Anna Doubles Down by Missy Martine

Anna Doubles Down is Missy Martine's newest release and Missy never disappoints. You always know you're going to open up her book and get a great story that will keep the pages turning. Not to mention unforgettable  characters and plenty of hot & steamy encounters. Missy is sharing an excerpt today. Enjoy!

Blurb:

Anna can’t believe how much the woman in the picture looks like her. They could be twins, except the picture was taken in 1871. Either she’s a relative, or Anna had a past life in Hamilton, Nevada. Either way, the temptation to visit the old ghost town is too much. She and her friend Kat travel west.


While off exploring on her own, Anna is knocked unconscious when she falls down the steps in the saloon. She can hardly believe her eyes when she wakes.


Beau and Zeke won the Silver Rush Saloon in a poker game and have been partners and secret lovers for over ten years. They don’t know what to make of the woman they found half-dressed in their cellar. She claims to know something terrible that’s about to happen to their town and needs their help.


Will Anna be able to win their love and trust before it’s too late?


Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/anna-doubles-down

My Website: www.missymartine.com

My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000107833768

My Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Missy_Martine

Story Excerpt:

Anna waited in silence for a moment and then heard footsteps coming closer. “Down here,” she screamed. Suddenly, a sound had her head turning toward the right. Above her, to the left, an opening appeared where a strange, amber glow illuminated a man. “Holy shit!”


Blinking her eyes to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating, Anna stared at the vision above her. A half-dressed man was staring down at her. An old wick lantern in his hand highlighted a hard, sinewy body with broad shoulders and a worried frown on his long-jawed face. His bare chest gleamed in the lamplight, his belly flat with an intriguing bulge in the front of his pants. He took a couple of steps down, and another tall, lanky man appeared in the shadows behind him.


“Who the hell are you and how’d you get in here?”


The man holding the lantern spoke harshly, his hand gripped into a fist at his side. Realizing she was alone, with two half-dressed men, Anna felt her lips tremble, her mouth going dry as she took a couple of steps backward. She felt frozen, her heart racing, the sound of her heartbeat roaring in her ears.


“Darlin’, it’s all right. You don’t have to be afraid of us.” The shadowy man’s voice came from the darkness as blackness closed in around Anna.

* * * *

Zeke blinked and then swallowed hard at the sight before him. He’d never seen anything like her. She didn’t appear to be very tall, and she was barely dressed. It looked like she wore some newfangled female undergarments he’d never seen before. Short drawers that barely came down to her knees and some kind of skimpy chemise that left her belly button showing were all that covered her. Where the hell were her clothes?


The light wasn’t good enough to see much, but if he lived to be a hundred, he’d never forget the wild, doe-eyed look in her eyes as she stared up at him in stark terror as she backed away. He took another step down, wanting more than anything to calm her, and froze in horror as her pupils rolled back in her head and she swayed to the side in a dead faint.


“Damn it to hell!” Zeke put the kerosene lamp on the step and rushed down to the fallen woman.


“Is she alive?” Beau asked as he picked up the lamp coming down the steps.


“Yeah, she just fainted.” Zeke easily plucked the small woman from the floor and caught his breath. Her clothing didn’t hide much, and she was a buxom woman.


“Is she naked?”


Zeke grinned, looking over his shoulder at Beau. “Damn near.” He looked back at the skimpy material covering the woman’s breasts. “There’s something written on her chemise.”


“Bring her closer so I can see.” Beau moved to the bottom of the steps. He held the lamp close to the woman’s chest and stared at the words across her bosoms. “Nurses do it with care.” He looked up at Zeke. “What the devil does that mean?”


Zeke shrugged. “Beats the hell out of me.” He glanced down at his bundle. “What am I supposed to do with her now?”


“For crying out loud, Zeke. What do you think you’re supposed to do? Carry her upstairs and put her in the bed.” Beau started up the stairs holding the lamp so Zeke could see the steps.


“Why don’t we just call Bart to come get her?” He ran his cheek along her soft hair as he climbed the steps. “She’s bound to be one of his girls.”


“Maybe, maybe not. I saw the fear on her face right before she passed out. We’re not turning any woman over to a man she’s afraid of. There had to be some reason that made her hide out in our cellar.”


Zeke continued on in silence until he laid her out on the feather bed in his partner’s room. Beau lit a second lamp and brought it in to set on the dresser. With the added light they could both see the treasure they’d unearthed. Soft, shoulder-length hair the color of ripe raspberries in the field draped across the white muslin sheets. Her creamy skin was the color of eggshells with just a touch of sunburn across her nose.


“What’s this on her feet?” Beau had lifted one of her legs and was staring at some type of mangled shoe on her foot. “What do you suppose happened to her shoes?” His hand caressed her leg briefly. “Hell, she’s as smooth as a baby’s butt.”


