Welcome to day six of the Horsemen countdown. On Friday April 13, 2012, Mystery Stallion, the seventh book in the Horsemen series is scheduled for release by Ellora’s Cave. To celebrate the new release, there will be a daily contest here at this blog during which you can enter for the chance to win a pdf download of one of the first six Horsemen books. On the last day a bonus winner will be randomly selected from the entire week’s entries and will receive a pdf download of Mystery Stallion. Details on how to enter will be posted daily at
Saturday April 7 2012 – Dream Stallion Contest
Congratulations to Amber winner of the Dream Stallion Contest!
Sunday April 8 2012 – Captive Stallion Contest
Congratulations to Julianne winner of the Captive Stallion Contest!
Monday April 9 2012 – Highland Stallion Contest
Congratulations to Debra winner of the Highland Stallion Contest!
Tuesday April 10 2012 – Winter Stallion Contest
Congratulations to Mannouchka winner of the Winter Stallion Contest!
Wednesday April 11 2012 – Victory Stallion Contest
Congratulations to Cathy winner of the Victory Stallion Contest!
Thursday April 12 2012 – Mountain Stallion Contest
Friday April 13, 2012 – Mystery Stallion Releases!
Thank you and good luck!
Kate
Mountain Stallion Contest:
Note: You must be 18 or over to enter the following contest.
To enter for the chance to win a pdf download of Mountain Stallion, send an email to katehill@sprintmail.com with Mountain Stallion Contest in the subject line and the answer to the following question in the body of the email.
What did Pace buy the last jar of?
The answer can be found in the excerpt below.
Deadline to enter is Midnight April 12, 2012. The winner will be announced (first name only) on April 13, 2012 on this blog and the prize will be emailed.
Bonus Contest: On Thursday April 12, 2012, an additional winner will be selected at random from the entries from this week’s contests. That winner will receive a pdf download of Mystery Stallion. The bonus winner will be announced on Friday April 13.
Mountain Stallion
From Ellora’s Cave
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9345-mountain-stallion.aspx
The stallion of her dreams…
Steely muscles ripple beneath the magnificent Horseman’s palomino coat. His cream-colored wings settle against his sides and he studies his surroundings with eyes as blue as a tropical sea. That riveting gaze fixes on Gayle and sends her heartbeat out of control. Though not a stranger to Horsemen, she has never been aroused by one–until now.
The woman who stirs his soul…
Beneath her lace dress, the woman’s full breasts swell with a lustful breath. Her glossy lips part and her sultry eyes widen. No one has ever stared at Pace like this. Everything about her awakens his passion.
Pace and Gayle are a perfect match, but a case of mistaken identity might ruin their love before it truly begins.
The following excerpt from MOUNTAIN STALLION is for readers 18 and over.
After a moment’s hesitation, he slid on his harness, which he rarely used since leaving the Fighting Carriers. In those days he’d almost always traveled with a Gatherer but since leaving he carried humans only on occasion, usually the village children who enjoyed riding.
No sooner had he stepped outside than wind and rain struck him with the same force as in his dream. He made his way down the forest path to the Running Way where he galloped for takeoff.
In the sky, it took him a moment to gain his bearings. Random flashes of lightning, illuminated the otherwise dark night. He fought the raging wind until he circled above the valley, all the while hoping no telltale funnel clouds appeared.
Then he saw her lying on the grass.
He swooped down, landed near her and dropped to his equine knees.
“Gayle,” he said, rolling her toward him and wiping drenched tendrils of hair from her face.
Her eyes opened and focused on him.
“Pace,” she said, her voice quivering. She reached for him and he held her tightly for a moment.
“We need to find shelter,” he said and squinted skyward. The storm had worsened. He knew he wouldn’t get far in such strong winds. He swept her into his arms and stood. “Can you ride?”
“Yes.”
He walked to a nearby tree stump and placed her on it so she could mount easily. She swung onto his back and sat in the saddle like an experienced rider.
