Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Welcome Karen Mercury

Let’s start getting your shine on. Tell us who you are beyond an author.
I’ve never really been anything other than an author, it’s odd. I must be the dullest person in the world. For several years I was an amateur mineralogist, which is why I have so many comparisons in my books, body parts to “rocks.” I can describe blue eyes in forty different gem ways. All of my hobbies relate back to writing in some way. I recently learned to shoot a bow and arrow, but of course I’m always thinking “I can use this in a book.”

Show us when you realized you had a passion for writing?
I was 4. I remember this as clearly as if it was yesterday! I was looking at a copy of The Bee Man of Orn thinking “What power there is in writing. You write down the world you see inside your head, and someone on the other side of the planet reads it, and is instantly transported into your world.” I think that’s why I learned to read and write so young. No one taught me—when I entered first grade, I already knew how to read. No one can explain it. My mother would read aloud to me and I’d look over her shoulder and put two and two together, I suppose is what happened. I was so eager to read everything I could get my hands on. I would win all the spelling bees, and one particularly crowning moment was making this boy cry when he lost.

Tell us your preferred writing genre and the genre you prefer to read.
I prefer historicals, because it’s so much easier for me to put myself into that time and setting. Sounds strange, but it’s much more comforting to go back to 1880s London than to imagine being a spy in modern-day Austin, Texas. Even if London is a polluted, dank, depressing hovel, to me it’s more glamorous and romantic. My first three historical fiction books were set in sub-Saharan Africa, not the most enchanting or alluring spots. To me it is, especially during the precolonial era—when men were men!

Going back to the beginning, show us the day you received your publication offer.
Oh, my. I was unable to have children, so one day I had an epiphany: “All my time is my own. All my money is my own.” See, I needed to look on the bright side, and stop sobbing into my beer. “I can get back to writing, and even get published.” This goes hand in hand with most normal people’s idea that “published writer” equals “rich.” Even though I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, I, too, had the light bulb that if I just sold one book, I could purchase a house. Mind you, the median house price in the Bay Area at that time was around $800,000 for a 1950s tract house.

So I got my first offer in 2005, for an odd historical romance set in 1897 Nigeria. I ran screaming down the street to my neighbors who were loading a tractor or a gun safe onto a flatbed (I lived in Sonoma County). I realized they might not know what I was shrieking about, so I streaked it back to my house and called my little brother. He goes, “A book contract, huh. So, let me tell you about my colonoscopy…”

Boy, that lust for life lasted all of, what? Five minutes? But what a great five minutes it was.

Ready to shine? Tell us the name of your book(S).
Working the Lode
, the first in my trilogy of California Gold Rush-set books entitled Going for the Gold.

Going to California. It’s three thousand miles nearer to hell.
Mountain man Cormack Bowmaker meets up with Zelnora Sparks on the eve of California’s great rush—the discovery of gold. Zelnora is fleeing from her mentor, the mighty businessman Brannagh. They are being shadowed by the most scandalous Spanish bandit in the frontier. Joaquin Valenzuela wants to rob them of their gold, but soon discovers a desire for much more. Californians call for the pickled head of Valenzuela in a jar, but his passion for the two Americans overpowers his zeal for mayhem.

They band together in their quest for riches, love, and the good life. Bowmaker is a sharpshooter, his aim true. Valenzuela will slit the throat of anyone who wanders by. Zelnora knows where to find the gold. And Brannagh will do everything it takes to stop them.

They are about to discover the frontier—within themselves.

Release date December 29th, available for pre-buy today at http://www.bookstrand.com/working-the-lode

This new release is offered at a 15% discount for four weeks

What is your normal day like?
I wake around 4 or 5AM, and take my Newfoundland dog to her doggie daycare. Ishmael just has fun playing with other dogs a couple days a week. I say the word “school” and she jumps into my Miata. She’s a good girl, and she fits into my car. Then I shop for dinner, and come back home, start writing. I like it when things are quiet, no neighbors shouting. The birds are singing, and I can take a break and go garden or clean up the house in between scenes.

I set a goal for myself every day: “I’ll finish editing this MS,” or “I’ll make it to the end of this scene.” I set mild goals, nothing too strenuous. I usually knock off around 3 or 4, and go cook some elaborate dinner, in between watching Mythbusters™, Bones, or Criminal Minds. Did I say writing was stressful? No. It doesn’t have to be. You don’t need to be full of angst to write.

