Tuesday, April 29, 2014

New Release: A Recipe for Passion @KaleyColter #MF #EroticRomance




It's always a pleasure to welcome a Siren author. Congratulations and Happy Release Day to Kaley Colter.


Hello all! I am very excited to present A Recipe for Passionbook 1 of the new Novum Energy series. This is my very first release, and the experience has been an absolute dream come true. Writing this book was a thrilling process, but having it published was more than I could have hoped for. I have been a bookworm for my entire life and have fallen in love with erotic novels since the moment I took my first curious peek at one, so I am overjoyed to be writing them. I am a big supporter of this genre because I believe that it speaks to the human experience unlike anything else. Erotic romance is full of passion and longing and love and hardship and fear. It connects with readers on a whole new level. 


Blurb:


[Siren Classic: Erotic Contemporary Romance, consensual BDSM elements, spanking, sex toys, HEA]



Ellie Matthews is a painfully shy caterer whose life has devolved since she was a teenager, when her mother died and her father abandoned her following his remarriage. She was left with no one but her controlling, manipulative stepbrother, Marcus, who has treated her like his personal slave ever since.

Now, Ellie is desperate to get out from under Marcus’s thumb. When she arrives at the engineering firm Novum Energy for a catering job, Nick Richardson, the president of the company, is all too aware of Ellie’s exploitation at the hands of her stepbrother. He is determined to help her and keep her safe. But more than that, he is determined to make her his. And he can only hope that he will be able to help her overcome her past and convince her that she belongs to him—body, heart, and soul.


Excerpt:


“You want it hard, don’t you?” Nick asked in that low, deep voice of his as he continued delicately kissing her breast, closer and closer to her nipple.


Ellie nodded vigorously, arching her back to force her breast harder against his mouth and crying out in frustration when he pulled his face away. But before she could even look to see what he was going to do next, he captured her nipple between his index finger and thumb and pinched hard, tearing a moan from Ellie’s lips.


He started rolling her nipple in between his fingers, and the resulting soreness was a delicious mixture of pleasure and pain that put Ellie in a frenzy. When he released her nipple, she almost descended into a panic, needing him to touch her breast, desperate to be relieved of the tight ache at the center. And then he wrapped his lips around the stiff peak and sucked hard. Ellie opened her mouth in a silent scream.


Her pussy was clamping down in a slow, steady rhythm that was making her go wild. Every time he tugged and pulled at her nipple, she felt her sex throb in response, and after a mere few moments of feeling his mouth on her breast she was so wet that her thighs were sticky with her juices.


“Please…” Ellie whispered. “I need…”


“What is it, kitten?” Nick asked, releasing her nipple from his mouth and licking the stiff peak with the flat of his tongue. Ellie moaned and squeezed her thighs together. “Your pussy’s aching, isn’t it?” Ellie nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. “You want me to get rid of the ache, don’t you baby?”


“Yes,” she breathed. “Please, yes.”


Nick sat up on the bed and hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties, drawing them down her legs and tossing them aside. He grabbed her thighs and forced them wide apart, groaning when he looked down at her pussy.

Ellie blushed at being fully exposed beneath his gaze and tried to press her legs together, but Nick would have none of it. He held them firmly apart, barely even noticing her efforts to close them.


“You’re so wet,” he whispered.


When he let go of her legs so he could touch her pussy, Ellie reflexively clamped them shut. Nick jerked his head up and gave her a stern look.


“Spread your legs, Ellie.” She hesitated. “Now.” When she only opened them slightly, he reached out and gave her a sharp smack on the side of her ass. “Wider, Ellie.”


The way he commanded her made liquid fire shoot through her lower belly. She was hurting for his touch so badly that she abandoned her modesty and threw her legs as far apart as they would go, feeling deliciously naughty at completely baring herself under his gaze.


“That’s it, kitten,” he praised. “I’m just going to make you feel good.”

He slid his fingers between the slick folds of her pussy, and the pleasure was so intense that she almost clamped her legs shut again.


“Yes,” Ellie breathed. “Oh my God…”


She was clawing at the mattress as he continued working his fingers between her slippery folds, crying out with pleasure and begging him to keep going. She started jutting out her hips to try and force his fingers into her dripping cunt, but he made her wait longer. He was teasing her mercilessly, rubbing closer and closer around her opening until she was whimpering with need.

“I can’t take it… Please…I need it inside.”


“You want me to fuck you with my fingers, don’t you, baby?”


“Yesss…”


“How badly do you want it?”


“Real bad,” Ellie cried. She started grabbing at her nipples, desperate to ease her throbbing pussy. “Real bad. Real bad. Please, let me have it.”


