Book Blast!!!! Fighting For Honor by Kacey Hammell

My dear friend, Kacey Hammell, has a new book out and I think you're all going to like it. Check it out!

Fighting for Honor

Okanogan Valley Pride, Book 1

Kacey Hammell

Paranormal / Erotic /Romance / Shifters

ISBN: 978-1-77233-468-5

Length: 11.6k / 40 pages

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

There's only one rightful Alpha, and he's back to claim his pride and his mate…

As the rightful Alpha of a unique pride of panthers, originally founded by his father, Dominic Stone followed his inherent solitary path to find peace and grieve the untimely demise of his dad. Five years later, he returns home ready to take his place, settle old debts and claim the one woman he’s always wanted as his.

Purchase links:

My Book Page (links updated as book goes live)
Evernight Publishing
Amazon Stores

aRe
Bookstrand

Reviews:

Fighting for Honor may be a first for Kacey Hammell in a new genre, but within the pages, Kacey's delectable story telling is on full display…a quick read that will leave you on the edge of your seat…Whether or not you’re a fan of shifter book won't matter, because you'll be too engrossed in this riveting story.” 5 Stars from Liz, Goodreads

Excerpt © Kacey Hammell, 2015

Welcome to Okanogan Valley

Dominic let out a long, deep breath as he passed the sign welcoming him back to his hometown.

Despite his inherent instinct to remain solitary, it was time to return home.

Not exactly excited to be back but knowing it was unavoidable, he drew back on the throttle and accelerated down the open road. The tall trees and dense forest rushed by as he pushed on, his back aching some from being on his Honda Shadow for the last three days.

Five years since he’d been here and yet the route was just as familiar as if he’d ridden it yesterday.

The years had gone by slowly, yet also fast. Time hadn’t healed all his wounds from his father’s untimely death, but the twenty-seven-year-old young man Dominic once was had grown into a man. And he’d finally accepted that he was destined to be Alpha of the pride.

Though it was his rightful spot, he needed to ascertain the direction the vulnerable pride had taken, and whether or not his cousin would step aside without qualm.

The motorcycle lurched as he changed gears. Thinking of Kenneth right now was not the best avenue to take. He’d heard what his cousin had been up to recently, and the urge to wrap his hands around the little shit’s throat was strong.

He’d left the pride in Kenneth’s capable hands—so he thought—and all he’d done was take advantage of his position.

Being a class-A asshole did not breed a great leader.

Dominic didn’t know who he was more pissed off at—himself for asking Kenneth to help him out or Kenneth for being a fuck-up. The new awareness that he should have been more diligent of keeping tabs on the pride gnawed at his nerves.

Winding down the empty road, he couldn’t help admiring the beauty of the mountains around him.

The exquisite sight of the large, beautiful hills and valleys crawled into his heart, wrapping around his soul, and reminding him of all he’d left behind. The rich lands belonged to his family, to the pride, and had for many generations.

His father loved mountains, probably even more so than Dominic did. Thanks to years of exploration and adventure, Dominic knew every inch of the lands of his homeland.

His father, Drago, was the first Alpha ever in the pride of panthers. Although they tend to be a solitary animal, his father had rallied that they band together in the fashion of other cats and create a unified pride. In this day and age, his father had campaigned, we are too vulnerable alone. We need to unify and protect our kind from looming extinction.

Glancing down at his watch, he punched the motorcycle faster in order to make it in time. Today was a very important moment for him and his remaining family.

He was home for good. And come hell or high water, he’d make everything right again.

Dominic wanted to guide and counsel the pride in the same reverent manner his father had, but back then he hadn’t been prepared for his father’s death. He’d needed time on his own to grow and learn. To understand the true ways of the world and respect the pride’s new way of life.

Cresting the last hill, the local community hall came into view. Energy surged through his body at seeing the familiar building and surrounding businesses. He hadn’t truly realized how much he’d missed home until now.

Pulling into a parking spot, he shut down his bike and lifted his arms over his head. Stretching to the left and right, his muscles strained and twisted as he worked out the kinks of the last few days. Unbuckling his helmet, he pushed it up and off, and shook out his hair. He should probably consider a haircut soon, being as the curls bounced against his neck and itched over his ears.

He’d pulled off the highways regularly to clean up and catch a few hours of sleep in motels on the way. There hadn’t been much time for him to do a complete clean up so he’d have to do.

His cell phone vibrated in his front pocket. Withdrawing it, he checked the caller ID and immediately answered.

“Hey, everything okay?”

“Yeah,” his contact replied on the other end. “Confirming our meet later tonight. Still a go?”

