Sunday, October 31, 2010

Six Sentence Sunday: Halloween Edition!

It's Halloween! 

Two of my favorite things. (You can keep your raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens and all that too-sweet, coma-inducing stuff. Gag.) Give me a sexy demon or hunky dream voyager any day of the week. But most particularly on this day of the week, and this day of the year.

Because it's Halloween (and because I just cannot choose), I am throwing all the rules out the window. (And I'm not that contrite about it, to be honest.) Well, hell. It's Halloween. Anything goes.

I was going to give you a little taste of my demonic villainess, Vivienne, the evil and rotten succubus, but I couldn't tear myself away from Ryck.

(Oh, yeah. Katy's in it, too.)

But enough throat clearing.

Here are my WAY more than Six Sentences from Sleepy Hollow Dreams.
(Feel free to read any six you want.)

“I will have to go around the back to get to you,” Katy shouted down to the man stuck behind lane four. “I can’t drag you out through the pinsetter.”

He did not answer. A jagged stab of panic ripped into her, her unease growing.

“Are you still with me?”


“I will always be with you.”


His throaty declaration sparked delicious little sizzles of anticipation and sent them rippling through her. The sexy, masculine promise warmed her skin, as if his hot breath whispered across flesh wet from the touch of his lips.


“How in blazes did you get down there?”


“You’re very demanding, Katrina.”


She bristled at the undercurrent of amusement in his tone. “Listen, bud. If this is some kind of  Halloween prank—”


“Enough, sweetling. Come to me now.”


The knowing, commanding edge in his tone—coupled with the blazing promise of sexual heat and the offhand way he’d tossed the endearment—should have fired her ready indignation. Yet, curiosity held her still. Despite the annoyance that flared like the clang of an alarm, she remained more drawn to this man--or whatever he was--than likely was good for her.


Sweetling. She loved that. She wrapped the word-caress around her like the silken flutter of a scarf.


“Come,” he repeated, the order tighter, more urgent and clipped.

She’d heard that command from him before, when he’d tortured her writhing body to the brink of orgasm.

But now she sensed his seductive voice fading, weaker than even a moment ago.
                                                         ~


Happy Halloween, everyone!
And don't forget to check out the other awesome Six Sentence Sunday authors!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

For the Win!

        For those of you who stopped by and shared your candy/caramel and Halloween stories yesterday... you have another bite at the apple, so to speak.

        The Romance Reviews site is holding a contest and giving away another copy of  Sleepy Hollow Dreams.

       The contest is here: http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/contest.php

       Explore the site. It's gorgeous. Fabulous book covers. (Like, say, this one!) Awesome authors. You can totally get lost there for awhile!

       And, if you like, check out my page while you're there!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Trick ... or Treats

There's no trick to this (well, maybe a small one at the end!)
None. So simple even I can do it.


CANDY APPLES

8-10 apples

1 c. sugar

1 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. water

1/2 c. red cinnamon candies

Inserts sticks in apples. Boil everything else to hard crack stage. If you have a candy thermometer, that'd be to 300-310 degrees. If not, don't fuss yourself. You'll know.  Swirl apples in candy (quickly) and place on wax paper. 




Want even simpler?


 CARAMEL APPLES
(Just take the cellophane off the candy!)


6 apples
1 package (14 oz.) individually wrapped caramels
2 tablespoons milk

Insert sticks in apples.
Butter baking sheet.
Microwave caramels and milk two minutes, stirring once.

Cool briefly.

Roll each apple in melted caramel. 
Nuts and such optional
 

Leave  a comment and I'll (randomly) give away a copy of Sleepy Hollow Dreams!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

All About Me!

      Sick of me yet?
      I have an interview up at Scarlet Rose author Rachel Leigh's place. Come visit if you're so inclined and also check out Rachel's web site while you're there. She's the author of Explicitly English.
     The Sleepy Hollow Dreams blurb and excerpt went up yesterday, but the interview got lost to the ether and e-mail glitches until today!
    Please stop by!
    Rachel Leigh Blog

Monday, October 25, 2010

Things that go bump in the night

       I know I teased about Sleepy Hollow Cemetery a time or two, promised I'd blog and just never got around to doing it.

      It's where Katy runs in her neon pink flip-flops in Sleepy Hollow Dreams, demonic minions and the creepy Headless Horseman nipping at her heels. It's where she first encounters the Man of Her Dreams in the flesh. Lots and lots of hot, hard, masculine flesh.
     But it's a real place, storied and historical. Not to mention spooky. And it comes into its own this time of year. Halloween and Sleepy Hollow. Made for each other.
      You can read all about it here: http://sleepyhollowcemetery.org/.
      I found some wonderfully creepy photos by a brilliant photographer on line. I didn't bookmark the page and can't find them now. I will keep looking. They are stunning.

     In the meantime, here's a broad daylight photo (neither brilliant nor stunning) from me:
               

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Six Sentence Sunday: 10-24-2010

  Overstressed and out-of-time...so...back to Sleepy Hollow Dreams this week for Six Sentence Sunday. Only one week left until Halloween!

