Mari Carr's Blog, page 83

Screwdriver – Last call

And the Cocktales Pub Crawl has brought us back here! It's last call and the story is OUT! Woot! Screwdriver released today at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It will hit the Ellora's Cave site tomorrow.

Now–don't forget to email me the names of our 8 cocktails at carmichm1@yahoo.com to have your name entered in the grand prize drawing. The grand prize winner will receive $25 gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner's choice), a signed copy of a Mari Carr print book (again winner's choice) and lots of fun promo goodies. I'll accept entries through midnight EST, tomorrow (March 21) and I'll announce the winner right here on March 22. Thanks to everyone for helping me celebrate this new release!

Cocktales, Book Two

When Jordan Lance isn't pouring over spreadsheets for Books and Brew, she's fantasizing about the store's landlord. Too bad she's squarely in Gabriel's "just friends" column. Jordan's prepared to pine forever—until she meets Casey. The handyman is hot, handsome, charming…and Gabriel's best friend. Suddenly her wicked fantasies are porntastic times two.

Casey has suspected his friend's interest in Jordan. If he can push them together, he might get Gabriel off the bimbo train he's been riding. The plan? Jealousy. And it's working. It's not long before Gabriel's deeper feelings for Jordan emerge. Problem is…so do Casey's. What happens when two friends want the same woman? Red-hot ménage, baby.

Two gorgeous men playing every inch of her body? Um, yes please! Jordan doesn't know if threesomes are considered acceptable, but she's sure of one thing—being this bad feels far too good.

Excerpt:

Casey looked closer at the AC unit. "Damn. I was afraid of that."

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I was hoping it was an issue with the belt, but the motor bearings are shot. I'm going to need to order a part."

"So it's not getting fixed today?"

"I'll see if I can rig a work around for the time being." He stood and stretched. "God bless it, Jordan. I apologize if this offends you, but it's hot as hell in here." Reaching for the hem of his t-shirt, he whipped the thin cotton over his head and fanned himself with it.

Her now-familiar blush returned and Casey felt compelled to prod, to see if his suspicions about Jordan's underlying naughty side were true. "Just so you know, I absolutely will not be upset if you decide to follow suit and work shirtless for the rest of the afternoon."

The twinkle in her eyes let him know she enjoyed his joke. "I'm fine with my shirt on."

"You sure?" he teased, taking a step closer. "I don't mind helping you peel it off." He reached out but she darted away, her smile widening.

"Casey," she said, swatting his hands away. She dodged behind the AC unit and he followed.

The two of them played a quick game of cat and mouse as Casey chased her around the storage closet.

He'd just captured her, Jordan squealing loudly, when the door to the closet opened.

"Jordan? Are you okay?" a deep voice asked from the hallway.

Gabriel peered around the door and Casey wondered what his best friend thought he was seeing. They certainly presented a risqué picture—Casey shirtless, his arms wrapped around Jordan from behind while she laughed.

"Hey, Gabe." Casey released Jordan and pulled his shirt back on. "What are you doing here?"

Gabriel's response was slow in coming as his gaze traveled from Casey to Jordan. "I was checking on your progress." Gabriel's eyes landed back on Casey's face and they narrowed angrily. "Looks like you're making some."

Shit. Casey's suspicions about Gabe's feelings for Jordan were confirmed in an instant. His friend was hot for the accountant.

Problem was…so was Casey.

"We were taking a break," he explained.

Gabriel looked at Jordan, his expression softening. "You're blood-red, Jordan. You need to get out of this heat."

Casey glanced at her face. Gabriel made the same mistake he had. Jordan wasn't hot. She was blushing. Big time.

"I'm okay, Gabe. No worries," she answered. "I can see why you two are friends. Casey's cure for the heat wave is going topless too."

Gabriel's expression darkened even further as he snapped his gaze to Casey once more. "Topless?"

"Actually, I think we're done for the day," Casey said, anxious to change the subject before Gabriel pulverized him. "I need to order a part before I can fix the unit."

Jordan frowned and he sensed she was surprised by his sudden retreat to safer territory. Gabriel had never referred to Jordan as anything more than a pal, but Casey could read between the lines—even if his oblivious friend couldn't.

