I’m hanging out my “Caution: Promo Ahead” sign today. LOL!
Every author knows that we have one line, one paragraph and if we’re lucky one page to grab the reader. I can spend days tweaking and reworking the beginning of my stories. So I thought today I’d share with you the first lines of my books (with the names removed). When you look at them individually what do you think? Does the line make you want to keep reading or not so much?
So here they are in no particular order. Can you figure out which book they’re from? (And I included a line from a book that isn’t currently available at this time.):
1.) She slammed the spade into the soil. Her booted foot thumped down on its metal edge, driving it deeper and transferring her frustration to the wounded earth.
~ Deceive Her With Desire
2.) Margaret Callaghan hid her heartache behind dark sunglasses and the Starbuck’s double-double mocha latte she carried like a shield.
~ In His Eyes
3.) She wasn’t expecting a trip down memory lane when she sauntered into the dingy tavern, but the acrid stench and gruff hum of the Friday night crowd carried her back to one of the seedier establishments on Chicago’s south side nonetheless. ~ A Touch of Lilly
4.) She had definitely made the wrong decision. Less than twenty-four hours ago she was sure this weekend was just what she needed.
~ Invitation to Ecstasy
5.) “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…” How could this have happened to someone so young? ~ Blind Her With Bliss
6.) It wasn’t much of a noise, just an inconsequential thump in the night that was enough to rouse him from his dreamless slumber. Still cradled in the gentle arms of sleep, his blood thick with sleeping medication, he wasn’t sure if he’d simply
imagined the sound. ~ Shadows of Fire
7.) He splashed three more fingers of thirty-year-old scotch into the crystal tumbler sitting on the mahogany desk, not bothering to add ice. He didn’t need some watered-down version of liquid courage.
~ Divine Deception
8.) She sauntered into the Whip and Bull Tavern, wanting only two things—a cold beer and a hot body. ~ Bonded Souls
9.) Jesus. Even though he wasn’t particularly religious he prayed for Divine intervention. Not that he wanted any lightning strikes or halos of light illuminating the shadowed corner of the club where he’d hidden himself, but a little more help in the patience department would certainly go a long way at the moment. ~ Maid for Master
10.) She raced through the shadows, her claws digging deep in the damp forest floor. Lush ferns of summer slapped at her muzzle but didn’t slow her speed.
~ Bonded by Need
What do you think? Do you have a favorite? Do you think any of them missed the mark?
And my latest book news? Well, I’m happy to announce all of the books in the Dangerous Affairs, sexy romantic suspense series, BLIND HER WITH BLISS and DECEIVE HER WITH DESIRE and CHEAT HER WITH CHARM are now available in audio format. What a kick-in-the-pants to hear someone else reading my stories! I hope you’ll check them out:
Available from:
Amazon
Audible
iTunes
Available from:
Amazon
Audible
iTunes
Welcome to another Six Sentence Sunday where I share six sentences from one of my books. In celebration of all things spooky, I’m going to share with you the opening lines of my paranormal books.
This week’s snippet is from my shifter short novel, BONDED SOULS, a paranormal suspense story.
Jayda Kynslan sauntered into the Whip and Bull Tavern, wanting only two things—a cold beer and a hot body. The first, she hoped would ease the heavy ache in her chest. The second would be part of a good-looking man who would replace the images of the jackass who’d broken her heart. This whole road trip to the high mountains of Montana had been a knee-jerk reaction to the asshole’s selfishness. Jayda shook her head, clearing away thoughts of the friggin’ pig of a manwhore. She didn’t want to go there tonight–this night was about getting a little buzz and a whole lot of sex.
BUY from Ellora’s Cave, Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Thank you as always for stopping by and checking out my six. And I really appreciate all the comments you leave. Click HERE to check out other authors participating in Six Sentence Sunday this week.
Welcome to another Six Sentence Sunday. The heat wave continues in southern New England and it seemed wrong not to find something equally hawt to go with the temps. This week’s six comes from my erotic suspense wolf shifter novel
BONDED SOULS.
Jayda didn’t want to worry about emotions, only about the sex and feeling passion searing hot through her veins and washing away the doubt.
Cole broke from their kiss, his hungry gaze raking her face. “This is wrong to want you so badly, but I can’t help myself. Tell me to stop now and I will.” His needy pants feathered heat across her lips. “I’ll die a slow, agonizing death but I will stop.”
