Blog Tour for the Sentinels of New Orleans series by Suzanne Johnson w/interview and book reviews

I have an interview for you all today with urban fantasy author Suzanne Johnson.  She’s going to be telling us a little bit about herself and her books published through Tor.  Following that, I’ve posted reviews and excerpts for the first two novels of her Sentinels series.  As a hint, I loved them and think you would too.  Check out all the great information below and don’t miss out on these awesome books!

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INTERVIEW:

*Note- my responses to Suzanne’s answers are in italics.

Tell us something dark about yourself.

There’s a part of me that would be a really good hermit. Maybe it’s because I have virtually no time when I’m alone, but I’d love to get a cabin somewhere and just hole up for a few months. Have food delivered by helicopter drop or stocked ahead of time. Bah! I’d write all kinds of things!

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OMG, you and me both!

You are on a deserted island and can only choose one beverage to have besides water.  What would it be?

I’d probably be happier on the island if I said Bailey’s or Pimm’s, but I’ll be a good girl and say Coke Zero. Might as well be sober while I watch the sharks circle.

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Be a good girl on a deserted island?  Say it ain’t so!

If you had to choose between a bullwhip, cat o’ nine tails, or a crop, which would you pick?

Today, I’m thinking bullwhip, and I have a list. *Calls softly: Oh, bosssss….c’mere….I got a surprise for you….* Heh. That’ll teach her to make me spend four hours analyzing a 40-page magazine printing contract!

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I’m thinking your boss should learn to take it easy on you…

What mythical creature would you be and why?

I think I’d be a dragon. Wings. Breathing fire. Talons. Um…obviously I’m feeling kind of aggressive today. This is not normal. Really. I’m meek as a lamb.

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If you’re a meek lamb, I can’t tell by your books.  A dragon would make so much sense

What first inspired you to write your series?

The first book of the Sentinels of New Orleans series, Royal Street, was a result of my own experiences living in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina. It was about three or four years after the storm passed and I was still struggling with what happened. The book started as a project to get rid of some of my angst…and turned into three novels so far!

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I’m so glad you decided to write your ideas down.  Keep up the good work because I’m certainly going to keep reading them!

How long does it usually take to research/write them?

It was my first novel, so it involved a lot of teeth-gnashing and rewriting. It took about 14 months start to finish…five months to write it, nine months to fix it. The basic stuff about the Katrina aftermath were my own experiences, but I also re-read all the New Orleans Times-Picayune coverage through the first six weeks after Katrina hit, just to make sure I had the dates and sequences right. I also bring back some historical New Orleans figures as characters in the novels—the pirate Jean Lafitte, jazz great Louis Armstrong, voodoo priestess Marie Laveau—so I did quite a bit of research on each of them, especially the pirate since he’s become a major series character. For River Road, I did a LOT of research into Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, and made a road trip or two.

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All that research and personal knowledge really shows in your books.  I must admit I love Jean Lafitte.  It wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all if DJ at least hooked up with him for a bit.  He’s such a fun character.

Give one unique fact about your series that makes it different from the others in its genre.

I think what sets it apart from most urban fantasy is its strong sense of place. Because it starts with Hurricane Katrina tearing down the borders between New Orleans and the paranormal world, letting all kinds of creatures come flooding into the city, it can’t really be set anywhere else. I like to think that by the time people finish one of my books they feel as if they’ve made a trip to a magical Louisiana. Even the paranormal species—the Cajun mermen and the loup-garou—have a New Orleans spin.

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I couldn’t agree with you more.  Definitely a unique series among UF books!

When do you plan to release the next book in the series?

The second book in the series, River Road, which was released last November in hardcover, will be out in paperback on June 25. On August 18, the third book, Elysian Fields, will be released. And it’s a wild, wild ride!

Thanks for having me here today!

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I am anticipating Elysian Fields being awesome, if the first two books are anything to go by!  So glad it will be releasing soon :)

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Thanks to Suzanne for joining me here today for the interview.  It was great having her.  I really enjoyed getting to know more about her series.  For everyone else, don’t forget to check out the information on her books below as well my reviews.  If you enjoy urban fantasy, this is one series you should pick up right away!

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AUTHOR BIO:

Suzanne Johnson writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance from Auburn, Alabama, after a career in educational publishing that has spanned five states and six universities.  She grew up halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis’ birthplace and lived in New Orleans for fifteen years, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football and fried gator on a stick.

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AUTHOR LINKS:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Publisher Page

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BLURB:

As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco’s job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ’s boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond.

Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters. While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering soldiers sent to help the city recover.

To make it worse, Gerald St. Simon has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and the killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter roux.

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Royal Street

Sentinels of New Orleans Book One
Suzanne Johnson
 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Books
ISBN: 978-0765327796
ASIN: B006OM459U
Number of pages: 337
Word Count: approx. 94,000
Cover Artist: Cliff Nielsen

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PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon    Barnes and Noble     Book Depository

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EXCERPT:

Friday, August 26, 2005

“Once [Tropical Storm Katrina] moved over the gulf today, it was expected to wheel north, pick up speed and hit the Florida Panhandle on Sunday.”

―The New York Times

CHAPTER 1

A secluded Louisiana bayou. A sexy pirate. Seduction and deceit. My Friday afternoon had the makings of a great romantic adventure, at least in theory.

In practice, angry mosquitoes were using me for target practice, humidity had ruined any prayer of a good hair day, and the pirate in question―the infamous Jean Lafitte―was two-hundred years old, armed, and carrying a six-pack of Paradise condoms in assorted fruit flavors.

I wasn’t sure what unnerved me more—the fact that the historical undead had discovered erotic accessories, or that Lafitte felt the need to practice safe sex.

Nothing about the pirate looked safe. Tall and broad-shouldered, he had dark blue eyes and a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth as he watched me set two glasses and a bottle of dark rum on a rickety wooden table. A tanned, muscular chest peeked from his open-collared shirt, and shaggy dark hair framed a clean-shaven face. A jagged scar across his jaw reminded me the so-called gentleman pirate also had his ruthless side.

He’d arrived by way of a stolen boat at this isolated cabin near Delacroix, a half-hour outside New Orleans, to pursue two of the world’s most timeless pleasures: sex and money. I’d met him here to play the role of a gullible young wizard falling under the spell of the legendary pirate, at least for a while. Then I’d do my duty as deputy sentinel and send his swashbuckling hide back to the Beyond, where he could rub shoulders with other undead legends and preternatural creatures unfit for polite human company.

My hand shook as I poured the rum, sloshing a few drops of amber liquid over the side of the glass. I’d finally been given a serious assignment, and I needed it to go without a hitch.

Lafitte’s fingers brushed mine as he took the drink, sending an unexpected rush of energy up my arm. “Merci, Mademoiselle Jaco—or may I call you Drusilla?”

Actually, I’d prefer he didn’t call me anything. Despite his obvious hopes for the evening, this wasn’t a date. “Most people call me DJ.”

“Bah,” he said, taking a sip of rum. “Those are alphabet letters, not a name.”

From beneath the red sash that accented his waist, Lafitte pulled a modern semiautomatic handgun and set it on the table next to the rum bottle. I knew how he’d gotten it—he’d rolled the Tulane student that summoned him, lifted the kid’s wallet and iPod, rode the streetcar to Canal Street, and made a trade for the gun. Enterprising guy, Lafitte.

I pondered the odd spike of energy I’d gotten from his hand. Touching increases the emotional crap I absorb from people as an empath, but Lafitte was technically a dead guy. Still, I’d like to say if he touched me again, I’d demand double pay from the wizards’ Congress of Elders. Triple if it involved lips.

But who was I kidding? My bargaining position was nonexistent. My boss Gerry only sent me on this run because he had something else to do and knew Lafitte might respond to my questionable seduction skills.

I’d pulled my unruly blonde hair out of its usual ponytail for the occasion, loaded on some makeup to play up my teal eyes, and poured myself into a little black skirt, short enough to show off my legs while not offending Lafitte’s nineteenth-century sensibilities.

It must have worked, because the pirate was giving me that head-to-toe appraisal guys do on instinct, like they’re assessing a juicy slab of beef and deciding whether they want it rare, medium, or well-done.

“You really are lovely, Drusilla.” The timbre of Lafitte’s voice shivered down my spine, and I fought the urge to check out the biceps underneath that linen shirt.

Holy crap. This was just wrong. I should not be absorbing his lust.

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MY REVIEW:

This first book in the Sentinels of New Orleans series begins just before Hurricane Katrina hit and ends shortly after the devastation.  The description of the sights, sounds, and smells impressed me.  The author put a lot of detail in so that the reader really felt like they were right there with the heroine.  At the same time, it never bogged down the story.  There was plenty of action to keep me going and a wide cast of captivating characters.

The heroine, DJ, doesn’t have the typical personality I prefer.  She can’t fight all that well and she makes a lot of mistakes, but she makes up for it with her quick thinking and ability to improvise.  Every time I thought she’d gotten herself into a situation she couldn’t get out of, she’d figure something out.  It kept me on my toes throughout the book.  One weird thing that popped up was a cane very similar to the one in the Mercy Thompson series.  I always thought a cane that follows you around is cool, but seeing it in another UF book felt like deja vu.  The good thing is this one turns out to be more useful than the one Mercy had.

There are several main male characters that must be discussed as well.  The first one you meet is Jean Lafitte.  A sexy pirate who has been dead for a long time, but manages to cross from the beyond and cause all kinds of trouble for DJ.  Sometimes he is threatening her and other times he is flirting.  They have some of the most amusing moments in the book.  I really liked him.  In case you’re wondering, he’s not a ghost so much as a fully formed (and touchable) reincarnation of his original self.  So long as people keep remembering him, he is pretty much immortal and can keep on living in his afterlife.  For DJ, it means she can’t get rid of him very easily.

The next major character is Alex.  I don’t want to give away what he is because it would spoil things, but let’s just say he’s more than human.  He shows up soon after the hurricane and becomes DJ’s partner as a co-sentinel for New Orleans.  They have to work together to look for the previous sentinel who went missing.  Plus they have to deal with all the different races from the beyond who take advantage of a weakened barrier thanks to Katrina.  There is definite chemistry between them that had me wondering where things might go.

A third guy, Jake, enters the mix as well.  He’s Alex’s cousin and once again DJ is feeling some attraction for this one, especially since he’s human and feels safer for her.  I liked him, but didn’t feel as strongly about him as the others.  DJ seems to want him for all the wrong reasons, but I suspect this may be done on purpose.  Then again, future books might make me change my mind.  The author certainly has a way of spinning things on their head.  I just hope she eventually picks one guy and sticks with him.  It doesn’t hurt to check out all the candidates first, though.

All in all, this was a great first book for a series.  Royal Street has intricate world-building, fast pacing, and stand-out characters.  I couldn’t have asked for more.  Five whips for this awesome urban fantasy novel!

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BLURB:

Hurricane Katrina is long gone, but the preternatural storm rages on in New Orleans. New species from the Beyond moved into Louisiana after the hurricane destroyed the borders between worlds, and it falls to wizard sentinel Drusilla Jaco and her partner, Alex Warin, to keep the preternaturals peaceful and the humans unaware. But a war is brewing between two clans of Cajun merpeople in Plaquemines Parish, and down in the swamp, DJ learns, there’s more stirring than angry mermen and the threat of a were-gator.

Wizards are dying, and something—or someone—from the Beyond is poisoning the waters of the mighty Mississippi, threatening the humans who live and work along the river. DJ and Alex must figure out what unearthly source is contaminating the water and who—or what—is killing the wizards. Is it a malcontented merman, the naughty nymph, or some other critter altogether? After all, DJ’s undead suitor, the pirate Jean Lafitte, knows his way around a body or two.

It’s anything but smooth sailing on the bayou as the Sentinels of New Orleans series continues.

