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1) Stacy Gail
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5) Thea Harrison
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Showing posts with label Sidney Bristol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sidney Bristol. Show all posts
Friday, July 19, 2013
Author Guest Post & Giveaway: Sidney Bristol
Today I welcome back one of my favorite peeps, author Sidney Bristol. She’s here today celebrating her new book release, The Harder He Falls, the second title in her So Inked series from Ellora’s Cave. Take it away, Sidney...
Hello, and thanks so much to the ever lovely and beautiful Jen for hosting me ON MY BOOK RELEASE DAY!
I’m sorry, that was a little too much excitement, wasn’t it? I’ll try to tone it down, but I make no promises.
The second book in my So Inked series from Ellora’s Cave releases today. The series focuses on a team of female tattoo artists slinging ink and making a name for themselves in Texas. The Harder He Falls is the second book in this series and follows one of the shops owners, Kellie, as she makes some hard decisions, faces down her worst nightmare and finds love in the arms of a man she never expected to win her over.
But that’s the sales pitch. Why don’t we talk about something fun?
Did you know there are different styles and even schools of art when it comes to tattoos? While most tattoo artists can do all types of tattoos, everyone has something they’re naturally good at. Well the girls at the So Inked tattoo shop are no different!
With The Harder He Falls I wanted to dig into the well-known Japanese elements of tattooing we see everywhere. From t-shirts to phone cases to even your underwear, tattoo art is showing up in all sorts of new places and a lot of it harkens back to the art brought from Japan by artists like Ed Hardy, Yakuza gangsters coming to America, service men stationed in Japan and tourists.
Almost every culture has a history of tattooing unique to them. From geometric designs dating back to the first humans, to markings to denote tribes and designs to evoke the power from the art, tattoos have said a lot about us since the earliest of days.
Japanese tattoos are a language in and of themselves, that isn’t always appreciated by its American audience. Each traditional element can be manipulated, combined and placed to call upon different powers, mean something specific or say a particular thing about the wearer.
For example, a Koi fish depicted swimming up water means that the person is overcoming something. Combined with other flowers, elements or symbols, it can become more specific, speaking to the fragility of life, persevering through a rough time, etc.
While a lot of the American tattoo culture revolves around images and embracing your own meaning, Japanese tattoos come with a rich culture, even a heritage of being part of that language. I’ve always admired the Japanese style tattoos, but could never settle on something that spoke to me and meshed with the tattoos I currently have.
Tattoos are often a love them or hate them choice. Which side of the line do you fall on? Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of the first book in the So Inked series, Under His Skin!
About the Author:
It can never be said that Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life. She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and belly dancing.
GIVEAWAY: Ms. Bristol is offering one (1) a digital copy of the first book in the So Inked series, Under His Skin to giveaway here at That’s What I’m Talking About. To enter, please leave a comment answering Sidney's question “Tattoos are often a love them or hate them choice. Which side of the line do you fall on?" Contest is open to anyone, except where prohibited by law. Contest open from July 19, 2013 until July 25, 2013 at 9:00 PM EDT. One (1) winner will be selected at random from the comment entries. Prize will be emailed to winner directly by author. I am not responsible to items lost in the mail/email system.
The Harder He Falls, So Inked #2
The Harder He Falls, So Inked #2
Ellora’s Cave; Coming soon to Barnes and Noble & Amazon
A woman who doesn’t have time for love…
A hot night full of hotel-destroying sex was all Kellie wanted from her client-turned-sex god. Between family and work, there isn’t room for love, just hot, sweaty lust. An arrangement for mutual gratification is exactly what Kellie wants, but every kiss, each mind-blowing orgasm twines her heart around a man she cannot have.
A man building a new life…
Quinton’s assumptions about the So Inked shop owner are turned on their head after one session under her tattoo machine. Kellie’s not the vandal he’s looking for, but she’s the woman he wants. In his bed, on the desk or under the stars, he’ll take her any way he can get her. But Quin has secrets and someone is out to destroy him. Someone who has their sights set on Kellie now.
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Excerpt
Kellie shifted on the wooden bench, still restless. The evening breeze was cooler than normal thanks to a cold front blowing in. It was ridiculous that dropping into the nineties was considered a cool spell, but in the height of Texas summer, you took what you got. She swept her hair up into a knot and tipped her head back. The slight dampness of her skin, courtesy of the ever-present humidity, was a small price to pay for being able to sit outside. She’d shed the formfitting dress for jeans and a tank top and felt more like herself for it.
“How hot does it get here?” Quin plunked down their dinner and sat on his side of the picnic table. Behind him the food truck was starting to pack up.
“Can’t handle the heat?” It was too much to ask that the man be able to cope with everything. He’d sat through the tattoo yesterday without complaint, being a heat weenie wasn’t terrible.
