Xondra Day's Blog, page 4

New Cover Art

I have new cover art! I absolutely love it. The artist is Harris Channing. I think they did a wonderful job! Can you tell that I really like it? :)
Look for the first installment in my new series with Siren coming in June 2014. I'll post more info as it becomes available.
XD

Featuring Kaley Colter

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A Fellow Siren author, Kaley Colter has a book out. Check out the blurb and give it a try. It's a guaranteed hot read!

Blurb: Ellie Matthews is a painfully shy caterer whose life has devolved since she was a teenager, when her mother died and her father abandoned her following his remarriage. She was left with no one but her controlling, manipulative stepbrother, Marcus, who has treated her like his personal slave ever since.

Now, Ellie is desperate to get out from under Marcus’s thumb. When she arrives at the engineering firm Novum Energy for a catering job, Nick Richardson, the president of the company, is all too aware of Ellie’s exploitation at the hands of her stepbrother. He is determined to help her and keep her safe. But more than that, he is determined to make her his. And he can only hope that he will be able to help her overcome her past and convince her that she belongs to him—body, heart, and soul.

[Siren Classic: Erotic Contemporary Romance, consensual BDSM elements, spanking, sex toys, anal sex, HEA]

Story Excerpt: Calm yourself, girl.
Ellie Matthews looked down at the platters of food she was carrying, took a deep breath, straightened her back, and walked into the conference room. The meeting was apparently over, as everybody was chatting casually and leaning back in their chairs. For that, she was very thankful, because if she had walked into that room in the middle of the meeting and everybody had stopped and turned their heads to stare at her like some kind of intruder, she probably would’ve had a heart attack and fallen right down on the floor.As she walked towards the center table, she tried her very best to avoid making eye contact with anyone, which turned out to be exceptionally difficult given the fact that she could feel several pairs of eyes staring straight at her. She cringed, knowing they were all looking her up and down. Appraising her. Determining her worth. And, of course, everybody in the room just had to be a man. There wasn’t a single woman—not one potential ally that could deflect some of the testosterone.Why aren’t there more women in engineering? Somebody should really do something about that.She quickly set the platters down on the table, then spun around, reminded herself that it might be inappropriate to break into a run, and walked out of the room with what she proudly considered to be a very reasonable speed. As soon as she was through the doorway and out of sight, she leaned against the wall and sighed in relief, reaching up to touch her cheeks and knowing from how warm they were that she must look extremely flushed. She winced when she thought of how all those engineers must see her—a shy little caterer who couldn’t help but blush every time she’s in their presence.She was shy—she would give them that. But that didn’t mean she was a coward. In fact, she liked to think that she was rather feisty. A couple of her friends in high school had even called her scrappy, and she had very proudly borne that label ever since. And besides, she had never even met any of these hotshot engineers before. This was her first time catering for Novum Energy. Maybe if they hired her again, she would be more confident. Maybe they’d all take back what they initially thought of her and be amazed at how calm, cool, and collected she was. Maybe she wouldn’t even blush.Doubt it.Ellie sighed and made her way back to the office kitchen. When she saw her partner standing there waiting for her, clearly displeased, she smoothed her fingers over the black apron tied around her waist and tried to prepare herself for whatever complaint was coming.“Christ, Ellie, what took you so long? It’s not that difficult of a task. You walk to the conference room. You set the platters down. You come back.”Ellie gritted her teeth. She had to work very, very hard to restrain herself from calling him a bastard and telling him to go to hell. The unfortunate fact of the matter was that she needed him. He had paid for all the catering supplies and found them the client. That was the deal. He would set her up with the equipment she needed and advertise their business, she would prepare the food, and he would give her a cut of the money. And she needed the money. So for that reason, a mental image of decking him in the face would have to do.“Look, Marcus, I waited outside for a minute or two because I wasn’t sure that the meeting was over. I didn’t want to interrupt. Because, I don’t know, that would be rude.”“It doesn’t matter, Ellie. I don’t pay you to think about what would be a polite time to give the clients their food. I pay you to give them their food when I tell you to give them their food. The client requested that the food be brought into the conference room at noon. So that’s what you do. Stop being so goddamn stubborn and do what you’re told.”Ellie dug her fingernails into her palms, furious. “Why don’t you just deliver the food yourself, then?”Marcus folded his arms over his chest and smiled. “Because you are part of the service. My clients will come to expect their food to be delivered to them by a decent-looking woman. I like to think that they’ll appreciate it as a display of traditional gender roles. You’re the woman. You serve the food. It’s that simple.”Ellie looked down at herself. She was wearing a red, satiny dress that fell to her mid thighs and showed an uncomfortable amount of cleavage.“So that’s why you have me wearing this ridiculous dress?”He smirked. “Correct.”“I’m not a piece of meat, Marcus.”“Oh, I beg to differ. Not the best-looking piece of meat, but a piece of meat nonetheless.”Ellie swallowed hard and willed herself to hold back her tears.Hold yourself together. Do not let him see you cry.She grabbed her sweater and threw it around her shoulders. “Well, now that I’ve delivered the food I hope I’m allowed to put on a sweater and go to the bathroom.”“Fine, go,” he said, flicking his hand at her contemptuously. “But you better be sure to return to ‘uniform’ when you go back in to collect the trays.”

