Across Time by Rayne Forrest for the Midweek Tease

Welcome to the Midweek Tease blog hop! This is the first time I've joined in as Rayne, and it's long overdue.

The Midweek Tease blog hop is hosted by Angelica Dawson. Be sure to check out the other participating blogs by using the linky list at the end of this post. This blog hop is open to authors, so if you are one, be sure to check it out at midweektease.blogspot.com. The info is there.

Here's a tease from Across Time. Enjoy!

_*_*_*_

Devin quickly gathered his gear and headed for their best shuttle. The Moira was powering up as he tossed his pack behind the pilot’s seat and strapped in. Greg Roland didn’t bother to acknowledge him, just flipped a few switches to bring the pilot’s boards active. Devin ran the sequence checks, then ordered the bay depressurized and the huge doors opened. Lack of gravity took over. The Moira rose a scant six inches from the deck and the Stargazer slid out from under her.

It didn’t take long for the call from the Avery McKenna to come. Rose had followed protocol to notify other orbiting ships of a shuttle launch and that a ship’s captain was onboard. Devin grinned wolfishly as Corri’s voice filled the shuttle.

“What do you think you’re doing, Tremaine?”

“Well, hello, Corrine. Fancy meeting you way out here.”

“Listen, you son of a bitch. You land that shuttle on Adhara VII and I will personally take you into custody.”

He didn’t think he’d mind that too very much, especially if she used handcuffs.

“Your momma needs to go get her money back from that fancy finishing school she sent you to. Tsk, tsk. Such language.”

“You are not funny. Park that shuttle anywhere but back on that piece of garbage you fly and I’ll have to arrest you.”

He could challenge her on that because there was no way she had a warrant. Carlton would have covered such a contingency. “Show me your open authorization to arrest anyone on Adhara VII and show me your open warrant on me, in particular.” The silence on the other end of the transmission was evidence her bluff had been called.

“You keep away from Dr. Winston and his team. You stay away from my personnel. And you stay away from me, Tremaine.”

“I’d love to stay away from you. I have every intention of staying away from you. As for the rest of it, you’d better tell Winston to steer clear of my people. Cooperation is a two-way street, and if your people don’t respect mine, I’ll personally order them to stand up for themselves.” Let her stew about that, he thought smugly.

“You idiot! You can’t give them permission to start brawls!”

“Sure I can. My people have brains, Dunn. The military hasn’t sucked the gray matter out of their skulls and replaced it with rhetoric. They can actually think for themselves. And they’ll know if they’ve been insulted.”

“This is serious, Devin. You stay away from Winston or I’ll have to take appropriate action.”

“Your actions are always appropriate, aren’t they?”

“You bastard.”

“I do lack parental units, that’s true.”

Devin grinned as the com link went dead. “That went well, didn’t it?” he said to Greg. Behind him, Meredith snorted.

“I don’t know, Devin,” Greg replied. “Did it?”

Devin ignored them and rose to check on the crew riding down to the surface in the cargo bay.

“What did I just hear?” Greg asked Meredith innocently, as soon as Devin disappeared.

Meredith grinned at him. “Foreplay.”

ACROSS TIME

Sci-fi romance

Corri Dunn has the posting of a lifetime as captain of the Avery McKenna, but she had to give up the man she loves to have it. When she’s ordered to transport an archaeological team to Adhara VII, she finds he’s arrived ahead of her. 

Devin Tremaine lost the love of his life five years ago when a younger Corri chose her career over his love. As captain of the Stargazer, he’s ordered to secretly transport a mercenary to Adhara VII - knowing Corri will soon be there.

Passion burns brightly between the reunited lovers, but trust returns more slowly. Years of longing for each other, and second-guessing their abandonment of each other has left them treading on shaky ground.

When the mysterious Ori-Arkee visits Corri, she must turn to Devin for help. Together, they embark on a quest to discover the secrets of Adhara VII and discover they’ve found more than the way back to each other and a completely vanished civilization. They’ve stumbled on the way across time…

ACROSS TIME

 Available at:

 Amazon: www.amazon.com/Across-Time-Rayne-Forrest-ebook/dp/B01FR14LQU

iTunes/Apple: itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1114396792

Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/across-time-rayne-forrest/1006854086

Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/across-time-7

Rayne Forrest
kckendricks.com/RayneForrest_AcrossTime.html

They stole my story!!!

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

There you are. It’s a rainy evening and you’ve written over one thousand words in the current work-in-progress. You’re winding it down for the day. A little surfing at your favorite online bookseller is in order. You can download a new book and tottle off to bed to do a little reading.

Not so fast. There is YOUR cover on someone else’s book! 

Okay, okay. You know everyone and their sister is buying cover stock from a very limited available pool of quality stock. You just have to grin and bear it and remember you bought that cover stock because the guy is pretty sexy. 

So you scroll a few more pages and then it happens. Holy crap! SOMEONE STOLE YOUR TITLE!!!  

Well, it’s not exactly your title. Your title’s The Alpha’s Broken Finger and this - this - this THIEF used The Alpha’s Broken Toe. And you can't copyright titles and names. But dammit! That’s awfully close. And both stories are about how his mate, be that mate male or female, saves him.  

