Chasing Booty-sneak peak

This is due out May 11th from Amber Quill. I haven't gotten a cover yet. It's a science-fiction erotica. I had a blast with with one.

EXCERPT:

“I’m looking for a Saurian, goes by the name of Gagmar. He’s a little over seven feet tall with a sleek build and reptilian skin.”

She slid a three-by-five pictograph engraved with Gagmar’s likeness toward him.
The man picked up the picture. “A Chamaeleon?”

Gaelyn nodded. “He can change the color of his skin, as well as the texture.”

“It’s a good thing they wear clothes,” the bartender said, his words slurred by the deformity of his lips. “Otherwise you’d never see ’em. Yeah, he was here. ’Bout a day or so ago. Said he needed to ditch some bounty bitch.”

He glanced at her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his crooked mouth.

Gaelyn snorted. “Did he say how long he’d be staying?”

The bartender shook his head. “Nope. But I expect he’s still around. You might check the ice tunnels in Sector 2. Them lizard folk don’t feel cold like the rest of us. Seems a good place to start.”

She thanked him for the information, downed her drink in one gulp, and handed him the empty shot glass. “Hey,” she said, just as he turned to leave, “anyone else asked about him?”

The bartender pondered her a moment, contemplating his response. He nodded and leaned toward her. “Big guy. Long black hair. Red skin. Looked like the devil ’imself.”

His voice scarcely reached a whisper. The mingled aromas of bourbon and cigarettes danced on his breath, combined with the putrid odor of infected flesh. Gaelyn tried not to gag.

Before asking him anything else, the door to the bar creaked open. The hairs on Gaelyn’s neck stood at attention. Straining to see around the bartender’s impeding frame, she caught a glimpse of the scale-skinned figure standing in the threshold.
Gagmar.

Their glares locked across the smoke-filled room, her golden honey eyes clashing with his forest green. The texture and color of his skin instantly changed to match the scarred wood grain of the front door. Only his khaki pants and brown leather coat prevented him from blending right in, becoming near invisible to the naked eye.

“I’ll have to settle my bill later.” Gaelyn jumped to her feet and practically knocked the bartender aside as she moved to get around him.

While she doubted he’d send the cops after her for one unpaid shot of whiskey, she didn’t make a habit of dodging bar tabs. She always kept her word. Once she’d either captured or secured her hit, she’d return and pay up.

“Sure,” he replied, trying to get out of her way.

By the time she sidestepped the stunned bartender, Gagmar had turned tail and ran. The front door stood ajar from his hasty retreat.

“Dammit!” Whipping a stun gun from her hip holster, Gaelyn raced out the door after him.

An empty alley greeted her. She scanned the pathway from front to back, top to bottom, slowly making her way behind the bar. It appeared as though he’d vanished.

He’s here…

Her eyes strained to see an outline, a shape, anything.

I know he’s here!

But without her de-cloaking goggles, she’d never see him, even if he stood against the wall right in front of her.

That slimy son of a…

She spotted what looked to be an article of clothing tucked behind a pile of empty crates near the back door. Using the toe of her boot, she pulled the item from its hiding spot. Instantly recognizing the khaki pants, she knew she’d been duped.

“Dammit!” Re-holstering her weapon, she retraced her steps and went back inside the bar. Ignoring the bewildered patrons who’d all stopped to watch her entrance, she went straight for the counter.

“Where are the ice caves?” she demanded, not waiting for the bartender to finish pouring his customer’s drink. “What’s the quickest way there?”

The bartender nodded toward a shrouded figure seated at the other end.
Gaelyn grit her teeth. She didn’t have time for games. Glancing at the cloaked being through narrowed eyes, she quickly evaluated any potential level of threat.

Male. Tall. Well-built. Who is this guy? Where’d he come from?

She hadn’t noticed him before.

With an air of don’t-fuck-with-me in her step, she made her way toward him. “The bartender seems to think you can be of some assistance,” she declared, stopping a mere six inches to the left of the man’s seated frame.

He ignored her, choosing instead to take a long swig from his mug.

Removing her laser from its holster on her left thigh, she plopped it onto the counter top. Her hand rested lightly on its black metallic shape, her finger hugging the trigger. “Well?”

“I can take you there, for a price,” he replied, his deep voice a thunderous rumble within his muscular chest.

Annoyed, she lifted her chin. “Name it,” she practically growled.

The man chuckled. “It’ll be steep,” he warned. “Perhaps more than you’re willing to pay.”

Gaelyn’s patience wore thin. They wasted precious time. Is this guy gonna get down to business or what?

Struggling to see his face beneath the shadowed hood, she leaned a little closer. “Look, buddy. I don’t have time for games. Either name your price or I’ll take my business elsewhere.”

He glanced at her, his onyx, deep-set eyes two bottomless black pits within his handsome angular face. “I want half the booty. For starters.”

Gaelyn’s breath caught in her throat. Reese.

This wasn’t happening.

He pulled back his hood, letting the heavy material fall onto his broad shoulders in a neatly folded pleat. “Hello, Gael. It’s been a long time.”

