Guest Susan Ann Wall

Please welcome our guest, Susan Ann Wall!

To celebrate my December 3 release of The Sound of Circumstance, book #5 in my Puget Sound ~ Alive With Love contemporary romance series, I thought it would be fun to share 9 Little Known Facts about the story, characters, and series.

1. Stacie Nightingale was given her last name after a friend suggested it would be a great name in a romance novel. That is also how Shannon Mercer got her first name.
2. The character Owen Landry was inspired by an old boyfriend.
3.  I was writing children’s books when I first started writing about Owen and Stacie, so made Stacie an aspiring author.
4. Stacie and I both believe chai fixes everything.
5. The condo building and location where Owen, Stacie, Jenny, and Ty live is inspired by a condo building my sister-in-law once lived in.
6. The Sound of Circumstance was originally planned to be book #3 in a three book series, until the ideas for The Sound of Betrayal and The Sound of Deception sprouted.
7. There are currently 7 more novels planned in the series, each story featuring characters who have already appeared in the first five novels.
8. My brother-in-law is a lawyer in Seattle and provides guidance on all the legal mumbo-jumbo that appears in my stories. I also have an obstetrics nurse friend who provided input on the medical hoopla.
9. I wrote The Sound of Circumstance for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and finished the first draft in just 12 days.

Excerpt:

“Stace, there's some stuff I need to tell you.” The dread in her brother’s voice made Stacie Nightingale’s heart drop into her stomach. “Stuff about Greg. He just got fired from the school for sleeping with a student. Other girls are coming forward. Allegedly, this has been going on for years.”

Her phone bounced off the floor and disappeared under the couch as the nausea she’d been battling all day returned, a vengeful stab that made Stacie dizzy with fury. 

Taking a deep breath, she attempted to get her stomach and breathing under control. On the exhale, she closed her eyes and imagined herself on the ferry, taking in the sea air on a sunny day.

Keith’s voice bellowed in the distance, calling her name and asking if she was okay, but Stacie tried to focus on her breathing.

Once it finally settled, she opened her eyes. Though her stomach still threatened to unleash lunch, she couldn’t keep ignoring her brother. 

Dropping onto her hands and knees, Stacie searched for the stupid phone, hearing her brother continue to call her name and ask if she was there.

There was no way Keith could have just said what she heard. Maybe he was messing with her. Except Keith was the nicest guy in the world. He never messed with his sisters.

“The phone slipped out of my hand,” she yelled. Her hand swept across it, causing it to spin. When she finally managed to get a hold of it, she brought it back to her ear with ice cold, slippery hands. A chill raced across her body as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“I'm here. Sorry.”

“Don't apologize. I was shocked too. I can't imagine that was easy news for you to hear.” Keith's voice was steady, as usual. As an attorney who specialized in family law, he'd faced off with countless angry parents, disgruntled spouses, and rival lawyers, as well as ornery old judges, so he'd learned how to keep his voice level in the most stressful of situations. A skill Stacie never developed.

“Basically, you just told me my fiancé of six years, the man I was in a relationship with for ten years, was cheating on me with our students. Our students.” She'd intended to take a breath during that sentence, but since she lacked the training and experience of her lawyer brother, she failed miserably. With her lungs nearly imploding, she forced herself to take some of the precious element in.

A key flashed through Stacie's mind. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to hold on to the image, to figure out why it seemed so familiar.

But as usual, her amnesia wouldn’t let any memories surface.

“I'm sorry, Stace,” Keith sighed, losing that level tone in his voice and making the vision of the key disappear.

Opening her eyes, she paced slowly, not wanting to wear a path in the new flooring. “How long have you known?”

“I heard about it yesterday. Son of a bitch had the audacity to ask me to represent him.”

“Represent him? For what?”

“He's filing a suit of wrongful termination against the school.”

Stacie would have laughed except for the seriousness of the situation. Of course Greg wouldn't accept responsibility. Nothing was ever his fault. She wouldn't be surprised if he tried to blame it on her somehow.

Settling on the couch next to a napping Daisy, Stacie absently stroked the soft fur. She hadn’t expected the kitten to sleep so much. Didn’t they like to get into mischief? “You're not going to represent him, are you?”

“You really need to ask me that?” If she'd been in the room with her brother, she'd have bet he raised his brow and cocked his head.

“No, sorry.”

