Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Tuesday Teaser - It Takes Two to Tango re-release. Now live in KU







Can two very different men find the love they need to survive?

Remi Ginn’s an easygoing werecat with a love of snarky T-shirts. He would be perfectly happy with a human mate. Is that what the goddess Bast gives him? Of course not. Instead she gifts him with Marshell, a Vetala, a snakelike nonshifter who drinks blood to survive. A man who’s just as toppy as Remi—and even more powerful than the West Falls Clowder’s Alpha and heir apparent.

While Remi is deciding whether he can handle the fates’ choice, hunters attack Marshell. Afterward, in an explosion of passion, Remi and Marshell mate and Remi declares Marshell his. Now they have to figure out how to make their relationship work as they dance around each other.

The clowder is in turmoil, and Remi’s acceptance of Marshell rocks the very foundation of the insular group. The consequences will be far-reaching. And if that isn’t problem enough, the situation with the hunters is far from resolved… as proved by the appearance of an Alpha werewolf.

**Second Edition, Previously Published**
This book has been previously published. The cover may have changed, but the title, author, and story content have not changed from the first version originally published in 2015. If you have that version in your library, please do not purchase again.




Excerpt:

Chapter One—Remi

FUCK MY life.
I’d have to check, but I was pretty sure I had a shirt that said that somewhere in my closet. If I didn’t, it was next on the list of things to get. Because it fit—my life was fucked.
Sighing, I turned the radio up in an effort to drown out my thoughts. I rattled down the road in my old beat-up work truck—which was another thing I needed to take care of. I’d owned a sweet ’69 Ford Mustang. Had being the key word. It went up in flames not long ago… with the mate of Dolf, our heir apparent and head beta, inside.
Kirk made it out alive. My baby wasn’t so lucky, and I hadn’t replaced her yet. Yes, I was mourning a car. Iloved her. Ugh. So much for drowning out my thoughts. I turned on my blinker and made the turn onto Alpha Armonty’s street for an emergency meeting he’d called.
Bad enough this was Monday, but it was what humans called Cyber Monday, goddess help us. I turned the heat up a little more. December had arrived with what the South considered abnormally cold temperatures. Frankly I liked the cold—liked the snow, as long as we weren’t buried under a mountain of the stuff.
As I pulled up in front of his house, I saw Dolf’s truck was already there. Dolf, our head beta, was the Alpha’s son and heir apparent. The other three betas—Heller, Aidric, and Brier—had arrived too. That left me. I was also a beta for the West Falls Clowder.
I parked behind Heller and sat in my truck, staring sightlessly at the house. One of the reasons we were meeting was because I met my mate, Marshell Foles, a few days ago. Good news, right? Cue the canned audience applause.
Now the bad news. My mate was possibly stronger than my Alpha and the heir apparent together. Okay, now cue the canned boos and hisses. Maybe I should’ve said life was fucked with a capital F.
I flashed back to the night I found out he was mine and the heavy petting session we had on his couch. Now my cock was hard. Wonderful. Just what I needed—an erection right before I met with my Alpha.
I pushed at the bulge, frowning. “Down, boy. I’m afraid you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
In order for a shifter to mate, we had to share come and blood during sex—which involved bottoming. For my mate I could bottom. The thing was, I didn’t see myself doing it on a regular basis. I was a top—which was not that big of a deal, except so was Marshell.
Somehow I didn’t see Marshell bottoming any more than I wanted to. The man screamed Alpha male. That was another can of worms, and not the only one by any means. And sitting here analyzing this was useless. I got out and walked toward the front door before one of them noticed me sitting out here in my truck like a dummy.
Just as I got to the door, Dolf opened it, read my shirt, and promptly burst out laughing. “You have got to tell me where you get those.”
Smirking, I shook my head. “It’s a well-guarded secret.”
Today I wore a black shirt with white writing: Be careful when you follow the masses…. Sometimes the M is silent. “Masses” was in light blue, as was the letter M, to draw attention to the play on words. I’d been known to follow an ass or two in my day. Those days were over now.
Dolf nodded at my truck. “I was wondering if I was going to have to come out there.”
“I had a feeling you’d be tapping on the driver’s window if I didn’t get out soon,” I said as Dolf moved out of the way so I could enter the Alpha’s home.
“I was counting down. Dad and the rest are already in his office.”
“That’s where the food is, right? I just got off work, so I haven’t eaten.”
Dolf clapped me on the shoulder as he shut the front door. “Of course. Come on back before they eat it all—damn bunch of vultures.”
I followed Dolf. The smells coming from Alpha Armonty’s office made my mouth water. “Something smells good.”
