A seven-headed horse and a quest for unity – #EpicFantasy #WritersBlock #Giveaway

Lisabet: Welcome to Beyond Romance! I hope your tour is going really well. So, here’s a question for you: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

Hildebrandt: I’ve experienced short periods of writer’s block. This was a result of trying to write a book without a map. Instead of beginning at chapter one and trekking to chapter twenty-four, I gave tentative names that express a theme to every possible chapter, then wrote ideas of what could happen in each. This was my plot map before I knew about plot maps. The sense of control and direction that a plot map provides, knowing what would happen in later chapters, made it easier to write the earlier chapters.

As a historical fantasy writer, my ideas often stem from primary sources and scholarly works on history, mythology, and philosophy. However, novels have also played a significant role in shaping my writing. They have provided me with a clear understanding of what genre readers expect and how I can innovate to stand out. But perhaps the most crucial aspect of my writing process is understanding the characters I write about. This understanding is what moves the plot forward, as it allows me to know what motivates their actions or inaction. Sharing my ideas with others and hearing their thoughts has been invaluable, as has the practice of writing without overthinking, letting the words flow, and editing later.

Answering blog tour questions has helped me with blog writer’s block. Many of the questions I have responded to are not things I would have written about unless someone else had asked me.

Blurb

A mountainous thundering bull breaks up battling tribesmen, summoning three struggling youths, as an insidious unseen enemy turns tribes against tribes—pitting rich against poor, sons against fathers, and men against gods. Its insatiable hunger for division threatens to plunge mankind into a dystopian realm ruled by man-eating wolves.

A miraculous seven-headed horse, a symbol of unity, assembles the struggling youths of extraordinary origin into a journey of self-discovery. There Sunu the Saxon Poet, Rufus the Roman Stoic, and Keresaspa the Sarmatian Priestess must overcome pride, aversion, and unforgiveness; there they must learn from historical heroes, philosophers, and amazingly similar gods to battle the unseen monster and its rising wolfmen.

Fated to part ways to face the demons at home, Sunu, Rufus, and Keresaspa must reunite as they bring divided peoples together to fight the source tearing everyone apart. They must heed the divine wisdom of the seven-headed horse and justly wield the seven magic weapons they’ve mysteriously been given to overcome the unseen enemy and understand the higher purpose of the mountainous thundering bull.

Excerpt

Sunu the Saxon and Rufus the Roman compare their gods (CH 6 of The Fate of Our Union).

“Jupiter is right reason, chief regulator,” Rufus praised he who permeates the air as moisture, knowing he sounded more interesting the way he appeared in poems. “Through the clouds, the Thunderer rides his horse-drawn chariot, followed by power, strength, and victory. With his bolts, he famously slew godless giants and the water serpent Typhoeus.”

“He’s like Thunor!” Sunu lit up with intrigue. “Except Thunor slew giants and a giant water serpent, Jörmungand, with a hammer, and his chariot is drawn by goats.”

“The goat is also sacred to Jupiter, along with the oak, rock, and bull.” Rufus glanced from oak to rock for Amalthaea but only saw Tanngnjóstr. “Still, many think Thunor is more like Hercules, as they are both chariot-riding, cudgel-swinging warriors with a lengthy list of deeds.”

Sunu’s ears perked. “And they are?”

“Hercules slew the Hydra, an enormous water serpent, like Jörmungand, and took oxen from a giant, Cacus in the cave, like Hymir in the mountain; both Hercules and Thunor fought and slew them with club and hammer.”

Sunu imagined the deeds side by side. “Are you telling me the truth?”

“In truth, the parallels are quite striking.” Rufus chuckled as he pretended to swing a cudgel. “For they also have a heavenly father and an earthly mother, who produced a quick-tempered, far-traveling son who can out-eat and out-drink anyone in the cosmos!”

Sunu hoisted a golden brow. “Interesting.”

“Unfortunately,” Rufus’s tone was no laughing matter, “they were also fated to die by the serpents’ poison.”

