by Sarah | Mar 8, 2014 | Books, Holiday, WeWriWa, Writing
Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!
Back to Michaela and the delectable Tag. Last week, Tag showed up to apply for the assistant manager position. This week Michaela has agreed to an interview, but worries about a flaw of hers…a tendency to blush at everything:
“Thanks, Miss O’Keefe, you won’t regret it.” He held out his hand; when she responded with her own, his warm hand folded hers in a gentle, but firm handshake.
“Easy, Tag-I haven’t given you the job yet.” She could swear the heat of his hand travelled up to flood her cheeks. If she did give him the job, working alongside such eye candy would be rough—especially with how easily she blushed.
“I know-let’s just say I’ve got a good feeling.”
So do I-oops, hush your inner voice. She had no doubt she was blushing now, but forced herself to smile and nod.
*A little creative editing in force to make it fit in the 8
*~*
| Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe |
Michaela O’Keefe is in over her head with her restaurant, The Midway. Her ad for an assistant manager brings Owen “Tag” Montague to her doorstep. With an impeccable resume and dozens of letters of recommendation, she has little choice but to give him a chance. Ten years her junior, Tag sets her long-dead libido humming, but she gave up on love and her instincts on men years ago.
Tag has had a crush on his new boss since his youth, but he’s determined to prove he can do the job. Still, he can’t resist the urge to make her blush down to her toes as often as possible. He knows her rough past in life and love makes it hard to trust, and he’s wary of crossing the line he so desperately wants to.
Just when they manage to figure out how to work and play together, Michaela’s ex does all he can to destroy their budding love. When push comes to shove Michaela’s inability to give Tag the benefit of the doubt might destroy everything.
Learning to trust herself again is the hardest lesson Michaela will ever have to learn – and by the time she does, it may be too late for love.
*~*
Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!
by Sarah | Mar 7, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Saturday Spotlight, Writing
| [amazon_link id=”B00CJ11K8O” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon[/amazon_link] | Jupiter Garden Press | Kobo | BN | Smashwords | ARe |
Lily Fain’s life as a horror novelist isn’t perfect, but it suits her, even if she has written off true love in exchange for her fictional world of monsters. Then her imagined world comes to life when she discovers she has a stalker who isn’t the average fan, but a real vampire who wants her dead.
Griffyd Fychan is a vampire-killer who is seven feet of lithe muscles, quick reflexes, and an explosion of ferocity that strikes terror in those he hunts, even those he rescues. But when the slayer steps between Lily and her vampire stalker, Griffyd’s instincts not only compel him to protect her from their mutual enemy, but to bond with her, as well.
The problem? Griffyd isn’t human–he belongs within the pages of Lily’s horror novels.
Faced with the menacing vampire-killer’s affections, will Lily retreat in fear to her author’s life? Or will she surrender to her dark passion for Griffyd, whose bonding to her could alter her in ways neither one could have ever foreseen?
*~*
EXCERPT:
Griffyd couldn’t stand it any longer. He had been spying on the human woman while she slept, and had found himself inching closer to where she lay, snuggled comfortably in his bed. Yet one of her arms escaped her cocoon, where it draped over the edge of the mattress as if beckoning him, inviting him to run one of his fingers along the soft skin of her inner wrist.
He felt a purr flutter up through his chest, which surprised him. He had never purred before, and the sensation of it thrilled him, flurried his heart rate. As did the sight he drank in with his obsidian eyes.
His faemne had curled up like a little nestling and had burrowed deeper into the downy folds of his bed. Yes, he liked the sight of that a lot. She looked so peaceful buried in amongst his bedding, so utterly at home, that it sped his breathing so that his chest clenched.
Damn him for what he had the undeniable urge to do. Running his finger along her tender, forbidden skin only heightened his need to touch. He wanted to feel more of her, he desired to feel the weight of her body in his arms, upon his stomach; he desperately wanted to snuffle the dip of her neck where it met her collarbone.
Griffyd the vampire-killer, the monster he knew she thought him to be, got up off his knees and slipped himself beneath her sleeping form to cradle her like she was but a fragile fawn.
And squeezed his eyes shut against the bliss of it.
Min modlufu, he purred.
If she woke at that moment, he would never forgive himself this moment of weakness, and for a breathless second he thought she had. But she only squirmed herself tighter against him, nuzzling her face along his chest, then sighed, and he felt her grow heavier as she drifted deeper into unconsciousness.
Gaestlufe–my soul’s love.
He couldn’t part with her, had to find a way to make her see him beyond the fangs, the horns, the claws. They were weapons, yes, but he could be gentle, he could be gentled. If he could help her to see all of him, perhaps then she would not be so frightened, would understand that the violence in his life took up only a part.
