Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Kira’s Warriors by Elle Boon


Kira’s Warriors

 
 

 Kira lived the life of a pampered princess of a wealthy Japanese man who mourned the loss of his son, and missing wife. She’d been given everything a girl could want, but nobody was allowed close enough to love or hurt her. All that changed when her life was threatened and he hired the Ravens as her security.

 

Thane and Garrick never expected to find their Fated, let alone that she’d be touched by a god. The legend of the Kitsune was steeped in mystery, but they’d need all the help they could get to save their Fated from the god who possessed her brother. They’d need to travel into the deepest levels of hell, and fight the Shinigami to save her and her brother. 

 

Kira realizes Thane and Garrick would give up their own lives to give her the family she’d never had. She would fight to hold onto the best things she could ever ask for, her warriors.



Adult Excerpt

 

Thane stood, Kira’s juices coating his lips and chin.

Garrick watched her pull Thane to her, trailing her tongue against the seam of his lips. “Goddess, I love how firm your mouth is,” Kira said.

“I love how you taste.” Thane licked his lips. “Do you like how you taste, kitten?”

Turning her face to him, Garrick saw the blush she couldn’t hide. Her eyes were cloudy with desire. He smoothed his hand down her flat stomach, loving how wet and silky she got, tight like a fist around them. He swore nothing had ever felt better. Nothing ever would.

The bed dipped behind them, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Kira. He sucked in a swift breath, trying to remember where he wanted to be was inside his Fated’s body. She mesmerized him with her beauty.

“Kira, climb up here,” Thane said.

Garrick helped her maneuver around to face Thane. His best friend held his arms out while Kira crawled up the big bed like the kitten they called her. He groaned at the sight of her perfect ass as she moved on all fours toward Thane, her pussy playing a game of peek-a-boo with him. Her cream from the orgasm still coated her thighs.

He waited until she was positioned over Thane and watched her slide down, taking him inside, before he moved behind her. Garrick could be patient.

“I need you, too, G. I want you both, hard and fast. I need to feel you inside me when I come, and I want to do that around you, surrounded by my warriors.” Kira groaned, moving up and down on Thane.

Garrick slipped his fingers between Thane and her, testing how wet she was, seeing how ready she truly was. Her slickness coated his fingers. Their girl was perfect.

Thane pulled Kira down, taking control of her movements while Garrick ran his hands over her backside. He carefully prepared her for him, inserting one finger at a time in her rear channel. He made sure to add lube before adding a second finger. She gasped and thrust back against him as if she wanted more.

“Easy, Kira. You need to let me make sure you’re ready.” Garrick grit his teeth at the feelings Thane was sharing.

She pushed back again, her hips swiveling. “I’m more than ready.”

The noises she made were reassuring.

He had three fingers deep inside, scissoring them while Thane held Kira in place. Garrick used his powers to add more lubricant, and then pulled his fingers back.

A generous coating was applied to his dick as he placed the head against the puckered opening. “Hold her open for me, Thane,” Garrick said between clenched teeth.

The first inch slipped in, and she tightened around his cock. Both he and Thane fought for control, not wanting to injure her.

When he was seated fully inside, he held completely still, his breath sawing out like he’d run ten miles. The spiral path opened up, allowing them into Kira’s thoughts. It was like coming home to Garrick. He sucked in air, trying to remember when he’d ever felt so extremely satisfied.

She giggled.

“What are you laughing at, woman?” Thane asked.

“Are you hearing his thoughts? He’s satisfied and he isn’t even moving.”

Straddling Thane’s legs, Garrick swatted Kira’s ass, a light tap meant to tease, not hurt, causing her rounded flesh to quiver and her ass to tighten even further. “I think our Fated liked that, Thane.”

Garrick pulled back, his hands gripping her slim hips, and set up a slow rhythm. He and Thane worked in counterpoint. One of them had their dick buried deep inside her heat at a time, while the other pulled back.

Sweat covered him, even with his ability to regulate his body temperature. A light sheen coated her body.

“I’m not gonna last much longer, G.”

Garrick wrapped one arm around Kira’s chest, pulling her shoulders back into him, granting Thane access to her clit. “Play with her clit, Thane. Make her come.” Without another word, his friend reached between Kira’s thighs. Her clit was so hard and swollen, it wouldn’t take but a few strokes to get her off. Hell, he was so ready it wouldn’t take him but a few strokes, but first, they wanted to make Kira come.

Her hips bucked, and she threw her head back. “Oh, oh, y—yes,” Kira hissed.

