Storywitch's "Book of Shadows"

Hope everyone’s had a great month! Also hope those of you observing Memorial Day weekend here in the States are enjoying time with loved ones, while at the same time remembering our soldiers, past and present, the many sacrifices they and their families make for us and others. A big thank you to them!

I’m pleased to announce the winner of this month’s book-of-your-choice contest is Luv71! Congrats, Luv71, and I’ve sent you a direct email to find out what book you’d like to receive.

Also, remember that we posted an interview with Daegan from Vampire Mistress on the Fan Forum this weekend. The Mod Squad ladies had quite a few questions for him, and he had help answering from Gideon and Anwyn (smile). So hope you’ll go check that out under the Character Interviews section. Remember, if you’ve never visited before, you’ll need to provide a valid email address to log in and see this section, but it’s simple and quick, no worries!

I’ll also have the next segment of the Jessica and Mason vignette ready in the next couple of days, so check back here and at the fan forum to see what happens next to these two…

As promised, here’s the next part. This picks up where we left off at the end of Part Two, after our lovely segue at the airport with Helen!

* * * * *

Habiba… You will explain to me what you are doing. Right after you get down from there and put on some clothes. Now.

He’d apparently shot that command out through all three of their minds, because Mara stepped back from her instantly, dropping to a kneeling position. Enrique captured the tails of the flogger in one hand and bowed his head in similar obeisance. They’d known he could react this way, though, so their expressions were quiet, accepting, making her feel guilty for what she had persuaded them to do.

It was my idea. It’s not their fault.

That is not what I asked. I told you to get down and put on some clothing.

The tone made her bristle. She wasn’t a child. She didn’t deserve to be treated like a child.

Jessica.

(more…)

Intro: As you’ll remember, Shyness won a walk-on part in the Mason and Jessica vignette, but turns out, she plays a far more key role to Mason’s state of mind than first anticipated. As such, I wrote you TWO segments this week. I’m going to post one today and one TOMORROW. This one is Shyness’s “walk on”, and happens about an hour BEFORE Mason is within range of Jessica’s mind. So he hasn’t yet discovered what Jessica is doing. Tomorrow’s part takes us back to where we left off at the end of Part Two. Hope you enjoy this segue, however – I interrogated Shyness for a few basic facts about herself, interwove fact and fiction to create this section, and had quite a bit of fun with it. It’s kind of a “step into her shoes” vignette, where each of us could imagine a chance encounter where we not only get to meet a favored character, but help him out in some useful way (grin).

Whenever I have the privilege of getting to know one of you a bit more, I’m always amazed to find out what extraordinarily interesting and remarkable people read my books. It makes me all the more flattered to have you as fans. Shyness or “Helen” (she was okay with me using her first name for this) is a prime example of that high regard.

The other reason I’m giving you two segments at once is it’s possible I may have to submit the next part in three weeks, rather than our usual two (wincing, ducking the thrown vegetables). I have a family vacation coming up this month, as well as a rework for my mass market witch series, and a couple of promo things that may suck up my evening time. But no more than three weeks before we resume again, promise. And we will have Bookclub night to talk about Daegan, Anwyn and Gideon!

So here we go…

(more…)

Okay, here’s Part Two…and yes, Mason is still playing coy, mainly showing up at the end of it. But he should arrive in his full glory in Part 3 (grin). Enjoy…

And don’t forget, Vampire Mistress releases officially on Tuesday, May 4! However, I’ve heard through the fan forum that some of my readers have been finding early copies at Borders and Barnes & Noble already – hooray!

* * * * *

One hour until midnight. One hour until Mason’s mind would be in range of hers. She’d had a despicable urge to wait until then, so she could use his presence in her head to give her additional courage to start this, let alone finish it, but she knew that was what she had to prove to him. That if she was at a Council meeting, and Lord Belizar said he wanted to see a threesome involving two males and one female servant, and she was the chosen female, she wouldn’t disgrace Mason by bolting like a spotted fawn. That she could handle herself and he could rely on her to serve him as a Council-level servant should.

(more…)

Here’s a nice long segment to kick off this vignette, the one I know many of you have been requesting for quite some time! This of course features Mason and Jessica, the cast from Beloved Vampire. And yes, there are some minor spoilers if you haven’t read the book, so beware if that’s something you wish to avoid. :> 

Thanks for your patience, and hope you’ll feel this was worth the wait. As always, I’ll write another segment every two weeks or sooner, if my schedule allows. Don’t know how many parts it’ll be – we’ll see how it progresses, but this one is going to be more involved than the scene between Thomas and Lyssa (wicked grin). This will also be posted at the NEW Fan Forum, which is live now, but will also be mentioned in my newsletter this Thursday, if you’re subcribed.

Anyhow, enjoy, and hope you’re having a wonderful week!

* * * * *

Jessica paused in front of the heavy oak door, studying the wood panels. Any other human would simply see a random pattern in the grain, a variety of textures, rough and smooth. But with her thirdmark, she could take it much further than that. She could see how the wood was smoother, shinier on the area several feet above the ornate doorknob. Where a man, over six feet tall, might put one hand flat to give the door a healthy shove as he turned the knob with the other. Reaching up, she laid her hand over that area, moving it back and forth in a drifting stroke, imagining the heat of his palm pressed there.

