Friday, November 04, 2005

Hurt So good is live at EC

YEAH Hurt so good is live at EC on the coming soon page! Soooo today I have an excerpt from Hurt So Good and an excerpt from a featured Allure author.



Cathryn Fox is an exceptional writer! Check her out! And she has 3 books with AVON coming!! To top it off she is as nice as they come!

My news...none! I talked to my agent about an hour the day before yesterday and she gave me yet another pep talk. Of course I am with the 3rd editor at Harlequin and Warner, Kensignton, Berkley, Dorchester, and the Blaze division of Harlequin have my work as well. Oh, and 3 foreign houses have one of my books as well.I am working on a couple kick butt proposals though so if I don't sell I am going to have some kick butt things for my agent for the new year. She told me its just the right thing and the right time. Bottom line is I don't write Erotica. Those of you who read EC erotica and read me know I write HOT but the difference in hot and EROTICA is different. Big time. That means that some of the lines launching the EROTIC lines I am simply not right for. I am being looked at competing against the more mainstream categories and its a tough market and the competition is high. Often published authors. I told my story of going against two VERY published authors at one spot at one of the big houses. In this economy I lost to name recognition. I can't blame them coming from corporate roots but I wish it would have ended different. Anyway, we shall see. There are two of the houses that I am especially excited about. I feel like I 'fit' and I am crossing my fingers...The holidays are coming so I am worried I am going into a wait period that will be long.

In the meantime, here is a taste of HURT SO GOOD and a rocking excerpt from Cathryn Fox! WEB OF DESIRE...Gotta love that title.. Sounds YUMMY!!


Cathryn Fox!!!

His dark brows knitted together. “What do you want with me?” he asked, tugging hard on the binding strands.
She remembered that deep voice. So rich and enticing. Like warm melted butter drizzled over lobster. It seeped into her skin and filled her with heated memories of his passionate touch, his fiery kisses. Heat curled around her. She pinched her lips tight and suppressed a ragged moan.
Was it really him or was she dreaming? Had that delectable, familiar male scent simply caused her mind to conjure up the image of this perfect specimen?
She narrowed her gaze. “Tanner?” she asked quizzically, seeking verification that the man from her past had suddenly resurfaced.
He glared at her. Confusion obvious in his gaze. “Do I know you?”
She drew a sharp breath. It was him. And he didn’t remember her. She straightened her spine and swallowed. Perhaps he couldn’t see her well in the dark shadows of the room. Shuffling her feet along the planked floor, she took a tentative step closer, providing him with a better view of her face.
“It’s me, Ally.”
“Ally?” He paused as though searching his memory. “I don’t know anyone by the name of Ally.”
Her heart crumbled like the burnt toast she’d eaten for breakfast. How could he not remember her? They’d been in love. Were supposed to get married. At least she had thought they were. Was she so forgettable that the man she’d wanted to spend the rest of her life with had so easily dismissed her from his memories?
She opened her mouth to ask but shut it when he cut her off with a glare.
“Are you going to let me down?” he asked.
“I was going to,” she replied, walking over to the table beside him to look over the contents. Lubricant, a pink vibrator, nipple clamps, two long candlesticks and a book of matches. A leather crop drew her attention. How interesting. She picked it up and ran her hands over the long textured length of it. She wondered what kind of fun Selina had with that particular prop.
His body stiffened with annoyance. “What do you mean you were going to?” he bit out.
Silence ensued as she took a long moment to peruse the captive man before her. Gone was the thin teenaged boy she’d fallen for. In his place existed a man. A man with broad shoulders and thick, sculpted muscles. A man who oozed sexuality in a way the young, high school boy never had.
“You know, Tanner, you owe me something.” She stepped close, close enough that his scent overwhelmed her senses. Pressing the crop against his cheek, she let it slide over his neck, his chest, and lower until it grazed the huge bulge between his legs.
He flinched. His eyes darkened as disbelief marred his features. “How can I owe you anything? I don’t even know you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. We knew each other quite…intimately,” she murmured seductively.
She watched his glance leave her face and wander down her body. He dragged his teeth over his bottom lip as his eyes latched upon her breasts. Ally felt her nipples harden involuntarily under his lusty gaze. Her chest heaved as a surge of blood rushed through her veins.
“Ally. . . .” He let her name roll off his tongue as though he were testing it, tasting it. His gaze smoldered as it locked with hers. “If I’d known you…intimately,” he said, lowering his voice, “there is no way in hell that I’d forget.”
His warm breath caressed her face like a lover’s kiss. Her body became alive, stimulated at his bold words. A tingle worked its way down her spine. She blinked and fought to recover her voice. “Well it seems you did, now doesn’t it,” she challenged.
He gave her a sexy, predatory grin. “Why don’t you let me down from here and give me a chance to sample that hot body of yours. Perhaps that will help trigger my memory.” His voice dripped with sensual promise.
She slowly walked around him, dragging the long crop over his hard body. She felt his muscles bunch. She stopped directly in front of him and looked deep into his gorgeous eyes. “Or perhaps I could leave you there and make you pay for forgetting me.”
He growled and struggled with the silken webs. “You wouldn’t!” His voice sounded whisky-rough.
When their gazes met and locked she expected to see fear. What she saw instead captivated her. Heat coiled deep in her belly as moisture gathered between her loins. The passion that shimmered in his eyes made her breath catch. Her brain stalled and she had to remind herself to breathe.
“What exactly is it I owe you, Ally?” The deep timbre of his arousing voice made her shudder.
She could feel the well disciplined witch inside her dissolve as the wicked witch that lingered below the surface moved in to take her place. “A prom night,” she said and pressed the crop hard against his growing cock.


