It’s been almost ten years since Nathan Garrett woke on a cold warehouse floor with nothing but a gun, a sword, and no idea of who he was or how he got there. His only clue … a piece of paper with his name on it. Since then, he’s discovered he’s a powerful sorcerer and has used his abilities to work as a thief for hire. But he’s never stopped hunting for his true identity, but those who erased his memory have never stopped hunting for him. When the barrier holding his past captive begins to crumble, Nathan swears to protect a young girl who is key to his enemy’s plans. But with his enemies closing in, and everyone he cares about becoming a target for their wrath, Nathan is forced to choose between the life he’s built for himself and the one buried deep inside him.

Crimes Against Magic is an Urban Fantasy set in modern day London with Historical flashbacks to early fifteenth century France. It’s the first in a series of books called the Hellequin Chronicles, which shows the life of sorcerer Nathan (Nate) Garrett.

I was lucky enough to beta read the manuscript months ago.  It kept me turning the page.  Loved the MC, his leading lady and the kickass story overall. 

Just some background on you, Steve.  Tell us something about yourself.  Where you live and what you do when not writing?

I’m thirty-two and was born in Mexbrough, South Yorkshire. We moved down to Southampton when I was six, so I lost my Yorkshire accent long ago. I’ve been married for six and a half years and have two beautiful daughters and a third on the way.

What do I do when I’m not writing? Usually I’m with my girls keeping them busy so they don’t destroy my house. Other than that, I’m a big videogame and comic book fan, and love my anime too. Basically, I’m a geek. And I’m okay with that.

Geek pride baby!  You’ve got some busy days up ahead!  Best wishes to you and your growing family.  This book really delivers on the mythology and history, which is what I enjoyed most about it.  What is it that inspired this story?

I’ve always loved history and mythology and wanted to combine them into something.

So I took the pieces of both that I wanted and ran with it. All of the books about Nate will have flashbacks in them, and all of them will have some mythological characters or creatures from various cultures.

You added some creative pieces along the way.  One of the things I loved was transporting from the fifteenth century to the present.  Did you find this difficult to transition between the two time periods while writing it?

It wasn’t difficult, but the flashbacks took more research to get right. I wanted the language to be as close to right as I could get it (although I do use a few words that they probably didn’t). And I needed to make sure that the geography of the time was right.

Well, I didn’t come across mention of a microwave or cellphone in the flashbacks.  You did a nice job of transitioning.  Is your protagonist, Nathan Garrett, based on anyone you know personally?

No. He’s got my smart-assness and my height. That’s about it from me, and the rest just came naturally over the time I wrote about him.

Haha!  He was quite the smartass…You made the decision to self-publish this book.  What have you learned in the early stages of this process that you’d like to pass along to other authors who may be considering this route?

Get a good cover. Seriously, it’s so important that your cover is good. The number of people who have said that the cover was great and they wanted to know more about the book is incredible. Get something that jumps out at people and will attract the eye.

Also, you can never have too many people beta-read your book. They will find problems you never will by yourself.

I couldn’t agree more.  The cover is what draws the eyes.  And betas are a writer’s little gems.  What has been the biggest challenge in writing and working toward publication?

Sticking to my own timetable was hard work, because it would have been so easy to just give myself an extra few weeks so I didn’t have to work so hard.

Yep.  Once it’s in motion, it needs to stay in motion.  What is your writing routine?  Do you listen to music while writing?  If so, what kind of music to do you like?

I can tune out most things once I get started, so don’t usually bother with music too often. But if I do put music on, it’s usually things like: Foo Fighters, Black Stone Cherry, AC/DC, soundgarden, stuff like that.

Is Crimes Against Magic part of a series or a stand-alone novel?

It’s the first in a series called the Hellequin Chronicles, which charts the life of Nathan Garrett. I’ve got about a dozen plotted out and notes for quite a few more, so that should keep me busy.

Hey, busy is good!  Who are your literary influences?

Terry Pratchett, Jim Butcher, Richard Morgan, Lee Child, Kelley Armstrong, Grant Morrison, Scott Snyder, Dan Slott, Peter David and far too many more to list. But they’re a mixture of novel and comic book writers.

