TJ Michaels

At holiday time we get in the kitchen and my family cooks together. My son makes a mean fresh cranberry sauce from fresh berries. My daughter makes breakfast wonderful with her homemade cinnamon rolls, and we do all the meal prep together for whatever nom-nom’s we’re going to have that year. We typically choose something different each year. Last time we have gumbo – genuine seafood gumbo made by these hands, compliments of my Louisiana grandma *wheee!!*. This year we’re down to the wire and still deciding what we’re cooking. But whatever it is, we’ll do it together.

Releasing this week is Forever December – the story of a hunky vampire out to secure a second chance at love. In this snippet, our heroine has just rolled into her vacation home to discover her children, home for a visit from college, have prepared her some goodies. And she’s all ready to dive in!

And don’t forget to check out the fabulous Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the end of the post!

The sun had just dipped below the mountain peaks when Melaniece pulled into the garage. Snow had begun falling in fat, wet flakes and she was relieved to see a big, black SUV covered with a fresh dusting of the white stuff parked on the other side of the wide garage. She slammed her car into park thinking now was a good time to do a funky little happy dance—her children, Denise and Melvin, were already here.

The second she shut off the engine and popped the trunk, an excited and very loud female came hurtling out the door. A blur of what looked like a white sweatshirt covered with red Japanese hiragana symbols and a pair of black pants practically tackled her before she’d cleared the car door.

“Hi, Mom,” Denise squealed with happiness.

Melaniece’s heart melted and a big grin tipped up the sides of her mouth. Awww, it was so nice to be loved by one’s children.

“Hi, sweet pea, it’s so good to see you. Where’s your brother?” Melaniece asked, trying to peek over her daughter’s shoulder toward the open door leading into the house.

“I’m right here, Mom. How are you?” Melvin asked cheerfully. Long jean-clad legs carried him out to the garage and to Melaniece’s side. Six-feet-two inches of slender muscular male wrapped his arms around both sister and mom, engulfing them in a warm group hug.

Melaniece stepped back and grinned widely at her “babies”. At eighteen and twenty years old, they were mirror images of herself, with the exception of their dwarfing her modest five-feet-four inches. Long, dark locs covered their heads, apple pie cheeks sported dimples and they both flashed perfect, bright smiles. Their cocoa-n-cream skin and strong physiques were rounded out by stellar personalities. Beautiful and handsome described them to a tee.

Melaniece stepped back and shook her head in disbelief at Melvin. “Boy, are you ever gonna stop growing? I know you’ve grown at least a few good inches since I last saw you. And so good-looking, too? You know you get that from your mama, right?” she quipped. And there it was—the blush only a teasing mom could bring about in a grown son. It bloomed in his cheeks until they looked like little caramel-covered apples.

“And you should see all the girls that chase after him. And once I caught him and the neighbor…” Denise chimed in, ever the older sister.

“Mom!” Melvin implored.

“Okay, enough teasing your brother,” Melaniece chuckled, feeling happier than she had in…well, since her trip home to Michael, er, California. But she wouldn’t dwell on that. Or her goofy dream.

“Help me with my stuff?” Moving toward the already open trunk of her car, she turned to grab whatever was closest at hand and began to fill the arms of both Denise and Melvin with their Christmas gifts.

“Good lord, woman, what is all this?” Melvin asked, feigning a gasp under the weight of a particularly hefty box.

Melaniece didn’t answer, just smiled and handed over package after package until both their arms were loaded. Before she could reach for another one, Melvin said, “Go on in and relax. We’ll bring this stuff in. Dinner is already prepared.”

Melaniece felt her stomach tighten and rumble. Gosh, with all the packing, the long drive up, and preoccupation with her dreams—not to mention the constant low-grade arousal because of those dumb nocturnal thoughts—she’d completely forgotten about breakfast and lunch. Well, her stomach made it clear it was feeling neglected and the loud rumble was heard by all.