Also available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Thanks so much for stopping by and as always … a special thanks to those who leave a little comment love. I really appreciate it! And please check out other authors participating this week in Six Sentence Sunday!
Welcome to this week’s Six Sentence Sunday. I enjoyed last week’s selection so much, I thought I’d post another from my erotic suspense romance Bonded Souls.
I thought I’d give you another snippet (click HERE to view last week’s) between the hero, Cole and his best friend, Aaron …
Aaron leaned forward and said, “maybe she’s here because she’s the one the elders have talked about.”
Cole laughed, thinking his best friend had definitely fallen into a deep pool of crazy. “What is it about the blue moon that gets everyone’s heads thinking of legends and folktales? I didn’t peg you for someone who believed in that sort of thing.”
“Jesus, Cole, I’m not one of the village idiots seeking the Holy Grail. You know I believe only half of what I read and even less of what I hear, but watching the way everyone’s sniffing around this woman has got me thinking…that’s all I’m saying.”
Also available at Amazon.
Click HERE to check out all the authors participating this week.
I appreciate everyone stopping by, especially those of you that take time to leave comments.
Welcome to this week’s Six Sentence Sunday. This week’s selection comes from my erotic suspense romance Bonded Souls.
I love writing from a guy’s point of view. The following snippet takes place between the hero, Cole and his best friend, after Cole’s been betrayed by the heroine, Jayda.
“I guess I’m just a sucker for a sexy female claiming to know nothing about her shifter heritage,” Cole said.
“Tell me something I didn’t know.” Aaron settled in one of the utilitarian chairs across from Cole as the yellow lab laid her head on his thigh, her tail thumping happily against the side of Cole’s desk. “Don’t you find it a little odd that the leader of the cougar shifters showed up at the tavern only hours after Jayda sauntered into town?”
“I’ve been going over and over that all day and I can’t help thinking that she set me up. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.”
Also available at Amazon.
Click HERE to check out all the authors participating this week.
I appreciate everyone stopping by, especially those of you that take time to leave comments.
Welcome again to Six Sentence Sunday where I share six sentences from one of my books. This week’s snippet is from my shifter short novel, BONDED SOULS, a paranormal suspense story.
Lust and need had simply been forged in the heat of adversity, leading Jayda to believe it was something more pulling her toward Cole. This feeling was about the sex making the blood pulse hot through her veins and the touch of another human being–not about intimate connections or mating bonds.
Cole pulled from her mouth, his gaze raking her face. “As the police chief it’s wrong to want a witness this badly, but I can’t help myself. Tell me to stop now and I will. I’ll die a slow, agonizing death … but I’ll stop.”
BUY from Amazon
Thank you as always for stopping by and checking out my six. And I really appreciate all the comments you leave. Click HERE to check out other authors participating in Six Sentence Sunday this week.
Yay! Bonded Souls is the prequel in the “Shifting Bonds” series. It was original released as Blue Moon Rising from Liquid Silver books and was part of an anthology. But I’ve made some tweaks to the story and added some hawt monkey sex and now it gets to take the stage solo from Ellora’s Cave …
BLURB:
Could a woman’s past decide a man’s future?
After discovering her boyfriend is married, veterinarian Jayda Kynslan decides to give up on men. She has every intention of planting her feet firmly on the path of celibacy—right after one more night of shameless sex with a stranger. A vacation in Montana would certainly ease the pain of betrayal and offer her anonymity.
Police chief and wolf shifter council leader, Cole Takoda, needs a break from investigating the murders of shifters plaguing his town. When a beautiful stranger seduces him at the local tavern it’s more than a tryst…it’s uncontrollable desire. And Cole can’t stand it. To top it off, their quickie becomes a revelation of shifter secrets and unfulfilled prophecies.
The discovery of a dead man in the forest behind Jayda’s rented cabin thrusts her into a foreign world of animal shifters and murder and the man she thought was only a casual diversion seems to be the only one willing to hear her side of the story. Jayda’s just not sure if Cole’s going to take her to jail—or his bed.
~~~~~
And here’s an excerpt for your enjoyment:
Thirty minutes later, after she’d shared nearly all the activities of the last twenty hours of her life, leaving out the details of her shower and the sexy dreams, Jayda fell back against the couch. Reliving the scene in the forest had really shaken her up.
