Thursday, July 30, 2009

Thursday Thirteen

Since I was a little girl I've been obsessed with Astrology. My parents even bought me a telescope which my little brother ruined... I've forgiven him for this (mostly). Anyway from time to time I still like to do some studying up on what's out there. I found some very fascinating information here and here. So here we go.

13 interesting facts about Mars

1. Mars has the biggest mountain in the solar system. It’s called Olympus Mons and is over twice the height of Mt. Everest.

2. The Egyptians gave Mars its first recorded name: Har dècher (“The Red One”).

3. In the 1970’s, the Viking orbiter took pictures of what appear to be giant faces and pyramids carved into the planet’s surface in the Cydonia region. Scientists disagree on whether or not they are just eroded mesas or evidence of an ancient alien civilization but still the idea is cool.

4. For a planet with so little atmosphere, Mars has some of the wildest weather in the solar system. There is a variety of windstorms, dust storms and small tornadoes and there are more of them when Mars is close to the sun.

5. There are huge deposits of ice underneath the planet’s surface.

6. Only 1/3 of all the missions to Mars have been successful. Mars is actually referred to as the “Bermuda Triangle” of the solar system. I would NOT plan a vacation there if I were you.

7. Mars doesn’t have an ozone layer; as a result, the surface of Mars is bathed in a lethal dose of radiation every time the sun rises. Really, a lethal dose? Yikes!

8. Although it is much colder on Mars than on Earth, the similar tilt of Earth’s and Mars’ axes means they have similar seasons.

9. Mars’ seasons are twice as long as those on Earth because it takes Mars 687 days to orbit the sun, twice as long as Earth’s 365 day journey. Eek! This would be great for the summer months but not so great in the winter.

10. During a Mars winter, almost 20% of the air freezes. Refer to pervious comment about winter.

11. The average temperature on Mars is minus 81 Fahrenheit and can range from minus 205 degrees in the winter to 72 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. No good, I would have to move!

12. Until recently, it was thought that Mars’ polar caps were made from carbon dioxide (dry ice) with only a small amount of water. Later observations indicated that the polar caps were mostly frozen water with a thin layer of carbon dioxide. Why is everything here frozen? This is not a selling point!

13. If melted into liquid form, the amount of water in the southern polar cap would cover the entire planet to a depth of about 36 feet. Holy cow, let’s hope they don’t experience global warning!

That's it for this week. See you next time.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Dark Host by Kim Knox



Dark Host was a finalist in the Brava Novella Competition and it’s also the first time I played with shifters. Oh and some zombies…of a sort *grin*

Blurb

Feline Mosaic, Charis Sur, thought her mission aboard the INS Pagidion would be quick and easy. All she has to do is watch her target and keep him alive until Betelgeuse goes nova.

Simple. Until one of the passengers drops dead in front of her.

Suddenly everything is not simple. Her life depends on a successful mission and she has to protect her target from whatever killed this man. That throws her into the path of Jason Narak, the one man she never wanted to see again. The man who burned her six months before. Yet, even as her past with Jason hurls her mission, her life into disarray, Charis finds that…something…is waiting for them aboard the INS Pagidion.

It calls itself darkness. And it needs a host.

The buy link is here and you can read the first chapter here

Monday, July 27, 2009

Marriage

I’ve known a lot of people (men and women actually) who agonize over this one little word. A lot of people seem to be in a rush to “make” it happen or else something must be wrong with them. Like being single is some type of personality disorder they must over come.


Now don’t get me wrong. I am certainly not against marriage after all I am married, but why is so much emphasis put on it? I’ve seen people marry a person they don’t care for, that much, just so they can say they are married. I have seen people try and force everyone they date into being the marrying type. I have seen people marry just for the sake of the kids. But what happened to just marrying for love? Marrying not because you can’t live without that person (because honestly you can) but because you just don’t want to.


You want to hear my story? Of course you do. ;)


I met my husband in chemistry lab my first semester of college. Yes we were lab partners. Neither of us was looking for a relationship. We ended up finding friendship in each other (when I wasn’t busy pissing him off lol). Over the course of the entire school year we talked and got to know each other on a real level because we weren’t busy trying to impress each other. Finally at the end of the year my BFF said, “What the hell are you waiting for? Just hook up already!” What can I say? The girl is smart. We got together that day and shared our first kiss. OMG it was awesome!!!!


Anyway our relationship was not all roses and sunshine and we even had a rough spot were we thought we weren’t meant to be. Somehow through it all we just couldn’t (or didn’t want to) let go.


Eventually (after three years) we decided we wanted to move to the next level. We were still in school and wanted to progress slowly… so we moved in together. People often asked, “If you’re living together why don’t you just get married?” Our response was, “What’s the rush?” We liked the pace our relationship was going and who were these people to tell us the “right” way to live?


Well, about four years later we had our first child. OMG I think the sky might have fallen. People were on The Man’s case about not marrying me. I wanted to say WTF? Ok in some cases I did. It wasn’t just his decision not to marry. WE didn’t want to get married just because we were having a child. I had heard too many stories where people got together for the sake of the children and regretted it so much that even the children were miserable because of it. That was NOT going to be me. The only reason for us to get married was because we loved each other. End of story.


