Lucy Felthouse's Blog, page 311

Xcite Books Launch an Awards Programme!

Xcite Books, the UK's largest erotic publisher, has launched an annual awards programme that celebrates and recognises companies, reviewers, bloggers and sexperts who value and support the erotic fiction market.

Hazel Cushion, Managing Director at Xcite Books, explained the need for the awards. "The internet and the advent of ebooks has completely changed the erotic fiction market and as yet there's no recognition of this. Customers now have a wealth of review sites, author blogs and internet retailers to choose from so we wanted to highlight and celebrate the dedication of the people behind these."

The following categories are included in the inaugural awards:

Best Internet Retail Site: The internet has opened up a whole new world of retail opportunities. This award celebrates those sites that offer a great service, a range of products, and an enjoyable online shopping experience.

Best Blog or Author Page: This category celebrates those that are using blogs to promote erotic writing. It could be an author who engages well with readers or a blogger who is passionate about reading erotica.

Best Reviewer: Reviewers can make or break a book and they can help hidden gems to get a larger audience. Good reviewers are trusted by their readership for their honest appraisals. This category is open to both print and internet reviewers.

Best Sexpert: Some people just really know their stuff when it comes to sex. A good sexpert can help save a relationship, or give readers the confidence to start a whole new one. Since Xcite Books are recommended by many sex therapists Xcite wants to acknowledge their important work.

Best Publication: This category is open to both trade and consumer magazines (either in print or online) which support and encourage erotic fiction with reviews, author interviews or industry news.

The Xcite awards will be awarded using a combination of nominations and public vote. Nominations can be submitted between 1st November and 30th December. The six finalists from each category, selected on the quality of the nominations, will be announced on 1st January 2012 and a public poll will then open to select the final winners in each category.The closing date for public voting will be the 10th February 2012 and the winner will be announced on the 14th February 2012.

HOW TO ENTER: Nominations open until 30th December 2011

Click here to enter your nominations.

Something Sexy and Scary Plus a Newsletter

The lovely ladies over at 4-Letter Words let me loose on their blog again! They've been doing a fab job this past week or so promoting various Halloween and related book releases (be sure to click around on the site and have a look) and they've allowed me to be a part of it with my new release, Weekend at Wilderhope Manor.

Check out the post I wrote for them on penning something that was both scary and sexy… perfect to get you in the mood for the night where the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest…

Visit 4-Letter words now, and pretty please leave me comments, I'd love to hear what you think!

Also, for a while now I've been toying with the idea of starting up a newsletter. A few people have commented that they can't always keep up with my rapidly moving site or things I post on social media. Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to have something I send out less frequently, no more than once a month (unless something urgent comes up) just to keep subscribers up to date on my writing news and new releases, etc. I also thought it would be nice to do something special for the subscribers, i.e. exclusive competitions and special offers – so that is exactly what I plan to do! And the more subscribers I get, the bigger the prizes…

Want to sign up? Hit that pretty button in the right sidebar to be taken to the signup form. Your details will not be shared, and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.

P.S. Don't forget to check out my post over at the Dirty Birdies blog. There's a hot guy!

My New Gig and Happy Halloween!

Hey everyone, and Happy Halloween! I hope you've been checking out my previous blog posts about the Bewitching Trick or Treat blog hop and the Haunting Halloween Blog Fest – there are prizes to be won, so if you haven't, scroll down and check 'em out when you've read this post. You won't regret it

So, yes, it's Halloween. We don't really go all out in the UK, certainly not in comparison to the US. And certainly not around here. If I stick my head out of the window and look down the street, not a single decoration. I, however, am proudly wearing my Plants vs Zombies T-shirt as well as having released two spooky stories this month which are perfect reads for Halloween. Check out Weekend at Wilderhope Manor and Love Through Time if you want to see what I'm going on about.

So… onto my new gig! The other week I received an email from one Liz Silver asking if I'd like to join the Dirty Birdies blog. Having been a fan of the site and its pervery for some time, I was delighted to be asked and of course I said yes! There are no hard and fast rules about when we post on the blog, but I'll be stopping by there a couple of times a month to say my piece, and probably share lots of photos of hot men. That's actually what I did in my first post, which went live today. Check it out here.

Dirty Birdies is a great fun blog, so if you like all things smutty (and I'm guessing you do, since you're on this website) then you should head over there and hit that 'Join This Site' button. See it? Right hand side, a little way down? Yep, got it. Now you won't miss a thing, yay!

