Hobbies and Obsessions

A. Catherine Noon here.  Thank you to Delilah Devlin for inviting Rachel Wilder and I back for a guest post.  We’re pleased as punch to be back at Chez Delilah for some summer fun!

I got to thinking about summer, and fun, and Delilah (no, no, nothing like that), and on her Facebook page she periodically shares photos of some lovely jewelry that she makes when she’s not writing the books we know and love.  I do something similar in terms of my knitting hobby (obsession) and Rachel crochets.  But what about our favorite characters?

In our newest release, TIGER TIGER, available now from Samhain Publishing, we gave our main character Sasha the hobby of jogging.  Of course, if you know anyone who jogs, you know it’s really more of an obsession – if they don’t get their miles in, they get cranky.  In another novel we wrote, EMERALD FIRE, our main character is a textile artist and makes a pair of socks for the hero.  Who else do we know that has a real hobby?

Any of you out there NCIS fans?  Leroy Jethro Gibbs loves to work with his hands and does carpentry in his basement (the actor actually was a carpenter before he became an actor).  Sherlock Holmes plays the violin (which the two current retellings keep faithfully, though no one can eclipse Jeremy Brett’s performance).  Something about these hobbies makes these characters more real to the viewer or reader, makes the character more like a human being than a one-dimensional cardboard cutout.

What about you?  Who are some of your favorite characters and what are their hobbies?

Chicagoland Shifters, Book 2

Veterinary trauma surgeon and animal empath Sasha Soskoff has found everything he ever wanted with his new partners Neal, Steve and Carlos. Life feels as safe and secure as it can be among a group of ex-Marine tiger shifters. Until a homeless man is found, gruesomely mauled and murdered, near Neal’s BDSM club.

When it’s determined a rogue tiger did the deed, the jaguars’ accusing eyes turn toward Sasha’s lovers. The precarious balance of peace tips dangerously toward war.

Neal knows damned well none of his tigers committed the crime. Someone must be in Chicago without his knowledge or permission, and they’d better find him fast before uncertainty and conflict rip the tight-knit band apart from the inside.

As Sasha struggles to heal the stress fractures forming among his tiger family, he begins to wonder if his dreams of a home, and love, were too good to be true. And it’s precisely that moment the killer strikes at the heart of the tiger clan—Sasha himself.

About the Authors

For author and textile artist A. Catherine Noon, it’s all about the yarn, both metaphorical and literal—spinning a yarn, knitting with yarn, weaving, sewing, painting, sharing stories and good times over a cup of coffee with dark chocolate. She teaches creative writing, creative expression and textile arts.

Author and image consultant Rachel Wilder is passionate about the masks and costumes people wear. She loves exploring that with her characters. Living in Las Vegas gives her an ample backdrop to pursue her curiosity.

Noon and Wilder links:
https://taurusandtaurus.blogspot.com/
https://noonandwilder.com/
https://www.facebook.com/noonandwilder

A. Catherine Noon:
https://acatherinenoon.blogspot.com/
https://acatherinenoon.com/
https://www.facebook.com/acatherinenoon
https://twitter.com/acatherinenoon

Hello, and thanks so much to Delilah for hosting me today! My name is Sidney Bristol, you might have seen me around here once or twice before, and I’m on a one-woman parade through the blogesphere!

You see, I’m celebrating the release of my second So Inked book, The Harder He Falls. The So Inked series follows a shop of female tattoo artists as they ink customers, engage in daring sexual encounters and generally get into mischief, trouble and end up in love. Since the heroine of The Harder He Falls specializes in Asian tattoos, specifically the Japanese style and tradition, I’ve been chatting up all sorts of traditional tattoo elements and the history that has created a very unique tattoo culture surrounding the style.

There are a lot of the Japanese tattoo elements you see across cultures. Flowers, the phoenix, tigers and dragons, those are things you see in different cultures, the Japanese artists just put their own spin on it.

And then there are the creatures that are uniquely Japanese.

