Shapeshifter Seductions

Stand Up and Be Counted

2012-01-30T12:59:00.001-06:00

Dear Resident:

In order to better serve the people of Talbot’s Peak, we would like to create a clearer picture of our citizens’ demographics so that we may continue to provide the programs and services that best meet your needs. To that end, we ask that you take a few minutes to fill out this voluntary survey. No names are required, and all information will be kept confidential. Talbot’s Peak thanks you for your cooperation.

Lancelot Link, Mayor
Talbot’s Peak, Montana

Species

Human ___ Shapeshifter ___ Vampire ____ Spirit Being ___
God ____ Other ____

If shapeshifter, please specify animal ________________________________________

Age

18-30 ___ 31-45 ____ 46-60 ___ 61+ ____

Gender

Male ____ Female ____ Neuter ____ Hermaphroditic ____
Undecided ____ Other ____

Are you

Single ____ Mated ____ In pack or group living arrangement ____ Other _____

Type of dwelling

House _____ Den/Lair ______ Cave ______ Nest _______
Underwater Dwelling ______ Other ______

Do you

Own a Home _______ Rent or Lease _______ Nomadic/Herd _______

Are you currently employed? Yes ____ No ____ Self-employed ____
(Note: “Alpha” is not considered an occupation)

How long have you lived in Talbot’s Peak?

1-5 yrs ____ 5-10 yrs ____ More than 10 yrs ____
Born/whelped in area _____

What brought you to Talbot’s Peak? What do you like best about the area?

Are you pleased with how local government is currently running things?
Yes ____ No ____

Comments/recommendations:

PLEASE RETURN THIS SURVEY IN THE ENCLOSED POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE. DO NOT INCLUDE CORRESPONDENCE, DEAD ANIMALS, FECES OR OTHER ITEMS IN ENVELOPE.

There Be Dragons About

2012-01-28T00:01:00.001-06:00

“I’m sick of snow! Sick of ice and cold,” Tory moaned, pulling her sweater tighter around her. “The baby has a cold. Sally’s ill and ready to move. I need a vacation.”

Anthony slipped his arm around Tory’s waist, trying to snuggle her closer. “Love, you know I think all of us are ready for a vacation. Funds are too low for us to get away to anywhere warm enough to thaw us out much.” He kissed her cheek and wrapped both arms around her.

Several inches of snow and ice kept patrons away and business was ebbing as another storm worked its way over the mountains. Leisure was great, but forced isolation---well even Josh was grumpy. An unusual thing for him given his love of quiet and solitude. Anthony didn’t know who was crankier, Josh dealing with a colicky infant or Tory putting up with Josh and a sick infant.

Sally’s patience was gone. Anyone who’d come in close contact to her had gotten told off nicely, but with words that left nothing to the imagination. He’d sent her home with strict orders to not come back until the clinic two doors down cleared her for work. Good thing her in town condo occupied the same building. The look on Doc Jeffers face as he walked out of the office after examining Sally told Anthony more than if he’d asked outright Doc’s prognosis.

“We’ve got to do something. Even the hot tub has ice sickles hanging over it. Warmth and heat inside are great. We could use some outside too.” Tory turned in Anthony’s arms. She rubbed her cheek against his chest.

Josh’s sniffles and sneeze echoed up the small hallway separating their living quarters from the office. “I-I-I. . .....” A muffled sneeze sounded outside the door. “I wish shifters were impervious to human illness.”

Anthony smiled. “Been reading the dictionary again?” He knew Josh’s love of learning kept him reading voraciously. With sporadic mail delivery until the newest storm passed, Josh’s reading material was limited. Ten to fifteen magazines arrived weekly. Most of the bar patrons used the address as their mail drop during their treks into the mountains and woods during their animal phases. No one cared how many read their magazines as long as they remained in decent condition for them to use when they returned. Tory and Sally’s book subscriptions came in mid-month. Josh had read two romance novels before starting on the textbooks for Sally’s online college courses.

“No. Doc Jeffers lent me two of his research journals for something different to read. I got through the first article and said no more. Mike Turner came in yesterday with his eBook reader. I found a new stash of books thanks to him. Free reading material is fabulous.” Josh wiped his eyes.

“Speaking of free. . .I’m back,” a husky male voice growled. Mike lumbered up to the bar and waved.

“Hey man good to see you.” Anthony released Tory and walked over to Mike. “I promise your ereader is in working order. Josh didn’t wear it out.”

Mike grinned. “Not a problem. I’ve got another back at my place. I thought I’d never get back over the mountains. Storms left one hell of a mess.”

“Yes, and warmth is but a fleeting thought.” Tory chaffed her hands together.

“Well, I got an idea if your game,” Mike offered. He motioned them closer.

Josh and Tory huddled near Anthony. “What you got going through your head,” Josh asked, putting a finger under his nose hoping the human myth about this stopping sneezes worked.

“My Scottish cousins are in town. All part of the Saint George clan.” Mike held his breath waiting for the connection to happen. Seeing the blank looks on Tory, Josh, and Anthony’s faces, Mike went on. “There be dragons in that convoy approaching.”

Loud air horn honks filled the air. Beams of bright lights lit up the front windows of the bar as bright as daylight. Anthony rushed to the door holding it open as Tory and Josh crowded near him looking at the big rigs pulling up into the bar’s parking lot.

Three long haired medium sized men climbed down from the first three trucks. The fourth and fifth swung their doors open and two tall dark haired women descended, tossing their braids over their shoulders. The sixth and final truck rumbled to a stop. A window rolled down and a voice called out. “Colder than death and far from hell you take us, Michael Turner. I hope this pub has a pint worth drinking!”

A small woman scrambled out of the cab followed by a huge dog. The three men and two women waited until the woman and dog got in front of them and they fell in behind her. Her strut indicated she took no flack and the canine---he resembled a hell hound with his golden eyes and red skin.

“Aunt Addie, would I bring you somewhere that didn’t serve a hale pint of ale and a decent plate of food?” Mike grabbed the pint-sized woman up in a bear hug. As he set her down, he faced Josh, Tory, and Anthony. “Meet my Aunt and my cousins.”

Introductions continued until everyone had shook hands and made their way back inside. Red, Aldine’s mastiff, lay within feet of the door as though he kept guard.

“Now explain, cousin, what is going on,” the woman closest to Mike demanded. Anthony remembered her name being Matilda.

Mike nodded pulling his chair closer. “I’ve got a way to introduce you to the community and also help my friends out. A hot tub party with a barbecue theme.”

Mike almost burst out laughing at the looks passing between Josh and Anthony. Tory had excused herself to look after the baby. Anthony opened his mouth. Mike shook his head and put a finger to his lips.

“Hear me out,” he started, pointing to his other female cousin, Fran. “Matty and Fran are twin flames. And together they can melt the snow off the patio along with defrosting the hot tub.”

Matty and Fran smiled in between bites of food and quaffs of beer.

“Nicholas and Ethan can light the grill or help start a bonfire.” The two men nodded and kept chewing.

Mike continued. “Ashton, well his red hot flame can boil water unless we keep em cooled down that’s where Aunt Addie comes in. She can shield the area and keep the warmth in. Now how about it? Party anyone?”

Anthony caught Josh’s nod and murmur. “May only the hot dogs and burgers be roasted and not ours or the neighbors bums hot tub wise.”

A Dragon and his Booty...

2012-01-27T07:38:00.000-06:00

“One…two…three, six…seven…eight, twelve…twenty-four…” I paced across the dusty cave floor,comforted by the rhythmic sound of her fellow dragons counting their loot. There were very few rules when it came todragons, but, the “A” number one was never come between Dragon and histreasure.

Limbs and lives were lost when a dragons treasure wasthreatened.

Even now Holt sat counting the treasure that matched hisscaly hide — cold hard cash, glittering emeralds, and green M&M’s of everyvariety.

“Hey, Holty…how about a sweet for the lovely lady dragon?”Yes, I do call them like I see them, I am damn lovely, but as I expected myrequest was answered with a puff of nostril smoke and a really hairyeyeball. The look was impressive, butthe smoke coming out of that handsome human face was scary as hell.

“Here, Flame…” I reached out and grabbed the hundred he’dpeeled off the towering mass of bills. “Go away and leave me alone.”

I know I should be surprised, a dragon giving away richesrather than a silly piece, or two, of candy, but I was starting to wonder ifthe candy was being hoarded for someone special. Ever since arriving in this town, litteredwith shapeshifters and rumored to have a link to underwater worlds, the malesin my group have gotten weirder. They’dbecome more introspective and the treasure hording had increased tenfold.

One would think they smelled their mates on the horizon, orin the deep blue.

Another example of oddness is Ice. A gorgeous and I do mean drop dead, legs inthe air gorgeous, blue dragon on the other side of the cave. He stood knee deep in precious metals. Gold, silver, and a wide assortment of othershiny cold bits of wealth surrounded him, but it was the crystal containers andthe mixture of baubles that he counted higher and higher.

“Icicles…I lifted—” Notethat I say lifted, see dragons don’t buy anything, we take it because really,whose gonna stop us? “—this awesome smelling perfume yesterday. It’s ala naturally ingredients and madespecifically not to bother asthmatics, so do you have a bottle I can put itinto? A really nice one, hopefully, witha little ball thingy to make it squirt?”

“Back away from the bottles…NOW.”There was death in the eyes that lifted to mine, my death, and all over a sillycrystal perfume bottle. Yet even as Imoved away he threw me a bar of silver, which I of course took. Treasure is treasure and a good dragon neverignores a new piece…no matter how it is obtained.

Besides, I would need all the riches I could get my hands onto win, and keep, the object of my affection. I turned to the final male of our group, a short, dull brown, andspectacle wearing dragon named Percy.

Percy was what the human world coined a nerd, but I calledhim perfect. He was smart—so smart,sweet, understanding, and tender. He wasalso incredibly clueless.

“Hey there, Percy,” I purred in my dragon way, low andgrumbly, sex infusing every word. “What’cha doing?”

“Thirty-six, forty-eight…” Like I couldn’t tell as hecontinued to count his hordes. More likecrap if you asked me, but I tried to not let it faze me. This would be my mate someday so it would bebest for me to get used to seeing comic books, text books and—oh volcanic fires—matchbooks. What kind of dragon stockpiles matches? He could breathe fire from his nostrils andhe hordes matches.

I had to also wonder, if the rumors were true and there weremore of our kind living beneath the blue, how would Percy manage histreasure? Books would not survive thesea just as matches could not light under water. His treasure would forever remain topside, aswould her sweet Percy.

This town of Talbot’s Peak, with its shifters, humans andword has it gods, would become her home—unless she could convince her sweetieto change his obsession.

“Percy, my love, how do you feel about diamonds?”

“Sixty, seventy-two, eighty-four…”

***

Friday, January 27^th Headline news on the Guts& Butt’s online edition…

Spontaneous combustion, glowing embers or something elsestarts forest fire on mountain face. Thetown would like to thank the Phant family—Ella and her boy’s— for being quickto the site with water. Few trees werelost, but odd rumblings emanated from a cave close by. Use caution for daily runs.

~~~

Thanks to my fellow blog mates for suggesting dragon week! I always have so much fun playing with my fire-breathing friends! Have a great weekend!

Serena

Of Lizzards and Toads

2012-01-25T11:21:00.003-06:00

Marv rubbed his eyes. Then he blinked and rubbed them again.
There were dragons raiding his south pasture. What the hell were dragons doing raiding his south pasture?

“Damn lizards. You never see cats behaving like this when they come up on the Chinese calendar,” a silky, irritated-sounding voice mewled. The voice seemed to be coming from that naked barn cat that showed up a few months ago. The cat looked up at him, blinked once, then spoke again, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this.”

The next thing he knew that scrawny cat stalked—the only way to describe that walk was to call it a stalk—out of the barn and down to the pasture fence. It would have looked more appropriate on a thousand pound tiger than a ten pound sphinx cat. Marv was a little worried, both about his sanity and about the cat. He’d kind of grown fond of the little bugger. If his prize black angus bull was having trouble keeping the dragons off him, surly that cat was going to end up as an appetizer.

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF SIZMU AND BA’AS DO YOU FLYING GAS BLADDERS THINK YOU ARE DOING?!?”

Wow. Marv stuck a finger in his ear and wiggled it, trying to bring his hearing back in like. If he hadn’t been looking at the cat, he’d’a though the Voice of God had come down from the mountains in the form of a burning bush to berate Moses and the Israelites. It worked, though. Those dragons stopped what they were doing—and promptly fell right out of the sky. Solves the mystery of weather a dragon needs to flap their wings, Marv though, and he snorted. Not that anyone would have bothered asking. Yep, he’d gone ‘round the bend.

“THIS RANCH AND ALL OF its CONTENTS, LIVESTOCK AND OTHER INHABITANTS ARE UNDER MY PROTECTION! LEAVE BEFORE I BANISH YOUR ASSES TO AN ETERNATY LISTENING TO AIR SUPPLY AND WEARING THE BODIES OF STINK TOADS!”

Wow, Marv thought again. That cat was an imaginative, vindictive little shit, wasn’t he?

"PUT THAT GOD BLESSED BULL RIGHT BACK WHERE YOU GOT IT FROM, METHUSITHET! – FINE, BE A TOAD. SEE IF I CARE.”

~ KER-POW ~

Holy shit. That was the biggest toad Marv had ever seen. What the hell was he going to do with a toad the size of a VW? Marv watched in amazement as the remaining three dragons flew off in a lathered rush—but not before putting every single cow right back where they gotten them from. This was quite nasty as two of the cows had already been eaten. With a pop, the huge smell toad vanished and the cat walk back to sit down beside him. They stood there in silence for several minutes, Marv trying to make sense of what he’d just sen and the cat, cleaning its paw like nothing had happened.

“Well, thanks for that, I guess,” Marv finally said, still a bit dazed.

“Oh, think nothing of it,” the cat purred.

“You didn’t have to help out like that—“

“Pshaw! Of course I did. I’m a god. You are mortal. You pay me tribute and I protect you and yours. That’s the way it works.”

“You are God?” Marv asked incredulously.

“No, no, no. I am not God with a capital gee. I am a god, with a lower case gee. And since you are going to ask, yes you have been paying me tribute. You give me milk and coffee. For that, I usually just keep your barn free of mice.” The cat seemed to shrug. “Today, you required a bit more than mouse-catching, but still. Telling off dragons is always amusing.”

“I see…”

“My name is Lexor, by the way.”

“Well, nice to know you Lexor.”

Xanuvvi, Blue Water Dragon

2012-01-24T06:14:00.007-06:00

Pic from ~ desktopnexus.com

Tuesday howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

When I learned it was the Chinese Year of the Dragon, and not just any dragon, but what some are calling the Blue Water Dragon, I entered a slight state of shock. Why, you might ask... then again, it may be of no particular interest to you.

Still... here it is. In my 2012 erotic romance fantasy, WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS, published on August 13, 2008, there is a secondary character, Dragon Leader, Xanuvvi, who is a blue water dragon.

If you interested in an excerpt from the book that stars Xanuvvi, click on over to TITLE MAGIC.

For today's flash scene, of course, I couldn't resist letting you meet Xanuvvi, Blue Water Dragon Leader, before his appearance in When a Good Angel Falls.
~~~~~~

Xanuvvi, Blue Water Dragon

"Why must you leave our realm?"

Queen Crysuthess spoke in her feminine pouty voice. However, Xanuvvi heard her true concern over his leaving, and her wish they remain lovers.

"You know of my alliance with Earth's angelic guardians, my sweetling." Xanuvvi used the power of his voice to stroke her. "The one called Zerr Dann has contacted recently. His mission is crucial to saving us from the dark siders as well as bringing about the salvation of humanity and Earth."

"It is true those of evil intent have already damaged the dimensional wall between our worlds with their use of death-wave weaponry. The fools," she contemptuously added with a dismissive lift of her shoulder. "And yet, how will you fare? There a few dragonkind remaining."

