Newsletter

 

     Lynn Lorenz

     Randi Monroe

8.  End Notes

Bella Andre

Mechele Armstrong

Alice Gaines
Treva Harte
Katherine Kingston
Titania Ladley

Lynn LaFleur

Lynn Lorenz
Judy Mays

Randi Monroe
Ruby Storm
Samantha Winston
 

1. Introduction

4. Featured Siren of the Month!

This month we are featuring our 3 newest Sirens! 

The Siren of the Month's interview and excerpts are now in this Featured Siren of the Month section of the newsletter!

Siren of the Month Interview

We have three new Sirens, Mechele Armstrong, Lynn Lorenz, and Randi Monroe. This month, we’ll learn a little about each of them. You’ll get to know them better in the coming year.

 ♥ Mechele Armstrong ♥

http://www.mechelearmstrong.com

Alice Gaines:  Welcome to the Sirens! First, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Mechele Armstrong: Me? Hmm. I’m a wife to a computer geek, mom to two girls, psychiatrist to a neurotic dog, savior of a spaz kitten, and servant to a diva kitty. I’m a writer of both sensual and erotic romance. An avid reader.

Alice: Tell us about your latest/next release.

Mechele:  My next release will be SETTLER'S MINE: THE WOLF. I’m so excited by this story. It’s a bit different than anything else I’ve written. It’s about Clyde, the bartender at Settler’s Mine and the woman he finds to assuage his heat with. There’s a little bit of D/s. Both are shapeshifters as well. It was a really fun book to write.

Alice:  What publishing houses do you work with?

Mechele: To date, I’ve worked primarily with Loose Id. They are a very professional house to work with, and they’ve supported both my stories and myself.

Alice:  What sorts of stories/books do you like to write?

Mechele: I like to write stories with characters that take over my life. I always write stories where the bedroom door is wide open. I like to write stories that challenge me in some way. I think it keeps my writing fresh.

Alice:  What sorts of stories/books do you like to read?

Mechele: I love to read romance, especially paranormal and erotic romance. I’ve also been on a thriller reading binge.

Alice: Why do you write erotic romance?

Mechele: I write erotic romance because I truly believe to capture a romance you have to open the doors on the whole relationship. I think that’s the only way to get at the heart of the characters and for me that means opening the door to the bedroom as well. Not to mention, I enjoy reading a really good sex scene. So when I began writing, it made a lot of sense for me to write stories where sex was an important part of the plot.

Alice: Anything else we should know?

Mechele: I’m also a firm supporter of women’s rights. I’m honored to have been a part of the non-fiction anthology, NOTHING BUT RED.  All the proceeds from this anthology go to Equality Now. NOTHING BUT RED was inspired by the tragic honor killing of Dua Khalil, which was recorded by cell phones and shocked the world. For more on Nothing But Red, www.nothingbutred.wordpress.com

 ♥ Lynn Lorenz ♥

 http://www.lynnlorenz.com

Aice Gaines: Welcome to the Sirens! First, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Lynn Lorenz:  I live in Texas and have been writing for publication for the last 3 yrs. My first book, THE MERCENARY'S TALE, a m/m historical romance, was published by Loose Id in Feb, ’08. I’ve been blessed to have another six books m/m romances with them this year, and one, a m/f paranormal, at Liquid Silver.

Alice:  Tell us about your latest/next release.

Lynn: This month L.I. is releasing WARRIORS AT HEART, a vampire story that throws a pair of vampire lovers (m/f) in with two mortal lovers (m/f) that have sworn to kill them. They must work together to free the mortal woman’s sister being held by some really bad vampires. It involves vampire politics, lawsuits, and affirmative action, not to mention a wise-cracking lizard that has an opinion on just about everything.

Alice:  What publishing houses do you work with?

Lynn: Currently, Loose Id and Liquid Silver, but I’ve been invited to write for Amber Quill, a huge thing for me. I’m working on a story for their Amber Allure line (m/m) now and hope it’ll see the light of day in ’09. I’ve been so fortunate to have had some great experiences with these houses and to have some great editors and cover artists.

Alice:  What sorts of stories/books do you like to write?

Lynn: Well, I like stories with lots of emotion, hot sex and adventure. In The Company Of Men, my medieval series, has plenty of sword-swinging, blood, death and hot sex. And I love paranormal, so in my Common Powers series, I took the idea of people who have just a touch of that something extra, and said, what if? The first book, SOUL BONDS, dealt with the sex slave trade in Houston, and an escaped slave who could hear his lovers' thoughts and meet their every need. In the second book, RUSH IN THE DARK, the hunky PI has premonitions and the sexy rancher can see in the dark. When they get together, sparks fly, lighting up the dark. I also have a few other short stories out there, like IT TAKES A HERO, that deal with a marine who has had his leg shot off in Iraq and must regain his life, and a really fun, sweet werewolf/witch short story, SECOND MOON, with LSB.

Alice:  What sorts of stories/books do you like to read?

Lynn:  Right now, I’m reading a lot of m/m romance. I used to read a lot of detective/mystery, and a very long time ago a lot of horror. My tastes change with my hormones I think. There’s no telling what’s next.

Alice:  Why do you write erotic romance?

Lynn:  Okay, I’ll admit it – I love the sex. And I love falling in love with the characters, creating plots and twists and putting them thru the wringer. And telling a story. I have these stories and these muses that keep pushing me to keep my fingers on the keyboard. I love to write about issues, like depression, disabilities, etc., and how they affect people’s lives and loves. But most of all, I love the HEA. Life’s too crappy not to have a HEA, it’s what we all want, and the part of the book I love best – getting to the end, making it all come out right, giving my characters their long deserved happiness.

