A wedding, an evil plan, a love story and a sacrifice are the order of the day in Lucy Felthouse's modern retelling of Snow White and the Huntsman

Susie White and the Right Hand Man

Susie White and her stepmother-to-be have never seen eye to eye, despite all of Susie’s best efforts to be friendly. Eager not to spoil her father’s happiness, Susie still agrees to be bridesmaid at their wedding. When the big day comes, she meets Louise’s right hand man, Scott. Susie had never believed in love at first sight until that moment. The pair hit it off, sharing a mutual dislike of Louise and her wicked ways. Their camaraderie quickly develops into something more, and they date in secret until it’s time for Susie to leave for University – and freedom. Unfortunately, Scott has an earth-shattering revelation, which means the two of them of them must work together to unravel Louise’s evil plan, before it’s too late.

More info and buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/susie-white-and-the-right-hand-man/

*****

Excerpt:

I should have known my stepmother was up to something when she offered to help me move all my stuff to my University digs. It wasn’t like her to be civil, much less helpful, but I figured that she was happy I was moving hundreds of miles away, and therefore would do anything to make sure it happened as quickly as possible.

As my father’s only child, I’m the sole heir to White’s Bites, a massively profitable confectionary company based in Wiltshire, England. My stepmother had made no secret of the fact she resented that she wouldn’t get a stake in the business, should anything happen to my father. Of course, the reason for this was that my father knew the first thing the witch would do was put the business on the market to get her greedy little hands on the cash. I, on the other hand, loved White’s Bites and would continue to run it to the best of my ability.

We’d never seen eye to eye, my stepmother and I. However, it wasn’t the usual ‘child resents someone trying to replace their parent’ syndrome, it was her that resented me.

My mom had died of cancer when I was fifteen. My father and I were devastated, as you’d expect, but I’d always urged him to get on with his life. After all, it’s what mom would have wanted, and I certainly didn’t want my dad to be lonely when I got married and left home.

So, a couple of years later, when dad met Louise and they started dating, I was thrilled. He was happy, therefore so was I. Soon it became more serious and dad wanted me to meet her. I was excited, but nervous.

When the time came and Louise had walked into our house, I’d been in awe. Don’t get me wrong, my mom had been beautiful, but in a natural way, as if she didn’t realise, or care. But Louise clearly did. Her gorgeous hair was perfectly quaffed, and her attractive features were enhanced by expertly applied makeup. Her outfit looked like something from a fashion magazine. I managed to pull myself together before she saw me standing there, all slack-jawed and stupid-looking. Walking towards her, I’d held out a hand.

“Louise!” I’d said, beaming, “I’m so pleased to finally meet you. Dad’s told me so much about you.”

She’d smiled thinly and without any real emotion. “Charmed, I’m sure, Susan.” She’d shaken my hand gingerly, as though she was afraid she’d catch something. I’d half expected her to wipe her hand on her clothes afterwards.

“Oh please, call me Susie.” I’d said, ignoring her odd behaviour. I’d been eager to get on with the woman, knowing it would please my father. “Everyone does.”

Another tight-lipped smile. I’d tried hard to make conversation with her and make her feel comfortable in our home. But I never felt like I was succeeding. At first, I put it down to her being nervous or shy, but as weeks and months passed, I still never felt as though Louise warmed to me. I never bothered my father with my concerns. After all, as long as she liked him, what did it matter?

While Louise and my father were just dating, things weren’t too bad. They went to restaurants, the theatre, the cinema, and so on. I didn’t see her very often, and therefore didn’t have to put up with her frosty behaviour towards me.

Naturally, everything changed when dad told me he was going to ask Louise to marry him. He’d sat me down to break the news – fortunately – and I’d done my best to act delighted. Luckily, dad hadn’t noticed anything was amiss, and as he’d chatted about ceremonies, honeymoons and Louise moving in, a cold shiver had run up my back. This could not end well.

More info and buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/susie-white-and-the-right-hand-man/http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/susie-white-and-the-right-hand-man/

*****

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Constable and Robinson, House of Erotica, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter. You can also subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

5 Types of Drunks (& What You Can Learn)

As a writer and journalist, I’ve become an observer of humanity. I eavesdrop on conversations, picking up tidbits here and there. On New Year’s Eve, I watched the people around me drinking. The closer it got to midnight, the drunker everyone became. Right before countdown time, I hit the bathrooms, and encountered what I’ve now classified as one of the 5 types of drunks: The Weeper.

A Rainbow cocktail from Pat O'Briens
in New Orleans. And, yes, I drank it!

Here’s the Breakdown:

1) The Weeper: When the level of alcohol reaches a certain point, the tears begin to fall. Often, you’ll find these specimens hanging out in restrooms, lamenting about all of the “good years” they’ve given some guy, without anything in return. The midnight maudlin I’d run into was crying about how at 22 her life was over, and she’d given her boyfriend the last good five years. I wanted to tell her that really … there’s plenty of time left for heartbreak ;-) But who’s to listen to an old woman like me?

