A Rock & A Hard Place has 2 short stories, each one is connected to our previous series. MAD STONE to Charlene’s Neuri Chronicals, and mine, ROCK MY WORLD, to my Psychic Hunters from Sexy DEvil, Primal Male and Most Wanted.

To be specific, mine features Gina & Caleb, the couple that started the whole series off.

The first review is in, and Miranda, from Joyfully Reviewed says “A Rock and A Hard Place is an enthralling erotic read! Charlene Teglia and Sasha White have written two sinfully scorching stories! If you haven’t read either of these series before then the novellas will leaving you begging for more! A Rock and A Hard Place is packed with sexy paranormals and ravenous lovers ready to take on the world to protect ones they love.”

Passion and danger trap lovers between…A Rock and A Hard Place

Award-winning Author Charlene Teglia returns to the world of the Neuri, as three lovers race the clock to save the life of the one who man poses another complication to their love triangle in MAD STONE

In ROCK MY WORLD National Bestselling Author Sasha White revisits her psychic hunters with a weekend getaway where amorous intentions, an art show, and a magical entanglement all collide.

About ROCK MY WORLD specifically, Miranda from Joyfully Reviewedsays “Sasha White sets the pages on fire with passion in Rock My World. The story is a part of her Psychic Hunter series. Rock My World is the perfect title for this story! Gina and Caleb harbor an insane amount of chemistry and is explodes all over the pages. I enjoyed the mysterious part of the story as well. Rock My World is wickedly hot!”

Smashwords * Amazon * Barnes & Noble.

And here’s an excerpt for you.
*WARNING: You must be over 18 to read*

The one hour flight to Vancouver was uneventful, despite the fact that Gina was like a little kid—constantly shifting in her seat, playing with the entertainment screen, nibbling on Caleb’s ear and teasing him with naughty suggestions in his ear about the mile high club that made his dick throb.

Okay, so that hadn’t been like a little kid — more like a naughty lady, but damn he loved her.

She’d strolled into his life and turned his world inside out. Literally, and figuratively. He now knew there was way more going on in the world than he could’ve ever imagined, and he was full of more love and happiness than any man had a right to. Which was why he’d never complained about her “special” family and friends and the craziness that came along with them. Just because he’d never complained, that didn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to some time away from it all, even if it was only a couple of days.

“I told the boys I wanted you all to myself tonight. We won’t see them until the gallery opening tomorrow night,” she’d said at the airport when he’d asked where Devil, her brother, would pick them up.

“Really?”

She’d winked at him. “Yes, really. Just you and me tonight, babe.”

It had been music to his ears. Music that made it very, very difficult to keep his hands off her during the cab ride to the hotel. Christ, she made him feel hotter than a horny teenager.

Tamping down his impatience, Caleb stood in line at the hotel front desk and thought about hockey while Gina sat in a nearby club chair, twirling a piece of purple streaked hair with a finger. Her dark eyes gleamed at him as she crossed her legs, her short skirt flashing a lot of leg.

The line shifted and he stepped up to the desk eagerly. Stating his name, he handed over his credit card and listened with one ear as the prim little desk clerk went through the motions. Gina strolled up and nestled against him, her scent taking over his senses while he listened to the clerk run down the list of hotel amenities.

“It’s okay,” Gina broke in gently. She flashed a sassy grin at the woman behind the counter. “We don’t plan to leave the room often.”

The clerk nodded, a new twinkle in her eye. “Room service is available twenty four hours a day.”

Caleb struggled to ignore the heat that flashed through him as his card was swiped and handed back to him. He shifted away from Gina’s lush little body with the pretense of putting the card back in his wallet. If she rubbed against him one more time he would lose it.

The image of lifting her onto the chest-high reception counter, shoving her skirt aside, and burying his face between her thighs filled his head and he bit back a groan.

As if sensing he was about to break, his little wild woman shifted her stance, cocking a hip and thrusting her breasts out obviously. He had just enough time to think Oh Shit! at the devilish light in her dark eyes before she slid a hand over his taut biceps and spoke loudly. “God, I love your muscles. I can’t wait to strip you naked and lick you all over before I ride you like a cowgirl at her first rodeo.”

Jaw slack, Caleb just stared at her for a second. Then a hot flush washed up his neck and over his cheeks, and his cock hardened to the point of pain.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Gina took the room key from the grinning front desk attendant and turned on a heel. She took three steps with her hips swinging deliciously before she turned back. “You ready, cowboy?”

He shook himself like a wet dog, and then chuckled as he grabbed the waiting suitcases and started to follow her. “Ready and willing.”

They didn’t speak in the elevator, and the heat grew between them during the short ride up. Gina used the key to open the door and Caleb followed her into their room.

He closed the door carefully then grabbed his wife and pinned her to it. The last few hours of almost constant teasing had tested his control, and he eagerly let it go.
Gina’s lush body cushioned him as he took her mouth in a hungry kiss. Flavor that was all her filled him and he sank into it, nibbling, biting and kissing his way across the exposed skin of her neck and shoulders. He filled his hands with luscious breasts and rocked his hips against hers, trying to get closer. Sharp nails scored up his back as she hooked a leg over his hip and undulated against him.