A heartbeat later, her orgasm struck, clamping down on them like a wild convulsion. Their strokes increased in speed, becoming rough and uncontrolled. He flicked Thane a look, naked need written on his face, and with a nod, they both let go.

Garrick groaned. The knowledge Thane was as lost to sensation as he was pushed him even closer to the edge. Kira’s moans joined theirs, sending delight through him knowing she was already climbing the peak again. With every stroke into her ass or pussy, she whimpered.

The air was thick with their combined scents. The smell of Kira’s arousal permeated the room. Every breath he took, he smelled Kira, building pressure in his balls, filling him with the need to come.

“Ah, fuck, I’m gonna come.” Garrick groaned.

A bead of sweat trickled down Thane’s temple. “Me, too, kitten. Come for us one more time. Squeeze our cocks.” Thane started hammering in and out of her pussy.

Whether it was the raw words or the wild movements of the man beneath her that pushed Kira over, Garrick couldn’t care less. The moment she started to come, her greedy little pussy and ass began pulsing around Thane and him, and they, too, fell over the edge. He roared out his pleasure, while Thane swore in several languages. Garrick’s balls drew up, full of semen, his seed spurting from his dick like it never wanted to quit. In perfect sync, Thane released, his voice equally hoarse by the time he was spent.


Author Interview:

1.      Author Name: Elle Boon

 

2.      Where do you live? (part of the country or state or world) I live in Missouri, almost smack dab in the middle of Merica (lol)

 

3.      When did you first publish? My one year contract signing date is actually January 28th 2015. Soo excited. My first book came out on April 3, 2014 with Siren.

 

4.      How many books have you published? As of today I have 4 books out and my 5th is coming out on January 29th, 2015 which is Kira’s Warriors book 4 in the Ravens of War.

 

5.      Which of your characters do you see yourself in the most? I sort of put a little of myself in all of my female characters. In each story I find myself weaving a little bit of real life into their stories. For instance in Selena’s Men I have Selena getting on top the bar and dancing. I actually have done this a time or two. In Two For Tamara there is a scene where one of the ladies says “I don’t do girls” this was an actual conversation me and one of my bffs had after one too many drinks, and we were laughing and drinking. Long story short the guys were chanting “kiss kiss kiss” and she turns and says “I don’t do grills” yess I spelled that right lol.

 

6.      What has been the most time consuming or mentally challenging research you have done for a book? I think for Kira’s book because it’s set a lot in Japan and spans back 20 plus years. There is a lot of folklore and things that has changed during the timeframe and I wanted to get it right. I loved it!

 

 

7.      What does an average day for you consist of?  What is your writing schedule like? I get up, get my Goob, aka my 14 yr old off to school and then get online. After that I go over what I’ve written and try to write. Try being the key sometimes. I turn my playlist on, which is rock. My choice of music freaks people out, because they look at me and see my choice of music lol. I love love love rock. J

 

8.      Please tell us about your newest release. Kira’s Warriors is book 4 in the Ravens of War. She’s is like all my other heroines, a fierce woman who is worthy of two men lol. Garrick and Thane are both demi-gods created by Zeus who were sent as protectors only to find she wasn’t quite 100% human. It’s action packed and full of lots of the other Ravens as well as a steamy read J 

 

9.      Do you have a current work in progress?  Can you tell us about it? I just finished His Perfect Wolf, book 2 in The Mystic Wolves series. I still have to edit and submit to my publisher, but I really love it. It’s the follow up to Accidentally Wolf and Niall’s story. I’m also working on a self-pub that I plan to release on March 16th called SmokeJumper. SmokeJumper is about a Native American who is a smokejumper which is a specialized firefighter who is called back to his hometown by his grandfather. Of course he’s much more than just an ordinary man, he’s also an elemental. I love my paranormal romance and of course all my stories are steamy reads <3 o:p="">

 

10.     What is something that your readers might not know about you? I am a clean-freak. I spend 6-8 hours once a week cleaning my house one room at a time. Everything has a place in my house and I am very organized. My closets are all color coordinated with each person having a specific hanger color lol. Yes, I said I am a freak lol J

 

I am a total open book and love to talk to people. If you have a question I try to answer as honestly as possible (of course some things are too personal), but I will do my best. Ask away people <3 o:p="">

 

A few songs that inspired me during the writing process for Kira’s Warriors:

Theory of a Deadman – Savages

Crossfade – Cold

The Pretty Reckless – Heaven Knows

Sixx A.M. – Stars

 

Sweet Salvation (Sweet Awakenings 2) by Nicole Morgan #NavySEALS

Sweet Salvation (MF)Falling in love with his best friend wasn’t what Rex had intended, but it seemed that when it came to Shelby all bets were off. After a rocky start, the two fall in love, completely unaware of the danger that lurks in the distance.

