Gravitational Attraction by Angel Martinez

Literary Nymphs Interview

Title: Gravitational Attraction
Author: Angel Martinez
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Genre:M/M Science Fiction
Release Date: 2/25/12

What inspired the story?

I get inspired by a lot of random things but this one has a specific origin. My son was working on a bit of world-building of his own for some RPG stuff and wanted to come up with 'a different kind of interstellar travel.' He had some thoughts about a possible, not-yet-discovered link between magnetism and gravity. While we hashed out the practical issues of the GEM drive and I sketched a possible spaceship design, the seeds of a story formed. I asked if I could use his creation - he said yes - and the story flew off my fingers like nothing ever has before.

EXCERPT:

Blurb:

A distress call draws the Hermes to a drifting ship, empty except for the gore-spattered corridors and one survivor. Drawn to the traumatized man, Isaac offers the kindness he needs. But Turk harbors secrets, his brain a dangerous military experiment. It will take more than kindness to save them all.

Excerpt:

Empty silence enveloped them as the suits left the bay. Isaac’s own breaths had always sounded like a windstorm to him in the utter absence of other sounds. New recruits often passed out from lack of oxygen as they fought against breathing too loudly, panic and claustrophobia often weeding out the ones unsuited to deep space work early in training. But for Isaac, planet-born dirtsucker that he was, the wonder of moving so freely through space, inimical to life, hostile and breathtakingly beautiful, had never worn thin.

Isaac reached the Marduk first to punch in the code he had left on the temporary airlock hatch. The six of them kept their face shields down as they slipped inside. Atmospheric levels might be all right, but the possibility of breathing in airborne blood particulates was not a pleasant thought.

A little whimper drifted through the audio.

“Hold together, people,” Travis growled. “Oz promised to get us out and back quick.”

“Sorry.” The whispered apology came from Rand, his suit’s helmet swiveling back and forth, as he picked his way through the carnage.

“Rand, stop looking!” Sylvia snapped. “Focus on the suit in front of you.”

While Isaac couldn’t run in the heavy exo-suit, he did pick up the pace. Unlike his first foray with the remote, now he knew exactly which cross-corridors and doorways to use. Within three minutes, he had them in the lift, headed toward the holding block. The heavy blast door slid aside to show the gruesome tableau at the comm console. A catch of breath in his pickup told Isaac that Rand had probably missed this the first time through. He couldn’t be sure, but their nervous scan tech had most likely been one of the bridge officers throwing up.

“Still only showing one heartbeat,” Isaac said to distract them all. “This way.”

He led them down a corridor marked “A-block” where they passed one empty cell after another, not empty because the occupants had been torn to pieces but entirely empty.

“What kind of Jud ship carries one prisoner?” Sylvia asked.

“Maybe they were trying to evacuate before…” Lester’s deep voice trailed off.

“Don’t waste time on speculating,” Travis cut in. “We’re close.”

The last cell held an occupant, it’s transparent, electrified door still intact and locked tight. The man lay curled in a tight ball against his air pallet, dazed eyes half open.

“Hey,” Travis shouted through the door. “Can you hear me?”

The man didn’t move, though he shivered violently, hard spasms running along massive arms and a broad back. Probably in shock.

Isaac found himself staring. Dark shadows marred the prisoner’s skin, but the strong jaw and even features spoke to a devastatingly handsome face when he was well. Even curled up so tightly, he could see the man was huge, easily two meters tall, maybe more. Golden-blond stubble atop his head indicated a recent shaving, though Isaac had no idea if he wore it that way out of choice or if prisoners were routinely shorn. He wore only a sleeveless, mid-thigh shift, which caused anger to rise in Isaac’s chest. Bad enough they locked him up, but to take away a man’s pants? Such calculated humiliation seemed cruel.

“Get the damn door open,” Travis said, bringing Isaac back to the task at hand.

Rand plugged into the wall jack, and all his uneasy sounds ceased as he concentrated on hacking the door code. The door whispered open on Rand’s triumphant cry.

“Attaboy,” Travis said. “Now go back out to the console and download the logs.”

“Out there? Alone?” The audio picked up Rand’s hard swallow.

“Dammit, son, they’re just pieces of meat out there. Nothing’ll hurt you.”