Nick rammed his index finger all the way into her pussy. Ellie screamed. He pulled his finger out, added a second, and shoved both of them inside. Ellie screamed again.


She couldn’t remember anything feeling so good. Everything became fuzzy, and the only thing she could focus on was Nick’s fingers plunging violently in and out of her pussy. She wanted more, needed more, and started slamming herself down on his fingers every time he thrust them inside. She could feel something amazing building up inside her—a hot, achy pressure that she wanted to explode through her lower belly.


“That’s it, baby. Feels good, doesn’t it?”


He was finger-fucking her hard, and at a brutally fast pace. She could feel the walls of her pussy squeezing him, desperate to draw him further inside, desperate to be filled and stretched. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the pleasure, and all of a sudden felt Nick pry open her lips with his tongue and delve into her mouth. She was thrashing on the bed, moaning into his mouth and feeling herself getting closer and closer to falling off the edge.


Ellie came hard, screaming. She grabbed the back of Nick’s neck and forced his tongue deeper into her mouth as wave after wave of pleasure shot through her body. And through it all, Nick continued his relentless assault on her pussy, steadily thrusting his fingers in and out of her as the walls of her canal clamped down again and again.


Link:

Monday, April 28, 2014

New Release: Rock Me Gently by M.J. Schiller #CoverReveal #Giveaway




Rock Me Gently by M.J. Schiller

Like so many others, their romance started in Las Vegas…

He’s a rock star. She’s an ad exec. After almost having a one night affair in Sin City, Josh can’t get Cassie out of his mind. Why had she run out on him?

Like so many others, their romance started with a shot of tequila...

When the Josh Dunningham of Money Back Guaranteed tries to seduce her, Cassie is taken aback. Sure, he’s hot. And he could definitely rock her world. But can she have a fling with a man she doesn’t even know?

Like so many others, their romance turned rocky…

When Cassie returns to Chicago and finds a ten-foot tall Josh Dunningham on a radio station’s banner across from her office, she is tortured by memories of their short time together. When they meet again, things explode—in a bad way—and Josh has to prove himself to Cassie to earn her trust. But will he succeed when outside forces also want to tear them apart? When Cassie receives threatening letters and is attacked in her home, Josh is determined to find out who is behind it. But will the stalker’s encore performance bring an end to their show once and for all?


ROCK ME, GENTLY ~ COMING MAY 1ST!

To enter to win a free e-copy go to www.mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com! Drawing on Saturday, May 3rd.

Excerpt

Josh steered Cassie toward an exit, hoping fresh air would help to sober her up.  They ended up at the outdoor pool, a monstrosity complete with overhanging palm trees. Not a soul was in sight, unusual, even at this time of night.

Away from the casino hubbub, it was easier to talk. She eyed him. “Tell me about the band.”


“What do you want to know?”


“Well, as an advertising person, I’m interested in the gimmick, Money Back Guaranteed. Did you ever have to back up that promise?”


Josh took a couple of seconds to think about that. “Yeah. A few times. Once, when an elderly couple came with their granddaughter. They didn’t like the show at all.”  Remembering their reaction, he grimaced. “And once, when a girl caught her fiancĂ© in the hall with another girl. Hardly our fault, but, she didn’t enjoy the concert, and that’s our promise, so…” He shrugged.  


“Interesting. Interesting.” She lifted a leg, grabbing his shoulder for balance, and tugged on the heel of her boot.


“Uhh…what are you doing?”


“My feet are killing me. You’re so lucky you are a guy and don’t have to wear heels.”


“Yes. I was just mentioning that to my friend, Ryan, the other day.”


She didn’t look up. Having successfully removed one boot, she switched legs to work on the other. “Really?”


He smiled. “No. Go on.”


Yanking the other boot off, she nearly toppled over, though still holding on to him. She squeezed his arm. “You’re built.”


He nearly laughed at her frank statement. “Thank you.”


Holding her boots in one hand, her brow furrowed as she concentrated on her next question. She began to balance on the edge of the pool, which was deserted, and scoop stepped, trailing one leg in the water, not seeming to mind at all that her jeans were getting wet.   

 
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” he warned, taking her arm to steady her.  


“I’m fine,” she assured him, breaking away for an instant to do a pirouette in the pool’s gutter to demonstrate.


“Okay, okay,” he muttered, grabbing her arm again. “No need to show off. So why are you in the advertising game?”


“I like the creative aspect of it. And, I can be very persuasive,” she said, smiling at him. As if he somehow silently challenged her, she stopped with a jerk and turned toward him, lifting up on her toes to kiss him. The taste of her was just as intoxicating as the booze had been, and left him equally dizzy. 


