Sandra Bunino's Blog, page 13

Sexy #FreeRead Anyone? Christmas Fantasy is here!

Ho-ho-ho! How about an early holiday gift? Christmas Fantasy: Dahlia & Tristan is now available absolutely, positively FREE! Kickstart your sexy holiday and download it at Evernight or AllRomance today!

 

Mid Week Tease: Sexy Introductions #MWTease #FreeRead

Hey there! Are you ready for another tease from my  Free Read, Christmas Fantasy: Dahlia & Tristan, which will be available tomorrow!

Allow me to introduce Dahlia and Tristan…

The single clank of the door got his attention. Glancing over the top of the seat in front of him, his eyes washed over the knockout entering the cabin. Long hair partially covered one eye and swept over her shoulder like black silk. The tails of her corporate-style blouse hung loose, and the first few buttons below her neck were undone, revealing the hint of something lacey underneath. She stopped to brush the hair from her face and scan the cabin. It took her all of three seconds to lock onto his stare.

The racing train matched the uptick of his heartbeat as she walked up the aisle. Her eyes never wavered from his. She continued her slow procession to the back of the train until she was directly next to his row.

“Is that seat taken?” she asked, and nodded her head once to the unoccupied seat to his right.

“I don’t believe it is,” he said after clearing his throat.

He detected a slight smile from her full lips as she swung the leather briefcase that was hanging from her arm up and slid it into the overhead compartment. A wave of heat hit his cheek and his eyes flicked to the side to appreciate the strip of warm skin peeking from the top of her skirt’s waistband and the bottom of her untucked blouse as she stretched to adjust her stowed case.

A deep inhale was rewarded by the heady combination of lavender mixed with cinnamon.

“May I?” she whispered.

The breathy request pulled at the muscles in his stomach. He carefully folded the newspaper in his hand and tucked it into the seat in front of him. His gaze blazed a trail up her body as he stood. She squared her shoulders and remained within an intimate distance while he stepped around her body to allow her access into the row.

He extended his hand as an invitation to the seat next to his.

“Miss…”

She smiled and slid past him, gently brushing her fingertips on his jacket sleeve as she moved into the row.

“Dahlia,” she said while settling herself into the row. Her eyes sparkled through a thick veil of eyelashes as she glanced up. “And you?”

“Tristan.”

Be sure to add Christmas Fantasy: Dahlia & Tristan to your Goodreads shelf and download it FREE tomorrow!

 

Now, be sure to check out my fellow teasers:

Join next week’s tease here:

Second Annual Evernight Readers’ Choice Awards

It’s not too late to vote for your favorite Evernight books!

COLORS OF US is up for Best Cover, Best Heroine: Michelle Willis, and Best New Adult in Evernight’s Readers’ Choice Awards!

Click here to cast your vote. Leave your name and email address at the end of the poll to be automatically entered for a chance to win a $25 Evernight Gift Certificate!

COLORS OF US (McAvery Brothers, 1)

Everything she knew to be true fell apart. Then fell apart again…

Michelle Willis is running from her past. What better place to hide than in the anonymity of New York City. Finding refuge in a tiny SoHo art gallery, she rebuilds her life one painting at a time.

A wrong turn sends Hunter McAvery on a crash course with disaster. He fights his own demons by following his big brother’s lead – drinking and bed-hopping his way through Manhattan.

A glance at Michelle’s self-portrait triggers emotions Hunter can’t tamp down. Driven to meet the artist, he discovers a fiery chemistry as their lives collide. But when their past threatens to tear them apart, can their love survive?

Colors of Us is available here:

Amazon / AllRomance eBooks / Barnes & Noble / Evernight Publishing

 

Mid Week Tease: Christmas Fantasy #MWTease #FreeRead

Hey there, Mid Week Tease fans!

I’m back with a tease from my holiday Free Read, Christmas Fantasy: Dahlia & Tristan! 

Free? Did I say free? Yup. It’s free! If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you may  remember this story from a blog serial series I ran. This new version is steamier and is sure to warm up cold holiday nights. 

