Julie Elizabeth Powell's Blog, page 87
July 29, 2015
Finding Nolan Series by KS Thomas
FINDING NOLAN SERIES
AUTHOR: K.S. Thomas
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
Book One ~ Lost Avalon
Cover by SoLoud!Media
Word Count ~ 60,000
Contemporary Romance
Content Warning - Adult Language and Situations
Fame, fortune and a future paved with rock 'n roll gold - Blaise Nolan has it all. With his brooding good looks, haunting voice and troubled lyrics of a soul gone lost, it's no wonder his band Finding Nolan has been climbing the music charts with back to back hits. Only Blaise didn't wind up brooding, haunted and lost by accident...
Avalon Jennison has been the girl next door since she was five. The best friend since she was eight. The band manager since she was sixteen, and the keeper of his secrets always. Ava's been there every step of the way, helping Blaise live his dreams while keeping his nightmares at bay. But the years of putting Blaise's needs above her own are about to be over.
Except, Blaise has one secret even Ava doesn't know...and it could be the thing that breaks her heart completely, or finally puts it back together.
*All Finding Nolan Novels are stand alone stories. However, due to recurring characters and the way each story builds on the one before it, they are best read in order.*
Royce and I just stood there staring at the closed door. Then we heard the water go on in the shower and realized she wasn’t coming back out anytime soon.
“What are you going to do when you’re sober?” Royce was looking way too satisfied with himself.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what are you going to do when there’s no more reason to play pretend? Are you hoping she just gets so used to acting like your girlfriend that she’ll forget that she’s not?”
He wasn’t blocking the fucking door anymore, so I was free to make my exit. Which I did.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t.” Royce was following me out of the room and back into the kitchen.
“Look. I don’t expect you to understand my relationship with Ava.”
Royce shrugged. “What’s to understand? You’re in love with her.”
“This is what I’m talking about. Why do people always assume that when a guy and a girl are close friends, it means that one of them has to be in love with the other?”
Royce went to get the cup of coffee he had abandoned before shit got heated. “I don’t assume that.” He took a sip, made a face and stuck the coffee in the microwave. “I would have no problem believing that the two of you were best friends who had a completely platonic relationship…if I didn’t know for a fact that it was complete and utter bullshit.” His coffee was done and he took another drink, this time with better results. “If it makes you feel any better, she’s clearly in love with you, too. Although, unlike you, I don’t think she’s aware of it.” Then he took his cup and left to go out onto the terrace.
Unlike me? Where was he coming up with this…this ridiculous…truth. It was true. I was in love with Ava. And she felt the same way about me. Thing Royce in all his smugness had failed to see was that I’d made damn sure she stayed unaware of it.
Amazon - B&N - iTunes - Kobo - Scribd - Goodreads
Book Two ~ Secret Hudson
Cover by SoLoud!Media
Word Count ~ 52,000
Contemporary Romance / LGBT Romance
Content Warning - Adult Language and Situations
Royce Lemmi went from being the bullied little freak in high school to rock and roll demigod in the blink of an eye. While playing to packed stadiums filled with screaming fans night after night is a daily reminder of how far he’s come, most days Royce can’t help but see that tortured soul from before, anytime he looks in the mirror.
Kieran Hudson has never spent a day of his life questioning who he was or what he wanted. He spends his days tending to his mother’s store, but his nights are dedicated to exploring the world through the lens of his camera and exposing beauty in the most unexpected places.
When Royce and Kieran’s paths cross in a twist of paparazzi fate, they both react true to form. Royce runs to hide the weakness he fears, behind the success he now depends on, while Kieran never wavers on what he wants or who he wants to be with. And he’s going to do what he does best to convince Royce he’s right.
All Kieran has to do…is expose the beauty in the place Royce least expects to find it. Himself.
There was a knock on the door almost simultaneously to it opening.
“Royce?” It was Ava.
“What’s up, buttercup?”
“The coffee here blows. I’m going to make a store run. Need anything?”
I stared down at my legs, fully dressed in jeans, socks and shoes, then back over at the TV screen. I’d been awake, showered, clothed, and watching a Gilligan’s Island marathon since five a.m. What I needed, was to get out of this fucking hotel room.
“I’m sure I’ll think of something once we’re there.” I pointed the remote straight at the captain’s head and pulled the trigger. Thank God that was finally over.
She made a face at me. “You’re going to come?”
“I’m sorry. Is that a problem?” Not twelve hours ago she’d asked me to follow her into the bathroom to keep her company while she showered. Now seemed like an odd time to suddenly require some privacy.
Ava reached for the baseball cap hanging on the doorknob and strapped it over my head. “Not any more.” She pointed at the nightstand behind me. “Hey, grab those shades too, would ya? I really don’t feel like getting attacked by the paparazzi pre-shower and wearing my sweats.”
“You showered. I know. I was there, remember?” I slid on the shades anyway. I wasn’t in the mood for a morning mob either. I was no Blaise Nolan, but in lieu of Finding Nolan’s front man, people seemed to be happy to settle for the lowly bass player in a heartbeat.“Um, that shower was ages ago. Do you know how much I’ve sweat in the meantime?” She led the way out the door, in spite of her apparent nastiness.
“Gross. I know we’re close Ava, but I do not need to hear about your sweaty sex with Blaise.” I reached for my wallet and room key on the way out.
“Ew! I went for a run this morning, you jackass! For the record, I don’t have unattractive, sweaty sex. I do it all nice and pretty like…you know, the way they do it in the movies. All sensual and magical.”
I nodded, even though she had her back to me. “Yeah, I hear that all the time about hetero sex. How magical it is.” Ava turned her head briefly and acknowledged the sarcasm with a dramatic eye roll and her standard half-smirk, but didn’t bother to respond. We’d had the hetero sex talk plenty of times before in the past. She knew where I stood with it. Preferably at a safe distance where I could pretend it didn’t exist.
Vaginas didn’t scare me exactly. I mean, they seemed innocent enough, and I could see the convenience of it all, one piece fitting into the other. But I’d taken sex ed. I’d seen that sweet little flower chicks claimed they were sitting on morph into monsters big enough to spit out a watermelon on a moment’s notice. Don’t tell me there isn’t something shady about that.
If straight dudes want to stick their dicks in there, I say do so at your own risk. Someday that beast may decide to swallow instead of spit, and then what the fuck are you going to do? Be fucking dickless, that’s what.
We were in the elevator going down to the lobby when I noticed Ava was still grinning.
“What?”
She chuckled before she answered, “You look nervous. Thinking about penis-eating vaginas again?”
“The thing drools blood, Ava! It’s clearly carnivorous.”
The mocking grin fell from her face. “Okay, now you’re just being disgusting. And you know I can’t keep up in below the belt verbal combat before I’ve had my coffee, so that was an entirely unfair attack.”
I jerked my brow in feigned shock. “What attack? It was merely an act of self-defense. You started it. And it will count. And we’re calling it a truce.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Book Three ~ Fallen Angel
Word Count ~ 56,000
Contemporary Romance
Content Warning - Adult Language (I think we can pretty much count on this with everything I write, lol)
Angel Hollis has mastered two things in his life. Music and Women. And with the other men of Finding Nolan moving on to more long-term relationships, Angel's not complaining about picking up the slack and keeping the groupies happy and satisfied.
Addison Jennison has been in love with Angel since she was eleven. Long before the fans were screaming his name and lining up to sleep with him, she was there. Only he never noticed. And why would he? She was just a kid.
Then.
Now, at twenty-one, she's finally old enough to catch his eye...provided he allows himself to look. Addison isn't just anyone. She's Ava's little sister. And Ava's family. There are rules. Lines that can't be crossed. Hearts not to be tampered with.
Angel's determined not to screw up and hurt the people he loves most, but no one is prepared when he comes face to face with his undoing and...he falls.
“So, when will this inappropriate touching take place?” She looks up and catches my gaze again. “I’m assuming I’m the one you’ll be touching inappropriately, right?”
Well, she’s definitely not sweet and innocent anymore. “Uh,” I clear my throat repeatedly. What is happening to me? How in the hell is she doing this? She’s Bam Bam, for fuck’s sake. Ava’s goofy little sister with the sweet smile and sad eyes. Only that’s not who I see when I look at her now. “Did you want to be touched inappropriately?”
She shrugs. “Do you?”
I cough. I feel like a jackass. It’s not cool. I’m supposed to be calm about this shit. Not act like a fucking pansy ass who can barely put together a sentence just because she smiles at me. I’m not fucking Royce.
