a-whisper-of-humanity

GUEST: Morgan Q. O'Reilly

Welcome to another stop on the Summer Vacation Tour!

Chinook Wine and Sink Her

Available in ebook from Lyrical Press and other fine online book retailers:
http://www.lyricalpress.com/chinook_wine_and_sink_her.html

Blurb:

Linnet Greenbriar has a job to do on the isolated Alaskan Yukon River. Hoping the remote area will keep her away from men for as long as possible, she is shocked to see the handsome stranger walking up the river and singing a little song. All her hopes change when a mishap sends her falling into the river and also into the arms of said handsome stranger.

Creed finds himself in the wrong place at the right time and becomes a self appointed hero when he rescues the beautiful Fish and Game Officer from the icy river. All he wanted was a little peace and solitude, but one look at this city girl has him changing his tune.


Warning: Sex in bathtubs filled with water from natural hot springs, too many men and a moose, who just might interrupt the fun.

Visit Alaska, today. Come for the scenery and stay for the romance!

Travel down picturesque rivers where every inlet is stocked with adventure and just maybe the man of your dreams. If you want a change from your run-of-the mill vacation, Alaska has just what you’re looking for. Don’t believe us. Listen to this testimonial from a satisfied, and do we mean satisfied resident.

Linnet Greenbriar (Alaskan Fish and Game biologist): Who knew taking a job on the isolated Alaskan Yukon River could land me the man of my dreams. I’d hoped the remote area would keep me away from men who were fishing for something more than salmon for as long as possible. Man, was I shocked to find a handsome stranger on the riverbank. It was the last thing I expected to see. All my hopes for peace and quiet changed when a mishap sent me falling into the river and also into the arms of the man of my dreams.

Not to leave out the men in our Alaskan vacation to romance package:

Creed Willis: Sometimes you just find yourself in the wrong place at the right time. When I planned my getaway I never thought I’d become a self-appointed hero. One look at Linnet and how could I resist rescuing the beautiful Fish and Game girl from the icy river? After all who wants a little peace and solitude, when true love stares you in the face? Let me tell you, one look at this city girl had me changing my tune.

With testimonials like that, what are you waiting for?

Visit beautiful Alaska, today. Come for the scenery and stay for the romance!

Disclaimer from the Alaskan Tourist Board: We cannot guarantee sex in bathtubs filled with water from natural hot springs, but we can promise the moose won’t mind watching.

Advisory from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Please close all curtains when having sex in the wild. It upsets the wildlife. A sudden migration of the local moose population was noted by the department of the interior. Upon investigation the cause was tracked to a small cabin on the Yukon.

Biologist Linnet Greenbriar reported she had no idea what sparked the sudden migration, stating she'd been in the cabin the whole time and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Further interviews with people in the area, namely a fisherman named Creed, substantiated Greenbriar's findings. When our agents went back for a follow up on the initial investigation we were shocked to find a moose peeping tom in the vicinity of the cabin. The agents working the case wouldn't divulge their findings but were heard giggling by the water cooler. This sudden migration is as yet unexplained, but a curious side note. After the migration, the moose population skyrocketed with over a 50% increase in young born the following spring. Draw your conclusions but keep the curtains pulled tight. You never know who or what might be watching.

Chinook Wine and Sink Her: Read an Excerpt!

Available from: Lyrical Press, All Romance eBooks, Amazon/Kindle, Barnes and Noble, BooksOnBoard, Mobi Pocket and Coffee Time Romance Book Store

Morgan Q. O’Reilly
Get Some Tonight
http://morganqoreilly.com/
http://themorgandiaries.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/morganqoreilly

Thanks for joining us! The winner will be announced Monday August 30th! There's still time to comment to win your virtual summer vacation.

NEW RELEASE TODAY!

