Joya Fields's Blog, page 3

Resolutions is Now Available in Print #HonorGuardSeries

Welcome Teri Riggs today! Resolutions, one of the books in Teri's Honor Guard series, is now available in print. Hope you'll check it out. I'm off to get my copy now (and is that a sexy cover, or what?)!

Honor Guard SeriesResolutionsby Teri Riggs
DEA agent Eve Taylor has had her fill of alpha males. When Resolutions’ operative and former lover, Dillon “Mac” McKenna, threatened her hard-earned independence, she ran. On a mission to gather evidence against a Colombian drug-lord, Eve discovers the drug-lord is helping terrorists plan an attack on American soil. Before she can escape with the vital information, she’s captured and comes face to face with her mortality…

As a teen, Mac watched his family fall apart after his mother died doing dangerous U.N. work. The possibility of losing Eve to a mission ignited an overwhelming need to protect her. When he forced her to choose him or her job, she walked away. Two years later, it seems all his nightmares have come true and he’s tasked with rescuing her from a Colombian prison. Mac has never stopped loving Eve, but does he dare risk his heart when he’s so terrified of losing…

On the run, Mac and Eve must learn to trust each other again in order to stay alive.

Note: Resolutions is a private black ops agency specializing in the near-impossible extractions of kidnap victims, hostages, and all forms of intelligence other agencies have failed to retrieve.
Honor Guard Series
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Resolutions is available as an ebook and NOW you can get it on Amazon in print!  About the Author: As a small girl Teri didn’t read bedtime stories, she made up her own. When her children came along, Teri always tweaked the fairy tales she told her daughters, giving them a bit more punch and better endings when needed.Now she spends her days turning her ideas into books. She lives in Marietta, GA with her husband. Contact Details:Website: http://teririggs.comEmail: teririggs@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teri-Riggs/329379907142621Twitter: @TeriLRiggsBlog: http://teririggs.blogspot.com/
 Enjoy the following excerpt for RESOLUTIONS:
Beefy hands wrenched Eve awake from a fevered sleep, pulled her from the cell, and shoved her into a musty-smelling hallway. I’m being moved? A guard pushed her with one hand, keeping a tight grip on an AK-47 rifle with his other.
Her shoulder throbbed in perfect cadence with the pains shooting through her broken wrist, and she had one badass headache from being punched in the face a few too many times. Using her good hand, she walked fingers across one cheek, then the other. The right side was totally numb. Her eye had swollen shut, and she couldn’t see a damn thing out of it. She ran her tongue across her teeth and tasted the tart, copper flavor of blood. Three teeth loose. Well, at least they’re still in place.
In spite of the relentless pain, she stayed determined to survive whatever Mendoza dished out. She wasn’t a quitter. No, sir. Duncan Falls, Iowa didn’t grow quitters. Eve ignored the constant ache in her ribs, courtesy of a guard’s overzealous kick, and took in a deep breath. She willed herself to stay alert, to keep pushing. Escape. Third times the charm.
Eve slapped the guard’s dirty hand. “Hey, Pedro, stop being so damned pushy. Where we going anyway? We got a hot date I’ve forgotten about?”
He looked puzzled then shoved her again.
“Don’t understand English, do you, Diego? Bet you understand this.” Eve drove her elbow into the guard’s face. Thick rubbery cartilage gave, and she whooped triumphantly.
Blood squirted from his nose and he screamed.
Eve stepped back. “Yep, I’m pretty sure you understand that.”
Unable to grab the guard’s assault rifle, she clutched her injured shoulder, and took off in a slow jog, no longer able to push any harder.
Her escape was short lived.

Resolutions was a finalist in the prestigious Daphne Du Maurier contest for unpublished authors.

Romance and...Ghosts? SIDELINED AFTERLIFE is now available! #NewRelease #PNR

I'm sooooooo excited to announce that SIDELINED AFTERLIFE is now available! To help celebrate, I'm offering a Rafflecopter contest with some really cool prizes. Be sure to scroll down for a chance to win!

About Sidelined Afterlife
     Psychic and medium Veronica Matthews hates being able to communicate with the dead and the nearly departed.  What good is it if she can’t lead the police to the victims of violent crimes before they die? But when her neighbor comes to her for help, she’s torn—until she understands that the ghost haunting him is more dangerous than any she’s encountered….

