Welcome Cate Masters with one that is going straight onto my TBR list: Cursed: The Vitruvian Man #1. But first, get to know Cate better as she answers my ten.
Author Interview
How did you choose your genre? What made you write this book? I’m less about genre than writing a good story. 🙂 I love paranormal/fantasy, but also love contemporary and historical, sometimes mainstream, speculative/futuristic. I love to experiment.
Cursed is a bit of a mashup – it has some historical elements, a little science, a smidgeon of suspense, with the very cool backdrop of Carnevale, a ten-day masquerade festival in Venice, Italy. A couple of magazine articles sparked the story idea and it took off from there.
Writers write what they know, and must observe the world. Are you a first born, middle or last child and how does this shape your view of the world? As the youngest of seven children, I’ve always had to scrabble to keep up, lol. But it’s taught me persistence, which is an essential trait for a writer. Growing up on a country road with no neighbors within walking distance made for a solitary childhood (my older brothers and sisters were all out doing other things!) so the writing instinct developed.
Where is your favorite place to write? Our house had a spare room that I claim as an office, though it also serves as a guest room, junk room, and hide-the-Christmas-presents room as needed.
How do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains? I don’t write mystery or thrillers, so I don’t often kill them, but I do chuck them under the bus quite a few times, lol. Conflict and tension help drive the storyline, and I love flawed characters. Tortured heroes like Bruno are an added bonus.
You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? There are so many authors I’d love to meet! It’s so hard for me to pick favorites, but if I had to choose only one, it would be T.C. Boyle. I think I’d just ask if I could hang around with him for awhile in hopes some of his genius would rub off on me, lol.
Inquiring minds want to know…tell readers something about you that no one knows. I’m afraid I’m much more interesting as a writer. Most of my free time’s spent at the keyboard. It doesn’t make for gossip column material, lol.
You are stranded on a deserted island with only a back pack for company. What three items are in your survival pack? A loaded iPod (solar-powered, I suppose), a computer (also solar powered with satellite Internet) and since my hubby probably wouldn’t fit in the backpack, I’d take my dog Lily. 🙂
If you could have one super power in your existence, what would it be? Only one? Hmm. Flying’s high up on the list, but I loved the mom on The Incredibles – her elastic powers came in pretty handy. 🙂
Favorite snack? Chocolate covered almonds. Yum.
Indy 500 – Do you know how to get where you’re going or do you drive the speed limit? I can see the finish line from where I start, but how I get there is often different than I think when I begin. There’s a famous quote, and I wish I could remember the author, to the effect that I can see enough of the road in my car’s headlights to take me the entire journey. (I’m paraphrasing but you get the idea!)
Thanks so much for having me as a guest, Danita! It’s been a real pleasure.
Description
Ten days of freedom. That’s all Fate had allotted me each year. In the streets of Venice, I could walk among them. Mingle. Belong.
During Carnevale, they had no idea who I was. What I was.
For ten days, it didn’t matter.
Until I met her.
Bruno diCesare lives alone by necessity, not choice. An experiment performed by Leonardo da Vinci, who believed having a dual DNA would grant a person immortality, used magic to render Bruno a chimera – the head of a lion, body of a dragon. The only time he can mingle with people is during Carnevale, ten glorious days of masked anonymity, frivolity and intimacy.
Melina Weaver learned fire dancing to enliven her dull existence. A scientist, her long hours at the lab leave no time for a social life. For ten days at Carnevale, she can pretend to be someone else. Someone sexy and daring, who lives on the edge.
Once she meets Bruno, her wish comes true, but everything goes terribly wrong. Beneath Bruno’s costume lurks an alpha male, but is he dangerous? Worse, can she return to an employer who sells her research to the military to make an army of efficient killers? Her only hope may lie with the man she’s just met and never seen.
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
Excerpt
Light danced in his dark eyes. “I must admit, your fire dancing fascinated me. What made you choose such a dangerous skill to master?”
“The thrill of the challenge, I suppose.” It balanced the rest of her mundane life, to a degree. Mastering each new level gave her a sense of achievement, where work couldn’t.
Something flashed through his dark eyes. “Mistakes must be very painful.”
“I practiced a long time before I worked up the nerve to actually light the wands. I found the fire great incentive to focus, however.” God, her grin must be goofy, the way he stared. Such gorgeous eyes, such a deep brown they almost appeared black. He probably had rugged features, if his large hands provided any indication. Too bad he wore gloves, another barrier between them.
“Yes,” he said, “I imagine so.”
“What about you? What other magic do you know?” Oh please, can you get any more ridiculous? It sounded like a line from a bad chick flick.
The crinkle around his eyes was the only evidence of his smile, but enough to charm her.
“Lifetimes of studying the dark arts have provided me with many tricks.”
“Lifetimes?” she blurted.
He stiffened in her arms. “Pardon?”
She watched him carefully. “You said ‘lifetimes’. Plural.” And what the hell did he mean by ‘dark arts’?
Rigidity masked the grace of his movements. “I’m sure you’re mistaken.” He stared over her head as they whirled to the song’s rhythm.
Mistaken my ass. How very strange. More strange that the question upset him. He’d clammed up, and his muscles were so tense, she expected him to bolt. Better to drop it. For now. “Must have been a slip of the tongue.”
“Yes.” Relief sounded in his tone, though guarded.
Prize is a swag pack which includes a handbag clip with brass dragon and medium-sized framed cover, ribbon bookmark, A3-sized autographed poster, and a pack of Australian-themed promo items (including small boomerang). Contest is tour-wide. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
How did you choose your genre? What made you write this book? I think the genre picked me! I read a lot and have gravitated toward paranormal and erotic romance over the last few years. So when I started to write, paranormal was what I choose.
The Dragons of Feury were born when a call went out for writers interested in taking part in an anthology based on food (Edible Delights). I wanted to challenge myself to write something I’d never tried before and decided ménage romance was what I would do. I have always loved dragons so when it came to choosing an animal it was my first choice. Originally it was meant to be a single story but before I’d finished writing the first chapter of Sealed with a Honeyed Kiss (part one which features in Edible Delights Volume one) I knew it was going to be a five part series. This book, Becky’s Journey, is the second part of the series. The third part, Healing Carina, will be in the third volume of Edible Delights.
Writers write what they know, and must observe the world. Are you a first born, middle or last child and how does this shape your view of the world? I’m the baby of my family with one older brother. I’m not sure how being the youngest has shaped me. My brother is very intellectual while I’m very creative, we were rather different growing up but always reminded close.
I draw on my personal experiences a lot with my writing. Even if I haven’t experienced exactly what the character is, I’ll have had something similar that I can draw on for the emotions involved.
Where is your favorite place to write? I love to write at my desk in the home office. I have two screens, my ergonomic keyboard and my comfy office chair. Generally speaking, the kids play elsewhere in the house so it’s also a little more peaceful and quiet.
How do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains? Culling scenes and characters is so hard! So far I haven’t been forced to kill off any characters I didn’t plan on, and mostly they’re a bad guy so I haven’t had trouble with that.
I had to cull a couple of scenes off the start of my first book. When my critique partner told me they should go to make the book start with more impact I was mortified. It took a couple days before I could really see what she meant and understand. I ended up taking out the scenes – which was so hard because I loved them. Her Guardian Angel now starts off really well I think and I wove the information taken out into later scenes.
