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Selena Blake's Blog, page 17
March 6, 2015
Come Get Your Friday Freebie
FREE PARANORMAL ROMANCE
The Cajun’s Captive
Sebastian Deveraux is the Alpha of his pack and like all the Deveraux men, he’s sexy as pure sin. He’s waited for decades for just the right woman. For his mate. And ten years ago he’d been sure he’d found her in Amanda St. James. But she’d run from him.
Now she’s back. He’ll do anything to keep her. Even if it means tying her to his bed.
Warning: Contains one sinfully seductive Cajun wolf shifter with plenty of pent up sexual tension, a little light bondage, and a love that will last a lifetime.
Stormy Weather – Book 1
GET IT
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HKJ8F2
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004HKJ8F2
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B004HKJ8F2
AU: https://www.amazon.c…u/dp/B004HKJ8F2
DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B004HKJ8F2
FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B004HKJ8F2
KOBO: http://selena-blake.com/tcck
ARe:https://www.allroman…549972-140.html
Read An Excerpt: http://www.selena-blake.com/tcc
Spread The Word:
Free Paranormal Romance: The Cajun’s Captive by @SelenaBlake He’ll do anything to keep her. Even tie her to his bed. selena-blake.com/tcc
Cajun WolfShifter + the one who got away = The Cajun’s Captive #FreeEbook by @SelenaBlake selena-blake.com/tcc
The post Come Get Your Friday Freebie appeared first on Selena Blake.
February 22, 2015
MEGA Sale – HOT Winter Reads
Hello Wolfpack!
I’m teaming up with some SUPER awesome authors to offer YOU the chance to get some amazing Hot Winter Reads for only 99 cents!
No joke. Just look at this list! (Hope you don’t break your mouse one-clicking all these yummy books!)
The Alphas Mate by Michelle Fox
Chloe Weiss’ dreams have finally come true: She’s a null no more, her wolf has finally come. She’s now a full member of her pack in the remote Appalachian ‘weretown’ of Hunstville, but she soon learns this just means more trouble at her door.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Cowboy Genie’s Wife (The Dirty Djinn Series) by Lyn Brittan
A genie, his ranch and very ticked off ex-wife.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
His Wicked Games Boxed Set by Ember Casey
Love is about to get very wicked… This bundle contains the first three books of the bestselling CUNNINGHAM FAMILY series. Warning: contains a billionaire who’s too sexy for his own good and the steamiest game of Hide & Seek you’ve ever read…
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
The Curvy Astronomer and the Cowboy by Victoria Wessex
Cowboy Troy knows horses; not the Horsehead nebula. But he agrees to take Emily, an astronomer, out to a remote cabin where the skies are dark. When a blizzard traps them there, he finds he can’t resist the curvy beauty. Can he help her overcome her insecurities and unlock her inner sex kitten with the help of a roaring fire and an old-fashioned copper bath?
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
Crossed (prequel to the Crossed Series) by Lacey Silks
She is looking for the one. He never thought the one existed. But the one thing that connects them can also tear them apart.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
The Doctor of London by Lyn Brittan
Kennerick Clock, London’s most ornery private investigator, has just received a note from the spoiled Lady Javan, the woman who broke his heart. He’s willing to help, for the right price, but separating the case from his feelings is proving a little harder than he thought.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
The Sport of Romance: A Multi-Author Box Set by Violet Vaughn
You love the players, and we love the game. Ten romances about the athletes you can’t resist from New York Times and USA today bestselling authors featuring a ruthless fighter, a sexy baseball player, sultry skiers, hunky hockey players, and passionate football stars.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Rush by Violet Vaughn
Gretchen doesn’t let love get in the way of her snowboard career. Derrick is all for the physical approach too,until love threatens to ruin more than their plan.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Duty Bound (Bayou Bound #2) by Sidney Bristol
They fell hard and fast once, but now Mathieu wants nothing to do with his old flame. But Lisette is in danger, and only the big, bad cop can save her–but her heart isn’t on the table. At least not until their taboo secrets come out to play.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Chosen by the Alpha (Shadow Pack Rules) by Michle Bardsley
To honor the town pact made with the Shadow Pack werewolves, Belle will become a shifter bride. But she never expects to be chosen by the alpha.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
Rook (Allie’s War Book One) by JC Andrijeski
Like most humans, Allie spent her life distancing herself from Seers, a second race of beings discovered on Earth. Then she gets arrested and is yanked abruptly out of her life by the brooding and mysterious Seer, Revik. Through him, she discovers that her blood may not be as “human” as she always thought, that the world is nothing like it appears to be…and she has far more in common with Seers than she ever wanted to believe.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
The Supreme Moment (Fractured Multiverse) by C.G. Garcia
When Billionaire Darrien Stathos saves eighteen-year-old Avery Morgan’s family from the consequences of her estranged father’s gambling addiction, thus begins her new life as the property of the man known as the lord of the criminal underworld, Kairos, where she learns a disturbing and dangerous truth about both herself and him that will shatter the foundation of her understanding of reality.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Every Breath You Take (Billionaires in Disguise: Georgie and Rock Stars in Disguise: Xan, Episode 1): A New Adult Rock Star Romance by Blair Babylon
When a Rock Star in Disguise meets a Billionaire in hiding, music and violence clash.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
2 for 1 SPECIAL EDITION: Falling Hard (Episode 1) AND Playing Rough (Episode 2) by Blair Babylon
Be careful whom you submit to.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Shield (Allie’s War Book Two) by JC Andrijeski
Grappling with her new identity as “Bridge,” a being meant to herald the end for all of humanity, isn’t even Allie’s biggest problem. A whole new set of rules around seer culture and her relationship with infamous Seer infiltrator, Revik, keep getting her in trouble. Then the boy appears––sociopathic and telekinetic, he thinks Allie belongs to him.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
A SEAL’s Song by Jennifer Lowery
Navy SEAL Jack Taggart’s plans to catch some much-needed downtime between deployments are demolished when he risks everything to rescue beautiful wedding singer, Darci O’Shea, from a band of thieves. Will the battle between their inner demons be the hardest one to fight, or will they find rescue in each other’s arms?
