May Day Facebook Party #MFRWorg

It's Time to Party!

hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers (#MFRWorg)

JOIN ME & over a dozen other authors as we share excerpts from our contemporary romances. Get ideas for some new books to enjoy this spring. With all heat levels represented, there's something for everyone. Join in on the hourly contests and win prizes. This is a party you do not want to miss and it's going on all day on May 1st.

I'll be featuring excerpts from Busted in Bubbles, Down in Mexico, and maybe something from an upcoming release or two. I'll also be giving away a copy of Busted in Bubbles, featuring new cover art.

Join us!

Confirmed Participating Authors INCLUDE:

Victoria Barbour - Vicki Batman - Paloma Beck - Gemma Brocato - Candy Caine - Lisa Carlisle - Carly Carson - Margie Church - Karen Cino - Wendy Lynn Clark - Margo Bond Collins - Kandie Delley - Emerald - Candace Gold - Lily Harlem - Susan Jaymes - Mona Karel - Patricia Kiyono - Adriana Kraft - Jan Meredith - Siobhan Muir - Martha O'Sullivan - Skylin O'Thomas - Victoria Pinder - Irene Preston - Jana Richards - Christi Williams - Sabrina York

CLICK HERE to Attend!

Sunday Snippet: How to Tell Off the Boss

Greetings,

Whew. Wild week in TV. Arrow, of course, amped up the tension and drama with a total shocker at the end of the episode. Okay, maybe not a total surprise, but wow, I'm dying to see what happens next. S.H.I.E.L.D went to great places and planted some new seeds for a future season (I hope!) and Orphan Black delivered another taut hour of viewing pleasure. I have several things I want to see happen with Rachel, but I'll save those for a fandom blog post. LOL I'm honestly not sure about the whole Helena/religious cult dealio, but I'll keep watching to see what happens.

Writing wise, the week ended up being way more productive than expected, in a truly odd way. I've been updating my Works in Progress page and the exercise is shaking off some cobwebs and getting the creative juices flowing again. I love it when that happens. J

Tonight's post is from How to Tell Off the Boss, a novella where my main male character has to grow a set… with a little help from a new co-worker.

Here's the tagline:

Orin Murdoch's boss, the newly installed VP of Sales, is driving him insane with new promotions that just don't work. Edda Case, an upstart marketing whiz, takes Orin in hand and teaches him how to tell off the boss with style.

And a snippety peek…

Edda crossed her arms over her chest. "Orin, what would you tell Linna if you had the chance?"

Orin shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe, bug off." He tossed the pen across the desk.

Edda snorted. "Bug off? Are you five?" She crossed his office and placed her palms on the smooth oak surface covered with files. "The response is, 'Shut the fuck up, bitch, and leave me alone."

Orin quirked a brow, but leaned back in his seat, pondering the idea.

Edda waved a hand. "Go on. Try it out." She dragged one of the client chairs forward and settled down on it.

Orin straightened. "Shut the fuck up and leave me alone." He spoke clearly and used just the right amount of inflection to get his point across.

Edda nodded. "Good tone. Authoritative without sounding menacing." She chuckled. "You couldn't quite get the bitch part in, could you?"

Orin lifted one shoulder. "Hey, it's the VP of sales, Edda. A little decorum has to be used."

Edda rolled her eyes. Whatever, Orin. I'm sure she'll remember your tact and diplomacy when she orders you to do something stupid again." She added. "And she won't lay the blame at your doorstep when we start tracking the spectacular lack of sales when her new brand of promotions generates nothing but headaches for Accounting and Production." Edda pushed a little harder. "Look, I know you're not me, but covering your ass is always smart. Don't give Linna the opportunity to fry it when her lack of research comes back to smack her in the face."

Orin studied Edda for a moment. "Okay, you've got a valid point, except telling Linna to shut the fuck up will only go so far." He frowned. "She's ignoring the sales projections for a reason, but I can't figure out why."

Edda snorted. "Figure that one out and three departments will throw you a party."

Orin leaned forward. "What are your plans for the evening?" A sly smile crossed his face.

Edda tilted her head to the side. "Why?" She hoped like hell he had something sneaky planned.

Orin met her gaze. "I'm going to dig around and find out why. I could use some help."

Edda's lips curved. "I'm game… if you throw in dinner."

Orin stuck out his hand. "Deal. Korean or Thai?"

He'd remembered her comfort food?

