Six Sentence Sunday: Weed and Feed (m/m/m paranormal cowritten with Julia)

And boring him out of his mind. Unlike your average novelist, Cian was not an introvert.

He wanted to be where the people were. Where the blood ran hot.

He wanted to play.

Hard.

***

:D

Much love, y'all.

BA

Frosty Fiction, Day 20: Wend, Canyon and Riana

“Canyon?” Riana came to him, long white hair like a cloud around her, face like a little worried thundercloud. “The women say that I have to make the Pack a Christmas. I’ve never done a Christmas for anyone. I don’t know how.”

“Oh.” Canyon bit back a grin. “I guess not. I can help with that.”

“Okay. You tell me and I will make it.” His fierce, frowning girl, working so hard to be the alpha female, to make things right. He adored her.

“Well, first we need Wend. He’s the domestic one, yeah?”

She nodded, arms wrapped around herself as she turned, heading back toward their home, tension written in every line of her body.

“Hey.” He snagged her, pulling her back against his chest. “Guess what?”

“What?” It meant so much, that she never even tensed, just cuddled in.

“Christmas can be easy. You just need a lot of love in your heart.”

“I have a lot of love in my mates. I want you to be pleased.”

Wend appeared out of the shadows. coming to them like he’d been called. “Is something wrong?”

Canyon chuckled. “Not at all, sweet boy. Let’s go in, make hot chocolate, and plan our holiday.”

“I’d love that.” His sweet mate beamed, coming to nuzzle and nibble their lady until she eased, smiled, nodded.

“It will be okay?” she asked.

“It will be perfect.” No matter what.

Canyon would bite anyone who said different.

 

***

Riana, Wend and Canyon are from Opening the Cage. :D

Comment for a chance to win a backlist ebook, y'all.

Much love,

BA

Six Sentence Sunday -- Mating Call

She knew what they were, knew they couldn’t mate with someone for life who wasn’t one of them.

He smacked Shaw’s shoulder, just a little too hard. “It’ll be cool. We’ll be stupid in love and wanting to make puppies.”

Right?

Right.

 

This snippet is from the first book in my newest paranormal menage series, Mating Call, just released from Ellora's Cave :D .

 

Want to play along? It’s fun and easy

1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published

2. pick six sentences

3. post ‘em on your blog or website on SundayThis snippet is from Adam's story, Tag Team, that I'm currently plugging away at. The boys are currently in a pervy position, in fact. :D Want to play along? It’s fun and easy 1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published 2. pick six sentences 3. post ‘em on your blog or website on Sunday

Six Sentence Sunday -- Mating Call

Stephanie shook the heavy ceremonial robe, the fabric soft in her hands, and sighed. Maybe it was time to take it to the dry cleaners -- obviously Woolite wasn’t doing it. She hung it over the back of her grandmother’s rocking chair. Tomorrow she would worry about the robe. Tonight the boys were coming over.

Tonight she’d be coming, over and over, if she was lucky.

 

 

This snippet is from the first book in my newest paranormal menage series, Mating Call, coming from Ellora's Cave this Friday.

 

Want to play along? It’s fun and easy

1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published

2. pick six sentences

3. post ‘em on your blog or website on SundayThis snippet is from Adam's story, Tag Team, that I'm currently plugging away at. The boys are currently in a pervy position, in fact. :D Want to play along? It’s fun and easy 1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published 2. pick six sentences 3. post ‘em on your blog or website on Sunday

Flash Fiction featuring Mating Call

NEXT WEEK!

*grins*

To help celebrate the turkey day season, I've written a flash fic featuring Steph/Jordan/Shaw. :D Totally safe for work.

http://batortugaflashfiction.blogspot.com/2012/11/mating-call-thanksgiving.html

Much love, y'all.

BA

Werewolves, Julia, Laughing and Having a Ball

Look!

Moon Shine is out today. :D

Julia and I had so much fun co-writing the Cereus stories that we got to brainstorming and, suddenly, we had a ridge runner turned werewolf that was in desperate need of another growly man to nibble on.

I had an absolute ball writing this one, but I'll admit straight up, I'm dying to write the sequel, Absinthe. I won't spoil anything, but once y'all read it, you'll know of what a speak. 