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
One Gold Knot (Dominant Cord, Book 2) by Sadie Haller
She didn’t do relationships. She didn’t even do all night. After years of avoiding her teenage crush, Hildy Klein is shocked to come face to face with Wilson Kennedy. Her uncle’s wake isn’t the place to unravel all the ways that Wilson could leave her emotionally vulnerable and exposed, yet his gentle persistence is impossib le to ignore. But Wilson is no longer that boy in her fantasies, and now Hildy must decide if she will give up control and commit to the protective, kinky Dom he’s become.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
Let it Snow: Six Spicy Winter Romances by Suzan Butler, Emily Ryan-Davis, Cari Quinn, Vivienne Westlake, Sadie Haller, Holley Trent
Six steamy holiday romances, including offerings by New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, will keep you warm through winter’s coldest nights, so Let it Snow.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
Rise of the Phoenix (Return to Avalore) by Elianne Adams
Shattered by bitter rejection, Brienne Roberts flees Avalore and finds a home with the Erritrols, sworn enemy of their people, and now, she is determined to break a centuries old curse that turned her new family into beasts. Evan Mayfield, her named mate, will stop at nothing to eliminate all threats to his people, even if it means bringing Brienne back to Avalore to face justice with her people, and himself.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
Psychic Storm: Ten Dangerously Sexy Tales of Psychic Witches, Vampires, Mediums, Empaths and Seers by C.J. Ellisson, Deanna Chase, Dale Mayer, Heather Topham Wood, Hazel Hunter, Jesi Lea Ryan, JC Andrijeski, April Aasheim, Morgan Hannah MacDonald, Jordan Castillo Price
Ten books. Ten internationally bestselling authors, including New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. Ten different tales of sexy psychics, empaths and seers who solve crimes, fall in love, make magic and fight to save the world. Over 2,000 pages of extrasensory reading await, with three brand new, original novels and over 1,400 5-Star Reviews for the rest!
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Taken & Pursuit by V.M. Black
Curvy Harper Bailey’s ordinary life was turned upside down by a chance encounter with the handsome werewolf Levi Harris. On the run from the vampire mafia, he pulls her into his high-stakes world—and straight into the crosshairs. Now she’s got no car, no job, and not even any dry clothes.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
No Gentleman by V.M. Black
From deliciously sizzling contemporary bad boys, to pulse-tingling paranormal hotties, you’re sure to fall in love and in lust with any or all of these alphas. Over twenty fabulous authors bring their A-game to tempt your every desire.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Panther’s Quest by V.M. Black
An ex-SEAL panther shifter, Chay Bane has spent the last six years building a secret refuge for shifters in trouble. But when one of his bests friends needs help, everything he’s ever worked for is on the line.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
Lucky Thirteen Books 1-3 by S.M. Butler
Get the first three books in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, Lucky Thirteen, in one volume! Three Navy SEALs find and rediscover love with women who match them in every aspect of their lives.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Sizzling Seven by Minx Malone, Brenna Aubrey, Cari Quinn, Suzan Butler, Molly McLain, Violet Vaughn, Marie Hall
Seven sizzling reads from hot romance authors for a limited time in this value-packed bundle. Steamy stories of love from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors, featuring a sexy CEO Millionaire, a passionate Navy SEAL, a ruthless fighter, a hunky ski instructor, an injured Army sergeant, a sensual artist and a self-sacrificing Marine.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Rocked (Lost in Oblivion #1) by Taryn Elliott & Cari Quinn
Harper Pruitt sees that Deacon McCoy’s dream band with his best friends may be turning into a nightmare. Deacon’s so much more than just a peacemaker and the man behind the bass for Oblivion. But she has her own dreams to chase…even if she’s starting to think what she’s building with him might be the biggest one of all.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Reckless Recon (A Barren Planet Romance by Rinelle Grey
Stir-crazy after three weeks in space, Kerit, professional surfer turned interstellar colonist, jumps at the chance to get off the ship and onto the new planet’s surface—even if it is a little inhospitable. What he doesn’t expect is to meet Folly—the most prickly, irritating, and fascinating girl he’s ever known. But something sinister lurks in the ruined city, and neither of them realise how much they are going to have to rely on each other if they want to make it out alive.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Accepting Fate by Deanna Chase
Derek Alexander does his job for one reason and one reason only—to make up for that terrible night nine years ago. His demons haunt him, but so do dreams of Jax, the girl he knows he’s fated to be with. But in a world of magical soul mates, sometimes even love and forgiveness isn’t enough.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
The Tiger’s Passion: Picking Up The Pieces by Jessica Ryan
Morgan O’Connor’s love life has been nothing but abuse and tragedy. That is until she moves in across the street from a sexy tiger shifter named Levi. But is this the kind of love she’s ready for?