Edda tamped down a zing of excitement. "Surprise me." She stood and made her way to the door. "Meet in the parking garage after work?"

Orin nodded. "That's a plan. I'll see you then."

Edda exited his office and grinned. Subterfuge with a hot guy. Her night just took a turn for the unexpected.

She couldn't wait for five o'clock.

And five o'clock doesn't disappoint. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Busted in Bubbles #MFRWHook

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Today I'll be sharing a glimpse of Busted in Bubbles, formerly published by Silver Publishing, I have the rights back and will be re-publishing in the very near future. J

Book Tagline: Is there anything better than a bath time romp with a hot man? Emsley Bourne wants to find out.

~*~

Emsley glanced in each direction before she used the master keycard to let herself into Rayne's cabin. If she'd figured the timing right, it shouldn't take longer than five minutes to short sheet his bed and another six to get the card back to the concierge desk. Poor Ron had no clue she'd borrowed his all access entry key to pull a prank. Hell, he didn't have any idea she'd lifted the damned thing at all.

With a smug smile, she crossed the living area and started up the spiral staircase to the loft. About five steps up, she froze, carefully listening and hearing water sloshing in the bathroom. Shit. Rayne must've skipped the fancy-pants dinner. Okay, could she still pull off her traditional short sheeting of his bed and still leave him none the wiser?

She pondered, considering her skill level against the chance he might discover her presence. Should she risk it?

Yeah. She loved a good challenge.

She started up the next step and stopped again. Wait… bath? What the hell? Curiosity ate its way through her intention of getting in and out. Rayne couldn't possibly be soaking in a tub. Hell. Yeah, he could… and he might have company. The thought bothered her… even if it shouldn't. She might find the combination of looks and brains a heady mixture, but it didn't give her any claim to his affections.

She hesitated. Indecision warred in her brain. She had zero desire to become a voyeur if Rayne had brought someone along for this trip and they'd decided to get kinky in the tub. She weighed her options. The possibility of finding him with some woman wrapped around him would be like a kick in the teeth, but… 

Screw it. She made her way back down the steps, tip-toeing to the bathroom door.

She had to know if the do-it-all security expert liked to soak in a tub. Peeking around the corner, she bit her cheek to keep from laughing out loud. Sure as shit, Rayne McKinnon sat up to his shoulders in frothy bubbles. An open bottle of bubbly, nestled in a bucket of ice, sat beside the tub, a glass filled with the golden liquid held in one of Rayne's hands, dangling outside. His head rested on the rolled edge of the tub, eyes closed, his fingers lazily tilting the glass back and forth.

The humor died and Emsley's face heated up. God, he looked damned good, bubbles or not. A wave of jealousy hit her… he appeared so content. The relaxed pose, the hot water, the alcohol… geez, she could go for all three. Okay, four. She could go for Rayne right now, too.

Cover Art Subject to Change

~*~

Blurb: Rayne searches for the perfect woman to complement his business and his life. Emsley Bourne fits the bill.

Emsley lives for the next thrill, whether in business or life. When she keeps running into Rayne McKinnon, she looks no further.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website http://www.skyewrites.com

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

Sunday Snippet: Hot Water

Hello!

Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

Lovely week in TV. Arrow had a rockin' episode. I love it when Oliver doesn't get things right and makes huge mistakes. S.H.I.E.L.D also had another awesome episode. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they end this season. Also? Orphan Black returned!! I love this show SO MUCH!!

And seriously? What an opening episode. I have sooooo many theories and I can't wait to see if I'm on track or totally off the rails. LOL The writing never fails to keep me coming back for more and the acting just blows my mind. If you're not watching this, you should be. J

Tonight's post is from Hot Water, a sexy, fun story about water rations at summer camp.

Here's the tagline:

When Demi Strange and Nathan Jordan work together at a summer camp, things get heated. The campers use up the water ration, leaving Demi to borrow Nathan's shower and it lands her in more than hot water.

And a snippety peek…

Demi cut the water and grabbed the closest towel off the rack. "Shit. A damned hand towel. Way to think things through." She tossed it on the floor and strode to the small closet by the sink.

The front door opened and Demi spied Nathan entering. Fumbling for something to dry off with, she grabbed the first thing her hands landed on. Another fluffy, but small, towel. Dammit. She shook it loose and clasped the fabric close, covering as much as she could. It stuck to her wet skin, clinging to her body, barely hiding the necessary parts. Risking a glance up, she met Nate's startled gaze. He recovered quickly, lifting  a brow.

