An intoxicating tale of a woman torn between a dominant billionaire and a tattooed, bad boy rock musician - by New York Times bestselling author Opal Carew.
A desperate mother. A Mexican drug lord. A dangerous obsession. January 2014
Cover Story Excerpt
40 SABRINA YORK
A Nerd-to-Hot-Hunk sizzling romance. You’ll never look the same way at a geek in glasses again!
Features Songs, passion and werewolves 15 OLD WOUNDS, NEW MOONS AND THE STORIES take over the Nashville nights THAT MADE ME
What forces influenced Kate SeRine?
22 THE PERFECT MATCH Shawntelle Madison on that special someone.
28 CHARACTERS: SOMETIMES THEY SURPRISE YOU Dianne Duvall on how her characters surprised her
37 MARKING THE CALENDAR
Bridget excitedly shares the books she’s looking forward to in 2014 46 CELEBRATIONS, REGENCY -STYLE
Vanessa Kelly on yummy Christmas dishes during the
Regency 51 LIVING IN BOOK TOWN, USA Nancy Naigle on her love affair with small towns Three men are better than one... Secrets, surprises, and surrender 58 ON KILLING OFF BELOVED CHARACTERS - three torrid tales of triple passion by New York Times Cheryl Bolen on characters and their effect on readers bestselling author Opal Carew!
Publisher Spotlight Top Pick Reviews
68 EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING 60 ROMANCE 66 GLBT 93 EROTIC ROMANCE
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January 2014
Author Spotlight Giveaways
19 AMELIA GREY 18 FINDING LOVE AND BIGFOOT Allee Mae 31 S.E. GILCHRIST
$50 AMAZON GC
Series Spotlight
74 LIBERTINE ISLAND Diane Leyne
86 MUSTANGS BASEBALL Roz Lee
Romance Excerpts
10 A HEART DECISION (Contemporary) Laurie Kellogg
24 AN UNTITLED LADY (Historical) Nicky Penttila
48 HIS PERFECT GAME (Historical) Jenn Langston
53 HEARTS AND SPURS (Western) Anthology James and Robert have a lot of fun Playing Scarlet. Spanking, light bondage.
GLBT Excerpt
63 SECRET OF THE WOLF (Paranormal) Sienna Matthews
Erotic Romance Excerpts
71 ALPHA ME NOT (Contemporary) Jianne Carlo
82 HIS TO POSSESS #1: THE SEDUCTION (Contemporary) Opal Carew
Can she trust a man who hunts for vengeance?
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January 2014
Dear Reader,
t’s a new year once again, new beginning, new life. What’s your new year’s resolution? As for me, it’s got to do with books! Of course, what else? I read about a hundred books in 2013; so I this year, I’m going to up the ante to 150! Let’s see if I can make it.
Before anything else, go look at the cover! Yes, I know you’ve already seen it, but go look again. Isn’t he yummy? *drool* Love that nerd look. Where can I find this guy?! (Psst!! He’s DeAngelo, the current reigning Alpha Caveman at Ellora’s Cave RomantiCon Convention.) I’ll wait while you go drool some more.
Back already?
Okay, I have some good news for you! First is that The Romance Reviews is turning 3!! So, of course, we’re having a celebration. Come join us in March! Authors, if you’re interested to promote your books in this event, email me at carole @ theromancereviews.com for details. Deadline to sign up is February 20. See you there!
The fun is just starting. Awesome publisher Evernight Publishing is giving away an exclusive 30% discount on all "A great romance... I was hooked." ~Swoon Worthy Books their books. You can only get this discount coupon here at the TRR ezine. Check out their spotlight on page 68! Discount applies only in January, so what are you waiting for? Go, go, go!
Speaking of discounts, you stand to win $50 Amazon GC from TRR! Check out the contest page! There are also other contests scattered throughout the ezine with great prizes, so check them out, too. By the way, winners of the previous contests are also announced, so if you’re a winner, be sure to follow the directions and send the email to get your prize!
In this issue, we continue to bring you exciting articles from Dianne Duvall, Vanessa Kelly, Kate SeRine, Shawntelle Madison, Cheryl Bolen, and Nancy Naigle. Reviewer Bridget Keown shares awesome books she’s looking forward to in 2014!
For your reading pleasure, we have listed out some contemporary/romantic comedy books, as well as recommendations of New Year/Valentine books and all around Jeff''s rule of no strings attached great reads: works fine. Until he meets Alex Fisher.
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January 2014
Fun, flirty and simply scalding, Tessa Bailey's fourth Line of Duty book is a blazing, brazen success from start to finish. This enemies-to-lovers trope is sure to delight fans of her series and win over a wealth of new readers with the ease of her writing and irresistible chemistry between her two fascinating main characters…What I adored about this book was its unpredictability. From the main couple's fiery connection to the twists and turns of the spirited plot, this book kept me hooked from the steamy opening to the final, explosive conclusion…Read more. (Recommended by Bridget)
Enthralling, funny, charming and emotional. The chemistry that Tommy and Julie have is scorching HOT. The love scenes are tastefully done and are extremely hot. The characters are well developed and the pace of this book was excellent. I love that this MMA story is different as is the storyline. This story captivated me from the very beginning till the very end... (Recommended by CozyReader)
FRIENDS TO LOVERS is an excellent story, detailing the realistic journey of two best friends into lovers. The journey isn't smooth; it's racked with assumptions and misunderstandings as two friends try to shift the relationship to a whole new level, along When a young woman hires her with other difficulties and challenges that come hometown's former bad boy to their way…Read more. (Recommended by be her pretend fiancé for the Ashia) holidays, she finds she can't wrap up her feelings as easily as Simple doesn't mean boring when you have a Christmas gift. Kyle Adams' trademark humor. There are several lines in this story that had me burst out laughing which is a huge treat. In addition to several sexy scenes, there was a lot of interaction between the characters, and an ending that solidified the start of a sweet relationship. If you enjoy a sweet romance with a great sense of humor, I highly recommend this winner!. Read more. (Recommended by KindleRomance)
Jennifer Seasons' debut in her Diamonds and Dugouts books is unpredictable, surprising, and an intensely emotional read that will keep readers turning pages…This was a constantly surprising romance, and even though there were some elements that didn't necessarily work for me, the sum of these parts was such a success that I finished with an enormous smile on my face…Read more. (Recommended A beauty queen, a philanthropist by Bridget) and a fundraiser all met at a fair...
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DOWN FOR THE COUNT is a mix of delightful and engaging, and at times, hilariously funny…Ms. Bell draws her characters well…The story flows well and the pacing just right…Read more. (Recommended by Bridget and Ashia)
The fourth book in the Gods of Love series is a fast, sexy and heartfelt read…The author conveys the emotions of all the characters with a precision that leaves the reader able to completely relate to them. This unique twist on the Greek gods is well written and inspires the Will Owen let Addison in? Or will imagination to look beyond the surface…Read he let the best thing to ever more. (Recommended by Evampire) happen to him walk away?
Witty sarcasm coupled with a sweet romance made for a story that's hard to put down! Phenomenal character development with Jude, his best friend Keisha, his Mom, and David. The story is told from Jude's POV, and he is one of the most sarcastic and funny characters I have ever read with Keisha as a close second. Their relationship was truly the key to this wonderful story. I could have read about them all day and never got tired of their conversations…Read more. (Recommended by KindleRomance)
I love reading about BDSM relationships and this one was just perfect. It’s a book about the mixed signals between a Dom and a sub, both of whom wants each other but has a different On the run Mac and Eve must view on why they should or shouldn’t be learn to trust each other…But only if they want to stay alive. together. Drew desperately wants to sub for Holt but just doesn’t seem able to make the grade. Holt desperately wants Drew as a sub, but he doesn’t want the ‘perfect’ sub Drew is trying to be. He wants the man behind the sub with all his spark and fire. So misunderstanding ensues but when the two finally get together through a ‘blind date’ type arrangement, it all starts to makes perfect sense. It’s hot, holds your attention and has a great story. (Recommended by Susan Mac Nicol)
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January 2014
It takes a skilled writer to make a novella as funny, as touching, and as scorching as this, but Sarah Morgan has proven herself up to the task. This tale of wedding nightmares and Christmas wishes come true is a treat from beginning to end that will earn her a number of new fans, this reviewer among them…Sarah Morgan flirts with stereotypes throughout this book, but never succumbs to a single one. Both Hayley and Nico are refreshingly unique and interesting characters and the tension they share is enough to singe readers' fingertips…All in all, this was a delightful, funny and heartfelt treat for the holiday season, and I know I will be reading much more of Sarah Morgan's work in the new year to come! Read more. (Recommended by Bridget)
Although a bit vulgar, this sweet romance had me laughing so hard that I was shaking and crying. Multiple times. The images the author painted were just hysterical. (Recommended by KindleRomance)
There you have it. Don’t forget to join us on March 1 for our Anniversary party! Happy reading!
Book #1 in the Disgraced Lords Lynne Morrison works hard and When opportunity comes, grab it. series plays hard…with two gorgeous Or them. men.
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A Heart Decision Laurie Kellogg
On her wedding night, Sabrina will share the bridal suite with one of her ISBN: 9781938618130 brother's best friends. Publisher: LK Books Publication Which one? She has no idea! date: November 21, 2013 Genre: Contemporary Sabrina Fitzpatrick helped plan her Romance/Women’s Fiction dream wedding last year--for her Buy Links: brother and his wife. Now, she wants Amazon her own fairytale ceremony. She's tired Barnes and Noble of waiting for commitment-phobe, Detective Luke Marino, to realize she's Laurie Kellogg Website been crazy about him since puberty. Consequently, when Luke's billionaire friend asks her to marry him, she's compelled to accept BJ Elliott's proposal, especially after he suggests their impending marriage might induce his idiot pal to finally step forward. Unfortunately, a week later, adrenaline-junkie Luke risks his life again and ends up temporarily confined to a wheelchair.
BJ would love to give Sabrina an unforgettable wedding night, but he fears she'll never be happy with him if she doesn't resolve her feelings for his buddy, first. Therefore, even knowing he could lose her, BJ persuades her to become Luke's live-in nurse--offering her one last chance to convince the man she loves to take BJ's place at the altar (which BJ doubts his friend will ever do). If nothing else, he hopes Love'em and Leave'em Luke can convince Sabrina he'll make a lousy husband.
Luke has two secrets not even his best friends know. The first is he aches for Sabrina with every fiber of his being. The second is he loves her enough to spare her the heartbreak that being his wife would undoubtedly entail. Much to Luke's dismay, his resolve to resist his buddy's fiancée is tested after Sabrina steps in as his nurse and starts prancing around in nothing but his threadbare T-shirt. If he surrenders to her seduction, it may destroy his relationship with BJ. And, worse still, if he gets a taste of loving Sabrina, how can he ever stand by and let her marry his friend?
“No way!” Luke sliced his good hand through the air. “Have you lost your damn mind?” A man had only so much restraint. He’d go crazy having the woman he’d fantasized about night and day helping him change his underwear.
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“It’s the most logical solution.” Ben pushed the wheelchair up the temporary ramp a couple of guys from the force had rushed to install over the steps to Luke’s back door. “She’s a nurse with no patients, now that she’s quit her job to marry me. And you need someone to take care of you.”
Unfortunately, in addition to sustaining a concussion and severely fracturing his left ankle, Luke had sprained his right wrist, so crutches weren’t an option for the time being. The orthopedist had forbidden him to put any weight on his ankle for the first week. Therefore, he would be bedridden and wheelchair bound for a while.
He glared up at Sabrina as she entered the house and the screen door slammed behind her, foiling Dusty’s attempt to escape. “I suppose this was your brilliant idea?”
“No, this particular brainstorm was all BJ’s.” Sabrina bent down to elevate the footrest on his wheelchair and scratched the puppy behind the ears. “Hi, there, fella. I’m sorry I don’t have your sister with me.”
Luke turned his gaze back to Ben. “I guess Sabrina didn’t tell you what happened yesterday.”
“What? That she kissed you?” Ben shrugged one shoulder. “So? You didn’t kiss her back, right?”
“It wasn’t just a friendly little peck, pal. And I didn’t exactly stop her, either.” Another minute or so, and they would’ve had a bonfire blazing between them.
“So you’re saying you liked it.”
Like was an understatement. “Of course I liked it, damn it! What red-blooded, heterosexual male wouldn’t?”
“She kisses great, doesn’t she?” Ben winked at her.
Luke did a double take. If their roles were reversed, he’d be feeding BJ his teeth right about now. “I don’t believe you. Don’t you even care your fiancée hit on me?”
“Hell, yeah.” Ben spread his hands. “But if Sabrina feels something for you, now’s the time for me to find out—not six months after we’re married. You’re such a pain in the ass, I can’t think of a better way to convince her she wants to be my wife than for her to spend a few weeks at your beck and call.”
Luke snapped his gaze to Sabrina. “And you agreed to this?”
“Why not? It’s not as if Ben’s wrong. Anyway, I’ve seen what a terrible patient you can be when you’re sick. If we hired a home health aide for you, the person would probably hold a pillow over your face inside the first hour.” She shook a Percocet tablet out of the prescription bottle into Luke’s palm.
He couldn’t wait for the medication to start working. His ankle and head throbbed like a son of a bitch. “It’s a completely insane idea. It’s like locking a starving wolf in a cage with a defenseless lamb and tellin’ the wolf not to eat.”
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Ben cast a get-real look at him. “When it comes to the opposite sex, Luke, I’d hardly call you starving. Anyway, if the two of you can’t resist each other for a few weeks, then maybe she’s marrying the wrong guy.”
“No, she’s not—because I’m not marrying anyone.” Luke’s present situation had done nothing but reinforce his conviction to remain single.
Sabrina removed a can of soda from the refrigerator and popped the top. She took a sip before handing it to Luke. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ve heard your confirmed bachelor theme song before.”
“Besides,”—Ben shrugged—“I can’t think of a better way to disillusion her about you. Relying on other people and letting them help you isn’t exactly your strong suit.”
Ben had that straight. The thought of being a burden on the people he cared about gave Luke a knot in his stomach the size of New Jersey. But what choice did he have? He did absolutely everything right-handed.
After shattering his right arm and shoulder during college and spending six weeks in a cast, the nurses at his orthopedist’s office had voted him The Least Ambidextrous Patient of the Year. They’d even printed up an official-looking award for him.
Luke tossed the pill into his mouth and washed it down with the ice-cold Coke. Ben just might be right. Maybe two weeks of him running Sabrina ragged would permanently kill any feelings she had for him. He fiddled with the denim fringe just above his knee. Why the hell did it have to be his favorite pair of jeans they’d cut off?
“So.” Ben crossed his arms, signaling the subject was closed. “Do you want me to haul your bed downstairs and set it up in the living room?”
“No. I can scoot up and down the steps on my ass.”
“Okay. Then I’ll call the medical supply company and tell them to send over two electric wheelchairs tomorrow morning.”
“No, this one is fine.” Luke took another swig of his soda. “I guarantee my insurance won’t cover more than one chair, and an electric one is a lot more expensive.”
“Then I’ll take care of it.”
“Like hell. I’ll pay my own medical expenses this time, thank you.”
“So what’re you planning to do in that chair with a sprained wrist—turn just the left wheel and rotate in circles?”
“Very funny.” He raised his hands. “Fine. You can order one electric chair, and that’s it.
Sabrina squeezed Ben’s arm. “Luke’s right. It’s stupid to pay so much for two electric ones. During the little time he’ll be out of bed upstairs, I can push him around.”
“Right.” Luke grinned. “We already know how good she is at that.”
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She scowled at him.
“Okay.” Ben nodded. “But, in addition to the electric one for down here, I’m getting another manual chair that folds sent over for the car so Sabrina won’t have to carry this one up and down the stairs every time you want to go out.”
“You’d better tell them to send us a portable commode, too,” Sabrina suggested.
“Forget about it.” Luke shook his head emphatically. He was not crapping in some little pot for her to scrub out. Not today, not tomorrow—not ever.
“Your bathrooms aren’t wheelchair accessible,” she argued.
“Just get me to the door, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“And what if you have to go during the night?”
“Hey—” Luke raised his good hand and smirked. “If you want the job as my nurse, you’ll just have to get your cute little tush out of bed and take me to the john.”
He could easily hop his way into the bathroom, but that would defeat his whole plan to drive her crazy. The more helpless he played it, the sooner he could convince her she didn’t want any part of a relationship with him.
Sabrina wasn’t the most cheerful person when she first woke up. Two or three nights of being rousted out of bed several times should prove to her she was much better off marrying Ben. “Of course...you can always hire someone else if it’s a problem for you.”
“If I’m going to have kids, I might as well get used to being woken up every night. You’d better include a baby monitor in that order,” she told Ben.
BJ chuckled and glanced at his watch. “I’ve gotta get going. I told Tyler to reschedule our meeting with the Powell guys for three. I’ll have Thomas drive Mopsy down here sometime tomorrow.”
“Tell him to make it early,” Sabrina told him. “Once the medical supply place delivers the wheelchairs, I’m taking the patient for a ride to pick up some things from my apartment.”
“Unh-uh.” Luke shook his head. “I’ll drive. You’re riding.”
“I don’t think so.” Sabrina flashed a victorious grin at him. “Not unless your Jeep has recently had a transmission transplant and is now automatic.”
Damn. He’d forgotten Sabrina didn’t have her car, and they’d have to take his SUV, which Cal had promised to drop off that evening.
“Shit,” Luke muttered under his breath. There was no way he could safely work the clutch in a cast. He winced as he tried to open his right hand wrapped in a thick Ace bandage. It would probably hurt too much to steer anyway.
“I’ll call you.” Ben brushed her lips with a tender kiss. “Oh, and by the way”—he smirked at Luke—“when I told Ty what happened to you, he said Sabrina should bring you out to visit one day next week. Annie will give you and little Jillian joint lessons in looking both ways when you cross the street.”
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“Hardee-har-har. When you see Tyler, give him a message from me.” Luke flipped BJ the bird. “And be sure to keep some of that for yourself.”
About the Author:
Laurie Kellogg is a two-time winner and seven-time nominee of the Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award, winner of the PNWA Zola® award, and a Romantic Times® American Title I finalist. She began writing to avoid housework and has since resorted to naming the dust-bunnies that multiply as fast as real rabbits while she plots love stories that are Steamy, Heartwarming, Romantic Fun!
Laurie also writes red-hot romantic comedies under L.L. Kellogg, which she's branded as A Little Naughty and a Lot of Fun! To learn more about her books visit http://www.LaurieKellogg.com
The battered veteran and How much would you pay for love She's broke. He's worth millions. beautiful war widow find love after and surrender? WWII.
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Romance January 2014
By Kate SeRine
A friend once asked me if I had to choose five books that changed my life, what would they be and why? My immediate reaction was, “Oh, that’s easy!” But when I really sat down and started to think about it, I was a little surprised by my answers. And then I asked myself the same question from a slightly different angle: If had to choose five books that changed me as a writer, what would they be? Considering that I currently write paranormal romance and urban fantasy, the answers, again, were surprising.
Here they are, in no particular order:
1) Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
I think I was in high school before I realized my grandpa didn’t look like everyone else’s. In his late seventies by that point, he still had jet black hair, a seamless face, and beautiful dark skin. Oh, I had a vague knowledge that we had Native American heritage, but no one ever talked about it. In fact, when I finally asked Grandpa about our history, he just mumbled something about his dad, but wouldn’t say anything more. So I decided to do a little reading on my own. What I discovered was astounding. And heartbreaking.
The things I read about in Dee Brown’s book made me weep— uncontrollably at times. But the book also opened my eyes to the fact that truth, like beauty, was in the eye of the beholder.
I think all writers have to come to this realization if we are going to create characters and situations that are complex and multi-dimensional. For me, it took looking into the past in a new way.
2) The Emily of New Moon series by L.M. Montgomery
Most people recognize L.M. Montgomery as the author of the Anne of Green Gables series, but I came to her books through a lesser-known series featuring Emily Byrd Starr, a young girl forced to leave behind everything she knows to go live with family who are total strangers to her.
This series was given to me as a gift by a family friend when my parents moved us from my childhood home in the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest. I was twelve years old at the time — not much older than the fictional Emily at the beginning of the series — and could relate to what she experienced after being uprooted.
Another link I shared with Emily was the dream of being a published author. At that time, I didn’t know anyone else who understood the intense drive to tell a story and experience the kind of satisfaction and pleasure that only other writers can relate to. But in Emily I’d found a kindred spirit. It was the first time I’d felt that kind of connection to a fictional character, but it wouldn’t be the last. And it’s that kind of connection that I strive to create for my readers.
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3) The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach
I’ve been in love with romance since I was a little girl and always wanted to believe in Happily Ever After. But it was this book—suggested to me by multiple high school friends who were also starry-eyed romantics—that introduced me to the idea of a soul mate. Although technically not fiction, there’s humor, drama, and a beautiful love story that’s lyrical and moving. I think I finished reading the book and actually sighed wistfully.
Sadly, I believe that Mr. Bach and his wife later divorced, but the story is still one that sits in a prominent place on my bookshelf. And even catching a glimpse of the cover as I pass by is enough to bring on that wistful sigh and make me want to rush back to my computer and continue writing my own stories of forever love.
4) Stories by Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield is a woefully underrated author from the early twentieth century. A contemporary and frenemy of Virginia Woolf, Mansfield wrote with a brutal honesty and fearlessness that could sometimes be a little shocking. And yet she did it with a deft hand, creating works that are complex and captivating commentaries on what it meant to be a woman at that time.