Plagued with nightmares, Shelby begins to remember memories of abuse she suffered as a teenager, which were long ago buried and forgotten. Dealing with the pain of her past brings her and Rex closer together.

Someone else wants Shelby for himself though and is determined to get her by any means necessary. As he sets his plan into motion, the question of who will survive and who will be destroyed remains unanswered as a surprise from Shelby’s past may be the key to finding Sweet Salvation.



Available at Bookstrand and Amazon



Excerpt

 
 
“I don’t care how hard you push me, there is no way he was safe.” Rex laughed at her.
“That’s only because you probably have that umpire in your back pocket. You would pay him off to cheat just to annoy me.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault you were rooting for the losing team. Pick a real team next time.” Pushing off her blows, he grabbed her in a bear hug and eased her back against the cushions of the couch.
After they took a moment to control their laughter, Shelby looked up at the man holding her in the crook of his arm. She was smiling up at him. He could see how happy she was. He could see the contentment in her eyes.
“This is good, Shelby. I would have missed this if we had lost it.”
“Me, too. Promise me something, Rex?” She was no longer smiling.
“Anything, you know that.” Rex replied rather hesitantly, not liking the seriousness of her expression.
“No matter what happens, promise me that you’ll never stop talking to me. Promise me that we’ll always be able to tell each other whatever we’re feeling.” Looking up at him more closely, she put her hand on his chest and continued. “Can you promise me that, Rex?”
 
* * * *
 
God, she looked so beautiful. And sweet, she looked so damn sweet. Everything inside of him was telling him to kiss her again. He wanted to taste her lips just one more time. Oh, hell. “Of course, I can promise you that. Always, we will always talk to each other. There won’t be any more days of silence. I promise.” He winked at her.
The smile she gave him squeezed at his heart. Snuggling up closer to him and bringing her feet up underneath her on the couch, she got comfy. It was a way that they had spent many nights together in comfortable silence. Never once in all the months they had stayed in and watched TV in this position had it ever bothered him. But now, he was suddenly all too aware of how snugly her body fit with his. How good it felt to hold her against him? Damn it! What the hell was wrong with him? He tried to recite baseball statistics as they flashed on the screen, hoping that would get his mind back on track.
He watched the remainder of the extra-inning game in silence. He knew she had fallen asleep. She always loved it when games went into extra innings. He would have woken her, but she was sleeping so peacefully, and he had the sneaking suspicion she didn’t get much sleep last night. He had, but only thanks to his buddy Jack Daniels. He didn’t want to move her, but they had fallen asleep on her couch too many times before. He knew that if they both stayed like this, they would both wake up sore and cranky.
Gently, he began to get up as he let her body lie on the couch where he was sitting. Going to her bedroom, he pulled down her covers and got things ready for her. Coming back into the living room, he decided to pick up the mess they had made from dinner. After he had loaded their dishes in the dishwasher and discarded their trash, he went back to get the sleeping beauty.
His intention was to pick her up and carry her to bed, but something stopped him. He sat on the coffee table and just stared at her. He had an ache in his heart that was killing him. He didn’t know what it meant, but he knew it centered on Shelby. Truth be told, he didn’t understand any of this. How could they have been such close friends for this long without this desire that was consuming him now? He wanted so much to touch her, kiss her, and hold her. Only not like a friend.
He wanted to bury himself in her. Basking in what he was sure would be the sweetest hot vise of wet pleasure. Showing her that their bodies intertwined was what their destiny was. He wanted to make her–hell, he didn’t know. He just knew things were different now. He was going to have to fight very hard to keep these feelings locked away. Besides their friendship, he knew she wasn’t ready for a relationship. She had been through so much. There was no way he would take advantage of her again. He couldn’t. Just as the last thought left his mind, she opened her eyes and looked straight at him.
She smiled. “Are you leaving?”
God, I hope not.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Sweet Redemption (Sweet Awakenings 1) By Nicole Morgan #NavySEALs


6501919
Tamara is in an unsatisfying relationship with her boyfriend, Brent. She is shocked when she learns he has been unfaithful. Seething by the betrayal Tamara throws herself into a night of passion with the sexy owner of the health club she attends.

Jack, a former Navy SEAL and current health club owner is wrestling with demons from his past. A former SEAL mission that went horribly wrong has left him struggling with issues of betrayal.

Brent is prepared to do whatever it takes to get Tamara back. His desire for her becomes an obsession that he cannot control. He sets out to destroy anyone that stands in his way.

