Book Of Secrets (Oracle 2) out today

<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HyQwiaHN8vg/UIuuSNrTBlI/AAAAAAAAEwo/DOwxi6yJAvE/s1600/BookofSecrets400x600.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HyQwiaHN8vg/UIuuSNrTBlI/AAAAAAAAEwo/DOwxi6yJAvE/s400/BookofSecrets400x600.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/products_id/1325/"><b>BUY LINK</b></a><br /><br />Three years ago I wrote a book called Oracle and subbed it to a new publisher. I was lucky enough to have it accepted and then partnered with stunning and award winning cover art I sent it out into the world.<br /><br />Oracle - book 1 - told the story of Alex the art thief with strange powers and his Luke, a man skilled in the understanding of ancient languages.<br /><br />It received a couple of awards and was a finished book. I even recently re-edited it to make it a little less old me and more the RJ Scott that people knew...<br /><br />Until...<br /><br />Alex's character kept poking at me. He said he wanted to make amends, put the things back that he stole, and the story was there.<br /><br />And Oracle 2 Book of Secrets was born.<br /><br />Alex is making good on his promise to put things right. Along with Griff and Christopher, he is retrieving items he had stolen with Edward, and replacing them where they came from. It's dangerous work, especially considering he appeared to have lost his most useful Oracle-given powers. When a replacement goes wrong and Alex 'disappears' he realises that what used to be inside him has left a mark he can never rid himself of.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B-vSGA8EUbc/UIuwg9r8C4I/AAAAAAAAEww/dAzNXz8bmyE/s1600/Oracle400x600.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B-vSGA8EUbc/UIuwg9r8C4I/AAAAAAAAEww/dAzNXz8bmyE/s320/Oracle400x600.jpg" /></a><br />Meanwhile Luke is kidnapped to work on a manuscript that could hold the key to the secrets of alchemy and offer the reader a way of living an eternal life. The Voynich manuscript is missing it's cypher and it is up to Alex to steal it for the ex Serbian art thief who he calls friend. Problem is, it's held in the private library at Windsor Castle.<br /><br /><br />* * * * *<br /><br />I am not sure how well this book will sell, it doesn't have the immediate appeal of say, Sanctuary or Texas, but the book itself is one I am very proud of.<br /><br />If you enjoy mystery, adventure, love with a HEA and a smattering of special powers, then this book is probably one you may want to give a go!

Book Of Secrets (Oracle 2) out today

BUY LINK Three years ago I wrote a book called Oracle and subbed it to a new publisher. I was lucky enough to have it accepted and then part...

+ Read more »