"Um, yeah. That's right. We were just wrapping things up. It was nice of you to come by and check on us." Jordan's gaze drifted to Gabriel's face and she smiled.

Crap. The pure longing on Jordan's face told Casey all he needed to know in regards to her feelings for Gabriel. It told him more than he wanted to know.

Jordan's cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID. "It's Steph. We made plans to do a late lunch. I should take this."

She walked toward the door as she answered the phone. Gabriel stepped aside and let her escape. Casey suspected he wouldn't be freed as easily.

"What the fuck were you doing?" Gabe's question was murmured, but even in the quiet tone, Casey detected the anger. A small part of him was thrilled to hear any emotion at all from his friend.

"I told you. Taking a break."

"With your clothes off?"

Casey shot him a dirty look. "I took off my shirt to cool down. I've been in this godforsaken sweatbox for nearly two hours. Besides, what the hell are you so pissed off about? I'm here because you asked me to fix the air conditioner."

"Why was Jordan in here?"

And now they were getting to the heart of the matter. "I asked her to help me."

"Since when do you need an assistant?"

Casey was hot and tired and annoyed. Not a good combination. Gabe was poking the bear. "I spotted a gorgeous woman and an empty closet. Come on, Gabe. You're a smart guy with a degree in finance. Put two and two together. I'm not averse to mixing work and play."

Gabriel shook his head. "You're not playing with Jordan."

His friend's vehemence tweaked Casey's temper. "Last time I checked, you weren't my keeper. Or Jordan's."

Gabriel rubbed his neck wearily, and for the first time, Casey noticed the dark circles under his friend's eyes.

When he spoke again, Gabriel's voice was calmer. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I saw you with Jordan and I…shit, I guess I lost it."

"Why? I'm not an asshole to women. You know that."

Gabriel shrugged. "I know. She reminds me of Annie in a lot of ways. Somewhere along the line I've become a bit protective of her."

Annie was Gabriel's only sibling, and no little sister was ever loved more. Casey wasn't sure how to respond. Gabe's initial reaction screamed of jealousy, not brotherly instinct. "I can see why. Jordan's very sweet."

Gabriel didn't seem to appreciate his answer. "So sweet you felt compelled to strip off your shirt and corner her in a storage closet?"

Yep. Definitely jealous.

Screwdriver is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Ellora's Cave.

Saturday Snippet

Today is the last day of Guilty Pleasures St. Patty's day party. I'm today's featured guest and there is a giveaway so I hope you'll pop over and check it out. Today's Saturday Snippet theme is We Got the Beat, the club scene, and it immediately brought to mind an excerpt from the fifth book in my Wild Irish series, Friday I'm in Love.

Snippet:

"Oh my God!" Riley shouted. "I love this song. Let's go dance." His sister grabbed Natalie before he could make good on his offer and Ewan sighed.

Aaron patted him on the back sympathetically. "Welcome to my weekends."

"How do you do this week in and week out?" Ewan was suddenly eyeing Riley's friend with a newfound respect.

Aaron shrugged. "I've done this so often with Riley, I'm starting to think it's normal, and God help me, even a little bit fun."

Ewan shook his head. "That's not good. You know that's not good, right?"

"Come on." Aaron pointed toward the dance floor. "You better go stake your claim. A woman as pretty as Natalie won't be alone for three seconds out on that dance floor before the wolves descend."

Even as Aaron spoke the words, Ewan could see two men moving closer, attempting to bump and grind their way into Riley and Natalie's dance space.

He pushed his way through the throng of dancers, taking Natalie's hand and pulling her away from the man whose hand had somehow managed to snake its way under the hem of her shirt, creeping ever steadily north. He narrowed his eyes when the man looked ready to protest that he'd robbed him of his new toy.

"Fuck off," Ewan mouthed. The man took his measure and then raised his hands in surrender, turning to thrust his hips against the woman behind him. Jesus. This place was meat market central. He was starting to wonder how he could get all of them out in one piece. The dimly lit dance floor was packed with sweaty, gyrating bodies all moving in time to the powerful bass thumping through the speakers only a few feet away from him. How much hearing loss was he going to suffer for this night?

