December brings us a winter chill and the holidays. We become like children once again and we decorate for Christmas with lights, tinsle and so much more. The anticipation of what will be waiting under the tree wrapped in colorful paper. Along with the time we get to spend with friends and family adds extra joy. The Amira Press publisher, staff and authors sends each and everyone of you Holiday wishes. Peace, Blessings and Love for December and for the coming New Year!
Our featured authors for this wonderful month are Dorian Wallace and Kendra Mei Chailyn! They both cover the spectrum of romance and erotica and their books will make you crave for more.
Dorian's debut book with Amira Press "Cold Kiss" has been getting rave reviews. She takes us to the Scottish Isles of where she is a descendant and places her characters in the midst of magic. Take sneek peek into the life of Dorian Wallace
Dorian's words...
Okay...let me see if I can do this without coming off too goofy. LOL
Favorite color is cobalt blue, my kitchen is full of cobalt blue glass and Fall stuff because I adore Fall.
I love to cook and eat, eggplant parmigiana is one of my specialties and I get special requests for my pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving.
I love to experiment with new recipes and most of the time it turns out for the best, other times, well we wind up getting take out. We also try to eat as organically as possible without sacrificing taste, just makes us feel better.
My movie tastes vary just like my musical tastes. I watch a lot of independent and foreign films, my favorite being Jeux d'enfants, (Love Me If You Dare). I like a good ghost story, horror, comedy, some action. I am SO excited for two movies coming up...the next installment of the Harry Potter films and Watchmen!!! I'm a bit of a comic book nerd and Watchmen, Y the Last Man and Preacher are some of my favorites.
Weirdest thing that most people don't know about me is the fact that I love some strange smells, not gross mind you, but odd. I LOVE the smell of rubbing alcohol, new rubber, gasoline, the dry cleaners, not sure why.
HHHMMM, funniest thing I've ever done? I'm a completely unfunny person, no sense of humor what so ever! I'm being sarcastic of course. I love joking around and being pretty goofy, but I'm not sure if I'm the one who could say what the funniest thing I've ever done was. I could give you list of people who have plenty of stories though, hehehehe.
One of the wildest things I've ever done was to strip down naked and go running around in the rain, just to say I'd done it. Mind you, it was dark outside and there were no neighbors close by, but BOY was it fun! Very liberating too, I highly suggest giving it a go if you know you won't get caught ;)
A little bit about me that may not be included in my bios...I am short (5'3"). I am fiercely loyal to my family and friends. It's not easy to make me mad, unless you mess with my family or friends. I am half Italian, half Scottish and Wallace is actually a family name, Dorian comes from my favorite Oscar Wilde book. I spent a month in Dundee Scotland, where my Mom was born, during the Summer of 1994, I almost stayed.
I consider myself an equalist. I have six tattoos, one that I drew myself. I don't like jewelry. I hate wearing shoes and unless it's snowing or I HAVE to put them on, you'll find me barefoot.
One of my favorite previous occupations was being a veterinary technician. My first official job was working the Roast Beef booth at the Southern California Rennaissance Faire. I was born in NJ, grew up in CA and moved to NC when I was 21.
As a kid I prefered reading Omni magazine and watching In Search Of to anything else. I am an only child. So enough of the randomness....feel free to ask me just about anything, I'll probably answer or just tell you it's noneya ;)
Right now I am working on an anthology due for release in the Spring about shape shifters that I may be creating a young adult spin off from.
Blurb and excerpt from Cold Kiss...
Aileen McCallum moved across the ocean for a man she thought was the love of her life only to be abandoned and left to try and make her way in a little Scottish town. At her wit’s end, she is distracted by her handsome neighbor who shows Aileen things about herself that she never thought possible.Just as her life seems to be back on track, she is forced to make a choice. She must deal with vampires and a shape shifting enemy determined to take her down by handing her over to the one who wants to take her powers.
Excerpt...
The knock came again.
“All right then.” After putting her drink and the pills back on the counter, she strode over to the door to look out the peep hole. It was a neighbor she had only seen in passing. She remembered his face, because he was the only person who had smiled at her since moving in. Plus he was very good looking. That was right before Spencer left, and she hadn’t seen him since. Aileen reluctantly opened the door. Not that she feared what he might do to her at this point, but she wanted to get him on his way so she could finish. When the door swung open a lukewarm breeze flooded the room carrying with it the slightest hint of the orange blossoms that Aileen cherished during a California Spring. Amazing. The whole room seemed to lighten up, and there stood a tall, statuesque grey-eyed man in her doorway.