About the Author

Hildebrand Hengest Hermannson’s deep-rooted fire for Indo-European culture and Western Philosophy ignites his first novel, The Fate of Our Union, the inaugural piece in a planned series. His work draws inspiration from the national epics The Saga of the Volsungs (Norse), Mahabharata (Indian), Aenid (Roman), Odyssey (Greek), Táin Bó Cúailnge (Celtic), and Shahnameh (Iranian), weaving these rich cultures into original stories featuring fantasy world-building, dynamic characters, and intricate plots and themes. His Wild Hunt of thought breathes life into his spiritual, ethical, and cultural interests, inspiring us all to strive for imperishable virtue.

Website: https://www.hhhermannson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HHHermannson

Twitter: https://x.com/HHHermannson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hhhermannson77/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/hhhermannson/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214514568-the-fate-of-our-union

Buy Link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZS7TD5V?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

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Adventures in Asia – #Singapore #Romance #Giveaway #MFRWHooks

For today’s MFRW Book Hooks blog, I’m featuring my multicultural romance Singapore Fling. This story is part of my Asian Adventures series. Like the other books I’m featuring this month, these tales are pretty realistic, though they may seem exotic to some of my readers .

Anyway, if you like my hook, leave me a comment. I’ll choose one commenter to receive a free copy in the ebook format of your choice.

Blurb

In the cleanest city in Asia, things can still get messy.

Thai entrepreneur Ploy Kaewkornwattanasakul has come to Singapore to close a deal. Ploy needs to convince tech whiz Jason Chow to license his ground-breaking innovation to her company on favorable terms. The future of her startup depends on her negotiating skill. When she meets Jason, though, she realizes she wants not just the invention, but the inventor, too.

Jason Chow is a brilliant engineer, a successful businessman and a bit of a rebel. He’s attracted to Ploy from the moment he sets eyes on her. However, he doesn’t dare respond to her advances, for fear she’ll discover his secret vice.

Ploy doesn’t understand why the sexy CEO has rejected her. She figures she’ll have to content herself with the cold comfort of a signed contract—unless the strength of Jason’s desire overwhelms his shame.

The Hook

As she threaded her way among the mobile phone kiosks and discount clothing shops on the ground floor of People’s Park, Ploy felt at home for the first time since she’d stepped off the plane. This wasn’t that different from Bangkok. While the gleaming airport, spotless public transit, towering sky scrapers and precise, robotic officials reminded her of something from a video game, the food court she found on the lower level deepened the sense of familiarity. Sure, the signs were in English and the prices were four times what she was used to, but hawkers were hawkers, all over Asia.

The stocky noodle vendor in the yellow apron grinned when Ploy addressed her in the Hokkien she’d learned from her parents.

“Gum xia,” the middle aged woman said, handing back her change. “Thank you.”

The broth was oilier than in Thailand and three teaspoons of roasted chili sauce barely raised the spice level. Still, Ploy emptied the bowl. She’d had to leave her condo at four AM to catch her seven thirty flight; there had been no time for breakfast.

The sacrifices I make for my business! She grinned to herself, snagging the last bit of pork with her chopsticks. Most Thais would awaken an hour earlier rather than forgo a meal. It would all be worth it, though, if she could convince Interia to sign the joint development agreement.

No sooner had Ploy pushed the dish away than a uniformed staff member rolled up next to her with a plastic bin of dirty utensils. It took no more than a few seconds for the employee to grab the bowl, balance it on top of a pile, wipe the table clean, and disappear.

Ploy glanced around the open space. Every table was full, most with multiple people, eating with single-minded determination. Clearly at the height of lunch hour, available tables were rare. Throughput was critical.

Probably she should vacate her table, but she didn’t like feeling pressured. Anyway, she’d just paid the equivalent of two hundred baht for a single bowl of not-very-exciting noodles. For that price, she could buy a full dinner in Bangkok. She had the right to sit here for a while.

She glanced around at the other customers in the busy, noisy hawker center, a mixture of shoppers and business people judging by their clothing. Most alternated between animated conversation and shoveling food into their mouths. Others sat glued to their phones, swiping away with one hand while manipulating chopsticks in the other. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry.

Three tables away, though, she noticed an anomaly: a solitary young man, reading a hard cover book. She couldn’t make out the title at that distance—it could have been in Chinese, for all she could tell—but whatever it was, it completely engrossed him. He was oblivious to the bustle around him, including the frequent accusatory looks he received from the cleaning staff.

