Rock-Stars, Groupies, Music, and More

Life has been crazy as it always seems to be. I'm working on meeting my deadline for Bad Beats. I am really, really excited for this book. In fact, in celebration of its upcoming release, I have been sharing some old rock-star memorabilia (backstage pass photos and other pictures) on my personal Facebook page and on my author page. 

You can join me on Facebook here:

C.L. Riley Personal Page
C.L. Riley Author Page

Yes, I was a teen in the late seventies and eighties. Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll was our credo, and we lived by it. I've done plenty of things I'm not exactly proud of, but I sure had some amazingly fun and exciting times too. Going to concerts, meeting bands, partying with said bands and more. I have been able to hang on to a ton of my backstage passes and even snapped a few photos. Remember...this was the pre-cell phone era. Sadly, I didn't get to take a bunch of selfies with the famous folks I was hanging out with. I do, thankfully, have some pretty good pictures and autographs. 

Check out some of my old passes and the teasers for Bad Beats, A Rock-star Step-brother Romance.  

 

 Now for the book...

 

I hope I peaked your interest for Bad Beats! I also want to thank everyone who has picked up a copy of Scorched Souls: The Complete Saga (Firetrap, Firefight, Firestorm, and Fireworks all in one BIG book) released in February.

Say hello! I'd love to hear from you. What are you reading? Watching? It is so fun to connect with readers around the globe. I have met some amazing people this past year. I'm counting on 2016 to be a year to remember. 

If you'd like to read Bad Beats, make sure to add to your Goodreads to read list and watch for giveaways. I am currently running this CONTEST:

 

The Clock is Ticking

Hey Everyone! I hope you're finding your own share of magic and mystery in your life. There is so much going on in mine, along with a bit of madness, making the above promo all the more pertinent. A couple of things to remember:

1. The Read to Review "contest" is happening. I can accept about seven more reviewers. Anyone who reads and reviews Bottle Banished and posts their review on Goodreads and Amazon by March 20, 2015 will be entered in "the hat" for an opportunity to WIN A $50.00 AMAZON GIFT CARD. ***The Drawing is Random. Not based on a positive review.*** This is just for fun to bless readers and bring attention to my new book. 

2. There is still another contest in play. No one has won the $5.00 GIFT CARD for AMAZON and a future copy of my book Firetrap. All you have to do is be the FIRST person to contact me with the answer to the following question:

What TV show is Agent, Brad Sanchez, obsessed with? Even to the point of committing murder? 

3. You have until March 11, 2015 to enter the Goodreads Giveaway. 

Click Here to enter the Goodreads contest OR Scroll to the bottom of this page. 

As you can see, there are plenty of chances to WIN! 

Now to amp up your interest in Genie and her supernatural shenanigans, here is another excerpt. Enjoy!

Genie's POV

The men sitting in the gray Suburban weren’t trying very hard to avoid detection. One was drinking a beer and the other was munching on a bag of Funyons, his fingers tapping out the beat to a familiar rock anthem on the steering wheel along with the radio.

Genie paused outside the driver’s window, considering her next move.

She’d bolted from Reid’s loft the minute everyone left, eager to secure the building’s perimeter. Had he known her intention, he would have convinced her to stay inside.

She needed to do this, to contribute.

After learning the rules were simply guidelines, better broken at times, she’d hopped into Reid’s head and discovered his concern about his father sending “his goons” to spy. Refusing to dig any deeper, she’d decided she would find a way to ensure their privacy and safety. It was the least she could do.

Being the always obedient genie, she had never once manipulated minds, but she intended to give it her best shot tonight.

Envisioning herself as a quarter inch version of herself, she dove into the driver’s left ear. He shook his head, attempting to dislodge what he thought was a gnat.

So how do I do this? I’m sure climbing into their actual heads isn’t necessary.
Realizing the idiocy of her attempt, she exited out his nose.

He swiped frantically, spilling his chips. “I think I bug flew in my ear and out my nose.”

His partnered scoffed. “Are you stoned again? I told you to stop that shit. You get paranoid.”

“No! I’m not stoned.”