“Fucking right. My cousin won’t know what hit him. You get me in and I’ll take care of the rest.” He clenched his fist around the handle bar. “I’d like to kill the prick right now.” Rage nearly choked him. Damn Kenneth for everything.

“Rein it in, buddy.”

“I’m trying. Taking every ounce of willpower I have not to bust this shit wide open the minute I walk in there.”

“You can handle this. Gotta run, am staying out of sight. See you later.”

The call ended. Dominic drew in deep breaths and tried to clear his mind. He’d been trained in one of the most lethal professions out there. Adding his panther to the mix, his anger was boiling heavily. But he couldn’t go into the hall guns blazing. Not when there was so much at stake. The element of surprise was on his side.

Unzipping his leather jacket, he stood and lifted his right leg over the bike, stomping his feet on the cement and getting the circulation moving again. Glancing around the quiet, deserted streets, he breathed in the sweet scent of the lands around him. Dust, wheat from the neighboring fields a mile away, the burned coffee that no doubt came from the Lap It Up Diner down the street, and the sugary richness from the Dairy Barn Ice Cream Parlor on the other side.

Cocking his head, two additional scents caught him unaware. One wrapped him with joy and protection, his heart filling with happiness with the knowledge that his mother was nearby. He had only communicated with her through e-mail and when he’d asked her to come out West to see him for a few days. Today was her special day. He hoped she’d be as pleased to see him back home as he was to be here.

The other scent, however, set his nerves on edge and his breathing ragged. The only other woman who filled his heart with both happiness and uneasiness. She was out of his league, had always been, even though there were few places they’d gone over the years where they weren’t together.

She was his childhood friend, confidante, and also the woman he’d wanted to someday spend forever with. They’d kept their relationship under wraps in the past, but Dominic planned to change that as soon as he could.

Avid Reader. Romance Author. Redhead…

Canadian-born author Kacey Hammell is definitely a book-a-holic. A romance reader from a young age, she fell in love with happily ever afters.  These days, as a multi- published erotic romance author, she enjoys adding a lot of heat, sass, and emotion to the many genres she writes.

Mom of three, Kacey lives her own happily ever after with her perfect hero in Ontario, Canada.

Connect with Kacey…

Website / Newsletter / Facebook / Facebook Reader Group / Twitter / Amazon / Goodreads / Pinterest / Instagram

Caturdays!

Caturdays!!

I thought for something new and fun on Saturdays, I'd post pictures of the babies for Caturdays! 

For the first post, here's the black cat hanging out. :-) 

Please do not copy or reproduce without permission.

Paws with a Cause and Nerissa!

Paws with a Cause is over, but you can still help! Nerissa offered this great post and I think you'll like it. You might even want to donate to Paws when you're doing reading it!

Here's the link to the post. I loved it and so will you! http://www.nerissaslife.com/2012/02/i-was-only-trying-to-help.html

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs. PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy.

Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some. Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen. PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

 Paws With A Cause
4646 South Division
Wayland, MI 49348

 How to donate:
 1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause
2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate.

Paws for a Cause with Linda Rettstatt

The Term ‘Cat Owner’ is a Misnomer

In my childhood, we almost always had pets—dogs, a cat (the ‘a’ being the operative term as my mother was not a fan of felines), gold fish, those little tiny turtles…well, you get the picture. I’ve always loved animals mainly because you have to do so little to be loved in return. They don’t have expectations about how you look, how you dress, or what kind of car you drive. But in my early adult years after I moved out of my parents’ home and from apartment to apartment, I didn’t have any pets. Except for those three years I lived with friends in a mountain cabin commune of sorts and our cat got pregnant when someone tossed her outside in the middle of the night because of her yowling. She got what she wanted, and we got five kittens.

Later, I shared living space with others for whom having an animal in the house was not a popular option. But three years ago, I found myself living alone. And after exposure to a friend’s seven cats, I remembered how much I love cats. I needed a cat. I wanted a cat. I wanted a little furball who would come running when I walked in at the end of the day, who would look at me adoringly and curl up in my lap. So I visited local shelters and I ended up with Binky, a six-year-old tuxedo cat who had been surrendered for adoption. I was now a cat owner.



Oh, but wait. I forgot the one basic rule of cat ownership. It does not mean you own a cat. It really means a cat owns you. The day I brought Binky home and turned her loose in my apartment to let her explore her new space, she soon disappeared. I’m on the third floor and since I was sure she couldn’t open the door by herself, I knew she had to be in here somewhere. After searching every possible hiding place, I heard a noise in the kitchen. I found Binky—curled up on the top shelf inside one of the overhead cabinets right next to the wine glasses. I deduced that she either had a drinking issue or was masterful at opening doors. What I soon discovered was that whoever installed the cabinets had not finished off the one corner on the back of the one cabinet—and she found that little opening and her safe place.