Three’s Company - NR Walker

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfsYOnz6TEhPlssZTQvBA5IdLIAsEuRp7DPO3XsK0DAr1fBJKUPkDndRlFK-Ldp8G822p7vdw8qp7P1GycobBwRaWpXr13xTtgyV0DKPOiTZdnSzXHJRmmdU8M-m96OSs4SGTccGNoJg/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfsYOnz6TEhPlssZTQvBA5IdLIAsEuRp7DPO3XsK0DAr1fBJKUPkDndRlFK-Ldp8G822p7vdw8qp7P1GycobBwRaWpXr13xTtgyV0DKPOiTZdnSzXHJRmmdU8M-m96OSs4SGTccGNoJg/s400/Capture.PNG" width="266" /></a><br />Genres: <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/index/typefilter/book_genre/book_genre_id/11/?zenid=f21cc803092119ea7e95a935af438fd9">Contemporary</a>, <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/index/typefilter/book_genre/book_genre_id/6/?zenid=f21cc803092119ea7e95a935af438fd9">Gay</a>, <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/index/typefilter/book_genre/book_genre_id/15/?zenid=f21cc803092119ea7e95a935af438fd9">Menage</a>, <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/index/typefilter/book_genre/book_genre_id/9/?zenid=f21cc803092119ea7e95a935af438fd9">Romance</a><br /><br /><div>Word Count: 54052</div><div><br /> Buy here: <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/products_id/1244/?zenid=f21cc803092119ea7e95a935af438fd9">Buy Three's Company</a> <br /><br /><b>Blurb: <br /><br />After news that he's gay spreads though his homophobic hometown, leaving his restaurant in trouble, Wilson Curtis goes to Key West alone. He meets Simon and Adam, and is soon invited into their bed for some vacation fun. <br /><br />Once isn't enough, and they get to know each other in and out of the bedroom. Ten days is all it takes to change their lives. When Wil's vacation time is up, none of them are ready to say good-bye. They'll have to conquer misunderstandings, miscommunication, and the judgement of friends and foes alike who don't understand their relationship, but these three know that what they have is worth fighting for. </b><br /><br /><b>Tell us about Three’s Company: </b><br /><b><br /></b>The original idea for this story came from a friend of mine, Brenda (who the novel is dedicated to) who sent me pic after pic of sexy beach/sun-kissed boys until I agreed to write it. Originally, the concept started as some pretty cabana boys who lived a free life with little to no responsibility. Being a couple, they worked at a resort together, surfed together and partied together, and the third man was going to be a worn-out doctor or some other similar professional looking for something he didn’t know he was missing. <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kwuW2Eitfb0LpWO3XUUHgFNE_9rOQLXSOLRNLXJoLiA5fAjd_QgGay-hZfM8IXomk0AjljKFvoFhFxmzUrV7wy45u56h4QYkbMN5E8SF_1UpHN18SRX22MULBx2blnVgWAOQEDSOtEw/s1600/Capture1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kwuW2Eitfb0LpWO3XUUHgFNE_9rOQLXSOLRNLXJoLiA5fAjd_QgGay-hZfM8IXomk0AjljKFvoFhFxmzUrV7wy45u56h4QYkbMN5E8SF_1UpHN18SRX22MULBx2blnVgWAOQEDSOtEw/s320/Capture1.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luke McFarlane - inspiration for Wil</td></tr></tbody></table><br />But that’s not how this story ended up. At all. <br /><br />There are some similarities to the original concept, and the basis is the same (existing couple introduce a third man into their relationship) but that’s about where the original plot outline similarities end. In Three’s Company, Wilson Curtis travels to Key West by himself to escape a not-so-pleasant life back home. His business is in tatters, he’s suddenly single and the entire town has snubbed him. He meets Adam and Simon, who work at the hotel he’s staying at, and they invite him into their bed. <br /><br /><br /><a name="more"></a>What starts out as a one night stand, soon becomes a holiday fling and like all my stories, there is a light on angst, heavy on love, kind of sweetness. There seems to be more sex than I remember writing... and truthfully, not much happens outside of these three boys. There’s no major external drama, it’s mostly about these three men and how they adjust to being a threesome than some huge twisted plot. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3rD5RW0l_TCwixsadf2XENAPrBs68aR5URy0l3xzShX-8zzTY43_L7zytQwaG7FARzGeVisD-DAH0sGXinhcimTLNuKSvtpriHnVCbp8EP4SnM6Vc4ZW_ASthi1xOcgOV0OlASoeXPY/s1600/Capture2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3rD5RW0l_TCwixsadf2XENAPrBs68aR5URy0l3xzShX-8zzTY43_L7zytQwaG7FARzGeVisD-DAH0sGXinhcimTLNuKSvtpriHnVCbp8EP4SnM6Vc4ZW_ASthi1xOcgOV0OlASoeXPY/s200/Capture2.PNG" width="155" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simon Baker - inspiration for Adam</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Who was the inspiration for the characters? </b><br /><b><br /></b><img src="file:///C:/Users/DIANEF~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image004.jpg" />Wilson Curtis is a small-town with a certain naivety that makes him adorable. I pictured Luke McFarlane for Wil. <br /><br />Adam Preston is the always smiling, always happy, swimmer/surfer. He’s charming, and it’s impossible not to like him. I pictured Simon Baker for Adam.<br /><br />Simon Stanford is the serious, business minded one. He’s smart, independent and oh-so lovely. I pictured a short-haired, clean-shaven Jared Leto for Simon.<br /><br /><b>Why m/m/m? </b><br /><b><br /></b>Why not? LOL I never actually had any driving desire to write ménage. It wasn’t something I deliberately set out to conquer. As previously mentioned, I’d brainstormed with a friend about three boys on some tropical secluded setting – and by brainstorming, I mean posted a ton of threesome pics and watched a LOT of “research” on the subject matter. <br /><br />But at the end of the day, it wasn’t a conscious decision. These boys had a story that was just itching to be written. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rcpq3ZZIZ_NZ0MHfcGe6EcdNfTds3oIJD9-nDYrwJXVDuPFrM7uX_HZd7fJ1VlHZWemVakzl6JnC70LOVnCit-ZWj9YXYi3uqozfpHLRFGUduaERn1c5Cj6tTGCn1LojwCMMO3LGnrI/s1600/Capture3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rcpq3ZZIZ_NZ0MHfcGe6EcdNfTds3oIJD9-nDYrwJXVDuPFrM7uX_HZd7fJ1VlHZWemVakzl6JnC70LOVnCit-ZWj9YXYi3uqozfpHLRFGUduaERn1c5Cj6tTGCn1LojwCMMO3LGnrI/s1600/Capture3.PNG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jared Leto - inspiration for Simon</td></tr></tbody></table>I did some research into polygamous relationships, of course, and found the dynamics fascinating. Not so much the ones where the husband had wives he numbered One, Two and Three, but the types of relationships that evolved from being a couple, to include a third person as a permanent fixture in their lives. I loved the idea that the first couple is so secure in their relationship and where they are in their lives, that they’re not threatened by the introduction of someone new. <br /><br />I loved how there is no boundaries to love. There’s no right or wrong, only the way they feel, and I hope I conveyed that in this story. <br /><br /><b>What’s next from N.R. Walker? </b><br /><b><br /></b>My next release is a novel length drama titled Blind Faith, and it comes out late January 2013 with Silver. I’ve written its sequel, which I’m hoping to sub soon. I’m also participating in NaNo this year and my aim is to complete the majority of the sequel to Point of No Return. I also have some free-reads I’m getting ready to post with Silver Publishing in the next few weeks and I can divulge more info on that when I know more. <br /><br /><b>Contact Details: </b><br />Email - <a href="mailto:nrwalker2103@gmail.com">nrwalker2103@gmail.com</a> <br />Facebook - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?sk=nf#!/profile.php?id=100003907957620">N.r. Walker</a> <br />Facebook fan page - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?sk=nf#!/N.R.WalkerAuthor">N.R.WalkerAuthor</a> <br />Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/NR_Walker">@NR_Walker</a> <br />Goodreads - <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5819370.N_R_Walker">N.R. Walker</a> <br /><br /><i><b>Thanks for the continued support!</b></i></div>

Three’s Company - NR Walker

Genres: Contemporary , Gay , Menage , Romance Word Count: 54052 Buy here: Buy Three's Company Blurb: After news that he's gay spre...

