Beth Kery's Blog, page 28

Karen Erickson visits and a $20 Amazon GC giveaway!

Can I say how excited I am to be on Beth Kery's blog? Oh, I'm very excited. Beth is awesome. She's so sweet and soft spoken in person and yet she writes some of the hottest books out there! Gotta love that right?

So let me introduce myself. My name is Karen and I write romance. Mostly erotic romance though I can write with a little less steam (still hot though – I can't NOT write hot). Some of the publishers I'm with include Samhain (http://store.samhainpublishing.com/ka...), Loose ID (http://www.loose-id.com/Fallen.aspx) and I have a historical novella, Lessons in Indiscretion (http://karenwritesromance.com/books/l...), coming out June 20th with Carina Press.

Today, though, I'm going to tell you about my recent self-publishing endeavor. My contemporary erotic romance novel (332 pages) Indulgent Pleasures (http://karenwritesromance.com/books/i...) is available now at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And for the month of June I've discounted the book to $3.99 (regular price $4.99) as a kick-off to summer promotion!

What's your fantasy?

Stephanie Shaw's ready to experience a fantasy or two all for the sake of her job. Research for the magazine she works for could result in her own column and she wants it. Bad.

Almost as bad as the gorgeous man she runs into–literally. Justin Hawkins is sinfully hot and ready to indulge in her every whim. A few stolen hours in the backseat of a car turns into the most passionate sexual encounter of her life.

But Stephanie's keeping a secret. When she finds out Justin is a former pro baseball player, no way can she tell him about her job. The media-shy Justin hates being in the public eye and Stephanie's documenting their sexual encounters for the entire city to read–anonymously.

A betrayal of trust hurts them both and sends them reeling. And also renders them apart. Stephanie's devastated, Justin's angry. Can this relationship be fixed?

Here's an excerpt for you to enjoy (WARNING – X-RATED):

Justin's mood had been off since she'd arrived at the bar. Stephanie had felt terrible for not being able to contact him, frustrated with the bus and the car accident that stalled her, irritated at getting stuck in the rain and her favorite dress soaked.

When she arrived, he'd been angry, quiet, brooding. Dark and sexy and his eyes were so penetrating it was as if he could see right through her—and he didn't like what he found.

That hurt. It also made her mad, pissed she'd wasted her time meeting him when he was clearly not thrilled with her. She'd been ready to bail, more than eager to go home and take a hot shower then curl up in bed. Nurse her wounds with a little bit of pouting and a lot of disappointment.

Then he'd attacked her outside of the little pub with a passionate vigor that had surprised her.

And aroused her.

The way he touched her, kissed her, undressed her, it was different tonight. More urgency and hardly any finesse. It was raw, unbridled lust.

She'd thought they'd been lusty before. Compared to this, what was happening now, they'd been far from it.

His cock pressed eagerly against her and she reached for him, smoothing her hand over his erection that strained against the fly of his jeans. Her fingers fumbled, undoing the button and zip and then she dove in, encountering hot, silky flesh, hard and thrusting against her palm.

"Jesus, Stephanie." His voice was ragged, full of urgent need and she stroked him, her own little whimpers filling the air with every lick of his tongue around her nipple.

The parking garage was essentially empty though she knew there were a few cars parked inside. Anyone could walk by and see them, most definitely hear them. Their gasping breaths echoed against the solid concrete walls and it wouldn't take a genius to figure out what they were doing in the dark corner.

"We shouldn't do this here." Every word was punctuated by a pant since his wandering hands were working magic upon her skin.

He yanked her skirt up, his big hands full of delicate Swiss dot fabric and she found the contrast incredibly sexy. "We're doing this here."

"Justin—" He cut off her protest with a finger resting against the center of her mouth, his expression serious, the golden-green depths of his eyes glowing in the dim light.

"I'm going to fuck you here and then I'm going to take you to my house and we're going to fuck all night. You understand?"

He removed his finger and she nodded slowly, her hair rubbing against the rough surface of the concrete wall behind her. His commanding tone and demands should've pissed her off, especially with his unreasonable anger toward her earlier but no.

All of it only aroused her, made her want him even more if that was possible. The thought of being taken by Justin so forcefully in a freaking parking garage, where anyone could see them was a tremendous turn on.

She thought of the fantasy list, how having sex in a public place was on it. Never would she have considered it but then again, she'd never been with Justin before.

Her skin tingled and she smiled, ready to get into it even more.

"Maybe we should do it in the car?" She nibbled on her lower lip, knowing what his answer would be.

And he didn't disappoint.

"Shit, no. Too uncomfortable." He reached behind him, yanking his wallet out and grabbing the handy condom he always seemed to have.

