Book Spotlight: Betrayal by Jenna Jaxon

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Betrayal 
Time Enough to Love
Book Two
Jenna Jaxon
Genre: Historical Romance
Tagline: The worst betrayals come from within.
Amazon | Smashwords

Book Description:

After a night of passion with her betrothed, Sir Geoffrey Longford, Lady Alyse de Courcy is eagerly looking forward to her wedding.  But when Geoffrey is forced to marry another, a heartbroken and possibly pregnant Alyse finds herself in her own private hell. She must either gamble with her reputation or marry someone she does not love.

A reputed connoisseur of women, Thomas, Lord Braeton, has dallied with many ladies of King Edward’s court, although he has favored none.  However, as Geoffrey’s best friend, Thomas has sworn to serve and protect Alyse, an oath now sorely tested when he agrees to marry her—in name only—to guard her reputation. Yet, as they grow closer, and Thomas discovers Alyse’s sweet but spirited nature, he comes to desire a marriage in truth.  Can he overcome her memory of Geoffrey or is Thomas doomed to burn with passion for a woman he can never possess?

If you would like to purchase the first part of the trilogy, Betrothal, it is available at Amazon | Smashwords

***


Excerpt:

“Lady Maurya, Lady Anne, Margaret,” the princess beckoned them. “Lord Braeton would have a moment with Lady Alyse. Would you attend me, please?” Princess Joanna passed Alyse, caressing her arm as she led the confused women through the door.

At the touch, Alyse sought the princess’s eyes. Fear gripped her heart at the pity she saw there.

“Thomas.” Alyse curtsied quickly then blurted out the fear she had fought almost since Geoffrey had left. “Is my lord well? Have you news for me?” Thanks to Anne and Margaret’s thoughtless comments, she had become convinced Geoffrey had fallen ill with Sir Robert’s ailment and now himself hovered between life and death.

Avoiding her eyes, Thomas answered briefly. “Aye, my lady. When I left him, Geoffrey was well enough.”

While his words relieved her, a shadow still lay on her heart. If Geoffrey was not ill, why had Thomas’s manner changed? What had summoned this aloof stranger? He was withholding something from her.

“And Sir Roland?”

He hesitated, searching her eyes then looking away. He fisted his hands. “Sir Roland is…has…”

Alyse could stand it no longer. She crossed to stand directly before Thomas, laid a cold hand upon his arm, and gripped it. “Tell me.”

That there was something he could not bring himself to tell her filled her with terror. He said Geoffrey was well enough when he left. What about now?

Before she could question him further, he drew out a folded piece of parchment, sealed with blue wax and stamped with a signet ring bearing Geoffrey’s family crest. She stared at it, a cold dread creeping through her.

“Geoffrey bade me place this in your hand and no other, my lady.” Thomas thrust the missive toward her.

Alyse compelled herself to hold her hand out.

He sighed. “He also bade me be at your service, lady, had you need of anything.” He gave the parchment into her hand. As he did so, she looked into his eyes and recognized the same pity she had seen in Princess Joanna’s.

Panic made her arms weak and her fingers numb. She forced her shaking hands to break the seal. Alyse unfolded the letter and slowly read the scratched and blurry words.

***

About the Author:

Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance.  Her historical romance, Only Scandal Will Do, the first in a series of five interconnecting novels, was released in July 2012. Her contemporary works include Hog Wild, Almost Perfect, and 7 Days of Seduction.  She is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America as well as a member of Chesapeake Romance Writers. Her medieval romance, Time Enough to Love, is being published as a series of three novellas.  The first book, Betrothal, released on April 19th.  The second novella, Betrayal, will release at the end of January.

Jenna has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager.  A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise.  She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets.  When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director.  She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage. 

She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.

Find Jenna online at:

http://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenna-Jaxon/146857578723570

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4960704.Jenna_Jaxon

Other Books by Jenna Jaxon:

Betrothal--Historical Romance

Only Scandal Will Do--Historical Romance

7 Days of Seduction--Contemporary Erotic Romance

Almost Perfect--Contemporary Erotic Romance

Hog Wild--Contemporary Erotic Romance

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Passion from the Vine by Shannon Casey

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Passion From The Vine
Shannon Casey
Genre:  Erotic Romance
ISBN: 978-1-4918-2508-2  
ISBN: 978-1-4918-2509-9 
ASIN: 2013918106 
Number of pages: 188
Word Count:  55,045
Amazon | BN 

Book Description:

Izzy, a woman shattered by the man who was supposed to protect and cherish her, sets out on a journey to mend her broken heart and discovers a passion greater than she had ever imagined.

Valentino, a man driven to expand his family’s empire and bury his own tormented past, finds a desire that runs deeper than the vines he tends.

Enthralled with each other, Izzy and Valentino want a real relationship but can’t let go of their painful pasts.  Izzy, seeks her independence while still trying to hold onto Valentino, but he will not settle for pieces of her love and halfhearted trust.  Will these two broken souls, who were brought together by fate and bound by an irresistible attraction, be strong enough to overcome their own insecurities and give love a chance.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18771385-passion-from-the-vine

***


Excerpt: 

When I entered the dining room I feel a moment of despair as he isn’t there.  Then he appears from the opposite door and my heart skips a beat.  He has taken the time to change into black slacks, a white button down shirt and a black tie.  He looks like an ad from a magazine that is selling elegant sex.