2) The Sleeper: I’ve got no idea how writers such as Stephen King and Anne Rice supposedly wrote these fantastic books while being drunk. After a few glasses of wine, I’m ready to hit the sheets, and not in a good way (see #5 below).

3) The Yeller: Ever heard the term “mean drunk?” It’s not just a cliché, but a category. Some say that liquor lets out true personalities, and some I’d rather not know. Usually, it’s men that fall into this niche, and if you know that you tend to pick fights and smash walls while drinking then maybe it’s better to abstain.

4) The Life of the Party: Take a shy person, mix in a few Cosmos and what do you get? Sometimes, a personality peeps out. Vivacious and friendly, people often wish that this hidden persona would show up more often.

5) The Sexy Drinker: Probably the classification most written about in erotic romance. Certainly, I don’t condone drinking into one gets “stupid,” and doesn’t know what they’re doing. But, if some of those inhibitions fall by the wayside, and the situation leaves them open to experiencing something new or pursuing that dream-mate, then it’s all good.

So what have I missed? Is there a category that I’m forgetting about? Do you know someone that falls into one of these categories? Usually when I write a post about drinking, I get a lot of comments about how the reader is not a drinker at all … fess up: What type of drinker are you? 

Andrea Speed’s Diary of the Damned #3

We're featuring something a little different today, but just as alluring. Check out these offerings by Andrea Speed and Riptide Publishing. See the end of the post for information on Speed's contest!

In hopes of eventually publishing a book about his experiences at the Quik-Mart, Josh has decided to start keeping a work diary of his times on the night shift. Here is one random page.

11:54 - Some new guy I’ve never met before, Jordan, is filling in for Julia. There’s something a little off about him, and I’m not just saying that ‘cause he smells like cream soda. Although that’s part of it.

12:35 - First creature of the night, a lizard man who seems to love every kind of corn chip made. They must have stomachs made of steel, and taste buds made of steel too. (I mean, have you ever had the “zesty ranch” flavor? If a chemical factory could barf, I bet it tastes just like that.) Got a “tip” of $4.97 - biggest to date! I will take back every bad thing I’ve ever said about Doritos if I keep getting tips like this.

1:28 - A first! I think a werewolf in human form came in. He was a really hairy guy, looked like a bum, smelled like a wet dog, and made a beeline to the flea collars. He asked me if one brand was the biggest flea collar available, and I told him it was in this store. He bought three, and while I was making change for him, he scratched behind his ear and I swear his foot started tapping. I managed not to laugh until he left.

1:43 - A series of loud noises brought me out into the alley behind the mart. I don’t like to go there at night ‘cause of the hell portal, but there was so much screaming I had to check it out. A family of raccoons had gotten into it with a werewolf over the Dumpsters, and the mom and dad raccoon were two of the biggest raccoons I’ve ever seen in my life. Like pit bull sized. I’m not sure they were raccoons, now that I think about it. Whatever they were, they really messed up that werewolf. For what it’s worth, I waved the silver broomstick around, feeling like a stupid douchebag, until they all scattered. The raccoon things gave me a look that seemed to suggest leaving was their idea. I hope I didn’t make an enemy.

2:27 - The yeti returned. This time he brought me half of a radial tire. Maybe he thinks that’s what humans like? I asked him about raccoon things, but I might as well have asked about the ending of Lost for all he understood me.

3:15 - Colin arrived. Asked him about raccoon things. He asked me to be more specific (!). He’s not sure, but he thought they might be vilkacis (?), which are apparently some kind of creature that can shift into a multitude of different animal shapes. Colin may be making this up, I can’t really tell. Vampires have great poker faces.

3:20 - 4:13 - Fooled around with Colin.

4:15 - A loud noise, like a big thud, on the roof made us both shriek like little girls. I made Colin go check it out (well, he’s the undead guy …) and he came back in holding what looked like some kind of fruit bat upside down by its leg. It was cursing up a storm at him. He explained it was a kludde (?) named Claude - I’m 87% certain he made that up - and it was trying to dismantle the parking lot security cameras so it could sell the scrap for cash. It’s addicted to baking soda, apparently. So I gave it a box of Arm & Hammer and told it next time it tried to tear apart store property, I was sending the yeti after it. It couldn’t fly off fast enough.

4:16 - 4:48 - Colin hung around because I was so freaked out by all my beast encounters tonight. But just to make me seem like a complete fool, the only thing that happened was two different lizard guys showed up to buy chips. But it was sweet he cared.

5:53 - Jorge shows up for the morning shift, a little freaked out himself. It seems he just barely missed hitting the biggest dog he’d ever seen in his life. He thought maybe it was a coyote or something, but he was pretty sure it was wearing a flea collar. I was just glad it wasn’t a raccoon thing. I ended up blaming the broken parking lot camera on a meth head. I think Mr. Kwon bought it, but he gave me the strangest look.

