Laura Roberts's Blog, page 60

The Marlboro Man: An excerpt + #giveaway from Anna Alexander

For years Mark Webber was in love with his best friend’s girl, and it had become well past time for him to move on for greener pastures. Not long after he left, Mark realized the Sprawling A was his home, so now he’s back, ready to leave the past in the dust. While he was gone, there had been some changes at the A, including a new ranch hand who comes with a sister that stirs Mark’s passions in ways he never felt.

Gabriella Montoya has come to the ranch seeking shelter after a failed marriage. Not only is she welcomed with open arms, but she gains six big brothers. But one man doesn’t look at her like he would a sister. Oh, no. Mark gazes at her with a heat and promise in his eyes, and damn if he doesn’t deliver on every one. But Gabriella’s not certain she’s ready to embark on another relationship so soon with a man who has made no bones about wanting forever, especially when both of their pasts rise from the ashes and threaten everything they have.

An exclusive excerpt from The Marlboro Man

In the living room, the big-screen TV blared while the ranch hands splayed out on the leather couches or on the floor as if their bones had liquefied wherever they landed. All of that testosterone in one location, and at the center of them all was a dark-haired man who roped a lariat around her libido by simply breathing. There was no way she would be able to be in the same room as Mark without wanting to touch or stare at him the entire night like a lovesick school girl. How embarrassing.

“Hey, Gabriella. Why don’t you sit next to me?” Jack asked, patting the seat beside him.

“Actually, I think I’ll just head upstairs. It’s been a long day.” She softened her refusal with a smile.

“Sweet dreams, then.” He waggled his brows and flashed that rakish grin.

Mark caught her gaze when she turned to leave. Those dark eyes stared straight into her soul. “Good night,” he mouthed.

“Good night,” she whispered back before racing up the stairs.

In the quiet of her room, her breathing sounded as ragged as a hyperventilating phantom. Her reflection in the mirror above the dresser showed a woman with bright, sparkly eyes, a becoming flush

on her cheeks, and plump lips that appeared ready to be kissed good and hard. She looked alive.

“Well hello there,” she said aloud. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

The woman in the mirror smiled with a hint of naughty curling her lips.

Could she do this? Should she do this?

“Who controls your happiness?” the woman in the mirror asked.

Who controls your happiness?

Right.

Without another thought, she crossed to the dresser and picked up her hairbrush. It was time to claim a little piece of happiness for herself, even if just for one night.

It was time to catch a cowboy.

Buy Links

Amazon / B&N / ARe Café / Kobo

About the Author

Anna Alexander’s literary world changed at age thirteen when a friend gave her a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss’s A Rose in Winter. With her mind thoroughly blown, she decided that one day she too would be a romance writer. With Hugh Jackman’s abs and Christopher Reeve’s blue eyes as inspiration, she loves spinning tales about superheroes finding love.

Sign up to receive news about Anna’s latest releases at http://eepurl.com/Q0tsz.

You can also find Anna on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Goodreads, her blog The Decadent Divas, and her website, AnnaAlexander.net.

Giveaway

Anna will be awarding $15 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner, and a swag pack (international) to another randomly drawn winner, both via Rafflecopter during the tour. Enter using the widget below, and don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! All tour dates can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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#HumpDayReviews: Come Again, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

If you love sex toys and adventure in the bedroom, you definitely need to grab a copy of Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel. This collection of 24 short stories covers a wide range of toys — both real and imaginary — as well as some unique scenarios that show just how fun and versatile relationships that incorporate toys can be.

Whether you’re a vanilla lover or a self-confessed kinkster, there’s something for everyone here. You’ll find homemade toys from the freezer in “Icy Bed,” an erotic inventor’s latest creation in “The Prototype,” and vibrators galore throughout the book. While some stories emphasize the size of a couple’s toy box, others narrow the focus to just one special toy’s ability to please. It’s like a box of sexual chocolates — you never quite know what you’re going to get.

One of my favorites from this collection is actually the introductory story, “Dare You To,” by Jillian Boyd. In it, a couple engaged to be married takes up a game of sexual dares, increasing their lust for one another before the trip down the altar. I loved the chemistry between Kat and David, as well as the cheekiness of their dares — all of which are carried out in public, to add the thrill of potentially getting caught into the mix. Whether or not you’ve personally engaged in a naughty version of Truth or Dare, this story is sure to capture your imagination, as well as your libido.