Can you give us a little snippet of your favorite scene in Crimes Against Magic?

I couldn’t think of one that wouldn’t spoil anything, so I picked something that occurs quite early in the book:

“If I answer, will you let me go?”

I shook my head. “You will die here, today. The only question is how. Thomas there is a good man. Your death will be quick and painless.” The werewolf looked up at the rage-filled Englishman. I motioned for Thomas to walk off as I made my way to the crippled werewolf. “I am not a good man,” I whispered into his ear when we were alone. “I will strip the flesh from your bones and scatter your ashes to the wind. I will ensure that for the next thousand years, the merest mention of what I did to you in this city will evoke fear into anyone foolish enough to think they can cross a sorcerer.”

Ho ho!  I love that scene…Nathan rocks.  You have some very well-written fight scenes throughout the novel.  What research went into them?  

I did used to take Kung-Fu and Kickboxing, but that was a long time ago. My research was basically watching Asian action movies. They’re superb and picking up ideas for fights. And Anime is excellent for magic. So yeah, my research was watching really violent movies.

BONUS QUESTION:  If you had amnesia for a day and were crazy enough to be just about anyone you wanted, who would you want to be and why?

That’s really hard. I’d be the Hulk. Yeah, I’d get arrested, and yeah I’d be thought of as a crazy person, but damn, there are some people who would get such a smash first.

Hahaha!  Um.  Wait.  Not me, right?  RIGHT?!

OK, so do you wanna know how you can get your hands on a copy of Crimes Against Magic?  Want to know more about Steve J. McHugh?

WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

BUY Crimes Against Magic

Thanks so much Steve.   Good luck with the book!

So NB, you carry this dark and mysterious presence on social networking sites and your website.  Tell us something about yourself outside of your posted bios.  What do you like to do when not writing?

Well, my brain has an irritating need to keep busy. I’m always doing something, be it learning a new language, studying, dissimilating and challenging historical philosophy or generally jumping head first into anything that catches my fantasy. I won’t even go into my Kinbaku-bi, Sundance film and North Western crocheting phase. When I’m not writing I’m reading or doing some amateur chemistry or physics experiment. Other than that it’s herbology and alternative sciences. I’m more than, a bit of a hippie-geek.

*picks jaw up off the floor* Um.  Wow, I uh, don’t suppose you have days where you just veg out with a bag of Doritos and an afternoon of Lifetime Movie Network then.  *jots note to Google Kinbaku-bi* Ok, next question.  You’ve constructed this alternate realm, teeming with supes: demons, vampires, werewolves, dragons.  Give us a brief tour of the Immortals’ Universe.

Brief tour!!! Okay, right… it’s not like I don’t like a challenge. Basically the thing to keep in mind is that the Immortals Universe is our own except history is told through the eyes of the supernatural creatures that inhabit it. Think about all the myths and fantasy stories you’ve ever read without any shading or dilution from any of the world’s major religions and the overtly skeptical. It’s Grimm’s fairytales absent the child friendly view. But most importantly, it’s about women. Who they were – are… The power they held and still possess today, even though popular thought likes to marginalize it. Imagine the fearsome goddesses who ruled over life and death, commanded creation itself, now, stuck here, in our time, with only a half-hearted oath to keep their majesty in check. Those goddesses, working a nine to five, are putting up with dating in a climate whereby if you’re not Kate Moss, with an I.Q. of 1 you’re ugly. They must resist smiting cheating men, who couldn’t fight a war, hunt wild beast in the woods, build you a temple made of gold and be home in time to make the kind of loving you damn well deserve, on cue.  They balance the lousy paycheck you get at the end of the month whilst smiling at the idiot boss man who knows not nearly enough to qualify him to eat with a spoon. So essentially, supernatural creatures, living under human law and societal restraints, is going to cause very big problems.  This is the Immortals’ Universe.

*daydreams of the faithful, sweaty warrior coming home after a hard day of building my gold temple, carrying a wild beast over his shoulder as he bursts through the door to…* Oh.  Sorry, NB.  I um.  *shifts in chair* So what inspired you to write The Darkest Kiss Series?

