I'm Still Madly in Love with Oscar Martello

Sabrina's Month of Love

Valentine's Day... the day of love.

The day of red roses and boxes of chocolate.

The day of romantic dates with beautiful flowers.

The day that belongs to Oscar Martello.

Yep, you heard me correctly. Oscar Martello... the older man that stole my heart. Oscar Martello... the man that can make my soul shiver with excitement while using a ceramic hunting knife. Oscar Martello... the man that has me wearing french maid outfits in my dreams. *sigh*

It probably won't come as surprise to many of you when I tell you that my heart still belongs to Oscar.  I think out of all the characters I've read about and fallen in love with over the last couple of years, Oscar... Oscar stays at the top of my list 'cause he likes to play hard to get. I mean, really... this time last year, whenever I wanted my Oscar fix, I could head on over to Steve Weddle's blog and read close to a dozen short stories. Now? Well, now I have to search the Internet and hope that I stumble across a word or two... if I'm lucky, I'll stumble across an entire story available to the public.

Thankfully, Oscar landed on the Do Some Damage blog with a new short story just before Christmas. You can catch up with Oscar on a previous post ----->>>>> HERE.

And you can read the newest short story here ----- >>>>> THE RETURN OF OSCAR MARTELLO!

And since I'm a sucker for giving things away... one lucky commenter, chosen at random, will get a box of candy and a My Heart Belongs to Oscar Martello button! Now, really, who wouldn't want something like that?!

Steve Weddle is an editor, short story writer, and novelist. A former English professor, he holds an MFA in creative writing from Louisiana State University and currently works for a newspaper group. His fiction has appeared in numerous literary and crime/noir journals. In 2009, Weddle and six crime fiction writers created DoSomeDamage, where he blogs on Mondays. In 2010, Weddle and John Hornor Jacobs created Needle: A Magazine of Noir, one of the top journals for contemporary crime fiction. He lives with his family in Virginia.

I Think it's Time for More Cake

Sabrina's Month of Love

Another Better Than Sex Cake recipe, and a link to all the stats for one of my favorite men... Jack Reacher!

Better Than Sex Cake – Version Two

·        1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix

·        1/2 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

·        6 ounces caramel ice cream topping

·        3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped

·        1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1.     Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.

2.     In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm. (Hint: I crush my candy bars into small chunks as opposed to crumbs - I like to have pieces I can chew on!)

3.     Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

Turning by Dawn Kirby

Torn

“Just know I won’t do it, Alana,” Nicholas said firmly. “I can’t fully invest my heart and soul in you if I know you will leave this life one day. Thirty years seems like a long time, but it’s not. It’s merely a drop in a sea of time.”

“Why does it have to be all or nothing?” Alana asked him. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. Why did this have to be so difficult? “You know I love you. I’ve proven that time and time again. Even after you kept Ben’s plan from me, I stayed. You still haven’t made a move to get Matt back, yet here I sit.” She sat up and stormed to the window. “Should I go? Should I walk away now? Or wait for you to do it when I can’t be what you need me to be?”

Despite the rising sun, Nicholas tossed the covers aside and crossed the room to stand behind her. As his hands slipped down her arms, he felt her pulse quicken. “Your body betrays you,” he whispered. His hand pressed gently against her chest. “You can’t leave me. You can’t fight the feelings stirring inside your own heart anymore than I can fight mine.”

“Maybe not,” she said leaning her head back against his chest. “But I’m not asking you to change.”

“I’m only asking because I love you so much.” He kissed her cheek and turned back toward the bed. Any minute the pull of daytime sleep would overtake him. “I need you, Alana. I need you to consider the gift I want to give you.”

******

“You know you can’t stay there with him,” Chris said, stirring sugar into his coffee.  He tossed the spoon aside and looked at Alana. It had taken him awhile to get her to agree to breakfast. Admittedly, his immediate prodding would likely not earn him another, but he had to try. “He’s got an agenda and you know it. You won’t have a chance if he decides to make the decision for you.”

“I don’t think that’s a possibility, Chris,” Alana told him. Even as she said it, she wasn’t sure she even believed it. Just last night she’d opened her eyes to find him running his finger up and down her neck. Had he not been so concentrated on her pulse she’d have thought nothing of it.

“He says he wants me to decide.”

“And when you actually believe that, I’ve a lake in the middle of the desert I wanna sale you.”

“Don’t be sarcastic,” she snapped. “At least he’s trying.”

“To seduce you into his lifestyle.”

