Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Your Trip To Titan

February 8, 2015 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to another edition of Weekend Writing Warriors. Click onward, mysterious reader, and in eight simple sentences, this awesome collection of writers will rock your imagination! Can you tell I’m having fun? Well, I’m still posting from my space opera in progress, From Mars, With Love, and I always get a little giddy after searching for photos of hunky space guys with guns to put at the end of the post.

On to the snippet. Eli, who’s been abducted for slave fodder and launched into orbit against his will, is getting desperate.

***

The entry hatch to the shuttle slid open and several Asteroiders in white jumpsuits entered, each followed by a menacing security bot that hovered in the air above and behind them. Shaped like metallic black crabs, the bots’ red eyes scanned the prisoners while their pinchers clicked in excitement.

“Time to get ready for your trip to Titan!” announced one of the Asteroiders. They moved apart, each claiming a section of about ten of the forty or so prisoners. The prisoners stood with varying success, were lined up and marched out of the shuttle straight into a sterile clinic sort of room. Eli didn’t like the look of all the medical equipment and he especially didn’t like the sight of the sleep pods stacked against one wall – if they were going to be immobilized there’d be absolutely no hope of escape. Although the ship was frigid sweat trickled down the back of his neck. He didn’t know if Moon Units could sweat with their specialized skin, but she stood right in front of him and he watched a nerve in her tight jaw pulse.

***

As promised, we’re back to hunky guys with guns. In space.

This post is part of an ongoing blog hop hosted by Weekend Writing Warriors. Every Sunday, participating authors post eight sentences from a published work or perhaps their current work in progress. Then we hop to our fellow warriors’ blogs and check out all the fabulous fiction that’s happening! I heartily invite you to participate as a reader, writer, or both. It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book. Click here or use the address: http://www.wewriwa.com

My Sexy Saturday ~ And Who Are You Exactly?

February 7, 2015 by Alexis Duran

When I read the theme for this week’s My Sexy Saturday blog hop, which is My Sexy First Date, it quickly dawned on me that my characters never go on dates. Maybe that’s because I write mostly fantasy so normal activities like dating never seem to fit into the plot. Or maybe my characters are too weird and conflicted to actually ask someone out on a date. Or maybe it’s because I love the enemies to lovers trope so much they’re usually too busy fighting and scheming to sit down and have a glass of wine with each other. So this week’s seven paragraphs, which isn’t actually a date, is about as close as I’ve gotten to writing one. This is the first time Ian and Zeke meet face to face, and it happens in a coffeeshop, so its kinda sorta like a date (OK, not really). I posted from this scene out of Dark Heart a few Saturdays back, so click here if you want to catch up. Zeke, by the way, is a dark elf who’s courting Ian. Ian has yet to discover his true nature. He speaks first.

***

“And who are you exactly? What are you?” Ian tried to pull his hand away. The elf clamped down harder. Actual physical contact sent shockwaves rippling beneath Ian’s skin.

“My name is Ezekiel. I am what you in your human ignorance might call an elf.”

“A dark elf? A svarta?” Ian asked. Ezekiel shook his head.

“Those distinctions have long since passed away and become meaningless. There is only magic and not magic. The people who surround you are not magic.”

“I don’t know about that. Cleona managed to ward off your hex last night.”

“A pity. She’s a spell spinner who steals her power. She’s drained you dry, but I could refill you.” He lifted Ian’s hand and kissed it. He nibbled on the knuckles and ran his tongue along the fingers. Ian nearly came then and there, but willed himself to resist.

“Forget it. I don’t believe you. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

***

Would this guy make a great dark elf or what?

Don’t forget to visit the other writers participating in this week’s hop– wether it’s seven words, seven sentences or seven paragraphs, it’s all sexy, it’s all fun and it’s all free!

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Far Away and Dangerous

February 1, 2015 by Alexis Duran

It’s Sunday again already? Wow. Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where we writers emerge from our bat caves to share the spoils of our toils. I’m feeling a little giddy because I just finished a grueling four day editing session and now I get to play in Space Opera world again. Continuing with one of my current WIPs, From Mars, With Love, I jump ahead a bit, bypassing the part where Eli ruminates about how Earth wasn’t that great anyway.

