nervous too."

He shook his head hoping to snap out of the haze. "Nervous? Not at all."

"So kiss me then. I've never been kissed by a Christian man before. I want to know if it's better than kissing a regular guy." She studied him a moment as if challenging him to try.

He wanted to respond, but he couldn't seem to get his body to move. She closed the space between them and gently pressed her lips against his.

A spark ignited between them the moment their mouths touched. And as quickly as the kiss began, it was over. She stepped back and rolled her eyes to the side as if thinking.

He blinked and tried to clear his thoughts. She'd kissed him so fast he hadn't had time to kiss her back. The situation felt awkward to say the least.

"Not bad. At least I wasn't repulsed by it." Her teasing grin made him long to pull her into a fierce embrace and give her a kiss that would leave her breathless. Before he could talk himself out of it, he did just that.

Her soft curves molded against him as he pulled her close. He angled his head to give him better access to her mouth. Her lips were soft under his, velvety even. He savored her moist kisses like a man hungering for affection for far too long. His body stirred and he had to pull away before he got himself in serious trouble.

"Wow. Much better that time." She smiled. Her cheeks had flushed bright pink. "Christians are definitely better kissers."

Jacob smiled and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Not all Christians. Just this one."



You can buy In Sheep's Clothing HERE

Simmering Saturdays

I recently read a romance that the author's view of making a romance simmer was the romantic lead's constant whispering in the protagonists ear and his fingers always wrapping a lock of her hair around his fingers. In my opinion that is not simmering, that borders on letting the romance go stale!
And yet not every scene can hold a sizzling kiss so where does that leave us? My answer? Letting the relationship simmer to a boiling point.
Okay, granted -- I am far froma amaster on this one, but here is what I propose in the novel I am currently working on, Book One in The Talisman Series. Mind you, this excerpt is still in the writing stages...

A breeze stirred Trish's hair about her face, tickling her nose and eyes. Echoes of a sharp headache reminded her of her collision with the livery door. She slowly opened her eyes. A man stood at her window. She squinted, forcing bleary eyes to focus. "Quinn?"


He turned slowly and she noticed he held something. Fabric. Her clothes? "My bet is that this ain't your blood. No woman bleeds like this."

Trish tried to sit up, a wave of dizziness making her head spin pulled her back down. Swallowing hard and refocusing, she pushed herself upright. "Blood? What blood?"

"Found these bloody clothes. Ya had 'em tucked under your mattress. Whose blood is this?"

Trish stared at him wishing his back wasn't to the light. She couldn't make out his expression. His tone was as level as it had been at the poker table with Ace. Usually his tone held a vibrant quality, even when training a young horse. Not now.

"You rifled through my things?"

"No. Answer the question, Trish. Whose blood?" his tone, though still quiet had an edge to it.

Trish struggled with how to answer, her words rushing out without the usual care of an attorney. "I'm sorry, Quinn. I couldn't save him. He died in my arms. I didn't kill him. You've got to believe me."

Quinn's chest expanded with his deep intake of air, yet his words remained calm. "Whose blood?"

Trish shook her head, the pain rolling from side to side as the tears she'd held back burst to the surface. "Albert," her voice cracked. "I didn't--"

"Why didn't you stay with him?"

"I did," she swallowed trying to regain her composure.

"No. You weren't there when I found him," he said, his words accusing her.

"I did. I just-- I heard someone coming and realized how it would look if they found me with him. You have to believe me, I didn't kill him."

He stepped closer and she shrank back. "And the blood? Why?"

Trish kept her hands close to her body, but raised them defensively.

"I found him there, bleeding when I arrived. I held him in my arms and tried to comfort him. I lost it. I didn't know what to do. The horse was stamping. The scent of blood-- oh." Her hands flew to her face, covering her tears. "So much blood-- I tried to stop the bleeding and it just kept coming."

Sobs drowned out her words; she shuddered wishing she had done more. Wishing she'd never been there. Wishing she had never come here. Wishing he believed her.

Quinn stepped to the bed, dropping the stained clothing between them. "Ya should have stayed."

"I didn't know it was you. I thought the murderer…"

Quinn sank to the bed. The bedsprings groaned under his added weight, but he didn't touch her. "Ya should have stayed and told me who murdered him."