The flavor of sweet lime and midnight rolled across his tongue and sank into him unbidden. Someone in the hotel rooms surrounding the pool above them slammed a door, startling Cassie, the sharp sound almost like gunfire. She jumped away from him like she had been shot herself and started to lose her balance. He reached to save her, but too late, she fell into the pool, dragging him in after her.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JXL6MZO/ref=cm_sw_su_dp




Author Bio

MJ is a lunch lady in the heart of Central Illinois. My gosh, can you get more folksy than that? She met her husband at the University of Missouri-Columbia and now she has an nineteen-year-old (how did that happen?) and seventeen year old triplets! She loves to read, karaoke (where she can pretend she is a rock star) and spends WAY too much time on Facebook. She grew up in St. Louis and still has family there.

http://www.mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com/

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Pre-order Blitz: In Your Corner @sarah_castille #EroticRomance


In Your Corner by Sarah Castille (@sarah_castille)

BLURB:

"You have to go. I won't be able to control myself. I've wanted you so bad for so long and after I've been in the cage...I can't think straight." He gives a guttural groan and his fist clenches on my hip.

Primitive. Primal. His need speaks to me. I tighten my grip on his neck and rock up to kiss him. He takes over. His kiss is hard and demanding.

"Mine." His voice is raw, savage and for a moment I truly believe he may lose control.

He rules in the ring

Two years ago, Jake and Amanda were going hot and heavy. But when Jake wanted more, Amanda walked away. Jake immersed himself in mixed martial arts, living life on the edge. But that didn't dull the pain of Amanda's rejection-until a chance encounter throws them together.

A high-powered lawyer, Amanda was a no-strings-attached kind of girl. But two years after her breakup with Jake, she still hasn't found anyone who gets her heart pumping the way he did. And then he shows up in her boardroom, hot as sin and needing help...

But can he rule her heart?
Jake is darker, sexier, and impossible to resist. As their chemistry builds, Amanda's not sure if she can stay in control, or if she's finally willing to let him claim her body and soul.

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I80E5TQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00I80E5TQ&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelt-20
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-your-corner-sarah-castille/1116882625?ean=9781402296239
Books-a-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Your-Corner/Sarah-Castille/9781402296239?id=5851429099981
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/hybrid?filter0=in+your+corner+by+sarah+castille&x=27&y=13
Chapters/Indigo: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/in-your-corner/9781402296239-item.html?ikwid=in%2520your%2520corner%2520by%2520sarah%2520castille&ikwsec=Home
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00I80E5TQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00I80E5TQ&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelthouse-21

Excerpt: In Your Corner

“Don’t move.”

Totally immersed in painting the cupboard, I freeze mid–paint stroke at the sound of Jake’s deep voice behind me.

“What? Am I doing something wrong?”

He closes the distance between us and runs his finger along the back waistband of my gym pants, sending delicious tingles up my spine. Then he slides his hands around my waist, bared by the rise of my T-shirt as I stretch to reach the top of the cupboard with my paintbrush.

“Yes. You look too damn sexy. Do you know what it does to a man when he catches a glimpse of something he isn’t meant to see?”

“I hope it makes him tell the woman she can call off the panic attack and drop her arm,” I mutter as I do just that. “I also hope it makes him decide his hands might be of better use somewhere other than around her waist.”

Jake slides his fingers around to my stomach, resting them just over my mound and his voice drops to a low growl. “I could make use of them here.”

“So says the man who turned down a good offer just the other night at Redemption.” I remove his hands and turn to face him, putting on a brave face while inside I seethe. Who does he think he is coming on to me after brushing me off?

“No games, Jake. You made your position clear. I got that. I’m not interested in being screwed around.”

He presses his hands against the cupboard on either side of my head, caging me with his body. “What are you interested in?”

“Moving on,” I say honestly.

His pulse throbs in his neck and his eyes harden. “With whom?”
“No one right now.”

He gives a satisfied grunt as if I had just cleared up a question in his mind. “Everyone is out back having a good time. You should be there too.”

“There’s a lot of work to do. I want to get it done. The faster I open shop, the faster I can start my lawsuit against Farnsworth.” I slip under his arm and edge along the counter.

“You’ve been working since six o’clock this morning.”

Grabbing a clean cloth from the counter, I make an effort to wipe the grease off my face. “I’m used to working twenty-hour days. I’m not afraid of hard work.” But I am afraid of mercurial fighters who run hot one minute and cold the next.
His face softens, and he takes the cloth from my hand and holds it under the tap. The pipes gurgle when he turns the rusty faucet and water gushes out, skimming over the cloth and trickling into the sink below. Without warning, he lifts me and settles me on the counter.

“You don’t have to work like that anymore.” His voice is calm, soothing. I am momentarily lulled out of work mode and into heat mode as he eases his hips between my legs and reaches to turn off the faucet. “It’s Saturday night. Time to relax and have fun.” With a firm hand, he cups my jaw and then wipes the cloth gently over my nose, forehead, and cheeks.