The kirin is one of those. It shares some similarities with its Chinese counterpart, the qilin, but has evolved into a majestic, serene creature unique to the culture. You might have seen a few in art or illustrations and tattoos.

Kirin as a word actually means giraffe, but because that animal isn’t from the island nation, it’s believed they were crafted on images and descriptions of the giraffe in the beginning, but have evolved. It wouldn’t surprise me if the overall serene disposition of the kirin is based on the giraffe. But they’ve become more!

The kirin is depicted with the head of the Japanese dragon, the body of a stag, much of the time it’s covered in either fish or dragon scales, they have the legs of a horse and the tail of a bull. You can find them with either the horns of a stag or a single horn in the middle of their head. Kind of like the Japanese unicorn! It’s also said that they can fly and have wings.

Such a weird, conglomeration of creatures is actually one of the most powerful beings in Japanese mythology. More powerful than even the phoenix or dragon, but as peaceful as a butterfly. They’re so careful, that they do not even move unless it will bring no harm to any living creature. The kirin in mythology is the pet of the gods, and only appear in the lands ruled by just and virtuous leaders.

As a symbol, the kirin represents serenity and prosperity. You see it depicted as being in motion in most tattoos. It’s one of the lesser popular elements, but when you do see it, it’s often with flowers. As with everything in the Japanese tattoo tradition, the combination can mean different things depending on which flower it’s paired with.

The kirin is a strange animal, I’ll give you that. After doing the research for The Harder He Falls, I had to read up more on this creature. If you aren’t familiar with my So Inked series, I do a lot of chapter headings with tattoo facts and definitions. The mythology behind these animals is really neat, and if you’re the digging type, it’s something totally worth looking into.

What is a mythological creature that’s fascinated you? One random commentor will receive one digital ebook copy of Under His Skin, So Inked #1.

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It can never be said that Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life.  She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and belly dancing.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | YouTube

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The Harder He Falls, So Inked #2   Ellora’s Cave | Barnes and Noble | Amazon

A woman who doesn’t have time for love…

A hot night full of hotel-destroying sex was all Kellie wanted from her client-turned-sex god. Between family and work, there isn’t room for love, just hot, sweaty lust. An arrangement for mutual gratification is exactly what Kellie wants, but every kiss, each mind-blowing orgasm twines her heart around a man she cannot have.

A man building a new life…

Quinton’s assumptions about the So Inked shop owner are turned on their head after one session under her tattoo machine. Kellie’s not the vandal he’s looking for, but she’s the woman he wants. In his bed, on the desk or under the stars, he’ll take her any way he can get her. But Quin has secrets and someone is out to destroy him. Someone who has their sights set on Kellie now.

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Excerpt

Kellie  shifted on the wooden bench, still restless. The evening breeze was cooler than normal thanks to a cold front blowing in. It was ridiculous that dropping into the nineties was considered a cool spell, but in the height of Texas summer, you took what you got. She swept her hair up into a knot and tipped her head back. The slight dampness of her skin, courtesy of the ever-present humidity, was a small price to pay for being able to sit outside. She’d shed the formfitting dress for jeans and a tank top and felt more like herself for it.

“How hot does it get here?” Quin plunked down their dinner and sat on his side of the picnic table. Behind him the food truck was starting to pack up.

“Can’t handle the heat?” It was too much to ask that the man be able to cope with everything. He’d sat through the tattoo yesterday without complaint, being a heat weenie wasn’t terrible.

His brilliant blue eyes stood out in the dim illumination of the parking lot light. “When you have A/C, why should you?”

“You do realize that it’s going to get at least ten degrees hotter and stay there, don’t you?” She unwrapped the tacos and inhaled the spicy aroma of peppers and onions mixed with tender beef.

Quin made a show of wiping his forehead with a napkin. “I’m going to melt.” Read the rest of this entry »

Short Story Perks (Contest)

Thank you Delilah for having me guest post today about short story perks. I love discovering a fresh voice without the time commitment of reading a full length novel. These little nuggets, novelettes and novellas, brighten up my coffee time, keep me company during lunch, and supply the perfect antidote for a good night’s sleep.