Zeke looked closer at her shoes and frowned. They were brown leather with straps across the top of her foot and behind her heel with only a thin piece of something soft underneath to walk on.


“Damn, look at that!”


“What?” Zeke peered closer.


“She’s got some kind of paint or something on her toes.”


Zeke focused in on her feet and saw a light pink covering on her toenails. “I never seen nothing like it.”


“She’s got it on her fingers, too.” Beau held up one of her hands for his inspection.


“What the hell kind of belt is that?” Zeke looked at the leather around her waist more closely. “Hell, it’s stretchy on the sides but it ain’t holding nothing up. It’s not threaded through any loops.” He poked the large pouch on the front. “It looks like some kind of wallet on here.”


“Kat?”


Both men jumped back when the woman began awakening. She groaned harshly and tried to roll over.


“Hang on, little darlin’. Don’t be moving too fast.” Beau put a hand on her arm.


Adult Excerpt:


Work-roughened palms with long, tapering fingers roughly untied the rope at her waist and yanked the loose pants down her thighs. She groaned and let her fingers slide through Zeke’s hair when he nuzzled her mound over the satiny cloth of her thong. “Darlin’, you’ve got some of the strangest drawers I’ve ever seen. There’s practically nothing to ’em.” He ran his thumb over the silky nub of her panties eliciting a soft gasp from her lips.


Beau pulled her hand away, forcing her arms back as he unfastened and pulled off her shirt. She became pliant as he kissed every inch of the skin he exposed, his hand sliding down her back to rest on the swell of her ass. She could feel him tugging on the elastic of her thong. “I wanna see you, Anna.”


“Yeah, me too.” Zeke slid the tiny scrap of material down her legs letting his fingers run through her feminine curls. “You’re so silky here.”


“Let me see.” Beau’s hand snaked around her hip, his fingers skimming over her pussy lips. “Damn, she’s sopping wet.”


Zeke reached between her legs to brush a fingertip across the hood of her throbbing clit. “I can’t wait any longer, Beau.” He dropped to his knees and rubbed her swollen clit with his thumb. Leaning close, he replaced his hand with his mouth and ran his tongue up the slit of her wet pussy.


“No!” Anna cried out when Beau pulled her away from the fiery pleasure of Zeke’s mouth.


“Patience, Anna. We just need to get a little more comfortable.” He scooped her into his arms and tossed her onto the bed. Now we can all get down to business.”


Anna watched the two men quickly strip off their clothes. Their chiseled, work-roughened features causing the breath to catch in her throat. Both men sported impressive erections, and both were already leaking pre-cum. She swallowed hard. “What about protection?”


Beau gave her a wink as he climbed onto the bed. “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll make sure to pull out in time. We won’t be leaving you with a babe.”


Anna forced herself to concentrate as Zeke snuggled close on her other side. “No, that’s not what I mean. You can’t get me pregnant, at least not right now.”


Zeke placed a hand on her chin and forced her gaze up to his. “I’m so sorry, Anna. You can’t have children?”


“No, I mean yes, I probably can. I just wouldn’t be able to get pregnant for a few months. I just had my Depo shot before we left on vacation.” She sighed at the puzzled frowns on their faces. “It’s an injection the doctor gives me a few times a year that keeps me from getting pregnant. That way I get to decide when I want to have a baby.”


“Guess we don’t have to ask if you’ve been with a man before.” Beau smoothed the hair away from her face.


“Well, yes, I’ve had a couple of relationships with men.” She watched their faces carefully. “Does that make a difference?”


“Absolutely not!”


“No, honey, not at all.”


Anna giggled. “I’m glad it doesn’t bother you.”


“If you can’t conceive a child, then why were you asking about protection?” Zeke moved over and settled between her spread thighs.


His warm breath on her stomach made it difficult for Anna to voice her thoughts. “I meant condoms, you know, for disease.” She took a deep breath. “Not that I’m sick or anything, I mean I’m clean and I’m sure you are, too, but it always pays to be careful.” She could feel herself flushing as she rambled on.


“What are you—”


“I know what she’s talking about.” Beau ran his hand through Zeke’s hair. “I read about ’em. Some kind of little coverings men could use to catch their seed so they didn’t spill into their woman’s body.”


“I never heard of such a thing.” Zeke leaned close and blew gently on her spread pussy. “As far as I know there’s nothing like that around here.”


Anna groaned and closed her eyes as she brushed her hand along the bristly roughness of his unshaven beard. She could feel the muffled heat of his breath flicker across her abdomen. “I guess it’ll have to be okay then.” She lost the ability to talk when Zeke stroked her clit with his thumb, his fingers working their way inside her. She began to pant as he rubbed gentle circles around the tiny nub.