"But I don't know who did it."

Quinn glowered at her. "Tell me. No more lies. No more tears."

Trish stared at him in silence. She couldn't tell him.

"Damn it, Trish," his words sounded tortured. He pushed her back on the bed, seizing a handful of hair, constraining her. His kiss demanded she yield herself to him. At first she fought him, but when the weight of his chest came down on her, she surrendered.

For most of a week she had dreamed of his kissing her here. Her dreams had warmed her with excited anticipation. This was not as she had hoped. Tears of abject horror replaced tears of sorrow. The pressure of his lips bruised hers and yet his hands remained in her hair and against her cheek. The moment was brief, feeling torturously long.

He moved away, turning his back to her and breathing hard. "No more lies, Trish. The truth. All of it."

She remained prone on her bed where he had left her. "I told you," she whispered.

"Start at the beginning." He pulled the sheet up to cover her. "Why did Curly have you tethered?"

"I guess because he was sick. I certainly didn't deserve it."

"He isn't your papa?"

Trish gasped. "No!"

"Where you giving your--your body to Albert?" He sounded like he might choke on his words.

"No!" Trish rolled away from him, coming to a sitting position. "Never, how could you think that?"

Strong hands reached for her pushing her back to the mattress. "Woman, I am through playing games with you. Tell me the truth, all of it."

She stared up at him, willing him to believe her. She shook her head, fresh tears spilling form her eyes, marking fresh trails to her ears. "I can't."

He let go of her only to flick his bowie knife free, placing it at her neck. "Tell me the truth."

"I would never offer myself to Albert," she whispered. "I couldn't."

"Why?"

She swallowed and answered, "Because I'm --."

"He didn't want your body so you swung the hammer at his head in jealous anger. Is that it?" Twisted distaste wrinkled his handsome features.

"No," she gasped. "I'm not a murderer."

"But you killed Old Curly." Quinn's eyes glared at her, daring her to lie.

"That depends on how you plea and your defense attorney. Technically, I could plea self defense and get off while you would be found guilty. I'm only an accessory."

"How do you know that?"

"You wouldn't believe me." He applied pressure to her skin with the knife.

"Try me."

"Put your knife away and pull up a chair."

He looked around her scantily furnished room. "You don't have a chair."

She forced a weak smile, "Details… the knife, put it away?"

With a flick of his wrist the knife disappeared. "It is where I can get to it if you don't tell me the truth."

"Then you better find yourself a really comfortable place to sit and have an open mind."

+++++
Tension? You decide.

Feisty Fridays

Introducing Feisty Fridays.
Trying something new as usual.
I'm not sure if I should focus on fist fights within a manuscript, feisty heroines, frisky romances, or energetic dialogue.
Maybe all three, but not necessarily all at the same time.
If you have a preferance, please feel free to leave a comment.

For now, I'm thinking a fist fight. Granted, I'm not real good at writing a fight scene so I'm willing to accept a few helpful comments.

(Dark Days of Promise excerpt is unpublished and unedited.)

“Do you want me to stick around?” Trevor asked before turning off the engine.

“Maybe a little while. I thought I’d fix us some spaghetti or something. It might not be very good. I haven’t cooked since I moved here. Ben’s a gentleman, I’m sure he’ll leave if I ask him to. You didn’t leave him much room to move his car,” she observed.

“Mind sliding over?” Trevor smirked. Kimmy moved across the bench seat recognizing his negative vibes for Ben. He helped her to her chair, with showy concern, while a stormy-eyed Ben watched from the top of the cabin’s ramp. Trevor pushed the chair around the truck only to find Ben blocking his path.

“I’ll take her in,” Ben stated flatly.

“I don’t think so. I’ve been invited to stay.”

“I don’t like your tone,” Ben retorted.

“I don’t care what you like, she asked you to leave earlier,” Trevor countered.