A WHISPER OF
HUMANITY
Publisher: XoXo Publishing
BUY HERE

Blurb: When Detective Faith Prentice is assigned as a liaison to the police force in Montreal, intent on helping the detectives there capture a killer who's MO matches one she's hunted at home in Los Angeles, she is ill-prepared for what awaits her in the beautiful jewel city of Canada's French province. Mysteriously drawn to her temporary partner, Adrian Blackthorne, she rebels against his allure, only to be drawn into an even deeper darkness when Adrian's past snares her - and she becomes a pawn in the deadly battle between the vampire Blackthorne and the powerful master he has long denied?

Excerpt:

Julianna was seated at the bar again, her rage telegraphing itself to everyone within her orbit. She could feel the wide circles made to avoid her, and felt perverse satisfaction at the awareness that many of those present were decidedly afraid of her just now. She was almost spitting with indignation, and the wine in her hand no longer appeased her mood in any fashion.

"Damn you!" she hissed in an undertone.

"I hope you don't mean me," a new voice observed with mild amusement.

Startled much more than she should have been, Julianna swiveled the bar stool and smiled.

"Of course not, Adrian."

Adrian surveyed her with a critical eye, and perched on the stool next to her. "Then who is in danger of damnation?" he asked with more curiosity than genuine interest. He had other concerns at the moment. But, winning Julianna's help usually meant having to ease into the need for it, so, he played the friendly game of banter.

"No one you need worry over, I assure you, mon amour." She looked back at him, quickly and accurately reading his mood. "You didn't come here for conversation, Adrian. What is it you are trying to ask of me this time?"

"Have you seen anybody new here tonight?"

Suspicion flared within her, but it never reached her outer composure. "Many people drift in and out, Adrian. Am I expected to keep a record of them for you?"

"This one's a cop," Blackthorne told her, his voice hard. "An out of town cop named Faith Prentice. Shiller told her she might like this place."

"Perhaps she would?" Julianna suggested with a tilt of her head.

"Many do."

"Was she here, Julianna?" Adrian demanded, quickly losing patience with the verbal fencing.

"No."

Something in the flat reply sparked suspicion in Adrian, and he turned her eyes back to meet his when she looked away.

"When was she here?"

She glared at him, but offered no answer.

"Julianna!" He grabbed her arm, not bothering to be gentle, nor to masque his considerable irritation. "Where is she?"

She jerked her arm free of his grasp and considered her answer. She quickly decided it would be much easier to get the young woman out of her club than risk Adrian?s wrath. There was a certain amount of enjoyment in the knowledge that this would deny Cartier of his prize, too. And, she added mentally, he would blame Adrian for that loss, not her.

"She is with Cartier." She dropped the news with a toss of her head, and laughed as he rushed toward the back room?

* * *

Cartier recovered quickly from the blow that had sent him reeling away from Faith, and he turned glowing eyes to the one who'd dared to strike him. Adrian! He should have known. Even through the lust-enhanced hunger, Cartier was aware of Faith inching across the floor in an effort to escape. The scent of her fear was as tempting as her passion of minutes earlier. He'd find this one again, he promised himself, if she were fortunate enough to escape him after all this night.

"You are going to push me too far one day, Adrian," Cartier warned, his eyes still blazing fury at the younger vampire.

"Maybe," Adrian agreed, one eye watching Faith's progress as he tried to fight down the urge to kill. "Tonight I intend to see that a friend remains safe."

"This lovely creature is a friend of yours?" Cartier asked, once more taking firm control of both himself and the situation. "Your taste improves, Adrian."

The mantle of ice had returned. Adrian knew there would be no further need to fight -- not tonight, at any rate. Cartier was considering another time and another venue for their next meeting. Adrian had no illusions about it being a pleasant encounter. If anything, he sensed death in the other's mind. True and lasting death. It was not the first time since Cartier's return that Adrian wondered when the master vampire would demand his retribution - in full. So far, despite frequent confrontations, Cartier had not seriously attempted to destroy him. Yet, Adrian felt the time was nearing.

"Take her, Adrian. You've risked more than you know for her," Cartier whispered softly. He watched the wariness grow within the former knight's deep blue eyes then filter into Adrian's expressive features. The ancient vampire laughed quietly as Blackthorne grabbed Faith's arm and helped her to her feet. They were out of the room without another word being uttered?

