Mari Carr's Blog, page 113
November 5, 2010
Power Play
Well, it's official! Power Play, the next book in the Black & White Collection, will release at Samhain on January 18, 2011. And…I have a cover. Best part about this cover is it's my first Valerie Tibbs cover. Y'all know Val and I are friends from way back and it's been on my bucket list forever to have a genuine Valerie cover. I love what she's done. The cover represents the story so well and I think this may be my new favorite!
Blurb:
Back on American soil for the first time in nine months, Reed Donovan is ready to blow off some steam. The beauty he spots at the local bar not only catches his eyes, she snags him by the balls when she announces she's always fantasized about having sex with a stranger—a fantasy he is more than willing to help come true.
Explosive fireworks over, Francesca rebuffs his invitation to dinner. While the sparks may fly between them physically, she doesn't believe they could spend more than a few minutes in the same room without arguing. Her suspicions prove correct when Francesca reports for her new position the next morning—and discovers she's been hired as Reed's new marketing partner.
When Reed and Francesca immediately begin butting heads about future pitches to prospective clients, Reed proposes a bet. For the next three presentations, they'll both make a pitch. Whoever wins the campaign also wins a fantasy.
As the heat on each fantasy rises, Francesca and Reed begin to realize that sometimes it's not just opposites who attract.
Warning: Wicked fantasies anyone? Up for some sex in public, sex with a stranger, sex in an office, sex in a bar, sex with a Dom, and bondage sex?
November 4, 2010
Doing Logan
Okay…I'll admit it. I'm a lucky bitch. There's no two ways about it. A couple of years ago (in an impulsive act), I mentioned on a yahoo group that I wanted a critique partner. RHIAN CAHILL took me up on it. Since then, I've gotten exclusive peeks at all her works-in-progress. This is one talented lady and a very dear friend. The fact that we live on opposite ends of the planet and are separated by a 12 hour time difference doesn't stop us from chatting every single day.
Her latest is out at Ellora's Cave today. Yep, I've read it. Yep, I love it. Hope you'll check it out.
Blurb:
Logan has been in love with Meredith for as long as he can remember. Seeing her with another had been its own brand of torture, but now that she's free nothing can stop him from claiming what is rightfully his—the woman he loves.
The magnetism of Logan has never been lost on Meredith, but crossing the line between friend and lover scares her, even after dumping her slimeball ex. When Logan kisses her, an attraction like she's never known ignites, sweeping her into an affair she can't walk away from.
As Logan fights to win her heart, Meredith wages a battle of her own. She must admit her interest stretches way beyond merely doing Logan.
Excerpt:
Meredith couldn't believe they talked about the weather. She was trying to get up the courage to ask Logan inside for coffee and all that came out was "nice weather we've been having". If it wouldn't make her look more of a twit she'd slap herself upside the head. The closer they got to her house the more tense she became. It didn't help that the man oozed sex. From the way he moved to the way he smelled, Logan Foster projected dark forbidden pleasure.
Over the years she'd found him attractive but ever since her world had turned upside down her body had gone on hyperalert whenever he was near. Meredith had never experienced this type of arousal before. Not even in the early days of her and Dirk's relationship did she have this intense need burning through her. She licked her lips and fidgeted in her seat, squeezing her thighs together to ease her throbbing clit.
A groan drew her gaze to Logan. His fingers curled around the steering wheel in a death grip that bleached his knuckles white. The muscles and veins in his arms bulged and tension vibrated along his biceps until it reached his rigid shoulders. He was staring at her. His nostrils flared and he sucked in a deep breath.
"We're here," he ground out through his clenched jaw.
She hadn't noticed the car stop, never mind that they'd arrived at her house. Logan's gaze held hers captive and in the toffee brown depths she saw desire so great her insides shivered. No man had ever looked at her in quite that way and the nerve endings already sparking blazed to life. Heat rushed over her skin and she found it hard to catch her breath. Her mouth was dry and her tongue refused to form the words she longed to say.
