New video

I'd kind of expect to show this off at RomantiCon, but it feels nice and cozy to share it with you. This is the trailer for the lastest release, Jewels of Ursus. The book is a compilation of the the three novellas I wrote surrounding the Ursine family, a family of shape-shifters who transform...naturally, into Bears.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I enjoy the process of making these trailers, but it can turn a bit obsessive. I get lost in the amount of time that has passed.

Today was the first day back at school for the kids in the county where I teach. They had been out all last week because of the damage from the floods. We still had no drinkable water in the building and our PTSO provided bottles of water for the students to carry about with them since they can't use the water fountains.

I admit I'm exhausted today. So exhausted that I'm hoping I'm going to be forgiven for falling asleep.

Z and I have routine. His last nap time comes right about the time he and I get home for the day. I give him a bottle and lay him down. Then I get comfortable and take a few minutes to read or just rest. This afternoon I fell asleep and Z slept too right up until K got home. The dear let me sleep and I snoozed until about 11pm and will be going back to bed momentarily.

Problem?

It's our anniversary. I found a card waiting for me on the computer when I woke up. Crapmonkeys.

We have a date weekend this weekend. A friend is keeping Z for the day on Saturday so we can have some couple time. I'll have to make up for it then.

Cancellation

Because of the recent flooding, regretfully I’m not going to be able to attend the RomantiCon coming up next month. I had registered early on, had my hotel room reserved, had gathered all my goodies for readers and was making my list of authors I wanted to meet and hunt autographs from.

I was so looking forward to it because I can’t attended the RT conventions because they always fall during the state standardized testing week my school has to undergo each year.

So now I have to move to plan B. I’m boxing up some of the goodies and sending them express to Ellora’s Cave. They’ve promised to set them out on the swag table for me. However, that still leaves me trying to figure out what to do with 200 cherry-flavored white rose suckers, 100 old-fashioned candy sticks, and a ceramic bear holding a medium sized fishbowl that I was going to fill with red, white and purple stones and use to hold the candy. (Red for rubies, purple for amethysts and white for opals – the stones in my Jewels of Ursus series.) It would take far too long to individually label each one of the treats to send.

So, I think I’m going to take the bear to school with me and use the bowl for candy or maybe for a small beta fish to liven up my classroom. I’ve always had fish in my room until the last couple of years. I had a group of kids who had no respect for anything or anyone one year. In one 50 minute class period, while I was out and a substitute was supposed to be watching them, the destroyed my stereo, tore posters off the walls, and tried to kiss my fish. In addition to dumping the whole canister of food into the tank, they sprayed it Lysol. The sub of course saw nothing, but you corner a 13 year-old and he’ll rat on his friends so fast you’ll smell the cheese.

Well, Bob the Beta showed them. He lived another 9 months, safe at home in his tank. He finally passed away after a little fishy stroke that left him unable to move his left fins. He hovered at the bottom of the tank and when he swam, swam in circles.

Our school population has changed since then and I can’t see my current kids being so deliberately vicious. Not to mention that sub was banned at our school. When she objected that she hadn’t see anything, she was told that the option was she could pay me for the almost $300 in damage that had been done her watch.

Sorry to digress. I’ll miss seeing all of you and as a way to make up for it, I’ll be holding a give away or two in the upcoming weeks and giving out copies of Jewels of Ursus and some other goodies. I’ll also be sponsoring some giveaways for Bitten By Books’ Halloween anniversary celebration.

Til then, be safe.

Book Fairs

We’re fortunate enough to live near a Scholastic warehouse. For those of you unfamiliar with Scholastic, in addition to being the US publisher/distributor for the Harry Potter series, they have the distinction of being one of the premier distributors of children’s and young adult books in the U.S. Scholastic has book fairs where they take mini book stores into schools and set up for kids to buy books.

I love book fairs. I have a tradition of buying books for my remedial reading class each year. I let them pick out a book and I buy it for them. The only hitch is it has to actually be a book. No gamers’ code books. This year I got a pass because A.) I’m not there when the fair came through my school and B.) I’m not teaching the remedial reading class for the first time in 8 years.

Twice a year the warehouses for Scholastic have large discount sales. Since we live near one we are fortunate enough to be able to go. We did so today, sneaking in under the wire for the last day. We got out with half of our usual total because we mostly bought for Z (in case you missed the earlier post, that is what Smudgie has been dubbed based on his middle name). You will see home-school parents, teachers, librarians, all trying to make the budget money stretch farther by buying books at anywhere from 25-80% off. We rarely get out of there for less than $100 as we are buying for my classroom, nieces and nephews and ourselves.

Yes, we are those relatives who give books for gifts. Or at least that’s how I used to think the kids saw us until my brother’s van was totaled by an elderly woman who got confused and hit the gas instead of the brake. The accident meant they had to abandon a knapsack full of books we’d gotten the kids in the van as it would have had to have been cut out. The kids called us and gave us a list asking, “If you’re going to buy us books this year, Aunt Jae, can we have new ones of these?” The top requests? Do Your Ears Hang Low, Click-Clack-Moo, and Don’t Let The Pidgeon Drive The Bus.

This year, as I said, we got out cheap. Just some classic story books, a couple of board books and no we don’t think he actually understands them now. We still read to him, I’ve been doing it since he started kicking. It’s the tone of voice that’s important, not what you read. You can read the sports page, the daily gossip column, the ingredients off the cereal box, it doesn’t really matter. I’ve been reading aloud to him from whatever I’m reading. But we needed some new material for rocking and reading as I’m currently reading Anny Cook’s Magnolia and I am NOT reading that out loud to my son even if he can’t understand it.

Another way the e-reader is superior. I can sit in the darkened nursery as I rock Z and read away with one hand.

Speaking of books, below there is an excerpt of the latest release. It’s the third and final book in the Jewels of Ursus trilogy. Remember, books make great gifts and Ellora’s has a wonderful sale going on right now.

Soul Stone
Elyssa Edwards
From Ellora’s Cave

Excerpt:

She knew she was dreaming. And more so, though she had never had this dream before, she knew what would happen next. Slowly she turned and faced the bank of tall windows with their French doors that opened out onto an even more impressive garden. She hadn’t heard a sound, not even the twittering of birds or the crunch of a blade of grass but she knew he’d be there before she looked.

And he was. His body took up most of the single doorframe. He was tall. She’d never seen a man so tall unless he had on silk shorts and was running up and down a basketball court. He stood backlit by the sun that created a corona around him as it reflected off the blond hair that reached almost to his elbow. It was a soft golden color that cast highlights brighter than the rays of the sun.

This stranger in her dream stepped into the room and walked toward her slowly with the grace of a lion. His bare feet made no sound and she found she could not look away from the blue eyes that watched her. His golden skin stretched across a gorgeously smooth chest. Each muscle defined and calling to her as if trying to tempt her to touch him. Surely this was a dream because no man could really be this beautiful.