“Yes,” she moaned. “More. I want more, Caleb. Now.”

He tugged the collar of her tank top down and growled at the lacy bra that blocked the path of his lips. Eager hands tugged his T-shirt from his jeans as he struggle to undo her bra clasp. Finally, with a frustrated growl, he stepped back and tore the button fly of his jeans open. “Strip.”

Clothes flew and flesh was bared as they got naked with a speed that would’ve been funny if he wasn’t so damn anxious to bury himself inside her. When Gina wore nothing but her socks and boots, he couldn’t wait any longer.

“Fuck, who knew motorcycle boots could be so damn sexy?” he said as he moved in.

Reaching around, he grabbed her by the ass and lifted. With one hard thrust he was home. Bracing her against the wall, he began to move. Wet heat surrounded his cock, and he fought not to lose it as she wrapped her legs around him and her booted feet bounced against his ass.

“God, yes!” she shouted before sinking her teeth into his shoulder.

The little bit of pain had pleasure shooting to the base of his spine. Burying his face in the crook of her neck, he sucked in air and pumped faster. Heart pounding and blood rocking through his system, Caleb shifted a hand between them to palm a breast and tweak the rigid tip. Pressure built inside him and he pinched at the nipple between his fingers, making Gina gasp and squirm against him. Her cunt rippled over his cock and he groaned. He wouldn’t last long.

Pulling out, he set her down and spun her around. “Hands on the door,” he commanded as he kicked her feet apart.

As devilish and sassy as ever, Gina flipped her hair and smiled at him over her shoulder. “Yes, sir!”

With a feral grin, he grabbed her hips and slid his cock between her swollen pussy lips, torturing them both. “Are you sassing me, girl?”

“Never.”

With a laugh, he entered her again and began a slow and measured pace. “That’s my girl.”

She arched her back and wiggled her ass against him. Without thinking, he swatted her and she jumped. Her cunt clenched around him and they both groaned.

“God, Caleb. Stop fooling around and fuck me.”

“Your wish is my command.” Planting his feet and bending his knees, he reached around and cupped her swinging breasts. His hips pumped hard and fast, sliding in and out of her slick heat while she moaned loudly and pushed back against him. Her insides clenched greedily around his cock and his balls tightened, the pressure damming up at the base of his cock until he couldn’t hold back any longer. Leaning in, he reached between his wife’s thighs and pinched her clit.

Gina screamed, her pussy spasming around his cock as the top blew off his head and the world disappeared in a swirl of sensation. A primal groan of satisfaction roared up from deep inside and echoed through the room, mixing with her moans as she milked every drop from him.

* * * * *

In Wicked there’s a scene where Karl has to meet with the owner of The Dungeon, the BDSM club he hangs out at. The owners name is Mason Hardin, and he’s not an easy man to get a meeting with. I have no idea why, he just came to me that way. The scene is short, yet for some reason Mason has stuck in the back of my head for a couple of years. I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately, trying to figure out what his story is, but he’s not sharing. I think the only way to learn his story is to start writing it, and see what happens.

With that in the back of my mind I thought I’d share the scene from Wicked that he’s in, and see if you find him as intriguing as I do.

The Dungeon was pretty quiet on Monday nights, which is why he’d planned his visit for that night. He had a few things to accomplish, first off being a visit with the owner.
“Mr. Hardin, Thanks for seeing me tonight.” Karl held out his hand to the clean-cut man standing behind the desk.
“Not a problem, Karl. Please call me Mason. Valentine Ward spoke very highly of you. He also said you had something I really need to know about?”
He’d had a hard time getting a meeting with the mysterious owner of the club, so he’d had Val give him a call. Being the owner of one of the hottest nightclubs in town, Val had been able to set up the meeting as a favor.
Once they were both settled, Karl got straight to the point. “Someone’s taking compromising photographs of your members, while they’re within The Dungeon.”
As a lawyer, and a Dom, Karl was pretty good at reading people’s expressions, but Mason didn’t give anything away. A breach in security like that would mean the clubs business. Members of The Dungeon pay highly to be able to play in a safe, protected environment. “And you’ve come by this information how?”
“I’m sure you’ve read my membership file, so you know I’m a divorce lawyer. One of my clients is going through a bit of a nasty one, and she’s procured some photos of her soon-to-be-ex husband as leverage. She refused to tell me how she got them, but I will find out. I just figured you could work it from this end as well.”
The muscle in the club owner’s clean-shaven jaw twitched. “You saw the photos?”
“Yes.”
“Describe them.”
“To be blunt -a well known male client, strapped to a padded spanking bench in the Shared Room with a dildo shoved up his ass and a cock down his throat.”
Suddenly Mr. Clean-cut didn’t look so calm. “The Shared Room,” he said. “Do you know when they were taken?”
Karl shook his head. “No, and I’ll do my best to make sure my client doesn’t use them, but I think you’ll need to do some damage control there anyway.”
Karl stood and the two men shook hands. “Sorry I had to bring this to you, but we both know how important it is.”
“Yes, thank you,” Mason said. “It’ll be dealt with, and quickly.”
Karl left the office and put that issue in the back of his mind.