I also had to take out a scene of Becky’s Journey. It was a great sex scene where the boys tied Becky up. But when I emailed it off to my critique partners they all wrote back saying, hang on, she’s just been kidnapped and chained up, she’s not going to like her men treating her the same way! So I had to basically rewrite the scene to how it reads now where she’s loosely bound. I also added more inner thoughts so the reader understands why Becky is okay with her men even though her kidnappers tied her up.
Any scenes I don’t use I save away for another day. I’m a hoarder so don’t throw anything out! I might have a deleted scenes section on my website one day.
You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? I have two absolute favorite authors, JR Ward and Sherrilyn Kenyon (and many many more authors that I like a lot!). If I ever met Sherrilyn (and managed to not simply pass out) I would ask her how she manages to balance her family life with being an author while keeping everyone happy.
Inquiring minds want to know…tell readers something about you that no one knows. This has to be one of the hardest questions to answer. I’m a very open and honest person so what you see is what you get.
Something no one knows… umm. I was engaged twice before I met my husband.
You are stranded on a deserted island with only a back pack for company. What three items are in your survival pack? Fully loaded Kindle, laptop with a solar battery charger (so I can keep writing until I’m rescued), chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
If you could have one super power in your existence, what would it be? The power to heal. There is nothing worse than watching loved ones in pain from injury and not being able to do anything about it.
Favorite snack? Chocolate. I love chocolate!!!
Indy 500 – Do you know how to get where you’re going or do you drive the speed limit? With my writing, I’m a pantser. I have no idea where the story is going until I get there. In life, I like to at least know the destination and a rough guide of how to get there. 😉
Description:
The Land of Feury has a problem. A virus killed off all their females years ago and a solution is yet to be found. When a group of five unconscious females are found, hope for survival amongst the Dragon Shifters runs high.
Becky and her four best friends are escaping from their stressful everyday lives to go camping in the bush. Fate intervenes and while they are hiking they get whipped away through a portal to The Land of Feury.
Brothers, Drake and Savren, discover one of the females is their Desired. They excitedly set about wooing the strong willed, independent Becky. Their plans do not go smoothly, Becky is kidnapped by rebels and taken from them. Will they be able to rescue their Desired in time? Will they be able to convince the ever independent Becky that having bonded mates is a good thing?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains explicit sex scenes and/or situations (including BDSM and m/f/m menage) and adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
Excerpt:
Becky turned to follow the others and ran straight into a warm wall of muscle. With an umph she stumbled back, but before she could fall and land on her ass, a strong arm wrapped around her middle.
“Easy there, little one.”
The deep rumble in her ear lit her body up like a candle, while the words he spoke just pissed her off. At five foot seven and a size eighteen, she was not little by any ones standards.
“Get your hands off me.” She ground the words out.
The arm around her waist tightened, his fingers splayed out over her tummy before he caressed his way over to her hip, and then slid it down over her ass before releasing her.
“As you wish, little one.”
She spun to glare at this ogre of a man. “Stop calling me that. I am not little by any definition of the word.”
She watched as his hot hazel gaze slid down her body, her nipples tightened as his gaze brushed over them. One purple eyebrow rose up, as he obviously noticed her body’s reaction. He continued his visual journey all the way to her feet before heading back up. When his gaze locked back on hers she became breathless. Which pissed her off all over again. She was not some girly girl that tripped over herself because some hot guy showed some interest in her. Driving dump trucks around mines for the last few years had toughened her up even more than her four brothers had. Always a tomboy, Becky had never been able to stand macho-alpha-male bullshit. So many men thought they could strut around acting all tough and get whatever they wanted from whoever they wanted it from. Not on my watch baby, it just ain’t. Gonna. Happen.
“But you are. Compared to me and my younger brother you are indeed little. I can look clean over your head.”
Damn. The affect his velvety voice had on her was lethal. Suddenly, a warmth at her back got her attention. A large warm hand ran down her arm and took hold of her hand.
“Come, sweetheart, we need to head to the Dining Hall and get you fed. The others are waiting.”
Sweetheart…did he just call me sweetheart? Oh, these two were heading for an ass kicking all right. She tried to snatch her hand back but he wouldn’t release her, he just began moving down the hall. She dug her heels in.
“Let. Me. Go.”
About the Author:
Multi published author, Khloe Wren, started writing her first novel in high school, until it mysteriously disappeared from the family computer (her older brother was the lead suspect but nothing was ever proved). She didn’t put pen to paper again after that for a number of years but she did keep reading. Khloe has always loved all things paranormal: sexy vampires and sultry shifters have always been her favorites. So when she picked up writing again, it seemed only natural to write paranormal romance.
Khloe lives in country South Australia with her incredibly patient husband and two daughters. When she’s not sitting at her laptop writing, she’s spending time with family or friends, kicking butt at karate or feeding her addictions of reading, eating chocolate and drinking Coke.
Deanna has one love. The Scheherazade Chocolate Factory. When it’s bought out by an off world consortium, they send someone to inspect their purchase.
JD Ruan is their expert investigator. But JD has a secret. He’s a demon. And not just any kind of demon –a Pleasure Demon.
Secrets, abilities and hidden truths will find their way… especially when chocolate is involved.
Excerpt
His first view of Deanna McCalchy had taken in the glorious lush curves and midnight hair as she shook it free of the ugly confining hat she wore. Her blue dress molded to her body while the heat of instant arousal suffused him.
Now here stood a true goddess. The thought took him by surprise. He hadn’t thought in those terms for over a hundred years.
His small exclamation of interest had taken her by surprise and she had slipped. He moved with his preternatural speed extending his hands and catching her before she hit the floor.
As one of the two owners of Rustafan, he kept a low profile. He didn’t want his father’s minions to know where he and his sister, Entara, were. They had taken on Christabel as their media spokesperson well before she’d become Entara’s lover. This afforded them a gratefully accepted anonymity.
It was a habit to hide his personal life from others. Right now, he embraced the freedom that afforded him to scan the woman in his arms, feel the weight of her body.
She watched him silently while he righted her.
“Hello, what have I found here? A pleasure princess from Piero?” Knowing that the business mainly transacted with the pleasure planets, the words slipped out. He cringed as soon as he heard them. But she didn’t take offense at his words—at least not vocally, though a red tide crept over her cheeks.
“I don’t know who you are. But this is a restricted zone.” Her soft words of censure made him smile even as she gazed into his eyes. She was off balance, all the better for him to find out how the factory worked and maybe about her too. He shook himself mentally. That wasn’t why he was here.
“That’s okay, I’m supposed to be here.”
“And why are you supposed to be here?” Her words betrayed her interest, but he detected no knowledge of him in her mind and let the tension release from his muscles.
“I’ve been sent here to assess Scheherazade.” He held out one of his hands, and as she clasped it he felt a jolt of recognition, leaving him breathless for just a second. “I’m JD Ruan.”
“Oh heavens.” Her face pinked slightly again and he grinned, though he worked to contain his amusement at her old-fashioned comment.