See you there!

eBook Review: A Dance with Bogie and Bacall by KevaD

Radio DJ Scott Kincaid isn't particularly enamoured with his job, or the radio station he works for. It's just a way to pay the bills for him. That is, until his first caller one evening is a lady who died forty-nine years ago. Of course, he doesn't realise this at the time and inadvertently offends the woman in question's granddaughter, who now seriously has it in for him.

Things grow more complicated as it becomes clear to Scott that Maureen Johnson, a woman who died in a fire forty-nine years ago has an interest in him. He can't figure out what the ghost wants with him. But as he starts to dig deeper into her story and the others involved in it, he uncovers a tragedy which, although on a local scale, makes it no less heartbreaking. Add in Maureen's feisty granddaughter and you have a recipe for fireworks!

I don't want to say too much more because I don't want to give away the plot, but what I will say is: wow. This book completely blew me away. Right from the very beginning I was intrigued. This is a truly beautiful and emotional love story which had me sniffling into a tissue on more than one occasion. Because of the characters and timescales involved, it could have been a complex book to follow, but it wasn't. It flowed really well and I whizzed through it, desperate to reach the resolution and yet, at the same time, not wanting it to end!

Well written, brilliantly put together and with a stunning plot, A Dance with Bogie and Bacall is a read any romance lover shouldn't miss out on. Gorgeous.

Available from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Noble Romance

Want a Sexy Sunday? Visit the Haunting Halloween Blog Fest

Join me over at the Goddess Fish Party Pavilion and Whipped Cream Guest Blog for a day of chilling fun! The fun's happening all weekend, but today's my day to be let loose on the blogs.

Myself and dozens of other paranormal romance authors will be blogging, and you're the winners!

Commenters and blog followers will be eligible to win a $150 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card.

Additionally, there were be numerous smaller prizes awarded during both days, so get commenting!

[image error]I'm sharing spooky excerpts from my new releases, Love Through Time and Weekend at Wilderhope Manor, as well as blogging about why I like setting stories in country houses, how much I'm lovin' libraries, and I'm even interviewing one of the characters from each book.

So, if you seriously want to get in the Halloween mood, get yourself down to the Goddess Fish Party Pavilion and Whipped Cream Guest Blog and join in the fun. I'm blogging three times on each throughout the day, so be sure to check back. I'll be popping in periodically to check and respond to comments, so make sure to leave me some!

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Halloween Blog Hop – Mega Prizes to be Won!

Well, it's that time of year again, folks! The time you can be anything you want to be, when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest… you know the drill – Halloween is fun!

And to celebrate this particular holiday, the awesome Drea Becraft has organised a blog hop, which is basically an opportunity for YOU to win lots of cool prizes and discover lots of cool new authors and their latest releases. So get your TBR list at the ready to start adding some super new stuff!

*****

I'd also like to share a spooky excerpt from one of the books I'm giving away, just to get you in the mood… (if you want to see the giveaway details, scroll to the bottom. But you're missing out on a spooky treat, if you do!)

 

Excerpt from Weekend at Wilderhope Manor

The hedge which lined the right-hand side of their path had come to an end now, and off to that side was another lawn. Beyond that, a much higher hedge with a purpose designed gap to admit entry. It had to be the maze. The girls walked across the lawn in the direction of the maze's entrance. Once they reached it, they looked at each other in awe. The maze's walls were even higher than they'd first thought.

Jenny said, "I think I'd rather we went in together. Wouldn't you? It's all a bit Alice in Wonderland, and I don't want to come a cropper with the Queen of Hearts while you're drinking tea with the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit."

Stephanie laughed out loud, jabbing Jenny playfully with an elbow. "Where do you come up with these ideas?! It's just a maze, sweetheart. But if it'll make you feel better, we'll go through together. I guess it could get a little creepy as we get inside."

That decided, the girls walked in. Stephanie, the more logical of the two, led the way through the narrow corridors in search of the elusive centre. She felt confident at first, but as the twists and turns continued, she felt less so. That and the fact that she'd been right about the creep factor. It was a clear but not particularly bright day, resulting in very little natural light penetrating the hedges that made up the maze. It was navigable but incredibly gloomy, and Stephanie sensed that Jenny was staying as close behind her as possible without treading on the backs of her shoes. Honestly, she didn't blame her. Even Stephanie was starting to feel a little spooked. The silence wasn't helping. From their sheltered position, they could see glimpses of the sky, but they couldn't hear anything other than the sound of their own footsteps and breathing.