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Hot Shot (A Hostile Operations Team Novel) by Lynn Raye Harris
Hostile Operations Team sniper Jack “Hawk” Hunter is cool, methodical, and utterly lethal. Nothing rattles Jack’s calm. But that was before he learned he fathered a child three years ago—a child who has just been kidnapped.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Pursued by a Werewolf [Mystic Isle, Book 4] by Selena Blake
Hunter Ciolek has a new plan and only a few short weeks to make Avery Cooper see things his way because living without her is not an option and this werewolf always gets what he wants.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Shades of Control – The 3rd Billionaire Romance Boxset by Michelle Fix, Adrianna Hunter, Jordan Bell, Olivia Rigal, Erika Matsen, Amy Valenti, Aubrey Dark, Terry Towers, Cate Troyer, Tara Crescent, Gisèle Renarde, Ava Lore,
These irresistible men exercise control in every aspect of their lives. They demand your submission. They demand your devotion. They demand your love. In return, they’ll give you everything your heart desires and take you to impossible heights of pleasure.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Love and War – Part 1 (The Underworld Coven) by Kim Faulks
In the land they call the Underworld, witches have fought the Corrupt for hundreds of years, but recently, something has tipped the balance of power in favor of evil. Only one coven remains to protect the human race, the Crux Coven, led by a grieving warrior-witch named Creed. When a human woman breaks his wards and enters his sanctuary, Creed’s prepared for battle, but not for the attraction he feels toward Helaine.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Incidental Contact (Those Devilish De Marco Men) by Eden Connor
Small town Romeo wants the good girl, but he’s having performance issues
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
Rain on Me by Eden Connor
If every heart’s a package someone else has tied in knots, how did bondage unravel mine?
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
Fall Out (SEALs Undone #1) by Zoe York
Drew Castle is a Navy SEAL with a bad case of indifference. Until Annie Martin shows up on his doorstep, scared out of her mind, and all of a sudden, keeping her safe becomes the most important mission of his life. And this time, he’s on his own.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon
Hate F*@k: part one by Ainsley Booth
Cole: I push her buttons. I want to push them in the good way. Dirty, up-against-the-wall, my-hand-in-her-pants kind of way. But that’s not possible, because I’m dark and she’s light, and we both know it. So I push her buttons in the bad way, making her hate me.
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
London: Allie’s War Early Years by JC Andrijeski
~ A Revik and Allie prequel novel in the Allie’s War Series ~
GET IT FOR 99 CENTS AT:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
The post MEGA Sale – HOT Winter Reads appeared first on Selena Blake.
February 21, 2015
It’s Oscars Dresses Time – I Mean Time For The Oscars
What do you think the “in” color will be?
Will they go simple, statuesque and timeless? Or will the ladies do it up with big bows and lots of sparkle?
Do you have a favorite for the win (any category, I’m not picky.)
Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
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The post It’s Oscars Dresses Time – I Mean Time For The Oscars appeared first on Selena Blake.
February 20, 2015
Featured this Friday: Two Week Seduction by Kathy Lyons
Our special guest this week is Kathy Lyons and we’re diving into her book Two Week Seduction.
Don’t you just love that title? And check out the cover!
All the buy it links are at the bottom.
Enjoy!
—
“Thank you for your help,” he said. His voice was rusty, but clear enough.
She gasped in mock shock. “He speaks! Five words and it wasn’t rude!”
Against his will, his lips twitched. She always could make him smile when he least
wanted to.
She leaned forward, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “Let’s try something else. I know
it’s dangerous—I mean, your head might explode or something—but I say we risk it. Give me a
compliment.”
“Fishing?” he drawled.
She tsked. “That wasn’t a compliment. You’re supposed to say something nice. About
me.”
He didn’t answer. Mostly because he was thinking of all the things he wanted to say. That
her skin looked soft and her eyes were a changeable hazel that always kept him guessing. That
her tits were round and full, just begging to be nipped. That she was small compared to his 6’3″
frame, but she had legs long enough to wrap around his waist as he buried himself inside her.
And that red hair, a bright red flash of color on her perfect body, was a scream of danger he
lusted after.
While those thoughts spun through his mind, her expression soured. With a sigh, she
grabbed his empty beer bottle and held it before his eyes. “Say something nice to me and I’ll get
you another beer.”
She shook the bottle a little to grab his attention. It didn’t work. He was too busy
watching how the breeze pressed her blouse flat against her chest. Her bra had lace, which meant
texture, and he wondered what sound she’d make if he tugged it back and forth against her
nipples.
“John–-”
“That’s a nice b-blouse.” Damn it, he’d almost said bra.
Her mouth flattened with a sigh. “I thought you’d like it.”
Alea leaned forward as she pushed to her feet. A curl of brown hair tumbled forward,
pushing past the tiny gold hoop in her ear to dangle right before him. Without thinking, he
grabbed the lock, winding it around his fingers. It wasn’t even long enough to pull into his fist.
But it was close enough to hold her still. Her eyes widened in surprise and her mouth—those
plump, pink lips—formed a perfect O.
God, he’d been gone so long. And she was so much of a woman now.
“John?”
He wanted to say something, but he hadn’t the words. Just a thick want. He took a breath,
trying to clear his head, but all he tasted on the air was her. A citrus scent, so appropriate to
Florida and so missed when he was in Afghanistan. But there was another scent on top. The taste
of woman, hot and spicy despite her demure yellow shirt.
He should let her go, but his fingers just wouldn’t cooperate. He tightened his hold. And
when her hair started to slip through his grip, he pushed forward in his chair. He deserved one
taste. He sacrificed so his country would be safe. One kiss was nothing when stacked up against
that.
