I’d like to extend a warm welcome to romance author, Renee Vincent. Renee’s slipped in to share one of her diary entries … I do believe she’s stopped by to share a little something with her Viking heroes. đ
Dear Diary,
I have a confession to make. While I’ve tried to stay true to the Vikings in my life, I’ve found someone new. Someone just as big and bold as DĂŠgan and Gustaf RĂŠliksen, but without the sword. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it. Believe me, I tried to avoid him, but the temptation to find out more about him was too great. I caved. It all started with just a simple glimpse into his world and bam! I was hooked. And now, I’m totally in love with this man.
I’d like to welcome award-winning and bestselling author TINA DONAHUE.
Tina’s erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance novels have been published by Samhain Publishing, Elloraâs Cave, Siren Publishing, and Kensington. Booklist, Publisherâs Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. I’m pleased to welcome her here to The Block to give an enthusiastic shout out for her sexy new boxed set BROUGHT TO HIS KNEES which is available for $0.99 for a limited time.
The Alpha male. Strong. In control. Letting no one and nothing rule himâŠuntil he meets the one, and all bets are off. The world tilts, the bed rocks, and suddenly that tough guy finds himself Brought to His Kneesâin more ways than one.
This collection of ten hot to erotic novellas and one short erotic novel will take you on journeys of lust, love, and adventure, leave you breathless and quite possibly in need of a cold shower.
Enter with anticipation. Finish satisfiedâŠ
Dark Wolf Enterprises, A.M. Griffin ~ Murder, mayhem and imprinting with a hot wolf shifter⊠And they say being an accountant is boring.
Building Bridges, Amy Ruttan ~ A vet tech and a lone wolf rancher ride out a sudden storm, but can they weather the emotions they stir up in each other…
Three Strikes, Anya Richards ~ Two lonely men. One secret affair. Irresistible passion that will push them both to the breaking point, and beyond.
A Cowboyâs Seduction, Cynthia DâAlba ~ One exhausted cowboy + One uptight accountant x A tropical resort = A hot seduction. But who is seducing whom?
Born to Sin, Danica Avet ~ A tomboy in love makes a desperate attempt to seduce her best friend and succeeds beyond her wildest dreams. But this Alpha male isnât easily tamed and has secrets that could very well tear them apart.
The Sound of Your Name, Felice Fox ~ Their silent erotic encounters change his luck and awaken his soul, but secrets and cowboy superstitions can only keep them apart.
Beneath the Pages, Jennifer Kacey ~ One wicked night with her did nothing but whet his appetite. Now heâll settle for nothing less than her complete submission.
Cruising for Love, Lynne Silver ~ A vacation cruise comes with surprisesâlike the BDSM theme and her high school love, the one man she canât resist.
Whipped, Sabrina York ~ A scalding attraction. An irresistible passion. A pity sheâs the one woman he can never haveâŠ
Chief Sin, Sayde Grace ~ A taste of Sin isnât enough. Instead she wants all of him, including the heart she once broke.
Make Me Surrender, Tina Donahue ~ When it comes to two of the hottest guys in town, she has a propositionâŠto win their attention, passion, hearts.
Please enjoy this excerpt from Tina’s sexy mĂ©nage novella, MAKE ME SURRENDER:
Travis slammed the pickupâs door and went around to the bed.
Mercy reached it just as he did. âCan you hand me the cooler?â She pointed to it.
Sheâd painted her nails the same shade as her lips. He recalled her finger in his mouth, how good the frosting and her skin had tasted. A sudden shock of heat spread from Travisâs belly to his crotch.
âThereâs a fridge inside, right?â she asked.
It took him a moment to catch up. He nodded. âYour own private bath too.â Just in case sheâd planned to use the one in Dutchâs cabin or his, driving both of them over the edge.
âThanks.â She took the cooler from him and pulled out a single-wrapped Popsicle. Cherry-flavored. âWant one?â
Travisâs answer died in his throat at her tongue snaking around the tip of the pop. She worked the treat between her lips, in and out, as she would a manâs stiffened rod. Unable to speak, he shook his head.
Mercy licked the corners of her mouth, her tongue stained scarlet. âIf you do later, go ahead and take as many as you want. Sure is hot today.â
His damn underwear was practically smoking.
After giving him another smile, she followed her girlfriend to the cabin. Like a lovesick puppy, Travis followed, staring at Mercyâs plush ass, the backs of her thighs. All that pale, smooth skin had him breathing hard.
She stopped. He couldnât, at least not quickly enough, and bumped into her, his cock snuggled against her butt. Mercy looked over, submission in her eyes, a drop of Popsicle juice on her lower lip.
It glittered in the afternoon light, inviting him to taste its sweetness, the cushiony comfort of her mouth.
With a shitting lot of willpower, Travis stepped back, letting Mercy lick her lip before he did.
On a sigh, she turned from him and considered the cabinâs interior again. Bright and clean, smelling of disinfectant and Febreze. He and Dutch had worked on the damn place for hours.
âWow. This is really nice.â Mercy touched the wooden bedframe, small kitchen set, and freshly washed curtains as though they were made of gold.
Travis wondered what she would think of his old place in one of San Franciscoâs most exclusive high rises, or his parentsâ many mansions. Heâd willingly walked away from so much when she hadnât had the choice. Rotten luck had caused her to be alone, to work at Fast Fill and here in order to take care of herself.
Mercy didnât seem to mind or care about money at all. In that they were so alike, making Travis admire and like her even more.
She offered a grateful smile. âYou did an awesome job.â
âWay better than Carl would have,â the girl with her gushed, then added, âIâm Jill by the way. Carlâs my guy. Thatâs his pickup you drove,â she said to Travis. âThanks for not hitting anything with it.â
Dutch chuckled.
Mercy gave him and her friend a disapproving look. âTravis wasnât driving that fast. Heâs just in a hurry to get me moved in. Do you have plans later?â She spoke to him and Dutch. âEither of you? Am I interfering?â
Travis had thought about calling one of the women he knew, maybe grab a pizza, catch a movie, screw until they were both raw then call it a night. âNope. Dutch probably does.â
âI donât,â he said immediately, and smiled at Mercy. âWeâre all yours.â
She nodded slowly and licked the length of her Popsicle.
