Saturday, May 23, 2009

Favorite excerpt from Straight Up

I am drowning in edits right now, but I hit a really good spot in the manuscript that made me want to share. It totally made me crack up, but what would you do when you were suddenly propositioned with a foursome? With three very hot men heating up the room? Read on to find out what Sarah does:

*******

“So,” Jake pressed a full drink back into my hands, while Tim held a basket out for me, “it wasn’t you who left this gift basket filled with naughty surprises?”
“Umm.” Holy cow. Naughty wasn’t the word. Kinky maybe. This welcome basket went well beyond naughty. There was two bottles of champagne just to warm you up, lotions, bottles of aphrodisiacs, handcuffs, and WAY too many dildos for one girl to enjoy. A mountain of condoms filled the base of the basket. Not in my wildest fantasies could I dream something like this up, but someone had an idea that I could be talked into it. “No.”
“Then who did?”
Rob’s grin was wide as a high school boy discovering his first hard-on. “Someone who wanted us to have lots of fun.”
“Here’s a clue. There’s a card.” I opened the card to read what was inside. “It’s from my boss! This has to be some kind of mistake. Unless he thought we were going to have an orgy in here.”
“Is that a proposition?” Tim’s wide smile shared his enthusiasm.
“I’m up for the idea if you are.” Coming from Rob, that was surprising. Working as a stripper usually caused problems in a relationship. Jealous boyfriends were a common cause of breakups, and most guys didn’t like their girls to continue working even if they knew nothing sexual happened at work. Rob didn’t seem jealous in the slightest. He even sounded like he was looking forward to sharing.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” I tried to control my breathing, focusing on slow even breaths. The air was thick with tension—and testosterone. All I could think of was sex and talking about it was not helping.
Rob rubbed my leg affectionately. “I know something that could warm you up to the idea.”
I evaded his gaze, downing my second drink of the day. I wasn’t immune to the alcohol. I was feeling a buzz and slightly lightheaded. Part of me wanted to tell him to do it. Hell yeah, I was up for an afternoon round with him and his boys. Another part of me—the part that wasn’t drunk enough—was saying no way. They would think I was a slut. They would never respect me after this. They would expect sexual favors at the drop of a hat, and for me to put out every time I saw them.
Apparently, I was beginning to really feel the effects of the alcohol, because I couldn’t see the downside of having three lovers.
“Mmm, what exactly did you have in mind?”

Straight Up--coming to Phaze Publishing in August 2009

Monday, May 18, 2009

CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY

Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned From the Cat
101 Stories about Life, Love, and Lessons

Cats have always been wonderful companions and playmates that brighten and enrich our lives but they are also amazing teachers. We want cat lovers, both lifelong and reluctant, to share the lessons they have learned about life from their furry companions. The stories in this book will delight readers with the often humorous, heartwarming, poignant and always inspiring lessons taught to us by our feline friends and family members.

We are looking for true stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. Remember, these stories should be about lessons learned from your cat rather than general stories about your cat.

If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story.

SUBMISSIONS GO TO
http://chickensoupf orthesoul. com/form. asp?cid=submit_ story.

The deadline for submissions is March 31, for publication in September 2009.

CONTACT US

Please do not reply or send questions to this address. For any further questions or correspondence, contact webmaster@chickenso upforthesoul. com or visit our website at
http://www.chickens oup.com.