Alice:  Anything else we should know?

Lynn:  This year I exceeded my goal of six books (I did seven). Next year I set a goal of eight, and I’ve already completed three that were scheduled, with another two finished and waiting for the right publishers, and another work in progress. So, I’m hoping that there will be at least a book out every other month or so in ’09.

Oh, and I love hearing from readers and authors, I love to chat and there couldn’t be anything more perfect than if we could sit down and chat, eat and drink at the same time. I’m kind of a social person, and since writing is sort of a by-yourself activity, I tend to crave other people to talk to, bounce ideas off of, and just have a good time.

♥ Randi Monroe ♥ 

http://www.randimonroe.com

Alice Gaines: Welcome to the Sirens! First, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Randi Monroe:  Like most of us, I started writing when I was a child, first plays then short stories, and in my early teens, complete novels. Once I realized that love really does make the world go ‘round, I knew I was a romance author in my soul. Erotic romance is the next step.

Alice:  Tell us about your latest/next release.

Randi: I had the pleasure of meeting the very talented Lynn LaFleur when she lived in California. Now we’re teaming up on a novel entitled TURNING POINT for Ellora’s Cave. This is the first time we’ve collaborated and we’re having a great deal of fun with it.

TURNING POINT is Rico’s story, a young man wrongly convicted of rape and attempted murder. Ten years later, he’s exonerated through The Innocence Project and, once freed, sets out on a journey to seek revenge against the young juror with whom he’d forged a special bond during the trial, and who he believed had the power to set him free. What seemed so easy at the start becomes the greatest challenge of Rico’s life. He can choose the satisfaction of crushing the woman who betrayed him, or follow his heart to the joys of happily ever after.

TURNING POINT is the first of Lynn and my Tarot Café series, featuring a trendy little bistro located in the mountains of Northern California. It’s the hottest spot in town, specializing in sumptuous meals, fabulous desserts, and, of course, Tarot readings. Celebrities, skiers, honeymooners, and gamblers from the casinos in nearby Nevada, flock to The Tarot Café year-round, seeking not only a great meal, but also the knowledge of what the cards hold in store for them. Our series tell their stories.

Alice: What publishing houses do you work with?

Randi:  Currently I write for both Cerridwen Press and Ellora’s Cave, although this is my first erotic romance.

Alice:  What sorts of stories/books do you like to write?

Randi:  That’s easy—mysteries and romantic suspense!

Alice: What sorts of stories/books do you like to read?

Randi:  What else – mysteries and romantic suspense!

Alice: Why do you write erotic romance?

Randi: There’s freedom in erotic romance that we never saw in some of the early romances where only virginal heroines and arrogant, blustering heroes reigned.

Erotic romance opened the door to a new level of adult sensuality. It’s a genre that acknowledges that there are many paths to happily ever-after, and respects that both authors and readers enjoy exploring those paths with far more honesty and detail. Is it titillating? Absolutely. Is it porn? Absolutely not!

Alice: Anything else we should know?

Randi: I’m thrilled to be one of the new Sirens of Sensual Romance. I look forward to meeting our members and writing the books they want to snuggle up with on rainy days.

Sirens of the Month Excerpts!

THE SIXTH CURSED HALLOWEEN

by Mechele Armstrong

Available at Loose-Id

http://www.mechelearmstrong.com

Blurb:

On Halloween night, Brad settles down to repot his Bonsai tree. After an argument with his girlfriend, he needs someone to talk to. He's not expecting the tree to talk back.

Surprise! Deidre’s cursed inside his bonsai tree. She's been curled up watching him for years. This conversation's the first she's had in centuries.

Brad tries to set her free, but at the end of the night, he loses the ability to hear the woman with the sexy brogue. He vows he'll do what it takes to get her out, wanting to know the woman behind the voice. He even has erotic dreams about the woman she might be, for the five long years he searches for the saving spell.

Deidre hates men. All of them. Or does she? Brad's such an earnest hunk, so determined to do right by her. Maybe they have some redeeming qualities - like a sexy, muscular chest.

On the sixth Halloween, a woman from Brad's life turns Deirdre's upside down. Literally. That's not a good thing for a potted tree. Now she's getting a choice: a life with Brad without her magic or back to the trees, but she can work her curses and take her revenge. What will she choose this sixth cursed Halloween?

Excerpt:

Stuck into a tree owned by a man. Adam must be laughing his ass off.

Trapped. She’d been trapped for the past sixteen years in the fucking tree. And it showed no signs of dying.

Because Brad took such good care of the little plant.

He went about getting out some little strips. Then he scooped out soil with a small spoon and put in a test tube.

“What are you doing?”

“Testing the pH of the soil.”

“You are such a geek.” Amanda held her nose haughtily in the air. “I don’t know why I put up with you.”

I don’t know why he puts up with you either. Deidre gasped at the thought. Was she taking Brad’s side over Amanda’s? Men were the scum of the earth. They were dogs.

Only Brad wasn’t.

How many women had she seen use Brad? Cheat on him? Seemed like every girlfriend he got did something that made Deidre cringe. It had been that way since high school.

Weren’t men supposed to be the ones doing the shitty things?

And Deidre wasn’t even punishing Brad. She couldn’t. Couldn’t let out one single curse to make him suffer.

