TJ Michaels

What better way to celebrate the coming of the New Year than with a snippet about new beginnings. The first novel I ever published is called Primed to Pounce. It marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life – it was my first book ever published and I’d just gone through an awful breakup with my ex-husband. In Primed to Pounce, our heroine is mirroring some of the things I was going through. So Delaine is embarking on her own new beginning and enjoy a fabulous HEA with her new found love, Justin.

I’m still waiting for the gorgeous hero to arrive, but I am looking forward to this new year. Perhaps…he’s there, eh?

Snippet Author links are after the post. Enjoy them all!

PRIMED TO POUNCE
related to EGYPTIAN VOYAGE
Order at Ellora’s Cave

Delaine waited patiently in the arriving passenger area while Timmons brought the car around—a white Crown Victoria limousine, courtesy of her company, Aegis Analytical. Her belongings were quickly stowed in the spacious trunk, and a very polite Timmons settled her into the spacious backseat. Without a word, he passed her a large sealed manila envelope, climbed into the driver’s seat and they were off.

She flipped on the reading lamp and kicked off her shoes. The big backseat was perfect for sprawling, and Delaine mentally thanked her boss Geri for arranging a private car to take her to her new home.

Delaine allowed her tired body to sink into the plush leather cushions then carefully opened the flap on the envelope. It was stuffed with several items, some she would need immediately. She pulled out the keys to her new house and a note from her boss confirming the date of delivery of the rest of her belongings. Also the spare keys to her car, which she’d gone without for the past couple of weeks so it could be shipped ahead, and another note from the transport coordinator—the car was now parked in her driveway just waiting for her to arrive.

The envelope also contained the results of a few special strings Geri pulled in consideration of Delaine’s unexpected status of single mom—a bank receipt for a hefty moving bonus, already deposited in a bank in Charlotte, and airline e-tickets for her children, who would fly to Charlotte for their Christmas break instead of Denver. Thanks to Geri, the exchange of the plane tickets hadn’t cost her a dime.

There was a second manila envelope buried in the bottom of the first. Delaine tucked it into the side pocket of her carry-on bag. She knew from experience that this one pertained to her mission. She’d wait until she was in the privacy of her home before she opened it.

Delaine flipped the reading light off, leaned her head back against the seat and peered out the window. It wasn’t all that late, but the winter days were short. If she’d been thinking, she would have flown in earlier so she could see the surrounding landscape. It was completely dark out and she couldn’t see a thing except the lamps illuminating the highway.

As they sped along the interstate, Delaine felt a strange mix of apprehension and giddiness. She called out across the psychic bond she shared with her spirit guide and Sapa immediately came to the forefront of her mind. The black lioness was always in her head, able to communicate thoughts and feelings. When directly summoned, Delaine could actually see the image of the big cat behind her eyes and even call her onto this plane in a physical form. It was pretty neat to watch the expressions cross Sapa’s face when she’d been summoned in the middle of pouncing on some imaginary prey. But tonight, the big cat felt Delaine’s anxiety and sought to comfort her charge.

*Do not be afraid. You will be happy here, and I will always be with you.*

‘Of course,’ Delaine pushed her thoughts to her lifelong companion. ‘But this is the first time in years I’ve been off on my own with no children, no husband. I don’t know where anything is, don’t know anyone here except Pam. And what about this guy I’m supposed to get the goods on? What’s his name? Baker?’

*You will be successful, as you have always been.*

Delaine basked in the warmth and acceptance Sapa sent along the bond. She drifted into a light doze and the lioness retreated to a small corner of her mind.

They were both snapped out of sleep by the sound of Timmons’ voice ringing through the limo’s intercom.

*Ah, we have arrived. Our new home is fit for the princess you are.*

Delaine blushed. Sapa had such a way with words.

Snippet Saturday Authors:
Leah Braemel
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
Eliza Gayle
Shelli Stevens

Merry Christmas, everyone! This week’s theme is Holidays and it’s totally appropriate given today is Christmas. Gift Wrap Optional is a story of a chance at regaining lost love. In this snippet, our heroine, Melaniece, has woken up for the first time in the arms of her lover, Michael. He drove two days from another state just to be with her as a Christmas surprise.

