What Scares You in a Fun Way?

I think about this question a lot around this time of year, because I seem to find myself writing my characters into scary situations a lot. For me, fun scary isn’t bloody gutsy. I think slasher movies/books are too unsettling to enjoy. I guess I’m more into psychologically and environmentally scary stuff.

Give me a deep, dark wood, or a creepy old haunted house any day.

So what is it about these places that’s fun scary to me? I guess it’s the anticipation of something horrible in a setting that, under a bright sun, would seem normal and harmless. Terror slides into place under a fat moon or a storm-drenched sky. It pulses to life as the sun dies and is a living, breathing force until the sun rises again.

Fun scary is the monster in the closet or the ghoul skulking behind a tombstone. It’s a child’s nightmare…a madman’s dream. It doesn’t slash or eviscerate, but the possibility is always there for violence, like a rancid hope.

I particularly love atmospheric scary. It pulses with a thunderous heartbeat of its own, dragging you into a terrifying abyss of fear and helplessness. A stormy Cliffside at night, with the ocean pounding violently far below. A dark, chilled cave filled with the stench of death and other…much worse…things.

Sometimes horror masks itself in play, like in the following scene from my upcoming romantic suspense, Hell Hath No Honeybun, where my hero and heroine find themselves looking for a killer in the black-light-drenched rooms of a Halloween fun house!

Enjoy!

What happens to a songbird when she sings the wrong tune? She quickly finds herself in a flight for her life!

Garrick Honeybun was only at the Halloween fundraiser as a favor to his cousins and his Uncle Brick. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the singer, who stirred his senses like nothing he’d ever experienced, and had a voice like molten honey. In fact, he fully intended to tell her how much he enjoyed her singing.

Unfortunately, somebody got to her before he could. And when the guy who shoved her around behind stage showed up dead in the cloak room, Garrick’s beautiful songbird took a runner. Now Garrick had to find her, and when he did, he fully intended to find out why she killed the guy—and figure out how he could help her get away with it.

Book page

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As they got closer, the sounds of mechanized screaming filled the night. The sound, even muffled as it was, made Ena’s stomach hurt, because she knew it was a thin veneer over the true horror waiting inside that house.

A warm hand lay against her back, a soft breath bathed her face as they started up the wide, wooden staircase. Garrick’s breathing was regular, his touch gentle. His unflustered presence took the edge off Ena’s terror.

The bulb over the front door flickered ominously. Movement on the roofline made Ena look up just as a huge, black bat dropped toward them, its eyes glowing red in the dark. She screamed and flung up a hand to swat the beast, before she heard Garrick’s chuckle and realized it was just a prop.

Ena swore softly as the bat lurched upward on a noisy cable. “I’m not going to survive this,” she muttered.

Garrick moved past her, reaching for the doorknob. He lifted a finger to his lips and pulled the door open a few inches, peering inside before slipping through in front of her. He grabbed her hand as he went through the door and pulled her in behind him.

When the door closed they stood in total darkness.

Garrick stilled, the fingers holding her hand tightening as they listened, trying to get their bearings.

Something clanked in the distance. A speaker belched a horror-movie scream and Ena jumped, wrapping her fingers around Garrick’s arm.

A stale breeze wafted past.

She thought she heard the soft exhalation of breath and spun around, icy fingers of terror slipping up her spine. A sense of movement on the floor made her jump and give a little yelp. The terrifying sound of tiny, pattering feet suddenly surrounded them. As if someone had opened a cage full of critters and dumped them into the room. Something squeaked down by her feet and she gave a little scream. “Rats! Garrick!” Ena rammed him with her body, not sure what she expected him to do about it but certain they’d be better off as a single unit, rather than two, easily separated potential victims.

He lifted a hand and light flared. Garrick pointed the phone toward the ground.

Nothing.

“It’s just a sound track,” he told her with a smile in his voice.

Ena shuddered. “I’m seriously not going to survive this.”

A flashing light snapped on overhead. The flashing made things in the room seem to move and lunge toward them and Ena was relieved when Garrick tugged her hand and they used the disconcerting display to move through the space. As they neared the door on the other end of the room, someone screamed, the sound filled with agony. Ena’s immediate thought was that it was Jackson.