But it didn’t take Binky long to get comfortable and learn the lay of the land. I used to keep a juice glass of water on the nightstand beside my bed at night. I awoke in the middle of the night to a lapping sound. Yep, Binky was helping herself to a drink—from my water glass (which is now her water glass.) I couldn’t find her one day when I came in from work. What I did find was a mound underneath the blankets on my bed. Yep, Binky had made herself at home on my 1200 thread count sheets (my one good luxury pair.) Remember me mentioning that my mother was not a cat lover? I have a rocking chair that had been my mother’s. Of all of the furniture in my living room, Binky decided that was to be her chair. I have to admit I found that amusing.

It really only took her about three months to train me. I’m adept now at launching myself out of bed at an ungodly hour when I don’t have to work (usually prompted by Binky licking my face) to give her breakfast on schedule. I’ve adapted to sleeping on one third of the bed so that she can comfortably curl up in ‘her space.’ I plan my vacation time around when I can find a cat sitter to either live in or come by twice a day to feed and care for Binky. I fear boarding her will only bring back nightmares of her incarceration in the shelter and then I’ll have to find her a therapist. One of my friends and her husband sometimes come in to care for her and even plan their evening to stay for an hour and watch TV so she has some company. They’re apparently owned by Binky, too.

That first day I brought her home, I called a friend and said, “Guess what—I’m a cat owner.” Oh, I was so naïve. In fact, Binky is the cat AND the owner. She owns me, lock, stock and heartstrings. And you know, I wouldn’t trade her for anything.

Linda Rettstatt
Writing for Women
www.lindarettstatt.com



Hello Everyone! We have a total of 59 blogs that have gotten together to help raise money for a great cause. There are going to be some awesome prizes up for grabs for people that donate money to the cause. Here is a little about the company that we are raising the money for:

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy. Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some. Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen. PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

Paws With A Cause
4646 South Division
Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause
2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information.
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. Your all done. Thank you for donating!

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 3 winners for the main giveaway.
We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.
Also we have a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies for US residents only.
Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.

Paws with a Cause with Megan Slayer

I write under two different names when I write. I won't go into the whys, but I write as Wendi Zwaduk and Megan Slayer. Megan is my more free spirited counterpart. The cat that is really hers more than mine--and yes, he knows it--is who I'm going to talk about today.

When I was a kid, we had cats. We had cats at the farm, too and I considered myself the resident kitten expert. Why? Because I made sure all the kittens got attention. I don't think they always appreciated it, but they were loved. We had orange cats, calico, white... grey tigers... but no black ones. I'm not really sure why, but we didn't.

When I got older, I had a white cat whom I loved. Then when I moved out, I had a couple of grey tigers. I wanted another orange one and eventually got one of them, too. Then came the brat. The black cat is one of a kind, even though he looks like just about every other black cat out there. Why? I believe he's crazy. Not like psycho killer crazy, just a little off kilter. This is a picture of him playing with cat nip. I couldn't get him to hold still at all.

He didn't care. Honestly. He didn't. As long as he had the nip, he was happy. So why do I say he's crazy? He's got this routine in the morning. Should explain everything. At seven am, promptly, he heads to my bedroom and climbs onto the bed. He then strolls all over me, occasionally touching my face with his nose and paw and meowing. The faster I get up, the faster he stops. If I want to sleep in? Yeah, he keeps up what he's doing. When I finally get up, he winds around my feet all the way down the stairs and can't understand why he's been stepped on more than once. I feed him and his brother, then feed the tot. Once he's done eating--he wolfs it down, I swear--he uses the box. Fine. The moment he's done doing his morning constitutional, he runs full bore through my house. I don't mean a gentle jaunt.Nope. Full blast. And he's jumping on things, ears back, in a black streak. Once he makes his lap of the downstairs, he strolls into the kitchen like nothing ever happened.

See? He's crazy.

But I love him. I do. Wouldn't trade him for a moment. Thanks for reading. :-)

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.  

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy.  Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some.  Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen.  PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

Paws With A Cause

4646 South Division

Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause

2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.  
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information. 
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. Your all done. Thank you for donating! 

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 3 winners for the main giveaway.
We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.
Also we have a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies for US residents only.

Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.  

Paws for A Cause Kick Off!!

I'm kicking off my week of Paws with a Cause with a story about my baby, Rusty.

I got Rusty after my first cat passed away. I love my first cat, but I'm one of those people who needs a cat in the house. I do.