“But—”

Travis sighed. “Sylvia, go with him so the ghosts don’t eat him.”

Distracted by Rand’s fears, Isaac had missed the moment their rescuee began to move. He had pushed up on trembling arms, hard muscles corded with the effort, and turned his head to face them, teeth bared in a snarl.

“Shchfteru scum,” he whispered in a cracked, ruined voice. “Damn you…”

He’s going to hurt himself. Or lunge at Travis, and then someone’s going to panic and shoot him… “Humans.” Isaac held the hands of his exo suit wide. “We’re not some damn chuff, we’re humans.”

A low growl came from the man’s chest, a sound Isaac had never heard from a person before. The man was obviously too far gone and the suits looked too menacing. He reached up, undid his helmet latches, and lifted the whole assembly off his head. “See, human. We’re here to help you. Get you out of here.”

The man stared at him, something flickering in his eyes through the rage. During his moment’s distraction, Travis and Lester grabbed him and pinned him so Dr. Varga could get him sedated.

Isaac caught a whiff of the foul air and slammed the helmet back on his head, coughing fitfully as he got the latches secured. “Oh, shit…that’s horrible…how was he still breathing?”

“Don’t know, bud.” Travis stood his suit back up for the return walk. “But the shchfteru, if they were here, it explains a hell of a lot.”

“Explains why the crew’s in shreds,” Lester rumbled. “Doesn’t explain why the ship’s whole and the boards are untouched. Or why this guy survived.”

Lester was right there.

“We need to get the Hermes away, Trav,” Isaac said softly. “The chuff don’t leave things half done. They’re bound to come back to finish.”

Where can we find your website?

 http://www.freewebs.com/angelwrites/

Literary Nymphs Interview

Tell us about your latest release

Title: FEW ARE CHOSEN

Author: Storm Grant
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Genre: humorous YA urban fantasy (with interracial romance)
Release Date: February 20, 2012

Buy link: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/few-are-chosen

Although it’s my second book with Riptide, it’s really a first for me: my first YA and my first interracial.

Check out the awesome cover

FEW ARE CHOSEN by Storm Grant

Sparks fly between virgin teenage demon hunters when the Chosen One turns out to be… the Chosen Two?

Apprentice warrior Blake St. Blake is the Chosen One, raised by an ancient order to defend the world against evil. Well, maybe not the whole world, but at least his neighbourhood in downtown Detroit.

When a dreaded reflux demon is sighted in a local cemetery, Blake is sent off to his very first battle, armed with his sword, his super-senses, his black leather duster, and a few well-rehearsed one-liners.

But another Chosen One gets in Blake’s way—an apprentice wizard named Shadow. While the boys argue about who’s the more chosen of the two, the demon escapes.

Blake wants to be angry, but it turns out he and Shadow have a lot in common. Besides, Shadow’s pretty cute, and Blake can’t help but think that the wizard’s skills (and hands and lips and other bits) might make the perfect complement to his. Blake and Shadow are brave enough to challenge the reflux demon in a second battle, but will they have the courage to tell each other how they feel?

Title Details

Publisher: Riptide Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-937551-22-3
eBook release: Feb 20 2012
eBook formats: pdf, mobi, html, epub
Word count: ~12,000
Page count: ~40
Heat Wave: On-screen, mildly explicit love scenes
Type: Standalone
eBook           $2.99

What inspired the story?

I was watching a cop show where the cops show up and clash with another law enforcement group that’s working the same case. Then I thought, what if this happened with paranormal enforcers? Then I decided a young apprentice warrior would go out after his first demon, only to discover he’s not the only Chosen One. It rocks his little world at first, but then first kill turns into first kiss turns into first time. It’s a character-driven piece about a young man’s exploration of both his destiny and his sexuality.

Plus it’s funny.

EXCERPT:

 The demon swiveled its head in my direction. “Oh, you again. You’re the apprentissse warrior, right? Not the junior sssorssserer?”

“Yes, I’m the warrior. See. The. Sword.” I thrust it a bit further forward. The beast nodded, failing to quake with terror, or even to look particularly impressed. I tightened my grip on my weapon and shouted, “I command thee to return to Hell and trouble this fair land no more!”