Stephanie picked up the pace, albeit subtly. She didn't want to worry Jenny, but she wasn't quite sure where they were and she was feeling really quite nervous. Despite the silence and the fact they hadn't seen another soul since they'd left the house, Stephanie suddenly had the oddest feeling that they weren't alone. It was a silly notion, because the walls of the maze were so thick that you couldn't see through them, so it wasn't like anyone could be secretly spying on them. But Stephanie simply could not shake her apprehension. She desperately wanted to get out of the maze, but saw no way of doing it quickly. Even turning back wouldn't guarantee a swift exit because they wouldn't remember each twist and turn they'd taken. They could just end up stuck in here even longer.

Suddenly, Jenny's Alice in Wonderland comment didn't seem so stupid after all. Refusing to let Jenny sense her fear, she looked steadfastly in front of her and carried on walking. Then she heard the crack of a twig which sounded like it came from up ahead. Unfortunately, Jenny heard it too.

"Wh – what was that?!" Jenny said, clutching onto the back of Stephanie's coat.

In spite of all her layers, Stephanie felt a shiver run down her spine but forced herself to continue putting one foot in front of the other. Trying – and failing – to inject some normalcy into her voice, she replied, "Pr – probably just someone else from the house. You can enter from either side of the maze, remember. They could have come in the opposite end. I expect we'll bump into them shortly."

They didn't bump into anyone, but the path started to broaden and they soon emerged into the centre of the maze, much to Stephanie's relief. She knew they were far from home and dry, but at least she wasn't feeling like the walls were closing in on her anymore. They took a few minutes to stop and Stephanie looked into each of the paths leading off the centre to see if she could see anyone lurking there. She was reminded of the incident in the corridor outside the library the previous evening, and wondered if the same person was trying to scare them here, too. She decided not to say anything to the other girl. There was no point; with Jenny's imagination she'd be conjuring up ghosts and ghouls left, right and centre and getting her out of the maze would be even more of a chore than it was already.

"Come on," Stephanie said loudly, as if trying to prove how perfectly fine she was feeling, "let's get going."

Stephanie walked towards the potential exit paths and chose one, hoping against hope that it was the right one. She didn't know how much longer her nerve would hold out. Jenny followed close behind, seemingly calmer now as the single broken twig hadn't been followed up by anything else. Walking steadily onwards, Stephanie made quick decisions on their turns, thinking that even if she got it wrong, keeping this pace would mean she could correct quickly and get them the hell out of the maze.

Neither girl spoke. After a while, Stephanie wasn't sure how close they were to the exit, but she sensed they were almost there. They hadn't hit a dead end in a while. Then she heard a noise from behind Jenny. Spinning, she grabbed Jenny and pushed in front of her, ready to face their foe head on. She was terrified, but she sure wasn't going to show it.

"Who's there?"

Nothing. Stephanie waited, her upper arms starting to hurt where Jenny was gripping them tightly.

"Hello? Are you lost?"

Still no response. If there was a genuine patron in the maze, they'd have replied.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Stephanie yelled. "What are you, some kind of creepy pervert that likes scaring women? Well it's not working!"

She was lying through her teeth, of course, but she wasn't going to let their stalker know that.

"We're going now, anyway. So you'll have to find someone else to try and scare, all right?"

This time, the response was the sudden approach of heavy footsteps. As one, both girls spun round and ran in the direction they'd been heading as fast as they could. The noise they were now making masked out any their assailant might have been producing, but Stephanie didn't care. She wanted out – now. She ran close behind Jenny, thanking their lucky stars when she finally saw an opening in the hedge which would lead them back out of this godforsaken hole.

Jenny had obviously spotted it too, as she had a sudden burst of speed which took her right to the exit. She was almost on the grass when she suddenly tripped – over nothing. Stephanie had no time to react and she ended up tripping over Jenny and they both sprawled on the grass in a heap. They hurriedly disentangled, aware they were being followed and about to come face-to-face with their attacker.

Only, they weren't. Whoever had been pursuing them in the maze didn't emerge.

*****



So, without further ado, here's my giveaway (click the book titles to find out more about them):

One copy of Weekend at Wilderhope Manor, my Halloween themed f/f erotica tale from Summerhouse Publishing
One copy of Love Through Time, my romantic erotic tale with spooky elements from Noble Romance Publishing

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know how you'll be spending your Halloween this year. I'll pick two winners at random at 9am on the 1st November (it makes it fairer due to time differences) and contact them ASAP. So PLEASE make sure you leave your email address in the body of the comment. No email = no entry.



