TJ Michaels

I was privileged to receive an ARC of Geared for Pleasure by Rachel Grace…and it was PHENOMENAL!!!

Geared for Pleasure by Rachel Grace

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rich character, colorful world full of action and sizzling with heat, Rachel Grace is the next Kresley Cole!

This two-story book is a mix of magic, alchemy, clockwork, steampunk and romance that caught me from page one, so I guess I’ll start by saying I can’t wait for the next book! The world was amazingly detailed without being bombarded by a lot of backstory. The author did an extraordinary job showing the vivid bits and pieces of every character until I felt as if I knew them all intimately, could picture them clearly in my head, and feel what they felt.

The main characters were solid on their own, but then the writer gave them an extraordinary supporting cast. The colorful and very very different world (this stuff is original and I don’t believe I’ve ever read anything quite like it) combined with exceptional writing = total awesomeness.

And did I mention that the leading men were broken, yet gorgeous and strong? I mean, how do you pull that off? Well, this author did it and did it well. In fact, I can honestly declare that I am now jealous of fictional women and covetous of their men!

To sum up Geared for Pleasure in a word, or more like six words: Original, well plotted and strongly executed.


View all my reviews

Ever had a friend with a tendency to do weird or quirky things? For example my daughter has a quirk where she has to stab my food right in the middle with a fork just as she’s serving it to me while yelling “Hiyaaa!” Or perhaps you know someone that absolutely must put their left foot into their shoe before the right one or their day just won’t go right. Or perhaps your friends has tendencies like Tameth and Carin, awesome chicks from the Vampire Council of Ethics, where they to occasionally steal a plane to go shoe shopping.

Be sure and visit the other Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of the post!

Hatsept Heat – Vampire Council of Ethics Book 3
Nook | Kindle | Print

“What the hell? Tam, you see that?”

Tameth’s head swiveled around and followed Carin’s line of sight. Exceptional vision revealed the slightest movement of a shadow along the tree-lined path near the fence across the way. That path led to a grotto that couldn’t quite be seen from here, and on the other side of the thick stand of trees was a locked gate that was supposed to be guarded twenty-four seven.

“What the hell is she doing? Kenoe’s gonna kill her.”

“Yeah? Well who does she remind you of, Tam?”

Tameth rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but answer honestly…sort of.

“She does not remind me of either of us.” Tameth replied blandly.

“Riiiight,” Carin drawled. “What about that little excursion toSausalitoafter we got back from theLondonmission?”

“You can’t count that,” Tameth huffed. “We are both Serati females and can do as we please. I was not even on duty and had no need to report in. Besides, I was well prepared to look after both of us.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t have permission to take Stealth One. Which you, uh, sort of failed to mention at the time.”

“Oh shut up. You got a nice pair of designer pumps out of that shopping spree, didn’t you?”

“Sure did. And Bix on my ass. Hell, I was almost looking forward to him getting sent off on a mission somewhere just so I could go take a pee by myself!”

“Drama queen.”

“Me! And who complained after Alaan actually gave her a spanking then revoked her pilot’s license for three months?”

“Nobody I know,” Tameth lied boldly. Carin laughed out loud, then clamped her lips shut. She didn’t want to bring any unnecessary attention to them right now. Considering they’d gotten into plenty of trouble together by wiggling out from under Seeker radar, the last thing they needed was anyone running off to find their husbands.

The shadow eased closer to the grotto entrance then darted out of sight into the trees.

“Come on, we’d better save her ass before Kenoe turns it another color, like blazing red.” Carin wrapped her fingers around Tameth’s upper arm and tugged, almost surprised when Tameth didn’t put up a fuss.

Tameth shrugged. “What can I say? I like her. She’s good for Kenoe.”

“Yeah, but I have a feeling she won’t be good for his nerves.”

Snippet Saturday Authors
Megan Hart — Read in bed!
Eliza Gayle
Rhian Cahill
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Alison Kent
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Leah Braemel
Shelli Stevens
Shiloh Walker
Zoë Archer

Remember the days when your friends used to try and hook you up with the local hottie? Or when your best friend let you cry on her shoulder and threatened to help you skewer said hottie when he turned out to be a jerk? Yes? Then you’ll enjoy this weeks theme – friends. There’s nothing like a true friend. They know all about you and still like you anyway!

