Six Sentence Sunday

This week’s contribution to Six Sentence Sunday comes from my novel Destined Hearts, a 73,000 word contemporary romance novel published in 2008. To find out more about this book, and read an excerpt, visit the Destined Hearts Book Page on my website.

It grew quiet and Caitlyn chewed her bottom lip. Her imagination ran wild with wondering what he was doing and she peeked through the crack in the doors, thinking he’d left the room.

She was wrong of course. He’d turned his back to her. Her eyes widened when he pushed his pants down over his hips.

The sight of his naked backside met her gaze and her mouth gaped open.

Check out the other Six Sentence Sunday Participants or follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter.

All material &copy2005-2012 to Lily Graison

Friday Flash Fiction

I’m going to try to keep this up weekly as well, so for today, I have an piece from one of my many WIP stories.

This week’s theme: Sword

The Warlord by Lily Graison
(571 words – excerpt from WIP story, The Warlord)

Brielle knew her death would be swift as warriors ran like locust across the battlefield. They darkened the horizon, their battle cries roared in her ears and froze her body in fear. A month of training wasn’t enough regardless of what Dalek told her. Years of it wouldn’t have prepared her for this.

“Remember what I’ve taught you,” Dalek said. “The fear will only kill you faster. Keep your eye on the enemy and aim true. You’re a warrior now. Think like one.”

She looked to her left, glancing at him by her side.

“Stick by my side and run if you have to.”

She nodded her head and steadied her nerves. She could do this. She had to.

Stiffening her spine, she pushed her helmet up again. Her sword felt heavy suddenly, her body fatigued.

Inhaling deeply, she turned and faced the rushing army. How she’d survived this long was a miracle in itself. Weeks hiding amongst these warriors and she still stood. Her body ached, her mind numb in fear, yet every new battle was a test of her endurance. If her father could only see her now. Would he praise her for her resilience or curse her for her stupidity?

With a battle cry of her own, Brielle hefted the sword above her head, swinging it in a wide arch when she was rushed. She focused on her target, dodging his blows and wielding her own as she’d been taught.

She was half blind by the helmet she had stolen. The heavy piece constricted her line of sight and hindered more than it helped. She pushed it up with her shoulder, turned and deflected a blow swung at her back.

Time stood still, her actions one of practiced determination and just enough skill to have let her survive as long as she had. The men rushing down the hill overwhelmed them in minutes. The fallen men at her feet she knew were the lucky ones. They’d not have to suffer the way she would if she were found.

A roar loud enough to shake the ground caught everyone off guard and the battle slowed to a standstill. Brielle turned when the others did, peering behind them as the sound of clanking metal and harsh battle cries drifted across the valley.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I’m not sure,” Dalek said. “Stay behind me.”

Men numbering in the hundreds topped the hill. Brielle could only gape when they rushed the field, leaving nothing in their wake but turned earth behind them. Those around her ran, some to face the men coming toward them, others fleeing.

“Oh goddess, help us,” she whispered.

Dalek held his swords in front of him. Crouching low to the ground. She took a step behind him, mimicking his movement. When he straightened all of a sudden, and turned his head to look at her, she raised an eyebrow in question.

“The hill,” he said.

Brielle looked back up the rise. A lone warrior on a horse now sat there and she watched him in rapt fascination. His silhouette against the dying sun made him appear larger than life. He was broad shouldered, sitting tall upon his horse. His black armor held an unearthly gleam in the filtered light as he viewed the scene below. It only took her a breath to realize he was the man the others spoke of in hushed whispers.

The Warlord.

To read my other Flash Fictions, head over to my website and visit the Flash Fiction Page.

All material &copy2005-2012 to Lily Graison

Tuesday Teaser

I’ll be sharing Teasers on Tuesday with you all and today, is an excerpt from Wicked: Tempt Me Not, Book 1 in the Wicked series.

Devin Shaw, front man for the band, Wicked, is forced into seclusion by his manager after his destructive behavior almost destroys the band. Sent to a remote cabin alone isn’t Devin’s idea of fun, but to save his career, he’ll do what it takes.

Holly Baker, escaping the hassles of her big city life, arrives in the mountains of Tennessee and awaits the arrival of her friend, Roxy, to start their two-week vacation. Their plans change drastically when Roxy is called away at the last minute, leaving Holly to fend for herself.