Meredith knew it was now or never and she really didn't want it to be the latter. Taking a deep breath, she licked her lips and mentally crossed her fingers.
"Would you like to come in for coffee?" A rush of air left her chest and she sagged back against her seat.
He didn't answer—didn't move—and Meredith feared she'd just made a complete fool of herself. Embarrassment bloomed and flooded her cheeks with warmth. She reached for the door handle, ready to bolt inside and hide until he drove away, but a hand on her arm stopped her before she could pop the latch.
"Look at me, Meredith." His voice was scratchy, like gravel under boots.
His hand tugged her arm until she turned to face him. What she saw in his eyes sent her pulse racing and heat flaring in her belly.
"If I come in there, it won't be for coffee. I'm too old for games so I'll tell it to you straight. I want you. I've always wanted you." He leaned closer. "And if I come in for coffee I'll have you."
Hot breath fanned over her lips and Meredith couldn't stop her tongue from slipping out to taste it. Logan made a strangled sound before his lips touched hers—a feather-like brush of flesh on flesh. He jerked back and let go of her arm. His pupils were so dilated there was no trace of their creamy brown color. She sat frozen in place, hypnotized by the look of want in his eyes.
With jerky movements, she yanked on the door handle and pushed it open, her gaze still locked with his. She swung her legs out of the low sports car until her sandals hit the ground. Not once did she look away. Feet firmly planted on the curb she stared at him for what seemed like hours but could only be seconds.
Meredith turned and pushed herself out of the seat. The black car so low to the ground she had to bend almost double to peer back inside.
"So, are you coming?"
Logan's nostrils flared as he sucked in a breath. Naked lust burned in his eyes and she was pleased he hadn't missed her blatant double entendre. Straightening, she stepped back and closed the door. Unable to wait and see what he would do, Meredith headed up her front walk. The rumble of the engine behind her died and her heart skipped a beat before powering back at double speed. Gulping hard, she made her way to the door, one hand frantically searching for her keys in the bottom of her purse.
She fumbled the key in the lock as Logan joined her on the porch. The lock clicked and the door swung inward. They were a step apart as they passed the threshold. Meredith pulled the key free and tossed the key ring and her purse on the small entry table. With one hand on the door she turned and closed it.
"Sorry."
There was no time to wonder what Logan was apologizing for. Her back hit the wall and his mouth slanted over hers. This kiss was nothing like the one in the car. Hot lashes of his tongue had her opening to him. He swept inside, touching, tasting, devouring. Wet velvet ribbons unfurled inside her and rolled out until every inch of her melted against his hard body. With lips, tongue and teeth he ate at her. Consumed her in a fiery lip-lock that incinerated all memory of previous kisses.
October 30, 2010
Saturday Snippet
This week, we're getting into the spirit of the Halloween holiday. The theme is spoooooooooky snippets. And so…without further ado…I give you my attempt at scary. 
From my first romantic suspense novel, Retreat:
"I knew the two of you would be out looking for evidence and I wanted to help."
Jon scowled at her. "Of all the dangerous, stupid things to do! Do you know how lucky you were it was Night that spotted you and not one of the guards?" Jon's voice was no more than a whisper, yet she felt as though he was screaming at her.
"None of the guards seem to be at their posts. That's one of the things I wanted to tell you."
"We know that," Night reassured her. "We slipped a little something into their drinks at dinner. I figure we managed to drug the drinks of at least ten of those bastards. The ones who aren't passed out are puking their guts up in the bathrooms."
"Oh." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. I was afraid they were setting a trap or something. Of course you realize that still leaves about ten more of the assholes roaming around."
"Which is all the more reason why you should have stayed in your damn room." Jon was clearly still exasperated with her.
"I needed to talk to you. Find out how things went with your mother. See what the plan was."
Now it seemed to be Night's turn to chastise her. "The plan is the same as it was three days ago, Carly. We're trying to earn her trust and buy time while we search for evidence. That's what we were trying to do tonight, but now we'll have to find a way to smuggle you back to your room without getting caught."