This year, I’ve discovered several new-to-me authors like Elle James (love her voice and story in the Wild at Heart Anthology), Margery Scott’s The Morgan’s of Rocky Ridge (historical western, both Cade and Trey’s stories), Susan Hatler’s Better Date than Never Series (sweet contemporary), and Virna DePaul’s Arrested by Love anthology (super hot), and of course Delilah’s shorts! *fanning self*

I think my love of shorts is because of the variety.

This year, I released my debut light paranormal contemporary short (16 pages of happily-ever-after) titled A Promise Worth Keeping, which hit #1 in Free Kindle and is a top 100 paid Short Romance. In June, I released the second short (closer to 80 pages) titled A Promise Worth Remembering, which hit #3 in Free Kindle and just this week became available in book form—a first for me! Look for the third Promises Collection installment to be released in late fall 2013 titled A Promise Worth Sharing. All three stories are set in my fictional town of Safe Haven where Native American folklore plays cupid in reuniting first loves.

Do you enjoy short stories? If so, what author(s) have you discovered? Leave a comment for a chance to win an eBook of A Promise Worth Remembering.

SHE’S CLINGING TO THE PAST

After ten years, tiger preserve owner Bailey Yant never thought heart-breaker Tucker Pierce would return to Safe Haven. With a hundred-year-old feud between the Pierce and Yant families escalating, and despite a mystical lovers’ rock stirring memories of their forbidden love, she’s walled up her heart tighter than her sanctuary. When her prized tiger trespasses onto the Pierce’s hunting range, and poachers threaten not only her tiger’s safety but the livelihood of her preserve, will Bailey open her heart and trust Tucker in time to save her endangered Bengals?

HE’S OFFERING A FUTURE TOGETHER

At seventeen, Tucker Pierce fell in love with Bailey’s strength the day he’d pulled her from the river and promised to make her dreams come true. However, to keep Bailey safe from his abusive father, he risked everything—and in the process lost her to another man. For ten years, he’s kept his reason for leaving Safe Haven secret, but he can’t forget the promise he made to her or who his heart belongs to. After finding the widowed Bailey standing on their special rock, will he finally convince her to trust he’s a man of his word?

TO SEE HER DREAMS COME TRUE, WILL SHE RISK TRUSTING…A PROMISE WORTH REMEMBERING?

Excerpt:

Tucker’s gaze found Bailey’s and held.

Corkscrewed into her heart until her chest hurt. Smoothing her chin with her palm to quiet the quivers spidering across her face, she raised her brows and expected him to say more.

But he only stared.

She lifted a palm, a subtle wave before she dropped her arm to rest at her bare thigh. What could she say to him? Hello? How have you been? Too many questions riddled her mind to settle on a single syllable.

Pointing upstream, he repeated, “It’s important we talk…. I’ve seen…tiger.”

If what he needed to discuss caused him concern, why hadn’t he crossed the river or driven to the preserve? They were adults and she didn’t have any problems with Tucker, only his father.

No matter… Most likely he’d seen some of her tigers housed in the sanctuary. Because of their natural instincts to hunt large game, they slinked along the north side of the property to stalk deer that paused where the gentle slope led to the water’s edge. But bridging their past with small talk?

She didn’t want chit chat. She wanted answers, she wanted justice, she wanted the resolution she promised herself she’d never stir up, but couldn’t let go. Like their forbidden relationship, those feelings were better left undisturbed. Only seeing Tucker voided all warnings of caution she’d erected. She waved him over to her side. “We can talk over here.”

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Want more shorts and anthologies? See Amazon’s top 100 lists of Short Romance and Anthologies paid and free here.