As he approaches me it’s like watching a Black Panther move towards its prey, so beautiful and yet so dangerous but I can’t walk away.  He holds two glasses of wine and offers one to me.  I take it and immediately drink it down, trying to find the courage to play his game.  I’m relieved when he takes my arm and leads me to the table because I’m too distracted by my own thoughts to worry about food.  He pulls the chair out for me and slides me in.  Taking the seat beside me he somehow makes the large dining table more intimate.

Maria enters with several dishes and looks at me with a knowing smiling.  She has went all out and prepared a full Italian dinner for us.  There’s enough food for a small army. Our first course, called L’antipasto was an assortment of meats, cheeses, olives and bread.  I take a bite of cheese and find Valentino watching me with a hungry look on his face.  He takes an olive from the tray and places it against my lips.  “Let me feed you”.  I opened my mouth and take the olive in, gently running my tongue along his fingers as I do.  I feel his intake of breath more than hear it and it’s like an aphrodisiac.  I reciprocate by taking cheese and placing it in his mouth.  As he chews I have the overwhelming need to run my fingers along his lip line. His eyes are hot and all for me.  I can’t believe this magnificent creature wants me this much.

Before long the second course, la prima piatta is delivered.  Maria has made pici pasta with pork sauce paired with a Chainti wine.  I sip my wine and feel the familiar warming in my stomach.  It’s a heady combination the wine and his sent, but I make sure not to drink too much.  As we eat our pasta he comments, “You eat with gusto just like you do everything else, I love that about you”.

I feel a little embarrassment by his words, I have always loved food the different textures and tastes.  I know I’m not a petite woman and at times I have felt too voluptuous for American men.  He seems to read my mind as he places his hand on my thigh and whispered, “I love your curves, you are a real woman and I intend to explore each curve tonight”.  His words make me instantly wet and wanting.  I am no longer focused on the food as I look into his eyes and know that he is thinking about fucking me.  I reach my hand under the table and begin to draw circles on his inner thigh.  He shifts in his seat and I smile.

At that moment Maria brings out the main course or la seconda piatta which is braised beef with vegetables. It is paired with Barolo, a deep strong red wine.  As we eat I continued to inch up his thigh and run my finger along his growing erection.  His hand which has been resting on my thigh begins inching down.  When he reaches the hem of my dress, he slowly slides up my leg until he reaches the top of my lace stockings where his hand bites into my thigh.  I can no longer eat as his hand gently slides up to the junction of my thighs and his finger skims my wanting lips through my lace panties.  He slides his finger beneath my thong and finds me wet.  I see him smile from the corner of my eye, “I love that you are always wet for me.  Let’s skip dessert you are all the sweetness I need”.  I am up in a second practically coming from his words and the flick of his finger against my clit.

We practically ran up the stairs to my suite.  As the door closes behind us he kneels before me and commands “lift your foot”.  I do as he demands as he removes one shoe and then the other.  “You're so perfect.  I wish you could see you through my eyes”, he pants as he runs his hands up my legs.  When he reaches the bottom of my dress he grabs the hem and slowly slips it over my head.  He reaches out and runs his hands through my thick black hair, following it down to my waste.  His hands don’t stop there, but continue to glide over my hips.

Wrapping his hands around my waste he pulls me against him for a passionate kiss.  He seems intent on being in control and keeping the pace slow and seductive.  “Let me lead you, I want to make you come over and over again”, he says in a controlled voice.

 Yes, my mind screams but I just look into his intense green eyes.  “Your eyes have bewitched me, there like amber and gold swirled together”, he says in a whispered voice.

 “Me, you fill all my waking thoughts.  You look like a Roman God that’s come to life”, I say between gasps of pleasure.

For a moment he looks angry, “It’s just looks”.  Then the moment has passed and he’s touching me again.  He reaches out and traces my lips, along my chin and down my neck.  He gently circles my breasts and then pulls the lace down to pull my nipples with his fingers.  My back arches in response as he encircles my left nipple with his mouth and sucks.  I’m so turned on and ready for more.  I try to press my body against his to create more friction but he holds me back, “slow” he growls “I’m in charge tonight”.

I still immediately and wait for him to continue.  He torments each breast and then slides lower, licking across my stomach and down to the tops of my panties.  He presses his palm against my mound and I can’t help but push back I’m so turned on.  No one has ever tormented me this way.  He keeps my thong on and licks between my folds through the fabric.  The feeling is sensual and instantly has we dripping.  He pulls my panties to the side and licks my wetness.  I’m panting and grab him by the hair as I push against his mouth.  He pushes back against the wall for support as my knees become weak. He flicks my clit with his tongue and I almost come. But then he moves down my wet pussy to suck and pull at my entrance inserting his tongue inside my wanting cunt.  I push against him and my hips move of their own accord.  He runs a finger through my folds to gather my wetness and then inserts two fingers into my hungry opening.  His tongue returns to my clit and circles it.  I pull his hair and pump against his beautiful mouth as I scream my release.  I collapse against him and realize he’s still fully clothed.

***

 About the Author:  

Shannon Casey was born in Turlock, California, the second oldest of eight children.  Being the only girl she had to use her imagination to entertain herself.  She was also a tom boy who never let the fact that she was a girl slow her down.  She learned to ride horses better than the boys and practiced her hand at roping and barrel racing.  

She married her high school sweet heart during her senior year and became a mother at seventeen, but she didn’t let that slow her down.  Her daughter became her motivation to obtain her college degree and create a better life for them.  Shannon graduated from CSU Stanislaus in 1997 and soon after had her second daughter.  She went on to obtain two master degrees in psychology, two credentials and a private license.

During her career as a psychologist she never gave up her dream of becoming an author, but as the years passed she never found the time to actually write.   Like most people, the daily grind and spending time with her children took precedence over her desire to create.