Enjoy a snippet from my holiday story, Gift Wrap Optional. Don’t forget to hop over to our other Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of this post.

Excerpt from Gift Wrap Optional –
eBook (Nook),
eBook (Kindle),
eBook (Ellora’s Cave),
Paperback (BN),
Paperback (Amazon)

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

There are some advantages to being mated to a vampire, Mel.

He’d done it again! And she could tell his words were meant with humor because she could…well, she could just tell. But how?

Can you hear me, too? she asked, thinking the words rather than speaking them.

Yes, but you don’t have to close your eyes and scrunch up your face in order for me to hear you.

He was laughing at her! Bastard.

Yes, but it seems I’m your bastard.

Okay, all this mind talking was giving her a headache. Time to use words now.

“Actually, it’s the face scrunching that’s causing the headache, baby.”

Chuckling at herself all the while, she delivered a smile-laced scowl. “Stop laughing at me and explain what just happened, damn it.”

“Remember I explained bonding, and how my blood and semen will enhance you? This is one of the benefits.”

“But I thought you said…”

“You won’t and can’t be turned, Mel, but my bodily fluids will affect you, baby. You’ll heal faster and your senses will heighten, including some of the typically dormant ones.”

“Like empathic and telepathic abilities?”

“Exactly,” he crooned into her ear, his tongue sending a shiver up into her scalp. Obviously, he’d rather be doing something other than talking, but he continued anyway. “But you’ll only be able to hear and speak to me telepathically, no one else. And I promise to give you privacy, sweetheart. I won’t ever pluck thoughts from your head without permission.”

“Can I read your mind if you’re not speaking to me?” she asked eagerly.

“No, thank god! Not unless you’d possessed the ability already.” Her mouth dropped open in dismay but he soon had her laughing again when he said, “Don’t tell me that you, a biogeneticist, believed everything you’ve seen on TV?”

She couldn’t help giving him a playful punch to the gut for the little sarcastic remark because she had indeed thought Bram Stoker’s Dracula was paranormal gospel.

Reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, she said, “Since I’m learning about your kind, tell me how I can get some of that good-smelling vampire morning breath.”

“Kiss me,” was his answer. And by the time he finished taking her mouth like he needed to draw his last breath from it, Melaniece was gasping. The craving erupted so rapidly along her nerve endings from just a gentle meeting of the mouths. It was the most decadent thing she’d ever experienced.

Now he eased up on his knees and planted himself squarely between her wide-spread thighs, leaned forward and licked the spot on her breast he’d bitten the night before. Warmth, no, sizzling
heat spread outward from that spot just above her right nipple until it engulfed her entire upper body. She squirmed and writhed, grabbing two fists full of his hair to pull him closer.

“Michael, that feels so good. Will I ever get used to this insane reaction to you?”

“God, I sure hope not,” he said, a satisfied smirk firmly in place. “Because now that I have you I’ll never get enough of you, Mel.”

Saturday Snippet Authors
Jody Wallace
Leah Braemel
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Eliza Gayle
Delilah Devlin
Sasha White

Mesmerized by Lauren Dane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had the privilege of reading an ARC of Lauren Dane’s Mesmerized. Of all the Federation Chronicles ‘verse books written by Lauren Dane, Relentless was my favorite…until now.

We met a hottie named Andrei Solace in the previous Phantom Corps novel, Insatiable. Mezmerized is Andrei’s story.

This man is emotionally deep. We already know he’s a bad ass, but there’s so much more to Andrei. I love the way the author peels back the layers and exposes his strengths and vulnerabilities a bit at a time.

The heroine, Piper Roundtree, is a hoot. She’s sassy (not bitchy), stubborn and determined to protect those she loves. Piper is an awesome match for Andrei, both in and out of bed. Actually she reminds me of…me *cough cough*! Snarky, smart, yet willing to learn as her role in Andrei’s life becomes more defined and complicated.