I’d rank her right next to Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Kate Chopin, and Virginia Woolf, and yet Mansfield doesn’t seem to be included in the literary canon to the same extent, which is unfortunate. I learned a great deal from studying the way she employed symbolism and subtext and managed to say so much about a character with so few words. And although the genre in which I write is dramatically different, I find myself drawing upon those lessons in my own work.
5) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I have to wonder if there’s an author out there whose life hasn’t been touched by this novel… I read Pride and Prejudice for the first time as a summer reading project in high school. And when I finished reading it, I immediately read it again. I’ve always been a voracious reader, but everything about this novel spoke to me—the drama, the humor, the cultural and political history that drove the plot. I was hooked from the first sentence.
And yet I honestly can’t pinpoint just one thing about Austen’s most famous work that influenced me, but I know it has. Perhaps it’s Austen’s ability to create characters who are three-dimensional and relatable because they are flawed and yet redeemable. Or maybe it’s her mastery of dialogue that has influenced me most. I just wish I could be that clever and witty all the time!
I could go on and on about other novels that have influenced me — I haven’t even hit on any of the urban fantasy and paranormal romance writers who inspired me to write in these genres! But the five listed above were the works that first shaped me as a reader and as a writer and sparked in me the insatiable desire to tell my tales.
About the Author:
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Romance January 2014
Kate SeRine (pronounced “serene”) faithfully watched weekend monster movie marathons while growing up, each week hoping that maybe this time the creature du jour would get the girl. But every week she was disappointed. So when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed that her characters would always have a happily ever after. And, thus, her love for paranormal romance was born. Kate currently writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance and is the author of the award-winning Transplanted Tales series, available from Kensington Books.
Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project.
Website: http://www.kateserine.com/
Can true love survive anything Betrayal, revenge & regret -- Will The only way to escape the fires and last in a lover's heart for 7 Grace confess, will Jake forgive? of hell is to be the storm... years?
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Romance January 2014
In this issue, we welcome AMELIA GREY to tell us more about herself and her books. Follow
Q: Amelia, firstly, do tell us something about yourself. Amelia Grey
The first thing I would like you to know about me is that I'm a girly girl! Website I love pearls, lace, ruffles, candlelight, and soft music. I love flowers but don't want to get my hands dirty planting them. Facebook
I'm a big fan of college football, and I always pick a team and watch Email the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and the World Series. I love to watch sports-I just don't want to play sports. I love living on the beach but I don't like to walk barefoot on the sand or getting in the water. I love to watch the waves roll in and listen to them crash on shore and one of my favorite things to do is watch the sun set over the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.
I enjoy going to movies, reading books, and traveling to places I've never been before. I would rather have a quiet dinner with my husband and a few friends than be at a loud, rocking party. Growing up, we never had a place to go to where I could dress up in fancy clothing so now that I canI love to dress up in lovely dresses and got to dinner and fancy parties. I think that's why I always have a ballroom scene in all my books.
Q: What is your stress buster?
Sitting on the balcony of my condo overlooking the Gulf Of Mexico and watching the sunlight shimmer, glimmer, and sparkle on the water until the sun melts into a glorious sunset.
Q: Sounds glorious. What is something your fans won't know about you unless you told them?
The second book I published was a contemporary romance for Harlequin. It's the only one I ever wrote. I've always thought I'd write another, but I'm not a fast writer and it takes all I can do to get my historicals finished so I never have time to work on a contemporary. I have the rights back to the book and I do plan to e-book it when I have time. The book is Diamond Days and it was written as Charla Cameron
Q: How do you inspire yourself?
I read from other great authors. I just finished a book by Mary Balogh and it was so wonderful I wish I'd written it. I recently re-read Lord Of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. When I want to be inspired I read wonderful books by authors I enjoy.
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Q: Which do you prefer: ebook or print book? Why?
I was probably one of the last authors to buy an e-reader and I should have saved my money. I've downloaded a few books, but I haven't finished reading the first book on it. I still want a paperback. It's not a bother for me to travel with a paperback. I usually carry a large purse anyway. So I still buy print books and love them.
Q: What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done?
This is an easy question. A couple of years ago my husband and I went on a safari in Africa. We wanted to see the great migration of millions of wildebeest and zebras moving through the Serengeti. One day on the safari we came upon a pride of 11 lions. Our guide parked our open air jeep about 20 yards from the pride. I was frightened the entire time we were there watching them which must have been an hour or more. The guide said as long as you don't talk loud or scream, or jump up and down waving your arms, or get out of the jeep you are not in any danger. He didn't have to worry about me doing any of that! Still, to be that close to lions with no protection was frightful to me.
Q: What is your idea of the perfect date-night evening?
I'm a dress-up kind of girl. I like to put on a fabulous sundress, high-heels and go with my husband for a romantic dinner in a restaurant that has white tablecloths, candles, and champagne.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I think I've been a writer since I learned how to write. I loved writing short stories and poetry all through school. I wish I had kept some of the stories and poetry I wrote all those years ago. It would be such fun to read them now. I decided to write a romance, my favorite kind of book to read, when my husband's jot took us to Connecticut which was 1500 miles from my nearest friend or relative and I had plenty of time to write.
Q: How many hours a week do you spend writing?
I treat my writing like a job so I usually write five days a week. I have an office in my husband's office building so I often go there to write and when I do, I dress appropriately-nice clothing with make up on and hair presentable. This makes it easy to work a five to seven hour day five days a week. I also have an office at home and I'm so glad. Some days I just want to stay home with my comfy sweat pants on and my hair up in a bull clip and think about my plot or my characters.
Q: What's next for you? Are you currently writing anything new? Please give us a sneak peek!
I'm happy to say the first book of my new series The Heirs' Club of Scoundrels is finished and will be published late 2014 from St. Martin's Press. I titled it Drakestone's Bride, but my editor said they would probably change it and nothing has been decided yet. But I can tell you my bad boy hero has met his match when he falls in love with a clergyman's daughter who cares for her four younger sisters. Here is a blurb of the story.
The gossips of the ton consider Bray Drakestone the most likely heir to meet his demise before ever coming into his title. He drinks too much, rides too fast, and gambles excessively. A curricle race down Rotten Row late one night ends with a tragic accident and one man mortally wounded. Before
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Romance January 2014 the man dies he asks Bray to marry his oldest sister so his siblings will be properly cared for. Feeling guilty because it was his idea to race on a foggy night, Bray does the right thing and sends an offer of marriage to the dead man's sister. She refuses him. Rejection doesn't sit well with the heir so he decides to go see her himself. The proper Miss Prim heats his blood like no other lady and Bray knows he must have her.
Louisa Prim scoffs at the wild Bray Drakestone's insulting, written offer of marriage. She will not marry him just because her brother forced him to make a deathbed promise. She even remains firm in her refusal when the handsome scoundrel arrives at her door and makes his proposal in person.
Despite dire circumstances, she tells him that she and her siblings are managing quite well and have no need for his assistance. Pride refuses to let her give in to a scandalous heir who feels obligated to marry her. But every time she sees him, she wants to give in to his touch.
Q: What do you do when writer's block hits you?
Scream! All right, I'm teasing but I really do feel like screaming sometimes when the words just won't come.
Thanks a lot, Amelia, for giving us these insights! We can’t wait for the first book in your new series. Now for the Fast Answer Round:
Favorite vehicle: Jaguar Favorite color: yellow Favorite actor: Jonathan Rhys Meyers Favorite actress: Maggie Smith Favorite author: Mary Balogh Favorite movie: Enemy At The Gates Favorite book: Always the one I'm working on Favorite food: baked potato with butter Favorite dessert: ice cream-any flavor Favorite chocolate: any kind that has nuts in it Favorite music: Il Divo Favorite reality show: Don't watch them. Favorite television show: Vikings-can't wait for season two Favorite flower: I love them all Favorite scent: fruit
About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Amelia Grey's awards include the Booksellers Best, Aspen Gold, and the Golden Quill. Writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, she won the coveted Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the prestigious Maggie Award. Her books have sold to many countries in Europe, Indonesia, Russia, and most recently to Japan. Several of her books have also been featured in Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs. Amelia read her first romance book when she was thirteen and has been a devoted reader of love stories ever since. She is the author of twenty-five books. Happily married to her high school sweetheart for over thirty-five years, Amelia lives in Northwest Florida.
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Romance January 2014
The Perfect Match
By Shawntelle Madison
The new year means a new beginning for many, whether they are looking for a new job, working on improving their health, or even searching for that special someone. I believe the perfect person is out there waiting for us. That may sound cliché, but I really do believe this. Reading romance is one of the great ways to see how this can happen. In my paranormal romance release this month, called REPOSSESSED, I delve into what happens when a witch matchmaker named Tessa finds her ideal match isn’t the kind of man she expects.
Before I got married after college, I dated a few guys. They came in all shapes and sizes from the lanky track-runner in high school to the brainy engineer in college. They each had that special something I found attractive, and it didn’t have to be a physical trait. (I find smart guys so hot, I’m not gonna lie. Give me a physics major in a heartbeat!) Once I was in college, finding Mr. Right was so much harder. Relationships were much more complicated and taking things to the next level went beyond trivial high school crushes. The one thing I did know was that I wanted someone who understood me and I could relate to them. Sounds simple, right? I’m pretty logical about things so I’m surprised I didn’t come up with a set of rules like Tessa. I didn’t look for a particular type like the football players or even the geeks. Like most women I went with my gut reaction. Which meant I dated a few good guys. And a few bad boys, too. My hero Rob happens to fall into that second category.
Tessa always found it hard to find partners for her clients who behaved like Rob:
Time and time again Tessa had met men like Rob—loners, rebels without a cause, and hard core silent types whose five-word conversations were enough to drive the most patient of women heading for the hills. Then they wondered why decent women scorned them. If she ever hooked him up on a date she could hear it now: “I spent the whole time feeling like I was talking to a brick wall.” Or even more straightforward, “I’ve had more fun taking my familiar to the groomers, and he’s gay.”
I loved writing a bad boy hero, though. I wanted my heroine to peel back the layers and discover she could connect with him. Just like in real-life. Whether it was a favorite movie, a favorite football team, or even similar ideals, there has to be someone out there who shares that with you. Isn’t that what relationships in romance are about? Relating, or should I say establishing a connection between two people? I’m not saying a physical attraction doesn’t help, but in the end when the golden years come and you’re waistline isn’t as small as it used to be we need that special someone who is willing to give you a proper sponge bath.
Underneath Rob’s rough exterior, Tessa got a chance to see something more. And that something more became apparent when they spent time together during missions to repossess magical items. That’s what I love about romance, just when you think the hero doesn’t care or he can’t relate to the heroine, you get those brief glimpses under the hero’s steel armor to see he has been checking out the heroine the whole time:
Rob snorted. “You’re a horrible liar.”
She rubbed her bleary eyes. Who did this guy think he was? “You think I’m lying?”
“When you lie you look up. Pretty much like clockwork.”
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From his standoffish attitude, Tessa could’ve sworn she was just another burr in his side. The whole time he’d observed her like a fly on the wall.
My husband has this strange ability to read my emotions. Even early on in our relationship. He can tell when I’m upset. I do wear my heart on my sleeve from time-to-time, but even when I’m stone-faced and upset he’ll say to me, “What’s wrong?” To be honest, I do get a bit irked once in a while when he can tell I’m hiding it. Ha! But who wouldn’t want a boyfriend/girlfriend who cares? I’ve met guys who don’t—which is quite sad. A lack of concern hurts a lot more.
Tessa learned to throw away her perceptions of Mr. Right and look for Mr. Here and Right Now. If you’re spending 2014 looking for the same thing, I wish you luck for your quest.
In the end, all we can do is search until the right person shows up at the right time.
REPOSSESSED
Release Date: January 20th, 2014
Supernatural matchmaker Tessa Dandridge knows a little mist here and a little magic there will help reckless werewolves and precocious pixies find love. That is, until her magical Smythe scroll is lost in her repo’ed car and she can’t contact her V.I.P. clients. To connect with an important client cavorting in the fifth dimension, Tessa must depend on handsome Rob Shin, a warlock repo man, to enter Limbo and find her Smythe scroll.
Rob has money problems of his own, thanks to the bank determined to foreclose on his elderly aunt and uncle’s home. Repossessing magic wands and cursed pianos from disgruntled warlocks isn’t the best pay, but the Navy SEAL works well as a repo man to pay off his family’s debts. Rob’s repossession jobs catch up with him when a powerful warlock seeks to end his life for his constant meddling, drawing Tessa in the middle.
About the Author:
Shawntelle Madison is a web developer who loves to weave words as well as code. She’d never admit it, but if asked she’d say she covets and collects source code. After losing her first summer job detasseling corn, Shawntelle performed various jobs—from fast-food clerk to grunt programmer to university webmaster. Writing eccentric characters is her most favorite job of them all. On any particular day when she’s not surgically attached to her computer, she can be found watching cheesy horror movies or the latest action-packed anime. She lives in Missouri with her husband and children.
Website Information: http://www.shawntellemadison.com Social Media Links: http://www.twitter.com/shawntelle http://www.facebook.com/shawntellemadisonauthor https://plus.google.com/+ShawntelleMadison/
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Romance January 2014
An Untitled Lady Nicky Penttila
Shocking family news forces Madeline ISBN: 9781619375963 Wetherby to abandon her plans to marry Publisher: Musa an earl and settle for upstart Manchester Publishing merchant Nash Quinn. When she discovers Publication that her birth father is one of the weavers date: 12/20/2013 her husband is putting out of work—and a Genre: Historical radical leader—Maddie must decide which Romance family she truly desires, the man of her Buy Links: heart or the people of her blood. Publisher (Editors’ Pick!) Amazon An earl’s second son, Nash chose a life of Barnes and Noble Trade over Society. When protest marches spread across Lancashire, the pressure on Nicky Penttila Website him grows. If he can’t make both workers and manufacturers see reason he stands to lose everything: his business, his town, and his marriage.
As Manchester simmers under the summer sun, the choices grow more stark for Maddie and Nash: Family or justice. Love or money. Life or death.
Manchester 1819
Nash first saw her as an apparition, a gilt London trinket set down by mistake at a dusty crossroads three miles north of town. A straw bonnet atop a traveling suit of thick French silk perched on the largest of those seven mismatched trunks he’d later had to find space for in his life. But on that odd, chill May afternoon, he’d needed to make room for them only in his wagon.
“Lost your carriage, miss?”
The green of her too-wide eyes seemed to drink him in, but the corner of her too-full lips puckered down. Did his coat not meet her standards? It was good Manchester cotton, but cut for comfort, not frills. Or was it his ill-behaved hair, far too curly for this humidity? He broke her gaze to check the skies. Rain, but a half-hour away yet. Served her right to get sodden through, if she looked so askance at a worthy mode of transport.
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“The letter said the stage should drop me here, and someone from the castle would fetch me.” She looked up the track, the document clutched in her glove, hope drooping like her forlorn skirt.
That decided him. Fine-drawn females should not loiter in the fields alone, especially not in these times. “And here I am,” he said, casting a leg over the side of the wagon to climb down from its seat.
She stood, an alert little rabbit, mouth twitching. Slimmer than he thought, and chin height at the most. “But you come from town,” she said.
“Aye, and I’m not a fancy carriage, but I’m going the right direction. You’ve been waiting these five hours or more, if you took the daily coach. Shall I leave you, and trust someone else to divine your presence? Or do you dare take advantage of one of the few conveyances that can readily carry all this baggage?”
She rocked back on her heels and swung her arms up. He was sure she was going to slap them onto her hips, but the lady’s training caught her, and she hesitated, dropping her hands into the pose of a prim schoolteacher instead. First point to her, then. He could fight fair.
“How far to the castle?”
“Straight, not three miles. In or out?”
She released her hands with the same tiny gesture of surrender he’d seen French sailors use after he’d boarded their ship. Even score.
She gave him wide berth, but wasn’t above taking one handle of the largest box. Together, they hefted it into the wagon, pushing his cargo to either side. The paper wrap had torn on one of the bolts of cloth, showing a swath of dark blue. She reached for it, stroking, as if she couldn’t help it.
“Is this silk?”
“Frenchie trade. Like what you’re wearing.”
She snatched her hand away. “You sound as if you disapprove.”
“Bad bargain on my part.” Nearly a fatal one, for his fledgling trading company. “Mancunians prefer local-made silks. And they’ll look sidewise at the likes of you, too, half-mourning or no. Is that all that’s in here?” He slapped a palm on the nearest trunk.
“Everyone in Bath buys their fabrics from France. We’re not at war. And it’s better quality.”
“You’re behind the times, miss. Manchester matches their best, and beats it.”
“So says the man of sales.” She followed him to the front of the wagon and held her hand out for him to help her up to the bench. Then she saw the anger on his face, and put her hand on her chest instead.
He forced his mouth into a grimace of a smile and willed his tone to be light. “I may be a lowly man of business, sure, but I also serve for a magistrate for this town. And I was born to Shaftsbury.”
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“Then it’s welcome home for you, as well.” She used the bench for a hand-hold, fortunately for him, as he was shocked to a standstill. He never called that bloody dungeon of a castle home. Why had he now? And what did she mean, “as well?” He didn’t know her, and she would be hard to forget. Before he’d gained his seat, she’d already changed the topic.
“You are fortunate the Quinns will take your silks, then.”
He tugged the reins a bit too hard, and his pair lurched into motion. Her shoulders swung back, her hands reaching past her hips to the wood of the seat to hold her steady. Served her right, her smelling like sunlight on grass, yet biting sharp as any asp.
A gently bred lady, with no companion, traveling to Shaftsbury. He knew of no poor relations, in Bath nor any place else. She didn’t appear a lightskirt, not with those trunks. Nor a servant, with those cultured accents and pretty manners. Now she sat as if on a church pew, hands folded, yet her feet were braced wide, one on the side of the board, the other against his foot.
“You’re the new housekeeper?”
She glanced at him, eyes narrowed, mouth cool. “Shaftsbury lacks one?” But she quickly looked down at her gloved hands, one still mauling that letter of hers. He felt a bumpkin, snapping at some lost girl merely because he could not snap at those who better deserved it.
“I’m sorry we haven’t been introduced. I’m Nash Quinn.”
She looked up at him, eyes wide. Cat’s eyes, he decided, and the lips, turning up into the first smile he’d seen all day, a blooded rose.
“I am so relieved. I mean, your face, your hands, your hair. Just like your father.” She stopped short, her smile falling away.
Nash concentrated with effort on the too-familiar track. He couldn’t look at her. She’d thought him born on the wrong side of the blanket? Well, why wouldn’t she? An earl’s son in trade? It might have been better if he were a bastard.
“You knew the old earl?”
“I am sorry for your loss. He was a good man.” Her mellow alto softened further, as if she believed it.
He might debate that, but for the moment he let it go. “How did you meet?”
“He was my godfather. My name is Madeline Wetherby.”
“The little lost Wetherby?” He’d heard vague tales whispered of a blond child spirited away in dark of night.
“I could as easily call you the little lost Quinn. Your fa—” She stopped herself.
“My father did.”
“I apologize for my rudeness.”
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“You’d as well apologize for your dropped R’s and Southern speech. As well as your silks. You may have been born here, Miss Wetherby, but you don’t belong here.” Truly, on this cart, in this country, she looked as out of place as a dove at a cockfight.
Trying not to look at her and failing, he couldn’t help but see the glint of moisture at the corner of her eye. He was a cad, just as his brother Deacon, the new earl always said. “Don’t. You know you’ll need tannery skin to survive the castle.”
“Your father was the one who wrote to tell me to come today. But he isn’t here.”
“It’s him you’re mourning? Deacon will make you welcome, no doubt. He has to. This blasted affair, begging your pardon, it’s all for him. The grand summoning.”
“How many are invited?” She pretended to flick a dust speck from her eye. He felt his chest ease.
“Eight or ten, I believe. But it’s quality that counts. Well, nearly. The illustrious head of your house is expected, our Lord Wetherby.”
He couldn’t pretend not to hear her gasp, or see her shoulders hunch, as if warding off a blow. “Not a favorite, Miss Wetherby? Can’t say I like him, either. But he’s Deacon’s best beau, so fair warning.”
“Your own speech is an interesting combination of cant and King’s English.”
He snorted. “It’s not me you’re wanting to fight, little lost Wetherby.”
She pursed her lips. “My shining knight in dull loom-spun.”
All he could come up with was a repetition. “Save it for the castle.”
Point and match to the lady.
About the Author:
Nicky Penttila writes stories with adventure and love, and often with ideas and history as well. She enjoys coming up with stories that are set in faraway cities and countries, because then she *must* travel there, you know, for research. She lives in Maryland with her reading-mad husband and amazing rescue cat.
She’s chattiest on Twitter, @NickyPenttila, and can also be found at nickypenttila.com and on Facebook.
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Romance January 2014
Characters: Sometimes They Surprise You
By Dianne Duvall
I’ve been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember. And, I admit, before I took up the pen myself, I viewed — with a healthy dose of skepticism — comments made by authors who confessed that they often didn’t know what was going to happen next in a manuscript until a character told them. Or that they didn’t know whose story they would tell next in a series until a character stood up and demanded that the author hurry and tell his. The author writes the story, I thought, and controls everything therein, so how could she (or he) be surprised by characters and plot twists?