What would you say is a true hero?
I was just talking to my sister about this. She was bemoaning how modern men aren’t willing to put the tiniest shred of effort into things. Ten miles is “too far” for them to drive for a date. One guy proved unappealing when he told her to call after 9PM so he wouldn’t use up his phone minutes. That’s why I write historicals. It’s much easier for me to imagine a heroic man of the 19th century crossing a mountain range for the love of a woman, or slaying someone with a sword. Modern men think a cup of coffee is too much hassle. Basically, putting some incentive and energy into a quest is a heroic quality.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?
Definitely the story. The first book I sold, set in 1897 Nigeria, was inspired by an African art book I received for Christmas. There was the story of the most incredible civilization with vastly advanced bronze artwork that was being equated to Egyptian art, but it was still being cast at nearly the turn of the century! The forbidden city was decimated by the British Army because they wouldn’t stop their annoying habit of human sacrifice. No one had ever fictionalized this amazing story. In three days the entire civilization was sacked, because they wouldn’t open palm oil trade routes to outsiders.

Of course I would find it fodder for a historic romance. Sure, why not? So I studied Nigeria, and luckily have spent many months in Central African jungles, so I got the basic gist of the flora, fauna, sociology, and weather. Then I set a historical romance in Ethiopia, because I wanted to write the story of an insane Emperor who tossed subjects over cliffs taller than the Grand Canyon. If you sit around reading history books, enough bizarre stories just leap out at you, dying to be told. “Stranger than fiction,” as they say.

What is the big project you're working on now?
I am doing final edits on the second book in the Gold Rush trilogy, Either Ore. This time it’s set in the actual town of San Francisco, which was fascinating. Writing about a city I’ve known all my life back when it only had two thousand people! And I know about San Francisco’s horrifying “summer” weather, so I had to stick my people in the freezing fog even in September.

It was the most fun writing about the human-sucking streets. The mud was so deep people and horses would just disappear, literally by the side of the road. I decided that would be a good way for the hero and heroine to meet. So I had her get sucked waist-deep into this cesspool, and he hauls her out. Now that is heroic!

Tell us where we can find you on the internet.
www.karenmercury.com

And now for the fun part, the contest... Leave a comment for Karen and one lucky winner will win a free eBook copy of her book "Working the Lode".

Monday, December 27, 2010

PRIDE MATE

PRIDE MATE

Katzman 3

AVAILABLE: Thursday, December 30th


This new release is offered at a 10% discount for four weeks.

Erotic Futuristic, M/M Romance

Shaikh Bogden Dhal Wuher Al'Abdalha couldn't forget Anjali or the time they spent together. If it hadn't been for the death of his father, Bogden never would have left his mate. And he knows Anjali is his mate. They dream together.

To get Anjali back, Bogden buys his contract and sends for him. But Anjali isn't overjoyed to see Bogden. Instead, Anjali thinks he is a slave, bought due to his training as a pleasure slave. And he's pissed when he discovers who his new master is.

Before they can settle their differences, someone betrays them, attacking their desert camp. Chaos reigns as Bogden and Anjali try to fight for their people, fight for each other, and fight to stay alive. But can two men win against insurmountable odds or will they lose the love they share before they know they have it?

http://www.bookstrand.com/pride-mate

Sunday, December 26, 2010

It Happened One Christmas...

Chocolate fudge, peanutbutter fudge, peppermint bark, 2 pumpkin pies, chocolate silk pie, peach cobbler, lemon pie, chocolate and blueberry mini-cupcakes, mint, peppermint, and lemon divinity, chips and dips, finger munchies by the zillion... sausage and cheese bites, german pinwheels, empanadas, homemade salsa, homemade shrimp dip, homemade spinach dip, homemade buchetta marinara, and a 4 cheese, salami, and cracker tray...

And then there was dinner itself... an 18 pound turkey, spiral ham, homemade cheesy mashed potatoes, 2 kinds of stuffing cause daughter is a vegitarian and won't eat the apple harvest stuffing from the turkey, gravy, sweet corn, dinner rolls, and, of course, several cans of olives and cranberry sauce (the sliced kind, not the jellied)...

2 bottles of wine, 4 bottles of sparkling cider, 8 bottles of soda, and one jug of orange juice...

15 people for dinner...

Everything is on the table except for the ham, which is heating in the oven, and the tray of dinner rolls, which have been lightly brushed with butter and sit on acookie sheet ready to go in the oven to warm... it's a waiting game... 15 minutes and counting until dinner is ready...

Sudden inspiration strikes... wash some of the dinner dishes while waiting for the oven buzzer to go off... I turn on the water and started washing...and the sink starts to fill. I turn the garbage disposal on...grrrrr....and the other sink fills with water... I try again... both sinks fill with water.