“Shit.” I drop my fork in my empty box.
“What?” She’s frowning, no sign of that sexy as hell smirk left to be found. Which should make this easier. But it doesn’t. Because I remember. I remember the last time I saw a person acting the way I’m acting right now. And if what happened to him, is happening to me…shit just got real.
“Um, I just remembered. The band. The one I wanted to take you to go see. They start playing in less than half an hour. This time of day, with traffic, I don’t think we’ll make it in time.” I slide down from the trunk of my car, purposely keeping my face turned away from her. I have an odd sense she could see straight through me right now if our eyes met.
“Huh.” I hear a soft thud behind me as her feet hit the ground as well. Then I feel her arm wrap around my stomach, her body pressing against my back. “I don’t really feel like sitting in traffic right now,” she says quietly, her head resting right below my shoulder.
The sensation of suffocating starts to settle in my chest again. I don’t get why it keeps happening. And I don’t like it. If my body continues to equate her touch with oxygen one of us is bound to get hurt…or worse.
“If we don’t get in the car right now and get back on the road,” I pause, straining to fill my lungs with air, “we’re not going to make the show on time.”
“Angel?” Her body slinks around me until we’re standing face to face. “Are you really thinking about a bunch of British guys and their instruments right now?”
That smirk is back. And I’m completely fucked.
“Hell no.” I take in a ragged breath. “I’m thinking we’ve got a real problem here though.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t think I can call you Bam Bam anymore,” I mutter, thinking how there’s no chance in hell this smartass, sexy woman will ever again conjure up the same innocent brotherly thoughts that little girl did once upon a time.
Her usual smirk breaks into a smile. “There’s always Addy.”
I shake my head. “No good. Everyone calls you that.”
“What do you want to call me?”
Mine. But I don’t say that out loud. “Something no one else does. Something just for me.”
“Easy. Call me Addison. You can be the first person to ever talk to me like I’m an adult.”
“I like that. Addison.” Then I’m breathing her in. Inhaling her with a kiss so intense I’m losing track of where I end and she begins. Her hands. My hands. Her body. My body. They move together in a way I’ve never felt before with any other woman. It’s like I finally get why people compare themselves to pieces of a puzzle. Because sometimes you find yourself with someone who just…fits.
Dog Lover who likes her pastries full of cream and sugar….oh…and I write some ;-)
Aside from being an author, I am also a mom to a beautiful 5 year old little girl. I tell everyone I named her after my great-grandmother (because that’s the mature answer), but really, I named her after my favorite princess – just so happens I got lucky and they had the same name…If I wasn’t a writer, I would work on a horse ranch – I’m an animal lover (in addition to dogs, horses are at the top of my list). I wear flip-flops pretty much everywhere I go. I would rather stay awake until 5 am than get up at 5 am (years of bar tending have left their mark), if I can, I’m going to the beach AND I will always be nice to people who bring me chocolate…or coffee…if you bring me both, I’ll probably love you forever.A gypsy at heart, I write the way I live, following the story wherever it may lead, always ready to start the next one. This is clearly reflected in my body of work which to date includes everything from Children’s Lit to Thrillers.I happily reside in sunny Florida (for now) and always enjoy hearing from fellow readers!!
The Decadent Series by Kelly Collins
THE DECADENT SERIES
AUTHOR: Kelly Collins
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
Dig into a satisfying trio of deliciously sexy stories.
Book One ~ Just Dessert
Length: 362 pages
Publication Date: April 2, 2014
Pure hearted Katarina Cross has a simple life plan; finish school and find a job. Everything is on track until Damon Noble walks onto the scene. He’s the sweetest confection she has ever laid eyes on.
After his last girlfriend left a bad taste in his mouth for commitment, Damon nixes the idea of a relationship. He simply orders and pays for what he needs. Why ask for the full menu when you can just order dessert?
A chance meeting, a book club and a penchant for dessert will change everything.
Book Two ~ Brownie Points
Length: 272 pages
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Emma is beautiful, educated, and damaged. Unavailable emotionally, she has succeeded in her job where liaisons only go as far as the length of time you purchase. In her line of work, relationships are risky. You don’t mix business with pleasure; it’s a conflict of interest. That was always the rule—until Anthony.
Touted as one of Los Angeles’ most sought after men, Anthony is a hot commodity. A once confirmed bachelor, his tune changes once Emma comes into his life. She’s the one, and he’ll do anything to keep her.
Hell bent on unraveling the mysteries of Emma’s life, he sets out to solve the secrets that are buried with her mother. The ghosts of Emma’s past threaten to destroy the delicate bond they have created. What he uncovers has the potential to bind them forever or break them apart.
When it comes to brownie points, can you ever collect enough to erase the past?
Book Three ~ Whipped
Length: 230 pages
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Roxy Somerville grew up with everything. Sports cars and designer clothes were commonplace in her life. Love, affection and autonomy were not. She left her life of luxury, and traded her riches for freedom, a freedom that would lead her back to her first love.
Bobby Anderson had very little in the way of wealth as a child. He had a supportive family and it made him the richest of men. For a time, he had Roxy, then she was gone. Now she’s back in his life, and he will stop at nothing to keep her.
Once you find yourself Whipped, there is no turning back.
Kelly Collins lives in Colorado with her husband, James, of twenty-five years. She's the proud mother of three young adults. They are her greatest accomplishment.
Reading has always been a passion. That passion turned into a career after she took a flight to New York and asked a what if question. That question turned into her first book, Tempo.
Always a romantic, she is inspired by real time events mixed with a dose of fiction. She encourages her readers to reach the happily ever after but bask in the afterglow of the perfectly imperfect love.
She has a passion for her family, a love of lemon drop martinis and is known to stop for anything shiny. She loves hockey, gerbera daisies and standing in front of her fireplace until she nearly combusts. And has a new found appreciation for green smoothies.
Armed with her laptop, Kelly wants nothing more than to create a world that any woman would want to explore with the intention of keeping the love alive.
The Amber Voyeur by Ravyn Rayne
THE AMBER VOYEUR
Blushing Books Publishing
Erotic Romance, Dystopia
CONTENT WARNING: Spanking and Erotica
No longer safe in Brayleigh, Aria and James travel by ship to find refuge and discover what’s left of the world.
Dangerous seas and pirates lurking are only the start of their troubles. Forced off the boat with nothing but the clothes on their back, the crew and passengers make it to a nearby island, only to be abducted by the Knight Tribe, a clan of romantic warriors with a voyeuristic culture and a taste for nightly entertainment.
Get swept away in this dystopian erotic adventure, brimming with romance, spankings, and betrayal.
“Hey!” Aria shouted, not that it did anything to stop their fighting.
“Enough!” James’s voice echoed in the confined space.
The men let go of one another and stood, dusting off the dirt caked to their skin.
A gentleman with red hair and blue eyes stepped toward Aria. He’d been one of the three fighting, a crewmember on the ship. “Do you know what they’re having us do?” he asked.
“No,” Aria said, glancing back at the die lying on the floor. Aria rolled the large die slightly with her hand. It stood up to her waist in height, though it felt lighter than it looked. She’d never seen a die quite so large. Who made it?
“The festival tonight is entertainment for the commander and the tribe. She’s choosing two from the pit and they’ll have to do whatever the die says.”
Aria swallowed nervously as she further examined the giant die. One side showed two people battling with swords. Aria frowned, turning the die onto another side, it revealed a pictograph of two men with guns in a shoot-out. That wouldn’t end well for someone. Her heart skipped a beat, and she rolled the die onto another side, covering her lips in surprise. Was that a paddle? Her cheeks burned and she took a step back from the die.
James didn’t appear nearly as affected as Aria from the news. He stepped forward, resting his hand on her lower back. “Do we know who has been elected for the festival?”
Kali shook her head. “The commander chooses two worthy opponents from the pit of invaders and mainlanders. Seeing as how the mainlanders have assimilated or died,” Kali said, clearing her throat, “it’s safe to say that one of you that has not been chosen by a tribe member, will be selected.”
Ravyn is a sassy, fun-loving, and adventure-seeking young woman. She loves to travel and can’t wait for her next vacation, wherever it might be.
Ravyn writes romantic erotica. She began writing romance novels in college, spending her down time either reading a book or writing fiction. Please don’t make her choose between the two, she loves them equally.
Although BURNING DESIRE is her debut romantic erotica novel, it is not her first published book. She has been published professionally since 2013. You can find her other books here.
