Yummy Mondays ~ Sexy Vampires ~ Valentines style
My Yummy Mondays ~ Sexiest vampires for this week comes to you on Valentines Day.
It’s a beautiful day of love and romance… as long as you can ignore the commercialism, LOL.
So, if you haven’t picked your favorite vampire yet, click HERE.
Our #2 sexiest vampire based on your comments is Eric Northman from TruBlood.
Go sexy :)
Author Ashlynne Laynne and The Progeny
Please welcome author Ashlynne Laynne with us today, and read on for some goodies :)
The Progeny by Ashlynne Laynne (Book One of The Progeny Series)
Publisher: Novel Concept Publishing
Release Date: February 15, 2012
Buy Link(s): http://amzn.to/yLwQB6
The Progeny Blurb
“No fate other than the one I choose.” The timeless creed, and tattoo, bore by the Rousseau’s— a vampire clan with the purest bloodline of any vampire family. Out of this clandestine group came one who was different, yet the same: Ascher – a half-bloodling— half- human, half vampire.
Ascher questions the purpose for his existence and which world he truly belongs to: the human world or the vampire world. Two months from sealing to Ursula— a prearranged union to a woman he abhors — he’s at his wit’s end. He knows if he calls off the sealing, the Romanian clan will strike with deadly force, but he cannot see eternity with a cold empty shell of a woman like Ursula.
Just when he thought life was complicated enough, he meets Shauna— a beautiful, bi-racial human Wiccan — and immediately develops an unshakable attraction to her. She makes him feel alive and vital despite his origins and Ascher makes a decision that turns his immortal world upside down.
About The Progeny
At its core, The Progeny is simply a story about a man and woman who fall in love, andthe fact that he’s a half-blood (half-human, half vampire) and she’s a Wiccan human are secondary factors. It started as research about the Salem witch trials, some rough sketches of a special family heirloom that my guys would wear and two names—Ascher and Shauna. In the beginning, of the book, Ascher is grumpy. Frankly, who could blame him? He’s engaged to seal to Ursula—a cold and careless vampire who wants nothing more than to get her hands on a bloodstone— and he feels conflicted about his existence. All of that changes when he meets Shawnette McCutchin. She’s beautiful, intriguing and possesses some of the most potent blood that he’s ever smelled. A war immediately begins inside Ascher. He craves Shauna’s blood just as much as he craves her body and the closer they get, the harder it is for him to control his urges. After Ascher calls off the sealing to Ursula, the trouble begins. His family’s peaceful period ends when Ursula’s army attacks the Rousseaus. Kidnapping, some steamy love scenes between our hero and heroine and Wiccan rage complete the plot.
Excerpt from The Progeny
Ascher pulled Shauna behind him, his stance clearly a protective one. But why-? Surely, she didn’t need protection from her. His grip tightened around her arm, his knuckles straining with tension. Her mind finally registered his firm hold and sent messages to her heart and eyes.
She wiggled away from him. “Let go of me, Ash! What’s wrong with you? Who is she?”
“I’m fine and she’s nobody. Ursula was just leaving.” He spoke with little conviction.
“The hell I am…” the stranger mumbled, an unsavory smirk turning up the corners of her mouth. “Tell her, Ascher. Tell her who I really am!”
“Yeah, Ascher,” Shauna spoke in a mocking tone, her eyes becoming pieces of wet coal in narrow sockets. “Why don’t you tell me the truth…who is she?”
He froze, his youthful face chiseled with a mixture of shock, horror and anger. “There’s something you need to know.”
“Spit it out, Ascher. Tell her! Or I will!” Ursula growled, her hands flicking the shades away from her face.
Terror, worse than any horror movie Shauna had ever seen. More ghastly than any monster a mind could conjure.
Shauna clutched her chest, stepping away from both of them. “Her eyes!” she screamed. “Ascher…what’s wrong with her eyes?”
The stranger giggled and continued piercing her demonized stare into Shauna.
Ascher struggled to control his mounting anger. He clutched Shauna closer. “Do you trust me?”
The floor vibrated underneath their feet. Shauna’s eyes became cold, the glare of distrust swimming in them.
“No. I don’t! Why are you so nervous?”
“You left Katy alone. You should go back up with her. I’ll be up there in a little while. Okay?”
“No. I want to know who she is. Right now, Ascher! Who…is…she?”
“Please, Shauna,”— he huffed with impatience— “just do it.”
