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Not only is it everyone's favorite day of the week, but all of us Hump Day Hook participants are hosting giveaways! Make sure you check out all the links this week, so you can be sure to shower yourself with gifts!
Neither my latest release or my WIP have hot, summery scenes, so I'm going back to the desert with Callum and Ro in Disintegration. Who doesn't love a good dose of fresh air and tantalizing breezes to help soothe the fires within (or stoke them, as the case may be)?
As for me, I'm leaving for my own vacation to the Caribbean this Friday, so I'll leave the giveaway open for a whole week. If you want to take advantage of the "tweet every day" option in my absence, go right ahead! For my prize on my own little stop of the tour, one lucky winner will win any book of their choosing from my list. Whether you like your characters rolling around in the steamy jungles or cuddling in freezing cold outer space, be sure to leave a comment here and on all the other great posts this week!
She grabbed his wrist. “I didn’t say we were done here.”
“What else do you want me to do?”
Ro fiddled with the bottom of his shirt. Her fingers walked up his chest, dancing
across the thin fabric that separated her touch from the firm muscles. “I did always enjoy
watching you move,” she said. “When you get into that zone, when your body takes
over….”
He glanced up. All he saw was the flawless blue sky, yet he was skeptical.
“Here? But—”
“There’s no one else around for miles and miles.” She pressed against him.
Droplets of sweat dotted her forehead, and her skin glistened with the lotion she had
applied earlier. “Don’t you want to take advantage of the fresh air while we still can?”
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Wednesday, Hump Day...no matter what you call it, it's everybody's favorite day of the week! Defying the Skies is still new and shiny, so I'll try to hook you again with some naughty thoughts from my very first sequel. As always, be sure to check out the other fantastic hooks!
The idea intrigued her. “I don’t think it sounds strange at all.”
“You don’t?”
“It makes perfect sense to me.” She leaned closer to him and nudged his hands. He finally uncovered his face and looked at her. “Both of you make me feel amazing. And if you want to feel the same way....”
Her lips brushed against his. Marcus threaded his fingers through the hair at the back of her head and refused to let her go. His tongue slid inside her mouth as the heat blossomed between their naked forms. Geneva tried to picture Ash with them at that moment—his hands roaming over both of them, his mouth passing from her body to Marcus’s....
It's Wednesday! This week, I'll be presenting a special Hump Day Hook to coincide with my latest release, Defying the Skies. Once you're done reading the hook (and the other fabulous hooks this week), be sure to enter the giveaway, because I'm giving away two free e-copies!
Marcus is missing and Geneva is pissed. Watch out!
The armed guard stood with his back to her. She crept towards him, taking care not to draw his attention. Chase’s eyes widened when he spotted her, but he said nothing to reveal her presence. When she was close enough to reach her target, she lunged forward and grabbed his arm.
She twisted the joint as she pulled the limb back, hoping the gun wouldn’t discharge. A swift blow with her elbow succeeded in making him drop the firearm. She pinned his arms behind his back with one hand, unsheathed one of her daggers with the other, and held it to his throat. “Open the door,” she ordered.
He didn’t move.
“Do it.” She gave him a nudge with her knee. “Or else it’s your time that’s running short.”
“Your friend wasn’t going to kill me, and neither are you.” The quiver in his voice suggested a lack of confidence.
Geneva applied more pressure to the blade, feeling it skim the outermost layer of his flesh. “Are you really so sure?”
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Oh my goodness, is it Wednesday again already? Time certainly does fly when you're working your ass off having fun. This week's excerpt comes from my big WIP, my first major F/F project. Our lovely heroines, after spending much of the book in the middle of nowhere, treat themselves to an overnight trip/mini-vacation when they need to go pick up some supplies (and, uh, cake). Enjoy, and don't forget to check out the other hooks!