About the Author:

“Cyndi Faria writes with passion and her stories touch the heart.”
—Virna DePaul, Bestselling Author

Cyndi Faria is an engineer turned romance writer whose craving for structure is satisfied by plotting emotional and cozy paranormal romance stories about Native American folklore, cursed spirits, lost souls, harbingers, and even a haunted coastal town. If you love a tale with courageous heroes and heroines, where their unconditional love for each other gives them strength to defeat their inner demons, Cyndi Faria invites you to enter the pages of her stories.

On and off her sexy romance pages, this California country girl isn’t afraid to dirty her hands fighting for the underdog and caretaking rescued pets. Find her helping fellow writers and leading readers to happily-ever-after at www.cyndifaria.com

Contest for a $20 Amazon or BN Gift Card! (see details below)

Thanks for inviting me to be a guest blogger, Delilah! I’m thrilled to be here interviewing one of my favorite characters, Roxanne Monet, the enticing and unsinkable heroine who dominates Playing the Game, a recent winner of the International Digital Award for best contemporary romance novel. First a word about Roxanne—as the story begins, she’s been accused of marrying her husband for his money, then murdering him. But of course, she’s really a nice girl.

Rox: Great intro. Are you inviting the readers to my execution later?

SQ:  I’ll ask the questions. So, why are you being accused of taking your late husband’s life for the money?

Rox:  It couldn’t be for the money. I gave it all back—and there were millions in the estate. So now I’m broke. Plus I lost my job and my mother-in-law is out to get me…

SQ:  What do you mean she’s out to get you?

Roxanne:  She’s hired a private detective to dig up dirt on me so she can convince the police to charge me with murder. She’s the girl trying to take over in this story…

SQ:  Did you do it?

Rox:  Readers, the author is only “playing” dumb.

SQ:  Answer the question.

Rox:  No one murdered poor Donald. The police are calling his death an accident, but I really believe it was suicide.

SQ:  So what is this GAME you’re playing with the hunky basketball superstar Barry Dennis?

Rox:  The Game of Seduction. Impossible to lose….unless…

SQ:  Unless what?

Rox:  Unless one of us loses our heart—but that’ll never happen.  I’m too jaded about men and he’s too single-minded about being the best to let anyone distract him, including his daughter, Lindy.

SQ:  What about his daughter?

Rox:  Lindy breaks my heart.  It’s such a tragedy. I can’t help being there for her and getting too involved even while Barry struggles with the tragedy.

SQ:  What about the tragedy?

Rox:  I can’t talk about it. (sniffle)

SQ:  Okay—take it easy. What can you tell me about your connection with Barry?

Roxanne:  XXX.  And I don’t mean three kisses–That’s the Sensuality rating.

SQ:  Is it true you spent time in jail?

Rox:  I’m not answering that on the grounds that it may incriminate me.  But forget about jail–the real crisis moment is …

SQ:  BZZZT!  You ever hear of the word SPOILER?  Interview Over.

Playing the Game is the first in the “Playing” series all about sports and romance. And the sport of romance.

Rated:  Spicy!

Contest!  Enter to win the contest by commenting on the excerpt and joining Stephanie Queen’s newsletter mailing list!  Include your e-mail address.

Excerpt from Playing the Game:

“Damn it,” Roxanne muttered. Her drink had splashed on her dress. The crowd was dense. Looking right, and then left, at the partygoers around her, she took a surreptitious glance down to inspect the damage.

A very large, dark, wet spot spread over her left breast. Luckily it was only ice water. Or maybe not so lucky, on second thought. She watched in horror as the red silk material clung to her skin.

“Double damn. My nipple is showing!” This time she forgot to keep her comment under her breath.

“Now that I’d like to see.” The man appeared from nowhere, towering beside her. He watched her reflection in the floor to ceiling window.

The heat of embarrassment ignited her face. The man was no gentleman. Her embarrassment turned to anger in a flash. She jutted her breast out for him to see.

“You can look all you want,” she dared, wanting to shift the discomfort to him.

She thought she’d succeeded, until the signature dimpled half-grin split his face.