What the heck is going on?? Is this something serious or did we simply inspire another writer? Haven't we all gotten inspiration from someone else somewhere along the line? Who hasn't read a story and been blown away by a particular turn of a phrase and then had it creep into our usage? 

Plagiarism is a risk we all take when we publish a book. While I wrote the above tongue-in-cheek, the theft of intellectual property is no laughing matter. The honest among us have all seen covers and stories so similar to our own that the hair on our arms raises in alarm, disgust and anger. It’s not a good feeling. So what do we do about it?

The serious among us view our work as both creation and business. There are steps we can take if we’ve been pirated (DMCA letters) or suspect plagiarism (an attorney versed in the applicable laws).  One of the sad truths about this business is it’s stacked against the author. We do the work of creation and everyone makes a profit on our backs.

I could let the ugliness of theft stop me from writing, but I won’t. I could put my money into lawyer fees (and if seriously pissed off I will). I submit DMCA letters albeit in a lazy fashion. For better or for worse I’ve accepted the risk because I believe Karma exists.

If we accuse another writer of plagiarism and it turns out to be a weird coincidence, we’ve gained an enemy, one unlikely to ever forget. And do we want to apply the stigma of plagiarism to someone else who may have simply had a similar idea? How would we feel if we were unjustly accused of such a thing?

I know that sooner or later savvy readers will catch on and avoid suspect “authors.” The problem of deliberate, premeditated theft is so pervasive that even with a hundred thousand keyboards raised against it, it’s not going to go away. And that’s not right and that’s not fair.

The best thing I can do is put my energy into writing the next story and not dwell on the inequities of this business. I could allow it to discourage me, but I won’t. I do what I do for the honest readers and there are enough of them left to keep me going. And that will just have to be good enough until karma kicks butt.

Rayne
rayneforrest.blogspot.com

(This is a modified version of a post that was written for another venue in 2015.)

Science fiction romance
Time travel romance

Finishing the Work-in-Progress - IWSG

January 6, 2016

Picking up the Career Pieces

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

Happy Epiphany! Today marks the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas, sometimes called Twelfth Night, and the historical arrival of the Magi bearing gifts. Many people leave the Christmas decorations up through Epiphany. I’m not usually one of them although if I can’t get to un-decorating on New Year’s Day, I’ll wait until after Epiphany.

The word “epiphany” means “revelation.”  Well, I’d like to have an epiphany as to why it’s been so difficult for me to pick up the pieces of my writing career. Publishing houses aside, that is. I know those reasons and they start with I’m the one doing the work and someone else is making the money.

I hold the rights to all the Rayne Forrest works, save two, and I think that’s a good thing. I’ve been indie publishing the stories and it’s a lot easier than a publisher would have you believe. So why the hesitation in finishing the new work-in-progress? It’s currently at 12,000 words and if I applied myself, I could finish it by the end of the month. I don’t have writer’s block on the creativity spectrum, so what is it?

Finding that answer is something I need to work toward in 2016.

Rayne

www.rayneforrest.com

http://twentysixkeys.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

Looking ahead in 2016

Celebrating a New Year is a mixed bag for me. I suppose that's because I don't view a day on the calendar as the magic start to a chance for a "do over." January 1, 2016 doesn't dump us out at the same spot January 1, 2105 did. We've moved forward to a different place. There is no "do over." There is only "do." What do I want to do in 2016? More appropriately, what do I want to accomplish in 2016?

Much of the same as in 2015 so it seems. The plan is to keep chipping away at the manuscripts until I can get each of them back out in the world. With any luck, a new story or two will get finished. It's not like I don't have them started.  

I still have the day job to contend with, but I'm counting down the days until I can retire. Six years seems like a long time, but time flies. Case in point is we've just entered 2016. How did that happen? 

This new year may also be the year I do the A to Z Blogging Challenge. I've thought about it several times so maybe it's time. We shall see, come April. 

January 4 marks a year since A Hero's Bargain went out as an indie release. I've always loved this story. Ryder Vaughan doesn't seem to be hero material, but in the end, he reaches within, makes the hard choices, and carries them through. I bought the cover for A Hero's Bargain and it's what convinced me I had to learn to make my own. 

I joined the Insecure Writer's Support Group in 2015. It's a monthly blog hop where writer's share thoughts and experiences. I'm not sure I'm insecure, I rather think it's the opposite, but connecting with other writers is important. I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick with the IWSG through 2016. 

Yes, I do have some things to think about in the New Year. Not to do over, but to continue. There's nothing magic about it from where I sit. It's just life. I'd best be about it and not let a Saturday get away from me. 

Rayne
http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

The Curiosity Shoppe by Rayne Forrest

Welcome to the 120th week of the My Sexy Saturday blog hop! This week's theme is A Sexy Galaxy and I've got a few. I love writing science-fiction. It's such fun to create a universe where you're the one who makes the rules. Today it's about an alien named Semele who broke the rules and traveled a long way to find her man. And Zeb's glad she did! 

