I’d like to announce the winner of my June contest…

Drum roll please…

Congratulations to Cecile (comment #8). You’ve won the autographed copies of both Missing in Action books. Please email me at authoramandayoungATgmail.com with your snail mail address to claim your prize.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who entered the contest.

To mark the one year birthday of my Chicken Ranch series, I thought I would share a deleted scene with you guys. This was supposed to be the opening prologue, but it was a little too info-dumpy. This is unedited, since it never made it that far, so please forgive any boo-boos. Otherwise…Enjoy!

Deleted prologue from Chicken Ranch: Hunger

Declan Mayo shivered in the dimming light of evening. Although it was warm, he felt chilled to the bone. Huddling against the unyielding back of a park bench, his mind spun with the implications of what it meant to be homeless.

The day had started out much like every other had since he’d graduated high school the previous June. He’d gotten up, and taken a shower. After breakfast, he dragged his tired ass outside to mow the lawn so his father wouldn’t shit a brick when he came home from work. All the while, with the scorching July sun beating down on his shoulders and the self-propelled lawn mower vibrating under his palms, Declan made plans for the future. In three weeks, he would finally leave for college and he couldn’t wait. The fear of a single misstep around his old man, and suffering the subsequent consequences, was beginning to wear on him.

His father hadn’t always been such a hard ass. Declan had more good memories than bad about his childhood. However, following the death of Declan’s mom the year before, Abe Mayo had grown cold and distant. More often than not, he was drunk or well on his way to intoxicated.

For Declan, it like living with a stranger. He walked on eggshells, waiting for his father to blow up in response to any one of many perceived wrongs that had never bothered the man before. Bidding his time and dreaming of the freedom he would have at college was the only thing that kept Declan’s mouth shut and his demeanor respectful. Since he was depending on his father to pay his tuition, Declan knew better than to piss him off.

All that came to a head when his father came home from work and riffled through Declan’s things in search of a fresh set of batteries for the remote control. Declan came inside to find his father sitting in the recliner facing the door with a beer in one hand and a handful of Declan’s dirty magazines in the other.

The screaming match that followed caused their nearest neighbors to call the police. A cruiser pulled up just as Declan was leaving. His cheek stung with the evidence of his father’s disapproval. With his father’s accusations ringing in his ears, Declan slipped off the property and walked toward town. He didn’t know where he was going or what he would do, but he couldn’t stay home. His father had made his feelings on homosexuality quite clear.

Declan clutched to the backpack containing everything he owned. A blast of wind ruffled his hair and sent a shiver down his spine. His gaze darted around the abandoned park, seeking answers he wasn’t likely to find in the curve of a solid oak tree or the sway of a deserted playground. Shadows closed in on him; the rapidly dwindling light made them appear larger and menacing.

Thunder rumbled, followed by a bright flash of light across the inky night sky. Fat beads of rain tumbled from above, splattering Declan with tear drops as clammy as the ones spilling down his cheeks.

What am I supposed to do now?

Today I’m guest blogging over at Adriana Kraft’s online home about CON.TXT. If you have a minute, make sure you swing by and say hello. http://adrianakraft.com/2010/06/25/guest-blog-amanda-young/

Please welcome Sheri Lewis Wohl to the blog, author of Bridge of Souls and Dirty Deeds.  Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…

A:I usually write in the paranormal genre.  I love all the things that are dark, dangerous and go bump in the night.  I recently did a suspense novel without a single paranormal element. Was a fun change of pace although rest easy…I’m still in the paranormal business!

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?

A:  I wrote off and on for about fifteen years before I published my first novel.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?

A:  My favorite is the first in an ebook trilogy I wrote for Loose Id titled Necuratul.  It’s the story of Cat Lohr, a Canadian psychic who hunts evil and the Spokane Indian shape shifter she loves.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?

A:  Nope, I can pretty well write anywhere, any time.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?

A:  In the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.  I happened to be at Cathedral when services were beginning and decided to stay.  As I sat listening to the wonderful service, boom-it hit me, the plot for my latest WIP.

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?

A:  Never give up.

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?

