Welcome to the middle of the week!
Mid Week Tease is an event where authors are spotlighting a few lines or a paragraph or two from their stories. Readers, you get to sample some delicious snippets and be teased, titillated and tantalized into the weekend!
My contribution to MWT this week is from an erotic urban fantasy story I've written and submitted (still waiting to hear back on it - inbox is tired of me stalking it...) called Open World - a C.O.V.E.N. story. This book continues with the world I created in AFK, my story in the Evernight Publishing anthology, Keyboards & Kink. Enjoy!
* Cassandra clicked her fingers in front of Hope’s face. “Hope?”
* Snapped out of her trance, Hope threw her arms around her cousin. “Oh my God, I’m so happy to see you. Please tell me you know what’s going on. Where’s Faith? Our boyfriends?”
* Cassandra peeled Hope off of her and cast her gaze at the ground. “I wish I could explain it all. I woke up in my secret location, dressed in the outfit I use for ceremonies, and a note from Morrigan requesting I meet her when I have a chance had been in my messages.”
* “So you don’t know where anyone is?”
* “Nope.” Cassandra shrugged. “Sorry.”
* In a strange world. Family’s missing. Den is nowhere to be seen. Thank God Cass is here. I hate being alone. Hope’s blood ran cold through her veins. She rocked slightly, twisted her hands together as she dealt with the news.
Find out more about AFK here: AFK: Keyboards & Kink
Visit these other wonderful authors for more MWT goodness!
Today we have author Clarissa Johal visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.
What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story Struck.
A look into the story
~ Blurb ~
* The shadows hadn't been waiting.
* The shadows had been invited.
* After a painful breakup, Gwynneth Reese moves in with her best friend and takes a job at a retirement home. She grows especially close to one resident, who dies alone the night of a terrific storm. On the way home from paying her last respects, Gwynneth is caught in another storm and is struck by lightning. She wakes in the hospital with a vague memory of being rescued by a mysterious stranger. Following her release from the hospital, the stranger visits her at will and offers Gwynneth a gift--one that will stay the hands of death. Gwynneth is uncertain whether Julian is a savior or something more sinister... for as he shares more and more of this gift, his price becomes more and more deadly.
~ Excerpt ~
* A bolt of blue-white lightning snaked from the sky and hit the ground in front of her. The thunderclap that shattered the air was deafening. Gwynneth slammed on her brakes and skidded. It was a slow skid, or it seemed to be. Spinning around and around in a circle, she felt like she was watching herself from afar. Time felt like it was slowing. Oddly enough, she found herself wondering if there would be white or red flowers on Hannah’s casket. Or maybe none at all.
* Gwynneth’s face smacked against the steering wheel. Reality hit her along with the pain. She had forgotten to wear her seatbelt. She pressed her fingers lightly to her throbbing temple and winced. “Shit!” Thankfully, she was in one piece. Gwynneth opened the car door. Lightning lit the area and bathed her senses in a flash of blue-white. Icy rain hit her skin. Stupid! You left your jacket back at the funeral home. She ran around the car and checked all the tires. The back one was flat, and on top of that, her car was quite obviously stuck in a ditch. “Great.” She had no spare tire, she knew that for sure. She also had no idea which way led back to the retirement home. Her headlights cast a weak glow through the rain. Soaked to the skin and shivering, Gwynneth peered into the darkness. A muddy road meandered across saturated fields and off into nothingness.
* She sloshed back to her car and quickly turned the engine off. She certainly didn’t need a dead battery on top of a flat tire. “Okay, Gwen,” she said aloud, “you need to figure out what to do.” Rain ran in rivulets down her face and her tie-dyed T-shirt stuck to her like a second skin. I’m a soggy, shivering rainbow. She started to walk and cursed the fact that her cell phone wasn’t charged. Seth was always bugging her about that. “Suck it up, Gwen. It rains in Oregon too.” The inky blackness was disconcerting. Lightning intermittently illuminated the area like the flash of a camera. A snapshot of a road to nowhere. Gwynneth hoped that she was at least walking in the right direction. Her teeth were chattering so hard she was in danger of biting her own tongue. Thunder rolled up her spine and along her scalp like probing fingers.
* Her thoughts wandered back to Hannah. A diary. I wonder what she wrote about? She wouldn’t read it, of course, it was private. I’m sure she just wants me to throw it away so her children don’t either. A pang of loss sliced through the cold and Gwynneth shook it off. They had spent countless hours chatting and Hannah never mentioned a diary. She bit her lip. If she could only turn back time, Gwynneth would have told her how much their time together had meant. Hannah had always encouraged her to start painting again, but also understood why Gwynneth couldn’t.