*grins*

Here's the official-type blurb: 

Jenson expects all sorts of trouble being a moonshine runner, but he never thinks it will come from a werewolf bite. He’s dealing with all that while getting his next shipment ready, and he thinks he’s doing all right until David shows up.

Confused, scared, and hot as hell, David is just the kind of trouble Jenson doesn’t need, and everything he wants. Can he help David figure out who bit them both, and keep his life on track at the same time?

And here's an excerpt for you:

***

He smelled trouble about a half second before something landed on his back -- someone heavy and solid and hot. "Where is he?"

Jenson didn't stop to think. He just whirled, his arm pushing up under his attacker and sending the guy flying. Then he headed for his shotgun, which sat at the edge of the clearing. He was always careful not to mix gunpowder and sour mash.

His legs were taken out from under him, a lean, hawk-faced man with skin like leather staring down at him. "I don't want to hurt you. Where is he?"

"I don't want you to hurt me either." He kicked out with his right leg, sweeping the man off his feet.

The man landed with a hard thud, the solid little guy taking it well and rolling right up. It was impressive, and it told Jenson a lot. Like that the guy was not just a human.

"Please. You smell like him. Where can I find him? He did something to me."

"What do you mean I smell like him? Him who?" Jenson ducked to one side when the guy rushed him again.

"The man. The man that bit me!"

Fuck a doodle. It couldn't be. Could it? "Blond? Lean? Pretty?"

The dude nodded, heavy braid swinging. "I just need to find out what the fuck he did to me."

Huffing out a breath, Jenson caught up with the whole situation. Then he went to sniff the guy a bit, moving as close as he could. Damn it all. "Bit you, did he?"

"Yes! Where is he? What did he give me?" Those near-black eyes were snapping, the fading sun reflected in them.

"It's called lycanthropy, man. You're a werewolf."

"Nonsense." The man snorted. "I'm not hungry all the time. The Wendigo are starving, constantly. Everyone knows that."

Well, okay then. He guessed that showed him. "Cool. You're not an ethnically specific breed. Go you."

"What?" He got the look -- the Jesus, you're an insane hillbilly aren't you look. Which, okay, there was a still. Woods. Shotgun.

But he didn't have on overalls and he had all his teeth, goddamn it. He wasn't in Arkansas, either. His last name wasn't Hatfield or McCoy. He knew what the hell he was talking about. "You know, werewolf. Full moon. Grr."

"No way. I can't be a hunting guide if I'm eating people. Where the fuck is he?"

"I. Don't. Know." That should be clear enough, right? Jenson turned on his heel. He was done with this shit.

"You smell like him! Why the fuck are you hiding him?"

Jenson ducked the next rush, whirling around and whacking the idiot in the chest.

"I'm not! He bit me more than a year ago. I can't possibly smell like him."

"His trail led right here. Direct from Unicoi."

Huh. All the way up by the Cherokee forest. Bizarre. There was no way that asshole was here, not without Jenson scenting him on the wind. Right?

"You don't know where he is." The thin lips twisted. "Sorry for bothering you. My mistake." Then the man headed out, right back toward the trees.

Jenson was going to let him go. Was determined not to get involved. He had no wounded animal protective response. Which left him wondering why he turned around and went after the guy. "Wait. Maybe we can help each other."

"Do you know where he is? I have to see him. Stop this."

"I don't know, no. But if his trail led here, he's been hunting my happy ass. I can help you find him." He had no idea if it was true. Jenson just wasn't letting this guy get away so easy.

"I have to. Something's wrong with me." No shit on that. The guy's wolf was crawling under the surface, just waiting for the moon.

"I can help you with that, too." He could. He'd done his moons, and he'd done more when he changed unexpectedly the first time someone tried to take his still down after he'd been bit.

Those dark eyes pierced him. "How? I keep dreaming shit."

"I know. I been there. I've been like this longer."

"I'm going to kill him. He bit me."

Jenson wasn't sure it worked that way. What if, when and if you could kill the wolf who made you, you wiped out his whole progeny or whatever you called it?

No way was Jenson ready to die.