She started to run.

A blood-covered figure pitched toward her, the chainsaw in its gore-coated hand roaring to life. Ena kicked out, her foot smacking hard against the metal frame of the simulated attacker. “Ouch!” She hopped away as the “monster” retreated noisily.

“Are you okay?” Garrick supported her arm as she hobbled around for a minute.

“Yes, I’m…” The room went black again. Something shifted behind her and hard hands grabbed her arm, yanking her backward. Ena screamed as the wall opened and the ruthless hands ripped her away from Garrick. Her scream was quickly cut off by a brutal punch to the temple and the darkness in front of her eyes found its way inside her brain.

Book page

Author Bio:

Sam writes as Sam Cheever for mainstream romantic suspense and fantasy, all heat levels; and Declan Sands for m/m romantic suspense and fantasy. Sam’s published work includes 40+ works of romantic suspense, and fantasy/paranormal. Her books have won the Dream Realm Award for fantasy, been nominated for and/or won several CAPAs, were nominated for Best of 2010 with LRC and The Romance Reviews, and won eCataromance’s Reviewer’s Choice award.

Sam is published with Changeling Press; Ellora’s Cave, both Romantica and Blush; Musa Publishing; and Electric Prose Publications (her own imprint).

Visit her websites to find out more about her work and activities: www.SamCheever.com or www.DeclanSands.com.

You do know I have a life outside of writing, right? I have a large family that occupies two sides of the highway in my neck of the woods. And no, we aren’t Duck Dynasty. We’re just a multi-generational (five generations!) family, trying to be there for each other. I’m “sandwich girl”–stuck between the elders and the young’uns (my daughter’s family), and doing my best to carve out time to write.

But writing isn’t all I want to do. I need hobbies. And one I’ve found I really enjoy is making jewelry. I sell a few pieces on line and in an Etsy store, but I haven’t put the effort into selling. Mainly, I just love sitting down at the work table, clearing my mind, and putting together little baubles or painting a pendant—things that, for me, don’t require much of my brain.

This weekend, Friday through Sunday, I’m taking part in an artist’s studio tour—an annual event the local art guild sponsors, so I’ve been busily putting together more baubles to display, and hopefully sell. Sales equals validation, here. And maybe I can earn enough to pay for more beads and paint! Here are some things I put together this week. I will be flooding my Etsy site with items after the tour!

amethyst and rutilated quartz bracelet, inked and painted pendant

howlite crosses bracelet

coral, ruby, copper and leather bracelet

dragon’s eye bracelet, with jasper, jade, citrine, and Victorian era button,
plus painted/inked pendant

What are your favorite “take me away” hobbies?

Thanks so much to the fabulous Delilah Devlin for having me!!!  Have you read all of her books? Seriously, you should!

As writers, we always hear the words “write what scares you.” and given that it’s nearly Halloween and ghoulies are gearing up for the big night while the level of candy corn in my vat on the coffee table sinks suspiciously lower, I thought I’d talk about fear today.

Ignoring the big “I’m a human and instinctively scared of death, pain, natural disaster, and reality show contestants,” like love and taste in music, fear is individual – I am terrified of bugs and things jumping out at me, but blood doesn’t bother me at all.  I love being scared at the movies, but you couldn’t get me on a roller coaster, and I despise things jumping out at me (Haunted Houses, **shudder**).  If I see a copy of Stephen King’s “It” on the bookcase, I have to stop and read a few chapters, no matter that the experience will leave me scarred for the rest of the day.

I’ve been writing Halloween shorts for my BEWITCH ME collection, and while they’re not frightening in the classic sense of the word, I did try to think about the old order to “write what scares you,” if not in terms of oozing monsters with chainsaws, then in terms of what happens when you fall for someone completely different from yourself.  If you’ve been hurt, can you be brave enough to open up to someone?  If you happen to be powerful and strong, can you relate to someone who’s not?  Can you face the consequences of your actions and take your medicine, admitting you were wrong?  All of these emotional fears are very, very human, and it’s been interesting to write characters grappling with these questions and finding points of connection and compassion as they figure out the answers.  Of course, ALL writing is therapy, and characters love to force us to face our own fears and examine our insecurities under a microscope.

