Tory Richards's Blog, page 98

I'm going to change my weekly book focus, which focuses on my back list of books, to monthly book focus. You can expect never before posted excerpts, possibly new book covers, and giveaways.

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Kiss Me!

A full length contemporary romance!
$4.49 here Two years after Emma’s divorce she’s looking forward to settling into a quiet life in her new condo at the lake. But thanks to her match making sister she’s running into Stratton’s sexy small town detective at every turn. The last thing Mike’s looking for is a relationship to complicate his busy life, and tells Emma as much. So, if that’s the case, why can’t keep his hands off her? Previously released under a different title and cover at Whiskey Creek Press. This book was on the publisher's best sellers list for 2 consecutive months!

Emma caught her breath, recognizing Mike the second she heard the deep timbre of his sexy voice. He made a hunky Zorro, dressed all in black in a costume that fit his tall, powerful body like it was tailored especially for him. She’d seen him watching her while she crossed the room, ignoring him on purpose because she hadn’t wanted to encourage any unwelcome attention. Now that she knew who he was, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

He was what dreams were made of, the handsome hero disguised in a black mask, his steely eyes doing all his talking for him as he leaned insolently against the table with that wolfish grin. The bad boy every woman secretly yearns for. He had to know how he affected women with his mysterious presence. Goodness, she all but placed her hand over her pounding heart. What was wrong with her? It took effort to remind herself he was married.

She was about to step away when a dancer bumped into her backside, causing her to fly directly into Mike’s arms. “Oh!” she gasped, throwing her head back to meet his eyes just as his strong hands curled around the fleshy part of her arms, catching her against him. Their bodies were flush, and suddenly it seemed like they were sharing every breath, every heart beat as they stared intently into each other’s eyes. 

Emma felt warm heat spread throughout her body, a heat that had nothing to do with the hot disco lights glaring overhead. Time seemed to stand still. She couldn’t pull her gaze away from his, too caught up in the spell of the moment and feeling way too much in his strong arms, experiencing way too much sensation against his hard body. She was old enough to realize the flow of heat pooling in the lower half of her body was the result of sharp and instant arousal. She tried to ignore the tingling in her nipples as they tightened against his chest, wetting her lips to issue an apology. However, the only thing that came out was a noise that sounded very much like a purr of surrender, a sound of betrayal if she ever heard one.

“Mike,” she began, in a breathless tone that revealed her emotions. She was unable to finish, her body trembling on a sudden wave of weakness. Certain her knees were going to give way, she struggled to put the brakes on the obvious signs of what being in his arms was doing to her. “Please…” she began, intending to ask him to let her go, but there was no denying the invitation she heard in her own voice.

Mike’s eyes darkened with desire; he didn’t want to let Emma go. He’d known he was attracted to her from the start, but he wasn’t prepared for the instant results she produced every time she touched him in some way. Even innocently, only this was hardly innocent. He felt every inch of her. His hands tightened around her arms, a low groan locking in his throat. 

The very air around them seemed electrified. He didn’t want to feel the attraction, yet he was powerless to push her away. Instead, he was acting like an adolescent discovering what sex was all about for the first time. Hell, he was breaking out in a sweat! Her sweet scent and softness was more than any mortal could bear.

Glancing down was his undoing. Her lovely breasts, crushed against him, were all but spilling out of their scant covering. The breath hissed from his lungs, lust shooting a direct path for his aching groin. Releasing a low growl of denial, he felt himself turning hard, and realized he should set her away from him at once. But she felt too damn good right where she was. As if she belonged there.

A New Release from Ju Ephraime!

Andy rushes into the lounge area of the Crown & Bull where he’s meeting Bernie. Taking a seat where he can observe the entrance, he orders a Scotch on the rocks and sits back to wait a bit. Just then, a strikingly gorgeous woman walks through the revolving doors. This is the kind of woman who drives a man to drink, he thinks sardonically.