Blurb from Pretty Monsters:

Josh knew the night shift at the Quik-Mart would be full of freaks and geeks—and that was before the hell portal opened in the parking lot. Still, he likes to think he can roll with things. Sure, the zombies make a mess sometimes, but at least they never reach for anything more threatening than frozen burritos.

Besides, it’s not all lizard-monsters and the walking dead. There’s also the mysterious hottie with the sly red lips and a taste for sweets.

Josh has had the hots for Hot Guy since the moment he laid eyes on him, and it seems Hot Guy might be sweet on Josh too. Now if only Josh could figure out whether that’s a good thing, a bad thing, or something in between. After all, with a hell vortex just a stone’s throw away, Josh has learned to take nothing at face value—even if it’s a very, very pretty face.

This title is #1 of the Josh of the Damned series.

Read an excerpt and purchase Pretty Monsters

Blurb from Peek-A-Boo:

As night-shift clerk at the go-to Quik-Mart for monsters with the munchies, Josh Caplan believes he’s seen it all. Battling lizard men, werewolves chasing cars in the parking lot . . . nothing fazes Josh anymore.

Or so he thinks, at least, until a yeti with poor communication skills drops a dead skunk on the checkout counter. Josh can’t figure what a living, breathing shag carpet wants with him, or why it won’t leave him alone no matter how hard he ignores it. But hey, at least it seems harmless . . . if perhaps a little slow on the draw.

But Sasquatch is plenty fast when two of Josh’s human customers try to out-monster the monsters. Times are strange when creatures from the hell portal save the day, but in the protective hands of a lovesick yeti and a sexy vampire boyfriend, Josh realizes that maybe his new normal isn’t so bad after all.

Read an excerpt and purchase Peek-A-Boo

Email address: aspeed2@gmail.com

Website URL: http://andreaspeed.com/

Blog URL: http://andreaspeed.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/aspeed

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrea-Speed/161826617217710

Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3020553.Andrea_Speed

Question for the grand prize:

What two things does the yeti try to give Josh? Simple, but you'll have to have read the story.

The Grand Prize – The Infected series ebook collection

Send the answer to the question to aspeed2@gmail.com

Put the name of the blog and Contest Answer in the subject line.

They can send as many entries as they'd like. Contest ends January 20.

"The New Year Got Me Thinking" with Meggan Connors

I know, I know, it's a dangerous prospect. You never know what might come out of my mouth—or my fingers (not in a weird, shooting fire kind of way, though that would be awesome)—when I get to thinking.

Generally, I don't do New Year's resolutions. I usually save that kind of stuff for the Fall. Again, weird, but we all have our quirks. But with the start of the New Year, everyone is posting on his resolutions social media sites. You know, lose 50 pounds, get in shape, get published, blah, blah, blah. They are all very well intentioned, and, sure enough, I've made those same resolutions before, too. But I never achieved them. After all, at this very moment, I am looking at an elliptical machine that is currently being used as a coat rack.

With that in mind, in the coming year, I will:

1. Endeavor to watch more bad TV on crazy conspiracy theories, aliens and bigfoot.
2. Watch The Biggest Loser and eat pie while doing it. And I will laugh in the face of all that exercise (looks painful, by the way).
3. Order pizza for dinner and not feel guilty about it.
4. Wear my pirate shirt with geek pride (it really is super cute).
5. Not feel guilty about the stack of laundry in the hamper or the dishes in the sink. They'll get done eventually (you know, when we run out of plates or no one has any clean underwear… well, hopefully before that, but I don't want to stretch myself. That's not what this list is about).

So there you have it: attainable resolutions! So tell me, what are yours?

Leave a comment for a chance to win an e-copy of my debut novel, The Marker.

I would love to hear from readers (or anyone else, to be honest). You can find me at www.megganconnors.com or on Facebook.

While you're at it, take a peek at the blurb from The Marker, out now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and from Soul Mate Publishing.

The Marker

The Marker
Meggan Connors

When her father loses her in a poker game, Lexie Markland is sent to work in the household of Nicholas Wetherby for one year to pay off the debt. Innocent, but not naïve, she is savvy enough to know she must maintain her distance from this man, who frustrates her with his relentless teasing but whose kisses bring her to her knees. Because although she may be just another conquest to him, it’s not just her heart in jeopardy should she succumb to Nicholas’ considerable charms.

Since his brother's death almost a year before, nothing has held Nicholas’ attention for long—not women, not booze, not even an excellent hand at cards. Nothing, that is, until he meets the woman he won in a drunken night of poker. Intrigued by his prize and her chilly reserve, he makes it his mission to crack Lexie’s cool demeanor. But even as passion explodes between them, the question remains: will Nicholas be able to take the ultimate risk...and gamble on love?