“I’m Barry Dennis.” He held out his free hand for her to shake. He held a bottle of beer in the other. The famous lopsided smirk remained in place.

“Must be my lucky night.” She ignored his hand.

He laughed.

Biting her lip, she reminded herself to behave professionally. He was the star attraction at this gala and they were both there to raise money for a good cause.

“I’m Roxanne Monet.” She shook his hand. She eyed him, wondering if he’d dare to say something about her nipple.

“I know who you are. I watched you get fired from your job at the TV studio a few days ago. You were supposed to interview me.” Unrestrained amusement shone in his eyes now and his grin widened. She was really starting to dislike this guy.

Author Bio

Stephanie Queen is a romantic at heart, a writer by nature, and has the soul of a cheerleader. She enjoys creating stories where her rose-colored world-view comes to life and the good guys always win. Spending most of her life in New England, she’s attended many of the area colleges, including Harvard, and even earned a couple of degrees along the way. Although she lost count of all the jobs she’s had before she settled on being a Novelist, her favorite was selling cookies as a Keebler Elf.

Other novels by Stephanie Queen include the romantic comedy, The Throwbacks and The Hot Shots, books 1 & 2 in the Scotland Yard Exchange Program series, and the romantic suspense novel, Between a Rock and a Mad Woman. All are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, KOBO and Smashwords.  For a list and links to buy books, visit SQ’s website at www.StephanieQueen.com , or on Facebook and follow her @StephanieQueen on Twitter.

Thanks so much to my friend, Delilah for hosting me here today. I’m sure she’s expecting me to blab a bit about my brand new Ellora’s Cave release and she wouldn’t be wrong about that. As my readers know, I write erotic shifter and contemporary westerns (gotta love those cowboys) and I tend to go back and forth between genres. Over the years, I’ve found it keeps me fresh. One thing I proudly admit is that I am in total love with my High Plains Shifters series (EC) and have just finished the sixth book in this popular collection. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the stories, these are all set in a fictional town in West Texas. I’d always wanted to build a world where shifters lived and loved by their own set of rules so I ‘built’ the town of Cloverfield, Texas and populated it with wolves who are cowboys, ranchers, oil men, shopkeepers, bankers and teachers. It seemed only right that I eventually expand this world into other areas and chose to set Mad Moon in a small town in East Texas. This sets the book apart from other books in the series yet I’ve still maintained a strong connection between the two wolf packs. I’m also happy to say that though the other books in the series are novellas and short novels, Mad Moon is a full length story. I just loved writing it and hope you’ll pick it up.

Again Delilah…thanks so much for having me here today! If you’d like to leave a comment for me or just send me a hug or two, I’ll give one of you a book from my backlist. How’s that sound?

Book 6, High Plains Shifters

Madden Moon knows what she is the second she walks into the old café. Shifter. Wolf. Trouble.  Struck by her beauty and the air of exhaustion about her, the leader of the Texas Rogues, wishes her straight out of town but as the mating energy of their species sizzles between them and her enemies approach, he has no alternative but to bring the beautiful lycan under his protection and into his bed.

Runaway Lana Vronski is in big trouble. As she races through the woods, local wolves in hot pursuit, she believes all is lost until she is rescued by oh-so-sexy Madden. When he offers her sanctuary and sex hot enough to burn them both, she accepts his proposal but it isn’t until the mating heat between them begins to sizzle wildly out of control that Lana learns her true salvation awaits in his arms. Lana’s enemies are relentless, however, and will stop at nothing as they attempt to rip her from the arms of the man she loves.

About the Author

A bit about me…

I grew up in small town Oklahoma then moved to Texas  where I lived for over thirty years.  Once upon a time I worked as a newspaper journalist, as a public relations director for a university,  and other assorted things but these days I am an award winning, multi-published author.

I like writing that is hot, edgy, and often humorous, and try to put this trademark stamp on all of my stories. These days I live in sunny Florida where I find the temps ‘heat up’ my creative urges.  I am a doting, fawning, and over-indulgent mom to my two adult children and believe them to be the coolest people in the world.