Will Brent succeed? Or will the power of Jack and Tamara’s love give them the courage to fight against an unrelenting evil?





Available at Bookstrand and Amazon
 
 
 

Excerpt

ADULT EXCERPT
 
He was turned in his seat, watching her.  His eyes were blazing with desire. The look in them was alluring and seductive. It overwhelmed her.
“Jesus, you’re beautiful. Look at you lying there naked against my creamy leather seats. You look like a virgin offering herself up for the first time. All ripe and ready to be plucked, all mine for the taking. Spread your legs for me, baby,” he said, coaxing her.
His voice sounded deep and sensual. She did as he asked, although she wasn’t sure why. He leaned over into the backseat and somehow managed to wedge himself on the floor in front of her. She thought she knew what was coming next as he brought his head close to her pussy, but she couldn’t believe it.
Was this really happening? He began to blow gently on her pussy, sending shivers through her entire body. She had begged Brent to do this. It had been years since anyone had done this to her. 
Before she could finish her thoughts, she felt the warm glide of his tongue slide up and in between the slick folds surrounding her entrance. She flinched, he held her thighs, spreading them further apart, and with firm hands, he began to massage them. Without saying a word and just by his actions, he was ordering her to relax and to take it. She looked at him. He was beautiful.
He looked so masculine, so delicious. She wondered what he would taste like if she took him into her mouth and gently sucked on his hard shaft.
She never had given a blow job to Brent because he again claimed they didn’t need that kind of connection. Come to think of it, she had only done it a couple of times in her life. She didn’t really care for it that much. She could take it or leave it, really and only did it because her lover at the time had begged her to. Still, she couldn’t help but imagine taking Jack into her mouth. The idea of it excited her like it never had before.
He looked up and smirked at her, as though he was reading her thoughts. He reached his hands down, spread her pussy lips apart, and started to fuck her with first his fingers and then his tongue, in alternating rhythm. The sensation was so erotic.
Tamara wondered if Jack had done this to many women before.  She tried not to worry that most women probably took their time to get ready for him. She was sure they always had their hair and makeup done to look their absolute best for him.
So why with her, was it different? Sure, she was freshly showered, but her hair wasn’t done, and she was wearing no makeup. Yet he seemed to be just as turned on as she was. 
Just when she thought she couldn’t stand it anymore, he changed his motions and started licking and then sucking on her swollen clit.
 She had touched herself many times in the past year and a half trying to satisfy herself, but it had never felt this good. It was always more of a chore to find her release. But this, she had never felt like this.
“Oh, God, Jesus, Jack, Oh, God, Jack, I’m gonna...Ooohh!” Her climax exploded, and she came as his face was buried in her pussy.
He looked up from her, his mouth and chin covered in her wetness, and smiled. “You were saying, sweetheart? You’re gonna…what, baby? What are you gonna do? Come? Was that what you were gonna say?”
He started to unbutton his jeans and peel them down his legs as he hovered over her in the close quarters of the backseat. She made quick work of his shirt, threw it off and onto the floor with her clothes.
“If you think I’m done with you, you are dead wrong. I will personally see to it that you come again and again, many times, as we ring in the New Year together.”
His cocky arrogance should have made her annoyed. On most men it did, but damn if it didn’t turn her on when he said that.
She heard the faint tear of a package and knew he was putting on a condom. This was it. He was going to do to her exactly as she had asked.
All of a sudden, she was nervous. Brent was never that hard to take. He wasn’t the longest or the thickest man she had ever been with, and he was the only man she had been with in over a year. Just looking at Jack, she knew he had to be large.
Just as she was trying to brace herself for his inevitable size, he plunged into her. He didn’t even give her time to adjust to his size. He just thrust deep into her with no holding back.
God, he was hard and so huge. Her insides seemed to be clinging to his cock as he began to slide in and out of her with a force she wasn’t used to. It was almost barbaric the way he was taking her. There was no finesse. It was animalistic, it was rough, and it was good!
She began to relax and accept his size, enjoying the feel of him. He reached deep inside to parts of her that she didn’t know could feel so good.
Just as she was starting to move with him and enjoy his deep thrusting to the back of her womb, he grabbed and pinched her nipple, bringing the blushing centers to firm, erect little points of pleasure. Then he bent his head and covered one with his mouth. He sucked on one and then the other, alternating between the two. She didn’t know how he was able to take her pleasure to a higher level, but he did. The feel of him sucking on her hardened nipples as he pounded deep inside her was driving her mad.
 
 

Monday, February 16, 2015

Nicole Morgan's Navy SEALs series Sweet Awakenings!