* * * * *
Ofcourse there’s more to the scene, but that’s all there is of Mason Hardin.

So…intriguing? I find him very much so…the clean cut man who owns/runs a BDSM club. In re-reading the scene I realized that the air of power and slight dangerous vibe didn’t really come across. Maybe it was all in my head…but it’s there, and I can’t wait to dig in and figure him out.

if you want to learn more abotu WICKED, visit my book page here. or purchase it at Amazon here.

For more great snippets, visit these authors.
Leah Braemel
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
TJ Michaels
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
Eliza Gayle
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Jody Wallace

Below is a short peek at a scene from TROUBLE.
In TROUBLE, Samair Jones is starting her own fasion label – one that specializes in lingerie, fetish wear, and dance wear. In this part of hte story she’s teamed up with nightclub owner Val, to have a private party/fashion show in his club, Risque

Some of you might recognize the hero’s best friend, Karl form the snippet on secondary characters last week. Karl was introduced in BOUND, and he’s plays a supporting role in TROUBLE, before he gets his own story in WICKED.

Read Chapter One of TROUBLE

Val found Karl in the Bachelor room, schmoozing with the more influential people that had wanted their privacy assured, and were willing to pay handsomely for it.
To him, it was a contradiction that people who were so paranoid about their privacy would come out to a show anyway. Karl had worked his magic though, assuring them that they would have complete privacy from the rest of the club, with a private show.
The logistics of giving them a separate private fashion show hadn’t been easy to figure out. They’d set up a small changing tent just outside the Bachelor Room’s separate entrance on the side of the building, and the models had agreed to do a change out there. Then they’d all go back inside and do the show again, for the general occupants of the bar.
“How’s it going in here?” he asked Karl when he found him at the back wall, watching over the crowd.
“Smooth, buddy. Your staff is keeping the drinks flowing, and the catering is a definite hit.”
Val looked over at the tables along the back wall of the room. He’d arranged for buffet style catering and the two end tables were piled high with hot hors d’oeuvres like poached salmon rounds and crab puffs, along with plates and such. But the middle table was what made it all special.
Centered in the dimly lit area was a long table, the crisp white linen cloth covering it a deep contrast to the dark skinned body stretched out on top of it.
Sushi, sashimi, tempura-battered veggies and prawns covered the woman’s bare flesh. Flower petals of various colors and leafy greens were strategically littered over her breasts and belly, while a small porcelain plate with pickled ginger and wasabi waited in the juncture of her thighs, just hiding enough of her hairless pussy to tease.
“For two hundred bucks a head I figured I better come up with something other than free booze for them. Ambrosia Catering promised me that, and I see they delivered.”
Karl slapped him on the back.
“All the tickets were sold, so that’s some solid coin. Between this and what you make at the front door, you’re home free, brother.”
“As much as I hate to anticipate … I think you’re right. Now if we can sell a lot kinky shit, Samair’s new business will be off to a great start too.”
“How’s she doing?”
Val gave him a look.
“Hey, I like her.” Karl grinned. “She seemed pretty smart, she’s got a rockin’ body, and there’s no arguing with her taste in lingerie.”
“Speaking of which, you got plans later tonight?”
Karl’s eye narrowed. “Not really. Why?”

“Sasha White continues to impress with every new offering. Trouble is an uncomplicated book. It is simply perfect. The solid characterization and plot make a flow smooth and easy across the pallet. Like a perfectly aged liqueur Trouble has bite and fire just the way it should.” ~ Cynthia, A Romance Review

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Years ago I wrote an eBook called Losing It that featured a caterer. The catering company is called Ambrosia, and it’s been a sort of secondary character in several books since then. Like this scene in TROUBLE, a private fashion show/party in a nightclub, where Ambrosia was hired to create a sexy, sophisticated ambiance. The same caterer, Lacey, was also used in MY PREROGATIVE for a bachelorette party. When the rights to the story reverted back to me, I made sure to include it in the back of MY PREROGATIVE, so if you want to know more about Lacey and her catering exploits, that’s the place to start. :)

***For a chance to win a signed copy of TROUBLE tell me in the comments what you’re favorite theme is for a party. Or just say hi and put your name in the hat. I’ll do the draw when I get back from my vacation, and announce the winner on December 24th. ***

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For more excerpts form some other talented authors, check out the links below!

Vivian Arend
Moira Rogers
Ashley Ladd
Jaci Burton
Kelly Maher
Leah Braemel
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Shelli Stevens
Shelley Munro
Eliza Gayle
Jody Wallace
Juliana Stone
TJ Michaels

There will be book recommendations and excerpts form some of my favorite authors. guest posts by friends, and maybe a surprise or two so be sure to come back each day!

My buddy Charlene has had a few books release recently. If you’re a fan of hot cars and hot guys, you should definitely be checking out REDLINE LOVER from Samhain Publishing..

