tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42285531947667255412024-03-05T14:31:39.987-07:00Sui Lynn, M/M Romance AuthorTrue Love... Soul DeepSui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-52297502998024483612015-01-04T14:39:00.000-07:002015-01-04T14:41:56.359-07:00Downtown Bus - Prehistoric Shifters - Book 1<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Greetings Loved Ones! </span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Available Today:</span></h2>
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<a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/Downtown-Bus/"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Downtown Bus - Prehistoric Shifters book 1</span></a></h3>
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<a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/Downtown-Bus/"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPxcUtE8Rw8Sl8UQhbyMpOUqWYiG5eRd421mRtVU0bXP18WPB6go7B8TkkNR2OSLvnuhBuHe9DqnFvgtJtHBYClek5iA07CoYPxDoJJJoSLh_8f7Z3yMWSerREeutlsNpa4QdI2EDMno/s1600/Bus+-+final.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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Micah Lewis is minding his own business, on his morning commute dreaming of freedom, and mountain forests. It’s an unattainable dream as he‘s an owned man. His parents sold him and his twin to a fae collector, who uses Spencer to control him. He is forced to live in a cage on display when not working in the fae’s factory.<br />
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Daniel Hawthorn arrives in the city just in time to have his bike break down, forcing him to use public transportation. When he discovers his mate, a beautiful, blond, human man who seems to be extremely shy, he decides to make his approach very carefully.<br />
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Micah agrees to meet with Daniel, but things don’t go as planned. Secrets and ancient legends come to life sparking a cross country escape to the mountains of Montana. Will Daniel get to keep his mate? Will Micah attack and kill him? Will Leopold the Fae find and kill them both before they even have a chance to discover love?<br />
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Excerpt:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chapter One</span></h4>
Micah detested the city. He sat on the downtown bus, staring at the traffic and sighed. He’d left early to miss as much of the overcrowded press of humanity as possible. He hated crowds. But even the oppressive scent of dirt, body odor and diesel fuel that permeated the packed, morning bus was preferable to remaining in what passed for his room. At least this was a distraction from the truth of his life.<br />
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The time on the bus was the only time he had to himself. So he opted to take the early bus, avoiding at least some of the people. It meant he would arrive an hour early for work, but he’d take the wait over feeling like a sardine, anytime.<br />
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He stared into the darkness, the sun hadn’t even broken the horizon. In fact, it wouldn’t for a couple hours. Working in a bakery meant starting his day before most of the city awoke and being off around noon. Dreams of grass, open skies, mountains and pines as far as the eye could see, filled his thoughts. He’d never seen such places in person. City life was all he’d ever known and it seemed unlikely, in his current situation, that he would ever see such things. Besides, his life wasn’t his own to live as he wished. He had his younger twin’s welfare to think about. Spencer depended on him to do the right thing by both of them.<br />
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The bus began to lurch. The brakes hissed and then the bus jerked to a stop. Passengers got on and off, before the engine roared and a plume of black, diesel smoke was left in their wake as the bus pulled away from the curb.<br />
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Micah closed his eyes. He envisioned himself lying on a grassy hillside at the foot of a mountain under cerulean skies surrounded by a thick forest. The warm scent of earth, grass and pine engulfed him. He’d only ever seen such places on television. He had little idea what such a place would truly smell like, he could only compare it to the park, without the odor of humans and machinery, but he imagined it would be heavenly.<br />
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The bus arrived at the next stop, jerking to a halt. Air, warm, humid and heavy with exhaust, rushed in with a crush of people shuffling for seats. Even at this hour, the city was alive with the coming and going of people. Some were getting off the late shift others, like himself, were part of the first shift of the day. <br />
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Micah felt his seat move as someone sat next to him. He ignored the person. Preferring to be lost in his early morning imaginings, rather than attempting polite, small talk, he tried to pretend he was alone. The door hissed, the diesel engine roared and the bus rolled on.<br />
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Micah tried to focus on his dream forest, but a distinctly different scent from that of his usual fellow passengers intruded on his musings. It wasn’t odd for an odor to overwhelm him and force him out of his imaginary sanctuary. Horrible aromas abounded when humanity packed itself together in overpopulated, poverty stricken cities. But this scent wasn’t offensive. He’d never encountered anything quite like it. It tickled his senses so much he was tempted to open his eyes and look at the passenger sitting beside him.<br />
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“Is it always this busy?”<br />
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“Excuse me?” Micah turned, opened his eyes and faced his fellow commuter. Clamping his lips shut, he was barely able to keep his stunned gasp to himself. The man was tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular. His dark hair poked out from beneath a baseball cap, a light dusting of facial hair accentuated a strong, square jaw-line. Micah had to struggle to draw his gaze from the man’s light pink lips, up to meet his eyes—gray with brown-gold specks—surrounded by long, black lashes most models would kill for.<br />
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“There’re so many cars and people, like scurrying ants, so intent on their day, oblivious to their surroundings. It’s amazing and overwhelming.” His voice felt like a caress, sending a wave of shivers down Micah’s spine.<br />
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“This is nothing. Give it another hour or two, then you’ll see busy. The road will fill with so many cars that the traffic will barely crawl along.” Micah couldn’t believe this stranger was speaking to him. This drop dead, gorgeous male—who fidgeted and squirmed, leaned into Micah’s side crowding him slightly. The man’s focus seemed to bounce around, never settling on any one thing, but returning to Micah.<br />
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“I just can’t imagine so many people all in one place. It feels a bit claustrophobic to me. Do you find it hard to live among all these people?”<br />
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“Well, yes. But I don’t have any other options. I have a job and responsibilities.” Micah frowned at the beautiful stranger. This was more than he’d ever said to anyone on a bus—ever. Most people ignored each other, not getting involved in the lives of strangers, even though they saw the same people on the same routes day after day.<br />
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“So you do this every day, even though you don’t like it or want to?” The man smiled at Micah understandingly.<br />
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“Yes, I have to work.”<br />
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“So what do you do for fun?”<br />
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“I don’t have time for fun,” Micah chuckled and tried not to stare at the slight downturn of the man’s luscious lips. This conversation was getting a bit too personal.<br />
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“No fun! How can anyone live without fun?”<br />
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“I have fun...I guess when I’m not working,” Micah grumbled, defending himself, trying not to let his irritation show. The questions were innocent enough, and should have been easy to answer, for anybody else. It wasn’t the stranger’s fault Micah couldn’t answer them. Micah turned and stared out the window, trying to subtly end the conversation.<br />
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“Oh, so what do city people do for fun?” the stranger persisted.<br />
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“I don’t know. People do all sorts of things. Some go to concerts, out to clubs drinking or dancing, or some like going to sporting events, the movies or theater... the park.” Micah turned back, again facing tall, dark and handsome, only to be lost in the man’s eyes. I enjoy looking at you, Micah thought, immediately starting to blush. He closed his eyes and turned, trying to hide his response to the man by staring out the window.<br />
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“They do?” The man’s voice softened, as if to encourage Micah to continue.<br />
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“Well, yeah, I guess.”<br />
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“So what do you do?”<br />
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“Me?” Micah couldn’t resist, turning back and refocusing on those soft, gray eyes.<br />
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“Yes, you—what do you do?”<br />
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Micah felt flushed as visions of nibbling on the beautiful man’s lips until the color changed from light pink to a ravished red flashed through his mind, his cock hardening to an uncomfortable half-mast in his jeans. He felt the urge to squirm in his seat but didn’t want to give himself away.<br />
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“I don’t know—I guess…” Micah could feel himself blushing, the heat rising from his neck and flooding his face.<br />
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“So what’s your name? I’m Daniel—Daniel Hawthorn.” Daniel held out his hand.<br />
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“Micah Lewis.” Micah accepted Daniel’s hand in his own. He was expecting a firm handshake, but Daniel just held his hand, placing his other hand over the top. If they held hands slightly longer than necessary, neither of them seemed inclined to break the contact. Micah certainly enjoyed the feeling of Daniel’s rough, calloused fingers brushing over his hand, before Daniel slowly let go. <br />
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“Well, Micah, how about this? I’d love to spend more time with you and get to know you better. Maybe we could meet up later and see if we can do whatever it is that has you blushing every time I ask you what you do for fun?” Daniel waggled his eyebrows.<br />
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Micah’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you hitting on me?” he blurted a bit louder than he had intended, his hand flying to cover his mouth in surprise at his own directness. <br />
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“Let me tell you a secret,” Daniel leaned in conspiratorially. “I’ve watched you ride this bus every day for the last two weeks. I’ve wanted to say hi, but didn’t know how. So, yes, I’m hitting on you.”<br />
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Micah began to nod, despite the fact he knew he shouldn’t. “Sure, we can meet after I get off work. I’m usually finished at the bakery around one.” He shouldn’t be doing this. Micah bit his bottom lip nervously. He’d never met anyone after work before, not like this. He wouldn’t be able to stay long, but it’d be worth the discipline to pretend he was normal. Even if it was for just a little while, an hour or two. “What do you want to do?”<br />
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“I already told you, handsome Micah. I want to do whatever makes you blush so beautifully. I’ll pick you up in front of the bakery. I’ll be waiting for you.”<br />
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Micah’s face had to be flaming red. He’d never felt so flushed, like he was about to break into a very unattractive sweat. He wanted to reach out and touch Daniel so badly. The man looked completely edible, and the urge to kiss him, taste him, had Micah clenching his fingers into fists at his sides. “Umm, o-okay.”</div>
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Daniel leaned into Micah and whispered, “Simply gorgeous. I can’t wait to find out what makes you blush like that.” The bus lurched to a stop and Daniel arose from his seat, standing beside Micah. “Until one.” Daniel exited the bus leaving Micah to stare after him.<br />
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Micah couldn’t believe he’d said yes. There would be hell to pay for that momentary lapse. Just the feeling of elation, that he had a date, was worth it. A cool guy was interested in him and it made him feel alive. It was the first time in years he wanted to smile and believe in endless possibilities, even though there weren’t any.<br />
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To read more, Purchase <a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/Downtown-Bus/">Downtown Bus from Extasy Books.</a><br />
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Available soon from Amazon and other major ebook providers.<br />
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Thank you for inviting me to participate in your November Birthday Bash! It's a pleasure to be here and spread the love and lust for all things paranormal and male.<br />
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It's always hard finding just the right gift. There's always the cute teddy bear and champagne...<br />
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But knowing you, I think you'd appreciate something more like this...<br />
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So here's to wishing you another wonderful year of balloons, cake and frosting. Oh, um... the pin is in the mail. </div>
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Surprisingly enough, the couple I get the most comments on is Evan and Adel from Adel's Purr, my Elements of Love series. I have to admit, I really enjoy this couple. Evan is a very strong character and Adel, well being a gargoyle gives him a unique view of the world. </div>
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4616" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabOEeBozPcaMmT0SAqj5snxjgLNke5aKQpkeMcVtj8TegjfGQFTh1SOiMpM0Pm-l16Wl3GbrLoqUOnYV2DWJ50bQcwXMAzBVMi0yIBDZcBRVK4zuYm7gnEBG_AU3JMgOR50mkXFs9XHA/s1600/AdelsPurr.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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Birthday Balloons</div>
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Adel sat perched on the balcony at Doc's residence and hospital. It was the wee hours of morning and Evan slept in one of the guest rooms maintained by the daemon. The warehouse assault that had freed many of the people now filling the hospice rooms Doc maintained had not saved everyone. Many had died both in the conflict, some from injuries that Doc was unable to cure and others like his friend and fellow gargoyle, Finn was still missing. The archbishop having escaped through the black blood spells and sacrifice of the lives of his priests had left them few clues as to where he could have disappeared. </div>
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But these weren't Adel's current worries. It had begun a couple weeks back while they were sitting in a restaurant in Rome. It had been a rather strange meal. Evan had refused to enter the Vatican proper, but upon Jude's prompting they had journeyed from Paris to Rome to meet with the Pope. The man had been much younger than either he or Evan had expected. They had been seated at a table outdoors, enjoying the day, with the Pope's personal guard surrounding them, protecting their leader. It had been so surreal because in that moment, regardless of his abilities, he'd realized if the Pope had wished them ill, he could have done as there was no way for him to extract Evan from all those men.</div>
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<i>"I'm so glad you agreed to come to Rome." His Holiness said after some awkward introductions and the pontiff had requested they be seated at the table. His certain members of his staff entered the restaurant, emptying it of customers and staff except for the cook. Then his staff took over the duties of waiting on them and making sure the meal wasn't tampered with. "I apologize for all this, but as you are aware, someone is trying to kill me. So my staff takes my security rather extreme."</i></div>
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<i>"No, that's quite alright, your Holiness." Evan frowned slightly and peering at the man who sat with them dressed from head to toe in a white suit, instead of the usual cassock.</i></div>
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<i>"You're wondering about my attire?" The Pope chuckled. "It's an attempt to disguise myself and blend in. But surrounded as we are, I doubt very much it will dissuade anyone as to who I am." </i></div>
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<i>"Well if you had come without the guards or maybe with one or two, and not taken over the entire downtown area in order to do so, I'd have said you might have been somewhat successful." Evan grinned at the man, who appeared to be only a few years his elder. </i></div>
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<i>"I guess my days of slipping around unnoticed are past." The Pope said with a certain amount of chagrin.</i></div>
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<i>"If you don't mind my asking, sir, how old are you?" Adel inquired from his standing position over Evan's right shoulder. The entire situation made him uncomfortable and so he remained on guard, ready to grab Evan and launch himself into the air at the first sign of deceit.</i></div>
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<i>"I am 28 years old." The pope flapped his hands a bit at Evan's gasp and Adel's dropped jaw. "I know, its rather unheard of for one my age to become pontiff. But the church is not the same as it once was. I was raised knowing I would become pope and I was inducted into the roll when I turned 21. Much as my counterpart in India, the Dahli Lama, once his reincarnation is found, the child is raised with the knowledge that he is ruler of his people, I have been raised with the knowledge and education of our people."</i></div>
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<i>"I had no idea." Evan frowned. "I just assumed you were chosen by the cardinals."</i></div>
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<i>"I was, in a manner of speaking. I was a child among thousands seeking to enter the seminary in Rome. I tested highest among my peers for aptitude, was multilingual and one of my tutors later told me I have a peaceful countenance about myself. I'm not sure what he means, but somehow it aided in their decision and I was chosen at the age of 7 to become who I am today."</i></div>
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<i>"I would never have considered the cardinals taking such a drastic change from the usual method." Adel stared out over the crowd as he spoke. "Not that it negates who you are in any fashion, it is just surprising."</i></div>
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<i>"I believe it may be part of the reason I am being targeted. Even among the Cardinals, there is ambition and in making me pontiff, they circumvented the aspirations of many." The Pontiff sighed. "How about you, how old are you Evan?" he asked, clearly trying to lighten the mood.</i></div>
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<i>"Twenty five, soon to be twenty six." Evan chuckled.</i></div>
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<i>"Ah well if you are still in Rome, you will have to invite me to your birthday celebration. Although I suspect circumstances will have you back in the America's by that time."</i></div>
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<i>"As you ..."</i> </div>
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Adel ran a hand over his face and sighed, staring up at the clear star filled night sky. The day had come and gone, amid all the turmoil of Jude's disappearance and then his need for assistance and Finn's kidnapping... he'd simply forgotten and missed Evan's birthday. There had been no celebration of his heart's birth into the world, not that he would know what to do for a birthday celebration, in any event. </div>
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Skye twittered and rubbed against his thigh, the young griffin gargoyle seeking his attention like any youthful creature, with a desire to play. Of courses, where Skye could be found, Gabe was never far away. The griffin shifter seemed to find solace in the company of the hatchling gargoyle simply because of his form. Griffins weren't solitary creatures, usually found in large prides.</div>
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"What has you out here moping around by yourself while your mate sleeps?" Gabe asked. </div>
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"I'm not a very good mate." Adel grumbled and glanced over his shoulder at the large muscular blonde man behind him.</div>
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"That's not true. I've seen the two of you together and you dote on Evan. That man wants for nothing and seems supremely happy. Are you fighting?"</div>
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"No, but..." Adel wondered if he could talk to Gabe about his failing. If he didn't do something soon to fix things, Evan would notice his melancholy and realize it was more than just the fact Finn was missing. "Evan turned twenty six recently and I forgot his birthday celebration. I didn't even mention it on the day of his birth or wish him well."</div>
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"Yep that's a crime." Gabe chuckled sitting down cross legged alongside Adel. "But its not too late. It's never too late, especially when its someone you love."</div>
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"Are you sure? I mean the day is past. Don't I have to wait until next year?"</div>
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"No. Birthdays are a celebration of the people we love. The day on which we choose to celebrate that person's life and show them what they mean to us is truly insignificant to the celebration itself." Gabe grinned at the gargoyle.</div>
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Adel fluffed his wings and resettled them about himself as he considered, "But how does one celebrate a birthday?"</div>
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"It is different for each culture, and it was generally a celebration for children. A time when a parent would give toys, games or books to the child. Once past the age of adulthood, many no longer celebrate, or if they do, its necessities that a parent may gift to their offspring. At least those were the celebrations of the past. In this time where most children are raised by people other than their own relatives, may never even meet their mothers, few actually even adhere to the old ways of celebrating birthdays."</div>
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"But His Holiness made it sound like a birthday celebration was an automatic thing." Adel grumbled as he tried to understand.</div>
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"The Pope is a monarch and as such it probably is an automatic thing and has been for his entire life. The rest of humanity, I would guess it isn't something that is done anymore. If you don't have parents because your mother was a breeder in the temple and your father a sperm donor, who will care if you turn another year older."</div>
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"Yes, I can see that. Evan was raised by his uncle." Adel rubbed his chin.</div>
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"He may have grown up celebrating his birthday. You would have to ask him." Gabe smiled as Skye curled up in his lap, and he scratched the small griffin behind his feather tufted ears.</div>
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"So what is customary at these celebrations?" Adel asked. If the day wasn't overly important, but the acknowledgement was the important part, maybe he could still show Evan how much he loved him. How much it mean to him that his mate and rescued him from his own death.</div>
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"There was usually cake, presents and balloons." Gabe chuckled. He hadn't participated in many birthday parties as he'd lived his life as a loner for a long time before being accepted into Nico's family of paranormal's. </div>