Xanuvvi caressed a strand of her hair, then twined it around his finger-claw, well knowing his touch would soothe the Queen. "Thessi," he addressed her with his pet name for her, "the gathering has begun. There are already ten Rainbow Dragonicas residing at the great caldera -- singing to alleviate Mother Gai's pain, and balance her forthcoming land changes. They are welcoming my presence."

Her sigh could have caused a path through the sea, it burst out with such keening force. "I know it is a matter of positive fate, Nuvvi. Yet... I depend upon your constant strength and wisdom."

Even though, they were alone, she left unsaid what they'd both come to crave, the impassioned strength of their lust-rolling together. He knew why. Their feelings for each other could never be fulfilled.

She would mature and desire only one of her kind for a mate. While he, having glimpsed his far future, being the magickal beast he was, knew another was destined to be his loving mate.

"If you wish for the force we call Good to ascend, and bring the harmonics of benevolence to our realm, then I must leave, my Thessi. I must use my powers to assist humankind, to assist Zerr Dann in his divine mission."

She didn't speak, and he felt her deep contemplations. Her small hand stroked the clawed hand he'd placed on her lovely little shoulder. "One more night... my Nuvvi. Is that too great a wish?"

His answer was to stroke the back of his claw along the sensitive skin of her neck, as she carnal-adored.

***

Spiraling furiously while also whirling the leviathan-sized length of his body, Xanuvvi pierced the dimensional fabric. Since he could not afford to enter the realm of Earth at the thinnest point, the Great Pyramid as it was known in Egypt -- oh, sweet memories of Queen Cleopatra and the grace of her hands upon his scales -- because of what he called the robot-zombie guards of the Illuminatti.

Instead, Xanuvvi penetrated as close to his dragon allies as possible. Forced to hold his breath because of the slime-heavy, sulfurous water of the Yellowstone caldera, he pumped his tail like a rising Loch Ness monster.

Once he finally speared through the boiling nastiness that passed for a form of water, he continued his momentum. Xanuvvi prepared to summon his magick. It had taken the remainder of his physical strength to remain airborne in the dusk, overcast sky.

Even so, he refused to gasp in draughts of the wintry air for two reasons. One, a dragon leader had his pride. Two, despite the utterly ridiculous connection between sulfur and dragons on Earth, he despised the taste of the odiferous mineral, and the thick muck still clung to his muzzle.

Unfurling his wings, Xanuvvi spread them wide to dry the webbing rapidly. A snort of fire from his nostrils would do the job, but that would foil his plan to stay as inconspicuous as possible.

To keep himself aloft, he cast forth a matrix bubble to float within. Getting his bearings, even if he was spotted, was crucial. He wanted to wing with all due haste to the Rainbow's stronghold once he discovered the location.

What, hey! Xanuvvi closed his eyes inhaling wave after delicious wave of the most seductive female scents. Trapped in the heavy moist air, the potent, in-heat perfume responsible for stiffening his breeding staff was being carried on the rising night wind.

But not merely female, no, these mating fragrances belonged to shapeshifter women, most of them wolven. If his nostrils were to be trusted, a whole thriving colony of shapeshifters lived nearby. If his magickal senses were to be believed, there were also many breeds of supernaturals living among them.

Stunned to his fiery watery core, Xanuvvi snapped his eyes open, and stared in that direction. The Rainbows did not expect his immediate presence, and he could mentally commune with their priest -- offer an explanation.

The lure impossible to resist, he aimed his conjured bubble and soon rode a wind-stream toward the colony. Both good and evil, the hero and villain, the drama of the colony played out in the energies he witnessed before his mind's eye.

To his great joy, Xanuvvi also heard the rippling music of a pristine lake, rare on Earth. He could cleanse himself, make a decent appearance, introduce himself to one of his stature. With that end in mind, he sent forth a seeking fire, a frequency that would find the leader, one of the highest nature.

***

Seized with the yen to view the night sky, to howl and speak his secrets to the moon, Dante bounded up the spiral staircase that led from the top floor of his new supperclub, the Midnight Stardust, to the small hidden gazebo atop his subterranean club. He'd recently created the romantic setting for him and his beloved Kitty.

She had adored it, and they'd spent precious time together smooching in each other arms, and gazing at the starry midnight sky through the lacing of branches above them. Now, he needed alone moments -- time to let his fur down, or out.

The supperclub had steadily gained in patrons, and the dance lessons were especially popular. Satisfied that all was going smoothly with his customers and crew, Dante stepped outside, and drew in a lungfuls of the cold crisp air.

The next instant, he spun around, his neck hair bristling, sprouting. Dante growled, the warning from the pit of his belly.

The huge dragon standing about thirty feet away smiled benignly, and didn't move. "Shall we introduce ourselves? I am Dragon Leader, Xanuvvi, of the Blue Water species."

His voice boomed yet somehow the timbre matched the sound of the wind.

With his instincts giving quarter, and sensing no immediate danger, Dante eased his stance. "Dante, werewolf. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Perhaps, shapeshifting lessons are in order. Gaining a human form would be of benefit to my mission on Earth. Perhaps also, you can explain why there is such an abundance of delightful feminine fragrances here."

Dante grinned, his confidence returning. "Tell you what, Dragon Leader, if you can reduce your size I'll give you the grand tour."

"Splendid. That I can achieve. Xanuvvi will do as a form of address. May I call you Dante?"

"Yeah, sure thing." Dante watched as Xanuvvi slowly morphed to a far less imposing height. "Hey, how about this Year of the Dragon," he bantered. "Want to fill me in on all the details?"
~~~~~~

~ Have a Magickal and Miraculous New Year of the Dragon ~

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
~~~

And Call Me In the Morning

2012-01-23T13:01:00.002-06:00

“I must admit,” Dr. Russell Waller said, “I’ve never seen anything like you before.”

Jerry Salmander wiped his huge honker of a nose with a fistful of tissues. “You don’t know what I got?”

“Oh, I’ve got a pretty good idea what you’ve got. I meant, I don’t get many dragons in here. By ‘don’t get many,’ I mean you’re the first.”

“Yeah, we’re pretty rare. That’s what’s got me concerned. If I bite it, who’s gonna service the ladies?”

“Uh, yes.” Dr. Waller adjusted his glasses. “Would you please stick out your tongue?”

Jerry stuck out a tongue that would have made Gene Simmons hang his head and slink into a corner in shame. Dr. Waller studied it and said, “Mmmm.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means this may not be a cold, as I first suspected. Have you been running a fever?”

“Doc, my normal body temperature tops 108. How would I know if I had a fever?”

“All right, have you been running cold, then?”

“No, I been right on the money. Except for—”

He sneezed. The poster of the digestive tract hanging on the opposite wall went up in flames.

“Sorry,” Jerry said.

“Quite all right,” Dr. Waller murmured. “If it happens again, try to aim at that corner over there. Excuse me, is your gown … smoldering?”

“Yeah, happens when I get upset. That high body temp. I go through clothes like you wouldn’t believe. One of the reasons I’m a nudist. I thought maybe I’d caught a bug or something.”

“That seems highly unlikely, given your temperature. Most germs would be fried upon hitting your system. I’m beginning to think this is an allergy. Have you eaten any unusual foods lately? Unusual for your species, I mean. Or changed your soap or after shave? Or acquired a pet?”

“Last meal was a bull moose, no, no, and pets are appetizers. I thought maybe dust, so I had some pros come in and clean out the man-cave, but that didn’t—oh crap, here it comes—”

Dr. Waller ducked, a half-second too late. He felt the flash of heat across his face, and the sudden lightness of his upper lip.

“Oops,” Jerry said sheepishly.

“Yes. Well.” Dr. Waller brushed the seared, brittle remains of his moustache from beneath his nose. He checked his eyebrows and found them still intact.

“Your skin’s fine,” Jerry told him. “Just looks a little sunburned.”

“Thank you. Are you dating anyone new?”

“Yes, I am, as a matter of fact. Arlene. I met her at work. Komodo dragon. Best I could do, the real deal being so rare and all.” He elbowed Dr. Waller. “You wanna see her? She’s out in the waiting room. Hot as all get out, know what I’m saying?”

“And virgin, I suppose.”

Jerry smirked. “Not any more.”

“And how soon after you two started dating did you start noticing symptoms?”

“A couple days … oh crap. You think I’m allergic to my girlfriend?”

“Or her soap or perfume or hair care products. Do you find yourself sneezing a lot if you get too close to her?”

“I told you, I thought it was a bug. We go skinny dipping a lot, and the mountain lakes around here are frigid. You been hearing those reports of weird steam clouds rising out of the woods? That’s me.”

“We could do a series of skin tests if you want to be sure, but I’m not certain the samples would last long enough, given your body temperature. I don’t even know if a hypodermic would penetrate your skin.”

“Yeah, we got thick hides, all right. Gotta ward off swords and spears and all. Allergic to my girlfriend, huh. St. George hack my balls off.”

“There’s no reason to let it interfere with your relationship. It could simply be her hair or skin care products, as I said. The two of you will have to experiment. In the meantime, here’s a couple of over-the-counter allergy medications you could try. I recommend you concentrate on stopping the sneezing first.”

“Yeah, that’s a bugger—uh—”

“The corner! The corner!”

Seconds later Dr. Waller stood shaking his head over the scorched and peeling paint on the wall. Jerry hopped off the exam table. “If that’s all you think it is, then maybe I should be getting on.”

“I don’t think you have anything serious to worry about.” Anyone he faced, however, might be another story. “Please see the nurse at the front desk. If this keeps up—”

“Then me or the fire department will be in touch. Thanks, doc.”

Jerry yanked on his slacks and T-shirt and headed out toward the front of the clinic. Minutes later Dr. Waller heard a sneeze, then a feminine scream. Smoke drifted up the hall to the exam room.

“Shapeshifter sanctuary or not,” he muttered, “I never should have left Seattle.”

# # #

Last-minute add-on: I just got my cover for Legacy! It's on my page. I'll be posting it over on Title Magic, probably Thursday. Maybe this'll bring in the Twilight fans. Y'think?

Change Is Coming

2012-01-21T00:01:00.001-06:00

“Once a upon a day, my life worked and then—“ Nisha Griswald threw her diary and pen at the smug poster of some popular teenage star staring at her from her co-worker’s cubicle wall.

Suzy, her cube mate, had it all. Long blonde hair that didn’t frizz when it rained. Straight teeth and limbs that didn’t need shaving every full moon. And her blue eyes- - -damn, she had even a job dating famous stars and singers. Suzy was in Hollywood for two weeks of spotlights and endless hobnobbing with the rich and famous.

And Nisha . . “Well I’m stuck here in Talbot’s Peak minding the press of this lackluster gossipless freebie newspaper.” Nisha rolled her eyes as the office door of Your Local News Press opened. All week, since Suzy announced her trip on the paper’s website, more folks wandered in and out of the storefront where the secondary part of their business ran, a used bookstore. Most tried the pretense of looking for a new book to read or trade their rather used books for others. Others didn’t hide their curiosity and asked what Nisha had heard from Suzy. Nothing, and Nisha hoped she didn’t. Maybe Suzy would stay in California. Her persona reeked of left coastitis, too many quirks and peeves for Talbot’s Peak. Besides, the main newspaper covered most everything. Their rag sheet passed for a quick read on books, local events not covered by the shifter press. Humans wanted their gossip regardless of the unusual citizens that made up their neighbors.

As the office door opened wider, Nisha rose. Maybe someone wanted to place an ad or actually discuss their upcoming book fair. The local library needed help with raising funds for the new children’s wing. Lord, shifters procreated faster than most humans. Must be their large litters or the longevity gene most inherited. Lucky stiffs….or was that non-stiffs….Nisha smiled at her puckish pun. Making fun of herself helped lessen her angst about Suzy’s popularity.

“Can I help - -“ Nisha knew her lips moved but no words came out. Where had this hunk come from? That was one hot tomcat standing before her. Her feline counterpart hissed and yowled as her hormones arched their backs in need. Rowwwwrrrh, he was fine and damn hot. Grabbing the hem of her shirt, Nisha fanned herself briefly, grateful for the counter hiding her actions. His face could launch a thousand---no make that a million felines standing in line waiting to be taken and pleasured.

TT plastered a wide smile on his face as he opened the small office door. What a hell of a job for pride leader! “Thanks Tomas, I’ll get ya,” he mouthed before entering.

Still on crutches, TT wanted nothing more than to go home and recuperate. No such luck. Tomas hadn’t relented in his need to place his spies deeper into Talbot’s Peak community. Kazim had dropped out of sight since marrying a human. And the other spy cells, well a few nights in the interspecies pleasure den and they were less than willing to risk their mates. As he pushed the door open wider, a scent slammed into his nose and straight up his nostrils. Prime feline and fertile at that. Great now he had a hard on to calm down. Where was the she cat hiding? This one had best be of the full animal variety, he didn’t have time for- - -

“Be still my heart,” TT whispered as he caught sight of her. Her mousy brown hair and golden eyes roved over him like a huntress sizing up her prey. He wouldn’t bulk at letting her catch him. Where the hell had that come from? He like his females lithe and curved in soft easy to stroke places. This medium size female made his groin sizzle each time she licked her lips. The last time he’d seen this happen. . .oh goddess have mercy on him….no not like his brother---mated to three females at once. Once upon a time my life worked- - -not any longer his psyche roared. Change is happening.

The Lady in Red

2012-01-20T04:00:00.000-06:00

Image Credit to Whitebook @ DeviantArt, titled A Christmas Story for Rezzan

As it so often happens to me, today's flash didn't start with a 'what are we going to write about Talbot's Peak today, boys and girls', but with a hoarse cry of 'help me out here peeps who wants to play this week'? The friendly TP neighbors were deathly quiet this week. Maybe they were busy, or tired or just comfy cozy dozing and playing with their partners that they didn't jump to answer my call, but I took the hint and moved on to my personal blog and worked on my Thursday Short Story Slam.

I figured something Talbot's Peaky would eventually show up...and I was right. It did show up, just not how I thought it would.

Below is my Thursday post and after the whispered pleas from The Lady in Red to find a safe place for she and her love, it became my Friday post, as well. I forsee a new pair making their way to The Peak, mates looking for help...

~~~

The lady in red waits beneath thegnarled old tree, sure her love will return one day.

The lady in red listens for hisvoice on the wind, sure she will hear it in time.

The lady in red watches the skyfor his graceful glide; sure she will see it on the horizon.

He’d vowed to love her beyond hisvery last breath.

He would be her champion in thislife and onward into death.

The lady in red worries upon herknees, troubling is his late arrival.
The lady in red weeps among the leaves,firmly entrenched—deep in denial.
The lady in red withers below thebranches, fearful he is lost to her.

She vowed to love him beyond hervery last breath.

She would be his haven in lifeand in death.

The lady in red acknowledges theswift setting sun, their timing long gone.

The lady in red feels the oncomingchange, their places to switch with nary a hitch.

The lady in red resolves toaccept her fate, the moon once again rearranged the mates.

They vowed to love beyond theirvery last breath.

Be they in fur, or in feathers—inlife or in death.

~~~

Stay warm, snuggle & play with your loved ones and have a wonderful weekend!

Serena

Best Friends

2012-01-17T15:55:00.003-06:00

Marv couldn’t explain why it happened, only how it happened. One cold morning last spring, he’d been in the barn, milking a few heifers so he could feed an early calf whose mother rejected him. He noticed this naked little cat watching him intently and shot a squirt of milk at it. The cat sputtered and yowled then began cleaning itself, glaring at him as he chuckled and went back to his milking. When he was finished with his core, Marv realized that the cat was still there and was no longer glaring at him. In fact, the cat seemed to have an interested, almost calculating look on its face. This was silly, of course— cat don’t have human thoughts so they didn’t really have human emotions or get ideas, no matter how much it seemed like they did. He’d shrugged it off and turned way so he could feed the motherless calf.

The next day, the skinny little bald cat was back. This time it was waiting for him with a dead mouse at its feet. Marv stared dumbfounded as the cat batted the mouse to him then opened its mouth expectantly. Bemused, Marv shot the cat a drink or two and thought about how he’d dismissed the thought that the cat was planning something. Maybe someone had trained the little hairless cat to perform the trick. That was certainly more plausible than the cat thinking up a plan to come up with more milk, right?