Catalina leaned forward and accepted the offering. The rich chocolate melted on her tongue, coating it with a smooth sweetness. She savored the thick, crumbling texture and rolled it around in her mouth before swallowing. “Damn,” she finally said. “I was never really a big fan of desserts, but I guess going without something for so long made me realize I kind of missed having the option.”
“Tell me about it.” Sari speared another bite for herself.
“Aren’t you worried about crumbs in the bed?”
“No. Isn’t that part of the fun of taking a little vacation, however short it may be?”
“True.”
The wicked smile made its appearance on Sari’s lips once more. “Nothing wrong with making a bit of a sticky mess every now and then,” she said. With one finger, she scooped up a glob of the fudge topping and painted a line from the base of her throat down into the deep chasm between her breasts. “See? I didn’t even spill anything.”
Happy Hump Day! I know I've been kind of slacking with the blogging lately, but every now and then, real life gets crazy busy. To help make it up to you, I'll share a superfun longer excerpt from Defying the Skies (sequel to Searching the Skies), which will be released soon! Once you get your fix here, don't forget to check out the other hooks!
“I guess that’s the problem with climbing the ranks,” Geneva joked. “Once you get high enough, the military thinks you’re irreplaceable and that operations will cease to function if you’re gone from your post for too long.”
Marcus smiled. “Well, they’re right about one thing.” He kissed the top of her head. “You are irreplaceable.”
“Oh, her absence is definitely felt on the ship,” Ash said to him, grinning. “All those young soldiers assigned to laundry duty had to get their thrills somewhere else when her panties weren’t tumbling down the chute.”
Geneva kicked him in the shoulder. “You’re terrible!”
“Terrible, but undoubtedly correct.”
“That’s not very nice, teasing those poor boys like that.” Marcus said. “I mean, they’re probably curled up alone in their bunks dreaming of you every night, and you couldn’t even leave them some dirty laundry?”
Her attempts to suppress her giggles were unsuccessful. “You’re just as bad as he is. My underwear is not nearly as fascinating as you make it out to be.”
“You know that’s not true.” Marcus ran his finger along the thin band of exposed skin between the bottom of her shirt and the top of her pants. “And forgive me for being forward, but instead of arguing about these things, shouldn’t we be making the most of the time we have together? With or without your panties, of course.”
“He’s a wise man,” Ash said. Another set of hands joined the provocative exploration.
Okay, fine, you all win. I'll give you a tiny bit of resolution for The Edge of the Sphere for this week's Hump Day Hook. This is from the "interlude" between Parts Two and Three. (You might notice a trend with each section ending similarly.) Happy reading, and don't forget to check out all the other authors and their hooks!
While he contemplated his situation, the benevolent angel that had saved him from himself beamed at him, an affectionate glow filling her eyes. With his mind firmly made up, he draped his arms around her shoulders, holding her tightly, and kissed her forehead. “Anything for you.”
She leaned her head against his chest and hugged him with the same fervor. They stood together for a silent moment on the windswept rock in an indistinguishable tangle of limbs as the clouds overhead grew darker and darker. He knew she was right. They couldn’t stay there for much longer, and he released her so she could lead them onwards. She took his hand and raised it to her lips, squeezing it as she did so. “Let’s go,” she said.
Her fingers laced through his, Liora led him to the precipice. There was nothing visible through the mists below them, save for a few streaks of intermittent light. Stephen felt his palms grow moist and his throat become dry. He turned his head to the side and saw her looking up at him, the shifting expressions in her eyes still able to convey so much. Gradually he inched closer to the edge, his trust in her implicit, and he flashed her what he hoped would look like a confident smile. Pushing his fears aside, he gripped her hand as they stepped into the flickering abyss.
Happy Hump Day! Last week I posted an excerpt from The Edge of the Sphere, the conclusion of Part One. The book isn't totally linear, and there's a lot going on simultaneously. This week, I'll post the last couple bits of Part Two. Enjoy, and don't forget to check out the other hooks this week!
