TJ Michaels

Well, if this isn’t a date gone wrong, I don’t know what is. In this scene, our favorite water elemental, De’alla Isaacs, has just run into the prince of hell at an unexpected spot – a jazz concert!

Enjoy this snippet, then hop over to the other Snippet Saturday authors sites – links are at the bottom of the post.

Shards of Ecstasy
Hearts of Fire, Book 2
Genre: Multicultural / Paranormal/ Erotic
Order at: Ellora’s Cave | Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes and Noble

Instead of walking away, Dee had offered to buy him a coffee at the nearest cafe. It had been on her way, so no harm done, right? Wrong. After a mere thirty minutes of cappuccino and conversation Dee had wanted nothing more than to run to the opposite end of the earth from Devon and never look back.

She screamed in her head the entire time but the entity’s voice had seemed muted, muffled and Dee couldn’t make out what her guide had been trying to tell her. Then the nausea she’d experienced earlier on the beach had grown in proportion to her unease as they sat in the cafe. Basically, it felt like her stomach turned itself inside out while twisting and flattening all at the same time.

But why? Devon was any woman’s wet dream. Tall but not overly so, the perfect height for kissing. His skin was a deep, deep tan and his features evident of a mix of cultures. Midnight black hair shot through with hints of chocolate brown. His eyes were dark, exotic, the irises rimmed with dark gold that projected intelligence and wit. The shorts and tank top he’d been wearing on his unfortunate jog had shown off a long, lean body cut with muscle. He was a well spoken geeky type, brilliant actually. Yep, right up her alley. Damn gorgeous. Even his teeth were perfect. So why the aversion to him?

Was it the fact that he’d managed to “run into her” almost every day over the past week? Or that her eyes enjoyed the view but her spirit was less than happy to see him? And she didn’t even want to think about the images that flashed behind her eyes when in his presence. Lust-filled, but not in an inviting or arousing way. It was as if her natural enjoyment of sex was sucked out of her and replaced with dark, depraved thoughts, and all against her will. Like being mind raped by the most perverted creature on earth. It was unwelcome and both scared her and pissed her off at the same time.

It hadn’t made sense the day she’d met Devon on the beach, nor the last four or five times she’d seen him around town since then. And, damn it, it didn’t make sense now.

“Can I buy you a drink or something, Dee?”

He smiled and her stomach lurched again.

“No.” Gasp. “Thanks.” Gag. She felt too sick to drink anything. Even water probably wouldn’t stay down at this rate.

“I was hoping to see you again. I didn’t know you would be here tonight. We could have ridden together. I really enjoyed our coffee time together the other day.”

“Yeah,” she said, trying not to squirm in her seat. “Minus the face plant, eh?” She tried to laugh. Really tried. But the sound stuck in her throat as it closed up and refused to let any air through.

“You know, you’re really something special, Dee. So ambitious, honest. Real. No pretention, yet you’re classy and beautiful. I’ve been searching for a woman like you for too many years to count.”

Hmm. How could words sound so true yet ring so hollow? Not to mention the strange chill emanating from her crystal. The thing was so thoroughly icy it was as if her own irritation reached through the stone, passed through the silk pouch it rested in and slithered up the silver around her neck to sink into her skin. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

Well, hell. She was having all kinds of new experiences lately. First the blazing heat of the stone in Faison’s presence and now the chill of the same crystal while in Devon’s.

And She was screaming again, or trying to. Dee sensed the frustration of her guide’s sudden inability to communicate across their well-established bond. Knowing the spirit struggled to warn her of something, Dee instinctively slipped her hand beneath her wrap and fingered the chain of her necklace hidden beneath her clothes. She discretely stripped the pendant of its protective little pouch. The second the stone hit her hand the grave-like cold dissipated replaced by peaceful warmth. The stone filled her with strength and clarity of mind. And she knew it was time to go.

Suddenly a voice burst forth as if it had forcibly freed itself from a miring pit of smothering clay or quicksand.
Along with the clarity of mind induced by the stone came the clear bell of She’s voice in Dee’s mind.

*RUN!*

This week’s Snippet Saturday authors:
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Shelley Munro

This week’s theme is ‘make me laugh’! You’re not going to believe this, but the following scene from Carinian’s Seeker makes me blush and crack up at the same. Nothing like hunky vamps hamming it up in the middle of a ballroom right? So enjoy! Don’t forget to visit the other Snippet Saturday authors, links at the bottom of this post.