          The black Sleepy Hollow sky glittered with stars, a swathe of silvery moonlight spilling over her as she slipped from the house. Like the eyes of the man she wished she were making love with now, instead of fleeing from her home. But evil swept down from the mountains and lay heavy as fog on the fragrant autumn air. The need to run tore at her, tugging her along.
         Katy’s pink flip-flops slapped against pavement, the sound loud in the silent night.
        And suddenly she knew she was not alone.


  
And check out the awesome Six Sentence Sunday authors here!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Six Sentence Sunday: 10-17-2010

      I'm returning to Pomegranate Seeds, my paranormal WIP, and playing with the beginning. There are parts of this story I love more than anything else I've ever written. But I know I need to get to Steph sooner. So, much as I love that the first time we see her is the first time Aidon sees her,  I'm slashing and burning and writing her a new little B.A. (Before Aidon) part, around page 3 or so. But I'm keeping the meet. And, at least for now, the first person, present tense narrative.
       So here's Aidon, one of my favorite heroes ever, felled, flat on his ass, gazing up at Steph, awash in love juice and baffled and befuddled. (Well, maybe not totally.)

       (Ten sentences smashed into six for Six Sentence Sunday. You can probably tell where they were soldered together. Or where overly creative punctuation was employed. Won't stay that way!)

       Testosterone sloshes through me and passions of every stripe, formerly without power, inflame me. Emotions I’d thought long dead and buried erupt like a fireworks display and I’m ready to leap up, naked, wounded, unarmed but belligerent, screaming for satisfaction. War, sex. My id’s in masculine overdrive; my inner hound howls.
      I need to have her. 
     Now.
 

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Been there, Done that, Bought the T-Shirt

Here it is...my new, swimmingly enormous T-shirt, so unbelievably huge I couldn't hang it to take its picturewithout taping the sleeves to furniture first.  And even then you don't get the whole view!

But still. 




I  kinda think Ryck and Katy would get a kick out of it. They lost their heads there, too. In a manner of speaking.

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (the location of their first love scene) coming soon!

(Sleepy Hollow Dreams is now available on Amazon, as well as The Wild Rose Press. I'd be tickled if anyone felt inclined to drop by and leave a review!)

You  can read an excerpt here!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Mystic Winds

        At this time of year, when the leaves flutter like kaleidoscopic pinwheels and the bite in the air is as crisp as a New York State Macintosh apple, spooky, mystical winds swirl through the hills and dales of the historic Hudson River Valley. 
        And the tiny, bucolic village of Sleepy Hollow, hard by the river in Westchester County, is Halloween central.  What else would you expect from a place whose high school football team boasts the name "The Horsemen," where the tours of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery are booked solid, where the street sign proclaiming "Broadway" is orange and black, and where the hottest ticket around is the Hudson Valley Blaze, nights of thousands of lighted, carved jack o'lanterns? And oh, yeah, where even the tiny, green parklet in front of the gas station has a bronze sculpture of the Headless Horseman mounted on his steed and tossing his pumpkin head toward The Headless Horseman bridge? 
         You can even buy cool caps and awesome T-shirts, telling everyone you meet that you "lost your head in Sleepy Hollow, NY"!
          More later.
          But for now... some pictures.



       

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Six Sentence Sunday 10-10-10

Whoa. 10-10-10. And another snippet for Six Sentence Sunday.

Well, what did you think it was gonna be?  From Sleepy Hollow Dreams, of course.

(And trust me, it's not all that easy finding six sentences I can actually reprint here!)

This was no demon. This was the dream man she craved, whose body she was addicted to, taking her to the edge of madness. She kissed the blade of his sharp jaw, the side of his neck, sucking his hot skin against her teeth and wrenching a groan from him that sounded so erotic, she liquefied. He tasted like salt. He tasted like sin. He tasted like ecstasy.



Thursday, October 7, 2010

Released!

Sleepy Hollow Dreams available now!

(So we're going to do the blurb-excerpt thing again.  I know it's on the "Books" page. But still. I'm excited.  It's release day and all! If you ask me nicely, I may give one away.)

Available now from the Scarlet Rose line of The Wild Rose Press
Is he the man of her dreams…or her worst nightmare?

All Katy Lyndhurst wants is a normal suburban Sleepy Hollow life, despite the strange things that keep happening to her. Blistering hot erotic dreams bleed into her waking hours, making her yearn for her dream lover to materialize. When her sexy dream voyager, Ryck, shows up in the flesh and ignites her steamiest passions, she wonders if he's a sultry fantasy conjured by her fevered brain…or something much more dangerous?


Centuries ago, a wicked succubus cursed Ryck Van Winkle to fulfill the desires of sleeping women while unable to take pleasure himself. Only Katy possesses the power to break the spell and awaken him. But Ryck’s defiance sparks the demon’s fury, causing supernatural portals to crumble and allowing demonic minions to threaten Katy and her world.


