Monday, April 28, 2014

Free read: one of my favorite Beguiled scenes.

I really want to share this scene with you my distracted readers!
It's one of my favorite Beguiled scenes. Read along and let me know your thoughts! Oh, I've added a couple of images so  that you can have a glimpse...

The knock on the door made my heart pump fast. I got up and looked at my face in the mirror. Awful image. Red eyes and dark circles underneath. I quickly fixed my hair in a sloppy bun but there was no time to change the bathrobe I was still in.
    “Emma? Can I come in?” That voice. The voice I adored.
    “Come in,” I said, biting my lip. Christopher looked tired too. It was obvious that he hadn’t slept either. He was holding his cell phone.
     “They’ve just called. In about two minutes they’ll call back. You’ll be able to talk to your boyfriend.”
     “Stop calling him my boyfriend.”
     “Right. I meant your…friend,” he mocked.
      “Did you get anything out of them? Did they say where they’re keeping him?”
     “No. I’m sorry. It’s obvious that they still don’t trust me.”
    “Why don’t they? You’re one of them now, aren’t you?” I was deliberately trying to hurt him, but he didn’t seem to take the hint.
     “You’re absolutely right. I am one of them. Maybe I’ve always been one of them.” And just like that, he’d turned the bow toward me. The arrow hit its target, aiming straight at my heart.
    “Hmmm.” He looked around. “It looks exactly the same. I’m surprised you haven’t changed anything,” he remarked.
What was I supposed to say? That I’d been waiting for him to come back and that I didn’t want anything changed because it all reminded me of him? I preferred to let him think exactly the opposite.
     “I’ve only been here a couple of times. I never thought about changing anything. I’ll probably sell the place.” I’d never thought about selling our house, of course, but now it occurred to me that I should put an ad about it as soon as this doomed-to-fail mission would be over.
   “That will be a very wise thing to do.” His face remained annoyingly unreadable.
   “Won’t you come inside?” I challenged him.
    “Sure. Why not?”
Christopher walked into the room with stealthy, cat-like movements. He lay on the huge bed, his palms supporting the back of his head; a sight for sore eyes to every woman. In another world, I would have thrown myself at him and covered him with kisses.
With a leisurely air, he fixed the pillows behind his head and gazed at me.
In an act of senseless bravery, I sat on the other edge of the bed. “How… How does it feel?” I asked.
    “What do you mean?”
    “How does it feel to be here? To be back.” Back with me, I wanted to say.
He smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. “What do you want to hear? That I’ve missed this place, this house, this…bed?”
     “Have you?”
     “You know the answer to that, don’t you? Trained assassins do not become attached to places or people. We cannot afford to be.” He closed his eyes. “But I have to admit, I’ve always liked this bed. Especially after having spent the last three hours lying on the sofa.”
So that was his only emotion about being here. The comfortable bed. So uninspired, so unromantic.
Then he looked at me through his half-open eyes. “But you know this, don’t you? I’m sure you and your boyfriend make the most of this bed when you meet here.”
    “What are you trying to prove?”
    “To prove? It’s just pure biology. Don’t tell me I still shock you! As far as I remember, you’ve overcome that stage.”
I felt my cheeks burn. I had an intense urge to slap him.
     “There’s no need to be so cynical,” I said instead.  Suddenly, thinking of Alex made me want to laugh. What would he say if he heard Christopher talk this way, considering my silly fixation on keeping myself pure “until the prince came back” as he used to tease me?
His mobile vibrated next to him and he took his time to answer it, ignoring the twitch I couldn’t hide.
      “Yes?” he said. Then he passed me the phone without saying anything, his eyes more blank than ever.

     “Alex?” My voice trembled.



Keep being distracted by reading,
Urania

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Free read: a steamy scene from Beguiled, paranormal,time-travel romance!

This is my thank you gift to all the readers of Urania's Distractions! Enjoy!