Then she met her second husband, Corey Casey, through her older brother Anthony.  They married in March 2008.  When her son was born in July 2009 it was the perfect time for her to cut her hours to part time.  Corey inspired her to pick up her pen and write, telling her that she would never know unless she tried.   Since that time, she has written her first novel, traveled and found her creative outlet.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Passion-from-the-Vine/601582543233746

https://www.facebook.com/shannon.casey.750546

http://www.amazon.com/Shannon-Casey/e/B00H5CDSOG/

Twitter: @Shannon79396996

***

Tour Wide giveaway  

8 paperback or e-book copies of Passion from the Vine

winner’s choice of print or ebook- print open to US Shipping Only


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Alien Bride by Brie McGill

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Alien Bride
Sex, Drugs, and Biopunk 
Book 1
Brie McGill
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 1492890758
ASIN: B00G1IL2PM
Number of pages: 419
Word Count: 140,000
Cover Artist: Cover Shot Creations
Amazon | Smashwords | Allromance

Book Description:

Ninkasi Mara didn’t plan to celebrate her university graduation entangled in a bungled kidnapping meant for her father, a corrupt senator in the pocket of Techthonic Innovations. Locked alone in the gilded tower of Chateau Bernadette, Ninkasi fears its opulent pleasures will erode her will until she collapses into the comforting arms of the mysterious masked man who frequents her chamber with vintage wines and sumptuous dinners.

For more than twenty years, Orion has plotted the perfect revenge. Manipulating the hand of an insurrectionist faction, he intends to settle a shadowy score with Techthonic Innovations, a biotech giant with a history of dubious experiments. When the faction’s amateurs fail to return with the senator, they further complicate Orion’s task by returning instead with a woman who is a painful reminder of a love lost long ago. Torn between risking the secrecy of the faction and a maelstrom of emotion, Orion secretly visits her chamber in disguise.

When Orion disappears, Ninkasi is dragged into the search and rescue mission. To find him, she must learn the truth of his secrets about his hatred for the company and the physical anomalies he tries to hide. The answers await discovery in a terrifying alternate world beneath her feet in which human sacrifice is the least of her worries.

There is a reason Orion went alone...

***

Excerpt:

Orion extinguished the butt of his hand-rolled cigarette into a skull-shaped ashtray on the nightstand beside a king-sized bed. Stripped down to a frilly cravat, tight leather pants, and silk gloves extending to the elbow—for this occasion, he wore exclusively black—he crossed his arms over his chest and observed the girl, displeased with her insolence.

A woman with an hourglass figure slipped out of a sheer lace negligee and flung it across the room with her toe.

Orion wrinkled his nose: she specifically disregarded his instructions concerning the garter belt and knee-high stockings. His invitation was not romantic—it was a scripted roleplay arrangement to enact his one fantasy in detail.

Or at least, it should have been; it was what they agreed. He suspected this one secretly harbored romantic intentions.

They all did.

He wasn't interested.

For the interim, he would forgive her, solely because she wore the waist-length, pin-straight black wig he had taken great pains to acquire. No mistress was allowed one footstep in his chamber without the wig.

“Master Orion, I beg you.” The girl fell to her knees, greedily frisking the stately erection battened by his pants. Groping at his belt, she pressed her wet lips against his body, speaking into him. “Please let us go to your bed.”

He deliberated upon her entreaty, a cool midnight breeze from the open window whipping his waist-length auburn hair.

By the flickering light of candelabras, he looked to the bed, crimson blankets of crushed velvet tucked neatly in preparation for a royal fuck. The musky fragrance of burning copal wafted through the air, conjuring distant memories. Fuchsia anaglypta wallpaper shimmered, tinged with gold. The belfry looked smashing—on the rare event he chose to clean it.

He cleaned when it was time to see a mistress. Otherwise, he didn’t care; it was a pain in the ass collecting the countless empty wine bottles beneath his bed.

Orion poked a finger between the girl's eyes and pushed her head back, appraising her beauty: her plump, pouting lips threatened to consume him; each full, round breast required more than one hand to command; her waist was narrow, with hips cresting in smooth curves, her body a landscape, a rolling testament to womanhood.

She was a beauty, surely, of world-class standards.

But none of this struck his fancy. He was a particular man.

He stared nostalgically into the girl’s eyes, fierce green eyes. He selected her for her eyes. Those fiery eyes were his one shot at climax.

It was a long shot.

But it was worth a shot.

***

About the Author:

Doctors suspect Brie developed an overactive imagination during childhood to cope with the expansive corn maze known as rural Pennsylvania. Unable to afford an operation to have the stories surgically removed from her brain, she opted instead to write them down.

Brie lives with two devious cats, Lunar and Loki. In her spare time, she enjoys making laser sounds with her MiniKorg, channeling entities in hyperspace, and roflstomping video games from the nineties.

http://www.sexdrugsandcyberpunk.com

http://sexdrugsandcyberpunk.blogspot.ca

https://www.facebook.com/brie.mcgill

https://twitter.com/BrieMcGill

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7085769.Brie_McGill

***


Giveaway:

Tour wide giveaway :

1 print copy Alien Bride by Brie McGill open to US Shipping

5 digital copies Alien Bride by Brie McGill via Smashwords coupon code

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour/Guest Post: Reflection by Kim Cresswell

My Publishing Journey - Publishing Purgatory
by Kim Cresswell

I began my publishing adventure with my romantic thriller, REFLECTION back in 2008 when I landed my first agent. Signing that agent contract was so exciting. A big-time-thrill-ride especially after I had queried hundreds of reputable agents. Finally it had happened!