Alana sighed and pushed her pancakes away. Food, drinks, nothing held any importance to her anymore. All she did want was to know Matt was somewhere safe, far away from Ben, and Nicholas to accept her humanity. At the moment Ben leaving her alone was more likely than Nicholas accepting her fully for what she was.

Nicholas loved her. Loved her dearly, but he’d made it clear to her over the last few days he didn’t plan on spending a few short years loving and losing a woman he’d grown to care so much about.  Not that he could guarantee they’d work out in the long run. In his words, no one could predict that.

“Have you found anything on Matt yet?” she asked, determined to change the subject.

“Maybe,” he shrugged. “Since we’re not officially on the case, Carter and I are having to look when we can. Things have been fairly busy lately. Odd really. We’ve never had gang activity like this before.”

“I doubt it’s gangs, “she mumbled. Chris’s eyebrow cocked.

Alana sighed and shook her head. May as well tell. “I’m guessing it’s the werewolves. Ben paid them off with Matt’s girlfriend to grab him. They want her so she can tell them which pack’s gonna win whatever turf war they’ve got going on.”

“Turf war?”

“Turf war. Territorial dispute. Clan fight. Whatever you want to call it…it’s probably why things have been so busy.”

As much as he wanted to push her for more information, he decided he needed more time to wrap his head around the idea of werewolves being as real as vampires. Shaking off his surprise, he put his hand on hers and looked her right in the eye. She wanted to pull away, but lack of energy made it impossible. Between Chris and Nicholas, she was physically and emotionally drained.

“We think we know where he is. No one besides women ever leave the house, so we really don’t know if Ben’s even there or not. Give us a few more days and we’ll know for sure.” 

The Gravity of Mammon by Dan O'Shea

Sabrina's Month of Love 

So, I'm giving you the best of both worlds today.  Not only am I telling you about a book with an incredibly HOT character, I'm also giving you a recording of the voice that turns me into mush... and makes my toes curl with delight.  I'm choosing an audio for today's spotlight... an excerpt from The Gravity of Mammon written by Dan O'Shea.

The Gravity of Mammon tells the story about the deliciously sweet Nick Hardin, the ex-sniper now employed as an escort to safely provide transportation for journalists in and out of conflict zones. To get to the part I'm trying to highlight, I'll give you a quick look at the book...

In the story you'll read about Nick being hired to protect a celebrity; the celebrity getting a broken nose and wanting revenge; Nick stealing diamonds connected to Al-Queda, Nick fighting off an assassin hired to get the diamonds back; the celebrity with the broken nose using his conections with a Chicago drug lord to get back at Nick; the secret past that connects Nick and the Chicago drug lord... and Nick running into a girl he apparently saved in his earlier days.

Hmmmm.... about this girl he saved. 

Well, she isn't exactly a girl anymore, and... they have a connection that leads to one of the most beautiful love scenes I've ever encountered. *sigh* I mean, really... it's not every day you can find hot, passionate love-making with a side of male vulnerability, and ... plans for murder.  You can listen to this scene here ----->>>>  An excerpt from The Gravity of Mammon.

For a full review I encourage you to check  out the review of The Gravity of Mammon on Book Reviews by Elizabeth A. White. And when you're done with that you can read The Gravity of Mammon for free on Dan's website.

Dan is a Chicago-area crime writer represented by Stacia Decker at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. His novel Unto Caesar is currently being circulated to all the usual suspects. His short fiction has appeared in Crimefactory, the Discount Noir anthology and in an upcoming issue of Needle. You can find out more about Dan at his blog, Going Ballistic.

Dawn Kirby and her Turning Series

Sabrina's Month of Love

Shouldn't be a surprise that the first feature in Sabrina's Month of Love is Nicholas from the Turning series. The series is written weekly by Dawn Kirby. The first story in the series was featured on April 29, 2011 and has been running each week since then.  It's important to remember that Dawn is writing this series specifically for the blog. A new story is written each week, and upon its completion it will be sold as an novella with proceeds going to the Lupus Foundation of America.  You can check out the list of awesomeness by Dawn in a previous post -------->>>>>> HERE!

So, for those that didn't jump on board when the series started, I'm posting the very first story in the series so we can all remember why we fell in love with Nicholas to begin with. He's a vampire with a heart, and... extremely sexy.  The entire series can be read HERE!  

First Touch

His hands slipped down her back sending chills down to her toes. Warmth spread throughout her body. Strong fingers bit into her sides. Her breath caught when she felt skin tear. Nicholas pulled her closer, nibbling on her ear. Alana closed her eyes and let her head roll back as his lips travelled to her neck. Despite the cool hand wrapped firmly around her throat, she let her body go limp in his arms. Safe and exhilarated was the only way she could describe how she felt.

