Transcendence Coming - Feb 14! Teaser Time!

You won't have to wait much longer for my next book - Transcendence - to be available on Amazon!  The official release date is February 14, 2014!  Here's the summary and a little teaser to get you going...

Transcendence:

It’s said that women and men are from two different planets when it comes to communication, but how can they overcome the obstacles of prehistoric times when one of them simply doesn’t have the ability to comprehend language?

Ehd’s a caveman living on his own in a harsh wilderness.   He’s strong and intelligent, but completely alone.  When he finds a beautiful young woman in his pit trap, it’s obvious to him that she is meant to be his mate.  He doesn’t know where she came from, she’s wearing some pretty odd clothing, and she makes a lot of noises with her mouth that give him a headache.  Still, he’s determined to fulfill his purpose in life – provide for her, protect her, and put a baby in her.

Elizabeth doesn’t know where she is or exactly how she got there.  She’s confused and distressed by her predicament, and there’s a caveman hauling her back to his cavehome.  She’s not at all interested in Ehd’s primitive advances, and she just can’t seem to get him to listen.  No matter what she tries, getting her point across to this primitive but beautiful man is a constant – and often hilarious – struggle. 

With only each other for company, they must rely on one another to fight the dangers of the wild and prepare for the winter months.  As they struggle to coexist, theirs becomes a love story that transcends language and time.

Teaser:

My nose runs down the side of her neck and to her shoulder. When I reach the thin strap of cloth there, I sniff at it, curious about its purpose. I follow the edge of it down to her collarbone, then change my course and run my nose across the top of her chest. When I reach the strap on the other side, I move back to her shoulder, up her neck, and over her chin. My lips brush hers softly before I touch the tip of her nose with mine, and we both stare at each other.

Beh’s hand drops from my shoulder and covers my fingers at her waist. My chest tightens as she pulls my hand away from her skin; I am afraid she has changed her mind again, and she won’t let me touch her there. Instead, she brings my hand up her side, around to the front, and covers her right breast with it.

“Hoh!” I hear myself make a strange, grunting, breathy gasp. It’s not a sound I recall making before, but it seems to fit both my state of shock and awe. Beh smiles as my thumb traces the top edge of the triangular shape, and the rest of my fingers flex and grip gently.

I glance at my mate, and she is smiling at me with humor. I smile back, unable to help myself. Cautiously, I raise my other hand to cover her other breast – still over the top of the funny fabric. Beh does not appear to object, and my hands mimic each other’s movements as they explore the softness of her skin where I can touch it and the heavy feeling of her breasts in my hands as I lift them.

She lets me touch her in this way for some time before she takes my face back in her hands, places her lips against mine softly, and then pulls away from me again. For a moment, I am confused and hurt. Did I do something wrong again? Why is she leaving? But my concern doesn’t last long, and I watch Beh extend her arm and take my hand in hers. We stand together, and she begins to lead me away from the fire.

***

More to come!  Hang on tight!

What 'cha Doin', Savy?

Working on my next book, Transcendence!

What the heck is that?

Immanuel Kant defined the term transcendent as "that which goes beyond any possible knowledge of a human being."  It is beyond anything we are able to know because we lack the experience or the ability needed to understand.

What better title for a love story about a cavemen who lacks the ability to communicate through language, and the modern-day woman thrown unexpectedly into his world?

Summary:

It’s said that women and men are from two different planets when it comes to communication, but how can they overcome the obstacles of prehistoric times when one of them simply doesn’t have the ability to comprehend language?

Ehd’s a caveman living on his own in a harsh wilderness.   He’s strong and intelligent, but completely alone.  When he finds a beautiful young woman in his pit trap, it’s obvious to him that she is meant to be his mate.  He doesn’t know where she came from, she’s wearing some pretty odd clothing, and she makes a lot of noises with her mouth that give him a headache.  Still, he’s determined to fulfill his purpose in life – provide for her, protect her, and put a baby in her.

Elizabeth doesn’t know where she is or exactly how she got there.  She’s confused and distressed by her predicament, and there’s a caveman hauling her back to his cavehome.  She’s not at all interested in Ehd’s primitive advances, and she just can’t seem to get him to listen.  No matter what she tries, getting her point across to this primitive but beautiful man is a constant – and often hilarious – struggle. 