Here’s an excerpt from ‘On the Prowl‘ (formerly published as Primed to Pounce). Afterward, enjoy the goodies from all the fabulous Snippet Saturday authors via the links below.

‘On the Prowl’ is, for a short time, exclusively on Kindle & free for Prime Members!

* * * * *

“Gary and I are divorced, Pam. We’ve been separated for more than a year and the dissolution was final last week.” She watched Pam closely, not realizing she held her breath until her chest started to ache. To Delaine’s surprise, Pam looked relieved.

“Oh thank god! It’s about damn time,” Pam said, sticking a finger up in the air while doing a seated version of the happy dance. “I never told you this in all the years we’ve been friends because I didn’t want to speak against what made you happy, but I’ve never liked Gary. You gave and gave and gave to him, but he always made it seem like he was some kind of martyr for being married to you. It’s about time you cut that loser off your apron strings.”

“He left us, Pam,” Delaine said, the heat in her voice directed at her no-good ex rather than Pam’s revelation that she’d never liked him. When Pam’s face fell, Delaine giggled at her friend’s incredulous expression. She obviously hadn’t been expecting to hear this. But Pam, being Pam, recovered from the shock quickly and was as pissed off as Delaine had ever seen her. But she didn’t miss the hint of sadness in the woman’s dark brown eyes.

“After all you’ve done for him, he left you? Left your children? I don’t believe it! The bastard! That son of a …”

Delaine quietly cut her off mid-rave.

“Pam, it’s fine. I’ve moved on. It’s been tough being alone after so many years, but I’m fine. Really.”

“I know exactly what you need. You need to get out and meet some new people.”

Delaine immediately shook her head, adamantly mouthing the word no. Pam kept right on talking.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Pam squealed, setting her cooling cup of coffee down once and for all to silently clap her hands. “There’s a group called The Charlotte/Mecklenberg Professionals Group. It’s where folks who are new to the area can meet other professional singles to hang out with.”

“Look, I’m not interested in the meat market thing, okay?” Delaine said firmly, pointing a single finger at her friend.

“No, girl, it’s not like that. It’s a place for professionals, like yourself,” Pam said, warming to the topic. “They do a lot of recreational stuff, you know, they network, go boating, dancing, take trips to the mountains and junk like that—not a teeny bopper, get-me-some-coochie type group.”

The lioness had been content to doze in the back of Delaine’s mind. Now, Delaine felt Sapa sit up on her haunches, fully alert, her ear pricked forward as she listened closely to what Pam was saying.

“Is it safe?” Delaine asked. The lioness and she both tilted their heads thoughtfully.

“Definitely. You won’t find anybody like me in the whole place!”

Delaine’s laughter drew the gaze of a few nosey folks seated at the table next to them. She pulled her outburst down to a chuckle and looked up at Pam through lowered lashes as she thought about her suggestion. So there was a place for professionals looking to meet up with others? Definitely not Pam’s style. She’d be more comfortable at a titty bar. One-stop shopping, no intellect required. The woman had always been a free spirit, not afraid to tell a man she wanted a good lay and a good bye. Not like Delaine, who’d settled for less than mediocre sex for the entire length of her eighteen-year marriage. But now the divorce was final. Was there a reason she shouldn’t get out and meet people, get on with her life?

“It’s an exclusive, invitation-only group, Del. I’ll try to get you into the social this Friday night. I put you down to get your hair done on Saturday so you can fill me in on how it went. Oh, and wear something nice. They’re meeting at the Duke Mansion this time. Real swanky place.”

When Pam pulled out the appointment book she never went anywhere without, flipped it open and penciled her name in, Delaine resigned herself to her fate with a sigh. She entered both her hair appointment and the social into her PDA and packed it back into her briefcase.

“If it’s not your type of thing, how do you know so much about it?” Delaine asked, pulling a few dollars out of her wallet for the tip.

“A client of mine runs the outfit. She’ll arrange VIP treatment, so no worries.”

“All right then. I’ll see you Saturday. And this social thing better be fun or I’m gonna talk about you bad when I walk into your shop.” She smiled, kissed her friend on the cheek and rose from the table.