DH had been away for work and Mr Man, the first cat, passed away from kidney failure. It was the worst Monday of my life at that point. He was a present from DH to keep me 'safe'. I loved him. Still do.

But he'd passed. I wasn't sure I wanted to get another cat, but I missed the little guy. So BIL told me--he was almost as crushed as DH and I, and he helped me bury Mr. Man--he'd take me to the APL to "get you another kitty".

We went that Friday. I wanted to look a while. I wanted to choose carefully. Turns out, this one chose me.  I walked past his cage and he pawed at me. Stuck his paw right out and tapped me. BIL took him out and his friend in the cage tried to come along. In hindsight, I should've gotten both of them, but I didn't. I picked him. Or rather, he picked me. He looked a lot like Mr. Man, but had some goofy name I didn't like. DIL wanted me to call him, Mr Man Jr. Nope. That wouldn't work, either.

I took him home and knew exactly what I'd name him. Rusty, after my favorite NASCAR driver. I have no idea if he liked it, but he loved being called Ruster Duster. He loved to crawl into the cupboards and was right there when we'd work on home improvements. He played fetch and used the night time hours to sing or play Marco Polo... one of the two, but he was noisy.

My favorite story about Rusty? We'd moved from a small house to the bigger house. Well, we brought the cats with us when we moved, but first we brought them over to get them used to the house. Rusty got loose. Not out in the yard loose, but loose in the house. I freaked out. COMPLETELY freaked out. I thought, goodness, he jumped off the balcony... did he run into the woods.... Couldn't find him anywhere. I went home. DH stayed at the new house. Still no Rusty. We put out food and waited. Turns out, he'd crawled into one of the heating ducts and hid. DH found him when he came out to eat the food. I was never so happy as when DH called to tell me he'd found Rusty.

Sadly, Rusty passed away a couple of years ago on DH's birthday. He'd been having issues with his tummy and used my couch (Don't have the couch now) for a potty box. Turns out, he had stomach cancer. I sat with him through all the IV treatments and the pills. He dropped to less than 5 pounds and his fur looked worse for wear, but I loved him. I held him when he passed and I'm glad DH was there with me. I drove home and DH buried him. He was my baby and I loved him very much. I'll never have another Rusty, but I'm grateful for the time we did have.

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs. 

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy.  Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some.  Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen.  PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

 

Paws With A Cause

4646 South Division

Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause

2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.  
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information. 
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. Your all done. Thank you for donating! 

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 3 winners for the main giveaway.
We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.
Also we have a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies for US residents only.

Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.

This Made Me Smile

It fit with the theme of Please Remember Me so I had to share. Should make you grin, too.

Friday Flirts....

Yanno, I've been slaving away at too many things lately and haven't had much time to just write. I know, a writer who isn't writing...odd.

I've been working with Megan on an elemental story. Should be pretty cool. What I've read looks pretty good.

Wrote a one off short for the kick of it about a teacher. Might know a thing or two about teachers.

I'm finding I have no time to get what I want accomplished because everything else seems to encroach. Dishes still in sink...dog fur tumble weed under the couch...the contents of my makeup bag across the bathroom counter.

But I did put the blue streaks back in my hair. I mean, why not? It's still really dark, so it's camo (kinda) and I almost like it better that way. Has to be real bright sun to see it. But since it's been just about constant rain here...yeah, you get the picture.

Oh well....

More later. Promise. :-)

Friday Flirts

**Sigh**

Yanno, I hate edits. Strike that. Actually, I love edits. Edits make a story more than it was. They help shape and craft what was once raggedy into something tight and fluent. So, I lied. They aren't that bad.


But I find it's hard to get down in the dumps about them. Sometimes it seems like they never seem to end and there's not a light at the end of the tunnel. Then again, some are a breeze. Oh well.

I've decided one of my resolutions (and no, I rarely make resolutions) is to turn the frown upside down. Yup. I've noticed in the last few months, things career-wise (I say that loosely, because I'm still not totally in belief that being an author is a career--it feels more like finding my pals and taking them out to play) are looking fantastic. With 5 releases this year, I'm doing well. I'm getting better at promo and finding my way sales-wise. But in general, I've had a hard time. Yes, I love to laugh, and be silly, and have a good time. It just seems that I find myself so bogged down in the little things, I've forgotten what it is to smile a little bit. Call it confessions of the seasonally depressed.

But this is Friday Flirts, not Ramblings Day (I dunno if there is such a thing, but hey, who says I can't invent one). So, here's the flirts:


I have a couple paranormal stories I'm working on. I finally got them out of the dust and have twiddled bit to see if they are something to make a go on. The cat is sitting next to me kneading the pillow. He's suggested I resurrect one of my kitty shifter stories. We'll have to see.


