Excerpt – Branded by Étaín , The Beasts of Bärvik, Book One

Branded_by_Etain-Jianne_Carlo-200x320 Here’s another excerpt from Branded by Étaín , The Beasts of Bärvik, Book One:

“’Tis a prosperous settlement.” Nikolas pulled the hood of his thick cloak forward.

“Aye.”

“How fared your meeting with Princess Étaín?”

“As planned. We are invited to feast at the castle.” Odin’s luck had been with Brand the first day he set foot on Caul Cairlinne.

He had encountered his prey, Princess Étaín, and captured her attention with one heated glance. Every night since then, he had woven his way into her dreams and filled her mind with images of the two of them in bedsport. Timid visions, to be cert.

It had taken all his discipline to keep the images tame. To tamp down his burning desire to bedevil her with carnal pleasure until she did his bidding with not a moment’s hesitation.

Brand studied the crowded market and spied Étaín turning onto one of the paths leading away from the village. She headed in the direction of the blacksmith. A smile chased his lips. He had promised the blacksmith work aplenty, enough to fill his coffers for a lifetime and more, and gained a wealth of knowledge in return.

Princess Étaín.

The truthsayer of Caul Cairlinne, the daughter of King Mac Eiccnigh mac [111] Dalagh[J2] , his wife to be, and the woman who would make him a ruler of this settlement.

Her innocence struck at the ugliness carved into his soul, the beast that had arisen within him and the other members of his demesne when the fire mountain on their isle[J3]  began spewing its innards and dense clouds of acrid smoke and black ash.

Their herds died overnight. Hundreds of cattle carcasses littered the settlement. The stench had been overwhelming. A sickness spread through the population and sent those who were struck into a berserker killing spree. Then the dream weaving began in the survivors and threatened their sanity. Brand had been the first one to speak of it, and he became the leader of the reduced numbers left in the colony.

“Think you she will breed the dream weaving out of you?”

Brand shrugged. “Only time will tell.”

The sun bathed the crush of market goers and glinted off the axes of the fisherman hacking at their catch. He followed Étaín’s lithe form as she meandered between the throngs.

She brimmed with life spirit, the joy bubbling into her lithe fidgeting; the happiness she exuded glowed like ’twas a tiny bright sun following her, which shone only on her petite figure. She bristled with energy and had danced in place earlier while searching the throngs for him.

He smirked. It was him she looked for, it was him she sought, and tonight he would make her his.

Hope you enjoyed!

Jianne

 

The Romance Studio’s Thanksgiving Party!

For the next couple of days, today and tomorrow, I’m running a few contests over  at The Romance Studio’s Thanksgiving Party.  Drop by and meet new authors, read some smexy posts, and win prizes. Here’s the link: http://trsparties.com/ or click on the banner below:

logo - trs thanksgiving party

Here’s the big prize!

Amazon eGift Card Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win a $125 Amazon eGift Card! Deadline is midnight EST 11/26/13! Click here to find out how to enter!

Have a heckva Monday!

Cheers,

Jianne

 

Love in The Cards – Free!

Love in The Cards (small) (2)The Love, Lust, and Laptops Love in the Cards Anthology is finally FREE on Amazon! Yay! Here’s the link:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Cards-Becca-Jameson-ebook/dp/B00GCRF61I

It’s also available at All About Romance, Smashwords, and iTunes:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-loveinthecards-1333531-166.html 

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/372611

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love-in-the-cards/id737524179?mt=11

So  here’s some teasers from each tale to titillate your Saturday – and it’s free – go download it and write us reviews!!

Three of Cups by Becca Jameson:

Ellen stood outside the old mansion and stared at the façade. With a deep breath, she took in the beauty of the tall pillars and shutters worn from years of neglect. It looked haunted, but she knew better.

Hell, she knew lots of things. More than she ever wanted to know.

Ellen opened her palms in front of her and closed her eyes, her face lifted to the highest peak of the mansion. She centered herself. A breeze blew by and ruffled her hair as she smiled. The mansion was exactly as she had always pictured it would be.

There was more magic in the air than any place she’d ever been. She wasn’t the only person with something at stake tonight. The mansion was filled with mystery.

When she’d calmed herself, she opened her eyes. A man stood on the top step in front of her. “You coming in?”