A WHISPER OF HUMANITY
(previously published with Forbidden Publications)
Revised and expanded for this release
Genre: Paranormal/vampires/sensual erotic romance
Publisher: XoXo Publishing
BUY HERE

Things sensual and romantic….

Things sensual and romantic…

We all define these two terms in ways as diverse and unique as our personalities. For me, one place embodies all of the elements I think of as traditionally romantic: Italy… Sensuality… Food… Romance – if you think about it, they’re all the same in many respects, aren’t they? Each resonates within us on some level…. They appear to go together. And, in truth, I suppose they do. You seldom have one without the other close to the heart. But, what is sensual, and what isn’t? That depends on where you are in this world and what you’re doing.

So, I thought maybe we’d chat about what people term “sensual foods” and see where that takes us! Hey, we all eat, don’t we? So, is it the food that is the magic, or is it the company we share while we go through this necessary to life exercise every day? Repeatedly. It’s as essential to life as the air we breathe.

A lot of foods are labelled as being “aphrodisiac” in nature. How can foods be “love potions” some people wonder? And why do they have such potent response in some, while others feel nothing when these exotic delights are consumed? Perhaps it’s the company and the psychological excitement that might make them wildly exciting for some and totally empty of reaction in others?

In countries like Italy, food is not just something to be eaten so we can get on with life. It’s an art, a social occasion, and an experience to be shared. It’s a well-accepted fact that the people of this amazing country have a zest for life that many of us envy, and their passion for “la dolce vita” is something we can probably all learn from. But, food and festival in Italy is a way of life – if you have any doubts, just look around and see the number of feast and festival days in any year!

We associate this country, in fact all things Italian, with romance. So much of the attitude is sensual and passionate, and very romantic. An entire culture that is built on the foundation that life is to be embraced and enjoyed, that romance and love are the most important things in the world, and the richness of life is to be shared by all. I don’t know about you, but I find that very sexy, very compelling, and very, very alluring…

If your dinner is one on one, chances are it’s a special occasion. Do you actually notice what you eat, or are you feeding off the company you’re in, and sawdust would taste good at that moment? Is it the music, always beautiful and classically romantic, is it the gorgeous countryside, or is it really the food that makes the whole thing such a sensory delight?

And why is this “passion” so different for all of us? It’s not hard to see where my heart lies in all this, but what do YOU find sensual in the foods you eat the dreams you keep close to your heart? I’d love to know!! I write in more genres than I can count, and my books reflect eclectic tastes in all things, so if you’re interested in finding out more, please drop by my website and check out some titles….

My current release is about an Italian man, someone very special to me. He, too, is the essence of romance – at least to me. If you’re curious, here’s a peek:

GAMES OF SEDUCTION
Publisher: Moongypsy Press
Genre: Erotic romance
BUY: http://www.moongypsypress.com/bridger.php
View the Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsmhKuEJRyQ
Cover Art: Dawné Dominique


Blurb: What begins as a game between two people from opposite sides of the world quickly becomes an intense and all-consuming need to discover if the passion inspired by words can fuel a fire that will span an ocean and ignite a love unlike anything either of them have experienced before.... Discover what happens when the Game of Seduction is taken to the final play - and two lovers unite on New Year's Eve for the first time....

Read an excerpt:


It all began as a conversation, with a man on another continent…


Any man who can seduce a woman’s mind owns her body long before he ever possesses it….

It was a simple enough concept, but is so alien to so many.

He taught me that, in the space of a few hours…. From a man half a world away I learned more about myself in one night than I had from anyone I had ever been with. And I want more. I want to know how far hunger and need can be stretched before possession is all that matters, and surrender is all that remains to me.

He created a game that he says never ends… a bit like life and the learning we do each day. Truth is the name of this game, but it’s more accurately called Seduction. When one party wins, both claim the prize. Under his shrewd eyes, my truths have never looked so bare, and so small they make me crawl inside myself. He doesn’t intend to let me hide behind my walls, though. I wonder if I should be afraid, or entranced? Both, perhaps.