And don’t forget, being scared of something gives us the best excuse in the world to huddle together – there is safety in numbers!  This October, curl up with a horror movie, grab your sweetie, and be happy for this magical, ghoulish season that brings us all together for some scary Halloween fun.

Email: LilyCRede@gmail.com
Twitter: @RedeLily
Author Page: http://amzn.com/e/B008OC9048

Bewitch Me Buy Link

Five steamy short stories to fill your nights with sexy, spooky delight. Even good witches get to be a little bad on Halloween, and sparks will fly when love, lust and magic get all tangled up in these hot paranormal shorts.  Collection includes PASSION & PUMPKINS, MY FAIR HEX, ENSORCELLED, THAT MAGIC TOUCH, and BEWITCH ME.

From THAT MAGIC TOUCH:

“Had I known I was going to spend all night in a fridge, I would have dressed for the occasion.”

Wes’ eyes slid over her neat white blouse and black mini-skirt, lingering on the hint of lace at the tops of her thigh highs before following them down to her sensible shoes. Jane felt a curl of heat that had absolutely nothing to do with the temperature in the room. Wes rubbed his hands.

“I can warm you up, if you don’t mind a little magic…”

“No! I’d rather be cold.”

Wes frowned.

“It’s not that big a deal.”

“Not to you, it’s not!”

Jane tugged her skirt down and curled up as best she could as Wes made a sound of pure male frustration. He shrugged off his jacket and tucked it around her shoulders, his raised eyebrow daring her to protest. With a sniff of gratitude, Jane snuggled into the fabric, trying to ignore how it smelled of Wes and clean soap and linen.

Wes sat down across from her, leaning against another shelving unit.

“I would conjure up a deck of cards, but I’m afraid that might offend your delicate sensibilities.”

Jane scowled at him.

“You make fun, but is it so bad to just want my life to be somewhat normal?”

When normal is the one thing you can’t give me.

The thought was depressing. Life without Wes and Esme would be…bland.

“Normal gets old pretty fast.”

1NS 200 Birthday Celebration and Giveaway

Good Morning! I am super stoked to be one of Decadent Publishing’s 1NS Authors. I remember two years ago when this line went live. I had friends telling me to jump on board.  When I had time, I checked it out. I’d never seen a calling that had a deets sheet with some background. Once I read the set up I was hooked. When I originally began writing for the line, there was only a contemporary kind of feel. Down the line, that opened up to paranormal, GBLT, ScFi and a mixture of genres.

Check out the blog!

I began with:

Burn Me if You Can– A fun interracial short novella with two diverse characters. Madame Eve knows how to deliver future mates, that’s for sure.

Working for the Wichita Tribune is the best thing that’s ever happened to Rebekah Shayne, until she takes an assignment aimed to take down a prestigious matchmaking firm. She’s determined to ferret out the falsities, schemes, and swindling companies manipulating lonely souls.

Ashton Foster doesn’t believe in on line dating. When his mother takes charge of his personal life, he knows it’s useless to fight her and would rather go through a few dates with strangers than let her push the unending stream of locals down his throat vying for his pocketbook. In this he finds the perfect opportunity to downplay who he is and become a regular type of guy.

Tell Me No Lies – Taking a walk on the paranormal side, I chose an Angel and a seemingly innocent woman working in a sinful environment.

Trading Up– A sizzling hot interracial romance with sensory deprivation and two likeminded individuals standing in their own way of finding happiness.

Camilla’s deal breakers make finding a man to fit her wants, needs, and desires darn near impossible. For years she’s been primped and primed to be the perfect political daughter, when all she really wants to do is let loose without her world collapsing. When a friend sends her Madam Eve’s way, she grabs the opportunity to explore without being outed to the conservative watchdogs.

Jonah Dawson’s career is heading for a change. His friends have dubbed him married to the military, and he can’t deny that his focus has been off center. While they enjoy the pleasures of life and wives, he has nothing to come home to. When offered the chance for a 1NS, he signs up, unprepared for the exotic woman whose sweet exterior masks enticing sexuality.

