Midnight Kiss Giveaway Hop – Delicious Delay by Tara Quan ( #Multicultural #Romance #NewRelease from @DecadentPub )

A Contemporary Romance

Welcome to the Midnight Kiss Giveaway Hop! As we countdown to New Year’s Eve, each participant will be sharing our favorite kiss. In my case, it’s a snippet from my brand spanking new release, Delicious Delay.  It came out last Friday and is available from Decadent Publishing (here), Amazon (here), and B&N (here).

Before I get on with my post, I probably should tell you I’ll be giving away a $5 Amazon Gift Card (electronic) to a random commenter on this blog. All you need to do is state the FULL NAME (as in First and Last) of the man doing all the kissing in this snippet (hint: it’s in the blurb, which I have conveniently placed at the bottom of this post). I’ll draw the winner after the hop ends on December 31st. Remember to leave your email so I can contact you with the good news!

Onward to the kiss:

His tongue delved. She closed her fingers over his broad shoulders before trailing them down his triceps. One of his hands cradled her nape as the other spanned her back. The contact melted her muscles. With his arms snaked around her body, she felt captive even though she sat on top.

She should be in charge. She should be taking the lead. Instead, his mouth set the rhythm and pace, guiding her through the sensual dance she only now realized she had barely known.

She reminded herself this was just a kiss—a single, sumptuous, seemingly endless kiss that threatened to turn her brain to mush.

And that, folks, is my contribution to this hop. There are lots of other fabulous giveaways from authors and book bloggers, so be sure to click on the banner to your left to hop along (or here). Along the way you will have opportunities to earn more entries for the big hop prize: a $25 Gift Card from Liquid Silver Books. [Congrats to Lori P. from Reading Until I Fall Asleep for winning the grand prize!]

Winners will be announced within three days of the hop’s end. The blog stop right after mine is Romance Author Mac Rome. [And the name I drew out of a hat is *drumroll* BN100. Congratulations!]

Blurb for Delicious Delay (read this to figure out the answer to my giveaway):

Stranded in a Middle Eastern airport, Michelle Day finds herself the object of interest for an abrasive, but all-too-sexy stranger—a stranger who tempts her with the forbidden in a land where indecency could get her killed. But how does one say no to such a deliciously, relentless pursuit?

Khalid Al Dehri takes one look at the red-headed spitfire in the business class lounge and knew he’d either been transported to heaven—or hell. Her tart response to his surliness intrigues him beyond all propriety and the longer he spends in her company, the more he can’t deny his forbidden attraction. But will she explore the sensuality between them or will society’s rules keep them apart?

Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday No. 37 (#sffsat) – Rescued from a Trunked Manuscript – #Scifi #Romance

Here’s the next snippet from my nameless trunked manuscript. I’ll keep sharing it for quite a while since my sci-fi (post-apocalyptic) romance isn’t scheduled to come out until late February. 

For all past SFFSAT posts, click here. In the previous snippet, we witnessed Hades express some specie-ism with respect to a prospective employee. 

Nell made a show of glancing down at her slim platinum wristwatch. “You don’t have a choice—we have an infestation problem. The Order of Acolytes’ raison d’être is to kill undead, and their leadership is a veritable snakes’ den. And yet, that fragile human survived their employ for close to a decade.”

Forced to concede her point, he searched for another way out. “It says in her file this woman was fired.”

His sister gave him a disgusted look. “You know as well as anyone the Order’s idea of termination involves homicide. I don’t know how the girl did it, but she managed to get enough leverage to make them leave her alone. That feat, at the very least, should earn her an interview.”

SFFSat is a group of writers sharing snippets from both published and unpublished works of science fiction and fantasy. You can read more about the group by clicking the banner to the left, as well as follow links to the other participants. Any comments are much appreciated!

Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday No. 36 (#sffsat) – Rescued from a Trunked Manuscript – #Scifi #Romance

I apologize for being a bit scarce lately. For very good reason (namely his sanity), DH requested I go on a short hiatus from all writing-related stuff. I’m now easing back into the flow of things.

Here’s the next snippet from my nameless trunked manuscript. I’ll keep sharing it for quite a while since my sci-fi (post-apocalyptic) romance isn’t scheduled to come out until late February. 

For all past SFFSAT posts, click here. In the previous snippet, we witnessed a spat between Hades and Nell, which resulted in minor damage to Hades’ wardrobe. The siblings are arguing about a potential employee who is waiting in the lobby. (Note: The cue word for this week is RAIN.)

“She’s too…human.”

Nell pointed her lacquered fingertip at the ceiling. “I’m sorry, but is it raining vampire detection experts of the immortal variety?” Her lips firmed into a straight line. “I didn’t think so. Now bring Cora Springfield in here and offer her the damn job.”