For less steamy reads, you can follow her here: Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Top Ten Reasons to Read this Genre (Dystopian Erotica) by My Book Addiction and More
1. Romance and heart-pumping action. What's not to love?
2. Book boyfriends. Everyone wants one. Now you can have one (or a second one).
3. Unlike The Hunger Games and Divergent which are Dystopian, this series and genre is exclusively for adults. Suddenly being old pays off.
4. It makes you appreciate the world you're living in.
5. You can fantasize without the sting of a real spanking.
6. Learn something about sex!
7. The fear may be real, but at least the bad $h!t isn't happening to you.
8. Get your kink on.
9. Adventure on every page.
10. Twists and turns that will keep you guessing.
Author Interview by The Dark Realm
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Just finding the time to write without distractions. That's the most challenging aspect for me right now.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My first book I wrote in 2004 (I think). I self-published it before Amazon even offered self-publishing. I wrote it while I was in college. I'd been writing fan fiction for years and wanted to write my own novel. I made no attempt to get it published professionally through an agent or publisher. There's a few copies floating around, but you can't easily purchase one anymore. My inspiration? I loved writing and wanted to write something my grandparents could proudly read. At 31, my concerns have shifted and my 90 year old grandmother, if she wants to read my erotica, then go for it.
What are your current projects?
I'm currently working on the fourth book in the Federal Agent Chronicles. It's currently untitled but should be available early November 2015.
What do you think is the future of reading/writing?
I believe more authors are going to enter the market with the craze of self-publishing. It's already happening and I don't think it's going to slow down anytime soon. There will also be an influx of small publishers. Some will be great, others a nightmare. Be careful if you're an author!
What is the biggest thing that people THINK they know about your subject/genre, that isn't so?
People think they've read every dystopian out there. Dystopian Erotica opens up a new world of fiction with spicier stories.
Score One for Love Box Set
SCORE ONE FOR LOVE
Name of cover designer: DELAINE ROBERTS
Official genre of box set: ROMANCE
Content warning: 18+
Score a touchdown with this fantastic collection of 10 romance novellas from award-winning authors. Football, hockey, soccer, baseball and so much more—there’s a sexy story for every sports fan and every lover of romance. So, grab your copy today because everyone’s a winner when you Score One For Love!
Hockey star Colton Tremblay’s bad-boy reputation got him traded from Montreal to the expansion San Antonio Generals. As a female reporter, Maya Dominguez can’t afford distractions from the players she’s assigned to report on, but Colton is used to getting what he wants. Can he persuade Maya that this time, he is playing for keeps?
Marcia James- Racing Hearts
Stock car legend, Tom "Torque" Tyler, faces a bleak future following a traumatic head injury and seizures. Determined to drag her high-school crush from his self-imposed solitude, service dog trainer, Meg Klein, and a tiny but talented seizure response dog bring Tom hope and love.
When sports agent Camila Lemos and linebacker Evan Purser meet, anything but sparks fly. When the walls are broken down, will a touchdown be scored or will it be yet another fumble for both?
The night Tayla Adams is attacked, Third Degree Black Belt, Cam Giles steps in and stops the violent man. Little did Tayla know that when she takes a self-defense class she will come face to face with her knight in shining armor, but can Tayla learn to defend herself, and gain enough confidence to protect the two of them when the time unexpectedly comes?
Baseball star Tomas Vegas puts all his energy into winning the World Series, until he meets the widow Adriana Moretti. His supermodel ex-girlfriend and Adriana’s tightly-knit Italian family threaten them, but the more they’re pulled apart, the more they silently yearn to be together.
When burned-out actress Ariel Falconer meets professional beach volleyball player, Jake Hunter, their mutual attraction is immediate and scorching, but neither is ready for the emotional complications of false impressions and clashing expectations. Can Ariel and Jake escape unscathed, or will their conflict shatter their dreams and the promise of love?
Huck Tyson hates golf. Period. When it's suggested that he learn to play for his day job's camaraderie, he's less than welcoming of the idea, although desperate to advance his career. Amelia Berringer, the club's only golf pro, doesn't expect her student to be quite so negative and meets Huck's sarcasm with a snarky bite of her own. However, neither of them expect romance to rise from the greens.
After the violent death of her fiancé, Dakota Asher finds herself with a new desire to tempt fate as an adrenaline junkie. MMA coach, Ford Herveaux specializes in adrenaline. Dakota now specializes in Ford.
Melanie Rush has a huge crush on her coach, Ethan Patterson. He has strict rules against relationships within his tennis program, but Melanie wants to break them all. She’s determined to make Ethan hers, no matter what it takes.
Soccer goalkeeper, Jaden Sloup, has his eye on Ella Kennedy, a woman who won’t date jocks or frat boys. When Ella discovers his ruse, she runs into bullies who force Jaden to fight and prove that jocks and frat boys can be good guys too.
Michele Shriver writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Her books feature flawed-but-likeable characters in real-life settings. She’s not afraid to break the rules, but never stops believing in happily ever after. Michele counts among her favorite things a good glass of wine, a hockey game, and a sweet and sexy book boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.
Marcia James writes hot, humorous romances and finaled in eleven Romance Writers of America contests before selling her first comic romantic suspense, At Her Command. Her latest releases are Sex & the Single Therapist (a comic romantic mystery), Heating Up the Holidays (a romantic Christmas novella), and Love Unleashed (a super sexy reunion romance). In her eclectic career, she has shot submarine training videos, organized celebrity-filled nonprofit events and had her wedding covered by People Magazine. After years of dealing with such sexy topics as how to safely install traffic lights, she is enjoying "researching" and plotting her novels' steamy love scenes with her husband and hero of many years.
Lyssa Layne is first, and foremost, the proud momma to her precious daughter, AR. In addition to working full-time and being a mommy to AR, she is also an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor.
Having watched one too many medical dramas and being inspired by author Rachelle Ayala, who introduced her to the world of indie writing, Lyssa decided to try her hand at writing a romance story. Her attempt turned into the Burning Lovesick series. You can find Lyssa's own interests throughout her stories although all stories are fictional.
Stacy Eaton began her writing career in October of 2010 and as each goes by, she releases more and more novels. She is a police officer by profession and has been since 2000. Currently, she is assigned as the department detective and enjoys digging into cases and putting the pieces of the puzzles together; not only with interview and interrogation, but by utilizing her certified CSI training.
Stacy resides in southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, who is also in law enforcement, and her tween daughter who is working toward her second degree black belt and on the choral and cheerleading squads at school. She also has a son who is currently serving in the United States Navy.
Stacy is very involved in Domestic Violence Awareness and currently servers on the Board of Directors for her local Domestic Violence Center. When Stacy is not working her demanding job, or spending time with her family, she works on her business and volunteers with the World Literary Café.
In between all she does, she spends her spare moments plotting and every other moment writing.
P.C. Zick describes herself as "a storyteller no matter what I write." And she writes in a variety of genres, including romance, contemporary fiction, and nonfiction. She's won various awards for her essays, columns, editorials, articles, and fiction.
Many of her novels contain stories of Florida and its people and environment, which she credits as giving her a rich base for her storytelling. "Florida's quirky and abundant wildlife - both human and animal - supply my fiction with tales almost too weird to be believable."
Her fiction contains the elements most dear to her heart, ranging from love to the environment. All of her novels contain elements of romance with strong female characters and descriptive settings. She believes in living lightly upon this earth with love, laughter, and passion, and through her fiction she imparts this philosophy in an entertaining manner with an obvious love for her characters, plot, and themes.
Jade Kerrion is the author of the Double Helix series, which has won a total of eight science fiction awards, including the Gold Medal in Readers Favorites 2013. Her Guild Wars fan fiction was accused of keeping her readers up at night, distracting them from work, housework, homework, and (far worse), from actually playing Guild Wars. And then she wondered why just screw up the time management skills of gamers? Why not aspire to screw everyone else up too? So here she is, writing science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance novels that aspire to keep you from doing anything else useful with your time.
Abbie St Claire I've spent many years crafting stories in my brain. Finally, after the encouragement from those that love and support me the most, I put my first story out by self-publishing in 2013.
That first milestone created a writing monster in me that couldn't be stopped and filled a void I cannot explain. Each story is a true gift from my heart and a sacrifice from my soul, since I find it difficult to let the characters go.
At home in Texas, my husband and I share our life with children that mean the world to us and include a couple of fur babies. When we aren't busy watching sports and betting on the game, we are entertaining with friends.