+ Read more »

An Immovable Solitude by S.A. McAuley

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1lVtshoOT0t509tixMBoWb4lmrS1P-IQP5SDQZzxcw9OMZK2JXXg2fLqVeRqY-fv-0wTpZk1iWbgADyxX-_pFri3Tlc-GarduzeRHjWSmvxa6y84jOiMKcv3ZcKNIKIipTNfqS721d4/s1600/AnImmovableSolitude400x600.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1lVtshoOT0t509tixMBoWb4lmrS1P-IQP5SDQZzxcw9OMZK2JXXg2fLqVeRqY-fv-0wTpZk1iWbgADyxX-_pFri3Tlc-GarduzeRHjWSmvxa6y84jOiMKcv3ZcKNIKIipTNfqS721d4/s400/AnImmovableSolitude400x600.jpg" /></a><br /><b>Title: An Immovable Solitude</b><br /><br />Author Name: S.A. McAuley<br /><br /><b>Erik Hash, owner of a shark diving company in South Africa, loses everything in one night--his business, his partner, and his desire to live. The victim of a violent hate crime, he leaves South Africa and takes a job aboard a private yacht to escape.<br /><br />When his partner reappears after three years, he wonders if there is something left for them to rebuild. But the ocean isn't ready to let go of him quite yet.</b><br /><div><div><br /></div><div>Purchase Link: <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/products_id/1222/?zenid=99e5fe7440d968f865bbc78bfe93c3c7">https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/products_id/1222/?zenid=99e5fe7440d968f865bbc78bfe93c3c7</a></div><div><br /><br /><b>Excerpt</b></div><div>Chapter One<br /><br />The boat pitched from side to side as the deckhands struggled to lower the rattling cage against the hull. The sky was a cloudless indigo blue, and the stars were beginning to blink out in rings as sunrise pushed past the horizon. The air was unseasonably warm, which lowered the chances of this being a productive trip, but I wasn't going to complain. I loved summers in the Cape.<br /><br />The waters of Van Dyks Bay were generally erratic, consistent in their inconsistency, and there were days I wanted to ignore the weather and wave report and just chance it, setting sail for Dyer Island without planning for what to expect. But this was our boat, our company, and we had a reputation that ensured us a steady stream of tourists. <br /><br />"Oy! Hash! We need help securing the lines out here, hey?" <br /><br /><a name="more"></a>Abraham's voice called to me from the stern, where he and two of the deckhands pulled at ropes used to fasten the cage to the side of the boat. The waves were too strong for divers to climb in just yet, but the wind was slowly dying and soon the pitch of the boat would turn to a slow, hypnotic roll. I left the tiny wheelhouse and helped them tie off lines, relishing the salt spray that hit each time the boat bottomed out on a wave. <br /><br />We struggled to secure the cage, and Abraham switched to Afrikaans as we worked. It was my second language, but the mother tongue for most of our crew, and when things became tense, as they did now, the tourists wouldn't understand one word we said to each other. The cage finally settled into the grooves worn into the hull from countless trips, and we fastened it tightly. Behind us, the divers talked nervously with each other, surveying the bay with suspicion, fear, excitement, or a mix of all three. They were already clad in thick wetsuits, masks hung around their necks or gripped tightly in fists. Abraham tugged at the ropes, checking them before turning to me and nodding. <br /><br />"Let's give it another ten," I replied to the question he hadn't asked. "I'd like it to be a bit calmer." <br /><br />I stopped to chat up the group of divers on my way to the wheelhouse. We had ten on board today, a full charter. As usual, it was a mix of nationalities and ages: six women and four men on an escorted tour of South Africa. The women today were especially flirtatious, and like any smart captain looking to see his business grow, I took the time to talk with each of them before moving on. Kerry liked to tease me I enjoyed this part of my job a little too much. <br /><br />I wore my usual blue and silver board shorts hung low on my hips, with feet and chest bare. I leant down to speak intimately to the women, my smile flashing, my laugh genuine. My blond hair, just a touch on the long side, fell into my eyes and one of the ladies looked as if she wanted to push it back. I never discouraged it if they tried. I gave my excuses, begging off with the list of duties I had to complete. I pointed at Abraham and told them my boss made me work too hard. Abraham grinned and shook his head; he'd seen this too many times. Yet he still laughed, because both of us knew who the boss really was even though at twenty-seven, I didn't look old enough to have my own company. <br /><br />More importantly Abraham knew I wasn't interested in any of them. No matter how free, easy, or beautiful they were. I had a gorgeous man, my partner in every sense of the word, waiting for me back at our shop. <br /><br />Nothing about me proclaimed my sexuality; I'd never been loud about being gay. Most days, it was the least of what defined me. But I'd never hidden it either. For some, my choice to live with my sexual orientation as secondary, like every straight person had the pleasure of doing, was unsettling. So they made assumptions when it would've been easier to ask. But for most, especially the tourists, I was little more than eye candy. Someone pleasant-looking to flirt with when away from home. <br /><br />The nervous anticipation of the divers relaxed as the winds died and the waves settled the boat into a gentle sway. The sun crested over the mountains to the east, chasing the rest of the stars away. Abraham gave his standard greeting and instructions before the first divers dropped into the cage. The energy of the tourists was palpable, pulling smiles from the tired crew. <br /><br />We'd all been up for hours already, prepping the boat and supplies, and performing equipment checks. This moment―when Abraham, with a twitch of his lips, asked the inevitable question, "Who wants to go first?"