“Callista?” He whispered her name softly and she understood the question it held. He was asking her permission to be there, her consent for the dream to proceed. As she watched his eager face, his name appeared in her mind.

“Tarris,” she watched as pleasure filled his face. The simple act of speaking his name seemed to please him immensely.

“Please tell me you are not afraid of me, beautiful one.” His hand lifted toward her, extended, offering her his touch.

“No,” she barely breathed the word but reached out and took the offered hand. He relaxed visibly and his other hand moved up slowly toward her face as if giving her time to move away. His large palm cupped her cheek and he smiled.

“Good.” A serious expression filled the searching blue eyes. “Never be afraid of me, my love. Never would I harm you. No matter what, I would never harm you.”

“I know,” and she did. She saw in him tremendous strength. She saw in him the potential for terrible anger. She saw in him the ability to destroy all that he touched. But yet something inside Callista Marshall knew he would never turn this darker side to her. The absurdity of it teased the edges of her mind. She was so certain who this man was, he was so much more real and defined to her than any real man had ever been.

’Cause he’s all in your head, a tiny part of her that seemed almost awake reasoned.

A strange smile flitted in his eyes for a moment before Tarris leaned in and brushed her lips with his own. Her head felt light and fuzzy as if she’d drunk one glass of wine too many with dinner. His hand moved from her cheek to wrap itself in the red curls that defied taming. As he pressed the kiss deeper, she felt his tongue slip out and flicker softly against her lips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted up on tiptoe to kiss him back. A strong arm pulled her close as his tongue pressed between her parted lips to taste the inside of her mouth. Definitely a dream because surely no man tasted this wonderful. His hand splayed across the small of her back as he kissed her passionately. His tongue probing into her, brushing against hers and urging her to take up the duel.

There was something about his scent that caused a physical reaction. The smell of him was pure male, a mixture of the sea, the forest, the sun and the rain with the smell of a man’s skin as he cradled you and held you close.

Now wander off and see what wonderful things Anny Cook, Kelly Marstad, Sandra Cox and Jenny Beans have to say.

Murphy Is Alive And, Unfortunately, Well.

Most of us have heard of Murphy’s Law. This old adage goes, “If anything can go wrong, it will.”

The expression and the other “laws” attributed to Murphy supposedly came from Capt. Edward A. Murphy who was working on an Air Force project in the late 1940’s. Captain Murphy’s sayings were supposedly written down by others and passed into common awareness. Others dispute this origin and claim it actually came from what was known as sod’s law as in any old sod. My favorite is that it came from a Mr. Murphy whose car (in the U.S.) ran out of gasoline. He was walking with his gas can, facing traffic, wearing white. He died after being hit by a British driver driving on the wrong side of the road.

No matter how Murphy’s Law originated, today was proof positive that it is alive and well in my life.

First, my car tags expired and I’ve not received my new sticker despite having paid for it. I called to find out what was going on and was told the system was down and I have to call back later.

Later while at work I received a voice mail message from my SO telling me that the Honda had to be towed to the shop because it was leaking oil. Really leaking. As in it lost 4 quarts of oil all over the driveway. The repairs were going to range from $600 to a brand new engine.

As I was driving back towards home so I could pick up the stranded SO and we could go to today’s doctor appointment I got a phone call from my SO. My mother-in-law had emailed to say that my brother-in-law’s baby (due in January) had died. According to the MIL who is not prone to exaggeration, he’d taken his girlfriend to the hospital with severe abdominal pains. Her cervix had been stitched shut early in her pregnancy to help her not deliver too early. They were to take the stitches out this week. The hospital left her sitting in the emergency room waiting room 10 hours until her uterus ruptured. They still delayed performing a cesarean section until the baby’s heart rate had dropped dangerously low. The little guy was born dead and the girlfriend is in serious condition due to loss of blood.

On the way to the doctor’s appointment I made the mistake of telling my SO, in response to the very dangerous question, “Can this day get any worse?” by saying that the day wouldn’t get worse.

It didn’t exactly, but the fun kept coming. On the way home from the Dr. appt. my Chevy started making this horrific grinding noise. We had to have it towed to the shop, the same shop that had our Honda. Just after giving us good news that the Honda could be repaired for $300, they informed us the Chevy was going to cost almost $700.

So, yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and there is a Murphy too.

The doctor, by the way, said we are dilated 1cm, this from completely closed on Tuesday. They’ve scheduled the induction for Thursday if Smudgie doesn’t make his appearance between then and now. I know, lots of walking, a bit of spicy food, and some more massage are in order.

The SO and I are both taking “family leave” for Smudgie’s arrival. We decided that this was probably a sign that we didn’t need to be driving so much and have both begun our leave effective Monday.


Now to more pleasant things. This is a Santa that appeared on my blog last year but he’s so delicious he bears repeating. He is, I think, my favorite of my Santa pics. He certainly looks as if he could fix anything that ailed you.

Holiday favorites

This time of year one of the things I look forward to is watching the holiday classic movies. We all have favorites, don’t we? Everyone from Forbes (highest to lowest grossing) to Movie Phone (viewer votes) has their compiled list. I have mine too but these are in no particular order.

White Christmas- I love Danny Kaye. I actually cried when he died. This feature is just heartwarming and sweet.

Miracle on 34th Street-Natalie Wood in black and white of course. I hate colorization.

The Bishop’s Wife-Cary Grant. *sigh* do they make them any more elegant, charming and sexy than that?

The Santa Clause-This first installment was wonderful, but the franchise should have stopped there.

It’s a Wonderful Life-This one was over done by Turner Broadcasting for a long time. Let’s face it, it’s great, but we didn’t need to see marathons of it for days on end. One of the teacher’s at my school calls my principal “Clarence” because she says he looks like the angel Clarence. Needless to say my principal is not amused by this.

A Christmas Story- You either love or hate this one, get it or don’t get it. I get it. I love it. I grew up in the Midwest and getting bundled up, fights with the furnace, “don’t touch your tongue to metal” and other things rang true from my childhood as well. However, those with cable are quickly going the way of It’s a Wonderful Life with this one as TBS now runs it in day long marathons. Too much of a good thing folks.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation-A sequel that was better than the original. The lights scene reminds me of my family. My brother once stapled himself to the roof of their house while putting up lights. As this was in Illinois, he got pretty darned cold waiting for someone to find him and get him down.

Bells of St. Mary’s-I love Ingrid Bergman as a nun. This is just one of those warm you heart kind of movies. This one was one of my grandmother’s favorites too. My grandfather bore a bit of a resemblance to Bing Crosby in his early days. It’s about the power of prayer and the strength of faith.

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story-The beginning of the Waltons. This told the story of Pa trying to make it home for Christmas and the struggles of being a poor family during the Depression. Most of the cast, except for Momma Walton is the same as those in the television series. No film has ever screamed family like this one.