With only each other for company, they must rely on one another to fight the dangers of the wild and prepare for the winter months.  As they struggle to coexist, theirs becomes a love story that transcends language and time.

 

Coming in February, 2014!

***

Definitely a different kind of character than you are used to from me, and far more a romantic comedy than filled with violence and treachery, but I think you'll enjoy a romp in Ehd's head.  He's pretty amusing.

Now tell me the truth - what do you want more: the story itself or pictures of @savage_trainer dressed as a caveman? ;)

Merry Chisrtmas Everyone!

Whether you celebrate for religious reasons or not, I find this time of year a wonderful opportunity to let all the important people in your life know how much they mean to you.  I'm so grateful to my family for allowing me to pursue my dreams without too much flack, the encouragement of my friends, and of course the MASSIVE support of all those who have read and enjoyed my work.

Merry Christmas to you all!  I hope you have a festive and relaxing day!

Shay Savage

Otherwise Unharmed

Available in eBook and paperback!  Otherwise Unharmed is also available in the lending library for Amazon Prime users. 

Otherwise Unharmed

Check out the little blog page I made for Otherwise Unharmed here.  There's a lovely picture of @savage_trainer you might not have seen before! ;)

Thanks again for checking out the Evan Arden stories.  Please stop by Amazon and Goodreads to leave a review and let me know what you think of it!

Evan Arden Trilogy:
Otherwise Alone
Otherwise Occupied
Otherwise Unahrmed

Plus, Uncockblockable, the Nick Wolfe story.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all those celebrating today!  I have so many things to be thankful for, I never know where to start. 

1. My wonderful, supportive family is right up there without a doubt.  They're in good health (knock on wood) and spirits.  My son is doing well his first year of college, and my daughter is exceeding in her 7th grade classes and has made a lot of new friends this year.

2. I'm thankful for those who pointed me to a life of better nutrition and body building.  I'm in the best shape of my life right now thanks to TST,  Tyrone Bell and Legion Training.

3. Arsenal is at the top of the Premier League and Bayern Munich is at the top of Bundeslegue.  If the Columbus Crew had made it to the playoffs, it would have been quite the trifecta, but I'll take what I can get!

4. And saving the best for last, I'm most humbly grateful for the support of all of my friends, family and fans.  Without your encouragement I never could have quit the day job in the corporate world (which I'm now convinced was slowly killing me) and begun this new journey as a full-time writer and author.  My sincerest gratitude to each and every one of you!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Shay Savage

Otherwise Unharmed Cover Reveal!

Don't miss @savage_trainer on the cover of the next book in the Evan Arden Series!  Otherwise Unharmed will hit Amazon on December 5th, 2013!

After Evan Arden was imprisoned by the enemy for a year and a half, he returned from the desert as a military hero.  He’d suffered some minor injuries during his captivity, was discharged from the Marines with a touch of shellshock, but was considered otherwise unharmed.  Now he wonders how he ended up where he is—incarcerated in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center for using his sharpshooting expertise to take out the neighborhood park with a high-powered sniper rifle and multiple rounds of ammunition.

Lia Antonio, the woman he rescued from the desert heat the previous year, is the only person who can bring him out of his sleep-deprived psychosis and mounting PTSD.  When she does, Evan knows he can’t just let her go again.  He’s never considered leaving the business before—who retires from the mafia?—but he’s determined to get both Lia and himself out of harm’s way.

Evan faces overwhelming forces from multiple directions as a deal to get him out of jail turns more dangerous than he imagined.  With a mob war on the horizon and the feds holding evidence over his head, Evan has no choice but to throw himself into the middle of another warzone.

In his efforts to make things right, Evan crosses the wrong man and finds himself on the business end of the crosshairs.  With his acute perception and intelligence, he tries to stay a step ahead of his former co-workers, but this time, it isn’t just his own life on the line—he’s got to protect Lia from the man who once called him son.

And a little teaser to tide you over until December...

***

My cheek rested on Lia’s abdomen, and I felt her hand against the back of my head, cradling me to her body. I had my arms wrapped around her center, and I held her close against my chest as I lay beside her on the small bed that reminded me too much of the one in the cabin.

I didn’t move. I only inhaled deeply to embrace the scent of her. It was her own, sweet fragrance combined with the smell of our activity from the night before. I curled my fingers around her hip, touched my nose to the skin against her belly, and I inhaled again. My fingers reached up to briefly touch the quarter on its chain around her neck. I had to pee pretty badly, but it wasn’t worth disconnecting myself from her flesh, so I didn’t.