God. She had to look like a drowned rat. Her hair, plastered to her neck, dripped rivulets of water along her shoulders. Goose bumps rose on her flesh and she shivered. After a moment of stunned silence, Nathan dragged his T-shirt over his head and tossed it on the couch before striding across the small living area and into the bath. The temperature notched upward when he raked his gaze over Demi.

She shuddered again, but not from the cold. The fire banked in his eyes had her lowering the towel, inch by inch. Nate took her gesture as a cue and worked his belt loose before popping the button on his jeans.

Demi dropped the wet terrycloth to the floor at the same time the denim landed at Nathan's feet.

Two strides later, he had her wrapped in his arms. "What happened? Did the campers go over the hot water ration again?" His head lowered and his mouth hovered over hers.

She chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. Didn't think you'd mind if I borrowed your shower." She tilted her chin upward, meeting his lips.

The kiss spun out, Nathan's mouth moving over hers, teasing her with light, little nips before he slipped his tongue inside to amp up the heat. His hands skimmed along her sides coming to rest on her ass.

He eased away. "Let's use my bed to dry you off." His fingers moved lower, urging her to lift up.

Her lips curved. "We'll be doing more than getting me dry, right?" She stood on her tiptoes, then wrapped her legs around his waist when he picked her up.

Nathan hauled her close, trapping his erection between their bodies. "Most definitely."

It's a good thing Demi has a friend who owes her one and will keep an eye on the campers during dinner. ;)

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Healthy Appetite

April 13, 2014

Whew. It's been a long week filled with a few bumps and bruises. First up, two of my published titles, Merry and Bright and Busted in Bubbles, are temporarily off the shelf. I'm hoping I found a new home for Merry and Bright, but I'm waiting for confirmation. Busted in Bubbles will be back shortly. I'm working on new cover art. I'll keep everyone posted when I know anything for certain.

TV fare ended up being light this week, but S.H.I.E.L.D. totally delivered an awesome episode. I won't discuss because seeing Captain America: Winter Soldier is a true bonus before getting into any details. J

Tonight's post is from, Healthy Appetite, a novella where my female character is very in tune with her nature and my male character totally falls for her.

Here's the tagline:

Thad Nightingale meets Kailey Dent during a weeklong get away and finds her approach to life refreshing. Not only does she eat with gusto, she has a thirst for adventure that leaves Thad hungry for more.

And a snippety peek…

Kailey had picked a casual spot not far from the slopes. Thad dutifully asked about Talon, verifying that he had indeed gone out with friends celebrating a birthday. When Kailey confirmed, Thad thanked whatever ruled the universe for that small favor.

She made an interesting dinner partner, insisting they sit at the bar instead of a corner table. If Thad didn't know better, he'd swear she did it to keep him at arm's length. But she couldn't suspect anything… he hadn't been that overt in his pursuit of her.

As soon as they seated themselves at the bar, Kailey asked the barman to flip the channel to the snowboard competition and ordered a shot. After she downed it, she promptly ignored Thad becoming engrossed in the pyramid match. Thad decided he didn't appreciate being ignored and made it impossible for her to continue.

"You used to compete, didn't you?"

Kailey turned toward him, brow raised. "Been checking up on me?" Her face had an almost angry look on it.

Not the time to bring up his earful from the sponsor. "What? No." Thad signaled the bartender for a shot of his own. "It's not a big secret, is it?" He implied he'd heard it around the mountain.

Kailey shrugged. "Guess not. And yeah, I almost went pro."

Thad tossed back the drink and let it burn past his throat. "It doesn't bother you to watch? You don't miss it?" He tapped the counter, wanting another.

Kailey gave a quick shake of her head. "I like doing my own thing more. And I've got money on this heat, so no, doesn't bother me to watch."

Thad let her finish viewing in peace. When the competition ended, Kailey ended up fifty buck to the better.

She grinned and danced around on her stool. "Let's grab a table now. Just wanted to see the end before ordering food." She slid off her seat and jerked her head toward the semi-crowded eating area.

Thad stood up and followed her. "Perfect timing."

They got a decent table along a wall and placed their orders. While waiting, they argued back and forth over who had the best chance at the upcoming downhill championships. It didn't surprise Thad they disagreed over which skier would come out on top.

The food arrived and Thad's steak with chips and some kind of vegetable medley landed on the table first. Kailey requested the house pasta dish and flipped when they brought it out.

"Shit. I'll never eat all that."

