Carrie Ann Ryan's Blog, page 171

Thursday Tales: Hidden Paradise by Janet Mullany (Giveaway)

Thanks so much for having me visit today!
I think it’s fascinating to think about how ideas for books evolve. Some of my books have started from a visual image—for instance, my first book Dedication, (2005, rewritten and reissued earlier this year by LooseId) started with the image of a man knocking at the door of a London house in Regency London. Others have started with a first line: She turned me into a frog (the opening line of Little To Hex Her in the anthology Bespelling Jane), Sometimes the title comes first, as was the case of all my Regency chicklits written for Little Black Dress.
When I first started writing Hidden Paradise I had a vague idea that I wanted to draw together a lot of elements in my writing. It was contracted as a contemporary erotic romance for the Spice line, which has now ended (apparently I am the kiss of death to lines) and I knew I wanted to write a hot book with a relatively large cast of characters that brought together the Jane Austen elements I’ve written elsewhere and my love of the Regency. So I created a cast of characters who were in an isolated environment—a popular literary device—and waited to see who would do what to whom.
Goodness, they were badly behaved.
Now the idea of the Regency reenactment house is not a new one either; there was a documentary series made in 2004 by British TV, the Regency House Party, where participants were given Regency identities and had to form romantic connections. It didn’t work too well. Sure, the setting was gorgeous but the women, and a few of the men, found the restrictions a little too much and were very bored. One of the eligible bachelors fell for one of the chaperones which was not in the plan! So I came up with a setting and clothes that were beautiful and authentic, but with some modern conveniences (such as plumbing) so characters were not continually agonizing over their armpits or grossed out by chamber pots. I also became fascinated with how Paradise Hall would run: who’d look after the clothes, cook and serve the food, perform the day to day running of what is essentially a resort hotel. There’s a lot in the book about servants, in particular Rob, the head footman (also known as Hero #2) and the relationship between upstairs and downstairs.
If you had the chance for a getaway in a Regency setting, what would you enjoy most? The setting, the dancing, the handsome men in their great Regency outfits? How authentically would you like to live?
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Janet Mullany, granddaughter of an Edwardian housemaid, was born in England but now lives near Washington, DC. Her debut book was Dedication, the only Signet Regency to have two bondage scenes (and which was reissued with even more sex in April 2012 from Loose-Id). Her next book, The Rules of Gentility(HarperCollins 2007) was acquired by Little Black Dress (UK) for whom she wrote three more Regency chicklits, A Most Lamentable Comedy, Improper Relations, and Mr. Bishop and the Actress. Her career as a writer who does terrible things to Jane Austen began in 2010 with the publication of Jane and the Damned (HarperCollins), and Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion (2011) about Jane as a vampire, and a modern retelling of Emma, Little to Hex Her, in the anthology Bespelling Jane Austenheadlined by Mary Balogh. She also writes contemporary erotic fiction for Harlequin, Tell Me More (2011) and Hidden Paradise (September, 2012).
Website: www.janetmullany.comTwitter @Janet_MullanyFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Janet-Mullany-Author/144530775580812
Book Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bixcPDj8JKA


Hidden Paradiseby Janet Mullany
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CALL IT SENSE AND Sensuality... Louisa Connelly, a recently widowed Jane Austen scholar, needs some relief from her stifling world. When a friend calls to offer her a temporary escape from her Montana ranch, she is whisked into a dizzying world of sumptuous food, flowing wine...and endless temptation.  She's an honored guest at Paradise Hall, an English resort boasting the full experience of an authentic Georgian country-house weekend. Liveried servants tend to the every need of houseguests clad in meticulous period costume: snug breeches, low-cut silken gowns and negligible undergarments. It's Mac Salazar, a journalist immersing himself fully, deeply, lustily in the naughty pleasures of upstairs-downstairs dalliances, who piques Louisa's curiosity-and libido-most. He's a dilettante straight out of a novel: uninhibited, unapologetic and nearly insatiable. But Lou's not romantic about this much, at least: Paradise Hall is a gorgeous fantasy, nothing more. A lover like Mac is pure fiction. And the real world beckons....
EXCERPT
[Rob the footman after dinner in the drawing room]
The pianist played a final chord and during the applause Rob opened the door and ushered in Dejan and Ivan and their trays. Neither Peter nor Chris was present, which was unusual, and the guests looked a little drunk, which was not unusual at all. At least Lou was pretty much sober tonight. She was sitting next to one of the guys who messed around with the plaster and paint, talking to him with great animation. Mac, meanwhile, across the room, gazed at her, and Rob wondered why he didn’t just go and talk to her. Like poor old Peter had done, clumsily touching him and gazing at him like some sort of pathetic spaniel. It wasn’t the first time a gay guy had propositioned him—it happened, no big deal—but it was a big deal when it was your boss and he looked so sad and scared. Hell, he was even older than Rob’s dad, and he felt more pity for Peter than he could for his own father.
“Tea, ma’am?” he said to Lou.
She took a cup from the tray without even noticing him. “Sixteen layers!” she said to the decorating guy. Jon Nesbitt, that was his name.
“You’ll have to come and look at my samples,” Jon said in his plummy posh voice. Would Rob talk like that, too, after Cambridge?
“Oh, I’d love to.”
Christ, she was practically having an orgasm about looking at paint layers or whatever she was planning to do. He moved the tray away before Jon could take a cup and went to the next guest, the one Downstairs voted most likely to put out. Unfortunately, she also tied for the honor of most annoying and demanding.
“Hi, Rob.” Sarah took a cup of coffee. “Is this organic?”
“Absolutely. And fair trade. Tastes nice, too,” he said vaguely, staring straight into her cleavage. He couldn’t help it. It was just there, all ripe and pillowy and gorgeous with its mysterious deep shadow, and she was sitting and he was standing, and if he wasn’t careful he’d tip half a dozen cups of tea and coffee into its depths.