I'm also working with Megan to get a couple of her stories in shape. She's got a great M/M story going and a bdsm vampire one that with a little tweaking will be really cool.

I'm going to finish "All I Want For Christmas" this weekend for posting on Wednesday. Hope you enjoyed. I'm also going to post it on the site and make it a page here on the blog.


Whew. Going back over the post and reading what I have going makes *me* tired. I'm going to hunt down some hot cocoa and find the notebooks I need to get moving.

Enjoy!

(and 9 shopping days until Christmas! Consider an ereader or ebooks! I've got some great suggestions for my books and some by other authors I think you'll love!)

Do You Want to Know a Secret?

A Halloween Read...Enjoy!


“A Halloween party isn’t a party until someone has to clean up.”
On a labored sigh, Pennelope Anderson twisted her tawny hair into a clear plastic clip. She nudged a garbage bag chock full of crinkled cups and paper plates. An avalanche of refuse tumbled out onto her feet. “My friends are pigs but I can forgive them because we have a good time.”

A warm hand covered hers. Her gaze shifted to her best friend, Nicky Lyons. Eyes the color of unripened lemons pinned her to the spot. He licked his bottom lip and knelt next to her. “My time with you is always good.”

Nervous giggles slipped past her lips and a shiver slid up her spine. “You’re just saying that to make my day.” God, she had to get a grip. Measuring her words, she paused. “And I love it.”

A hank of raven hair slid over his forehead. “I see.” The corner of his mouth kinked. “How about spending more time with me, besides dressed in costumes?”

Forcing her breathing to slow, Penn shrugged and twisted the bag closed. “You’re not a commitment kind of guy and I’m a relationship kind of girl. Look at how many women you’ve dated in the past year. I can’t compete.” Although a short, spicy evening of passion enticed her, she refused to ruin a strong friendship for a one-nighter.

Tipping his head, he crinkled a dark brow. “Are you sure about that? This Lyon could change his stripes.” He shook open a new bag and lined the garbage bin.

Covering her mouth with her hand to smother a chuckle, she raked her gaze over him. Sinewy muscles rippled under his tight black T-shirt and she yearned to smooth her fingers over the dusting of beard on his cheeks. Okay, how to change the subject to something a little less—distracting? “I’m not sure about stripes, but you did change out of your vampire get-up in a quick fashion. Don’t tell me you left it stroodled all over my bathroom. I think there’s still white and black makeup smeared around my sink.”

Nicky rocked back on his heels. “And you spared no time losing the skimpy black dress in favor of your favorite jeans. Not that I didn’t like the dress, mind you.”

Dusting her hands on her jeans legs, Penn stood. She rolled her tongue around her dry mouth and tossed the garbage bag into the can next to the back door. “Okay, well, in other news, I think it’s time to let Fang out of the bedroom. He’ll probably need to run outside.”

Nicky followed hot on her heels. “He hates that name, you know.”

Frustration marred her forehead. She clutched the wooden stair rail and turned. “Does he? How do you know? Or is that a male thing—you telepath your inner desires to each other?” She snorted. “Cause it would be funny if you did.”

Swatting her ass, he urged her forward. Displeasure clouded his voice. “Would you really want to be referred to as a tooth?”

As she reached the top of the stairs, she edged her shoulder up in a thoughtful shrug. “When I found him, he hissed at me. Fang seemed appropriate. He thinks he’s tough, but he’s really a lover, despite what he likes or dislikes.” She stopped short in the hallway. “The door is cracked.”

With a grunt, Nicky ran into her. “I thought you left it shut. Did you forget?”

With trembling hands, she shoved the door open. Deafening silence met her ears. “I know this was closed. I closed it.” Her heart thundered in her chest. Fear pounded into her brain. “We have to find him.”

Trailing his fingers through her pony tail, Nicky tucked her tag into her sweatshirt collar. “He can take care of himself.”

“What?” She shrieked, jumping from his grasp. “It’s Halloween! Some people hurt black cats on Halloween. I can’t let that happen to Fang, even if he hates his name. I’d be lost without him. I love him.”

On a sigh, Nicky cocked his head. His brows rose beneath his dark bangs. “He’s safe.”

She burst past him, bounding down the stairs. “I’ll get his treats. Please grab the carrier. If he’s not in the basement, he’s probably just out in the yard.” Her hands fluttered through the air. “He’s a smart cat and can’t have gone far.”

With a firm hand to her shoulder, he stopped her frantic movements. Concern and something else shone in his green eyes. “Do you trust me?”