Well not quite...

Three months later, the agent decided to close her agency due to personal reasons. At first I was devastated, all my hard work down the drain, then I remembered, “one door closes...another one opens.”

I'm not the type to give up. This was my dream and I was going to make it happen. So after a short break, I began my agent query process again in early 2009.

Two months passed and I received a representation offer from Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. I was literally jumping up and down. I knew Marsal Lyon was one of the best in the business and Jill loved and wanted my book! I think I cried and happy-danced for days.

It had really happened!

But...

The economy crashed in 2010 and publishers were hit hard. Some disappeared, some restructured, others decided it was time to jump on the e-publishing bandwagon.

Things were changing.

In my opinion, getting published by one of the “Big Six Publishers” is part luck—part timing. Timing was not on my side.

I kept my rejections from back then and all the rejection letters had wonderful things to say about REFLECTION but 95% mentioned the word, “economy”. Urgh!

After exhausting all major traditional publishing avenues we began sending REFLECTION to e-publishers.

Then I received a fantastic letter of praise from a “biggie” e-publisher suggesting I rewrite REFLECTION to fit their line as a category romantic suspense and re-submit. I can say there were many sleepless nights trying to decide if I should rewrite REFLECTION. I wanted to be published so badly.

In the end, I choose not to rewrite my book. The story was a mainstream romantic thriller and it was going to stay that way.

As authors, sometimes we need to bend and need to make tough decisions about our writing career.

For me, it was 'passing' with the “biggie” e-publisher, and contracting with a smaller publisher. Did I make the right decision? I believe I did.

If I could change any part of my publishing journey, would I? Not a chance. What I have learned over the years about the industry, my writing and about myself—is invaluable.

[hr]

About the Author

Kim Cresswell resides in Ontario, Canada. Trained as a legal assistant, Kim has been a story-teller all her life but took many detours including; working in legal and adult education before returning to her first love, writing.

Her debut thriller, REFLECTION, has won numerous awards. UP Authors Fiction Challenge Winner (2013), Silicon Valley's Romance Writers of America (RWA) "Gotcha!" #

Romantic Suspense Winner (2004) and an Honourable Mention in Calgary's (RWA) The Writer's Voice Contest (2006).

LETHAL JOURNEY was a finalist in From the Heart Romance Writers (FTHRW) Golden Gate Contest (2003).

Her action-packed thrillers have been highly praised by reviewers and readers worldwide. As one reviewer said, "Buckle up, Hang on tight!"

Kim recently entered the True Crime arena. Her latest story about accused Canadian killer, Cody Legebokoff, will is featured in Serial Killer Quarterly, a new e-magazine published by Grinning Man Press which debuted in December 2013. Her short story collection, Real Life Evil - A True Crime Quickie releases in January 2014.

About the Book

Florida investigative reporter, Whitney Steel, has lived in the shadow of her legendary father long enough. To prove herself she needs to find the “Big” story.

She found it.

Now it may kill her.

After Whitney receives a lead pointing to the world’s first cloned human, now a small child, she vows to unravel the truth. However, sifting through the facts proves to have dangerous results, including death threats and murder.

When Whitney is nearly killed, but is saved by undercover FBI Special Agent, Blake Neely, he refuses to let her get in the way of his own objective—at least not right away.

Caught in a lethal game between a billionaire obsessed with genetic perfection, his hit man’s thirst for retribution, and a Colombian drug lord fresh out of prison determined to make Blake pay for his twin brother’s death over a decade ago…

Can they save an innocent child before it’s too late?

Faced with tough choices, with deadly consequences for many—Whitney soon realizes that sometimes a story becomes more than just a story.

Blog Tour/Book Review: Wicked by Jillian Kleine Der Lowe

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Wicked: Seven Deadly Sins #1
by Jillian Kleine Der Lowe
Urban Fantasy
4 Stars


Earth: it is the promised land for Kin, beings from the Astral Planes.

Some, beings of light.

Others, the Fallen, beings of unimaginable evil...

Seven Cyn is Kin and a CIA Operative. With her best friend Leon in tow, she flies to Wales in pursuit of an ancient relic, the Spear of Destiny.

Then throw the enigmatic Luc into the mix as he and Sev discover a love that defies the stars. Yet, there is a catch... Sev has been tasked with ending his life.

Together, they uncover the location of the Spear and end up in a race against time with the survival of the whole entire Universe left hanging in the balance in a battle between good verses evil.

Has Sev finally bitten off more than she can chew?

Review:

The good: the characters are all very well drawn and the book itself is very funny and you'd be hard pressed not to smile. It's a fun, light-hearted fantasy taking elements of nearly all of Earth's different myths and blending them together into a somehwat cohesive whole. Seven Cyn is a delightful character and you are just rooting for her the whole way through.

We have a race against time, conspiracy theories, different factions trying to get to the Spear of Destiny, one to destroy the world, the other to save it, but which side is which? There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

The not so good: the rampant abuse of italics in the text. Not only do certain words get italicised every time they're mentioned, such as <i>the Fall, the Spear, the Tower, the Fallen,</i> there are paragraphs and paragraphs of italic text, which is difficult to read.

Oh, and Cardiff airport doesn't have terminals, it only has one, it's a tiny airport :)

Italic abuse aside, it was an enjoyable and fun read.

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Call the Lightning by Laurie Olerich

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Call the Lightning
Primani
Book Two
Laurie Olerich
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Laurie Olerich
Number of pages: 448
Word Count: 141,500
Cover Artist: Angela Bauer
Amazon Kindle | Amazon Print


Book Description:

Bound by blood and flame...