When I’m not penning steamy erotic tales set in  paranormal worlds or writing hot contemporary books (usually featuring a cowboy or two) I  indulge in long chats with friends who help me stay sane and keep me laughing. Wanna be my friend forever? Make me laugh.

Where to find Regina Carlysle:
https://www.reginacarlysle.com
https://www.facebook.com/reginacarlysle
https://www.facebook.com/reginacarlyslesbooksandstuff
https://www.twitter.com/reginacarlysle

Buy links for Mad Moon: Ellora’s Cave Publishing | Amazon

I tried to shake my brain into a plot twist that I hadn’t seen before. Since it was time for me to begin plotting for my next firehouse 17 story, I mulled on a possible scenario. Then out of the blue on my personal face book page I got a friend request. A total blast from the past. Fifteen years in the past to be exact. Thanks to this young man I briefly dated, I had the perfect conflict.  We had a great conversation, where he profusely apologized for misleading me for months. I of course forgave him and laughed off youthful idiocy. For my story, instead of keeping it simple, I of course dug in and went to the dark side with the conflict and fleshed it out. I’d tell you all about it, well but you can read for yourself and probably see where I was going. It’s rare someone in my personal life lends to stories, at least on this level. It’s true that there are both positive and negative consequences for every action we take, and our actions show what our character is. Without mistakes we wouldn’t learn self-evaluation.

Forbidden Deception releases Aug 26^th from Secret Cravings Publishing. Enjoy the blurb and teaser excerpt below!

No one knows how a solitary lie has the power to rip a heart to pieces. For ten years Ailyn Dominguez has lived with a constant reminder of heartbreak that left her devastated and pregnant. While nothing gives her more pleasure than being a mother, the lie she lives weighs her down like a ball and chain. Even if she knew where to look, her deceit could cost her everything she holds dear.

Responsibility for others has always rested on Seth Mahone. Every day he gears up to protect and serve, leads his men and finds fulfillment in doing his best. With one friend settled down, he reevaluates his life and the cost he paid when the one woman he loved left leaving an in fillable void. Regretting what caused their split, he hasn’t fully let go or found another to take her place.

When the past collides with the present both must confront the deception that split them apart.

“Welcome to Station 17, I’m glad you decided to come.” Seth opened the door for her. She shot him down as he reached to usher her in, avoiding body contact by retaining her distance.

“I can see myself in and open my own doors. What do you want?”

“To discuss what’s on my mind in the privacy of my office.” His smile waned into a frown as he led the way, this time keeping his hands to himself. Good, he learned quickly.

She ignored the questioning glances from the other men as she trailed after him, her eyes riveted to anywhere but his behind.

He opened his office door and gestured for her to move past him. Holding onto her temper, she breezed in before skirting away from him. When he shut the door and systematically drop each blind encasing them in privacy, she swallowed nervously.

“That isn’t necessary.”

“I disagree. We need privacy, and my men don’t need to hear our personal business.”

“We don’t have any personal business. Say what you want so I can leave.” She turned away from him, giving him her back.

“Christ. This is not going how I wanted.  Why didn’t you let me make amends? I tried for months to reach out to you and fix us.”

“Fix us?” Her voice raised and pitchy, Ailyn whipped around and glared. “Fix us? There was no repairing us after your whopper of a lie.”

He held his palms up in an attempt to calm her. “I am sorry for any pain I caused you. You may not believe me, but I deeply regret not being honest with you from the beginning.  But damn it if you’d only have listened for a moment, you’d have seen that I was graduating that year, early.”

“You were still underage! Unless you could’ve magically jumped from sixteen to eighteen, and somehow I don’t think you had the power to time warp. Not to mention we lived in a state where there are heavy statutory laws.”

“Please lower your voice.”

“You know, everyone around you may be fooled but I know the real you. You’re a liar, a master manipulator and an all around bastard. Do you even realize what your duplicity could have cost me?” Has cost me, she wanted to scream.