Travisâs throat constricted. He cleared it and said, âAfter we bring in your things, weâll set up the ground rules for this arrangement.â He gestured to Dutch. âLetâs go.â
When they reached the pickupâs bed, Dutch spoke quietly. âGround rules? You mean her hours of work. What sheâs supposed to do.â
âYeah, along with you keeping your jeans zipped and wearing a damn shirt when sheâs around.â
âLike youâre doing? Oh wait, youâre not.â
âI didnât wrap my arm around her.â
âIt was a friendly gesture. Hell, I do the same with my grandmother. Itâs not a felony.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BROUGHT TO HIS KNEES is available for $0.99 for a limited time. Don’t miss out on this great collection. BUY YOUR COPY TODAY!!!
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I’d like to welcome Tina Donahue to the Block. Tina’s got a new sexy novel releasing this week and I’m so pleased she’s taking some time to stop here and chat about it. Take it away Tina …
Iâd never been a sci-fi fan. At least, when it came to stuff like Star Wars or Star Trek.
Films such as Blade Runner, Gattaca, and Avatar changed that.
Although my Outlawed Realm series is billed as erotic paranormal, it still has elements of sci-fi in it. For example, the world building I do. I got the yen for that after seeing Avatar. Wow, what a freaking cool film.
In plotting Outlawed Realm, I had the idea that Earth would have five dimensions, rather than only one. With the realms travelling at different speeds, the inhabitants of each plane are unaware of each other.
Unless, of course, a portal opens.
The series begins with UNENDING DESIRE. My hero, Nikoli, is from E2 (the second dimension on Earth). Itâs his job to monitor portals, which open spontaneously, and to make certain no one crosses over to his side. While doing this, he sees Regina who lives in Seattle (E1). His world shifts, and heâs never the same. You see, in E2 everything is controlled, emotion isnât allowed, the men are identical in appearance. All the women look like each other. Reginaâs literally a breath of fresh air for him, and sheâs in danger. He crosses over to save her, which throws both of them into peril.
In book two, ILLICIT DESIRE, I introduced E4, a twilight land filled with jungles. Here, the rulers of E2 have built the Pleasure Palace where they keep sexual slaves for their enjoyment. These slaves are human, but they werenât born. They were grown in artificial wombs, never knowing freedom. They donât even have names. Two of the slaves have fallen in love and risk their lives to escape their prison.
SHAMELESS DESIRE, book three, concerns Kuma, a shifter who lived in E4âs jungle, but crossed over to Seattle when a portal opened. Like Nikoli in Unending Desire, he needs to protect Gwen, the heroine, from danger.
Stolen Desire, book four (March 11; available for preorder), takes place on E5, a dimension of ice and fire. Paige, my heroine, awakes to find herself in a world she canât comprehend, faced with a man she doesnât know but has to trust. Her life and freedom, their future depend upon it.
Avatar kept popping up in my mind while I was writing Stolen Desire. I wanted the same sense of wonder in it as I discovered in the movie. To create a world so unique, thrilling, dangerous, and in many ways beautiful, that a reader couldnât help but be enthralled. Thereâs also a moving love story, and yesâlots of hot sex. đ
BLURB:
Her freedom depends on one man. A criminal to his realmâŠ
Outlawed Realm, Book 4
One minute, Paige Ross is outside a Seattle bar, grieving a failed engagement. The next, she jerks awake in a weird, candlelit room with velvet walls, black silk sheets, and a man who motions for silence.
Paige has little choice but to trust the powerful stranger who promises a way out of what looks like Satanâs brothel. And pray his promise to keep her safe is as real as the heat burning in his eyes.
Banished from E2âs ruling elite for supposed crimes against the realm, Zekin risks everything to rescue those brought to E5 for the guardsâ carnal pleasure. Paige will be leaving this inhospitable realm of fire and iceâif he can somehow forget the way her trembling body melts in his arms.
Safeâtemporarilyâin an underwater world populated by strange creatures, Paigeâs sexual awakening explodes into an unquenchable need that consumes them both. But the guards will be looking for her. And Zekinâs plan to send her home is a dangerous journey she cannotâwill notâtake without him.
Warning: Scorching-hot sex and loads of aching tenderness between a drool-worthy hunk whoâs determined to do the right thing and a woman whoâs not about to give him up.
EXCERPT:
Thick gray clouds rolled above them, heavy with more snow. A sliver of bluish-white light poured through a gap in the cloud cover, as though the moon were trying to bleed through. Its rays swept across the land, which shimmered in the frail glow, sparkling like thousands of diamonds. The effect lasted only a moment, and then the light receded, with shadows once again taking over the hostile terrain.
As though that worried him, Zekin increased his already fast pace, pausing only once to shove her clothing into a snowdrift, burying it.
Why?
Paige wasnât able to ask. She struggled to keep up, gulping air. It should have been icy, hurting her throat, but wasnât. The transparent mask no doubt heated it. How was that possible? Desperate for answers, she cried out, âWhere are we going?â
Zekin looked over. âA colony where youâll be safe.â
Paige dug her fingers into his hand. âWhere are we? What is this place?â
âE5.â
What in the hell was that? A government installation where scientists conducted classified studies and had pleasure slaves on the side? That made absolutely noâ
Wait a sec. Suddenly, Paige recalled Zekin mentioning E1 when heâd first come into her room.
âIâll do all I can to bring you back to E1,â heâd promised her then.
Instinctively, she held back. Just as quickly, Zekin yanked her forward.
âDonât fight me,â he warned, âor youâll end up like the others you saw outside the guardsâ outpost.â
Paige shivered so badly, her voice shook. âDid those bastards throw the bodies out there after they murdered those people?â
âOnly some. The others they pushed out there to die.â
âWhy?â
âThey werenât useful any longer.â Again, he glanced over. âWhen one of the guards found you and brought you here, they got rid of the other woman. Thatâs what they do when they tire of females from your realm, or the pleasure slaves they havenât already killed.â
Paige was about to pepper him with more questions. Instead, her mind snagged on one wordârealm.