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"I have seen cake. I've never eaten one. Evan tried to teach me to cook. Our oven has never been the same as I didn't know what a timer alarm was and attacked the stove when it went off. Evan cooks and I watch or help if I can." Adel snickered. </div>
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"I can just see that, you smacking the hell out of an oven while Evan comes running into the room upon hearing the crunch of metal and glass." Gabe broke into belly laughs that had him wiping tears from his eyes.</div>
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"I have nothing for him, no present."</div>
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"Although it has been a number of years, I think if we go down to the market, we might still be able to purchase balloons." Gabe grinned. "They use them for weather predictions and to test the winds for balloon travel.</div>
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"Lets go." Adel stood, picked up Gabe and Skye in one swoop and launched himself off the balcony.</div>
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"I can fly myself." Gabe growled, grasping onto Adel's shoulders as Skye squawked indignantly and launched himself into the air.</div>
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"Then you would have had to get undressed and redressed to enter the market. This way at least you will be able to enter the store." Adel knew he made sense, but didn't think Gabe liked flying when he wasn't in control of the action.</div>
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"Just land already!" Gabe shouted as Adel hovered well above the large well lit store, keeping to the shadows.</div>
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"Keep your voice down. I'm just looking for a dark place nearby." Adel tsked banking slightly to the right and setting down in the alley.</div>
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"Never again. When we go back, I'm flying myself." Gabe groaned, holding his stomach. "I never knew people who flew with me got that kind of ride. I will never make fun of them again."</div>
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"Oh come on. It wasn't even a bumpy ride." Adel crossed his arms over his chest, his frustration with Gabe extremely evident.</div>
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"Just give me a second." Gabe complained as he straightened. He took a few deep breaths, obviously needing to regain his composure. He shook his head and stepped out of the alley into the light of the street in front of the market.</div>
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Evan sat up in bed. It was barely dawn. He was still exhausted, but something was definitely going on. He could hear voices and the occasional bang was disconcerting, especially since his mate was missing. </div>
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At first he'd thought it was just someone dropping something. With all the wounded and sick that were being cared for by Doc, there were a lot of people in the building. </div>
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<i>"I give up." </i></div>
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Evan got up and walked over to where his clothes were laid over a chair off to one side. He pulled on his jeans and t-shirt, forgoing his socks and shoes as the voices were obviously out in the main living quarters of this suit.</div>
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"What's going on out here." Evan said as he stood rubbing sleep from his eyes. Adel stood gingerly holding a red heart shaped balloon to his lips, still in the process of blowing it up.</div>
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"Umm... Happy Birthday! Bye!" Gabe hollered and then quickly ducked out the door. </div>
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Shards of colored rubber from the obviously popped balloons covered the armchair and coffee table. Evan watched Adel purse his lip, and pinch the end of the balloon. </div>
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"Its a birthday balloon. But every time I try to tie it shut, the pressure on my fingers causes my claws to come out and... Bang." Adel frowned. "Gabe had the same problem."</div>
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"I didn't know he had retractile claws." Evan shrugged his shoulders and held out his hand. Adel gave him the balloon and he knotted the end. "Very nice, who's birthday is it?"</div>
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"It is for you. I... I missed your day, but Gabe assures me that it is the thought that counts."</div>
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"For me. I haven't had something like this since I was a child." Evan grinned and stepped into Adel's embrace. "Thank you!"</div>
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"I don't have any presents for you. I'm sorry." Adel rubbed his face on the top of Evan's black dreadlocks. "You already have my heart, my strength and you know you are my life."</div>
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"Then I already have everything I need." Evan tipped his head back and pursed his lips expectantly. Adel didn't leave him wanting, but lowered kissing him gently.</div>
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Evan let go of the balloon, wrapping both arms around Adel's shoulders. A hissing sound followed by anxious chittering and more hissing interrupted their ardor. Adel released his mate just before...</div>
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Bang!</div>
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"Skye!" Adel snarled and Evan laughed. The little griffin gargoyle looked like he'd pounced on the balloon. He and Cela, Evan's little dragon gargoyle were standing staring startled at each other with bits of red rubber covering feathers, fur and scales of both gargoyles. </div>
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"Best birthday ever." Evan clung to Adel and pulled him down for another kiss before whispering against his lips. "Now come back to bed. I want my present." Evan abruptly let Adel go and turned away from him, walking back towards the bedroom, putting a suggestive sway in his hips.</div>
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The End!</div>
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I hope you've enjoyed this little birthday interlude. Keep an eye out for the next book in the Elements of Love series, Gabe's Song. Coming in 2015.</div>
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Happy Birthday Amber!!</div>
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<br />Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-61801572393093117322014-09-05T15:56:00.000-06:002014-09-05T15:56:12.597-06:00Blood Ties - Changing Moon 3 - Releasing TODAY!<h2>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greetings Loved Ones!</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today!! It's Today!! I'm so excited and I hope you are too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5402" target="_blank">Blood Ties - Book 3 in the Changing Moon Series is releasing today at Dreamspinner Press.</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5402" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4r6tkF-9WQ178zNS2qZ50QVf5BvMgnFFx2yKPGTghSe8z_BCvXO8mH4WcHqsg3AkOH7xEqXp3Upc8md6gWlSieWSRbnjAWeUEssq4UbJZXh_DmDZgNAfy6aq_oJNbwfgtq6qqALMjWQ/s1600/BloodTies_postcard_front_DSP.jpg" height="320" width="217" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lance and Andrew are back and they are bringing with all of their friends as well as a few new characters! You'll also hear from Stephon and Quinn and their budding new relationship... well budding that is if you consider its been on hold for a couple hundred years because of Quinn... well I'll let you read and discover just what that's all about. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's the blurb and an excerpt from the story. If you are interested in a family tree for the characters, head on over to my website at <a href="http://suilynn.com/">SuiLynn.com</a> to see how they all fit together.<br /><br />Blurb:<br />When Lance is kidnapped from his adopted grandfather’s home, Andrew believes there is a traitor among Lord Basil’s drones, despite the fact that the born vampire supports Lance and Andrew’s crusade to free shifters from vampire subjugation. <br /><br />Lance awakens to finds Andrew's baby sister, Angela, and a young boy shackled to a wall next to him, and a corpse nearby. Brad, a former drone of Basil's, tortures them in an effort to drive Lance insane and prove that pureblood shifters are unstable and need to be destroyed before he gets them all killed. <br /><br />Stephon comes home after a trip to an orgy disguised as an unbirthday party. His mate, Quinn, shows up uninvited and is angry at the perceived infidelity. It isn’t easy to rekindle a relationship after a 270-year separation. As old arguments and insecurities resurface, Quinn decides the only way to keep Stephon safe might be to force the stubborn older vampire into hibernation, until he can defeat his father, Lord Rufus.<br /><br /><br />Excerpt: <br /><br /><i>A Night in Andrew’s Bedroom<br /><br />Seventy-four years in the past….</i><br /><br />“MAMA… MAMA… Mama… Mama… Mama….” Andrew giggled and ran through the house, down the hallway, and into the kitchen, dragging a stuffed wolf along by the tail in his wake.<br /><br /><br />“I’m in here, little cub.” Laura Reed turned from the sink. She wiped her hands on the dish towel, having finished the cleaning in the kitchen, and then focused on the naked young boy who had wrapped his arms around her knees.<br /><br /><br />“Love you, Mama!” Andrew smiled up at Laura.<br /><br /><br />Laura reached down and pulled the boy up to sit on her hip, his arms draped over her shoulders and the wolf toy dangling down her back. “I love you, too, but aren’t you supposed to be in bed? Where are your pajamas?”<br /><br /><br />The sound of slow shuffling footfalls coming down the hall preceded Max as he entered the kitchen. He appeared a bit frustrated and tired. “I thought I heard voices in here. The little hooligan escaped when I turned my back to get his pj’s from the dresser. I turned around. He and Scruffy were gone, except for the sound of giggling and the thumping of running footsteps down the hallway.”<br /><br /><br />Laura laughed softly. “Your son is as stubborn as his daddy when it comes to wanting things his way. But, cub, it’s time for you to be in bed and go to sleep.”<br /><br /><br />Max wrapped his arms around both of them, nuzzled his wife’s neck, then gave her a kiss on the cheek and a gentle hug before accepting the handoff of the child back into his arms.<br /><br /><br />“But I don’t want to go to bed. I’m not tired, and Scruffy wants to play outside.” Andrew frowned, his bottom lip sticking out in a decided pout.<br /><br /><br />“It’s dark out and time for cubs to sleep,” Laura insisted. She ruffled her son’s hair.<br /><br /><br />Max turned and walked from the kitchen, a squirming Andrew in his arms, Laura following close behind.<br /><br /><br />“I don’t wanna…,” Andrew whined.<br /><br /><br />“Too bad. Boys go to bed when they are told,” Max huffed, obviously getting tired of his son’s incessant complaints.<br /><br /><br />“Mama….” Andrew began to fake cry, rubbing his eyes with his little fists, as if trying to make the tears flow.<br /><br /><br />“You heard your father—to bed.” Laura chuckled at her son’s antics. “But once you are there, you may have one story, then lights out and time to go to sleep.”<br /><br /><br />“Yeah! A story!” Andrew cheered.<br /><br /><br />Max flinched, pulling his head away from his son’s screech of joy… right in his sensitive ear. “Tell me again, why did we want children?” Max grumbled as they walked into the powder blue playroom, scattered with carved wooden toys and a table covered with crayons and paper.<br /><br /><br />“Because you wanted a son and I wanted a family. Now hush,” Laura scolded Max. She pulled the covers back and watched as her son leaped from his father’s arms onto the bed. He dutifully held his arms up, and Max grabbed the pajama top and tugged it down over his son’s extended arms and then his head. Max handed him the bottoms. Andrew frowned as he inserted one leg through at a time with great care and concentration before pulling them up over his rump and scrambling to lie down with the stuffed wolf at his side. Laura draped the blankets over his little body and tucked him in before sitting beside him.<br /><br /><br />Max stepped back to stand by the door, as if guarding his most precious treasure, his small pack.<br /><br /><br />“Now, what story would you have tonight?” Laura asked as she brushed Andrew’s bangs to the side, away from his bright blue eyes.<br /><br /><br />“The First Prince!” Andrew begged.<br /><br /><br />“That old story?” Max watched his mate and his son.<br /><br /><br />“It’s kind of scary. Are you sure it won’t give you nightmares?” Laura frowned and glanced at her husband, who shrugged.<br /><br /><br />“The Prince… the Prince!” Andrew chanted.<br /><br /><br />“All right. But after this, it’s straight to sleep, my little cub.” Laura tucked the covers a bit more snugly around her son and grinned down at him. “Well, the story, as it was told to me by my mother, begins…. Long ago there were four magical races. Can you tell me what they were?” Laura prompted, knowing her son liked to answer that question.<br /><br /><br />“Shifters, vampires, the honored dwarves, and fae.” Andrew nodded solemnly.<br /><br /><br />“That’s right. Our people and the vampires were friends with the dwarves, but the fae were evil and manipulative. They wanted to rule the entire supernatural world and make humans their slaves. In those days, although we lived with the other tribes in peace, there were no governments, no rulers. The Vampire Council didn’t exist, nor had the royal family of the werewolves come to power. We were all just a bunch of clans, pressed up against each other for control of a territory and of the humans we hunted.”<br /><br /><br />“We used to eat people? Ewww!” squealed Andrew, giggling.<br /><br /><br />“No. We did hunt humans—they were looked down upon. Many of our ancestors felt humans were less than us, merely animals who could speak and reason.” Laura smiled down at her inquisitive son.<br /><br /><br />“We hunted them for sport and status. They made good prey because they were smart and were a challenge.” Max leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest.<br /><br /><br />“But now we know better and it is against our laws to hunt humans. We hunt animals to let our wilder, animal side out. For us, it isn’t the blood we crave, but the excitement of the hunt and the kill our beasts need in order to be whole and balanced. Vampires, on the other hand, require human blood in order to live, but do not desire the thrill of the hunt. So both our species have found ways to exist alongside humans.”<br /><br /><br />“But not the fae?” Andrew shook his head.<br /><br /><br />“No. The fae were vicious and blood crazed. They weren’t content with the land they controlled. They wanted more power and began trying to take it from everyone they encountered. First, they destroyed all the humans within their borders for the energy and power the blood gave them. Then they began attacking the villages of the dwarves and the wolves living along their borders. Nobody was prepared for the attacks, and entire villages were destroyed as the fae feasted on their blood, growing stronger and more deadly.”<br /><br /><br />“Nobody escaped?” Andrew’s eyes had grown wide, his voice a whisper in the quiet of his bedroom.<br /><br /><br />In reality, the first attacks had no survivors. It wasn’t until long after the fae had grown bolder, attacking large towns, that some were able to escape in the chaos of the fighting and raise the alarm. But for her son’s bedtime story, Laura skipped that part as she had no intention of giving him nightmares.<br /><br /><br />“Of course, some always escape in the chaos of a fight. They warned the others in the surrounding villages, who didn’t believe until they too fell victim to the fae’s fangs and claws. The lure of blood and power is such that the more you get, the more you want, and for the fae, there would never be enough. So the attacks became more frequent and more deadly.<br /><br /><br />“After a rather large town was attacked and destroyed by the fae, a group of vampires, dwarves, and wolves from the largest families met to decide what could be done. They decided the fae would destroy them all if left alone, and so they devised a plan to create a barrier, a place separate from everyone else where the fae couldn’t cause any harm to anyone but themselves. There they could live out their lives, fight their wars, and all without destroying the other peoples of the earth. It would take the power of all four of the magical races to create the barrier, but in the end, only three would be free to find a way to live in harmony with humanity and each other without preying upon one another senselessly.”<br /><br /><br />“What happened?” Andrew gripped the covers under his chin with his tiny fists, his eyes darting from his mother to his father and to all the dark corners of his room, as if expecting the fae to jump out at any moment.<br /><br /><br />“The dwarves dug deep into the center of the earth and brought forth a lodestone. They blessed it with great powers and sacrificed many lives in setting it in the proper place, so it stood on a ley line on the border between two realities. Most of the time, we don’t see other dimensions. If we do happen to come across a ley line, we feel a slight tremor—humans call it déjà vu. But with the lodestone in place, we see a curtain of power shimmering between the dimensions. It glistens at night, a slightly translucent barrier between our lands and those beyond, allowing us to see through the veil to the lush and green land beyond. Humans see nothing.”<br /><br /><br />“If it was so pretty, why didn’t we go there, instead of sending the fae there?” Andrew frowned, obviously thinking hard.<br /><br /><br />“Well, because at that time, both our people and the vampires were still dependent upon humans in one way or another. We didn’t want to leave them behind. The dwarves don’t require blood, as they have a different type of magic altogether. Their magic ties them to the land, and they need to have a connection to it in order to flourish. But of all the races, theirs was the most powerful. Dwarves created the veil that connected the realities, and with the blood of the shifters, the vampires, and the fae, the veil would be locked, preventing the fae from escaping back into our world ever again.” Laura grinned down at her son.<br /><br /><br />“So what happened?” he begged.<br /><br /><br />“Well, the vampires, dwarves, and shifters all sent fighters to be part of an enormous army and, when the fae attacked, they were ready for them. The battle took a very long time. Some say days, some say weeks, some say it was months of nonstop fighting and bloodshed. But in the end, the fae were subdued and forced across the veil, with the few remaining dwarves acting as guards. By this time, because of the organization needed to create the armies, our peoples had become much more centralized and, for each, a form of government was born. The vampires devised a council, which today governs us all. For us, our animalistic nature will submit to only the strongest and most alpha male among us. That man became king. His name was Henry the Gray.”<br /><br /><br />“But what about the prince?” Andrew giggled.<br /><br /><br />“Well, you see, now that we had the fae on the other side of the veil, the dwarves needed to return before the portal sealed and the fae regained their strength and tried to return. The fae are nothing if not tricky, and the elders were in a hurry to lock down the entrance quickly to prevent them from finding a way to escape. They gathered around the lodestone and began the ceremony, casting the spell that carved the words into the stone, which would seal the fae away for eternity. As the last drop of blood sizzled down on the stone, they realized there was a problem. The dwarves were coming back toward the barrier, but they seemed to move in slow motion, as if time itself were preventing them from reaching the boundary between the worlds.<br /><br /><br />“Prince Atol had become good friends with one of the dwarves named Ventall. In fact they were mates. When the veil began to crystallize into a solid form and disappear from our world, Prince Atol threw himself at the barrier. He reached through it with both hands, trying to grab hold of Ventall, to yank the dwarf back into our dimension. The two screamed that they would not let go. They would not be separated. The barrier could not be stopped. Atol’s father, the king, seeing that the barrier would cut his son in half before the dwarf would be drawn through, grabbed Prince Atol by the waist. He threw himself back, forcing his son away from the fading barrier. Prince Atol screamed and fought his father, but the barrier vanished from this world, taking Ventall, the dwarves, and the fae with it.<br /><br /><br />“Prince Atol snarled that he’d never forsake his love and would wait for Ventall to return. He’d guard the stone forever, and, one day, the barrier would come down and they’d be reunited. That was the last time anyone ever saw Prince Atol. It’s said that on nights when the moon is full, if you see a lone black wolf and you hear mournful howling, it is Prince Atol crying for his missing mate, still waiting for the day the veil falls so he can be reunited with his love and the dwarves are freed from the fae.”<br /><br /><br />“Will they ever be free?” Andrew mumbled, his eyes drooping sleepily, as his father flipped the light switch off by the door.<br /><br /><br />“No. The veil is forever,” Max’s deep voice whispered from beside the door. “Now, go to sleep, pup. Tomorrow is another day.” Laura rose to her feet and joined her mate. He wrapped an arm around her waist and ushered her out into the hall.<br /><br /><br />“I can’t figure out why he likes that old story. He asks for it every night. It’s so depressing.” Laura frowned as they stepped into their own bedroom, and she felt her husband nuzzle her neck.<br /><br /><br />“Who knows what prompts children, but it’s the story he likes to hear and I see no problem with him learning our history. We were a proud, strong people once. We were an honorable race before…. Well, it doesn’t matter now. Let’s just go to bed.” Max sighed and rubbed the back of his head.<br /><br /><br />“Stephon?” Laura asked.<br /><br /><br />“Yes and no. He’s there, listening in, but it’s not like he’s protesting or anything. I think I need to shift and go hunting soon. My wolf is restless,” Max mumbled as Laura rubbed his back and the two settled down for a nice quiet night.<br /><br /><br /></span><h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chapter 1</span></h3>
