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Dec 2012 Issue
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December 2012
Chief Executive Officers
Executive Editors
Contributors
Proofers
Special Holiday Edition
www.theravenmagazine.com
Mandy M. Roth
Michelle M. Pillow
Amee
Nell
Sue Grimshaw
Sarah Wendell
Jaycee Clark
T.J. Michaels
Elloras Cave Publishing
Sean R.
End of
the
World
As we know it...
by TJ Michaels
I walked into the room at the local
café and pulled on my Bitch Armor
like a second skin. It used to fit like a
cloak, but these days I have to pull it
a bit tighter around myself given the
vibe in the air. I can tell that the shit is
getting ready to hit the fan. So I had
a choice—try to get as many people
ready as possible or grab my peeps
and get the hell out of dodge and dip
to the spot that we’d prepared for just
such an emergency.
Instead of disappearing with me and
mine, I opted for door number one.
Don’t get me wrong, my motivations
are completely selfish. The more people that can handle themselves when
the ZA kicks off, the better chances of
my survival. So for the people sitting
in the back of the room, in exchange
for getting a little bit of their skin in
this game, I give them access to our
know-how and supplies. We’ve been
prepping for years so trust me, we
could totally hole up on our own, me
and my family. But the more the merrier, right?
Pfft. Right.
The second I stepped through the
door my son, who happens to run
this joint, handed me the typical hot
chocolate with a liberal dash of Cheyenne pepper in it. “Yeah, this’ll get me
moving,” I thought while trying not to
breathe fire. Besides, I was going to be
hard enough to deal with without the
added heat. Added heat. Get it? Heh.
Yeah, I laugh at my own jokes, too.
What a package, eh?
Okay, let’s get this party started.
I first I sip and observe. One of the
couples in the corner is talking with
their heads close together. The woman looks nervous but determined,
Raven 03
tough. The man had that “what in the
hell have you talked me into now,
Gladys” look on his face. Skeptic. But I
understand so I’m not offended.
Several of the others look like a bunch
of coffee shop revolutionaries. You
know, talk a good game, appear to be
interested in all the right causes, yet
all they do is sit around and talk about
what everyone else should be doing.
Then there are some down-to-earth
looking people who are doing exactly
what I’m doing—watching everyone
else to see what kind of people they’re
going to be stuck with over the training period. Now those were the kind
of folks I was looking for—people with
some common-damn-sense.
Done sizing up the room, I set down
my almost-depleted dose of morning
caffeinated goodness and stepped to
the front of the room.
“Good morning, boys and girls.
Welcome to Kick-a-Zombie’s Ass 101.
Today’s lesson is a simple fitness test.
I like to call it ‘Fitness, Fight or Flight’.
Now I’m sure you have questions but
hold them for now. By the end of your
training you’ll have a thorough grasp
on the concepts we aim to teach you
during your tenure at Zombie Boot
Camp. But first, let’s clear up a common misconception. Zombie Boot
Camp never ends. Period. You prepare
for the eventuality of a Zombie Apocalypse, or ZA, and then you prepare
some more. And after that, you prepare some more. Got me?”
After a few nods that showed at least
half of them were paying attention
and the other half were wondering if
they’d stepped into Nutjob Central, I
continued on.
during the ZA. We’ll provide you with
weapons and shelter. In exchange you
give your word that you’ll serve as part
of our clan, making all of us stronger.
After all, it is true that there is truth
in numbers. But even better, there’s
strength in numbers when those
numbers are skilled and can actually
hit whatever they shoot at. And if you
can’t fight, you can always make up
for it if you can cook. I prefer brownies
myself.”
Laughter. That part always gets a bit of
a chuckle.
“Now, let’s welcome our assistants
for today’s class. Oh, don’t be scared.
They can’t get loose. And besides, if
we’re going to teach you any kind of
scenario that will be of use in a real
zombiefied world, we need to be as
close to real as possible, right?”
And now they’re wondering whether
what they see if real or if we did a hell
of a makeup job. Well, I’m not telling.
“Hey, you in the corner, stop flinching
every time the thing growls at you. All
you’re doing is getting his attention.
Sit there, be still and shut up. Honestly, if you have no weapons and your
only defense is that table between
you and it, you’ve got to be focused to
consider your options, so eyes on me.
Now, think about this—if I open this
cage, what will you do?”
How to survive the Zombie Apocalypse - The Rulz
1. Do not wear highheeled shoes because
they can cause you to
fall. Every who has ever
seen a movie knows that
it works this way because
the person who trips
and fall is always the first
zombie buffet item!
2. Find and memorize a
theme song. This is an
absolute must because
when you engage a
zombie in a fight, you
must always have some
background music, even
if it’s just in your head.
No background music
usually means one thing-the fight scene was over
before it began...and you
lost.
3. Stockpile your coffee
now. There really isn’t
any advice on this one
other than your zombie
apocalypse leaders like
coffee in the morning. If
the leaders are grumpy
in the a.m., who will they
save with their awesome
shooting skills? You,
who brought the coffee,
or your teammate who
didn’t?
4. Make a scrapbook of
your favorite romance
cover models. After the
zombie apocalypse,
you’ll want something to
fantasize to considering
snarling, slobbering, gray
and stinky zombies don’t
really make good smexytime material. NOTE: This
scrapbook should fit in
your pocket ‘cause if you
have to run no one is
going to carry that heavy
bitch of a book for you.
5. Make realistic fitness
goals. Even Kate Beckinsale from the Underworld movies is vulnerable. She may be all skinny
and sexy looking but she
may be slower than any
of us in a foot race. And
remember, you don’t
have to run super-duper
fast...you just have to
outrun the person next
to you. For example, Kate
“One-Second-SlowerThan-You-And-Is-NowTuesday-Brunch” Beckinsale.
TJ
I take two steps toward the thing
snarling expertly at the wide-eyed
newbies and I know right away who
will make it and who won’t.
So…which are you?
Author TJ Michaels
www.TjMichaels.com
“We, meaning my family and our clan,
will teach you so that you gain and
hone the skills that’ll save your ass
Raven 04
Cover Reveal
Loveswept
What is it?
By Sue Grimshaw
www.romanceatrandom.com
What is Loveswept? Well, I’m glad
you asked . . .
As Romancewiki tells us Loveswept
published over 917 titles from 1983
– 1999
Many famous authors made their
debut back then, including: Sandra
Brown, Janet Evanovich, Tami Hoag,
Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen and more.
As of August 2011, Loveswept
was reborn into the new digital
format and today is available
on all eRetailers. Many of the
favorite Loveswepts of the 90’s are
now republished with new, hot,
covers and the same great stories,
moderately priced from $2.99-$4.99.
Of course we have our original
Loveswept authors too --- you bet,
Raven 05
we birthed a few new ones that are
taking romancelandia by storm,
priced to sell at $2.99:
Jessica Scott – Military Romance
at its best – BECAUSE OF YOU on
sale now & recently released, UNTIL
THERE WAS YOU.
Ruthie Knox – Fun, contemporary
witty romance – RIDE WITH ME &
ABOUT LAST NIGHT are available
now. NAUGHTY & NICE is a soon
to be released anthology (11/5);
then launching in the New Year:
HOW TO MISBEHAVE; ALONG CAME
TROUBLE; FLIRTING WITH DISASTER.
Move over SEP & Kristan Higgins,
there’s a new LOL in town!
Elisabeth Barrett offers her readers
a little bit of that small town fun;
if you like Robyn Carr check out
Elisabeth’s books now! DEEP
AUTUMN HEAT & BLAZE OF WINTER
are the first two releases in the four
book series of STAR HARBOR.
Samantha Kane is next on the list
releasing her first Loveswept book,
and our first original historical
romance, THE DEVIL’S THIEF,
followed quickly in 2013 with
TEMPTING A DEVIL – all part of the
SAINT’S DEVILS series.
If you like Sabrina Jeffries and Julia
Quinn, these books are for you!
Juliet Rosetti is our December treat
with THE ESCAPE DIARIES – OMG,
LOL&FD (laugh out loud & fall
down). Janet Evanovich meet Juliet,
ladies you are two peas in a pod.