After losing his wife in a tragic accident, ER doctor Hunter Anderson’s only solace is his work and a ghost is jeopardizing that. Turning to his neighbor seems like his only choice, but spending time with the passionate woman, and her sassy attitude, might do more than save his life… She can’t risk her heart. He’s afraid to love and lose again. Can a ghost help these two souls to live again?
Excerpt:   “I am an idiot. The biggest idiot ever. If you want me to pierce something for you, to prove I’m an idiot, I have some sterilized instruments upstairs in my apartment.”    Her tongue poked against her cheek, signaling a laugh that wanted to erupt. Suddenly, he really wanted to be the one who could make her laugh. “Maybe I could do your lower lip?”   Her short laugh erupted. A sweet, melodic sound that filled the small apartment.   His gaze stayed on that full mouth and he lifted his fingers closer, compelled to touch her.      She stared at him with wide eyes as he traced the corner of her mouth lightly with his finger.    “I’m a liar. I could never tarnish something as beautiful as this.”Christ. What a line. Where had those words come from? But he meant it.   Her breath was hot against his finger as he traced the line of her lower lip. Her gaze held his. His stomach growled again, breaking the spell, and she blinked and leaned against the sofa.   “You know what? We never had dessert,” she said.He had room for dessert. But not the food kind. He swallowed to quell his appetite for her. “Uh…how about I make an ice cream run? Then we’ll get to work.” Enough of this temptation. He needed to get away from her, from this pull she had on his body and emotions.
Sidelined Afterlife is now available:

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And now....the prizes!!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Farewell to 4H

4H is an organization that instills ethics, hard work, and compassion. Kids (and their parents) often learn life lessons as well as a little more about agriculture and responsibility. The following speech is one that a local college student would give to graduating 4H members if she had the chance.