Author Bio
A mother of two, compulsive reader and bookstore owner. She lives in regional Queensland, Australia with her husband, 2 daughters, dog, cats and prize winning chooks. She has a particular fondness for Vampires, Star Ship Captains and things that go bump in the night.
She is also a firm believer in writing what you enjoy… something she strictly adheres to!
Gently-bred Susan Brody arrives in 18th century London starving, penniless and desperate to find a job. When a chance-met acquaintance offers to help, Susan happily accepts a position as housekeeper in the home of Lord Winslade.
But the position is not what she expects it to be. She is greeted by a grim manservant, who locks her in a room and orders her to wear the scandalous costume she finds there.
She is forced to attend an erotic banquet of carnal and epicurean delights, presided over by the darkly sinister Lord Winslade.
Susan’s expectations of domestic service shatter as she is seduced into fulfilling appetites of an entirely different order.
Excerpt
Susan turned her head. His dark eyes focused entirely on her. The debauchery happening a few feet away didn’t distract him for a second. “I’ve led a very sheltered life, Lord Winslade. Perhaps if I knew more of the world and its risks, I wouldn’t have found myself in a position where I am dependent on your good nature for my safety.”
“You are mistaken, my dear. I did not say I had a good nature.” His mouth twisted in a self-disparaging sneer.
“But you did promise me I would be safe. Does your promise hold only if I leave the room?” She dragged in a deep breath and let it go in a rush. “I would like to stay a little longer I think.”
Lord Winslade’s eyebrows rose.He regarded her intently. She met his gaze, refusing to look away. No matter what she had been brought up to believe, her old life was over. If she had to live in a new world, in a new level of society, then she needed to know how it functioned.
One of the other women leapt onto the table and began to remove her clothing. A burst of laughter and loud clapping rang out from the assembled guests. Susan gestured toward them. “I believed sexual relations were unpleasant for women. Clearly my information is incorrect.”
His lips relaxed into a curve. He reached out a strong finger and placed it under her chin, tipping it up, subjecting her face to scrutiny. “Estelle Milthorpe is a self-serving fool, but she has sent me something of more value than she could have known.” He dropped his hand and leaned back in his seat. “By all means observe what happens here tonight.” His voice dropped. “You may learn more about your own nature.”
She stared into his dark eyes.Something fluttered in her chest. She wanted him to touch her again. Her breasts felt tight and hot.She wondered how they’dfeel if he put his lips on them, to have him reveal the mysteries making these people behave so outrageously.
In the few moments her attention had been held by Lord Winslade the gathering had lost any pretension of decorum. A couple openly fornicated on the table. The woman lay on her back amid the debris of the meal, the man working away above her, his bare buttocks pumping. With each downward push the crowd cheered. Suddenly, the man stiffened and pulled back on his knees.
Susan watched in dry mouthed amazement as a rope of white fluid fountained out from the rigid pole of flesh thrusting out in front of him. It pumped and spurted.A well-endowed woman ripped down her bodice to allow the liquid to splash onto her bared breasts. With a roar of approval, the crowd watched as two men grabbed her and licked her clean.
The heat in Susan’s cheeks spread, turning into strange, pulsing warmth suffusing downward through her body.She shifted restlessly on her chair. Winslade leaned in closer.His warm, masculine scent raised the temperature another degree or two. “You’re enjoying this,” he said.She shivered as his breath teased her ear.
“I shouldn’t,” she replied. “I know it’s wrong, sinful…”
“Only if someone is being forced against her will,” he said. “Here there is only willing participation in pleasure.”
“But society says…”
He spoke with cool assertiveness. “I am not concerned with the strictures of petty-minded prudes.”
Author Bio
Alysha Ellis lives in Australia on a diet that consists entirely of chocolate, champagne and strawberries. She write stories your mother would never let you read, even now that you’re all grown up – but what Mama don’t know can’t hurt her.
Live on the wild side a little. Her motto is always,Bad girls have all the fun!
Delicious delights you’ve dreamed of but Never on a Sundae.He was confident that what he was about to ask for wouldn’t be your average ice cream dream.
Evie doesn’t believe love is forever, so when things get a little too hot with Sydney-sider, Aidan, she disappears to Newcastle and buys an ice-cream parlor, Never on a Sundae. But fate conspires against her when Aidan rides into town on his Harley looking for a unique idea for an ice cream cake for his brother’s bachelor party. Can Aidan melt Evie’s heart?
Excerpt
Aidan pushed away from the doorframe as his body responded to the memories. If she wasn’t so absorbed in tasting her creation, he would’ve thought she taunted him. The banana slipped between her lips with a smooth rhythm as chocolate syrup gathered at the corners of her tempting mouth.
“Better than sex!” she declared, licking at the chocolate.
“Then you’re doing it wrong,” Aidan said, deciding she should know he was there.
Thick dark lashes flew open to reveal big, baby blue eyes as she slowly withdrew the banana from her lips. “Aidan!” Shock registered in her voice at the sight of him. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough.” A lazy smile trickled across his lips as he watched her reaction.
“I didn’t hear you come in.” She pushed away from the counter and turned around, her hands searching for something to put the banana onto.
“Apparently not.” The lazy smiled widened into a wicked grin. A leggy blonde, sucking on a banana and thinking about sex? Now there was a combination no red-blooded, heterosexual male could fail to enjoy.
She looked at her chocolate stained fingers as her hand hovered over a damp cloth near the blender. With a shrug she licked the chocolate from her fingers. One by one, she treated each finger to the flick of a smooth pink tongue.
“What brings you back to town?” Seemingly satisfied she couldn’t possibly get any more chocolate off her fingers, she leaned over the sink to turn on the tap.
“Danny’s bachelor party.” Aidan stuffed his fists into his pockets to ease the rub of his jeans. The view of that sweet ass as the skirt caressed firm cheeks almost finished what the banana had started.
“Ahh, Danny.” Evie shook the excess water from her hands and patted them dry on her apron. She turned back to give Aidan a once over of her own. “He swore it would be a cold day in hell before he got married…looks like your little brother has had a change of heart.”
Aidan watched the movements of her long-fingered hands as she removed her apron, folding it neatly. Those neatly manicured nails had once caressed the contours of his back, teased his nipples and stroked the very part of him that now ached for release. Evie had not lost her touch. Just one look and he was panting for more. He shifted from one booted foot to the other as Evie stepped toward him.
“Looks like you have a small problem,” she said, stopping within two feet of him, her eyes boldly raking the strained denim.
Still the same Evie, the girl who didn’t hesitate to say what was on her mind. He smiled and leaned forward enough to whisper into the space between them. “We both know it was never a small problem. We could always put the left over chocolate sauce to better use.”
Evie stepped closer, her head angled toward his until their lips were inches apart.
Author Bio:
A little naughty and a whole lot nice, Seanna Smythe writes 3-chilli-hot romance with heart. Sizzling heroes and playful heroines, each with a story to tell, will take you on the adventure of lifetime with a guaranteed happy ending.Take my hand and walk with me…
When Cate Gallagher thinks her day can’t get any worse, Patrick Garrett comes along to prove her wrong. The sexy stranger awakens her long forgotten libido but she knows from past experiences his type is best avoided at all costs.
Patrick is sure the chemistry between them will set the sheets on fire, if only she would give him a chance. He hatches a seduction plan to show her exactly how right they could be.