Good thing since they always seemed to have spontaneous sex in unusual places.

"You want to do it right here against the wall?"

"No." He shook his head slowly, the glint in his eyes unmistakable. "I want to fuck you against the hood of my car."

"Oh Justin…" That sounded crazy. But she wasn't going to protest. She was in the mood for crazy, wild, unpredictable.

Stephanie had never been able to let go sexually as she did with Justin. One touch and she went off like a spark, the heat and passion consuming her so rapidly she didn't have time to think.

She only had time to feel.

He grabbed her by the forearm and led her over to the car, stopping at the front of it, closer to the driver's side.

"Bend over baby. Let me see your pretty little ass." He kissed her, a sweet, lingering kiss, his tongue dancing with hers and she clung to him until he finally nudged at her shoulders with the tips of his fingers.

Then because she couldn't not do it, she turned and leaned forward, pressing her chest against the cold metal of the car. She gasped at the shock, her nipples tightening almost painfully and she breathed deep, relaxed her body as much as she could.

His hands gathered her skirt once again, pushing it up above her waist so the fabric rested in a pile in the center of her back. His hands smoothed over her lower back, her butt and then he was tugging her panties down, the cool air hitting her heated pussy and making her squirm.

"Ah yeah, babe. Sorry but this is going to be fast."

CONTEST TIME! I'm having a huge contest where the grand prize is a KINDLE. The drawing will be held June 21st but in the meantime, I'm giving away a variety of other prizes so please go visit my contest page (http://karenerickson.blogspot.com/p/c...) and check it out!

And in celebration of Beth's book release and her Kindle giveaway, I'd like to offer up a $20 gift card to Amazon to one lucky commenter today! Just answer the following question:

Who's your favorite sexy athlete?

I find football player Mark Sanchez mighty pleasant to look at. Who are you checking out?

Thanks again, Beth, for having me! I hope your readers will stop by and visit my website, and my Facebook page.

The R.G. Alexander winner is

Lori McPhetrdige?

Lori, write to R.G. at r.g.alexander@hotmail.com to claim your prize!

Welcome Eden Bradley/Eve Berlin! (And a giveaway)

Eden Bradley aka Eve Berlin

Welcome, Eden /Eve, to the Addicted to You Contest!

Thanks so much, Beth! I always love to drop by and blog with you. :)

I remember first hearing of you in 2008, when Forbidden Fruit released to rave reviews. You've had a lot happen in your writing career since that time. Can you tell us about your many accomplishments and publications in the past few years?

A lot has happened in the last few years! FORBIDDEN FRUIT was profiled in Cosmopolitan's magazine, which was very exciting. I wrote a few more books for Bantam/Delta after that-A 21ST CENTURY COURTESAN and THE BEAUTY OF SURRENDER. Then in December 2009, Bantam dropped their erotica authors and I had to reinvent myself. I went to contract right away with both Harlequin Spice and Berkley Heat (I write for them as Eve Berlin). My first Spice novel, THE LOVERS, and my first Berkley Heat novel, PLEASURE'S EDGE, both came out last November. Again, very exciting! But I think one of the biggest changes came about when I decided to get back into e-books. Actually, my fellow Smutketeer and dear friend R.G. Alexander talked me into it, and I'm so glad she did! I've published nine e-books with Samhain Publishing, including my popular erotic vampire Midnight Playground series.

I love writing my e-books. There's more flexibility there—e-publishers can take a lot more chances with challenging material than the big New York publishers, so I get to really stretch my wings and write pretty much any story I want to, hence my dirty vampires and my post-apocalyptic novella, THE BREEDER, which is part of the Wasteland continuity series written with my fellow Smutketeers. Many of my e-books are also contemporary erotic romance, so I get to write in a variety of genres, which keeps things interesting for me.

What's a high point that stands out for you in your career?

It has to be when my agent first called and left a message saying she read my submission (that was a proposal for what eventually became my second Bantam book, THE DARKER SIDE OF PLEASURE) and would like to discuss my work with me. I was absolutely breathless! I didn't get to talk to her for five days-a very long weekend passed in between that message and actually getting to speak with her—and I was ready to burst. It was pure torture, not knowing if this was going to be my big break or not. Luckily it was, and we still work very happily together-my agent rocks!

What advice would you give someone who wants to be an erotic romance writer?