“Fffair land? Thisss isss downtown Detroit. I’m not ssseein’ a lot of fffair around here. And hey, I’m ssstanding right here. There’sss no need to ssshout.

I opened my mouth to command it again to leave, but it cut me off.

“Lisssten, boy. I’ve got sssome errandsss to run and I’m not going home until I get what I came fffor.”

“And what, pray tell, are these tokens which you seek?”

“Tokensss, what? I’m gonna get a cassse of Bud, and then sssome grossseriesss. And maybe a fffatted calfff. There’sss a butcher over on Missshigan that hasss really good beefff.” Its shoulders raised in what may have been a demonic shrug. “D’you know where there’sss a Wal-Mart around here?”

I refused to answer; refused to be tricked. The foul beast was trying to humanize itself so I would be less inclined to kill it. Well, that wasn’t going to work. It was way too fugly to get to me.

“If you will not return to Hell immediately, then you leave me no choice. I must slay you. I mean, thee.” My cheeks heated and I cursed myself for screwing up the wording. My first demon and I was getting it all wrong. I could hear Hadley’s voice in my head telling me to just breathe and take it easy. Okay. I drew in a deep, calming breath, only to start coughing. God, this thing needed a Tic Tac. Luckily I could do that thing now that allowed me to turn my sense of smell way, way down.

Relax, I ordered myself. It’s not like anyone’s recording your performance. Not like when we taped my practice sessions for critiquing later.

I raised my foot to take a step forward, but froze when I heard the reflux horking up acid, sounding exactly like one of the older members of our Order in the mornings. I threw myself backward, intending to land lightly yards away, poised for my next attack. Instead, I smacked painfully into a tree. My head struck bark, but at least I wasn’t where the demon’s acid landed, sizzling the ground where I’d just been.

I dashed to the right, finding cover among the shadows. The demon advanced, its putrid fire-breath illuminating the night. It was a lot like Shadow’s glowing staff from last week, only stinkier, and I coughed, my eyes watering in the nasty fumes. Too bad Shadow wasn’t here; I could handle the reflux on my own, of course, but his glow stick and ability to paralyze would have been handy. Plus things were always more fun with a friend.

I could really have used a friend right about now.

Where can we find your website? http://www.stormgrant.com/

Storm Grant Bio: Storm Grant is a writer of short and long tales, her work spanning both genres and genders. Storm's stories offer titillation and merriment, and in a few cases, horror. In the last few years, she’s published with MLR, Torquere, Phaze, Blood Bound Books, eXessica, Amber Quill, and Riptide Publishing.

Storm Grant (also writing as Gina X. Grant)

Email / Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Love on the East End by Lily Sawyer

Literary Nymphs Interview  

Title: Love on the East End

Author: Lily Sawyer
Publisher: Romance First Publishing
Genre: Gay Romance
Release Date: Jan 1st 2012

Tell us about your latest release

This book was originally released in July, but due to some problems with the publisher I was trying to self publish it. A new publisher, Romance First Publishing, came along and I decided to publish the book with them. It was just released on their site Jan 1st. The book takes place on the East End of Long Island; I set it there because it's one of my favorite places that I've visited. Seeing the vineyards, learning about what goes into making wine and getting to taste the fruit of the vine all inspired me my creative juices to write my story. Gabriel is a restaurant owner that just opened his first restaurant; he wants to make it a success. He has a major party coming up and he wants everything to be perfect. When a special wine he needs for a party never shows up he calls around and ends up going to a vineyard to get it. In comes William, the vineyard owner. He catches Gabriel's eye and we all know how well food and wine go together, just like the two men in my story.

What inspired the story?

 Having visited the East End of Long Island a few times I was inspired by the beauty of the vineyards out there, some of my experiences made its way into my book.

EXCERPT:

Gabriel Meyer’s restaurant is a dream come true, but he gets more than he expected when in the course of his business he meets William Thomas, owner of Rolling Hills Winery. Food and wine more than come together on the east end of Long Island as they discover just how complementary Gabriel and William really are. Their seeming paradise is disturbed, however, when they meet young Ben Stewart—a troubled teen who is being bullied at school over his sexuality. Can they help this young man and fight the intolerance that lies on the east end of Long Island, or will it consume them?