Hades slapped his palm on the desk. “She’s not going to survive the week. I need her to help me hunt, not arrange meetings.”

SFFSat is a group of writers sharing snippets from both published and unpublished works of science fiction and fantasy. You can read more about the group by clicking the banner to the left, as well as follow links to the other participants. Any comments are much appreciated!

Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday No. 35 (#sffsat) – Rescued from a Trunked Manuscript – #Scifi #Romance

Here’s the next snippet from my nameless trunked manuscript. My first attempt at a full-length novel, it was written when vampires were still in vogue (though these vampires have pseudo-scientific origins). The prospect of revising the whole thing is too daunting, but let’s see if I can salvage it one tiny bit at a time. (Disclaimer: My writing has significantly improved over the years.)

For last week’s post (as well as all the ones from Warlock’s Pawn and Tower in the Woods), click here. In the previous snippet, we got to witness some sibling rivalry between Hades and Nell , who we now know is almost a century old. (Note: The cue word for this week is NAILS.)

Her nails elongated to resemble claws. She stabbed her forefinger into his chest. If he were human, there would be a gaping hole between his ribs. Because of his age, she failed to draw blood. His Armani shirt, however, needed replacement. He decided to deduct the cost from her paycheck.

He stared his sister down. After taking an uneasy step back, she pouted. “I just found you the perfect assistant. Why am I getting the third degree instead of a pat on the back?”

SFFSat is a group of writers sharing snippets from both published and unpublished works of science fiction and fantasy. You can read more about the group by clicking the banner to the left, as well as follow links to the other participants. Any comments are much appreciated!

Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday No. 34 (#sffsat) – Rescued from a Trunked Manuscript – #Scifi #Romance

Here’s the next snippet from my nameless trunked manuscript. My first attempt at a full-length novel, it was written when vampires were still in vogue (though these vampires have pseudo-scientific origins). The prospect of revising the whole thing is too daunting, but let’s see if I can salvage it one tiny bit at a time. (Disclaimer: My writing has significantly improved over the years.)

For last week’s post (as well as all the ones from Warlock’s Pawn and Tower in the Woods), click here. In the previous snippet, my hero (Hades) had just told his sister (Nell) to find him a different vampire detection expert despite my heroine’s (Cora) 0% false positive rate.  

His sister’s back straightened a split second before she stomped her foot. The impact caused his granite desk to rattle. “You gave me an impossible task. I succeeded. And now you want me to start over again? I’m not your lackey.”

He lifted one eyebrow. “Until your powers mature, that word describes you to perfection. Stop behaving like a mortal child. You’re almost a century old.”

SFFSat is a group of writers sharing snippets from both published and unpublished works of science fiction and fantasy. You can read more about the group by clicking the banner to the left, as well as follow links to the other participants. Any comments are much appreciated!

Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday No. 33 (#sffsat) – Rescued from a Trunked Manuscript – #Scifi #Fantasy #Romance

Here’s the next snippet from my nameless trunked manuscript. My first attempt at a full-length novel, it was written when vampires were still in vogue (though these vampires have pseudo-scientific origins). The prospect of revising the whole thing is too daunting, but let’s see if I can salvage it one tiny bit at a time. (Disclaimer: My writing has significantly improved over the years.)

For last week’s post (as well as all the ones from Warlock’s Pawn and Tower in the Woods), click here. In the previous snippet, my hero’s sister (Nell) had just told him my heroine (Cora) is perfect for an as yet undisclosed position.  

[Hades] crossed his arms and scrutinized the human’s pouting lips and elfin chin. He had never seen her before, but she was familiar in a way words failed to describe. “Then why did the Order of Acolytes let her go? Vampire detection experts with her track record are hard to come by.”

Nell snorted. “They’re impossible to come by. She has a zero percent false positive rate.”

Feeling an inexplicable need to keep this mortal as far from the portended conflict as possible, he shrugged. “Find someone else.”

SFFSat is a group of writers sharing snippets from both published and unpublished works of science fiction and fantasy. You can read more about the group by clicking the banner to the left, as well as follow links to the other participants. Any comments are much appreciated!

Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday No. 32 (#sffsat) – Rescued Snippet from a Trunked Manuscript – #Scifi #Fantasy #Romance

Here’s the next snippet from my nameless trunked manuscript. My first attempt at a full-length novel, it was written when vampires were still in vogue (though these vampires have pseudo-scientific origins). The prospect of revising the whole thing is too daunting, but let’s see if I can salvage it one tiny bit at a time. (Disclaimer: My writing has significantly improved over the years.)

For last week’s post (as well as all the ones from Warlock’s Pawn and Tower in the Woods), click here. In the previous snippet, we got to know my hero’s sister, Nell, a little bit better.

“Judging from her appearance, I could break all her bones with a single blow.”