AND...Hurt So Good... by ME lol Ellora's Cave November 23rd!


The first touch of his lips was soft and ever so slow. Her lashes fluttered as she absorbed the caress, melting inside out.
The distinct feel of arousal, wet and real, dampened her panties. He pulled back, looking down at her, his breath mingling with hers. Then, instead of kissing her again, he surprised her.
He slid his cheek against hers, seeming as if he was soaking in her very essence. It was a tender act, gentle and soothing yet utterly arousing. His lips brushed her ear, nuzzling the sensitive area behind it.
“You smell so damn good,” he murmured, his breath warm on her neck.
Her hands settled on his shoulders. “You do too,” she said, soaking in his spicy essence of male. “You do too.”
He was kissing her neck now, making his way to her jaw and then her chin. Then his mouth slanted over hers, his tongue sliding past her teeth, igniting a passion she barely recognized as her own. Years of suppressing the sensual side of herself had left her charged with needs. And wants. Suddenly, all of these things surfaced. She sunk into the kiss, deepening it to a more sensual level, pressing close to him.
Something inside her just went all hot and needy. Suddenly, not only was her tongue hungrily exploring his mouth, her hands were moving and touching......
Posted by Lisa Renee Jones :: 7:37 AM :: 8 comments

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Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Hey all! Check out the new look at the Writer Babes Blog! Click on my sidebar to see the sexy new look!




Here is another ALLURE AUTHOR excerpt! Enjoy!TROUBLE WITH HARRY
http://www.mylajackson.com/
Prologue
Zagros Mountains in the Kingdom of Iraq 1924


Harry Taylor brushed his hat against his dust-crusted trousers and knelt in front of the sarcophagus. Pry bar in hand, he paused. Within the heavy coffin lay the culmination of five years searching, studying and digging in the driest of deserts near the base of the Zagros Mountains.


"Are you going to open it, or what?" William Prater, Harry's assistant and friend, stood on the other side of the stone platform, sand and sweat streaking his blond devil-may-care looks. "Whatever you do, hurry it up. You never know when those tomb guards will show again."

"Or the meddling British, for that matter. Give me a hand with this thing." Harry jammed the pry bar between the lid and the casing and leaned hard on it. A crunching, scraping noise accompanied the incremental movement of the cover as it rasped across the top, revealing the treasure within.

A glint of light reflected off a shiny surface inside and a squiggly line of carved snakes appeared beneath Harry's arm. Adrenaline spiked in his system, sending blood racing to his heart. He'd done it! "William, my friend," he said in a reverent whisper, "we've found the tomb of Vashti, daughter of Azhi, the Devil Shah of ancient Persia."