He growled a little, surprised as hell when the man rumbled back. Oh, he didn't think so. Jenson swelled up like a big frog, knowing he could look damned huge when he let his wolf play a little. He advanced, hoping to hell the other guy backed down.

There was moment where he thought the guy would, then the dark eyes flashed gold and their chests slapped together.

Oh. Hello. Whatever he might smell like, the other guy's scent was all male, hot and musky and just his type. Down, boy.

***

 *grins*

Can't wait to see what y'all think of it!

Here's your buy link, and it's available on Amazon and ARe as well. :D

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_85&products_id=3716

Much love, y'all!

BA

New Series Coming in February

Hey, y'all!

It looks like the first in my new romantic paranormal series, Cowbell, Book, and Candle is coming out in early February! :D

The CBC series is focused on a New Age/Art/Antique store in Central Texas, and on three high school best friends. Lily St. Marc, Bobbie Jo McMillen, and Sara May Light have been best friends since grade school. They studied together, were on the drill team together, went to Texas State together, rushed Tri-Delts together, then graduation happened.

In Cowbell, Book and Candle: Deep in the Heart of Hexes, Lily really isn’t the shop-owner type, but she knows she has to go back home after college and take over her granny’s weird, wonderful store, just like she promised. The problem is that Granny wants her to get serious about things she’s not even sure she believes in. When Granny falls mysteriously ill after an antique shatters in the shop, Lily starts to think that the whole world is off-kilter.

Marc deals daily with the kinds of phenomenon Lily is struggling against. He knows it’s magick, but he’s not sure how to convince such a beautiful, stubborn woman how to start looking for solutions of the supernatural variety. Lily thinks Marc is arrogant and amazingly handsome, but she doesn’t want to trust him. Can the two of them learn to work together in time to save all that Lily holds dear?

:D

The first book is m/f, the second is m/m/f, the third is m/f, and the fourth is m/m/f. I make no promises after that.

As soon as I have a cover, I'll make sure to share.

Ahora Out Today!!!

So, Julia Talbot and I were in Vegas playing the What If game --

What if there was this woman and she lived with two men?

What if the men were real boys -- forgot to put the seat down, ate all the peanut butter, made a mess?

What if they had a fight and then she got hurt and ended up in Vegas with amnesia?

What if they were all werewolves...

;-)

Tada! Ahora!

Here's the link for the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObJKqsPAdzw

About Ghost Pepper: Ahora, a Torquere Press Menage story

by BA Tortuga
47 pages / 10700 words

Tony and Adam are determined to get their girl back. Vicki has gone missing, and as volatile as she is, it’s not like her to just leave them, especially so close to the first moon. Finding her trashed motorcycle in the desert doesn’t give them a whole lot of hope, though.

Lost and unable to remember anything, Vicki doesn’t know what to believe. Tony and Adam are strangers to her, but she knows they’re hot as the elusive ghost pepper. Can the boys convince her to come home like they want to, ahora? Now?

Sample

"Who ate the last of the peanut butter?" Vicki slammed the cabinet door, the empty Jiff jar in her hand. Seriously? How fucking hard was it to throw the fucking jar away? Tell her. She'd made the fucking drive to town just yesterday for groceries.

"'Tonio did it," Adam said, not even glancing up from his magazine.

The magazine she'd picked up for him at the damned store!

"Did not. Adam's a fuckhead." Tony at least looked at her from over the pile of electronics he was systematically fucking up, dark eyes completely unconcerned.

She was going to kill them both. They were... lazy, insensitive, rude asshats!

Adam grinned at her finally, pushed the heavy mass of blond hair away from his face. "Okay, it was me. I forgot. Sue me."

She looked at him, then threw the peanut butter jar at his head, hard.

"Hey!" It barely missed him, possibly grazing his ear. "Are you fixing to start?"

"What?" She was going to bite his face off. Start? "Are you afraid I'll be in heat tomorrow and we'll get hung up?"

Lady save her from living with asshole males. Why she was the one who needed two frigging...

"You sure are bitchy for no reason, querida." Tony shrugged, looking so put-upon.