It takes him a moment to realize she’s coming toward him. Man, she’s gorgeous; beautiful is too mediocre a word to describe her. She has a body that makes a man twitch just watching her, and he has the itch. He’s so busy trying to conceal the evidence of her effect on his body that he is taken by surprised when she addresses him.
“Mr. Redfield? I’m Bernie Harp.”
The voice is a husky contralto that makes the blood vacate Andy’s brain and rush to his masculine parts. He has to take a deep breath to slow down his heart rate. His powerful physical response to the woman irritates him. God damn it, he was expecting a man. Jonas never told him the investigator was a woman. He’d foolishly assumed, with a name like Bernie, it had to be a man. -----, he needs a moment to get himself together. So, instead of responding immediately, he sips his drink that the waiter had put in front of him a few moments earlier. Without saying a word, he lets the mellow taste of the liquor course its way through him like a kiss from the lips of a sensuous woman—like the one standing in front of him now, with her hand extended. Only after the taste on his tongue has dissipated to a shimmering echo of heat does he look up. Why, he asks himself, would a woman who looks like this, be named Bernie?

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Beauty Submits to her Beast

BLURB:

Rancher Caitlin Olsen is in complete control of her life. After years of taking care of others, she’s on her own and loving every minute. She has her horses and her ranch. What more does she need? Yet deep inside, she yearns to give up all her responsibilities and simply experience life. When a friend suggests she try a bit of BDSM role-play, she does her research and accepts an invitation to Pleasure Manor for a fairy tale event.

War hero and Dominant, Damon Steele is a loner. His failure to keep his men alive destroyed too many hopes and dreams. He won’t be responsible for anyone else's life or happiness ever again. There’s no room in his life—or his heart—for romance. Instead, he satisfies his needs at BDSM clubs and never with the same sub. Taking part in the fairy tale event at Pleasure Manor is difficult enough, but when Beauty challenges him both in the bedroom and out, he’s not sure he can control his inner beast.


EXCERPT:

“Damon, could you come over here?” She held the reins of the two in bad shape.

He joined her. “Caitlin—”

“Look at them. Mistreated, abused, and abandoned. Now they’ll find hope, contentment, and happiness. They’ll never go hungry or be alone. They’ll learn to trust and love. Their lives start here. And they’ll live to be old and die here.”

“I’m not a horse to be saved, Caitlin. I’m not abused or mistreated or starved.” He shoved aside the abandonment he’d felt as a child. He’d gotten over his childhood a long time ago but knew he’d never forgive himself for abandoning his men.

She met his gaze, her whiskey-dark eyes churning with emotion and the sheen of tears. “You abuse yourself, Damon. You mistreat you, and you are as starved as any of these horses. Not of food but of acceptance and forgiveness. Like each of these animals, you’ve lost hope. These animals were helpless to change their situations. They couldn’t fight for happiness. But you can.” Her gaze turned intense. “And you will.”

She cupped the side of his face with one hand. “I’m not asking you to stay for me, not even asking for you to give us a chance. I want to help you heal and find your way back.”

He lowered his forehead to hers. “Caitlin…”

His throat closed off, stopping him from telling her he didn’t deserve what she offered. He closed his eyes. He was better off alone, but her touch, her scent, her voice arrowed deep into his being. Some long-denied part of him screamed for what she offered.

A hard nudge to his shoulder threw him off balance, and he landed on his ass. Blinking, he glared at the black horse with sad eyes staring down at him. She lowered her head and snorted, her breath fanning his face. “What the hell?”

Caitie laughed gently. “I think you’ve been claimed.” She reached down and helped Damon to his feet. She handed him the reins. “She’s yours.”

“What?” This time when the animal butted against him, he was braced and ready.

“While you’re here, you are responsible for her care. You’ll feed her, clean her stall, exercise her, groom her, make her feel safe, and teach her to trust and love.”

“That’s a tall order for a couple hours.” He eyed the mare and swore he felt a connection as he stared into her large, soft, brown eyes.

Caitlin patted his shoulder. “Oh, I think you’ll be here longer.”

The sound of wheels crunching gravel had him whipping around. “Dammit.” Glorie rolled down her window. “I packed what I could for you while you were in the shower.” She wrinkled her nose. “Might need to wash most of them first.” She waggled her fingers, then she and her car shot down the drive toward the highway.


AUTHOR Bio 
Sydney St. Claire is the pseudonym of Susan Edwards, author of 14 Historical Native American/Western/Paranormal romances and the author of the popular “White” Series.