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River Road
Sentinels of New Orleans, Book 2
Suzanne Johnson

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Books
ISBN: 978-0765327802
ASIN: B00842H5VI
Number of pages: 336
Word Count: approx. 92,000
Cover Artist: Cliff Nielsen

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PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Book Depository    Indiebound

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EXCERPT:

The minute hand of the ornate grandfather clock crept like a gator stuck in swamp mud. I’d been watching it for half an hour, nursing a fizzy cocktail from my perch inside the Hotel Monteleone. The plaque on the enormous clock claimed it had been hand- carved of mahogany in 1909, about 130 years after the birth of the undead pirate waiting for me upstairs.

They were both quite handsome, but the clock was a lot safer.

The infamous Jean Lafitte had expected me at seven. He’d summoned me to his French Quarter hotel suite by courier like I was one of his early nineteenth-century wenches, and I hated to destroy his pirate-king delusions, but the historical undead don’t summon wizards. We summon them.

I’d have blown him off if my boss on the Congress of Elders hadn’t ordered me to comply and my co-sentinel, Alex, hadn’t claimed a prior engagement.

At seven thirty, I abandoned my drink, took a deep breath, and marched through the lobby toward the bank of elevators.

On the long dead-man-walking stroll down the carpeted hallway, I imagined all the horrible requests Jean might make. He’d saved my life a few years ago, after Hurricane Katrina sent the city into freefall, and I hadn’t seen him since. I’d been desperate at the time. I might have promised him unfettered access to modern New Orleans in exchange for his assistance. I might have promised him a place to live. I might have promised him things I don’t even remember. In other words, I might be totally screwed.

I reached the door of the Eudora Welty Suite and knocked, reflecting that Jean Lafitte probably had no idea who Eudora Welty was, and wouldn’t like her if he did. Ms. Welty had been a modern sort of woman who wouldn’t hop to attention when summoned by a scoundrel.

He didn’t answer immediately. I’d made him wait, after all, and Jean lived in a tit- for- tat world. I paused a few breaths and knocked harder. Finally, he flung open the door, waving me inside to a suite plush with tapestries of peach and royal blue, thick carpet that swallowed the narrow heels of my pumps, and a plasma TV he couldn’t possibly know how to operate. What a waste.

“You have many assets, Drusilla, but apparently a respect for time is not among them.” Deep, disapproving voice, French accent, broad shoulders encased in a red linen shirt, long dark hair pulled back into a tail, eyes such a cobalt blue they bordered on navy. And technically speaking, dead.

He was as sexy as ever.

“Sorry.” I slipped my hand in my skirt pocket, fingering the small pouch of magic-infused herbs I carried at all times. My mojo bag wouldn’t help with my own perverse attraction to the man, but it would keep my empathic abilities in check. If he still had a perverse attraction to me, I didn’t want to feel it.

He eased his six-foot-two frame into a sturdy blue chair and slung one long leg over the arm as he gave me a thorough eyeraking, a ghost of a smile on his face.

I perched on the edge of the adjacent sofa, easing back against a pair of plump throw pillows, and looked at him expectantly. I hoped what ever he wanted wouldn’t jeopardize my life, my job, or my meager bank account.

“You are as lovely as ever, Jolie,” Jean said, trotting out his pet name for me that sounded deceptively intimate and brought back a lot of memories, most of them bad. “I will forgive your tardiness— perhaps you were late because you were selecting clothing that I would like.” His gaze lingered on my legs. “You chose beautifully.”

I’d picked a conservative black skirt and simple white blouse with the aim of looking professional for a business meeting, part of my ongoing attempt to prove to the Elders I was a mature wizard worthy of a pay raise. But this was Jean Lafitte, so I should have worn coveralls. I’d forgotten what a letch he could be.

“I have a date after our meeting,” I lied. He didn’t need to know said date involved a round carton with the words Blue Bell Ice Cream printed on front. “Why did you want to see me?”

There, that hadn’t been so difficult—just a simple request. No drama. No threats. No double- entendre. Straight to business.

“Does a man need a reason to see a beautiful woman? Especially one who is indebted to him, and who has made him many promises?” A slow smile spread across his face, drawing my eyes to his full lips and the ragged scar that trailed his jawline.

I might be the empath in the room, but he knew very well that, in some undead kind of way, I thought he was hot.

I felt my face warming to the shade of a trailer- trash bridesmaid’s dress, one whose color had a name like raging rouge. I’d had a similar reaction when I first met Jean in 2005, two days before a mean hurricane with a sissy name turned her malevolent eye toward the Gulf Coast. I blamed my whole predicament on Katrina, the bitch.

Her winds had driven the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into the canals that crisscrossed the city, collapsing levees and filling the low, concave metro area like a gigantic soup bowl.

But NBC Nightly News and Anderson Cooper had missed the biggest story of all: how, after the storm, a mob of old gods, historical undead, and other preternatural victims of the scientific age flooded New Orleans. As a wizard, I’d had a ringside seat. Now, three years later, the wizards had finally reached accords with the major preternatural ruling bodies, and the borders were down, as of two days ago. Jean hadn’t wasted any time.

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MY REVIEW:

The second book in the Sentinels of New Orleans series begins approximately three years after the first.  I loved the first book so much I dove right into the second.  It turned out to be even better than expected.  Some new characters were introduced, but most of the previous ones had a strong place in the novel.

From the start the reader discovers DJ is pretty well settled into her life as co-sentinel with Alex.  They have agreed not to be anything more than friends, but the sexual tension is still there and heats up more in this book.  In fact, it gets a bit tenser for Jake and Jean as well.  DJ has her hands full with the three of them wanting dates all of a sudden on top of a new problem with merpeople.

I must admit the author kept me guessing throughout the story on how all the plot elements tied together.  Two mer clans were trying to battle it out.  Both hated wizards, which was suspicious because wizards were being attacked.  Bodies of water were coming up poisoned and killing people.  Plus a whole lot more of side stuff as DJ discovers more about her background.  This book is even faster paced than the first and made it hard to put down.

The romance element was a bit frustrating because I had hoped DJ would pick a guy in this novel, but instead it didn’t progress much more than the first.  She is mostly trying to keep her distance from all of them, but allowing herself moments that could lead to more.  In some ways this is great and in others you just can’t wait to see what happens next with the men in her life.  The tension is killing me, but I’m enjoying the journey.

There are a couple of minor plot holes that became more apparent in this book.  How the beyond works isn’t entirely clear yet, but I figure the details will get filled in further with each installment in the series.  I’m rather confused about why DJ has healing charms she uses on everyone but herself.  She gets banged up A LOT but always chooses to heal the slow and natural way.  If someone else gets hurt, though, she whips those charms right out and gets them back to perfect health immediately.  I kept waiting to see if there was an explanation for this, but it never came.  It was such a small thing, though, that it didn’t really bother me that much.  Plus with such a fast paced novel you don’t have much time to get stuck on silly details.

I really loved River Road with all its twists and turns.  When it ended I groaned in frustration that the next novel, Elysian Fields, wouldn’t be out until August.  For anyone who is a fan of urban fantasy, this is one series you really don’t want to miss.  I highly recommend it and give it five whips!

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Author Interview with Melissa Craig plus a giveaway!

Today I am excited to present you all with an interview with erotica writer Melissa Craig.  She kindly agreed to be here today to talk about her herself and her books.  She has a weekly podcast radio show she co-hosts with Charity Parkerson where she regularly interviews other authors.  Now I’m turning the tables on Melissa and putting her in the hot seat.

Check out all she has to say below and see the info on her books.  I’ve read one of them myself, Plentiful Package, and really enjoyed it.  Talk about steamy!  Plus you can’t find a more dirty and erotic sounding title than that.  Except maybe with the names of her other books.  I know I can’t wait to read more from her.  As a bonus she is giving away one ebook, readers choice, for one of her novels to a random commenter.  Don’t miss your chance to win.  You’ll have until Tuesday night at midnight (CDT) to enter.

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INTERVIEW:

*Note- my responses to Melissa’s answers are in italics.

Tell us something dark about yourself.

Oh, something Dark…interesting…You may not think it is dark, but I can’t help myself; I have to do it… Whenever I’m not writing I have to explore… it is like an addiction, a moment I have to be alone for… The phone will not be answered; my twitter followers will be neglected. I will be on the prowl soaking up the knowledge from the thing in front of me… Yes the information will be imbedded in my mind, into the dark place. I thrive for more and once I start I can’t stop devouring it bit by bit, piece by piece. I buy books about men’s sexuality, sex life, men’s insecurities, sexology and more.  I know what to say, what point to touch, how to build that desire and set up that obstacle that will heighten eroticism at every turn. My forbidden fruit.

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Um, I think you’re the first person to answer this question and make it sound like the audience should go off and be alone for a bit.  Give me a moment and I’ll return for the next question…

…okay, I’m back.  Sort of.

You are on a deserted island and can only choose one beverage to have besides water.  What would it be?

I would normally say Nespresso coffee, but then I would need electricity, milk and coffee pods… mmm it would have to be never ending cans of Coke and hopefully the island has a beautiful fresh water cold swimming hole.

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I’ll consider granting that swimming hole.  Um, wait.  Now that sounds dirty.  Good grief this erotica stuff is contagious!

If you had to choose between a bullwhip, cat o’ nine tails, or a crop, which would you pick?

Of course it would have to be the CROP… giddy up horsey break those capillaries baby.

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Hmmm, your co-host, Charity, chose the crop as well.  What are you two doing on Skype when you’re not recording???

What mythical creature would you be and why?

I would be the Phoenix as I think they are amazing birds in color and beauty. I love how a single tear is so pure that it is capable of producing extreme healing powers, and they would never kill or crush a single living thing.

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Not quite what I expected but a good answer, though I think you’d make a great nymph as well  

Which of your characters do you wish you could meet in real life and what would you like to do to…um, I mean with them.

I want to meet Jenna from the Simply Breathtaking Series. I think we would get on well, very well. Hello… she’s hot… skips to the other side for a bit…maybe…look to the ground shifting feet from side to side… Hehe…. What would I do…? I would sit her down on the edge of the bed, get down onto my knees. I would allow the moment to intensify and my hands moist, about to touch her… oh a nervous shudder would be felt the instant I made contact with her smooth shoulders. I would gaze up into her eyes, take a deep breath and say “Why the fuck are you so hung up on Andy? He’s a lothario.”

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Now that would be one conversation I’d love to sit in on!

What first inspired you to write your book(s)?

Umm… the men that played on my mind had to be shared…wipe the drool off your face Suzie, no, no you missed a bit. LOL… Seriously the character, Juan from ‘Ample Attraction’ kept playing on my mind… I couldn’t stop thinking about him and his lips… I actually started wondering if I knew Juan as I was lusting after him…Nope, my author friend Jennifer Stevenson told me I had a story and I should write it down. I felt like I was going crazy…apparently it was normal to feel that way (I had no idea). I would not have published ‘Plentiful Package’ if it wasn’t for Jen so she became my mentor.

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Mistress of the Dark Path NEVER drools…except maybe when she is staring glancing at your book covers.

How long does it usually take to research and write it/them?

Plentiful Package only took two months from the moment Juan popped into my mind. However I sat on it for six months double guessing myself. Since then I do research a lot of men’s thoughts and behavior patterns and sexology etc.  I would say that ‘Ample Attraction’ if it was
in a block would have taken me six months to write. But ‘My Package of Paradise’ was in a day. I stayed up until 5 am as the story was so strong. So each story is different.

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So where exactly is your free hand when you’re doing all this research?  Doing more research?  *knowing grin* 

Give one unique fact about your novel(s) that makes it/them different from the others in the genre.  

My books are based in Australia, inspired by the tropical rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. At least one of my characters is Australian in each book, if not all… especially the Simply Breathtaking Series. Who doesn’t like an erotica with hot tan bodies and no shirts on, yes men and women…?