“Hiya! I’m Farrell. I know you’ve been here for a while, and I just feel bloody awful for not coming by sooner. I’ve been busy with a few things, and I had to figure out which flat you were in.” He had barely taken a breath. In fact it seemed like he’d run up the three flights of stairs to get there.
She extended her hand after a slight bewildered pause. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Aileen.”
“Oh. Yer from America, eh? What part of the States are ye from?” He seemed very excited about her nationality.
“I’m from California.”
“Really? Near San Francisco or Hollywood?”
“Hollywood, I guess, a little town called Redlands. It’s about an hour and a half east of Hollywood. I was closer to Palm Springs.” She felt herself relaxing a bit.
“Brilliant! Is it crawling with stars?” Farrell was like a child talking to Santa.
“Sort of. I’ve met a few, even went to school with one. Would you like to come in? I didn’t mean to be rude.” She moved aside and opened the door wider for him to move through.
“I would love to. You weren’t being rude. It’s not like I gave you much of a chance for the invite with my barrage of questions.”
“It’s quite all right. Please excuse the place. I don’t have much. Well, you’re the first company I’ve had.” She was a little embarrassed at the sparse nature of her apartment. Except for the used tissues overflowing the bin, there was only a chair, a few books, an end table, a lamp, and a small rug.
“Yer kidding! Well, I’m honored to be the first! I brought ya a little house-warming gift. Hope ya like whiskey!”
“As a matter of fact I do. I could sure use a shot or two. How about you?” She made no hesitation in moving into the kitchen for a couple of glasses.
“I suppose I could be persuaded to partake.” They both laughed. She pulled two mismatched cylinders out of the cabinet, and he moved to the living room side of the counter.
“Taking inventory are we?” Farrell had noticed the pills laid out in neat little rows on the counter.
“Oh, ha, yeah, that’s an art project slash boredom buster. I’ve gone through all my books, and you can see . . . no television,” she quickly added, lying. “Here we are,” she said, setting the glasses down and wiping the pills back into the bottle as he uncorked the strangely labeled bottle. It piqued Aileen’s interest, but still, she was unafraid of this potentially poisonous liquid and this beautiful stranger that had side rushed his way into her life. “So what’s that we’re toasting with?”
“Oh, it’s made by friends of mine just over in Aberdeen. It’s called Witches Tits. Only a select few get two bottles every year on winter solstice. This is the last of mine, but I’m getting more in a few months time when we have our big party. Would you like to come? I’d be honored if you’d join us.”
She paused a moment, thinking of her thwarted plans. “Sure, why not. I love parties.” Hell, what were a few more months in the scheme of things? Friends and fun seemed to have escaped beyond her reach, and now here it was standing across the counter sharing libations. He was a breath of fresh air and oh so hot! She wondered if this was life begging for a second chance.
********************************************
Kendra mei Chailyn is well known for her books. Each title she brings to Amira Press makes the readers pant for more. Her new book Karma Feeding Kaine takes us to where her heroine meets the unexpected. Take a look into the life of Kendra and learn more about her.
Kendra's words...
ok...here we go :)
Website:
http://www.kendrameichailyn.com/www.myspace.com/kendrachailynFavorite Colour:
Blue (anything blue, I dig except cars...I'd rather a silver or black car)
Favorite Non- English Singers
Rain(Bi)
Jang Woo Hyuk
Epik High
Min Woo aka M
Tablo
JJ Lin
Favorite Love song of all time (so far)
Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor
Love Song for a Vampire - Anne Lennox
Anything for You - Gloria Estefan
Favorite Comedian
Jeff Dunham aka Jeff-fa-faw Dunham (with Peanuty, Walter, Ahmed the Dead Terrorist, Saweet Daddy D, and Bubba J)
Russel Peters
Favorite Food
Ackee and Cod Fish (Jamaicans know it as Ackee and Saltfish) with fried dumplings
Favorite Movie
hrm... it's a tie between
Ajnabe - This is an Indian movie with english subtitles but it even though there's no sex scenes, it has everything! Music, action, hot men etc
Finding Nemo - this movie holds a special place in my heart because in college my best friend and I would go to our dorms, sit together on one of our small beds, with snacks and watch this movie and laugh - after a hell kind of day.
Movie I wished they had never made
Glitter
High school Musical 2 & 3
Funniest thing I've ever done
Well I don't know if its funny to anyone, but in college I used to answer my phone in a beautiful voice "Joe's Crematorium, you kill 'em we grill' em!" or "City Morguw!" Used to confuse the hell outta my friends.