The huge entrée spilled out over the top of what looked more like a family-sized serving bowl than a regular one.

Kailey shot Thad a flabbergasted look. "Glad I didn't order the salad, too." She chuckled and picked up her fork.

Thad watched her twirl a huge mound out of the bowl. She leaned forward, opened wide and shoved the squiggly noodles into her mouth, slurping a stray one through pursed lips.

Anyone else would've looked ridiculous, but somehow Kailey made it seem sexy. Thad cleared his throat, glanced away and shifted in his seat. No one should get a hard on watching someone else eat.

No one but him, apparently.

He looked back to see Kailey chewing slowly, eyes closed in bliss.

Mouth still half full she uttered. "Oh my holy snowboard. You have to try this." She spun her fork around again and lifted it, holding the pasta over her hand and guiding it to him.

Reflex had him opening to accept her offering before he even thought about it. The pasta slid in and his eyes met hers. He pulled the food from the fork but Kailey stayed half-risen, waiting to gauge his reaction.

Which ended up being intense.

The explosion of flavor something incredible. He chewed slowly, savoring the blend of spices and oils. When he finally swallowed, he sat silent for a moment.

"Fuck me."

Kailey laughed. "I know, right?" She settled back down in her chair. "Makes your steak seem like nothing more than dead cow." She swirled another forkful and popped it into her mouth. "You should have the server bring you a box and share this with me." She chewed and swallowed, chasing it down with a quick gulp of water. "Seriously. I can't eat this whole bowl."

Thad flashed a grin and couldn't think of a reason not to do as she suggested.

Honestly, I didn't know if this scene would work, but I ended up loving it. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Banner Thursday—Down in Mexico

Welcome to Banner Day!

Today, I'm featuring my banner for Down in Mexico, book one from South of the Border.

Tagline: Boy meets and falls for girl. Girl 'dies' in a fiery explosion. Five years later, they meet again.

Blurb: Kiernan Darby spends five long years playing dead, living life in limbo, but it lets Lars Rademacher do his job and eliminate members of a lethal crime syndicate. Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico and their reunion is sweet… until Lars reveals a pesky detail he forgot to mention.

Kier and Lars have a special place in my heart. Their story unfolded and flowed smoothly from beginning to end.

Books available

Available at Amazon

Books in progress

Along the Shore

Book Three (Title is being contrary)

Thanks for reading!

Please visit my website www.skyewrites.com

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Creative Ink #MFRWHook

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Today I'll be sharing a glimpse of Creative Ink, episode one of the Black Unicorn Comics series coming this summer. J

No, it's not a comic book or graphic novel. Yet. But it is something of a different concept. The series is set around the adventures of the main couple and their co-workers for an indie comic book company and the stories are somewhat short with no more than four to six 'acts'. The idea came from one of my writing groups where we were challenged to come up with the idea for a TV show, cast the characters, and write a short story to create the visual. The overwhelming and positive feedback for Creative Ink convinced me to start the series.

Series Tagline: Black Unicorn Comics—collective genius or creative madness—follow the adventures of Brian, Lucy and their friends and decide.

Book Tagline: Brian and Lucy are on the verge of mainstream success—watch it happen in Creative Ink.

~*~

Lucy Sanderson sat in front of the monitor, eyes riveted to the screen.

So into the material, she almost missed seeing Brian Wells enter the office. She finished reading the page just as he settled into his seat across from her, a mug of hot coffee in his hand.

Lucy cocked her head sideways. "So…" She drew the word out. "Where do you get the shit in your head?" She fought back a smile when his confused eyes flew to hers over the top of the cup. "I mean does it just exist there waiting to come pouring out, or do you have to work at creating it?" She purposefully waited until he had a mouthful of coffee before she added. "Or does wanting me to be half naked all the time inspire you?"

To his credit, Brian choked down most of the hot liquid, managing to keep the bit that did spew out to a minimum. "Dammit, Lucy. You hacked my password again, didn't you?" He grabbed a napkin to wipe his chin.

Lucy gave him a cheeky grin. "I keep telling you to make it harder. Altering your birth date by a few days is too easy." She picked up her mug of coffee and took a drink.

Brian mumbled something she couldn't quite make out—probably a threat for payback. But she called him on the password thing all the time.

"If I make it too hard, I won't remember the bloody thing."

Lucy chuckled gleefully. Brian never failed to entertain her, and his British accent came out in full force when he got riled about something. Two of the many things she loved about him.