His gentle touch, the warmth of his hand, his breath, minty and sweet, and his hard body nestled between my thighs all converge in an unbearable rush of sensation. I grab his wrist, forcing his hand away.

“Jake…I’m good. Really. There’s so much to do. I’ll come out when I’m done and I’ve cleaned myself up.”

“I like you this way,” he murmurs. “You look…cute. Real.”

“Real?”

He brushes his thumb over my cheek. “Amanda without the armor. Your clothes, hair, makeup…nothing is perfect. It’s just the real you. I never got to see the real you before.”

Torn between being mortified and pleased, I reach for another cloth. “Real Amanda is covered in dirt and has holes in her sweats.”

He traces a finger down my throat to rest in the hollow at the base of my neck. The room heats to one hundred degrees, and if I’m not mistaken, I hear the sound of my blood boiling.

“I like holes in sweats.” His voice drops, husky and low, and his finger continues its downward journey into the vee of my shirt.

“Jake…”

He traces lightly over the crescent of my breast. “I like dirty girls,” he whispers, his voice thick with desire. “I can’t stay away.”

Oh God. Every bit of warmth rushes to my center as his deep, sensual voice ignites one of my dark fantasies. Jake, straddling my bound body, growling commands, telling me what he’s going to do to me in the filthiest language I know. A soft moan escapes my lips and we’re back on the roller coaster again.
“This game you’re playing confuses me.” His heart beats strong against my palm when I lay my hand over his chest.

“Me too.”

“Then what are you doing?”

His eyes take on a feral gleam and my breasts tingle.

“Playing dirty,” he growls. Tangling his hand in my hair, he tugs my head back, exposing my throat to the heated slide of his lips. “Sometimes you have to stop thinking too much and just go with it.”

My breath comes in short pants as he sucks gently on the pulse at the base of my throat. Barely able to form a coherent thought for the pounding of blood in my temples, I scramble for sanity. “There’s too much between us to just go with it. We need to talk…”

His hand closes in my hair, twisting roughly. “Lawyers talk. You don’t look like a lawyer now. You look fucking sexy, and your mouth is all lush and pink and needing to be kissed. You want to talk, Amanda, or you want that kiss?” He nips the hollow at the base of my neck.

Pleasure and pain meld together and I whimper as a heated rush of sensation floods my veins. “Kiss.”

Jake smiles. “My dirty girl wants a dirty kiss.” Holding my face, he slants his mouth over mine and kisses me.

Soft kiss. Sweet kiss. Warm, firm lips tasting faintly of coffee. His five o’clock shadow brushes my chin as his tongue eases my lips open to stroke against mine. My body melts against him as he explores my mouth, leaving nothing untouched. Tongues wind and tangle. Two years of fantasies coalesce in a single rasping breath.

“’S not so dirty,” I mumble against his lips.

“Oh, you don’t know how dirty I can be.” Jake grips my hair and tugs my head back with a firm, hard yank, sending little bolts of lightning straight to my core. Then he kisses me hard and fast. Rough. His teeth scrape my bottom lip as his tongue dives deep, filling me, taking what I have to give and demanding more. The pounding of my heart shifts from lust to fear as he consumes me, and for a moment I worry he has forgotten I need to breathe.

When he breaks the kiss, I draw in a long, ragged breath. “You never kissed me like that before.”

“You were never like this before,” he murmurs, his fingers easing up my shirt, his thumb tracing over the crescent of my breasts. “Raw and open, vulnerable, needing my help. So fucking real.”

My breath catches in my throat as he explores, cupping and squeezing my breasts and then teasing my nipples through my lace bra until they are tight, aching peaks.

“My clothes. Take them off.”

Bio


New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Sarah Castille, worked and traveled abroad before trading her briefcase and stilettos for a handful of magic beans and a home near the Canadian Rockies. She writes erotic contemporary romance and romantic suspense featuring blazingly hot alpha heroes and the women who tame them.


CONTACT INFORMATION:


Website
http://www.sarahcastille.com
Sign up for Sarah's Newsletter for info on new releases: http://bit.ly/LgFZlb
Facebook: http://www.facebook/sarahcastilleauthor.com
Twitter (@sarah_castille): http://www.twitter/sarah_castille.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6920675.Sarah_Castille
Amazon Author: http://www.amazon.com/author/sarahcastille
________________________________________
Other books in the series:


The first book in the series (all standalone stories), Against the Ropes, was a Publishers Weekly Top Ten Pick for Romance & Erotica for Fall 2013 and was also a #1 Erotic Romance Best seller on Amazon. It also won the JABBIC contest for sexiest cover.
http://www.amazon.com/Against-Ropes-Sarah-Castille-ebook/dp/B00DDWIT3M

Thursday, April 24, 2014

CoverReveal: Loki #MM #SciFi



Feast your eyes! I'm super excited to reveal the cover for Loki, coming soon from SirenBookstrand. Harris Channing is the awesome cover artist. I don't have the release date yet, but you'll know it as soon as I do. Mean while here is another little snippet to whet your appetite.