* A loud ‘crack’ sounded and an iridescent white light surrounded her. Two things registered: a searing pain that ripped down her back and the ground which seemed to be pulled away from her at an alarming speed.
* * * *
* Blackness.
* Pain shot through the back of Gwynneth’s head as she opened her eyes. Somebody was standing over her. She tried to focus on the face, but it hurt too much. A cool hand slid across her forehead. She opened her eyes again.
* Pale, almost white eyes. High cheekbones, aquiline nose, and a well-shaped mouth. Long, white hair. Ageless. Beautiful, like a Michelangelo. All of those details registered with clarity before agony ripped through her body. She arched her back and cried out. The man murmured something into her ear which she couldn’t understand. She could feel the vibration of his voice and his breath on her neck as he gathered her in his arms. She opened her eyes and saw lightning fork to the ground silently behind him. She blacked out again.
Buy Struck here...
Musa Publishing | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Find Clarissa Johal here...
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author page
Thank you for joining us here today, Clarissa Johal! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Clarissa will be awarding an ecopy of STRUCK to three (3) randomly drawn commenters during the tour! So be sure to visit the official tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-virtual-book-blast-tour-struck) for a chance to win! [comments on this blog don't count toward the contest.]
Today we have author K.F. Breene visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* A wine country native, K.F. Breene moved to San Francisco for college just shy of a decade ago to pursue a lifelong interest in film. As she settled into the vibrant city, it quickly became apparent that, while she thought making and editing films was great fun, she lacked cinematic genius. For that reason, her career path quickly changed direction. Her next goal was a strange childhood interest, conjured at the dining room table while filling out a form. For some reason, her young self wanted to be an accountant. Thinking on it now, she often wonders how she had any friends. Regardless, it was the direction she finally took.
* While she could wrangle numbers with the best of 'em, and even though she wore the crown as the most outspoken, belligerent accountant in the world, her mind got as stuffy as her daily routine. It was here that she dusted off her creative hat and began writing. Now she makes movies in her head, not worried about lighting, shutter speed or editing equipment. Turns out, a computer is much easier to manage than a crowd of actors. She should know, she was an actor at one time.
What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story Into the Darkness.
A look into the story
~ Blurb ~
* I’d always been different. I saw objects in the night where others saw emptiness. Large, human shaped shadows, fierce yet beautiful, melting into the darkness. I collected secrets like other women collected bells; afraid to fully trust lest my oddities be exposed.
* Until I saw him. He’d been gliding down the street, unshakable confidence in every step. It wasn’t just that he was breathtakingly handsome with perfect features. Something about him drew me. Sucked my focus to him and then tugged at my body. As his eyes met mine, I was entrapped.
* No one had noticed him. He’d been right there, just beyond the light, but only I had perceived.
* I had to know if he was real. Or maybe I really was crazy. And even when my secret box was blasted wide open, dangers hurled at me like throwing knives, I couldn’t stop until I unraveled his true identity.
* I just had to know.
* “She was fated to live.”
* “Then why must you save her?”
* “Often Fate is struck down by dumb luck.”
~ Excerpt ~
* Stefen approached the wide bed, looking down on the limp human, her angelic face devoid of color. Her arms rested on her chest, her body so still she looked dead.
* A shot of fear pierced Stefen’s chest. “Will she make it?”
* Luke’s head shook before he sighed. “She shouldn’t have made it last time. Yet she did. Something is holding her to this life.”
* “My blood helped last time. Will it help again?”
* Luke sighed, raising his eyebrows in a facial shrug. “If you can get her to drink, she might pull out of it. Might. She should be dead already; she’s largely catatonic. But…well, she survived last time, so who’s to say?”
* Stefen nodded, allowing himself to bestow his gaze back to this woman that had a firm hold on his vitals for reasons he couldn’t understand or explain. The only thing he knew with certainty was that she could not die.
Buy Into the Darkness here...
Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
Find K.F. Breene here...
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Page
Thank you for joining us here today, K.F. Breene! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
There's a contest where one randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card! (Comments on this blog don't count toward the contest.) So be sure to visit the official tour stops (find them here: Goddessfishpromotions-virtual-book-tour) for directions on how to enter!
Welcome to the middle of the week!
Mid Week Tease is an event where authors are spotlighting a few lines or a paragraph or two from their stories. Readers, you get to sample some delicious snippets and be teased, titillated and tantalized into the weekend!