An aroma hit her nose the second she stepped over the threshold into the house. Shrimp, tomatoes, garlic…Old Bay Seasoning?

“Wooo, I smell it,” she cried happily. “Cajun food! Oh yeah! Uh-huh!” An awful rendition of the Electric Slide dance carried her on inside. She headed directly to the kitchen, not the least bit offended when her kids’ chuckles followed her. Yep, this was going to be one heck of a Christmas.

EIGHTEEN Snippet Saturday authors to enjoy!
Lauren Dane
Rhian Cahill
Eliza Gayle
Selena Blake
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Alison Kent
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Shelli Stevens
Shiloh Walker
Leah Braemel

In honor of my new Christmas release, Forever December, on December 14th I’ll be hanging out with the Smutketeers for their 12 days of Xmas extravaganza. I’m so totally excited because I’ll be sharing the day with the marvelous Michelle Pillow and Mandy Roth! Woooo!

Be sure to catch my post that day because in addition to hot hunky winter vampires, I’m going to tell you how to make Shrimp Creole. It’s a dish I grew up loving thanks to my Louisiana grandmother. If you make this particular nom-nom, be sure to tell me how it turned out. AND, if you’re going to the Authors After Dark convention in New Orleans, let’s hook up there for sure!

Can you handle…a Forever December?
Coming December 14th

TJ

This was the first holiday I had without my dad. For those who didn’t know, my dad passed away 2 weeks ago and I have recently returned from out of the state where I joined my family in laying him to rest. Though I can’t quite bring myself to put up a perky, quirky, happy post about the current theme (grieving is really tough) I have posted links to the other Snippet Saturday authors so you can enjoy their excerpts.

I’ll be back in the Snippet saddle next weekend.

Awesome Snippet Saturday authors:
Lauren Dane
Anne Rainey
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Selena Blake
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Lacey Savage