Here’s a little tease…

From the corner of his eye he watched the cherry red toenails of her right foot dangling from its perch on her left knee. Bobbing up and down with the train’s rhythm, her sexy foot was closing in on his pant leg. He inched his leg closer to give her easier access. Pushing the fabric up and letting it fall, her toes repeatedly teased at the cuff of his pants. A groan escaped through his clenched teeth as he gripped the newspaper in both hands. Her foot grazed his calf and trailed a path to his knee then back down to his ankle. The magazine slipped from her lap while she unbuttoned the last two pearls and slipped the soft blouse open. He swallowed hard as her fingers brushed over the lacy bra and trailed a path down her flat stomach to her skirt-covered thighs.

His shirt and tie suddenly became three sizes too tight as his rapid breath strained against the fabric. He tossed the newspaper on the empty seat on the other side of the aisle and reached up to turn off the overhead reading light. She caught his arm.

“Don’t. Not just yet,” she said.

Seems that Miss Dahlia isn’t done teasing him yet. Catch the whole story #FREE December 4th! Be sure to add Christmas Fantasy: Dahlia & Tristan to your Goodreads shelf.

 

Now, be sure to check out my fellow teasers:

Join next week’s tease here:

COLORS OF US is a Readers’ Choice Awards SEMIFINALIST!

Semifinalists have been announced for the Second Annual Readers’ Choice Awards and COLORS OF US received three nominations!

~ Best New Adult ~ Best Cover ~

~ Best Heroine: Michelle Willis ~

Thank you to everyone who nominated COLORS OF US. It’s such an honor to be included with so many fantastic books and authors.

Hunter McAvery has a virtual martini with your name on it if you’d pop over to the poll and vote for COLORS OF US!

Click here to access the poll. If you leave your name and email at the end of the survey, you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win a $25 Evernight GC!

How sweet is that?

COLORS OF US is available here:

Evernight Publishing / Amazon US / Amazon UK / AllRomance eBooks

Add Colors of Us to your Goodreads shelf! 

Random Thoughts: The Power of Giving Thanks

What do I like about Thanksgiving? Certainly not the cooking. My mashed potatoes are never quite right and the turkey makes a mess of my oven (last year is known as the fire extinguisher Thanksgiving). However, I’ve mastered removing the jelled cranberry sauce from the can in one piece (love that sound), so that’s something.

What I do like about Thanksgiving is exactly what the name implies. Giving thanks. Unlike other holidays, Thanksgiving is not about the gifts or ceremony. It’s about getting together with family and friends, new and old, and laughing, sharing, eating and just plain being there.

Thanksgiving makes me grateful for my life and the lives of others. It makes me treasure the good and the bad. Yes, the bad too. Everything in life can’t be rainbows and unicorns, because let’s face it, life is not about us individually. Gratitude teaches us that because the act of being grateful automatically makes you think about others. So much of our lives are about reaching personal goals, however when you step outside that blinder view and understand the role others play in helping you achieve those goals, you’ll find a true sense of gratitude.

Gratitude breeds contentment and that’s what we all truly want, right? …To be happy. When you’re content, obstacles aren’t as large and everyday life flows more freely. When you shift your focus from self-centered to a broader scope life opens up and a greater awareness of other points of view and fulfillment become more evident. Plain and simple: Gratitude makes us better people.

So this Thanksgiving I will be grateful to watch the Macy’s parade on TV, roast my turkey until it’s somewhat edible, slide that cranberry sauce out in one piece (yes!), and spend time with family and friends, new and old. I’ll also be grateful for the events that have happened over the course of the year, the good and bad, and the things I’ve learned from them. Most of all, I will be grateful for the people who make a difference in my life and will give thanks to the power of gratitude.

Thank you to everyone who follows me on my blog and social media forums, reads my work, and supports me. You make a difference in my life and I hope my writing somehow makes a small difference in yours.

If you’re looking for a delicious drink (didn’t you know it’s way easier to feel grateful with a cocktail in your hand), here’s a recipe for my favorite:

French Martini

Ketel One Vodka ~Vermouth ~ Pineapple Juice ~ Chambord

Shake the first three with ice. Pour into a pretty martini glass. Add the Chambord before serving. The deep red liquor will sit at the bottom of the glass creating a beautiful presentation.

What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?

 

For my MWT authors: Sorry! I missed the Mid Week Tease last week, so here’s the sign up for this week:

Mid Week Tease: To Serve and Protect #MWTease

Happy Mid Week Tease!

Here’s a snippet from the cutting room floor of the short story I’m working on.

Hope you enjoy this deleted scene. I’ll share more from “To Serve and Protect” next week!

