Krista Ames's Blog, page 73

What's next for Melissa Frost and The Dating Tutor: Matt's Story ~ #giveaway

Hi! Thank you for featuring me on your blog today! I’d like to share what is next for me in the world of young adult fiction. Next, I plan to work on Sasha’s Story. We saw their courtship through Matty’s point of view. It’s time we heard from Sasha. We’ll get to see more of her family connections with Alec and Jerich. We’ll get to see more of her involvement with soccer. And most importantly, we’ll get to see her relationship with Matt develop through her eyes. I think it will be a lot of fun.

But for now, we’ll have to settle with Matt, the loveable hockey thug with a big heart…even though he tries to fight it.
****
The Dating Tutor: Matt’s Story Melissa FrostContemporary Romance, @30k

Matt Wendell is perfectly content in his single life. That is until Sasha walks into it. Being the cousin of his best friend Alec, Sasha is off limits. She’s the one girl he can’t have, and the only one he wants. Even if he wasn’t restrained by the ‘friends only’ stipulation, Sasha has put up a wall around her heart that is going to be hard to tear down.
Alec introduces the two under the strict instructions that Matt is to learn how to become friends with a woman. This task proves difficult, as Matt’s only interaction with the opposite sex has been of a romantic nature. As time goes on and their friendship strengthens, things get more and more challenging, because the more he learns about Sasha, the deeper his feelings for her become. Can this non-committal guy change his ways? And can he convince Sasha that he’s in this for the long haul?
14+ for sexuality and adult situations Buy Links:Evernight Teen / Amazon / AllRomance eBooks / Bookstrand

Excerpt: Matt happily chatted with Sasha during the short ride to their destination. He’d slyly begun toying with her hair and touching her arm until he’d managed to grasp her hand in his. He’d flirted. She’d flirted. It was turning out to be one of the easiest dates of his life.That was until she pulled to a stop on the outskirts of the campus. He hadn’t been paying much attention, but now he gazed out the window to find the field house and sporting area. “Um…are you lost?”“Lost?” Sasha set him with innocent eyes. “Heavens no. This is where we’re going.” She turned off the car and stepped out.Matt followed her lead. He came to stand at her side just as she was reaching the trunk of her car. When she popped it open, he asked, “So what is this? A picnic out on the football field?” It was a bit on the romantic side for a first date, but he was willing to go with it.“Something like that,” Sasha said with amusement in her voice. Stepping back from the trunk, she turned to fully face him. Her eyes roved over his face for a moment before she closed the small distance between them. She slipped her arms around his waist and leaned in against his chest. “Before we get started… Kiss me. I want to know what your lips feel like against mine. I want to know what you taste like.”Arousal swept through him. Without any hesitation, he lowered his lips over hers. And that was when Sasha pulled back with a snort.“Alec was right. You have absolutely no idea what it’s like being friends with a girl. You went into this with the instruction of friends only. Yet you’re trying to kiss me ten minutes in.” Shaking her head, Sasha grabbed the edges of her sundress and pulled it up over her head. Underneath, she wore a sports bra and a pair of yoga shorts. From the trunk, she produced a pair of knee high socks and cleats.Matt took a step back, feeling stunned. He’d thought they were going to kiss…but no. She’d shut him out. And now she was…pulling a soccer ball out of her trunk? He blinked at her in confusion.Sasha roughly tossed the ball in his direction. He barely managed to catch it, and it thudded against his chest hard enough to cause him some discomfort.“You know, the majority of us don’t discuss lip gloss,” she said with a snicker. “If you’d ever bothered to hold a real conversation with a girl, you’d know that.” She bent at the waist and threw her hair down toward the ground. Gathering it in one hand, she bundled it all together in a high ponytail atop her head.
Flipping back up to face him, she placed her hands on her hips. “Game on, Matty. Time to learn what it’s like to actually hang out with a girl.” Ticking items off on her fingers, she made a list of all the things they wouldn’t be doing. “No candlelight dinners. No kissing. No eyelash batting. No flirting. I’m going to kick your ass out on that field and make you question everything you know about women.”

Author Bio: Melissa Frost grew up loving young adult novels and continues to immerse herself in the current authors on the market. In the fifth grade, she won a writing competition to work with children’s author Colleen O'Shaughnessy Mckenna, and it inspired her to write stories of her own. She never looked back.


Giveaway:  $10 Evernight Teen Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Not Looking for Love by Lena Bourne w/a #giveaway

Not Looking For Love: Episode 1Lena Bourne


Sometimes, what you want is not really what you need.

Gail is only twenty-two years old and her mom is dying. Not just dying, she will be dead in a few days, if the doctors are to be trusted, and Gail is certain she herself won't survive that. After a run in with Scott, the hot gardener from next door, Gail begins to see him as the perfect distraction from her unbearable life. It's not love Gail wants. She just wants to feel good with someone who makes her forget, if only for a little while, and Scott fits that description perfectly.

Scott just got back into town and he's still trying to get his life back together. He already has more problems and regrets than he can ever hope to live with, and the last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who is clearly a little unsettled, if not downright insane. But the fact that Gail is very attractive and keeps throwing herself at him makes it impossible to keep sending her away. Which he should, for Gail's sake more than his own.


