A Bear and a Wolf Walk into a Bar- A Julia Talbot Guest Post

Well, okay, in this case a wolf owns the bar and a bear works there as a bartender.

Hey, ya’ll! BA is letting me take over today. I’m here to love on my story, Blue Moon Bar, which I just rereleased as a standalone. It came out originally as part of the Bar None anthology, but I’ve always loved it enough to make it a series, so I’ll be doing more novelettes in the series.

I love that length. I know readers are leery of the 10-20K story, but I adore it. So expect to see Seamus and Hugh to feature in other shifter’s love stories.

Now, Hugh, wolf shifter, and Seamus, bear shifter, are the stars here. Hugh is grumpy and needs to get laid. Seamus wants to know why Hugh keeps chewing him out. Add in a poacher who wants to add a werebear to his collection, and hoo boy! Fast adventure.

Bears make me happy. Not kidding. I love to watch them move, love to ponder what they might be thinking, and Seamus is a great example of that. He’s got a very bear sensibility to his thoughts. He’s not afraid of hard work, but he’s happy to nap. He has this enormous strength, but he can be gentle and sweet. He hates being caged. Loves sensual games.

I adore him.

Hugh is such a wolf. Prey driven. Alpha. Practical. Playful deep down.

Can you tell I like them both?

You can find them at ARE and at Amazon

Hope you check them out and love them!

XXOO

Julia (aka The Wife)

Frosty Fiction, Day 8: Samantha, Kody and Mesa

Kody stood in the main house, staring. “Uh, Mesa?”

“Yeah, baby?”

The room was filled with boxes and lights, garland and sparkles and... wow.

“Did the North Pole explode in here?”

His Alpha stood there, hands on his hips, glaring. “What? It’s Sammy’s first Christmas with us. I don’t want her disappointed.”

Kody snorted. Their mate wasn’t sad. Samantha loved it here, loved the clan.

Loved him and Mesa.

“Don’t you snort at me. It needs to be perfect.”

“You’ve got enough lights to signal space.”

“I might have a few too many.”

Sammy walked in the living room, whistling happily, before she stopped, blinking, and Kody winced, waiting for the explosion.

What he got was a happy laugh. “Are we all decorating together?”

“Yes!” Mesa, his big alpha Mesa, bounced. Bounced.

“Oh, how fun. I’ll get my iPod. There’s Christmas music.”

They’d lost their minds, both of them. They were wolves. Did wolves really even do Christmas? Kody chuckled. “Can I have a Yule log?”

“Baby, you can have a Yule tree if you want.”

“And hot chocolate, Kody-love. With booze.” Sammy bounced, and Kody’s eyes crossed at the boobage. So pretty. “Our first Christmas altogether!”

Their joy was infectious, and he found himself nodding. “I’m on it. Don’t start without me.”

“Start what?” Mesa popped his butt on the way by. “You’re right here.”

“Decorating. I was going to make drinks.”

“Oh!” Mesa came back to kiss him. “We’ll help.”

God, his mate was like a puppy. It was adorable.

Christmas music filled the air and he heard Sammy’s laughter. “Boys! Come on! Let’s play!”

Mesa kissed him one more time before whispering, “Don’t worry, baby. I got mistletoe, too.”

“You’re good to me.” He hummed, rubbed their noses together. “Mate.”

“Yeah. Finally. So it’s okay that I went a little nuts?”

“She brings it out in you.”

“You both do.” Mesa tugged him toward the kitchen where their girl was already heating milk for hot chocolate. This whole Christmas thing might just be fun.

***

Mesa, Kody and Samantha's story is Shifting Streams: Climbing the Ladder. You know the drill by now, y'all. Comment for a chance to win.

:D

Much love, y'all.

BA

What She Wants and Ink Out Today!

Calleigh and Adrian have always had an open marriage. Adrian being on the road all the time has made it easy for them to have separate lives, but neither of them acted on their agreement to see other people until Adrian met fellow Aussie and force of nature, Packer Stevens.

Now Packer and Adrian are always together, and Calleigh is left at home, missing her man. When Calleigh decides she’s not going to let Adrian go without a fight, she comes up with what she thinks is the perfect plan. She hits the spa, and the gym, and sets out to find her inner buckle bunny, intent on getting her bullrider back, and maybe on impressing Packer a little, too. She heads out on the road, ready to fight for her husband.

What Calleigh doesn’t understand is that her plan will be wildly successful, and also the hardest thing she’s ever done in her life. Packer is more than willing to play, but he’s as complicated as Calleigh is emotional. As much as he loves Calleigh and Packer, and the sexy games they play, Adrian has to try  to set things right, but can he find a way to give Calleigh what she wants, and make everyone else happy at the same time?

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=3758

Tattooed men are sexy, right? That’s the premise of the eight tales in the Ink anthology.

Victoria Sloane opens with The Frayed Line, the story of Dan, who daydreams about the black line on Jonah’s back until he finds out what’s underneath the ink. Sinner's Star by Elizabeth Brooks is the story of ex-con Dope, who discovers his best friend Rat isn't dead after all, but Rat has a new tattoo, a .45, and a grudge against Dope!

Katherine Halle brings us Kelly, who fantasizes about licking Dwayne's tattoos, and just might get his chance in Come Fly With Me. In Dragon by D.K. Jernigan, bartender Travis is haunted by a sexy man with a magnificent dragon tattoo. Now Travis just has to find him. Mychael Black's Detective Kris Winters is also looking for a man with a very special tattoo in Secrets.

In Pounding Skin by Emily Moreton, Mal's tattoo should confirm his commitment to the army. To his shock, it has far more impact on his life. In Simple Instructions by Zoe Trope & Brendan Adkins, Finn accepts an internship at a large law firm, and loves his position at the hands of Robert, a demanding, tattooed lawyer. Finally, in BA Tortuga’s Tramp Stamp, what's a vamp to do when he has a tattoo he can't get rid of? Read the Ink anthology to find out!

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76&products_id=3757

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