“Anyway, I wanted to get more information before I told you, so I called Glenn this morning. He confirmed everything.”

Principal Glenn Richards had been Stacie's boss before she left her job as an English teacher at the high school she'd graduated from.

“Stace, he wants you to call him.”

“Keith …” Stacie fell back against the couch and tucked her feet under her butt, careful not to kick Daisy. She wanted to curl up into the fetal position and forget about her past life, but even moving across the country couldn’t keep it at a reasonable distance.

“Listen. This is important. I know it's unpleasant, but–”

“Unpleasant? It's horrible.” Her voice went up so many octaves, she almost sounded like her mother. “How could he do that? I mean, he didn't even like having sex with me.”

“Stace–”

“Sorry,” she groaned, cutting him off. “I know you're probably one of those brothers who doesn't want to know about his sister's sex life.”

“It's not that. I know you're no prude.”

“I was. At least that's what Greg said.” Stacie shook her head, remembering how things had been with Greg. She had tried so hard to put some passion into their relationship, but Greg wouldn’t allow it. “But that's how he wanted me. Holy Hemingway, all those things he didn't want to do. Is that because he was living out his fantasies with high school girls?”

“I can't answer that,” Keith said quietly. He sounded uncomfortable, and Stacie realized she probably shouldn't share her sex life, former or not, with her brother.

“I gotta go.”

“Do not hang up on me,” Keith demanded. Since he never took that tone with her, Stacie kept the phone firmly pressed to her ear and sighed.

Keith sighed too.

Stacie closed her eyes, reaching for a memory she had stopped trying to conjure months ago. It had been thirteen months since her brain surgery, fifteen months since the car accident that killed her friend Audrey and left Stacie with a traumatic brain injury. She didn’t remember the accident, had no memories of that day. After so many failed attempts with her therapist to trigger the memories, Stacie had given up. Audrey would have wanted her to move forward. When Stacie had moved to Seattle, it was to do just that. Remembering the past wouldn’t change anything.

“I didn't know,” she sighed, lurching forward to try and tamp the waves of nausea that just kept rolling. “What kind of a fool doesn't know her fiancé is cheating on her?”

“You're not a fool, Stace.” As Keith said the words, Stacie felt the tingle on her neck that always signaled Owen was near. The condo door clicked shut and Stacie turned to find Owen staring at her.

Purchase links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1jA1sXU

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1j5yGPa

iTunes: http://apple.co/1jA1pvo

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1O4RZ6k

Bio:

Big dreamer and certifiable overachiever Susan Ann Wall embraces life at full speed and volume. She’s a beer and tea snob, can be bribed with dark chocolate, and the #1 thing on her bucket list is to be the center of a Bon Jovi flash mob.

Susan is a nationally bestselling, multi-genre author of racy, rule-breaking romance and women’s fiction. Her bragging rights include nine books in three different series,  three perfect children, adopting an amazing rescue dog, and a happily ever after that started while serving in the U.S. Army and has spanned nearly two decades (which is crazy since she’s not a day over 29).

In her next life, Susan plans to be a 5 foot 10, size 8 rock star married to a chiropractor and will not be terrified of large bridges, spiders, or quiet people (shiver).

Social Media Links

www.susanannwall.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/susanannwall.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@susanannwall

Pinterest:  www.pinterest.com/susanannwall

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Ann-Wall/e/B007NZU7X0

Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/susanannwall

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/nQ7wH

Thank you, Susan!

Fresh Fiction Top Pick For A Silver Wolf Christmas! Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

Woohoo, received Fresh Pick for A Silver Wolf Christmas from Fresh Fiction Reviews!!!

December 3, 2015

http://freshfiction.com/author.php?id=18259

Pistache in fall colors!

And a Red Oak in fall colors!

I think these are Pencil or Skyrocket Boxwood. They’re evergreen, grow really tall, and remain really narrow.

Okay, and I’m back to cleaning and decorating for Christmas and guests. :)

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend! Are you going anywhere? Eating anything special? Me? Turkey!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

The Importance of being a Hybrid Author in Today’s Volatile Publishing Marketplace

I started my career as a traditionally published author with Red Sage, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. I’ll forever be grateful that those publishers had faith in my writing ability, but in today’s publishing world, I believe it’s smart for an author to protect their career by investigating indie publishing as well.