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What was that you said after no shirts on?  My train of thought got lost.

What other books do you plan to publish in the future?

I need to get my butt moving as I have been so busy with radio and TV social media stuff. I wanted to get five stories out this year, but I think it may only be four. I know, guys, I am sorry. I will try very hard to get the next short story for the Run series out as well. Fingers crossed I do.  In order of release 2013:

Novel length – ‘The Unblemished Librarian’, Novelette – ‘The Pleasures of the Professor’, Book 3 of Simply Breathtaking Series Novel – ‘Majestic Males’.  Plus I will be releasing a short story with Charity Parkerson in the: Melissa Craig & Charity Parkerson Do Dallas. My short story is called ‘Nothing Innocent’.

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“Release” mmm.  I got lost once again on the title “Majestic Males” only to be lost again on “Melissa Craig & Charity Parkerson Do Dallas”.  The thoughts that run through my head with those kinds of titles.  Not sure it’s appropriate even for this blog.

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Thanks to Melissa for answering all my questions and doing it in a rather entertaining way.  I can’t imagine erotica fans not wanting to read your books after hearing responses like that.  I know I need to pick up another of your books soon!  For everyone else, below you’ll find some more information about Melissa and her work.  Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win in her giveaway!

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AUTHOR BIO:

I awake every morning to have my nespresso as it helps me function for the rest of the day.

Yes function, so I can write EROTICA. Yep, writing about men’s hard bodies is a hard job, but someone has to do it. My heart always pumps at double speed. Blood rushes to every nerve in my body and I am parched constantly. Writing makes me swallow hard and lick my lips. I feel little trickles of sweat in places I didn’t know possible.

See writing EROTICA is like doing a cardio work out. Okay! Now I’m panting. I need to get back to writing more stories for you.

P.S. I love the beach. And I want to help you feel the sand between your toes in the Simply Breathtaking Series with a kite surfer, lifeguard and a scuba dive instructor. Based on an island in The Great Barrier Reef.

Enjoy my stories any way you can. And I mean it…ANYWAY!

You can find her at:

Website
Facebook
Twitter

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BOOK LINKS:

Book Kinokuniya Sydney
Booktopia Sydney
Kobo
Amazon Page
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository (has free world wide delivery)

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BOOK SUMMARY:

Book one of Simply Breathtaking Series
INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLER
# 2 Hottest Reads in Erotica (Paperback, US)
#32 Best Sellers list in Erotica (Paperback. US)
#70 Best Sellers in Erotica (Kindle, France)
#15 Best Smut Books

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This Novella is the first in the Simply Breathtaking Series. It involves Jenna Trilby and the stupendous men in her life. She is surrounded by hot beautiful men every day. Poor thing! Hehe.
A sexually deprived boss and her HOT, sexy, heart pounding Australian kite surf instructor – Andy Zuco. Andy is saucy, delicious and astonishingly beautiful. He knows how to have a good time and it drives Jenna crazy. Set on a beautiful island in The Great Barrier Reef, Australia. His hard six pack abs never go unnoticed.
Jenna catches him having sex while on duty. Revealing more of Andy than she has ever seen before. Her nerve endings are zapping, endorphins pumping. Just like Andy pumps Suzie. Jenna is hungry for him. The thrill of being caught watching them excites her. Until their gazes collide.
Jenna is torn between being his boss, or personal play toy. Find out how Jenna deals with Andy, and his remarkable hard sculptured body. Will she succumb to satisfying her wildest of dreams with the ultimate ladies man?

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BOOK SUMMARY:

Rick has worked hard to reach his position of professor. He is quiet, overworked and an upstanding citizen; a shining example and the most successful in his field. Rick is all that and more.

He truly believes that behind every good man is a good woman. A woman who can harness the power that lies within him. A woman who has power over his body and soul. A woman who has a magical touch that transports him from his serious everyday life, makes his breath hitch and stimulates his senses.

Logan has stroked his flame of desire and has done things that no-one else has done. She has a way of making him feel free from the world of academic tedium he lives in. She is sexy, spontaneous, sensual and his Logan Sapphire. She has the hue, saturation and the tone of the most exquisite gem.

Rick would sacrifice anything for Logan as she is the one person who can entice him to forget the real world and the expectations that weigh heavily on him. He feels understood by her and she penetrates deep within his mind. She is his sanctuary.

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BOOK SUMMARY:

My new erotica novella will be released in winter 2013.

The male character is Boyd and he is a typical bad boy who works behind the bar at a strip club and… um. Sorry, distracted by a naked butt. What? I am human. It caught my eye is all. Oi…not a real one. I mean it is real. I mean not before me, in 3D form… however I am sure I could arrange one… Yes I know I have some drool at the corner of my mouth. I glanced at the cover, okay!

What was I saying? Hmmm Boyd the Bad Boy and his buff blessing of a body. Yes, got it. He is bold, boastful, beautiful, blazing and blemished, but do you blame him? Bountiful beauties with beaming breasts by his side each night. He works at a strip club, find out how The Unblemished Librarian fits in. LOL.

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EXCERPT FROM “THE UNBLEMISHED LIBRARIAN”:

Prologue

The Strip Club

Boyd looked at the time and sighed. It was only 9:30 pm, but the bar was already full. He looked around at the men perving at the topless bar maids with ravenous smiles that he saw night after night. Smiles powered by the freedom to look, admire and dominate, the freedom to live out their erotic dreams with the ultimate bad girls. It was a typical Wednesday night at the strip club. Cheap beer brought in all walks of life to watch the girls perform.

“It’s going to be a busy one,” Boyd remarked to Amy before downing his scotch.

He stood with one hand on the bar, allowing his eyes to hungrily roam over the bodies of Candy, Candice and Crystal from their toes up. He smiled, besotted by their sexiness that was only enhanced by their red platform shoes. Fond memories flooded his mind as they took center stage for a triple strip show and the thoughts of how those legs had wrapped around him the night before enticed him. Unable to pull his eyes away he watched the pieces of clothing peeled away to reveal supple flesh. The girls removed each item seductively, like their performance was meant for him and him alone. Boyd was hot under the collar and stiff in the groin. He took a deep breath. The nervous flutters in his stomach intensified with anticipation. What things are to come tonight? He wondered.

Like every other man in the room, his shaft started overtaking his common sense and he forgot about his bar duties. Boyd could recall exactly how each girl looked, felt and…Wow, the last few days have been wild, he thought, recalling each of their tasty delights. The words sweet, smooth and divine came to mind.

Boyd licked his lips, taking a deep breath as he watched Candy-the cutest blonde he knew. He had explored every crumb of her girly flaps, and his cock throbbed as a gush of ecstasy coursed through him. Boyd knew he had the best job ever, even though it was often hard to concentrate. He shook his head mentally trying to focus on things, other than their past nights together. Boyd clenched his jaw tightly, trying to control his urgent need of a delicacy. He found it difficult to watch Candy rub her cooch up and down the pole in her itty bitty G-string without wishing she was mimicking it on his baton. He turned his attention back to the bar, under duress, away from the bountiful beauties on stage.

Boyd knew he had a lot to offer compared other guys he had seen. He knew his cock was bigger and bolder than the average man and loved how every girl’s eyes widened when they first saw it. He smirked at the thought of his achievements in the sex department as of late. But the three girls had done so much for him and he wanted to do something special in return. He knew he wouldn’t care if he had to humiliate himself to please them. It would not be humiliating if it had the potential to create a once in a life time event.

“God she’s a stunner,” Boyd said aloud, knowing that no one would hear him over the throbbing beat of the music. He looked over every inch of Candy’s assets before stopping at her perky boobs. “Tomorrow, Kama Sutra book,” he told himself, captivated by her beauty. His erogenous zones responded when her dark brown nipples became rigid. To see her stroke her nipple before gliding her hand down into her panties had him practically drooling, and a bucket full at that. Boyd wanted to make a meal out of her right away. He wanted to jump the bar and taste her warm juices again. He wanted to grasp her nipples and squeeze them, knowing that her small breasts were more sensitive than Candice’s or Crystal’s.

Boyd stood still, unable to move. He had been astounded by Candy’s moans of pleasure and he hardened at the thought. Candy had swung herself around the pole and upside-down, eying him the whole time. The head of his cock throbbed in excitement, but was unable to reach its full potential in his tight jeans. He had watched the girls perform night after night, as police women or nurses, stripping down to the bare essentials. Boyd knew that they loved having a power over him, knowing he watched them, but could do nothing about it until the end of their shift. His yearning drove him wild.

Candy was different to the others. She hadn’t had a boob job or become hooked on Botox beauty treatments. It’s only a matter of time, he thought sadly. Bigger boobs earned more, but Candy was still his favorite. She had plenty of vigor stored up for him after performing. He took delight in her healthy and enjoyable form of recreation. Most of the time Boyd was on the receiving end, but he never complained. Only a fool would complain about being with a gorgeous woman who couldn’t contain her eagerness for sex.

All the girls at the club kissed him with intensity when they greeted him, so Boyd was on a natural high most of the time. He was like their own personal body-guard, come man whore. Boyd never had to go without sex. All his dreams had come true and he was going to enjoy it any way he could.

He poured another drink order for Amy. She stood in front of him with her E size breasts, her nipples covered with tiny pink tassels and a matching pink G-string. He suddenly remembered his first day, only six months before. He had been so on edge, unable to concentrate on anything except the girls. He still remembered how sweaty his palms had been. Most of his tips had gone towards replacing the glasses he had dropped every time his cock reacted to the girls bending over or spreading their legs wide in their opening night position.

Boyd snorted at how naive and embarrassed he had been. He recalled how his breath caught in the back of his throat every time one of the girls had approached him. He had started as a sweet next door sort of boy, but now he was a man who held his own.

The girls still raised a woody out of him, but he became accustomed to the daily exposure to gorgeous big boobs and tight bodies. He was even glad his vessel didn’t throb as much. That was until Candy had started. He loved watching her take a shallow breath when he winked at her. Will I ever get tired of this? He wondered and continued getting organized for the influx of punters who would want drinks as soon as the performance finished.

Book Blast for Cream by Zenobia Renquist

Today I am happy to participate in a tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for an erotic vampire romance with an interracial couple.  Zenobia Renquist released her new novel, Cream, just this month and it looks like a hot one.  Check out all the book information below.  Also, the author will be awarding a $25 Starbucks GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  Be sure to drop a comment for your chance to win!

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CREAM

by Zenobia Renquist

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BLURB:

She’s entered a world where blood, sex, and cash rules everything around her.

What do a four hundred-year-old vampire and a mid-level necromancer have in common? Money. Jeliyah needs it to pay off the people who trained her and Teaghan enjoys killing to get it. Together they hunt rogue vampires—assuming Teaghan can focus on something other than getting her in bed and Jeliyah doesn’t put a bullet in him first.

The uneasy partnership promises to be lucrative until Teaghan and Jeliyah get on the wrong side of a feud. Jeliyah is forced to use forbidden magic and finds herself bound to a man she should hate—but whom she can’t stop fantasizing about.

Every second they stay alive fuels a growing desire Jeliyah is unwilling to deny. Is it the magic? The danger? The only way to get the answers she craves is to outrun the enemy or kill them. She knows Teaghan’s preference but it’s Jeliyah who must put their mind-blowing sex aside and make the choice that will decide both their fates.

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EXCERPT:

Teaghan knew it. A coup was about to happen. He didn’t know the players and didn’t care. So long as the bills got paid, the person in power didn’t matter. From one leader to the next, nothing ever changed.

He said, “Fine. You want me. I get that. Leave the necromancer out of it. No one would miss me but take her out and you’ll have the higher-ups gunning for you and your boss.”

“You’re right, the higher-ups would be quite upset if we killed the necromancer, and that wasn’t my intention. The others wanted to have some fun with her before handing her over but that was all.”

Jeliyah gripped the door handle and her eyes widened.