She stood in front of the sphere, almost close enough for the entire length of her to be pressed against it. Closing her eyes, she thought of nothing but Stephen. She remembered his soothing voice, his fond caresses, and the way she had broken through to him to allow him to unleash his passion on her willing body. It was all so vivid and realistic in her mind, and she hoped it would be enough to reach him.
The surface gave way to her first cautious prodding. Inside, the waves of a soft summer’s breeze teased her hands, skimming over the cuffs on her wrists. They beckoned her to enter. She withdrew the quivering extremities, and cast one last look around the basement of her home. Before she could change her mind, Liora stood on her toes and spread her arms out wide. In a daring freefall, she tipped forward into the depths of the sphere.
It's time for everyone's favorite day of the week! I realized in flipping through past Hump Day Hooks and my labels/tags, I'd never dropped any hooks for The Edge of the Sphere in this weekly feature. Shame on me! Let me get on that right away! ;)
As always, don't forget to read all the other fantastic hooks this week!
The surface of the water had been transformed into something unlike anything he had ever seen. Its clear depths had been replaced by a silvery blue fog that twisted and churned below him. He climbed on top of the rock to take a better look and was struck by a cold gust of wind. Staring into the mystical haze, he sought to see down to the bottom, and came up empty.
He stood up and cast a final look around. Nothing had been explained, and there were still far more questions than answers. He didn’t know if he was risking his safety, or even his life, with what he was about to do. His instincts to shy away from potential danger were not easily silenced. Still, his mind was completely absorbed by thoughts of Liora, and he knew he had to take his chance. Without even the briefest farewell to the world and life he knew, Stephen took a deep breath and stepped off the rock into the darkness.
And here we are yet again! I just sent in the first round of edits for the upcoming Defying the Skies. As I went over the document one more time to make sure I didn't miss anything, I was struck by how much this exchange resembled last week's HDH! However, it's pretty obvious that there have been some *cough* changes between that moment in Searching the Skies and now. Happy reading, and don't forget to read more scintillating hooks from the other awesome authors!
The imprint of his lips and Marcus’s hands on her body made his requests impossible to ignore. She slithered into his lap and they tumbled onto the covers. “So much for straightening up the room for you,” she mumbled as his mouth returned to her neck and chest.
“I noticed.”
“Lies.”
“Okay, I didn’t. But I appreciate the effort.”
Geneva wriggled out of his grasp. “Let’s at least fold back the bedspread before we create a wrinkled mess.”
“Whatever you say.”
She turned back the covers, revealing the pristine sheets underneath. As soon as she was done, Ash grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down next to him. “I thought you said we weren’t going to do much without Marcus!” she said.
“We’re not. I’m just making sure you’re warmed up.”
“Uh-huh.” With his soft lips and deft fingers, he erased her reasons for resisting. “This isn’t fair,” she half-heartedly argued.
His kisses traveled between her breasts and traversed her abdomen. “Do you want me to stop?” he asked.
So I finally got around to mentioning in my last post that Defying the Skies, the sequel to Searching the Skies, is set to come out in July (give or take a few weeks, as always). For this week's HDH, let's revisit Skies: Original Flava with Geneva and Ash!
(Don't forget to check out all the other talented authors once you're done flitting about in outer space with me!)
“I should come here more often,” she remarked.
“You should.” His gaze never left hers. “I can’t say that I’m happy about the events that drove you to this place, but I’m not going to pretend it’s not fortunate for me that I got to spend the evening seated next to a beautiful woman.”
She blushed furiously and had to look away from him. “I think you’ve had too much to drink,” she mumbled, taking a sip from her own glass.
“You know you’re beautiful, and you know that every set of eyes was upon you as soon as you set foot in the room. Just as they still are now.”
“Lies.” She still couldn’t quite make eye contact with him.
“Okay, fine then. They’re all staring at me with jealousy because I’m the only one who had the balls to approach you. Especially since we all know how you’re fully capable of killing a man with your bare hands.”
It's that time again! Today we'll revisit the first of the Disintegration prequels, available for free at Smashwords. Don't forget to visit all the other authors after getting hooked here!