I made a full tray of crepes with Mateo’s “special” filling and carried it to my partners’ house. The smell was quite inviting and my appetite had now grown even more. I used my elbow to open the door. But when I got inside, Mateo was nowhere in the living room.
    “Your order is delivered, sir!” I shouted, heading towards the kitchen.
    “Mateo?” I raised my voice. No response. “He’s gone?” I whispered to myself, putting the tray on the table, disappointed.
     “But I’m here,” a mocking voice said behind me, waking up the butterflies in my empty stomach; a long-lost, cherished feeling.
I turned with a start. Christopher was standing behind me, wearing only his jeans as he leaned his bare shoulder on the cold wall. How had I missed his car outside?
    “Oh!” I flinched. “I thought Mateo …”
He walked toward me, stopping about a foot away, his bare chest too close. His smell dazzled me the same way as it used to last summer, a lifetime ago. When we weren’t worlds apart.
I tried to hold my breath.
     “Did I disappoint you?” His eyes were burning mine, making them lock on his.
      “Don’t be silly.” I tried to sound convincing.
      “Then what? Did I frighten you?” He moved his body toward me, towering above me, making me feel too small.
I stepped back and felt the kitchen table behind me. “I think I should go.”
      “I think you should. Coward,” he mocked. But he stood there, still menacing and so unearthly attractive.
We both knew the only escape was right behind him, but there was no sign that he intended to let me go. There was something in his look that scared me. Something dark and intimidating. Something baleful. Please don’t touch me! I thought. I knew if he touched me I would be easy prey in his hands. Yet, at the same time, I desperately hoped he would reach out.
And he did. His warm finger caressed my face, moving along the line of my jaw then tracing the outline of my lips.
     “You have confused me, Emma. I thought you were a composed, bashful girl. And I find you ready to throw yourself at men, just like this. Are you aiming at Mateo now? I’d never guess he’s your type. And don’t say I’ve corrupted you.” His velvet, alluring voice was drifting me toward a dangerous path. A path I knew well.
     “That’s…sick. I…I don’t like you when you talk like this.” That was the best I could come up with to say.
     “Are you afraid of me now?” His lips brushed my cheek.
     “Should I be afraid of you?”
     “Definitely. You know what I’m capable of. You’ve seen it, isn’t that right?” He whispered, his lips brushing mine.
Yes, I’d seen. But I had chosen to hide this side of him in a dark corner of my mind, a safe distance from my heart.
    “But I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to. That was the reason you brought me here after all, wasn’t it?”
I was floating. His voice was mesmerizing, his smell the most potent drug, his body the ultimate challenge. His hands found mine and he pushed them behind my waist, locking them with his left hand, holding them still. His right hand was free to touch me anywhere he wished.
     “I know your tricks, remember?” I whispered in a faint voice.
     “You have no idea.” His breath felt hot behind my ear. “It will be like nothing we’ve done before. You must have realized how different I am this time.”
I shivered when his body pressed against mine. Then I heard him chuckle.
     “What’s wrong, Emma? Doesn’t your boyfriend satisfy you? Do you want to make love to a dangerous killer like me? That’s risky you know. You may discover you can’t go back to your boyfriend after that.”
    “Christopher! Stop! Why are you doing this?” My unconvincing tone made me sound pitiful.
     “I’m not going to stop. You don’t want me to stop. That’s why you’re here.”
He unbuttoned my shirt. His scorching hand carved hot paths on my shivering body. I didn’t have time to react when his kiss blocked my voice, sending me away. Further than the time travel I had taken a few days ago. I was floating again. I knew my feet were no longer touching the ground. Christopher had carried me to his bed and when he moved to unzip my jeans, I realized it was too late. His hot breath on my breasts felt familiar. Everything about his touch was familiar. Only those cold blue eyes and the baleful grin belonged to a stranger. But I didn’t have to look into them. I could keep my eyes shut and pretend he was my Christopher again.
It took me a few seconds to realize he had stopped. I was still in another dimension when I saw his broad grin just a few inches away from my face.
     “When you’ve finished, come back to the kitchen. I can’t eat all those crepes by myself.” Mateo’s calm voice said from the door behind Christopher, sounding like nothing had happened.
     “Saved by the bell.” Christopher whispered, buttoning my shirt again. I covered my face with my hands. He got up and put on his jumper before walking to the door. He stopped and turned, his cold eyes staring at me.
    “You have to stay away from me. Next time, nobody will come to your rescue.” 