Sweet Redemption
 
Sweet Redemption (MF)Tamara is in an unsatisfying relationship with her boyfriend, Brent. She is shocked when she learns he has been unfaithful. Seething by the betrayal Tamara throws herself into a night of passion with the sexy owner of the health club she attends.

Jack, a former Navy SEAL and current health club owner is wrestling with demons from his past. A former SEAL mission that went horribly wrong has left him struggling with issues of betrayal.

Brent is prepared to do whatever it takes to get Tamara back. His desire for her becomes an obsession that he cannot control. He sets out to destroy anyone that stands in his way.

Will Brent succeed? Or will the power of Jack and Tamara’s love give them the courage to fight against an unrelenting evil?
 
 
 
Sweet Salvation
 
 

Sweet Salvation (MF)Falling in love with his best friend wasn’t what Rex had intended, but it seemed that when it came to Shelby all bets were off. After a rocky start, the two fall in love, completely unaware of the danger that lurks in the distance.
Plagued with nightmares, Shelby begins to remember memories of abuse she suffered as a teenager, which were long ago buried and forgotten. Dealing with the pain of her past brings her and Rex closer together.
Someone else wants Shelby for himself though and is determined to get her by any means necessary. As he sets his plan into motion, the question of who will survive and who will be destroyed remains unanswered as a surprise from Shelby’s past may be the key to finding Sweet Salvation.





Sweet Vengeance
 
Sweet Vengeance (MF)Adam Collins is just beginning to put his life back together when he meets Chelsea, his sweet and beautiful next door neighbor. As the two spend more time together, an attraction between them builds.
A nightmare from Adam’s past, that he thought was long ago dead and buried, comes back to life and places him and Chelsea in danger. Enlisting the help of two of his former Navy SEALs team members, Adam must find a way to keep them both safe.
As the danger mounts and passions ignite, one question will remain. Who will be left standing after Sweet Vengeance is served?







Sweet Affliction
 

Sweet Affliction (MF)After spending years serving his country as a Navy SEAL, Commander Nick Slater is ready for retirement. Mercenaries hired to kill him ambush him, and his plans take a drastic turn.
AJ Harwood is facing one of the most difficult times of her life. A chance encounter with Nick Slater is the last thing she wants, yet she is thrust into his world and trapped in its surroundings.
AJ is Nick's only hope as he tries to find out who is out to kill him. With each passing day, more secrets are uncovered, and the reason behind the attack is revealed. Nick joins forces with his former teammates to find the person behind the high-priced hit put on all of their heads. As precious time ticks away, Nick and AJ are faced with the possibility that after finding each other, they may lose everything in an instant.
Note: 10% of the author royalties on this book will benefit nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing educational assistance and support grants to families of wounded and fallen United States Navy SEALs.


Buy Links:

Sweet Redemption  at Bookstrand and Amazon

Sweet Salvation       at Bookstrand and Amazon

Sweet Vengeance    at Bookstrand and Amazon

Sweet Affliction      at Bookstrand and Amazon



 
 Nicole Morgan

 
Nicole Morgan
 



Nicole Morgan is a multi-published author of erotic romantic novels, which more often than not have a suspenseful back story. Erotic romance mixed with a good old-fashioned whodunit. While she's written everything from contemporary to paranormal her leading men will more often than not be wearing a uniform of some kind. From military to police officers, she has a love for writing about those who protect and serve.

From her very first novel (which turned into a four book series) about Navy SEALs to her more recent releases you will be sure to find a few twists and turns you were not expecting.

In additional to her books, Nicole also has a recurring column called, "Sex and the Single Woman" in BT Showcase's online eMagazine.

Nicole currently lives in the Rocky Mountain region, she continues to gain support and inspiration from life's everyday blessings.




Saturday, February 14, 2015

Perilous Play: The Real Fifty Shades by Suz deMello (#BDSM #memoir @fetlife @MFRW_ORG)

The cover of Perilous Play states: based on a true story. The fact is, very little in this memoir is fiction.

 

Places and names have been changed. The time in my life when these events occurred is altered. One scene was added, to wrap up the story and tie it in a tidy bow.

 

But otherwise, it’s all true.

 

 


One woman’s journey into the contemporary kink underworld, Perilous Play is Suz deMello’s explosive personal account of her experiences with BDSM. Engaging and honest, this groundbreaking memoir will grab you and never let you go.

 

Here’s an excerpt about one of my first BDSM experiences, with a man I call Trapper Hart. Trapper is a real person. That’s not his true name of course, but I gave my word that I wouldn’t reveal his secret life. I don’t owe him anything—not after the way he treated me—but I do keep my word.