I would like to start off by thanking all of you for the great achievements you all have made over the course of your 4H participation. Whether you started out as a clover or entered the program later, whether you raised livestock or chose only from indoor projects, whether you went to 4H camp or not, you have all made great contributions to this program and we thank you for that. As we say in the 4H pledge, we are out there trying to better our club, our community, our county, and our world. Yes, to this day I still have our pledge memorized and you all will probably never forget it as well. Each and every one of you should feel a sense of accomplishment for what you have done to improve not just this club, but the entire 4H program.
Most of you entered this program as clovers, meaning you entered before the age of eight. Which also means that you’ve been dedicated to 4H for over ten years. That’s ten Howard County Fairs and for some of you, ten Maryland State Fairs. You stand out from the crowd. You didn’t waste away your summers watching television or being lazy in bed all day. You made use of that break from school to give your attention to your animals and/or indoor projects.
For those of you who raised livestock, I want to personally thank you for bettering this community. You may not understand now, but if you do a little research on US meat factories, you will see just how important it is to raise livestock the humane way and without and artificial products. This goes hand in hand with those of you who grew your own produce. In America, we’re facing a food scare. How exactly do we guarantee what we’re eating was raised or grown the right way? I’ll tell you; it’s doing it yourselves. You may be familiar with the saying ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself,’ well that applies in every aspect, including what we eat.
Those of you who had enough dedication to raise cattle, I am thoroughly impressed. In my time as a 4Her I never had the dedication for that. For those of you who don’t know how hard it is to raise cattle, at the next fair or the next cow field you pass, take a look at just how massive these animals can get. Then imagine having to take care of that. Imagine how often those heifers have to be milked. During fair week, cattle raisers usually spend most of their time at the fair grounds; some even spend the night. They are also required to wash their cattle twice a day, everyday. Now imagine having to do that to more than one cow you brought to show. That is the dedication we are all so proud of you for.
I am thoroughly impressed with the rest of you as well, even if you didn’t raise any type of livestock. Indoor projects take a lot of dedication as well. If you weren’t lucky enough to have a family member teach you the ropes of baking and you still placed and participated in the bake auction, cheers to you because the lucky ones that had a family member teach them don’t have anything on you. As I walked through the indoor 4H barns this past summer, I saw amazing works of art. From photography to fine arts and clothing to crafts, the standard is really rising. I’m not even sure I could consistently win total points like I used to back in my day.
If you were one of the brave enough willing to spend a week of your summer away from home at 4H camp, I know you have some fond memories that will never leave you. As a kid, I was only brave enough to go one summer and I cried every night. I am jealous of the memories you all share. I know there were some great moments that I missed out on.
Now let me tell you all a little about my experience as a 4Her and how I still participate now. I moved to Howard County when I was five years old and my parents enrolled my brother and I in the local club. Since I was so young, my first few years were spent as a clover. I fell in love with crafts. To this day Mrs. Graybeal uses me as an example of how kids should plan their summers. Every year after my last day of school, I would head home and start planning my projects that I wanted to enter in the fair. As the years went on, I added more and more projects building up to entering over a hundred projects some years. You may say that’s a little crazy, but what other elementary school student do you know that could make $400+ in a summer. As I matured I explored other categories such as photography, fine arts, candy making, food preservation, baking, and cake decorating. I realized I don’t really have the knack for fine arts or photography but I fell in love with candy making and cake decorating. Food preservation wasn’t my favorite to make but the outcome made it worth it. I realized I had a talent for cake decorating and even toyed around with the idea of opening a bakery one day. Then I watched those specials on the Food Network and saw my real competition. The annual bake sale auction will always be some of my fondest 4H memories. There’s no better experience than walking around that ring with your cake and hearing the auctioneer call out bids. Still to this day I have no idea how he talks so fast. The best thing about the auctions was the togetherness you felt. Even though we were competitors everyone would chant “higher, higher, higher” as the bid price went up. There’s no explaining the feeling that being cheered on by your peers brings. Indoor projects were always so much fun, but sometimes the dirtier parts of 4H could be better.
I was lucky enough to grow up on a farm. Unfortunately my parents decided to move us to a neighborhood and everyday I miss that farm. My grandfather also grew up on a farm so he visited us frequently to help out. On our seven acre plot of the farm, we raised pigs, all types of chickens, and rabbits. I always wanted to raise goats and sheep but apparently they’re really stubborn and my parents didn’t want to add to the stress raising livestock brings. I also found out you have to stick your finger in their butts to get them to move and I was not too fond of the idea of doing that. One of my favorite memories was from our first year raising pigs. It was a nice spring day and also the day of the first weigh in for livestock. My grandfather came over to help us load the hogs in the back of our pick up and take them down the road to the fair grounds.
Now, I said it was a nice spring day, but the day before was rainy and the ground was still muddy. You can imagine the joys we faced trying to force three pigs up onto a trailer. With the amount of squealing, you’d probably think that we were slaughtering them right then and there. One of the hogs even escaped and tried to run away down our hill. If you’ve never seen three grown adults chase a pig down a muddy hill, I highly recommend you find a way to witness it. That is still one of my favorite memories with our pigs. We eventually caught the escaped one and successfully got them to the fairgrounds for weigh in. I think we all can agree that the first year participating in livestock is the hardest.
Only a few years ago I was sitting right where you are waiting to receive my certificate. I was excited but also sad. This marks a chapter of your life coming to a close, but you don’t have to leave the program entirely. I still participate to this day. Every summer I go to the fair a day before it starts to judge indoor projects in the candy making and food preservation category. So for those of you who have participated in the in recent years, I was the one writing your comments and rewarding you premium ribbons. Not only do I get to spend a day eating homemade candies, jams, jellies, and such, but I also get paid! Fourteen years in this organization and I never knew the judges got paid. I hope I’m not letting out any secrets but we are kind of desperate for more judges, so if anyone’s interested, please let us know.
Let me be the prime example of how 4H never leaves you. You may be leaving 4H, but it will stay with you for the rest of your life. You may not feel that way right now, but trust me, it never fully goes away. When I was a 4Her, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and I really didn’t want to join the field of agriculture. But now that I am not involved, I miss it. I can’t wait to have kids and enroll them in this program so I can live vicariously through their experiences.

