Category Archives: Author Spotlight

Spotlight & Excerpt: Hot Nights with the Fireman by Lynne Silver

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Check out this new contemporary romance from Lynne Silver. Who doesn’t love a hot firefighter? -Cori 

Hot Nights with the Fireman by Lynne Silver

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Everyone in Washington, DC, knows that when the heat is on, you call Valerie Wainright. This brilliant, brassy PR maven can spin any hot scandal, and she’s never let a client ruffle her feathers. Yet when she agrees to teach DC’s bravest how to handle a media frenzy, she faces an entirely different kind of fire. Keeping things all business and no pleasure is far harder than she expected.

After steamy photos ignite the Internet, firefighter Jason Moore instantly goes from hero to bad boy. While he couldn’t care less about an online rep, he cares a lot about his job and saving lives. If Valerie can help clear his name, he’ll do what she says-even if it means forcing himself to keep his hands off her. But beneath Valerie’s cool cover, Jason feels a smoldering desire that lights his own. And this is one inferno he’ll definitely want to stoke…

IMG_0032“I pulled your father out of the dining room, because it looked as though you and Jason wanted to be alone.”

“What makes you say that?” She toyed with the fabric of the comforter folding it this way, then that. “We were just studying.”

Her stepmother smiled. “Valerie, maybe you fooled your father, but it was perfectly obvious to me you and Jason were busy, and not with paperwork. In fact, I’m guessing our timing might have spoiled things.”

“No,” she said, then calmed her tone, realizing, she’d practically shouted. “Your timing was perfect. Impeccable. It was a mistake to have Jason over. One I won’t be making again.” She still couldn’t meet her stepmother’s steady gaze. She took a breath and tried. What she saw in the older woman’s knowing eyes tugged at her heart and sent her stomach churning.

“Honey, when’s the last time you dated anyone?”

“I went on a date about two months ago.”

Mom’s hand covered hers. “But it was just a date. Nothing serious. It’s been years since you’ve been in a serious relationship…It’s time to take a risk. The rewards are worth it.”

“It’s been a while,” she admitted. “But don’t get any ideas about Jason. We don’t fit together and make sense as a couple. I mean…passion fades right? Better to have lots in common. And Jason… he’s a firefighter. He’ll always be putting himself in danger. I don’t know if I could live with that or the memories his job brings up for me. Also, he’s a player. I only met him because he was caught online with a bunch of naked women.” She realized her response revealed more than she’d meant to give, but her stepmom didn’t say anything for a while.

Finally, Judy stood and took a few steps toward the door of Valerie’s room then turned back. “Val, I hesitate to bring this up, because I’ve tried to never interfere in your love life…” She paused and worried her hands in front of her belly. “You know I love your father, but I have to confess, when I married him, gaining a daughter was a big part of the deal for me. I was never able to have my own biological children, but honey, you are mine.”

A lump formed in her throat as she stood to go embrace her mother, the woman who’d come into a sad seven-year-old’s life and brought happiness. They hugged for a long time, and when Valerie made to let go and step back, Judy hung on. “You had a light in your eyes tonight, Val. One I haven’t seen on your face in a long time. Think about it. Is there anything so terrible about having a wild affair?” She gave a last squeeze and finally let go.

Val stood alone in her bedroom staring at the doorway. First Jason, now her mom. Was no one happy with her single status? The real question was, was she? She got ready for bed and sat amidst her pillows reading a book, but not really seeing the words.

The kisses with Jason kept playing in her mind and the walls of her childhood bedroom felt as if they were closing in on her. She’d been living in fear ever since college and there was no reason to, especially when she could do something about it. She could sleep with Jason. And maybe, if she played her cards right, she could hide her scarred legs.
No strings or emotional ties hot sex with Jason. She knew her friend Ari would tell her to go for it and act on the attraction. Her stepmother would tell her to follow her heart. She’d have to leave her heart out of it if she were to survive the experience with her heart intact. No strings sex, which was surely the only kind he wanted, despite his pretty words tonight.

She could handle it, and maybe he wouldn’t have to handle seeing her legs. She could turn the lights out or stay under blankets. Her feelings and thoughts were her only beacon to guide her. She knew what her body wanted. It wanted Jason.

IMG_0030Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dUxBWO
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IMG_0031imageRomance author, Lynne Silver, writes the popular Coded for Love series and other hot contemporary romance novels, such as Love, Technically. Before writing romance, she wrote fiction of a different sort, drafting press releases for technology corporations. Washington DC is her home (non) state, where she resides with her husband and two sons.

Socail Media Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Spotlight & Giveaway: The Best of Both Rogues by Samantha Grace

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Title: The Best of Both Rogues
Author: Samantha Grace
Series: Rival Rogues, Book 3
Publication Date: : July 7, 2015
Genre: Historical Regency Romance

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The worst thing Mr. Benjamin Hillary ever did was abandon his bride-to-be on their wedding day.

The hardest thing he will ever have to do is watch her marry another man.

After two long years abroad, Ben finds Eve every bit as captivating as she was the first time he saw her, and he vows to set things right.

