Saturday, December 31, 2011

Six Sunday: What had he done? (Nobody's Hero)

The official release of Nobody's Hero was made at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords on New Year's Eve. At last, Master Adam and Karla's romance--nine years in the making. 

Among the surprises readers (and this writer) found in the story was this flashback Adam has about an incident he's run from for 34 years.




Adam looked again at his father’s lifeless body. This man had pummeled Adam so badly last week his mother had to take him to the emergency room. Now he looked weak, inconsequential, his life’s blood draining from a gaping hole in the back of his head—and Adam didn't care.

He looked down at his side and saw the bloodied baseball bat gripped in his hand.

So much blood. What had he done?


Thanks for stopping by to read my Six this week! Each week, the new listing of Six Sentence Sunday (SSS) blogs go live at 9 a.m. EDT Sunday. This is a great way to find new authors to follow or read or to get exposure for your own writing! For a list of this week's participants in the SSS blog tour, go to http://www.sixsunday.com/. Search #sixsunday on Twitter, as well!



Kally loves to add new friends
on Facebook and Goodreads
Or follow her on Twitter.



Friday, December 23, 2011

A Holiday Message from Master Adam

I told Kally to turn her blog over to me today, because I have something to say and, well, she's busy catching up on baking and getting ready to go to be with her mother and family for a few days to celebrate Christmas. I'm afraid I was a harsh taskmaster the last two months as she worked on Nobody's Hero, which now has been released to my great satisfaction. Karla and I are well pleased with how Kally has shared our story, even if Kally--and Karla--did put me through emotional hell to get to that ending all you romance readers expect, albeit with some unexpected surprises, I'm sure. There sure were lots of surprises for me, at least. I will say Kally has me under strict orders--NO SPOILERS, whatever that means. She said to just say it and her readers would know.

But yesterday I was reading Facebook postings over Kally's shoulder (old habits are hard to break and I've been reading over her shoulder a couple months now, but I'll try to be less intimidating to her for a while--soon). Anyway, I know not everyone experiences joy during the holidays, especially those missing loved ones through physical separation both temporary and permanent. I learned during my decades serving in the Marine Corps how hard it is to be separated from family during the holidays. Joni and I missed so many Christmases while I was deployed to Kosovo, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. 

I want to say to those who are deployed this year, thank you for your service. There is nothing more satisfying to know you have served your country. Sometimes it seems as if the mission is impossible, but just keep fighting on. And to family members of those deployed, waiting for them at home is even harder on you than it is them. Military personnel stay so busy, it's hard to sit and dwell on those they're missing, but you have to deal with keeping the family strong and the household running day in and day out. Sometimes Joni would get depressed this time of year. If you're feeling down, lonely, or overwhelmed, don't hesitate to ask others in your family or community to help. Keep the faith until you are reunited with your loved ones. 

But I learned in 2002 that sometimes we don't get to reunite again in this life. When I lost Joni to cancer in early November that year, if it wasn't for a neon-pink haired teenager who rescued me from a very lonely Thanksgiving, I'm not sure I'd have survived my next deployment. But for many years to come, especially after I retired from the Corps, the light went out for me and the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year's became torture.  I tended to just let the co-owners at my club pick up the slack for me and wallowed in regrets about all I hadn't been or done for my loved one while she was here.

It didn't help that Joni always made Christmas special and that this was her favorite holiday of all. She'd even postpone it for when I was home sometimes, just to be able to share it with me. I, of course, was more interested in being with her than in trimming the tree, but one memory I'll always have is of her placing her special angel tree topper on our tree. I usually had to hold her steady--okay, that part of tree decorating I enjoyed (as well as what usually came after).  Recently, I found that angel again--and with Karla also rediscovered the light and joy of the Christmas season. I am more blessed than one man deserves to be.

 

This year, I hope you will find special Christmas magic, too. No, it may not be that you'll be with the ones you love, or that you will have even found that special person yet. But the magic and miracles are there if you look for them--or do something to create them. As those of you who read her posts on Facebook know, Kally and her family will be celebrating their Christmas miracle, which happened earlier this week when they got their first good news since April--knowing there's hope and that the surgeons have a plan to eradicate the cancer riddling her sister's body with the expectation the radical surgery will cure her and give her many more years of health. 

