Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 431

Cover Reveal- Burning Desire: Flyboy Trilogy Book Two by G.L. Ross

Burning DesireFlyboy TrilogyBook TwoG.L. Ross
Book Description:
Continue Lance & Lisa’s Turbulent Passion, in Book Two of the Flyboy Trilogy
Captain Lance Miller has finally discovered and captured the Goddess of his dreams. Life is everything he ever dreamt it could be and more. He is a Captain with International Air, Owner of an Italian Winery, and Master to his beautiful Miss Lisa Price. But, life can never be this good for very long, right?
Lance brought down his walls and shared his heart. He threw away his manwhore tendencies. He’s been faithful. Lance’s life should be fabulous and it is until he watches all of his dreams crash and burn in front of his horrified eyes.
Flight Attendant Lisa Price has found her Prince Charming; granted he is nothing like she imagined he would be. He is an egotistical playboy who is controlling, demanding, hypnotic, charming, plus downright desirable, gorgeous, and steamy hot! Who could ask for more?
Lisa’s Flyboy has introduced her to her wild, uninhibited side; a side that is eager to discover new adventures inside and outside the bedroom. Lisa’s life is unfolding in front of her beautifully, until she discovers a secret. A secret she desperately needs to share with Lance, but will fate allow her to reveal her secret to the only man who has ever truly owned her heart?
About the Author
G.L. Ross is a proud, sixth generation, native Texan. As a true Southern Belle, G.L. has always dreamt of the “happily ever after,” the prince riding in on the white horse sweeping her off her feet. She hasn’t found “Prince Charming” – yet (always an optimist) – but finds him every time she writes about her characters’ “happily ever after” endings.
Her motto in life is to “always find the good” in every person and situation. Whether through laughter, prayer, or a glass of wine or vodka, G.L. finds the good in life and shares her sense of humor, love, and adventure in her stories. Take flight with Lance & Lisa in Turbulent Passion, and continue their turbulent journey in Burning Desire, book two in the Flyboy Trilogy http://glross.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/GL-Ross/433900326733078
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7411636.G_L_Ross
http://www.amazon.com/G.L.-Ross/e/B00GZ8H842

The Joys – or Angst? – of Paranormal Encounters

Hi, xxxx. Thanks for letting me join your blog today to talk about Crossing into the Mystic.First, an overview of the book, for perspective: After the deaths of her parents and sister, insufferably independent main character Grace is so grief-stricken that even years later when she encounters a ghost, she is charmed into trusting him with the hope of (1) being able to help him solve his murder, and (2) making contact through him with her dead family.
Many people have asked what prompted me to write a story about the paranormal. My answer always is that several things came together at the right time to develop the story. However, today, for the first time, I’d like to share one of those in more detail. It’s about my beloved cousin-through-marriage, Jim, an intelligent, generous, and delightful man. Although he died a couple years ago at the age of 81, his story will remain with me forever.
To begin, I have to place you into character.  You are now a man in your late 50s. You’ve lived your whole life in towns around the Gettysburg Battlefield, site of one of the Civil War’s bloodiest and longest battles.  As a boy, you found minie balls and shells and even a uniform emblem that stemmed back to that fateful battle.  You learned the fields, their drops and inclines, their vistas, their routines, but never once did you see anything untoward.
You grew up to serve in the National Guard, reared several children, operated (and launched) a couple businesses, and made yourself so financially successful that you could retire young and travel with your lovely wife. You were involved in your church and several civic-oriented organizations. In short, you are now successful, healthy and of sound mind.One evening, you and your wife go out to dinner with another couple. You have a great time and agree to journey back to the house to continue your time together. As you crest a hill beside a battlefield, you look to your left and see six soldiers marching in formation. You’re used to such sites in Gettysburg, given that they perform re-enactments periodically throughout the year.
But, that quickly it hits you, it’s the wrong time of year. And, it’s dusk, whereas re-enactments generally occur in the afternoons. Further, you realize that the soldiers have a semi-transparency to them and that the hair is standing up on the back of your neck (yes, even from the distance and in a car).
You pale, swallow hard, and ask your friend if he saw it, too. His answer, “yes” comes out elongated and hoarse. Quickly, you look back, but the soldiers are gone! You ask the wives in the back seat if they saw it, but the answer is no. You have only one witness. 
You try to reason it through, you discuss it a little with your friend, and decide that the fading sun had to have played tricks on your eyes and that, for some reason, it was re-enactors walking along that field. With high hopes, you choose to dismiss the whole thing, but find that you can’t.
It stays with you—the visual, the feeling, the raised hairs.
Two days later, the local paper runs a story about a ghost siting. Three other people, separately, reported seeing the same six soldiers. What’s more, one brave person ran toward them and watched the soldiers disappear as he approached.
Now what do you do? It just became even more real, but if you talk about it to other friends and family, they’ll label you in the same category as those people who believe in alien abductions.
What did Jim do?  He wrestled with the memory for years. He changed from being skeptic regarding all that silly battlefield talk about ghosts, to true believer in the spiritual realm.When he told me his story, the hair on my arms stood on end.
Jim’s not alone. A Gallup poll found that nine of out ten people believe in God, and a Harris poll found that fifty-one percent of the public believes in ghosts. So clearly we have an overlap of people who believe in God but who also believe in ghosts.  That same Harris poll also found that one in five Americans claims to have encountered an apparition/ghost.There will always be skeptics among us who come up with scientific explanations to discount spiritual phenomena. Yet, at the same time, most people acknowledge that there’s much more around us than what we can see, taste, smell, hear, and feel.

Many Jew and Christians interpret the Bible as saying that there is no such thing as a dead person's spirit walking the earth or returning to the place where they died, but that there are spirit beings who can connect with our physical realm. These spirits are fallen angels that once served God, but now they serve the god of the underworld, Satan. These demons are expert at deception, for they masquerade as angels of light. In other words, they can take on the same physical looks as a human who has died.
And that lays the foundation for spiritual warfare.
So, this means then, that even people of strong faith think ghosts could be in our midst (albeit, actually demons). If that’s so, then why? In Jim’s case, for example, he wasn’t interacting with them in anyway.  Did they appear merely to attempt to destroy the faith of those who observed them? (Ironically, if anything, it made Jim’s faith stronger.) I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do know that Jim saw what he described.

What about you? Have you ever had an encounter with the unexplained, an angel, or a ghost that left the hair on your arms at attention? 
Crossing Into the Mystic:A Civil War Paranormal RomanceThe Crossings SeriesBook One of a TrilogyD.L. Koontz
Genre: Inspirational Fantasy, paranormal (contains Christian themes)
Print Length: 258 pages
ISBN: 1941103030ASIN: B00J5GSSRM
Publisher: Lighthouse Publishingof the Carolinas
Book Description:
Three years after losing her family in a car crash, Grace MacKenna is set to inherit her stepfather's ancestral estate among the mountains of West Virginia. Seeking solace and healing, Grace discovers the ghost of William Kavanaugh, a dashing Civil War captain in Virginia s 17th Infantry, haunts the property. When William charms Grace into investigating the mystery that led to his death a hundred and fifty years ago, she finds herself drawn into a world of chivalry and honor, but also deception with secrets too dark to speak aloud.
Meanwhile, Clay Baxter, home from service in Afghanistan, fights his own demons and ghosts. When Clay senses Grace falling deeper into the realm of the dead, he seeks to pull her back. But is he too late?
Torn between her love for two mysterious young men - one living and one dead - Grace stands in the shadows of the Antietam Battlefield with a choice: one that could leave Grace lost forever, "crossing into the Mystic."
Available at Amazon  Amazon Paperback    BN
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4RKylDUi0sc

Chapter 1

All of it became mine that day: the hefty trust fund, my mother’s red SUV, and my stepfather’s ancestral estate isolated amidst the caverns of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I was embarking on a 500-mile journey to make solo use of all three. As long as I remained in Boston, I would continue to live my life backward—dwelling on the past and longing for the parents and sister who were dead. Buried. Gone. There was no way I could have known that by turning away from death I would be running into it.

Th day seemed like the perfect time to launch my escape. Th rising sun shot beguiling streaks of crimson through the divisions of the massive brown- stones on Boston’s Beacon Hill, teasing away any threat of “Red sky at morn- ing, sailor take warning.”

In the stillness of the morning, I heard a house door latch, then a husky voice grumble. “Ouch ... ouch ... dang!”

My cousin, Michael, barefoot and clad only in gym trunks and a T-shirt, pranced between stones as he hurried up the steep three-block incline toward me. He was carrying travel snacks, but what I hoped he was bringing me was reassurance of our individual escapes.

“Grace, go! Go! Go! Click your heels and get the Sam Hill out of Oz before she changes her mind!”

Though Michael’s words echoed my resolve, I laughed. He was four inches taller and eight years older, but a million times more sociable and often reminded me of an oversized little boy.