Short answer, an overactive imagination. Longer answer, the idea came to me whilst watching the tragic destruction of three couples who couldn’t manage life’s challenges and still keep love alive. They were great people at the mercy of metaphorical vampires, savage beasts and walking serpents, not to mention the demons inside them nipping away. The Darkest Kiss Series is literally a Girl’s Guide to navigating life’s trials, except that it treats the metaphorical as literal.

I believe part of the art in writing is the quiet observation and the ability to turn those brief snapshots of life into an entire story.  What was the most challenging part of writing this series?

The events in the series aren’t consecutive. Some of the different stories take place during the same time in a few of the books, only at different places. The secondary plot however is sequential. Keeping track of everything as it interlaces demands a good memory. I can’t even remember what the first question in this interview was.

Uh *quickly scrolls to top of page to check* yeah, I know what you mean about keeping it all straight, I have trouble with that too.  Carmella, Rowland and Sebastian are the main characters in the first book of the series, titled Tender Kiss.  Who was your favorite to write and why?  Are your characters ever based on someone you know?

Carmella, Rowland and Sebastian are the main characters and each of them has an aspect in their personalities that I love to play with. My favorite, if I had to choose, would have to be Carmella. She’s this almighty vampyre queen who’s about to lose everything because she trusted her heart to the wrong guy. Who hasn’t been there? However, the real problem emerges as destiny seems to be forcing her to trust in another fella. Some scars run too deep and even if they can someday heal, why should this independent, powerful woman rely on another to save her from the proverbial dragon? Unfortunately, whether you’re supernatural or not, life works in such a way that you’ll always need some help at some time. Carmella has to balance what her mind tells her against what her heart needs. Even for a virtual goddess, that isn’t easy. It’s her eventual answer that made me fall in love with her.

All my characters are based on people I know actually, but are a bit more honest about them than they are about themselves.

Oh man.  I’m dying to know who the real Carmella is in your life.  She must be one kick ass woman because this is a character J’adore as well.  You have a knack for creating these delicious male MC’s that women could just devour **cough** Rowland.  What ingredients go in to a sexy alpha?

It’s strange; these guys are basically your everyday average Joe, if he was completely true to who he was, with himself and everyone. It just happens that average isn’t average at all. When your own brand of uniqueness shines at the fore, with the confidence it deserves, I guess it’s just darn sexy.

So my list of ingredients are:

Mix who you are with who you can be. Add an ounce of spirit and a dash of determination, then abaracadabara- sex on a stick. Corny but true.

Damn.  Do you mind if I write this on my bathroom mirror?  Not corny.  You’re absolutely right.  Confidence in who you are and what you can achieve is sexy as hell.  What is your writing routine?  Do you listen to music?  If so, what kind of music?

I have no set in stone routine. I usually just write until exhaustion, and then break off to continue life.  Whilst I wait for the next bolt of inspiration to strike, I think through the story and characters, even take them off script if I have to just to see them squirm. It’s during my thinking time that I’ll listen to music, anything that my iPod lands on, (it’s usually French contemporary). When I’m writing, I prefer silence and solitude. The images and voices in my head are more than enough company.

Hahaha, true, though I think a sultry voice, like Lana del Rey, can sort of anesthetize those voices a little so my fingers can keep up the pace on the keyboard.  I must have music when I write.  Who are your literary influences?

Salman Rushdie, JRR Tolkien, Hemmingway, Jean Rhys, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, Roald Dahl, Chinua Achebe, D.H. Lawrence and Bessie Head. There’s a whole lot more but these ten started me on the path to reading.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given that you would pass on to other writers?

You write a story but you edit a novel. Truer words were never spoken. Your novel is really what you get after mounds of editing on the story. Attached to that credo I’d add, know your circuit. It’s really important to understand who you’re writing for. Learn everything you can about the demographic and the culture surrounding your genre.

I couldn’t agree more.  What are you currently working on?  Can you give us a little snippet of your favorite scene?

Two works actually, but I hope to have them published under a separate pen name. Working titles are: The Whore Of Camelot and The Death Dealers’ Secret.