Janet will pledge $1 for every comment made on the blog tour to Heifer International (which has absolutely nothing to do with the book but is one of her favorite nonprofits), up to $250.  Additionally, she'll award the choice of the following eBooks from her backlist to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop:  Forbidden Shores (erotic historical romance w/a Jane Lockwood), or Tell Me More (contemporary erotica) or The Rules of Gentility (funny sexy Regency).  Follow the tour for more chacnces to enter: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/05/virtual-book-tour-hidden-paradise-by.html

Writer Wednesday: Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon (Giveaway)

Hi! Thanks so much for coming today. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi! Thanks to youfor welcoming me at Romance with a Bite. I’m joining you from London, England. My debut novel Oxford Whispers was officially released on October 8th, so it’s a very exciting time for me. I’m looking forward to sharing my dreams and my stories with readers.
Tell us a bit about your book.
Oxford Whispers is a New Adult Paranormal Romance. For those of you who are not yet familiar with the term “New Adult,” I could also qualify it as Upper-Young Adult or Mature-Young Adult, or even College-Lit… Anyway, what it means is that my main characters—Madison and Rupert—are in their early twenties and grad students at the prestigious Oxford University.Although the plot revolves around a mysterious Pre-Raphaelite painting (a real one titled The Wounded Cavalier), and my heroine has psychic abilities she has inherited from her creole family, her journey is still one that many of us (poor gift-less human beings) have taken—or are still walking on—in our early twenties, these “in-between-years” when you’re not a kid anymore but not yet an adult. First time away from home, first friends who don’t know about our background or where we come from, first jobs or job searches, and of course first ‘real’ love, i.e. with the potential to become a long-term/lifelong relationship. Oxford Whispers has a central mystery plot with a vengeful ghost, a reincarnated love triangle, and some Voodoo spicy flavor, but it’s also about independence, uncertainty, and building your own life.
Is this part of a series?
Yes, it is the first book in a trilogy… The Oxford Trilogy. The second book, tentatively titled Oxford Shadows, will be released in spring 2013, and the last installment in winter 2013.
What was your favorite part?
In the writing? I’d say revisions are my favorite part of writing. A lot of authors would call me crazy for saying that but it’s really true. I hate the first draft because I always feel that I have let my characters down, that they have much more to say, much more to feel. I know I have to go deeper than what I have done so far and do justice to them by exploring their emotions and contradictions.Therefore, I’m the masochistic writer who is always super excited to receive the cover letter and line-edits from my editor, or comments from my Critique Partners and Beta Readers.Writing can be a solitary endeavor (although I NEVER feel lonely when I write), and I enjoy the team-work and bouncing ideas. But for doing that, I must have the first draft done and dusted.
In the book itself?Well, you know at the end, it’s a romance, so I absolutely love writing the key scenes, the key steps in Madison and Rupert’s relationship: the first time they meet, the first time they kiss, the first time they fight, the first time they make love… but I hope the sexual tension is present in all the scenes they share in-between! That’s probably the most challenging part for a romance writer.Although most of the novel is set in today’s Oxford, there’s a parallel love story set in seventeenth century’s England. The voice, the tone had to be different, more lyrical. It was very interesting for me as a writer to create that parallel world, and interweave the story threads from the past and the present.
Why did you choose to write romance?
I was very lucky to attend prestigious universities, with lots of very cultured and bright people. I read a lot of classics, not only in English literature, but also French and German classics. I’m so grateful for that opportunity to feed my imagination with so brilliant references.That said, modern high-brow literary fictions often gets on my nerves. I want entertainment, I want to dream, I want to escape, I want to fall in love again and again… That’s what romance promises and delivers. But there’s so much more. Romance heroines are so influential in the way they inspire and open new paths for so many girls and women.So, even if I don’t think romance should be limited to a female readership, I am also proud to be part of a cultural phenomenon that empowers women! That’s certainly what I have tried to achieve though Madison’s journey, her experience as a young woman in a foreign country, and in her relationship with her new friends, her family back home, and of course her love for Rupert.
Do you ever have any conversations in your head with your characters? If so, can you give us a hint of what you might talk about?
No, I actually don’t talk with them in my head. Or, at least, not for long. As soon as a snippet of dialogue springs out in my mind, I write it down in one of those moleskin diaries… My characters talk to each other, they don’t talk to me…That doesn’t mean that I don’t think of them or about what’s going to happen to them next, I do that ALL THE TIME! Hence many sleepless nights ;-)
Rate your story in terms of steaminess 
Oxford Whispers is the first book in The Oxford Trilogy. Madison and Rupert have just met, and although the attraction is there from the first time their eyes lock… it has to be realistic. She’s twenty-two with her own (limited) experience. So I’d say the first book tends to be still relatively sweet and follows Madison in her exploration of her own sexuality, desires, needs. Things are steaming up in the second book.So, on a scale from 1 (Sweet Valley High) to 10 (Fifty Shades), Oxford Whispers ranks 6.83!
What are you reading right now?
I’m a very happy reader at the moment as there seems to be a wave of New Adult romances. I have loved Because of Low and While It Lasts by Abbi Glines, the fantastic Easy by Tammara Webber, the controversial Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire…
I know this is like asking who is your favorite child, who is your favorite romance author (s)?
Gosh… This is such a difficult question. I think I will have to pick (for today, at least) Simone Elkeles. She’s the fantastic author of Perfect Chemistry and a wonderful lady.
What is your favorite romance book or series?
Can I cheat and throw a few titles here?Yes! Thank you for being so kind…I loved the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead (big fan of Adrian… so definitely a happy bunny now with her Bloodlines series)And, yes, I’m going to say Twilight and Fifty Shades!!!! Kill me ;-)
Who is your favorite romance character? If you could go on a date with that person, what would you do? Details please! *wink*
I’m an old-fashioned type of girl… So it will have to be Rhett Butler. I will ask him to do what he did to Scarlett (and more!), just with the doors wide open… So that all Atlanta can hear me screaming.
Boxers or Briefs?
Seriously, has anyone ever answered “Briefs”?
Twice actually LOL *wink*
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla… Chocolate gives me migraine.
Do you have a special piece of clothing you wear when you write?
Being a writer has taken a serious toll on my fashion choices… I write in my sports gear with a thick, woolen, ancient, over-sized pullover because I always get cold otherwise. I would write in my PJs if I could but I have to go and get my daughter from school… so can’t do that unfortunately, without taking the risk of having social services knocking at my door.
What is next for you?
I’m currently writing the second book in The Oxford Trilogy, which will take it on right from where Oxford Whispers stopped. It’s tentatively titled Oxford Shadows and explores the dark mysteries of Tudor England. It will be released in spring 2013.
What were your first impressions of each other?
Rupert of Madison: What a hot and stuck-up little number!
Madison of Rupert: He could melt the hinges on the gates of Hell…
What are your favorite parts about each other?
Rupert of Madison: the soft skin over her collarbone.
Madison of Rupert: the nape of his neck.
What’s next for you?
Rupert: re-connecting with my dysfunctional family, and making Madison the center of it (if she lets me to)
Madison: embracing my Voodoo-stamped heritage (and praying this doesn’t kill my fledgling relationship with Rupert)
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
I am a true citizen of the world. I was born in West Africa, grew up in the South of France, and studied in Vienna, Paris, Berlin, Cape Town, and Oxford before finally settling down in London. This wide variety of cities has provided lots of inspiration for my writing. Talk about culture exposure!In addition to being an author, I work as an entrepreneur, wife and mother-of-one but spend a good deal of time with books, DVDs and listening to my mp3 player; all for the sake of inspiration, of course. My debut series, The Oxford Trilogy, has been a blast to write because I can indulge in my favorite types of music: Country and English rock.My main goal as a writer is to make readers dream bigger and cause their hearts to beat a little faster. Since my writing is all about sharing dreams and stories, I love connecting with fellow readers and authors.