She felt guilty about the danger she'd brought to them and their scheme. "I'm sorry! I really am, but I've been so worried about you. All I could think about was making sure you were okay."
"You saw us earlier in Cassandra's office."
"I know but, well, I didn't exactly get those kisses in Cassandra's office, did I?" she answered with an impish grin, hoping to dispel their annoyance. "Besides, I needed to tell you something and I couldn't figure out how to get a message to you."
"What?" Jon asked.
"It's Trisha. She and her mother aren't here anymore. One of the women said they went back home, but I'm afraid that may not be true. Where do you think they could be?"
Jon was clearly dismayed by her information and she heard Night mutter a curse behind her before voicing his suspicions. "There's a dungeon on the compound."
She nodded. "I remember Reilly mentioning that."
"Chances are good Cassandra's already taken some of her victims there for training. She certainly insinuated that earlier when we were in her office," Night explained. "That's actually where we were headed. If Cassie's locked those women up and begun the training, it's all the proof we'll need. We're familiar with the layout, so we've got a plan for smuggling them out. Problem is, we need to wait until you've been taken there as well."
"We've convinced my mother to wait a couple days before moving you to the dungeon for your punishment, so you may have to hang in there a bit longer. You simply have to trust us when we say we have things under control. By the way, she was pissed as hell over your threats." Jon seemed to calm down with his praise. "You were brilliant in there, Blue Eyes."
"So is it what we feared?" She could tell by the look in Jon's eyes that it was, but she needed the confirmation.
It was Night who answered. "It's worse than we feared."
"Worse how?"
"Yes, Night, tell her how it's worse." The door banged open against the wall and the room flooded with light. Carly was horrified as a barrage of guards entered the room and completely surrounded them in less than a minute, each of the bruising brutes armed to the teeth.
Retreat is available in ebook and print format at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony and All Romance Ebooks.
October 29, 2010
Shifting Gears
Woo Hoo! Jayne Rylon's second story in the Cougar Challenge releases today at Ellora's Cave and whoa baby, this is a HAWT one. I thought I'd share the blurb, excerpt, and link because as y'all know–I am Jayne Rylon's number one fan!
Blurb:
Mark envies his friend Bastian and the Cougar who tamed him. For years he's had his eye on a sexy, older, married woman. Despite his and Bastian's sharing women, he refuses to poach outside his steamy fantasies.
Sloan travels with the race car drivers as the league's publicist. Living abroad can be lonely, especially when touring somewhere like China—where beautiful landscapes surround them but language and cultural barriers are high. Until she meets Lynn, who shares her love of erotic romances. In Lynn, she gains more than a friend—because sexy-as-sin navigator Mark is never far from the Cougar and her fiancé, making Sloan wonder if it's time rejoin the dating scene after a nasty divorce.
When Lynn notices the chemistry between Mark and Sloan, she issues the Cougar Challenge. Sloan expected fantastic sex. But she never imagined her relationship with Mark would empower him to explore the sexual tension building between him and Bastian…
Four friends, two couples…one night none of them will forget.
Reader Advisory: If you didn't guess from that last line, this story contains a sizzling f/m/m/f ménage.
Excerpt:
Chapter One
"Oh my God!"
The woman on the corrugated aluminum bleacher several rows in front of Sloan turned with wide eyes when Sloan shouted. She caught Sloan's stare on the sexy cover of her erotic romance novel and flipped it closed—cover side down—discretely.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Sloan smiled. "I know how it is when you're lost in a good book. And that book is fan-fucking-tastic! I love Mari Carr. Her stories are smoking hot. Especially the ménages. Yum."
The woman grinned and nodded. "I've read almost all of hers. My reading group back in the US mailed me this one. It arrived last night and I'm halfway done already. I tried to ration it out—a chapter a day—but it's impossible."
"Thank God for ebook readers, huh? I don't know what I would do if I didn't have access to all the new releases from this side of the globe." Sloan stepped into the stands then picked her way down the incline, closer to the woman, careful not to slip in her three-inch heels.
