Welcome to Snippet Saturday, where authors share snippets of their writing!
Today is Worldbuilding, a very important component of any book, whether you’re writing paranormal, futuristic or even contemporary. YOu have to build the world in which your characters live, from the city to the homes they live in to the cars they drive, on in case of a brand new world, its rules. they may be rules you create but you still have to abide by them.
I chose TRUE LIES, my futuristic from Ellora’s Cave. It’s a fun, sexy suspensey book with a kickass human heroine and an alien hero I love dearly.
Enjoy! (Excerpt after the jump due to dirty words. :giggle: )
“You’ll have to remove your clothes.”
Mia’s head shot up at Ric’s comment. “Excuse me?”
He motioned to her jumpsuit. “Naked. You can’t travel in clothing, they’ll burn up.”
Naked. Great. First she couldn’t pack anything, then she arrived at tunnel seven only to find this tube-like thing that she was supposed to travel light years through the galaxies in. And now she had to do it with her ass bared? “I don’t think so.”
Ric crossed his arms. “You have no choice. Either travel naked or die.”
Well, those were rather limiting choices, neither of which she cared for. This trip was becoming more and more dismal by the second.
“Fine. Let’s get naked then, and get our show on the road.” She grabbed the zipper, then noticed him just standing there watching. “Well? If I’ve gotta strip, so do you.”
He smirked. “I’m not undressing.”
“Why not?” Was this some kind of sexual come on? If so, she wasn’t in the mood.
“I’ll become gaseous in flight.”
Mia placed her hands on her hips. “Look, I don’t really care to hear about your intestinal problems with space flight. I have my own worries.”
He laughed then, rich, dark and tripping along her nerve endings. She resisted the urge to shiver at his husky tone.
“Not that kind of gas, filor. I will shift into gaseous state for the trip.”
Oh, shit, that’s right. M’Loran’s were shapeshifters. Where the hell had her brain gone today? “What’s filor mean?”
“Woman.”
“The name’s Mia and I already know my gender.”
“Time is of the essence here,” he continued, ignoring her. “Undress so I can cocoon you.”
She really hated her job some days. Grabbing the zipper of her jumpsuit, she yanked it down, stopping halfway.
“Do you have to watch?”
His lips curved in a sensual smile. Her body reacted with puckering nipples. Traitorous damn female hormones.
“I will be placing you in the cocoon. I’ll see you completely naked then. It seems that your modesty is a little unwarranted, don’t you think?”
“Whatever, let’s just get this over with.” She unzipped the suit and stepped out of it, feeling exposed in more ways than she wanted to think about. His eyes roamed over her body as if he were assessing her in depth. She resisted the urge to cover herself and stood still, hands on her hips. “Look, M’Loran. Don’t get any funny ideas about having your way with me in my sleep, okay? Because I’ll know it if it happens.”
“Indeed, you certainly would,” he said, mirth evident in his laughing voice.
He directed her to a transparent, upright tube. She was no scientist so she didn’t have the slightest idea what the M’Lorans used for space travel. It looked like an old fashioned tanning bed to her. “You’re overly confident in your sexual abilities, aren’t you?”
“No. Just honest.”
“Quit staring at me. You might as well give up any notions that you’re going to fuck me, because it isn’t going to happen.”
“I don’t want to fuck you.”
“Good.” She slid into the chamber, but before he could close it she grabbed his wrist. “Why not?”
He tilted his head. “Why not what?”
“Why wouldn’t you want to fuck me?”
“You’re not my type. I’m going to close this now, and when I do—“
“You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet don’t you? And what do you mean I’m not your type?”
He leaned against the chamber. “Why do you care? You just said you weren’t going to fuck me.”
She shrugged and said, “Just curious, that’s all. I’m not repulsive, you know.”
“On M’Lora you would be.”
Wonderful. Now she was really looking forward to the trip. Would she have to be enshrouded in veils to hide her hideous face and body? “Why am I repulsive?”
“You’re not like our women. You’re too skinny. M’Loran men like their women to have some substance-curves, flesh, a little meat on them.”
“I don’t have time to eat much. I’m very busy,” she said in defense of her too-skinny body. Damn him for making her feel inadequate. She’d never cared before what men thought of her appearance, so why now?
“Perhaps on M’Lora you’ll eat better and add some curves. Although there’s no hope for your tits.”
He closed the door, shutting out the stream of curses she flung at him. No tits, indeed. Asshole. She flipped her middle finger in the universal sign of fuck you, but he smiled and waved his hand over the controls.
~~~~~~~
Please visit all these authors participating in this week’s Snippet Saturday:
Michelle Pillow
Kelly Maher
Mark Henry
Jody Wallace
Jaci Burton
Elisabeth Naughton
Ashley Ladd
Moira Rogers
Taige Crenshaw
Lauren Dane
Victoria Janssen
Vivian Arend
TJ Michaels
Juliana Stone
Anya Bast
Lacey Savage
Eliza Gayle