Sandra Bunino's Blog, page 18

Evernight Publisher’s Exclusive New Series: PLANET ALPHA

Announcing  Evernight Publishing’s exclusive series…

PLANET ALPHA

The year is 2050. Earth is quickly becoming uninhabitable. The seven continents are shrinking as flooding devastates the land masses. Crime and disorder are rampant among the dwindling human population.

There are only two safe havens in the galaxy capable of supporting humanoid life. Xyran is a world of power-hungry demons and Planet Alpha is home to a fearless warrior race.

The males on Planet Alpha need mates. Infertility has plagued their race for decades. The answer lies on Earth where tempting females are waiting to be saved. When their enemies attempt to claim the spoils of a dying world, only the strongest will get their prize.

The first book in this sci-fi ménage series is here:


BONDMATE

by J.J. Lore



BONDMATE is now available on Evernight Publishing and most major online book retailers. 




BROKEN by Erin M. Leaf 
(Coming May 16)





PROPOSITION by Beth D. Carter 
(Coming Soon)

 

Mid Week Tease:#BookBoyfriend Mason Myers #TieMeFree #MWTease

Happy Book Boyfriend Mid Week Tease!

Have you hopped the Evernight heroes yet? A huge blog hop is going on now, so be sure to check it out. Click here for my post and then hop the links at the bottom. There are a ton of prizes to win and you’ll meet a team of oh-so-sexy book boyfriends.

I’m posting a tease from my latest Satin Rose Experience series story, Tie Me Free. It’s the beginning of Kate’s Shibari scene with Mason. Kate makes a joke regarding her body issues and I love Mason’s response. He’s a true hero…

His hands covered her shoulders and traced a line down her back, resting above her ass. “You’re even more beautiful than I’d imagined, Miss Angel.” His palms moved to either side of her hips as she cringed. “This is my favorite part of your body.”

Kate snorted. “Really? Because it’s my least favorite. That’s the final resting place for every bad food choice I’ve made in the past five years.”

“Want to know what I see? A sexy as hell woman with curves I can’t keep my hands off of.” She sucked in a breath as he unhooked the chains from her hips and the dress pooled at her feet. His fingers swept over her mound, which was covered by the thin rope panties he included in the dress box. “I knew these would look beautiful on you.”

“I wasn’t sure what they were at first. I had to have Mia explain how they worked,” she giggled.

His palm smoothed over her ass and traced the line of rope between her cheeks before his fingers swept down her legs to help her step out of the dress.

“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.” Footfalls sounded next to her followed by a click of the cabinet doors.

Panic set in. She had a sudden mental picture of herself standing on the platform in nothing but a pair of panties made of rope. “Mason?” Her voice was nothing more than a squeak.

“I’m just picking out the cord, sweetheart. Take deep breaths and concentrate on your body’s reaction.”

The music changed to something almost tribal. The deep drumbeat fell in time with her heart as she rhythmically inhaled through her nose and exhaled out her pursed lips. The linens shifted under her feet seconds before warmth covered her back and his hands encircled the bindings at her wrists.

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Meet Your Next #BookBoyfriend: Mason Myers #TieMeFree #BonusScene

The Book Boyfriend Blog Hop is back and better than ever! 

The authors of Evernight have a brand new team of swoon-worthy book boyfriend candidates. A sexy assortment of cowboys, Doms, detectives, millionaires, royalty, vampires, soldiers, and shifters are just a click away.

 Get ready to find your next book boyfriend…

She’s forty and vanilla…he’s twenty-eight and…not.

Mason Myers. *swoons* Where do I start? Mason, a Dominant at an exclusive BDSM club in New York City, has lived a lifetime in his twenty-eight years. Preferring the company of mature women, he meets Kate, a kink-curious owner of a fledging publishing company. The wonderful push and pull of a Dom/sub relationship unfolds as Mason helps Kate shed her body issues through the beautiful art of Japanese rope bondage (also known as Shibari).

I’m thrilled to share this “off camera” bonus glimpse at the start of Mason’s love of older women and his desire to dominate. This scene occurred about seven years earlier and is not in the published version of Tie Me Free.