Teaghan said, “The higher-ups won’t overlook you molesting one of their own.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. They’ve given us permission to do with her as we please so long we return her to them intact.”

Jeliyah yelled, “They would never do that.”

Fredrick chuckled. “Well, hello, Jeliyah. Ephraim tells me you smell of vampire seed and blood. Recent seed. Old blood. I had thought you would hold out against Teaghan much longer given your initial reaction to him. Either I overestimated you or underestimated him.” He made the vocal equivalent of a shrug. “Doesn’t matter since I felt the need to pass on the news of your little indiscretion to Hirsch, who then relayed it to the higher-ups. They are very displeased that a high-middle class such as yourself would give a vampire permission to invade her body. That displeasure graduated to anger when I informed them of the blood sharing as well.”

Oh please, no. No. No.

Teaghan grabbed Jeliyah’s hand in a firm grip to anchor her to the here and now. She clutched at him and stared at his profile. Tears rimmed her eyes. He knew she was holding it together by a thin thread of will. Images of the bleeding chamber raced through her mind. She was imagining herself in the place of the person she’d seen when she was young.

He told her through their link, I’ve got you, Jeliyah. Nothing’s going to happen.

Fredrick said, “Stop the car and give up. Make this easier for all of us.”

“Denied.” Teaghan released Jeliyah’s hand so he could snatch the phone off the dash and hit the end button.

Jeliyah asked, “What do we do? They want you dead and me—” Her words choked to a halt and she pulled in a shuddering breath. A single tear slipped down her cheek.

He retrieved her hand and squeezed it. “Easy there, necromancer. Don’t fall apart on me now.”

“Why? All you did was kill a rogue.”

“That’s why. It’s a changing of the guard. It happens every few centuries. Family infighting. They involve people from neighboring families who have been promised some little tidbit or other to help the wannabe head take power. It’s a story as old as the vampires. Seems you and I got in the way.”

Teaghan changed his destination. The enforcers probably knew which hotel they’d used by now and might be lying in wait. He steered the car back on the highway. If one family wanted him dead then his only protection was to seek refuge in another family’s territory.

While a risky proposition without petitioning for entrance first, the destination Teaghan had in mind came with a sponsor. He released Jeliyah’s hand once more to bring up a number he hadn’t called in years. He hoped it still worked.

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PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | Ellora’s Cave  | Kobo  | Nook

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AUTHOR BIO:

Zenobia Renquist lives in her imagination. When not traveling through her fantasy worlds, she can be found in Hawaii living with her husband and two cats.

She is an Air Force brat turned Air Force wife, which means she’s accustomed to travel and does it whenever possible (so long as she doesn’t have to fly). Her favorite pastime is torturing her characters on their way to happily-ever-after for the enjoyment of her readers.

On the few occasions her muse flees the scene of the crime, Zenobia likes to read (comics, manga, and romance), go to the movies, play a few levels of whichever puzzle game has hijacked her interest or experiment with a new chain maille weave.

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AUTHOR LINKS:

website – http://zenobiarenquist.com
blog – http://blog.dreneebagby.com
FB – https://www.facebook.com/Author.DRBagby.ZRenquist
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/zenobiarenquist

Blog Tour for Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare

I’m happy to be participating with Bewitching Book Tours in a tour for NY Times best-selling author Tessa Dare.  She has a new historical romance out, Beauty and the Blacksmith, I’m spotlighting today that looks really steamy.  All the details, including a hot excerpt from the novella, are below.  There is also a tour wide giveaway (US only) for several of her books.  If you’d be interested in winning one of them, click on the Rafflecopter link to enter.

Tour Wide Giveaway 5 print copies of each:

A NIGHT TO SURRENDER

A WEEK TO BE WICKED

A LADY BY MIDNIGHT

  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba112f263/

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BEAUTY AND THE BLACKSMITH

by Tessa Dare

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BLURB:

Take a trip to Spindle Cove in New York Times bestselling author Tessa Dare’s gorgeous and sexy Regency romance.

Beautiful and elegant, Miss Diana Highwood is destined to marry a wealthy, well-placed nobleman. At least that’s what her mother has loudly declared to everyone in Spindle Cove.

But Diana’s not excited by dukes and lords. The only man who makes her heart pound is the village blacksmith, Aaron Dawes. By birth and fortune, they couldn’t be more wrong for each other … but during stolen, steamy moments in the smithy, his strong hands feel so right.

Is their love forged strong enough to last, or are they just playing with fire?

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On Sale Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher:  HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780062238849
ISBN: 0062238841
Genre: Fiction / Romance

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EXCERPT:

How could she help staring? The man had wrists as thick as her ankle.

As always, he wore his sleeves rolled to the elbow, exposing forearms roped with muscle. He pumped the bellows, commanding the flames to dance.

Broad shoulders stretched his homespun shirt, and a leather apron hung low on his hips. As he removed the glowing bit of metal from the fire and placed it on his anvil, his open collar gaped.

Diana averted her gaze—but not fast enough. She caught a moment’s glimpse of pure, superheated virility. Sculpted chest muscles, bronzed skin, dark hair…

“Behave yourself,” he said.

The words startled her breathless.

He knows. He knows. He’s realized that refined, perfect gently bred Miss Highwood comes to the smithy to gawp at his brute manliness. Behave yourself, indeed.

She felt ridiculous. Ashamed. Exposed.

And then—suddenly—relieved.

He wasn’t speaking to her. He was speaking to his work.

“That’s it.” Perspiration glistened on his brow. With a steady hand and a low, rich baritone, he finessed the broken clasp. “Be good for me now.”

Diana turned her gaze downward, focusing on the floor. Neatly swept and fitted stones paved her half of the smithy, where visitors waited for their work. The ground around the forge was packed with black, smudgy cinders. And the border between the two could not have been more stark, or more meaningful.

Here was the division between customer and smith. The line between the world of a gentlewoman and a working man’s domain.

“There we are,” he said. “That’s the way.”

Oh, goodness. She could look away from this thick forearms and his muscled chest. But that voice.

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PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | Kobo  | Nook

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AUTHOR BIO:

Tessa Dare a part-time librarian, full-time mommy, and swing-shift writer. She makes her home in Southern California, where she shares a cozy, cluttered bungalow with her husband, their two children, and a dog.

You can find her at:

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Newsletter
Goodreads

Guest Post with Author Milly Taiden- It’s All About Personality

Today I have a special guest post for you all with paranormal romance author Milly Taiden.  She’s here to talk about how personalities and names affects the way characters behave.  I really appreciate her being here today to share her thoughts.  Be sure to check the post below and see the information on her latest book release, Caged Heat.  It looks like one hot paranormal romance with shifters involved.  Take it away Milly…

It’s all about personality

For my Caged Heat group, it was all about continuing with the theme from book one. Not only did the names have to stay the same for returning characters, but some of the new ones had to fit the bill. Samira was such a pretty name and I just knew instantly it was perfect for my main. She was strong, sassy, sexy and bossy. Natalia, the best friend was another sassy woman with a mouth that would surely get her into trouble one day.

For some reason I find that I love writing Latinas with fiery attitudes and sexy males that need to figure out how to handle them. One thing I love about the characters I write is that the males don’t try to change the females, instead they try to figure out how to learn to make them happy. My women aren’t easy by any means. They are in my mind real women who get angry, get bossy and answer back when things get rough. So the personality mix has to go together.

I have been told the personalities of my female mcs reflect mine because I tend to be bossy, sassy and no-holds barred when it comes to my opinion. I guess this is the fun part about adding myself into my characters. I choose to add the part that makes them fun fearless females.

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CAGED HEAT

by Milly Taiden

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BLURB:

After five years travelling through third world countries to teach impoverished children, Samira Suarez has returned home to Black Meadows. What Sam didn’t expect was to be instantly overwhelmed by the desire to be with the one man she’s wanted since she was a teen, Riel Karven.

Riel has been patiently waiting for Sam’s return. For five long years he’s backed off and watched her come and go. This is it. His mate is back, and he’s taking a stand.

Sam’s need for Ry grows to unimaginable proportions. It’s almost as if she were in heat. But she’s a human…isn’t she?

There’s more at stake than Sam and Ry’s future relationship when she inherits her grandmother’s estate. One of her many relatives wants her out of the way.

It’s going to take all of Ry’s determination and help from his friends to keep her alive.  And it’s going to take delving into her past to find out why a human is going into mating heat.

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Caged Heat
Milly Taiden
Black Meadows Pack – Book 2
Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance
Publisher: Etopia Press

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PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  All Romance

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EXCERPT:

“Troy, you done interviewing Nat’s tonsils?” Riel joked.
Nat jerked away from Troy. Sam’s curiosity over the two was beyond piqued. Why hadn’t Nat mentioned Troy in any of their video calls? Hell, the way it looked, if they were given any more time she definitely would have walked in on some private playtime.
Troy stared at Nat as if she was a pork chop and he was meat deprived. “I think we can continue this later on. Don’t you, sweetheart?” He grinned.
Nat sat down on one of the stools in a huff. “Have you lost your mind? I already told you I don’t want anything to do with a playboy like you.”
Troy gave her a shit-eating grin. “Sweetheart, you don’t just want me.” He licked his lips. “You want me so bad you were ready to tear at my clothes a few moments ago.”
Natalia rolled her eyes. “Oh please! That was just a moment of temporary insanity.”
They argue back and forth. It shocked her. Sam grinned when she realized why her friend was so prickly with Troy. Nat wanted the sexy blond but refused to give in to her hormones. Boy, she was in for some long, battery-operated nights.
“Since I can’t show Sam what a great catch I am with you two arguing, how about you behave for a few minutes and we get back to the problem at hand here?”
Sam peeked up at Riel. He was grinning at the couple, while the bar of his really hard cock pressed against her ass. She wiggled until the thick length was nestled between her cheeks. Maybe she could find a way to ask Troy and Nat to leave so she could get better acquainted with him.
Riel’s head dropped, his voice low by her ear, “If you keep doing that, I will drag you upstairs, tear off your clothes, and lick you until you come. Then I’m going to fuck you so hard, you’ll be limping for days.”
Good god! The visual he’d given her sent her temperature soaring. She’d never known he was such a dirty talker, and dammit she liked it. She wanted to be upset with him for interrupting the live soap opera in her kitchen, but her thoughts were all in the gutter, way in the gutter, so deep down there you’d need a flashlight to find them. It was better to watch Nat argue with Troy than to delve into what just happened in her living room. She would take anything over dissecting how she’d let Riel fondle her just steps from them and how badly she wanted him to continue what he’d started.
She strode toward the kitchen table and sat next to the cold food. Hunger pangs made her stomach grumble. She ignored the noise her gut made and focused on the conversation. Her gaze strayed back to Riel. He’d moved into the kitchen and was actively washing his hands, hands that had been all over her body just moments before. She gulped. He turned, winked at her, and grabbed a bag of sliced bread off the kitchen counter.
“Troy, you look into any of the teenagers around the area. See if any of them might know if this was some kind of prank.” Riel placed the bread in the toaster.
Troy gathered the dirty dishes and started loading them into a dishwasher.
Toast popped out with a ding. Riel grabbed the dark slices and buttered them. She glanced at Nat, who was grinning over both men’s domesticity. Sam was much more interested in figuring out what the heck Riel was up to, acting like her kitchen was his personal domain. Not that she minded. Hell, any man that knew how to cook and was as sexy as Riel was more than welcome in her home. And if she got him out of his pants, all would be well in the world.
Riel pushed the plate of buttered toast off to the side. He opened up a carton of eggs on the counter and started breaking them into a bowl. He mixed them with a fork, his naked arm muscles shifting with each movement, drawing Sam’s attention to his sexy back. The wolf tattoo was even more amazing up close. He turned to face her, moving the bowl by the skillet. “I’ll look into the relative connection.”
“What relatives?” Troy asked and pulled some juice out of the fridge.
“The ones that may or may not have something to do with the dead animal that was left outside.” He cooked the eggs and glanced up, his piercing gaze meeting Sam’s eyes. “Ginny’s will left everything to Sam, and they’re angry. I’ll have a look into what might be going on there.”
Sam wondered if Riel and Troy forgot they were in her house. Interest had replaced shock that they were cooking. She waited to see what each would do next. Riel placed bacon in a frying pan, and Sam’s stomach growled louder. Troy made fresh coffee, and Nat cleared the table. Meanwhile she just sat there, like a moviegoer watching the latest suspense flick, unable to move.
Nat shrugged and grinned at Sam’s most likely dumbfounded expression before placing clean cutlery on the table. She added her two bits into the conversation. “Those people were always so miserable. All they have ever wanted is Ginny’s money.”
“I know.” Riel scooped the food onto two large platters. “She told me often enough that she wished she could disinherit them all and start over.”
Sam thought Ginny must’ve felt comfortable with Ry. She glanced up when Ry placed a plate piled with breakfast in front of her.
“Eat.” He had that really hot, panty-melting smile and sat down next to her. As if in agreement, her stomach grumbled.
It was still surreal that he’d cooked for her. A warm, soft feeling settled into her heart. Could it be possible things were looking up for her in the personal-life front, except for that dead dog issue? Maybe she was finally being noticed and wanted by the man she’d been going gaga over since she was a kid. The latter sounded good to her.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Milly Taiden was born in the prettiest part of the Caribbean known as the Dominican Republic. She grew up between New York, Florida and Massachusetts. Currently, she resides in New York City with her husband, bossy young son and their little dog Speedy.