Chapter 1 Excerpt:
I crawl through the hole in the fence that separates my garden from Kate's. It's a tight fit, now that I'm no longer five years old. Chairs and towels, empty glasses and discarded clothes are still strewn across the lawn, but, thankfully, no one is around. Likely, the cold dawn chased the last of the party away. I glance up at the house to make sure no one is watching. All the windows are dark. A light reflects in the first floor windows, and I drop into a crouch reflexively, but it's just a passing car. I find my dress near the pool where I took it off to take a dip. Right before Brandon tossed me in. I just left it lying there when I ran home. Everyone must think I'm completely mental now. I hope Brandon does too. Why won't he just take a hint? Brandon is Kate's brother, and since she's like a sister to me, he's like a brother to me. I can't be dating my brother. Besides he's the love 'em and leave 'em type, and all he can give me is a broken heart. Like he did with his last five girlfriends. As if my heart could take any more breaking.I look around, tossing things aside, not caring where they land, hoping to find the bracelet. It's not anywhere. The sun's not up yet, but birds are chirping something awful all around me, and the sky is more white than grey now. Dawn is my favorite time of day. I love watching the colors of the sky change from inky black to grey to lilac blue and finally yellow, the new day being born, bringing new hope. Today, I just wish the sun would come up.If the bracelet is not in the grass, it might be in the pool. The thought of going back in the water makes me shiver, but my desperation to get the bracelet back right away is stronger. I ease myself off the side of the pool in roughly the spot where I went in before, feet first, trying not to make any sound that could wake Kate's family. It's like slow torture to do it that way, and my whole body cramps up, but the last thing I need is to cause a panic. I could just go back home and come back once the sun is up, but I can't. I need that bracelet, or else I won't sleep.The cold water grips my body like a vice and I take shallow breaths until the worst of the pain passes. The lights in the pool are off already, they're connected to the porch lights, and someone thoughtfully turned them all off after the party ended. Too thoughtfully. I could really use those lights right now.After a final deep breath, I submerge my head, fighting the overwhelming urge to gasp as the cold water goes straight to my brain, which is what it feels like. I can almost see the steam coming off, but at least my heart is no longer pounding. I let myself float on the surface, scanning the floor of the pool. Lucky really, that Kate's pool is saltwater. I can float, eliminating the need to tread water to keep myself on the surface.Shadows play upon the mosaic floor of the pool, all blues, whites, yellows, and pinks. I turn slightly to adjust my angle of view. No silver gleams against the tiles anywhere. I only come up for air once my lungs start burning and dip my face back in immediately. Grey is giving way to white in the sky now, so the visibility should soon improve. I'm enjoying the silence, the serenity of floating in the water, with my long hair plastered down my ears, blocking out the chirping birds.The eerie silence is almost like diving, only without the crushing weight of the water pressing against me. But I can't see my bracelet anywhere, and no doubt the servants will be out cleaning up soon. I adjust my angle again and am just about to come up for more air when something grabs my waist and flips me over in the water. I scream and flail, gulp water instead of air, with visions of a shark attacking vivid in my mind. Beating and kicking, I paddle hard to get out of the water, my hair obscuring my vision.Whatever grabbed me is no longer touching me, but I kick back to the side of the pool frantically anyway, still coughing, still seeing nothing. My knuckles collide with the wall of the pool, but I ignore the pain, scraping my knees as I struggle out of the water. My arms are shaking so badly I can't lift myself up to get out of the pool"Calm the fuck down!" a man yells behind me. "You'll hurt yourself. It's alright."He places his hands on my hips and lifts me from the water.I'm panting now, but at least I'm not swallowing water anymore. I brush my hair from my eyes and stand up, though my legs are shaking so hard I'll probably just topple back down even if I succeed.The guy is still in the water, eyeing me like I'm insane. "Are you alright?"I nod as I finally manage to stand. He hoists himself from the water in one fluid motion. His white t-shirt is plastered against his chest, and his grey pants hug his legs tightly. He's all muscle, from his biceps, to his shoulders, chest, and stomach that ripples in a neat six-pack. And not those chiseled for-show muscles that otherwise thin guys have. He's bulky, twice as wide as any guy I know. Even his legs. No wonder he had no problem tossing me out of the pool."Are you alright?" he asks again, standing right in front of me now.I quickly look up into his face, hoping he didn't notice me checking him out before. He can't be much older than me, I see now. His short blond hair looks black near his scalp, but stands up in light colored spikes all over his head. His eyes are either blue or grey—the kind of eyes that change color according to the light. And deep. I could stare at his eyes all day long just to see what I could see.


Authors Bio:
Lena Bourne is a young writer, but she has seen her fair share of the world, of love and loss, and all that happens in between. Now she’s here telling the stories you might otherwise have missed, which are made up, of course, but could very well be real and true. Not Looking For Love is her first serial, a steamy New Adult romance, which will be released in five installments over the next few months.
Lena Bourne – Edgy Romance Writer
Website:  http://www.lenabourne.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lena_Bourne
FB: https://www.facebook.com/lenabourneauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9789810.Lena_Bourne