Right now the erotic romance market is very tough with the New York publishers. E-books are getting the larger share of the market, which makes New York harder to get into than ever. I think starting, at least, in e-books, is the way to go. Not only are the e-publishers releasing more books, thereby making more slots available for newer authors, but honestly, there's good money to be made if you work hard at it and can produce a good backlist. Not that money is the only concern for every writer, but if you want to be a career writer, then you have to earn a living. But each writer's goals are different. For some, it's simply that validation that comes with a publisher wanting to publish your work. Everyone has to decide for themselves what they want out of this career, no matter what they write.

As far as craft goes, just remember that a good erotic romance requires a consistent sensual pacing, that the sex must be a crucial story element, propelling the characters, relationship and story arc forward. Erotic romance is not just a lot of gratuitous sex scenes—the sex must be necessary to the story you're telling.

What genres do you read? What other genres would you consider writing?

I read erotica and erotic romance, of course, but I also read a ton of women's fiction, I love romantic comedy, both sweet and sexy contemporary romance, and the YA that's out there right now is incredible!

I do have several women's fiction ideas lined up, and one that I've been working on in particular—my deadline schedule has been insane the last few years, and I haven't had the time to really sink my teeth into it, but I plan to by the fall. I'm dying to write this book when I have enough time to give it the attention it deserves! It'll be dark, angsty stuff-I'm not sure I can write anything else-lol!

Tell us about your upcoming projects.

I'm about to jump into self-publishing with a short prequel piece to my Midnight Playground series, going into the Viking origins of my most popular (and personal favorite) vampire, Ever. I've just finished it, so I still need to polish it, send it through a professional editor, finish working with my boyfriend, Sam Saturday, on the cover design (luckily he's an artist of many talents!), then get it formatted. EVER: THE TURNING should be out in the next month.

I've just starting to work on FALL EQUINOX, another contemporary erotic romance for Samhain to finish off my Celestial Seductions series. It's in the early planning stages, so all I know so far is that it'll be a ménage story, which I seem to have a particular fondness for…*G* I'm also working on my third Eve Berlin book, TEMPTATION'S EDGE, a BDSM erotic romance—the second book, DESIRE'S EDGE, will be out September 6th. And I'm awaiting edits on my next Spice book, FALLEN ANGEL, which is due for a February, 2012 release. This one is a very different kind of erotic romance about a young woman who was kidnapped by a satanic cult as a child and the ranger who finds her half-dead on a beach on the Mendocino coastline. An odd set-up, I know! It was a real challenge to write, and surprised me with how utterly romantic the story became as I worked on it.

What else…? EVERSONG, Book Four in my Midnight Playground series, will be out this fall, and I'll also start work on a steampunk novella that will be part of a self-published series the Smutketeers are going to work on together . So, you know…sitting around eating bon-bons—ah, the writer's life!

Since you're celebrating your latest contemporary release, ADDICTED TO YOU, here's a peek at my last contemporary erotic romance release, PLEASURE'S EDGE:

How do you know…

For beautiful erotica author Dylan Ivory, being in control is everything. Growing up in a dysfunctional home, she raised her younger brother–right up to the day he died in a motorcycle accident. Since then, she has lived a life of perfect order, leaving nothing to chance. Then she met the man who was everything she was not…and everything she wanted.

How far you can go…

Alec Walker is a writer of dark psychological thrillers–and a man who lives for thrills. From motorcycles to snowboards to swimming with sharks, there's no end to his lust for excitement. His tastes extend into the bedroom as well, and into The Pleasure Dome, the local BDSM club where he lets no rules bind his desires. The only thing he truly fears is love, and allowing someone else to really know him…

Unless you go over the edge?

While researching a book on sexual extremes, Dylan interviews Alec–and longs to taste the temptation he offers. But he's a self-proclaimed dominant and she refuses to surrender control. Slowly and seductively, though, Alec shows her that by letting go and submitting to his every desire she can experience the ultimate pleasure. But to keep the woman who for the first time brings him to his knees , can Alec take the ultimate risk and surrender his heart?

*****

EXCERPT-Warning-X-Rated!

The alarm went off and Alec slapped at it blindly, turning onto his back. He'd slept on his stomach and come awake with a painful erection pressing into the mattress. And Dylan's face in his mind.

In his body.

He'd gone to sleep hard and woken harder.

He willed himself to calm, but his cock throbbed with need.

In his mind's eye he saw long curls shining auburn and amber in the sunlight, falling around her narrow shoulders. A pair of cool, gray eyes that seemed to hold some mystery, something she kept secret from him, something he wanted—needed—to know. Pale, pale skin like polished ivory. The delicate line of collarbone at the edge of her sweater, and beneath it, the curve of her breasts, perfectly formed. He'd been up late last night imagining what they would look like, feel like in his hands. The taste of her beneath his tongue. What it would be like to have her long legs wrapped around his waist as he pumped into her, her pussy hot and welcoming…

He groaned.