“You’re sure that’s it?” Cole asked.
Jayda couldn’t keep the confusion from contorting her face. “What else would there be?”
“You don’t remember seeing the kid at the Bull?”
“I already told you I didn’t.” She’d gone over the details of her visit to the tavern-twice. Jayda had no idea what Cole was searching for. “There were lots of people at the tavern, Cole. I’m not going to remember one stranger from another.”
His features softened as he tucked away his professionalism with his notepad. “I believe you, Jayda.”
“I was beginning to wonder.”
“Word’s going to get out that we were together last night and I didn’t want to be accused of showing any favoritism toward a witness.” He leaned forward and brushed his knuckles over the back of her hand still wrapped around the coffee mug like a life preserver. “You got more of that? I think we could both use something to ward off this chill.”
“In the kitchen.”
“I’ll get it.” He stood and offered to take the cup from her, but she waved him off. Somehow having Cole in her kitchen, pouring himself a mug of coffee, would feel too much like a morning-after scenario and she just couldn’t deal with that.
On autopilot, Jayda stood, walked around the couch and down the tiny hall to the kitchen nook. The ticking of Lady’s nails on the wood floor was the only sound filling the awkward silence. The police officer following her certainly didn’t seem to be the same passionate man who had held her last night, and she really needed that man right now. Being in a strange town and apparently the sole connection to a murder was taking its toll. A little compassion would certainly go a long way.
The smell of burned coffee assaulted her nose. “It’s old. Let me make some more.” With shaky hands, she reached for the pot, the decanter bumping several times against the machine.
“Don’t.” Cole came up behind her, his hand covering hers, solid and warm. He guided the coffeepot back into place and snapped off the machine. The hard planes of his chest pressed solidly against her back. With a sigh, Jayda’s head fell back as she leaned against him, seeking comfort she so desperately needed. There was no one else to share this horror with. Not here. Not back in Blackfish Springs where she’d given up all her friends for a man who loved someone else. Cole was all she had, and as temporary as their connection might be, Jayda would take all he had to offer.
He turned her to face him and she looked up into the compassion filling his eyes.
She touched the bruise on his cheek.
“Gift from the kids’ brawling last night. I forgot to duck.” Cole took her hand and kissed her fingertips. “It’s going to be all right,” he said.
“Is it?” she asked softly. “Is a person ever the same after finding a human being slaughtered?” The tears she’d held at bay all afternoon finally released.
Cole sandwiched her face in his hands and wiped the tears with his thumbs. When he bent close, she closed her eyes, anticipating the softness of his lips on hers. He didn’t disappoint. The heat of his mouth seared through her, and she opened to him, inviting his tongue to delve in to taste and explore. He tasted of fresh mountain air, hot male lust and something uniquely his. And before she could assimilate their connection, it was there again, flowing over her with the power of a tidal wave, the feeling of being swaddled by the quintessence of Cole. It wasn’t just the heat of his arms around her or the solid wall of him pressing against her from breastbone to knee, but the complete meshing of her life force with his.
But that thought was insane.
She wanted him only because he was here and familiar. Lust and need had simply been forged in the heat of adversity, making her believe it was something more pulling her toward him. This was about the sex and feeling blood searing hot through her veins and the touch of another human being. Not about intimate connections or bonds. What Cole felt for her didn’t matter. Right here, right now, she simply needed him.
He pulled from her mouth, his gaze raking her face. “This is wrong to want you so badly, but I can’t help myself. Tell me to stop now and I will.” His needy pants feathered across her lips. “I’ll die a slow, agonizing death but I’ll stop.”
I’m squeeing happy. I got the release date for my next book “Bonded Souls” which will be out APRIL 21! Yay! That’s only a few weeks away. That book is the prequel in the Shifting Bonds series. And to make a wonderful week even better Sensual Reads gave “Bonded by Need”, the next story in this series a 4 STAR REVIEW.
Kimberly had this to say:
Nina Pierce makes a statement with Bonded by Need. The characters are intense and passionate while the story just pulls you in. This is a great paranormal story that will appeal to readers who enjoy shifter stories. Bonded by Need is a four star work with an amazing sense of sensuality and sizzle. I am looking forward to the second book in this Shifting Bonds series.