“Stop arguing! Both of you!” Genie projected her voice through the car’s speaker system.

“Who is that?” Beer drinker asked, sounding panicked.

The driver dropped his Funyon bag on the seat between them, fiddling with the radio’s controls.

“I have a message,” she proclaimed, making her voice boom through the vehicle. “Reid no longer lives here. He moved to India. Spread the word.”

Releasing a brain altering wave into their minds, she backed up her command with the magical equivalent of an insurance policy. If the first fix broke, she’d ensured the mental message would repeat until it stayed permanent. “Inform his father.”

They remained frozen for what had to be a minute or longer. The beer-drinking passenger responded first. “There’s no reason for us to be here. The kid moved. I think to India. We need to spread the word.”

Genie giggled. This was more fun than she’d expected.

The driver turned the key, starting the big SUV. “You’re right. What a waste of time.”

“Bye-e-e!” She waved as they pulled out and headed toward the city lights.

“Impressive.”

She spun, finding herself face-to-face with yet another unfamiliar jinn.

He extended his hand. “I need you to come with me.”

In the past she would have submitted. But now—fuck the rules. “I don’t think so.” She backed away.

Unexpected power hummed, starting at her toes and winding up her legs. By the time it reached her finger tips, blue sparks sizzled from her hands. Raising her palms, she zapped the newcomer, something she’d never done or witnessed before.

“I’m a priestess’ daughter,” she announced, pleased to see the jinn’s shocked expression as he somersaulted backwards and was swallowed by a spinning vortex that opened like a gaping maw in the atmosphere. The air wavered and then stilled. What sounded like a loud belch followed.

Scanning the area, she determined she was safe, for now, anyway.

She raised her hands, flipping them back and forth. The personal firework display was over. She’d almost expected to find her palms singed or a finger or two missing. Nothing was amiss, other than fact she’d just displayed abilities far beyond her power level.

Eager to tell Reid, she flashed to the penthouse. She found him pacing in front of the living room window.

“Fuck!” He took two extended strides and dragged her into his arms. “You need to stop doing that! You don’t understand…”

“Shsssh.” She pressed her mouth against his. “I’m sorry. I was only trying to help.”

He grasped her face between his hands, his gaze wild with worry and what she’d already come to recognize as lust. “I know you want to help. But, please. I just got you back. The thought of losing you all over again is more than I can deal with.”

His words set up home in her heart, wiping away any lingering doubt she had about his sincerity. “I’m sorry. I thought you’d stop me.”

He raised a brow. “Do I even want to know?”

She poured out the story. He listened with interest, waiting until she’d finished before asking a question.

“Why do you think it happened? The power surge?”

She sighed. “I don’t have a clue. My guess is it might have something to do with my mom’s priestess position. Since I’m her daughter, I may have inherited new abilities from her. I’m not sure how that would work, though.”

He brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “I appreciate you wanting to protect us, but next time, let me know before you blink into oblivion.”

“I will. I promise.” He had a right to know. They were together in all this now. Not as master and genie but as a couple. She shivered at the thought.

“Are you cold, baby?”

She shook her head. “Are we a couple?” She wanted to hear him say the words. More like needed to hear how he viewed their relationship.

He grinned. “Baby, we better be a fucking couple after all we’ve been through. Remember when I said I’d make you mine?”

She nodded, her womb clenching and her nipples hardening. When he talked about ‘making her his’ her body responded on some primal level, desperate for physical connection.

His nostrils flared. “Genie, are you turned on?”

“Uh…well…” Was it that obvious?

“You just released the most amazing scent. Vanilla, cinnamon, and something totally exotic that I don’t recognize. Spicy and sweet at the same time.”

Another genie or jinn could smell magical markers, pheromones, even strong emotions, but for a human, it should have been impossible. “That’s new, too,” she gulped. “I’m just full of surprises, aren’t I?”

“Good thing I love surprises. How would you like me to surprise you? I think we’ve talked enough, unless, of course, you have more you’d like to share.” He ran his hands over her shoulders and down her arms, goosebumps trailing where his hands brushed.

“Do you remember your safety words?” he said softly, his voice smooth.

