Thursday Thirteen - Quotes from Erick McAlister

1. Talking to his brother, Michael, on the phone. "Gotta have a Frisbee dog! That reminds me, can you send me a few disks? Penny used my best one as a teething toy.”

2. An email sent to Lynn. "Greetings from the Queen! I’m glad to hear everything is going well for you. I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds having Michael check up on you. But it sounds like he would have anyways. I’m glad to hear your date was so fun. Wish I could have been with you, what a sight my brother must have been! Singing in front of people! I would have made him mess up! Enjoy your ski trip with him. Let me know if he gets out of line. I’ll fly to NY and take care of him myself. I hope you’re sitting down when you read this… I bought a motorcycle. Can you believe it? Remember when I told you I wish I could ride like the motorcycle couriers in London? Well I ordered one similar to the bikes they use! I’ll take you for a ride when you visit! Penny sends slobbery kisses. Erick."

3.“I bought a bike and I want to hire you to teach me how to ride it. I’ll pay
you well for your time and your silence.”

4.“I want to feel the freedom you feel. I want happiness. I hate what I’ve
become. Every woman I date wants only one thing from me. Not one can see past
my money or my reputation.”

5.“Oh, baby! Do me good!” Erick wrapped his arms around Andrew’s
waist as he pretended to pump him.

6. “I’m going to fuck you, Lynn. That’s all it is. I’ll violate you. I’ll
penetrate you until I reach the soul of your being.”

7.“If this child is truly mine, he or she will be raised as a McAlister, in my
house. I’ll give you money all right, but for the baby. Not to run away!”

8.A real nerd, eh?” He whispered. “You must remember, I don’t just ‘do’
business in my office. I did you the other day. And I’ll do you over and over if you
come to my office again.”

9.“I canna sleep.” Erick lay down. “Every time I close my eyes I’ll see her
face, the pain, the tears. Why did I...? I knew I’d hurt her but I didn’t want to!
Especially like that! She hates me.”

10.“You don’t fight fair, Antonio,” Erick croaked.

11.“Andrew, what was done is in the past now. I never blamed you and never
will for what happened, or for my faults. I am responsible for what I’ve become.
We went through hell together and survived. We have the rest of our lives now.
You have Elizabeth; be happy. Live for your future.”

12. “Yeah, I get it.” Erick wiped his eyes. “My black heart is probably the
only virgin part on me.”

13. “No shit! I’m fucking angry! I can’t even fuck another woman without
seeing her face. I can’t stop wanting her. I’ll never have what I want. How can I
bring the broken pieces of my soul back together? He won’t let me.” Erick pointed
at his reflection. “The wretched beast!”

To celebrate, I'm giving away two special items this month.
A signed copy of Tormented Soul and a gift from my favorite store, Lover's Lane.

All you have to do is leave a comment on any post from Feb.1st until midnight the 14 th, the holiday for love... Valentine's Day .

Names will be placed into a drawing and the winner will be picked and announced on February 15.

Tormented Soul

Blurb:
Erick McAlister is known as London’s Most Dangerous Bachelor; he enjoys scotch, women, and spending time in the London underground club The Skunk’s Den. He’s never had a real relationship, women only want him for one thing but he desires more. When the one he vowed he would never toy with, Lynn Westmore, gives him an unexpected proposition, his life takes an enjoyable turn.

Just as he is beginning to find happiness, tabloids headline him, a woman from his past announces she’s expecting his child, someone is trying to kill him, and he finds himself questioning his relationship with the young courier he’s hired to teach him to ride his new motorcycle. Even though his life is in torment, he begins to believe in love, something he never thought he’d feel. Unfortunately, Lynn doesn’t think Erick could ever be faithful to one woman, let alone be in love with her, so when she finds herself in love with him she runs.

