Christopher Paul Meyer writes noir and nonfiction. He is a former bouncer, comic, soldier, firefighter, actor and prison chaplain. In addition to Icarus Falling, he has written five screenplays, three of which were optioned and/or commissioned. When not writing, he enjoys Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, improv comedy and political rants delivered in an angry mumble at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
The true story of a failed actor, who - still tantalized by the promise of LA - reinvents himself as a nightclub bouncer. Working both downtown and on the Sunset Strip, he is thrust into the bloodstream of LA. Amidst the unending parade of strung-out transients, shimmering miniskirts, enraged gangbangers and unhinged party people, he avenges his history of cowardice, atones for his past infidelities and tries to become something better than another Hollywood casualty.
Excerpt:
I
followed George up an escalator to a plush mezzanine area with
subdued lighting. George took a long minute, studying my resume. I
acted like I didn't care. I gazed vacantly at the escalator,
watching the parade of bodies step off the moving stairway and veer
towards what was labeled the "Rooftop Elevator." There
were nine-to-fivers in khakis and Polo shirts. There were packs of
Armenians, their gold chains, 8 o'clock shadow and swagger outpacing
their blazers and t-shirts. There were Silverlake-type hipsters, with
po' boy caps, vintage shirts and tight jeans. There were black dudes
in FuBu and meatheads in TapOut. In a city as self-segregated as LA,
this seemed to be one of the few spots where you could find all 31
flavors of the city.
George
finally looked up from my resume. "Why do you think we're
called Guest Relations?"
Because
when people come to diddle themselves in a place with overstuffed
couches, subdued lighting and models walking the lobby, they don't
want to be told what to do. "Because great security starts
with caring about your guests."
George
nodded. "That's exactly right." He seemed impressed.
Hey, I could spit flowery bullshit for hours. Especially if it was
going to keep me around this place. "Sorry for keeping you
waiting."
"Not
a problem." Fake tan, perky tits and nice legs could take the
edge off any wait.
"You're
very patient." Seemed like George was reading a lot into it.
It made me wonder if he'd kept me waiting on purpose. "Is that
from being a prison chaplain?" I wasn't surprised he went
there. It's the kind of thing that tends to stand out on a resume.
"That must have been a hard job."
Yeah,
right. I wasn't telling the inmates where to sit, sleep, shower
or eat. I wasn't breaking up fights. Now that's a hard job.
I only had to talk to men who wanted to talk to me. "It's easy
to talk to people at the bottom. It's the ones in the Hamptons that
don't wanna listen."
George
nodded. I got the feeling this wasn't the typical interview for him.
He seemed intrigued. Well, I hoped he seemed intrigued.
"You know you may need to get physical here though."
"I
got no problem with that."
George
was a great listener. He gauged my reactions, read my mannerisms.
He kept the questions sparse, letting me fill in the blanks.
Fortunately
for George, I love to talk.
Yes,
I was looking for as many hours as possible. No, I had no other
work commitments. Yeah, I'd played a lot of judo and rugby. No, I
wasn't gonna be some MMA thug. Yes, I was religious. No, I wasn't
a Puritan. I had no problem working with people that were high,
drunk or naked. I didn't tell him how much I was actually looking
forward to it.
By
the end of the interview, George and I had clicked. We had a few
things in common. We were both college grads. We were both walk-ons
at NCAA Division I teams -- him for Clemson's basketball team, me for
William and Mary's football team. I mean, we weren't BFF's
spray-painting hearts and our initials on freeway underpasses or
anything. But we seemed to understand each other.
George
put down his list of questions. "You ever been called a fucking
whiteboy?"
Say
what?
"Or
cracker?" George's voice was low and calm. "What if I called
your mom a whore?" His eyes drilled into me. "What if I told
you to suck my dick?"
I
could see the hypothetical looming behind his poker face, so I didn't
bite.
George
smiled. "Be ready. You're gonna hear all of that. And more.
There's a lot of nights you're gonna go home angry." I didn't
doubt it. "You're gonna wanna take it out on your girl."
That
was an easy fix. "I don't have one."