A few years ago, self-publishing was transitioning from “vanity” press into something a lot less negative, rebranding itself as “indie” publishing. I belong to several author loops, and I began to hear about writers who had success self-publishing… both traditional authors who’d gotten their publishing rights back from older stories, and other writers who had  “niche” stories that the big publishers had rejected because they didn’t think they would sell. I was happy with my traditional sales, but because I’m a pragmatist, I decided to try this new publishing avenue.

My most recent book is a contemporary romance called Fear Of Flying, and it’s my “write what you know” book. Yes, I’m afraid to fly. And yes, a psychic once told me I’d never die in a plane crash, just like a psychic tells my heroine at the beginning of this story. And yes, I was a book publicist for two years just like Jessie Jordan in the book. I travelled the country helping non-fiction authors promote their new releases: cookbooks, art books, travel books.

This thinly-veiled autobiography was easy and fun for me to write, and I thought it was a good book to experiment with indie publishing.

Frankly, when I hit the “publish” button for that book, my hope was simply that anyone Googling Erica Jong might also find my version of Fear Of Flying and be intrigued enough to buy a copy. But an unexpected thing happened. In September, Erica Jong released a book called Fear Of Dying. Immediately, my sales of Fear Of Flying took off, and they’re still pretty good month to month!

So this was not an objective indie experiment, per se. I was lucky, but if you’re considering self-publishing, there are a few things you should know:

-Series sell better than single titles. Romance readers are voracious, and when they find an author they like, they’ll buy everything you’ve written. If you can hook them with a series, you’ll have a guaranteed readership.  

- Readers DO NOT CARE if you’re traditionally published or self-published, they just care that you’ve written a good book. Or let me clarify… a good, grammatically-clean, and copy-edited book. Self-published authors should have your book edited by an outside person, because nothing looks more “amateur” than misspellings, bad grammar and incorrect punctuation. Even if you’re absolutely convinced you’re an English maven, you as an author are so familiar with your story that you’re likely to miss obvious errors. And if you’re unsure that your fiction story WORKS… with Goal, Motivation & Conflict and your basic 3-act or 6-stage plot structure… you should consider hiring a content editor as well. 

-Your cover and your blurb are (almost) the most important parts of your book. Just like traditional publishing, the cover is the first thing that will draw a reader’s attention. Number two is the blurb… if your book doesn’t sound interesting in one or two paragraphs, a reader isn’t going to buy it. Then, as long as your story is satisfying, you’ll have a devoted reader. So hire a cover artist. And hire a professional formatter. You want to have the most professional product you can produce. In today’s crowded marketplace, you need to take advantage of every opportunity to stand out.

I’m sure there are a million other tips indie authors could give, but those are my top three. And as for me, I plan to keep a foot in both publishing camps (traditional and indie) because I believe it’s smart not to put all my career eggs in one basket.

What do you think of indie publishing? Read any good/bad books?

Leigh

www.leighcourt.com

Grateful for You

Posting on Thursdays has its advantages. Over the years here, I've frequently ended up scheduled to post on holidays that fall on Thursdays. Today is one of those special days, and in honor of Thanksgiving, I'd like to share what I'm grateful for...

You.

I don't think there are enough words that I can type that really, truly express how much I appreciate blogging here and how important it is for me to get to share this time with our readers. I love to read and write, and I love to be around people who share the same passions. It feels good to be here, and I can't say that about every place I go, either online or in life. Thank you so much for sharing your time with us by reading our posts and commenting. The conversations here have been fun, poignant, entertaining, and lovely, among other things.

I'm extremely grateful to the readers and other writers who make this blog a great place to post. I am so grateful for these last few years--jeez, how long have I been here? I can't remember!--and look forward to sharing another holiday season with you, as well as the coming year. I know it feels overwhelming right now for some because the holiday season sort of crept up while we were reading a good book, but I think the rest of the year and 2016 are going to be great.

For those of you who celebrate this holiday, I wish you and yours the most wonderful and best Thanksgiving ever, and I hope you have a safe, peaceful holiday filled with love and, of course, books. And if you aren't celebrating Thanksgiving today, I wish you the same. May every day be filled with countless blessings.

As ever, happy reading!

Tempted by a Highland Moon: A Work in Progress

After three books in The Highland Moon Series, Duncan is finally getting his story! I had hoped to have "Tempted by a Highland Moon" completed before Christmas, but alas, 'tis no' meant to be!  But here's a taste of what you have to look forward to.

