CLOSED

Continuing our series of preparedness videos with our fabulous Zombie Joe, today we’re talking weapons and writing genres. In addition to being a kick butt spy for ZART, Zombie Joe is also an author, so we’ll also learn what genres he writes in.

To win an eBook by R.G. Alexander simply

share some of your favorite genres.

Welcome to another weekend of Snippet Saturday!

Nothing makes a romance novel hard to put down quite like bad boy characters. But sometimes good guys and gals find themselves in bad predicaments. Our characters screw up, say the wrong things at the wrong time, end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, or they’re just plain wrong. Right? Of course! And if you’re not sure what I mean, here’s a perfect example right here.

In Serati’s Flame, poor Kenoe Hatsept is being tortured by a woman…after the excerpt be sure to visit all the Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of the post!

SERATI’S FLAME, Vampire Council of Ethics Bk 2
Order at: Samhain Publishing | Kindle | Nook | Sony| iTunes

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

So far, Collins’ information had been dead on. Kenoe had been knocked on the back of the head just outside the British Museum after following the little human boy who’d delivered the note to Alaan. Collins had followed without detection, scoped out the whole place in half an hour, and got out of there.

Now, Seekers silently filled this hall. They’d already taken out the majority of Lowan’s security forces. Only two rooms remained. Bix and a team of veterans stood in front of one of them.

Easing the door open a crack, he spotted no one, but keen ears picked up sounds of obvious distress. Collins’ intel revealed there were only two Hatsept primes in the building—Lowan and his Second, a man named Myles. Bix’s years of combat experience told him one of the rogues was in this room. The other person sounded like they were trying desperately to bite their lip to keep from screaming. It had to be one of two people—a punished harem mate. Or Kenoe.

Just then, a gruff, scratchy voice said, “Tell me more, and I’ll stop Kimora’s torture.”

“Fuck you!”

Oh, yeah. Definitely Kenoe.

Kicking the door wide, Bix tore into the room. He and his team came to a halt just inside.

“Well, it’s about damned time,” Kenoe screeched from a chair in the middle of the floor. “Help, damn it!”

A well-built, cocoa-skinned human female knelt between his wide-spread thighs, lips wrapped firmly around his swollen flesh. His clothes, obviously cut from his body, lay tattered and shredded around the legs of the chair. And the woman practically inhaled him with loud slurping sounds while another Hatsept stood off to the side, eyeing every inch of cock disappearing into the woman’s mouth.

“Dayum!” Carin whispered in awe, eyes wide and gaze plastered firmly on the hard cock jutting out from Kenoe’s body.

“Stop looking at his dick, woman!” Bix ground out between clenched teeth as the biggest, burliest, white-haired vampire he’d ever seen left Kenoe’s side and stalked his way. While shorter than Bix, the vamp outweighed him by at least twenty pounds. Sword already free of the scabbard, a deadly, determined Seeker edged his way towards his teammate tied to the chair. The woman just kept right on giving the blowjob of the century.

“If somebody doesn’t get this woman off me, I’m gonna lose it!” Kenoe struggled and pulled against the tight ropes, squeezing his eyes shut in what looked like prayer.

Bix circled his newest prey. Alex started off to the right towards the cock-sucking female. It was no surprise to hear the snap of Carin’s voice crackling through the room.

“I’ve got this, Alex. Just back on up, sweetie.”

Who in all of vampiredom called a deadly Seeker “sweetie” except Carin?

“Why don’t you just shoot her?” Alex questioned, obviously confused.

“Because the modified rounds don’t work on her. She’s human.”

Bix rolled his eyes in exasperation. God, they really didn’t have time for this chitchat.

“Kenoe?” Bix called.

“Shit!” A particularly lusty swipe of pink tongue over the head of Kenoe’s fleshy cock. “What?” Kenoe yelled impatiently.

“Which rogue is this?”

“He’s Myles, now get my ass untied!”

Turning to his bondmate with a snort, Bix said, “Carin, just kick this woman’s ass and get it over with so we can go, please?”