LINKS
www.marioncroslydon.com www.twitter.com/mcroslydonwww.facebook.com/marioncroslydonwww.youtube.com/user/marioncroslydon.


OXFORD WHISPERSByMarion Croslydon
Two star-crossed lovers in the English Civil WarA painting with haunting powersA murderous ghost back for revenge  Madison LeBon is dead set against the dead. She has vowed to ignore her Voodoo-stamped heritage and the psychic gift passed down through her Louisiana family. The world of the living is where she wants to belong. But her resolution shatters when the ill-fated lovers in a painting—the subject of her first history class at Oxford—begin to haunt her. The lovers warn her against their own nemesis, a Puritan from the English Civil War. In misty present-day Oxford, Madison embarks on a quest to unravel the secrets of the past and understand her personal bond with the painting. To protect herself, she must learn to accept her gift before life imitates art, in all its tragedy. College becomes more complicated when she falls hard for Rupert Vance, a troubled aristocrat and descendant of one of the characters in the painting. With the spirit of a murderer in hot pursuit, Madison comes to realize that her own first love may be doomed… Based on a real Pre-Raphaelite painting, Oxford Whispers is full of romance, drama and suspense.Fall in love for the first time… Again

Marion will be giving away a $20 New Adult Reading pack --i.e. selected NA titles on Amazon to one commenter on the tour) and encourage your readers to follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/07/virtual-book-tour-oxford-whispers-by.html. 

ENFORCER'S REDEMPTION eARC Giveaway

Yay! Adam's book is almost here!! To celebrate, I'm giving away FIVE copies of ENFORCER'S REDEMPTION to my readers!! Just comment to enter! Don't forget your email address!