Mica Thomas is not having a good year. First, her Primani Sean vanishes without a trace. Second, a sadistic demon wants to use her as leverage. Third, her totally unwanted powers are making her nuts.  And then there’s Killian...his eyes hold secrets that confuse her and his every touch sends her blood racing out of control.

Killian has secrets--a lot of them. With Sean MIA, it’s up to him to keep Mica safe while her powers evolve. His protection takes a dangerous turn when she becomes a pawn in the game. Desperate to keep her alive, he drags her into his private world of ancient power and bloody altars with devastating consequences.

With their minds and bodies connected, is there room for Sean?

Short Excerpt: 

I was humming “Chasing Cars” in the shower when the clear curtain slid back. Sean leaned against the sink, letting his eyes drift down my soapy body. He still wore jeans, but the button was undone and they rode low on his hips. He’d already stripped off the t-shirt he wore today. I licked my lips and tried to say something sexy but nothing came out. My tongue got stuck in my mouth. Instead, I stepped back to make room. The jeans hit the floor in the blink of an eye and his hands were everywhere at once. With my back against the warm tile, I closed my eyes and let the sensations overwhelm me. He dragged his lips away from my mouth and smiled wickedly. Nonplussed, I started to ask what he was up to, but it came out as a yelp when he scooped me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. His arms cushioned me from the hard tile as he impaled me with one quick thrust.

“Oh. My. God.”

Moving against me now, he bit my earlobe and murmured, “Not quite.”

After using all of the hot water, we stumbled to the bedroom to work out the bed. Exhausted and limp, I trailed my finger through the fine black hair that formed his happy trail and said, “There is no way that you’ve never had sex before me. You’re like a porn star.”

“A porn star?” He propped himself up on his elbow and frowned.

He looked so disgruntled, I started to giggle. “Baby, wait. I meant that as a compliment! You’re just so amazing when we…uh, do it.” I blushed and shut up.

“You’re a mess. You know that? Of course it’s amazing! Hello? Supernatural beings here! Our souls are connected; we share the same saol. God Mica, when I see you my brain and my body go into hyper-drive with awareness. I feel every breath you take, every heartbeat, every emotion. When I touch you, I feel your blood flowing under your skin. I feel it under my fingertips. I have the power to draw it to the surface anywhere I want. Do you know how hot that makes me? I want to lose myself in you.” He gently traced a pale blue vein on my chest with his thumb. It pulsed in response. “I can give you pleasure because I feel what you want when your breath catches just so.”

My breath caught as he nipped my collarbone with his teeth. I felt my bones turn liquid again and knew he was right. I felt the same things when I touched him. I was turned on just standing close to him. He hummed with energy that I felt on every inch of my skin. I assumed everyone in love felt this way, but maybe he was right. Our souls were entwined as much as our bodies. Maybe this was special.

He peered up from the vicinity of my navel and asked, “Besides, what made you think I was a virgin?”

***

About the Author:

Laurie Olerich is the author of the new Primani series. Part urban fantasy, part romance, part paranormal...Three things she can’t live without! Laurie spent most of her life in the Northeastern United States and in Western Europe. She now lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her son and Dalmatian duo, Domino and Rambo.  Desperate to escape the heat, she lives vicariously through Mica and her Primani by setting their adventures in the mountain coolness of New England and the rainy days of London. Before throwing caution to the wind and diving into a writing career, Laurie dedicated 20 years to her country by serving in the United States Air Force. Much of her time was spent around men with guns and cool toys...this explains her obsession with both.

http://www.laurieolerich.com

https://twitter.com/LaurieOlerich

https://www.amazon.com/author/laurieolerich

http://www.laurieolerich.com/blog

***

Giveaway:

signed hard copy of Call the Lightning and a signed copy of the newest book in the series, Stone Angels.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Falling for Her Soldier by Ophelia London

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Falling for her Soldier
Perfect Kisses
Book 3
Ophelia London
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing - Bliss
Date of Publication: January 13, 2014
Number of pages: 260
Cover Artist: Jessica Cantor
Amazon | BN | Kobo


Book Description:

She fell for the nice guy, but will she fall for the real guy?

Ex-ballerina Ellie Bell has twenty-four days left until her self-imposed man-less year is up. No more falling for the wrong kind of guy—charming, sexy, bad. Why can’t she find someone sweet like Charlie Johansson, her soldier pen pal? His e-mails meant the world to her, and she can’t stop thinking about him…until she meets Hunter, whose muscles and cocky smile threaten to have her relapsing.

Before Charlie “Big Game Hunter” Johansson’s last tour of duty, he’d gone through women like crazy. But after connecting on a real, emotional level via letters with his best friend’s sister, Charlie’s ready for a relationship—with Ellie Bell.

But then her brother introduces him as Hunter. Proving he’s no longer a player by becoming Ellie’s dance partner for an Army benefit seems like it could convince both siblings he’s changed, but the harder he falls for Ellie, the harder it is to come clean. Can he convince her to fall for the real him before it’s too late?

***

Excerpt:

“Did you always want to be in the Army?” she asked, genuinely interested in his answer. She’d often wondered what made people choose a military path, knowing how dangerous it could be but doing it anyway. Was it patriotism? Money for college? That obviously wasn’t Hunter’s reason, since he was still Army.

“I never considered it until I was twenty,” he said. “It was supposed to be just four years in and out, then finish college. Turns out it’s a good fit for me. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Ellie nodded slowly, feeling a little bit awed…and then feeling a little bit something else when Hunter reached over his head for the top shelf and she caught sight of his tanned washboard abs.