The women were doing it to him all on their own. Something that should have made her happy, but she found herself discouraged by the actions of the fairer sex that were never fair.

Not that he seemed to suffer too much from what they’d done. His favorite emotion toward the women he dated seemed to be aggravation. He wasn’t a pushover. Had balls and wasn’t afraid to use them. Like now.

Case in point.

“I don’t know why I put up with you either. In fact…” Brad pointed with a hand. “Leave your key on the table. And don’t let the door hit you in the ass.”

He’d put up with the women he dated for a while. God knew why because Deidre didn’t. Unless it was the sex. He did like to have sex. Often. When he didn’t, well, he wasn’t afraid to use his hand. But, eventually something would happen in his relationships done by the women, and he’d kick them to the curb.

“You…asshole. You aren’t serious.”

“Go to the party. Screw ’em all.” His mouth twisted into a grimace. “Like being with me would stop you from that.”

She let out another of those high-pitched noises that set Deidre’s teeth on edge. “You are going to regret this. I’ll walk out and never look back.”

“Leave your key.” He studied the pH strip he’d taken.

She stormed out the house, slamming the door and knocking a picture off the wall, shattering the frame. It had been hung by a previous girlfriend.

“Never did like that picture.” He walked over and cleaned up the glass, sticking the whole thing in the trash can. He sighed, finishing his attention to the bonsai by watering it deeply and thoroughly.

Then, he popped open a beer and sat beside the pot in a dining room chair. “What’s wrong with me?”

Deidre could offer a litany of things that were wrong with him. Too bad he’d never hear her.

He didn’t look upset. Or sad. Only perplexed. “What’s perplexing you?”

“I don’t feel anything. My girlfriend walks out and I feel nothing.” He downed a sip. “A girlfriend who wanted to do every man with a pulse. Which again, didn’t bother me. I wasn’t even jealous. It’s like…I’m dead inside.”

“You ought to try being a tree.” How many times had she died now? And living this way was no better than dying and starting over. She’d never get big enough to get out. She’d be trapped inside this one tree until Brad died, more than likely. The care he took was methodical and invasive. He’d never let this plant perish.

“A tree would be better than what I’m doing now.” He leaned back in his chair, resting his head on the top.

“Yeah, well, trade places with me.”

“I would. Only who’d take care of me?” He lifted his drink again.

Deidre straightened up in the pot at his offhand comments. They were almost as if they were in response to what she’d said. But that was impossible. Her feelers went out. Searched the apartment and Brad. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. This couldn’t be happening. She had to test it out. “Elephants are pinky and blue.”

He didn’t say anything for a minute.

She relaxed. She’d been imagining things. Had to have been. There was no way that Brad could hear what she was saying.

“Last time I checked, elephants were gray, not pinky and blue. What kind of a color is pinky? I don’t even remember Amanda mentioning that one.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “Where did that come from?” He took another long draft from his beer. “How to know when you’ve finally lost it? When you talk to your bonsai tree and imagine it’s talking back.”

Her feelers went straight again.

It was true.

Brad could somehow hear her thoughts. How on fucking earth could this be?

WARRIORS AT HEART

by Lynn Lorenz

Available in December at www.loose-id.com

 http://www.lynnlorenz.com

Blurb:

What do a 450-year-old vampire in search of redemption, a newly turned vampire determined to live her afterlife on her own terms, an avowed vampire slayer, and a kick-ass virgin in love have in common? And what does an enchanted, wise-cracking lizard have to do with it?

When two couples are caught in the middle of vampire politics and deadly affirmative action, anything can happen, but survival is what really matters. Swords swing, heads roll, and love…well, that's another story.

Nic is a warrior sworn to kill vampires and Fiona is a kick-ass virgin. Together they form a partnership of necessity, but he wants it to evolve into more. Ivan is a 450-year-old vampire just looking for peace and quiet, and Annie is a newly converted vampire who's pissed her plans for the rest of her life have been ruined. They're the lone survivors of a hit gone bad.

These four must decide to band together and fight...or kill each other. They're all warriors at heart, but can they be lovers instead of fighters?

 

Excerpt:

The black velvet curtain closed behind Nicodemus. He stood in the wide hallway where fifteen minutes before he'd entered the chamber of the Council of Twelve to receive his latest assignment.

As always, the same old man, dressed in a plain black suit, waited in the hall. In the palm of his translucent-skinned hand sat a sleek green lizard about nine inches long, its tail wrapped around the old man's thin wrist.

"Thanks for watching Cho. He gets into trouble if I leave him alone." Nicodemus held out his hand, palm up.

The sleek lizard jumped across, skittered up his arm to ride on his shoulder, and curled its tail around his neck.

The old man looked relieved to see the reptile go.

The color of the Cho's skin turned in a rapid gradation from a dull green to matte black to match Nic's clothing.

Cho spoke to Nicodemus, the only human who could hear him. It's because I get so damned bored with no one to talk to.

<You have the attention span of a gnat.> Nicodemus answered with his thoughts.

Now, you're making me hungry, Nic. It's my high intellect; I crave stimulation.

<The only thing you crave is food, Cho. We have some work to do tonight.>

I knew it! The Council of Twelve wouldn't drag you here unless they needed your skills. Same as last time?

<Yeah, find the virgins. Kill the vampires. Rescue the virgins.>

Yeesh, virgins! All those young girls, passing out, weeping uncontrollably. We get to kill, right? A quick flick of Cho's tail signaled his excitement.