“Auck, Dorothy.” He reached my car, glanced back toward our house, and handed me a zip-locked bag stuffed with trail mix. “You’re too late. You’ll never get to Kansas now.”

I turned to see the subject of his wicked witch allusion exit through the over- sized front door of our ivy-covered brownstone and begin her march up the side- walk with Uncle Phil dawdling behind. Aunt Tish wasn’t toting a flying broom, but she was storming along, face scowling, hands fisted.

Michael grinned. “I guess she’s saving the flying monkeys for me.”

“Maybe. She wasn’t very happy about you leaving tonight for Chile. You sure you’re tough enough to stand up to her?” I elbowed him, knowing he wouldn’t feel the jab. Despite his baby face and wire-rimmed glasses, he had the abs of a bodybuilder.

“No problem. She can’t control me anymore. It’s you who better leave quickly.” “I’m going. Don’t worry about that.” I tossed the trail mix on the back seat. From  the front, my dog, Tramp, watched it land and turned back to the front window,more excited about going somewhere than the goodies. He barked twice. 

Let’s go. “Good. It will be two years before you’ll get another chance,” Michael warned in a whisper. “I won’t be here this summer to save you like I have before.” “Which is exactly why I’m leaving today. Thanks for coming home to see me off. 

She’s not that bad you know.” Maybe voicing such hope would make it so.

Eyes wide, he said, “What? She’s an unstable, soul-sucking—” “Shush.” I stifled laughter. “She’ll hear you.”

He sobered and leaned against my car, crossing his arms. “You’re sure about this?” “The trip? Of course.”

He shook his head. “Th house. It sounds … weird. Like Norman Bates lives there.”

I looked at him, startled. Michael was generally carefree and titillated by the unknown. He loved the notion that people held secrets within themselves.

“That’s crazy,” I affirmed, lest his uncharacteristic concern unnerve me. “Is it? Jack was so close-mouthed about the place.”

“Michael, stop it! It’s only a house. Jack was there three years ago. How bad could it be?”

“Remember. I’m only a phone call away. You have to live there what— three months?”

“That’s what the will says. Then it’s mine to do what I want. Including selling it. And, of course, that’s exactly what Aunt Tish expects me to do.”

“We’ll work that out later. Stick with this charade that you’re fixing it for your senior project, then selling it and moving back to Boston. By the end of summer, my new company will transfer me back to the states, and you can live with me. Just don’t come back here.”

“I know, I know.”

“And keep Tramp close by.”

I shook my head to indicate his concern was unnecessary. But inside, I couldn’t help but wonder if Tramp would be able to stop all threats that I might encounter.

* * *

After stopping to assess her own vehicle and bark orders at my Uncle Phil to take it to the car wash, Aunt Tish reached us. As her eyes scanned my car, Uncle Phil plodded up behind.

Beside me, Michael murmured, “Shoulda’ tied garlic around our necks,” then he donned a Cheshire grin and bellowed, “Good morning, Mother dearest.”

“Nice of you to grace us with your company, darling,” Aunt Tish clucked with saccharin sarcasm and crossed her arms. Her face was stern, her eyes leveled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to sleep your way through the day until your fl      leaves.”

“Got in late, Mom.”

She arched a skeptical brow. “If you’re turning right around and leaving for that ridiculous job in Chile, why did you even bother coming home? You could have been working at MacGruder’s, you know. They  are the most prestigious firm in Boston.”

“Yeah, Mom, I know.”

“Th certainly would have paid better. Must be nice to have no concerns about money.”

“I haven’t cost you a cent since I turned twenty-one. And if you’re so worried about money, why do you live in this pretentious place? How can you afford it anyway?” He clicked his thumb and middle finger. “Oh, that’s right. You used Grace’s education fund.”

She exhaled into a pout. “You kids are so disrespectful. Why do you do these things to me? Haven’t I suffered enough?”

“Here we go.” Michael rubbed his forehead.

“And look at you. Go put on some clothes. What will the neighbors think?” Her eyes darted to the windows of the lofty brownstones shadowing the street.

“Yeah, Mom. Th ’ll probably think I feed nails to little children since I don’t wear shoes.” He turned his back to her and smiled at me, then withdrew to the back of the car and shook my bike as though to make sure it was tethered securely. I could see his grin from the corner of my eye.

“We’ll talk later about you arriving home one day just to leave the next.”

She turned to me, swapping irritation with sadness as easily as if she’d replaced a straw hat with a ball cap. Wiping at invisible tears, she sniffled and brushed back a lock of frizzled hair, causing her peace sign earrings to sway to and fro. With characteristic dramatic flourish, she took one of my hands and pressed an object into my palm.

“Your keys. Why your mother insisted you keep this atrocious gas-guzzler, I’ll never know. I never did understand her.”

I wrapped my fingers around the keys, feeling the shape of independence. “Thank you.”

It was expected of me to treat this as a heart-rending gesture on her part, even though she had readily agreed to the trip because she wanted the house to be sold as quickly as possible, thereby placing more money into my accounts, to which she had access.

Aunt Tish pouted. “You selfish kids are breaking my heart with these trips.” I kept quiet. Best not to acknowledge her fabricated sadness or her varnished insult.

Receiving no response from her selfish kids, she turned to my uncle. “Philip, I must be crazy. I’m going to be thrown in jail for letting a 16-year-old live by herself ... in some creepy house in a … a … redneck wilderness.”

From the back of the car, Michael groaned. “Aunt Tish––” I began.

Uncle Phil cleared his throat and stood tall, looking for a moment more like the commanding professor he was when teaching Chaucer at Boston College than the ventriloquist’s dummy he played at home for his formidable wife. “Tish, she’ll be fi     It’s only for the summer.”

“But it’s so far away from Beacon Hill and civilized society, for bloody sake,” she responded stiffly. “She won’t be around our kind. Those people are so provin- cial. What will my friends think? And that house ...”
Uncle Phil sighed. “The house is fine. The management company said so.” “Yeah, Mom,” Michael scolded from his retreat, “just because the place is old

doesn’t make it creepy. Heck, our house is old.”

Uncle Phil shot his son a quelling look. “Jack loved the place. He spent a lot of time there. It must be in good shape. And if it’s not, then Grace will fi  it up. Th  ’s the whole point of this trip anyway.” He frowned. 

“Besides, by the time you were six- teen, you had already been arrested for disturbing the peace and indecent exposure.” “Oh gawd, Pops.” Michael cringed and reached up to rub his temples. “Too
much information.”

Uncle Phil continued. “You already set up a bank account for her. She has a credit card. She’s got everything she needs. If anyone can take care of herself, it’s Grace.” “Yeah, Mom,” Michael chimed from behind the car. “Crimeny, she’s been taking care of you for the past three years.”

Aunt Tish pushed her tangled hair behind her ears and huffed. “Fine. Obvi- ously no one cares what I think. Just go, Grace. But stay out of trouble. I don’t want any calls from the police.”

I mouthed a “thank you,” to Uncle Phil, shoved my backpack on the heap of boxes lining my back seat, and shut the door. Tramp sat waiting on the passenger seat. On the fl , my cat Chubbs crouched in his carrier, obviously annoyed. On the con- sole sat an envelope containing $5,000 in cash, covered with road maps graphing my way from Massachusetts to West Virginia.

“Aunt Tish, I’ll be fine.” I pulled her into a sideways embrace as I rounded to the driver’s side and opened the door. She was my only aunt and despite her opinions of me, I wanted to believe her capable of feeling genuine concern. “I promise to call every day.”

“Be careful. If something goes wrong, it’s a reflection on me.” As she pulled away, she flicked at my hair. “And for pity’s sake, Grace, do something with that ridiculous hair while you’re there.”

I ignored her. “Remember your dentist appointment tomorrow. I left a note on the fridge.”

She waved that away with a Yes, yes, I know all this dismissal, but I knew she would forget.

Then, because I felt it was expected of me, I looked back toward the house and lied, “I’ll miss this place.”
I voiced some inane comment about what I’d miss, but my thoughts were on the excitement of being me, rather than a dead couple’s orphaned child or Tish Rosenburg’s ungrateful niece.

The goodbyes complete, I climbed into my car and pulled away. I could see Michael standing behind my aunt and uncle, fl his arms in a dramatic don’t- stop-keep-going wave.


“Call your Grandma Sadie, she’s not doing so well,” was the last thing I heard Aunt Tish bark as I descended the hill and rounded the corner onto Beacon Street, took a final glance at Boston Common, and headed toward I-95 South.

The trip underway, I exhaled deeply. I’d loved to have driven into the future without looking back, to have fast-forwarded to summer’s end when Michael and I could plant roots somewhere together. But, there was no shortcut to that time, and I felt dread press in on me as if each accumulated mile were adding a hole to the safety net I hadn’t yet hung in place.