“Um, I know what you mean,” she said, jerking her gaze in the other direction before she started drooling. “I went to college but I haven’t really used my degree.”

“What did you graduate in?”

“Child psychology.”

Hunter leaned against the table and smiled. “So that’s why you’re drawn to the patrons of the WS.”

“Exactly.” She laughed. “No one quite as childish as a soldier.”

“I hear ya.”

“I’m kidding, of course. I don’t know how you guys do it. I hear stories from Sam…” She cut off, her hands automatically balling into fists of anxiety. “I can’t think about it. I can’t imagine.”

Hunter put down the book he was about to reshelve. “Then don’t think about it,” he said in a low voice. “That’s my job.”

A little glow lit beneath her skin and spread through her chest as his eyes locked on hers. Then she recalled what she’d told Jane last night, how she didn’t think she could get involved with a soldier, the sleepless nights, the blinding worry. But as she gazed at Hunter, she wondered if maybe…knowing people like him were out there, there wasn’t the need to worry as much.

“What you do is amazing.” She spoke around the lump in her throat. “Seriously, you don’t get thanked enough.” Her thoughts suddenly flew to her brother, and to the people
hanging out at the Warrior Station, and to all the other brave men and women who defended their country every day.

Without thinking, she went to Hunter, reached out, and took his hand. “Thank you,” she whispered, lacing her fingers through his. “From me. Thank you, with all my heart.”

His hand felt warm pressed against hers, more calloused than she was used to, but gentle. She squeezed it, feeling his strength as he squeezed back.

“Damn.” The word was an exhale.

“What?” She blinked up at him, getting an extra-close look at those golden rings around his blue eyes.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then pulled back a slow smile. “That should see me through my next deployment.”

***

About the Author:

Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she's lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters in the books she writes.

Ophelia is the author of DEFINITELY, MAYBE IN LOVE, ABBY ROAD, and the Perfect Kisses series including: PLAYING AT LOVE, SPEAKING OF LOVE, and FALLING FOR HER SOLDIER (Jan 2014).

Visit her at http://ophelialondon.com

But don't call when The Vampire Diaries is on.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ophelia-London/235557139857428

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ophelia_london

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/585688-ophelia

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/opheliawrites/

***

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Chenoire by Susannah Sandlin

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Chenoire 
by Susannah Sandlin
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Heat level: mild
Publisher: StoryFront
Date of Publication: December 18, 2013
ASIN: B00GMTVZYIl
Number of pages: 50
Word Count: approx. 15,000
Amazon


Book Description:

When Faith Garrity’s twin sister died, she lost a part of herself. Unable to move past the pain, the once-driven ornithologist is at risk of losing her career as well. To save her job, she heads to the oil-ravaged wetlands of Louisiana. There, in the bayou community of Chenoire, she encounters the handsome but guarded Zackary Préjean, still suffering from a great loss of his own.

She’s drawn to Zack, but soon finds that the Préjean family isn’t what it seems… They have dangerous secrets—and deadly enemies. Caught up in a feud that threatens the area’s uneasy truce, Faith and Zack must learn to trust each other. Survival will require enormous sacrifice, but it just might also give them both a way to move on.

Excerpt:

Zack Préjean wiped the blood from his skinning knife onto the faded blue bottom of the apron he wore, scanning the bayou that backed up to his papa’s back porch. Something had drawn his attention, but he couldn’t figure out what.

He’d been working on the small gator for half an hour, figuring to take off enough fresh meat for dinner and prep the rest to deal with later—it was too small for the skin to be worth much. The calls and caws of the birds and cackles of swamp hens soothed him, and God knew he needed soothing. Spending the whole month of gator season at Chenoire wasn’t what he wanted to be doing. But Papa had asked him outright for help, and he had to honor that.

Finally, he figured out what had caught his attention; the bayou was too quiet. He wedged the knife through his apron ties, covered the gator with a towel, and closed his eyes to focus on what he could hear. Footsteps coming from the path leading down to the house—heavy ones, stirring up a whiff of anger.

Zack tripped on his way through the kitchen, catching his toe on the edge of a chair because he’d been staring out the front window instead of watching where he was going. All this family time must be getting to him, because for a moment he swore he’d seen not a man on the path that angled toward the small circle of houses where the Préjeans had lived for generations.

No, he thought he’d seen an angel.

Except angels didn’t stomp their feet, curse like sailors, and swat at bugs, which is what this one appeared to be doing. What the hell was a woman doing on foot way out here at dusk?

Crossing his arms over his chest, Zack leaned against the frame of the front door, silent and still, waiting to see what trouble she brought. She looked like a city woman, and city women always brought trouble.

He couldn’t keep the grin off his face. Whatever else she was, his citified swamp angel was pissed off and dirty as sin. Bits of mud flaked off what might be a long, lean pair of legs underneath the grime that covered her from her shoes to the bottom of her khaki shorts—or maybe they were mud-covered black shorts. Hard to tell. Her hands flew around her head, batting at what Zack knew were probably the armies of tiny no-see-ums that swarmed near the small stand of trees this time of day. Occasionally, she swatted at her own head, giving her short blond hair a disheveled look he’d mistaken for a halo.

“Damned gnats. I’m gonna—” The angel finally spotted him and stopped in her tracks, dark-blue eyes growing wider as her gaze dropped from Zack’s face to the vicinity of the knife.

He cleared his throat and stifled the laugh that threatened to escape. “You lost, Angel?”