Loki



Sawyer got in the backseat. The soldiers shoved one-zero-seven in next to him.

Instead of shutting the door, one of the men stooped down to speak to Sawyer.

“I’ll keep my weapon trained on him, sir.”

Sawyer glanced at one-zero-seven. His eyes were slits and his head was pressed back against the seat. “That won’t be necessary. I think I can handle a drugged man,” Sawyer said drily.

“Yes, sir.” The soldiers climbed in upfront, and Sawyer reached over to buckle the hybrid’s seat belt. One-zero-seven was wearing gray sweats that were too small for his lean, muscular physique. Despite his rough treatment, one-zero-seven looked to be in excellent shape. Good genes? Sawyer smiled to himself.
As the van pulled out of the garage, Sawyer glanced out the window and saw Shepard watching them. Crazy bastard. Does he enjoy abusing all his lab rats, or is this one his special target? Well, it didn’t matter. Sawyer would show one-zero-seven that all humans were not alike.



Happy Reading!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Is It Summer Yet? #BlogHop @queertownabbey



Get a jump on the season with Queer Town Abbey and dozens of your favorite authors for the Is It Summer Yet? Blog Hop.

Grand Prizes for this blog hop include an iPod shuffle, Queer as Folk Box, Music from the ShowTime original series Seasons 3, 4, & 5 donated by Tommy Boy Entertainment, and more. 


To enter the fabulous Grand Prize Giveaway you need to go to the blog hop page http://queertownabbey.com/is-it-summer-yet-blog-hop/ and leave a comment (Share your best summer memory)


Leave a comment here and you might win an ebook of your choice from my backlist.


I have some great summer memories, of my own. It's really hard to choose one, but I decided to share our trip to Fort Worth Texas in June of 2012. That was a memorable time because it was all about family, travel, and a wedding in the Arlington area.




We checked out the food, shopping, and museums at Sundance Square, the bustling cultural district in downtown Fort Worth. And we toured Bass Hall, the permanent home to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Opera, and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and Cliburn Concerts.






The highlight of the trip, aside from the wedding of course, was a tour of the AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. It's a one of a kind experience, unlike any other stadium I've seen.




They say a picture is worth a thousand words, I hope you enjoyed mine. 




a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Shadows of Damascus #BookTour @LilasTaha #GoddessFish



Today I'm hosting the Shadows of Damascus Book Tour. Author Lilas Taha has a fascinating post for you. Enjoy! And don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway after you read her excerpt. Lilas will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes& Noble GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour for more chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 


****

How I handled the research for the book

Since my book was inspired by current events unfolding in Syria, I followed the news hour by hour. I subscribe to a number of Middle Eastern and European news channels, which provided me a much broader perspective and coverage than what the American network channels broadcast.


I still had family in Syria— on my mother’s side, and I talked to them daily, affirming their safety and well-being as much as I could, despite the horrendous conditions and the quick deterioration of the political situation. Even though my heroine is a fictional character, I used the turmoil I experienced listening to relatives to drive me through her emotions and thoughts. Parts of the book discuss life in Damascus before the uprising and the civil war, and lots of those descriptions touch on my memories when I used to spend summers there with my family.


As for the Iraq veteran emotional discovery, I relied on a couple of friends who experienced the war as American soldiers, and allowed me to dig deeper through their eyes, even though we didn’t agree on all angles. I invented the PTSD trauma. None of my friends suffered from it, but I did the research and followed many leads to make it credible.


As for the domestic abuse part in the story, I had plenty of knowledge in the field. My work at a non-profit organization that helps domestic abuse victims provided me with inside information on the workings of an abuser’s mind, and the struggles a survivor goes through to stay alive. I worked with far too many women who suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of the people who were supposed to love them. And I’ve seen the effect it took on their children, survivors of a different type of war.





BLURB:

Bullet wounds, torture and oppression aren’t the only things that keep a man—or a woman—from being whole.


Debt. Honor. Pain. Solitude. These are things wounded war veteran Adam Wegener knows all about. Love—now, that he is not good at. Not when love equals a closed fist, burns, and suicide attempts. But Adam is one who keeps his word. He owes the man who saved his life in Iraq. And he doesn’t question the measure of the debt, even when it is in the form of an emotionally distant, beautiful woman.