About the Author
D. L. Koontz was born in Pennsylvania, but with her husband, now splits her time between their home in mountainous West Virginia and their cattle ranch in coastal plains Georgia. She has a son and a stepdaughter. A member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors), she is a former journalist, business consultant, spokesperson, and college instructor. After several non-fiction books, Crossing into the Mystic is her first novel.
www.dlkoontz.com
https://www.facebook.com/DLKoontz
https://twitter.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/debralkoontz/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7882997.D_L_Koontz

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Spotlight and Giveaway: Lost Wages of Sin by Rosalie Stanton

Lost Wages of SinSinners and SaintsBook 1Rosalie Stanton
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
Date of Publication: June 13, 2014
ISBN: 9781784300487ASIN: Not yet available
Number of pages: 260Word Count: 91k
Book Description:
Working for Lucifer is the best job in the universe, until the day it’s not. Then you’re on your own, with Hell at your heels.
Ava, Sin of Greed, has had a rough week. The angel she planned to make a life with left her with nothing but a Dear Jane letter. Even worse, Lucifer believes she spilled Hell’s secrets to her ex, and her boss’s temper is notoriously apocalyptic.
For centuries, Dante kept his feelings for Ava under lock-and-key. The one time he pursued something more, he nearly lost her for good. Lesson learned. However, when he hears of her planned elopement, all bets are off. Not having Ava was a reality he could accept. Losing her to an angel is something else entirely.
Now, Ava, once Hell’s golden child, is fleeing for her life. When her old friend Dante shows up, her first instinct is to send him packing. But Dante is more than a friend—he’s the only other man who tempted her, and his fierce loyalty challenges everything she thought she knew about him. As Ava prepares to battle the devil himself, she can’t keep from getting closer to Dante…though she doubts her heart can survive another break.
Excerpt:

Someone thumped her on the shoulder and sent her spiraling out of her thoughts. A jolt rushed through her body and everything went on autopilot. Ava jumped to her feet, formed a fist, and landed a blind punch in less than three seconds. It took another ten seconds for her scattered mind to piece together what had just occurred, and by then she was staring into an all-too familiar pair of crystal blue eyes.
Ava blinked. Hard. “Dante?”
“Fucking hell,” he cursed, cradling his nose and scowling at her. “What’d you do that for?”“What the hell were you sneaking up on me for?”
“I didn’t sneak!”
Ava looked around, then waved a hand. “This is a graveyard, Dante. In the middle of the night in Nowheresville. You don’t just…I dunno, touch someone. You let someone know you’re there.”
“And here I thought getting your attention would do that just fine.”
“Not like that!”
“Next time I’ll read the fucking rule book.” Dante dropped his hands and sniffed. A small fleck of blood colored the space between his nose and lips, but other than looking a little swollen, he seemed otherwise undamaged. “If this is the way you greet your friends, it’s no small wonder the whole of Hades is after your sorry ass.”
 Ava’s shoulders dropped and she rolled her head back, a long groan riding off her lips. “You know about that?”
“What other reason would I have to be… Where the fuck are we?”
“Mississippi.”
Dante offered a dramatic sigh, though something in his eyes told her he’d only asked for show. Even at his drunkest, he wasn’t the sort to forget what state he was in.
“Mississippi,” he muttered. “So that’s what that smell is.”
On the other hand… Ava straightened her spine and arched an eyebrow at him. “So…what? You come out here to make fun of the locals?”
“No,” he replied coolly, wiping the stray speck of blood off his otherwise pale, pristine skin. “I came here for you.”
Everything in her stilled. Though she’d heard him the first time, the words had a way of really sinking in upon repetition. As though it took a time delay for her to realize there was no reason aside from her current problem that Dante should be out here with her—or here at all. He wasn’t the sort of guy to crash in antebellum tourist traps.
“You came here for me,” she echoed. “Why?”
He shrugged a shoulder, his face blanking the way it did when he wanted to appear blasé. “Why not?”
“Come on.”
“Thought you could use a friend.”
Ava stared at him a moment longer, then sighed heavily and tore her gaze to the ground. Yeah, she supposed she could use a friend. Or a whole army of them. And though Dante wasn’t the first person she would have called, she couldn’t deny she was happy to see him.
Not that his presence answered her questions. If anything, he added to the pile.
“I take it Merle gave you the message,” she murmured. “About…”
“The angel?” One perfect eyebrow arched. Actually, there wasn’t much about Dante that wasn’t perfect. Physically, at least. One of his most annoying qualities also happened to be his most prized. There was nothing worse than a man who knew just how damn good he looked.
Truly, Dante had always seemed a bit too perfect when it came to the male form. He was only a few inches taller than she and had a body built for debauchery, complete with strong arms and a marble-carved chest. Tonight, he was wrapped in a snug pair of jeans and a form-fitting long-sleeved navy tee, which made his pale skin seem paler. His hair was coal black and his eyes sparkled blue. Ava had always loved his eyes.
And thinking about his perfect eyes right now on the cusp of a broken heart while all of Hell nipped her heels was probably the last in a very long line of bad ideas. At once she felt overtly vulnerable, exposed. Standing in a strange town under strange circumstances with him, her oldest friend, seeming one part savior and one part…pissed.
Nothing in her world made sense right now. Dante had just muddied things up even more.“Yeah,” she said when she remembered to speak. “The angel. Merle told you.”
Dante nodded solemnly. “That was the plan, right?”
Ava released a shaky breath, her mind spinning so fast it was a small wonder she remained standing. Looking at Dante now with everything that had happened in the past week still heavy on her heart, with the uncertainty of her future, took her suddenly oddly-shaped world and turned it on its head. She felt like she was living in the funhouse mirror version of her reality. Sebastian, then the Binsfeld Six, and now her vampire.
At some point she had to wake up.
“What are you doing here?” she asked again. “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”
“Not much,” he admitted, stepping forward.
There was something guarded in his gaze, and so help her if she started analyzing every little look from Dante, she would lose her mind. Trying to figure out what he was doing here was work enough.
“Not much.”
He nodded. “Just that you were out here. And you could use a friend.”
This admission did little to answer her questions. Her friendship with Dante was not a secret, by any means, yet she couldn’t speculate as to why anyone right now would decide to throw her a lifeline. Being alone certainly hadn’t done much for her…yet there was a good reason she hadn’t gone to Dante in the first place.
Dante was the kind of friend who was there for the good times and gone for the bad. At least in her experience. If he had any idea what was really going on, he’d make tracks. The large, cartoonish kind.
But Dante didn’t know. Hell, he didn’t even know what she was. His knowledge beyond his own kind was rather limited, and while his experience with others of Lilith’s children left him with a relatively grounded understanding of how the world worked, certain things—like Hell and all its residents—remained more or less relegated to the realm of other. He was aware Hell existed, sure, and had figured her for a demon early in their relationship, but otherwise boasted little knowledge of Lucifer or the pit beyond what was assumed through myth.
Seven centuries and he had no idea she was part of that myth. She’d never mentioned it, and he likely hadn’t thought to ask. His perception of her role had been established on the legs of their meeting, which, as it was, had been entirely accidental. It just so happened she didn’t like watching anyone, demon or otherwise, suffer at the hands of holy men, and in saving Dante’s life all those years ago, she’d earned a permanent ally.
Well, until now. Her own brand of permanence was about to run out, and of course Dante wouldn’t know why. If she explained the significance of what had occurred with Sebastian, and how limited her future was, he would be gone. She wouldn’t know to miss him.
Still, she owed him explanations. Dante was the one loose end she had—the only one who wouldn’t know why she was gone when Lucifer finally came to collect her life. Her siblings knew what was coming. Dante was the last person to whom to pay her regards.
Perhaps that was why someone had sent him to her. So she could do right by her one earthly friend and say goodbye.
“I could,” Ava admitted softly. “Use a friend. I’m glad you’re here.”
A shadow crossed Dante’s face. “That’s not good.”
She frowned. “What? That I’m glad you’re here?”
“Yeah. You’re never glad I’m near these days.” He laughed shortly. “You must really be into some deep shit.”
“You have no idea.”
“All this over an angel.”
The corner of Ava’s mouth pulled into a grin, and for a moment she felt somewhat like her old self. “More or less.”
“An angel, Ava. For fuck’s sake, what happened to your dignity?”
“Where were you three weeks ago?”
“I dunno, but if I’d known you were gonna be falling for one of those winged assholes, you’d better believe I’d have dropped everything to beat some sense into you.”
She snickered. “Like you could take me.”
“You never give me the chance to try,” he retorted, his eyes gleaming.
“Your ego is too fragile to handle getting your ass handed to you by a girl.”
“So you’ve told me. And told me. And told me. You know what they say about words and actions, don’t you, love?”
A small thrill raced down her spine, her insides igniting with heat and a rush of good old-fashioned nostalgia. “Wanna grab a beer?” she asked. “Or, you know, a burger? I don’t think I’ve eaten in a week.” She paused, then waved at him. “You can consider it the last meal of a condemned man.”
“‘Cause you’re gonna kick my ass, right?”
“That’s the plan.”