I hope I got you distracted with this!
There's more coming so drop by soon! 
In the meantime, Gate Deadlock #1 is still only 0,99$




Book Tour Giveaway: Complete by Lindy Zart


Did I forget to mention? It's a Distractions Marathon today ... Yay!
But with this New Adult Romance we will be Complete :)

Complete Banner photo CompleteBanner.jpg


Complete photo Complete.jpg
Title:   Complete

Series:  Incomplete #2

Author:  Lindy Zart

Published:  March 15th, 2014

Word Count:  82,500

Genre:  New Adult Romance

Recommended Age:  16+

Synopsis: If the truth sets one free, why does Lily Jacobs feel so trapped?

She’s learned doing the right thing isn’t always best and now she is living the consequences of her greatest sacrifice. Every day since Grayson Lee left is one she wishes he hadn’t. Years have gone by since their friendship turned to more and then was eradicated by Lily alone; enough time for their young love to fade. Only it hasn’t, not for Lily.

Now he is back and seeing him is devastating to her at the same time it is rapture. She tries to accept that they cannot be together, but everything inside her shouts that they should be; that they only fit with each other. And so she has to accept the greatest truth of all: She loves him still. She loves him enough not to let him go this time.



Excerpt from Complete by Lindy Zart:

I sit down and hazard a glance at him. “Sorry about my mom.”
He laughs. “Your mom is amazing.”
“She’s pushy.”
“She means well.”
“I doubt you want to be doing such trivial things as mowing lawns while you’re here.”
He shrugs, taking a drink of his tea. “I don’t mind. It’s kind of nice to do manual labor for a change.”
“What do you normally do for manual labor? File your nails? Maybe flex your biceps for photo shoots?”
“Ouch. You just demoralized my manhood. It may never recover.”
A smile takes over my mouth. “I’m sure one simpering look from a female and it will be restored.”
“Depends on the girl.”
“Oh, I doubt that.”
A snort is his only response.


Lindy Zart photo LindyZart.jpgAbout the Author:

Lindy Zart has been writing since she was a child. Luckily for readers, her writing has improved since then. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two sons, and one cat. Lindy loves hearing from people who enjoy her work.



Giveaway Details:

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

  • 5 PDF copies of Complete

Giveaway is International.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Keep being distracted by reading,
Urania

Book Tour Giveaway: Four Fantasy Authors!

I hope you're back to be distracted with me a little more.
Did I say little? :) 
Ready for a Fantasy MARATHON?
Enjoy!

Fantasy4-Banner photo Fantasy-Banner-2.jpg

Let's start with Finding Eve...

Fantasy4-Finding Eve photo Finding-Eve.jpg
Title:  Finding Eve

Author:  Rita Bay

Published:  September 2013

Publisher:   Champagne Book Group

Word Count:  13,500

Genre: Shape-shifter Paranormal

Content Warning:  Adult content

Recommended Age:  18+

Synopsis:

Nicholas Lyons, chief physician to the Lyons clan of shape-shifters, has mourned the death of his promised lifemate until a rogue shapeshifter reports having seen her at an exotic animal sale. Accompanied by Marie Lyons who is no stranger to the dark side, her new lifemate Anthony, and the imperious Lady Bat, he embarks on a frantic search for Eve through the dangerous world of exotic animal trafficking.

Eve, whose first memories are of recovering from an injury at an isolated animal refuge, has lived through a succession of owners in a world filled with cages and cruelty. When Eve meets Marie at the exotic animal sale, she begins to have flashes of a different life – a life in which she was something other than feline. Her last sale, however, has landed her as prey to exotic animal hunters and the clock is ticking.



Fantasy4-author Rita Bay photo Rita-Bay.jpgAbout the Author:

Rita’s journey began on the Gulf Coast. Over the years, she lived and/or traveled in the eastern US and Western Europe. While juggling family and work, she participated in archaeological digs, earned a black belt in Shotokan karate, prospected for gold and crystals, camped across Europe, and volunteered with the American Red Cross Disaster and Education Services. Rita has worked as a registered nurse, educator and school system administrator. She lives with her family on the Gulf Coast, except when she’s in Atlanta, at least for now.