After The Boy turned a year old we decided we were ready. Our relationship was the strongest it had ever been and we felt in our hearts that we were ready. A year after that we got married. We did it our way and it was one of the happiest days of our lives (though looking at the pictures I often wish I was more photogenic).


If I had the chance to do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing. We really got to know each other. My mom says we test drove the relationship before we decided whether it was right for us. A lot of people looked down on us because it wasn't the “right” way to do things… according to who I don’t know.


So now I'm curious. After having my own experience I realize that everyone is different. Some people find the right one and immediately want to get married. I don’t think anything is wrong with that. On the other hand some people decide to take things slow and feel things out. I don’t see anything wrong with that either. What I have an issue with is people who think a relationship is less than because you don’t have that piece of paper that says you belong to each other legally.


I can tell you without a doubt (and The Man will too) that our relationship has not changed since we exchanged those rings. Somehow, though, people want to act like our relationship is more legit since we are married but I don’t see why. Before we were married we were giving advice to other people who were married because we had already learned so much from each other and about each other. We were closer and more in tuned then most of the married couples we knew but since we didn’t have that piece of lovely paper then our relationship wasn’t as meaningful. I want to know why? Why is this the view the majority of people seem to share? What am I missing here? I’d love to know what you think.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Free Read Part Two

Ok for all who have been following, I posted part 1 of my free read last month for the Summer Reading Trail as well as Excerpt Monday. I'm a little early for both but I guess I'll live. ;)

For those of you who missed part 1 or would prefer to have a copy of the story in its entirety here it is.

When Darkness Falls

Part 2:


Liya leaned up and placed a light kiss on his lips. As soon as they touched, fire roared through her veins, igniting her very soul. He moaned into her mouth as their tongues mingled and it drove her crazy.

She broke the kiss to stare into his hungry blue eyes and gave his chest a slight push. He took the hint and relaxed on the couch, a light sheen of sweat covered his brow. His breathing was ragged. He was totally into this and she loved it. Taking control was something she never thought she’d be able to do. But something about him made her feel secure and unashamed of her new found sexuality.

The more she thought about it the more she burned to touch him, feel him. She pulled open his shirt and blazed a trail of open mouth kissed down his chest, following the line of hair that disappeared into his jeans. God, she needed to get rid of those.

She pulled at his belt and tossed it aside. She couldn’t get his clothes off fast enough. Her heart hammered in her chest and her breath came in short, quick bursts. He lifted his hips to help her remove his jeans and boxers. Finally she had his hot, heavy erection in her hands. Her pussy was wet just thinking of the things that she could do with such a magnificent tool.

As she slowly slid her hands up and down his rigid shaft his, body jerked and a moan escaped his lips. “Oh, my God, what are you doing to me?” he asked in an agonizingly sexy voice. It was almost enough to make her come right then.

She continued to stroke his cock slowly, lovingly. Watching him writhe and moan under her touch was hot. She leaned her head down and took him into her mouth, sliding his dick slowly between her moist, full lips.

“Oh God that feels good,” he said groaning out the words. She felt his hips spasm with every movement. “Oh shit, that feels so good.”

His reaction was driving her crazy. She was so aroused it was a shock she wasn’t dripping all over the floor. She increased the tempo, using her tongue to make sure his dick stayed slick, and wet with every stroke. He grabbed her head and thrust into her mouth, his eyes squeezed shut.

“Oh shit, don’t stop.” Sweat poured down his hard body and he started to shake. He let out a deep growl as he came in her mouth.

At first it was a shock but the warm liquid flowing into her mouth invigorated her. She had done this. He had been under her control and she reveled in it. She sucked and licked until she had milked him of every last drop.

“Mmm, that was good,” she said, instantly wondering where the thought came from. She had never been so forward in her life. And it was fantastic.

His eyes smoldered and his cock sprang to life at her comment. He had just come. How was that possible? In her limited experience, if a guy had an orgasm that was it. Shows over, let’s all go home. But Hawk was ready for more. His desire for her smothered her, making her gasp for air.

* * *

Hawk was in a complete state of shock. His body was rearing for action but his mind was having trouble keeping up. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself but it was useless. His heart was slamming against his ribs, his mind was a mess and all he really wanted to do was slip inside Liya’s luscious body and fuck her until she screamed.

It wouldn’t be so hard to control himself if he couldn’t sense how aroused she was. Her scent had overtaken the room until his nose was filled with nothing but her. The way she gazed at him from her position between his thighs was wreaking havoc on his brain. Fuck it.

He grabbed her and placed her on his lap, straddling him. He could feel her pussy clenching and unclenching through her pants. He needed to get her undressed. She had on way to many clothes. He pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it across the room. Her full breasts rose and fell with every breath. He snapped off her bra and sucked in a breath at her perfect tits. He swirled his tongue around an erect nipple and gently rolled the other between his thumb and forefinger. A soft moan escaped her lips and she squirmed in his lap, making his erection ache to be inside her.