 

We explored the dungeon and the equipment. The play space was clean and nicely decorated, with the usual emphasis on chains and black leather. There were Saint Andrew’s crosses, racks and slings, all of which intrigued me. The old-fashioned dentist’s chair startled me. I’ve been with a dentist, and little about him had been sexy.

 

Upstairs was a huge, romantically draped bed with sturdy-looking bedposts. A few feet away was a contraption that looked as though it had been designed with bondage and discipline in mind. It had a horizontal ring to hold the face and head attached to a surface, perhaps three feet long, for one’s torso to rest upon. Arm and leg supports, and every inch of it was padded. Every part of it had rings for the attachment of ropes or chains.

 

I looked at him and then this…bondage device…and then back at him. He smiled.

 

I said, “I want you to know that when we do this, I’m going to develop some deep feelings for you. I’m falling for you.” I know myself fairly well, and am aware that for me, sex and intimacy are intertwined. I wish I didn’t feel that way, but I tend to become emotionally involved with the men I’m fucking. The weekend had already been very intimate, and deeper intimacy was coming. I asked Trapper, “Can you deal with that?”

 

I needed to know that I would be taken care of. Not just my body but my mind and heart as well.

 

He told me, “Yes, there will be a role for you.”

 

A niggle of doubt itched me briefly, but at the time, that was enough for me to hear. I was eager to advance into this new experience, one I had craved for so long.

 

He directed me to remove some of my outerwear before hooding and gagging me. Then he guided me to the whatever-it-was and eased me onto it face down. He secured wrist and ankle restraints around me, then tied them to it. Lifting my skirt, he cut off my black lace panties.

 

I told myself never to wear panties around Trapper again. What for?

 

So I was bound to immobility and completely available. I was gagged, which meant that I could maybe grunt out my “safe word” if necessary. Or not.

 

Again, I don’t recall exactly what happened...the amnesiac effect of the oxytocin, I suppose. I remember being spanked, flogged and thoroughly fucked. I remember being smacked repeatedly with something—I didn’t know what, but I suspected it was made of leather—that hurt like a motherfucker. I recall begging him, “Please, sir, please sir, please sir…” through the gag.

 

I remember coming a lot.

 

I remember Trapper bending over me, covering me with his body and heat, hissing into my ear, “Whose are you?”

 

To which I promptly responded, “I’m yours.”

 

And I meant it.

 

If what you have read intrigues you, here are a couple of buy links:

 


 


 

 

About me:

 

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written nineteen books in several genres, including memoir, nonfiction, erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s held the positions of managing editor and senior editor, working for such firms as Totally Bound and Ai Press. She also takes private clients.

 

Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.

 

A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.


--Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com

--For editing services, email her at suzdemello@gmail.com

--Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SuzDeMello

--She tweets @Suzdemello



--Her current blog is http://www.TheVelvetLair.com

 

 

Friday, January 9, 2015

BATTLE CRY by Melissa Snark #Fantasy #Amreading #Norse @MelissaSnark

BATTLE CRY by Melissa Snark
Book #2 in the Loki's Wolves series
 
 
ISBN (ebook):  978-1-942193-02-9
ISBN (print):  978-1-942193-03-6
ASIN: B00QSPEXZE
 Cover Artist: Farah Evers
 
 
Tags: #Fantasy #Amreading #Norse @MelissaSnark
 

Promo Tweet: One man dares defy the #Norse Fates. BATTLE CRY by Melissa Snark http://goo.gl/wYdv5o #Fantasy #NewRelease #amreading #Kindle

 

 

Survival demands sacrifice. Healing requires forgiveness.
 
After losing her lover and then her mate, Victoria Storm builds a new life in Sierra Pines, California. When the Norse Fates predict the she-wolf will destroy the world to save her unborn child, her duties as Freya’s priestess conflict with her responsibilities as Odin’s Valkyrie.
 
Sawyer Barrett has hunted Victoria so passionately, he doesn't know whether he loves or hates her. Desperate to end the fighting, he will take chances with everything—except his heart. This hunter harbors a deadly secret he can't reveal without risking the tentative ceasefire and his father’s continued disapproval.
 
Men revere him; monsters fear him. Jake Barrett—the notorious Hunter King—values loyalty to family above all else. When he believes his eldest son was murdered by a wolf ally, he releases a chain reaction of violent destruction that claims the lives of both wolves and hunters.
 
An ancient vampire plots the destruction of wolves and hunters alike. If the embittered rivalry doesn't end quickly, there is no hope for the Hunters, Victoria's pack, or the mortal world.
 