Contact:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaleyColter
Siren author page: http://www.bookstrand.com/kaley-colter

Coming Soon: Lust at First Sight 3: Nick & Matchim

I`m happy to say that the next installment in my standalone series, Lust at First Sight has been accepted for publication by Evernight Publishing!

This will be Nick and Matchim`s story. Set in a post apocalyptic world that`s overrun with cannibalistic zombies, find out what it`s like to find companionship when your future looks bleak. If anyone deserves to be happy it`s these guys.

Here`s the first two stories in the series for anyone who`s interested in checking them out. As stated above, each story can be read on its own. Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance, Bookstrand, and directly from the publisher.

XD

Buy
Blurb: 
Lust at First Sight, 1
First time meetings can lead to many things, but when you meet the one guy you're automatically attracted to—the chemistry sizzles. Strangers or not, it doesn't matter. It's lust at first sight and anything's game...
Sean's mundane job at a call center leads him to make some changes in his routine life. Getting fit is one of his goals and after joining a local gym, he meets cute and twinky Toby.
Toby nearly knocks the breath out of Sean with not only his cute looks, but also his wit and charm. Their attraction to each other is instant and Sean can't stop thinking about Toby and his perfect butt. 
Things quickly heat up between them, but Toby isn't who Sean thought he was. Looks can be very deceiving. There's another side to Toby's personality. Sean's definitely met his match!
Excerpt:
Toby returns with our order and glides back into his seat. “Coffee for you, and café mocha for me.” He takes a sip and licks his lips. “I like it when the whipped creams melts into it,” he says.
There’s a pause of silence as we look at each other. The tension’s thick between us, but it’s the good kind. I want to tell him straight out that I find him adorable.
“I like cream,” I say. I blush instantly. Where in the hell did that come from?
I feel something brush against my foot under the table. I jump from sheer surprise, and Toby winks at the same time. He’s being bold with me. This is something unexpected, but I’m liking this side of him.
“You’re cute,” he tells me. He takes another sip of his café mocha. “You surprised me in the locker room. I didn’t think you would speak to me.”
I swallow hard and clear my throat. “Normally I wouldn’t. I am out, so it’s not like I’m living in the closet or anything like that.”
“You caught me off guard. You could probably tell that.”
“You looked a little uncomfortable,” I admit. “It can be a little awkward when you know nothing about the other guy. I try to tread lightly in such cases.”
“So, you hit on a lot of guys when out and about?” Toby asks.
I nearly choke as I swallow a mouthful of java. “Hardly,” I mutter, shaking my head. “This…You and me.” I cough. “Sorry. This is the first date I’ve been on since forever.”
“This is a date?” Toby asks. “I thought it was coffee.”
See, it’s like I was saying. The two can easily get confused. “It is coffee, I guess.”
“I’m screwing with you. It’s whatever we want it to be.” A mischievous look is all over his sexy face as he waits for me to respond.
I nearly gulp down the last of my coffee. I honestly don’t know what to say. Toby’s brashness makes me almost nervous, but inside my jeans I’m rock hard. His foot nudges mine again.
“You’re something,” I say, almost laughing. “Looks are most certainly deceiving.”
“Are they? I’m being too forward, and you can’t handle that.”
“You’re playing with me. That’s what I think.”
“And you don’t like that,” Toby adds. He runs his hand back through his hair. “So asking you to leave here and come back to my place would be a terrible thing.”
“No, definitely not.” I don’t want him to think that I’m not interested because I am.
“That’s a yes or no?” Toby pushes his cup to the side.
“Yes,” I reply quickly. “Let’s go.”
****
“This is it,” Toby says once inside his apartment. We drove the short distance in my car from Joe’s. “It isn’t big, but I call it home.”
Toby’s apartment is extremely clean and neat. That’s the first thing that stands out to me. The design is what I would call comfortable modern. The furnishings are sleek and contemporary, but the place has a homelike feeling too. I settle on the couch, and I can’t believe that I’m sitting there. I’m surrounded by his personal space and everything feels extremely intimate.
“I like it,” I say. “You have a flair for design.”
“Isn’t that typical.” Toby smiles. “I’m a bit of a walking cliché. But anyway, would you like a drink?”
“Sure,” I reply. “This really is a great space.”
I’m a little envious. There are times when I wish I didn’t have a roommate. My situation with my roomie and friend has become way too complicated.
“I have sodas,” Toby says coming back into the room. “Since you’re driving, booze isn’t going to be in the picture.” He takes a seat next to me, and our knees touch. “Perhaps you don’t drink. I’m jumping way ahead. I know very little about you.”
“I drink on social occasions.” I’m very aware of Toby sitting so close to me and inside, I feel like someone is doing flips in my stomach. The sweaty palms have returned. “But don’t think I’m a lush or anything remotely like that.” The last thing I want is for him to get the wrong impression.
