This post is dedicated to…

Posted in ..., Contemporary Red Hots, Jayne Rylon, M/M, Menage, New Releases, Romantic Suspense on November 23, 2009 by jaynerylon

…all of you reading it, of course!

With the volume of new releases flying around International Heat these days I was thinking about one of the best things about writing a book:  the dedication!

A few of my dedications have been silly, like the time I wondered how long it would take my husband to notice Picture Perfect was dedicated to him.  Answer:  More than a year before he mentioned it, though he later claimed to have read it and just not told me because he thought my dedication sucked.

Sometimes they’re serious like when I dedicated Dream Machine to the people who don’t know I write but who would be proud if they did (Hi mom!).  Or Phoenix Incantation, which was dedicated to Mari Carr because she’s a great friend and has helped me immensely in my writing career.  Then there are future dedications in books like Kate’s Crew that you’re just going to have to wait to read for yourself!

So… who is my latest release dedicated to you ask?

Night is Darkest will hit e-shelves today (11/24/09) with the following dedication:   For all the members of the Samhain reader café yahoo group. I enjoy the time we spend chatting about our favorite books and all the wonderful feedback you’ve given me. Special thanks to the moderators, both past and present, for keeping the party going!

In their honor, you might notice a few cameos by prominent members of the group.  It was so much fun to include them in the story.  I hope they don’t kill me for the things they say (Yes, I’m looking at you Valerie Tibbs).

If you want to check it out for yourself.  Here’s all the info on the new release!

“Night is Darkest” by Jayne Rylon

Genre: ,

ISBN: 978-1-60504-800-0
Length: Novel
Price: 5.50
Publication Date: November 24, 2009
Cover art by Natalie Winters

Some secrets refuse to stay hidden.

Lacey Daughtry’s perfect weekend is interrupted by tragic news of her brother’s murder in the line of duty. Plagued by a rash of mysterious phone calls, she turns to her brother’s best friends and fellow officers for protection…and comfort.

Spending time in close contact with Mason and Tyler, the two men she’s dreamed of since her first girlhood crush, seems like the answer to a prayer. Especially when they begin to explore the desire she’s harbored for so long.

But the partners are holding out on Lacey. Determined to suppress the most extreme facets of their lust, they agree to settle for sharing the woman they crave while concealing their desire for each other. Until Lacey cracks their resolve, unleashing a torrent of emotions that threatens to distract them when they can least afford it.

Their blossoming relationship is complicated by secrets. And the only way to evade the killer threatening their lives is to bare their souls in the darkest hours of the night. Or everything will come crashing down, just before the dawn.

Warning: After reading this book you’ll never look at a pair of hot cops, a cemetery or a can of Spaghetti-O’s the same way again.

Jayne
www.jaynerylon.com

Thankful for New Releases CONTEST!

Posted in ..., Contests, New Releases on November 22, 2009 by maricarr

The International Heat authors have a lot to be thankful for this fall. The biggest thing? New releases! To celebrate, we’re holding a contest. The rules are simple. Below is one question about each authors’ new release. Also included is a link to the authors’ sites where the answers can be found. Email all six answers to internationalheat@gmail.com before Sunday, November 29 at 9 p.m. EST to be entered.

Six winner, six prizes.  We will draw six names and each winner will receive one of the new releases. Luck of the draw in terms of who gets what!

We’re even being nice and giving a hint. This guy will help you find the answers!

The questions:

1. In Mari Carr’s Assume the Positions, what book does Ethan give Rachel to help them complete the Cougar Challenge? www.maricarr.com

2. In Jambrea Jo Jones’ Magnus, what unthinkable thing did Emily Patterson do after Mag told her to go home? http://jambrea.wordpress.com/

3. In Vivian Arend’s Wolf Flight, where are Missy and Tad when they kiss for the first time?  http://vivianarend.com/

4. In Jayne Rylon’s Night is Darkest, what did Tyler eat at Rob’s ‘party’? www.jaynerylon.com

5. In Lexxie Couper’s The Sun Sword, what does the woman Torin finds on Earth swear to do to him? www.lexxiecouper.com

6. In Jess Dee’s A Question of Love, what do Tina and Gabe call each other for nicknames?  http://www.jessdee.com/

Friday Eve Snippet – Night is Darkest

Posted in Coming Soon, Contemporary Red Hots, Friday Eve Snippets, Jayne Rylon, M/M, Menage, New Releases, Romantic Suspense on November 18, 2009 by jaynerylon

FIVE DAYS!!!!  That’s it.  120 hours until Night is Darkest hits the eShelves.  I can’t wait!  I know authors shouldn’t have favorites among their books but I am hoping that you guys love this book even half as much as I do.  To whet your appetite, here’s a never before seen snippet (Careful.. it’s an extra scalding hot one!).

ISBN: 978-1-60504-800-0
Length: Novel
Price: 5.50
Publication Date: November 24, 2009
Cover art by Natalie Winters

Some secrets refuse to stay hidden.

Lacey Daughtry’s perfect weekend is interrupted by tragic news of her brother’s murder in the line of duty. Plagued by a rash of mysterious phone calls, she turns to her brother’s best friends and fellow officers for protection…and comfort.