She nodded, excitement bursting through her like the pyrotechnics that had flared from her hands. She couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for her.

“Come on, baby.” He lifted her, cradling her close.

She flung her arms around his neck, nuzzling his ear. She wondered if this was how it felt to be carried across the honeymoon-threshold.

The door to his bedroom was cracked. He kicked it open the rest of the way, and strode to the bed, where he tossed her on the soft mattress.

“Close your eyes, Genie,” he commanded, an edge to his voice. “Keep them closed and lay back.”

“Yes, Master,” she whispered.

He made a noise that sounded like a playful snarl. “You will do what I tell you to?”

“I will, Master,” she agreed, her anticipation increasing as he shuffled something under the bed.

Fighting the urge to peek, she kept her eyes squeezed shut.

After what felt like twenty minutes, but had been maybe two, he lifted her head and secured a thick scarf or sash over her eyes.

“Open your eyes. Tell me what you see.”

“What am I supposed to see?” She couldn’t see a thing.

Reid chuckled. “Oh, Genie.” He kissed her nose. “You’re not supposed to see beyond the blindfold.”

“I can’t. Everything is dark.”

“Exactly. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“No, Master.” She knew how much he liked her submission in the bedroom. She intended to let him have it, but she had a few ideas, too. Her new found power had provided the sexual confidence she’d always lacked.

When the time was right, she’d pounce. 

Well, that's it for now! Don't forget to enter the contests and giveaway, and please take a minute to say hello or leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you. If you've read my book, I'd be thrilled to hear what you thought. I will be revealing the cover for book two very soon. 

Happy Reading! 

WIN a $50 Amazon Gift Card for Reading!

That's right. You can WIN BIG. I am currently offering an opportunity to enter a drawing to WIN a $50 Amazon Gift Card for reading AND reviewing my new book:

 Bottle Banished-Dreaming of Genie. 

 
The first 15 readers to post their reviews will be entered in the drawing with a chance to win. I'm keep numbers low so you have more opportunities. I already have several readers participating, so get moving (reading)!

If for some reason, I have not reached 15 readers/reviewers by Friday, March 20, 2015, I will stop and draw from what I have. So you have about three weeks to read and write a review. Reviews will need to be posted on Goodreads and Amazon before your name is entered in "the hat." 

***To ensure I have your contact information, please message me on Facebook, Goodreads, or here on Google to let me know you have posted your reviews. Provide me with your name and email address. I will do the rest. Winner will be chosen randomly and is based on participation not a positive review.***


That's it! Read. Review. WIN???

If this is successful, I may do it again. I am looking for unique, fun ways to bring attention to my work and bless readers in the process. I'm excited to give this a try!

Available on Kindle!

AND...no one has won the $5.00 Amazon gift card for naming what 1970's TV show FBI Agent Brad Sanchez is obsessed with. If you know the answer, let me know as fast as you can! You will win a $5.00 Gift Card and an eBook copy of my upcoming book: Firetrap, a Scorched Souls serial. 

Book Tour Schedule and Stops

First can I say I love this picture! So gorgeous! Can't wait to share more of the genie world with you in Bottle Banished: Claiming Cassie. But for now, book one is on tour and released yesterday. Did you pick up your copy? Kindle has yet to update the price increase, so it is still just $.99. 

This is the link to all my book tour stops. JOIN ME!

Watch for new character cameos coming soon! In the meantime, check out the creepy, haunted, Shanghai Tunnels, featured in Bottle Banished: Dreaming of Genie. When you come to Portland, OR, you can actually take a tour of the Portland Underground. The history is fascinating and quite scandalous. 

Click to learn more about the infamous Shanghai Tunnels

Pre-Order Price .99 cents!

After perusing Amazon Kindle, I decided I wanted to be one of those authors who does a spectacular pre-order event, which meant I needed to drop the pre-order price from $1.99 to .99 until the release date. So, if you are curious, not sure, but think you just might like Bottle Banished: Dreaming of Genie, now is the time to grab your copy. Take a chance! Make a wish! Open the bottle!  