Yasmeen agreed to become the wife of an American veteran so she could flee persecution in war-torn Syria. She counted on being in the United States for a short stay until she could return home. There was one thing she did not count on: wanting more.


Is it too late for Adam and Yasmeen?


Shadows of Damascus to be released by Soul Mate Publishing mid January, 2014.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT



PROLOGUE

YASMEEN

Damascus, Syria
Summer 2006



The seductive fragrance of Damascus roses drifted through the open window and flirted with fifteen-year-old Yasmeen’s olfactory senses. The potent flowers in her neighbor’s yard delivered the best awakening. She loved beginnings, especially early, mid-summer mornings like these. Stretching across the bed, her imagination raced with possibilities for the promising day.


Thursday. The day her older brother’s friends visited and stayed well into the evening. Yasmeen ticked off potential visitors in her head, dashing young university students who loved to talk politics with Fadi. Today, she would do her best to discover the name of the quietest member in the group, the thin one with round-rimmed glasses. On her nightstand, the sketch she worked on during the last visit waited for his name, and more details around the eyes.


Peeling off the covers, she tip-toed to the window. Lively noises matched her optimistic mood. Nightingales sang greetings. Clanging dishes and pots resonated from surrounding houses beyond high walls. Mothers called out for their daughters to get breakfast ready. Men’s deep voices describing fresh fruits and vegetables with tempting traditional phrases drifted above hidden alleys. One vendor claimed his cucumbers were small as baby fingers, and likened his ripe apples to a virgin bride’s cheeks. Another boasted his plum peaches shed their covers without enticement, and his shy eggplants hid well in a moonless night.


Yasmeen succumbed to the enlivening chaos spilling in from her bedroom window, her own special and personal opening to the world. Tilting her head back, she exposed her face and neck to the sun, allowing its invigorating rays to paint her cheeks.


Today, her mother told her she would be allowed to take a coffee tray into Fadi’s room once all his friends arrived. What would she wear? She should tell her best friend Zainab to stop by earlier than usual to go through her wardrobe. She could help her decide. Perhaps one of Fadi’s friends would notice her. More than one? Why not?


Draping her arms on the windowsill, she looked at the neighbor’s yard, counting the blooming roses, a ritual she performed each morning since the season started. In the north corner of the largest flowerbed, two violet buds grabbed her attention, their delicate petals about to unfold. Once they came to full bloom, their deep purple color would dominate the landscape.


A knock sounded at her door.


“I am awake.”


Her father walked in. “Good. We have work to do.” He held a hammer in one hand and a couple of boards in the other. “Move aside, Yasmeen.” He approached the window.


She stepped away and pointed at the boards. “What do you need those for?”
Her father closed the windowpanes, locked them, placed one board across the frame, and hammered it in place.


“What are you doing?”


“This window is not to be opened again, child.”


She could not believe her ears. “Why?”


“Neighbors moved out last night.” Her father nailed the second board in place.


