Hey all, sorry I've been MIA all week. I've been busily working on my deadline book. Getting close to the end. Thankfully!

If you're looking for something funny, check out my post yesterday at The Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog. I wrote about my mental process and what I go through when I'm writing a book. The comments were great and it's nice to know I'm not the only one with angst.

Today's Saturday Snippet is black moments. I love black moments. This comes from STOLEN SEDUCTION. A little warning: It's only a tiny section of the scene because if I post the whole thing in it gives away too much. I hope you enjoy!

Excerpted from STOLEN SEDUCTION
Release Date: December 29, 2009
Dorchester

Shane hadn’t spoken a word to her on the boat ride back to Marathon. Hadn’t asked if she was okay or even looked her way. And Hailey tried not to read anything into that. Tried to tell herself she didn’t care whether he was worried about her mental health.

But it was hard. Especially when they climbed on the Roark Bombardier and she gave the pilot the coordinates from her father’s letter, found out they were heading to Jamaica, told Shane, and he still didn’t say a single word in response. Just strapped in and waited for takeoff with clenched jaw and eyes that seemed to look off into space.

Okay, he was ticked. Didn’t take a brainiac to figure that one out. She twiddled her thumbs while the plane gained momentum and they shot into the air. The second they were high enough, she flipped off her seatbelt and hit the galley for something to drink to settle her nerves.

She was pouring her second shot when Shane picked her up by the elbows and turned her around to face him. The bottle of bourbon slipped from her fingers and hit the counter with a crack. “What the hell are you—”

His mouth was over hers before the words were even past her lips, but she knew instinctively this wasn’t a gentle kiss. Wasn’t a loving kiss. Wasn’t even an I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through kiss. It was hard and wet and a little bit mean as his teeth sank into her bottom lip hard enough for a lick of pain to shoot though her skin. He didn’t give her a chance to say yes or no or anything in between, because he was yanking her off the floor and pushing her through the door into the private cabin and shoving her down to the mattress before she even realized they were moving.

He was pissed. She could feel the anger pumping off him in hot, rolling waves. Knew he was replaying what she’d done in that bunker and using it to punish her. And while her brain told her rough, angry sex was a really bad idea, especially after the way things had gone last night and this morning, her own adrenaline was still so high, she didn’t care.

Oh, God…

Bad, awful, really dangerous idea. So how come with him it felt so right?

***
Now check out these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!

Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Jaci Burton
Taige Crenshaw
Shelley Munro
TJ Michaels
Juliana Stone
Eliza Gayle
McKenna Jeffries
Savannah Foley
Elisabeth Naughton
Moira Rogers

Today's Saturday Snippet is all about weapons. I decided to pull something from MARKED for this one. I hope you enjoy!

***
Excerpted from MARKED
Release Date: May 2010
Dorchester

The air chilled, and the hair on the back of Theron’s neck stood up before he could question the child in-depth. Destiny forgotten, he edged toward the opening of the loft that looked down over the burned village. Then cursed long and low.

“Marissa,” Acacia said in a forceful voice, “Did Theron put you up to this?”

Theron moved as quickly and quietly as he could across the floor and grasped Acacia by the arm, pulling her up to his side. “We have a problem,” he said quietly into her ear.

She looked over with irritated eyes. “What now?”

“Three daemons. They look to be on patrol.” Acacia’s face went ashen. “My guess is they watch this area for stragglers in the hopes they may lead them to the colony.”

“Oh, shit,” she whispered.

“Acacia,” he said brusquely as he she trembled against him. “Stay with me.” Wide violet eyes met his, but there was fear there—lots of it—as she obviously remembered their last run in with Atalanta’s henchmen.

Dammit, this was what he’d been afraid of the moment she’d set out on this stupid quest. “I can handle the daemons. But you have to get Marissa to safety.”

She glanced right and left. “All three? You can’t…back at the store—”

“I can,” he said quickly. “At the store I was worried about you. Trust me. I know what I’m doing. But only if we work together.”