Ooooh, things are getting a bit strange in our world of spirit guides and their charges. Mad men and kidnappers are running amok from Italy to Egypt, all in search of our heroine. Enjoy this snippet from Egyptian Voyage (available on Amazon.com, BN.com and on sale at 35% off at Smashwords with this code –>AQ73D), then visit the fabulous Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of this post. Mwahahahaaa!

~~~~~~~~~~~

A single finger trailed over her shoulders and across the back of her neck as he moved around and around her still body.

“We are in Qarafa.” At her blank stare, he continued. “What Westerners would call The City of the Dead.”

“The who?”

“The City of the Dead,” he repeated in a disconcerting flat-sounding timbre. “This place was an important burial ground hundreds of years ago, now the poor gather here. Thousands of them. Just think, among soaring minarets, mosques, elaborate tombs of sultans and their families, live ordinary men and women. In fact, a lovely widow lives in a tomb room just a few doors down with her children.”

“But, but how?” Chrys stammered. Not from nervousness—she was too angry for that—but from the simple inability to fathom anyone living in a place like this.

“We have not so much thought of cemeteries as a place of the dead, but rather a place where life begins,” Eden replied. “The new tenants have adapted where the families of the dead used to come to spend time with their departed loved ones. Now the grave markers serve as desks and shelves, while strings hung between gravestones are used to dry laundry. As for the light, they’ve brought in the electricity by wires over the roofs coming from the nearby mosque. Pity, really.”

Well, the name certainly fit the place. The City of the Dead—northern Cairo’s four-mile-long walled necropolis that now housed thousands of families and countless small businesses. In this day and age? Amazing.

But it didn’t explain why the hell he’d brought her here. Not to mention he seemed too refined to have a “room” in this place for any virtuous purpose.

“But why…?”

“She thought I was wrong, you know. But I wasn’t, it was her. She’d made the mistake, stupid bitch.”

Okay, the words insane and crackpot came to mind. Chrys bit her tongue and let the man rant.

“Even pharaohs make mistakes. Sometimes deadly ones. But it really doesn’t matter. With you at my side, I have no need of another pharaoh or harem mistress. The tarot was connected to the Rahn asshole after all.”

Then Eden threw back his head and laughed as if the funniest joke in all of creation had just been told. Oookay? When the cackling ceased, Chrys took a slow breath, forced her words to emerge meek and humble.

“What tarot, Eden? I’d really like to understand.”

Hmm. That seemed to please the walking nut job.

With a smile, he stopped circling and stopped in front of her. From his left breast pocket, he removed a beautiful card covered with gold, black and lapis blue Egyptian symbols and hieroglyphs.

“It was the Empress. This card represents the Empress, see? I always selected different, and sometimes unusual, suits of cards, but she always explained them to me. But after I saw you for the first time aboard ship, I kept selecting this same card over and over. And always upside down. Stupid pharaoh had me believing it was because you were losing interest in the Rahn asshole.”

The bottom of Chrys’ stomach danced with unease. Now this was getting freaky. Right, as if Edenweren’t already in that category. She held her thoughts to herself, demanded her fists to remain still. Giving away the fact that her hands were no longer tied would probably make the man stop talking.

And that simply wouldn’t do. Her mate wanted a confession and, damn it, she was going to get him one.

“But you weren’t losing interest in him,”Eden rounded on her with a snarl. “You had no interest in me. But that will change, I promise you. I still don’t understand why he didn’t die.” Eden’s head tilted just a hair to the right, his expression one of genuine bewilderment.

“Die?” Chrys uttered in shock, and this time was no act.

“Yes, die, damn it all. He was supposed to die. I know I cut him in the right spot. But you came and did something to him. What did you do to him? All I wanted to do was stomp his brains out when I came into your apartment and saw you covered with his blood. You were moving toward the phone to call for help while that damned Rahn moaned like a foaling cow on the bathroom floor.”

Chrys fought for calm, begging her spirit guides to send her a large dose and fast. Adonei’s power still pulsed through her body and she fought to keep her temper under control, fought to keep the fierce force of the lion leashed.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Snippet Saturday Authors
Anne Rainey
Eliza Gayle
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Mandy M Roth