I don’t know how long I stayed that way, eyes closed and just reveling in the sensations around me. At some point, Lia’s fingers twitched, then slowly started massaging my head, which caused me to moan out load.

Lia’s soft laugh filled my ears.

“You like that?”

“Mmmhmm,” I replied as I snuggled against her stomach and tightened my grip on her. “Feels good.”

She kept it up, slowly dragging her fingertips from the top of my head, through my hair, and down to the back of my neck before she started all over again.

“I could wake up like this every day,” I said.

“Me, too. You’re gonna have to let me up, though.”

“Why?” I protested. “I don’t want to.”

“I have to go to the bathroom!” Lia laughed.

“So do I.”

“Well, this time would be a lot worse of a wet spot than what I put up with last night, so you better move.”

*** 

Watch for more updates, a video trailer, more pictures, and more teasers as the release date approaches!

Otherwise Unharmed - Coming December 5th, 2013!

It has been just about two months since I started seriously plugging away at the final book in the Evan Arden series, and I am very happy to say the writing is all done, and it's all in the hands of my wonderful editors!  It ended up being much longer than anticipated, but I don't think anyone will complain about that.  After spending last weekend in Chicago to get a good feel for some of the places Evan finds himself in during this story, I have some BEAUTIFUL pictures of @savage_trainer to be used for the book cover and video trailer.

Watch for the cover reveal and trailer coming in the few of weeks!

This has been the first book I've attempted as a full-time writer, and I have struggled a little to get the flow of my daily routine, but I think everything is falling into place. I'm pretty confident I'll be able to deliver new material for all of you on a regular basis now, which is the whole reason for doing this!

So, what's next?

Two things are next on my plate - a total rewrite of Transcendence for publication and also another short story which has been bopping around in my head.  We'll see which one happens first!  After that, the sequel to Surviving Raine, which I hope to start around the first of the year.

Thanks to all of you for your loyalty and support!  It makes all the difference!

The journey has begun!

Going Back to Kindle Exclusive

I gave "Smashwords" the old college try, as they say, and ultimately I am completely unsatisfied with the results.  For those who aren't "in the know" on such things, Smashwords is a place for Indie authors like me to make their books available in multiple formats - everything from PDFs to Nooks and everything in between.  Though there have been a few sales through that venue, it really hasn't been anything to write home about.  Indeed, it's not even generated enough to take the family out to dinner. :)

So, that said, I'm going to go back to Kindle Select, which means my eBooks will ONLY be available through Amazon for the Kindle, and will be removed from Smashwords, B&N, etc.  I know some people out there would truly prefer to read on their Nook or some other format, and I'm very sorry about that, but it ends up costing a lot in both money and time to make the books available in those other formats, and it just hasn't proven to be worth it overall.  Ultimately, I have to make the right business decision at this time.

This will allow me to do a couple of different things, including free promotions of books from time to time.  It also means all eBooks will be priced between $2.99-$9.99 per Kindle Select policy.  So, if you don't have a copy of Otherwise Alone, get one now while it's still $0.99!  It won't be much longer.

This also means all my books will again be available in the Amazon Lending Library if you are a Amazon Prime user, so you can read for free!  If you are using another device for your ebooks, do remember that Amazon has Kindle readers for just about everyone - PCs, Macs, Smartphones, iPads, etc.  Just follow the link below!

Amazon Kindle Apps

I'm also looking into something new Amazon has called "Kindle Matchbook," but I don't know much about it yet.  More to come!

Shay Savage

Otherwise Unharmed Update & Teaser!

Hey all!  I've gotten a lot of questions about the progress of Otherwise Unharmed, so I thought I'd give everyone a quick update.  I seem to have gotten into the groove, and writing has been coming along wonderfully the past week or so.  I'm hoping the whole thing will be done in the next few weeks for a December release, but you never can tell - it keeps getting longer!

So how about a little taste?

Here's the summary and a little teaser!

Otherwise Unharmed:

After Evan Arden was imprisoned by the enemy for a year and a half, he returned from the desert as a military hero.  He’d suffered some minor injuries during his captivity, was discharged from the Marines with just a touch of shellshock, but was considered otherwise unharmed.  Now he wonders how he ended up where he is now – incarcerated in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center for using his sharpshooting expertise to take out the neighborhood park with a high-powered sniper rifle and multiple rounds of ammunition.