âYou mean country?â Maybe sheâd been wrong about his nationality. It wasnât Greek or Middle-Eastern but Russian. Could be this was Siberia. In a weird sort of way, that made sense. âIs that what you meantâmy country? The USA? America?â
He regarded the landscape past her. âWe have to hurry before the other guards return and see us.â
Paige couldnât imagine how that was possible. The material covering them was the same tint as their surroundings, making them virtually invisibleâŠunless the guards had some kind of special eyewear, like night-vision goggles, that allowed them to see what the naked eye couldnât. âHow far is the colony?â
âPast that body of water.â He gestured toward what appeared to be an enormous frozen lake ringed by drifts.
As Paige scanned the area beyond it, searching for some sort of building, a flock of birds flew over the lake. At least she thought they were birds. Their thick feathers were an ashy white, their wingspans enormous, like nothing sheâd ever seen.
Available for pre-order from:
Samhain
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***   This Giveaway is closed   ***
Tina is giving away one of her award-winning, best-selling books
from the list below to one person who comments on this post until
midnight MARCH 10 EST. (Please be sure to include your email with your comment)
1. Adored â RWA award-winning; EPIC 2011 Finalist; 4 Stars RT
2. Deep, Dark, Delicious â EPIC 2011 Finalist; Holt Medallion Award of Merit
3. Lush Velvet Nights â EPIC 2011 Finalist; Golden Nib Award
4. In His Arms â SIX 5 Star Reviews; 4 Stars RT
5. Sensual Stranger â 2010 Book of the Year (erotic); 4 Stars RT
6. The Yearning â Top Ten Bestseller
7. Take Me Away â #1 Pick, Miz Love Loves Books
8. Unending Desire â Best Book Rating LASR
9. SiNN â Nominated for Book of the Week LASR
10. Sinfully Wicked â Magnificent â Romancing the Book
11. Claiming Magique â Top Pick â NOR
12. Illicit Desire â Four Stars Romantic Times
13. Come Fill Me â Five Stars â Guilty Pleasures
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Samhain Publishing, Elloraâs Cave, and Kensington. Booklist, Publisherâs Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic romances (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep, Dark, Delicious) were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. The French review site, Blue Moon reviews, chose her erotic romance Sensual Stranger as their Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category). The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for Lush Velvet Nights, and two of her titles (The Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition (2011 and 2012). Take Me Away and Adored both won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different years). Tina is featured in the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writerâs Market. She was the editor of an awardâwinning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.
You can find all her book news on her website or follow her on her blog, at Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Tina is always happy to hear from her readers. She can be reached at Tina@TinaDonahue.com
I’d like to welcome author Renee Vincent. Renee is an author, a dreamer, a horse owner, and a medieval history buff. She’s a fun-loving, mildly eccentric, free-spirited kind of girl with a passion for books. From an early age, she’s always had scenes playing out in my head. Whether it was a story with a moral or a tale with a twist, those ideas never let her sleep until she wrote them out. And considering she had an eclectic ensemble of stories swarming in her brain at any given time, she wrote under a couple pen names to accommodate the various genre categories.
Renee Vincent
(Historical & Contemporary Adult Romance)
From the daunting, charismatic Vikings, to the charming, brazen Alpha male heroes of modern day, you’ll be whisked away to a world filled with fast-paced adventure, unforgettable romance, and undying love.
Gracie Lee Rose
(Lighthearted, Fancy-free Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit)For those who love to read fun, wholesome, and endearing romantic stories (with a smidgen of spunk) that your mother, sisters, friends, and daughters can enjoy.
You can keep up with Renee/Gracie’s latest books on her website and blog or by following her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. And if you’d like exclusive access to her giveaways, sign up for her newsletter. Renee is here to announce an exciting new venture she’s taking with several other authors …
Several of Turquoise Morning Pressâ award-winning and bestselling authors share their favorite contemporary romance heroes â all boxed up for you in one sexy and irresistible package!
From a sexy carpenter to magnetic CEO, a rough-and-ready cowboy to a âhomeless man,â a classic car buff, a starving artist, a Latin-style dancer, and an FBI agent â each unique hero has his own story to tell, and a heroine who just canât forget him. Ever.
With an introductory promotional price of only 99Âą,
how can you resist this unforgettable boxed set, either?
Release date: January 30, 2014
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
ISBN: 978-1-62237-258-4
Format: Ebook only
Available at:
Amazon
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All Romance Ebooks
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Bookstrand
Promotional Price: $0.99
Retail Price: $4.99 (April, 2014)
UNFORGETTABLE HEROES
Eight Contemporary Romance Novels
WILL WORK FOR LOVE by Amie Denman, EPIC Award and Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence finalist. Hurricane Destiny leaves a trail of destruction across the island of St. Thomas, jeopardizing the wedding of Whitney Oliverâs best friend. When Whitney arrives on the island, she finds a disaster only a sexy carpenter like Chris Maxwell can repair. Despite the sizzle between them, Chris has secrets that threaten his construction business and force him to work for Whitneyâs love.
THIS MAGIC MOMENT by Bobbye Terry, award winning author of contemporary, historical and fantasy romance. Zack Graham, CEO of Scrumbles Snack Cakes, is energetic, magnetic and forget itâno women for him, except to relieve an occasional sexual itch. Heâs a workaholic who refuses to let a woman make a fool out of him again. But what about Crandall Drake, the CEO of Pretzelicious Pretzels? He tells himself all he wants is sex. His heart tells him it wants more.
HER HIRED MAN by Cat Shaffer, Golden Heart finalist and award-winning journalist.
Hot nights, a double sleeping bag and a stranger for a husbandâŠhow much can one city girl take? Lillian Osborne needs a husband for a weekend. Wesley Hatfield needs money to customize his beloved classic car before Detroitâs biggest auto show. The perfect agreement turns out to be anything but when their accommodations turn out not to be what Lillian had expected.