His sister snorted. “If that were our benchmark, no human would be fit for recruitment.” She rose, circled the table, and took control of his computer. With a few taps, she enlarged the human’s image. “Look at where Ms. Springfield chose to sit. Look at the way she’s scanning the lobby. She’s a trained operative. If you’d bothered to read her file, you’d know she’s perfect for the job.”

SFFSat is a group of writers sharing snippets from both published and unpublished works of science fiction and fantasy. You can read more about the group by clicking the banner to the left, as well as follow links to the other participants. Any comments are much appreciated!

Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday No. 31 (#sffsat) – Rescued Snippet from a Trunked Manuscript – #Scifi #Fantasy #Romance

Here are the next 10 rescued sentences from my nameless trunked manuscript. My first attempt at a full-length novel, it was written when vampires were still in vogue (though these vampires have pseudo-scientific origins). The prospect of revising the whole thing is too daunting, but let’s see if I can salvage it one snippet at a time. (Disclaimer: My writing has significantly improved over the years.)

For last week’s post (as well as all the ones from Warlock’s Pawn and Tower in the Woods), click here. In the previous snippet, we established my heroine’s rather odd fashion sense and my hero’s name (Hades). The cue word for this week is “Suns”, and hopefully I managed to make the snippet work.

“What did you expect?” His sister’s blue eyes flashed silver as her lips firmed into a defensive line. The youngest member of his family, Nell had difficulty suppressing the physical manifestations of her emotions.

He tore his gaze from the video feed. “You identified Cora Springfield as a vampire detection expert. This human doesn’t look like one.”

“How many vampire detection experts have you met?” Nell freed a strand of hair from her coiffure and twirled it around her finger. The blond tendril soon glowed golden.

Not in the mood to face a potentially destructive temper tantrum from little miss sunshine, he conceded her point.

SFFSat is a group of writers sharing snippets from both published and unpublished works of science fiction and fantasy. You can read more about the group by clicking the banner to the left, as well as follow links to the other participants. Any comments are much appreciated!

Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday No. 30 (#sffsat) – Rescued Snippet from a Nameless Trunked Manuscript – #Fantasy #Scifi

After finishing the first chapter of Warlock’s Pawn last week (click here for past snippets), I found myself in a bit of a quandary. The novella veers into very adult territory soon after, and there’s a publisher limit on how much of the book I can post on my blog. As such, it is time to move on.

My next two finished works are in the wrong genre, and my WIP isn’t quite ready for prime time. What’s a girl to do but dig into the past?

Here are 10 rescued sentences from a Nameless Trunked Manuscript. It was my first attempt at a full-length novel and harkens to a time when writing steamy scenes still made me blush. It was also written when vampires were still in vogue (though these vampires have pseudo-scientific origins). I actually hit 70k on this one, but most of it is quite horrible. The prospect of revising the whole thing is too daunting, but let’s see if I can salvage it one snippet at a time. (Disclaimer: My writing has significantly improved over the years.)

“She’s not what I expected.” Hades Kerosian scrutinized the video feed on his ultra-slim computer monitor. The stitched leather soles of his Italian-made shoes tapped a steady rhythm on the dark marble floor. Though there were no lamps or overhead light, the room was swathed in an orange glow.

He tapped his keyboard to zoom-in on the high definition image of a fidgety young woman. Dwarfed by the waiting room’s blocky armchair, she looked delicate enough to snap in half. She sported a black T-shirt and dark jeans. Her mahogany hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail and slipped out the back of a pink baseball cap. Yellow-tinted sunglasses covered most of her face.

SFFSat is a group of writers sharing snippets from both published and unpublished works of science fiction and fantasy. You can read more about the group by clicking the banner to the left, as well as follow links to the other participants. Any comments are much appreciated!

Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday No. 29 (#sffsat) – Warlock’s Pawn – #FantasyRomance

This snippet is from Warlock’s Pawn and continues from the last one (click on the SFFSat tag at the bottom of the post to read past snippets). It also happens to be the final snippet from this novella since all my characters get pretty naughty going forward. I need to figure out what I’ll do next week. (What’s better?– Material from one of my trunked manuscripts or some flash fiction action).

Warlock’s Pawn is a fantasy romance inspired by The Arabian Nights. It is available on  LSBooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ARe, Kobo, and a few other places.

In the previous post, Alia makes a request for Duncan to be merciful.

Once he was sated, Duncan released the fey’s hand and gazed upon her pale unconscious form. He bent to press his lips against her cheek before fastening on the veil.

“The Dionian court will pay for its crime, and one day you will belong to me,” he whispered as he lifted the feather-light body into his arms. “But the people you protect will be safe under my rule. To that you have my vow.”

SFFSat is a group of writers sharing snippets from both published and unpublished works of science fiction and fantasy. You can read more about the group by clicking the banner to the left, as well as follow links to the other participants. Any comments are much appreciated!