A:  For the last 19 years, I’ve been your friendly neighborhood fed.  I actually really like my day job so I work during the day and write in the early mornings and evenings.

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.

A:  I participate in triathlons.

Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?

A:  Gotta be fuck.  A simple word that conveys a lot.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

A:  Nothing exotic.  No ink but a couple piercings in each ear.

Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?

A:  Odd as it sounds, I’d go back to school and complete a doctorate.  I enjoyed earning my masters in literature and would love to take it to the next level.

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?

A:  It’s yardwork for me.  Hate it!  Hubby says I can disappear quicker than anyone he’s ever seen when the yard tools come out.

Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?

A:  My favorite book is the classic, Rebecca.  Gotta love the psycho housekeeper Mrs. Danvers.  My favorite movie is Interview with a Vampire.  It’s all about Louie for me.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)

A:  Dirty Deeds is my latest release and it’s a romantic suspense.  Louie Russell is a bounty hunter and Paul McDonald is the hockey coach who becomes her unwanted shadow.  There’s danger, intrigue and passion.

Dirty Deeds

 

By Sheri Lewis Wohl

 

Available at Liquid Silver Books, www.liquidsilverbooks.com

 

Excerpt:

From the rapid succession of thumps Louie could hear from the outside corridor of the Spokane Arena, she’d have sworn the entire hockey team was on the ice. Instead, one man circled the arena, methodically lining up a row of small pucks on the red line. Once they were in an order that seemed to please him, he would circle to the opposite end of the ice and then race back toward them. One by one he flew to the pucks, striking them with such force they crashed into the boards and made the glass rattle. Strength and fury roared through each and every shot. Impressive, very impressive.

Louie didn’t need to ask who the skater was. Paul McDonald resembled his younger brother or rather, young James McDonald resembled his older brother Paul. Resembled was the key word, for they were most definitely not twins. James’ stats had him at five-foot-ten and about one-sixty which pretty much jibed with her memory of the man who’d come into the office. His face was soft, and tough was definitely not the adjective she’d use to describe James.

This McDonald was well over thirty and decidedly not thin or soft. From where she stood, her best guess was at least six feet tall. She’d be able to look him pretty square in the eye, though the skates gave him a few more inches. His shoulders were broad and muscled. He wore a white workout jersey with the recognizable Chargers logo. Without all the pads normally worn under the jersey, she could see thick, strong arms flex each time he swung the stick. Oh yeah, this was a big brother in a big way.

“Not bad,” Louie muttered.

© Sheri Lewis Wohl, 2010
All Rights Reserved
www.sherilewiswohl.com

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To learn more about Sheri Lewis Wohl, please visit www.sherilewiswohl.com and www.sherilewiswohl.wordpress.com

Sometimes even a hero needs someone to save him.

 Mark Connor doesn’t feel like a hero even though he served two tours in Vietnam and survived a vicious ambush that took the lives of all but a handful of men. But he lost his best friend and lover, and now he refuses to be close to anyone. That makes his instant attraction to Josh a real problem.

 Josh Myers hires on with Mark to help him with a remodeling job. A survivor himself of a Beirut bombing, he embraces life with open arms. But he can’t get his new flame to take an interest in love, in life, or in himself.

 Alone in the northern Outer Banks in January, Mark clings desperately to his past, even as Josh offers him a future he doesn’t think he deserves.

You can buy the ebook HERE!

Excerpt

Lighting up a cigarette, Mark leaned back against the countertop, staring out over the dunes to the steel-gray ocean. The wind was tearing it up, the waves at least eight to ten feet high as the surf crashed on shore. It had been raw outside when he took his pre-dawn run, the bitter cold snatching his breath away. Studying the slate colored skies, Mark figured it would turn to sleet later on.

The coffee was almost ready, so Mark fished the biggest mug out of the cabinet. It was black with a yellow smiley face, which he couldn’t care less about. That it held a fucking lot of coffee in one pour, now that he could get behind. He started to reach for the pot when Josh made his entrance.

Mark stared as the younger man came down the stairs, scrubbing his face before running both hands through his long hair. He yawned, walking across the great room, wearing nothing but a pair of dog tags and white socks, his personality bobbing between his legs with each step he took.