SINS OF THE FATHER by Janet Eaves, Amazon bestselling author of the Ladies of Legend contemporary romance series. Just like the Princess in the classic tale Sleeping Beauty, Auroraâs life doesnât really begin until her heart is awakened by a handsome struggling artist. But with her life in danger, Aurora must hide who she really is. Unbeknownst to her, her struggling artist isnât who he appears to be either…. Friend, lover, or foe?
HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO by Jennifer Johnson who writes comedic romances so entertaining even guys read them. Author of the TMP top-selling Rescuing Riley. Abigail Benton is a bum magnet, according to her dad, so when she becomes attracted to Eli, a homeless man at the community center where she works, she wonders if what her dad says is true. But when Eli saves her life, Abigail decides she is going to return the favor and save his life by turning it around. Trouble is, Eli isnât on board with her plan.
RAWHIDE AND ROSES by Maddie James, Amazon bestselling author of contemporary and western romance. Sheâs roses, heâs rough-and-ready rawhide. Kim Martin is hardly equipped for a Colorado camping trip, especially when her mountain guide is a rough-edged cowboy who is as untamed as the wilderness. Thad Winchesterâs patience for city women is wearing as thin as the seat of his jeans. But there is something about Kim that puts his hard-and-fast donât-touch rule to the test.
LONG DISTANCE LOVE by Margaret Ethridge, contemporary romance fan favorite and TMP top-selling author of Commitment. Sometimes the distance between two hearts can be measured in frequent flier miles. Love may be a many splendored thing, but itâs rarely convenient. Can FBI Agent Jack Rudolph and fiercely independent Ellie Nichols find a way to make a long distance relationship work?
SILENT PARTNER by Renee Vincent, award winning author of historical and contemporary romance.
Grayson Anders is a talented Latin-style dancer and wealthy co-owner of a happening nightclub. Chloe LaRoche is a talented artist, but failing entrepreneur with her once thriving studio now on the brink of foreclosure. When the two indulge in a passionate, out-of-control, one night stand, they awaken the next morning consumed with inspiration. Grayson finds his perfect dance partner while Chloe finally finds her muse. Will her secret destroy both their dreams?
I’d like to welcome guest blogger, Molly Daniels, author of the ARBOR UNIVERSITY series. Molly Daniels resides in the Midwest with her husband, three children, and various household pets. Her fifth-grade teacher showed this avid reader how to write the stories swirling in her head, successfully unleashing her imagination upon the written word.
Kenzie is the ‘wild child’ of author Molly Daniels. They cohabitate nicely inside the brain of a woman in Indiana who’s the mother of three and ‘Aunt Molly’ to the entire neighborhood. A devout chocoholic, her hubby has learned to watch out when the characters in her head take over and not get too upset when the words are flowing and all concept of time is lost. (LOL)
Thanks for having me today, Nina! All this week, Iâve been the featured Author-of-the-Week over at the Secret Cravings blog, and Iâve decided to extend the deadline for you to have a chance to win a free download of their choice of my back list.
Iâd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to two special ladies, Caitlyn McCarty and Susan Best. Both are Education Majors at Arbor University, and both have wonderful singing voices-
C: How do you know?
S: Oh please, the entire dorm has heard you singing Penny Lover by Lionel Richie. And when you come over to study, weâve always had a tape or the radio on.
C: True. When Iâm at home, my choir director at church used to have me sing solos during the service. My favorite is Amy Grantâs Arms of Love.
S: Lucky. My choir director told me I have a nice voice, but since Iâm not one of his âpetsâ, Iâve never been given the chance for a solo.
C: His loss. You sing like an angel.
S: Thank you!
Caty, would you be willing to let our viewers know a little background on you, Bryan Johnson, and Peter Criswell?
C: Bryan and I began dating right after our sophomore year of high school, and all went well until our junior year of college. We only saw each other on weekends, since we were three hours apart. Bryan had a brush with the law and was falsely accused of vandalism, and after he was cleared, I couldnât make it up to see him one weekend and a girl accused him of getting her pregnant. Iâd met Peter several months before, but after Stephanie crashed her car, we discovered he owned the first car lot we went to. He messed with my head-
S: No, he didnât. He simply opened your eyes to the fact you have tunnel vision when it comes to Bryan.
C: (bristling) Whose side are you on, anyway? Do you know how scary it is, to believe you have your future mapped out, only to have it ripped away your final year in college?
S: Youâre right, I donât. But I do know how scary it when you think youâve lost your best friend. Rob and I dated in high school too, but he cheated on me when I wouldnât sleep with him.
So thatâs another thing the two of you have in common.
S: Yes. Rob went to another school, and while we had a wonderful summer together, he broke up with me over Labor Day weekend to be with Michelle. Iâd met Travis the weekend before, and since all my friends were paired up, I felt jealous and decided to encourage him. But when I started singing with his friendâs band, I felt pressure to lose a few pounds, so I began a crash diet-
C: Sweetie, that was no diet.
S: All I tried to do was keep the calories low. You know how hard it is when there are three other girls who can eat what they want, when they want, and stay the same size? If I even look at the candy machine my jeans feel too tight.
C: I admit, we didnât make it easy for you. But all you had to do was talk to us.
S: Letâs not have that argument again, please? I donât think Molly wants us to fight.
Okay, let me get this straight. Cait has tunnel vision when it comes to Bryan and Susan doesnât feel anyone understands her issue with food.
S: I think thatâs right.
So are you still seeing Travis?
S: No; I felt betrayed by everyone. Over the summer, I reconnected with Robâs brother Jamie, who helped me see Iâd made some wrong assumptions, going clear back to junior high-
C: You know what they say about assuming thingsâŠ.they make an ass out of u and me-
S: I know, I know. Youâre one to talk. You did the same thing about Peter.
C: (blushing) Yeah, well, we all make mistakes.
Okay ladies, thank you for being here today!