But getting the girl isn’t the only obstacle to their Happy Ever After. Misunderstandings and assumptions bring their heat level to boiling point and threaten to scorch their love.
Can Cate overcome her past and let Patrick show her she’s not just the Flavour Of The Month?
Excerpt
Taking a break from the Sunday morning breakfast rush, Cate rested her head on the cool surface of the stainless steel countertop wishing the relief she needed would kick in. Either from the pain meds she’d taken for the massive headache, or the two blocks of chocolate she’d eaten to ease the sexual frustration. It seemed now the feminine parts of her had come out of hibernation, they wanted to feast on spring berries. Specifically, Patrick’s berries.
Tying her apron over her work uniform of white T-Shirt and black shorts, she looked up the length of the counter. There he was ordering coffee from Millie, complete with panty-drenching smile. If he aimed that thing her way again, she’d need another block or two of chocolate, which wouldn’t keep her in a size fourteen for long. She tried to turn with the hope he hadn’t seen her.
“Hey, Cate!”
No such luck. She slowly turned to the ordering station.
“How’s your head today?”
She smiled with a level of enthusiasm she didn’t feel. “I’m fine. Thanks.”
“I see my raw masculinity still hasn’t won you over. Can I at least tempt you to sit and have a coffee with me?”
His grin was infectious. His voice was like velvet on her very sensitive nerves.
“Ah…no.”
“No? Is it because I knocked you down with my reckless driving? I can promise you’d make it to your chair without incident.”
He made her laugh. She’d give him that. “Sorry, but the fact that you drive a BMW and wear designer labels doesn’t impress me. Been there, done that. Plus, it’s just Millie and I here today so I really don’t have time to sit around drinking coffee.”
“Got me all worked out have you? We’ll see about that. I know you won’t be able to resist my animal magnetism once you get to know me.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll just wait around to see if you change your mind.” He grinned and stepped backward.
“I doubt I will.”
He just grinned at her, almost in challenge
Author Bio
Once upon a time, in a land called Australia, there lived a delightful young girl named Bianca who loved to read. As she grew older, her sarcastic tendencies and warped sense of humor became evident, as did her preference for raunchy romances.
Now, as well as reigning over their 1/4 acre kingdom with the handsome Prince that stole her heart and feeding their ever-growing children, she not only reads everything she can, but pens her own deliciously sexy stories.
Unattractive and lonely James is a chef and restaurant owner who is obsessed with Sheba, a sexy celebrity chef famous for her aphrodisiac recipes which have saved James from a life of involuntary celibacy. James has studied Sheba’s recipes and created the ultimate in aphrodisiac desserts – chili and rose infused chocolate – a recipe that never fails to lure women into his lonely bed.
James takes the opportunity to meet Sheba at a book signing during the Sydney Writers Festival and woos her with a gift of his chocolates. Sheba finds James’ special dessert irresistible and exchanges a night of pleasure for the recipe. Two months later James receives an invitation to Sheba’s annual banquet, a mysterious event everyone who’s anyone in the hospitality industry is aware of but knows little about. Nervous and out of his depth, James attends and is introduced to a world where the boundaries between food and sex are entirely blurred.
Extract
Sheba tentatively picked out a chocolate and pressed it to her outstretched tongue. James felt the familiar tug in his groin. Every one of Sheba’s movements elicited raw lust in him. How did she do it, he wondered, wishing he could adjust the bulge in his jeans without her noticing.
When Sheba opened her eyes they were aflame. She licked her glistening lips.
“How do you make these? I must know.”
James smiled apologetically. “It’s a secret. I’m afraid if I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
Sheba frowned, pouting prettily. He could see she was used to having her own way. She picked another chocolate from the box, thrusting it between her lips and sucking enthusiastically. James watched her cheeks hollow as her tongue worked the delicacy against the roof of her mouth. She closed her eyes and a flush came to her cheeks. As he’d expected, the recipe stirred desire within her. He was delighted the concoction worked as well on Sheba as it did on more ordinary women.
When she opened her eyes she gazed at him from under long lashes, a sexy smile turning up the corners of her mouth.
“But you will tell me,” she crooned, reaching up to stroke a solitary finger over his adam’s apple to the hollow at the base of his throat, “since I inspired the recipe, I think I deserve to know, yes?”
A swoon threatened to swallow James whole. He rested his fingers on the edge of the table to steady himself. As he gazed into Sheba’s round eyes a wondrous realization dawned upon him. He held all the cards here. He had something she badly wanted and could probably ask whatever price he wanted for it. He watched, captivated, as she took another chocolate, placed it seductively on her pink tongue, and made little moaning noises as she chewed on it. All he wanted right then was to bury himself in Sheba’s generous mouth.
“Perhaps you could persuade me in some way. . .”
James held his breath, feeling his heart pound in his chest, wondering if he’d been too bold. Sheba surveyed him, tapping her index finger against a plump bottom lip as she considered his proposition. A slow, sensual smile spread across her face.
“I can be terribly persuasive.” Sheba stuck two fingers over the waistband of his jeans and pulled his pelvis toward her. “Perhaps you’d like to come back to my hotel room and I’ll try to prise the secret out of you.”
Sudden heat rushed to James’ cheeks. This was more than he dared wish for. He blessed the power of his secret Mexican chili as he nodded his assent. He’d share the recipe with her, but not the species of chili he used. He’d searched long and hard to find it, the chili was rare, and he wasn’t about to give the knowledge away for a quick fuck in a hotel, not even with the woman of his dreams. The chili was the only thing that gave him power over women, including Sheba.
“I’d love to be persuaded. Just don’t torture me.”
She cupped his face in both her hands, leaning in closer so he could smell her minty breath.
“Darling, pleasure is far more persuasive than pain.”
Author Bio
Kate writes dark, sensual contemporary women’s fiction. She lives, writes and loves in Melbourne, juggling her strange, secret affairs with her male characters with her much loved partner and daughter, and a menagerie of neurotic pets. She holds a tertiary qualification in chemistry, half a diploma in naturopathy and a diploma in psychological astrology. Kate believes in living a passionate life and has ridden a camel through the Australian desert, fraternised with hippies in Nimbin, had a near birth experience and lived on nothing but porridge and a carrot for 3 days.
Welcome Rose Wynters to the blog with her delicious new offering Delicate Devastation. Check out the prizes Rose is giving away to some lucky commenters:
FIRST PLACE (Over 18, USA only): Print copy of “Delicate Devastation”, Rose Wynters ink pen, The Endurers bookmark
RUNNERS-UP (Over 18, Int): 2 eBook copies (1 each to 2 winners) of Delicate Devastation
Contest is tour-wide and ends Sept 14. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Tour link: http://www.cblspromotions.com/2013/08/booktour-delicate-devastation-endurers.html
Description:
Peter Rynalt is an immortal Endurer that has dedicated his life to protecting humanity…. And enjoying only the most beautiful women. Born in 1103 in the Welsh countryside, his mortal life as Priest ended when Hell decided to crucify him. Known as the priest by some and the playboy by others, he leads an action-packed, dangerous life fighting demons and taking his pleasures where he likes. Until the night Kim runs into his arms, terrified and desperate for help after a demon attacks her.