A real, printed book! Ploy was surprised to see anyone his age opting for dead trees as opposed to a touch screen.

There was nothing remarkable about the man himself. A bit taller than average for a Singaporean, slender but not skinny, he had typical Chinese features. He wore the dark pants and white shirt, sleeves rolled up, that was the common business uniform in the steamy climate. His slightly shaggy black hair fell into his eyes as he bent over the book. A pair of dark-framed glasses and a phone rested on the table next to him.

Something about his utter stillness drew her, though. Attracted her, in fact. She found his focused concentration exciting. This was a man with a powerful will, a person who had no difficulty ignoring what did not concern him. A bit of a rebel, too, given his willingness to flaunt social convention in this aggressively polite city. Like her, he wasn’t about to bow to the unreasonable demands of his inferiors.

Buy links at https://www.lisabetsarai.com/singaporeflingbook.html

Don’t forget to leave me a comment and enter my giveaway!

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Tarnished origins, bright future – #HistoricalRomance #ReviewTuesday #Giveaway

Blurb

Lizzie Finn grew up in a brothel, and she’s reminded of that fact every day. She dreams of finding a job and becoming independent. Only then can she be free of her aunt’s disdain. First, she must find an employer who won’t turn her away because of her past.

Byron Greeley is determined to save his family’s business after Lizzie’s uncle falsifies the amount Byron owes on a loan from the bank. Determined to find proof of Teague’s perfidy, Byron slips into the banker’s house and rummages through the study only to be discovered by Lizzie, a red-haired beauty who utterly captivates him.

Byron offers Lizzie a job in exchange for information about her uncle, and because she believes her uncle is innocent, she agrees. When Teague discovers Lizzie and Byron’s growing affection, he threatens to destroy Byron and his family, insisting Byron is exploiting her. Is Teague’s warning well-founded? Are Byron’s feelings for Lizzie true, or is Byron using her for his own gain?

Excerpt

A spring in her step, Emma placed the rose gown on the bed and returned to the wardrobe. “I saw the most handsome man last night.”

Lizzie’s pulse leaped. “You did?” Had Emma seen the drunken stranger in Uncle’s study? The handsome intruder had occupied Lizzie’s thoughts all night long.

“Of course I did. He is a sight for sore eyes.” Emma returned with the green skirt and carefully lowed it over Lizzie’s head. “Dark eyes, almost black in color, with a gaze so intense he nearly stole my breath.”

Yes. Exactly. As much as she’d tried, she couldn’t get the memory of those eyes out of her head.

Emma secured the skirt and grabbed the bodice. “And his hair, the same as his eyes, black as night.”

Slipping her arms into the sleeves, Lizzie disagreed, “I would hardly call it black, more a dark brown, the color of chestnuts. Which suits him quite well.” With strong, bold features, and a lean frame … She smiled a little when she thought of him. A handsome devil to be sure.

Emma came around to face Lizzie and began to button the gown’s front. “No. I’m quite sure Felix has darker hair than that.”

“Felix?” Had that been his name?

“Yes, our new footman.”

Footman? Lizzie’s cheeks flamed, and her smile dissipated. The man she’d met last night was no footman. He’d spoken of running his family’s business. How embarrassing to be caught admiring a complete stranger. What was wrong with her?

Review by Lisabet Sarai

Lizzie Finn was born in a brothel to a woman fleeing an abusive relationship and raised in that dubious environment until her mid-teens. After her mother’s death, her mother’s sister offers her shelter in the prosperous Boston home of her banker uncle, but Lizzie pays dearly for that material comfort. Aunt Margaret constantly criticizes and belittles Lizzie, never allowing her to forget her tarnished origins and her mother’s shameful profession. Though her Uncle Eldon treats her more kindly, Lizzie longs for personal and financial independence.

Byron Greeley is struggling to keep his father’s business afloat. With his father ill, the responsibilities of the family clothing and notions factory have fallen on his young shoulders. To make things worse, a debt incurred by his father has been mysteriously inflated by the bank, with the original loan agreement somehow lost. Byron suspects the bank president, Eldon Teague, of dirty dealing and breaks into his house in the middle of the night to look for evidence. There he is caught and confronted by Lizzie. Despite the compromising circumstances, he’s enchanted by the brave, spirited redhead. Meanwhile, even though Lizzie knows she should turn him in to the police, something about the earnest young man persuades her to protect him.