Devin and Holly’s worlds collide when a mix up strands them in the same cabin. Alone with nothing but each other for companionship, how will Holly react when she realizes she’s trapped with none other than the hottest lead singer the country has seen in years? Will Devin be able to work with a constant distraction the pretty brunette offers? Or will the two discover that sometimes temptation is a wicked dessert best served hot!

Excerpt

Devin wrote down the next string of notes and tossed his pen down, staring at what he’d written. He played it again, satisfied with the way it sounded.

He looked at the page again, shaking his head in disgust before laying his guitar down. Half an hour and he’d written a whole two lines. Every time he got a good rhythm going, thoughts of Holly would sidetrack him and he forgot everything he’d just played.

This is exactly why Curt wanted him alone. Any distraction, especially a woman, and his time would be wasted. Curt may be an ass at times, but he knew what he was talking about.

Thoughts of Holly still rattled through his head. He didn’t know what to do about their current situation. She hadn’t mentioned it this morning but he assumed his little stunt at breakfast might have been why. She’d barely spoken three words to him.

He still didn’t know why he felt the need to irritate her. Maybe because he was used to fucking girls blind and leaving them right where they lay? The last woman he actually talked to was his ex and she turned out to be just another groupie trying to find a free ride. Holly was far from groupie material.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he looked to the stairs.

His mouth watered an instant later.

Holly was at the top of the stairs in nothing more than tiny scraps of red material. The bathing suit she wore had to be the most sinful thing he’d seen in years.

He loved it.

Two small triangles placed over her breast were just big enough to cover her nipples, which were pebbled to perfection and clearly seen through the thin material. Round, firm, golden breast met his gaze; he licked his lips involuntarily as she took the first step down.

Her stomach was taut; a slim waist gave way to full hips and tantalizing thighs. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to have them wrapped around his head while she rode his face.

She reached the bottom of the stairs, never once turning her head to look at him, and he nearly moaned out loud when she passed the sofa and he saw her backside. The g-string bottom made her ass look delectable. The sun had definitely kissed this goddess in places he wanted to explore himself. Her wiggling little ass begged him to touch it…and he would before the week was out.

She was out the front door before his brain could process the fact she was leaving.

He blinked, turning his head to stare back at the unlit fireplace and a slow smile curved his lips. His cock twitched and he looked down, an obvious erection straining against the material was almost uncomfortable now that he noticed it.

He grinned and stood, his new song forgotten as he walked around the couch. How could he work when tempted like that?

Someone wanted to play and he liked the sound of this game.

* * *

Holly sank into the pool, letting out the breath she’d been holding. She practically ran all the way to the hot spring, hoping to burn away her embarrassment.

It took every bit of courage she had to parade around in front of Devin like that, but she’d seen him out of the corner of her eye. The man was all but drooling. She grinned at the thought. Innocent little Holly Baker had caused a man to gawk at her like she was a sex goddess. And not just any man. Devin Shaw…a rock star.

She sighed as the warmth from the hot spring and the noonday sun relaxed her muscles. She straightened her legs, reclining back into the molded rock she rested on.

The morning had been less than pleasurable but now she felt vindicated. Sure it was just a little flaunt down the stairs in a barely there bikini but the look on his face was revenge enough.

She still wasn’t sure what to do about him. Could she spend the next two weeks under the same roof with him and not go completely insane? Less than twenty-four hours and he had already brought on thoughts of violence.

They needed to find a solution to their problem, but seeing how he hadn’t mentioned it, she figured he was as determined to stay as she was.

A loud crack of popping branches startled her. She looked toward the path, holding back a smile when she saw Devin standing by the side of the spring.

Just as suspected. She knew he would follow her.

He grinned at her before starting to remove his boots. She didn’t know how long he had been standing there but from the smile on his face, it was longer than she would have liked. “What do you want?”

“Just a little peace and quiet,” Devin smiled, reaching for the bottom of his shirt.


Holly watched the thin material of his shirt uncover hard, toned muscles, inch by inch, and she swallowed heavily when she realized she was staring.

The smirk was back on his face and she mentally shook herself to regain focus. “I’m using the pool at the moment.” She winced as her words came out in a breathy whisper and the smile on Devin’s face only increased.

“Don’t mind sharing,” Devin said, tossing his shirt aside.

“Well, I do. I came out here to get away from you.”

“Oh, I’m crushed,” Devin laughed. “You can always just leave.”

She watched him reach for the buttons of his jeans. “I don’t think so and you better have a bathing suit on under those.”

“And if I don’t?”

He smirked at her and she knew in that moment he was wearing nothing but skin under those jeans.