BLACK MAGIC ROSE by Jordan K. Rose available now! #vampires #werewolves

Jordan K. Rose's newest book is available now. Vampires, werewolves...and romance! You'll want to check out this hot new story today.
    Black Magic Rose Is it possible to reduce the amount of workplace violence in an organization run by vampires and werewolves? Sofia Engle, the new Employee Relations Manager at Cader House Hospital is about to find out, and she may not like the answer, or the series of firsts she experiences: first human employee at Cader House, first day tardy, first kiss with a dead guy. Well, maybe kissing the dead guy wasn't the worst of it after all.
For nearly 600 years Dragomir Petrescu has fought for The Alliance. As one of the most skilled warriors the Alliance has ever seen he's killed a lot of people and won many difficult battles. But his newest human adversary is turning out to be a worthier opponent than any he's met. Just the scent of her disarms him, never mind her endless policies and silly ideals about civility.
Can he possibly keep her safe from Alliance enemies, hospital employees and himself? The term Employee Relations is about to have a whole new meaning.
Black Magic Rose purchase links:  Amazon
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Jordan's Bio: Jordan loves vampires. But if you know anything about Jordan, you already knew that detail. What you didn’t know -- it wasn’t long ago that she began writing about them. A few years back Jordan received a copy of Twilight from her husband as part of her anniversary gift. By the end of that week she’d read the entire series and moved onto Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Eight weeks and eighteen vampire books later the idea for her first book, Perpetual Light came to her followed very quickly by Eva Prim. In October of 2013 The Demon Mistress, the first Eva Prim Novel became available along with four short stories. For continual updates on Eva please join the Snack Of The Week Club at www.evaprim.com. Black Magic Rose, Book One in The Alliance Series is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Jordan is a member of the national Romance Writers of America organization and several chapters.  When she’s not writing about one vampire or another Jordan enjoys spending time with her husband, Ken and their lovable Labrador, Dino on the beautiful beaches of Southern Rhode Island.  Find Jordan: Find Jordan on her website and sign up for her newsletter at www.jordankrose.com.  Follow her tweets on https://twitter.com/#!/jordankrose  Like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jordan-K-Rose-Author/307285709309992Follow her Pinterest boards at: http://pinterest.com/jordankrose/boards/Friend her on Goodreads at: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5751865.Jordan_K_Rose  

Tinsel My Heart by Christi Barth is now available!! #NewRelease #Christmas #Carina

Are you ready to get into the Christmas spirit with a fun contemporary romance? Here's your chance! Christi Barth, who is well-known for her lovable characters and unique story telling style, brings us Jack and Becca...two people with a complicated history.
 How cool is this cover, right? And be sure to scroll down for an excerpt!


Becca Huntley’s produced the Lyndale Park Player’s over-the-top Christmas pageant for ten years. The beloved Minneapolis tradition is the theatre’s main fundraiser. But this year’s production is almost canceled when their director disappears into rehab at the last minute. Good thing his directing partner steps in to save the day. Except for the minor fact that he hates everything about Christmas.
Jack Whittaker wiped the Twin Cities off his shoe with his graduation tassel and never looked back. But duty compels him to fulfill Tyler’s promise to direct the show. Even though it means working side-by-side with Becca, the girl he always wanted, lost to Ty, but never forgot.
It’ll take more than a few handfuls of tinsel to soften Jack’s heart toward Becca’s favorite holiday. Steamy kisses that melt the snow right off his boots are a step in the right direction. They’ll both discover that Christmas is about making each other's dreams come true. But will doing so destroy their chance at a happily-ever-after together?
Purchase at Y Amazon Y Barnes & Noble Y Carina Press
Website | Blog | Pinterest | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page |Facebook
Bio: Christi Barth earned a Master’s degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage.  A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning.  Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance.  She is the award-winning author of the Aisle Bound series. Christi is President of the Maryland Romance Writers and lives in Maryland with her husband.
Excerpt:
She picked up the end of her braid and tickled his cheek. “Told ya.”
The silken hair set off a chain reaction in his body. Blood pounded south in great, galloping leaps and bounds to pool in his crotch. Jack hadn’t experienced an insta-hard-on like that in years. He quickly shifted the black script binder across his lap.
“You’ve changed, Becca.”
“Since high school? I would hope so.” Then her lips pursed. “Okay, you’ve piqued my curiosity. Exactly how have I changed?”
“You’ve grown from a pretty girl into a beautiful woman.”
“Oh.” Her pale cheeks turned the color of ripe strawberries. It made Jack wonder if her nipples were the same color. Or would turn that color after he used his lips on them. “Um, thank you. And let me just say that adding a few pounds of pure muscle didn’t hurt you any, either.”
Interesting. Might as well push a little harder, see what developed. As if lifted by marionette strings, her hand rose, scraped along the end-of-day stubble on his cheeks to trace the outline of the goatee. “It, ah, makes you look devilish.”
“Want to dance with the devil?”
“What?” Her gaze flew up to meet his as her hands dropped to her lap. “You want to dance?”
Super literal people made flirting much more difficult. Jack sighed. “Metaphorically.” When she still looked bewildered, he continued. “Forget it. Do you want to have dinner with me?”
She blinked, rapidly. Looked down at her hands twisting together. “That depends.”
It wasn’t a complicated question. Jack didn’t want her take on the crisis in Syria. Why would a simple dinner invite come with conditions? “On what?”
Becca looked over both shoulders, as if to check they were still alone. Or as alone as you could get in a three hundred-seat theatre full of people milling about from the lobby to the dressing rooms. “Are you just lonely, Jack? Because of Ty?”
“I’m a grown-ass man. I can eat by myself,” he growled.
“I know. I guess my real question is, do you want to have dinner with just anyone? Or do you want to have dinner with me?” She fluttered her hands up to cover her heart.
Now he got it. Well, he didn’t get why she had the crazy female insecurity, but at least he knew what she was driving at. “I want to have dinner with you. Only you. Not because we used to be good friends. Not even because we’ve slid pretty well back into those roles. And not just dinner.” Jack grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re a beautiful woman who heats me up every time you slide those cool lake eyes over me. With enough talent and know-how and passion for my business to make for interesting conversation. So what I want from you, Becca, is a date.”
To his utter surprise, she didn’t blush again. Or look away. Or for that matter, look flustered at all. Instead, she mimicked his pose, putting her hand to his mouth. Rubbed her soft thumb in a slow glide across his lower lip. Her eyes darkened from the clear blue of Lake Harriet in the summer to the darkness of a winter’s night.
“Well, why didn’t you say so? Of course I’ll go out with you.”
No matter how many he tried on for size, women never failed to confound him. Jack didn’t know what he’d said to peel off her timidity. Didn’t care, either. Just looked forward to an evening filled with more surprises from the woman he was discovering he liked even more than the girl he used to adore.