I know others are struggling with similar losses and struggles this year. But try to look for hope and joy around you. One of Kally's beta readers shared on Facebook yesterday that she was on an EMT run with a woman who had no hands and no legs, but was the happiest most joyous person she'd met in a long while. It's all about attitude--and mine stunk for the last few years, as I'm sure Marc and Damian would tell you (if I'd let them on here).

What I'm trying to say is that it's not the circumstances of the situation that make you happy or sad--it's your attitude and how you look at it. I was quite a bear to those around me during the holidays after Joni died, because I missed her so much it hurt. I tried to fill the void by reaching out to the families of a couple of the men I lost in Afghanistan and Iraq to try to make their holidays better.

This year, I hope you will find your joy in the holidays (whichever holidays you celebrate), no matter your circumstances. Help someone in need, call a friend or family member you haven't spoken to in a long while, visit someone who might be feeling lonely and forgotten, and always hold close to your heart those you love, whether they're still in this world or waiting for you in the next. Just never take the ones who are here for granted or forget to tell them you love them. If they aren't physically here with you any longer, they are still with you, in your heart and memories.

That is all. No, wait...

Merry Christmas and a 
happy, healthy New Year from
the Masters at Arms Club family! 

Master Sergeant Adam Montague, USMC Retired

The original cover:


The current cover (as of May 2014):


I love them both!

Nobody's Hero (Rescue Me Saga #2) is available as an individual book at AmazonApple iBooksBarnes & Noble, Kobo, and All Romance eBooks. It's also part of the 3-book box set (a savings of $4.99 or equivalent). And Master Adam says you MUST read in order, starting with the combined volume Book One: Masters at Arms & Nobody's Angel (which comes before Hero), or you will be lost and confused (not unlike him through most of Nobody's Hero). He and Karla began their journey toward a "happily ever after" ending in that book nine years ago Thanksgiving, then they reunited in July and continued the journey when Karla arrived from New York reeling from a tragic loss and wound up in the arms of Master Adam. Since then, there have been lots of highs and lows ahead, and they continue in Nobody's Hero, but love will prevail if Karla and Kally have anything to say about it! You can find a listing of all my books, the reading order, a printable list, and all the buy links at http://kallypsomasters.com/books. 





Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of NOBODY'S HERO available Dec. 23; Official version by Dec. 31

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT NOBODY'S HERO RELEASE!

My editor, line editors, beta readers, and I have worked really hard to get Nobody's Hero ready for a Friday (Dec.23) release, but it's not quite there yet. However, I am going to do what publishers do for reviewers and offer you an Advance Reading Copy (known as an ARC in the business) on Dec. 23. If you find errors, feel free to e-mail me at kallypsomasters@gmail.com or private message me on Facebook by Dec. 28 so I can make sure to get them corrected in the OFFICIAL edition, which will be released by Dec. 31 on Amazon and B&N (and by Dec. 30 on Smashwords and All Romance eBooks sites).

The location of the e-book at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords and All Romance eBooks will not change from one version to the next, so you will not have to pay for two copies. I'll delete the ARC reference inside the file and update the product descriptions at those sites when the OFFICIAL version is uploaded. The ARC label will only be on the inside of the book, not the product title info.

If you buy the ARC version, to get your Official one, just return to the same site you purchased the ARC and download the new one, OR using the same Kindle/Nook device you purchased the ARC on, sync up at Amazon or B&N for the official one. Those who buy at Amazon and B&N, you'll probably get an e-mail from them telling you about the newer version so you can sync it to your Kindle/Nook. 

READERS: If you are terribly bothered by niggling errors and typos in a book, PLEASE WAIT for the OFFICIAL version for the fullest enjoyment of Karla and Master Adam's story! But if you just can't wait and will be so deep in the story and the characters you can forgive those (or won't even notice), then please enjoy the ARC version.

BLOGGER/PROFESSIONAL REVIEWERS: If you want the ARC version to review, let me know by Dec. 23 which format you read in and your e-mail address and I'll send the ARC. Otherwise, if you're on my list, I'll wait and send the Smashwords coupon for the Official version. If reviewing from an ARC, please allow for some minor errors or inconsistencies and indicate that you are reviewing from an ARC version.