Riding the edge…
Take Me, Lover, Book 1

When it comes to cars, former race driver Adam Richards knows how to maximize performance. Love? It doesn’t come with a maintenance manual, and it’s just as well. The secrets he’s hiding behind his partnership in a racing garage don’t lend themselves to lasting relationships. Now that Maggie Parker is back in town, though, he’s got a few ideas to make her purr like a finely tuned engine.
Life taught Maggie that men don’t stay. Leaving Adam before he got bored was supposed to protect her from heartbreak…only it didn’t work. If helping her sister was the only reason for coming home, she might have got away unscathed. But the story she’s been assigned to write is going to bring her within scorching distance of her old flame.
Adam is as irresistible as ever—and just as stubborn. He won’t give her a story, but his offer of a no-strings fling is one she can’t refuse. Passion pushes them to the limit, sparking Maggie’s belief that loving Adam is worth the risk.
Until she digs deeper and discovers some things just don’t add up…
Warning: Cornea-blistering sex scenes that use ALL the words, a hero to eat your heart out over and True Romance. Plus fast cars.

Excerpt:
Maggie didn’t remember leaving her chair and walking around the table to Adam, but she must have, because suddenly she was there. The air felt heavy, or maybe she’d just forgotten to breathe again. Maybe it was just Adam and the unbearable tension of knowing she was going to feel him against her skin. The absence of his touch had a weight to it that pressed her down onto his lap.
His hands closed on her wrists and pulled her in, closer. His voice rasped into her hair. “Do you think it’s safer to sit sideways like that?”
Maggie leaned into the solid wall of his chest. “Nothing about this is safe.”
“Put your legs over mine. Face me.”
She shook her head. That would be too much. His chest pressing into her breasts. His hips settled into the cradle of her pelvis and her open thighs. The heat of him burning through layers of clothing until she couldn’t stand it and tore them off. She’d done that once, ripping with frantic hands, not knowing if it was her shirt or his, or both, just needing his bare skin against hers and as much of him inside her as she could get. Her sex clenched as if protesting the empty space she wanted him to fill and she shivered as if she’d been cold for months and only now remembered how it felt to be warm.
“You stayed away a long goddamn time,” Adam muttered. She felt his lips move against her hair, and that tiny caress made her weak.
“I don’t live here anymore. Remember?”
“I remember.” Adam’s hands on her wrists tightened. “You left a note on the bathroom mirror. Hell of a way to say goodbye.”
She’d tried to say goodbye the traditional way, but her mouth always turned traitor. It proved incapable of doing anything but kissing him until there wasn’t any space or breath for words. And then in the end she couldn’t leave him sleeping without any explanation. So she’d scrawled a few words on a post-it note and stuck the message where he’d see it.
“You could have woken me up.”
Maggie closed her eyes and shook her head. If he’d been awake, she would never have been able to look into his face and say goodbye. She’d tried, not just that night, but nearly every night. Beginning with the first one when she’d gone to him knowing she was leaving and determined not to go without giving in to the desire to be with Adam, just once.
Only once hadn’t been enough for either of them. She hadn’t been prepared for that. Hadn’t expected Adam to want her the second or third or fourth time that night. Hadn’t expected him to ask her to stay. Hadn’t imagined waking up to him settling over her and between her thighs the next morning while he woke her up everywhere.
And then the days that counted down to the last one passed in a tangle of heat and need. Talking had been low on the priority list whenever they were together, and she hadn’t been willing to give up any of the minutes she had with him. Hadn’t wanted to spoil it.
“Did you think I’d make a scene?”
“What?” Maggie’s eyes flew open and she turned to look at him without thinking about how close he was. “No. I didn’t think you’d make a scene over me leaving.”
She didn’t think he’d notice or care, in fact, and maybe that was why she hadn’t been able to say the words out loud to him. By the way, Adam, I’m moving to Chicago. I have a job with a monthly entertainment magazine there.
Maybe she’d harbored a fantasy so secret she’d never dared to look at it, tucked away in a hidden corner of herself, in which she said those words and he refused to let her go. If she’d said the words to him and he’d nodded and said, “I’ll check your tire pressure before you leave,” it would have shriveled that secret dream forever.
Adam would never demand that she stay with him. But the wish pierced her and she closed her eyes again so he wouldn’t see it written there as clearly as her printing on that goodbye note.
“Kiss me, Maggie.”
It wouldn’t take much. She only had to change the angle of her head, lean closer a fraction of an inch, and her lips would touch his. But she hesitated, caught by the memory of how quickly the smallest contact spiraled out of control.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea right now, Adam.” Her voice came out lower than she’d intended, in a pitch that sounded like seduction and invitation. Even her voice had to betray her around Adam? Unfair.
“Because it isn’t safe?” Adam’s voice was a dark whisper at odds with the bright kitchen.
Maggie nodded. She’d known she’d have to see Adam during her visit. Even if it was just to be told “no” when she asked for an interview. She hadn’t expected him to show up on Anne’s front porch, let alone suggest they pick up where they’d left off six months before. She didn’t have a condom in her pocket, and unless he did, it wasn’t a good idea to start something they’d want to finish.
“Maybe that’s how you like it.” Adam’s hands loosened and stroked her arms, shifting from holding her captive to seducing her into staying. “Do you know why I quit racing?”
“No.” Maggie licked suddenly dry lips, caught by their closeness, the hard muscles of his thighs under her butt, the surprisingly gentle touch of his work-roughened hands on the sensitive skin of her inner wrists and arms. The rough texture of his skin rasped at hers, but his hands were careful, and the combination of toughness and tenderness seduced her all over again.
She remembered those hands on steering wheels very well, pulling peak performance out of any machine he controlled. No wonder he’d driven her crazy every time he put his hands on her.
“I watched you,” she said, a soft admission. “When I was in high school.” He’d been older, dangerous, an enigma in a black leather jacket and a demon on the track. She’d held her breath and sometimes closed her eyes, unable to look, but he never lost control and always won. And then, inexplicably, he’d quit racing and bought a half interest in Village Auto Repair. “Everybody thought you were going to be the next Dale Earnhardt.”
“Earnhardt’s dead. That was kind of a wake-up call. It occurred to me that an adrenaline junkie behind the wheel was going to end up out of the game sooner or later. I realized if I wasn’t careful racing wouldn’t be the only game I’d be out of permanently.”
Maggie frowned. That didn’t ring true. “I thought all race car drivers were adrenaline junkies. Thriving on risk, spitting at danger.”
“To a degree, maybe.” Adam’s hands smoothed their way up her arms to her shoulders, holding her lightly but surely. “There’s something seductive about pushing the redline.”
His hands crept up into her hair, his thumbs rubbing the back of her neck, fingers massaging into the base of her skull while he spoke and Maggie had to fight to focus on his words. “What’s that?”
“The redline?” Adam shifted under her and folded her into his arms with his hands still buried in her short curls. “It’s the edge, Maggie. The maximum speed an engine can reach. When you’re redlining an engine, you’re pushing everything to the limit, as hard as it can go. And if you go just a little too far, something’s going to break.”
He slid one hand around to cup her jaw and lift her chin, angling her face closer to his. “You know that feeling. Don’t you?”
“Yes.” The word was a broken whisper. Her eyes were caught by his. She felt like she was falling into him. Every time she’d been with Adam, she’d felt that thrill of danger and power in every touch, every kiss, and known she was balancing on a very thin edge.
“Ride the redline with me, Maggie.” Adam feathered a kiss across her lips, so soft, so faint it was barely there and yet her mouth burned with awakening tactile memory. “I’ll take you as far as we can both go, and we’ll burn this thing out together.”