“Mukhabarat took over their house.”


~~~~~~~~~~~~~





AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lilas Taha is a writer at heart, an electrical engineer by training, and an advocate for domestic abuse victims by choice. She was born in Kuwait to a Syrian mother and a Palestinian father, and immigrated to the U.S. as a result of the Gulf war in 1990. She earned a master’s degree in Human Factors Engineering from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. There, Lilas met her beloved husband and true friend, and moved with him to Sugar Land, Texas to establish a family. She is the proud mother of a daughter and a son. Instead of working in an industrial field, she applied herself to the field of social safety, working with victims of domestic violence.


Pursuing her true passion for creative writing, Lilas brings her professional interests, and her Middle Eastern background together in her debut fictional novel, Shadows of Damascus.

Website: www.lilastaha.com
Author Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/LilasTahaAuthor
Blog: http://lilastaha.blogspot.com
Twitter: Follow @LilasTaha https://twitter.com/LilasTaha
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lilastaha
Email: info@lilastaha.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Lilas_Taha
Facebook page for the book: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shadows-of-Damascus/577132239031259



Buy Links:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Damascus-Lilas-Taha-ebook/dp/B00HUZUG8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389749986&sr=8-1&keywords=Shadows+of+Damascus
Publisher:  http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/

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Monday, April 21, 2014

Cover Reveal: Recovery @con_riley #MM #Romance #Rafflecopter



Welcome to the Cover Reveal for Con Riley's new release - Recovery

Visit the other blogs who are hosting the tour, and enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win an ebook copy of Recovery when it's released. 

Blurb: San Diego is a city of second chances for Jamie Carlson. His new career as a photographer is taking off, and with the support of a loving surrogate family, he’s finally putting his party years behind him. The Bailey family helped him solve his drinking problem, but there’s no easy solution to staying sober now that Belle Bailey’s dying. Her last wish is a challenge Jamie can't overcome without help.

Solving problems is Daniel Priest’s specialty. More than twenty years older than Jamie, he’s successful and experienced. He makes his living resolving corporate crises—but his personal life has been far from perfect. Now that his marriage is over, Daniel’s determined to make up for lost time. One night with Jamie isn’t nearly enough for him.


Daniel’s honest offer of help is more than Jamie expects from a one-time hookup. Even so, fulfilling Belle’s last wish is a tall order. Repairing her damaged family as she requests proves difficult when Jamie has to face his own past as well.


Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press



Buy Links: 






Author Bio: Con Riley lives on the wild and rugged Devonshire coast, with her head in the clouds, and her feet in the Atlantic Ocean.

Injury curtailed her enjoyment of outdoor pursuits, so writing fiction now fills her free time instead. Love, loss, and redemption shape her romance stories, and her characters are flawed in ways that makes them live and breathe.
When not people watching, or wrangling her own boy band of teen sons, she spends time staring at the sea from her kitchen window. If you see her, don't disturb her—she's probably thinking up new plots.


Author Links:
Read more: http://conriley.com
Tweet more: https://twitter.com/con_riley
Talk more: con.riley.fiction@gmail.com





Tour Dates: 4/21/14
Tour Stops:



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Saturday, April 19, 2014

New Release: September Again by Hunter S. Jones #NewAdult #Romance



So excited to have my friend, and fellow author, Hunter S. Jones here today. She's a brilliant writer! Her stories always intrigue, inspire, and keep me turning the pages until the very end. 


SEPTEMBER AGAIN
By
Hunter S. Jones
&
An Anonymous English Poet

According to Cherokee beliefs, opportunity will bless you twice.

September Again, second in the series, September Stories, is the follow up to the hugely popular indie sensation, September Ends. September Again finds Liz Snow Savage leaving England. She follows her daughter Zelda Savage back to America after Zelda’s betrayal of her. More drama ensues as Liz looks for meaning in life while Zelda finds her direction after the tragedy of losing Jack O. Savage, The Poet. Set mainly in Chattanooga, Tennessee, September Again chronicles the rhythm of life's cycles. The ebb and flow of love unravel the mystery of Liz's past. September Again allows a further glimpse into the intricate web of passion and desire which have entangled Liz Snow, Pete Hendrix and Jack O. Savage for years. Will a chance encounter finally reveal the truth?  What act will change the destiny of Liz and Zelda forever? The story of sin, salvation and redemption continues in Book 2 of the September Stories, told through a mosaic of prose with a smattering of poetry.


Magic happens when you least expect it.


PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon US 
http://amzn.to/1jFNfUF
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/1iPjJJ9



About Hunter S. Jones

The art form I create is much more interesting than anything you will ever know or learn about me. However, since you ask, I am author and entertainment blogger Hunter S. Jones from Atlanta, GA. I have lived in Tennesse and Georgia my entire life, except for one 'Lost Summer' spent in LA. I was always a complex kid. Music is my first and true love although I have no musical skills or abilities.. Throughout my life, I have written something/anything. My first 'gig' was for an indie/alternative rock rag in Nashville, Tennessee. Since then I have published articles on travel, fashion, history and art.



Website: http://huntersjones.com/




What’s a romance? Rakes in Tartan @Suzdemello #vampire #historical


Turning it over to Suz deMello...


What’s a romance? You may think you know, but…

The standard definition of a romance has been undergoing some change lately, but the definition of romance has always been changing.

Right now, most of us see a romance as a love story between a man and a woman that contains a happy ending, with the heroine going off with Mr. Right. But that wasn’t always the case.

Centuries ago, people married for reasons other than love. They married for money, status or property, and love was something found outside marriage. The most famous romance in our literature, Romeo and Juliet, doesn’t have a happy ending, unless your idea of a good HEA is uniting in heaven.