Here are seven sexy paragraphs from The Curiosity Shoppe.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“We are not married. Marriage can be dissolved. The bonding cannot. I am yours, Zebadiah. It remains to be seen if you will become mine.” She pressed her bottom down into his lap again. His eyes crossed.

She jerked upright, her spine straight. She blinked wide green eyes at him. “Have I misunderstood that …” she looked at the pronounced bulge he sported, “that is an indication of desire to mate in a human male?”

“Oh, jeez.” What had he gotten himself into? He tapped her nose lightly with his index finger. “Now listen, wife.”

She treated him to that wide-eyed blink again.

“I’m going to try to survive kissing you again. No talking. No sending me subliminal messages. No reading my mind. No hands on my crotch. Got it?”

She blinked several times. Then she smiled.

            Not a welcoming, friendly, pleased, happy smile - oh no. Not a smile of compliance - not her. She smiled like the cat who just ate the canary in the old nursery rhyme his gran had told him. “I understand, Zebadiah. You must lead.”

THE CURIOSITY SHOPPE
Available now at All Romance eBooks
www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thecuriosityshoppe-1913989-340.html

 More about The Curiosity Shoppe:

Cajun Zebadiah LaCroy is a long way from home. Infected with a bad case of wanderlust, Zeb’s been working on an intergalactic merchant ship. He’s seen all manner of strange worlds and stranger beings. When his ship docks at Station Janus, Zeb searches for a gift for his sister back home and finds more than he bargained for. Come and see, a female voice calls telepathically to him. Never one to be able to deny his innate curiosity, Zeb can’t resist. He’s caught in her spell.

When he finally sees her, hears her say his name, Zeb knows Semele is telling him the truth. They are bonding exclusively to each other. For the bonding to be complete, they must mate. The only thing is, she’s not quite human.

Rayne Forrest
www.rayneforrest.com
http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com
twitter.com/rayneforrest

Be sure to check out all the My Sexy Saturday blogs using the link below.

Across Time for #MSS119 (My Sexy Saturday)

Welcome to another My Sexy Saturday. My Sexy Saturday is a weekly blog hop that brings you sexy excerpts from a wide variety of today's authors. This week I'm highlighting Across Time. Enjoy!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“I am dreaming.” He rolled over to face her. Her hair was mussed and her face flushed with sleep. She was beautiful. “You’re talking about something we did together.”

“You didn’t pack coffee then, so I figured you’d forget this time, too. Now get up and make a fire.”

“Nope. I’m not dreaming. She’s giving me orders.” Before Corri could answer, he gathered her into his arms and kissed her. He was awake now. Very awake.

She pushed against him, rolling him onto his back. His hands stroked down her spine and cupped her rounded bottom. She shifted to straddle him. His body throbbed all over. He got a little hurried in the mornings if he thought he was getting laid, and she knew it.

“No foreplay?” He thrust up as she slid down over the fullness of his erection. She smiled at him and rose until the tip of his cock was barely inside her. Then she slowly eased down again.

Again and again she gave him that devastating pleasure until he couldn’t keep from moaning aloud each time she rose over him. He reached for her breasts, and she batted his hands away.

“Go over for me, Devin. Let me watch you. I want to see it happen to you.” She tightened her inner walls around him. “Go over.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Across Time is available at Amber Quill Press
http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/1954-Across-Time.aspx

More about Across Time:

Corri Dunn’s mission to distant Adhara VII begins on a downhill slide. Not only have her superiors withheld vital information, but Devin Tremaine knows what it is. Corri must face Devin, and what happened between them five years ago, or lose her command. Confronting the truth means facing the fact she still loves Devin. She wants him back in her life, and her bed, but she has to complete her assignment first.

Devin Tremaine made one big mistake in his life—he lost Corri Dunn when she needed his understanding and he couldn’t give it. Now they’re both at Adhara VII, caught in a web of deceit—and renewed passion. Corri’s been sent into a trap and he’s the only one who can save her.

The secrets of Adhara VII unlock their past, present and a future fast unraveling. To survive, Corri and Devin must make a leap of faith—across time.


 Be sure to visit all the My Sexy Saturday blogs using the list below.

Rayne Forrest
rayneforrest.blogspot.com
twitter.com/rayneforrest

Taking Chances

Life is full of highs and lows. No one can escape them. Both can exhaust us, so with any luck balance will be quickly restored. 

I've been contemplating giving up the paid website for many months now. Yahoo developed a new marketing tool that sends information directly to a paying customer's inbox. That quickly became a low - for Yahoo.

Tracking website hits compared to blog hits left no doubt in my mind I needed to rethink a few things. Twenty-Six Keys gets five times the hits the paid website gets. It's a no-brainer. If I'm going to pay for a home on the web, I'd do better to pay Blogger. 

Oh wait. It's FREE. At least for now and until I can switch the .com domain over. 

I'm going to bite the bullet, as they say, and give up the paid website. Yes, I've had it for thirteen years, but we need to be frugal even if it makes us a bit sad. 

