Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome to my SSS! For the months of March and April, I've decided to highlight sentences from the very first novel I had published, a het vampire erotic romance called Chains of Jericho. It was the very first book I had final in EPIC's ebook awards (then called the EPPIE), and since I had two final this year, I figured this was a good time to share the one that started it all.

Maya has learned that she's been kidnapped so she can find an antidote to the blood disease that's killing all the young vampires in Dec's care. Here, she's still trying to process what's going on.

As the water spilled over her shoulders, Maya’s fingers went to the exposed bite on her neck, touching the small raised holes where his fangs had pierced her skin. The memory of his whispered plea for absolution made her shiver in spite of the hot water, and she couldn’t help but wonder what could’ve happened to Dec to make him change his ways. He’d seemed genuinely contrite that he’d bitten her. She supposed it could’ve been his fear that he’d go too far and lose the aid he’d gone to such lengths to retrieve, but she wasn’t convinced that was all of it. There had to be more. After all, why was he so concerned about saving all these young vampires?

To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.

Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome to my SSS! For the months of March and April, I've decided to highlight sentences from the very first novel I had published, a het vampire erotic romance called Chains of Jericho. It was the very first book I had final in EPIC's ebook awards (then called the EPPIE), and since I had two titles final this year, I figured this was a good time to share the one that started it all.

Last week, Maya learned she was kidnapped by a vampire when he bit her. This is later that same night, after Dec has been forced to keep Maya in his own quarters to keep her safe from the others in the refuge. She's asleep. He can't.

At the moment, his every nerve was aware of her presence, his erection straining against the denim of his jeans. He wanted nothing more than to strip out of the rest of his clothes and finish what he’d started with the bite, sinking into her supple flesh in more ways than one. It had been a long time since he’d felt the desire to forget his vows, and even longer since he’d seriously contemplated dismissing them entirely, but something about Maya Sheldon made him wonder if it might not be possible to have it both ways.

She inspired hope. He’d seen it in the faces of her patients at the hospital.

Funny, but Dec had never once considered that just maybe he might be included in those numbers, not even when he’d decided she was his best hope to save Danny and the others.

To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.

Giveaway - The Subtlety of Understanding by T.A. Chase

Since last week's giveaway didn't have any takers, there's a new title on the block today, this time from MLR.

Heinrich Gunther and Mason Richardson must overcome the prejudice against shifters, and the fact Heinrich's father created the mutants in the first place. Penitence for what Heinrich's father has done drives Heinrich to risk everything to save the shifters on his ranch. Mason only wants to keep Heinrich safe, and be free to live without worry. When their enemies arrive to destroy them, Heinrich and Mason must learn forgiveness before they can understand how to forget the past.

You can read an excerpt at MLR.

All you have to do to enter is comment to this post. That's it. Next Monday at 9am PST, I'll choose a comment at random to win.

You don't need an account to leave a comment, but if you don't have one, please consider leaving an email address you can be contacted at. That guarantees I can get a hold of you in case you win.

Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome to my SSS! For the months of March and April, I've decided to highlight sentences from the very first novel I had published, a het vampire erotic romance called Chains of Jericho. It was the very first book I had final in EPIC's ebook awards (then called the EPPIE), and since I find out next weekend whether one of the two titles I have that finaled this year have won, I figured this was a good time to share the one that started it all.

The heroine is Dr. Maya Sheldon, a pediatric oncologist in San Francisco. Last week, she met a man in an alley outside her hospital when she was trying to help someone who seemed hurt. He kidnapped her, but in his underground home, she finds herself thrown in chaos when a teenaged boy with fangs looks to be on the rampage. Her kidnapper, Dec, stopped him. This follows immediately afterward as Maya finds herself caught between Dec and a group of young people who all look like vampires.

The velvet baritone of his voice so close to her ear made her shiver. “But you let Danny get a taste of you. I don’t have a choice any more.”

She felt a cool tingle where his mouth trailed down the side of her neck, and the swift memory of the slice of Danny’s teeth into her hand made her start struggling against Dec’s hold.

“Forgive me,” he whispered.

The sharp prick of fangs sinking into her neck tore the scream from Maya’s throat.

To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.

This Week at the Movies

I fell in love with the movies at an early age, but when I got into college, that addiction kind of exploded. For two reasons. First of all, my boyfriend at the time bought me a book for our second Christmas together called Inside Oscar. It was a comprehensive (at that time) history of the Oscars, complete with gossip, reviews, projections, and aftermath stories. Now, I'm a competitive person. I'm also compulsive in a lot of ways. After I devoured the book, I began to wonder if the right movies had won or what my choices would have been.

Then, that summer, I got a job at a video store. With free rentals for employees. I was doomed.

I decided I was going to watch every movie nominated for one of the six major awards (4 acting, directing, and picture), starting in 1936 since that was when the supporting acting categories were added. I even typed it all up and compiled them into lists, binding it all together in a folder. When I watched a movie, I crossed it off The List (which meant highlighting it, the more yellow I saw, the happier I was).