God she was on fire. He moved to the other breast while he worked on her pants. He slid them off and rubbed her clit through the flimsy material of her underwear. Her hips gyrated against him as he pleasured her. She was so wet it was seeping through her panties, leaving traces moisture on his cock.

He had wanted to draw out her pleasure as long as possible but he couldn’t wait any longer. He needed her now. He went for her panties and piece of dry wall fell on his arm. Shit, shit, shit! This can’t be happening.

He looked up and to his dismay the ceiling was about to cave. He had been afraid of the damage that had been done to the structure, but since nothing had happened he’d forgotten about it. He grabbed her hips to stop her movement.

“What?” Her eyes were hazy with lust.

“We have to stop,” he said in a harsh tone. He was so pissed. He was going to have to get them out and he didn’t know how he was going to get his dick to fit back into his pants. “The ceiling is about to cave.”

“Holy shit.” Her eyes bugged out in alarm.

Yep they were done.

“I can get us out, but you’ll have to trust me,” he said staring hard into her eyes.

“I don’t care what you have to do— just get me out of here.” He could tell she was trying not to panic, but her heart rate was through the roof and she was having trouble catching her breath. She was tensing her shoulders and biting her lip. He had to get through to her. She needed to keep her head. He couldn’t afford to have her to lose it wile he was trying to get them out safely.

He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Calm down. I promise that you’ll be safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Her eyes were the size of saucers but she nodded. She visibly relaxed and her breathing was somewhat normal. She wasn’t completely calm but it would do.

“Now, I’m going to break the door down but the foundation is no longer secure. As soon as I get through you need to run out as fast as you can before the rest of the ceiling crumbles.” Debris was falling around them steadily. She looked like she might not make it after all. “Can you handle this?” he asked looking her square in the eye.

“Yes,” she replied with an unsteady nod.

“Good.” He moved them closer to the door. “On the count of three, I’ll break down the door and you start moving.”

She took a deep breath and lunged, ready to run. “Do it.”

She was amazing. Even though she was terrified, she could still do what needed to be done. He found that insanely attractive in a woman, but he didn’t have much time to daydream about Liya’s endearing qualities. There would be plenty of time for that later. He turned his mind back to the task at hand.

He stooped to a low crouch and prepared his body for the collision. If he did it just right, he could knock the door off with one try. He steadied his mind, focused on his goal, and took off. He slammed into the door, putting all his strength behind it, and the door flew of the hinge with a protesting groan. Liya flew out the door in a blur and he was right on her heels.

His feet touched the ground and the brisk evening air sent chills down his spite. He was standing face to face with the hunters. Shit, he couldn’t catch a break.

His breath snagged as he realized that one of the scumbags had Liya in a choke hold. His body overflowed with rage at the sight of the hunter’s hands touching his Liya. The guy had no clue that he had just made the last mistake of his worthless little life. He spat on the ground in disgust. He was about to make them pay.

Hawk took a good look around. There were three of them and they were stupid and careless. He could scent their misplaced confidence in the air. He would be sure to wipe those sappy smirks of their faces and he would enjoy it.

Before they could blink, he attacked. He leapt in the air and slammed his foot into the jaw of the one closest to him. His neck snapped with a sickening crack and hit the ground with a thud. A stream of blood leaked from his motionless lips and began to pool around his head.

Fear rose into the eyes of the other two. Confused glances passed between them. The second guy started to back away then turned to run. Apparently he had come to his senses…but it wasn’t soon enough.

Before the man took two steps, Hawk had him by the throat, squeezing the life from his lungs. The guy kicked and flayed, trying to get free, but Hawk had an iron grip on his neck and he wasn’t letting go. He could feel the man’s pulse slow to a stop as he died. Hawk released him from his grasp and his head made an audible thunk on the ground. Two down, one to go.

The scumbag holding Liya looked like he was ready to bolt as well, but he could forget it. He had threatened Liya, unknowingly signing his own death certificate. Hawk straightened to his full form emitting a low growl. The guy looked scared enough to piss his pants.

He pushed Liya toward Hawk and made a break for it. Hawk took one quick step and rammed his fist into the guys back, breaking his spine with a nauseating snap. He crumpled to the ground like an old rag doll, immobilized.

Hawk had contemplated draining the guy of every drop of blood, but decided against it. He didn't want to be contaminated by his tainted blood. Instead, he crouched down and turned the guy’s face to look him in the eyes. Hawk’s body was a consumed with anger. He knew his eyes were fiery red. Scumbag trembled, fear huge in his gaze as he realized he was going to die.

"You're dead," Hawk said, grabbing his head and twisting hard, leaving the guy there with look of frozen terror across his face.

Liya's shattered breathing pulled him from his trance like state. He stood to face her, a feeling of dread seeping through his very core. Her face was painted with horror at the gruesome scene before her. This was his every day life and it scared the shit out of her. He let out a harsh, painful sigh. Who was he fooling? She wasn’t cut out for this.