We begin the New Year with
an author from down under –
seriously, New Zealand don’t
‘cha know – Wendy Vella!! THE
RELUCTANT COUNTESS rivals
Eloisa James & Stefanie Sloane at
their best.
OMG – there is so much more!!
Stop on by Romance At Random,
that’s, www.romanceatrandom.
com, for your very own shopping
list of Loveswept releases - ht
Romance At Random is a
community blogsite for everyone
– we host guest authors, bloggers,
readers, yummy recipes, book
trailers, FREE excerpts, giveaways
and so much more –
OH! & you can’t miss, Ruthie’s
Reality – get to know Ruthie Knox .
. . unfiltered –
Ok, time must be up - Mandy’s
waving at me *virtual wave* Thanks for allowing me to brag
about our amazing authors!
*DARE* - I dare you to buy
a Loveswept romance, then
email me (romanceatrandom@
randomhouse.com) & let me know
what you think!
(BTW – they make GREAT *virtual*
stocking stuffers too, $2.99!)
Happy Romance,
SueG
All titles in this book are available
at Random House (RandomHouse.
com). For Romance Wiki visit www.
romancewiki.com/Loveswept. For
Romance at Random, visit www.
romanceatrandom.com.
Sue Grimshaw is
Category Specialist
& Editor at Large
for Ballantine Bantam Dell &
Loveswept at Random House. Sue
is an acquiring editor as well as host
of the Romance At Random.com
website which is a community site
for readers, authors & publishers
to congregate & talk about books.
Prior to her job in publishing she
had worked as the romance book
buyer for Borders and Waldenbooks
stores for over ten years. Well-known
throughout the publishing industry
for her unparalleled knowledge of
the romance genre, she has been
honored with several distinguished
awards including the Vivian Stephens Industry Award from the
Romance Writers of America.
Raven 06
FREE READ: Rings of Gold by Michelle M. Pillow
She’d sliced up his Christmas tree.
Ryan Anderson had expected
retaliation in some form. A guy just
didn’t cross a woman with a sword,
especially if that woman was Molly
Shanahan, 2016 Olympic women’s
fencing hopeful. She’d been born
with the glint of a gold medal in
her eye. Ryan blamed her father.
Mr. Shanahan had hung the Olympic five-ring flag all over Molly’s
room as a child. Even now he
heard her five-year-old voice reciting the meanings of those rings
to herself, “Passion, faith, victory,
work ethic, sportsmanship.”
Ryan had grown up on the edge
of Molly’s world and knew the
pressures she faced. As a child, his
parents encouraged him to put
his hyperactive energy into something constructive. His mother had
a coupon for fencing lessons and
the rest was his life’s history. With
five sons cared for by a widowed
mother, the Andersons didn’t
have enough money to continue
the lessons. But Ryan had shown
an aptitude for the sport and Mr.
Shanahan offered him a deal. If
he came to the Shanahan mansion and practiced with little Molly
every day, Mr. Shanahan would
not only supply Ryan with all he
needed but he’d pay Ryan’s mother
a monthly stipend. That was how
he met Molly and that was why he
too was an Olympic hopeful.
Ryan walked carefully around the
mound of evergreen branches
filled with broken glass ball ornaments and sad bits of cut tinsel
garland. All that was left standing
was the trunk, shaven haphazardly
by the edge of a sword blade, and
the small tin star he’d put on top.
A sick feeling washed over him.
Molly wouldn’t have used one of
her antique swords to do this and
her foil, like all the competitive
weapons, had a dulled blade and
flexible maraging steel that would
make cutting down branches hard.
Ever since Vladimir Smirnov died
during the 1982 World Championships in Rome when a broken
sword went through the mesh of
his mask, guidelines on weapons
had become strict.
“Damn it!”
Ryan ran through his small apartment to his bedroom. His practice
épée rested on the middle of his
bed, right where he’d left it. Even
in the dim light streaming in from
the street outside, he saw the nicks
and scratches along the threesided blade. Those had been there
from years of use. His collection of
swords was nowhere near as impressive as Molly’s, but he did own
one very expensive, very sharp
broadsword modeled after those
from the Viking era. It was the
only piece in his collection heavy
enough to do the job.
“She didn’t.”
In disbelief he went to the wall
where the broadsword hung on
display. A piece of evergreen clung
to the hilt. How could she have
done this? Was she really so mad
at him for having a dream of his
own? For wanting more than to be
Molly’s practice dummy?
Grabbing his coat, he marched out
of the apartment building and into
the snow-filled Wisconsin night.
The full moon lit his way, reflecting off the gentle flurries. Up until
very recently he had never needed
a car. The Shanahan driver took
him wherever he needed to go. His
sturdy workboats were sufficient to
keep out the snow as he made his
way to the edge of town to the Old
Bay Drive that would take him to
the richest part of town. That was
where he would find the Shanahan
estate, his former residence.
A few cars drove by. The sound of
shouting teenagers filled the night
for a briefly pronounced moment
before the streets fell again to
silence. He began to jog
continued on P. 10
Michelle M. Pillow is a bestselling, award winning
romance author of over 70 titles. She’s been with NY,
Small Press and Indie publishers. She has a degree in
History and one in Photography, and is the co-owner
of The Raven Books.
www.michellepillow.com
Photo Credit: Beth Boldt
Raven 07
Rings of Gold by Michelle M. Pillow Continued...
as the paved road turned to cobblestone. The Shanahan estate
sat close to the bay, overlooking
the water, or more like domineering it by the sides of the sprawling manor house. Like everything
Mr. Shanahan did, the house was
overstated. Local workers kept the
lawns manicured to perfection
and a caretaker watched the place
when the Shanahans were not in
residence.
The King’s Choice Series
His heart beat hard, pumping his
frustration through his veins. Molly
was stubborn and beautiful and
he wanted to run her through with
a sword as much as he wanted to
kiss her. She always put her sport
first, always. He’d watched her date
who her father wanted her to date,
but she had never been happy
with the men. They were more like
assigned boyfriends than emotional connections and they never
deserved Molly. No one deserved
Molly. She was smart, driven,
strong, beautiful, and a pain in the
ass.
Even now he wanted her. He’d
always wanted her. He’d wanted
her when he watched her leave for
her first real date from the top of
the stairs at the age of seventeen.
She’d kissed the joker and he’d
wanted to tear the boy’s face off.
He’d wanted her as he convinced
her to sneak out of her bedroom
to camp in the trees at the age of
ten. She’d gotten ticks and hadn’t
talked to him for six months, even
as they continued to train. It didn’t
matter when, what, or why, he
wanted her. He always wanted her.
And it was about time he gave
Molly Shanahan a piece of his
mind.
*****
Water beat against Molly’s skin.
The large, walk-in shower didn’t
have doors but the curved walls
were angled in such a way as to
afford privacy and keep the water
inside. It was the latest design,
newly renovated to match a European hotel she’d stayed at the year
before. The multiple jets hit her
body at all angles.
However, when she closed her
eyes, she kept seeing Ryan’s small
shower stall in his new apartment. The man could be happy
anywhere. She envied that about
him. No wonder it was so easy for
him to leave her. Here. Alone in the
castle.
The memory of his eight-year-old
voice echoed through her mind.
“Are you a princess because you
live in a castle?”
She smiled. It was the first thing
he’d ever said to her. Even though
he was a friend bought and paid
for by her father, in that moment
her world hadn’t seemed as structured and rigid. His expression
had been so open, wide-eyed with
just a touch of mischief. In those
days he’d been a bundle of energy,
drawing smiles from her when no
one else could. He even lured her
into trouble. Ryan had been her
best friend her entire life.
And he’d left her.
The ache inside her chest grew.
She felt so alone. She remembered
what it was like to be that little girl
forced to dedicate every moment
to thoughts of the Olympics. These
same feeling had crashed down
on her the moment her father
had told her Ryan moved out of
the estate and she’d reacted like a
spoiled brat.
He’d left her.
Even as the pain hit her, she knew
she had no right to complain. It
was his life. The only promise he’d
ever made her was to be there
through the Olympics.
Yet somehow, she’d always hoped
that they…that he…
A tremor worked over her and she
was grateful that the water hid
her tears. She didn’t want to face
her feelings, not when her heart
felt broken. Taking a deep breath,
she walked out of the shower and
found her robe.