His brilliant blue eyes stood out in the dim illumination of the parking lot light. “When you have A/C, why should you?”
“You do realize that it’s going to get at least ten degrees hotter and stay there, don’t you?” She unwrapped the tacos and inhaled the spicy aroma of peppers and onions mixed with tender beef.
Quin made a show of wiping his forehead with a napkin. “I’m going to melt.”
“Why the hell are you still here then?”
He hefted his burrito and wrapped the tortilla tighter. “Family.”
She nodded, understanding that reason above all others.
They descended into companionable silence while they ate. The garbled sounds of a Tejano station melded with the distant sounds of Highway 75 and the light street traffic up and down Greenville Avenue.
“What are you so wound up about, doll?”
Her head snapped around. Quin watched her with one brow arched.
“What?” she asked.
“Your knees are bouncing and you keep looking around. Are you expecting someone I don’t know about?” He glanced over each shoulder.
The bubble of anger swelling in her breast burst. It wasn’t Quin’s fault she was suffering from a case of bitchitis.
Instead of snapping at him, she put her taco down and massaged her temples. “No, I’m just sitting on too much energy and not enough time to expend it.”
“Ah.” He nodded as if he understood. “We used to call that the fight or fuck stage.”
It was her turn to quirk a brow at him. She shivered despite the heat. He had a point; one or the other would help. “Fight or fuck stage? What did you used to do?”
“First I was in the Marines, then I used to fight MMA, semipro.”
Her eyebrows crept upward. Mixed martial arts? She saw Quin in a whole new light, and when she looked at him in this proverbial light, he looked damn good. Fighters came with their own set of issues, but as an MMA hobbyist herself, Kellie had to admit that her bad boy draw was sitting across from her. Growing up around the gym meant she’d become more than competent in a few martial art forms. As an adult, branching out into the grappling, wrestling and more violent aspects had given her a much needed outlet.
Kellie grabbed her drink, the cup covered in condensation, and gulped it down to get moisture back in her dry mouth.
“Why’d you stop?”
“I got hurt. Fractured a few vertebrae. Everyone was amazed I could walk after that. Realized there was little to no chance of me coming back from the injury, so I switched over to training. I like it.”
“Do you train around here?” An invisible fist clenched her heart. There had been a time when she would have known the different gyms, who trained where, which ones were worth going to and so forth.
Quin didn’t answer immediately. He chewed his food without haste and took a drink before replying. “I’m transitioning locations. Parting with someone. It’s a little messy.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Yeah, I’ve been there. I’m lucky to have Mary as my co-owner. The guy I worked with before her was a man-child.”
He snorted. “Man-child?”
“Yeah, you know. Frat boy types.”
He tilted his head back and laughed. “That’s a good one, doll. Man-child. I’ll have to remember that.”
The pet name slid over her nerves as if it were sandpaper. “Do you have to call me that?”
“What?” He blinked as if he had no clue what she was talking about.
“Lay off the doll crap already.”
He shrugged. “You look like a doll.”
Her scalp itched and her hand balled into a fist. “You think I look like a whore?” she growled. Moments like these she felt as if she were a passenger in her own body. The urge to do something, or even the man across from her, had her muscles too tense and her nerves strung too tight.
Quin jerked his face away from his cup. “What? No. That’s not what I meant. You’re attractive and exotic-looking. You look more like a doll than a real person.”
Heat crawled up her neck and she was thankful the parking light was their only illumination. It was the most convoluted compliment anyone had ever paid her, and it turned her on even more. She folded her taco wrapper into a neat square.
“You realize the term china doll is what men called Asian prostitutes and war brides?”
“The fuck—no. No, that’s definitely not what I meant. Hey, guys probably hit on you all the time. I figured I had to be a little creative.”
She rolled her eyes. “At least you don’t talk to my boobs.”
His gaze dipped to her chest and her nipples perked up at his inspection. She squeezed her thighs together. This was ridiculous. She was not an animal in heat ready to throw herself at some random guy.
“Well, in their defense, most guys probably only come up to your chest, so it’s not entirely their fault.” One side of his mouth kicked up in a roguish smile.
She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, blame it on me because I’m tall.”
“It’s not your fault you’re tall. It’s their fault they’re short.”
Her phone buzzed against her hip. Conversation forgotten, Kellie dug it out of her pocket and unlocked the screen. The home-care provider always texted her when Grandma finally went to bed. She breathed a sigh of relief when nothing else was mentioned, which meant the day had passed without incident. She had all night before she would need to go home and face those troubles. For now she was her own woman.
“Everything okay?”
She glanced up from the phone. “Yeah.”
“Good.”
“So you moved here for family. Wife? Girlfriend?”
“None of the above.”