Here’s a little background first:

Mason grew up poor and lonely in an orphanage in Dublin, Ireland. His last words to his mother were promises to do well in school and move to America. His hard work paid off and he earned a full scholarship to New York’s Columbia University. His quiet, brooding nature, not to mention his great looks and Irish accent, attracted the attention of Rachel Forrey, his forty-something, recently widowed, art history professor.

In this scene Professor Forrey asks Mason to stay after class…

Mason stayed seated at his table near the back of the class as the students filed out of the room. The note Professor Forrey discreetly left on his desk, which he unfolded, read, and refolded every few minutes during the session, remained tucked into his jeans pocket. His eyes flicked to Professor Forrey as the last student left the room. She stood from her perch at the corner of her desk and walked to the door, closing it with a click.

Swiveling on her heels, her straight honey tinted hair skimmed over her shoulders as she turned to face Mason. “Do you know why I asked you to stay, Mr. Myers?”

“Was there a problem with my research paper?” He cocked an eyebrow.

She chuckled softly and strode to the window. “I’ve always loved New York in the fall. My late husband and I used to walk through Central Park every weekend to watch the leaves change. I’ve been very lonely since he’s been gone.”

The metal feet of his chair slid across the floor, grinding against hard surface as he rose to his feet. “I’m sorry about your husband. I know what it’s like to have lost someone close.” He walked to the window and stopped behind her. Leisurely, his gaze washed over her creamy blouse and black skirt, which hugged her curves, leaving little to his imagination.

She nodded. “Did you know you can see Central Park from here? Come closer.” She took his hand and guided his index finger to the corner of the window. “See? Right there.”

“Professor Forrey,” he said in a husky voice. His hands itched to touch her.

“It’s Rachel. Just Rachel.” Her finger trailed up his arm and cupped his cheek. “We have a lot in common, Mason, and there are many things I can teach you.”

Mason encircled her wrist with his index finger and thumb, spun her around and pinned her back against the window. Their breath intermingled as he stared into her icy blue eyes full of challenge and excitement.

“I may have something to teach you, Professor.”

****

I hope you enjoyed a peek into Mason’s past. If you’d like to read more Mason, Tie Me Free is available on Amazon, AllRomance eBooks, Evernight, and most major online book retailers.

What’s up for grabs?

One lucky hopper will win a $100 Amazon Gift Certificate sponsored by Evernight Publishing.
Plus, each author is giving away their own unique prize! So visit each blog hop stop for a host of fabulous prizes to win. My prize is a $10 Evernight Gift Certificate and a Satin Rose Experience series swag pack consisting of a Keep Calm and Be Sexy t-shirt, magnet, pen, and other fun surprises!

How to enter? Answer this question in the comments below…

Shibari is the ancient art of Japanese rope bondage. Trust between partners is at the core of any BDSM act. What do you think about transferring trust to another person and allowing yourself to be restrained with rope? 

Be sure to leave the answer and your email address to be eligible to win a prize. Each comment gives you an entry for the grand prize (one per blog hop stop).

If you like what you’ve read on my blog, please feel free to subscribe to receive emails on new posts. Are you Bookalicious? Join my new book group, Bunino’s Bookalicious Babes to meet other romance hero lovin’ readers and authors for lively chats about bookalicious topics.

Keep hopping to the next author or blogger. After you’ve met each hero click here to vote for your favorite book boyfriend. You’ll earn an extra grand prize entry!

You’re one step closer to meeting your next Book Boyfriend…







 

Mid Week Tease: Online Research is Sexy #MWTease

Hey there! Welcome to this week’s edition of Mid Week Tease. It’s a fun little meme where a few authors post teasers from published work, manuscripts, WIPs and even flash fiction.

In honor of Evernight’s Book Boyfriend Blog Hop which kicks off this Friday, I’m posting a snippet from my latest release, Tie Me Free. Mason Myers will be featured as my book boyfriend candidate in the hop, so be sure to come back and check him out. He’s quite drool-worthy, IMHO, of course.