But if he was going to take her mouth—and he damn sure was—then he was going to
take something else too…
AMAZON KINDLE US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KUYCEZK/?...
AMAZON KINDLE CA – http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00KUYCEZK/?t...
AMAZON KINDLE UK– http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KUYCEZK...
NOOK – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-...
The post Featured this Friday: Two Week Seduction by Kathy Lyons appeared first on Selena Blake.
February 18, 2015
8 Mailing List Tips for Authors
Readers, pardon me while I geek out with my fellow authors for a bit.
The meat of this post comes from a forum post I made over at RomanceDivas.com recently. The question was: what are you doing to get newsletter subscribers.
Here’s my answer:
1: I wrote a serial for my subscribers. 20 something chapters. It’s just over 40,000 words total. If you’re going to do something like this, I suggest writing the story first, then distributing it to your subscribers. I had large gaps of time in there. Luckily my readers loved the story and hung in there. Likewise, I have another serial that’s 5 chapters in and I haven’t updated it in months. This is pointless, marketing wise. Consistency is key!
2: I offer five free reads to my subscribers. 1 Novel, 4 short stories. I advertise this everywhere I can. One of these shorts is tied to my Girls’ Night Trilogy and I advertise it in blurbs and in the books.
3: I exchange space in my newsletter with other authors. This is especially helpful if we’re both advertising our free reads, which readers must sign up to get. You can get 100+ sign ups in a day with the right partner.
4: I have a members only section of my website that you have to be subscribed to my newsletter to access. I use mailchimp and had my husband write some code so that they simply have to enter the email address they signed up to my mailing list with. http://members.selen…com/signin.html If they unsubscribe, they can no longer access the Members only section. This is actually a different WordPress installation. I have my free reads in there along with exclusive excerpts, first looks, cover reveals, A/B testing, polls, and calls for Beta readers. This has been pretty popular.
5: I collect snail mail addresses (again, via mail chimp) and occasionally send out goodies to subscribers. This has been good for sign ups but nothing else. I can’t measure retention and I haven’t seen nearly as many folks chatting about the goodies they just got in the mail from me as I thought I would.
6: I have sign up forms all over my website. Have a look.
7: I have a sign up form on FB. I post sign up links to social media fairly regularly as well. This used to work really well but two things have happened. A) There’s so much noise online these days, that an offer for 5 free reads goes unread, if you can believe it. B) Social media doesn’t reach as far as it used to. I have 5100 likes on FB and only 50 people see any given post I make. That’s pathetic.
8: I have a segmented list. All Selena Mail, New Releases, and a section for bloggers/reviewers where I send review request information and content that they’re welcome to borrow.
What do you do to encourage sign ups to your mailing list. And for any readers reading (I’m betting on your Shirley 
) what makes you sign up for an author’s newsletter.
The post 8 Mailing List Tips for Authors appeared first on Selena Blake.
February 13, 2015
Featured this Friday: Dream Guy by Lisa Scott
For those in the Wolfpack who’ve been around for a while, you know how much I ADORE Lisa Scott’s Flirts series. These are brilliantly written short stories that just make you want more, more, more. They’re so creative and packed with fun and uniqueness.
I’m thrilled to introduce you to one story from her bundle: Magic Flirts. This one is called Dream Guy (Loved it!) and you can Add it to your Cart here or Buy the Whole Bundle here. (You’re going to want to buy the whole bundle, trust me on this one!)
And when you’re done reading, why not drop by Lisa’s website and see what other goodness she has to offer. Oh, and do me a favor. Beg her to write more Flirts. I need them!
Enjoy!
—-
“Hottie at two o’clock coming our way,” Lara told me as we hugged the end of the bar.
“Hope he’s coming for you,” I said.
“Better not be, ‘cause I’m quite happy with Chuck.”
“For today,” I said with a smirk.
“Very true.” She finished her drink. “I’m headed for the ladies room.”
Before I could follow her, the cute, dark-haired guy Lara had spotted found me. He smiled and said, “Since I’ve been watching you all night, the least I can do is buy you a drink.”
A year ago, I would’ve said sure and tossed my hair over my shoulder. Instead, I told him, “You don’t want to buy me a drink.”
He looked confused. “I’m pretty sure I do.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “My last boyfriend disappeared at sea. The guy before that was in a car accident and suffered complete memory loss. And the one before that was transferred to Hong Kong a month after we started dating. I don’t want to involve you in my curse. Honestly, I probably shouldn’t even go out to bars anymore.”
He looked at me, then laughed. “Funny.”
“I wish it were a joke. Who knows what will happen to you if we go out a few times? Beheading in a helicopter accident? Flattened in a bridge collapse?”
He blinked at me a few times and stepped back. “So, have a nice night, then.” He quickly returned to his group of buddies.
Lara returned, too, and gave me a look. “You scared him off, didn’t you?”
“I was doing him a favor. A leopard at the zoo would probably end up attacking him if he went out with me. The fates of my boyfriends keep getting worse.”
Lara rubbed her temples. “Just because you keep having a dream where you marry the same guy—a guy you’ve never seen in real life, by the way—doesn’t mean you shouldn’t date other people.”
“The universe is clearly trying to keep me single for him.” Maybe I was going to meet him soon. That could explain why each new guy was being dispatched so quickly and efficiently. Perhaps my dream guy was getting closer after all these years.
Lara took a deep, slow breath. We’d been friends since fourth grade, and she knew some of my dreams came true. I’m not saying I’m psychic, but in fifth grade, I dreamed our teacher broke her leg. Two days later, she came in with a cast up to her thigh, and a tale about falling off a ladder while painting her house.