Penn let out a long breath. “Yes, more than I care to think about some times.” Why did she just admit that? He wasn’t that in to her. She bit her tongue. “Why are we just standing here? We need to find Fang.”

He brushed a rogue lock of hair off her forehead. “I know where he is.”

Clutching her chest, she rested against the living room wall. “Thank God. You always think ahead. Did you lock him in the basement? Or is he at your apartment?”

Nicky cocked his head. He tapped his chest, right above his heart. “He’s in here.”

She angled a brow. The low tone of his voice sent shivers through her body. “You ate my cat? That’s just weird.” Forcing her attention from his emerald gaze, she sighed when he didn’t laugh at her joke. “I know you didn’t eat him, so where is he—really?”

A calloused finger tipped her chin. No matter how much she wanted to remain indifferent, Nicky was the one man she couldn’t ignore. A growl rumbled in his throat. “I’ll ask again. Do you trust me?”

Without thinking, she spoke the words in her heart. “I trust you.”

“Then come upstairs with me.” As he tugged her down the hallway, she fought to register his words. Did he want to sleep with her? A lump lodged in her throat. She wanted him—once they found Fang.

In front of her bedroom door, he paused and leaned on the stark white frame. “I need to show you something.”

She held up her index finger to buy a moment of time, to slow him down in case his plans included taking the relationship a step further. “You can show me later. First things first, let’s find Fang.”

Angling his head toward her bedroom, he nodded and kissed the tip of her finger. “He’s in here. Safe and sound.” With a gentle tug, he helped her into the room and gestured to the bed. “Sit.”

Though feeling uneasy, she did as he asked. Chills ricocheted through her system. Something was odd. God, why did it have to be Halloween? Bad things happened on Halloween, like last year when her Labrador, Lugosi, was hit by a car, yet his body was never found.

Wrapping his fingers around her hand, Nicky knelt before her. “Do you know you’re sexy?”

Before she could stop them, words rushed past her lips. “In a baggy KSU sweatshirt, worn jeans, no makeup, and messy hair—that’s sexy all right.” He exemplified sex. She looked like the frumpy girl next door. Still, what did her looks have to do with finding the damned cat?

He chuckled. “A man can only take so much.” Her breath stuck in her throat as his hands braced on her thighs. He moved closer, situating himself between her legs. “You make one gorgeous witch, baby girl. I couldn’t take my eyes off you all night.”

Rolling her eyes, she snorted. “Because you worry about me.”

His breath warmed her skin and sent tingles to her core. “Because I love you.”

Could he want her for real? She didn’t see that declaration coming. Beneath her sweatshirt, her nipples pebbled. “Me?”

“You.” He pressed warm, wet kisses over her cheeks. “I lost my heart the day we met five years ago. With you, I’m free to be myself.”

His lips met hers. On a sigh, she opened for him. His taste, a mix of cola and spicy man rolled over her tongue. Sizzles shot from her core to her heart in warp speed. Could he be the one?

Nicky broke the kiss and cupped her jaw. “Did you ever wonder why you never see me in the same room with Fang?”

Working to catch her breath, she turned his words over in her mind. “Well, he’s shy. He only honeys up to me.” Like I want you to.

His thumb smoothed circles on her cheek. “He loves you, but he’s not who he seems. Do you want to know a secret?”

Nicky closed his eyes. His body fizzled and morphed at her feet. Before she could process his disappearing act, Fang appeared in his place surrounded by the rumpled clothing. The cat cocked his head and stared at her with vibrant green eyes.

With white knuckles, she grasped the comforter. Nicky was flesh and bone. She tasted him, fantasized about him. How the hell did he shift into—a cat? No, how did he shift into her cat? “I know what I’m seeing, but this isn’t happening. Nicky, wherever you are, stop trying to scare me.”

Fang’s eyes closed. He lowered his head. In a moment, Nicky sat before her—stark naked. She gasped and her eyes widened. Every inch of his ripped body imprinted itself on her brain. Another gasp slipped past her lips as she noticed his cock, long, thick, and steely against his thigh. She shook her head. “But you can’t be him. I brought him home. He hissed at me and wouldn’t come out from under the bed for a month. He escaped from the vet’s office...”

He caressed her cheek. “Baby girl, I have the ability to shift. I’m not evil and I won’t hurt you. Until I met you, I hid my abilities, but one look at your sweet body and I knew I wanted to be with you.”

“Is this a sick Halloween joke? ‘Cause looking at you makes me want you, but I’m not laughing at that trick.” Hot tears dampened her lashes. “Why didn’t you tell me before now? I wouldn’t have scheduled the appointment to have you fixed.”