"Honey! The sink is plugged!"

But wait, it's not just the kitchen sink. Somehow, in this 1963 split level house, the plumming has backed up so that none of the sinks, tubs, showers, or toilets (except for the one downstairs in the laundry room) work. There is no water, washing, or flushing.

So, now it's the next day...we improvised... my fancy Christmas dinner was eaten on paper plates with plastic forks instead of my beautiful fine china that only comes out for the holidays...the stack of dirty dishes from cooking sit on my kitchen counter unwashed and drying crusting to the dishes. It will take an industrialized sized sandblaster to get the food off these dishes by the time I get to them. My garbage can is overflowing. And I still have no way to clean anything.

However, the food was fantastic (even if I'm bragging)... the turkey meat fell off the bones before I could pull it off the turkey, the brown sugar ham was glazed to perfection, and my 5 month old nephew screamed bloody murder when his mother stopped feeding him cheesy mashed potatoes long enough for her to take a bite of her own food. My husband got to introduce the new nephew to fudge despite death threats from his parents, and I have enough left over so that I don't have to cook for days.

All in all, I think Christmas dinner was a success!

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope yours was as wonderful as mine, even with the quirks...

Stormy

Romantic Hero/Heroine Contest - WINNER!!!

The stories submitted for this contest were great and I thank all of you for participating. While the winner has been chosen, I would like everyone that participated to know that I have had a ton of inspiration from all of these stories ideas. Due to the number of great stories ideas submitted, I have decided to choose two stories rather than one.

The winners are:

g_amor04@yahoo.com

and


I will be contacting you soon concerning the plotting and writing of your book.

Thank you once again to everyone for helping me celebrate the release of my 50th book.

Stormy

Monday, December 20, 2010

COWBOY EASY - Finished & Submitted

COWBOY EASY

Blaecleah Brothers 1

Erotic, Cowboy, Contemporary, M/M, Romance

~ Coming Soon ~

Lachlan Blaecleah never expected to find the love of his life in the middle of a street fight with two other men, but he knew the moment he saw Asa Miller that he wanted to get to know the man better. He jumps into the fight and becomes Asa's knight in slightly tarnished armor.

Asa Miller is amazed by Lachlan every time he looks at the man. He's a walking talking cowboy fantasy come to life, complete with cowboy hat and boots. After being rescued by him and taken home for a night of debauchery at the hands of the sexy cowboy, Asa isn't sure what to do next. Should he stick around and get to know Lachlan and his large family better or run from the feelings the man invokes in him?

Before Asa can decide, someone else steps in to separate the two men, on a more permanent basis. Asa has to decide if what they have together is worth the heartache he feels when he almost loses the man he loves or should he guard his heart and lose his cowboy forever?

Story & Adult Excerpts here... http://www.stormyglenn.com/cowboyeasy.htm

FLOGGERS' HOLIDAY SALE - Available Now!

FLOGGERS HOLIDAY SALE

Erotic Contemporary, M/M, BDSM Romance

Available Today!

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=216

Hot Dom, Cold Sub by Stormy Glenn

Rafe, a very serious Dom, wants Danny the minute he spots the sexy little man dancing at Club Flogger. Rafe is used to getting what and who he wants.

When Danny refuses, it sends Rafe into a whirlwind of arousal and confusion, especially since he knows the little submissive is interested.

Can a Christmas auction give Rafe what he needs or will it leave him wanting more?

Dominate Me by H.C. Brown

Nash Mage, a six five, leather clad ball of muscle, is living on the edge. Damien, his control freak of a sub, left without a word. Teetering on the bounds of control Nash's BDSM world begins to disintegrate. He wants what every Dom craves, a sweet innocent sub he can train to fulfill his every desire.

When Paul Martin enters Floggers Christmas Auction looking for his first BDSM experience, Nash thinks all his Christmases have come at once. Young, barely legal with a slight build, Paul is just the way he likes his subs. Nash wants this delicious man with a passion—so do the other Doms. If Nash secures the winning bid on Paul at Floggers Christmas Auction, will he get to keep his prize?

STORY EXCERPT

"Hot Dom, Cold Sub" By Stormy Glenn

"Fuck me raw!"

"Stunning , isn't he, Rafe?"

"Breathtaking," Rafael Connell whispered in awe as he watched the sexiest man he had ever laid eyes on dance his way across the top of the bar counter. His hips undulated, moving to and fro, as he swayed to the beat of the music.