***

In spite of the dismal circumstances, Eli smiled. Maybe this was upward mobility at last, if he could just figure out how to avoid the whole slave thing. He relaxed and had almost dozed off when suddenly the shuttle took another vomit-dive on the space-o-coaster. They were fast approaching inter-planetary launch. Where were they going – Titan? The habitat on Saturn’s largest moon was notorious for its defiance of the Fair Market ban on slavery. Titan was where the rich went to get all their kinkiest desires catered to, according to the gossip in the trash heaps of earth. He hoped that wasn’t where they were going- it seemed unimaginably far away and dangerous.

While looking for photos of hunky space guys with guns, I found this and decided to celebrate the love in From Mars, With Love. Back to guns next week.

***

My Sexy Saturday ~ Desirable and Deadly

January 31, 2015 by Alexis Duran

It’s Saturday and that means it’s time for some smokin’ hot snippets in the form of seven words, seven sentences or seven paragraphs. Don’t forget to visit My Sexy Saturday to continue warming up your wintry day. This week’s theme is “My Sexy Thoughts”, in which our characters muse, ponder and dream about the one they love. My seven lines this week are from my very soon to be released (March 3rd!) Blood of Salar, which continues the story of M’lan and Jamil a few months after the end of Touch of Salar.

***

Jamil tossed his pack to the ground, peeled off his cloak and shirt, and began to undo the buckle holding his bandolier in place.

M’lan’s desire surged stronger than before as he watched Jamil undress. The perfect body M’lan first admired in the healing temple was now even more lithe and powerful. Jamil had benefited not only from the healing of his wounds, but also from the release of the rage and fear bound to each injury and buried deep in his psyche. His smooth muscles rippled in the half-light, causing the elaborate tattoo of shard vines and snakes running down his back to move as if alive. Like the god Ka’alar shedding his serpent skin, Jamil moved with supreme grace and confidence. That made him both desirable and deadly.

***

This photo inspired Jamil’s tattoo, along with a lot of other sexy thoughts.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Good-bye Earth

January 25, 2015 by Alexis Duran

Hello and welcome to another episode of Weekend Writing Warriors. I’m up to my eyeballs in edits, so I’ll cut to the chase and tell you that I’m continuing with my space opera in progress, From Mars, With Love. I’ve jumped ahead a bit. Eli has yet to come up with a plan to escape from a ship in space, so he has some time to reflect.

***

Eli had harbored a deep and stupid desire to be a pilot ever since he’d first seen a Lunar Freighter launch out of Manhattan Harbor. The sight had made him aware of the limitless possibilities of space half a second before he realized a dump rat like himself had zero chance of making it onto the crew of a space ship, much less piloting one. He found it grimly amusing that his one shot at traveling beyond Earth came from being slave fodder.

Space travel turned out to be less enjoyable than he’d imagined. As soon as the shuttle docked the Cruiser dropped away from the gravity well of the huge sweeping vessel and they freefell into clear space. His stomach tried to crawl out of his ears and his blood didn’t know which way to flow. Then the thrusters kicked in and they got pressed down like grass under a boot and off they went into pre-sling launch mode. Eli said a mental goodbye to his mate Rilke and wondered if he’d ever see him or Earth again.

***

So I’d thought I’d change things up and post a photo of guy with sword instead of a pew-pew gun. Flash!

From The Nightstand ~ Hitting Black Ice

January 21, 2015 by Alexis Duran

Today I’m excited to have Heloise West here to talk about her new release, Hitting Black Ice. I’ve been looking forward to reading a novel by Heloise, having been a fan of the fiction excerpts she posts on her blog, Velvet Panic. When the excerpt is never long enough, you know you’ve found your next favorite writer!

Heloise tells us about her inspiration for the book, followed by a delightful, much too short excerpt:

***

Alexis asked me what inspired my story “Hitting Black Ice.” Here’s my attempt at an answer 😀

I love mysteries and suspense, romantic or otherwise, and I knew I needed to work on a contemporary story to offset the historical mystery romance I was struggling with at the time.