Shannon Leigh

Let's make some whoopie!

Here's an interesting recipe for Whoopie Pies.

1 box of chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups vanilla frosting
1 1/4 cups whipped topping, thawed

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 4 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2) In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and cocoa powder. Beat on low for 30 seconds or until combined. Beat on medium speek for 2 more minutes; batter will be very thick. Drop batter by level tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart, for a total of 40 cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Use a metal spatula to quickly transfer cookies to racks and allow to cool.
3) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together vanilla frosting adn whipped topping. Spread a heaping tablespoon of frosting mixture onto flat side of one cooled cookie, then place the flat side of the second cookie on top. Repeat.

Viola! We have desert to go with our chicken.

Shannon

Sliced Mango Chicken

I was reading through a Family Circle magazine a few minutes ago and came across this recipe. I love mangos so it looked pretty good to me.

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless checken breasts cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bottle (10 oz) mango chutney
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup mango-orange juice
1 package (8 oz) frozen greenbeans and almonds, thawed
1 fresh ripe mango, peeled, pit removed, and thinly sliced

1) Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken wiht salt and pepper.
2) Add chicken to skillet and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and no longer pink. Remove chicken to a plate, cover loosely and keep warm.
3) Add cutney and mustard to skillet. Stir cornstarch into mango-orange juice until disolved; add to skillet. Stir to combine. Simmer on medium-low for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4) Place chicken and string beans into skillet, reserving the toasted almonds. Cook 2 minutes until heated through.
5.) To serve, sprinkle nuts on top and garnish with sliced mango.

Serving suggestion: brown rice.

Now lets see if I can find a desert...

Shannon

Hellooooo!!!

I've got a feeling everyone is at RT. I'm talkin' to myself here. *sigh* Ah well, maybe someone's lurking. I'll keep posting.

Shannon

Chinatown Buffet--blurb and excerpt

Chinatown Buffet
by Shannon Leigh
ISBN: 1-59279-421-1 (Electronic)
Available at Amber Quill Press

They say the road to success is a lonely one. Newly named corporate executive of the Chinese American Development Corporation, Ms. Mei Ling Zhao, can attest to this. Hated by her subordinates, her acquired status has truly left her friendless and in need of some male attention. After a long week of dealing with spiteful employees, threatening letters, and one headache after another, she treats herself to a much-needed drink and an order of fast-food—Chinese takeout, via "special delivery."

While Mei Ling expects her meal to arrive smoking hot and in a timely manner, she doesn’t anticipate her delivery boy to be tall, tanned Texan with a black Stetson, levis that cling to all the right places, and seafoam eyes that remind her of ocean water pooling on the shore. And yet, when she opens her door, that’s exactly what she finds standing on her stoop.

Seems the Chinatown Buffet is in the business of delivering more than just a tasty meal, and Mei Ling is about to find out what "special delivery" really means...

Genres: Contemporary / Interracial / Multicultural
Heat Level: 2
Length: Extended Amber Kiss (15k words)

EXCERPT:
…His barging into her home uninvited had surprised her. But when his T-shirt followed his hat onto the ottoman, Mei Ling nearly choked on her shock. “I’m afraid there’s been some sort of mistake here,” she gasped, trying not to stare at his nicely formed pectorals.

She certainly had no intention of appreciating the golden mass of curly brown wisps feathered across his chest and washboard abs. Or how a thickened swatch ran downward from his navel to disappear into the waistband of his jeans. And she absolutely refused to acknowledge the interest peaking within herself—the increased heart rate, the needful throb deep within her belly, the dampness in her panties.

As though ignoring her statement, he continued to undress. His boots followed along behind his shirt. Then his socks. He’d was just unzipping his pants when Mei Ling realized if she didn’t intervene, she’d soon have a naked man standing in the middle of her living room.

“Wait! Please. I really don’t understand what’s going on here.”

Quickly crossing the room, she darted for the ottoman and his growing pile of clothing. Then she snatched up his shirt and thrust it toward him. “Here, put this back on. You can’t just barge in here and start taking your clothes off. I don’t know if this is some kind of a joke, but I only ordered…I don’t even know who you are for Pete’s sake!”

He stared at her, long and hard, seemingly trying to figure out if she were playing a game or genuinely confused. “Ya really didn’t know what special delivery meant when ya ordered it, did ya.” It wasn’t a question, but rather a declaration.

“Apparently not.”

***

Shannon Leigh

Lycan Lore--ADULT excerpt

Lycan Lore
ISBN #: 978-1-60272-137-1
Genre: Short Paranormal Erotica/Dark Fantasy/Werewolf
Publisher: Amber Quill Press
Purchase URL

BLURB:

Being the tag-along on a camping trip with Heather and Graham is not what Cassandra has in mind for her long weekend. When a tall, dark stranger with staggering green eyes shows up to lend a hand with her tent assembly from Hell, however, she has to rethink her predicament. Despite the mixture of excitement and apprehension he incites with his soul-startling stare, the possibility that she’s just found her brawny Tarzan in the depths of Redwood National Park suddenly doesn’t seem so absurd.