“You’re so beautiful.” Beau kissed her eyelids softly, his hand caressing across the skin of her chest. His lips roamed over to her earlobe and then down the side of her neck while his fingers teased the sensitive tip of her breast, making maddeningly slow circles around the peak. He pinched and kneaded each nipple in turn before lifting her breast in his hand. He circled her nipple with his tongue just before he sucked it deep inside his mouth.


“Spread your legs wider,” Zeke ordered. He settled his upper body even lower between her spread thighs and licked her from bottom to top. “God, you taste like sweet honey.” He laved her most intimate places with his hot tongue, stroking down her slit and back up, swirling around her pulsing clit.


Anna groaned harshly when Beau’s thumb circled her nipple, torturing it into a hard bud before sucking it deep into his mouth. She couldn’t stop a moan from escaping when she felt the sharp nip of his teeth on her tender flesh.


Zeke opened her folds with his fingers and began to lick her clit in earnest while he penetrated her sheath with his fingers. He plucked and teased her swollen nub, slipping his thick index finger in and out before tracing her cleft again.


“Oh, God,” she cried out, her hips bucking off the mattress as an orgasm washed through her senses.


Zeke threw a hand across her abdomen, holding her still as he lapped and sucked until the last wave of pleasure receded.


Missy Martine's Website:
http://www.missymartine.com/

Tabitha Rayne Talks About Romantic Research

I'm thrilled to welcome Tabitha Rayne who's talking about Romantic Research and sharing an excerpt from her new release. MIA'S BOOKS is an intriguing paranormal erotic romance.  Enjoy!

Thank you for having me on your blog!


I adore reading; I love cosying up between the pages of proper worn out dusty paged tomes, and being lost in another world. However, there was always one section of my bookshelves that were lacking… I used to be quite shy – some might even say prudish when it came to buying literature of a certain heat. I had always wanted to buy these books for myself but had no idea where to go or what to get, unless joy of joy, a friend might own something a bit risqué or there might be a gentleman’s magazine carelessly left in another friend’s bathroom. Thank goodness for ebooks! So when I discovered all these lovely online places to indulge me without having to do any physical transactions in a shop – with people, I was hooked. Even more so when some even sold printed editions. (My shelves are no longer bare, I can assure you!)


The main character, Mia, in Mia’s books, has the same problem. She buys her literature online and reads it on her computer until one day, horror, her laptop breaks down. To avoid her embarrassment of going into a shop and having to face staff, Mia sneaks into a library at night to feast upon the adult section and returns home with more than just a book...


When I was writing the novella, I realised I’d better check that libraries do indeed stock the steamy romances that Mia requires (yes, my shyness extended to libraries). Imagine my surprise when I opened a book left out in full view – beckoning all who passed to open it up. There it was, brimming with all the words one looks for – and more – this book was less steam and more fire! I was thrilled and let out a little squeak before glancing furtively around and placing it back on the shelf exactly where it came from…

*****

Mia’s Books


Ghost lover or mortal—can Mia have both?


Mia has a big problem. She is in love with two people, and one of them happens to be a ghost. After a late night seduction in a deserted library, Mia brings home a haunted book. The book contains a ghost which instructs her to seduce strangers on its behalf. Mia falls in love with one of her conquests and finds herself in a romantic tangle. Can she keep both her lovers, or will she have to choose?


Buy from publisher http://www.beachwalkpress.com/mia%E2%80%99s-books/

Also available from all good eBook retailers, including Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble and many more!

*****

EXCERPT


The book had changed colors. It was now jet black and lay seductively by the bed. Gently lifting her sheets off, Mia slowly made her way over to it as if she were trying to capture a bird.


Her fingers were trembling. Cold air chilled her hands as she reached out and picked it up. Thick raised letters on the cover gave her instruction. Open Me. And she did.


Rows upon rows of names and numbers merged into each other. It was a phone directory. Mia was disappointed, but curiosity kept her flicking the pages, watching number after number fly by. She was about to close it and just go back to bed when she realized the numbers were all the same and the name wasn’t a name at all—it was another instruction.


Call Me.


Mia flushed with excitement. Was this her ghost lover contacting her for real? She reached for the phone and dialed before she could change her mind.


Silence.


Mia flopped back onto the bed and let the phone fall by her ear. She began to ponder the fear that she might actually be going mad when a voice startled her.


“Hello?” She thrust the handset to her ear and strained to hear. “Hello?” she repeated, barely able to breathe in her excitement.


“Mia?” came a breathy whisper that set her nerve endings alight.


“Yes?” she whispered back.


“I need to s…” The voice faded, and Mia started to panic.


“What? You need to what? Please...don’t go.”


“...see you.” The sound was so faint that Mia had to strain to catch it. “Meet me at the park at dusk.” The line went dead.