A
bemused smile wafted across his face. "You're gonna wanna keep
it that way. Relationships are…" He searched for the right
words. "...difficult here." One of the models strutted
past us. "You know what I mean?" He smiled knowingly at
me.
Being
told to stay single? "I'm OK with that."
George
extended his hand. "I think you will be." I hoped he was
right.
"So,
you wanna take a look at the place?"
I
wasn't sure if that meant I had the gig or not. But either way, the
answer was yes.
Everybody tells me to stay away from him. But some impulses are too
strong to fight.
What if you could save somebody by loving them?
My name is Taylor Donahue and I’m about to make the biggest mistake of
my life.
I’m faced with a mystery that starts on a breathtaking Greek
island with a sexy, yet notorious bad boy, Tomas Keller. He’s as hot as
the sun and as hard to catch as the wind. His lies are as beautiful as his
truths are painful.
His is a world of dark secrets. This much I know. He digs into
my soul more than any man ever dared to before. Every step away from him
makes me fall ever deeper into the web of his mysterious life. I can't get him
out of my mind.
The mystery of the missing girl and the rage of a murderous mob
boss threaten his very existence, but I can't help but play with his fire.
Tomas is bigger than life. Danger follows him like a deathly shadow.
How do I stop him from getting under my skin?
*Content
Warning: this book contains explicit language and sex.*
We walk barefoot on the soft sand side by side, holding our shoes in our
hands. The beach is deserted. Two old pedal boats sit forgotten by the edge of
the water. My skin shudders and I get goose bumps as Tomas’s arm brushes
against mine in the warm, calm night. “It’s perfect here,” I say, when he comes to a halt to stare at the dark
sea. He has brought a bottle of red wine which we have decided not to open until
after the swim. Tomas quickly takes off his shirt, taking my breath away. He’s a shining
excellence under the pale starlight. He’s a hypnotic specimen of muscle, smooth
skin and radiant confidence. I doubt there’s been a single moment in his adult
life he didn’t know he was destined to make women lose their minds. “Well?” he says, a slight impatience on his gorgeous face. I shake my head before I remove my blouse pulling it over my head. I’m in my
bikini now and although he’s seen me in it plenty of times in the sunlight, I
blush a little now in the starlight. I step in the water cautiously, checking the temperature. It’s not too cold
but it’s not warm either. It will take a while to get used to the temperature. Or it would have if Tomas didn’t decide to lift me up and throw me several
feet forward and under the water. “What the hell?” I say, rising onto my feet. Only my head is above water. “You should embrace the unexpected,” he says. “And you should not expect so much,” I say. “That’s the problem, Taylor,” he says, wrapping his strong arms around my
waistline. “You’ll never be ready to walk straight into the deep.” My heart stops as he leans in for a kiss. He’s actually kissing me and I
didn’t have to initiate it. It’s all him. His powerful chest rises and falls rhythmically against my body as his
tongue explores my mouth hungrily. His right hand moves to the back of my head,
pulling my wet hair in a tight grip. I wrap my arms around his neck, lifting one leg to force his hips closer to
mine. The world vanishes in the darkness and the salty fullness of his lips. I
want nothing more than to taste him. He untangles his lips from mine, gently tracing my face with his fingertips.
“Are you sure you want this?” he says, breathing unevenly. It takes me a second to make up my mind. “I do,” I say. “I want this.” “I’m not so sure.” “Why?” “Because you deserve better.” “It’s not a freaking marriage proposal,” I say, growing more and more eager
for his touch. “I understand that. And you’re better than you think.” I hear a faint laughter and I can’t tell if it’s because he thinks he’s not
better at all or because he likes the sound of need in my voice. Either way, I
don’t care. His body doesn’t lie. He’s totally and completely in this moment
with me, hyperventilating and getting incredibly hard underneath his swimming
trunks. So hard I can sense his erection even without touching it.
His need for me goes beyond the physical evidence. I feel something real in
him, something real about the moment we’re sharing. And as his fingers travel
up and down my arm, giving me tiny goose bumps again, I know that what I want
more than anything else is to fall in love.
ABOUT ALISON FOSTER:
Alison Foster loves reading a good love story almost as much as she loves
writing one. She spends her time dreaming up strong heroes and even stronger
heroines and she enjoys finding unexpected strengths within her characters when
they are in the most unexpected places.