<Oh, yes, and if we're lucky, we'll be outnumbered.>

Nic flashed a wicked grin as the pair continued down the hallway to a door. He put his hand up to the security plate. A green light scanned his palm and it beeped. The lock snicked open. Stepping into the backroom of a small Greek restaurant, he closed the door behind him. Crossing the supply room, he reached another door that opened into the kitchen. The outside door to the back alley had been propped open by an empty keg of beer and the thin Greek man who sat on it, smoking a cigarette. Nic held out a ten-dollar bill, a cheap enough price to watch over his baby. The Greek snatched it with nicotine stained fingers and it disappeared into a pocket of his dirty, torn jeans.

Nic hit the remote, unlocked his black Jag, and slid into the driver's seat. Turning the key, he gunned the motor and drove down the alley to the street, where he stopped and slipped the gear into neutral.

Where to?

<Not sure yet. They gave me an orb again. Why can't they just tell me where the fuck the vampires are?>

Adds to the mystique, Nic.

<Fuck mystique. I hate these things.>

He pulled a small blue orb from his pocket and as he stared, it glowed brighter. Images formed in his mind.

Darkness. The moon was hidden by a cloud. As the cloud moved, rows of tombstones and large crypts emerged. Another cloud slipped across the moon, and it was dark again.

Nic rubbed his eyes to force away the headache the orbs always gave him.

"Why is it they always use cemeteries?" Nic asked Cho aloud as he tossed the orb on the passenger seat next to his sword. "Is it their lack of imagination?"

Maybe it's because they're close to home. Everyone knows commuting sucks. Get it? Vampires? Suck?

<I get it, Cho.>

The lizard's tongue flicked against Nic's neck in a soundless version of a raspberry.

"And I just thought it was the creepy atmosphere. All those dead bodies." Nic shrugged.

Well, sure, that, too.

Randi Monroe

http://www.randimonroe.com

Randi Monroe hot excerpts coming soon!

5. Decadent Delights

by Samantha Winston
http://www.samanthawinston.com

It’s the holidays, and to keep the holiday spirit, how about cookie recipes sure to delight young and old?

Scotch Shortbread Cookies

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon water
1 pound butter softened
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Measure sugar into bowl & sprinkle with water. Cream butter into sugar with a wooden spoon. Add flour and salt and knead dough with your hands until dough pulls away from side of bowl as well as your hands. Press dough into a ungreased 9 x 13-inch glass baking pan. Spread it flat right into the corners. Prick with fork about at 1 inch intervals. Sprinkle all with 1/4 cup white sugar. Bake at 275F for one hour or until pale golden. Cut while hot into diamonds or rectangle shapes. A pizza cutter works the best. Let cool.

Sugar & Spicy Snickerdoodles

1 cup butter or shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoons baking soda
cinnamon and sugar mixed to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together butter and sugar until smooth, then add eggs, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Stir in flour until well mixed. Roll into balls about 1" in diameter and roll in cinnamon and sugar to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake 8-10 minutes. Cookies are done when they are just barely browning.

Santa's Whiskers

Makes about 60

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-cup red candied cherries, finely chopped
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup flaked coconut

In a large mixer bowl beat butter till softened. Add sugar and beat till fluffy. Add milk and vanilla and beat well. Add flour and beat until well mixed. Stir in cherries and pecans. Shape into three 7" rolls. Roll in coconut to coat. Wrap and chill for several hours. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut into 1/4" thick slices. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 12 minutes or until done. Remove and cool. Note: Try mixing red and green cherry bits!

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Makes about 24

1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13" baking pan.

In the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt the chocolate chips with the 4 tablespoons peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread on top of the mixture in the baking pan.

Refrigerate for about 1 hour before cutting into bars. Note: Yield depends on how big or small you cut the bars/squares.

Christmas Spice Sugar Cookies

2 cups sifted flour (probably use a bit less)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cream
extra granulated sugar, for decorating

Blend 1 cup flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Cream butter, beat in sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla, and cream. Stir in flour, then add enough of the remaining 1 cup flour to make the dough stiff enough to roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill several hours. Preheat oven to 375F. Place on a lightly floured cutting board and roll to 1/8" thickness. Use floured cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake 8 minutes.

Strufoli

2-1/2 cups flour
4 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups honey
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Put flour on a board and make a well in the center. Add eggs, egg yolk, oil, sugar, salt, and lemon peel. Mix and work dough well. Shape dough into very small balls about the size of marbles, and fry in 2 cups of hot oil until golden. Fry only a few at a time. While dough is frying, melt honey in saucepan and add orange peel. When balls are done drop them in the honey and orange peel mixture and remove with a strainer spoon. Pile on a serving dish into a conical mound. Cool. Top with candy sprinkles or powdered sugar or leave plain.

Note: You can add pinoli nuts to the mountain treat as well!

Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

6. Enticing Excerpts

THE LAST CANDLE

by Katherine Kingston

From the anthology

HOLIDAY HEAT

Available from Ellora’s Cave in e-book and trade paperback

http://www.katherinekingston.com

Blurb:

The magical ornaments Lindsey inherited from her grandmother have brought happiness to others when she acted on the visions she sees in them. This time it’s her turn. But how can it turn out well when she has to start by bailing the man meant for her out of jail?

The story features all sorts of toys, including a number of games.  Ever played strip scrabble? A kinky version of Dungeons and Dragons? My protagonists, Lindsey and Greg, do during a time-out from reality the week after Christmas. And the chips they use for their version of poker are very different indeed. But they start out with a just slightly twisted version of getting-to-know-you Gin in this excerpt.