Which encroached with the coming twilight. He could leave her now, knowing she rested safely in his lair, that her wound had grown no worse, nor had she from the toxins entering through it. Her human body would take a while to heal, but he counted on that, hoped she would not prove to be too healthy in that respect. Selfish, yes, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed time.
And for once in the long centuries of his life, he didn’t think he had enough of it.
| [amazon_link id=”B00CJ11K8O” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon[/amazon_link] | Jupiter Garden Press | Kobo | BN | Smashwords | ARe |
by Sarah | Mar 7, 2014 | All About Me, Personal, Redefining Perfect
I’m not prone to nightmares.
I’m prone to strange dreams, colorful dreams, and sometimes insanely happy dreams. At least, the ones I remember.
So when I have nightmares they tend to stick out. Like a few years ago Erik was watching Friday the 13th as I fell asleep and that set off a nightmare about zombies chasing me. I wasn’t even watching the movie, just the music lulling me to sleep set off that nightmare.
Oh, and did I mention all the zombies were movie stars?
Yeah.
*~*
The first nightmare I ever had has been talked about here – you know, I was young enough to be in a crib, but remember the nightmare of tearing up my favorite book.
Yes. My first nightmare was about tearing up a book. Telling, I know.
*~*
At the tender age for four I scared the living daylights out of my dad (or rather, my whole family) early one Sunday morning by screaming bloody murder.
The dream?
I was being chased down by a hive full of angry bees. To my recollection the dream was rather like a cartoon, but at that age, it didn’t matter – it scared the bejeebus out of me.
*~*
At six it was my closet.
See, in the house I grew up in I had a fabulous closet. So big I could lie down in the bottom of it with room to spare. I made pop tab bracelets and necklaces sitting in that closet, made it a clubhouse with my friend Beth from across the street.
That all stopped the night of the dream.
A skeleton was in my closet. A moving, creeping, freaky skeleton.
To this day I don’t like sleeping with doors open. It still freaks me out that bad.
*~*
What about you? Do you have any nightmares you remember? Are you plagued by them regularly? Or are you like me, and they only randomly arise and stick in your memory?
by Sarah | Mar 6, 2014 | Book Release, Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
ONE COMMENTER WILL WIN AN EBOOK COPY OF WITHOUT A TRACE! So leave your comment for a chance to win!!
Thanks for hosting me, Sarah! It is always nice to guest on a fellow author’s blog. I write romantic suspense, which is also my favorite genre to read…I just love that combination of danger and passion, and it’s pretty fun coming up with a nasty, evil villain in addition to a smoldering, seductive hero and a feisty, sexy heroine! Rachel and Matt are both trying to put tragic pasts behind them, yet are drawn to each other despite their misgivings. I do hope your blog readers will check out WITHOUT A TRACE!
| [amazon_link id=”B00I88DFLC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon[/amazon_link] | BN | SCP | ARe |
Magazine journalist Rachel Bennett has a reputation for getting to the heart of a story. However, when her sister disappears and is suspected of embezzling from her employer, the story has suddenly become personal. The last thing Rachel wants right now is the distraction of Matt Romero, the detective assigned to the case. She wants a “safe” man…and Matt is anything but that.
Matt accepts the risk that goes with his job. Two years ago, his wife was murdered, a tragedy he blames himself for. He’s vowed to protect his family and friends because he doesn’t want to go through the pain of loss again. However, the lovely journalist soon begins breaking through the icy wall around his heart.
As Rachel and Matt search for answers in order to find her sister, they uncover a corruption that puts them both in danger – and a passion that puts both their hearts at risk.
*~*
EXCERPT:
Something wasn’t right.
Rachel Bennett felt uneasy from the moment she’d set foot in her sister’s apartment. A bead of perspiration trickled between her shoulder blades.
She’d been unable to reach her younger sister Paige for the past three days. She hadn’t even shown up at work. Rachel cut short a long-awaited Palm Springs vacation out of concern for her. The three-hour drive back to Los Angeles this morning was a blur.
“Paige?”
Something made her almost whisper the word. She paused outside Paige’s half-open bedroom door before peering into the sun-splashed room. A hint of Paige’s signature scent, Ed Hardy, hung in the air. The bed, normally covered with a cheerful floral comforter, sat unmade in the messy room. Unusual for her neatnik sister.
She would never just take off like this. At least not willingly.
What’s happened to my sister?
Rachel noticed several black smudges on the wall by the window. A nervous feeling gnawed at her. Slowly, she stepped into the bedroom, toward the telephone. She needed to call for help.
“Police! Stop right there.”
The resonant male voice was strong and authoritative. Rachel froze, confused, blood pounding in her head. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. “I’m Rachel Bennett. My sister, Paige Bennett, lives here. I have a key.”