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Selena Blake
Vivian Arend
Alison Kent
Beth-Ann Mason
HelenKay Dimon
Shelli Stevens
Lauren Dane
Lacey Savage
Shiloh Walker

Enjoy a quick peek into the mind of our villain from Jaguar’s Rule, then visit the fabulous Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of this post.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight he watched her in her pelt and wondered if she was aware he knew who she was. All this time he’d thought she was just another jag female, but an accidental glimpse of her showering on her screened veranda several nights back had revealed more than he’d ever expected.

He’d stayed perfectly still, perched in a tree, and watched the back of the building he’d tracked her to. After awhile, his patience had paid off. She’d stalked from the cover of the jungle and stopped to look around. He hadn’t been seen perched up on the thick branches and was glad for the broad leaves surrounding him. The female melanistic jaguar with her black, smooth coat glistening in the darkness walked up the back stairs of the building. A few seconds later, a beautiful woman with perfect milk chocolate skin and the body of a goddess stood up just outside the door leading into the covered shelter then ducked inside. The warm spray of water left a million sparkling droplets that shined like little diamonds all over her ebon skin.

The spicy rich scent of the soap she slathered on her body floated out and away from her little haven. But the soap couldn’t conceal the sweet nectar gathering between her silken thighs, nor could it hide the unusually spicy scent of her womanly dew. He could smell it from here—she was in heat.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Snippet Saturday authors
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Selena Robins
Eliza Gayle
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Mandy M Roth
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Selena Blake
Vivian Arend
Beth-Ann Mason
HelenKay Dimon
Shelli Stevens
Lauren Dane
Shiloh Walker

All kinds of interesting things can happen in the workplace, which makes this theme near and dear to my heart. Why? Because I work with some people who:

1. Absolutely hate my guts for no reason whatsoever
2. Would take any opportunity to throw me under the bus or stab me in the neck with a dull pencil just for grins
3. Would try to get under my skin the same way our very bad girl from Caramel Kisses, Alex, is doing in the following scene.

Enjoy this excerpt from Caramel Kisses and feel free to hit me up on Facebook  and let me know how you’d handle Mizz Alex. Afterward, be sure to visit all the other Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of the post.

Bitches of the world unite…so we can tie you all up and take care of you all at once with super-soakers on blast! Heh!

Speaking of Sundays, Drew even appreciated joining her in front of the television for a good football game. Even if he did like the Raiders. Well, nobody was perfect…but damn if Drew wasn’t awful close.

Bottom line—could she get past the taboo of dating a younger man? A man she enjoyed both in and out of bed? Just the thought made her smile all the way to the Expedex restaurant-styled cafe.

Drew looked up and smiled, then stood and pulled out her chair. Gentleman to the bone. “Syd, you all right,” he asked softly once he was seated.

Sydni could have kicked herself. She’d slipped back into thinking so hard and deep over the what-if’s that she’d zoned right out.

God, Drew couldn’t know what was on her mind. They’d already covered most of this ground in their endless talks—which she’d enjoyed, by the way—and surely the man was getting tired of her voicing the same tired concerns. This subject should be good and buried, yet it wasn’t quite dead in Sydni’s mind yet.

But before she could open her mouth to assure both him and herself, they were no longer alone.

“So, you’re the new head of legal for Japan, eh?”

Interesting. Sydni had never noticed how pretty—young and pretty—Alexandra Voltier was. Until now.

Drew stood and extended his hand with a friendly smile. But there was no heat behind it. Nothing like the blinding, completely focused gaze he tended to pin her with.

“Yes. I was recently promoted into the Japanese division. I’m Drew. Drew Caruth.” He shook her hand and sat right back down again.

“Mmm, yes, I know.”

Was that a purr lacing Alex’s words? Bitch. Sydni didn’t make a sound, nor did she look up. Just stabbed the lettuce of her salad like she wanted to put a hole in the bowl. Drew looked her way but said nothing.

“So, Drew, how do you like working with Ms. Cannes in the Japan group? I hear she’s a tough nut to crack, but once you get inside…she really knows her stuff.” The woman didn’t even bother to hide the real meaning of her words.