Snippet Saturday authors
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
Rhian Cahill
Eliza Gayle
Jody Wallace
Mandy M Roth
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Shiloh Walker
Lauren Dane

CLOSED

Continuing our series of preparedness videos with our fabulous Zombie Joe, we have for you a vid on packing a Go Bag. If the zombies come knocking at your door, are you prepared to grab-and-go?

Today’s challenge:

To win an eBook by Tilly Greene tell us

what comforts you just CAN’T do without

and will they fit in your go-bag?

So enjoy! Then be sure to visit the rest of the Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of this post.

Happy Weekend!

TJ

* * * * *

Note for Readers: Contains explicit content – you must be over eighteen to read this excerpt.

“I can’t believe you didn’t shower first. I smell her all over you,” Alaan quipped.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Are you serious? I’m getting the hard-on from hell just from her scent on you, Bix. That’s just wrong, you bastard. What kind of friend are you, anyway?”

Bix had teased his best friend since the day he’d sworn off women two years ago. Alaan used to be quite the lady’s vamp, but he’d pretty much cut sex out of his diet altogether. Nobody understood it except Bix. But then Alaan hadn’t bothered to explain it to anyone but Bix.

Being a Seeker was dangerous business, and being the mate of a Seeker could be just as risky. Years ago Alaan had found a mate, only to lose her to the well-aimed blade of a rogue he’d been hunting. Now, as the single son of the Matriarch of Clan Serati, he was one of the most eligible and wealthy bachelors in the western territory. With the number of women who’d claimed to be mated to him, if even half of the stories had been true Alaan would have had his own mega-harem. Plain tired of playing games with the unmated females of the ten clans and their ambitious mamas, he’d cut off every female who wasn’t a relative. Two years of no pussy had the poor devil horny as hell. Bix totally understood how Carin’s spicy scent affected the man. After all, he’d sported his own semi-hard erection since leaving her asleep in the lab an hour ago.

“It’s not my fault you haven’t had a woman in two years, Alaan. You’re a healthy vamp of breeding age, and no sex? That’s just not normal, man,” Bix teased unmercifully, flashing an impish grin, fangs and all.

“Oh, shut up,” Alaan grumbled at Bix’s ribbing while they both tried to rearrange the bulges in their pants. “Damn, this is uncomfortable. Now I can’t even leave my trench in the SUV while I tail Sidheon.”

“That’s for sure. We can’t have your dick waving at every female who crosses your path while you’re trying to work, now can we?” Bix chuckled as Alaan flipped him the one-fingered salute.

He stopped the vehicle around the corner from a little sushi place where Sidheon was reported to eat several times a week. Alaan hopped out and Bix drove away to a good spot for surveillance. He raised a sleek pair of modified, non-reflective, digital binoculars and positioned them on Alaan as he walked down the street. Seconds later their prey passed him by. Sidheon was right on time.

“All right, there’s our man,” Bix whispered into his mouthpiece. “You on him?”

“Right behind him.” Alaan strolled behind Sidheon. His pace was easy and unhurried, with the occasional stop to peer into a window at some overpriced item or another. Dressed in black jeans, a dark gray fine-gauged wool sweater and the black leather trench coat of a Seeker, Alaan looked like an overdressed tourist window-shopping on the boardwalk. To humans, anyway. To the vamps congregating in the warm night air to enjoy the ocean breeze and the last of an orange-tinted sunset, he looked like a prime male vampire. A Seeker with a fat attitude.

“Why am I doing this again?” Alaan whispered sarcastically.

“Because,” Bix replied dryly, “I think the vamp I scented near Carin’s door this morning may have been Sidheon. He could have easily spotted me while I was scouting out the building. He wouldn’t automatically suspect you since there are other Seekers on the boardwalk, that’s why.” Bix smiled at Alaan’s none-too-subtle snort and popped a couple of watermelon Jolly Rancher candies into his mouth.

Following Alaan’s progress from his parking spot down the street, Bix watched his partner stop briefly and clasp hands in respect with two Seekers apparently patrolling the beach. Nodding his thanks when they pointed him to a restaurant that catered to their special needs, Alaan was off again, careful to keep his prey within his sight at all times. After a few uneventful minutes, Alaan walked past his target and stopped at the pre-designated surveillance point. Pretending to study the menu posted on the door, he stepped aside to let Sidheon enter the building.