At least she'd worn jeans to the race site today instead of her usual skirted suit. "I hear that. It can get lonely being a foreigner in a country where you don't speak the language. Especially one as difficult to pick up as Mandarin or Cantonese. Reading keeps me from getting too homesick, though it leads to other…complications."
When the woman laughed, her entire face brightened. Around Sloan's age, close to forty, she seemed carefree and infectiously happy. "I know what you mean. Or at least I used to. Now I have a young stud to keep me occupied when I get revved up. I'm engaged to Sebastian Fiori. The driver for—"
"Oh! Don't worry, I know who he is. Sexy as sin and a four-time world champion rally car racer to boot. So you must be Lynn Madison, you bitch."
The humongous diamond flashing on the woman's finger had confirmed Sloan's suspicions.
Talk of Bastian and the alluring cougar who'd tamed him had run rampant this season. Scores of young sex goddesses mourned their loss. Many had tried for years to snag him or his luscious navigator Mark Rossi, but none had succeeded in tempting either guy into more than a one-night stand.
Until Sebastian fell head over heels in love on first sight last season. Everyone agreed he'd never performed better. Lynn must be good for the man.
What was good for the driver was good for the sport.
And that was good for Sloan.
"It's true." Lynn sighed and her eyes took on a faraway look. "I'm the luckiest woman alive."
"I'm Sloan Desai, by the way." She held out her hand, but Lynn hugged her instead of shaking it.
"Sorry, but after two minutes I feel like I've known you forever. Have a seat." Lynn gestured with the spine of her novel toward the racetrack, which snaked past the base of the stadium they sat in. "You know, Bastian's mentioned you before. I think we might've even talked on the phone once when you scheduled some of his interviews. You're the publicist for the league, right?"
"Yep. That's me." Sloan winked. "In charge of keeping the boys out of trouble with the media, managing their images and bringing fans in by the truckload."
"Seems like you're doing a great job. I heard the first couple days of the exhibition are sold out."
"They are. Thanks."
"So how do you like China so far?"
The event would take place in Guangdong province, about a half-hour outside Guangzhou, in a few weeks—a great chance for the teams to tune up or experiment in the off-season. The crews had arrived early to acclimate, which meant Sloan had to be on-site to defuse any…situations…that could cause trouble with the local hosts.
Full of testosterone and daring, the guys in the league sometimes crossed the line.
"I haven't been able to do much sightseeing. I have to stick fairly close-by." Sloan shrugged.
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Lynn grimaced. "The teams do tend to get rowdy on occasion. Maybe you can take a day trip or two with me. I write travel guides for a living, so I like to check out as much as I can in the areas we visit. Sebastian gets nervous when I'm out on my own though. Especially in locations a little more exotic."
"You don't seem like the kind of woman to sit around and wait for a man simply to ease his mind. A woman after my own heart, by the way."
"You're right, I'm no shrinking violet." Lynn grinned. "But I worry that if he's worried, he'll be distracted. The sport is dangerous enough as it is. Plus, I miss him if I stray too far."
"I hope 'him' is me." A deep growl sounded from behind their spot on the bench. Sitting side by side, neither woman had heard the soft soles of Sebastian's racing sneakers on the concrete as he approached. "Or I'll have to kick some ass and those days are supposed to be behind me."
"Old man."
Sloan swallowed hard at the jibe from the other guy who strode toward them—Mark Rossi. It was either that or moan aloud at his spectacular build. Thick muscles filled out his racing jumpsuit to perfection. She wished she'd seen him going instead of coming so she could check out his killer ass, but the bulge at his crotch and the humor in his warm eyes made for scrumptious consolation prizes.
She'd spied him from across the room at events she'd arranged, but usually she had a job to do while in attendance. Of course she'd found herself staring at promo shots of him on more occasions than she cared to admit, but never before had she been able to take her time and study his legendary features in person—bold cheekbones, olive skin and glossy, sandy hair.
And, shit, now she was staring.