Being self-pubbed lets me do some whacky things! Thank you for our understanding and support this year as I debuted my career as a full-time writer! Thanks to you all, I MADE IT! No more Evil Day Jobs for me!


Sunday, December 18, 2011

Six Sunday: And so it begins (Nobody's Hero--on sale Dec. 23!)

Well, I'm happy to announce a release date for Nobody's Hero (Rescue Me #3)--Dec. 23--just in time for stuffing your stocking (or Kindle or Nook)!  



Here are Six Sentences from the end of my Hero's first scene! (You know the one--it starts with "Karla, what the fuck are you doing in my bed?") And it ends with:


She stroked his neck, her head nestled in the crook of his shoulder, feeling as if she'd come home at last. Her hand traced a path down one of his pecs, which she'd ached to touch for so many years, then she let her fingertip circle the hard nip.

Adam's hand caught and stilled hers, his body tensing. 

He pushed her away. 

"You need to get out of this bed, Karla. Now."



Thanks for stopping by to read my sexy Six this week! Each week, the new listing of Six Sentence Sunday (SSS) blogs go live at 9 a.m. EDT Sunday. This is a great way to find new authors to follow or read or to get exposure for your own writing! For a list of this week's participants in the SSS blog tour, go to http://www.sixsunday.com/. Search #sixsunday on Twitter, as well!


Kally loves to add new friends

on Facebook and Goodreads
Or follow her on Twitter.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Six Sunday: Karla's Fantasy with a Master Adam Twist

Ahhh, the secretary-boss fantasy. We've seen Adam Montague's harem-girl fantasy in a previous Six Sentence Sunday. In this scene from Nobody's Hero (to be released around Christmas), Karla has been ordered to Master Adam's office to explain what she and two naked girlfriends were doing in his hot tub. 

In the ensuring conversation, we learn Karla has a fantasy about sex on Master Adam's desk. But the reality is quite different from what she'd imagined. (Couldn't find a photo of a black-haired secretary or one face down on the desk--use your imagination!)


She's gotten very wet being reprimanded by Mr. Montague, her "boss," who just asked her if he'd given her permission to get wet.

"No, Sir. But I've dreamed about this for months and I…can't help myself." Oh, no! She was mixing fantasy with reality. Of course, she really had dreamed about being taken by Adam on his desk, almost since the day she'd arrived at his club this past summer. But she wasn't cuffed and lying face down on the desk in her virginal fantasies—and there weren't any chains.


Thanks for stopping by to read my sexy Six this week! Each week, the new listing of Six Sentence Sunday (SSS) blogs go live at 9 a.m. EDT Sunday. This is a great way to find new authors to follow or read or to get exposure for your own writing! For a list of this week's participants in the SSS blog tour, go to http://www.sixsunday.com/. Search #sixsunday on Twitter, as well!


Kally loves to add new friends

on Facebook and Goodreads
Or follow her on Twitter.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Six Sunday: The Walls Come Tumbling Down? (Nobody's Hero)

Just a few more weeks until Nobody's Hero will be released and I decided to take readers back to where we left off in Nobody's Angel. (Yes, you must read Masters at Arms and Nobody's Angel before you read Hero because this is not a stand-alone book type of series.)

The immediate drama that propels Adam and Karla on their quest for love begins at the end of Angel. In fact, the first line in this week's Six Sentences is actually the last line of Angel.) This is from the unedited version of Hero!

Setup: I hate spoilers, so I'm not going to tell you where Adam and Karla are or what happened in Angel! (Shhhhh, those who know, don't say a word. You don't want to displease Master Adam now, do you, because as punishment he might delay the publication of his book. Yes, he knows his Masters Brat subs and how much they would much prefer a different punishment and a personal visit, so he is going with the threat of deprivation as punishment this time.) *shivers* Please be good, my dear Brats!




"What the fuck are you doing in my bed?"

Karla smiled. He'd always been so careful not to drop the f-bomb around her before, although she'd certainly heard him say it enough times to everyone else, when he didn't think she could hear. Were his walls coming down enough for him to see her as a woman for the first time since they'd met?

"I needed to be close to you. Do you remember what happened?"