This is one of the first scenes of the book when Kate and Mason meet online. Kate is a publishing professional doing a little research. Mason has a way of throwing her off her game for the start. Read on…

Alana strode to the front of Kate’s desk and picked it up. “Great. I’ll start the paperwork. I ordered you a chicken caesar salad for lunch, it should be here soon. Oh, and I started your kinky dictionary. There’s some crazy shit out there.” Alana shook her head and disappeared.

“You’re telling me,” Kate said under her breath, and opened her email account. A new message from Mason M. via Domsublife sat in her inbox. “Let’s see what you have to say, Mr. M.” Kate clicked the message.

Lichtenstein’s use of layering color to mimic newsprint was quite ingenious. He was the maverick of the art world.

“I guess he does know his art,” Kate snorted as a chat box appeared on her screen.

Mason M: I believe both Warhol and Lichtenstein are represented at the Pop Art exhibit at the Guggenheim this week. Why don’t we meet to finish this discussion?

Kate raised her eyebrows. Mr. M cuts right to the chase. She’d heard things progressed quickly in the world of BDSM. It was a world she had no intention of entering.

Katie A: I don’t think so. I’m not interested in hooking up with someone.

Mason M: Hooking up? Do people even say that anymore?

Kate snorted. “An art lover and a comedian. Interesting.” Her fingers clicked along the keyboard.

Katie A: Very funny. I’m sure you know what I mean.

Mason M: I’m just surprised to find someone who appreciates modern art here. The Guggenheim is a safe meeting place. Lots of people. Lots of security. What do you have to lose except an afternoon spent viewing art?

Katie A: Are you really twenty-eight and a Dom? Is that you in the profile picture?

Kate squinted at the thumbnail-sized photo. If that was indeed Mason M. he was, well, just her type. He appeared to have short dark hair, chiseled features and kind eyes. Mason had the look of a sexy as sin twenty-eight year old man but the mature expression of someone older.

Mason M: Yes, yes and yes. Let me guess. You’re not in the lifestyle at all, are you?

Katie A: What makes you say that?

Mason M: No role chosen. Limited profile information. No picture. Why did you join Domsublife, if you don’t mind me asking?

Katie A: Curiosity.

Mason M: There must be something more to it.

Katie A: Research.

Mason M: Ahh, That’s where the “publishing professional” part comes in. What do you want to know?

Kate tapped her fingernail on the edge of her keyboard. What do I want to know? She laughed and typed.

Katie A: Everything.

Mason M: Meet me tomorrow in the lobby of the Guggenheim at 2.

[Mason M is now offline.]

Kate stared at the screen. What the hell just happened? “You agreed to meet a random Dominant at the Guggenheim Museum, that’s what just happened,” she muttered and rubbed her eyes.

 

Oh yes, he’s good! If you’d like to read more Tie Me Free, it’s available on Amazon and most major online book retailers.

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It’s Earth Day: Save a Tree ~ Read an eBook!

Happy Earth Day! 

In honor of this Earth lovin’ day, my lovely publisher, Evernight Publishing, is throwing a crazy one day sale. ALL eBooks are 50% off! I told you it was crazy.

It’s a great time to stock up on anthologies, new releases or even that series you’ve been meaning to read.

My Satin Rose Experience series is included in the sale, so if you haven’t met Asher, Mia, and friends yet, you can get the whole series for half price!

The Satin Rose Experience series:

The series introductory story, The Satin Rose Experience, is in the Keyboards and Kink anthology.

Stand alone books in the series include:

    

Plus, the latest edition to the Satin Rose Experience family…

Look for more about Mason from Tie Me Free during Evernight’s Book Boyfriend Blog Hop starting Friday, April 25th.

 All that aside, Earth Day is about taking care of the environment around us. If we all do something small, it will add up to something big. xoxo

“It is our collective and individual responsibility to protect and nurture the global family, to support its weaker members and to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live.”

~ Dalai Lama 

MID WEEK TEASE: “I’m trying like hell not to kiss you.” #MWTease

It’s after-tax Hump Day! Woo-hoo!