“I don’t think that.”
“You surprise me,” I suddenly blurt out. I feel hot, like I’m burning up. My cheeks are flushed, and I can’t help but squirm a little. “At the gym when we first met, I kind of had you pegged as being more…How should I say this?” I pause to find the right word and then it comes to me. “Submissive.” That’s the word.
“Like ‘Fifty Shades’ submissive?” Toby rolls his eyes. “I like it hot and a little rough, but I’m not into BDSM if that’s what you’re hinting at.”
“What?”
“The book. Surely you have read it?”
“No.”
“It makes no difference. I’m not a submissive type of guy.” Toby’s voice goes a little deeper. “I like guys like you.”
“Guys like me?”
“Yes.” He leans in close to me. I shiver as his hot breath caresses my ear. His arm now rests around my shoulders, and he draws me even closer to him. “If I saw you on the street or at the gym and didn’t know any better, I’d think you were one hundred percent straight. It was only when you kept looking at me and struck up that conversation in the locker room that I knew you and I played for the same team. You smell fucking awesome.”
A small moan escapes my lips as I feel Toby kiss my earlobe and he moves to my neck. This is my weak spot. “You don’t know what you’re doing to me,” I manage to mutter.
Buy
Blurb:
Lust at First Sight, 2
First time meetings can lead to many things, but when you meet the one guy you're automatically attracted to—the chemistry sizzles. Strangers or not, it doesn't matter. It's lust at first sight and anything's game...
Shy and socially awkward Tyler has been watching the construction site across from his house secretly lusting for the hot guys that work there, but when he finally comes face to face with the hot and sexy Italian, Marco, it's lust at first sight! Marco is everything Tyler has ever dreamed of in a man, and his complete opposite in every way possible.
Marco's life is all about hard work. From the moment he left home just after high school, he'd forged his own way in the world without ever knowing real love. But when he meets the cute guy who lives across the street from his work, he instantly feels something sizzling between them. But Marco isn't out and not sure if he's ready to tell the world he's gay, or even his own family.
Both guys yearn for something more in life and after a couple rounds of hot sex, and another chance meeting, they come to see that possibly there is something more between them than just lust.
Excerpt: 
Tyler entered Marco’s apartment after he unlocked the door and stepped aside. He was wowed by what he saw next. The apartment was actually a loft style studio. The open space set out before him gave him a sense of freedom. “This is gorgeous,” he commented, looking around. The stark brick walls, along with modern furnishings, were refreshing and crisp. “Who did the decorating?” Tyler couldn’t resist asking.
Marco shrugged. “I did. I picked out things that I liked, and it all kind of went together quite easily.”
Tyler was thoroughly impressed. There was more to Marco than he’d initially thought. “I’m impressed.”
“If this impresses you, then wait until I show you my bed,” Marco mused. He waggled his brows, and a small half grin that was incredibly sexy crossed his lips. Tyler thought back to their kiss. He wanted that again … now.
****
Tyler was one of few guys that had gotten inside Marco’s apartment. Between his lack of experience dating or anything otherwise, he didn’t have many guests enter his domain. He led Tyler to the kitchen area where he retrieved two beers from the fridge. “It’s the best I can do,” he said, handing the frosted bottle to his guest. “I’m not much for wine or anything else.”
“Beer’s fine.” Tyler untwisted the cap. Their eyes met, and Marco felt relaxed in his new friend’s presence. He hoped that Tyler felt the same. He watched as Tyler took a sip of beer before he started to advance upon him. He placed his own unopened bottle back on the counter top first. They found their way to Marco’s bed across the room, and together they toppled back on the firm yet slightly soft mattress. “You’re so sexy,” Tyler said. Their eyes locked as Marco brought his hand to his soon to be lover’s cheek.
“Sexy? I won’t complain getting a compliment like that from a cutie like you.” Marco leaned his head down a little until his lips connected with Tyler’s. The chemistry between them felt sensational as did their tongues merging together in a heated passion that Marco hadn’t experienced before.
He pressed his body into Tyler. He wanted so much more. His fingers found their way down to the hem of Tyler’s shirt, and slowly he pulled up on it. “This needs to go,” he murmured against Tyler’s lips. “I want to see you,” he paused. “All of you.”
****
Marco’s words titillated Tyler.
From the first moment he’d spotted this man working on the construction site, Tyler had wanted him. But guys like Marco rarely ever went for guys like him, right? If this was a dream, he sure as hell didn’t want to wake up anytime soon since they were eagerly getting to what would be the good parts. With Marco’s strong hands practically tearing off his clothes, he felt like he was about to burst from pure lust at any second. But what he really wanted was to see this hot specimen of man naked.
 

