Addicted to Writing Presents ~ Tell Tale Tuesday ~ No More Poodle Skirts by Genie Gabriel

Title: No More Poodle Skirts

Author: Genie Gabriel

Email: genene@genenevalleau.com

Genre: Romance/Fantasy/Paranormal

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 2

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=No+More+Poodle+Skirts+by+Genie+Gabriel

Buy at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/No-More-Poodle-Skirts-by-Genie-Gabriel?store=book&keyword=No+More+Poodle+Skirts+by+Genie+Gabriel

BLURB:

After drifting for years in the innocent age of the 1950s, a woman struggles to join today's world by finding a career and a new love, with some help from her zany family.

EXCERPT

Life seemed much simpler when all a girl had to worry about was keeping her bobby socks and the pompom on her poodle skirt a brilliant white. Daphne Madison wiggled and gyrated into panty hose that seemed determined to twist around her like a boa constrictor squeezing its prey.

A modern woman was expected to have it all--a husband, a family, a career--with never a wrinkle in her face or her confidence.

Daphne zipped up her dress and drew a shaky breath as she stared at herself in the mirror. The form-fitting pink dress wasn't as comfortable as her skirts, and the high heels shoved her feet down into the pointy toes.

I can do this, Daphne reassured herself. She hadn't even been born in the fifties, but it seemed like such an innocent time. If she could pretend to live in that time, surely she could live in the current millennium.

Something doesn't seem just right, she thought, as she fastened a strand of pearls around her neck. However, she refused to wear the short skirts she had seen on television programs. The pencil thin skirt that ended just above her knees was as daring as she would go.

She slid her arms into the pink jacket that matched her dress and considered herself once again. Something still seemed amiss. She settled a pink pillbox hat borrowed from her sister on top of her smooth blond hair. Better.

White gloves restored her confidence even more.

With another deep breath, Daphne swept down the stairs to garner the reaction of her family. She knew her adult son, Ryan, would be of little help but to offer a gourmet breakfast gleaned from the latest cooking show on TV. A meal Daphne knew her jittery nerves wouldn't tolerate.

Her sister wouldn't be stirring yet, but Linda would be organizing the house for the day. She was the mother of Daphne's daughter's husband. Did that make her and Daphne sisters-in-law? No, that wasn't quite right, and thinking about it made her brain hurt.

She gave her head a slight shake. It didn't really matter. Linda was quite practical and had motivated Daphne out of her fantasy life. She would know if Daphne was dressed appropriately for her job interview.

"So what do you think?" Daphne turned slowly as she entered the kitchen.

Her son glanced up from the television long enough to mumble a good morning. Linda considered her thoughtfully. "Very elegant. Where's your interview?"

"The bank is hiring for a teller."

"Ah." Linda nodded. "Perhaps take off the hat and gloves…"

Panic niggled in Daphne's stomach. The two accessories that had restored at least a smidgen of her self-confidence.

Linda smiled when she noticed Daphne's obvious distress. "Well, maybe just take off the gloves to shake hands with the interview committee."

Daphne swallowed. Perhaps she could manage that.

"Are you going to eat breakfast before you go?" Linda asked.

"I-I really couldn't." Daphne laid a hand over her belly. "Already full of butterflies."

Linda's smile grew wider. "You're beautiful and smart, Daphne. I'm sure you'll knock 'em dead."

Horror mixed with the butterflies in Daphne's stomach at the thought of her interview committee keeling over dead when she stepped into the room.

"It's just an expression." Linda patted Daphne's hand. "Try to relax and let them see how much of an asset you would be to their bank."

With a shaky nod, Daphne faced the long, long journey down the hallway and through the front door, out into a world she really wasn't sure she wanted to live in.