“For cryin’ out loud…” Ursula groaned.
“I warned you, Ursula,” he growled, every part of him aching to rip her to shreds. She had nerve. Were he not a gentleman, he’d finish her and be done with it.
“You don’t warn me. Looks like you’ve been keeping a lot from her. Afraid she might not want you if she knows the real you?”
His lips strained against clenched teeth, begging to curl up and release a menacing snarl. Control— He had to stay in control. Push the anger back down. Stem the raging desire to lash out at Ursula.
Her red eyes narrowed, the smirk taunting him, daring him to expose himself. He was strong in his gifts, but rage made her stronger. Her mind turned, fighting off the subliminals he hurled at her.
She cackled, “That won’t work, dearest. It’s time she knows everything.”
“Dearest?” Shauna questioned, her tiny fists balling.
Ascher reached for Shauna but she moved away from him.
“Don’t touch me!”
“Ursula, doing this won’t change things between us,” he uttered, knowing she’d never listen to reason.
“No! She deserves to know the truth, Ascher,” Ursula responded.
“Ursula, please—” He couldn’t believe he was begging her for anything.
Ignoring his pleading, she continued, “My name is Ursula. Ascher and I are to seal in two days.”
Shauna drew in a staggered breath. “Seal— as in marriage?”
Ascher sighed.
“Is this true?” Shauna demanded.
His head dropped in shame. “Yes, but…”
“So she is your fiancée? And let me guess, she’s the first.”
“Shauna, I can explain.”
Shauna clutched her head with both hands screaming, “No!” The window, behind her, cracked. She ran towards the door, fresh tears flooding her face. Ascher grabbed at her, missing. “No!” she shouted again. The ceiling rumbled, water raining down from the sprinklers. “Move!” she shouted, pointing towards the door. It flew open, nearly ripping off its hinges. Ascher appeared in front of her. She scowled then pushed him back. “Go away!” she yelled then watched as an unseen force moved him from her path. She turned, backing away from both of them, her eyes fixated on the two. Her finger twirled then pointed at each of them. “Stay!”
“I hope you’re happy now,” he growled at Ursula then sprinted after Shauna, catching her before she hit the stairs. He clutched her, turning her to him. Distress blanketed her face. “Shauna please, just let me explain.”
A strange burn started in her legs. What’s happening to me? She’d had rage issues all her life but never anything like this. Her normally clear eyesight was now blurry and grey. The hall—she’d seen for three months and knew like the back of her hand—became an unfamiliar maze, veiled by her fuzzy vision.
She took a step, stumbled then regained her balance against the wall.
“I told you how important honesty was to me and you’ve been keeping this from me the whole time. You told me she was nobody… that it was only physical curiosity. It doesn’t look that way to me. She talks like she owns you. You told me it was over between the two of you. How were you going to cover up getting married to someone else?”
“I wasn’t, just listen to me…”
She shook her head. “I’ve listened enough. I can’t trust you. Without trust, we have nothing. All you’ve done is feed me lies. You’re a liar! I despise liars! I can’t believe I was going to sleep with you—allow you to be my first.” She gripped her stomach and doubled over. “I’m going to be sick…”
He reached for her, again.
“Don’t touch me!” Every ounce of restraint left her body. Chaos now flooded her brain. She wanted to lash out. No, she needed to lash out.
“Shauna. Just let me take you home. I promise I’ll explain things to you.”
“What part of, ‘I don’t want to hear your lies’— don’t you understand?” she seethed through clenched teeth, her anger blazing directly into him. “Back…!” she barked, pushing her hands away from her body, towards him. He flew back against the wall. “I don’t want to hear it! Don’t touch me, Ascher,” she sobbed into her hands, “I hate you. I wish I’d never met you!”
“Shauna…?” he whispered, pain and disbelief creasing his face.
“Just leave me alone. I never want to see you again.”
“Shauna you don’t….”
“Oh yes I do— I mean it and I quit! I can’t work here anymore.”
She ran out the emergency exit, setting off the door alarm, sprinting—into the night.
About Ashlynne:
Ashlynne Laynne has always had a soft spot in her heart for vampires but grew tired of the garlic fearing, sun loathing creatures of old. An avid horror movie fan, she tends to enjoy media and music that is of a younger, more eclectic nature. This was the catalyst for her writing The Progeny. The vampire/witch pairing is unique and different when most books pair vampires with werewolves.