“Redline Lover is a fast, scorching hot read. Adam and Maggie burn up the pages from start to finish. Charlene Teglia delivers in this short story. Ms. Teglia doesn’t shortchange any emotion for hot sex either; she weaves the two together in a breath stealing read.” 5 Angels, Fallen Angel Reviews

He shows up ion this scene in BOUND, (and again later) then he showed up in TROUBLE as the hero’s best friend, Halfway through writing TROUBLE I contacted my editor and asked if I could write Karl’s story next instead of the book we’d planned on. Luckily, my editor trusts me, and she said yes. So…this snippet is Karl’s first appearance… a secondary character got his own story in WICKED.

Moe’s was a small red brick building on the edge of town. The yellow neon sign simply stating ‘Moe’s Place’ could be seen from the highway.
Lillian made good time on the road, and we arrived just before nine o’clock. There were a lot of pick-up trucks, a few SUV’s, and almost a dozen motorbikes in the lot; big monster Harley’s and such with shiny chrome and metallic colors. Anticipation awakened my senses as the possibilities of the night ahead stretched before me.
We stepped into the bar as a threesome, and a few heads turned. Julie was wearing a short leather skirt and tight tank top similar to the one she had me put on. Only she had a lot more plump flesh spilling over the edge. Lillian’s red hair and exotic looks drew many eyes to her. The flowing camisole dress that skimmed her curves kept them there.
Julie had rolled up the waistband of my skirt when we’d stepped out of the van, and my legs got a bit of attention. My funky look didn’t stand out, but I wasn’t being ignored either.
“Look at him,” Julie said, eyeing the bartender.
He wore black jeans and black button up shirt, completely undone to show off the colorful artwork splashed across his hairless chest and belly. I was checking out the way a dragon’s tail disappeared into the waist of his jeans, pointing me the way to a decent size bulge when Julie nudged me in the ribs. I glanced up and saw one eyelid dip in a flirtatious wink.
“What can I get you ladies to drink?” he asked.
Hoping that the dark foundation I wore hid my blush, I ordered round of tequila shots, including one for him.
“Let’s get started, girls.”
The small shaker of salt was passed around, my gaze locking with the bartender’s just as my tongue darted out and swept across the inside of my wrist. I felt so . . . awake. Erotically charged. Every touch made my blood heat more. From the touch of Julie’s hand dressing me, to the rasp of my own tongue across my skin.
“A toast,” Julie said, holding up her shot glass. She flashed naughty grin at the group and spoke loud and clear. “To letting the inner bad girl out to play.”
“I’ll definitely drink to that!” The stud behind the bar said and tossed his shot back with the rest of us.
The tequila caused a sharp burn in my chest, which eased to a pleasant warmth when I bit into the lime slice and the juice squirted down my throat.
“So what’s your name, Darlin’?”
Julie and Lillian shifted down the bar a little, leaning against each other and making it obvious they were a couple. I smiled at the hot guy behind the bar. Making friends with the bartender was always a smart move, no matter what bar you went into.
“I’m Caitlyn.” The fake name came easily to my lips.
“Well Caitlyn. I think we need another drink. How about you?”
He set up two more shot glasses and filled them with amber liquid. I smiled, Ohhh, I was going to have fun. I could feel it in my bones. And every other part of my body.
“Sure. What’s your name, Mr. Bartender?” I leaned against the bar, using the edge of it to plump up my cleavage a bit more.
He of course noticed, and made no effort to hide the way his eyes lingered on my pushed up boobs when he spoke. “Rick. You need anything tonight, you come see me ok?”
We clicked our glasses together and another ounce of tequila slid down my throat.
The second shot went down much smoother than the first and the warmth in my chest was spreading fast. Julie grabbed my elbow and pulled me over to them. Leaning close she whispered in my ear. “Cute as he is, Caitlyn. You need to flirt with more than him to win this contest.”
“No problem,” I assured her, scanning the crowd.
“You have an hour before the contest. There’s a bunch of guys back at the pool tables, let’s start there.”
She waved at Rick and we headed to the back of the room where a group of college looking guys surrounded one table, and a few bikers surrounded the other.
Lillian put a coin on one table and Julie a coin on the other. Which ever came up first, we’d play on.
We leaned against the waist high rail that portioned off the pool tables from the rest of the bar. From there we let guys at both tables watch us, as we watched them play.