Erick falls into a spiral of depression, and it takes his brother and closest friends to bring him to his senses. When he finds out a magazine has rated him as the World’s Most Dangerous Bachelor, he agrees to do the interview only if Lynn is the photographer and uses the opportunity to let Lynn know how he feels; he offers his heart to her one more time.

EXCERPT 1
“British Airways’ Flight 112 to New York will be boarding through gate sixty-five momentarily.”

Lynn quietly reached down and picked up her flight bag. She looked at the boarding pass in her hand. Funny that she didn’t feel like she was going home, but more like she was leaving home. This last trip had been so different from all the others and had taken an emotional toll on her. Perhaps an uneventful stay at her father’s would be just what she needed before returning to finish her photo shoot.

Erick McAlister reached out and adjusted the strap on her shoulder. He glanced toward the gate Lynn would be going through and noticed a young couple saying their good-byes. They spoke softly in between tender kisses, holding each other in a tight embrace. His black heart thudded in his chest. He wondered if that would ever be him; if he was capable of loving, or being loved.

His best friend, Andrew, had been a tormented soul like himself, and against odds found love and happiness with his sister, Elizabeth. Erick thought back to a time when he tasted the sweetness of comfort and contentment. Andrew had been determined to pay Elizabeth and Lynn a surprise visit at Hampton House and persuaded him and his brother Michael to join him.

Through Erick’s life, Lynn Westmore was the only woman to affect him like she did, and he didn’t like it. The night he was changed, he drank himself to oblivion to avoid his uneasy feelings. Unknown to him, his sister had put her best friend in his room during her stay. After retiring in a drunken state to his old bed, he woke in the morning with Lynn in his arms.

She had become a first of sorts. The first woman to sleep with him in his bed at Hampton House, the first to wake with him in the morning, and the first woman to share a bed and not be ravished. As tempting his lustful desires were that morning, he enjoyed the quiet conversation and her presence more than any sexual conquest. With Lynn he found a small piece of serenity he’d only dreamed of.

“Well, it’s almost time,” Lynn’s voice brought him back to the present. “I’ve been gone from the States so long; I hope I haven’t forgotten where I live.”

“Well if you can’t find it, Erick said, “you know you are always welcome at Hampton House. When did you say you will be back?”

“Some time in the spring; depends on the weather. I have a couple of locations I need to go back to. These books on English gardens are scheduled to go to press during the summer, so I have a time factor to work with.” She tilted her auburn head, her brown eyes sparkled, her smile teased. “Are you going to miss me?”

“Yes. I will.”

Lynn put her arms around his waist to give him a hug before she boarded. She felt his arms tighten around her and wondered what it would be like to be loved by him. She felt she could never compete with the beautiful women he surrounded himself with; he was just out of her league. She knew he was a man with worldly knowledge of women, a man capable of incredible passion; a man with such sexual prowess and confidence he would never find satisfaction in someone with her lack of experience.

Erick wanted the moment to last forever. He felt faint stirrings in his black heart. He had broken hearts and strained some marriages. Over the years his reputation grew as a lover, a prince of seduction and passion. To him, women couldn’t be trusted and were nothing but a sport. But he refused to get involved with Lynn because he couldn’t bear to hurt her. Lynn was too good of a person to be played with. He trusted her and her friendship.

He ran his hand up her back, along her neck and cupped her face. He looked deep into her eyes.

“Sweet Lynn,” his voice was a husky whisper. “These last few months have probably been the best as well as my worst. You have heard my secrets and you know of the monster that lives inside me, yet you’ve been a good friend to me. I want you to know I trust you as I would trust my own sister. Thank you.”

He caressed her cheek with his thumb. Her lips were so inviting. He remembered the shock he had felt when he kissed her on New Years Eve. Only a few days had passed and he still felt their heat. He dipped his head and brushed his lips across hers.



“Good bye, Lynn.” He pulled away from her. “Have a good flight.”

It took everything Lynn had to remain on her feet. On the inside, she shook head to toe, from his touch and his kiss. Looking into his green eyes, she saw sadness. She smiled as she bade him farewell, then turned toward her boarding gate.