The first question: “what do you like in a man?”

How do I respond to that? I’m looking at what I like in a man, and I choke on the awareness of it… So, I struggle and reply with sublime idiocy that I don’t know the answer. To my great amazement, he doesn’t end the game, but does point out that stupidity doesn’t appear to be a problem, so why am I giving him stupid answers. At this time, any other man would be staring at a blank screen, but not this one, his honesty is enchanting.

What do I like in a man? What do I notice first? They seem like easy questions, I’ve answered them before – but they’re not usually being asked by the physical embodiment of the honest reply. I notice his eyes, and his smile, and his shoulders, and most of all, I notice his presence and the way he carries himself. The strength of his personality and his confidence. This should have been an easy thing to say – it wasn’t.

I felt like I was a love-struck sixteen year old in the throes of her first infatuation. I’d known him about an hour at that point… Can you understand how overwhelmed I was, how ridiculous I felt? He makes me blush like a school-girl, and that hasn’t happened in a very long time.

(So begins a dance as old as time.... and a new kind of love story has begun.... journey with me to the end, and let us see if it will be the stuff of dreams after all....)

Blessings to all!
Viva la dolce vita!!

Eclipse of the Heart

ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
A story of the des Quatre-Frères Brothers
Created by C.J. Elliott ©
Characters used with permission
by Denysé Bridger

When she had first received the friend request on good old Facebook, she’d wondered what was going on – for about a minute – then she’d spotted several more just like it. So, fictional characters with their own Facebook profiles – what a great promo concept! She’d decided she was in, she was an author, too – she knew how hard it was to hook a reader, and this looked like fun! It didn’t take long before one of the fictional heroes, Rémy, stood apart from the others, and the banter began to take on the tone of a love affair building. So much so, in fact, that friends began to ask about her and the guy named Rémy. Strangely, he was hers in the moments that they played the game to promote her friend’s series of books. It’s probably why the whole thing was so effective, the eerie kind of connection that had been forged was playful, but also romantic.

As the weeks passed, the love affair became a source of curiosity, and laughter, and decidedly priceless promotion. It wasn’t until an evening on Facebook that was filled with joking that led to conversation about a party, Mexico, tattoos, and tequila that she really began to wonder about the whole thing. All the Brothers, the des Quatre-Frères, had distinct and strong voices. She’d given credit for that to her talented friend. Each brother, Rémy, Matéo, Sébastien, and Aimé – all with skills, personality, and unique charm that felt much too real sometimes. It wasn’t hard to fall a little bit in love with the fantasy of it all, and even easier to understand why others had questions.

When the invitation arrived in the mail one day, she thought for sure it had to be another promo plan. It was an invitation… to a private party being held at a lovely place called Sommet Bleu. She figured CJ was really playing the promo up in a big way, so she RSVP’d and said she’d be there the following week, as requested.

* * *

Sommet Bleu was a resort in the middle of a wilderness she discovered days later when she arrived at the place. CJ met her at the door, her smile wide and happy.

“Everyone’s been waiting to meet you,” she said after a huge hug and happy giggles were exchanged.

“Everyone?”

“You’ll see,” was the mysterious reply. “Reese has been anxious to talk to you, too.”

She did a double-take, but CJ was already halfway across the room and someone who looked distinctly like a security officer was looking over her invitation, and issuing orders that her small bag be taken to a room in the guest quarters.

This was one hell of an elaborate promotional gimmick!

Twenty minutes later, she’d changed clothes and was being escorted to the afternoon party. Her jaw dropped when she saw the familiar faces of characters from CJ’s books, all of them were mingling with assorted guests. The images from Facebook were living, breathing, and present. Actors, of course, but it was still incredible.

Something tingled at the base of her skull when she spotted the laughing, dark-haired man with his back to her. The lurch of her stomach and the surge of her pulse was disconcerting. Rémy. It had to be him.