Dante grinned ear-to-ear. “Thought you’d never ask.”
About the Author:
Rosalie Stanton is a multi-published erotic romance author, with emphasis in paranormal and urban fantasy. A lifelong enthusiast of larger than life characters, Rosalie enjoys building worlds filled with strong heroes and heroines of all backgrounds.
Rosalie lives in Missouri with her husband. At an early age, she discovered a talent for creating worlds, which evolved into a love of words and storytelling. Rosalie graduated with a degree in English. As the granddaughter of an evangelical minister, Rosalie applied herself equally in school in the creative writing and religious studies departments, which had an interesting impact on her writing. When her attention is not engaged by writing or editing, she enjoys spending time with close friends and family.
Rosalie is represented by Tish Beaty at the L. Perkins Agency
http://rosaliestanton.com  
http://rosalie-stanton.net
https://twitter.com/RosalieStanton
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRosalieStanton  
https://www.google.com/+RosalieStanton  
https://www.goodreads.com/rosaliestanton


June 16 SpotlightAll I Want and More   http://alliwantandmorebooks.wordpress.com/
June 17 SpotlightSapphyria's Steamy Book Reviews http://saphssteamybooks.blogspot.com/
June 18 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  www.pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
June 19 SpotlightHouston Havens  http://houstonhavens.wordpress.com
June 20 SpotlightLisa’s World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net
June 23 SpotlightShare My Destinyhttp://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com
June 24 Guest blogRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannerhoads.com
June 25 Guest blogErotica For All http://eroticaforall.co.uk
June 26 SpotlightCorazones Literarios http://corazones-literarios.blogspot.com
June 27 Guest blogSarah Ballance http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/
June 30 SpotlightFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
July 1 InterviewButterfly-o-Meter Bookshttp://butterfly-o-meter.com/
July 2 InterviewThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
July 3 Top Ten ListDarkest Cravingswww.darkestcravings.blogspot.com
July 4 SpotlightMelissa Stevenshttp://melissastevens.us
July 7 Guest blogBooklover Sue http://bookloversue.blogspot.com
July 8 Character InterviewEclipse Reviewshttp://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com/
July 9 Guest blogAngel’s Guilty Pleasureshttp://angelsguiltypleasures.com
July 10 SpotlightDeal Sharing Auntwww.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com
July 11 Spotlight and reviewRamblings of a Book Lunatichttp://booklunaticramblings.blogspot.com
July 14 InterviewAuthor Karen Swarthttp://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com/
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Fireborn by Keri Arthur

Thursday, 6/26 MANGA MANIAC CAFÉhttp://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/

Monday, 6/30 TYNGA'S REVIEWShttp://www.tyngasreviews.com/

The Temptations of Time Travel Guest blog and Giveaway with Shay West

The Temptations of Time TravelWe’ve all been faced with temptation: that delicious second piece of chocolate cake, that cute guy at the office that is married, purchasing something far too expensive, alcohol, drugs…the list goes on and on.Some temptations are perfectly harmless, though they may drain your bank account! 
Other temptations can do serious harm to you as well as to your family. People who are addicted to drugs and alcohol suffer serious physical and mental problems and this often is transferred to their friends and loved ones.And still other temptations can do serious harm to everyone on the planet. I’m talking about time travel, of course (you knew it had to come up sooner or later!). I think most people would JUMP at the chance to go back in time. I know I would! There are so many people I’d love to meet and historical events I would like to witness for myself.But time travel could cause some serious problems. What if you inadvertently killed someone? Their descendants would cease to exist. Can you imagine your spouse disappearing? Your children?Yikes! Talk about terrifying!What if that someone that you killed was the ancestor of someone in power? Like the president? Imagine the chaos that would grip the country if our leader suddenly disappeared.But what if you lost someone, a parent early in life? Surely it couldn’t hurt anything to go back and prevent their demise? This brings me to one of my favorite Dr. Who episodes.For those who don’t know, the Doctor is a Time Lord that travels through time in a TARDIS (it looks like a police box from 1960’s London).The Doctor always has a companion with him, a human, which he chooses to go on grand adventures through the universe. Ah, what I wouldn’t GIVE to have the Doctor come whirling down in his TARDIS to whisk me away!My favorite companion is Rose Tyler. She’s such a little spitfire, smart, funny, and a perfect match for the Doctor.Rose’s father, Pete, was killed in a hit-and-run accident when she was only 6 months old. After traveling with the Doctor for a time, she wants to go back and comfort him as he dies. However, she can’t fight the temptation to save his life. That one act results in a tearing of the fabric of time. Strange creatures appear and begin killing everyone is sight as they try to repair the damage. The rift in time repairs itself after Pete throws himself in front of a car. Rose comforts him as he dies.Would any of us have been able to stand by and watch as a loved one was struck down? Rose knew of the dangers of messing with time and yet she figured because her father was just some average person, it wouldn’t hurt to save his life. But that one act has devastating consequences.
In my YA/fantasy novel series, The Adventures of Alexis Davenport, Alex must protect the time line from an evil man intent on changing the past. It’s an awful lot for a fifteen-year-old to handle. Especially when she is faced with some tough choices: in one particular case, in order to protect time, she must allow someone to die. Not a very easy choice.



Dangerous Reflections  Adventures of Alexis Davenport SeriesBook OneShay West
Genre:  Young Adult/Teen Fantasy
Publisher:  BooktropeDate of Publication:  June 23, 2014
Cover Artist:  Shari Ryan
Book Description: 
Alexis Davenport wants to go home. She hates her new school, her mother for moving her away from her friends, and her father for walking out.
To make matters worse, Alex is haunted by images of strange girls reflected in her mirror. It’s bad enough juggling homework, a relentless bully, boys, and a deadbeat dad; now, she must save the world from an evil presence hell-bent on changing the past – and our futures. Who knew her A+ in history was going to be this important?

Available at Amazon
About the Author: 
Shay West was born in Longmont, CO and earned a doctorate degree in Human Medical Genetics from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical. Dr. West currently lives in Grand Junction, CO with her two cats. When not writing novels, she plays with plushie microbes and teaches biology classes at Colorado Mesa University.
She is the author of the Portals of Destiny series and the Adventures of Alexis Davenport series. She has also been published in several anthologies: Battlespace (military scifi), Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior (fundraiser), and Ancient New (steampunk/fantasy).
You can find Dr. West and more of her work at Shay-West.com.
http://Shay-West.com
https://www.facebook.com/shaywestauthor
https://twitter.com/DrShayWest
https://plus.google.com/+ShayWest/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4687346.Shay_West
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22402628-dangerous-reflections





June 23 Letter to the Readers of Night Owl ReviewsNight Owl Reviewshttp://www.nightowlreviews.com
June 23 Spotlight3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!  http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com
June 24 SpotlightMore Romance Pleasemoreromanceplease.blogspot.com
June 24 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  www.pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
June 25 Guest blogThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
June 25 SpotlightDeal Sharing Auntwww.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com
June 26 Guest blogMia Hoddellhttp://miahoddell.blogspot.com
June 26 SpotlightThe Writer's Nookhttp://angieskelhorn.com/the-writers-nook---blog.html
June 27 Guest blogFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
June 27 SpotlightCassandra M's Place http://www.cassandramsplace.com
June 30 Spotlight (possible review)Mom With A Kindlehttp://momwithakindle.blogspot.com/
June 30 SpotlightQueen of All She Reads http://queenofallshereads.blogspot.com

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Guest Blog: Pangaea: Eden’s Planet by Tom Johnson

Pangaea: Eden’s Planet was a concept I came up with several years ago while looking for a possible book proposal to submit to Hollywood Studios. Yes, I’ve submitted several proposals without success yet, but I keep trying. I’ve actually gone through two agents that were not hungry enough to sell my books to Hollywood. Basically, Pangaea: Eden’s Planet is a character-driven novel and focuses on seven astronauts on a mission to Mars to begin a terra-farming project after a nuclear war on Earth. But problems arise when they enter a space anomaly that disables their ship, sending them back in time. The planet’s gravity pulls them back to Earth, where they crash land on an alien world 250 million years in the past. Their mission now turns into a survival situation, as fierce reptiles of the Permian Period, as well as explosive nature, endangers their very lives.
The seven astronauts are scientists in special fields that will be needed to fulfill their mission on Mars. This includes Colonel Evelyn Peterson and Major Adam Cooper, the pilots of Galileo Two; Colonel Peterson is the leader of the mission, the major is her second in command.  I gave each character individual personalities. The subplot was a romance building between Peterson and Cooper. When I first conceived the story, Evelyn was black and Cooper white, which I figured would be one of the problems keeping them apart, but later I changed my mind about pursuing this element of the story, and dropped all reference to her race. After all, her responsibility of keeping those under her command alive in a harsh environment is concern enough. Besides, in the 21st Century race should no longer be a stumbling block to romance.
My love of biology and study of paleontology and other zoological areas of science has always been a driving force in my writing. In Pangaea: Eden’s Planet, I fill my world with known creatures from the period, as well as a few from my own imagination. Sixty million years before the dawn of the dinosaurs, there were still predators as menacing as T-Rex. Colonel Peterson and Major Cooper were the only ones armed, and that consisted of small caliber pistols, each holding 15-round clips of ammunitions, and they were faced by incredible odds. Their survival would require ingenuity and fearlessness. We have seven people alone in a world of fierce reptiles, volcanic activity, and danger from the heavens.  But yet love will also find a way.