She nodded and scurried up the steps behind him. He held the door open. She’d never seen him before, but that didn’t matter. He wasn’t the one she was here to meet. Or … the ones…

The invitation to the Halloween party at Dacre House had come a month ago. To the best of her knowledge, she knew no one at the party. That didn’t matter either. She would know someone very well when she left. Two someones.

Empress by Cherie Nicholls

Lucy looked down at the invitation in her hands.
There was a man sitting in the chair on the other side of the room, waiting for her.
So far, this night hadn’t been like anything she’d expected. First, she’d managed to get herself fired from a job she loved. Second, she sort of crashed a Halloween party. But hey, she’d been invited when she’d worked in the Michaelson’s office; the party’s hosts didn’t need to know that technically she wasn’t a Michaelson employee anymore.
Finally, she’d made the mistake of turning over the invitation and looking at the back. Printed on the reverse side was the image of half of a tarot card. The Empress card. Lucy didn’t know much about the mystical element, but doubted the picture had much to do with reading peoples futures at this party.
There were also some instructions printed on the card. Basically, someone would have the other half of her card; her mission was to find that person. Lucy had almost rolled her eyes, but something about the image pulled at her and here she was … a party-crasher.
Upon arrival, she’d headed to the bar and ordered a soda. Lucy had barely taken a sip before a man in a scarlet suit approached her.

The Star by Christy Gissendaner:

The party was already in full swing.

Teetering on hooker heels, Eve Montgomery pushed her way through the crowd. Several partygoers stopped to gape at her costume … or lack thereof. A mix-up at the costume shop forced her to make do. Instead of the leafy bikini she’d ordered, she’d ended up with only a fake plastic snake and a shiny red plastic apple. Not very much of a costume.

Luckily she was an artist, if a bit of an underpaid one, and a stroke of ingenuity led her to paint on her costume. It was a very Playboy bunny thing to do. Although she’d sworn never to take her clothes off again to make a buck, five hundred dollars for a few hours of dancing was an offer she couldn’t refuse.

Unfortunately it was hard as hell to paint one’s own backside, so she’d had to call in a favor from a friend. Shazzer was a decent painter, more than capable of slapping on some green paint and glitter to cover Eve’s ass.

“Knock ’em dead, girl.” With a wave, Shaz headed for her own cage.

Eve gazed at the other three cages, seeking the one she was supposed to dance in. With a groan, she caught sight of a very familiar male body cavorting a few feet above her head.

The Lovers by Emilia Mancini:

Lea looked up at the Dacre House and smiled as anticipation coursed through her veins and settled in a tingling ball of fire between her legs. Some lucky son of a bitch in there would be thoroughly fucked by the time she got done with him.

She looked down and made sure the red corset she wore was aptly pushing her plump breasts up and out. It was tight around her abdomen, thinning her waist and emphasizing her hips, which were covered in a red latex miniskirt. Her red stiletto boots, which zipped from ankle to thigh, clicked as she sashayed her way toward the front steps.

The man at the door moaned in appreciation as she stopped in front of him. He gestured her in before she even showed him her invitation. “You can have whatever you want, baby,” he mumbled.

Her grin widened. She planned on having whatever she wanted. In whatever way she wanted it.

Lea paused in the foyer to glance in the tall mirror. Her golden locks were still perfectly curled and the little horns on her head were in the right place. It was early, but the ballroom was already abuzz with chatter and activity. There were four cages with dancers hanging high off the floor.

The Jack of Hearts by Jianne Carlo:

Ricco stared out the open window and willed Kata to walk through the gate.

He wouldn’t lose his mate twice.

Seth had won Kata once, but he was long dead and buried, and all bets and rules were off.

The gas lamp hanging from an iron post just inside the award-winning front garden of Dacre House highlighted the raven-blue woven into the fibers on the black hood and long cloak Kata wore. The cape swirled around her ankles, and the ancient iron creaked in a drawn out protest when she shoved the gate open.

He tracked her steps and inhaled the musk of her desire mingled with the night-blooming jasmine. He hadn’t been certain she’d come after their confrontation earlier today.

Kata climbed the stairs, her feet dragging as if she was about to put her neck on the guillotine block.

Ricco’s mouth watered. His canines tingled and his gums ached with the need to claim.