Note for Readers: You must be over eighteen to read this excerpt.

Carin was amused at her current conversation. These boys were fine as hell with some serious pick-up lines. All of them looked related to the vamp who’d pissed Bix off when the Council had come to see her. Every one of their heads was stark white, some straight, some curly, some loc’d. The thick burgundy drapes were pulled back to allow the moonlight to glow through the crystal floor-to-ceiling windows along one whole wall of the ballroom.

The lunar beams cast a bluish sheen on their gorgeous heads, surrounding them with the illusion of faerie dust. Too self-assured by half, their athletic, muscular bodies and devilish good looks ran the gamut from ruggedly handsome to male model chic. All were dressed to the nines in classic black. None of them bothered to sheathe their fangs. Of course she wasn’t interested, but any woman worth her salt would flirt at least a little bit under such yummy circumstances.

“You are a beautiful woman with a body made for hot, sweaty sex. If you’re good, perhaps I’ll take you to mate,” said one Armani-clad Hatsept.

“Or perhaps you will partner me. My cock is much more decadent than my cousin here. Besides, he already has three mates.” This from a vamp with such a thick head of hair she was almost jealous. Damn, a woman would kill for hair like that.

“Yes, but my tongue is more talented,” said yet another gorgeous white-loc’d vamp, “so may I have this dance?”

Before Carin could open her mouth to turn them down tactfully, her arm was wrapped around a tense, bulging forearm. She didn’t have
to turn around to know who it was. She’d recognize that soul-stirring growl anywhere.

“This woman is taken, Hatsept.”

“Says who?” challenged all three b-e-a-utiful vamps.

“Says me. Keep fucking with my woman and I’ll stomp a mud hole in your pasty-faced ass.”

“Bix, don’t you dare start a fight,” Carin demanded with an exasperated, there’s-too-much-testosterone-in-the-room sigh. But Bix didn’t seem to be listening. When his and the bad boys’ fangs extended to movie-like proportions, she pinched him hard on the inside of his biceps and scowled for all she was worth.

“Damn it, Bix, I mean it. You start a fight and I’m outta here. Now let’s dance.” In the end, she had to grab a good chunk of his ass to get his attention. He turned on her with a snarl. Did she care? Not bloody likely.

“You snarling at me? Don’t make me kick your ass up in here, Jon Bixler.” She was royally bluffing and inwardly relieved when a thoroughly amused smile spread across his face.

“Damn, boys, my woman has more balls than all three of you.” He laughed, took her by the waist and led her onto the dance floor.

Leah Braemel
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Sasha White
Shelley Munro
Shelli Stevens
Jody Wallace

Ecstasy in Darkness by Gena Showalter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes, I’m doing lots of ‘new to me’ authors lately. This was my first Gena Showalter book. At first I wasn’t quite sure I was going to like it. The voice was…different, sometimes short or ‘halty’. But, oh my god!, I ended up loving the short, snarky humor-laced narrative and dialog as well as the mystery.

I enjoyed the hero – big bad vampire with a ruthless streak. Wouldn’t hesitate to behead anyone in the book…except for the heroine or anyone she cared about. He was fabulous!

The heroine was strong, but she showed her vulnerable sides, too. She wasn’t a hard ass just to be a hard ass. There were reasons for her reactions to people, reasons for why she chose her profession, reasons why she reacted to the hero.

The action was non-stop, the sex was HAWT and the story was awesome. I’m almost afraid to buy the previous books in the series (this is the latest book) because I loved this heroine so much! That’s what I get for starting at the end of the series!

I don’t think there is anything worse than knowing someone is meant for you, yet watching them go off to be with someone else.

This week’s theme, Bring me a tissue, is all about those heartbreaking moments in a good romance book. Our girl, Tameth, a bad-azzed Seeker for the Vampire Council of Ethics, is having such a moment… and yes, you may as well grab your tissue.

Enjoy this excerpt from Serati’s Flame, then hop on over to our other Snipper Saturday authors and get a peek at their Snippets. Links are at the bottom of this excerpt.

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But something was off about this whole situation. More than the woman being alive after six years of absence, her appearance while they happened to be hunting in London seemed suspicious at best. But right now, there were more important things to tackle—like finding out how the hell Sher had fallen into V.C.O.E. hands after such a long time being “dead”.

“Was that Sher Sewell that Collins carried to the spare room, or am I out of my damned mind?” Tameth asked.

