Wild Arcana by Lux Zakari

I’ve been toying around with Adobe Photoshop for years and years, making this and that and blip and blop, so perhaps it was inevitable I’d eventually try my hand at cover art. Take a peek at my first attempt creating it for my next novel, Wild Arcana, which should be available sometime within the next month! Details to come.

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Lux Zakari
Author of Secretly More, Finale and Coercion
luxzakari@gmail.com
www.luxzakari.com

For more details on Arrest and the soundtrack to Finale, visit http://www.facebook.com/arrestmusic and http://luxzakari.com/arrest.

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Lux Zakari
Author of Secretly More, Finale and Coercion
luxzakari@gmail.com
www.luxzakari.com

Through a lot of misunderstandings, feelings of betrayal and utter hopelessness on both sides, Lux Zakari weaves a tale of friends turning to lovers that makes for a great read, delivering the reader with scorching scenes of passion between a determined Jay and a willing Kimber which just makes the scenes that much more headier…. The ending which was a fitting one for the two of them with a future that looms in front with endless possibilities was a heartwarming one. Recommended for those who love the friends to lovers trope of the erotic variety. Plenty of emotion to go along with scorching sex; what more can a fan ask for?

Read the review in full at http://www.maldivianbookreviewer.com/2011/12/30/requested-review-secretly-more-by-lux-zakari!

To purchase Secretly More, click here!

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Lux Zakari
Author of Secretly More, Finale and Coercion
luxzakari@gmail.com
www.luxzakari.com

I sank down onto the piano bench and tapped my fingers on the keys, creating a shrill, grating sound. “To what do I owe this great setback, Mr. Levant?”

“Not a setback.” Jonathan shook his head and tugged off his aviator cap, freeing a messy, golden mane. I hoped he interpreted my gawking for impatience. “A correction. You and I are writing a song together.”

“And where’d you hear this rumor?”

“I arranged this fact with Alan weeks ago.”

“Alan had my consent to arrange jack with you.” I gave the sheet music atop the piano a flick. “I don’t know who you think you are now, Altar Boy, but I write people hits. I don’t collaborate. I don’t waste time debating what the purpose of my job is or waiting around for ex-heartthrobs who finally learned a thing or two about music.”

“Altar Boy! Finally, something other than Johnnie, John or Mr. Levant. Maybe someday you’ll work up to actually calling me Jonathan.” He stretched out his hand. “All right, let’s see the song. I’d hate for you to have wasted your time.”

I pursed my lips at his sarcastic tone and slid the music across the piano top toward him. He picked it up, studying it for a moment before flipping through the pages. “This isn’t even a duet.”

“Why would it be?” I fought to unclench my jaw. “Planning on splitting yourself in two?”

“No need.” He bumped his hip against my shoulder, forcing me to move over on the bench, and he took a seat next to me. “You and I are going to write and record a much better duet than myself and I ever could.”

“What?” My mouth dropped open. “You’re mistaken. I don’t record. I don’t sing. I—”

“Lies, all lies.” He danced his fingers over the keys and played a brief, surprisingly intricate melody. “I heard the demo tape you sent over. You got talent, you know you do. Now Altar Boy and Suspicious Crab Ass will take the world by storm when they create a song so good it’ll end world hunger and make everyone come for days.”

In spite of myself, I laughed and relaxed a bit. I even felt a little excited. At the prospect of the project, not the man—the boy—beside me, to be sure.

“First, let’s decide what kind of song we want to write,” Jonathan said. “I vote you try your hand at a love song.”

I made a face. “Please.”

“I don’t understand why you hate love songs so much. Everyone else likes ’em.”

“I’m not like everyone else.”

He blew out a stream of air, a smirk dancing on his lips. “No kidding.”

“I told you this before. I don’t like writing about love. It seems silly, trite, too Hallmark for me. I want to write about something real.”

“Are you implying love isn’t real?”

I shrugged. “You want to put words in my mouth, that’s your problem.”

“Fine, now here’s your problem. We’re doing a love song and that’s that.”

“A sad love song?” I gave him my best cute baby animal eyes. “One with a tragic end?”

He laughed. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

“It’s called compromise, Levant,” I muttered. “Try it someday.”

“Funny. Have you ever compromised a day in your life?”

I threw my hands in the air. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Fair enough.” Jonathan bowed his head.

I opened my mouth, prepared to continue arguing before I realized he’d just agreed with me. Jesus, he was catching me all kinds of off-guard today.

As if to confirm that, he unexpectedly turned his dark-eyed gaze toward me and gave me one of the most beautiful grins I’d even seen. “If you’re about done being belligerent, let’s get to writing one amazing piece of sentimental crap, okay?”

“Can’t wait.” I all but snarled the words, but the banter made me giddy and I couldn’t hide my smile. Perhaps this wouldn’t be such a nightmare after all.

To purchase Finale, visit the book’s page on Whiskey Creek Press Torrid.

