Sequestered

I've been chasing the same rung on this wheel for a while now and I'm making the tough choice of going into seclusion, folks. It's time to 'go back to the salt mines' as my agent would say, time to put the nose to the grindstone. I'm close enough to the end of my contemporary western to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and will be sequestering myself to get the book finished.

I will still come out of hiding for Lyrical Press's launch day festivities. I can't miss the momentous occasion of my first paranormal romace being released, or my friend launching her company!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

(Well...not totally wordless. I use this as an inspiration pic when writing my contemporary western. My hubby got this shot while hunting in Colordao.)

WESTERN SAMPLER

For those readers out there hankering for some western action:


Mud seeped through my clothes, caked my scalp. Water dripped from my body when I crawled from the muck. I managed to collapse on the bank, where the damp mud held me in a wet embrace and fresh snow blanketed me. I panted, watching the plumes of my breath rise while the cold soaked into my bones, into my guts which lay inert beneath my skin.

Irony struck me like an icy club. I’d left Matt because I was afraid he’d kill me; now here I lay, dying. A sick, strangled laugh escaped me. Black fields encroached on my vision, and a chilly invitation to a long cold sleep tempted.

“What in the world?”

A voice rang in the little snow filled dell. I lifted my head from my icy bed and saw a man in a low profile Stetson hat riding toward me on a white horse. The image of him sitting astride the horse framed in snowfall was etched like ice in my mind. Our eyes locked. “Gid-up!” He spurred the horse and it charged around the edge of the pond I’d stumbled into.

The man dropped from the saddle and pushed his hat from his head. Steam rose from his dark hair, but it was his expression that flared hope in me. His eyes were as blue as polar ice, but as soft as an angel’s robes. I wanted to look at his face forever, but my eye lids sagged. His hands were clear in my hazy vision. Hands weren’t always good--Matt hit me with his hands. A little knot of fear unwound in my gut, but this man was gentle. “Come on, Girl. Stay with me.”

I tried to speak, but when my jaw unclenched nothing come out. He nodded, and a frown knit his brows together. He pulled the gloves from his hand and patted my thighs and arms. “You’re soaked to the bone and freezing.” I wanted to nod my head in agreement, but my fine motor skills were frozen, too. His fleece lined jacket smelled of Stetson cologne when he pulled it off, the scent of sweat sweetened with fabric softener rose from his long underwear shirt. “Let me help you.”

I couldn’t fight him if I wanted to. I had no strength left. My field of vision narrowed as my eyelids drooped again. He wadded the shirt into a soft mass, and patted my face dry. The brush of the shirt stung my cheeks, but I was grateful. He wiped down my arms as my head lolled to one side. I was less appreciative when he used the shirt to sop water from my shoulders and chest. Pain blazed from my shoulder socket and radiated through my arm and chest. A weak cry escaped my lips, but onsetting hypothermia had iced over my tear ducts.

“Oh my, I am so sorry!” He stopped, placing a warm hand on my cheek and shushing me. “We have to dry you before you freeze to death.”

It might be too late for that.

He stood, more silhouette than man, to my fuzzy vision. Putting his hat back on, he bent to wrap me in the clothing he’d removed. But I couldn’t feel him touching me--I was beyond that, slipping into the numb, quiet dark. The pain eased. The cold eased. My vision failed. There was only me, and him. His chest was the last thing I saw when he wrapped his arm around my back. The last thing I felt was the warmth of his bare skin.

Me and him.

Me.

black

EXCERPT from Prey for Mercy

I promised you an excerpt from Prey for Mercy, and here it is!:

“I get the winner.”

Her jaw dropped, but his rose in a grin. He winked. “We’ll see about that.”

Ooh, playful banter? My soul sang with his implied challenge. He was an excellent choice of prey. I batted my eyelashes and leaned forward to allow him a generous peek down my top while I studied the shot he was lining up. His line of sight traveled from the cue ball, across the green felt to the flesh I exposed. I inhaled an exaggerated sigh, thrusting my breasts all but out of my top.

Take the bait, pretty boy.

He took a long look, then allowed his gaze to roam my body and face. The blonde, who still stood feet away, reached a boil. “Chase Rogers! Quit looking at that bitch!”

He threw her a silencing glare, and then looked back to me, a hint of mischief sparkling in his eyes. “So...” He sidestepped his pool cue, and leaned close enough for the warmth of his cheek to penetrate mine. “Do you have a name, or will ‘bitch’ do?”