Kim Jones is known and respected as a fun-loving, New Orleans beauty. Men want her, and women want to be her. It wasn’t always that way, though. She is haunted by her past and terrified her beauty won’t last forever. One night, fate presents her with a one-time opportunity to have the sexy Endurer that she desires. They discover an insatiable hunger that can’t be satisfied, but is it enough for Peter?
Amidst the desperate and devastated streets of New Orleans, the major players continue to make their moves in a game of destiny that will affect the future of the entire world. Each day brings them one step closer to Armageddon…. And Hell keeps upping the ante. When citizens start disappearing, The Endurers work hard to find the group of demons responsible before they die.
It all comes to shattering climax when one of their own experiences a horrendous act that devastates his life and leaves him in shame. Evil knows no bounds and is determined to walk away the winner. Can Peter capture his queen in time?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains explicit sex scenes and/or situations and adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
Excerpt:
Copyright 2013 Rose Wynters
Her body was mouthwateringly gorgeous, but painfully thin. He walked closer to her, his eyes quickly scanning each injury. She was covered in scratches, cuts, welts, and bruises. They were fully setting in, and he knew they would look much worse before ever looking better. He growled when he saw the fingertip bruises on her throat.
“He choked you?” He enunciated each word, anger making his tone thick and dangerous, even to his own ears. He wasn’t sure why he felt so overwhelmingly protective over her, but something about her made him extremely possessive. It was a foreign emotion, and one he wasn’t quite sure how to handle.
Her slender hand moved up to her throat gently, her painted red nails erotic against the pale skin. “He must have. It all happened so fast. All I know is that I fought hard to get away from him.” Her hazel eyes shut briefly as she inhaled, struggling for control.
She was so damned delicate he couldn’t believe she had walked away from her encounter. Her fragile state reminded him of her mortality, and it angered him. He shoved a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Why in the hell are you so damn thin? Are you sick, or have you been dieting?” He spat the last word out at her, as she pulled the towel free from her hair to comb through the silky strands.
He suspected it was the latter, and he couldn’t understand why women were so obsessed with it. She was so damned beautiful, exuding a raw sexuality that was making the caveman in him roar to life. Desperately he fought the sensual weave she was unconsciously weaving, but it was a battle he was losing fast.
“You look like death, and you’re way too slender. You’re lucky to still be alive.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, as a look of irritation and something unidentifiable flickered across her face. Her arms crossed across her chest before she briefly looked away, her cheeks pink. When she turned back to him, she was completely in control.
“Get laid much, Peter? If that’s your approach, I’m surprised you aren’t a virgin. My weight isn’t any of your business, so butt out. Besides, men love my body.”
He growled, enraged at the thought of another man seeing her. She’d just waved a red flag in front of this bull, and it was a challenge he wouldn’t back down from. When he spoke, his voice was deathly quiet and cold as ice. “Really? Let a lot of them see it, huh?”
She flushed, but didn’t back down. “What’s it to you, one way or another?”
“Nothing,” he responded, his face serious and his voice harsh with lust. “It was nothing to me before tonight. That was before you walked into my bedroom naked, your body begging for this hard shaft between my legs. While you’re in here, you won’t be talking or even thinking about other men. You’ll be too busy thinking about me, feeling me, as I bring that sweet area between your legs pleasure like it has never known before… Or will again.”
About the Author:
When not writing, I enjoy traveling, meeting new people, and having fun! I love plotting what my characters will do next, and thinking up exciting, dangerous, and edgy books. I’ve been told I have a wicked sense of humor and often this can be seen in my writing.
I have a ton of likes, most especially books, gorgeous men, The Walking Dead, and True Blood. I interact quite a bit on my website, offering unique giveaways and having fun meeting readers. Feel free to drop by and post a comment!
Release Date: August 15, 2013 Heat Level: Steamy Length: 60,000
Welcome Mimi Jean Pamfiloff to the blog! Mimi is giving away 2 “Fate Book” Prize Packs (1 each to 2 winners). Each pack contains an autographed print copy of “Fate Book”, a leather journal, and a sexy “Vampires Need Not Apply” and “Fate Book” bookmark from Mimi Jean Pamfiloff (prize image attached). Contest is tour-wide and ends Sept 21. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. http://www.cblspromotions.com/2013/08/booktour-fate-book-by-mimi-jean.html
Dakota Dane is about to tell a lie she’ll wish she hadn’t. Because her lie is dangerous, sexy, and just showed up on campus, angry as hell and looking for her…
Ugly duckling Dakota Dane has a new boyfriend. He’s male-model gorgeous, built to perfection, wealthy, and smart. He is also a lie. As in, 100% fabricated. Does it matter that Dakota has a perfectly good reason for making him up? Not really. Not when Dakota’s made-up boyfriend shows up on campus in the flesh.
So is she crazy? All signs point to maybe. But the walking, talking enigma with the deadly vibe isn’t about to give her any answers or let her out of his sight. And with college just around the corner, Dakota fears her dreams of a bright future have just collided with a dark rabbit hole…
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
Excerpt:
Lord. Whoever had been on the other end of that phone was coming to my room. I had to get out of there. Because as much as I loved believing in miracles, those didn’t exist, which meant this guy was some psychopathic stalker, some frigging lunatic who’d convinced everyone he was my boyfriend.
I slipped from the covers and immediately had to brace myself on the edge of the hospital bed. My head pulsed with painful, dizzying jabs. I slowly stood upright and willed myself steady. My ribs and hip were sore, but I’d survive. That was, if I got the heck out there.
I blew out a breath and wobbled to the clear plastic bag hanging on the wall with my belongings. I had to find my mother. I had to warn her. What if this guy showed up and tried something?
I slipped on my jeans, sweatshirt, and sneakers, not bothering with the other stuff. I grabbed my phone and purse and tiptoed to the door.
I poked my head out, hoping to spot my mother doing rounds, but instead I saw—
The breath whooshed from my lungs. Santiago?
Cue slow motion and avalanche of conflicting, irrational thoughts accompanied by an imminent panic attack.
My stomach and heart squeezed into a brick and then dropped through the center of my body.
Lord, help me.
Because the man I’d invented—correction—the gorgeous man I’d stolen a picture of, stood twenty feet away, speaking to my mother, wearing low-slung faded jeans and a fitted white, button-down shirt.
I stared in wonderment while my eyes infused with his image and branded itself on my brain. He was lust, rock star, tough guy, jock, Prince Charming, and misfit rolled into one dangerous, rugged, well-groomed package. He sent my female brain into a tailspin.
I’ve lost my mind. That gorgeous man is not standing there. That’s not possible!
I willed my heavy feet to move, but my eyes remained glued to him. He was tall—around six three or six four—and, just like in his photo, built like a lean, mean predatory animal with broad shoulders and powerful-looking…everything. Especially those arms. And those legs. And those…yep. Everything. To boot, he stood with the sort of confidence that gave me the distinct impression he really might be deadly. And ate his meat raw. Possibly still squealing.
Santiago, who towered over my mother, leaned down and hugged her. Then my mother said something, and they laughed like old friends.
What? He hugged my mother? What was happening? Did she know him? Was the universe punishing me for lying? If it was, it was totally working. I’d never, ever lie again.