Rita is published in multiple genres with several publishers including paranormal and erotic novellas (Champagne Book Group – Champagne Books and Carnal Passions), historical novels (Siren BookStrand), and contemporary F/M and M/M novellas (Secret Cravings). She posts random bits of historical trivia about western history and culture on Rita Bay’s Blog at ritabay.com.


Excerpt from Finding Eve by Rita Bay:


Nick tamped down his panic. Eve’s neurological tests, scans, X-rays and vital signs were all within normal limits, but his lifemate had remained unconscious for over twenty-four hours.

“Tell me what happened again.”

Marie sat with her head in her hands. She’d not left Eve’s side since her call after Eve’s collapse had alerted Anthony that something was very wrong.

“We’d talked it out after you left. She was ready to make the change--had even picked out the dress she wanted to wear after she shifted. We were touching so she could feel what I was doing. She made the shift quickly. No problem. Then she just fell over. Like I said a dozen times before.”

“She’d never expressed interest in shifting before. You sure you didn’t push her?”

“No, damn it, I didn’t. She heard what you said about leaving Lyons’ Den. She didn’t want to leave. She thought if she shifted, you would allow her stay here. This is her home now.”

He wanted to kick himself. Eve was sensitive, fragile even, since she’d returned. The last thing he should have mentioned was leaving Lyons’ Den. It was her home and he was going to take her away. He felt himself begin to shift. It was too sudden. He might not be able to control himself.

“Quiet, Nicky. I was sleeping.”

“Evie?”

“Who else runs free in your head?”

“You’ve been unconscious for more than a day.”

“Been sleeping. Change hurt.”

“I told Marie she shouldn’t have allowed you to change.”

“Afraid you and Tony send me away. Marie gave me shiny dress.”

“You always were an acquisitive kit. I will give you whatever clothing you wish.”

“Wanted Marie’s dress. She is like me. She knows.”

“What does Marie know that I don’t?”

“Hurt. Fear. Alone.”

“I want that part of your past to go away. Since I thought you were dead, I felt the pain. Alone was the worst. I want things how they were with us before.”

“Can’t. Not yet. Can’t speak in my human form. Don’t know why.”

“What can I do to make it better, Evie?”

“Find my past.”


And now... here's The Pact...

Fantasy4-The Pact photo The-Pact.jpgTitle:  The Pact

Author:  Graeme Brown

Published:  May 2013

Publisher:  Champagne Book Group

Word Count:   17,000

Genre:  Dark Epic Fantasy

Recommended Age:  12+

Synopsis:

Enter the world of Will Lesterall, a boy who’s grown up in the safety of his father’s castle.

Tales of the outside world ruled by warring kings and creatures of nightmare have never seemed a threat, yet on the night celebrating two hundred years of the sacred Pact that has kept Fort Lesterall safe, intrigues ripen, and in the course of a few hours Will is confronted with a choice greater than he can comprehend.

Join an unlikely hero as destiny pulls him into the middle of an ancient conflict between fallen gods and ambitious women, one that demands blood, both holy and wicked, and the power of an ancient fire bound in steel. As swords clash below a watching wood, hope and betrayal war as fiercely as fear and valor.

Whether he lives or dies, Will Lesterall will never be the same.



Fantasy4-Author Brown photo Graeme-Brown.jpgAbout the Author:

Graeme Brown has been enchanted by the epic fantasy genre since he was a child, and consequently he started creating his own world with its stories at the age of thirteen. Influenced by writers like J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan, and George R. R. Martin, he has finally brought the first of those stories to life with his debut title, a short story called The Pact—48 pages that will whisk you away to a dark, medieval fantasy world with gritty realism. When he’s not writing, he can be found exploring number theory problems or writing computer programs, training for a marathon, or unwinding in a yoga hot room. He has also explored other facets of art, both as a hobby and a profession, including vector graphics, pen and ink, classical piano, and web design. He just finished writing the first of many sequels to The Pact, A Thousand Roads.


Excerpt from The Pact by Graeme Brown:


Will felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Lie down,” the woman cooed.

The blade glowed like the moon through its sheen of blood and Will obeyed slowly, feeling the stone’s icy kiss against the back of his neck. He cursed himself in his mind, but the voice had no power. That was your only chance. You’re dead now. There’s no stopping her.