As I revealed to my Bookalicious Babes book group (if you’re not a member yet, please join!), I received a nibble on my manuscript for The Colors of Us. I’ve had my eye on this publisher for a while and would be thrilled to work with them. *fingers crossed*

To celebrate the small victory, I’m posting a tease from The Colors of Us. Here, Hunter shows Michelle how to wrap her hands for boxing lessons …

Returning her smile, he continued the lesson. “After you slide your hands into the opening, you’ll wind the long strap around your fingers and wrist like this.” Holding her fingers in his hand, he wound the dangling strap around her palm and over her knuckles. “You want to protect the part of your hand that meets the bag.” He stepped closer as he slipped the strap around the base of her thumb. Brushing his fingertips against the sensitive area just below the fleshy part of her palm, a shiver shot up her arm traveling to her belly. His warm breath ghosted her face as he circled the end of the strap around her wrist and secured the Velcro tab. Before she knew it, strong fingers captured her left hand and guided her arm to the warmth between their bodies. She itched to graze her fingers along his muscled chest, capturing his heat with her palm. Her gaze bounced to his neck and stubbled jaw which clenched as he slid the other wrap over her hand. Slowly wrapping her other wrist, he secured the strap and held both of her gloved hands in his.

“Make a fist,” he said huskily.

Tightening her hands into a ball, she tucked her thumb inside her fingers like he showed her at the gym.

He squeezed her fists. “They look good. You’re a badass.”

Michelle snorted. “A badass in pink.”

“Let’s see what you got. Show me some upper cuts. Right here.” He tapped his abs.

“You want me to hit you?” She giggled.

“Sure. I can take it.”

Turning her palms up, she made a fist and alternated soft punches into his belly. His rock-hard belly. Each strike made her aware of how alive he made her feel. The force of impact sent ripples up his tight shirt, awakening the planes of his muscular form. She gulped back the desire to open her fists and run her fingertips along the line of each thick muscle.

His hands came to rest on her forearms halting her movement. The pads of his thumbs lightly brushing the sensitive skin near the underside of her elbow. Michelle’s eyes flashed to his. A fire brewed deep in his eyes as he stared back. Her gaze flicked from his eyes to his lips and back. Hunter stepped between her legs nudging her back against the wall next to the mural. His thigh warmed the spot between her legs. She closed her eyes and choked back a groan, wanting, no, needing to grind her heat on his leg. Raising her arms above, he pinned them against the wall on either side of her head. His scent flooded her senses as she lifted her chin to close the gap between them.

“I’m trying like hell not to kiss you.” Hunter straightened his back but didn’t loosen his grip on her arms.

Oh, Hunter. As Sebastian sings in The Little Mermaid: “Go on and kiss the girl”



 

That song will be in your head all day. You can thank me later. LOL

Find more after tax hump day teases here!







 

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Mid Week Tease: The Loophole #MWTease

 

It’s Wednesday and time for a little Mid Week Tease.

My just-in-time management skills are in full swing as I finish a short story submission for an anthology collection of office romance stories.

Here’s the beginning of The Loophole:

“Shit.” The flimsy top of Victoria Chase’s coffee cup flew off as she stomped on the break pedal a second too late. The sound of metal hitting metal filled her ears a split second before the hot latte splashed from the cup and landed all over her sleeve. She peered through the windshield at the car she’d just hit. The BMW circle insignia of the black SUV stared back at her as it pulled to the side of the road. Victoria winced at the nasty dent. Flicking on the hazard lights, she followed the car to the street’s shoulder. She swore under her breath, unclicked her seatbelt and pulled the door latch. Stepping out of her car, she strode to her front bumper and crouched down to get a good look. Her economy sedan weathered the fender bender with a small dent, unlike the fancy import she’d hit. Her ears perked as a car door slammed shut. Heavy footsteps approached and stopped a few feet away. Victoria glanced to the side, eyeing a pair of expensive looking men’s leather shoes pointed toward the other car.

 

“I didn’t expect you to stop,” Victoria said, taking a visual journey of the stranger as she straightened her legs. Whoa. Perfectly tailored dark trousers wrapped around his ass. His broad shoulders strained against the fabric of the white button down shirt. The ends of his shaggy dark hair touched the starched collar. He turned to face her with a playful grin. Double whoa.

 

“Where I come from, people usually stop at stop signs,” he said and nodded his head toward the pole on the corner.