Flash forward nine months. He now had a barn free of rodents, a yearling calf that no longer needed to be bottle fed, yet here he was still coming out to milk that damn cow every morning, just for the easy company of a scrawny hairless cat. Of course, he now came out with two cups of coffee. He still shot the little cat a squirt of milk in the mouth, but most of the milk went into its coffee cup.

No, he couldn’t explain how his best friend had become a cat and frankly, he didn’t care.

Dontoya Takes a Mate

2012-01-17T04:32:00.010-06:00

Tuesday *middle of the month, can you believe it?* howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

Since I didn't want to stop working on my latest WIP, a Talbot's Peak erotic romance, you all get the benefit... hopefully a benefit... of my most recent penning. That is, if you're in the mood for a short, X-rated Sexcerpt.

Brief note: Penetration has not yet occurred despite 'his rocking thrusts'. And, yes, below is a Jimmy Thomas image available at ~ romancenovelcovers.com ~
~~~~~~

Her Midnight Stardust Cowboys

*Unedited* excerpt from Chapter Sixteen:

Gods, she was killing him with wanting to possess her, with wanting to fuck her beautifully. As he continued his rocking thrusts, her soft mound cushioned his shaft and her hot slick folds rubbed against him, increasing his savage desire to mate.

With restraint still his intention, Dontoya shoved down his inner cougar as the beast yowled and screamed to mate.

"Please," she burst out. "It's been so long...and..." she panted fast, "no man has ever felt this good...this big..."

After tugging on her nipple, Dontoya jerked his head up, and met her fevered pleading gaze. Keeping her head cradled between his palms, he eased his hips back, and aimed his dripping cock.

"God, please be gentle...when you first..." She widened her thighs as much as she could beneath him. "I..."

"It's okay, darlin'. A slow hand, and a slower thrust inside your beautiful, beautiful body."

Dontoya had never meant his words more when speaking to a woman. It relieved him that her tension vanished some as he pressed his smoldering cock's head against her vajita.

The wet hot satin of her little opening shot demand through his shaft, and he pushed, pumping inside her carefully. Ferocious need and a paradise like pleasure sparked through his loins as her small sheath squeezed his cock.

"Yes...yes...yes," she sang soft as a breeze. "Oh, yes." Her hands were frenzied as she swept them over his hips and ass.

With smooth deliberate strokes he lunged deeper and deeper. "Sherilyn. Mate," he growled like the cougar he was.
~~~~~~

~ Have a Magickal and Miraculous New Year ~

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
~~~

Top Chef

2012-01-16T11:13:00.000-06:00

Norbert had to look twice, then add one extra look to make sure he’d really seen what he thought. Yeppur, no mistaking that belly and that rolling stride. One of the greatest shifter chefs of the modern age had just walked into a lowly diner.

Norbert hurried over and went in. The place was just beginning to fill up with the breakfast crowd. His target had a booth all to himself and had already been served his coffee. Norbert slid in opposite, practically shaking with excitement. “You’re Louie Delavecchio.”

The rat regarded him warily. “Yeah?”

“I saw you on TV. You were on King of the Kitchen.”

“Oh, is that all.” Louie shrugged it off. “That was a while ago. Hey, aren’t you that Norbert guy what works over at the new supper club?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Norbert said, surprised. “You know about that? Me working there?”

“I make it my business to keep up with the competition. Rat, y’know. You’re a—” He snapped his fingers. “Bear?”

“Polar bear. I specialize in seafood.”

“Yeah, me too. That’s why I been keeping an eye on you. I been hearing good things. I tried your red snapper. Delish.”

Norbert knew he must be blushing but didn’t give a rip. “I’m not in your league. I tried out for King of the Kitchen and didn’t make the cut.”

“Yeah, well, keep trying. You got what it takes. I know bears got a rep as vacuum cleaners—it ain’t nailed down, they eat it. That just gives your palate a wider range of experience. Take it from an expert.”

“I know. I used to love the dishes you’d come up with in the quickie challenge.”

“Hell, that was a snap. Any rat worth his tail can make a meal out’a garbage. It’s what we do. Making a meal some other species’ll eat, that’s the tricky part. I gotta keep reminding myself who I’m cooking for.”

“You should have won that show. You got gypped.”

“Nah, I got out-cooked. I kept forgetting the judges were human. Pickier’n koala bears.” Louie leaned across the formica table. “I’m gonna let you in on a secret, kid. You wanna sharpen your skills, cook for humans. Shifters, they don’t give a scat what you put in front of ‘em. They’ll eat a carcass what’s been sitting out in the woods for three days. That don’t mean you get to sit on your tailbone. You still gotta bring your A-game to the plate. Sure, they’ll eat whatever you serve ‘em, but will they come back? You want ‘em to keep coming back. That’s where that pinch of sage or basil in just the right dish makes a world of difference.”

“Have you ever cooked for humans before?”

“Yeah, all’a time, back in Jersey. That’s why everybody here thinks I’m such hot scat. I got used to a higher standard. Apes don’t like what you feed ‘em, they let you know it in no uncertain terms. Ain’t a rat alive wouldn’t rise to that challenge. I don’t like dodging poo.”

Norbert filed these tips away for future reference. “Why didn’t Dante hire you?”

“He tried, but I like being my own boss. It ain’t supposed to be common knowledge, but I’m half owner of Rattigan’s. Don’t tell nobody.”

“I won’t. I’m sorry I butted in on your breakfast like this. I saw you on the street and I just couldn’t help it.”

“S’okay. I like talking shop with a fellow chef. Like I said, they ain’t exactly, wossa word, conny-sewers around here.”

“So,” Norbert said carefully, “what are you doing in this dive?”

“Watch your mouth, kid. This ain’t no dive. Lady runs this joint fed three pro football players on a vegetarian diet. Even the best can still learn from somebody. I learn her secrets, I can name my own price, especially here in this town.”

“Guess again.” Miss Elly herself brought Louie’s blueberry flapjacks to the table. She winked at Norbert. “Still after my recipes, eh, Louie?”

“Who, me? Nah. I just come in for breakfast.”

“Sure you do. Once a rat … ”

“You herbies sure are a suspicious bunch. What kind’a flour you use?”

“Keep guessing.” Miss Elly smiled at Norbert. “What can I get for you, honey?”

“Whatever he wants,” Louie said with a grin. “It’s on me.”

Six Sentence Sunday ~ Meet Dontoya, Black Cougar Shapeshifter

2012-01-15T00:34:00.006-06:00

From the Kougar’s Writing Den ~

~~~ Six sentences, via computer count, from my latest WIP ~~~

Her Midnight Stardust Cowboys

Chapter Sixteen

Emotionally, his Sherilyn wasn't ready for his most passionate lovemaking or for his raw fierce needs. Once her trust grew and their pleasures increased in frequency, in intensity, given her sexual nature she would welcome whatever he wanted to do to her -- however he wanted possess her.

It was all in her heated scent. Her carnal perfume owned his nostrils, and excruciatingly blazed through every particle of him only proving to Dontoya what he already knew. Mate. Their mate.
~~~~~~

Have a Magickal Six Sentence Day!

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
~~~~~~

~~~ Find out more about Six Sentence Sunday at ~ sixsunday.com ~~~

Winter Heats Up Poly Style

2012-01-14T00:01:00.002-06:00

Tongson paused, leaning against the snow shovel he’d been using to clear a path from the patio to the hot tub shed. Neither he nor Tavia knew when Tomas would return. Or if he would. The covert war in Talbot’s Peak was heating up.

Too many days and nights cooped up in the house with colicky triplets wore on everyone’s nerves. Even Mickey and Night Hawk took turns walking the floor with any of the infants needing care. Enough for everyone to edge up to their own point of boiling. Time to create space for release. He smiled as another snowball whizzed by him. The neighborhood children loved Night Hawk’s boyish exuberance and his ability to get on their level and play. One snow-tossing contest after another had ensued in the last week. Warm giggles and laughter rounded the side of the house where Night Hawk hid apparently discovered.

“Hey not down my back. Ooh, that’s cold. You got me.” His warm laugh and calls back at the retreating backs of the youth made Mickey grin.

“I wondered why the Spirits chose Night Hawk for me. Now I begin to understand. We work together in ways that we aren’t even aware of. There is balance and mixing that is essential to us.” Mickey turned at the steps sounding behind her. Tavia carried two of her triplets in each arm. “Here let me take one.”

Tavia slipped her daughter into her arms. Mickey smiled at the wide blue eyes staring up at her. At 6 months old, each of the triplets was starting to show their distinct personalities. Stargazer cooed and smiled with ease unlike her brother Morning Sun with his blonde locks and dark brown eyes. He seemed to wear a frown no matter what. Tongson and Tomas called it his thinker’s look and cover. Nicholas, named for Tomas’s late father, loved to cuddle and smile. His black eyes followed his mothers and fathers wherever they moved within his sight.

“Our elders can see much from the spirit world that we in our now can’t. They are out of the flux of time that affects our corporeal state. I know you understand and yet don’t. Think of the astral projection I’ve been teaching you.” Tavia’s hand ran up and down Sun’s back soothing him. Mickey knew he refused to burp after eating as though he wanted to hang on to everything inside him, good or bad.

“I’ve begun to see how linear time does not affect shifters as it does humans. Many of my human friends understand their mortal nature. They admit envy from time to time. Those closest to me have no jealousy other than wishing they had a family unit as tight as ours.” Mickey raised Stargazer to her shoulder and began patting her small back.

Soon two loud burps filled the room with two smaller ones as well. Tavia turned around and gazed lovingly at Tongson. His long black braid flipped over one shoulder. Several strands of hair escaped the tight weave. Patches of snow clung to his hair. The flakes twinkled and disappeared as the warmth of the room found them. Her smiled deepened as she watch Mickey and Night Hawk. Their eyes met with the same warmth and care as Tongson’s and hers. The young couple fit in well with their family.

“The path is made and the tub heating. Alicia from the village will watch the children if we want her too. Though I suspect we will take them to the shed with us. I readied an area to place their carriers within so they are near and safe while we relax and soak. Tonight maybe the night, yes?” Tongson removed his heavy jacket and flung it over a nearby chair.

Mickey blushed as she glanced toward him. Night Hawk appeared pensive. Expanding their bond to include sexual intimacy amongst the four of them had entered their latest discussions. Before he’d left, Tomas had spent a night with Mickey and Night Hawk awakening Mickey’s sensual side and enjoyment of two lovers at once. Tomas had left grinning after a night starting out alone with Tavia though ending up with them crawling into bed with Tongson swearing they missed him. The mangy feline had snuggled between them asking for hugs. At least he hadn’t tried to kiss him. Tongson smiled and winked as Mickey’s face reddened. What had Night Hawk whispered in her ear?

“Whatever he claimed I know nothing about.” Tongson shrugged and held his hands up in the air.

“I just told her that a repeat of our night with Tomas might happen though quite a few differences would be happening.” Night Hawk grinned and folded his arms across his chest.

Tavia shook her head and moved toward Tongson. “You naughty Spirit Bear. Teasing Mickey so.”

“Who me? As if I was the one who blurted out at dinner last week that you found Mickey attractive and wouldn’t mind sharing her with me. Now Night Hawk, no offense but this bear has no sights on you as a conquest.”

Night Hawk smirked. “None taken. With these two delightful ladies to pleasure and please along with watching them together…..well - - -“

“Just remember spectators might not be invited to participate,” Mickey hastily added, waving her hand at Night Hawk.

Tongson slide his arm around Tavia. “Let’s see where the night takes us.” Two cries interrupted any further banter.

“We might not even get beyond coupling with our four opinionated viewers.” Mickey nodded. Four babies could keep them busy with different needs and wants if they refused to sleep. The night’s outcome was up for grabs for sure.

Nude Purple Fairy Strikes Again! Eek Eek Eek

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

"Cripes Jonesy, what is taking you so long? Put the little potato dude in front of thedoor and get your ass down here." Trevorducked behind the greenery and scoped out the houses and businesses inthe general vicinity.

“What'cha looking for, Trev?"

"Shh, keep it down, huh. I was keeping a lookout like Itold you I would. We have more of these little dudes to put in doorways, soshake a leg."

Jonesy lumbered along behind him making more noise thanthree people twice his size. The pout on his dopey face meant he was about tocomplain, again. This is such an easy thing to do, not to mention it was afreaking original Friday the 13^th prank. Why couldn't his cousin getinto the swing of things and just have a little fun?

"Uh, Trev, why’d we have to use the paint again thistime? That shit took forever to come off last time and the turpentine burned likehell… Specially on my ‘nads, man.”

“Hey, you’re the dumb ass who ran through the brambles…”

“I was trying to get away from a unicorn…” Jonesy mumbled.

Trevor rolled his eyes, again with the unicorn crap. “There’s no such thing as unicorns...”

“Yet here I stand nude and painted purple…with fucking wings,man. No such things as these either. ”

“What are you, a seven year old girl? People love the Nude Purple Fairy. Now shut up, whiny, and take this one over tothe door of the G&B Gazette. Pretend to give it a tongue kiss while Isnap the picture.”

“Why do we keep coming back to this town, Trevor? It gives me the creeps with all those animalsounds.”

“Give it tongue, man. Come on.” Trevor snapped thepicture and tallied up in his head all the money he’d make on this baby.

“Why Talbot’s Peak, Cuz?”

Trevor shook his head and laughed. “Why not? It’s small and tucked away from everything, plus we got away with itlast time. You know, Jonesy, I think we’regonna make this town our bitch!”

~~~

Have a wonderful Friday, everyone! May you all find your own nude purple fairy today. :D

Serena

Best Book I've Read in a Long Time!

2012-01-11T23:18:00.004-06:00

I would like to think I am a logical, rational woman. But then a book I've been waiting on pins and needles for gets released and nothing gets done 'till I've finished reading it. This is why I hate the industry standard of releasing books on a Tuesday.

Yesterday at midnight, my pre-ordered copy of Krestley Cole's newest installment, "Lothaire" showed up on my Kindle. I knew it would, so I took a nap after work on Monday and stayed up late so I could read a few chapters. I have spent most of my "free time" (including time I really should have been sleeping) reading that book. I just finished it about 45 minutes ago.

This book was everything I had hoped it would be. Ms Cole's paranormal romance series called "Immortals After Dark" just keeps getting better and better rather than petering out like so many long-running romance series tend to do. I think the main reason for this is that she lets her bad guys be bad but still have some redeemable qualities that her good guys can fall in love with.

The title character of this newest book, an evil vampire named Lothaire, is a complete despot. By the end of the book, he's still a bit of a despot, but his spunkey Bride, Ellie, spends the whole book forcing him to change his ways enough that he learns to love, be a little selfless (at least toward her family) and most importantly, to stop assuming he his God's Gift To Women. Add Ms Cole's established cast of sarcastic seers, bat-shit crazy bad buys, lunatic Valkaries, combined with her signature hilarious one-liners made "Lothaire" a read I just couldn't put down. I sure hope this trend continues, because as usual, she set up the next story of the series in the last chapter and it looks like it could be the best yet!

Steampunk Comes to Talbot's Peak, Montana

2012-01-10T05:08:00.013-06:00

Full moon howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

I've been busily penning a new WIP titled, Her Midnight Stardust Cowboys. And, yep, the erotic love story of Sherilyn, and her two shapeshifting cowboys, Zance and Dontoya, takes place in the area surrounding Talbot's Peak, Montana.