Alaan’s deep voice came through Bix’s earpiece. “He’s awful pretty looking. You sure Sid’s not a woman?”

“If anyone can tell the difference, it’s you my friend.”

“Kiss my ass, Bix,” Alaan hissed into the small flesh-colored mouthpiece barely visible against the side of his face.

“Sorry, handsome. Ass kissing’s not possible. I’m taken.” Bix chuckled at his partner’s deep growling response. “Keep me posted. Bix out.”

Alaan crossed the street and grabbed a table at a seafood house directly across from Sid. With schooled features and thoughts, he ordered a glass of red wine and a light dinner. Repulsed that Sidheon even breathed the same air he did, what he really wanted was to walk across the street, pound the shit out of the pasty-faced pretty boy, and truss him up for a trip back to V.C.O.E. headquarters for sentencing. There was nothing he hated worse than a rogue, a vampire excommunicated from clan life for betraying his own kind.

Alaan watched the hostess seat Sidheon at an outdoor table facing the street. The skinny, too-pretty traitor sat alone for almost half an hour when suddenly he flashed a predatory grin as his gaze locked on a good-looking woman passing by. A woman with cinnamon skin, a tight, killer body, and endless legs. Dressed for a casual evening, she sported a pair of formfitting, dark green capri pants, low-heeled pumps and a hunter green short-sleeved sweater. Her hair was pulled back into a long, curly ponytail. If she’d been a bit taller and a little more muscular, the woman could have passed for Carinian Derrickson. Definitely not good.

Sidheon looked after the woman as she smiled her thanks at him for what was probably some lame-assed compliment and kept walking. Was that a hint of fang? Was he crazy, letting his incisors slip free in public? It didn’t matter if nobody noticed but Alaan. No vamp, rogue or otherwise, was to bring attention to their kind under any circumstance. Idiot.

“Please, please screw up so I can take you down right now. Screw finding out whatever you’re scheming.”

“I heard that. What the hell’s going on, Alaan?” Bix whispered through their security link.

“I’m watching Sid eyeball a fine-assed sistah who looks a lot like your girl. Five-foot-seven, dark skin, similar facial features, and legs like I don’t know what. Damn, she looks good. Could be a pattern here.”

“Aw, hell. That might be a problem.”

“Exactly what I was thinking. Wait, someone else just showed up. A mousy-looking human male just joined Sid at his table. The guy looks like a subordinate or something. Sending you a digital now,” Alaan said as he raised his vid-phone as if he were making a call.

“Hold on a minute,” Bix whispered. “Okay, I’ve got the digital transmission. Yep, he’s Sidheon’s assistant. Name’s Don or Dan, or something like that. I saw him talking to Carin in her lab while I scoped out the place earlier. Seemed to spend a lot of time either watching her or running back and forth between Sidheon and Carin’s labs, and the quality-control rooms downstairs.”

“Well that didn’t take long,” Alaan muttered. “The mouse is leaving and Sid looks pissed.”

“I see him. You stay on Sidheon. I’ll tail the mouse and catch up with you at the house later.”

“What’s up with dinner?”

“Depends on how long I have to tail Sid’s go-fer. Hopefully, I’ll be having chocolate tonight.” Bix chuckled, as thoughts of Carin continually inserted themselves into his mind. God, the woman was like a drug. He wanted her as much now as he had only hours before. Their marathon loving this evening hadn’t done a thing to slake the urgent need to be with her, to touch her. To bind her to him. He could also use a little bit of blood, but he was pretty sure she wasn’t up for that yet.

“Tell Dr. Carin I said hello, you horny bastard.”

“Smart ass,” Bix gritted out between clenched teeth, striving to get a hold of himself. He couldn’t afford to allow a woman, any woman, to interfere with his concentration while on a mission. Besides, he was still dealing with being far gone over her. Carin was his mate, and yes, he was supposed to be crazy for her. But it didn’t mean an independent prime like himself would immediately adjust to such a strong need for anything other than blood, sex and action. Aw, who the hell was he kidding?