Readers that enjoy a story with action and danger, with a light touch of romantic tease will find Pangaea: Eden’s Planet a work of fiction both entertaining and, hopefully, memorable. There is drama and humor as the characters face each situation, good and bad, with the knowledge that life or death could be ahead of them. Their survival may depend on their next action. You will find laughter at times, and cry at others, but I believe you will come to know and love the characters, whatever their faults might be. Happy reading.

Pangaea: Eden’s PlanetTom Johnson  
Genre: Science Fiction/Survival
Publisher: First Realm PublishingDate of Publication: June 18, 2014
ISBN -13: 978-1497340749ISBN-10: 1497340748ASIN:
Number of pages: 100Word Count: 50,000
Cover Artist: Jared from Off the Wall Creations
Book Description:
Seven astronauts en route to Mars encounter a time warp in space that disables their ship. Crash landing on Earth, they discover an alien planet sixty million years before the dinosaurs.
Pangaea, the super continent, is filled with danger and terror, as they must survive against fierce reptiles that ruled the Earth 250 million years in the past!

About the Author:
As a twenty-year military veteran, I served on the Korean DMZ under fire, as well as in Vietnam. I have a law enforcement background. My studies of paleontology and entomology have been an influence in many of my novels.
My wife and I started the publishing imprint of FADING SHADOWS in 1982, and published a hobby magazine and several genre magazines for 22 years, before I settled into writing my own novels.
I have now been published in over 80 books, which include fiction novels and short stories, as well as nonfiction books. I write SF, YA, Western, and Action novels.
Website http://www15.brinkster.com/jur1/index.html
Pulp Den http://pulplair.blogspot.com
Jur Novels  http://jurnovels.blogspot.com

Spotlight and Giveaway: Daddy’s Game by Normandie Alleman

Daddy’s GameDaddy’s Girl SeriesBook TwoNormandie Alleman
Genre: Contemporary BDSM Erotic Romance
Publisher: Stormy Night Publication
Word Count: 62,000
Book Description:
Football and kink collide when the game’s biggest star convinces a beautiful artist to play Daddy’s Game.
Sparks fly when up-and-coming artist Carmen Harris meets football star Natron Dakers at her first gallery opening. Carmen soon discovers that Natron is the type of man who sees what he wants and goes after it… and apparently what he wants is her. Almost before she knows it Carmen finds herself taking everything Natron gives her and begging for more, and when he reveals that he wants to be her dominant daddy and her to be his submissive little girl, she doesn’t hesitate to agree.
At the top of his profession, Natron has money, fame, and all the perks that go with them, and now at last in Carmen he has found a woman he wants to share it with. His life feels complete… until in a split second everything comes crashing down when a devastating injury threatens to end his season—and maybe his career. Natron fears he will lose it all, but will he self-destruct or can he dig deep and fight hard for himself, his teammates, and his little girl?
Publisher’s Note: Daddy’s Game is the second book in the Daddy’s Girl series. It incorporates characters from the first book in the series, Daddy Morebucks, but it is a stand-alone novel. The content of Daddy’s Game includes spankings, graphic sexual scenes, elements of age play and BDSM, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
Available at Amazon   Amazon UK     BN   ARe   Kobo

Excerpt 2 GAMES
She sensed his presence behind her before she felt his hands on her waist. “I’ve been trying to be good, but you’re so sexy. I can’t resist you, babygirl.”A wave of desire thrilled through her as his hands skimmed over her belly and he started unbuttoning her jean shorts. Her knees almost buckled and she held onto his forearms for support. “But…” was the only protest she could muster.“But I think you have on too many clothes,” he said slipping her shorts down to her ankles. Feeling dizzy she turned to steady herself and found herself in his arms. When she lifted her face to his, he claimed her mouth, hungrily sliding his tongue between her lips. The electricity between them ramped up a notch, and for a moment she allowed herself the pleasure of letting go and relishing what it felt like to be in his arms.He stepped back and lifted her t-shirt over her head. It made her uncomfortable to be half-naked in front of him and she instinctively covered her breasts with her hands.  Carmen believed most men preferred a thinner woman, and she was self-conscious about her voluptuous figure. She weighed at least thirty pounds more than the models on the magazine covers she saw every week at the grocery store check-out line. “What are you doing? Stop. I want to see you.” He pulled her hands away, firmly placing them at her sides.She felt the warmth rising in her cheeks. “I’m embarrassed.” He smiled and shook his head. “Girl, you don’t know how good you look, do you?”“Well, I…I just need to lose a few pounds,” she stammered.“Lose a few pounds my ass! You’re beautiful. I love your curves. I don’t need an anorexic woman. I want a girl who knows how to live, how to eat,” he said, wrapping his arms around her again. “How to love.”He scooped her up like a bride about to cross the threshold and started climbing the stairs.Panic rose in her throat. “Natron, you can’t. Please! You’ll drop me.”He merely chuckled. “You don’t know how strong I am. I’m not gonna drop you.”“But Natron, what are you doing?”“What do you think I’m doing? Takin’ you to bed.”“But, but…it’s so fast.” The alarm bells that had been going off in her head waned. His persuasive charms were quickly overriding her concerns, and she longed to give in to him.“When I see what I want I have to have it. And right now what I want is you.” He nuzzled her neck, nibbling his way around her earlobe. The words “right now” stuck in her head. Okay, so he wanted her now, but what about afterwards? Would he want her later or would she be just another conquest for the big football star?When he reached the top of the stairs he tossed her on the bed and proceeded to take off the rest of his clothes. As he stood there in all his naked glory, Carmen drew a ragged breath. He was gorgeous. Good Lord he must have to work out constantly to look like that and still eat pizza. His body was rock hard, every muscle well-defined. He even had that sexy Apollo’s belt that made that deep “v” leading directly to his enormous cock. As impressive as the rest of him was, it was impossible for her not to stare at his erection jutting out proudly before him. She’d heard black men were bigger, and in his case the rumor proved to be true.  “Now it’s your turn,” he tugged at her panties.“Natron, I don’t know. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea…”He pursed his lips. “Alright then, let’s play a game instead.”She closed her legs, eyeing him skeptically. “What kind of game?” “I call it ‘Everything But’,” he said.“What do you do?” The game sounded rather self-explanatory, but she was stalling for time.“You get naked and we can do everything but have sex. No penetration. Just foolin’ around.”  He sat on the bed next to her and reached behind her to unfasten her bra. “No harm in that, is there?”


About the Author:
A former psychologist, Normandie has always been fascinated by human behavior. She loves writing quirky characters that are all too human. Fiber arts, baking, and Pinterest are a few of her favorite pastimes. She lives on a farm with a passel of children, hunky husband, and a pet pig who’s crazy for Red Bull.
Twitter at  https://twitter.com/NormandieA
Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/NormandieA
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NormandieAlleman
Website: www.normandiealleman.com
Amazon Author Page:http://www.amazon.com/Normandie-Alleman/e/B00BNUDVFW
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6893037.Normandie_Alleman

June 23 InterviewDarkest Cravingswww.darkestcravings.blogspot.com
June 24 Guest BlogRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannerhoads.com
June 25 Interviewhttp://butterfly-o-meter.com/http://butterfly-o-meter.com/
June 26 SpotlightSapphyria's Steamy Book Reviews http://saphssteamybooks.blogspot.com/
June 27 SpotlightFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
June 30 Guest blogErotica For All http://eroticaforall.co.uk
July 1 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  www.pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
July 2 InterviewThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
July 3 InterviewEclipse Reviewshttp://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com/
July 4 SpotlightThe Avid Readerhttp://the-avidreader.blogspot.com
July 7 Character InterviewAuthor Karen Swarthttp://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com/
July 8 SpotlightLisa’s World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net
July 15 InterviewBewitching Book Tours Magazinewww.issuu.com/bewitchingbooktours 
July 17 SpotlightBooklover Sue http://bookloversue.blogspot.com

July 18 Spotlight and Review.
Lissette E Manning
http://www.simplistik.org/lissetteemanning
July 21 SpotlightLov Sinfully Sexy Bookswww.lovsinfullysexybooks.blogspot.com  