Kila had just finished washing her face, when her step-mother stormed into the bedchamber.

"You are in need of a new gown for the Earl's ceilidh, and there is a most reputable dressmaker in Port-na-craig." She placed several coins on the table. "See if she has a ready-made gown to your liking."

Inwardly, Kila groaned. "I have many beautiful gowns from which to choose. I'm in need of no more."

 Verona's jaw muscles tightened, as they always did when Kila argued with her. "I'll not have you embarrassing me in one of those drab things of yours. Now hurry, before you miss the mid-day meal." She turned on her heel and exited the room.

Kila looked at Wyn and blew out a long breath. Accompanied by Wyn and Fergus, she left The Blackbird Inn and stepped into the narrow street across from the dressmaker's tiny shop.

A man on horseback suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and bore down upon her. Behind her, the maid screamed, but before Kila could be trampled to death, a pair of strong arms pulled her out of harm's way and against a chest of stone.

"I'll fetch Lady Murray, m'lady," sobbed Wyn, before disappearing inside the inn.

Fergus stood nearby, his usual red face void of all color. "I dinnae see him, m'lady, until he were nigh upon ye."

"Are you well, lass? asked the Highlander who had rescued her.

"Aye," she nodded, noting how devastatingly handsome he was.

He frowned. "Are you certain?" Concern was clear in his voice.

She nodded.

"The fool," he growled, shaking his head. "How could he have no' seen you?  'Twas as if he was bent on running you down."

Her knees suddenly felt weak, and she swayed on her feet.

The Highlander must have realized her predicament, for he lifted her into his arms as if she weighed no more than a feather.

She should insist he put her down immediately, but it felt so wonderful being held in his strong arms."Might I ken your name?"

He grinned, and her heart lurched against her chest. "Duncan, Duncan MacDonnel. And your own, lass?"

"Kila Murray—Lady Kila Murray."

"Glad to be of service, Lady Kila Murray," he said with a devilish grin and a slight tilt of his head. "It appears you're staying at The Blackbird Inn as well."

"Aye, along with my step-mother and a small party."

"Then I'll see you to your bedchamber." With Fergus following close behind, Duncan pushed open the door and carried her inside, then headed for the stairs, but was interrupted by the nearby screeching of her step-mother.

"Put my step-daughter down immediately," she ordered the Highlander.

Duncan made no move to follow the woman's demand. "The lass was nigh on trampled to death, and is yet unsteady on her feet. I plan to see her to her bedchamber."

"What the man says is true, m'lady." Fergus offered. "Seen it m'self."

"Nonsense," she snorted, ignoring the guard. "Put her down, or else I'll have her taken from you."

Duncan clenched his teeth to keep from telling the blasted female to go to the devil.

Kila gently placed her hand on his arm. "Please, I dinnae wish to cause you any trouble."

He looked into her amber eyes, noting the tiny flecks of gold, and gently set her on her feet. "Then I bid you good day, my lady."

She smiled. "Much thanks."

He nodded, then headed upstairs to his bedchamber. He stretched out on the bed and crossed his arms. He would like to have spent more time with the bonnie lass, but her infernal step-mother had put a stop to that.

Obviously, the woman was unaware of how close Kila had come to being trampled to death, or else she certainly would have shown more concern for her step-daughter's welfare.

 To be honest, the whole ordeal puzzled him. The rider would have had to be blind not to have seen the lass standing there in the open. He frowned, as an icy finger trailed up his spine. Aye, something was amiss.

I hope you enjoyed!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gwyn

Captured by a Celtic Warrior is up for pre-order!

Hi, everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm honored to be a part of this boxed set of all new historical romance novellas with three other bestselling and award-winning authors. 

Four fierce warriors from Ireland and Scotland... 

Four heroines determined to resist them... 

One dagger steeped in the blood and treachery of kings. 

Four complete stories for the amazing pre-order price of only $0.99 at your favorite online ebook seller... Amazon, Nook, Kobo, iTunes/iBooks. Grab yours before release day, Feb. 16, 2016!

Bestselling and award-winning authors bring you four never-before-published novellas of searing passions that span the ages. Four fierce warriors from Ireland and Scotland... Four heroines determined to resist them... One dagger steeped in the blood and treachery of kings. 

