Charlie Cochrane shares her guilty pleasures
Charlie refuses to confirm that grin’s because she’s stalking John Barrowman’s civil partner.
What is your:
Your guilty TV show? Monkey Business/Monkey Life. Seen most of the episodes half a dozen times and still adore it. Open All Hours would come a close second.
Your food addiction? In addition to the evening bowl of cereal, I need to have my morning one or I’m grumpy all day. And a couple of jelly babies after lunch. Which reminds me that I need to replenish supplies of those. We’re running dangerously low.
Your beauty addiction? I think I’ve gone past that, if I was ever into it at all. I do like good quality moisturizers, for both face and body. And classy scent. (Maybe I haven’t gone past that at all!)
Your go-to clothing for seduction? LOL I’ve been married nearly 32 years. My blue PJs with the Christmas cows on work just fine. 
Hidden in the closet? Some of my dad’s war souvenirs. (Don’t panic! There’s not a Mauser or anything…)
What happens when everything you thought you knew about your closest friend turns out to be a lie? And you’re left to pick up the pieces?
Thank you Charlie for indulging us with your guilty pleasures! Be sure to check out Charlie’s latest book, and you can catch us both a Flirty Author Bitches! http://flirtyauthorbitches.com/
Happy Reading!
Viki
Kay Berrisford has the Last Word
Kay Berrisford, author of m/m fantasy Bound for the Forest, keenly awaits the release of the third book in her Greenwood series, Lord of the Forest – a tale of Robin Hood!
LAST WORD
The last gift you bought for yourself: Furry boots.
The last time you said “I love you.” and meant it: Five minutes ago to my husband.
The last song you sang out loud: Blow Me (One Last Kiss) by Pink.
The last movie you saw in a movie theater: The Hobbit.
The last car you owned: Mini.
The last sex toy you used: I’m a bunny girl!
The last word you wrote: Home.
“Ex-soldier Brien forces Scarlet, a sexy young thief, to lead him into a forest realm of magic, sex, bondage, and blood. Can Brien claim Scarlet as his underling before the Spirits enslave them both?”
Discovering ‘The Horned One’ by Kay Berrisford
Welcome guest author Kay Berrisford. If you haven’t read her work you’re in for a treat. GIVEAWAY: Kay is giving away a digital copy of Bound to the Beast to one lucky winner. Just leave a comment and she’ll choose a winner after 1/20 and post it here on the blog. Lucky you!
Shifters! Man-beasts! They’re all the rage now, but they’ve been pretty damn popular since, oh, about the Stone Age, as I discovered when researching my novel, ‘Bound to the Beast.’
‘Bound to the Beast’ is the tale of Greenwood legend and (semi) stag shifter, Herne the Hunter. In some English folk tales, Herne can shift completely into the form of a stag, but he is usually depicted as a man with antlers or horns. In my novel, Herne is an immortal who shifts to sport the antlers of a stag when his passions are stirred.
Like his brother shifter the werewolf, whose history can be traced back at least as far as the Ancient Greek lycanthropes, Herne’s origins are lost in the mists of time. Herne bears an uncanny resemblance to the horned gods of Celtic religion and his man-beast “look” dates back even further. Headdresses with antlers intended to be worn by humans during rituals have been found in England dating from the Mesolithic period—around 10,500 years ago!
So why this ongoing obsession, err, horns? Horns and antlers were, and still are, a powerful symbol, the meanings of which are not always identical but rarely hard to decipher. Stripped to their basics, antlers represent hunting, power, violence, fertility, sexuality, and rebirth, a heady concoction to which humankind have long added their mystical spin. Stone Age sites near where I live in the south of England have revealed human skeletons buried with deer antlers, possibly symbolising the hope of new life.