Before she learned that Ryan had
moved out, she had expected this
week to go much differently. Four
days before, she had been so sure
they’d be in bed by this time. She’d
finally get to fulfill her endless fantasies of him. They’d been dancing
around the obvious for years—or
so she’d thought. First they were
kids. Then they were stupid teenagers. Now should have been
their time, when they were finally
adults, done with college and well
on track to athletic fame.
Molly glared at her reflection in
the gilded mirror. Her dark auburn
hair was slicked back from her face
and she tousled it with her fingers
so it could curl as it dried. Even
after a long jog though the snow
and a hot shower, she still felt like
screaming. If she didn’t scream,
she’d cry. How could he do this to
continued on P. 27
Raven 10
Matthew Sisters: A Contemporary Romances Series
by Michelle M. Pillow
Tell us about the Matthews Sisters
and their books.
The Matthews Sisters series is about
the sisterly bond, which I think any
woman with a sister can relate to.
It’s the idea that no one can mess
with my sisters, but me. It’s about
being so close no words need to
be said. It’s about being able to
be so frustrated with and yet love
someone at the same time--and
occasionally seeing what the other
person refuses to see. Family is a
part of who these heroines are and
though each sister is inherently
different than the others, they are
connected with a bond that can
never be severed.
Bit by the Bug
Smart is sexy. Independent spirit is
sexy. With this book I brought the
very smart, yet incredibly distracted,
Dr. Vincent Richmond together with
very independent photographer
Kat Matthews. In many ways I can
relate to Kat and based her love
of photography off my own. Her
greatest desire is to one day create
a photo so potent it will stand the
test of time. Add to these two a very
fun premise of Kat being hired by
Raven 11
an eccentric couple to teach their
nerdy adult son how to date and
you have a very sexy, light-hearted
contemporary romance.
research is one of the main reasons I
love being a writer.
Along for the Ride
I originally wanted to call this book
Undecided because that’s exactly
what the heroine is. Her sisters
know what they want and go after
it. However, Sasha Matthews can’t
make up her mind and has been
floundering as a perpetual college
student. The only thing she is
certain of is her ‘perfect’ boyfriend,
Trevor...until he’s caught cheating.
After a drunken night of...we’ll call
it wound-licking...she finds herself
torn between the rich and charming
Trevor, and the hard working
impossibly frustrating Kevin.
The book features New York City
police detective, Megan Matthews
and the man who ruined
her career. Crime-scene
photographer, Ryan Lucas, snapped
her picture while taking down serial
killer, Jersey St. Claud. Detective
Matthews is what I could never be.
Though we share an inner strength,
Megan’s thrill for police work and
taking down criminals is something
I’d rather see in a Hollywood movie.
I envy her sense of purpose and the
good she does for humanity through
her job.
Recipe for Disaster (Her New Boss,
ebook title version)
I loved researching the heroine, Zoe
Matthews, and her career as a chef.
She definitely has a talent in the
kitchen I don’t possess, though I do
know my way around a microwave.
With each new character comes a
new set of challenges and rewards.
That vast and varied array of
Degrees of Passion
The Matthew Sisters series is in print
(Random House/Virgin Books) and
was just re-released in ebook (Ebury/
Rouge). Also from these publishers
are the standalone titles: Fierce
Competition and Opposites Attract.
To read more about the stories, visit
www.MichellePillow.com
Michelle M. Pillow
www.MichellePillow.com
FREE READ: King, King, Goose by Mandy M. Roth
Chapter One
had his skin.
King Najarni stood outside the
thick wooden door, his palm
pressed to it and his head bent.
He pushed his shoulder-length
dark hair back from his face. The
stress of the day was getting
to him but he couldn’t let the
others know. It was his place to
maintain a calm, even approach
to all he did. As a dragon shifter
and king of his people—the
purple dragons of the east—he
wasn’t permitted to have moments of weakness even though
his wife seemed very capable of
presenting him with said moments.
It had been told he would select
a wife, one who rivaled him in
power and leadership skills. All
had assumed his wife would be
a fellow dragon shifter. While
the female shifters were lower in
number than the males, they existed. None had caught his fancy.
It wasn’t until he’d followed a
lead about a possible attack that
he found himself in the human
realm once more. He tried his
best to avoid it. While there he’d
spotted a human woman. One
he could not seem to pull his
gaze from. He knew in that moment she would one day be his
wife.
She was a master at getting him
to bend to her every whim. She
was perfect in every way. He
inhaled, catching her sweet feminine scent wafting to him from
under the door. His heightened
senses allowed him to pick up on
slight changes in her body chemistry. His eyes flashed to amber
and his knew if he caught the
reflection of his face, he’d see his
skin had started to harden over,
indicating a coming shift.
He flexed his hands on the door,
calming himself and his desire
to bed the fiery female currently
held up in his bedchamber. He
blinked, sure his eyes had returned to their normal color as
She hadn’t realized it. In fact, at
the time she’d screamed bloody
murder and pounded at him before passing out when he sprouted wings. When she’d awoken in
his kingdom, she’d gone straight
for his eyes, nearly succeeding in
removing them.
She was feisty.
Part of what he loved about her.
“Tara, allow me to enter,” he
pleaded to the closed door.
“No,” she said, her temper still
evident.
He sighed. When he’d taken a human as his mate—his wife—he
knew the road of marriage would
not always be a smooth one. Tara
was so different from the females
of his realm. They were mild,
meek even, always ready and
willing to serve their husbands.
Tara was strong-willed, often
setting him in his place, regardless of who was around. It was
irony at its finest. She was fierce
despite the fact she could not
breathe fire or sprout talons. He
would have her no other way.
“I have already said I was sorry.”
He pushed gently with his voice,
hoping to lull her into a false
sense of pity so she would open
the door to him. The other option was him breaking it down
and he truly hoped it wouldn’t
come to that. She was his heart,
his soul, angering her nearly
broke the man in him. “I only
wanted to give you what you
speak of so often—a real Christmas.”
The holiday was not one celebrated by his people so he knew
little of it. He did know it held
great importance to his wife. It
was something she remarked
on in the three years she’d been
with him. She always seemed
so somber this time of year. She
had no family in the Earth realm
but he knew she missed the idea
continued on P. 21
Mandy M. Roth is a bestselling author published by
NY, Small Press and Indie. She has degrees in Business,
Marketing and Commerial Art. She also writes under the
names Kennedy Kovit & Rory Michaels, and does cover art
under the brush name Natalie Winters. She co-owns The
Raven Books Publishing.
www.mandyroth.com
Photo Credit: Gloria Andres
Raven 11
Raven 14
Sexy Special Ops
What inspired you to write
about Special Forces Shifter
Males in the Immortal Ops
Series?
I’ve always had an interest in
military and war memoirs, of
researching battles and learning
about historic weapons, current
ones and even ones that may yet
come to be. I’m also a big gamer
girl. I love first person shooters.
One of the games I used to play
quiet often had groups of six
broken into Alpha and Beta team.
That got the wheels in my brain
spinning and from there I combined my interest in the military,
my love of paranormal and the
Immortal Ops Series was born.
Did you ever expect the
books would become so
popular with readers?
and go back to the vampire books
they’d come to know me for. LOL.
Oh, how wrong I was.
You dedicate some of the
books to the men and women who serve why is that?
Because they risk their lives to
protect our freedoms. The least I
can do as an author writing about
Special Forces and the military
is make sure the real heroes are
thanked.
Will there be more books in
the series?
Yes. Separation Zone is set to release in 2013 and readers will be
happy to know there is more than
one Immortal Ops team. Their
books will release sometime after
Separation Zone.
No. I honestly thought my fan
base would raise a brow at them
and then tell me to knock it off
Raven 16
End of the World
Bucket List
Lord of Fire, Lady of Ice
Michelle M. Pillow’s Bucket List
Mandy M Roth’s Bucket List
1. Eat pasta in Italy coupled with Cabernet
Sauvignon.
1. Have pasta fed to me in Italy by the Italian
male soccer team, sans uniforms.
2. Continue to avoid watching the movie Avatar
while eating pasta.