And I have one dark horse that I’m probably one of the few that remembers it. Or liked it. In the 80s or 90s, Dyann Cannon, Tony Curtis and Kris Kristofferson remade the Barbara Stanwyck classic “Christmas in Connecticut.” I loved this remake. I’ve no idea why, but I do. Oddly enough it was directed by Arnold Schwartzenegger. News is they’re doing a remake in 2009.

Now these aren’t actually Christmas movies, but they are set in the Christmas season and I love them both. They’re action films that kicked serious butt.

Die Hard- Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman at their best looking. And it was a damned good film.

Lethal Weapon-Mel Gibson when you didn’t cringe as you heard his name.

So what are your favorite holiday movies?

Now for our festive Santa

As you can see they must be having an unusually warm December at the North Pole. That, or Mrs. Claus has cranked up the heat on purpose. This graphic is supposed to have falling snow and sparklies, but I can't seem to get them to transfer when I post it. Oh well, our photoshopped Santa is still nice to look at.

Still waiting

Yep, still waiting. Midwife said today that there's no progress. They are starting to use the word "induce". We spent some time tonight doing some accupressure that is supposed to help naturally induce labor. They say you should start it as soon as you Dr starts mentioning induction. Otherwise Smudgie will arrive when he gets ready. It's just hard to be patient.

To take my mind off things I've been doing some writing. Not a lot of progress, but some. I just read a quote from writer Sherrilyn Kenyon where she said she had completed 126 pages in 24 hours. *BLINK* That's flippin' amazing.

The latest installment in The Jewels of Ursus series, Soul Stone, released recently. It has my favorite cover and I think it finishes the series really well. Try this taste from the prologue.

Soul Stone
Elyssa Edwards

He is physical perfection. He is sex personified. He is an incubus. All his life Tarris has followed the rules that would keep him from transforming into the dark soulless predator who fed on the sexual energies of women, draining them to madness or to death. His Bears, shape-shifters Mark and Luke Ursine, shared their passions and their lovers with him all their lives. Something, however has changed. Now that he can no longer feed in a safe and controlled way, he faces a choice: hunt or starve. Callista is quiet and reserved. Her restrained exterior hides an astonishing passion and vivid imagination that has captured him. Who knew that a creature that had no soul could love a woman so deeply? Tarris must now find a way to control the change he feels coming and defeat the hunter who pursues him, obsessed with possessing Callista and destroying the incubus.

Excerpt:

“Something happened when Sarah and I mated.” Mark shifted uncomfortably. “We didn’t know it would. We had no idea…”

“Once we mated, Mark…” Sarah hesitated. “He could no longer allow Tarris to join us.”

“That’s insane. No offense, Sarah but Mark and I have shared our lives and our dreams with Tarris for as long as we’ve known him. He’s fed off our sexual energies, participated in the most intimate moments of our lives for over a century. He’s an incubus but he’s not because he’s followed the rules. He has only us and you’re telling me Mark would deny him? Let him starve?” Luke saw the truth of it in their faces. “But it’s only a dream,” Luke rationalized, astounded. How could Mark deny Tarris?

“That’s the problem.” Mark’s voice was filled with a dull ache. “In the dream the Bear takes over, Luke. He won’t share his mate.” Mark’s face twisted. “I’d do it in a minute, so would Sarah. But I can’t stop it. And awake he can’t feed from us. Not like he needs to.”

“That’s why…” Tarris had surprised Luke with the interest he’d shown in his life since the mating of Mark and Sarah. An interest that had stopped abruptly when Luke and Anna mated just over two months ago.

“Luke, now that you’re mated,” Sarah said softly. “There isn’t…”

“There is no one for him to feed from,” Luke’s stricken face paled. His heart ached and his brain was twisting trying to find possibilities.

“What happens if he doesn’t feed this way?” Anna pressed. “How long can he go without feeding?”

Luke met her eye, “He should already need it. I assumed he was sharing with Mark and Sarah, giving us some time alone.”

“Why can’t he just find a new partner?” Anna asked.

“He could but that would mean hunting and if he does that he puts himself at terrible risk.” Mark answered his face faintly angry. “Besides Anna, what if I told you to just go find another mate?”

She sighed sadly. There was no other mate for any of the four who sat in this room. All had been bound by lovers’ stones, a mating more powerful than the norm for the Weres. A mating that was for life and precluded all possibility of finding another. “So what will happen?”

Luke’s voice was hollow and cold. “He’ll starve. And when the hunger grows it will overwhelm him. It should already be beyond endurance. Tarris is strong. But when he can no longer control it, he’ll become what he was born to be. We’ll lose him to the hunt.”

Tears slipped down Sarah’s face as she sat down next to Anna and took her hand. Anna had only been with them since her mating two months before but she was from the hunters, those who tracked and killed the preternatural creatures of the world. “Anna, he’ll become a full incubus. Hunted not just by hunters but by our kind as well. They have no soul, no mercy, no kindness. Tarris once made them promise they’d never let that happen to him.”

“How could you stop it? If we can’t feed him, how will you stop him from becoming one of them?” Anna asked fearfully.

“By killing him,” Luke whispered.

“By killing him,” Mark agreed.

Sweet Little GI Santa

This Santa has a famous face. Now we all know why Reese Witherspoon wears such a sunny smile.

Now wander on over to the ladies whose blogs appear on the left and see what they're up to. Sandra Cox has some funnies on her blog, and Anny Cook, Kelly Marstad and Jenny Beans always have something interesting to say.

We have a winner

Of course the news today is the winner of the Soul Stone Contest. Since Tarris' story features an opal the winner of our contest will receive a rainbow opal pendant and matching earrings. A winner was drawn randomly from the entrants with the correct answers. The correct answers were:

True Love: Who is the true mate and love of each of the men below?
Mark Ursine's heroine is _Sarah__
Luke Ursine's heroine is __Anna___
Tarris Ursine's heroine is __Callista___

Our winner is...Beth R.

Beth, I'll be emailing you to confirm your address and as soon as the mail starts running after the holiday I'll send your prize along.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter.

Enjoy tomorrow everyone. And pop over to the blogs on the left and check them out.

Contest Reminder and Getting Personal

Contest First!

In celebration of the release of Soul Stone, which features an opal in a pivotal role. Because of that I'm giving away a rainbow opal heart shaped pendant and matching earrings. This is a delicate piece set in silver. The earrings are the same as the pendant, pictured here.

How to win: Soul Stone is the final book in the lives of the Ursine brothers. So to win this final prize, you will need to tell me something about them. Copy the list below into an email and complete it. Send it to jae@jacquelineroth.com I'll pick a winner from the correct answers on Wednesday, November 26th.

True Love: Who is the true mate and love of each of the men below?

Mark Ursine's heroine is ________
Luke Ursine's heroine is ________
Tarris Ursine's heroine is ________

You can find hints to the answers--okay, you can find the answers--by checking out the blurbs and excerpts for the three books in this series at Elyssa's website.