“Call me Mercy.” I closed the distance between us, brushing my lips against his cheek and my breast against his arm.

Time froze. I lived within his heart beat, my mind and soul whirring. A feminine voice within argued against the monster in my blood. Chase’s body by mine, warm and alive, pumping precious blood through his veins. I should have craved his flesh, desired to cut open his vein and drink, but I was bewitched. He was handsome, engaging, spirited enough to ignore the shrew and flirt with me. Perhaps bed sports would be better than bloodshed?

“Mercy me…” Chase’s voice rang in my ears, but it was his touch that broke the spell. His fingers traced a warm path along my cheek bone.

“If you’re lucky.”

Chase’s eyes remained locked on mine but his hand dropped from my jaw, brushing against my breasts on the way back to his pool cue. He diverted his gaze to the white ball, drawing the stick in his hands back before striking the ball. Blue chalk scattered from the force of contact. The cue ball rocketed forward, clipping a solid orange ball on the side and sending it into the side pocket with a snap.

“Nice shot.” His friend’s shoulders sagged. “I didn’t think you’d make it.”

“I have to win.” Chase shot a glance at his friend, and then winked at me. “Because Mercy gets the winner.”

FRESH NEW COVERS!

Yes, I am spoiled. Renee gave me a second cover for Prey for Mercy, and I love love love this one because it has Mercy's love interest on it, too. *sigh* Man beauty is good. And, as an added bonus, I have the official tagline and blurb for you, too! :)

TAGLINE:

Immortality is not enough.

BLURB:

Vampire Mercy Callahan wants more from immortality than sex with strangers and an eternal string of lonely nights. Something's missing until she shares a sizzling one-night-stand with Chase Rogers. His blood is ambrosia, his soul a match to her own, and his presence a talisman against the biting loneliness within.

Chase wants everything Mercy can give, but he's not free. He's betrothed to Angel Macoby, a dangerously unbalanced mortal who's stalked Mercy for years.

Only one woman can survive the deadly rivalry, and if Angel wins, she may walk away with more than Mercy's life.

CHECK IT OUT ON LPI's SITE!

And my short horror story has survived AA's sad demise, resurrected with LPI.

It will be part of my Dead by Dawn series that will eventually be bound in a print collection. Straight horror here, folks, none of that mushy stuff. :)

TAGLINE:

Sometimes you can't go home.

BLURB:

In the black heart of the forest lies a forgotten house. Decayed and deserted, it is home to only dark heritage. The rooms have long been empty, its owners lost, but not yet gone.

Something exists in the shadows. A hunger grows, an aching need calling out for sustenance, calling out for blood.

The homestead awaits.

CHECK IT OUT ON LPI's SITE!

Wow

All I have to say is this bitch should be singing rock and roll.

NEW COVER

My friend Renee has started her own publishing company and I am so thrilled for her and proud to say that DragonSpell Publishing will be releasing my first vampire story Prey for Mercy this upcoming spring!

More news, maybe a blurb and excerpt, coming soon!

Fresh snow, fresh story ideas

Ready for a shock? (Drum roll please...) THIS is my newest writing venture:

That's right. I'm writing a Western Romance. It is a sweet tale of new love healing old wounds, of acceptance and forgiveness. I don't want to put too much out in the public view yet, but it is part of a series, and is going to win the hearts of women readers everywhere!

For now, however, the sinus infection is winning and the couch is calling my name...

Sneak Peek

Okay, Peoples. We don't have a release date, and I can't give you all the details at this time, but I CAN show you the hot new cover for that project that I mentioned with Aphrodite's Apples.

RESURRECTED

New love emerges when past lives collide.

*cover art butt dance* How's that for eye candy, Ladies? :) RESURRECTED is a love story as hot as the sands of Egypt beneath the daytime sun. "And that's all I got to say about that..."

Naggy Nancy

Yup, that's right, my girlfriend Nancy Lindquist nagged me this morning for not posting in my blog in a while. So, I'm gonna update any readers here.

Nancy and I are actually working together on a *gasp* non-fiction project. It's a pretty cool idea, and one that my agent likes. She already has a publishing house (which she sells buttloads of books to) in mind for it. As things progess, I will update y'all here.