***

About the Author:

Susannah Sandlin writes paranormal romance and romantic thrillers from Auburn, Alabama, on top of a career in educational publishing that has thus far spanned five states and six universities—including both Alabama and Auburn, which makes her bilingual. She grew up in Winfield, Alabama, but was also a longtime resident of New Orleans, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football, cheap Mardi Gras trinkets, and fried gator on a stick. She’s the author of the award-winning Penton Legacy paranormal romance series, a spinoff novel, Storm Force, and a new romantic thriller beginning this month with Lovely, Dark, and Deep. Writing as Suzanne Johnson, she also is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series.

Website: http://www.susannahsandlin.com

Blog: http://suzanne-johnson.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SusannahSandlin

FB: http://www.facebook.com/SusannahSandlin  

Giveaway:

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2 $10 Amazon gift cards
2 Author swag packs- open to US Shipping  (books, swag)


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Book Spotlight: Fairy Texas by Margo Bond Collins

Genre: YA Fantasy

Content/Theme(s): Romance/Mystery

Release Date: February 5, 2014

Publisher: Solstice Shadows Publishing

Fairy, Texas. A small town like any other.

Laney Harris didn't want to live there. When her mother remarried and moved them to a town where a date meant hanging out at the Sonic, Laney figured that "boring" would have a whole new meaning. A new stepsister who despised her and a high school where she was the only topic of gossip were bad enough. But when she met the school counselor (and his terminal bad breath), she grew suspicious. Especially since he had wings that only she could see. And then there were Josh and Mason, two gorgeous glimmering-eyed classmates whose interest in her might not be for the reasons she hoped. Not to mention that dead guy she nearly tripped over in gym class.

She was right. Boring took on an entirely new dimension in Fairy, Texas.

I was partnered with Mason Collier, the infamous football-playing, cute, but possibly black-magicky friend-of-Bartlef I’d heard about at lunch. I looked around and saw a guy waving at me from across the room. He was looking at me kind of like he was hungry and maybe I was breakfast. It worried me.

Still, at least I hadn’t been paired up with Kayla. It could have been much worse.

“Okay,” Carlson said. “Go ahead and meet with your partner and plan your strategy.”

Mason and I stood up at the same time and walked toward each other. I was so busy making sure I didn’t trip over any desks that I didn’t see Kayla headed toward me until she was right in front of me. And then she leaned in close to my face and hissed at me. “Don’t get too cozy. He’s way out of your league.”

I rolled my eyes and moved around her without responding. Three days. Three days I’d been in Fairy, and already I had an enemy. And I lived in her house. My life kept getting better and better.

Mason and I met in the middle of the room. Kayla and her friends huddled nearby, watching us.

“Hey,” Mason said.

“Hey.” Nice, neutral word, hey. Can mean almost anything. Or nothing.

“So,” he said, “where do you want to start?”

He was asking me? Where I wanted to start was away from here, where there weren’t any dead boys to trip over.

So much for that option.

Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead (forthcoming in 2014). She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters.

Connect with Margo

Amazon Author Page: Author Page

Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com

Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin  @MargoBondCollin

Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902

Goodreads: Author Page

Facebook: Author Page

Facebook: Novel Page

Tumblr: http://vampirarchybooks.tumblr.com/

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Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: Pushed by Marisa Cleveland

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Pushed
A Bloodlines Novella
Marisa Cleveland
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Simeris Alliance
Date of Publication: January 20, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-1494866761
Number of pages: 100
Word Count: 20,000
Amazon
Book Description:

Time is not on everyone’s side…

Mortal mess-up Lucy Markson makes one tiny miscalculation and her soul ends up belonging to an evil demon. Forced to serve the newly fallen angels recruited by her master, she must take one of the fallen through the seven deadly sins.

Fallen angel Sawyer Succendo didn’t jump from heaven. He was pushed. And now he’s lost everything, including his halo – which contains his earthbound soul.

In a race with an evil demon to claim his lost halo, Sawyer must trust a woman designed for sin – literally. Learning the true power of free will, Sawyer just might save them both, if he can keep his mind on the plan and his hands to himself.

But if he can’t find his halo and save the girl, then he’ll be grounded forever.

Excerpt:

One thing was certain. Fallen angels were hot. And not the ninety-eight-point-six kind of warmth, either. Oh, no. These Fallen fit every corny pick up line she’d ever heard. Because they were exactly what they claimed to be. Created by the hands of God and in His own image.

How would she ever choose one to feed and then… They were all beautifully gorgeous. She tilted her head to the side.

Except for him.

Dried blood marred the side of his temple and stained his sharp cheekbones. A gash sliced across his left eyebrow ending at the corner of his blackened eye. His swollen lower lip also sported a crack with still-fresh blood threatening to trickle down to the divot in his chin. Naked as the day he was born – or created – his torso and thighs held an interesting pattern of scars that haphazardly healed.

He rubbed his chest with one hand, his golden eyes widening in alarm, and in that moment, Lucy knew she absolutely had to be the one to serve him. His entire demeanor differed from the others. He hesitated to join the others at the banquet table, almost like he didn’t want to partake in the feast, even though she knew he had to be starving by now. Still, he reminded her of… her. A reluctant guest.

***

An unfamiliar weight settled over Sawyer, and he recognized that for the first time in two thousand years he knew sin. How had Azas done that to him? Slapped Original Sin over his shoulders like a thousand pound straight jacket, trapping him to the mortal realm. Born into the angelic dimension of the divine, he’d heard about sin, but he’d never actually experienced it. Now, healed as one of the Fallen on earth, he knew nakedness, and hunger pains gripped his stomach so completely that he didn’t hesitate to join the others at the manifested banquet table.