Also, I love that Lauren keeps true to one of the things she does best – showing family ties. The relationships make sense, feel ‘true’, and the boundaries are clear.

The romance is sizzling, not too much, not too little. This book made me laugh out loud (there’s a certain scene where the hero and heroine are talking and Piper is showing out in a good way. I laughed my ass off!). It made me want to cry as I watched the main characters grow, as well as deal with heart wrenching losses. And it pissed me off as I watched all the cast work their way through deadly situations together. I wanted to climb into the book and kick the bad guys myself.

The world is so vibrant and the characters so well written, it engaged my emotions, my senses, even my conscience.

This is a damn good book!

Book 1 – Undercover
Book 2 – Relentless
Book 3 – Insatiable (Federation Chronicles, #3)


View all my reviews

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On my way home from a loooong business trip so I’m actually putting up this post a bit late while sitting in the airport. This week’s theme is Vacation – All I ever wanted.

I love this scene from Caramel Kisses, a contemporary romance. Here, our hero and heroine are enjoying their first trip together, but I think the thing that I love most about this scene isn’t the scenery…it’s the humor and snark of the characters. Enjoy! Then visit the other snippet authors whose links are at the bottom of the post. Merry Christmas!

So far vacationing with Drew had been a blast. Sydni was
having an awesome time exploring the land of The Lord of the Rings. There
couldn’t possibly be another place like New Zealand anywhere on Earth. And
certainly not another man anywhere like Drew. In addition to arranging the most
out-of-the-way accommodations, he’d arranged helicopter tours of some of the
locations where the movie had been filmed. The land was wild and untamed in
places, bringing to mind certain scenes from her favorite epic film. And she
had her own action hero in a rugby player’s body, but with a more stylish
haircut.

Sydni leaned back in her chaise and frowned down at the baby
powder fine sand underneath her feet, debating whether she wanted to swim and
get sand up her ass, or just lay here and watch Drew play. Raising her gaze,
she watched her man approach and had to force herself to breathe. As usual.

Rising up out of the waves, Drew dripped sex. After planting
his surf board into the sand every step he made toward her sent her stomach
rippling up into her throat. The water dripped down his body in sparkling
rivulets, leaving wet paths in the downy hair of his bare chest. Packed slabs
of muscle bunched and flexed as he wicked the water down and away from his
arms. God the man had the most delicious thighs and well-formed calves she’d
ever seen on a man. And an ass to simply die for, which happened to be nicely
outlined by his soaked swim trunks.

His dark mop of hair was plastered to his head, curling
about the ends as he made his way toward her, dripping wet. The dripping made
her think of how he made other things…drip.

Yes, he looked great in shorts, and even better in nothing.
His chaise groaned as he settled down in it right next to her with a contented
sigh.

“Whoever thought sex on the beach was a great idea must have
been crazy,” Sydni mumbled watching him try to get the stuff off his legs. It hung
on to the fine little hairs for dear life.

“Not crazy, just a fraud.”

“You mean the person who thought of selling it as something
sexy had never done it before?”

“Exactly. Who would be stupid enough to fuck on the beach?
The last thing a man wants is sand up his cock.”

Sydni laughed, enjoying Drew’s wit. She settled deeper into
the cushions of her lounger, more relaxed than she’d been in years. In truth,
the man made her feel comfortable. Like an old robe or her favorite pair of
slippers, she was becoming so used to his presence, she didn’t want to think of
what it would be like without him. Nor did she want to think about breaking in
a new pair of comfies.

Sigh. Yes, Drew was a keeper.

After a few minutes of trying to read her novel, her
attention was caught by a movement from the direction she couldn’t keep her
eyes from straying to anyway. Drew had risen and now stood next to her. She
looked up and came face to face with a cock pushing against the front of his
swim shorts. Oh boy.

Sydni dropped her book, grasped his hand and let him lead
her into the house and straight to the shower.