Evernight's Book Boyfriend Blog Hop: Risky Secrets!

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I'm giving away two e copies of Risky Secrets. All you have to do is comment on this post with your email address!
Blurb: A successful bestselling author of erotica, Jayne Royale lives her life vicariously through every word she writes in her 'naughty books'. Desperate for a change of scenery, she plans a trip to her secluded lake house in order to finish off her current book. When she meets the handsome new caretaker of her property, Jayne's instantly attracted to him. 

Keith Barrington hides his secret well. Being bisexual has eaten him up nearly all of his life. When he meets the sexy new bartender at the local watering hole, his otherwise routine life is suddenly shaken up. To make matters more complicated, he's also attracted to a client who's everything a man could ever want in a woman.

The new bartender at Lucky's, Tom Warner has come to Pine Bluff because it's the perfect place to hide when you want to disappear off the face of the earth, or so he'd initially thought. He never expected to meet both a man and a woman who could stir his heart. He refuses to put their lives in danger because of his stupid past mistakes. But when a hitman shows up, things become not only complicated, but also extremely dangerous. It takes only one night to change their lives forever. And when the smoke clears, can love prevail above all?
My Book Boyfriend: I have to admit that before this blog hop came along I never really thought about a book boyfriend or what that even meant.
Looking back through the stories I have written, Keith Barrington came to mind immediately. I think it's because he's a all around nice guy. He's strong, handsome, kind of alpha, but not in an overbearing way. In Risky Secrets when needed, he took command of a very dire situation even though it put his own life at risk.
Photos that Inspired Risky Secrets: 




And last but not least...This is a fun one. They don't look like my characters, but you get the idea :)

Thanks for taking the time to visit me. Don't forget to enter the contest!
XD

Coming Soon!

I'm extremely pleased to announce that I've just had an acceptance from Siren Publishing for the first in a new series of books. I'm not going to be revealing much yet, but if you love m/m and 'opposites' stories( Stories of opposites who attract each other) then this will be a good read for you. I'm currently working on the next installment, and I hope to have it finished soon. Siren is a great publisher, and I'm glad to be working with them again.

XD

Tyler & Marco(Lust at First Sight 2) Release and Excerpt

Tyler & Marco(Lust at First Sight 2) came out this past week from Evernight Publishing. So far sales look to be going well which is always great for an author since it makes it worthwhile to continue on with a series. Each installment is standalone and follows the initial meeting between two men who are instantly attracted to each other and what follows afterwards. 
Below is the blurb and the story excerpt. If you choose to give it a try, I hope you enjoy it. 
XD
Blurb: 
Lust at First Sight, 2
First time meetings can lead to many things, but when you meet the one guy you're automatically attracted to—the chemistry sizzles. Strangers or not, it doesn't matter. It's lust at first sight and anything's game...
Shy and socially awkward Tyler has been watching the construction site across from his house secretly lusting for the hot guys that work there, but when he finally comes face to face with the hot and sexy Italian, Marco, it's lust at first sight! Marco is everything Tyler has ever dreamed of in a man, and his complete opposite in every way possible.