Safeword Matte: In Training Excerpt by Candace Blevins

Character Interview with Ethan
What's your favorite ice cream?
Rocky road, but Sam’s is mint chocolate chip and lately I’ve been tossing a scoop of hers in with mine. They work well together.
What's your favorite thing about Sam?
I have to pick one thing? Probably her mind. She’s book smart, but she’s also sharp, and she thinks on her feet. You can’t get anything by her.
Or, maybe it would be better to say her personality. She’s funny, smart, brave, and tough as nails. And she’s mine.
She's also strong, and focused, and determined. When she sets her mind to something, she makes it happen. Somehow, I lucked out and this strong, powerful, smart woman submits to me. I'll never take that for granted. 
What does Sam do that's most annoying?
*laughs* You can’t get anything by her. Not that I'd want to — honesty is important to me — but sometimes it'd be nice to surprise her.
What's your favorite thing Sam does in bed?
I love that she can take what I give her. No one else has ever satisfied my sadistic streak like Sam can. And she doesn't hold back her screams. I know she could if she wanted to, I've seen films of her fighting and taking some serious hits without showing any visible signs of pain.  
She gives me everything, though. She's honest about her needs, honest about her feelings and emotions, even when it's not easy.
If there were something you could change about the first few weeks you knew Sam, what would it be?
I’d discover a way for us to find out we were both kinky sooner than we did. I was fascinated by her from the first I saw her, and when I had the chance to officially meet her a few days later, she very nicely turned me down flat.
What's your favorite movie?
You’re probably expecting me to name a fight movie, but I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I doubted anyone could do justice to the books, but the movies brought to life what I’d envisioned as I read them.
What addiction can you not live without?
Sam’s my only addiction. I had to spend a week in Atlanta during tax season, and ended up driving back to Chattanooga one night because I missed her so much. I had to drive right back to Atlanta the next morning, but it was worth it.
If you could be in a different book, which one would it be?
It would have to be an adventure book – The Lord of the Rings, or Around the World in 80 Days, or maybe Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon if they’d teach me how to run across rooftops.
If your life were a book, what would you prefer the author not tell readers about you?
I spend a lot of time trying to keep strangers from being afraid of me. I’m big and scary, apparently, and if a woman is alone in a parking lot I see her looking around for help if I get too close. So when I’m out, I try to make a wide berth around anyone who looks afraid of me. I’d really rather people not know about my sadistic side, because I’d never hurt anyone who didn’t want to be hurt.




Safeword: Matte – In TrainingSafeword SeriesNumber 7 Candace Blevins
Genre: BDSM Romance
Publisher:  Excessica
Date of Publication:  June 20, 2014
ISBN: Not yet availableASIN: Not yet available
Number of pages: 202 pagesWord Count:   78,000 words
Cover Artist: Tara West
Book Description:
The wedding is four months away, and Ethan has promised to train Sam to handle a planned honeymoon activity. He’s calculated the math to figure out her goals each week. When she reaches the weekly target she gets a massage and lots of fun orgasms. But if she doesn’t, it’s the stainless steel cane.
All this along with navigating her clients’ drama, planning a wedding, dealing with her mother while planning the wedding, and having lots and lots of wild and kinky sex.
And we haven’t even mentioned the bachelorette party.
Warning: This title contains graphic language, consensual BDSM some may find objectionable, anal sex, bondage, and the use of toys including crops, clips, clamps, plugs, and gags.


  Safeword Matte: In Training Excerpt
Sam looked at the ring on her finger and her knees went weak. Again.She wasn’t worried about marrying Ethan so much as freaking out about how ideal her life seemed to be. Did anyone get their idea of a perfect life for long before something came along to screw with it? As a divorce attorney, she’d seen enough ‘happily ever after’ stories go horribly wrong to know there were no guarantees she and Ethan would live out their lives in blissful harmony. But she knew marriages survived — her parents and Ethan’s parents were proof.Panicking never solved anything, nor did focusing on the negative, so she took a deep breath and reminded herself they were starting better than most couples, and had a really good chance of making it work. They both communicated when there were issues, and both were willing to compromise when needed. As long as they kept up the communication, they should be fine. Theoretically.“What’s going through your head? You’re supposed to look happy when you stare at the ring on your finger.”Her gaze flew to Ethan’s and she smiled. “I’m just thinking. You know I’m happy, right? I wouldn’t have said yes if I didn’t think we could make it work. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I’m just...”Ethan let the silence weigh heavily for several long moments, as if he were seeing if she’d finish. He finally said, “I think the worst choice of career for a fiancée has to be divorce attorney. If someone had told me a year ago I’d be engaged to one I’d have told them they were crazy.” He shook his head and added, “But you aren’t the average divorce attorney. You aren’t the average anything, and it’s part of why I love you so much.” He brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. “Still, it has to be hard, watching the end of relationships that likely started out with such promise.”“Yes,” Sam nodded, relieved he understood without getting his feelings hurt, “but I think it’s also given me a window into the type of people who are bad marriage material, and you don’t fit the bill,” she said as she poked his chest with her pointer finger. “You’re honest, you’re a good communicator, you hold yourself responsible for your actions, and you’re considerate of other’s feelings. We’ve only known each other five months, but…” She shook her head. “You know what? I don’t want to talk about that right now. I want to hear more about your plans for, ummm, preparing me for our honeymoon.”Ethan eyed her a moment before saying, “Five months and three weeks, which rounds up to six months. As for your training, I’d planned to give you the basic outline tonight. I’ve ordered a few things that should be here Thursday or Friday, so we’ll begin the training Friday evening. I intended to email you some things to read before I explain the process, but we can talk it over instead, if you’d like.” “Yeah. I’d like.” Sam rolled her eyes. “That’s why said I wanted to hear it.”Her insides warmed and her stomach threatened to flip-flop as Ethan’s eyebrows rose, but they weren’t in a scene at the moment so he couldn’t punish her for being a smart-ass. Thank goodness.He relaxed his eyebrows as he flashed a quick smirk — he knew his look had affected her, but didn’t comment and easily carried on with their conversation. “You’re an athlete with good flexibility and probably already know most of what I’m about to tell you, but I’m going to detail it anyway to be sure you correlate what you know about flexibility with anal training.”She put it together in her head, talking as she thought. “Yeah, the rectum is a strong muscle, so stretching should be like….Oh.”Ethan smiled. “All stretching will happen from Friday evening through Sunday. I’ll expect you to be able to handle the next size up on Sunday without difficulty, and then keep yourself accustomed to the new size throughout the week so you’ll be prepared to be stretched again Friday evening.”“You aren’t expecting me to wear a plug at work, are you?”“Of course not,” he said with a smile and a quick shake of his head. “During the week you’ll be required to insert the training tool four times a day for a total of forty-five minutes per day, at least two hours apart, with a minimum of five minutes per insertion. This means you can have it in for thirty minutes once, and five minutes three times. Or for twenty minutes once, five minutes once, and ten minutes the other two times.” He paused a beat before adding, “When necessary, you’ll have the option of reducing it to three times a day, though your total time will increase to one hour. You’ll need to clear it with me if you want to alter the schedule more than twice a week, though.”Sam thought it through; she could do it in the morning before work, and then at around 5:30, 7:30, and 9:30 in the evenings. If she had to wear it for five minutes on a lunch break she probably could, to knock out one of the evening times. He’d said this was during the week, though. Her gaze rose to his eyes. “And on the weekend?”His smile was maybe just a little too gleeful. “We’ll be together on the weekends, and you’ll be required to submit as often and as long as I say.”Sam’s insides flared to life. He could set her on fire just by changing his tone of voice, but — remembering his smirk from earlier — she worked hard to keep her face and body relaxed as she said, “You just asked me to marry you yesterday, when did you order the… stuff?”“Last night after you went to sleep, and I paid extra for expedited shipping.”Neither of them said anything for a few seconds and he pulled an exam glove and a small bottle of lube from his pocket. “Strip and get on the bed; knees and shoulders, with your arms spread to the side.”Her pulse jumped to life as his tone of voice changed and her body anticipated the promise of a scene.Ethan stretched the glove over his large hand while she stripped. His deep voice kept a steady tone as he said, “I’ll be using gloves to finger you, and all the toys and tools will be smooth. I intend to prepare you for my size and length, but I don’t want you accustomed to friction. Nothing in the next four months will give the motion of having your ass fucked. You won’t feel my flesh in your ass, not even fingers, until our honeymoon.”