Since I've got tons of stuff to do tomorrow, I'll make this short and sweet, and simply say, here's my first flash with steampunk elements.
~~~~~~

Steampunk Comes to Talbot's Peak, Montana

"Dark powers arise," Khamalia heard as she ran hunched over toward the mammoth-sized chest near one of the five towering masts of the steam-powered cloud galleon.

Like a wraith she silently slipped behind the chest most likely used for rigging. Its size concealed her well enough, and at her back the polished wood of a deck cabin also kept her hidden.

This was her one chance to escape the marriage her father had arranged to a horrid potentate with numerous wives. She didn't exactly blame him. The crates of gold, already delivered, assured the survival of her immense family and their extensive lands in a time when corruption ruled. When those with the blackest hearts ruined the lives of those who were honest in their trade and affairs.

Before the hour struck, Khamalia had managed to dress in her brother's sturdy outdoor clothing, even finding a pair of his childhood stealth boots. At that moment, she decided a higher power watched over her, and an unknown destiny awaited her.

"The wind is fair, and at our backs. Adventure claims us." Captain Zriker, also the pilot, boomed his words loud enough to carry across the top deck of the glistening and magnificent galleon.

The sound of his commanding voice also triggered the giant-to-tiny wheel mechanisms, as Khamalia thought of them, and they whirred into action. The distinctive hiss and rush of steam began, rising to mid-morning's brilliant blue sky.

Khamalia only knew Captain Zriker's voice, and that of his all-around mechanic and navigator, Lord Drevik, because she'd dared move near enough to listen as they conversed with her brothers during one of her family's dining entertainments.

"Lift off is achieved. To the sun, then to the stars, and onto another world," Lord Drevik sang as if he played the lead in an opera.

Knowing her only hope was to remain undiscovered until they sailed so high she could not be safely lowered into the arms of the authorities, Khamalia nearly held her breath. She clutched her knees tight turning herself into a ball as the air-worthy galleon ascended, slowly at first, yet faster as the great gears spun with ever-increasing speed.

She'd traveled on airships before, however none so powerful and resplendent. Certainly not a galleon that could journey through several dimensions. While Captain Zriker and Lord Drevik were renowned for the exotic goods they brought back for purchase, it was well known their true passion remained exploration of other worlds.

After Captain Zriker spoke several commands to the galleon, the immense sails unfurled. Shimmering in the sunlight, they moved angling to catch the full force of the wind.

The great bursts of steam being generated formed a gentle mist around Khamalia, and she risked a peek above the chest. In their heavy leather gear, their knee-high laced boots, their goggles and thin helmets, with their sidearms and fighting blades, the two men cut dashing figures.

They surveyed the galleon's whirling and pumping apparatus with an eye for anything amiss. Apparently satisfied, they devoted their attention to the sky kingdom they traveled through.

Once the galleon emerged above a layer of delicate clouds, and sailed at a rapid clip, cold seeped through Khamalia's woolen garments. She huddled against the side of the deck cabin, shivering. Soon violent tremors took over body.

Khamalia hugged herself trying to gain any warmth at all. As she attempted to decide whether to hide herself inside the chest, or reveal her presence, she heard the confident stride of either Zriker or Drevik moving quickly toward her.

Her heart tripped madly, and she froze not from the cold, but from sheer uncertainty. What would they do with her once...

"What a little fool." Captain Zriker's stern, arrogant voice addressed her. "Boy, get up. At once."

Not daring her gaze on his, Khamalia pressed her mitten-covered hands against the polished wood, then managed to gradually push herself onto her feet. The strong winds sliced the cold through her now.

"Your name, little fool."

When she didn't answer -- there was no use since her lips trembled and her words would have been garbled -- Captain Zriker seized her chin forcing her gaze to meet his. The startling color of his blue eyes, like beautiful clear glass, blazed inside her, and for moments she burned. Khamalia welcomed the warmth.

"What have we here?" Lord Drevik demanded in his imperious yet gallant timbre.

"I do believe we have a stowaway. One who refuses me the courtesy of a name."

"Ah then, a name we shall have. Then we will put the little bugger to work as payment for--"

Khamalia failed to hear Lord Drevik's final words. With her toes turning numb and her fingers aching terribly from the searing cold, she felt her head empty to nothingness. She knew she collapsed before the greedy arms of darkness embraced her.

***

Captain Zriker caught the lad with ease, his usual outstanding reflexes to the rescue. Only the soft curves that landed in his arms were that of a woman, a woman who felt particularly splendid. It had been her garb that fooled his keen eye.

"The lad would not be accustomed to the thin air at this altitude." Drevik kept stride with Zriker, and they moved inside the deck cabin. "A hot toddy once he revives will chase the blood through his veins. I'll attend to it."

"Our stowaway is a woman. I believe I recognize her face. In a few moments I'll recall who she is." Zriker strode toward the nearest bunk. It was imperative he warm her as quickly as possible, and the bunk had been equipped with its own heating device.

"A woman you say. Well, this is an unexpected, yet quite exciting turn of events. I shall concoct the toddy to her more delicate flesh."

After stepping on the brass peddle to start the warmer, Zriker placed his soft unmoving bundle onto the bedding. Her lips, tinted with blue, indicated a lack of oxygen, and he immediately switched on the atmosphere enhancer, then removed his gloves, goggles and helmet.

"Exceptionally charming, her features," Zriker remarked to his long-time friend and exploration partner. Both of them had been outcasts in their families, black sheep if you will, despite their superior talents as men, and now their current state of being materially rich.

"Even more exciting then. Perhaps, our need for feminine company at Dante's Interspecies Pleasure Club will not be required this time."

"Perhaps not." Zriker spoke above the tinkling sound of glass as Drevik prepared the medicinal toddy, an expertise of his.

After seating himself beside the woman who appeared to be about to awaken, Zriker removed one of her mittens. He pressed her fragile hand between both of his, and searched his excellent memory for her name, and for where he'd seen her.

She tossed her head, her eyelids fluttering. "You are quite safe, miss. We will not harm you. I promise."

"No... no... no," she uttered softly yet desperately. Her head whipped from side to side. "No, I won't marry him. I won't."

Reliable as always, his memory served up her name, plus where he'd briefly met her.

"Oh great Soren's ghost," he barked toward Drevik. "We will be accused of stealing Sultan Pharuque's latest bride."

There was a bit of a pause before Drevik spoke. "All to the good I say. Never liked the boring chap. He's about as bright as piece of winter sod. No wonder... what is her name?"

"Khamalia is her familiar name."

"No surprise our Khamalia bravely boarded as a stowaway. I say we keep her."

"It may be her only chance at avoiding horrific consequences." Without thought, Zriker removed her other mitten, and began warming her icy cold hand between his palms.

"The toddy is nearly complete. How fairs our lovely guest?"

At that precise moment, Khamalia blinked, gazing at him. Her eyes were as bright as amethyst beneath the midday sun. "Please...please, don't return me. I beg of you."

Captain Zriker knew there was not one chance on heaven and any Earth he'd explored that he would ever return her.

***

Johnny growled under his breath as he cleaned off one more table at Dante's biker bar. Thinking about what he could be doing instead, he grumbled and snarled as he continued bussing the empty tables.

Sure, he'd wanted to sneak in as an underage patron, impress Lola and hang out with the tough-as-hide crowd. That would have been a trophy kill for shit certain.

But to his everlasting and secret shame, Dante had ripped his furry butt a good one, and proven he was a werewolf not to be messed with. Ever.

"Never again," Johnny muttered to himself. Noticing the clock as he set the tray of dishes next to the giant humming dishwasher, he yelled, "Break time."

"Yeah, sure, kid. Just get you and your ass in here on time." Norbert, a polar bear shifter who'd spent many a year as a merchant seaman, and now cooked up his specialties, gave him the eye, the one that said, "I'll make you a tasty snack if you even think about crossing Dante."

"Yeah, yeah. Be back." After jerking his apron off, Johnny flung it close to the back door, then swung outside. Hell's own shit, the full moon blazed above him, and he was missing madness night out with his pack of buddies.

Pulling out his last cigarette, he lit it quickly and took a draw. The smoke had barely entered his lungs when he stopped cold and stared. Since the moon shone like a giant spotlight, Johnny didn't think his darn good eyesight deceived him.

In fact, he shit swore he saw a flying galleon cross in front of the moon, then begin to descend near the area where he'd entered the tunnel leading to the Midnight Stardust Supperclub.

What the scat fang?

He yelped as his ciggy burned his fingertips. Who would believe him anyway? Crap the shit, what had his life turned into? Turning, Johnny made his way inside just as Norbert lumbered toward him fast, a meat cleaver clenched in his hand.
~~~~~~

~ Have a Magickal and Miraculous New Year ~

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
~~~~~~

Not the Same Old Story

2012-01-09T13:16:00.000-06:00

Ray Nardo skipped out on his 8th period study hall to saunter over to the TPHS auditorium. He had a permission slip from Mr. Smalls, the English teacher, but preferred not to show it unless forced. Sure, everybody already knew he had a part in the spring musical, but it wasn’t something a cool dude cared to advertise, and Ray counted himself among the coolest of the cool.

He stepped inside the auditorium and saw he wasn’t the only class-jumper taking advantage of Mr. Smalls’ generosity. The artsy bunch, put to work on scenery, went at their New York City backdrop with gusto, and the occasional actual perspective. Ray waved to the paint-spattered ladies up on the stage, and got a few waves in return.

This year’s musical was West Side Story, adapted for a Talbot’s Peak audience as a tale of the herbivorous Jets fighting a gang war with the invading predator Sharks. Since Mr. Smalls insisted on casting to type, that put Ray in the Shark camp. This had pissed him off royally, because everybody knew the best singing roles were on the Jet side. To add insult to injury, the teacher cast Leo Jenks as Bernardo, the only decent Shark part. Ray still hadn’t forgiven either of them. Sure, Leo was one hell of a dancer, but Ray knew he had the better voice. What did a coyote bring to the table that a fox couldn’t, anyway?

With Tony and Riff denied him thanks to species bias, Ray ended up as Chino, the only other Shark with a speaking part. Better than nothing, but only by a hair. It did have one thing going for it: at the end, Chino got to shoot Tony. Ray was looking forward to that.

No singing, some dancing. Suck it up, Nardo, Ray told himself. He needed this, and not just for class credit. Someday, he and his garage band would be filling arenas. The high school musical was his first step in learning how to perform in front of an audience. Being able to sing and play a guitar wasn’t enough in the age of viral videos. You had to put on a show.

On his way to the stage Ray stopped to touch base with his buddy Brock Wolverton, seated on the aisle with a seriously-furrowed brow as he went over his script. He’d been cast as Officer Krupke, mostly due to his imposing physique. Thank the shifter spirits the part required no singing or dancing. The big wolf could pass, run and block like a pro footballer; musical theatre, not so much. “Yo, Brock. How goes it?”

Brock growled at his script. “Can I still get out of this?”

“Not if you want to pass English. Look, you’re playing a cop. You just have to snarl at a bunch of herbies. You can do that.”

“If they’re carrying a football, yeah. I think I’d rather flunk English.”

“You’ll do fine.” Ray patted Brock’s broad shoulder. “Is Leo here? Or Mr. Smalls? I want to work on my choreography.”

“I think Leo’s backstage with some she. Mr. Smalls isn’t here yet.”

A shouted oath drew their attention to stage right. Brock bared his teeth. If he could reproduce that look on opening night, Ray thought, he’d be a winner. “Looks like the happy couple’s at it again.”

No need to ask for clarification. Teddy Simms, the production’s Tony, hadn’t bothered to hide his disdain for his leading lady since rehearsals started. Okay, so the girl wasn’t exactly in the Angelina Jolie category. She was stocky and round-faced and only had a stub of a nose, in spite of smelling like a fox. Her pale skin, silvery-blonde hair and colorless eyes made her look like a ghost. In fact, she was pretty colorless on all fronts, and Ray hadn’t paid much attention to her.

Until she started to sing.

Holy Joe. Now there was a voice that could pack an arena. He stood mesmerized while she ran through her portion of “Tonight.” He paid no attention to her baggy sweater and dull cargo pants. His mind’s eye saw her fronting his band at Superbowl halftime, and record deals up the tail. Judging by the rapt looks on the faces of the others in the auditorium, everyone agreed with him.

Everyone but Teddy. “Bored,” the hulking elk announced, and stalked off up the aisle, leaving his Maria to stutter to a halt in confusion. She didn’t even shout at him to get his grass-eating tail back there, as any self-respecting predator would have done. Her white balloon of a face crumpled, on the verge of tears.

Instantly Ray dashed down the aisle and vaulted onto the stage. Nobody with a voice that awesome should ever be miserable. “Hey,” he said. “Don’t let the weed-whacker bother you. Even if he wasn’t a herbie, he’d still be a major dick. I don’t know how he got the part of Tony in the first place. Oh wait, sure I do. He’s Mr. Smalls’ nephew. That makes him a dick times two. He’s probably pouting because your voice is way better than his and he knows you’re going to steal the show.”

None of this made a dent in her expression. “I just wanted to rehearse. I know I’m a carnie and all, but it’s just a play.”

“And he’s just a dick. Forget him.” Ray held out his hand. “Ray Nardo. Chino in the cast. At least you get to sing.”

She stared at his hand but made no move to touch it. Hoo-kay, let’s try round two. “I don’t remember seeing you around school before,” Ray said.

“We just moved here from Alaska. My parents thought the musical would be a good way to meet people. Our old home was pretty remote. We’re Arctic foxes,” she explained.

Aha. That put her lack of color and compact build into perspective. “How about if you rehearse with me?” he said. “I know all the songs, and most of the lines.” The Tony role had been his aim, until Mr. Smalls had walked into tryouts with Teddy in tow. Shooting him, if only pretend, was going to be a joy.

The girl’s round face brightened in a smile. For a second she looked as beautiful as her voice. “Would you? I really need to practice.”

For answer, Ray switched on the CD player with the arrangements. He found “Tonight” and started singing. Hesitantly at first, then with confidence, “Maria” joined in.

Trout in a bucket, this frozen fox girl could belt out a tune with a skill Eddy Vedder would have cried for. Ray added dance steps and found her as light on her feet as the ghost she looked like, baggy clothes and squat body notwithstanding. Screw Teddy; put her in makeup and costume and she was going to steal the show from everybody.

All too soon, the music ended. They stared at each other, holding hands, panting and bright-eyed. Loud applause from throughout the auditorium brought them back to earth. The scenery-painters gave them a standing ovation. Even Brock was clapping. The girl looked around, startled and wide-eyed. “Get used to it,” Ray whispered. “You’re a star.”

“Not bad, Mr. Nardo,” Mr. Smalls’s high-pitched, smarmy voice said from behind him. “Although it’s not your role. Where’s Teddy?”

I thought I smelled elk patties. More diplomatic words made it out of his mouth instead. “He had to make a trip to the can. I was helping—” Scat. He’d never even asked “Maria” her name.

“It doesn’t sound like Callista needs any help. That was magnificent, my dear.” Mr. Smalls beamed at her before adding to Ray, “Your dancing needs work, Mr. Nardo.”

“That’s why I’m here. Look, as long as I’m here, why can’t I at least understudy for the Tony part? Teddy could snap a leg or something”—one could only hope—“and Phil really doesn’t have the range for it. Nobody needs to know I’m a fox. It’s not like we’re going to shift on stage or anything.”

“True, but Phil is a horse, and I want to keep the cast divided between carnivores and herbivores. It adds verisimilitude to the acting.” Not to mention keeping precious nephew Teddy in the starring role. “Perhaps next year, Mr. Nardo.”

Yeah, and perhaps wolves would eat salads. Ray held his tongue until Mr. Smalls was safely out of earshot. “All elks are dicks,” he pronounced. “Hey, listen, if Teddy keeps on being a douche and you want to work on your lines or whatever, why not come over to my place? We’ve got a garage with great acoustics. My band practices in there all the time.”

She smiled again, less brilliantly but still dazzling. How could he have thought her plain, with a smile like that? “I’d like that.”

At that moment, in the pinnacle of bad timing, Leo Jenks reappeared with his she of the moment in tow, and called the “Sharks” together for dance rehearsal. Ray quickly blurted his address, twice to make sure she got it, then skipped over to join his castmates. His heart also skipped in a syncopated beat, and music ran through his mind.

Callista … I just met a girl named Callista …

New Series In the Works

2012-01-07T12:27:00.008-06:00

Pardon the guy with the cigarette. My hero in the first book of a two book series I am working on doesn't smoke. Troy Adams is one sexy shape shifter in police uniform in Calder's Grove. His next door neighbor Nancy Stewart is keeping her lust below radar level until she ends up in Troy's care broken ankle and crutches not withstanding. She has her own secrets she's keeping hid, a few furry relatives are in route to visit with her human mother who knows nothing about the family's well kept secret. Book One's working title is Nancy and the Werewolf

Book Two brings Chaz Maxxon, Troy's best friend and Calder's Grove's top auto mechanic into contact with Nancy's Tante Nata, short for Auntie Naughty as the family calls her. Nita Carmichael needs a male who won't flinch at her kinky and lusty desires. Chaz has a few ideas of his own since his break up with his girlfriend. Can a demi-shape shifter and a full blooded one find happiness without breaking the other's will?

Enjoy the excerpt below from Nancy and the Werewolf, book one of Werewolf Kisses:

“Troy, what are you doing here?’ Nancy smiled as she spotted her neighbor sitting at the end of the bar as she exited the kitchen. Her voice carried through the now quiet establishment.

Troy looked delicious in his police uniform. Tight pants that cupped his pert ass and showed off his long lean legs along with his long fingers had her wishing she’d been the one to see him running nude as a few of the Cribbage bunch swore they’d seen the last full moon. She knew what those legs looked like in shorts, running shorts that left little to a woman’s fertile imagination. His sweat soaked t-shirt had hung to him like a second skin outlining his pecs and washboard abs. If she didn’t get her mind out of his pants, well- - -fanning herself wasn’t an option. Troy’s smile lit up his face all the way to his eyes. They twinkled like the white lights on a Christmas tree or two stars in the dark sky. Their golden brown irises glowed when he laughed. God, having the hots for her neighbor was going to get her in trouble. And not in a good way. Last thing she needed was more embarrassment.

“Franny, my cousin, called me. You know her as Francine or Thumbs as her pack mates call her.” He flashed a thumbs up, his smile widening. “Chaz has your car down at the shop already. He towed it about an hour ago. Franny said I had to see you home. Only Calder’s Grove finest would do.”

Nancy swallowed hard. She’d asked the women to not match make. Why was Thumbs doing this? “Thanks I can call a cab. No need for you to take time from your patrol for me.”

Troy sat his coffee cup on the bar. Nancy’s fidgeting with her apron ties as it lay on the bar told him more than if she’d looked him in the eye. All five-foot-three of her gave off heat laced with pheromones that screamed fertility. Eager and ready to jump his bones if he was willing. Oh, and he was ever so willing. The one time he’d dropped hints at taking her out, Nancy had put him off faster than a she wolf in heat could run leading a group of horny males on a merry chase. Since then Troy had watched and waited, knowing that Nancy accepted folks without prejudice. Brant’s remark on how she’d acclimated to waiting on shifters and their raw meat needs indicated her ease with things that weren’t her experienced norm. That triggered more than a passing interest in Nancy. Getting her to treat him more than a friendly neighbor was another thing.

Dial D for Dante

2012-01-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

"Come back sshere you worfless little puss." Theslur in the old man's words warned Lola Longing that he was in the middle ofbinge and she'd be smart to stay in her cat form, and spend a few nights in thegarage. "Shoulda bagged s’you up as a kitten and dropped s’you in the flarkingfountain. Damn catzz!"

Lola slunk further into the night—the darkness, a perfectbackdrop for her black fur. Only her blazing green eyes could give her positionaway at this point, but as she intended to keep them closed for, at least, afew hours she wasn't worried. She longed to find the peace she hadn't had sinceDante returned her to the belligerent drunk she was unfortunate enough to have fora father.

William Longing’s marriage to her mother made him one of thefew humans in Talbot's Peak to know about the town's shape shifter population.That fact alone should have made him enemy number one, but being laid back andeasy going, plus his ability to hide his inebriation made him fairly well-liked.It didn't hurt that he also ran the only liquor store in town and could get thebar owners damn good deals on wholesale liquor.

Curtains parted at the front window on the little two bedroomhouse and Lola knew the twin green orbs searching the yard were from the womanshe loved most of all. Two steps brought the little black cat out into thelight just long enough for her mother to see her and know that she was safe. Foras many years she could remember, Lola's mother, Linda, had been restrained bya brutal and undignified shock collar.

Life had always kind of sucked around Longing's household,but now that good old Willie had started associating with some really nastycats, yucky kazoos or something, it had gotten worse—almost deadly. They'dagreed that it was finally time for Lola to seek out help. Through quiet calls,coded letters and secret meetings they'd found out from her mom's secondcousin, Kitty, that some time ago, Dante proved instrumental in providing for Kitty's own protection.

When Johnny started talking about breaking into Dante's newdance club, Lola had seen it as a chance to make a connection with Dante. Shehated using Johnny that way, considering feelings for him, but she was desperate.Unfortunately, as it always was with Johnny, once they’d been caught, hewouldn't shut up long enough for her to get two words out.

Dante had dropped her off at home first, and assured goodold Willie, that Lola was off the hook. He knew Johnny was the ringleader, andso Johnny would pay the penalty—community service and then a low-paying job.

Lolaknew that Johnny would never show up to make good with Dante, he preferredplaying it fast and loose. Normally, that would be a problem, but not thistime. Lola would be showing up and she would offer to do whatever Dante neededif he would only help save her mother.

