My First SFR Brigade Presents: Snippets from Thirteen Nights

Rules: Snippet from my WIP for PG-13 audiences.  No problem. However, the book cover is not, so I’ve kept it small.

My modern myth romance, Thirteen Nights, Book 1 of Divine Temptation, releases from Ellora’s Cave on December 6.  Let me know what you think and then visit all the other amazing authors participating on the SFR Brigade.

Background

Thirteen Nights is an updated myth based on the Amazons in ancient Greece.  In my series, the gods and their pantheons still live in modern day under the radar but are losing their power due to the lack of human worshipers and the slow destruction of the natural world from which they gain their powers.  In Amazon history, the female warriors would mate on an annual basis with the Gargareans, their male warrior counterparts, to bear children. Females stay with the Amazons, males are given back to the Gargareans. It was believed that they should stay together for 13 nights to maximize the chance of a child. In this book, that ritual has been recreated as a speed dating event. Here’s a snippet of how that works. Our heroine Annie meets the first Gargarean during the event ( he is not our hero).

Snippet

A giant of a man swaggered into the now-open seat, all testosterone and appetite. Linebacker shoulders, six-pack abs straining against a muscle shirt chosen to show them off, thighs so big they could choke a horse—and probably had. Elaborate tattooing covered his left arm from shoulder to wrist, detailing every victory, every kill. Similar markings ran diagonally across Annie’s back.

He touched his card to the pad and instantly his resume popped up on her screen. Black belts in karate, kendo and Kung Fu, expert sniper, awarded the Golden Shield—the Gargarean symbol for valor—six times, hobbies included hunting, archery and jousting. Okay, the man could kill, but who was he really?

A Hint of Thaw #SixSunday #FiresofJustice

Welcome  to   Six Sentence Sunday.  Thanks for stopping by.  Today’s six are from my debut Fires of Justice releasing in-OMG-3 days on October 17 from Ellora’s Cave . The excerpt below follows the snippets I’ve been sharing over the last few weeks.  Finally, Calista gets a rise out of Cullen, who starts the conversation below.

“I’m under orders, as are you.”

“Hey, grumpy, do I strike you as a woman who takes orders?” She scanned him up and down, her eyes lingering on some of his juicier parts. “Although with the right incentive, I might consider it, say, handcuffs? Do marked ones use toys or is it straight-up, standard fare?”

His bottom lip twitched, a hint of a curl teased the edges despite his best efforts to suppress it.

I’d love to know what you think.  And take a hop around the web and visit the other fabulous writers on Six Sentence Sunday.

I’d also invite you to join me on the blog tour starting October 18.  Details coming in my next post.  Swag, great conversations, lots of fun. Hope to see you.

Book Blurb

Always read the fine print when swearing an eternal oath to gods and guardians…

Beholden by the sacred vows of her coven, fire witch Calista Reid agrees to temporarily mate with shifter Cullen McMahan to fulfill a mission assigned by the guardians. When tall, dark and damaged arrives on her doorstep, generating enough heat to scorch a fire witch, Calista finds herself drawn to his battle-hardened body and broken soul. His pain speaks to her own deep-rooted isolation and the intensity of his hunger slakes her passion like no other.

Cullen, scarred by a past that left him an indentured soldier to the guardians, resents yet another hump-on-command assignment…until he encounters the compassionate, fearless, incendiary redhead who detonates his body and reawakens the emotions sacrifice and loss had suppressed. But Cullen harbors a terrible secret—one that reaches back into Calista’s troubled childhood and threatens the foundation of their growing bond.

Read the full excerpt.

Unfreezing the Ice Giant #SixSunday #FiresofJustice

Welcome  to   Six Sentence Sunday.  Thanks for stopping by.  Today’s six are from my debut Fires of Justice releasing October 17 from Ellora’s Cave  and follows from the snippet I last shared last week.  For those of you who have visited before, I’ve given the blog a new look.  Like haircuts,  its good to make a dramatic change every now and then.  Anyhoo, onward with Six Sentence Sunday.

 

“You’re one sexy dude but not much fun. How’d you get so cold for a fire elemental?”