What now? Hit the button below to visit the event page on Drea's site and discover which other authors are taking part, and increase your chances of bagging some excellent prizes. Good luck – and Happy Halloween!

Weekend Dirty Dozen No. 2 #WD12

It's week two of Weekend Dirty Dozen, which I found via their Facebook page, here. Peeps seemed to enjoy last week's twelve from Weekend at Wilderhope Manor, which is a Halloween themed lesbian erotic story. So, without further ado I'm going to share the next twelve, to get you in the mood for Monday!

Stephanie shoved her playfully, laughing. "Come on, you silly cow. It's a murder mystery weekend, not a monster hunt. There will be no ghosts, ghouls or vampires involved."



Stephanie got out of the car and closed the door. She'd already popped open the boot and started unloading their bags before Jenny appeared alongside her, pouting petulantly.



"But it's Halloween tomorrow," Jenny insisted. "Anything could happen. The veil between the living and dead will be at its thinnest, and this place is meant to be swarming with ghosts."



"If you say so, sweetheart," she replied, rolling her eyes. She was used to Jenny's crazy beliefs by now. "Grab your bags and let's get inside."

 

Click the graphic below to see the other fab authors taking part! 

Sponsored Advertisements:

Guest Blog: Emlyn Chand

This is a guest post by Emlyn Chand, author of Farsighted

When did you have enough confidence in your abilities to officially call yourself a writer?

For me, it was when I first received money for my work as a freelance columnist. For you, it may have been when you finished the first chapter of your first novel or won a prize for a short story. Maybe you never had any qualms about saddling yourself with this label. Maybe you still don't consider yourself a "real writer."

Me? Now I know enough to see that I was a writer long before someone handed me that first paycheck. It's kind of something you're born with—like it or not.

But being an author, that's different.

The term writer focuses more on the craft—engaging in the actual activity of writing. The term author encompasses not only the craft but also the business aspect of it.

So when are you worthy of the label author? Why, when you publish your first book of course!

I write this post just days before I make the transition from writer to author. My first novel Farsighted releases on October 24, which means my 26-year-long (AKA life-long) dream is finally coming true. When I look back at the journey that brought me to the peak of this beautiful achievement, I can't help but think of what I wish I'd have known before starting on my path.

I've identified 10 lessons I've learned along the way. Maybe you already know these things. Maybe you don't. I'm gonna share 'em anyway…

1. Something's gotta give. Writing is not something you can do with just a little bit of effort. To get through the first draft, editing, what-have-you, you'll have to work hard! Yes, you could space it out over several years, but if you want to finish anytime this year, you're going to have to make sacrifices. For me, this was less time with friends and family, less television, and less attention to my health (eating right and exercising). Oops.

2. Write what you want to write—not what you think you should be writing. Boy, this was a hard one to learn. I've always fallen back on being "that smart girl." When things didn't go right in my personal life or when I was picked last in gym class, I took pride in my intellect. Therefore, I've always done what I can to improve my wit and make my best trait the best it can be. That being said, I spent a long time forcing myself to read classic literature. I did enjoy it, and I still do, but it's definitely not what I find most entertaining (YA is). Still I kept at the classic literature because it was important to me that others respect my intelligence (damaged by high school much? [image error] ). Naturally when I decided to write a novel, it came out as literary fiction. That's the me I wanted to portray to the world. I wanted people to salivate over my talent and proclaim my literary merit… Except the novel wasn't that good, because it wasn't a piece of who I really am. Now that I've cozied into YA, I couldn't be happier. And the larger facade of who I once pretended to be has lifted. I. AM. FREE. Now this lesson doesn't just mean: don't put on a false front. It also means: don't chase trends. Write what your heart wants to write, and it'll all be good in the end.

3. You're going to make mistakes. LOTS of mistakes. Practice makes perfect. Well, it makes it better than before. You may be an excellent writer, but if you've never written a novel before, you're a newbie. That's okay too! When writing that all-important first novel, you're pretty much going to make every mistake in the book. In my first novel, I really struggled with keeping a consistent point-of-view and writing authentic dialogue. The POV problem was very difficult to fix, but in trying, I learned an important lesson—one I couldn't have learned if I hadn't made such huge blunders. Now that I do know how to correct and avoid these problems, dialogue and POV are two of my strongest areas (at least that's what readers tell me).