The human mating ritual had begun.
Soon a college boy approached Lillian and she stood regally while he tried to chat her up. If she gave Julie the signal Julie would chase him away, but one of the best things about going out with them was that they did their best not to exclude me by being too much of couple.
The waitress came over and handed us three more shots of tequila.
“From Rick,” she said.
I smiled and waved at him, Julie slipped her a five-dollar bill. “Thanks, but tell him no more for a while ok?”
The waitress smiled and eased away.
Lillian looked at the shot and shook her head, still talking to the clean-cut college boy. When she mimed her hands on the steering wheel Julie and I grinned at each other. Oh, boy. Trouble was brewing.
Sure enough, as soon as we’d downed those shots, two more appeared. This time in the hands of one of the biker guys.
“You girls look like you’re out to have a good time. I thought you might need a hand.”
I gave him a small smile and looked him over while he made eyes at Julie. He wasn’t bad looking. A bit older, maybe in his early thirties. Dark hair and a bit of a beard. The scar that cut across his eyebrow gave him a dangerous look, but the way he looked at Julie was actually sorta sweet.
Go figure.
“We are . . . and we always like a guy who knows how to party.”
He introduced himself as Mark and gestured to the shots he’d placed on the partition’s top rail. Jules reached for a shot, handed one to me, and we all tossed them back. I shifted away from them a bit and watched the pool game some more, while Julie flirted with him.
Normally I had a pretty strong resistance to alcohol, but tequila was the one thing that knocked me for a loop every time. I’ve heard people say it’s more of a high than a drunk, maybe that was why. I didn’t know, and I didn’t care, because right then I welcomed the floating feeling that was edging its way into my head.
As I watched, my eyes kept straying to one guy in particular. Tall, slim, with dirty blonde curls. He’d look almost angelic if it weren’t for the wicked tattoo on his neck. The mix of leather and denim he wore took a bit away from the saintly look too. But it did increase his sex appeal.
He threw back his head and laughed at something one of the others said, and I noticed that while he wasn’t gorgeous, there was something about him that was very attention grabbing. He must’ve sensed my staring, because he turned his head and our gazes locked. A fission of arousal zipped through me, straight to my sex.
He closed one eye in a slow lazy wink and my breath caught in my throat. An arm wrapped around my waist, distracting me, and I was pulled close to a warm soft body.
“We’re here because Caitlyn here is going to win the wet t-shirt contest,” Julie was telling Mark.
Mark’s eyes slid over me and I fought the urge to stick out my newly developed cleavage.
“I am. You’ll cheer for me, right?” Sticking out my bottom lip in an exaggerated pout, I placed a hand on his arm. The universal move of a woman flirting, the casual touch.
“We’ll all cheer for you, pretty girl.” He waved his hand at the group behind him.
“Cheer for you? What are we cheering for?” The sexy blond stepped up beside Mark, his lips lifted in a lazy smile.
“Girls, this is my buddy Karl.”
Karl’s chocolate colored eyes roamed my body. My nipples puckered in reaction, and I forgot about the contest. He reminded me of a lion. The blonde curls the lazy sensuous aura; very laid-back and mellow. But in his eyes . . . in his eyes I could see an intensity that didn’t show in his body language. An intensity that reached down between my legs and stroked my pussy.
A sharp elbow nudged my ribs and I started.
“Oh! I’m going to enter the wet t-shirt contest,” I told him. “Since the winner is picked by crowd reaction, I need as many of you to cheer for me as possible so I can win.
He stepped closer, between me and the others. With his back to them, he cut us off and built a sense of privacy. “You’re going to have to put on a bit of show.”
“I plan to.”
His smile changed from lazy to downright amused. “Ohh, the little kitten has some claws.”
“Kitten?”
“Yeah, you look like a kitten to me. You know, one that will purr real nice when petted properly.”
Cheesy as his line was, I felt it. The fire hidden behind the playful spark in his gaze said this guy knew how to make a girl purr, maybe even scream.
But he didn’t need to know I felt it.
“You think you can make me purr?” I turned away from him slightly, scanning the room. Making it clear I was checking out the other men in the club.
Hot breath brushed against my ear. “I know I can,” he whispered.
And walked away.
Well, crap. I’d wanted to intrigue him, not dismiss him. What was it about me that made men turn me on then walk away?