Here’s a snippet from The Whore Of Camelot (Still to be edited)

“One thousand.” She’d stop counting. There was no point in continuing. She was sure that they were all dead. All four thousand and sixty four of them – dead.

Uther, as promised, had shown no mercy.

The army of Dunherd had fallen, leaving the women and children no more than open prey. Uther wouldn’t suffer the sons of his enemies another day’s breath. She was sure of it. And as to the daughters, they’d most likely become whores and playthings, at least until they were spent and the edge of a dull blade became their only salvation.
If wisdom befell any of the lot, they’d know to take salvation into their own hands.

Salvation and dignity.

But the younglings? Guinevere thought to herself. The ones too little to think beyond their mothers’ breasts. Their fate would be the cruelest. Uther would see them to the mines. To subsist or die as slaves.

Guinevere squeezed the leather cask in her aching hand. She knew what had to be done but the knot, twisting inside her stomach, contested her every step.  The fretful cries of the children hummed along the stone hallway.

Still, Guinevere’s teeth clenched as she fought back the monsoon of despair, desperate to slip out of her lilac irises. A wave of skin cutting cold ravaged her insides.

Still, it had to be done.

WTF?!  NB, somewhere along the line, I suspect you earned a degree in ‘How To Choose The One Scene In A Book That Will Drive Your Readers Crazy With Curiosity’.  This is not the first time you’ve done this to me, and I suspect it will not be the last…*sigh* I asked for it though.  Perhaps I should have specified a chapter-length snippet.  BONUS QUESTION:  Where in the hell does one, who happens to live on an island paradise, go to ‘get away from it all’?

Usually another island, ha, ha, ha…

Want to know more about this brilliant writer?  You can find him here:

VISIT NB Charles WEBSITE

FOLLOW NB Charles on TWITTER

LIKE NB Charles on FACEBOOK

And I recommend you stop by and take a look at his flash and shorts.  You can find them here:  NB Charles Flash & Shorts

Thank you NB for stopping by.  Looking forward to reading more about the Immortals Universe!

My sister and brother-in-law, Glenn, are having a boy (which explains all the blue and brown) and after months of tossing around names, they finally agreed on Niko.  We wanted to do something special for the arrival of baby Niko.  So I gathered up the family one afternoon and bought a bunch of river rocks that we painted blue (with baby’s name) for guests to take home and place in their gardens.

The only decent-looking ones are those that I didn’t paint.  In fact, my 3 year old did a better job.  Somehow, in a family full of artists, I got the crappy end of the paintbrush.  I can do stick figures…somewhat.  But I cannot pull off brushstrokes, balance and all those inherent little things that artists seem to know.

Since this wasn’t exactly my forte, I didn’t feel like I’d done something truly special for my soon-to-arrive nephew.  I wanted to do something Aunt Keri-ish.  So I decided to write him a story to go with the rocks.  A poem, of sorts.

I have to tell you, I’ve written poetry since I was a teenager.  But the stuff I write is typically dark, brief and almost never rhymes, unless by freak accident.  My poetry is not something I often share, as it’s a bit more personal than my usual writing.  I had to crawl out of my skin a little to write this.  And since I didn’t want to give my nephew-to-be a lifetime of nightmares, I dropped the dark and added a little whimsical.  I was sort of going for a Dr. Seuss kind of story.  And at the end I added instructions for the party guests, describing what to do with the rocks.

Here is the story that I wrote for baby Niko to go with the blue painted rocks (sorry there is a major spacing issue that I just could not figure out for the life of me):

The Rock and the Tree

The rock from afar, holds no special sight.

It sits on the ground, and never takes flight.

And yet, its uses are many, you see.

The rock helped establish the river and tree.

Don’t believe me?

Well, listen, I’ll tell you a story.

Bout a seed in the ground and a rock from the quarry.

How the two came to be special friends over time.

It starts years ago with a cute little rhyme.

Niko the seed lay adrift on the soil.

Alongside the riverbank, where he started to toil.

He thirsted for water and shade from the sun.

But all of his efforts, resulted in none.

As a seed he was stuck and could not move around.

