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Enter my Goodreads giveaway for "Cougars And Cubs", an erotic anthology at Total-E-Bound

Scene of the Crime - by Ashley Ladd


Robin didn't know whether to be relieved or appalled that the sexy man she'd fallen into bed with wasn't her ex-boyfriend, but his adult son.

When Robin returns to her alma mater as a professor of history, she can't believe her ex-boyfriend is still on campus, much less looking so young and buff after twenty years. The sexy-as-hell man she'd seen on her first day back, however, isn't her ex but his adult son. Although she wants nothing to do with either of them, they won't leave her head or her heart alone.

Excerpt:

Chills struck Robyn Cattrall as she stepped onto the grounds of her alma mater. Memories good and bad blindsided her for several moments. She’d done a lot of soul-searching before accepting a post here as history professor.

But the burnished autumn leaves and chill in the air made her feel alive again. They brought the promise of soon-coming winter with its wonderland of glistening snow, something she’d missed living in south Florida for the past couple of decades.

She consoled herself that as a connoisseur of history, she had learned from past mistakes and knew better than to repeat them. Just because she was back at the scene of her first heartbreak didn’t mean she was doomed to repeat it. She’d make sure she didn’t. Forty-four now, she was a lot wiser than she’d been at twenty-two.

Funny, she felt young on a campus surrounded by twenty-year-olds, especially when a horde of students burst into the sunshine and several young studs eyed her appreciatively.

She did her best not to drool over what might be her future students, and tried hard to keep a pleasantly professional smile. But when she came face to face with the ghost of her first love, Phil Williams, her jaw dropped, her eyes widened and her heart stopped. Unabashedly, she stared.

Phil…

What was he doing here?

Phil’s glance slid over her without a hint of recognition, and he passed by without a falter in his step.

She hated herself, but she turned and stared at his retreating back as the sea of people parted around her, then swallowed him. How could he not turn to look at her? How could he forget? How could he look so damned good?

She gulped and licked her lips. When someone bumped her, she jolted awake. Embarrassed, she checked her campus map and hurried to her office.

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”.

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Author Interview: Wendi Zwaduk 

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Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

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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. :)

A Heap Of Trouble

My sweet short story "A Heap Of Trouble" is up at The Long & Short Reviews today.

Here's a morsel:

Raina Everett paced. She didn’t care that the desk sergeant glared as if he wanted to lock her up. Her taxes paid his salary and she had rights damn it!

She checked her watch and sighed. Then she marched up to the man. “Is Lieutenant Ross Lowe available yet?”

Scowling, the man insinuated his finger between his neck and collar. “He’ll be out soon.”

Soon?!? Her older brother had been missing two weeks and this moron told her “soon”? This department said the town Dave lived in wasn’t in their jurisdiction, that she had to go to Tampa to file the missing person’s report in person.

By the time Ross sauntered out her blood boiled. She rose and fisted her hands on her hips. Then she took a deep breath and tried to blind herself to the man’s raw sexuality more evident today than ever, damn him.

To read the full story go to the Long & Short Reviews here. It's free, so enjoy. :)
 
Recent posts you might like to read:

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Why You Should Consider Library Booksignings

Make Sure Pretentious Words Don't Turn Off Your Readers

Are You Writing Me Into Your Book?

Dont Give Up Too Early

Must Write Must Write Must Write!!!

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. :)

Tribute to my mother

Twenty years ago yesterday, my mom died.

She was only 58. Much too young.

She had cancer. She suffered far too much.

I was her only child. I miss her like hell.

I mentioned several things I love and remember about my dad the other day. Now it's my mom's turn.

My mom loved to sew, crochet, knit, embroider, and do crafts. All her life, she worked in some type of sewing including alterations, bridal, and tailoring. She made a lot of my clothes. She tried to teach me to sew, but unfortunately, it wasn't my forte.

She loved John Wayne movies. She watched them all the time and this was before the days of videos and DVDs.

She also loved musicals with Howard Keel, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, etc.

She got me hooked on General Hospital (yep, the soap). Back when Nurse Audrey was hiding her son from Doctor Steve and everybody. Before Robert Scorpio, Anna Devane, Frisco and Felicia, or even Luke and Laura.

She was a meat eater. She'd eat weird things like hearts, kidneys, and other strange cuts I won't go near.

She liked to bowl. One time, she joined a team and bowled with Cincinnati's Marge Schott (if you're from Cincinnati, you'll have heard of her).

She took me bowling a lot, and to the movies. She doted on me, her only child.

She was a beautiful blonde with gray-blue eyes. But she admired her older sister's beautiful red hair, like their dad's, and she'd wished I'd be a red-head. Instead, I looked like my mom. Then Mom wished that my children would inherit the family's red hair. None of them have. Sorry Mom. But I think her grandkids are perfect the way they are. :)

When I was in college, she helped me with my homework by finding news articles and sending them to me. Even from California when we lived in Mississippi.

At about age 50, she returned to college to learn hotel/restaurant management. She worked parttime at various hotel desks while taking college classes.

When my family moved, she moved to be near us. When we got married, she made my wedding dress with beautiful beadwork on the bodice. Then she flew out to California and put my wedding together. While there, she fell in love with California (Northern) and decided to stay. She bought property and made a home with my stepfather.

Then she was diagnosed with cancer. Not just any cancer, but bone cancer, one of the worst kinds. Perhaps the worst. She was given two years to live. She called us all the time. She sent notes to each of my three children every single week.

She won a pair of plane tickets from a radio station and she used them to visit us for a couple weeks. We were still stationed in Mississippi with the Air Force and I was still attending USM. It was a bittersweet two weeks.