Adam Jamenson has suffered through the worst loss known to man. The only reason he lives day-to-day is to ensure the safety of his Pack. As the Enforcer of the Redwood Pack, it is his job to protect all in his path, though he was unable to protect the ones he held dear. The war with the Centrals is heating up and Adam must try and grit through it in order to survive. Though the broken man inside of him may not want to…
Bay Milton is a werewolf with a past. And a secret. She’s met the Redwood’s Enforcer only once, but it left a lasting effect. Now she needs to find him or everything he had thought he lost, may be lost again.
Together, they must struggle and find a way to fight their pasts and present in order to protect their future. But the Centrals have a plan that might make their path one of loss and destruction.



This is not a Facebook Contest and Facebook cannot be held accountable for said contest. Comment by 11:59:59 PM Eastern time on 10.15.12 for your chance to win. One winner will be selected randomly using a Random.org. Winners will be contacted by me off the loop. Only one entry per ISP address. The contest is open to international readers. No purchase necessary to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Void where prohibited.

Fresh Friday Reads: Way too Many!

Hi! I've been so busy this week, but I bought too many books! Wait! What am I saying, there is no such thing as too many books. Tell me in the comments what you bought this week!!! Word of Mouth is the BEST way to help authors! (And help me with my TBR pile LOL)

Laid Open - Lauren Dane

All she needed to pack was a few bikinis, a toothbrush and some sunscreen. This is what Ben told Erin when he presented her and Todd with tickets to Fiji and the promise of ten days of nothing but sleeping until whenever they wanted, sex without having to lock the door and lots of alone time.

And that’s what they have. Long days and nights filled with pleasure. Long enough that the stress and exhaustion drops away and the three can simply enjoy each other.

They’ve got heat. More than ever before. Recharging their batteries has also brought new levels of intimacy and connection. But when Erin stumbles over the pain of her past, both men band together to not only help her through, but to help each other as well.


Mortal Ties - Eileen Wilks

FBI agent Lily Yu is living at Nokolai Clanhome with her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, when an intruder penetrates their territory, stealing the prototpye of a magical device the clan hopes will be worth a fortune--if a few bugs can be worked out . . . 

But the protoytpe can be dangerously erratic, discharging a bizarre form of mind magic—and it looks like the thief wants it for that very side effect. Worse, whoever stole the device didn’t learn about it by accident. There’s a Nokolai traitor in their midst. Lily and Rule have to find the traitor, the thief, and the prototype. One job proves easy when the thief calls them--and his identity rocks Rule’s world.  

As they race to recover their missing property, they find Robert Friar’s sticky footprints all over the place. Robert Friar--killer, madman, and acolyte of the Old One the lupi are at war with--an Old One whose power is almost as vast as her ambition to rock the entire world . . .

Longing for Love - Marie Force

Series favorite Tiffany Sturgil steals the spotlight in Longing for Love as her new boutique Naughty & Nice opens in downtown Gansett, right in time for the annual spring Race Week festivities. Finally divorced and ready for a new beginning, Tiffany wonders if sexy Police Chief Blaine Taylor thinks of her as often as she thinks of him since their explosive encounter last fall. Back then he directed her to call him the second she was officially divorced, but the opening of her store and her unconventional advertising "campaign" have put the island's lingerie queen at odds with the town's top cop. Despite their clashes, when these two finally get together after months of steamy build up, readers will need to keep a fire extinguisher close at hand!

Blaine has been burned in the past by love affairs gone wrong, and he's wary about risking too much too soon. But he quickly discovers that Tiffany's sarcastic rejoinders and bitter outer shell hide a badly wounded heart of gold. He also discovers she's a "sex-toy fraud" and convinces her she can't possibly sell the merchandise without trying it out first... While he finds himself thinking of her all the time, the mayor is after him to curb her sexy advertising and his mother worries that Blaine has taken on another "project" who will break his heart.

As Blaine and Tiffany fight for their happily ever after, readers' favorite characters from past books are back for more island adventures. Joe and Janey return to Gansett for the summer and discover the big secret his mother has been keeping. Evan learns that Grace hasn't told her parents about him. Stephanie's restaurant is ready to open in the renovated Sand & Surf. Dan keeps showing up to "visit" Kara at work, Mac is worried about Maddie's upcoming meeting with her deadbeat dad and a Race Week catastrophe reminds everyone what's really important. 

The McCarthys of Gansett Island takes a decidely erotic turn in this seventh book! If hot, sexy men in uniform cavorting with hot, sexy women who sell sex toys for a living aren't your thing, this book might not be for you!

Rev it Up - Julie Ann Walker

He Never Misses a Target

Jake "the Snake" Sommers earned his SEAL codename by striking quickly and quietly - and with lethal force. That's how he broke Michelle Carter's heart. It was the only way to keep her safe - from himself. Four long years later, Jake is determined to get a second chance. But to steal back into Michelle's loving arms, Jake is going to have to prove he can take things slow. Real slow...

She Aims to Make Him Beg

Michelle Carter has never forgiven Jake for being so cliché as to "love her and leave her." But when her brother, head of the Black Knights elite ops agency, ticks off the wrong mobster, she must do the unimaginable: place her life in Jake's hands. No matter what they call him, this man is far from cold-blooded. And once he's wrapped around her heart, he'll never let her go..

