Countdown to...

The first countdown I'm keeping track of is for the release of Silken Canvas, my sexy romance about Brendan the erotic artist and his muse, Ashley - only 8 days until its release on December 25th. It's available for pre-order now, which I think is great this busy time of year. You can order it now and have it show up automatically on Christmas morning. How great is that?

This also means it is 8 days until Christmas Day. The tree is up. The cards are signed and addressed and will go in the mail tomorrow. The gifts I have so far are wrapped but... Have you all finished your Christmas shopping? I'd planned to finish this past weekend but unfortunately, I still have a few more presents to buy.

The countdown to early retirement, when I will leave the stressful day job and write full-time, is 3 weeks and 4 days. It's coming up quickly and I have to admit it doesn't seem real yet. It probably won't sink in until a couple weeks after, when it will no longer feel like just a vacation. I can't wait until I can get up in the morning (without the alarm clock!) and write while my eyes and brain are fresh.

Finally, the countdown to my son's wedding is 9 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. It sounds far away right now, but I know the time will go quickly. Hmmm, I wonder how much time I should plan to find the perfect mother-of-the-groom dress?

Here's a quick little excerpt from Silken Canvas, coming Dec 25th from Samhain:

Brendan kept losing his focus as he shot pictures of the snakes slithering around Ashley’s body. He knew he should be seeing the whole picture. The lighting. The composition. The images he wanted to capture. The art he was creating.

Instead, he kept seeing the woman.

It could have had something to do with his tight jeans. He was so hard, it was damned uncomfortable to crouch down and get a good shot of the greedy snake trying for her center. He’d like to have his tongue there right now. He shifted to try to ease the pressure. Didn’t work.

He rose to his feet and zoomed in on her luscious lips. He swallowed, his mouth dry. He should be able to turn off his attraction to Ashley. Hell, he’d been attracted to most of his models. He’d even had sex with some of them despite what he’d told her. But when he had the camera in his hands, it had always been all about the art. The models ceased to be women and became his canvas.

So why did he find himself focusing on the pulse point at the base of Ashley’s pale throat? All he could think about was the way he’d pressed his lips there in the past and felt her pulse leap in response. He’d eagerly licked that tender spot, right there, where the green and gold snake appeared to slide over her body. He zoomed in on her throat, capturing the way the snake collared her.

“Lift your hair up. That’s right, stretch your arms high but keep your elbows back so I can get a clear shot of your throat. Can you feel the snake wrapped around your neck? Is his skin smooth or rough? Does his body ripple as he slithers along your throat? Does he nibble on your ear while he whispers those words of temptation you don’t want to hear?”

“Brendan…”

No, he didn’t want to hear her musical voice, the one he still heard in his sleep. “Shhh. I’ll be done soon. You can drop your arms. Clasp your hands behind your back.” He could tell she was tiring. He’d worked her hard and she’d complained very little. But he had to shake off this unsettling lack of concentration and finish the shoot.



Natasha
Silken Canvas - coming Dec 25th
www.natashamoore.com