Happy New Year!

I want to wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!    I love Peanuts so I thought what better way to ring in the new year than to have them wish you all a happy one.

May this year be filled with joy, and good healthy and prosperity for us all.

Happy New Year! 

Six Sentence Sunday

Hello All,

I can't believe we're about to close out another year.  It's been an interesting one for me.   I hope it's been a good year for all of you.  I am hoping to have more books out in the new year.  I currently have two that I am working on. 

In the meantime I thought I'd share six sentences from my book "Love on the East End."

Happy New Year to you all

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“You…” William took a moment to catch his breath.  “You want to go into the house?”  He kissed Gabriel. “I’ve got a king-size bed, nice, comfy and…” Gabriel silenced him with a finger to his lips.

“Shut up and take me to your bed.”  They kissed and rushed up the wooden steps to the front door.

Buy Links:


Buy link to Amazon:
amazon

Buy link to Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/118993

Buy link to All Romance Ebooks:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-loveontheeastend-593456-145.html

Welcome author Jennifer Wright

I'd like to welcome author Jennifer Wright to my blog  Let's find out about her and her book "Pavarus."

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1.How long have you been writing?

I have been writing since the summer of 2010, but the stories in my head have been going on my entire life.

2.What is your favorite genre to write?

M/M paranormal (both shifters and vampires) romance is my favorite, but I also enjoy writing contemporary m/m romance. I’ve been working light BDSM and futuristic into my writing recently, and dabble in a little m/f as well.

3.What are you working on now?

I am working on finishing up my Finding Home series. I’m a little over a third of the way through book 3 and, of course, still have book 4 and 5 to write.

4.When you start a new story do you begin with a character or plot?

Both. It depends on the story, I guess. For Pavarus it started with a plot, but the rest of the series it’s all about the character and the adventure he’d going to get. Even for single titles it varies. My BDSM was plot, but my futuristic is definitely all about the character.

5.Tell us about your latest/upcoming release. What inspired it?

My debut novel, Pavarus, is about Wesley, a man from Earth, who suddenly finds himself in another world where he meets the sexy Remus, commander of the vampires, and Gravaick, the not so nice leader of the Drágun’s. It is in Pavarus that Wesley has to decide if his love for Remus is greater than his fears of the world he’s in.

Book Blurb

Thrown into another world where dangerous creatures live and rule, will Wesley stay and find love with a vampire, or will the terrors of an unknown realm have him running home?

On a camping trip in Louisiana, Wesley finds himself sucked down a hidden portal and thrown into another realm where he meets Remus, a warrior vampire.  With the help of Remus, Wesley embarks on an adventure to find his way home, back to a world not filled with vampires and dragons and magic folk.  Along his journey, the handsome vampire finds his way into Wesley’s heart.  But will his love for Remus overcome his fears of the creatures that reign in this world?

Remus has never wanted a man before, but finds himself drawn to Wesley despite his denying efforts.  He’s happy with his life as the commander of the vampires, and has had no interest in finding a mate.  But after Wesley is kidnapped, Remus discovers his feelings for the man are stronger than he thought.  Is he strong enough, though, to honour Wesley’s wish to return home, and let go of the man he loves?

Excerpt

Wes was hesitant to open his eyes. Something wasn’t right. The last thing he remembered was the agonising pain in his gut from being stabbed, yet now he felt…great. Wonderful. Absolutely amazing. He couldn’t even remember the last time he felt this good. There wasn’t a single ache in his body, and that had his mind reeling. With the beatings and being stabbed…why wasn’t he hurting? Why wasn’t he dead?

A shifting to his left had him holding his breath. Slowly, he opened his eyes and peeked through, hoping to get a look at his surroundings before Gravaick became aware that he was awake. Wes looked up at the ceiling and frowned. It wasn’t a dark and dirty stone ceiling like before. This one was light and clean and strangely familiar, considering it was just a ceiling. Wes opened his eyes fully and looked around the room.

It was Remus’ room. He was home!

Wes started when a hand landed on his chest. He looked to his left and cried out when he spotted Remus next to him on the bed, asleep. Wes ignored the ‘oomph’ from Remus as he plastered his body against his man’s. He wrapped his arms and legs around Remus and held tight, burying his face into his chest.

Without warning, tears began to fall. He couldn’t have been happier to see Remus here next to him. His last thoughts had been of the man he loved, and now that man was here with him. Wes revelled in the feel of Remus’ arms wrapping around him, holding him closer. He felt himself calming as Remus caressed his back, whispering comforting words in his ear.