"Fuck."

Throwing back the blankets, the sheet, he reached down and stroked himself, his fingers gliding over his hard shaft, curling around it.

What would her lush, red lips feel like wrapped around him, her tongue snaking over the head of his cock?

He moaned, stroked harder, his hips pumping into his fist.

Her mouth would be wet, warm, but not as wet as her pussy. He would part her lean thighs, thrust into her, hard, over and over.

Dylan…

Her eyes would glaze over, her lips parting, her body shaking as she came, her pussy clenching him, so damn tight.

He arched into his palm, stroking, feathering his fingertips over the swollen head. He could feel the come rising in his body, his cock pulsing.

Dylan…

Yeah, just need to spank her gorgeous ass, then get inside her. To make her come. To fuck her.

Dylan!

*****

The next book, DESIRE'S EDGE, is Alec's best friend Dante's story. Dante is a sexy Dom who is equally wicked and tender, with a little fetish for doing the dirty in the shower-my kind of guy! It'll be out September 6th!

CONTEST! Since we're celebrating contemporary erotic romance today, why don't I give away something in that genre from my back list? If you like a good ménage story, you might like my e-book, SUMMER SOLSTICE. To enter to win a copy, just visit my Eden Bradley website, then come back here and comment, letting me know which of my book covers is your favorite. I'll announce the winner in the comment section here tomorrow, so be sure to check back!

Thanks again for having me, Beth! I hope readers will drop by to visit my websites: www.EdenBradley.com or www.EveBerlin.com, or my group blog www.Smutketeers.com , where I blog with my awesome fellow Smutketeers, authors R.G. Alexander, Crystal Jordan and Karen Erickson.

Eden/Eve :)

The Winner of the Hunter Raines contest is

Fedora!

R.G. Alexander and a $25 Gift Card Giveaway!

I'm so thrilled to be apart of this week of amazing authors-which includes two of my fellow Smutketeers no less (Eden Bradley/Eve Berlin and Karen Erickson). I suppose I should tell you a little bit about myself. I'm R.G. Alexander, I've written for Samhain, Ellora's Cave and Berkley Heat, predominantly paranormal erotic romance, but I have dabbled in the contemporary…as long as multiple partners are involved of course.

I have several paranormal series that I'm still in the middle of with each of my publishers. I am addicted to the series. Reading as well as writing. I also am a teensy bit addicted to menage…but that's a long, boring, moderately incriminating story for another time.

My first Berkley book, Possess Me, came out last August. It was all about New Orleans, voodoo, and one incredibly sexy voodoo spirit with a dirty mind and a penchant for magical matchmaking. Gotta love that Bone Daddy. (hehe)

My next book, Three Sinful Wishes, is actually a bit more of a contemporary ménage anthology set in Sedona, Arizona. Coming out in one week, June 7th, it has just a hint of Hopi magic, a dash of New-Age-itude and…okay there is some spanking with an Eve Berlin book in one of the stories…and a really kinky coyote in another.

Why, you may ask, did I hop from an exciting, darkly sexy city like New Orleans to the serene red rocks of Sedona? Well, its beautiful there, more than beautiful. And the people who wander through or stop and stay are some of the most interesting and unique characters I've ever met in my life.

Plus, Sedona is where I lived when I fell in love with my husband—the Cookie. I was singing in a band, he was a chef creating culinary art for the tourists, and we were best friends. Kind of like Dani and Liam, the first couple you'll meet in Three Sinful Wishes. And like Dani, I was a little oblivious to the fact that my roommate was actually my soul mate. Luckily for me, Cookie is a patient man, and I will always be grateful that he finally wore me down. *grin*

Why don't I give you a blurb and an excerpt? Then we can have a contest!

 

Blurb

When Dani, Bailey and Kaya get together for an unusual girls night, they wish on a shower of falling stars and soon find their most erotic dreams coming true.

In Sinful Desires, magic is in the air when a mysterious stranger and one wild night of passion help Dani Harris admit her feelings for her longtime friend Liam, who has been in love with her for years.

Sinful Sensations follows the story of Bailey Wagner, who intends to stick to her five-year plan while she waits for Mr. Right. But when her sexy new boss convinces her to let loose with him–and a few of his friends–what begins as a kinky work break turns out to be a dream come true.