What a lousy way to start the year, he thought. All alone. His best friend had married his sister over the holidays and they were honeymooning in the American Southwest. Lynn was gone. His father and brother would be leaving in a few days. Perhaps he should visit the Underground Clubs as soon as he returned to London and find someone to warm the cold winter nights. For some reason, the thought didn’t sound very appealing at the moment, but would surely change by the time he dressed in his favorite leathers and disappeared into the London night.




To celebrate, I'm giving away two special items this month.
A signed copy of Tormented Soul and a gift from my favorite store, Lover's Lane.

All you have to do is leave a comment on any post from Feb.1st until midnight the 14 th, the holiday for love... Valentine's Day .

Names will be placed into a drawing and the winner will be picked and announced on February 15.

Words from the Author - Tormented Soul

Authors sometimes will put alot of energy to produce a story and sometimes the story simply happens. Tormented Soul was a delightful combination.

Painted Soul was not written to be the first book in The Soul Series, but actually happened accidentally. While writing Painted Soul, I enjoyed creating the supporting characters. As the book progressed, the main character’s two brothers, Erick and Michael, began to develop. Around the same time, I read “Seduced by a Rogue” by Connie Mason. I was infatuated with the cover and that became Erick to me; until he turned into more of a Val Kilmer.

Erick’s story took a year to write and was fun to research. I studied speech patterns of young Englishmen and poured over maps of London as well as personal photos. I went online to “look” at homes for sale that Erick would consider living in. Feeling like a fish out of water, I visited a local motor sport shop to find out what kind of motorcycles my characters would ride and what kind of gear they’d need.

(Thanks goes out to Birch Run Motor Sports for putting up with all my questions!)

At one point, I stopped writing when I wasn't happy with my ending. When it finally came to me, I wrapped it up! The final draft of the second book, Tormented Soul, was complete at 136,217 words.

Thanks to my mom for pushing me to find love for my rouge character... because "he deserved to be loved".

To celebrate, I'm giving away two special items this month.
A signed copy of Tormented Soul and a gift from my favorite store, Lover's Lane.

All you have to do is leave a comment on any post from Feb.1st until midnight the 14 th, the holiday for love... Valentine's Day .

Names will be placed into a drawing and the winner will be picked and announced on February 15.

Fire Up For February - Tormented Soul Celebration Give Away

Tormented Soul is the second book in the Soul Series.
Tormented Soul was released in February, the second month of the year.
Tormented Soul was released two years ago.

To celebrate, I'm giving away two special items this month.






A signed copy of Tormented Soul



and a gift from my favorite store, Lover's Lane.















All you have to do is leave a comment on any post from Feb.1st until midnight the 14th the holiday for love... Valentine's Day.


Names will be placed into a drawing and the winner will be picked and announced on February 15.

Get excited and celebrate with me!

Advice for Guys

Ok, guys...want to be romantic without being cheesy? You can do it! Simply express your romantic nature with small but sweet gestures.

According to Marla Martenson, author of Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker it’s important for a guy to show a woman his romantic side since so many women believe guys seem to have commitment issues.

“A woman wants to be shown that a man cares and that he’s a protector. Even though women are tough and working as CEO’s of companies and doctors and lawyers, they still have that dream of Prince Charming riding up on the horse and showering her with love and affection and having that fairy tale romance,“ says Martenson. Martenson believes the lack of romance in a relationship can seriously affect a couple’s emotional intimacy, sex life and friendship. A relationship simply cannot grow and thrive without it.

“Without romance a relationship gets stale, boring and unexciting,” notes Martenson. “Both partners may eventually start looking outside the relationship to find that special spark, and that’s the beginning of the end. By reinforcing that you care about the other person, that your relationship is worth the effort, it will helps you live in the now and enjoy each moment of time spent together.”

