Lazing By The Pool...

As much as I adore the sunshine, I prefer to spend my lazy days, when I can squeeze one in, sitting in the shade of my porch with a good book and a glass of iced tea. I’m stocked up on tea and I’ve been adding to my TBR pile for quite some time now in anticipation of a quiet little reading vacation.

Even as a kid, a good book was always a treat. I preferred one to, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, chocolate. I was hard-core, even in the early days. I think it was right after my horse-crazy phase that I discovered mysteries in the form of the Hardy Boys. They had several old copies of that wonderful series in our school library and I devoured them. I was truly hooked on reading before my grandmother introduced me to the very innocent Harlequin romances that she and her friends frequently exchanged. The titles and subject matter of the books that I enjoy these days have certainly changed, but not my interest in a great romance that includes some action and adventure.

I’m kicking off the summer a little bit early and delving into Dragons & Dirigibles by our own Cindy Spencer Pape, because I can’t get enough of her wonderful Steampunk series, The Gaslight Chronicles. Next up, Binary Witness by Rosie Claverton because I couldn’t resist the blurb, It Had to Be You by Delynn Royer because I’m fascinated by the thirties and sometimes a book just screams “Buy me!” and Josh Lanyon’s, Stranger on the Shore because I buy anything the man writes. And that’s just the top of my list!

I haven’t done this in a bit but I’m going to leave you today with a video and a snippet of Assassin’s Kiss. If I had to choose the book that I had the most fun writing, it would have to be this one. The idea for Kira and Sebastian’s story came from one of those ‘what if’ moments that most author’s enjoy (truthfully, I don’t know of any of us that don’t enjoy those moments) and has remained a favorite.

Assassin’s Kiss- Erotic Romance/Paranormal/Shapeshifter

By Paris Brandon

Copyright 2009

Ellora’s Cave

http://www.ellorascave.com/assassin-s-kiss-1.html

Excerpt: Erotic/Paranormal/shifter: Pg13

“Are you sure the woman who turned you over to the priest was your mother?” He was getting more agitated and Kira wished she had something to cover herself, something to hide behind. But this was no time to pretend she was playing a part, pretend she was normal. She fought to steady her voice.

“She told me I was the spawn of a demon and never tired of reminding me that I’d ruined her life.” She swallowed her bitterness and stuck out her chin. “Now, before this wonderful afterglow wears off, why don’t you tell me what you were doing seeking out the company of mercenaries?”

“I was planning on killing them all before you showed up looking for a date.” He narrowed his eyes. “Do you know who your sire is?”

She tamped down a memory so small and sad it barely hurt anymore.  “No,” she bit off. “She never named him.”

“Then you’re a Halfling?” He’d almost stumbled over the word and she suddenly felt colder, more alone.

“We’re all Halflings. Aren’t we?”

He clenched his jaw so tight she wondered how he managed to say, “No. We’re not.”

For one blinding second she almost let the panic overtake her. She hadn’t found her own kind, only another place she didn’t belong. Unease, like dozens of tiny pinpricks skittered over her, raising the fine hair on the back of her neck. “Would you like to explain that?”

“There isn’t time. Now, can you swim or would you rather I carried you out of here before Fontaine’s tracker, Diego figures out he’s been following a false trail since dawn?”

“They’re following me?” His anger made more sense now. “You could probably move faster if you changed and just pointed me in the right direction.”

Three angry strides brought him up against her, his gaze dark and glittering. “Actually, they’re following me. I’m guessing that you don’t have the energy to change or the gash in your side would have healed by now. Rescuing you made you my responsibility, so I’m going to ask you one more time. Can—you—swim?”

She’d come a thousand miles to find others like herself, someone to answer all of her questions. He might once they were safe. It wasn’t as if she had a lot of choices right now.

“I can swim,” she said, then mumbled, “sort of,” under her breath as he turned away and slipped through the waterfall.

Her “sort of”, was a very clumsy, fast–as–she–could–manage, dog paddle. He was still frowning, rigid with anger when he pulled her naked from the water. He yanked one arm up, nearly tipping her over. The poultice was gone, the long pink line along her ribs wasn’t.

She shivered, feeling his strength and his anger as he slid his hands up her arms and flicked away the specks of water. Blood sizzled through her at the touch of his fingers trailing down her arms possessively. As if he didn’t want to give up touching her but at the same time looked as if he might regret it.

He stepped away abruptly, motioning her to follow. With the wind at their backs, the air currents carried his scent—warm earth, human, the musky, familiar hint of jaguar. She wanted them all wrapped around her like a protective mantle. Wanted him pounding into her again, driving away the loneliness. Not even his anger dampened her desire to be held again. She was pitiful.

Half–an–hour later they reached the tree where she’d left her clothes tucked into the black, plastic garbage bag containing her meager possessions. He’d tracked her from here. The knowledge sent a shiver through her and she didn’t honestly know whether it was from excitement or fear.

She quickly dug past two pairs of frayed shorts, a dingy thermal long–sleeved shirt and a small straw doll that she carefully re-wrapped in its threadbare flannel blanket. Finding what she wanted, she pulled the tattered khaki tank–top over her head before tugging a pair of loose, army surplus fatigues over her bare hips.

“If it’s not a deep dark secret, I’d like to know a little bit more about this Halfling business.” She was trying to ignore the fact that he was still naked. His smirk told her he wasn’t bothered a bit. “Could you at least tell me where we’re going?”

“Sangre` de Luna,” he said, tensing as he sniffed the air.

Before she could ask how much farther Sangre` de Luna was, a jaguar’s cry ripped through the jungle. He lost his smirk, reached down and grabbed her bag.

“Run.”

How about you, do you buy books faster than you can read them? What’s on your TBR list that has you wanting to carve out a couple of hours of undisturbed reading pleasure? I’d love to knowJ

Until next month,

Happy Reading!

Paris Brandon

http://parisbrandon.com