Spending time in close contact with Mason and Tyler, the two men she’s dreamed of since her first girlhood crush, seems like the answer to a prayer. Especially when they begin to explore the desire she’s harbored for so long.

But the partners are holding out on Lacey. Determined to suppress the most extreme facets of their lust, they agree to settle for sharing the woman they crave while concealing their desire for each other. Until Lacey cracks their resolve, unleashing a torrent of emotions that threatens to distract them when they can least afford it.

Their blossoming relationship is complicated by secrets. And the only way to evade the killer threatening their lives is to bare their souls in the darkest hours of the night. Or everything will come crashing down, just before the dawn.

Warning: After reading this book you’ll never look at a pair of hot cops, a cemetery or a can of Spaghetti-O’s the same way again.

SNIPPET:

Tyler huddled into his charcoal wool jacket to avoid the chill as he slunk across the frosted lawn to the backdoor of the apartment he shared with Mason. Above it, a single hundred-watt bulb made an ineffective beacon welcoming him home in the early morning glow. The dread pumping through his nervous system rivaled any he’d experienced as a teenager praying he’d evade MomDAR after a late-night excursion. Only, this time, his roommate inspired the apprehension instead of the debauchery that had earned the repercussions.

He estimated his chance of making it inside undetected to be about as abysmal as the chance of wiping the memory of burying himself in Lacey’s virgin pussy from his mind. But, son of a bitch, even a lifetime of torment—knowing exactly what he was missing—would be worth the taste of rapture he’d stolen.

Now he had to pay for it.

Tyler paused to consider the merits of jimmying a window before he abandoned hope and squared his shoulders in preparation for the come-to-Jesus ass chewing he deserved. The metal stairs creaked by design as he ascended. They’d worked hard to make this place their own as much as possible for a no-frills rental unit. No one could slip in with them unaware. They’d seen too much shit during their time on the force to be less than vigilant at home.

He cringed when an image of the crime scene including Rob’s mutilated body as a gruesome centerpiece flashed, unbidden, into his mind. Fuck Mason. Fuck his iron willpower. Ty’d needed Lacey as much as she’d needed him last night. Her soft innocence paired with fiery desire had cauterized the gaping wound in his heart, at least temporarily.

The award he and Mason had received for exemplary service rattled on its prominent shelf as the door slammed behind him. He’d just unlaced his shoes when movement from the scarred leather sofa caught his attention. Legs splayed, shirtless despite the chill, Mason poured a stream of amber liquid into the glass nestled between his bunched thighs.

Ty licked his lips. “I’m impressed. Whiskey before breakfast. We haven’t done that in years.”

“Haven’t been to bed yet.” Mason’s pupils had dilated from sitting in the dim room. The ebony centers overshadowed his cerulean eyes, making them appear ominous despite his calm tone. “That makes it a nightcap.”

The measured speech didn’t fool Tyler. A telltale muscle jumped along the right side of Mason’s neck and his knuckles whitened around the bottle of Jack before he set it, with overabundant precision, on the end table they’d scored off a buddy who’d moved in with his fiancée. It had been too “bachelor pad” for her tastes, which made it perfect for their eclectic refuge of hand-me-downs.

“You worked the case all night despite the captain’s orders? You have a gut feeling on this one, don’t you?”

Mason didn’t answer the rhetorical questions. Instead, he fired a fierce stare in Ty’s direction. Goddamn, would he ever blink?

Ty tried not to shuffle like a kid busted with his hand in the cookie jar but that’s exactly what he felt like. “Shit! Say something already. Curse at me, let the bottle fly or kick my ass old-school. Just quit looking at me like that.”

“Like what? Like you’re the scum of the earth? Like you’re a cock-sucking asshat who broke the shit out of a pact with his best fucking friend?”

A strong breeze ruffled Tyler’s hair as the bottle of alcohol whizzed past his right ear on its way to oblivion. It smashed into the brick fireplace with a tinkle of glass. The arm he’d instinctively raised to protect his face prevented him from witnessing Mason’s charge but the impact of their collision rocked every joint in Tyler’s body. The shorter man brought him to the floor without effort.

“Or…” Ty choked against the pressure on his windpipe but he didn’t fight back. “…you could opt for all three.” Broad fingers spanned his throat, pinning him to the beige shag.

“She was off limits for a reason!” Mason’s temple bulged as he got right up in Tyler’s face. His free hand fisted in Ty’s shirt as he shook him. “We just lost Rob. Do you want to chase her away, too? You’ll only end up hurting her and I won’t fucking let you do that because you can’t say no to your cock. After years of hard work, you had to fuck up now?”

Tyler winced as Mason shifted on top of him. The full weight of his powerful frame straddled Ty’s torso while the other man’s shins trapped his arms on the ground. Being manhandled didn’t sit well with him. Every guy had his limits and the events of yesterday had pushed him beyond rational thinking. Up close and personal with the bulging crotch of his roommate’s jeans, self-preservation flew out the window as his smart mouth took over.

It wouldn’t be the first time it’d gotten him in trouble.

“Jealous, Mason? Don’t you wish you’d stayed? You could have slaked that woody about to drill a hole in your pants. I bet you jacked off at least three times since then. It didn’t matter, did it?”