Marco's life is all about hard work. From the moment he left home just after high school, he'd forged his own way in the world without ever knowing real love. But when he meets the cute guy who lives across the street from his work, he instantly feels something sizzling between them. But Marco isn't out and not sure if he's ready to tell the world he's gay, or even his own family.
Both guys yearn for something more in life and after a couple rounds of hot sex, and another chance meeting, they come to see that possibly there is something more between them than just lust.
Excerpt: 
Tyler entered Marco’s apartment after he unlocked the door and stepped aside. He was wowed by what he saw next. The apartment was actually a loft style studio. The open space set out before him gave him a sense of freedom. “This is gorgeous,” he commented, looking around. The stark brick walls, along with modern furnishings, were refreshing and crisp. “Who did the decorating?” Tyler couldn’t resist asking.
Marco shrugged. “I did. I picked out things that I liked, and it all kind of went together quite easily.”
Tyler was thoroughly impressed. There was more to Marco than he’d initially thought. “I’m impressed.”
“If this impresses you, then wait until I show you my bed,” Marco mused. He waggled his brows, and a small half grin that was incredibly sexy crossed his lips. Tyler thought back to their kiss. He wanted that again … now.
****
Tyler was one of few guys that had gotten inside Marco’s apartment. Between his lack of experience dating or anything otherwise, he didn’t have many guests enter his domain. He led Tyler to the kitchen area where he retrieved two beers from the fridge. “It’s the best I can do,” he said, handing the frosted bottle to his guest. “I’m not much for wine or anything else.”
“Beer’s fine.” Tyler untwisted the cap. Their eyes met, and Marco felt relaxed in his new friend’s presence. He hoped that Tyler felt the same. He watched as Tyler took a sip of beer before he started to advance upon him. He placed his own unopened bottle back on the counter top first. They found their way to Marco’s bed across the room, and together they toppled back on the firm yet slightly soft mattress. “You’re so sexy,” Tyler said. Their eyes locked as Marco brought his hand to his soon to be lover’s cheek.
“Sexy? I won’t complain getting a compliment like that from a cutie like you.” Marco leaned his head down a little until his lips connected with Tyler’s. The chemistry between them felt sensational as did their tongues merging together in a heated passion that Marco hadn’t experienced before.
He pressed his body into Tyler. He wanted so much more. His fingers found their way down to the hem of Tyler’s shirt, and slowly he pulled up on it. “This needs to go,” he murmured against Tyler’s lips. “I want to see you,” he paused. “All of you.”
****
Marco’s words titillated Tyler.
From the first moment he’d spotted this man working on the construction site, Tyler had wanted him. But guys like Marco rarely ever went for guys like him, right? If this was a dream, he sure as hell didn’t want to wake up anytime soon since they were eagerly getting to what would be the good parts. With Marco’s strong hands practically tearing off his clothes, he felt like he was about to burst from pure lust at any second. But what he really wanted was to see this hot specimen of man naked.
Marco at some point managed to get his own shirt off, and Tyler was left nearly breathless. This man was completely and utterly perfect. Tyler ran his hands up and down Marco’s chest feeling the ripple of muscle underneath his fingers.
Note:
Tyler & Marco is available directly from the publisher, Amazon Kindle, All Romance, Barnes and Noble, Bookstrand, and other fine online retailers of e books. 