 



Attribution: Norns weaving destiny, by Arthur Rackham (1912).  Public domain.

 


Short excerpt (PG):
 
Shadows enshrouded Skuld, and her voice manifested upon the air, thick and oppressive, closing in from all sides. "Your daughter will not grow to adulthood in Midgard."
Victoria's heart slammed against her breastbone. Her breath expelled in a horrified gust. The bowl dropped from her hands which flew to protect her abdomen. "What do you mean?"
"Your daughter will be taken from you on the eve of her third birthday," Skuld said. "The one you trust most, a member of your own pack, will give the child over to your greatest enemy."
A growl trembled in Victoria's throat, and her entire body shook under the dual assault of fear and rage. The suggestion of betrayal from within her own pack filled her with disbelief to the core of her being. It was unthinkable. Gritting her teeth, she sought a solution, refusing to dwell on it. "How am I to prevent this?"
"We speak of what will come to pass," Verðandi said in a sympathetic tone.
"Your predictions are not carved in stone," Victoria said. Arguing with Fate was a foolish endeavor, but she refused to accept their prophecy.
The old woman, Urðr, smiled with a frightening gleam in her eyes. "Predictions, carved into the trunk of the World Tree, carved into the spiritual fabric of the world."
Stubborn determination settled over Victoria like armor. Her mother had taught her there was no absolute fate, just as there was no absolute free will. Life consisted of a wide range of possibilities between the two extremes. She refused to allow her daughter to die at three years of age. She would move worlds, alter fate, slay gods.
Whatever it took.
"Do you wish to save your child?" Skuld asked.
Victoria answered without thought. "Yes. I'll do anything. Tell me. Please."
"The final days are upon us," Verðandi said.
Skuld took over speaking. "To save your daughter, you will side with Loki against the Aesir. You will use your enchanted dagger to cut the binding of the great wolf Fenrir. You will be responsible for freeing the beast that kills Odin."
Victoria's stomach turned. Her head shook in automatic denial. "When the gods imprisoned Fenrir, my people pledged fealty to the Aesir. We have served them loyally ever since. Even when we were driven from the homeland, almost a millennium ago, we remained faithful. I will never cut Fenrir's bonds. To do so would end the world we live in and doom us all."
Skuld's gaze held steady. "You will."
Victoria snarled her denial. "No. I will never become the servant of the Trickster or willingly take part in bringing about Odin's death."
Skuld turned her head and pinned Victoria with one black eye that rolled in its socket like a liquid marble. "To save your daughter, you will."
 
 
 
Long Excerpt (PG):
There stands an ash called Yggdrasil,
A mighty tree showered in hail.
Thence come the dews that fall in the vales.
It stands evergreen 'bove Urd's Well.
From there come women, very wise,
Three from the lake that stands 'neath the pole.
One is called Urðr, another Verðandi,
Skuld the third; they carve into the tree,
Each child's life and destiny.
 
 
 
 

 

~Völuspá or "The Insight of the Seeress", Poetic Edda

 






Urd's Well at the roots of the World Tree
 
 
The white wolf ran along the trunk of the great ash tree. Her claws dug into the silvery bark while she descended toward the bottom of the Nine Worlds. Thick gnarled roots radiated from the tree's immense base and then grew thinner. Just beyond, the dark waters of the Well of Urd formed a vast lake spread outward into eternity.
 