Snippet Saturday authors
Megan Hart — Read in bed!
Eliza Gayle
Rhian Cahill
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Alison Kent
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Leah Braemel
Shelli Stevens
Shiloh Walker
Zoë Archer
Lacey Savage

I don’t think today’s Snippet Saturday topic needs any ‘splaining. In this Snippet, fear = scared shitless! And this alpha is determined that his woman isn’t going to be anyone’s prey.

Enjoy this Snippet from Jaguar’s Rule, then be sure to visit all the Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of the post

Jaguar’s Rule
Kindle | Nook

There was no trail here, just a huge mound rising up out of the ground, covered with brush and vegetation. Making their way around, Aaron signaled Anthony and Austin to go to the left while he flew off to the right. If their luck held, they’d meet up together at the rear of the structure.

Adrenaline sent his heart up into his throat as it pounded from a combination of fear and hope. If anything happened to Reya he couldn’t even wrap his head around what he’d do. The only thing he could see in his mind’s eye was a curtain of pulsing red rage and black fear. Please, God, let him get to her in time.

The next scream froze the blood from his brain all the way down to the middle of his chest as it faded into nothing.

Just as he hoped, his brothers pushed aside the overgrown vines and thorns at the same time he did right in front of a low stone ledge that led into a newly uncovered structure of some sort. Thankfully, there was a string of dim electric torches lining the walls, obviously part of the excavation effort. Raising their night-vision goggles, Aaron again motioned for silence as they moved cautiously into the building and down a narrow earth and stone hallway to the sounds of scrapes, growls and snarls.

Toward the rear of the building, the hallway curved then opened up into a wide room. Three pairs of eyes widened at the sight of two muscular jaguars fighting to the death. Aaron recognized both cats.

“No!” he bellowed, jumping in front of his brothers as they raised their guns to fire. “Don’t shoot!”
Read the rest of this entry »

I received the most AWESOME New Year’s gift – Jaguar’s Rule released on Amazon this morning! Get it for Kindle (sorry, but the Nook version is lagging behind but here’s to hoping it’ll be available shortly *tj raising her glass*)

Get it here–>

And just so you know, this is how I feel about all my friends out there. Ya’ll are part of my crew and I just love you to bits! I’m not a big country fan, but I TOTALLY love this song because it reminds me of all the people who Tweet, Facebook and e-mail me. You guys RAWK! So, click the video link below, raise a glass with me and then dance around a bit! Yeehooo!

You Tube video of Me and My Gang by Rascal Flatts

Snippet Saturday’s theme this week is *wait for it, wait for it* ENDINGS! Waaaaah *okay tj, cut it out already*

I think every ending, no matter what kind, gets to us in one way or another. I remember when I was contemplating leaving the game of World of Warcraft (which I did eventually cut loose) you would not believe all the ups and downs I went through in my head over such a silly thing. Me, Miss Rational, lost my mind for a few seconds over whether I really really truly definitely wanted to quit the game. Ridiculous, right?

And we’ve all experienced the emotional roller coaster of leaving or being kicked out of a relationship. So today I picked a scene from Serati’s Flame where the heroine has had it driven home that her man is seriously stuck on someone else. And she doesn’t like it at all. Enjoy the Snippet, then visit the other Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of the post.

Happy New Year!

Buy from Amazon  or BN

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
Lauren Dane
Rhian Cahill
Eliza Gayle
Selena Blake
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Alison Kent
Delilah Devlin
Shelli Stevens
Shiloh Walker
Leah Braemel
HelenKay Dimon

There’s nothing quite like falling in love. And there’s certainly nothing like falling in love after you’ve had your heart ripped out of your chest, right?Everything has a beginning, every adventure starts somewhere. In today’s Snippet our girl, Delaine, has been through the mother of all divorces and has moved to a new city to take her life back. Oh, and did I mention she’s a kickass undercover agent?

In this Snippet, our hero, Justin, meets Delaine. She’s the woman of his dreams. There’s one problem – he’s seen her somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be…

This was my debut novel that received 4 stars from RT. I just received the rights back for it, and you’ll see it up for sale again soon. In the meantime, enjoy! Then head over to the other Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of the page.