Very easily I discovered. An overwhelming majority of my writing experience back then was non- fiction, delivered in the form of college essays. And, at my professors’ urging, I outlined each essay carefully before I began researching and writing it. I assumed fiction writers did the same, constructing detailed plot outlines for each story before they sat down and wrote the first word. So, when I decided to give fiction a try myself, I started by creating a chapter-by-chapter outline of what would eventually be my first romance manuscript. It took me a week to complete it. (I was very thorough.) Then I began to write . . . and, within a mere two weeks, abandoned the outline entirely as the story veered off in another, more interesting direction.
I see now what those authors were trying to tell me. And I haven’t outlined a book prior to writing it since. That’s right. I’m what writers call a “pantser.” Instead of outlining novels before I sit down to write them, I “fly by the seat of my pants” and enjoy every minute of it. I even find myself nodding in agreement whenever I see authors mention plot deviations or characters in their books that surprised them. I actually thought about naming this article Characters: Sometimes They Surprise You or the Evolution of a Series, because so many characters in my Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series have surprised me that they have altered the series arc and changed the order of the books I intended to write.
Ami, or Amiriska, was the first one. Ami’s entrance into the series was torturous. Literally. In DARKNESS DAWNS (Book 1), she suffered six months of grueling torture before Immortal Guardians rescued her. I knew Ami was a wounded soul I would enjoy exploring in the next book, but I had no idea she would succeed so bravely in rising above her past and — despite the fears instilled in her by her captors — become one of the fiercest Seconds (or mortal guards) in the Immortal Guardians’ family. It would take just such a strong woman, I knew, to walk Marcus Grayden, an immortal who recently lost the woman he loved for eight centuries, back from the edge and steal his heart in NIGHT REIGNS (Book 2). And, by the time the two of them found their HEA, Ami solidified her place as one of the most important and prominent characters in the series.
Sebastien Newcombe is another character who surprised me. Bastien burst onto the scene as a villain in DARKNESS DAWNS. Heart full of vengeance, he raised an army of psychotic vampires, intent on bringing about the destruction of the Immortal Guardians. (Have I mentioned that vampires are the bad guys in my series?) His various and assorted dark deeds incited the hatred of immortals, vampires, and humans alike. But there was just something about him that I (and many readers, I was pleased to see) believed was redeemable. So, in PHANTOM SHADOWS
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(Book 3), I lifted a single voice in his defense, that of Dr. Melanie Lipton, curious to see if she could heal the many scars he bore and help him finally find happiness.
I should probably take a moment to explain that the vampires and immortals in my series are both infected with a very rare symbiotic virus that replaces the immune system and lends those infected with it increased speed, strength, and regenerative capabilities, coupled with photosensitivity and a need for blood. Vampires are humans who have been infected with the virus and suffer progressive brain damage that causes them to rapidly descend into madness. Immortals are gifted ones, men and women born with extremely advanced DNA, who have been infected with the virus. Their advanced DNA protects them from the madness and bestows upon them special abilities, such as telepathy, precognition, telekinesis, and shape shifting. So they dedicate their nights to hunting and slaying the maddened vampires who prey upon humans.
This brings me to another character who surprised me. Considering the fact that most vampires in my series are psychopaths or monsters, who — high on their own power —delight in inflicting pain and fear in their human victims, I didn’t think any of them could catch me off guard. But one did: Cliff. A member of Bastien’s vampire army who surrendered to the Immortal Guardians, Cliff now resides at network headquarters and is a real heartbreaker. An honorable man, he clings to sanity by his fingertips, hoping against hope that a cure will be found in time to save him. I would love for Cliff to find a HEA, and have been so pleased to hear from readers who wish the same. Cliff has valiantly held out against the madness longer than anyone expected him to and will play an interesting role in the fifth book in the series.
The d’Alençon siblings definitely fall under the category of characters who stood up and demanded I tell their stories. I initially intended to do so much later in the series. But, in the books leading up to his novella In Still Darkness in the PREDATORY anthology (Book 3.5), Richart kept sneaking time to talk to and text his mortal girlfriend. Who is this woman, I wondered, who distracts him so and has won his heart even though he knows mortal/immortal relationships rarely end well? How long can he keep from her the fact that he is immortal and hunts insane vampires for a living? And how will she respond when he tells her? I simply had to find out and, thus, wrote his story earlier than anticipated.
Since I had given Richart his HEA, I could no longer ignore his twin. Étienne has mentioned adoring strong women so often that I couldn’t resist having him fall head over heels in love with one. Once the victim of a vicious vampire attack, Krysta Linz has dedicated her life to slaying every blood-sucking vampire she can find. And she is very successful in her quest. So successful that her vampire hunting activities bring her to Étienne’s attention in my most recent release, DARKNESS RISES (Book 4). When Étienne sees Krysta (a mere mortal) take on four vampires by herself, he is instantly captivated. Unfortunately, Krysta doesn’t know there is a difference between vampires and immortals, so Étienne must find a way to convince her that not everyone with fangs and glowing eyes is the enemy.
I knew, from the beginning of my Immortal Guardians series, that Lisette d’Alençon would never allow herself to find happiness unless her brothers found it first. She has, after all, labored for two hundred years beneath the guilt of accidentally turning them. Once Richart and Étienne fell in love, I wondered who would be the perfect hero for her.
Which brings me to the last character I will mention. Zach, I believe, has surprised me more than any other character in my Immortal Guardians series. I never actually intended to give him his own story and meant for him to remain a sort of shadowy background character. Zach
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Romance January 2014 entered the series in NIGHT REIGNS as a dark, mysterious, winged figure who issued dire warnings to the Immortal Guardians’ leader and seemed rather hostile toward them all. Everything changed, however, both for me and for Zach, as a result of one scene that took place in PHANTOM SHADOWS. For those who are familiar with the series, it is the scene in which Ami finds Zach perched atop the roof, riddled with wounds, and offers him two things: companionship and lollipops. Zach’s reaction to Ami and her candy gifts made me sit up and take notice. My plans for him instantly took a dramatic turn. A good thing for Lisette, because — together — she and Zach will risk everything for love in the fifth book in the series, NIGHT UNBOUND.
So what have I learned from all of this? To let my characters take me where they will and embrace the many surprises they deliver. I hope you’ll join me and will enjoy the adventure.
About the Author:
Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series. Her debut novel DARKNESS DAWNS was nominated for the RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance, for Best Paranormal Romance - Vampire by The Romance Reviews, and for Best Book of 2011 by Long and Short Reviews. NIGHT REIGNS, Book 2 in her Immortal Guardians series, was declared an "utterly addictive" Top Pick by RT Book Reviews. PHANTOM SHADOWS, Book 3 in the series, was deemed a Top Pick by both The Romance Reviews and by Night Owl Reviews. Her Immortal Guardians novella In Still Darkness, published in the PREDATORY anthology, was praised by Publishers Weekly for its "rich characterizations and kick-butt action." DARKNESS RISES, Book 4 in the series, has been nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance and was deemed a Top Pick by both The Romance Reviews and Night Owl Reviews.
Dianne loves all things creative. When she isn't writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and once even appeared onscreen as a machete-wielding maniac not unlike the vampires she so loves to create in her novels. For more information on her books, visit www.DianneDuvall.com .
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Let’s welcome author S.E. GILCHRIST!
Q: Tell us something about yourself.
Short version: I’m an Aussie and live in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales. I’m a mother, daughter and sister and am passionate about the environment and animal welfare. I’m a bean counter and paper pusher by day and a writer in my spare time.
Q: What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
I spent five days camping on a deserted island in the Whitsundays (part of the Great Barrier Reef) with my then boyfriend. The island was (and still is) a national park so no buildings, resorts, camp sites etc were allowed on it. We paid a German man who owned a sailing boat to take us out there and drop us off. And that was literally; he anchored off shore and we slipped over the side with our supplies balanced on our heads and swam to shore. We played native, fished for our food but we’d brought with us sufficient fresh water, until he came back five days later.
Q: Wow, sounds fun. What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?
I write spec fiction romance and contemporary rural romance. I love the world building aspects of spec fiction as well as the option to combine action, dark and morally questionable issues, with romance. I love the Australian Outback and our small country towns and the close-knit communities that reside there and also I wanted to write something my mother would read.
Q: What’s your favourite part of writing?
Action scenes are my favourite part of writing, whether it’s a Follow battle scene between two armies or space ships blasting each other in outerspace or my goodie facing down the baddie, I love S.E. Gilchrist them all. I find these scenes pop to life quite clearly inside my mind. I love the fast pace and the emotional impact such events Website have on my characters. When I’m writing these scenes, I’ll have a Facebook fast-paced music score playing in the background. Twitter Q: So, say you need to write a sensual scene and it’s just not happening. What do you do to get your characters in
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Romance January 2014 the mood?
If either my characters or myself, are not in the mood I’ll leave the scene and move on. But first I’ll jot down some notes as to whose POV I’ll be in, what emotional impact I want this scene to have on my characters (so the next scene flows well) and the length of the scene. If it’s a very hot and explicit sex scene, I need the house to myself before I can write it – night time works better for me in this regard. I like to play love songs as well. I also check / re-read what I’ve written beforehand to make sure I’ve lead up to the love / sensual scene correctly. I may not have drawn enough emotional connection between my two characters and I’ll revisit this and re- work it so the scene flows more naturally.
Q: Who among your heroes is your favourite and why?
I’m one of those fickle writers with no loyalty and who fall in love with the characters in each new book. So I’d have to say my favourite hero would be Volkar from my current story (a sci fi romance, Star Pirate’s Justice) due out on 1st February.
Volkar is the first bad boy / charmer hero that I’ve written and I loved bringing him to life and delving into his history. I also made him a man capable of being painfully honest with his own shortcomings and in the end, he grew sufficiently to want to overcome these and be a better person. But he didn’t lose his charm. Now, seriously, how can you resist a bloke like that?
Q: Please tell us about your latest release, STAR PIRATE’S JUSTICE.
STAR PIRATE’S JUSTICE is my second single title in my Darkon Warriors sci fi series and takes off a few months after Legend Beyond the Stars ends.
My heroine, Carly, is an Earth woman determined to find the gateway maps to Earth so she can bring back advanced technology to save her terminally ill, younger sister. Volkar is a Darkon Warrior on the run from just about everybody and is believed to hold the gateway maps in his possession. He’d been framed for treachery against his people and charged with genocide. His mission in life is to prove his innocence then turn his back on those who had failed to believe in him.
The story follows their adventures as they join forces to pursue common goals and fall in love along the way. But there is betrayal, revenge and painful choices to be made and some decisions have consequences they didn’t expect or perceive.
Here’s a little excerpt when Carly and Volkar first meet taken from Star Pirate’s Justice:
Star Pirate’s Justice © 2013 S. E. Gilchrist
Outer Reaches of the Besa System…..
Her scalp prickled.
Carly squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the arms of the chair so tightly her fingers ached, fighting the urge to run screaming out of the door. She could almost feel the faint disturbance in the air like a surge of energy crackling through the small cabin although there was no sound. Terror held her muscles locked as if she'd been concreted into the chair. The fine hairs on the back of her neck bristled.
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Romance January 2014
She was not alone.
He was here.
In the cabin.
With her.
Her eyes snapped open. A quick glance to either side and she spotted her stunner where it lay carelessly tossed on the panel to her right. A double arm’s length away; out of her reach. She relaxed her grip on the chair and flexed her stiff fingers. Staring at the plitza gun so hard that tears stung her eyes, she willed the weapon closer knowing she would have to take the chance. All her senses zinged with the threat of danger. Instinct told her the Darkon was almost upon her.
Now. Do it!
Carly lunged from the chair and grasped the weapon with eager fingers. But the Darkon had moved too. He popped into her field of vision like an evil genie, gripped her hand with his larger one, tightening as she tried to tug free, her bones feeling crushed. Her screech was loud enough to wake the dead.
The stunner was wrenched from her numb fingers and tossed onto the floor. Strong hands grabbed her waist, plopped her back into the command chair and she looked up into her former prisoner’s implacable face as he stared down at her. With his hands clamped either side onto the chair’s armrests, his body looming over her cringing figure, she had nowhere to run. Couldn’t even move, as any attempt to slip from the chair would ensure she’d make physical contact with him. At the thought of colliding with that powerful form, she shrank a tad closer into the back of the chair.
“How did you escape?” she mumbled, her gaze trapped by the narrowed intensity of his stare.
Her head whirled with snippets of the back-handed whispers she had gleaned about this warrior, his feats as a re-known soldier, his dark deeds as a traitor. She waited, imprisoned, for him to strike. Strange how instead of the shoulder length locks of other Darkon warriors, he wore his hair short, in a shaggy style that gave him a tousled, just out-of-bed look.
Jumping mega bytes, where had that thought come from?
Carly snapped upright, forcing him to jerk out of the way before she rammed his chin with the top of her head. “Well?”
“I have heard of you,” he muttered, a heavy frown digging deep like war-time trenches across his forehead.
Carly shut her gaping mouth and spluttered, “Me?”
He straightened, his hands leaving the armrests and half-turned to examine the cockpit for several beats. His gaze swept back to take a long thorough look up her body and fastened onto her face. A mocking smile quirked one side of his lips and he said, tongue in cheek, “Not you. Your kind and how the Darkon males have found release from cycles of impotency. After seeing you, I find this difficult to believe.”
The man was a total dick.
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Romance January 2014
Q: What’s next for you? Are you currently writing anything new? Please give us a sneak peak.
At the moment I’m writing the third single title book in my Darkon Warriors sci fi series (titled, When Stars Collide). The new aspect about this book for me, is my heroine considers herself to be ‘not a nice girl’. I have two other novellas in this world in the pipeline and a novella in my Bound Erotic Fantasy series coming up as well as another rural romance.
But for a sneak peak at When Stars Collide, here is the scene that introduces my heroine....
Excerpt from...
When Stars Collide © 2014 S. E. Gilchrist
Moska System - planet Solon
The salvager screeched to a halt on the shortened runway mere inches from the heavily reinforced flexi-glass and plastic walls of the space station that orbited Solon's moon2.
“Crap!” gasped Reece. “That's cutting it a bit too fine for my liking.”
She flopped back into the pilot's chair and blew her dyed purple bangs out of her eyes. After her heart ceased banging about like a drummer on steroids, she powered down and taxied her ship into a bay on her port side. Clamps down and her ship locked into place, she switched off the engines. With only auxiliary power lighting the cockpit, the control panels and smart screens dimmed to a glimmer of colour. The ensuing quiet was amplified by the hustle and bustle on the walkways and platforms of the port captured on her viewing screens before she shut them down, too.
Disquiet wriggled down her spine like a stealthy snake.
Keep it together.
Don't lose your shit now.
It was always the same, every time she returned from a scavenging op or one of her missions. That inward shrinking feeling that whined inside the darkest reaches of her mind that a demanding two year old and scattered her logic with panic-stricken emotions.
Don't get too close.
Be careful who you trust.
But to not return could never be on the agenda.
Even worse than the fear of betrayal was the fear of being totally alone.
For here on this busy station resided the last links of a home which was definitely a place she could never return. There was nothing for her there, having run once from the family who had spurned her she had no desire to repeat the experience.
And yet Earth shone in her dreams like a golden bauble at the top of the tallest Christmas tree; sparkling, safe and forever out of her reach.
Reece slammed her memories back into their box and pushed to her feet. Walking over to the hatchway, she raked a hand through her hair, sighing at the length sliding through her fingers.
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Romance January 2014
Best make time to shear off her locks. Hair any longer than the back of her neck was way too much trouble when cruising the space lanes. Maybe she'd try a new colour. Azure blue sounded just the ticket to lift her mood.
Her duffle was packed. Her payload secured. And she'd donned fresh flight clothes and a khaki, knee-length coat before her ship entered interplanetary space. One last check to ensure her weapons were loaded but in safe mode and she climbed down the rungs onto the deck. With the ship locked and her duffle slung over her shoulder, she waited until the chief on watch, approached.
Sounding as bored as he looked with his spaced-out eyes which revealed he downed way too many meds, he said, “Any contaminants, poisons, weapons, contraband, radioactives, mutants, Darkons or renegades on board?”
“Do I look like I want trouble?” Reece raised her eyebrows and tried a smile.
The bloke was as responsive as a block of wood.
Repressing the urge to run, she remembered how much intell this moron could filch from her ship's logs if he had the urge. Another fifteen minutes and the data would have finished uploading and be safe from prying eyes leaving only her carefully doctored records.
But to remain waiting in her ship until the procedure was completed would be like having flashing neon lights on her head; a sure sign she had something to hide.
Q: What do you do when writer’s block hits you?
I take a break, sometimes I go for a walk with my dogs, do housework or make a cup of coffee. Re-reading my plot notes and especially going back and re-working my characters’ backstory often helps generates fresh ideas. If its a case of not knowing how to link two scenes together and I’ve been sitting there like a stuffed turkey for quite a while, I’ll jot a note in my book to come back to it and move on. Often something further into the story will trigger how I want to handle the missing scene.
I also have some close writing mates who I can brainstorm with and who I treasure for their friendship and generous support.
If all else fails, I watch DVD’s, usually sci fi or crime.
Q: What is some advice you would give girls and women today?
Respect yourself.
No seriously, respect your body, your mind and your soul. Look at the good aspects of your character and physical attributes and LIKE them. Work on improving what you don’t like but don’t ever let anyone put you down.
Give respect where respect is due and walk away from those who will only use you then forget about them. They are not worth it.
Take hold of your dreams and work to make them a reality but don’t forget to enjoy and live your life each day.
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Romance January 2014
Q: Great advice! What is the best appliance ever invented?
The washing machine. I could not live without it. I’d probably rush into my burning house to save it. I mean how many of us these days live by a river?
LOL I probably couldn’t live without mine either. Thanks for the great interview, S.E.! Now, for the Fast Question Answer round:
Favourite Vehicle: A Hummer (and it has to be black) Favourite Colour: Blue Favourite Actor: Not fair – I have too many & I’m too fickle. Favourite Actress: See Same Favourite Author: Elizabeth Peters & J R R Tolkien & Agatha Christie Favourite Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean Favourite Book: Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit Favourite Food: Asian Favourite Dessert: Trifle Favourite Chocolate: Everything Favourite Music: New Age (Enya etc) Favourite Realty show: My Kitchen Rules (an Aussie cooking contest show) Favourite TV Show: Firefly & the Stargate Series Favourite Flower: Wattle tree Favourite Scent: Joop
About the Author:
S.E. can't remember a time when she didn't have a book in her hand. Now she writes stories where her favorite words are ...'what if' and 'where'? Having spent several years travelling around Australia, where she has lived on a cattle station, on the gem fields, beside the ocean, camped beside mountain streams and under the stars in the outback, SE now resides in the beautiful Hunter Valley. She has visited Asia and the US and has many other countries on her bucket list.
Her writing features stories in the romance genres of futuristic/sci-fi, fantasy, ancient history and post-apocalyptic. And her books tend to be on the ‘hot’ side!
SE is published by Momentum Books and Escape Publishing and is an indie author.
Current works in progress are: more stories in the Darkon Warriors series, an Australia contemporary rural romance, an apocalyptic New Adult book and another 'Bound' historical/fantasy novella.
Visit her at her website: http://www.segilchrist.com
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Romance January 2014
By Bridget Keown
Though the December holidays are perhaps my favorite time of the year, I’m really not a fan of New Years. Unless you count The Twilight Zone Marathon. Truth be told, I tend to resent any event that presupposed that I will be dressed up and socializing after midnight in the dead of winter. I’m more than content to stay in my pajamas with my books…and The Twilight Zone, but that’s another obsession for another day…
No, if I mark anything on my calendars, it’s New Release Tuesdays. And 2014 is already promising to be a year full of exciting Tuesdays. With a wealth of new series due to be released, some tried-and-true series with upcoming installments, and debut authors to sample and love, I can’t wait for the New Year and all the literary adventures it promises. Here are a few 2014 books that I have found to add to my list—perhaps you’ll discover a few for yours, as well!
January sees the debut of Cara Connelly’s THE WEDDING FAVOR, a wonderfully funny, emotional story of old heartaches and new beginnings. This deft blending of enemies-to-lovers and romance-at-the-wedding tropes had me enthralled from the first scene, when rancher Tyrell Brown comes storming out of a Houston courtroom, fuming over the treatment he received at the hands of defense attorney Victoria Westin, the iciest, most hard-hearted lawyer in Texas. His day only gets worse when he realizes that Ms. Westin is not only his seatmate on his flight to Paris that night, but that she is headed to the same destination wedding. The prospect of spending a weekend in the French countryside, pretending not to loathe the very sight of Victoria seems like the second most difficult thing Ty has ever had to do—until he begins to spy the real woman lurking beneath Victoria’s stiletto-heeled, no-nonsense exterior. The tension that spikes between them during the wedding (and the resulting brouhaha that follows) may be hot, but it’s nothing compared to the sparks that fly when they return home.
I loved that fact that Cara Connolly has the courage to create two sympathetic characters who are loveable because of, not in spite of, their flaws. Neither Victoria nor Ty is perfect by any means, but as the facades they’ve constructed slowly fall away, it’s clear they are a perfect fit together. She also allows them to grow and change in ways that I never anticipated, and the refreshing surprises that fill this story promise a wealth of good things to come from the rest of the series.