As if he’d heard her, he turned around and the second recognition was even more shocking as she gazed into his eyes for the first time. Those eyes had reached out to her from an image on a computer screen, and she’d felt a real presence whispering to her spirit, touching her across a world that wasn’t real. Looking at him now, she felt the pull magnified to almost unbearable intensity. He put his drink on a table and walked toward her, every motion graceful and sure. He moved like a predator, yet everything about him screamed reassurance to her.

Rémy was tall, his dark hair short and stylish, but slightly ruffled and wild looking. Broad shoulders pulled at the smooth material of his white shirt, and her look dropped to the gleaming buckle of his belt when sunlight glinted off it. She finished the fleeting appraisal, suddenly far too conscious of the long, lean length of his legs, encased in dark jeans, and the polished black boots that completed his simple but elegant attire.

“You are even more beautiful in person, mon amour,” he said when he stood in front of her and took her hands in his.

Her head jerked up and she stared, unable to do more even while her brain raged at her imbecilic behaviour.

“What am I supposed to call you?” Her voice was strained, and the shaking inside her was notching up to earthquake intensity.

“What you always call me,” he replied with a wink.

“Your real name?” She pressed, eyes narrowing as he stopped and peered intently at her.

“Rémy.”

She sighed and looked around, trying to locate CJ in the midst of this madness.

“Our Authoress is busy with other guests,” he informed her. “Would you like to meet my brothers?”

Dazed, she mumbled what must have been agreement and followed him, enchanted far more than she should have been by his presence. Was it possible that she’d fallen into this game so deeply that she was imagining herself in love with the man who had given Rémy his face. It was CJ who did the Facebook stuff, they coordinated and played it for all it was worth, and it was generating sales and forging friendships that would last long after the series of stories was done and out there for readers.

She met them all. Sébastien was cool and courteous. Aimé’s welcome was warmer, and gentler in tone somehow. She felt a ripple of power brush over her when Matéo’s shrewd, sharp eyes measured her for a few indeterminate minutes before he embraced her – no, she amended silently, before he accepted her presence.

For the next few hours she mingled with fascinating people, but none as alluring as Rémy, who never left her side, flirted outrageously as they did on the website, and was as attentive as any man in love. If any of it had been real, she would have adored him… But none of it was, they were actors playing roles, however elaborate the game was. She needed to remember that!

The day slowly retreated, giving way to the persistent, encroaching darkness. Under the thickening cloak of night a glowing moon rose to kiss everything with silvery frost. Rémy was at her side moments after Matéo, his bride Reese, and the rest of the family had all said goodnight and drifted back into the spacious confines of Sommet Bleu.

“Would you like me to walk you to your room, ma belle?”

“You can stop the act now,” she told him. “There’s no one else here.”

He frowned slightly, but made no verbal response. He put his arm around her and led her inside, every step sure and straight, despite the lack of light. She wanted to turn into him and let his very essence fill her veins, the way she knew “Rémy des Quatre-Frères” could fill the void in her soul if he’d been real…

They were at the door of her room and he turned her to face him.

“Tell me to go, or I will stay,” he whispered, his voice tainted with something mildly warning in tone. “I promised CJ that I would let this be your choice.”

“What?” She was utterly confused now. “You’re an actor playing a role. Don’t get carried away!” His mouth set in an angry line and something dangerous flared in his dazzling blue eyes.

“Was it you on the pages of Facebook, or was it CJ?”

“Who do you think it was?” he challenged.

“You.”

He eyed her, weighed his reply, then simply nodded.

“Why?”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“What wasn’t?”

He glanced over her shoulder. “Let’s talk inside, security is everywhere because of the wedding parties.”

She stared stupidly for a moment, then shrugged and walked into the bedroom ahead of him.

She sat on the edge of the bed, and he kept his distance, watching her closely. After several minutes passed in silence, she dragged in a shaky breath. She was in a bedroom in a place named after a fictional estate, face to face with a character from a series of books… Face to face with someone whose name was a mystery, but someone she was almost in love with anyway… Clearly she’d entered the Twilight Zone somewhere between home and here.