Chapter 1

Gabriel Meyers looked at the empty dining room of his brand new restaurant. He’d just opened the doors two weeks ago and already the place was packed every night.

While he loved the hustle and bustle of the lunch and dinnertime crowd, he appreciated the quiet the morning hours afforded him. He used the time to do all the paperwork and phone calls, which were a part of running a place like Maven.

“Gabriel, we have a problem with the wine order.” Pierre came running into the room to inform him. He was the restaurant’s sommelier, and Gabriel met him at the culinary school in Paris. He was studying to be a chef and when he decided to open his own place Pierre was one of the first friends he told.

“Oh what now?” It always seemed to be something, you’d think having your own place on the north fork of the east end of Long Island in the middle of wine country would mean having an endless supply of wine. Sadly, it wasn’t the case. Sometimes they had special clients that wanted certain things the restaurant didn’t always have on hand. Like now they were looking for a special vintage of Riesling to go with the duck being served at a fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration, which was happening this weekend.

“The Pindar Winery won’t have any ready for about three weeks.”

“Have you tried the other wineries?”

“I tried the Rolling Hills winery, they said they’d give us a call back.”

“We can’t sit on our hands on this, we need that wine. I’ll call them again to see if I can make any headway. Thanks Pierre.”

Gabriel heard the phone ringing and ran back to the office to pick it up. He wished he’d looked at the caller ID before he answered.

“Hello?”

“Gabbie!”

His stomach tied up in knots when he heard the dulcet tones of his ex-wife on the other end.

“Willow,” he said through clenched teeth. “What can I do for you?” He wished more times then he could count that he and the blonde with the blue eyes and movie star body had never crossed paths.

“Gabe, you don’t sound very happy to hear from me.”

Truth be told he wasn’t. Their marriage was the biggest mistake of his life. They’d met in New York City, she was acting at a theater club and he was waiting tables. They started off as friends, hanging out with friends and family. Then ended up getting married.

Gabriel knew they had rushed into something that was never meant to be. He did love Willow, but he was never in love with her. He was gay; it took him a long time for him to admit it to himself, let alone to Willow. He finally told her two years after they’d said ‘I do.’ She was stunned at first, then she told him she had a feeling something was different about him, but she hadn’t been able to put her finger on it.

They got a divorce, their story made the rounds with the tabloids. Fortunately he was able to hide his secret of being gay, he was only too glad they left him alone and glommed onto her.

When one reporter intimated they’d split because Gabriel was gay, he asked an old friend from school if he could hang out with her to make it look like they were dating. She was only too happy to help him throw them off the scent, even going so far as to make sure they were seen in public, holding hands and walking the streets of Brooklyn having brunch at a restaurant one Sunday morning.

“Willow, I’m kinda busy, what can I do for you?”

“Is that any way to talk to your ex-wife?”

He cringed when she said ex-wife, their divorce hadn’t been as clean a break as he would have liked. She got nasty when he asked for the house on Long Island. She had several properties; she barely spent any time there. Her favorite spot was a condo on the upper east side of Manhattan.

“Well, I’m having a party to honor Chuck Scarborough, you remember my agent? He’s celebrating thirty years in the business and I wanted to do something special. He has a home not far from your restaurant and I want to rent out the back deck and hire a DJ and just do it up big.”

“How big?” Despite how their marriage ended, Gabriel knew Willow could bring him a lot of big business with all the big wigs in the music and entertainment industry she could connect him with.

“About one hundred.”

“When?” Maven could easily handle that many people.

“Weekend after next.”

It was spring and the weather was getting nice enough so they could start using the deck outside. The restaurant faced Long Island Sound and on a clear day you could see Connecticut.

“How about I put you in touch with Annie, our party planner? She can iron out all the details. I don’t see any problem having the party here.”

“Thanks, Gabe, I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

“Sure thing. Thanks for thinking of Maven for your party.” They hung up. He’d let Annie know about the party later, right now he had some Riesling to wrangle up.

****

William Thomas loved wine; there wasn’t anything he didn’t know about it. His interest started when he took a trip to France and toured the wine country and it was like he finally found what he wanted to do with his life there in the middle of vineyard. When he got back home he did everything necessary to begin his journey from a beginner everyone in the industry scoffed at to a well-respected wine maker. Even his family, who were not thrilled with his decision to go into the winemaking business, became his biggest supporters.