Fortune-teller by day and waitress by night, Kaya Honahni is too busy running from the expectations of her traditional Hopi family to search for romance, but in Sinful Pleasures, it finds her–times two. Despite her best efforts, Kaya can't deny her attraction to Jace, or to his secretive best friend. And considering the way they respond to her, she won't have to…

 

EXCERPT

Then we of the flowers of the earth come forth

to receive a long life of joy

We call ourselves the Butterfly Maidens

-Hopi Song of Creation

CHAPTER ONE

If she's honest, every woman will admit she's had at least one moment when she realized she might have made a hasty decision regarding a man. Either she picked the wrong one because he appeared magnetic and exciting, quickly learning she'd made a dangerous mistake . . . or she became the sexless buddy of the guy she later discovered had all the makings of Mr. Right.

In her case, Dani was two for two.

Only she hadn't figured out her second miscalculation until early that morning. In the shower. With the disappearing spider.

When she first saw it she was too shocked to react. It was huge. Beautiful. Not a word she would normally associate with a spider, but this wasn't like any other she'd ever seen. The designs on its body were geometrically perfect. White and blue angled lines formed a maze, a labyrinth that was so hypnotic, so stunning, that for a moment she wished she had a camera.

The next moment she remembered why she didn't. Because she was in the shower. Unarmed. Naked. And that beautiful spider could be poisonous.

She'd like to think any other woman in her situation would have screamed as loudly as she did then, but she had her doubts.

She barely registered the sound of stomping feet up the stairs, the slam of the bathroom door as it bounced off the wall. When your life was in arachnid-induced jeopardy, everything else seemed unimportant.

Her coral-colored shower curtain was ripped open so ferociously it tore, leaving a large chunk of its vinyl body dangling from the fist of her savior.

"Spider!" Dani closed her eyes and pointed, not needing to look to know who'd come barreling in. Her roommate Liam. Her best friend. And right now her only chance of not dying a painful, ridiculous shower death that she would be embarrassed to talk about at dinner parties.

A thickly muscled arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her out of the tub and against him as he ducked his head inside the stall to face her attacker.

Dani's eyes were squeezed tight as she waited for the sounds of the inevitable battle. But there were none. A minute passed. Another. The cooler air from the open doorway made her shiver.

"Dani?"

She heard the strange note in his voice and felt like an idiot. A stereotypical female idiot. She just hadn't been expecting it. It was so . . . large. Hairy.

The spider. She was talking about the spider. Not the body pressed against hers.

"Is it gone? Did you kill it?" "I don't know. Do you still see it?" Dani's brow furrowed and she opened her eyes. The spider, the one that had been impossible to miss, that was the size of her old dog Bitsy, was gone. "What do you mean, do I still see it? Of course I don't. It's gone. Where did it go?"

She looked up at Liam and felt her breath catch. Several sensations registered at once. He smelled like heated, spicy man and coffee. She inhaled deeply. She couldn't help herself. Had he always smelled this good?

His blond waves were tousled, just-rolled-out-of-bed tousled. Heavy-lidded eyes and a jaw shadowed with stubble confirmed her theory that he hadn't been up long. It was criminally unfair that the man could look so good this early in the morning.

Her nipples hardened, with cold or awareness, poking into his side. His shirtless, warm-skinned side. He was wearing half- buttoned jeans and nothing else. And she—she bit the inside of her cheek as her body instinctively shuddered, feeling the rasp of denim against the curve of her stomach—well, she was in that nightmare where you realized you were skin to bare skin with your best friend beneath the harsh fluorescent bathroom light.

Only it didn't feel like a nightmare. More like a really good dream. One so good she didn't want to move in case she woke up.

Then he spoke and the forced playfulness in his tone brought reality crashing back in. "I had a sex dream that started out just like this."

Dani attempted to pull away, but his arm around her waist was surprisingly strong. Who knew Liam's forearm was that muscular? And since when did she think forearms were sexy?

She tried to chuckle but stopped when it came out sounding breathless. Needy. "Only instead of your roommate, you discovered Anna Paquin in my shower, hot and bothered and in need of a back scrub. Yeah, yeah I've heard that one before."

"This time it was you and Anna. See? Not quite so predictable now, am I? Although, I will admit, even in my most distracting dreams I'd never fall for the spider gag."

"The spider gag?" Dani still wasn't looking at him. Instead she was subtly trying to extricate herself and get to a towel in the linen closet—or failing that, at least press a little less of her wet, naked skin against his.

All her squirming only seemed to make things worse, her breasts dragging along his side, the fabric of his jeans scraping her flesh, causing her insides to quiver. God, he felt as good as he smelled. "What spider gag?"

Liam's voice was noticeably rougher and his grip on her tightened even more, holding her still. " This gag. There was no spider, Dani. Admit it."

