Release Day!

Release day for the Hot Down Under Bundles! I'm in Bundle Two with Tracey O'Hara and Shona Husk. There are four in the bundles to devour! =)))

Happy Reading!

Lovin' the short stories?

Sometimes all we have time for is a short story, right? And I find this is especially so with Christmas just around the corner and we're all rush rush rush. Here's some short stories that might be just the ticket, including one of mine from the Hot Down Under collection! 
*note* these are just a handful of the stories you will find from Momentum's Hot Down Under Line. There are many more to enjoy and all of them are great reads! If any of these stores intrigue you (all at a great buy of around 90c) then click on the pictures and it will take you directly to Amazon.

Kristen Treymore isn't living anymore – she's existing.
Trapped in marriage to Jack, an alcoholic who uses his fists to communicate, Kristen has given up her freedom in an attempt to protect his daughter.
When Conrad Doyle, childhood friend and the man whose heart she unwittingly broke, shows up on Kristen's doorstep and offers her a lifeline, she can't refuse.
What she never dreams possible is how much she still wants him—but is that enough to keep them together when terror still beats deep in her heart?

 Can an online fantasy ever become real?
When Condamine connects with Esquire in a chat room, neither expect their mutual pleasure and close friendship will become something far more intimate and real.
But when the opportunity to meet Esquire in the flesh comes up will Condamine – Caitlyn, in real life – be bold enough to act out her deepest fantasies, or will she hide away from the world behind the comfortable glare of her computer screen?

 When Zoe walked out on the dare-devil photographer Sam Lincoln she never expected to see him again.
Now he is here covering the reopening of a winery that nearly burned down, the one where they’d planned to marry.
Seeing Zoe is a shock. Five years ago Sam hadn’t been able to refuse the job of a lifetime, but in exchange he lost the love of his life.
With a little help from the winery’s lusty patron spirit Zoe and Sam might be able to put the past aside and rekindle what they’d thought lost.

 Ishari is a djinn - the veritable genie in a bottle.
Her latest master, Caleb Salt, a hot young rock star, has one wish left. The curse of sexual need has nothing to do with the lust she feels for him, but he doesn't seem to desire her in the same way.
Caleb has used his first two wishes to save his brother. Will he do the same with the last, or will he use it for himself? Either way, once he makes that wish, his erotically sensual genie will be lost to him forever and she's something he's just not ready to lose.

 Cate Reynolds is lost in the middle of the Australian bush, all because of one fatally attractive man.
Reece Johnson's not just a threat to her libido, but her peaceful paranormal existence. In order to avoid revealing her darkest secret, Cate needs to stay as far away from Reece's irresistible appeal as possible. But how can she when they're forced to share a tent? In the sultry heat of summer, Cate will discover just how incredible dreams can be and that sometimes they can also come true.

Beneath the Light of a Silver Moon

Beneath the Light of a Silver Moon is still at the cheap as chips price of around 1.03, one of my few contemporary stories. WARNING: that's not to say the plot is boring. Picture a wife beaten by her husband, and her feeling trapped into staying to keep her stepdaughter safe. But then the man she loved but stupidly walked away from, comes to her rescue like a shining knight on his white stead BWG.

Anyway,if you read it, I hope you enjoy it. It's short but packed full of emotion and angst.

Here's an excerpt:

A sudden rap on the front door caused Kristen Treymore to release an unsteady breath.

She’d heard no car pull into the driveway, no footsteps come up the handful of rickety stairs. But she knew who stood on the other side of the stained wooden door.

Conrad Doyle. Protector and childhood friend.

The one man she’d wronged.

She touched the top of her tender cheekbone—and winced, not needing to see her bruises to imagine how bad she looked. But at least there were no dislocations this time, nothing broken. As her fingertips drifted carefully over her swollen, half-shut eye, the knock thumped again, louder and more urgent.

She swallowed hard before dredging up the tattered remains of her dignity. She didn’t want Conrad to see her like this, didn’t want pity to shadow his knowing gaze.

Bloody hell. His sympathy was the last thing she wanted. Ever.