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<i>Present Day</i><br /><br /><br />“ARE WE there yet?” I mumbled from under the blanket, curled alongside Andrew, my head pillowed on his lap as he drove toward Denver. The steady thump of the windshield wipers kept time with my erratic nerves and heartbeat, as the miles whirred by beneath the tires of the Dodge Ram. We weren’t alone, of course. My vassals, Charlie and Tim, were following close on our heels, protecting us as they always did. They gave us whatever privacy they could, but were never far from sight.<br /><br /><br />“No, Lance. Just try to get some rest. I’ll wake you when we get there.” Andrew brushed his fingers through my hair under the blanket I’d pulled over my head, his touch soothing the itch to bolt and run. He could always settle me. Regardless of how badly my nervousness grew, a simple caress grounded me more surely than chains.<br /><br /><br />The plan was to live with Lord Basil, my grandfather. Thinking of him as my grandfather was going to take some getting used to. I had family of my own now… family besides Andrew.<br /><br /><br /><i>Swish-swish, swish-swish.</i><br /><br /><br />After my party, Stephon disappeared. Andrew told me he did this every year, something about a yearly sabbatical, which he usually returned from in poor spirits. Nobody could tell me when Stephon’s birthday was. Seems the old—and I do mean ancient—vampire, for all his talk about birthdays and parties, refused to celebrate his own. So Andrew and I threw him a party he would never forget.<br /><br /><br />Damn weird, though. I knew he was prissy and stuck on propriety, but he appeared to enjoy the orgy it ended up becoming. Then Stephon disappeared into the maze early in the evening. No one saw him come out. The following morning, after he inspected the grounds to make sure we hadn’t messed up his impeccable gardens, we were packed up and sent to Grandfather.<br /><br /><br /><i>Swish-swish, swish-swish.</i><br /><br /><br />Since I’d mated with Andrew, our mind, experiences, and understanding had become one. The time he spent at university with Stephon pursuing various interests and hobbies, all the years of his life, it’s all in there for me. He saw my loneliness and isolation, my will to survive and determination to live regardless of what the humans had told me. He experienced it all as if he were me. We’re two bodies, but our thoughts and spirit are one. Before, I was alone. I was good at protecting myself. Now, there was more to fight for. More to protect. More to love. More reason to live. I refused to fail him or any of them. They deserved my best, and they would get it.<br /><br /><br /><i>Swish-swish, swish-swish.</i><br /><br /><br />I was used to fighting to keep myself safe… to stay alive. I had only ever risked myself, but when others are involved, it becomes more complicated. I wasn’t exactly comfortable with the responsibility of caring for others, but I was a prince and my people were being persecuted. I had freed Andrew, but his family and our people as a whole remained veritable slaves. I was the means to their salvation… no pressure there.<br /><br /><br />The big question was how to free our people while attempting to keep Andrew’s connection to his family hidden? In truth, it might not be possible to do so for any extended period of time. I wasn’t looking forward to stepping outside my comfort zone and making myself a target. I didn’t want to paint a bull’s-eye on my mate’s back either, but it was unavoidable. I needed everyone focused on me, on us, and not on the others supporting me behind the scenes. The only way to do that was by making the biggest spectacle of myself possible. But what would come next? What would it cost? In my experience, being the center of attention always came with a price.<br /><br /><br /><i>Swish-swish, swish-swish.</i><br /><br /><br />“Sit up. Seat belt. Now!” Andrew hollered, pulling me from my contemplation back to the present. I threw the blanket onto the floor, sat up, and peered around as he floored the gas and the truck lurched ahead. The unmistakable squeal of tires braking hard and the crunch of metal on metal had me staring out the back window.<br /><br /><br />“What’s going on?” I scooted over to my seat on the bench and buckled, turning to glare out into the murky gray of morning. A black car was trying to run Charlie and Tim off the road, clearly trying to drive the larger SUV into the ditch. As I watched, a Jeep joined in the chase, jumping the median from the oncoming side, barreling down the interstate after us.<br /><br /><br />“We’ve got company.” Andrew stepped on the gas, trying to put as much distance between Charlie and Tim and ourselves as he could.<br /><br /><br />“We can’t leave them behind! If they have an accident and the weather clears, they’re toast out here in the open!”<br /><br /><br />Andrew glared at me briefly before returning his attention to the road, and letting off the gas a bit. “I’ll keep them in sight. Call your grandfather and have him send out help. We’re in his territory by now.” He took his eyes off the road for a second to meet mine. “I am not stopping, and Charlie would thrash me if I did. You are the priority. We’re being attacked because they want to get to you. Charlie and Tim are just in the way.” I cringed as the sound of metal on metal assaulted my ears, and I gawked back seeing Tim had forced the SUV into the car.<br /><br /><br />My phone started ringing where it lay on the dashboard. Tones of “California Gurls” by Katy Perry filled the cab, and I smiled despite the situation. Charlie was calling. I’d chosen the song specifically because the woman was always dressed in black leather… well, almost always. She resembled a cross between Catwoman, Lara Croft, and Xena, with black vampire-drone eyes and white skin. But Charlie was far deadlier.<br /><br /><br />I grabbed the phone and answered. “Yes, my guardian angel.”<br /><br /><br />“We’ll take care of them. Don’t you dare stop, you selfish bastard,” Charlie yelled into the phone.<br /><br /><br />“Now that’s no way to talk to your prince,” I griped back. I was just being stubborn. I didn’t want to leave them. I worried about them. They were my friends, and I couldn’t spare any of them.<br /><br /><br />“Andrew, once you’re gone, they’ll let up on us. They’re after you, not us. We’ll catch up with you. We know where you’re going. Hopefully they don’t.” Charlie knew both of us would hear, despite the phone not being on speaker. Even without our mental link, shifter ears are sensitive enough that we could both hear her. Of course, drone ears were practically as sensitive, and she could hear both of us just as clearly.<br /><br /><br />“I understand. Be careful, you guys. You know Lance will never forgive me for leaving you behind if you get hurt. As it is, he’s pissed as hell.” Andrew’s smug snort as I hung up the phone had me wanting to snarl.<br /><br /><br />Yeah, he was right. I was pissed and worried. I stared as the SUV slammed into the black car. The scream of metal had me cringing as the car was forced against the metal guardrail and head-on into the cement barrier of an off-ramp. The car tumbled, back end over the top of the car, to flip off the interstate and down to the crossroad below. I hoped no one was driving below for them to land on. It was one thing for vampires to go through a car crash. Short of beheading, they could heal from almost anything. Humans were another matter entirely.<br /><br /><br />Andrew was already accelerating. We were leaving the SUV, now battling the Jeep, behind us. I held back a panicked gasp as I watched the door to the SUV open and Charlie climb out onto the roof. One of the people in the Jeep—another assassin, sent to kill me—climbed out onto its roof to meet her. I hated leaving her to fight my battle. Yes, she was my bodyguard, and as a trained warrior drone, she was the essence of deadly, but I would never get used to that.<br /><br /><br />“Just don’t kill yourself, Charlie. I need you.” I wasn’t sure she could hear me, since we hung up the phone, but the fervor of her attack seemed to become even more aggressive.<br /><br /><br />“Call your grandfather. He can send them help.” Andrew placed a hand on my thigh and squeezed before returning it to the steering wheel.<br /><br /><br />Taking a steadying breath, I dialed the number my grandfather, Lord Basil, had given me before he’d left Stephon’s after my birthday party. We’d spoken every day since our introduction, and I was growing to like the man.<br /><br /><br />“Lance?” Grandfather’s voice flowed over the line.<br /><br /><br />“Hi, Grandfather. We’ve had a bit of trouble out here. We are a couple miles west of Denver. Andrew’s trying to get away, and I’m scared for Tim and Charlie,” I babbled into the phone, staring back at Tim and Charlie, who were getting smaller as we sped away, leaving them behind.<br /><br /><br />“Are you all right?” Lord Basil asked.<br /><br /><br />“Yes, but Tim and Charlie are trying to keep our attacker busy so we can escape. I think they are going to need some help.”<br /><br /><br />“I’m sending out guards as we speak. Just keep coming. Don’t stop.” Lord Basil spoke calmly, but the sound of moving air and running belied the tone. “It will be all right. My men will be there very soon to help, so don’t worry about Tim and Charlie. They are my two strongest children. They will be fine.”<br /><br /><br />“Okay. Thank you, Grandfather.” I disconnected the call as Tim and Charlie disappeared behind us. Turning back around in my seat, I drew my feet up to rest on the edge of the bench, and rested my forehead on my knees. This was the part I hated most about my new life with Andrew. Someone out there wanted me dead… and that someone was Brad.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />THE EARLIER rain had given way to a sun-filled morning as we pulled into Denver. The air had a fresh, clean pine scent to it, reminding me of the pine forest surrounding our cabin in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was the only similarity as we drove deeper into the city and away from the natural world we were comfortable with. The industrial world of concrete and steel lined the roadsides until even the mountains were blotted out by human industry. A claustrophobic sense of dread took hold as I scrutinized the sterile concrete of the parking garage. We’d made it this far. We would survive this.<br /><br /><br />We arrived at Grandfather’s penthouse in Denver within the hour. Charlie, Tim, our guards, and two others who had to be Lord Basil’s men arrived within a few minutes of our pulling into the parking garage. We could have gone up to the penthouse without them, but after all the excitement, it was good to have a couple minutes of quiet before my nervous breakdown.<br /><br /><br />Charlie was right. We were the target. She’d called and informed me that when Grandfather’s guards had arrived and it was obvious we’d left them behind, the attackers had cut their losses and escaped. It was obviously lucky for them because Charlie would not have taken prisoners. As it was, they left without their dignity but still had their lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5402" target="_blank">For more - Purchase your copy of Blood Ties - Changing Moon 3 at Dreamspinner Press</a></span></div>
Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-5541095218288759882014-08-09T11:58:00.002-06:002014-08-09T11:58:48.299-06:00Blood Ties - Changing Moon #3<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Greetings Loved Ones! </h2>
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Its finally here! Available for Pre-Sale!</div>
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5402" target="_blank">Blood Ties - Changing Moon #3</a></h2>
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Coming Soon from Dreamspinner Press!<br />Releasing September 5th 2014</h4>
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Blurb:<br /><br />When Lance is kidnapped from his adopted grandfather’s home, Andrew believes there is a traitor among Lord Basil’s drones, despite the fact that the born vampire supports Lance and Andrew’s crusade to free shifters from vampire subjugation. <br /><br />Lance awakens to finds Andrew's baby sister, Angela, and a young boy shackled to a wall next to him, and a corpse nearby. Brad, a former drone of Basil's, tortures them in an effort to drive Lance insane and prove that pureblood shifters are unstable and need to be destroyed before he gets them all killed. <br /><br />Stephon comes home after a trip to an orgy disguised as an unbirthday party. His mate, Quinn, shows up uninvited and is angry at the perceived infidelity. It isn’t easy to rekindle a relationship after a 270-year separation. As old arguments and insecurities resurface, Quinn decides the only way to keep Stephon safe might be to force the stubborn older vampire into hibernation, until he can defeat his father, Lord Rufus.<br />Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-11429697467626149932014-01-23T07:38:00.001-07:002014-01-23T07:39:59.609-07:00<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Greetings Loved Ones!</span></h2>
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I know it's been a long time. Life has been a crazy train of late, but I wanted to take the time to let you know that a favorite of mine is once again has been released with Dreamspinner Press. Yes, the <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4616" target="_blank">Elements of Love</a> series is alive and well and the first book <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4616" target="_blank">Adel's Purr</a> has been released as a 2nd Edition. The editors at Dreamspinner and I have gone through this story and refined it, making it better for everyone to enjoy. And the cover! Oh me oh my... LC Chase did a beautiful job portraying Adel! It gives me goosebumps.<br />
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In this series the elemental powers that control the world come to life in order to remake a dying world. But the love between the Elementals who control the power and their mates will either be a force to create or destroy and humanity in all its selfish, manipulative, zealous and power hungry glory is trying to stop them at any cost.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4616" target="_blank">Adel's Purr</a> is just Book 1.</span></h3>
<i><b>Blurb:</b></i><br />
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In a world recovering from a war that devastated humanity, Evan Halvard
struggles to control a power he doesn't understand. Evan is a stone mason. He
can give life to stone to create and awaken living gargoyles. When he receives a
message that a large gargoyle is about to be demolished by the Church, Evan
rushes to save it. <br />
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After centuries of sleep, the gargoyle has no
interest in a present he can’t relate to. Yet, through the haze of his
hibernation, a voice calls to him. He awakens restrained by those he swore to
protect. Evan and Adel must work to understand the power connecting them and
escape the evil hunting Evan, before the Church destroys Adel. <br />
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<i>1st
Edition published by Silver Publishing, July 2011</i></div>
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<i>An excerpt from the book</i></h4>
<b>Chapter 1</b> <br />
<br />
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<b>Gargoyle Lore</b> <br />
<br />
<i>As written by the scribes and entombed in the Church Archives:</i>
<br />
<br />
GARGOYLES ARE carved from a single piece of natural stone. Cannot be made of
stone composite or molded. Their original form is carved. Their spirit is called
to life by an Earth Elemental they call their Maker. They become living stone:
stone by day and living, breathing flesh and blood by night. <br />
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<i>May 14, 2215—just before sunset….</i> <br />
<br />
THE MODERN-day equivalent of a hermit, Evan Halvard lived by himself on a
couple of acres of forested land in the mountains, far enough away from
civilization that people couldn’t bother him. He liked to tell his friends he
lived close enough to town to do business easily, yet far enough up in the
mountains that people had to be determined in order to find him. The arrangement
served him well, keeping most of the unwanted interruptions away and giving him
a modicum of privacy. <br />
<br />
Spring felt cool this year up in the mountains, but as Evan stood in his
garden tilling the soil, nature spoke to him of green and growing things.
Winter’s last bite of the season had come and gone. The tender seeds he planted
would flourish. Most people would find the soil cold and painful, but Evan loved
the feeling of the earth beneath his feet and between his toes. He’d told his
father many times how, if he stood barefoot in the soil, the ground would speak
to him, but no matter how many times Evan’s father had humored him, Evan seemed
to be the only one who heard the earth whispering. <br />
<br />
Evan stood and rested an arm on his hoe, smiling to himself as he reached
into his back pocket and pulled out a large, leather hair tie. He pulled back
his unruly dark-brown dreadlocks and tied them out of the way at the back of his
neck. He pulled off his T-shirt and wiped it across his face and chest,
absorbing the sheen of sweat forming on his light-mocha skin. Evan worked as a
stonemason and was accustomed to physical labor: repairing walls, laying brick,
and pretty much anything that dealt with rock. Standing in the last rays of the
setting sun bent over a hoe, prepping the soil for seeds, didn’t count as work
but was a labor of love. <br />
<br />
Evan smiled as he thought of how his father, Peter Stein, would’ve scolded
him for doing what Peter would have considered women’s work. To his father, men
were hunters and women were supposed to tend to the plants. Evan couldn’t help
his love of nature. He loved caring for green things almost as much as he loved
his stonework. Spring, his favorite time of year, spoke of awakenings,
beginnings, and plantings. It was the personification of life. Since he had no
intention of ever marrying a woman—he’d discovered long ago he was not attracted
to females—he had to do his own planting to supplement his meals. He preferred
to be as self-sufficient as possible. <br />
<br />
Besides, women were few and far between, and breeding females were even less
available, as they were monopolized by the Church’s breeding program. Children
were raised by the fathers or in fosterling homes if the father was incapable of
caring for his offspring. The condition in these homes meant little to the
Church as long as the population increased. Men whose seed was genetically
predisposed toward female children were paid well for their sperm donations, as
the female population of the earth was very small—one in every four children
born was female. The hardest part was one out of every four females born was
infertile, and others often had a hard time carrying their pregnancies to full
term. It was an ever-declining cycle that the Church was attempting to fight at
every turn, trying to prevent humanity’s extinction. <br />
<br />
Some believed the human race was in the autumn of its existence. It had had a
great and glorious run and now fought a losing battle to hold on to its
existence, like a tree in fall trying to hold on to its leaves against the
ever-persistent draw of gravity. A battle the tree couldn’t win. They believed
humanity would pass into the annals of the extinct, like the dinosaur, just as
inevitably as gravity. <br />
<br />
Evan didn’t believe that. Mankind might be in a population decline and trying
to resurrect itself from a destruction the likes of which nature could not have
created, but Evan hoped it was not the end. Maybe this season of mankind wasn’t
fall, but winter, and soon it would be the spring and a new beginning. He
certainly hoped so. <br />
<br />
If the death of millions of people in the great war—two thirds of the world’s
population—couldn’t be considered the autumn of mankind and the horrible years
after the beginning of winter, Evan didn’t know what could. In most of the
places around the world, they were still rediscovering old technologies and
relearning how to use them, all under the careful supervision of the Church,
which determined the technologies that were safe to relearn and what had led to
the evil downfall. All part of the perpetual winter of mankind. A winter Evan
wanted to see come to an end. <br />
<br />
He loved spring. The green things around him were connections to the earth,
and they gave him a sense of peace and security he felt from nothing else. The
earth’s awakening, as the frost of winter receded and things came back from that
deathlike sleep, gave new life to Evan as well. <br />
<br />
Evan watched the sun drop below the pine-covered horizon of his home in the
Black Hills of South Dakota. The last rays of direct sunlight disappeared into
dusk, signaling the beginning of night and the time when his closest friend
awoke. He felt the familiar tingle at his throat and reached up to stroke the
stone necklace, caressing warm scales instead of rock. A tiny, rumbling purr
began against his collarbone. <br />
<br />
“Evening, Cela.” Evan felt the little dragon unwrap himself from around his
neck, stretch, and coo merrily. <br />
<br />
As Evan stretched work-stiffened muscles, his awareness of the tiny points of
consciousness that belonged to the minds of his other awakening friends grew.
They were gargoyles, similar in some ways to Cela. He could feel their approach
as they made their way from various daytime perches to venture into the night.
He always knew when he was in the presence of gargoyles, even during the
daytime. He could easily distinguish between living stone and statues. He’d been
fifteen and an apprentice to his father the first time it happened: he’d
discovered Cela. Well, he hadn’t really discovered Cela; he had awoken the
dragon. He’d unknowingly called to the gargoyle’s sleeping soul, bequeathed to
the statue by the artist who’d sculpted the dragon with loving care. And so Evan
had given the statue life, awakening the gargoyle as living stone. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
****</div>
<br />
<br />
<i>Ten years earlier at a cemetery jobsite….</i> <br />
<br />
“HEY, DAD, what’s that?” Evan asked. <br />
<br />
“What’s what?” Peter asked, looking at his son, then following his gaze. “Oh,
you mean the dragon statue. That’s a gargoyle, a guardian, and a pretty small
one at that. They used to adorn many structures. Our ancestors believed they’d
guard our souls from the evil in the night. You don’t see them much anymore. The
hunters from the Abbey, under orders from the Bishop’s Service and their
deputies, have smashed most of them. I guess it’s so small they must’ve
overlooked that one.” Peter looked at the little gargoyle. <br />
<br />
“What a beautiful dragon.” <br />
<br />
“Yeah, and dangerous, just like their mythical counterparts. Just having
statues that look like gargoyles on our property could bring the Inquisition to
our door. They believe gargoyles depict mankind’s violent nature and are proof
of his inherent evil. They believe they represent evil, or in the worst cases,
are personifications of the Devil.” <br />
<br />
“But, Dad, how can anything so beautiful be evil?” Evan asked. <br />
<br />
“Sorry, son, I never did understand their logic. I just know not to question
the Church. Few survive the Inquisition, and those who do are never the same.
Come on, let’s get to work.” Peter and Evan went back to working on the
crumbling stonework walls, repairing the damage done by time and nature.
<br />
<br />
“Dad?” <br />
<br />
“What?” <br />
<br />
“What are gargoyles like?” <br />
<br />
Peter smiled at his son. Evan had always been inquisitive, and a little thing
like the Church disliking something was incentive for him to ask questions.
“Well, let me see. My father used to tell tales of gargoyles from before the
war. Before modernization, gargoyles were the nighttime protectors of the
people. They kept people safe from evil.” <br />
<br />
“Really? Were they super strong and super fast?” Evan asked. <br />
<br />
Peter chuckled. “Not that I remember him ever saying. They could fly, though.
They could sleep for years in hibernation and then, when called at night, would
awaken and protect the people.” <br />
<br />
“Are they born?” <br />
<br />
“No. Gargoyles are carved by artisans, like all statues. But there are
special people in the world who have extraordinary powers. They are known as
Elementals. Only a specific type of person can call the spirit to life and
change a carved statue into living stone. Only a specific Elemental, an Earth
Elemental, can make a statue into a gargoyle.” <br />
<br />
“That’s so cool! Do you know any Elementals?” <br />
<br />
“Maybe…. Hand me the mortar.” Peter held out his left hand so his son could
pass him the bucket. “Get the supports ready.” <br />
<br />
“Okay. Can they be killed?” <br />
<br />
“Can who be killed?” Peter asked, studying the rock wall before him as he
plastered cracks in the mortar. Evan shored up the broken wall, getting it ready
for repair. <br />
<br />
“Gargoyles.” <br />
<br />
“They are immortal, but they can be killed. If the stone form is broken, then
they can never awaken again. That’s how the Church eliminated most of
them—destroying them while they were vulnerable and unable to defend themselves.
They can also be killed when they are flesh and blood, at night.” Peter moved to
where Evan had finished bracing the wall and had begun to add new rocks, placing
them and then mortaring them into position. “Good… good. Keep at it. I’m going
around to work on the other side.” <br />
<br />
“So they don’t run around as hard rock, but they move at night?” <br />
<br />
“Not from what your grandfather said. They turn to regular flesh and blood at
night. They hunt and eat, just like any other beast, although he did say some of
the older ones could talk. But I’ve never seen any larger than the little dragon
you found earlier.” <br />
<br />
Peter stood and stretched. As father and son completed their work, the sun
set over the horizon, leaving everything bathed in the half-shadow world of
twilight. <br />
<br />
“Come on, Evan. Let’s get home before it gets too dark.” Peter patted his son
on the shoulder and grinned. “Your mom will have dinner ready and waiting for
us.” <br />
<br />
“Okay, sounds good,” Evan replied, a little distracted. “Dad, can I go check
out the dragon statue? It’d be a real shame if something so small and fragile
got damaged.” Evan frowned, thinking in horror of someone intentionally smashing
the little statue. <br />
<br />
“Sure, go on. No one’s around, and I don’t think anyone here’ll report you
for being interested in a gargoyle. Just keep the thing to yourself. I don’t
want to know what you do with it. I’m going to the truck. I know nothing.” Peter
smiled warmly at his son. <br />
<br />
“Thanks, Dad.” Evan took off at a run to find the little gargoyle statue
before his father changed his mind. He found the mausoleum easily; there was
only the one crypt in the small cemetery. He looked up to where the gargoyle
should’ve been perched, but the spot was now empty. No dragon roosted over the
door. <br />
<br />
“I could’ve sworn—” Evan mumbled to himself, looking around to see if he’d
somehow gotten the location wrong. No, the gargoyle had to be here. Evan walked
around the perimeter of the structure, looking for the little statue. <br />
<br />
What could’ve happened to it? He and his dad were the only ones in the
cemetery. Then he caught sight of a reddish glimmer high up in a nearby tree.