She was a beautiful, sensual, caring woman and he lived in a dark, ugly world. How could he ever have thought he could make a relationship work with her? She was able to make him feel whole and alive, where so many others had failed. She was the one he could see going the distance with. And she was the only one that he couldn’t have. There was no way he could ask her to give up her life to be with him, no matter how much he wanted it.

“Let’s get you home,” he said trying to keep his voice steady. He didn’t want to show her the pain it was causing him. She had been through enough that night as it was.

* * *

“Take me home?” she asked a confused frown on her face.

“I want to get you to a safe a place. And that’s not with me.” His voice was dark, sad even, though she was sure he was trying to hide it.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “You can’t mean that.” Sure, what had just happened had frightened her. But she wasn’t afraid of him. Never of him. He had kept her safe, when her own people had tried to harm her. They truly were monsters, these hunters. It was clear that they would stoop so low as to hurt one their own if it meant gaining an opportunity to slay a vampire. She didn’t want him to leave. She needed him, she realized that now. This was ridiculous. He had wanted her so badly before. Why this sudden change?

“I do mean it.” His eyes were dull, tired. “I can’t be around you. Everything that happened was all because of what I am. I couldn’t stand it if something where to happen to you because of me.” His eyes pleaded with her to understand, but she couldn’t. If you really cared about someone, you didn’t just leave them.

She shook her head in denial. “You can protect me. I know you can.” Her voice shook with desperation. She stopped to collect her composure and went on. “Please,” she begged, looking into his eyes, grabbing his shoulders, and trying to shake some sense into him. “Please don’t do this.”

Pain streaked across his face. He shook his head and looked off into the distance. “I’m sorry.”

“Fine,” she replied softly. A sharp pain lanced through her chest. Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces. She knew he didn’t want to leave, but, damn it, being left was being left.

He followed silently to her small house and walked her to the door. She turned for one more glance at his beautiful face. She wanted to memorize every line, every hair, every feature. He had changed her life. In his arms, she had felt free. Free to be who ever she wanted and it was the greatest feeling in the world. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her and he was leaving.

* * *

He gazed into her eyes for long moments unable to move, hypnotized by her magnetic eyes. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he stayed. It wasn’t him she was afraid of. Maybe he could protect her. He opened his mouth to speak but changed his mind.

No, there was no way he could bring himself to do it. She would be in constant danger if she stayed with him and he couldn’t allow that. For once in his life, he would do the right thing, no matter how much it killed him. This had to be goodbye.

“Look,” he started unsure of what to say. “I wish…”

“Please don’t,” she said shaking her head. “Let’s just say goodbye.” She leaned up and placed a light kiss on his lips, sending a shiver down his spine. The fact that something so small could affect him so much was still a mystery to him.

“Goodbye,” he said forcing his feet to turn around and leave her, forever. The thought made a lump form in his throat. He had to fight to keep from turning around and making her his, despite all the odds stacked against them. This was the right thing to do. One lone tear burned down his cheek as he left the one woman that could truly make him whole again.

* * *

Two weeks later, Liya found herself trying, but failing not to wallow about losing Hawk. How had she come to care for him so deeply in such a short span of time? Every day since they’d parted, she paced her house hoping that he would come back. She wished she could go looking for him, but she didn’t know where to start. The only place she knew of had been demolished and she was sure he wouldn’t be going back there any time soon.

After wearing out her mahogany carpet she decided she was tired. She trudged to her room and set down her mug of steaming green tea on the nightstand. Plopping down on the bed, she stared out the small window near her full size bed. Usually a comfort, her room only made her feel lonely now. How was she supposed to move on if she couldn’t get images of Hawk to vacate her brain?

With a tired sigh, she laid her head on the soft cotton pillow and tried to relax. Her mind wondered in circles about what she could have done differently to make him stay. She new, that he wanted her and not just in the physical sense. The emotions were there. She could see them in his eyes as he forced himself to leave her.

Damn it! Why did men have to be such idiots? Why couldn’t she have a say in their future too? She was a big girl and she could decide what was too dangerous for her. This was down right torture. Not knowing where he was and if he was okay. The uncertainty was eating her alive.

She sat back up and took a sip of tea. The fluid burned down her throat and ended in a heated pool as it landed in her stomach. Hot tea normally relaxed her but nothing was working anymore. All she wanted was Hawk.

A knock at the door made her jump, almost spilling her tea. Who could it be at this time of night? She padded to the front door wearing nothing but her robe and peered through the peep whole to get a glimpse of her visitor.

An involuntary gasp escaped her lips and her breath caught in her throat. It was Hawk. She swung the door open and stared at the most beautiful sight in the world. A dripping wet Hawk standing at her front door.

It had been pouring rain for hours and wherever he’d come from he had walked. Her heart slammed into her chest, her brain clouded with happy confusion. Why was the floor getting so close?

Suddenly all went dark.

She came to, staring into the eyes of a concerned Hawk. She couldn’t believe she had fainted. She had never fainted in her entire life. And him being there wasn’t a dream, he was actually in the same room with her. But why, she wondered sitting up to place herself on more even playing field?