“Mom got hot wings. There are fries, coleslaw, and potato salad to go with it. And rolls too.”
“Your mom rocks.”
We entered the office. Everyone was standing around helping themselves. Good. That meant there was still food, and I made a beeline for it.
“Hey! Look what the cat finally dragged in.” Aidric shoulder-bumped me.
“Oh, such sharp wit. It cuts like a dull knife.” I rolled my eyes. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you bumping me away from the table, you hog.”
“Hot wings, man.” Aidric winked at me. “Food of the gods and hungry werecat shifters.”
“You’re always hungry,” I griped, shoving Aidric out of my way. “Stop blocking the table, dude.”
“Hey, Remi,” Brier greeted me.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Good, good. Just got through helping my sister, Breanna, move into her new apartment here in town. I swear, how does one person accumulate that much stuff?” Brier complained.
“Oh that’s right. I forgot she was back,” I said. “Where was she living before?”
“Philadelphia. She moved up there for her job, but she couldn’t stand the cold weather and endless snow. All she did was gripe, gripe, gripe. I finally got tired of hearing it and told her if she was that unhappy, then she should move back home. I was kidding, but I don’t think she got that. Next thing I know I’m getting a phone call and a due date for her to move.” Brier scowled at a chip on his plate. “Should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
“What did you tell me she did?” I asked.
“She’s an accountant. Now that she’s settled into her new place, she’s started job hunting. She’s got some savings, but that won’t last forever.”
“Is she still unmated?” I asked.
“Yep. She had a boyfriend, but they weren’t mates. And speaking of mates, I heard you found yours. Man, sorry I couldn’t attend the dinner. Congrats.” Brier sat down at the round table we always used for meetings.
“Yeah, you should’ve seen his face.” Aidric chuckled.
“Thanks,” I said, unsure if I should say more. Did Brier know the situation? Aidric did. He was there that night.
“Welcome, Remi.” Alpha Armonty pointed at the side table where the drinks were set. “There’s several different sodas to pick from, and tea. Get yourself a plate and grab a seat.”
“Yes, Alpha.” I filled a plate and got a drink. After we were settled, Alpha Armonty cleared his throat. All talking ceased.
“We’re meeting for several reasons. First let me congratulate Remi. As I understand it, Remi met his mate during Heller’s Thanksgiving dinner, which I wish now the wife and I had attended.”
“Yeah, you never know what kind of trouble Heller’s going to stir up,” Aidric joked.
“Again, let me remind everyone Lawson’s to blame for the whole Thanksgiving deal. That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it.” Heller nodded as though that was the end of the subject.
“You chickenshit.” Aidric poked Heller in the ribs. “Look at you trying to throw it off on your mate, and the guy isn’t even here to defend himself.”
“I’ll tell him,” I volunteered, flashing Heller an evil grin. “Knowing Lawson, he’ll hide Heller’s hair-styling stuff as revenge. Hmm, I might even have to suggest that. Just in case, you know.”
“He’d need a storage unit for all of it,” Brier added and then took a drink of his soda.
“And a forklift to get it to the storage unit.” Dolf snickered, licking the sauce from the hot wings off his fingers.
“Just a damn minute here.” Heller threw his napkin at me. “How’d this discussion get onto me anyhow? And Remi? You might want to remember Lawson’s like a brother to your mate. Maybe I’ll tell Lawson to tell Marshell how you picked on me… and I’ll have you in the doghouse, man.”
Doghouse? Really?” Dolf hooted.
“Sounds better than cathouse.” Heller shrugged and then bit into a wing.
“All of you need to behave, or I’ll sic Kirk on you guys,” Dolf threatened, and then smirked at the table as a whole.
“Oh goddess, anything but that.” Heller shuddered. Even Brier and Aidric shut up.
“Impressive threat, Dolf.” I looked around. Dolf had managed to get the last word. “Maybe I need a shirt that says that.”
“Gentlemen, can we get back to the matter at hand?” Alpha Armonty pinched the bridge of his nose.
“What was the matter at hand?” Brier asked, confusion clear on his face.
“I swear you have the attention span of a gnat,” I said to Brier as I took a bite of coleslaw. “Mmm, this is good.”
“Met a lot of gnats, have you?” Brier fired back at me.
I glared at Brier. “Why, as a matter of fact—”
“I’m retiring!” Alpha Armonty yelled, silencing the table.
What? Stunned, I looked at Dolf, who sat at the table, composed as ever. In fact, he looked like the cat who just ate the canary. Man, he looked pleased. I glanced around the table. At least I wasn’t the only one sitting there with his mouth hanging open.
Alpha Armonty pointed his finger at Dolf. “By all that’s holy, I wish you the best of luck with these guys, son.”
Shock rendered us speechless, and then the room exploded with questions. Our Alpha held up his hand, and then we all fell silent again.
“Dolf’s mother and I wish to do some traveling, and we want to do it while we’re still young enough to enjoy it,” Alpha Armonty said. “I plan to announce this to the clowder tomorrow night. Friday I’ll hand everything over to Dolf. That night, you betas will pledge your loyalty to Dolf. By Saturday, June and I are heading to Hawaii for several weeks. We’ve already checked with the Alpha whose territory we plan to stay in.”