“Oh, God.” When she sagged against him, he knew he was losing her.

He tightened his arm around her waist, while listening intently to what was happening outside. The daemons were moving closer. He was running out of time. “You have to pull it together right now because I want to hear all the other reasons you’re not really attracted to me.”

She looked up, swallowed hard. And as their eyes met the connection they’d shared from the first flared deep in his soul. He knew she felt it too. Just as he knew if something happened to her here, he would never be the same.

She nodded once, twice, and pulled her courage up like a suit of armor. “I…I’m not attracted to you.” But she gripped his shirt at the chest and didn’t make any move to let go.

“Liar,” he whispered, just before dipping his head and taking her mouth.

The kiss was fast, and not nearly as deep as he wanted. But they didn’t have time for anything more.

He pulled the spiked dagger knife from his ankle, unsnapped the holster and attached it to her calf. Then he opened the weapon that was shaped like a bowie knife with menacing spikes sticking out of the underside of the handle. “Take this. Hold it here.” He positioned her fingers. “If any get past me, this won’t do you any good unless they get close. Swing like this. Away from your body.” He moved her arm to show her what he meant. “The spikes tear up the flesh and the blade does the rest. It won’t kill a daemon, but a good solid hit will incapacitate one long enough for you to get away.”

“Theron, I—”

“We don’t have time.” He shoved a penlight into her pocket, then grabbed Marissa and pushed her toward Casey. “Wait until you see me out front, then take the back ladder and head for the mountain across the stream. Try to find a cave or shelter to hide in. I’ll find you after.”

Shaking, Acacia slid the knife into its holster, lifted a frightened Marissa into her arms and cradled the child against her chest. “But how will you know where we are?”

He crossed the floor and stopped at the edge of the shadows, just out of sight of the daemons below, and took one last look at her. “I’ll always find you, Acacia. That is a promise.”

“Theron—”

He didn’t wait for her response. Instead he stepped off that second floor and landed against the cold earth one story down. All three daemons turned his direction with surprised, glowing green eyes.

“Hello, boys,” he said, reaching for his parazonium strapped to the small of his back. “You look a little lost. Let me direct you back to hell.”

***

Now check out these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!

Anya Bast
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Ashley Ladd
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Unless you live under a rock, by now you know that the New York Yankees won the World Series last night. I'll admit to being a baseball fan, but not necessarily a Yankees fan. However, this year I was rooting for the Yankees and it was for a purely selfish reason.

This is a short excerpt from a scene from STOLEN SEDUCTION, which releases December 29, 2009. Let me preface this by saying my hero--Shane--is a HUGE Cubs fan. And this book was written well OVER a year ago:

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Excerpted from STOLEN SEDUCTION
Release Date: 12.29.09
ISBN: 978-0-505-52795-0

Shane tugged the baseball cap lower over her face and frowned. “Couldn’t you have found a Cubs hat on that rack? Shit, I’d even settle for a Red Sox cap at this point.”

“You don’t like the Yankees? They’re like America’s team.”

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and stared at her like she had three eyeballs. “You’re sick, you know that?”

Hailey couldn’t help it. She laughed. “It’s only baseball, Maxwell.”

He slapped a hand against his heart. “Only baseball? Only baseball? That’s only my heart you’re ripping to shreds and throwing on the sidewalk.”

She rolled her eyes and kept walking. “Please tell me you aren’t one of those guys.”

“What guys?” he said, catching up.

“Those guys. The ones who don’t have a life from March to October because they’re either at the ball field or glued to their TVs. The ones who base their year on whether their team wins the pennant, then plot ways to murder their Yankee neighbors when the Yankees take the World Series. Again.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

She shook her head and bit her lip to keep from laughing. Dammit, she liked him. More with every passing hour.

***
As I told my editor this morning (she's a big Red Sox fan) I scare myself sometimes. I really do. I seriously should have put money on the Yankees to win the World Series.