So rayneforrest.blogspot.com is my new web home. I'll still be blogging right here at Twenty-Six Keys, but I think having a separate site for the books will work out just fine. I might even give Facebook a look now. 

Rayne
http://www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

My Sexy Saturday #100 - Across Time by Rayne Forrest

Welcome to my corner of the 100th edition of the My Sexy Saturday blog hop. My Sexy Saturday is a group of authors each posting seven sexy sentences or paragraphs from one of their works. To celebrate MSS#100, I'm going back to Across Time.

Across Time was the very first book I every published and holds a special place in my heart. It wasn't the first book I wrote, but that's the way this business works. 

So without more rambling, here are seven sexy paragraphs from Across Time.

* * * *

Corri wished he’d stop smiling at her. She was very aware of their isolation and the fact she suddenly wished he’d stop talking and kiss her. It had been five long, lonely years since he’d kissed her. She couldn’t give in to her emotions. She had a job to do. “You’re not that Irish, and you’re certainly not that funny.” She turned on her heel and stalked off.

Devin quickly caught up to her and fell into step beside her. “We found a cave. Or, I suppose I should say, a cavern. We’ve not explored it beyond the entrance. We’re not equipped.”

Corri snorted. He sounded like it hurt to admit his lack of equipment.  “Did you touch anything, Tremaine? Disturb anything?” God help them if he had. Winston’s head would probably explode if Devin’s crew had moved even a grain of sand.

“No and no. There’s evidence that some large carnivore used the area for a den. We didn’t linger for dinner.” He shot her a wry glance.

Corri tried to look disgusted with him. Devin thought he was funny. And charming. Of course, he really was. Therein lie the problem.

“How big is it?” she asked, instantly regretting her choice of words.

His blue eyes gleamed at her with amusement. “Come on, Dunn. I didn’t whip out my tape measure and check it.”

* * * *

ACROSS TIME is available now at Amber Quill Press.
http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/1954-Across-Time.aspx

More about Across Time:

Corri Dunn’s mission to distant Adhara VII begins on a downhill slide. Not only have her superiors withheld vital information, but Devin Tremaine knows what it is. Corri must face Devin, and what happened between them five years ago, or lose her command. Confronting the truth means facing the fact she still loves Devin. She wants him back in her life, and her bed, but she has to complete her assignment first.

Devin Tremaine made one big mistake in his life – he lost Corri Dunn when she needed his understanding and he couldn’t give it. Now they’re both at Adhara VII, caught in a web of deceit – and renewed passion. Corri’s been sent into a trap and he’s the only one who can save her.

The secrets of Adhara VII unlock their past, present and a future fast unraveling. To survive, Corri and Devin must make a leap of faith – across time.

Rayne Forrest
www.rayneforrest.com

It's a blog hop! Be sure to check out the list below for more sexy excerpts.

Being Crafty

Years ago I published a monthly newsletter. While it was a lot of work, I enjoyed putting it together and including various writing tidbits, crafts and recipes. Like everything else in life, it ran its course and I let it go. Being a sort of digital hoarder, I kept all the editions. 

This time of year each evening we're spending time on the patio. With the bugs. The kind of bugs that suck your blood. We don't like the bugs. And because we don't like the bugs, we burn a lot of incense, which the bugs don't like. IMHO, keeping them at bay is better than killing them after they've taken a chunk out of one's ankle. 

Back in July 2008, I included an article in my newsletter, Forrest Whispers, on how to make an incense burner out of a wine bottle. Mine is a simple affair, for a simple country girl, but crafty people can get all sorts of ideas on Pinterest on how to create something fancier. 

Here's the entire article from the old newsletter.

= = = = = 

BEING CRAFTY

My honey and I enjoy early summer mornings and lazy summer evenings on our patio. One thing we’ve discovered is that mosquitoes do not like the smoke from incense. Our incense burner is a wine bottle, which looks very cool as it “smokes”. Here’s what you do.

Take an empty, clean wine bottle. How you get the bottle empty is entirely up to you. I know how I do it.

Using a special drill bit for glass, drill a small hole about an inch or so up from the bottom. Ask someone to do this for you if you don’t have the tools. Then find an old metal key ring larger than the opening in the top of the wine bottle to anchor the incense stick.

Slip the base end of the incense stick through sleeve of the key ring, light the incense and drop it into the bottle. The key ring will stand on end and hold the stick in place as it burns.

Wondering how to store the incense sticks close at hand and yet keep them from drawing moisture? Take a clear wine bottle (washed and dried inside, of course), drop in the incense sticks and cork it. Get several fragrances of incense and your storage bottle will be quite a colorful addition to your patio space.

Drill a few bottles and mate with storage bottles for gifts for your friends to take home to their patios.  

= = = = = = 

So there you have it. Some fragrant bug control for backyard living. 

Rayne
www.rayneforrest.com

Across Time by Rayne Forrest for My Sexy Saturday

Welcome to Twenty-six Keys! The blog got a new look this week and I like it quite a bit. This week I'm jumping in on the My Sexy Saturday blog hop with Across Time. 