BOUND was my first single title novel written. It was released by Berkley in July 2006, and remains a reader favorite. Finding copies of it in print is hard, but it’s recently been made available in electronic format. :)

For excerpts from these talented authors; just click on the links below!

Vivian Arend
Moira Rogers
Ashley Ladd
Anya Bast
Jaci Burton
Kelly Maher
Lauren Dane
Leah Braemel
Mandy Roth
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Shelli Stevens
Shelley Munro
Eliza Gayle
Victoria Janssen
Jody Wallace
Juliana Stone
TJ Michaels

Anna’s story is NO ANGEL, in the Most Wanted anthology. She’s a demon hunter by necessity, as they’ve been hunting her for her whole life. In this snippet, she’s confronting one big bad demon lord whose come to take her to hell.

Fifteen minutes later she came across a park. The swings and merry-go-round were empty and there was plenty of open space with no houses to close.
“Perfect,” she muttered. “Close enough so you can find your way back to Gabe if you survive this.”
She picked a patch of grass and pulled one of her knives, took a deep breath, and without hesitation, sliced it across her left forearm. It wasn’t a terribly deep cut, but her blood welled and flowed out of it.
She put the blade away and held her arm out she watched the dark crimson drops fall onto the dewy grass and soak into the earth. It looked like any other human’s blood, red and thick, and life-giving. Only there was so much more in her blood.
She felt him before she saw him. The cold chill that had all the tiny hairs on her body standing up, making her extra sensitive to the energy vibrations around her. She turned slowly, expecting to see nothing, surprised to see tall, golden, and winged Focalor standing ten feet away from her. He smiled at her, as if he’d just dropped by for tea.
She arched an eyebrow at him. “No invisible attack this time?”
“You were kind enough to call me, I figured you wanted to give yourself up, maybe make a deal to protect those new friends of yours.”
Anger stirred in her gut but she tamped it down. She needed a clear head in this fight to have any chance of surviving. “I don’t make deals.”
“You’ve no wish to protect them?”
“I have a wish to end this, here and now.”
“Come now, Anna Blair, you of all people should know there isn’t much on earth that can defeat the power of hell. Why do you want to fight me? If you come willingly, I’ll ensure you survive being stripped of your powers.”
“Survive? And then what? You’ll keep me in hell as a play-toy to be poked and prodded at every now and then?”
His smile widened. “You’ve been a worthy opponent, I wouldn’t do that.”
“Worthy, huh?” She stepped to the right, and watched as he stepped to the left, circling her. “I’m surprised I’m considered only worthy when it’s taken almost thirty years for you to get even this close to me.”
He flinched at that, just a small one, but she saw it, and she knew. He was worried. He didn’t like it at all that she’d evaded his minions for so long.
Reaching into her backpack, Anna’s fingers wrapped around the comforting handles deep inside and pulled. She tossed aside her backpack and unsheathed the lovingly crafted butterfly swords. The curved blades slid free of their leather sheath with a smooth hiss, and she stood facing Focalor with one in each hand.
“Enough talk,” she said. “This ends now.”
“Ah, yes.” His smile was benign as he eyed her swords. “Your blades have felled some of my best soldiers. But do you really think they’ll hurt me?”
“These ones will. Forged in my own hellfire, blessed by God’s servants, and wielded by me, someone who has mastered powers born of evil.” She bared her teeth as she moved to the right, watching him counter shift to the left. “Powers you gifted to a weak spirit.”
“The spirit wasn’t weak, the powers were.” His wings expanded behind him.
Preparing for flight, she told herself. Out loud she laughed. “Powers are as strong as those who wield them, you know that. And I am not weak.”
“Let’s find out shall we?”
He lunged and she swung. Expecting him to fly, she’d swung high, but not high enough. The shiny steel of her blade just missed his foot as he flew over her head. She spun and crouched, but still took a solid kick to the head. She rolled with it, and came up swinging.
Focalor was on the ground now, on his feet, and throwing bolts of hellfire at her. Deflecting the flames with her left blade, she stepped into the fight instead of away from it, and swung the right.