Stephanie Dray's DAUGHTERS OF THE NILE #HistoricalFiction #NewRelease

From critically acclaimed historical fantasy author, Stephanie Dray comes the long-awaited new tale based on the true story of Cleopatra's daughter.

After years of abuse as the emperor’s captive in Rome, Cleopatra Selene has found a safe harbor. No longer the pitiful orphaned daughter of the despised Egyptian Whore, the twenty year old is now the most powerful queen in the empire, ruling over the kingdom of Mauretania—an exotic land of enchanting possibility where she intends to revive her dynasty. With her husband, King Juba II and the magic of Isis that is her birthright, Selene brings prosperity and peace to a kingdom thirsty for both. But when Augustus Caesar jealously demands that Selene’s children be given over to him to be fostered in Rome, she’s drawn back into the web of imperial plots and intrigues that she vowed to leave behind. Determined and resourceful, Selene must shield her loved ones from the emperor’s wrath, all while vying with ruthless rivals like King Herod. Can she find a way to overcome the threat to her marriage, her kingdom, her family, and her faith? Or will she be the last of her line?

Read the Reviews

"A stirring story of a proud, beautiful, intelligent woman whom a 21st century reader can empathize with. Dray's crisp, lush prose brings Selene and her world to life." ~RT Book Reviews

"The boldest, and most brilliant story arc Dray has penned..." ~Modge Podge Reviews

"If you love historical fiction and magical realism, these books are for you." ~A Bookish Affair

Read an Excerpt

Below me, six black Egyptian cobras dance on their tails, swaying. I watch their scaled hoods spread wide like the uraeus on the crown of Egypt. Even from this height, I'm paralyzed by the sight of the asps, their forked tongues flickering out between deadly fangs. I don't notice that I'm gripping the balustrade until my knuckles have gone white, all my effort concentrated upon not swooning and falling to my death.


And I would swoon if I were not so filled with rage. Someone has arranged for this. Someone who knows what haunts me. Someone who wants to send me a message and make this occasion a moment of dread. My husband, the king must know it, for he calls down, "That's enough. We've seen enough of the snake charmer!"

There is commotion below, some upset at having displeased us. Then Chryssa hisses, "Who could think it a good idea to honor the daughter of Cleopatra by coaxing asps from baskets of figs?"


The story the world tells of my mother's suicide is that she cheated the emperor of his conquest by plunging her hand into a basket where a venomous serpent lay in wait. A legend only, some say, for the serpent was never found. But I was there. I brought her that basket. She was the one bitten but the poison lingers in my blood to this day. I can still remember the scent of figs in my nostrils, lush and sweet. The dark god Anubis was embroidered into the woven reeds of the basket, the weight of death heavy in my arms. I can still see my mother reach her hand into that basket, surrendering her life so that her children might go on without her. And I have gone on without her.