2. see number 1
3. Stay vigilant against the awaiting spider army
in my basement. I will not go out like that.
4. Eat pasta in Italy with a nice merlot and accept that carbs are my friends. I will so go out
like that.
5. Tell my family and friends (again) that I love
them... while eating pasta.
Raven 17
3. see 2
4. see 3
5. see 4 (what, like that wouldn’t complete everyone’s wish list)
Historical Romance
Publisher: The Raven Books
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62501-007-0
Print ISBN: 978-1-62501-008-7
Jan 2013
Spicy Sweet Potato Latkes
Makes about 24 latkes.
Adapted from Taste of Home Magazine.
1/2 cup all purpose flour (or arrowroot flour)
2 tsp sugar (I have used Splenda when I’m out of
sugar. Worked fine.)
2 heaping tsp curry powder (MORE SPICE BABY
YEAH)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1 heaping tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (You like food hotter with
slow burn as you take another bite? Add more.)
1/4 tsp pepper
scant 1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup milk (we used Lactaid; my husband’s family does not approve this lactose).
4 cups grated peeled sweet potatoes
plus oil for frying
Mix the dry ingredients (flour through mustard).
Stir in eggs and milk until blended. Add sweet
potatoes and fold with a spatula or your fingers to
coat thoroughly.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat. I used enough vegetable oil that it was
probably between 1/4 and 1/2 inch deep.
Drop heaping tablespoonfuls into oil. Let set for
about 30 seconds, then press gently to flatten out.
In my big honking skillet I could fry about 6 or 7 at
a time.
avoid eating while they’re piping hot (ow. Good
luck with that).
NOTES:
I tried making bigger than heaping-tbsp size, and
they were soggy in the middle, so keep to the
smaller size for browned, crispy latkes with chewy
centers. The batter will get soggy at the bottom so
stir every now and again to mix the potatoes with
the wet stuff.
We’re serving with honey mustard, chipotle mayo,
drizzled honey and whatever else I think will taste
good.
Happy Hanukkah!
Sarah
--Smart Bitch Sarah Wendell
www. smartbitchestrashybooks.com
Twitter: @smartbitches
Super Easy Dark Chocolate Coconut Cake
1 Box of Dark Chocolate/Dark Fudge/Devil’s Food Cake Mix
Mix as directed and pour into 9x13 glass cake pan.
Bake as directed.
While baking mix together
1 large can Cream of Coconut
1 small can of sweetened condensed milk (We substitute a 1/2
can of coconut milk due to dairy allergies)
Heat together in a microwave safe dish, stirring until well mixed.
When cake is done, poke holes in it with a fork or knife and pour
coconut mixture over it while it’s still warm.
After cake cools top with whipped topping. Recipe calls for
whipped cream or Cool Whip, we do each piece separate due to
allergies.
This cake is always a hit and luckily there is very little left. :) When
there is, we refrigerate the leftovers as it’s a super moist cake.
Enjoy!
Merry Christmas
Jaycee
--Jaycee Clark
www.jayceeclark.com
Twitter: @JayceeClark
Have a recipe
you want to
share with us?
Email:
[email protected]
Fry for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
Add more oil if you need it.
Drain on rack covered with paper towels. Try to
Raven 19
Raven 20
promise to abolish such acts and
have kept that promise to you, my
love.”
King, King, Goose? Continued...
of the holiday and all it stood for.
He’d sent two of his advisors along
with six of his finest warriors to the
human realm to gain knowledge
of this Christmas holiday and to
gather what would be needed.
They’d returned with several
wagons full of materials and other
items. They’d also worked hard,
learning and studying the customs
surrounding the holiday.
He was confident Tara would love
all he’d done. If she ever opened
the door to him and explained
what it was that had angered her
so.
His servants had spent the greater
part of two days preparing the
great hall for the event and Najarni
spent equally as long keeping his
wife occupied in their bedchamber so as not to spoil the surprise.
He smiled as he remembered all
the pleasures he’d both given and
taken during his secret mission of
occupying her. His cock hardened
just thinking of it all. She was also
so responsive to his touch and
he had gifted hands if he did say
so himself. None had ever complained, least of all his wife. He’d
not touched another woman
since he’d laid eyes upon her. She
caught his attention and his heart
and no other would ever do.
Now, if I can just get her to open
the door.
When he’d led her to the great hall
to see the surprise he had in store
for her and the music began to
play, he’d thought his wife would
perhaps grant him a look at her
beautiful smile. One he never tired
of. She had done so right up to
the point she spotted the strange
creature his advisors had returned
with. It was caged and spent most
of its time hissing and flapping
its large wings. When Najarni
informed her it was to be part of
the feast, the only reward he was
given was a look of horror before
she stomped on his foot, deemed
him to be a giant, mean oaf and
then ran to their chambers, where
she still remained.
“Tara,” he whispered, knowing she
could hear him.
“I’m not coming out.” She spoke
with brutal deliberation. “You’re a
tyrant.”
“Because I wished to give you a
feast to celebrate a time of the
year you hold dear?” He saw not
how he could be viewed in such
a manner when he only wished
to please her. In fact, he existed
to make her happy, to please her,
to give her everything her heart
could desire.
Opening the door, she made an
odd noise before peeking out at
him. Her green eyes danced with
fury. “Because you ordered Roger’s
death.”
Roger?
His brows met. “I know no Roger
and ordered no such death.”
She had forbid him from issuing
death orders shortly after he’d
whisked her away—against her
will at the time—from the human realm to his realm. It had
been a rocky start. He’d lavished
her in endless gifts and she spent
equally as long tossing said gifts
from the window, demanding to
be returned home. It wasn’t until
an intruder made his way past the
guards and into the meeting room
that things had changed between
him and Tara. Najarni had glanced
up in time to see one of the enemies there, a crossbow up and
aimed at Tara. He’d thrown himself
in the path, taking the bolt meant
for her. She’d screamed, fallen to
her knees next to him and then
smacked him straight across the
face, demanding he live before
she bent her head and kissed him.
It was a first kiss he would cherish
forever. Not long after, she agreed
to be his wife.
He’d never been happier.
“The goose,” she snapped, bringing him back to the present.
“I know no goose and again, ordered no such death. I made you a
She pinched the bridge of her
nose, obviously losing what little
patience she had left with him.
“The creature in the cage,” she
spoke slowly as if he was of simple mind. While he often was lost
to her human slang, he had been
educated by the finest tutors in
all the lands. He was quite wellversed in all areas of math, science and literature—of his people of course, not of her Earthly
customs or authors. “The one you
want to serve me for dinner.”
Understanding came to him and
he knew he was in trouble with
his wife—again. An insipid grin
slid over his face. “Ah,” he paused,
“you wish no harm to come to The
Roger?”
She blinked and stared up at him
through dark lashes. Her red hair
framed her heart-shaped face,
making the blue of her eyes stand
out more. “You mean the goose?”
“Yes, that is what I said. The
Roger. Are they not the one in the
same?”
Tara’s lips trembled and he was
unsure if she was on the verge of
tears or on the verge of laughter.
When customs from the human
realm came up in discussion, she
often found humor in his questions and responses. He wasn’t
sure why. They were legitimate
inquiries. Even the youngest of
his kind knew the best way to
gain knowledge was by posing
good, solid questions. Apparently
on Earth their young learned by
other means.
“Promise me you won’t hurt
Roger,” she said, tugging at her
lower lip.
He watched the action intensely,
wanting to steal a kiss but knowing better than to try when she
was in her current mood. “You
have my word.” He put his arm out
to her. “Come, we shall enjoy this
Christmas gathering.”
She slid her arm through his and
put her head to his upper arm.
They made their way through the
castle to the great hall and, the
moment they entered, all persons
present stopped what they were
doing and bent their heads, honoring the arrival of the king and
queen. Najarni glanced over the
crowd. “I hereby decree that no
harm shall befall The Roger.”
His guards shared confused looks.
He pointed to the creature in the
cage. It continued to stare out
from its beady eyes, as if glaring
at him, daring him to come closer.
“That is a Roger. It is not to be
harmed. You are to protect it with
your lives.”