The List survived for a very long time.



My moviegoing career came to a screeching halt when I moved to the UK and had my kids. No longer could I do movie crawls that lasted all weekend. When I finally could start going to the movies again, most of my options were limited to what was appropriate for the kids. My 30s were lost to Disney films, for the most part.

Now that my kids are past their Dora the Explorer stage, and Netflix has made it possible to stream grown-up movies into my home, I'm finally getting back into my addiction. I've even updated The List, though I've now expanded it to include every movie (minus the documentaries and short films since those are often difficult to find anyway). The recent Oscar telecast just reminded me how much I love movies, almost as much as I love books, so I'm going to make Saturdays my This Week at the Movies post, talking about the 2 or 3 Oscar-nominated movies I watched that week.

Starting next week, since this introduction/explanation post is already too long. :)

Foodie Friday - Easy Peasy Chocolate Caramel Crispy Treats

I'm going to try out a new feature here, mostly because I do this anyway with friends so it wouldn't be much extra work at all to share on my writing blog, too.

Even though this has absolutely nothing to do with writing whatsoever.

But I love to cook, and bake, and, well, eat what I cook and bake, which isn't always a great thing. I share recipes with friends all the time, especially as my kids' tastes have evolved, or as I meet new people who have different traditions than I do, or as life just goes on.

To start things off, I'm posting an easy peasy treat that my kids adore. The grown-up kids love it, too, because it's just not good for you which means it's delicious, right, lol? I don't have pictures this week, but starting next week, I'll do those so you have an idea.

I suppose that means I should learn how to use our camera instead of relying on my camera phone. That's probably easier said that done.

These are a simple treat I make for the kids when they have guests, or for special occasions, or at Christmas time. They're always devoured.


CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CRISPY TREATS

INGREDIENTS
4 2.05 oz bars of Milky Way
3/4 cup butter, divided
3 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Melt candy and 1/2 cup of butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.
2. Stir in cereal until well blended.
3. Press into a greased 11x7" pan.
4. Melt chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup butter, stirring until smooth.
5. Spread over the top of bars.
6. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

Giveaway - Synthetic Dreams by Kim Knox

Kim Knox tends to be one of my autobuy authors. She always has kickass heroines and fascinating worlds, not to mention the hot sex. Her latest from Carina ventures into cyberpunk, and let me tell you, it's a hell of a ride. It's not necessarily as sexy as some of her other work, but that's because there's so much plot going on. I bought and devoured this last week in one sitting.

Vynessa Somerton was just a girl when she learned about true evil. An encounter with the tyrannical Corporation scarred her body and exiled her to the crime-ridden S-District. Now an adult, Vyn creates glamours, worn by those who visit a virtual playground to live synthetic dreams. She's tried to stay unnoticed by the Corporation, but her latest invention has brought their agents to her door.

Paul Cross works for the Corporation, but he's been plotting their downfall since they took his brother and replaced him with an imposter. Paul has a plan to get his brother back, but he's going to need Vyn and her invention to carry it out.

Vyn agrees to help Paul, but their alliance shatters the barriers she's put up to protect herself, tempting her to give in to desire. Just as Vyn starts to trust Paul and believe he wants her, scars and all, the Corporation prepares for its final move. Can Vyn trust Paul completely, or has he been using her all along?

You can read an excerpt at Carina.

All you have to do to enter is comment to this post. That's it. Next Monday at 9am PST, I'll choose a comment at random to win.

You don't need an account to leave a comment, but if you don't have one, please consider leaving an email address you can be contacted at. That guarantees I can get a hold of you in case you win.

Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome to my SSS! For the months of March and April, I've decided to highlight sentences from the very first novel I had published, a het vampire erotic romance called Chains of Jericho. It was the very first book I had final in EPIC's ebook awards (then called the EPPIE), and since I find out in two weeks whether one of the two titles I have that finaled this year have won, I figured this was a good time to share the one that started it all.

The heroine is Dr. Maya Sheldon, a pediatric oncologist in San Francisco. At the start of the story, she's leaving work late, hears a cry for help off the parking lot, and runs to help. The woman she thought was dead stands up when a man shows up, and he's just told Maya he needs her to come with him. Not quite an auspicious start for our two leads to meet, let's just say.

She realized he hadn’t said, “I won’t hurt you,” which made her terror about what he really wanted burn just a little bit brighter. “I’m thinking ... no,” she started to say, and then stopped when she saw the familiar strobe of police lights at the end of the alley. Relief flooded through her as her pace hesitated, but it must’ve shown in her face because the stranger’s head whipped around to see what she was looking at.

“What did you do?” he asked.

“It’s called 911, asshole,” she retorted. “Now’s the time you might want to think about running before they lock you up.”

To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.