He still shook with grief, his whole body cold. He saw Robin and the fear in his brother’s eyes. The pain. Will wanted to run, but his body wouldn’t move. Finally, he closed his eyes, whimpering, folding up his legs and turning on his side.

He waited and waited, but the moment didn’t come. He waited more, before finally summoning the courage to open his eyes...



Ready for more? Let me take you to the  Tower of Obsidian

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Title:   Tower of Obsidian

Author:  L. T. Getty

Published:  February 2013

Publisher:  Champagne Book Group

Word Count:  115,000

Genre:  Epic Fantasy

Content Warning:  Minor Violence

Recommended Age:  13+

Synopsis:

When Kale mac Tadhg is betrayed by his Lord’s men, he is sent on an impossible quest: slay a witch in a tower, and end a people’s curse. Both Kale’s best friend and brother-in-arms Aaron Smithson and former betrothed Aoife of Westgate set out to rescue him, but their journey takes them into the uncharted waters and Northwestern Nordic colonies, to a land cursed and all but forgotten. They begin to realize that there is some truth to old legends. Kale’s rescue comes at a price—for by the time Aaron and Aoife know where to search, like so many before him, Kale is bound to the ancient tower’s fate.




Fantasy4-Author Getty photo LT-Getty-Pic.jpg
About the Author:

L.T. Getty started writing her first novel in junior high, and hasn’t really stopped since. She’s studied kendo, is an open water scuba diver, and has recently taken up archery, and hopes to learn to do it horseback some day. When she’s not writing, she works as a paramedic. When she is writing, it tends to be rather cheeky.



Excerpt from Tower of Obsidian by L.T. Getty:


You know how the tale is supposed to go. The maiden is seized, captured by some foul villain. The hero gives chase, defeats the villain, and rescues her. The maid and hero wed and live happily ever after. But suppose it doesn’t go like that. No doubt there have been countless stories of maidens taken by villains. Some are rescued, others are killed, and however tragic their stories, they are ended.

What if one of these maidens lingered in darkness, with puzzles unsolved, her dragons unslain?

She was stolen, like so many before her and many who came after. Was she a goddess, a nymph, or a common girl of great beauty? It matters little. He seized her and forced her into a dark tower, which even the gods could not destroy. Oh how they tried, sending their sons to battle him. All failed.

The wicked sorcerer enticed her, tried to trick and confuse her, but she would never submit. In rage, or perhaps when it seemed the tide was turning, and perhaps her true love finally came, the sorcerer, rather than lose her, cursed her. He locked her in a prison, and she and the tower became one.

At last, the sorcerer was destroyed, but not sent forth to the land of the dead, or chance his evil would survive the grave. Undying, he remained a fragmented wraith, a wicked creature, the villain in countless stories. Perhaps, that was why his defeat did not undo her curse, for she remained a prisoner in the dark spire.

Her would-be hero, defeated at the end, died of a broken heart. The lands around the tower grew dark, as if the world itself knew the tale was too sad. Surely, she was worth rescuing? Surely, there was another who could save her?

Imagine then, if you were she: your beauty, your curse, and your true love stolen from you. Imagine your father playing one suitor off another. All the while, the other women despise you. Imagine being changed—much like how a god would turn a nymph into a cow, a goddess into the body of a mortal. Confined to a prison, and even if it were the finest castle in all the lands, heaven, earth, or the underworld, still a cage. All the while, you wait for a rescue which never comes. The spell will not allow you to die nor to grow old. You are stagnant in a world where stories of old become legends, and legends forgotten—dismissed as childish fancy.

No, child, surely you do not wish to know that story. Maidens must be rescued, the good endure, and evil smote. Even though you know what is true or fair is not so in your life, you expect nothing else in your story. It is how the story is supposed to go. You will accept nothing but a proper ending. Content yourself then with stories of long hair and spinning wheels.


Last but not least, The Queen’s Pawn... 