 

Victoria folded her arms. “You must not be from around here because no one ever actually stops at that sign. It’s more or less a rolling stop.”

 

He broadened his grin, which showcased a single dimple on his left cheek. “A rolling stop?”

 

“Sure, you know. You slow down, look both ways, and then go. A rolling stop.”

 

“I must’ve missed that in drivers’ ed.” He chuckled.

 

“It’s one of those loopholes. Check your manual.” Victoria said as she assessed the damage she did to his car. A nice sized dent glared back at her. She was sure it would be cost a bundle to repair. Her bank account was running on empty due to her unemployed status. “Look, the truth is I have an interview in—“ she glanced at her watch. “Shit. Twenty minutes at the Corporate Park. I use this neighborhood as a cut through to avoid the highway traffic and save time.”

 

He glanced at the back of his car then to Victoria’s bumper. “Well, it looks like your loophole backfired. What’s your name?”

 

“Victoria. Let me grab my license and insurance card.” She turned on her heels to retrieve her information from the car.

“There’s no need for that.” He caught her forearm with his hand. Strong fingers wrapped lightly around her wrist sending a hot blast of heat up her arm.  “You’re late for your interview. I’m late for work. There’s not much damage to my car. My body shop guy can pop out the ding and clean up the scratches for a minimal amount.” He released her arm and pointed at the dent.

Victoria looked from one car to the other. She was happy to keep the insurance company out of it. “But I insist on paying for your repairs.” She narrower her eyes at the angry dent. “I may need to pay it off in installments though.”

 

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Mid Week Tease: Dominate Takeover #MWTease

Happy April!

It’s finally looking like Spring in my neck of the woods.

It’s Mid Week Tease time and I’m posting the very beginning of a short story I’m working on for an anthology submission. I hope to finish it up sometime this week. *fingers crossed*

“…and that’s why Jacobs Enterprises is ripe for our taking.” Ben Stiles took a deep breath as he placed the projector remote control on the corner of the conference table. Hours of preparation and research resulted an ironclad case for the takeover. The nods around the room confirmed his assessment. Tom Morrison, Sentinel’s CEO, glanced around the table of executives. “Nice work, Ben. Acquiring Jacobs’ book of business will push us ahead of our competition to make Sentinel the number one Internet security provider in the country. Unless anyone objects, I say we get the ball rolling.” Murmurs of agreement filled the room.

“I have a question.” A manicured hand holding a silver pen caught Ben’s attention. Rachel Carson, Sentinel’s VP of Technology and the only woman on the executive team, stood and a stray lock of blonde hair fell from the tight bun a the nape of her neck as she slipped on her glasses. “I agree, Jacobs Enterprises is the right fit for us, but do me a favor and flip back a few slides.” She pointed to the presentation.

Ben raised his eyebrow slightly. “Of course.” His thumb hit the back button on the remote.

“Yes, that one, with the IT projections.” She approached the screen and narrowed her eyes. “I’m concerned about these figures. Their system is homegrown. Mick Jacobs designed his IT platform from the ground up. It’s not an out-of-the-box set up. I’m afraid it would require a complete conversion to be compatible with our system, not just an upgrade as this forecast shows.”

“How do you know their platform isn’t compatible, Rachel?” Morrison asked.

“I read an interview in a trade magazine where he talks about the technology he developed for the company. He explained how it was unique to anything else on the market.” Rachel shrugged. “Maybe he was stroking his own ego, but if it’s true, our expenses will be higher than this.” She tapped her pen on the screen. The projector’s light bounced off the silver cuff peeking out of her suit jacket sleeve hitting Ben in the eyes.

“How much more are we talking about?” Morrison asked.

Rachel scanned the screen before turning her attention to the CEO. “It’s hard to say without understanding his platform.”

“Ballpark.”

Silence filled the room. Rachel’s eyes flicked to Ben before returning her attention to the screen. “It’d require a complete software and hardware overhaul. I’d increase the projection by at least a million.”

“Time?”

“Six months if you push the conversion team hard. Realistically, you’re looking at nine months to a year to convert them.”

All eyes were on Ben as he stood next to his flawed presentation. In the period of less than a minute, the meeting took a nosedive and Ben’s credibility was sinking fast. He turned his attention to the CEO. “I’d like to meet with Jacobs and get him to talk about his system.”

