Wednesday, June 11, 2014

#WedsBrief #FlashFiction : Blood Scent

Hi guys! *waves wildly* I'm back! It's been a crazy few weeks and I've been busy both with work and writing book four of The Witches' Mischief Series, Bear Heart. Sadly, the price to pay has been my Wednesday Briefs. But worry not! I'm back in my sexy briefs flashing you until you run out screaming in the other direction.

Today's story stands at 845 words and I'm still uncertain if it will stay as it is or if I'll continue it next week. (Would love your feedback)

As a quick reminder, I still intend to keep my briefs in the 3 chapter zone. Anyway, here goes. Enjoy!


Blood Scent

He wandered into the room, nose in the air sniffing out that delicious scent he’d caught in the street. Where was it? The yummy fragrance mingled with the disgusting human stench of the disco: sweat, alcohol, tobacco, nauseating perfumes, sex and even vomit. Isaac swallowed the bile rising to the back of his throat. He hated these places and avoided them at all costs unless he was starving. They were, as his friend Fabiola liked to say, giant buffets of free meat. He moved deeper into the dark void illuminated only by flashing white lights that made the bodies writhing on the dance floor seem out of coordination. He stopped to catch his breath near the bar.

“What’ll be handsome?” The bartender a petite brunette with half her hair shaved off and the other half pulled back in a ponytail smiled at him. He cringed. Why would anyone want to file their teeth to vampire points? Damn. It was already uncomfortable enough when the stupid things popped out, he couldn’t imagine living with them 24/7.

“Nothing. Thanks. I’m waiting for someone.”

Her eyes crinkled at the corners as her smile deepened. She winked. “Well, if you don’t find him let me know. I’ll be more than happy to help you.”

Before he could say anything she turned around to help out the next customer.

 When had women become so brazen? Back in his time it was all covert. The flick of a wrist, the hint of an ankle, a smile behind a fan... Isaac shook his head and struggled to not pinch his nose. Where was he? He had no doubt that the tall soldier had entered this joint. His nose, delicate as it was, did not deceive him. His stomach growled reminding him that he hadn’t eaten.

“Relax,” he whispered under his breath. If all went well we will be eaten fresh meat tonight. In more ways than one. He grinned.  

“What are you smiling about?”

His pulse jumped and his stomach flip-flopped as the delicious scent he’d sniffed out earlier assaulted him from behind. Slowly, he veered around to face the man standing next to him in the bar. Stormy grey eyes scrutinized him. Isaac shivered and the man smiled showing a neat array of pearly white teeth. His gaze intimately caressed him as it roamed over his body. Isaac sucked in his breath in a vain attempt to stop his cock from stirring. As he did he inhaled the other man’s sweet smell. His vision swam and his teeth sprang forward.

“Well?”

“What kind of blood do you have, I think you’re my type, he rumbled.

The other man laughed. The sound was rich and deep, reaching him inside and tugging at both his heartstrings and his quickly engorging cock.  

“Is that what you were thinking about? My blood type?”

Isaac nodded and moved closer to the man. His hunger was kicking in savagely mingled with a need he couldn’t quite place. To his delight the smiling hunk didn’t move away.

“Well, I was wondering what your name was.”

Isaac chuckled and licked his lips. The other man’s gaze darkened. His dick throbbed.

“Isaac. You?”

“William.”

Isaac’s head spun and he clutched the table for support. He felt the other man’s grip on his arm and heard him ask if he was all right but he could not fathom a reply. William. William. His William. It had to be him. After so many years they would be reunited again. Could it be? Or was it nothing more than wishful thinking?

Now he recognized the smell, the sweetness of it. It was the mating call. It only appeared once in a lifetime and then it was gone forever. He’d smelled it once but in his time being attracted to other men was frowned upon with death and ostracization. Thus, he chose to love William from afar. Yet, even as he came to that decision his beloved William loved him anyway. He tried to stop him but it was impossible.  Their passion was unbridled. Their love for each other beyond anything he’d ever lived. Isaac fought back the tears building behind his eyes. Their happiness had been short-lived. The night that Isaac was going to change William permanently and turn him into one like him failed. They were discovered. Prosecuted. Condemned. William was murdered and he was powerless to do anything.
“Hey, Goth boy, look at me.” Isaac forced his eyes open at the sound of the soft yet commanding voice. The soldier named William smiled down at him. “Are you all right, Isaac?” William cupped his cheek and Isaac automatically leaned into its warmth. William’s face glowed as his smile grew. Isaac placed his palm over his.

“You want to get out of here and go somewhere more quiet?”

“You don’t mind?”

William threaded his fingers with Isaac’s holding his hand tightly he pulled him closer and brushed his lips against his. A powerful current zipped through Isaac at the simple touch.