Loving Lizzie Finn offers a satisfying love story with appealing and moderately complex characters. Growing up in a brothel might not have been ideal, but the experience has imbued the heroine with courage and fostered her self-reliance. Lizzie’s determination to make her own way in life clashes with her profound attraction to Byron. Meanwhile, Byron never wavers in his devotion to his “angel”, though circumstances sometimes lead Lizzie to doubt him.

As the book progresses, secrets surrounding Lizzie’s history come to light, gradually enough that the revelations don’t seem contrived. I also liked the fact that the resolution of the primary conflict was the consequence of a character’s growth and change rather than some external agency. Several of the characters must adapt in order for Byron and Lizzie to reach their happy ending. I felt that most of these changes were quite convincing.

The book’s most significant weakness is its very thin veneer of history. It is supposedly set in mid-Victorian-era Boston, a setting and period I know quite well. (I lived in a Victorian-era building in Beacon Hill for more than a year, and I’ve written many stories set in the late nineteenth century.) However, there are few details or descriptions that bring the setting to life. I had no real sense of place or time, which I view as a problem given the supposed genre of historical romance.

In fact I wonder if the relative freedom Lizzie enjoys is consistent with the social conventions of the time. She comes and goes as she pleases, without a chaperone. She works in a public factory, among strangers. She surrenders to her passion for Byron with little or no hesitation, though realistically she does worry about pregnancy afterward.

The book would have benefited from a firmer historical grounding. At present it is a somewhat generic romance that could have unfolded almost anywhere.

Still, this wasn’t enough to stop me from enjoying Loving Lizzie Finn. If you like romance with bold, capable heroines, you’ll probably enjoy it too.

About the Author

A small-town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds. She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh. To learn more, stop by her website: www.tamarahughes.com.

You can also find her on:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tamarahughesauth

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tamara-hughes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamara.hughes2/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7738043.Tamara_Hughes

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/tamarahughes

Buy link for Loving Lizzie Finn: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFMQ4X1H

The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

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Join us for Charity Saturday, 24 November 2024 #CharitySundaySignup #Altruism #Marketing

  Image by Reiner from Pixabay

Since 2017, I’ve been devoting the last Sunday in each month to a post which features some worthy cause. Often, other bloggers join me in this effort, turning the event into a blog hop. This month’s Charity Sunday blog hop will take place this coming Sunday, the 24th of November.

Charity Sunday is a meme designed to give authors and bloggers a chance to give back to the world, as well as to attract new readers.

How does it work? Each participant selects a favorite charity. Before the date, you should prepare a blog post that: 1) talks about the charity and why you support it; 2) provides a link to the charity; 3) includes an excerpt from one of your books; 4) includes the code to show links to other participating blogs.

It’s fun if you can make the excerpt relate somehow to your chosen charity, but this isn’t required.

For every comment left on your post, you commit to giving some amount to the relevant charity. The specific charity and the amount to donate are up to you. You can set an upper limit to your donation if you want.

If you’d like to participate in the next Charity Sunday on November 24th, sign up using the Linky List below. Please be sure that the link you enter will lead directly to your Charity Sunday post, not just to the home page of your blog.

You can get the 2024 Charity Sunday banner here:

https://www.lisabetsarai.com/2024CharitySundayBanner.jpg

For an example post, check out this link from my last Charity Sunday:

https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2024/10/charity-sunday-supporting-humanity.html

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Sexual Rehabilitation – #Terrorism #Misogyny #FlashFiction

I originally wrote this post in 2018, for the Erotica Readers and Writers Association blog. It seems very relevant to repost it today.

How many acts of everyday violence are triggered by sexual frustration?

Or, looking at things slightly differently, how many serial killers, mass murderers and terrorists do you think have healthy, fulfilling sex lives?