PRE-ORDER FOR .99 AT KINDLE

Temptation...

Genie struggles with temptation.

Bewitching Book Tours: Now scheduling a two week tour for Bottle Banished: Dreaming of Genie by C.L. Riley

Bewitching Book Tours: Now scheduling a two week tour for Bottle Banished: Dreaming of Genie by C.L. Riley

 I am very excited to participate with Roxanne and Bewitching Book Tours. I am hoping to spread the word about Bottle Banished: Dreaming of Genie. With so many amazing books and authors to choose from, it is crucial readers get a chance to meet my characters. 

So...who shall I introduce first? 

Just for fun, I am going to use famous people to represent my characters. So I'm casting, Kûru, our evil, sexy, obsessive, domineering, sex-fueled djinn, with the one and only...Dwayne Johnson. In this particular photo (love the quote, too!) Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, reminds me of my jinn. Add a few more tribal tattoos across his chest and back, and ears that are a tad more pointy, and you've got my bad boy jinn.

Here is an excerpt from Bottle Banished featuring Kûru the Jinn:

Too impatient to wait for his driver to open the door, Kûru grabbed his leather jacket and slipped from the limo with inhuman grace. Side stepping him on the sidewalk, the driver raised a brow, clearly impressed by his quick reflexes.

He would need to be more careful.

Toning down his unnatural speed and flexibility wasn’t easy, but he had to make every effort to blend in. Nodding at the driver, he headed toward the entrance, energized by the thrill of the hunt.

A young woman pushed by. “Excuse me. I’m late for a meeting.” She bustled in without giving him a second glance.

Usually just a brush against him triggered a heated response. He entered after her, intrigued. He wasn’t sure what she looked like. She’d been so quick, all he had noticed was her hair’s ginger waves. Scanning the room, he struggled without success to spot her through the crowd.

True to the driver’s word, the place looked like a Wall Street after-hour-hangout. He could smell wealth and desperation. Like him, not everyone here was who they appeared to be. There were women hoping to snare rich patrons and men who had lost everything, eager for invitations back into the world they’d been barred from. Most curious was the scent of magic. It was faint, but nevertheless, all too real.

On guard and acutely aware of his surroundings, he made his way through the crowded tables, forcing himself to bump against a chair. “Pardon me,” he muttered, hating the farce.

How could humans live with their clumsiness? Just faking it disgusted him, but until he identified the magic’s source, he would remain wary and make every effort to appear human. He couldn’t afford to be blindsided by an enemy jinn or hunter.

Finding an empty stool at the long bar, he leaned back, arms crossed, and faced the room.

A jazz band played on one of several stages under a canopy of colorful lights. The atmosphere and décor were indeed designed to reflect the customers’ wealth. Waitresses wore simple, form-fitting black dresses with basic low-heeled pumps and carried their silver trays with expert ease, while the male servers moved through the room, spinning and ducking to avoid accidents with their own practiced precision. Their black dress shirts and slacks were casually classy. Over all, the place was sleek but simple.

As expected, women were starting to notice him. Men had spotted him as well, marking him as a rival to their chances at business and pleasure. He understood he was also what regular attendees might refer to as “fresh meat.” He shook his head at the ridiculous comparison.

A perky waitress stopped in front of him. “The bartender looks pretty busy. Can I get you something?” She pressed out her breasts and smiled, looking too young to be peddling liquor.

“Scotch, Johnnie Walker, blue label, minimal ice.”

She waited for him to say more, but he didn’t. He was on a mission and didn’t have time for frivolous pleasures, not tonight. Cocktail waitresses were off the menu no matter how tasty they might be.

A few minutes later she returned with his drink. He gave her a sizable tip, regretting he couldn’t give her what she really wanted.

After enduring sixty minutes of flirty advances from intoxicated women and challenging stares from the men, he was weary of the whole scene. Despite their social standing, the humans were predictable and boring. No one stood out, and he’d yet to locate the woman from earlier.

Ready to leave, he headed through the crowd to the men’s room. He wanted to wash his hands of this place both literally and figuratively.