Cray feels an equally potent draw to the fiery redhead with the soft hazel eyes, attractive features, and tempting shape. Despite his resolve, she provokes a primordial calling he’s long sought to contain. He wants this female, he can’t deny, but he knows giving in to such unabashed urges can lead to disaster, and he refuses to sentence this woman to his own horrid fate.

But just as powerful as Cray’s attraction is his unexpected surge of protectiveness. There’s something about Cassandra’s male friend that needles his suspicion. Graham invokes Cray’s predatory sense of dominance, and that doesn’t bode well. If his instincts are correct, Cray knows Graham is more than he appears and Cassandra’s life is in danger...

***

EXCERPT:

Cray longed to oblige her wish, to fill her insides with his hard rod and stroke them both to oblivion. But his sense of responsibility reined in his rampant hormones. He couldn’t make love to her as he’d like, but there was a way they could both leave satisfied.

Guiding her hand to his crotch, he encouraged her to touch his hardened shaft through his briefs. To his delight, she eagerly obliged. Shifting to her hands and knees, she pushed against his chest, coaxing him onto the blanket.

Stretching out on his back, Cray tucked his hands behind his head and let her take control. There was no hesitation or uncertainty in the way she eased his briefs over his hips, taking care to release his erection before pulling them down his thighs. Slipping them off his feet, she tossed them aside.

Starting at his ankles, she rubbed her hands up his legs, spreading her fingers as wide as she could. Cray closed his eyes, loving the feel of her palms on his skin. Her touch was like fire against his flesh, setting him ablaze with longing.

She stopped briefly to knead his calves, then continued upward. By the time she reached his thighs, Cray’s breaths had become pants. Fearing he might grab her shoulders, toss her onto the blanket, and drive his length into her hot little pussy, he locked his fingers behind his head.

Her fingertips trailed his groin, just grazing his balls. They tightened, pulling up against his shaft. Cray groaned, wondering if this was such a good idea.
When her lips touched his hip, it was all he could do to stay still. “Cassandra…” he breathed with warning, seriously debating his sanity.

She ignored him, grasping the skin between her teeth in a playful nibble. He gasped, his eyes flying open when his stomach muscles clenched in response to her mischievous bite. He never knew he was ticklish there.

She cast him an impish grin before moving on to her next target. As her small hand wrapped around the base of his shaft, Cray held his breath. He watched, his eyes focused on her mouth as she dipped forward.

As though to amplify his torment, she stared back up at him, her hazel eyes unblinking even as her lips closed around the head of his penis. A shudder wracked his frame as the warmth of her mouth enveloped him. Unable to help himself, he tangled his fingers in her hair, part of him wanting to stop her and the other goading her to finish what she’d started.

But Cassandra obviously had no intention of stopping. Gripping him firmly within her palm, she balanced herself with the other hand on the ground and rose up on her knees. Hovering above his groin, she began a slow and methodical process of torment.

****

Shannon

Today's Contest

I try to keep things simple. No seek and find, scrolling through a million websites to find one word, etc. I have several signed book covers and I'm willing to part with a few of them if you'll simply post a comment on one of my postings. A little more than "hi" would be nice, but if that's all you can muster then I won't complain. I'll draw two winners tomorrow morning from all the comments. Just be sure to put your email addy on your comments so I can get back with you if you win.

I'll even let you pick which cover you'd like:

Stairway To Heaven
More Than Prophecy
Greenwood Manor
Nana's Little Black Book
Chinatown Buffet

See? That's not too hard.

Shannon Leigh

Goodmorning!

It's hump day! Half way there! Unless like me, you're off this Friday. In which case this is like my Thursday, only on Wednesday. Except I usually end up doing so much running on my Friday's off, that it'd be better to just go to work because by Saturday, I'm pretty much pooped!

Before I launch in to a bunch of posts about moi and my latest writing endeavors, I thought I'd do another poll. I'm going to come up with some different options on what you think is the most important quality in a hero. Granted most of us would like a combination of things, but if you had to choose just one, what would it be?

The poll is located on the right. Be sure to cast your vote.

Shannon Leigh

My Newsletter

It's been quite a while since I've put out a newsletter, but I'm happy to say that I just finished one for April (yes, I realize it's half over!). I try to include things like my latest releases, reviews, excerpts, as well as fun stuff like a joke of the day, and Rune readings. I encourage readers to email me, make comments on my writing, requests, etc.

I also give members special sneak-peaks at what I'm working on, as well as special contests for items such as coffee-mugs, handmade jewelry, autographed book covers, etc. I generally write paranormal romance/erotica, but I've dabbled in contemporary and have recently ventured into the science-fiction realm.

I won't bog down your inbox with numerous emails; I generally keep it to 1 or 2 a month unless something spectacular happens that I just can't wait to share. If your a lover of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, cowboys, guardians, and just about any other far-fetched character that I can come up with, then I invite you to join my newsletter and keep abreast of Shannon Leigh's paranormal world.

Sincerely,

Shannon Leigh

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EROTIKOS *a not-so-ordinary board game where sexual fantasy becomes reality.*