Wes looked up into Remus’ beautiful grey eyes. Unable to hold back, Wes moved up and gently kissed him. Fireworks exploded and his body came alive at the feel of Remus’ lips against his. The kiss was tender and unhurried. Wes nibbled along Remus’ bottom lip and slid his body against his mate’s.

Remus growled—he reached up and laced his fingers through Wes’ hair and plunged his tongue into Wes’ mouth. Wes moaned and ground his erection against Remus’ hip—the man’s own dick digging into Wes’ thigh.

Wes’ mind reeled as Remus deepened the kiss, the tenderness turning frantic and desperate. Tongues tangled, lips mashed together, breath became ragged, hearts raced… They wanted each other…they needed each other.

Wes whimpered when Remus pulled his head back, breaking the kiss. “Wait”—Remus looked Wes over—“you’re hurt. You should be resting.”

“I feel fine, Remus. Actually, I feel amazing.” Wes punctuated the later with a roll of his hips.

Remus closed his eyes and groaned, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He opened his eyes and stared at Wes. “Wesley—”

Wes silenced him with another kiss. “No, don’t deny me, Remus, I need you,” he mumbled as he nibbled along Remus’ chin. “I’m fine, Remus. Please believe me.” He felt Remus’ hand tighten in his hair before he pulled Wes’ head back again. He stared deeply into Wes’ eyes, seeming to search for the truth in his words. “Do you want me?” Wes asked.

Buy Links

Total-E-Bound: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?P_ID=1831

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pavarus-Finding-Home-ebook/dp/B00A21BJMK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1352153665&sr=8-3&keywords=pavarus

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-pavarus-988024-139.html

Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pavarus-jennifer-wright/1113796885?ean=9781781841174

Bio

I was born in Arizona, but have spent the better part of my life in Wisconsin.  While I enjoy living close to my family, my heart longs to live in the South – or anywhere where the winters are warmer, and I hope to someday get there.  I love writing, and try to dedicate as much of my free time to it (ha! what free time?).  If I’m not typing away on my laptop, you’ll find me with my nose buried in a book, or with my loving boyfriend debating on what movie to watch and the never ending back and forth decision of what we should have for dinner.  I love spending time with my family and boyfriend, cuddling with my two cats, and laughing as much as possible (cuz I like to think I'm funny :)).

I’ve always had a very active imagination.  I can spend days creating a story in my mind; playing it out word for word like a movie for my own personal entertainment.  When I was younger I tried dabbling in writing, but it faded away.  But not long ago – as silly as this may sound, one of my ‘daydreams’ moved me so much, I decided to put it down on paper.  My passion for writing took off again with a new surge, and I’ve never been happier or had more fun.

Some little tidbits about me are – I love horses and cats, I have a really big sweet-tooth, and I've been told I like to talk with my hands (insert hand gestures here).

You can find me at

Blog: http://www.authorjenwright.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/JenniferWright

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Wright/e/B00A2I2F80/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JenWright

I'm a guest on Julie's blog

Hello all,

I'm a guest on Julie Lynn Haye's blog today.   Please stop by and check out the post

http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/2012/12/guest-blogger-lily-sawyer.html

Thanks 

Weds Brief

I can't believe this year is coming to a close.   It's had its up and downs.    Here is how Tom and Ben celebrate their New Years.

This week's prompts

Line Prompts:

Dear Baby New Year, …

5…4…3…2…1…

Word prompts:

Toast, kiss, hangover

Night, chance, fireworks

Include:

A sparkly hat worn at a jaunty angle

A piece of paper with a single sentence on it

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Ringing in the New Year

“5,4,3,2,1…Happy New Year!”  The room echoed as the start of the New Year was counted down.  Tom and Ben turned to each other and their lips met.  They stood in the middle of the Loxley, a two-tiered restaurant in the Heritage Hotel in Lancaster.  They had thought about spending the New Year in Philly but decided to stay close to home instead.  

They were standing in the midst of their friends, co-workers, and assorted partiers.

“I’m so happy, Tom. Another New Year together.”

“Me too, Ben.”

At one time, Tom and Ben never could have shared a kiss in public, let alone at a public place like this party, but times had changed and those around them now didn’t care that there were gay couples in the room. Everyone was just enjoying the party.