Nicky kissed away her sadness. “I feared you’d run from me. I care too much to let you go. Despite the fact that you tried to have my nads removed, I’m in love with you.” His hands roved over her body underneath the baggy shirt. She groaned as he nipped her neck. His voice rumbled over her senses, turning them inside out. “And right now, I want to make love to you.”

Edging away from him, she ripped the sweatshirt over her head and tugged the clip from her hair. “Do you want to know my secret?”

His brow crooked again. “You can shift, too?”

“I’m in love with you, too.”

With a small chuckle, Nicky grinned. “I hoped you’d say that.”

Smoothing her hands over his pecs, she sighed. “So now you know my truth, do I get a trick or a treat?”

Deft fingers unbuttoned her jeans. Nicky growled. “It’s only eleven a.m. and I plan to treat you all day long until we collapse. Happy Halloween, baby girl.”

She fell against the mattress, tugging him along for the ride. “Happy Halloween, indeed.”

Thank You Thursday

I'll keep this short and sweet because, well, I've had a rough day for the past couple days. It's nothing big, just general overwhelming feelings and overall frustration. I've had some good things happen and I'll tell you about those soon enough, but, what's gotten me through and kept me from ripping out my hairs (including the gray ones) has been the cats. I'm one of those people who like having a lap pet. Get your minds out of the gutter. Not like that. There's something snuggle-y about having a big ole kitty climb into your lap so you can pet them and get rid of frustration. Works better than liquor or food, for me anyway.

So I'm thankful for the boys. The two at home and the two watching from the catnip euphoria in the sky.

I'm a Free Read!

Well, my story is...

You might all remember my kitty shifters and this time I decided to have one bend the rules a little bit. I'd share more, but this is a free and SHORT read, so disclosing too many details would totally blow the story.

What's it called?
Never, Ever Gone

Where can you find it? Here:
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/story.htm

You should be able to click on the link or on the cover. If it doesn't work... well, let me know and tell me what you think of Ryan.

What A Conversation!

Since Rusty went to the big litter box in the sky, to cope with it, DH and I had a conversation about what he might be doing up there. Now we had a cat before Rusty, named Messiah. He had bad kidneys and died a week before we got Rusty. Anyway, we figure Rusty and Messiah are in heaven trading stories about us over a bag of kitty
nip. It goes something like this:

Messiah: "Horny toads weren't they?"
Rusty: "Damn near knocked me off the bed. Thought they'd get rid of me with their interpretation of an earthquake. I showed them. I stayed put."
M: "Good for you. I thought the dog cured them of that. I guess not."
R: "Ever get really angry with one of them?"
M: "Yeah, Mom got snippy so i cuffed her eye. It bled so bad, but she got over it and still loves me."
R: "Dog got snippy with me so I cuffed her eye. Don't know why they got that overstuffed wiener on legs, but they did."
M: "I see they don't live near them pit bulls. Coco and Sugar... they were so crazy. And they never realized we had the screen in the way."
R: "I never saw them. Nah, we played with the coyotes and the big dog got sprayed by a fox... moron. If she'd used her brain, she'd know that you never chase something that will make you stink."
M: "That little screaming thing got big. When they brought him home, I thought, gee whiz there goes the neighborhood."
R: "Yup, now he's a big screaming thing. But he leaves Legos and crumbs on the floor, so it's all good. Once in a while he leaves ice cream out in his bowl."
M: "Gotta love that ice cream."


But you must realize, I have no idea what they are really saying, but whatever it is, I hope it made you laugh as much as it did me.

Toodles.

A Cruddy Day - RIP Rusty

Normally I don't mind talking about myself, but I keep the personal things under wraps. Today is not one of those days. Now I'm writing this on Wednesday and most of you will probably not read it until Thursday. But today, Wednesday, is a cruddy day.

You might have noticed in my previous posts that I am a cat person. Have been all my life. Why? Because I like to have a kitty snuggled in my lap and purring. Dogs are great and all, but my dogs are too big to stick in your lap (they sorta drape over and loll there).

So why, you might ask, was today cruddy?

We had to put my cat down today.

If you recall, I do have two cats.

Kenny, the fat orange one, is still fat and orange and currently chasing a lady bug.

Rusty, God rest his furry little soul, passed away at noon.

For the past few months, he's been on a downhill skid. This time a year ago, he still played fetch (yes, you'd throw the piece of dog food and he would bring it back to be thrown again). A year ago, he'd run through the house and sing (well, meow at all hours of the night for whoever happened to listen). He'd terrorize the dogs, antagonize Kenny, and beg for moist kitty food at 5 AM.