The infinite possibilities, for such a wickedly unique couple, intrigued her. There is no shortage of romance, steam and surprises in The Progeny. These books are for adults and contain adult sensuality and themes, but minimal profanity. She loves writing on the edge and teetering between the erotica and romance genres. She thinks of Ascher and Shauna as the damned version of Romeo and Juliet.
She’s currently working on book two of the series entitled Blood Bonds. In her spare time, Ashlynne enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with her family. Ashlynne juggles the hats of wife, mother, full time employee and part-time writer, hoping to write full time one day soon.
Ashlynne lives in North Carolina with her husband and teenage son.
Ashlynne appreciates and loves to hear from her readers. Contact her:
Twitter: @qlane
Facebook: Book Page- http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Progeny-Series-by-author- Ashlynne-Laynne/129418917161599
Author Page- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Ashlynne-Laynne/118945981513261
Author Blog: http://authoraslane.blogspot.com/
Email: ashlynnelaynne@aol.com
Yummy Mondays ~ Smexy #Vampire Mick St. John
Now that it’s February, it’s time to start the Sexy Vampires :) Yum. Remember, if you haven’t voted for your favorite, click HERE.
The tie and winner for week 1 is Alex O’Loughlin (And what’s up with Australia? Is it something in the water growing all these sexy actors?), #vampire extraordinaire in Moonlight. The show had a short run, but is still one of my faves.
Public Display of Affection by Emily Cale
Wow. Can I just say Yummy!
Here’s a treat for ya’ll today, a peek at Emily Cale’s ‘Public Display of Affection’.
Enjoy!
Blurb:
After a heartbreaking end to her relationship with her girlfriend, Lucy Stark is looking to try something more adventurous. She turns to Madame Eve’s 1Night Stand service to help her find the perfect woman to push her boundaries and introduce her to the more daring side of a sexual encounter.
Samantha Taylor’s helped more than one woman explore her sexuality, but Lucy’s the first to really get to her. Keeping her walls up and the women she dates from getting inside is a skill she’s managed to master. After one night of unbridled passion, she has to decide whether to give up her hard exterior or let the woman of her dreams slip away.
Excerpt:
“I’m Samantha, but you can call me Sam.” She paused, hoping for a response, then shrugged. “Can I come in?”
Lucy—assuming it was Lucy?—shook her head and blinked a few times, as though she’d been in a trance. “Of course.” She stood back, holding the door open.
“Seems like a nice enough room.” Nothing extraordinary, but it didn’t need to be with the scenery that surrounded it. No one came there to see the inside of a hotel room. Well, no one except for them, and they’d be doing very little of that. The king-sized bed decked out with a forest green and brown duvet and pillows took up a majority of the room. The whole set-up looked comfortable and inviting. Too bad the activities she had planned didn’t require a mattress. Setting her duffle bag next to the dresser, she turned back toward Lucy. “So what are you up for tonight?”
Like a deer in headlights, the brunette looked puzzled by the question. “Well, I’m not sure. I thought maybe you’d have an idea or two and we could go from there?”
As timid as Madame Eve had described in her email. She’d expected the woman to at least have a few ideas, an erotic act she’d found on the internet that intrigued her. Sam bit her tongue to keep from making a sarcastic comment. No judgment. This evening was to be an introduction to the more adventurous side of intimacy. Aside from that, she hoped to quell the sexual frustration that had been brewing deep inside her. “I have a few things worked out. After that, we can see where the night takes us.” She imagined it would have them in bed before late night TV even started. “Does that sound agreeable to you?” She half expected the wide-eyed woman in front of her to back out. From her expression, it was clear she contemplated her options.
“That sounds good.” Lucy played with the edge of her black, knee-length skirt.
Sam doubted the truthfulness of that statement, but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. “Then I suggest we get started. We are on a tight schedule at the moment.” Crouching down, she pulled a small box from her overnight bag. “Why don’t you go put this on?”
Lucy took it and turned it over in her hands. “What is it?” The pink color of the paper matched her sweater, Sam noted with amusement.
“Open it and you’ll find out.”
BIO:
Emily Cale spent the majority of her childhood as a visitor to the worlds of her favorite authors. With encouragement from her English teachers, she put pen to paper and began imagining her own stories. Preferring the fascinating lives of her characters, she majored in creative writing. When not lost in a manuscript or a good book, she enjoys crocheting, rock climbing, and playing board games. She currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and a very spoiled cat.