“Here, honey.”  Tom handed Ben some sparkling wine.

“Thanks, baby.”  Ben raised the glass.  “A toast… to a happy life with the best man in the whole world.”

“I’m lucky to be married to the best man, the man who has made me so happy I can’t put it all into words.”

They drank a few more glasses and were getting tipsy. “ We’d better stop or we’ll have a terrible hangover in the morning,” Ben mentioned.

“Who cares?  We’re celebrating.   You were smart to hire that limo for the night. We’ll be needing it.”  Tom burped. Ben looked at him and they both laughed.

“I love you.” Ben leaned forward and kissed him again.

It was about two AM when they decided to leave the hotel.  They would have spent the night, but the place was booked up by the time Ben tried to make a reservation.  Besides, the best accommodations in the world were right in their cozy home, with the fireplace burning and the two of them all snuggled up together. 

“How about we get out of here?” Tom had to practically yell in Ben’s ear to be heard. Ben nodded and they said their goodbyes to their friends as they weaved their way through the crowds and into the limo waiting for them.

“Where to, sirs?” the driver asked.

“Home?” Ben asked him. The ardent look in his eyes left no doubt what he planned to do once they got there.

“Home driver, but can you go past Main Street and Willow Road, too?”  Tom could see the look on Ben’s face.  “I want to see the Christmas decorations on the drive back.” 

“Sure, honey.”

They sat back and oooohed and aaaahed at the lights.

They got back to their own home, decorated in holiday lights and a menorah in the window in deference to Ben’s holiday.

They made it to their bedroom in record time, their clothes piled on the floor.  If Santa had chosen that moment to drop off their gifts, he would have seen two men making passionate love and would no doubt have gotten some ideas on how to make Mrs. Claus a very happy lady.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Happy New Year from Tom, Ben, and yours truly.

 My fellow Flashers:

Cia Nordwell m/m

MA Church m/m

Elyzabeth VaLey m/f

Nephylim m/m

MC Houle m/m

Julie Lynn Hayes m/m

Happy Holidays

I want to wish you all a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year!

Six Sentence Sunday

HI Everyone,

I thought I'd post an excerpt from the book that started it all for me.   "The Finest Thing"

Buy Link   

From now until Dec 25th  Dreamspinner press is offering 25% off on my book.  (it's a holiday sale)

Here are my six sentences  (Aidan and Paul meet at a friends wedding.  It is the right after gay marriage is legalized in Connecticut.  They hit it off and these six sentences is right after they get intimate)

"Yeah," Aidan said, smiling at the other man, "that was great."

Paul rested his head under Aidan's chin, feeling him place a kiss on the top of his head. He sighed as he felt himself slowly falling asleep. Aidan lay a few more minutes, looking at the sleeping man in his arms. It had been too long since he'd been intimate with anyone.  He wondered for a moment what this all meant, but found that he couldn't keep his eyes open as he fell asleep too.

Welcome author Tony-Paul de Vissage

I'd like to welome guest author Tony-Paul de Vissage to my blog today.

About Tony-Paul de Vissage

One of Tony-Paul de Vissage's first movie memory is of viewing the old Universal horror flick, Dracula’s Daughter, on television, and being scared sleepless--and that may explain a lifelong interest in vampires.                                     

This was further inspired when the author ran across a band of transplanted Transylvanian vampires who were sightseeing in the South.  Thinking nosferatu were getting a bad press and in need of some favorable publicity, he decided to do what he could to change that attitude through his writing. Though it may be argued his efforts have probably done the opposite, no vamp has complained…yet

 

 

 

BLOG:

 

It's a staple of the SyFy Channel and late night horror movies...the lost city in the jungle, stumbled upon by a safari of scientists...they carry away some object precious to the inhabitants.  In doing so, they bring a curse upon themselves in particular and  Mankind in general as the embodiment of the sacred object--itself mindless except for the desire for revenge, brings the wrath of the gods upon the wrongdoers...the hero struggles to save his friends, perhaps return the sacred object to its home...various minor characters are killed off before this happens and the inevitable happy ending is flashed upon the screen.