Lara had been wide-eyed with interest when I told her about my prophetic dream. My mom? Not so much. So I never told Mom about any other dreams. But Lara was always there to listen without judging, although she thought it was downright spooky six months later when I dreamed about the fire that destroyed an abandoned church in our town. And in seventh grade, when my dream came true about my cousin getting into a car crash. Then, freshman year in college, I had my first dream about Blake. I didn’t know for sure if that was his name, but that’s what I called him. In the dream, he stood at the altar, smiling and waiting for me.
He was tall and a bit leaner than the guys I usually went for. Generally, I had a rule that I needed to be able to fit into my guys’ jeans, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to get Blake’s jeans over my hips. Surprisingly, he was a redhead. Not my type, really. I preferred dark-haired guys. But from the dimple in his chin and the gleam in his eyes, I imagined him as hilarious and kind, and that I would somehow grow to love this guy with short, spiky, bright red hair and a matching goatee. He was handsome, but just not who I thought I’d marry. Still, I’d had that dream dozens of times. It never changed.
I shrugged. “Seriously, Lara. Why bother dating anymore? I’m just waiting for Blake.”
“Kim, you don’t know for sure he’s the guy you’re going to marry.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a hand. “I know. It’s one of your shiny dreams, and the shiny ones always come true. But maybe you’re going to be in a movie about a wedding.”
“I’m not an actress,” I protested.
“Maybe you will be. Maybe it’s dinner theatre. Or maybe he’s the groom, but you’re just a bridesmaid in someone else’s wedding. Like mine. Maybe I’m supposed to marry him.”
“What about Chuck?” I asked sarcastically.
She rolled her eyes. “You’ve never seen yourself in the dream, right?”
“True, but it feels like I’m the bride. And he’s looking at me like he’s mentally undressing me.”
She made a face. “Maybe he’s just a shit marrying someone else while checking out the wedding party.”
I finished my drink and pushed the glass aside. “I’m just taking a break from the dating scene for a while. David disappeared at sea, and unless he washed up on a fabulous tropical island somewhere, something really bad happened to him. It’s rather traumatic. I’m just going to read romance novels instead of looking for love. That way, no one will get hurt.”
Add it to your Cart here or Buy the Whole Bundle here
The post Featured this Friday: Dream Guy by Lisa Scott appeared first on Selena Blake.
February 11, 2015
How to Link to an iBook
My mind has been blown!
I recently learned a new (and improved) way to get the link to an iBook. (Thanks Ian & Kristen!) Before, I went to the iTunes Link Maker page to get my links.
But there’s a much easier way to do it, especially if you already have the iBooks bookstore (located within the iTunes software) open.
Right click on the cover.
Yep, that’s what I said. Right click on a cover, and then click Copy Link.
Totally done.
Now just paste that link wherever you want. Wasn’t that easy breezy?
Now, go forth and tell all your friends.
And pin this on Pinterest!
The post How to Link to an iBook appeared first on Selena Blake.
February 6, 2015
Featured this Friday – @SusanMeier1 and Her Brooding Italian Boss
My good friend Susan Meier has a new release out this week. If you’re looking for something emotional and sweet, don’t miss Her Brooding Italian Boss. I read it last night… until 2:30 in the morning. Could not put it down.
Bring tissues!
Here’s the blurb from HER BROODING ITALIAN BOSS.
From his assistant…to his muse!
Pregnant and broke, Laura Beth Matthew’s only option is to take a job with brooding yet brilliant artist Antonio Bartulocci. He may be darkly handsome, but the fiery Italian proves to be a difficult boss!
Since his wife’s betrayal, Antonio has been unable to pick up a brush. But captivated by Laura Beth’s guileless beauty, he wonders if she could be the woman to unlock the talent he thought he’d lost forever… It’s a miracle which reminds him of all that’s now good in this life: Laura Beth!
And an excerpt
Standing in the main room of the gallery, pressed in by art aficionados, Antonio glanced at his watch. His “return” to the world of art had been a subtle, almost disappointing, one. Olivia had other clients – working clients – she was schmoozing right now. Tucker had found two business acquaintances he was talking up. And Antonio stood by a gallery owner from Madrid who desperately wanted him to do a showing.
Half of him had gone breathless at the prospect. The other half wanted to run in terror.
The screech of a car grinding to a stop stabbed into the noise of the gallery.
He looked up, past Juanita Santos to the wall of windows behind her. A red Jag had pulled up to the curb for valet parking. His eyes narrowed. That looked just like Constanzo’s car.
The driver’s door opened. A spike heel emerged, connected to one long, slim leg.
His eyebrows rose. The crowd outside the gallery turned to the newcomer. Men smiled. Women gave her the onceover.
Antonio’s mouth fell open as Laura Beth tossed the keys to the valet.
With her hair pulled up, piled high on her head, and luscious in the slim black dress, she walked the cobblestone path like a model working the catwalk. The dress rode her curves, accenting her womanly figure, but the black color gave her a sleek, sophisticated look. In her worn jeans and goofy librarian work clothes, she was an all-American girl. In this dress, she was a woman.
And all eyes were on her.
His heart caught and his breathing faltered, but he ignored them. He wasn’t in a position to get involved with her. Though looking at her in that dress, he was again tempted. Still, for all he knew, Constanzo had set this up. But, even if he hadn’t, his reasons for staying away from Laura Beth were sound. Responsible. He feared watching her belly swell with child, but his first marriage had also made him jaded, angry. She was absolutely too nice for him. And right now she was about to be rejected at the door.