Coming Soon(First for 2014)

I'm happy to announce that I've had my first work accepted for 2014. It's the second installment(Standalone) in my Lust at First Sight series with Evernight Publishing.
Each short within the series chronicles the first time meeting and instant attraction(Lust) between two hot and sexy men. While the word count may be short(8-12k), I never skimp on story. 
If you'd like to try the series you can find the first installment Sean & Toby here . It's also available on All Romance, Barnes and Noble, Bookstrand and other online retailers of ebooks!
XD

Coming Soon: A Collection of my Short Stories

I'm determined to make 2014 more productive than 2013. My first release of the year will be a collection of my short stories previously published individually through Iron Rose Press. Also, there will be a couple of new works added. Look for a giveaway on Goodreads once it's in print. I'm also working on a couple of other projects which I hope to submit out to publishers within two months. Oh.. And isn't that guy on the cover simply darling? I think so :)

XD

This and That

Another year has passed by pretty darned quickly, and soon the holiday season will be here. I don't make resolutions for the coming year, but I have started my Christmas shopping.

I'm not one to do things last minute. And I have to admit that I do most of my shopping online. The selection is better than most stores around here, and the prices are often a heck of a lot cheaper. The hubs and I don't spend a lot on each other so that also makes things easier.

Once again this year I plan on giving a little extra to our local food-bank. It's a charity that I faithfully support since I've known people personally who have had to use it. It's my wish this upcoming season that more people do a little good in this world. Remember a little can go a long way even if you think what you can do is minuscule.

On the writing front it's been slow-going. I'm working on some non-romance. It isn't m/m either or remotely erotic. We shall see how that turns out, but the fact is that I have not been writing much period. The day job has been all consuming, and since it is the money maker at this time, I have to dedicate most of my time to it.

I hope all is good and well with everyone.



XD

A Freebie!

Link
I uploaded a story today to Smashwords. It was originally included in a now out of print antho that I was involved in. It's short, but free! Check out the blurb below. 
 Blurb: Spring is in the air and it's Easter weekend. Fox is on the hunt for something new and exciting, and finds it in the form of a sexy young twink named Trick. 
There's much more to Trick than his out-there attitude and unique style. Fox quickly finds that out during one night of hot, passionate sex. 
And what about those undies? Are they for freaking real? 
XD