The tight black leather pants hugged his ass but hung low enough on his hips giving the viewer a glimpse of the man's tight abdomen. The low lights of the club did nothing to hide the rippled muscles on display, nor the matching silver rings in the man's pierced nipples.

The man wore no jewelry other then the nipple rings, no collar of ownership. He wasn't even wearing a shirt. His only accessories seemed to be a pair of black leather boots, a Celtic Sun tattoo encircling his bellybutton, and a long braid of sandy blond hair hanging down his back.

"Who the hell is he?" Rafe asked. He realized he had been gone from the club for several weeks but it hadn't been that long. Could this man have suddenly appeared while he was off on a business trip?

Nash shrugged. "Don't know," he said. "We call him D but that is only because he won't give anyone his real name. He showed up here about two weeks after you left for Hong Kong. He's been coming in every Saturday since."

"Damn!"

"Yeah, just about." Nash chuckled. "He sets the place on fire every damn weekend. It's quite the sight to see."

Rafe took a few steps closer. He had to get a better look. This man was glorious. Rafe could tell from every movement he made that the man was a submissive. It was in the way he moved, the way he lost himself to the music. Rafe bet he would lose himself the same way under the hands of his master, and Rafe wanted to be that master.

"Uh, Rafe?" Nash called out as Rafe took another step closer, his gaze riveted on the show just feet from where he stood. "He doesn't go home with anyone, ever."

Rafe glanced over his shoulder, smiling confidently. "He'll go home with me."

Nash looked doubtful. Rafe didn't share his uncertainty. He'd been dominating other men as long as he'd known what to do with his dick. If this man's whole demeanor wasn't screaming master me, Rafe would eat his hat.

The music came to an end just as Rafe reached the edge of the dance floor. The man moved to the rim of the bar and made ready to jump down. Rafe quickly moved in to play, holding his hand out to help the man down.

A perfectly manicured eyebrow arched then the man took his hand, jumping down from the bar to land next to Rafe. The man looked him up and down. A slow sensuous grin played across his lips.

"My knight in shining armor," D drawled, not letting go of Rafe's hand.

Rafe smirked. "Would you be the damsel in distress then?"

"Hardly." The man chuckled. Rafe was surprised how much the soft laughter filled up the space around them giving off an air of raw lust to any that heard it. It sent a shiver of anticipation up Rafe's spine. "I'm much better equipped than any damsel."

"Can I buy you a drink?" Rafe asked. Rafe grinned. "Or a car?"

D chuckled again, withdrawing his hand. "While I appreciate the thought, I'm afraid I have to say no." His head tilted to one side, a lock of sandy brown hair falling over his cheek. "I already have a car."

"Then how about that drink?"

"I have one of those too." D signaled the bartender who brought him a freshly sealed bottle of water. The man nodded to the bartender then unscrewed the lid, breaking the seal then taking a long drink.

Rafe groaned as he watched the D's throat muscles move as he swallowed. Oh, he was perfect. Rafe just bet D could suck cock and swallow with the best of them. He couldn't wait to find out.

"So what can I get you then?"

"Who says I need anything?" D asked.

"Are you saying I don't have anything you might be interested in?" Rafe asked as he stood back and let the man look his fill. And look he did.

Rafe could almost feel the D's soft grass green eyes move over every inch of his body. His cock began to harden by the time the man's eyes reached his knees. At his groin, he was marble hard. By the time the D's gaze reached his chest, Rafe was afraid he'd come in his pants like an untried teenager.

The sexual tension arching between them could have set the room on fire. Rafe was positive D felt it. His tanned skin was just a little too flushed. His eyes held a special sparkle that only a man very interested could have. And the impressive bulge in his pants screamed need, a need Rafe desperately wanted to answer.

D smirked. "Oh, you have plenty I'd be interested in." He set his bottled water down on the counter top and reached for his shirt, pulling it on. "Unfortunately, I think you'd end up breaking my heart and I'm not sure you're that sexy." The man's eyes roamed over Rafe again and his head cocked to one side. "Of course, I could be wrong."

Rafe's mouth dropped open as shock rocketed through him. The submissive of his dreams was turning and walking away. He couldn't believe it. Subs never left him. He's the one that did the leaving. He watched D as he worked his way through the crowd then out the door.

"Struck out, did you?"

Rafe turned to glare at Nash.

Nash chuckled, holding up his hands in surrender. "Sorry man, but I warned you. D doesn't go home with anyone."

"Who is he?"


ADULT EXCERPT

"Hot Dom, Cold Sub" By Stormy Glenn

"Do you like my touch, angel?"