 About the Author:
Candace Blevins is a southern girl who loves to travel the world.
She lives with her husband of 16 years and their two daughters. When not working or driving kids all over the place she can be found reading, writing, meditating, or swimming.
Candace writes romance books about strong women who happen to be submissive, and in some cases have some pretty extreme kinks. Relationships can be difficult enough without throwing power exchange into the mix, and her books show characters who care enough about each other to fight to make the relationship work.
You can visit her on the web at candaceblevins.com, and feel free to friend her on Facebook at facebook.com/candacesblevins, and Goodreads at goodreads.com/CandaceBlevins.
www.candaceblevins.com
www.facebook.com/candacesblevins
www.goodreads.com/CandaceBlevins
www.twitter.com/CandaceBlevins  


Recipe and reviewCabin Goddesshttp://cabingoddess.com
 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
SpotlightFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
InterviewDarkest Cravingswww.darkestcravings.blogspot.com
SpotlightThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
InterviewEclipse Reviewshttp://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com/
Spotlight All I Want and More – http://alliwantandmorebooks.wordpress.com/
InterviewRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannerhoads.com
SpotlightHouston Havens http://houstonhavens.wordpress.com
ReviewParanormal Romance and Authors That rockwww.pratr.wordpress.com
SpotlightAly's Miscellanyhttp://alysmiscellany.blogspot.com/
Character InterviewAuthor Karen Swarthttp://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com/
SpotlightMelissa Stevenshttp://melissastevens.us
SpotlightLisa’s World of Books
www.lisasworldofbooks.net

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Guest Blog and Giveaway c3 by Sherrie Cronin

c346. AscendingSherrie Cronin
Genre: Fantasy, contemporary, metaphysical
Publisher: Cinnabar Press
ISBN: 9781941283035ISBN: 9781941283233ASIN: B00I58T5FU
Number of pages: 405Word Count: 135,000
Cover Artist: Jennifer FitzGerald
Book Description:
Teddie likes her country music and her old pick-up truck and she's not sure how she let her best friend talk her into spending a semester abroad in Darjeeling India. Once she arrives, her innocence quickly collides with an underworld in which young women are bartered and sold. As she fights to understand a depravity that she never dreamed existed, Teddie finds that her own mind develops a unique ability for locating her friends and that an ancient group is willing to train her to use her innate skills for out of body experiences to save others.
It will require trust in ideas she barely believes, and more courage than has ever been expected of her. When it becomes clear that the alternative may be her friends' deaths and the unchecked growth of an evil crime lord's empire, Teddie accepts the challenge and shows those guilty of unspeakable crimes just how powerful a young woman can be.
Available at Amazon, and out in paperback June 10, 2014.
Note: this is a collection, not a series. The books can be read in any order
About the Author:
Sherrie Roth grew up in Western Kansas thinking that there was no place in the universe more fascinating than outer space. After her mother vetoed astronaut as a career ambition, she went on to study journalism and physics in hopes of becoming a science writer. She published her first science fiction short story long ago, and then waited a lot of tables while she looked for inspiration for the next story. When it finally came, it declared to her that it had to be whole book, nothing less. One night, while digesting this disturbing piece of news, she drank way too many shots of ouzo with her boyfriend. She woke up thirty-one years later demanding to know what was going on.

The boyfriend, who she had apparently long since married, asked her to calm down and explained that in a fit of practicality she had gone back to school and gotten a degree in geophysics and had spent the last 28 years interpreting seismic data in the oil industry. The good news, according to Mr. Cronin, was that she had found it at least mildly entertaining and ridiculously well-paying The bad news was that the two of them had still managed to spend almost all of the money.

Apparently she was now Mrs. Cronin, and the further good news was that they had produced three wonderful children whom they loved dearly, even though to be honest that is where a lot of the money had gone. Even better news was that Mr. Cronin turned out to be a warm-hearted, encouraging sort who was happy to see her awake and ready to write. "It's about time," were his exact words.

Sherrie Cronin discovered that over the ensuing decades Sally Ride had already managed to become the first woman in space and apparently had done a fine job of it. No one, however, had written the book that had been in Sherrie's head for decades. The only problem was, the book informed her sternly that it had now grown into a collection of six books. Sherrie decided that she better start writing it before it got any longer. She's been wide awake ever since, and writing away.

Twitter: @cinnabar01
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Number46Ascending
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805814.Sherrie_Cronin
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sherrie-Cronin/e/B007FRMO9Q

Blogs:x0: http://tothepowerofzero.org/
y1: http://ytothepowerof1.org/
z2: http://zsquaredblog.org/
c3: http://ctothepowerofthree.org/



June 10 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
June 11 ExcerptTanyas Book Nook http://tanyasbooknook.blogspot.com
June 12 Top Ten ListDarkest Cravingswww.darkestcravings.blogspot.com
June 13 InterviewThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
June 16 FeatureBewitching Book Tours Magazinewww.issuu.com/bewitchingbooktours
June 17 ExcerptLisa’s World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net
June 18 InterviewEclipse Reviewshttp://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com/
June 19
June 20 Character InterviewAuthor Karen Swarthttp://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com/
June 23 InterviewRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannerhoads.com
June 24 Guest blogFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com



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Spotlight and Giveaway with Shakir Rashaan

Shades of Black: Inside the Black BDSM Community
I want to thank Roxanne for having me on her blog today and giving me the opportunity to speak on a subject that most might not be aware of: that there are “Shades of Black”…or people of color (read: black people) who not only practice different disciplines within BDSM, but they do so publicly, too.
While my Nubian Underworld series is immersed with parts of fiction, it is also based on real-time people, including myself and my Beloved, who are actively living within the “lifestyle.” For us, this is a way of life, this is who we are. We just happen to be black.
Why did I choose the turn of phrase “Shades of Black”? Well, it’s not hard to figure that one out. That series has opened the door for a lot of dialog over the past few years, but what if I told you that books and series like mine were around long before that phenomenon showed up? What if I also told you that black people have been actively involved in the BDSM scene for a longer period of time than you might realize?
To be inside the Black BDSM community, regardless of where in the country you might be, is to enjoy the unique flavor that we bring to WIITWD. This is not to say that we do it better or with more swagger or anything like that, but it is to say that we like to put our own spin on something that has been around for a long time.
There are vibrant communities of black people actively engaging in BDSM practices. From Los Angeles to New York, from DC and various parts of Maryland to here in Atlanta where my Beloved and I reside, to other pockets all over the country, there are blacks that enjoy what we have come to affectionately refer to the BDSM lifestyle as, “what it is that we do (WIITWD).” As my main character, Ramesses, so eloquently stated at the beginning of the series, “Now, I think I know what you might be thinking, but here’s the real: this is a lifestyle. Everyone has a little freak in them, but the difference is we have found like-minded people who don’t judge. They just enjoy themselves and the friendships which are made within the lifestyle community, and the freedom of being within that community.”
That community comes with active munches in different cities, with more popping up every month, and events and BDSM conferences that primarily cater to black people, like Atlanta Peachy Kink earlier this month, the annual Black BEAT (Black Expressions, Alternative Tastes) conference later on in August, and the Weekend Reunion last summer, too. Yes, BDSM in and of itself is beautiful to experience with all cultures and races, but there’s something about being able to be amongst those who share the same culture as you from time to time.
A recent acquaintance, LeRougarou, said in an op-ed within his group on the popular social media site, FetLife, that I think sums up the prevailing thought within the Black BDSM community: “I want to hear some rap when I beat ass, dammit! Enigma and EDM and techno gets old. I want to make ‘In Living Color’ references or ‘Martin’ references or ‘Living Single’ references or ‘Harlem Nights’ references and people actually know what the fuck I’m talking about. I want to drink spiked red Kool-Aid and talk about grape drink. I want the deejay to put on ‘Hoochie Mama’ and a gang of ass just starts clappin’. But guess what? I have absolutely zero requirement that those people have to be black. None at all. But guess what? A vast majority of people who can relate to me in all the ways listed above: black people. And I’m not ashamed of wanting to be around just them sometimes.”
That is the reason why I created the Nubian Underworld series. I wanted to showcase a strong, black Dominant male, and a few Dominant females, in a genre that is inundated with their Caucasian counterparts. I also wanted to showcase black male and female submissives, to show that there are black men and women who embrace a term that we’re told we’re not exactly supposed to embrace…Master and slave. Even though there are BDSM erotic novels and romance novels that cover multicultural and interracial relationships, I felt that “we” needed a voice, an outlet, a way for people who have yet to see that, “Hey, black people do this, too.”