Being heard/show your support:

The new sites for Ellora's Cave and Cerridwen Press are up. The new site lets you leave reviews on the books you've read. So what are you waiting for? Head on over and look for something new while posting reviews of the books you really loved from those publishers.

Getting Personal

We are still on baby watch around here. The doctor's visit this morning confirmed that everything is fine and that Smudgie has dropped down into the pelvis, but the midwife says we are probably looking at about two more weeks. *Sigh* To say that we are getting antsy is an understatement. We are ready in every way we can be ready. Our house looks like a Baby's R Us exploded.

The only thing we lack, and it's because we can't find one, is a good bookshelf unit to go in bedroom. Smudgie's books, toys and stuff already are piled on the floor and he needs more storage space. We've been joking that we may have to give up the master bedroom to him.

But everything is fine. I have some thank you's I have to send out.

To Barb and Sean: Thanks, you send him clothes from England and now he'll expect European fashions all the time. *grin* The "cheeky monkey" shirt was perfect.

To Steve: Thank you so much for the high chair, but dude? A single, straight male who remembers to buy his friend a baby shower gift? You better hide that man-card cause they're coming to get it. (And yes, I'm almost done with my eMuse stuff. I won't let you down.)

To Robert, Debbie, Bev and Leslie: Thank you so much. The baby shower was the greatest. A chocolate fountain? A great cake? All the dips and goodies people could want? What more could I ask for. I'm grateful for friends like you.

To my work family: I don't remember the last time I was so overwhelmed that I actually cried. I know we're not a conventional family and folks have turned their noses up at us in the past. But the people I work with are the best. You've always been there and I'm truely grateful.

Okay folks. Enough mushy stuff.

I threw a major hissy fit at the local WalMart a few days ago. I had gotten tires put on my car on a Sunday. That following Monday afternoon one of said new tires was almost flat. I put air in it and took it to the nearest WalMart (not the one that had sold me the tires). They looked at it, couldn't find a problem and aired it up to the right pressure. By Wednesday it was low again. And again on Friday. On Saturday I took it back to the WalMart that installed the tires and told them the problem. They proceded to inform me that because I hadn't bought the special warrantee that they would have to charge me to check the tires and change them if there was a problem.

I threw a sedate tantrum. What do you mean you are charging me to check and fix the defective tires that you sold me? It's not like I went into the store room and picked them out myself and said..."I want these." You put them on, you sold them to me in good faith, what you gave me was defective and now you want me to pay to fix your mistake and the manufacturer's screw up? I don't really think that is going to happen! The disgruntled salesgirl (and yes I do mean to say girl and I mean it nastily because she prissed around on her heels and didn't want to touch the tires to check and see if she could see any damage before she wrote up the ticket) got the manager and I unloaded on him too when he tried the same shpeel. No way I'm paying because you sold me a defective product. Are you people insane?

Needless to say they did it my way. It probably had something to do with me mentioning that this was exactly the sort of thing that the local news channel liked to cover on their consumer watch program.

Enough of me rambling. Head on over to see Kelly Marstad, Sandra Cox and Jenny Beans. Jenny is a friend of mine who is a brilliant author. You will know her by her pen name, Llewellyn McEllis one day. Also check on Anny Cook, maybe she's back from her vacation.

Soul Stone Contest and Release

Today is a double birthday. It's mine and it's Tarris'. Tarris is the hero of the novel Soul Stone, that releases today from Ellora's Cave. Soul Stone is the final book of the Jewels of Ursus trilogy that began with Mating Stone and Lovers' Stone.

Blurb:

Soul Stone
by Elyssa Edwards

He is physical perfection. He is sex personified. He is an incubus. All his life Tarris has followed the rules that would keep him from transforming into the dark soulless predator who fed on the sexual energies of women, draining them to madness or to death. But now that he can no longer feed in a safe and controlled way, he faces a choice: hunt or starve. Callista is quiet and reserved. Her restrained exterior hides an astonishing passion and vivid imagination that has captured him. Who knew that a creature that had no soul could love a woman so deeply? Tarris must now find a way to control the change he feels coming and defeat the hunter who pursues him, obsessed with possessing Callista and destroying the incubus.

Excerpt:

Rule 1. Never feed alone.
Rule 2. Never touch unless you are invited to by the female.
Rule 3. Never penetrate a woman in the place reserved for her mate.
Rule 4. Never allow the act to bring you to orgasm.
Rule 5. Never, never must you hunt.

The rules had been created to keep him contained. To keep Tarris fed and happy while stopping him from crossing the line that could make him want more than he could be allowed to have.

Sitting in his chair he watched the flames flicker. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the small oblong stone. It looked like an opal but over one third of its surface was black and dull. He rubbed at it seeking the strange sense of comfort it had always brought him. Tonight it didn’t work. Despite the fire, a chill passed through him. The rules. How he hated the rules. How he needed the rules. He’d only broken one and only once. He’d allowed sweet Sarah to pleasure him in a dream the three had shared before their mating. It had been a mistake. Now he knew what he was missing. And he wanted more.

Worse, he could no longer feed off his lovers. Both Weres were mated. No one had realized at the time that it would stop their ability to share their pleasure with him. But it had. He could enter their dreams but in their dreams the men would push him away. He’d learned this the moment Mark mated with Sarah. The animal within him refused to allow him near his mate. In the waking world Mark had been devastated. In the land of dreams he could not stop himself from turning on Tarris like an enemy. Tarris had not approached Luke. The younger twin had always been the more sexually assertive, the more likely to react to his instincts. He was certain Luke’s reaction would be even stronger than Mark’s.

Tarris closed his eyes. He tried to remember a time when he was satisfied with the lot he’d been given, satisfied with the role of puppeteer, satisfied to orchestrate the pleasures of others and to drink in their joy and satisfaction. It seemed so long ago.

He’d not actively decided to break the rules. He’d let them terminate him before he’d turn into one of the dark ones. He may not have a soul but one thing living in the Ursine house had given him had been honor. He knew the clean and lighter side of living. He’d not become a monster.

He let his mind drift. He told himself he wasn’t doing it. He was only reaching out. He’d been able to take the edge off the past couple of weeks this way. A voyeur watching a young couple, feeling the energies radiate between two soon to be lovers in a club. A siphon, draining off some of the raw sexual arousal of those he watched from the world of shadows. It wouldn’t sustain him he knew. The only true food was passion in dreams. But maybe by doing this he could hold off the madness, hold off the day when his own Weres would be forced to destroy him. Or hold out until he found another way.

He felt the touch of the sleeper and backed away. He wasn’t a predator. He wasn’t supposed to enter alone. But the power of the mind reached out to him as if it had sensed him. It called to him, inviting him in. The hunger raged inside him as he fought it. The moment he turned to the dreamer, the moment he let himself be pulled to the cavalcade of images that passed through the sleeping mind he was lost.