Rolling Hills winery was the result of all the blood, sweat and tears.

William loved opening up the winery to tourists and often joined them in the wine tasting room.

Women came on to him all the time, he enjoyed the flirting. But that was all it was ever going to be. He wondered what these same women would think if they could see him dancing on the dance floors at one the gay bars on Fire Island.

He’d never had a serious relationship, content for years to play the field until he hit the big three-O six months ago. Now he was looking for that special person, but it sure wasn’t easy to find him. He decided if it was meant to happen it would happen.

****

Gabriel turned down the long linden-lined drive. He parked in front of the quaint, Tudor style house at the end. He got out of the car, walked over to the fencing and looked at the rows of grape vines that went on towards the Sound. There was just something about being out in the open air that made him feel so peaceful.

“Like what you see?” A deep, sexy voice startled him out of his reverie.

“Oh geeze, you startled me.” Gabriel put his hand over his beating heart, which beat even faster when he got a good look at the curly blond haired man that had snuck up behind him.

“Sorry,” the blond stuck out his hand. “I’m William Thomas, owner of Rolling Hills winery.”

Gabriel grasped the proffered hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m Gabriel Meyers. I own Maven. I called about getting four cases of Riesling.”

“Ah yes my partner Steve told me you’d called.”

Gabriel didn’t know why hearing the word ‘partner’ bothered him, he’d just met William a moment ago and yet it felt like Cupid’s arrow had pierced him in the heart.

“I had them set aside for you. They’re in the barrel room. How about I give you a tour of the place? I mean if you have the time.” William flashed his pearly whites at him and Gabriel couldn’t resist the opportunity to spend more time with the tall blond.

William must have been about six-one or six-two. He didn’t tower over Gabriel’s own height of six feet, but he still had to crane his head just a little to meet the chocolate brown gaze.

“I have plenty of time, the restaurant doesn’t open until noon.”

“Well, then, let me give you the grand tour.” William led him to one of the pickup trucks parked next to the house. They took a drive around the vineyard. William explained the different varieties of grapes they grew and what kinds of wine were produced from them. He even got a chance to watch one of the grape picking machines at work, carefully picking the fruit off the vine and separating out the stems.

“I can tell you, Gabriel, that is one expensive piece of machinery. Had to get it imported from Italy.”

“Really? Wow!” Gabriel was very impressed. He knew about wines, after all you can’t live in Paris like he had and study culinary arts and not learn about them. He wasn’t an expert like Pierre, but he knew enough to know how to pair them with food and not embarrass himself.

As far as the growing end, he knew little but he sure was getting an education now.

“Has this winery been in your family for long?” The wineries on Long Island had started up about thirty-six years ago. No comparison to the centuries old vineyards in Europe but they still had made their mark in the wine making industry none-the-less.

William laughed. “No I’m the only one in my family interested in wine. My father is a lawyer and my mom is a fashion designer. My older brother is a screenwriter. He ‘s worked on a few movies, and he lives out in LA.”

“What made you decide to go into the wine industry?”

“I was going to school in northern California and my friends wanted to spend spring break in Napa Valley. I just fell in love with wines and wanted to learn the business. I came back to Long Island and started my own winery. Rolling Hills is the result. We’re celebrating our tenth year.”

“Congratulations! Your family must be proud.”

“Thank. Well I can’t say they were thrilled, but they saw the passion I have and they’ve been very supportive.”

They parked next to the house and William took him to the barrel room. One of the workers took the cases of Riesling and put the in Gabriel’s car.

“Do you want to stick around for lunch?” William offered his new friend.

Just then Gabriel’s cell phone went off.

“Hello?” Gabriel walked a few feet away from the other man. “What! No I know I placed that order a week ago, what do you mean they don’t have a record of the order?’ He paused. “Shit, I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He shut the flip phone closed. “Damn.”

“Problem?”

“Yeah, I had a champagne order that was supposed to be delivered this morning and they have no record of it. I need it for an engagement party tonight.”