My contribution to MWT this week is from an erotic urban fantasy story I've written and submitted (inbox stalking has commenced! & I'm keeping my fingers crossed it gets accepted) called Open World - a C.O.V.E.N. story. This book continues with the world I created in AFK, my story in the Evernight Publishing anthology, Keyboards & Kink. Enjoy!
* Thinking a shortcut was in order, Hope slipped into a long alleyway. She hurried in the dark shadows, keeping her focus on a flickering street lamp at the end.
* Metal tinged behind her, followed by heavy footsteps.
* Hope picked up her pace, but didn’t run and didn’t look back.
* Ruby warned me. Told me not to go out alone after a shift or go down the alley even though it was a shortcut. She chastised herself for not remembering the woman’s advice, for letting her guard down.
* The footfalls picked up their cadence behind her.
* Hope’s heart fluttered. Fleeting memories ran across her mind—sound of scratching, stench of rotting meat, pointed canines dripping crimson liquid. She racked her mind for information. They’re called… They’re called… CWUs. Dangerous creatures that could change one forever.
* Den. The man she thought of when she met Ruby. Her man. My boyfriend. He’d told me that CWUs were worse than vampires. Which was following her? She had no clue and didn’t want to find out.
* Her friend would have her head if she knew she had put herself in a dangerous situation. She began to trot and her pursuers followed suit.
* All too soon a hand grabbed her hair and yanked her back into a vice like grip. A rough, calloused palm slapped over her mouth. She couldn’t scream and could barely move. Her eyes widened when a second man appeared into view in front of her. His long coat, shirt and pants had tears and long rips. When he leered at her, he had four fangs protruding from both the top and bottom of his jaw. He wasn’t a zombie looking rogue vampire—a main descriptor for CWUs. His mouth appeared illuminated with strange orange and red glowing streams. There was a shroud of shimmering gray around his head and arms.
* Definitely not a CWU. Just a vampire. Guess that’s good, but I’m still in trouble.
Find out more about AFK here: AFK: Keyboards & Kink
Visit these other wonderful authors for more MWT goodness!
Those who know me know I'm an eclectic writer and reader, and along with romance, I love a dark, gritty read whether it comes in the form of horror, mystery, suspense, etc. I'm sure I'm not the only reader/writer like this, and it's one of the reasons I have guests of varying subjects visit my corner of the web.
Today I'm happy to welcome author Alan Brenham. Alan Brenham is the pseudonym of Alan Behr, an American author and attorney. He served as a law enforcement officer before earning a law degree. He worked first as a prosecutor then defense attorney for the next twenty-six years. His travels took him to several European and Middle Eastern countries, Alaska and almost every island in the Caribbean. While contracted to US military forces, he resided in Berlin, Germany for a few years. Alan and his wife, Lillian, currently live in the Austin, Texas area. He has authored two crime fiction books, Price of Justice and Cornered, and is working on a third titled Rampage.
So, Alan, what inspired you to become a writer?
* Inspiration came from a few different sources - the first being my experiences as a police officer and from cases I prosecuted or defended as an attorney. Police report writing about offenses was like drafting a non-fictional account of an event. As an attorney in a jury trial, a story had to be told to the jury using facts gleaned from testimony and exhibits. The next would be from the knowledge
that other attorneys, such as David Baldacci and John Grisham, left law careers to write fiction. Reading novels by the former LA Times police beat writer, Michael Connelly, also inspired me.
* But the better question is who inspired me and the answer is my wife. She is my biggest supporter and cheerleader, encouraging me daily to write fiction.
When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
* My first fiction writing experience happened in 2010. It was a novel-length story that ended up buried deep inside a box stored under a stack of boxes in the garage, never to see the light of day.
How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
* In addition to the above attempt, I made a second effort at a fiction novel that’s sitting on a shelf. I may revise it and offer it for publication sometime in the future.
What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
* The best piece: Write the first draft out to completion. Read it through without doing any revisions. Once done, go back through it and revise until the manuscript is as perfect as you can get it.
* The worst piece: Write your novel without an outline or character profiles. Basically you’re writing by the seat of your pants with no complete idea who your characters really are.
The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
* Price of Justice is the first book in a series about Detective Jason Scarsdale and attorney Dani Mueller. The second book in the series is titled Rampage and is being written now.
What sparked the idea for the story/series?
* The core idea for Price of Justice arose from three cases I worked as a police officer and as an attorney. When I was a police officer, I caught an adult male in an alley, soliciting a teenager for sex.
* As an attorney, I represented a grandfather accused of child sexual assault. The case ended up being dismissed after the complaintant admitted to state officers that he had lied about the entire matter. The other case involved a pedophile who molested a very young girl.