“Of course I’m jealous, asshole. We’ve craved her for nearly a decade. But I’m man enough to walk away if I have to. Even from something I want more than my next fucking breath.” Ty had never seen him this pissed, and that was saying something. Mason possessed a legendary temper. He leaned down to snarl right in Tyler’s face. “And I suggest you keep your eyes off my junk unless you plan to do something about it.”

The combination of anguish and need radiating from every flexed muscle of the man on top of him dissolved the defiance Ty’d attempted to use as a shield. Mason’s suffering affected him as much as Lacey’s had yesterday. All resistance fled. He went slack in Mason’s hold.

A throaty growl echoed around them as the dominant man’s hand moved in a flash from its perch on Tyler’s throat to rip the flaps of his own button fly apart. His glorious cock stood framed in denim, the veins pronounced and throbbing. Even as Mason’s hips thrust forward, Ty opened his mouth to welcome the intrusion.

He’d never get used to the mammoth girth stretching his jaw, though he’d given Mason hundreds of blowjobs. Each time, the thickness impressed him as he savored the weight on his tongue and the ecstasy on his lover’s face. Mason reached forward, cradling the back of Tyler’s head in his palm as he urged him to take more. His fury evaporated as desire replaced it.

“Fuck, yes. That’s right, Ty. Suck me.”

 

Enjoy Night is Darkest, coming Tuesday 11/24 from Samhain Publishing!

Jayne

www.jaynerylon.com

New Release- Dragon Storm

Posted in ... on November 18, 2009 by vivianarend

1293“Dragon Storm” by Bianca D’Arc

Read An Excerpt Online
Genre:

ISBN: 978-1-60504-829-1
Length: Novel
Price: 5.50
Publication Date: November 17, 2009
Cover art by Kanaxa

Their love will span the ages…and two very different worlds.

Dragon Knights, Book 6

Caught in a magical storm and deposited on modern-day Earth, twin dragon princes Darius and Connor are looking for a way home. Instead they find something most unexpected—their mate. The one woman who holds both their hearts in the palm of her healing hand—along with secrets about her origins that link their shared destinies.

When Josie patches up the injured man on her doorstep, her snowcat instincts tell her he’s much more than a man. And so is his brother. She also knows her dragon lovers cannot fly free on Earth. The only way to return them to their rightful place is to face the failures of her past, and leave the safety of her Oregon cabin to seek her estranged grandfather’s counsel. There she learns the painful truth: returning Darius and Connor to where they belong could mean giving up everything. Even her only chance for true love.

But fate has other plans for the trio. Magic swirls all around them. Whether it is for good or ill, only time will tell…

Warning: This book contains red hot twin action ménage a trois, a wild cat woman and two hunky dragon studs in black leather.

Read An Excerpt Online

Buy from MB&M!

 

The Sun Sword – AVAILABLE NOW!

Posted in Lexxie Couper, New Releases with tags , , , , , , , on November 17, 2009 by lexxiecouper

Well, it’s finally here, my erotic sci-fi/fantasy tale, The Sun Sword (affectionately called The Burning Penis by some *grin*)

This book started out as one of three novellas subbed to Samhain as a single anthology with two other authors. While the antho wasn’t accepted, my novella was and, subsequently, reworked to become a 50,000 words single-title story. I would like to take this opportunity to send out my love to those two other authors (you know who you are. Thank you. *hugs* The Sun Sword wouldn’t exist without you)

She has the power to bring new life…or utterly destroy it.

Torin Kerridon, the last warrior from an ancient order, is drawn to an abandoned, dying Earth, where he finds a forgotten young woman. A woman forged by the Immortals to wield the ultimate weapon—the Sun Sword. A woman capable of commanding the power of the suns. A woman with no past and no memory, the body of an angel and the spirit of a demon. He will train her. Prepare her.

Hunted all her life, Kala Rei has endured more than one woman should. Sheer grit, and a dangerous skill with a lead pipe, are the key to her survival. But nothing threatens her sense of safety more than dominance-oozing Torin. He wants her, but not for what’s between her legs. For what he believes her to be—some ludicrous savior from some absurd prophecy. No matter…his offer to take her away from Earth is too good to refuse.

But when a savage desire begins to burn between them, both Torin and Kala are in danger—and so are the worlds of man.

Warning: This book contains an ancient prophecy that can’t be denied, a brooding hero tormented by desire, a stubborn woman who hungers for his touch, a villain so vile you’ll want to kill him yourself and sex so hot it’ll melt the suns of the known universes…and then some.

(I can’t stress enough how accurate the warning is. Honestly *grin*)

Excerpt

Earth calendar 2445

Torin Kerridon walked down the rubbish-strewn street, studying the derelict buildings, stunted fauna and polluted sky. So, this is Earth.

He curled his nose, moving his right hand closer to his disruptor. He didn’t expect anyone to attack him—he doubted anyone still living on the once-prosperous planet was healthy enough to pose any threat—but that didn’t mean he relaxed his guard.

You relaxed your guard, you died. That was the way of the Sol.

Besides, somewhere on this forgotten hunk of dying rock was a warrior of supreme force and skill. A warrior more deadly than the entire Sol Order combined. Even if he didn’t know it yet.