“Okay. Turn around.”
In slow, careful movements, Rachel complied. Her pulse thrummed even harder as she came face-to-face with the most overwhelming man she’d ever laid eyes on. His features were rugged and darkly handsome, his hair black as sin. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
A twinge of wariness assailed Rachel as her gaze took in the man. All in all, he made a dangerously sexy package despite his ordinary dark gray suit and tie. He looked like no cop she’d ever seen, but his open-legged stance and the familiarity with which he held his pistol—aimed at her—seemed to show years of experience on the force. Or simply a lot of practice using a gun.
Certainly he won’t shoot, she told herself, heart crashing hard against her chest. “Can I see your ID?”
The man’s steely dark eyes never left hers as he unclipped the gold badge from his belt and held it out to her.
“Matt Romero, LAPD Detective Support and Vice,” he said.
Rachel studied the badge. In her work as a writer for Southland Life magazine, she’d seen enough cop badges to know this was the real thing. What sort of trouble could Paige be in?
“How did you…”
“The apartment manager let us in. We had a search warrant.” He lowered his gun, then clipped his badge back onto his belt.
“Search warrant? Has something happened to Paige?” A cold knot formed in the pit of her stomach. Although a part of her didn’t want to know, her reporter’s instinct demanded answers.
Skepticism flickered across Romero’s face, but as he studied her he seemed to relax. He holstered his weapon. “I saw a photo on the desk over there of you with your sister. You resemble each other very much. Why don’t we sit down?” He motioned toward the living room.
Rachel trudged down the hallway, struggling to prepare herself for whatever this man was about to tell her. Horrifying possibilities whirled in her mind. Had Paige been arrested for some reason? Worse yet, badly hurt or even—no, she couldn’t allow herself to think about that last one. A shudder rippled through her.
Then she felt one of the detective’s large hands on the center of her back. The guiding gesture, although gentle, unnerved her. The heat from his palm burned through the thin fabric of her blouse. She walked a bit faster.
In the living room, Rachel sank into Paige’s comfortable powder blue sofa. She took a deep breath to calm herself, but her stomach knotted up when Romero settled into the chair beside the sofa, right next to her.
“Why are you here, Detective? Where is Paige?”
“That’s what my partner and I are trying to find out, Ms. Bennett.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, managing to sound a lot less anxious—and a lot less aware of the man across from her—than she really was.
He looked her dead in the eye. “Your sister is missing, Ms. Bennett.”
*~*
ABOUT LAURIE:
Laurie White is the author of two romantic suspense novels from Sweet Cravings Publishing. Her latest novel, WITHOUT A TRACE, was released January 30, 2014 from Secret Cravings Publishing. Laurie is a member of Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers. Aside from writing, she enjoys reading, spending time with family, traveling, and watching movies. She is the proud mama of four adorable cats and lives in the hills of Tennessee.
PUBLISHED NOVELS:
WITHOUT A TRACE – Available NOW from Secret Cravings Publishing!
TWIST OF FATE – February 2013 from Sweet Cravings Publishing
DESERT HEAT – October 2012 from Sweet Cravings Publishing
by Sarah | Mar 5, 2014 | All About Home, Blogging Life, Pinterest Challenge, Redefining Perfect
I’m a Pinterest junkie. I pin everything and anything, really. I even have a tendency to make probably 5% of all I pin, that’s capable of being made. Usually food items first, but a craft or two slips in. I want to be more active so I’ve decided to try to do two a month, one food, one craft.
I’m starting with these Mini Red Velvet Cheesecakes (from Sally’s Baking Addiction).
I’m a sucker for Red Velvet, and for cheesecake, so what better, right?
First off, I only have one mini-cupcake pan, so I made regular size cupcakes. The final product looked identical to the mini ones pictured on the original site.
I managed to make the cupcakes in about an hour with little mess. I was even able to wash my mixer while the cookie base baked. The recipe was easy to follow, and I loved the addition of yogurt in the cheesecake.
Of course, the proof is in the final product. The cupcakes came out beautifully. Just stunning.
I could hardly wait the appropriate cool-down period to dive in.
The cheesecake tasted amazing. The red velvet was good, but too much. Because it’s a dense “cookie” form instead of a light cupcake sort, there was too much cookie to cheesecake in the ratio.
My end result? A definite YAY ~ with a sidebar. Next time I make it, I’ll adjust the recipe and make half the cookie recipe, and double the cheesecake. In my opinion that would make perfection!! (and that is just my opinion, the teen is scarfing them down like nobody’s business)
And no, I’m not going to put the recipe here, I made no adjustments, just followed it exactly. So head on over to Sally’s Baking Addiction to get the recipe. It’s delicious.