Aaron quickly claimed Riley, pulling her farther into the horde. Natalie moved closer and Ewan saw she was relieved by his presence. He didn't bother to speak. No matter how loudly he yelled, the sound would only be consumed by the earsplitting music. He pulled her toward him, letting the music dictate his movements. The two of them swayed in time and he tried to calm his body's reaction when her hands wrapped around his waist, her hips lightly rasping his cock every few seconds.

Natalie seemed enraptured, lost in the music and the moment, and he fought back a groan when she turned around, pressing her ass against his dick and rubbing seductively in time to the beat.

"Fuck," he muttered, aware she couldn't hear his curse. There was no way she wouldn't be able to feel his hard-on through his jeans. Of course, given the amount of alcohol she'd consumed, he wondered if she minded. Her inhibitions were low, her resistance shot down by the tequila.

If he were a gentleman, he'd take her back to the table. Hell, he'd take her back to the apartment and tuck her into bed…alone. Instead, he grasped her waist and pulled her more firmly against him.

He wasn't a gentleman—and she felt too damn good.

Friday I'm in Love is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony and All Romance Ebooks.

Want more snippets?

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Jody Wallace

Eliza Gayle

Lissa Matthews

Mandy M Roth

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

Shelli Stevens

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Cooking with Heat

Looking for something yummy to serve tomorrow on St. Patty's Day (other than Gerard Butler)? How about this delicious recipe from my kitchen guru, Susan! What do you have yummy for us today, Susan?

I got this recipe from a dear friend.  This one is really yummy!  I made my potatoes into mashed potatoes before I stirred them into the recipe.  For me, if it has potatoes, it has to have butter!

This is a perfect side for a corned beef.

Arky's Colcannon

3-5 large idaho potatoes, boiled and peeled

2 TBS Olive Oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 green cabbage, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

1/3 cup vinegar

salt and pepper

2 tsp hungarian sweet paprika

1 TBS fresh parsley

In a large pot, heat olive oil.  Add onion, and cabbage and cook till transparent.

Add vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

When cabbage looks thoroughly wilted, add potatoes and mash into the dish. Stir well and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Add 2 teaspoons paprika, and parsley and stir well.

Place contents into a 2 quart casserole. Don't spread out the mixture, you want it piled up in the casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Serves 8

Now…how about some fun excerpts from the Wild Irish series to get everyone in the mood for some green beer? Today's excerpts all have one thing in common–alcohol! LOL

Come Monday-

"I'd like a Guinness," Will replied.

"Um, Professor Wallace…I mean, Will. This is my brother Tristan. Tristan, this is my creative writing teacher from the college."

"Nice to meet you." Will extended his hand to shake her brother's. Tristan returned the gesture but Keira could see her younger sibling assessing the man's worth. She fought against rolling her eyes. At least Tristan's twin, Killian, was serving with the army in Iraq or she'd be dealing with identical bulldogs. She'd spent far too much of her life watching her brothers visually dissect and scare away potential dates. It seemed that in the eyes of her brothers, no man would ever be good enough for her. Tris was the worst; he seemed to assume all men wanted one thing and one thing only.

If he noticed Tristan's intense study, Will ignored it and turned back toward her. "I was hoping perhaps you could join me for a celebratory drink. Toast the end of the semester with me."

She nodded, taking off her apron. "As luck would have it, my shift just ended. I'll have a Guinness too, Tris."

Ruby Tuesday– "I challenge you to a singing contest," Sky said.

His voice was loud as he spoke and Teagan fought to hide her dismay when several heads around the bar popped up, including Pop's. There was nothing the regulars at the pub loved as much as a contest. She could see genuine interest dawning and no doubt several of the older gentlemen were holding their breath, waiting for her response and praying it would be yes. She imagined Pop's hand twitching with the temptation of reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet for a wager.

Crap.

Waiting for Wednesday– "Well, well, well." His lighthearted tone was rusty from disuse. "Look what the cat dragged in."

She grinned at his comment. "You always did call me kitten. Been a long time."

He nodded, wanting to drag her over the bar and scold her for disappearing on him, for vanishing without a trace and driving him crazy with worry.

"Almost a year," he said instead. "Want a drink?"

"I'd love a glass of white wine."

He turned to grab a wineglass, proud that his hands were steady. It was obvious seeing him again after a year's absence wasn't tearing her insides to shreds. Apparently he was the only one feeling the painful effects of this unexpected reunion.