Stepping over a fallen tree, the leaves long dead, the branches withered and twisted as though tortured, Torin scanned the immediate area. The Old Seer had sworn the One Who Burns could be found somewhere in this vicinity. He’d been quite adamant about it in fact, almost having an apoplexy when Torin had voiced his doubt.

The old man had refused to listen to reason and, invoking the Sol Edict, had commanded Torin leave P’helios immediately for the abandoned planet.

Casting a dubious look at the closest building, boarded-up windows doing little to hide its desolate decay, Torin shook his head. The Old Seer was never wrong. If he said the One Who Burns was here, he was here. Somewhere. The southern hemisphere of the planet had survived the Third Global with the least destruction, the planet’s ailing weather patterns saving it from the initial bio detonation. Torin looked up at the sky and scowled. Polluted storm clouds boiled and rolled above him. The Old Seer had drawn the constellation under which Torin would find the One Who Burns, sightless eyes staring at the parchment as he’d inked the angled five-starred cross. The map however was useless.

Returning his attention to the buildings around him, Torin continued forward. He didn’t need to see the stars to know he was in the correct location. The sensors on his ship, Helios Blade, indicated a significant number of life signs in this quadrant. The only sign of life on the eastern coastline of the large landmass to be exact—a paltry four hundred and forty-two souls. According to the Old Seer, the One Who Burns was among them.

Torin frowned, looking at the empty, desolate dwellings around him. How are you going to find him, Kerridon?

He let out a silent grunt, his skepticism pushed further by his bleak surrounds. The Old Seer had told him the One Who Burns would find him, but he couldn’t help wondering how.

The One will come to you. Walk through the streets of dismay with want in your soul, belief in your heart and the One will come to you. This you must do. Or the hearts of man will be—

His proclamation had ended there. The Old Seer’s sightless eyes had rolled back into his ancient head, he’d hitched in a sharp breath and died.

Torin clenched his fist, the memory of his Sol guide’s death still jarring. The Old Seer had charged him with a task and he must obey. He was the last of the Sol Order. The last warrior charged with the protection of the Sun Sword, the ultimate weapon in the known universes. A weapon forged by the Immortals and discovered by the Oracle. A weapon created to end all life and begin it. He needed to find the one who was born to wield the blade before the False Fire did. If he failed, the worlds of man would cease to—

A ball of solid steel smashed into his chest, hurling him backward. His heels tripped, his feet tangled and, before he knew it, he was on his back staring at the bruised, polluted sky. Pain radiated through him. Syunna, what was that?

He flipped his body from the filth-strewn ground, disruptor drawn.

And found a tiny slip of a girl no taller than his chest standing before him, green eyes burning with golden fire, short black hair a spiky crown of mess. She glared at him, a long, rusted steel pipe clenched in her small fists. “Whoever you are, you’re not welcome here,” she growled, her voice husky. And angry. Very angry.

Torin frowned, resisting the urge to lift his hand and rub his chest. By the gods, what had she hit him with?

What do you mean_, she? Surely you don’t think this whelp put you on your arse, do you?

He returned his disruptor to its holster. “I have no issue with you, girl.” He began walking forward. “Move aside before I put you across my knee and—”

She threw herself at him. Feet first.

Her bootless heels struck his gut like two small balls of steel. He stumbled again, dumbstruck.

She swung the pipe, smashing it against his jaw as he fell.

White agony detonated in his head. He let out a shout of rage and indignation. How could a scrap of a child move so quickly? And hit so hard?

Before he could contemplate the answer, she straddled his chest, the steel pipe rammed under his chin. Choking him.

She glared down at him, the fury in her eyes seismic. “I will not let your kind touch me again.”

Torin stared at her, teeth clenched. “I’m not going to touch you. Now get off me before I give you a damn good—”

She didn’t let him finish. Fear flooded her eyes, turning the rage there to icy terror. She smashed the pipe against his face, his jaw, his shoulders, her tiny body trembling, her face set.

Pain erupted in his head. He let out a shout, more of surprise than agony, and grabbed at her wrists.

She was quick.

He was quicker.

Before she could strike him again with that cursed steel pipe, he yanked her body forward, threw her to ground beside him and rolled on top of her, pinning her beneath his weight.

“Get off me!” she screamed, thrashing and bucking like a wild animal.

He dodged another attempted blow from her right hand, fighting to keep her wrists in his grip.

Syunna, she’s strong for a scrap.

“Get off, me get off me, get off me!”

Her scream grew louder with every word, her eyes wider and more terrified.

“Stop it!” he roared, smacking her wrists to the ground beside her head and staring down into her muck-smeared face. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Ha!” she barked. “I’ve heard that before. Right before one of your kind shoves his dick between my legs.”

Cold fury rolled through Torin. His gut clenched at the implication behind her words and he fixed her with a steady look. “I, Torin Kerridon, last command warrior of the Sol Order and keeper of the Sun Sword’s truth, swear I will never bring harm upon your body.” He relaxed his hold on her wrists. A little. “Nor shove my dick between your legs.”

She glared up at him, green eyes flashing golden chips of rage.

He loosened his hold a fraction more. “This is my word and I swear it to you on my honour.”

She stopped fighting against his weight, expression guarded. Wary. “I swear I will rip your dick off and shove it down your throat if you break your word.”