I do have a writing cave, but honestly, most of my work comes from the kitchen, the heartbeat of any home. Since noise doesn't disturb me too much when writing, I can write and keep the pulse on the family at the same time. And... Possibly enjoy my favorite, sinful treat... Cookie dough!
The writer-reader world is my lifeline. I'm addicted and each time I get a message from a reader, I'm thrilled. There's quite a few stories planned for the next several months. I'm hoping the readers fall in love with my next series, The Creek Series. A story that is guaranteed to bring out all the emotions.
Kimmie Easley is an author who grew up traveling the country, rarely settling in one place for much longer than a minute. Being no stranger to heartache, she allows her unconventional childhood to fuel her writing.
Kimmie is addicted to all things books, wine, cupcakes, and flip flops. She is a homeschool momma, southern wife, and pug wrangler.
Kimmie can be found somewhere in the south writing wine worthy stories.
Gutter Princess coming in 2015 from Swoon Romance.
Chantel Rhondeau once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Before long, the need to create her own stories took over. She spends her daytime in the clinical profession of medical transcriptionist, but her passion is in the wonderful hours she spends with her characters in the evenings.
Chantel lives in the western United States, and when she isn't writing she loves playing cards with her family, bowling, and snuggling with her lazy kitties.
Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope.
Rachelle is an active member of the California Writer's Club, Fremont Chapter, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has three children and has taught violin and made mountain dulcimers.
July 27, 2015
Time to Love by Angela Ford
TIME TO LOVE
AUTHOR: Angela Ford
Genre: Time Travel Romance
Maggie Collins devoted her time to become a Veterinarian. She’d only dated one guy in college—her best friend’s brother. She believed the magic of love to be a myth when he cheated on her and broke her heart. Her best friend Emma wants to take a trip to Bolivia before she gets married. Hesitant at first, the trip begins to give Maggie a different outlook on life.
Her excitement is short-lived when Emma goes missing. Maggie’s search for her friend only finds Amaru, a native who hands her a mirror. His words confuse her. The future is behind you and the past is ahead of you. The water below her begins to ripple. She wakes up in the home of Sir Heth Manning. He is the ultimate of tall, dark and handsome. Maggie can’t remember how she ended up in 1737. She wonders if it matters now that she is falling in love with an eighteenth century English man.
Will she return to the life she knew? Or will the past become her future?
Where the hell am I?
Maggie dug deep in her memory. She could only remember her search for Emma. She gasped. She remembered Emma’s disappearance. Maggie closed her eyes and attempted to force her memory for the lapse between then and now.
“My fair lady is awake?”
Maggie heard his voice. The same one she’d heard earlier.
Did he just call me a fair lady?
She dared to open her eyes, part of her felt like a lost child; scared and alone. She felt a presence close to her. She could smell his scent. It teased her senses. She could no longer resist. She had to look. She opened her eyes slowly. His scent wasn’t the only pleasure she experienced. The ultimate of tall, dark and handsome stood before her. It wasn’t his greener-than-green eyes or long-dark lashes that caught her attention, but the way she felt he delved into her soul with his eyes. She felt a quick pierce to her heart. Never before had a man looked at her that way. His strong jawline curved a clean-shaven face. Her eyes focused on his lips as they parted. A sudden urge to kiss him overcame her sensible way of thinking. But the sudden thought to move only made her head hurt. She flinched and swallowed hard. No man had ever had such an impact on her.
If this is love at first sight, then I’ve been wrong—so wrong.
Angela Ford originates from Nova Scotia…Canada’s Ocean Playground!
Her love of the ocean and sunsets are always in her heart and give her inspiration. Her love for words keeps her turning the page. She is never without a book, whether she’s reading or writing. Now residing in Ontario, Angela works in Finance – numbers by day – words by night. Her dedication to volunteer and involvement with cyber safety seminars gave her an Award of Distinction and sparked the idea for her first book Closure – suspense with a dash of romance that hit the best- selling Action/Adventure and Women’s Fiction. Angela continued this FBI suspense with Forbidden and will deliver the final of the series in 2015. She also writes contemporary romance, sometimes sweet…sometimes spicy and sometimes with a dash of suspense. Unforgettable Kiss delivers a spicy romance with a dash of suspense. Blind Tasting of The Love List series and The Christmas Wreath of the Forever Christmas series are sweet reads. 2015 kicked off with a new Romantic Suspense Surrender.Between two jobs, being a mom with a home always filled with young adults and rather interesting stories; she is lucky to have one very patient and understanding man. But it is the furry family members who rule the house – a Puggle (Pug/Beagle), a new Chug puppy (Pug/Chihuahua) and two loveable cats. Every possible quiet moment she finds, she treasures and just writes about the moments to come. Angela is an avid reader of romance, a member of the RWA, KOD (Kiss of Death – Suspense Chapter) and Mississauga Writers Group. You can follow her at BTGN www.bookstogonow.com or visit her website/blog Romantic Escapes at http://www.angelafordauthor.com to connect with her on her social network sites. She loves to hear from her readers – they keep her smiling!
July 23, 2015
When Shadows Fall & The Darkness Comes are two epic fantasy books by Bruce Blake
Original Publication Date: January 25, 2015
A hundred hundred seasons have turned since the Goddess banished the Small Gods to the sky, leaving the land to mankind alone.
For Prince Teryk, life behind the castle walls is boring and uneventful until he stumbles upon an arcane scroll in a long-forgotten chamber. The parchment speaks of Small Gods, the fall of man, and the kingdom's savior—the firstborn child of the rightful king. It's his opportunity to prove himself to his father, the king, and assure his place in history. All he needs to do is find the man from across the sea—a man who can't possibly exist—and save mankind.
But ancient magic has been put in motion by a mysterious cult determined to see the Small Gods reborn. Powerful forces clash, uncaring for the lives of mortals in their struggle to prevent the return of the banished ones, or aid in their rebirth.
Named in a prophecy or not, what chance does a cocky prince who barely understands the task laid before him stand in a battle with the gods?
Original Publication Date: February 16, 2015
When shadows fall, the darkness comes...
A disgraced Goddess Mother wanders blind and alone, praying for her agony to end. When a helpful apostle finds her, could it truly be salvation, or does worse torment lie ahead?
A sister struggles to understand a prophecy that may not be meant for her while her brother fights for his life. If the firstborn child of the rightful king dies, will it spell the end for everyone?
Darkness and shadow creep across the land in the form of a fierce clay golem animated by its sculptor's blood. It seeks a mythical creature whose sacrifice portends the return of ancient evil banished from the world long ago. With its return will come the fall of man.
As the game unfolds, the Small Gods watch from the sky, waiting for their time to come and their chance to rise again. They wait for the fall of shadows, the coming of the darkness.
They wait for night to descend.
Bruce Blake lives on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. When pressing issues like shovelling snow and building igloos don't take up his spare time, Bruce can be found taking the dog sled to the nearest coffee shop to work on his short stories and novels.
Actually, Victoria, B.C. is only a couple hours north of Seattle, Wash., where more rain is seen than snow. Since snow isn't really a pressing issue, Bruce spends more time trying to remember to leave the "u" out of words like "colour" and "neighbour" than he does shovelling (and watch out for those pesky double l's). The father of two, Bruce is also the trophy husband of a burlesque diva.
Bruce's first short story, "Another Man's Shoes" was published in the Winter 2008 edition of Cemetery Moon. Another short, "Yardwork," was made into a podcast in Oct., 2011 by Pseudopod. Bruce's first Icarus Fell novel, "On Unfaithful Wings", was published in Dec., 2011 while the follow up, "All Who Wander Are Lost", came out in July, 2012. The third in the series, "Secrets of the Hanged Man", came out in July, 2013. The first part of his Khirro's Journey epic fantasy trilogy, "Blood of the King", was released Sept., 2012, book 2, "Spirit of the King," in Dec., 2012, and book 3, "Heart of the King," in Feb., 2013.
The two books in the Small Gods series, "When Shadows Fall" and "The Darkness Comes", were released in 2013, after which Bruce took a year out to concentrate on his family and career. Book three in the Small Gods series is Bruce Blake's current project.