Instead he glanced longingly at the sprouts in the ground.

The water had found them and nourished them so.

It helped them take root and allowed them to grow.

Niko the seed sat helpless and cried.

Fearing, without water, that soon he’d be dried.

In the sun he lay thinking, ‘Oh what can I do?’

The answer came hurling in a rock colored blue.

It scared him at first, landing hard with a thud.

Beside the little seed where it lodged in the mud.

‘Mud?’  wondered Niko, ‘How can this be?’

Well that rock changed the course of the river, you see.

Diverted its path toward the dry little seed.

It helped Niko burrow in the soil to feed.

It gave him the shade from the sun that he’d need.

And Niko was grateful, so grateful indeed.

“From where do you come?”  asked the seed to the stone.

“A quarry,” he answered, “where I sat so alone.

‘Til a boy picked me up and took me to his home.

The bright blue caught his eye while he aimlessly roamed.

In his pocket he kept me, day after day.

Then skipped me across the river in play.

Now here I lay, I suppose, for a bit.

Do you mind if I share the mud where you sit?”

“Not at all!” cried Niko, “I’d love you to stay!

To hold conversation and help pass the day.”

“Oh joy!” Said the rock, “and let this be known,

I vow to protect you in this place you’ve been sown.

I’ll provide you with water, friendship and shade,

I hope you will find this a reasonable trade.”

So there the rock sat, giving comfort and shelter.

From the dry summer sun and all of its swelter.

And soon autumn came, then winter and spring.

There sat the rock, still doing it’s thing.

Year after year seemed to pass in a blur.

And that little sapling grew to a large Fir.

The rock sits beside it, though now it’s quite small.

Compared to the tree standing noble and tall.

So the next time you see a small rock on the ground

Perhaps there’s a seed lying somewhere around.

Still don’t believe that a rock can change courses?

Mold a new path and influence the forces

That block us from that which we need to get by?

Then here is something I wish you to try:

A baby is coming, and soon you will see

The manner in which a rock you can be.

His future, unwritten.

His path, open wide.

Be the rock by the river

Be the shade at his side.

Help nourish him now

And guide him along

For he too is destined to grow noble and strong.

Lay this rock in your garden or beside a new tree,

Think of the baby and the man he’ll soon be.

Know in his journey, you helped him become

The tall tree that now shades the small rock from the sun.

***

Instructions:  Place this rock somewhere special – in a garden, a flower pot, your windowsill, near a small or large tree – wherever you’d like.  Write your name on a small white scrap of paper and set it beside the rock.  Take a picture of the rock and paper along with the object by which you set the rock (can be with a phone camera) and send to Lisa.  The pictures will be placed in Niko’s baby book as the ‘rocks’ in his life.

Here are just a couple examples, including mine:

I received a very nice surprise from one of my writer friends, the very lovely J. A. Belfield, who read the story and expressed how much she enjoyed it in an email.  She attached a recording of herself, reading the story aloud.  I have to say, not only do I adore her accent, but I think she did such a wonderful job reading it, that I had to share it with you.  I forwarded her recording along to my sister as a little audiostory for baby Niko.

The Rock & the Tree

What are some creative ways that you’ve welcomed a new baby into your family?

Savannah Miller!!!

Huge thanks to all of you who participated in this giveaway.  Continue to check back for future contests and goodies.

This contest is closed.

*****

I’m not a person who likes to make a big deal about my birthday.  At all.  But I couldn’t resist this year.  I was born on the 13^th which means there’s been a COUPLE *cough* of times that my birthday has fallen on a Friday.

That was the longest friggin’ trailer I’ve ever seen…

So…to celebrate this day, I’ll be eating at my favorite restaurant, doing the girly things that women do on their birthdays, and lamenting that another year somehow flew by.  Here’s the thing, in the last few months since my release of Somnium, I have been SO incredibly humbled by the messages, reviews and emails that I’ve received from my readers.  You guys rock my world.  So I wanna give something to YOU this year.