“Of course not. I was young and in love. I wasn’t thinking about consequences, I was thinking in a matter of months it wouldn’t have mattered.”

“Right, because true love means building a relationship on nothing but dishonesty. Your brand of love burned me.”

“I am trying to apologize.” Frustration radiated from him. She didn’t care or want his remorse. His struggle to find some common ground with her was ten years too late.

“Well thank you. Apology not accepted. Never accepted.”

“I don’t understand why you’re so angry all these years later. I was hoping we could have dinner and a few drinks, laugh over my idiocy and get to know one another now, as adults. A second chance with no secrets this time.”

Ailyn pursed her lips and crossed her arms under her breasts. “Why so history can repeat itself? Sure, let me just get to know you all over again and then wonder if you’re lying about everything. Been there, done that. I will date you when pigs fly and hell freezes over. Now if you’re done with whatever you have to say. May I leave and forget I ever saw you again?”

“Ailyn, we don’t have to be this way.” The emergency tones went off, making her ears ring.

“Don’t you have work to do?” She knew the sound echoing through the stationhouse meant they had people to go save.

“Strip. We’re far from done talking and I have less than two minutes to get on my truck and go. I’ll wait outside. You’re the one who used to make us strip, remember, don’t walk away, figure it out.”

He leaned in as if to kiss her. Closing her eyes, she fought the craving of feeling his lips. Instead, he trailed his finger along her wrist and swiped her keys out of her lax grip before leaving his office.

“You choose now, all these years later, to remember the one thing I learned from my parents about relationships and problem solving?”

“I remember everything. I have to go, either strip or when I get off I’ll show up on your doorstep to finish this where we can both get naked.”

Ailyn froze. He couldn’t ever come to her home. She stripped in record time and thrust her clothing out the door.

“Thought you’d see things my way. I’ll be back soon.” Ailyn heard his pounding footsteps retreat and snapped into action. No way in hell was she waiting for him to come back. She ran to his desk and yanked open his drawers, looking for a T-shirt or something. All she found was random junk and a roll of black duck tape.

“God, I really hate him,” she seethed. Mia was dead wrong. In no way did she want to get to know anything about him as a man.

Yeah, strip naked, stupid. I don’t have any clothes, but I do have a spare ignition key in a magnetic box under my car. All I need is something to pass as clothing.

“Toilet paper and scotch tape?” She didn’t know where the bathroom was and toilet paper tore. Think Ailyn, think. A sudden idea formed and she grabbed the tape. Calming her hammering heart, she peeked out the door. “Anyone out there?” She waited a minute until she knew the coast was clear and jetted for the kitchen, hoping the cameras were down as she streaked across the fire station.

Holy hell, their kitchen is top of the line. Way better than mine. She stopped in awe of the gleaming appliances and fixtures. Sighing, she realized she was drooling and began opening and shutting drawers and cabinets until she hit pay dirt.

Keeping watch on the time, she tore off long strips of black duct tape and lined them on the counter. She took two strips and tore them down the length in half and wove them together.

Humming Mr. Know it All her favorite Kelly Clarkson song, so appropriate in this instance, she set to work. In college she became a pro at fixing costumes for the theater department or making clothing out of anything on hand. Thanks to reality modeling shows, she found a quick untearable solution. Saran wrap, and to her surprise in red. In no time soon she’d have an eccentric, one of a kind creation to get her the hell outta Dodge, before a specific commanding man returned. She cherished the thought of him finding his office empty and wondering how she’d slipped out from under his thumb.

Teaching him such a lesson gave her a heady high. Winding the hazy plastic around her body made her itch, but no one ever said getaways were easy. After numerous revolutions around her body movement became hard. She concentrated on making sure her girls were wrapped tightly enough that her nipples wouldn’t be seen. Certain she was covered adequately, she wrapped the tape under her boobs and smoothed the black tape across her upper back, using the wall to make the tape stick when she pressed her back on it. The last strip was the hem. She wiggled to bend down and placed the last pieces across the bottom of her masterpiece, then took a kitchen knife and slashed a tiny tear in the side to give her room to walk in her micro mini dress. And viola! Impromptu clothing designed to allow her to get to her car without being arrested for indecent exposure.