Sydni felt her lover’s eyes on her but refused to look up or acknowledge the conversation.

“It’s been awesome. The deals you all put together are a little different than what I’m used to, but everyone’s been very helpful.” Drew’s words were laced with just the slightest, quickly hidden confusion.

“If there’s anything I can do,” the woman said with a sexy drawl that made Sydni’s gaze finally snap up. “Anything at all, be sure and let me know.”

Well, that was more than suggestive considering Alex’s focus was on Drew’s crotch while she handed him her card. With a big assed grin plastered across her face she said, “Perhaps lunch sometime. Or dinner? Or whatever.” Hell, Sydni wondered when the woman’s fangs would begin to show.

“Thank you for the offer,” Drew returned smoothly. “But I usually have dinner with my woman.”

God, she so couldn’t deal with this right now. It was just too much, especially on the heels of all her insecurity. Not only were her thoughts in turmoil, but The Bitch chose that moment to poke her head into Drew’s business. Well, maybe this was for the best. If Sydni gave him an out, opened a door for him to walk away from whatever it was they were developing, perhaps he’d take the opportunity to get with Alex? Take the chance to be with someone a bit closer to his own age.

Sydni stood so fast her chair shot back several inches and scraped the hardwood floor. Relieved that the thing hadn’t crashed to the floor, she squared her shoulders and spoke evenly.

“I have some work to do. I’ll catch you guys later.”

Alex’s smile quirked up into what could only be described as a predatory grin. “Perhaps I can keep Drew here company while he finishes his meal?”

“Be my guest,” Sydni bit out, then snatched her plate off the table. She turned on her heel, biting her bottom lip to keep it from trembling as she dumped her uneaten food in the trash. All she gave Drew was a good view of her back as she retreated

Drew’s expression remained schooled, but his body language screamed “What the fuck?” But the instant surge of jealousy she felt, though unreasonable, had her inner witch peeking her head out to play. And not in a good way.

By the time she got to the elevator, her stomach boiled, skin flushed hotly, and temper flared. But Sydni was most angry at herself. Damn it, she’d never retreated in her life. That was something usually reserved for others to do to her, not receive from her. Yet, she’d bailed. With style, no doubt, but bailing was bailing no matter how classy it was done.

Too late. Sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Snippet Saturday Authors
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Mandy M Roth
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Alison Kent
HelenKay Dimon
Shelli Stevens
Lauren Dane
Lacey Savage
Shiloh Walker

Today’s Snippet Saturday theme is author’s choice. Honestly I actually like having a specific theme because I love so many books it’s tough to pick a scene that I want to post. And I obviously can’t post the whole book, right *bleh* ;D

So I think I’ll choose something a bit sassy from a book where all the characters have a bit of pizzazz in one way or another. After the excerpt be sure to visit all the other Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of the page.

Egyptian Voyage
Copyright 2006 by TJ Michaels

One more step and his erection thudded against her stomach, just underneath her breasts and partially hidden by the frothing water. Her heart rate kicked up into overdrive and breathing was a whole lot higher on the scale of important things to do. Okay, time to go. So, why weren’t her legs carrying her the hell out of the damned hot tub?

“Chrysalyn?” he asked, seeking her permission to touch with a whisper-soft plea against the side of her face. With her butt rooted to the spot, she watched one of his large, strong hands move toward her face to remove her sunglasses as the other tipped her chin up just before his lips brushed sensuously against hers.

“Chrys, baby, I’ve missed you so much.” His breath was a barrage of peppermint flowing over her cheek, followed by Eskimo kisses. When was the last time she’d rubbed noses with a man, or anyone for that matter?

His perfectly chiseled body scant inches from hers sent the blood dancing in her veins as the heat in her own skin threatened to out heat the bubbling tub. God, why had he always been able to get to her like this? Especially when she should totally hate the bastard—the dark-haired, tawny-eyed, gorgeous and seemingly sincere bastard. The knowledge that he could move her like no one else pissed her off.

*Or perhaps you are more angry with yourself?* Adonei queried as he faded to a little corner of her mind.

Nope! She was not angry with herself. Even if she had made every dumb decision possible during that rocky period while on the rebound from Rahn. Even if he would have crawled back, she’d simply been too proud to forgive him, determined to stay with the fiancé from hell just to prove a point.