Heart or Head? with Paty Jager

Heart or Head?
by Paty Jager
Thank you for having me here Carrie Ann. Each person who comments on this post will be entered to win a $5 egift certificate from Amazon.When I decided to write Secrets of a Mayan Moon I had an idea of the heroine in my mind. She was super smart, could figure things out, and had inept social skills. At first I wanted her to be bumbling and dorky, but as I wrote her story and came to know her as a person, she had a playful side, but her logical side would keep her from being over the top silly. I gave her some great foibles, like idolizing Indiana Jones and trying to use a whip. You’ll have to read her story to find out how that ended. She also has a “survival vest”. It’s my hat tip to MacGyver. And she uses the items in her vest several times, once to save the hero. Her inept social skills come from living in boarding schools and always being younger than the rest of her classmates. She started college at fourteen and when she was seventeen realized she wanted to be an anthropologist and began the studies and graduated with her doctorate at twenty-two.All her life she has felt different and outside everything. Her parents worked constantly and only saw her on holidays and her birthday. Her classmates were always older and excluded her and then when she finally breaks into the anthropology world; the other anthropologists believe she only made it because of her family’s acquaintance with her mentor, Doctor Virgil Martin.The fun part writing this book was having her logical side at war with her emotions once hunky Tino Kostas comes into her life as her guide to the dig. She’s been scorned before and told she’s just a stick with a brain. She can’t help her metabolism uses the food she consumes faster than it can make fat. Or that she can figure and memorize things others can’t even comprehend. She has often hated her gift. It’s what sets her apart from others when she wants desperately to belong. Tino finds her intelligence interesting and her body, while not as curvaceous as his usual lovers, intriguing. His attention confuses her. He’s a gorgeous Latin man and he acts interested. Her logical mind determines he has been in the jungle too long. But her heart yearns for the connection they are both fighting. Have you ever had to deal with your heart over your head? If so, did you make the right choice?Blurb for Secrets of a Mayan Moon Child prodigy and now Doctor of Anthropology, Isabella Mumphrey, is about to lose her job at the university. In the world of publish or perish, her mentor’s request for her assistance on a dig is just the opportunity she’s been seeking. If she can decipher an ancient stone table—and she can—she’ll keep her department. She heads to Guatemala, but drug trafficking bad guys, artifact thieves, and her infatuation for her handsome guide wreak havoc on her scholarly intentions.
DEA agent Tino Kosta, is out to avenge the deaths of his family. He’s deep undercover as a jaguar tracker and sometimes jungle guide, but the appearance of a beautiful, brainy anthropologist heats his Latin blood taking him on a dangerous detour that could leave them both casualties of the jungle.ExcerptIsabella climbed out of the boat, keeping as much distance between her and Tino as possible. He’d humiliated her, and she couldn’t get away from him. They were stuck together tonight and all of tomorrow until he delivered her to the dig. His taunting her with a kiss and then drawing away as if she were some vile creature hurt as deeply as the things Darrell Rutley had said to her face in grad school. She walked into the forest, hunting for a place to have a few moments to herself. “Do not go far,” Tino called in his seductive Latin accent. She cursed her reaction to his voice, raised a hand acknowledging his order, and tromped deeper into the trees. The murmur of the river faded away in the steady drone of mosquitoes. She slapped at the leaves on the plants and wandered deeper. Rustling in the underbrush shot her heart into her throat. Jaguars were nocturnal weren’t they? A small, furry, pig-like animal trotted across her path, followed by five smaller versions. She giggled at her jumpy nerves and the animals’ comical parade as she watched the last one disappear through the greenery. The waning light enlarged the shadows. Reluctance played war with her logical self. She should return to the boat before darkness descended and she couldn’t find her way back. But her pride, something she usually didn’t consider, wouldn’t let her face Tino. Not yet. It was stupid to believe he wanted to kiss her. Tino was handsome, virile, and so unlike any of the men she’d met during her college days or professionally. Exactly the type who toy with women like me. His chivalry and her attraction to him made her feel attractive, something she rarely experienced. But the way he brushed her off after he’d initiated the kiss... He’d only proved he could kiss her and not that he wanted her. She mentally slapped herself at her stupidity and virginal cravings.The walk hadn’t settled her anger. Reliving the event only escalated her rage. How could one be a genius yet stupid about life lessons?She pulled out what she now considered her knife and hacked at the plants along the way. With each swing she lopped off something of Tino’s. Blue penetrating eyes. Devastating smile. A hand, so good at soothing her. The other hand. Her smile grew, and her frustration turned to the healthy exhaustion of an extensive taekwondo class. Isabella wiped a sleeve across her sweaty brow and heaved a sigh of contentment. The vigorous exercise worked wonders on her disposition. A fierce roar vibrated through the trees.
Secrets of a Mayan Moon is available at Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. Bio:Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who cleans pens and delivers the hay; award winning author Paty Jager and her husband currently ranch 350 acres when not dashing around visiting their children and grandchildren. She not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.Her contemporary Western, Perfectly Good Nanny won the 2008 Eppie for Best Contemporary Romance, Spirit of the Mountain, a historical paranormal set among the Nez Perce, garnered 1st place in the paranormal category of the Lories Best Published Book Contest, and Spirit of the Lake, the second book of the spirit trilogy, was a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. You can learn more about Paty at her blog; www.patyjager.blogspot.com  her website; http://www.patyjager.net or on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/#!/paty.jagerand twitter;  @patyjag.

Fresh Friday Reads: I love Romance!