"Yes!" Denny hissed as his head fell back against Rafe's chest. Rafe tweaked Denny's nipples with his fingers, pulling on the small rings gently then harder and harder with each tug until the man started pushing his chest out as if reaching for Rafe's touch.

Rafe vaguely remembered being in such a pose with Denny once before on the dance floor. He could even feel Denny's tight ass pushing back against his hard cock and almost moaned at the exquisite pleasure it brought him.

He wanted more than anything in the world to sink his cock into the ass pressed up against him. He couldn't believe he'd agreed to a contract that forbade him that pleasure. And Rafe was positive it would be an exquisite pleasure.

"So, you're saving this ass for your permanent Dom, huh?"

"Ye -- yes, sir."

"That's too bad, angel. I would have enjoyed fucking this tight little ass."

When Rafe reached down and trailed his fingers between Denny's ass cheeks, he felt the man go up on his tiptoes, his legs shaking. Rafe licked a line along the soft curve of Denny's ear before whispering to him.

"Do you like that, angel?"

"Please, master."

Rafe closed his eyes for a moment, Denny's soft plea washing over him like a tidal wave. He knew he wasn't going to get anywhere close to teaching Denny what he liked tonight. The need to fuck the man was almost overwhelming. Rafe had to remember that it wasn't part of the deal.

Denny whimpered when he stepped away and grinned. "I told you that I like to watch, angel. Do you?" Rafe smirked at the small whimper that fell from Denny's lips. It sounded like need, a need Rafe had every intention of filling. "No, I think I'll keep you blindfolded. Maybe I will keep you blindfolded for the entire week, let you wonder what I am going to do to you next. Does that idea excite you, angel?"

He kicked his shoes to one side then reached for the buttons on his pants and undid them, lowering his pants down his legs. Rafe watched Denny as folded his pants and set them on top of his shoes. He moved closer to Denny and trailed his hand over the man's abdomen as he stepped around him.

"I'm just as naked as you are now, angel," Rafe whispered into Denny's hair as he stepped up behind the man and pushed his hard cock against Denny's backside. "Can you feel how much I want you?"

Rafe grabbed his cock and dragged it down the crease of Denny's ass before stepping back. Despite Denny's insistence that there be no penetration, the man was practically begging for it.

"Do your rules about no penetration mean everything or am I allowed to play with you a bit?"

Denny whimpered. "Everything, master."

Rafe was disappointed but he had never broken the rules of a contract and he wasn't about to start now. However, the rules said nothing about playing with Denny's cock. Rafe grinned as he reached down and wrapped his fingers around the hard shaft. Denny whimpered and thrust against his hand.

"Do I need to tie you down to keep you still, angel?" Rafe's eyebrows shot up when he felt Denny shudder against him. "I think you like that idea, don't you, angel?"

As much as he wanted to be balls deep inside of Denny in the next few seconds, the thought of having Denny bound while he fucked his mouth sent Rafe into a frenzy of need.

Both ideas drove Rafe out of his mind, especially when Denny groaned and thrust against him. The man was begging to be fucked and Rafe was dying to give him what he wanted. It nearly killed him not to be able to do exactly that.

Denny needed to know right from the beginning who was the Dom and who was the sub. Rafe dropped his fingers from around Denny's cock and walked across the room to the remote.

"Hold on, angel." Rafe hit the remote and watched Denny being lowered to the floor by the hook in the ceiling. By the time Rafe hit the stop button with one hand, he had the other one wrapped around his cock to keep himself from coming before he could fuck Denny.

The sight of his angel bound with his hands in the air and kneeling on the floor was nearly too much for him. It would be too much for any man. Just another picture Rafe needed taken of the man. He decided he was buying a camera first thing in the morning. Right now, Rafe had a sub that needed his undivided attention.

Rafe walked back over to Denny and stood between the man's spread thighs. He grabbed his cock and nudged the head against Denny's lips until the man opened up and took him in.

Rafe liked having his hands free. As soon as Denny took him in, Rafe reached up and grabbed the chains holding Denny's hands above his head. He watched as his cock slowly breached the man's lips. Inch by slow inch Rafe pushed in until he felt his balls press up against Denny's chin.

"You are so fucking good at this, angel," Rafe hissed as he took a moment to savor the feeling of his cock being sucked. He wasn't sure he'd ever felt anything so good in his life and he'd been with a lot of subs.

Rafe watched again as he pulled out until just the head of his cock remained inside Denny's mouth. It was almost as fascinating to watch as it was to feel.