A gentleman, he couldn’t let that happen. He turned to Juanita. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“Of course.”
He headed for the door, his heart thundering in his chest with fear that she’d be embarrassingly refused entrance. Instead, the young man smiled and motioned for her to enter.
She dipped her head in thanks and glided into the crowd.
He stopped and waited for her to see him. When she did, she approached him.
“Well, look at you.”
She smiled slowly. “You’ve got to stop stealing my good lines.”
He laughed. “I’m glad you’re here, but I’m afraid I’m–”
He was about to say busy, when Olivia raced over. “Laura Beth?”
She raised her hands. “In the flesh.”
Olivia squealed with joy. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m spending a few weeks with Antonio, helping him try to clear out his office.”
One of Olivia’s eyebrows rose as she looked at Antonio, who clearly hadn’t mentioned that her best friend was living with him.
Laura Beth laughed. “Don’t worry. Constanzo hired me. Antonio didn’t. So he’s not really cooperating.”
Olivia tilted her head at him. “Pity.”
Then Laura Beth totally surprised him by squeezing Olivia’s hand and saying, “I’d love to chat. But Antonio was just telling me that he’s busy. I’m assuming you’ve got people for him to meet, so I’m going to walk around the gallery and, you know, browse.”
Olivia gave her a quick hug. “Have fun. I do have a few people I’d like Antonio to meet. But maybe we can catch up tomorrow.”
Laura Beth smiled mysteriously. “Maybe.”
Then she turned and walked away.
Antonio watched the slight sway of her hips, the long curve of her spine, as they moved away from him.
“Wow. She looked happy, huh?”
Antonio faced Olivia. “Happy?”
“Yeah. Lately she’d been a little glum.” She slid her hand into his elbow and turned him toward the crowd again. “I guessed she was a bit upset about being roommate-less, but she wouldn’t talk about it. She won’t take a damned thing from me or Tucker. Not even a job offer. Wants to make her own way in the world.” She paused and frowned. “How’d Constanzo talk her into working for you?”
He blinked. Obviously, she didn’t know Laura Beth was pregnant. So he shrugged. “I think losing her apartment really brought home the fact that she couldn’t be choosy about who offered her a job.”
“Yeah, well, if you really don’t want her, Tucker does. He has an opening for an IT person who would work directly with him, somebody he can trust with his secrets.”
“Sounds perfect for her.”
“It is perfect for her. He was going to make the offer after the wedding, but she disappeared. Now, at least we know where she went.”
“Yes, you do.” And Tucker wanting to hire Laura Beth was like a blessing from heaven. A relief.
Really.
There was no reason for the odd feeling in his stomach, the fear of losing her, the reminder of how empty his house was without her.
He peered around into the crowd but couldn’t see Laura Beth. Then he caught a fleeting glimpse of her as she moved between two conversation circles. The men in each cluster smiled at her and she innocently smiled back.
Jealousy catapulted through him.
“Ready to mingle?”
Thanking God for a reason to take his eyes and his attention off Laura Beth, he smiled at Olivia. “Desperately.”
He spent an hour with Olivia introducing him to gallery owners, art dealers and collectors. His former charm came back to him as if he hadn’t lost it. If he’d had anything new to display or sell, he would have made a killing.
But he didn’t have anything new to display or sell, and he wasn’t yet entertaining commissions, so everyone drifted away. The futility of his situation roared through him, frustrating him, making him wonder why the hell he was even here.
He faced Olivia. “I’m going to get a drink. Would you like one?”
“I think I better find Tucker.”
Perfect. He could go to the bar, drink himself stupid with scotch and be driven back to the penthouse where he could pass out and forget he was a has-been.
Shifting to the side, he slid through the throng of happy people and to the discreet glass and marble bar set up in a corner.
“Scotch.” The bartender turned to go and he caught his arm. “Three of them.”
The young man nodded, apparently thinking he was getting drinks for friends, and that was just fine with Antonio. He angled himself against the marble, but when he did he saw Laura Beth, standing alone, staring at a painting.
He studied the tilt of her head, the way it clearly displayed her interest in the picture, saw the light and shadows he’d use if he painted her, so everyone would see what he saw. A newcomer falling in love.
Damn it! What was he doing imagining painting her again!
“Here you are, sir.”
The bartender set three crystal glasses of scotch on the bar. Antonio took the first one and downed it. He set the empty glass on the bar, then dug through his pockets for a good tip.
He walked away with a Scotch in each hand, deliberately heading away from Laura Beth, but apparently she’d moved too because there she stood, in front of another display. This one she seemed to like about as much as she liked the Picassos.
Watching her, he sipped the second Scotch. The desire to capture her slithered through him again, just as Jason Ashbury stopped in front of him.
“I wanted to give you a card.”
Antonio set his second Scotch on an available tray with a wince. “Sorry.”
Jason laughed. “Never apologizing for enjoying a good Scotch.” He handed the card to Antonio. “I know you’re accustomed to bigger galleries, but we’d love to have you in Arizona.”
And he’d love to be in a gallery in Arizona. He love to have a showing anywhere. If he could just freaking paint again.
His gaze strolled to Laura Beth.
Jason shook his hand. “Come visit us. Maybe we’ll inspire you.”
He walked away and Antonio’s eyes sought Laura Beth again. She all but shimmered in the sophisticated dress, but she couldn’t hide that innocence. And maybe that’s what drew him. She was his deceased wife’s polar opposite. And if her innocence was the medicine he needed to paint again, maybe he shouldn’t fight it.
He strolled over. “Are you okay?”