I’m so pleased I’m snoopy dancing! I thought I’d share an excert from “Bonded by Need” with you:
She looked up the side of the mountain, down into the ravine and back up the rock wall, anywhere to avoid looking at him. “Yes, well, I guess we need to find a way to get out of here. And quickly.” Jayda used the wall to get to her feet, but her head spun again and she swayed. She slumped into Zane’s embrace and he held her while she retched.
“Really, Jayda, I’m pretty sure you have a concussion.” He brushed the hair from her face, his gaze raking over her features. The upturned nose fit perfectly with the rounded cheeks and full lips. Christ, she was beautiful.
Whoa, back up. What the hell was wrong with him? He had just been named head of the cougar shifters. Even considering getting involved with a wolf shifter was just a bad idea all the way around. And here he was, thinking lusty thoughts about the mate of the head honcho. Down, boy, down. He mentally refocused his libido. “There’s no hurry. We need to take this slow. Getting up the ridge may prove a little trickier than coming down.”
Once again she realized how close their bodies were and pushed from him. “Yeah, well, I think there is a reason to hurry.” She shot a glance over her shoulder. “Let’s just get out of here. You can take me back to the clinic and you and your cougars can come back and find the kits.”
The kits. He’d forgotten all about them. Zane went down on one knee and purred low in invitation. They popped out of the small crevice one at a time.
Jayda cooed. “Oh, you found them!”
“No, Jayda, you found them.” He picked one up by the scruff of the neck and smiled. “Not that I’d recommend this method again, but we have them.” Zane looked up the wall. “Now we just have to figure out how to get everyone back up to the truck.”
“Well, how did you get down here?” Jayda looked up, shading her eyes against the noonday sun. “I’m not sure I can climb.”
“I came down in cougar form. But I came in from that direction.” He turned and looked at the slope, trying to work out a solution. “I could carry you on my back.”
She didn’t respond. He turned to see her appraising him and his cock immediately stirred under her probing gaze. Embarrassed, he bent and let the kit join his sibling. “Stupid idea. Why don’t we both shift and we can each carry a kit in our mouths.” He shot her a look over his shoulder. “Do you feel well enough to shift?”
Her face flushed. “Yeah, but…” She looked from his ass to her body. “But then there’re no clothes for me when we get to the top.”
His fingers dug through his hair and he blew out a breath. Driving home with a naked Jayda next to him was definitely more than he could handle. “How about you wear my shirt and I wear my pants?” He stood, giving her a view of his shoulder, his hands covering his over-anxious cock. In all his life, Zane was sure he’d never been naked in front of woman and tried to keep his interest in her a secret. “We just need to get the hell out of here. You shift and I’ll follow.”
“Well, turn around. I’m certainly not getting naked in front of you.”
“Oh sorry.” He turned his back to her. Zane heard the rustle of clothing and imagined that tight little tank top coming off and her bra falling to the ground, leaving her full breasts exposed. He bit back a groan when the zipper of her jeans rasped, but he couldn’t control the surge of blood to his cock. He was slime. The woman had nearly lost her life trying to save the tiny cougars and all he could think about was her curvaceous, naked ass.
“Okay, I’m shifting.”
He waited a heartbeat and turned, expecting to see a wolf. But the form before him rolled and shimmied in an odd mix of human, wolf and cougar parts. The kits cried and backed away from Jayda. Zane wasn’t sure how to help her. Tears welled in eyes that were surrounded by the round nose of a cougar then the full shape of a wolf and finally she gave up, her naked form appearing on her hands in knees in front of him. Her breasts hung seductively and her ass curved ever so provocatively toward the sky. Shit. Zane needed to focus. Obviously Jayda was upset.
“What’s wrong with me? I’ve never had problems.” She looked at him, frustration and fear drawing deep lines on her face. “I can’t feel it. My wolf isn’t here.” She pressed her hand over her heart and Zane’s did a little stutter step of its own. “What’s wrong?”
Zane knelt before her, working to ignore the fact that her body was even more alluring without clothes. Unshed tears were glistening in her eyes. She needed him. He pushed her back on her haunches, creating distance between her luscious lips and his. With gentle fingers he lifted her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. “How do you usually shift?”
“I’ve never shifted without Cole. He helps me…relax.”
“How?”