“Hawaii? Oh man, I’m jealous.” Aidric bit into a wing rather viciously. “I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“And when you come back?” I asked, ignoring Aidric’s pout.
“I’ll take my place as an elder in our clowder. Once Dolf settles into his role as Alpha, I might consider running for Central territory leader. I have the experience as well as the connections.”
Paranormals had laws, a government, and punishments suited to their kind. The paranormals in each territory voted for which elected Alpha was on the ballot. The winner led that territory, and their title was territory leader. They were like human governors. There were five territories in the US: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Island, and Western Zones.
Those five territory leaders joined with other territory leaders from around the world to make up the Alliance of Paranormals, or AoP, which had over a hundred members at last count. They had the power to change laws voted in by territory leaders. It was very similar to the humans’ Supreme Court.
“Wow,” Brier whispered. “Well, I’m sure I speak for the rest of us when I say I wish you the best of luck, have fun in Hawaii, and is there a suitcase big enough for me to hide in?”
There were several murmurs of agreement as we all stood and made our way to him.
“Thank….” Alpha Armonty stopped speaking, his voice breaking. He took a deep breath and started again. “Thank you, my betas.” Alpha Armonty laughed slightly. “Well, soon to be Dolf’s betas. It’s been a pleasure working with each of you.”
“It’s been our honor, Alpha,” I said. The others agreed. We crowded around him, either giving him a quick hug or shaking his hand.
Brier turned to Dolf. “Congratulation to you too, man.”
Aidric pounded Dolf on the back. “Dolf, you dirty dog, you didn’t even drop us a hint.”
“Yeah, he can keep a secret, can’t he? Congratulations, Dolf,” I said.
So much had changed over the past year and a half. Dolf and Tal found they had a second mate. It’d been a rough time for them. Paranormals, as a rule, didn’t like humans, and Kirk was human before Dolf and Tal mated him. Then another shifter tried to kill Kirk.
Not long after that, Heller found his mate, who was also human. Of course. It just so happened Heller had a huge problem with humans—he hated them. But they worked it out. Or rather, they were still working it out.
Now I’d met my mate, who was very close to Lawson. In fact, they had a sexual relationship over ten years ago. Then hunters found Marshell and attacked. Lawson found out humans weren’t the only beings who walked the Earth.
My mate was a paranormal, which was kind of ironic. I’d been totally fine with a human. What I didn’t expect was someone who drank blood and had the power Marshell packed. Why was nothing ever easy?
We finished congratulating Dolf and Alpha Armonty and took our seats.
“Now, back to business. My retirement was my first announcement. Now for the second. As I mentioned, Remi found his mate a few days ago while attending a Thanksgiving dinner at Heller’s house. His mate is Marshell Foles. He has a sister, Janelle, who mated with Sam Ross, who, as you all know, is the owner of Arches. Marshell is a paranormal—a Vetala.”
“I remember Sam mating her.” Brier frowned. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but why do you sound concerned all of a sudden? We accepted her, so…?”
“Okay, let’s review,” Dolf said. “The Vetala are snakelike paranormals who don’t shift. I’d been told the wordvetala translates into ‘vampire’ or ‘zombie,’ but neither is accurate. Unlike vamps or zombies, the Vetalas are very much alive. They age slowly, just like us, and die just like us.”
“Oh yeah. I remember that. They drink blood, right?” Brier asked, biting into another wing.
“Yes,” Dolf said. “Also the Vetala appear human until provoked. Or highly aroused. At which point their fangs drop and their eyes turn a very light blue with a black vertical iris.”
I spoke up. “Marshell and the others have to drink blood in order to survive, guys. But Vetalas also eat regular food. You should know they inject venom through their fangs, and this paralyzes the victims when they feed. As a rule they don’t kill their prey. Also, as with vamps, the Vetala can wipe their victims’ memory of the attack.”
What I didn’t add was Marshell told me he could use the venom to paralyze me during sex if he fed then. It wouldn’t hurt me, just make me completely helpless. He could do whatever he wanted, and I could do nothing about it. The idea freaked me completely out. Talk about a trust issue.
“Is he dangerous?” Aidric asked.
“No more so than the rest of us,” I said, trying not to get offended. “He hasn’t killed when feeding—only when threatened or attacked.”
“That does bring us to an important issue,” Dolf said. “Marshell is very powerful. I was there when Marshell found out Remi was his mate. The power he released was truly impressive, which is the problem. He’s stronger than Dad… and me.”