Lady Eve Thorne has a new man in her life, and Ben is nothing but trouble. She is no longer a starry-eyed young woman, and now that he’s back, he can go hang for all she cares. At least that’s what she keeps telling herself…

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Ben made a slow circle of the brightly lit ballroom, stopping occasionally to study the couples as they sashayed past, their cheeks pink from exertion. After several moments, he was satisfied Lord Wellham wasn’t among the dancers, not that Ben was surprised. If his memory served, the earl favored gambling over gamboling.
Reaching a secluded corner near a dark alcove, he paused to check once more for his quarry before he sought out the card room.
“What are you doing here?” a voice hissed. “You are not on the guest list.”
“Pardon?” Ben spun toward the speaker and came up short. His eyebrows veered toward each other. “How do you know?” he whispered back to the mass of green palm fronds.
“Because I helped make the list.” The plant’s fronds parted, and Eve Thorne’s stern glare greeted him. What the devil was she doing?
Her frown deepened when he simply stared, at a loss for words. “Do you have a death wish, Mr. Hillary?”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Let me guess, you’ve been attacked by a man-eating plant. Are you in need of rescue, Kitten?”
She growled softly and the fronds snapped back into place. Ben checked the surrounding area to be certain they hadn’t earned any unwanted attention, then peered around the massive greenery. Eve was wedged against the wall, her yellow chiffon skirts crushed against the large pot. Her chest rose and fell in rapid movements, drawing his attention to the modest swell of her breasts peeking above her lacy neckline. A rosy glow infused her ivory skin, making the sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks almost unnoticeable.
God, he had missed her – her freckles, her pouty lips, her soulful brown eyes. He had been smitten from the moment he had spied her at the theater during the little Season, and two years on a faraway continent had done nothing to cool his ardor.
“What are you doing back there, Miss Thorne, and shouldn’t you have a chaperone?”
She crossed her arms as if erecting a wall between them. “God only knows why, but I am trying to save your skin, Benjamin James Arran Hillary.”
Damnation. He had almost forgotten he’d been burdened with so many names, and that she had a habit of invoking every one when she was perturbed. His smile expanded. Despite her pretense of indifference, she was worried for him. “Am I to conclude your skulking about means you still care?”
“I care about Lady Eldridge, and I do not want to see her ball ruined by you and Sebastian coming to fisticuffs. You really must leave before he sees you and demands another meeting on the field.”
Crossing paths with Sebastian Thorne didn’t concern Ben. Her brother’s need to defend her reputation after Ben jilted her had been satisfied three weeks earlier in a duel, and Thorne would not issue a second challenge for fear of losing. Ben suspected neither of them wanted to risk looking like fools again either. Instead of dueling with pistols or swords as any other normal men would do, they had allowed Eve to choose the weapons. She had chosen gloves.
He scowled. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous it looked for two men to engage in a slapping match?” The gents at Brooks’s hadn’t stopped talking about the duel for days, and Ben had endured the brunt of the teasing since he’d followed his youngest brother’s advice and allowed Thorne to win.
Eve’s smile radiated with self-satisfaction. “Since no one died, I would say I made an excellent choice.”
H grudgingly admitted her cleverness had managed to resolve the conflict without bloodshed – or much, anyway. Ben had walked away with a cut on his cheek and a nasty bruise, thanks to her brother filling his glove with pebbles. But bruised pride and a bruised mug were small prices to pay to see Eve’s position in Society restored.

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RIVAL ROGUES SERIES
One Rogue Too Many
In Bed with a Rogue
The Best of Both Rogues

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Historical romance author Samantha Grace discovered the appeal of a great love story when she was just a young girl, thanks to Disney’s Robin Hood. She didn’t care that Robin Hood and Maid Marian were cartoon animals. It was her first happily-ever-after experience and she didn’t want the warm fuzzies to end. Now Samantha enjoys creating her own happy endings for characters that spring from her imagination. Publishers Weekly describes her stories as “fresh and romantic” with subtle humor and charm. Samantha describes romance writing as the best job ever.

Social Networking Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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3 Signed copies of In Bed with a Rogue open 6/24/2015 – 7/31/2015

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Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: SEAL Wolf Hunting by Terry Spear

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Title: SEAL Wolf Hunting
Author: Terry Spear
Series: Heart of the Wolf, #16
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Genre: Paranormal Romance

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Paul Cunningham has eluded many traps in his long career as a Navy SEAL, but there’s no way out of this one. On a rare visit home, he gets “volunteered” for a local charity bachelor auction, and the community is counting on him. Then he discovers that the sexy she-wolf with the winning ticket is Lori Greypaw—the one woman he could never resist. And she has plans for Paul that go way beyond a simple date. For the first time in his bachelor life, this alpha wolf SEAL is going to have to prove his worth…

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imageFull Name: Allan Rappaport
Occupation: SEAL and now Special Undercover Operative
Height: 6 ft
Hair Color: Dark brown hair
Eye Color: Green
Age: 30
Wolf: Gray
Originally from: Northern Montana

What’s your favorite thing about being a wolf-shifter?