About the Author:
Before taking up a permanent residence in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Mimi Jean Pamfiloff spent time living near NYC (became a shopaholic), in Mexico City (developed a taste for very spicy food), and Arizona (now hates jumping chollas but pines for sherbet sunsets). Her love of pre-Hispanic culture, big cities, and romance inspires her to write when she’s not busy with kids, hubby, work, and life…or getting sucked into a juicy novel. Or hosting the Man Candy Show on Radioslot.com! (Be very afraid!). She hopes that someday, leather pants for men will make a big comeback and that her writing might make you laugh (or give you a mini-vacay) when you need it most.
“Dangerously addicting. “-Sherrilyn Kenyon #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Crosby serves up suspense, secrets and Southern scandal like no one else! “ – Harlan Coben #1 New York Times bestselling author
Lifting the veil of secrecy on a grand Southern family in decline, New York Times bestselling author Tanya Anne Crosby explores the lives of Caroline, Augusta, and Savannah Aldridge, three sisters who share a dark past and an uncertain future…Caroline Aldridge was surprised by the number of mourners at her mother’s funeral. Evidently the newspaper heiress who had caused her children so much pain was well-loved by everyone else in Charleston. Now she was gone, leaving behind countless secrets–and a few demands: Caroline and her sisters must live together for one year or lose their inheritance. And Caroline must take over The Tribune. But a killer is making headlines, and Caroline may have unwittingly stepped into the crosshairs…
A series of kidnappings and murders resurrect the sisters’ memories of their brother’s disappearance as a child–and Caroline fears she may be next. Yet in the midst of her turmoil, she may be rekindling a romance she’d extinguished long ago. With Jack back in her life and the tattered bonds of sisterhood slowly mending, Caroline hopes the family can restore its position in Charleston society–unless a sinister force beyond their control tears them apart forever. . .
Excerpt:
He took another swig of his Guinness and reached into his pocket to grab his cell phone. Three missed calls from Kelly. Zero from Caroline.
Then, again, he hadn’t expected Caroline to call. She was as prideful as her mother—damn her! Even ten years later, she wasn’t about to forget a stupid mistake. He set the phone down on the counter and drained his glass, eyeing the cell with some malice.
The bartender eyed him curiously. “Bad day?”
Jack shrugged. “Buried a friend,” he said.
And fought with the woman who somehow still managed to consume his thoughts even after all these years, but he didn’t offer up that part. It was nobody’s business.
Caroline was the sole reason he couldn’t settle down with Kelly, he realized. Every time he’d considered it, Caroline’s face popped into his head—like one of those annoying carnival games. He didn’t think that was the way it was supposed to be—married to one girl, obsessed with another.
There was nothing wrong with Kelly.
She just wasn’t Caroline.
“I’ll take another.”
Kyle nodded and complied.
Okay, so maybe as a description of the past several years, “obsessed” was a bit of an overstatement, because he had pretty much managed to put Caroline out of his head—except whenever life-changing decisions were about to be made. This minute, however, it was a full-on obsession, complete with phantom touches that were hijacking his body. Just seeing her had done that to him. It left him with a sense of longing that was acutely disagreeable, and he couldn’t shake it.
Eyeing the phone again, he considered calling her—just so he could stop thinking about her—and it dawned on him that she was probably the reason he had never changed his number. That thought had never even entered his brain before this moment, but he was pretty sure it was true. He wasn’t over her. Worse, he was afraid he was never going to be over her, and the thought of living his life in limbo made him feel like chain-smoking half a dozen packs of cigarettes right in front of her.
His cell phone rang and his heart thumped hard. Then he saw the number and felt the letdown: Kelly.
He couldn’t avoid her forever.
Draining his glass once more, he took out his wallet, paid the tab, grabbed his cell, and almost as an afterthought, reached into his pocket, digging out his last pack of cigarettes, still half full, and tossed them on the bar, then walked out. The phone stopped ringing, but he would call her back. Now that it was all clear in his head, he realized holding on wasn’t fair.
It was time to let go.
About the Author:
Tanya has written seventeen novels, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists including the New York Times and USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor, and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband, two dogs and two cats in northern Michigan.
Delena is giving away 2 eBook copies (1 each to 2 winners) of “Of Hallowed Fiends and Darkest Fortune” from Delena Silverfox. Contest is tour-wide, open internationally and ends Aug 24. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Norelia, Imperial heir and zealous second-in-command of the Endless Army, is cornered by a wager against her father, the Emperor.
The stakes? To marry the winner of the next Summer Games in order to ensure the continuation of the Imperial line. Confident she will win, she is devastated when a mysterious contender named Reoth defeats her and claims not only the title of Champion, but claims Norelia as well. A misplaced note reveals Reoth and her father placed wagers on Reoth’s ability to “tame” her, proving it was all a game after all.
When her father is killed in a surprise invasion, the Empire stands on the brink of war and Norelia is thrust into the center of it with Reoth, a man she’d sooner kill than trust. As Reoth admits knowledge regarding who is behind this invasion, can Norelia determine where his true allegiance lies before the Empire, and her heart, are destroyed forever?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains explicit sex scenes (including BDSM) and/or situations and adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
Excerpt
For the tenth time that afternoon, Norelia landed facedown in the dirt. She felt more than heard the guttural scream of frustration tear from her throat. “You want the impossible!”
Reoth just laughed. He always laughed at her. “The ‘impossible’ is what landed you on your pretty rump during our match at the Games. Do you wish to call it impossible, or do you wish to learn it and finally kill me?”
She spat sand out of her mouth, ignoring her skinned cheek and other numerous aches and stings. “I’ll shove your mocking smile into the dirt.”
He laughed. “Then come get me, Princess.” He beckoned her with a mocking grin.
She came in low.
He dodged, smacking her rump as she flew past him. Squealing at the indignity, Norelia spun and hooked his foot with hers. He went face down. She caught one of his hands and feet, and trussed him with a move he’d shown her earlier.
“You begin to understand.”
The excitement and pride in his eyes was evident. Norelia found herself smiling back, and her hand lingered in his a moment longer as she helped him up.
For a moment it seemed he would use the physical contact to pull her close, and she felt the unmistakable power in the tension between wanting to pull away…and wanting to stay, wanting him to pull her close.
“So let’s try this again.” All focused instructor once more, he turned away and Norelia felt her smile deflate. Sometimes he looked at her after a match and it did things to her. Something had happened in the last week to turn the shudder of revulsion in her middle into a quiver of…something else.
It pulled her, made her tremble, and there were times the nameless yearning made her physically ache inside. Three days now, she’d found herself asking for “just one more round.” Reoth’s reply was always, “You may practice more with me, if that is what you want.”
She soon was giving almost as good as she got. A few of the bruises he sported were from her, she was proud to see. Sometimes when he pinned her, he would run his hand slowly up her shoulder to wrap around her throat. His hazel eyes held her immobile more than his holds did, which she now knew how to escape.
Knew how, but didn’t.
When he let go of her, Norelia continued to lie where she was, staring up at him. “When your enemy is already defeated in their minds, it is a simple matter to make it come true. You can read it in their eyes, feel it in the passion of their fight. The harder they fight at the end, the more they are fighting their own fear of defeat.”