―was my second favourite part of the workday. Nervous laughter skittered between the tourists, and Dominick, our videographer, circled them, capturing their reactions for a personalised DVD we would sell to them after the trip. Today, it was an American who stepped forwards, a goofy grin plastered across his face. He immediately put the rest of the tourists at ease as he joked about who would get his wife if he didn't make it out. <br /><br />I leant against the helm and pulled out my cell. A green light blinked at the corner and I flipped it open to read the text. <br /><br />Howzit? <br /><br />I chuckled. Three years after his arrival in South Africa and Kerry still hadn't mastered the basic slang. He'd attempted it enough times that I knew he was asking how the charter was going, but the actual meaning of what he'd asked was "how are you?" <br /><br />Lekker was my one-word reply: Excellent. We both spent so much time dealing with tourists that we usually had to curb the use of slang. But when it was just the two of us, jokes about the differences between his Irish English and my South African English were common. <br /><br />I heard gasps and a scattering of loud curses and knew the first great white had been sighted. I peeked out of the wheelhouse to where the deckhands were tossing a fish head into the water. They dragged it back to the boat, drawing the shark closer to the cage. My cell pinged. <br /><br />I can't drag my ass out of bed. <br /><br />He was lying. I'd heard his footsteps on the wood floors, walking from the bedroom into the shower, as I'd left early this morning. He would be in the shop now, hunched over his desk, coffee cup in hand, his black hair most likely dishevelled from running his fingers through it while he reconciled the monthly accounts. His work today wouldn't be complicated, he was too organised for that, but it would be tedious and that drove Kerry mad. He needed to be constantly entertained, and I favoured the days I spent discovering new ways to keep him occupied and interested. <br /><br />It's right where I want it, hey? I texted back. <br /><br />The tourist group was all smiles now, enthralled with the gigantic beast cutting lazily through the water around them. Selling the DVDs was going to be easy today. Abraham and the deckhands had the divers taken care of, the water had calmed to a leisurely roll, and the heat from the sun was tempered by a gentle breeze from the south. Newborn seal pups barked from the island off our bow. It was the birth of these young that had attracted the great whites back to Dyer Island and Van Dyks Bay despite the warmer waters, driving larger tourist groups our way to the point where we'd added a second boat and hoped to receive government approval for a third next year. <br /><br />If you don't want your books to balance this month, Erik Hash was his response. <br /><br />He was using my full name. Not a good sign. I typed back Frustrated already? <br /><br />He replied before I could look up I'd rather be on the boat. <br /><br />I let out a low whistle. If he wanted to be on the boat more than in the shop, that meant he was more than frustrated. Kerry hated the sharks as much as I loved them. I'd met him three years ago when he'd walked onto my uncle's boat with his sister, Kelle, in tow, and I knew then I would do anything to have him. It took me one day to get him into my bed, but almost a year before I knew he loved me as much as I loved him. Kerry and Kelle were only supposed to stay in the Cape for a week, and then move on to Durban, over to Johannesburg, and eventually into Botswana. After our first night together, Kerry decided not to leave Van Dyks Bay and Kelle reluctantly stayed on. <br /><br />Worry lines creased my forehead as I tried to formulate a response. Kerry had been more distant than usual the last couple of days. I didn't expect him to be overtly emotional anytime; it just wasn't him. He was reserved, calm, and introverted, the opposite of me, but lately he'd been more withdrawn than usual. I knew he was joking when he said he would rather be on the boat, but I read the underlying annoyance in that statement and I doubted it had anything to do with reconciling the finances. Kerry was working through something and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was bigger than he was letting on. <br /><br />A collective gasp came from outside the wheelhouse and I grinned, an old joy filling me with each satisfied shriek that erupted from the deck, pulling my thoughts away from Kerry. I felt the boat pitch as the thundering footsteps of the divers followed the shark from aft to stern. It was rare I made a trip out near Dyer Island without spotting one of the apex predators, but my excitement never waned, and my admiration for their ancient power and beauty never faltered. I was seven years old again each time I connected with the black eyes of these stunning creatures. <br /><br />What was I doing sequestering myself in the wheelhouse? There was nothing I could do for Kerry until the charter was done. We were on the sharks. I threw my cell into my hoodie hung by the door, and stepped out onto the deck. There were two divers in the cage, three standing where it was anchored next to the boat, and two on the bow. Feet shuffled above my head on the second level of the boat where the rest of the divers were chatting happily as they clicked off pictures. <br /><br />Abraham sidled up next to me, put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed affectionately. His bone-white teeth stood out against the deep blackness of his skin and a jovial smile told me it was a good sighting. The silver streaks he'd developed in his hair over the last two years made him even more handsome. <br /><br />"How big?" <br /><br />"Almost