Also arriving in 2014 is a new series featuring one of my new-favorite authors, Tessa Bailey. Her Line of Duty series is a sizzling, sassy good time, and the latest addition, ASKING FOR TROUBLE, was my favorite by far. In another enemies-to-lovers tale, Hayden Winstead and Brent Mason have been thrown together a good deal lately, thanks to their best friends’ growing romance. To Brent, Hayden is nothing more than a spoiled elitist whose trust fund has protected her from all of life’s real problems. As far as Hayden is concerned, Brent is little more than a Neanderthal, too loud and brash—and big—for her taste. But one night, after their bickering goes just a little too far, Brent and Hayden both realize that not only were their assumptions woefully inaccurate, but that their constant squabbling and name-calling has hidden a chemistry that is hot enough to scald them both.
The steamy surprises abound in this book, and while the trope is familiar, these characters are so far from the expected that their story becomes something altogether new and fresh. Tessa Bailey’s writing and storytelling skills are outrageously entertaining and seductive, and she, too,
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Romance January 2014 isn’t afraid to explore her characters in all their surprising detail. Hayden’s unexpected dominance was a welcome change from the increasingly dominant alpha-males out there, and Brent is strong and sure enough to let Hayden be exactly who and what she wants to be. Their final, scene-stealing profession of love absolutely made my day, and the chance to meet up with all the other characters from this super series is a wonderful treat. So when I heard that Tessa Bailey will be kicking off a new multi-author series, entitled ‘The Wedding Dare’ with some of Entangled’s star authors, I was thrilled. Look for Bailey’s Mistaking the Maid of Honor, to set the stage, followed by installments from Diane Alberts, Katee Robert and Samanthe Beck to follow later in the year.
One of the most surprising books of this past year for me was Sarah Castille’s Against the Ropes, which takes all the familiar tropes of 2013—the uber-alpha bad boy billionaire, the damaged, innocent heroine, MMA fighting, and a little bit of kink—and transforms them into an addictive and fresh reading experience. Makayla never dreamed of setting foot into an underground mixed- martial arts club, but her friend Amanda promised her the chance to make some quick cash in return for her skills as a medic. But the moment she sets eyes on the fighter known as Torment, Makayla knows that this is not her last visit. But there is so much more to Torment than his good looks, or his fighting skills, or his smile, and as Makayla grows to know this complicated man fully, she realizes that a relationship with him could easily break her—or change her world forever.
Though the relationship between Makayla and Max (don’t tell him I told you his real name!) is increasingly intense, Sarah Castille’s sense of humor is evident throughout, lightening the heaviest moments and helping to add splashes of color to her shadowy world of unlicensed fighting. Makayla’s conversations with her student loan collector provide a particularly stellar example of the heart that infuses every scene in this book. I loved watching her relationship with Max develop, but the secondary romance, between Makayla’s friend Amanda and Torment’s sidekick, Jake, played a pivotal role in this story and was as emotional a journey as Makayla’s own. Imagine my delight, then, when I learned that IN YOUR CORNER, the second book in Castille’s Against the Ropes series (due to be released in July) will feature Amanda and Jake, two years after the events of the first book. This is a couple whose joys and anguish have been well documented, and I am on tenterhooks to see where their journey will lead them, and if they can resolve the wealth of hurt that still lingers between them.
My roller-coaster love affair with Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampire series is well-documented, and fans of the series have no doubt already marked their calendars for the release WILD THINGS and BLOOD GAMES in 2014 (February and August respectively). In the meantime, for those of us feverishly anticipating the conclusion of this unforgettable series, there are two new stories set in the world of the Cadogan vampires to savor. Luc and Lindsay take their turn in the spotlight in “High Stakes”, available in the superbly inventive anthology KICKING IT, which features some of the best paranormal heroines (and writers) currently to be found. In January, Penguin will be releasing a special novella Howling for You, featuring Jeff Christopher, everyone’s favorite tech-savvy shape-shifter, and Fallon Keene, the sister of the North American Apex, Gabriel Keene. Jeff has been one of my favorite characters in this series, and the chance to watch him come into his own and prove himself as a leading man is something I have long-awaited.
Last, but by no means least, is the promise of the fourth in Sarah MacLean’s utterly delightful Rule of Scoundrels series, NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER. The ending of this year’s No Good Duke Goes Unpunished provided quite the shock to series devotees: after a daring and revelatory read, featuring a suspected murderer, a mysterious lady and a redemption twelve years in the making, we learned the real identity of Chase, the founder of the notorious gaming hell known as the Fallen Angel. Now, the only thing to make the wait until August, when Chase’s book is set to be released, to learn how Chase’s story will play out may seem interminable, but, if
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Romance January 2014 nothing else, bearable is to go back and re-read these fascinating novels and look for any clues that may have previously gone overlooked. Sarah MacLean’s romances are engaging and smart, and I know she will do Chase justice—I just can’t wait to see how!
So there are some of my top picks for 2014. I hope you find a few to savor, and plenty more, as well! And in the coming year, I wish all our beloved readers happiness, joy and love in abundance. I can’t put into words how grateful I am to be able to share my love of books, and love of romance with each and every one of you. Here’s to 2014, and all the books it has to offer!
About the Author:
Bridget was born and raised just north of Boston. She spent most of her early years as an historic re-enactor, turning every day into a grand costume drama. After attending graduate school in London and wandering about Europe with her garden gnome, Bridget returned home to her beloved Red Sox and is now working on her doctorate in First World War history.
When the gods begin to play, Cold Winter Nights, Hot Winter A sweet and poignant tale of the mortals tremble... Athletes! ogre and the minx.
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COVER STORY EXCERPT
Making Over Maris Sabrina York
ISBN: 9781419946738 Wired, Book Three Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publication The scorching sequel to Adam's Obsession date: November 6, 2013 and Tristan's Temptation Genre: Erotic Romance Buy Links: When über-nerd Jack asks Sara to make Amazon him more attractive to women, she can’t Publisher say no—even though it’s an impossible task. All Romance eBooks He’s shaggy and doughy and hopelessly Barnes and Noble inappropriate. He has no style or emotional intelligence but he’s a good person. And a Sabrina York Website great friend. What Sara never expects? Beneath all that fur and geekiness is a steamy hunk just waiting to emerge.
Jack takes Sara’s regimen very seriously, working out and losing weight until he feels like a new man. He even complies with her command to shave his beard—because Jack didn’t ask Sara to make him over so he would be attractive to other women. He only wants to be attractive to her. They go on a series of fake dates, each hotter and more sinful than the last. It’s not long before Sara discovers Jack’s secret desire to be dominated and what began as an arrangement becomes something amazing—something that could be real.
WARNING: Making over Maris is a Nerd-to-Hot-Hunk sizzling erotic romance. You will never look the same way at a geek in glasses again.
An Excerpt From: MAKING OVER MARIS Copyright © SABRINA YORK, 2013 All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
“So… Have you thought about it?” Jack could have kicked himself. He hadn’t intended to burst into her office and blurt it out like that. He’d meant to be suave and slick.
He should have known better.
He’d never been suave and slick.
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COVER STORY EXCERPT
No. He’d hovered in the vicinity of Sara’s office—after sending Kenny on a meaningless errand— and barged through the door and pounced upon her as soon as Kat left.
“Sit, Jack.”
He plopped into the chair and, because he didn’t know what to do with his hands, laced his fingers.
Sara studied him, dissecting him in that way she had, with her head tipped to the side, wrinkling her button nose. She was so cute when she wrinkled her nose. He forced himself not to wriggle. His body didn’t listen. Something about her eyes, her lips, her scent, always stirred him.
He shouldn’t have this kind of reaction to her. In the office. Everywhere. But he couldn’t help it. He just did. Always.
When she looked at him like that, when she spoke to him in that clear, commanding voice, it was even worse.
Or better, depending on one’s perspective.
She cleared her throat. “Okay. I’ve thought about it.”
His pulse jerked. “And…?”
She dropped her attention to her blotter and meticulously rearranged several deformed paper clips. His heart pounded a painful tattoo as he waited for her response. “And…” She met his eyes—God, she was gorgeous. “If I do this, we need to have an understanding.”
Relief, or something like it, trickled through him. An understanding was awfully close to an agreement. A promise. “Okay.”
Sara sucked in a breath. “First of all, we need to agree this is an impossible task.”
“Not impossible,” he grumbled. Surely not impossible.
“Okay. Improbable then. My chances of success are…dismal.”
Dismal? Jack’s belly dropped. He fiddled with the wiry hairs on the back of his neck. He didn’t like the way this was going. It was depressing that she thought so poorly of him. “Am I that hideous?”
Her eyes widened. A flush rose on her cheeks. “Oh my God, Jack. No. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“It sounded that way.”
“Jack…” She rubbed her hands over her face. “Okay. How about this? We have a long way to go. Can we agree on that?”
“Sure.” He knew he was pouting. But he had a damn good excuse. She’d pretty much come out and said making him attractive to women—to her in particular—was a hopeless cause.
“My worry is this. I can teach you all the right things to say and coach you on how to act around women, prescribe a diet and exercise plan and even give you a makeover. But if you don’t listen to me—if you don’t follow the plan—I fail.”
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COVER STORY EXCERPT
“I’ll listen. I’ll follow the plan.” Hell. He’d follow her anywhere she wanted to lead. If she only knew…
Something fierce stirred in her eyes. “It’s not going to be easy, Jack. I’m gonna work you.” Why he shivered at the tone in her voice, he had no clue. Or maybe he did. “I want you to agree to honor our contract—even if you drop the ball.”
“Of course.” He always kept his promises.
“You swear?”
He put a hand over his heart. “I swear.”
She sat back. The fire in her eyes flickered and sputtered out. “Okay. So next week I’m going back East to spend some time with my mother—”
“How long will you be gone?” Damn. He hated it when she was gone.
Pain flashed across her features; her voice dropped. “She’s…not doing well.”
His heart squeezed and he wanted to say something comforting but couldn’t find any words. Sara’s mother had been in and out of the hospital for a year. They were very close. Each time her mother had a relapse, Sara suffered.
Jack had never had a mother so he couldn’t relate but he imagined having one and losing her would be even harder than never having one at all.
“In the meantime, I’ll put together a plan for you.”
“A…plan?” His mind spun. How on earth was this going to work if she wasn’t even here?
“Yes. And you have to follow it.”
“I will.”
She put her hands flat on the desk and skewered him with a glower. “Religiously, Jack.”
“Okay.” He tried to not wriggle in his seat. He loved it when she got all…adamant. “So you’ll do it?”
“Yes,” she sighed. “I’ll do it.”
Relief cascaded through him. Relief and hope. It was a tiny sprig of hope, but hope was hope. “So when do we begin?”
She gazed at him. Some strange emotion he couldn’t interpret flashed over her features. “Now.”
Oh. God. Excitement and satisfaction and panic surged through him. “Now?”
“Yes. I need to do an assessment. You know. To figure out exactly where we are.”
He swallowed. “An assessment?”
“Of your game.”
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COVER STORY EXCERPT
“Okay.” He liked games. He scooted to the edge of his seat.
“Let’s pretend I’m a woman—”
“You are a woman.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Be serious, Jack.”
“I am being serious.” He was.
“Let’s pretend I’m a woman you see at a bar. And you’re interested.”
Oh. He was.
“What’s the first thing you do?”
Okay. He could wrap his brain around this. He shifted to the side and pulled out his wallet. Found his trusty cheat sheet and unfolded it and spread it flat on the desk.
“What the hell is that?” She gaped at the rumpled, well-worn paper.
“It’s my flowchart.” Duh.
Sara blinked. “You have a flowchart for picking up women.” Not a question.
“Naturally.” Didn’t everyone?
“Let me see that.” Before he could stop her she snatched the paper away. Scanned it. “Oh God.”
He knew what she was seeing. He’d studied this flowchart a hundred times. Still, when she read it aloud, he winced.
“Picking Up Chicks.” She grimaced. “Seriously, Jack? That’s what you named it?”
“Yes.” What else would he name it?
“‘Step One. Assess the situation’. Okay. That works. ‘Does she seem cranky?’ Cranky? Seriously, Jack? Cranky?”
He shrugged. “It’s a critical variable.” It was. It was exceedingly difficult to pick up a cranky woman. “Statistically speaking—”
But Sara ignored him. “‘If Yes: Charm her from her bad mood. If No: Proceed with caution.’” Sara sighed and glanced up at him. “Proceed with caution? We’re not wild animals, Jack.”
“You kind of are.” This he muttered. She didn’t hear. Or maybe she did. Maybe she was ignoring him again. She did that.
With a derisive snort, she crumpled up his precious template for seduction and tossed it in the trash.
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COVER STORY EXCERPT
With a strangled “eep” he dove in after it, dug it out, refolded it and tucked it back into his wallet. It had never worked but it was all he had. He needed it.
She glared at him. And then for some reason she softened. “Women are not an empirical science, Jack.” She gestured to his wallet. “We’re not all alike. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to winning someone’s heart.”
Yeah. He got that. “But you need to have a standard operating procedure—”
“No, ya don’t.” She blew out a breath. He loved the way it made her bangs flutter up. “Don’t you see? This kind of thing comes off as cheesy. Planned. Practiced.”
“And that’s…bad?” How could planning and practice be bad?
“Women don’t want to feel like they’re an insect being dissected or analyzed. They don’t want to be one option in a sea of possibilities. They want to be special. They want a guy who responds to them on an instinctual level. A guy who is so interested, he can’t help but be charming. Not a guy who has to be reminded to be seductive—by an SOP.”
He shook his head. This was all so…alien. “I don’t get it.”
She buried her face in her hands. “No. You don’t. That’s the point. Oh Jack, I’m going to need a couple days to think about this.”
His pulse stuttered. “But you already promised…”
“No. I’ll do it. I did promise to do it. I just need to think about how to do it.”
He relaxed. Okay. Okay. Okay. It would be okay. “Thank you, Sara.”
“Yeah.” Her cell phone buzzed and she picked it up to check the screen. Her lips tightened and she set it back down. “No prob.”
Damn. Why did she seem so dispirited? He’d seen the tears on her cheeks when he interrupted her meeting with Kat. He’d hated her tears. Hated even more that he didn’t have any right to wipe them away.
“Sara.” He waited until she met his gaze. “Thank you.”
This meant everything to him. More than she could ever know.
“Sure, Jack. Give me a couple days to think about this.”
“Sure.”
She stared at him for a minute and then said in a very small voice, “You can go now.”
Right. He could go. But he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to go. He wanted to fold her in his arms and hold her and make whatever was making her sad disappear.
He didn’t have that right either.
And he never would.
But for the next few months, he’d have her attention.
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COVER STORY EXCERPT
And that would be worth a thousand trips to Paris.
About the Author:
Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York is an award winning author of hot, humorous stories for smart and sexy readers. Her titles range from sweet & sexy erotic romance to BDSM to erotic horror. Visit her webpage at www.sabrinayork.com to check out her books, excerpts and contests. Don’t forget to enter to win the royal tiara!
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Romance January 2014
Celebrations, Regency-style
By Vanessa Kelly
Writing Regency-set historical romance gives me the opportunity to research a broad range of topics—such as the role of spies in the Napoleonic Wars, the architectural layouts for London townhouses, or the appropriate period fashions for my heroines. But nothing is more fun to research than the subject of food and parties. If there was one thing Regency folks knew how to do, it was party.
For the well-to-do and the upper classes, meals in particular could be very elaborate affairs, especially on more formal occasions. In fact, a grand dinner was more in the style of a show or entertainment, an opportunity for the hostess to display the family’s wealth, good taste, and ability to hire and retain expensive French chefs and confectioners.
A formal dinner before a ball or at a large gathering at my lord’s country estate would see the table set for a three course dinner that would take place over several hours. Now, we moderns might think of ‘courses’ as perhaps a roast chicken or beef, with a few nice veg dishes and potatoes or rice. But to our upper-class Regency ancestors such a meal would be considered paltry in the extreme! Try an average of fifteen to twenty-five dishes PER course. You really had to pace yourself with this crowd, or you’d find yourself reaching for the stomach powders before you were halfway through dinner.
Our celebration would start with the soup and fish and then move on to the heartier fare—perhaps a lovely roast goose with apples and prunes, a joint of beef, and a nice rabbit casserole and chicken fricassee thrown in to round things out. Once that course was finished, the palate would be cleansed with a small salad and perhaps some cheese.
Then it’s on to the next course, which would be sweet and savories—this is not, I hasten to add, dessert. The second course would include fruits and molded jellies, and perhaps an herb quiche or two and a savory cheesecake.
Are you still with me? It’s finally on to dessert, which was a really big deal in the Regency era and was likely the most expensive part of the meal. Cooks at the time used a lot of butter, cream, eggs, and sugar. One cake or pudding, for instance, could use up to a dozen eggs. Our Georgian hostess might also serve baked apples, rum cakes, fruit trifles, ices, marzipan confections, apple custards…you get the picture. Even the table settings got into the act, since they were often composed of elaborate sugar-pastes or ices molded into architectural or animal shapes.
There would also be a variety of sugar biscuits served with a selection of sweet wines and liquors.
Clearly, dessert was a serious business in the Regency era.
And let’s not forget the other festive beverages! Champagne, of course, along with several kinds of wine. After dinner drinks for the men would be port or brandy, and the ladies might indulge in a glass of sherry or ratafia. All finished off in the drawing room with a tea service that could include cakes, biscuits, and dainty pastries.
Oh, boy. Is it any wonder the folks in those days suffered from gout and various stomach ailments?
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Then there was the Christmas holiday season with its unique traditions and foods. Christmas during the Regency era was quite different from what we think of as the classic holiday, a la Charles Dickens and The Christmas Carol. Those traditions did not come into common practice until the Victorian era. In fact, the first British Christmas tree (a Germanic tradition) was probably put up by Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, but it was likely a small one placed on a tabletop. It wasn’t until the Victorian era that trees became large and heavily decorated, along with the wholesale tradition of exchanging gifts.
That didn’t mean, however, that Christmas wasn’t celebrated in the Regency era—it certainly was. The traditional celebrations took place over twelve days, from Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night, which was January 6th, the night of the Epiphany. In many parts of England, Twelfth Night was actually a bigger celebration than Christmas itself. It was a time for mummers, playacting, games, masques, and was more equivalent to our New Year’s Eve festivities.
Cakes were a big part of Twelfth Night celebrations—very large cakes that were often elaborately decorated with colored sugar paste figurines. Twelfth cakes usually contained a bean or a coin; finding those items was part of the ceremony to designate a Lord of Misrule, or a king and queen for the Twelfth Night party. Whichever man found the bean would be appointed Lord of Misrule, or king. The king would then select his queen for the night, and they would preside over the festivities, leading the dancing and organizing games.
There was a great deal of feasting and drinking, of course, with game, poultry, joints of beef, and puddings and fruit cakes. The Yule log would burn from Christmas Eve through Twelfth Night, and the lord of the manor would throw open his doors to all members of the village, rich and poor.
One of the more interesting and venerable traditions of the holiday season was the drinking of the Wassail—a custom with ancient roots. Wassail, a very boozy and sometimes alarming beverage depending on the ingredients, was the high point of many a Christmas party, and family recipes were often closely guarded secrets. The base was usually mulled apple cider with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, sometimes topped with slices of toast. Apples and oranges could be added to the mix too. In earlier times, the base often consisted of either mulled beer or mead, and any wassail recipe could be topped off with brandy or sherry.
Do we really need to wonder why folks had such a great time at Regency Christmas parties?!
As a writer, I enjoy depicting parties. There are several holiday celebrations in my Christmas romance, HIS MISTLETOE BRIDE, and a number of parties and ball scenes in my new book, SECRETS FOR SEDUCING A ROYAL BODYGUARD. They add a lot of color and life, I think, and they’re just flat-out fun to write. Maybe not as much fun as attending Regency parties themselves, but at least I don’t have to deal with the hangover the next morning!
About the Author:
Vanessa Kelly is an award-winning author of Regency-set historical romance. Her books have been nominated for awards in a number of contests and her second book, Sex and The Single Earl, won the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance. Vanessa's new series, The Renegade Royals, hit the shelves on Nov. 26 with the introductory novella, Lost in a Royal Kiss. Book one in the series, Secrets for Seducing a Royal Bodyguard, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and releases on January 7, 2014. You can find her on the web at www.vanessakellyauthor.com.
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Romance January 2014
His Perfect Game Jenn Langston
Greyson Thorpe, Viscount Merrick, ISBN: B00HE5I9WA wants respectability above all else. Publisher: Soul Mate Knowing the fastest way to achieve Publishing that state comes through marriage, Publication he challenges Hammond Everett, the date: 12/18/2013 Duke of Donetic to a card game. Genre: Historical After winning the match, the duke Romance agrees to exchange his daughter’s Buy Links: hand in marriage for the forgiveness Amazon of his debts. Jenn Langston Website Willimena Abigail Everett had no desire to marry after experiencing the violent nature of men at her father’s hand. When Viscount Merrick arrives, she has no choice other than to obey her father and marry him. Will she be able to set aside her previous beliefs about men and judge her husband by his own merits?
After obtaining good social standing, Greyson sends his bride to the country; however, he finds himself missing her. Following her to the estate, he discovers she had been living a double life. Will he discover her secrets and control his burning desire for her at the same time?
“I see your father has no thoughts on propriety.”
“He’s always had his own way of looking at matters.”
Greyson nodded. He could not think of anything to add. His experience with women didn’t stray beyond his mistresses. When Lady Willimena’s focus fell to his mouth, his heart sped. Desire was something he was accustomed to, but certainly not from an untried lady. He sat silently, waiting to see what she would do next.