Sweet Thursday– "What the hell are we doing here again?" Killian mumbled as he followed his best friend, Justin, into the banquet hall.

Justin shrugged. "Fuck if I know. For some reason, this sounded like fun after a few beers at Pat's Pub. I think we thought there might be some hot women here."

Killian nodded and glanced around at the line of people signing in at the table by the door. "Yeah, right. Looks like a bunch of married couples to me."

"Guess we missed our chance at the five-year reunion. Must have waited too long to come back."

"Ten years out of high school." Killian shook his head in disbelief. "Feels like the blink of an eye."

"And an eternity," Justin added.

Friday I'm in Love– "I'm fairly certain I've made my feelings for you clear. Have I not?" She had him age-wise by nearly a decade and to say she was typically a total bitch whenever they were together was probably putting it lightly.

Ewan nodded. "If you mean telling me get lost, go fuck myself and you are the most annoying man I've ever met, then yes, I think all of that was pretty straightforward."

"And yet here you sit." She gestured at him, letting her irritation show.

"That's because I know you don't mean any of that."

She raised one eyebrow. "I don't?"

He shook his head. "Your words say go away, but your eyes say come closer." He punctuated that inane comment by leaning toward her. She tried to force her body to move away or, at the very least, shove his ass out of the booth, but found herself trying to covertly sneak a sniff of his scent. She wasn't sure what it was about his smell that attracted her so. She could detect the slight odor of the beer he'd been drinking on his breath. And damn, if she didn't feel her mouth watering for a taste.

Saturday Night Special– "Or what?" Riley taunted. "You gonna order up a hit on me too?"

Aaron closed his eyes briefly and prayed for the patience not to turn Riley over his lap right here and spank her ass for real. "That's it. We're fucking leaving."

"A hit?" Johnny seemed completely taken off-guard by her comment.

"A friend of ours said you ordered a hit on the last guy Bella took off with." Aaron shook his head. Jesus, Riley sucked at the subtle art of interrogation. She'd just blazed her way across the bar and asked what she wanted to know. His first instinct was to pick her up, throw her over his shoulder and get her the hell out of there.

Johnny's response, however, pulled him up short.

"A hit?" Johnny repeated, this time roaring with laughter as he said it. Aaron looked around and noticed the room full of drunks almost seemed to release a sigh of relief. He wished he felt as comforted. "Holy fuck. That is so twisted and stupid, it's funny. How the hell could I order up a hit? And what dumb cunt told you that?"

Riley looked back at him and gestured as if to say, "He gets to use that word", and Aaron narrowed his gaze. "What happened to letting me handle this?"

"You take too long. Hell, we'd still be sitting here sipping our beers if I'd left it up to you. I'm sort of horny. It is my honeymoon, remember?"

Any Given Sunday– "Lauren? Are you drunk?"Chad asked.

Lauren giggled. "Just a little."

Aaron rolled his eyes and grinned. "I'm not here in an official capacity," Aaron said, when he spotted the concern in Chad's eyes.

Sean walked up behind him. "I thought you were at Natalie's baby shower?"

Lauren laughed again and stumbled slightly as she crossed the threshold. "I was. It was fun." She walked into the house and toward the living room.

Chad turned to Aaron, who was shaking his head. "Apparently my wife throws a helluva baby shower," he said. "I got off-duty about an hour ago. I've been playing taxi driver since then. The mother-to-be was the only sober lady in the house when I got home. The rest of them were drunk as skunks. For some asinine reason, Riley put Bubbles in charge of the games. When I showed up, they were doing some beer chugging contest with baby bottles and from what I understand, it was a rematch between Lauren and Lily."

"My sister Lily?"Chad asked.

Sean laughed and said, "Sounds like we missed a great party."

Wild Irish Christmas- "I was working on my family's sheep farm during the day while tending bar at Scully's Pub every night. I was a young buck of twenty when Sunday, who was just nineteen, moved to Killarney to live with her aunt. Scully hired her to sing in the pub and from the first moment I laid eyes on her, I was lost…"

The Wild Irish series is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony and All Romance Ebooks.