The first written account of Herne comes from William Shakespeare no less, who described Herne as a ‘keeper’ in Windsor Forest with ‘great ragg’d horns.’ In many folk tales, Herne is also the leader of the Wild Hunt, an army of the undead (medieval zombies, if you like) who were believed to sweep across England on the eve of great disasters, such as the Norman Conquest, or the Black Death. Dark, huh?
In ‘Bound to the Beast,’ my Herne is the leader of a Celtic tribe. The Mother Goddess gifts him his crown of antlers and immortality after he sacrifices his human life to save his people, who’d been betrayed by Herne’s treacherous lover. Alone and bereft, he roams the Greenwood for over a millennia, till in 1588 he faces his greatest dilemma. The ships of the Spanish Armada are circling English shores, and invasion is threatened once more. Will he lead the Wild Hunt, letting England fall in his wake? Or will Herne find someone to heal his fifteen-hundred-year-old broken heart, and learn to love instead?
I had great fun finding about the history of Herne and shifters in general, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading my novel if you decide to have a peep. Thanks for reading—and thanks to Viki for letting me drop by today.
Here’s a pictorial history of The Horned One at my blog:
*****
Bound to the Beast by Kay Berrisford (A Greenwood novel).
Published by Loose Id. Genres: m/m, Historical, Fantasy, Paranormal, BDSM. Novel length, 68,000 words. Art work by Anne Cain.
Blurbs:
“Sex and magic, bondage and blood…and a love that lasts a thousand lifetimes.”
England, 1588. When a fairy betrothal ritual goes wrong, village lad Tam is bonded to Herne the Hunter. Warrior, legend, and Greenwood spirit, Herne once led the terrifying Wild Hunt, an army of the undead who rode as harbingers of doom. When his passions are stirred and his blood is up, Herne sports the antlers of a mighty stag.
Herne could be the dominant lover Tam secretly craves, but Herne’s past makes him fear the brooding warrior will enslave or kill him. While Herne admires Tam’s toughness and humor, he has rejected love — as he has sworn off leading the Wild Hunt — and wishes only for solitude. To break their betrothal, they must travel into the Greenwood, a realm of magic and bondage where their desires for each other grow dangerously irresistible, and the Wild Hunt bays for their blood.
As the threat rises, Herne’s mastery and compassion realize Tam’s darkest sexual fantasies. Soon he’s no longer fighting for his freedom, wishing to be bound to the beast forever. But can Herne’s tortured heart be reawakened? And if so, will their love destroy them both, or prove Herne the Hunter’s greatest weapon?
Excerpt:
In an instant, Tam clambered into Herne’s lap, arms circling about his neck. But far from an attempt to throttle him as Herne expected, Tam littered kisses along the line of his jaw, murmuring as he lingered.
“Lord, I hate you as much as your damnable story makes me want to—gnng!” He bit the lobe of Herne’s ear, nearly hard enough to draw blood. “Listen, man.” He spoke breathlessly between sucks. “If this night is all we have, if my time is so short…then I want to be with you as much as I can. Agh!”
Easing him off, Herne held him at arm’s length, their knees pressing into a patch of soft dirt between the stone and the nettles. The lad breathed unsteadily, his eyes vibrant with waxing desire. Faint in the distance, thunder sounded, echoed by the hoarse voice of a crow and the whirl of the bats about the ruins. Ah, the Wild Hunt loved to ride out beneath a summer storm, but he refused to listen for them. This terrible heat had to break.
“I swear,” he told Tam, shaking him. “You will know many more nights, and you will find joy with others. Now you must turn the spit, or the meat will spoil.”
“I don’t care. Let it burn.”
Plunging forward, Tam was as keen as his words. He urged Herne into a slow, yearning kiss, kindling grief, despair, and the barest inklings of happiness. His warrior’s frame firmed against Tam’s smaller body, enveloping him so naturally they might have been born to fit together.