Justin lifted his eyebrows with a perfected dumb-as-a-rock, need-more-information-please look. He knew it had the intended affect when Delaine chuckled.

“I work for a company that specializes in providing analytical solutions to pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers. We help them map out their production processes in a hierarchical manner. Then they can retrieve data from multiple databases for any part of their process. It enables them to do analysis just like that,” she explained with a quiet snap of her fingers. “My job is to work with my customer’s business community and scientific process engineers. I help them determine how they plan to use their data for analysis then we can build the graphical representation of the process, or hierarchy, appropriately. Make sense?”

Justin nodded. He knew exactly what she was talking about, but he kept his expression neutral. This woman was alluring, sexy as hell, and he was instantly attracted to her. But she’d just confirmed that she was definitely involved in what he was investigating at Astin Pharma. When he’d sighted her in The Vault, it hadn’t been an interesting coincidence after all. Damn.

“So, Justin, what do you do?” Delaine asked. Mimicking his behavior, she dipped her own finger into the whipped cream on their dessert then licked it off with a mischievous grin.

Justin’s eyes zeroed in on the pucker of her mouth as her dark cherry lips curled around her finger. He couldn’t decide if he should choke on his wine or swallow his tongue. So he did both.

Out of her seat in a flash, Delaine circled around the table and starting thumping him right in the middle of his back. Damn, the woman has a strong hand, he thought, wondering if he would have bruises where she whacked him in her effort to clear his windpipe.

“Are you all right? Oh goodness, my first outing in this town and I’ve already half killed a man!” Delaine growled, and kept right on beating the hell out of him. Justin’s hacking cough turned into a raspy chuckle. She’d sounded so sincere, he couldn’t help laughing.

“I’m fine, Delaine, really,” he wheezed around a final hack. He held up his hands to ward her off in hopes that she wouldn’t pound him again. Well, the physique he’d glimpsed when he’d watched her disappear down the tunnel in The Vault obviously hadn’t been a play of the dim lighting. He smiled big and shook his head in delight. The woman was a treat. The smile vanished when, all on its own, his mind filled with thoughts of his tongue sliding along her smooth cocoa skin to discover what this rich treat tasted like. His cock filled right along with his mind. Hungrily he watched her pretty almond-shaped eyes turn all soft and feminine, then widen as he reached out and took one of her hands. He leaned forward and spoke quietly, his fingers a feather-light caress over the back of her hand.

“Thank you for saving my life, beautiful.”

Delaine settled back into her chair, her face on fire with a fierce blush. She’d totally overreacted to his little bout of choking, but here he was thanking her. And looking at her like she was the most beautiful female on the planet. His gaze slammed into her and those damned butterflies stirred once more.

She could only nod. His expression was so lusty she couldn’t look into his eyes another second. It did funny things to her belly, made her want to pull him across the table and jump his bones on top of the remainder of her apple tart.

“Delaine, I know a little jazz club not far from here. You game?” he asked, not bothering to hide the huskiness in his voice. He watched her body language closely and her eyes flashed such a wide range of emotions so quickly he couldn’t catch them all. His eyes followed her tongue from one side of her inviting mouth to the other as she licked her lips nervously. For a moment, he thought she might turn him down. Relief stilled an uneasy flutter in his gut he hadn’t noticed was there until she nodded and allowed him a glimpse of her dimples once more.

“Wait here, I’ll be right back.” He left the table, strode to the coat check. From a distance Justin could have sworn she was mumbling to herself, but as soon as she saw him approaching, she stilled. He slipped the heavy black cloak around her shoulders and put on his own coat before offering his arm to her again.

She looked up at him warily, her brows knit in a tight furrow of suspicion. He hadn’t realized until this moment that he hadn’t asked which coat was hers but had simply retrieved the one his investigator’s mind logically picked out—an ankle-length black cloak with fox fur around the large hood that said “class” loud and clear. He knew exactly what she was thinking. Softly, he said, “Baby, I’ve watched you from the moment you walked in the door. You’re the only woman here classy enough to wear something like this.” He fingered the thick, soft material at the neck and secured the clasp, grazing her soft cheek with the backs of his fingers.

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

In case you missed the announcement of my new release along with the awesome recipe that was posted over at the Smutketeers Annual Xmas blow out last week, I’m x-posting it here. If you cook this dish (Cajun food, bebe!) be sure to tell me how it turns out!

