Guest Blogger: Natalie Acres

Natalie Acres has a new release BRIDLED AND BRANDED, a western MFM contemporary romantic suspense which releases this Wednesday, June 23rd at Bookstrand.

Lynlee Lewis is an old-fashioned girl who might as well take the lead in a modern day romance. She met a boy, when he was just a boy. She fell in love, but he barely noticed. Now, Lynlee wants to place a woman’s brand on Blaine McCain, but will his past prevent her from staking a claim?
Lynlee’s storybook romance isn’t without its villains and obstacles. Add in the fact that Blaine rarely travels behind a bedroom door without company and Lynlee wonders why she’s so taken by the cowboy in the first place.

Throw in a deadly situation and Lynlee finds herself in the midst of danger when a knife is shoved against her throat. Worse still, the man behind the blade is traveling with a wife who is no stranger to Blaine McCain. And they want to turn Blaine's life upside down with a package full of problems.

“You wanted our attention,” Rhett began. “You got it. What do you want?”
Blaine released him. “Yeah, what’s so damn important that you’d go to this extreme?”
His eyes watered. “My Sarah Beth passed away last week.”
“She what?” Rhett asked, compassion settling in his eyes, which Blaine had rarely seen.
“She passed away.”
“What happened?” Blaine asked, feeling a little odd since he had been one of the participants in the ménage experience with Rhett and Sarah Beth.
“She jumped off a bridge,” Sarah Beth’s husband explained.
“She did what?”
“Told you she was touched in the head,” Rhett reminded Blaine.
“You’re the one who brought her home,” Blaine said, jumping to his feet and backing away before her husband took an opportunity to deck him. “She wasn’t even that pretty, best I remember.”
“Blaine McCain, I ought to kick your ass right here,” Lynlee said, studying her captor. “Sir, I’m sorry for your loss. I really am. It’s a shame these two didn’t have a gentleman’s sense of values to keep their cocks in their pants, if not their hands, but you see here, you can’t blame your wife’s actions on two men who barely knew her.”
“Lynlee, so help me God, I don’t need your eloquent way of taking up for me,” Blaine said.
“No, you don’t. What you need are some manners and maybe even a conscience, but I doubt you’ll find either tonight.”
Rhett snickered. “You got that right.”
Lynlee extended her hand. “I’m Lynlee Lewis, by the way. We met at the party, and you said your name is Scott Sanders, but I take it that’s not your real name?”
“Yes,” he said, taking her hand. “The name is Scott Sanders. Sarah Beth was my lovely wife.”
“Well, I’m sure she knew how much you loved her,” Lynlee said, backing away from the situation and making it evident in the finality of her tone. “Gentleman, I’ve had a long night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Blaine looked at Rhett and then Scott. Rhett nodded and Blaine said, “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll say your peace and leave.”

Scott shifted his weight. “I wanted to look directly at the two men responsible for Sarah Beth’s downfall and see if I found even a smidgen of remorse. I blame you for what happened, and I can’t understand what she ever saw in either one of you.”

“Good thing,” Rhett said. “I don’t buck that way.”

Blaine ignored his friend and addressed his enemy. “I’m walking Lynlee back to her camper. If you go near her again,” he paused, set his jaw, and then grated out, “I will harm you in a way you’ll never forget.”

“I don’t want an escort, Blaine,” Lynlee snipped. “And I sure don’t need you to hold my hand.”

“Well, ain’t that a blessed shame? Besides, I need you to hold mine.”

Natalie Acres is the best selling author of the Cowboy Sex Series which includes Sex Party, Sex Games, and Sex Camp. She’s also the author of the #1 Amazon Best Selling Western/Erotica title Cowboy Boots and Untamed Hearts which now has a sequel, Cowboy Boots and Unfinished Business. To find out more about Natalie Acres, visit her on MySpace at www.myspace.com/natalieacres. To view more information on Bridled and Branded go to: http://www.bookstrand.com/bridled-and-branded

Copyright © 2010 Natalie Acres

Monday Minute Fiction: Sucked In

If you arrived here to read about Ashley’s new erotic vampire romance “Carnal Lust” that released today at Total-E-Bound, click here.