The words were full of promise and Torin didn’t doubt—if given the chance—she would be capable of doing just so. He frowned, his gut still tight. “What is your name, child?”

Her jaw bunched, defiant strength glinting in her unusual eyes, and she shifted beneath him. “I’m not a child. I’m almost twenty-one.”

Torin suppressed the urge to smile. Almost twenty-one made her a child by his reasoning, and by his own advanced age. “What is your name, child?” he repeated, the need to know growing heavy in his gut.

Green eyes glinted. “Kala Rei. Now get off me.”

But Torin couldn’t move. He stared down at the dirty, skinny girl, every muscle in his body locked frozen with disbelief, his heart a thumping beat, his blood roaring in his ears.

Kala Rei.

The name whispered by the Immortals. The name he’d known all his life.

Kala Rei.

The One Who Burns.

 

So what did you think?

 

If you love your sci-fi very hot, very sensual and very dark, or if you like your romance very intense, very dangerous and a touch tormented, or if you like your erotic romance very very very fiery, than The Sun Sword may very well be the book for you. If you don’t like brooding, tormented heroes who will kill for love, heroines who can kick arse better than the rest of them and sex so passionate you’ll melt in your seat, The Sun Sword probably isn’t your cup of tea :)

You can check it out here

or on Kindle here

Thanksgiving Plans

Posted in ... on November 15, 2009 by vtibbs

I know our Aussie friends have summer this time of year, and our Canadian friends already celebrated Thanksgiving, but what does everyone else do for this holiday? 

For me, Thanksgiving was usually a travel holiday.  Before my mom passed away a few years ago, we’d try to go out to New Jersey and visit.  But life, money and some crazy family dynamics put that tradition to rest – permanently.  We now celebrate just the three of us and my mother-in-law.  We have the usual – turkey, ham, potatoes, sweet potatoes, some sort of veggie, stuffing, and usually pumpkin or apple pie.  Sometimes both pies.  We eat until we can’t move anymore, then roll into the living room and watch Miracle on 34th Street.  The 1947 black and white version with Maureen O’Hara and Natalie Wood.  After that my MIL heads into town to visit with her brother and family for another dinner.    I’m usually in a tryptophan induced coma by now. 

I take the week off from work every year – whether we travel or not.  If we’re not traveling, then I use the time off to clean/organize the house and start on Christmas shoppping.  And hopefully catch up on my reading.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is time to get the Christmas decorations out.  Much to my hubby’s dismay.  I change out the shower curtain/towels/rugs/etc…  in the guest bathroom for most every holiday, but I make hubby help with this one.  Just because I can.

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away… I’m looking forward to the time off from work.  Not reorganizing my kitchen cabinets (which is this year’s plan).  What’s everyone else up to?  Inquiring minds want to know…

The Dilemma of the Yabbies

Posted in Coming Soon, General Mischief, Lexxie Couper with tags , , , , , on November 13, 2009 by lexxiecouper

Most of you may know by now of the Couper family yabbies. When Peanut (my eldest daughter) turned five last May, she asked for a cat. We gave her two yabbies (if you’re not sure what a yabbie is, check out this very informative site here). We named them Mornay and Bisque (yes, we really are that evil) and placed them in a lovely tank any yabby in its right mind would love to call home. There they happily co-existed for five months and all was right in our crustacean pet world.Mornay and Bisque

The thing with yabbies is this – they moult to grow. When they can no longer fit in their nifty little shells they shuck it off and viola, there is their new shell – all soft and fragile. This leaves the newly moulted yabby quite vulnerable to attack. Mornay and Bisque had both gone through various moults since becoming members of the Couper family, so imagine our surprise when one morning, we found Bisque’s old shell discarded in the corner of the tank….and Mornay merrily munching away on what was once Bisque herself. Mornay ate Bisque and I had to give a lesson on the circle of life to my somewhat devastated five year old daughter.

Two weeks later, we took a trip to the pet shop and, after much discussion with the resident yabby expert, came home with The Missing Link – a bigger, meaner, tougher MALE blue-claw yabby. There was no way, Resident-Yabby-Excerpt assured us, that the smaller, weaker FEMALE Mornay would eat Link. In fact, he predicted we would soon be hearing the little splisher-splasher of tiny yabbies.

Two weeks of marital bliss past. We eagerly awaited our tiny new brood.

And then it happened. Mornay ate Link. (We have since decided Mornay is the devil incarnate) An hour later, when my husband dragged himself out of bed, I handed him the fish net and asked him to scoop Link’s body out of the tank.

And then we made a rather interesting discovery. Link was not dead. Mornay had eaten his two nippers, all the legs on his left side, all but two of the legs on his right side and both his main antennae, but she had not touched his body. Well, after much rejoicing (and eewing on my behalf) we called the Resident-Yabby-Expert and the words every couple dreads hearing… Trial separation.