 

Dark God Descending follows this formula to a certain degree.  There's a lost city, the city of Nikte-Uaxac, a Mayan civilization existing deep in the Yucatan.  A sacred object is stolen from the city and the evildoers are punished, but there the similarity ends.  The sacred object is the Emperor himself and it is he who exacts revenge upon his kidnappers.  Semris II is no mindless hulking mummy or an animated enchanted dagger or an invisible but deadly plague.  He's an intelligent, articulate, supernatural being--a demon godling--who simply wishes to return to his people.  Aided by Tuck, the human charged with guarding him, he manages to escape, and thus begins an adventure for both demon and mortal.

 

Tuck will lose the thing he loves the most and gain immortality; Semris will witness the depth of human cruelty as well as human love.  Both will be forever changed by what happens, they will becomes brothers, each shedding his blood for the other, as they struggle to protect Nikte-Uaxac from the invasion of the Twenty-first Century.  And the villain...?  He gets what he deserves...and what he most desires...and the irony of it all is most fitting.

 

Dark God Descending is scheduled for releae o December 14 by class Act Books.  www.classactbooks.com

 

EXCERPT:

 

It was quiet in the cornfield, the only sound the wind rustling through the dried shucks as the three huge crows made their way through the rows, hopping with long-legged leaps.  One stopped to peck at an ear of corn half-buried in the plowed dirt, caught it in his beak and pulled it from the soil.  With a muffle caw, it rose into the air, circled around and squawked as the cob slipped free, falling back into the field.

            It landed in a section where the cornstalks had been broken and crushed to the ground by the force of a heavy body falling through them.  The corncob struck a dark wing, bent at an odd angle around an unmoving body which reacted with a slight grunt and a soft groan.

            Semris opened his eyes and tried to get up.

            Merciful Ah Kinchal, his shoulder hurt!  And his side.  What had happened?          The peon’s shot deadly little pellets had struck his shoulder, their impact causing such a devastating lack of sensation that his wings collapsed, bringing him down.

            He couldn’t use his left arm.  It hurt too much.  So he fumbled around, got the other under him and pushed himself upright.  For just a moment, everything swirled away into blackness.

            The crows were still flying about, landing nearby, scavenging at the corn.  They reacted with startled croaks as he crawled through them on knees and one hand, wincing as the dragging wings collided with the broken stumps of the corn stalks.

            Angry at his intrusion, they darted at him.  Semris swung his uninjured arm, warding them away.

            “Leave me alone, servants of my Father!  You’ll not take me back to Mitnal today!  Go!”  The flailing arm connected with a feathered body, the bird reacting with a harsh croak of surprise as it fell to the ground.  It hopped to its feet and flew away.  “Tell Yum Cimil  I’ll keep my soul a little longer!”

            The other birds needed no second urging.  Muttering odd little noises that sounded  as if they were cursing at the strange winged being, they swooped into the air, circled him once, then flapped away.

            Semris watched them go, then shut his eyes and sat there, drawing his knees up and resting his forehead upon them as he waited for the dizziness to abate.  When he opened his eyes again, he lunged to his feet, took a step with his wings dragging the ground behind him, and stumbled and nearly fell.

            Were his wings broken?  Had they been snapped by the force of his fall through the cornstalks before crashing against the hard soil?

            Slowly, carefully, he concentrated on lifting the right one, flapping it gently.  It moved, slowly, with a slight soreness, but it did move.  The left one, however, was a different story.  There was great pain as he tried to flex the dark membrane-covered bones, sharp, and wrenching.  He would swear he felt them rubbing together.

            Gritting his teeth, Semris willed his wings to collapse, tucking them away inside his shoulder-scars.  Then, he took a deep breath, and began to limp through the corn rows.

            The wound had begun to bleed again.  The blood slowly dripped down his side, soaking the blanket loincloth, dying the blue fabric a crimson so dark it was almost black.  The many small cuts were drying now, forming thin scabs.

            Behind him lay a trail of withered weeds and singed earth, corrupted from contact with his blood dripping onto the ground.

            Briefly, he was appalled.  He, the Emperor of All Creation, barefoot and naked, crawling through the weeds like an animal!  At the moment, he realized, he was little more than an animal.  To Tuck’s people, that’s exactly how he would appear and he would remain an escaped animal until he was able to find his way home. 

            Another reason to stay out of sight as much as possible.

           

 

Author:  Website

Twitter: @tpvissage

 

Facebook Link

My Space Link

Goodreads link

Youtube link: http://youtu.be/AL7onQI0oso

Wednesday Brief

Well it's that time of the week again. And Tom and Ben are each attending holiday parties at their work places, but you KNOW they are both thinking of each other.