Actor who is my future husband but just doesnt know it yet (lol)
Jason Statham
My favorite Guilty Pleasures
Chocolate - there's a given
Naughty Love Songs - (Adina Howard anyone?, Changing Faces)
A really good book on a really cold day with hot chocolate
Indulgent shopping in China Town
Wildest thing I've ever done
Wow...loaded questiont here - Go partying with my friend Tster... Now we're gonna leave it at that lol
A Hobby no one knows about
Photograpy
Blurb To Destiny's Cowboy...
Carla “Voodoo” Mitumbo has finally gotten the big break she has been waiting for, to be the world’s next big songwriter. But big city life in New York is a whole lot different from Montana. Soon she is caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a deranged stalker, and only one man can protect her. When Carla leaves town, John Stines is left a skeleton of his former self. He tries to figure out what he has done wrong to make everything so bad. When Carla calls from New York in a panic, he drops everything to be by her side. As he fights to save her life, he begins to realize what he has been missing. Now he has more to fight for because if he doesn’t win, he will lose more than Carla herself. He will lose her heart, and her soul.
Excerpt...
“And pull!” Gage called, down on his knees in the mud beside the horse. “Come on guys. We have to get her out of here! Pull!”
The men on the other side of the tree began grunting and pulling. The horse shook her head as if saying she didn’t want to move and began pulling backwards. The rain began pouring harder and he frowned. He knew this wouldn’t have been easy and if he found the lazy jackass who left the barn door open, he would have his hide.
“It’s alright girl,” Gage spoke soothingly to the beautiful brown filly, “just a little bit longer…” He stroked his hand down the horse’s elegant neck and smiled before turning to the guys, “Alright, let’s try again!”
The men all yelled in unison and Lightening seemed to just slide out from where she was stuck and stood on solid—or as solid as could be—ground, “Good job guys!” Gage gave them the thumbs up as he patted Lightening. “Now let’s get you back to Cold Blazes,” he said as he hopped onto the horse’s back, “Guys come on, I’m taking her home.”
“You can’t just ride her bareback in the rain, Gage,” John spoke up and Gage grinned.
“Watch me!” He waved and Lightening showed why she was named that and took off like a streak back in the direction of the Cold Blazes ranch.
Gage made a mental note to find out who let the horse out. It seemed to be happening a lot lately. After getting cleaned up, he walked into the main house with a frown on his face and everyone seemed to scatter. He shook his head. He was too tired to care, “Hey, Nana did anyone call?” he called to Mrs. Purchase.
“No one,” Nana spoke up, “how is Lightening?”
“She’s fine, shaken up but fine,” Gage told her. “Listen I don’t know who keeps leaving that door open. One of these days we won’t ever find her again or any other horse that happens to walk out.”
“I know,” the older woman said placing a plate of food down for him. “Here, eat. I’ll have John look into it. This is starting to get irritating.”
“Way ahead of you,” Gage muttered and sat down at the table for dinner.
He hadn’t even been back that long and already things were going to hell in a hand basket.
He’d been back in town for a week and Mrs. Purchase had to go out of town for a bit. She was the one who shopped for groceries and he waited until the fridge was completely empty before heading into town. No one in the small town knew how to mind their own business and he didn’t feel like facing people so fast after the funeral. He couldn’t stand their pity, their stares and he really didn’t want to talk to anyone but his two friends.
Ever since he was a child, he hated anything to do with the small town because everyone knew what was happening in his house before even he did. That had always shocked and angered him at the same time. He used to swear up a storm as he paced the boy’s room in the local high school with his best friend John Stines as he muttered to himself.
He had just gotten done in the grocery store and was heading back to his truck when the first voice came. He had thought he had gotten through free but he was very wrong.
“Yoo-hoo!” called a nagging voice from behind him, “Mister Everett!”
“Damn,” Gage moaned in frustration wishing he could just run off down the street or sink below its surface. Either way he did not want to be there talking to this woman. She was enough to make you want to shoot yourself in the head. He took a deep breath then turned around with a forced smile plastered on his face, “Mrs. Northers. How are you?”
“I am fine,” she told him as she reached him. “I am so sorry to hear about your poor father. How are you holding up?”
The smile still a permanent fixture on his face, he fought the urge to roll his eyes, “I am holding up just fine, Mrs. Northers.”
She then waddled off muttering something about ‘poor poor boy’ and he felt sick. That was how his whole shopping experience went. He spent over two hours explaining to the married women of the town that he was alright and another hour and a half fending off the single women. They all seemed to want a piece of him. Not that he wanted to get involved with anyone, but he knew they did not love him for him. They were all professing their undying love to him because he had money. He could almost see the dollar signs dancing in their eyes and it made him sick to his stomach.
Why did everyone assume that he was sad about his father’s death?