“I think I can help you out there, just hang out here for a bit.” After Gabriel told him he needed some Dom Perignon, William went inside the house. He returned a few minutes later with a smile on his face. “It’s done, I got you the champagne you needed. It should be delivered to the restaurant in about an hour.”

“How did you manage that?” Gabriel was surprised.

“I know plenty of people around here. There’s a place on the south fork that carries some wonderful champagne. I got you a case. Unless you wanted more?”

“No, a case is fine. I can’t thank you enough for helping me.”

“Forget it, I was glad to help.”

Gabriel slid into the driver’s seat of his car and started the engine. “Hey how about coming to our wine tasting event? We’re having it on Friday night at seven thirty.”

“Sure, sounds like fun. I’ll bring a good vintage from our special collection.”

“You can bring your partner if you want too.” Gabriel took off without waiting for an answer from William. Truth be told he didn’t want him to bring anyone else, let alone his partner. But it wouldn’t have been polite to invite him without his lover.

‘Why are the good ones always straight or taken?’ He asked himself as he drove, with a heavy heart, back to Maven.

Where can we find your website?

http://lilysawyerbooks.blogspot.com/

Buy Link http://www.romancefirstpublishing.blogspot.com/2012/02/love-on-east-endon-sale-for-299.html

Fresh, new, stylish look for Total-E-Bound Publishing

Total-E-Bound Publishing updates their website on Valentine’s Day with a fresh, new, stylish look, and offers more functionality, which they hope will improve the buying and download experience for all of their customers. Total-E-Bound constantly strive to improve their services and provide readers with better features, and have listened to comments and requests and included them in the site upgrade.

“We’ve been very busy behind the scenes and we are excited to be able to show you the new changes to the website: http://www.total-e-bound.com. The updated website will provide a cleaner, more stylish and contemporary look. There is also improved functionality and navigation making it easier for readers and authors to have a more enjoyable experience on the website. We are excited to show off a fabulous banner at the top of the homepage to show off existing and new Total-E-Bound discounts, offers and promotions. Future phases will provide more exciting new features throughout 2012.”

Find out more by visiting www.total-e-bound.com/launchone.asp

Claire Siemaszkiewicz, CEO of Total-E-Bound is excited to provide readers and authors with a fresh new look for Total-E-Bound Publishing “We’ve taken on board requests and comments from both readers and authors and made changes that we believe will enhance their experience at Total-E-Bound. We’re a technology driven company and like to stay at the forefront of our industry. Total-E-Bound Publishing has gone from strength to strength over the last five years and continues to grow with the development of the ePublishing industry. It’s a very exciting time for us.”

The Heart's Greater Silence by Anne Brooke

Literary Nymphs Interview

Author: Anne Brooke

Title: The Heart’s Greater Silence

Publisher: Riptide Publishing

Genre: M/M erotic contemporary

Release Date: 6 February 2012

Tell us about your latest release

The Heart’s Greater Silence is the story of Mark’s complex relationship with the two very different men in his life, and the choice he has to make between them.

What inspired the story?

Issues of obsession and love always fascinate me, especially the very thin dividing line between them, and the dark writing places it can carry you to. I also think the church can be both an enriching and a dangerous place, and I was very keen to set a story of sexual passion within that environment. With that in mind, one of the men in Mark’s life is a priest, with all the emotional and spiritual baggage that brings. I also love putting my main characters through very traumatic life events in which they are forced, somehow, to make a decision they never wanted to make. I think that when people are put to the test, then you really get an intimate view of who they really are. Does Mark come through such a test? You’ll have to read the story to find out ... J

EXCERPT:

Richard sprang to his feet and was beside me in two strides. He gripped my arm and pulled me out of my chair. I didn’t protest, though I knew I should have done. As always, the physical contact with him more than mastered me, and I matched him need for need, push for push, groan for groan. Within seconds, I had him against the wall, his body so seemingly fragile against mine I could have crushed him into my skin. God, I wanted to. I didn’t even know if I liked him much, but I wanted him.

I trapped him so he couldn’t get away—not, I think, that he wanted to—and ground my mouth against his. His lips opened without a fight, and I thrust my tongue deep inside. He moaned loudly, and I could feel the vibration of it in my own face. He tasted of wine and warmth. All thoughts of Craig, and who I loved and who I didn’t, slipped away as if they were nothing but shadows. All I knew was the heat of the flesh within my arms and the taste of need on my tongue.