Chapter Two
Tara hid her laugh behind a cough
and held tight to her husband’s
arm. For such a fierce and powerful man, the smallest of things escaped him. There was no point in
explaining again that Roger was a
goose. Not a Roger. Once Najarni
made his mind up about something, it was incredibly difficult to
change it. Like when he’d decided
he wanted her to be his bride.
Try as she might, she couldn’t get
him to bend on the matter. She
was happy he was headstrong. If
he hadn’t been, she would have
missed out on something wonderful—being married to him.
His men nodded in understanding and he waved a hand dismissively in the air. Everyone obeyed
him. They always did. When he’d
first plucked her from the street—
literally—she’d been stunned to
learn the power he wielded over
those who lived in his realm. Well,
she’d been pretty stunned, period, that his realm and his people
existed. After she got over the
initial shock, she’d been surprised
to see how loved and respected
he was by his people. She understood why now. She knew the
man behind the gruff exterior. The
man who would do anything for
those he loved, including trying
to give her a Christmas when the
holiday was totally unheard of by
his people.
When she’d first found herself in a
realm that felt more like a dream
than a reality, she’d been terrified
of the men who could change
forms at will. They possessed
wings when they wished it to
be so, though theirs were much
more dragonlike than birdlike.
They could change completely
into dragons but did so rarely
because once in full dragon form,
continued on P. 30
Raven 21
Raven 22
RomantiCon®
2012
RomantiCon® 2012: Sex, Books,
and Half-Naked Hunks
Article and Photos Supplied by
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
“This year was my first at
RomantiCon® and I wanna go
back for more! The parties were
fun, the people fantastic, and
well…the men were nice eye
candy and smelled yummy too,”
raved author Karla Doyle.
Doyle’s enthusiasm is typical
for RomantiCon® attendees,
and the convention is quickly
becoming the event of the year
for erotic romance authors, fans
and industry insiders. More
than 300 women gathered in
Canton, OH, in mid-October,
for four days of parties, games,
workshops, food and fun,
all centered around books
published by Ellora’s Cave, a
trailblazer in both the e-book
and erotic romance industries.
The highlight for most
RomantiCon® participants was
the Ellora’s Cavemen, a group
Raven 23
of extremely charming and
muscular cover models who
performed, posed for photos,
and mingled with guests
throughout the weekend. “Not
only are the Cavemen incredibly
talented, they are genuinely
nice!” said author Frances
Stockton. “Some are quietspoken, and yet, their intensity
and dedication to detail and
their natural sense of charm
makes any woman melt.”
The Cavemen showed off
sizzling dance moves at themed
costume parties, and looked
adorable in their jammies and
fuzzy slippers while handing
our prizes at the pajama, pizza
and Bingo party. Caveman Nick,
who was voted Alpha Caveman
2013, taught a very popular
Zumba class, and guests lined
up to participate in raucous
public photo shoots, where
each woman got to pose with
the Cavemen of her choice in
a clinch shot like those on real
book covers.
Author Cait Miller says she
normally sits on the sidelines,
watching others have a good
time and wishing she could
join in. But at RomantiCon, the
relaxed and friendly atmosphere
encouraged her to shed her
reserve. “I danced like no one
was watching every night …
with hot guys who … made me
feel like I was Jennifer Grey in
Dirty Dancing.”
But RomantiCon is not just
parties and sexy fun. It is also
about the lucrative business of
erotic romance publishing. For
aspiring authors, the convention
offered workshops, pitch
sessions with editors and the
chance to meet and learn from
more experienced authors.
Published authors loved the
chance to bond with readers
and sell their books at the
Sunday SEXporium® and book
fair where authors and their
cover models signed their
works.
The only complaint
RomantiCon® participants
had was how fast the funfilled conference flew by. The
Ellora’s Cave blogosphere
is already buzzing about
the “Old Hollywood, New
Bollywood” theme for next
year’s convention, scheduled
for Oct. 10 -13, once again at
the McKinley Grand Hotel,
in Canton. (For details, visit
ecromanticon.com)
terrific weekend and I can’t think
of a better time I’ve had at a
conference,” she said. “I highly
recommend the experience to
all fans of erotic romance.”
“I knew RomantiCon® would be
fun, but I didn’t expect to walk
away with so many new friends,”
said author Sidney Bristol. “I
can’t imagine how I’ve lived
without them.”
Joysann from Publishers
Weekly put it best: “It was a
Raven 24
Research Tripping
Since the world is coming to
an end soon, we have a few
people we’d like to say some
things to. Mostly, thank you.
$ we
(Silly readers, you thought
were going to tell people off,
didn’t you?) Now, we don’t
really think the world is going
to end because the Mayans ran
out of calendar space on their
rock, but just in case: Thank
you. Thank you readers, vlog
viewers, social networkers, but
also thank you to the hotel
workers, transit peeps, tour
guides, and the countless other
who put up with our endless
questions when we’re research
tripping around the globe.
If the Mayans turn out to
be right, they will have our
apologies for doubting them.
Until then, they will simply
have our awe. In 2011, as part
of our book research, we sailed
to Belize and then proceeded
to drive two hours inland on
a tour bus to the Xunantunich
Mayan temples. It seemed a
fitting time to see the Mayans
before their calendar ran
out, erm, we mean the world
ended.
If you’re not used to the
tropical weather, summer in
549
Belize resembles something
like an outdoor sauna. Bring
plenty of bottled water. There
is a small uphill trek once you
reach the site.
The ancient site is less than
a mile from the Guatemalan
border. The drive itself was
very enlightening. With the
knowledge of our tour guides,
we were able to get a snapshot
glimpse into the life of Belizean
people—from the children
watching us on the side of the
road, to the Amish population
ignoring us drive past as they
talked by their horse and
buggies, to the artisans selling
their wares outside of the
temple grounds.
Xunanatunich is a modern
name given to the ruins.
According to the tour guides
the name means Stone
Maiden, after the apparition of
a woman appeared there in the
late 1800s. Legend has it she
disappeared into the stone of
El Castillo.
Though restored, the
narrow, steep temples stairs
are not protected with the
normal safety features you
would expect at an American
historical site. Mandy stayed
Michelle
and Mandy!
below as Michelle ventured up
the largest temple, El Castillo—
though we both debate as to
who was in the most danger.
Below, armed guards patrolled
the dense forest along the
Guatemalan border with
machine guns. Above, you
have a 130 feet drop with no
safety net. Luckily, Michelle did
not learn how to fly and the
most dangerous thing stirring
in the forest (besides Mandy,
of course *wink*) was the leaf
cutter ants marching along the
paths.
As writers, we both agree
that research is vital to creating
believable stories—even in
fictional worlds. Research trips
are the best way to learn about
people and their way of life,
including their history. This is
why we take the trips we do.
It’s a chance to experience
the area for ourselves, and to
interview the locals. So, thank
you, to the people who made
the trip the wonderful learning
adventure it was, and to the
readers who make our job
possible.
Stay safe this apocalyptic
season!
To see more Belize photos
from this trip, visit, www.
MichellePillowPhotography.
com. Be sure to watch www.
MandyRoth.com and www.
MichellePillow.com for upcoming books featuring our
Belizean research.
Select photos from Belize and from
the Xuananatunich Mayan site.
Photo Credit: Michelle M Pillow
We can’t wait to
bring you more
pictures from our
travels!
Mandy M. Roth & Michelle M. PIllow
Photo Credit: S. Roth
Raven 25
Raven 26
Rings of Gold by Michelle M. Pillow Continued...
her?
Okay, so she might have overacted a little, but Ryan had been
so proud of his first tree in his first
home and she wanted to hurt
him like he hurt her. Besides, he
knew she had a temper, especially
in the month before a competition—even a small competition. In
fact, he knew more about her than
anyone else in the world. Growing
up, she hadn’t been allowed many
friends. Her father felt them to be
a waste of time. She had acquaintances, associates, teammates and
coaches. She had doctors, lawyers,
managers and servants. And she
used to have Ryan Anderson.