Sydney loves writing and sharing stories of love, happiness and dreams come true with her readers. She credits her mother for her writing success. Encouraged to read as a child, she always preferred happy endings which meant romances were her favorite genre. Sydney takes her readers into the world of erotica romance where her characters come together in explosive passion as they solve life’s problems and find true love along with the best sex our hero and heroine have ever experienced.

Sydney’s office is quite crowded with three dogs at her feet and five cats to keep her company while she writes. Three cats always insist on beds on her desk, barely leaving enough room for her monitor and keyboard. Life gets fun when all five insist on supervising…

When not writing, she enjoys crafts of all sorts including quilting, sewing, cross-stitch and knitting. She and her husband of 30 + years are avid gardeners. He takes care of the veggies, and Susan is in charge of the ‘pretties’. Her medicine wheel garden is in a contact state of war: flowers vs. weeds. Sadly, right now the weeds are wining…

While writing, she listens to a wide variety of music. Her current favorites are Blackmore’s Night and David Lanz.


Contact Links
Email: Sydney@sydneystclaire.com
Trailer https://youtu.be/l1RYrz-gaCE
Website: http://sydneystclaire.com
http://susanedwards.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sydneystclaire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydneystclaire
Blog: http://sydneystclaire.wordpress.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/sydneystclaire
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sydneystclaire/

Buy links:
Amazon http://amzn.to/1K6OEBv
Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beauty-submits-to-her-beast-sydney-st-claire/1122183629?ean=2940151538169
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 
Syndey St. Claire will be awarding a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter a $20 Amazon/BN gift card. Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-blast-beauty-submits-to-her-beast.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Fire excerpt

Buy Link The next thing I knew he ripped the shower curtain off the hooks, folded it around my body a few times, bent, and threw me over his shoulder. I squealed, feeling myself slipping as he stood. “I’m falling!” I tried to wiggle my arms free but he’d wrapped me up like a cocoon.

“Hold on!” He managed to bounce me back into position, and wrap his arms around my upper thighs. I felt my face flush, ever conscious of my size fourteen curves, although he didn’t seem to mind. I thanked God the shower curtain was red and not clear because my ass was close to his face.

“I can walk, damnit!”

He ignored me, and turned quickly to walk into my bedroom, through the smoke filled apartment, and toward the opened front door. We were almost there when I remembered Tootsie.

“Wait, my cat!” I began to squirm.

“My first priority if getting you out of here.”

His first priority? I was more confused than ever. “But she won’t come to you!”

We reached the door just as three firemen burst into the apartment. I glanced up from my undignified position long enough to take in that they were dressed in full uniform and weighted down by the various tools of their trade. One of them smiled at me and I lowered my head with a groan.

“What have we got?” One of them asked.

“Looks like an electrical, check the stove,” Dean replied, surprising me. “The fire is contained in the kitchen right now.” He moved around them and headed down the hallway. “Far as I can tell this is the only apartment affected.”

“What’s up with the fireman’s carry ?” Another firemen yelled out as we moved down the hallway. I could hear the amusement in his tone.

“Uncooperative female,” Dean responded, receiving loud guffaws in return.

“Dean!” I wanted to die of embarrassment. I could hear the shuffling and mumbling of my neighbors as they vacated their apartments and headed toward the stairs. “Where are you taking me?”

“Some place safe for the time being. Until we get your apartment fire under control and assess the damage.” He came to a door and opened it.

We? “Are you a fireman?”

“Yes ma’am.” He set me down on my feet. “I was returning from the mailbox when I noticed smoke coming out from beneath your door. I pulled the alarm and the rest you know.” He turned to leave.

“Wait a minute! You can’t leave me like this.”

His gaze moved down my curtain clad body. The only thing visible was my neck and wet head. If he left me and I fell to the floor I’d lay there like a helpless slug until his return. The corners of his mouth lifted, as if he was thinking something similar.

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Free today only! Smashwords Promotional price: $0.00Coupon Code: EN97EExpires: July 14, 2015

Challenge Accepted by Annabeth Leong

Blurb:

After being shamed for her dominant desires too many times, Christine has resolved never to date a vanilla man again. She needs a man who knows he's submissive, and she's determined to hold out until she finds one.

Until she meets Sam, that is. Christine can't bring herself to turn down the handsome parkour aficionado, so instead she tries to scare him off with an intensely kinky first date.