Set aside a lazy afternoon to indulge in a few stories alone or with a lover — you may find yourself bookmarking pages with ideas to incorporate into your own boudoir activities!

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Yes, I am a nerd — when it comes to stationery

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A Vixen in Venice: Excerpt + #giveaway

Look closer, into Hotel Totally Five Star Venice, where art curator Monique Le Bres has just walked through the doors of the newly opened swanky luxury hotel to assist with their art collection.

Alessandro Bonnard, the world-renowned art connoisseur and collector has been sent incognito to supervise Monique and oversee her acquisitions for the hotel.

Concealing his true identity, Alessandro is intrigued by the art-loving vixen with an appetite for kinky sex. He pursues Monique, charming her at every turn — taking her to places she’s never been — both in and out of bedroom.

Monique falls hard for the man who has utterly captured her body and soul. Only to find out he isn’t who she thought he was after all… he’s an art thief on the run… with her heart.

An excerpt from A Vixen in Venice

Waiting a good half hour, Monique was quite sure the coast was clear after her supervisor had departed. Weary from her travels she couldn’t wait to get back to her nice room and fall fast asleep in the sumptuous looking bed.

Stepping out of her office, Monique headed for the elevator at the end of the hall, noticing each door she passed had a nametag with identifiers. Sales the Direttore Vendite. Food and Beverage. Diretorre del Marketing. Director of Marketing and so on.

The subdued hush of voices from an adjoining hallway made Monique stop in her tracks. Pausing, she listened. The soft giggles intrigued her. Tiptoeing towards the sound, she peered around the corner. Near the end of the hall, she glimpsed Donovan’s silhouette as he leaned against a woman, kissing her. His hands holding hers above her head as she hooked one long leg around his waist, pulling him closer to her as they embraced passionately.

Monique’s key slipped from her hand and tinkled noisily on the wood floor. Mouth agape, her cheeks flamed as Donovan looked up and nodded to her from down the long hallway. Then the woman looked at her too. Monique immediately recognized the young blonde with the pixie cut hair and the cute little body from the lobby. The one she’d seen Donovan pat on the ass when Monique had first arrived.

The young woman merely smiled at Monique, her legs still wrapped around her supervisor’s hips, and then returned to kissing Donovan. Running her hands along his wide shoulders before he spun her around and planted his hands on her ass, pulling her too him. Hard. Monique looked away, but then back again. Strangely aroused at the unbridled passion, she was aware her nipples peaked under her silk blouse as she watched his hands slide over her curves and slide up and then up and under her skirt.

He tugged the woman’s panties down.

She kicked them off with flair. Crumpled, the lace thong lay in the hall while the lovers went at it. Grabbing, tasting, and kissing. Monique was aware her own panties were moist, shocked by her own enjoyment at watching them. Hiking the woman’s skirt up further, Donovan pursued her, baring her sculpted thighs and making Monique’s body quiver as she watched when Donovan slid his fingers between the woman’s legs. A soft groan escaped his lover’s mouth as they kissed and she tugged impatiently at his belt.

Monique gulped an audible gulp. Donovan cocked at eye in her direction. Monique quickly retreated, embarrassed to have been caught standing there enjoying spying on the lovers.

About the Author

Kate Deveaux is a contemporary erotic romance writer and die-hard romantic. A former wedding planner, she has always been “in love” with love! Kate is currently working on several fictional stories – each filled with sexy romance, heroines who are no shrinking violets and heroes who make your heart skip a beat. She currently resides with her husband in the U.S. When Kate is not busy writing, she can be found on the tennis court – yes, there’s even “love” in that game too.

Connect with Kate on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, Google+, and her website, katedeveaux.com. And join Kate’s Kitten’s, the official STREET TEAM of Kate Deveaux, on Facebook.