She pushed to her feet, aware her legs were almost too weak to support her. Shock did that to a person.

 “I’m coming,” she croaked. Conrad wasn’t going anywhere. She might as well get this over and done with.

She glanced at the bed, where the heavyset body of her ‘loving’ husband, Jack Treymore, lay almost comatose except for his rhythmic, loud snoring. She curled her lips at the vile bourbon fumes on his breath, at his overhanging paunch fed by too much liquor.

Her bag was packed, money stashed, but until she knew her step-daughter, Melanie, was safe and not returning, she couldn’t leave this hell that had become her life. Melanie, the step-daughter she loved like her own flesh and blood. The child she could never have.

She’d done all she could for the withdrawn teen, but in the end Melanie had run away from the erratic love-hate relationship with her father. The violence. Kristen hoped and prayed she’d stay away.

She staggered to the front door, throwing a bathrobe over her torn silk chemise and untying her hair to help hide at least a little of her condition.

Why bother?

Just about everyone in the tiny, inland Australian town of Mudgebulla had a pretty good idea of what went on behind her closed doors. She shut her eyes, swiping a hand over her face and feeling weary beyond her years. There was a time that everyone knowing about her abuse would have destroyed her.

But it wasn’t just about her anymore. She had Melanie to consider.

She opened her eyes about the same time she flipped on the front exterior light, then pulled open the door—and drank in Conrad as though he was a drug to dull all her pain. He was so tall, so broad shouldered and seemingly indestructible. God, she wanted only to collapse against his strength, his kindness.

She dropped her stare, snapping out of her momentary madness. But not before absently noting his rumpled and sun-streaked hair was long overdue for a cut. Somehow it suited him.  “The neighbourhood grapevine is alive and well?” she asked dully.

Conrad clasped her chin with a gentle hand, bringing her stare back to his. “Yes.” His eyes narrowed as he studied the warzone that was her face. “Why do you stay?” His voice cracked, his calmness a facade. “Only a scumbag lowlife would do this to a woman—to you.”

Tears pricked her vision even as her chin lifted, “I have it under control—”

Conrad let out an aggrieved breath. “You know that’s not true. He chooses to drink in just the same way he chooses to hurt you.”

His hand dropped, taking hold of hers and making her yearn for the very thing she’d turned her back on too long ago. With a gentle tug, he pulled her outside and shut the door on Jack’s loud snores that resonated down the hallway.  

The deep-sea green of his eyes glittered beneath the glare of a naked bulb, his emotions running strong. “Jack has nothing to hold you here anymore. Melanie is safe now, she won’t be coming back. Believe me.”

Her pulse jumped. “You know where she is?” she breathed.

He nodded. His thumb stroked her palm, a calming touch. “Yes. She’s safe.”

She slumped against him in utter relief. “Thank god,” she said hoarsely. She didn’t doubt Conrad’s word. But she didn’t want to hear where the teenager had gone. Jack had a way of making her talk even when she had no words left. She wouldn’t risk Melanie’s safety for anything.

Now, with her step-daughter safe, Kristen was at last free to leave. Maybe they could start a new life, just the two of them?

As Conrad’s arms clamped around her and tucked her in close, she refused to think on the pain deep within at never seeing him again, refused to think of the ache in her chest knowing his hold was one that would protect and love whoever was lucky enough to get him.

She couldn’t think of him with another woman, full stop.

 

Free Reads!

We all love genie stories, right? Not to mention rock stars!? Tracey O'hara is part of the Hot Down Under collection, fourteen HOT stories set in Australia. Her very cool story The Final Wish is now FREE for a limited time. I know you will enjoy it!

And don't forget about Kylie's briliant zombie romance, Room with a View, it's also FREE. 


When you're finished, don't despair! Look into the other Hot Down Under stories. My short story, Beneath the Light of a Silver Moon, is one of the collection, and at little more than a dollar, they're a great, inexpensive way to satisfy your reading craving. I'm certain they will all make your toes curl with pleasure! *wink*  =))

And one more from the Hot Down Under girls!