"Admit what? Of course there . . . was . . . a spider . . ." Her gaze leapt up to meet his at that ludicrous statement and she promptly lost her train of thought. Why on earth would she pretend to have a spider in her shower? But her voice trailed off, running away with the last of her useable brain cells at the way he was looking at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

His glasses were off. In three years of knowing him, she'd rarely seen him without them. This close, without those sensible wire frames to distract her, she noticed how intensely blue his eyes were. Not dark blue, like hers. Perfect sky blue. Cornflower blue. Drown inside them and never want to escape blue. And those lashes.

Who was this delicious stranger and what had he done with her best friend?

Breathe, Dani. This was the guy who saw her every day with no makeup on, wearing sweatpants and fuzzy socks. The guy who made the most elaborate, decadently fattening midnight snacks for their science fiction movie marathons. The one she shared every secret with. Who'd helped her survive her real nightmare.

This was not a man she was allowed to have the hots for.

 

CONTEST

I'm currently having a release contest over at the Smutketeers, but I love them, and we're celebrating, so I'm having another. Since Beth is also giving away a Kindle 3G, I will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card for ebooks to fill it and 3 of my own ebooks to someone who posts here and answers this question…

Have you ever had the hots for someone who was "just a friend"? (I'll start-yes. Yes I have)

The Winners of the Anya Bast contest and Bethany Kane contest

Anya's winner is #9, Kel

Bethany's winner is #12 Ren P.

Ladies–please write to me at bethkery@aol.com. Kel, I'll pass on your information to Anya. Include your book preference and address, please.

Thanks for playing everyone. Up next, Lacey Savage wows us and she's got a $10 Amazon gift card to give away!

Hunter Raines, Paradise Found and a Giveaway!

Forging Heartfelt Connections by Hunter Raines

First things first: a huge thank you to Beth for having me here today to kick off the blog tour for my upcoming Carina Press release, PARADISE FOUND.

PARADISE FOUND features three men who share an unforgettable night on a tropical island. When Mark and Cameron find Philip, they're not thinking beyond one night of pleasure. Yet after the vacation comes to an end, they realize they may have found the one person who understands them both better than they understand themselves.

The premise got me thinking about how we connect with other people. Not just sexually, but emotionally as well.

For example, the way we make friends has changed in the digital age. My best friend in the entire world is someone I met online, who I only see face-to-face once a year (if I'm lucky). And yet, I feel closer to her than I do to people I've known "in person" for decades. Closer, even, than to many members of my family, who get in touch at Christmas and send birthday wishes through a greeting card in the mail.

So what's so special about those folks who make an unforgettable impression on us? Is it the fact that they're similar to us in some way? That they listen to us when so many other people are too wrapped up in their own lives to care? Or is it, simply, that forging a heartfelt a connection between two people transcends elements like physical proximity in favor of true, soul-to-soul communication, no matter what form it takes?

What do you think? Have you made close friends online? Have you ever spent a few minutes or hours talking to someone—say, at a party—only to leave there thinking, "Wow, that person really got me!"?

Share your thoughts in the comments, and I'll choose one random commenter to win a $10 Amazon gift certificate.—

BLURB

Paradise is just an illusion…

Or so Philip thinks as he vacations on exotic Anguilla. He should be celebrating the end of law school and the start of his successful career, but he's tired of living a lie for his family's sake. For just one night, he lets down his guard with two men he thinks he'll never see again.

He isn't the only one with secrets. For years, Cameron Drake has suppressed his need for dominance, afraid of hurting his lover, Mark Wilder. But when Cameron's hand meets Philip's ass, there's no more pretending. Mark can't face his conflicting feelings about the ménage; does Cameron want more than Mark can give?

The three of them may have been perfect together but consequences follow them back to their real lives. Will their desire for another encounter shatter the illusions they've built to protect themselves or clear the obstacles to paradise?

PARADISE FOUND will be available at Carina Press, Amazon, and other online retailers on June 6. Find out about Hunter's books here.

Meet Bethany Kane. Addicted to You Giveaway

Addicted to You releases June 7, written under a new pen name for me, Bethany Kane! ATY is the first in a series called One Night of Passion, the common theme among the character-interrelated books is a night of impulsive, wild passion that at first is regretted, but then leads to a lifetime of love. Addicted to You is a friends to lovers story with a lot of heart. When sexy Irish-born film director Rill Pierce loses his wife in a car accident, he self-destructs and holes up alone on a mountainside near the tiny, quirky little town of Vulture's Canyon. His friends think they understand why, but the truth of Rill's grief is something even worse than the obvious. Katie Hughes, the heroine of ATY, is a force of nature. She storms into Vulture's Canyon, intent on saving Rill…and maybe herself in the process.