four metres," Abraham said, pointing at the shark on the aft side. "There's a three metre juvenile creeping around as well." <br /><br />We made our way behind the cage, where a deckhand tossed chum into the water, bribing the sharks to stay with our boat. There were two other companies doing the same bait and view routine with their own tourists so we had to keep the sharks occupied or risk losing them to one of the boats that sat a respectable distance away. I peered into the water as I saw the large shadow draw closer. I slid my polarised glasses over my eyes to block out the glare of sun on the waves and felt my breath hitch when the larger one came into view. <br /><br />The sides of the shark were scarred from the number of mating seasons it had been through, the twisted patchwork of white a testament to its age. It cut gracefully through the water past the cage, ignoring the divers in the cage that were pushing as far back against the metal as possible, and yet it was obvious the shark was aware of everything happening around it. It had decided we weren't a threat long before it showed up alongside the boat. These creatures were cunning, intelligent, and ancient. I knew the black of their eyes almost as well as the green of Kerry's. <br /><br />The deckhand pulling the fish yanked it closer to the cage and the water surged as the juvenile crashed towards the floating fish head. The divers next to the cage jumped back with a cry of surprise, while the deckhands, Abraham, and I laughed until we were nearly crying. We'd seen the shadow underneath the water as the smaller one moved in. I put my arms around the shoulders of two of the divers at the side of the boat. The petite wife of the American man pulled me closer. Her wetsuit was soaked since she'd just exited the cage. <br /><br />"You see that bro over there with the video camera?" I pointed them towards Dominick so he could get a good shot of their faces after the surprise. "He's much more dangerous than the juvenile softie out there." <br /><br />Dominick winked, and they twittered and blushed. <br /><br />"See, I told you. Sharks are incredibly evolved predators, but you shouldn't fear them. They are shy, deliberate hunters and will rarely attack except when hunting. They will never attack the cage. Dom, on the other hand, you need to watch those teeth." <br /><br />Before I could slip my arms from around their shoulders, the American woman looked at me in amazement. Her teeth chattered. "I don't know whether to be frightened or amazed. You really love them don't you? The sharks?" <br /><br />"I do. There is more to be amazed of than frightened of. Listen to Abraham. He'll sell you." <br /><br />I excused myself and left my co-captain to do his work. While my brain was filled with all kinds of arcane and useless trivia about sharks and their appearances on TV and in movies, Abraham had been a part of my uncle's research crew for years and could answer the important questions about shark biology and habits. Turning this part over to him was also carefully choreographed after our years of working together. I had a tendency to spout off about the evil that was TV's Shark Week if given half a chance. Okay, any chance. But it also gave me time to do what I really loved to do, which was watch the sharks. <br /><br />I sat in the stern with the deckhands and cut up chum. It was the perfect vantage point to watch the juvenile great white stay a deferential distance from the larger shark, which only circled back once the divers had calmed down and a fresh bucket of blood was dumped into the water. I watched the shark until I felt an itch to check on Kerry. <br /><br />Back in the wheelhouse, I pulled out my cell and texted Okay? <br /><br />I stared at the phone, waiting for a reply. I could picture him trying to think how to respond, of typing something and then erasing it. I closed my eyes and paid attention to the rolling of the waves beneath the boat, letting them rock me. The sun pouring through the wheelhouse window on to my shoulders and face, warm salt air filtering in through the open windows, and the rhythmic sound of the waves against the hull helped calm my worry over Kerry. I don't know how long I stood there, mesmerised and half asleep, before my cell pinged again. <br /><br />Just need more coffee. And your ass back in bed. <br /><br />Only a couple more hours and I would be happy to oblige him on the second part. Because getting off the boat and coming home to Kerry, even after three years, was still my favourite part of the day. <br /><br />* * * * *</div><div><br /></div><div>Purchase Link: <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/products_id/1222/?zenid=99e5fe7440d968f865bbc78bfe93c3c7">https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/products_id/1222/?zenid=99e5fe7440d968f865bbc78bfe93c3c7</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Author Links: Facebook – <a href="http://www.facebook.com/authorsamcauley">http://www.facebook.com/authorsamcauley</a><br /><br />Twitter – @<a href="http://www.twitter.com/AuthorSAMcAuley">AuthorSAMcAuley</a><br /><br />Email – authorsamcauley (at) <a href="http://gmail.com/">gmail.com</a><br /><br />Kindlegraph - <a href="http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/AuthorSAMcAuley">http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/AuthorSAMcAuley</a><br /><br />Goodreads - <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/authorsamcauley">http://www.goodreads.com/authorsamcauley</a><br /><br />Amazon - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/samcauley">https://www.amazon.com/author/samcauley</a><br />Bio: Sam sleeps little, reads a lot. Happiest in a foreign country. Twitchy when not mentally in motion. Send her a picture and a song and she’s bound to write a story about it. And yes, that’s an invitation.</div></div>