I have survived too much to be terrorized by the emperor's agents or whoever else is responsible for this.


If it is a message, a warning from my enemies, I have already allowed them too much of a victory by showing any reaction at all. So I adopt as serene a mask as possible. My daughter blinks her big blue eyes, seeing past my facade. "Are you frightened, Mother? They cannot bite us from there. The snakes are very far away."


I get my legs under me, bitterness on my tongue. "Oh, but they're never far enough away."

###

Available now in print and e-book!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Powells | IndieBound | Goodreads

Available now in print and e-book!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Powells | IndieBound | Goodreads

STEPHANIE DRAY is a bestselling, multi-published, award-winning author of historical women’s fiction and fantasy set in the ancient world. Her critically acclaimed historical series about Cleopatra’s daughter has been translated into more than six different languages, was nominated for a RITA Award and won the Golden Leaf. Her focus on Ptolemaic Egypt and Augustan Age Rome has given her a unique perspective on the consequences of Egypt's ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion. Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian and has-to the consternation of her devoted husband-collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.

Huge sale on Stephanie Dray's LILY OF THE NILE (Cleopatra's Daughter #1) #cleopatra

I'm so excited for this pre-Christmas sale on the book that started the series. Lily of the Nile is now, for a limited time only, on sale for all e-readers for only $3.99.

With almost 400 5-star reviews on Goodreads, this first book in the series is on sale in anticipation of the imminent release of Daughters of the Nile, on December 3rd, so if you start reading now, you'll be all caught up!

Buy Lily of the NileAmazon | Barnes & Noble (Nook) | Kobo | iTunes

Read an Excerpt | Go Behind the Story | Reviews | Bibliography

Synopsis:

With her parents dead, the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony is left at the mercy of her Roman captors. Heir to one empire and prisoner of another, it falls to Princess Selene to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers…

In the aftermath of Alexandria’s tragic fall, Princess Selene is taken from Egypt, the only home she’s ever known. Along with her two surviving brothers, she’s put on display as a war trophy in Rome. Selene’s captors mock her royalty and drag her through the streets in chains, but on the brink of death, the children are spared as a favor to the emperor’s sister, who takes them to live as hostages in the so-called lamentable embassy of royal orphans…

Now trapped in a Roman court of intrigue that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, Selene can’t hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her flesh. Nor can she stop the emperor from using her for his own political ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined honor her mother’s lost legacy. The magic of Egypt and Isis remain within her. But can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win or die?

Buy Lily of the NileAmazon | Barnes & Noble (Nook) | Kobo | iTunes

New Release: Hard as it Gets by Laura Kaye Release Day Blog Blitz #NewRelease #Romance

It's here! It's here!! Release day for my good friend and NYT/USA Today Bestselling author Laura Kaye's newest and much anticipated book, HARD AS IT GETS. Here's your chance to find out more about Laura, where you can purchase this fabulous book, and how hot Nick Rixey is!

Check out this trailer about HARD AS IT GETS and then scroll down for a Q&A with Laura.