Buy Link(s):
Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=448&osCsid=k53gm93p0ek26d54p935na45b7
All Romance Ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-publicdisplayofaffection-673179-144.html
Yummy Mondays ~ Sexiest Vampire?
As I started thinking about all the actors who’ve played vampires in the movies and on TV, I realized I need to catch up on some of my favorite shows.
In honor of my Spring release, Heart of a Vampire 1: Bloodstorm, I’m going to be doing a series on those sexy vampire actors.
Here’s where you come in.
Vote for who you think is the sexiest vampire, and I’ll showcase him.
Scroll below for a sample and leave a comment on who your favorite is. If I missed anyone, feel free to let me know and I’ll add them to the list.
Happy viewing.
From ‘Being Human’, Aiden Turner as “Mitchell”
Wesley Snipes as “Blade”
David Boreanez as “Angel”
James Marsters as “Spike”
Gerard Butler as “Dracula” in Dracula 2000
Gary Oldman as “Dracula” in Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Lestat, “Interview with a Vampire”
Lestat, “Queen of the Damned”
Louis, “Interview with a Vampire”"
David, “Lost Boys”
Mick St. John
Eric Northman, “True Blood”
Michael Corvin, “Underworld”
Damon Salvatore, “Vampire Diaries”
Stephan Salvatore, “Vampire Diaries”
And because I LOVE the movie… (and Leslie Neilson)…
Dracula, “Dead and Loving It”
Holiday Bloghop Winners
Thank you all for sharing such wonderful, inspiring holiday memories with me. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and added to those memories. My kids have kept me busy, opening toys (and putting some together, LOL) as well as shopping for new fish :)
We’ve played games, watched movies, laughed and cuddled a bunch.
Now, on to the goodies ~
I used Random.org to choose the 3 winners:
Susan Ricci
Cheryl Lynne
books4me2
Congrats :)
Please email me with your choice of one of my ebooks (PDF format). Click here to see the choices.
The Grand Prize winner of a Kindle Fire and a $20 Amazon gift card will be chosen within the week and the winner will be emailed directly.
Happy Holidays Ya’ll :)
Holiday Bloghop & Kindle Giveaway
Yup. Another blog hop & giveaway. I can’t help it, I’m excited to give stuff away :)
So, this giveaway runs from December 15th to Christmas day.
On the 26th, I will choose 3 winners to recieve your choice of one of my ebooks (PDF format). Click here to see the choices. You’ll also be entered for a chance to win a Kindle Fire and a $20 Amazon gift card as the grand prize, WOOT!
And don’t forget to stop by the other authors participating to win other awesome prizes as well.
How to enter?
Follow this blog :) Leave a comment letting me know, and answering the following question:
What’s your favorite part about the holidays?
That’s it. Leave your email or check back on the 26th to see if you’re one of the winners. The Grand Prize will be drawn.
One week left ~ KindleFire BlogHop
eReaders and eBooks are hot. So hot, they’re on fire! The Kindle Fire, that is.
Now through DECEMBER 15, 2011, I’m participating in the “Reading next to the (Kindle) Fire” holiday giveaway. The prize? A brand, spankin’ new Kindle Fire and 20+ eBooks in Romance, Paranormal, Science Fiction, mystery and YA!
How do you enter?
1. Join/follow my blog
2. Click HERE to be taken to official entry form. Fill in the required information (it’s just a few smidgens), and you’re entered! While you’re over there, check out the full list of participating authors and books to be given to the winner.
The winner recieves a bunch of e-books, including Dragos 1: Burned (Now available on Amazon.com)
Good Luck and Happy Holidays : )
Yummy Mondays ~ Not just eye candy
One of my all time favorite movies is Pitch Black.
Not just because I could sit here forever and listen to Vin Diesel talk (YUM), but also cause I’m a horror geek. Now, I’m not one for major muscles. Sure, I like some, but not when it’s overpowering. But this man makes anything lickable…
So today, I have the pleasure of brining you some rock hard eye candy.
Black Friday Tips and Bloghop
Black Friday.
I love it.
With four kids, a husband, (Me, LOL) and countless family and friends to buy for, I count on Black Friday.
So, what tips do I have for you?
1) Pay attention to the ads. If you know you shop somewhere a lot, sign up for their emails. You’ll get first-hand deals all through the year, not just Black Friday.