 Giveaway: 
Win one of two copies of Not Looking for Lovea Rafflecopter giveaway

Tristan by Randi Everheart w/a #giveaway

“The Essence of Romance”Guest blog by Randi Everheart
Not all romance books are created equal.  Nor are all romances.  Or even romance itself.As a romantic who’s been around longer than I care to admit, I’ve seen all kinds of romances, and all kinds of portrayals of them.  Some are great.  And some are not.  As a romance writer, I can only hope to portray the best, so here are some of my thoughts on romance and how it affects my storytelling.For me, the essence of romance is sentiment.  It is not deeds, but how sentiment is expressed through those deeds.  It is not words, except how sentiment is expressed through words.  It is not objects except… you get the idea.Candles, chocolates, and roses are often depicted as staples of romance but are not, in themselves romantic.  Or not much anyway.  On a date, some guys pull out all three as if wondering if they’re doing the “right” romantic thing or doing it the right way.  Not everyone understands romance.  And if they want to be romantic, and they’ve seen people do these things in movies, this must be how it’s done, right?Not really, of course.Girls can spot a fake pretty easily, having been on the receiving end of lots of flowers that didn’t seem genuinely inspired, for example.  Some guys just kind of hand them over like, “Yeah, here ya go.  I did my part to make this romantic.  Now I’m going back to my regularly scheduled ‘whatever’ on that.”My point is that some romance books have reminded me of this.  They’ve surprised me with their lack of romance.  Or lack of actual chemistry between the characters.  Some of the books are probably more erotica than romance (another subject), but I’ve been disappointed by alpha males who say “Suck my d**k”, or “I can’t wait to f**k you,” for example.  That’s kind of the antithesis of romance, isn’t it?  I’ve wondered if some of those books are actually written by teenage boys.But they weren’t, and the audience is supposedly women, so it begged the question: “Is this how some women want guys to act?”  And “Is this how they think guys actually are?”  A friend told me romances are fantasies, but that made me wonder why women are fantasizing about guys like that.  I mean, that’s fine, but don’t call the book “romance”.I think romantic men don’t talk like that.  They don’t really think like that, either.  I mean, all guys probably do a certain amount, about girls they don’t have feelings for, in particular, but if they “like” a girl, “I can’t wait to f**k her” would be at best a stray thought.  The reason is that this is objectifying someone.  On the other hand, “I can’t wait to make love to her” recognizes that she, as a person, exists, and that person is the one they want to reach – through a physical act, in this case.In other words, it goes back to what I wrote earlier – a sentiment, such as adoration, expressed through deeds, words, and objects.  The act itself is not the point and therefore actually saying it is inherently unromantic.So I don’t have male characters who say those things, generally (or at least, not until much later!).  They aren’t vulgar, they’re sweet (without saccharine).  They aren’t all about sex, but about expressing what they feel through touch.  And when they pull out flowers or another object (haha!), it’s because they can’t help themselves.  My male and female leads say and do cheesy things at times, but they know it and do it anyway, unable to help themselves – because the sentiment is too strong to resist.They do these things despite them having been sort of “ruined” by unromantic people having imitated them in popular culture to the point that flowers, for example, are almost assumed to be insincere.  And what a horrible thing that is, that romantic people feel like they need to defend those words, deeds, and objects.  Imagine a guy handing a girl flowers, her rolling her eyes, and the guy saying, “No!  I really mean these flowers!  Honest!  You must believe me!”Lame.So I write books where romance can live for real.  On the page.  In their hearts.  In your heart if you’re willing to believe that romance is real, people do and say romantic things without expecting to be rewarded for it (or have the thing appraised for its sincerity), and men and women can be sweet to each other without being unrealistic, saccharine, or ridiculous.  My leads are bold enough to actually be romantic in a world where romance can, at times, seem dead.  They do romantic things because they can’t help it.
And that, to me, is the essence of romance.
*****TristanbyRandi Everheart



Five years ago, Tristan Kendall left home and the woman he loved to prove himself on the sport bike racing circuit. With his career briefly on hold, he’s come to realize everything - and everyone - he ever wanted was right at home all along. Now he’s determined to win back her heart no matter the cost.


But Victoria Lane’s been through more than Tristan knows since he broke her heart. No longer the girl he once knew, she has a life to live, and a heart to give, but only to someone who’s planning to stick around. And she’s sure that isn’t him. Can he convince her that she’s the only victory lane he wants to be in?