Too many reasons to count. But we have a real advantage in the senses’ department. It really helps with my job.

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This was a fun light paranormal romance with just enough danger to add to the story. I liked that it revolved around an alpha SEAL team member realizing that home is where he needs to be and the fun pack members waiting for him. I wish it had a little more fire but it was a nice contemporary romance revolving around wolves and a pleasant read.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

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Allan was next up, and the bidding was going strong as he got into the fun of the auction, flexing his muscles and smiling brightly.
“Way to go, SEAL!” Lori and Rose shouted.
“Take off your shirt!” Emma shouted.
Catherine whooped and whistled. Paul had to smile at Emma and Catherine.
Lori’s face reddened a bit, probably because her own grandma had shouted out the recommendation.
Allan began unbuttoning his shirt slowly and the crowd went wild.
Paul laughed. He hadn’t thought that a honey-do bachelor auction would be anything like this. Then again, Emma was a wolf and they could change the dynamics of a situation in a heartbeat. The ranch hands made a big deal of jerking their shirts out of their waistbands and then starting to unbutton them.
A woman shouted, “Just the shirts, gentlemen.”
And that had everyone laughing.
Stripper music began to play, and Paul removed his shirt to the beat like the others did.
Clapping hands, wolf whistles, and shouts indicated the women were just as excited to bid for the SEALs as they were for the cowboys.
Paul tossed his shirt to Lori for safekeeping. When she grabbed the shirt and held it close, he smiled at her.
Allan went for two hundred and fifty dollars to a lady wearing a pink cowboy hat…

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USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over two dozen paranormal romance novels and medieval Highland historical romances. In 2008 HEART OF THE WOLF was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world. She lives in Crawford, Texas.

Social Media Links: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: I Want You To Want Me (A Rock Star Romance, Book 2) by Erika Kelly

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I Want You To Want Me

(A Rock Star Romance, Book 2)

by Erika Kelly

Publication Date: July 7, 2015

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From the award-winning author of You Really Got Me comes the next romance in her red-hot Rock Star Romance series, about a rocker who lives for his music—and loves with all his heart.

Derek Valencia finally has the success he’s worked so hard for. His band is touring its debut album and great reviews are rolling in. But when pictures of him tossing naked groupies off a balcony go viral, it’s damage-control time. He’s assigned a “babysitter” whose sole job is to keep him out of trouble.

Violet Davis swore she’d never work in the music industry again, but being a minder for a rock star will earn her enough to pay off the mortgage on her wildflower farm. And for a girl brought up in the foster care system, owning her own home means more to her than anything.

Though at first the two bang heads, the rocker and the farm girl soon grow close and realize that they make sweet music together. But can a girl who craves the stability of life on a farm really make it work with a man whose life is spent on the road with his band?

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I adored this book! I loved Derek even more than I loved Slater and I really loved Slater in the first book. Derek and Violet were perfect for each other. I devoured their story. I Want You To Want Me was the perfect mix of emotional, fun and hot romance. It’s a rock star romance with a HEA ending. This is the second book in Erika Kelly’s Rock Star Romance Series, but each book can be read as a standalone. They each feature a band mate. I recommend both books. They’re beautiful love stories that will stick with you long after you close the books. Erika Kelly is an author to watch and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

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Check out book 1:
You Really Got Me (A Rock Star Romance) by Erika Kelly

Review 5 Stars | Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kob

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IMG_0031imageAward-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life—she just didn’t know it. Raised on the classics, she didn’t discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she’s been devouring the genre and finding her true voice as an author. Over three decades she’s written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women’s fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she’s lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte, and she can make her home anywhere.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter Sign-Up

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Enter to win a paperback copy of I Want You To Want Me by Erika Kelly on our Facebook page today.

ENTER ON FACEBOOK POST HERE

Winner will be announced today (7/8) by 5PM Central.

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Spotlight & Giveaway: A Sword for His Lady by Mary Wine

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Title: A Sword for His Lady
Author: Mary Wine
Series: Courtly Love, #1

Publication Date: July 7, 2015

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He’d defend her keep…

After proving himself on the field of battle, Ramon de Segrave is appointed to the Council of Barons by Richard the Lionheart. But instead of taking his most formidable warrior on his latest Crusade, the king assigns Ramon an even more dangerous task—woo and win the Lady of Thistle Keep.

If only she’d yield her heart

Isabel of Camoys is a capable widow with no intention of surrendering her valuable estate. She’s fought long and hard for her independence, and if the price is loneliness, then so be it. She will not yield…even if she does find the powerful knight’s heated embrace impossible to ignore. But when her land is threatened, Isabel reluctantly agrees to allow Ramon and his army to defend the keep—knowing that the price may very well be her heart.