One lucky reader of this blog will receive the following:

1.       One signed paperback copy of my debut pararomance release, Somnium (Halos trilogy, #1)  – click on picture below for blurb

2.       One Somnium (Halos trilogy, #1) bookmark

You’ll also score:

3.    One Somnium (Halos trilogy, #1) t-shirt

AND…

4.    One Somnium (Halos trilogy, #1) coffee mug

All four gifts in one!!

All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter form below AND agree to take a picture of yourself (or someone else if you’re camera-shy like me) wearing the t-shirt. 

Thanks so much for your continued support and encouragement!

I Love My Readers.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I always feel bad for leaving my characters hanging

Here is the song that I played while writing this piece:  HERE WE NEVER DIE

IMPRISONED

Chains rattled against the impenetrable walls.  His muscles flexed, attempting to break the steel links.  Futile. This wasn’t typical steel; it had been designed specifically with his breed in mind:  wrath demons.  So many things I would do to her right now.  Curses echoed throughout the cold, damp cell.  He called out her name.  “Sabelle!”

***

Smooth satin brushed light against her slender legs as she stretched and yawned.  Images of the night before ran through her mind: his violet eyes, gazing heavy-lidded and drunk off her relentless teasing.  The first time she’d ever seen her demon so tempered.  She squirmed at the memory of his tongue tracing her inner thigh.  A pleasured moan passed her lips.

Seducing a wrath demon wasn’t easy, particularly a high-rolling one like Gavius.  But the moment her raging alpha set foot inside her home, Sabelle knew he’d be in her bed by evening’s end.  She’d worn a white, cotton sundress; the one that would shred every bit of his restraint.  That is, after all, what she’d hoped for; a demon unrestrained.  Purity and innocence were unconquerable temptations for Gavius.  The very thought put a smile on her face.

It would be hours before she’d see him again.  I miss you, Love.

Sucking in a deep breath, Sabelle slid off the edge of her bed.  Long, auburn locks cascaded over her bare shoulders.  With a lazy saunter, she made her way to the bathroom and turned on the shower.  Plumes of steam rose over the top of the curtain, leaving her anxious to step inside.  Rivulets of water trickled down like the touch of fingertips across her skin.  Sabelle’s palms followed their wet trail, roaming her body as she imagined Gavius’ strong, naked form filling the recesses of her every curve; his lips at the nape of her neck.  Mmmmm.  The scent of jasmine permeated the room.  A lingering sensation of his kiss incited a shiver against the warmth of the spray.

***

Gavius writhed against his binds, more enraged by the minute.  This woman, infiltrating his mind with her sexy little body, drove him to madness.  “Where are you Sabelle?!  Free me!”  Flames licked his face; wrath rising inside of him with the passing of time.  She’d taunted him with that white dress; playing his desires like a wily feline with a ball of catnip.  How could I be so foolish? 

He’d been summoned by Sabelle – a request that he was not permitted to refuse.  Business.  But one glance at her perilous beauty is all it took to own him.  A pawn for her pleasure.  He cursed himself for being so weak.  Those toned thighs, begging for his tongue.  Long, flaming hair and that delicious scent – flowers and her very own irresistible nectar of lust and summer sweat.  A drug, anesthetizing his senses.  Exquisite.  He’d come undone the moment she touched him; reason and logic giving way to an intense hunger for gratification.  I will have you.

***

Sitting at her desk, Sabelle stared off at the spreadsheet flickering on the screen.  She’d constructed a complicated little matrix of numbers that would surely impress administration.  Not that she cared to impress them.  Her true passion didn’t come in the form of calculations and politics.

His face flashed in her mind.  Gavius.  Dangerous eyes, a striking contrast to his ink-black hair. Intricate demon script, tattooed with expert precision up his arm and neck.  Cords of muscle, contracting with every movement, forced her to cross her long legs.  Visions of licking those muscles made her stomach clench; the salty flavor of his sweat on her tongue.  The wait was tortuous.  Tonight.  I promise you. 

***

The door of her apartment burst open.  Sabelle rushed to deposit her workbag and purse onto the console table.  Alone with him at last.  She raced up the stairs to her bedroom, removing heels, stockings, her skirt and blouse along the way.  I’m coming.  Donning nothing but a simple white t-shirt, she closed her eyes and breathed deep to calm the flutter of her heart.  Her demon awaited her.