He buried his fingers into her long brown hair, amused at how easy he’d won her over. Here he was, his finger resting on her lifeline, his fangs ready to drain it, his mind telling him not to, and her so willing; so trusting. She was his for the taking and he wanted her. The only question in his mind now was how to keep her.

Hours ago he’d gone out in search of easy prey. Instead of finding a mere meal he’d found her. A raving beauty with a brain. The fact that she also had a heart bigger than any country he’d ever visited didn’t hurt either. Nicholas needed love. What he needed more was a companion. In her, he saw both.

“Nick,” she whispered, covering his hand with hers.

“Nicholas,” he corrected, “My name is Nicholas.”

He covered her lips with hers before she could say another word. She wrapped her arms around his neck, absently twirling locks of long black hair around her fingers as they kissed. In one quick motion he broke away from her embrace and swept her into his arms. He kept his icy blue eyes locked on hers all the way up the stairs. In those few seconds his earlier question was answered.

Neither would get the thing they wanted tonight. If he wanted to keep her with him, he had to do it the right way. That meant keeping her at a distance, at least for now. He’d seen the scars a recent break up left on her soul when he first approached her. Now, after looking into her mind, he could see they were much deeper than he’d first thought. Vampire or not, he didn’t want to be the rebound guy.

That said he didn’t want anybody else to be either. As he laid her perfect body down on the white satin comforter Nicholas came up with a plan. One that would give him the ability to physically feel her no matter how far apart they may be.

“I’ll not take you tonight, love,” he said leaning over her. Alana started to protest, but found his finger on her lips instead. “Listen to me. You’ll not remember me come morning. Though I’ll feel you every night of my life, I will not to seek you out until you are ready.”

“Isn’t that for me to decide?” she asked him. “Don’t I know what’s right for me?”

In a flash he was on her. He pinned her hands over her head as his fangs sliced through her shoulder. Tears sprang from her eyes as a blinding flash of pain spread throughout her body. She struggled to get away, but he was so strong he merely had to wrap one leg around hers to keep her still. Worse, she could literally feel the blood leaving her body. Within seconds she began to feel lightheaded.

As quickly as it had begun the attack stopped. The room went dark. Her head was swimming. Alana thought she felt her body being carried, but she didn’t feel any hands holding her. She glanced around the room trying to focus on something, anything to help bring her around.

Frantically she searched her shoulders for the wound the monster in her dream had inflicted, but found nothing. Another quick glance around the room left her both confused and relieved. This was her room. She was lying in her bed. She was wearing her pj’s. Relief washed over her. That horrible experience had been nothing more than a nightmare.

Turning by Dawn Kirby

Reaching Out

Carter, Chris’s partner had left for the afternoon, but he hadn’t given up. Chris was determined to find Alana, and now Matt. As far as Chris knew nobody had seen or heard from her since the night that vampire took her away from her crazy ex-boyfriend. Matt hadn’t been seen for a week now. His friends and co-workers were afraid he’d met up with Ben and come out on the losing side. They were sure the police would find his body in a ditch somewhere either beat to a bloody pulp or shot to death.

As for Alana, they were also sure he already had her. The problem was nobody knew where he’d go if he did. It was up to Chris and Carter to get them both back, hopefully alive and well.

“And human,” Chris mumbled. He scanned over Ben’s old case file looking for some clue as to where he would go, but came up empty. He spotted the picture of Alana after Ben’s beating and shook his head. Finding her had become so important to him; he’d spent the night on the sofa in the break room more times than he cared to count. “Where the hell are you?”

Tossing the photo aside, he picked up the file he’d managed to piece together for Nicholas. Only he and Carter knew about it. They both knew better than to try and sell their superiors on one of their witnesses, as well as their main suspect, being vampires. They’d laugh them right out of the station and into a padded room at the mental hospital across town.

As he flipped through the pages he found a phone number. Even though the paper was dated some thirty years before he hoped it would be the break he needed. Not likely, but he picked up the phone anyway. After a deep breath, he tapped in the number and waited.

*****

Alana’s resolve was breaking by the day. The longer she stayed hidden here with Nicholas, the less she cared about what happened outside their little world. She still didn’t know where she was. Anytime she asked him, he’d simply say “safe, love” and whisk her off to bed. She tried to resist him, but in the end he always won her over. Tonight would be no different.