EXCERPT from ENDLESS LOVE:
âCaitlyn, why did you come here?â
âBecause, I donât want to lose our friendship.â Caty sat back down. âIâve come to value it. I know this sounds selfish, but I enjoy spending time with you, and-â
âHold it.â Peter held up a hand, shaking his head. âDonât use me as a substitute, Caitlyn. Iâm not the kind of guy who will listen to you gripe and complain about not being able to spend any time with him and who listens to you sing his praises when you do. That wonât work with me.â
âBut-â
âNo buts. I put up with some of your bullshit last fall, but that was because you were confused and not sure what you were going to do. Then you made a decision, but since Mommy and Daddy didnât like it, didnât support your decision, you went running back to good ole Bryan, whom everyone approved of, and you stopped rocking the boat. Whatâs going to happen, Caitlyn, if you butt heads with a coworker, principal, some other administrator, even a parent, who doesnât like what you are teaching in your classroom? Are you going to stick to your guns, or will you change your lesson plan? Are you going to be the teacher who changes policy because one of your kids has a need thatâs not being met, or will you be one of those teachers who hide behind the schoolâs policy? What do you see yourself doing?â Peter swallowed the rest of his coffee after that speech and got up to pour another cup.
His words hit her hard. âI-I guess I never thought about that. I hope I get a school system that stands behind me in starting up the drug awareness program, but if they donât, I guess part of me would wait until the next year to try again.â
âWhat about talking with other people in the community?â He sat down again. âCouldnât you build support then approach the school board again?â
âI guess so.â
âCome on, Caitlyn. Whereâs your fire? Whereâs the go get âem attitude you had in October?â Peter bit into a slice of bacon. âOr did your parents manage to destroy all your faith in yourself?â
Shaken, Caty stood and collected her coat. âThey didnât destroy anything. I see this was a mistake.â
Peter moved to stand beside her. âYouâre doing it again. Nobodyâs giving you the answers you want, so you walk away. Look at me.â He cupped her face in his hands. âI see a beautiful, strong, caring young woman who has a problem breaking away from her parents.â He bent down and placed his forehead against hers. âOr maybe the parents arenât ready to let her go. Anyway, I believe in you, Caitlyn. I believe you have the strength, the power, the will to do whatever you want with your life.â
BUY from Amazon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT from Love WEIGHS IN:
âYouâre not going to flub up in front of us, are you?â teased a familiar voice. Susan looked up in surprise as Gretchen, Shawn, Amy, Brad, Caitlyn, and Peter approached.
âHi, guys.â Happy to see them, she stood up and hugged her friends. âNo, weâre just talking about making a slight change in the last set.â She introduced the band members.
âWe just got here. Letâs go find a table and get a round of drinks. Break a leg, kids.â Gretchen ushered the rest toward the bar.
Susan excused herself to use the rest room and overheard a disturbing conversation between two other girls.
â…canât believe sheâd have the guts. I mean, did you see the size of her thighs? And that shirt. Good lord. Youâd think people who pork out like that would have the decency not to tuck their shirts in like that.â A toilet flushed.
âI know, and can you believe her voice? I sing better than that in the shower.â Water running and the hand dryer drowned out the voices.
Are they talking about me? Iâm not leaving until I know theyâre both gone. She peeked through the crack between the stall door and the wall and saw the two girls touching up their makeup.
âShe needs to get with the times. The Madonna look is so three years ago.â
âAt least sheâs not wearing a miniskirt.â Their voices disappeared as the door slammed closed.
Stunned, Susan left her stall. She looked at her reflection in the wavy mirror and studied herself. Theyâre right, I am a fat slob. My stomach has this bulge at the zipper, instead of being nice and flat. She stuck out her tongue and washed her hands. And my thighs do look awful in these jeans. Why oh why did I even wear them?
Because you were in a hurry. You were so happy after messing around with Travis, you forgot to be careful with what you wore tonight. Now people are talking about you!
How can I get up on that stage and wow them for another ninety minutes? They donât want to see me or hear me. I heard that woman! I sing like Iâm tone-deaf or something! Susan brushed aside the few tears. Iâve got to get back out there and fake it. Nobodyâs forcing me to continue after tonight. Iâll finish this last set, even though my friends are out there, hearing us for the first time.
BUY from Amazon
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Again, thank you sooooo much for having me today Nina! And visitors, donât forget to leave your contact information in your comment! Iâll be choosing a winner and announcing it tomorrow.
It’s been a month in the making …Â but the time has FINALLY arrived!!! Beginning tomorrow I start on my a whirlwind tour of frivolity, fun, and just general trouble making across the Internet. 14 days. 13 stops. Random prizes. One Grand Prize of a $25 Gift Card, three signed print books, book bag, t-shirt, and general “Nina” stuff for one lucky commenter across all blog stops.
Yep, it’s a marketing free-for-all for A TOUCH OF LILLY. There will be interviews and excerpts, reviews and some interesting insights into me (scary place, this brain of mine LOL!). I hope you can join me!
Here is the schedule:
July 29: Illustrious Illusions
July 30: The Reading Addict
July 30: Deal Sharing Aunt
July 31: Books and Other Spells
August 1: Erotica For All
August 2: Tina Donahue Presents
August 2: Friday Finds
August 5: Beyond Romance
August 6: Wickedly Wanton Tales
August 7: Wicked Readings by Tawania
August 7: Smoldering Heat
August 9: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
August 9: Literal Hotties Naughty Books Reviews
The posts have been written. The prizes have been ordered. Looks like we’re a green for launch!
Ready. Set. GO!
I’d like to welcome my third guest this week for the Blogger Book Fair, Eva Lafoy. I hope everyone is checking out some wonderful authors and adding to their reading lists! Eva and I share a love of all things science fiction (though her newest release is a contemporary romance … I guess I’ll forgive her for that. *vbg*) Take it away Eva …
When I signed up for Blogger Book Fair I had no idea Iâd be signing up for two more blog hops the same week! Yowsa!
A bunch of authors got together for the Winter in July event that runs July 24-27th and since I didnât already have a winter book out I had to hustle. And hustle I did.