Sensory deprivation and the natural freedom of anonymity launch unexpected sexual desires. Madame Eve’s only request–Enjoy the sweetness of life and let the chips fall where they may–leaves this couple eager for an eye-opening experience that breaks all the rules.

My Favorite 1NS Stories – Here’s the list of stories at a glance!

Satin Sheets In Space – Jessica Subject
Always A Marine Series– Heather Long
The Virgin Series– Kate Richards
Bella Ink – L. C. Dean
Cinderella Wore Combat Boots – Dawn Jackson
Take Down– Stacey Kennedy
One Night with A Wolf – Rebecca Royce
Want– Ann Mayburn

Enter the Rafflecopter Contest!

If you haven’t checked out the 1NS line, make sure you do. Here’s to finding great reads 😛

When Powers Collide

Thank you, Delilah, for having me around to visit today!

One of my favorite things about writing paranormal romance is the opportunity to write about powerful women – not just in the ass-kicking sense (though that’s fun too) but also in the has-her-shit-together, calm-in-the-face-of-any-crisis, ruler-of-her-personal-universe sense.  The heroine of my newest release (Karma of Naughty Karma) is one such woman.  In every book of the Karmic Consultants series, as all her consultants are finding love and saving the world (or, in one case, saving a wedding), she’s shown that she’s strong, she’s smart, she’s got mad psychic powers, and she’s used to being the boss.  So who could possibly capture her heart?

From the day I started writing the KC para-rom-com series, I knew the man for Karma was going to have to be something special.  I think a truly powerful woman needs an equally powerful man, someone she can’t walk all over.  Someone who will challenge her and never be cowed by her authority.  Someone who can truly be her partner.

But because it’s no fun if they just fall into one another’s arms, of course the first time they meet they wouldn’t be partners.  He had to be her nemesis.  And so Prometheus – the unscrupulous warlock with jaw-dropping powers of his own – was born.  And boy did I ever have fun pitting these two against one another… and forcing them to work together.

What would Elizabeth Bennett be without Darcy to pit her wits against?  In J.D. Robb’s In Death series, who can match up with Eve Dallas if not Roark?  In Nalini Singh’s Psi-Changelings, Hawke could only be mated to someone as epically powerful as Siena.  I gotta say I love a good power couple.

Do you have a favorite powerful pair?

Double crossing the devil is a dangerous business.

Karmic Consultants, Book 7

Nearly two decades ago, Prometheus sold his beating heart to a devil in exchange for epic power. That contract is about to expire—and so is he. There’s only one woman with the power to help him see his next birthday. And he’s willing to use every manipulation in his arsenal to pry that power from the ice queen’s grip.

Karma, who values order above all else, has had enough of the unscrupulous warlock’s pranks endangering her people. But when she confronts the wily trickster to demand a cease-fire, his terms throw her for a loop. The bastard wants her to save his life—and he wants her in his bed.

Clinging to her hard-won control is the only way Karma knows to keep her abilities from overwhelming her. If anyone can tempt her to embrace the chaos of her magic, it’s Prometheus.

One kiss brings her defenses crashing down. But can she trust Prometheus…or has she lost her own heart to a warlock with a hidden agenda?

Warning: This book contains scheming, manipulation, bargains-with-the-devil, and meddling consultants. All’s fair in love and magic.

MY WEBSITE:  http://www.viviandrews.com

BIO: Vivi Andrews is the award-winning author of over a dozen paranormal romance novels and novellas.  A nomad at heart, she lives in Alaska when she isn’t indulging her travel addiction.  For more about Vivi and her books, please visit her website (www.viviandrews.com) or blog (Ramblings from the Road, www.viviandrews.blogspot.com).

BUY LINKS:
Amazon | B&N |  Samhain:

Here’s a short excerpt of Karma and Prometheus going toe-to-toe.  Thanks again for having me, Delilah!

EXCERPT:

“You ass.” She stalked into the heart of his shop, the rap of her heels sharp on the hardwood floor. “I was willing to overlook the medallions you’d sold all over town, causing all manner of magical havoc.”