That scared me to death. What Alpha would accept a new member into his clowder who was stronger than him? Such a person could upset the power structure. Alphas were strong-willed, natural leaders, somewhat arrogant, and very confident.
“Wow. That’s serious.” Brier glanced at our Alpha, then at Dolf. “What are you going to do, Alpha?”
Alpha Armonty looked at Dolf. “I’m leaving it up to Dolf since I’m retiring.”
Dolf sighed and pushed his plate away. “At this point I have no idea what I’m going to do. He’s Remi’s mate, and I respect that. I don’t want to lose Remi as a beta, but… well, I’m still debating the issue.”
Thus the whole “fuck my life” analogy. I didn’t know what I was going to do either. I loved my job as a beta. I loved my clowder. I didn’t want to leave if Dolf couldn’t accept Marshell, but I also didn’t want to lose my mate. Mates were a gift from our goddess Bast, and we didn’t turn our backs on such a gift.
“Remi, I think you and Marshell need to talk.” Aidric pushed his food around on his plate too. “Marshell may be powerful. He may even be more powerful than you. But Dolf, has anyone asked him if he’s even interested in leading a group? He can’t challenge you for position since he’s not a werecat. Am I right about that?”
“You’re right,” Alpha Armonty said. “He can’t. But what if he let his power leak around the clowder members? That could erode Dolf’s position as Alpha. Or what if they refused to accept Marshell because of it? Dolf is well liked. Our members could be threatened by Marshell’s power.”
“What if we called a meeting and told the clowder? The Vetala don’t live in groups like us or werewolves, do they?” Brier asked.
“No,” I said. “They don’t. At the most you’ll have a hunting pair. They hunt in twos as a precaution. Other than that they stay to themselves. Janelle and Marshell hunt together, and they lived together after they moved here. Well, until Janelle met Sam and Heller met Lawson. They still hunt together, though.”
“‘Hunt.’ Earlier you called the humans they fed from ‘prey.’ Am I the only one who finds that kind of freaky?” Brier asked.
“We shift. For all we know, they find our shifting kind of freaky,” I spat. Oh yeah, I was beginning to see why Dolf reacted as he did when he told us about Kirk.
“I didn’t mean it as an insult.” Brier held up his hand. “But come on, Remi. You telling me it doesn’t freak you out some? I’m guessing your mate would want to feed from you. I mean, he would, wouldn’t he? Even though you’re not human?”
Shit. He would hit on the one thing I couldn’t answer.
“Okay, I’m going to throw this out there, so don’t yell at me,” Aidric said before I could formulate a response to Brier’s question. “Our clowder is already uneasy since we’ve added two humans—”
Dolf sighed. “This again? Dammit, they are not—”
“Yes, yes, they’re no longer human since they mated two of ours,” Aidric hurriedly added. “But they weren’tborn werecats. They grew up with different values and beliefs. Now we’re talking about accepting another paranormal—which we’ve never done in our clowder until Janelle—who’s stronger than our Alpha.”
“It’s a problem,” Brier agreed.
“Look, the man’s my mate,” I snapped, my anger rising. “While I don’t want to leave you guys or my clowder… he’s my mate. Do you get that? I’ve watched how Kirk fought to be accepted. Hell, he still fights. Lawson probably will too. I’ve already heard rumblings about Janelle from some of the older clowder members and—”
“Wait a minute. Rumblings? What are you talking about?” Aidric demanded. “Dolf?”
“After her and Sam’s joining ceremony, the betas and Alpha met at Sam’s house for the welcoming party we always have,” Dolf said, rubbing at his eyes. “A few of the elders’ wives dropped off food—again, as they always do—then left. Janelle had a few words to say about there not being any other women there but her.”
“She referred to us as a ‘good-ol’-boys club’ and pointed out there are no women as betas either,” Heller said. “That there are very few women business owners. She asked Lawson if our clowder was stuck in the nineteen twenties.”
Dolf massaged his temples.
“How do you know she said that to Lawson?” Alpha Armonty asked. “Lawson wasn’t at the party after the joining ceremony. It was just those of us with rank.”
“She said that to Lawson after the joining ceremony,” Heller said.
“We’ve never had a woman try for a beta position,” Alpha Armonty added. “That’s why we don’t have one.”
“Do they even know they can?” Heller took a deep breath. “I feel I should add that Lawson considers Janelle and Marshell family. If Marshell isn’t accepted, Lawson has let me know it’s going to be a problem for him.”
“Now what does that mean?” Dolf demanded.
“He’ll leave the clowder,” Heller said. “He says if the man he considers a brother isn’t good enough for us, then neither is he. If he leaves, then I go with him.”
“So I might end up losing two of my betas?” Dolf slammed his hand on the table. “No, dammit. I won’t. All of you matter too much to me.”
“Janelle is right about the small-minded attitudes, Dolf. That might make some mad, but it’s true. You don’t want to lose us? Then this clowder needs to come out of the nineteen hundreds and join the twenty-first century. I won’t walk away from Marshell.” I sat back in my chair.
Well, looks like I made up my mind what to do about my very powerful, very deadly mate.