Evan frowned and looked a bit closer. The glimmer blinked and the red glow
flashed. <br />
<br />
“It’s okay, I won’t hurt you. You can’t stay here. You’re not safe.” Evan
spoke softly, trying to coax the little creature from the tree. “Come on, little
one, Dad’s waiting for us.” He extended his hands to the small gargoyle. “My
name’s Evan Halvard. Dad says my name means ‘rock defender’ in the old language.
I won’t hurt you.” Evan crooned and babbled, remembering being told animals
didn’t understand what you said, but your tone of voice could either soothe or
incite them. He had no idea if the same applied to creatures of living stone.
<br />
<br />
Evan heard a couple of cheeps and whistles, which sounded vaguely birdlike,
and the little gargoyle appeared, hanging on the central bark of the tree.
<br />
<br />
“There you are! Aren’t you cute? Come down. We have to go home. You can’t
stay here. There’s no one to protect you.” <br />
<br />
Evan watched patiently as the little gargoyle crept slowly closer to him. He
looked like a dragon in miniature. He had four legs, tiny wings and a little
spade tail, and sharp-looking little teeth and claws. <i>How cute!</i> He had
shiny red scales that glinted in the light of the moon despite his dirty-brown
appearance when Evan had first seen him perched on the mausoleum. Now his eyes
glowed bright red, like rubies on fire. <br />
<br />
“Please, we don’t have a lot of time, little friend,” Evan said urgently,
trying to coax the dragon. Hesitantly at first, the creature crept down the tree
toward him. Evan wrapped his arm with his jacket, fearful of the damage those
sharp talons could do, and offered it as a perch. “Here you go.” <br />
<br />
The small creature jumped from the tree and landed on Evan’s arm with ease.
He chirped and whistled, tipping his head to look at Evan with his fire-filled
eyes. Evan scratched under his chin and above his eye ridges. The dragon began
to purr. He ran the length of Evan’s arm and ducked under his long brown
dreadlocks, curling his tail around Evan’s neck. In his peripheral vision, Evan
nervously eyed the gargoyle’s talons. One misplaced talon could slice open his
throat like butter. Yet the small beast moved with care and placed his claws
gently, seeming to realize the harm they could inflict. He clung to Evan’s
T-shirt, blanketed by his hair, apparently content to curl against Evan’s warm
skin. <br />
<br />
“Well, I guess that’s as good a place as any.” Evan petted the dragon while
he headed for the truck and his father. <br />
<br />
“Did you find it?” asked his father, staring directly at the little dragon
curled around his son’s neck. <br />
<br />
“Nope, no statues.” <br />
<br />
Peter laughed. “By the way, cool necklace.” <br />
<br />
“Thanks. I think so, too.” <br />
<br />
The little dragon didn’t move or make a peep as he peered from beneath Evan’s
hair. <br />
<br />
“Just don’t let your mother see it.” <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
****</div>
<br />
<br />
<i>Present day….</i> <br />
<br />
EVAN LISTENED to Cela, his little dragon gargoyle, croon and sing into the
night as the others came running to gather about his feet. Evan found harmony
and a gentle peace in the nature surrounding him. These were his friends, the
ones he had been waiting to awaken throughout the day. The ones who gave his
life meaning. The ones he risked his life for in an effort to keep their species
from being exterminated. When they joined him, his loneliness faded, and until
the rising sun, he would not be alone. <br />
<br />
The path of Evan’s life had been decided that day, ten years ago, with the
rescue of his closest friend. And Cela had remained with him every day since.
His life, set in stone like the rocks he worked with, turned against the
authorities and a belief system he couldn’t support. He would be criminal in the
eyes of the Church if they knew about him. Evan Halvard became a rescuer of
living stone, or, as his father had explained in one of his many lessons,
gargoyles. <br />
<br />
Before his death, Peter, who had adopted Evan as his own son when he’d been
orphaned by the death of his biological father, Dustin, encouraged Evan to
follow his heart. He and Dustin were half-brothers, born of the same mother,
Patience, in the Church’s breeding program. Even though they had different
fathers, they had grown up together in a fosterling home. The two of them were
very close and had similar beliefs and eventually were recruited to the same
resistance movement. When Dustin was killed by the Inquisition, Peter had chosen
to raise Evan, as he hoped his brother would’ve wanted, educating him but
allowing the boy to make his own choices. Yet he resolutely refused to assist
Evan in anything remotely like what he and Dustin had been involved in, saying
the Church had cured him of his rebellious tendencies long ago. <br />
<br />
The brands on Peter’s arms attested to his punishment at the hands of the
Inquisition, punishment that had killed Dustin, his wounds having become septic
while serving his sentence in the reform camps. The brands appeared as two
crosses on Peter’s forearms, seared far into the flesh, almost to the bone. The
muscles had healed around the burns, leaving him with much less strength in his
arms than he’d had in his youth. Yet he’d survived and excelled at his work.
Upon his death, he’d bequeathed Evan a lodge in a remote part of the forest,
away from prying eyes. It had become a sanctuary for Evan and his gargoyles.
<br />
<br />
Evan remembered the first time he’d entered the cabin, the day he’d buried
his father. He had been struck by the state of it. His father obviously hadn’t
been there for many years, as nothing had disturbed the thick layer of dust that
covered everything like a shroud. On the kitchen table sat a cracked,
leather-bound book, a diary. Evan ran a hand over the cover, revealing an
embossed name: Elizabeth Peterson. She was Patience’s mother, and therefore both
of his fathers’ grandmother. Peter must’ve meant for him to have it. He’d have
to remember to read it later. <br />
<br />
Cela had taken great joy in showing Evan what his father had begun for him.
He’d found the trapdoor in no time, hidden in the kitchen under a dirty but
colorful maze-print rug. The door opened to a dark staircase. After grabbing a
flashlight, Evan proceeded down the stairs into a labyrinth of tunnels. Cela led
Evan through a confusion of turns, guiding him to one of the many exits emerging
from a combination of both mine shafts and natural caves beneath the cabin. Evan
retraced his steps back to the area under the small house. As he looked around,
he found a large side cave with a couple of secondary caves attached and decided
this would be a great place to live. The major gift of living in the caves would
be privacy, a commodity nobody took for granted when the Vatican’s Bishop’s
Service could search your home for any reason and frequently did. The cabin
above would be a stage, always appropriately set for potential Bishop’s Service
visits. Down here, with some mo difications, he could relax and have his real
home with his gargoyles, a truly private place of his own, safe from the
Church’s investigations. <br />
<br />
And soon, he’d begun filling those caves with family. Four winged,
dragon-style gargoyles, each black but with a different undertone: one midnight
blue, one forest green, one ruby red, and the last golden brown, soon joined
Evan. Their jewel-tone eyes matched the under-color of their fur, while the
brown dragon had golden eyes. The musketeers, as he called them, were each a bit
larger than Cela, making them closer to the size of full-grown house cats. If
allowed, this quartet would croon into the night, singing to the stars. They
were never far from one another and seemed to carry an “all for one and one for
all” attitude. So Evan named them d’Artagnan, Porthos, Athos, and Aramis, after
his favorite childhood story, The Three Musketeers. His father had recited the
story verbatim each time Evan had asked it of him. <br />
<br />
Evan squatted down, leaning heavily on his hoe as his musketeers appeared,
flying low over the ground in a lazy fashion, out of the night. The quartet was
followed by a larger pair of Chinese lion-dog gargoyles Evan had rescued from a
temple in New York City and named Yin and Yang. Regardless of the season, his
friends always greeted him with enthusiasm when they awoke. It had become a
ritual he thoroughly enjoyed. <br />
<br />
“Hello, my friends. Be careful, it’s a new moon and a dark night.” Evan
reached out to give each of the musketeers a scratch from their ears down their
necks and to stroke between their wings. Then he treated the lion-dogs to a
similar attention, ruffling their ears and massaging over their shoulders,
ending in a rub on the top of their protruding muzzles, a spot they seemed to
enjoy having petted the most. Yin and Yang’s appreciation could be felt as well
as heard, their purrlike growls rumbling deep in their chests, reverberating
through their bodies. <br />
<br />
Evan stood up and watched as each of the dragons ran in a different direction
while the lion-dogs trotted straight down the driveway of the cabin to stand
guard at the entrance. He watched until his friends disappeared into the
darkness of the night. He trusted they would be careful. They were gargoyles,
guardians and eaters of evil. They would not be happy as his pets. As his father
had explained long ago, gargoyles were created to protect the living through the
night, to keep evil at bay, to keep it from accosting souls. So his friends
guarded him and their sanctuary. <br />
<br />
Evan sighed with contentment and went into the cabin to find dinner and
prepare for his trip the next day. He’d received a request to check out an old
mausoleum in a dilapidated cemetery. Some long-forgotten documents made mention
of a gargoyle being placed in the resting place of a cardinal who’d dedicated
his life to helping troubled teens. Often these documents were wrong, the
stonework long destroyed or moved to a new location, but he’d gladly check it
out on the off chance they proved correct. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
****</div>
<br />
<br />
EVAN PULLED his battered pickup truck in to the cemetery at sunrise and
reached for his work orders. He’d fabricated them to appear he’d been contracted
to do some repairs on the O’Brian family tomb: that way, he’d have a valid
reason to be on the grounds. He looked up in time to notice the black Lincoln
Town Car with the red-and-blue light bar mounted on top and the insignia of the
Bishop’s Service emblazoned on the side. It was parked next to a run-down
mausoleum. The name over the door had long since deteriorated. Father Michael,
the diocesan head of security at the Bishop’s Service, and his deputies were
pulling out a large stone statue, trying to work together to get it out of the
dilapidated gothic stone structure. They had bound and covered the statue with a
black plastic tarp. <br />
<br />
Evan cringed as the top of the statue missed the top of the seven-foot door
by mere inches. This piece stood much taller than the ones Father Michael
usually went after, well over six feet. From what Evan could see of the exposed
stone at the base, the sculpture, done in a pristine white marble, appeared
flawless. Pure-white marble was rare, especially in large quantities, and he
could find many uses for it. The very ground around him whispered, telling him
this was a gargoyle, not marble statuary. He assumed Father Michael would have
his deputies destroy it as an abomination in the eyes of the Church. A gargoyle
this large and ancient, a wonder worth sacrificing everything to protect, made
him shiver despite the sunlight. I don’t have a choice, he thought,
self-consciously stroking the sleeping Cela on his neck. He had to rescue this
marvelous creature. <br />
<br />
“Father Michael, how nice to see you. How are you doing these days?” Evan
plastered a wide, friendly grin on his face and swallowed the bile that
threatened to choke him. He willed himself not to be sick as the older man
turned upon hearing his name. The priest eyed Evan carefully. Father Michael
wanted him, and Evan knew it, regardless of the fact the priest always played at
being a pure man of the cloth. His barely concealed and hardly controlled lust
repelled Evan. And worse, Father Michael’s role in the Bishop’s Service meant he
was a constant threat to Evan and his friends. Besides his downright hideous
appearance, Father Michael gave off a vile, evil vibe that made Evan feel soiled
just by being in the man’s presence. <br />
<br />
“Well, if it isn’t Evan Halvard! Why are you here, boy?” Father Michael stood
six-foot-four inches tall and skeletally thin. His too-large black robes hung
loosely on his body, emphasizing his emaciated appearance. He wore a silver
cross, which appeared more dagger than religious icon, on a heavy silver chain
around his neck. What little hair he had wisped about him, thin and white, the
scalp beneath showing. If this were anyone other than Father Michael, Evan
would’ve thought them near death, but the Father’s eyes shone black, full of
malice and evil beneath heavy lids. The man’s eyes, always staring, as if he
were trying to see into Evan’s soul, made Evan’s skin crawl. He watched the
priest lick his lips with just the tip of his tongue, as if he hungered for
Evan. He always felt surprised when he saw that his tongue wasn’t forked.
<br />
<br />
“I’ve a commission in this cemetery. The O’Brian family has asked me to
repair their family monument. The stone wall is crumbling, and I’ve agreed to do
the work for them in exchange for some scrap slate they had lying around after a
kitchen remodel.” He smiled widely because every word was a lie, but if he was
asked to produce a work order, he had phony papers in his glove box. Father
Michael rarely went that far in his interrogations. Usually with a bit of a
smile or the sway of Evan’s hips, the man practically forgot his name. If the
man were more substantial, instead of a walking skeleton, Evan would fear the
day that Father Michael made a move on him physically. As it stood, the sick
priest would have to have help before he’d be able to force Evan. But lust in
the man’s eyes still made him nervous. A desperate man was a dangerous man.
<br />
<br />
“I see. Well, then, you had better get busy.” <br />
<br />
“You aren’t looking very well, Father. Are you ill? You need to eat more.”
Evan’s voice dripped with concern. <br />
<br />
“I’m fine,” Father Michael snapped. “My constitution is very strong, and God
looks out for his faithful.” As he spoke a snide smile curved the corners of his
mouth, and he took a step closer, reaching out toward Evan with his right hand
before he snatched it back and folded his hands firmly in front of him. <br />
<br />
“Please, come out to the cabin sometime. I’ll make you a stew from wild
venison and the spring potatoes from my garden, it’s sure to put some meat on
those bones. You know we can’t have a prominent member of the clergy and an
officer of the Bishop’s Service fall ill.” Evan spoke with innocence and false
concern, frowning slightly as if the Father’s health truly troubled him.
<br />
<br />
“We shall see. I haven’t been to your cabin in some time. Maybe a visit is in
order, but I couldn’t accept such hospitality. A conflict of interest,
regardless of how fond I am of you.” <br />
<br />
“Fine. Of course, Father. I wouldn’t want anyone questioning your integrity
because of me. Will you have any spare marble from the statuary?” Evan inquired
carefully. “What I can see of the stone looks like pure-white marble. Once
ground, it would make a marvelous composite countertop, or floor, even. I
wouldn’t have to treat the stone before being able to use it.” <br />
<br />
“No, this isn’t marble, Evan. The Church has no use for regular stone. You
understand, don’t you, Evan?” Father Michael came over and rested a hand on his
shoulder, as if Evan were a young child needing guidance. The Father’s gaze
hungered after Evan and made him feel even more uncomfortable. Then he put his
arm around Evan’s waist. He grazed his hand across Evan’s buttocks before he
pressed his palm into the small of Evan’s back, guiding him away from the
statue. Evan struggled to keep from cringing away from the Father’s touch, and
put a shocked and slightly horrified look on his face. <br />
<br />
“Oh!” Evan exclaimed and crossed himself as if to ward off an evil. The
Father smiled and patted Evan’s shoulder, ruffling his hair as he would a small
child. Evan blinked innocently and glanced back at the covered statue,
shuddering, watching carefully to make sure Father Michael got the whole show.
<br />
<br />
“Will you be removing and destroying it today?” Evan crossed his fingers and
schooled his expression to keep the hope in his heart from betraying him.
<br />
<br />
He thought of a prayer his dad had taught him early on in his training.
<i>Father of the Heaven and the Earth, awaken this Guardian. Awaken his spirit
of love and protection. Fill him with your love so he can fulfill his duty and
honor your will. Guardian awaken!</i> Evan chanted in his thoughts, directing
his feelings of love and protection toward the gargoyle, praying the call would
awaken him even if the words weren’t spoken aloud. Evan couldn’t work openly
against Father Michael without forfeiting his life. He brought himself back to
the conversation, trying to refocus on Father Michael. <br />
<br />
“… too large to dispose of here, and we don’t have a way to transport
something this size today. The truck from the Abbey will be arriving in the
morning to take it for proper disposal. You’ve nothing to fear. I’ve placed holy
wards around the area, and we’ve tied the creature down. When I leave this
evening, the monks will stand guard to protect us from this vile monster,”
Father Michael said confidently. <br />
<br />
“Okay, you know best, but be careful, Father. I’d be very sad if anything
happened to you.” Evan frowned, and then with a gentle sway of his hips, he
stepped away from the priest, heading in the direction of the mausoleum. “I need
to get to work. I want to leave this area as soon as possible and be out of your
way.” <br />
<br />
“Good boy. Go with God, Evan.” Father Michael looked reluctant to let Evan
leave. He took a couple of steps, following Evan before shuffling to a stop.
Evan continued to move away, fully knowing he’d be carefully watched until he
left the area. <br />
<br />
His plan was simple: the musketeers would distract the monks while he and
Cela rescued the gargoyle and took it to the cabin. Of course, it was simple in
thought only. The execution would take a lot more work. He’d been preparing for
a job like this for some time. He sneaked a surreptitious peek over his left
shoulder. The statue remained still and unmoving. Evan worked happily on the
mausoleum, working out the kinks in his plans, certain that in a few hours he’d
be able to prove his name and make his father proud.</div>
Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-86595197866371809352013-11-23T10:00:00.000-07:002013-11-23T10:00:04.073-07:00Amber Kell's Birthday Bash!!Greetings Loved Ones,<br />
<br />
Today I'm blogging at my friend <a href="http://amberkell.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Amber Kell's Birthday Bash blog</a>. As part of the overall celebration, she asked me to have a character throw a party for another character. I thought hey great! In 'A Royal Bind' my favorite born vampire Stephon, throws a birthday celebration for my young shifter prince Lance, who had never had a birthday party before. I thought to myself fabulous, I don't have to write a thing its already done.<br />
<br />
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Well... then it happened. The characters began talking, as they so often do and as Stephon lately has been telling me his story in bits and pieces... he's a very old vampire who doesn't give up his secrets easily... this other party began to take shape. Now having been paying attention, I know there has been an Unbirthday party or two among the stories being told at Amber's Birthday Bash, well this will be one of a slightly different nature. It seems Lance and Andrew, the mated pair from my <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=changing+moon&osCsid=livanvlj29a6fpj46vpbade7k3&x=-1106&y=-329" target="_blank">Changing Moon series, The Pauper Prince and A Royal Bind</a>, have seen fit to throw Stephon an Unbirthday Orgy, in an effort to help Stephon find a mate. I love the shifter pair, and their hearts are in the right place. They just want eternal mated bliss for the lovelorn vampire, but they don't know the whole story... and neither do we.<br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Birthday Amber!</span></b></u></div>
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<b>This orgy is for you. :)</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Stephon's Unbirthday</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">from Blood Ties - Changing Moon Book 3</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Soon to be released with Dreamspinner Press)</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Stephon stepped out of
the shiny, black lacquered horse-drawn carriage at the back of his property. It </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> that he </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">didn't</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> have cars, or trucks for that matter, but when he came
home after traveling, he enjoyed the slow ride through his lands in the old-fashioned,
but highly modernized with all the conveniences, carriage. He’d only been gone
a week, but his home was not as he’d left it. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Maurice, what’s going
on?” His yearly sojourn had gone as it always did—poorly—and it left him
feeling bereft. He’d wanted to come home to peace and quiet, where he could
lick his wounds alone. That was about as far from what he was seeing before him
as it could possibly get. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“I’m not sure, it kind
of looks like someone’s at the house and they’re throwing a party.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Thank you, Captain Obvious.