Cocktales Pub Crawl

Starting today until March 20, I thought we could do a pub crawl with some awesome friends and authors to celebrate the upcoming release of my second Cocktales book, Screwdriver. Along the way, there will be excerpts, drink recipes, sneak peeks and prizes! Each day, a different author's blog is listed. Pop over there to leave a comment on their blog for a chance at the daily prize.

Then…write down the name of the day's featured drink. Keep track as the days progress. On March 19, once you've gotten all the drink names (there will be 8), email them to me at carmichm1@yahoo.com to have your name entered in the grand prize drawing. The grand prize winner will receive $25 gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner's choice), a signed copy of a Mari Carr print book (again winner's choice) and lots of fun promo goodies.

March 12 – Desiree Holt

March 13 – Lexxie Couper

March 14 – Smutketeers

March 15 – NJ Walters

March 16 – Jayne Rylon

March 17 – International Heat

March 18 – Kelly Jamieson

March 19 – Cari Quinn

March 20 – Crawl back here for a release day celebration party. The grand prize winner announcement will be made on March 22!

Screwdriver is available for preorder at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Ellora's Cave

Saturday Snippet

This week Guilty Pleasures is holding a special St. Patty's day celebration with lots of great books, excerpts, and prizes. It starts today and ends on March 17 with the Wild Irish series! Woot! To help things along, today's theme is "tell it to the hand" and I'm sharing a snippet from Saturday Night Special because Riley, the heroine in the story, is my kind of sassy chick!

Snippet:

He sighed heavily. One question was tormenting him. "What are you doing in Vegas, Riley?"

"Gambling."

"Very funny." He grimaced, not amused by her joke.

"I'm having fun, Aaron. You know, that thing you've never quite mastered?"

He sucked in a deep breath and counted to ten. Riley constantly teased him about being a stick in the mud. He knew it was said in good fun, but this time her words felt more like an insult than a joke. Sometimes it sucked being regarded as the boring, responsible one among their group of friends.

Need a ride home from the bar? Call Aaron. Got a flat tire? Aaron will have a jack…and a spare. Moving? Aaron will lug all your shit down three flights of stairs and supply the truck to haul it.

A growl rose up in his chest. He was pissed off at Riley for thinking him so dull he wouldn't do anything as spontaneous as taking a weekend trip to Vegas.

"You seriously call hopping on a plane and flying to Vegas with Trevor Blankenship 'fun'? I call it fucking dangerous."

"Bullshit. I haven't done anything even remotely dangerous…yet. I called Keira and told her where I was and I didn't come alone. I came with a friend." Riley threw another dollar in the machine.

"You didn't call Keira until after you were already here."

"And like the good sister she is, she called you to come save the day. Right?"

"She was worried about you, Riley."

"I'm a big girl, sugar. A fact my family and you seem content to ignore."

"I'm not forgetting you're an adult. I'm just not overlooking the fact you're completely drunk in a strange town with Trevor and a hooker as your chaperones."

Riley's gaze traveled from the slot machine to Aaron. "I told Trev she was a hooker, but he wouldn't believe me." She took a long drink before setting the cup down and hitting the Spin button again.

"What are you drinking?" He picked up her glass and drained it. Alcohol suddenly seemed like a very good idea. He waved over the waitress and grabbed his own drink.

"Tasted like something with rum to me," she said. "You better take it easy on that. I'm already wasted. If you keep pounding those down, who'll get us home?"

He shrugged and took another swig. Now that he was here, he wasn't in any big hurry to leave. "It takes a lot to get me drunk."

"Yeah, well, maybe you should consider taking up the hobby. Drunk seems to be the best way to live in dreary Baltimore nowadays." Her tone was sullen, belligerent, and he wondered at her words.

"Since when is Baltimore dreary? You love the city."

She sobered up a bit and he was struck by the hint of sadness in her eyes. When he thought back on it, he realized the same look had been there often the past few months. Why hadn't he noticed it sooner?

"So I guess now I don't love the city. Dammit, I just can't do it anymore, Aaron."

"Do what?"

"My life. I can't wake up in the same bedroom I've lived in since birth one more morning. I can't cook meals in that damn pub day in and day out anymore and I'm sick to death of partying with the same losers every Saturday night."

Her voice was filled with resentment, frustration, and he listened as the last detail—and he suspected the most important one—fell from her lips.

