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Sunday 31 May 2015

Today's Daily Dragon is - My good friend and author, Zeecè Lugo

Title: Strongheart's Woman
Series: Before Daniel Fork's Series #1 (Stand Alone)
Author: Zeece Lugo
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Romance 
Release: June 1, 2015

Two young girls close as sisters. Two lives to be lived. The world to be discovered.

One man to be loved! 

Lord Strongheart arrives to meet the princess that by written accord, he must take as wife. Annasai Songbird is everything a man could want: stunningly beautiful, sexy, bright, willing. Strongheart could not be happier. Her beloved cousin Setiyah is all nettles and stings, dark and dangerous as a stormy night. The lord is glad not to be marrying her.

Until Setiyah dances in the moonlight! Under the glow of a full moon, the bewitching girl moves to the beat of tribal drums. Firelight lays shadows on the hollow at the base of her neck. The soft slope of her breasts glows golden and warm. She whirls, and the sound of the tiny beads woven into her myriad of braids is like the patter of raindrops on a summer’s eve. 

Lord Strongheart, his beautiful promised bride at his side, watches as one enthralled, bewitched. He knows well that the heart is a treacherous thing, and his has just betrayed him.





Lord Strongheart followed the sounds drifting to him in the wind like the sweet, clear tinkling of wind chimes over the babble of flowing water. They were the chatterings and laughter of females where there should be none, but who was he to mistrust his own ears. The warrior-lord moved with a hunter’s stealth and followed the path parallel to the river. As the sounds grew louder, he dropped into a crouch and almost belly-crawled his way until the swimming hole came into view.
It was a beautiful spot indeed, clear and deep, with a large, smooth boulder perched on the edge of the water, great for jumping into the river. Surrounded by sheltering trees and shrubs, it was the perfect place to bathe and frolic. That was exactly what the dozen or so young women were doing. The lord realized what he was doing was not in any way dignified. However, the most honorable man in the world would be hard pressed to pass by a flock of naked young ladies and not stop for a tiny, indulgent glimpse. A wicked smile spread across his face as he settled to do some strategic and absolutely necessary spying.
Out of the water came the most tempting water nymph any man could imagine. The young girl made her way up the boulder to join her friends. Long, dark, wet hair clung to smooth shoulders and down her slim back, to drip over the deep curve that gave way to luscious, firm buttocks. Thighs, long and smooth, met at the juncture where a small triangle of space between the legs could be seen.
As the girl bent at the waist to gather her wet hair and squeeze the water from it, a full view of her fleshy little mound, pink, moist, nestled under her perfect ass rewarded his appreciative eyes. She stood, turned, tossed the wealth of wet hair over her back and raised her face to the sky, seeking the warm kiss of the sun upon her face. From round, firm breasts crowned with pebbled, rosy nipples, dripped iridescent fat drops of water.
“Enjoying yourself?” whispered a voice next to him, and he almost flew out of his skin.
“Hush, my friend,” he whispered, “that we may enjoy the view a bit longer.” As the two men watched, other girls came out of the water and climbed the boulder. Some squeezed out long, wet tresses. Others settled down with knees slightly apart to allow their intimate nooks to dry out in the sun, and a few sat combing their hair with hand-carved wooden combs. One young girl, lush and soft like a mouth-watering peach, arranged herself on the smooth boulder while a friend rubbed her with a white cream scooped out of a small clay pot. Beside him, his companion’s breath caught at such a tempting sight. “Such treasure to be had among the Choctaw,” the lord whispered to his friend.
A few moments later, a rider crested the rise on the far side of the river and rode down the embankment. She wore baggy trousers of faded black cotton, a white, long-sleeved tunic belted around the waist, and a dark length of cloth wrapped around the head and shoulders to protect her from sun and wind.
“Annasai,” the young woman’s voice rang out from her perch on the horse. “Your father sends for you. The visitors are expected any time now, and he wants you at his side and looking presentable when they arrive.”
“No,” the beauty that first caught his attention called back. “The day is too beautiful to spend with boring old men. You go, Setiyah. You stand for me.”
The rider took a deep breath, considering her options. She dismounted and, not bothering to tether her mount, walked down to the boulder. “You know I can’t do that. You are the chief’s daughter. I’m only his niece. It’s your duty to be there. Are you not curious to see the man who will become your husband?”
At this point, Eric Salvo turned to the man who was both his lord and closest friend and grinned. “You are a lucky bastard! That stunning girl is the chief’s daughter. I bet the Accord will not be so hard to keep after all.”
Victor Strongheart, lord of Daniel’s Fork and commander of its warriors, smiled so widely, his face threatened to crack. “Not hard at all.” On the far bank, the argument continued.
“Annasai, quit being such a child and come down. We must dry and braid your hair and make you presentable. There’s little time. Hurry.”
“No, Setiyah. Go back, wear my clothes, cover your head, and stand for me. No one will know the difference. Please, please? Do it for me, my love. I will be there tonight for the feast, I promise.” Annasai pouted her lush lips in a pleading gesture.
Setiyah stood there awhile longer, gazing in frustration at her beautiful cousin. How Annasai always managed to wrap her cousin around her little finger was something Setiyah had long ceased to ask herself. The girls, born six months apart with Setiyah the eldest, were extreme opposites. One acted like she was the mother, and the other behaved like a child. Where one was serious and contemplative, the other was all laughter and impulse. While one was responsible and sensible, the other was wild and selfish. One was mindful of the future of the tribe, but the other thought only of the moment and her own fun.
Still, Annasai was neither evil nor hurtful, as Setiyah well knew. She was just like a songbird, light, playful, wanting to have fun while her beauty was fresh and her power strong. Setiyah sighed and took up her task. These were the careless, wonderful days of youth before Annasai had to settle to a husband, children, and the rigors of duty. The last freedom before she had to marry a man she did not know, maybe even an ugly, mean-tempered brute.
All because the Accord between the tribes and the territory must be upheld. Setiyah mounted her horse and left, and the girls all jumped back in the water with much laughter and careless abandon. The two men took the opportunity to make a quick, quiet retreat. Ten minutes later, they were back on the trail with their men. 