~~~

So I composed this post with my new Dragon software and my wrists are thanking me already! What a hoot to actually speak my writing...things come out way different when I say them, plus I can go somewhat faster, I love that! As for accuracy, it's pretty darn good...even with names. :)

Have a great weekend!

Serena

January 2012 Calendar Boys - "Jamie and Lamar"

2012-01-05T01:00:00.001-06:00

(click on the photo to download your copy)

Happy January, everyone! And what a bitter, cold one it is, too, if you happen to be on the US East Coast! Here's a little something to warm you up: a Shapeshifter Seductions calendar featuring some of the hunkiest man-candy Talbot's Peek has to offer.

This month, we have Jamie and Lamar's "Adam and the Serpent" scene from Pat's Calendar Boys post. This is a down-loadable PDF file. You can also print it, but it uses 11" x 17" paper, so keep that in mind.

Keep an eye out for next month's Calendar! I'll be posting it the first Thursday of February.

~ Rebecca

Foiled!

2012-01-04T01:00:00.000-06:00

You know when you start a project that should, on the surface, be fairly strait-forward? I have spent much of my spare time over the last month making 3D pictures of some Talbot's Peak hunks for a ShapeShifter Seductions calendar.

.... and my computer just ate about half of the files. So what do you think:

A) I give you the calendar one month at a time so I can make new ones.

B) I give you the full year's worth right now but with 3 months per hotty.

Oh, and here's a sneak peek. This is Jamie and Lamar doing "Adam in the Garden of Eden."

The New Year, 2012 Predictions by Gypsy Red Wolf

2012-01-03T06:24:00.008-06:00

New Year greeting-yips and tail wags from your Gypsy Red Wolf.

Tonight the dog star, Sirius... really the wolf-soul star... rules the midnight grandeur of our Montana sky. Our beloved Mother Moon, growing ever more pregnant with light, enters the sign of Venus-ruled Taurus from the sign of Mars-ruled Aries.

This means the fierce flames of inspiration meet the beauty and love inside each one of us. During this year of 2012, our creativity is born anew, and our hearts will be on fire with love. This bodes well for those who are mated and those who are seeking their right mates.

To enter this year's blaze-sparkly vibration of love from the Sacred Universe, a never-ending swirl around each and everyone of us, join me at the Midnight Stardust Supperclub. Along with my performance every Saturday night at the Interspecies Pleasure Club, I am now one of the ballroom dance instructors.

My precious loup-garous, my precious ones of every breed-type and beautiful stripe, I promise the elegant, the enthralling, the enchanting pleasures of gliding within your loved one's arms at Dante's new supperclub. It is all what we need during this evil-raging, staging-of-chaos times by those who have succumbed to their darkest natures -- those cunning rabid beasts who battle to destroy the Light shining inside those of us who walk with the Mother Wolf Goddess.

Yes, yes... my crystal ball summons... once again, my howling and yowling friends, and all those who have made Talbot's Peak their new home this year... so many of you, and I welcome everyone with the embrace of my heart... it is time to gaze into my trusted, from the time of the ancients, wolfen-ancestral crystal ball... now un-clouding as if a winter storm passes and blue skies appear.

Time once again to put pen to paper in the old-fashioned way. Digital bytes interfere with the higher vibrations of our star-sparkling universe... ah yes, the predictions are piling up like our recent heavy snowfalls, I see.

Only for you, dearest readers of the G&B Gazette, I will reveal the secrets of the coming new year -- the much maligned, yet media-celebrated year of 2012. Don't believe the movies by the way, my wise ones. Garbage and chewed bones in, garbage and bone fragments out, as they grunting-say. ~yip-yip giggles~

Ah, my shapeshifter and supernatural brethren, has not the past year flown by, fast as riding the great swift wings of a golden eagle? And that brings us to my first prediction. Ascension. A mystical, airy purple-nude-fairy word, yes, to be sure... however...

We will rise as eagles. Or we will plummet like arrows who have missed their target. This will be true for you as a lone wolf individual, or as a member of the community pack. Only caring for each other and hunting for the benefit of all will allow for a well-fed spirit and a well-fed belly.

For, we have arrived at the apex of many cycles in time. It will be as if winter, fall, summer and spring converge and all the forces of nature crash together becoming one magnificent and tumultuous season. One never to be forgotten. Our wolf songs will be howled to the bright full moon with deep emotion, and someday in remembrance.

Yes, as has been forecast by many, severe land changes are here. I see the gnashing fangs, the ripping claws of Mother Earth. She will be cruel at times. She will also be loving and benign to those of us who remain connected to her energies, to those of us who dance and run with our wild spirits upon her surface.

Ah, loud howls of warning, dear ones, I see rough, trying periods ahead for many of us. Now is the time to hunt, to forage whenever the weather offers a friendly paw. Now is the time to prepare and store like our squirrel neighbors. Do so, and every difficulty will be overcome.

Picture me suddenly leaning closer... my crystal ball is brilliant, bold in what is being revealed. Yes, yes, there it is! Despite the feisty snarling year of 2012, be of good hope. Our handsome alpha champions of Talbot's Peak charge forth to savagely protect us, once again.

I am watching their strong fangs flash, ferocious as slashing knives. They are triumphant against every enemy. Even though, yes, in truth there are too many of our foes to count.

Truth, another giant trend for this New Year of 2012, slays the most wicked on Mother Earth like a squadron of hungry and ruthless dragons. Watch for it.

As a final note, my furry, feathered, skin and scaled brethren, our Brother Sun is entering a fickle, not-for-the-faint-of-heart cycle. Beware, and dare to prepare the caves and shelters of your choice.

As always, I remain available as your personal psychic advisor.
~~~

Your Gypsy Red Wolf

~ Psychic to the Furry, Feathered, Amphibian and Scaled Shifter. Humans now included ~
~~~~~~