4. Writer's detour is a bigger problem than writer's block. Writer's block gets all the PR, but it's not as dangerous as writer's detour. When you're blocked you're not moving forward. When you take a detour, you're moving in the wrong direction. Will you get to California quicker by taking a small rest in Boise, or will you get there quicker by following a pretty red car to Ontario first? (My advice, drive straight-on through to Cali if you can). Don't get so caught up with a minor character (or a theme you want to convey) that you stray all over the place. Which brings me to my next point…

5. Structure is important. We writers fall into two camps: pantsers and plotters. Some pantsers consider themselves superior, because their writing leads their plots—not the other way around. I used to think like that too. Even if you want to keep your plotline fluid, you need some form of structure. Shudder at the thought of outlining? Then mapping your characters is crucial. You need to know where you're going and/or who's taking you there. Otherwise you're just groping about in the dark. Yes, writing is absolutely a creative process, but don't under-estimate the value of good planning.

6. Novel #1 may never leave the drawer. Or it may leave the drawer, journey around the query circuit, and then come right back to where it started. My first novel DID get me an agent, but 9 drafts later, it still wasn't good enough to publish. When my agent suggested I change 2/3 of it for draft 10, I decided to move onto my next project. I just wasn't enjoying the process anymore. I'm so glad I finally called it quits on novel #1, because novel #2 is so much better, and now I get to put it out there into the world. If I would've kept agonizing over the inferior manuscript, novel #2 may have never happened!

7. When you're done, you're not done. I'm just a big ball of sunshine today, aren't I? But it's important to understand just how much work follows being "done." Anne Lamott said it best in Bird by Bird, you're going to write "shitty first drafts." I can guarantee it! Don't let that stop you, just be prepared for it.

8. Writing is a business just as much as it's an art. Getting a novel published and promoting it once it's out there is infinitely more work than writing a novel in the first place. That's not to under-value the writing process, but it's true. Sure, you can finish your novel, self-publish it, and then do virtually nothing to promote it. Fine. But if you actually want to sell copies of your book, you've gotta handle the business side of things. Finding an agent is an extremely formal business interaction—you even have to write fancy business (AKA query) letters. Marketing your book is a TON of work. It's pretty fun (at least, I think so, but I moonlight as a book publicist, so I realize I might not be normal). However, being fun is not equivalent to being easy. Not even close. Expect lots of work and lots of stress and not very much sleep. The good news: you get out what you put in, so give it all you can!

9. Querying will destroy your soul. My unhappy place is remembering query letter Hell. I honestly can't remember anything harder in my life. Ever. Make sure you have a good support system in place. Because even if you're brilliant, you can pretty much expect a slew of rejections. I ultimately got an agent but had to suffer through 60 "not for us"s first. Of course, it hurts. As writers, we pour our hearts and souls into our manuscript. Our words are a part of who we are. Having a faceless stranger tell you it's not good enough is pure torture. End of argument.

10. You will sustain injuries. Gosh, my neck is killing me while I'm writing this post. You're probably going to get neck and back pain too. Headaches from staring at the computer too long. Possible eye problems. Definite poor posture. Maybe even carpal tunnel syndrome. That's just the way it goes, so be prepared.

Seems pretty cynical, doesn't it? I

 

Blog Tour Notes

THE BOOK: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still "see" things others can't. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com's Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author's birthday).

THE CASH PRIZES: Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That's right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you'll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that.

THE GIVEAWAYS: Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you'd like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.

THE AUTHOR: Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

MORE FUN: There's more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer and take the quiz to find out which character is most like you!

 

 

eBook Review: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Alex Kosmitoras is no ordinary teenager. He's blind, so life is tough enough for him as it is, but then just to add insult to injury, he starts to have visions. He thinks they're of the future, and they're not good – it appears that a girl he really likes, Simmi, is in danger. As much as he struggles with the idea that he's some kind of psychic, the threat that's hanging over him and his friend spurs him to take action. At around the same time his visions started, a new shop opened up in town, next to his mom's flower shop. It's a psychic shop, and despite Alex's dad's disgust of the place, Alex knows he can't fight this future alone. So he teams up with Miss Teak, the owner of the shop and begins to practise with his "gifts" so he can fully utilise them to find out as much about the unknown guy who's going to hurt Simmi. Then he has to find a way to stop it.