If you arrived for my free short story, keep reading. Or why not check out both?

Sucked In

This story was written by Ashley Ladd and may not be reproduced without Ashley’s written permission.

Pepper Collins dug her toes into the moonlit dappled sand and luxuriated in the feel of cool waves lapping over her feet. She stared at the horizon, a blur of midnight blues fading into the jade green of the ocean.

No clouds, no city lights hampered the brilliance of the moonlight sparkling on the rippling waves. No city sounds spoiled nature’s symphony of waves crashing against shore. Only the occasional seagull’s caw interrupted the lulling sound of the ocean.

She hugged herself as she stared into that gap where sky and sea faded into eternity. Everything was perfect. Or it would be if Sean was here.

Sean…

Tears pricked the backs of her eyes and angrily, she swiped at them with the back of her hand.

Screams gurgled in her throat and she wanted to yell and flail her hands at fate. She wanted her Sean back.

A year ago tonight he’d drowned in these deceptively calm waters. His body had washed ashore at right about this point. The flowers she’d strewn across these sands at his memorial had long ago blown away but not her memories. Not her love. It was as vivid as the last time she’d lain in his arms basking in his kisses.

She closed her eyes and remembered his beloved face, could almost feel his touch on her bare arms. The dreams they’d shared had begun and ended on this stretch of beach. And it was here that she felt closest to him. That she could still feel him reaching out to her.

Suddenly, the wind whipped up and the waves sucked harder at her feet. Wet spray splashed her face and moistened her tongue when she sighed. “Time to leave.”

She knew the bitter truth was that it was time to leave Sean behind, to get on with her life, not merely seek shelter for the night. But she wasn’t ready to let go.

The wind swirled around her and she could swear she heard him calling her name.

She put a hand to her cheek and cradled her face, pretending it was Sean who caressed her. She whispered back, “I wish you were. I wish it with all my heart.”

Her heart twisted and threatened to crash to her feet. Her knees wobbled, then she sank to the sand and pummeled the ground with her fists. She glared at Heaven. “Why’d you have to take him? We weren’t finished! It wasn’t his time.” Sobs strangled her. Her tears mixed with the waves, tried to swallow her. She was all alone. She had nobody left. “It wasn’t his time.”

The waves grew stronger. They raised high in the air above her. She told herself to run to safety, but her limbs were sluggish and the water engulfed her.

“Wake up, darlin’,” Sean whispered against her lips.

She gulped and tried to lift her heavy lids, but they were too heavy. She struggled against the heaviness weighing them down.

His voice sounded distant, frayed, as if at the edges of a dream.

Had all this been a dream? God, she hoped so.

She fought the grip of her sleep, fought to snap out of the netherworld that imprisoned her in its grip.

Shivers racked her body and her teeth chattered. Goosebumps rose on her arms. She was wet. And sand grated against her back. She coughed and water spurted from her lips.

Then strong, warm arms picked her up and she was cradled against a hard masculine chest. Scents of seaweed, salt and male muskiness wafted around her and she curled her arms around the man’s neck. Finally she forced her eyes to open.

She sucked in her breath and stopped breathing. Her eyes grew so wide her cheeks ached. “Sean! You died…”

Sean smiled down at her. “Funny. I feel very much alive.”

Pepper squinted through the harsh morning sunlight to see him clearly. His eyes were still the vivid aqua of his beloved ocean. His smile still dazzled. His shoulders were strong and broad.

Then a car flew above them. And another. They had wings!

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, then peeked again. They were floating above the water.

She gulped. “What’s going on? Is this heaven? Did I die? Am I dreaming?”

Sean tilted his head and regarded her with concern. “You’re very much alive and we’re in the Confederation of States.”

She shook her head. “You mean the United States? Florida?”

“No. South Virginia.”

Confederation clanged through her mind. Did he mean “Confederacy? You mean the South won?”

What in hell was going on?

He slashed a kiss across her lips. “In this dimension, yes.”