Oblivion is a Supernatural Suspense Thriller genre book by Joshua Ryan Ogg
Original Publication Date: February 7, 2015
Paperback: March 12, 2015
A maniac is murdering gang leaders in the desert outside San Diego, black magic is whispered in back alleys, and zombie tweekers roam the streets. The world stands on the brink of something sinister and occult but the only guy Donnie DeGrassi knows that can solve this supernatural puzzle is a recluse that hides out in his beach shack, talking to spirits and brewing hallucinogenic compounds. Some say he’s crazy, others claim he’s genius, but those that dose Kal Renley's chemicals just know him as the Medicine Man. Can Donnie get his old friend out of retirement before reality gets as ugly as the underworld?
Mek, I can’t get it out…
He felt it nesting already in the slimy folds of his subconscious and somehow he’d failed at his own game. A snake expert taken out by venom.
Eden was horrified. She burst into tears and kept repeating “Oh god, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” as she backed away to the door.
Kal tried to raise a hand to stop her but he was shaky and weak.
“You have to shut it out,” Meklyn hissed. He was protective of Kal’s mind—that’s where he lived, after all—but this one had gotten the jump on them both.
“I’m sorry,” Eden stammered in horror and guilt before disappearing into the rain-soaked night.
“No wait,” Kal pleaded but the curse was sending him into shock. The effects of that sigil still writhed inside his head and, for a moment, he wasn’t sure if he was really this cosmic millennial medicine man that had spoken to gods, wrestled angels, and banished demons or if he was just a delusional addict with severe psychological issues.
Probably both.
Images of horror and shame raced through him and he thrashed violently. Something was on him, chasing him down the long halls of his mind. Something that got inside him with just a glance at that symbol.
Heather’s death, the clan violence, the shadow hunters on the astral plane, all the things that drove him into seclusion and out of the game, it all swarmed his mind at once. The cabinet he had been holding shut for months came bursting open to spill the slimy contents of his repressed subconscious into plain view.
He stumbled toward the kitchen and crashed through drawers and shelves in search of something to ward off the effects. He was looking for something specific. His own special tonic. His Joos.
But he knew better. He didn’t keep any in the house. Had a slight problem staying away from it when a supply was on hand. His own little vice. But now he needed it. Whatever curse had been embedded in that girl’s ink was currently kicking the shit out of him from the inside.
Kal managed to get to his feet, the world spinning and screaming around him, and stumbled out into the rain. Only one place in this neighborhood kept the Joos.
Kal stumbled, sick and puking, through the night, wavering on the edge of a mad abyss, looking and groping for help, for a fix of his own. For his own medicine.
KINDLE
PAPERBACK
Joshua Ryan Ogg has worked in entertainment media and digital marketing for close to a decade. Oblivion is his first published novel. He can usually be found in Ohio or California with his wife and two children.
Josh likes to connect with readers on social media and maintains a blog full of half-drunken ramblings and utter nonsense at www.joshuaryanogg.com.
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July 22, 2015
Crossing the Line by Michele Shriver
The bestselling Men of the Ice series, featuring the players of the San Antonio Generals hockey team, continues with Crossing the Line.
Nikolai Brantov left his homeland of Russia at the age of nineteen to pursue his dream of playing in the NHL. As the first-ever draft pick of the San Antonio Generals, Nik wants to justify the team’s faith in him Adapting to a new country and culture and learning a new language take up most of his off-ice time, and he doesn’t needed any added complications, especially from the team owner’s beautiful daughter.
Hailing from one of the wealthiest families in Texas, Meryl Johnson should have everything she wants. But money doesn’t buy happiness or her father’s affection. Even though she’s been warned that the player’s on the team are off limits, a new community project puts Meryl in regular contact with the budding Russian superstar, and that’s exactly the way she likes it.
When sparks fly between Nik and Meryl, her father sets out to remind them who is in charge—of both the hockey team and his family. Can the young couple triumph over his manipulations, or will falling in love spell the end of Nik’s time in San Antonio?
Michele Shriver writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Her books feature flawed-but-likeable characters in real-life settings. She’s not afraid to break the rules, but never stops believing in happily ever after. Michele counts among her favorite things a good glass of wine, a hockey game, and a sweet and sexy book boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.
RELEASE DATE: August 18, 2015
Cover designer: Michele Shriver
Official genre of book: Contemporary romance (sports)
July 18, 2015
Stolen Hearts by Andrea R. Cooper
Stolen Hearts
Author: Andrea R. Cooper
Original Publication Date: February 12, 2015
Genre: Suspense Romance
Crystal has spent her entire life training to be a thief in order to find evidence against the man who had her parents murdered. In her pursuit of justice she's had to give up her identity, her name, and any chance at love. When Crystal is forced on a blind date with the cop who is investigating her, she plays a dangerous game of hearts that could land her in a prison cell.
Kade is in search of a new life, after losing his partner. He's taken a new job, in a new city, and met a new girl. In order to keep his fresh start, he will have to catch an elusive thief targeting one of the largest corporations in the country. Desperate to forget the failures of his past, Kade has no intention of failing.
But secrets can’t be hidden forever.
Crystal shimmied down the drainpipe with her trophies tucked inside her backpack and computer files loaded onto her USB, hung around her neck disguised as a locket. This was too easy. Not like the Warren job where the COO kept changing the menu and supervised their catering to ensure they had followed the strict rules of kashrut.
She landed on the concrete with a thump, then removed her mask. Usually she worked at night when the catering gig didn’t provide the necessary cover, but she had a date this evening.
A blind date.
Her sister’s fiancée had called earlier that day to let them know his cousin from Texas would join them for dinner and would Crystal come along? As far as Crystal was concerned, it was the closest thing she’d come to as a real date in a long time. She’d take it.
Thankfully, her catering appointment with Westridge canceled yesterday. While she enjoyed cooking, it was only a cover for her and her sister’s illegal activities. What she excelled at was computers, but having a career in that field, now, would be too suspicious. Her IT skills far exceeded a Level One Help Desk worker. She despised working for Westridge, the man who had her mother killed and her dad thrown into jail, but catering was the easiest way into her target’s homes without suspicion. And she refused to pose as a cleaning lady and scrub their filth.
Years ago, Dad found what he thought was a series of accounting errors. For his honesty trying to help Westridge correct the problem, he was thrown in jail to rot. Westridge and his company framed her dad for embezzlement and sharing confidential information with preferred suppliers to obtain favors. Now she and her sister were halfway toward exonerating him and exposing Westridge and his corporate crimes. To see the look on Joshua Westridge’s face when he was convicted would make all her and her sister’s sacrifices worth it.
Thunder boomed as she weaved through alleys, stinking of rotting food and urine. She barely made it to her car before thunder rumbled.
Crystal checked the time on the dashboard, almost seven. No time to waste. Paul and his cousin, Kade, were picking up her and her sister at seven-thirty. Her car hummed to life as she stashed her backpack behind her seat. The stolen cash, including a recently purchased blood diamond necklace, lay inside. Hopefully the money and necklace would throw off Westridge’s Sales Manager to the fact that computer information had been the real prize. And hopefully, they wouldn’t discover the truth until it was too late. For now, another piece of the puzzle to exonerate their dad and lock Westridge away lay on her chest inside her locket.
She whipped into traffic and hit the wipers as fat drops of rain slapped against the windshield. Great. Ahead, a red light flickered as taxis and cars lined up behind it. She debated taking Ninth, but decided against it. Construction was still ongoing and traffic would be worse than this.
Maybe squeezing in a job before dinner wasn’t such a great idea.
Awards
2013 - UP Author Approved (The Garnet Dagger)
2013 - Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers Choice Award - Historical Romance with a touch of magic (Viking Fire)
2014 Paranormal Romance Guild (Son of Dragons) 2nd Place SciFi/Fantasy
2014 - BTS Red Carpet Review Nominee (Viking Fire)
2015 Best Fantasy Romance (Son of Dragons) by Moonrise Book Blog
2015 Runner-up Best Fantasy Romance Novella (Cursed) by Moonrise Book Blog
2015 RONE Finalist for Sci/Fi Fantasty with InD'Tale Magazine
beer or wine - Wine (red and sweet)
Summer or Winter – Winter (it gets way too hot in Texas during the summers)
Coffee or Tea - Tea (Chai Soy Latte)
color or white/black - Color
Shopping or Reading – Toughie…how about shopping for new books
Dog or cat - Cat
Ocean or Lake – Ocean (but without the sharks please)
Paperback or Kindle – Kindle (only because of costs and no one knows what I’m reading)
80s or 90s – 80s
Pizza or Cheeseburger – Pizza (it’s more versatile)
1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was fourteen, I started writing poetry, and that paved the way for writing novels. However, it wasn’t until I wrote my first full-length novel in my early thirties, that the dream of becoming a write took hold.