She sat up and leaned closer. "Seriously, Brian. The issue you're working on now is gonna blow people away."

(Cover art is subject to change)

~*~

Blurb: Lucy and Brian—creative rivals and romantic partners—are pushing the boundaries of their work and stepping into the realm of indie success. They're challenged with keeping their relationship strong and hot when leading their friends up the ladder.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website http://www.skyewrites.com

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

Sunday Snippet: Hazardous Curves Ahead

Holy crap. What a week in TV—oh, and a kick awesome movie, too.

The Walking Dead's finale delivered the best ending line, maybe ever. Okay, maybe not ever, but damn close. I completely enjoyed Rick's journey over the entire season. And seriously, The Talking Dead and Chris Hardwick are so great. I love having that hour after TWD to decompress.

I have to take a moment to mention S.H.E.I.L.D. also. I'm one of the fans who completely enjoy the show, but the last several episodes have really amped up the drama and awesomeness. I'm excited to see what happens through the end of the season.

Arrow's Deathstroke blew my mind. Manu Bennett is truly remarkable in his performance. I love and hate him… at the same time. LOL I had a flurry of back and forth emails with a friend not long ago and one of the things we love the most about the show is how much Oliver totally screws up so much. His heart is usually in the right place, but he'll make the wrong call and everything blows up in his face. I, for one, love that about the show.

And finally… Bitten. Whoa. The season finale rocked!! I can't believe how much they crammed into forty-something minutes. I made the right call about who really pulled the strings, but I won't spoil anything here. LeBlanc and Santos got brilliantly awesome send offs. Basically, the perfect finale… even the very, very end. LOL I do have a bit of a quibble with Rachel, but I'm actually hoping there's more to her too stupid to live moments… and maybe my speculation will pay off regarding her. Come on, season two. *prays for news soon*

Last, but not least, gotta mention Captain America: Winter Soldier. I LOVED it. It's now at the top of my fave Marvel movies. I've always been a Cap girl anyway, but this movie just kicked major ass. And totally blew up the Marvel 'verse. LOL

My one and only gripe is having Natasha be former KGB. If her birthdate is 1984, the timeline doesn't fit since the KGB disbanded in something like 1991. Hmm… unless she joined at birth. *shrugs* It's a tiny blip. Besides, I can go with comic canon and assume she's doing the slow aging thing if I really need to. J

Whew… should get to the actual post, right? Tonight's snippet is from Hazardous Curves Ahead and it puts my main characters on the hot seat.

Here's the tagline:

Sometimes love is a slippery slope and when Imma and Sef almost crash into each other on a hazardous curve, they end up going through physical therapy together. After several weeks of flirty banter, Imma thinks a relationship with Sef might be nice… until her boyfriend shows up.

And a snippety peek…

Imma started her stretches. "Sef, how's the shoulder doing?"

He made a rolling motion. "Not bad. Only a few kinks."

She grinned. "I'll bet you say that to all the women in your life." She hooked her foot under the bar and did ten reps with the machine.

He nodded toward her leg. "How's the knee?"

She rubbed the scar. "Getting stronger. I'll be dancing in the streets in a few weeks." She laughed. "Much better than driving like a maniac."

He chuckled. "Hey, you weren't the only one flying around that curve." He completed a set of reps, straining on the last two. "I haven't figure out how we managed to survive after crashing into each other."

She moved on to her next set. "The planets were lined up properly?" She shrugged. "Whatever rules the universe let us off easy that night."

He shot her a sideways glance. "Or maybe it brought us together." Grabbing his water bottle, he took a long swallow. "Totally lame, I know, but the timing smacks of serendipitous chance."

Imma got a twisty feeling in her gut. She hadn't kept her boyfriend a secret, but she rarely mentioned him around Sef. Mainly because her attraction to the man made her giddy, and her relationship with Griff bordered on being casual.

Lost in thought, she shot a quick glance in Sef's direction. His gaze lit up and a huge smile crossed his face, but his attention focused on the big doors leading to the main corridor.

Curious, Imma angled her head around to see who'd walked in.

"Well, if it isn't my two favorite people on the planet." Griffin high-fived Sef.

A sinking sensation settled in the pit of Imma's stomach when Sef turned in her direction.

"Imma, meet my brother, Griff. Griff, Imma."

How she managed to stay upright, she had no idea, because her world spun sideways and tilted on its axis.

I know, right? There's nothing quite like having the object of a flirtation introduce her to her own boyfriend, is there? LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin