Silver Flash!: "The Death of a Dog, Pt. 1"

Guess who's back in flash! This week's prompt was to use the words "highlighter, hourglass, and coffee mug." I'm gonna be honest, here: I'm not sure how I like the title yet. But I have big plans for this one, so be sure to tune in for the next few weeks!

"And then a formal fallacy is a non sequitur which means that the premise and the conclusion are somehow disconnected. So a false dichotomy could be considered a formal fallacy, right?"

There was no answer. Amber glanced up from her textbook to find Jasmine running a blue highlighter through her pale blond hair, leaving a colorful streak, probably unaware that her friend had spoken at all.

"What are you doing?" Amber asked, exasperated.

"It's for the party tonight. Doesn't it look cool?" Jasmine smiled and flipped her long locks for effect.

Amber rolled her eyes and closed the textbook. Jasmine had managed to focus on schoolwork for approximately ten minutes, but Amber never really expected to study when Jasmine called her down to the college coffee shop for it. She toyed with her coffee mug for a moment before lifting the warm liquid to her lips and taking a sip. Jasmine checked her reflection in a compact mirror, then snapped it shut and leaned in towards her friend. She snatched the eyeglasses from Amber's nose and put them on herself.

"So are you coming tonight?" she asked, crossing her eyes and sticking out her tongue.

Amber had to squint a little to see her friend clearly.

"I don't know. I guess."

"Good." Jasmine slid the thick frames down her nose, her attention caught by something behind Amber.

Amber grabbed her glasses back and turned. She should have known. It was a cute guy. But even as she tried to be flippant about her friend's hormones, she found her gaze lingering. He wasn't just cute. He was beautiful, with short dark hair, black eyes, and smooth, olive skin. A ripped military-style jacket complimented his linebacker build. But something seemed off about him. He didn't seem like he belonged there.

The man's eyes shot up, meeting Amber's before she could turn back to Jasmine.

"I'm inviting him to the party," Jasmine whispered, primping her temporarily-colored hair and standing.

Amber caught her arm.

"Don't, Jasmine. He seems...old. Too old to be here."

"It's called a non-traditional student, Amber, and they need love, too."

She grinned and walked over to the man. Amber watched the exchange. It was painful. The man was clearly not interested, and Jasmine was making an ass out of herself, flirting and bending over so he could see down her shirt. He didn't even look. But as Jasmine finally gave up and walked back towards the table, the strange man's eyes found Amber's once more. She couldn't decipher his expression. She turned her attention back to Jasmine.

"Ugh. Total bust," her friend said, plopping back down in her seat and crossing her arms. "I practically told him I'd bang him if he came tonight and nothing. Must be gay."

"He's creepy, anyway. Let's just go."

"Good plan! I need to pick out an outfit. Then I'll come by your dorm and help you pick yours."

They both gathered their things and stood. Amber took a moment to down the rest of her coffee, but before they made it any farther, the strange man stood to leave. He passed right by them. Amber felt a shiver run down her spine. The musky scent of man and a strange, earthy scent reached her nostrils. She tried to keep her gaze low; the last thing she wanted to do was look into those dark eyes again.

Instead, her eyes landed on his large left hand and an even more unsettling sight: a crude tattoo in the shape of an hourglass was carved into the man's palm. Something about that scared her more than anything so far. No sane person would do that to themselves. They began walking in the opposite direction.

Amber hoped she'd never see him again.

As always, folks, be sure to check out the other flashers!

RJ Scott M/M

LM Brown M/M

Victoria Blisse M/F

Lily Sawyer M/M

Julie Hayes M/M

Pender Mackie M/M

Sui Lynn M/M

Ryssa Edwards M/M

Pia Veleno M/M

Lindsay Klug M/F

Diane Adams M/M

A day late, but...

Lisabet Sarai is hosting authors on her Beyond Romance blog for the next month! Each day is devoted to a different author (look for me on April 2nd), and the best part is there are PRIZES! The person who posts the most comments will win one copy of the three books that Lisabet currently has in print. Second prize is one print book and third prize is an ebook. She's a great author who I had the pleasure of appearing in Coming Together: Al Fresco with. I'm also a fan of the Oh Get a Grip! blog, which she regularly contributes to.

In short, check it out! :)

Silver Flashers!

Hey, all. I've had an extremely busy week, so I'm sitting this one out. But I encourage you to check out all of the other great flashers!

RJ Scott M/M
LM Brown M/M
Victoria Blisse M/F
Lily Sawyer M/M
Julie Hayes M/M
Pender Mackie M/M
Sui Lynn M/M
Ryssa Edwards M/M
Pia Veleno M/M

Stalking Amazon.com...

Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex has been getting some AMAZING reviews on Amazon.com! The reviewers tend to cite their favorite stories, and, like any hopeful writer, I've been waiting for my name to appear. And it did!

Jennifer L. Lopez stated that "The first story, Seven-Letter Word by Heather Lin, is fun and sexy, and it sets the tone so that you won't want to put the book down after just one story. "

elseinw mentioned the story, too, saying "'Seven Letter Word' gets things off to a quick start with a special kind of room service."

I still can't express just how excited I am to be included in this anthology. If you haven't checked it out yet, follow this link!

Silver Flash!: "Tie a Yellow Ribbon...Pt. 2"

I'm back this week with the second part of "Tie a Yellow Ribbon..." This week's prompt was "Don't look at me like that." And, since I have the attention span of a three-year-old, this will probably be the last time we see Anthony and Rhonda for a while.

But I promise they go out with a bang. ;)

Anthony glanced around the apartment. There was secondhand furniture and a few knick knacks he remembered from the apartment Rhonda had lived in before his arrest. All of Anthony's things were still in storage. But the apartment was clean and homey--everything they'd wanted it to be.

He sat at the tiny table in the tiny kitchen with a cup of coffee in front of him, made just the way he liked it. Rhonda's back was to him as she made grilled cheese in a frying pan. Her shoulders were slumped. Guilt poured down in torrents. This had been hard for her. Of course it had. All he wanted was to provide a life for them, and he'd put their entire future in jeopardy trying to do it.

Anthony wanted to stand. He wanted to wrap his arms around Rhonda's slender waist and reassure her, feel close to her again. She hadn't put on the necklace. The leather string hung out of her pocket.

But he was frozen where he sat. He wasn't sure how she'd react.

Rhonda seemed unaware of his inner turmoil. She slid the sandwich onto a plate and set it in front of him. She hadn't made anything for herself. And Anthony couldn't eat. He had questions. Rhonda was too quiet, too calm as she leaned back against the counter, watching him.

"Have you...," he began.

A small smile settled on Rhonda's lips, as if she knew what he was going to ask.

"Have you been with anyone else?"

Rhonda looked him dead in the eye. Her voice was serious.

"Yeah, Anthony. I've been fuckin' guys all over the place. You were gone. I had needs. And I was angry."

Anthony felt his stomach drop. His nostrils flared. His careful tiptoeing was forgotten. He half-stood, ready to do...he didn't know what. Then she smiled.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm...disappointed, Anthony. We've lost a year. But I'm yours. Just yours."

He calmed down immediately and sat back in his chair. Rhonda turned away again and began piling dishes into the sink to soak. She was so distant. And that made him feel worse than anything she could have done or said. But he was going to fix this.

"Come here, Rho."

She turned, considering him as she dried her hands on a dish towel. Then she did as he asked, standing in front of him, walls still securely in place. But Anthony was going to break them. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap. Rhonda stiffened, but when his lips met hers, she seemed to melt.

She was straddling him, her breasts pushed against his chest, his hard erection nestled securely in the jean-clad vee of her legs as they kissed. Anthony grabbed her ass, clutched the back of her tank top. He hadn't felt a woman in a long time. He moved his mouth to her neck, breathing in the scent of her skin as he carressed it. She had one hand in his hair and the other holding his shirt. Anthony's grip moved to her hips, rocking her back and forth, begging for more friction. Rhonda complied, moaning in his ear as the movement provided her with pleasure of her own.

He couldn't take it anymore. He had to have her.

Anthony let the forgotten dinner fall to the floor and lifted Rhonda onto the table. Her breath and body were shaking, anticipating the passion that was about to be unleashed.

"I missed you so much," Anthony breathed in her ear.

She answered with her hands, unbuttoning his pants and shoving them down his legs. He freed his hard length from his underwear, and she explored the organ with soft hands as he fumbled with the clasp of her jeans. Rhonda lifted her hips, letting him pull down her jeans and underwear and drop them to the floor. He pushed her flat on her back and plunged a finger into her moist depths, rubbing her clit erratically with his thumb, making her squirm, taking only enough time to make sure that she was ready for him. Then he lined himself up with her dripping entrance and plunged into her awaiting depths.

She was tight and wet around him, an ocean of beautiful, sinful sensation, and the way her body rose up to meet his told him that she was lost in the same sea. She'd been quiet that afternoon, cautious, but, just as he'd hoped, she was opening up to him.

Rhonda moaned and writhed against him, her large breasts clothed but tantalizing. Anthony slipped a hand under her tanktop, almost blinded by pure, carnal pleasure but still needing to feel the warm, fleshy mounds. He wouldn't last long, but the way she wrapped her legs around him and the rapid, shallow sound of her breathing told him he wouldn't need to.

"I love you," he groaned.

"You'd fucking better," she answered between gasps.

Then that slightly surprised look came into her eyes, and he knew he could let himself go.

"Anthony...," she moaned.

His hands gripped her waist, and he felt the familiar hot, liquid rush just as her muscles clamped down around him. When the spasms ended, they were both left panting, sweaty, but, more importantly, bonded. Anthony pulled out of Rhonda, and she sat up at the edge of the table, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly before he could make a move to clean up or replace his clothes. She didn't seem to care, and he wasn't about to stop her.

"I missed you," Rhonda admitted finally.

"I know, Rho."

He kissed the top of her head. After a moment, they parted, and he pulled up his pants and handed Rhonda's jeans to her. Before she put them on, she straightened her tank top and pulled the necklace he'd made out of her pocket. She placed it carefully around her neck.

And that was all the reassurance Anthony needed.

Be sure to check out this week's other flashers!

Lindsay Klug (M/F)
LM Brown (M/M)
Lily Sawyer (M/M)
RJ Scott (M/M)
Sui Lynn (M/M)
Pender Mackie (M/M)
Victoria Blisse (M/F)
Julie Hayes (M/M)
Ryssa Edwards (M/M)

Vice

Hey, everyone! Just wanted to let you know that my (somewhat dark) erotic short story, Vice, has been accepted into Static Movement's Obsession anthology. It details a young cocktail waitress's growing obsession with a dangerous man. Steamy sex wasn't a requirement for this submission, but I'm really excited that the editor, Dorothy Davies, was so open to it.

For now, here's the cover art, linked up to Static Movement's website. I'll let you know when the official release date's been set!

Archived show, y'all.

That was my Paula Deen impression, for those of you who couldn't tell. Less impressive via blog. Whomp whomp.

So if you missed the radio show tonight, check out the archived convo below. I'm the second one, around the 27 minute mark, but I vote you check out the whole thing. It's a great insight into the workings of the erotic world, featuring Rachel Kramer Bussel, DL King, Jeremy Edwards, Elizabeth Daniels, and myself.

Listen to internet radio with rarebirdradio on Blog Talk Radio

Video did not kill the radio star...

So join me tonight when I call into Rare Bird Radio to chat with Rachel Kramer Bussel, Jeremy Edwards, and Elizabeth Daniels! We'll be promoting Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex at 7:00pm EST/4:00pm PST.

Silver Flash!: "Tie a Yellow Ribbon..."

The prompt: use the words playground, pier, and diamond. This could turn into a two-parter, so check back next week! Although, of course, I hope you'll stop back again before then. ;)

Anthony stood in the overgrown playground. The equipment was beginning to rust. But this was where he and Rhonda had said they'd meet thirteen months ago, if she still wanted to be with him. It was right across the street from the apartment they might have gotten if he hadn't fucked up. Anthony had done something terrible, but he loved her. And she'd been confused when he'd left her. It was understandable. He couldn't steal a man's credit card and expect his sweetheart to send him love letters every week. She hadn't written to him at all, actually, the whole time he'd been in the county jail. Or picked up the phone when he called.

Still, he held onto hope.

The tall, hard-muscled man strode through the tall weeds and gave the merry-go-round a shove. The resounding squeak was slow and loud. Rhonda knew he'd been released. The rest was up to her. Anthony fiddled with the necklace in his pocket. He didn't have much, but he'd managed to make her this. He took out the tiny glass bottle and held it up in the light. Inside was a small shard of wood. It was from the pier where he'd taken her on their first date, a boat ride on the lake. Their romance had been hot and heavy. They'd spent most of their time below deck, exploring all the different ways they could rock the boat.

He squeezed his large hand around the bottle. He wasn't sure what he was hoping it would prove. His love for her, the fact that he'd changed his ways...probably a combination of the two. Anthony glanced around the playground. There wasn't any sign of her. He decided to make another round and then call it quits. For all he knew, she'd moved on. His broad shoulders slumped. He barely knew who he was without her. He barely knew who he was with her, but at least she helped him see who he could be.

Suddenly, as he was about to give up, he caught sight of something attached to the top of the slide that hadn't been there before. As he realized what it was, his mouth lifted up in a grin. It was a yellow ribbon. And below it stood Rhonda, just as he remembered her, slender arms crossed over her chest, blue eyes sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight. He couldn't read her expression, but she'd come and that had to mean something. He approached her slowly, unsure of how to proceed.

"Hey, Rho," he greeted in his deep voice, hands shoved in his pockets, still fidgeting with the gift he had for her.

She looked him up and down, trying to decide--he assumed--if the man standing before her was still worthwhile. Finally, the smallest of smiles touched her lips, and her defensive stance relaxed.

"Hey, Anthony."

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I made you this."

He held out the necklace to her, and she took it, examining it. Anthony muttered his explanation, feeling suddenly stupid. It wasn't enough.

"I stopped to see the boats before I came here. Thought it might help you remember...you know...what we had."

"I didn't forget."

"I still love you."

Rhonda stared at Anthony for a long time. Anthony looked back at her, admiring the way her jeans hugged her lower half and the way her tank top revealed the generous cleavage he'd fervently fantasized about on his loneliest nights. His admiration didn't go unnoticed, and he could feel his face grow hot. He was supposed to be impressing her, and here he was objectifying her. She just shook her head and sighed. To his surprise, she smiled.

"Do you want to come up? I was thinking of making dinner. I'm sure you haven't had a good meal in a while."

Relief and elation struck Anthony harder than he could have anticipated.

"Yes."

"I'm just over there."

She pointed across the street, at a familiar building visible above the vine-infested fence. Anthony was surprised. Instantly he knew it was the apartment they'd planned on living in together.

"You bought it?"

"I'm renting to own." Rhonda stepped forward and touched a hand to Anthony's chest. It was the most female contact he'd had in a year, and the simple gesture had him ready to melt at her feet. "I still love you, too. I never stopped. You'd just better never do anything that stupid again. Times are hard. Don't make them harder."

"I won't. I'm sorry."

Rhonda nodded her acceptance, then trailed her fingertips down the length of his arm, making his skin tingle. Anthony hadn't felt so much in a very long time. It would take time for them to get back to the way things were, but she was willing and he was willing, and that was all he needed to know. Rhonda intertwined her fingers with his and pulled him towards the gap in the fence. Anthony grabbed the yellow ribbon from the top of the slide as they went. The splinter would remind Rhonda of his love, and this classic gesture would remind him of hers.


And be sure to check out the other flashers!

Julie Hayes (M/M)
Diane Adams (M/M)
Lindsay Klug (M/F)
RJ Scott (M/M)
Lily Sawyer (M/M)
Sui Lynn (M/M)
Pender Mackie(M/M)
Victoria Blisse (M/F)
Ryssa Edwards (M/M)

Chatting, Promoing, and Flashing

Hey, all. I'm pretty excited about all of the blogging I'll be doing in June to promote Westridge from Silver Publishing and Strangers from NCP. Keep an eye out for a schedule of events. I'll be appearing on several of my fellow authors' sites and on popular blogs like Fiction Vixen and Romance Reviews Today. So excited!

Also, I'll be joining in an online chat with Rachel Kramer Bussel here tomorrow night at 4:00pm PST/7:00pm EST so feel free to stop by!

And the last tidbit for the day: Tomorrow will be my first time participating in Silver Publishing's weekly flash fiction event. So come back for my short piece which will probably turn into a 2-parter and for a list of other extremely talented participants.

Have a great day, everyone!

June Bride?

I'm sure feeling like one. I've got two releases due for June 2011: Strangers from New Concepts Publishing and Westridge from Silver Publishing. It's going to be a busy month, but I couldn't be happier. :)

On another note, Sundays are going to be reserved for guest bloggers! So if you're a fellow starving author, check out the "Be My Guest" tab for available dates and send me an e-mail to reserve your spot.