Howdy y'all! I'm currently at Lora Leigh's RAW and I hope to see you at the book signing on Sunday, but this is what I bought this week! Yay! Oh, and yes, CHARMED SPIRITS IS NOW OUT!!!!



Charmed Spirits - Carrie Ann Ryan


Jordan Cross has returned to Holiday, Montana after eleven long years to clear out her late aunt’s house, put it on the market, and figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Soon, she finds herself facing the town that turned its back on her because she was different. Because being labeled a witch in a small town didn’t earn her many friends...especially when it wasn't a lie.
Matt Cooper has lived in Holiday his whole life. He's perfectly content being a bachelor alongside his four single brothers in a very small town. After all, the only woman he'd ever loved ran out on him without a goodbye. But now Jordan’s back and just as bewitching as ever. Can they rekindle their romance with a town set against them?
Warning: Contains an intelligent, sexy witch with an attitude and drop-dead gorgeous man who likes to work with his hands, holds a secret that might scare someone, and really, really, likes table tops for certain activities. Enough said.




A Fool's Gold Christmas - Susan Mallery

The unrelenting cheer in Fool's Gold, California, is bringing out the humbug in dancer Evie Stryker. She learned early on that Christmas miracles don't happen, at least not for her. And this year seems like no exception. An injury has forced her to return to the family fold, no matter that they're estranged. She won't add to the awkward scenario by being seduced by the bad-boy charms of her brother's best friend, the last man she should ever want to date. Even when she's recruited to stage the Fool's Gold winter festival, she vows to do as promised, then move forward with her life anywhere but here.Jaded lawyer Dante JeϬ€erson is getting used to the backwater town he now reluctantly calls home, but the pounding of little dancers' feet above his temporary office is more than any man should have to take! When he confronts their gorgeous teacher, he's unprepared for the attraction that sears him down to the soul. Evie is his best friend's sister—oϬ€-limits unless he's willing to risk his heart. Dante has always believed that love is the most dangerous force in the universe, but that was before he had to reckon with the magic of a certain small town, where miracles do seem to happen….


An Outlaw's Christmas - Linda Lael Miller

With his wild heart, Sawyer McKettrick isn't ready to settle down on the Triple M family ranch in Arizona. So he heads to Blue River, Texas, to seek a job as marshal. But in a blinding snowstorm he's injured—and collapses into the arms of a prim and proper lady in calico.The shirtless, bandaged stranger recuperating in teacher Piper St. James's room behind the schoolhouse says he's a McKettrick, but he looks like an outlaw. As they wait out the storm, the handsome loner has Piper remembering long-ago dreams of marriage and motherhood. But for how long is Sawyer willing to call Blue River home?

As the gray skies clear, Piper's one holiday wish just might bring two lonely hearts together forever.


Never Seduce a Scot - Maya Banks

This sinfully sexy new romance from Maya Banks features a remarkable woman whose rare gift teaches a gruff Scottish warrior how to listen with his heart.
 
Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her “touched.” Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions.
 
Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

Thursday Tales: Character Destiny with Marie Rose Dufour

Fated Mates: Are your characters destined to be together?
First off, I would like to give a huge thank you to Carrie Ann Ryan for even considering giving little old me time on her blog. It is an honor and I’m quite giddy about it. I’m fairly new to the writing scene. This month is actually my one-year anniversary of being published. My first novella, Fated Mates, was released last September from Secret Cravings Publishing. So when I saw one of the suggested topics for a blog post was fated mates, I knew it was meant to be.
I am a huge believer in fated mates, especially in romance. I know you’re all shocked that a romance writer believes in fated mates. Pardon the pun, but I find the whole idea romantic and if I can’t write about things I find romantic, why write anyway? The couples in my books are in some way always fated to be together whether it’s overtly stated or not. Sometimes, as in life, the road is direct and other times it’s all twisty and takes a while to get to your destination but they’re always meant to be. In the book, Fated Mates, Dragon crossed the universe to be untied with his mate, Liz. Dragon is such a wonderful character, a war veteran, physically and psychologically scarred who never believed there was someone out there meant for him. Their story is special in my heart because Dragon visited in my dreams for years before I ever had the courage to write his story down. Once I did, it was as if a floodgate opened and my characters haven’t left me alone since then.
Kim and Aidan, in Irish Rising, met on a rainy street in Ireland in front of his pub and their attraction is explosive right from the beginning. For them, is it too much, too soon or do they have the foundation for their love to last.
In Saddle Up, Devin falls in love with his best friend’s sister from a picture in a wallet. It takes an accident two years later to get him and Tasha together. Despite their age differences, Devin never waivers in his conviction that they are meant to be together.