2) Don’t use credit to shop. I’ve been there, done that, getting into debt to give my kids a good Christmas. It takes longer and costs more to pay off, so really, it’s a BAD idea…. unless…
3) Since I only have a limited amount of money saved up for Christmas, cause, you know, all the year round bills, I capitalize on Intrest Free credit cards.
- Home Depot is 0% for 6 months if you spend $299 or more. Do I need $300 worth of presents from them? Usually, no. They let you buy gift cards using credit, so that’s what I do. Then, next month when I need to buy something from HD, guess what? Yup. Gift cards.
-Amazon.com is 0% for 6 months if you spend $149 or more. I don’t know about gift cards, but I can always spend that much there between books for everyone in the family, friends, (Again, Me)…
-Walmart is running a special right now 0% for 6 months on ANY purchases made in Nov & Dec. I admit, I didn’t have a Walmart card, but when I saw this, I got one. Why? They had a high ticket item (XBox 360 Kinects bundle, which is good out-of-your-seat & family game play for the whole family). As soon as I pay it off, I’ll close the card.
Now, KEY: I’m not advocating using credit cards for Christmas shopping. (See #2)
But, if you’re like me and don’t have a hefty chunk of money for Black Friday, then shop wisely.
ANOTHER NOTE: If you’re approved for a $2500 card, PLEASE, PLEASE, don’t use it all.
You still have to pay it off, and in order to capitalize on the 0% interest, you must pay it off in the time allotted. Tonight (cause I do a lot of shopping online on Thanksgiving day – see sign up for emails) I purchased the majority of gifts I’ll be buying this year, through Amazon.com which has killer deals and usually reads ads so they can match your local sales, and Walmart (RE: Big item). I spent $400.
In order to pay that off in 6 months, it will cost me about $67 a month.
Yeah, I can afford that.
But I couldn’t afford to pay interest.
So, that’s my little bit of advice.
Now for the good stuff:
Welcome to our Black Friday blog hop! See below for the huge list of prizes!
One random commenter (can be on any of the blogs) will win a Kindle Fire, along with all the prizes below! That’s the easiest kind of shopping I can think of…
Prizes:
- Cassandra Carr: copy of either of my two current releases, Talk to Me or Head Games
- Kristabel Reed: back list copy of one of her stories and then on her own blog a $10 GC plus a copy of her newest release, Risque, a Regency Menage Tale
- Lucy Felthouse: back list copy of any of her single-title books
- Cari Quinn: back list copy of one of her books
- Leigh Elwood: two back list copies of her books
- Natasha Blackthorne: copies of her two Regency era novellas: Grey’s Lady and Waltz of Seduction
- Amber Kallyn: e-copy of Dragos 1
- Camryn Rhys: Kindle copies of The Barn Dance and Off the Record – Foodie Erotic Romances
- Lissa Matthews: two of her back list books
- Misa Buckley: an e-copy of Ironhaven and To Reach the Dawn
- Lacey Wolfe: a copy of Ambers Muse
- Courtney Sheets: a $25 GC to Ravenous Romance and a copy of Kona Warrior – PDF
- Sara Brookes: an e-copy of one of my back list books
- Cynthia Arsuaga: a copy of an e-book, and on her own blog five book charm book tethers
- Louisa Bacio: .pdf copy of my first book in The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf series, and on her own blog a $10 certificate to Ravenous Romance, and each commenter will also be entered to win a Goody Bag of new Orleans treats
- Malia Mallory: one copy each of The ABC’s of Erotica and Santa’s Back Door Baby
- Cynthia Eden: a copy of Angel of Darkness (either print or digital)
- Carrie Ann Ryan: an e-copy of The Alpha’s Path
- Jacquie Rogers: a Smashwords coupon for Faery Merry Christmas, plus on her own blog, a free copy of Much Ado About Marshals
- KT Grant: a print copy of Sweet and Sinful and an ebook copy of my next release, Xavier’s Loving Arms
So what are the rules? Simple: visit as many of the blogs as you can and leave a comment for the blog owner. For every comment, you’ll get one entry into the grand-prize drawing. Be sure to leave your e-mail address with every comment so we can find you if you win! And don’t forget that several blog owners are giving away prizes specific to their blog, too!
One winner will be chosen on Saturday morning using random.org. I will contact that person about the Kindle Fire and then each blog owner with a prize will contact the winner themselves to arrange delivery of said prize. Questions? Contact AuthorCassandraCarr AT gmail DOT com.
Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
Click here to see & comment on the other participating Blogs :)