“What? You think a woman can’t be on her own in a gallery?”
“No. You’re pregnant and it’s been a long night and you still have a bit of a drive home.”
She winced. “Saw me in the car, did you?”
He took a step closer. “Saw you getting out of the car.”
This time she laughed. “That was fun.”
“You looked like you were enjoying it.”
“Oh, I was.” She took a long drink of air. “I’m going to miss this.”
“Barcelona?”
“No. The dressing up tonight and play acting.”
He raised one eyebrow in question. “Why? You’ve got a few more weeks in Italy. You can do all the dressing up and play acting you want.”
She shook her head. “No. I can’t. Walking around here tonight, I remembered something I’d thought at the wedding. I took what I believed was a real job because I’m not an executive or a trust fund baby or even employable in New York City.” She faced him. “But you don’t want me and I don’t really belong here. It’s time for me to go home.”
Panic swirled through him. “Home New York or home Kentucky?”
“Kentucky.” She raised her gaze to meet his. “I know there’s not much work for an IT person there, but I’m going to have a baby. I need my mom for moral support.” She sucked in a breath. “But looking at one of the pictures I also realized I’d had a pretty good childhood.”
He frowned. “Which picture?”
She laughed and ambled to a painting a few feet away. “This one.”
It was a painting of three dogs running through the dead brush around a pond in late fall. The colors were cool, dismal. The sky so dark it was almost charcoal grey.
“This reminds you of home?”
Gazing at the painting, she said, “Yes.”
Hoping for the best, he said, “You had a dog?”
She laughed. “No. We had ugly Novembers. The cold sets in and lingers. But some of my best life things happened in fall.”
She faced him with a light in her eyes that flicked the switch of his longing to paint. But in a different way than the day he found her lying on her bed wrapped in a towel, a different way even than the technical visions of dimension and light that had overtaken him various times that day. This was a serious, quiet need, something that didn’t hurt him or fill him with angry longing. This one was normal.
Breathlessly afraid to lose this feeling, he quietly said, “What sort of things?”
“Well, my birthday’s in the fall, so there’s the whole being born thing.”
He laughed.
“And every fall we returned to school.” She smiled at him but her eyes were distant as if she were thinking back to the past. “Going to school meant seeing my friends, getting new clothes, football games, school play tryouts.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“It was.”
“And that’s why you’re going home?”
She moved her eyes up to meet his gaze. “I just keep thinking I’d like to be around my mom when I actually have the baby. But I also had a great childhood. I want my baby to have that too.”
He whispered, “It makes sense,” not sure why the moment felt so solemn, except it meant that their time together was ending. Or maybe because he knew he needed to at least try to paint her and if he didn’t ask in the next few seconds he wouldn’t get the chance.
“I still think about painting you.”
“I know.” She stepped away. “You told me it annoys you to think about painting me.”
He laughed. “Tonight’s feelings are different.”
She faced him. “Really?”
“Yeah. Tonight it all feels real, doable.”
“Well, that’s…something.”
He breached the space between them. “Actually, it is. The uncontrollable urge might have been a first step, but just as your feelings about becoming a mom are shifting, growing, so are my feelings about painting you.”
Her breath caught. “You’re serious?”
He glanced around. “Yes. But this feeling is so new and it’s only cropped up around you.” He caught her gaze. “Can you spend the next few weeks with me? Let me see if I can paint again?”
“Only if you also let me work as your assistant.”
Her persistence made him laugh and long to kiss her. In that very second, the need was so strong he doubted his ability to resist it. Her face tipped up to him. Her earnest eyes held his. It would be so easy.
But he’d kissed her once and it had only reminded him that he couldn’t have her.
Because he couldn’t.
“I want the painting to be our focus.”
She cocked her head. Understanding flitted across her face. “Okay.”
And something wonderful sprinted through his blood. Acceptance. She had needs of her own. Troubles of her own. But instead of bargaining with him, she would simply help him.
It was as strong of an aphrodisiac as the lure of her lush mouth. He wondered about his strength, his endurance, if he really could paint her without touching her.
But he knew he wasn’t strong enough to watch her pregnancy. And he also knew she was going home to her mom and a job from Tucker.
He had nothing to worry about.
The post Featured this Friday – @SusanMeier1 and Her Brooding Italian Boss appeared first on Selena Blake.
February 5, 2015
@SelenaBlake Books available on iBooks
Selena Blake books are on iBooks! And here’s a handy dandy online spreadsheet (with direct links) so you can bop over and get. them. all!
(Should I apologize for including three exclamation points so far? Nah. I’m excited.)
So if you have an iPhone, iPad, or some sort of a Mac computer… don’t miss this opportunity to get some great romances on a lovely platform!
The post @SelenaBlake Books available on iBooks appeared first on Selena Blake.
Excerpt from Reclaiming Isis
Get It: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon FR | Amazon DE | iTunes | Nook | Kobo | AllRomanceEbooks | Smashwords
Seven months ago, their bride disappeared but Tristin and Rafe never stopped looking for her. When no amount of money or searching produces results, they turn to each other for support.
Then a routine stop on Prime C delivers the shock of a lifetime. Isis doesn’t remember the two men who claim she belongs with them, but her body certainly does.
With danger on their heels and an enemy who will stop at nothing to silence their triad, Rafe and Tristin must protect Isis while they fight to win her heart again.
Features two sinfully handsome mercenaries, a voluptuous woman, m/f/m pleasure and a love that will last a lifetime.