Gavius hung limp from the chains, eyes rolled back as he rubbed his horns against the steel, imagining Sabelle’s hands wrapped around the sensitive base of them.  His resolve crumbled with her expert fondling.  Will she come back to me tonight?

Light footfalls broke him.  He lifted his head, catching sight of her willowy frame in the shadows.  A surge of electricity rocked his body.  Rage?  Desire?  No! Not after what she’s done to me.  Her skin glistened in the moonlight; soft and smooth.  Tantalizing.  His fangs, fully protracted, grit together with angry snarls.  Mine.  A sweet scent quickly abated the storm battling inside his bones.

Sabelle approached with cautious steps.  He jumped against his chains that held tight, tearing into his thick flesh.  Blood trickled at his wrists.  Placing a gentle palm against his chest, she grabbed hold of his horn with her other hand.  Growls rumbled in his throat and gave way to a harsh groan.  Tighter.  Her touch, pure ecstasy.

Warm breath tickled his ear as she whispered.  “Don’t be mad at me baby.”

“Release me Sabelle.”  His voice was ragged.

A grin flirted across her lips.  “I promise Love.”

“You will let me go now woman!”  He bellowed; a blend of fury and pain in his eyes.

“Never forget that I can erase you from this world.”  Strong words, considering she was desperate to sate him.  So irresistible.  Sabelle leaned into his body, lightly petting his exposed skin.  She began grinding her hips against him.  He pulled tight against the chains, undulating with her.  Planting open-mouthed kisses on his chest, she drifted down to his chiseled abs and onto her knees.  “Are you ready?”

“Yes.  Please.”  He beseeched.  Restless, Gavius bucked against the wall, the rhythm of his temper beating out a slow and steady percussion.  Words, sexy and seductive, detailed the many things he would do to her.

The intoxicating echo of his voice swirled in her mind, filling the blank void.  Dizziness swept over her.  She smiled.  A shiver traveled her spine.  More.  She stroked him, slow and deliberate.

Gavius, content with her ministrations, purred in her ear all the while.  So good. 

With every caress, her demon’s chains dissolved to dust, unleashing him.  The images pervading her mind, so vivid and real, made her greedy for more.  Quickening her pace, she worked him gradually to fever pitch.

His body tensed.  Don’t stop.  The finale, so close.

With abrupt disconnect that shattered his concentration, Sabelle paused and glanced down at her watch.

“No!  No!”  Gavius thrashed.  “I need to finish!”  His jaw clenched; eyes, wild with need.  “Finish me!”

Sabelle sighed.  “I have to get up early for work.”  Nibbling her bottom lip, she stared off for a moment.  Almost finished though. 

Sabelle, Gavius’ calmed voice resonated inside her thoughts.  Please.

“Screw it.”  She expelled a forced breath and shook her head.  Her fingertips hovered, teasing, before she finally picked up where she’d left off.

Gavius fell back into reverie, his blissful moans urging her toward completion.

Tension mounted.  His whispers hastened.  Yes.  That’s it.  Keep going. 

A fortissimo of his release spilled into her hands, the relief overwhelming.  At the last stroke, her breath hitched, admiring what she’d done.  A masterpiece.

Gavius stilled, quieted; Sabelle’s beloved muse, sated.  She had finally finished.

Your pleasure is mine.

I’m super excited to be part of J. A. Belfield’s BLUE MOON cover reveal for three reasons:

FIRST, I’ve read Darkness & Light, book #1 of the Holloway pack, so without a doubt I know Blue Moon is sure to contain a great storyline with sexy werewolves (ahem, Ethan…yum) and feisty females.

SECOND, J sent me the blurb to the book so that I could share it with you in this post.  In a word:  SOLD!!  Here, check it out:

Someone is watching the Holloway Pack, and this time, the female isn’t the target.

Life with a group of seven male werewolves worries Jem Stonehouse not one bit. She is engaged to the Alpha’s son Sean Holloway after all. So what has Jem’s territorial instincts on high alert?