The King’s Outlaw, by Kris Kennedy 
1193 - Outlawed and on the run, Tadhg O’Malley has one mission: escape with the valuable dagger of Jerusalem before a brutal nobleman hunts him down. Trapped and almost cornered, his plan is simple: kidnap the innocent merchant with the long hair and complicated eyes. Igniting a raging passion is not part of the plan. Neither is falling in love. Both endanger their lives, his mission, and with it, the kingdom. 

Taken by the Highlander, by Eliza Knight 
1306 - A week before Lady Rose Munro is to wed a neighboring laird, she is abducted on the road by a wicked and dangerously handsome stranger. Highland warrior, Malcolm Montgomery has been ordered by King Robert the Bruce to steal Rose and her son from the suspected traitor she is about to marry—gifting him with an ancient and much sought after dagger as payment. Rose shouldn’t trust her captor. Shouldn’t feel her body heat at his simple touch, or allow him to press his fervent lips to hers… Malcolm shouldn’t be seducing the woman he is sworn to protect. Shouldn’t desire her, for she’s not meant to be his… Succumbing to passion threatens them both, and falling in love is absolutely not an option. 

Stolen by a Highland Rogue, by Vonda Sinclair 
1619 - When the infamous dagger is stolen from Highland chief, Dugald MacKerrick, he will do whatever it takes to reclaim it, even abduct the wife of the aristocratic thief, but what if his beautiful French hostage isn't who he thinks she is? Deep in the rugged Scottish Highlands, Dugald discovers not only is his captive, Camille Bouchard, more than he expected, so is the passion raging between them, threatening everything he thought mattered to him. 

Her Wicked Highlander, by Jennifer Haymore 
1816 - Maxwell White is the newest member of the Highland Knights, an elite mercenary group sworn to protect the Crown. His first assignment is to keep independent and spirited Aila MacKerrick safe from a madman determined to get his hands on a treasure she unwittingly possesses. But Aila isn’t going to simply allow some Highlander—as handsome as he might be—to capture her and whisk her away to an abandoned castle. She’ll fight to the death for her freedom...as soon as she rids herself of this pesky, insistent desire that makes her far more inclined to run into his arms than away from them.... 

Pre-order your copy at: Amazon, Nook, Kobo, iTunes/iBooks. 

Thank you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends! :)

Vonda

www.vondasinclair.com

I'm Thankful For...

I try to remember to be thankful all year round, but sometimes when we're just barreling through life, it's easy to just get caught up in the day to day and forget to consciously think of all the things we're thankful for. Even when things might not be going so good, we can always be grateful for the little things. But Thanksgiving week is always a reminder to send out your thanks to God or the Universe or whoever/wherever your thanks goes. So here's my short list of thanks.

First and foremost is my family. My loving, supportive hubby. My great kids and their great kids. (And since we just had Halloween - I have to share pics of the two little guys!)

3 years old already!

6 months old already!

I'm thankful for my friends. We might go out to eat a little too often, but you can't beat the laughter ringing around our table!

I'm thankful for being able to leave my stressful job and enjoy my second career as a writer. There might be a little stress there too - like when the story just won't cooperate, or when sales aren't always what I hope - but I can sit at the keyboard in my yoga pants and drool over pics of hunks and call it research.

I'm thankful that we are able to winter in FL and avoid the cold and snow for a few months. For our cozy winter home and the beautiful view around us.

And for my readers. I'm so thankful to you! You are the reason I do what I do!

What are you thankful for?

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Sold! Sold! Sold! Sold!

For the Heart of the Wolf Series--Silver Wolf Trouble, Brett's story

These are not the covers, just fun manipulations of photographs, though I might use them eventually if I write a novella or two. These 3 books will come out in 2017.

White Wolf Christmas--to let readers know what happened to the Arctic Wolf pack

Another SEAL Wolf book, this is not the title. But this one will have a SEAL wolf introduced in SEAL Wolf in Too Deep in Feb, 2016

And the audio rights to Billionaire in Wolf's Clothing were sold, so that one will be coming out in audiobook around the May release of the book!

That's the good news. Now, I have to write the first 3 novels. Billionaire is done! :) <3 br="" data-mce-bogus="1">

Have a super great Saturday!!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Good News

So I have a bit of news...