There, destiny awaited: her future and her unborn child's.
Upon reaching the sandy soil, Victoria shifted from her wolf to her human form and walked naked to join the women gathered about the shallow shore. The Norns, the Sisters Wyrd, personified Fate. One a maiden, one mature, the last a crone: Verðandi, Skuld, and Urðr.
At the lakeshore of the Well, the three sisters filled crude wooden bowls with water that nurtured the tree. The youngest sister, the beautiful maiden Verðandi who personified the Present, smiled in greeting. "You visit us again, Victoria Storm."
"As you predicted I would." Victoria spoke with deference. She sought guidance from the Norns and needed to curry their favor.
Skuld, an imposing woman in her middle years and the Future incarnation, labored in ominous silence beside her older sister, Urðr, a gnarled old woman and the Past aspect of Fate.
Without a word, wizened Urðr thrust the bowl she gripped in her bony fingers into Victoria's hands. The vessel, hewn from weathered gray wood, had shallow sides and a broad, flat bottom. Securing a firm hold, Victoria stepped into the lake and grimaced when the frigid cold bit into her flesh. She placed the lip of the bowl to the water and then filled the container to the brim.
Old Urðr said, "The man you loved has died."
Victoria winced. "Yes."
Verðandi's tone softened. "His soul is tormented."
Victoria's foot snagged on a stone, and she stumbled. Water sloshed over the brim and doused her hands. She lost half the contents of the container before she recovered her balance. Her throat worked in a convulsive swallow. "No, you're mistaken. I was there when he died. I saw Daniel's soul cross over."
"I am not mistaken," Verðandi said with genuine sorrow. The youngest Norn stepped away.
Mouth open, Victoria rushed after her, determined to demand the Present Fate provide her with a satisfactory explanation, but the old woman got in her way.
Urðr's lips pulled thin over cracked and yellowed teeth, an expression more grimace than grin. "Your mate has also died, as have so many others. You leave a trail of death in your wake."
"Also true." Fuming with frustration, Victoria followed the Norns to the base of the tree. She walked slowly, placing each step with precision, taking care not to spill another drop.
The three sisters each took a turn watering the roots of the tree. Verðandi acted first, followed by the silent Skuld, and finally Urðr. The eldest persisted in taunting Victoria. "Your love and your mate were not the same man."
Scowling, Victoria bent and poured water on a root until her bowl was empty.
"The past is the past. There is nothing I can do to alter it," she said with determined pragmatism. "I've come to see you because I am pregnant."
Youthful Verðandi clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "You doubt yourself. You drown in sorrow and anger."
Ancient Urðr cackled.
"True enough." Victoria bobbed her head once. Her temper roiled beneath ironclad self-control. She had no patience for delays, no use for games. She wanted answers.
Shadows enshrouded Skuld, and her voice manifested upon the air, thick and oppressive, closing in from all sides. "Your daughter will not grow to adulthood in Midgard."
Victoria's heart slammed against her breastbone. Her breath expelled in a horrified gust. The bowl dropped from her hands which flew to protect her abdomen. "What do you mean?"
"Your daughter will be taken from you on the eve of her third birthday," Skuld said. "The one you trust most, a member of your own pack, will give the child over to your greatest enemy."
A growl trembled in Victoria's throat, and her entire body shook under the dual assault of fear and rage. The suggestion of betrayal from within her own pack filled her with disbelief to the core of her being. It was unthinkable. Gritting her teeth, she sought a solution, refusing to dwell on it. "How am I to prevent this?"
"We speak of what will come to pass," Verðandi said in a sympathetic tone.
"Your predictions are not carved in stone," Victoria said. Arguing with Fate was a foolish endeavor, but she refused to accept their prophecy.
The old woman, Urðr, smiled with a frightening gleam in her eyes. "Predictions, carved into the trunk of the World Tree, carved into the spiritual fabric of the world."
Stubborn determination settled over Victoria like armor. Her mother had taught her there was no absolute fate, just as there was no absolute free will. Life consisted of a wide range of possibilities between the two extremes. She refused to allow her daughter to die at three years of age. She would move worlds, alter fate, slay gods.
Whatever it took.
"Do you wish to save your child?" Skuld asked.
Victoria answered without thought. "Yes. I'll do anything. Tell me. Please."
"The final days are upon us," Verðandi said.
Skuld took over speaking. "To save your daughter, you will side with Loki against the Aesir. You will use your enchanted dagger to cut the binding of the great wolf Fenrir. You will be responsible for freeing the beast that kills Odin."
Victoria's stomach turned. Her head shook in automatic denial. "When the gods imprisoned Fenrir, my people pledged fealty to the Aesir. We have served them loyally ever since. Even when we were driven from the homeland, almost a millennium ago, we remained faithful. I will never cut Fenrir's bonds. To do so would end the world we live in and doom us all."
Skuld's gaze held steady. "You will."
Victoria snarled her denial. "No. I will never become the servant of the Trickster or willingly take part in bringing about Odin's death."
Skuld turned her head and pinned Victoria with one black eye that rolled in its socket like a liquid marble. "To save your daughter, you will."
 
 
 



Fast Facts About Melissa Snark:

  • Melissa Snark is published with The Wild Rose Press & as an Indie author with five unique titles: A CAT'S TALE, THE MATING GAME, LEARNING TO FLY, THE CHILD THIEF, and HUNGER MOON.
  • Her Loki's Wolves series includes THE CHILD THIEF, HUNGER MOON and BATTLE CRY.
  • She lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband, three children and a glaring of cats.
  • She is a professional cat herder and unrepentant satirist who blogs about books and writing on The Snarkology.

 

Connect with Melissa Snark:



Email: melissasnark at gmail.com


Twitter: @MelissaSnark



 



 
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