Maybe her imagination played tricks on her, but it seemed as if he might be gawking in return.
October 28, 2010
Comfort Food
Okay–Thursdays are usually my day to share reviews, but tonight I'm sort of tired and blah. I think it's the cold weather coming and the fact that everyone at work is sick. These are the days when I whip out my "winter" recipes and soothe myself with comfort food. And yes, before you ask, I'm one of those people who is forever on a diet simply because I love to eat (and drink and be merry).
So…I thought today I'd share a couple of my favorite cold weather recipes.
Creamy Chicken Casserole–this is yummy with mashed potatoes and broccoli.
In a 9×9 casserole dish, mix 1 1/2 pkgs. of crushed Ritz crackers (I get the reduced fat ones), 1/3 cup of Poppy Seeds, 1/2 stick of melted butter. Spread half the crumbs in the bottom of the dish and save the other half for the topping.
In a skillet, cook 4 chicken breasts–cut into pieces–with salt, pepper, onion, and celery. Mix with 2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup (I get the fat free cans) and 8 oz. of sour cream (I use light). Put the chicken mixture on the crumbs and sprinkle with the remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees until hot or refrigerate to serve later.
Party Rolls (this is a great appetizer–super fattening–to take to holiday parties or to serve at Super Bowl parties)
1 pkg. small party rolls (Pepperidge Farms) – I can only find these around holidays. Others will do, but small is best
1 pkg. sliced boiled ham
1 pkg. swiss cheese
Cut ham and cheese in squares to fit size of rolls. Split rolls and add ham and cheese. Place filled rolls in a baking dish.
Combine in a pan:
1 stick melted butter
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp. chopped onion
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tbsp. yellow mustard
Pour that over the rolls. Set aside until the moisture is absorbed. Cover and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and the sandwich is heated throughout. They're heart-cloggers, but damn they're tasty. Only serve them on special occasions. I took these to the family Christmas just once and now I'm committed for life. No one will let me stop bringing them, they love them THAT much.
October 23, 2010
Saturday Snippet
This week's snippet theme is salutes the unspoken heroes of our stories–the secondary characters. Without secondary characters, most stories would flounder and flop. Our heroines need best friends or sisters to confide their new love to. Our heroes need villains to fight or buddies to hang out with. Today, I'm saluting my favorite secondary character of all time. He's played a fairly significant role in six of my books and in the book I'm currently writing. His name is Patrick, but his kids just call him Pop and he's the patriarch of my crazy Wild Irish Collins clan. I thought I'd share a snippet of Pop in Friday I'm in Love.
Excerpt:
A gleaming silver fish floundered in the net as Moose lifted him into the boat.
"Well, will you look at that," Pat said. "That's not a bad effort for your first time fishing."
"Not a bad effort?" she repeated. "That fish is huge!"
Pat and Moose laughed while they worked together to pull the hook out of the fish's mouth.
"Fish tales," Moose muttered, but she wasn't dissuaded from her opinion. He was just jealous, she thought with a delighted grin.
Moose held the wriggling fish out to her and curiosity drove her toward it. She took a deep breath and reached out to touch it.
"You'll have to do better than that. It's your fish. You have to kiss it."
She narrowed her eyes at the older man. "I'm not kissing that fish."
"Rules of the boat," Pat interjected. "You wouldn't want to offend your captain. It's a tradition—we always kiss our fish. You better be quick though, that poor guy can't stay out of the water much longer."
"You're throwing him back?" she asked, struggling to understand the purpose of fishing if you didn't keep what you caught.
"This is a catch-and-release trip," Moose replied. "Now pucker up and give this poor little guy some love. Bound to be traumatized after having that hook in his mouth."
She bent forward, amazed by the realization she was actually going to kiss a fish. She placed a peck on the scaly, cold thing as Pat and Moose howled with laughter.
Moose released the fish back into the lake and Natalie had an anxious moment as she wondered if she'd killed the poor thing. Her fear was short-lived as the fish quickly swam away.
She wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand, narrowing her eyes at the two older men who were still chuckling. Realization dawned hard. "You never kiss the fish, do you?"
Moose tried to look remorseful but his attempt was spoiled by the shit-eating grin plastered on his face. "I didn't think you'd really do it."
She gave Ewan a dirty look when she caught him chuckling as well. "Don't look at me. It's every man for himself on the boat."
"So I keep hearing," she said. "Well, that's okay boys. Laugh it up. Because if I'm not mistaking, I'm the only one on this boat who's caught a fish to kiss."
Pat sobered up quickly. "Hey, now. That hurts."
She grinned as she reclaimed her rod, deftly baiting her hook and casting it with confidence. "Yep, looks like I'm kicking ass in the fishing game."
Friday I'm in Love is a red-hot, romantic comedy and it's available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, and All Romance Ebooks.
Why don't you check out a few more secondary characters by these authors?
Overnight contest
Simple one. Simply check out my available books and tell me which ebook from my backlist that you'd like to read and why in the comment section. I'll pick a winner at noon EST tomorrow. Winning commenter wins that book!
October 22, 2010
She made it!
I don't know if y'all have been following All Romance Ebooks "Just One Bite" contest this month, but my good friend and fellow International Heat writer, Jambrea Jo Jones, has made it to the final four. Her short story is fantastic, so I'm thrilled to see her advance so far in the competition. I thought I'd share the link and put in a plug for her. She's a talented writer and one of the sweetest people I've ever had the privilege to call friend.
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/contest.html?vote=yes&id=26&pair=2
October 21, 2010
Reviews – Sweet Thursday
Sweet Thursday is book four in the Wild Irish series at Ellora's Cave. It's a good old-fashioned, red-hot menage story!
From Romance Readers Connection:
"This book pushes the boundaries a little bit but honestly, the author is masterful at letting us into these fascinating characters and the ways they debate their relationship, in the short and long term. By the end of the book I was left feeling comfortable with the threesome, even if it is unconventional." – Jeri
From Dark Divas
"Ms. Carr never leaves us without heart and passion in her books and this one is no exception. These three are worth the build up." Five Divas! Recommended Read! - Deb
From Book Binge.
"There is much joy in this story and deep regret. There are moments when the reader catches a glimpse into the hearts of each of these two men and their need to find an emotional place to call "home." There are times of pain when deep love is denied and hearts are crushed." – Judith
From Whipped Cream.
"The family dynamic is what makes this such a superb romance: they all care about each other without reservation or condemnation, and this thread of family devotion and caring runs through all of Ms. Carr's Wild Irish series. I would love to live near the Collins family, and so will you once you read this marvelously hot and sweet romance." Best Book! – Holly
From The Romance Studio.
"It is easy to see why Lily has been in love with K and Justin for all of these years. Separately they are very hot, but together they are irresistible." – Maura
From Romance Junkies.
"SWEET THURSDAY is the fourth installment of author Mari Carr's WILD IRISH series about the lovable Collins family, and it is, by far, the steamiest and most daring yet." –Cheryl McInnis
From Fallen Angels.
"Sweet Thursday is an excellent example of Ms, Carr's storytelling prowess, and I am eagerly awaiting her next installment of the Wild Irish." Five Angels, Recommended Read! – Lynn
October 18, 2010
Contest!
Spook-a-palooza: Enter to win a Kindle eReader!
Kindle Contest – Runs until October 31, 2010
Contest Rules & other info - 1. One entry per household. 2. Void where prohibited. 3. Employees or the family of Samhain Publishing are prohibited from entering. 4. You must be 18 to enter. 5. One winner will be randomly drawn from all complete and correct entries. 6. Contest winner will be announced on this website. 7. By entering you are agreeing to join the Samhellion mailing list.
How to Enter - Visit each of the websites of the participating authors and write down their name and the book title of their latest Samhain release (not the Coming Soon release). In an email list the author name, book title and email that to samhellion.contest at gmail.com. Links to participating authors can be found at http://www.samhellion.com/ . Good luck!!