~ Have a Magickal and Miraculous New Year ~

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
~~~~~~

Irresolute

2012-01-02T12:21:00.000-06:00

“Hey, did you miss us? We’re back! I don’t feel tardy. Van Halen’s `Hot For Teacher’ on 105.7, SHFT in Talbot’s Peak. You’re listening to Tabbs and Fuzzy on the Morning Hair Ball, back live after our post-Christmas break. Bet a pack of you were coughing up hairballs yesterday morning. Huh, Fuzzy?”

“What day is this?”

“It’s Monday. You look a little fuzzy, Fuzzy.”

“Are we in the studio?”

“One of us is. Tell you what, folks, while Fuzz-man screws his head back on, give us a call and tell us your New Year’s resolutions and how they’re working out so far. Morning Hair Ball, you’re on the air.”

“Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude!”

“Skimeister! How they hangin’, bro?”

“All the way to the ground, dude. Whoooo!”

“Oh scat, is that Ski again? I thought we banned him.”

“Fuzz dude! How’s that tail? Waving high or stuck between your legs?”

(Urps) “I’m gonna hurl—”

“Oops. I think Fuzz rang in both 2012 and 2013 the other night. Ski-man! Any resolutions for the new year?”

“Hell yeah, dude. I’m gonna drink more. I mean not drink more. Wait. I gotta think about this.” (Hangs up.)

“Don’t hurt yourself. You okay now, Fuzz?”

“I think so. There’s only two of you now. How did I get in this morning?”

“Cerise drove you here. She walked you to the door and everything.”

“That’s not right. She’s not a morning person.”

“She looked damned happy, all things considered. Hold on, we got a caller. Morning Hair Ball, you’re on the air.”

“Hey, Tabby.” (long, sexy purr)

“Well, hell-o, kitty. How’s the new year treating you, darling?”

(Giggles) “Okay, I guess.”

“Howzabout those resolutions? Need any help breaking them?”

“No, I’m good. I wanted to lose weight this year, so I dumped my boyfriend.”

“Sooooo, you’re single now?”

“Yep.” (giggles)

“Well, sweetie-whiskers, we can’t have you going into 2012 all by yourself. How old are you?”

(giggles) “I’m legal. The cops said so.”

“Okay, I can work with that. You know I’m a tabby tom. What kind of kitty are you?”

“I’m an ocelot.”

“Exotic. Me likee.”

“I dunno, man. Your stripes and her spots, your kids are gonna look like a Rorschach test.”

“Don’t ice this for me, Fuzzy. She sounds hot. What’s your name, dumpling?”

“Gloria.”

“Ooooooh yeah. G-L-O-R-I-AAAAAAY! How about your claws? Keep ’em nice and filed?”

“You should see the trees out in back of my place. The bark’s all shredded.”

“That’s the way I like it, uh-huh, uh-huh. Are you—”

“Oh scat. Oh scat, Tabby.”

“Not now, Fuzzy. The master’s working here.”

“I think I proposed to Cerise.”

“You WHAT?”

“Uh … I’ll call you back.” (hangs up)

“New Year’s Eve. We were at this party, and it was open bar, y’know, so I … I think I may have asked Cerise to marry me. I don’t know for sure. Half the night’s pretty hazy.”

“Fuzz, what do you want to do that for? There are too many shes out there just begging for a hump. Why tie yourself to just one?”

“I dunno, man. It’s the wolf gene. We look for one mate and that’s it. Oh gawd. She’s a jackal. She eats all the leftovers. I’ll starve.”

“Deep breaths, Fuzzball. You can still get out of this. Morning Hair Ball, you’re on the air.”

“Dog, you’re getting married? Helluva way to start the year.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Here’s what you do. South America. Lose yourself in the rain forest.”

“Won’t work, man. Her nose can spot a carcass three miles off. I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“South America. Just sayin’.” (hangs up)

“Yeesh, Fuzzy, you sure know how to bring down the new year. Morning Hair Ball, you’re on the air.”

“Nyah nyah, nyah nyah, Fuzzy’s on a leash.”

“So’s your alpha, scat breath.”

“Hey, bite my—”

“Yep, it’s 2012 and already rockin’ here in Talbot’s Peak. You’re listening to the Morning Hair Ball on 105.7, SHFT. Here’s a tune for the Fuzz-man and everybody else who did something stupid on New Year’s Eve. Nickelback, ‘Bottoms Up.’ Enjoy.”

A Fine Thorny Mess

2011-12-31T00:01:00.002-06:00

Thornson Throckmorton raised his hand ready to smack the side of his hospital bed. TT, or Thorny as his off kilter pard called him, cursed under his breath. Of all the dumb lame assed things to happen, he wished he had listened to his gut better than he did.

He tugged at the sheet covering him trying to get more of his lower half covered. Too Toxic and a giggle ran through his mind. Crap one of his fellow felines decided to make contact. How lovely! The weekend of his high school class reunion and he laid here in this blasted bed with his little bits as Nana called them hanging out catching every draft that wafted under the sheet. Fucking hospital gowns didn’t cover much and with his six-foot-two torso, even extra-large didn’t come close either. And his junior year nickname called out by his former soccer teammates. . .Too Toxic was another lifetime ago. One of his nine lives he preferred to not remember.

“You had to wax your snowboard and try Suicide run. What an ass!” TT looked around the room. Who could hear him in a private room? His mental companion and maybe a nurse if one even bothered to check on him. The last one that had he had growled and hissed at. She fled stating he must be looped on the pain meds the prior shift had given him.

He cocked his head toward the open door. He caught bits and pieces of the conversation going on at the nurses’ station slightly down the hall.

“Yes, he is due for another x-ray in an hour. Re-cast his leg up to his thigh? I’m sure we can find someone on duty to assist with that. Up his pain meds? Certainly doctor.”

Oh flying cat shit! Litter box from hell happening! Up his pain meds? And no food to go with them? Hell, he was so horny his dreams set his cock and libido on fire. With his leg hoisted in the air and this blasted draft, how was a guy to deal with getting some relief. He’d asked for a blanket and got told that his leg needed to be unencumbered for the sling. Where the hell was his personal vet? So what if he charged double for hospital calls? The dude had license to practice on animals and humans. This human hospital stunk. TT wanted a shifter hospital and soon.

“Right give me more screw with my brain drugs. Rate things are going and I will have to morph my lower half to keep warm. I will scare any help away with that.” TT groaned as he tried to sit up more in the bed.

“Psst, Too Toxic,” a voice muttered. TT looked up. His old college roommate, Tomas, stood in the door. “I send you on a scouting mission and this is where you end up?”

“Look you scrawny piece of tomcat get your arse in here and get me out of here.” TT sneered and scowled. “And close that door behind you, please.”

Tomas grinned hoping he didn’t burst out laughing. Poor Thorn as he preferred to be called wasn’t weathering his indignation well. Tomas could smell his male pheromones all the way down to the hall to the elevator and men were not on either of their radars. Poor tomcat was on fire and needed dousing soon.

Closing the door behind him, Tomas sauntered across the room. The lower forty-eight states were having a mild winter compared to Anchorage. He missed Tongson, Octavia, and the triplets. Even though they communicated frequently, their physical presence was sorely missed. The comfort and relaxation family permitted made up the difference. Still they had a war to wage and a power hungry control freak to dethrone. Khan’s decision to up the ante and take out a mother and babe raised the bar on needing to take him out.

“Thorn, I can’t say I blame you for taking time to relax. But like this?” Tomas waved his hand over Thorn’s leg. “A bit much on the dramatics, eh?”

“Oh shut up,” Thorn spat out. “I wish I could say I was paying attention but when a cute thing in red tight ski pants crosses your run, well what would you do?”

Tomas tossed back his head and burst out laughing. “I’d look and appreciate. Though I am sure Octavia would grouse at me for not paying attention to where I was going too.”

Thorn smiled and patted the mattress. “Have a seat or pull up a chair. We got a few until they decide to shoot me full of more human drugs. Man can those mess with a tabby’s mind!”

Tomas dragged a chair across the floor and straddled it. Before dropping into it, he sniffed the air. “Can you turn your Too Toxic persona down a few? Your pheromones are kicking ass if any receptive females are around.”

“Too Toxic hung up his tom catting ways two decades ago. Since college, I’ve been doing no more than two to three females at once thank you.” Thorn’s Cheshire cat grin was infectious. Tomas couldn’t help snickering. He motioned for Thorn to continue.

“TT aka Thorny heads up his own harem mixture now thank you. With a few stray males thrown in for balance to keep the females happy when I’m busy otherwise.” Thorn fold his arms across his chest and smiled what Tomas suspected was his self-satisfied smirk.

“Well your highness, care to enlighten your liege lord on what is going down in Talbot’s Peak? I did send you there on a reconnaissance mission. Not a fucking mission.”

Thorn gulped and tugged at the sheet hoping his dangling bits didn’t freeze as another burst of cold air filtered through the room and not from the overhead duct.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy New Year Everyone! Be safe and sane! Don't drink and drive! Keep you and your loved ones safe!

Solara

Lola Longing, The Stardust Supperclub and a Stanky Wolf - (Not So) Little Johnny Strikes Again

2011-12-30T00:10:00.000-06:00

“Shhh…” John Lytlewaved at the loud group of teens behind him. Hell’s own licker, couldn’t the flea bait shut up for two damn minutes?

“Johnny, I don’t think this is a very good idea.”

Lola Longing, such a miss-named cat, never thought anythingwas a good idea. Her folks should havetagged her with whiney priss, worry wart or buzz kill, yeah buzz kill wouldhave been the best. Every time theirgroup set out for some fun, Lola got a tick in her ear the size of that uglydog bowl fountain in the town square and tried to convince them to do somethingelse…like bowling or the movies, blah.

John wanted more than blah; he wanted thrills, chills andsex. Gah, he wanted sex and even thoughshe was feline and he canine, he wanted it with Lola. Inexplicably, she filled his thoughts. He’s always thought that with a few damn goodshags he could make her worthy of her name and then she would be out of hissystem. Thus, he’d brought her along on tonight’sadventure into the as yet unopened supperclub Dante had built into the pleasureclub.

“Lo, you don’t think anything is a good idea, but trust me…thisyou will love.” Johnny leaned down intoher face and gazed into her sultry kitten eyes. “Now shut up, will ya.”

He twisted back into position, ignoring the gasp and whimperof the beauty below. If Lola had a claimto fame, beyond the buzz kill thing, it was her eyes. They were forest green, with golden sparklesand small specks of chocolate brown. They tilted ever so slightly at the outsides and had the telltale oblongshape of her cat. She passed for human,unless you were a shifter…then she gave herself away, everyone knew herdesignation just by catching her eye.

The guard at the mouth of the cave that led to the backstairs inside the pleasure club was a buck. He was ornery with a side of dumb, a winning combination in Johnny’sbook and he was bored. You could see itin his stance. He was fascinated withhis nails and ignoring everything around him.

“Markus, have you got the bait ready?” Johnny’s friend was a beta bitch in every waypossible. He took direction, followedorders to a tee and was even a little bit in love with John, though he’d neversay so. There wasn’t a better man on theteam of an up-and-coming alpha like himself.

“Sure do Johnny.” Markus lifted the bag, high above his head and snickered as the thingmoved around like a pissed off snake.

“Take that thing over to the end of the incline and spraythis, liberally, into the hole. Thenunzip it and let that thing out into the woods. And for fucks sake, don’t get any on you or your staying outside.”

“Sure thing, man.”

Johnny watched the bag move, he watched Markus fiddle withthe small bottle and he knew the oaf would be waiting outside. Thank goodness there was only a squirrel inthe bag; fricking snakes gave him the willies and a pissed off one would bebeyond stupid to tangle with.

“Lo, come here, baby.” He pulled Lola off to the side and watched the rest of the group movefar away from Markus.

Three things happened at once. The cap came off the bottle held by the oaf,the squirrel made a dash for freedom and Markus squirted doe piss all over hisclothes. The stink was atrocious and thelook of panic on the beta bitches face was hysterical.

Johnny looked over at the suddenly eager guard and knew timewas running short. “You best run,Markus,” he laughed. “And, may the Lupaforce be with you!”

The stanky wolf man beat hell out of the area with a hornybuck hot on his heels. He wondered howlong it would take Markus to remember that a wolf could take down a deer anyday of the week…even a beta.

“Come on, Lo, let’s go get our dance on,” Johnny whispered,happy that he remembered to bring his favorite CD. “Have you ever done the Horizontal Bop?”

~~~

May you stay safe, silly and electric sliding on into 2012!

Happy New Year!

Serena

Dante's Midnight Stardust Supperclub

2011-12-27T05:02:00.008-06:00

Happy New Year howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

Truth to tell after the mayhem sort of day I experienced yesterday, I wasn't certain I could write a post for today's blog. However, once all had finally calmed down, inspiration struck like a small lightning bolt, and Dante, my werewolf hero, came through telling me about his latest and greatest addition to the Pleasure Club. The grand opening is, of course, on New Year's Eve.
~~~~~~

Dante's Midnight Stardust Supperclub

"Only my beautiful Kitty is missing," Dante growled low and quiet out of habit, even though he was alone. Everyone else had left after putting the finishing touches on the newest addition to the Pleasure Club, the Midnight Stardust Supperclub.

For long moments, Dante imagined his lovely catwoman, Kitty, dressed in an elegant slinky gown, dancing in his arms. He whirled them over the smooth-as-glass ballroom floor -- over the rainbow shades of pearl in time to the sophisticated swinging music of a big band.

When he'd first began sketching out the design for the supperclub, he'd had Kitty in mind with each stroke, and with each idea he'd written down. Of course, once he'd finalized the plans, and began to build, the Midnight Stardust had taken on a grand and resplendent life of its own.

Standing in the center of the dance floor, Dante gradually spun around, scanning the interior of the huge geodesic structure that glistened with a subtle, snow-white luminescence. His only regret had been the necessity of keeping the supperclub underground. He'd wanted the romance of dancing and dining beneath a canopy of sparkling stars in an inky sky.

However, more important had been keeping the Midnight Stardust away from prying military-industrial-complex eyes. While the HAARP Tesla technology in Alaska could detect many underground compounds, there were ways to disguise the frequency waves, keeping his complex hidden.

To compensate the domed ceiling had been created to look like a fanciful midnight sky. Specialized filtered lighting made it appear as if stardust fell from the celestial black heavens. Often he would envision Kitty in his arms and their passionate kisses as the diamond glints of light surrounded them.

Kitty. His Kitty cat girl. More and more each day he was ferociously tempted to send her a gown, and everything a woman would need to dress for an elegant evening, along with a plea that she celebrate New Year's Eve with him.

Close, he was so close to being able to protect her from his sire and the killing fangs of his werewolf mafia. Dante growled savagely for several minutes as he swept his gaze over the second tier of the supperclub, setup for dining, enjoying drinks and viewing the dancers, and the band.

On the suggestions of many others, Dante had also installed a whole array of movie-tech affects that included a dawn sky and also twilight. He'd foregone a bright full moon just in case there were some werefolk who would be adversely affected.

The entire supperclub, or only one section, could also be infused with a golden radiance or a silvery glow. Then there were the bubbles of light, as if the dancers were inside a glass of champagne. For grins, and because he'd seen delight in the eyes of his women staff members, he'd included fizzy pink champagne light.

Not only had his ever-growing staff painstakingly put together a long playlist of romantic, big band era music, they'd searched high and low for a suitable band, finally discovering a group of Immortals who quickly became enamored with the idea of playing together once again.

Yeah-grumbles, their price had been over the top, but Dante figured it was well worth it to make the New Year's Eve grand opening one to remember and treasure. Especially if... Kitty... his Kitty gorgeous in a beautiful gown that flowed over her sexy sweet curves... if... so far, he'd managed untraced calls to her, and his Kitty's advice in designing the interior of the Midnight Stardust had been invaluable.

Tortured with thoughts of his only love, Dante strode toward the supperclub's kitchen and winery. Hiring enough competent staff had been a real, chase-the-moon challenge, as had been the menu selections. After all, catering to the tastes of werewolves, humans, paranormals, and shapeshifters of every type, carnivore and herbivore, presented problems unknown in a strictly human establishment.

Dante swiped one hand through his waves of hair, pausing to take in the sight of the second tier tables all dressed in pristine white linen with golden taper candles inside a glass globe, waiting to be lit. He'd had one helluva of a time deciding on what scents to infuse the air with, eventually choosing to keep the air purified since the ladies would be wearing various fragrances and perfumes -- the men colognes. He'd also provided a large smoking room, separate from the rest of club, but splendid in its own right.

With the reservations pouring in, Dante figured he might break even. But that was the least of his concerns. It was getting the supperclub off on the right paw, a haven for those who enjoyed a sophisticated atmospheric night out.

To encourage patrons he'd hired several dance instructors for private or group lessons in ballroom dancing. He'd also made certain there would be gallant and gentlemanly dance partners for all the ladies who were unescorted. His Vampire friends, a special breed unlike Hollywood's version of the blood drinkers, had traveled from all over the world, especially willing to meet and dance with any available woman.

Dante grinned, recalling their palpable excitement as he'd told them about the Midnight Stardust. Of course, he'd promised them real blood wine, always a particularly good inducement, given their refined palates. As well, staying at the Pleasure Club and enjoying the amenities had worked its magic over them.

Having consulted Lamar about same-sex couples, Dante had made arrangements in that regard. Although, at this point, he didn't know how much interest there would be with all the other New Year's Eve celebrations happening around Talbot's Peak.

After a quick inspection of the kitchen and the food lockers simply to reassure himself, Dante poured a dark ale he favored into a tankard, then let the irresistible lure of his secure phone line to Kitty pull him in that direction. He had to tell her the wind machines she'd suggested for the four intimate balcony dancing areas, located on the third and top tier of the supperclub, provided a breezy and dreamy romancescape for couples in love, and falling in love.

Besides, he wanted find out what color she preferred most for an evening gown.
~~~~~~