Rafe pushed back in slowly, not wanting things to be over too soon, not this time, this first time. He imagined he'd be fucking Denny's mouth many times over the next week but there was only one first time with a new sub.

"Fuck, angel," Rafe groaned. He wrapped one of his hands around Denny's shoulder to keep himself on his feet. His head was swimming. It was heaven on earth in a sub's mouth.

"Make me come, angel," Rafe ordered harshly. "Make your master come."

Rafe grabbed Denny's head with both of his hands, thrusting himself into the man's mouth over and over again until he felt like he exploded into a million glowing stars.

The room faded around Rafe, narrowing down to the man in his arms and the connection of their bodies together. He could hear his own heavy breathing and Denny's quick short pants.

His body still shaking, Rafe pulled away from Denny and sank down to his knees. His legs just wouldn't seem to work right and hold him up. He sat back and looked up at the man still suspended from the ceiling, wonder filling him at the lust that shot through him even though he'd just fucked Denny.

Denny's head hung back, his hair trailing across the floor. Sweat made Denny's body glisten until he almost sparkled. Denny simply looked beautiful. The man's cock was so hard it throbbed.

"Come, angel."

Denny's entire body went stiff as a low moan filled the room. Rafe's jaw dropped open in shock as he watched ropes of pearly white seed shoot out of Denny's cock to splatter on the floor.

He was mesmerized. Denny had been aroused, even Rafe knew that. It was hard to miss considering the man's heavy breathing and the hardness of his cock, but to come from just a Dom's demand? Rafe was stunned.

Rafe groaned as he realized he was also more intrigued than he could ever remember being. His obsession with the little sub hadn't abated after taking the man's mouth or watching him come at a simple command. It grew stronger until Rafe wondered how in the hell he was ever going to give Denny up once their week was over.

Rafe knew he was screwed!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

ALPHA BORN - Available Today!

ALPHA BORN

True Blood Mate 2

M/M/M, Paranormal, Werewolf, Vampire Erotic Romance

By Stormy Glenn

This new release is offered at a 15% discount for four weeks.

Alpha Caleb Redding has spent 20 years trying to bring his first love back into his life. When he finally devises a plan, the Council of Elders agrees to it, but they add their own stipulations. In order for the mate covenant to happen, Caleb has to agree to give up his clan and alpha status, submitting to Grayson.

Alpha Grayson Cane has watched Caleb from afar, never able to touch him or speak to him due to clan conflict. It's been a heartache that has stabbed at him for 20 years. When a peace treaty comes in the form of a mate covenant between their two clans, Grayson is all too eager to agree, especially when he learns that Caleb must submit to him.

But when the vampire mediator sent to broker the peace agreement disappears, will their second chance at being together also vanish? And what happens when Grayson accidentally mates the vampire while trying to save his life? Will Caleb have to give up his clan, his alpha status, and his dream of being with Grayson? Or will being alpha born have its advantages?