Enjoy this DEBUT excerpt from my upcoming erotic romance, ADDICTED TO YOU. Leave a comment on the blurb or excerpt, and qualify to win Addicted to You. (Both this winner and Anya's winner will be announced Monday morning).

All it takes is a moment for your life to change—one night of desire to make you feel alive…

Irish film director Rill Pierce fled to the tiny, backwoods town of Vulture 's Canyon, seeking sanctuary and solitude after a devastating tragedy. Once, his raw sex appeal and sultry Irish accent made women across the globe swoon. Now, he's barely recognizable…

But Katie Hughes, his best friend's sister, is not the type of woman to give up on a man like Rill. She blazes into Vulture's Canyon determined to save him from himself. Instead, she finds herself unleashing years of pent-up passion. In a storm of hunger and need, Katie and Rill forget themselves and the world. But will Rill's insatiable attraction to Katie heal his pain—or will it just feed the darkness within him?

New Excerpt:

The water in Dyer Creek was probably at its warmest temperature of the year, but it was still cold enough to make him grit his teeth when it came up around his balls and then his belly.

His head went in next, and damn if it just wasn't what he needed. He kept his head underwater until the incendiary fantasy of strangling a good friend because she'd gate-crashed his solitude and bogarted his whiskey slowly receded. When he pulled his head out of the cold, clear water, he heard a loud shriek and a choking noise.

"What the hell'aw you doing?" he bawled.

Katie paused, thigh deep in the water, and spit a tendril of hair out of her mouth, her green eyes wide in disbelief at his question. "What does it look like I'm doing?" she yelled at the same time she winced and yanked up a foot, nearly losing her balance. The rocks may well be smooth in the creek bottom, but they were plentiful. "I'm trying to save a crazy man from drowning himself! Rill?" she asked, staring at him like he truly was the lunatic she'd accused him of being.

Rill blinked, realizing too late he'd been gawking at her breasts through the thin fabric of the tank top she wore.

He wouldn't have been a guy if he hadn't noticed before that Katie possessed beautiful breasts, large in relation to her compact body, but high and firm. It'd never shamed him before to consider Katie attractive, because he knew admiration was as far as his attentions would ever go. He knew that because he'd set a firm limit on himself, and when it came to sex, Rill was steadfast in his self-imposed limitations.

It was one of his only true virtues.

First, Katie'd been Everett's little sister, and decent guys were careful about respecting that sacred domain. Then she'd been Eden's best friend.

Besides, Katie wasn't his type. She was a force of nature: a whirlwind, a golden beach that stretched for an eternity, a gypsy-spirit in designer jeans.

She looked downright indecent standing there in all her splendor, a majority of that pale gold skin exposed to the sunlight, her hair falling in wild curls. His hands prickled with a need to grasp that glorious mess, to tangle his fingers in it. Her breasts heaved, her nipples clearly outlined against nearly nonexistent fabric.

Rill experienced a potent surge of lust followed by a pang of shame. The shame wasn't enough to block out a desire to pick Katie up, lay her on the banks of the creek, strip her bare and consume her with the hunger of a wolf who hadn't fed in months.

His lurching cock tugged at his conscience. God. He'd thought he'd successfully quieted the animal inside him, but apparently all he'd done was strengthen it with his abstinence. Lust tore through his veins like a potent drug.

"Go inside, Katie."

She blinked. Even to his own ears, his low command had sounded ominous. She opened her mouth, just like he knew she would. Katie couldn't keep her mouth shut if a torpedo streaked straight toward her head. He stepped toward her.

"Inside."

This time he'd gotten the message across in spades. She turned abruptly in the chilly water, cried out in surprise, and went straight down. He caught her before her chin hit the water, but the rest of her was submerged. He heaved and she came out of the creek with a loud sucking sound and a squawk.

"Jaysus," he fumed at the feeling of a wet, stiff-nippled breast pressing against his bare chest. He marched out of the creek and through the yard with Katie in his arms, his gaze trained on the house, refusing to look at her as she commanded him to put her down.

Blood roared in his ears and pounded into his cock. Why, he had no idea. Katie Hughes wasn't his type. She wasn't. Rill preferred quiet, elegant women. He'd had enough of blatant, earthy sexuality from his mother, who had dragged him from one man's house to another when he was a child, their rent paid by his mother's spread thighs.

Not that Katie was like his mother. She wasn't at all. He was just worried he was.

In the distance, he heard shouting in his ear, but he existed in a thick fog of impenetrable lust and fury.