Giveaway

Kate will be giving away a $15 Amazon/B&N gift card via Rafflecopter. Enter using the widget below, and don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! All tour dates can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Vegas Miracle: An excerpt + #giveaway from Liz Crowe

Ryan and Grace Sullivan have all the outward indications of a happy life: money, success, an undeniable physical attraction that quickly evolved from whirlwind relationship to marriage. But lately, Ryan’s become moody and distant. As their relationship starts to crumble, Ryan discovers something about himself he can’t admit just as Grace realizes the young man she encounters at an invitation only party, Henri Christophe, a celebrity chef with the most successful restaurant in Las Vegas, is her husband’s lover. But Henri holds a secret himself. He wants to be more to both of them.

As they attempt to make their unconventional arrangement work, Ryan’s deep-seated fear of relationship failure continues to thwart everyone’s happiness. When he finally walks away instead of confronting the emotional connection the trio shares, he returns to find their lives flipped inside out. A sought after hotel and resort consultant, Ryan has yet to meet a problem he couldn’t solve. But when it comes to his own heart, he may be too late.

An excerpt from Vegas Miracle

When Henri bent down to kiss her lips and let his tongue caress her a moment before he raised himself up and off her, she felt more wrong than she ever had, but somehow right a the same time. Pulling the blanket back up to cover her sated body she stretched again and flipped over.

When her eyes met Ryan’s across the room she yelped. Her husband sat directly across from the massage table, a drink in one hand, the other arm stretched over the back of the couch. His eyes shone with the sort of light that made her want to weep.

“How long have you been sitting there,” she demanded.

“Long enough, baby.” He drained his glass, set it on the table and made his way over to her. “Long enough.”

She sighed as he knelt down, pulled her up and kissed her hard and deep. His bourbon-tasting lips were delicious.

“Did you like your Vegas surprise,” he asked as he pulled her to sitting and wrapped his arms around her. But he pressed his mouth to hers before she could answer. The familiar strength of his body, the crisp feel of his dress shirt against her naked skin, the clean smell of his cologne all enveloped her at once and she wrapped herself around him, ready to thank him in a way he’d never forget.

Buy Links

Amazon / B&N / iTunes / Smashwords

About the Author

Amazon best-selling author, mom of three, Realtor, beer blogger, brewery marketing expert, and soccer fan, Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville currently living in Ann Arbor. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse.

Her early forays into the publishing world led to a groundbreaking fiction hybrid, “Romance. Worth the Risk,” which has gained thousands of fans and followers interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”). With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and at times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Don’t ever ask her for anything “like a Budweiser” or risk bodily injury.

You can connect with Liz on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Goodreads, her beer blog, or her website, LizCrowe.com.

Giveaway

Liz will award a randomly drawn winner a six-month Kindle Unlimited subscription. To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below. Don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chance of winning! All tour stops can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Write weird: In praise of peculiar pieces

Back in the day, before I was ever accepted into a university writing program, before I ever thought much about what I was writing and why, I wrote a lot of short, weird fiction.

I wouldn’t say that my time in a university writing program blunted my weirdness, exactly, but since most of my peers would read my stories and write comments in the margins like “What does this mean?” or “???????”, I did feel a certain pressure to tame my characters’ oddities and put them into more recognizable circumstances.

Let your freak flag fly, Seabury Quinn!

But I never really liked the stories I wrote that fit into someone else’s mold of normalcy. I felt they were perhaps well-crafted, but lacking in soul. There was no fire, no funk, no zip, no spunk! What, then, was the point of writing them at all?

To get the grade. To please the professor. To achieve publication. To prove that I could do it.

But now that I’ve been published many times by real publications, and have clearly proven that I can write “normal” stories, I think it’s time to take a stand for my own weird fiction once more. If a reader must exclaim “?????” after reading one of my pieces, GOOD. Because sometimes, that is the goal.

You didn’t get it? READ IT AGAIN.

You still didn’t get it? GOOD. Go away and think it over. Try to process a little oddity now and then. It’s good for you.

In the end, I feel a need to create things that don’t always make sense, that do not mirror any reality, and that may make people feel uncomfortable. It’s fiction, people. Why should I imitate the most bland and banal bits of everyday life?

Or, as my husband likes to say when I help him type up a blog post:

Don’t unquirk my quirk!