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Christmas Party

Prompts: Line Prompts:

Off in the distance I heard …

All I ever wanted was …

Word prompts:

Red, darkness, heat

Chill, blanket, tender

Include:

A surprise

An ancient tradition

Christmas Party by Lily Sawyer

“Hey, Tom, are you doing the secret Santa?” Harry Wilson, one of Tom’s friends and fellow firefightersasked.

“Yeah. I wasn’t going to, but Sammy talked me into it.” Tom had planned to skip this year’s Christmas party, but Ben was at his company’s holiday party so there wasn’t anyone to go home to.  Much as he enjoyed the holidays and having fun with the gang at the station, he’d rather be home with Ben.

“Okay everyone, you’ve stuffed your faces, now let’s open presents,”  the captain called out to the partiers.

Tom and his fellow firefighters sat around a table and Sammy passed the gifts out; thankfully, they’d put a twenty-five dollar spending limit.  That was a good thing. Tom had spent the rest of his holiday budget on Ben and a few other friends and family members. 

“Lizzie, here’s one for you.”  Lizzie was one of four female members of the firehouse.  

“Thanks, guys, how did you know I needed a new bathrobe?”    It was a set that came with a pair of slippers.

Tom took a sip from his mug of his coffee. He was so glad an anonymous donor had given the firehouse a Keurig coffee machine and a supply of coffee K-cups to go with it.   It made making coffee much easier.   Tom made a great cup of coffee, but unfortunately not every member of the house shared his skills.   So some days they had to deal with a cup of mud.   Not a great thing when you had to be awake for emergencies.

“Here’s something for you, Tom.”   Sammy handed him an envelope.   He couldn’t fathom what was inside; he just never knew what these guys could come up with. Could be a gag gift, for all he knew.    He slowly opened the flap.

“Come on Tom, open it already. It’s not going to bite you!”   Jimmy, his friend, told him.  

“Okay, okay, give me a minute.”  He dramatically took a deep breath and opened the flap.  He slowly pulled out the contents.    It was a gift card to Applebee’s restaurant.  “Oh wow, this is great.  Whoever gave me this, thank you.  Ben and I will put this to good use.”

Jimmy was the one who got the coffee package he’d picked up; it was filled with assorted coffee. Tom knew Jimmy couldn’t go without his coffee.   Jimmy gave him a smile; he knew he’d been his secret Santa.

The hours seemed to drag; they’d gotten one call before the end of their shift.  One was for a house fire. They were lucky they got there before the fire had spread beyond one room.   No one was hurt and they were able to extinguish the fire quickly.   Tom couldn’t wait to get home.  He drove his car up the driveway and parked right next to the garage door.  The rule was whoever got home first got the use of the garage.  He could see the lights were on, so Ben must have beaten him home. 

The minute he came in the door the smells of the holidays were in the room.  The smell of gingerbread filled the room.  Ben had set a candle on a candle warmer.  It was far safer than burning a candle; it melted the wax and the scent wafted throughout the house.

“Ben?”  Tom came into the kitchen and found his husband making potato latkes.   Since Ben was Jewish, they celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas together.    Tom had learned so many things about the Jewish people and their traditions by the food that was eaten for each holiday. 

“Tom, honey, I missed you so much.”   Ben had just finished frying the last potato pancake and laid it on the paper towel to absorb the excess oil. He turned and kissed him.  

“Mm, I missed you too, baby.  I was counting the hours until I could come home to you.”

“So what surprise did the guys give you at the firehouse?” Ben asked him as he was setting the dinner table.

“A gift card to Applebee’s.”  Tom helped him by putting out the napkins and silverware.   “Did you get anything from your co workers?”

“Yes, a bottle of wine and a large tin of assorted popcorn.  I wonder how they knew I love flavored popcorn.” 

“Oh, maybe cause you bring bags of microwave popcorn to the office to snack on,”  Tom said innocently.

Dinner was roasted chicken and potato latkes and the string bean casserole that Tom liked so much.

After dinner, they decided to celebrate and open up some gifts for Hanukkah.  It was the last day of the festival.  Ben wasn’t into the ‘giving a gift on each night of the eight night holiday.’  He suggested to Tom that he give any gifts on the last night, when all the candles would be lit on the menorah.  

Tom had showered him with many gifts.   Mostly small things and one big one—a winter coat he needed.

Afterwards they curled up in front of the fireplace, a blanket wrapped around both of them. 