Across Time was the first book of mine that went "live" although it wasn't the first story I had contracted. The rights came back to me a while back and I revamped the manuscript to apply everything I've learned since Across Time was written. The result was well worth the effort. I love combining science fiction with romance. It's my favorite thing to write and I think it shows. 

Here are seven sexy paragraphs from Across Time. 

+ + + + +

The closures on her bra popped open, baring her breasts to him. He knelt above her, straddling her. His hands deftly opened his pants and his erection sprang free.

Corri reached to touch him, but he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. He lowered his weight fully onto her. Never taking his eyes from hers, he spread her knees with his. She couldn’t stop from arching up to him as his cock slipped across her slickness.

The teasing of his body was at odds with the bruising vise of his fingers around her wrists. She tried to pull away, and his grip tightened.

“Don’t ever say this is rape, Dunn.”

“I want you, Devin. Please.”

His gaze lowered to her mouth and then flicked back up, once more locking with hers. He slowly released her wrists and slid one hand beneath her head, cradling it from the hard ground.

“This is your last chance to say stop.”

+ + + + +

More about Across Time, available at Amber Quill Press:

Corri Dunn’s mission to distant Adhara VII begins on a downhill slide. Not only have her superiors withheld vital information, but Devin Tremaine knows what it is. Corri must face Devin, and what happened between them five years ago, or lose her command. Confronting the truth means facing the fact she still loves Devin. She wants him back in her life, and her bed, but she has to complete her assignment first.

Devin Tremaine made one big mistake in his life – he lost Corri Dunn when she needed his understanding and he couldn’t give it. Now they’re both at Adhara VII, caught in a web of deceit – and renewed passion. Corri’s been sent into a trap and he’s the only one who can save her.

The secrets of Adhara VII unlock their past, present and a future fast unraveling. To survive, Corri and Devin must make a leap of faith – across time.

Rayne Forrest

www.rayneforrest.com

A Hero's Bargain by Rayne Forrest

Welcome to Twenty-Six Keys, the My Sexy Saturday Blog Hop, and the announcement of the re-release of A Hero's Bargain! 

When Ryder crash lands on an alien world, Saba saves his life - for a price. To save her people, Saba needs him to kill the deadly errol, and the only coin she has to offer him is her body. 

Here are seven sexy paragraphs from A Hero's Bargain.

^_^_^_^_^_^

“You will heal but it will take time,” Saba told him with far more calm than she felt.

Ryder hissed, pressing his hands to his stomach. Alarmed, she jumped up. Quick as a snake, he had her again, one hand fisting in her hair, trapping her.

“Heal me, then.”

His mouth came down on hers with bruising force. She pushed against him but he was too strong. His tongue swept over her lips and suddenly, escaping him wasn’t important. Deep in her belly her womb contracted. Need, hot and sweet, throbbed with each beat of her racing heart.

His kiss gentled, coaxing her now with a soft plea to answer him. Her arms slid around his neck. Her lips opened. There was a low rumble in his chest as his arms tightened around her. Awareness of her surroundings faded. All she knew was his lips moving on hers and his warm hand slowly caressing her back. She was caught in the spell he wove, floating in some dark place where her body spoke to her of aching loneliness and whispered its hope of fulfillment.

Softly, ever so softly, the kiss ended. His lips left hers, lingering a hairsbreadth away. His hands slid to her hips, grasping them with strong fingers and pulling her to him. The hard ridge of his manhood greeted her. She looked into his eyes, gone black with desire.

      “You’ll come to my bed first. Then I’ll talk to Tyree about my weapons.”

_^_^_^_^_^_^_

More about A Hero's Bargain:

When a poker game turns ugly, erstwhile gambler Ryder Vaughan runs for his life. After crash landing his ship on an unknown world it looks like his life will be a short one - until the lovely healer, Saba Duer, finds him and saves him. Smitten, Saba has no qualms allowing Ryder to seduce her.

In Ryder, Saba sees the coming of a hero to save her people. The deadly errol that has terrorized the Ramalho Clan for so many years has been spotted on a course that will bring it to the village. Ryder has a weapon that could destroy the creature. She strikes a bargain with him to secure his help. Ryder’s not yet well and whole, but there is no choice. Saba has to let him go and face the truth – she’s sent him on a mission to die.

                     

But Ryder has a plan - and dying isn’t a part of it.

A HERO'S BARGAIN

(second edition)

Available now at Amazon

For a full excerpt, please visit my website.

Rayne Forrest

http://www.rayneforrest.com

Step Into Tomorrow for My Sexy Saturday

Welcome to Twenty-six Keys and my little corner of today's My Sexy Saturday. Check out the list at the bottom of this post for all the My Sexy Saturday blogs. 

For MSS #70 it's seven sexy paragraphs from the time-travel romance, Step Into Tomorrow. 

+ + + +

She watched as he poured a generous four fingers of bourbon into a glass. Good. Maybe he’d fall over in a stupor, and she could call the cops. They could drag him out of her house.

“This won’t do me in, Sophia. Not by a long way.” He cocked his head quizzically. “Or is that not by a long shot? I don’t remember.”