As if summonsed by her anger, a
loud bang sounded on the door
to her room. She jumped up from
her vanity and grabbed the front
of her robe. Without waiting to be
let in, Ryan threw open the door
and marched inside. Cold flushed
his cheeks to an angry red and he
panted for breath as if he’d run
the mile from town to her family’s estate. None of the servants
would have thought to stop such a
permanent fixture in the Shanahan
home, even one who looked halfcrazed with his messy brown hair
and piercing green eyes.
“The broadsword, Molly?” he
fumed, slamming the door shut
behind him. “Really?”
“I bought it,” she defended, holding
the robe tighter. This wasn’t their
first fight, in fact far from it.
“For me. You gave it to me.” He
tugged at his coat, throwing it on
the ground. The broad set of his
shoulders drew her attention. Ryan
owned more t-shirts than anybody
possibly needed. She often gave
Raven 27
him a hard time about it, but in
truth she thought him sexy in the
“Will you hand me that one over
tightly fitted material. “It was a gift.” there?” Molly gave him a small
smile and batted her lashes, trying
“It was a loan that you never paid
to make him break his irate comback,” she countered.
posure. Normally it worked, but
not tonight.
“I beat you at poker. The loan was
paid.” He waved his hand at her dis- “If only to save a piece of history,”
missively. “Regardless of the owner, he answered, backing away. Slipyou shouldn’t have broken into my ping two foils out of a wall display,
apartment.”
he tossed one in her direction and
held the other at the ready.
“You come into my home uninvited all the time.” Molly’s heart
Molly caught the thin sword easfluttered in her chest. Didn’t he
ily. She lunged forward and beat
know the affect he had on her?
her sword to the weak part of his,
Why couldn’t he see it? Her desire
knocking it aside in challenge.
for him only made her temper
“You should know that I didn’t ruin
worse because he didn’t return
the broadsword. I had gardening
the favor. “You should learn to lock sheers. I only put that piece of evyour door.”
ergreen on there to mess with you.
Like I’d really hurt a sword.”
Ryan strode across the large
bedroom, passing her king-sized
“But trees are no problem?” Ryan
bed to block her escape from the
recovered, returning to en garde
room. “I could have you arrested.
position.
Everyone in town knows who you
are and they saw you leaving my
“You’re the one who taught me
building.”
about pranks. Remember the frog
you put in the punch bowl during
“Go ahead. I’ll be out before they
my Sweet Sixteen? Or how about
even process me.” She gave a nerv- when you shaved Snowball to look
ous laugh. Molly didn’t like being
like a tiny lion?” Molly lunged, forccornered, not because she was
ing him to step back. Even though
scared so much as she couldn’t
the tips had been rounded, she
seem to catch her breath when
was careful not to strike him. “Bethey were alone and not focused
fore you came along, I was a little
on practice. Reaching to the shelf
princess.”
that lined her wall, she pulled the
Spanish foil from its wooden dis“You were and still are a spoiled
play and pointed it at him, keepbrat. Whatever you want, Daddy
ing him back. “You should know. It will get for you. Well, not me. I’m
wouldn’t be the first time the cops not for sale, not anymore.” Ryan
were called on us.”
countered with a series of moves,
forcing her to jump up on the bed.
“Now you’re going to ruin that
The familiar clang and sweep of
blade?” Ryan crossed his arms over metal rang over them as he purhis chest, completely unconcerned sued her. “Why the hell do you
by the threat. “After all the hours
think I left? I have my own dreams,
we spent polishing?”
Molly, and they don’t include be-
continued on P. 36
Where
to
Find
US
on
the
Web
Mandy M Roth
Website: www.MandyRoth.com
Blog: www.MandyRoth.com/blog
Twitter: twitter.com/mandymroth
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
AuthorMandyRoth
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/mandyroth
Michelle M. Pillow
Website: www.MichellePillow.com
Blog: www.MichellePillow.com/blog
Twitter: twitter.com/michellepillow
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
AuthorMichellePillow
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/
michellepillow
[email protected]
[email protected]
Raven 28
The Beast Masters Series, Book 1
Garon and Lorne, shapeshifting males of the Ralenium
race, are fierce guns for hire in the universe. When a
cargo ship transporting women charged with crimes
by the Galactic Star Union arrives on their planet, the
men make the traders an offer they can’t refuse. Planet
Ralen is sorely lacking in women, and the males have
an inborn desire to dominate, to tame females and to
reproduce. When their inner beasts’ clocks start ticking
and the burning need to spread their seed consumes
them, they go on the hunt for the perfect female. Too
bad both men want the same woman.
Teon, a lady with a place in high society, thought life as
she knew it was over when she was wrongfully charged
with a crime by her stepmother. A prisoner en route to
a barren planet to serve her sentence, she’s presented
with an opportunity to start over again on the planet
Ralen. The catch is she has to be willing to be claimed
by two males. Not just any males mind you, two burning hunks who are ready to fight to the death if need be
to share her bed.
Paranormal/Shapeshifter/ BDSM/Menage MFM
Publisher: The Raven Books
ISBN: 9781625010063
Historical/Western, Interracial novella
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-61921-163-6
“This read is for those who like their love
stories both explicit and explosive, with a
mix of strong women and sexy men!” Library Journal
“Readers who thrive on stories of empowered women and sexy, brooding men will
savor this historical tale of interracial love.”
Publishers Weekly
Warning: This book contains a gorgeous hero and
a spirited heroine, pistol slinging, knife wielding,
bigotry, bad guys, bad language, and smokin’ hot
love scenes.
King, King, Goose? Continued...
their sense of reasoning often
abandoned them.
They were a fierce breed of powerful warriors who could put any human male to shame with just how
amazing they looked. What they
lacked in manners they made up
for with loyalty and their ability to
love. And there was no question in
her mind that her husband loved
her. He was one of the proudest
and most headstrong males of his
kind, yet she had but to bat her
lashes and he’d fall over himself
trying to make her happy.
Getting used to life without her
cellphone, mp3 player, the internet and Starbucks had required an
adjusting period but after being
married to Najarni for nearly three
years, she knew he was worth living without the modern comforts
of the human realm. It reminded
her of reading tales of old, of
kings, queens, knights and lords. A
time long forgotten by her people
still thrived and flourished here.
She’d have it no other way.
The festivities continued, though
this time, a guard took a position
near the goose’s cage, standing in
a protective manner. He looked so
serious, so set in his given duties,
that he’d not be deterred. No matter what. She grinned and shook
her head. If anyone from Earth
ever witnessed these men putting
a goose under heavy protection
they’d die from a fit of laughter
too. Moments like these she was
saddened no other humans were
around to share in the inside
jokes. As it stood she was alone in
finding humor in their ways and
attempts at righting situations.
Najarni nodded to one of his
advisors and several of his trusted
guards stepped forth, standing in
front of one of the many Christ-
Raven 29
mas trees now adorning the vast
hall. When she’d first seen the
sight, she could scarcely believe
her eyes. It had to have taken
them countless trips between
the realms to accomplish such a
feat. It wasn’t as if pine trees were
native to the Dragon Realm. She
grew misty-eyed staring at the
sight once more, thinking of all
the hard work the men put into
setting such a scene. Candles and
flowers decorated each one and
the sight reminded her a bit of illustrations from times long past in
the human realm.
The men cleared their throats as
the advisor nodded. “We’re ready,
my lord.”
“They have worked on this for
many moon cycles, my love,” Najarni said, caressing her inner arm.
“They went in search of traditions
from your world this time last
year.”
She waited with baited breath as
the men she knew could kill in
the blink of an eye began to sing
a Christmas carol. She smiled, remembering home and the joy this
time of the year always brought
her, even growing up without a
family of her own. The smile quickly faltered when the lyrics took a
rather odd turn. The men blatantly
grabbed themselves while singing
about how jolly their balls were.
They then jingled them.
A lot.
Tara gasped, her cheeks flaming
red. She yelped when they came
toward her—still singing and
holding themselves, still jingling
them. Each one seemed prouder
than the next. “What are they doing?” she squeaked, touching her
husband’s forearm.
Najarni beamed with pride. “They
are caroling. They told me these
carolers from Earth often follow
people. I believe they are attempting to follow you, my love.”
They continued to come and she
stepped behind her husband.
“Stop them!”
“Why?” he asked, truly unaware of
what was wrong.
She shook her head. “They’re,
umm, not doing it right.”