“Wait until you see what Santa brought you, Tom.”  Ben couldn’t’ stop thanking Tom through all the hugs and kisses he was bestowing on him.

“I’ve got what I want. All I ever wanted was you.”

Christmas was still several days away, but for Tom and Ben they already had their holiday presents, each other.   They cuddled by the fireplace and that evening showed how much they loved each other in some hot, intimate ways.

TBC

 My fellow flashers

Victoria Adams m/f

MA Church m/m

Cia Nordwell m/m

MC Houle m/m

Tali Spencer m/m

Julie Lynn Hayes m/m

The Winner of the Christmas Blog Hop contest IS....

Crissy Morris.  Congratulations to Crissy.    I want to thank all of you who entered my contest.   I want to wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

I'm a guest on Jennifer Wright's blog today

It's been a pretty busy weekend.   The cloudy, rainy weather didn't help my mood any.    But it's a new week and I just have some odds and ends to pick up for the holidays.  (and some Xmas cards to send out too)

I am honored to be a guest on Jennifer Wright's blog today.   Please stop by and check it out

http://www.authorjenwright.wordpress.com/

Also this is the last day of the Christmas blog please leave your name and contact info on my Christmas blog hop post. 

Christmas blog hop contest

Thanks

Welcome Author Scott Harper

I'd like to welcome Scott Harper to my blog.    Let's find out more about him and his book
"Quintana Roo, Yucatan"


Blurb: Rikki Breitenberg is an archeologist in charge of the first team of American documenters allowed by the Mexican government to explore newly discovered Mayan ruins in the Yucatan. However, shortly after their arrival in Mexico, things go awry. Treacherous jungle, inclement weather and dangerous wildlife are only the beginning.

When Rikki and her team run afoul of members of an ancient cult devoted to the worship of a bloodthirsty god, things take a terrifying turn for the worse. During their struggle for survival, the team makes a startling discovery that may rewrite the whole of human history. Will they survive to bring their amazing find back to civilization?

Excerpt: “How much farther?” Constance asked, leaning over to see the small display.

Rikki studied the screen briefly, frowning at what she saw. “It looks to me as if we’re moving away from the site.”

“What?” Constance asked, leaning closer. “You’re right. It looks like we’re veering steadily away from it at an angle.”

Rikki heard anger rising in the other woman’s tone as she spoke. She held up a hand for silence and turned to call for Alamar.

“Si?” the guide asked as he stood and started toward her.

Holding up the GPS, Rikki said, “This red triangle here is the site of the ruins we’re here to explore. That’s where we’re supposed to be going.” She held the unit closer to him and went on. “This green dot shows our present location. It looks like we’re moving away the site, not toward it.”

Alamar peered critically at the little screen for a moment before laughing happily. “You rely too much on your technology and not enough on personal knowledge. You see, due to the position of the bridge we crossed and due to the position of the one we have yet to cross, the one I told you about earlier, we are forced to take a…how it is said? A less-than-direct route? Is that right?”

Rikki nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“Were we to ford rivers, rather than using bridges, we would be taking a straighter path. But it is not good to go into the water.” His grin grew as he added, “As you have seen, the crocodiles like the water. Because of them, we must use bridges. Because of the placement of the bridges, we are taking this less-direct route, but we will get there.”

Shaking her head, Rikki held up the GPS unit again, pointing at several tiny markers displayed on the screen. “No,” she said, “there are bridges marked here. Why aren’t we using those?”

“Is the bridge we crossed earlier on your little machine?”

Rikki glanced at the display. “No.”

Alamar nodded, looking as if he had expected that response. “There are many small bridges built by locals in this area. Most will not, I think, show up on your device. By making use of them, we can avoid harder country and get where we are going more quickly than if we used the bridges marked there.” He pointed at the GPS. “We could take that route, but that it would be longer because of the slower pace we’d be forced into. You are in a hurry; I try to get you there quick as I know how.” His grin grew larger still as he reiterated, “You rely too much on your technology.”

Still smiling, Alamar turned his back on her and trudged through the mud, returning to the porters. Rikki stared after him. She considered arguing further, but spared herself the exercise in futility.

“I don’t believe a word of what he just told you,” Constance said quietly.

“Neither do I,” Rikki agreed, still staring after the guide.

“What do we do?” Constance asked. “Should you radio Titus? You’re to contact him periodically with progress reports, anyway.”