BUY LINK: Amazon | Createspace





EXCERPTTristan Kendall wove his blue Yamaha R1 motorcycle in and out of traffic on I-270 in Maryland at over 140 mph. His sport bike was a marvel of engineering that allowed a rider to aggressively mate with it like two lovers in spoon position. Speeding up as he neared his hometown, he glanced in the rearview mirror. The cop behind him had grown smaller and smaller with each mile, but Tristan knew that if he didn’t get off the highway soon, police reinforcements would arrive. They’d never catch him, but one picture of his license plate and he’d get more than just a speeding ticket. Assuming he didn’t wreck and end up dead.When he pulled off onto the winding back roads and slowed down, the cop didn’t see him exit. Familiar sights caused memories of home to return. He hadn’t been back in five years and more houses had sprung up. The plague of suburbia seemed to crowd in a bit more on the rural town of Comus, creeping up from D.C. to the south. One day there’d surely be a skyscraper in his backyard, but for now rolling farmlands dotted the landscape. Despite his familiarity with the roads, he rode them cautiously, his green eyes alert for patches of dirt or leftover road salt from winter storms. They could send him skidding off the pavement.As if to prove his point, he came around a curve to find that another sport bike and its rider weren’t wrapped around each other anymore. The bike was upside down against a sapling. The rider stood with hands on hips, staring at the flipped-over Suzuki Hayabusa that no one would be taking for a spin anytime soon by the look of the chain, which had disengaged from the rear sprocket to drape near the ground. The clutch lever on the left handlebar hung loose as if snapped, paint had scratched off, and small dents had damaged the body work. Tristan quickly dismounted, running into the tall grass beside the rider.“Hey, are you all right?” he asked.The rider turned and Tristan stopped short, his gaze riveted on the rider’s brown eyes, which reminded him of melted chocolate, long lashes framing them. A spark of anger gleamed within. Her posture was defiant. His pulse raced faster now than in the last hour. Even with her helmet still on, the visor up, her face radiated beauty, though he couldn’t see more than those eyes and cheekbones, making him desperately curious to see more. Full breasts strained at the form-fitting leather suit of red and white. Her zipper was down enough to reveal magnificent cleavage pushed up like two mountains of fleshy delights that Sugarloaf Mountain behind them could not compete with; not all of Mother Earth’s mounds were created equal.“I’m fine,” said the woman, hardly sparing him a fiery glance.“Are you sure? Maybe you should get checked out.”“I’m standing, aren’t I?”He nodded, wondering if her bravado was covering for her being shaken up. By the look of the scene, she’d likely tumbled through the grass and that was all. They silently gazed at the Hayabusa together. “That was a nice bike.”“Was being the operative word.”He shrugged. “I’ve seen worse. It can be fixed.”“Yeah,” she said, not sounding convinced.“What happened?” “Deer.”He cringed. “Ouch. That could’ve been a lot worse. Fatal, even. Whatever move you pulled to avoid colliding was worth it.”She cocked an eyebrow at him, her face softening. “Thanks,” she said, noting the blonde hair peeking out from the back of his helmet. He hadn’t lifted the mirror visor, which hid his face. All she could see under the helmet were a sexy neck, Adam’s apple, and stubble, besides broad shoulders on a lean frame. He wore faded blue jeans, black boots, and a blue t-shirt under a white-and-blue summer riding jacket. “You always leave your visor down?”“Sorry. No. It broke this morning. If I get it up, I won’t be able to get it back down, and catching a bug in the face sucks.”“You have trouble getting it up?”He hadn’t expected the joke and laughed, exaggerating the motion of looking her up and down. “Not at the moment.” Thinking she seemed amused, he added, “Well, you’re gonna need a ride. Can I take you somewhere? Like my place?” The look in her eyes wavered between mirth and annoyance. “Does that line work on anyone?”“You’d be surprised,” he said. Sensing that maybe his repartee hadn’t gone over well, he added, “Sorry. Not a great time for jokes. I was just trying to lighten things up. I know a fall can scare the crap of you.”She nodded. “Crash much? Maybe I should get a ride from someone else.”“You might be out here a while if you want to wait. You got a phone to call someone?”Shaking her head, she said, “Didn’t bring it.”“Mine died earlier. Forgot to charge it at my last stop. I can run by Clarksburg Motorsports and tell them to come get you. It’s about fifteen minutes away. They’ll need to come anyway to get the bike unless you want someone else to haul it.”She turned to him and sighed, seeming resigned. “No. I know the place. That’s where I bought it. And they service it. I don’t feel like standing here for the time they’ll take to get here. Let’s go.” She headed toward his bike and he followed through the tall grass. He lowered the rear foot pegs and got on the front seat.He had a knack for making suggestive remarks that were technically innocent, so he said, as if unaware of the double-entendre, “I don’t usually let a woman ride my crotch rocket so soon after meeting.”“I find that hard to believe,” she said, smiling wryly. She stepped on a peg, grabbed his shoulder, and easily lifted herself behind him, sitting down gracefully. She squeezed her legs against his, her crotch against his ass. “Take me to the strip mall in Comus. I work there.”“Okay.” Over one shoulder, he advised, “Try to find something hard to hold onto.”“I’m afraid to ask what you had in mind.” She put her visor back down and wrapped both arms around him from behind.“You’re gonna want to grip harder than that,” he said, starting the engine, which came to life with a loud growl due to the aftermarket exhaust system he’d installed. When she didn’t hold tighter, he smirked and took off with a small wheelie that caused her to yelp in surprise and squeeze hard with both arms and legs, her head pressed against his back. He let the wheel down softly and noticed she didn’t lighten her grip as he continued more safely, the heat of her warming him through his back, legs, and ass.He was no stranger to women mounting his crotch rocket, whether that was his bike or not. Those who rode one were willing to ride the other. The lone exception had been Victoria, his high school sweetheart. Her father had been killed in a motorcycle accident, making her deathly afraid of them and for Tristan once they’d fallen in love. His high-speed shenanigans had caused no end of fights. When she found out he wanted to be a pro rider, she’d freaked. He’d certainly never gotten her onto the bike, which had bothered him. If you can’t share one love of your life with the other love of your life, something’s amiss. For him, it had taken some of the steam out of their bond and ultimately made it easier for him to leave town, even though he understood her fears. He hadn’t seen her in the five years since or learned what became of her except that she’d left town, too, but he was hoping to find out something about that now that he was back, however briefly. Maybe he’d even go looking for her.The girl currently on his bike—and he only now realized he hadn’t gotten her name—distracted him from the thought when she unzipped his jacket some and slid one hand inside. Tristan’s pulse raced, his hand inadvertently pulling on the throttle so the bike revved like his heart. Her hand caressed his chest a few times, giving him a squeeze before dropping to his belly, running over his six-pack abs slowly, as if counting the ripples under the shirt. He struggled to keep his mind on the road and half-wondered if this is how she’d crashed. Had she been riding with some other guy and made him leave the road, his body nowhere in sight among the wreckage?The thought brought him to his senses, but not for long. Her other hand slipped down to his inner thigh, close to his growing erection, and she playfully squeezed his ass with her legs, making him wish he was facing the other way and buck naked. This woman would be the death of them both, but if he got her back to her place and got her to mount his other rocket, the sex just might be worth the risk of bodily harm now. He’d give her a lift-off worthy of a Space Shuttle launch and all the media coverage that came with.By the time they pulled into the only strip mall in Comus, where four businesses lay in a row, with parking out front, his visor had begun to fog up. His passenger pointed at a shop that said “Pilates” above it, and he smiled to himself as they parked before it, hoping she was an instructor. Flexibility in a woman was a good thing.Looking for an excuse to get inside, he asked, “Can I use your bathroom?”“Sure,” she said, turning toward the door and pulling her helmet off with her back to him. A tumble of silken brown hair fell out over her leather-covered back. She unlocked the door and went in without looking at him. He followed, fumbling with his helmet strap, finally getting the whole thing off just as she turned to face him. He barely saw her face before she slapped him.“You bastard!” she screamed. “Get out!”The color drained from Tristan’s face before anger brought it back in a flash. Then he got a good look at her and his mouth fell open.“Victoria?”
AUTHOR BIORandi Everheart is an avid author of romance, due in no small part to being a diehard romantic.  After all, Randi once wrote a song for the object of a crush and penned a fifty page love letter for another! The same spirit now flows into these stories – hopefully to win your heart!Randi has a Bachelors of Music in classical guitar but has always been more of a rocker, having released several albums under another name.  Tendonitis in both arms ended career plans in music, leading to a new career as a software developer. Today Randi co-owns a software consulting firm and lives in the Maryland suburbs north of D.C., is married, and loves spending time with son Ryan when not writing, playing guitar or golf, or writing smut.