Now Katy and Ryck must battle the forces of darkness together. But will Ryck will be trapped forever in her Sleepy Hollow Dreams?

Excerpt:

Galloping hoof beats pursued her down the old post road.

Ghostly hoof beats. The legendary Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.

Chasing her.

With deadly purpose.

Katy ran on, her sides cramping. Her flip-flops smacked asphalt but the clop of the demonic hooves echoed louder. She clattered into the street as the sidewalk ended, and gasped for air.

A piece of one rubber thong broke and she stumbled, tripping onto the grassy median bordering Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Her shriek ripped through the quiet suburban village. Utter fatigue claimed her, halting her steps. She collapsed in exhaustion, her sleep-drenched mind blanking as she fell.

Hard-muscled arms scooped her up before she hit the ground. The horse’s unearthly scream ripped through her as the beast thundered past. Her rescuer clasped her against his broad, masculine chest. A familiar glow of warmth stole over her, filling her with a sense of peace and security...

Beneath her ear, a strong heartbeat pulsed, quickening in time to the increased thudding of her own. His autumn scent seduced her as he swept her away, his long-legged strides purposeful and sure. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, her head fitting perfectly in the hollow of his neck. Her fear ebbed, replaced by desire.

A large hand slid over her breasts, her nipples already taut and straining with need against the thin cotton of her dress. She arched into him, rubbing herself against him like a cat in heat, rewarded by his harsh gasp and the ragged hitch in his breathing.

Moments later he carried her into the cemetery, and she felt the soft October earth, rich and spongy, at her back. Large, manly hands made quick work of the few clothes she wore.

“I’m dreaming,” she murmured.

“No. Not this time. Open your eyes.”

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/wilderroses/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=182&products_id=789

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Six Sentence Sunday

      I was going to post another little snippet from Sleepy Hollow Dreams, releasing Friday, October 8, but when SHD went up on the The Scarlet Rose "Coming Soon" site yesterday, I blogged an exerpt from it then. My six sentences were all fired up and waiting to go, too.  I'd even smushed a couple together to force eight into six, like Cinderella's stepsister trying on the glass slipper.
     But since I jumped the gun and all...I decided to go with my WIP instead. So here's another little sumpin' sumpin' from Cole in Her Stocking.
     (I love Six Sentence Sundays!)

WARNING: Nothing you won't see or hear on cable TV (or even primetime network TV, really), but if you'd prefer not to have your delicate sensibilities offended or underage retinas singed, move along, nothing to see here. 

            Lara shifted in the seat, offering him a sultry view of creamy thigh as she rolled down her over-the-knee boots. Cole nearly drove off the road. Jesus. One after the other, excrutiatingly slowly, giving him plenty of time to indulge images of his hands and his mouth on her, all over her, stroking her heated flesh, suckling her soft tits, savoring the sexy taste of her as his rigid cock thrust between those leather-encased legs. He grew wood hard enough to bat one out of the ballpark.
            Gripping the steering wheel, he sucked in a breath so sharp he reclaimed Lara's full, eyebrow-raised attention.
           “Human, after all, Special Agent Brannigan?”

       Check other Six Sentence Sunday authors here: http://sixsunday.blogspot.com/


Saturday, October 2, 2010

Sleepy Hollow Dreams: The Excerpt!


Galloping hoof beats pursued her down the old post road.

Ghostly hoof beats. The legendary Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.

Chasing her.

With deadly purpose.

Faster and faster.

Katy ran on, her sides cramping. Her flip-flops smacked asphalt but the clop of the demonic hooves echoed louder. She clattered into the street as the sidewalk ended, and gasped for air.

A piece of one rubber thong broke and she stumbled, tripping onto the grassy median bordering Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Her shriek ripped through the quiet suburban village. Utter fatigue claimed her, halting her steps. She collapsed in exhaustion, her sleep-drenched mind blanking as she fell.

Hard-muscled arms scooped her up before she hit the ground. The horse’s unearthly scream ripped through her as the beast thundered past. Her rescuer clasped her against his broad, masculine chest. A familiar glow of warmth stole over her, filling her with a sense of peace and security...

Beneath her ear, a strong heartbeat pulsed, quickening in time to the increased thudding of her own. His autumn scent seduced her as he swept her away, his long-legged strides purposeful and sure. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, her head fitting perfectly in the hollow of his neck. Her fear ebbed, replaced by desire.
A large hand slid over her breasts, her nipples already taut and straining with need against the thin cotton of her dress. She arched into him, rubbing herself against him like a cat in heat, rewarded by his harsh gasp and the ragged hitch in his breathing.

Moments later he carried her into the cemetery, and she felt the soft October earth, rich and spongy, at her back. Large, manly hands made quick work of the few clothes she wore.

“I’m dreaming,” she murmured.

“No. Not this time. Open your eyes.”

 
Coming October 8 from the Scarlet Rose line of The Wild Rose Press