In honor of my new Christmas release, Forever December (Kindle | Nook), let’s get down to business about one of the things I love about this story: FOOD!

At the beginning of the story , the heroine, Melaniece, meets her kids at their mountain getaway for their Christmas vacation. The first thing Mel notices after receiving her hugs and kisses is the scent of yummy Cajun food filling the air. For myself, growing up in a home with a Louisiana grandmother, Cajun food is something I absolutely love. I can actually make a mean seafood gumbo, too!

Later in Forever December the family enjoys some homemade cinnamon rolls, which my daughter happens to make from scratch. Her speciality is something we call Peach Burst rolls – cinnamon rolls made with Saigon Cinnamon with fresh peaches baked into the dough. Nom nom nom nom!

Now, back to the Shrimp Creole. Seems to me that many people assume what Shrimp Creole is. Unfortunately their belief is typically based on some half-assed, watered down, tomato-sauced fake version shown on TV or from a person who claims they’ve make authentic Shrimp Creole…via a recipe that is unauthentic. Not their fault. They probably just didn’t know.

First, what is it? It’s a simmered shrimp dish in red sauce that is served over white rice. Perfect for cold nights and good company. That pretty much sums it up. However, the flavors are complex and when made correctly, can be damn addicting.

So here’s how to make it…but first things first:

Do NOT use tomato sauce or marinara sauce in your shrimp creole *tj wagging finger, scowling and tsk’ing*. Use fresh tomatoes and run ‘em through a food processor or something. If you don’t have the time, use a good quality tomato paste instead. But never, ever use tomato sauce.

Next, instead of chicken stock or water, make shrimp stock with the shrimp shells OR as a good alternative make dashi (Japanese fish stock) using bonito flakes (but be careful – leave the bonito flakes in too long and it’ll be much too strong). Here’s a recipe for dashi in case you want to make it for things other than shrimp creole. It really is very VERY yummy.

Use the best quality gulf shrimp you can get. It can be pricey, but there’s nothing quite like the sweet smooth flavor. If you can’t find them locally, there’s a place called Deanie’s that I visit when I’m in New Orleans (god, they make the best PoBoy sandwich ever) and they’ll SHIP YOU Louisiana gulf shrimp for a very reasonable price.

Now for the recipe, which you can double or triple if you want to make a big pot:

Shrimp Creole:

2 lbs. (or more, if you like) Peeled and Deveined Shrimp (remember to save shells to make Shrimp Stock)
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Large Onion, finely chopped
2 Celery stalks, finely chopped
1 small Green Pepper, finely Chopped
2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
3 Cups Ripe Tomatoes, Diced
2 Cups Shrimp or Fish (dashi) Stock
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2-4 Bay leaves
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 small bunch of fresh Thyme, coarsely chopped
Sliced Green Onions (garnish)
1/8 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped (garnish)
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste (careful with this)
Boiled Rice

• Melt the butter in a sauce pan (be sure it’s big enough to fit the shrimp and stuff later).
• Saute all the vegetable EXCEPT the tomatoes and herbs. Once the veggies are soft, add the tomatoes and Old Bay seasoning. Toss in some salt (a big pinch should do). Turn down the heat a bit so as not to burn the tomatoes before they have a chance to break down.
• Once the tomatoes have cooked down and begun to fall apart turn the heat up, add the shrimp stock or fish stock, bay leaves pepper and cayenne. Add the herbs and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer for about 45 minutes.
• Taste your sauce. If it needs “something” now is the time to add it. Make sure it’s got enough salt (remember you haven’t added the shrimp yet), pepper, garlic and herbs.
• Bring your sauce back up to a boil and, if you like, thicken it with a few tablespoons of roux (basically oil and flour browned, then made into thick gravy) or use a cold water-n-cornstarch mix).
• Once thickened a bit, throw in your shimp. Good lord, don’t overcook the shrimp or they’ll taste like rubber. Turn the sauce back down to low heat and let it simmer until the shrimp just begins to turn pink (remember, after you turn off the heat, the shrimp will continue to cook).
• Service with rice and garnish with green onions and the parsley.