EXCERPT
Seven months ago
Rafe Montero threw his arm over Isis’s shoulders as they stomped down the gangway. The market was busy as usual with shoppers and merchandise overflowing down side streets and onto the landing pad.
Tristin slapped him on the back and stepped ahead of them. Walking backwards, he shot Isis one of his trademark smiles.
“So we’ll meet back at the ship in thirty?” he asked.
“Yep,” Isis replied and reached out to steady him as he bumped into an old man.
Tristin twisted out of the way, laughing and apologizing to the man before giving his attention back to Rafe and Isis. “Alright. Well, I’ve got my orders. I don’t want this excursion to take a second longer than necessary.”
The look he shot Isis was hot as a Defcan volcano. Rafe knew the feeling himself, all too well. They were more than eager to get their bride home, in bed.
Tristin took off at a jog, merging with the colorful crowd before disappearing into the sandy cloud that swept the surface of this planet.
“I second that,” Isis murmured. “Now that that mission is over, I plan to languish on the terrace and let you two have your way with me.”
Rafe grinned down at her. “I love being married,” he murmured and then swept her into a kiss that made him hard and achy in an instant.
He was just getting into it when she pressed her hands against his chest and grinned up at him. The mischief in her beautiful green eyes sent his pulse racing.
“Me too. Now, I’ve got some shopping to do.”
“See you in thirty,” he said, reluctant to let her go.
“Love you,” she called over her shoulder.
Rafe returned two minutes early to find Tristin sitting on the gangway. A half-eaten reddish-yellow fruit dangled from his fingertips and he wore a smile of satisfaction. Either that Earth Apple was extra tasty or he and Isis had finished their shopping early and had started the party without Rafe.
Years ago that would have made him jealous, but Tristin completed the circle, made Rafe whole again. He couldn’t imagine life without his best friend and fighting over Isis hadn’t been an option. Losing either of them would have shredded his soul.
“Get everything on the list?” he asked, propping a boot against the edge of the gangway.
“And then some.” Tristin wiggled his eyebrows up and down, looking ten years younger.
“Isis on board?”
Tristin shook his head, his gaze sweeping the port over Rafe’s shoulder.
“I’ll go put this stuff away and we’ll be ready to go as soon as she gets back.” The sooner they took to the sky, the sooner they could get home. And the sooner they got home, the sooner they could lose themselves in Isis’s brilliance and love.
They needed a vacation in the worst way after that last mission.
He decided to hide the presents he’d gotten Isis and Tristin so they’d be a surprise when they got to Dornick. She had a fondness for silky fabrics and the animals on Leo Moon had particularly soft pelts. And since Tristin loved daggers, Rafe hadn’t been able to pass up a handmade blade with a whelvan horn for the handle.
After completing his preflight check, taking care of business and grabbing a snack, he headed back to the gangway.
“Any sign of her?”
Tristin shook his head, his gaze still searching the throng of people for their beautiful wife. Her golden-red mane would be easy to spot in the fading daylight.
“She’s late,” Tristin said, tossing the apple core away. A small, furry scavenger darted from beneath their ship and carried the remnant of fruit away, making happy little squeaking sounds.
“She’s never late,” Rafe replied, worry pinching his brows. Isis had always been incredibly punctual which was just one of the many things he loved about her. Her punctuality had saved their ass on more than one occasion.
“I’ll try her comm,” Tristin said. He tapped the call button and braced his forearms against his knees as he waited. Rafe sat down next to him and looked out at the landing pad. Pad might be stretching it a bit.
It was a flat surface free from debris and obstacles. But the surface was sandy and kicked up like a son-of-a-bitch during takeoff and landing. It was a wonder there weren’t more accidents due to the poor visibility.
“No answer.”
Rafe sighed. “Maybe she got hung up. You know how she loves to haggle.”
They waited another thirty.
“I’m going to go look for her,” Tristin said as he stood.
“I’ll leave her a message on the computer in case she comes back and then I’ll stop by that little stall she loves so much.” The one with all the aphrodisiacs that the three of them enjoyed.
Tristin nodded.
“Try her comm again,” Rafe called as Tristin stalked away, his long legs eating up the sandy soil.
It took hardly any time at all to leave a message on the main computer, lock up the ship and retrace his steps to where he’d seen her last. He followed the direction she’d been heading and made his way to the cluster of stores she frequented whenever they came to the market.
Fabrique from Tajeek, out-of-this-world chocolates, healing waters from Oasis 9, and finally, aphrodisiacs. Fruits, candies, dust and drinks, the tidy little stall had it all.
He spoke to the proprietor in her native language and was surprised that she remembered him. She went on and on about how good it was to see Isis again and how glad she was that they enjoyed her products.
Patience wearing thin, he held up a hand and offered her a small smile. “So you’ve seen Isis today?”
The ancient nodded and began talking again, her hands flying along with her words.
He thanked her for the information and stepped to the next booth, where Isis had evidently headed next. He had a similar conversation with that proprietor and then stepped to the next stall. The man said he’d seen her cut down the alley behind the booths.
Rafe called Tristin on the comm and filled him in.
“I see you. Wait for me,” Tristin said. A few moments later they were side by side, heading down the alley.
Tristin’s comm buzzed and he answered immediately.
The sound of Isis’s scream coming through the tiny speaker made Rafe’s heart stop mid-beat.
Get It: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon FR | Amazon DE | iTunes | Nook | Kobo | AllRomanceEbooks | Smashwords
Rescuing Natacha, Book 2 in the Deep Space Encounters series comes out February 10th.
The post Excerpt from Reclaiming Isis appeared first on Selena Blake.