Excerpt:

Lindsey had to resist the urge to throw herself on Greg when he came in the door. He had a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and dragged a large, wheeled suitcase behind him. A flare of suspicion roused again.

“Staying a while?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Depends. But not all of this is clothes.” He set the duffel down on the hall floor and pulled a bottle out of it, which he handed to her. “A thank-you gift. Actually, I plan to do better than that later, but there’s not much open on Sunday morning, even the Sunday morning, the day after Christmas.”

“Benedictine and Brandy?” The bottle was so cold it must have come from his unheated apartment.

“Ever tried it? It packs a punch, but I think you’ll like it.”

“No. Now?”

“Later. Did you miss me?”

“My tormentor? What do you think?”

He leaned over and kissed her in answer. He smelled of wool coat and fresh air from outside. His lips started cool but quickly heated as he clung to hers and made her mouth sizzle. She wrapped her arms around him and pushed herself against him. The man turned her insides upside down and twisted her nerves into a tight ball. His mouth moving over hers made her blood fizz and skin tingle.

After a minute he pulled back and stared at her with a bemused expression. “You missed me,” he stated. “Almost as much as I missed you. What’s for lunch?” He began to unbutton the overcoat.

“You assume I’m going to feed you?”

He turned and grinned. “I assume you’re going to find it in your compassionate heart to offer sustenance to a man who’s had nothing but a cup of coffee in the past fourteen hours. No, seriously, I can heat soup with the best of them. Have you got any?” He hung his coat in the closet.

Twenty minutes later he ladled out steaming servings of New England clam chowder. Lindsey added toasted slices of bread. Watching him eat in daylight was as delightful as it had been by candlelight the previous evening. He was so handsome, and he had an innate grace, almost refinement, that made him incredibly appealing to her.

His gray eyes were bright with vitality and humor, except for occasional moments when he seemed to lapse into worry. Whenever he realized he’d done it, he yanked himself out of it and put the smile back into place. He had reason to worry; he was out on bail, but still facing trial for embezzlement. It appeared he was doing his best to forget it temporarily, at least.

“Do you mind it I turn on the football games? It’s the playoffs.”

“Giants versus the Redskins at one,” she said.

“You’re a football fan?”

“Not religious about it, but, yes, I like football. I like baseball and hockey, too.”

“I can’t believe some man hasn’t snapped you up yet.”

She fought down her surge of annoyance. “I do my own snapping, thank you.”

He stared at her for a moment. “I imagine you do,” he said, softly. “I brought a few games back with me. Want to play something while we watch and listen?”

“What kind of games?”

“Cards, Scrabble, that kind of thing.”

“Oh. Anything but chess. Chess takes too much concentration.”

“No chess. Of course, there’s a twist on all the games.”

“Oh?”

“You’ll see.”

“You’re a tease.”

“Yesterday I was a torturer. Now I’m just a tease? I’m not sure if I’m insulted.”

“The day’s young yet. You’ll probably work up to more.”

His smile was wicked and promising. “Count on it.”

He helped her clean the kitchen and open cans of soft drinks.

“You’re pretty handy around the kitchen,” she told him. “And a fair kisser as well. I’m surprised some woman hasn’t snapped you up yet.”

His head jerked up and he stared at her, frowning, for a moment, before a wry smile broke through. “If that’s payback, there’s a bitch in here somewhere. I prefer to do the snapping, too.”

Lindsey laughed. “Ever wondered how a pair of snapping turtles manages to mate?”

“Probably not face to face,” Greg said. “Although maybe they enjoy the challenge of it. Or the…sting. Lots of possibilities. No apparent lack of snapping turtles in the world.”

“True.”

They took the drinks into the living room and turned on the TV to the game. Before they settled on the couch, Greg got a deck of cards. “You know Gin?” he asked.

“Haven’t played in a while, but yes.”

He nodded. “Here’s the twist. No keeping score, just win or lose each hand. The winner gets to ask the loser a question—any question they want—and the loser has to answer as honestly as possible.”

It surprised her, but sounded like an interesting way to get to know one another. “Okay.”

He dealt the first hand while the Giants kicked off to the Redskins. She made her first interesting discovery about him even before they played more than a couple of cards. The Redskins made a successful pass on the first play and Greg cheered for it.

“You’re a Redskins fan?” she asked in semi-serious horror.

“I grew up in northern Virginia.”

“Oh, no.” She rolled her eyes upward. “Gram, you blew it! He’s a Redskins fan. How could you?”

“It’s not a fatal disease,” Greg said calmly. “It can be worked out. Your turn.”

Lindsey sighed and picked a card. “I suppose.”

She lost the first hand quickly.

His first question wasn’t at all what she expected. “How many lovers have you had?”

“What? Not your business.”

“You agreed to the rules.”

“You didn’t tell me they would be intimate, personal questions.”

“I didn’t have to.”

“Four! Okay? I’ve had four.”

“Thank you,” he answered. “Your turn to deal.”

When she lost the next hand, too, he asked, “How many of them did you fall in love with?”

“I thought I was in love with two of them.”

“You weren’t?”

“That’s another question. Win another hand.”

“But you didn’t answer the original question.”

“Oh, all right! None. I wasn’t in love with any of them.”

Lindsey had already noted his strategy in the game and was both emulating it and working on ways to defeat it. She won the third hand, but it was more from luck than skill.