Monday, August 26, 2019

Pucker Up Monday

Welcome to Pucker Up Monday! It's not what you think, lol. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I though I'd try to start the week off right for y'all. We're gonna do something a little different this time too. ;)



Friday, August 23, 2019

Finicky Friday - Slutty Brownies






Total Time: 1 hour 
Yield:  16

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound chocolate chip cookie dough

16 Oreo cookies

1 box brownie mix (plus whatever extra ingredients the mix calls for)





DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 9x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

Spread cookie dough in an even layer on the bottom. Top with Oreos in an even layer.

Mix brownie batter according to package instructions; spread on top.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before cutting into 16 even squares.


Link: https://www.thrillist.com/recipe/nation/slutty-brownies-thrillist-recipes

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Tuesday Teaser - Behind the Eight Ball is live in KU



Hey y'all. Since Behind the Eight Ball in now in KU, I thought I'd do something for that. :) And don't forget I have an author group too!








Blurb:
A cool morning, a yard full of birds, and a kitty on a mission. What more could a werecat want? Beta Heller Wirth has it all, except a mate—a shifter mate, that is. The last thing he wants is one of those dangerous humans who kill without remorse. Heller knows about that firsthand. So what does the goddess Bast do? She gives Heller exactly what he does not want—a human: business owner Lawson Dupre.


Lawson hasn’t a clue what just happened in his car detail shop. One minute a cute client is about to pass out, then he perks up and starts flirting. Next thing, he runs out the door like the hounds of hell are after him. Learning that Heller is a werecat doesn’t freak out Lawson. He happens to be one of those rare humans who knows paranormals exists. He even lives with one. Watch the fur fly as Heller and Lawson battle hurt feelings, misguided beliefs, and a power shift in Heller’s clowder.