“Who are you?” She asked the question with trepidation, her heartbeat roaring wildly in her ears, so loud she was certain he could hear it, too. Blue eyes sparkled with the familiar mischief she’d come to expect from him.

“I think you know, ma belle.”

“I know you’re CJ’s actor friend, the face of Rémy des Quatre-Frères, but I’d like to know who you really are,” she replied.

“What does your heart tell you?”

Dear God, he didn’t really want to know that, did he?

His brilliant blue eyes seemed to grow more intense with each pounding pulse of her heart, and she was mesmerized by him, just as she’d been all day. The air around them felt like it was mutating and sizzling with undeniable desire and something wildly exciting.

“My name is Rémy des Quatre-Frères,” he said, his soft, textured voice a rasp of sound that poured over her raw nerve-endings. “And you have been mine forever…” His voice grew deeper and ended on a growl.

She stared it disbelief as he took a step toward the bed and leapt… the air shimmered with a million glittering shards of ice and diamonds… when the waterfall of miniature stars fell away she stared into azure eyes that were even bluer than a moment before – and the weight of the magnificent black wolf rocked the bed as he settled next to her, his gaze never leaving her…

BUY BOOK ONE HERE

GUEST: Jackie M. Smith

Today my guest is XoXo Publishing Best-selling author Jackie M. Smith! I think you'll enjoy getting to know Jackie, and hearing about this special novel. Welcome Jackie, and thank you for dropping by today.

A Soldier’s Vow

XOXO Publishing, June 2010

What inspired A Soldier's vow?

I can’t remember what inspired me to write this story. It must have been after watching a WWI documentary. I wondered why not have a woman take pictures of the front. Although in my story, the heroine doesn't go near the battlefield, I wanted her to experience the horrors and the courage of the war.

What does this book mean to you personally?

This book has a Canadian flavor. It means so much for me to recognize our Canadian heroes of the First World War who we have forgotten a bit over the years.

What is your favorite genre to read? What about that genre attracts you to it?

My favorite genre to read is historical romance. Its like going back with a time-machine. I like discovering interesting facts about different time periods like how they dressed, what they ate, how to acted.

Do you have a favorite book of all time?

My favorite book of all time is Jewels by Danielle Steele. It was the first historical romance I read by her. I saw the movie first. After that I had to have the book. I love the way the author brings us into the characters' lives.

How do you become inspired to write?

Movies, documentaries and everyday life inspires me to write. I carry a notepad with me everywhere. Ideas come to me like scenes from a movie. Sometimes, just a word comes into mind like a flash. Then I write the idea down and develop.

What does your work space look like?

My workspace is pretty organized. I write shorthand so I always have a notebook and a pencil nearby. I don't have a big place so I write in my livingroom. The noise around me doesn't interfere with my concentration. Once I get writing, there's like a bubble surrounding me.

Tell us five random facts about you.

Well, first I love ice hockey. Second, I have a university bachelor's degree in Sociology. I have three younger sisters. I love the Indiana Jones movies. Finally, I'm from Acadian descent.

Are your books more sensual or erotic?

My books are more sensual. I would like to write an erotic story. But nothing hard core. I prefer writing sensual stories.

Where do you see yourself in five years (for your writing career?)

In five years, I hope to have written at least a dozen of books.

Where to find Jackie on the web:
My website
Blog
FB Fan Page
MySpace
Twitter

The GAMES continue....

Today I am visiting with the lovely Sky Purington, and we are discussing GAMES OF SEDUCTION. There is also a very cool contest happening, so please drop by. There are exciting excerpts, an interview about the heart of this story, and some interesting insights to share... Hope to see you there!!

Visit Sky's BLOG

XoXo Publishing(TM) Official Summer Book Launch Party!

XoXo Publishing(TM) Official Summer Book Launch Party!

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XoXo Media Team
http://www.xoxopublishing.com