The door opened and the doorman said, “Card.”

Her graceful fingers reached under the cloak, and she opened her hand to display half of a torn tarot card. The half that matched his, the Jack of Hearts.

Strength of a Lion by Lynn Lorenz – Excerpt:

Leon Manx stood in the corner of the large front parlor of the Ducre mansion and watched the Halloween partygoers. In front of him, costumed couples danced to the pounding music, dressed in everything from a nun in a mini-skirted habit and black fishnet stockings to a Mexican wrestler including the skeleton lycra mask.

His own costume, a big game hunter, was a last minute decision and a bit ironic, like his sense of humor. He’d enjoyed the joke, but now he was here, Leon might have made a deadly mistake coming to the party.

Perhaps for him and perhaps for whoever thought he or she could f**k with Leon.

He’d received the invite, one half of a Tarot card, three days ago, not in the mail, but in an envelope slipped under the door of his uptown shotgun house. The torn card and a business card with the date, time and address of the party.

Meet your mate had been printed on a small card included in the envelope.

Some would look at it as just an invitation to a Halloween party. Leon took it as a warning, a threat, to his very existence.

The Wheel of Fortune by Monette Michaels

Brendan Cooper adjusted the gaudy vest across his chest and the saber in his belt for what had to be the hundredth time that evening. Yes, he represented The Sultan’s Favorites Sex Toys. Yes, he’d been asked to host a sex toy party at this exclusive Halloween party at Dacre House. And, yes, the sheik costume was appropriate … but he didn’t have to like it―any of it.

If he hadn’t been the classic starving, deeply-in-debt, just-out-of-the-military graduate student, then he wouldn’t be here. But he was … so he was.

The best part of this gig was all the sales he’d made tonight; the worst was he’d been as horny as hell the whole evening from observing―and listening to―his clientele testing toys and then using the ones they’d purchased.

The party host had thoughtfully provided tented chaises in the library for sex play. And Brendan had had a front row seat for every single second of the evening’s sexual activities. While he’d “scened” in BDSM clubs, he really wasn’t into being a voyeur; he liked his sex games to be private. But a job was a job, and he needed the money this one provided.

Two of Cups by Parker Kincade:

Mason hated the desert.

Other than being hot as the devil’s ass crack, he swore he’d never be rid of the sand that had worked its way into his skin. From the tiny grains that snuck into his boots each day to the dusting he swallowed off his coated lips each time he’d managed to stop long enough to eat. Hell, cut him and he’d probably bleed the shit.

One thing was for sure―he’d never long for a vacation on the beach again.

Under the cover of darkness, Mason dug in his heels and pushed himself up and over the jutted rock formation. He rolled to his belly and snaked around until he could see the roof of the compound below.

It had all come down to this.

He’d given up his life, his future, the woman he loved beyond measure—all because of the evil f**k bedded down in the building below.

Omar Travinskov was the scum of the earth as far as Mason was concerned. He traded in drugs, women, and children, and used all three at his leisure. Each time Mason, and the team of special operatives he’d been assigned to, had caught up to Omar, the bastard would slip through their fingers. Over and over.

Judgment Day by Rosanna Leo

Even from behind the closed salon door, Verity sensed him coming. Despite the party atmosphere in Dacre House, and the sounds of lusty revelers, she remained attuned to his particular footsteps. The determined thump of his footfall made her as excited now as it had three hundred odd years ago.

She perched on the edge of a velvet settee, crossing her leather-clad legs. And then, as she heard him reach the salon door, she decided against her pose and stood to reposition herself behind a scrolled chest of drawers. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she stood up straight and gazed toward the door, her heart heavy with anticipation. As much as she wanted to present a brave face, standing behind the bulky piece of furniture made her feel safe. In her hand, she gripped half of a tarot card as if it were a map leading to buried treasure. She glanced at the card.

Judgment Day. How appropriate.

So long. So very long. How had she existed all this time without him? Of course, she thought bitterly, it wasn’t as if she’d ever had a choice. He’d turned her away every time she’d pleaded with him over the past three centuries, a victim to his all-consuming guilt.

Two of Wands by Vanessa North:

When I say my best friend Pierre is “not my type,” I don’t mean I’m not interested in completely hot, slightly-fem, Creole twinks with lips for days and the roundest perkiest little asses on the planet. ’Cause that’s kind of exactly my type.