The firehouse remained silent. She returned the supplies to their designated areas and lit out of there like hell was on her heels. Upon reaching her car, she realized getting on her knees to find the extra key would cause an issue. Once down, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get up, plus she didn’t relish the idea of giving all an up close and personal view of her bare pussy. She paced the length of her car, cursing her luck.

“Screw it.” She eased down on her back, wiggled under the driver side carriage of her car and slid her hand over the metal to find the box. She didn’t feel it at first and thought maybe it’d been knocked off. Reaching a little further, she closed her hand around it and pulled the slim container free.

“Now that is something you don’t see every day.” Ailyn wiggled her head out from under her car to see Seth’s team of men in full gear openly appraising her.

“Do you mind? Staring is rude.” She bet her salary her face was flushed and the men before her were enjoying her discomfort.

“What do you think she has on? I thought she was stark naked when we left. Lieutenant, get a load of your girl.”

“I am not, and I repeat—not— his girl. Now sh. Don’t call him over here,” she hissed at the men.

“Well, hey darlin’, I thought you were waiting for me in my office.” Seth lay down on the ground next to her. She bit her lip, dying in mortification as he raked a lingering gaze up and down her body.

“Go away. I’m going home. As soon as I get my key.”

“You mean this one? Yeah, I remembered teaching you to put a spare on the underside, since you were famous for losing them back in the day.”

“Thanks for the ride down memory lane. Now go away. I really don’t want to be near you. As you can see, since I was trying to leave before you got back.”

“Come on. You didn’t think I was going to let you walk away so easy this time, did you? Although, I must say I’m impressed with your resourcefulness. Saran wrap has never looked so damn sexy. The tape is a nice touch. To think you did this all for me. New form of foreplay, darlin’?”

A Hero Who’ll Steal Your Heart

If you’ve read my books, you’ve probably realized that all heroes are NOT cut from the same bolt of cloth. Yes, they may all be Navy SEALs or government special agents, but that doesn’t mean they all have to be terse,  deadly, and brooding. Occasionally, they can be exactly that. But because I’m an amateur psychologist, I give a lot of thought to personality types and how my characters express their unique traits. As a result, I strive to make sure no two of my heroes are alike. And that’s how ATF Special Agent Tobias Burke, hero of THE ENFORCER, came to be.

“Toby” is an Artisan Performer, according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. That makes him warm, enthusiastic, dynamic, humorous, upbeat, and willing to put on a show, while still being very manly and potentially deadly. He’s the perfect antidote to THE ENFORCER’s wary, vulnerable, suspicious, and cynical heroine. And Toby can sing! He also wears humorous T-shirts with messages on them that seem perfect for every occasion. Here are some examples:

Readers are first introduced to Toby in THE GUARDIAN, in which he wears this shirt that pretty much sums up not only his occupation with the ATF but also his philosophy on life:

At the end of THE GUARDIAN, Toby has the guts to stand next to the Attorney General of the US Justice Dept. during a live news broadcast, wearing this shirt:

In his own book, THE ENFORCER (buy yours now!), Toby infiltrates a militia in West Virginia to inform against a beautiful, dangerous, and very high-strung woman named Dylan. In order to prove her a killer, first Toby has to worm his way into her heart and starts by wearing this shirt:

But after he gets to know her better, he finds himself just wanting to get Dylan to relax and enjoy life…life with him, and his shirts become a little more personal in their message to her:

The test of a good hero is this: Did you fall in love with him over the course of the book? I certainly fell in love with Toby, and I trust that you will, too. Get your copy of THE ENFORCER today! (paperback release Sept 2, 2013). Kindle, Nook, Kobo, other.

Visit www.marlissmelton.com for more information.