The game had just taken a major turn. She upped the stakes by parading around practically naked. And what did you really expect? Did you honestly think he’d just smile and let you walk away? Of course he wouldn’t.

He locked eyes with her and Holly met his gaze. Her earlier bravado diminished with every passing second but she was determined to play the game anyway he wanted to.

He popped the first button open on the button-fly jeans and Holly swallowed loudly. With each popped button more skin was exposed. If possible, the smile on his face only brightened.

A thin patch of fine hair that ran from just under his navel and disappeared into the confines of his jeans came into her line of sight. Holly’s pulse quickened and she had to force herself to not look away.

He was definitely not wearing anything under the jeans. Slim hips gave way to long, toned thighs, and she almost screamed when he pushed the pants down to his knees.

Lord help her, the man was beautiful!

His cock was impressive. She could tell he wasn’t completely hard but even in this semi-hard state, it made things low in her belly clench. She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat, her gaze sweeping up his torso and landing on his face.

The look he gave her caused her stomach to clench again. She licked her lips, inhaling deeply, and tried to look disinterested.

He kicked his jeans away, gave her his trademark smirk, and climbed into the pool.

A small chuckle from him was all it took for her face to burn hot. She felt heat run down her neck, her throat tightened, and her heart raced in her chest.


Holly knew she had to move. She’d make a fool of herself if she didn’t. She turned her head, looking at the surrounding mountains and could feel Devin’s eyes on her.

Her flesh burned because of it.

Taking a deep breath, she stood and turned to look at him.

The smug look on his face made her instantly regret it. She rolled her eyes before taking the few steps to the edge of the pool and climbed out.

“Don’t leave on my account.”

“Drop dead,” Holly mumbled as she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her. Devin’s laughter had her biting her tongue as she slipped her feet back into her sandals.

“I have to admit, sweetheart, that little scrap of material gave me the best hard on in years,” he told her as he leaned his head to the side while he stared at her. “Although you without it… Are you going to give me another show like you did last night?”

Holly rolled her eyes before she turned around to look at him. She grinned before securing the towel at her waist. “Well, I’m glad you like it,” she said with a wide smile. “I guess I can just live out the rest of my life knowing that bad boy Devin Shaw found me attractive. How fortunate I feel to have met your approval.”

Devin continued to smile and the fact that he didn’t say anything caused Holly’s temper to flair. Why couldn’t he be back at the cabin, panting like the dog he is, and wishing for something he couldn’t have? Because that’s not how Devin works. He takes what he wants and at the moment, judging from the leer and the forming erection, he wants you.

She almost growled in frustration, grabbed her things, and turned, stomping off into the forest.

A low chuckle was the only response Devin could come up with. As he sat there in the stillness of the forest, the appeal of the hot spring wasn’t as attractive now that the fiery brunette wasn’t anywhere in sight.

Standing, Devin climbed from the pool, slipped his jeans back on and grabbed his boots and shirt, running up the trail after her.


Genre: Contemporary Romance
Words: 23,067
Released: August 2008
Rating: Sultry
Price: $2.99

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All material &copy2005-2012 to Lily Graison

Six Sentence Sunday

I’ve seen this on several blogs lately and thought it looked like fun. I’ll be doing one every week here on the blog, the excerpts coming from my published books and the WIP’s (works in progress) I have going. This week, we have 6 sentences from my current WIP, His Brother’s Wife…Book 1 in the new Historical Western Romance series I’m writing.

Her wet skin made the material of her gown nearly transparent. She raised the towel to her chest before lifting her chin a notch. “Do you mind?”

His gaze settled back to her face as his smile widened. “Not at all. Feel free to get naked in my kitchen anytime you like.”

Check out the other Six Sentence Sunday Participants or follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter.

All material &copy2005-2012 to Lily Graison

Game of Thrones

I finally caught up on my TV time and watched HBO’s new series, Game of Thrones. I’m sorry I waited so long. Of course, if I had kept up with it weekly, I would have driven myself batty. I Loved every minute of it! I wanted more immediately and filming hasn’t even begun on season two, yet. So what’s a girl to do? Why, go buy the books and read what happens next, of course. They’ll be shipping from Amazon very soon and I cannot wait to get my hands on them!

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I started watching. I knew it was a sci-fi/fantasy/medieval type setting and I like nothing better than watching men swing their swords. *cough* The fantasy aspects were great, too. The ‘creatures’ in the north, legends of mystical dragons and a Warlord that even I swooned over.