"I'm the last Collins kid at home. I'm it. The spinster sister," she added.

He burst into laughter. He knew she was being serious, but her words were so insanely funny he couldn't hold back his instinctive response.

Her eyes narrowed angrily. "What's so funny?"

"You," he said with a chuckle, "calling yourself a spinster. Two things I never thought I'd hear together in the same sentence. Riley Collins, the spinster." Repeating the words caused him to laugh again and some of the irritation he'd been harboring since leaving BWI that morning dissipated. Actually, simply finding her safe and sound had dispelled most of it.

"It's not funny. I've watched both my sisters find true love. They're living their happily ever afters while I'm still stuck at home alone with Pop."

"Happily ever afters? True love?" Aaron repeated. "Sounds pretty romantic for you, Riley. How much have you had to drink?"

"Ha ha. I've had too much and I'm gonna have more, but it doesn't matter. I'll still be fed up and lonely tomorrow."

Aaron looked at her dark brown eyes and felt a hope he'd never experienced stir inside him. "You said you never wanted to get married. You said it would cut in to your fun time, your independence. You've sworn off the entire institution since we were three."

"Yeah," she said. "Well, I changed my mind."

Aaron considered her words for a moment, and then gave in to the grin building in his chest. "Good."

"Good?"

He nodded, grasping her by the waist to set her on her feet. "Very good. Come on."

Saturday Night Special is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony and All Romance Ebooks.

Want more snippets?!

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Jody Wallace

Eliza Gayle

Lissa Matthews

Mandy M Roth

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Lauren Dane

Leah Braemel

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Zoë Archer

Appearance

Book club Appearance (with Lora Leigh & Jayne Rylon)

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Anyone live within driving distance of Hagerstown, MD? Jayne Rylon and I have been invited to be the guest authors at Lora Leigh's book club on March 24.  The book discussion will center on the Compass Brothers series.  Lora will also do a reading and there will be a signing by the three of us to follow. Details are available here. You need to RSVP by March 21st.  The email address to RSVP is on the Lora's site along with location information.

I would love to see some of you there!

Overnight contest

To celebrate the release of Western Ties, I'm holding an overnight contest. It's quite simple. Jayne and I are asking you to help us spread the word about this book. Tweet it, Facebook it, talk about it on a yahoo group, email a friend, tell your neighbor, call your mother, blog about it. Anything! Just…well, anything.

Then…come back here, tell me how you shared the news and your name will go in the hat for a drawing. One winner will receive a signed Mari Carr book, promo goodies as well as any ebook from my backlist.

And on behalf of Jayne and myself, THANK YOU for all the support and well-wishes, lovely emails and posts about this series. Your kindness as we've muddled our way through this uncharted path of co-writing has been more appreciated than we could ever say. I'll announce the winner tomorrow around 4 p.m. (EST).

Western Ties is available at Samhain, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony and All Romance Ebooks.

Western Ties

Hooray! It's here! It's here! The final book in the Compass Brothers series, Western Ties, releases today and I'm so excited I could pop!

How strong are the ties that bind?

Compass Brothers, Book 4

Leah Hollister's sex life needs a swift kick in the pants. Small-town Compton Pass, though, isn't the place to explore her need for bondage. When she gets an invitation to a BDSM party out in LA, she wastes no time booking a flight.

Her plan to play anonymously is shot to hell when she runs into high-school crush Sawyer Compton—and he lays immediate claim to her.

Sawyer Compton commands total control, in and out of the bedroom. He never thought Leah could handle his darker urges, but one look at the white bracelet that marks her as a sub ripe for the picking, and he knows exactly how this night is going to end. With Leah in his bed.

Leah didn't expect to enjoy the comfort Sawyer's familiarity brings, even as his touch takes her to unimaginable heights of pleasure. When bad news from home sends him reeling, she's more than prepared to offer him anything he needs: her body, her friendship. Even her heart—if Sawyer can loosen the reins over his own to accept her love.

Product Warnings

Invest in tissues. Lots and lots of tissues. Between spicy, set-the-sheets-on-fire bondage romps and the last Compass brother coming home, you'll need them.

Excerpt:

"Leah?" a familiar male voice behind her said.