Voila! Shrimp Creole!

If you make this be sure to let me know how it turned out! Merry Christmas and have you have a Forever December…

TJ

‘Tis the season to snuggle up in front of a warm fire with a cup of tea, some good food, and an even better book. The only thing that could make the season more perfect is…SNOW!

I used to live in Colorado and I must admit, snow is gorgeous to look at and play in for awhile…and that’s about it ;D  However, in Carinian’s Seeker (Vampire Council of Ethics Bk 1) our heroine and her alpha vampire lover found that snow was good for all kinds of other interesting…things. To find out, you’ll have to read the book, but let’s say this sweet scene leads up to something more scorching hot than the hot chocolate Carin is enjoying *grin*.

Enjoy this Snippet and be sure to visit all the other marvelous authors via the links at the bottom of this post. Merry Christmas!

Excerpt from Carinian’s Seeker, Vampire Council of Ethics Bk 1
Kindle | Nook

The sun had just begun its rise over the eastern mountains when Bix tiptoed into their bedroom, bundled Carin up and carried her outside.

The entire place was a winter wonderland sitting on endless acres of gently sloped, snow-covered hills with a nice mix of trees and open space overlooking Smith Lake. In the distance, white peaks of the Rocky Mountains could be seen. Carin felt like a kid at Christmas. Having grown up in San Francisco, gone to college and started her career in the same city, she’d never seen snow. And San Diego certainly wasn’t a place known for the fluffy cold stuff. As they walked, Bix pointed out the estate’s private golf course down the hill and off in the distance, promising to teach her to play if they were still in residence here come spring. She kind of hoped not, preferring to learn to ride horses on his estate rather than trudging across the greens playing golf. She just couldn’t get over it—vampires played golf and rode horses. Real country-clubbers.

The only sound was the soft crunch of Bix’s boots in the snow as he moved at a leisurely pace in consideration of her sore bones and achy, but healing, body. The main house was at a good distance but visible when he stopped at an open-topped gazebo surrounded by towering evergreens. Bix set her on her feet, and Carin stepped inside and surveyed their haven in awe. Instead of wood flooring, the inside of the shelter was all snow-covered grass covered by a tarp and piles of thick, soft blankets. Her mouth watered at the delicious aroma wafting up from a large breakfast basket perched on one of the sturdy benches built into the wall of the gazebo. Her man had been plenty busy this morning.

The clear, jewel-blue sky was visible through the top of the structure. She’d have to come out here at night with a telescope and view the stars, well once Bix let her out of his sight. In a word, the spot was perfect, beautifully secluded, and an ideal place to enjoy a bit of privacy.

She removed her shoes and Bix shooed her into the middle of the very comfortable, extremely thick pallet. After tossing her an even thicker blanket to cover herself, he set the breakfast basket within arm’s reach and lit a blazing fire in an oversized sunken pit smack in the middle of the shelter. She smiled behind his back. The man had thought of everything. Food, warmth and a ton of soft down pillows made it nice to be outside in spite of the bone-chilling cold. Her insides went all fuzzy when he tossed a huge chunk of cured wood into the pit and looked over his shoulder with a mix of care and naughtiness in his one-sided grin.

“You comfy, sweetheart?” Bix inquired as he toed off his boots and joined her under the covers. She nodded but kept her eyes on the flicker of building flames blasting waves of welcome heat to where she reclined buried under the blankets. Her thoughts were surprisingly quiet. This was the first time she’d been out of bed in more than a week, and given her scrape with death she couldn’t believe how calm she felt. Death scared her more than anything, yet here she was, stitched wounds and all, just as happy and content as you please. Bix kept the companionable silence. Retrieving a large thermos from the basket, he poured her a mug of steaming hot chocolate.

Scooting back to lean against one of the little benches, she sipped the steaming brew with a contented sigh. Bix passed her a flaky raspberry pastry made especially for her as a get-well-soon gift from the resident chefs. A fresh banana and another cup of hot chocolate finished her off. Mmm, she couldn’t remember the last time something this simple tasted so yummy.

Snippet Saturday Authors
Lauren Dane
Rhian Cahill
Eliza Gayle
Selena Blake
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Alison Kent
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Shelli Stevens
Shiloh Walker

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