Herne pressed his eyes shut, throwing everything into the kiss, holding Tam so tightly he could scarcely move, tasting, consuming, and devouring him. Tam parted his lips wider and yielded to the onslaught, while Herne’s thoughts flew briefly to the vision he’d experienced as he’d searched the forest. Tam had implored him to master him, had offered him every pleasure—and then transformed into that damned holly bush, just as Herne began to understand Tam was all he’d ever wanted.
The real Tam governed him now. A lover who desired him as much as Herne craved him, for the first time in so long.
For the first time ever.
He felt as if a fine thread wove through his chest and Tam’s, drawing them tight and demanding they never broke apart. As he comprehended the lad’s carnal needs more and more, his body heated and hardened, and his pulse quickened. He saw a flash of white light, and his antlers split forth from his skull. Kissing on through the pain, he plundered all the deeper. When he finally broke the kiss, they both gasped for air. His antlers grew weighty, and his blood raced. He must be careful now.
“Did you not understand me, boy? I am dangerous to you.”
“I know.” Still Tam grew unrestrained. “But at the very least…let me taste you.”
Ripping apart the front of Herne’s coat, Tam trailed kisses up his throat, along the line of his jaw. Nobody had ever kissed him with such fervor, and the soft brush of the lad’s lips brought a lump to Herne’s throat, a pang of desperation. Tam tasted briefly again of Herne’s lips before he tore away and scrambled up from the dirt. Tam grasped his antlers before Herne knew what struck him.
He jolted, his first instinct to push the lad away, but then he stilled. With soft fingers, Tam traced his spreading branches, stroking to his very tips.
“Beautiful.” Tam’s heavy breaths nearly drowned his word, and Herne groaned. He felt only slight sensations from his bone protuberances, but Tam’s touch reverberated straight to his aching cock.
“What are you doing?” Herne’s voice fell to a lust-laden husk.
“I hardly know,” replied Tam, leaning in. He sucked in one horned tip of an antler, and Herne’s senses spun. Tam rolled his tongue around the blunted end, closing his eyes, clearly savoring the sensation. Herne stared at the lad, who worshipped him with his mouth, relishing his flavor. Sweet Goddess, the steel rod between his legs wept. He could not bring himself to stop the lad.
My website
Buy it now links:
New Release: Perceived Love
Pride may be the death of him.
Yay. My new book is out – Perceived Love published by Musa Publishing! It’s part of the Finally Ever After series.
Pride will be the death of him.
When psychic Nate Coleman dreams of a murder, he knows it’s a premonition. He can’t forget the image of his ex-lover with a bullet hole through his chest. Nate has no choice but to confront William and face the skeptical scientist’s ridicule.
Dr. William Ryner doesn’t believe in what he can’t prove. When Nate comes back into his life, it’s not to rekindle their love, but to bring up more of that mumbo jumbo that split them apart.
Despite William’s refusal to listen, Nate can’t ignore the premonition. And, William can’t ignore Nate. Before the gunman strikes, William must either trust in Nate’s ability or rely only on the facts, but if he does the latter, pride could be the death of him.
Buy link
Excerpt:
A sudden burst of noise tore the air. Nate pivoted around in time to spy a figure wearing an orange baseball cap dashing through the crowd, a silver object glinting from the shadowy hand. Metallic odor wafted under Nate’s nose. Blood.
The scene transformed, images melting as though he’d stepped into a surreal painting. Eerie silence fell over the park. The crowd had vanished, and he stood alone in the middle of the bandstand. Nate was dreaming, but the realization didn’t calm the hammering in his chest. Something evil had taken place, and he could taste the bitter aftermath.
Then he saw the reason for his dread. A lifeless form lay in a crumpled heap on the stage. Nate’s legs felt as if they were tied down by weights as he trudged toward the body. Blood leaked from the man’s chest, his head bent down, hiding his face. Fear swept through Nate, and when he lifted the chin and peered into the lifeless face, his heart plummeted. William.
Nate fell to his knees, shaking William’s shoulders, crying out his name over and over. But William didn’t stir. He lay still as the air smothered them. What good was Nate’s psychic ability if he couldn’t save the man who meant everything to him?