The result was STEAL MY HEART, a winter time short story.
Blurb:
Tiffanyâs addicted to high-priced custom homes and expensive jewelry. To make ends meet, she embarks on a life of crime. But when she targets the $32 million house at an exclusive ski resort everything goes awry. Instead of jewels, itâs her heart that might be stolenâŠ
Jeff canât take his eyes off the gorgeous thief he finds naked in his hot tub. Sheâs the exact opposite of his soon to be ex-wife. When the law comes to the door he offers Tiffany a choice: give up her stealing ways for an all-expenses paid stay in his fabulous custom A-frame home or go straight to jail.
Together the two add new meaning to hotter is better. Frigid had better look outâŠ
We first meet Tiffany, the diamond thief as sheâs scoping out a kazillion dollar custom log home. Turns out architecture presses all the right buttons (ahem!) for this gal and itâs not long before sheâs wiping the drool from her chin before it freezes into a droolsicle.
Homeowner and newly divorced Jeff comes home to find a naked woman in his hot tub giving him an erection that just wonât quit. Whatâs a guy to do when the cops come to the door looking for Tiffany? Turn her in? Offer her an deal?
Well, sheâs already got his wine well in hand, so why not take him in hand too? All she has to do is give up a life of crimeâŠ. Easier said that done. Who doesnât want to play with all the bright shiny diamonds? Pretties!
Uh oh, just had a Lord of the Rings moment there⊠âPrecious!â Ha!
Anyway, for the two of them itâs lust at first sight. Is there a cure? Well, one reader asked for a sequel, so I guess I better get going on that. After the blog tours endâŠ. Some day!
Excerpt:
He left the junk on the bed, shut off the light and checked the rest of the rooms. Papers were moved. Paintings askew, but nothing appeared missing. Everything sat where it belonged. He ventured into the kitchen and saw a pair of black gloves and a wine opener lying on the counter. âThatâs odd.â
An unknown urge made him spin a one-eighty, looking out toward the patio. There, in the hot tubâs flood lights he saw a shape. He sucked in a breath. âWhat the hell?â
He didnât have a gun in his coat pocket, but wondered if he needed one as he headed for the double French patio doors. Halfway there he paused. The figure reclined in the tub was a woman. A naked woman. His balls contracted automatically. His gaze took in her long blonde hair, the wine bottle, and the pile of black clothes. He couldnât see her feet, but heâd bet money those skis were her size. She appeared to have fallen asleep. He ventured onto the patio and after a wistful gaze at her reclining form, cleared his throat. âExcuse me.â
She thrashed awake, sending water over the tubâs lip. âWha-what?â She caught sight of him and blanched. âWho are you?â
He shrugged a shoulder. âJust the owner. I live here.â
Her jaw fell open. âYou do?â She seemed to look him over anew. âI mean, you do? Wow.â She shook her head. âThat doesnât make sense.â
He walked a few steps forward and grabbed the wine bottle off the deck. âIt helps if you read the name on the mailbox.â
BUY from Amazon
Eva Lefoy writes and reads all kinds of romance, and is a certified Trekkie. Sheâs also terribly addicted to chocolate, tea, and hiking. One of these days, sheâll figure out the meaning of life, quit her job, and go travel the galaxy. Until then, sheâs writing down all her dirty thoughts for the sake of future explorers.
You can keep up with her by checking out her blog or following her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
Today I’m hanging out over at BABUS BOOKSHELF chatting about a book’s bait and switch … yep it happened to me. I hope you’ll stop over and visit.
And while you’re bumping around the internet, why don’t you swing over to the Blogger’s Book Fair  READER’S CHOICE AWARDS and vote for your favorite titles. (A TOUCH OF LILLY is in the erotica category and could use a few more votes if you’re so inclined. Just sayin…)
Thanks for stopping by. I’ll leave you with a little hump-day inspiration:
I’d like to welcome my second guest this week for the Blogger Book Fair, Drako Damon. Drako was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He is mainly a fantasy writer, though he also writes some poetry and general fiction. He’s very active on both twitter and facebook and you can visit his website to stay current with his newest releases.
Please enjoy this introduction to Drako’s dragons:
It was a night like any other night. Iâd just gotten off work from my call center job, and it took me about two hours to get home on the bus. I was tired as hell, but at least there was a good smell coming from the house. Apparently Iâd come home to a nice hot meal. Itâs nice to know something is going right. Today had been long and crappy. It was ten oâclock at night, and Iâd been gone since nine this morning. Itâd been a rough few months. Iâd lost a job and my car, but found this one and had to start making my way around on the bus. It wasnât fun, thatâs for sure, but it had to be done.
At least I got to enjoy my meal. The person I was with was still good company. He didnât work at the time, but I couldnât fault him for that. He was trying to find another job. We were at that point in life where weâd hit a rough patch and were picking ourselves back up.
At last it was time for bed. During the week I donât stay up too late because I donât want to wake up late and not get to work on time. So he and I went off to bed. I drifted off to the sweet oblivion of sleep, or so I thought.
As I came to, I wasnât where I went to sleep. My other half was nowhere to be found, and I was in a place Iâd never seen before. It looks like something youâd only see in the movies. The room I was in was bigger than my entire apartment building. I was lying on the floor right in the middle of the room, and I quickly sat up to take in my surroundings.
It seemed like some kind of hall. There were windows letting in bright sunlight in a clearly stone building. I was in a palace of some sort, and though I wasnât up to date with the structure of a palace, Iâm pretty sure I was in a throne room. Why? Because there was a throne at the end of the room with what was positively the single most attractive male in existence sitting on it. Judging by the extremely bright light all around in this currently empty throne room, save for the eye candy on the throne and the black marble throne heâs sitting on, I figured I must be dead.
A deep rumble of laughter startled me from my thoughts. I looked to the man, who was clearly amused by me for some reason. Perhaps he heard my thoughts?
âOf course I hear your thoughts, human. Iâm a god.â He smiled at me.