"A princess, huh? She was probably daddy's little girl and completely spoiled. She better be loaded, is all I got to say." Will leaned his shoulder into the lid and it slid to the side, where it teetered for a moment then fell with a resounding whomp, shaking the sandy floor of the tomb.


"I think we've hit pay dirt, Will." Harry straightened, tossing the pry bar to the ground, excitement bubbling up in his belly at what lay before him. A smile stretched his lips across his face, and he flipped his hat in the air. "Do you realize what we've found? Do you have any idea?"


Will stared down at the mummified remains of an ancient woman surrounded by decayed woven baskets and several unscathed decorative bottles. He frowned, his lips twisting in a lopsided grimace. "A mummy and some old bottles?"


Harry laughed, his voice echoing off the chamber walls. "Will, look past the dust and decay. Don't you see the details in the finely woven gown she's wearing?. Look here, the embroidery is still intact. These symbols are those of the ancient lovers, Vis and Ramin. See the stone with the carving of a two-headed dragon laying over the mummy's head?"


"So, it just looks like a big dumb rock, to me." Will shrugged. "Big deal."


"William, my man." Harry draped an arm around Will's shoulders. "Beneath that layer of dust is the most mystical stone known to man. Kings have fought wars to possess it, but it was lost long ago. Heinrich Schliemann himself couldn't find proof of its existence."


Will's chest puffed out. "But we did it, eh?" He gave Harry a skeptical glance.

"So, why's it so damn important?"


"Because of the legend." Will's lack of enthusiasm irritated Harry. He began to wonder what Will thought he'd been searching for all these months. "The legends say that whomever touches the Stone of Azhi will have great powers. Powers to change the world as we know it. Powers to make every wish come true."


"My wish right now is for a ten pound steak and a woman to share it with." Will licked his lips. "Suppose it might be worth something back in the States?"


"It's priceless-if only for its historical significance. But there are many men who would pay a king's ransom for its professed magical properties."
Will leaned over the mummy and reached for a dusty bottle. "I wonder what the bottles are for?"


"Probably contained the princess's favorite perfumes. Never mind them. It's the stone we want. No one's gonna pay for old glass when they can have all that power."


"Shit, I've been three long weeks without the comfort of a woman." Will waggled his eyebrows. "Does it have the power to grant me a woman?"


Harry was glad Will had finally understood the importance of their find. He slapped his friend on the shoulder. "Why settle for one? You could buy a dozen women with the money we'll make."


"Hell, I might even buy you one."


"No thanks." Harry lifted a bottle from the collection at the mummy's feet and brushed the dust from it. The blown glass reflected hues of deep sea green and blue, and was rimmed with gold bands.


"You aren't still mad about Fiona, are you?"


"Not in the least." He set the ornate container back in the sarcophagus.


Will lifted another of the glass bottles and tossed it lightly in the air, catching it one-handed. "Good, she's not your type anyway."


What was his type? Someone willing to follow him on wild chases across hostile continents? What woman in her right mind, would do that? Harry didn't know and really wasn't too interested in finding out. Last one, Fiona, had tried to hem him in with ultimatums.


Had he stayed, he'd have resented her. Leaving her had been the only answer.


"I'm so hungry I could eat a steak the size of Cleveland about now." Will grabbed for the stone at the same time as Harry.


"Wait, Will. We need to be careful." What if the legends were true? Could the stone be dangerous? When his fingers felt the smooth points of the two-headed dragon, tingling spread from Harry's hand up his arm and into his chest. The tingling turned to a burning sensation.


"What the hell?" Will staggered backward, his forehead creasing into a frown. He stared down at his hands and shook them.


The floor trembled and the walls around Harry and Will shook. Dust rose and filled the air until Harry couldn't see the hand in front of his face, much less his friend. "Will!"


"Harry! What's happening?"


"I don't know." Harry's heart raced and his breathing came in short gasps, his lungs filling with sand. "I feel like I'm on fire."


"Let's get the hell out of here!" Will called out.


But the doorway remained shrouded in thick dust.


The burning intensified until Harry felt he'd been seared by the sun. He gagged and choked on the sand rasping against the lining of his throat. Giant stones fell from the walls and ceiling.


What a way to go. Just when he'd discovered the stone of Azhi, he'd die in the mummified arms of the devil king's daughter.