~ Have a Magickal and Shapeshifting New Year's Eve ~

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
~~~~~~

Merry's Christmas

2011-12-26T14:41:00.000-06:00

A working horse and cattle ranch doesn’t stop working just because it’s Christmas. The stock doesn’t care if Santa’s coming; they still need to be fed, the stalls still need to be mucked out, and the million and one tasks that keep the ranch running still need to be done. Therefore, dawn on Christmas morning found Merry on horseback riding toward the upper pastures to make sure the Christmas eve snowfall hadn’t caused any hardship for the herds.

She gripped her mount’s mane and leaned across his neck to speak above the chilly winter wind into his ear. “We’ll take a look at the southwest first, then swing toward the top of the ridge. After we’ve checked on the cattle we can take a break at the line cabin, and I’ll call back to the office.”

Dash snorted to let her know he understood. He carried her himself; he refused to trust her safety to a normal horse. In his shifter form he was powerful and tireless, moreso than her regular mounts. If anything went wrong up here, he’d be right there to help out.

Of course, Merry considered through clenched teeth, riding a shifter did have its drawbacks. Dash wasn’t into bondage, so that meant no saddle or reins. He permitted a blanket to be strapped to his back for her comfort, but she had to hold onto his mane. The saddlebags carrying his clothes were tied just behind her. Since this sort of amounted to a backpack, his stallion’s pride allowed it.

At the first pasture they found the cattle bunched together and blowing steam from their nostrils. They appeared to have weathered the storm just fine. The ridge was clear of cattle. “They probably all headed downslope to get out of the wind,” Merry said, and Dash nodded agreement. “Head for the cabin. I’ll radio Race to haul up a couple of hay bales, just in case. I know he’s just itching to break out the Sno Cat. Kid loves it better than a horse.”

Dash muttered his low opinion of motorized vehicles and headed for the cabin.

At the little one-room line cabin Merry darted inside to fire up the woodstove, while Dash shifted and toweled the sweat and snow off his naked human body. By the time the snug little room had warmed, he was dressed and digging oatmeal and apples out of the saddlebags. “You have some too,” he ordered. “I know you skimped on breakfast.”

“I can eat any time. The cattle don’t always have that option.” Merry lifted the short-wave radio in its insulated case down from the cupboard. Cell phones were dicey out here in the cold, but the radio always got through. While Dash fixed their breakfast she contacted the ranch and reported the herd’s whereabouts and condition. “Race is on his way,” she said after she signed off. “I think he would have run the Sno Cat up here even if I hadn’t called in.”

“Waste of good hay. You know the deer are just gonna eat it.”

“Maybe some elk, too. I wouldn’t mind seeing elk on the range. Give the guests something to look at when we open up again in the spring.”

“What, the unicorn ain’t enough?”

“The unicorn’s retired. Guests with guns and high-powered scopes we don’t need.” Merry made sure to hug him to take the sting out of her order. “Maybe in the summer. We can have a Valentine’s Day in June or something.”

“Or,” Dash suggested with his big horsy grin, “we could have one right now.”

“You need your energy to get back down the mountain.”

“I got energy and then some. We’ll make it.”

“If not,” Merry teased, running her fingers through his thick mane, “maybe Race could give us a ride back on the Sno Cat.”

“You sure know how to wreck a man’s mood, woman.”

“I’m only thinking of you. You’ve been plowing through snow uphill all morning. Those big, strong muscles of yours need a br – ”

Dash jerked his head around, a split second before Merry’s less-keen human ears picked up a noise outside. It was a familiar enough sound, but had no business being here. The sound of hooves clomping through snow, and the snort and mutter of horses.

“You expecting company?” Dash said.

Unicorn hunters flashed through Merry’s mind. She reached for the rifle she always carried with her on her trips into the hills. Dash went unarmed, but only in his human shape. “Don’t shift just yet. Let’s see what we got first.”

She couldn’t see a thing through the heat-fogged windows. Dash slid the door open a crack, then flung it wide. “Well,” he said, amused. “Come say hi to the neighbors.”

Merry peered beyond his brawny shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat.

Only yards from the cabin door, a stocky paint stallion studied them warily, nostrils flared and ears tipped forward. He must have cut their trail, caught Dash’s scent and come to investigate. Merry glimpsed several more horses peeking back at them from the edge of the woods, mares and yearlings in their shaggy winter coats, blowing softly.

Merry clutched at Dash’s arm. “Are they … ?”

“Ain’t my kind,” he murmured back. “They’re the real deal.” He neighed a reassurance to the stallion. “Merry Christmas, cuz. I won’t come after your ladies.” He draped his arm around Merry. “Got my own.”

The paint shook his head while he puzzled over Dash’s semi-equine scent. Abruptly he snorted and whirled. His band galloped after him. They vanished over the rise.

Dash had to close the door; Merry was too stunned to move. Her eyes shown like a child’s on, well, on Christmas morning. “They’re back,” she breathed. “The mustangs. After all these years.”

“Word must’a got out about what a great range we got here. And under a unicorn’s protection and all.” He laughed briefly. “Bet I know where Race’s hay is going.”

“Wild horses on the ridge again. Just like when I was a girl.” She threw her arms around Dash’s neck and hugged him tight. “This is the best Christmas present ever.”

“Second best.” Dash tugged at the buttons on her blouse. “You’re about to get the best. Gotta warm you up again, now that we went and let all the heat out.”

Merry giggled and made no attempt to stop him. “What about breakfast?”

He laid her out on the grizzly skin in front of the woodstove. “It’ll keep.”

Sure enough, it did.

Merry Christmas Talbot's Peak Style

2011-12-24T00:01:00.001-06:00

“I’m supposed to what?” Gil ground out through clenched teeth. His patience was wearing thin quickly and the last item he needed was a screwball request from Lamar. “Look snake breath, where do you get these---“

“I’d think twice about who is calling names nutsy. I saved your scrawny squirrel carcass more than once out in the woods. Even Jamie says you owe me.” Lamar looked over his reading glasses and stared straight at Gil. Gil gulped and forced himself to breathe.

“Look Gil,” Louie began. “We’re in this for the kids. Some of us use to believe in Santa. Some of us still attend religious rituals. A few kids right now need to know that believing in themselves is okay. So stop complaining.”

Gil rocked back on the chair he occupied. Louie had closed the diner early to allow a dress rehearsal of Lamar’s holiday pageant. His twelve howling days of Christmas was a hit at the old folk’s home and with the local schools. Humans and shifters alike filled the seats each night. The five bucks a head price brought out Talbot’s Peak’s finest. What surprised Gil was the amount of money that filled the buckets as they passed through the crowd night after night. Lamar knew a good thing. Problem was how did Gil convince them his morphing into a decent sized squirrel who could play the babe in the manager for their living nativity scene didn’t happen at the drop of a full moon? Thanks to his screwed up attempts at magic and his latest mess up trying to date a local witch who told him she would see hell freeze over before she made any move to assist him, he wasn’t sure what he’d shift into.

“I’d love to help the kids out. But Louie. . .” Gil gulped. Between Lamar’s snake-eyes stare and Louie’s I ain’t taking no shit glare, saying no was not an answer. Come full moon, Gil prayed as though he had faith that someone or something was listening to his deep plea to save his puny arse and soon. Some fool had turned up the volume on the diner’s television.

“That’s the local forecast. Clear and a full moon for the next three nights over Christmas here on the peak. Happy Howlidays everyone!”

“Now are you in or out?” Lamar’s emphasis on in told Gil he’d been drafted whether he actually agreed or not.

“Okay, I’m in. I can’t promise you a miracle. Remember I got me cursed and trying to correct it hasn’t yielded any control over my size and morphing when I want. Only the moon controls that.” There he’d said it. Let his secret out. Silence greeted him. Gil looked up, to his right and left.

Lamar’s glasses landed on the table as he leaned forward. Louie’s smile probably hid his laughter. So much for acceptance amongst true shifters. Gil scooted his chair back ready to bolt, his mind tallying up what he could shove in his car and still get out of town with his skin and fur intact.

“No problem according to the weatherman. Let’s talk about what you need to do in order to get this right.” Lamar motioned Louie toward him.

“Great, you had to open your mouth,” Gil muttered to himself. His voice muffled any external noise. Not that he’d hear much stashed in the diner’s windowless storeroom. Twenty-four hours in this dank dark, hellhole and he wondered who’d was crazier Louie or Lamar. Shit, he had to be since he agreed to this. If his sense of time was correct, the moon was reaching its zenith and full light right about now. Someone had to open the door for their hair brained idea to work. Getting him to the playhouse under wraps still remained to be done. No one was stuffing him in another cramped box like they’d tried last night.

“Come one Louie,” he began; pounding on what he thought was a door or maybe a wall. “Let me out.”

The door opened. Light flooded the room spilling on to him. Crap, moonlight! Moans and groans filled the air and bits of fur spattered the illuminated floor.

Gil heaved himself off the floor. He ran out the open door. He caught his reflection on the large freezer door near him. Double crap! He’d morphed. Great, he’d have to use plan two.

Twenty minutes later, Gil reached the playhouse. Thank powers that be, Louie had left his customized mini bike close by. And the racing leathers and helmet were in his locker.

Gil raced down the aisle leading to the stage. He jumped over the feet and legs of patrons squirming in their seats waiting for the pageant to start. Under the curtain and back stage, he ran looking for Marissa. She had his costume and props ready. “Hey Marissa over here,” Gil squeaked running up the table leg near her.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Talbot’s Peak’s Twelve Days of Christmas and our living crèche scene.” Lamar nodded and stepped to the side as the curtain rose.

“Look Mama, the baby in the manager is a squirrel.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Be safe and sane! Keep your loves and spices close by!

HAPPY YULE! MERRY SOLSTICE!

SOLARA

Holiday Hmmmm...From the Desk of Ziva

2011-12-23T04:00:00.000-06:00

Do you want to leave a little something for Santaunder the tree this year? Why not wrapit in candy canes…a sweet to entice both teeth and tongue.

Or, are Reindeer more to your liking? Watch out for the horn.

Ziva clicked and paste, chuckling as she postedholiday outfits, Christmas Cheer and (not so) Little Johnny’s take on the famed TheNight Before Christmas. Gah, but thecubs grew up fast in Talbot’s Peak.

She knew the poem would make Nick grumble and groan,but that, in fact, was why she posted some bit of silliness every year. Nick needed to grumble and groan; to moan andgrowl and do all the good things that led up to releasing his alpha nature.

Hopefully, all over her.

With the holidays upon them, it has been far too longsince either had found an acceptable release, but Ziva was out to change that…andthis post to the G&B site was bound to be a start.

‘Twasthe night before Christmas, when all through the cave
Not a wee littlecreature stirred, none were that brave;
The stockings werechewed with the utmost of care,
In hopes of impressingthe rest of the lair;
The cubs were allnestled in one great big pile,
While visions of killswere making them smile;
With my females coatnow starting to nap,
I had just settleddown for a long winters lap,
When out in the woodsthe beta’s did holler,
I sprang to all fours and whipped out a coller.
Away to the entrance Iloped with some speed
Remembering, thankgoodness, to jump over cub pee.
The moon up above itcalled me by name
And whispered sweetnothings which were really quite tame,
When, what to my leery eyes should appear,
But a miniaturesleigh, and eight yummy reindeer,
With a portly olddriver, not lively or quick,
I wondered for amoment was this St. Nick?
More rapid than eaglesbut less speedy than pack,
He whistled, and shouted, and lay whip down,hard upon their back;
"Now, Dasher!now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid!on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the hills! Above trees somassive!
Rise up your ass’ thatare so excessively gas’ive”

As dry leaves did ignite, oooh, what a sight,

The fat bastard escaped without even a bite!

~better watch out little johnny, better not cry...Santa's hot on your ass and you know why! Your friend, Z

Now, let me leave you with a Christmas Cheer to sharewith your herbivore friends this holiday?

· 1/2 shot Eggnog

· 1/2 shot Peppermint Schnapps

Stir it up and shoot it down. HO! HO!HO! You’ve got Christmas w/a piney twist. **And to all you carnies out there, add a couple drops of red wine and thinkabout the little critter you had before joining the party.**

Happy Holidays!

Ziva

Santas I want to Come Down My Chimney Day

2011-12-21T12:08:00.013-06:00

Happy Holidays, shape shifter lovers! We are right in the middle of the holiday season. Hanukkah started last night at sun-down, tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, Friday is Festivus, and Sunday is Christmas. I'm sure there's an "official" holiday for today, but I don't know what it is. So I am declaring today, December 21, "Santas I Want to Come Down My Chimney" Day. The one pictured above and bring is sexy, pouty-mouthed elf, too!

First off, Will Smith in I Robot... but as Santa. Just think of all the wonderfull good cop-bad cop Christmas games that could come out of that. Yum!

Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie Jarhead... as is. I did not want to watch that movie. I felt a bit like a criminal when I snuck glances over my sholder before rewinding it to watch Jakey-baby dancing around nakid wearing only a santa hat in stratigic places. Double yum!

Billy Bob Thornton is probably the only man on Earth who can make a creepy mall santa sexy. He is the ultimate bad boy in the flick, Bad Santa. And I would love very much to be his naughty little helper!

No folks, I am not into dead guys. But young Michael Jackson as santa makes for the ultimate "May-December" romance, yes? And the nice but naughtly come-hither look in his eyes in this photo is hot enough to melt Fostey in all the right places!

...a real nice gift from Santa...

2011-12-20T04:51:00.013-06:00

Howliday greetings, shapeshifter lovers.

The Winter Solstice, that magical time of year when the light returns, is now upon us. The Christmas season, a miraculous time of the year, will highlight the miracles that are about to play out in 2012. This prediction is directly from Volcano, my cherub hero in When a Good Angel Falls.

I wish one and all the merriest holiday season.
~~~~~~

...a real nice gift from Santa...

"Who gives an elf?" Srynna grumbled as she wriggled down the sooty narrow chimney. What a gig, leaving toys for good shapeshifter girls and boys -- actually gift certificates, good for any store in Talbot's Peak.

Yeah, holly jolly, this was Christmas eve hell. At around 110 pounds she could just see herself hoisting an enormous Santa Klaus bag while sneakily moving from house to house, unscented by keen-nosed predator types -- at least, the gift certificates were tucked close in a small waist pouch.

Sure she could morph to invisible for short periods of time, avoiding detection, but that didn't include a bulky bag. Frigging cold, on the verge of exhaustion, and with hunger sticking her belly to her backbone, Srynna wasn't in a merry, festive mood. It's not like most shifters expected Santa, and left out cookies and milk.

Thank the good Christmas fairy -- who she knew personally -- this was her last stop.

"Stuff the holly wreathe up your..." she muttered as she squirmed, and suppressed the urge to sneeze from the dust and soot.

How Dante had talked her into this... well, because as a half-human she'd needed the money, and the werewolf could be charm itself when he wanted. Plus, with the promise of a plum job at his newest club, the Midnight Stardust... Srynna just hadn't been able to refuse.

So, here she was nearly trapped, about to have a coughing fit, about to wake up a whole household full of --

Suddenly, Srynna plummeted downward. A scream exploded up her throat, but was somewhat muffled by the chimney. With a hard bruising thump, she landed square on her butt. An ember that hadn't completely died burned through her thin slippery breeches, and she shrieked in pain.

With survival in mind, Srynna slapped at her hind end until the smell of smoke lessened. She scrambled out of the fairly large hearth only to smack into something she couldn't see, something very furry. As it toppled, she tumbled over it, and realized it must be a giant stuffed toy.

Performing a flip to regain her feet and get the crap out of this den of possible horrors, as in her being featured for Christmas dinner, Srynna felt the needles of a real pine tree prick her face. Unable to stop her momentum, she crashed full-on into the huge, heavily decorated Christmas tree.

With a screech of pure panic, she wrestled the confining, needle-sharp boughs trying to make good her escape. The string of lights fought back, tangling around her like a ball of mating snakes. Simultaneously, the decorative bulbs pummeled her when they didn't break into painful shards.

Struggling harder to free herself, all Srynna got for her valiant effort was the mighty pine on top of her, the victor. Buried beneath the tree alive, and entombed by sizeable Christmas presents, she desperately tried to think of a way to escape this deck-the-halls hell.

Even if she could untangle herself, and crawl her way through the maze of heavy limbs, Srynna realized she couldn't vanish to save herself. Her energy was sapped.

Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. She'd allowed herself to hope her future would be brighter once she arrived in Talbot's Peak. Her kind, an ancient elf and human lineage, had barely avoided being eradicated once the age of machines had begun, and the old ways of magick faded.

Now that magick returned as the dominant force, her kind was still not welcome in most elfin communities. She'd been welcomed by Dante and his crew, and had even begun to feel as though she fit in... now...

With a strangled sob, Srynna twisted trying to ease her way out of the imprisoning light strings. Feeling a draft of air, she stilled. The tree rose as if hauled upward by the hand of a compassionate angel.

But she knew better. Feral eyes, bright as the Christmas tree lights if they'd been turned on, cut through the room's inky darkness. Their amber-emerald beam landed directly on her.

"Now that's what I call a real nice gift from Santa," a lazy deep voice drawled.

Despite her fluttering heartbeat, and the icy fear racing through her, Srynna snapped, "I am not a gift."

"Oh?" the obviously wolfen voice asked. She watched the tree settle against the fireplace mantle. Then those predator eyes slowly devoured her whole before she heard, "I beg to differ. You look like the perfect tasty gift to me," he paused and loosely folded his... were those brawny hunky arms? "Although, little elf, the trip down the chimney did take its toll on your pretty holiday wrapping."

"I told you I am not... never mind. If you would kindly get me out of these lights, I'll leave the gift certificate... and, and be on my way... on my merry way," she added, hoping 'in the spirit of the season' he would let her go.

"Dante didn't tell me he was sending such a fetching little elf. He only said not to mistake you for prey."

"How do you... I mean Dante told me he hadn't..." Srynna gulped hard. "This was supposed to be a secret Santa sort of thing."

"I work at the club. Overheard him recruiting you. But I missed the best part. Seeing you, little elf." He'd stressed 'seeing' in that turn-a-girl-on growly voice of his

"I'm not an el..." But why explain anything to the bare-chested, and from what else she could see in the darkness -- why explain anything to the eye-candy, overly handsome werewolf?

Yeah, so her ears were pointed. And, even if she was from an elfin lineage, being called an elf was worse than a curse word to her, given how often she and her kin had been ostracized. When all they'd wanted was a home, a place to be, and belong.

Suddenly bending toward her, he swept his gaze over her length. "Are you hurt?"

"Hurt," she burst out. "How could I be hurt? The chimney was too small, then widened and I fell 'hard' onto a live ember. Of course, I'm a dreadful mess. Hurt? After stumbling over that furry beast you call a toy, your Christmas tree tried to murder me..."

His mouth caught hers, his kiss so warm and enveloping, Srynna let herself kiss him back. Then, before she knew it, his lips deserted hers, and he was unwinding the light string, his touch tender and surprisingly efficient.