Here's one more from the December Hot Down Under girls. Dream Lover is C.T. Green's debut story, be sure to check it out! =)

 

Five words that most fit you, the author?

Irreverent, cynical, romantic, loving, creative.

 

The idea behind your Momentum story?

Girl gets lost in the Australian bush and finds the love of her life.
This idea was brought about by a Scout camp and a particularly gorgeous
sunrise. My husband was still asleep and so were the kids, but I remember thinking:
What if it was just him and I, coffees in hand, admiring this beautiful scenery together.
That got me thinking about what it would be like to have the guy of your dreams
with no twenty-first century distractions, but a secret standing in the way. What if the guy
came to your rescue? I think most women love a guy who feels deeply enough to pursue her
in spite of any barriers they may have between them.

Fav paragraph from the story?

Where Reece (my hero) finally give in to the inevitable and can’t fight his feelings any longer
(did I mention he’s naked and sexy in a sleeping bag?).
He risks it all by telling Cate (my heroine), even though he has no idea if she feels the same way.
I kinda love a strong man brought to his knees by love and a good woman.

The heroine is someone you would like to…?

Have a glass of wine with and snicker about how cute men are when they’re being all noble, heroic and completely clueless.

Admiring a hot firefighter or two doesn’t go amiss either!

The hero makes you want to…?

Drink something cool and fan myself. That or ruffle his hair and tell him his torture...is in no way over - at least until I say so. : D

Will there be more from these characters or this world?

Not at the moment - though I would like to see Fiona (Reece and Cate’s friend) find a hero who’ll accept her, um, naughty habit.

At the moment I have something new planned that involves lots of sexy paranormal men and women who all work for the Supernatural Entity Recovery Agency a.k.a The Scary Fairies.

 

Introducing Mel Teshco

It's my turn to talk a little about myself and my new book, Beneath the Light of the Silver Moon, that is released with Pan Macmillan's, Momentum (Nov 1). You can find me over at the Hot Down Under blog, where the fourteen of us to be released this year and early next year, are featured and taking in turns doing a bit of an introduction as well as a question and answer.

Cover Reveal: Beneath the Light of a Silver Moon

So pleased with my cover for Momentum's Hot Down Under line, it perfectly portrays my heroine and the story itself (released November). There are thirteen authors all up, come visit us at the Hot Down Under blog.

Here is the revised blurb for Beneath the Light of a Silver Moon:

Kristen Treymore isn't living anymore – she's existing.

Trapped in marriage to Jack, an alcoholic who uses his fists to communicate, Kristen has given up her freedom in an attempt to protect his daughter.

When Conrad Doyle, childhood friend and the man whose heart she unwittingly broke, shows up on Kristen's doorstep and offers her a lifeline, she can't refuse.

What she never dreams possible is how much she still wants him—but is that enough to keep them together when terror still beats deep in her heart?

 

 

Hot Down Under

Come and check out our new Hot Down Under blog where the 13 authors for Momentum's new Hot Down Under line has kicked off with short intros. First cab off the rank is Rhian Cahill =)

While you're there check out the blurbs (unedited) for some of the books, there's some fantastic short reads coming your way! =)

Beneath the Light of a Silver Moon

I've had permission to post this unedited blurb for my short contemporary story, Beneath the Light of a Silver Moon, that is one of a collection of thirteen shorts from Momentum's Hot Down Under erotic line. This story is probably one of my 'sweetest' yet (perhaps because it isn't paranormal) - though it still has some dark tones. It's one of the first five that will be released in November - can't wait!!  Hope to see the cover soon and will post when I can =))


BLURB:

Kristen Treymore isn't living, she's existing, stuck in a marriage to protect her stepdaughter from Jack, an alcoholic who uses his fists to communicate. When Conrad Doyle, childhood friend and the man whose heart she unwittingly broke, shows up on her doorstep and offers her a lifeline, she can't refuse.

What she never dreams possible is how much she still wants him--but is that enough to keep them together when terror still beats deep in her heart?