Lia Antonio, the woman he rescued from the desert heat the previous year, is the only person who can bring him out of his sleep-deprived psychosis and mounting PTSD.  When she does, Evan knows he can’t just let her go again.  He’s never considered leaving the business before – who retires from the mafia? – but he’s determined to get both Lia and himself out of harm’s way.

Evan faces forces from multiple directions as a deal to get him out of jail turns more deadly and dangerous than he ever could have imagined.  With a three-way mob war on the horizon and the feds holding evidence over his head, Evan has no choice but to throw himself into the middle of another war-zone.

In his efforts to make things right in his own mind, Evan crosses the wrong man and finds himself on the business end of the cross-hairs.  With his observation skills and intelligence, he tries to keep a step ahead of his former co-workers, but this time, it isn’t just his own life on the line – he’s got to protect Lia from the man who once called him son.

Teaser:

“Do you have nightmares or recurring thoughts about what happened to you?”

I swallowed hard.

“Yes.”

“How often?”

“Every time I close my eyes.”

I didn’t miss Rinaldo’s narrowed eyes as I admitted this to the attorney.  Yes, I had been too broken to come to him after I had killed Terry and Bridgett, but it was obvious the nightmares had been getting worse for a while.  I hadn’t told him about those.  Even when I confessed that Bridgett had slept in my bed with me, I never told him the reason why.

“Do you ever feel numb?”

“Most of the time.”

“Have you ever thought about hurting yourself or someone else?”

I actually laughed, which caused Rinaldo to smile slightly as well.

“Evan’s right,” he told the attorney.  “That’s a seriously stupid question.”

***

Hang on for a while longer!  More Evan to come!

Legion Training

When  @Liam_J_McIntyre and @TyroneBell19 first started talking about Legion Training on Twitter, I have to admit I was just amused at first.  Yet here I am, 13 weeks later, writing about it.

Those who follow this blog regularly know I'm not much for recommendations or endorsements.  I don't have time for a lot of that kind of stuff, but when I do, I mean  it.  So the fact that I'm writing a really long post about something that is totally unrelated to writing, soccer, or Star Wars, I must be serious.

I love the Spartacus series.  It's full of naked or mostly naked, hot, sculpted men and women, betrayal, blood and violence. What's not to love?  but the idea of "regular people" doing the same exercise program as the Spartacus Gladiators?  Please.  But Liam and Ty kept tweeting about it, and it kept grabbing my attention.  I went to the Legion Training website, read up a bit on it, watched the videos, went "holy shit" at Ty's physique, and then closed the browser.

I kept thinking about it, though.  I'd been out of shape since I quit playing soccer many years ago, and hadn't done a lick of exercise since then.  I was bordering on obese and hated the way I looked and felt.  However, there was just too much going on in my life to take up something like a regular exercise routine.  I worked 50-60 hours a week at the day job, wrote books in my spare time, and then there's the family - kids to raise, pets to care for, and a husband who would like to spend a couple minutes with me if I could spare the time.

Still the tweets continued: Join the Legion Army - just 19 minutes a day.  That fit into lunch hour or before work.  It would even fit neatly into right after work and before dinner.  19 minutes.  What could you really do in 19 minutes?  There was talk of a diet plan, and I'm a vegetarian.  Most of the diet plans these days are 99% meat, right?

I watched a couple more videos to get an idea of what it was like.  I talked to Mr. Savage about it, and he rolled his eyes. I talked to my doctor about it, and she laughed.  She also told me to go for it (likely because she knew I had been acting like a slug), to be careful not to hurt myself, and we'd see the results, if any, at my next physical.

So, I did it.  I signed up.  I said "Yes, Tyrone - I wanna be a gladiatrix!"  *giggle*

I'm going with the cliche here, but since then, Legion Training has changed my life.

First, let's make sure we're all on the same page here.  I was a 42 year old woman who had never lifted weights before in her life.  I was aware gyms existed, but other than the elliptical machine at the local YMCA, I hadn't actually DONE anything at one.  I was totally starting from scratch.  So, how well did it work?  Let's start with the basics.