"Damn good thing, everyone else is at the grandparents. Your fall from grace, my cute Christmas elf, would have woken up the dead."

"Why? Are you zombie by night?" She'd fired wild with that silly zombie remark, but frazzled didn't even cover the state of her nerves.

"Sleep like a zombie sometimes." Gently, he unwound the last of light string from her ankle. "Don't think I'll be sleeping now." Clasping her waist with both hands, he swung her upward, and she dangled before him like a new toy. "You're bleeding," he stated the obvious.

Bristling, Srynna snarked, "That's what happens when you're the victim of a vicious Christmas tree attack."

As he continued to hold her before him with ease, inspecting her with his gaze, Srynna wondered just how strong the wolf beast was. She certainly felt like his prize doll.

"I'll take full responsibility for my rabid Christmas tree, little elf. Zhangar is my name, Srynna."

So Dante had told him her name. Just elf-ing great.

"Let's get you taken care of and cleaned up." His gaze met hers, flaring with what could only be described as ravenous, eat-her-up desire.

Oh, help me please... any good-hearted fairy.

"I don't want to be cleaned up. I want to leave. I'll just leave... leave the gift certificate and --"

"What kind of gentleman would I be? If I didn't take care of all your scrapes and bruises. Dante would have my furry hide," he added after a moment. Amusement definitely colored his tone. Not any fear of his alpha boss.

"I was feeling lonely," he continued, his voice gruffly sexy, "playing Santa and setting everything up. But I'm not complaining now because I want to unwrap my gift in private."

With that he spun her around, and lifted her higher. As she hung like his personal ornament, Srynna could palpably feel his gaze on her butt. And she knew he didn't only check her burned cheek.

"Thank you, Big Red Guy," he rasped.

The next thing she knew, he was pressing a soft kiss on the blistered area. Srynna stilled, stunned by the sudden turn of events. When he slowly, patiently licked her exposed flesh, she realized two things. He was healing her burn, and she'd never felt so wanton in her entire life.

With her breath coming out in needy bursts, Srynna grabbed hold of his hands with her much smaller ones. Her butt moved of its own volition closer to his mouth. "Oh, more," she panted out.
~~~~~~

~ Have a Magickal and Shapeshifting Winter Solstice ~

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

Not the Marian Kind

2011-12-19T10:50:00.000-06:00

The Talbot’s Peak Library doesn’t see much action. Between cable TV, video games and the Internet, who has time for books? They’re ancient and outmoded and no self-respecting (and peer-aware) kid would be caught dead with an actual one in their book bag. The library’s for old geezers looking for a warm place out of the wind, and cash-poor students with laptops looking for free Internet.

People figure the same holds true for the Talbot’s Peak librarian. Evie’s a sweet girl, but, well, she’s a librarian, and you know what that means. Shut up all the time in a drafty old building with musty books for company, and liking it that way. She dresses the part, in demure skirts and primly-buttoned blouses and reading glasses on a chain around her neck, so all the rumors must be true. It’s a pity, because she’s still young enough to catch herself a man if she’d only make the effort. Mutters and headshakes accompany the compassionate looks passers-by give the building.

Evie’s scanning returned DVDs into the system when she hears the front door open. It’s early afternoon, the traditional dead time when she’s able to catch up on her cataloging. A pack of oldsters has taken over the reading room, as they do most days after lunch. They’ll hog the chairs and the newspapers and argue about everything from politics to Medicare, and drive everybody away until around three, when school kids allegedly bent on research will pop in to meet with their friends and drive the old men out in turn. There’s one guy using the computers, a nervous sort hunched in his chair with his nose only inches from the screen. Evie thinks he might be a ferret, and figures he’s surfing for porn. There are no kids around, so for the time being she’ll let him get away with it.

The man heading for the circulation desk makes her sit up and set her glasses aside. Grayson Chase knows how to fill out an EMT uniform quite nicely. People say he’s not a full wolf shifter, because of the one blue eye. Evie knows better. He’s got the distinctive alpha walk, that unique gait that makes him look like he’s stalking prey with every intention of catching it. She props her elbow on the counter and her chin in her hand and watches every step of that sexy walk carry him up to the desk.

“Anything I can help you with?” she asks in a husky voice.

“I’m looking for a book,” he says, in that wolfy growl that can curl a girl’s toes right on back to her heels. “I’m not sure of the title. I think it’s under History.”

“Of course, sir. If you’ll follow me?”

She feels his hot breath on the nape of her neck as they pass the computer terminals. The ferret never looks up. Evie navigates the shelves with a sure step and unerring sense of direction. Their destination puts them within earshot of the oldsters, an easy trick as the men tend to shout. “That’s a crock of scat, you old goat.”

“Who are you calling a goat, dogbreath?”

“If the beard fits, Billy.”

Under cover of their argument Evie murmurs, “Can you recall the subject matter? That would help narrow it down.”

He’s right beside her, nuzzling her neck. She leans into him. He always smells delicious. A ragged little growl builds in her throat.

“A history of illicit lovers,” he whispers, and licks her cheek.

That’s all she needs. Her hand has his fly down before he finishes the sentence. His hand hikes her skirt up her thigh. They sink to the carpet in tandem, shielded from view by the towering shelves. As always, part of Evie hopes someone will happen by. The constant threat of discovery adds zest to the act.

She picked this job deliberately when she came to Talbot’s Peak. She wanted to disappear. Libraries are nice and anonymous. Play up to people’s expectations, dress and act the part, and it’s easy to become invisible. Aware of everyone and everything, while passing under all the various radars. Coyotes are tricky that way.

Of course Chase found her again. It wasn’t the first time he’d lived up to his name. Was she secretly happy he’d tracked her down? Does the Mayor eat bananas?

“Hey. Hold up a second, Billy. You hear something?”

“That’s just the pipes. When are they gonna turn up the heat? It’s always so dang cold in here.”

Evie’s not cold. She’s deliciously warm, here on the floor in Chase’s arms. Chase removes the hand he used to muffle her cries and blocks her mouth with a kiss instead. The hand came into play after the lunch room incident, when people outside heard her howls. Now everyone thinks the library’s haunted. Hey, coyotes sing when they’re happy. Look it up.

“I’m afraid we don’t have that book here, sir,” she says when he finally releases her mouth. “I’ll have to request it from another branch.”

“How long will that take?”

“A couple of days. Come back Thursday.”

He helps her up. They tug each other’s clothing back into place and walk hand in hand to the circulation desk. The oblivious ferret hasn’t budged.

“I may need another book,” he tells her once she’s back behind the desk. “One on dog training. I’ve got this bitch that insists on yapping at the most inopportune times.”

“That’s easy to correct.” Evie reaches into a drawer and pulls out a bondage magazine. “Page 67. Muzzles work wonders. You can also roll this up and swat her with it.”

“I’ll give it a try.” He rolls up the magazine and leans across the desk to whack her lightly on the fanny. “Harder than that,” she growls. “Make it worth her while.”

“Not today. Maybe Thursday.” The ferret’s not looking, so he swoops in and plunges his tongue in her mouth. Every time’s still as exciting as the first. She toys with the idea of running again, just so he can pursue her.

Or maybe she’ll just stay put this time. Do a little chasing of her own.

He flicks her a lazy salute and a grin and strolls out of the library. Evie looses a contended sigh and returns to her computer cataloguing.

People say a lot of negative things about libraries and librarians. They should remember an even older saying: Never judge a book by its cover.

Ooh Santa Baby!!

2011-12-17T00:01:00.001-06:00

Josh pulled his Santa hat lower and reminded himself to breath. Too many women in one room ogling a nude male sent ripples of apprehension racing through him. Sex for the sake of sex wasn’t bad, it just- - -

“Look at this one, Doris. Isn’t he delicious?” The voice belonged to a woman in her mid-thirties he bet. How had Tory gotten him to say yes to a living art display? Where did charity come into play when he had to sit on this bale of hay and get poked in his arse and balls for three hours a night for the next week?

Cracking one eye, Josh looked to his left. Poor Anthony, he stood wearing a G-string and firefighters’ hat holding a hose. And someone had put a condom over the end of the hose. Lords and Ladies, who was the politically straight one in the bunch? Biting his lip, Josh struggled to keep from laughing.

It ain’t that funny.

Anthony’s voice boomed through Josh’s mind. Ever since they’d completed their commitment ceremony with Tory under the light of the full moon on Samhain, the psychic connection between them had grown stronger and fuller. Having sex and knowing what went unvocalized still unnerved him. Tory’s sweet fantasies grew bolder and hotter. Watching her blush as he came over her hard and wet with his pre-cum turned him on more than he imagined wanting a woman could be.

But it is. Who put that damn rubber on the hose? What a waste!

Josh tried to keep still, but Anthony’s mental snort and laugh was more than Josh could bear. His nose started itching and his eyes watering, oh shit someone had gotten alfalfa hay. The one thing he was very allergic to. How was he supposed to sit still and not itch? Much less not sneeze?

“Talk about hotties. I’ll take one of each and play touchie feelie all night for sure.” Two more women stopped and ogled with their disposable cameras. Tory and Sally were collecting them at the end of the tour. Digital prints were available for a price. Extra prints sold by the sheet with proceeds from both going to charity as well.

Tory love, who the fuck got the damn alfalfa? My nose is ready to sneeze and my balls itch! How much longer?

Tory’s soft giggles reached his ears. Raising his eyes as he blinked, Josh found her. She stood close to the entrance. Two women were talking animatedly to her. If someone didn’t get him an antihistamine soon, he’d be streaking and sneezing his way to the office in wolf form, snow be damned.

Easy love, your fifteen minute break is coming as soon as I get these two out the door. You’re supposed to be sitting on a towel.

What towel? That miniscule piece of cloth someone left on this blasted itchy square? My arse is- - -

Oh, stop fussing Josh. Try standing here with a piece of elastic up the crack of your ass and your balls tight to your dick for no reason. This damn G-string has got to go.

Tory grabbed the two remaining women’s arms pulling them with her toward the front entrance. Shaking her head, she winked at Sally as she passed. Sally’s knowing smile and nod had Tory rolling her eyes. A loud growl roared through the back portion of the exhibit. Tory turned.

Sally moved forward. “I’ll take care of them. Mike’s alter ego must have decided raw meat was too good to refuse. Let’s get a move on ladies before he decides to try other delicacies as well.”

Tory hurried toward the last exhibit at the end of the long hall housing all the displays. Who’d put raw meat in front of shifter?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HOWLIDAYS!! AND FESTIVE SOLSTICE!!

May your yule log burn bright and your celebration be filled with love and happiness!

SOLARA

Santa Baby, Several Stars Away ~ Holiday Shapeshifter Romance

2011-12-15T12:22:00.009-06:00

~ A Short Shapeshifter Erotic Romance for Christmas ~

Consumed by curiosity, Kaily gives herself to a mystery man for Christmas.

Will Dylan be able to resist her waiting naked, but gift-wrapped beneath his tree?

Excerpt ~

Chapter One:

Santa Baby, Waitin' Just for You

Rarely reckless, Kaily flung off the negligee she'd first thought to wear. It landed in a red ephemeral heap beside the tastefully trimmed Christmas tree.

So what if she'd just broken into his house...well, she hadn't exactly broken in...more like she spied on him until she found out where he hid the extra key...lodged in a crack of the frame above the door of the Victorian mansion he'd resurrected from certain crumbling death, and now obviously treasured.

There was only one thing Kaily could see amiss in the traditional holiday atmosphere he'd created with the help of the town's local historical club -- a garish red ribbon. The long sash had a simple bow attached to one end, and practically shone despite the low lighting.

Kaily stared at the unexpected invitation.

Certainly, the river of red ribbon didn't belong on the floor as a decoration, and she couldn't see anywhere else it belonged...except wrapped around her.

Since she was giving herself to him as a gift for Christmas...well, why not?

Wildly inspired, Kaily plucked up what looked to be about three yards of ribbon. After strategically emphasizing her full breasts, she arranged it around her naked body. Naked that is, except for her gold ankle bracelet, her 'I want to seduce you earrings'...and a whimsical pair of faux-fur trimmed santa boots.

Heck, Kaily reasoned, if he was gay he might just chuckle a ho-ho-ho, and turn it all into big ole joke...and she'd turn her bare tail, and escape as quick as possible. If he wasn't gay, but didn't want to take what she was offering, Kaily hoped he would have a holly jolly laugh at her expense as he politely showed her to the door.

It was all too true, her curiosity raged out of control even causing her sleepless nights. The object of her desire had sauntered into Kaily's small town last December. He'd paid cash on the spot for the dilapidated but proud old Victorian mansion, according to Becky Starks the one realtor.

With a vengeance, and despite the winter weather, Sexy Strange Man as she'd thought of him then had set about restoring the mansion. He'd also made certain to gain the good will of everyone in town...well, almost everyone.

Nessie Jones, the town's librarian, didn't like Dylan. Of course, Nessie didn't like anyone anyway, for whatever reason she could find. The love of her life was books and a mystery man she claimed to be married to that no one ever saw.

Behind Dylan's back, Nessie always curled her lip and wrinkled her nose, as if his deodorant had failed in its job...which might be case, since he always smelled smoky and impossibly virile to Kaily.

Even though she did try to avoid him, because of her obsession with knowing more about him why make herself look like a prize-trussed fool in front of everyone by groping him with questions still, they were always running into each other, and Kaily always became turned-on, and positively inebriated by his scent.

Okay yes, Kaily admitted, now she did look good and trussed up, the way the length of red ribbon wound around her body. At least, by what she could see. There was a slice of her reflection in the tall narrow mirror near the fireplace mantle.

With the bow dangling from one hand, Kaily wondered if she should position it over her well-furred pussy not completely covered by the ribbon. Or maybe, the large showy bow should nestle between the swells of her breasts...or be placed like a centerpiece above her ample-enough cleavage.

"Ooooh...Santa baby, waitin' just for you," she crooned like the song, then pursed her lips in an attempt to look sexy.
~~~~~~

Blurb:

Kaily has been consumed by curiosity ever since Dylan suddenly appears in her small town. Surreptitiously, she watches the mystery man restore a rundown Victorian mansion, all while his charm and sincerity gain him the good will of most everyone. This is especially true when he volunteers to become the annual Santa Claus for the children at the town's park.

The problem for Kaily: No one really knows anything about Dylan's past or where he came from. With her attraction to him growing day by day, she becomes a driven woman. On a desperate whim, she gives herself to him as a Christmas present. Will Dylan be able to resist her waiting naked, but gift-wrapped beneath his tree?
~~~~~~

Now Available for 99 cents at ~ SMASHWORDS & AMAZON

Coming Soon to other ebook vendors.

~~~~~~

Have the merriest of holidays!

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

Best Fish Story Ever!

2011-12-14T11:05:00.009-06:00

This is the best fish story EVER! I found this on Face Book. I know not everyone does the FB thing, so I'm going to cross-post the whole thing with pictures. This story comes from the Second Chance Ranch in Washington State.

********************************************

Some fishing stories are a little hard to believe, But this guy has pictures to prove his story...

Tom Satre told the Sitka Gazette that he was out with a charter group on his 62-foot fishing vessel when four juvenile black-tailed deer swam directly toward his boat.
"Once the deer reached the boat, the four began to circle the boat, looking directly at us. We could tell right away that the young bucks were distressed.

I opened up my back gate and we helped the typically skittish and absolutely wild animals onto the boat. In all my years fishing, I've never seen anything quite like it!

“Once on-board, they collapsed with exhaustion, shivering. We headed for Taku Harbour. Once we reached the dock, the first
buck that we had been pulled from the water hopped onto the dock, looked back as if to say 'thank you' and disappeared into the forest.”

After a bit of prodding and assistance, two more followed, but the smallest deer needed a little more help (that’s him in the wheelbarrow).

My daughter, Anna, and son, Tim, helped the last buck to its feet. We didn't know how long they had been in the icy waters or if there had been others who did not survive. My daughter later told me that the experience was something that she would never forget, and I suspect the deer felt the same way as well!"