An Immovable Solitude by S.A. McAuley

Title: An Immovable Solitude Author Name: S.A. McAuley Erik Hash, owner of a shark diving company in South Africa, loses everything in one n...

+ Read more »

Follow The Sun - excerpt and buy links

<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zlYFmWFw0Q8/UGtJWxCPDRI/AAAAAAAAEE0/AV9emHWsSMg/s1600/FTS400.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zlYFmWFw0Q8/UGtJWxCPDRI/AAAAAAAAEE0/AV9emHWsSMg/s400/FTS400.png" /></a><br />Sapphire Cay is a fictional island in the Bahamas.<br /><br />Set against a backdrop of white sands, blue skies, and warm seas, this is the new series from RJ Scott and Meredith Russell, authors of The Art Of Words.<br /><br />The series charts the loves and lives of the men of Sapphire Cay - the workaholic, the wedding planner, the soldier, the physicist, the model, and more. Their stories are ones of romance and drama.<br /><br /><b>Book 1 - Follow The Sun - Lucas and Dylan</b><br /><b><br /></b><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: #b45f06;">Buy Links:</b></span><br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Follow-Stories-From-Sapphire-ebook/dp/B009RMYTLS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350736786&sr=8-1&keywords=follow+the+sun+rj" target="_blank">Amazon </a>:: <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-followthesun-975634-145.html" target="_blank">AllRomance </a>:: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/246564" target="_blank">Smashwords </a>:: <a href="http://lovelanebooks.wazala.com/" target="_blank">Publisher</a><br /><br /><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: #b45f06;">Excerpt:</b></span><br /><br />How long he sat there he didn’t know. The sounds of partying sometimes reached him—laughter and the odd splash—but down here on the beach he had time to think. His watch was in his room and he didn’t have the energy to wrestle his cell from his back pocket. Completely cut off from the passage of time, he could really lose himself in the peace of the ocean. <br /><br />“Do you mind company?” <br /><br /><br /><a name="more"></a>Lucas looked up and blinked at the bar-guy-slash-captain, Dylan, who was standing way tall and looking down at him with a smile. <br /><br />“It’s a free beach,” Lucas said. He pushed down the instinctive thrill of pleasure that tall, dark, and sexy-rough wanted to sit next to him. Then just as quickly, he wondered why Dylan was here at all. “Aren’t you working?” <br /><br />“Everyone’s in bed, it’s nearly midnight.” <br /><br />“It is?” Lucas shook his head. Hours had passed as he watched the waves reach shore and then recede into the darkness. <br /><br />“I bought you down another Apple Mojito,” Dylan said. Passing the drink down and carefully balancing his own bottled beer, Dylan made himself comfortable at Lucas’s side. “You look like a man who needs a drink.” <br /><br />“And how is that?” <br /><br />“All starry-eyed into the distance.” Dylan shook his free hand in a loose approximation of pointing out there into the dark. “Clearly, you have big thoughts.” <br /><br />“It’s a big day tomorrow. I’m giving away my only family.” <br /><br />“To be fair, Liam seems like a nice guy.” <br /><br />Lucas cast a look sideways at Dylan. He was a staff member. Should he really be down here making personal comments to guests? <br /><br />“He is. A very nice man,” Lucas finally answered. <br /><br />“Can I ask you a question?” <br /><br />“Uh huh?” <br /><br />“You’re gay, right? I overheard it on the boat.” <br /><br />Lucas turned to look at Dylan, but his companion’s gaze was fixed firmly out to sea as he asked the question. <br /><br />“I don’t think that’s an appropriate—” he started, but then stopped abruptly. Who was he kidding? When Dylan turned to face him with that open expression and a faint smile on his lips, Lucas could only really say one thing. After all, Dylan had heard what Kate had said, and had probably noticed him staring at his ass when he was organizing bottles in the fridge. “Yes.” <br /><br />“Don’t you want to know why I asked you?” Dylan’s voice was soft and invited confidence. <br /><br />“Tell me,” Lucas said. <br /><br />“I kind of wanted to ruffle your feathers a bit. Are you out?” <br /><br />“To family—what there is of it—and to friends.” <br /><br />“Oh.” Dylan’s voice held a note of puzzlement. “You were so distracted, first on the boat with that redhead, and then at the bar. Thought maybe you were still in the closet and it was a battle with not wanting people to know.” <br /><br />Lucas huffed a laugh at Dylan’s comment. If only his problems were something that well defined. He didn’t care who knew he was gay. He was happy in his own skin, and so far prejudice and hate hadn’t really touched him. Even Oscar, his boss, knew, and although he had commented on the fact, it didn’t seem to make Lucas a lesser manager in his eyes. <br /><br />“I just have a lot on my mind.” <br /><br />“Your sister?” <br /><br />“Tasha? No, she’s golden. She’s with a man who loves her and who will treat her right. Liam is one of the good guys.” <br /><br />Dylan frowned and took a swallow of his beer. “So, you’re happy in your own skin and your close family has a good life. Why do you look so sad?” <br /><br />“Is this a bartender thing? Where you ask random shit like that and I sit and tell you all my problems?” Lucas laughed. “Sad? I don’t feel sad,” he lied through his teeth. His nerves were too raw to talk about Alan or about the decisions he faced about his future. Neither subject was what he wanted to talk about to the first available person who trapped him in a dark space and beguiled him with soft emotional questions. Not that he was exactly trapped. </div><div><br /></div><div>* * * * *</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Follow-Stories-From-Sapphire-ebook/dp/B009RMYTLS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350736786&sr=8-1&keywords=follow+the+sun+rj" target="_blank">Amazon </a>:: <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-followthesun-975634-145.html" target="_blank">AllRomance </a>:: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/246564" target="_blank">Smashwords </a>:: <a href="http://lovelanebooks.wazala.com/" target="_blank">Publisher</a></div>

Follow The Sun - excerpt and buy links

Sapphire Cay is a fictional island in the Bahamas. Set against a backdrop of white sands, blue skies, and warm seas, this is the new series ...