She grabbed the flimsy top and covered her breasts. “Zane, this is just stupid. We can find another way up. Maybe you should just try to take me up.”
“No, you can do this.” Zane cupped her face. “How does he help you relax?” he asked firmly. From the flush of her skin, he suspected he already knew the answer. Still, if he moved on Jayda before she was ready, that wouldn’t help her shift either. “How does he help you, Jayda?” This time his tone was more firm even as his thumb traced the line of her jaw.
“He takes my mind off it…but it’s stupid. I can do it myself.”
Zane held her gaze a moment before his eyes roamed her face and settled on her pouty mouth. He brushed his lips to hers. Her breath puffed, the sweet scent feathering his face. Uncertainty sparked in her eyes, but she didn’t pull from him. With a gentle caress, he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. Jayda sighed and closed her eyes. He changed the angle and pressed his lips to hers. Soft heat exploded at his mouth and radiated down his torso, straight to his cock. He broke the contact but kept his face pressed to hers. “Feel me, Jayda. Feel the animal within. Give yourself over to it.”
He brought his mouth to hers again and sank into the sweet taste of her. Jasmine and honeysuckle filled his nose and he didn’t know if it was her scent or the summer breeze caressing his body. His tongue ran the seam of her lips, inviting her to open for him. A shock of desire jolted him as her silken tongue caressed his. Zane’s hand reached up to caress her breast but came up against the solid wall of muscle and fur as he filled his lungs with the scent of her,. He pulled back, witnessing Jayda’s cougar stretching and changing her bones. He hadn’t expected her cougar to emerge. Pride swelled his chest. He’d brought out this part of her.
After I’ve spent months writing a story and even more time pouring over it and editing so each sentence, each paragraph paints a vivid emotional picture for the reader, I send my story off to a beta reader.
I usually have one person reading for typos and misspellings (shhhh … don’t tell anyone, but this writer is the world’s WORST speller) and grammatical errors and a second reader checking for pacing and general story problems.
After all that is done I send it off to my editor.
I have to admit. When I first started writing, once the story was finished I was done with it. I didn’t want to look at it again. I felt I’d already done the best I could developing a scene and moving the story along. I know, silly, but it’s how I used to feel.
Now it’s different. Sooooo different. I LOVE editing. I thoroughly enjoy taking another look at that scene and discovering a better word, a unique turn of phrase that will resonate with the readers.
I’m currently working on edits for “Bonded Souls”. This short novel has already been published and been out in the world. I’m very proud of it. But now it’s with a new publisher. It’s back in my hands and I’m getting an opportunity to make it even stronger by adding more layers to my characters, Jayda and Cole who also are in the story “Bonded by Need”. I’ve discovered more about them and I can add that to this story.
It’s fun. I love it.
I know sometimes writers find this part of the publication process difficult, but not me. I’ve had “easy” edits with nothing more difficult than changing a word here or there. And I’ve had major edits where I totally forgot to tell the reader about a character flaw in my hero. Still … I enjoyed the process.
But really, I get a total kick out of saying … I’m working on edits. Because it means another story is on its way to publication!
And Syneca does it again! My newest story with Ellora’s Cave will be out hopefully this spring. This is the novella formerly titled “Blue Moon Rising” in the Furry, Fluffy &Wild anthology. I’m currently in edits for the rewritten version.
“Bonded Souls” is the story that began Jayda and Cole’s love affair. It’s actually the prequel to “Bonded by Need”. And without further adieu here’s the cover …
Blurb:
After discovering her boyfriend is married, veterinarian Jayda Kynslan decides to give up on men. She has every intention of planting her feet firmly on the path of celibacy-right after one more night of shameless sex with a stranger. A vacation in Montana would certainly ease the pain of betrayal and offer her anonymity.
Police chief and wolf shifter council leader, Cole Takoda, needs a break from investigating the murders of shifters plaguing his town. When a beautiful stranger seduces him at the local tavern it’s more than a tryst…it’s uncontrollable desire. And Cole can’t stand it. To top it off, their quickie becomes a revelation of shifter secrets and unfulfilled prophecies.
The discovery of a dead man in the forest behind Jayda’s rented cabin thrusts her into a foreign world of animal shifters and murder and the man she thought was only a casual diversion seems to be the only one willing to hear her side of the story. Jayda’s just not sure if Cole’s going to take her to jail-or his bed.
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