Ben sidestepped slightly as though to move out of the way, only to throw a roundhouse punch above Kimmy’s head at Trevor’s jaw. Trevor blocked most of Ben’s punch with his cane. The cane clattered to the gravel. Trevor stepped back to regain his balance. He recovered quickly sending a straight right to Ben’s chin. Ben hit the ground. He found his hand on Trevor’s cane. He picked it up and swept Trevor’s feet. Trevor went down landing on his backside. He took a moment to recover his wind. Ben didn’t wait. He struck Trevor with the cane. The balled end sliced across Trevor’s cheek. Ben swung again bloodying Trevor’s nose.

Kimmy found it hard to believe what she witnessed. Other than this morning, she’d never seen either man raise his hand in anger, yet here they fought at her feet.

“Stop it! Stop it! That’s enough!” She reached for the cane stopping Ben’s third blow with her arm, receiving a nasty bruise.

None of the three noticed the group that gathered. Randall stepped in, ripping the cane from Ben’s hand.

“Ben, I never expected you, of all people to strike a disabled man,” Randall intervened, offering Ben his hand. “I think you should leave.”

Ben looked at Kimmy, anger clearly written in his expression as he accepted Randall’s hand.

“If this broke down wanna be pimp’s what you want, get out. Leave.”

Kimmy dropped her jaw, retorting, “You can’t fire me Ben. I don’t work for you.”

“You may not think so,” Ben hissed.

Kimmy looked at Randall, her eyes begging him to refute Ben’s words.

“Kimmy, get him cleaned up.” Randall said, pointing at Trevor. “We’ll talk about this later.”

He handed Trevor’s cane to a boy who stood nearby, his other hand heavy on Ben’s shoulder.

“Give the man his cane after Ben leaves,” he said to the boy, steering Ben toward his car.

Trevor wiped at the blood on his face before taking Kimmy’s proffered hand.
 
++++
Humm...what do you think? Needs more action, but how?

Thoughtful Thursday

Happiness is not what something makes you feel. Happiness is a state of mind, a choice one makes - before, during and after each moment one experiences. We choose how we will think or feel at any given time. One may choose to be angry, excited, sad, overjoyed and a host of other emotions about any given situation.

Today, I met with a group of my peers discussing this. We come from different walks of life. Some of us are single, some married. Some have young children at home and yet we even had a few women present that are grandmothers and great-grandmothers.
The question was asked "What makes you happy?" One woman immediately asked that we rephrase the question to "What causes you to feel happiness?" Over fifty women present and not two answered the same thing. Some said their children, when their children were asleep, the laughter of a baby, helping a friend, and so many more that I don't recall them all.
For me? The hug of one of my children, sunshine through the trees, watching a humming bird, riding a horse at a gallop across the meadow.
What causes you to feel happiness? (One of the lady's said sex -- but let's keep this rated PG.)

Sizzling Kiss from Dark Days of Promise

The first Sizzling Kiss is coming June 26th.

(Excerpt is unpublished.)
Kelly opened the door to a bedroom, turning back toward me.


“Your turn. Do you trust me enough to join me in my room?” His eyes danced between teasing and seriousness.

I set the fork on the counter where I’d found it, taking a deep breath before joining him.

Kelly crossed the floor to the closet and produced a medium sized lock box. Setting it on the bed, he unlocked it, withdrawing the handgun. The fragrance of cleaned guns tickled my nose and yet I relished it.

“Recognize this?”

Unsure of the promise I had asked him to make concerning the boys and gun safety, I nodded.

“Come here.”

I did as he asked; stepping in front of him, facing him, quivering like the leaves of a bush in a gentle breeze. A hint of sunlight stole through the curtains, leaving a trail across the bed. My fear of guns rushed to the surface. I fought to retain my calm exterior.

“You know, despite the faint odors of Jacob’s shop, you smell . . .” He mused, closing the distance between us. “Do you always wear perfume to work?”

“No, I put that on just before I came up here.” I couldn’t smell my perfume, only the oil or whatever it was he’d cleaned the gun with. An involuntary shudder of excitement raced up my spine. His nose brushed across my jawbone, my knees went weak. Cautious, I placed my open palm on his chest, looking down at my hand, feeling the solid mass of him.