I sold a short story under my penname to The Wild Rose Press's Scarlet Rosette line. In other words, it's a hot and naughty little diddy. :) And, I am working on a super secret project for Aphrodite's Apples.

Past that, I'm kind of in a rewrite mode, with two different stories going through revisions. And, the sequel to Nuermar's Last Witch is in the works, working title of Nuermar's Only Guardian. It will follow the life of Jartis, Maelis's son. I'm also taken one of my penname's stories over as my own, and changing the title to boot. It's a dark dark (repeated on purpose) paranormal about a werewolf who is a real bitch.

Otherwise, it's hot and humid here. If you know me personally, then you know Summer is NOT my favorite season. Give me Fall! Crisp autumn air. Colored leaves. Sweatshirts and jeans. Hot cocoa. And kids in school!!!

Sneak Peek!

Rene Lyons and Stella Price are working on something awesome, and I get to be a part of it! So, I figured I'd give ya'll a sneak peek...

The gun?? It's a Glock, from the hubby's personal stash. :)

AHOY MATEYS!

FIND THE SEXY PIRATES!

Four Samhain authors challenge you to sail the high seas in search of sexy pirates! Your reward? Pieces of eight?

The Treasure:
A Samhain Gift Certificate for $20 * A copy of one book from each author * A treasure made by hand from each of the authors—a necklace, a bracelet, a book thong, and a candle!

Your First Mates:
AE Rought, Ciar Cullen, Ingela Hyatt, and Ann Cory

Your Mission:
Find the sexy pirates (hint: they look a lot like Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom for some reason)
Find the treasure chest

Your map:
http://www.ciarcullen.com/
http://aerought.blogspot.com/
http://www.anncory.com/
http://www.ingelahyatt.com/

BONUS HINT: Don’t forget Myspace and Livejournal pages linked at each site!

How to Win!
Visit each of the links above and look for the treasure chest. Then find two sexy pirates at each site in addition to the treasure chest. Jot down where you found the pirates and the treasure chest, and email your answers to ciar@ciarcullen.com
Don’t forget to tell us the title of the book where you found the treasure, or if it was on the homepage or blog of the author. Simply tell us the author’s name isn’t good enough. You’ll walk the plank for that!

CONTEST RUNS THROUGH JUNE! Don’t give up, if you have questions, email ciar@ciarcullen.com!

RENE LYONS HIJACK!!

Hey everyone! Rene Lyons here. Because I'm all laid up recovering from surgery, I've humbly begged my non-blood related sister, AE, to post this for me. Isn't it nice of her that I didn't have to get down on bended knee or offer up a kidney to get her to say yes?

I'm here to announce the print release of The Daystar. Yay! It's my second book to go to print and book two of the Templar Vampire series.

Here's the blurb:

Always feeling different from the world around her, a power grows within Lexine Parker. In the light is where she belongs—even as she finds herself thrust into the nocturnal realm of the Templar vampires.

Scarred by a brutal past, Constantine is a creature consumed with rage. He knows only darkness and sin. Believing he fights a losing battle of redemption, heaven is something he doesn’t dare hope for—until Lexine makes him believe salvation is possible.

Locked away in an ancient castle, they come together in body and spirit, searching for love to chase away the darkness. With Constantine’s soul at stake and Lex’s life on the line, the nights tick down to a cataclysmic event that could tear them apart forever.

Constantine was a real trip to write. He's all things dark and dangerous. Being in his head for the five months it took me to write Daystar was a trip down an emotional roller coaster. His backstory was brutal and often forced me to step away from the computer. To counter his darkness there is Lex. She was a heroine who I truly enjoyed writing. I liked her. It was nice to watch her find her strength. And man, did she need it to deal with the crap I threw at her. Not to mention she had to be able to stand up to the most fierce of all the Templar Vampires. Saying goodbye to them when I'd finished the book damn near killed me. I still find myself "writing" more of their story in my head. I simply can't let go of them. Thankfully, I have them make appearances in the final three books. That's the beauty of a series. I don't have to cut ties with characters I've come to love so much. They get to hang around a bit longer. And when you have a character like Constantine, it's always a bonus to have him stick around. *snicker*

Fictionwise's TOP TEN in Horror!

Aphrodite's Apples anthology Spellbound - Tales of Mischief & Mayhem is currently ranked as the 7th topselling Horror title over at Fictionwise!