Dread filled her as she looked out the window. The sun was going to set soon. He’d be up and she’d lose another tiny part of herself to him. She sighed, thinking maybe being human wouldn’t be such a bad thing to let go of. She’d be taken care of. Nicholas seemed to have more money than Midas himself. He was a nice enough man; vampire. He loved her. She thought she loved him. She was almost sure of it.

Suddenly her thoughts were shattered by the ringing phone. She hurried to the living room, hoping to hear Matt’s voice on the other line. Hope was dashed the second she heard the man’s voice on the line.

“Alana?” Chris asked, shocked. He hadn’t expected the number to be a working number, much less one that led him straight to her.

“Who is this?” she asked timidly.

“Chris,” he answered. “Carter’s partner. We’ve been looking all over for you. Do you know where Matt is? Is he there with you?”

“No, but I do know he’s okay,” she said, lowering her voice. Maybe, just maybe she could get Matt to safety without Nicholas’s help. “Ben’s got him.”

“Where? We’ve looked everywhere.”

“He’s at the house the vampire who turned him owned.” She peeked out the window. The sun was now bathing the yard with the last bit of light before it disappeared for good. “I don’t know where it is, but I do know it’s there in town somewhere. Just look for the biggest, oldest house there and I’m sure you’ll find him.”

“You’re in the oldest house,” he said quickly checking the papers included in the file. He hadn’t noticed he’d been holding a real estate file all this time.

“I’m still in town?”

“According to these papers you are. You’re quite a few miles out, but I could get there fairly quickly.”

“No!” she cursed herself for losing her cool and tried to remain calm. “He’ll be up soon and I still don’t know that I want to leave him. Look for Matt. Once he’s safe, maybe I can think right.”

“I don’t like that idea,” Chris said coolly. The idea of leaving her there now that he’d found her didn’t sit well. “He could trick you. Kill you.”

“No, he won’t kill me,” she said quietly. Darkness settled outside. “Find Matt. Call me when you have him. But Chris, do it during the day.”    

I Love Falling in Love... Over and Over and Over Again

Sabrina's Month of Love

So, I've got this thing about falling in love. I'm not quite sure when it happened. 

Wait! I should clarify...

So, I've got this thing about falling in love with fictional characters. I'm not quite sure when it happened...

Wait! That's a lie...

So, I've got this thing about falling in love with fictional characters. I'm not quite sure how it happened?

Wait! Let me try this one more time.

So, I've got this thing about falling love with fictional characters. Totally true. You write a book about a hot male character and I'm bound to fall in love with him. And I ain't gonna care if he's good or bad. In fact, I think I've shown over and over and over again that I have a soft spot for the bad boys. Mmmmmm... the badder the better, actually. *sigh*

It all started with the Black Dagger Brotherhood. The vampire warriors from Caldwell, NY... the ones that are incredibly HOT... the ones that know how to love a woman... the ones that are... HOT!

Then I fell in love with David Trevellyan, but quickly placed him on my big-brother list when the book that I found by accident totally changed my life. David is the kind of guy that any girl would love... he just happens to be a "brother" to me.

From there I fell for Jack Reacher... and his beautiful blue eyes. Wait... I think I'm confused.  I'm in love with the beautiful blue eyes of his creator, Lee Child. Lee has the most incredible blue eyes I have ever seen in person.

Then there was Nick Heller.

Then there was Oscar and Moses and Coburn and Nick Valentine, this list could go on forever.

What I'm trying to say, people, is that this is the month of LOVE on my blog.  Well, not the entire month, but periodically this month I plan to feature a book, or a short story... maybe even an audio... with a man that I love in it. I might even add a couple different Better Than Sex Cake recipes. *checks for fever*

I know some of you think I'm selfish. Others consider me a book slut. Whatever you think of me doesn't matter, though. Just know that this month I plan to share with you my favorite men... and even give you the page numbers to some of my favorite *ahem* love scenes.

Yeah, that totally made me sound like a book slut. *shrugs shoulders* Oh, well!

So get ready to take some notes, ladies... and gentlemen. Sabrina's Month of Love... is about to begin!

Better Than Sex Cake - Version One

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups hot fudge topping
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 4 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered English toffee

Directions

1. Bake German chocolate cake mix according to package directions.
2. While cake is still very warm poke holes in top of cake with the end of a wooden spoon, poor sweetened condensed milk over top. Let cake cool. Pour hot fudge topping over top of cake and let set. Spread on whipped topping and garnish with crushed Heath ™ Bars (toffee crumbles).