Since May, 2013 I have:

• Lost over 25 lbs
• Lost 15% body fat
• Lost 6 inches around my waist and 2 inches around my hips
• My cholesterol dropped over 50 points since the last time I had it taken (it had been years, so I can't say for sure how much the nutrition plan contributed, but I think it did) 
• I'm stronger than I have ever been in my life

Let's talk about that last one, because the others are easily quantified.  What did getting stronger do for me?  

• I can carry things I couldn't carry before!  Maybe this is obvious, but I keep realizing every day that there's one more thing I can pick up and move without needing assistance.  I used to struggle with the 40lb bag of dog food and water softener salt, but not anymore.  I barely notice.  Daily activities are easier and faster for me now.
• I can walk up stairs and steep hills without getting winded.  We haven't had winter since I started yet, but I'm actually looking forward to taking the kid sledding this year.  I used to dread the walk back up the hill.
• My dancing has improved.  WTF you say?  Seriously - doing that many squats has definitely improved my dancing.  Can you go down low? :)

The vegetarian aspect of it was a little challenging, but Ty was fabulous in supporting me and helping me figure out vegetarian options for the nutrition plan.  He also helped me out when I hurt myself (not during workouts) and had to tone it down a bit for a couple weeks until I healed.  He's fabulously attentive and supportive, even from half a world away.  He wasn't just a picture on the website - I truly felt like I was working with him.

Not gonna lie - it took some getting used to the whole thing, especially the nutrition which is 90% of the program.  It is a TON of food.  Don't worry about going hungry at all.  Actually, I had a horrible time in the beginning trying to eat these insanely huge portions every 2-3 hours.  You need it though.  Now that my body is used to it, I don't have to look at the clock to see if I should eat again - I'm ready for more food right on schedule!  That's just how much my metabolism has changed.

More than anything else, I feel good.  The nutrition is strict and you have to stay on it without cheating for optimum success, but now that I am used to it, I can say that I honestly prefer to eat this way.  I eat good, fresh, natural food from the grocery - not pre-fab meals and a lot of supplements.  It's not costing me a fortune to eat.  I don't have the stomach issues I used to have, the number of migraines I have has dropped, and I've confirmed what I'm eating is doing great things for my body with blood tests.

I know what some of you are thinking - it wasn't the Legion Training program - you have a personal trainer as well!  You're right, I do now, but @savage_trainer didn't come along until I was about 2 weeks shy of completing the first round of Legion Training, and I didn't start working with him regularly until I was done with the first 11 week program.  If I hadn't already been doing Legion Training, I probably never would have met with @savage_trainer past the first "welcome to the gym" freebie session.  Today I still stick with the Legion Training nutrition, do the same cardio, and supplement the workouts I do with my trainer with Legion workouts.  [I actually think my trainer is considering joining the ranks of the Legion Army!]

Considering where I started, I still have a long way to get to my personal goals.  I'm definitely not posting any before and after pictures for public consumption at this point.  Maybe after the next round, but probably not until after the next TWO rounds.  Maybe.  :)

Some other benefits I wasn't expecting:

• I've seen beautiful sunrises over the lake near my house on my morning LISS cardio walks.
• My dog is getting a lot more walks, because I have more energy and I know it gets me a little extra cardio during the day.
• I can fit into costumes I haven't worn in years.  Yeah, the cosplayer in me is seriously thinking of doing a gladiatrix costume at Dragon Con next year!
• My bras stay on!  This wasn't at all expected, but my entire life has been spent yanking my bra straps up as they fall off my shoulders.  As I worked out my shoulders and they got rounder, the straps now stay up!  I had NO IDEA this was the problem.  I can wear tank tops now!
• Last and possibly best, I met @savage_trainer, who has become not just my personal trainer and cover model for my books, but a good friend.  (You gals got a lot out of this one, too! ;) )

So to conclude all of this, I can't express enough how much Legion Training has benefited me.  I'm sure I've forgotten a dozen more ways my life has improved, but I can only list so many.  I will say this, though - whether you are fit person who wants to get a little more tone, a bodybuilder who wants to buff up more, or a housewife who has never done this before, Legion Training will work for you.  You CAN do it.  It's going to take some dedication - you can't half-ass it and expect it to work - but if you follow the plan you WILL see the results!

To Tyrone Bell and Liam McIntyre - GRATITUDE!

Shay Savage - Legion for Life