There have been many studies linking male feelings of sexual rejection to violence. Sometimes the perpetrators openly complain how woman haven’t given them the attention they deserve. Alek Minassian, the man who ran down dozens of pedestrians, mostly women, in Toronto in 2018, raged against the women who had made him “Incel” (involuntarily celibate) and vowed to take down the “Chads and Stacys” - online term for people with active sex lives. In 2014, Elliot Rodger killed seven people, explicitly to punish women who had rejected him and men who were sexually active. In 1989, Marc Lepine murdered fourteen women and wounded ten more, claiming that feminism had ruined his life.

You might object that severe psychological problems were at the root of these crimes, that the difficulty these men apparently had in connecting with the opposite sex was the consequence of their poor psychological adjustment, rather than the other way around.

Look around you, though—listen to the way some men talk—and you will realize that a significant proportion of the normal male population is sexually unsatisfied, and angry as a result. This anger might not express itself in atrocities, but it definitely contributes to domestic violence. Men blame women for teasing them, then “not putting out”. They may feel it’s their right to rape a woman whom they perceive as open to sex, but who does not give them the satisfaction they “deserve”. Married men all too often view their wives as the enemy whom they must trick or bribe into having sex. They may justify extra-marital affairs based on the fact that their wives are “frigid”.

Male status is (still) very strongly linked to sexual success (at least in the minds of many men). Thus, not only do men who don’t have regular, enjoyable sex feel physically frustrated, they also experience a sense of inadequacy, especially in our media-saturated culture where they’re confronted every day by celebrity studs.

Please understand that I’m not blaming all this on the men. I believe that the generally poor level of sexual satisfaction experienced by all too many people, both women and men, is a product of how our society understands, presents, reacts to, and educates people about sex.

First of all, sex is still shrouded in shame. Talking and writing about it is not socially acceptable. The whole topic is understood to be fundamentally impolite, nasty, dirty, even evil. Look at Amazon’s attitude toward erotica. Sure, it sells, but you better keep it under wraps if you don’t want to get censured—or censored. Being open about sex still makes people uncomfortable.

Second, our culture often portrays sex is something you “get”—like money, or a degree, or a new car— not something you experience. “Did you get any last weekend?” is a common Monday morning greeting from one guy to another. This perspective tends to focus attention on quantity, rather than quality. Furthermore, it reinforces a view of sex as mostly physical, rather than embedding it in the context of emotional connections or relationships

Third, we’re led to believe that there’s a limited amount of sex to go around, so you’re always in competition. This attitude is prevalent in both men and women. If my husband’s having sex with his administrative assistant, he won’t have any left for me. This notion of sex as a limited resource fosters jealousy and encourages deceit. This is one explanation for why swingers seem to have happier marriages than the average straight couple.<

For women, there are additional complications: the possibility of pregnancy, the realistic fear of physical abuse, and most serious of all, the fear of being labeled as a slut. As archaic as it seems in the twenty-first century, sexually active and open women are still viewed in a negative light. Being a stud enhances a man’s reputation; equivalent behavior in a woman can destroy her credibility, threaten her social status, even cost her her job. (I know one erotic romance author who was fired and had to move to a new town when someone outed her.) Even when a woman genuinely craves sexual connection, it’s hard to work up the courage to say yes.

So what’s the solution? Obviously even if everyone agreed with me, we can’t remake society overnight. It’s clear from my personal experience, though, that education is key. Early experiences in the family strongly influence later sexual satisfaction.

I was fortunate to have parents who were pretty comfortable with sex. I never got the message that sex was dirty or wrong. My mom explained the nuts and bolts to me when I was a pre-teen, including the basics of contraception. She didn’t tell me to stay a virgin until I married—in fact, there was never any pressure to suggest that I was expected to get married—but she warned me to be careful, that I’d have a strong emotional connection to my first lover.

As a result (at least, I see a cause and effect relationship), I think I’ve experienced more sexual satisfaction than many women. Furthermore, I’ve seen the reactions of men to my sexual openness. So many lovers have complained about how hard it was to get women to have sex with them. They’ve been surprised and delighted by my eagerness for erotic connection.

If we want to bring up sexually fulfilled adults, we have to start when they’re kids.