Morrison closed his folder and stood. “I want both of you to meet with Jacobs together. You have one chance and you need Rachel there. Wine and dine him. Get him to talk.”

Ben straightened his back in an attempt to sound confident even though he felt like a deflated balloon. “Will do.”

“And next time, consult with Rachel on IT matters. We have the best people in the business on our team. Use them.” Morrison glared a warning at Ben.

“Yes…sir.” The ‘sir’ caught on Ben’s tongue before he forced the word from his lips. It didn’t come natural to him. But at that moment, he was skating on thin ice.

“I want revised numbers on my desk by the end of next week,” Morrison barked before stalking out of the conference room.

Rachel walked back to the location of her seat at the table and gathered her folder before following the rest of the suits out the door.

What the hell just happened?

Ben strode to his office and shut the door. Typing Jacobs Enterprises into the search box, he clicked around the site. Until that point Mick Jacobs was a faceless name. The time had come to find out more about him. It was something he should’ve done during his research. As Sentinel’s acquisitions director, Ben was tasked with finding the best companies ripe for Sentinel’s picking. He focused on financials and mix of business, never on the actual people involved. He realized what a mistake that was when he clicked on the webpage containing Jacobs’ management team and found the CEO’s head shot. Dark green eyes mocked him from the screen. Fuck me.

I hope to have more for you next week. Please hop along the list for snippets from my teasing comrades…



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Mid Week Tease: Sexy Stand-off #MWTease

Happy Hump Day!

When, oh when will it warm up? The sun is shining, but oh my, it’s still freezing here in the northeast!

To warm up a bit, I started working on a new sexy short story for an anthology call. If you’ve read The Submission of a Mafia Princess, you may remember Mick. He’s a longtime Satin Rose member and the CEO of an up-and-coming tech company.

Ben and Rachel are tasked with getting information out of him for a possible takeover. In this scene, they meet with Mick for the first time. Like any good Dom, Mick has some demands of his own…

“What’s this about?” Mick Jacobs leaned back and folded his arms.

Ben slid a business card across the table. Mick placed his index finger on the card and moved it closer. His eyes flicked from the card to Ben. “Acquisitions Director at Sentinel. Nice gig.

“Sentinel is looking closely at your company.”

“Get in line, kid. Sentinel isn’t the only one. When you go from writing code in a basement apartment to Forbes’ watch list in less than two years, people take notice.”

“We can make you a rich man.”

Mick chuckled and stabbed at the lime wedge in his club soda. The ice cubes clinked along the side of the glass. “I’m already a rich man. You have to offer me something… more.”

“Such as?” Ben mimicked Mick’s body language.

Mick’s gaze moved from Ben to Rachel. “Did you know our buildings are next to each other on Park Avenue?”

Rachel nodded.

“Tell me, Rachel, which direction does your office face?”

Rachel swallowed hard. The man sitting next to her rattled her nerves. “My office faces Fifty-fifth Street,” Rachel said, before tipping back the last sip of her wine.

“Which floor?”

Ben cleared his throat. “We’re on the sixteenth floor. Why?”

A slow grin appeared on Mick’s face. “Interesting. We’re practically neighbors. I’m across the street on the seventeenth floor. I imagine you two work late. You’re probably the only two people there at night. Am I correct?”

“What are you getting at, Jacobs?”

Whew! Things are getting interesting, huh? I hope to get the first draft done this weekend so I should have more for you on this story next week!

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Join me in Vegas, baby! @HotMojaveKnight

I just received this pretty graphic from the Hot Mojave Knights people this weekend and thought I’d share the news with you. I was invited to be a featured authors at this year’s HMK event which will be held the weekend of September 25th.

If you live in the Las Vegas area or just need a fabulous excuse to visit, check out the Hot Mojave Knights website. You can plan on lots of authors/reader events, wine tastings, books signings, a Military themed ball, the Hunk Mansion male revue…do I need to continue?

So, grab a couple of friends and book a flight to Vegas. Remember, what happens at Hot Mojave Knights, stays at Hot Mojave Knights!