“How many lovers have you had?” she asked.

He had to think a moment. “Eight. But a couple may not count as lovers. They were more like one-night stands.”

She wanted to follow up on that but would have to wait.

He won the next hand. “Have you ever done anything kinky? And if so, what?”

“Two questions. I’ll answer the first. Yes.”

PERFECTING PEARL

by Ruby Storm

Gay Ménage

(Check out the HOT COVER on Ruby’s website!)

Blurb:

Sean Pearl had gone out of his way to find that one special person to share his life with. He’s endured endless evenings in nightclubs, horrendous single’s events and despite his sexy good looks, he always returns home alone because he won’t settle for less than what his heart sought. Sean never imagined that it would take a quick trip through the doors of a department store for him to discover the love he’d been waiting for—someone who could match his sexual desires.

When Terry Winston slipped on the ice, he never dreamed that the man helping him to his feet personified the qualities he had searched for in a lover. Nothing about Sean suggested his sexual orientation. Yet it was like sniffing the air and catching a scent.

Together, they discover that love has no boundaries, no set of perfect rules.

Excerpt:

Sean’s heart pounded against his ribs. The deafening rush of blood through his veins, beat within his ears. They would make love. Though the two men had shared nothing more than heated kisses and wild caresses, he knew tonight would be the hottest sexual experience he’d ever known. His light blue gaze lifted to watch Terry insert a cassette into his player. A moment later, soft soothing music filtered out. As his gaze coasted over Terry’s broad shoulders, it hit him that he was proud of who he was. He would never hide his sexuality behind meaningless detailed mistruths.

“Make love to me, Terry.”

Terry’s eyes glowed with tenderness when he turned. His lips curved softly as he crossed the room and reached out a hand. “Nothing would make me happier than to hold you in my arms. I can’t believe we found one another.”

Nodding, Sean breathed in deeply. He had no reservations. “I feel the same. It’s just…right, isn’t it?”

Terry reached out to cup Sean’s cheek, watching as the other man’s eyes fluttered shut with the gentle caress. “It is.” His hand drifted down the hard expanse of Sean’s chest to rest his palm over a rapidly beating heart. “That connection is here inside you, crying to get out.” He stepped closer and slipped his arms about Sean. “I want to take this slow. I want to enjoy. It’s been a long time since someone has made me feel the way you do.”

The erect line of Terry’s penis against Sean’s groin was intoxicating, beautifully sensual. His own cock swelled and crazily he wondered if Terry could feel it. His brain raced as an excited thrill rushed up his spine. His whole being centered on the moist lips that hovered near his mouth.

And then? Terry’s lips pressed forward, a slow languished caress, part exploration, part seeking of acceptance. His mouth moved over Sean’s, teasing and nipping as his hands slid down to rest over his buttocks.

Terry’s breath filled Sean’s nostrils, evoking an excited gasp of air. His circling hips further built Sean’s hot arousal as their tongues flicked against one another. Rigid cocks ached to be freed as hips surged forward in anticipation.

“Terry…” Having the other man hold Sean in such an intimate embrace was like coming home, like discovering the one most important thing in his life that had been missing.

THE HOT-BLOODED HUSBAND

by Alice Gaines

Available from www.eredsage.com

www.authoralicegaines.com

How in hell did you bandage a lip? Dan stared at his face in the bathroom mirror. The cut still oozed blood. He’d found some gauze but no way to hold it in the right place. Both a bandage and tape would have to go inside him mouth, and that would never work.

“Oh, Dan.” Paz stood on the doorway, giving him her I’m-so-disappointed-in-you look.

“Here to gloat?” he asked.

“I came to see how you are.”

“You could have done that in the kitchen when I really needed some help,” he said. “You were more worried about your carpet.”

“Stop it right there, okay?”

He huffed and turned back to the mirror. Paz used guilt on him when it would do her some good. He might as well return the favor. He’d come home to his woman—wounded from battle—and she’d made him go around to the back of the building. Actually, the front, but why split hairs? She’d sat with her girlfriend—the wife of the guy who’d cut his lip—instead of taking care of her man.

“What are you doing?” she said.

“Trying to figure out how to bandage the wound. Not that you care.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she said. “Sit down and let me do it.”

He put the toilet cover down and sat, staring up at her. Giving her what she called the big eyes. She always fell for them. She glanced at him and then shifted her gaze to the medicine cabinet. After opening the mirrored door, she searched inside for a moment and finally pulled out a tube of something.

“Salve,” she said. “Antiseptic.”

“Let me see.”

She removed the top and handed it to him. He sniffed it. “Whew. That won’t taste good.”

She took the stuff back from him. “Then, don’t suck on it.”

“You have a bad attitude, you know it?”

“You’re a fine one to talk.” She took his chin in one of her small hands and pulled his face up to study it. “It doesn’t look too bad.”

“I’m bleeding.”

She squeezed some salve into her finger and dabbed some onto his lip.

“That stings,” he said.

“If you’re so afraid of pain, you shouldn’t start fights.”

“I didn’t start it. He did.”

“Well, just finish it.”

She started to step away, but he put his hands around her waist and held her in place. “I know what I can finish.”

“Oh, no, you don’t.”

She didn’t try to pull away. At least, not hard enough that he had to worry about her leaving. She smelled good, as she always did. Soap and talcum powder and the floral scent that was her own. If he bottled it and sold it, he could make a fortune, but then, all men would get a taste of his wife’s perfume, and she belonged to him alone.