What are you feelings concerning fated mates? One lucky commenter will win a copy of one of my books and a ten dollar gift card to Amazon.com.
Marie Rose Dufour Bio
We know that we are no longer alone in the universe. Descendants of Earthly ancestors have returned to find the other halves of themselves, their destined mates.
Dragon, a scarred Serralian warrior drawn to the planet of his ancestors, never believed the Goddess had a mate for him but no matter what he believes, he’s unable to resist the pull of the planet deep within in soul.
Liz, a curvy teacher who escaped an abusive marriage three years earlier is afraid to take another chance on love. Tired of being a bystander in her own love life, she participates in an ancient ritual to identify Serralian mates. Taking that chance changes her life forever. Can these two people overcome their pasts to become each other’s true Fated Mates?
TITLE: Saddle UpGENRE: Cowboy/Cougar Erotic RomanceWHERE TO BUY THE BOOKS ON LINE Secret Cravings Publishing: http://store.secretcravingspublishing... http://www.bookstrand.com/saddle-up-1ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-saddleup-779969-149.htmlAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Saddle-Up-Hot-Flash-ebook/dp/B007UQU0YS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335171106&sr=8-1Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1110195961?ean=2940014518284
Blurb: Tasha Lane never realized how boring her life had become until one phone call in the middle of the night totally changed it. Can this forty-two year old accountant put aside a nine-year age gap and perpetual “foot in mouth” disorder to find love and happiness with an ex-rodeo star turned rancher?
Three years ago, Devin Grant traded the rodeo circuit for a cattle ranch. If someone told him, he would fall in love with a woman he’d never physically met, he’d think they were kicked too many times in the head by a bull. When her brother is thrown from his horse, it was finally time to meet the sexy woman of his dreams and convince her, he was worth taking a chance on.
Can he convince her before she goes back to her boring life? Will she be able to overcome their age difference and her own insecurities?

TITLE: Irish RisingGENRE: ContemporaryWHERE TO BUTY THE BOOKS ON LINESecret Craving Publishing: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=256
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/irish-risingARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-irishrising-727057-149.htmlAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Irish-Rising-ebook/dp/B007BEPSHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348523593&sr=8-1&keywords=Irish+RisingBarnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/irish-rising-marie-rose-dufour/1108838112
Blurb:  Famous romance writer, Kim Green went to Ireland with her two cousins to research the setting of her new book and have some quality girl bonding fun. She’s in the business of writing about love. She didn’t expect it find her on the street in a sleep Irish town with a sexy, “I want to drown in your chocolate eyes” pub owner.
Duncan Murphy never believed in the old family legend. The idea a trapped mermaid granted his family the ability to recognize their one true love was absurd to him until he spots a sexy American across the street from his pub. Something deep within him recognized her as his other half
They’re drawn together in an explosive first encounter. Life is blissful until a misunderstanding threatens to tear them apart. Is their fragile newfound romance something legends are made of or the misguided belief in an ancient fantasy?
TITLE: Fated MatesGENRE: Sci-FiWHERE TO BUY THE BOOKS ONLINE:Secret Craving Publishing:  http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=30&products_id=131Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/fated-matesARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fatedmates-605753-143.htmlAmazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Fated-Mates-ebook/dp/B005PNPLZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348524154&sr=1-1&keywords=fated+matesBarnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fated-mates-marie-rose-dufour/1105679415?ean=2940013401976
Blurb:We know that we are no longer alone in the universe. Descendants of Earthly ancestors have returned to find the other halves of themselves, their destined mates.
Dragon, a scarred Serralian warrior drawn to the planet of his ancestors, never believed the Goddess had a mate for him but no matter what he believes, he’s unable to resist the pull of the planet deep within in soul.
Liz, a curvy teacher who escaped an abusive marriage three years earlier is afraid to take another chance on love. Tired of being a bystander in her own love life, she participates in an ancient ritual to identify Serralian mates. Taking that chance changes her life forever. Can these two people overcome their pasts to become each other’s true Fated Mates?

Writer Wednesday: A Book Spotlight with Nicole Morgan

BLURB
Jace Walker served his country for ten years in the Army. Years of combat and war left him with invisible wounds which bring him to the lowest point in his life. In a moment of crisis, he meets his angel.
After years of being an attentive and loyal wife, Alexis Foster catches her husband’s infidelity. Her life changes as she gets divorced and becomes a single parent.
Years pass and Jace finds his angel once again. Only this time she’s no longer married. He vows to do anything in his power to sweep her off her feet and make the angel he remembered from all those years before become his. Despite her insecurities, the two find an attraction stronger than either of them anticipated.
Will he entice her into letting down her walls? Or will she entice him into finding a true and unrelenting love?