But how does one enforce a period of separation in a fish tank full of rocks, driftwood and bubbling clams? You can’t just, draw a line down the middle of the tank…can you? Turns out, what you need to do is buy yourself a $12 sheet of clear perspex, drill some holes in it and wedge it in the middle of the tank. This I did. And then watched Mornay spend the next twelve hours trying to burrow her way under the perspex to get to Link. After a restless night’s sleep dreaming of cannibalistic lobsters, I awoke to find Mornay had, indeed succeeded in breaching the legally enforced divide and found Link cowering – legless and antennae-less – under an overturned piece of driftwood. After two days of this behaviour, I was at my wits end. Stressed enough to call my big brother who, in the sardonic, casual way of his, suggested I swap them around: put Mornay in Link’s side of the tank and Link in Mornay’s side. “Who knows, she may not be after Link at all. Maybe she laid her eggs over there.”

After blinking like a fool for a good thirty seconds, that is exactly what I did, and guess what? Mornay is now scurrying/paddling around her side of the tank with a tiny little clutch of yabbie eggs tucked under her tail. And Link watches her from the safety of his side, stubby little regrowing pincers and legs and antennae moving excitedly. Life is, as they say, odd.

Next time my daughter asks for a pet we’re buying her something easier – like a boa constrictor.

 

Oh, and by the way, I have a book coming out on Tuesday from Samhain Publishing – The Sun Sword, a dark and dangerous and very erotic sci-fi romance. But I’ll tell you more about that later. *grin*

Savage Transformation – A completely unedited snippet

Posted in Coming Soon, Friday Eve Snippets, Lexxie Couper, Shifters, Works In Progress on November 12, 2009 by lexxiecouper

I have been working on this story forever. Well, it feels that way.

Savage Transformation is the first sequel to Savage Retribution and has kicked my butt from beginning to end. I literally finished writing it five minutes ago (well, all except the epilogue, but seeing as it’s 12:58am in Australia, I think I’ll write that tomorrow *grin*)

Sydney Detective, Jackie Huddart’s gone home to visit her childhood friend in Tasmania, the smallest state in Australia. The trouble is, her childhood friend seems to be missing, and someone wants Jackie to find her. Someone who knows exactly what Jackie is.

As Jackie begins the hunt to find her friend, she is joined by the very mysterious and way-too-sexy Marshall Rourke, a man who seems to have just as many secrets as she. Which may explain why Jackie feels like she is the one being hunted. But by who?

This is a utterly, completely and totally raw unedited snippet. There’s bound to be mistakes aplenty, but I wanted to share it with you all. You have no idea how fantastic (and tired) I feel right at this very second. Enjoy…

Okay. This is getting ridiculous.

Jackie turned on the spot, studying the car park around her. A few cars sat in the odd parking bay, silent and still, the late afternoon sun bouncing from their windshields in glinting spears of white-orange light.

She frowned, turning back to the hotel they’d only just checked into. The Tasmanian Gardens’ entryway doors stayed shut, the glass panels revealing an empty check-in foyer. No sign of Delanie there either. “Where are you, Del?”

Grinding her teeth, she crossed the car park, heading for Delanie’s beloved Volkswagon Beetle. Bernie sat between a black convertible BMW and a silver Audi  A4, jarring and smug in his eye-stinging bright green paintwork, dented hubcaps and hot-pint windscreen wipers. Nothing looked out of place. All the doors were locked.

Jackie circled the car, fingers wriggling. She narrowed her eyes, studying the ground, car park, surrounding buildings and trees. After checking-in, Delanie had returned to Bernie to retrieve their over-night bags while Jackie found their room. Ten minutes later, the mini-bar, bathroom and balcony over-looking the pool thoroughly inspected, Jackie perched herself on the foot of the softest bed in the room and waited for Delanie to arrive.

Eleven minutes later and she’d begun to gnaw on her lip. Two minutes after that, she’d begun to clench her fists to keep her fingers still. Another minute and she was out of the room, doing everything she could to stop herself sprinting through the hotel’s hallway on her way to the car park.

The second she’d pushed through the foyer’s main doors the pre-dusk air assaulted her, as if waiting for her to step into its intoxicating sweetness. Her Thylacine growled, surging though her being with rapid ease. Snatching back control had been hard. She’d shoved the need to transform down into the pit of her existence and half-walked, half-ran down the hotel’s stairs into the car park, scanning the area for any sign of Delanie.

And now, here she was, walking around her best friend’s car, breathing shallow for fear of losing herself to her inner animal when she knew she should be breathing deeply to detect any hint of Delanie’s location.

Then stop being a chicken shit and do it.

Coming to a standstill, wishing – again – she had her gun, Jackie closed her eyes and pulled in a deep breath.

There! Delanie.

Faint, almost dispersed to nothing, but there. To her right. Delanie’s scent tinged with…

She turned, lifting her head slightly and pulling in another breath.

Her heart clenched. Fear. Delanie’s scent was tinged with fear. The acrid kind of a sudden fright.

God, what was going on?

Following the scent, the Thylacine inside her itching for release, she moved through the car park. Clapped-out combi-vans sat beside shiny Audi s, dented station-wagons shared the asphalt with lovingly-looked after saloons, each waiting for their owners to return, the setting sun casting their paintwork in a fiery orange glow.

Jackie pulled in another breath, tasting the air. Del had been here.

She narrowed her eyes, approaching a low, red convertible. Heat rolled from it in unpleasant waves, the stench of burning motor oil almost choking her. Reaching out, she placed her right palm on the car’s hood. Hot. Hot enough to tell her the engine had only recently been running.