The dim light from the torches snuffed out and blackness engulfed his tortured body. As if picked up by a tornado, he was jerked off his feet and sucked toward the sarcophagus, spiraling like a puff of smoke filtering through a tiny opening. His body screaming in pain, he could hear Will's terrified cries echoing his own. Then a loud thump ended the storm, sealing him in darkness.

Harry drifted into oblivion, wondering what the hell had happened.

Posted by Lisa Renee Jones :: 4:52 PM :: 5 comments

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Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Today's hot ALLURE AUTHORS excerpt and more!

Hi all!

Well, no news for me yet. No bad news either so I am clinging to that! I got to talk to Sasha White (www.sashawhite.net) on the phone the other day and she has this amazing sexy french canadian accent! Just like my best friend. I am jeolous! I want to sound all sexy. Instead, I sound sweet. Even Sasha said so! In high school, my best friend was blond and gorgeous and everyone called me the 'cut' one. Still do at 38. I am one of those people that gets called HUN...But then, when I was corporate woman, my employees didn't think I was so cute and sweet. Fair. Honest. Tough. Workaholic. But not sweet. However, the entire cute and sweet thing worked for me with clients..lol. They all became parent like and protective! But anyway, I never get to be the sexy one...the beautiful one...But as an adult I know cute is better than some other things so I am accepting. Age does that to us lol!

Anyway enjoy a hot excerpt from a wonderful author and great friend!

From Vivi Anna!
www.vivianna.net
Her room was cramped and musty. Just enough room for a single bed and a small chest of drawers. She didn’t use the chest. She had everything she owned and needed tucked safely away in her leather bag stored under the bed’s wooden frame.

Jack glanced around the dark and dismal room. He sat timidly on the edge of the bed. The mattress sagged with age and use.

Red uncorked the vodka. She took a swig from the bottle, then handed it to Jack. He took it gingerly, putting it to his mouth and took a small sip. He handed it back to her. She took another big pull on it before setting it on top of the dresser drawers.

“Take off your clothes.”

Jack flinched. “What?”

“You heard me. I don’t like to repeat myself.” Red stepped in front of him. She pulled her shirt up over her head, and tossed it to the floor. Her small, firm breasts were free. She wore no undergarments. Her peaked nipples were flushed bright red.

Jack watched her in fascination. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her pert bosom. He ached to touch it.

Red reached down and tore at his flimsy linen shirt. She ripped it open. She couldn’t feel his warm flesh fast enough. There was nothing more life-affirming than sex. She wanted it, needed it. She needed it to make her feel something, anything. She had gone too many days feeling empty and soulless.

Jack gasped at her aggression. Moaned as she touched his skin. Her hands were everywhere. They raced down to his breeches, and popped open the buttons. She reached in and gripped his already throbbing cock.

Jack popped the buttons on her dungarees and they dropped down her legs. She was soon completely naked. He drank in the scent of her, devoured her lean, muscular frame with his eyes. He pressed his mouth to her breasts, sucking a nipple into his mouth, hands stroking her firm buttocks.

Red could not wait. She didn’t want gentle. She didn’t want soft. She wanted fierce and frantic, like her inner soul. She straddled Jack. She held his cock while she impaled herself on him.

Jack cried out as she enveloped him. She was so hot and wet, he nearly came in one stroke. He gripped her ass cheeks tightly as she rode him hard. He pressed his mouth against her breasts, barely able to do anything else.

Red wrapped her hands in his hair, ground herself hard against him. She needed to be filled up; she felt so empty inside. She stroked up and down quickly, searching for her release. She could hear Jack’s labored breath and low groans. She knew he was close. She didn’t care. He was just a tool to her, a tool to satisfy her own pleasure.

She reached between them and found her clit. It ached painfully. She rubbed her fingers over it firmly, back and forth. She quickly pushed herself over the edge. Her climax ripped through her violently. She cried out as she grabbed Jack’s head and crushed him to her. She felt him come soon after.

Hours passed. They had sex twice more before Jack fell asleep, spent and satisfied. Red sat up on the bed and listened to the storm, not in the least bit content. The storm thundered. Lightning ripped through the sky as rain pelted the windowpanes. Jack was sleeping soundly. Red looked down at him. He slept like a child, full of innocence and purity. She wondered how long it would take for that to be torn from him. She had been only twelve when she lost hers.