+ Read more »

Interview with Chris Quinton

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lDkYHENV198/UDoFa839AjI/AAAAAAAABP0/M2b9nMxBAq0/s1600/DarkWaters400x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lDkYHENV198/UDoFa839AjI/AAAAAAAABP0/M2b9nMxBAq0/s400/DarkWaters400x600.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><b>RJ: Morning Chris... Congratulations on some awesome books you have published recently. I have read Dark Waters and Falling Again and I love them both... (I may be biased - I love all your stories!)</b><br /><br />CQ: [say something nice and funny and CQ!] Thanks, RJ - what was the bribe again? Chocolate, red wine, warmed baby oil and a naked JA?<br /><br /><b>RJ: Tell us a bit more about Dark Waters. I know this was originally a story you published a few years back. What made you re-release it? I am so glad you did!</b><br /><br />CQ: Well, I wasn’t very happy with the cover the previous publisher had for it, and the thought of a Reese Dante cover made my mouth water. So I did some re-editing and submitted it to Silver Publishing in the hopes they’d accept it for a second edition. They did, and I couldn’t be happier! The cover is everything I’d wished for, and I’m hoping the story will reach a new readership. <br /><br /><b>RJ: Where can we buy it?</b><br /><br />CQ: It’s available from Silver Publishing - and their titles can be sent direct to your Kindle. <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/products_id/1214/?zenid=f34aaf6fd532547e4fd0738c2944382d" target="_blank">Silver Publishing - Dark Waters</a><br /><br /><b>RJ: And now on to Falling Again - This most recent release is a short story that you have self published. What made you decide to release a short story?</b><br /><br /><a name="more"></a>CQ: Well, it was originally intended for an Anthology call, but it sort of took off in a different direction and no longer fitted that Anthology. I checked some other calls out there, but it didn’t really fit them, either. I’d been playing with the idea of self-publishing for a while, and this seemed an ideal opportunity to try it. It’s on Amazon here - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Again-ebook/dp/B009OILEUO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349941516&sr=8-1&keywords=falling+again+quinton" target="_blank">Amazon - Falling Again</a><br /><br /><b>RJ: What was self publishing like?</b><br /><br />CQ: In a word? Nerve-racking. And that’s with a certain somebody doing all the hard work. One day I’ll be able to make it up to her *g*.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K_XrtBFp0QA/UHaZw4u67YI/AAAAAAAAEes/sGsRbEBA3TE/s1600/FallingAgain_+400x600++%C2%A9+Jabiru++Dreamstime.com+dreamstimefree_1472984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K_XrtBFp0QA/UHaZw4u67YI/AAAAAAAAEes/sGsRbEBA3TE/s320/FallingAgain_+400x600++%C2%A9+Jabiru++Dreamstime.com+dreamstimefree_1472984.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b><i>RJ: ROFL... payment in mutual support works! </i><br /><br />RJ: What are you writing now? </b><br /><br />CQ: I’m in the last stages of Fool’s Rush, the third in the trilogy I’m writing for Manifold Press. It’ll hopefully be ready for release on February 1st, 2013.<br /><br /><b>RJ: What are your plans for future books? Any more self pubs? </b><br /><br />CQ: Future plans? Oh, God, yes. My Plot Ideas list just gets longer and longer. To be honest, I don’t know what I’ll be working on next - several plots and people have their elbows out, demanding attention. But I’ll certainly be looking to self-pub again in the future.<br /><br /><b>RJ: Thanks for coming over and chatting.. Good luck on the new release.</b><br /><br />CQ: This has been fun, as always *g*. And don’t forget, we need to arrange that research expedition to the HellFire Caves...<br /><div><br /></div><div>Chris Quinton has a website at <a href="http://chrisquinton.com/">chrisquinton.com</a> and her facebook is here <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.quinton.14">chris.quinton.14</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Excerpt from Dark Waters </b></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Chapter One</b></div><br />"Incubus!" the hermit howled, springing to his feet and holding the crudely fashioned cross before him. The shaft was a spike of forged iron, not sharp but enough to pierce the creature's flesh. He'd finally found the strength to deny it and since dawn he'd waited for the beast to come to him so he could banish or destroy the unnatural enticement. Now it was here, in the perfect man-shape that mocked every belief the hermit held and was everything he himself was not.<br /><br /><div>It stopped in its tracks at the edge of the small corrie in front of the hermit's cave, its head thrown up in surprise, long black hair flowing in the breeze. Layers of firm muscle shifted under a hide glowing amber in the noon sun as if fashioned from the light, and it was naked. Naked and profligate, flaunting its apparent youth and potency, its overwhelming vitality, like the Satanic spawn it was.</div><div><br />Even now, it lured him, silently called to him to reach out and stroke at last the warm silk of its skin, its unbound hair. As it had called to others before it killed and devoured them. Although he knew what the thing was and what he had to do, he could not stop his traitorous body from responding to its sorcery.</div><div><br />"What is—incubus?" it asked, puzzled.</div><div><br />"You!" In his bespelled madness, he'd taught it human speech, the Gaelic, convincing himself that if it did have a soul then he could turn it from evil to Christ's mercy. But the sinful dreams that afflicted him at night, leaving him sullied beyond cleansing when he awoke, could no longer be ignored. The memories of them welled up as clear as if they had been reality. It would kneel before him and part his robes, its eyes wide and dark as it gazed on him with awe. It would worship his body with hands and mouth and wicked tongue, and beg him to save it from evil, to purify it with his touch.</div><div><br />Arousal shuddered through him, heat pooled in his loins, and his penis was throbbing between his legs, rising as if it had a mind of its own, and he was close, so close to that dazzling peak of ecstasy. But the coarse wool of his robe chafed on his turgid flesh, dragging painfully on the gathering dampness there, bringing him back to himself—and the hermit knew that he was irrevocably damned and it was all the beast's fault.<br /><br />He'd lost count of how often he'd been awakened by the echoes of his cry of release, to find he was alone with his own seed smeared on his belly, and the terrible—wonderful—images fading away. Every time he'd scrubbed himself raw with twists of heather, but still he knew himself defiled even though he had resisted all temptation to touch it in reality.</div><div><br />He'd thought he could tame it, bring it humbled and penitent before the house of the One God. But he'd been deluded, he knew that now. The monster was a soulless fiend that preyed on humankind, and he was a presumptuous fool to think he could do anything other than combat it. He could not have it, but he could destroy it.</div><div><br />"You are foul! Evil!" He raised the cross like a dagger and threw himself forward.</div><div><br />Even as he plunged the holy weapon toward the creature's broad chest, the hermit knew he had failed. He'd forgotten how swiftly it could move. In less than a heartbeat the man had gone and in its place was a daemon in the shape of a bay stallion with laid-back ears and bared carnivore's fangs. It reared and the last thing the hermit knew was the crushing impact of the monster's hooves.</div>