She took another breath, separating the car’s fumes from the delicate scent of her best friend. Delanie’s scent grew stronger here. More concentrated.

Jackie’s chest squeezed tight. It wasn’t just Del scent that was more potent here. Her fear tainted the air like a thick mist.

Damnit, Del. What’s going on?

“Jackie Huddart?”

The deep, low and gravely voice to her left made Jackie jump. She turned, reaching for her gun in its holster at the small of her back before she remembered she didn’t have it. Damnit!

“Jackie Huddart?”

A man stepped towards her from behind a big black van. A tall man with impossibly broad shoulders and narrow lean hips. The very man she’d caught looking at her inside the airport terminal yesterday. The same man who drove away from the airport car park in a black Audi an hour later.

The same man she’d seen standing under a snow gum at Pyengana’s cemetery.

Jackie watched him approach, her cop instincts on full alert, her inner-animal tensed. “You’ve been following me.”

A tiny dimple creased his left cheek beside lips curled into a small grin, giving Jackie the impression he knew a secret he found entirely humorous. Dark honey-blonde hair fell over his forehead in a tousled mess, brushing straight eyebrows a shade darker. “I have, I’m afraid.”

He studied her from behind impenetrable black sunglasses, the intensity of his unseen but wholly felt inspection making Jackie want to shiver. And for some reason her sex constricted, as if anticipating some action.

Oh, God, Jackie. Are you serious? Your best friend’s gone missing and you’re getting aroused by a complete stranger?

The man stopped but a step from her and she pulled in a quick, silent breath. He gave off no discernible scent, a fact Jackie found entirely too unnerving. Everything gave off a scent. Everything.

Except this unknown man who knew her name.

“I’ve seen you three times in the last twenty four hours. Who are you?”

She knew the question was blunt, but he – whoever he was – had the advantage over her. She didn’t like that. Not at all.

His lips curled into a broader grin. “Marshall Rourke, at your service.”

Jackie didn’t return his smile. “You’re American?”

Long, straight fingers came up to tip an imaginary hat. “Texan, actually, but it’s pretty much the same thang.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Rourke.” Jackie frowned. Impatience, unease and – God help her – sexual interest gnawed at her. Making her angry. Damn, she wished she had her gun. “But why are following me?”

“I know where your friend is.”

Jackie’s throat slammed shut. “Del?”

Her best friend’s name slipped from her lips before she could stop it and she bit back a sharp curse. Damn it, cop law 101 – don’t give away information not already revealed. She clenched her fists, glaring at Marshall Rourke.

“I know you have no reason to trust me.” He removed his dark sunglasses, and Jackie’s chest squeezed. His eyes were stunning. Piercing light blue the color of Antartic ice. “But if you want to see Delanie McKenzie alive again, I recommend you come with me.”

So, what did you think?

As soon as it has a release date I’ll let you all know, but until then, maybe you might like to take a look at the first book in the Savage Australia trilogy? Maybe?

Patience is a virtue!

Posted in Rhian Cahill, Shifters, Specific Mayhem, Works In Progress on November 11, 2009 by RC

Sadly I never had any patience and I lost my virtue years ago. LOL  So where does that leave me when I choose to be in an industry that thrives on waiting? And waiting. And even more waiting! Ugh. A pink padded room with a nice white jacket comes to mind….

No really, normally (even with my lack of patience) I’m able to sit back and not think about what’s out there with an editor or the CP’s. It just slips my mind and off I go on my merry way. Not anymore! *sigh* I think I’m getting old or something because in the last few months I’m the most impatient cranky least virtuous person I know. Maybe it has something to do with having to move a family of 7 with 3 cats and a houseful of furniture thousands of kilometers again. That’s right we’re on the move. I will no longer be the International Heat member from Singapore. I will instead be based in Sydney. THE best bit about the move is getting to be near fellow IH members Jess Dee and Lexxie Couper. And before you ask or cringe, I’ve started the bail-out fund because we’re bound to get into trouble. *grin*

I’m ready to be gone. This time around I’m getting longer than 6 weeks to make the move from one country to the other but I’ve discovered it’s not such a good thing to do it slowly. When we moved to Singapore I packed up the house, visited Singapore for a week, enrolled the kids in school (Singapore), unenrolled the kids from school (Sydney), relocated one cat and one dog AND relocated the eldest child who got left behind with grandparents because he was in his final year of school. And I did all that in SIX WEEKS!!! OMG! How the hell did I survive? And to think I worked three days a week back then. Sheesh. Anyway, this time we’ve got about double that. It’s just over four weeks until we fly out of Singapore for the last time and I’m ready to leave. NOW! YESTERDAY!