Fantasy4-Queens Pawn photo The-Queens-Pawn.jpgTitle:  The Queen’s Pawn

Author:   R. J. Hore

Published: April 2013

Publisher:  Champagne Book Group

Word Count: 91,000

Genre:  Medieval Fantasy

Recommended Age:  13+

Synopsis:

Young Harow just wanted to stay on the farm for the rest of his life, but his mother insisted he go to school in the City to study to be a priest. Now the City is in flames and he is racing across unfamiliar countryside trying to get the mysterious and sensuous Queen Reginee and her extremely annoying and very spoiled daughter Desiree-Rose to safety.

Of course there is a rebel army on their heels, black wizardry afoot, and sundry and dangerous creatures and villains, monstrous and common, seductive and evil, lurking along the way. If this were not enough for the youth to worry about, the Queen’s amorous chambermaid and bodyguard Mathilde, a smallish giantess, just wants to get him alone.



Fantasy4-Author Hore photo Ronald-Hore.jpg
About the Author:

Ron can be found sailing on Lake Winnipeg when not writing novels or critiquing for an on-line magazine He won first prize for a Canadian Authors Association short story contest for a ghostly love story, but his preference is for longer works including a recent trio of medieval-style fantasies and the Housetrap Chronicles fantasy detective series through www.burstbooks.ca . Supervised by his understanding wife and a large demanding cat, most of his writing efforts continue toward fantasy, with occasional lapses into science fiction and horror.


Excerpt from The Queen’s Pawn by R.J. Hore:


After a brief meeting with Daneld and his lieutenants, Harow, armed with a short bow, and followed by another guardsman so armed and a third carrying two spears, set off into the forest. He followed the downhill slopes, careful to mark the patterns on the trees. Remembering well the woods-lore taught by his grandfather, Harow did not wish to become lost in this unfamiliar place so far from home.

The three followed a gentle ravine until they arrived at a quiet pool of dark water surrounded by high ferns, then waited, silent. After what seemed forever, with Harow wondering if they would have to return to camp empty handed before nightfall, two deer steeped out from beneath the ferns to drink.

He and his companion loosed their shafts and both animals fell. While the guards prepared the deer for carrying, he dug in the damp earth with his sword, filling his back-sack with edible tubers and roots he recognized from his days on the farm. Gathering up their treasures, the three returned to camp and a welcoming chorus from hungry men.

“Do you really expect me to eat dead animals?” Princess Desiree-Rose stamped her foot. “Mother, this is ridiculous.”

“Now, my dear.” The queen exited from their shelter and stood up, somehow able to still appear graceful and regal even though her cloak showed the stains and dirt of travel. “We must be prepared for a little discomfort, considering our circumstances.”

“I absolutely refuse. No bath, no clean clothes, no decent food... and nobody cares.” The princess suddenly burst into tears, and pushing her way through the assembly, dashed off.

The queen motioned for Mathilde to follow after the girl, and smiled wearily at Harow. “You must forgive my daughter, Lord Rickard. When you are young, and used to being kept sheltered and safe, this must all seem very different and terrifying. Desiree-Rose did not sleep very well last night. I’m certain tonight, in the marvelous shelter you have constructed for us, will be a great improvement.”

Harow bowed and backed away to see to the evening meal. Discovering that none of the guardsmen knew anything about carving a carcass, or cooking, he set about to demonstrate how to prepare the deer by skinning and cleaning them, how to construct a fire pit and spit and commence roasting and, after finding a large pot among their baggage, how to clean and peel the tubers and roots for a soup. At last, tired and not a little hungry, he gave instructions to the guards to watch over the meal and stood up slowly, uncramping tired legs. Dried blood covered his hands, dirt stained his face. He glanced at the sky. Still an hour or so of sunlight left. Time for a wee bit of a nap before supper.

A long wailing scream split the forest air. That sound did not come from any human throat.

The queen hurried up, looking distraught. “My lord duke, have you see Desiree-Rose or Mathilde? They have not returned.”

The scream wavered and faded, then grew again in volume and pitch, sending cold shivers dashing with chill fingers along the spines of all who heard the sound. The company scrambled to their feet and stared into the depths of the forest.


Giveaway Details:

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

  • GRAND PRIZE:  One winner will receive 5 surprise fantasy eBooks from Champagne Book Group.

Giveaway is International.


Keep being distracted by reading,
Urania