That much I can see,” Stephon sniped. He swatted the arm of his burly drone. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Two more drones stood at
attention, garbed in what appeared to be poorly copied Roman gladiator
costumes. They wore red tunics, which were clearly not wool; the body armor was
some sort of silver plastic and the fake leather cingulum that girded their
waists were such that no self-respecting Roman soldier would've been caught dead
wearing it. Drawing himself up straighter, he took a deep breath, grabbing hold of
his temper, trying not to notice the horrible costumes and dress down his
drones for their distinct lack of fashion sense, he approached them looking first from one to the other waiting for answers that were not forthcoming.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">“Someone needs to speak
now and explain what the hell is going on in my home before I completely lose
my temper!” Stephon growled, his eyes flashing, his fangs dropping
uncontrollably, as they </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">hadn't</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> done in years.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Both drones dropped to
one knee and bowed their heads before their maker in complete submission.
Stephon sighed. It hadn’t been his intention to throw that much power at his drones.
They were his family, and it clearly showed how stressed he felt that he was
hurting his own, even unintentionally.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“We’re sorry, my Lord,
but Lance and Andrew insisted,” the guard on the right practically whispered,
his eyes on the ground. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“They ask that you wait
here just a moment and they will be out to explain. They are on their way now,
my Lord.” The other guard visibly trembled as he spoke.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“I’m sorry, my sons. It
appears I am more on edge than I imagined. I didn’t mean to take my agitation
out on you. Evidently I am the recipient of some sort of joke…”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Lights glowed from
behind billowing white canvas pavilion tents. They stretched along Stephon’s black
wrought iron gates. Suddenly they winked out, the only illumination coming from
the opening to the tent that blocked his way. A chorus of snickers and hushing
sounds rippled from behind the canvas. Stephon could only sigh with tired
frustration. Whatever was about to happen, he told himself he wouldn’t be
angry. LB and his Poodle must mean well. The mated pair were like family to him,
and would never intentionally hurt him. He just felt so bone weary, and with
another year going by and his mate still eluding him after centuries of waiting,
he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last before he lost his mind entirely.
Of course none of this was Lance and Andrew’s fault, so he schooled his
features to reflect an emotion that said annoyed, not homicidal, as he really
felt.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Lance and Andrew walked
out from behind the canvas and Stephon’s jaw dropped to his feet. The two men
were nude except for the small black speedo’s they wore. He was used to seeing
his shifter friends either clothed or nude, but the tiny black speedo seemed
indecent in its teasing seductive nature.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Lance took one look at
the tense irritated vampire, approached him and wrapped his arms around
Stephon. “I’m so sorry. If I would’ve known you were this unnerved by surprises,
I never would have suggested this.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“I told you… he gets
tense this time of year and goes on sabbatical to be alone.” Andrew rolled his
eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Well, yeah, but I
thought when he came back that he’d be relaxed and ready for company, not even
more wound up than before he left,” Lance grumbled. “Nobody touched the house,
I can have everyone close down and we can all disappear like we weren’t even
here.” Lance took hold of Stephon’s shoulders and looked the vampire lord in
the eyes.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Stephon closed his eyes
and took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. It felt so good to be held.
To be touched by someone who cared about him. It was a luxury he only had with
these two. Of all his children and friends, only Lance and Andrew ever touched
him. He didn’t think he was unapproachable, but there was some barrier between
him and others that nobody seemed willing to breach and he was starved for
affection and touch. He allowed himself to lean into warmth for a moment before
drawing back just a bit.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Of course not. You went
to all this trouble. Tell me about my surprise.” Stephon reached forward and
tweaked Lance’s chin and tried to give him a relaxed mischievous grin.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“You aren’t fooling me,
you know, but I think this might help.” Lance grinned back and took Stephon’s
hand in his. He led Stephon through the canvas and into his yard which was
suddenly filled with colored lights.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“SURPRISE!!! HAPPY
UNBIRTHDAY!!!” was hollered from men spread out around the large yard. They
were all dressed similarly to Lance and Andrew, in swim trunks of various types
and colors. The hard bodies of drones appeared pale in the light, intermixed
with the golden bodies of a few male shifters that Andrew and Lance had
obviously brought with them.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Victoria called your
usual party list and invited the eligible unmated males. We brought a few
available friends from the men who volunteered to become part of Lance’s
guard.” Andrew spoke from just behind them. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Unbirthday?” Stephon
turned to look at his friends, a bemused look on this face.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Well, of course. You
won’t tell anyone when you were born, so we decided to celebrate your
unbirthday. Which can be done on any day of the year that isn’t your birthday.
It isn’t your birthday today is it?” Lance teased.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“No.” Stephon chuckled
and looked out over his lawn at the expanse of muscles and skin on display.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“So, first of all, you
need to be properly attired… or should I say … less attired.” Lance laughed and
led Stephon to one of the many white cabanas that ringed the yard.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“What kind of unbirthday
party have you thrown for me!” Stephon’s shock was clear in his voice as he looked around.
The white tent was strewn with gently flickering fairy lights that gave the room the private feeling of a
spa. It was more like an upscale hotel room instead of a tent in his yard.
Andrew untied a knot releasing the canvas flap that closed the cabana off from
the rest of the yard. There was a clothing rack against one wall, a small table
with red roses in a small vase, and a colorful bag with a bow. The center of
the tent was taken up by a beautifully dressed double bed in burgundy and blue
satin.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“The best kind there is.
An all male party.” Lance nodded to Andrew, who picked up a colorful bag from
the table.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“You’re throwing me an
orgy?” Stephon started to laugh. In all his long life, and all of the parties
that he’d thrown and in turn attended, nobody had ever done something like
this.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“In a manner of speaking,
I guess so.” Lance grinned. “Now off with the clothes. I have your designer
label outfit all ready for you.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“You expect me to run
around as unclothed as the rest of you.” Stephon tried to look affronted, but he
wasn’t fooling anyone.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Stephon, you used to
attend frat parties in a toga with nothing underneath. A speedo is not going to
embarrass you.” Andrew grinned. “Besides if I remember correctly, you have a
beautiful body, so why not flaunt it? You never know, you might just find your
mate.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">It was like a bucket of
cold water, but Stephon tried not to let the hurt show. “My mate isn’t among
the men out there, Andrew. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still have a good
time.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“How do you know? He
might be out there. Don’t give up hope. If I’d ever given up… before I met
Andrew… I could’ve died on the street a long time ago.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Stephon paused. He’d heard
Lance’s story, and knew what the young man had been through. It was amazing he
wasn’t more damaged than Stephon knew him to be. And it wasn’t that he didn’t
have hope. It was hope that kept him going year after year to the same place
for his sabbatical, just in case… but the man he knew to be his mate had yet to
come for him, despite what he’d promised all those years ago. The sabbatical
had become his yearly self-flagellation of the spirit, but he couldn’t stop
going, and seeing Lance and Andrew together in happily mated bliss was just one
of the reasons he continued to try. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Still, all punishment
and no play made Stephon a dull boy, and he’d be damned if he’d go out being prudish.
His mate might not want him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Okay.” Stephon nodded
and began unbuttoning his coat.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Really!” Andrew’s jaw
dropped.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“See? I told you he’d
play along.” Lance chuckled. “You owe me a blow job.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“But I was sure that
he’d never…” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“What’s that old saying,
never say die? Well, I decided there was too much handsome man-flesh out there
to be a stick in the mud.” Stephon took off his suit jacket and walked over to
the clothes rack. “But you two are going to have my lawn spotless when this is
all over, and that means replacing the sod if all this activity destroys the
grass. I won’t have my gardener paying for your little surprise with extra
work.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“You got it.” Lance
grinned. He leaned over and kissed his mate before helping Stephon by hanging
each piece of clothing the man removed.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Here.” Andrew handed
Stephon his gift bag before he took off his Calvin Klein underwear. “You’ll
need this. Come out when you’re dressed.” With a growl, he grabbed Lance’s arm
and led him outside.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Some mates.” Stephon
laughed as he heard Andrew possessively snarl something about not seeing any man’s
underwear but his. Stephon was actually surprised that he could laugh, as he’d
been in such an awful mood when he’d arrived. There was just something about being
around Lance and Andrew that relaxed him and made him happy. Sure, he still
longed for his mate. The problem was his mate didn’t want him, so the closest
thing he had to that kind of happiness was when the pair shared theirs.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“I must have lost my eternal
mind,” Stephon mumbled to himself as he looked into the bag. He couldn’t
believe what he saw. He pulled out a hot pink spangled speedo with the words
“Unbirthday Boy” on the little bit of material on the back. Accompanying the speedo,
a few accessories had been added to the bag: a tube of ID Glide lube, a hot
pink butt plug with what appeared to be a glass ruby in the end, and a pack of
chewing gum so he could be minty fresh for whomever struck his fancy. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Stephon dropped his
Calvin Kleins and put on the speedo. <i>The things I do for my friends</i>. He
wasn’t about to use the butt plug, or any of the other accessories. Well, maybe
the gum, but it tended to stick to his fangs in strange places. It wasn’t his
favorite thing to chew. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">He stepped out of the pavilion
and Andrew and Lance each took an arm and led him out into the menagerie. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“First up, Wet Wild and
Twister.” Andrew pointed to the left as they walked past a giant inflated
twister board where the guys were playing wet bouncy twister. One man stood off
to the side calling out colors and another was spraying a constant rain of
water over the players, as they stretched and laughed, attempting to stay
upright or, at the very least, taking out as many other players with them as they could when they fell. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“I think I’ll save that
for later.” Stephon couldn’t keep from grinning as one guy in the middle of the
pack screamed, his feet sliding out from under him as his arms flailed about; he
took out half the players on the board. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Okay, here in the
middle we have the Naked Jell-O Pool. Hop right in and let the Jell-O ease your
way to a brighter tomorrow.” Lance motioned to the ladder at the side of the
pool. Speedos littered the little walkway around the outside of the pool where
guys had obviously ditched their trunks.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“A strong possibility,
but I don’t think I’m ready to take the plunge.” Stephon laughed at a jello
fight currently in progress, the guys flinging the sticky green glop at one
another. “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Well, next up is the
Bouncy House of Ill Repute.” Andrew motioned toward a deep red-and-black
striped castle. Only it wasn’t open so you could see what was going on inside,
but you could easily guess. Small black mesh windows with dimly strobing lights
flashed in various colors, and the whole house rocked erotically. If that
wasn’t enough of a hint, the sound of moans and the overpowering odor of sweat,
sex, and blood poured from the building. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Holy mother of orgies.”
Stephon laughed and smacked Lance on the shoulder. “You definitely know how to
throw a party.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Well, I didn’t
originally intend it to go quite like this, but some of it has clearly gotten
out of hand.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Last but not least, the
maze.” Andrew led them to a blacked-out building and handed Stephon a glow
stick. “You might find what you’re looking for at the center of the maze.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">A vaguely familiar
shadow at the edge of the rows of pavilions detached itself from the darkness
and disappeared into the maze. The breeze carried the faint scent of something
familiar, then it was gone.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“One never knows for
sure, I guess,” Stephon mumbled. He looked first into Lance’s eyes. He
plastered a grin on his face and turned to Andrew. “Guys, I’m going in!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">“We’ll
see you on the other side… unless you find something worth staying for in the
center.” Lance waved as Stephon gave his glow stick a shake and ducked around
the corner into the maze, disappearing from sight.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope you've enjoyed this never before posted sneak peek at Blood Ties - Changing Moon book 3. And for two lucky people, one copy of either A Pauper Prince or A Royal Bind... Birthday Girl's </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">digression</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">... In other words if you want to be a winner... ask Amber, she gets to pick the winner.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Happy Birthday Amber!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 36px;">from <a href="http://www.suilynn.com/" target="_blank">Sui Lynn~~</a></span></span></div>
Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-17911477666944307532013-11-10T13:54:00.000-07:002013-11-10T13:58:35.266-07:00Seeking Beta Reader - Experience not necessary but preferred...Greetings Loved Ones!<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', AppleGothic, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
I am currently seeking talented beta readers. I write M/M Erotic Paranormal Romances, so be aware that there will be adult content. A prior knowledge of my writing is a plus.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', AppleGothic, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
Excellence in English and Microsoft word a plus. Ability to spot repeat word usage, plot holes, independent body movement and give useful critique a must.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', AppleGothic, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
Must be willing to take a quick exam to demonstrate your skill level.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', AppleGothic, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
Must be able to respond to emails and return edited documents within an allotted time frame as I am working with publishers and I do have deadlines to meet as well. I am willing to make adjustments if you let me know that you are unavailable during certain times… vacations, family events, emergencies… we all have lives.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', AppleGothic, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
This is not a paid position. I do acknowledge my beta readers, giving them as much or little credit for their assistance as they would like. Some have chosen not to have their name in the acknowledgements and others like having their name in print. This is completely up to you.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', AppleGothic, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
I work very closely with my beta readers so expect to go back and forth over critical points. This position is a good one if you have aspirations of being an editor. It gives you the opportunity to hone your skills as well as getting your name out there. But experience is not necessary, just helpful. <span style="font-family: wingdings;">J</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', AppleGothic, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
If you wish to apply, download the <a href="http://www.suilynn.com/uploads/Beta_test_document.docx" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: url(http://app6.websitetonight.com/images/fileformat_file.png); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline-block; font-family: arial, verdana, 'sans serif'; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 13px !important; padding-left: 30px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Beta_test_document.docx17.9 KB</a> and go through it. This is a sample of a rough draft, similar to what I would be sending you. You may have to click "Enable Editing" at the top of the page. Leave the “Track Changes” button on under the review tab in Microsoft Word, so I can see the corrections you are suggesting. This lets me see what errors you find and any added critique of the pages you insert using the “New Comment” buttons or at the end of the document. Email me the corrected draft and your information… Name, contact information, abilities and/or education and schedule requirements. I will get back to you within a week or two with my decision.<br />
<br />
Send your response to: sui.d.lynn@gmail.com<br />
In the subject line please put: BETA APPLICATION<br />
<br />
This will assure that I get your application as quickly as possible.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', AppleGothic, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
Thank you for your interest and I hope to hear from you soon.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', AppleGothic, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
Sui Lynn~~</div>
Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-65495327094970561492013-10-30T22:02:00.000-06:002013-10-30T22:02:03.659-06:00Greetings Loved Ones,<br />
<br />
I know I don't blog often, but this was something I just had to share. The wonderful reviewers at Gay List Book Reviews have interviewed me and reviewed my <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Changing+Moon&osCsid=hssqde8bm0n7g8n2fesp6ma7l3&x=-1010&y=-326" target="_blank">Changing Moon</a> series. I was thrilled to hear that they loved it! Their interview was a lot of fun to do and I really think your going to enjoy it. So if you want to check it out... click here... <a href="http://gaylistbookreviews.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">GayListBookReviews</a>.<br />
<br />
While your there check out their reviews and interviews with other authors!<br />
<br />
As Always,<br />
Wishing you love and butterflies,<br />
<br />
Sui Lynn<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsWsGXAd4akyAPs_GB3o1jsmvYFt6wW24wme1esHbGSBCzuCra-NHj2WPzojzI001Cgs3UpbPZv31PJCF7BdkBTqGLnHJ2p_mW-gnBgaJc74zBVdU_jWMZnFbz7xkh6DgXFThFBsaMOQ/s1600/SpiritWolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsWsGXAd4akyAPs_GB3o1jsmvYFt6wW24wme1esHbGSBCzuCra-NHj2WPzojzI001Cgs3UpbPZv31PJCF7BdkBTqGLnHJ2p_mW-gnBgaJc74zBVdU_jWMZnFbz7xkh6DgXFThFBsaMOQ/s1600/SpiritWolf.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-27667851791735918092013-08-07T09:04:00.000-06:002013-08-07T09:06:58.205-06:00A Royal Bind - Changing Moon 2 Releases August 30, 2013<div class="sf_pagetitle" style="background-color: black; color: #c46a85; font-family: 'Century Gothic', AppleGothic, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px 10px 10px;">
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<span style="font-size: 1.75em;"><a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4119" style="color: white;" target="_blank">A Royal Bind - Changing Moon 2</a></span></div>
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Releases August 30th, 2013</h2>
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I have been so excited about this. Dreamspinner has been working so hard to get this series back on the market, and their editors have helped so much to make it even better! Lance and Andrew are in top form and things get hot and steamy, just as you'd expect from any newly mated couple. Lance still has lots to learn about this world he's living in.<br />
<br />
This volume is available for <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4119" style="color: white;" target="_blank">presale at Dreamspinner Press</a>. Now as with the previous re-release, the basic story line has remained the same, but the fabulous Dreamspinner editing team has done their magic and we've worked out a few bumps in the road. I'm very proud of this edition and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.</div>
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4119" style="color: white;" target="_blank"><img alt="" height="233" src="http://www.suilynn.com/images/495b21230cf0bc42dc837039ef79d23e.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;" width="628" /></a></div>
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<br />
Lance Fitz and Andrew Reed are a blissfully mated pair, but Andrew’s benefactor Stephon, a born vampire, isn't happy with the pairing, especially after he discovers Lance’s pedigree. Stephon attempts to find answers using his mental connection with Andrew, and when his efforts fail, he goes after Lance’s new shifter family. Enraged, Lance severs the tie to Stephon. He wants to tear apart the abusive vampire and free his mate and family for good. But before he can try, the family reminds Lance that the death of one vampire won't change the social status of shifters as an enslaved people. The fight won’t end with Stephon, even if Lance succeeds.</div>
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Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-37916875749430431982013-08-01T14:05:00.000-06:002013-08-01T14:05:19.745-06:00ARe All Romance Ebook's USC - Ultimate Shifter Challenge<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Greetings Loved Ones!</span></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Let's get ready to Roar!</span></h3>
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<a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/contest_shifter_challenge.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbpGzI2YajqsbBjJ4hWqN7nZVXP7-jE4rfbE3aBGtjbTJQRlkXIbXuh5HM5t2J0u7c3jeNSAqU95F3ErZ76BhjUfPgbDDlIM-2c4c8Ax-cYM4DKS68kaMz7PsBr013QkLDxbLRp2EAXQ/s640/USC+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ARe - All Romance Ebooks is running a contest for the Ultimate Shifter and </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Pauper Prince</span></h3>
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<a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/contest_shifter_challenge.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TBvCknlRR2p-DzoEnt1OekA01RF9YYEMdJ22_dUVEgXZPNzaVeKATmOGTSLBOSeJItOWNaqbu1WublCdJIUIa3TenHiOCU-mdJTQkEwa8jUK_d2kxLzuNOu1nZDZZoTcpHx8e7f4M7U/s320/ThePauperPrince.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">is in the running.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I need each and everyone of you who loved Lance and Andrew to cast your vote for <i>The Pauper Prince</i> on the ARe USC website. There's no cost to vote. Voters must be members of the ARe bookstore webstite and will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate from ARe for participating. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/contest_shifter_challenge.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">So if you loved <i>The Pauper Prince</i>, please Vote by CLICKING HERE or on the USC picture above and it will take you to the ARe website where you can vote. <i>The Pauper Prince</i> is in pairing #10!</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for voting!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sui Lynn~~</span></div>
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Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-3926083856391637252013-06-01T13:23:00.000-06:002013-06-01T13:26:23.915-06:00Dark Chocolate and Raspberries Releasing Today with Extasy Books!<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;">Greetings Loved Ones!</span></h2>
<h3>
I am happy to announce the release of <a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/dark-chocolate-and-raspberries/" target="_blank">Dark Chocolate and Raspberries with Extasy Books</a>! </h3>
Its taken a while to find a new home for my work and I know many of you are more familiar with my paranormal stories than my m/m contemporary romance. But I got started by writing m/m contemporary romance before I ever sold my first paranormal novel. Dark Chocolate and Raspberries wasn't the first, but it is one of my absolute favorites. It tells a story of masks. How the persona we put on for the general public, if nobody cares to look deeper, rarely is the person we really are deep inside.<br />
<br />