“And me?” she murmured. “Was I so easily defeated?”
Reoth looked down at her. His eyes traced the contours of her face. Finally, he shook his head. “No man could ever hope to truly defeat you.”
She allowed him this kind lie. “Then why did you come here?” Norelia trailed her fingertips down the sides of his face, across his brow, down his slightly crooked nose, across his lips. “I can’t imagine you fearing anything.” It was a whisper.
He choked on a breath, then ripped her hands away from his face and pinned them back down above her head. His face was inches from hers. Time seemed to stretch into infinity. She no longer felt the hot, packed dirt beneath her, didn’t hear the sounds of the stable yard in the distance, or the workers and servants and guards contributing to the ever-present din of the palace grounds. She didn’t see the clouds above them, didn’t notice the pain as Reoth held her wrists too tight in his hands. There was only his gaze, fighting something down within himself that struggled for release.
Again, something moved her. Unable to reach out to him, she lifted her face up to meet his. They touched noses, and he hissed a sharp intake of breath. Norelia could feel his breath, his lips so close to her own. All at once she was aware of just how big Reoth really was, how wide his shoulders compared to hers. How strong he was; so much stronger than she. He was an undeniable weight pinning her, pressing down atop her so she couldn’t breathe. Every tight breath was filled with the scent of him and Norelia was soon intoxicated. Her bumps and scrapes and bruises from their fighting smarted, but she welcomed the pain. For some reason, every ache and throb made her even more aware of him.
He shifted his grip so he pinned her by the upper arms. His breath was hot against her ear and she gasped at the delicious chills that coursed through her. His arms felt like iron pinning her against him. Not that she was unwilling, strange as that was. She reached up just enough and ran her fingers along his forearms, feeling the hard strength of his muscles, so unyielding beneath soft fingertips.
“You’re toying with me.” His voice was hard, coiled as taught as the rest of him. She could hear the slight strain in his voice, the strain that spoke of the primal male in him fighting to come to the fore. It was a familiar sound, but it took her completely by surprise to hear it in Reoth. From the way he’d been behaving toward her, she had believed he was unaffected by her and had taken it for granted he was like any other of her soldiers.
Wasn’t he still her enemy? He wanted to possess her. They all did.
Reoth tightened his hold on her and she gasped. But not in fear, or surprise. This was excitement. By the gods, if only he could hold her against him like this! She closed her eyes and pressed into him, letting her head fall back.
What was wrong with her?
When she felt his lips softly brushing up and down her neck, her breath caught and she tilted her head to bare more skin for him. Her heart was slamming against her ribcage, and there was an ache deep inside her so strong it brought her close to whimpering.
So much for hard self-discipline.
“Is this what you wanted?” His sultry voice was a purr that melted her inside. He pressed himself against her, slowly rubbing until there was no denying his tension. The hard heat she felt was undeniable. Suddenly, violently, every part of her body from the palms of her hands to the place deep within ached to touch him. She pressed back against him, meeting the insistent pressure of his hips with insistence of her own. A throbbing heat polled in her groin, and it spread to the damp heat between her thighs.
Her heart was racing. No! No no no…
“Right here in the dirt, Princess? You never struck me as common.” His voice was tense, low.
Yet even as her body trembled with a sudden need against which she had believed herself immune, panic began to build in her chest. It was hard to breathe, and harder still with Reoth so close. He ground his hips into hers and the hardness of him made her groan. Dear gods, what had she done?
What was happening to her?
He clutched her at her, and she winced. His voice darkened. “This will be my only warning. Don’t ever entice me with your lies unless you’re willing to deal with the consequences. I know you still call me your enemy.” And just like that, he was gone, and it was over. She felt cold without his strength and heat, and she felt strangely vulnerable without him there.
What was happening?
About the Author:
For as long as she can remember, Delena Silverfox has always loved writing more than anything. When she was three she taught herself how to read with alphabet magnets and her trusty Speak n’ Spell, but it was when she realized she could use those same words to share what was in her imagination that the magic took hold.
She pursued an English/Creative Writing degree in college, but after seeing so many friends lose their passion in school, she changed her major to Psychology and pursued writing on her own. At 21, she moved to Portland, OR where she spent the next eleven years, and considers that the city where she truly “grew up,” as it influenced so much of who she is today as a person and an author.
She discovered an affinity for erotic romance after getting to know the underground BDSM community and trying her hand at adding a few elements into her romance writing. What she encountered was, to her, overwhelming encouragement to seek publication. Without that support, she would still be writing serial installments on BDSM forums.
Delena lives in Indianapolis, IN with her daughter, husband, and a klutzy cat named Pícaro. When she’s not writing, she’s working on finishing up her Psych degree, cooking, making crafts with her daughter, or sewing and crocheting.
Prize is 3 eBook copies (1 each to 3 winners) of “Verity’s Lie (The Huntley Trilogy #3)” from Grace Elliot. Contest is tour-wide, open internationally and ends August 27. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Description:
Charles Huntley, Lord Ryevale, infamous rogue…and government agent.
In unsettled times, with England at war with France, Ryevale is assigned to covertly protect a politician’s daughter, Miss Verity Verrinder. To keep Verity under his watchful eye, Ryevale plots a campaign of seduction that no woman can resist– except it seems, Miss Verrinder. In order to gain her trust Ryevale enters Verity’s world of charity meetings and bookshops…where the unexpected happens and he falls in love with his charge.
When Lord Ryevale turns his bone-melting charms on her, Verity questions his lordship’s motivation. But with her controlling father abroad, Verity wishes to explore London and reluctantly accepts Ryevale’s companionship. As the compelling attraction between them strengthens, Verity is shattered to learn her instincts are correct after all – and Ryevale is not what he seems. If Lord Ryevale can lie, then so can she…but with disastrous consequences.
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
An Easy Dare (Big Easy Series #1) by Rosalie Rousseaux
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self/Indie
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Heat Level: Sensual
Word Count: 60,000 words
Prize is a copy of “An Easy Dare (Big Easy Series #1)” from Rosalie Rousseaux. Contest is tour-wide. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Description:
Cat loved Gabe from the time she was five years old. She thought it would be easy: fall in love with your childhood sweetheart, get married and live happily ever after. But as the years go on, the fairy tale soon falls apart. At twenty, Gabe – penniless, unable to find work, and drinking himself into a bad reputation – leaves New Orleans, believing that Cat is better off without him.
She doesn’t hear from him for three years.
Not until her bachelorette party, when he sends her a $400 bottle of Champagne the night before she’s set to marry Cort Belrose, a wealthy restaurateur that Gabe despises.
It seems the past three years have treated Gabe well. He’s now mysteriously wealthy and the picture of a perfect Southern gentleman – a gentleman who is quietly seeking vengeance on the man who forced him out of the city, took three years of his life, and stole the woman he loved.
With Gabe’s return, the sweltering heat of New Orleans becomes even more stifling as Cat struggles with the truth about her malicious husband and her consuming lifelong love for the vengeful and troubled Gabe.
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
Excerpt:
This was our place, the park. This was our bench. When we were kids we would stand on it and throw bread crumbs to the ducks. When we were teenagers we exchanged kisses here – secretly at first, then openly because we didn’t care. I dare you to kiss me in front of everyone, he’d say, and I would. It was an easy dare.