As his supper cooked, he sat down at the kitchen table and his mind wandered off again into his past life. The only thing that he was proud of throughout his whole thirty-nine years on the planet was his walking out on his father at eighteen and playing football for as long as he did.
Now that he was back, he felt his whole miserable past crashing in on him again. All the old feelings that he thought were behind him, swam to the surface.
He was about to check on his supper when there was a loud bang on the front door.
“What?” he asked himself confused since he was not expecting anyone. He stood up and made his way toward the front door. His glance moved to the baseball bat behind the door then the shotgun but he bypassed them. Swinging the door open, a body fell forward at him. He caught the person and knelt down, cradling the head against his stomach.
“Whoa!” he exclaimed as he fell. “What now?”
Looking down into the face, tears stung at his eyes and he found himself wondering when the last time he had cried was. There was no way his luck could be this bad, “This is not happening.”
Picking up the limp body he almost dropped it when two breasts brushed against his chest. Gage lay her down on the sofa and looked down into her face.
She was beautiful, with skin that reminded him of delicious dark chocolate, the kind that a person spread and licked. He licked his lips but remembered that she was now slipping in and out of consciousness and needed his help. Not wanting to leave her but knowing that he had to, he bolted up the stairs taking them two and three at a time to the master bedroom.
Quickly, he yanked the large comforter off the bed and rolled it up before shoving it under his arm. He then dashed to the bathroom and picked up some towels and his father’s bed robe. Her clothes were wet so he had to get her out of them.
He thought about how racist his father was. Colter Everette would have a fit if Gage had ever brought home a girl of some race other than white; that made him frown but thinking about her smooth skin just made him groan.
A shiver ran down his spine but he ignored it and grabbed the nearest first aid kit as he made his way back to her side with his treasures.
He placed a large towel over her front then reached under to undo her buttons. His fingers trembled as he stripped her under the towel. He found his mind thinking about what she would look like naked but he shook off the thought and continued. When she wore nothing but the blanket, he wrapped another towel over her, along with the large comforter to keep her warm. Using another towel, he patted her face to get the moistness off and his hand grazed her skin.
“You’re burning up,” he muttered in frustration. He had gotten training in first aid and the like during his stint as a volunteer firefighter. It was one of the toughest sets of training he had to go through because the boys thought it was fun to stick a rich cowboy through the wringer during training. He continued because he wanted to show those other guys that he was not about to cave in because of their childish antics, as well as figuring out that, because he couldn’t get rid of himself, a fire would sooner or later.
Folding a towel, he wet it with cold water and placed it over her forehead. Wetting another, he lifted the comforter and the towels that she was wrapped in and placed the wet towel against her bare stomach. He then left her again to dump her clothes in the dryer so she would have them when she woke up, hopefully.
He knew she would be angry when she found out that he had taken her clothes off but there was nothing he could do about that. He could not possibly leave her in those clothes or she could get sicker. Before heading back to her, he turned on the kettle to boil and placed a coffee cup with a tea bag in it beside the kettle. Sitting down across from her, he began thinking why him? Questions began running through his head. Who was she? Why was she out in the middle of the night? It wasn’t raining so why was she soaking wet and running a fever?
* * * *
Thunder sounded outside like a curse and lightening lit up the sky and the room that they stood in. A dark figure hovered in the path as she tried to get out. Something heavy in her arms caught her attention and she looked down.
A little girl?
Her daughter, it had to be.
He was drunk again. She could smell the rich scent of alcohol on his breath when he screamed into her face and grabbed her wrists. She quickly tried to lower the little girl gently to the ground but the little one slipped and scurried off into her room. The man yanked the woman forward, causing her to slam into his chest. The air left her lungs for a bit and she gasped to try and breathe again before she passed out.
The figure that was man-handling her was angry again. He was always angry, and when he got angry he lashed out to hurt her the only way he knew he could. By screaming and punishing her child. She dragged herself from him and picked up her daughter then bolted from the room.
There really wasn’t anywhere to run to. He would find them. She ran into the child’s room and pressed her back against the wall. She held the little girl protectively against her chest as the dark figure advanced on her. “No!” she said turning her back against him and pressing her daughter’s face against her neck. “Leave her alone!”
The figure began prying the girl from her arms. “No!” she cried in vain and the girl began crying. “Don’t take her away! No!”
Pushing hard backwards, she escaped and a cloud of smoke appeared around them. She screamed holding the bundle in her arms close to her body.
Then they were struggling through the dark eeriness of what looked to be a forest. The sound of barking could be heard off in the distant and she couldn’t see very far ahead of her. Branches tore at her skin and ripped her clothes. The small body in her arms slid down but she held on tightly.