Red hunkered down into the bedding, tucking a pillow behind her head. She needed to get some sleep. If the Pig brothers could be believed, she would need all her strength and wits to outmaneuver The Wolf. Then she could finally exact her revenge on him. She closed her eyes and slept.

Running through the woods. So quiet. Even the birds don’t chirp. There’s a small cottage up ahead. The lights are on. Smoke billows from the chimney. So welcoming. The door opens.

“Granny? It’s me. I brought you some muffins.”

No answer. Something’s wrong. The bedroom door is ajar. Muffled sounds come from within. Pushing the door open...

A man looms over Granny’s bed. A large man with long, black hair. Granny’s eyes are wide. Blood blossoms across her chest.

Screaming. The man turns. His eyes are so blue they’re translucent. They seem to glow in the dimly-lit room like an animal. He pulls the knife from Granny’s chest and marches toward the cowering child. He stops inches away and looks down at her.

She jumps up and attacks him. Screaming. Screaming. He’s caught by surprise. He flinches. His arm jerks out. The knife catches her in the face. It cuts her, deep. She screams, hands covering her face. She falls to the floor.

He runs out of the house. The girl lies on the floor, sobbing.

Red bolted up from the bed. Sweat poured off her face and soaked the sheets beneath her. She rubbed her hands over her face as she swung her legs over the bed and stood. She went to the dresser and picked up the bottle and took a long pull. She got dressed, strapped on a wrist sheath and tucked her small dagger into it. Wrapping up in her hooded black cloak, she left the room.

Jack opened his eyes and watched the door close.

Red stood behind the boarding house in the rain. There were just open fields, then tall trees behind the house. That was one of the reasons she picked the place. A cheap place to rent and a place for a quick escape.

She raised her head to the cool rain. She opened her mouth and let the chilled liquid pour in. She swallowed it down and opened for more, thirsting for the pure water. She drank it in greedily, hoping to be cleansed, but knowing that no amount of water could wash away her sins. She had been too long alone, with only black-hearted vengeance and cold steel for companions.

Red cocked her head to the side. Did she hear something? The rain fell hard on the tin roof of the house. It was difficult to hear anything over the roar. She slowly turned to her right. She stared hard into the shadows, narrowing her eyes. She saw a flash of something. Glowing eyes, like an animal.

Red ran. She turned to the open field and sprinted. If she could make it to the trees, she would lose him. She’d had many years of training in the forest. As she ran, she felt for the weapon at her wrist. It was there, secured tightly to her arm. She never went anywhere without at least one weapon.

She glanced back over her shoulder as she made it to the trees. She saw no movement behind her. The Wolf was quick, she knew, so he may have entered the woods further down. She’d have to be sharp. Use all her years of training to survive. This was the one night she had planned for, lived for, and she was not going to fail.

She moved into the foliage, hunkering down onto one knee and putting her hood up to cover her bright hair. She scanned the surrounding trees, letting her eyes adjust to the extreme dark. There was no moonlight to guide her way, and she saw no immediate movement. Looking down at the forest floor, she searched for another weapon. One was never enough.

Lightning lit the sky, and she was able to spy a small broken branch. It was jagged at one edge. It would be perfect for close encounters. She picked it up and held it firmly. If she could get close enough to him, she could stab the wood into the soft part just under his chin on the side of his neck. He would bleed to death. A branch snapped. Red stayed still and surveyed the woods. Could be just an animal, searching for food. Another branch snapped. This time it was closer. Red held her breath and narrowed her eyes. She could see a shape moving toward her.

Red looked down and picked up a small stone. If she could get a good aim, she could hit him in the head to stun him, affording her time to come up on him. If she missed, then he would know her location. Either way was a risk. She stood up and pulled her arm back.

“Red? It’s Jack.” His voice was soft and low.

Red hesitated. She lowered her arm. “What are you doing?”

“I followed you outside. I saw you run into the trees. I was worried. Are you all right?”

Red sighed and moved closer to him. He was endangering her. Surely, The Wolf knew her location. Or had she imagined him? Maybe she had only been running from Jack.