"No reason? No fucking reason? Y'all have been assholes all fucking day!" First there was the fact that she'd made a breakfast and no one had bothered to get their lazy asses up to even eat it. Then someone had dribbled all over the toilet seat and hadn't clean up after himself. Farts so bad that the bedroom smelled like a dog pen. Then her leathers had been crumpled up and... gnawed on.

Why the fuck did she get saddled with not one, but two mates?

Two shiftless, flea-infested, butthead mates. She was so out of there.

She flipped them off -- not that either one of the little shits noticed -- and grabbed her helmet and her leather jacket on the way.

Turds.

Fuckweasels.

Furbags.

She jumped on her Harley, slammed on her helmet. It was time to get the hell out of Dodge for a few hours, let the wind blow out her shitty mood.

Otherwise she'd just kill them both.

Buy Ahora here.

IT'S OUT! Just Like Cats and Dogs (m/m, paranormal)

Just Like Cats and Dogs

203 pages / 50000 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-560-7

If there’s one thing Sam knows for sure it’s that you can never go home again. As a feline shifter who grew up in a family of wolves, he’s used to being a freak. He stays in the city and tries to get his family to visit him, but when a loved one passes away, Sam has to go back to the New Mexico desert for a last goodbye.

Gus only comes back to the pack at gathering time, once in a blue moon. He’s usually a wanderer, but he’s with the pack when Sam comes home. Gus and Sam have never gotten along, but this time around Gus is surprised by the attraction he feels for this new, slinky version of his high school nemesis.

Sam and Gus may not be able to resist each other, but finding time to be together and overcome their differences might be too much for them, especially when danger lurks just around the corner, and all around the world. Can cats and dogs live to learn together, or are Gus and Sam destined to fail?

Review

Jane Davitt, author of Hourglass, writes: 'Just Like Cats and Dogs' is a fascinating look at racial tension and prejudice as expressed through the interactions of two types of shifters; panthers and wolves. I've read many shifter stories but this one really made me think about the political implications if we did have shifters around us living hidden lives but organized and structured ones too.

Sam, who shifts into cat form and was, quite literally, raised by wolves has never fit in. Openly gay, he lives in the city, working as a dancer and choreographer. On the death of his father, he returns home and clashes immediately with a childhood enemy from the pack, Gus. As adults, the two of them have more in common than they realize and the tenderness that Gus shows toward the bereaved and vulnerable Sam really comes through. There are some wonderful scenes with the men in their animal forms that really rang true.

Gus is content, more or less. He mines gems, travels, gets on with his family. Sam doesn't fit in anywhere and as the story unfolds we see how precarious his life is because his own kind, the cats, see him as tainted by the wolves, and to the pack he grew up with, he's the enemy, barely tolerated. The lines are drawn; the city is run by the cats, the wolves like the countryside. 'West Side Story' is referenced in the book and this story does have 'Romeo and Juliet' overtones, the classic forbidden love story taken to a whole new level.

The love between the two men unfolds beautifully, their doubts and reservations, their primal antagonism, swept away by a stronger force. As we see a new order evolve around them, as if they're the focal point for change, the reader's left optimistic that things can get better.

Definitely a story that stays with the reader, thought-provoking and compelling.

Sample

Gus watched his mom and brother packing up casseroles and soup bones and all manner of shit to take over to Mona's. Jesus, he couldn't believe that Pop Finn was dead. The man was a fucking fixture in their neck of the woods, and everyone loved the guy, even if they disagreed with him.

"Are you coming, Gus?" His mom pushed her crazy red hair behind one ear. She was that way as a wolf, too, with a deep, reddish coat and one floppy ear. Pete was just the same way, and it used to pissed Gus off, when they were kids, that he looked like Dad, all shaggy and brown and shit.

"I'm not sure, Mom." He smiled wryly. "I didn't always get on with all the Finns."

"You don't say." Her lips twisted in a half grin. "It's been fifteen years. You're coming."

"Yeah." He shook his head. This wasn't about his issues. Pop Finn had been a good man, a solid man. Hell, that family had adopted every fucking stray that came across their land for the last forty years, up to and including a bunch of rowdy pups who just needed a place to blow off steam. He wasn't sure turkey casserole was an adequate expression of how they all felt, but he guessed it would do. He helped his mom carry everything out to the truck, getting it packed so it wouldn't slide around and spill.