2. How long does it take you to write a book?
Depends. During my first NaNoWriMo, I wrote Claimed in twenty-eight days. Before that, Son of Dragons took me two and half months.
I still have novels that are in various stages of writing and need to be finished.
3. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
If I’m on a deadline, I squeeze in writing after work when my two younger kids are playing. Then after they go to bed, I write until midnight. I’m not a morning person, so early days are spent getting myself into work full-time. I’m more creative at nighttime anyway.
4. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I have to have noise. Either music, the kids playing, TV, something while I’m writing.
5. How do books get published?
Now there are multiple ways to get books published. Either through a traditional publisher, small press, or Indie (self-publishing).
A writer may obtain an agent to represent them to publishers, or more and more publishers are accepting unsolicited (meaning unagented) material. My opinion is to try both – send query letters to both agents and publishers.
6. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Everywhere. Dreams, interesting tibits in the news or history. For example, Viking Fire emerged from finding out the name Lochlain or Lauchlin was Gallic for Viking (which my grandmother’s maiden name was McLauchlin).
7. When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I wrote a few chapters of a novel I never finished when I was eighteen. Then life intervened with college, marriage, a child, divorce, then finally a second marriage and two more kids. The first novel I completed was when I was thirty-one.
8. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Sleep.LOL. I have two kids under the age of five, work full-time, and rarely get more than six hours of sleep a night if I’m lucky.
Otherwise, Zumba and reading are top on my list
9. What does your family think of your writing?
They are supportive. However, my five year old asked why my book didn’t have any pictures and so many words.
10. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That the characters and stories come to life. Many surprises in my novels were unplanned. I love that I discover exciting things while I write.
11. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
Completed novels? I’ve written fourteen novels and five novellas. My favorite is always whichever one I’m working on currently. Which today is two novels: Captive Hearts – Hearts’ series Book 2 and Fallen – Claimed series Book 2.
12. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Read your novel aloud. Read books on writing, fiction novels you like and don’t, nonfiction, everything. Get several critique partners or join a writer’s group either online or at a library.
13. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I’m thrilled when I hear from my writers. Many say they love a character and/or want to know when the next book in one of my series is coming out.
Or that they loved a story so much, they want more, even though I’d not planned to write another story with those characters, their words make me add another novel to my growing list to write.
14. Do you like to create books for adults?
Yes. I think children’s authors and YA authors deserve special recognition. Condensing down a story into a few words, making them memorable, or getting the balance of a complex teenager is hard. I’ve tried it and to me, it’s much easier to write adult books.
15. What do you think makes a good story?
An interesting story, unique three-dimensional characters, and a surprise or two in the story.
16. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be a teacher. However, I thought all the kids would be like me and wanted to learn and listen to the teacher. Sadly, the reality isn’t like that.
17. What would you like my readers to know?
Live your dreams. It’s taken me awhile, but now I’m satisfied with my life. It’s not perfect, but I’m happy.
Andrea has always created characters and stories. But it wasn't until she was in her late twenties that she started writing novels.
What happened that ignited the writing flame in her fingers? Divorced, and disillusioned by love songs and stories. They exaggerate. She thought. Love and Romance are not like that in the real world. Then she met her husband and realized, yes love and romance are exactly like the songs and stories say. She is now a happy wife, and a mom to three kids (two boys and a girl).
Andrea writes paranormal and historical romance. When not writing or reading, one may find Andrea dancing in Zumba.
She believes in the power of change and counting each moment as a blessing. But most importantly, she believes in love.
July 14, 2015
Affairs of the Heart Box Set
AFFAIRS OF THE HEART
(15 NOVELS AND NOVELLAS FROM YOUR FAVORITE ROMANCE AUTHORS)
Name of cover designer: RENE FOLSOM
Official genre of box set: ROMANCE
Content warning: 18+
Contemporary Romance Box Set — Complete Stories Anthology — Hot New Release — Vacation Reading Package
15 COMPLETE NOVELS AND NOVELLAS FROM YOUR FAVORITE ROMANCE AUTHORS IN ONE PRETTY PACKAGE.
Due to mature content, situations and language, this collection is recommended for audiences 18+. Heat levels range from sensual to scorching. All works in this box set have been professionally proofed by Paper Gold Publishing, unless this service was expressly refused by the author. Some stories are written in American, and some in British English. The authors have chosen to stay true to their heritage.
Includes a mix of already released and never-before seen stories, all complete works. Those books which are part of a series can be enjoyed fully without the need to read the complete series (though there is a chance you might develop story-addiction issues—for that, we apologize).
Dive into summer in good company. Affairs of the Heart gives you the chance to make 15 new sets of best friends. Just think about it: 15 hot boyfriends and girlfriends you can lust after, laugh with, or shed a tear for. If there is one thing this set is brimming with is intense emotion. We guarantee you won’t be able to simply walk away, stone-cold, from this collection.
Maci strives for one thing in life—anonymity. With her writing career in full bloom, all she wants is to work in peace while concealing her true identity from the public. Though readers love the science fiction worlds she creates, Maci knows that gender stereotypes could damage her career if she is exposed as a woman.
Liam is the envy of all gamers as the lead developer for nZone Studios. Over time, he builds walls around himself, keeping people at arm’s length who only gravitate to him for his material possessions rather than who he is as a person.
With thick barriers around their hearts and their past looming in the shadows, Liam and Maci challenge each other by slowly peeling away their protective layers and seeing each other for who they really are. It doesn’t take long after their chance meeting at a coffee shop for them to become one another’s game changer.
Note: This contemporary romance novel is the first book in the Playing Games series and contains adult situations meant for ages 18+.
“Trust me, he says. You’ll be safe with me, he says.”
Amelie Watts is sick and tired of being treated like a child. She might be willowy and delicate, but she has strength of the kind that doesn’t show on the outside. Plus, she learned all she needed to know so she could cope on her own. Now, if only her big brother would finally release her inheritance! She would fly to the Bahamas and kiss the backwater she grew up in goodbye.
Jason Watts is fed up with picking up the pieces of his little sister’s life. If only she would grow up already and learn to live life without stabilizers! Her latest idea is insane, and bound to be her most enormous failure to date. But how to make her understand?
Enter Rob Tyson, incorrigible bachelor and Jason’s best friend. For a laugh, they make a bet.
Two people, a hastily acquired boat, and a tropical paradise. What could possibly go wrong?
Zaed, Sophie's American-born friend, kneels at a party to retrieve a glittering ring from the floor. Before anyone can comment, Natasha, Sophie's cousin, is shrieking 'yes, yes, I accept' to a bewildered Zaed. It's all a cosmic mistake, but things get out of hand rapidly as Zaed's father, an old friend of Natasha's father, bribes Zaed to accept Natasha's expectations and wed her. But then, Zaed and Sophie fall in love. And the huge, elaborate wedding between Zaed and Natasha, a wedding that will join two powerful families, is next week.
You don't just back out at the altar. Not in Pakistan…
James, a UK based chef, has tried to make a career with EAT-TV, but his womanizing ways aren’t what they’re looking for with their wholesome family style image. However, the producers of a new reality show about single life, The Fixer Upper, think he’s perfect. Against his wishes his agent convinces him to give it a shot. His overpriced bachelor pad is needing a mortgage payment, and he needs a job to support the tween-aged daughter that’s recently been dumped in his lap.
Margaret Dumas is control freak who has micromanaged her marriage to shambles. When she makes a deal with her mother to quit fixing her up if she’ll do this new reality show, she thinks she’s won. No more blind dates, no more friendly advice, no more “chance meetings” with her Mother’s friends’ sons. The only catch is she’s got to go on detestable reality television and expose her dating habits to a total stranger who is supposed to “fix” her and make her a dating machine. As if.
When Margaret meets James, they clash on the surface, but deep down they recognize something in the other that they want. Redemption.
My name is Alix and I am addicted to sex.
Had been for years. I thought I learned how to live a normal life, but that’s the thing about addiction, it creeps back up when you least expect it. There is no one there for me, no one I can turn to for help. Until I’m given a chance to explore a side of myself I’d always kept locked away. I was lost…until him. I can’t tell you who he is, or why he does the things he’s done. All I can say is I hope one day I behave well enough to take off the blindfold and see the man who controls my addiction. My Master.
My name is John and I am addicted to control.