Therefore, I have decided that the month of May will be devoted to writing more short, weird fiction, and trying to find all of those stories some equally weird homes. I feel vindicated, too, because I just received an anthology acceptance for a weird short story I wrote called “How to Travel Backwards in Time Without Getting Yourself Killed.” Score!

I’m participating in the Story A Day Challenge, and hope some of you will be playing along as well. What kinds of stories do you most enjoy writing, and have you ever felt the need to “unquirk” your quirkiness on the page?

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The Huntress: An excerpt + #giveaway from Elizabeth Davis

Kaitlin Hawthorne’s life as an heiress to her family’s multinational tech firm was over the moment she decided to pack up and flee with her father’s protégé. Determined to strike out on her own, she sets sail for parts unknown but is haunted by her past mistakes and the fiancé she has left behind. Will the sins of her past ruin her chance for happiness with the man of her dreams?

Marcelo Alesi is a reformed bad boy, primed to revolutionize the tech industry. But an unexpected proposition convinces him to abandon his carefully laid plans for the chance to reclaim the only woman he has ever loved; even if it means playing fast and hard with the truth.

As the two embark on a journey, Kaitlin is drawn into the mysterious organization known as “The Order.” Distrustful of the Order’s motives, and concealing secrets of his own, Marcelo fights to protect and love Kaitlin, the woman he has claimed as his own.

An excerpt from The Huntress

Marcelo leaned against a wooden support beam near the private open-air bath’s entrance. He watched Kaitlin submerge herself in nature’s pool spectacularly situated against the backdrop of snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance.

Steam billowed around her, slightly obscuring her seductive image, which was a good thing, he thought as he fought the temptation to strip away his yukata and join her.

He had promised her that she could soothe her aches and pains in the water’s invigorating properties, but God help him, he wanted her.

Heat scorched Kaitlin’s skin wherever Marcelo’s gaze lingered. If he thought that she would remain untouched while he devoured her from afar, he was mistaken.

She seductively moved toward him, like an enchantress placing him under her spell.

With every closing step, his animalistic need for her intensified. Five yards, six feet, his mind calculated until there were mere inches between them, then that too was breached as she placed her palm tenderly against his chest. She silently peered into his eyes, conveying her mutual need without a word, waiting for him to make his move.

Buy Links

Amazon / iTunes / Kobo

About the Author

Born in Houston, Texas in 1974, Elizabeth Davis started writing at an early age. Her first book was written for an elementary school assignment when she was eight years old. It was called Silly Excuses—a book about fantastic excuses young children can tell their parents when they have been naughty. Not only did she pass the assignment with flying colors, her teacher loved the book so much that she had it published in the school library. Elizabeth has been writing ever since. Elizabeth earned her B.A. from Bowie State University in Communications Media. Her hobbies include reading, baking, traveling with her family, and life coaching. She currently resides in The Netherlands with her husband Pawel, their son Aiden, and Hermes, the family cat.

You can connect with Elizabeth on her website, elizabeth-davis.com.

Giveaway

Elizabeth Davis will be awarding a $15 Amazon/B&N gift car to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Enter using the widget below, and don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! All tour dates can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Sexy San Diego: A to Z reflections and a book for pre-order

This year’s A to Z Challenge has come to a close, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of my blog posts.

I’ve been writing up Sexy San Diego posts for the month of April, and fully intend to continue posting new info about San Diego’s sexy, sultry and salacious side throughout the year. After all, the sexy doesn’t stop just because the A to Z Challenge is over!

In addition to the sexy blogs I’ll be posting here, I’m currently working on a more general-interest guidebook to San Diego called San Diego from A to Z, and will have that ready for official publication on June 15.

In the meantime, you can pre-order a digital copy from Amazon or a print copy from Pubslush.

In addition to the info I’ve blogged about thus far, the book version will also include:

Maps of all lo­ca­tions listed in the book
Playlists from San Diego musicians
San Diego’s best Happy Hours from A to Z
The best free­bies the city has to offer
AND SO MUCH MORE!

So I hope you’ll continue to hit up my blog for my sexy San Diego posts, as well as my Hump Day Reviews, erotica author interviews, and assorted posts about everything saucy.

Thanks for reading, and happy A to Z-ing!