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He lifted one foot and set it on the bottom step.
“What are you doing?”
“I am entering the keep.” His tone made it clear he knew he was invading her home.
“No.” She fought back her breathlessness. “You shall not.”
She backed up, but forced herself to stop in the doorway.
“Why not, my lady?”
He climbed another step and she felt her knees quiver. It was an insane reaction, one that shocked her with how intense it was its intensity.
“You do not belong in the keep. This is my home.”
He frowned but climbed another step to stand on even ground with her. Isabel lifted her chin so she might maintain eye contact.
“I will be making a full assessment of this structure, lady. You may stand aside or I shall remove you from my path.”
She should have lowered herself and gracefully glided out of the doorway. It was the only response the code of chivalry afforded her, but she couldn’t force herself to do it. She didn’t feel in control of her emotions; they were scattering like autumn leaves. Her heart accelerated. He was pressing closer, watching her, gauging her reactions to him. She’d never felt so exposed. Never felt like any man took so much notice of her. He reached for her, his expression full of promise.
“No one enters this keep without bathing.” She spat the words out in a rush and had to pull in a deep breath because her lungs burned when she was finished. At last, relief flowed through her, for she had found a valid argument to use.
The baron’s expression didn’t change. His hands were clenched around his wide leather belt, his knuckles turning white.
“Take yourself off to the bath house, my lord baron.” She was being brazen.
He suddenly grunted, amusement returning to his eyes. “Very well lady, since you wish to offer me your hospitality, I accept.”
She stared at him, uncertain of the flicker burning in his dark eyes. This wasn’t a man who knew defeat, and the muscles in her neck tightened when his lips twitched into a smug grin once again.
An expression that was full of victory.
“I shall enjoy having you bathe me, Isabel. It is certainly a good place for us to begin to learn more about one another.” A gleam appeared in his eyes that sent a shiver down her body.
“I did not offer to bathe you myself.” Her voice was a horrified whisper. He stepped closer, capturing her wrist in a grip that surprised her because it lacked pain with its gentleness. Instead, she felt their connection keenly, so much so, it felt as though that she couldn’t form a single, sensible thought. Logic had always offered her salvation in the past. Before Ramon, it crumbled away, leaving her at his mercy.
“You claim you are no maiden, so it is only customary for you to attend me since you are the lady of this keep.” His voice lowered. “Or perhaps, you would prefer not to act as a lady. In such a case…I will be most pleased to dispense with ceremony.”
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IMG_0030 Amazon: http://amzn.to/1KNvGSs
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IMG_0031Acclaimed author Mary Wine has written over 30 works of erotic fantasy, romantic suspense, and historical romance. An avid history-buff and historical costumer, she and her family enjoy participating in historical reenactments. Mary lives with her husband and two sons in Yorba Linda, California.
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Q&A Guest Post

Named a Top 10 Pick for Spring 2015 by Publishers Weekly, Mary Wine’s A Sword For His Lady comes out this July! Mary’s agreed to stop by today and has answered some questions for us about herself and her career as an author.

What piece of advice sticks with you to this day?
“Don’t waste time. Life is made of time…” Bruce Lee.

What has been your biggest adventure to date?
Parenthood.

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Release Week Blitz: LICKED BY THE FLAME by Serena Gilley

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LICKED BY THE FLAME by Serena Gilley

(July 7, 2015; Forever Yours E-Book; The Forbidden Realm #2)

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One hot kiss from a smoldering dragon and all her thoughts go up in flames . . .

Lianne McGowan is a scientist on a mission. As brilliant as she is beautiful, she believes the key to the Earth’s future is a new energy source. To find it, she’ll delve deep into the fiery heart of an imposing mountain-and take on an even more imposing man: the sinfully seductive Nic Vladik.

Shape-shifting dragon Nic has sworn to guard the secret to his brethren’s insatiable power. He must stop Lianne’s search, yet the moment he feels the soft silk of her skin, his soul is set on fire. Unable to resist, Nic and Lianne submit to desire, and experience an exquisite passion unlike either has ever known. But their pleasure is short-lived. Lianne has made a discovery that endangers herself, Nic, and all Dragonkind. With his world at stake, will Nic save his clan-or the woman he loves?

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Nicolai Stefanya Vladik paced the length of the boardroom and wished in his very core there was a window in this damn place. It was not in his nature to be cooped up in these constructions, human boxes made of plastic and wood, substances that would wither and melt into a wisp of smoke at the very least hint of fire. It was a tenuous way to exist. No wonder humans were so short lived—they spent so much of their time in these fragile spaces.

It was a damned shame that Nicolai had so little opportunity to get back to his own familiar lair. He’d been here, on this jobsite, for months now. Several years before that he’d begun acting as one of them, studying, scheming and manipulating them in this role he’d created. It was all to keep the humans in their place. To make very certain they never found what they searched for so diligently.

He’d done it all for the good of his kind, for the future of his clan. He was a warrior, after all, and this was his battle. It had been waging so long, however, that every now and then he worried he’d forgotten who he was. He feared he’d become too comfortable in this flimsy form.

Today was not one of those times. Today he itched to abandon it all. Clothing, technology, shallow entertainments…all of them were so frail, so meaningless. If he feared anything today, it was that he would discard the trappings of this human existence and give in to his nature. He longed for the heat of his lair.