“It was Sher, all right,” Alaan mumbled. His state of shock was as palpable as everyone else’s. It was the first time he’d spoken since they’d stumbled into the courtyard to witness the woman’s return from the grave.

“But how?” Slade asked. “I thought she was killed years ago.”

“So did we all,” Alaan said. “Obviously we were wrong.”

Thankfully some of the color had leached back into his appalled features. He stood and walked across the room. Eyes closed, he let his head fall back on his shoulders and roll slowly around. Tameth felt him forcing the tension from his body.

Kenoe rocked the room. “She smells like a Hatsept.”

Alaan swung around with a snarl. “No way! You’re wrong. How would you know, anyway?”

Tameth gaped. He took one look at her and dropped into his chair with a sheepish snort. After all, it was a stupid question. Kenoe’s clan shared the same blood and had a connection of sorts, just like every other clan.

“Alaan, you’ve been out of Vampire 101 for a long time now,” Tameth countered sarcastically. Her anger rose with each word. “Snap out of dense mode. Of course clan members can sense and scent each other at close distances. Kenoe caught a whiff of one of his own clan members just the other day, remember?”

“She’s not a fucking Hatsept.” Alaan was back on his feet, fangs bared on a snarl. Fear and pain snaked down the bond and bit into her like a viper that had just been prodded with a stick.

“Look, Alaan,” Kenoe said, “I don’t know how she got here, or where she’s been all this time, but I know what I scented on her. The real question is, if Sher smells like a Hatsept, how the hell did she get that way?”

“Stop pushing, asshole.”

Tameth’s heart sank another notch. Sigh. Apparently she’d been right all along. Alaan was still all wrapped up in that woman.

“This is getting us nowhere,” Tameth interrupted. “Collins, tell us what the hell happened. Where did you find her?”

“Randall and I were scouting Mayfair, near Hyde Park. We sighted a couple of suspicious-looking vamps. The second they saw us, they took off running. We followed them into an alley. That’s where we found her.”

“The vamps you two were chasing, did they do this?” Kenoe asked quietly.

“No way. We ducked into the alley just seconds behind them. Someone else had to have injured Sher. They simply didn’t have time.”

“Interesting,” Kenoe mumbled to himself. An intent expression remained etched across his forehead as he worked something out in his head.

At the end of Collins’ recounting, they were no closer to figuring out this mystery than they had been when the briefing began. But one thing was sure. Nobody was getting into this house and nobody was getting out.

Tameth gave everyone their orders and ended the meeting.

Just then, Carin and Bix bustled into the library.

Carin was all business. “I’ve brought a ton of medical equipment. Where’s the patient?”

“I’ll take you to her.” Alaan jumped from his seat and practically dragged Carin out of the room.

Tameth watched him go. All of her accusations about Alaan still being hooked on Sher came back to haunt her. Her mother always told her to think positive, because whatever she expected would be exactly what she’d get. Boy, had her mom’s words turned out to be true.

Miserable, she followed Kenoe to the staircase and paused, her eyes plastered on her mate’s back as he bustled Carin down the hallway towards the room where Sher lay unconscious.

With a sigh, she allowed Kenoe to lead her up the stairs while Higgins offered to take Bix, with a sleeping Alaina bundled in his arms, up to one of the empty rooms.

Choking back a wash of tears, Tameth’s heart broke into tiny, sharp pieces, like glass broken out of a once-shiny mirror. Kenoe led her into his suite and promptly locked the door. And she didn’t even care why.

SNIPPET SATURDAY AUTHORS:
Leah Braemel
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Sasha White
Shelley Munro

Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Okay, I had a hard time rating this book. It was a great read, but mostly because I was so curious about Acheron from the previous books.

The first half of the book gave insight into Acheron – his past, who he really is and why. It was absolutely heartbreaking, but after awhile it became predictable. I just knew that everytime Acheron’s sister walked into the room she was going to talk him into something that got him into trouble. I knew his relatives were going to treat him like scum. After awhile I wanted to say, ‘okay, okay, I get it already!’

Now the second part of the book that skipped up to modern day Acheron was pretty cool. Because of the first part of the book, I understood why Acheron did certain things and reacted the way he did to situations.

The heroine was brilliant. I liked that she was a total nerd like me, but she also had a wild side…like me. Her handling of Acheron was perfect – soft when she needed to be, and hard assed when she needed to be.

Over all I like the book…but I still don’t think the story needed 700 pages to tell.