I tried to deny the dominate side of my personality. I didn’t want to admit how much I enjoyed the power, how much I enjoyed causing pain. That is until the woman I’d been secretly been stalking waltzed into a BDSM club right in front of me. All bets are off. She will be mine.
Together our addictions feed off each other, fueling the fire that burns within. Until suddenly the fire is too hot to handle, burning everything in its path. The pain and scars we’d both come into our fragile relationship with are split wide open, exposing more than either of us can handle, possibly leaving nothing behind to salvage from the ashes.
**Warning: Intended for audiences 18+ due to explicit sex & vulgar language, mention of rape/abuse**
She'd been dealt too many blows to count. He'd always lived life on easy street. Are they Yin and Yang or a mistake of epic proportions?
Makeup artist Reggie Reynolds has endured a life as colorful as her ever-changing hair. After a painful childhood and a tragic adolescence, by sheer force of will, she found success – first in Hollywood, then on Broadway. Returning to her hometown offers a chance to help her aging grandfather and realize her dreams, not to mention soothe a broken heart. But even her storied past won't prepare Reggie for what happens in her next chapter.
When reporter Eddie Besson meets Reggie on a flight to New York City, he thinks he's at an all-time high-point in his cushy, perpetual-youth life. Twenty-four hours with Reggie changes Eddie's perspective. Despite the fact she doesn't want anything to do with him when he leaves, Eddie can't stop thinking about the girl from New York City long after he's gone from the Big Apple.
As Eddie's perfectly-orchestrated life falls apart, he has some tough decisions to make, with only one thing certain: there will be consequences to pay for his lackadaisical approach to adulthood. Reggie's own soul-searching reveals some painful truths, including guilt about passing judgment on the guy from Maine. When she runs into Eddie again – this time on his home turf – sparks fly and decisions must be made, choices that aren't universally well-received. Will this unlikely pair go all-in, find a way to balance the scales and live life on their own terms? Or will tragedy tear them apart for good?
What would you do if you had no place to go and no one you could trust?
Jackson Beaumont prides himself on being a nature-loving, guitar-strumming, carefree sort of guy. When the mysterious Lena Benton walks into his bar looking scared and defeated, it's not something he can ignore. He's immediately consumed by concern for her and driven by his desire to help. She's just so beautiful. So wounded.
After being shuffled from one foster home to another growing up, Lena Benton dreamt of finding her prince charming. When the captivating Troy Harington sweeps her off her feet shortly after high school graduation, she's certain she's found her happiness. Unfortunately, Troy's true colors surface shortly after their marriage and things turn ugly. Lena only has one choice. She has to leave him. She has to run...
Lena's escape has brought her to Jackson, and he clearly wants to be there for her, but can she trust anyone again after what she's gone through? And will Jackson be able to help her heal without losing his heart?
Mangled Hearts become Entangled Souls
Cade is on the road to recovery with Francesca’s love and support guiding him. His life is changing drastically, from attempting to mend the rift between he and his father, to trying to have a normal relationship with his now fiancé. Most of all, Cade must find a way to control his urges so he can be completely released from rehabilitation.
Francesca is building her law firm with the help of those she loves most, but when a close friend reveals her true feelings about Francesca's engagement, it sends her emotions into a tailspin. Through all of this, she is forced to put her feelings on the back burner for everyone else, until the anniversary of Josie’s accident rolls around. Francesca must learn to put herself first before she falls apart.
In this novella, join Cade and Francesca as they explore their relationship and begin their lives together.
Thank you for picking up this Crimson & Clover short story, SURRENDER. If you've read THE STORM AND THE DARKNESS, you will recognize pieces of this from Ana's flashback to her prom night. SURRENDER is an expanded version of that scene, painting her teenage courtship with Oz with color and context.
Having read other books in the series will provide deeper insight, but they are not required to enjoy this story. SURRENDER is the first of many Crimson & Clover Lagniappes (or, bonus stories). You can pick it up anywhere in your series journey.
I hope you enjoy this quick, lighthearted read about the joyful innocence that accompanies first love.
Andi has always been anxious about her weight and like many women, thinks that unless she is thin, she has no value.
Follow her 'misadventures' and see if this is true or will she find there are more important things that makes a person who and what they are?
Jack Austin had it all – a great home, career, and the girl of his dreams. Then one night he lost them all, thanks to his father. Now he has seventy-two hours to find a way to get back his ranch, and win the heart of the only girl he ever loved.
Katrina Mitchell was a small-town girl who had big dreams. She was the first in her family to graduate high school, and was determined to go to college. Then she met Jack and found out love did not have to come with a price. They made plans for their future, but it all came crashing down around them.
She lost more than she could ever tell anyone that night. Now Jack needs her help. Can she help him without giving away a secret she had fought so long to hide?
Leaving the Marines and returning to the Tormented Souls clubhouse to live with my brother, the president, wasn't as easy as I thought it'd be. I have too many secrets, too many scars to hide from the world. I thought the years away would've dulled the crush I've had on Ellis since I was a child. They didn't.
He's got his eye on me and nothing I say will change his mind. Not even when my boyfriend shows up and he finds out the darkest, most embarrassing secret I have. He thinks it's the only one I have, little does he know, I have a bigger, scarier one that I absolutely refuse to share.
**WARNING: CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT - Also, please don't bother reading if you think being in the Marines leaves you unfeeling and cold without the need for comfort when far away from home. Don't read this if you have problems with LOTS of sexy scenes or sex. There is vulgar language used so if that bothers you, probably best to skip this book**
A day of errands and fate were responsible for Nadia and Dillon’s paths crossing.
He asked her out, then found himself begging her to keep their first date, the date she had wanted to cancel. Five minutes of her time was all he asked for. He just wanted to see her again.
They married and had a perfect storybook love.
But, when Dillon gets in a terrible car accident one morning on his way to work, Nadia’s world crumbles. Life as she knew it changed – perhaps for good.
From amnesia to a lengthy hospital stay to months of physical therapy. The stress of recovery has them questioning the state of their future together.
Will they find their happily ever after?
Joshua Elijah Griffin, IV is on his last chance. A stint in rehab and a transfer to a new school has scared him into putting his life on track. He’s determined to live up to his family’s expectations, but on the first day of class, Josh meets a girl, and he knows his father won’t approve, but in Carrington, he sees a kindred spirit. He's willing to give up everything to be with her.
Carrington Olivia Butler is ready to shine. Always in the shadows of her siblings, she goes away to college to break out of her shell. All Carrington wants is to feel special. Josh's attention is exactly what she craves, but their intense and sometimes volatile relationship is more than what she bargained for.
Josh’s demons return, and Carrington’s feelings fade, but both aren’t ready to give up hope. They give their love one last shot to survive, but hope, may not be enough.
**This book contains adult subject matter. Not intended for young readers**
When Isla Holmes’ life as a child is turned upside down and she is ripped away from her soul mate, she is forced to live a life with evil.
When Isla and her soul mate cross paths, will they find a happy ever after or will evil intervene?
Rene Folsom, author of contemporary and paranormal, lives in Florida with her husband and three kids. She has officially diagnosed herself with creative ADD and often has a million and one writing projects going at once. In addition to writing, she is also a graphic artist who enjoys creating custom book covers for indie authors. She is definitely an artist at heart and would love nothing more than to be elbow deep in clay during her waking hours.
Rene believes that all fiction is based on some form of reality—otherwise we would never have the inspiration or knowledge to dream up the realistic situations we portray with our words. She is proud to say that her personal experiences have been inspirational, though perhaps not always identical to that of her fictional characters. Where reality and fantasy diverge, however, must remain her little secret…
Ella Medler is a U.K. author and free-lance editor. She writes fiction in more than one genre, in a seemingly vain attempt to slow down her overactive brain enough to write non-fiction on subjects she knows a thing or two about. She also does not believe in the starchy use of English, and ignores the type of rule that doesn’t allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. Her books are action-driven, and well-developed characters are her forte. Loves: freedom. Hates: her inner censor.
I know what you’re thinking. Certified nerd! I remember what I was thinking. Where had this book been all my life?!
I loved it. I can’t recall the scenes I’d read then but I remember how transfixing Tolkien's Middle Earth was. I instantly wanted to write something like it.
But such dreams are easily forgotten in the wake of building a real career.