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Lux Zakari
Author of Secretly More, Finale and Coercion
luxzakari@gmail.com
www.luxzakari.com

Artist: Arrest
Track: “Gone Awry”
Album: Finale Soundtrack (2011)

Vocals: Lux Zakari
Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals: Paul LaQuintano
Bass: Lisa LaQuintano
Drums: Dave Perrotti

Arrangement, Production: Paul LaQuintano
Lyrics: Lux Zakari

www.facebook.com/arrestmusic

For details on Finale, visit http://tinyurl.com/8yzwpm6.

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Lux Zakari
Author of Secretly More, Finale and Coercion
luxzakari@gmail.com
www.luxzakari.com

“Nothing can beat making a sexy, novel idea work. And it’s a real high to turn someone on using words—that’s influencing someone’s imagination and body by arranging letters a certain way without ever being present.”

Author Christina Westover interviewed me this week and asked several fantastic questions that led me to sharing about my writing pre-Coercion, why I’m in love with words and the truth regarding me overcoming my inhibitions. Thanks, Christina!

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Lux Zakari
Author of Secretly More, Finale and Coercion
luxzakari@gmail.com
www.luxzakari.com

The Hippie Chicks

Jewel Adams
Chloe Reeder
Julie Lynn Hayes
Liz Crowe
Kacey Hammell
R. Ann Siracusa
Tara Fox Hall
Penny Estelle
Clare Dargin
Beth Trissel
Aithne Jarretta
Tony-Paul de Vissage
Cindy Jacks
Natalie-Nicole Bates
Jenny Twist
Donna Del Oro
Stacy Juba
Ruth J. Hartman
Kendra James
Janet Mills

And more authors’ stories are being added all the time!

Click the magical “Holly Jolly Christmas” image for more information/to enter.

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Lux Zakari
Author of Secretly More, Finale and Coercion
luxzakari@gmail.com
www.luxzakari.com

Jay Navarrete has been in love with his best friend Kimber York for years. When she ends her frustrating long-term relationship with an apathetic musician, he decides the time is finally right to tell her how he feels.

But Kimber has an agenda of her own, one that doesn’t include returning Jay’s feelings. Instead, she’s eager to make up for lost time by becoming more sexually adventurous. Her mission leads her to an upstairs bedroom at a wild party, where she agrees to be blindfolded and await a mystery lover. Although Jay knows it’s wrong, he’s unable to resist the opportunity to be with her.

But Jay soon finds himself in a complex tug-of-war between his integrity and his heart, one that threatens to ruin everything between Kimber and him—especially when she falls hard for someone else: her mystery lover.

Purchase Secretly More via Amazon, All Romance Ebooks and Barnes & Noble today!

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Lux Zakari
Author of Secretly More, Finale and Coercion
luxzakari@gmail.com
www.luxzakari.com

Jonathan’s laughter faded, though his eyes continued to glow with a nervous excitement. “You know, this may sound weird, but I find you unreasonably beautiful.”

“Liar. ‘Unreasonable’ implies something is without reason, and of course there’s a reason I’m beautiful. I was born this way.” I gave him a wink, hoping to mask the sudden, strange prickling in my chest.

“Whatever you say. I just really want to kiss you right now.”

My heart leaped to my throat, and I fumbled for the wine, hoping to wash it down. I wasn’t used to such sweetly unguarded interest. It felt too innocent, too natural. “Of course you do. At your age, a hard-on is practically a sneeze away.”

Jonathan sat back in his chair, shaking his hair out of his face. “Right, my age. I’m such a child compared to you, right?”

“Do you really want to know the answer to that?” I took a swig of wine, but still my every nerve felt on fire with the anticipation of things to come. I set the bottle down, knowing the situation could go several ways.

He reached for the arm of my chair and dragged me closer to him, the legs of the metal seat screeching on floor. When I was close enough, he captured my wrist and leaned toward me. “I just told you what I really want.”

Then his mouth was on mine, forceful yet gentle. I couldn’t tell whether it was the wine or the effect of the coke from earlier, or if I was too high in the atmosphere, but I felt lightheaded, too weak to break away. I didn’t want to think Jonathan was the result of my lack of resistance, even though my entire body reacted to his kisses in proof that it was.

All my senses switched on as he put one of his hands on the back of my head, drawing me closer, the armrest digging into my ribcage. He tugged one of my arms around his neck with his free hand, and before I could protest, his tongue flicked inside my mouth. Pleasure flashed throughout me, and I let out an involuntary groan.

My brain screamed at me to stop, to put an end to this, but when Jonathan’s lips trailed down my neck and he murmured something about going back to his place, the only answer I knew was yes.

To purchase Finale, visit the book’s page on Whiskey Creek Press Torrid.

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Lux Zakari
Author of Finale and Coercion
luxzakari@gmail.com
www.luxzakari.com

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Lux Zakari
Author of Finale and Coercion
luxzakari@gmail.com
www.luxzakari.com