Her chest slowly rose and fell as she took a deep breath and stood. Being a gentleman, Greyson followed suit. This situation was already unconventional enough without her attempting to seduce him as well. She advanced, but her steps faltered when he shot her a disapproving glare.
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Her cheeks turned red as she wrung her hands.
“Would you mind if I kissed you again?” she stammered.
“Do you plan to do it properly this time?” Angered by her attempt, the question slid from his tongue before he thought twice.
Her eyes widened before falling to the ground. The honest reaction confirmed his suspicions. She was as innocent as he first believed. He resisted the urge to show his relief as he could not understand why it should matter to him.
“Forgive me, my lord. I have never been instructed on how to kiss.” Her fists balled up, and when she looked back at him, her shame melted away as her resolve stiffened. Contrary to what he’d heard of her, she was no weak miss. “Will you teach me?”
Although surprised by her question, he kept silent and unchanged. Despite the unconventional circumstances, they were betrothed, so kissing her would not cause harm, nor would it alter any arrangements. He committed himself to seeing this through regardless if the duke found him in a compromising position or not.
His lack of reaction must have been encouraging, for Lady Willimena began to walk toward him again. She held her head high as her ample body pressed forward. Her gaze didn’t waver even after she stood inches from him.
“What is your determination, my lord?” Her eyes once again centered on his mouth.
Wanting to see her face, to look into her eyes, he reached up to remove her glasses, but she shrank back. Confused, Greyson stood still with his hands raised in the air.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he promised.
She offered a small embarrassed smile as she regained her determined stance.
This time she remained motionless as he removed her glasses. He could see fear lurking in her green eyes, and he wondered why she was afraid of him. Surely the whispers of his being a bastard didn’t include false accounts of cruelty. Instead of reassuring her with his words, he gently cupped her face with his hands, tilting her chin up.
He brushed his lips against hers once, twice, then a third time before she softened her rigid position and slid her hands against his chest. The small contact sent flames licking at his body. It wasn’t enough, he needed more of her.
While keeping one hand on her face, he wrapped the other around her to draw her against him. Although her generous curves were soft, her body didn’t emit warmth as he expected. The poor girl must have been literally frozen with fear. Using his lips to comfort her, he coaxed and teased as desire built within him.
Not wanting to push too far, he didn’t deepen the kiss and instead pulled back. Seeing the dazed expression in her eyes made his chest nearly burst with satisfaction. Unaccustomed to interacting with innocents, pleasure filled
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Romance January 2014 him at the thought he could do something right.
“That was rather pleasant,” she admitted, a little breathless. After he took several paces back, her pink tongue darted out of her mouth and licked her lips.
Greyson followed its slow tracing of her mouth as his body went rock hard. His breathing increased, and he desperately wanted to take her back in his arms. The room felt as though the temperature increased ten degrees. With the way she looked at him, he could not stay. He had to leave now.
“Thank you for the lovely evening.” He bowed then turned and left her standing in the middle of the room.
About the Author:
Jenn Langston graduated from the University of Houston with a BBA in Accounting and a minor in European studies. Although working as an accountant and mother, she still finds spare time to write. She has always been fascinated with London during the 1800s, and her historical romances express her love of the time period.
When not writing, Jenn loves spending time with her husband and three children. Some of their favorite activities include camping, bowling, and visiting the museum. She also loves reading romance of any kind, and normally is seen with her Kindle close by her side.
Attacked by werewolves, a witch In her love for him she defied an tries to shield the man she yearns army, in his desire for freedom he Be careful what you wish for... for from danger. defied an empire...
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LIVING IN BOOK TOWN, USA
By USA Today Bestselling Author, Nancy Naigle
It’s hard to believe that book five in the Adams Grove series is just around the corner. With MINT JULEPS AND JUSTICE, we’re heading back to that sweet little town tucked in southern Virginia where the tea is sweet...but the trouble is brewing.
I’ve had a love affair with small towns as long as I can remember. Main streets and family-owned businesses make me smile. I live on a goat farm in southern Virginia with my husband and three Labrador retrievers – one of each color because everyone needs a Lab rainbow in black, chocolate and yellow! I guess that makes me a natural to write about small town life.
Adams Grove is a real town. In fact, it’s right here in southern Virginia, but there’s really not much there except a couple churches and the Ruritan club. I just borrowed the name, and built the town in my books from the dirt up. So when reviewers say it’s the place they’d like to live...it totally makes my day!
That got me thinking, if I lived in the Adams Grove series who would I be? Where would I live and what would I do for a living?
On what was supposed to have been a quick stop for some gas on my way down I-95 from the rat race of DC to Carolina I stopped in Adams Grove. The sun was bright and the weather was so perfect you couldn’t paint it realistically. Something about the little town drew me in. After I filled my gas tank, the grumble in my tummy convinced me that just a few more minutes on this pit stop wouldn’t throw me too off schedule.
Out of habit, I pressed the lock button on my key fob before heading for the sidewalk. Adams Grove being one of the major crossroad locations between the North and the South, the buildings had to have outlasted the oldest residents, rich with history and begging to tell their stories. I’m a sucker for that. Brick and stone structures nestled tightly next to tiny shops and lined each side of the lazy street like a welcome committee with jewel-toned awnings and fancy lettering. The bright teal banners hanging from the lamp posts bragged about the history of the town, and the flowers around each lamp added a personal touch. No standard ivy and flower of the month in these planters. A flurry of colors teased like a first-grader’s finger painting.
There wasn’t much traffic, human or otherwise, and that made for a nice meander as I poked my head into Mac’s Bakery. Okay, maybe I didn’t so much poke as dive into the mouthwatering aroma wafting from the place. Besides, that bright blue awning was inviting. I couldn’t help myself. As I stood at the counter trying to decide what tasty goodie wouldn’t totally blow my calorie count for the day, the drop-dead gorgeous sheriff recommended the bear claw, so I had to have one. Right? I’m going to admit, I looked twice at the handsome hunk of a man when he left! The thought of speeding just to meet him again did cross my mind.
Since there were only a couple stools at the counter in the bakery, I took my cup of coffee and still-warm-from-the-oven bear claw to the bench outside to enjoy the sunshine while I devoured the gooey goodness. Everyone who walked by gave me a nod or a hello, and I felt like I belonged
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Romance January 2014 already. Even though my tummy was satisfied, I couldn’t help but notice the diner across the street filled to the brim with a lunchtime crowd. I probably should have had something healthy, but that’s just not nearly as fun.
I tucked the sticky paper from the bear claw into my empty coffee cup and tossed it in a nearby waste can. The window in front of Floral & Hardy sparkled with more twinkle lights than an entire galaxy. Even in the daylight it was pretty darn dazzling. Inside, a pretty blonde girl scurried around the store and a handsome man tucked fresh flowers into a pretty cobalt blue vase, making an arrangement that was sure to make someone’s day.
A Caribbean-colored flyer caught my eye. A new yoga studio was opening up. I smiled to myself. I’d wanted to try yoga, but I’d never found the time. Funny how folks hurry through life, missing out on temptations. I really should make more time for those kinds of things.
And it was in that instant that I saw the beautiful old bank building. Stone columns ran the length of the three stories at each side of the entry. Shiny gold letters graced the fairy-tale tall wooden- and-glass doors in a way that said “come-on-in” and darn if I wasn’t tempted, but browsing in a lawyer’s office wasn’t likely. A sign tucked in the corner of the front glass caught my attention.
OFFICE FOR RENT
It tugged at my sensibilities. There was no phone number listed, but in small blue block letters it simply read:
2nd story office/apartment $450 per month
I pay nearly that for just parking and a tiny storage bin in DC, and I can work from anywhere. Why not take a chance?
So here I am...
Savannah Dey and I just relocated to Adams Grove. No one has to know that I’m the voice behind “Advice from Van”—that will make life so much simpler. Don’t you think?
Join me in Adams Grove and let’s see what all the trouble’s about this time.
Hugs and happy reading~
Nancy
About the Author:
Nancy Naigle writes love stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense. Join in her in Adams Grove and her new release co-authored with Kelsey Browning, THE GRANNY SERIES: In For A Penny.
Join her on Facebook, twitter and sign up for her newsletter at www.NancyNaigle.com.
Read. Relax. Repeat.®
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Hearts and Spurs Anthology
How do you capture a cowboy's heart? ISBN: 9781494990404 HEARTS AND SPURS is a collection of ASIN: B00HU5SCYE nine stories by some of western Publisher: Prairie Rose romance’s best—just in time for Publications Valentine's Day! Publication date: 1/15/2014 Following up their Christmas collection Genre: Western Romance WISHING FOR A COWBOY, these ladies Anthology have done it again with new stories of Buy Links: handsome cowboys and the women who CreateSpace (print) captivate them in HEARTS AND SPURS. Amazon Kindle Smashwords
Prairie Rose Publications
"HEARTS AND SPURS features nine sensual Valentine's Day love stories of the old west that will leave no doubt--Cupid is a cowboy, and he's playing for keeps!"
FOUND HEARTS by Cheryl Pierson
An enemy from the past threatens Alex Cameron’s future on the day he’s set to wed mail-order bride Evie Fremont. Can they survive their wedding day?
Southern belle Evie Fremont has lost everything—except hope. When she answers an advertisement for marriage to Alex Cameron who lives in the wilds of Indian Territory, she has few illusions that he could be a man she might fall in love with—especially as his secrets begin to unfold.
Ex-Confederate soldier Alex Cameron needs a mother for his two young half-Cherokee sons more than he needs a wife—or so he tells himself. But when his past threatens his future on his wedding day, he and Evie are both forced to acknowledge their new love has come to stay—along with their FOUND HEARTS.
THE WIDOW’S HEART by Linda Broday
Desperate and alone, Skye O’Rourke finds courage and a love she thought she’d lost when a man from her past emerges from the shimmering desert heat.
Skye O’Rourke thinks her imagination is playing tricks on her when she sees a man emerge from the shimmering desert heat. No one would willingly take a stroll under the scorching sun with a
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Romance January 2014 saddle slung on his back. She’s shocked to discover it’s Cade Coltrain, a man she once gave her heart to only to have him give it back.
Can she trust him not to abandon her this time? Yet, trusting each other is the only way they can survive. And love might just save them if they believe….
OPEN HEARTS by Tanya Hanson
A woman living as a man to practice the law she loves must guard her identity--and her heart-- from a handsome sheriff, who discovers her secret and must decide whether to turn her in or fall in love.
To honor her brother’s last request, Barbara Audiss takes on his identity. Letting loose her secret will land get her arrested. But keeping it prevents her from giving her heart to handsome sheriff Keith Rakestraw.
Furious at “Judge Audiss’s” latest verdict, Keith discovers she’s a fake and consequences seem easy: toss her in jail. Instead, he finds himself eager to give her his heart.
GUARDING HER HEART by Livia J. Washburn
Outlaws threaten a Valentine's Day wedding!
Julia Courtland was on her way west to marry a man she had never met. Henry Everett, the marshal of Flat Rock, Texas, was the grandson of her uncle's best friend. It seemed like a good match for both of them, and the wedding was scheduled to take place on Valentine's Day.
Grant Stafford thought the young woman who got on the stagecoach at Buffalo Springs was the prettiest thing he had seen in a long time. She wasn't too friendly, mind you, but she was sure easy on the eyes. Not that Grant had time to worry much about such things. He was the shotgun guard on this run, but more than that, he was an undercover Texas Ranger on the trail of the vicious outlaw gang responsible for a string of stagecoach robberies.
Fate threw Julia Courtland and Grant Stafford together on a cold February day in West Texas, but it also threw deadly obstacles in their path. A runaway team, a terrible crash, and bullets flying through the air threaten to steal not only their lives but also any chance they have for happiness. If they're going to survive, they will have to learn to trust each other . . . and maybe steal their hearts back from fate.
A FLARE OF THE HEART by Jacquie Rogers
Celia Yancey heads west to marry a preacher her father picked for her. Bounty hunter Ross Flaherty has traded his guns for a pitchfork and is content to be a farmer, but Celia brings his nemesis right to his door. Can Celia and Ross shed the past and forge a new beginning?
Celia Valentine Yancey has no illusions she’ll ever enjoy wedded bliss, so chooses marriage over spinsterhood even if she has to marry a man her father picked. On the way to meet her groom, she endures armed robbery, a stagecoach wreck, a dozen hungry baby pigs—and an incorrigible farmer. Ross Flaherty retired from bounty hunting to become a farmer but now Celia has brought his worst fear to his door—in more ways than one. A ferocious wolf-dog and a dozen piglets are
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Romance January 2014 no match for this determined lady. Which is more dangerous—the Sully Gang or Miss Celia Yancey?
COMING HOME by Tracy Garrett
Sometimes it takes two to make dreams come true. When a man who believes he’ll never have a home and family finds a woman who has lost everything…It takes a lot of forgiveness and a few fireworks to realize that together, their dreams can come true.
When a man who believes he’ll never have a home and family…
Former U.S. Marshal Jericho Hawken should have been shepherding a wagon train to new territory, but he unwillingly left them vulnerable to a vicious raider. The murder of the settlers he was supposed to be guarding is the hardest thing he’s ever had to face…until he meets the sister of one of the settlers.
…finds a woman who has lost everything…
Instead of a joyous reunion with her brother, Maryland Henry has come to River’s Bend to take responsibility for her three orphaned nieces. Fired from her teaching position and with no other family on whom to rely, Mary believes Jericho Hawken is responsible for all her woes. Or is he what she’s been searching for all along?
It takes a lot of forgiveness and a few fireworks to realize that together their dreams can come true.
HOLLOW HEART by Sarah J. McNeal
Lost love and the hope for possibilities…
Madeline Andrews is a grown up orphan. Sam Wilding made her feel part of his life, his family and swore he’d come home to her when the war ended, but he didn’t return. With the Valentine’s Ball just days away, the Wildings encourage Madeline to move forward with her life and open her heart to the possibilities. But Madeline is lost in old love letters and can’t seem to let go.
TUMBLEWEEDS AND VALENTINES by Phyliss Miranda
The wildness of a tumbleweed and the sweetness of chocolate bring Amanda Love the love of a lifetime.
When Amanda Love finds a tumbleweed lodged against her fence with an invitation to a Valentine’s Day dance stuck to it she thinks someone must be playing a joke. No one would invite her. No one ever had. Besides, she has no time for such things. She has a candy store to run. Curiosity gets the best of her though. Finding her name scrawled on it as bold as can be sends ripples of surprise through her. As she embarks on a quest to find the sender’s identity, she examines herself and the secret dream she harbors of having a husband and children.
Maybe, just maybe, someone had seen the yearning in her heart. But who?
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THE SECOND-BEST RANGER IN TEXAS by Kathleen Rice Adams
A washed-up Texas Ranger. A failed nun with a violent past. A love that will redeem them both.
His partner’s grisly death destroyed Texas Ranger Quinn Barclay. Cashiered for drunkenness and refusal to follow orders, he sets out to fulfill his partner’s dying request, armed only with a saloon girl’s name.
Sister María Tomás thought she wanted to become a nun, but five years as a postulant have convinced her childhood dreams aren’t always meant to be. At last ready to relinquish the temporary vows she never should have made, she begs the only man she trusts to collect her from a mission in the middle of nowhere.
When the ex-Ranger’s quest collides with the ex-nun’s plea in a burned-out border town, unexpected love blooms among shared memories of the dead man who was a brother to them both.
Too bad he was also the only man who could have warned them about the carnage to come.
About the Authors:
Phyliss Miranda: http://www.phylissmiranda.com/
Linda Broday: http://lindabroday.com/
Livia J. Washburn: http://liviajwashburn.blogspot.com/
Cheryl Pierson: http://cherylpiersonbooks.blogspot.com/
Sarah J. McNeal: http://www.sarahmcneal.com/
Tanya Hanson: http://tanyahanson.blogspot.com/
Jacquie Rogers: http://jacquierogers.blogspot.com/
Tracy Garrett: http://www.tracygarrett.com/
Kathleen Rice Adams: http://www.kathleenriceadams.com/
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Romance January 2014
On Killing Off Beloved Characters
By Cheryl Bolen
I promise I haven't killed off any more characters in my popular Brides of Bath series of Regency- set historicals. While the fourth book in the series was a big hit with readers, they were also saddened that the hero's story was possible because his first wife died. Readers had loved her since she had a secondary role in the series' inaugural book.
That's the thing about series, the readers feel an attachment to these characters and enjoy keeping up with them in subsequent books.
My newest Brides of Bath book, LOVE IN THE LIBRARY, allows readers to revisit many of the characters whose stories were told in the first four books of the series. But none of those characters will star in this new book. In fact the heroine, who is a good friend of the heroines in the first two books, has never before appeared.
Catherine Bexley is desperate to find an almost priceless Chaucer manuscript which happened to be the only thing of value left to her by her scoundrel late husband. She persuades a scholar, the "smart" Steffington twin, to assist her in the quest.
The Steffington twins were minor characters in the second and fourth Brides of Bath books, and since I've always yearned to create a hot nerd hero, Melvin Steffington seemed the perfect choice.
Like all the Brides of Bath books, this is very much a stand-alone novel.
Let me give you a little history of the series. Zebra (Kensington Books) published the first three books in 2002. They proved so popular my publisher asked me to pen one more, and it came out in 2004. That's when I killed off the beloved character.
All of those books were only available in mass-market paperback. Two of them immediately sold out their initial print runs.
Years passed, and I got my publishing rights back on these, and in 2011 they became available as ebooks (with new covers) and have proven to be even more popular. Now they are also available in trade paperback.
Please don't be confused about a couple of title changes. My title for Book 4 was To Take This Lord, but my publisher changed it to An Improper Proposal. While I think Improper Proposal sounds pretty intriguing, it had absolutely nothing to do with my story. Therefore, when I got my rights back, I insisted on changing it back to its original title.
My publishers gave the third book the title A Fallen Woman. I thought—and still think—it's a great title (and far superior to my original title, Beleaguered Bride). Apparently, though, readers are not keen to read a book about a fallen woman. Despite that many readers adored that story, sales lagged the other titles. I know I personally like to have extremely sympathetic heroines, and I believe readers are prejudiced against ladies they feel are amoral. While the A Fallen Woman heroine's reputation was a bit blemished, she was not really a loose woman. I renamed that book The Bride's Secret. Not a great title, but more sympathetic.
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Now, a full decade later, the series will continue because of popular demand. LOVE IN THE LIBRARY will also be available in print. Unlike the first four in the series, though, LOVE IN THE LIBRARY will not feature a fully-consummated love scene. My nerd hero is much too noble to try to bed the woman he's falling in love with. Though it's not a "hot" book, it is deeply romantic.
And no one gets killed off.
About the Author:
A former journalist and English teacher, Cheryl Bolen sold her first book to Harlequin Historical in 1997. That book, A Duke Deceived, was a finalist for the Holt Medallion for Best First Book, and it netted her the title Notable New Author. Since then she has published more than 20 books with Kensington/Zebra, Montlake, Love Inspired Historical and independently. Her 2005 book One Golden Ring won the Holt Medallion for Best Historical, and her 2011 gothic historical My Lord Wicked was awarded Best Historical in the International Digital Awards, the same year one of her Christmas novellas was chosen as Best Historical Novella by Hearts Through History. Her books have been finalists for other awards, including the Daphne du Maurier, and have been translated into seven languages. Check her out at http://www.cherylbolen.com/
The Garnet Dagger Book 1 in this The big bad wolf can be oh so fantasy/ paranormal romance good.... series.
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THE CINDERELLA SEDUCTION Hope Tarr A fairy tale reading. It's beautifully written and I was totally enthralled by it… I love how this story pulled me in and my emotions ran the gamut from laughing to giggling to crying… This story by Hope Tarr was truly magical and a romance story that I will be rereading again. I totally recommend this read to any reader, especially if you are a romance junkie like me... Read more.
SEASON FOR SCANDAL Theresa Romain A wonderfully subtle, touching love story with an insightful, witty narrative, Theresa Romain's third Holiday Pleasures book is an engaging, perceptive and deeply emotional read that will delight longtime readers and no doubt win her legions of new fans… Theresa Romain's insight into her characters makes this romance such a success. All the components work—her tone is effortlessly evocative and her plot is sound, but these characters are simply unforgettable...Read more.
ROMANCING THE DUKE Tessa Dare ROMANCING THE DUKE is a magical, romantic tale in the first of a new series! Tessa Dare doesn't disappoint…[and] crafted a winner with this tale that boasted an intriguing plot, believable romance, endearing and unforgettable characters… Read more.
MY SISTER’S SHOES Cherrie Mack MY SISTER'S SHOES is a moving story about finding yourself, forgiveness and fate… Cherrie Mack…really knows how to write emotionally wrought scenes that pull the reader into her stories! At times, I found myself exasperated by Allie, totally charmed by Angelo, and tearing up over a truly divine reconnection and conclusion…Read more.
SILENT CRAVINGS Jess Haines and E. Blix Intriguing and entertaining paranormal with unique elements and lots of humor… The story has quite a few quirky and unique components that add a refreshing quality to this paranormal read. From the beginning to the end there is lots going on that not only keeps the reader's attention but makes it hard to put the book down once started…Read more.
IMMORTALLY EVER AFTR Angie Fox Fast-paced, pulse-pounding and irresistibly witty, Angie Fox's third Monster M*A*S*H book is a smashing success from start to finish. [She] strikes a wonderful balance between hilarity and heartache, making a read that series fans and new readers alike will be able to savor... Read more.