Well, sweet fucking Christ, the guy was a helluva sight. Yesterday, the oversized tie-dyed t-shirt and baggy carpenter’s jeans along with the bulky flannel jacket had done a fine job of hiding most of Josh’s rather spectacular attributes. He was tall and long-limbed, but, Mark couldn’t help but notice how ripped he was. Well-defined arms, flat stomach, not a body builder but what Mark called “working man” shape, a body earned with sweat.

And damn, Mark had to admit, the guy was hung, out there for anyone to see.

Josh tripped over the ottoman, swearing as he regained his balance. Mark narrowed his eyes, taking the cigarette out of his mouth. Josh walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee maker. That put him right beside Mark with no regard for personal space.

“Fuck yeah, I love a Starbucks that’s open early.” Josh filled the mug that Mark had set out on the counter before going over to the refrigerator. He disappeared behind the door for a long moment. “Awesome, I was worried there for a minute that all you had in here was beer.” Josh emerged with a small carton of milk, letting the door swing shut behind him. He topped off his mug, leaving the carton on the counter. He sipped gingerly before letting out a satisfied sigh.

“Forget something, did ya’?” Mark tapped the ashes off his cigarette in the sink. He let his gaze travel the length of the naked man standing beside him.

Taking another sip, Josh pushed the mop of hair out of his face. “Nah, I don’t need glasses to get a cup of coffee.” With a sleepy grin, he went back the way he came, presenting Mark with an unobstructed view of a rather fine ass. There appeared to be a tattoo on the left butt cheek, but Mark couldn’t make out what it was and he’d be damned if he’d ask. This time Josh maneuvered around the ottoman without mishap.

“I’ll start the plumbing work on the master bath in a bit.” Josh started up the stairs, mug secure between both hands.

“Hopefully with some fuckin’ clothes on, damn jarhead,” Mark muttered, yanking the cupboard open to find another mug.

“I heard that, dogface!” Josh tossed over his shoulder before he disappeared upstairs.

Forwarded from Loose id…

You talked and we listened. You said you wanted our books in .epub
format and you wanted them without a two month delay to our resellers.
As of tonight at midnight eastern, you can have them.

What’s .epub? It’s a specialized format designed for today’s e-book devices:

Astak EZ Reader, Astak EZ Reader Pocket PRO, Astak Mentor, BeBook One,
BeBook Mini, Cybook Gen3, Cybook Opus, COOL-ER, Elonex eBook, Hanlin
V5, Hanlin V3, IREX Digital Reader 1000S, NUUT2, Sony PRS-300 Reader
Pocket Edition, Sony PRS-505 Reader Digital Book, Sony PRS-600 Reader
Touch Edition, Sony PRS-700BC Reader Digital Book, Nook.

So now you can find your fantasy in epub. Starting TODAY at Loose Id!

“This super short story packs a lot of heat. It’s titillation from the first touch to the final climax.”
-Romance Reader/Seriously Reviewed

Tempestuous Revelation 

Dominic and Mason have barely come to grips with the new aspects of their bond when one tiny slip up shines a light on their forbidden relationship. With societal pressure weighing down on them, the brothers are faced with an impossible decision – one which could end more than their taboo love.

I’m home from CON.TXT. Miss me? I had a fabulous time and met a lot of great people, including writers Andrew Grey, Cecilia Tan, Clare London, TC Blue, Parhelion, and AR Moler. JM Snyder, Marguerite Labbe, and Vincent Diamond were there as well (all three of which I had the pleasure of meeting long before this weekend).

 

It was a great, very laid back con (my first) and I’d definitely recommend you check it out when it returns in 2012 if you get the chance. Below are some pics for you. I’m sorry to say I didn’t get pictures of everyone who was there. I somehow missed snapping shots of TC Blue, JM Snyder, and Marguerite Labbe. No idea how I managed that.

 

The Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in Silver Springs

 

 

My table all set up for the con

 

 

Me in the process of consuming vast quantities of java on Saturday morning

 

 

Vincent Diamond

 

 

Andrew Grey

 

 

AR Moler

 

 

Clare London