He stood in the doorway of the modest bedroom. The sleeper on the bed was a woman. Her red hair was twisted around her face, strands of it sticking to the damp forehead. The shirt of the men’s flannel pajamas that she wore stretched tight across her breasts. Not exactly the seductress. Not precisely the femme fatale. She looked more like a schoolmarm or a librarian. One leg had kicked itself free of the blankets and he noticed she even wore socks to bed. It was early October. No, Red here didn’t look like the kind of woman who embraced her sexuality.

Tarris stepped into the room and moved closer to the bed. The woman was moaning slightly and twisting her head. Her fists clenched tight. She fascinated him. She seemed so restricted—closed off so tightly against her own body but the power of the imagination, the dreams that flowed through her had called to him across the distance that had separated them. He could feel the incredible strength of her mind.

The rules repeated in his head.
He hadn’t hunted her, he told himself. She had called him to her.
He would not let her please him.
He would not penetrate her.
He would not touch unless she reached for him first.

He would not— Tarris stood watching her, torn as his hunger battled with his conditioning. The emotions, the colors of her mind were so powerful he shook with need. Her soul was laying itself bare for him just as if he’d been a fully mature incubus. He saw all of who she was, all her secrets, dreams and desires. And he loved each and every one.

So yes. Yes, he would. He would feed alone.

He stretched out beside her on the bed and brushed the hair from her face. Her body went slack. He pulled her to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Stroking her face he pressed his cheek to her and closed his eyes.

Contest!

In celebration of the release of Soul Stone, which features an opal in a pivotal role. Because of that I'm giving away a rainbow opal heart shaped pendant and matching earrings. This is a delicate piece set in silver. The earrings are the same as the pendant, pictured here.

How to win: Soul Stone is the final book in the lives of the Ursine brothers. So to win this final prize, you will need to tell me something about them. Copy the list below into an email and complete it. Send it to jae@jacquelineroth.com I'll pick a winner from the correct answers on Wednesday, November 26th.

True Love: Who is the true mate and love of each of the men below?

Mark Ursine's heroine is ________

Luke Ursine's heroine is ________

Tarris Ursine's heroine is ________

You can find hints to the answers... okay, you can find the answers by checking out the blurbs and excerpts for the three books in this series at Elyssa's website.

Oh, and Kelly, you won the draw for the copy of Lovers' Stone so drop me a line and tell me what format you'd like your copy in.

Have a great day folks.

Un-Locke Romance

Tomorrow I share my release day with the talented Afton Locke as she releases her novel Cicada. The cover alone on this one makes me eager to read it, or at least gaze longingly at the cover for hours at a time. The excerpt she's sharing with us on this blog is equally as wonderful.

So take a peek:

Cicada
by: Afton Locke
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: paranormal erotic romance with ghost hero and light bondage
ISBN #: 978-14199-1941
eBook Release Date: 19 November 2008

Blurb:
Hang on to your panties, Marian, because the seaside cottage you rented is not going to be as quiet as you thought. And if you planned to get away from men, forget it. You're about to be haunted by a very virile male ghost who thinks everything in the house is his, including you!

Like the cicadas, Jon emerges from his grave every seventeen years to pursue whichever woman is living in his cottage, but having sex for the third time always sends him back to dormancy again. When Marian, a science teacher on summer vacation, moves in he vows to break the curse once and for all.

All he has to do is win her heart. Easier said than done when the object of his desire has just been cheated on by her ex-fiancé and the last thing she wants is another man. Somehow he has to show her who's boss and earn her love at the same time.



Excerpt:

An Excerpt From: CICADA (Unedited)
Copyright © AFTON LOCKE, 2008
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

“What the—” She couldn’t see anyone but he was still there. She felt him pressed against her backside and he was harder than ever.

“I’m still here,” he said, as if she couldn’t figure that out.

Marian’s eyes darted around the room as she clutched the pillows. “Then why can’t I see you?”

“I’m invisible.” He said it as casually as if he’d said he was wearing a blue shirt.

“Invisible,” she repeated. “Give me a break. I’m a science teacher. People aren’t invisible. That only happens in the movies.”

He was still lying on her back and when he shifted she felt coarse cotton fabric against the skin of her legs. He seemed to be wearing pants but they must be invisible too. She also felt the outline of his cock grind against her.

“Does that feel real to you?” he asked, close to her ear.

All of her blood seemed to shoot downstream and for one crazy moment she wondered what all that delicious hardness would feel like inside her. Even better than his finger, she imagined. She had to clear her throat just to be able to talk.

“Yes.” The word came out as a half sigh and Marian cleared her throat again. “Do you mind explaining to me why you’re invisible? I mean, you’re seriously freaking me out here. I can see everything in this room except you.”

“Of course,” he replied as he began to play with her long hair and lazily stroke her back. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Jonathan Blake. You may call me Jon.”

“I’m Mar—”

“I know who you are, Mary,” he said curtly. “It’s about time you came back.”

She frowned. “My name is Marian, not Mary and as interesting as this meeting has been, I really need to ask you to leave now. You see, I rented this house for the summer.”

He grabbed all of her hair, lifted her head off the pillow with it and nipped her earlobe with his teeth. “This is my house,” he corrected.

She pulled her hair out of his hand. His weight eased, so she shifted onto her side and propped herself on her elbow.

“So you’re the owner of this house?” she asked. “Good. You just saved me a trip to Seaside Realty to bang some heads together. You have a lot of nerve scamming people out of their rent money, making this place seem haunted. I paid for a private house and a peaceful summer. Instead, I hear all kinds of weird noises, have my clothes stolen and get attacked in my own bed.”

“My bed,” he corrected.

“Whatever. I’m going to report you to the Better Business Bureau.”

Now that her chest was somewhat exposed to him, he was exploring the crocheted lace of her bodice. She pushed his hand away several times but it was hard to hit an invisible, moving target. He chuckled as he traced a finger over the swell of each breast. Her nipples betrayed her by jumping to attention and begging for his touch.

“I don’t think they’d pursue a complaint about a man who’s been dead for a hundred years.”


Afton Locke
Unlock your darkest fantasies…
www.aftonlocke.com
http://aftonlocke.blogspot.com

Tonight's the night I will pick a winner of the copy of Lovers' Stone. Tomorrow will mark the release of Soul Stone and we'll be launching the contest for the rainbow opal pendant and earrings. So check back tomorrow as the celebration begins.

Jewels of Ursus

Five more days to the release of Soul Stone. This is the final book in the trilogy that began in February ’08 in Mating Stone.

Jewels of Ursus

The Ursine men are many things a woman wouldn't expect to find walking through her door or through her dreams. They are tall, gorgeous and powerful -the consummate lovers. They just happen not to be human.