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SHADOWDANCE Kristen Callihan Kristen Callihan continued her incredible worldbuilding in SHADOWDANCE. With each book, she builds upon the existing layers until we have something that is fascinating in its complexity… Mary and Jack are well-rounded and three-dimensional. With each scene and interaction, we peel back more of their layers and see what ultimately make them tick, and the revelation is intriguing… The suspense part [makes] for an exciting and compelling read…Read more.
NO GOOD DUKE GOES UNPUNISHED Sarah MacLean The story was a compelling one… The characters were so dynamic, and their every emotion was brought forth in this story. Temple's anger, his need for absolution and revenge. His emerging feelings for the woman who betrayed him. How far would he take things?... The story was written well, with great dialogue and narration, sometimes making me laugh out loud…Read more.
BORN WILD Julie Ann Walker The romance and intrigue are perfectly balanced, and the occasional additional shifts of point-of-view give us a rounder story… The humor, wit and unique warmth of BORN WILD are something I associate with Ms Walker as part of her trademark style…Read more.
GETTING ROWDY Lori Foster Ms Foster always does a great job of incorporating tightly woven suspense into a highly sexually charged situation that puts the reader on edge for a multitude of reasons. This fantastic book will make you laugh, sigh and clench your teeth, and seriously, I don't know who that delectable man is on the cover, but I could not stop flipping back to stare at him while reading this book! He is exactly what I picture Rowdy to look like, and this model is absolutely scrumptious…just like the whole book! Read more.
DARKNESS RISES Dianne Duvall Dianne Duvall has established herself as a star of the paranormal romance, and this book only solidifies her place in the pantheon. Not only is the love story at the center of this book wonderfully steamy and fulfilling, but the subplots and secondary characters kick this series into a whole new realm that will enchant fans from beginning to end…Read more.
JOURNEY OF THE MAGI Barbara Edwards Modeled after O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, Barbara Edwards has crafted a wonderfully touching holiday short story that is sweetly uplifting and sure to melt the hearts of readers looking for a needed respite from the demands of the season. This clean, contemporary tale of 68 pages is finely detailed with emotional drama and memorable characters that truly bring this gem of a story to life…Read more.
*This is not a comprehensive list. For more reviews of Romance books, check out the site.
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January 2014
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GLBT January 2014
Secret of the Wolf Sienna Matthews
Each man harbors his own secrets. Would this cost them their lives? ASIN: B00CZIS2FK Publisher: Chained Trey lives a double life. By night, he’s Hearts Publishing lovers with a wolf shifter in his dreams. Publication By day, he pines after Jovan, who Trey date: 5/23/2013 has a massive crush on. Genre: Paranormal Romance, Shifters When he and Jovan finally become lovers, Buy Links: day becomes night and Trey’s perfectly Amazon Kindle balanced world comes crashing down. Sienna Matthews Website Trey discovers there’s more at stake than his desires and passions. Who is the man Trey catches kissing Jovan? How is the wolf shifter involved in this?
When Trey is caught in evil’s grasp, how will he escape? What will become of him and Jovan? Or the wolf shifter?
Note: This book contains manlove romance in all its glory, between not two, but three luscious men. Happy-Ever-After ending included.
Trey immediately turned sober. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. I want you, Jovan, and that hasn’t changed.”
“Okay.” Jovan breathed out a ragged sigh. Of relief, Trey thought. “I’ve been making preparations, and I’m really excited for tomorrow.”
“Tonight?” Trey could hardly wait.
“Tomorrow,” Jovan said firmly. “I thought we could go out to the lake and have a picnic to celebrate your birthday.”
Wait a minute. Trey’s heartbeat slowed in confusion. Had he read Jovan wrong again? “Then we’re going to bed?” he asked uncertainly.
“Beside the lake.”
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Oh. “Under the sky where anyone might see us?” Interestingly, the thought intrigued and aroused him.
Jovan chuckled. “No one will be there, but yes, under the sky.” His blue eyes smoldered. “For now though, how about another kiss?” The low, husky sound of his voice created intimacy between them, and his hand tightened around Trey’s. “It’s been too long since our last one.” For a moment, with hunger stamped on his face, he looked older, much older than his thirty years and more like a man who’d been living for a long, long time and had just found what he desperately needed.
Trey blinked. Had he seen right?
He didn’t realize he’d been staring until the uncertainty in Jovan’s voice reached him.
“Trey?”
Jovan’s vulnerability touched and warmed his heart.
“That I can do. Kiss me, please.”
It seemed Jovan was waiting for his words, because the last syllable hadn’t yet faded before his mouth was on Trey’s, soft and light, sweet and savoring, like butterfly wings. His lips flitted and teased, a nip here, a peck there. Trey growled in frustration, ready to haul him closer, when Jovan slanted his head and pressed his mouth flush against his, firm and solid, warm and dry.
Time stopped, a void wherein he couldn’t hear nor see, but could only feel Jovan’s touch and the heat of his mouth. Smell his woodsy fragrance and a unique manly scent that could only be attributed to him, the virility of the odor causing Trey’s heart to pump loud and hard. He opened his mouth and touched his tongue to his lover’s lips, and the action caused sound to rush back in. Jovan responded by tilting his face for more access, kissing him open-mouthed and with almost violent force, accompanied by fierce stabs of his tongue into Trey’s mouth. Trey thrust back, and their tongues dueled, the intimacy fueling the passion and heat arcing between them.
Restless hunger made him moan as he placed a hand on Jovan’s chest, feeling his muscles bunch as he caressed him. He ached to touch Jovan’s cock, to free it from the confines of brown trousers and feel his heat against his skin. Ached so badly, he whimpered with longing.
They broke apart, panting. Trey was gratified to see the hot gleam of lust in Jovan’s blue eyes. He was sure his eyes possessed the same look, not to mention the hard bulge of his cock pushing against his clothes. Tomorrow couldn’t come quickly enough.
As usual, Jovan took it upon himself to be the voice of reason. “We’d better stop.”
Trey gave a brisk nod, trying to hide how much the brief kiss had shaken him and made him want.
“It’s getting darker, too,” Jovan added. “Let’s go faster.”
For some reason, Trey was annoyed at Jovan’s reaction. Couldn’t Jovan show more reluctance, be more romantic? He was the one who’d suggested the kiss after all. Didn’t he want to steal some more from Trey? But Jovan was practical. He couldn’t otherwise have survived so long on his own.
Still, the sweet anticipation of tomorrow caused a simmering tension to hum between them as they continued on their way, their fingers entwined once again. That was why he couldn’t help but be alerted when Jovan’s body drew tight as they neared the edge of the woods. He glanced over to see Jovan’s eyes continuously shifting from tree to tree, assessing, weighing, seeking.
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“What is it?” Trey asked, Jovan’s actions making him nervous.
The dense forest bordered the two towns, providing a shortcut for most of the townspeople who don’t own any transportation. Trey eyed the woods in front of them and felt a sliver of fear skitter through him. The towering trees that looked so friendly and shady in the morning had turned creepy and menacing in the near darkness, bearing an almost sinister look. Something let loose a long howl, the sound eerie and haunting, raising the flesh on his arms. Long branches appeared to be reaching toward him, wishing to snag his clothes, his hair, his limbs, imprisoning him within their knotty embrace. One pinned him with its heavy stems—
A helpless scream rose and bubbled from his throat.
About the Author:
Sienna Matthews writes deliciously erotic romance and MM romance. She goes wherever the muse calls. Check out her stories which are no holds barred sinful and seductive and where anything can happen.
A husband, a daughter, a job. What more can you ask?
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GLBT January 2014
ENCORE Shira Anthony Where are more than 5 stars when you need them? Former opera singer Shira Anthony has outdone herself in this fifth Blue Notes novel…Beautifully written with well-drawn, deeply detailed and truly believable characters who you will grow to love, this tale is told with humour, love and passion...Read more.
TRAINING SEASON Leta Blake TRAINING SEASON is a tale told with such flair and tenderness, and with such insight into the two main characters that this is a book I will read over and over again... Beautiful descriptions of the Montana landscape couple with the burgeoning love of these two men as they both face demons and challenges that threaten to drive them apart, all come together in a memorable story so sweetly told that it's a real hardship when the story ends...Read more.
EYE OF TRUTH Cassie Sweet An intriguing and original fantasy novel from Cassie Sweet…This book was fantastic; I loved every minute of it. Despite reading quite a few fantasy books, I have never read one before that was based mostly on alchemy and it was quite refreshing…There were twists and turns aplenty to make even the most jaded mystery fan keep turning the pages...Read more.
THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF DANIEL Eli Easton A wonderful friends-to-lovers story that really captured my heart…The characters were well developed, the plot was interesting, the resolutions were believable, and I found myself tearing up quite a few times…Read more.
SPARKS & DROPS Susan Laine SPARKS & DROPS is a beautifully crafted tale, layered with intrigue and secrets, plenty of sexual desire and lusty needs between Niall and Gus, all wrapped up in a clever tale of mystery…Susan Laine has such a lovely relaxed way of writing, letting you get into her characters' heads and finding out more about them. Read more.
TOY RUN Charley Descoteaux If the Christmas season is about sharing and giving, Descoteaux's story adds a rough edge, demonstrating how even guys who roar down the highway of life not only aren't immune to the sentimentality of the holidays but also relish it. We are, it seems, very similar underneath our facades…Read more.
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BLOOMING MARVELLOUS and Collected Stories Josephine Myles Ms Myles is...unique, unconventional, and…a fantastic writer who creates fabulous characters… Throughout each story, I was struck about the range and depth of her ideas, as well as the great way she writes about sex… Do I recommend this anthology? Only to folk who love great writing, great characters, want a damned good laugh whilst getting slightly hot under the proverbial collar at the rude interludes…Read more.
INSIDE OUT Andrew Grey Beautifully written with tender moments that make your heart go pitter patter...this story takes the reader on a journey of romantic ideals turning into something concrete and real...A definite must read for anyone that wants to simply be pulled along for a ride that makes them smile and give a goofy grin every few pages. Read more.
CELEBRATING YOU Grace R. Duncan I absolutely adored this story. Daniel and Jake are both wonderful people as evidenced by their behavior…Although it was a short story, I actually felt like I got to know both of the characters and truly believed that they had a chance at a future together. I really enjoyed this heartwarming story with two sexy men who turned the end of the world into the beginning of their future together. Read more.
HEART OF THE OAK Rory Ni Coileain Beautifully written, evocative with the warm yet sometimes harsh tones of the landscape and Trevor's life adding to the story to bring it to life, this is a true love story, a coming of age almost for Trevor…I recommend this to anyone who wants a tender, sexy read couched in magick and imagination…Read more.
TURBULENCE Lyn Gala Phenomenal and romantic adventure in deep space with wonderful characters and an intriguing plot that kept me completely entranced from the beginning to the end… It had the perfect balance of science fiction and reality without an excessive amount of new terminology…Extraordinary storytelling and incredible character development made this science-fiction adventure a definite keeper! Read more.
MUSTANG Erin O’Quinn; Nya Rawlyns Once again beautifully written, with the breath of the Nevada country on every page, exhaling its magic, and with scenes of raw beauty and emotion that make you laugh, cry, your heart wrench, your stomach clench and the wonderful singing of love between them. There are descriptions of romance and loving that will melt your heart and make it sing too. I love the series of books in the Wilderness Trail, and I look forward to reading each one. Read more.
*This is not a comprehensive list. For more reviews of GLBT books, check out the site.
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Erotic Romance January 2014
Please welcome Sandra Pesso, Marketing Manager of Evernight Publishing!
Q: Please tell us about Evernight Publishing. What is the Follow vision and mission of Evernight Publishing? Evernight Our vision for Evernight is to provide our readers with a wide variety of quality romance and erotic romance. Rather than Publishing focusing on one sub-genre of romance, our goal is to give our readers a place to explore all sub-genres under the romance Website umbrella. We also aim to be author-friendly by providing Blog professional, yet personal, service and support. Facebook Q: What genres does Evernight Publishing publish? Teen Facebook We’re a premier publisher of Romance, Erotic Romance and Urban Fantasy. With new titles releasing daily, readers will find a large Twitter selection of historical, contemporary, paranormal, GLBT, interracial, Teen Pinterest western, sci-fi/fantasy, sweet romance, New Adult and everything in between. We also launched an upper Young Adult imprint last year called Evernight Teen. Our collection includes teen romance, coming of age stories, and cutting edge fiction today’s young adults can relate to. Readers will find real issues, a strong emotional punch and a plot to keep the pages turning.
Q: How many releases does Evernight Publishing publish in a month and how frequently?
We average approximately thirty new releases each month and usually have at least one release each weekday. Our new releases are available at a 25% discount on our website for a limited time.
Q: What is the length of the books you’re publishing? In what formats are Evernight Publishing available to readers?
Our book lengths vary from 8,000 to 100,000 words. For readers who enjoy shorter stories to be read in a sitting for two, there’s our Romance on the Go line as well as a selection of anthologies. Our titles are available in all electronic formats and can be purchased on our website, Amazon, B&N, AllRomance eBooks, BookStrand, Smashwords and most other major online book retailers.
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Q: What are some of your popular genres? Authors?
Shifters are very popular right now. In fact, our newest anthology, Alpha’s Claim (Jan 2014 release), is dedicated to shifters. GLBT and ménage genres are also favorites of our readers. Some of our popular authors include Sam Crescent, Jenika Snow, Doris O’Connor, Stacey Espino, Hazel Gower, Erin M. Leaf, Tyler Robbins and James Cox.
Q: Any exciting books upcoming?
There are always new and exciting stories on deck at Evernight and we encourage readers to check out our Coming Soon page on our website. Currently, Avril Ashton is getting ready to publish two of her Fantasies: Thr33 series books, When Morning Comes and As Night Falls. Also we’ll see more of Jenika Snow’s Sweet Water series. We’re also excited about multiple titles from Sam Crescent and Vanessa Devereaux
Q: For aspiring writers, what is the submission process?
We are currently accepting completed manuscripts of 8,000 to 100,000 words in all sub-genres of romance, erotic romance and some urban fantasy. Your book should be thoroughly edited before submitting. We want books that have well developed plots, strong conflict, memorable characters and great dialog. Our submission requirements are listed on the Submissions page of our website.
Q: What is the absolute worst thing that a writer can do to screw up his or her chances of being published?
Sometimes we see writers who are so excited to get their work out into the hands of readers, they don’t take the time to proofread and edit their manuscript. This step is so important whether authors are submitting to a publisher or self-publishing.
Q: How important is marketing and what’s the writer’s responsibility in this area? Since most writers have no expertise in this area how can they ensure that their stories appeal to their target markets?
Social media plays a huge part in marketing today. Readers want to get to know the authors they enjoy reading. Fans will take the time to look up an author’s Twitter handle or Facebook page, so the author should be prepared with a social media platform and blog.
Q: What, in your opinion, are the major differences for a writer in terms of being published by epubs and print, other than time frames related to releases? Are there significant advantages for either format?
I believe readers love the flexibility and immediate availability of eBooks. eBooks allow publishers to offer a low cost for titles which is appreciated by avid readers. Plus, erotic romance readers enjoy the anonymity of reading anything they wish without anyone judging the cover of the book they’re reading.
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Q: What are “hot buttons” for readers to help to sell erotic books – is it kink? The number of sex scenes per book? The heat in the sex scenes? In your experience, are readers still turned on by a good story with great characters that move them?
Readers insist on a good story. It’s the difference between erotic romance and erotica. Romance is the primary driver of erotic romance, not sex. Sex scenes whether numerous or sprinkled within the story should have a purpose to drive the plot and character development.
Q: What promotions are you running right now for readers?
We are pleased to offer TRR Readers a coupon code to save 30% during the month of January! Use coupon code: TRR2014 during check-out at Evernight and Evernight Teen.
Q: What does Evernight Publishing have planned for 2014 and beyond?
We’re looking forward to a fantastic 2014. Our submissions are at an all-time high so readers can expect great things to come. We’re excited to have a presence at the RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans this year. Attendees can expect Evernight goodies in their totebags, Evernight and Evernight Teen baskets filled with print books and swag to win as well as other advertising. We also expect to see some of our authors and an Evernight representative will be available for pitches.
Q: Call for Submissions
We are currently seeking romance and erotic romance books in all sub-genres from 8k to 100K. We’d especially like to see gay romance, shifters, sci-fi ménage, and any story with a unique and interesting premise.
Evernight Teen accepts all genres of young adult fiction targeted at readers 14+. We’d especially like to see contemporary teen romance.
Thank you so much, Sandra. It’s great to know more about Evernight Publishing! Now, off to use that coupon!
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Erotic Romance January 2014
Alpha Me Not Jianne Carlo
White Wolf, Book #3 ISBN: 9781611188486 What’s alpha-to-the-max Joe Huroq to do Publisher: Loose Id when he meets his mate and her life- Publication mantra is ALPHA ME NOT, in all caps? date: 8/28/2012 Claim her, of course. But Susie White’s Genre: Erotic Romance, going down fighting all the way… Paranormal, Contemporary, Suspense Susie White wants no picket fences, no Buy Links: alpha, and no cubs. White wolf woman Amazon she may be, but no pack for her, no All Romance eBooks sireee. Alpha Me Not, that's her motto. In Barnes and Noble all caps. Jianne Carlo Website Mercenary and half-breed wolf Joe Huroq's not looking for a mate. Stop and go screwing, that's his motto. Hot and heavy between missions. Then he glimpses his new neighbor tanning nude and the situation explodes.
Literally. Susie's house is consumed by fire due to a faulty propane tank.
What's Joe to do but offer Susie his hospitality?
Susie can't resist the temptation of big, bad, mercenary, so she suggests a friends with benefits arrangement which he accepts with an amazing alacrity. The sex is frantic, hot, and frequent. Neither one can keep their hands off the other.
Then children go missing. The fire's deemed arson. Bodies pile up.
Susie refuses to accept Joe's mate claim.
How can he keep her safe when she won't obey a single order?
oe drew out the dinner, insisting on a decaf cappuccino after their main course, and prodded Azzo into a selection of every dessert on the menu. When the tray with the sweets arrived, J Susie drooled a sigh and debated aloud which chocolate decadence to sample.
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Before he could voice the suggestion, Azzo swept a courtier’s bow and declared, “For you, Susie mia, I will bring a sample of each.”
“That’s so sweet of you, Azzo.”
Joe flexed his hands when she touched Azzo’s bulging forearm for a mere breath.
“I haven’t had the time to run much this week. How about we save the sample for another time, and I just have the banana split tonight?”
Could she have ordered any dessert more designed to titillate? A banana, for chrissake?
“But of course, Susie mia. Would you like the traditional banana split? Or Mama’s version with three flavors of chocolate?”
Where the frick had this “Susie mia” bit come from? Joe scowled at the Italian gigolo.
“Three flavors of chocolate?” Susie licked her lips.
Azzo kissed his fingers. “You will, how you say, climax on the chocolate.”
No. That was not—how you say—what the young stud meant. He’d have to have a fist-meet-teeth talk with Azzo later.
“We have ze chocolate almond, ze chocolate orange, and ze chocolate peanut ice cream. A little of each, no?” Azzo spoke perfect English when he wanted. His fake macho Italian accent grated Joe’s nerves raw. Susie clapped her hands. “Perfect.”
Joe ordered another cappuccino.
After Azzo delivered the banana split with all the accompanying pomp and circumstance of a coronation ceremony, Joe bared his teeth, and said, “I noticed that the cameras aren’t on. Is something wrong with the security system?”
Azzo glanced at the two minicams set into the corners of the room. He cursed under his breath. “That Luciano, he lives in another world. Once again, he has turned off the switch. ‘Scusi.”
Relaxing when the young stud disappeared through the kitchen’s swinging doors, Joe braced an arm on the chair, turned to face Susie, and near choked on his spit.
She’d speared the banana in half, and proceeded to dip the tip in each of the three chocolate ice cream scoops. He dug his hands into the wooden chair handles. A sliver stabbed his thumb and he hardly noticed, couldn’t drag his gaze from her pink, delicate tongue as she lovingly licked the fudgy cream and then sucked on the cleaned banana.
“I’m somewhat of a chocoholic.”
Somewhat.
If he moved a muscle, if he so much as inhaled, if he didn’t stop staring at the dark smudge on her lower lip, he’d come in his pants, right there and then. He yanked his gaze to the ceiling. Counted to ten in Arabic, Mandarin, and Armenian.
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When his ragged breathing regained something close to a normal rhythm, he jerked his attention back to Susie, and stifled a groan as he watched the last morsel of fruit vanish into her mouth.
He’d give his left nut and then some if she’d agree to clean chocolate off his dick.
“I love bananas. Hey, I heard they grow in Florida. Like, you know, the whole banana tree thing. Can you imagine waking up to a bunch of ripe bananas?”
Jesus.
He was going to detonate on the spot.
Azzo reappeared. He rocked on his heels and beamed. “Mama has a bunch of banana trees out back.”
Her eyes went spaceship wide and took on a faraway glaze. “No kidding? That was an off-the-tree banana? Wow.”
Azzo did that I’m-a-horny-Italian-sex-god-sweep of fingers and thumb to his mouth. “Shall I show you? You can even pick a few bananas to take home with you for breakfast tomorrow.”
And Joe’d be there to watch her eat it.