AUTHOR LINKShttp://www.RandiEverheart.comhttp://t...



GIVEAWAYRandi is offering e-copies to 5 winners of the Rafflecopter.  
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Release Day to A Dangerous Reality by Layla Wolfe

A Dangerous RealityByLayla WolfeBook i of The Bent Zealots MC
 
 Keep your lovers close—and your enemies in bed.

TURKMy club sent me to track him down.  And when my mission was over, I never wanted another one again.  When I found him, I kicked the shit out of Havelock Singer.  I issued the mightiest beatdown of all time.  Problem is, we’re evenly matched.  We’re equals in every way, and when we finished whaling on each other, exhausted, we fell into each other’s arms.I’ve never regretted it for an instant.  It’s been the ride of my life.  But loving another man in the MC world is a risky business.  As if our business isn’t already brutal and ruthless enough, Lock’s homophobic sergeant-at-arms Stumpy gets an eyeful of our lovemaking and blackmails us into doing some of his dirty work, or be exposed for what we are—a couple of deviants.This run into the Indian reservation is sleazy and beneath us, but now I’m cornered, and I’ll do anything to keep my sweet master Lock from being lynched by his club.LOCKWhen that kingpin Carmine Rojas got a load of my beautiful stallion Turk Blackburn, he’d stop at nothing to have him—and Rojas gets what he wants.  It’s my fault we’re in this situation.  I should’ve kicked Turk’s ass and sent him packing back to The Bare Bones.  I wasn’t even close to being ready to come out, but now they’re forcing my hand.I can hear my destiny calling me.  Either I’ll slink back to my club like a hetero bounty hunter with no morals—and no respect from anyone in my own backyard—or I’ll step up to the plate and be the lion of the day.  Either way, my lover and I are screwed. Our clubs are going to hound us underground or into another country before we escape this mess—if we don’t die trying.
“Living off the grid and being an outlaw brings a dangerous reality.” –Ron Perlman
Publisher’s warning:  This book is not for the faint of heart.  It contains scenes of gay sex, consensual BDSM, illegal doings, dubious consent, and man-on-man violence.



Buy links:     Amazon    Amazon Print     All Romance ebooks    Inktera (Page Foundry)   CreateSpace


























About the Author:

Bestselling author Layla Wolfe is satisfied with a leather jacket, one bad-ass pink camo compound bow, and a vicarious outlaw lifestyle.
Layla Wolfe is the pen name of multi-published erotic romance author Karen Mercury. You can find her at:   
Goodreads 
Amazon Author Page    Facebook    Twitter   
 Pinterest    Website

Sudden Secrets by C. Lee McKenzie ~ Guest Post & #giveaway

The other day a friend asked me what was the hardest part of writing a story.
Easy!
“The beginnings,” I told her.
I spend more time on that first sentence, that first paragraph, page or chapter than I do with the whole book—almost. And even after I rewrite for the hundredth time, I’m not one hundred percent satisfied. I’ve come to understand that this is my “insecurity” showing up.
Here’s why. Book browsers usually give a book no more than three pages before making the decision to buy or to put a book back on the shelf. Three pages!
“Deal with it, baby.”That’s what I finally told myself.
But how? There had to a way I could rewrite my beginnings and not wind up in a puddle of despair with every book.
When all else fails, I like to resort to logic, so that’s where I went for help. I turned on my left brain coordinates and created a ChecklistOf Questions for myself. It has helped, and so I always ask myself:
•  Do I have a HOOK?•  Is it clear what my MC wants or needs?•  Will the reader will know when and where this story takes place?•  Have I set the tone I need to tell this story?
Those are my first four questions and the most important ones for me to get that story on its way.
I don’t bother with this Checklist of Questions until I come to that miracle called The End. When I type that, I know it’s only the beginning, but I’ve finished phase ONE of my book. That’s when I go back and shred and shred and shred the beginning, using my list of questions.
Every author has a different method. This is mine and I feel better about those beginnings if I stick with it.

***** 
Sudden SecretsC. Lee McKenzie
YA Romantic Suspense, 62k wordsReleased Dec. 19, Evernight Teen


One Secret 

Cleo has struggled to heal after her baby sister’s death, but the flashbacks to the accident won’t go away. With the move, she vows to keep her tragedy a secret and avoid pitying looks.

One Mystery 
Something’s strange about the abandoned house across the street—flashes of light late at night and small flickers of movement that only someone looking for them would see.Everyone says the house is deserted, but Cleo is sure it isn’t, and she’s sure whoever is inside is watching her.
Another Secret 
In one night, Belleza’s life changes forever. So famous, her only choice is to hide her secret from the world so she can silence small town bigotry.
Then Cleo happens.