It didn’t take long for kissing not to be enough. I pulled away, knowing the glitter in Richard’s eyes only mirrored my own. For a moment, the loss of him from my grasp felt like a desert I couldn’t cross, but then I fell to my knees and pushed up his robes.

“Take that off,” I begged him. “Please.”

He heaved a sigh up from his belly. He was trembling. “I can’t, I’m on duty,” he hissed. “You know that.”

I shook my head. “Right now I don’t know anything but you. Take it off, Richard.”

He obeyed me. The push and pull between us was making my cock ache, and it wasn’t just me, either. By the time I unzipped the trousers he wore under his robe, Richard was as hard as I was. I didn’t waste any more time—simply opened my mouth as wide as I could and took him inside.

Then I held him there, not allowing him to come, but keeping him on the brink of it. I wanted to give him pleasure, and pain too, and he knew it.

“Damn you, Mark,” he whispered, all sense of God and holiness vanishing away from him at the touch of my lips on his flesh. “You . . . you bastard.”

I wanted to tell him he was right. I was probably damned. I also wanted to tell him it was okay, and he would fuck me soon, but my mouth was too full for the words. He tasted warm and salty as I began to lick the few drops of pre-come from his tip. I loved how wide his cock was in spite of his willowy frame, and how its shape made me stretch and concentrate only on him. These days, it was the nearest thing to worship I knew, or maybe had ever known.

Purchase The Heart's Greater Silence here.

Where can we find your website?

 Anne Brooke and Gay Reads.
 I also have a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a blog.

Dark Night of the Moon by Keta Diablo

Literary Nymphs Interview

Title: Dark Night of the Moon

Publisher: Keta Diablo
Genre: Paranormal/Western/Shapeshifter
Release Date: January 15, 2012

Tell us about your latest release

Thank you so much for asking. I'm really excited about the sequel to Holding On To Heaven, DARK NIGHT OF THE MOON, a paranormal shifter. For those who loved my Native American raven-shapeshifter, Where The Rain Is Made, I think they'll also love Dark Night of the Moon, a wolf-shapeshifter. Available here on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/ketadiablo/e/B002BODURI

Here's the blurb:

Dark Night of the Moon is the second book in the series and the sequel to Holding on to Heaven.

Creed Gatlin flees to Arizona intent on eradicating the haunting memories of his brother’s wife. His brother Brand, presumed dead, resurfaces after a long absence and with his re-emergence, the destinies of those he loves is altered forever.

In a land rife with war and danger, Sage must travel to the village of her husband’s People. There, she is reunited with Crooked Back, the ancient healer. One the long trek back to Full Circle, devious plots are underfoot and peril lurks around every corner for Sage, Lauren and Peter Pa.

Dark Night of the Moon will take you on an unforgettable journey of war, violence, overwhelming grief, and finally, compassion and love.

What inspired the story?

Well, the first story, of course, Holding On To Heaven (more abut this book here on Kindle: http://amzn.to/v03tFa). I left HOTH open at the end, a cliffhanger. I always intended to write a sequel one day. Some reviewers have referred to the story of the McCains and the Gatlins as epic. It would be pretty hard to include all the plots into one book. Number two, I write in several genres, but always seem to gravitate back to Historical and Romance. These books are a hard-sell in the market, not the most popular like paranormal or urban fantasy, but I want to write what I like (selfish, I know). Most of what I read is Historical when I have time, although there's little of that commodity around. LOL.

Here's the blurb for Holding On To Heaven which gives you a little insight to the major plot.

Brothers in love with the same woman -- one the father to her child, the other her husband. An epic historical spanning two generations.

The Civil War has crumbled a Nation, and the Dakota Sioux are on the warpath. While the blazing fires of revolt ravage the countryside, twins, Lauren and Sage McCain are trapped amid the flames of destiny.
Holding on to Heaven is a story of family betrayal, heart-stopping danger, and passionate love, a love that crosses all boundaries and forges all cultures.