Her nearness had its usual effect on him, and he stiffened in his pants. She had the perfect medicine for that, too. Right between her thighs. Only inches away.

“My stud master needs your love muffin,” he said.

She rolled her eyes. “You should have thought of that before you took a swing at Brad.”

He pulled her down onto his knee. “You’re not still angry, are you, mi corazón?”

“Anger isn’t the point.” She didn’t try to get away but left her sweet butt against his thigh. “You make us all miserable with your idiotic fights.”

“I’m miserable now,” he murmured against her neck. “Make me un-miserable.”

CAPSIZED

by Lynn LaFleur

Available from Ellora’s Cave

www.lynnlafleur.com

She walked into his kitchen wearing nothing but a towel.

Christopher Pritchard froze with the coffee mug raised halfway to his mouth. “Damn,” he muttered.

Joni loved to walk around the house in next to nothing because she knew it made him crazy. Ivory skin, firm breasts the size of apples, incredibly long legs, short red hair, big brown eyes…they all combined to keep his cock perpetually hard.

She sauntered up to him, a siren’s smile curving her lips. “I thought I’d show you what you’ll be missing while you’re on your fishing trip.”

Her towel fell to the floor.

Chris inhaled sharply as his gaze slowly traveled over her curves. They’d made love less than an hour ago. That didn’t seem to matter to his cock. One look at her body and he wanted her again.

“You are an evil woman.”

She grinned impishly. “I know.”

Chris reached out and whisked his thumb across her nipple. It immediately puckered, as if begging for more. He set his mug on the counter, then cradled both breasts in his hands. His cock grew harder with each pass of his thumbs over her nipples. “This isn’t fair, Joni. Lance will be here in half an hour.”

She arched her back, pressing her breasts more firmly into his hands. “That’s plenty of time for a quickie.”

The thought was tempting. Joni stood before him, fresh from a shower and smelling like flowers from that liquid soap she used. If he slid his hand between her thighs, he knew he’d find her wet and open.

Joni wrapped her arms around Chris’ neck and pressed her body to his. She shifted her hips back and forth, rubbing his rod with her mound. “It’s been a long time since you’ve fucked me on the kitchen table.”

A man could only take so much teasing before he had to act. Chris cradled Joni’s face in his hands and kissed her deeply. She sighed and parted her lips for the thrust of his tongue. She drew it into her mouth, nipping it gently before sucking on it. She licked the corner of his mouth, ran her tongue across his bottom lip.

He’d never experienced kisses so hot as the ones he shared with Joni.

Still kissing her, Chris walked her backward until she bumped up against the round wooden table in the middle of the kitchen. “Bend over,” he ordered against her lips.

After one more kiss, Joni turned and did as he said. Chris spread her buttocks with his thumbs and stared at her pussy. It was definitely wet and open and waiting for his cock.

He had to taste her first.

Dropping to his knees, Chris licked her from her clit to her anus. He heard Joni’s soft gasp before she spread her legs another few inches. She loved it when he ate her pussy. That worked for Chris since he loved it too. He savored the sweet-salty taste of her juices as he ran his tongue up and down her labia.

“That feels incredible.” Joni pressed her pussy closer to his face. “You are so good at that.”

Chris drove his tongue into her ass. While he hadn’t had dozens of lovers in his life, he’d had enough to know that many women didn’t enjoy anal play. Joni did. He considered himself very lucky to be in love with a woman whose sexual appetite matched his own.

He began to fuck her ass with his tongue. She sometimes came with only the anal stimulation, but usually needed attention to her clit too. Chris could tell by her raspy breathing that it wouldn’t be much longer before she climaxed. He fingered her clit as he continued tongue-fucking her ass.

“God, I love what you do with your tongue!”

Chris smiled to himself. He didn’t doubt her statement at all, considering oral sex was always part of their lovemaking…both for her and him.

Her body stilled, then she released a loud moan and shivered. “Yes! God, yes!”

Chris pushed two fingers inside her channel and her walls contracted around them. He continued to lick her anus until she stilled again.

It felt as if his cock would burst his zipper at any moment. She wanted a quickie, so she would get a quickie. Chris stood, unfastened his jeans, and rammed his shaft inside her pussy. Gripping Joni’s hips, he thrust into her hard and fast.

Sweat popped out on his forehead. His heart pounded. He struggled to breathe without panting. He watched the way her feminine lips seemed to clasp his hard flesh, as if not wanting to release it. Her cream coated his rod, making it slide easily in and out of her body.

His orgasm built quickly in his balls. It engulfed his body when he felt Joni’s pussy contract around his cock from her second orgasm.

Chris leaned over Joni and kissed her nape. “Damn, woman. You’re going to kill me with sex.”

“What a way to go.”

REDNECKS N’ ROCK CANDY

by Judy Mays

www.judymays.com

 Available at www.ellorascave.com

“Christ.”

Leaning his head back against the trunk of the tree, Brad closed his eyes. “Christ,” he gasped again.

Opening his eyes, he looked down at the hand he had wrapped around his still hard and throbbing cock. “All that did was blow the froth off the top of the beer,” he muttered. “Still a lot of juice left to squeeze out."

He looked back through Mandi’s window.

She stood in the middle of the room with a puzzled expression on her face.  Her T-shirt was still up around her waist, and she was sliding her fingers into the curls between her thighs.

Brad’s cock jerked in his hand.

She thrust her thighs forward.

He pumped his cock.

Her hips jerked.