 14+ due to adult situations


Buy Links:      Evernight Teen     Amazon    Buy in Print





Excerpt:It had been a terrible and very long journey from that tragic Christmas to now, and I couldn’t think about losing another one of us. We’d each done all we could to live without Aziza.Dad went as far away as possible from where the accident happened. Mom sold our    house and moved us to a new town. Still, we weren’t over that December day.Mom buried herself in her work for long hours.Grandpa pulled into himself, wearing that glazed look he’d adopted before the funeral.I was almost sure he’d wear that look for the rest of his life. He loved Aziza. And what wasn’t there to love? Beautiful golden girl, my mom called her, forever poking her four-year-old nose around the corner daring any of us to chase her. Teasing, begging for attention, which we gave because we couldn’t resist her…Grandpa loved my sister a lot. I was afraid he loved me very little now.I wasn’t so fond of myself, either. I shut out all of my Buena Vista friends and started running alone.From the window over the kitchen sink I watched Nefertiti as she sat on the step, preening in a sunny spot around the back of the house. I went out to sit with her, stroking her fur and surveying the weedy backyard that Mom hadn’t had time to think about. She kept saying she planned to hire a gardener, but there was always something that derailed that plan. In September, it was the new show at the museum that she had to set up by October. She was in charge of staging the Egyptian pieces coming on loan, but she was shorthanded and putting in extra time to make up for only having two assistants. It was going to be a while before the toilet and other debris disappeared.It was all too depressing to look at, so I walked around to the front and for a minute glanced at the windows of the house across the street. I almost expected to see someone staring out at me. I couldn’t shake the creeped out feeling I got every time I looked at that place.I knelt to check my laces, and then I was racing down the street, hoping to shed old fears, old thoughts . . . at least for a while. I was at the end of the block, deciding which way to turn, when I spotted Grandpa. I went in the opposite direction, so neither one of us had to pretend that everything was all right since that letter from Dad.The high school was only four blocks away––one of the reasons, Mom said, she chose this location. It also had one of the best academic ratings in the valley. Another reason she told me she zeroed in on our cozy cul-de-sac.When I reached the school, I stared up at the two-storied building where I’d spend my last two years of high school. Then what? Junior college, or a job at K-Mart? I worried that I’d bomb on my SAT’s.  I’d bombed on almost everything, hadn’t I? My grades, my friends––being a sister.I walked up the stone path, leading to the main doors, imagining that first day here, my stomach balling up with worry just on the edge of dread. That first day was going to be the worst.Off to my right, a thick oak sheltered tables with benches, so I jogged across the lawn and sat on the wooden slats and thought about how it was going to be when school started. Everything new. Everything different. The stares all newbies get. Nobody would know who I was or why I was here. They wouldn’t know my mom was famous for her books on Egypt, or that my dad was an archeologist—the one people called when they dug up important ancientanything in the Middle East. But they’d know something was different about me the minute they heard my name. Cleopatra wasn’t on any baby name list they’d ever read. Neither was Aziza, but she was too little for her name to embarrass her. She’d only just learned what it meant. Precious. And she was that. She was. A breeze brushed my cheek and I shivered. I thought I’d gotten over feeling that chill, but the healing process wasn’t just slow, it was uneven, too. Sometimes Aziza was only a whisper inside me, and then her image would spring from around the corner just like she used to, full of mischief and giggles. Then there would be that moment when the memory of the chilled air of our old entryway blasted across my face.Stop it.I jumped to my feet and jogged to the track behind the high school as fast as I could. I didn’t have a devil at my back, but I had a tiny ghost that shadowed me when I stayed still for very long.





About the Author: C. Lee McKenzie is a native Californian who grew up in a lot of different places; then landed in the Santa Cruz Mountains where she lives with her family and miscellaneous pets—usually strays that find her rather than the other way around. She writes most of the time, gardens and hikes and does yoga a lot, and then travels whenever she can. Her favorite destinations are Turkey and Nicaragua, but because she had family in England, Switzerland, and Spain she goes there when she can.  She takes on modern issues that today's teens face in their daily lives. Her first young adult novel, Sliding on the Edge, which dealt with cutting and suicide was published in 2009. Her second, titled The Princess of Las Pulgas, dealing with a family who loses everything and must rebuild their lives came out in 2010. She just published her first middle grade novel titled Alligators Overhead.
WEBSITE









Giveaway:$10 Evernight Teen Gift Card 


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99 cent read...Catch it while you can !

99¢ for a few more days !!
 

He was the dark haired deity with a salacious smile... he was the one the girls gossiped and giggled about for months... 2,600 miles away, Terence Javier didn't have a clue his high school yearbook was being passed around an all-girl choir and that he had been voted, as one of the more experienced girls put it, the one she would 'most likely do.'

Thirteen years later Marissa Crandall, while on a romantic island vacation celebrating her ten year wedding anniversary, is shocked and surprised to find their dive master was none other than her old high school crush. Seeing the chance to fulfill an old dream, Marissa sets out to kiss Terence.

Stuck in San Diego, dealing with unreasonable clients, and babysitting Marissa's kids, a jealous Annie Harper catches the red-eye out of LAX wanting to intercept Terence and foil her best friend's plans.

This envious act uncovers a scandalous affair, and in that one pivotal moment, none of their lives would ever be the same. 

Get your copy via Amazon

Cover Reveal ~ Accidental Valentine

Accidental Valentine
A Romance Anthology
By Various Authors
Release Date: February 13, 2015





Guiding Hearts by Claire Gillian

Is a lonely woman's GPS sentient or is her subconscious taking her by the hand to help heal a scarred heart?

When Jemma Ernst's GPS malfunctions and sends her to the home of handsome and engaging Gabriel Nash, she writes it off as a fluke. But she can't seem to reprogram him out of her thoughts nor her GPS.