“Overlook? If no one was causing supernatural problems, you wouldn’t have any to solve. I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to your business. I should get a commission.”

She didn’t appear to hear him. Her smoky, sex-kitten voice rasped over his words, gaining volume. “I chose not to respond to the pranks around Samhain and Beltane, and I ignored what I suspect was a curse of some variety designed to prevent me from being able to keep a receptionist for longer than a week.”

“I lifted that curse weeks ago.” Immediately after he’d semi-accidentally summoned a demon to harass her. It seemed the least he could do.

She went on as if he hadn’t spoken, though her hands clenched, rewarding him for the comment. “I refused to sink to your level, decided not to engage, but this? Siccing a demon on my brother’s wedding. A demon.”

“You have an exorcist on staff.”

“You sent a demon to stop my brother’s wedding!” she shrieked in an admirable impression of a banshee.

“It was a minor demon. And it wasn’t tasked with stopping the wedding. Just disrupting it a little.”

“A little? You almost killed my wedding planner!”

“Are you always this concerned with things that almost happen? I almost rescue orphans from burning buildings on a regular basis. Then I remember I don’t particularly give a shit about orphans.”

“You want things that actually happened? He actually possessed the wedding planner’s car and crashed it. He stalked her for three weeks. He kidnapped her!”

“What’s a little kidnapping among friends?”

“We are not friends. You’re—” She broke off, reduced to sputtering her rage.

“Dashing? Magnetic? Unscrupulous?”

If she could have lit him on fire with her eyes, he would have been a smoldering pile of ash. “There are no words vile enough to describe you.”

“You realize all of this could have been avoided if you’d let me hire you in the first place.”

“My people don’t work for ethical black holes.”

“Ethics.” He flicked his fingers dismissively. “Rules we make for ourselves are easily changed, bent or broken. Survival of the fittest is the truest law. Unbreakable.”

“I’m not going to debate morality with you.”

“What are you going to do? Punish me?” He smiled wolfishly. “That could be fun. I have been a bad, bad boy.”

She glared at him, sparks all but shooting from her eyes, hands on hips, her anger radiating a fierce heat. She’d missed her calling as a dominatrix. Give that woman a whip.

Musings on…the Weather?

Huge thanks to Delilah for hosting me today. I’m excited to be here!

I grew up in Michigan and Ohio, but I’ve been living in Texas for nearly a decade. We were warned about the weather, but at first Texas tried to deceive us. Two weeks after we moved in, we had a snowstorm on Valentine’s Day with five inches of snow. And that summer, it rained for almost the entire month of June. By the time July rolled around, Texas started to show its true colors, and we knew we were in trouble. I’ve been known to offer to trade my firstborn for a cloudy day during the summer. Needless to say, I still haven’t adjusted to the weather.

During mid-July this year, with afternoon highs well into the 100s, nighttime lows hovering in the 80s, no rain to speak of, and backyard swimming pools as warm as bath water, I was diligently working on edits to my forthcoming debut release. It’s a Regency historical set in London. So naturally, I started daydreaming about the weather there as I edited.

I visited London in June 2009. Average highs were in the mid-70s, and average lows in the 50s. I wore jeans! And sweaters! It was cloudy much of the time, and drizzled a bit. Never mind the sights – the trip was worth it just for the weather. But the sights were pretty fabulous, too.

Windsor Castle – check out those gorgeous clouds!

So you’re probably wondering if I added rain and below average temperatures to my story. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until November to find out.

Ally’s Bio:

Ally Broadfield lives in Texas and is convinced her house is shrinking, possibly because she shares it with three kids, five dogs, two cats, a rabbit, and several reptiles. Oh, and her husband.  She likes to curse in Russian and spends most of her spare time letting dogs in and out of the house and shuttling kids around. She writes historical romance and middle grade/young adult fantasy. Her first book, Just a Kiss, is coming from Entangled Publishing in November 2013.

Please stop by my website in November. I’ll be participating in a blog tour with giveaways in celebration of my debut release.

website: http://allybroadfield.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/allybroadfield
Twitter: www.twitter.com/abroadfield

UPDATE: The winner of the free download of Raw Silk is…Rebecca Merz!