Leah closed her eyes and prayed she'd imagined it. There was no way. No possible way—

"Leah Hollister?"

She sighed. Fuck. What were the chances?

Turning, she realized her night wasn't going to end as she'd planned. She should have saved her money. Should have stayed inComptonPass.She was screwed.

"Sawyer." She didn't bother with the pretense of being happy to see him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Leah," Stacey whispered, her voice full of warning.

Sawyer narrowed his eyes, refusing to answer. His gaze started at the top, taking in her dramatic makeup, before drifting lower to her breasts, accentuated by the tight corset Stacey had loaned her. She willed herself to remain still as he finished his visual tour with a long look at her short leather skirt and stocking-clad legs.

"Enjoying the view?" she taunted. "You still haven't answered my question. Shouldn't you be inSan Francisco? What are you doing here?"

He scowled. "That's my question for you. A BDSM party inL.A.is a long way from a kindergarten classroom inComptonPass.Last time I saw you, you were leading a pack of five-year-olds around my family's ranch."

A couple of years earlier, Sawyer had helped her organize a field trip to Compass ranch. It had been one of the highlights of the year for her students—and for her. It was also the last time she'd seen Sawyer. Two years was a long time. She certainly hadn't expected their reunion to take place inL.A.

She sucked in a deep breath and tried to hide her disappointment. He was right. She'd purposely put herself as far away from home as possible, so that she could indulge in these two nights. One weekend to confirm a few suspicions she'd always held in regard to her sexual preferences. Sawyer was going to put a wrench in the works.

She gestured at her outfit. "I would think my role here would be obvious." For the first time, she allowed her gaze to travel over him as well. Her body heated with arousal as she noted how unbelievably sexy he was. He wore tight dark jeans and a black T-shirt that hugged his muscular chest to perfection. No one in the place would fail to read the dominance in his stance, the aura of power he projected.

On the surface, she was shocked to find her friend in a place like this, but there was another part—deep inside—that wasn't a bit surprised. He belonged here.

"So you're a Dom?" She fought the urge to laugh as she asked the absurd question. Of course he was.

His gaze drifted to her arm. He grasped her wrist, pulling it up and toying with the white wristband the host had given her upon arrival.

"You understand what this means, right?" he asked, gesturing to the bracelet.

Sawyer completely ignored her Dom question. It didn't matter anyway. It had clearly been rhetorical. He was aCompton. Anybody and everybody from their neck of the woods knew that name was synonymous with alpha male.

She gave him an annoyed look. "Of course I do."

It was evident from his tone he didn't think she belonged here any more than Stacey. One of the reasons she'd planned this adventure far away from home, surrounded by strangers who didn't know her, was because rumors spread like wildfire in their small hometown. She knew about Sawyer's sexual proclivities, and she'd always wondered if she shared a few of them.

Besides, her sweet disposition didn't inspire the more adventurous cowboys back home to ask her out, so her opportunities for exploration were seriously limited. Julie was right. She was a goody-goody.

Sawyer didn't appear to like her answer, so he restated the obvious. "It means you are an unattached submissive who's looking for a Dom. This wristband has declared it open season on you."

She shrugged, unconcerned. "Sorry to shatter the illusion, Sawyer, but I think I can handle whatever this party dishes out. It's not like I'm a virgin."

He frowned. "You lost your virginity in the backseat of a Pontiac to Les Prescott after Compton Pass won the district football championship our senior year. The guy was a shithead. You should've chosen better."

Leah laughed, though a ripple of desire slammed into her. It was always this way with Sawyer. Though they were just friends, there'd never been a time when she hadn't felt his gaze on her. He'd scared off more than a few would-be boyfriends in her lifetime claiming they were only after one thing. Les had fallen into that category, but Sawyer had been playing on that championship team and had been a bit distracted that night.

Sawyer had appointed himself her personal guardian in third grade when Jordan Haskiell had shoved her down on the playground after she'd beat him in a footrace. As a result, Sawyer had endured an afternoon in the principal's office and God only knew what kind of punishment at home after issuingJordana very physical, very painful warning of what happened to guys who messed with Leah. While Sawyer hadn't pursued her romantically, he'd certainly taken the bonds of friendship to a new extreme.