I canât say the smile is warm, exactly. This guy was hard to read, and Iâm normally great at reading people. I figured since Iâm dead, he wouldnât mind if I enjoy the view. He was a huge towering man, even though he was sitting. He dressed in a black chiton, but it was pulled down to his waist, leaving his chest bare. And what a chest it was. This guy had the body an average guy dreams about, and a short too skinny guy like me drools over. To make it even better (for me at least) he had tattoos all over his torso. I couldnât make out exactly what they were, but they appeared to be several small dragons with names written around them.
I tore my gaze from his body and looked into his eyes, which were a strange swirling silver. His hair was long and black and rested down his back. His skin was absolutely flawless and brown and he appeared to be in his late twenties at the most, maybe early thirties. God he was gorgeous.
He cleared his throat, snapping my attention back to him again.
âIâm a very busy god, so it would be nice if youâd finish gawking at some point in the near future.â
Wait, what?
âYes, Iâm a god,â he told me, clearly following my line of thought. âCome closer. I tire of shouting down the room at you.â
Ok, so I was definitely dead. How else would I come to meet a god? It seemed like now was a good time to start obeying, maybe redeem my soul a little bit. He must be the god of the dead if I was seeing him, right?
âWrong,â he told me.
By this time Iâd moved forward and was now standing directly in front of him. I felt like a two year old standing next to this giant. He smiled at me.
âYou are very much a man, now arenât you?â he chuckled. âDrako, isnât that your name?â
âWell, yeah, thatâs my nickname,â I answered.
He shook his head. âNo, that is your name. That name you were born with doesnât fit you. In my presence, you are and will always be Drako.â
Well, that was just interesting. I did hate my real name, and thatâs why I went by my nickname, a unique spelling on the Latin word for dragon. But anyway, I figured Iâd better start talking before I get cast into hell.
âSo, who are you, if you donât mind my asking?â I asked
âIâm known by many names, none of which will ring a bell to you because I eliminated myself from human history on purpose. I am Jarel, the Black Dragon God. And you are not dead.â
I couldnât hold back my skepticism. âIf Iâm not dead then why am I here? Gods donât talk to people in my world.â
Jarel nodded. âThis is true. Man has long since lost touch with us, and I for one am content with that.â
Well, what the hell was I supposed to say to that?
BLURB (First Book in The Dragon Hunter Series):
Andreas was born a Spartan warrior, long before human history even records Sparta existing. He served directly under Ares, until the day his lover was killed on the battlefield in front of him. On that day, he met his father, the mysterious Black Dragon God known as Jarel. From then on, he served his father faithfully, enforcing the laws of the primordial embodiment of black fire and father of the paranormal. Now, in these modern times, he hunts the rogue vampires and their leader. Little does he know, there’s more to this than vampires simply turning against his father.
While protecting the lovely Cassandra Odele, Andreas must battle forces he doesn’t know as he attempts to stop the resurrection of the Titan king, Cronus. Added to his problems, he now has two teenage nephews to see into adulthood. Of course, there’s always a twist when dealing with the gods, and Andreas will come face to face with his past, leaving him to decide which is more important, his soul or the world?
BUY from AMAZON
BUY from BARNES AND NOBLE
I’m so pleased to be part of the BLOGGER’S BOOKFAIR this week! There are tons of new authors to meet, prizes to be won … and many many many books to be added to your reading list. As a blogger and an author, I’m both hosting some wonderful authors and visiting the blogs of authors and bloggers who are participating this week.
Click HERE to check out all the authors and bloggers participating this year!
And without further ado, I’d like to welcome my first guest, LV LEWIS! L. V. Lewis is a married, mother of four who lives in South Georgia and works in the Florida Panhandle. A new author who decided stories like Fifty Shades of Grey needed a little more diversity and comedy, she penned Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever as a parodied response to those wildly popular books from a woman of color. A voracious reader since Kindergarten, Lewis loves nothing more than to curl up with a good book and a glass of wine. She and her husband are political junkies, a hobby that is time consuming but free. Now that Lewis has teens who think they donât need their parents anymore, she has taken up another time-draining career of writing. However, she is happy to report, for once, her extra-curricular activity costs far less than her husbandâs. Her love for writing is only eclipsed by her love for her family.
BLURB:
Fifty Shades of Grey meets Keisha from the block!
Keisha Beale is a quarter of a million dollars away from realizing her dream of opening her own recording studio. A botched attempt at securing the funding required from venture capitalist Tristan White leaves her without many options… until Tristan White makes an indecent proposal. As Keisha navigates the treacherous environment of the billionaire’s secret kinky lifestyle, she discovers surprising things about herself and unleashes demons from her past she thought were long resolved.
EXCERPT
Saturday morning after breakfast we have the first of many fencing lessons in Tristanâs gym. Once again, he is well prepared. Heâs gone overboard in my opinion and bought me three sets of fencing whites. I dress in my knickers, plastron, chest protector, jacket, socks, trainers and glove, and then carry my mask and foil out of the dressing room. I meet Tristan out on the floor. Heâs already dressed and practicing. He stops when I enter the room, and his eyes rake over me with the same appreciation mine are showing him.
Damn! Heâs fine in that getup, especially the tight breeches! My Fairy Hoochie Mama says. Triple-G even lets loose a wolf whistle. I execute an extended mental eye roll.
âSeeing you dressed out gives me ideas, Ms. Beale,â Tristan says, his eyes bright.
âWhat if I donât like fencing? Then these cute little outfits you bought will go to waste.â
âTheyâre not just cute little outfits and believe me, once you get into it youâll love it.â
âSays the man whoâs probably been doing this since he could walk.â
He looks thoughtful. âMy mother did begin to teach Nate and me when we were five.â
Every so often, I learn something new about Tristan that underscores the differences in our upbringings. This is one of those moments. When I was that age my mama was teaching me nursery rhymes, reading, and singing. However, knowing that his mother fenced makes me feel like I can do this.