“This isn’t a game, witch. Let’s go upstairs and get it over with.”

This joker needed to lighten up. She was not having sex with the ice giant here, no matter what vows she made and how tasty he looked.

 

I’d love to know what you think.  And take a hop around the web and visit the other fabulous writers on Six Sentence Sunday.

Book Blurb

Always read the fine print when swearing an eternal oath to gods and guardians…

Beholden by the sacred vows of her coven, fire witch Calista Reid agrees to temporarily mate with shifter Cullen McMahan to fulfill a mission assigned by the guardians. When tall, dark and damaged arrives on her doorstep, generating enough heat to scorch a fire witch, Calista finds herself drawn to his battle-hardened body and broken soul. His pain speaks to her own deep-rooted isolation and the intensity of his hunger slakes her passion like no other.

Cullen, scarred by a past that left him an indentured soldier to the guardians, resents yet another hump-on-command assignment…until he encounters the compassionate, fearless, incendiary redhead who detonates his body and reawakens the emotions sacrifice and loss had suppressed. But Cullen harbors a terrible secret—one that reaches back into Calista’s troubled childhood and threatens the foundation of their growing bond.

Read the full excerpt.

Gotcha! #SixSunday #FiresofJustice

Happy  Six Sentence Sunday.  Welcome and thanks for stopping by.  Today’s six is from my debut Fires of Justice releasing October 17 from Ellora’s Cave  and follows from the snippet I last shared last week.

“Can’t blame a girl for trying. Come on in. You’ve been out in the cold long enough. It’s been, what, seven days you’ve been watching over me?” Gotcha, grumpy.

His eyes widened, lips parted as if for a kiss. His mouth’s so inviting, but what’s with the Nor’easter he’s blowing  my way?

I’d love to know what you think.  And take a hop around the web and visit the other fabulous writers on Six Sentence Sunday.

Full Book Blurb

Always read the fine print when swearing an eternal oath to gods and guardians…

Beholden by the sacred vows of her coven, fire witch Calista Reid agrees to temporarily mate with shifter Cullen McMahan to fulfill a mission assigned by the guardians. When tall, dark and damaged arrives on her doorstep, generating enough heat to scorch a fire witch, Calista finds herself drawn to his battle-hardened body and broken soul. His pain speaks to her own deep-rooted isolation and the intensity of his hunger slakes her passion like no other.

Cullen, scarred by a past that left him an indentured soldier to the guardians, resents yet another hump-on-command assignment…until he encounters the compassionate, fearless, incendiary redhead who detonates his body and reawakens the emotions sacrifice and loss had suppressed. But Cullen harbors a terrible secret—one that reaches back into Calista’s troubled childhood and threatens the foundation of their growing bond.

Read the full excerpt.

Fires of Justice, the conflict continues with #SixSunday

Six Sentence Sunday

I’m pleased to be participating again on Six Sentence Sunday.   Today’s six is from my debut Fires of Justice releasing October 17 from Ellora’s Cave.  It follows from the excerpt I last shared earlier. You can read that here.

 

A whiff of smoke and sandalwood tickled her nose. “You’re a fire shifter?” Since they could take the form of mythical creatures, fire shifters were even rarer than fire witches.

He nodded but the hard planes of his face and the finely carved body remained stone still.

“Would you go away if I slipped you fifty bucks?”

Arms crossed over his chest, he sneered down his nose, wielding his distaste like a weapon.

 

I’d love to know what you think.  And take a hop around the web and visit the other fabulous writers on Six Sentence Sunday.

Full Book Blurb

Always read the fine print when swearing an eternal oath to gods and guardians…

Beholden by the sacred vows of her coven, fire witch Calista Reid agrees to temporarily mate with shifter Cullen McMahan to fulfill a mission assigned by the guardians. When tall, dark and damaged arrives on her doorstep, generating enough heat to scorch a fire witch, Calista finds herself drawn to his battle-hardened body and broken soul. His pain speaks to her own deep-rooted isolation and the intensity of his hunger slakes her passion like no other.