“You’re an idiot. I could have killed you.”

He laughed, low. “Not without your knives.”

Red paused. Her heart began to race. Her adrenaline pumping through her body. “What?”

“You’re unarmed, aren’t you?”

“Jack?” She saw the movement too late. “Watch out!”

Before the words were out of her mouth, The Wolf was on Jack. He came up from behind. He grabbed his chin, lifting his head and sliced the knife across his throat in one swift stroke.


IGNITING PASSION ONE PAGE AT A TIME
http://www.vivianna.net
AllureAuthors.com - coming soon

HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF - now available at Loose Id!
NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR - coming 03/06 to Kensington Aphrodisia



And here is a laugh! Love this one! Thanks to Rachel Carrington for sending them to me...Visit her at www.Racheldawn.com

Posted by Lisa Renee Jones :: 10:22 AM :: 4 comments

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Monday, October 31, 2005

WOOHOO...I got chosen for one of 12 Christmas Stories at EC! CHRISTMAS KING IS MY HOT PARANORMAL..Here is a very unofficial BLURB! I only have 20 days to write it so I have to get on it...


Alexis Gray is about to a Christmas present she will never forget... Her dream lover come to life and her past unveiled. But does she dare believe she is a princess who must make love to her prince to become Queen...and to acquire the powers she needs to protect herself from a dangerous enemy.


Now one of my SUPER talented hot author friends from the new ALLUREAUTHORS.com (coming soon!) Delilah Devlin! If you haven't read her you are missing out!
Visit her at www.delilahdevlin.com




VAMPROTICA 2005
featuring Darkest Knight
by Delilah Devlin
ISBN # 1-933400-46-3 (e-book)
ISBN # 1-933400-45-5 (trade paperback)
Published by Chippewa Publishing
http://www.delilahdevlin.com/books/anthology/vamprotica-exc.htm

While hiding her true identity, Maddie must seduce the mysterious Lord Garon to cement their marriage contract to assure she won't be returned into her lecherous stepfather’s care.

Fresh from Crusade in Palestine, Lord Garon has a secret he must hide, a hunger that must be fed, and a dark and uncertain future. Having shed himself of a fiancé he never met, he’s home to lick his wounds. The only thing he wants is a warm-blooded meal--but the new housekeeper is strangely insistent on giving him much more.
Excerpt (unedited)


Maddie shivered at the creaks and groans as the portcullis slowly rose. The wind carried the noises and filled the silences in between with a howling that sounded like the hounds from hell had arrived at the castle gate. And in a way, one had.

Shouts outside the curtain wall had alerted them only minutes before of Lord Garon d’Angerville’s arrival. With time to throw only a bliaut over her sleeping shift, she stood on the first step of the keep, holding a tray with a goblet of wine, ready to render a proper greeting to her overlord.

“Are you sure this is the way you wish to go about this, M-Maddie?” Egbert asked, fidgeting at her side.

She swallowed against the sudden dryness in her mouth and nodded.

“It be on your head, then,” he said, his always mournful tone dire as one of Father Ansel’s Sunday sermons.

The clatter of many hooves on the cobbled bridge beyond the gate was thunderous. From the encroaching darkness, the sounds were as deafening and ominous as the dark shapes looming on the gatehouse walls. The torches she’d ordered lit sputtered and flared, distorting their forms, elongating them so the men riding through the entrance appeared as giants.

Already tired and on edge from the days-long wait, Maddie’s fevered imagination painted them darker still.

“Be they devils?” Egbert asked, his narrow shoulders shaking. “No one travels on a night with nary a speck of light in the sky.”

“Hush!” The storm whipping at her clothing, and the fatigue from months of worry over this very moment, combined to make her own hands shake and dampened an already foul mood.

The horsemen entered the bailey and large shape separated from the contingent that approached the keep. As he drew closer, her fears weren’t eased one whit. The warrior sat atop a huge, black destrier, forcing her to raise her gaze quite high to seek his face.

He wore a helm that left only his square jaw exposed. His eyes were concealed in the darkness cast by the metal nose guard. Only his mouth gave hint of his mood--a thin straight line with the corners crimped downward.