When Sam meets her extreme challenges head-on, Christine must decide if he can become the man to serve her every need—in the bedroom, and in her life.

Warnings: m/f anal play; BDSM content includes impact play, foot worship, dominance and submission, clamps placed in fairly extreme locations, and implied piercings.
Excerpt:

Even seeing only her back, Sam had no trouble recognizing Christine as he carried a sack of dirty clothes into the basement laundry room of his new apartment building. He’d liked her tall, thick frame the moment he’d caught her watching him, and he liked the way she moved. She folded clothes with sure, clean gestures. He’d been an athlete for enough of his life that he could immediately spot a woman in full control of her body and presence.

He hefted the laundry onto his shoulder and assumed a casual stance. He made his movements feel easy so they would look easy. “Christine.”

She turned. He liked that she didn’t jump. Maybe she knew he was coming.

He saw her reacting to him—gaze flicking down his body, body shifting to emphasize her hip. Her eyes were fierce, not welcoming. She looked as if she might be about to set him on fire. Apart from that, though, her nod was polite and distant.

Stretching and making a show of it, he set the laundry down beside a free machine. He didn’t know what to think of the contradictions he read in her body language. He was intrigued and wanted to get to know her. She, on the other hand, wasn’t being clear about what she wanted. He couldn’t tell if she was hoping he’d strike up a conversation or wishing he’d drop his clothes into the wash and get the hell out.

Sam had been raised in the type of family that communicated in code, and he didn’t like it. The only way he knew to make sense of the world was to speak his mind. “You up for company?”

She hesitated. “I think so,” she said finally.

“I’m glad.” His voice came out softer than he’d intended, his tone deferent.

There was something about Christine that made him want to address her that way. He stole glances as he started a washer. She dressed professionally, but not in an imposing way. Her body looked strong, but her shoulders were relaxed, her face at ease. She didn’t loom or intimidate, though he imagined she could if she wanted to. She had big, dark eyes and rich, brown skin. Her features weren’t delicate—he liked the bold lines of her nose and jaw—but neither were they harsh. The only hint of real severity he could see was in the way she wore her hair—straightened to within an inch of its life and sharply restrained.

“The weather’s gotten nice,” Sam said, reaching for an easy conversation starter. “Anything you’re looking forward to doing now?”

Christine shrugged. “Not wearing a heavy jacket.” Was that a touch of humor in the curve of her lips? He wasn’t sure.

“Definitely.” Sam kept his voice light. “You recognized parkour. Is that your sport?”

She laughed. "Afraid not." Sam wondered if she was warming to him, but she was still so difficult to read. He hated the idea of lingering where he wasn’t wanted.

“Look,” he said. “I’d like to get to know you. I’d like to take you out sometime. Are you interested?” He had a nice Italian restaurant in mind if she said yes. If she said no, he’d ignore the flickers of interest he kept feeling from her.

She didn’t agree or refuse, though. Instead, she looked pained. “Why would you ask me that? We’ve got nothing in common.”

Sam stepped back, holding up his hands. “I asked because I wanted to know your answer,” he said, the words low and even. “If you’re not, it’s cool. I won’t bother you about it.” He’d be disappointed, of course, but he wasn’t the kind of jerk who would try to make a woman feel guilty about turning him down.

Christine reached toward him but dropped her arm just before she made contact. “You couldn’t handle me.”

Sam probably should have walked away at that point, but he’d noticed the way she’d almost touched him and the stubborn part of him couldn’t let the challenge pass. “What do you mean, I couldn’t handle you?”

Familiar anger rose to his chest. In high school, everyone had assumed he was a nerd because he was Chinese. He’d been told he wouldn’t be able to handle being on the football team, wouldn’t be able to handle American-style boxing—though everyone also seemed to expect him to be an expert at Wing Chun—and wouldn’t be able to handle going with the other guys on the team to play pranks on the local rivals.

Sam had responded to each of those challenges by proving his doubters wrong, doing everything better and harder than the people who had questioned him. He’d given up on obligatory popular sports to focus on parkour, but there was still a part of him that thrilled each time he pulled off a difficult move, exulting that, yet again, he’d shown them.

Christine’s skin darkened with a blush, but she lifted her chin defiantly. “I’m kinky, okay? I doubt you’re ready for that.”