It infuriated him to hold a wet, nearly naked Katie in his arms and consider his mother. He was not like her. He may drown his sorrows in alcohol when the mood struck him, but unlike many of his friends and coworkers, Rill had never been ruled by his prick. My fucking, aching, chubbed-up, traitorous prick, he added to himself furiously.

The cry Katie made when he tossed her onto her bed in the dormer bedroom finally pierced his anger.

She lay on her back, her elbows propping up her upper body. She stared up at him with huge eyes, her breasts and belly heaving in agitation, her legs parted. Wetness gleamed on her smooth skin. He stood over her at the side of the bed, breathing heavily, watching as her gaze lowered over his torso.

He was hard enough to pound nails with his cock, and there was nothing he could do to stop her from seeing it. His boxer briefs clung to him like a second skin. Rill didn't need to look down at himself to know his erection was about as obvious as a servicing bull's.

He jerked his gaze off the sight of her tiny, thin, wet shorts clinging to a well-trimmed triangle of pubic hair and outlining succulent-looking sex lips. He should be shot point-blank just for thinking about what he wanted to do to her in that volatile moment.

Her expressive eyes told him that she knew he fought with his baser instincts. The hint of anxiety he saw in irises that were the color of a newly opened, green leaf caused a wave of self-disgust to flood him. When he pointed at her, his hand shook.

"I want you out of this house, Katie."

He turned and stalked out of the room without another word.

Order Addicted to you at Amazon| Barnes and Noble

Viv Winners are and a (new) Juniper B. winner is

Viv's winners are as follows:

CrystalGB

ClaudiaGC

Heather A.

Diane Sadler

And the eARC of Rising to:

Dawn

Please contact Vivian to collect your book at vivarend@gmail.com

The "Eden" picked using the random number generator for Juniper's $10 GC was the lovely author Eden Bradley, who will be joining the contest soon. As a result, Eden generously suggested it go to the next number. (As a rule, authors are more than welcome to join, Eden just hadn't meant to enter). As a result, Juniper's winner is

Amelia

Amelia, contact Juniper to claim your prize, juniperbell.author@gmail.com

Thank you authors and participants!

Anya Bast and Jaded! Giveaway!

The World of Jeweled and Jaded

Jaded releases in a week and a half. I can't believe it's almost June!

Jaded is the sequel to Jeweled, which came out last November, and will end this short two-book series. Both books are menage a trois romances (M/F/M, in case you're wondering). They are very hot and are both very romantic. There's also a significant amount of worldbuilding in the books.

I am of the opinion that it is possible to write erotic stories that are both romantic AND are set in elaborate worlds. I think it IS possible to have it all. Honestly, I can't write any other way because I get bored.

Jeweled and Jaded are set in a world flavored with the French Revolution with a dash of Russian Bolshevik uprising. Up until the beginning of Jeweled, only those with magick are privileged and wealthy. Those born into the lower classes who have so much as a breath of magick are whisked away from their families (willingly or not) and fostered at the royal palace.

If they pass a test of their magick at age eighteen, they are fitted with a precious jewel–in the small of the back for the women and the back of the neck for the men. Then they are considered "washed" of their low born status and fit for marriage into the royal family. This is, of course, simply a way to keep the royal family in control of the country.

Except the lower classes become fed up with this system that keeps them so impoverished. They rise up, storm the palace, and hunt down every member of the royal family and every one of the "Jeweled" they can find.

These books are historical fantasy, a setting you don't see often in romance. The world has a Victorian feel, but, although certain technologies are beginning to be developed, I wouldn't call these stories steampunk.

Jeweled features Evangeline, who hates her fall from grace. For her, adjustment from life as a celebrated "Jeweled" is very tough. The reader might not like her much at first, but stick with her, she changes and grows over the course of the novel.

Jaded has a much different type of heroine. Lilya is not magicked at all. She comes from a very rough background and has spent her life as a courtesan, one who is in charge of every aspect of her business–from the selection of her clients to what she does with them. All of that is turned on its head when two particular men enter her life and she is forced to confront her past and readjust her present. If she doesn't, she'll have no future.

You can read the first chapter of Jeweled and/or Jaded on my web site

Want to win a copy of Jeweled, the first book in this two-book series? Leave a comment and I'll pick a winner.

Finally, I want to let everyone know about the contest I'm holding on my blog. I'm celebrating the release of JADED on June 7th with a two week event. The grand prize is a $100 GC to the book store of the winner's choice, the runner-up prize is a $50 GC, and there are chances to win a different book every day. Go on over and check it out.

And remember, if you haven't yet entered for a Kindle, or $189 Amazon gift card, do so now here at the Addicted to You contest.