Cops are patient. Most don’t start that way, but after a few stake-outs patience seeps into their psyche and becomes as second nature as jerking off. Maddox, perched on the seat of his vintage Harley, waited in the shadows. Stagnate air of the underground parking garage eased in and out of his nostrils as he kept surveillance on the only way in or out of Weatherby’s garage by foot. Jaz inadvertently tipped him off they’d they’d parked in the garage when she sent Jimmy down for her wayward lip gloss. Following them will help Maddox in two ways. First, he’d get a location on Jaz and second, they’d get an ID on Vino’s car. Bonus.

A dull ding echoed through the garage and two forms emerged from the smudged steel elevator doors. Bingo. Maddox watched them walk to the black two-door Mercedes Benz parked at the end of the row. The black Benz was the second of Maddox’s guess of Vino’s car. He’d figured the Range Rover was more his speed. Vino opened the passenger door for Jaz but before moving to the drivers’ seat, he stopped and scanned the garage. Maddox could’ve sworn his gaze rested on him for a split second before he strode to the other side of the car and slid in. A roar of the engine filled the garage as the engine revved. Maddox backed his bike further into the shadows when the Benz’s headlights flashed from the corner.

Maddox counted to three after Vino steered his car to the exit before turning the ignition key and heading to the ramp. He reached the street in time to spot the black Benz. Maddox knew the streets well and easily tailed Vino to the low rise loft building off of Canal Street. Maddox pulled down the corner street and parked his motorcycle before heading by foot up the sidewalk. Vino helped Jaz from the car as he spoke to her. Maddox couldn’t make out what he said, but Jaz nodded and moved toward the steps to the building’s door. Vino grabbed her arm and Maddox’s stomach turned. His first reaction was to storm the asshole and drop his corrupt ass to the sidewalk. He took a deep breath, then another. Unless Jaz was in immediate danger he’d wait. Vino pulled her from the steps and twirled her around. His hands on her shoulders as he continued to speak. Maddox crept close enough to make out part of their conversation.

“I told you I’d take care of you. Just stick to the plan.”

“I said okay, Jimmy. Let go of me.” She tried to shake off his grip.

Vino held her in his paws for a long moment before nodding and letting her go. He strode to his car and skidded from his spot. His taillights were a blur by the time Jaz fished her keys from her handbag.

Before she stuck the key into her door, Maddox ascended the concrete steps two at a time. Jaz spun around and dropped her keys. He covered her mouth and pulled her close. “Shh. Jaz. It’s me. Don’t scream.”

Her eyes were as big as some of the diamonds they’d just left but twice a beautiful. He loosened the grip on her mouth. “Derrick. What the hell are you doing?”

What the hell was he doing? The thought of her with Jimmy Vino played an evil game with his common sense. “I’m making sure you’re safe. I lost you once. I’m not about to lose you again.”

The once angry sea that swam in her eyes was replaced by something else. Her breath, a warm mixture of mint and wine, blanketed his lips as she stared into his eyes.  “I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered.

Now, be sure to check out my fellow teasers:

Join next week’s tease here:

Twenty-Five Sexy Short Stories for Less Than Two Bucks!

For a limited time grab 2 anthologies for $0.99 each!

That’s a lot of sexy, including my contributing stories, The Mobster’s Promise (HIS), and the introductory story to my novella series, The Satin Rose Experience (Keyboards and Kink)!

 HIS

~12 Author Erotic Romance Anthology~

Strength. Power. Experience. No obstacle is too great when an alpha male decides what he wants, and these dominating men are so sexy and irresistible, no woman would dare think of anything but submission. Billionaires, Doms, and mobsters alike aggressively go after the women they want, and they will stop at nothing to fully possess them and make them beg for more.

Come and find out how good it feels to be HIS.

KEYBOARDS AND KINK

~13 Author Erotic Romance Anthology~

A night at home on the computer doesn’t have to be boring…

Feel like chatting? Or maybe doing something more daring? The stranger reaching out across cyberspace could be a creepy pervert, but what if he wasn’t? What if he’s a vampire, the sexy boy next door, or even your gorgeous boss?

Thirteen tales explore all the delicious possibilities when online relationships lead to sexy encounters away from the keyboard.

Mid Week Tease: Get Tied Up with TIE ME FREE #MWTEASE #99SALE

It’s November, also known as #NaNoWriMo!