Zeecé Lugo was born in Puerto Rico, grew up in Brooklyn, and lived in many places. She spent seven years in the U.S. Air force, taught for many years in Miami, and even spent a year working for the IRS. 

Her early love was reading. The worlds of Pern, Middle-earth, St. Mary Mead, and Shrewsbury Abbey had an incredible influence and hold on her imagination.

She wrote her first novel, Daniel’s Fork, in two months, spending long hours at her task. During that time, she ensconced herself in her bedroom with her computer, barely coming out to grab a cup of coffee or a snack. One day, her nearest neighbor came desperately knocking at her bedroom window, afraid that Zeecé might be dead; no one had seen her for days!

Daniel’s Fork was meant to be the first book in a romantic trilogy. Little did Zeecé know that stories have a way of going where they want to go. Daniel’s Fork turned out to be a journey to the future past! It is a sexy mystery set in the future, giving birth to a fictional universe: the Daniel’s Fork universe. 






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Tuesday 26 May 2015

Today's Daily Dragon is - Joe DeRouen

A while ago, I reviewed another of Joe's books, Small Things. I loved it, so when he asked me to beta read his upcoming release, set in the Small Things universe, well, what's a dragon to do?
I jumped at the chance, a little too enthusiastically as it turns out; I gave Colin a headache.
In case you don't know what beta reading is, it's the final phase of error checking before the book is finally released. So, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the manuscript. I am intensely pedantic, even for a dragon, but the book read incredibly well.
The storyline, however, is where it's strengths lie. It gripped my by my horns and dragged me through so many twists and turns that I grew dizzy...that's quite hard to do to a dragon, by the way.
The characters, especially the ghosts, are incredibly believable, and take it from me; I know many spirits and count a few of them as close friends.
Also, Joe got the evil spirit's personality soclose to the real one, that I felt a shiver run up my ridges. I hate that guy with a passion. Ancient Indian spirits are so uptight.
The story ends with...oops. I don't think I'm going to tell you. You'll just have to read it.
In conclusion, I can thoroughly recommend this book. I've heard Colin compare it to a guy called Stephen King. I don't know who that is, but I will say that Mr DeRouen is a master storyteller. 

Monday 25 May 2015

Today's Daily Dragon - Cousin Bruce


This little guy used to live in Australia, before his chronic flatulence caused the biggest bush fire in decades. Rather than be banished by the unsympathetic human government, Bruce chose to relocate to Alaska, where he currently runs a geothermal power facility. 