These young men have dealt with and are still dealing with adversity in their lives. While trying to discover who they are and create a future for themselves, they are dealing with a past full of hidden mysteries and misunderstandings. There are so many times in our lives that our point of view colors our understanding of what is going on around us, and so too in this story Dylan and Taj each have their own point of view of the events of a past they must discover together. Of course, they do this among a cast of college characters who are all just trying to find their place in the world and have fun while they're doing it.<br />
<br />
[On a side note - the game Raspberries - is completely fictitious. Nobody I know would ever do anything like that. I never drank before I was legally 21 years old. I never kissed boys in closets. I never played spin the bottle. I never kissed girls in closets. I never did anything I wasn't suppose to. I was a virgin before I was married. (And if you believe all that I'm sure there's a bridge somewhere I can sell ya dirt cheap!)]<br />
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So now that I'm completely off topic... <a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/dark-chocolate-and-raspberries/" target="_blank">Dark Chocolate and Raspberries</a>... LOL!<br />
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Coming of age has never been so sweet.<br />
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18-year-old Dylan’s talent for music almost equals his diva persona. Everyone knows Dylan enjoys pushing people around, but does he really? When Taj is charged with taking Dylan under his wing, he discovers the shy boy behind the diva mask.<br />
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When Dylan walks in on Taj kissing Ben, their budding feelings may not be able to withstand the blow. Stunned, Dylan runs from the room. Taj gives chase, trying to catch him to tell him the kiss he saw was the result of a game played in the dorm called Raspberries. Will their love blossom into kisses, drown in drunken chocolates, or erupt in raucous raspberries in Dark Chocolate and Raspberries?<br />
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Excerpt:</div>
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Taj headed slowly down the hallway towards his room. Dylan had sparked his interest and fascinated him all day. Dylan had watched Taj’s every move, listening attentively to everything he’d said. Taj had found the intense observation unsettling at first; he hadn’t been scrutinized so closely in a long time. Every time he’d glanced at the young man, Dylan had been staring at him, watching, almost waiting for something.<br />
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The real Dylan, the shy, quiet, careful young man, was a surprise, and so unlike what Taj had expected. He’d spoken very little, seeming to prefer to listen and watch everything going on around him intently. Most performers Taj had known were outgoing and gregarious, striving for more attention and flourishing in the spotlight. Dylan’s diva pose screamed extrovert, but when pushed, the persona folded and the real Dylan appeared, so timid Taj wouldn’t have believed him to be the same person. He wondered which one would be coming to dinner, the diva or the speechless freshman.<br />
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College often changed people; they would grow and develop. Maybe away from those who expected him to behave like a spoiled brat, the façade would fade and Dylan’s real personality could mature and flourish. Taj found Dylan fascinating. His silent attentiveness made Taj wonder what went on beneath the surface, in the depths of those deep brown eyes, eyes the color of dark chocolate.<br />
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Taj felt a challenge in Dylan he found hard to define. The diva screamed catch me if you can, and something in Taj intensely hoped to see him cry, yet at the same time Taj wanted to protect the shy, attentive young man. He had no idea how to reconcile such conflicting feelings towards one person, but maybe if he got to know Dylan, he’d learn.<br />
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The door to his room hung open to the hall; as he approached, he could hear boisterous laughter and recognized the voices of his friends. They were scattered about the room, already engaged in their favorite pastime, Raspberries.<br />
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“Go…Go…Go!” they chanted.<br />
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Taj stood in the door and watched. Justin leaned over to Paul, lifted his shirt, and blew a raspberry against his bare stomach. A fresh bout of laughter broke loose and Taj joined them. Justin stood and gasped for air, Paul yanked his shirt back down over his bare stomach, squirming and shivering uncontrollably, shoving Justin away.<br />
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“God damn! That always gives me goose bumps.” Paul quivered all over. “Ehhh—” he shivered and rubbed his hands up and down, over his arms.<br />
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“I want to play!” Taj slapped Paul on the back in greeting.<br />
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“Okay, since you’re late, you spin.” Paul nodded towards the desk.<br />
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Taj dumped his bag on his bed and leaned over. There sat a game spinner, divided into nine sections decorated in three colors; red, brown, and purple. Grinning, Taj flicked the pointer, spinning it rapidly around to slow and finally stop on red.<br />
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A couple of the guys ooh’d, while Tom wolf- whistled. Taj abruptly grabbed Paul’s head and planted a kiss firmly on his lips while the rest of the guys hooted and hollered.<br />
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“Tom, you’re next since you’re making the most fuss.” Taj jeered and passed the spinner to Tom.Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-46318151155768233912013-05-15T17:20:00.000-06:002013-05-15T17:20:03.267-06:00Stone Heart Releasing with Extasy Books!<h3>
Greetings Loved Ones!</h3>
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I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to be announcing my first release with Extasy Books.<br />
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It is so exciting to have found a new home for my work and the people at Extasy Books have been very welcoming and wonderful to work with. With that said, I am happy to announce that <a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/stone-heart/" target="_blank">Stone Heart</a> has re-release with Extasy Books and has a beautiful new cover. It has been re-edited and I can't say how great the editors have been to work with, it's been a complete pleasure.<br />
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<h3>
Blurb: </h3>
<br />Love comes wrapped in leathery wings…<br /><br />With renovations of his old Gothic church almost complete, Justin prepares for the grand opening of his gallery. Justin feels safer than he has in a long time, but it’s shattered when he’s attacked and beaten in his own home. David finds Justin and leaves him unwanted gifts, tormenting him, Justin’s no longer safe, day or night. His dreams of warm strong arms and dark wings are his only comfort, offering him an illogical security through the night. <br /><br />Gargoyle Cullen sits his post as he has for centuries, guarding the souls of those who enter the church. Awake for the first time in this age of technology, he notices the new owner with curiosity and a possessiveness he’s never known before. <br /><br />Will Justin finally find peace, wrapped in dark wings and the beating of a Stone Heart? <br /><br /><h3>
Excerpt:</h3>
<br />Justin didn't hear her leave, but he knew she couldn't stay. Her husband didn't like the fact that she’d decided to work for him, knowing she risked becoming a target for David’s wrath. Whenever she came to work, she ran the risk of facing the lunatic. So far, he’d left her alone. She’d never actually had a run in with him, but she’d come close today.<br /><br />Before he’d agreed to let her work in the gallery, Justin had made a deal with her. If she ever came upon David there, no matter what he was doing to Justin, she needed to run, get away, and call the police. In that order. He’d never been so happy that she’d kept her part of the bargain and stayed safe. He’d never have forgiven himself if she’d gotten hurt. <br /><br />Justin stopped at the top of the stairs and struggled to catch his breath, clutching his painful ribs. He stumbled into the bedroom, to his dresser. He pulled his prescription out of his pocket, took out a couple of pills, swallowed them without water and pulled his pajama bottoms from the top drawer. He ever so slowly forced himself to go to the bathroom and painfully relieved himself, not surprised when he saw blood in the toilet, the result of his bruised kidneys. “Damn.” He groaned and closed his eyes. He sat there for a few minutes, resting his head on his hands against the sink vanity beside the toilet. His ribs hurt so much it was an effort just to breathe, but the pain meds were starting to kick in so he willed himself to make it back to his bedroom and to his bed. <br /><br />The sun slowly set outside his window and the shadows had lengthened along the wall. He stood uncertainly in the center of the room, as exhaustion finally overcame him; he couldn't force his body to take one more step. The medication was making him feel lightheaded and loopy. He realized he wouldn't make it. <br /><br />“Should’ve let Tracy help me to bed,” Justin mumbled to himself. <br /><br />Something in his mind told him to hold on, just a little longer, and everything would be okay. As the last rays of the sun gave way to twilight, his body began to sway and his knees buckled. His eyes closed and he felt himself falling to the floor, thinking, Oh, this is gonna hurt. <br /><br />To his surprise, he never hit the floor. Warm arms wrapped around him. For a second his mind shrieked, fearing David had hidden here from the police. But the arms holding him were tender and kind, they held him protectively. David was incapable of being gentle or caring. Justin’s mind had already passed the point of no return and it was too much trouble to force coherent logical thought. Someone picked him up and carried him to his bed. <br /><br />“What happened to you? Who did this to you?” A deep rich voice, with just a touch of anger, questioned. <br /><br />Justin frowned slightly, he didn't want that soft voice to have such a deadly edge. He wanted and needed to feel wrapped in strong loving arms—cared for and protected, not afraid. <br /><br />“It doesn't matter. You’re here. I’m safe now.” Justin tried to smile, but winced instead and tears flowed from his closed eyes. Tentative fingers carefully caressed the bruises on his face, gently outlining the swollen purple discoloration around his eyes and stroked his hair. <br /><br />“You have a fever. Are you in pain?” the voice asked gently. <br /><br />“Nope. No more pain—good meds. I’m just hallucinating, but you’re a nice delusion.” Justin snuggled deeper into the velvety arms. “What’s your name?” <br /><br />“I don’t know. You haven’t named me yet,” the voice purred softly. <br /><br />“Oh, then you’re my handsome gargoyle, watching out for me and protecting me. I see. I thought of a name for you earlier today.” Justin yawned and whimpered as the deep breath forced his ribs to move. <br /><br />“What’s my name then, little one?” The gargoyle stroked Justin’s hair. It seemed to be the only place on him that wasn't bruised. <br /><br />“I’ll call you Cullen.” Justin struggled to finish his thought, his head rocking a bit as he nuzzled into the chest of the gargoyle that held him. “Means handsome, which you are.” Justin drifted off, his mind finally fading into unconsciousness. <br /><br />* * * * <br /><br />“Who attacked him?” Bob asked, climbing in the window, his cloven hooves clacking on the hardwood. <br /><br />“He passed out before he could tell me. There are so many scents. I can’t tell which to hunt.” Cullen snarled and wrapped his wings around Justin, completely hiding them both from sight. <br /><br />“Is he going to be okay?” Bob put a comforting hand on Cullen’s shoulder. <br /><br />“I don’t know. His body’s pretty beaten up and he’s running a fever. He thinks I’m a hallucination.” <br /><br />“He’s strong. He’ll pull through.” Bob sighed, hoping he was right. He didn't know how much damage a man could take and still heal. They watched people all the time but didn't normally have a real relationship with them. Humans were usually blind to their kind. They’d see them but not really believe they were real, living beings. <br /><br />“I’ll go down and search the rest of the building. Maybe if the fight took place here, I can get a scent to follow.” Bob trotted out the door. The sound of his hooves faded as he moved down the hallway. <br /><br />Bob found the rooms downstairs disrupted; they’d yet to be cleaned since the attack. In both the gallery and the kitchen, chairs had been toppled, blood spatters crisscrossed the floor and along the wall, as well as the footprints of many different people coming and going, filling the rooms with their unknown scents. There were so many that Bob could barely differentiate Justin’s scent from all the others. He sighed and headed back up to the bedroom. <br /><br />“The fight took place downstairs, but there are so many scents down there. I've no idea who all those people were. I could probably make a couple of good guesses. Maybe I can get Draco and Snout to follow the most likely ones, and then we can check them out when Justin’s stronger?” <br /><br />“Fine, you deal with it. I’m not moving from his side tonight.” Cullen growled. “I can’t, he needs someone here to watch over him in case he gets worse. He shouldn't be alone like this.” <br /><br />“Okay. We’ll be back soon.” <br /><br />“Good hunting, my friend.” Cullen peeked at him over his wing and then tucked his head back beneath to nuzzle Justin’s hair. <br /><br />Bob went downstairs. He opened the side door and whistled. Two enormous beasts bounded into the room. They were about the size of small horses. Both had rows of vicious looking teeth, but Snout’s large tongue lolled out of his mouth like that of a big puppy. Draco had spikes on his tail, which he held curled over his back. “Tonight we hunt, boys. Someone hurt Justin. Can you find who did it?” <br /><br />Draco and Snout began sniffing around the floor and walls, moving first from the gallery into the kitchen and then back to the gallery, repeating their actions a couple of times before returning to the kitchen. Draco caught a scent first; he snarled and bounded out the door. Within seconds he was airborne and had disappeared into the night. Snout snuffled around a bit more, concentrating on the wall and the floor before he let out a hunting howl. Then, with his nose to the ground, he dashed out the door into the shadows of the night. Bob ran after Snout, his little legs amazingly able to keep up with the large dog-like creature, both of them disappearing into the darkness.<div>
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Wishing you Love and Butterflies!</div>
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Sui Lynn~~</div>
Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-19609973254808167242013-04-05T20:07:00.001-06:002013-04-05T20:09:19.127-06:00<br />
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Greetings Loved Ones!<br />
<br />
Things are definitely on a positive turn. Two of my individual titles have been picked up by <a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/" target="_blank">eXtasy Books</a>! I'm so excited because there are quite a few wonderful author friends of mine who write for this particular press and have spoken so highly of them. It encourages me to really get on the ball and get writing. As it turns out, Not Only have they taken on two of my previously published stories, but will also be printing two of the stories I'm in the process of completing.<br />
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So, on May 15, 2013 <a href="http://www.suilynn.com/Stone_Heart.html">Stone Heart</a>, will be released by <a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/" target="_blank">eXtasy Books</a> and will soon be followed by <a href="http://www.suilynn.com/Dark_Chocolate.html">Dark Chocolate and Raspberries</a> on June1, 2013. I can't wait to see what they come up with for covers! <br />
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These two stories are a couple of my favorites. Dark Chocolate and Raspberries is one of the very few M/M Contemporary Romances I've written. Stone Heart is a M/M Dark Fantasy I wrote around my love of gargoyles! <br />
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The two new stories you will be able to find at eXtasy in a couple of months (considering I need to get to writing and finish them) will be Light in the Dark, which is my first M/M Science Fiction Romance. The other is Downtown Bus, which began as a series of flash fiction stories on my blog last year. It's since been rewritten to flow a bit more smoothly, but remains unfinished at this time. Once they are finished, I will get their pages up and give you more information about each of them.<br />
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I know ... stop gabbing and start writing! Well I'm working on it! <br />
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Wishing you Love and Butterflies,<br />
<br />
Sui Lynn~~Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-7872978967148204612013-03-16T12:12:00.000-06:002013-03-16T12:12:33.279-06:00Changing Moon - to be published by Dreamspinner Press!Greetings Loved Ones!!<br />
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I received the best news today. The Changing Moon Series has been picked up by<br />DreamSpinner Press. <br /><br />This means that those of you who are patiently waiting for the series to continue won't have much longer to wait. <br /><br />The entire series will be re-edited and receive new cover art. I can hardly wait to see what fresh vision and life the series is going to receive with the new art. Speaking of which, the beautiful wolf at the left was a picture taken from facebook. I have no idea who the artist is but it has served to inspire my visions of Lance for quite some time. <br /><br />The estimated release time frame for the series currently stands as The Pauper Prince will be released in July/August 2013, A Royal Bind will be released August/September 2013 and if I can stay on schedule ... Blood Ties will follow being released September/October 2013. <br /><br />I can't thank you enough for your patients and support during this rough time. It has meant so much to me, hearing from you, knowing you are out there still interested in knowing the rest of the story. <br /><br />So while we once more begin the story at the beginning. As the curtains are drawn back from the stage and the lights go down, and we prepare once more to venture into the world of Changing Moon ... know I'm just as excited and thrilled as the rest of you to be getting to the rest of the story.<div>
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Wishing you love and butterflies!!</div>
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Sui Lynn~~</div>
Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-49247650461159932892013-03-15T12:11:00.001-06:002013-03-15T12:11:20.453-06:00Review: Etiquette & Espionage<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10874177'><img alt='Etiquette & Espionage' border='0' src='http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331952557m/10874177.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10874177'>Etiquette & Espionage</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2891665'>Gail Carriger</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/465508770'>5 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> I love this author. She has the ability to transport me from the dreary mundane world into the marvelous steampunk world of her creation. This world has all the wonders of airships and steam powered mechanicals intertwined with the propriety of the Victorian era of petticoats and cravats. <br /><br />Unlike her previous books, this is a young adult novel and the characters are in their early teens. They are just creeping up on adulthood and the prepubescent interest of life around them, their place in the world, their interests and the interests of their friends and creating the lasting bonds of friendship. There are hints of puppylove, as many of the girls have a crush on the unattainable and mysterious werewolf captain.<br /><br />I was so happy to see some of my old friends from the previous books making an appearance in this series as well. This series is set before the Parasol books. So the characters you know and love are much younger and it is great fun to see them here. <br /><br />Some have referred to this being a "Harry Potter" like story. The only connection I could make is both take place in a school and under special circumstances for the main characters. Other than that, there is little connection. There are no wand waving classes, no spells and incantations and no trolls in this book. Instead we have etiquette and curtsy classes as well as deception and the best way to manipulate a conversation. Air pirates and mad scientists fill out the dance card of characters and of course parents that just don't seem to understand their own children.<br /><br />I loved every minute of this story and I can't wait for the next one! So Hurry Author!! Please!! <br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/465508770'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-21211975044677917242013-03-02T20:41:00.001-07:002013-03-02T20:41:10.018-07:00Review: Revelations<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17261534'><img alt='Revelations' border='0' src='http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358649638m/17261534.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17261534'>Revelations</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231'>Julie Lynn Hayes</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/550639789'>5 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> What to say... <br /><br />Revelations has been a long time in coming. I beta read this story over a year ago and its come a long way since the first read. I loved it then and I love it now! This is the untold story of a man who spends all his time with 12 other guys ... Hello! This is the love story we all know is there and has been there since it was first told but has become taboo to western culture. Its done in a new and refreshing way... giving Jesus and Judas 2000 years to come to terms with their love affair and the ever repeating cycle of love and loss that has become a script for the ages. But this story has a modern day edge and a current events feel that takes the story of old and places it in the here and now. <br /><br />Our hero's have to deal with modern issues and modern life with all their old friends, old rivalries which haven't mellowed with time. The world of today is doing everything it can to repeat the cycle with the help of that ever flashy, suave, and evil... but evil with style... Lucifer's manipulation.<br /><br />I have to say I love this story! Judas is everything I expected him to be. His snarky attitude and dislike of everyone and everything... except Jesus, is endearing. Jesus is purity and love in all things, and his love of Judas only enhances his understanding of mankind. Lucifer is nasty and manipulative and a riot. Mary(not Jesus's Mom)well what to say about the harlot... I loved hating her in the beginning, and I hated that I loved her towards the end. LOL.<br /><br />I will put one warning on this story... IF YOU ARE A SERIOUS CHRISTIAN WHO CAN NOT LAUGH AT YOUR OWN RELIGIOUS ICONS AND FIND THE HUMOR BEYOND THE SYMBOLISM ... THIS IS NOT FOR YOU!<br /><br />If you enjoy poking fun at icons, then this is filled with characters of old poking fun at themselves and their fellow time travelers. Read!!! Laugh!!! Enjoy!!! <br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/550639789'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-76417976127325205352013-02-23T09:21:00.001-07:002013-02-23T09:21:19.010-07:00Review: Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17304775'><img alt='Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts' border='0' src='http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359491586m/17304775.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17304775'>Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3092531'>Lyn Gala</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/544116350'>3 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> First up, I liked this story. It was a study in angst and frustration for the characters.<br /><br />To be honest the author spent so much time explaining humanity to the aliens that I sometimes felt like she thought her aliens were too stupid to understand humans. I would think after watching human behavior and being exposed to humans for years as well as having a one on one friendship between the Liam and Ondry somethings could safely be understood and not need to be explained, while the author explains practically nothing about the alien's society. That is where I found this book seriously lacking. Liam is baring his soul to Ondry who throws him tidbits here and there but we get nothing about the Alien society he is becoming part of. Nothing is explained. There are no reasons behind any of it. Why do Rowndt find it necessary to leash their lovers are they considered to dim to know they are loved and stay or are they fickle and change their loyalty often. Very little is explained about the society or the world itself that the Rowndt live in. <br /><br />As for the kink, I think it was handled well, even though it is ultimately a one way relationship sexually. For Liam will never satisfy his partner sexually because the aliens don't feel satisfaction or pleasure during sex. <br /><br />Ultimately the story from a sci fi point of view is a good concept but not well delivered. From a Dom/sub point of view, it is a unique view of that type of relationship.<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/544116350'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-69460767343937442182013-02-18T01:00:00.000-07:002013-02-18T01:00:10.680-07:00Help Me Title the Chasing Seth Sequel Contest! <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Greetings Loved Ones!</span></b></div>
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<b>Today we welcome my good friend J.R. Loveless to the center stage. Give her all your attention and you never know what sweets and treats she has for you!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ypj2oEP00hjjabzP8bYyPm8s_6uJ2YN7e8bK5xJBuD15UppcY7VJuS7BzClf_fFKL9dIdrO7_dhmtWBYYiW6bnuPlGrwydB-ZNkxtrWW5h4BOT13GbY8ndz3szsyCxReleUEnL9XAXQ/s1600/HisSalvation_blogtourbanner_2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ypj2oEP00hjjabzP8bYyPm8s_6uJ2YN7e8bK5xJBuD15UppcY7VJuS7BzClf_fFKL9dIdrO7_dhmtWBYYiW6bnuPlGrwydB-ZNkxtrWW5h4BOT13GbY8ndz3szsyCxReleUEnL9XAXQ/s320/HisSalvation_blogtourbanner_2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The response for this book blog tour has been phenomenal!