Mia was exhilarated. It hadn’t been a dream. She was going to meet her ghost lover once more! She hadn’t been on a date in ages. Not since the insomnia had made her feel like a grumpy old hag. She suddenly felt young again—young and ready for anything…

****
Tabitha Rayne loves her romance with the heat turned up. She lives in the country with her partner who has the difficult job of having to listen to new ideas and help her to focus on one project at a time.

Blog http://aneroticadventure.blogspot.com/

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

Dry Ice by Bill Evans and Marianna Jameson

I received a copy of Dry Ice from the Amazon Vine Program and looked forward to reading it. It sounded like my kind of book – a scientific thriller. The story started out a bit slow, with a lot of detail, but stick with it and the thrills will come. The writing seemed a little disjointed at times, probably because there are two authors. Overall, I enjoyed it. The premise is intriguing, with enough action to keep the pages turning. I included the synopsis below from Amazon.



Product Description


In the frozen heart of Antarctica sits TESLA, a secret weather "research" station designed by Greg Simpson for Flint Agro-Chemical, a world-spanning agribusiness. Only a few people know that TESLA is creating weather all over the globe, granting Flint huge harvests and punishing the company's rivals with hailstorms and drought. Even fewer know that from time to time, Flint and TESLA help the Pentagon by providing just the right weather for a military operation.


When Greg strikes a secret deal with the Pentagon, Flint executives decide to replace him with the beautiful and ultra-intelligent Tess Beauchamp. Arriving, Tess is surprised to find that Greg's second-in-command, Nik Forde, is even better looking than he was when they had a brief affair, ten years ago.


Tess doesn't have long to worry about the difficulties of a workplace relationship. Greg has barely left Antarctica--escorted by Flint security--when his secret, encrypted computer programs activate, sending fatal weather across the globe, striking every continent's grain-growing region and livestock-farming area. Tess and Nik must crack Greg's code and stop TESLA before the US government--unwilling to sit by and watch the planet's agriculture be destroyed by storm and fire, avalanche, and tsunami--launches a nuclear missile at the TESLA base.


Available at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Dry-Ice-Bill-Evans/dp/0765324725/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0#_

Caveat Emptor 3: Provoked Lover by Zenobia Renquist

Caveat Emptor 3: Provoked Lover by Zenobia Renquist

Zenobia Renquist is an expert at world building. She knows how to put a reader right in the scene. Add well-developed characters and an intriguing plot and you have another great read. She's sharing an excerpt below. Enjoy! 

Blurb

Sicily's emotions become confused when sex is the price of her vampire's protection.

After an attack leaves Theron's allies scattered, Sicily finds herself in the care of Lamon, a vampire who looks like he would rather kill her than protect her.

The unlikely pair must become very close -- sexual energy is necessary to disrupt the spell the mages are using to track Sicily.

Emotions become confused as their bodies entwine. Sicily finds herself falling for a man she can't have... or can she?


eBook ISBN: 978-1-60521-663-8
Genre: Erotic, Paranormal/Fantasy, Vampire, Action/Adventure, BBW, Interracial, Magic
Price: $3.99


Buy Now: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1639

EXCERPT
Sicily stared at her phone in disbelief, not believing the number displayed on the caller ID.



Ryver.


She hadn't heard from Ryver in over a week. That was a big deal for Sicily because of the reports of vampires breaking free of their docility charms and then massacring their human masters. Ryver had purchased a vampire, despite Sicily's efforts to talk her best friend out of the purchase.


Sicily had never liked the idea of owning a vampire. It was too much like playing with matches while living in a house soaked with gasoline. She didn't care how safe the mages proclaimed the vampires to be once under the control of the docility charm. Some part of Sicily had always felt the charms would fail. Her worst fears had come true, and her first worry had been Ryver, who had staunchly refused to return her vampire. Only the promise of a daily phone call to assure Ryver's continued health had kept Sicily from dragging the vampire back to the mages herself.


Then one day, Ryver didn't call. Sicily could only keep her paranoia at bay twenty-four hours before she was on the phone with the cops. No trace of Ryver could be found, not even foul play. The cops said she had merely left and forgot to call. After a week of Sicily's incessant phone calls, the cops elevated Ryver's case to a missing person. Ryver was a vampire owner, so the cops and mages assumed she was dead and her body stuffed in an unmarked grave between here and the vampire territories.


Sicily refused to believe that. She couldn't believe that. Ryver had to be alive. The fact that her number was appearing on Sicily's cell proved it.


Sicily pushed the talk button. "Ryver?"


"Sissy!"


"Oh, God, Ryver. It's good to hear from you." Sicily felt happy tears spring to her eyes. Ryver was alive. Nothing else mattered except for that.


"I'm sorry, Sissy. I'm sorry. I should have called sooner and let you know I'm safe."


"Safe where? Where are you?"