The pack’s latest addition. Both of them.

None of the men think there’s a problem with the new girlfriends. Jem’s intuition tells her otherwise—that and a nagging suspicion the new females aren’t there to partake.

Jem believes they’ve joined in to take.

The question is … What?

As the eve of the blue moon draws ever closer, Jem’s running out of time to find the answer and outwit a thief of the worst possible kind.

A woman who believes she can’t lose.

Ho ho!  I told you there were feisty females…

And THIRD, I received the attachment for the book cover and was instantly mesmerized.  The colors, the font, the layout…all of it so alluring – easy to stare at for an exceptionally long time, as if you’re being sucked into another dimension.

But don’t take my word for it… have a look and tell me what YOU think:

Ain’t that a purdy sight?  Would I pluck this book off the shelves if I hadn’t already gotten a taste of J’s writing?  Yes I would.  Because I’m shallow like that.

Well, with the book release fast approaching, ya better get caught up on your Holloway Pack reading.  You can find out more about J. A. Belfield by stalk er, I mean, checking her out:

J.A. BELFIELD WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

Add BLUE MOON to your GoodReads shelf!

COLTON AND ALLIE ARE UP FOR SEXIEST COUPLE!!! 

Please stop by and vote!

Phew!  The competition is tough.  I’m truly humbled by the nomination.

The best part…

A sheep will be donated in the winning authors’ names to a third-world family through the organization, World Vision.  How cool is that?!?!

And…. If you leave a comment on the site, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $20 giftcard to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or the Book Depository.  More books!

Go go go!!!  CLICK HERE

Perhaps you’ve seen this little blogging game going around the internet.  I was tagged by the very wonderful Candice Bundy and since I’ve been dying to share a bit of my new WiP, I thought it’d be fun to play!

But!  I can’t just pick any ole’ scene from the book…and thank goodness, or I’d be here all day trying to decide on one.  So here are the rules:

1. Go to page 77 of your current ms
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines/sentences, and post them as they’re written. No cheating
4. Tag 7 other victims…er, authors

Here’s the thing…I’m not going to tag other authors this time round.  So if you’re reading this and you think you’d like to play along, have at it!  It’s a great way to give a snippet of your work without having to agonize over what lines to choose.

Now on to my Seven:

This is taken from my current WiP that has a working title of Soul Avenged, book 1 of my Sons of Wrath (SoW) series.  Unfortunately, because it comes from the middle of a page in the middle of a chapter from the middle of the book, well, it might not make a whole lotta sense.  Oh!  And there’s some strong language in this one too.  So here goes:

“It’s worth a shot.”  The first words Draven had spoken since earlier in the night.

“Is it, mister wizard?  And what happens when those demon fucks wipe out half our army, huh?  You think we’ll ever get the upper hand on the Lycans?”

“We have the Lywa antibody, we can create soldiers, sir.”

“We can create soldiers, sir,” Wade mocked, “I keep forgetting you’re the goddamn expert in this operation, boy wonder.”

Hahaha…oy.  Well, if you think you might be interested in this new series, perhaps I might consider a flash story based on the characters.

Anyone?  Anyone?

The lovely ladies of I Smell Sheep blog interviewed me recently. They asked some entertaining questions!! Check them out and see how you can score a copy of Somnium!

Click HERE.

AND THE WINNER IS:

TIFF PULL!!

Thank you so much to all of the lovely participants.  Be sure to check back for future giveaways!

*****

It’s time for the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop , hosted by I Am A Reader, Not a Writer blog , Books Complete Me and Author Cindy Thomas.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
So…

WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS??

One lucky winner will win:

1.       One e-book copy of my debut pararomance release, Somnium (Halos trilogy, #1) in Kindle or epub format  – click on picture below for blurb

2.  A $15 Amazon giftcard

Yep!  You could score both prizes!  And the chance to win is EASY.

HOW DO I WIN??

1.       Enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below!  All terms are detailed in the form.

That’s it!  Good luck!

Looking for more goodies??  Click  HERE  for your chance to score additional prizes on the other participating blogs!  Thanks for stopping by!

a Rafflecopter giveaway