Despite the fact they'd existed in different cliques at school, Sawyer hadn't let social status stop him from being one of her best friends. He'd run with the jocks and cheerleaders, while she'd been firmly encamped with the brainiacs, less affectionately referred to as nerds by their peers. "How could you have known about Les?"

"I told you. He was a prick. He was bragging about it at school the following Monday."

She flushed. She'd never heard of Les spreading rumors about her. "I didn't know—"

Sawyer grinned. "Luckily, he started his boasting with me. I took him out behind the school and gave him a reason to shut his fucking mouth."

His admission held a hint of humor, but she could tell he was angry. She decided to test the waters to see how screwed she was.

"Well, it was great to see you again, but Stacey and I were going to pop over to the bar for a drink."

"I'll go with you." He confirmed her fear.

She smiled and shook her head. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. You're scaring off all the other Doms."

His wolfish grin let her know that was his intent.

Her temper sparked. "God dammit, Sawyer. Go away."

Stacey lightly touched her arm, alerting Leah that she'd spoken too loudly. Several people glanced in her direction and frowned. She was never going to achieve her goal at this rate.

Sawyer was the only person in the room who didn't take offense at her faux pas. "You realize this is a weekend party?"

She nodded. It was starting to look like it would be a long two days.

Sawyer reclaimed her hand, slipping off the white bracelet.

"What the hell are you doing?" She tried to pull her arm free, attempting to grab the wristband back.

Sawyer's grip was implacable. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a green bracelet. Suddenly, she felt dizzy. There was no way he would—

Sawyer slipped it around her wrist.

"No," she whispered when he lifted her hand.

Western Ties is available at Samhain, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Geared for Pleasure

It's a very special day here as Rachel Grace joins me to celebrate the release of her new book, Geared for Pleasure. The book releases tomorrow. For those of you who don't know…Rachel Grace's alter ego is RG Alexander. I met RG at the Romantic Times Convention last year and that gal is too sweet for words! She's hosting a fun scavenger hunt to celebrate and the details can be found here. As part of the hunt, RG will be offering a $5 gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble as well as the winner's choice of a book from her RG Alexander ebook backlist. Simply leave a comment here to have your name thrown in for the drawing!

Geared for Pleasure is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

The world of Theorrey  runs like a well-oiled machine. 

The elements are in balance, passion is tamed and the young queen

is the heartbeat of it all. But in these two all-new stories of

elemental steam, nothing is ever as it seems…

Earthly Desires

Demeter "Dare" Senedal is the Queen's Chalice-her protector and closest companion. So when the queen goes missing,

Dare rushes to locate her, even though the search leads her straight into trouble.
A gentleman who trades in secrets and sin, Bodhan revels in carnal delights, but when a naked and bound woman appears on his shore, he finds his hunger to possess at odds with his need to protect. As Bodhan shares his knowledge of pleasure, Dare must decide if she can trust him, both with her mission and her heart.

Fiery Temptations 

Seraphina always lands on her feet. After all, she is a Felidae-more feline than human-and an excellent thief.

There has never been a job Phina wouldn't take or a man who could tame her…until she meets Cyrus Arendal.
 
As the Queen's Sword, Cyrus should have known better than to fall victim to a beautiful bandit.

Now, to find and retrieve the moonfire dagger, he'll need to convince Phina not to judge a man by his station,

but rather by how completely he can satisfy her desires.

T-minus 2 days…

…and counting until the release of Western Ties. Music is a big inspiration for me when I write. The plot and emotions in Western Ties was really driven by the feelings evoked in me by the songs I was listening to at that time. Many of these songs make an appearance in the book as well. Thought it might be fun to share the Western Ties playlist with you. I've included youtube links if you'd like to take a listen.

To Make You Feel my Love by Garth Brooks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5Q0jYc52UM

I Do by Colbie Callait

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0oyglKjbFQ&ob=av2e

Amazing Grace by Darlene Zschech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msK9AQ4dZBw

Hide Me Babe by Garrett Hedlund

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7dR2TwLoUk

Coming Home by Gwyneth Paltrow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4cpl0v0WBY

Show Me the Way to Go Home by Jimmy and the Parrots (made famous by Jaws!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI_oJnUudT8

Western Ties is available for preorder at Samhain, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.