Mark Ursine and his twin Luke are Weres. Shape-shifters who transform into large brown Bears, the brothers are the grandsons of the Amar, the leader of their clan. Twins reared together, but what they bear for each other is anything but an abiding fraternal love. Between these two men, one of whom will one day rule the other, is an animosity, rivalry and hate that goes back over a century. Neither can forgive the other nor himself for what took place the night the hunters-humans sworn to destroy the dark creatures- last raided the Bears' compound. Not even Tarris, an incubus rescued from death in his infancy by their father who is more than brother to them both, can bridge the gap that separates them. A gap that threatens to erupt into a bloody confrontation.

If the hunters don't kill them, they just might kill each other.

Mark and Luke have had their stories told, now it is Tarris’ turn.

But before Tarris starts his journey, I’m giving a reader a chance to read Luke’s story for free. To win Lovers’ Stone, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog. Then come back on November 19th to celebrate the release of Soul Stone, check out the contest that will debut on that day and find out who wins the free copy of book 2.

And don't forget to check out the blogs on the left, especially Anny Cook, Kelly Marstad and Sandra Cox.

Win a Free Book

As we reach one week to the release of the last book in the Jewels of Ursus trilogy, Soul Stone, I'm offering a contest for a free copy of the second book in the series, Lover's Stone. The first book was Mating Stone.

Lovers’ Stone
Elyssa Edwards

Luke Ursine is drawn to the most sacred place in his clan’s lore. There he finds a woman who touches him like no other and his own mating stone. Not a common mating stone, but a lovers’ stone that declares he has only one true mate, one great love that will claim him body and soul. Anna is the most inappropriate of all mates. She’s a hunter and they are sworn to destroy the Weres. Even if they can set aside generations of hate and murder will their families let them live long enough to enjoy the promised destiny?

To win the free copy, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog over the next five days. Please remember to check back so that you know if you've won.

And that's just the beginning. When Soul Stone releases, I'll be holding a contest for a rainbow opal pendant and matching earrings. More details about that later.

Sunday

It's Sunday. We've spent the day cleanings, doing laundry and other fun things like making burp clothes and cutting and sewing hems on receiving blankets. We bought several types of flannel and I'm making them myself. I have a very disgruntled dachshund right now when he realized the warm fuzzies on Momma's lap were not for him.

The SO's work had a shower for us this past Friday and we'd like to say thanks. It was very sweet. Especially the little gift card drawn by my SO's boss. It showed a baby reading a copy of The Ranger's Apprentice (a YA book and incredibly popular series of books for those who don't know) and had a caption that read: The child of a teacher and a librarian. [Smudgie] at 9 months. It was adorable.

With Soul Stone coming out so soon, I'm going to be hosting a contest soon for a copy of book 2 in the series, Lovers' Stone, for those who haven't read it. Check back on November 12th for details. This will be followed by the contest for the rainbow opal pendant and earrings that will mark the release of Soul Stone.

Hop over and see what's up with Anny Cook, Kelly Marstad and Sandra Cox. And check out the links on left.

Chicago- Yesterday and Today

Last night as I watched election returns I got a chill that ran up my spine and gave me gooseflesh. It had nothing to do with the actual election itself. It had to do with the large gathering in Grant Park in Chicago.

Any large political gathering in Chicago can’t help but bring up memories of 1968. The Democratic National Convention was held in the city that year and the iconic and infamous Mayor Daley was not going to be made to look like he couldn’t control his city. The police response to the riots after the assassination of Dr. King had infuriated the Mayor. He was quoted:

"I said to him [the Chief of Police] very emphatically and very definitely that an order be issued by him immediately to shoot to kill any arsonist or anyone with a Molotov cocktail in his hand, because they're potential murderers, and to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting."

Daley later backtracked on this saying it was taken out of context. However, it was a very "Daley" thing to say.

But 1968 was the year of severe disenfranchisement among large groups of Americans. Blacks were pushing hard at the chains of segregation and the drive for Civil Rights was reaching its boiling point. That April Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated. The young people of America were protesting the war in Vietnam in increasing numbers. A voice that harkened back to the days of the early sixties with the promise of change, of hope and of the dream of Camelot had also been silenced. Robert Kennedy had been assassinated. Both groups wanted their voices to be heard by the Democratic party and the merging of the two groups during the 1968 convention and the typical ball-breaker attitude of Mayor Daley placed a lot of kindling, a lot of accelerant and a lot of matches in one place.

And it exploded. Chicago became the site of a clash between protestors and police. It was violent on both sides and the amount of hatred that filled park was enough to poison everyone. The curfew imposed by Daley was ignored and when the police tried to enforce it, the crowd began to throw rocks. Tear gas and batons were used to subdue protestors. What ensued would later be characterized by the U.S. National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence as a “police riot”.

The trials that followed for the protestors who became known as The Chicago 7 (it was originally the Chicago 8 but Bobby Seale, the only Black defendant, had his trial severed) brought a great deal of unwanted attention to Chicago and so did the arrests of eight police officers for their actions. In the end two were acquitted and five found guilty of crossing state lines to incite a riot. All convictions and most of the contempt charges were tossed out. The trial is remembered as much for the outrageous behavior of activist Abbie Hoffman as the content of the trial. He told the judge "you are a shande fur de Goyim [disgrace in front of the gentiles]. You would have served Hitler better." He later added that "your idea of justice is the only obscenity in the room.”

But last night I watched a different face of political Chicago. And I'm not so sure it had as much to do with who won, but with how invested we became as citizens in this last election. A massive crowd of people gathered. The group was as diverse as the face of America. As they stood clustered together to hear the speech of the President Elect, there was a sense of hope and a sense of peace that our country hasn’t seen since the days of Kennedy and his Camelot. And that gave me a proud sense of national self and hope for what we can accomplish as a people. Not what the politicians can accomplish, but what we the American people can bring to fruition.

Okay folks, now go check out Anny Cook, Kelly Marstad, Sandra Cox, Jenny Beans and others listed to the left who have lots to say.

Don't forget to make sure you come back by on November 12th. I will be launching the first of two Soul Stone contests to celebrate the release of the last book in the Jewels of Ursus Trilogy.

Count down.

We are officially in the end of days. In a short time, our lives will change forever and nothing will ever be simple any more. No, I’m not warning of Armageddon. We are exactly one month from the Smudgie due date. The last minute doubts and recriminations have begun.

SO: (as we pulled up the big area rugs and drug them outside to beat them) How are we supposed to take care of a kid? We have trouble keeping our house clean.

Me: It’s okay, precious. We don’t have to take the baby out into the backyard and beat it to clean it.

SO: But I mean, we’ll have to vacuum EVERY DAY.

Me: And your point is?

SO: Can we do this? I mean, can we really do this?

Me: Well you’re about eight months late on asking that question.

SO: What if we become our parent?

Me: It’s possible, but then neither of us came out a sociopath so I’m not so worried if our parents take over our brains from time to time.

I have to admit to one thing. It would really kill me to become my mother. Needless to say, my mom and I don’t have a great relationship. It’s very complicated but never acrimonious. You see my method of dealing with the situation is to avoid it. I live six hundred miles away. Since I moved to Georgia, the relationship between us is better than it has ever been. We don’t argue, we talk on the phone pleasantly. I think it has to do with neither of us knowing quite how to deal with the other. We are so very different.