“It’s a long shot.” She snorted as derisively as she knew how to, and she did know how. All she had to do was channel her mother and grandmother. “Where are you from that you can’t remember that?”

He gave her another little bow. “I’m from the future.”

Sophia sprang off the couch. It was time to teach him who she was. She was over her shock. If Eddie could become assertive, so could she. Rhys was leaving now.

“Don’t fucking mock me, buster! Get out of my home!”

“I’m not mocking you. I wouldn’t do that. Fucking you, however, is an intriguing idea.”
+ + + +

Step Into Tomorrow is available at Amber Heat, an imprint of Amber Quill Press.

About Step Into Tomorrow:

Rhys St. Clair is the best of a select group of highly trained time specialists. When events in the layers of time run amok, it’s his job to step through the Matrix and fix the problem. A mistake in his calculations sends him back to the year 1996 and nets him more than he ever bargained for – Sophia Townsend.

Sophia Townsend needs a life makeover. When a confused stranger shows up inside her home, with no idea of where he is, or even what year it is, it doesn’t take Sophia long to figure out the man in her living room is the most interesting guy she’s ever met, and the sexiest, too.

When Rhys whisks her away, Sophia isn’t sure if she’s been kidnapped, or if the handsome stranger is taking her on the greatest adventure of her life. When the truth catches up to them, Rhys has only one thing left to offer her – but only if she’s brave enough to step into tomorrow with him.

Rayne Forrest
http://www.rayneforrest.com

My Sexy Saturday - Across Time

Welcome to my corner of the My Sexy Saturday Blog Hop! I'd like to thank the organizer, Lynn Crain, for hosting the hop. I generally follow along even if I don't submit a blog post. And considering the situation with my backlist, I won't be joining in every week. It gets a bit boring to have the same book on the blog hop time after time after time and I like lively better. 

Across Time - not the first book I wrote but the first book that was published and available out in the world. It's been a long journey to here but a good one. Here's seven sexy paragraphs from Across Time.

=======

It didn’t take long for the call from the Avery McKenna to come. Rose had followed protocol to notify other orbiting ships of a shuttle launch and that a ship’s captain was onboard. Devin grinned wolfishly as Corri’s voice filled the shuttle.

“What do you think you’re doing, Tremaine?”

“Well, hello, Corrine. Fancy meeting you way out here.”

“Listen, you son of a bitch. You land that shuttle on Adhara VII and I will personally take you into custody.”

He didn’t think he’d mind that too very much, especially if she used handcuffs.

“Your momma needs to go get her money back from that fancy finishing school she sent you to. Tsk, tsk. Such language.”

“You are not funny. Park that shuttle anywhere but back on that piece of garbage you fly and I’ll have to arrest you.”

ACROSS TIME
available at Amber Quill, All Romance eBooks, and Amazon.

Corri Dunn’s mission to distant Adhara VII begins on a downhill slide. Not only have her superiors withheld vital information, but Devin Tremaine knows what it is. Corri must face Devin, and what happened between them five years ago, or lose her command. Confronting the truth means facing the fact she still loves Devin. She wants him back in her life, and her bed, but she has to complete her assignment first.

Devin Tremaine made one big mistake in his life – he lost Corri Dunn when she needed his understanding and he couldn’t give it. Now they’re both at Adhara VII, caught in a web of deceit – and renewed passion. Corri’s been sent into a trap and he’s the only one who can save her.

The secrets of Adhara VII unlock their past, present and a future fast unraveling. To survive, Corri and Devin must make a leap of faith – across time. 

Rayne
http://www.rayneforrest.com
http://twitter.com/rayneforrest

Across Time is now in paperback

Across Time is now available in paperback and digital download at Amazon. This was a long time coming and it's a waiting process every author goes through at some point in their career. When you know you have a story that's really good (the old Two Lips Reviews did give it a Recommended Read) all you can do is persevere until you find the right publisher.

Now in its third edition, Across Time is better than ever with added scenes. It was a joy to revisit the story and see how much I've grown as a writer since it was originally written. I have a few more old manuscripts on the hard drive and I think it's time to dust them off and get them back out into the world, too. 

I hope you'll enjoy Across Time. Find it at here at Amazon. 

About the book:

Corri Dunn’s mission to distant Adhara VII begins on a downhill slide. Not only have her superiors withheld vital information, but Devin Tremaine knows what it is. Corri must face Devin, and what happened between them five years ago, or lose her command. Confronting the truth means facing the fact she still loves Devin. She wants him back in her life, and her bed, but she has to complete her assignment first.

Devin Tremaine made one big mistake in his life – he lost Corri Dunn when she needed his understanding and he couldn’t give it. Now they’re both at Adhara VII, caught in a web of deceit – and renewed passion. Corri’s been sent into a trap and he’s the only one who can save her.

The secrets of Adhara VII unlock their past, present and a future fast unraveling. To survive, Corri and Devin must make a leap of faith – across time. 


An excerpt:

Oh hell! He was walking toward her. Corri was aware of her crewmembers behind her in the meadow. It couldn’t be helped. If she walked over the rim and out of sight her security people would come running. She had to stand her ground.