She tightened her grip around his neck. “This dimension? What do you mean? How can we fly?”

Sean carried her to their beach house and perched on the rail. He kept her in his arms and wrapped his legs around her as he so often had.

A thousand thoughts collided in her mind. Nothing made sense. She ran her hands over him, making sure he was solid, that he was warm and breathing. “You are Sean Watson, aren’t you? But how can you be? Sean died a year ago.”

The man nodded and gazed deeply into her eyes. He caught her hands and hypnotically rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. “Yes. I’m your Sean. I didn’t die. My counterpart from this world switched places with me. After he died, I couldn’t get back.”

Everything sounded fantastical. When a flying car landed in the water and sped away on the waves, she gaped. “How’d we get here?”

Sean looked into the distance then shook his head. “I don’t understand it, but the people in this dimension can travel through time and space. Sometimes the portal between worlds opens and we can cross over. There must be one that opens at that point. I’ve come here every night for the past year, hoping it would open, that it would let me return to our world. Instead, it brought you here. To me.”

She didn’t know if she’d ever understand this. She didn’t know if she should care. She had no one to leave behind.

She stared so long at the ocean, Sean nudged her. “What are you thinking about? You don’t believe me. You don’t love me anymore.”

Love swelled in her heart and giddiness flowed through her. She hugged him and beamed up at him. “You’re not getting away that easily, mister. I love you with all my heart and now that I’ve found you I’m not going to let you go.”

He plundered her with kisses. Then his hot breath coasted along her bare back as he murmured against her ear, “I hope I’m not dreaming.”

She chuckled. “Then we’re both dreaming so we’re okay. But if you’re right, we’d better get far away from this beach before one of us gets sucked back to the other world…”

Crave more Monday Minute Fiction?

Visit Brynn Paulin here.

Read more of Ashley’s free short stories here.

If you like Ashley’s stories, be sure to check out her new erotic vampire romance, “Carnal Lust” that released today at Total-E-Bound. Click here to find out more about “Carnal Lust”.

Recent posts you might like to read:

Author Interview: Wendi Zwaduk 

Author Interview: Frances Pauli


Author Interview: Marcia James

Author Interview: Elaine Hopper

Weathering A Bad Review

What Do You Want in a Romance Hero & What Do You Want in a Real Life Husband?

Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

Procrastination

Cliche or Coincidence?

Incognito: free short story

Dedicating Books

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Wendi Zwaduk are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Carnal Lust: Erotic Vampire Romance - New Release!

My erotic vampire romance "Carnal Lust" releases Monday, May 17, 2010 at Total-E-Bound.

It's been awhile since I've had a vampire romance release and this is the first at TEB. It's also a time-travel historical romance, the first in awhile for me and the first also at TEB.

Please check it out and let me know if you enjoy the excerpt.

Blurb:
Kes is obsessed with killing Nikolai – to prevent him from destroying Earth 900 years into the future.
 Kes is obsessed with eliminating Nikolai before he's reborn as the evil vampire who destroys Earth and propels her family into the past.

Once she finds the Nikolai of her present is a good and kind man she's not sure she can hold the very sexy human accountable for something he hasn't yet done.







Excerpt:
Kes languished in the arms of her lover, a man she knew not by name but by his deep, sexy voice and his intoxicating kisses. She bade the sun not to set so she could steal more time in his arms, for when the moon chased the sun out of the sky, her lover would evaporate and she would be thrust back into the real world. And the real world was hell.


But this was heaven, if a vampire could be in heaven. She writhed and twisted in his arms, pressing her naked flesh to his. He was lithe and strong for a human, and he never failed to pleasure her.

“Are you in the mood to play, milady?” her lover murmured against her flesh.

She tilted her lips into a smile and nodded. “Wild and rough.”

He beamed at her with a sparkle in his eyes. “Whatever milady wishes.”

When he shackled her to the bed posts, her stomach pressed to the mattress, her legs spread wide, she didn’t demur. She squirmed with anticipation, her pussy clenching.