 
Better Latte Than Never by Katrina Sizemore

Description: Single and cold on Valentine’s Day, Hailey Merritt is not looking forward to working all day at the coffee shop while everyone around her is cheery with romance and she’s stuck trying to figure out her next step in life.

But, when a special bouquet arrives for her from a secret admirer, she decides to reserve judgment on this holiday and find whomever sent the flowers.

Maybe Cupid has a plan to make this her favorite Valentine’s Day ever.

 

Dream Architect by S.L. Hughson

Description: Taylor and Sons Custom Design keeps ASHLIN TAYLOR at arm’s length from her dream job. If only she were a son, she could follow her architectural dream. In the Taylor creed, girls get married and boys have careers. DYLAN CUTRIGHT focuses on finishing college and landing an architectural engineering job in a large firm. Minus emotional ties.

After their accidental encounter, their attraction is amplified during their work interaction. Unlike her family, Dylan encourages Ashlin to pursue her dream by enrolling in college. He even argues her case with Uncle Mike. All of this support confuses Ashlin because when she moves closer to him, he rebuffs her for reasons she can only speculate about.

Valentine’s Day might be the perfect opportunity for Ashlin to make him notice her. They are working together - alone - on the most romantic day of the year. Dylan builds her dream of career, but will he ever lower his walls and become more than just the man IN her dreams?

 
One Hot Angel by Jaylee Austin

Description: Oblivious to Tiffany Jenkins in three short weeks her life will end—unless she makes the perfect choice. Will she chose revenge and expose her ex-husband? Or chose love and surrender her heart to the only man who can save her?

 
Rock My Bones by Wendy Sparrow

Description: Jared has been eyeing the sexy mural painter from inside the museum’s paleontology lab, but she’s way out of his league. He can’t let her paint that obviously misplaced fern, though…even if it means initiating contact.

You could call her a paleontology groupie, but Shay Meyers is interested in a more modern specimen. An adult male Homo Sapien to be exact—one who needs to be dragged out of his lab for a practical course in mating rituals. If she’s lucky, this will be the Valentine’s Day she rocks his bones. 
Available soon from Roane Publishing

Happy New Years Eve from Tara Quan with Fireworks at Midnight w/a #giveaway

New Year’s Eve is a night filled with bright colorful lights, rambunctious outings, and a good amount of mischief. It also marks the passage of time, bringing to mind our hopes for the future, the exhilaration that comes with change, and fond memories of days past. Part of Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand line, my paranormal romantic comedy Fireworks at Midnight features a struggling college graduate who is just coming to terms with the thrills and perils of newfound independence. When her best friend’s older brother rolls back into town, this intrepid young witch is faced with help she doesn’t want, protection she doesn’t need, and the reality that this warlock cop no longer thinks of her as a “troublesome little sister.”Add a pinch of magic, supernatural mayhem, and Madame Eve’s renowned matchmaking service, and we’ve got the beginnings of a stormy love story. Those who’ve read my Christmas release Frosty Relations will already know Dulcina “Sweets” Gato, this tale’s smartass heroine. In keeping with the holiday spirit I’m giving away a $15 gift card. To enter, leave a comment here and drop your details in the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of this post. [or at my website: TaraQuan.com/FireworksAtMidnight]
Fireworks at Midnight (A Witch’s Night Out, 3)
Recent college graduate and part-time cat familiar Dulcina “Sweets” Gato is having the worst New Year’s Eve in living memory. End of year expenses trigger serious cash flow problems, and her microwave just went up in smoke. To make matters worse, her best friend’s overprotective big brother is back in town, and his return threatens to put a huge crimper on her nocturnal activities. The only thing she can look forward to is Madame Eve’s 1-Night Stand service. After all, she’s sick and tired of being a 21-year-old virgin.Enforcement Agent Mikal Knight is a warlock on a mission. Having finally scored a transfer to Washington, D.C., he’s now at liberty to pursue the object of his desires—his baby sister’s best friend. But first, he has a vigilante to track down and a mysterious matchmaking service to investigate. Sent on an undercover operation, he resigns himself to a pointless 1-Night Stand on New Year’s Eve. As luck would have it, his mystery date’s identity might let him kill several birds with one stone.  
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Comedy, Interracial/Multicultural
 Buy Links: Amazon| Amazon UK | ARe| B&N | Decadent| Kobo| GoodReads



Excerpt  (R-Rated) When had Mikal become the epitome of boring? She missed the boy who’d annoyed all their neighbors with his motorcycle, the guy who got her and Shelley their first fake IDs. Ever since he’d morphed into a responsible peon, had a security clearance, and drew a steady paycheck, his mere existence turned her into an unsuccessful loser by comparison.Playing with the seatbelt’s metal clasp, Sweets looked up through the sunroof. Light glinted into her eyes, and, in a hazy precognitive rush, the glass was gone.The sky shifted from bright blue to an ebony expanse dotted with white twinkling stars. The car’s confines should have been cold, but a warm circling breeze licked her skin. She sat on the same seat, facing the opposite direction. Bare shoulders occupied her vision; strong hard legs rippled under her ass. Cinnamon, mint, and sweat filled her lungs, all laced with an undertone of pine. She kissed a beard-covered jaw, trailed her lips down a corded neck, and explored a muscled chest the color of chocolate.Calloused palms slid up her back. Strong sure fingers unhooked her bra and smoothed the straps off her shoulders. Coarse facial hair rasped over her nipple before a hot, wet mouth closed over it and sucked. Her shoulder blades hit the dashboard. His swirling tongue feasted on her breast. His hand shoved her legs apart.He circled her clit with his thumb, pulsing over it until her head rolled back.She spotted fireworks through the glass, flashes of red, white, and blue reflecting off rippling water. Her own voice echoed in her ears—pleas she’d never dreamed of voicing.Two thick fingers filled her, spreading as she spasmed. A scream ripped from her throat. “Mi—”The door opened with the quiet click characteristic of new cars, shattering her erotic daydream.