According to Martenson the best romantic gestures are ones that demonstrate that a man isn’t afraid of being a gentleman and is more than willing to be chivalrous. “In our modern times of women being equal to men, a woman still wants to be treated like a lady, protected and cherished,” says Martenson. “If a guy shows his caring, yet manly side to her, the combo will surely win her over.”

5 romantic gestures that aren’t cheesy

#1 Pay attention to what she likes and enjoys.
Notice what her favorite candy bar is or that she likes Coke instead of Pepsi.

#2 Call her during the day to check in.
She will feel secure and love that you are thinking about her.

#3 Be nice to her pet.
Bring a treat or a toy for her dog or cat, which she most likely considers her child, and you will score big points.

#4 Listen when she talks.
Most men subscribe to the idea that women talk too much, so they often tune out. Really try to listen and show that what she has to say matters.

#5 Brag about how beautiful and intelligent she is in front of your friends.
Let them know how lucky you are to be with such a treasure.

Thursday Thirteen - 13 Date Night Ideas

Juggling jobs, kids, after-school activities, and more, it is hard to find time together as a couple. Setting aside one night a week as a Date Night helps relieve stress and keep the flame burning. If you don't have a honey to share with, grab your best pal!

Consider not leaving the Date to just nights, include any free time during the day or weekend.

Here are a few ideas.

Ideas for staying home.
1. Give each other a massage.

2. Cook a meal together.

3. Have breakfast in bed.

4. Have a movie marathon.

Ideas for going out.
5. Go out for dinner.

6. Skip dinner and just do dessert. Try sharing a huge banana split!

7. Visit a local bookstore or hobby shop.

8. Stop in your favorite coffee shop.

9. Bowling.

10. Take a walk at midnight and go stargazing.

11. Take a winery or brewery tour.

12. Balloon rides.

13. Attend a festival together.




HAPPY TT!

Check out Romance Writers Behaving Badly for another Thursday Thirteen - 13 Romantic Bath Tips.

HAPPY HUMPDAY

Tempting Tuesday - Creamy Hot Chocolate

It's cold outside so make some hot chocolate and curl up under a cozy blanket with your honey.
Ingredients1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 1/2 cups hot water
Mini marshmallows (optional)

Directions1.In large saucepan over medium heat, combine sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, vanilla and salt; mix well. Slowly stir in water. Heat through, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Top with marshmallows, (optional). Store covered in refrigerator.

Footnotes
MICROWAVE In 2-quart glass measure, combine all ingredients except marshmallows. Microwave on 100% power (HIGH) 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Top with marshmallows if desired. Store covered in refrigerator. Tip: Creamy Hot Chocolate can be stored in refrigerator up to 5 days. Mix well and reheat before serving.

Excerpt Monday

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate just an writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.


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Excerpt from Tormented Soul Chapter 1

“British Airways’ Flight 112 to New York will be boarding through gate sixty-five momentarily.”

Lynn quietly reached down and picked up her flight bag. She looked at the boarding pass in her hand. Funny that she didn’t feel like she was going home, but more like she was leaving home. This last trip had been so different from all the others and had taken an emotional toll on her. Perhaps an uneventful stay at her father’s would be just what she needed before returning to finish her photo shoot.

Erick McAlister reached out and adjusted the strap on her shoulder. He glanced toward the gate Lynn would be going through and noticed a young couple saying their good-byes. They spoke softly in between tender kisses, holding each other in a tight embrace. His black heart thudded in his chest. He wondered if that would ever be him; if he was capable of loving, or being loved.

His best friend, Andrew, had been a tormented soul like himself, and against odds found love and happiness with his sister, Elizabeth. Erick thought back to a time when he tasted the sweetness of comfort and contentment. Andrew had been determined to pay Elizabeth and Lynn a surprise visit at Hampton House and persuaded him and his brother Michael to join him.