My mom thrives on drama. The more excited and stirred up things are, the happier she is complaining about it. Me, I hate drama. I like calm, quiet and even boring. My family, a byproduct of generations of indoctrination are loud, impossible to ignore and in each other’s business. Ever see My Big Fat Greek Wedding? My maternal side is like that, only we’re not Greek. We’re Irish, German and Romani and boy does that make for an interesting mix of personalities. And I’m one of four in five generations of my family that didn’t live within 30 miles of everyone else. Myself, two cousins and my nephew all got out.

Now that Smudgie is close to coming, I do regret that he is going to grow up without cousins to run in and out of his life. I can’t imagine my young life without my cousins. But he’s going to have a better life than I had. He’s not going to have to worry about enough food to eat, clothes to wear and if there would be enough heat to keep him from getting frostbite at night. He won’t have to watch for roaches when he goes into the kitchen at night or rats in the bathroom. At least I hope he won’t. God willing, we’ll always be able to make his life better than either of ours was.

On a higher note:

Seventeen Days until the release of Soul Stone.

Soul Stone, the final book in the Jewels of Ursus trilogy that included Mating Stone and Lover's Stone, will be released on November 19th. I'm so very excited for everyone to see what's instore for Tarris, my little incubus. His story was so compelling to me that it ended up surpassing the novella requirements to be a part of Ellora's Cave's Jewels series and became a full blown novel. It can be read as a stand alone, but I have to admit there are little jokes and situations that you will find funnier if you have read Mark and Luke's stories first.

And as I have with the other Jewels of Ursus stories, I will be having a contest and giving away a semi-precious piece of jewelery. Tarris' story was intended to be an October Jewel and you will find that an opal plays an important part in his story. Because of that, the prize this time will be a rainbow opal pendant and matching earrings. These are delicate and since Tarris isn't sensitive to silver like his Were brothers, these are set in silver. To the left you can see a preview of the pendant.

I'll roll out the contest closer to the time of the release, so be sure to check back. Now run off and see what the other folks whose blogs are on the left have to say.

Good Reads and Long Waits

I just finished reading Cheryl Dragon’s book I’m Okay, You’re a Fake. I absolutely loved it. The characters are strong and well written. The secondary characters are complex and fascinating. I love when an author can develop a character that is so engaging that it evokes an emotional response from me. And this did. Without giving much away I seriously wanted to slip into Dragon’s world for a moment and smack Mary-Lou (the socialite next-door). She’s not a bad character, but seriously needs a good slap in the head. If you’ve not discovered this series by Dragon, the first was titled I’m Okay, You’re Dead, you need to make an effort to. The books are available in both trade paper and e-book formats. (Link)

Also, if you’re looking for something a bit racier that will definitely get your blood pounding and have you fidgeting in your chair take a look at Brynn Paulin’s print edition of Brotherly Bonds. This is the collected stories of the Cress brothers that were originally released as separate e-books. Why am I touting this if it’s not new? Because this is one of the best collections of erotica I think you could lay your hands on, especially with a well portrayed BD/SM subtext. I was so taken with these individual stories that I read my way through them quickly and was thrilled to find out that Ellora’s Cave was compiling them into one print volume. So if you’re someone who doesn’t rush out for e-books, now’s your chance to get them in print. (Link)

It’s the day after Halloween. Around here all that really means is another day, this one spent cleaning the living room. It’s amazing how much hair a dog can shed and not be bald yet. I swear my Cavalier sheds so much that we could start a business knitting her fur into clothing. And yes, we know it’s her because she’s the only one with dark hair.

I spent three hours this past week standing in line to vote. It was one of the most startling things I’ve experienced in a while. Usually early voting means small lines and little waiting. Not this year. This year I voted at the Cobb Galleria Mall. This is a small exclusive mall in my county that had the open space to set up a polling place. It was preferable to many of the other places where the lines meant standing outside. In this case the lines wrapped up and down the hallways of the indoor mall. The line moved fairly steadily but was so long it was still a three hour wait. I swear the line had to have been more than a mile long as it wound around and around down each passageway of the building.

The good points? I got to vote. I got to scope out some really cute handbags and the most adorable little bomber jacket in little kid size. There was a food court and everyone was pretty cool about allowing folks to zip out of line and grab a bite, especially when I was there from 5pm until after 8pm. I also had enough time to finish the above mentioned book while waiting.

The bad? The wait. After working I had to stand on my feet for 3 solid hours. Not the most comfortable thing when you’re still in your work clothes. Then there were the stupid comments from people who where also waiting in line. One young professional man was pontificating on how it was unfair for the ballot to be read to those who didn’t speak English and how this meant they got to go to the front of the line as being someone who “needed assistance to vote.” He repeatedly griped about how if you couldn’t read or couldn’t read English you shouldn’t be allowed to vote and should “go back where you came from.” I’m pretty sure the only thing that saved him from getting told off or worse was the presence of the police and the fact that after 3 hours in line no one wanted to jeopardize their chance to vote.

Jim Crowe anyone? How is it we’ve gotten to this point as a society and still have such stupid people amongst us? I agree that the United States is an English speaking country. Just like our ancestors, those who come here in this century should be encouraged to learn the language. You don’t go to France and expect people to accommodate your English. You wouldn’t move to Mexico and expect people to accommodate your English. Or maybe that’s the problem. We would. Have we become less of a melting pot and more of a sampler tray? What do you think?

Don’t forget Anny Cook, Kelly Marstad and Sandra Cox. Bronwyn Green also has good things to say.

Sunday Shopping and Worries

We had our usual Sunday today, almost. Smudgie was craving beef the last two days so we finally gave in and headed to the vegetarian’s nightmare. A BBQ restaurant. A mound of smoked, barbecued beef and fries later, and he was a happy little camper. Of course “mound” is a relative term since he’s now pushing up on mommies tummy and it doesn’t take much to fill it up. Same with the bladder.

(These are his first toys, sitting in his crib waiting for Smudgie to arrive.)

After lunch we stopped by the thrift store. It’s a regular routine for us and has been since we discovered we were pregnant. We started looking for cheap baby things. We’ve not bought anything other than the little hooded snuggle towels and some clothes there, but it’s been a wonderful bargain. The clothes they put out are clean and in good repair, unlike some of the more well known thrift stores. We started with newborn and 0-3 month clothes. We’ve filled two dresser drawers with onesies, sleepers and the like. We now have two full drawers of 3-6 month clothes as well.

We figure Smudgie won’t care where his clothes come from and he’ll only be wearing them a matter of weeks before he outgrows them. Why on earth pay $20 an outfit for new clothes? For that matter why pay $5.00 for a onesie when we can get five of them for that cost that are in good condition. Wash them up and they’re good as new. In fact, we found several outfits there that still had the original tags on them. The baby they’d belonged to never even wore them.