She tilted her head back. His breath danced across her neck, and the scent of his skin wafted towards her nose. A combination of the dust on his uniform and the effects of the day’s exertion mingled in the cool air, yet it was not an unpleasant aroma. She breathed deeply, keeping her gaze focused on the illuminated desert. “There’s so much danger out there,” she whispered. “Do you ever get scared?”
“On occasion. Just don’t tell my teammates.”
Meyta smiled. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
“I can think of better secrets to share.”
Callum squeezed her shoulders and turned her around. With one hand, he brushed an errant lock of thick, dark hair away from her face. She closed her eyes as his fingers grazed her cheek, and leaned towards him.
(If you're looking for the Caliente Blog Hop and its associated giveaways, scroll down or click here!)
It's Wednesday, and we all know what that means! This week's hook comes from the third of the Disintegration prequels (which *cough cough* are FREE at Smashwords). After your attention span has recovered from this hook, don't forget to check out the other participating authors!
Ro stared at the ceiling, gasping
for air. The wooden floorboards were rough and rigid beneath her, but the discomfort
barely registered. “I have a feeling my back’s going to be killing me tomorrow,”
Devan said from beside her.
“My knees will probably hate me,
too.” She blew an errant lock of hair out of her face. “Doesn’t matter. It was
worth it.”
“Agreed.” He turned towards her
and ran a finger along the curve of her exposed breast. “When you’re on top of
me like that, with that look on your face....”
“Mmm....”
Devan sat up. “Let’s
do it,” he said. “Let’s finally get out of here.”
Let's see how good my hooking skills are this week!
...wait. I should rephrase that. ;)
This hump day's hook comes from Departure, available for free at Smashwords. Don't forget to check out the hooks from the other authors listed on the main page!
“Don't
get involved with a man who has kids! At your age, you need someone who will
focus on you!” a coworker had once told her, only
half-joking. As John was several years younger than her, Clio hadn't thought
this piece of advice would be necessary. She was surprised, however, the first
time he introduced her to “his girls”, as he called them. He had created both
of them himself in his spare time and exhibited the same fatherly love and
pride she’d seen in her friends who were parents. Their little family was a
departure from the norm, yet Clio was able to accept the situation. Said acceptance
didn’t prevent her from wondering when she would be able to start a family of
her own.
Like this hook (or even this story)? Tell me in the comments! One lucky commenter this week will get a free ebook of their choosing from my list!
I'm trying out a new blogging event - Hump Day Hook! Let's see how well I can "hook" your attention on Wednesdays.
A new feature should involve a new project, right? This little excerpt comes from my current WIP, in which I'm *ahem* trying some new things.
Sari leaned over her and stood on her toes. As she groped around the top shelf, Catalina could smell the fruity fragrance of her hair. It seemed completely incongruent with their surroundings, yet the whiff of citrus from her bouncy pigtails brought a smile to the doctor’s lips.
“Why am I the one doing this?” Sari asked, interrupting her thoughts. “You’re taller than me. Reach up and see what’s hiding back there.”
She did as she was told, and retrieved one more forgotten roll of gauze from the dark recesses. Setting it with the others on the counter, she began to organize the medical provisions into neat piles. Her partner snatched a clipboard off a rack on the wall and scrawled some notes on a piece of paper.
They counted in silence and recorded their numbers. The mundane task didn’t consume all of Catalina’s brainpower, and she let her thoughts meander through their shared conversations over the past day. One question lingered on her mind, and the temptation to ask it aloud was too strong to resist. “Sari?”
“Mmm?”
She kept her gaze trained on the array of supplies spread before her. “Last night, when you said that other than your brother and father, you never saw the appeal of men…what did you mean by that?”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the auburn curls bobbing as Sari shook her head. “Catalina, we already established over breakfast that you are a very, very smart woman, albeit a little too concerned about what others think. I’m sure you can figure it out.”
