For Today’s Freebie Friday, I thought it would be fun to showcase a few of my own designs.
A Wanton’s Thief (Thieves and Lovers, Book One) – Titania Ladley
Taking Instruction – Cheyenne McCray
Sojourner (Sojourner, Book One) – Maria Rachel Hooley
Samson’s Lovely Mortal (Scanguards Vampires, Book One) – Tina Folsom
Shattered (Dream’s Realm Trilogy, Book One) – Sophia Sharp
In Heat (In Heat, Book One) – Felicity Heaton
In Heat: Mating Call (In Heat, Book Two) – Felicity Heaton
Promise (Soulsavers, Book One) – Kristie Cook
Zola’s Pride ( Southern Arcana, Book 2.5) – Moira Rogers
Bewitching the Werewolf – Caroline Hanson
The Mystic Wolves (The Mystic Wolves Series, Book One) – Belinda Boring
Another Six Sentences from Deception.
Looks very military. This is a guy who could kick my ass half asleep with both hands tied behind his back.
I can tell he’s giving me the same thorough assessment, although I can’t tell by his expression what he thinks. I hope it’s not, This chick looks like a vampire. That will majorly fuck up the rest of my life.
“What are you doing out so late at night kid?”
To Learn more about Six Sentence Sunday, click here.
This week’s Six Sentence Sunday is from Deception, formerly titled Let Me Lie.
Her voice is real sweet. Not seductive, but completely feminine. There’s a small pang of jealousy at hearing the way he speaks so tenderly to her. This is his woman, his partner, and I want what they have. That trust and intimacy. That someone to call when I need to get rid of a body.
I usually only showcase 1 to 3 free novels on Friday, but today when I was searching I found so many that looked good that I decided to post them all. Below is a list of titles and their links.
Beauty Dominates the Beast – Hannah Hale
Once Bitten, Forever Burned – Eve Langlais, Stacey Kennedy
The Princess’ Dragon Lord – Mandy Rosko
She’s Gotta be Mine (Cottonmouth Series, Book 1) – Jennifer Skully
Once Bitten (Alexa O’Brien Huntress, Book 1) – Trina M. Lee
Sunrise at Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 1) – Jaz Primo
Wereslave (Were Legends, Book 1) – Lia Slater
Initiation (Xylon Warriors, Book 1) – Ruth D. Kerce
Vampire Cursed (Vampires Destined, Book 1) – Rachel Carrington
This week’s Six Sentence Sunday is from Let Me Lie.
Brannon would be the one to kill me, of that, I was always certain. What I hadn’t expected was to want it. He strode towards me, covered in Michael’s blood. I stood my ground, ready to face his wrath. His hand came at my face and I flinched, but his touch was gentle.
“I don’t blame you,” he said, “but you should have told me.”
Another six sentences from Let Me Lie.
“What Brannon doesn’t know…” I left the rest unsaid, because we both knew if Brannon ever found out, he’d be really hurt, right before he hurt me. Brannon didn’t take betrayal in any form, and that’s exactly what my existence was to him. A betrayal. I should have never taken that job, should have never let myself that close to him. Let him get that close to me.
Michael laughed and sauntered towards me. He pushed me against the wall a little too roughly for foreplay, but that was alright. I’d show him rough.
Novellas are so rarely done right. They either have too much going on or not enough. When novella’s go wrong the characters are lifeless, the plot is none existent, and the relationships feel forced. To avoid this, writers must go about writing a short story in the same way they would write a full length novel. There needs to be rising action, climax, and falling action. There should be surprises and originality, not just sex. Sex is good, even in abundant amounts, but not when the sex scenes feel forced and pointless. It must feel relevant to the plot, and natural for the characters to behave in such a manner.
Today, I’m showcasing Patricia Briggs’ novella, Alpha & Omega. Although, this lacks the steamy scenes we all love, it’s a good example of how to pace and plot your novellas. Even though this is a short story it feels complete and realistic (for PRN and UF, anyway).
This must be what it was like to be fully human.