“Mommy I’m scared,” the little voice called then shrieked as things that resembled bats but were too big flew directly at their heads. Using one hand as a shield for her baby she glanced over her shoulder. Her body slammed into a tree as a reward and the tiny girl began screaming in pain.
“Shh,” she whispered to the little girl as she kept going, “it’s alright sweetie…we’re almost there.”
But almost where?
She thought she would tell the child that to ease her cries but in truth it was partially for her own benefit. She didn’t even believe herself.
Then it happened. The thing she dreaded more than anything else in her life. He was there and he was taking her baby away from her. She held on tight, “Please! No! She’s mine! You can’t take her!”
“Come on, princess,” a voice called soothingly, “wake up.”
The cool, smooth voice floated in to her consciousness and she gravitated toward it. It seemed like the only light in her otherwise dark and conflicting head. She held on to the voice as though it was life itself. The voice was something tangible to her and she wanted nothing more than to just bury herself in it and stay there forever. Had he just called her princess? No one had ever called her that since her father’s death. Hands began gently shaking her.
“Come on, wake up now,” the voice pleaded.
Her eyes fluttered open but everything was blurry to her. She blinked a few times to get things into focus.
“That’s it,” the voice encouraged. “That’s it. You gave me a scare there for a minute. Didn’t think you would ever wake up.”
“W-Where am I?” she stuttered and tried to sit up but her head floating made her lay back down before she could even say another word.
“Cold Blazes Ranch,” he told her as he removed the towel from her forehead and replaced it with another cold one.
She moaned. “Cold Blazes Ranch,” she repeated with her eyes closed as the cold towel sucked some heat from her. “How did I get here?”
The towel on her forehead hit the ground as tried to sit up and the man simply placed it back against her forehead and pressed her back into the sofa. She wanted to fight him but she could barely lift her arms and keep her eyes open as is.
“I don’t know,” he sat back a little to give her some space, “I was hoping you would tell me who you are. You knocked on my door, soaking wet.”
She opened terrified eyes and looked up at him, “Where is my daughter?” she asked trying to sit up. “Kleo?” she began screaming.
“What daughter?” he was confused. “You were alone when I opened the door.”
“Alone?” she wanted to know as she fought him. “I couldn’t have been alone! I have a daughter, damn it! Where is she? What have you done with her? Give her back! Kleo!”
“Look lady,” he growled backing away slowly as the tender grip that he had on his temper began to slip, “I don’t know what kind of joke this is, or who put you up to it, but you did not come here with a child. You knocked on my door, fell into my arms unconscious and I felt it was my duty to take care of you until you can do so yourself and I take strong offence to you saying that I am some kind of pervert.”
It was as though her next words were frozen in her throat. “I-I’m sorry,” she said, settling back reluctantly. “I am so sorry but I have to find my daughter. Damn! I am so weak!”
“Stay here,” he ordered in an irritated voice. “I am going to take a look around outside. Keep the wet towels on your skin you have a slight fever now and I don’t have any ice packs in the house. I’ll be right back.”
Opening her mouth to tell him off, she quickly clamped it shut as she remembered that her mind may be as strong as nails but her body would betray her as soon as she even lifted her head. She felt so helpless and out of control that she wanted to scream at the sky but she couldn’t even do that. That caused her to frown and swear a couple of profanities that she had heard before and a few that she made up special for that one occasion; but those didn’t help the situation and she pressed her lips into a thin determined line. Giving up, she nodded numbly and pressed back against the sofa to show her utter defeat.
As she lay there and thought about it, she felt safe with this stranger. She made a mental note to ask him his name as she drifted off into a very frightful sleep.
What I'm working on now...
Dao's Lover (this title may change, because I can't seem to make up my mind lol) All her life, Kianna Sanderson has wanted to travel. On her sixteenth birthday, she got her first job and began hording money away in a secret account to go to the first place on her list, China. Over the years she’s developed an obsession with Chinese culture and she wanted to live it first hand. After her mother’s death, she had to use her savings to pay for her mother’s funeral and that leaves her defeated, depresses and dying slowly on the inside. She begins going through her days just on automation until she meets her new boss - the one man that seems to make her do things she would never ever do otherwise. Dao Zhi takes one look at Kianna Sanderson and something inside of him snaps. He wants to get to know her better so he hires her to be his personal assistant in the record label that he owns. But soon, a family emergency has him rushing back to China and taking Kianna with him. Now, he has to deal with Kianna’s low view of herself, his family’s emergency and everything else that comes with courting that's truly broken. And of course, Destiny's Redemption - The third book in the Destiny's series...This will be Rick's story. lol
HAPPY NEW YEAR!