In October, he stopped eating his wet kitty food and dropped from 8 lbs to 6 lbs. After daily visits to the vet and no progress, I took him off his meds, which only made him puke, and put him on natural kitty food that I made (Thanks, M). That seemed to help cause he wasn't puking and seemed to be getting his steam back.

Right after Christmas, he got worse. He wasn't eating and pooping became a chore. To keep him from using my loveseat as a litter box, we started putting him in the dog crate (it's big enough for a Doberman). He hated it, but I think he also saw it as a little refuge from the dogs, Kenny, and my DS. He'd eat his food and seemed reasonably happy.

Last night, he seemed a bit listless, but I thought, he hasn't been eating, so it'll pass. When I woke up, he was still kinda juts laying there. So I fluffed a blanket next to me on the couch and plopped him there to watch him. Normally cats will shift and get comfortable. Not Rusty. He laid there in the position I put him in for 45 minutes. Not good. I rubbed his head and talked to him. I felt like crap for not doing anything, but I wasn't sure what to do.

When DH woke up, I told him Rusty wasn't really moving. We then took Rust to the vet. Around 12:10 we put him to rest.

Now I realize he was hurting. There was a growth in his belly. I don't know what it was and the vet wasn't sure either. Cancer? Might have been. Dunno. But there are things you'll never forget for the rest of your life. Carrying his poor little body is one of those things.

My regular happy posts will resume tomorrow. Right now I thought I should share my story. It makes me feel a bit better to talk about it, but yep, I'm still upset.

And yep, I'm still a cat person.

More Random Musings

Okay, I really needed to vent.

I love animals. I really do. Cats are my favorite critters. (See my cat-shifter stories if you don't believe me.)

But right now, I'm ready to scream.


My cat Rusty (see the grey tiger picture) has a few issues.
Besides the fact that he's very high strung (like you couldn't tell that from the pic...), he's still sick. We took him to the vet starting three and a half months ago to figure out why he's not eating right, why he's leaving little messages on my furniture and not using the litter box. So, I got some great info from a close friend and started making him cat food. Yup, I'm getting close and personal with my food processor, fresh veggies, and sardines...

You'd think stinky fish would do it. You haven't met the ever headstrong Rusty.

So I'm doing my pre-Christmas cleaning and I find little messages he left under the Christmas tree!!!!

Now I'd like to think I'm an observant person, but you can't see what goes on at night if you're asleep. Still, the puddles under the tree that aren't from the tree stand... oy...

So, that's my venting. Rusty's pouting in the dog kennel for now. He's got a little box to go in and can't get out to puddle on things, so the tree should be safe for now.

As for the orange one, that's Kenny (so named after the NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace). If Garfield was real (well, if he lived in Ohio), then Kenny would be him. No kidding. He loves to sleep, eat, and sleep some more. And yes, he's known for sleeping in strange positions, like with one back leg draped over the couch. Don't ask me why.

Toodles. I need to get some other things done.

What'cha Want for Christmas?

I posed this question to my DS last month. Yup, I wanted to know what he wanted for Christmas...and he knows I will go out of my way to...get my shopping done before Thanksgiving (and here you thought I'd say to get whatever he wants... um...no)

Although he looked at each store Toy Book and pointed to everything, there were a few things here and there that stood out each time. He's dying for a Star Wars Ty Fighter (if I spelled that right) with a Darth Vader and a General Greivous.

But asking him what he wanted brought back memories. Yup. I'm getting old, I'm about to use the terms "when I was a kid"...geesh.

Anyway, when I was his age, we didn't ask for much. Remember that big recession in the early '80's? Yup, I remember it. While everyone else asked for Cabbage Patch Kids, I wanted a Barbie and was thrilled that I got a new one. Christmas was lean that year and a bunch more after that.

So yeah, I tend to go all-out at Christmas. Call it the desire to never have my child HAVE to think of Christmas as the time when Mommy and Daddy cry because they "just don't have enough". That's how my folks explained it to us when we got a Chapstick and an orange in our Christmas sock.

Am I complaining? Heck no. The lean years taught me that Christmas isn't an extravaganza. It's a time to show those you love that you love them and to give.

Is my DS spoiled? Not more than any other kid, but he is one of the few who looks forward to Toys for Tots shopping. He LOVES to go to the store and pick out toys for "the boys and girls who don't have a Santa". His words. He also LOVES to shop for the APL. No joke. We go and buy kitty litter, kitten and cat food, and a big bag of dog food and deliver it to the local shelter. He calls it "playing Santa for the puppies and kitties". But then again, he always asks if we can take a few of the puppies and kitties home. Um... with a house full (2 dogs and 2 cats... there's not much more room at the inn...).

But then again, my DS has to get there first.

Toodles.