She began writing when she learned to put words together and her first book consisted of two homeless dogs living in a park for her second grade English class. She didn’t win a prize, but she acquired a love for writing that never went away.

When she’s not working full-time, texting with her best friend Heidi in England, chastising her son for pulling the dog’s ears, shopping with her sister Jewel or watching scary movies with her husband, she can be found writing on her laptop. She’s addicted to shoe shopping, chocolate and Dunkin Donuts coffee.

A major reader when she can get her hands on a good book, she loves reading all Mina Carter, Cynthia Eden, Cynthia Sax among others

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Website: http://millytaiden.com

Twitter: @millytaiden

Facebook: Milly Taiden

Blog Tour for Undercover by Maria Hammarblad with interview

I have an interview for you all today with Maria Hammarblad, a romance author.  While she writes in more than one genre, we will be focusing on her romantic suspense novel, Undercover, today.  Check out the fun questions I asked her below and all the details about her book!

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Undercover

by Maria Hammarblad

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INTERVIEW:

*Note- my responses to Maria’s answers are in italics.

Tell us something dark about yourself.

During winter, the population of Florida increases with over a million people who come here to escape the snow. At least in Bradenton where I live, the infrastructure isn’t dimensioned for so many cars, and it’s chaos. A drive that usually takes ten minutes will suddenly take 40 because of all the traffic. I’m usually in a hurry, because I have a lot to do, and it drives me crazy. To make it even better, since these people don’t live here they generally don’t know where they’re going, and in the middle of winter there’ll be a couple of near accidents every day. I guess they forget to concentrate on what they’re doing. You know, they start veering over into the next lane, miss stop signs, and stuff like that. I’ll sit in my car, honk the horn, and yell to myself, “How the h… did you manage to get all the way here when you think the dotted line goes under the car?” You get the idea. It’s not pretty.

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You would be amazed how often traffic comes up when I ask authors this question, lol.

You are on a deserted island and can only choose one beverage to have besides water.  What would it be?

I want to say something exciting like rum or wine, but to be honest… Coffee. Without caffeine I slow to a crawl and fall asleep.

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You and me both!

If you had to choose between a bullwhip, cat o’ nine tails, or a crop, which would you pick?

Depends, am I the one suffering through a whipping or am I using the weapon? LOL! I’m wicked with a Katana, but that’s not a whip… Bullwhip. I’ll take the bullwhip.

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Ahh, you must be able to take what you dish out!  Just kidding.  Here at Musings of Mistress of the Dark Path we enjoy torturing poor souls.  You’ll fit right in

What mythical creature would you be and why?

Oooh, good question. There are many I’d love to meet, but I don’t know if I want to be them. Sleipner, maybe. It would be cool to have eight legs and be able to run with them without stumbling.

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Hmmm, I’m not going to ask how things go for you running on two legs then, lol.

What first inspired you to write your book?

Undercover? Jenny’s job is based on one of my old jobs. (That’s funny because some people say her job is so unrealistic, haha!) Anyway, one day we had little to do and I was kind of bored. I started thinking, “What if the next person who comes through the door is something he doesn’t appear to be… Like… A terrorist… No, not a terrorist, no one likes that. A James Bond kind of person. Yes, he’s an undercover spy. And he’d fall in love with her, and they’d have this intense romance, but he’d have to leave, of course.” And so on.

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I like your way of plotting.  Just let the ideas roll.

How long did it take to research/write it?

I wrote on it in little bursts of enthusiasm from time to time, and in between it slumbered in my computer. So, a couple of weeks or a few years depending on point of view.

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Hey, whatever works!

Give one unique fact about your novel that makes it different from the others in its genre.

The characters are flawed. They’re not entirely good or bad; they’re all just people muddling through, doing the best they can. The hero certainly isn’t a knight in shining armor, and the bad guys have reasons for doing what they do. Some readers love this, others absolutely hate it.

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Sounds good to me.

What other books do you plan to publish in the future?

I have three lined up for 2013. June 21 will see the birth of Flashback. This is a contemporary romance about a war veteran who struggles with fitting into every-day society. He suffers horrifying flashbacks from his time in a POW camp, and is about to end it all. Luckily, he finds love in an unlikely place, and just as it seems as if everything will work out for him, his new wife is snatched away, kidnapped, right under his nose. In order to save her, he’ll have to face both real enemies and himself.

The next one after that is called Operation Earth, and will be released August 11. This is a science fiction novel about the Earth being invaded by alien forces. The heroine is pulled between her friends wanting her to join the resistance and make a stand, and her own notion that the invaders might not be so different from us after all.

And lastly, there will be a novella released November 1. My working name for it is “A Shadow of a Man” and this is number XII in Desert Breeze Publishing’s Borealis series. It’s a science fiction story. I’m not quite done with it yet, but I like the way it’s going this far.

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Looks like you will be one busy writer.  I wish you the best with all your projects!

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Thanks to Maria for joining me here today for the interview.  I really enjoyed her answers to my questions!  For everyone else, please check out the information on her and her book below.  Feel free to ask your own questions if you like.

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BLURB:

When Jenny Moore meets Alexei Roshenko, it’s love at first sight. The tall, dark and handsome stranger appears to be the answer to every romantic fantasy any woman ever had. There is however more to him than meets the eye, and a dark and violent past is catching up with him. When Jenny decides to follow him back to Russia, she gets entangled in a web of deceit and secrets beyond her wildest imagination.

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Undercover
Maria Hammarblad

Genre: Romantic suspense Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-61252-216-6 ASIN: B0098TGWTW
Word Count: 77000
Cover Artist: Gwen Phifer
Book Trailer:
http://youtu.be/YePFbRgPP9o

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EXCERPT:

When the wheels finally touched American soil, Jenny was both relieved and nervous. She was so happy to be home she could cry, at the same time as she fretted over his papers. They looked good but could hardly be real. Alex didn’t seem worried at all; he was the epitome of calm as they stood in the long line to the passport checkpoint.

Her own passport had been unused before this trip, and she opened it to look at the stamps. Alex bent over to kiss her on the cheek. He knew her well enough already to know what was on her mind. “Don’t worry, I do this all the time.”

The comment distracted her, and she thought he probably did it on purpose. She wanted to ask a million or so questions, but didn’t even lift an eyebrow. “I can’t wait to be home.”

Once they reached the counter, the woman sitting there hardly even looked at the photos. She threw one glance at their documents, gave them back, and yelled, “Next!”

They waited for the luggage for an eternity, and Jenny was nervous all the way through customs. She relaxed a little once they were well into the large airport, surrounded by Americans hurrying in all directions. The protection of being in the country was more imagined than real, but she was still happier. They walked slowly hand in hand with the suitcases rolling behind them like obedient dogs, and just seeing the crowds made her heart lighter.

She wondered if her lover would miss seeing and hearing his own language, and if he would miss his own people. He was stranded in a foreign country and culture with nothing but her, with an axe hovering over his head, and all this after knowing her for just a couple of months. Thinking about it made her feel incredibly guilty, and telling herself she couldn’t have done anything about it didn’t help at all.

Eventually, Alex stopped and pulled their bags up next to a wall. “Are you up for the drive home, or do you want to stay in a hotel tonight?”

She kept going because he did, but now when he said it, she was very tired. “I don’t know. It would be good to be home, but it seems so far away. What do you think?”

“Oh, I want to go somewhere and take all your clothes off, but what I want is not important. Your wish is my command, my sweet.”

It made her laugh. “So, a hotel it is.”

When they walked towards the exit, past one of the cafés, she saw a familiar face turn towards them. A smile played on the man’s lips. She had seen him not all that long ago, on the other side of the world, in Alex’s apartment. He met her eyes, and she said, “Ignore him.”

They walked right past the old man. “They’ve been with us all the way. One would think people would have something better to do.”

She hadn’t seen anyone else, but if he said they had been there, they were there.

 

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PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

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AUTHOR BIO:

Born in Sweden in the early 1970′s, Maria showed a large interest for books at an early age. Even before she was able to read or write, she made her mom staple papers together into booklets she filled with drawings of suns and planets. She proudly declared them, “The Sun Book.” They were all about the sun. She also claimed, to her mother’s horror, that her being on Earth was a big mistake and that her alien family would come and bring her home at any moment. This never happened, but both the interest in space and the passion for bookmaking stayed with her.

As an adult Maria’s creativity got an outlet through playing bass in a number of rock bands, and through writing technical manuals and making web pages for various companies and organizations. She did write drafts for a few novels, but the storytelling muse was mostly satisfied through role playing online on Myspace. It was here, while writing stories together with people from around the globe, she stumbled onto Mike. They started talking out of character, and she moved over to Florida to him late 2008. Today the two are married and live in the Tampa Bay area with three rescue dogs.

Besides writing and playing bass, Maria enjoys driving off-road, archery, and Tameshigiri.

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Upcoming releases

Flashback, to be released by Desert Breeze Publishing June 2013

Operation Earth, to be released by Desert Breeze Publishing August 2013

Borealis XII, to be released by Desert Breeze Publishing November 2013

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Fun Facts

Favorite color:             Blue

Favorite food:              Chicken with cashew nuts

Doesn’t eat:                  Mammals

Favorite TV Show:       Star Trek TNG and Leverage

Favorite animal:           Border Collie

Quotes:                        “Full Speed Ahead” and “Caffeine is good for you”

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Find Maria on the web

Website

Facebook

Blog

Twitter

Goodreads

Publisher’s website

Blog Tour for Dancing in the Flame by Ann Gimpel

Today I have a paranormal romance for you all by Ann Gimpel.  Dancing in the Flame just released last month and looks like a good book to check out.  Please read through all the details below to find out more!

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Dancing in the Flame

by Ann Gimpel

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SUMMARY:

Life in a were bordello is all Keira has ever known. Because of her mixed blood, none of the magicians’ guilds want her, or protested when the Weres bound her as an indentured hooker. Mired in the hopelessness of her dreams, Keira longs for more.

Barrett, one of the Daoine Sidhe, runs a magician supply shop in what’s left of Seattle. No one is more surprised than he when the Sidhe leader commands him to extricate Keira from the weres.

Magic and intrigue throw Keira and Barrett into one another’s arms. Convinced they have a job to do, they struggle against the heat of the passion between them. Until it gets way too hot to handle.