Excerpt:
Step.
Step.
Stop.
The rustling of dead leaves caught my attention, and I froze with one paw still in the air. Not moving and barely daring to breathe, I waited. My whiskers twitched as a cool October breeze disturbed the scent of decaying leaves and rich soil. The foliage trembled again as something rooted around.
I slowly lowered my paw. The disturbance wasn’t very noticeable except to my predatory gaze. The movement continued. Gradually, bit by bit, I crept forward, making sure my long fur didn’t disturb the surrounding mounds of dying leaves. It was times like these I wished my coat were short like Dolf’s. One thing was for sure—whatever was below those leaves was going to be mine shortly. All I needed was to cover a little more distance and I’d be close enough.
Step.
Step.
Crouch.
Heart thumping, I watched as the movement continued. My muscles tightened and my bottom started wiggling. Unable to wait, I sprang forward, claws extended. Leaves flew into the air as I landed on my target. Bugs scattered. Eyes narrowed, I searched for…. There! There was the little bugger. I growled at the big black beetle and trapped it with my paw.
Seconds passed. The bug wiggled under my paw, tickling me. Hunched down, I carefully lifted my paw and peeked. Dammit, can’t see. Unable to get a good look, I lifted my paw a little higher… and there it went, scuttling across the ground. Gleefully I slammed a paw down, trying to trap it. Slap. Slap. Slap. Arrgh! What’s the deal? I keep missing.
Looked like I’d found myself in a game of whack-a-mole, except with a beetle. And off we went. The bug scurried away with me hot on its trail. Every time I thought I had a paw on it, I ended up missing. Stupid critter was fast. I bounded along behind as it raced across the ground. Then it suddenly cut back and ran straight under me.
Surprised, I leaped in the air, all four paws coming off the ground. Whoa! Zigged when I should have zagged. I landed and nonchalantly licked a paw. Hope no one saw that. I had to give the bug credit. That was a smart move. The shrill cry of a mockingbird caught my attention. I lifted my head, searching for the little tattletale.
Up in a tree it sat, its warning cries echoing around the yard. I eyed the tree. Hmm, I could climb it, but the stupid bird will probably just take off. Still, might be fun. Maybe after I finished playing with the bug… and damn. The bug.
My attention returned to where it had been, my tail slashing. Great. Lost it. Stupid bird. I sat up and threw a glare over my shoulder at the bird. Standing, I turned my back to the little menace, tail held high. That’s what I think of you, buddy. I prowled around for a while, sniffing, enjoying the coolness of the morning.
In the early morning sunlight, the dew on the grass sparkled like diamonds. Maybe it was pretty, but the stuff was also cold and wet against my paws. I was glad for my fur. As I wandered back toward the house, my stomach growled. I was hungry and… I sniffed. Oh, was that a blue jay I smelled? Oh, oh, a blue jay. Yum.
The human side of me groaned, but the kitty part wanted to jump with joy. The noisy little shits were actually quite intelligent. Catching one was always a feat. Quick as I could, I hid in the bright fall foliage by the back porch. I stayed very, very still so the stupid bird three feet from me didn’t fly off in a panic.
I licked my lips, my whiskers twitching as I watched the little rascal across from me raise its head. Shit, shit, shit. What caught its attention? Come on already. It’s all fine, nothing to worry about here. No cat hanging around. Just go back to pecking around on the ground. Everything’s good. See? I’m not moving, not even breathing.
Crouched low, I waited while my breakfast relaxed and returned to looking for acorns. Other birds came and went, but I refused to get distracted. I knew the one I wanted. Inch by agonizing inch, I crept closer to my prey. My mouth watered and my heart thumped.
The chatter of the birds around me was easy and relaxed, no distress calls sounding. That’s right. Just keep on eating. Soon I’m going to be eating you. My body tensed, back legs ready to spring me into action….
And the phone in the house rang.





Monday, August 19, 2019

Pucker Up Monday



Welcome to Pucker Up Monday! It's not what you think, lol. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I though I'd try to start the week off right for y'all. We're gonna do something a little different this time too. ;)








So... pucker up!