I’m a rummage and thrift shop kinda girl. We grew up very poor. Sometimes we didn’t have electricity or running water. A lot of the times we didn’t have much food to go around. I don’t think we actually had a telephone until I was 13 or 14. A lot of our clothes were either made by my great-grandmother or purchased from rummage sales. Our clothes often had patches. I remember my great-grandmother once telling me I had more patch than pants left on a pair of old jeans. That was the way it was.

And it seems as if more and more that’s the way it is today. While at the thrift shop I looked around at some of the people. I saw families shopping for clothes for their children and kids playing with the toys that had been cast off by others and begging their parents for just one. There were young college students and young couples sifting through the pots, pans, beddings and linens trying to outfit a first apartment. And in the rows was a lovely young woman trying on formal dresses for homecoming, a wedding or perhaps her quinceañera.

More and more it seems as if the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” is growing. There seem to be relatively few of us “have just enoughs”. Still even those few of us clinging to the middle can only stay there by being careful. Have you looked at your retirement fund lately? Even the state operated funds are in trouble. In GA, our teacher’s retirement board is voting to change the language from “will be given an annual cost of living increase” to “may be given an annual cost of living increase”. This means that the board could vote to hold pension payments at their current rates. When I retire in 20 years or around 2028, I could theoretically be retiring to a pension check that meets the standard of living for 2008. And personal retirement funds? Don’t let them fool you into thinking it’s only the wealthy that are taking a hit. Those are the folks that are so insulated it won’t hurt them.

When I last peeked, my retirement fund had lost 13% over the last 6 months. I’m lucky. I have years ahead to ride it out and for the market to climb back up. But what about those who are facing retirement in the next 5 years? What about the baby boomers who will be flooding into Social Security while those of us in the younger generations are fewer in number and operating on hard economic times?

I think the lessons we need to learn, and that I hope our generation is learning, is one my grandparents taught me. They were the Depression Era children. When you got a job as young as you could and a portion of your wages helped the family. When you pitched in as a family, not just you and your parents but your extended family, and you pulled together. When communities helped each other. Because folks, if we don’t internalize those lessons now, we and our children are facing a hard road ahead.

Wow, lots of serious stuff. How about an excerpt? Soul Stone, due out November 19th is the story of Tarris, an incubus. Tarris makes his first appearance in Mating Stone, the first book in the Jewels of Ursus trilogy.

Excerpt from Mating Stone, available from Ellora's Cave:

Her eyes widened as a man stood up and looked at them. Holy hell! Mark was gorgeous. She adored Mark. Mark made her toes curl and her insides melt. But this man was beyond anything she’d ever seen before. He was desire, he was sex.

His long blond hair hung almost to his waist, flowing loosely around his shoulders. It wasn’t a brash platinum blond but shone like polished gold in the reflected firelight. His eyes were the most blue she’d ever seen, they almost glowed. No one had eyes like that unless they were retouched by special effects experts. It must be a trick of the light, she decided.

He was inches taller than Mark and wore only a neat pair of black slacks. His feet and chest were bare. Sarah felt something very warm begin deep inside her as she looked at that chest. It was tanned and smooth. The way the flicker firelight cast shadows highlighted the definition of the abs and tempted Sarah. The sharply etched muscles seemed to demand she trace them. With hands, lips, tongue, whatever was handy. He didn’t speak but watched her for a minute before smiling. Her body reacted to that smile shamelessly. He broke eye contact and shifted his gaze to Mark.

Sara drew in a sharp breath. What is wrong with you? Mark is standing right behind you and you’re ogling some strange guy. She groaned inwardly. You’re ogling his friend, a guy he called more than a brother.

Mark’s hands came up to rest on her shoulders. She turned to steal a glance at him and saw him smiling down at her. “It’s okay Sarah. Tarris often has that effect on people, men and women. He’s one of the most beautiful beings you’ll ever see.”

She flushed bright red and covered her face with her hands. Mark’s voice came from close to her ear. “He says you are beautiful too.”

Looking up she saw the smile had widened on Tarris’ face. He nodded his agreement with Mark’s words. “But you didn’t speak.” Sarah frowned.

Tarris shook his head, his lips parting to show her straight white teeth. A shiver ran through her and sank deep into the pit of her stomach.

Mark stepped around her. He grabbed his friend in a firm embrace and the two exchanged the manliest hug Sarah had ever seen. Arm still draped around Tarris, Mark turned to her. “Tarris doesn’t speak like you or I.”

“You’re mute?” she asked and he nodded in reply. “But you can hear?”

Tarris nodded again.

“Do you use sign language?” Sarah had learned a bit of finger spelling at summer camp.

The long hair caught the firelight and shimmered as the handsome head shook, the blue eyes crinkling with amusement.

“Don’t worry, he gets his point across,” Mark said wryly, tightening his arm around his friend’s shoulders. A silent laugh shook the blond man’s shoulders. Mark turned to him. “Sarah’s head is feeling funny.” The tone of his voice was as odd as the look he gave his friend. The blue eyes opened wide as if in innocent surprise but his grin twisted up his face revealing a single dimpled cheek. “Right,” Mark said. “Sarah, why don’t you lie down. Tarris and I will have a little talk while you rest.”

“Mark it’s okay, My head will be fine.”

Tarris looked at her intently and gestured toward the bed. She didn’t need Mark to interpret. He too thought she should lie down.

“I can’t just take a nap,” she reasoned with them. “In the middle of your family’s party.”

“Sarah this “party” will go on for hours. No one will notice. Lie down, my love and rest.”

"I don’t…” She was halted by Tarris coming toward her quickly. He reached out and touched her hand. The world swayed and she found herself being swept up into two strong arms. The scent of his skin swirled in her head. He smelt overwhelmingly masculine. An indistinct combination of sandalwood, odd spices, a burning fire and the musky smell of a man’s neck as a woman curled her face into it in the afterglow of hot, passionate sex.

“Show off,” Mark snorted from where he’d already taken a seat in one of the chairs. “It’s probably the heat of the room, Sarah. Tarzan here thinks it should feel like Miami in August. Thankfully it’s winter or he’d be wearing even less.” Tarris smiled down at her gently and shook his head. His expression was playful and said clearly that Mark was positively silly and was not to be believed. He laid her carefully on the bed and slipped off her shoes before pulling a soft blanket from the foot of the bed over her. A charming curve to his lips, he reached out to brush a strand of hair from her forehead. His touch corresponded inexplicably with the thickening of the fogginess in her brain and her eyes felt heavy.

“Sweet dreams, Sarah-mine,” Mark’s voice sounded far away as she drifted off to sleep.

And dreams can be a lot of fun when there's an incubus around...

Now, run off and see what the more interesting folks have in mind. Sandra Cox has a wonderful Halloween contest running with some other great authors. Anny Cook always has great things to say. And check out Kelly Marstad for a little inspirational thought.