She turned her head and watched as he spread oil over his beautiful cock and then climbed aboard the bed. She lay there helpless, swaying with the motion as he approached stealthily. Her ass clenched, too, yearning for his touch. When he delivered a stinging slap to her bare buttocks, she screamed in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Never before had anyone spanked her, and she tingled.

Titillated, she rubbed her breasts against the bed, cajoling him to unite with her. But he sat beside her and ran the tips of his fingers across her back, to the edges of her breasts then pulled back. He walked them to the small of her back and withdrew again.

“Do you not wish to make love to me? To fuck me?”

“Are you that anxious to feel my cock move inside you? To be one with me?” He drew himself up to his knees and drew the tip of his cock along her side.

He bent by her ear and dipped his tongue inside. Then he whispered huskily, “Does that feel good? How bad do you want it?”

Her rear throbbed with an exquisite ache but not enough. She yearned for much more. “I crave your cock. I want you to fill me, to be inside me. Now.”

"Caral Lust is available at Total-E-Bound.


Recent posts you might like to read:

Author Interview: Wendi Zwaduk 

Author Interview: Frances Pauli


Author Interview: Marcia James

Author Interview: Elaine Hopper

Weathering A Bad Review

What Do You Want in a Romance Hero & What Do You Want in a Real Life Husband?

Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

Procrastination

Cliche or Coincidence?

Incognito: free short story

Dedicating Books

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Wendi Zwaduk are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

I Confess: I Like to Read...And Write...Romantic Comedies

I was just reading Karen Knows Best's blog, specifically the article "Who-the-fck-reads-and-loves-romantic-comedies-anyway".

I do!

I confess.
I love romantic comedies. I not only read them, sometimes I even write them. Oh oh! After reading that article, I almost feel like I'm "coming out". Even when I don't write an official romantic comedy,  comic relief often comes into play in my stories.

The movie industry loves me. When a romantic comedy movie comes out, most likely I will be in line to watch it. I've spent a ton of money going to the theater.

My favorite romantic comedy movies
Singing in the Rain, Pillow Talk, Mulan, Girl Happy, Runaway Bride, You've Got Mail, Shakespeare in Love, The Ugly Truth, While You Were Sleeping, Bridget Jones Diary, 27 Dresses, Serendipity, Because I Said So, Mannequin, Keeping the Faith, The Truth About Cats & Dogs, Picture Perfect, and Someone Like You. I'm sure I've forgotten some.

WHY I like romantic comedies so much
Life's stressful. I need levity and a good laugh. I want to escape after a long day at the office. I want to forget about the donor who got nasty and personal with me on the phone. I want to block out the kids fighting. I want to forget that my husband forgot Valentine's Day. But the bottom line is: I like to laugh.


Sometimes I enjoy angsty books. Sometimes I even write them. It depends what mood I'm in. My next sweet romance to release (the last week in March) is full of angst. It still makes me cry after the many times I've read it.

And sometimes I want a good thriller, even a horror. Ask my kids. I also love what they call "End of the world movies". My favorite book is Stephen King's "The Stand". My youngest, a teenage boy, hates the movie as it's "too scary". (This is the same child who loved "Zombieland" - so he can be a little off.) My favorite movie is "The Mummy".

The types of comedy I don't enjoy
All this said, I don't enjoy slap stick. I don't like ditzy characters (except for Gracie Allen - she slays me.) I run from the room when my husband turns on something like "Scary Movie" or "The Naked Gun" or even "Police Academy". They annoy the hell out of me. There's even one scene in "Singing in the Rain" where Donald O'Connor does a solo slapstick routine that annoys me no end.

My romantic comedies
My best seller is a romantic comedy: "American Beauty". It's prequel "Purrfect Justice" enjoys a lot of sells, too. "Price of Fame" was also received well.

What about you?
Do you enjoy reading romantic comedies? Do you ever write them? Or do you hate them? Do they drive you nuts?

Recent posts you might like to read:

Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

Procrastination

Cliche or Coincidence?

What Prompts Me To "Follow" A Blog

Make Sure Pretentious Words Don't Turn Off Your Readers

Dedicating Books

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)