*** Now for some fun info… ***
Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
* The only exotic pet I ever owned/raised was a baby raccoon. He’d lay on his back, holding the small baby bottle with his paws (like hands) for his three daily feedings of milk.
Which do you prefer: rain or sun & warm weather or cold weather?
* I actually prefer cold weather at least for the summer months. Texas summers are like living in an over-heated sauna.
If you could live anywhere in the universe, where would it be and why?
* The best place to live, in my opinion, would be Alaska in the summer and the Garmisch area in Germany in the winter. The scenery in both locations at that time of the year is magnificent. The temperatures are tolerable and the food is great.
If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern conveniences with you, what would they be?
* 1. Solar-powered phone/satellite phone; 2. A hunting rifle with a scope; 3. A solar-powered watch with day/date; 4. A solar-powered desalination unit; 5. A solar-powered lantern
*** About Alan Brenham’s book… ***
~ Blurb ~
* His focus is on solving the murders—until the unthinkable happens…
* Recently widowed, Austin Police Detective Jason Scarsdale works to solve the murders of two pedophiles, while trying to be both mother and father to his five-year-old daughter. During his investigation, Scarsdale is forced to navigate between the crosshairs of two police commanders out to get him. Drawn to Austin Police Crime Analyst, Dani Mueller, who has also suffered tragedy, Scarsdale fights both his attraction and his suspicions that something just isn’t right…
* She is hiding a secret, one that could not only cost her a job—it could end her life…
* Dani hides a deadly past. After her daughter was brutally murdered, Dani exacted her revenge then changed her name and fled to Austin. But if her secret ever gets out, she knows there is no place she can hide from the murderer’s vicious family.
* Pulled into a web of malice and deceit, Scarsdale and Dani discover the value of breaking the rules. Then just when they thought things couldn’t get worse…they do.
~ Excerpt ~
* Scarsdale trudged into the courthouse, flashing his badge so he could bypass security. He stopped at the rear of a throng of people maneuvering to get an elevator. He checked to see where the four elevators were—one was stopped on floor three, another just arrived at the fifth floor and two seemed stuck on Eight. People elbowed their way closer to the doors—even he got jostled. A distinct odor of alcohol, mixed with cheap perfume and a trace of marihuana, made him sneeze a couple of times.
* Looking around, Scarsdale didn’t recognize anyone connected with his dreaded hearing. He leaned against the wall and let his thoughts drift. The events of the past five years flashed through his mind. The wedding Marcy refused to attend. Then Charity’s funeral—the second time Marcy had seen Shannon since she was born—gushing over her granddaughter, telling Shannon how much she missed her. Scarsdale stopped outside the big wooden courtroom doors. He stared at the brass door handles. What will the judge decide?
* His heart hammered against his chest. Taking a couple of deep breaths and swallowing hard, he pulled the courtroom doors open.
***Buy Price of Justice here***
Black Opal Books | Amazon
***Find Alan Brenham here***
Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Google+ | Pinterest
Thank you for joining us here today, Alan Brenham! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.
There's a contest where Alan is awarding a $50 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter. (Comments on this blog do not count toward entry.) Visit the official tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-tour-price) for directions on how to enter to win.
Welcome to the middle of the week!
Mid Week Tease is an event where authors are spotlighting a few lines or a paragraph or two from their stories. Readers, you get to sample some delicious snippets and be teased, titillated and tantalized into the weekend!
My contribution to MWT this week is from an erotic urban fantasy story I'm working on called Open World. This book continues with the world I created in AFK, my story in the Evernight Publishing anthology, Keyboards & Kink. Enjoy!
* He glanced over his shoulder. Cor still hung around the family, smiling that used car salesman grin, being all smarmy. Den's flesh twitched and shimmied as if a thousand centipedes crawled and slithered upon him. He didn’t like the guy. More than just Mr. Jenkins being an arrogant asshole, something about Cor raised his bullshit meter, warned him not to trust the dude. He tapped the tongs against the side of the barbeque and narrowed his gaze upon the happy little scene.
* I looked at the guy, then mulled over the storyline and quest I’m doing and put him as the prince? Yeah, like I’d really do that in the game. Definitely something peculiar going on here.
* Perhaps he’d been under too much stress, had too much caffeine, didn’t have enough sleep or information about the guy. More likely a combination of it all. A hodgepodge of shit and no shovel. He didn’t know how much more of all this he could take.
Find out more about AFK here: AFK: Keyboards & Kink
Visit these other wonderful authors for more MWT goodness!
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