Come hell or Armageddon. Holy crap. Even the notion of her candy-pink tongue sliding down the length of his banana had him ready to ignite. And damn if she wouldn’t suck the crown as lovingly as she had that fricking lucky banana.
About the Author:
Award winning author, Jianne Carlo’s motto is simple: Alpha Me Please.
While strong heroines, exotic locations, and cultural differences are her forte, she goes weak in the knees for warriors and alphas. Send her a man with an attitude and she’ll find the right woman to tame him.
Jianne loves hot and spicy food, stomach-plunging park rides, and is kept on her toes by her Viking husband of thirty-five years, and three, handsome grown sons. There’s nothing she likes more than hearing from readers
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Diane, it’s a pleasure to welcome you once again to this issue of the ezine to talk about another of your series, LIBERTINE ISLAND.
Q: What inspired you to write this series?
I'd already written a number of Club Libertine books set in Seattle, but I wanted a change of venue. Then I visited St. Maarten and that was it. I loved the island and the people and got the idea for my own private little island.
Q: Please tell us a little about the overall series arc.
LIBERTINE ISLAND is the latest business venture from the team who own the original Club Libertine. In Club Libertine book 3, No Accounting for Love, Damon and Andie fall in love while getting the books organized and scouting new locations. They are down on Libertine Island managing the operation. The challenge with an island resort is that the visitors come and go. We all are used to 1 or maybe 2 week vacations which is a tight timeframe for falling in love and having a HEA, so I decided to concentrate on the staff who are living and working on the island.
The first book starts with Rebecca who needs a job while she's working on her thesis in "Sex on the Beach". When she tells her friends that she's in love with two men, Aly comes down in book 2 in order to make sure her friend is okay and gets to experience "Sun, Sand and Submission". The catalyst for book 3 is Aly's wedding where Jen meets Caleb and eventually Rey who has come to the island to retrieve "The Runaway Sub". Also at the wedding is Maggie (sister of the groom) and she gets her own story in book 4, "The Picture of Submission". Then in book 5, Caleb's moving back to the US, so it's the new doctor who gets her own book who has to deal with "Charlotte's Dilemma".
Q: When you started this series, did you already have a clear vision of the books and characters you wanted to write about? Or did that evolve over time?
I knew who the first four heroines were. The rest evolved. It's funny how characters come into a story. I hadn't meant to write book 5 for a while, but JJ made small appearances in several of the books and insisted he get his own HEA.
Q: In the first book, Sex on the Beach, what made Rebecca accept a job at a BDSM resort? How did she react when brothers Mal and Mike offer to teach her all about BDSM?
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She'd gone to the island for several reasons. In the most basic terms, she needed a job, but she was also getting away from a bad situation and a lecherous professor. She also saw her upcoming life in academia as staid and predictable once she settled down into a teaching position. She wants an adventure and the idea of a fling with two men was something she thought she could look back on in her old age. She never expected it to be more than just some fun. As for learning BDSM, she's an academic and she realized that if she's going to work in a BDSM resort, she needed to do some hands on research, so to speak.
Q: In The Picture of Submission, book 4, how did Maggie deal with almost everyone around her being into BDSM? Why is she so set on doing the photos for a prestigious book? What’s in it for her that she would agree to learn more about being a submissive?
Maggie had a rough childhood and often felt out of control. She equates submission to being helpless, but on some level, she's intrigued, too. The idea of being able to trust someone enough to give them control appeals to her on a fundamental level that she's not yet ready to acknowledge. She goes after the book job partly because she knows that she'll finally need to confront this inner need that she can't make herself acknowledge.
Q: What’s the most romantic moment between Maggie and one or maybe all of her three gorgeous hunks?
This isn't exactly a romantic scene. But it's the first scene where Maggie finally starts to acknowledge that she wants to learn more. Until this point, she's been nothing but disdainful at the thought of submission and BDSM.
* * * * *
“I still don’t understand what’s wrong with my pictures of Andie and Duncan,” Maggie lied. She could feel her composure start to crack.
For all of her bluster and confidence, deep down she’d known something was missing from the photos but she hadn’t wanted to admit it. Getting this job would quiet that little voice inside her head that told her she’d failed. Oh, esthetically, the photos of Andie and Duncan were beautiful, but once she’d compared them to the photos of Max and Aly, she’d known that she’d missed something.
She kept trying to tell herself that she was just imagining things. The pictures were stunning. What she thought was missing from the photos was just her imagination, because she didn’t have the same emotional connection to Andie and Duncan as she did with Max and Aly, but deep down she knew that wasn’t it. She didn’t know the people she’d taken pictures of as a photojournalist and some of those had been amazingly personal photos because she could empathize with them, put herself in their shoes.
With Andie and Duncan, she envied their connection, but she held a part of herself back, obviously the part of her that made her a great photographer. She looked up at Chris and cringed inside as he was saying exactly what she’d thought herself but would never say out loud, especially not to a Dom, especially not to this Dom.
And she was pretty sure she needed to hear him say the words, to make it real, to give her the impetus to do what she’d wanted to do ever since she’d first set foot on Libertine Island and seen the subs with their Doms and realized just what had been missing from all her previous relationships with men.
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“They have no soul, no heart. They are pictures that any half-decent photographer could have taken. They are just pictures of what you saw. You did not show the soul-deep connection between Andie and Duncan. Duncan may be a Dom and he may own Andie’s body and can use it as he sees fit, but that is only because Andie gives herself to him. He cannot own her without her permission, which she can, by the way, withdraw at any time. Whatever she allows him to do to her is because it gives her joy to please him. And he, in turn, makes sure all of her needs are met. She is well loved and well fucked on a regular basis.”
“Even when he beats her with a cane?”
“Yes, especially then.”
Maggie laughed derisively. “You say that as someone who wields the cane in the relationship. You’d think differently if you were the one getting beaten.”
“You obviously have never heard of Mistress Deanna. She’s a legend on the Chicago scene. She trains new Doms and hold classes for experienced Doms whenever there is enough demand.”
“And teaches them what? I didn’t think Doms listened to anyone.”
“A good Dom doesn’t use anything on a sub he or she hasn’t had the appropriate level of training with, whether it is a whip or a clamp or a form of restraint that’s new to them, especially Shibari or suspension. A great Dom experiences these things firsthand before doing them to another person.”
Q: Which is your favorite scene in the entire series? Why?
This is one of my favorite scenes. It is from "The Runaway Sub" when Rey realizes that things are different on the island. Rather than being the Dom and just being able to give orders, Rey realizes that Caleb's happiness may be with Jen and not Rey himself and prepares himself for the fact that for the sake of his sub's happiness, he may have to walk away, but he's not prepared to do that without a fight.
* * * * *
Caleb was his first concern. He would ruthlessly use this woman to get Caleb back. He had to. It would not do to get too attached with her before Caleb made his final decision. If he wanted only Rey, then Rey would send her away. If he decided he wanted only her, then Rey would give them both up. He wanted Caleb’s happiness above all, so he had to try not to get too emotionally attached to Jen.
But if Caleb decided he wanted them both, Rey realized he would be okay with that. More than okay, really. He’d only known her a short time, but Jen made Caleb happy, and that made Rey happy. If Caleb wanted to keep her, then Rey would do anything it took to make it happen, including spending the next two weeks training her, showing her just how much pleasure she could receive from them, making her want and need the two of them.
In fact, he would train her to crave them both, need them both, he decided, so that if Caleb did love Jen and wanted her happiness above all, he would realize that he needed Rey to help satisfy Jen. It would be crumbs, but Rey would take what he could get if it would keep Caleb in his life.
But that was putting the cart before the horse. Reynaldo Montoya was an optimist and a Dominant. He had two weeks to determine his fate, and he would not sit passively by. He’d spend those two weeks showing Caleb and Jen that they belonged with him, to him, submitting to him. And once he made up his mind, he was single-minded and relentless in achieving his goals. He
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Erotic Romance January 2014 turned and felt the fire in his side. It was the single-minded drive that had almost cost him Caleb and even his own life.
It was time to turn it to a more positive goal. Now that he’d tracked down his runaway sub, he now wanted it all. Time for “Operation: Happily ever after.”
Q: Which is the most heartbreaking scene in the entire series? Why?
I think that would have to be the scene in Sex on the Beach when Rebecca realizes that she almost got raped because her men were more concerned with their jealousy than her well being.
* * * * *
“Mike, you’ve even seen me deal with difficult clients. You know that I can handle myself and stay professional. And you had to have seen the depth of my revulsion. I tried to hide it, but even Brad noticed and…”
She paused and looked at Mike and then Mal. And then she knew.
“Brad. He’s the key, isn’t he? You two really are crazy, insanely jealous of Brad. Aren’t you? Aren’t you?”
They both refused to meet her eyes.
“Damn you. You stuck me with Holtzman as a punishment. You were jealous, and instead of handling it like adults or even like Doms, you acted like jealous children and punished me. Was it Brad you didn’t trust, or was it me?”
“We trusted you, sweetheart.”
“Then why did you punish me?”
“We didn’t…I mean, Brad, we couldn’t.” Mike stumbled on his words.
“Let me spell it out. You couldn’t punish Brad because he has a Dom who wouldn’t go for it because you had no real reason, so you settled for punishing me.
“Well, let me tell you something, boys, Brad was nice to me. Really nice. And he saw the problems I was having with Holtzman and went out of his way to help me. But if you can’t see how madly in love with Damon and Kris he is, then you are blind. He was kind to me. He was a friend.”
“You always seemed so happy and relaxed with him. You smiled all the time, and after you did that training session with him, all you could talk about was Brad this and Brad that. Brad, Brad, Brad. I saw red.” Mal looked pale.
“I thought Doms were supposed to look after their sub’s needs.”
“We were trying to push your limits…” Mike’s voice was tentative. “Trying to help you learn to deal with difficult clients…”
“Bullshit. Bull-fucking-shit. You weren’t pushing my limits. And the ‘difficult client’ excuse, Mike, we’ve already covered that. You’ve seen me deal with difficult clients. The two of you were punishing me because you were jealous of Brad. You weren’t training me or correcting me or pushing my limits. You weren’t even punishing me for something I did. You were punishing me because you both felt jealous. That’s just not right. You saw that I enjoyed spending time with Brad, so you deliberately made me spend time with someone you knew I didn’t like.”
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“How were we supposed to know that Holtzman had been harassing you in the past? Rebecca, we didn’t know.”
“Don’t whine. It’s unbecoming. Brad didn’t know either, and it didn’t matter. He read the situation and took my side even withoutknowing the details. Do not try to tell me you were trying to help me in any way, shape, or form. This was all about you two and your insecurities. You haven’t even properly apologized for what you did to me or how you wronged Brad. Or, more importantly, why you did it. How am I ever supposed to trust you again?
“The photo in the brochure wasn’t really a big deal. It was just bad luck Holtzman saw it. Making me interact with Holtzman, I could even eventually forgive that if you did it for the reasons you claimed. What I’m having trouble forgiving is that the both of you let your jealousy rule you, and then you lied to me. You were supposed to be my Doms. You were supposed to protect me. And, instead, I almost get raped.
* * * *
“I’m tempted to just hitch a ride back to St. Maarten just to get away from you two block heads.”
“I forbid it!” She was surprised that it was Mike who was trying to lay down the law.
“Try again.”
“You get your ass back to our cabin, now. Or I’ll whip it good.”
“I don’t think so.” She looked from one to the other, her expression sad, and then she very clearly and deliberately added a single word. “Red.”
“Excuse me?”
“What?”
Mal’s tone was outraged. Mike just sounded like he thought he’d misheard.
“You heard me. I said red.”
Q: What is it about writing BDMS and ménage that draws you?
Besides the hot sex, it's the need for open and honest communication. It's not just the Dom or Doms doing things to the sub. They have to communicate and be on the same page. The sub gives the Dom control, they don't take it. So often we don't talk openly and honestly about our needs. These couples have to communicate to make sure that they understand their partners' limits and to ensure that no one feels left out or jealous.
Q: What kind of research did you do in the process of writing this series? Please share with us an interesting fact that you came across.
I did some fun research on St. Maarten. In the first book, I mentioned the beach near the Sonesta Maho hotel when the planes fly in low over the sand and that's a real place. And in several books including the 2nd and 5th, characters stay at the Sonesta Great Bay where I stayed and walk into Philipsburg, the capital. Even the "Pirate Tour" that Maggie signs up for is a real tour that I took.
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Q: Will there be more in the Libertine Island series? Please give us a sneak peek.
I'm still playing with various ideas. I think the with the Hayes brothers moving to Chicago, the island needs a new chef. I'm thinking a female chef this time, one who's ex husband shows up as one of the wait staff, determined to win back his wife.
Q: What’s up next for you?
I'm working on my newest series, Satisfaction Texas, which will feature cowboys and ménages in the wild west. Not to worry, though. I'll be returning again to Libertine Island.
Thank you for sharing with us insights into the Libertine Island series. Now for the Fast Answer Round:
Last book you read: W by Sue Grafton Favorite vacation location: There are so many. For sun, Mexico. For elephants, Thailand (Elephant Nature Park) Favorite dessert: Carmel Cheesecake Favorite drink: Diet Coke, Grey Hound (vodka and grapefruit juice) Favorite place to write: La Mision restaurant at the Rui Santa Fe in Los Cabos. It's open air, overlooking the Sea of Cortez. Wonderful place to work!
About the Author, Diane Leyne:
Diane Leyne is originally from a small town in Nova Scotia but grew up and still lives in Toronto. In additional to writing, she loves reading (especially thrillers and erotica), photography and travel. Visit her website at www.dianeleynebooks.com or like her on facebook at www.facebook.com/dianeleynebooks
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Book 1 in the Libertine Island series
Bookstrand Amazon Kindle Kobo
Rebecca Lawrence is just a thesis away from getting her PhD, but she wants an adventure before she settles down in academia. The former gymnast impulsively accepts a job at a private BDSM resort working as a physical trainer and yoga instructor. She’s assigned to work under the brothers Mal and Mike Reynolds who have also been tasked with teaching her about BDSM, a job they take very seriously.
The men offer her all the adventure she could want, and she takes quickly to submission, looking forward to a year working under the hunky brothers, sometimes literally. But there’s a serpent in paradise. During the pre-opening inspection, a university professor, whose advances she rejected previously, shows up on the island and starts hitting on her again. Can she count on the brothers to protect her, or is she the one that must do the protecting, as a bad report from Holtzman could cost all three of them their jobs.
Book 4 in the Libertine Island series
Bookstrand Amazon Kindle Kobo
It seems like everyone Maggie Barton knows is now into BDSM, including her adoptive brother and her three best friends. Maggie's happy to play at being submissive, but there's no way she's giving up control for real. But to get a plum job of doing the photos for a prestigious book on submission, she needs to learn all about the subject, fast. Enter the Hayes brothers.
She first met them on Libertine Island at her brother's wedding. Rejected by the oldest brother Chris, she ended up in the arms of Carter and Dalton, who didn't have Chris's issues about her not being able to truly submit. Now Chris has been asked to train her so she can truly understand what it means to be submissive. She can either accept his Dominance during the training period or give up the opportunity to illustrate the book. Luckily his brothers will be there to assist.
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Book 5 in the Libertine Island series
Bookstrand
Dr. Charlotte Montgomery is just looking to relax after years working in war zones. A job on a resort island and a fling with a younger man sounds like just the ticket.
Jedidiah Jesperson, also known as JJ, has dropped out of the rat race and now looks after the boats on Libertine Island and ferries the guests around. He falls for Charlotte at first meeting and must now convince her that even though he’s eight years younger than her, he’s more than just a toy boy. He’s looking for a real relationship and not just a fling.
Charlotte’s convinced that one day he’ll wake up and realize their age difference is too much so she proposes they be friends-with-benefits. Can she get past the age difference to see JJ as the man for her or will her doubts push him away forever?
Her ultimate sexual fantasy brought to life... by New York She'll loosen him up, and he'll tie Times bestselling author Opal her down. Carew!
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His to Possess #1: The Seduction Opal Carew
The first sizzling segment in the erotic serial His to Possess, an ISBN: 9781466850897 intoxicating tale of a woman torn Publisher: St. Martin’s Press between a dominant billionaire and Publication a tattooed, bad boy rock musician. date: 12/24/2013 Genre: Erotic Romance Jessica’s life was in ruins…until she Buy Links: met him. Publisher Link Amazon Standing alone in the rain feeling Barnes and Noble lost in a new city, with no job and Kobo books.com no prospects, she’s about to give up. Until Dane Rainier pulls up in his Opal Carew Website limo and offers her a ride.
Dane commands a vast business empire, and he can have anything he wants—and he wants Jessica. For one night, at least. Now he’s about to strip her bare and awaken her yearning to submit completely to a dominant billionaire.
But after the most intoxicating night of her life, will she ever be the same?
essica watched the busy traffic and streams of people passing by the window as she took a last sip of coffee, then set the empty mug on the table. One man crossing the street toward J her caught her eye. There was something familiar about his face, but she couldn’t get a good look at him to figure out why.
She pulled her wallet from her purse and placed her credit card on the bill the waitress had left on a plastic tray on the table. Eating at this little restaurant a block from her hotel had definitely been a good idea. The food here was much cheaper than at the hotel restaurant and this trip to Philadelphia was already straining her budget. Coming here for the big career fair was worth the risk, though.
The waitress came by and picked up her card. As Jessica waited for her to return, she continued watching the men and women rushing by in business attire, trying to catch sight of the man again.
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Self-consciously, she reached behind her head and checked her hair, which was held in a twist at the back of her head. She didn’t usually wear her long, black hair pinned up, but she felt it looked more professional this way. The same with her smart charcoal gray suit and white blouse. Not her usual attire, since the environment at her cousin’s Sally’s company, where Jessica had last worked, had been pretty casual and everyone who worked there normally wore jeans to the office. Thank heavens for credit cards.
She glanced at her watch, and her stomach churned. She had to get going. The waitress returned with her card and Jessica signed the slip and tucked the receipt into her wallet. As she slipped on her coat, she noticed the man again, this time buying a newspaper from a news stand just outside. She froze as she realized why this man had drawn her attention.
It was Storm.
This man, in his expensive-looking, tailored suit, his dark hair in a short and stylish cut, was the opposite of the Storm she knew. Her Storm had spiky hair and was typically in comfortable jeans and a skin-tight tank top that showed off his muscles and tattoos, with a black leather jacket at the ready for when he hopped on his big, sleek Harley. He was a guitarist in her brother’s rock band, and he wouldn’t be caught dead in business attire.
She watched this suited man as he tucked the paper under his arm and started walking down the street. That was definitely Storm’s face. She gathered her purse and briefcase from the chair beside her and stood up. What was Storm doing here? And dressed like that?
She hadn’t seen him in over a month. Not since the night he’d walked out on her.
Everything had been so good between them before that. Her heartbeat sped up at the memory. It had been better than good. All the women in town had been gaga over him, but he’d only had eyes for her. Hot, incredibly sexy eyes. She almost giggled at the memory. He was so tall, sexy and macho. He could have had any woman he wanted, but he’d chosen her. He’d always made her melt inside every time he looked at her with that bad boy smile, and those smoldering, love- filled eyes.
At least, she’d thought it had been love, but clearly she’d been wrong. He’d up and left her life as abruptly as he’d entered it six months earlier, leaving her heartbroken and lonely.
She strolled to the door of the restaurant and stepped outside into the cool air. The sky was overcast and she hoped the rain would hold off until she was inside the career fair.
She noticed Storm was now in the crowd of people waiting at the light on the next block. The light turned green and he crossed.
Why was he here in Philadelphia?
Was it possible he’d come here looking for her? Maybe her mom had told him she was here and he’d come looking for her to tell her he couldn’t live without her.
But surely Mom wouldn’t do that.
It was a farfetched thought anyway, because right now he and the band should be travelling through California. But she couldn’t think of any other reason why Storm would be in Philadelphia. And he was walking in the direction of her hotel.
Her heart swelled at the thought that he still loved her. She longed to be in his arms again. His hard, muscular body pressed tight to hers. His big, strong arms around her.
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Oh, God, she’d missed him. Dreamt of him night after night, waking up quivering with need.
She glanced at her watch. She could grab a cab to the career fair, which would get her there fairly quickly. That way, a short detour shouldn’t make her late. She hurried across the street after him. He turned into a Starbuck’s. Perfect. She could go in and just casually run into him. No biggie. Just two old friends happening across each other in a new city.
She opened the door and hurried inside, then glanced around and saw him at the counter placing his order.
Her heart fluttered. She knew that if he turned and gave her that heart-melting smile of his, then told her he wanted her back, she’d throw herself into his arms and kiss him like crazy. Then she would probably drag him back to her hotel room.
A smile curled her lips. Why kid herself? If he was here to win her back—and why else would he be here?—she would welcome him with open arms.
She drew back her shoulders and marched toward him.
“Storm,” she said as casually as she could manage.
He poured cream into his coffee, then opened a sugar packet, totally ignoring her.
She stepped closer. “Storm.”
He glanced toward her and her heart stopped. Oh, God, that’s not Storm.
Her cheeks heated as she stared at the complete stranger.
About the Author:
Hi. I’m Opal Carew and I write erotic romance for St. Martin’s Press.
I’ve been writing since 1993, though originally I wrote futuristic, urban fantasy, science fiction, paranormal and contemporary romance. These stories are set in the present, future, or alternate realities and most of my stories are steamy. I am now republishing these under the name Amber Carew.