"I'll take my truck, too, in case one of us needs to stay or something." Right, because baby brother Pete had a serious hard on for Lizzie -- the second to the youngest of Finn girls.

"Asshole." He grinned when Pete flipped him off. Gus did love fucking with people when he was home.

"You two behave or I'll beat you both." Mom hopped into the truck. "Get your ass in here, son."

Gus climbed into the driver's seat, bumping off toward the Finn's place.

"I want you to be nice to that boy while we're there."

"What boy?" All of the Finn kids were too old to be boys and girls.

"Augustus..."

"What?" He grinned. "Oh, you mean the pussy."

"Augustus Fieri, I will beat your heinie!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be good." He would. Unless pussy boy was an ass. In which case he'd kick the lanky little fuck into next week. Yeah, the beating sounded like a good plan. He grinned, which made his mom pop him on the arm. "Ow!"

"Stop it. You have evil in your eyes. That poor boy was Pete's best friend, even if he was different."

"You know, I want to know why everyone assumes it was my fault we didn't get along." It was offensive. Really.

She just looked at him. A lot. With her eyes.

Okay, so he'd bitten Sam. Chased him. Growled. Treed the little fuck once. They'd been boys. Boys did that. Just like Sam had scratched his leg so bad once that he'd had to get stitches. Had shredded Gus' favorite jacket in high school.

And that didn't even count the time someone who'd never been caught had put Nair in his conditioner.

God, he didn't want to do this. He hated funerals and gatherings for funerals and planning shit like that. He could be in a tourmaline mine somewhere...

"Thank you for coming out with me. I can't believe Michael died during the gathering."

"Yeah." Gus rolled his eyes. The gathering. It made it sound like a movie. They all got together during the harvest moon, once a year. It wasn't sinister or anything; it was a damned family reunion kind of thing.

"Do you... You and Petey, you'd be okay without me, right?"

"Don't even think it, Mom." He wasn't going to ponder it too hard.

"It's going to happen sometime, son."

"I know, Mom, but I could just as easily get smooshed in a cave-in." He shrugged. "We'd survive, but I won't lie and say it would be easy."

She vocalized softly, petting his arm. "Well, I hope not. You ought to miss me a little."

"Stop it." Gus couldn't help but growl some. It had been him and Petey and Mom against the world for a long time. He'd miss her like a lost limb.

"I think we should go to Burger King after we pay our respects."

"I think that's a great idea." Meat. Ketchup. Yum. He even liked fried potatoes.

"Me, too. Pete will be busy sniffing after that pretty little girl, so we can duck out." Mom winked at him.

"There you go." He patted her leg, knowing she needed contact as much as he did. "I'd miss the hell out of you, Mom."

She nodded, sighed softly. "Poor Mona."

"She has all those kids, huh?" What, eighteen? Lord.

"Yeah. Sam sends money home to her, so do Gray and Helena."

"She'll make it." She had to. The greater pack really wouldn't know what to do without Mona Finn.

They pulled into the drive, the place filled with trucks and cars and SUVs. Everyone had turned out. Gus felt a little queasy, but Petey was right there in front of them, and he came to help their mom out of the truck. "I'll be along in a minute, okay?"

"Sure, honey. I'll be inside with Mona."

He walked around the side of the house, needing some air, something. He turned the corner and ran smack dab into someone, the two of them crashing together.

"Shit!" He stumbled, but instinctively tried to catch whoever it was. Gus knew he was big. He could do some damage. "Sorry."

"No problem." The voice was soft, slinky, pure sex somehow, making his hair stand up on end.

He stepped back to look at the man, because it was definitely a male, and his eyes widened. "Pussy boy?"

One black eyebrow arched impossibly over a bottle green eye, then he was flying, back hitting the ground before his fucking chin started hurting from the kick it had received.

Shiny black boots appeared by his head, only for a second. "Indeed."

Then they were gone.

Holy fuck. Gus sure didn't know where Sam Finn had learned to kick like that, but damn. That was something.

Kinda hot, too.

Somehow the whole funeral thing had just gotten a whole lot more interesting.