About Tara Quan
Globetrotter, lover of languages, and romance author, Tara Quan has an addiction for crafting tales with a pinch of spice and a smidgen of kink. Inspired by her travels, Tara enjoys tossing her kick-ass heroines and alpha males into exotic contemporary locales, paranormal worlds, and post-apocalyptic futures. Her characters, armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, are guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever after. Learn more at www.taraquan.com


Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon


Giveaway:
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Cover Reveal: Melting Into You by Cassandra Carr

Melting Into YouCASSANDRA CARR



Blurb:  Seth Mason's life as a macaroni and cheese food truck owner in Austin, Texas, is pretty good, except for one thing: he'd like to find a man to share that life with. As part of an organization Seth founded, he donates leftovers to the local homeless shelter, and meets Ben, a new employee. He's a preppy guy, and very much not Seth's usual type, but the attraction is strong and not going away.

Ben's just moved to Austin from Connecticut to take a job as a case manager at the Austin City Mission, the first time he's left home and family. But only a short time after he starts work, he meets a man who, though he looks like an extra in a surfing movie, intrigues him. He's hardly seen what life in Austin has to offer, and yet finds he wants to discover that with Seth's help.

The passion burns hot between them--hotter even than Austin in the dog days of summer, and neither man can deny it. As they grow closer, both must decide if they have the necessary ingredients for lasting love, or if the relationship will go up in smoke.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23350024-melting-into-you 


Author bio Cassandra Carr is a multi-award winning romance writer. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out online. Cassandra's books have won numerous "Best Book Of" awards and her novella Unexpected Top was nominated in the E-book Erotic Romance category of RT's Reviewers' Choice Awards.
She thinks the best part of being a writer is how she writes about love and sex while most others struggle with daily commutes, micro-managing bosses and cranky co-workers. Her inspiration comes from everywhere, but she'd particularly like to thank the Buffalo Sabres, the hockey team near and dear to her heart. For more information about Cassandra, check out her website,"like" her Facebook fan page or follow her on Twitter.
Links: Website:   http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraCarr
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/cassandra_carr
Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/booksbycasscarr/

Happy Release Day to S. Briones Lim and CAUGHT INSIDE

Caught InsideS. Briones LimContemporary Romance


Blurb: Even Riley Dillon’s lucky red shoes couldn’t save her from the worst day imaginable—though they did act as great projectile against her cheating fiancé!
After finding her life in turmoil, Riley leaves New York and returns to her hometown of Mistcoast, California where she takes a job at the local surf shop owned by Blake Reynolds, who has certainly grown up a lot since high school.
Blake Reynolds is handsome, talented and driven. At twenty-four the blond haired, blue eyed surfer seemingly has it all: a booming business, hometown following—everything but the girl of his dreams. Luckily, fate decides to give him a second chance.
After ten years apart will Blake finally win Riley’s heart? Or will she continue to see him as the annoying freshman she used to tutor?
One thing’s for sure, only the California sun and surf can help decide.




Excerpt:“Enough of me,” he said coyly. He reached out to grab a stray lock of my strawberry blonde hair. I swatted his hand away.“Do not touch me,” I hissed.He rolled his eyes and turned his baseball cap backwards on his head. “Oh, come on. I’m a guy and you’re a girl and—”“This isn’t going to turn into some tutor/student sex fantasy,” I shot back angrily.“Admit it. You think I’m hot.”If I were being frank, I would admit that the fourteen-year-old freshman was good looking in a young Brad Pitt sort of way. Regardless, he was a freshman. There was no way I was even entertaining that idea.I shook my head. “Nope. Can’t say that I do.”“Oh, come on, Riley. Stop denying what is fated. We are going to fall in love, get married, and have beautiful children.”“Do you want me to tell your mother that you’re sexually harassing your eighteen year old senior tutor? Why don’t you take all that energy you’re putting into being a perverted freak and focus on your studies?”Instead of being angry, Blake’s eyes widened and he burst into a loud laugh. “You are seriously something, Riley Dillon. Seriously something.”“Just pay attention to the lesson,” I snapped.“Age ain’t nothing but a number, Sweetheart. One day you’ll find that out.” He grinned his cocky smile and I couldn’t help but wonder if this tutoring gig was even worth it. As his laugh echoed in the empty classroom, all I could do was shut my tired eyes and shake my head in exasperation. 


Authors Bio:
Thanks to her Mom’s unwavering devotion to read a childhood bedtime story to her every single night, S. BRIONES LIM’s love for books began before she could even speak.
Raised in Southern California, Lim initially dreamt of becoming an artist. After a Psychology Degree (Summa cum Laude), a stint in Art School, and a career in Advertising/Media she is finally diving back into her first love – books. As a self-renowned bookworm, Lim’s love for reading has inspired her to pen her own novels and hopes her readers will fall in love with her stories as much as she enjoys writing them.
Her obsessions include time with family, Cherry Coke, popcorn with jalapeños, watching movies and her dogs, Tobi and Roscoe. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband.


Author Links:facebook.com/sbrioneslimfacebook.com/authorsbrioneslimTwitter: @sbrioneslimInstagram:  @sbrioneslimPinterest: @sbrioneslim
Pre-Order Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Caught-Inside-S-Briones-Lim-ebook/dp/B00Q79XJ06