Woodenly scraping a chair back from the table, he collapsed against the cushioned fabric as it scratched the back of his thighs and bare ass. While the Fallen indulged in the delicacies from every region of the earth, a parade of nude women served and danced around them. Sawyer’s body tightened in response to the naked flesh, and he groaned at his own lack of control. He shut his eyes to the visual feast. He might be a Fallen angel now, but that didn’t mean he had to indulge in whatever the demon offered. Especially if he hoped to have words with his Maker and return to the right side of the Pearly Gates.

***

About the Author:

Marisa Cleveland loves to laugh, hates to cry, and does both often. As a writer, she writes. Every day. If she couldn’t express herself through writing, music, and dance, she would die. She believes romance novels are the perfect “how to” books, because no matter the obstacles, the characters keep working toward their happily ever after. She loves to connect with writers and readers through social media.

http://www.marisacleveland.com

http://facebook.com/marisacleveland00

http://facebook.com/hotwipssassychicks

http://twitter.com/marisacleveland

http://instagram.com/thereisnobox

http://marisacleveland.tumblr.com

http://hotwipssassychicks.blogspot.com

http://goodreads.com/marisacleveland

https://plus.google.com/102206201174009013772/posts

http://www.pinterest.com/marisacleveland/

***

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: A Life Less Ordinary

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Title: A Life Less Ordinary
Author: Victoria Bernadine
Genre: Chicklit, Contemporary Fiction

For the last fifteen years, Rose “Manny” Mankowski has been a very good girl. She turned her back on her youthful fancies and focused on her career. But now, at the age of 45, she's questioning her choices and feeling more and more disconnected from her own life. When she's passed over for promotion and her much younger new boss implies Manny's life will never change, something snaps. In the blink of an eye, she's quit her job, sold her house and cashed in her pension, and she's leaving town on a six month road trip.

After placing a personal ad for a travelling companion, she's joined in her mid-life crisis by Zeke Powell, the cynical, satirical, most-read – and most controversial – blogger for the e-magazine, What Women Want. Zeke's true goal is to expose Manny's journey as a pitiful and desperate attempt to reclaim her lost youth – and increase his readership at the same time. Leaving it all behind for six months is just an added bonus.

Now, armed with a bagful of destinations, a fistful of maps, and an out-spoken imaginary friend named Harvey, Manny's on a quest to rediscover herself – and taking Zeke along for the ride.

Excerpt:

Manny walked in her door, looking tired and feeling worn out. She wondered ruefully why the only thing not on a schedule was the time she could leave the office. She dropped her purse on the table and hung up her coat and keys. With a tired sigh, she walked into the living room and plopped into the armchair. She closed her eyes as Harvey walked out of the kitchen with a glass of white wine and began to rub her shoulders. He again looked impossibly handsome, this time wearing a sweater and jeans. She sighed in imagined bliss, and looked at him with sad eyes.

You have no idea how much I wish you were real.

In a blink, he was gone–and the phone was ringing. For a split second, Manny considered not answering it.

There’s your chance to talk to a real person, Harvey murmured.

Probably a telemarketer.

Probably Rebecca. Or Daisy. They’ll worry if you don’t answer.

All right, all right.

Manny heaved herself to her feet and walked to the phone.

Maybe I’m glad you’re imaginary after all.

She caught a glimpse of his grin as she answered the phone.

It was Rebecca, asking her to go out the next night.

“I don’t know...” Manny sighed.

“Oh, come on–you’ll have fun! And seriously–you haven’t gone out with us in months!”

“I’ve been tired...”

“You’ve been tired your whole life I think. You need to break out of this rut you’re in! Come out for a few drinks and dancing with me and Daisy. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet a good-looking guy and be swept off your feet into a red-hot love affair.”

Sounds like a plan to me.

Yeah, ’cause that’ll happen.

“I’d love to go dancing,” Manny said to Rebecca, “but the guy is just a figment of your imagination.”

“Only because you don’t put any effort into it. Seriously, it’s not healthy to do nothing but work and go home. That’s how people go crazy you know.”

“Huh. You mean next thing you know I’ll be talking to my imaginary friend?”

Harvey grinned wickedly and Manny abruptly turned her back to him.

“Exactly!” Rebecca said. “Come on–what do you say?”

“Okay, okay,” Manny sighed. “Tomorrow night–the usual place?”

“Yep–and sound like you’re actually looking forward to it, okay?”

“I’m sorry. I am looking forward to it–it’ll be fun.”

***

About the Author:


Victoria Bernadine (a pseudonym) is, as the saying goes, a “woman of a certain age”. After twenty-something years of writer’s block, she began writing again in 2008.

Victoria enjoys reading all genres and particularly loves writing romantic comedy and post-apocalyptic science fiction. What those two have in common is anybody's guess.

She lives in Edmonton with her two cats (The Grunt and The Runt). A Life Less Ordinary is the first novel she felt was good enough to be released into the wild.

Links:

Twitter: @vicbernadine
Blog:  victoriabernadine.wordpress.com
E-mail:  loveofwords@shaw.ca
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AMJBOSQ
Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-life-less-ordinary-victoria-bernadine/1114941600?ean=9780991810215

Other:

CreateSpace:  https://www.createspace.com/4164575
Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299257
Chapters/Indigo:  http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a-life-less-ordinary/9780991810222-item.html?ikwid=victoria+bernadine&ikwsec=Home&gcs_requestid=0CPD4utrH3LcCFY355wodCn4AAA

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