Cullen, scarred by a past that left him an indentured soldier to the guardians, resents yet another hump-on-command assignment…until he encounters the compassionate, fearless, incendiary redhead who detonates his body and reawakens the emotions sacrifice and loss had suppressed. But Cullen harbors a terrible secret—one that reaches back into Calista’s troubled childhood and threatens the foundation of their growing bond.

Fires of Justice, #SixSunday

Six Sentence Sunday

It’s been awhile since I’ve participated in Six Sentence Sunday.  I’m glad to be back. Today’s six is from my debut Fires of Justice releasing October 17 from Ellora’s Cave. 

As background, our heroine, fire witch Calista Reid, must mate with shifter Cullen McMahan to fulfill a mission assigned by the Argenta, the guardian of justice. In this snippet, he arrives at her doorstep and they meet for the first time.

Her body calmer, she yanked the door open. “You selling Girl Scout cookies? I could use some Thin Mints right about now.”

A frown thinned his sensuous lips, too-old, empty eyes shot ice at her until she shivered. Power rolled off him in waves.

“Didn’t think so.”

I’d love to know what you think.  Also visit the other writers sharing their work on Six Sentence Sunday. 

Six Sentence Sunday: Play with Me

Continuing from last week, Jocelyn and Jared’s dinner interchange heats up. Food offers so many pleasures, don’t you think? Enjoy.

Grinning wickedly, Jocelyn dipped her finger in the caviar and slowly licked it off, her tongue gliding across the edge, leisurely lapping at the gelatinous black eggs. Putting it in her mouth, she sucked the remaining juices.

Jared’s eyes never strayed from her lips.

Finished, she picked up a strawberry and traced it along his lower lip. “Play with me.”

He swirled his tongue around the end of the berry then nibbled the tip, his fingers teasing the inside of her thigh.

Visit all the other wonderful writers participating in six sentence sunday.

Photo attribution:  tanakawho’s photostream on Flickr. Check it out.  There are fabulous photo to be found there.

Six Sentence Sunday: What’s Your Passion?

I am continuing the conversation between Jocelyn and Jared at dinner.  At the end of last week’s snippet,  Jocelyn wanted to know the prize if  she guessed Jared’s athletic interests.  Back story reminder: Jocelyn and Jared had their suitcases mixed up and she found a sweat jacket with a soccer team logo.

 

“You guess my first love, you can choose the prize.”

“A gentleman, I’m impressed. Soccer’s the easy first answer, but it’s neither your first love nor your abiding passion. You sir, are, have been and always will be, a fighter. ”

Jared’s jaw dropped to his ankles.  “Jocelyn Denise Wade, you’re a woman of many surprises.”

 

Read the other wonderful writers at Six Sentence Sunday.

Six Sentence Sunday 3/18

In this scene Jocelyn and Jared decide to have dinner together to pass an amiable stranded at the airport hotel.  Both want  a brief fling, and then to return unscathed to their regular lives.  To make it interesting, they agree not to talk about work, so they have to get to know each other in a different manner.

 

Jared plopped himself down in the chair across from her and poured himself a glass of the sparkling wine.  “Aargh,  you were right about this uh, champagne did you call it?”  He laughed, eyes crinkling, abs rippling in delight.

She melted in those way-too-blue eyes. “Well Jared Daniel Wyatt, its’ obvious sports play a big part in your life. What do I win if I can guess your athletic passions?

 

Read other authors wonderful contributions to Six Sentence Sunday.

Six Sentence Sunday 3/11

Now, we get to meet Jared, our hero and his reaction to Jocelyn after they have had a little time to get to know each other.

Jared could barely think.  His jeans chafed and tightened, his mouth watered to taste that long, creamy neck, those full, scarlet lips. He ached low in his gut for her, in some hidden place he thought long buried where an emptiness screamed for her to fill it.

He followed Jocelyn to the elevator, drawn by her rose and lime scent. She took his arm, her breast pressing against him, sending heat scorching through his veins. He was going to devour her, slack his thirst with her passion and relish the ripe, honeyed memory that once, he loved a woman.

Read the author wonderful contributions to Six Sentence Sunday here or follow the conversation on twitter at #sixsentence