There was a pause so long that Sicily thought the call had dropped. She pulled the phone from her ear and looked at the call status. It was still connected. "Ryver, are you still there?"


"I'm here. I'm with Theron in vampire territory."


All of Sicily's happy feelings stopped. She asked in a deadpan voice, "What?"


"Don't worry. I'm safe."


If Ryver had been standing in front of her, Sicily would have shaken the woman until some sense fell out. "Ryver, are you crazy? How can you think you're safe?" Sicily didn't mean to yell, but that was the only volume that would come out of her mouth.


"I am. Theron is with me."


"So what?"


"Sissy, there's something I didn't tell you before." Ryver sighed into the phone. "When the charms started failing, Theron's did too."


"I knew it. I knew it." Being right didn't make Sicily feel better. "What did he do to you?"


Again there was a long silence. Ryver made a surprised squeak before Sicily could think the call might have cut off. Sicily couldn't interpret the sound or guess what had caused it. "Ryver?"


"Anyway, I'm safe with Theron. I need your help, though."


"You want me to call the cops?" Sicily already had her hand on her landline phone. She had the detective assigned to Ryver's case on speed dial.


"No. Nothing like that. I need some way to remove Theron's charm."


The urge to shake Ryver returned. Sicily settled on squeezing the phone. "Why in the hell would you want to remove the docility charm? If it's still working, make him bring you home."


Sicily would have said more but the sudden appearance of five robe-clad men in her living room gave her pause. She looked at each of the men in turn. She tried to ask them what they were doing in her house but no sound left her lips. Several attempts ended with similar results.


The men's sudden appearance, and her inability to make any sound to alert Ryver or anyone else of this intrusion, panicked Sicily. She tried to scream. That didn't work, so she stopped after the first few seconds of nothing.


On the phone, Ryver said in a rush, "Sissy, I know this is all weird to you, and you probably don't believe me, but I'm perfectly safe with Theron. I want to set him free. I was hoping you could help. Didn't you say you dated a mage back in college?"


Sicily tried to tell Ryver that she had more pressing problems than Theron and his stupid docility charm. When her mouth still refused to make sound, she tried to end the call. Sicily thought Ryver was crazy for willingly consorting with a vampire -- and Sicily still had doubts about the willing part -- but Sicily wouldn't let the mages get her. Her fingers refused to move, which meant she couldn't push the end button or toss away the phone.


Ryver asked, "Sissy?"


Sicily found her mouth moving of its own accord. "I'm still here. Yes, I dated a mage in college, but I haven't talked to him since we broke up."


Those weren't her words. Sicily couldn't stop the words from being spoken or say more to warn Ryver that Sicily wasn't the one talking.


"Oh."


"I am friends with another mage, however. You're in luck, since he happens to be a vampire sympathizer."


"You never mentioned him before."


"You never mentioned your vampire was loose." Sicily wanted to snort at that flippant response. It was something she would actually say, and might have said if she had control of her mouth.


Ryver gave a dry laugh. "That's true."


"I'll give him a call, ask him about the charm and then call you back. Okay? You're going to stay by the phone, right?"


"Yes. I'll be right here. Thanks, Sissy."


"No problem. Bye." Sicily pushed the end button, again moving against her will.


Obviously the mages surrounding her were the culprits. She glared at the man standing directly in front of her.


He nodded to her and said, "I am Mage Lord Quincy. These other fellows are my associates. Your mention of removing the docility charm alerted us to you."


Sicily had heard rumors that the mages monitored the phones. Now she had proof. If she lived past this encounter, she would blast the Internet with the news.


Quincy said, "Your friend has been led astray by vampiric suggestion. We can help her."


"How?" Sicily gasped in surprise at being able to talk again. "I can talk."


One of the other mages said, "We had to command your voice and body for a short time. It was necessary to keep you from alerting your friend to our presence. The puppet spell is now ended."


Sicily snapped, "You shouldn't have done it at all."


Quincy said, "That is in the past. We plan to help your friend by rescuing her from the vampires." He twirled his hand, making a round jewel appear on his palm, and held it out to her. "This is what your friend requires to remove the docility charm. Once it is removed, it will transport you and your friend back here."


She didn't want to take it. No one had ever accused Sicily of being naÔve or gullible. She didn't believe for a second that these five mages had entered her house without permission, after spying on her conversation, just to help out Ryver and her vampire.


She stepped back while shaking her head. "Not going to happen."





Discover Different and Unique Romance
http://zenobiarenquist.com

Skin by Mo Hayder

Police officers, Jack Caffery and Flea Marley return in Mo Hayder's creepy chiller, Skin. The story picks up where the previous book, Ritual, ends, so I'd suggest reading that one first. The characters are complex, each with their own traumatic past and dysfunctional family dynamics. The plot is complicated and weaves several threads together in a hair-raising story. I loved the beginning but the end left me dissatisfied. It all seemed a bit too contrived and unrealistic. But I will read the next in the series, Gone, already bought it for Kindle and we'll see where this goes next.