When I say Pierre is “not my type,” I don’t mean I’m not interested in the kind of guys who bring you coffee just because and also sometimes fold your underwear because you left it in the dryer. ’Cause that’s kind of also my type.

When I say Pierre is “not my type,” it’s not because I don’t love it when he comes over a week before Halloween with a bag of feathers, a million yards of tulle, and a sewing machine, strips down to skivvies and says, “Cher, I need you.”

It’s one hundred percent self-preservation. Pierre is not my type.

So, since I’ve known him since grade school and we were the only two out queers at our high school and we roomed on the same hall at Tulane—and not because he’s my type—I let him set up his sewing machine on my kitchen table and I get him a cup of coffee, and bless my own rotten heart, I ask him what’s the matter.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the FREE read!

Cheers,

Jianne

That Pearly Drop – Excerpt #2

That_Pearly_Drop-Jianne_Carlo-200x320Excerpt #2 – That Pearly Drop:

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law: It doesn’t matter if it’s in the past, present, or future—the first person to fall into a pond is always the one who can’t swim.

I have no clue how I made it back to my room. All I know is that I wedged both the trunk and the stool against the door and then collapsed on the bed. I lie there staring at the rough ceiling and reciting the Lord’s prayer over and over.

My brain is defective, and my body is out of whack. How else to explain my reaction to seeing my new boss about to screw a woman? The image of him palming his cock and spreading that pearly drop fills my head. I cover my face with my hands.

Stop, stop.

I cannot be turned on. I cannot. Yet my vajayjay’s quivering and I’m wet. Shame, self-loathing, and an explosive rage trigger a temper tantrum. I pound my fists on the wall and tears pour down my cheeks. All I want is to do is go home.

My fury vaporizes, I flop onto my stomach, and then curl into a fetal position. I am emotionally bankrupt and energy depleted. I stare unseeing at the rough mortar and bargain with God. Make it all a daylight nightmare, let me wake up in my own bed in Boca, and I’ll never miss Sunday mass again. I’ll volunteer for all the soup kitchens in South Florida and do penance for the rest of my life.

The rattle of wheels rolling over cobblestones jerks me back to reality, to the macabre version of reality I now occupy.

My mind jump starts and my heart stops threatening to fly out of my mouth. It won’t be long before someone realizes I never met with the earl. I have to snap out of this stupid terror-trance.

I sit up, the room spins, and my stomach twists into a series of painful knots. How much time has elapsed?

I stand, slog over to the window and squint, trying to see through the dust-crusted glass. The sun’s still shining, and in the distance, I spy two little girls chasing each other and a puppy in a terraced garden. They look so carefree and innocent.

A wave of dizziness has me swaying, and I grab the window frame. Sustenance. How long has it been since I’d even had a sip of water? Exhaustion and shock make my memories fuzzy, and thinking chronologically is beyond me at the moment. I have a desperate need to hear the sound of my own voice. “You need food, a good night’s sleep, and a shot of tequila. Maybe not in that order.”

Hope you enjoyed!

I don’t know about you, but a tequila shot somehow seems to bring everything into perspective-it’s the lime and the salt, I swear.

Cheers,

Jianne

 

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law: It doesn’t matter if it’s in the past, present, or future—the first person to fall into a pond is always the one who can’t swim.

I have no clue how I made it back to my room. All I know is that I wedged both the trunk and the stool against the door and then collapsed on the bed. I lie there staring at the rough ceiling and reciting the Lord’s prayer over and over.

My brain is defective, and my body is out of whack. How else to explain my reaction to seeing my new boss about to screw a woman? The image of him palming his cock and spreading that pearly drop fills my head. I cover my face with my hands.

Stop, stop.

I cannot be turned on. I cannot. Yet my vajayjay’s quivering and I’m wet. Shame, self-loathing, and an explosive rage trigger a temper tantrum. I pound my fists on the wall and tears pour down my cheeks. All I want is to do is go home.

My fury vaporizes, I flop onto my stomach, and then curl into a fetal position. I am emotionally bankrupt and energy depleted. I stare unseeing at the rough mortar and bargain with God. Make it all a daylight nightmare, let me wake up in my own bed in Boca, and I’ll never miss Sunday mass again. I’ll volunteer for all the soup kitchens in South Florida and do penance for the rest of my life.