Through Erick’s life, Lynn Westmore was the only woman to affect him like she did, and he didn’t like it. The night he was changed, he drank himself to oblivion to avoid his uneasy feelings. Unknown to him, his sister had put her best friend in his room during her stay. After retiring in a drunken state to his old bed, he woke in the morning with Lynn in his arms.

She had become a first of sorts. The first woman to sleep with him in his bed at Hampton House, the first to wake with him in the morning, and the first woman to share a bed and not be ravished. As tempting his lustful desires were that morning, he enjoyed the quiet conversation and her presence more than any sexual conquest. With Lynn he found a small piece of serenity he’d only dreamed of.

“Well, it’s almost time,” Lynn’s voice brought him back to the present. “I’ve been gone from the States so long; I hope I haven’t forgotten where I live.”

“Well if you can’t find it, Erick said, “you know you are always welcome at Hampton House. When did you say you will be back?”

“Some time in the spring; depends on the weather. I have a couple of locations I need to go back to. These books on English gardens are scheduled to go to press during the summer, so I have a time factor to work with.” She tilted her auburn head, her brown eyes sparkled, her smile teased. “Are you going to miss me?”

“Yes. I will.”

Lynn put her arms around his waist to give him a hug before she boarded. She felt his arms tighten around her and wondered what it would be like to be loved by him. She felt she could never compete with the beautiful women he surrounded himself with; he was just out of her league. She knew he was a man with worldly knowledge of women, a man capable of incredible passion; a man with such sexual prowess and confidence he would never find satisfaction in someone with her lack of experience.

Erick wanted the moment to last forever. He felt faint stirrings in his black heart. He had broken hearts and strained some marriages. Over the years his reputation grew as a lover, a prince of seduction and passion. To him, women couldn’t be trusted and were nothing but a sport. But he refused to get involved with Lynn because he couldn’t bear to hurt her. Lynn was too good of a person to be played with. He trusted her and her friendship.

He ran his hand up her back, along her neck and cupped her face. He looked deep into her eyes.

“Sweet Lynn,” his voice was a husky whisper. “These last few months have probably been the best as well as my worst. You have heard my secrets and you know of the monster that lives inside me, yet you’ve been a good friend to me. I want you to know I trust you as I would trust my own sister. Thank you.”

He caressed her cheek with his thumb. Her lips were so inviting. He remembered the shock he had felt when he kissed her on New Years Eve. Only a few days had passed and he still felt their heat. He dipped his head and brushed his lips across hers.

“Good bye, Lynn.” He pulled away from her. “Have a good flight.”

It took everything Lynn had to remain on her feet. On the inside, she shook head to toe, from his touch and his kiss. Looking into his green eyes, she saw sadness. She smiled as she bade him farewell, then turned toward her boarding gate.

What a lousy way to start the year, he thought. All alone. His best friend had married his sister over the holidays and they were honeymooning in the American Southwest. Lynn was gone. His father and brother would be leaving in a few days. Perhaps he should visit the Underground Clubs as soon as he returned to London and find someone to warm the cold winter nights. For some reason, the thought didn’t sound very appealing at the moment, but would surely change by the time he dressed in his favorite leathers and disappeared into the London night.



Links to other Excerpt Monday writers

Joining us this week:
Jaleta Clegg, Sci-fi (PG13)

Sable Hunter, Erotic Romance (R)
Ali Katz, Erotic Romance/Fantasy (R)
Allison Kelsey, Chick Lit (R)

Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

As always, our hostesses Bria Quinlan (PG13), Alexia Reed (R), Rachel Jameson (PG13) and Kendal Corbitt (R) thank you for stopping by!





Remember to visit during February. Every time you leave a comment you will be put into a drawing to win a signed copy of Tormented Soul and a special gift from Lover's Lane.

Contest in February

February will mark the 2 year anniversary of the 2nd book in the Soul Series. To celebrate, I'm featuring excerpts and interviews with characters from the book. Anytime some one posts a comment, they will be put into a drawing to win a signed copy of Tormented Soul and a special gift from Lover's Lane.