Product Description from Amazon


"In her eerie and hair-raising thriller Skin, Mo Hayder trails her two unforgettable protagonists as they race to staunch a rising tide of blood in a sweltering port town. When the decomposing body of a young woman is found, the wounds on her wrists suggest an open-and-shut case of suicide. But Jack Caffery is not so sure. Other apparent suicides are cropping up, and they all have a connection to Elf's Grotto, a nearly bottomless network of flooded quarries just outside the city. Caffery begins to suspect a shadowy and sinister predator, someone—or something— that can disappear into darkness and slip into houses unseen. Working alongside Caffery is rough-and-tough police diver Flea Marley, but while pursuing her investigation, she stumbles upon something far too close to home that no one—not even Caffery—can help her face. Skin is a penetrating dissection of family, friendships, and the evil that can tear them apart—or bind them together. Devious and disturbing, it introduces one of Hayder's most horrifying villains yet."

Available at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Skin-Mo-Hayder/dp/0802145175/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311078793&sr=1-5

I'm at Erotica For All today

Today I'm visiting Lucy Felthouse at Erotica for All.
Do seductive supernatural heroes – and heroines - raise the bar for us mere mortals?

What do you think? Stop by and add your thoughts.

http://eroticaforall.co.uk/guest-blogs/guest-blog-gale-stanley/

Have a great weekend!

Back to the Wilds

When Siren released Black Wolf Gorge: 3 Captive in January, I had already started writing book four. If you remember, there was a small pack living in New Mexico and the Alpha had his eye on Sable. She wasn't for him but I decided the next book would be the Alpha's story. I wasn't sure where I wanted to take Alex and I ran into the dreaded roadblock. I should have known that eventually he would decide for both of us. And what he decided was - it really wasn't his time after all.



Then I read a blurb about a rodeo in New Mexico and suddenly I had my story. Two guys and a gal started whispering in my head. There's a third man hanging around too, but I'm not sure if he's staying. We'll see. No title yet, I'm hoping an idea hits me while I'm writing. If anybody has a suggestion for a title please let me know.


Here's a replay of CAPTIVE.


When Janis dumps her cheating boyfriend, her hopes for love and a family end along with their romance, and her biological clock is sounding louder than Big Ben. Her sister-in-law snagged both of her twin brothers. How did Sable catch two gorgeous men when she can’t hang onto one? But her hopes rise when two drop-dead sexy men walk into her office. Too bad they turn out to be gay.


Lycans Noah and Wade are in Philadelphia on a special mission for their Alpha, who hopes to increase their dwindling numbers. The wolf-shifters never expected to bring a woman into their sexual relationship, especially a human, but one night in bed with Janis changes everything. They believe she may be their mate, but if they go through with their Alpha’s plan, Janis’s family will be destroyed, along with any chance of making her their own.


CAPTIVE is available at Bookstrand:


http://www.bookstrand.com/captive

EXCERPT


“Ladies, it’s one minute to countdown.” The way-too-cheery bandleader looked straight at Janis. “Grab your dates.”


Where is my date?


Janis’s cherry-pie red acrylic nails dug into her palms. She tried to look nonchalant while she scanned the hotel ballroom.


Dammit, Roy. Where the hell are you?


One minute he’d been standing by her side eating stuffed mushroom caps and mini-hotdogs, and the next, he had his cell phone to his ear, already walking away and mumbling something unintelligible.


Shit! Shit! Shit! Her first real New Year’s date in eons, and she was destined to stand in the corner alone at midnight.


The floor-to-ceiling windows framed fireworks that lit up the sky, and over her head, multicolored balloons swarmed, waiting for their cue. But the magical night had all but lost its luster.


Janis felt like Cinderella at the ball. At the stroke of twelve, the spell would be broken, and instead of a prince by her side, she’d be alone like always. She should have known that having a man like Roy interested in her was too good to be true.


“Ten!”


A drink would help. She made her way to the bar and asked for one glass of champagne. The bartender gave her a pitying look as he handed over the flute. Did everyone here feel sorry for her? The last thing she wanted on New Year’s Eve was a pity party. Screw them. At least she wasn’t working.


“Nine!”


Janis took a sip and peered over the rim of her glass. She spotted Roy headed her way, and her eyes went heavenward.


Thank you, Lord!


She plastered a smile on her face and promised herself she wouldn’t bawl him out.


“Eight!”


Roy blithely sidestepped other partygoers in his haste. Maybe he did have an important call. She really had to stop belittling herself.


“Seven!”


She downed the rest of her champagne and set the glass on the bar. Determined to be by Roy’s side at midnight, she started walking toward him.