http://www.bookstrand.com/alpha-born



STORY EXCERPT
"Alpha Redding and his contingent have arrived."
Alpha Grayson Cane looked up from the map he was going over to see his second-in-command, Taylor Cane, who was also his brother, standing off to one side of him.
"Very good," Grayson answered. "Please remind everyone that this is a peaceful gathering. I want no aggressive moves from anyone." Taylor nodded and started to turn away. "Taylor, has the mediator arrived yet?"
Taylor looked back, shaking his head. "No, alpha, there's been no word from his contingent yet."
"I want to be informed the moment he's spotted." Grayson curled his upper a lip, a small growl escaping before he could stop it. "I don't trust those bloodsuckers any farther than I can throw them."
Taylor nodded. "Understood."
Grayson shook his head. "I can't believe the council is sending in a vampire to mediate a peace agreement between werewolf clans. They must be out of their fucking minds."
"They are the council, alpha," Taylor said. "I imagine they can do just about anything they want."
"They're trying to make peace between the clans. Bringing in a vampire is more likely to start a war between us all." Grayson's lip curled again, this time in distaste. "I can't stand the little suckers. They'll stab you in the back while smiling at you. Sick little freaks."
Taylor chuckled slightly. "Better not let the peace mediator hear you say that."
Grayson rolled his eyes as he folded up the map he had been looking at. "I'd better go greet Alpha Redding before he throws a temper tantrum. No telling what he's likely to do if he isn't greeted properly."
"Grayson, you really need to keep your comments under control. You know as well as I do that Alpha Redding has excellent hearing."
Grayson chuckled. He knew that. He was counting on it. The quickest way to piss Alpha Caleb Redding off was to poke at his pride. It was also the quickest way to piss Grayson off, but he wasn't about to admit that.
Grayson and Caleb had been rivals for several years. Getting the two of them in one place without a fight was practically a miracle. Brokering peace between their two clans would be an act of God.
Once upon a time, Grayson and Caleb used to be friends, best friends. Hell, they were more than best friends. Grayson received his first kiss from Caleb, his first blow job. He had his first sexual experience with Caleb.
That all ended when their fathers both died in a challenge to the death, thrusting Grayson and Caleb into the mantle of leadership. Their clans had always had a tentative relationship anyway. The death of both alphas led to a long-standing feud that the Council of Elders was now trying to end.
Grayson waited until Taylor walked away before drawing in several deep, calming breaths. He had seen Caleb several times over the years but always from a safe distance. He was about to see the man close up for the first time in what seemed like forever.
Grayson knew he needed to calm down his racing heartbeat before Caleb heard it. Taylor wasn't lying. Caleb Redding had better hearing than anyone Grayson had ever met. He'd know immediately that Grayson was unsettled by this meeting.
Once Grayson felt he had himself under control, he started toward the middle of the small clearing they were meeting in. He could see a small group of people moving about just on the other side, out of the light cast from the small torches lit in the field.
The plan was for each clan to be on either side of the field and meet in a small circle of light in the middle, neutral ground. Only the two alphas and the mediator could enter the circle. All others had to stay outside the circle and on their own side. Any breach of this plan would be met by strong sanctions by the council.
Grayson could see a tall figure break away from the group across the field as he entered the circle. The closer the man walked, the more of his features were revealed until he stood in the light just inside of the circle.
"Hello, Grayson."
Grayson swallowed hard before answering. "Hello, Caleb."
"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Caleb asked.
Caleb folded his hands behind his back and started slowly walking around the circle. Grayson caught just a hint of tension in the man's shoulders as he walked past a torch. He wondered if this meeting was as hard for Caleb as it was for him.
"A few years at least," Grayson replied, hoping that his voice didn't convey the trembling he could feel in his body. To be this close to Caleb and not be able to touch him, smell him. It was hell.
"I've seen you at the yearly Lyken Gatherings," Caleb continued. "You're looking good. Alpha life must be treating you right."
"It's okay."
"Just okay?" The slight lift of Caleb's eyebrow shot right to Grayson's cock. He remembered that mysterious way Caleb had of looking at him as if his answer was the most important thing in the world. It used to drive Grayson crazy.
"It is what it is." Grayson shrugged, trying not to let Caleb know how effected he was by the man's mere presence. They were on different sides of warring factions. They were enemies. What they had before they could never have again. It was too late for that. It had been too late the moment their fathers died in battle.
"Do you think this will work?" Caleb asked as he waved his hand around the circle.
"Do I want it to work? Yes," Grayson answered honestly. "Do I think peace is possible between our two clans? Truthfully, no I don't. There's too much history between our clans for them to settle this peacefully."
Under any normal circumstances, Grayson never would have been so honest with his thoughts, but this was Caleb. Grayson had to believe that some of the man he cared about all of those years ago was still inside of the hard man he saw standing before him.
Caleb clasped his hands behind his back again, nodding his head as he started walking. "I'm tired of fighting, Grayson. I'm tired of watching my clan die little by little over something none of us had anything to do with. The fight was between our fathers, not us."
Grayson's breath caught in his throat at the misery he saw in Caleb's green eyes when the man looked over at him. "We need to end this."
"How?" Grayson asked. "A mediator is not going to be able to end the animosity between our clans, no matter how fucking good he is supposed to be. There's been too much damage, Caleb."
"We need to make a mate covenant between our clans."
Grayson gapped, his mouth dropping open in shock. "You want us to marry members of our clans together to insure peace? Have you lost your mind since I last saw you?"
"Not at all," Caleb said. "I believe it is the perfect resolution to our problem. If we bring our clans together through a mate covenant, then we would essentially be one clan."
"One fighting clan," Grayson snapped. "And who do you think is stupid enough to go along with this plan of yours? What two idiots would even agree to it?"
The potent look Caleb gave Grayson made him start shaking his head before the man even spoke. It was his greatest wish and his biggest nightmare.
"Us."

