The Bleeding Pen – The Art of the Written Word

Writers – are you “bleeding” for your craft? 😉

A Writer's Path

by Christopher Slater

My best friend has a unique obsession. He loves pens. Specifically, he loves trying to find really nice fountain pens. I’ve never been able to understand this focus of his because I can’t make much use of fountain pens. I’m left-handed and I hold my pen in an awkward fashion so all that I do with a fountain pen is smear the ink all over the page. However, I was thinking about my best friend and his love of fountain pens, and my mind gained a great, new appreciation for them because of some unusual, symbolic thoughts that occurred to me.

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Shearwater – Book Review

Enthusiastic review! 😉

All Romance Reads

shearwater

Shearwater by Derek Murphy

Someone is trying to kill me.

When my parents died in an accident, they left me like a piece of furniture to a grandfather I never knew existed. In Ireland. As if moving halfway around the world wasn’t bad enough, I soon learned my mother had left behind some unresolved drama – dark secrets that were screaming to be uncovered. And then there are the things I can’t explain.

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The Pain Game

Felicia Denise, Author

Week 13 of the 52-Week Writing Challenge

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and tenderness in localized areas of the body. It is the second most common musculoskeletal condition after osteoarthritis. Over five million people in the U.S. suffer from Fibromyalgia. The cause is unknown, and there is no cure. Research continues.


The pain associated with Fibromyalgia comes in many forms.

Image from Pinterest

Many who suffer with Fibromyalgia can relate to these pain descriptions. Unfortunately, it is possible… and quite common… to suffer with more than one type of pain at the same time!

Regardless of the type of pain, most sufferers can agree — the degree of pain can vary from annoying to irritating to debilitating to… just-shoot-me-now!

Annoying pain can either be tolerated, or treated with over-the-counter medications.

Irritating pain is distracting and can lead to a break in activity. Heating pads, cold compresses…

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“Baby Love” by Emmanuelle de Maupassant #ReleaseBlitz

BABY LOVE

Emmanuelle de Maupassant’s newly released ‘Baby Love’ is a glorious comedy romance, following in the footsteps of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones and the quirky humor of Marian Keyes.

Heavily pregnant Delphine’s rat-fink husband has packed his bags and abandoned her for the charms of their sexy neighbor, leaving Delphine struggling to cope.

Juliet and Suzanne, Delphine’s sisters, insist that the best remedy for a broken heart is a healthy dose of pampering: cue a spa break, where there’s more in store for Delphine than a hot stone massage and a spell in the jacuzzi.

baby love DIY quote Emmanuelle de Maupassant romantic comedy copy 2

What readers are saying

‘I sat up until the early hours, unwilling to put it down. It’s a joy to read. I can’t recommend it enough.’

Rachel de Vine

‘A gem of a story – had me in stitches.’

Alison

‘Might be the funniest by Emmanuelle de Maupassant yet.’

Katie

Sexy Snippet

‘I see that you’re not far off your due date,’ said Jack, reading from his clipboard.

Presumably, my form was attached to it. Hoped I hadn’t noted anything too embarrassing. Had probably ticked boxes admitting to excessive flatulence and piles.

Looked up at him, leaning over me. Could see muscles bulging; the sort that would toss a tree trunk like a matchstick. He smelt lovely also. Musk and light sweat with a hint of sawdust. As if had been doing DIY.

Just the thought of him laying his hands on me was sending me all aquiver. Which bit would he touch first? Which bits was he planning to get to next? Where would he end up?

Bar two small handtowels (hardly bigger than face cloths) I was nude.

‘Breathe slowly and deeply for me, Delphine,’ said Jack. His hands, large and warm, pressed down upon my shoulders.

Nearly had an orgasm there and then. Could hardly draw breath, was in such a state of excitement.

He began to knead, working his thumbs up towards my neck, then out again, to the edges of my shoulders. His palms stroked down over my collarbones, to the top of my breasts, in smooth, fluid motions. There was nothing inappropriate. His technique took him only to the upper half of my bosom, but how I wanted him to go lower. Just another six inches. It was tantalizing. He could have taken each breast in his hands and kneaded them like dough. Huge tits, yes, but his were huge hands.