He really did look handsome in his black suit. The lab coat he usually wore over khakis and a button-down shirt didn’t do him justice. And the air of confidence about him added to his allure. He looked like he was in his element, whereas she was definitely out of hers.


“Six!”


Suddenly, a hand reached out and clutched Roy’s arm, stopping him in his tracks. His head swiveled to see who’d waylaid him. A stunning redhead with Mae West curves flashed a big smile, grabbed the back of Roy’s head, and glued her mouth to his.


“Five!”


Janis clenched her teeth so hard she swore she heard the enamel crack. She wanted to pull the skanky bitch off her date and slap her silly.


“Four!”


She’d seen the woman once before. But she’d been wearing a white nurse’s uniform instead of a strapless black cocktail dress that fit her like a second skin. She sat at a reception desk in front of Roy’s office and acted like his guard dog.


“Three!”


Maybe Roy needed a guard dog. His status at Philadelphia Hospital had grown since some mysterious benefactor funded a new addition. With the building complete, Roy had been named head of the Foundation for Infertility and Reproductive Medicine. The FIRM turned out to be a major coup for the hospital. The sprawling complex that had once been a public charity hospital had gained new respect and became a major player in the world of research. Roy had high hopes of achieving a major breakthrough in the treatment of infertility.


“Two!”


She’d been so thrilled when Roy asked her to be his date. He’d chosen to share his success with her and show her off to his colleagues. Now it looked like she was being played as his second fiddle.


“Happy New Year!”


At the stroke of midnight, popping balloons sent streams of confetti pouring over the excited crowd. She lost sight of Roy and the redhead, and she bit back hot tears.




Happy Reading, Gale Stanley

Ritual: A Novel by Mo Hayder

While I love Mo Hayder and thought Birdman and The Treatment were real page-turners, Pig Island really didn't do it for me. The characters are unlikable and unreal, their actions are sometimes out of character, and the evil villain never really materializes.


So I was thrilled to see that Ritual: A Novel brings back DI Jack Caffery in a chilling tale of occult practices and the drug underground. He and the other main character, police diver Flea Marley, each have their own set of baggage which they keep bottled up and reveal to each other in bits and pieces.


Hayder's stories are always gripping, detail oriented, and sometimes horrific. Ritual is no exception. I loved it and I can't wait for the next one with these characters.


Here's the blurb from Amazon:


"Just after lunch on a Tuesday in April, nine feet under water, police diver Flea Marley closes her gloved fingers around a human hand. The fact that there's no body attached is disturbing enough. Even more disturbing is the discovery, a day later, of the matching hand. Both have been recently amputated, and the indications are that the victim was still alive when they were removed. DI Jack Caffery has been newly seconded to the Major Crime Investigation Unit in Bristol. He and Flea soon establish that the hand belong to a young man who has recently disappeared. Their search for him—and for his abductor—lead them into the darkest recesses of Bristol's underworld, where drug addiction is rife, where street-kids sell themselves for a hit, and where one of Africa's most disturbing rituals may be making an unexpected appearance."


Available at Amazon:


http://www.amazon.com/Ritual-Novel-Mo-Hayder/dp/0871139928/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

Aggregation

Way back, when I started blogging, I vented about my life in a cubicle at Camp Swampy – the dreaded day job, and I posted book reviews. Eventually I earned work release and started writing full time. It was time for a new blog but I hated to give up the old one, so I decided to keep it and post new releases for other authors. I called it Books and Blurbs.

But as time went on, I found it harder and harder to keep up. The web site, blogs, book promotion, it was all taking away too much time from the actual writing. I’ve been thinking about combing the two blogs for months and I finally decided it was time. I'll leave Books and Blurbs up for a while so you can still look at the gorgeous covers and read the great excerpts. But this will be the place for new reviews, release info, interviews, as well as my own news, and giveaways, Check back often for the latest and greatest.

Happy Reading!

What I've Learned by Lindsay Klug

I'm thrilled to welcome Lindsay Klug, author of What I've Learned. Lindsay's newest book is sizzling contemporary suspense, a great beach read. She's sharing an excerpt below. Enjoy!


Blurb:Abigail Jones is a former prostitute who buys her freedom from a Mexican cartel boss and forges a new life. Secure in the knowledge that she's escaped her past, Abigail's world falls apart when her brother's head is delivered to her in a brown paper box. And when the cartel boss sends an assassin to take her life, Abigail can't deny the danger she faces.


Encumbered with her brother's infant son and gripped by fear, Abby shares her story and the evidence her brother accumulated about the cartel to the police and finds herself abruptly thrust into Witness Protection. Beginning a new life as Quinn, the recently divorced mother of little Paul and middle school guidance counselor, Abby is moved to a quiet neighborhood with quaint houses and white picket fences.