As Opal Carew, I write erotic romances which always have a romance and a happy ending.
So why do I like writing erotic romance? I like being able to push beyond traditional boundaries. I like dealing with a woman who is growing and evolving – questioning her sexual boundaries and pushing past them. I have been writing stories that involve multiple characters and it’s fascinating to work with the interactions between them. What fun to write a heroine choosing between two equally appealing heroes? My current project involves a group of several people who interact sexually and I find the scenario an enjoyable challenge.
I try to keep my characters real. I like to have a heroine with whom the reader can empathize. These aren’t women who just jump into bed with anyone. They find themselves in an unusual situation – something exciting and erotic – but a situation where they have to push themselves beyond their comfort level. As a result, they grow as a person. So often fear holds us back – of
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Erotic Romance January 2014 what others will think of us, of what we will think about ourselves – and we don’t follow our hearts. These women push past that fear.
Check www.opalcarew.com to learn more about my books!
When you find out your best He's the Master. She's the slave. friend is the dom of your Yet Tarken has to wonder, who's dreams... whipping who here?
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Roz, welcome to this issue of The Romance Reviews’ ezine. Let’s get to it and talk about your Mustangs Baseball series!
Q: What inspired you to write the Mustangs Baseball series?
I’d just turned in the last of my Lothario Series (The Lust Boat) to my editor and was trying to decide which idea running around in my head I would work on next. We had been invited to a San Diego Padres game by some business associates of my husbands. It was a lovely day at Petco Park, as most days are in San Diego, and our seats were excellent. We were so close to home plate I could see and hear everything. I love a good baseball game, but my mind began to wander to the individual players. If I were to write them, who would they be? What would their professional and personal interactions be like?
The idea I jotted down that day was for a pitcher and catcher who began playing baseball together as kids and were still together as a team in the Major Leagues. Later, seeing that my characters would need something more solid to bind them together, given the stress I saw in their future, I decided to make them twins.
Q: What’s the fascination with baseball?
I grew up living the Friday Night Lights (football) reality. I was actually at a few of the games mentioned in the book! Baseball wasn’t on my radar until 1971 when the Washington Senators became the Texas Rangers. The Dallas area had a new professional sports team, and I was hooked! It was four years before I got to go to a game, but it was worth the wait.
The guy who took me to that game later became my husband. We’ve been together for over thirty-five years now. We have two daughters who played competitive softball all the way through college, so as a family we practically lived at softball fields across the U.S. for two decades. Softball and baseball are very much alike, rules and strategy wise. Over the years I’ve developed great respect for the intelligence of the truly great players. It might look like a slow, easy game to some, but if you study it, you’ll see how complicated it really is.
Q: Please tell us a little about the overall series arc.
Each book in the series revolves around one, or more, players on the Mustangs Baseball team. Though each story can stand alone, there are recurring characters in all of them. I like to keep the game in the books, so we see the players in the clubhouse, on the field, and at social events.
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One of my favorite characters is the team manager, Doyle Walker. He’s based on a real person – my high school World History teacher. Thanks to Facebook, he’s reconnected with many of his former students. He was fresh out of college and we were his first teaching assignment, so the age difference, which seemed enormous then, isn’t all that great now. Doyle is a huge baseball fan so I asked if I could make him the Mustangs manager. He was thrilled to be immortalized by one of his students, even if it was in a series of erotic romances!
Q: When you started this series, did you already have a clear vision of the books and characters you wanted to write about? Or did that evolve over time?
As I mentioned earlier, I had Jeff and Jason Holder in my head from the beginning, but I wasn’t sure I would write more than their two stories, but once I began telling their stories, the other players began to “speak” to me! Yeah, I know. I probably need to see a shrink about those voices in my head! Anyway, I couldn’t ignore them. The guys are just too loveable. As long as they keep talking, I’ll keep writing their stories.
Q: In Switch Hitter, book 4, who is Sean Flannery? What is his relation to Bentley?
Oh, I love talking about this book! I adore Sean Flannery. He’s a super macho baseball player, but he has a secret. He’s gay. Sean was already a seasoned player when Bentley came up from the Minor League. At that time, they weren’t playing for the Mustangs. There was a bit of an incident in the clubhouse shower that sent Bentley running from himself, and from Sean. A run of bad luck on Sean’s part brought them back together five years later when Sean was traded to the Mustangs.
Q: Tell us more about Bentley. What in his past made him into the man he is today?
Bentley Randolph is a complicated guy. For years he’s been trying to forget a certain incident that occurred in the shower when he played for the Pioneers. It was a onetime thing. A fluke. He’s sure of it. But to prove the point, to himself, and perhaps Sean Flannery, he’s cultivated a reputation as a womanizer.
10. What was their first meeting in the present like?
This scene was so much fun to write! It’s been five years since Sean and Bentley have been in the same locker room. Bentley has done his best to forget what happened back then, but Sean hasn’t forgotten, or forgiven Bentley for asking to be traded. Here’s the opening scene from SWITCH HITTER.
* * * * *
Bentley slipped on his shoes and straightened the hems on his dress slacks. He’d played a decent game, no errors, fielded two outs, and contributed a single, a double, plus two RBI’s to the Mustangs’ win. Not bad for a day’s work. All he wanted to do now was go home, kick back a few brews then go to bed. With a little luck, Ashley wouldn’t have to work late tonight, and he’d have someone to cuddle up to. He smiled to himself thinking of all the ways he’d like to snuggle with her, but she’d been working insane hours the last few weeks. The chances of getting to do anything with her tonight were slim to none.
A ripple of excited chatter near the door caught his attention. Another reporter, most likely. With one last check to make sure nothing was hanging out that shouldn’t be, he slid his cell phone, car keys, and wallet into their respective pockets. Turning the corner at the end of his bank of lockers, he stopped. A group of players in various stages of dress clustered around a central
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Erotic Romance January 2014 figure. His heart stuttered. When it found its rhythm again, it took off like it had been zapped with a cattle prod.
Sean fuckin’ Flannery. In the Mustangs’ Clubhouse.
Stripping him in his mind, his memory filled in every detail hidden by the man’s designer duds. The interloper looked up, those laser blue eyes meeting his. The air between them seemed charged with electricity. Bentley realized time and distance hadn’t done a goddamn thing except maybe make him want the man more. Blood rushed south. His dick stood at attention.
I don’t need him. I’m a man, not a fucking pervert.
He moved, intending to get the hell out, but Sean pushed his way through the group of players surrounding him. The bastard looked like a fuckin’ cover model. An artful scruff of beard screamed testosterone overload, setting off his perfect facial features, making him look perpetually ready for bed. At just over six feet tall, he moved with the grace of a natural athlete.
I don’t want him.
From the corner of his eye, he caught movement. The next thing he knew, a fist headed right at his face. Bentley ducked, causing the bastard’s rock of a hand to connect with his eye instead of square in the middle of his face.
What the fuck?
Five years of fear, self-hatred, denial, and disgust bubbled to the surface. I want him. I want to fuck his brains out—right here, right now. He retaliated in a more appropriate way, given they were surrounded by people—he smashed the man’s too perfect nose. Blood spurted like he’d smashed one of those little ketchup packets from a fast-food place.
Take that, you fucking asshole.
The man went down. Bent followed him to the floor where they rolled around, punching and cursing at each other like a couple of hotheaded adolescents. The bastard landed his share of blows to Bentley’s ribs and stomach. Bent got in a few jabs of his own before someone shouted, “Whoa!”
“Hey!” Strong fingers closed over his forearm, yanking it back before he could slam his fist into the man’s face one last time. “Break it up!”
Doyle Walker’s voice felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head. Panting, he allowed his teammates to haul him to his feet. He stepped back a respectable distance. Someone handed Flannery a towel that he pressed to his nose.
I hope I fucking broke it.
“What’s going on here?” Doyle demanded.
“Nothing,” they answered in unison.
“It sure as hell didn’t look like nothing to me.” The Mustangs’ manager looked around at the gathering. “Get out of here, all of you.” No one moved. He pointed his index finger at the man who started the altercation. “My office. Tomorrow. Ten-thirty.”
Bent smirked then Doyle turned to him. “You. My office, tomorrow. Eleven o’clock.”
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Well, shit.
Sean headed off in the direction of the restroom, the towel still pressed to his nose. Bent shrugged off the hands still holding him. Ignoring his teammates’ curious looks and amused grins, he left.
Q: What’s the most romantic moment in Switch Hitter?
By far, the most romantic scene in the book is the last one. Obviously, I can’t share that one with you, so here’s what I consider the second most romantic scene. Here, Sean is taken by surprise when Bentley makes a move—finally.
* * * * *
Two days into the Seattle trip, on trainers’ orders, he moved to a third floor room in the hotel—one he could climb the stairs to in order to strengthen his hip muscles. Waving goodbye to a group of his teammates heading to the elevator, he entered the stairwell off the lobby. At last, he’d gotten a private hotel room, but the price was no elevator to get to it. As he approached the second floor landing, he weighed the situation in his mind, deciding it was a fair trade. Besides, he just had to make the climb a couple of times a day, max.
Lost in his thoughts, he barely registered the door opening and closing on the floor above him. Seeing the man waiting for him on the third floor landing, he stopped short.
Bent Randolph stared down at him. His hair appeared to have been combed with a rake, and his cheeks were flushed. His hands were fisted at his sides.
Shit. Just what I need, another fight.
“Look, man, I’m beat. Whatever you have to say, can it wait?”
Bentley fidgeted, clearly undecided about what he’d come there to do. Damn, the color in his cheeks reminded Sean of the way he looked when he came. The memory pissed him off. He didn’t want to be reminded of the man’s passion or how much he longed to put that expression on his face every fucking day.
Sean took the last few steps to the landing. Stopping when they were on the same level, he sighed. “Spit it out, Randolph. I haven’t got all day.”
Before he could escape, his back hit the wall hard, forcing the air from his lungs. Gasping for breath, he hesitated. Instinct said to defend himself, but his attacker was Bentley. He didn’t want to hurt the bastard, just beat the shit out of him, make him feel the same level of pain he felt every goddamn day.
“Shut the hell up, Flannery.”
The man’s rock-hard body pinned him to the wall from chest to hips. Through their thin dress slacks, he felt a thick cock pressing into his belly.
“Just shut the fuck up.”
Large hands closed around his face. Rosy lips came closer, crushing his own, moving, demanding, taking. Hips ground hard against Sean’s, startling another groan from him. Taking advantage, Bent plunged his tongue past Sean’s lips.
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Desire ignited like a flash-fire, searing good sense to ashes. His cock surged to attention. He held Bent’s hips steady so he could do some grinding of his own.
The kiss was punishing—just what he would have expected from the man pinning him to the wall if he’d allowed himself to imagine such a thing ever occurring. His rational self had prevented any such musings, so now he had to wonder, why, as he returned the kiss with equal fervor.
Lost in the feel of the masculine mouth covering his, he froze when hands found his belt buckle, working it free.
“Not a goddamn fucking word from you,” he said, his eyes blazing with intent.
Sean’s heart leapt to his throat. He couldn’t respond even if he’d wanted to.
Q: How do you come up with such emotionally driven plots?
I’m not above taking a plot straight out of the headlines and after twisting and turning it a bit, using it for my own nefarious purposes. The one thing headlines lack is emotion. (“Just the facts, ma’am.”) That’s where the fun comes in for me.
Professional athletes are highly motivated individuals or they would never reach the level of success they have. However, the reasons behind their drive to succeed are as individual as the players themselves. I take a look at each one of my characters, and like any good shrink, I poke around in their brains asking questions. Why did you do that? How did that make you feel?
I’m of the opinion that life is never simple, no matter how perfect our life may look everyone else, we all have something we hide from the world. Sometimes we even hide it from ourselves. Fortunately, my characters can’t hide from me. I know everything, and I’m not above spilling their secrets for the world to see.
Q: How do you come up with such a strong and memorable romance and love scenes?
Without emotion, there would be no romance, and love scenes would be sex scenes. I do my best to build the emotion into romance. If I do it right, the love scenes blossom naturally out of the romance. I know. That’s a twisted answer, but it’s the best I’ve got. Just to throw something else out there for you to think about—there are lots of emotions besides love—anger, hate, frustration, sadness, grief, etc. Romance can build from any of them.
Q: How do you write such explicit love scenes with multiple men and one woman, and still keep them apart in a way that is easy for the reader to follow?
LOL I have a vivid imagination? Well, that’s part of it, but writing that sort of scene isn’t easy, and to be honest, I’m never completely sure I’ve accomplished it. I guess the short answer is, if the reader knows the characters well enough, it will be easier for them to distinguish their actions from the actions of others once they all start tangling the sheets up. The trick is giving each character distinct mannerisms and speech so the reader can follow who’s doing/saying what.
Q: Who are some of your romance influences? What about your writing influences, if different?
I love to read historical romances (any sub-genre) for fun. Some of my favorites are Eloisa James, Jude Devereaux, Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz, and on the erotic side—Elizabeth Amber. I began writing erotic romance after taking an online class offered by Jan Springer. If anyone has influenced my writing, I would have to give her credit. Who do I want to write like
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Erotic Romance January 2014 when I grow up? (Thanks for asking!) That would have to be Damon Suede. I absolutely love his writing, particularly Hot Head.
Q: What’s up next for you?
I’m currently working on the fifth full-length novel in the Mustangs Baseball series. SPRING TRAINING will be out sometime around Opening Day, 2014. (That’s March 22nd for the baseball neophytes) I’ve got several more Mustangs players nagging me to tell their stories, so those are in the pipeline.
Look for some short stories to appear in boxed sets and anthologies later this year as well. I’m excited about working within some new parameters for my imaginary friends!
How exciting! Thank you for sharing with us insights into the Mustangs Baseball series. Now for the Fast Answer Round:
Last book you read: Bad Idea by Damon Suede Favorite vacation location: I like to ramble. Just get in the car and see where it takes me. Favorite dessert: Chocolate Mousse Favorite drink: Hot Chocolate – I rarely drink alcohol. Favorite place to write: Sitting out on my deck on a nice day.
About the Author, Roz Lee:
Roz Lee has been married to her best friend, and high school sweetheart, for over three decades. Even though she’s lived on both coasts, her heart lies in between, in Texas. A Texan by birth, she can trace her family back to the Republic of Texas. With roots that deep, she says, “You can’t ever really leave.”
Roz and her husband have two grown daughters they couldn’t be more proud of, and are currently raising a thirteen-year-old Labrador Retriever, Betty Boop, who isn’t aware of her canine heritage.
When Roz isn’t writing, she’s reading, or traipsing around the country on one adventure or another. No trip is too small, no tourist trap too cheesy, and no road unworthy of travel. Find her at http://www.rozlee.net
Book 1 in the Mustangs Baseball Series
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Megan doesn’t know anything about baseball, but she knows when she’s being hit on. When her quest to get Jeff Holder’s autograph for one of her pediatric patients turns into a proposition from the sexiest twins in the major leagues, Megan is tempted to play the game with them. As they say, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt or falls in love.
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Erotic Romance January 2014
Book 3 in the Mustangs Baseball Series
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Antonio Ramirez is ready to leave his wild reputation behind in New York and adopt a more respectable life with the Texas Mustangs. When he spies the woman of his dreams at a Fundraiser—its love at first sight. Convincing Clare Kincaid that he’s sincere is harder than he expected. Giving Clare what she wants could wreck his career and compromise his feelings for her.
When super sexy Antonio Ramirez approaches her, Clare is sure he’s playing a cruel game, but the Mustangs new Center Fielder won’t take no for an answer. She might be convinced of his sincerity if only he would invite her to play the one game she longs to play.
Mustangs Baseball Special Edition Boxed Set
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Save 25% on all four full-length contemporary erotic novels plus the prequel novella to the Mustangs Baseball series from award winning author, Roz Lee.
FREE AGENT – She’s more than he bargained for. A novella prequel. He isn’t looking for a sub, but the brazen beauty in need of discipline might convince him otherwise.
INSIDE HEAT – It’s all fun and games until someone falls in love. Megan doesn’t know anything about baseball, but she knows when she’s being hit on. When her quest to get Jeff Holder’s autograph for one of her pediatric patients turns into a proposition from the sexiest twins in the major leagues, Megan is tempted to play the game with them. As they say, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt or falls in love.
GOING DEEP – Control is the name of the game. Keeping Carrie blindfolded and in the dark as to his identity suits Major League catcher Jason Holder just fine while he figures out if being a Dom really is his thing. With the media circling like vultures as he works to get his career back on track, the last thing he needs is a sex scandal if things don’t work out.
BASES LOADED – He’s through playing games. When Antonio spies the woman of his dreams at a Fundraiser—its love at first sight. Clare is sure Antonio is playing a cruel game, but he won’t take no for an answer. When it comes to a certain game, neither will she.
SWITCH HITTER – He’s at home on both sides of the plate. Five years after running from his private shame, a new trade acquisition forces Bentley to face his desires.
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Erotic Romance January 2014
HARD AS IT GETS Laura Kaye Laura Kaye is rapidly becoming one of my favorite contemporary authors, and this opening of her Hard Ink series is only further proof that she is a rising star not to be missed. Intense, heartfelt, funny and packed with tension, this book was an immersive delight from beginning to end and I cannot wait for more… If the debut is any indication, this is going to be a series to remember! Read more.
PASSION IN THE SKY Diane Thorne I love this short story. Gwen is a strong woman and she doesn't let Phillip's money and status go to her head. The messages between the two of them on the plane were hot! Welcome to the Mile High Club, Ms. Gwen! PASSION IN THE SKY is a HOT short read! The sex scenes are yummy and it's an excellent short story!…Read more.
THE DO-OVER MK Schiller THE DO-OVER was a fun, romantic read that I immensely enjoyed. It was a different storyline and I think that is why I was enthralled with this read. The characters were well-developed and the writing style was superb…I recommend this read to any reader. This has a great happily ever after that blew my mind. I know that I will be looking for more reads by Ms Schiller.…Read more.
THAT PEARLY DROP Jianne Carlo Ancient mythology, facts and legends have always fascinated me, and in THAT PEARLY DROP, you get a heaping helping of all of those and much more. Between hysterical dialogue and raw, erotic sex, fans of any genre of erotic romance will enjoy being transported into another time and place by Ms Carlo...I highly recommend THAT PEARLY DROP to lovers of almost any genre of erotic romance, you won't be disappointed! Read more.
BET ON ECSTASY Stacey Kennedy All three main characters were very well developed and likeable, and their sex scenes were erotic perfection. I ended up really rooting for the three to make it and sighed with satisfaction when they got their HEA. I will definitely be picking up the first 2 books in the Pact of Seduction series by the talented Stacey Kennedy! Read more.
MINE TO HOLD Cynthia Eden I loved Ms Eden's writing style, the way she was able to engender emotions in me-- sad, happy, heartbroken, absolutely turned on. The development of the relationship between Noah and Claire was slow going and it was perfect…The sex scenes are scorching hot. Noah is very controlling in the bedroom as he is out of it. I love how controlling he is and when he loses control, holy fricking cow…Read more.
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NIGHT OWL M. Pierce The synopsis hooked me. This is a pretty original concept, at least as far as I was concerned, and it definitely piqued my interest… I really loved this book. Everything about it worked for me and I couldn't get enough. If NIGHT OWL is any indication of what is to be expected for the rest of the series, count me in. This book is astoundingly well written, practically flawless in my opinion and if you're a lover of contemporary romance, erotica and indie books, this is by far one of the best choices out there. Read more.
RUSH Joan Swan RUSH is intense and emotional…The pace of this story was perfect. At no point during the read did I feel disinterested or the need to put down the book. The passion that Q and Jessica have was intense. The moment that their lips touched, it was like a fire was ignited. Ms Swan has an amazing writing style; it's full of passion and emotion. RUSH was well-written and the scenes were vivid. Read more.
THE DENIM DOM Tymber Dalton Ms. Dalton's writing style for her contemporary BDSM stories are fabulous. I love how she creates her characters. They are individualistic…She adds her own brand of humour, which I adore… This story is a wonderful erotic journey into the kinky world of BDSM. Highly recommended to kinky readers who want a realistic portrayal of how the BDSM subculture exists in real life. Read more.
BACKFIELD IN MOTION Jami Davenport I love Ms. Davenport's writing style--it's very unique, intense, emotional and her characters are very well developed. The pace of this read was perfect, as was the storyline. This read engrossed me and I truly didn't want it to end. I found tears running down my cheeks because both characters didn't see that they were in love and also because of Elliot. BACKFIELD IN MOTION is a must read and I can't wait for the next book in this series. Read more.
TWICE BITTEN AND BEWITCHED Lynne St. James The third book in the Vampires of Eternity series is an intriguing erotic paranormal world that leaves the reader wanting more…The chemistry between Selena and her two vampires explode off the page and scorch the reader with red-hot intensity including m/f/m, some light bondage, ice play and mental sex play. The author conveys the emotions and the romantic journey with lots of juicy details, making the reader feel as if they are part of the story. Read more.
INSOLENCE Lex Valentine This story was sweet, and steamy, and emotional. Perfect. The author captured what so many others miss in a short story plot development. Often times I feel unsatisfied with stories as short as this because the story feels forced and rushed. In this case the author did a great job giving back story and making me feel the emotional connection between these two characters…Read more.
*This is not a comprehensive list. For more reviews of Erotic Romance books, check out the site
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How far can she run before her secrets catch up with her?
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