Thank you to everyone who has participated thus far and to all of the wonderful
hosts who have offered me a space on their blog! Spread the word to your
friends, family, and even co-workers because the ride is far from over! So far
we've had three winners - Deb Hansen (His Salvation paperback), Tali Spencer
(His Salvation Tote Bag), and Christopher Hammel ($25 Dreamspinner Press Gift
Certificate). There's a prize every week and each week you make a comment,
you're entered into the Grand Prize contest to win a huge bundle including a
Nook or Kindle, so be sure to follow along on my tour for more great chances to
win! And of course, this week is no exception! <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today the contest is for one of each of my four handmade
charms from each of my books - Touch Me Gently, White Rain, Fragments of a
Unicorn's Soul, and Chasing Seth. Your choice of colors. The picture does not
encompass all colors, these are just a sample. The charms are made with glass
and acrylic beads, have a convenient lobster clasp to hang from your purse,
cell phone, jacket, zipper, anywhere you can think! They feature a charm on the
end to signify a key point in the story, (e.g. snowflake, cowboy hat, etc.) All
you have to do to win is suggest a title for my currently unnamed Chasing Seth
sequel featuring Nick and Thayne. Keep reading below for more information on
the plot line for the book. I will pick the one I like the best which quite
possibly could be the name of my upcoming novel! </span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96xtQYHa6SUaCR3SISMaGiZbkaQYUqWERQRELwz4AWs5r2MXuOc7gJQYuL9Bt30QcvBSJNYz4Za8xv8fZii-406DnE-UhxgVtm1niv_MFs8Ue3qTrkCb2Jws2ioKoOahIYL9kChyphenhyphenimpI/s1600/swag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96xtQYHa6SUaCR3SISMaGiZbkaQYUqWERQRELwz4AWs5r2MXuOc7gJQYuL9Bt30QcvBSJNYz4Za8xv8fZii-406DnE-UhxgVtm1niv_MFs8Ue3qTrkCb2Jws2ioKoOahIYL9kChyphenhyphenimpI/s320/swag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It's hard to believe how fast these last three weeks have
gone by! There's been an amazing response and I hope everyone will continue to
help make this book blog tour a success. His Salvation is only book one in the
world of Deviants. I have two more already planned out in my head and I am
certain as I write, more will come forward. I thoroughly enjoyed writing the
story of Alex and Gabriel and devising the world they live in with amazing
Deviants, concentration camps, war, and hope for peace. My only hope is that
you enjoy their world and stories as well. :)<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I hope to attend the upcoming GayRomLit con in Atlanta in
October this year. Keep your fingers crossed that I can register in time! I
would love to attend and meet some of my readers as well as some of my favorite
authors! I also have a ton of brilliant swag ideas that I have already begun
working on, things I am pretty sure will fly off the swag table in the first
night. ;) I hope you'll come visit me in Atlanta at GRL 2013 and stop by to say
hi!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My current works in progress include the sequel to Chasing
Seth with Nick and Thayne's story. I've had quite a response to Chasing Seth
and many emails requesting a sequel so I hope to deliver that to you before the
end of the year! In this one Nick is having a hard time dealing with his true
mate's rejection and is called to Senaka when Seth claims there's a Created One
in the area that is believed to be Taggart, the Created One who'd tortured and
raped Seth a few years back. Thayne, running from the biggest mistake of his
life, is forced to go home and beg for help only to end up between a rock and a
hard place. Either continue running for the rest of his life or submit to the
one thing he'd never wanted -- a mate. The sequel is currently at a little over
16k words and I'm aiming for around 75 to 80k. You can follow my progress at my
blog with my word count meter; http://jrloveless.blogspot.com . The sequel is
yet untitled, so here is where I reach out to my readers and the fans of
Chasing Seth for a title. :) Suggest one for this week's contest and the one I
like the best will win and most likely will be used on the upcoming novel! <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I also have a next installment for Touch Me Gently planned
out and started which will feature Kaden and Logan ten years in the future and
will focus primarily on their adopted son, Benjamin (Ben). This one I already
have a title for... 'Capture Me Softly'. More to come on that later. :) <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I look forward to seeing your suggestions for titles and to
seeing your comments in the coming weeks! Next week I will be over at <a href="http://www.hayleybjames.com/?zx=b32a13089e218545" target="_blank">Hayley B.James's blog</a> and the contest will be quite... interesting. LOL. Thanks for
stopping by and remember comment each week to receive one entry into the Grand
Prize drawing at the end of March! <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Websites to follow
updates on my current works in progress, blog tour posts, events, contests, and
upcoming releases: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>http://jrloveless.blogspot.com<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>https://www.facebook.com/authorjrloveless<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3366&cPath=55_303" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVt84aR0lz8knl_xkRi9M9gtAwv_5hSYSpo08P9cCnt84WNnu4zPUmYCpzevUjpPIuLr0vHyXYacfTq7jgnkQghgqPYfGPYbn8TWcyhVXSjQ_arEeiqtTOsurMWhyOx_mxd6Tt_6QfmA/s320/HisSalvation2.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<b>Excerpt:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">G</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ABRIEL </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">stormed into the mansion, his chest
aching at the reminder of what he tried so hard to forget. Alex’s innocent gaze
and the curious question forced him to think back to the day he wanted nothing
more than to change, to rewind time and make it disappear. Only not even a
Deviant had that ability. “Gabe?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bryan’s voice snagged him
midstride, and he halted at the bottom of the steps leading upstairs. Turning,
he looked at his boss, unaware of the anguish burning in his eyes. Bryan
frowned and beckoned him into his office. Gabriel’s lips tightened into a flat
line as he strode in. “Is<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">everything okay, Gabe?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Assign someone else to the kid,
Bryan,” Gabriel ground out, pacing the office like a caged animal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His boss and friend didn’t answer
for a long stretch of silence before replying, “No.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why?” Gabriel demanded in agony,
swinging a beseeching gaze toward Bryan. “Why are you doing this to me?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A sad smile drifted over Bryan’s
face for a split second. “Because he’s good for you, Gabriel. I haven’t seen
you look at anyone like that in the years I’ve known you. Since your brother
died, you’ve been cut off, and even during our time together you never let
yourself go enough to feel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">things.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I felt things with you!” Gabriel protested.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Shaking his head, Bryan pinned
him in place with his stare. “Fucking isn’t the same thing as feeling something
real. Never once did it go beyond sex for you, Gabe. You always held back your
heart.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s not true,” he murmured,
sinking into the chair in front of Bryan’s desk. “I may not have shown it, but
I did care about you, Bryan. I still do.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Not enough,” Bryan replied
gently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bitterness swamped Gabriel, and
the realization that he’d hurt Bryan came over him. He looked up at his
ex-lover, grief stricken. “I’m sorry, Bry. So sorry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bryan stood up and moved around
his desk to sit in the chair beside Gabriel. He cupped Gabriel’s cheek in one
hand. “Don’t apologize for not being able to love me, Gabe. I just wasn’t the
person to help you find your way back to who you were meant to be. Don’t let
the past control your life.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I can’t,” he whispered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, you can,” Bryan insisted,
stroking his thumb over Gabriel’s cheekbone. “I see that spark in your eyes
when you look at him. Give it a chance, and stop fighting so hard to keep
everyone away.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gabriel touched the back of
Bryan’s hand, leaning his face further into his palm. “I miss you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I miss you too,” Bryan murmured,
carefully extricating himself from Gabriel’s grasp. “More than you’ll ever
know.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bryan stood up and moved back to
his desk. “I have an assignment for you. It’ll give you a chance to get away
and think. Take Tank, but I doubt you’ll need him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Coughing to hide his emotions,
Gabriel nodded and stood, taking the folder extended to him. “We received a
call from one of our contacts a short while ago. Said the boy’s been living in
an<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">abandoned building for a few
weeks on his own. There’s not much to go on. Basic details are the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">kid looks about fifteen or so.
Blond, blue-eyed, skinny, roughly six feet. Extremely skittish. Our contact is
pretty sure the kid is at least a level four.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gabriel looked over the brief
description and a snapshot of the blond boy looking over his shoulder as he entered
what appeared to be an empty warehouse. “How do we know he’ll go with us?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You don’t.” Bryan tipped the
corner of his lip upward. “But I know you. You can be pretty persuasive when
you want to be, Gabe.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He tucked the folder under one
arm and turned to head upstairs to begin preparing to leave. “Gabe?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He stopped in the doorway,
turning his head slightly. “Be safe.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I always am,” Gabriel replied
softly and walked out of the office.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The sounds of dishes clattering
in the kitchen and voices rumbling in the living room followed him upstairs. He
kicked at the bedroom door to shut it behind him, failing to notice it didn’t
close all the way. Picking up his cell, he punched in a quick text to Tank and
pulled on his weapons vest, sliding his knives in their sleeves. The sound of
the 9mm magazine sliding into place covered the footsteps on the hallway floor.
Soft breathing and the sweet smell of sandalwood alerted him to the presence at
his door. “You shouldn’t spy on people, kid,” he said flatly, shoving the gun
into his vest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I wasn’t spying! I heard the
sound of a gun cocking,” Alex replied as he edged further into the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gabriel turned around to look at
the younger Deviant, his eyebrow raised. “And you came to check it out on your
own?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Alex flushed and dropped his gaze
to the floor. “I didn’t think about it to be honest.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Next time, don’t go toward the
sound. Run away from it.” He went back to making sure he had everything,
stuffing an extra change of clothing and the file on the runaway into a small
black bag.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sorry. Are you going somewhere?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Had a report of a Deviant living
alone in an abandoned warehouse. I’m going to get the boy and bring him back
here,” he replied stoically, checking his phone to see if Tank was ready.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Alex moved closer to his side.
“What do you need all the weapons for if he’s just a boy?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Snorting, Gabriel peered at the
younger man. “Haven’t you learned anything here yet? Why do you think we’re
teaching you how to protect yourself? To control your abilities? We’re
Deviants, and in this world that makes us freaks. If we’re caught out on the
streets without some kind of<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">protection, active ability or no,
it’s dangerous. You need to understand that and start doing what you can to
protect yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He roughly unsheathed a knife and
shoved it into Alex’s hand. Alex tried to jerk back from him, but he held on
tightly, wrapping Alex’s fingers around the handle. “Until you learn to use
your psychic ability as a weapon, which will only get you so far, you need to
learn how to use this.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Alex protested, “I don’t want to
hurt anyone!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Even if they want to hurt you?”
Gabriel challenged. “Or your brother? What then? Are you going to let them
injure you or possibly kill you and your brother?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Fear showed clearly in the younger
man’s bright green eyes, but Gabriel forced down the guilt, knowing if he
didn’t make the other Deviant understand, he could end up dead. “This may be
the only thing that saves your life or the life of someone you love.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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hands, the blade shining in the dim lamplight. Gabriel realized he still held
Alex’s hand and slowly let go, carefully removing his fingers from around
Alex’s. Neither of them moved for several heavy breaths. Gabriel’s eyes locked
on Alex’s face as emotions flitted over his pale features. He broke the
silence. “Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to, kid. It’s a part of
life. No one knows why we changed, why we have these abilities now, but we do.
We have to accept it and do what we can to survive.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gabriel reached out and gently
took the knife from Alex, slipping it into its sheath. His cell vibrated in his
pocket, notifying him that Tank sat waiting for him in one of the black SUVs.
“Work on it with Jackal while I’m gone, Alex. You can show me what you’ve
learned when I return.” He picked up his bag, sliding it over his shoulder, and
brushed past the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Gabe,” Alex called quietly.
Stopping in the doorway, Gabriel looked back at the younger Deviant. “Be
careful.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Thanks, Alex,” Gabriel murmured
before turning and heading out of the agency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #0070c0;"><a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3366&cPath=55_303" target="_blank">Dreamspinner Press:</a></span></u></b> <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3366&cPath=55_303" target="_blank">http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3366&cPath=55_303</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/His-Salvation-The-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00AC3PDWU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358993831&sr=8-2&keywords=His+Salvation" target="_blank">Amazon: </a></span></u></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/His-Salvation-The-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00AC3PDWU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358993831&sr=8-2&keywords=His+Salvation">http://www.amazon.com/His-Salvation-The-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00AC3PDWU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358993831&sr=8-2&keywords=His+Salvation</a></div>
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Also available at other online ebook retailers!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope you've enjoyed our guest blogger today. Remember to comment as we will be watching for those brilliant ideas for her next title and don't those charms look cool! JR you have to make me one!! Thank you for stopping by! </div>
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Wishing you Love and Butterflies!</div>
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Sui Lynn~~</div>
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Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-51901840170166928802013-02-04T23:19:00.000-07:002013-02-04T23:19:51.453-07:00New Web Page!!!Greetings Loved Ones!!<div>
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I'm thrilled to tell you my latest project has finally gone online! <a href="http://suilynn.com/">SuiLynn.com</a> is up and running. Its taken some time and a lot of concerted effort to get everything together but I've finally got a website where I hope things are laid out in a much more easily understood manner. That doesn't mean that I'm giving up my blog. Oh no. You'll still hear from me and see reviews of the books I'm reading and updates when my next book launch is ready to go. </div>
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The site is under construction, so some pages aren't as completed as others. Come back often and check it out to see what's been updated and what's new. You'll find information on my series books, on the individual titles and on works in progress. For all the latest information and listings of whats going on, check it out and remember to sign the Guest Book, so I know you were there.</div>
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Wishing you Love and Butterflies~~</div>
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Sui Lynn</div>
Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-18398123461441897492013-02-02T11:04:00.001-07:002013-02-02T11:04:29.697-07:00<br />
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Blue Rose - Available for Purchase</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOdlOZvzWP7ydgOw5h_5ACebihIZ5ywQmoZx0xohY_mHEDUwqDfoEQY9shuW_DJufHRBJQrLf-_OpR12v6RWgCcuBS4yEWiVhyphenhyphenh7Il_7ATCU6J6ZbgqHi88klzSG2SX4H4_dvOm4f7YM/s1600/BlueRoseLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #a490ff; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: initial;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOdlOZvzWP7ydgOw5h_5ACebihIZ5ywQmoZx0xohY_mHEDUwqDfoEQY9shuW_DJufHRBJQrLf-_OpR12v6RWgCcuBS4yEWiVhyphenhyphenh7Il_7ATCU6J6ZbgqHi88klzSG2SX4H4_dvOm4f7YM/s320/BlueRoseLG.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />Summary:<br />Luck and an impromptu jam session bring college student Quinn Yamamoto to the Blue Rose, a small R&B nightclub. He meets handsome club owner Enjoji Tatankata and it’s love at first sight, but no one said love would ever be easy.<br /><br />It's one thing after another: keeping his grades up and working to make ends meet, learning about a family he didn’t know he had, reliving buried memories of horrifying abuse in his nightmares, discovering that his new lover has dangerous secrets... nothing in his life could have prepared Quinn for this.<br /><br />Available for purchase at Dreamspinner Press<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=blue+rose&osCsid=vm5r3sa9jlfkv7d28ensb3hof4&x=0&y=0" style="color: #a490ff; text-decoration: initial;">http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com</a><br /><br />Excerpt:<br />“Okay, Mom, I’ve got it all loaded,” Quinn called as he closed the trunk of the powder blue compact Prius. It was filled from floorboards to roof with the trappings of a college student: luggage, dorm fridge, microwave oven, bedding, a goldfish bowl half full of water with a Siamese fighting fish, boxes of miscellaneous pictures and books, and a stuffed pink rabbit. A futon and frame and some miscellaneous other wooden pieces were tied down to the roof of the car. The vehicle was so loaded that it would be a miracle if the shocks were not destroyed by the time the destination was reached and it was relieved of its burden. Such was the life of the college student.<br /><br />“Quinn, don’t forget the goody box. I’ve included extra cookies for your roommate.” Tina Yamamoto came out of the house carrying another box full of cookies, chips, and soda. She stepped off the porch steps and followed the curving sidewalk around to the side garage where the overloaded car waited. She had been struggling all morning with varying success to keep a smile on her face and the worry hidden, but she was failing to keep the tears from her eyes. One would periodically fall despite her best efforts. The bright morning sunlight gleamed from her loosely brushed blonde locks and glinted from the diamond-like tears in the corners of her soft gray eyes.<br /><br />Quinn took after his mother’s side of the family. He was nineteen, tall—six feet, and lean with the body of a runner. He was long limbed and graceful. His hair was just a couple shades darker than his mother’s, giving his hair a dark golden sheen while hers would glint white in the sun. His hair hung in a ponytail from the top of his head to half way down his back. His sister had brushed it out for him this morning and put in the ponytail. They had made a pact that he wouldn’t cut his hair while he was at school and neither would she. She enjoyed brushing his hair, and he enjoyed indulging her. Unlike his mom’s eyes, his eyes were piercing blue like the crystal clear sky on a cloudless morning. His skin was a dark golden brown from being exposed to the sun daily for most of his life. He had a permanent tan that any California beach bunny would envy. He wore what he always wore: black nylon athletic pants with the drawstring waist band and a plain white T-shirt with a cut in the neckband, as he always felt constricted by the round neckbands.<br /><br />“Quinn!” hollered a young voice, and his eight-year old little sister, with her long black locks and brown-black eyes, stood in the door of the house, her arms overflowing with stuffed animals. Rayme was beautiful in Quinn’s eyes. Whenever he saw her, he was able to remember his father. She had his soft black hair but with his mother’s curls added in and the black eyes that swallowed his soul and could see through all of his lies. Lucky for him, Rayme hadn’t discovered that particular power yet. She was getting older, though, and he wouldn’t be able to hide it from her forever.<br /><br />“Rayme, put your friends back in your room. I agreed to take Snuffles, but you are not going to fill my dorm room with stuffed animals. I’m a guy, for God’s sake. I would be the laughing stock of the floor.” Quinn smiled at his sister’s pout, but she turned and dumped the load of stuffed animals in the entry and came running toward him at full speed, sprinting around his mother. She would be as fast has he was soon, especially if she kept growing. She was already tall for her age. She threw herself into her brother’s outstretched arms, and he pulled her up into a warm embrace, setting her on his hip. He buried his face into her shoulder, entwining one hand in her hair, his fingers memorizing the texture and breathing deeply to remember the scent of it. “Man, you’re getting big. Stop growing or next time you are going to break my back. Take care of Mom. You know she doesn’t look after herself very well, and with me in school, she is going to need your help.” He blew raspberries into her neck, she squealed with delight, and he let her go. “Let me say bye to Mom now. Love you, Squeakers.”<br /><br />“Love you, too, Quinn. I promise, I’ll be good and help Mom. Call soon, and I can email now, so don’t forget!” Rayme’s smile was pure joy even on a morning full of goodbyes. Her laughter filled the morning as she took the box of treats from her mother’s hands and ran for the car.<br /><br />“Don’t snitch my cookies. You have more in the house,” he called after her giggling form.<br /><br />“Okay, my love. I’m so proud of you. Don’t over-do it. Remember your focus is school, not work or me or even Rayme. I can take care of us. I am the adult, remember.” Tina wrapped her arms around her son. “You are becoming quite the grown man these days it is hard to remember you’re no longer my little boy.”<br /><br />“Mom! I’m fine. I’ll be okay. You know me. I’ll do my best. You will always be able to be proud of me.”<br /><br />“That’s just it, Quinn. You do too much. I know you very well. You are just like your father in that you are driven to succeed regardless of the cost. Just please take it easy. Enjoy life a bit. You aren’t young twice.” Tina mussed his hair as she looked up into his eyes. Her smile was starting to slip.<br /><br />“No time to be young. Too much to do.” Quinn smiled and laughed, then squeezed his mom tight and pushed her gently away. “Speaking of time, I need to hit the open road or I won’t be able to get everything done I need to do today…. I love you, Mom!”<br /><br />“Okay, my little man… who’s obviously not so little any more. Please take care of yourself. I worry, you know.” She was trembling as Quinn stepped toward the car. He impulsively grabbed his mom’s shaking shoulders and pulled her against him once more for a quick hug and kiss on the forehead. Then abruptly, he turned his back to her and headed for the car.<br /><br />“No worries, Mom! ‘Life’s a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!’” Quinn quoted his mother’s favorite old movie, Auntie Mame, while waving one arm in farewell but never turning around. He knew that if he turned around and she saw the tears that were on the verge of falling, he would never get away.<br /><br />Tina burst into a strangled laugh, and the smile on her face relaxed, becoming more natural, but her response from the movie sounded slightly rough, her voice cracking, “‘So Live! Live! Live!’” Quinn got into the car and waved without meeting her eyes again. Rayme and his mom watched and waved as he backed the car out of the driveway and headed down the road toward the highway and then the interstate. It would be several hours before he arrived at his destination—Denver, Colorado, and then Colorado State University.</div>
Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-15062983414406931572013-01-15T18:31:00.000-07:002013-01-15T18:31:48.614-07:002 Cents Welcomes Julie Lynn Hayes <h4>