Oooh, but now he nibbled that little spot he knew she liked while whispering her name between little bites.

“God, Chrysalyn, you taste so good,” he murmured against her slightly parted lips before covering her mouth with his. Any gentle intent dissolved into pure lust as he entangled his tongue with hers. She felt herself slip under his spell, felt the petals of her sex tingle and burn, and it had nothing to do with the heat of the hot tub.

Then she was suddenly empty. Rahn was there, but in her mind, she was utterly, totally alone.

Usually an expert at schooling her features, her emotions slipped out of her grasp and ran away from her. The panic that reared up to press against the middle of her chest was etched clearly across her face. Adonei! He was gone. They’d never been apart since the day she’d met him as a child. Why? Why now?

*I am here, Chrysalyn, but I would not disrespect you or your mate by intruding upon your mating.*

‘What? Adonei, don’t you dare leave me!’ she wailed in her head.

*Your mate will take good care of you. Do not worry. I will be near.*

‘My mate? What’s with this mate stuff? Adonei? Come back!’

“Hey, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Rahn asked, letting her push away just a bit. The concern in his voice, accompanied by a little shake, broke through the wall of fear quickly erecting itself around her heart and snatched her back to the present.

“Are you all right?”

Her gut clenched painfully. All right? Hell no, she wasn’t all right, but it would be a seven-below-zero day in hell before she admitted it. He couldn’t possibly understand the emptiness in her head, the little void in her heart that was always filled with Adonei’s presence. Just the thought of being alone inside her own mind was downright terrifying.

Rahn crooned into her ear, holding her tenderly, gently massaging the muscles of her back. “You look afraid. You know I won’t hurt you, love.”

Still shaken from Adonei’s absence, she snapped, “I’m not afraid of you, Rahn.” And moved to jump out of the tub.

Rahn’s hand wrapped firmly around her biceps just as her toe hit the edge of the Jacuzzi. She froze.

“I’m sorry, Chrys. I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said quickly, his smooth voice full of concern. The pained expression in his deep amber eyes moved something buried inside her she’d thought long dead—the ability to receive comfort from a man. That comfort eased through her heart, mind and body, worked its way to her head and calmed her fears.

SNIPPET SATURDAY AUTHORS – ENJOY!
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Selena Robins
Eliza Gayle
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Mandy M Roth
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Selena Blake
Vivian Arend
Alison Kent
Beth-Ann Mason
HelenKay Dimon
Shelli Stevens
Lauren Dane
Lacey Savage
Shiloh Walker

You know, when I first started thinking on this theme I was thinking it referred to important calendar dates. You know, like an anniversary or birthday or date of a memorable event, whether good or not so good. Then it dawned on me that an important date could be that first date, or the dinner date that your beau asked you to marry him or whatever.

And for the first few days I couldn’t think at all of a single excerpt from any of my books! At the time Iwas traveling for work, looking for a new house while away from home, dealing with any other myriad of things and my poor brain was just tired. In the end, I picked an excerpt where the heroine was so wrapped up in what was going on in her head that she wasn’t seeing what was really in front of her. She was missing the forest for the trees…kind of like me right now.

So enjoy this excerpt from Primed to Pounce where Delaine Jeris, our heroine, is so caught up in what she thought was a wrong done against her, that she almost misses out on her dude.

Enjoy, then visit the other Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of this post ;D

TJ

Excerpt from Primed to Pounce
by TJ Michaels
Copyright @ 2006, All Rights Reserved

*Stop running, Suta. Embrace our mate. He comes.*

‘Yeah, whatever,’ Delaine words were flat and uncaring, and in truth, she hadn’t really been listening to what Sapa was saying to her along the bond.

The sleek mountain cat rolled her eyes and stalked away to a quiet corner of Delaine’s mind. Before she retreated, Delaine felt her frustration. Well, she could forget about meditating. All she could think about was Justin. Justin’s lips. Justin’s hands on her body. Justin treating her like the queen he proclaimed her to be. Cooking for her. Taking her on road trips.

Justin sleeping with her best friend. Rather, a chick that was supposed to be her friend.