I went ahead and enrolled in a business college and did my MBA with tinselly rainbow colors, making a tiara out of my nerd cap. It was a good day. And it was a good year at the bank. But the best time was when I landed at an ad agency’s creative department to write jingles and slogans and slaughter both my languages (Urdu and English) in the process. I learned a lot there. I wrote a lot there. And I became apt in the art of killing my own brainchildren a.k.a. self-editing.
Then, I got married. Moved to the United States and started a family.
For two years I was a good stay-at-home mom. Then, I thought I could be good at something else too. I couldn’t decide on what exactly till I stumbled upon my old diary – a leftover from my baby and teen years. I read all the poems and stories I’d written therein, ranging from an ode to Mom to a soul-searching monologue. I realized I wasn’t bad. If I worked on my talent I could turn it into a skill. And perhaps be able to write like the numerous authors who’d inspired me for years. A lost afternoon in the school library from so long ago made its way into my present and I remembered the perfect Legolas. I remembered the imperfect Quasimodo, the roguish Rhett Butler and the ruthless Rory Frost too.
Suddenly, I wanted to create such characters and write their stories instilled with M. M. Kaye-like descriptions and Crichton-like research and Grisham-like authenticity, all tied together with intense moods borrowed from Victoria Holt. Tolkien’s magic dust and King’s dark secrets would just be the cherry and powdered sugar on top.
I enrolled in a writing program immediately and earned my diploma. Next I wrote and edited for a newbie magazine. I wrote two children’s books (5 Kids and 5 Snowmen and Boondon Ka Khel: The Playful Game of the Tiny Water Droplets), and co-authored a trilogy under the title Aoife and Demon.
Now, it’s Love Me Do.
I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.
Anne Conley has written her entire life and has the boxes of angst-filled journals and poetry to prove it. She's been writing for public consumption for the last four years. Currently she is writing three romance series. In Stories of Serendipity, she explores real people living real lives in small town Texas in a contemporary romance setting. In The Four Winds, she chronicles God's four closest archangels, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, falling in love and becoming human. In Pierce Securities, she gives us Ryan, Evan, Miriam, Zack, Quinten, and Simon. She lives in rural East Texas with her husband and children in her own private oasis, where she prides herself in her complete lack of social skills, choosing instead to live with the people inside her head.
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Rachael Orman Mother by day. Writer by night. I spend a majority of my day with my children and reading while my nights are filled with the sound of the keyboard as I work on my next work.
I have written in nearly every LBGT category as well as the traditional erotic romance category.
I love to try new things and learn from every piece of work I write. I'll write just about anything once to learn from it. I've even ventured out of my normal erotica genre into Monster Erotica. Doubt you'll find me writing anything not erotic as you can barely get me to even read something out of that category, but then again, you never know what I might try next.
Never stop learning. Try everything at least once.
Lucy Gage started her writing career under another name, but the same vivid imagination and love of books still fuels her daily life. When she's not writing, you can find her spending time with her family in her home state of Maine, experiencing a life that helps shape her writing.
Look for her website in 2015. Book six in the Ward Sisters Series will arrive in 2015 and book 1 in the Vega Brothers Series – a Ward Sisters spinoff – launches later in the year.
Susan Griscom I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, spending most of my time daydreaming or playing around in the mud. I grew out of the mud play, well, most of the time, a good soak in the mud is always fun. I still daydream often and sometimes my daydreams interrupt my daydreams. So I write to remember them. If I didn't write, I think my mind would explode from an overload of fantasy and weirdness. To the annoyance of my friends and family, my characters sometimes become a part of my world. During my childhood, I would frequently get in trouble in school for daydreaming. Eventually, my vivid imagination paid off and I had the privilege of writing and co-directing my sixth-grade class play--a dreadful disaster, though not from my writing, of course. I'm pretty sure it was the acting.
I enjoy writing about characters living in small quaint towns and tend to lean toward the unusual and edgy.
My paranormal playing field delves into a different milieu, abandoning vampires and werewolves, but not discounting them. Someday I might like to write a novel about vamps and those furry creatures. But for now I like the bizarre mixed with romance. A strong hero or heroine confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers and capabilities gets my blood running hot, as does a steamy contemporary romantic suspense.
Felicia Tatum was born and raised in Tennessee. She always loved reading, and at the age of twelve began writing. Her passion for creating stories grew and in May 2012, she finally wrote her first novel, The White Aura.
She still lives in Tennessee with her daughter and her kitty. She loves cooking, books, and animals are some of her best friends. She watches a lot of Disney channel and often dreams up new book ideas. She's currently working on various projects. She's the author of the White Aura series, Scarred Hearts series, and Intoxicating Passion series.
Sarah M. Cradit is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Paranormal Southern Gothic series, The House of Crimson & Clover, born of her combined passion for New Orleans, and the mysterious complexity of human nature. Her work has been described as rich, emotive, and highly dimensional.
An unabashed geek, Sarah enjoys studying obscure subjects like the Plantagenet and Ptolemaic dynasties, and settling debates on provocative Tolkien topics such as why the Great Eagles are not Gandalf's personal taxi service. Passionate about travel, Sarah has visited over twenty countries collecting sparks of inspiration (though New Orleans is where her heart rests). She's a self-professed expert at crafting original songs to sing to her very patient pets, and a seasoned professional at finding ways to humiliate herself (bonus points if it happens in public). When at home in Oregon, her husband and best friend, James, is very kind about indulging her love of fast German cars and expensive lattes.
Julie Elizabeth Powell I cannot ignore my dreams, so many of them, with names and places and ideas that spark my imagination and compel me to write; to create stories, whether fantasy or horror, or mystery or psychological thriller or murder or even humour and adventure. So, my garden is sown, flourishing, with all manner of growth, and still the dreams come.
Julie Elizabeth Powell, my soul lingering within my imagination; maybe you’ll join me?
Lynda Kaye Frazier I’m an avid reader of romantic suspense and started writing after a vivid dream. I know, sounds cliché, but that’s how it started. I work full time at a Cardiology clinic, then at night you will find me in front of my computer, writing. I grew up in Pennsylvania, but now live in Arkansas, surrounded by the Ozark Mountains where I get to enjoy the four seasons without a long, cold winter. Other than spending time with my wonderful family, my favorite things to do are writing, reading and listening to music, but my most favorite is going to the beach. Surf, sand and a good book, my stress relief.
Desiree A. Cox was born and raised in Iowa. She married her high school sweetheart and moved to the Philadelphia area after high school and has been happily married for over twenty-five years. She’s the mother of two sons and a daughter.
Writing has always been a part of her life. It started as a way to cope with her childhood shyness, allowing her to communicate without talking. Now she talks and writes … and talks. Desiree also enjoys traveling and spending time at the beach.
Over the past two plus years, she’s been working to get her thoughts in print. She is finally writing what she wants to write. Twisted by Desire, her debut novel, was published in December 2014. In March 2015, the sequel in the Lust, Desire, and Love Trilogy, Jaded by Desire, released. She also has a short story, Fantasy Come True, in the Wickedly Exotic Spring Erotic Wonderland box set that benefits the National Autism Association with 100% of the proceeds.
Look for Reclaimed by Desire, Book 3 and the final installment in the Lust, Desire, and Love Trilogy, later this summer.
Sydney Aaliyah Michelle is an Adult Contemporary Romance writer, a voracious reader, and movie fanatic who hails from Texas.
After surviving 5 1/2 years living in China, she had the courage to finally pursue her passion and become a writer.
Sydney has been blogging at sydneyaaliyah.com for three years, where she interviews people about their tattoos, discusses her favorite movie quotes, reviews books (New Adult & only the ones she loves) and journals about her writing and editing process.
An active tweeterer, she is also a JuNoWriMo (3x) and NaNoWriMo (2x) winner who notes the sci-fi action flick “The Matrix” as the best representation of her life in the past. She is blessed to be awake now and doing what she loves.
She can recite the entire script for the 80’s teen comedy/drama The Breakfast Club and loves any and everything associated with the Avengers movie, especially Tony Stark.
When it comes to books, Sydney reads many different genres, but some of her favorite writers are Stephen King, Cora Carmack, Alex J. Cavanaugh, Cassie Mae, & Emily Bronte. The Great Gatsby, Under the Dome, Losing It, CassaStorm, Switched, & Wuthering Heights are her favorite books.
Elaine May is my Author name. I live in the West Country of England with my two beautiful daughters and yummy hubby. I love reading dark and twisted tales that mess with your head. I love to travel and spending time with my family. My dream is for people to like what I've written and hopefully get to go to a book signing event as an author.