What people are saying about MOST WANTED:

“An angel with a demon’s powers describes Anna in “No Angel”. Anna has spent her life trying to keep one step ahead of the demons that want something from her. Gabriel might now know about the “other” side of life but he knows that Anna is something special and he wants her in his life. Finding out how to end the threat to Anna’s life and their budding relationship, leads Gabriel to understand his new family members. I especially loved the final battle and how it ended. “No Angel” is more than a battle of good vs. evil – it’s a battle of love that trumps all.” – Jo, from Joyfully Reviewed

“The stories in this book are all unique and exciting in their own way. Each character easily holds your attention, and the plots are just as captivating. I flew through this in one sitting, and that may be my only regret. I wanted to keep on reading! Ms. White is a fabulously talented writer, and purchasing any of her books is money well spent.” – Lototy, Coffeetime Romance & more.

“This isn’t your typical Sasha White book. Yes, all three romances have her trademark eroticism and blatantly wicked sensuality, but there’s also a touch of lightheartedness, humor, and the paranormal. I think that long-time Sasha White fans will love MOST WANTED. New readers will undoubtedly question why they haven’t read Sasha before.” – Laurie of Laurie’s Laudanum

Follow the links below for more snippets from some great authors.
Anya Bast
Leah Braemel
Jaci Burton
Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Taige Crenshaw
Shelley Munro
Jody Wallace
TJ Michaels
Victoria Janssen
Elisabeth Naughton

Today snippet is supposed to be an emotional theme. I wan’t sure I could do this, because while I do feel I have emotional scenes in my books, they’re never really over-the-top or obvious. What makes them so emotional to me is knowing the characters story, being invested in them to the point that you feel their pain deeply, even when the scene itself isn’t super intense. I hope that makes sense, but maybe the best way to explain it is to simply show you…so here’s a clip from NO ANGEL in the Most Wanted anthology.

Gabe kept his mouth shut on the drive home.
So did Anna.
Since they were the only two people in his truck, it made for a quiet drive. He didn’t care. He was pissed off at her and it took concentration to keep from yelling at the top of his lungs. He needed to breathe, and drive. Breathe, and drive.
The family had split into three vehicles when they left the hospital and when he parked his truck, Caleb was the only one already home. Drake, Devil and their crew hadn’t arrived yet.
As soon as they entered the house, Anna turned to face him. “I’m sorry I put your family in danger,” she said. “I’ll get my bag and leave before they get back.”
That made him lose his temper. “Like Hell!”
Caleb took one look at the two of them and left the room.
Anna didn’t even notice. Her pretty forehead wrinkled and she stared at him. “It’s not safe for any of you if I stay.”
“We’re safer together than apart.”
“I agree. You should stay with them.”
Emotion boiled over inside of him and he lost it. “What the fuck do you mean I stay and you’ll leave? You’re not going anywhere without me, Anna. I don’t care what the hell you can do with knives or … or … fire or whatever powers you have. You are not going anywhere!”
“Don’t yell at me,” she said.
“Then listen to me.”
“When you make sense, I will listen to you.”
Gabe bit back a growl. He was making sense, she was just being dense.
He took a deep breath and held out his hands. “Okay, let’s start this again. Anna, are you nuts?”
Okay, so that wasn’t exactly what he’d meant to say.
“Me?” Color rose in Anna’s pale cheeks and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “It’s you who are nuts. What did you think you were doing grabbing my arm when a demon is right in front of me? You think I can fight with you hanging on my arm?”
Devils voice came from behind Gabe. “She’s right, you know.”
Gabe ignored the crowd that had followed Devil in and focused on Anna. “You weren’t supposed to fight it! That’s the whole point!”
“You think I should’ve just stood there and let him snatch Nadya? Or you? Focalor wants me, and he’ll do anything to get me.”
Gabe stilled. “Him?”
“That was no possessed human, Gabe. That was Focalor, the Great Duke of Hell himself! I don’t know why he’s suddenly stepped up the hunt. I don’t understand why in the last week I’ve been attacked six times. Twice yesterday, on my first day in this city. Twice in one day, Gabe. That has never happened in my life!”
She pointed a trembling hand at him and the family spread out behind him. “He will kill you all with nothing more than a laugh if you get in his way.”
Silence fell on the room and Anna stood there, fists planted on her hips, cheeks flushed, chest heaving and it hit Gabe. She was afraid. His tough little warrior angel was afraid. And not for herself, but for him and his family.
Unable to speak past the emotion clogging his throat Gabe stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.
“Shhh, it’s going to be okay.” He saw Caleb standing in the living room doorway, watching them. “It’s going to be okay, Anna. My family is pretty hard to kill.”
“You have a new baby coming home soon,” she said against his chest. “I have to leave, Gabe. That baby needs to have a safe home.”
Pride knifed through him at her words. She was hunted, had been hunted her whole life, and her first thought was to make sure his new nephew had a safe place to come home to.
She truly was an angel, and he was going to make sure she didn’t go anywhere.

READ MORE ABOUT NO ANGEL and the MOST WANTED anthology.

Read more Saturday Snippets from these great authors.

Eliza Gayle
Michelle Pillow
Juliana Stone
Jaci Burton
McKenna Jeffries
Moira Rogers
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Victoria Janssen
Shelli Stevens
Shelley Munro
TJ Michaels
Lauren Dane
Beth Kery
Leah Braemel