For a year this team had been studying the thermal activities of the area, and Nic risked more than personal exposure if he abandoned his human form. Day after day, month after month, though, it was becoming harder to maintain. He craved…well, he craved something he could not have.

He needed to get his mind back on his work. This meeting today with a dozen so-called experts in their fields was a waste. None of these “learned” humans really knew anything. Of course he ought to be glad for that, but he was tired of the isolation and routine this situation required. He was exhausted from denying his needs.

And he did have needs. It was always this way if he let himself go too long without. He would have to do what must be done if he wanted to continue in his role.

The question, of course, was how. Even as the meeting droned on, as the men around him talked about projects and statistics and governmental regulations, he could wonder only how he would tend to his needs. This site inspection, after all, was scheduled to go on for another two weeks. In the middle of nowhere. Nic didn’t dare leave at this critical time, but he also couldn’t figure how to manage his problem.
He needed a woman. Badly. By the Fires, he thought he could almost smell one, feel her very real presence just beyond his carefully calm exterior. His skin tingled on alert. It was as if the air in the building crackled with the hot essence of woman. She smelled like heat and flesh and the promise of passion. Damn, but his situation must be worse than he’d thought; he knew only men had been assigned to this remote project site.

If he didn’t sink himself into warm female flesh soon, he was likely to explode. And this was not just the wishful thinking of the usual frustrated human male. No, this was serious. If Nic though he might be about to explode, everyone here had good reason to worry. Once his control was lost and he shed this human facade, the truth would be known. He would have to silence them all to keep his secret safe. Nic wasn’t just any sex-crazed mortal man, after all.

Nicolai Vladik was a full-fledged Dragon.

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imageSerena Gilley grew up reading fantasy and fairy tales, and believing there was a distinct possibility that both of them were real. Somewhere. Even all these years later, Serena’s belief in magic and mystery hasn’t diminished. In fact, She is living out her own happily-ever-after with a handsome prince in a beautiful castle, taming dragons and granting wishes every day. Okay, so the prince is a regular guy, the dragons are really just teenagers, and the wishes she grants are as spectacular as frozen pizza on Friday night, but it’s a fantasy world just the same.

Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

BLOG TOUR, Review & Giveaway: Ride Steady (Chaos, #3) by Kristen Ashley

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Ride Steady (Chaos, #3) by Kristen Ashley

Publication Date: June 30, 2015

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The ride of her life . . .

Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy—until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa’s pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.

Climb on and hold tight . . .

In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he’s the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa’s acting, it’s clear she’s falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker’s secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa—or ride away forever . . .

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I LOVED this book! Loved it! Ride Steady is book 3 in Kristen Ashley’s Chaos Series. Each book can be read as a standalone but if you’d like to read them in order I’d actually start with Motorcycle Man which is the last book in the Dream Man Series and then read the Chaos Series. Ride Steady is my new favorite Kristen Ashley book. I love her writing style and her books always make me feel great. They are books I pick up if I need an escape and want a book I know I’m going to enjoy and have fun reading. Ride Steady is Joker’s book and Kristen Ashley made me fall in love with him. She really blew me away with this new book. It’s a beautiful love story and I experienced a full range of emotions reading it. I can’t say enough good things about it. It has everything I look for in a great love story. Grab it, then devour it and fall in love with Joker! High’s book, Walk Through Fire, is next and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

*Review copy provided by Forever Romance in exchange for an honest review.

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“What now?” he clipped, planting his hands on his hips.
I watched him do this.
His knuckles were all scabbed. But his fingers were long, not graceful, but handsome. They were a working man’s hands. They’d be rough. I could even see grease stains around the nail beds.
Something about that caused something to happen inside me.
My focus shifted from his hands to his crotch. His jeans were faded. The area around his crotch more faded.
Up I went to a black belt with silver rivets in it that had seen some wear, the length beyond the clasp dangling from a belt loop to the side in a supple way, the leather not close to stiff.
Up his flat belly to his wide chest and broad shoulders and bulging arms.
And up to his long black hair that looked thick, messy, had a lot of wave and brushed his shoulders. His beard wasn’t bushy, it was trimmed, but it was about two days away from being unkempt.
He was tall.
He was annoyed.
I felt the latter because he was the kind of man whose mood altered a room and I understood this because I was right then experiencing it. But I also knew it wasn’t just that or that we were the only ones in the room and having the conversation that was making him annoyed so of course I’d be feeling it.
It was him. He had that kind of power behind his personality.
I shifted my eyes to his.
Steel. A strange flat color that seemed impenetrable.
And suddenly I had a new dream. One that didn’t involve motherhood, cookies, doing laundry, and being a soccer mom.
One that centered around penetrating the impenetrable.
“So? What?” he prompted irately.
At his words, I flew across the room.
He had the chance to go back on a boot but that was all he had before my body slammed into his, my hands went to either side of his head and I lifted up on tiptoe as I yanked him down.
Then I pressed my lips hard against his.
A breath later, something strange happened.
Strange and wondrous.
His arms closed around me, and if I could think of anything, I’d worry about the state of my ribs.
But I couldn’t think of anything because his tongue spiked into my mouth and my world changed.
My entire world.
I didn’t have a dead sister.
I didn’t have a dead mother.
I didn’t have a lonely father looking after his mother, who was addled with Alzheimer’s disease.
I didn’t have an ex‑husband, who I once loved who I thought would cherish and protect me and help me build my dream, but now was making my life a misery and trying to take my son away from me.
I had this.
All of it. All the biker named Joker gave me by holding me so tight it was a pain that hurt so good and who was invading my mouth with his tongue in a way that stated clearly he could do it for a lifetime and never get enough.
My hands left his head so I could curve my arms around his shoulders as I pressed closer.
In return, one of his hands slid up my spine. He pulled out my ponytail holder and drove his fingers into my hair, cupping the back of my head, tilting it one way while he slanted his the other. He deepened the kiss in an intoxicating way while his other hand glided down and cupped one cheek of my behind.
That felt good.
He shuffled me back.
I went with him.
We kept kissing.
Then he turned quickly and we were falling.
Then he turned quickly and we were falling.
He landed on his back on the bed. I landed on him but barely had the opportunity to experience the dizzying beauty of the long length of his hard frame under mine before I was given more beauty when he rolled me and I had the weight of his hard frame pressing mine into the bed.
His hand left my bottom and went up, fingers yanking at my navy LeLane’s polo shirt, pulling it from my khakis, and then I had its heat, skin against skin.
I was right.
His hands were rough.