“Cease!” he demanded, his voice
booming throughout the great
hall.
The guards stopped so suddenly
that one ran into another and a
domino effect began. The end
guard fell backward, bumping
the tree nearest him. Candles
tipped and the tree ignited within
seconds. Tara didn’t need to be
told they hadn’t watered the tree.
She could tell by how quickly the
flames engulfed it. The fire spread
quickly and the guard nearest the
goose released it quickly, seconds
before the cage caught fire.
Men hustled about, making a
chain and passing buckets of
water. They worked quickly and efficiently to douse the fire and keep
it from spreading. The commotion
in regard to the fire died down just
in time for another to slowly rise.
Najarni tapped his foot, giving
them all a hard stare. “I do not
recall reading of a fire in any of
the materials you brought me
regarding this Christmas celebration.” He opened his mouth to say
more but was cut off when the
goose hissed, charging right at
them both. Najarni put himself
in the path of the goose as if he
were protecting her from a chargcontinued on P. 31
Raven 30
King, King, Goose? Continued...
ing rhino. She could hold back
no more. The laughter came and
could not be stopped. She bent
forward, clutching her stomach,
bellowing to the point no further
sound came from her.
She hiccupped and cried tears of
laughter at the sight of renowned
guards trying and failing to catch
a moving goose. The guard who
had been near the cage, watching
over Roger, was running as well.
“My lord, you said no harm was
to come to The Roger and with
the flames, I worried it would… I
released him.”
The goose turned, put its wings
out and went at the guards. This
time, they appeared to be on the
defensive. The entire scene was
hysterically funny. She laughed so
hard tears came to her eyes.
The guards who had been charged
with caroling began again, sounding more like drunken fraternity
brothers, inventing new spins on
old songs than they did anything
else. All the while the ones with
the goose seemed to trade off,
one second on the hunt, the next,
the goose’s prey. Considering they
could each shift into a dragon, it
was uncontrollably funny since
none seemed to think to do so.
Two actually ducked as the goose
flapped it wings and flailed about
within the confines of the great
hall.
The “carolers” continued. This
time they sang about stuffing a
stocking all the while thrusting
their hips suggestively while one
actually bent for the other to slap
his ass. The alpha males were not
known for behavior such as this
and she knew then they’d gotten
their Christmas information seriously confused.
Raven 31
She wiped her cheeks and hiccupped more. “Najarni, where is it
they learned to carol?”
He thought upon it and nodded.
“Ah, yes, one of them mentioned
something about Saint Nick’s
Naughty and Nice Roadside Bar.”
She snorted and bent her head,
still laughing. Her stomach hurt,
her sides pulling, as laughter pains
continued to seize her entire body.
She’d never seen anything so
amusing in her entire life. The saddest part was, the men all believed
they were doing it right—that
their Christmas knowledge was
legitimate. They had no idea they’d
gotten information from a strip
joint. She could only imagine what
else they’d learned while there.
“Truly?” he asked, shocked to
his core. Nothing had gone as
planned. How could she be
pleased with it?
Najarni looked down at his beautiful wife and noticed tears upon her
pale cheeks. He touched one and
lifted her head to face him. “You
are upset with this. I am sorry.”
She smiled and held his hand tight
to her face. “This is perfect. It’s the
best Christmas ever.”
In a time when casual sex is no longer
permitted and kink could get you
thrown in jail, Lisa’s sex-starved body
longs for release. Presented with a
chance for to spend a night at Club
Fetish—an underground sex club—she
seizes the moment and orders up a
night of pleasure that she’ll never forget.
She went to her tiptoes and he
bent, his mouth capturing hers.
The kiss was heated. He was about
to lift her in his arms and carry her
to their bedchamber when something pinched his backside—hard.
Spinning quickly, he found The
Roger there, its head moving at
him again as it hissed. Najarni’s
eyes widened. “Wife, The Roger bit
me in the backside!”
Warning: This short story contains kink
to the extreme, multiple partners, brief
mmf and no romantic thread.
She howled with laughter.
He made a move to snatch The
Roger by its thin neck when the
very guard he’d just reprimanded
for drawing a dagger cleared his
throat and shook his head. “No
harm is to befall…”
The goose ran past them and more
men joined in, attempting to catch
it. None succeeded. No matter
what direction she looked, something was going on and each event Najarni’s nostrils flared and his
was funnier than the other.
body coiled with pent-up rage. “I
know what the decree is! I am the
Her husband glared at a guard
one who issued it!”
who pulled a dagger from his
waist. “The Roger is not to be
“Husband,” Tara said, dragging his
harmed!”
attention from thoughts of pummeling the guard to kissing her.
Slowly, the guard sheathed his
dagger and slumped his shoulders “Yes, my love?” he asked, his temlike a scolded child. “Yes, my lord.”
per quickly cooled.
Chapter Three
Club Fetish: Where fantasies become
reality.
She laced her fingers through his. “I
love you.”
“And I you,” he responded before
bending and scooping his wife
into his arms. The Roger came at
him again and this time he hissed
back. It stopped in its tracks and
drew its wings in, appearing fearful.
Futuristic Kink Erotic
Publisher: The Raven Books
ISBN: 978-1-4524-9039-7
Paranormal Shifter Gay (MM) Romance
Publisher: The Raven Books
ISBN: 978-1-4524-7893-7
Leo Morgan is a werewolf on the prowl
and there is only one man who can slake
his burning desires. Jackson may be an
unsuspecting human, but this wolf gets
more than he bargained for when a night of
seduction goes wrong… and oh-so-right.
Rating: Contains graphic sexual content,
adult language, and violence.
Tara laughed more. “Ohmygosh,
you managed to scare a goose
with that menacing glare of yours.”
continued on P. 33
Raven 32
King, King, Goose? Continued...
He smiled and nodded to his men.
They quickly gained control of The
Roger and saw it safely to another
cage. Najarni carried his wife to their
spot at the large table. “Merry Christmas, Tara.”
She kissed him gently as he placed her
gently in her seat. “You too.”
The head of his guards approached
and bent his head, holding out a package to Tara. Najarni held his breath,
watching as she opened it slowly.
When she pulled out the items, she
turned several shades of red.
Tara tugged on his arm and smiled
up at him. “You’ll sit down and enjoy
Christmas, my love.”
Where Danger & Love Collide
He sat quickly and kissed her. Yes, he
most certainly would enjoy Christmas
with her and, next year, he would
avoid having any The Rogers in attendance.
THE END
“What is wrong?” he asked, taking a
seat as well.
Her blue gaze slid to him as she held
up two objects and their red string of
sorts. “Its lingerie.”
He waited to hear the part about why
the gift was wrong. “The men acquired
these from the very place they learned
the carols. I believe the owner of the
establishment said all of his females
had ones such as this.”
She leaned over, whispering to him
what the items were—in depth. He
stared out at the men who had traveled to the human realm. From their
expressions, they knew damn well
what they were for.
Jaycee Clark
He stood and pointed at them. “I will
see to it that you all…”
Mandy M. Roth
www.mandyroth.com
Raven 33
www.jayceeclark.com
Rings of Gold by Michelle M. Pillow Continued...
Even a wrong turn can be right.
Lily arrives at Thioshpaye Bar and Cabins looking for
room, board…and a man. The one standing behind
the counter ought to be perfect—she’s not going to
find anyone more gorgeous. But she’s only looking
for a one-night stand, and the connection that sizzles
between them tells her she could spend a lifetime in his
arms.
Brayen’s cougar-shifter eyes must be deceiving him.
Humans aren’t supposed to be able to see the building,
much less waltz right through the door. But he can tell
that Lily is special—and sees through the bravery that
masks her inner vulnerability. His pack won’t welcome a
human, but when Lily is nearly attacked by wolf shifters,
Brayen knows she’s his to protect—and love. At least for
tonight.
Before the night is over, Lily gets more than she bargained for—a taste of love she never knew could
exist—and can never have. Faced with an empty bed in
the morning, Brayen realizes he’s lost the one thing he
never hoped to find. His true mate.
Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-60928-105-2
Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-60504-508-5
It is ill-advised to incur the wrath of a faery, but it is
most foolish to do so of a faery queen…
Realm Immortal, Book Two
Queen Tania of the Faeries is tired of waiting for Hugh,
the Earl of Bellemare, to come back to her. A year has
passed since his commitments pulled him from her side
and she’s begun to suspect he never intended to return.
Disheartened, the queen’s mood darkens until she finds
she has no choice but to teach the earl a lesson he will
never forget—that no human should dare lie to a faery
queen.
Hugh’s hatred of the magical world is well known and
he wishes to live out the rest of his life in the mortal
realm, doing his noble duty. Too bad his heart hasn’t
caught up to his head. Thoughts of a tenaciously seductive queen haunt him, even as he knows the woman
only wanted him as a plaything for her bed. But it
would seem he can’t run far enough, for the teasing
nymph won’t back down and Hugh finds himself at the
mercy of a vengeful faery.
Raven 35
ing your little servant boy anymore.”
Molly hesitated as Ryan executed
a simple move. She didn’t block
it and the blunted tip of his blade
bumped her unprotected arm.
Yelping, she dropped her weapon
and grabbed her arm.
“Damn it, Mol.” Ryan instantly went
to her, trying to look at what he’d
done.
“I never treated you like my servant boy.” She dropped her hand.
At most, it would be a bruise. The
robe wasn’t even cut. “How could
you leave without telling me? You
know I can’t survive here without
you.”
“I don’t want to be your crutch,”
Ryan whispered, seemingly satisfied that she wasn’t too badly injured. He didn’t let go as he looked
into her eyes.
“Is that why you asked me out to
dinner only to sneak out of the
house while I waited like an idiot
for you to show?” She bit back a
tear. When Ryan had asked her
out, she’d thought it was a date.
Her heart had sung for joy that
something more might happen
between them, only to be run
through with disappointment
when he left her waiting, humiliated and alone in a special dress
she’d bought just for him.
“I didn’t want to go. Your father
asked me to pack up and leave.
He said he’d find you a new partner, one who assured you stayed
focused on your dreams.”
“He told me you quit.” Molly
glanced at the hand on her arm,
liking the contact. The warmth
of him radiated over her and she
wanted to grab hold of him. “He
said you wanted to focus on your
own Olympic dream and thought
I would only hold you back.” She
met his gaze. “Why did he ask you
to leave?”
“I do want to focus on my Olympic
career, of course I do. I’ve been
working toward it almost as long
as you have. He never liked that.
But that’s not the whole reason.
I told your father I wanted there
to be more between us than
those five rings.” Ryan glanced
at the wall, to the Olympic flag.
He backed away from her and
grabbed his coat off the floor.
“There is. You know there is. We’re
friends. We’ve always been friends,
despite the pranks and the jokes
and the constant bickering.” She
didn’t want him to leave. When
he went this time, it wouldn’t be
to a room down the hall where
he’d lived since moving out of his
mother’s house after high school.
“I want there to be more than
friendship. I can’t live down the hall
from you anymore, Molly.” Instead
of putting the coat on, he reached
into the pocket. “After the World
Championships and the Olympic
gold medals are all over with, I
want there to be a reason for us
to be together. I want this, Molly.”
Ryan held up a gold engagement
ring, simple and perfect. “I want to
know that I’ll always have you.”
forced me to pack up. But I don’t
care what he wants. I want to know
what you want because I love you.
You are my dream, Mol, not some
gold medal. You and only you.”
Molly blinked, thankful for her
throbbing arm. It proved she was
awake and this was real. Hardly
able to speak, she whispered, “Yes,
I’ll marry you.”
Ryan grinned as he slipped the
ring onto her offered finger. Flinging her arms around him, she
pressed her lips to his like she’d
dreamed of doing for years but
had been too afraid. She clung to
him as he lifted her up and walked
toward the bed. The weight of the
ring on her finger meant more
to her than any number of rings
hanging on her wall. Loving Ryan
didn’t mean she had to stop her
other dreams, it only meant the
dreams would be worth having
because she’d have him to share
them with.
The End
Michelle M. PIllow
www.michellepillow.com
“Ryan?” She began to shake, tears
coming to her eyes.
“Your father asked me to leave
because I, out of respect for all he’s
done for my mother, asked him
for your hand. I planned on meeting you right after. He said no and
Raven 36
Interview
Close your eyes…
Slip into your fantasy
Zombies by Dr. Bob
Curran, Interview
First off, are you now or have you
ever been a zombie?
Dr. Curran: I don’t think that I’ve
ever been a zombie, at least not
that I can remember. In some
instances I may have worked with
zombies but that’s another story.
Tell us a little bit about your book,
Zombies: A Field Guide to the
Walking Dead.
Dr. Curran: One of the questions
which I’m always asked is – do
zombies/ werewolves/ vampires
actually exist? That is really not
the question that intrigues me
– they may or they may not –it
is why should people want to
believe in them?
I wanted to write a book which
looked at zombies in some more
depth and in some more detail
than simply the slasher/zombie
dawn type of way that is common
in so many books.
What cultures throughout history
have zombie myths? Are they
similar or vastly different?
T.J. Michaels
www.TJMichaels.com
Dr. Curran: The fundamental
questions about life and death are
pretty universal ones so it is natural I suppose that they appear in
all cultures – though maybe not
in the form that we have become
used to through the medium
of books and films. In Ireland,
for example, the marbh bheo
or nightwalking dead might be
classed as zombies – they return
from their graves to the places
they knew in life. Some of these
are the Blest Dead, who have led
good lives and are permitted by
God to do so, others are raised by
the Devil who travel the roads in
order to do harm. Similarly the
“living mummies” of areas such as
Mount Yodono in Japan <if they
can be counted as zombies> are
monks who have deliberately
“mummified” themselves in order
to display their holiness – this
practice is now forbidden by the
Japanese government. So whilst
the fundamental questions remain the same, the way in which
it is achieved can be different and
not all zombies may take the form
that we have been led to expect.
If given the chance, would you
become a zombie?
Dr. Curran: I doubt if I would want
to become a zombie. I would
guess that the lifestyle wouldn’t
appeal.
How would you react if you came
face to face with a zombie?
Dr. Curran: Probably run. Best
form of avoidance.
If you’re interested in checking
out this, or other titles by Dr. Bob
Curran, please visit the publisher
website, www.newpagebooks.
com.
How do you think zombie myths
will change in the future?
Dr. Curran: It depends on how
you view zombie myths. Certainly
if we look at how zombies are
portrayed in literature and in the
cinema, I think that will change
as writers and directors search for
new angles with which to shock,
disgust and terrify us. I think zombie literature/cinema will possibly
become more extreme and more
shocking. But we must remember
that this counts as entertainment
and depends on our view of the
walking dead – folkloric zombie
stories will remain as they always
have. And zombies will remain a
fascinating subject.
Raven 38
Shana of Themis is proud to be of the female dominated race of the Amazon. But,
when the time comes for her to become
a mother, she’s less than thrilled. Following tradition, she must take the males they
have captured into her bed.
Captain James Alexander was caught answering a distress call, when the Amazon’s
overtook him and two of his men. Now, to
escape, he plans on seducing his beautiful
captor.
Warning: This short story contains graphic
language and sexual content.
Futuristic Romance
Publisher: The Raven Books
ISBN: 978-1-4524-5405-4
Medieval Historical Romance
Publisher: The Raven Books
ISBN: 9781452447834
Vladamir of Kessen, Duke of Lakeshire Castle,
is feared as a demon in the land of Wessex.
The Kings have granted him a title of nobility
in exchange for his part as a political prisoner.
Discontent, he bides his time in his new home
until war will once again rip through the land.
But boredom soon turns to devious pleasure
as the daughter of his most hated enemy is left
for dead at his castle gate. Now the monster
bides his time plotting revenge.
Lady Eden of Hawks’ Nest doesn’t know what
to think of the man who saved her life, but she
can’t wrench her thoughts away. His words are
those of a tyrant, true to his vicious reputation,
but his touch is that of a man, stirring passion and lust when there should only be fear.
It would seem the infamous monster is not as
monstrous as he appears.
Raven 39
Saddle up with The Raven Books
Western Erotic Romances
Rory Michaels
Kennedy Kovit