Kahl Drogo is my type of hero. A man who is hard, cunning, barbaric, domineering and caring. *sigh* He made me think of my own ‘Warlord’ story. I’ve never finished it of course but I’ve wanted to! I drag it out and play with it from time to time. I even excerpted it here on the blog not long ago. You can find it here if you’re interested in reading it.

The thing I found so enthralling with this epic tale is the fact the ‘heroes’ aren’t necessarily the ones who ‘win’. (Or they haven’t so far) They actually die. I know. I got a sad when that happened (I won’t spoil you as to ‘who’ actually died) but I still loved it. It made it heart wrenching to watch and made you cheer for the remaining ‘good guys’. By the end of episode 10, I was on the edge of my seat! How could it just…end, right there! I needed more. And fast. Hence, the hasty Amazon purchase. lol

I’ll be on pins and needles waiting to ‘see’ season two but I’ll have my books by the end of the week. I’ll know in advance what happens and, as everyone knows, the books are ALWAYS better than the TV/Movie. I can’t wait to start reading them! If I go MIA again, you can find my in King’s Landing…watching the good guys battle it out for the Seven Kingdoms!

And just because I couldn’t resist…the Dothraki Warlord, Kahl Drogo!!!

All material &copy2005-2012 to Lily Graison

The Craziness that was Summer 2011!

Summer has always been non-stop action for me. Not sure why but every year since I can remember, it’s one big blur of action. This year was no exception. The weekend school let out, my 12 yr. old niece descended upon us and camped out on the upstairs den sofa. And every day after that I was forced…forced I tell you! To lay out by the pool while she swam. While I do have a wicked tan, you can imagine how much writing I accomplished. If you guess NONE…then you’re the smartest thing since…well, smart things were known.

As June gave way to July…the niece grew bored of the pool and spent her days lounging on the computer devouring YouTube videos. I thought I would finally get back to writing. Wrong. My grandmother’s house…sitting empty since her passing in December…was offered to my daughter for a small ‘rent’ fee. Fantastic! As her place was a dive. I was more than happy to see her out of there. Which led to the time-consuming, back-breaking, sweat-producing month it took us to gut the house…sink a small fortune on paints/spackle/etc. into and refurbish the entire thing. The house barely even resembles what I remember of Grandma’s house. But, it looks fantastic, if I do say so myself. Yesterday, we rented a moving truck and moved my daughter out of her ‘dive’ and into the newly painted, pretty little house that I still see Grandma in when I pull into the driveway.

I’m almost home free! More than I realized at the time. Today…when whining about there being another whole month of summer vacation to be had…my niece decides…I’m boring. Her words…not mine. LOL She packed her things and left, barely stopping to tell me ‘bye’ on her way out the door. I was a little stunned but that little voice in my head screamed…you have time to write now! I waited a full 5 minutes after she left to smile and promise the muse we’d get to work pronto!

The muse is happy. I’m happy. Now, let’s see how far ‘happy’ can takes us tomorrow when I sit down to WRITE! Of course, I still have to resist the lure of warm summer days, lounging on the deck with a frosty glass of sweet tea! Just because the niece is gone doesn’t mean the pool is! *wink*

All material &copy2005-2012 to Lily Graison

New Release! Paranormal Werewolf Romance, The Gathering

It’s release day!!!

After a year of writing and months of edits, the OFFICIAL release of, THE GATHERING, has finally arrived!!

The Gathering - Paranormal Werewolf Romance The Gathering
Night Breeds Book 2 – Sequel to, The Calling

THE CALLING changed Rayna Ford’s life forever, now in THE GATHERING, she will find out what she’s truly become.

Rayna Ford didn’t believe in monsters, until she became one herself. As a newly turned werewolf awaiting her first shift, Rayna puts all her trust in Garrett Kincaid, the man who accidentally infected her and changed her life forever. But when old enemies resurface and take her from the one man who vowed to protect her, Rayna must face her fears alone.

The Collective, the Breed leaders of all the preternatural species, haven’t abandoned the dream of announcing their presence to the world and they still want Rayna to be the one who integrate them into human society. Her only chance at survival is to reveal the secret the breed leaders want her to show the world, but in doing so, she may alienate the very creatures she wants to protect and endanger her own life in the process.

Price: $2.99

BUY THE EBOOK FROM:

» Buy at Alinar Publishing
» Buy at Amazon Kindle
» Buy at Amazon Kindle UK
» Buy at Fictionwise.com
» Buy at Smashwords

All material &copy2005-2012 to Lily Graison