ADULT EXCERPT
"Prove you can be submissive to me, Caleb," the man whispered hoarsely. "Suck my cock."
Caleb readily opened his mouth and allowed Grayson to push his hard length inside. He doubted Grayson knew how much Caleb really wanted this. It had nothing to do with being submissive. He craved the feeling of Grayson's cock in his mouth.
Caleb groaned as drops of pre-cum exploded across his tongue. The taste of the man hadn't changed in twenty years, that was for sure. Caleb remembered it like it was yesterday, sweet, tangy, and entirely too addictive.
Caleb closed his lips around Grayson's cock and sucked as much of the man's length into his mouth as he could. No matter how much he swallowed, Caleb was pretty sure a couple of inches remained.
He did his best to make up for that by pulling off the man and licking the sides. He even went as far as to bend down and suck Grayson's balls into his mouth before moving back to the tip of his cock again.
"Oh yeah, just like that." Grayson groaned. "Fuck, your mouth feels like heaven, Caleb."
Caleb grinned around the shaft in his mouth then went back to the job at hand. The small slit on the head of Grayson's cock intrigued Caleb, especially the small drops of pre-cum that seemed to be constantly leaking from there.
Caleb gripped the base of the hard organ and licked at the slit like an ice cream cone. He could feel Grayson's body shudder with each swipe of his tongue and hoped he was arousing Grayson as much as he was aroused.
"Enough!" Grayson suddenly growled as he pushed Caleb away.
Caleb sat back on his heels and looked up at Grayson as he licked his lips. He bemoaned the loss of the man's cock in his mouth, but he was pretty sure it was going to be somewhere else real soon if the pinched look on Grayson's face was anything to go by.
"Get rid of your clothes," Grayson ordered.
Caleb felt his legs shake as he stood up and moved over to his pile of clothes. He turned to face Grayson as he undid his jeans and pushed them down his legs. He couldn't help but smile when he heard Grayson's deep inhale as his naked body was revealed. Caleb hadn't bothered with underwear.
Still, Grayson's biggest surprise was yet to come. Caleb came to the peace meeting with a plan in mind. He knew if Grayson agreed to the mate covenant, he'd end up getting fucked at some point. He was prepared and then some.
Caleb cocked an eyebrow at Grayson. "Where would you like me, Alpha Cane?"
Grayson's upper lip curled as he growled, the sound rumbling through the quiet chamber. Caleb felt pretty sure that Grayson was nearing the end of his control. Part of him thrilled at the prospect, his skin tingling with anticipation.
Another part of Caleb had to be tamped down. The alpha wolf in Caleb demanded that he attack and make Grayson submit to him, that he should be the top wolf. It would be a battle of wills to see if Caleb could control that instinctual part of himself.
Grayson pointed to the bed of blankets he'd made. Caleb could feel Grayson's eyes follow him across the room almost like a caress along his naked skin. Caleb almost stumbled as he stepped onto the blankets and knelt down on his hands and knees, the desire to grab Grayson and wrestling him down to the bed almost more than he could take.
Caleb didn't remember this need to dominate Grayson when they were together all those years ago, but they weren't alphas then. That must be why the need was there now and not then. Caleb gritted his teeth as he lowered himself down onto the blankets. He needed to maintain control at least until Grayson claimed him. He could deal with the fallout after that, when he was alone.
"Fuck, I figured out your plan, Alpha Redding," Grayson said. "You're going to kill me and take over both clans."
Caleb wiggled his ass, knowing without a doubt that Grayson's eyes were on the black butt plug in his ass. "I wanted to make sure I was prepared to submit to you, Alpha Cane. I'm your second-in-command now, and I'm supposed to anticipate your needs before you have them."
Grayson's response was a cross between a chuckle and a snort. "I think you'll make a very able second-in-command."
Caleb yelped when Grayson's hand came down on his ass then quickly turned red with embarrassment. He couldn't ever remember anyone smacking his ass. He certainly never heard a yelp come out of his mouth before.
Grayson was going to think he'd turned into a weenie in the last twenty years. Caleb was sure of it. The trembling of his body didn't help any, but Caleb couldn't seem to stop. He almost slanted his ass up to receive another smack just so he could feel Grayson's hand on his body.
He got his wish when Grayson's hand stroked down the middle of his back to where the butt plug sat. Caleb's head reared back, and a strangled moan slipped past his gritted teeth when Grayson began fiddling with the plug, wiggling it.
"Grayson!"
"Do you like that, Caleb?" Grayson asked. Caleb was mollified by the fact that Grayson's voice didn't sound too steady. He didn't want to be the only one feeling out of control right now.
"Wish it was you," he said instead, because he did. As much as he needed to dominate Grayson, he also needed to feel the man's cock pound him into the blankets below. Caleb had been planning for years to be exactly where he was right now.
"It's the alpha's duty to see to the needs of his clan members."