But what about today’s men and women, suffering from isolation and frustration, blaming each other for their unhappiness? Could we somehow create an environment where they could learn to let go of some of the negative attitudes they have, not to mention the preconceptions about the other’s desires? Is sexual rehabilitation possible? Or are these people doomed to live out their lives without the blessing of great sex?

Violence and terrorism have become so common. In a way, it’s not surprising. Just imagine you’re a young man who believes in conservative Islam. How frustrating that must be! The women around you are covered and veiled. You can’t even admire their beauty from afar. You’re so desperate you’re willing to give up your life to experience sexual satisfaction in Paradise!

Here’s a flasher on the topic, to end this post on what I hope is a lighter note.

We Were Promised Virgins

By Lisabet Sarai

“By the Prophet, you are beautiful!”

“I’m Miriam. I’ve been assigned to your case.”

“Lie down, woman. I will take you now, before the others arrive.”

“No, no, Abdul—you mustn’t rush! Let’s begin with your licking me between my legs.”

“What? How degrading! No man would lower himself to such an act.”

“If you use your mouth on me, I’ll do the same for you. I see you need relief.”

“I’ll find relief in your virgin cunt!”

“Abdul? Will you eat me out or should I leave?”

“Don’t—alright... Mmm! You’re sweet as ripe pomegranate. Oh! I never...”

“Oh! Oh, yes! Oh, Abdul, YES!”

“Are you well, Miriam?”

“Very! Excellent job! Now you...”

“Allah preserve me! What a wicked mouth! I can’t hold back...”

“No need to.”

“No virgin would use such tricks!”

“I never said I was a virgin.”

“But we were promised virgins in heaven.”

“The bomb didn’t kill you. You’re being rehabilitated.”

“This isn’t heaven?”

“You’ve been transferred to the School for Healthy Attitude Generation – S.H.A.G.”

“I’m alive?”

“Very much so. Mmm. Tasty cum!”

“Whore!”

“No, I’m a volunteer. When you recover, we’ll fuck. Meanwhile, I have to work with the pussy grabber in the next room.”

Trust can’t be bought – #Billionaires #SiliconValley #ArtificialIntelligence #MFRWHooks

It’s Wednesday again! Which means it’s time for another MFRW Book Hooks blog hop.

Sticking with last week’s theme of “realistic” romance, I’ve got an excerpt from my BDSM erotic romance The Gazillionaire and the Virgin. Actually, when I wrote this back in 2016, I didn’t realize how realistic it was going to be. Both of the main characters are tech people and the book features an AI system that can generate stories... Sounds familiar, right?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my hook, a somewhat fraught phone conversation between my heroine and my hero.

Blurb

Trust can't be bought. It has to be earned.

When Silicon Valley entrepreneur Rachel Zelinsky meets reclusive genius Theo Moore, she has a single objective —a deal to incorporate his AI software into her company’s popular virtual world. She finds Theo to be arrogant, sensitive and socially awkward, but his aura of power speaks to her carefully-hidden submissive side. Confused and aroused, she falls under his geeky spell.

Theo Moore can’t be bought. His past battles with poverty make him deeply suspicious of the billionaire CEO, though Rachel’s voluptuous curves and brilliant mind embody his ultimate fantasy. Too bad his knowledge about sex derives from extensive research and a stash of kinky porn rather than real-world experience.

Rachel may be Theo’s first lover, but Theo is her first true Master. One word from him, one touch, and she surrenders to bliss. It seems that love and complementary desire may harmonize their differing values, until Rachel’s unwitting violation of Theo’s trust tears them apart.

The Hook

I wait until the fundraiser’s all arranged before getting in touch. I don’t want to give him too much time to obsess about the prospect. I call him from home, about seven a.m. My spies have discovered he’s a morning person.

“Um—hello?” His voice is a bit gravelly, but deeper and more sonorous than I’d remembered.

“Hello Theo. This is Rachel Zelinsky.” Don’t hang up, I think during the ten second pause that follows. Don’t even consider it.

“Oh—um... Hi, Rachel.”

So far so good. I wait for him to continue, but he’s silent.

“How are you?” I prompt, finally.

“Okay.” Two beats. “And you?”

“I’m great. Busy, but that’s normal. Anyway, I’m calling about the fundraiser.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“For Code in the Hood. Remember? I told you when we met I’d try to organize an event to raise more cash for your organization.”