Thanks for stopping by to read my Six this week! Each week, the new listing of Six Sentence Sunday (SSS) blogs go live at 9 a.m. EDT Sunday. This is a great way to find new authors to follow or read or to get exposure for your own writing! For a list of this week's participants in the SSS blog tour, go to http://www.sixsunday.com/. Search #sixsunday on Twitter, as well!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

WIP It Wednesday: The Dance (Nobody's Hero)

For last weekend's Six Sentence Sunday, I had six sentences from a scene I'd just written (totally unedited and unresearched). Now I've reworked it a bit and thought I'd show you what it looks like now, plus give you more than six sentences to enjoy!

In the opening of this club scene, harem-girl Karla has been presented to the tribe's "sheikh," Master Adam. (A sheikh is the leader of a family or tribe, which Adam most certainly is in the Masters at Arms club family.) Karla is kneeling at his feet. This also is one of his favorite fantasies, too.) 



"Remove the veil." He'd quickly grown tired of having her face hidden from him. Even if the material was flimsy and see-through, he needed to see her eyes, her mouth, her lips.

"Permission to move, your excellency."

Move? Of course she'd need to in order to remove the veil. Why was she asking for unnecessary permission?

He sighed. "Granted."

She raised her hands, striking a dramatic pose, and the veil fell in front of her, its material further obstructing his view. Without warning, passionate Middle Eastern music blared from the nearby speakers, distracting him momentarily. He looked over at the sound system to find his partner, the quasi-sultan, grinning in his direction and doing a gesture of obeissance as he bowed toward him. Then Marc returned to where he'd left Angelina kneeling beside a small table stage-side. He sat with his slave girl between his knees and gave her an order. She looked up at him warily, then around at the others nearby, balking until Marc said something that had her face turning red at the same time as her hands reached out to undo his leathers. Adam grinned.

Karla's long, flowing veil flitted across Adam's face, drawing his attention back to her. She dipped and undulated to the music, alternately hiding her face and revealing it with the red veil. Her expression was serious, he supposed because she was concentrating on the moves—and him. She didn't take her eyes off him. The intensity of her smoldering, come-hither gaze made him feel as if she'd sucked his breath from his lungs in her aura.

What was going on in her head tonight?

She began rippling her hips, alternating between fast movements and slow ones in such a sensuous way, causing his heart rate to speed up and slow down in direct response. Her breasts spilled over the tops of the red bra cups studded with black sequins and beads, making him wish his lips were brushing over the skin there he knew to be as soft as satin. Her torso and hips rippled like waves on the ocean, riveting his attention on the beads and bangles hanging from her bra and the waistband of her skirt. He realized this was one very expensive outfit, no Halloween costume.

Where had she learned to belly dance like that—and why hadn't he known about this talent sooner? Karla lifted the veil over her head and twirled on bare feet, her hands and arms making graceful motions that caused the veil to flutter and float around her body. When she turned away from him, he watched her hips shake to the music, her hips enticing him to reach out to her and sending the bangles into frenzied motion. She took the ends of the veil and leaned back until her gorgeous cleavage came into view, then whipped the veil over both their heads and around his neck and shoulders, pulling him closer to her breasts. Just before his lips would have pressed against her jiggling mounds, she released one end of the veil and stood upright, evading his head with a sideways lunge. She stood upright and pulled the veil away from him, wrapping it around herself again. His dick raised to a full salute and he adjusted himself against the leather seat to keep from strangling his head. He nearly came in his leathers.

"Very nice, kitten," he managed to choke out. "Where did you learn to dance like that?" He waited, not sure he really wanted to know.

She giggled, damn her. He throbbed even more.
 
Nobody's Hero is expected to be released "around Christmas," but no later than Dec. 30. The manuscript goes to my professional editor and my beta readers this weekend (Dec. 4), so they can work their magic on it. Pre-ordering is not available, but the book will be made available first at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords, then soon after at All Romance eBooks, and, in January, at BookStrand.


Remember, in my "Rescue Me" series, you need to read the books in order. If you haven't read these two books yet, please see the links below. Only 99 cents and $2.99--so you get both novels for less than $4!

MASTERS AT ARMS (only 99 cents!), the
introduction and first novel in the RESCUE ME series,
is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble
and at Smashwords
Nobody's Angel is available for $2.99 NOW at
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords,
BookStrand, and All Romance eBooks.

 
Kally loves to add new friends
on Facebook and Goodreads
Or follow her on Twitter.