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Kindle $3.99 http://amzn.to/1DcUdLs
Amazon PBK $8 http://amzn.to/1DYNtij
B&N (PBK $8/ Nook $3.99) http://bit.ly/1G1F2oj
Kobo $3.99 http://bit.ly/1zNH7yy
Goodreads Link

✦THE CHAOS SERIES BY KRISTEN ASHLEY✦

✦1. Own the Wind ➢ Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kobo

➜ REVIEW 4.5 Stars http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-6e

✦2. Fire Inside ➢ Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kobo

➜ REVIEW 5 Stars: http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-19b

✦Novella: A Christmas to Remember ➢ Kindle | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

✦3. Ride Steady ➢ Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kobo

✦4. Walk Through Fire (Releasing October 27, 2015) ➢ Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N| Kobo | iBooks

Note: I’d suggest reading Motorcycle Man, which is the last book in the Dream Man series, before the Chaos Series if you’d like to read these in order. Each book can be read as a standalone though. 

Motorcycle Man (Dream Man Series) by Kristen Ashley

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  Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multigenerational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland, and Kristen grew up listening to the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Whitesnake. Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

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There is also a Paperback Giveaway on our Facebook page today (7/3). Winner will be announced tonight so be sure to stop by to enter.

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Up in Smoke by Tessa Bailey

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Up in Smoke by Tessa Bailey

Meet Ex- Navy Seal Connor in this unconventional romance!

Publication Date: June 23, 2015

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 Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Blq8vi

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1LheBQU

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1MOcMIj

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1LeB123

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1LeBbGA

iBooks: http://apple.co/1Cbw70v

 

Never start a fire you can’t control…

Connor Bannon is supposed to be dead. Dishonorably discharged from the Navy SEALs, he’s spent the last two years working as a street enforcer in Brooklyn for his cousin’s crime ring. Through a twist of fate, he’s now in Chicago, working undercover to bust criminals. But when a cute little arsonist joins the team-all combat boots, tiny jean shorts, and hot-pink hair-Connor’s notorious iron control slips.

Erin “she’s getting away” O’Dea knows two things. She hates authority. And… Nope, that’s it. When she’s forced to operate on the “right” side of the law, her fear of being confined and controlled blazes to the surface. The last thing she expects is a control freak like Connor to soothe her when she needs it most. Worse, something behind the sexy ex-soldier’s eyes ignites a dangerous inferno of desire. One that invites Erin to play with fire. And one that could get them both killed…

 

As if her thoughts had made him appear, Connor strode into the courthouse. Her pulse started beating double time, her stomach muscles tightening. Good Lord, the man was a fucking panty dropper. She’d only been away from him for a few hours and it felt like years since she’d experienced his presence. In jeans and a fitted gray T-shirt that molded to his muscles like her hands itched to do, he personified confidence and authority. Hot, rugged male. His gaze connected with hers immediately and darkened.

She thought back to that morning when he’d dressed in the early morning light, his abs flexing as he pulled the shirt over his head. His erection barely contained by his boxers. She’d never been one to beg for anything, but she’d been seconds from offering him her mouth. Pleading for the privilege of sucking him off.

Conner shook his head at her with a sexy half smile on his face, as if he could read her thoughts across the room. He stopped at the metal detector and walked through after the security guard beckoned him forward. When the woman grabbed her wand and instructed him to raise his hands in the air, something ugly reared its head deep inside her. The detector hadn’t even beeped. There was no reason for the personal service. When the woman smiled at Connor and ran a hand down her ponytail, Erin propelled herself forward, boots echoing on the polished marble.

Erin hissed as she drew even with the guard. “If you’re done feeling up my boyfriend, I’d love a turn. We were in a rush this morning.”