I don't read much YA stuff, not because I dislike it, but because I have other genres I'm usually stuck into. However, despite its label of YA, Farsighted is a perfectly entertaining and engaging novel for anyone of any age – providing they're old enough to understand what's going on, of course. I found it enthralling, and couldn't wait to see how it would all turn out. There were lots of surprising twists and turns in the plot which I really enjoyed, and I got to the end of the book with raised eyebrows because, yet again, Emlyn Chand threw in another twist. Farsighted is a fabulously unpredictable, engaging, well-written and researched book. As I mentioned, YA isn't my top genre of choice, but I'd still recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique and exciting read.

Available from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

 

Blog Tour Notes

THE BOOK:  Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still "see" things others can't.  When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com's Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author's birthday).

THE CASH PRIZES:  Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That's right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you'll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that.

THE GIVEAWAYS:  Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you'd like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.

THE AUTHOR:  Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

MORE FUN: There's more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer and take the quiz to find out which character is most like you!

 

 

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Unforgiven (Packing Heat #1) by Sarah Ballance

Riley Beckett's past just came back to haunt her . . . and this time, he's got a gun.

When Gage Lawton finds his brother shot dead on his back porch, every shred of evidence points to one person: Gage's former lover, Riley. He and she didn't part ways on good terms, and he's not planning to rekindle anything now–not when he's got a revolver pointed at her head and a finger on the trigger.

A year after Riley swore she and Gage were over, he returns in a hail of gunfire. One look into those achingly familiar blue eyes and she knows how wrong she was to let him go, but now far more than their heated past stands in the way. A twist of fate puts them in the crosshairs of a killer, leaving Riley with two slim options: trust her greatest betrayer or face a murderer on her own.

EXCERPT:

Something was wrong. Was the dark playing tricks on her? Riley Beckett froze, arm outstretched, hand poised to toss her keys on the table just inside her front door. But she didn't let go. Instead of dropping them in their usual spot, instinct whispered for her to feather pieces of the makeshift weapon between her knuckles. Heart pounding, she pressed the keys in a silent, white-knuckle grip and prayed her concerns were her imagination, that the paranoia of coming home alone to a dark house was getting the better of her.

One, two steps in. Wood planks echoed underfoot. She fought to breathe in air that grew thinner with every tense second.

Three steps.

Then it hit her. The scent. His scent. And with it a flush of memories. The burn of hot grass on her bare skin. Rough hands, a tender touch. Love so sweet she ached for it, her dreams raging, and her body drenched with need.

Their first time.

Her last.

"Gage?" Her voice broke on the single syllable. Riley's grip on the keys tightened, her blood raging hot and cold all at once.

A creak sounded from the corner chair. Her eyes refused to adjust in the darkness, but not even the faint light kept the blond streaks in his russet hair from giving him away. Like rays of sunshine, she used to tease, and her words never failed to draw a scowl across his rugged face.

"Riley."

God help her, her name on his lips sounded as it always had. Coarse. Dangerous. Forbidden. Even before . . . The memory surged, hot and vivid, leaving a metallic taste in her mouth. White heat assaulted her from every corner of the room.

The keys fell to the floor with a clink.

"An eye for an eye, is it?" His voice sounded unpracticed, as if he hadn't spoken in a long while.

She couldn't see his face, but she knew his expression. Flat and humorless. Broken. She remembered the day he stopped smiling. Every part of her wanted to flee, but she stood frozen to the spot.

"What do you mean?" Riley wondered if the words, whispered and weak, had the strength to make it across the room. Hadn't she always known she'd shatter the next time she saw him? Hadn't she dreamed of it anyway?

"You have to ask?" Gage laughed, cold and hollow. "Billy's dead. Hell of a thing to come home to, Riley. My brother blown to bits on my back porch."

"Oh, God." Riley swayed, bile rising in her throat. The room filled with a distant buzzing. She took one unsteady step to the side and stumbled.

When she found his gaze, it was over the business end of a revolver.

He leveled the gun in her direction. Everything else in her world trembled, but his aim held rock steady. Unyielding.

His eyes burned blue and bright. "What I want to know, sweetheart, is why you did it."

He worked his finger over the trigger, and a veil of blackness threatened her last discerning thought.

*****

BUY LINKS:

Noble Romance- https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/325/Unforgiven

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Unforgiven-ebook/dp/B005NGKBN2/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sarah and her husband of over fourteen years live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they're asleep. She often jokes that she writes to be around people who will listen to her, but her characters aren't much better than her kids. Fortunately, her husband is quite supportive, having generously offered to help her research "the good parts." She's never had to ask twice.

Website – http://www.sarahballance.com/

Blog – http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003WKYEJI

Twitter – http://twitter.com/#!/SarahBallance

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/sarah.ballance.author.news