Grasping the handles on his harness, she said, “I’m ready.”
He cantered across the valley and headed for the caves where they could safely wait out the storm.
Nothing could describe the sensation of carrying her on his back. Many people had ridden him in his lifetime, but never his dream mate.
They finally reached the caves and she dismounted. Pace had to duck to enter and remain crouched by the cave mouth while Gayle removed a small oil lamp from her waist pack. It took her a moment to light it. The lamp brightened their way down a narrow, rocky corridor that opened into a room where Pace could comfortably stand, even wearing his beast-half.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, lightly caressing her cheek. She looked so lovely, standing there soaked to the skin, her chestnut hair clinging to her face and neck.
“No. I think I fainted after I slipped on the grass. I don’t think I hit my head. I just. . .” She paused, looking embarrassed.
“What is it?” he asked, gently cupping her face and gazing into her eyes.
“I was afraid of being alone out here in the storm. When I was a child I got lost in a storm. I know it’s silly to still be afraid but–“
“It’s not silly. I’m glad I found you. What are you doing out here anyway?”
“You bought my last jar of salve and I know Horsemen will be needing more, so I wanted to gather the herbs required to have some ready for tomorrow. I’ve been so busy at my shop that after I closed I fell asleep by the fire. I didn’t intend to but–“
“And you worry about others working too hard?”
“Yes but this is my choice and I reap the rewards. I don’t expect others to toil so that I can take all the profit. Anyway when I woke it was still light out and I thought I could make it to the valley and back before dark. Then the storm came and– It was a shared dream, wasn’t it?” she whispered, her large brown eyes reflecting his beguilement. “Both of them?” A faint but charming blush rose in her cheeks.
Pace’s chest swelled as he drew a deep breath. So many emotions rolled through him, much like the storm rolled through the countryside.
“Was your first dream by the lake?”
She nodded. “You were lying in the grass and I walked to you. Then we–“
“Yes I’d say it was a shared dream,” he said more gruffly than he’d intended. Gayle didn’t seem to mind. By the look in her eyes, she knew exactly how he felt.
“I’ve heard about Horsemen’s shared dreams but I never imagined I’d experience one,” she murmured.
“Me either,” he admitted.
Her gaze traveled over his man-chest and drifted to his beast-half. “I’m not hurt but you are.”
Glancing down, he noticed that his torso and beast body had been lashed bloody in places.
“It’s probably from the tree branches when I cut through the forest to reach the Running Way,” he said. “I didn’t even notice. All I could think about was getting to you.”
She stared at him, emotion gleaming in her beautiful brown eyes. “Thank you, Pace. You saved my life.”
Smiling faintly, he caressed her cheek. “You’re a strong lady. I think you’d have made it.”
“I don’t feel very strong. To be honest, I’m still scared to death.”
Pace drew her into his arms and she clung to him tightly. When she stepped away she dragged the back of her hand across her eyes. Seeing her weep tugged at his heart, but when he reached for her again she shook her head and said, “First things first. Let me clean those wounds.”
The injuries were minor but he couldn’t refuse such a beautiful nurse. She rummaged through her waist pack and removed a vial of strong-scented liquid and a soft white cloth.
He stood still while she washed the scratches with the liquid. It stung but he didn’t flinch. He stared, captivated, as her small, deft hands moved over his body. Once she finished with the liquid, she took salve from her pack and applied it to his wounds. She cared for his beast-half first, using her fingertips to spread the salve over the slashes on his equine rump and sides. Her hand strayed over him, gently caressing uninjured areas, then she paused as if stunned by her forwardness.
“I’m sorry. One shouldn’t stroke a Horseman without asking first.”
Common courtesy suggested that Horsemen should not be treated like true horses.
He smiled, wondering if that simple gesture captured the warmth he felt for her. “We’ve shared dreams. I think that gives us the right to forgo protocol.”
Giggling, she continued applying the salve and said, “You make it sound so official.”
“With any luck, it will be.”
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