Aware he stared, Maggie’s knees trembled, but her tray never rattled. She squared her shoulders and shot a glance about her at the castle folk. “Stephen!” she called to the stable master. “See to their horses.”

In moments, boys scrambled to accept reins and the air was filled with the creak of leather and the clank of iron.

The stable master stepped close to the dark warhorse at the foot of the steps, but the warrior’s gaze never left Maggie.

She licked dry lips with a dryer tongue. “Lord Garon?” she asked, although there could be no question who led this contingent. All gazes remained on his intimidating figure. “Please come inside, milord. Your people will see to your comfort and that of your men.”

His mouth twisted in an alarming sneer. “And who will see to mine?”

Maddie’s heart leapt to the back of her throat. “I will, milord.”

A long pause indicated he looked her up and down. “Who the blazes are you?” he asked, his voice a deep, hollow rumble.

Maddie remembered to curtsy, and then straightened, girding herself to speak the lie aloud. “Your housekeeper, milord. I take care of things now.” The last at least was the truth.

Lord Garon grunted. Without a glance at the stable master, he tossed down his reins and dismounted.

When he turned, Maggie’s breath caught. Lord, he’s a tall man. I thought it was just the horse!

Maddie lifted the ornate chalice from the tray to deliver her much-rehearsed welcome.

Instead, his lordship’s lips pressed into a tighter line and he brushed past her.

She was left gasping on the bottom step. “What a rude ogre!” she exclaimed, annoyed he hadn’t fallen in with step one of her plan.

“Watch your tongue, madam” an accompanying knight said as he followed the lord up the steps. “He has exceptional hearing.”

“M-Maddie?” Egbert said, nodding toward the door.

She shoved the tray at his belly and grasped her skirts high to rush up the steps.

The plan had seemed so simple. All she needed was to get him alone, addle his sight with a little wine and ale so he’d not care she wasn’t the comeliest creature in the keep. Then she would seduce him.

And the sooner, the better. For the longer she took in losing her virginity, the greater the risk he would discover her identity. The truth was, she’d rather copulate with the devil himself than be returned home.

However, this business of copulation, which had seemed a simple, messy, perhaps even enjoyable act according to the laundress, now boded a daunting trial.

After all, the lord of the keep was a giant and dour as a priest at confession. The thought of being naked with him and accepting his manstaff into her body frankly petrified her. She rushed through the massive doors, hoping her preparations would meet with his approval. Nothing else could mar her well-thought out plan.

Inside the hall, his lordship stood in the center, hands on hips. Unlike his men, he wore no chain mail, no leather hauberk to protect his body. He’d removed his headgear, revealing hair black as midnight and a face hard as carved granite.

His gaze narrowed, and she looked around to see what might have displeased him already.

Around him, servants scurried delivering warm food to the men-at-arms as boys eagerly divested them of their armor. If she hadn’t been observing him so closely, she might not have detected the change. He scarce seemed to notice the din of activity. His mouth lost a little firmness. His hands unclenched on his hips and his chest rose and fell deeply.

In that instant, Maddie lost a measure of her fear. Here was a man savoring his first night home after a long absence. He had a heart, and cared for something at least. Perhaps he wouldn’t be a complete troll when making her his wife.

* * * * *

Posted by Lisa Renee Jones :: 8:32 AM :: 7 comments

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Sunday, October 30, 2005

New author group!

Allure Authors has now become an exciting adventure for eight authors! We hope readers will think so as well!! To get you as excited as we are each of us are posting excerpts on our blogs for 8 solid days!!! Each for another author!Follow the trail of ALLURE authors to more fun and excerpts! Our site is coming soon and so are prizes and fun!

Here is my first guest author excerpt!
GYPSY HEART

By Sasha White
Liquid Silver Books.


Sale Link: http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/gypsyheart.htm

Go to sashawhite.net to get another excerpt from another Allure author! And check back tomorrow! I will have another Allure author guest spot and excerpt!!


Excerpt:



They said their good byes to everyone, and Gage steered her toward the vehicles parked nearby. When he stopped next to a yellow Dodge Dakota, Sable laughed out loud.

“What?”

“You just happen to have the truck of my dreams.” She threw a wink at him. “Think it means anything?”