“What’s going on?” she asked once she forced her thoughts into making some type of sense. “Why are you here?”

“I had to see you,” he said, his eyes filled with intense emotions. “I couldn’t stay away.” He leaned in close and toyed with her freshly washed hair. He buried his face in her locks, inhaled deeply and shuddered. His response to their closeness made her long for what she couldn’t have. Him.

Tears she could no longer hold back leaked from her eyes. Quiet sobs racked her body. She was tired of being alone.

“Please don’t cry,” he whispered into her ear, tugging her closer.

“I can’t help it. I’m so tired of being lonely.”

“Why are you lonely?” he said with a frown. “Where are your friends, your family?”

She stared at the floor. Could she tell him? She didn’t even know if he was going to stick around. Did she really want to open herself up to him, when she was feeling so unsure about where they stood?

“You can tell me.” Holding her gaze with gentle eyes.

“I don’t even know how to begin.”

“It’s okay, just take your time,” he said, rubbing her back in a circular motion.

She nodded, took a deep breath then released it slowly. “When I was nine, my parents were killed in a fire.” She paused to collect her composure then continued. “As if that wasn’t bad enough, later on we found out that it was done intentionally.”

“Arson?” he whispered.

“Yeah. This guy was in love with my mom but he didn’t want to let her go.” She stopped, no longer sure she wanted to share this with him.

“It’s okay you can tell me,” he said with an encouraging nod.

She went on with a sigh, “I thought I would die from the pain of loosing them. I was left completely alone. That psycho, crazy asshole ruined my life. He took them from me all because he couldn’t stand that my mom didn’t want him!”

She swallowed and rubbed her tired eyes. ”I haven’t been able to trust anyone since. I always find myself looking over my shoulder, afraid that someone is going to come after me. Because of him, I have no family, no friends, nothing.”

She lifted her head to see into his eyes, his irises were black.

“What’s with your eyes?” she asked deciding to change the subject.

“The color of my eyes shows how I feel, which is why I never want anyone to look at them. They turn four colors. Red when I’m angry, blue when I’m aroused,” he said with a wink, which made her blush. “And black when I’m unhappy. Any other time they’re just brown.”

“They’re black right now. You‘re unhappy?”

“Hell yes, I’m unhappy.” He sighed and shook his head. “Very unhappy. I hate that you’re alone. I hate that no matter what I do I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re all I dream about, you’re all I want. And I really hate that I’m afraid of what’ll happen to you because I can’t stay away from you.” His black eyes pierced her soul with their intensity. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

“So do you mean that you want to give us a shot?” Hope welled in her chest at the thought of having a chance to be with Hawk. It was everything she had dreamed of for the past two weeks and now that he was here she wasn’t giving up without a fight.

“I don’t know what I mean Liya.” His gaze danced across her lips, her eyes and her body. He was holding back, hopefully not for long.

There was a long silence that followed his last remark. His mouth said one thing but his eyes said another. “I like them,” she said, her voice quiet.

“You like what?” he said shaking his head. “You can’t just start a conversation in the middle. How do you expect me to keep up?”

“Your eyes,” she said smiling, mesmerized by his masculine beauty. “I think they’re beautiful. I think you’re beautiful.”

He grazed her face with his fingertips, stopping at her lips. Then he stared at her, looking as if he wanted to devour her, his eyes turning a beautiful shade of deep blue.

She reached between his thighs and rubbed his already hard erection through his pants. “So blue really does mean aroused?” she asked, a mischievous little grin gracing her lips.

He closed his eyes, swallowed and leaned his head back. “Yes.”

She touched his face with a soothing caress, loving the way his perfect skin felt against her hands.

He let out a soft moan. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop.” He opened his eyes, staring her down with a heated look. “I held back the first time I touched you, but I don’t think I can this time. I haven’t fed for a week and I may not be able to control myself this time. I could bite you.”

“Do you mean to tell me that biting is somehow connected with sex?”

“Yes,” he said as he shifted trying to get comfortable.

“But I thought vampires needed human blood to survive,” she said with a frown.

“Human blood is required to fully nourish our bodies, but we can drink vampire blood as well. Think of it as more of a delicacy. We only do it when we’re mating. It takes the whole experience to another level.”

“But what about diseases?”

“We don’t catch diseases. Our blood is immune to them. A protective measure since we are required to drink blood to survive.”

“So,” she said, taking a deep breath while staring at a spot on the wall behind him, “What would happen if you bit me?”

“Well, for one thing you wouldn’t be turned into a vampire,” he said with a smirk playfully rolling his eyes.

“Would it hurt?”

“No, it won’t hurt. It may feel like a little pinch for a second after you are bitten, but that wouldn’t last for long.”

“Oh,” she said, tapping her finger on her chin. “So what about children? You said that you had a son. How do vampires have children?”

“We have sex. But we have to perform a special mating ritual first. It requires drinking a fertility potion. I know it must sound ridiculous, but that‘s the way it‘s done.” His blue gaze consumed with passion as he stared intently on her mouth.