The guard dropped the wand, letting it dangle near her thigh. “Did you just hiss at me?”

Erin hissed again.

“Okay.” Connor stepped between them, winking down at her. “We should go. Don’t want to keep the clerk waiting.”

Appreciation spread in her belly like honey. He hadn’t chided her for her behavior or apologized to the woman on her behalf. Instead he’d given the impression they were on their way to get married, appeasing her jealousy in one fell swoop. “That’s right.” She sauntered toward the elevator. “There’s vows to be exchanged. Rings to put on fingers. Shit like that.”

She glanced behind her to find Connor staring at her ass as she walked, so she put a little swing in her hips and savored his groan. Damn. She’d definitely never had this much fun at a courthouse.

A moment later, she and Connor stepped into an empty elevator. She hit the button for the top floor even though the clerk was on the first, and leaned back against the wall, looking up at him through her eyelashes. “How was your morning, baby? Was it worth leaving me in bed, all hot and bothered for you?”

“Fuck no, it wasn’t.” He crooked a big finger at her. “Climb on up here.”

 

 
 Thank you for your interest in my books! I’m Tessa and I live in the crazy, loud, overcrowded borough of Brooklyn, New York. I love it here. This city is a constant source of inspiration, which is why I’ve decided to set my most recent books in the Line of Duty Series here.

I moved to New York when I was eighteen, the day after I graduated high school. Threw my suitcase in the back of a Chevrolet Cavalier and drove across the country to find my adventure. I’m still finding it, little by little.​Thank you for being a part of it.

Social Media Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Rock Star Author Page

 
Signed copies of Risking it All & Up in Smoke

$100 Amazon Gift Card (2 Winners)

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TRSOR PROMOTIONS

Excerpt Reveal: Up in Smoke by Tessa Bailey

 

Up in Smoke by Tessa Bailey

Meet Ex- Navy Seal Connor in this unconventional romance!

  

Publication Date: June 23, 2015


 Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Blq8vi

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1LheBQU

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1MOcMIj

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1LeB123

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1LeBbGA

iBooks: http://apple.co/1Cbw70v

 

Never start a fire you can’t control…

Connor Bannon is supposed to be dead. Dishonorably discharged from the Navy SEALs, he’s spent the last two years working as a street enforcer in Brooklyn for his cousin’s crime ring. Through a twist of fate, he’s now in Chicago, working undercover to bust criminals. But when a cute little arsonist joins the team-all combat boots, tiny jean shorts, and hot-pink hair-Connor’s notorious iron control slips.

Erin “she’s getting away” O’Dea knows two things. She hates authority. And… Nope, that’s it. When she’s forced to operate on the “right” side of the law, her fear of being confined and controlled blazes to the surface. The last thing she expects is a control freak like Connor to soothe her when she needs it most. Worse, something behind the sexy ex-soldier’s eyes ignites a dangerous inferno of desire. One that invites Erin to play with fire. And one that could get them both killed…

 

She stood behind him now with her lips parted and cheeks flushed, watching him stroke himself off like a hormonal teenager. It shouldn’t have made him hotter, not when he didn’t fully understand the problems she obviously had knocking around inside her beautiful head. He should stop now and make her explain, tell her she couldn’t touch him anymore until he knew what she was going through. But there wasn’t any turning back. Not right now, not with his cock heavy in his hand, ready to erupt.

In the mirror, he could see her fingers smoothing against each other, as if she were imagining what it would feel like to replace his hand with her own.

Jesus. He liked having her watch. If her expression had been any different, it might have been another story. The look of wonder, the renewal of arousal that transformed her as she came slowly closer, had him clenching his teeth to prolong the moment. Fuck, though, it hurt. The front of her panties were wet from riding him until she came. Her flat stomach peeked out under the edge of her shirt, reminding him once again how crazy he was to yank it up and see what she hid underneath. At the same time, she looked like an innocent who’d stumbled upon something very, very bad happening and God, it made him want to corrupt her even more. Sick. I’m sick. His balls drew up tight…the tingling began at the base of his spine…

“You should leave,” Connor grated, squeezing his eyes closed. Christ, any minute now…he couldn’t wait any longer. Looking at her, knowing he couldn’t touch her, was killing him. At the same time, his mind was projecting images in a desperate attempt to send him over the edge and find relief. Erin straddling his face, hands cuffed behind her back. Erin’s eyes going blind, ankles around her ears, as drove into her like a madman. “Go, Erin.”

He didn’t hear her move. One second she was standing at the door, the next she was standing on the rim of his bathtub, just beside his left shoulder. Closer. Her tits were eye level and it took every ounce of self-control inside him not to suck them into his mouth, right through her T-shirt. A tiny moan dropped from her lips as she leaned close, watching his hand work his stiff cock. She placed her open lips on his neck and dragged them higher, where she licked at his ear.

“What are you doing?” he demanded. Do it again.

“What feels right,” she whispered, stroking his fingers over his chest. “Tell me what you’re thinking about. Is it me?”

“Of course,” he shouted. “You don’t want to know any more than that.”