She’d been coming here a lot lately. Well, in stages. And only when Mason was traveling on Council business, where he was far enough away he couldn’t tap into her mind and know what she was doing. She hadn’t asked Enrique and Mara, his other servants, to keep it from him, but they seemed to understand that this was her personal battle, and respected her privacy.

(more…)

The winner of this month’s book-of-your-choice contest from the March newsletter is “Joy I.” I’ve sent her an email directly, but congrats, Joy, and I’ll look forward to hearing what book of mine you’d most like to have!

Hope everyone has a lovely and peaceful Easter, filled with love, friends and family. And lots of chocolate and candy. My favorites are the Cadbury mini-eggs (the speckled ones with a candy shell), and the tiny Brach jelly beans – there’s nothing else like them! I can’t handle the chocolate rabbits; I’m too softhearted to bite off their ears (grin).

Happy bunny day!

Joey

Here’s the conclusion of Lyssa and Thomas’s vignette. Hope you enjoy it and everyone has a lovely upcoming Easter. I’ll take about a two-week break and then start on the long awaited Mason and Jessica vignette!

* * * * *

He lifted his chin, giving her access. Though she saw he was sure of his decision, it didn’t stop a tremor from running through those strong arms, holding tight to the bonds. She paused, running a palm up the smooth biceps, to his forearm. “Ease your grip, monk. You are in your bed, dreaming. You will not resist me, your body flowing to my will like water. Do not tense against me. That is my command.”

Slowly, he complied, taking one deep breath that expanded his bare chest, then another. She nodded as his fingers slackened, letting go of the sash, and he was all hers, whatever she wanted to do to him. As he realized the power and truth of that, it did add rigidity to one part of him, the part she wanted straining with all its might toward her. For now, she kept that pleasure as a peripheral awareness as she pulled her loose hair to one side, tumbling it over her left shoulder, and brought her mouth to his throat.

One had to be a vampire, or perhaps a surgeon, to understand how vulnerable the human throat was to a mortal attack. A simple depression on the windpipe for the proper number of seconds, or one puncture on the carotid, and life would slip away like a dust mote through desperately grasping fingers. The body understood that, so it took a great act of will to do what Thomas was doing now. Obeying her, refusing his instinct to protect himself in any futile way. Putting her mouth over that artery, she heard the rush of sweet blood through it, could smell it through his skin. Aligning her fangs appropriately, she let them sink in, with slow, savoring pleasure. (more…)

Well, they tricked me – Thomas and Lyssa have one more segment in store for us, so this is the “next to last” installment. They have one more to go. I was typing madly night before last and realized I’d gotten to 3000 words and had about 3000 more to go, and really needed to break it. Hope that won’t disappoint any of those eagerly awaiting the next vignette involving Jess and Mason (grin), but think you’ll like the direction this one goes.

* * * * *

“I know you’ve thought of touching me with your mouth, these hands.” She closed her fingers over his right hand, lifted it so they were palm to palm. She widened her slim fingers, watched as he slowly slid his in between the spaces, down those narrow valleys, his gaze wondering at the feel of her skin sliding along his in just that small way.

It made something in her go still and quiet. Lyssa teased him often, and she wouldn’t deny a certain amount of feminine satisfaction in having this night with him. But he was right in his thoughts. She did respect him. She’d never met a man of such singular conviction, who so trusted his intellect to teach him God’s will, rather than faith alone. As such, she didn’t think she’d ever met a man so close to God, and she’d walked with cardinals, shared at least one dinner with a pope. Back in the…fourteenth century, she remembered. He’d chewed with his mouth open, and explained to her, in great detail, the edict he’d issued against the practice of witchcraft.

(more…)

Thanks so much for your patience and giving me a couple extra days to announce the winner. I did end up having some limited email access at my mom’s, but it was a bit sketchy, so I decided not to risk it until I returned home. So here we are!

The February newsletter winner is Cindy G. Congratulations, Cindy! As you all know, the prize was the first four chapters of Vampire Mistress, Gideon’s story to be released in May. It’s actually five chapters, since it includes a prologue ;>. Don’t worry, the rest of you don’t have long to wait – only two more months. Hope it will be worth the wait!

I’ve sent Cindy a direct email with the chapters. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest, and we’ll have another one in the March newsletter, around mid-month.

Have a great day!

Before I forget, I am supposed to announce the February newsletter winner on Sunday, February 28. Turns out, I am going to be traveling this weekend and may be without email access on Sunday. However, if that happens, I will announce the winner Monday night upon my return or, at the latest, Tuesday AM, March 2. My apologies for the delay, and many thanks for your understanding!

Now, without any ado, Lyssa and Thomas, Part 2. As soon as I can resolve a technical issue, I’ll replace “Tyler Tied Up – All of It” in the right sidebar with “One Night Only – All of It”. That way you’ll have one button to push if you want to read all of it to date, from the beginning. But right now, if you didn’t read Part I, just flip back to the previous post if you don’t mind (smile).

Okay, let me repeat – now, without any MORE ado, Lyssa and Thomas, Part 2. Enjoy!

(more…)