Brad sucked in a deep breath. This new development was very interesting. Was she reacting to him on some unconscious level? There was only one way to find out.

He began pumping his cock slowly and steadily.

Mandi moaned and shimmied her hips. Her fingers slid lower.

“Oh yes, baby. That’s it. Play a little for me.” Closing his eyes, Brad leaped into a fantasy where he was half reclining on the bed next to Mandi and slid his fingers down through her silky curls until he reached her wet pussy. There, he rubbed her hard, little clit a few times, then slid first one then a second finger into her – and pumped them. Bending his head, he captured her mouth with his in a long, tongue-twisting kiss, then nibbled his way down her neck and across her collar bone to suck on a cinnamon-colored nipple as she arched her breast into his mouth.

A louder moan from inside the house caused him to open his eyes.

Still fisting his cock—up, down, up, down—he now watched as Mandy, her T-shirt bunched around her waist, staggered backwards until she reached the wall. There, she braced herself, spread her legs apart, and rubbed her clit. Her moans grew louder as she pumped her hips against her fingers. Hard nipples pressed against her shirt and seemed to watch Brad as he fisted his cock faster and faster, up and down, up and down.  Mandi sobbed again and slapped her other hand against the wall.

Brad began to pant as he imagined himself burying his cock deep inside her, her pussy muscles grabbing and sucking him. He groaned. Her pussy would be hot and wet and tight, he just knew it.

Inside the house, Mandi rolled her head from side to side against the wall. Her sobs were replaced by a low keen.

Brad's balls drew up tight and began to burn.

“Come on, baby. That’s it. Rub harder. That’s it. Come for me. Now!”

As cum erupted high into the air a second time and his canines lengthened, Brad clutched the branch at his side and watched Mandi rhythmically beat her fist against the wall as she thrust her hips forward in quick, jerking motions. Then, her legs shook, her knees wobbled, and she slid to the floor where she leaned her head back against the wall and sucked huge gasps of air into her lungs.

Slowly, Brad released his cock and stared at his shaking hand. Christ, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d come that hard and long. Of course, it had been a while. Still, he felt a little weak in the knees himself. If he didn’t have his back braced against the trunk of the tree, he’d have probably fallen out. Did vampires break bones when they fell out of trees?

A groan from the bedroom caught his attention, and he watched Mandi stagger to her feet, stumble across the room, and collapse on the bed.

“I know exactly how you feel, honey. It was as good for me as it was for you.” He rubbed an extended canine. “Except next time, my cock is going to be buried inside of you.” He rubbed his tooth again. “Hope you don’t mind if I bite you. I have a feeling coming will be even better then.”

After stuffing his still semi-hard cock back into his pants—he was sure he could have gone a third round.  Sucking in a few deep breaths and making sure his knees had stopped shaking, Brad leaped lightly to the ground and headed for his cruiser. Now, he could finish his rounds. Then he’d go home and rest for the day. Tomorrow was another night and Mandi was going to get to know him much, much better.

Lying exhausted on her bed, Mandi stared at the ceiling. Her heart was still beating a mile a minute, and she was still sucking extra air into her lungs. What the hell had just happened? One minute she’d been examining the scratch on her ass and the next she’d been so horny she didn’t know which way was up! Never had she experienced such a powerful urge for sex or such a powerful orgasm, not even when she was with a man. And against the wall? She didn’t masturbate against the wall. She always got comfortable either lying or sitting, no matter what room she was in.

She shuddered and glanced around. Why had she felt like she wasn’t the only one here? Shivers dancing up and down her spine, she looked around the room again. Except for Midnight, she was definitely alone, yet she could swear she’d felt a man’s hand slip between her thighs, felt his fingers sliding in and out of her pussy, felt his mouth move from her mouth to her breast. Then, the weight of his body had settled on her.

Muscular thighs had spread her legs wider, and a thick, rock-hard cock had slid into her—one that stretched her, filled her, satisfied her more than any other ever had.

Mandi closed her eyes. The memory of that hard cock being buried deep inside of her surged to the forefront of her memory. She groaned as her pussy muscles contracted again as if they were still clasping it and sucking it as deeply as they could. Her orgasm had been so powerful, she’d been unable to stand on her feet. That had never happened before when she masturbated. Sure, single sex was very satisfying, and she had often been able to draw out her pleasure until her eventual climax was wonderful, but she’d never ever drawn such a powerful response with just her fingers, or a vibrator, as she had tonight.

She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling again. There wasn't anyone else here. She was alone. Even though her body thought a man had satisfied her, the greatest sex she'd ever experienced had happened in her mind. What the hell was going on?

Turning her head to the side, Mandi stared at her reflection in the dresser mirror. Her face was flushed. Well, that was to be expected. She frowned. Were her lips swollen? She shook her head. No way. That was impossible. It was just her imagination, and if she weren’t so damn exhausted, she’d get out of bed and look closer. Then she’d see that everything was normal. Yep, thinking her lips were swollen was just her imagination, and she had a great imagination. She often imagined herself with a man when she masturbated. That buff guy from her gym, the new tight end for the Eagles football team, the one with the really tight end, or even Brad Pitt. All of them were handsome men and perfect specimens for any woman’s fantasy, and pulling their faces into her mind was easy.

Mandi continued to stare at herself. Why, then, was the man’s face that had appeared in her mind been that pain in the ass sheriff, Brad Keister?

After one final shudder, she lifted her hand and rubbed the side of her neck. And why the hell did her neck itch so much?