I'm going to be a mother-in-law again, and I'm thrilled. Our youngest son has found a lovely mate, the girl of his dreams, and now they're planning their impending nuptials. In like three months. God bless 'em.

Seriously. They decided they want to get married in February of 2016, and so they will. He has a particular job obligation and she has a particular school obligation and they want the majority of the family to be there on their special--albeit very cold--day, and February is the only month that worked out for all those things to happen.

I know what you're thinking. Why not just wait and have it when it's convenient for the happy couple? Well, given my son's a workaholic, that's not even ever a possibility. But on a more positive note, they are just wanting to start building a life together, and they don't really care about the "wedding" details as much as they care about the marriage after. Given my hippie background (see the Bridesmaids post from a few months ago), I couldn't be happier. This young lady is more concerned about partnering with my son than saying yes to the dress, and I have to admit, I'm kind of happy to hear it.

I mean, they've got plans. They want to do this together and that together, and they seem genuinely interested in building a life together, as opposed to just planning this huge wedding and being special for a day. They want what they have to be special for all their lives. My son actually said that when I asked him what not to wear to the wedding (after seeing all those articles are terrible mother-in-laws upstaging brides at their weddings). He was like, "We're just glad you're going to be there. Wear whatever you want. We'll have the rest of our lives to laugh at it if it sucks real bad."

Is this my son or what?

Thank you for reading. I had to share the good news and the idea that there are folks out there who care more about the marriage than the wedding (remember my good friend Ann?). I'm all aglow about the big day, but even more happy that they seem to want to really just hang out and love each other. Sounds like a plan to me. :)

Happy Reading!

My Little Bit of Fall in Central Texas & Sold Rights to Billionaire in Wolf's Clothing for Audiobook!

Isn’t nature beautiful? It puts on a stunning display for us even if we ignore what’s going on around us because we’re just too busy to notice. I just happened to catch sight of one of my pear trees with a cascade of bright yellow leaves.


And red berries just showed up on some of my plants to provide birds with something to eat for the winter, but it always reminds me of Christmas cards and green leaves and red berries.
And crepe myrtles in fall colors. They’re “evergreen” so don’t drop their leaves, but many of them will turn burgundy in the winter.And jasmine in fall colors–I had never seen some turn pink like this!
They usually are more of the rusty color, like at the bottom of the picture, or a burgundy color also.
Okay, I’m back to working on edits for Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply!




 Enjoy your day!!!
Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

NEW RELEASE - Programmed For Power

I’m thrilled to announce the release of Programmed For Power, book #3 in my slightly-futuristic erotic romance series, The Tau Cetus Chronicles. Fans had been asking me to write Theus’ story, so I did, and it’s probably my favorite of the series so far.

Here’s the blurb:

>>As the powerful premier of war-torn Tau Cetus, Theus presides over an uneasy post-apocalyptic peace. Many plot against him, including a traitor on his own High Council as well as one rogue woman who dared to steal a precious keepsake from his past. Capturing Leora Smith offers Theus a chance at personal revenge, but she awakens emotions in him he thought long dead. Even so, it takes an assassination attempt to spur Theus to reassess a future with either this prisoner who makes his blood run hot or the cold Beautiful Doll robotic lover who’s the perfect match for his lifeless existence.<<

This is a completely different sort of romance triangle, trust me!

In book one of the series, Programmed To Please, very human police agent Jai Turner goes undercover as a Beautiful Doll sex robot to take down the planet’s most notorious weapons manufacturer, Marque Callex. But neither Jai nor Marque are what they seem, and their week together has consequences neither expect.

In book two, Jai’s police partner Leith Wyatt actually DOES fall in love with a Beautiful Doll sex robot, but discovers that Ginger has somehow achieved sentience. Together they help save Tau Cetus from a coup attempt against the ruling High Council.

And in Programmed For Power, a lot of fan favorites are back in supporting roles, which I hope will make readers happy. As powerful as he is, the premier Theus comes to discover that his fate rests in the strength of one woman’s love.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Keira, my dark one…”

Theus watched as his words woke the Beautiful Doll sex robot from her hibernation mode. Her eyes opened, she moved from behind the partially folded screen in the corner of his office, and then walked slowly toward him.            