Nate woke with a start, his heart pounding. He reached for the water glass on the nightstand and almost dropped it. Rarely did he dream of death, but when he did, he heeded the warning. That it was William he’d seen in his nightmare made it more complicated.
Happy Reading!
Viki Lyn
The Next Big Thing
I was tagged by Nona Raines to participate in The Next Big Thing. Below are my answers to the ten questions about my work in progress. I tagged Sloane Taylor to join me in The Next Big Thing.
Take it away, me!
What is the working title of your book? No Chance. It’s keeping with the theme of my first two books in the series – Chances. Last Chance and Fighting Chance. It’s a vampire/Kresnik series that I had no idea would expand into a series! LOL
Where did the idea come from for the book? This books expands on the Anti Vampire serum created by Aric Christian in the first book. Stu, Aric, Corbin and Johan are back as well. I am focusing on Corbin and Stu’s uncle – Viktor – and his relationship with the Kresnik (vampire slayers) truth seeker – Stefan Kapa. It’s about letting go of the past in order to move on.
What genre does your book fall under? Paranormal romance…most definately!
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie? Hugh Jackman would play Stefan. And, Viktor, he’s taller and broader, an older Chris Hemsworth.
What is a one sentence synopsis of your book? Prejudice could cost him his heart
Will your book be self published or represented by an agency? This book will be hopefully published by Loose Id who have my first two books. *keeping fingers crossed*
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? What first draft???? Seriously, I just started and have only five chapters written!
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre. It’s in keeping with my more recent paranormal books in that there’s more world building and fantasy elements. And while romance drives the story, I have a fairly substantial secondary plot line.
Who or What inspired you to write this book? I had introduced Stu and Corbin’s uncle in the second book – Viktor Malik. He is an older warrior who is being sheparded into politics. But he has a warrior’s heart. His story needed to be heard.
What else about your book might interest the reader? If you like vampire and slayers and fantasy inspired stories with a twist then you might like my series. My vampires are more complex than at first observed!
The first two books:
Last Chance
Book 1 – Chances Vampire Series
Aric Christian is the wildly smart PhD candidate specializing in Molecular Biology. With a willowy body bordering on thin, slight hips, and even slighter waist, Aric’s hard muscles and steel strength bends but doesn’t break. Long blackish hair dips in his hazel eyes when he’s not wearing his rimless glasses. At times, he turns into quite a different creature, and is working desperately to seek a cure.
Stu Hamilton is the wildly popular college wide receiver, and big man on campus. He’s tall, broad shouldered, finely tuned and has broad hands, perfect to jump and catch the ball. He’s all muscle and grace and blue, blue eyes. Mussed blond hair layered and tapered down to his nape fuels his reputation as the guy who breezes through life. Hidden from his friends is his family’s secret – he’s from a long line of vampire-slayers. Turning away from that life, he wants nothing to do with blood feuds, men of the dark night and killing.
Then Aric bumps into Stu, or rather his football, and their lives are forever intertwined. Will these born enemies find a way toward love?
Fighting Chance
Book 2 – Chances
Kresnik vampire slayer, Corbin Hamilton, has vowed to avenge his father’s death and kill the prince of the Red Serpent clan. Instead, he’s stuck with guard duty for vampire Johan Maier who is becoming human, thanks to a new serum. What’s worse, the sexual attraction between him and his prisoner is getting harder to ignore.
Johan Maier’s chance to regain his humanity is a dream come true. If he only he could get Corbin to trust him, they would have a chance at love. Yet, his vampire powers are getting stronger instead of weaker, his blood markers morphing into something that isn’t quite human.
As Corbin hunts the prince, Johan insists on aiding him. He secretly vows to protect Corbin even if it means his death.
Next to reveal her Next Big Thing is Sloane Taylor! Visit her site and she’ll reveal all…
Happy Reading!
Viki
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