You would not believe the number of things on hold because of the move. It’s frustrating beyond belief but there’s nothing I can do but rant and rave. And let me tell you I’m doing it A LOT! I thought I’d be real smart by getting a story done and sent off before the madness started so I could (fingers crossed) get something happening that would allow me to take a break from all the writing stuff or at least slow it right down during the move. We’ll have about 8 weeks where we’ll be living out of suitcases. That isn’t so much the problem as the finding time and space to work. I can see me locking myself in the bathroom to get stuff done. LOL

So here I am still waiting on word about that submission and for the first time EVA (yes I’m going all teenager on you) I’m chewing my nails over it. Why, oh why must I wait? (teenage drama there) Surely the editor has nothing better to do than read my story and love it. Surely she doesn’t have *gasp* a life! Well okay fine, she can have a life but she really should put that on hold and get to my shifters! *stomps foot* (dear Lord I’m just full of teenagerisms today) (Ooo, I think I’m making up words now. *grin*) Never mind that, what about Mr. Muse’s decision to start a new story for Nano?!?! Does he not know we need to get book 3 of the coyotes done? And if not that we’ve got the strippers to work on. (Oh, that sounded dirty didn’t it? *snicker*) Does he take ANY notice of the lovely list of wip’s I have on the desk? Nope, he goes right off into the wide blue yonder and starts a whole new tale. *sigh* MEN!

As you can see I have reason to be impatient and even more reason to be virtueless. (*rolls eyes* More new words? I’m on a roll today people.) I’m not sure I wanna play anymore. Could someone point me to a nice quiet corner to rest in? Oh, over there you say? What? That soft looking pink room? Ah, look at that, you even got me a nice new white jacket to wear……

Rhian

A Question of Love releases today!

Posted in Contemporary Red Hots, Jess Dee, New Releases on November 10, 2009 by Jess Dee

A Question of Love: The Blurb

A past with three, a future for two…

Sequel to A Question of Trust.

Gabe Carter and his best friend Connor’s passion for threesomes brought Tina Jenkins into Gabe’s bed—and into his heart. As a matter of honor, he gave up the woman he loved. Time passes, times change and old promises fall away, but Gabe is still in love with Tina. Now he’s going after his heart’s desire.

Tina has her own opinion about Gabe’s sense of honor. His departure tore apart the most special of bonds and destroyed her relationship with Connor, leaving her brokenhearted. It took her a long time to pick up the pieces, a struggle she doesn’t wish to repeat. When Gabe shows up at her favorite coffee shop, she knows just where to tell him to stick his apology.

Gabe isn’t so easily put off—and Tina can’t help but respond to his seduction. Picking up where they left off is tempting, but Gabe wants her all to himself. And Tina wants the whole package, which includes Connor.

At the risk of crushing his hopes for the future, Gabe sets out to prove he’s more than enough man for her…

Warning: If piping hot sex, ménage scenes, adult toys, anal play, short blonde heroines and stacked, muscular heroes are not your cup of tea, then don’t read this book. You won’t enjoy it.

A Question of Love: An Excerpt

(This excerpt is very hot. Do not read it if you’re under 18. Ok?)

Strong arms lifted her from her resting place and carried her through her flat. The soft cotton of her bedspread cushioned her butt as Gabe laid her on the bed.
She pushed herself up into a sitting position, trying to make sense of the last few minutes, but Gabe was having none of it.
“I’m not done yet,” he told her, his voice deeper than usual and a little breathless. “I intend to make you come again. At least twice more. But this time I won’t use my fingers or my mouth. This time you’ll find your pleasure in a very different way.”
As he spoke, he unbuttoned her blouse and pushed it off her. Then he unclipped her bra and tossed that aside so she lay naked before him. He swallowed as he took in her naked body, his eyes sweeping over her.
“Gabe…” Her voice trailed off. She had no idea what to say to him. She should tell him to stop, but God help her, she didn’t want him to. What she wanted were those other orgasms he promised her.
“Christ, T. You’ve got me so aroused I’m ready to burst a nut here.” He undid the buttons of his jeans and twisted the waist. “Pants…too bloody…tight,” he gasped. “I want so badly to fuck you. I want to slide into your pussy and lose myself in your body. Like I used to. Want it so bad I can almost feel your wet heat around my dick.” Gabe closed his eyes for a second and grimaced.
Tina moaned. God, she wanted that too. Wanted Gabe to press his glorious cock inside her. Wanted him to fuck her like he used to, until she came, screaming his name—or Connor’s—in sheer ecstasy. She bent her knees and drew her thighs apart, her legs preparing for the sensual onslaught.
Gabe ran his finger over her engorged clit and swore. “Not gonna do it,” he said in a strained voice. “Not gonna hurt you again.”
Tina’s heart dropped even as sensation charged through her pussy. He’d promised her more orgasms!
He played with her clit, tracing tiny circles around it with his huge finger. “But I am gonna make you come. And I’m going to watch as every tremor wracks your body. I’m going to watch as your nipples harden into tight buds and your skin breaks out in goose bumps.”
Tina gulped. When it came to sex she had no doubt Gabe would follow through on every promise. But if he wasn’t going to fuck her then how—
“May I open the drawer beside your bed?” He dipped his finger between her pussy lips and drew it back up over her clit.
Ah! Waves of heat flooded through her as she nodded. The goose bumps he’d just mentioned began to creep up her back and over her arms.
“Close your eyes, T,” he instructed, his fingers still seducing her.
Her lids drifted shut.
Gabe pulled away from her, leaving behind a dull, empty ache where his hand had been. She heard the soft rumble of the drawer opening and then the sounds of plastic knocking against wood and glass pinging against glass.
And then there was silence.
“Perfect,” he whispered.

:D

A Question of Love is available now from MBaM

Jess