My birthday cake, courtesy of the DH. (And yeah, I know it's missing letters. But he gets points for trying.)

I am obsessed with this:


That, my dear friends, is exactly what you fear it is. The Lingerie Football League. And it is EXACTLY what you think it is. Scantily clad Playboy bunnies running around playing football. I blame Lisa for this new obsession. Because ever since she IM'd me and said, "Have you heard anything about the LFL?" I can't stop thinking about it.

First of all, the concept just blows me away. How in the name of Hades do they keep their uniforms on? Wait...that might be the point. But there are teams all over the country! This is a real thing. Do wives suspect THIS is where their hubbies are going when they say, "I'll be back in a few hours, honey. I'm going to the game with the guys."????

If I were a straight suspense writer, I'd be all over this. I could totally see an undercover mystery plot here. And if I wrote erotica, I would be TOTALLY all over this. But, alas, I don't write either. And though I am intrigued, I can't wrap my mind around an adventure plot involving the LFL. Maybe someone else will take the idea and run.

In the meantime, I'm sure I'll still continue to think about this one. It's like whenever they run specials about Hugh Hefner on E! I can't stand the guy, but I can't look away either.

And on that note...this is a pic of me and the DH from Halloween:


How was your Halloween? Did you dress up? And I have to know...did you already know about the LFL????

Hey, all. Happy Monday!

I have the cold from hell so I'm playing the anti-social card the last few days. This thing is just hanging around and doesn't seem to be improving much. At this point I WISH it was the Swine Flu. Three days and then I'd be over it. But alas, no such luck.

Today I'm guest blogging at the new RomCom Blog, talking about series, sequels and Transformers 2. I'm also giving away a free book so stop by if you get the chance.

I'm also blogging over at Nobody Writes it Better about covers and how lucky I've been with mine. Stop by and join in the discussion about cover art preference.

Monsters, Free Books & Hawaii

I know. Quite a hodge-podge of topics, eh?

First off, I'm guest blogging today over at Cynthia Eden's blog for her month of monsters, talking about monsters, what scares me and my new paranormal series - Eternal Guardians. Plus I'm giving away a free book.

So stop on over and leave me a comment to be entered into the drawing.


***
Secondly, I promised pictures of Hawaii, and no, I didn't forget. I've simply been overwhelmed with my deadline, so apologies for not getting these up sooner.


We had a fabulous time in Kauai. It was my first time to that particular island and I can totally see why people consider it paradise. Originally we were supposed to stay in a condo in Poipu (south, sunny side) but 10 days before our trip the rental agency called to inform me that the unit I'd rented had sold and they didn't have anything else available. You can imagine my shock - and stress. I scrambled at the last minute to find something that would work. Luckily, I did, and we ended up at the Waipouli Beach Resort in Kapa'a. (Located in the heart of the Coconut Coast, and now I know why.)


I hadn't wanted to be on the east side (due to the weather) but it turned out great. The resort was gorgeous, the pool was beautiful and the kids had a fabulous vacation. This was the first time any of them had been to Hawaii, so the fab pool and the great beach were a bonus. It did rain a few days in Kapa'a, but we were able to load up in the car and drive to the beaches in Poipu on those days and find some sun, so all in all it wasn't bad at all.


We didn't get to do a few things I wanted to do, like explore the northern beaches (the weather didn't cooperate) or sail the Napili Coast (the seas were a bit rough) or hike Waimea Canyon (we learned quickly on a hike to Secret Beach that the kids are not hikers in the least). But that was okay. We relaxed on the beach and hung out at the pool, and spending time with the kids was our goal for the trip, so we were happy.





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And finally, now that I'm home my focus is trained on finishing the 2nd book in my Eternal Guardians series. It's due soon so I may be in and out. But don't forget to check back soon for deets on my upcoming contest. STOLEN SEDUCTION, the third Stolen book, releases December 29, 2009. It seems so far away, but really it's not. It's right around the corner!!