In the wayward days after high school, when we had nowhere important to go, we would sit here, under the sweltering heat of the New Orleans sun, and lay against each other until our longing led us to his backseat—an unromantic bed in theory, but a passionate scene in practice. I remember how his sweat felt against my body. I remember how his dark hair glimmered in the afternoon heat. There was nothing about Gabriel Augustine that didn’t burn itself into my memory and linger there, even after he left me.
Especially then.
Things should have been easy. You fall in love with your childhood sweetheart. You give him your first kiss, your heart, your virginity. He loves you back. You get married and live happily ever after. That’s how I thought it would be. But there are other things that make up a real life—things that aren’t in the fairy tale. Things like fathers, expectations, obligations. Families and money and futures. Love gets tucked away somewhere and forgotten. Love is for movies and books. Love is for fairy tales. Instead of happily ever after, your childhood sweetheart loses a job, drinks too much, becomes a victim of his own unhappiness and disappears, thinking you’re better off without him when you know that’s not true. When you know—in your heart—that love could win. Would win if he would just let it. But he doesn’t believe enough. Despite what he said on those mornings when you’d wake up sweaty and tired and euphoric from lovemaking, or on the nights when your face was wet from his kisses and your body breathless from his love, he didn’t believe enough.
And you decide: I don’t believe, either.
Because you have to in order to survive.
About the Author:
Rosalie Rousseaux is a proud Louisiana girl who thinks New Orleans is the most enchanting city on Earth. This is her first novel. Visit http://rosalierousseaux.wordpress.com for book trailers, contact information and more about AN EASY DARE.
GIVEAWAY INFO: Prize is 15 “Another Night, Another Planet” swag packs (1 pack each to 15 winners) from Jessica E. Subject. Contest is barrage-wide, open to US and Canadian residents ONLY and ends August 5. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Description
Limited by status…
Ava is a housekeeper aboard Star Spirit, a luxury cruise ship travelling between the Milky Way and the Belvarian System. Coming from a middle-class family on Earth, she is considered by passengers as nothing more than an object to be tossed away when they’re done with her.
Shunned because of his lineage…
Banned from several planets across the universe, Nate struggles to run his interstellar shipping business. But the DNA of an exterminated race runs through his blood, giving him a diluted form of their powers, and leaving him labeled as a terrorist.
Both searching for the one…
Through her 1Night Stand dating service, Madame Evangeline matches these two together for a celestial escape on the pleasure planet, Elatia.
Will Ava and Nate find what they’re looking for, or will their date be just another night on another planet?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
Excerpt
“Run, Nate, run!”
Natazekiel, well aware of the stupid remark he’d made, bounded out of the pub behind his friend. As he rushed past, he toppled tables and chairs on their sides to slow his pursuers. Slamming into the doorframe, he lost his footing. He spun around, catching sight of the burly, blue-skinned Otarians lumbering after him, veins throbbing in their thick necks.
Regaining his balance, he scrambled down the street. He spotted Wyn ahead of him, rounding a corner. But the men he’d pissed off remained on his heels. If he followed his friend, they would chase him, too. If Wyn reached their star cruiser first, Nate hoped he would find a way to rescue him.
A beam of red light slammed into the road in front of him, blasting chunks of concrete all around him. Shit!
He faked to the right, pretending to follow his friend. Then he weaved left. The cursing from behind made him pause, but he valued his life too much—even if no one else did—to turn around.
Ornate stone pillars decorated the front of the tall, posh building ahead of him. An Otarian man stepped out of the entrance, and Nate raced to catch the door before it slammed shut. Inside, he glanced down the long hallway—lit by lavish sconces—at the multitude of doors lining either side. Would he find a way out behind any of them?
With his heart pounding, he grabbed each large brass-colored handle as he rushed by. None of the doors opened for him.
“There he is. Shoot him!”
Nate glanced back to see multiple laser guns aimed at him. Crap, he needed to escape. Fast. He slammed his shoulder into the next door. It flew open, revealing a luxurious suite full of silks and tapestries from the planet Earth. Not a suite he would ever receive an invitation to visit. He darted into a smaller room, finding a slender Otarian woman, naked save for a thin strip of cloth across her breasts and between her legs.
She drew a finger along her delectable blue curves. “Are you my date?”
“Date?” How he wished.
“Yes, did Madame Eve send you?”
For a second, he considered saying yes. Too much time had passed since he’d gotten laid. But with the barbarians after him, he wouldn’t have the chance to satisfy her the way any honorable man should. “Um, no. He’s a lucky man, though. Sorry to intrude.”
He sidestepped to the lofty window, yanking it up. Propping himself on the ledge, he somersaulted through the opening then, dropping farther than he’d expected, crashed to the ground. He didn’t have time to survey his injuries, as a beam blasted the frame above him, sprinkling bits of mortar on his head. Poor woman to have those brutes in her room.
Jumping to his feet, he glanced back and forth down the alley he’d landed in. He raced away from the busy street at one end into darker, unfamiliar territory. Best not to have his pursuers blast innocent bystanders.
After rounding another corner, he ducked behind an immense steel bin, expecting to have lost the bulky, determined men chasing him. A few moments passed in silence. Nate peeked around the edge. Nothing. He’d lost them.
Ready to get the Claustrum off Otaria, he crept farther into the darkness. Even with the sun high in the sky, very little light permeated this space. Pipes from the buildings and holes in the ground released steam around him. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, stinging his eyes. He wiped the moisture away then picked up his pace. A radiance shone ahead. Freedom? Once he returned to the main streets, he would locate Wyn, and their ship.
A beam shot past his head, singing the tip of his ear. Too close. He shot off again, bursting into a cluster of Otarians. He skidded around the next corner toward the open port. His ship was supposed to be there, but the dock where he’d parked it lay empty.
Shit. Where is Wyn?
He searched the skies, spotting the star cruiser barreling toward him. What in Claustrum? His friend would kill him and everyone on the streets. Nate continued running to the field and a line fell from the ship. His chest tightened. No way! I have to climb that? Yeah, right. He didn’t do stunts.
Dirt shot up around him as more blasts came from the men wanting him dead. Guess I have no other choice. Time to be a daredevil. He darted toward the dangling rope, praying to the gods Wyn’s stunt would work. Lifting his arms, he reached for the knot at the end and grabbed hold, asking for the strength to maintain his grip.
In an instant, he lifted off the ground, clinging to the lifeline. A few more laser beams shot past. All at once, the burly men below lowered their guns, staring at him. And his denims rested around his ankles, exposing him for all to see. Well, that explains the sudden breeze.
“Told you mine’s bigger than yours,” he shouted.
When another beam burnt a hole through his pants, he pulled his knees up, trying to save his vital organs. He spun around, hanging on tight while Wyn circled back, racing him away from danger.
Beyond the docks of the port, Nate dropped the line. He yanked up his still smoking jeans, waiting for Wyn to land. Once the door to the ship opened, he rushed inside.
“Go, go, go.”
He swung into the second seat, his heart hammering, as he helped program a course out into space.
About the Author
Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.
When Jessica isn’t reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.
Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers.