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I think I should insert a caveat here so readers know what they're buying. I don't write cookie-cutter characters; they're out of the box, and I most definitely don't write formulaic romance--boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, and boy and girl live Happily Ever After. That is just not me and I can't write like that. "Real life" comes with problems, people come with flaws, and although this is fiction, everyone keeps saying the story has to be believable. Here's my question: How can a story be believable if your characters are all the same and your plot is a spin-off from the same old-same old? One reviewer who has read almost all my books put it this way and I think she sums it up perfectly. "Diablo writes out of the box. If you're looking for a standard boy meets girl romance here, you won't find it between the pages of her books. Naughty, naughty author. I highly recommend Diablo as a writer."

EXCERPT:

Set-up: Sage, one of the heroines, takes an arrow meant for the wolf.

Late in the afternoon, Sage emerged from the tipi. She didn't have to search for Looks Back. He lurked outside the lodge like a Roman soldier guarding a sacred tomb. She pointed to the woods -- a sign she needed to relieve her bladder.
A bow and a quiver of arrows hung from his left shoulder and tucked into the waistband of his leggings, the shiny handle of his long knife glistened beneath the hot sun.
With Looks Back dogging the heels of her moccasins, Sage selected a clearing surrounded by tall pines and dense underbrush. Respecting her privacy, the brave turned his back, but kept his sharp eyes peeled on the outskirts of the clearing.
The branches on a nearby scrub rustled. No doubt a critter searching for his next meal. The eerie feeling someone was watching her claimed her again, a sensation she couldn't ignore. She turned her head toward the noise and uttered a quiet gasp when her eyes met the yellow eyes of the wolf. "Walking Spirit," she whispered, her heart pounding.
Time hung suspended on the boundary of sanity and absurd. Reason told her men didn't turn into wolves, and yet she knew in her heart her man had.
Looks Back spun around, his keen sense alerted to danger. He pulled an arrow from his quiver as Sage scrambled to her feet and adjusted her clothing. His eyes narrowed; he notched and arrow drew back on the sinew.
"No!" she screamed and lunged toward the shrub. A white-hot pain shot through her chest. She looked down and watched the blood soak her doeskin dress. My blood? Sage fell to her knees and then crumbled to the ground, the canopy of pine branches spinning overhead. "Run, Walking Spirit, run," she gasped between pain-filled breaths.
Looks Back loomed over her, his face masked in terror. He drew her into his arms and sprinted back to camp, stumbling over his own feet as he entered Mad Bear's lodge. Laying her on her berth of soft branches he knelt beside her and stared at the arrow embedded in her torso.
Pain choked her when she turned to look at him. "You must pull the arrow
out."
Tremors claimed his lean body when the howl of the wolf split the still air. He rose and paced the tipi, his eyes locked on the opening.
"You must pull it out! If you don't, I'll die, and so will you when Mad Bear returns."
He came to an abrupt halt, his face white with fear. "I can not do this thing."
"You can and you will." She didn't believe for a minute he cared about her welfare, but she had to convince him if he didn't remove the arrow Mad Bear would kill him when he returned. That was her only chance.
He knelt beside her again, sweat from his forehead trickling into his dark eyebrows. He jumped when the haunting lament from the wolf echoed around them.
"Soon I will lose consciousness from the loss of blood. You must hurry --break it off close to the skin."
His voice trembled. "Then what must I do?"
"Dig the arrow out with your knife."
"No, no. Do not ask this of Looks Back."
Struggling for breath, she rose to an elbow and stared into his dark eyes. "You listen to me. I'll be dead by nightfall if you don't. My medicine pouch, there." She pointed to a shelf over her berth. Find the bone needle and pull a strong hair from your horse's tail to sew up the wound when you're done."
The brave rose, pulled the pouch from the shelf and handed it to her. She dumped the contents on the floor and held a twisted stem before him. "Cat's claw. Once the arrow is removed, place the leaves over the wound and
cover it with a wet rag."
He shook his head.
"No more talk." She softened her voice. "If you plan to grow old, you must remove it. Now, find a leather thong I can put between my teeth, and be quick."

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Dark Night of the Moon is available here on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/ketadiablo/e/B002BODURI

Where can we find your website? Keta's Keep: http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com

Where can we find you on Twitter? @ketadiablo

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