He wasn’t even breathing hard when he stopped about six feet away. He took off his sunglasses to look her up and down.

Her heart pounded in her chest but she kept her tone cool. “Do I pass inspection?”

“You always did, Dunn. Congratulations on getting the Avery McKenna.”

“Thank you.” She’d had the ship three years. “What are you doing here, Tremaine? And don’t try and weasel out of telling me the truth.”

“We all take orders. Mine said come here. Didn’t yours?”

“We can stand here and verbally spar all day and get nowhere. But I’d rather have some answers. Wouldn’t you?”

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, eh, Dunn?”

“Is that what you are? My enemy?”

“It’s not what I want to be. It’s what you made me.” His gaze warred with hers.

“That’s not true,” she denied, moving away from him. She wasn’t ready for this conversation. In truth, maybe she had made him the enemy.

“Look, Dunn, let’s wave the white flag.”

Corri fought the urge to fidget under the calculating look Devin gave her. In that instant she knew with a certainty she didn’t question that he knew more about why they were here at Adhara VII than she did.

“I can’t, Tremaine. It’s as simple as that. I have a job to do here.”

“Do you, now? Part of the job ramming your ship’s titanium nose up my fuel vents?”

She flashed him her best smile. “Afraid to tap the braking thrusters, were you?”

“What did you hope to accomplish? A star UFPA captain dropping into orbit and the first thing she does is break the regs. I’m disappointed.”

“So deal with it. Your people made the proper adjustment.”

“My people should not have been required to do so.”

“I’ll instruct my flight crew to be more precise in their measurements.”

Devin paused and looked her up and down again. She clamped her teeth firmly together and struggled to remain silent under his perusal.

“Well, Dunn. You know where to find me should you reconsider that white flag.” He turned to leave, then stopped and looked back at her. “Nice job getting here in four days. New engines?”

Corri looked at him and saw the boyish interest in more speed, more power and having his toys be bigger and better than the other kids.

“Oh yeah, Tremaine,” she replied smoothly. “They’re amazing. Too bad you’ll never get a look at them.”

He flashed that ear-to-ear grin of his, transforming his face. It made her flush warm with memories of him, of them together. She pushed them away, knowing she couldn’t go back.

“Maybe before we pull out of here, you’ll change your mind,” he said softly, a touch of Irish lilt in his voice.

“No. I won’t.” She turned and headed down the hillside to her landing site and refused to look back.

ACROSS TIME

erotic science fiction romance

Rayne

http://www.rayneforrest.com

Across Time by Rayne Forrest

Across Time is now available at Amber Heat
http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/1954-Across-Time.aspx

The secrets of Adhara VII unlock their past and present, and threaten a future fast unraveling unless Corri and Devin take a leap of faith – across time.  

Corri Dunn’s mission to distant Adhara VII begins on a downhill slide. Not only have her superiors withheld vital information, but Devin Tremaine knows what it is. Corri must face Devin, and what happened between them five years ago, or lose her command. Confronting the truth means facing the fact she still loves Devin. She wants him back in her life, and her bed, but she has to complete her assignment first.

Devin Tremaine made one big mistake in his life – he lost Corri Dunn when she needed his understanding and he couldn’t give it. Now they’re both at Adhara VII, caught in a web of deceit – and renewed passion. Corri’s been sent into a trap and he’s the only one who can save her. 

EXCERPT:

Oh hell! He was walking toward her. Corri was aware of her crewmembers behind her in the meadow. It couldn’t be helped. If she walked over the rim and out of sight her security people would come running. She had to stand her ground.

He wasn’t even breathing hard when he stopped about six feet away. He took off his sunglasses to look her up and down.

Her heart pounded in her chest but she kept her tone cool. “Do I pass inspection?”

“You always did, Dunn. Congratulations on getting the Avery McKenna.”

“Thank you.” She’d had the ship three years. “What are you doing here, Tremaine? And don’t try and weasel out of telling me the truth.”

“We all take orders. Mine said come here. Didn’t yours?”

“We can stand here and verbally spar all day and get nowhere. But I’d rather have some answers. Wouldn’t you?”

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, eh, Dunn?”

“Is that what you are? My enemy?”

“It’s not what I want to be. It’s what you made me.” His gaze warred with hers.

“That’s not true,” she denied, moving away from him. She wasn’t ready for this conversation. In truth, maybe she had made him the enemy.

“Look, Dunn, let’s wave the white flag.”

Corri fought the urge to fidget under the calculating look Devin gave her. In that instant she knew with a certainty she didn’t question that he knew more about why they were here at Adhara VII than she did.

“I can’t, Tremaine. It’s as simple as that. I have a job to do here.”

“Do you, now? Part of the job ramming your ship’s titanium nose up my fuel vents?”

She flashed him her best smile. “Afraid to tap the braking thrusters, were you?”

“What did you hope to accomplish? A star UFPA captain dropping into orbit and the first thing she does is break the regs. I’m disappointed.”