Greetings Loved Ones and Welcome Julie,</h4>
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<b>We are doing things a bit different here today. I'm turning things over to my good friend and fellow author Julie Lynn Hayes. Author of a fabulous book entitled Revelations. Which I had the wonderful opportunity of beta reading for her. Let me tell ya folks, your gonna love this. Its off the beaten path, but really a true story of love that transcends the ages. First a bit about our author...</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Julie Lynn Hayes was
reading at the age of two and writing by the age of nine and always wanted to
be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five children, and more than forty
years later, that is still her dream. She blames her younger daughters for
introducing her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a world which has captured
her imagination and her heart and fueled her writing in ways she'd never
dreamed of before. She especially loves stories of two men finding true love
and happiness in one another's arms and is a great believer in the happily ever
after. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books
and movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day. While working a
temporary day job, she continues to write her books and stories and reviews,
which she posts in various places on the internet. Her family thinks she is a
bit off, but she doesn't mind. Marching to the beat of one's own drummer is a
good thing, after all.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Her published
works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, and MuseitUp Publishing, and she has
also begun to self-publish at various places on the Internet.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>So... Now that we know a bit about Julie. Let me tell you about this book. It is FABULOUS! But you guys know me. I'm a little off most days, so don't just take my word for it. Here's the blurb and the excerpt, (which comes from the prologue, my idea to add by the way - gotta give myself props too you know) to tell you all about it... Then I'll show you the BEAUTIFUL cover that goes with it. :)<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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Judas has never been very popular, not in any incarnation that he and Jesus and the others have lived through. But he doesn't care about that. All he cares about is following the instructions of God as set forth in the script that they follow. And Jesus. For Judas has secretly loved the son of God for over two thousand years.<br />
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But now he decides that enough is enough, and he's tired of watching Jesus die far too early, and for what? This time Judas is determined to see that Jesus lives a long and happy life, no matter what price he has to pay to accomplish it...no matter if he has to make a deal with the devil himself. <br />
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Revelations is a story of what could be, told by those who play it out, time after time after time, unbeknownst to the rest of mankind. They've come back again, for yet another round. But this time is going to be different. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Prologue: God</span></h2>
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It's not always easy to sit on the sidelines and watch what is happening, to resist the urge to intervene in his best interest. My son's that is. Jesus. But I do so, because I know it's for his own good. As well as for the good of mankind. I can't let my concerns as his father override my vested interest in the fate of man. But sometimes that is easier said than done.<br />
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This morning I am not alone. Someone else is with me, someone with his own agenda, although we are not as diametrically opposed as some would imagine us to be. Good and evil aren't the simplistic concepts some would portray them as being—there are more grey areas there than you might think. And rightly so. <br />
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He smirks. Too much for my taste, I have to admit, but sometimes he does have his moments, and he too has a part to play in what is happening in the world of men. Someone needs to fill the role of the villain, after all. <br />
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The stage is being set for the third act, the scripts have been handed round, and the actors are taking their places. Will this time end any differently than the others? That depends on my son, on Jesus. I'm thinking this will be the time when he'll make the change. <br />
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"He'll change nothing," Lucifer interjects, although I've asked him nothing, certainly not inquired as to his opinion. <br />
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I glance at him. He's dressed to within an inch of his life, and wears the most ridiculous sunglasses I've ever seen. I decide not to comment on his fashion sense. "I think he might, this time. I think he's ready for change." <br />
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Lucifer snorts. "It's been two thousand years, and neither one has exactly caught on yet. Why should this time be any different?" <br />
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"Care to put your money where your mouth is?" <br />
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He eyes me carefully. "I would, but you see you have this whole mystic omnipotent God thing going on. Personally, I don't care for those odds." <br />
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I arch an eyebrow. "I may be omnipotent, but Jesus does have free will and he does possess the ability to make his own decisions. You think I'd stack the deck in my son's favor? Just to win a bet with you?" <br />
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"Let's say I'm taking no chances." He smiles. "Tell you what, though—give me free rein. Let me do what I want, and you not say anything or do anything to interfere with me? As far as they're concerned, that is." <br />
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I open my mouth to object, he hastily interjects. "No killing, I swear to it." <br />
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That's better. I still have some measure of control over the serpent. <br />
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"So be it." I agree, turning my attention back to where it had been, to my son. I'm smirking now. Openly. <br />
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O ye of little faith, watch and learn.<br />
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<b>Now here's a bit from Julie, telling us more about how she came up with this wonderful story. So from this point boys and girls, I'm turning you over into Julie's capable hands. </b><br />
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The idea was born many years ago. Over forty, actually. When I was a teenager. Back then, it didn’t have a name, and it had no real shape. But I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to tell the story of Judas Iscariot. The trouble was I didn’t know how.<br />
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What drew me to Judas, is probably what you’re asking yourself, and that’s a valid question. Ask anyone else who Judas is and you’ll get answers that are probably all variations on a theme of betrayal. I’m not sure exactly when I began to question that, but I do know that when I saw Jesus Christ Superstar performed live back in 1971 (or thereabouts), I had an epiphany regarding him. I saw him, not as the bad guy as often portrayed, but someone who not only believed in Jesus but was willing to do what he needed him to do. For without Judas’ “betrayal” of Jesus, the story would not have worked out the way it did. It needed to happen that way. And if you read the Gospel of Judas, he was the only apostle who trusted Jesus enough to do that for him. Gives one food for thought, doesn’t it? <br />
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Very interesting, but where’s the story, I wondered. Was I going to take an historical perspective, research the man and his life? Easier said than done, especially back then. We had no Internet. We didn’t even have computers. Research was all done through books. Libraries had card catalogs, a far cry from today when you can log onto your library website and browse their selection, then request what you want. So I looked and I found bupkus (nothing). I had the Bible, of course, but it tends to be limited on information, as well as a bit biased. <br />
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So nothing was written, and I let it go, as my thoughts formulated in the back of my head. In the meantime, I was reading, watching… and learning. King of Kings was my first Biblical movie, and I loved it. Jeffrey Hunter’s portrayal of Jesus is very moving, and I was very enamored of the film. Jesus Christ Superstar – I think I know all the words, I’ve listened so many times. I liked the stage version, but the first film not so much. <br />
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Besides watching these things and others, I read. Christopher Moore’s Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal. What a fabulous book! I loved it! So much I bought the special edition. And I read The Gospel of Judas! Forty years ago I’d never heard of such a thing. Of course I read the DaVinci Code, and watched the movie. And everything began to percolate inside my head… <br />
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Then one day it happened. Judas spoke to me, for the first time. And I simply began to write it down, not knowing what he might say, or where his story might lead. It turned out to be quite the story and took me on quite the journey, and led to places that I didn’t expect it to. If he’d have spoken forty years ago, I would not have been ready to receive his message. But my life up until the moment that I first heard him speak prepared me. And the result is Revelations. <br />
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The original title was Kyrie Eleison, a tribute to the Mister Mr. song, Kyrie. Kyrie eleison means Christ, have mercy on us. But then fellow author Marie Sexton, who was reading Kyrie for me at the time, suggested a simpler title. A better title. Revelations. So Revelations it became. <br />
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I know there are people who will not like Revelations, and by extension, me. People who will not see the message it carries, only that it does not follow what they believe. But ultimately, no matter what you believe, Revelations is a story of love. Love is the message, and love is something that binds us all together. <br />
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Revelations is love. Thank you for having me here, enjoy your day!<br />
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Revelations will be released on Feb 8th with <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Museit
Up Publishing: <a href="http://museituppublishing.com/">http://museituppublishing.com/</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">You can follow Julie at:</span></span></div>
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her blog: <a href="http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/">http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527332074">http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527332074</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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and at Goodreads: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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You can also find other titles by Julie Lynn Hayes at:</div>
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Museit Up Publishing:
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Dreamspinner Press: <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222">http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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I recommend them highly... I've beta read quite a few and they are worth the read. </div>
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Wishing you Love and Butterflies,</div>
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Sui Lynn~~</div>
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Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-79519517809768150212012-12-26T21:10:00.000-07:002012-12-26T21:10:30.702-07:00P & E Novel of the Year Nominee for 2012 Greetings Loved Ones,<br />
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Well I must say I'm pleasantly surprised and honored to announce that The Pauper Prince has been nominated for Novel of the Year in the category of All Other Novels on the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll of the best Novels of 2012 on the Critters Workshop.<br />
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<a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/glbt-paranormal-c-0_53_56/products_id/735/?zenid=24e946c41cdeb3dc7caafe078fd3f20d" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1u-wzrWVlg83fOw0JHqb5njDI8HimyePdm_wmyI47HpT2Zos3dB64etobL7TVmqUrtbQbR98thmuy6fT9IaadP2NDygg5ArOeJIqC0QGExbBy4a9fVFPtpk1_CEGEjeY0sMLC5krD0A/s320/The_Pauper_Prince-Sui_Lynn400x600.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Their poll honors both print and epublications published during 2012. Giving credit in many categories, like the well known categories of Romance, Fantasy and Erotica as well as some lesser known categories such as Steampunk and Short Stories. Voting opened for all categories on December 24 and will remain open until January 14. Please go check them out and support your favorite novels, authors and artists.</div>
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It is not the fastest site out there so have some patients as it sometimes seems to take a while to load.</div>
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Vote here for Pauper Prince - (Its in the second half of the grouping) <a href="http://critters.org/predpoll/novel.shtml">http://critters.org/predpoll/novel.shtml</a><br />
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Here is the link to the main page for a listing of all the categories so you can show your support to all your favorite authors. <a href="http://critters.org/predpoll/">http://critters.org/predpoll/</a><br />
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Wishing you Love and Butterflies,<br />
Sui Lynn~~Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-91101466569496290532012-12-19T00:30:00.000-07:002012-12-19T00:30:03.621-07:00The Next Big Thing Blog Hop<br />
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greetings Loved ones!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to The Next Big Thing Blog Hop! This blog hop has been going on for some time and I am coming in at the end of it. Many great writers have already participated and I felt it was time to join the fray. This hop is designed to showcase an author's next big thing. Well as many of you know I've got couple of different pans in the fire right now. So without further ado I'm going to jump right into the questions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">What
is the working title of your book?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Right now I have a few that I am working on. I have the 3rd book in the Elements of Love series which is entitled "Gabe's Song". I also have the 3rd book in the Changing Moon series which has a working title of "Blood Ties". There are also a couple of stories that those of you who read my blog will recognize. I am hoping to have "The Downtown Bus" which was a weekly running blog story completed as a novella and ready to publish in 2013 as well as "The Hand of Death". I am also working on a sci fi/romance entitled "Light in the Dark" which I hope to finish in 2013.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Where did the idea come from for the
book?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="line-height: 12.75pt;">My ideas come from many places. The Elements of Love story came from my love of Japanese YAOI. "Changing Moon" began in high school and has been evolving slowly ever since. "The Downtown Bus" came from a picture I saw and drew inspiration from. "The Hand of Death" came from the innate struggle between perceived good and evil, yin and yang, </span><span style="line-height: 17px;">opposites</span><span style="line-height: 12.75pt;"> attracting. "Light in the Dark" actually came from the title of another story I'd read. The story is completely unrelated but the title sent my mind reeling and this story was where it landed.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="line-height: 12.75pt;">What genre does your book fall under?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">All of my stories are M/M Romance or Gay Romance as the main theme, but I join that genre with the paranormal, action, horror, sci fi and just about anything else that strikes my fancy. You see, it's all about the story and where the characters lead me. I've learned to really only plan my story lines in the barest of bones in order to keep the facts of the story straight. The rest I leave to the characters to weave as they tell me how their lives and stories came to be.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="line-height: 12.75pt;">Which actors would you
choose to play your characters in a movie?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">This is almost an impossible thing for me to imagine. To me my characters are individuals and an actor, even the best actor, will always give their portrayal of your characters as they see them. Which is not wrong, even as readers we all see the characters through our own eyes and experiences. Which is why you often will have people say that a movie was better or worse than the book written by an author. It's all about the portrayal of the characters. It would be a long hard process and would take much deliberation before I could make any real decisions. So I leave it to you... imagine them as you see them in your own minds eye.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="line-height: 12.75pt;">What is a one sentence
synopsis of your book?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">All of my books can be summed up as adventures of and for the heart.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9d2e9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will
your book be self published or represented by an agency?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">My current publishers are always given first crack at my books... therefore look for them to be first and foremost with either Silver Publishing or Dreamspinner Press.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">How long did it
take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">This depends on the manuscript. Elements of Love, the first two books took about 6 to 9 months each. Changing Moon has been a work in progress for years, but it is nearly complete, so no worries. Other stories it really varies depending on what is happening in my life at the time and how driven the characters are to have their story told.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">What other books
would you compare this story to within your genre?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">I try not to compare my work with others. Not that I think my work is better or worse. I know I'm a relatively new author and I have a long way to go before I'm proficient at my craft, but I want my style to be my own. With that in mind, I try not to make connections or write to the style of others.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Who or What inspired
you to write this book?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">I have to say that my high school creative writing teacher, who was also my one time substitute algebra teacher in high school encouraged me to write. I was horrible by any known standard of the written word. He was patient and always had a kind thing to say even when it was obvious he had to really look for it. Thanks Mr Moore and I know I still probably owe you a square pi ... would you like that in lemon meringue or chocolate cream?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">What else about your book might interest the
reader?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like to think that my books appeal to a wide array of readers. I try to incorporate a bit of suspense, action and character growth to keep things interesting. I also like to mix good and bad, so things that people automatically assume would be good isn't necessarily the way things are. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I look around in the world today, that seems to be a theme we see everywhere. Some of our leaders who should be a force for public good seem corrupt Places that should be safe holds for youth and life are far from it. All we as people can do is make our way through the mine fields of our lives as best we can. If we can grow and learn as individuals along the way, wonderful. If we happen to find the ultimate love of our lives, we must take hold with both hands and refuse to let go for as long as possible to enjoy the little happiness that life offers us. These are things I hope my characters in all their damaged splendor show as they grow and find love in the circumstances of the story they are in. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope that this gives you some insight into my work. Feel free to click on the books listed on the right for more information about my books and links as to where to purchase them. Also, please stop in and read the blogs of my fellow bloggers who are participating in The Next Bit Thing Blog Hop...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.emlynley.com/" target="_blank">EM Lynley</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://tntarrant.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T.N. Tarrant</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://kendallmckenna.com/kendalls-blog-3/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kendall McKenna</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, stop by and check out Shae Connor's blog next week at <a href="http://shaeconnorwrites.com/" title="http://shaeconnorwrites.com/">shaeconnorwrites.com</a>, the day after Christmas, December 26th. I can hardly wait to see what she has to say! Don't forget to check out her new release with Dreamspinner Press, it's HOT (pun intended)! </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3441" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="En Fuego by Shae Connor eBook" border="0" height="300" src="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/images/cover_images/EnfuegoLG.jpg" title=" En Fuego by Shae Connor eBook " width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wishing you Love and Butterflies,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sui Lynn~~</span></div>
Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-89329264756123377102012-12-09T09:49:00.001-07:002012-12-09T09:49:01.210-07:00Review: Adam's Unicorn<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16149070'><img alt='Adam's Unicorn' border='0' src='http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1352879461m/16149070.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16149070'>Adam's Unicorn</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/243591'>Astrid Cooper</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/467666539'>5 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> This has become one of my favorite stories. Not just because as a child I loved unicorns and had them everywhere in my room, but because this story gives a new twist to the mythos about unicorns. <br /><br />Adam wants the love of his life. His past prevents him from going out and finding it. He's terrified he might just get his dream come true... and then be rejected, again. He impulsively makes a wish on his birthday for that missing love, because who actually gets their wish from blowing out their candles.<br /><br />This is a story of acceptance and healing, of finding joy and holding on with both hands in the face of danger. This was a wonderfully uplifting story and one that will remain on my keeper shelf, to be enjoyed over and over. Great Job!<br /><br /><br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/467666539'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228553194766725541.post-7499415476715655312012-11-27T22:30:00.001-07:002012-11-27T22:30:32.775-07:00Review: Snow Bite, Blood Red<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13646712'><img alt='Snow Bite, Blood Red' border='0' src='http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336918965m/13646712.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13646712'>Snow Bite, Blood Red</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5450928'>Jade Astor</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/465224417'>4 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> I read this believing I would not care for it much. As a general rule I like this author's work but when it comes to well known fairy tales being rewritten, I cringe with distaste. I like my traditional stories left alone and not used or abused. So I rarely read them, knowing my opinion is generally skewed from the get go. I tend to find adaptations of traditional stories written with a heavy hand and the new story becomes a bad mimicry or mockery of the original. <br /><br />I am much relieved to be able to say that is NOT the case here. I enjoyed this story very much. Yes it is a rewrite of Snow White, but its been done respectfully, tactfully and in many ways more closely to the original Grimm's tale than many of other traditional adaptations of the story. Albion as Snow White is naive and to be honest a bit stupid about the world around him, which the character himself fully admits. King Jasper falls quickly for his young and trusting lover, as the two try to cure the king of his vampirism. <br /><br />This is a unique and yet completely familiar and utterly captivating adaptation of the story. I would recommend it for all lovers of Snow White, vampires and romances with that perfect fairy tale happily ever after ending. Well Done!<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/465224417'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Sui Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09710282986658859962noreply@blogger.com0