Addicted to Writing Presents Mystery Monday: The Phoenix Connection by K. J. Dahlen

Title: The Phoenix Connection

Author: K. J. Dahlen

ISBN: 978-1-62420-109-7

Email: kjdahlen1@yahoo.com

Genre: Mystery

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 1

Buy at: Rogue Phoenix Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble

When Olivia Laundon uncovers a hidden agenda in a Washington D.C. watchdog group, it takes her to a plot of homegrown terrorists planning the unthinkable.  After two friends are murdered in front of her, she goes on the run only to be discovered by FBI agent Jesse Cantral. Together they uncover more of the plot but to stop it they rely on a special group of Americans. Can they stop the Phoenix Society before they ruin the world as we know it?

EXCERPT

A man in a hazard suit entered the code into the security pad outside the Biohazard lab and when the light turned green he opened the door and slipped inside. He walked over to the vault and entered another code. The door popped open and the man reached inside and searched for the correct container. He chose one and pulled it out.

The man turned the container on its side and noted the number on the label—NC211. He closed the vault and tucked the vile into a small cooler. Zipping up the cooler he turned to leave the lab. On his way out he paused at one of the lab areas and turned on a Bunsen burner but didn't light it. When he got to the door, he opened it then turned to light a match and toss it back inside the lab. Closing the door quickly, he watched the room burst into flames, ducking as the chemicals in assorted containers bubbled over and exploded. Glass shattered. The heat was very intense as the gas spewed from the burner. Flames spread quickly as the man in the suit hurried toward the door leading to the hallway. The heavy door blocked the fire from spreading to the rest of the building. The man rushed to the changing room and stripped off the suit.

When he emerged a few minutes later, he watched the sprinkler systems trying to douse the flames in the lab. He knew he didn't have enough time to vacate the building without some help so as he passed the fire alarms he reached out and pulled the handle down. A sharp horn bleated the signal and people began appearing in the hall. They were stunned by the noise then someone noticed the smoke and shouted 'fire.' Everyone panicked and stampeded toward the exits.

The man got into the line heading for the escape. He went down the stairs with everyone else and once outside he turned and walked away from the pool of people standing in a crowd waiting for the fire department. Sirens could be heard coming closer but the man simply got into his car and drove away. His mission was done.

~ * ~

The next morning Doctors Nathan and Jean Laundon entered the burnt out lab to access the damage done by the fire.

"Well this is a fine mess," Jean admitted as she gazed around the room.

"How could this have happened?" Nathan wanted to know. "No one is supposed to be in here after hours."

He paused then turned to stare at his wife, "You don't suppose…"

"Quickly, check the vault," She urged him.

Nathan crossed the lab and punched in the numbers. When the vault popped open, he checked the vials. Not finding the one he was looking for, he turned and looked at her. Slowly he shook his head, "Damn how did they find it? How did anyone even know about NC211?"

"I don't know, but we have to report this," Jean told him.

"I know but we have to be careful who we report it to," Nathan said. "After all, we don't know who broke in here to take the vial. Only a handful of people even knew it existed."

"Or what it could do." Jean reminded him.

"I think I was able to neutralize it, but we didn't have time to test it."

"That's what I'm worried about," Jean admitted.

Addicted to Writing Presents: Romance Sunday: The Purrfect Picture by Angela Castle

Title: The Purrfect Picture

Author: Angel Castle

Email: jazzgenie@hotmail.com

Genre: Paranormal/Erotic Romance

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 5

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance ebooks

In the heat of the Australian Summer, Tinder Munro has been sent to an obscure little town, in the Australian bushland, to uncover its secrets. What she never expects to discover, is the devastatingly sexy Hawk Black, who seems very intent on embedding himself into Tinder’s body mind and soul.

Hawk, Panther shifter and beta of Black Town, volunteered to baby sit a Photojournalist, only to discover the feisty red head his is true mate.

Now nothing will stop Hawk from getting into Tinder’s life, and keeping her just were she belongs, with him, in his arms. But when others discover the truth behind Black town, they decide to make Hawk and Tinder pay a high price, in more ways than one.