“So why are they the ones called Flatheads?” she asked.
The scent of her fear faded further as she followed his story.
“You said your mother was Salish,” she said. “So the Marrok isn’t Native American?”
“Which city are we in?” he asked.
“Oak Park,” she said. “Home of Frank Lloyd Wright, Edgar Rice Burroughs and Scorci’s.”
Ah. That’s why she smelled of garlic.
This Six Sentence Sunday’s excerpt is from my current WIP, Let Me Lie.
“The logical part of my brain knew he couldn’t scent the vampire in me, but my nerves didn’t know that. My survival instincts had already decided in favor of flight but the predator had zeroed in, and any movement would be a signal that I was up for the chase. Escape was out the question, but I could distract him. He might be were, but he was still a man.
“It’s Burberry,” I whispered, looking up at him through my eyelashes.
His lazy hold became rigid, and he asked me, with no small amount of suspicion, “Burberry?””
Adam Hauptman is alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack. He has a strict moral code, and a hot-temper. Anyone who knows him knows where he stands on any issue, and how he will react to a threat. Adam is loyal, brave, and a complete control freak.
Species: Werewolf
Occupation: Owns a security company
Weaknesses: His daughter, Jesse, and a hot temper
Special Qualities:immortal, ex-military, raised in the south, and he’s fourth in line to become Marrok (the lead alpha position).
I am eternally indebted to Patricia Briggs for brings me the Mercy Thompson Series, and if you haven’t read it yet, shame on you! It’s wonderful. Adams great, but Mercy is better. She’s my favorite heroine of all time. She’s not whinny or overly feministic. She has that balance.
Below are six sentences from my latest work-in-progress, Let Me Lie. I’m still in the process of writing it, but if I’m successful with JulNaWriMo, it will be ready for revision/rewriting by August.
“It only takes one bad decision to ruin a perfectly good future. One minute you’re living life to the fullest, the next, you’re dealing out death just to ensure you take your next breath, because dying is not an option. I’m not talking about the six-feet-under kind of dead. I would welcome that with arms wide open at this point, because the way my life’s going it’ll be the only peace I ever know. It’s the unnatural death I fear. A salvationless eternity of hunger, pain, and loneliness.”
It’s sounds like a bad horror film, and if you’ve ever written you’ve one, then you know that’s not such a bad comparison. Blurbs are hard work. You have to sum up the concept of the plot, introduce the characters, and engage your readers in two paragraphs or less. It’s enough to make any writer consider a career change. I wish I knew of some secret formula to make writing blurbs easy, but there just isn’t one. The best advice I can give you is to familiarize yourself with as many blurbs as possible. Writing is a “watch and learn” process, so browse your local bookstore and pay close attention to the blurbs. Which ones catch your attention? Why? Which ones didn’t?
A blurb that caught my attention today was Vivian Arend’s Black Gold. It’s short, funny, and intriguing.
Their wolves are howling at the moon. Their human halves are on different planets.
Takhini Wolves, Book 1
Lone wolf Shaun Stevens’s automatic response to the words “happily ever after”? Kill me now. Yet with all his friends settling down he’s begun to think there may actually be something to this love-and-roses crap.
One thing’s for sure: his dream mate will have to out-cuss, out-spit and out-hike him. So he never expected the one to push his forever button would be a blue-blooded Southern debutante with a voice as dark and velvety as her skin.
When Gemmita Jacobs steps off the plane in Whitehorse, Yukon, it’s about more than her caribou research project. It’s her declaration of independence from an overprotected upbringing. Except there’s something in the air she can’t quite define—something that unexpectedly rouses her mating instincts.
Moments after their eyes lock, the deed is done—and done thoroughly. When the pheromone dust settles, though, all the reasons they don’t belong together become painfully clear.
It’s enough to make a wolf learn a whole new set of cuss words…
Two strong wolves getting exactly what they deserve. Includes wilderness nookie, shifters being naughty in public places, the Midnight Sun as a canopy for seduction and grizzly shifters on the loose. Oh, and don’t forget the sarcasm.