Oh the bliss and torment of it. So near and yet so far.

I’d been traumatized. I was an emotional wreck. But I’d not had sex for nearly two months, and I was hot with desire. If Jack, he of the strong yet gentle hands, had flung aside that little towel, I’d have done nothing to stop him.

‘Oh Jack,’ I’d have cried, as he swept his oiled palms over my breasts, massaging and squeezing, raising my nipples to stiff peaks ready to pop into his waiting mouth.

Of course, that didn’t happen. It was all in my head. But! Revelation! I wanted it to!

99p 99c baby love Emmanuelle de Maupassant romantic comedy 1 copy

Find ‘Baby Love’ on Goodreads and for sale on Amazon (just 99p/99c through April)

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Pssst… if you enjoy ‘Baby Love’, don’t forget to leave a review. Reviews make books more visible online, bringing new eyes. If you’re on Twitter or Facebook, tag Emmanuelle in your review post and she’ll say hello.

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“Damnable Grace (Hades Hangmen, #5)” by Tillie Cole #ExcerptReveal 18+


Coming April 18th

EVEN THE BROKEN, THROUGH LOVE, CAN FIND GRACE…

Secrets never stay hidden.

The burden of guilt never lifts from the heart.

Born and raised in The Order of David, Sister Phebe knows nothing but cult life. Head of the Sacred Sisters of New Zion, Phebe was groomed from childhood for one purpose: to seduce. Prized as a harlot, as a New Zion whore, Phebe is taken from the doomed cult by Meister, the notorious leader of the Aryan Brotherhood. Taken as his possession. Taken to be the woman who will obey his every sexual demand. Under his heavy hand, Phebe finds herself in a place much worse than she could ever have imagined… with absolutely no one to help. And no glimpse of hope.

Xavier ‘AK’ Deyes is content with his life as Sergeant-At-Arms of the Hades Hangmen. Leader of the infamous ‘Psycho Trio’ and ex-special ops sniper, AK knows how to fight. Experienced in warfare and schooled in military operations, AK is vital to the Hangmen. When his Vice President needs help retrieving his missing sister-in-law, Phebe, from a Klan-funded trafficking ring, AK volunteers to go in. AK remembers the redhead from New Zion. Remembers everything about her from the single time they met—her red hair, blue eyes and freckled face. But when he finds her, heavily drugged and under Meister’s control, her sorry condition causes him to remember more than the beautiful woman he once tied to a tree. Saving Phebe forces hidden demons from his past to return. A past he can never move on from, no matter how hard he tries.

As AK fights to help Phebe, and in turn she strives to help him, they realize their secret sins will never leave them alone. Kindred broken souls, they realize the only way they can be rid of their ghosts is to face them together and try to find peace.

Despair soon turns to hope, and damaged hearts soon start to heal. But when their deep, painful scars resurface, becoming too much to bear, the time comes when they must make a heavy choice: stay forever damned; or together, find grace.

Dark Contemporary Romance. Contains explicit sexual situations, violence, disturbingly sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language and very mature topics. Recommended for age 18 and over.