Alaan’s quiet voice interrupted Bix’s brooding. “Sid is on the move. And by the way, there’s a half-pint bag of AB-negative in the cooler under the backseat. You know, just in case the chocolate thing doesn’t work out. Catch up with you later. Serati out.”

“Good luck, partner. Bix out.”

Snippet Saturday Authors
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
Rhian Cahill
Eliza Gayle
Jody Wallace
Mandy M Roth
Lissa Matthews
Leah Braemel
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Shiloh Walker
Shelli Stevens
Zoë Archer
Lauren Dane

CONTEST CLOSED – next one Sun, May 6th

Enjoy your May Day with a chance to at this weeks ZART contest. Post your writing & reading ritual and tell us what you do before sitting down to do any writing or reading! My ritual is to just drop whatever I’m doing and start writing while the thoughts are coming in fresh!

*CLICK ZART PHOTO BELOW TO LIKE AND COMMENT ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE!*

VIDEO and GOODIES UP FOR GRABS

We’ve got a special treat for you today – the first in a four part series of special ZART training by our own Zombie Joe!

The zombie apocalypse that’s supposed to hit New Orleans at the same time as our awesome Authors After Dark conference is coming up fast. Check it out!

Today’s challenge:

To win an eBook by Joey Hill

Tell us what else we should add

to Zombie Joe’s supplies?

Nothing says romance like a smexy love scene or the tension leading up to it, right? I picked something very very sweet, so let’s just get right down to it. After the excerpt, don’t forget to visit the other Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of the post.

Enjoy!

ON THE PROWL
(previously published as Primed to Pounce)
by TJ Michaels
Copyright 2006-2012
All Rights Reserved

Delaine showed Justin to the kitchen and ran upstairs to change. She trotted back downstairs in a big tee shirt and pair of jean shorts to find him already busy cooking.

“What’s that smell?” she asked, striding into the kitchen. He stuck a pot under her nose and she pulled her hair back and stuck her nose into the saucepan while he continued to stir. She sighed in appreciation, “Mmmm, now that smells really good.”

“Homemade teriyaki sauce. I’ve got this covered, but do you mind helping me with the rest of this?”

“Sure. What do you want me to do?” she replied with a smile.

The twinkle in his eyes should have told her it was a setup. She gladly accepted the task to wash a head of lettuce and cut a few tomatoes for a salad. It took her forever to do those two simple things. And it was all his fault.

While Delaine washed the lettuce, Justin came up behind her to rinse green onions for the stir-fry. Then he needed to rinse the carrots and bell peppers, one at a time. Then he filled a pot with water and rinsed off the rice before setting it on the stove to steam. And each time he needed to use the sink, he came up behind her, pressed his chest against her back and reached underneath her arms to get to the spigot. The crook of his elbow teased the sides of her breasts as he moved whatever he was rinsing back and forth under the flow of water. Before he moved away to his side of the counter, he took a moment to breathe in the scent of her hair while pressing his stone-hard erection into the curve of her butt. Oh lord, she should have expired from his teasing at least twice over.

Her pulse pounded and a fine sheen of sweat broke out over her brow. Her fingers trembled and her hands were damp, and not from rinsing the stupid lettuce. By the time she was done with her small task, her breasts tingled unbearably, and she was uncomfortably wet between her legs. Here she was in an industrial-sized kitchen, with gourmet everything and more counter space than every display at Home Depot combined. But it was too small for just the two of them. She was so hot and bothered she could have skipped dinner and just had Justin for dessert.

Even with her arousal at a constant hum just beneath her skin, Delaine actually enjoyed their meal of chicken teriyaki stir-fry and fresh tossed salad with fresh balsamic vinegar dressing. Afterward, she led him into the living room where he left her sitting while he ran to the garage and hauled in a few logs for a fire. With a blaze in the hearth, they sat on the floor in front of the couch. Delaine paid no attention as one of her favorite classic action movies played on the flat screen plasma TV mounted over the mantle. She’d smiled when Justin pulled the DVD out earlier, but now she couldn’t care less that James Bond was in the middle of laying some whoop-ass on a nasty bad guy.