ADULT EXCERPT
“Undo your jeans.”His demand startled her, and she turned to see a look in his eyes that scared and excited her all at once. She could’ve asked questions. She could’ve stopped to think about what she was doing or even protested just a little. That wasn’t what she wanted though. She wanted him. Whatever Jace was willing to give her, she would take.Unsnapping her jeans, she stared at him as his eyes gazed at her movements. Once the zipper was down she was left with a moment of embarrassment. The paunch in her belly was showing, and she pulled her T-shirt down to cover it in hopes he didn’t see it.“Pull them down.”Her eyes grew wide, and she looked to him, certain she hadn’t heard him right. “I’m sorry?”“Pull your jeans down to your ankles.”His voice left no room for argument. She didn’t know what turned her on more. His kiss, tongue, and taste had been driving her crazy just moments ago, but now his dominant instructions were fueling the fire which raged inside her.“The panties, too,” he added.She lifted her hips and pulled at the sides of her jeans and panties. Working them down little by little, she finally got them to her knees, and they started to fall more freely until she was sitting in the front seat naked from the waist down. She felt like a teenage girl on a hot Friday night with her boyfriend.“Kick them off,” he told her.Her chest was pounding, and her once still breaths were now replaced with heaving as she struggled for calm, but could find none.Jace reached his hand down and pulled a lever. In slow motion she watched as his seat went backward into an almost flat position. He didn’t say anything, instead reached his hand out to her and waited until she took it. A moment later she was straddling him, nothing separated the two most intimate parts of their bodies as his hard cock lay against her wet pussy. She wanted to move, slide, and rock her hips until he was inside her, but waited for his direction. The way he spoke to her and told her what to do excited her. She had no idea why, but it did.“Do you want me?” he asked.Biting on her lower lip, she nodded her answer.“Tell me.” He swiped his tongue along her lips and nibbled on her lip, pulling it free from her bite. “Tell me what you want, where you want me.”“I…”She stopped herself before the words came out. How could she tell him what she was honestly thinking? Everywhere would have been her answer, but what would he think? She wanted him inside her pussy, she wanted to feel him thrusting inside of her, but more than anything she wanted to finish what she started. She wanted to take him in her mouth and not stop stroking and sucking on him until he exploded into her. That was  what she was dying for.“Jesus, look at you. You’re so beautiful. There is nothing I wouldn’t give you. Nothing at all. So tell me, what do you want?”Her pussy was dripping with lust for him. So much so that she forgot about her fears and just allowed the words to be said.“I want you in my mouth.”“Oh God. Yeah?”“Yes. That’s what I want.”He placed his hands on her waist and helped lift her a little. “Turn around. If you’re going to get what you want, so am I.”A moment of adulthood hit her, and she hesitated. Looking around the car for signs that anyone was around, she stopped. “Maybe we should stop until—”Quickly Jace interrupted her, “Turn around. I am going to eat your pussy while you suck on my cock. Do it now.”A tremor wracked her body when his demanding words hit her. She wanted to do whatever he said. She wanted to listen to his requests, follow through, and please him.Jace helped her as she struggled to turn in the confines of the front seat of the car. A few bumps of her head and an adjustment of him lying on the seat and she was now hunched over him, her mouth an inch from that beautiful cock which she sucked on so hungrily minutes before.“Take it in your mouth, baby. Suck me off.”Just as he said it, she felt the warm glide of his tongue swipe across the outside of her pussy lips. Then his hands grabbed onto her ass and pulled her down to him. In a tornado of sensations he slid past her wet slit and started to work his tongue in and out of her pussy.Her mouth opened, and she gasped in pleasure while he thrust his hips up and slid his cock inside until it hit the back of her throat. Her lips closed over his shaft and began sucking with adoring attention. He fit so perfectly inside her mouth. She wanted to keep him there, so hard, thick, and full while she gave him pleasure with nothing more than her mouth and tongue.He flicked his tongue across her clit and a jolt shot through her body. Her hips started to move of their own accord as he teased the area around her sensitive nub. She wanted that again, needed to feel the friction once more.

CONTEST
Leave a comment below with your email and I will give away one eBook copy of Entice Me to a lucky winner!! 

CHARMED SPIRITS RELEASE DAY

ITS RELEASE DAY FOR CHARMED SPIRITS!!! YAY!!! I hope you enjoy the first book in my Holiday, Montana series about a sexy witch and an even sexier lost love.Charmed Spirits - Holiday, Montana Book 1 - Coming Oct 2nd, 2012Jordan Cross has returned to Holiday, Montana after eleven long years to clear out her late aunt’s house, put it on the market, and figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Soon, she finds herself facing the town that turned its back on her because she was different. Because being labeled a witch in a small town didn’t earn her many friends...especially when it wasn't a lie.Matt Cooper has lived in Holiday his whole life. He's perfectly content being a bachelor alongside his four single brothers in a very small town. After all, the only woman he'd ever loved ran out on him without a goodbye. But now Jordan’s back and just as bewitching as ever. Can they rekindle their romance with a town set against them?Warning: Contains an intelligent, sexy witch with an attitude and drop-dead gorgeous man who likes to work with his hands, holds a secret that might scare someone, and really, really, likes table tops for certain activities. Enough said.Find it On:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ARe | Kobo
 Find it in Print Here:eStore | Amazon | Barnes & Noble Coming Soon

My BookShelf: Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis

Here's a little something on a backlist that's newer to me. Have you read it?

I love me some Jill Shalvis!











Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis T.J. Wilder is the perfect package of breathtaking adventure and raw sex appeal. Even better, he's about to reconnect with the one woman he's never been able to forget...Get Your Pulse RacingTo Harley, the landscape around Wishful, California, is exhilarating, untamed, and more than a little dangerous. The same could be said for T.J. Wilder, who's invited himself along on her trek to study a rare coyote. Harley's career is riding on this trip, and she doesn't need a stubborn, incredibly sexy distraction. But T.J. is a professional guide who knows when to stay back and when to provide invaluable expertise-just like he's done since they were in high school. And Harley, as usual, is torn between throttling him and giving in to the raw attraction that's been smoldering all these years.T.J. knows how proud and capable Harley is, but he's damned sure not letting her put herself at risk when there are illegal hunters in the area. She needs him, with the same soul-stirring urgency that he's always craved her. And here, in this beautiful place days from civilization, he'll finally have a chance to prove it-over and over again...