She was planning on visiting again and perhaps staying a couple months. She seemed to be doing well under the circumstances. But when I got home from the boys' T-Ball game one fateful Monday afternoon in June, we had a phone message that she was very ill. I called straight away. But it was too late. She'd stopped breathing and had a no resuscitation order. I couldn't breathe. I was crushed.

We fought a lot, especially for the year she lived with us. DH says it's because we're too much alike (he also says I fight a lot with D#1 because we're also too much alike.) But I still miss her like crazy.

Every year on the anniversay of her death, it haunts me. I don't try to remember the day, but most years, when I glance at the date, it floods back anyway.


On another note, my publisher Total-e-Bound has updated their site and in honor of their first year anniversary, they've posted several FREE reads on their site. Yep, totally free. No catch. You don't have to order or do anything else to get them. Just go to the site and get them at: Total-e-Bound

I have four FREE short stories at Total-e-Bound: Sticky Wicket, The Naughty Secretary, A Sex God, and Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

There are several other free short stories, also, in addition to mine.

Go ahead. Enjoy!

There's no free lunch and pet peeves

My college history teacher first taught me this. This supposedly is history and life's philosophy boiled down to a nutshell. It just slapped me in the face. I clicked on a "FREE" online IQ test thinking it would be fun but instead, it frustrated me to death and I refused to finish. The stupid test kept trying to get me to sign up for surveys and paid-for subscriptions. I kept clicking "no thank you" and "pass" until finally, it wouldn't let me proceed without clicking "yes" to at least one sponsor offer. What is so "FREE" about that? It's a f---ing come on. A scam. And I HATE scams. I've not been in a good mood today in general. My editor will discover this soon enough when she reads the story I'm working on. My heroine wanted to boil her hero in oil. Really! I mean, she's totally, royally pissed. I really wonder if my editor will make me change that. The way I feel right now, I really want to boil someone in oil. And I really don't know why. Maybe it's Midol Time... I've been holding this in, but today is a perfect day for its to spill out. Someone I thought was a friend at the time (some friend!) accused me of being "Internet Needy". I think she was scared I would find www.pinktruth.com - I repeat www.pinktruth.com and get some enlightenment. Or maybe she was afraid I wouldn't work hard enough to earn her commissions. Who knows? At the same time, however, I'd just been flamed on one of my publisher's loops for NOT being online and on the loop nearly enough with my readers. How can it be both? I guess it can be both as everyone has a different perspective, different needs and priorities. As a writer, MY need is to be part of my writers' and readers' community and nowadays, a huge part of that takes place on the Internet. I'm pretty sure my author friends will concur. Then and now, I'm an author first (well, after being a mother and wife, that is, and a customer service manager at the day job). My priority is not to sell stuff to make money for other people - except for my publisher's of course. But then my publisher(s) is giving me a paycheck for my work, not expecting me to spend more and more money on inventory, inventory that will be made obsolete before I can possibly unload it. I'm being obscure to most probably, but bear with me, I'm on a well-deserved rant. Oh! I'm sure at least one person will call me a sniveling whiner AGAIN. I guess I'm just funny that way. I don't like to be used and abused and taken advantage of. I don't like it when someone pretends to be a friend to get me to plunk down my very hard earned money. Honestly, I don't know many people who appreciate that, even those who don't have a big family to support. Knowing I can be sensitive, I try not to take myself too seriously. I try not to get upset or to ignore things and give people the benefit of the doubt - until they do either the same bad things over and over, or several different things that aren't kosher within a fairly close period of time. In one particular case, we belonged to a group where the group celebrated when a member became a black belt. The final straw (notice, I say final - as there were many things - this was just THE END for me) came when this group started whispering and pushing me away. I happened to have a horrendous tooth ache that day anyway, so they wouldn't have had to worry about me crashing their precious party that day anyway, but they didn't seem to pick up on that. Although in the past, the whole class had always been invited to these celebration parties or dinners. In short, I finally realized how cliquish and high-school this was and that this wasn't what I was looking for. My daughters, 23 and 16 tell me they realized this almost from the beginning and so they hadn't liked this aspect and so could never warm up to it. This time, the clique was discussing this party - I think. I tried to ask this one particular person a question, and she seemed to literally push me away. I don't think she wanted me to hear they were having this party of which I obviously wasn't invited. She came off quite callous to me. Fine. Okay. I don't have to be included - there's no law, not even a moral one, that says everybody has to be included. But I was tired of being pushed away and all the whispering when I was near as if they didn't want me specifically to hear things, when I was expected to spend every other evening with this group. I no longer had any desire to be depressed by being around this particular group and in particular the person who was literally pushing me away from the fun stuff while conversely, she wanted me to spend more and more money on stuff that was filling up my house that I couldn't sell. I'll probably get another nasty, whiny email. Oh well. Even if I am being whiny, I'm not the only one. And according to www.pinktruth.com (repeat, that's www dot pinktruth dot com) this is just another script these people use to bully and intimidate when someone tries to get away from the pink koolaid with their lives. Although I will admit, there's many reasons I stopped participating in the two things I allude to above. I am totally committed to my family, to my day job where I have a steady pay check and good benefits and respect and a boss who will honestly answer all the questions and concerns we have and who is always available to help and who is always gracious, and to my writing career. Those three things deserve and take my time and energy. I don't have enough time for this much less anything else. Okay, I'm probably rambling. I think hubby's scared. He just ran out to the store to buy me the "strongest shit he can find" to quote him. I guess Keith is right to have "Don't Fear The Reaper" as his ring tone for me.