Check it out:http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/HorroreBooks.htm

My short horror story PAST MIDNIGHT is the first title in this anthology, and is a spooky, atmospheric tale of karma come full circle. Sometimes, you can't go home...

For more information, check out Spellbound here:http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook45685.htm?cached

LMFAO

I think my sides are still hurting! Watch it only if you want ato laugh, and your NOT an animal rights activist:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f5d_1172741350

Bright blessings!

MARCH PRINT CELEBRATION CONTEST

First off, let me say "Thank you, Samhain Publishing!" for making this dream of mine a reality.
In celebration of Nuermar's Last Witch 's print release this month, I am running a big contest all month long. There are THREE PRIZES!!

PRIZES ARE:
1. An e-book of Nuermar's Last Witch, the novel reviewers are calling "a spellbinding fantasy," "an action packed adventure," and was nominated for Ecataromance's Reviewer's Choice Award.
2. A ruby and clear czech fire-polished glass bead necklace. 3. For the one who answers the trivia question correctly, Colly of Skinsations Soap and Bath Products made a goody basket! Included is a vanilla candle to set the mood, two lovely glycerin soaps of Amber Vanilla, and a bottle of Rapture scented body lotion!!

RULES:
The contest will be open all month, but there is only one way to enter:
1. Email me at AERought@gmail.com
2. put MARCH CONTEST in the subject line
3. in the body of the email put either
· NECKLACE
· BOOK, or
· TRIVIA (only for the goody basket)

The trivia question is:
Which monk who first greets Maelis and Joran inside the monastery?
(Please do not answer the trivia question here.)

To keep up with me, you can join DarkInk and set your email settings to Special Announcements, because I will be sending out my newsletters that way.

GOOD LUCK!!
ADDENDUM:
*onerous groan* Someone smack me, please. I've screwed up again. :( Seems I was supposed to post the needed excerpt in which the answer to my trivia question can be found. So, to keep things legal, you can find the need info in the most recent post to my LJ.
Slinking off to my cave...
AE

I've been TAGGED

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

WINNERS OF CONTEST 4!

Sorry I am so late in posting the winners, People. I got hit with tonsillitis again, and then my face just kind of blew up in a reactionary rash. :( Wasn't pretty, let me tell you! I have been down on the sofa under the influenece of drugs for days.

But, now to the winners... Everyone, let's congratulate Y, she's been trying since I started the contests, and she's finally won!!
Yolanda get's the necklace!

And Jackie Wisherd, who followed the links for a Fallen Angel's Review chat wins a copy of Nuermar's Last Witch!!

Congratulations to my winners!!

CONTEST*CONTEST*CONTEST 4th

PRIZE 1:That's right, Everyone, this necklace will be this Friday's prize (again!)! And, yes, as with the bear, I made this piece. It's a gorgeous necklace of black Czech glass, and red crystals with antiqued silver accents. Great for dressy wear wear, or that vampire/werewolf look!

PRIZE 2:Another copy of Nuermar's Last Witch will be given away this Friday! People need to read this story that The Romance Studio calls, "A spellbinding fantasy," that is "an exciting action-packed adventure that will enthrall the readers. A familiar plot where the hero and heroine set forth on a quest in search of objects of power to save the kingdom is made new by the exciting action and the surprising magical elements described in the story."

RULES: To make it easy on everyone, you may comment on the blog, with which prize you'd prefer, of email me at AERought@gmail.com. :)

Love and Light and best of luck!

AE

WINNERS of Contest 3

Wow! You ladies commenting in this blog made out like bandits in this drawing!! Every single winner is a recent commentor here. Way to GO!



Thanks go to my DH, who did the drawing for me this week, again. He's such a big help! Plus, it gives me a reason to post this picture--probably my favourite one of him :P



Okay, so here's how it shakes down:

1.) Annalisa (a newcomer) gets a copy of NUERMAR'S LAST WITCH

2.) Sue A gets a copy of SPELLBOUND

3.) Jennybrat wins the necklace

Ladies, please email me at AERought@gmail.com You lucky book winners will need to give me their email address, and Jennybrat will, of course, need to give me her postal address.

*Next week, if I haven't heard from Contest 2's winners, I will once more offer those prizes--gotta be fair to everybody, giving time to the winners, and giving another opportunity to those who didn't win the first time around.*


I'm waiting on you!


Smooches~


AE