It’s a little like putting a soup or stew together at first. Or a sketch that needs to be developed because you’ve fallen in love with a line or a shape, a color. I honestly can’t remember who said a story is a juxtaposition of two ideas, but I find that very true. I have to fall in love with that place of juxtaposition first in order to be inspired. I had a winter setting in mind and a character who was trying to talk another out of suicide. I like darker stories, and stories of redemption, so their journey together became important. One of them was on the run from something and living in terror of discovery. The other character had resources. But I needed another layer, the juxtaposition, and that became Nick, the evil FBI agent. I really liked the idea of turning the Romance trope of the enigmatic law enforcement alpha male character on its head.

The story gave me fits, and I abandoned it once or twice, and worked on the historical until that story needed me to step away from it. A glimmer of potential always remains beneath that stagnant pond when the words dry up or I’ve written myself into a corner.

It’s funny how after awhile, the story itself becomes the inspiration to continue writing it.

***

Excerpt:

Hunter opened red wine instead of whiskey and was savoring the first sip when the cell phone dinged with a text message.

Hunter? It’s Shawn.

His heart leaped into his throat. Ok.

“You brilliant asshole,” he told himself, thumbs twitching over the keypad.

U home?

Y. wru?

*$.

The Starbucks across the damn street? U ok?

Y. U want anything? Biscotti? Muffin?

Get up here, muffin man.

He waited a heartbeat.

OK!

Fuck, the bed still needed making. Hunter raced into the bedroom, threw sheets and blankets back together, and shoved the body pillow in the space between the bed and the wall. The building buzzer went off. He ran into the living room to answer it and slid in his socks on the hardwood, nearly going down. He limped to the bathroom, combed his hair, washed his face, and sniffed his armpits. He swished cinnamon mouthwash around and managed to spit it out without dribbling on himself. Off came the pajama bottoms. He jumped into the tightest jeans he owned and changed the rumpled sleep T-shirt for a fresh one.

“Get hold of yourself, boy,” he said to the man in the mirror. “It’s not effing prom night.”

He tucked the T-shirt in, trying not to catch his swooning cock in the zipper as the door buzzer went off. He stood in front of the door, counted to three, and jumped when it buzzed again with his hand still on the knob. He yanked the door open.

Shawn stood on the threshold in a black leather jacket, holding a cardboard box with two coffees and a bag of cookies or muffins or damn biscotti perched on top. His eyes were light with hope, though his smile was tentative and sweetly unsure.

***

Blurb:

ER physician’s assistant Hunter guards his heart carefully, but that doesn’t stop him from falling for Shawn, the front desk clerk. He keeps his distance from relationships for a reason, but just can’t help himself when it comes to Shawn.

Shawn is on the run from the law and love to protect himself and anyone else involved. One man is dead because of him, and his life now is simple and easily thrown into a bag at any hint of danger. Until he meets Hunter, and he no longer wants to run.

Forced into a hostage situation, buried passion explodes in the aftermath, and sex in the supply closet brings their hearts back to life. Tentatively, step by step, they begin to explore a relationship together until the past catches up with Shawn.

FBI agent Nick Truman has finally found his man, but when Shawn escapes, he focuses his attention on Hunter. Shawn returns, even though it means sacrificing himself to save Hunter from the man who framed him for murder.

Title: Hitting Black Ice

Author: Heloise West

Publisher: Loose Id

Publication date: December 2, 2014

Word count: 75,000

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23644828-hitting-black-ice

Bio:

Heloise West, when not hunched over the keyboard plotting love and mayhem, dreams about moving to a villa in Tuscany. She loves history, mysteries, and romance of all flavors. She travels and gardens with her partner of 10 years, and their home overflows with books, cats, art, and red wine.

Social Media:

heloisewest@hotmail.com

https://twitter.com/velvetpanic

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23644828-hitting-black-ice

https://www.facebook.com/heloise.west.1

http://velvetpanic2.wordpress.com/

Buy Links:

http://www.loose-id.com/hitting-black-ice.html

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hittingblackice-1689874-340.html