“Oh, yeah, right. I thought you were just being polite.”

I chuckle. “Not at all. As you’ll learn when you get to know me better, when I say I’m going to do something, I do it. So it’s all set, for seven tomorrow night, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. I’ll pick you up around six. 1263 Redondo Palms Avenue, right?”

“Ah—ach—what? No! No, I can’t, Rachel!” He sounds as though he’s choking. “Really—you don’t need me. I’m grateful, but—”

“We most emphatically do need you, Theo. You’re the founder of CIH, its public face, the man behind its success. People want to meet you.”

“Oh, God—what kind of people?” He’s breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating.

“Rich people. People who want to give you money to help the poor kids in the ghetto learn about modern technology. Millionaires, Theo. Billionaires!”

“I don’t want to meet them...” He’s almost inaudible.

“You’ve no choice, Theo, not if you care about CIH. Look, you don’t have to make a speech or anything. Just attend the function with me. Smile, Drink a bit of champagne. Shake people’s hands. I assume you have brochures and other PR material, right?”

“Yes, yes....”

“Bring that and let my people pass it out. Then all you have to do is be yourself, Theo. Share your passion for CIH, and let these people see how they can make a difference. I guarantee that if you follow my instructions, you’ll rake in at least a couple million in one evening.”

“A couple million? You’re kidding.” His astonishment has overwhelmed his anxiety, at least for the moment.

“Dr. Moore, another thing about me: I never kid about money.”

Theo is silent. I press my advantage. “The function’s black tie—I love to get dressed up, even if most of the Valley crowd would be happier wearing polo shirts with company logos seven days a week. So I’ve taken the liberty of ordering you a tuxedo. The tailor will deliver it this afternoon, and make alterations if necessary. You will be at home, right? Your department secretary says you have no classes or meetings today.”

“Dr. Zelinsky, you have no right to go snooping into my life.” I hear genuine anger in his tone. A little chill shimmers through me. “Talking to my secretary! Finding my street address! What, did you do a secret 3D scan to get my suit measurements? I’m not one of the pawns who inhabit your virtual world. I care about my privacy.”

“Sorry—Theo, please, try to understand. I just want to make this as painless as possible for you. I apologize if you feel I’m being intrusive. If I’d asked you whether you wanted a tuxedo, though, you probably would have refused my offer.”

“Damn right I would. I’m not wearing some penguin suit just to please you, Rachel Zelinsky.”

A little thrill shoots through me. There’s something about the way my name rolls off his tongue—as though he’d been saying it, or at least thinking it, a lot...

“Theo.” I soften my voice, add a note a pleading. “It’s not for me. It’s for the kids in South Central. Can’t you do it for them?”

“Humph.” When that’s all he says, I know I’ve won this round.

“Pick you up at six. I’m looking forward to seeing you again, Theo.”

He hangs up without any reply.

I find that my nipples are like stone and I’m soaked with sweat.

 

Buy Links

E-Book

Kinky Literature: https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/811-the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin-/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SDY5XJ5/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09SDY5XJ5/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin-lisbet-sarai/1123327821?ean=2940165788888

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin-2

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1132432

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1610802851

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60397753-the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin

Audio (WordWooze):

https://www.amazon.com/The-Gazillionaire-and-the-Virgin/dp/B075WZS3TN/

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Gazillionaire-and-the-Virgin-Audiobook/B075X1XN87

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today's Book Hooks!

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Love, art and uncertainty in the French countryside – #France #LaterInLife #FriendsToLovers

In her late forties, Callie Patterson, an amateur artist, craves success in the art world. Opportunity presents itself in the form of the irresistible French artist Nicholas Trier who offers a three-week Artists’ Retreat in a French château. If she manages to charm him, who knows where the association might lead?

However, from the moment she arrives in France, things don’t go according to plan. The château is magnificent, the countryside is splendid, but it never stops raining, and Nicholas is surrounded by an ambitious group of women who have the same plan she does.

She is grateful for the growing friendship with the château’s gardener, Michel Alexander, but if Callie finds him seductive she can’t consider him a potential lover: Michel is probably as poor as she is.