He touched my ear with his nose. His warm breath sent delightful shivers of pleasure across my senses making my breaths come faster. He dropped the unloaded weapon on the bed to free his hands. With gentle strength, he took hold of my shoulders bringing me closer to him. He locked my gaze with his own, searching for signs of fear. His hands moved from my shoulders to my cheeks.

I didn’t flinch. I watched him approaching my lips, forgetting everything around us. The fragrance of freshly cleaned guns faded into the background, replace by his musky scent. I watched his eyes as his gaze dropped to my lips, and I closed my eyes. Taking a moment to pull back, he approached again allowing the soft pressure of his lips to touch mine. The deliciousness of his clean sweet taste overwhelmed me, inviting me, drawing me into his space. I yielded to him, stepping closer, willing to give him more. He allowed me to lean into him, pressing against his body. His kiss remained gentle while my responding kiss became passionate. My eyes flew open in sweet ecstasy. I closed them again, drinking in the moment.

He broke the kiss, stepping back. “Weapon safety first.”

“Yes sir.” I murmured. Really? It required determination to turn my back to him without increasing the distance between us. Not because I didn’t trust him but because I wanted a few more kisses. “What’s first?”

“For you to learn what your weapon feels like in your hands.”

I closed my eyes to steel my nerves. My first lesson in gun safety began.

(Excerpts from Dark Days of Promise. With a special thanks to my daughter.)

Tickle Tease Tuesday

Dave bond is Tickling us with this excerpt from The Attache.

Zach pushed away from the table. She figured he was getting the phone, but he trailed his hand along the edge of the table until he arrived where she sat. He reached out tentatively then pulled his hand back. "Can you... um, stand up?"


He wore an odd look. She placed the last of the granola bar on the table and pushed her chair out. "Okay. What's this about?"

He reached again, and she realized he wanted to hold her hand. Slivers of sunlight filtered in through the kitchen window, and a shiver traveled up her spine.

"I might have waited for a better time, whatever that is, but I'm not going to. Jessie? I want to tell you something... I need to tell you something, and I'm not sure how you'll take this. I'm not sure how to say it either."

His grip was firm, his hands slightly damp. Zach hid his nervousness well. His eyes were wide though, so wide she wondered how it was possible they were sightless. Whatever he wanted to tell her, Zach was paying a price. She instinctively gave his hands a reassuring squeeze.

"I'll be all right. You don't need to worry. I'll be with Suzy for a couple days, and then I think I'll go back to Lancaster for a little while. So, Zach..."

"Lancaster? Home?"

"Well, yeah. What else?"

He shook his head, trying to smile. "You can't think of any other options?"

"Not at the moment. No."

"Is this because you think there's no job?"

"I don't have a job. How could I?"

"I don't know. No one's fired you, as far as I know."

"There's nothing for me to do. No business. You don't have to fire me, I'll just quit."

Jessie tugged her hands away. She heard the words, flying out of her mouth laced with poison. She was under attack, emotions and logic warring for dominance, something inside her clinging to a desperate memory. For the past three years, one thing, one man, had given her a reason to dream. Joel understood life, knew the meaning of love between a man and a woman. He was slipping away, his memory a gray mist in the awakening dawn.

If she stayed here, instead of seeing Joel, she would precipitate his demise. Joel would be gone forever. It was ludicrous to hope he would show up. How often did he come here? Almost never. She had to leave, had to flee for her sake, and Joel's sake. If not, Zach would block the way forever.

Zach's hands reached for her, but she was out of reach. "Jessie. Listen. What I need to tell you is this. I love you. I. Love. You. But the thing is, I know how you might take that, and I understand. But I couldn't have gone much longer without saying how I feel."

"Don't say that. Just don't say that. Zach, you remember the time I talked about Joel? Remember? There was this connection thing? I didn't tell you the whole story." She clasped and unclasped her fingers. "You see, he left his attaché, I told you that, but inside it, there was this... this manuscript. A romance story he was writing. Over the years, I've read it and re-read it. It isn't finished, but there was something in his writing, something that reached out to me and held on. You're laughing. Stop. Stop laughing..."

Jessie was finished with this. Joel had gotten more defense than he deserved at the moment. She needed him in the flesh, not in her dreams. Even a few more minutes in this house would threaten his emergence into her reality, bringing about her own betrayal.