While Abby struggles to recreate herself and tries to focus on conforming to the rules of the program, not to mention life with a small child, the cartel continues their search for her. And although life seems to slowly return to some form of normalcy, little does Abby know that her past is slowly closing in on her.
Available here:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whati039velearned-563936-148.html

Published By: Rebel Ink Press LLC

Published: Jun 17, 2011
ISBN # 9781937265045
Word Count: 44,800
Heat Index: 3 Flames

EXCERPT

 A single drop of tequila hovers at the edge of the glass as I contemplate its short life. The liquid jetted into the shot glass a short while ago as a whole. Now all that’s left is this tiny drop. It glints in the light, reflecting the world back, and hesitates. To drop to the cold hard surface or fall back into the relative comfort of the known in the bottom of the shot glass?


That’s essentially the question I’ve asked myself for most of my wretched life. My name is Abby, though my clientele know me better as Shay. My given name is Abigail and my middle name is Shay. I was brought into a hard lifestyle when I was merely three years old; an existence filled with drugs and men; sex and rape and beatings. Melody told me once I'd been brought in from the night, an orphan of a rather large tornado which saw both of my parents killed and left my older brother and me to wander the streets and scrounge for food and shelter.


I don’t remember anything before Melody, so who was I to argue it?


My brother Joey was sent to Mexico to live in the villa with the other boys who would become the henchmen of the cartel that owned us while I stayed in El Paso, Texas. Joey rose quickly through the ranks and just as quickly he forgot about his dear little sister. In fact, the only calls I got from him were the calls telling me I had a job.

Melody was my mentor, of sorts. The cartel relinquished me to her care when I was brought in off the streets and she was the only mother I ever knew. She taught me to shut my mouth and take what was given to me but always to get the money first. She taught me how to take the beatings like a true champ. Most importantly, Melody taught me how to survive in the industry, such as it’s called. When Melody was in a bad situation with a John, being beaten or worse, I used to retreat to my room and pretend Barbie was a prostitute. That role playing prepared me for life. Melody taught me to read and write and since the time I was five, I’ve devoured books across the board from romances to books about sex to refining my methods to calculus to Darwinism and even a fucking Bible once.

It was at the end of that particular book when I knew God had forsaken me. It was a life changing event and one I don’t take lightly.

Melody protected me until the day my boobs sprouted. When the henchmen came and forcibly took me away, she waved and wished me luck. Even then, I loved her. I thought that’s what mothers do, you know? They watch their little ones go off into the world. And that’s exactly what Melody did.

Anyway, after a long trip into Mexico to a villa outside of a small town, I was introduced to a young man named Pablo. At fifteen, he was about two years my senior and he led me to a small but elaborately decorated room. It had a bed with a thick quilt and a wardrobe and a bathroom all to itself!

Pablo helped me find the dress I would wear that first night to meet the men. He waited patiently while I showered and he helped me into the flowing silk masterpiece. It had a low back, dipping all the way down to expose all of my skin and a high necked front. He arranged my hair and left my face untouched, and when Pablo was done he gasped and clapped. He only spoke Spanish but that was okay. I learned Spanish from Melody. Pablo told me I looked so beautiful and I was sure to find a good man tonight. Meanwhile, I self-consciously glanced in the mirror. Melody said I had blossomed into a rose among the thorns with my ample cleavage and thick, curly blond hair. She said my bright blue eyes were the icing on the cake.

Being a cake with icing is a curse, let me tell you.

Pablo escorted me down the stairs and handed me off to Joey. My dear brother advised me not to cry and to try and act naturally. He promised I wouldn’t get hurt. And then he unleashed the wolves on me.

The men stared as I walked in, obviously surprised by the pretty little thing being offered to them. An old man to my right tugged my arm until I fell against him, my awkward high heels failing me. He leered and chuckled and tried to whisper in my ear but I gagged because his breath smelled overwhelmingly like tequila and shrimp.

Visit Lindsay's Blog:

http://www.ichbineinteufel.blogspot.com/

* Happy July Fourth *

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.  ~ Erma Bombeck

Twenty-three days and counting...

Happy July 1st!

This is release month for Talon and the Falconer. Book four of Symbiotic Mates continues the story with another romance between a Lycan and a vampire.

****

Ben, a Lycan falconer, lives on the outskirts of Arcadia, an oddball in the eyes of Lycan society. The wolves abide by a pack mentality and don't understand Ben's affinity for birds, especially in light of the ongoing feud between Lycans and the Kindred, vampires who can shift into hawks.


Talon, one of the Kindred, is shot down over Lycan territory and Ben rescues him. When Ben is injured, Talon returns the favor. Neither man realizes they've forged a connection that can never be broken, and their only hope for survival is to be together.


Find it at Silver Publishing:


http://silverpublishing.info/index/book_authors_id/48/typefilter/book_authors

Happy reading!