“So deal with it. Your people made the proper adjustment.”

“My people should not have been required to do so.”

“I’ll instruct my flight crew to be more precise in their measurements.”

Devin paused and looked her up and down again. She clamped her teeth firmly together and struggled to remain silent under his perusal.

“Well, Dunn. You know where to find me should you reconsider that white flag.” He turned to leave, then stopped and looked back at her. “Nice job getting here in four days. New engines?”

Corri looked at him and saw the boyish interest in more speed, more power and having his toys be bigger and better than the other kids.

“Oh yeah, Tremaine,” she replied smoothly. “They’re amazing. Too bad you’ll never get a look at them.”

He flashed that ear-to-ear grin of his, transforming his face. It made her flush warm with memories of him, of them together. She pushed them away, knowing she couldn’t go back.

“Maybe before we pull out of here, you’ll change your mind,” he said softly, a touch of Irish lilt in his voice.

“No. I won’t.” She turned and headed down the hillside to her landing site and refused to look back.

= = = = =

Across Time

sci-fi romance from author Rayne Forrest

available now at Amber Heat, an imprint of Amber Quill Press

http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/1954-Across-Time.aspx

New cover reveal - Across Time

Corri Dunn’s mission to distant Adhara VII begins on a downhill slide. Not only have her superiors withheld vital information, but Devin Tremaine knows what it is. Corri must face Devin, and what happened between them five years ago, or lose her command. Confronting the truth means facing the fact she still loves Devin. She wants him back in her life, and her bed, but she has to complete her assignment first.

Devin Tremaine made one big mistake in his life – he lost Corri Dunn when she needed his understanding and he couldn’t give it. Now they’re both at Adhara VII, caught in a web of deceit – and renewed passion. Corri’s been sent into a trap and he’s the only one who can save her.

The secrets of Adhara VII unlock their past, present and a future fast unraveling. To survive, Corri and Devin must make a leap of faith – across time. 

*****

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be with Amber Quill Press and to have them publish Across Time. While I write both contemporary and sci-fi, I actually enjoy writing sci-fi a bit better. It's fun to build a world where all the rules are mine. I suppose that says something about me, but there is it. Veritas. 

Interviewers ask the question, "What inspired the story?" all the time. I think it's a prerequisite for an interview. Across Time developed from a scene in a television show where the hero was white water rafting. I thought it would be cool to have our hero and heroine stuck together on a raft. So then I had to create a planet with a river and a couple of space ships to get them to the planet. Yes, it was fun! 

The title Across Time has myriad meaning. It references love surviving across time, both the love between our main characters and the love of fellow man. Then there's that pesky temporal shift business of moving between time lines that the characters have to sort out to stop the bad guys from going back in time to wreak havoc.

I do wish the cover had our main characters Devin Tremaine and Corri Dunn on the it in some sort of sexy pose, but when I saw the picture of the city on the mound, it was too perfect to the city in the story. The coin flip went in favor of the city. You'll just have to believe me when I say the romance is in the story and Devin and Corri do like to get busy. Besides, finding pictures of couples in 24th century fashions isn't easy, even with google. 


To read an excerpt from Across Time, please visit my website at http://www.rayneforrest.com/AcrossTime.html

Rayne 
www.rayneforrest.com
www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

Pieces of April

Sometimes I really do think I lost my mind when I decided to cram a writing career into my life. What? Like I didn’t already have enough to do? Jeez. And I’m not alone. Everyone I talk with seems to be in a similar space - a space already crammed full of things to do and people to tend see. Gainful employment has taken a more important role in life as the economy continues to waver.

But enough. It's April and sometime this month Across Time will once again be available. Across Time was the very first book I had go on sale back in 2004. It's been reworked (I write a better love scene these days) and I'm pleased with the result. And joy of joys, it will be available in paperback so I can give a copy to my mother and get her off my back. I mean it will make her happy. 

Music from the 1970’s. Is it better if you actually remember hearing the songs on AM radio? I think so. I heard a song by Three Dog Night on the radio recently and I was amazed at how well the music held up. A lot of critics wrote the band off as too lightweight, but when you hear an old song, and still remember all the words, it’s a special thing. Jeremiah was a bullfrog, but he’s the best known bullfrog in rock ‘n roll history. Gotta love that. Jeremiah got me thinking about Pieces of April. 

I've got pieces off April, I keep them in a memory bouquet.

I've got pieces of April, and it's a morning in May. 

It's a lovely, sentimental refrain, isn't it? The images it brings to mind are romantic, softly blurred. But what a wonderful thing to have special memories to carry with us. The first time Across Time was picked up by a publisher, the ebook industry was in its infancy. No one knew what to expect. Most of us thought ebook publishing was viable and it has proven to be so. Were they glory days? Not so much for me although I'm sure they were for some. I was on a steep learning curve, but it was exciting to see a book with my name on it go on sale - and a few people bought it! 

Across Time has been gathering dust on my hard drive for many years. Deciding to send it out into the world again was a difficult decision. No matter what happens, I'll have pieces of this April to carry into the future with me because the future carries us across time. 

Rayne