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Join ~~The Needy Boy by Sean Michael~~ release party on Aug 18th



Sean Michael is having a having a party in their group to celebrate the new release! These authors are coming to play: Tara Lain, K.c. Wells, Mary Calmes, Felice Stevens, Shannon West, M.A. Church, Julia Talbot, Morticia Knight, Jodi Payne, LM Somerton, Rj Scott and B.a. Tortuga!

Join us on August 18 between 10:30 am and 5:30 pm (est) for fun, giveaways and what's sure to be naughtiness!


Sean's FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/260491564133793/

Friday, August 16, 2019

Finicky Friday - Garlic Parmesan Chicken





45 minutes to prepare; serves 4


INGREDIENTS
6 bone-in chicken thighs (skin-on, optional)
1 pound baby Dutch potatoes, halved or quartered
3-4 cups baby spinach, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, optional


Sauce:
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano






PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400º F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and sauté spinach until just wilted. Remove from heat.

For the sauce: lower heat to medium and add butter to skillet. Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn.

Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, or until roux is thick and golden brown, then slowly whisk in chicken broth until incorporated.

Stir in parmesan cheese and half-and-half, and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until thickened, then stir in thyme, basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper.

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning and place in baking dish.
Place chicken thighs skin side up in your greased baking dish, then top with sauteéd spinach and halved potatoes. Top with cream sauce, then place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Optional: broil for final 5 minutes, or until skin is crispy, if not already seared.

Remove from oven and serve hot.


Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Trouble Comes in Threes is now in KU





Cover by: Morningstar Ashley https://morningstarashley.com/




Blurb:
A snowstorm in the South—on New Year’s Eve—is a perfect recipe for a catastrophe. After two soul-crushing bad breaks, Kirk’s waiting for disaster number three to strike when, naturally, two stray cats arrive on his doorstep during the storm and decide to make themselves at home. Tenderhearted Kirk lets them stay even though there’s something decidedly odd about his overly friendly felines.

Out of the punishing weather and full of tuna, Dolf and Tal are happy to be snug in Kirk’s house. But then their human goes outside for firewood and suffers a nasty fall that leaves him unconscious. Now the two cats have no choice but to reveal themselves.

Kirk wakes up to find the two kitties are actually Dolf and Tal. They’re cat shifters—and his destined mates. Being part of a feline threesome is enough for Kirk to grapple with, but soon he learns they come from a clowder that doesn’t believe humans and shifters should mix. Kirk knew those two cats would be trouble. Little does he know the real trouble lies ahead.

**Second Edition, Previously Published**
This book has been previously published. The cover has changed, but the title, author, and story content have not changed from the first version originally published in 2014. If you have that version in your library, please do not purchase again. 

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Tuesday Teaser


I'm not far enough into the next young book to do a teaser yet, so let's take a look back at an older book of mine. :) This teaser is from Beneath the Surface.







DUSK HAD long since passed. Darkness blanketed the land, and, with it, protection from prying eyes. The full moon shone brightly on the rippling waves. Nisha’s head broke the surface and he bobbed in the water, his long hair floating around his shoulders.

A lengthy tail battered the surface in annoyance. Nisha watched the human called Kannon walking along the beach. Sometimes he’d just stop and stare restlessly out over the reflective surface of the ocean, his hands in his back pockets, the water splashing so close to him.

Then he’d started off again. His human seemed sad. And distracted. When the lights of the resort came fully into view, Kannon turned back. Obviously his human wasn’t in the mood for company. Good.

Nisha’s webbed fingers played with the necklace that held several shark teeth around his neck. He dove under the water, his tail slapping the surface. Time and distance had allowed him to see that maybe what he’d done that day to Kannon could’ve been a little scary.

But he’d seen the human in the water, and his scent—that scent called to him. He couldn’t resist that call any more than the tide could resist the moon. If he’d been more rational, he would’ve known his actions would scare the human, but he wasn’t. Rational, that is. 

Of all the things he was expecting that day, finding his mate was not one of them. He certainly wasn’t expecting his mate to be human. That, in and of itself, rocked his world. While he didn’t regret finding Kannon, he did wish he’d thought things out better. 

The last thing he meant to do was scare Kannon. Not to mention his actions made mating with the human much, much harder. Things would go easier if Kannon came into the water, but if necessary, he’d go onto land to claim what was his.