She believes that passion makes the world go round and that a sexy grin is
as sweet as candy. She loves interacting with readers, so feel free to drop her
a line.
Like
fire and ice, Alexandra Callet's life runs hot and cold.
At
the age of thirty-three, Alexandra owns a stunning home and a successful
interior design company. But she is in love with her business partner, Jake
Taylor, and he doesn't even seem to realize she's a woman. She should be on top
of the world, but instead she feels dragged down by the void in her heart.
Hoping for answers, she decides a trip to Mexico might soothe her soul.
Jake
Taylor only pretends to be a confirmed bachelor.
Jake
has been entranced by Alexandra's determination and exotic beauty since the
moment they met, but she has no idea how he feels. He considers confessing his
love, but fears jeopardizing their friendship and business. He's caught in a
web of pretending he doesn't care, and doesn't see a way out of it.
Alexandra
is recruited for a dangerous mission.
Following
her trip to Mexico,her resemblance to a member of an
assassin's family leads Alexandra to be recruited by the DEA. Her training
leaves her distracted, and her business begins to suffer. Jake notices her
sudden change, and feels her slipping both personally and professionally beyond
his reach. Should he finally take the chance…before it's too late? After all,
he has nothing to lose.
However, when Alexandra returns to Mexico for her mission, things go
terribly wrong.Will she be able find the strength to fight and escape thepeaceful haven that has now become her prison? Or will Jake lose
Alexandra forever…
About the Author
Born
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, S.K. Derban moved to London within the first
three months, and remained in England until the age of five. Her father, an
American citizen, was a decorated veteran of the second world war. Derban's
mother, born and raised in the United Kingdom, was involved with the London
Royal Ballet Company, and a great fan of the arts. Even after returning to the
United States, Derban's life was filled with a love of the theatre and a
passion for British murder mysteries.
S.K. Derban has always remained passionate about writing, and is thrilled to
finally share her work with others. Her personal travel and missionary
adventures also help to transport readers virtually across the globe. When
writing, Derban relies on all aspects of her life, from her faith in the Lord,
to her love and knowledge of the arts.
Just south of Biloxi there was a girl with
spunk, a girl with spirit.
A girl with fire.
A girl with a heart full of rebellion.
Just south of Biloxi there was a boy, with a
dazzling smile and a kind demeanor.
A boy with morals.
A boy in love.
Just south of Biloxi there was a boy and a
girl who realized too quickly, too swiftly, that there is such a thing as
shattered hearts and cracked dreams.
Just south of Biloxi there was a boy and a girl who would
never truly understand the meaning of some hearts and some worlds are better
left broken.
*This is the 4th book in the Asylum series but
can be read as a companion standalone*
About the Author
Lauren
Hammond knew from a young age that she was born to be a writer. After
publishing her first novel in 2007, she then went on to write several
screenplays and a few award winning poems.She aspires to be a positive role
model for young people who have a pencil, a piece of paper, and a dream. Never
give up on your dreams, you might wake up one day and regret not pursuing
them.She has two more novels in the works, as well as some film projects
Yasmin is a descendant of the Manticore.
A creature of Persian mythology. A Legendary.
But she doesn't want to be. Unlike the Legendaries in The Red, Yasmin wants
nothing more than an ordinary life. She tries to fool herself into believing
that she doesn't change into a beast every full moon and savagely kill innocent
people.
But when Yasmin starts hearing a voice in her head and is drawn into dreams
that aren't her own, she is led to Fray-a girl who once saved Yasmin from
hunters, who has shadowy memories that hint at her having Legendary magic-and
Yasmin is catapulted into a life of Majick and malevolence.
Despite the danger around her and Fray, Yasmin might finally have a chance at
being a normal girl with a normal girlfriend. But with Legendaries being
killed, a war between the Gods brewing, and the beast inside Yasmin becoming
stronger each moon, her mundane life is little more than a dream.
The Legend Mirror series returns with
more mythology, more danger, and more Majick as Yasmin Wikke sets out on a
quest to find her missing girlfriend.