Interview with Chris Quinton

RJ: Morning Chris... Congratulations on some awesome books you have published recently. I have read Dark Waters and Falling Again and I love...

+ Read more »

Oracle - Awesome Review from Rainbow Book Reviews

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8IW-wvasbhM/UDpqZq5uSuI/AAAAAAAAC9Q/R_FpMPOTmhQ/s1600/Oracle400x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8IW-wvasbhM/UDpqZq5uSuI/AAAAAAAAC9Q/R_FpMPOTmhQ/s400/Oracle400x600.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>"Using an existing legend like the Oracle of Delphi and re-interpreting it with a paranormal angle, giving it a modern slant, and adding characters I cared for from the very beginning made this story a joy for me to read."<div><br /></div><div>"The balance between action/adventure and romance is really good, letting both parts of the story shine. If you like mystery and intrigue in your romances, if you enjoy a plotline that will keep you in suspense, and if you prefer to read about characters who are real and human in their reactions, then you will probably enjoy this books as much as I did." </div><div><br /></div><div>"Bring on the sequel, RJ!"<br /><a href="http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/book-reviews/oracle-oracle-1-by-rj-scott-at-silver-publishing">http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/book-reviews/oracle-oracle-1-by-rj-scott-at-silver-publishing</a><br /><br /><a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/products_id/1325/" target="_blank"><b>And look out for the sequel - Book Of Secrets... coming soon from Silver Publishing</b></a></div>

Oracle - Awesome Review from Rainbow Book Reviews

"Using an existing legend like the Oracle of Delphi and re-interpreting it with a paranormal angle, giving it a modern slant, and addin...

+ Read more »

Follow The Sun (with Meredith Russell)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zlYFmWFw0Q8/UGtJWxCPDRI/AAAAAAAAEE0/AV9emHWsSMg/s1600/FTS400.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zlYFmWFw0Q8/UGtJWxCPDRI/AAAAAAAAEE0/AV9emHWsSMg/s400/FTS400.png" width="266" /></a></div>Self Published through Love Lane Books<br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16059133-follow-the-sun" target="_blank">Add to Goodreads</a><br /><br />The first in a series of books set on Sapphire Cay. Romance and drama on a Cay in the Bahamas.<br /><br /><b>Book 1 - Follow the Sun</b><br /><br />Lucas Madison is in the Bahamas for his sister's wedding on the beautiful and idyllic island of Sapphire Cay.<br /><br />He has the weight of the world on his shoulders. With the stress of his job, the loss of his friend, and faced with his own medical crisis, Lucas arrives on the white sands of Sapphire Cay ill and exhausted. His only thought is to see his sister married and happy.<br /><br />Dylan Gray is a free-spirited traveller who literally follows the sun. Never settling in one place for long, he earns his way from state to state and continent to continent. But there's something about Sapphire Cay that draws him back over and over. A feeling of home.<br /><br />When these two men meet, both have decisions to make and directions to choose. And maybe together, they can make the right ones and follow not only the sun, but also their hearts.<br /><br />This is the story of Lucas and Dylan, set against the stunning landscape of Sapphire Cay.<br /><br /><i>Coming to an e-reader near you 20 October 2012</i><br /><br />

Follow The Sun (with Meredith Russell)

Self Published through Love Lane Books Add to Goodreads The first in a series of books set on Sapphire Cay. Romance and drama on a Cay in th...

+ Read more »