Her body tingled with arousal at the thought of his hard muscled body thrusting inside of her, mating with her. She closed the distance between them and, feeling bold, she straddled his lap. Leaning forward she gave his neck a soft slow lick, eliciting a moan from his lips.

She turned his head to face her and gave him a gentle kiss making him squirm beneath her as she teased his mouth with her moist tongue.

He let out a tortured groan, grabbed her waist and started to grind into her body. Their breath came in rushed puffs as the fire of their arousal burned bright with heated desire.

She gave his ear a gentle lick and he sucked in large breath.

“Oh God, what are you doing to me?” he moaned.

“I need you…right now,” she replied as she caressed his mouth with her tongue until he let her in. They both sighed with pleasure as their tongues danced and mated, their heated bodies melding against one another.

“Where’s your room?” His voice was gruff, anxious. She pointed to the back of the house. He carried her down the hall and guided them down on the bed, smothering her lips with his.

He broke the kiss to take a few deep breaths then pulled her robe open. He concentrated on her breasts first, took one starved look and closed in, drawing slow circles around her left nipple. She moaned his name and rocked her hips in anticipation of what was to come, her thoughts coming in a blur.

I never dreamed it would be like this, she thought, as thick juices flowed from her throbbing pussy. She had never been so turned on in her entire life.

He pulled one taught nipple into his mouth, driving her mad as he licked and sucked on her sensitive flesh.

“You taste so good,” he murmured, moving to the next nipple and giving it the same treatment. “Is this what you wanted?” he asked, shifting his eyes to look at her as he continued to suck at her breasts.

“Yes,” she moaned. “Please…more.”

“More what?” he said, still teasing her with his tongue. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want you to make me come,” she said, her breaths quick and shallow as he continued to pleasure her.

“How do you want me to do it?” he murmured as he slowly moved down her body.

“I want your tongue here,” she said her middle finger sliding around her clit. She was barely able to breath her lust was raging out of control.

His eyes burned into her, his nostrils flared and he was breathing impossibly fast. He looked wild and out of control. He was glorious. He stripped her robe completely off and began to draw slow, short circles around her throbbing clit with his moist tongue.

She cried out and spread her legs to give him better access to her pleasure zone. Strangled moans escaped her lips one after the other until they became one continuous melody.

He slipped one long finger inside of her tight, wet pussy, torturing her with pleasure as he slid in and out, caressing her silken walls. She bucked her hips, begging for more.

His tongue danced and circled around her naked flesh, her back arching with reckless abandon as he plundered her body. She screamed her release, convulsing into a chain of spasms. He continued teasing and nipping until he had coaxed the last cry of ecstasy from her lips, and her body finally relaxed.

A look of hard restraint on his face, she could tell that he had been trying to hold himself back from biting her, but he was struggling.

It was right then that she made a decision. She was nervous and excited all at the same time.

Taking a deep breath, she turned her head and exposed her neck to him. “It’s alright, go ahead.”

“I don’t have to do it. I can control myself. I don’t want to force you to do anything you may regret later.”

“I know what I’m doing. Just trust me.”

He stood up and threw off every scrap of clothing and then moved on top of her, bracing himself on his elbows.

He placed his rock hard erection at the entrance of her sex. His heated gaze bore into her, melting her. He rotated his hips, teasing her.

“Hawk,” she said with a whimper. “Hurry.”

He shivered and plunged inside of her soft flesh with one fierce thrust, biting her neck at the same time. She cried out, her mind unable to comprehend the extreme pleasure taking over her body. She never imagined that being bitten by a vampire could be so intense.

He moved inside of her with powerful strokes, sending ripples of intense, erotic bliss throughout her entire body again and again. He released her neck with a satisfied sigh and then muffled her cries with demanding, needful kisses, moaning into her mouth from the ecstasy of their lovemaking.

Her body started to shiver. She could barely contain what she was feeling. He pulled out of the kiss. His heated gaze captured hers as he drove into her again and again. Their bodies were out of control, moving of their own accord, a thick sheen of sweat covering them. They moved in perfect unison together—their bodies made for one another.

She rose to meet him with every powerful thrust. The tip of his cock repeatedly hitting her sweet spot, driving her out of her mind, she clawed at his back, their coupling ferocious, yet sensual.

Her body began convulsing, fierce orgasmic pleasure ripped through her entire being. She screamed his name as she came, covering his shaft with her sweet nectar.

He joined her with a hoarse shout as he poured his hot seed into her body, spasms of pleasure consumed him. He collapsed on top of her body with a satisfied groan.

They lie in each other’s arms, their breath mingling, as they recovered from their lovemaking.

Tears began to flow from Liya’s eyes and a loud hiccup escaped her lips. Hawk lifted up just enough to look into her face, smoothing back her hair. “What’s wrong?” he asked, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

“I don’t know…nothing,” she said, shaking her head.

“Nothing?” he asked, rolling over to his side.

She sat up wiping her eyes. “I’ve never even come close to experiencing anything like that before,” she said, still shaken by the beauty of what they had just shared. “I’m just overwhelmed I think.”