Reeling from the fight with Discordia, Yasmin and the Red search for answers.
Who is Discordia? Why were they stealing Majick? And where have they taken Fray
and Priscilla Hannam, a Legendary swept away in the midst of battle? To get
them back, Yasmin will have to ally with both Gods and strangers, and go to
extreme lengths.
Fray and Priscilla have been stolen, taken to an impossible place that is
slowly changing them. Their captors are monsters with venom in their teeth and
bloody hands, and they want to use the girls to win a war. But armed with a
terrifying and empowering new ability, Fray will die before she becomes their
pawn.
About the Author
Saruuh
Kelsey is the author of several novels for young adults, including the free Lux
Guardians series and The Legend Mirror series. Her latest releases include THE
BEAST OF CALLAIRE, the first novel of a new YA fantasy series, and a collection
of diverse fairy tales in LOVE IN THE GILDED AGE. Find her online at
saruuhkelsey.co.uk.
“My kids!” Pippa all but sent an elderly woman stumbling with her panic – the third passer-by she’d accosted in ten seconds flat. “Have you seen three children? A girl and two boys? Dark hair—”
“Pippa…” He tried to sound calming, but what did you say to a mother who thought she’d lost her kids?
“Oh, yes, dear…”
“Yes? Where? Where?”
“The girl was having a tantrum or such.” The old woman tutted in disapproval, and Jamie saw a deep crimson rise up his sister’s neck.
He took hold of her arm and pulled her back a step. Not even little old ladies were safe now. “Did you see which way they went?”
“Up that way,” she pointed along the pavement towards the beach, “chasing some litter or something that the wind took from them.”
Pippa gasped. “The photo?”
“Well, I don’t know what it was. I thought they taught kids to put rubbish in bins nowadays.”
“Oookay, then!” announced Jamie. ‘Thirty-two Year Old Mother of Three Attacks Pensioner’ would not be a great headline to wake up to tomorrow. “Thank you so much for your help.” He dragged Pip in the direction she’d pointed. “Let’s go find them.”
He could see her close to exploding, but the threat to her children’s safety outweighed her need to lay into the woman, thank god. They hurried towards the beach, until the sound of crying caught their attention.
“That’s Becca! Oh, god…” Distress radiated from her.
Jamie followed the noise with his gaze until it landed on four figures in the distance all standing around a tree. “There, look.” He pointed them out to her, and then Pippa was sprinting, and he was cursing as he followed her.
“Liam!” She shrieked as they neared.
Liam turned, fright and the child’s equivalent of ‘oh, fuck’ in his eyes. His arms were protectively slung around Rebecca’s shoulders.
“Liam … Sammy! What is going on?” But it was the woman with the short, dyed-blue hair she was staring at in warning, not Liam or Sammy, and Jamie felt sorry for her because she looked like a deer caught in headlights. She didn’t look like she’d done anything wrong and the kids were obviously not scared of her.
“Erm…”
It was Rebecca who saved the woman. “Mummy,” her bottom lip trembled on her dirty, tear-streaked, slightly snotty face, “I lost Daddy.”
“Oh, honey, come here.”
She ran into her mother’s arms and buried her face in her neck. “He’s stuck in the tree and the super-hero lady’s gone to get him down.”
The blue-haired woman snorted.
Jamie raised his eyebrows at her. “Super-hero lady?”
“Not a super-hero,” she finally spoke up. “Just insane. Likes to give her friends heart attacks.”
“Woohoo! I’ve goooot it!” came the holler of triumph from somewhere up in the tree.
“See?” said Becca, whose lip had stopped quivering now that her face was lit up with renewed hope. “Super-hero. And she likes climbing, like me.” Rebecca jumped off her mum’s lap before she could stop her and ran until she was directly under the tree, standing next to Sammy, looking up. “Be careful!” she called up to her saviour.
“It’s okay, I know what I’m doing,” came the reply, and something intangible ran through Jamie. He broke out in goosebumps. Maybe he’d been more worried about the kids than he’d thought. He looked at Pip. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, her face pinched, a hint of anger still shading her countenance. “You shouldn’t have run off, Liam,” she said, sternly, addressing her eldest.