Sam blinked. “Wow, okay. That seems like something we could sort out after we go on a date and find out if we like each other. No need to jump ahead.”

“No point.” She shook her head, the gesture firm and dismissive. “It’s a waste of time to get to know each other if we’re just going to wind up incompatible.”

“Really?” Sam bristled. It irritated him when women assumed a Chinese guy wouldn’t know anything about sex, and he hoped that wasn’t what was going on. “I have heard about that book, you know. The one all the women are reading.”

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about. I like to be the one on the handle end of the flogger. You don’t want it, trust me.”

Sam had almost no idea what that entailed, but he pressed, annoyed that she’d presumed to tell him what he would and wouldn’t want. “How do you know? Talk to me about it first. Try me.”

“If you don’t already know about it, it’s just not going to work. I promise.”

Sam had never been aware of an interest in kink, but he couldn’t stand assumptions. “Tell me straight-out what you want to do,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ll tell you whether or not I want to do it.”

Christine stared as if he’d suggested a really strange plan. It reminded Sam of so many movies he’d seen, times when characters acted like telling the truth was such an odd and original thing to come up with. “I don’t know…” she said.

He grabbed his now-empty laundry bag. The fabric snapped as he yanked it through the air. The fresh, warm scent pouring from the dryers seemed sour in that moment. “Or turn me down. Just don’t tell me what I can and can’t handle.”

Again, she moved as if she wanted to take hold of his wrist and stop him. Sam paused, trying to make it clear he would let her if that was what she wanted to do. They were still for a while, and then he gave up and walked to the door.

“Wait,” Christine said before he could leave.

“Yeah?”

“Maybe. Do you use IM? Can we talk later?”

He shrugged. “Sure.” This was probably another part of the brush-off. Maybe she thought it would be nicer if she offered to chat online. He didn’t particularly like that tactic, but he didn’t feel like criticizing it now. Without expecting to hear from her again, he gave her his username.


Buy Links:
Loose ID: http://www.loose-id.com/challenge-accepted.html
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1JtPabF
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1R3TTYq
All Romance eBooks: http://bit.ly/1R3TXHJ
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/challenge-accepted-1


Bio: 
Annabeth Leong wears high heels and frequents the former haunts of H.P. Lovecraft. She is obsessed with baseball and marine life, and is an enthusiastic member of New England Feet. She is frequently confused about her sexuality, but enjoys searching for answers. Her work appears in more than 50 anthologies, including Best Bondage Erotica 2013, 2014, and 2015, Best Women's Erotica 2015, and Best Erotic Romance 2014 and 2015. She is the author of a number of erotic novels, ranging from sweet to dark. Find Annabeth online at annabetherotica.com, and on Twitter @AnnabethLeong

Up-coming Releases

I've mentioned this before but wanted to give you a heads up to some of the re-releases I have coming up. I've retained the book rights back to Hot Spot, The Promise and All the Right Moves. Below is information about them, and just so you know I am offering them up at a lower price than what they were listed for on the publisher's websites.

Hot Spot New title: ObsessionRelease date: 8/1/15$1.99 
Family reunions are best avoided, especially if you’re the ex. Sammy was just going to say hi to a few people and leave early. When her ex-brother-in-law, John shows up looking successful and sexy, passion burns hot and anything goes, except love . . . Or is she wrong? 
The PromiseNew title: A Soldier's PromiseRelease date: 11/2/15$2.99
Keeping promises is important to Ryan, but keeping his promise to his younger brother David will be hard. David’s final wish is for Ryan to watch over his wife and daughter, but Ryan’s been in love with Shannon for years. This holiday season, Ryan will learn he can keep his promise and still have his heart’s desire.
All the Right MovesSame titleRelease date: 2/1/16$4.49
After discovering one of her patients dead in her office, Doctor Annie McCall finds herself on the run for her life. Detective Marshall Thomas isn't afraid to break the rules and offers her refuge. The only problem is who'll protect Annie from him? Marshall hadn't counted on his primary suspect creating such a dilemma in his life. But once he discovers someone wants her dead, he is determined to keep his mind on the job in order to find the killer and to keep her safe. As they struggle to stay one step ahead of the killer, their attraction for each other spirals out of control. And soon the only danger Annie's facing is the heat between them.
All will be re-released with new book covers, too. All the Right Moves will have some new content added to it.

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