She was beautiful. Hair black as midnight, dramatic blue starburst eyes, and a body tailored to meet Theus’ exact physical preferences. She was naked beneath a sheer silk sarong, the diaphanous wrap leaving little to the imagination but just enough to incite a man’s fantasies. She was the perfect female, designed to fulfill his every sexual need.

So then why was he frowning as she came to a halt in front of his desk?

Because she reminded him of her creator, Anson Carron. Theus’ enemy.

As premier for the last decade, Theus and his High Council had fought to keep the peace on Tau Cetus in the aftermath of the Great War, a conflict which had wiped out nearly half the planet’s population. There were still troublesome areas of Tau Cetus that weren’t under the Council’s control, but for the most part, the planet was at peace.

No thanks to Anson Carron.

Three times Carron had challenged the Council. First, he’d stolen highly-regulated weapons and sold them to rogue regulators bent on fomenting insurrection. Next, he’d attempted to kill the Council’s weapons manufacturer and right-hand man, Marque Callex, in order to assume his position of power. And most recently, Carron had tried to assassinate the five members of the High Council and take control of the planet for himself.

And yet, with all those treasonable offenses, none struck as close to home as Carron’s theft of a particular diamond a year ago. That crime was personal.

Theus set his jaw, his rage at the theft still fresh even after all these months.

Anson Carron was now dead. After taking the robot manufacturer into custody in the wake of his failed assassination attempt, Theus had successfully tortured out of him the missing diamond’s location. Then, with the Council’s backing, Theus had ordered Anson Carron’s execution for his crimes.

And just a moment ago, he’d dispatched two of his best agents to recover the stolen gem.

 “You called, Theus?”

The bell-like voice of the Beautiful Doll pulled Theus from his troubled thoughts. Keira was one of only two left of her kind. Anson Carron had agreed to convert all the rest of his Beautiful Dolls into robot soldiers and put them under the command of the High Council. It was a way to save his neck after the botched shooting of Theus’ weapons manufacturer, Marque Callex, last year. But even long before that, four years ago to be exact, Carron had gifted Theus with Keira in an effort to curry favor.

Beautiful Dolls were sex experts, legendary for their skill, programmed with an almost infinite number of ways to please. Anson Carron had run a highly profitable business with his Dolls, addicting men and women to sex with his clever male and female robots.         

He should have stayed a simple purveyor of prostitution; he should never have reached for more power than that.

Theus swiveled in his chair and reached to unbuckle his belt. “Come around my desk, Keira. I’d like fellatio two.”

The Doll paused, tilting her head. “You’ve requested fellatio or fellatio two 92% of the time I’ve been with you, Theus.”

Theus’ hands paused in their work, and he arched an eyebrow in surprise. “It’s probably because the suction of your nineteen miles-per-hour mouth can reduce even the most potent man to mush.”

“92% fellatio, 1% missionary, 1% doggie-style, 1% ride ‘em cowboy, 1% split the bamboo, 1% padlock, 1% pair of tongs, 1%—”

“Enough.” Theus frowned. Was he really so predictable? There’d been a time when – like any normal man – he’d been eager to try out every sexual position a Beautiful Doll was capable of, but obviously those days were gone. Hell, it wasn’t the Doll’s fault. He could still recall Keira’s trick of tightening her body while he was inside of her, squeezing the very orgasm out of him. Or pistoning him like a jackhammer while riding his cock. She was an amazing piece of technology, but these days, he only used her when he needed physical release or a distraction from work. The excitement was gone.

“Come here.”

The Doll dutifully walked around his desk and sank gracefully to her knees. Theus finished unzipping his trousers and reached for himself.

“Let me do it, Theus.”

Theus closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Maybe it would help if he imagined that the rubbery-like feel of Keira’s artificial fingers belonged to someone else. But who? There was no one Theus could even fantasize about.

Well, there was one. But that had been long ago. A precious memory, kept tucked in his heart.

From the day Theus had been named premier of Tau Cetus’ High Council, his life had become too dangerous to let in a real woman. That’s why Keira was perfect for him. No one could harm her. No one could threaten her hoping to get to him.

The ruler and his robot were the perfect pair.

If only Theus could be happier about the arrangement.

Luckily, when Keira’s mouth closed around him with her vice-like grip, his mind went blank and his body took over.

What do you think? Sound like an interesting start? Leave a comment, and I’ll pick one lucky winner at random to win an e-copy of Programmed For Power.

Jenna

www.jennaives.com