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Dancing in the Flame By Ann Gimpel
publisher: Liquid Silver Books ISBN: 978-1-93176-191-8
Release Date: 4/22/13
Genre: Paranormal Romance

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EXCERPT:

Prologue Barrett bent over, hands on his knees. His limbs were heavy, weighted with weariness. Even the mud-streaked asphalt looked tolerable as a place to lie down, assuming he found some cover. He strengthened the magic surrounding him and sucked air. The goddamned humans and their atomic weapons had poisoned the atmosphere. It would probably hasten the end of the war, but at what price? His gaze swept over an uninterrupted vista of gray. The sky, clouds, remaining buildings, and ground were the same depressing color. He didn’t have to try very hard to hear the Earth cry and curse her guardians, the Sidhe, for doing such a piss poor job of protecting her.

“The weres, druids, and witches are ready to talk. The fairies agreed to moderate.” A familiar voice sounded from behind him.

“Hmph. Nice of them to consent to parlay while there’s still something left to salvage.” Barrett straightened and turned to face Caelin. With the Daoine Sidhe queen long dead, he was their de facto leader. All the other Sidhe answered to the Daoine, so Caelin was responsible for thousands of them. Too bad he hadn’t thought of that before dragging them into the war…

Tall and wraith-thin Caelin looked about as trashed as Barrett felt. His shoulders sagged. Bright red hair had escaped his warrior braids and hung to his waist in tangles. His battle leathers drooped in tattered shreds. Bits of grit, leaves, and dirt mingled with everything. His sharp-boned face was streaked with grime. The only part of him which looked the same was his eyes: a deep, dark blue.

“Isn’t it, though?” Caelin’s customary sarcasm rang through. He spread his arms wide. “That last atomic blast decided things.”

“Maybe it’s for the best.” Barrett met Caelin’s gaze. “We’ve been fighting for close to ten years. If the humans hadn’t felt threatened and pulled out all the stops, this might have turned into a hundred year war—if any of us lived that long.”

Caelin snorted. “We coexisted with those bastards for thousands of years. The minute they got a whiff they weren’t the only ones on the planet, they overreacted.”

A corner of Barrett’s mouth twisted wryly. “You have to admit magic can be a bit off-putting for humans.”

“Well, they’ve fucked themselves. There won’t be very many left once the atomic dust settles.”

Barrett quirked a brow at his leader. “To borrow from your vernacular, they’ve managed to fuck us, too, by dying. We’re going to have to figure out how to keep things running without them.”

“Point taken. Be sure to toss it on the table when we draw up a Covenant with the other magic wielders.” Caelin shook his head. “Despite all our efforts, there are more weres left than any of the rest of us—”

“Only because they breed like rabbits.”

Caelin waved him to silence. “Be that as it may, we must secure their cooperation. Otherwise, our numbers are too small to maintain any semblance of civilization. There’s electricity, water, the Internet, the cellular system, and food.” He ticked them off on his fingers as he talked. “It’s fortunate enough structures are still standing to house most of those left.”

“Where and when is this meeting scheduled?” Barrett hoped he could catch a few hours of sleep. He’d been up for the better part of the last two days.

“It’s now. In the Opera House, since it’s mostly intact. Walk with me.” Caelin set off at a moderate pace.

Barrett caught up to him. His muscles ached. A headache pounded behind one eye. Normally, he would have used magic to ease both, but he was seriously depleted. What little remained of his power was focused on filtering the air before it entered his lungs. “I still wish—”

“Don’t say it. Even in my worn-out state I have enough magic left to read your thoughts.” Caelin’s jaw set in a hard line Barrett recognized only too well. The Daoine Sidhe leader had never liked being questioned, nor was he open to discussion about his decisions.

Fine. Read my thoughts then. You can pretend they don’t exist, but we both know differently. The loss of their queen, Ivanne, had heated the rift between weres and the Sidhe to a boiling point and proven disastrous. She’d been a skilled mediator, navigating difficult political waters with grace and skill. Caelin was a warrior. He saw the world in black and white. Convinced the weres had murdered Ivanne, he’d convened the Council, dominated it with his anger, and led the Sidhe to war. At first it was just Sidhe against weres. Then witches and druids jumped into the fray, some on one side, some on the other. The only magical beings who’d remained neutral were the fae and the fairies.

“The weres poisoned Ivanne. Her death demanded retribution.” The harsh gravel of Caelin’s voice broke into Barrett’s thoughts.

“That may be true.” Barrett grabbed Caelin’s upper arm and forced the other man to a standstill. “War never solved anything. Not in human history, or in ours, either.” He swung an arm wide. “Look. Just look what a mess we’ve made. It will take decades for Earth to recover, if she ever does. Deep within my soul, she reprimands me over and over for our part in the destruction.”

A sheepish look flitted across Caelin’s face. He ran a hand down it, distorting his features. “Glad I’m not the only one she nags.”

A brittle anger filled Barrett, setting his guts on fire. “We deserve to be nagged. More than nagged, we deserve to be chastised—”

“It’s not like I did this singlehandedly.” Caelin sounded defensive. “The weres could have capitulated anytime.”

Barrett let go of Caelin’s arm. He pounded a fist into his open palm. “Damn it! You know better. Weres never apologize. They’re constitutionally incapable of admitting they were wrong about anything. It’s their dual natures. The animal side takes over and—”

“Spare me.” Caelin’s hands settled on Barrett’s shoulders. Fingers dug in hard enough to make him wince. “If I made a mistake avenging Ivanne, it is water long passed under the bridge. Think, man. That was ten years ago. We must play the ball where it is today. There’s little enough of our royalty left. Here in the Americas, it is you and me. I must have you standing solidly beside me. The weres will sniff it out soon enough if we are not aligned with one another.”

Barrett blew out a breath. Annoyance scoured his nerves. He hated to admit it, but Caelin was right. If the war was finally over, the next task would be crafting a Covenant with terms advantageous to all Sidhe, not just the Daoine. And making certain it enlisted everyone’s aid healing the damage done to Earth.

He ducked from beneath Caelin’s hands, squared his shoulders, and swept straggling copper-colored hair out of his face. “You need have no fears on that front. You have always had my allegiance and support.” Of a height with Caelin, Barrett locked gazes with him. “You are a brilliant tactician. And a fearless warrior. I only wish you had a bit more in the way of warmth and compassion to temper things.”

A wry grin split Caelin’s face. He didn’t smile often. The effect was electrifying, bringing all his latent beauty to the forefront. He punched Barrett lightly. “I wish for a lot of things, too. Problem is I rarely get any of them.” He inclined his head in a mock bow. “After you.”

Chapter 1

Eleven Years Later

Keira opened a door in the were bordello where she lived and worked and peeked out into the long hallway spanning the first floor of the building. Empty. Good. It was the middle of the afternoon, always a slow time. Her last customer had just left. Maybe, if she snuck out the rear door, she could claim a few hours of freedom. She ducked back into the room she shared with one of the other indentured hookers, donned a cloak and boots, and walked down the hall, making as little noise as possible.

The air was crisper than she’d expected as she eased the door shut behind her. Keira wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she’d brought a warmer coat. Most of her working clothes were wispy and suggestive. At least she’d been smart enough to put on tattered jeans, a moth-eaten sweater, and her favorite black cloak. For once it wasn’t raining. A pallid sun hung midway to the western horizon, bathing what were once busy urban streets with sallow light.

Keira emptied her mind, trying not to feel she was playing hooky. It wasn’t as if the weres kept her prisoner… She glanced at her left arm. Under the sweater and cape, she could have sworn the indenture bracelet spanning her upper arm tightened. Who am I trying to kid? They can find me anytime they want.

She walked briskly through Seattle’s Queen Anne district. Keira had the streets to herself today, but then she usually did. Good thing, too. Those like her, mixed-blood magic wielders with minimal power, were at pretty much everyone else’s mercy. Bottom of the New World totem pole.

Her gaze swept over urban rot. Keira grimaced. Buildings still stood, some of them, anyway. But most of the glass had been rocked out. Piles of trash blocked the roadways. Cars were a thing of the past. Out-of-control garbage had obliterated the sidewalks long ago. Paths wound through it, carved by varieties of magic wielders and prowling beasts. She made a point of ignoring what was underfoot. Most of it was too gross to even consider. It was a damned shame so many humans had been wiped out during the war. They’d taken care of things like that.

She pretended to consider what to do with her freedom, knowing her deliberations were a sham. She’d do the same thing she always did: head for Barrett’s magician’s shop. Housed in a cavernous Victorian on lower Capitol Hill, it was only about an hour’s walk from the were bordello. With its dark wood furniture, Oriental carpets, and overflowing shelves, the shop exuded a homey atmosphere which was irresistible.

Face it. The thing which makes it so enticing is Barrett. Keira smiled to herself as she pictured the tall, broad-shouldered Daoine Sidhe with his thick, coppery hair and pale blue eyes. Beyond his obvious beauty, though, he seemed kind. Not that she’d ever exchanged more than a few words with him, but he had laugh lines in the corners of his eyes and she’d watched him interact with other customers. He was always helpful, doing that little bit extra to assist someone find something. There was still bad blood among magic wielders, but not in Barrett’s shop. Everyone was granted equal status there. Never mind Daoine Sidhe magic was far more powerful than were, fae, or witch. Druid magic barely counted; it was nearly as feeble as hers.

The first time she’d stumbled into Barrett’s shop, it was by accident. She’d gotten into a big blow up with Simon, one of the staff at Were Calls, for refusing to service a customer in his animal form. Simon slapped her, which was a big no-no; punishment was supposed to be delivered through her bracelet per the terms of her indenture.

Keira had never seen Simon quite so angry. She didn’t wait around to see what he would do next. Despite being in her hooker garb, including high heels, she’d raced out the door and ran until her arches ached. It hadn’t helped when the skies opened and it began to pour. Not knowing what else to do—because she was not going back to Were Calls until things cooled down or they zapped her through the bracelet—she’d opened her magic senses. They’d led her straight to Barrett’s shop. It was only a couple of blocks from where she’d stopped.

Keira had pushed the heavy, carved wooden door open, ready to bolt if anyone so much as looked cross-eyed at her. No one did. The shop smelled heavenly. Herbs. Lots of them. They hung in bundles from a raised walkway, ten feet off the ground, which accessed a partial second story. Feeling a bit braver, she let her gaze roam the large room, crowded with shelves. No one paid her the slightest attention, which was amazing since all the other patrons were garbed in cloaks and coats. She glanced at her low-cut top, barely-there micro mini, and high heeled boots and winced. Her top didn’t leave much to the imagination since it was half-soaked through. Because she was cold, her nipples had pebbled into suggestive peaks.

Embarrassed, she’d skittered behind a bank of shelves and worked her way around the outside wall of the shop, appreciating being out of the weather. Her eyes widened at the variety of wares for sale. She lingered over things she couldn’t identify and hustled past things she wanted but could never afford. Along the way, she pulled a tiny bit of magic to help dry her clothes.

Keira recalled hearing the weres talk about Barrett’s shop. It was the only place left which still sold magician’s accoutrements and supplies. Three-quarters of the way through her transit of the shop, a musical baritone voice caught her attention. She stopped and looked for its owner. He stood behind the counter, wrapping a package and counting out change. Because he was occupied, it seemed safe to let her gaze linger on him. What a beautiful man. When he patted a witch’s hand before handing her the packet he’d wrapped, Keira wondered what those hands would feel like on her. The shop suddenly felt much warmer. She bit back a laugh. Sex was plentiful in her life, no reason to moon over a man. Several would be waiting for her back at Were Calls.

She’d just decided to edge a bit closer to the counter, drawn by the Daoine Sidhe’s magnetism, when the bracelet on her arm tightened. Keira ignored it, but it only tightened more. She knew how the game worked. The weres tracked her with electronics. Once she headed for Were Calls, the bracelet would leave her alone—as long as she kept moving. If she stopped for too long once they’d warned her, the next event would be a shock.