“Yes, I do.” She lightly scraped her fingernails down his back, and he growled. “I want to know what I’m missing out on. Tell me.”

 

 
 Thank you for your interest in my books! I’m Tessa and I live in the crazy, loud, overcrowded borough of Brooklyn, New York. I love it here. This city is a constant source of inspiration, which is why I’ve decided to set my most recent books in the Line of Duty Series here.

I moved to New York when I was eighteen, the day after I graduated high school. Threw my suitcase in the back of a Chevrolet Cavalier and drove across the country to find my adventure. I’m still finding it, little by little.​Thank you for being a part of it.

Social Media Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Rock Star Author Page

Release Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Gilded Cage (The Surrender Series) by Lauren Smith 

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 EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY

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 THE GILDED CAGE

(The Surrender Series)

by Lauren Smith

 

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Passion that takes no prisoners, and love that tests the limits of ecstasy . . .

Fenn Lockwood comes alive in the shadows. Though he might have physically survived the kidnapping that stole his childhood, the trauma and pain he lived through have marked him forever. Now the only place where Fenn can be himself is within the walls of his private BDSM world—a place of erotic obsession, where desire isn’t just captured . . . it’s bound.

Hayden Thorne knows that behind Fenn’s hardened exterior is a man worth fighting for. Yet to save him from the past that still haunts him, Hayden will have to abandon every inhibition she’s ever had and venture into Fenn’s intoxicatingly sensual world. Each tantalizing second she spends in Fenn’s searing embrace is more delicious than the last and soon Hayden begins to think that she may never want to leave such torturous bliss . . .


Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

 

There was nothing better in the world than waking up with a beautiful woman in your arms. Fenn hadn’t had a woman in weeks so this was obviously a dream. There was no way he’d managed to bag a woman like this last night…

He eyed her red dress skeptically. Everything from last night came back in a painful rush. He shoved it all back and focused on the woman currently molded to his body. Coda was asleep on the floor by the door of the trailer where she always stayed vigilant at night. When the dog left the bed, the little red-haired temptress wormed her way across the sheets over to his side. They were spooning. He’d never seen the appeal before, but now he definitely did. It was hard to beat the feeling of a woman’s full curves snug against his body. His cock certainly agreed. He was hard enough to pound nails into walls. Despite the pain in his skull, he managed to grin.

He needed to enjoy this for all it was worth before she woke up. The way her perfect, rounded bottom fit against his groin had him imaging how fun it would be to take her just like this, from behind. All he’d have to do was hike her dress up over her hips…His cock strained at his jeans and the sensation, while uncomfortable was still good, even if he desperately needed release. Her head rested on a makeshift pillow formed by his outstretched arm. His other hand firmly cupped one of her breasts.

Even though there was a barrier of clothing between his skin and hers, the touch was intimate and he knew without a doubt she’d be furious when she woke up. Fenn gave her a breast a little squeeze and bit back a laugh at the way she sighed and wriggled against him. One of her hands reached back behind her and gripped his hip, trying to pull him closer to her. He swallowed a groan of need. This woman was going to be the death of him.

Tempted by the delicate shell of her ear, he leaned down and kissed it. The strawberry scent of her hair mixed with the faint scent of her natural aroma was like a cocktail of sin and wicked perfection. He licked her ear, and she came to life in his arms with a breathless sigh and a little nod of encouragement.

“Don’t stop.” Her words were barely above a whisper.

Fenn smiled. She was probably dreaming. Serves her right, the little hellion.

He kneaded the mound of her breast and nibbled the lobe of her ear. She bit her lip and arched her back which thrust her breast into his hand and her bottom against his cock. Damn, the woman knew just how to move. She was a fantasy. His fantasy. His hand slid down from her breast to her hip, and then to her bare thigh.

God, he wanted to get his hands between her legs, touch the heated wetness that had to be building in her. She was flushed, that delicate white skin warming to a tender pink with her arousal. Fenn tiptoed his fingers from her outer thigh to her inner thigh and she shifted, opening her legs for him.

“Wake up, honey,” he murmured in her ear.

As much as he wanted to take advantage, he wasn’t really that much of a bastard. When he took a woman, he wanted her awake and willing…and to be honest, he wanted her begging for him to fuck her. As her light brown lashes fluttered and her lips parted, Fenn was flooded with a thousand desires. He wanted to twine rope around Hayden’s wrists and restrain her to a bed so he could torture her with endless pleasure-filled orgasms. He wanted to chase her and bring her down and pin her beneath him, dominating her and demanding her surrender.

Fenn had always been a dominant lover in bed, but there was something about Hayden, the way she pushed him, defied him. He wanted to dominate her that much more. Not break her, never that, but the fire she possessed, especially toward him, fueled his own arousal beyond anything he’d ever felt. The need to brand as his was overpowering.

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LAUREN DIANA SMITH was born and raised in Tulsa. She attended Oklahoma State University where she earned a B.A. in both history and political science. Drawn to paintings and museums, Lauren is obsessed with antiques and satisfies her fascination with history by writing and exploring exotic, ancient lands.

Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

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