He was unattached and available. She went very still, the possibilities running through her head.
Quin cleared his throat. “My schedule right now doesn’t lend itself to dating.”
Even better. She laid her palms on the rough wooden surface of the table. “Neither does mine.”
His stillness echoed hers. A predatory awareness came over him, but she wasn’t prey. “That’s a shame.”
She looked him over, even as he did the same. He wouldn’t be the first client she slept with, she wasn’t a saint. But neither did she know him.
“Excuse me.” The food truck cook had walked up on them without either noticing. “I need to load the table, sorry.” He smiled and wiped his hands on the dirty apron.
Kellie swiped the napkin across her face. Had she really inhaled the burrito? Judging by the sad remnants left, yes she had.
“That’s fine. Thanks for the food.”
She rose, gathered up her trash and tossed it in a recycling bin, then leaned against the front of Quin’s truck, out of the way while Quin lent a hand to their cook and helped load the table. Too many thoughts spun around in her head, she needed a minute to get her head screwed on straight, but she wasted those watching Quin’s arms and the way his t-shirt stretched across his back. She pretended she hadn’t been staring when he headed for her, perching her elbows on the hood and leaning back. The truck’s grille pressed into her back but with her elbows perched on the edge, it thrust her breasts out. As if she needed to draw any more attention to them.
Quin’s gaze roved freely over her body and she could already anticipate his strong touch. He would be an energetic lover, but would he be gentle? Or rough? Did he always have to stay in control? Because sometimes she liked to put a man through his paces.
“I can’t tell what you’re thinking and I’m dying to know.” He stopped less than a foot away.
She smiled slowly, already having a pretty good idea what his answer to her question would be. “I was wondering if you would like to get a room?”
Labels:
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Review: A Kiss for A Cure by Sidney Bristol
A Kiss for a Cure
Author: Sidney Bristol
Release Date: Feb. 4, 2013
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Fuller Center #1
Genre: Sci-fi Romance, Novella
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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What’s a girl to do when her parents gift her with a man for Christmas?
Caught between two kingdoms, Jordan has given up the privileged world of intergalactic court life to become an interstellar biologist researching space sharks. Unexpectedly saddled with a husband from a race who are rumored to be sex fiends, her life is yanked in a direction she doesn’t want.
But Cai isn’t human and he must have the emotional feedback of a mate in order to survive. Charged with protecting Jordan, can he win her heart and keep her safe from harm?
Will they survive the challenges that arise…sexual, emotional and political? Time is ticking away and it’s not on their side.
What I’m talking about:
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Living alone on a space research center, Jordan didn’t plan to do much for the Christmas holidays. In addition, as the illegitimate daughter of two powerful parents (who were forbidden to marry) from neighboring kingdoms, Jordan is used to being alone. So when Jordan discovers that the package from her parents contains a male - a husband none the less, she doesn’t know how to respond.
Cai is from a race of people that requires emotional feedback and physical intimacy in order to survive. Agreeing to marry Jordan seemed like an ideal opportunity to Cai, and he can’t understand why Jordan finds the situation so appalling. Now he’s stuck between wanting Jordan and wanting to give her the freedom she desires.
I completely adored A Kiss for a Cure. The opening sequences as Jordan watched her “present” open to reveal a man were priceless. The humor was subtle but stellar. Lines like “Sane people did not receive men in boxes for Christmas from their parents,” made me smile and sometimes laugh out loud.
I am a science-nerd at heart, and sci-fi is my first love. I totally geeked out over the wonderful play-by-play as Jordan attempted to scientifically break down Cai and his race's need for physical and emotional feedback. Her responses as a scientist and her need to find a “cure” were perfectly played. The premise behind the story and Cai’s “condition” was well thought out and presented to the reader in an effective and entertaining manner.
The story is full of wonderful descriptive scenes such as the pair’s trip to the space reef (yes, there are sharks in space!). In addition, it is light-hearted scenes such as the reef excursion that allow the couple to develop their friendship. Not only is it fun to read, but the tender moments permit for an emotional connection between the reader and the characters.
Because Jordan has had a strained relationship with her parents most of her life, the conversation she has with her mother about Cai is especially touching. Ms. Bristol finds an effective way to convey important facts needed to further the story and blends it with an emotional punch that drew me even further into her world.
Overall, A Kiss for a Cure is a wonderful little story. The characters are well developed in the confines of a novella. The plot is expertly crafted with an enjoyable blend of humor, romance, science and action. The scientific premise behind the story was well planned and not hokey in the least. I adored Jordan and Cai right from the get go, and the ending was ideal for this couple. I hope that Ms. Bristol makes a return trip to The Fuller Center soon.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Author Guest Post: Sidney Bristol
Hello Readers! Today I bring you author Sidney Bristol. It can never be said that Sidney has had a ‘normal’ life. She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and belly dancing.