“I very much want to get to know you better, Isaac.” 

Flashing this week: 


Don't know what to read? Check out the first 100 words of each brief at our webpage: www.wedbriefsfic.com 

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

#TNTConfidential Author Spotlight on Jon Keys and Crossfire (Men in Uniform antho)



 
Welcome lovelies and happy Tuesday! Do you like men in uniform? Policemen, firemen, doctors...*wiggles eyebrows* Yes? Then I think you're going to love today's guest! Please welcome author Jon Keys and his story Crossfire from the Men in Uniform anthology.







Rick Anthis, a forty-five year old veteran of the Colorado State Police, and his husband, Gabriel Thorkelson, a deputy sheriff in a nearby county, enjoy the peace of their suburban Boulder home. Until three gunshots rip through the tranquil neighborhood and Rick witnesses the kidnapping of his buddy, eight year old Jacob.
The clues are sparse until Gabe reminds Rick of something Jacob had said. Rick has a starting point. He and his CSI team locate the remote hideout, only to find the the kidnappers are gone, and Gabe is missing too.

eBook Link:



Elyzabeth, it’s great to be at your blog today! The release of Crossfire as part of the Men in Uniform anthology from Torquere Press has been exciting. I’m thrilled that two of my short stories are appearing in Torquere Press’s anthologies this year with another short, Showstring, coming in July. Before we get to the good stuff, I thought I’d share some details of my writing. Today I’m talking about developing the settings. 

I have a variety of ways I come up with the settings in my books. The first pieces I wrote had scenes I was very familiar with, at least. For anyone who’s been to public college they know about graduate students packed in tiny offices and the hallways of nondescript rooms that fill buildings. The ranch scenes were pretty easy for me, too. They were a compilation of several different places I’d been to when I was a kid. So the first ones were the old adage, write what you know.

More recently my stories have been in worlds that are not our own. Those are easier in some ways. If I say there is a mountain range 100 miles to the west, then there is. The challenge comes in naming everything. Is it rabbit, tiger and sheep—or do I go a step further and have springfoot, daggertooth and kuri. Actually kuri does mean sheep, just not in English. So how much of the new information adds an interesting detail, and when does it become a distraction. That’s the struggle I’m having with my novel.

Crossfire is a little of both. It wasn’t a whole new world, so the terms are familiar. The downside is that while I’ve been to Colorado and Boulder, I don’t know it as intimately as some of the locations in previous works. So there is a lot more scene research in Crossfire. Google earth is great. If it has the ground view you can drop to street level and suddenly you can spot details that add validity to the story. Pinterest is another resource I’ve started using, especially for interior rooms. If I want to see a kitchen with concrete counter tops then one appears. The rest is Google search, finding tourism departments, crime statistics, whatever I think would add to the richness of the experience. Sometimes I find details that the reader never sees, but they still color the writing because they are in my mind during the process.

So, that’s how I create the world my characters inhabit. Now we can move on to Crossfire. I hope everyone enjoys the tale as much as I did.

~ Jon ~

eBook Link:



Excerpt from Crossfire.

Rick dried the last dish and handed it to Gabriel to put away. Gabriel settled the last plate into the white cabinets. He loved their house and the quiet, older neighborhood it was in. He hoped Mark and Rachel could work out their issues, keeping Jacob in the forefront.

Rick put his hand around Gabriel's slender waist. He's as sexy as he was in college. Damn just being next to him makes me randy. Releasing Gabriel, Rick folded the dishtowel carefully and laid it beside the sink. "Supper was great. You're a damn fine cook."

Gabriel snickered and spun to pop Rick with a wet towel. "It should taste good. Your mother gave me herbs from her garden the last time we visited."

"Mom's just trying to fatten me up. I'm kind of skinny for a forty-three year old Greek man."
The towel snapped against Rick's butt again and he grabbed at it. Gabriel danced away, his face lit with delight. "Where does that leave me?"

Rick swept Gabriel up and kissed him. "It leaves you in my arms, just where you should be."
Rick paused as he remembered the note in his pocket. Leaving his hand on the small of Gabriel's back he reached in his shirt pocket and fished out a small piece of yellow paper. He gripped it between two fingers and dangled the sheet in front of Gabriel.

"Speaking of, I found another note in my lunch."

Gabriel studied the symbols on the page as if he'd never seen them. "Huh, what do you think that means?"

Rick smiled. "I know what it's meant the last dozen times I found one in my lunch."

"Really? And what was that?"

"It meant I was going to be exhausted the whole next day."