She wanted to knock herself in the head. What had she been thinking to get involved with him anyway? He was too nice, too perfect. And you know what they say—if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. So here she was again, in a relationship with a man who couldn’t keep his dick out of another woman’s pants. Her boss might think he was a good guy, but Delaine saw him as nothing but Gary-Number-Two.

Grumbling under her breath, she rose from the back porch and stomped into the cabin. She hit the sheets early, determined not to lose any more sleep over Justin, Pam or her job.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

What the hell was that? On silent feet, Delaine jumped out of bed with her gun in hand. She checked the lock on the window in her bedroom then edged her way to the small living room.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Someone was banging on the door like they were the police. That was fine, because if it wasn’t the police, whoever it was would limp away with a bullet in the ass.

“Delaine! Open the door!”

She lowered her weapon and clicked on the safety. Justin? Oh my god. How the hell had he found her? Okay, now that was a stupid question, she thought, shaking her head. The man worked for one of the most sophisticated covert organizations in the country. Of course he could find her.

Geesh, Delaine, get it together, girl, she grumbled at herself. ‘And Sapa, stop all that pacing. It’s making me dizzy.’ An irritated growl resonated along the bond.

Sapa had told her Justin would come for her. She hadn’t believed it one whit, not while he had someone else’s warm body to bury his cock in. But Sapa had been wrong, in a manner of speaking. He hadn’t come for her. The bastard had come for Pam. And when she was finished with him, he’d wish he’d kept his distance

With her gun fisted on her hip, she yanked the door open and glared up at him under the light of the single bulb illuminating the small front porch.

“What the hell are you doing here? Why aren’t you with Pam?”

Justin drew his neck back, arched a brow and looked down at her like she was crazy.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Delaine ignored his innocent, confused expression and ground her words into his face. “You. Slept. With. Pam! You bastard!”

“I slept with Pam? You’ve got to be kidding me!” he laughed.

Delaine quirked a brow, not seeing any humor in the situation. His laugh seemed genuine enough, but this was a man whose job was to be an expert at hiding who he really was. As are you. She ignored that little voice and, seeing no humor in the situation, scowled at him and his stupid laughter.

SNIPPET SATURDAY AUTHORS!
Anne Rainey
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Lauren Dane
Helen Kay Dimon
Vivian Arend
Shelli Stevens
Shiloh Walker

Hey all, I’ve been awfully remiss in keeping my Goodreads up to date. I took some time and caught up today and hope I actually remembered all the books I’ve read in the past couple of months!

T.J.’s bookshelf: read

Play of Passion

by Nalini Singh

Believe it or not, this was my first Nalini Singh book and I LOVED IT!

tagged:
paranormal, romance, shape-shifter, vampire, and hot

Bound By Blood

by Cynthia Eden

tagged:
paranormal, romance, shape-shifter, and vampire

Night Embrace

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

tagged:
paranormal, romance, and vampire

Master of Smoke

by Angela Knight

tagged:
fantasy, paranormal, romance, shape-shifter, and vampire

Master of Fire

by Angela Knight

tagged:
fantasy, paranormal, romance, vampire, and shape-shifter

Never Cry Wolf

by Cynthia Eden

tagged:
paranormal, romance, and hot

Warrior

by Angela Knight

tagged:
futuristic, hot, and romance

Three Sinful Wishes

by R.G. Alexander , Rachel Grace

Moon Dance (Mageverse Novella)

by Angela Knight

Guardian

by Angela Knight

Pleasure of a Dark Prince

by Kresley Cole

Dark Needs at Night’s Edge

by Kresley Cole

tagged:
fantasy, romance, paranormal, shape-shifter, and vampire

No Rest for the Wicked

by Kresley Cole

OMG this was a kickazz book! ‘Nuff said.

tagged:
paranormal, hot, romance, shape-shifter, vampire, and fantasy

Master of Dragons

by Angela Knight

tagged:
fantasy, paranormal, romance, shape-shifter, and vampire

The Legend of Michael

by Lisa Renee Jones

tagged:
futuristic, romance, and hot

Snaring the Huntress

by Sylvia Day

tagged:
futuristic, romance, sci-fi, and hot

Just got in from a business trip to the East coast where Hurricane Irene had done a number the day before I flew in. Happy to say that nothing exciting (read: dangerous) was going on by the time I got there. But the weather can be a funny thing. Temperamental. Or for certain lucky females, the weather can be  a conspirator. Enjoy this snippet from Gift Wrap Optional where our heroine, Melaniece, has just been drop kicked by the weather. Her beau, however, isn’t complaining at all ;D