After rinsing the sand from their bodies, Drew snatched
Sydni’s favorite massage oil off the dresser and headed for the screened-in
private veranda out back.

“Coming?” he tossed over his shoulder. She grabbed a couple
of clean towers and scrambled after him. Naked, he lay down on the leveled
lounge and held out the bottle to her. “Do me, first?”

Fab Snippet Authors: Tweet
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Eliza Gayle
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Sasha White
Jody Wallace

This week’s theme is Author’s Choice. I absolutely love the book, Death and Roses. It’s a Hunter’s for Hire story about a Generation 8 Super Soldier named Scharsi. In this scene, her best friend has just been killed and she’s on the trail of those ruthless bastards. Yep, payback is a bitch.

Don’t forget to visit the other snippet authors. Links at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!

Order at: Ellora’s Cave | Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes and Noble

Back on the bridge, Scharsi put on a pair of over-ear headphones coded to the Space Port frequency she’d hijacked.

Speaking clearly, but quietly, she said, “Computer, give me a status on the uplink to surveillance system CSAB0942.”

“Uplink complete, Commander. Feed will begin in ten seconds.”

Scharsi braced herself as the high pitched hum and click in the earpiece told her the hack into the networked security system Carl had insisted on installing in their home was complete. A list of files displayed across one of the bridge control consoles. She selected one with the timestamp closest to when Carl must have been murdered.

“File loaded. Playback will begin in exactly six seconds, Commander.”

Every muscle in her body went taut as the audio streamed. Carl hadn’t allowed video in case someone else managed to do the same thing she was doing now, and she was glad for it. Why? Because what came through the earpiece would have driven her to recklessness. It was bad enough to hear it all. At the sound of the whir of a laser rifle, her mind conjured the image of it being aimed at Carl. The angry, then shocked cry of her best friend. The quiet squish—a sound she was familiar with—as Carl’s body fell to the floor with a quiet thud-flop as he landed in blobs of his own flesh. Then Tanil’s mouth opened on a yell that had become a garbled scream even as he tried to get the unit to stop firing.

Moments later she heard the group move around the room, then through the house with the exception of the man who’d shot Tanil. He’d taken a stance near the rear door…just beneath the only video bit in the house that was embedded in the halo-lamp above that door. She got a completely clear image of his face, every line, every wrinkle. Every nuance. Then she saw it—a tell that gave away just who this asshole was. His eyes, a pair so like her own there was no mistaking him as anything but a Super Soldier even if he hadn’t been a third of a meter taller than his comrades and just as wide. She’d assumed this was a gang of mercenaries, considering their uniforms were unmarked, but she’d been wrong. This was IMF.

Scharsi rolled it back and watched the communication again from the second the man took position to the
end of the whole fucking nightmare. The one making the link said words that caused her jaw to drop. He believed her dead, and that whatever Tanil was supposed to have had wasn’t found anywhere in the house or on his ship. Then it was over.

That scant sixty seconds was all she needed to learn that the soldiers who’d trashed her house and killed her friend had been after Tanil all along. She and Carl were just expendable targets. Fucking sons of bitches.

She turned away from the vid, then changed her mind. Eyes back on the console, Scharsi’s body went still. The SS creep that’d reported her dead was looking right at her, staring into the hidden surveillance cam as if he knew it was there. But surprisingly, he said nothing to his team. Instead, when one of them approached to report the coast was clear, he’d turned away as if he’d never noticed a cam pointed right at him. Correction, pointed at them.

Even after turning off the vid and walking through the incident in her head, the whole thing remained amazing and highly illogical. Why would the military brass send an entire ops team way out to Ukure to kill one captain? One human captain, at that? It didn’t make sense but it did reveal how desperate the Amalgamation had become in its efforts to stamp out the slightest hint of rebellion among the ranks. Either that or they’d gotten wind of what Tanil knew and was willing to go to any lengths to get rid of him.

Intuition said it was the latter.

Leah Braemel
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
Eliza Gayle
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Sasha White
Jody Wallace