Finally, even though the literary world is swooning over shades of grey, that there is still room to revel in shades of black, too. LegacyChronicles of the Nubian UnderworldBook TwoShakir Rashaan
Genre: BDSM Erotic Romance
Publisher: Strebor Books/Atria Books(A Division of Simon & Schuster)
Date of Publication: June 10, 2014
ISBN: 9781593095468ASIN: B00GEEB58M
Number of pages: 272Word Count: 67,000+
Cover Artist: Keith Saunders, Marion Designs
Book Description:
A tale unlike anything else, this second episode in the Chronicles of the Nubian Underworld series continues the erotically charged journey inside Atlanta's African-American Fetish/BDSM community.         "In order to be great, you have to leave your mark. Are you ready to leave your mark?"
After returning from Dubai, a power shift occurs within the Atlanta Fetish community as the "torch" is passed on from Amenhotep to Ramesses and Neferterri. The Palace is being transformed in Ramesses' image, and the new "power couple" is adjusting to life in the spotlight and the benefits -- and headaches -- that come with it.
But as Ramesses puts the finishing touches on establishing the balance of power, Amenhotep has tasked him with a daunting undertaking -- one that will test his will and re-forge a bond that was once broken, cementing his legacy within the sacred "society."
Exotic, decadent, and written by a true insider, Legacy takes you deeper into the Atlanta Fetish/BDSM community, twisting more surprises and revelations that are sure to take your breath away.
Amazon    BN  Books a Million    Personal Autographed Copy


Excerpt:
~Seven~ Ramesses Reagan International Airport, Arlington, Virginia…I walked off the plane and made my way down to baggage claim to collect my luggage, already plotting in my head how I was going to deal with the task in front of me.             I walked by the limousine drivers and noticed a rather stacked and stout young lady, about six feet tall, maybe an inch short of that, holding a sign displaying my full legal name.             I was surprised to see her there to greet me, especially when I hadn’t seen her before in my life. But it was a pleasant surprise to be escorted by such a lovely creature indeed.             I guess in hindsight I shouldn’t have been too surprised, as I’d suspected Master Seti would spare no expense in making my stay in the DMV, or the DC/Maryland/Virginia area, as pleasant as he could. I’d called the day prior to my departure from Vegas to inform him of my arrival, as such was general protocol with any of the Elders associated with Amenhotep.             The driver was very attractive. Her distinct features put me in the mind of the Italian peninsula. She was clad in a pencil skirt, teasingly above the knee, and matching blazer, both black in color, and four inch heels. Her lean, muscular frame left no doubt she could handle my luggage with little assistance from me, no matter how much my vanilla-centric chivalry would want to oblige her.             “Good afternoon, m’Lord, my name is slave nadia. Please follow me to the car, Sir,” nadia announced as she loaded the bags onto a cart and led me out to the parking lot. “Master has alerted me of Your presence, which is why i am driving You to the House, Sir. Master didn’t want You to get lost. He informed me it has been a few years since You’ve been out this way.”             I laughed at her statement. It hadn’t been that long.            “Yes, slave nadia, your Master has a way of reminding Me of such things in the most grandiose fashion possible.” I replied. We walked across the lot, and I was impressed to see the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid limousine we approached. “Very nice, slave nadia, your Master shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.”            “Sir, if i am allowed to say so, He wanted to make sure You were especially comfortable while You stayed with us,” nadia smiled, looking forward instead of turning back to make eye contact. “He doesn’t make these accommodations for everyone, Sir, so it is an honor to be of such a special service to You.”             I climbed into the back seat while nadia placed the luggage in the cargo area to prepare for the ride back to the estate. On the middle console was a USA Today newspaper, and packed in a cooler in the opposite seat from me was an assortment of soft drinks and juices and a bag of roasted peanuts.             “Master thought You would like a light snack before Your arrival, m’Lord.” nadia read my mind before I could ask.             I smiled. This had sajira written all over this one. I would say shamise also had her hand in this, but there was no telling if she was at the house at the time nadia called to confirm the items sitting on the side of me.            “Remind Me to thank your Master upon our arrival, slave nadia.” I responded to her as she slid into the front seat of the car. I noticed a slight blush spread across her face at my statement. That meant she knew she would be properly spanked for following her Master’s protocol to the letter.             We made the trek, beginning from US Hwy 1 heading toward I-395, passing through the intersecting streets that crisscrossed and made up the Alexandria area. I took a sip of the orange juice bottle by the time we crossed over I-395 and continued south heading toward Mount Vernon.            I was reading the paper as we passed by the shopping malls and department stores, going from the commercial into the residential area, when I felt eyes on me, trying to get a better look at what I was doing. I looked up and met a gorgeous pair of hazel eyes staring back at me with the intensity and heat of a desert sun. She lingered for a moment before those eyes softened and gave rise to a lust their owner wanted to act upon, but she wasn’t quite sure if she should or not.            nadia tried to conceal her shy streak as she sneaked looks through the rear view mirror as she deftly moved through traffic. She tried to get a peek in right before the fork in the road would either take us to the estate or take us to the Mount Vernon estate, the home of our nation’s first president.             We kept this dance up for another half mile or so. Every time I caught her looking up at me, she giggled to herself and focused her eyes on the road again, trying to steal as many glances as she could before we arrived.            I purposely began staring at her through the rear view mirror. The next time our eyes locked, nadia found her fingers tracing the outline of the blazer. She nimbly lowered the mirror to an angle to where I could enjoy the view, and I noticed nadia had unbuttoned her blouse and revealed her bra. I licked my lips at the way the satin caressed her breasts.            She blushed at my open satisfaction at her exposure, keeping one hand on the steering wheel, using her peripheral vision to keep her eye on the road and on me at the same time, and taking her free hand to expose her right nipple for my further enjoyment. She moved the mirror back to a position to reconnect with my eyes, pouting her lips to blow kisses for a few fleeting moments.            By now, my manhood had made its presence very much aware to me, and I couldn’t ignore what it obviously wanted my mouth to say. But this was neither the time nor the place to engage in that type of mischief, as it would be a direct violation of the rules of engagement, and my reasonable half understood that. However, my libido silently crept into the far reaches of where I kept the “Beast” at bay, beckoning to it, I have the key to unlock your cage, all you have to do is beg for it.            I wanted her to beg so badly it made me weak. I imagined her legs wrapped around the small of my back, growling in her ear as I took her in the back seat, the tint in the windows providing the perfect cover in broad daylight before finally getting on with completing the journey.            nadia sensed my dilemma, and I sensed she was in a bit of a quandary herself. The vehicle slowed for brief interludes, which alerted me to the intimation she was not yet ready to end this dance. Each pause at the stop lights was torture for the both of us, increasing the tension from a simmering boil into an ominous volcano that could blow at any moment            My intense stare into what I imagined were her now-bright green eyes let her know I was straddling the thin line between commanding her to pull the vehicle over to the first secreted location for a clandestine and ravenous merging of two bodies and thinking better of it and commanding her to cover herself up before we arrived at the estate.I shook off the lustful state I was in as best I could. I had further business to take care of, and I couldn’t allow myself to let the “chairman of the board” fuck things up because it wanted to get wet for twenty minutes.            nadia slowed down long enough to make the turn to the street the estate was located, stopping the vehicle long enough for the two of us to gather ourselves and for her to straighten her uniform to look presentable once we entered the compound. Once all was back in its place, nadia put the truck back in gear and we headed toward the house once again.            I didn’t mind the cat-and-mouse games too much. In fact, it was a bit refreshing to see such a lovely woman nonverbally flirting without the pretenses of titles and station. Well, at least not entirely. The fact that I am a Dominant in this realm, and a Dominant nadia had developed a respect for, might have had something to do with her flirting on the edges. The way I saw it, she, in the brief time we’d shared the same space, developed a passion that was predicated upon her respect for my station, and the good things she had heard from her Master about me.That was fine by me. It’s not like I could not have had nadia hot and bothered under normal circumstances, but at the same time, it helped to not have had to put the litmus test out there.               The next time she looked up at me, I gave a wink letting her know I wouldn’t discuss this little interlude between us with her Master, and blew her a kiss from the back seat to consummate the brief dance between us.            nadia returned the gesture with a kiss in the mirror at me of her own, letting me know she enjoyed the dance as well, and a wink letting me know we could continue the dance again, with her Master’s permission, whenever I was ready.              Sometimes, it’s great to be Pharaoh.


About the Author:
Shakir Rashaan currently lives in suburban Atlanta with his wife and two children. Rashaan's catalog includes the series Chronicles of the Nubian Underworld and the upcoming Kink, P.I., and current projects being developed under the pen name Curtis Alexander Hamilton. Other credits include several anthologies, including the bestselling Zane Presents Z-Rated: Chocolate Flava 3. You can see more of Rashaan at ShakirRashaan.com.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/shakirrashaan
Web: http://www.shakirrashaan.com
Blog: http://medium.com/@ShakirRashaan
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShakirRashaanErotica


June 23 Guest blogErotica For All http://eroticaforall.co.uk
June 23 SpotlightThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
June 24 InterviewPembroke Sinclair  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
June 24 SpotlightFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
June 25 Guest blogRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannerhoads.com
June 26 InterviewDarkest Cravingswww.darkestcravings.blogspot.com
June 27 Character InterviewAuthor Karen Swarthttp://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com/
June 27 SpotlightSapphyria's Steamy Book Reviews http://saphssteamybooks.blogspot.com/
June 30 SpotlightHouston Havens http://houstonhavens.wordpress.com
June 30 SpotlightLov Sinfully Sexy Bookswww.lovsinfullysexybooks.blogspot.com a Rafflecopter giveaway