Set in rural France, this light-hearted romance touches on the contemporary art world and French history.

Blurb

Callie Patterson, an unsuccessful artist, hopes that a relationship with the irresistible and magnetic Nicholas Trier will pave the way to success. She follows him to France where, in a magnificent château, he holds his artists' retreats. But famous men surround themselves with hangers-on and demand complete loyalty.

Callie soon finds herself far more attracted to Michel Alexandre, the estate gardener, who loves and protects trees and every living creature. But if she wants to make a name for herself, she’ll have to choose Nicholas and his world.

Except nothing is quite the way it seems, and perhaps success isn’t the most important thing, after all.

Excerpt

Callie dropped her backpack and, uninvited, sat down on the soggy ground not far from where he was digging. She didn’t even own a houseplant, but a banal conversation about twigs and saplings, was what she craved at the moment. “Okay, tell me why isn’t there a hedge here now.”

“Because, years ago, the farmer ripped out all the hedges to have larger fields for his agricultural machinery. Now we’re bringing back a balanced environment.”

“You’re not planning to replace every single hedge on your own, are you?”

“Of course not,” he scoffed. Picking up a small spade, he loosened another patch of earth. “There are thousands of trees and shrubs to replant, and that would be an impossible task for only one person.”
With gentle fingers, he spread the delicate roots of a tiny shrub, tucked it into place in the little hole, then tamped down the moist soil with his palm. Reached for another, and then another.

She watched silently as he planted, and strangely enough, it was almost a sensual sight. His hands were broad, strong, and deeply tanned from working outdoors; his long fingers were beautifully shaped. And under that denim shirt of his, there was the alluring suggestion of tight sinew and warm, fragrant skin. Bear like? No, not exactly. Something more, something…

“A penny for your thoughts.” Michel was watching her with those disconcerting eyes of his, very dark, with heavy lids and thick lashes.
She felt the blush as it traveled upward, flooding her neck, her face. He hadn’t caught what she had been thinking, had he? Perhaps he had. Surely, he’d seen how her gaze had slipped over his hands, his arms, his chest, and shoulders. How incredibly humiliating! What vaguely plausible answer could she give? “Oh…just remembering something.”

“Ah.” Eyebrows raised in overt amusement, he smirked—rather cockily—then went back to working on the next hole, the next shrub.

 

The Unpredictable Colors of Love is published by the Wild Rose Press

Purchase Links https://books2read.com/TheUnpredictableColorsOfLove

Trailer: https://youtu.be/27nE-cCHNqM

Review Quotes

As always the author creates characters who are not always perfect, have enjoyed full lives up to the point where she brings them together, and who are on a journey of discovery. The story is set within in the luxurious and lovingly renovated chateau and in the glorious countryside where its ancient fields and hedgerows are also being brought back to life. The perfect setting for two people who might have given up hope on finding a soul mate to explore the possibility there might just be a chance for them after all. ~ Sally Cronin, Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

The charming setting of rural France is an excellent backdrop to the book, which explores the dichotomy between urban and countryside environments. It also examines the contrast between two vastly different types of men: the arrogant and popular Nicolas, and humble, caring Michel. Indeed, the unfolding romance between headstrong Callie and the down-to-earth gardener is delightful to behold, as is Callie’s transformation from urbanite to country-dweller. Michel supports and validates her, which is in stark contrast to Nicolas’s superior attitude and vanity.

A sweet, tender romance, with well-developed characters I could root for, this is an immersive story, with its unique and picturesque setting. ~ Whispering Stories

About the Author

Writer, social critical artist, and impenitent teller of tall tales, J. Arlene Culiner, was born in New York and raised in Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe on foot, has lived in a mud house on the Great Hungarian Plain, in a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave dwelling, a haunted house on the English moors, and beside a Dutch canal. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no interest where, much to local dismay, she protects spiders, snakes, and weeds. 

Observing people everywhere, she eavesdrops on all private conversations and delights in hearing any nasty, funny, ridiculous, sad, romantic, or boastful story. And when she can't uncover any salacious gossip, she makes it up.

Author Website http://www.j-arleneculiner.com
Blog: http://j-arleneculiner.over-blog.com
Author links: https://linktr.ee/j.arleneculiner