At a table near the back, surrounded by gossiping females, he recognized the woman he’d been searching for. Apparently the meeting had been her birthday celebration. She was tearing shiny paper from a box. A half-eaten cake with candles, surrounded by empty glasses, took up the table’s central spot. Unlike the rest of her party, she paid him no heed. The others had stopped watching her to stare at him.

“Ladies! I’m over here! What’s wrong with…?” She finally lifted her head to meet his gaze. She scowled. “Can I help you with something?”

Her friends tittered nervously. “Cassie,” one chided. “That’s rude.”

He looked over his shoulder and back. She had to be kidding, right? No human female had ever rejected him. Only his genie could claim that feat.

Fighting the urge to turn up his sex appeal, he slammed through the bathroom door, humiliated. Another man followed. “Don’t feel bad. We’ve all tried to hit that tonight. She’s one of those ice queens. Her friends seem pretty impressed with you, though. At least you don’t have to go home alone.”

He wanted to strangle the man now humming as he faced the urinal, but instead accepted a towel offered by the bathroom attendant who kept his expression neutral. He handed over a tip and made a quick escape before he’d be forced to hear anymore sage advice from a useless human.

Frustrated by Cassie’s rejection, he stomped by their table, focused on the exit.

“Wait! Please!”

He stopped, turning slowly. Cassie waved him over. Too curious to resist, he found himself standing beside their table.

“I’m sorry. I was impolite. You didn’t do anything. I’m just sick of …”

“Men,” the woman on her left supplied. “She’s sick of men.”

Not sure what to say, he raised an eyebrow.

“You look about as lost as I feel,” Cassie laughed. “Come on, have a seat. I’m sure one of these other non-man-hating ladies will buy you a drink.”

Feeling oddly uncomfortable, he pulled out a chair.

Before he could sit, the scent of magic, stronger this time, assaulted him with its one of a kind sweetness. The nearby employee entrance was flung open and a handful of masked men poured into the room, weapons drawn.

The need to protect Cassie was both sudden and unexpected.

He leapt over the table and pushed her behind him. The band stopped and people scrambled to hide under tables; others cowered on the floor crying. An ammonia laced odor was evidence that bladders had emptied the second the gunmen entered.

Keeping their weapons pointed into the crowd, the men parted like the red sea for Moses, but rather than the biblical hero, a lean Hispanic man swaggered into the room, talking as he walked. “No need to be so scared. I’m here for one person. He knows who he is. If he comes willingly, you all can continue your evening. No one gets hurt. Comprende’? If he doesn’t, I kill one of you every minute until he does.”

No one moved.

Kûru glanced to the right where the magic seemed strongest.

His nephew’s gaze met his. At least he wasn’t in a bottle, banished.

Using the link existing between jinns, Kûru sent him a mental message: Do not reveal you recognize me. I will free you, and we will enact our revenge. I promise you. The leader, is he Santiago?

No. His younger brother. Santiago sends others to do his dirty work.

Had it been Santiago, Kûru might have acted right then.

“You!” Santiago’s brother pointed at him. “Why aren’t you on your knees like everyone else? Since you are so brave, you die first.”

“No!” Cassie cried behind him, warming his heart despite the guns now pointed at his head.

He sneered at the threat, satisfied to see his adversary flinch. Apparently, the younger Santiago had expected him to collapse on the floor and plead for his life.

That would never happen. Not now. Not ever.

He’d have to risk using magic. Fortunately, the options for creative retaliation were infinite. If he could find a way to finish this swiftly, without revealing his powers, he’d call the night a success.

______________________________________________________________

When I first had the idea for a bad ass jinn, I was reminded of a character from the TV series, Supernatural. Remember this djinn?

Though, scary, he didn't have the sex appeal I was seeking. Thus:

I hope you enjoyed the teaser! Most scenes involving my lead jinn include steamy sex, so I am keeping it simple on the blog. Watch for more character cameos coming soon! I'd love to hear who you think would make a sexy, evil, djinn. Please share! I welcome reader interaction. So let's interact!

Enter to Win!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Bottle Banished

by C.L. Riley

Giveaway ends March 11, 2015.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win