Delaine sat sideways in Justin’s lap, toes curled into the carpet as she snuggled into his big body. Her shoulder leaned lazily against his chest as he reclined against the couch. His masculine scent filled her lungs, enticing her to nuzzle into the crook of his neck while his fingers traced tiny circles up and down her arms.

Snippet Saturday Authors
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
Rhian Cahill
Eliza Gayle
Mandy M Roth
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
HelenKay Dimon
Shiloh Walker
Lauren Dane
Lissa Matthews
Zoe Archer

CONTEST IS CLOSED – NEW ONE COMING SOON

D. Renee Bagby aka Zenobia Renquist eBooks up for grabs!

Okay, this was a busy week with the RT (Romantic Times) Booklovers Convention going on so we’re going to take it easy on you today. Last week we worked on our tag-and-go skills. This week let’s practice communicating and spreading the word.

If you’ve got a friend in danger, you want to be able to get word to him on where to meet up with ZART for safety, right? The New Orleans AAD convention is coming up fast. Honing our skills is crucial!

Today’s challenge:

Look at the picture below, then

head over to TJ’s Facebook author page

find and SHARE the picture

Every share equals an entry in this week’s contest AND the drawing for the grand prizes. So go get ‘em tigers!

REMINDER: ALL winners are announced on Wednesday each week on Twitter and Facebook. You have ONE WEEK to claim your prize so be sure to check back and see if that’s you. GOOD LUCK, ALL!

Snippet from
Death and Roses
A Bounty Hunter, Inc. novel
by TJ Michaels

“Is it done?”

“Yes sir. Captain Tanil has been terminated sir.”

“And the data?”

“It was not recovered, sir. Tanil did not have it on his person or aboard his ship. However, the secondary mission was accomplished. The deserter, Dr. Carl Sabbo, has been terminated. He was alone in the dwelling. Female attire was found in one of the rooms.”

“Was it hers?”

“Doubtful. The clothing was for a much larger female than the SS specimen Dr. Sabbo stole from the labs. The reports that the soldier died in the escape seven years ago may be accurate after all. That SS was known to be meticulous in appearance and surroundings. The room where the female clothes were found was nothing short of chaos, and not of our making. She doesn’t appear to have been here.”“

The man on the other end of the communication winced at the clipped, non-feeling tone in the voice that relayed the information. The soldier reporting the task he’d carried out was beyond calm. It was damn disconcerting. Then the man remembered just what he was dealing with, not bothering to complete the thought of whether the soldier was man or machine. It was a state of the art Gen10 SS. Methodical. Ruthless. Unemotional. Almost fanatical in his need to complete an assignment with as much bloodshed and madness as possible. Just as he’d been bred and trained to do.

“Very well, RE-5512SE. Just arrange for Sabbo’s body, or what’s left of it, to be found by the right people.”

“Yes sir. Over and out.”

“One moment, soldier. Who fired the shot?”

“KE-0V217, sir.”

“Thank you. That is all.” Vulf disconnected the call and practically skipped to the door of his office.

Finally the thorn in his side had been nipped. Too bad Dr. Sabbo had to be the excuse to get Tanil to the farthest reaches of the empire just so the Captain, or former Captain, could be quietly put down. Tanil would be missed. After all, he’d been one of the best tactical specialists the Interplanetary Military Forces had ever produced. Now he was nothing. Killed clean and quick.

Vulf made a mental note to send a condolences vid to Tanil’s parents.

After all, every plan required the perfect touch.

Snippet Saturday Authors
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
Rhian Cahill
Eliza Gayle
Mandy M Roth
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Shiloh Walker
Lauren Dane
Shelli Stevens
Jody Wallace

CONTEST CLOSED

Samantha Kane is up for grabs!

We’re one week closer to the fantabulous events (well, minus the whole zombie apocalypse things) happening in New Orleans at the same time as our awesome Authors After Dark conference. One ZART skill that is super important is the ability to tag and run. So…let’s practice using this week’s training challenge.

Today’s challenge:

Head over to TJ’s Facebook author page

and tag YOURSELF on the ZART logo!

REMINDER: ALL winners are announced on Wednesday each week on Twitter and Facebook. You have ONE WEEK to claim your prize so be sure to check back and see if that’s you. GOOD LUCK, ALL! Woohoo!