“Is that really all?” he asked sitting up.

“Well…” she began with hesitation.

“I knew there was something else. Please tell me,” he said, stroking her cheek.

“What happens next, Hawk? I mean…where do we go from here.” She paused, to look around the room. “I don‘t think I could bear it if you left me again. Not after what we just shared.”

Hawk placed a light kiss on her lips. “You don‘t have to worry about that anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Liya asked, gazing up to look him directly in the eyes.

Hawk smiled softly at her before leaning in to kiss her tenderly. “I can‘t imagine life without you. The past two weeks have been the most miserable of my life. I don‘t ever want to feel that way again.”

Relieved, but still a bit unsure, she bit at her lip. “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“And what about when you need to feed? What about the men who tried to kill you? I think we both know they’re not going to stop looking for you. What about that?”

Liya looked up to Hawk in just enough time to see his eyes turn their deep, exotic blue. “One step at a time, baby. Now the way I see it, when darkness falls, we come back here and make love until we can’t anymore.” He touched her wounded neck with his fingertips. “Now, that’s something even you can’t argue with.”

A slow smile graced her lips. “You know, Hawk, I think you’re right.”

© Lauren Murphy, All rights reserved


Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed reading When Darkness Falls as much I enjoyed writing it!

Please be sure to check out the stories below on the Summer Reading Trail and Excerpt Monday!

Summer Reading Trail Stories.

Erotic Shelley Munro - Live the Moment Erotic Romance

Poetry: Desiree Torres - My Lion Lover

Sexy:Kim Knox - Dark Host - Rating, sexy

Excerpt Monday Stories

The Hosts of Excerpt Monday:


Mel/Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)

and

Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG)


Joining us this week:

AJ O'Donovan, Poetry (PG13)
Stephanie Draven, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Heather S.Ingemar, Dark Fantasy/Poetry (PG13)
Babette James, Fantasy Romance (PG 13)
Cynthia Justlin, Romantic Suspense (PG 13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Julia Knight, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
Ansha Kotyk, Middle Grade Adventure (PG13)
Jeannie Lin, Historical Romance (PG 13)
RF Long, YA Paranormal (PG13)
Caitlynn Lowe, Epic Fantasy (PG13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Crista McHugh, Contemporary Erotic Romance (PG 13)
Leigh Royals, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Dara Sorensen, Historical Paranormal (PG 13)
Bethanne Strasser, Historical Romance (PG13)
Melissa Aires, Futuristic Romance (R)
Jax Cassidy, Contemporary (R)
Christina DeLorenzo, Furturistic Sci-Fi (R)
Maya Doyle, Parnormal Romance (R)
Ginny Glass, Paranormal (R)
Amber Green, Romantic Suspense (R)
Cate Hart, Paranormal YA (R)
Kinsey W. Holley, Erotic Romance (R)
Ali Katz, Erotic Paranormal Romance (R)
Aislinn Kerry, Fantasy (R)
Inez Kelly, Fantasy Romance (R)
Cherrie Lynn, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)
Rebecca Savage, Romantic Suspense (R)
Fae Sutherland, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)
Stephanie Adkins, Paranormal Erotic Romance (NC 17)
Evie Byrne, Erotic Historical Romance (NC17)
Ella Drake, Erotic Contemporary (NC17)
Dawn Montgomery, Erotic Paranormal Romance (NC17)
Kim Knox, Erotic Paranormal Romance (NC17)
Emily Ryan-Davis, Historical Western Romance (NC17)
Kirsten Saell, Erotic Fantasy Romance (NC 17)
Jeanne St. James, Contemporary Romance (NC 17)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Thursday Thirteen

As I searched through the web today at work on my... er break I found this website full if weird words and their meanings. Today I'd like to share a few with you.

Thirteen Weird Words and Their Meanings

1. Abligurition - Spending just an inconceivably large amount of money on food. (I'm personally going to start using this in every day lingo.)

2. Aprosexia - An abnormal inability to pay attention, characterized by near-complete indifference to everything. (There are definitely times I can be accused of this)

3. Bablatrice - A female babbler. (Seriously, how do these people know me?)

4. Bever- A snack between meals. (Gee I just thought it was called a snack...)

5. Coads-nigs! - An expression of surprise. (ROFL try using that in a sentence)

6. Deglutition - The act of swallowing. (*gasp* Just tell me, did your mind go there too?)

7. Emacity - A fondness for buying things. (I'm going to start adding this in my bios.)

8. Floccinaucinihilipilification - To establish or state that something has no value. (Say that three times fast. Hell, just say it one time.)

9. Hoddypeak - A blockhead or fool. (I'd like to throw this one around at work.)

10. Verticordious - To turn the heart from evil. (I have got to put this in a book.)

11. Windlestraw - A person who is tall, thin and un-healthy looking. (Am I the only one who thinks this description fits another word?)

12. Xanthippe - An ill-tempered woman. (Alright now I'm convinced that people have been looking in my window and making up things to call me.)