“I know, Mum, I’m sorry, but Becca ran off before I could stop her, and I couldn’t leave her—”
“We’ll talk about it later.”
And that was that.
Jamie caught Liam’s worried eye and gave him his best reassuring smile, before turning back to the tree where he could now see one trainer-clad foot and most of a leg, in cropped trousers, stretching down to feel for the best place to land.
That weird sensation came over him again, the hairs on his arms rising, and out of nowhere, the craziest idea in the world entered his mind: It’s her.
Ha!
No way.
No. Way.
My Review:
I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.
Merri had lived a rough life. Her dad walked out on her and her mother when she was only five years old. Losing her father like that really tore Merri up. Her mom did the best she knew how with Merri but she just loved her dad so much that she just couldn’t get over him leaving them the way he did. Merri made some wrong choices in her life while growing up but she also made some great ones as well.
Merri and her mother moved to a new place when she was sixteen years old. On the night before they were supposed to leave Merri planned a big party with all of her friends. She never really expected to see any of them again. During this party Merri was fighting some tough battles within herself and decides to be a little reckless and climb up the side of a mountain. She made it to the top but when she got there and grabbed a holed of the top the dirt was very lose and Merri started to slide back down but as luck would have it a hand reached out a caught hers. The best looking dude she had ever seen in her whole life. This dude was so hot he would make your tongue come out and slap your brains out.
Jamie was a real great guy and he was there for Merri that night in more ways than one. He was her friend and her lover. He listened to what she had to say and helped her to go on with her life. Jamie and Merri spent one night together and it was the best night of their lives. Merri and Jamie’s one night together would make a great “One Night Stand” story in my opinion. I love the “One Night Stand” stories. Jamie and Merri spent this night together knowing that they would probably never to see each other again. They had to leave each other they had no choice at their age.
Both Merri and Jamie go through a lot of bad stuff and times in their lives. Neither one of them has ever forgotten about the other one but they had to go on with their lives they couldn’t give up. They had to make the best with what they had. But when Merri goofs up and makes a really bad mistake on her wedding day she decides that she needs a vacation so she goes back to her old home town where she grew up with her bff from high school. Merri goes home to spend some time with Candy hopefully she can get her life back in order. Jamie just happens to take a little trip home after he breaks up with his girlfriend. He thinks that going back home and spending some time with his sister and helping her out with her kids. Jamie’s sister Pippa is having a rough time with her husband and could also use a little love and friendship too.
Dianna is one of the best authors that I have had the privilege of reading her books. I have read just about every book that she has written and I don’t think that there was a one of them that didn’t grab me by the ears and held on tight. If you have ever read one of Dianna’s books then you know exactly what I am talking about and if you don’t know then you need to get started right now. Because trust me you are going to find a new best author. One that will be on the top of your list and you won’t have to read the summary to know if the book is going to be good or not. You will know as soon as you see her name on it.
I loved all of the characters in The Spell of Summer. I loved reading all the different pov’s. I love books where you can get inside all of the characters heads and know what they are thinking and feeling. I can’t wait to read more of Jamie and Merri’s stories or Candy’s and Pippa’s stories as well. Oh and throw in the kids too; Liam, Sammy and Becca while you are at it. Oh and I loved that it was written in British English. I know we use the same words but differently. I would to learn different languages. The first language I would love to learn would be Spanish. I have tried teaching myself but I didn’t speak it so I have forgotten most of what I learned. I think it would be so neat to be fluent in several different languages. Well that is enough rambling for today. Thank you Dianna for giving me the opportunity to read your books. Reading is my passion and if it was not for authors like you I would not get to read as many books as I do. I just wish I could read faster so that I could read more books and help more authors.
Author Bio:
Dianna Hardy is the international bestselling author of The Witching Pen series and the Eye Of The Storm series. She combines a titillating mix of contemporary and paranormal romance into her writing, as well as urban and dark fantasy, to bring you stories that are action-packed, fast- paced and not short of heat, with the focus on both character development and the plot. She writes full-length novels and short fiction.
She currently lives in Surrey (United Kingdom) with her partner and their daughter, where she writes full-time.