Other forms of art reflected the belief that love was found outside marriage. Medieval troubadours traveled from castle to castle and sang about the joys of courtly love and romantic love. Art often depicted the clash between marriage and love, such as Tintoretto’s Venus and Mars Surprised by Vulcan (1545).

When did romance change, and why?

Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740) by Samuel Richardson, is often mentioned as the first romance novel. The main point, however, was not that the title character had found love but that her persistent rejections of the so-called hero’s attentions finally got her the prize: marriage.

A less moralistic novel, and one that’s often cited as the best of the genre, is Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813). Despite its somewhat archaic style, it’s one of the most popular novels in English Literature, and for very good reasons. It doesn’t preach the way Pamela does, but instead reflects the real concerns young women had during the Regency: marrying well and marrying for love, or at least respect. Although arranged marriages for the purpose of uniting property or increasing wealth were still a custom in our culture, the desirability of gaining a life with a partner founded on love rather than money was taking hold, and is reflected in the literature of the time.

Each era has produced literature that’s reflective of the time, and romance novels reflect their eras, too. As the love ideal took hold, more romances were written that reflect the joy of love rather than its discouraging end, and cautionary tales took back seat to entertainment.

As time went on, and as mores altered, romances became steadily more erotic. The Flame and the Flower (1972) by Kathleen Woodiwiss is viewed as the first modern romance novel, even though it’s a sequel to Petals on the River. Both are quite racy compared to, say, Austen, and reflect changed attitudes regarding sex before marriage.

Our century

Perhaps the greatest changes have occurred in the last few years. First came chick lit, in which the heroine’s goal is not finding Mr. Right but hooking up with Mr. Right Now. Then writers of digital romance broke the hetero barrier and started writing LGBT romance, which doesn’t require the love story to be between a man and a woman. I’m reliably informed that the biggest consumers of M/M romance aren’t gay guys but hetero females. Go figure!

Rakes in Tartan

Set in 1816, my book reflects the mores and customs of the Regency. Heirs to their clans’ lairdships, Andrew MacReiver and Tor Kilburn must find suitable brides. As did many noblemen of the time, they journeyed to London for the social season after attending Oxford. They hoped to find love, but not a Nordic fairy, a dragon and a vampire assassin.

But, being a book written in the 21st century rather than the 19th, Rakes in Tartan ends happily.

Here’s what some reviewers have said about the previous books in the Highland Vampires series--These are customer reviews from Amazon.
 

5 stars... A new author to add to my list of favorite authors June 20, 2012
By jmaze
Temptation in Tartan is the first book I've read by Suz deMello. It won't be the last. The book is well written, easy to follow and easy to read… I would highly recommend the book and I hope that she plans another book to follow in this one’s stead.


RE: Desire in Tartan:

Five stars..."Engrossing... I was grabbed from the start of the book..."
--S.J. Foulkes (Amazon.com)
Five stars... "Super Read!!!... I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. I couldn't put it down and read it in one day."
--Becca (Amazon.com)
Five stars..."Such a wonderful read!!!... Such a wonderful book... Love this series!"
--Kimberly Jaksina (Amazon.com)


Rakes in Tartan by Suz deMello  
                                                            
Setting: London 1816
The social season promises both sex and danger for Torquil Kilburn and Andrew
MacReiver, Highland heirs arrived in London to seek brides. The Scotsmen must
negotiate the complicated morés of high society to woo and win an exquisite
debutante and her passionate, unconventional mother while keeping their vampire heritage a secret.

But evil stalks the ballroom at Almack’s, the streets of Piccadilly, the drawing rooms of the ton. Headless bodies have been found drained of their blood, for another vampire haunts the streets of London, murdering noblemen. As he draws ever closer, Tor and Andrew must fight not only for love, but for their lives.

Buy it here: http://www.ellorascave.com/rakes-in-tartan.html


About the author:

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s worked for Total-E-Bound, Liquid Silver Books and Ai Press, where she is currently Managing Editor. She also takes private clients.

Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.


A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.


--Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com
--For editing services, email her at suzswift@yahoo.com
--Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sueswift,
    and visit her group page at 
https://www.facebook.com/redhotauthorscafe
--She tweets her reading picks @ReadThis4fun and @Suzdemello
--Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/suzdemello/
--Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SuzATGoodreads
--Her current blog is http://www.fearlessfastpacedfiction.com

Monday, April 14, 2014

April Blog Hop for #Autism Awareness #Giveaway



Autism is a hidden condition; a diagnosis does not involve a physical examination.

This year I'm happy to take part in RJ Scott's April Autism Blog Hop. Each participant was given a fact about autism to post. Mine is above. It's ironic that RJ gave me a fact that is so fitting to my post. I don't have a child with autism, but I know what it's like to have a child with a hidden condition.   

I lived through every parent's worst nightmare. My son died of a drug overdose. Many of you don't know that, because it's still too hard for me to talk about it. The pain, emotional and physical, is unimaginable. I still feel like someone ripped a piece of my heart out.

Jon's addiction started when he was prescribed pain killers after a car accident. For a long time, he was able to hide his growing dependency from everyone. When we realized the truth we tried to get him help but it was too late.

Books, writing, and these two groups helped me survive the worst days of my life.

Now, I'm here to support other parents and children who are going through their own struggles. Please know you're not alone.

Read the other blog posts and enter the giveaways. You can find them here: 

And leave a comment below for a chance to win two ebooks from my backlist—your choice. I’ll announce the winner on April 16th.