Hawk races against time to save Tinder, and keep the secret of Black Town secure.

EXCERPT

Pictures speak more than a thousand words; Tinder Munro's mother, the artist, drilled the words into her head at an early age. So, what was the picture before her trying to say? It was odd and out of place. No way, this couldn't be real; someone was playing a prank on her.

She didn't care. Even pranks which kept her mind off her current situation were better than sitting around stewing over things she couldn't change.

She sighed, needing to get closer. Blackened, scorched ground crackled as she lowered herself to her knees, inhaling the still-smoky air of the surrounding bushland. It was a few weeks since the devastating fires ripped through this part of the Black National Park.

Her current, and temporary, employer sent her up into the New South Wales Mountain region to an obscure little town to investigate.

It was good to get out of the city. When this job was done, she would like to find a smallish town with a little newspaper. She hoped someone would employ her and buy some of the many photos she had collected over the years as a photojournalist.

She had nothing to go back to. What little she did have was stuffed in the boot of her beat up old car. Black Town Motel would be her home until she finished this job, got the rest of her money, and moved on.

Tinder ran over the odd conversation in her head a few times, trying to figure out what the Sydney money tycoon, Felix Roads, wanted exactly.

'I want anything and everything suspicious reported. There is something not right with those Black brothers, and I want to know what it is.'

'Are you sure you want to use me, Mr. Roads? I'm a photojournalist not a private detective.' She stood in front of his six-foot wide, polished mahogany desk, in the tall fifty-five story building in the Sydney business district, overlooking Sydney Harbour bay and the Opera house.

'No, you're exactly what I need. I want picture evidence of whatever they're up to. There is something odd with those Black Town people. I think you would do better than any detective…someone they wouldn't suspect as much.'

'Just what do you expect me to find in Black Town?'

'I want any dirty secrets which can discredit them from the contract they stole from me.'

Basically, she was being sent in as a spy. But how could she object when Mr. Roads handed her a three-thousand-dollar check?

'Half now, half when you bring me evidence of what I need to get my contract back.'

This is money she desperately needed to start over. She would do her job to the best of her ability; if it was secrets Mr. Roads wanted, then secrets he would get.

After doing a little background digging on Black Town, via the internet, she kept coming across rumour after rumour of big cat sightings in the area. Tinder contacted the local park ranger to obtain permission to have a look around.

During her travels through Africa, she had photographed many majestic big cats, and had seen their paw prints in those counties, just like the ones she now studied.

Leaning closer to study the odd paw prints in the scorched earth, she saw the solid evidence those cat rumours were true.

She sat back on her heels and reached for her tan canvas equipment bag, riffling around to find her tape measure. Leaning back over, she placed it along the side of the print, careful not to disturb the ground. She lifted her digital camera, placing it over her right eye and closing the left as the automatic focus adjusted.

Her trigger finger pressed gently to snap a few shots.

"This has to be too good to be true." Her got voice lost in the soft whistling of the warm summer wind in the burnt trees.

Tinder climbed to her feet, bent over to follow the print trail. She peered over a fallen, two-foot log, where this cat obviously leapt, leaving lovely, deep prints.

Her excitement bubbled; oh yes, big cat indeed. If she could be the one to capture it on film, would this be what Mr. Roads wanted? She shook her head; at this stage she didn't care. Maybe she could earn some more money by finally proving there is a big cat living around Black Town Forest.

Her clothes were now probably streaked with soot, but it didn't matter as her finger pressed down on the trigger again.

"Holy shit!"

The sudden deep masculine voice from right behind her jumpstarted her heart into a junkie's, high adrenaline spike. Her scream pierced the tranquil air and she spun around, only to lose balance and fall backwards onto her large arse.

She stared up into a pair of striking, pond-blue eyes. He looked just as startled, his handsome face twisted down into a fierce frown, making her scramble back further.