The rattle of wheels rolling over cobblestones jerks me back to reality, to the macabre version of reality I now occupy.

My mind jump starts and my heart stops threatening to fly out of my mouth. It won’t be long before someone realizes I never met with the earl. I have to snap out of this stupid terror-trance.

I sit up, the room spins, and my stomach twists into a series of painful knots. How much time has elapsed?

I stand, slog over to the window and squint, trying to see through the dust-crusted glass. The sun’s still shining, and in the distance, I spy two little girls chasing each other and a puppy in a terraced garden. They look so carefree and innocent.

A wave of dizziness has me swaying, and I grab the window frame. Sustenance. How long has it been since I’d even had a sip of water? Exhaustion and shock make my memories fuzzy, and thinking chronologically is beyond me at the moment. I have a desperate need to hear the sound of my own voice. “You need food, a good night’s sleep, and a shot of tequila. Maybe not in that order.”

Cheers,

Four Days To Go For That Pearly Drop’s Release!

That_Pearly_Drop-Jianne_Carlo-200x320Getting both excited and apprehensive. So I thought I’d share excerpts every day this week. Here goes:

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law: Time travel is impossible—until it happens.

I am certifiable.

Time travel is impossible.

For the kazillionth time in the last seventy-two hours, I squeeze my eyes shut, beg God to make things right, and lift one lid.

Nada. Zippo. Nil.

I am still in the same room in some freaking castle in Wales.

I am still in fricking 1763.

Hugging my knees, I rock back and forth and bite my lips, hoping the stinging pain will stop another mother-lode sob session.

My glance falls on the rusty-colored iron trunk, and I reach out and touch it.

Solid. Cold. Real.

In the gloom and shadows, the three gold coins lying on the lumpy cot twinkle at me. Unable to resist, I pick one up, study the engravings, and trace a finger over the year, 1763.

A guttural shout comes from beyond the lone open window in the room, and my heart races. One thing I’ve learned in the last two days—privacy is nonexistent in 1763.

How much time do I have before they come for me?

“Get a grip, Emma Maria Perez. It’s use it or lose it time.” The sound of my voice is somehow comforting and normal—not crazy. I hop up onto the spartan cot. The mattress sinks under my weight, and a cloud of dust tickles my nose. Ignoring the mini sneezing fit that follows, I loosen the leather straps on the trunk from the brass buckles and lift the domed lid open.

The trunk’s about three feet by five feet and about two feet deep. It’s metal and wood and heavier than the speedboat anchor I’m used to hauling up by hand in Lake Boca Raton. It’d taken me ages to lug it to the coach stop, but it had been more than worth the effort. I dig around to find my backpack, flick the combo lock, and retrieve the ballpoint pen and paper appropriated from The Ratfyn Inn two days ago.

I am the kind of person who needs lists. Ordinarily, I compose my lists on my iPhone. A strangled sound more like a sob than a snort erupts from my throat. Tears brim and I grit my teeth.

No more crying.

Time travel doesn’t work the way it’s portrayed in movies and books.

Useless tools follow you in time, mocking you because you can’t use them. I have an iPhone that doesn’t work, a Kindle that won’t power on, and a set of remote keys for a rental car that no longer exists.

“Make a doggone list.” My death grip on the pen makes my fingertips burn. After flexing my hand a few times, I start to write.

Facts:

1. I am in Wye Court, Wales.

2. It’s November 2, 1763.

3. I left Boca Raton, Florida, on October 30, 2013.

A stomach cramp hits me, and I double over and wait the convulsions out. For two days, all I’ve had to eat were the three packs of freebie peanuts from the transatlantic plane ride. Temptation surges, my mouth waters, and I stare at the backpack. Shaking my head and clenching my jaw, I set aside the idea of eating one of the four Mars bars purchased while waiting for Heathrow’s airport train to take us to the car rental station. I’m a hoarder by nature, and I’m afraid to eat all my precious food until I know for certain I’ll be fed regularly.

I read what I’ve written and want to howl my frustration, my anger, my sheer terror. But I can’t because they can come for me at any moment, and I have to be prepared.

 Hope you enjoyed and there’s more to come.

Happy Monday!

Cheers,

Jianne