âThen, in homage to the late Mrs. White, Iâll give it a good old college try.â
âOh, youâll give it more than that.â
âHow can you be so sure?â
âPhysical fitness is part of your contract, and it will go a long way in helping you endure the rigors of our role-play weekends. I can tell from your muscle tone you have not been sedentary, and your lines suggest you could be good at this. What sports did you enjoy in school?â
âTrack and field. I was a hurdler and long jumper in high school. And even though my music major didnât allow me to continue in college, I used DePaulâs track and gym whenever I could.â
âIâm impressed and happy to be the beneficiary of your diligence.â
âYou have a weird way of giving compliments.â
âYouâll undoubtedly find many things weird about me, but I prefer the term eccentric.â
âEccentric is more pleasing to the ear.â
Tristan brings me a shiny silver jacket that matches my mask perfectly. âHere, put this on.â
âWhatâd you do, rob Michael Jacksonâs wardrobe?â
He tries to resist smiling but fails. âFunny. The answer is no. Itâs an electric lamĂ© or over jacket. When our body cords are attached to it and plugged into the reel on either end of the fencing strip, itâll register electronic scoring as targets on our bodies are hit.â
âSo, this is kinda what you like to do with the whips, crops, and floggers in The Grotto?â
He pauses for a second. âNow that you mention it⊠Yes.â His eyes shine with an elation that wasnât there before, and he finishes getting us both outfitted with equipment and in position.
âThe first thing you do is salute your opponent as a sign of respect.â He closes his mask. âMask down, Ms. Beale.â I feel like heâs ordering me around in a scene. He moves into a posture and stands still. âThis is the en garde position. Front foot facing forward and then your back foot at a ninety degree angle with your front foot. Your feet are shoulder width apart and your knees are bent. Like so.â
I follow his instructions and manage to mirror his stance exactly after a few seconds.
âGood form.â
I grin. How ridiculous is it that I crave his approval so much?
He points at the line next to him on the strip. âDonât cross that line until youâve been signaled to engage after completing the en garde stance.â
âOkay.â
He approaches me in a sexy swagger made more pronounced by his fencing shoes, a literal rolling from his heels to the balls of his feet.
âThis is a classic lunge.â He executes one. âIt is how you attack your opponent.â
I mimic his movement until he deems Iâve done it right.
âYou always want to block your target areas from your opponent during a lunge.â Tristan uses the foil to point to the areas he describes. âThe arms, chest and head are targets, and there are three parries designed to block these targets.â He holds the foil horizontally at his shoulder. âThis is the three parry to block your flank.â He moves the foil diagonally across his chest. âThis is the four parry to block your chest.â Finally, the foil is horizontal at head level. âAnd this is the five parry to block your head. Thereâs also a two and a one, but those arenât used quite as often as the ones Iâve just shown you. As we progress and you have need of the others, weâll learn them.
âNow, for a bit of footwork. Iâll show you advancing and retreating today. Iâll save some of the fancier stuff for later.â
He moves into en garde position. âOkay, hereâs the advance. Watch my feet.â He does something that looks like a hip-hop dance move and he executes it with such lightning speed. âTo slow it down for you, the advance is done in three distinct steps, and your feet should remain shoulder width apart at all times. The front foot moves first, beginning by lifting the toes. Straighten the leg at the knee, pushing the heel out in front. Land on the heel and then bring the back foot up to the en garde stance again.â
Tristan shows me again several times until I get it. Then I execute several advances until the movement feels natural to me.
âFinal movement Iâm going to show you today is the retreat, which is sort of a reverse of the advance. Itâs a three-step process also. Back foot first to the ball of the foot. Down with the heel and then on the ball of the foot. Like so.â He retreats, advances, then retreats until Iâm able to follow him without a misstep.
We go through the parries, slowly again and again, all while advancing and retreating, until Iâm well familiar with them. âNow, these will be executed very quickly, but weâll go slow until you get the hang of it,â Tristan assures me.
I find myself enjoying figuring out how to block his attacks. They are slow in the beginning, so Iâm able to think fast and position my foil so he doesnât hit me every time. As he gathers speed, even though I parry to block, he hits my targets, particularly my chest. So much so, if I werenât wearing the chest plate, my breasts would be stinging right about now.
I see him smile when he gets three successive points against me, and I feel powerless against his lunges they are executed so flawlessly. I retreat all the way off the strip.
âNo fair! You have me at a complete disadvantage.â
Tristan stops, flips his hood back, folds his arm and crosses a long leg at the ankle. He holds his foil lightly in one hand and beckons me Mortal Kombat style with the other hand.
I push my hood back and shake my head. âYouâve got to be crazy if you think Iâm lunging at you again right now.â
âYou were doing well for a beginner if we discount the odd moments when you were whacking me like you were trying to chop vegetables on a cutting board.â
âIâm a girl. We always resort to flailing during fighting, didnât you know this?â
âIâve seen you hit someone, remember? You donât flail when you fight, so donât do it while fencing. In fact, if you treat fencing the same way you do boxing, youâll do fine. Practice the moves enough, and theyâll become second nature to you. Use the gym when youâre here and in a few months, youâll be fencing like an amateur.â He grins at his own attempt at a joke.
I don a fake smile then show him my serious face. âFunny, White.â
âOkay, Iâm going to use my left hand during this final bout. This should give you some advantage.â He moves to his place on the strip, and I do the same.
âEn garde,â he says.
âEn garde,â I respond, and we fight a near equal match, but he still gets the better of me in the end. In fact, he presses toward me using some fancy sword play reminiscent of The Legend of Zorro. Then he makes a series of scores, all in the vicinity of my breasts and finally he relieves me of my foil and touches near the vee of my legs with his.
âI donât recall that being a target area,â I say, my voice husky.
âItâs always a target for me,â he replies and drops his own foil, pulls me into his arms, and kisses me till my knees go weak. Our tongues lunge and parry like theyâre fencing and hitting all our target areas. We rack up so many points the bout is tied when we come up for air. The next to attack will score the winning touch and itâs safe to say, neither of us is concerned about who will come out on top.
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You can keep up with LV’s newest books by following her on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter or by visiting her blog.