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Thoughts of a dragon

Humans have been on this world for such a short time.
But still you fight each other.
Soon you will be gone, and I will find another mind to inhabit.
I think I will keep this form, however.
Dragons are mighty, like me.
I like to fly, love to soar above the unbroken landscapes below.
Perhaps Tenybris has the right idea.
Maybe you all should die.
I do enjoy talking to you, tho, so I may allow myself to stay awhile.

In the end, it comes down to humans against dragons. Sorry. You will lose.


Names Starting With 'Z': Learn to Make Champagne From Lemons!

've read this book, and I'm proud to say that Candace is a friend on Facebook...no, not one of those 'friends.' We talk all the time, laughing at each other's misfortunes. 
She's an amazing person, and her book with make you cry...with tears of laughter.



Names Starting With 'Z': Learn to Make Champagne From Lemons!: Meet Candace Lafleur. She’ll make you cry, then she’ll make you laugh.  Her first words for this piece were, “I’m a crack addict. Th...

Monday 18 May 2015

My review of Kyrathaba Rising, by William Bryan Miller

http://www.amazon.com/Kyrathaba-Rising-Book-Chronicles/dp/1491216840/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431948890&sr=8-1&keywords=kyrathaba+rising

Please...please write the next book in this series.
I so much wanted to give this book five stars, purely for the adrenaline rush caused by the last third of the book. It was amazing. It tied elements of science fiction, fantasy, post apocalyptic, and role play gaming together perfectly.
To say this book is unique is an understatement.
I won't write spoilers, but please, read this book.
The reason I took a star off is that Mr Miller introduces a new unit of measurement in the fantasy world that bears no resemblance to ours. I suppose it's like converting from metric to imperial, but it jarred me out my immersion. This was a shame because the world is amazing.
Thankfully, by the end of the book, I was fully engaged in wondering how the aliens would be defeated. But then the book left us on a horrible cliffhanger.
I really hope there is a follow up to this book. This story needs to be told.

Friday 15 May 2015

Today's Daily Dragon...Those wonderful people at Authors Cave


It's not often I praise you humans, but I have to make an exception in this case. The group of squishies that run AuthorsCave.com are doing an amazing job.
Over the last few months they have helped Colin, and many other authors to come up with new and innovative ways to market their books.
The eZines below are a perfect example.

 may-fantasy-suspense-mystery-horror


http://www.flipsnack.com/chameleon/may-sci-fi-ezine.html





I know I complain when Colin gets a great review. I’ve become quite used to it now, however. I mean, what are a few broken cups and saucers?

Thanks to this group of people...yes, I said it, humans are people too...his sales have steadily grown. Well done Authors Cave.

Monday 11 May 2015

Tuesday 5 May 2015

Today's Daily Dragon is...My nephew, Eustace. Cute, awww


This is an old photograph of Eustace. I know, I know; the egg gives it away. 
In case you're wondering why Eustace the dragon sounds familiar, it may be because a certain author happened upon an egg a few decades ago.
Eustace's mother has misplaced a few eggs over the years.
This author spent several years raising him before his mother returned, but he'd developed a bond with the youth. I have to admit, as adolescent dragons go, I've met worse.

Saturday 2 May 2015

My review of Small Things, by Joe DeRouen...simply amazing!

Small Things

The Spiderwick Chronicles, if Stephen King had written them!
I approached this read tentatively. It's been many years since I've read a horror novel, although I used to read them all the time. I loved the early Stephen Kings, such as Christine, and Cujo. I needn't have worried. Once I'd read a couple of pages, it was like I'd put on a pair of old comfortable slippers.
Joe has a charming style of writing, which drew me in immediately...sorry, did I say drew? No, it grabbed me by the neck, changed the comfortable slippers for a pair of running shoes, and took me on a breakneck journey of such intensity I haven't read in years.
I found myself instantly drawn to the two main characters, Shawn and Jenny, and the young love developing between them. The plot twists are masterfully carried out, and he does a great job of showing, not telling along the way, as a lot of the details are left up to you to sit and wonder. And I did; even when not reading I found myself going over the tid-bits of history he sprinkles throughout the book.
While this is the first in a series, I'd say this book is strong enough to stand by itself. I will, of course, be reading the others. This guy is just too good a writer not to.

Sahara Foley Books and Book Reviews: Meet Scott L Collins and his current WIP: THE RUB...

Sahara Foley Books and Book Reviews: Meet Scott L Collins and his current WIP: THE RUB...: Meet Scott L Collins and  his current WIP: THE RUBY OF HELIOS   Today I’d like to introduce you to Scott Collins and his latest nove...