He opened the door for her and waited while she climbed in, his lips tilted in a small smile, but not saying a word. While he walked around to his side she saw Miranda climb into Jake’s Jeep and felt relieved her friend didn’t have to walk home alone in the deepening twilight.

Gage opened the driver’s door, tossed his bag behind the seat and climbed in. She breathed deeply as his scent filled the small confines of the truck cab, and lust unfurled in her belly.

An image of him standing naked, still dripping from a shower, burst into her mind. She licked her lips and pressed her thighs together at the thought of licking those water droplets off him.

The truck engine turned over, and with a start Sable realized Gage was looking at her expectantly.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi there,” he responded after a moment of silence. “I need your address.”

Ugh! Feeling like an idiot, she gave him directions to her apartment. Before she could get too distracted by the sight of his bare, muscular thighs so close to her own, she asked the question foremost in her mind.

“So, where did you disappear to last night?”

“It was late when Jake and I finished our game, so I thought it best just to go home.”

“And you invited him to play ball with you guys tonight?” He’d made plans with Jake instead of her?

His hands fidgeted on the steering wheel, the muscles in his forearms jumped, and so did her pulse rate. She’d never found a man's forearms sexy before.

“Yeah. Our talk turned to ball, and he mentioned he used to play so I invited him along. Are you and he very close?”

“Me and Jake?” she squawked.

Gage laughed at her surprise. “Yes, you and Jake.”

“Not really, no. I mean we work together almost every night, and we get along good. But we’ve never really talked. We’ve never had the need to.”

“What do you mean ‘the need to’?”

“Well, he runs the kitchen, and I handle the bar. We each do our thing, and everything goes smoothly. Why?” Was he jealous? Did he really think she would hit on him if she had something going with Jake?

“No reason, really.” He shrugged. “He just seemed pretty protective of you last night, so I wondered. Here we are.” He slowed the truck to a stop and put the parking brake on.

Sable’s brain was still stuck on needs. All the naughty needs that had started to build inside her the moment he’d stepped into the pub.The need to taste him, to feel him. To have his hands cup her breasts, his fingers pinch her nipples, his tongue in her mouth, his cock buried deep inside her.

“Would you like to come in?”she asked, her voice husky.

He grimaced, as if in pain, when he answered her. “I better not.”

“I’ll feed you.” When she saw him hesitate, she continued to tempt him. “I make a mean chicken stir fry. As long as you like it hot and spicy.”

Heat flashed in his eyes at that, and Sable felt a shiver run down her spine.

“Hot is definitely a favorite of mine, but I have to say no thanks.” He studied her intently for a beat and then continued. “Look, Sable, you’re a beautiful and intriguing woman, but I’m at a place in my life right now where I want more than a casual relationship. And I get the feeling that’s all you’re looking for. So . . . I think it’s best if we just leave things the way they are.”

Just her luck. She finally decided she wanted to have hot fling, and the guy she wanted to do it with is looking for a relationship.

She’d consider a relationship, if she didn’t suck at them. But she could barely handle a relationship with her family and they had to love her.

She looked into the depths of his eyes. His desire was clear. His words might have told her he didn’t want her, but his eyes told her he was lying, and she felt the rightness of them in her gut.

Determined not to let him go without something to think about, she reached a hand up to cup his cheek and softly pressed her lips against his.

She’d meant it to be a quick kiss, a tease, but the instant their lips touched, hunger swamped her. She ran her tongue across his full bottom lip, seeking entrance. His lips parted and his tongue darted out to duel with hers. Sliding her fingers into his hair, she pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. Her heart thumped against her chest, her breathing became ragged and all thoughts fled as they tasted each other for the first time.

Needing air, she pulled back a bit, nibbled at his lips and kissed the corner of his mouth before sealing her lips over his fully once more. When his hand cupped the back of her head, she tightened her grip on his hair and pulled her mouth away. My God, she was practically on top of him!

Resting her forehead against his, their panting breaths mingled in the small space between them. She looked into his eyes and felt her chest tighten with a foreign emotion.

“If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” Not bothering to keep her disappointment from showing, she pulled away completely and exited the truck before she said something she’d really regret.

Something like “Take a chance on me.”

Posted by Lisa Renee Jones :: 3:20 PM :: 2 comments

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