I’m attempting NaNo again this year and my fingers are tapping away on a short cop story set in New York City. It’s a fun spin off of my McAvery Brothers series, tentatively coined “Stories from McAvery Bar.”

Look for a peek at that story next week! This week is a tease from the latest book of the Satin Rose Experience Series, TIE ME FREE, which is on sale at Evernight for $0.99 today!

Here’s a glimpse at Kate’s first experience in one of SRE’s private suites with the very sexy Mason Myers…

 

Kate considered his words and studied his face. “Are the cameras on? Are they watching?”

Mason nodded. “Yes. Surveillance is on. I gave Mia and Asher the heads up that you might want to experiment. They have your safe word.”

Kate turned back to face the painting and leaned into his chest. “You scare me,” she whispered.

His fingertips trailed a path up and down her arms. “Why?”

“Because you seem to know what I’m thinking before I do.”

Because you’re so right for me but so wrong. Because you’re like a gooey, delicious ice cream sundae I’ll never allow myself to taste.

Mason chuckled. “Is that a bad thing?” His voice poured through her body. Closing her eyes, she pulled away from him. Her glance moved from the door to the platform. She’d never have another chance like this to experience it. Kate squared her shoulders. “Okay. But I’m not getting naked,” she said, holding an index finger up. She moved to the platform and kneeled. Even though the surface was hard, a calmness came over her as she moved to the middle of the table and gazed over the painting in front of her.

“I’m fine with that limit, for now, except for your feet.” Mason slipped off her shoes and rubbed tight circles his thumbs into the arch of her foot.

Kate let out a throaty moan. “How do you know how to do that?”

“Reflexology. It’s part of the study of shibari. I also learned where the body’s pressure points are.” His thumbs traveled to the balls of her feet and let up on the pressure. “How’s that feel?”

Kate groaned. “Heavenly.” Her muscles loosened instantly.

“Good. Now just relax, spread your knees apart and sit on your heels. This will be the most comfortable position for you as we do this.”

Kate complied as his fingers traveled up her back to her shoulders. “You have knots in your shoulders. Under stress?”

“That’s an understatement,” she snorted.

“Close your eyes and get lost in the music. Don’t think of anything outside of this room. It’s just you and me.”

Kate smiled. “There is no you and me, Mason.”

Mason shushed her and applied pressure to the knot in her shoulder, making her wince. “That hurt like a bitch and felt amazing at the same time. How the hell do you do that?”

“Shh. Don’t make me gag you, Angel.”

The words rolled off his tongue as Kate’s mind flashed to the model in the first picture they’d seen at the bondage exhibit. Warmth spread through her body at the thought. Her breath hitched as she

imagined the assortment of gags and blindfolds in the drawers of the cabinet. The warmth of Mason’s body radiated through her shirt, his face against the back of her head. “The thought of being gagged turns you on, doesn’t it?”

“Shit,” she whispered. Did it turn her on? What. The. Hell? 

Now, be sure to check out my fellow teasers:

Join next week’s tease here:

Mondays are Hard #MondayBlogs

Mondays are hard, aren’t they?

It’s not always easy to get into the swing of things coming off a relaxing weekend. One day, you’re lounging about in your pajamas making pancakes at noon and the next day you’re juggling your coffee, laptop and a tube of lipgloss while trying like hell not to be late for your 9 am meeting.

A work colleague sent me this list today. I thought it was the perfect message to share on Monday blogs…

1. Any day with positive cash flow is considered a good day.

2. In the worst of times I know my dog still loves me unconditionally.

3. If I can breathe and I can communicate, I can still accomplish just about anything.

4. The decision to be confident is mine and mine alone. No one else is required.

5. The unknown might be frightening, but it also provides the chance to learn something new.

6. Most other people are as scared or concerned as I am and often more. Ask them to share their fear so we can comfort each other.

7. I have never done anything so foolish or ridiculous that I couldn’t ultimately laugh at myself and immediately feel better.

8. I have no control how long people stay in my life. But I can always improve the experience of the time we share.

9. Everything happens for a reason. My purpose is to simply make the most of what comes my way.

10. If I stick to my core values, the world will eventually sort itself out as it should.

List Credit: Top Ten Positive Affirmations to Improve Any Week 

I’ll end with my personal favorite inspirational quote:

Now, go forth and spread rainbows.

Happy Monday!

xoxo

~S