"You don't say. Let me see that." Gabriel took the paper from Rick's hand and appeared to study the content. "Looks like Native American symbols. Hmm, maybe 'bear' and 'hunt'." He smiled at Rick with a glimmer in his eyes. "Are we going on a bear hunt this fall?" Gabriel reached up and tugged on the short hair coming from the top of Rick's T-shirt. The slight touch shifted his libido into high gear.
He nuzzled his face against Gabriel's throat and sighed at the spicy fragrance that curled through his nostrils. Rick slid his hand under Gabriel's shirt; the rub of his chest hair on Rick's palm ignited his desire. "What's the sign for otter? Because I think I need to hunt one of those little furry things." I still can't believe Mom gave Gabe my Eagle Scout pictogram project.

Bio:
Jon Keys’ earliest memories revolve around books; with the first ones he can recall reading himself being “The Warlord of Mars” and anything with Tarzan. (The local library wasn’t particularly up to date.) But as puberty set in he started sneaking his mother’s romance magazines and added the world of romance and erotica to his mix of science fiction, fantasy, and comic books.
A voracious reader for almost half a century, Jon has only recently begun creating his own flights of fiction for the entertainment of others. Born in the Southwest and now living in the Midwest, Jon has worked as a ranch hand, teacher, computer tech, roughneck, designer, retail clerk, welder, artist, and, yes, pool boy; with interests ranging from kayaking and hunting to painting and cooking, he draws from a wide range of life experiences to create written works that draw the reader in and wrap them in a good story.

You can find me at:
Twitter: @Jon4Keys



Thursday, June 5, 2014

#TNTCONFIDENTIAL Author Interview with A.R. Von & Lady's Destiny, and cover model Dustin Sherer #GIVEAWAY

Good morning, darlings! Today I have something really cool for you! It's a #TNTConfidential day and I have the amazing A.R. Von dropping by with her latest release Lady's Destiny but not only that, I also have a short interview with her and the cover model of her book! *Swoon* Read on to find out more! 






 Lady's Destiny - Tour Banner

TITLE – Lady’s Destiny SERIES – Book 1 of the Destiny Series AUTHOR – A.R. Von GENRE – Fantasy Romance LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 256 pages/53,000 words PUBLISHER – Dream Z Dragon Publishing COVER ARTIST – Kellie Dennis of Book Cover By Design COVER MODEL - Dustin Sherer

TOUR-ABOUTBOOK

A Unique Magical, Erotic Novel.

When dreams haunt you in the most delicious ways and fate pulls you into destiny’s path, what can be done other than to accept and submit to it.

Can Iria truly get what she’s always dreamed of or will it always just remain a memory? Being a rare creature such as her with exceptional beauty and rarity of existence should be enough. Though, all she wants is her desire, her destiny… To be with a man—one man.

Are these dreams she’s having real? Could she really take on human form and become a Lady to be with the man she craves?

Dezso discovers a magical creature—a being of incredible light and peace. He is drawn to it again and again, and his feelings grow with every encounter. He carries a dark secret that he wishes never existed. The only thing that truly brings light upon his existence is the beauty that warms his heart but seems to only exist in his head—with dreams and visions of a magical woman, full of heartwarming light.

Will he ever know true love and happiness? Will he ever be able to lighten the weight and share his dark secret with another...?

Darkness is growing stronger, weakening the light and killing off what makes the world a beautiful place to live in. Enter a world of fantasy and dreams, passions and temptations. A world where dragons, unicorns, magic and mermaids really do exist.A world where love WILL conquer all!

TOUR-BUYTBRLINK
701d2-goodreads

shelfari_logo



TOUR-MEETAUTHOR
Lady's Destiny - Author Photo

When did you start writing and why? I’ve been writing since I learned how. Nothing major, mostly poetry, thoughts, ideas and short stories. I’m a person that enjoys expression. Words, to me, are an excellent form to fully express yourself. What I do right now is express my feelings combined with my ideas into my stories and I have a lot of fun doing it J

Where does your inspiration come from? It varies. Sometimes it’s photos, a story I’ve read in the past, a song or something altogether different. Lady’s Destiny was inspired by Wednesday Briefs. A group of writers I’ve been flashing (writing flash fiction) with for a little while. So, you can say it started off as a flash and grew to a full blown novel!
What’s your favorite genre? Why? Oh, this is one of the hardest questions I’ve ever had to answer!! I read almost anything I can get my hands on. Put it this way, I read 4, sometimes 7 books (yes full sized novels) a week. Anything from romance to horror. YA to NA. Looking through my reading history, I’d say so far I enjoy paranormal (romance, erotic, thriller, etc.) the most. There, I made a choice just for you ;)
Describe your writing space.
I have my very own room (my dragon den) complete with a VERY loud hook up for my music. Then there’s my computer, my pet snake Cin, my pup Cyan, lots of dragons, photos and art work of things that appeal to my imagination hanging around my walls. I also have my desk near a window that faces my back yard. I love looking out of it during all of the seasons. There’s quite a variation of trees and flowers which attract the most welcome and beautiful little critters for me to feast my eyes on.
Tell us something about your new release that doesn’t appear in the blurb or excerpt.
Dezso and Iria have watched one another, dreamt of one another for a very long time before they actually meet. It was a long time coming for them to get together and I enjoyed making their dreams come true for them J