Sighing, unsure, Rikki turned to face her. “Help me keep an eye on him; on all of them.” She took in Peter, Oscar, Hank and Sean with her gaze. “All of you, keep an eye out for anything odd, all right?”

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Quintana-Roo-Yucatan-ebook/dp/B00A5WKT40

Bio: Scott Harper is the author of more than 30 published short stories and several novels. There has been talk, from several fronts, about turning his fourth novel, "Predators or Prey?", the first book in his Wendy Markland series, into a live-action project. Interest has also been expressed by a film producer in turning his eighth novel, "Quintana Roo, Yucatan", into a live-action film.

Harper graduated from Marysville High School in 1993 and began screenwriting in 2007, after the publication of several short stories and novels, and has worked on projects for James Tucker Productions and 11th Dimension Films. He is currently involved with several projects, covering literature, film and comic books.


1. How long have you been writing?

I've been writing since I was a young child. I've always loved to read. Before learning to read, I'm told I used to insist on being read to on a very regular basis. "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", I'm told, was my favorite story! Since learning to read and write as a child, the only thing I've ever truly wanted to do for a career is to write. When I was around 5-years-old I had a plan to open my own library and planned to write each and every book in my library myself!

2. What is your favorite genre to write?

Most of my work falls into the fantasy, paranormal or horror genres. My most recent release, my eighth novel, "Quintana Roo, Yucatan", is somewhat of a departure from that. While "Quintana Roo, Yucatan" has some science fiction and paranormal elements woven into it, the book is mostly straight-forward action/adventure. As for picking one single favorite genre in which to work, that's a tough call. Mostly, it depends upon what mood I'm in at a given time. Much as I sometimes like the no-holds-barred creative aspects of fantasy, in which I can create whole worlds and races, that can also be a major undertaking. Sometimes it's just exhausting. During those times, working on something grounded in the real world, even if that project has fantasy or paranormal aspects, can be much easier and more relaxing.

3 What are you working on now?

Though "Quintana Roo, Yucatan" just came out, my next book, my first-ever novella, will be out soon. It's called "Quagmire Fen". I've gone from one extreme to the other. "Quintana Roo, Yucatan" is the longest thing I've written to date. It's a little over 105,000-words-long. It's 564-pages-long. On the other hand, "Quagmire Fen" is only a bit over 18,000-words-long. It's short length is why you'll be seeing it out so soon after "Quintana Roo, Yucatan". Umbral Press, who published "Quintana Roo, Yucatan", will also be publishing "Quagmire Fen". The novella is set in the modern world, but is a dark, violent paranormal/horror/drama.

4.When you start a new story do you begin with a character or plot?

It can go either way. When I started work on my Wendy Markland series - "Predators or Prey?", "Necromancer" and "Vindicated" released of that to date; that series is also the basis of an up-coming, on-going comic book series called "Wendy Markland: Chronicles Nocturnum" - I had been wanting to write something revolving around a monster hunter for sometime. However, I lacked a main character. One day, out of nowhere, Wendy Markland popped into my head and introduced herself to me. The pieces fell into place and things started to move. Currently, I have a character in my head who is very, very slowly taking his time and letting me learn bits about him. The more I discover about this character, the more elements for a plot involving him are coming together. It's more frustrating this way. I want to know who this character is. As it stands, I only learn a tiny bit about him once in a great while. Most of the time, it's as if he's hiding from me.

5.Tell us about your latest/upcoming release. What inspired it?

The idea for "Quintana Roo, Yucatan" morphed as things went along. The initial idea for it came to me several years ago while I was re-reading the novel "The X-Files: Ruins" by Kevin J. Anderson. I was a huge fan of "The X-Files" for most of the show's run and have a collection of novels and comic books based on the show, as well. Anyway, there was one brief scene, very late in the book, that sparked my original idea for "Quintana Roo, Yucatan". The initial concept would have involved a plot that was almost purely paranormal horror. It just didn't work for me, though. The more I thought about it, the less I liked that idea. There were a few elements that just wouldn't work when looked at logically. I toyed with that concept for a long time and just couldn't make it work. As I went though that process, other ideas came to me and bits, pieces and new ideas fell into place. Gradually, every bit of the original paranormal element for "Quintana Roo, Yucatan" ended up being dropped and replaced by a story that was pure action/adventure. During the writing of the outline, the science fiction and paranormal elements that are in the final, published, book were woven in.