13. Zizany - A harmful weed. (Get out of my yard you Zizany... Ok I'm sorry I couldn't resist.

To see these and other weird words go check out the website I visited earlier. There are loads more where these came from.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Five Senses

I consider myself to be very in tune with my mind and my body and how outside influences affect me. I often try to allow my five senses to lead me through life. If it smells good I want to taste it (for me smell and taste usually go together), if it feels good I want to hold it, if it looks beautiful I want to stare at it, if it sounds good I want to immerse myself in it.

I’ve noticed over the years that my sense of smell is by far one of my more dominant senses. I can smell things usually before other people can and also I’ve noticed that certain smells will trigged poignant memories or feelings. The smell of rain instantly relaxes me. The smell of freshly cut grass instantly makes me feel that it is summer outside. The smell of cake baking reminds me of my grandmother. The smell of collard greens reminds me of holidays with my family. The things that are triggered by my sense of smell are not just mild reminiscent either. When these smells engulf my senses I feel like I have been shot back to a place in the past instantly. Like I am right there by my grandmother’s side while we sit in the kitchen waiting for the cake to bake.

Somewhere along these lines was when I realized how important these five little things are to a story. The things the characters taste, smell, hear, touch and see make the book complete. They make a story come alive apposed to seeming flat and lifeless. They draw the reader into the story and make them feel as if they are there, or could be there. They can make a story truly unforgettable.

Tell me what you think. Do you agree or have I been getting a whiff of a little too much cake. :P

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Thursday Thirteen

I absolutely love my new WIP... even if I'm not "supposed" to be working on it right now. Here's why.

Thirteen Things I Love About My New WIP

1. The hero. He is a brooding, sexy, cursed demon. Seriously, it doesn't get much better than that. All that angst. *sigh*

2. The heroine. Even though she is the cause of some of his pain she really doesn't mean to be. On top of that she's scarred, doesn't take shit and knows she's not perfect. Hell, who likes a preachy heroine?

3. I have this awesome secondary character (best one I've written so far) and she rocks! She's mysterious and a little sneaky but with a good cause. ;)

4. It's angsty but not so much you just want the characters to just die lol.

5. It's packed with emotion. There is so much love, hate and desire I sometimes find myself wishing I was in this story somewhere.

6. They're in a place that's really hot. Makes for a lot of sweaty scenes. Can't go wrong with that.

7. It's got a bit of sarcasm... just like someone else I know.

8. The intrigue is there. Let me tell you, I can't wait to find out what's next and I'm the author. Ok, maybe that's because I'm a panster but still I want to know!

9. My mom won't blush quite so hard when she reads it. I mean she'll blush a little, let's just be real here. This story is freakin' HOT! But just not as much as she usually does, so this is something new for me. I love new things.

10. I usually hate doing research but I did it for this story. The surprise was I actually had fun doing it... weird.

11. This story is a refreshing change of pace for me. It's quite different then a lot of things I've written so far. I like change... most of the time.

12. This WIP has helped me to fall back in love with writing. I had been wondering if I was ever going to feel that way again. Now I do. Yay!!!!

13. It just feels damn good to write these characters. I've had them in my head for at least six months and I was tired of them yelling at me. It's nice to let them escape.

Ok thanks for letting me ramble (like it's something new). Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Thursday Thirteen

I seemed to have forgotten all the things I hated about pregnancy so in my ignorance I decided to have another one. What the hell was I thinking?

13 things about pregnancy I can’t stand!

1. Morning (more like all day) sickness. I’ve never gotten the full blown sickness but the halfblown was more than enough.

2. The constant bathroom breaks. Seriously I have never peed so much in my life… ever.

3. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough sleep again. Between the little munchkin in there stealing all my energy and the constant nightly bathroom breaks (up to 4 a night thanks) I’m never going to feel well rested again.

4. If my skin gets any itchier I think I may scratch it off. All the stretching can’t be good for me and there isn’t enough cocoa butter in the world to relieve me of my sadness. *sigh*

5. New wardrobe. Yes this is the one time in life where having to get new clothes is not a plus.

6. My face is so fat it might float of my neck at any second.

7. Pregnancy brain is the devil. Oh yes it does exist. I can’t remember a damn thing… er what was I saying?

8. Trouble breathing. There is a living being in there pushing against my lungs and other organs. Thanks a lot!

9. Cravings. Seriously how many helpings of brownies and ice cream can one person eat… have I mentioned that I don’t like sweets?

10. The constant hunger makes me feel like a vampire. I always need to feed… only food not blood… right, moving on.

11. If one more thing on my body starts to ache I can’t be accountable for my actions.

12. When strange people touch me I want to do violent things. People I do know can touch. If I’ve never before seen you in life, stay the hell away!

13. 9 (Really 10) months is like forever. It’s almost a year! Why am I being punished?

Well that sums up my life in a nutshell. I have to say that even though I totally want this to be over… NOW there is nothing like holding a fresh, newborn baby in your arms. All of this is totally worth it. I’m sure I’ll agree with that statement even more once the pregnancy is over.