Your favorite line from your latest release is: “Take that evil doer!”
(Yea, I can be a bit of a dork-lol)


**Balmy June questionnaire*

For you June means…
A book to read this month? I’m (finally) going to read Hunger Games! It’s my YA fix for the season ;)
Summer is around the corner! Going anywhere? Crazy, wanna come? KIDDING! No plans as of yet. Hope that changes soon. I’d like to go to a conference and meet with some readers and authors. Those things are always a blast. Addicting too!

A drink for a night out? Mojito

A song to dance to in the heat of the night?
Umm… Ok, Turn Down For What by DJ Snake & Lil 

Jon-LOL

Favorite outfit for warm weather? Tank and shorts.

A.R. was born and raised in Bronx, NY and is the oldest daughter of two girls. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Computer Science and Information Technology, which was only briefly used. She’s a mother of two entertaining teen boys (as well as a lovely fawn Chihuahua, whom she considers her furry daughter.) She’s also a wife to a delightfully handsome and amazingly funny man-beast. She loves anything dragon and fantasy related. In her free time she enjoys exercising, writing, listening to music, hiking, cooking, dancing and reading. She also loves a great adventure in and out of a book! She writes to free her mind of its constant wondering and clutter. She thrives on the fact she can share some of it with readers that have the same passion for a great story.

She also loves to hear from her reader’s and chat away, so feel free to reach out to her any time.

TOUR-FOLLOWLINKS
Lady's Destiny - Model Photo 1 (Left)

MEET COVER MODEL DUSTIN

Name: Dustin Sherer
Age:26
 Born in: 1987 
What did you want to be when you were growing up? Pilot
When did you start modeling? 2 years ago
Can you tell us a bit about your career up until this point? Just enjoying training and helping others reach their own goals as, well as strive to get drafted.
What are your plans for the future? More football and modeling
 In A.R. Von’s book Lady’s Destiny, you’re wearing very little clothes. What is it like to shoot nude pictures? Actually the shoot went great. Jay Fuertez is amazing photographer who gives ya that comfort level to do any shot
Have you ever read any of the books of the covers you are on? Yes!
Has anyone ever recognized you in the street? Yeah my friends all the time
What do you like to do in your free time? Train, movies, video games, going out 
**Fun Balmy June questionnaire**
 For you June means… Birthday
Something to do this month? Birthday party
Favorite place to relax: gym
Favorite childhood memory: playing football
 Favorite drink: water
Favorite food: steak
Boxer, briefs or… briefs
Favorite song to get playful in bed: or nah

Meet Dustin Sherer (Fitness Model & Athlete) Model Photo - photo by Jay Fuertez Born in Ventura California. Living in Denver Colorado. NFL Free Agent. Fitness Model. Personal Trainer. Undefeated Cage Fighter.

Lady's Destiny - Model Photo 2 (Right)Biography: I started off early in competitive sports and quickly got into football where I immediately adapted. I maintained football throughout my entire life. But my love for the gym and fitness didn’t start till sophomore year in high school. However, in my junior year I was in a terrible car crash where my head was crushed as I was ran over in the street by a truck after being catapulted at 80mph. I was airlifted to the hospital where I had emergency brain surgery and my heart failed. They immediately brought me back with an adrenaline shot where they presumed I would not live. I was in a coma two weeks. When I woke I had to re-learn everything including how to function and walk again.

In 2012 I went into training for NFL and now playing pro arena looking to keep pursuing football and modeling as well as motivate others and coach them in bettering their lives. Through fitness and motivational speaking.

 

TOUR-FOLLOWLINKS

FACEBOOK

Lady's Destiny - Teaser 1 

Giveaway
Lady's Destiny - Giveaway Photo 1Lady's Destiny - Giveaway Photo 2

1 winner - A signed paperback copy of Lady’s Destiny (US only) 2 winners - An Amazon gifted ecopy of Lady’s Destiny 10 Swag Packs (Includes 1 temporary tattoo of Iria’s binding mark (photo above) and a Lady’s Destiny bookmark singed by myself and cover model Dustin Sherer) (open to US and international)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Organized By:
  myfamilyheartbutton



TOUR-EXCERPT

My Lady,