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Just quick commercial, and then I’ll get back to the regularly scheduled program… 😉

Right now, Shattered Souls is available for just $.99! So if you haven’t bought the story, now’s the time! The book’s chock full of gooey goodness—a sexy, kick ass hero you’ll find just as irresistible as the heroine does…a heroine with a really bad attitude and a past she can’t escape…magic and mayhem… Get the picture?

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Flashback: Raw Silk

Post a comment and you’ll be entered to win a free download of this book!

“… This is one hot book. This is my first m/f/m, m/f/m/f, f/f, and m/m all in one book! And whoa nelly, this was a smoking hot story….” 5 Stars and Top Pick, Night Owl Reviews

“…Delilah Devlin has a scorching hot read on her hands with RAW SILK…Ms. Devlin gives her readers a sexually charged romance…Ms. Devlin turned up the heat with her intense love scenes and memorable characters. I loved Raw Silk, and I would recommend this story to every reader.” 5 Angels and Recommended Read, Fallen Angels Reviews

“…The always exhilarating author Delilah Devlin knows exactly what her readers want – daring, erotic and wicked delightful stories filled with amazing characters, exciting story lines, passion and an abundance of emotions that will keep them riveted to the pages and once again she delivers the goods with RAW SILK…” 4 Hearts, The Romance Studio

A wicked, no-strings one-night stand turns unexpectedly complicated when three lonely hearts collide…

Camille sacrificed romance for success long ago. Now that the lingerie company she and her best friend built is hugely successful, she has a few regrets. Wanting to let down her hair and explore the possibilities, she agrees to meet a man at a bar for drinks only to wind up needing help when she rebuffs his sexual overtures.

Jake and Daniel are two firefighters hitting the bar for a quick drink after a long shift when they see a classy beauty fending off an overzealous boyfriend. With a flex of biceps they chase him off then settle in to seduce the lovely woman whose eyes reflect a hunger they understand all too well. What starts as a simple, pleasurable one-night stand, quickly burns up the sheets.

While Jake knows he can’t let Camille crush their relationship because of age differences, Daniel still thinks he can walk—until he gets a whiff of Camille’s best friend Lacey. Suddenly three isn’t enough.

Reader Advisory: Burning up the sheets is putting it mildly! Inhibitions are out the door with scenes of m/f/m, m/f/m/f, f/f and m/m.

Nothing was better than a lip-gloss kiss—sweet, silky, made for savoring.

Jake Lassiter picked up his beer and drew on the froth, imagining another kind of cream slipping between his lips while he stared at the woman’s shiny pout. She didn’t seem to realize anyone stared as she slicked her lips with a clear lube, tucked a stray blonde curl behind her ear and closed the mirrored compact. Or maybe she did and the performance was just a tease.

“Dayum, bro. Gotta have me some of that,” Daniel Parker murmured.

Jake shot him a glare, just to check, and sure enough, his best buddy was staring at the same honey-haired beauty.

“I call dibs.” Danny scowled, humor gleaming in his dark brown eyes.

“Can’t call dibs. I saw her first. I watched her come in the door while you were paying for the drinks.”

“Oh yeah? What color is her hair?” Jake asked, leaning toward the bar to cut off Danny’s view.

“Who gives a damn? Did you see her ass?”

Jake snorted, annoyed they were talking like two never-been-laid teenagers, but that’s what usually happened after a long week when both of them were too worn out to rub a single brain cell between them. That either had been able to lift bleary eyes past their beers said a lot for the woman’s appeal. She shone like a beacon in the badly lit bar.

“Why not let the lady make her own choice?” Danny drawled.

“Like she’d come near either one of us,” he muttered, his gaze sweeping the expensive cut of her navy suit, the sleek fall of her chin-length hair and understated makeup. She wore “class” like he did a pair of well-washed jeans—comfortably.

Still, it had been her expression that had snagged his attention. Something soft and wistful shone in her large, dark eyes. She wished she was anywhere but here. Read the rest of this entry »