“Well?” Ky asked.
Tanner ran his hand over his head. The brother hadn’t attended one of our cookouts or slutfests in weeks. Not that he ever entertained himself with sluts—still too hard for his piece of pussy down in Mexico. He’d been busy trying to track down Meister. Unlike most of the white-power shit Tanner and Tank grew up with, this Meister was untraceable and off the grid. As much of a computer whizz kid as Tanner was, Meister was proving to be one slippery fucking snake to pin down.
“Gotta be honest, I didn’t think I was anywhere close to finding anything on this prick.” Tanner nodded toward Tank. “We knew of him, of course. I knew he had dealings with my father and uncle, just never met him myself. He’s Aryan Brotherhood, but works closely with the Klan. And there’s nothing on him. No email traces, no invoices, no texts. Nothing.”
I gritted my teeth and glanced at Styx, who was listening closely. Ky wasn’t originally gonna tell the prez about the plan to get Phebe, because of his fucking wedding, but that didn’t last long. Styx knew something was up with his VP. He read him like I read Flame and Vike. So Ky fessed up, and Styx was all for the plan. He’d had to push his wedding back by a month anyhow to get the pastor Mae wanted to conduct the ceremony, so he had time to kill.
“But you found something?” Ky translated as Styx signed.
Tanner sighed, the black circles around his eyes showing how hard the brother had been working. “I got something.” He shook his head, and my blood ran cold. I knew whatever he had found wasn’t good.
Tanner opened the file in front of him and threw a photograph toward the prez. Styx looked at it, then gave it to Ky. “Some middle-of-nowhere ghost town?”
Ky passed the picture around. Vike handed it to me, and I studied it. It was an aerial shot, and the picture was grainy, but from what I could make out, it was just a huge piece of land scattered with decrepit old buildings.
I passed the picture along. “Fucker owns this?”
Tanner faced me. “Yeah, or at least his father did. He’s dead now, but the deeds are still in his father’s name. Been in the family for decades. Took me a while to trace it.” He shook his head. “Meister is notorious among the Klan. Right, Tank?”
“Yeah,” Tank agreed. “Never met him either, but we’d all heard of him. Prick has been mobilizing for years for the race war they think is coming. Real serious, Oklahoma-City-bomb shit. From what we’ve heard, the guy has a one-track mind when it comes to advancing the white race. You think Hitler was fucked up? Well, imagine if he had a kid who was one built motherfucker, with a fucking carbon copy of his psycho mind; and you’ve got Meister. Fucker ain’t even German. Just wishes he was, spouting German phrases around like he’s born and bred Berlin. Delusional asshole.”
“This ain’t gonna be easy,” Tanner finished, looking at me, Vike, Flame, Hush and Cowboy. It was the five of us who had agreed to go looking for Phebe. Hush and Cowboy nodded at me to let me know they were still in.
“So he’s in this ghost town?” Ky asked, translating Styx’s sign language again. “If so, we’ll all just go in and get him, make the fucker talk and tell us where he’s got Phebe.”
Tanner sat forward. “He ain’t just living in the ghost town or hiding out. That’s where he has his enterprise.”
“Enterprise?” Ky echoed. It was his own question this time.
Tanner nodded. “From what I can tell, it’s a fucking brothel. Members of the Aryan Brotherhood, Klan, or Klan sympathizers, can go there for a night or a few days at a time.” Tank shifted uncomfortably next to him. “Ain’t sure, but I’m thinking it ain’t just getting your dick sucked and fucked. It’ll be real fucked-up shit. If Meister’s reputation is anything to go by, we would be walking into an organized, armed hellhole.” Tanner’s eyes darkened. “I get the Klan has a reputation for being full of backward rednecks. I ain’t gonna lie—growing up, most of my father’s cronies were that way. Thick as fuck and couldn’t do shit without screwing it up. Skinheads, lower-ranked soldiers, you know?”
“But there were some members that weren’t,” Tank continued. He cast an embarrassed glance at Tanner. “We weren’t, for starters.”
Tanner nodded. “It’s not the norm, but some of us were good. Smart, strong fighters, or just outright fucking psychos. The skinheads and rednecks are the foot soldiers. The likes of us, the likes of Meister, are the fucking SS. The planners, leaders, the generals—the ones who believe in the cause so much that they’re fucking lethal with what they’ll do, what they’re capable of. Meister is true Aryan Brotherhood; he’s preparing for war. He’s the real fucking deal.”
“And now he’s in our neck of the woods to stir up shit?” I asked.
Tanner nodded. “Comes from northern Texas. Never moved our way before. But the Klan are building day by day, joining forces with other white supremacist gangs—like the Brotherhood—and with the shit that’s on the news twenty-four-seven, blacks and whites at each others throats, he’s moved to the headquarters.” The brother’s jaw clenched. “To my father and uncle, who’ll be protecting him from being found out by the feds.” He sighed and ran his hand down his face. “From what I can figure out, this ghost-town brothel of his has only existed in the last year or so. He’s looking to fund something.”
“They ain’t dealing guns?” Cowboy drawled. “I thought that’s what Rider said the contract with the cult was for?”
“Rider was sure it was guns. At least it was when he was dealing with the Klan—it was all about arms. The Klan was selling them on and taking a cut.”
“His fucking twin,” Hush spat. “He changed the arrangement, didn’t he? When Rider was locked up in cult prison?”
“Think so,” Tanner said after a few seconds of silence.
“Then what the fuck are they dealing? What was Judah giving them if not Israeli guns?”
“Women.”
Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.

Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.
Author Links

“Capo (World’s End #3)” by Kai Tyler #CoverReveal #LGBTQ 18+

Title: Capo

Series: World’s End #3

Author: Kai Tyler

Genre: Adult, Transgender Thriller

Coming: July 10, 2017

Marshall Vincenzo has his hands full with running the Angel City casinos now that his best friend, Dante is the new boss of San Torino. Not only is he left in charge of operations for the haven of gambling but he still has to deal with new demands made on him by his Uncle the Don of the Vincenzo clan. But when he gets a distress call from the one woman he has avoided for years his protective instincts have him going on a rescue mission.

Sofia Guirrez is hiding in plain sight. Born in the wrong body as Samuel, and rejected by her family for living as a woman, she ran from her past and took refuge working for men who know nothing about her previous life. When a new assignment goes wrong, she has no option but to ask for help from the one man she’s craved but knows she can never have. For one thing, she can never allow him to find out her secret.

Together they have to deal with a crazed ex and a bloody coup among other dangers. To survive, Sofia has to trust Marshall who is determined to tear down her mask and offer her the things she’s always wanted—love and acceptance. But what happens once her lethal secret is out.

Capo Excerpt © Kai Tyler 2017

Marshall’s POV

“There’s something I wanted to ask you,” Tito lowered his voice as if he didn’t want to be overheard, his elbows leaning on the heavy dark wood desk separating us.

Knowing my brother, he did it more for dramatic effect than anything else. We sat in my office, which had been recently swept for transmitting devices. No one was listening.

Unless Tito had a bug on him.

Shoving the ridiculous thought aside, I leaned into my leather chair. “What is it?”

“It’s about Dante and that Carmichael boy. A little bird told me they’re lovers.”

Bile soured my mouth. A little bird? More like a fucking canary.

Less than a handful of people knew the extent of Dante’s relationship with Carlos and Tito wasn’t one of them.

“Lovers? Ha.” I laughed without humour as I met Tito’s narrowed gaze. “If you’re asking if Dante is fucking Carlos, then I suppose so. The boy was his slave and was claimed as his prize after Duce got rid of the kid’s father and took control of the territory.”

Whoever had been talking to my brother was looking to stir trouble for my best friend. I couldn’t let that happen. I would find the shit-stirring rat and take pleasure in ending their miserable life.


Kai Tyler: Stories about dangerous men and fierce love.

I love writing stories about forbidden men and relentless love, about gangsters with heart, antiheroes who do what they need to do to survive in a crazy world. These men commit to the lives they lead 100%—with heart, body and soul and when they fall in love you can be sure they bring the same level of passionate devotion to the people they love.

Reading books will always be my first love but I also love watching good action flicks. I live in good old sunny England, United Kingdom. It isn’t always sunny, but I love this quirky island of ours. *grins*

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BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE GIVEAWAY

Nice giveaway hop! 👍

Susan Loves Books

04-BoC-gvwy-500

Lonna from Flylef is organizing and hosting this giveaway hop and I have decided that I will join in for my third giveaway.
This giveaway starts on the first of the month and ends on the 15th.
I am giving away one book up to the value of $18 U.S. so long as you are in an area of the world where the Book Depository ships to you.  One winner will receive their book of choice. Open internationally.

    ENTER GIVEAWAY 

Details
📘         Giveaway ends on April 15th.
📘         Open internationally as long as the Book Depository ships to you.
📘         One winner will be selected at random by leaving a comment   below.
📘         The winner will be announced here on the blog and will also be emailed.
📘         If winner does not…

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