Keira scuttled out of Barrett’s store that day, but she hadn’t stayed gone long. Every time she left the bordello, it was where she ended up. She spun fantasies about what it would be like if she were free and could offer to work for Barrett. Just the thought of being close to him for long hours each day made her heart speed up…

Don’t be foolish, she chided herself as she reached the now-familiar door and pushed her way into the magic shop. He’s Daoine Sidhe. He’d never be interested in a mixed blood like me. She walked to a locked case with crystals and gazed at them. A beautiful rose quartz one she’d lusted over was gone. Damn! She’d been working up her courage to ask if she could hold it in her hand to feel its energy.

Keira never bought anything; she didn’t have the money. She’d felt apologetic her first few visits, but now she’d been there so many times, she felt confident Barrett wasn’t going to throw her out.

“Can I help you find something?”

Keira froze. It was him. She’d know Barrett’s voice anywhere. She heard it in her dreams and sometimes she imagined one of her johns was him. In her imagination, he crooned to her in that wonderful voice and…

He tapped her shoulder. “Miss. May I help you?”

Keira spun to face him. Her face heated and she knew she had spots of color high on both cheeks. “Uh, no. I’m just looking.” Responding to something, maybe a small spell, maybe just an invitation in those wonderful ice-blue eyes, she stammered on, “The rose quartz crystal—”

“I sold it. Just yesterday. It was one of my favorites as well. If you’re interested, I should be getting a new shipment soon, but the crystals are all unique. If there’s one you like, just let me know and I can see if it pairs well with your energy.”

“I, um, you see, I can’t really afford anything like that. I just like to look.”

“It’s okay. I get lots of lookers here.” Barrett smiled at her. Gazed into her eyes and smiled right at her. Keira’s heart stuttered. She opened her mouth and closed it again when words wouldn’t come. Unable to help herself, she took a step toward him and stumbled.

He reached a hand and placed it under her elbow to steady her. “Got you.”

An electric shock ran up her arm. Her breathing quickened. You don’t know the half of it. You’ve more than got me. Heart thudding, throat dry, she smiled, managed to murmur, “thank you,” and scuttled toward the door before she did something stupid like throw herself at his feet and beg him to take her. Here. Now. On the floor in front of everyone.

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Barrett gazed after the fleeing girl. His cock pressed against the front of his worn breeches, as hard as it ever got. It throbbed hotly, urging him to go after her, run her down, drag her back to his bed, and… He shook his head. What had gotten into him? He was well beyond the age where he let his cock lead him around.

The girl was unbelievably beautiful. Her blonde hair was so long it reached her ass. She had an arresting face with high cheekbones, lush lips, and silver eyes. He’d thought only his own race had eyes that color. They were rare even amongst the Daoine Sidhe. But the ache in his groin went beyond her beauty. There was something about her, a purity of spirit which called to him. When he tried to sense her magic to see just what she was, he’d run up against a wall. Almost as if she were warded. It wasn’t something she was doing on purpose, though. If it were, he’d have seen it in her mind. No, it was more like a magical barrier surrounded her.

He usually didn’t pay any attention to the hordes of customers frequenting his shop. After all, it was the only one of its kind left. He expected it to be full to overflowing with patrons. He’d noticed the girl, though, the very first time she’d snuck in. Wet to the bone, her full breasts, tipped with wonderfully erect nipples, had been fully visible through the thin fabric of her top. She’d taken to the outer wall and worked her way around the shop that day. Curious about her, he’d spun a mild compulsion spell to reel her in closer. He still didn’t know what happened. She’d been moving toward him when something shifted and she’d scampered out of his shop like the dogs of hell were nipping at her heels.

Sort of like she did today. He chuckled, not caring that a pair of witches eyed him oddly. He’d spoken with the girl a few times, but today’s conversation was by far and away the longest. Though he liked to see himself as immune to women, this one frequented his dreams. He often woke with his hand pumping his shaft as he fantasized about the girl with no name. In his favorite vision, she was astride him, firm breasts pressed against his chest and long, blonde hair tickling his naked flesh.

Determined to at least find out where she lived before her trail grew cold, he glanced about the store. Too many customers to get rid of. He strode to Baen, a witch who’d fought on their side during the war. “Could you watch the register for me? Sorry, but it’s a bit of an emergency. I won’t be gone more than an hour or two.”

She raised perfectly formed red brows in her ageless, porcelain-skinned face. “For you. Of course,” she purred.

“Thanks.” Barrett kicked himself. He’d forgotten Baen had been trying to worm her way into his bed for a couple of years. Then he stopped thinking and sprinted out the door. Barrett threw his magic senses wide open, searching. He blew out a relieved sigh. There she was. Her track would be easy to follow. He’d been afraid the same magic which cloaked what she was would hide her trail as well.

He warded himself so his power wouldn’t tip her off and followed her back to Were Calls. She’s a hooker. From his vantage point behind some stacks of trash, Barrett was incredulous. How did the weres ever get someone that gorgeous to trick for them? And then things fell into place. She had to be indentured. It was why he couldn’t get close enough with magic to sense what she was. The weres must have some sort of microelectronic harness on her. He’d heard about them from the fairies who generated most electronic devices these days.

An indefinable sadness tugged at him. He felt the heaviness in the pit of his stomach. Barrett waited until the door shut. He’d heard a man shouting at the girl from where he was, all the way across the street. It was a struggle not to go pound on the door, tell them he’d buy her bond, and be done with it. Even if she didn’t want him, at least she’d be free…

Barrett took a deep breath and then one more. Get back to the shop, he instructed himself sharply. The last thing I need is emotional entanglements. So he wouldn’t be tempted to change his mind, he pulled magic, visualized his shop, and left in a hurry.

At least the girl wasn’t a mystery anymore. It explained why she’d been so tentative in his shop. He was surprised the weres let their property roam about freely, but then he remembered the Covenant. Even the indentured had some rights. Weres had been the only ones who wanted indentured servants. The others had argued vehemently against them. Especially the fairies. In the end, other magic wielders had capitulated because the weres were ready to walk; they weren’t signing anything which didn’t let them keep their servant pets.

Barrett stood in front of his shop for a few moments composing himself. Now that he knew more, he’d have a better chance of approaching the girl next time she came to his shop. I thought I didn’t need any emotional tangles, an inner voice mocked him. Barrett ignored it. He nodded to himself. He was certain she’d show up again. Something about his shop drew her. Maybe it was an antidote to the life she led. He pushed open the door and went inside.

“There you are,” Baen cooed and placed a hand familiarly on his arm.

“Yes.” He forced himself to smile brightly. “Thank you so much. Here.” He broke away from her grip. “Let me pay you.”

“Not necessary. Maybe I could stay for a bit after you close—” She leered suggestively and licked full, red lips.

Barrett blew out a breath. “I’m flattered, but no. I do not want you in my bed.”

Her eyes widened. “I-I’m not sure where you got that idea,” she sputtered, color staining her face.

“Because I’m very good at reading body language. And minds. Thanks for watching the shop. Now, if it’s all the same to you, I’d just as soon end this conversation.”

Her lips drew back into a snarl. Magic spooled so hot it turned the air incandescent. Barrett steeled himself, sure she was going to launch herself at him and go for his eyes. Instead, she spun on her heel and strode toward the door, hips swinging as if to say, see what you missed, buddy.

Barrett blew out a tired breath and settled himself in his customary seat behind the counter. He hoped there wouldn’t be any repercussions from the witches because Baen was angry. From long habit, his gaze scanned the shop, alert for any sign of trouble. Today everyone seemed to be getting along. He shut his eyes. The girl materialized in the darkness, silver eyes aglow.

Tomorrow, he promised himself. Tomorrow, I’ll at least find out her name.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian bent.  Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing.  A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and anthologies. Several paranormal romance novellas are available in e-format. Three novels, Psyche’s Prophecy, Psyche’s Search, and Psyche’s Promise are small press publications available in e-format and paperback. Look for two more urban fantasy novels coming this summer and fall: Fortune’s Scion and Earth’s Requiem.

A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.

www.anngimpel.com

anngimpel.blogspot.com

www.amazon.com/author/anngimpel

www.facebook.com/anngimpel.author

Twitter

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PURCHASE LINKS:

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Book Tour for Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves by Kym Grosso with review

I’ve got an erotic paranormal romance, Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves, for you all today.  It’s a hot one with werewolves at the center for this third installment in the “Immortals of New Orleans“ series.  As a bonus, the author is offering a free Kindle ecopy to one random commenter on this blog stop for their choice of one book from the trilogy.  You must be 18 or older to qualify.  Check out all the information below, including my review of the novel, and don’t forget to comment for your chance to win!

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Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves

by Kym Grosso

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BLURB:

An erotic paranormal romance…

Charismatic and powerful Lyceum Wolves’ Alpha, Tristan Livingston, is out for revenge after a devastating attack on his pack. Not only did he survive a building collapse, he orchestrated the rebuild of his chic, state-of-the-art nightclub within a week. Determined to mete out justice, he rescues a beautiful witness who may be the key to helping him find the perpetrators.

Dr. Kalli Williams, dedicated veterinarian, is hiding a secret that endangers not only her own life but the lives of wolves across the country. After being tortured by a savage vampire, she’s reluctantly agrees to help the sexy Alpha in his quest to identify suspects; ones who’d kill her on the spot if they knew she existed. As Kalli places herself in the hands of the dominant wolf, she soon finds she wants nothing more than to submit.

Tristan, committed to ruling his pack as a lone wolf, is inexplicably drawn to the mysterious and enticing woman, who seems more than human, but not quite supernatural. As he discovers her secret, he teaches her the meaning of trust, helping her learn how to be true to her nature. After living a lifetime alone, will he succumb to the visceral need to claim her, acknowledging the soul binding connection between an Alpha and his mate? And will he prevail against the menacing enemy who threatens to destroy Lyceum Wolves?

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Genre:  Erotic Paranormal Romance
ISBN-13: 978-1482692396
ISBN-10: 1482692392
Number of pages:  Approx. 267
Word Count:  94,000 words

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PURCHASE LINK:

Amazon

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TRAILER:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk_NQu6h5pY&feature=youtu.be

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EXCERPT:

She wasn’t sure where Tristan had gone when she exited the bathroom, but she was hungry and wasn’t waiting for him.  Within a few minutes, she quickly found the kitchen and the ever-important coffee machine.  She turned it on, popped in the coffee pod and started opening cabinets looking for mugs.  Setting two cups on the counter, she opened the door to the refrigerator and pulled out creamer then continued looking through the clutter for the eggs.  She felt ravenous, and needed protein.  “Come on, where are you, little eggies?  Tristan has to have eggs.  Everyone has eggs,” she mumbled, talking to herself.
“Tristan does,” he told her with a grin, surprised to find Kalli rummaging around in search of food.  Despite taking a cold shower, he was instantly hard again at the sight of her lovely bare ass which peeked at him from underneath his shirt.  He wanted nothing more in that moment than to take her from behind and slide deep into her warm heat.  The temptation was great, but he restrained his desires.
Kalli jumped at his voice, quickly turning around.  “Hi, um, I was just going to make us something to eat,” she said nervously.
“By all means,” he agreed confidently, walking by her wearing only a towel around his hips.  His erection tented the fabric, and he made no attempt to conceal it.
It was nearly impossible to ignore both the charisma and raw sexuality Tristan exuded.  Slowly, Kalli’s eyes roamed up and down his lean torso, astonished at the audaciousness he exhibited while wearing practically nothing.  His hair, dampened from the shower, fell shaggy over his eyes.  Hardened abs rippled down toward his low slung towel.  Struggling for the words that never came, she couldn’t help her natural reaction, which was to look him over one last time.  Embarrassed, she just knew that he knew that she’d just looked at his groin area, which appeared to be growing.  Oh God.  She rubbed her hand over her eyes and smiled to herself.   What was it about this man? Get it together, Kalli.  Say something.
“Um, okay then, so the eggs.” She opened the refrigerator, careful to hold on to the shirt so it didn’t ride up again.
“Like what you see?” he asked seductively as he set a coffee mug next to her hand, proceeding to wait for the next cup to fill.
“What did you just say?”  Shocked, she grabbed the egg carton and quickly stood up, banging her head.  She turned around holding the package in one hand, rubbing the sore spot on her head with the other.
He set his eyes on hers, taking the eggs and putting them on the ledge.  She backed into the counter as he caged her, pushing her body flush against his.  “I said…Do. You. Like. What. You. See?” he whispered into her ear, accentuating every word.
She sucked a breath as a million pithy responses filled her head.  But the hard bulge pressed against her body and her dangerously hard nipples made it impossible for her to speak coherently.
“Um.” God, she felt like a complete idiot.  Eight years of college and all she had was ‘um’?
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he replied playfully, kissing her ear softly.  He reached over to grab his coffee cup, which made him press against her even harder.
She sucked a breath at the welcome intrusion.  There was a part of her that thought he might kiss her.  Immobilized against his hard torso, he had her exactly where he wanted her, or rather, where she wanted to be.
Instead of kissing her, however, he wrapped his fingers around the clay handle and walked away with a broad smile across his face, without saying another word.  He proceeded to sit down at the island, and switched on his i-Pad, checking his email as he pretended to ignore her.  When Kalli turned around again to make the eggs, he let his eyes drift to her soft supple cheeks that strained to stay covered by his shirt.  The hem teased higher as she bent over slightly to turn on the stove.  Damn, this woman was killing him.