I had the pleasure of hanging out with Sidney while attending AAD2012 in New Orleans and look forward to seeing her again. Today Sidney is here to talk about her latest release, A Kiss for a Cure (Lyrical Press, February 4, 2013, Sci-Fi Romance). Please help me welcome Sidney to That’s What I’m Talking About.
Thanks so much to Jen and her team for hosting me! I had the great pleasure of meeting Jen last year in New Orleans at Author’s After Dark. Her pictures don’t do her justice, she’s way prettier. I’m just a tad bit jealous of her hair.
I’m touring around the interwebz talking about my latest book, a science-fiction romance called A Kiss for a Cure. I’m really excited about returning to my science-fiction roots. Ages ago when I was a fledgling writer the first thing I wrote was bad sci-fi fan-fic based off the Predator movies, if you could make a romance out of aliens with mouths that look like the toothy entrance to the afterlife. What I wouldn’t pay to be able to have some of those pages back!
A Kiss for a Cure is nothing like Predator! It’s actually kind of an awesome book, and here are five reasons why I think you should read it:
1) It’s – IN SPACE! Everything is better in space. Really. Just look at movies like Star Wars, anything Star Trek, Spaceballs, The Fifth Element, Aliens or a lot of other sci-fi horror movies. In space you can get away with a lot.
2) There are sharks. In space. No really, I worked out the fictional science for there to be sharks, several types of them, alive. In space. It’s like the futuristic version of Shark Week. In space! How cool is that?
3) My hero is hot. I feel like the book cover is awesome, but Cai is so much hotter. Long hair, buff alien dude, and completely confident about his cooking, dancing and singing skills on top of all the booty kicking he does. What isn’t to love?
4) There’s a dramatic rescuing. Of course there is! It’s an exciting, Shark Week in Space book! There has to be a dramatic rescuing. It’s in the rule book. So there isn’t a rule book, don’t hate on me, but if there was one, it would be in there!
5) My heroine might, or might not, blow stuff up. That’s the problem when you have a super intelligent scientist for a heroine. Jordan has the know how to do some serious stuff, but doesn’t quite think through how her decisions might play out. Good thing she has a sexy alien at her back.
There are more reasons why A Kiss for a Cure should be in your shopping basket, but I’ll let you mull over those a bit. Cheers!
Kiss for a Cure Lyrical Press | Barnes and Noble | Amazon | iTunes
What’s a girl to do when her parents gift her with a man for Christmas?
Caught between two kingdoms, Jordan has given up the privileged world of intergalactic court life to become an interstellar biologist researching space sharks. Unexpectedly saddled with a husband from a race who are rumored to be sex fiends, her life is yanked in a direction she doesn’t want.
But Cai isn’t human and he must have the emotional feedback of a mate in order to survive. Charged with protecting Jordan, can he win her heart and keep her safe from harm?
Will they survive the challenges that arise…sexual, emotional and political? Time is ticking away and it’s not on their side.
---
Excerpt
Jordan froze, staring at the seven-foot-long box wrapped in silvery paper. The one sent by her parents. Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it. No, that pounding came from the box. From inside the box.
Blood drained from her extremities. Her chest constricted until she panted for breath.
What had her parents done this time? She clenched her hands and gritted her teeth. In the history of bad, over-the-top and gaudy presents, she feared this might be the worst.
She turned her back on it and put a hand to her stomach. She needed to sit down, preferably on something soft and forgiving, but her furniture had yet to be delivered. The only furniture in her new quarters was her bed. Everything else was packed up in the utilitarian beige plastos she’d purchased secondhand from a shipper to get her things to university. They showed their age with scrapes and dented sides, but they were so sturdy nothing had ever been broken in moving them from place to place. Plastos were stacked against the walls, in groupings in the middle of the floor, and in her bedroom. Everywhere. Her new quarters looked like a cargo hold.
Again, the pounding came from the box, but louder. She jumped and spun to face the box. Whatever was in there wanted out. She leaned against the wall and stared at the silvery paper. Light from the floor-to-ceiling windows made glimmering patterns against the surface of the package. She could escape the room, since her upgraded quarters had a real bedroom and a kitchenette, but whatever was in the box would still be there.
Sucking in a deep breath, she crept toward it until she could touch the top with her fingertips. It was cool against her skin, even through the paper. Bending, she put her ear against it and gently rapped. The box rang hollow.
Maybe she’d heard something in the Center clanging. There was always the chance there was construction going on over the holidays since most people were away for several weeks. Or maybe one of her plastos had fallen.
Something knocked from inside the box.
Sidney, thank you so much for stopping by!
You can find Sidney on line at:
You can find Sidney on line at:
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