      Q&A WITH LAURA KAYE HARD AS IT GETS is one steamy read! How did you first get into writing? Thanks so much! And thanks for having me here! I’ve been a writer all my life. I’m a historian by training, so writing non-fiction was a part of my job for the fifteen years I worked as a college professor. But I started writing fiction in 2008 in kind of an unusual way. I hit my head on July 4, 2008. I didn’t think much of it that day, but soon after I realized I’d really hurt myself, and it turned out I had a minor traumatic brain injury. As I recovered, I was filled with an amazing urge to be creative, so I started taking guitar lessons (still not very good at that!) and wrote my first novel in 12 weeks (fortunately, I’m better at that LOL!). The experience of writing that first book was truly transformative. It was what I was supposed to be doing, so I revised that book until it sold and kept writing new ones. And I haven’t looked back since! Why did you choose to write romance? I had been an avid reader of paranormal romance for years at that point, so I wrote what I loved. But I also picked romance—unconsciously, I think—because to me it’s an incredibly hopeful genre. Romance stories are inherently stories about people who can’t find love or think they don’t deserve it who overcome the odds and find it in the end. In the years leading up to starting writing, I experienced a number of very hard personal losses, so writing in this genre was one way I worked through those issues.  What does “Hard Ink” refer to? What importance do tattoos play in your story? Hard Ink is the name of the Rixey brothers’ tattoo shop in the Hard Ink series. Nick and Jeremy Rixey are co-owners, though Nick (the hero of book one, Hard As It Gets) prefers to be more of a silent partner, despite Jeremy’s efforts to put Nick’s artistic talents to work. In this series, tattoos are a way people remember, pay penance, or highlight what’s important to them. The act of creating permanent marks on skin has deep meaning to them. And the shop creates a gritty setting where diverse kinds of people meet and interact in the series. I really love it! Describe Becca—what do you love most about her? And Nick? I’d love to! Because I really loved writing these characters!Becca Merritt is smart and strong and honest and protective. I really loved the way she was willing to stand up for those she loves, even against people and forces who might be stronger and even a little scary. There’s a scene in particular when she dresses down Nick’s Special Forces teammates after a fist fight where I was particularly cheering for her! LOL Nick Rixey is, omg, so freaking hot, you guys! He’s brooding and tortured and honorable and when he falls he falls  so hard. I especially loved Nick’s mix of hard, alpha edges with his artistic side. When Nick shows Becca what her idea for a tattoo might look like on her skin, it’s just scorching! What significance does the military play in the book? Military themes are central to the whole Hard Ink series. The military isn’t just sexy window dressing nor is it just there to provide an intriguing backstory. The prior SF guys are this series are entirely defined by their military experience good and bad. It informs their identity, their sense of honor and duty, their view of the world, and of course gives them the skill set required to fight the battles they face in the series. The overall series mystery the characters are working to solve revolves around a military conspiracy in Afghanistan, so even though they’re out of the Army, the military themes are central. If you could describe your book in a 140 character tweet, what would it be? In #HardAsItGets, an ex-soldier joins forces w/his dead commander's daughter to regain his tarnished honor & save her brother from a gang Is there a particular author or book that has influenced your writing? There are a number of authors that have influenced me, but if I had to pick one it would be J.R. Ward. A lot of what I know about how to write sexy, authentic male point of view comes from reading her books. And I definitely learned the importance of a good bromance to a romance novel from her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, too. Given my ginormous fangirling, you can only imagine how flipping excited I was when this happened:“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”~J.R. Ward on Hard As It GetsYou guys, I bawled like a baby in the middle of a huge workshop put on by my publisher. For Tall, dark, and lethal...

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge... Read Chapter 1  of Hard As It GetsBuy at  Amazon  |  B&N  |  iTunes  About Laura Kaye:Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day. Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp Click Here to find more about all of the upcoming events Laura is planning to celebrate this exciting release, including a full day release party on Facebook! Thanks for joining in the celebration!

Cover Reveal: Life After Death by Sharon Saracino #PNR

Another fascinating supernatural book by my good friend, author Sharon Saracino!
Available January, 2014! 
LIFE AFTER DEATH
After artfully arbitrating her return from the dead, Max Logan considers her experience with the afterlife a thing of the past. But Max’s success as a temporary Superintendent of Spiritual Impediment was no accident as she discovers when the permanent SSI shows up in the middle of the night to reveal that Max has a genetic predisposition to a supernatural calling. When Max’s ex-husband and current boyfriend, Roger-the-Proctologist is lost in a plane crash due to an inept Reaper gone rogue, Max has no choice but to venture back into the sweet hereafter in an attempt to rescue him. Throw in a freak blizzard, a hot Grim Reaper, and the last person on Earth Max would choose to save, and Max will be lucky to escape before her time runs out and she becomes a permanent resident of the Between.  Genre: Paranormal/FantasyPublisher: Whiskey Creek PressRelease Date: January 2014  Sharon Saracino resides in the anthracite coal country of Pennsylvania with her long suffering husband, funny and talented son, and two insane dogs. When she is not reading, writing, or enjoying photography and genealogy, she brews limoncello, dreams of living in Italy and works as a Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse.
All roads lead to happily ever after, some just have a few unexpected turns!
WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   GOODREADS   TWITTER

Bring on the Heat! Cover reveal #eroticromance

Bring On the Heat! Releasing January 6, 2014 and here's your first glance at the cover! Enjoy!! (I know you will.)


Authors: Eden Bradley, Cassandra Carr, Stephanie Julian, Amber Kallyn, Keira Kohl, Adriana Kraft, Emma Lai, Anh Leod, Ann Mayburn, Cari Quinn Bring on the Heat Facebook Page As always, thanks so much for stopping by. :)