Monday, August 12, 2019

Pucker Up Monday


Welcome to Pucker Up Monday! It's not what you think, lol.
Since Mondays do tend to suck, I though I'd try to start the week off right for y'all. We're gonna do something a little different this time too. ;)

So... pucker up!






And OMG the plot bunnies are screaming over this.

Friday, August 9, 2019

Finicky Friday - Banana Pudding Dip



YIELDS: 6
PREP TIME: 15 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS
box instant vanilla pudding, plus ingredients called for on box
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
banana, chopped
1 c. whipped topping, divided
1 1/2 c. crushed Nilla wafers, plus more whole wafers for serving
Banana slices for garnish, if desired



DIRECTIONS
Prepare pudding according to instructions on box.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined. Fold in prepared pudding, sliced banana and 1/2 cup whipped topping until fully incorporated.
Transfer to a smaller bowl and line with whole Nilla wafers. Top with whipped topping, crushed Nillas, and banana slices. Serve.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Tuesday Teaser





One last teaser from The Only and Only. This comes near the end of the book, so I've deleted some stuff--don't want to give anything away lol. ;) 



Seth exhaled loudly. “Okay, you asked me a question about my abilities. I can manipulate any shadow around me at any time of the day or night. If there’s a shadow nearby, I can step into it and disappear.”

“Fuck,” Remi whispered. “Dude, not going to lie, that’s a scary ability. I’ve also heard rumors you can teleport via shadows.”

“Yes. I can. I can reappear next door, or in the next town, or on the other side of the planet,” Seth said. “Um, I can see from the shadows too. That’s how I recognize where I’m going.”

“So, are you saying you could go explore the Titanic?” Remi asked.

Dolf spluttered.

“Well, never tried, but yes. As long as I stayed in the shadow world—meaning I didn’t step out of the shadows—I could. Don’t really care to drown, you know.” Seth chucked.“Shadow world?”

“That’s his… realm. His domain. It’s a completely terrifying place.” Brier shuddered. “No color, no scent, no sound. It’s a void of nothingness.”

Dolf’s eyes widened. “You’ve been there?”

“Tyler has traveled my world with me several times when circumstances called for it. I took Brier because he has the right to know exactly who and what I am.” Seth hesitated. “I can manipulate any kind of shadow to do my bidding too.”

“Well, that’s not terrifying at all.” Remi joked then ran his hand through his hair. “Goddess, I’m glad you’re on our side.”

Tyler frowned at Remi. Briar knew what prompted that reaction from Tyler. He also noticed Tyler didn’t mention he spoke to Bast. It was his secret to share, so Brier kept his mouth shut. Tyler probably thought Dolf and Remi would ridicule him.

Brier understood. He found it hard to believe himself at first, until a certain goddess made herself known to him. Speaking of the goddess, should they tell Dolf why Seth and Tyler were here? Bast had made such a big to-do about threats, changes, bad things happening and so on.

Then there was the whole ‘one and only’ thing, and whatever that meant, which kept cropping up. Shouldn’t Dolf know that? This was information he’d surely want, right? Or would he think Tyler wasn’t all there in the head? He really needed to speak to Tyler in private, which he couldn’t do here. Too many werecats with keen hearing around.

Dammit.

“Thank you, Seth, for being so honest with me,” Dolf said. “I appreciate it. If I could make a suggestion, Brier? It might best for the three of you to mate and do it as quickly as possible.”

Brier’s grin was as bright as the sun. “That’s going to be taken care of tonight.” He winked at Tyler, who was slowly turning red. “Or possibly as soon as we get home. It’s been a long few days.”

Seth snickered.

“Good. After that—”

Raised voiced interrupted Dolf.

“He’s in a meeting. No, you will not! You have no right to barge into my house and ignore what I tell you.”

The sound of a struggled seeped through the closed door of the office. Dolf surged up, and his chair flew back, nearly hitting Remi, who yelped.

“What the hell?” Remi shoved the chair out of the way. “Dolf?”

Dolf growled, and the loud noise reverberated through the room. As Brier watched, Dolf’s eyes turn blue.

“Um…?” Tyler eyed Dolf nervously.

“Shit, Kirk, move. You don’t have the strength to stop…. Oh, hell no! You did not just shove my mate! Fuck, Kirk? Are you alright? Dolf!”

Dolf roared and leaped across the table.