Remember to visit all the other Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of the post! Enjoy your weekend ;D

Melaniece couldn’t believe it. Maybe if she closed her eyes and clicked her bare heels three times this nightmare would be over. What the hell was Santa trying to do to her anyway? A loving that would have bordered on cataclysmic was interrupted by the telephone. Thinking the kids might be stuck in a ditch somewhere, she rushed to answer it. It was them on the phone and they’d ditched her all right, left her up here in the mountains to be bushwhacked by Michael. And now Mother Nature decided to keep her stuck here with the man.

“This is just not happening,” she fumed as she strode uncaringly naked to the laundry room. Yanking open the door she stared out into the garage. No joke. The kids’ SUV was gone, replaced by Michael’s monster machine—a jet-black Hummer took up more than its fair share of the three car garage.

Michael’s hands lovingly caressed her shoulders accompanied by the hot, hard length of his cock brushing up against her bare ass, a reminder of what they’d been up to when the phone rang. Bastard.

“Mel, it’s not as bad as it looks, I promise.”

“How can you say such a jacked up thing to me, Michael? I’ve never spent the Christmas holidays without my children. Ever!” Every spot on her now tense shoulders and neck grew warm. Such talented fingers. Oooh, the easy massage was working. Come on girl, get it together. You’re supposed to be mad, remember?

“I’m going home toDenverto join them. You can stay here if you like until the roads are clear enough for you to drive home.” Damn it was cold. The backs of her legs were nicely warmed by an obviously heat efficient Michael along with the warmth streaming from the laundry room, but the front of her body was so chilled her poor nipples felt like little fudgesicles. Tempted to step back and lean against the spinning clothes dryer, she yanked away from Michael’s gentle touch instead.

Mad? Absolutely. Stupid? Hell no, and there was no way she was going to chill her toes by stepping into the garage. Holding onto the doorjamb she leaned out and stretched for the door opener mounted on the wall.

“Mel, don’t you dare open that garage door while you’re standing here naked,” Michael warned. Oh, so now he was going to tell her what to do? Not bloody likely. He had some nerve and how dare he growl at her like that. She would have told him so if her eyes hadn’t been pasted to the sight revealed by the open garage door.

“I repeat, this is just not happening,” she whispered. “Oh come on, Santa, work with me here.”

“What was that, Mel?”

“N-Nothing. Never mind.” All she could do was stare at the six-foot wall of snow standing between her car and the driveway outside.

At least the kids left last night, otherwise they might not have made it toDenverat all in this mess. And it was still coming down in big, wet flakes. Instinctively she turned to the huge vehicle parked next to hers, but could only shake her head. Even Michael’s Hummer wasn’t big or bad enough to get out of the garage. They were well and truly snowed in. And before she could make it out of the laundry room, the dryer began to spin slower and slower until it stopped altogether…just before the lights flickered off. Along with everything else in the house. Damn, damn, DAMN!

With some growling of her own, Melaniece turned on her heel, elbowed past Michael and stomped straight to her room. Now where had she put the battery-powered weather radio Melvin gave her a couple of years ago? Yanking an oversized T-shirt off the shelf, she pulled it on quickly and bent to the task of digging through the plastic storage boxes. Blast it all, she could barely see in the dim light filtering into the closet from the window across the room. Relieved when her hand closed around the small square metal and plastic box she snatched it out and turned it on.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, she turned the tuning knob until she found a clear channel. She didn’t need to look up to know a concerned Michael Bannon’s eyes were plastered to her face. She felt him, knew he was worried about her. The knowledge made her want to reach out to him, stroke the soft waves on his head with one hand while easing eager fingers over the planes and ridges of his beautifully defined chest and stomach. A still very naked chest and stomach.

“The National Weather Service predicts this blizzard will blow out in the next forty-eight hours. The worst of the snow started falling early this morning around three a.m. If you had somewhere to go, we hope you got there last night.”

Her hopes plummeted.

“Smart-assed weather man,” she grumbled quietly to herself, massaging her temples. Just great, now her head hurt.

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