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Z words in Spanish to spice up your life

While Zumba crossed my mind as the perfect Z word to end our Sexy San Diego journey — and, indeed, there’s no sign that this Latin-influenced dancercize craze is going to be over anytime soon — ultimately I’ve decided to offer you something far more useful than a list of classes.

That’s right: I’ve got a list of words that start with Z en español that will make your life sexy, spicy and far more interesting than your average Zumba class.

Unless, of course, your Zumba instructor looks like this:

For once, I agree with Esquire about their Sexiest Woman Alive.

First of all, let’s talk zapateria. Every woman loves this Z word, even if she doesn’t know it yet. Zapateria is Spanish for shoe store.

Along the same lines, you’d also do well to memorize zapatos (shoes) and zapatos de tacón alto (high heels). If you want stiletto heels, you’ll need tacón de aguja.

Some idioms that use the term zapato include:

estaban como tres en un zapato, which translates as “they were packed in like sardines,”
meter a algn en un zapato, meaning “to bring to to heel,” and
saber dónde aprieta el zapato, which means “to know the score.”

Other useful (non shoe-related) Spanish Z words to know:

zanahoria — carrot
zapallito — zucchini
zafiro — sapphire
Zambiano/a - Zambian (male/female)
ziper — zipper (you almost could’ve gotten that on your own!)
zombi — zombie (that one too!)
zona — zone (you’re on a roll with these!)
zoologico — zoo (hey-o!)
zorrino — skunk (didn’t see that one coming, did you?)
zorro — fox
zumbar — to hum
zapar - to sap or mine

And with that, I think I have zapped my Spanish Z words.

Thanks for following along on my A to Z Challenge, and if you’d like to read any of the posts you missed, just click here! Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for a recap about this year’s journey, along with some more sexy San Diegan reflections.

Eager to learn more about San Diego?

Check out my San Diego from A to Z posts over at my new site, Laura Roberts Books! They’re all part of my new book, San Diego from A to Z, currently available for pre-order from PubSlush and Amazon.

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YOLO: Yoga and yogurt

As the kids like to say these days, “You only live once” (or YOLO if you’re nasty). In keeping with this motto, I’ve combined the hottest and coolest things in San Diego into one post about Yoga and Yogurt.

Confused? Hold onto your yurts, my friend. Clarity is coming.

First, yoga.

As mentioned in my Yoga post over at Laura Roberts Books, there are tons of options for free and by-donation yoga classes in San Diego. However, the hottest of them all is bikram yoga — also known as “hot yoga.”

Frankly, I think this form of yoga sounds painful. This picture even makes it look painful:

“Bikram Yoga — with Bikram Choudhury” image by Flickr user tiarescott

On the other hand, it is kind of sexy to be that flexible, right?

Here are some of the places you can practice bikram yoga in San Diego:

Bikram Yoga Kearny Mesa
Bikram Yoga Mira Mesa
Bikram Yoga Rancho Bernardo
Bikram’s Yoga College of India
CorePower Yoga
San Diego Yoga Center
Sol Yoga
Yoga Six Point Loma
Yoga Tropics

Just remember to practice safety along with bikram yoga, and remember to drink plenty of water to avoid setting yourself up for heat exhaustion.

Now for the coolest thing in San Diego: Yogurt. Frozen yogurt, that is!

“Welcome to San Francisco!” image by Flickr user Wonderlane

There are thousands of frozen yogurt shops in San Diego, so here is just a short list of five places to try:

Rockie’s Frozen Yogurt — complete with sugar-free and low-carb options
The Yogurt Mill — check their website for a BOGO deal
Yogurtland — keeping it real, with all-natural ingredients
Yogurt on the Rocks — run by a Pacific Beach couple, with a rotating menu of flavors
Dole Whip — San Diegans go coconuts for this non-dairy pineapple treat, only found in Hawaii, Disneyland and Belmont Park!

The coveted Dole Whip Float

So there you have it: the hottest and coolest things in San Diego, yoga and yogurt! Which do you prefer?

Eager to learn more about San Diego?

Check out my San Diego from A to Z posts over at my new site, Laura Roberts Books! They’re all part of my new book, San Diego from A to Z, currently available for pre-order from PubSlush and Amazon.

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