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MY REVIEW:

Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves is the third book in the Immortals of New Orleans series.  It could be read alone without any difficulties, but would be even better if you read the first two novels.  Choosing among the trilogy, though, I liked this one the best.  From the moment I met Tristan in the first book, Kade’s Dark Embrace, I knew I liked him.  He had a fun and sexy personality that really shined in the story.  Being the Alpha of his pack means he has to be strong and tough, but he also has a good sense of humor and a caring personality.

Kalli made a great heroine for the book as well.  She was damaged with a very difficult past that made her more sensitive than most, but she had a tough streak I really appreciated.    I liked that she’d built a life for herself without relying on anyone to help her.  When she meets Tristan she’s in a very bad place, but that doesn’t mean she just lies down at his feet.  She found interesting ways to assert herself that often left him with no idea how to dominate her.  It was a lot of fun watching the two interact.  I really thought they great chemistry.

The plot was engaging as well, keeping me on my toes the whole time wondering how things would end up.  I thought the first couple of chapters for the novel were a bit slow and there was a bit of an info dump, but once things got going the story really engaged me.  The only real complaints I have is an overuse of adjectives and some dialog that didn’t feel natural.  If those two things were tightened up I’d definitely rate this one even higher.  Kym Grosso knows how to cook up a hot romance and keep you wanting more.  The sex scenes were especially amazing.  I’ll be keeping my eye on this author.  Four whips for Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves!

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AUTHOR BIO:

Kym Grosso is the author of the erotic paranormal romance series, The Immortals of New Orleans. Both of her novels, Kade’s Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 1) and Luca’s Magic Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 2), are currently available via Amazon, digitally and in print. Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves is scheduled for release on April 1, 2013.

In addition to romance, Kym has written and published several articles about autism, and is passionate about autism advocacy. She writes autism articles on PsychologyToday.com and AutismInRealLife.com. She also is a contributing essay author in the new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum.

Kym lives with her husband, two children, dog, cat and guinea pig. Her hobbies include autism advocacy, reading, tennis, zumba, traveling and spending time with her husband and children. New Orleans, with its rich culture, history and unique cuisine, is one of her favorite places to visit. Also, she loves traveling just about anywhere that has a beach or snow covered mountains. On any given night, Kym can be found reading her Kindle, which is filled with hundreds of romances.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KymGrossoBooks

Twitter: @KymGrosso

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5785692.Kym_Grosso

My Autism Website: http://www.AutismInRealLife.com

Book Blitz for Plus One by Brighton Walsh

I have a new romance novella for you all that just released today with Carina Press.  Check out the details below to find out more about Plus One by Brighton Walsh.  Looks like a fun book worth reading!

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PLUS ONE

by Brighton Walsh

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BLURB:

Olivia hates the singles scene, so when her best guy friend, Ian, offers to be her plus one to a series of weddings she has to attend, she agrees. Although she doesn’t want to complicate their lifelong friendship, she can’t pass up the chance to have a steady date without the dating drama. What she doesn’t expect is to now find Ian so incredibly sexy.

When Ian sees his old friend Olivia dolled up for wedding #1, the boyhood crush he once nurtured transforms into smoldering attraction. It doesn’t take long for their no-strings arrangement to turn physical. But as Olivia’s desire to stay “just friends” becomes clear, Ian’s feelings are deepening. In the time they have together, how will Ian convince Olivia that one plus one can make for a lifelong pair?

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Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Date of Publication: May 6, 2013

ISBN: 978-14268-9555-5
ASIN: B00BED26VI

Number of pages: 100
Word Count: 22,000

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EXCERPT:

Given how their afternoon had unfolded, the heat that ricocheted between them throughout the evening really shouldn’t have been a shock. Olivia had felt Ian’s want since she’d emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a sleek, fitted, black dress. Through the wedding ceremony, tucked into his side as his arm rested innocently against the pew behind her, she thought she’d burst at the feel of his finger tracing her bare shoulder. It had been a mindless touch, something she hadn’t even been sure he’d been aware of, and yet it had set her entire body aflame.
And now. Now, she was pressed against him as they danced, his hand touching her bare skin thanks to the low, open back of her dress. He held her close, closer than he ever had before, and even though she was two martinis into the night, she still found herself tongue-tied.
His fingers slowly slid up her back, following the line of her spine, and though she tried to hold it in, a shudder ran over her body. Her nipples hardened, and a tingle grew low in her belly. All from a single caress against her bare back. Jesus, if an innocent touch like that had her wet and ready to go, what would happen if he stroked her not so innocently?
She looked up into his eyes to find him staring directly at her. His eyes bounced over her face, no doubt taking in her heated cheeks, eyes heavy with desire, and parted lips. He pulled her close, and brought their clasped hands up toward her face. He brushed a single finger down the line of her jaw, and instead of moving away, swept his finger over her lips. It was scarcely a brush of skin on skin, but she moaned. It was low and breathy, and barely loud enough for her to hear, let alone Ian. Yet she knew the exact moment he did.
His eyes, scorching with a want she knew all too well, bored into hers.
“Liv.” He managed to convey so much want and need with that single word.
She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry, and tried to not sound breathless when she answered. “Yes?”
Ian’s finger was still on her lip, caressing it back and forth, and his focus switched between her mouth and her eyes. When he didn’t say anything more, she couldn’t take it any longer. Her tongue darted out, lightly brushing against his finger. With their eyes locked, she took the tip of his finger into her mouth and sucked gently.
“Jesus Christ.” It was a low rumble, spoken under his breath, but she heard it clearly. With a soft pop, she released his finger, her eyes imploring him.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Brighton Walsh is a storyteller at heart. Whether through words or pictures, she’s been weaving tales for as long as she can remember. After decades of cultivating her writing, she finally decided to give life to the voices in her head and set forth to write her first novella. Love is her first love, and writing about it is a dream come true. When she’s not writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a steamy book or partaking in some retail therapy. She lives in the Midwest with her swoony husband and two energetic kids who (fortunately) know nothing about the naughty things she puts down on paper.

Find her online at:

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Website

Twitter

Goodreads

Facebook

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PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

Blog Tour for Night Hawk by J.E. Taylor

Today I have a new urban fantasy for you all by J.E. Taylor.  Night Hawk just released in March and is a vampire novel you might want to check out.  Ms. Taylor is offering to giveaway one ebook copy of her novel to a random commenter.   Don’t miss your chance to pick this one up!

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Night Hawk
Book One – Night Hawk Series
J.E. Taylor

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Novel Concept Publishing, LLC
Cover Artist: CoverShotCreations.com

BLURB:
Selling your soul has never been so charming and Mark throws in a little something to sweeten the pot, his girlfriend Naomi.

Sentenced to death at the hands of a demon, Naomi Hawk has a firsthand lesson in despair and betrayal in Mark’s deal for fame with all the trimmings. Deep in the clutches of the underground brotherhood, Naomi’s light is coveted for the Master’s gain.

When she slips and falls eighty stories from a precarious ledge, Naomi resigns herself to the inevitable impact and death by shattered bones. Before she can escape her demons in eternal slumber, something sinister plucks her from the plummet, stealing her out of the night to sacrifice her forever to the shadows.

Imprisoned in bottomless darkness, Naomi thirsts for justice…and revenge.
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EXCERPT:

“You’re more than welcome to join me,” I said when she showed no signs of moving.
Her mouth opened and she glanced back toward the living room. “When?”
“Right now,” I said, knowing she wasn’t referring to my offer.
She rolled her eyes. “When did you paint that mural?”
“A long time ago,” I said. “Now, are you going to join me or not?” This time I turned toward her, giving her the full view and I smiled at the way her gaze bounced, her eyes widening a fraction before inching their way back up my chest to my face. Her cheeks bloomed and I cocked an eyebrow at her.
She pressed her lips together and slammed the door, marching out of the room in a huff.
I chuckled and ran the soap over my chest, running my fingers over what was left of the welt on my skin. The vampiric healing powers still amazed me enough that I missed the shift in the air around me.
Nails scraped my back and I jumped, swinging my head in the direction of the disturbance. Her wide eyes met mine and I turned, drinking her in from head to toe. Exquisite was the only word that popped into mind and when her fingers touched my chest I reached, covering her hand and holding it against my skin.
“What are you doing?” I whispered because having her undressed and this close put me at a major disadvantage.
“I’m saying thank you,” she said and her hands moved lower.
Catching her wrists, I warned, “Naomi, don’t start something you can’t finish.” My body responded anyway and she closed the distance. Her lips grazed my chest and I closed my eyes, releasing her and surrendering to her exploration.
When her tongue trailed lower, I recalled the memories of her ex and my eyes snapped open. As much as the thought of her taking me in her mouth thrilled me, I didn’t want to be that memory and I grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her up to face me. She wasn’t one of the common harlots from my past that I let drop to their knees before me.
No, Naomi was different and I wanted more.
“You do not have to do this just because you aren’t ready for anything else.”
Her dark eyes met mine and I traced the frame of her face with my fingertips, studying every curve. Leaning down, I took her lower lip in my mouth, sucking gently before shifting and delivering a kiss that started as tender and rich as her blood, but it soon escalated into an all-consuming heat and I could envision living in this bliss for the rest of eternity.
I had lied to her today.
Fear wasn’t the only deep emotion I had encountered since I plucked her out of the sky, this need to connect, to love again overwhelmed me. The irony of her name and the form she turned into added to the feel that fate had prepared this feast just for me.

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AUTHOR BIO:

J.E. Taylor is a writer, a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife and a business analyst, not necessarily in that order.  She first sat down to seriously write in February of 2007 after her daughter asked:

“Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?”

From that moment on, she hasn’t looked back and now her writing resume includes a more than a dozen published novels along with several short stories on the virtual shelves including a few within eXcessica anthologies.

In addition to being co-owner of Novel Concept Publishing
(www.novelconceptpublishing), Ms. Taylor also moonlights as a Senior Editor of Allegory (www.allegoryezine.com), an online venue for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. She has been known to edit a book or two and also offers her services judging writing contests for various RWA chapters.

She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children and during the summer months enjoys her weekends on the shore in southern Maine.

Visit her at:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Amazon

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PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Smashwords