Eden Connor's Blog, page 9

Guarding the Line ~ Chapter 1

           The setting sun dipped behind the bank of clouds above the distant Atlanta skyline, revealing lace made of gold. Something soft, like the inquisitive touch of a kitten, tickled her hand. Verity Alexander tightened her fingers around the nuzzling, full-blown rose pressing into her palm, wishing she dared use their power. Her imagination painted an image of the three women approaching, each writhing in pain while the sweet-scented vines bound them, slowly driving sharp thorns into their flesh. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath.         When she opened them, she noted the gazing globe centered in her front garden was still a charcoal-tinted orb. Exhaling slowly, she tried to send her growing tension out of her body with the expelled breath. She’d dreamed of this moment for months. An illusion of serenity would better serve her.       Oncoming twilight darkened the shapeless robes worn by her uninvited guests, but Verity knew the fabric was the color of human blood. Watching the women known collectively as the Triscaro move closer, her hatred toward these rulers of the adorii world seemed to scorch her veins, even while her heartbeat danced in anticipation of their message. 
       Her sentence was up.       Inhaling again, she studied the gilded clouds, seeking serenity from their beauty. The slow-moving group came to a halt at the edge of the drive, as though sensing the violence in her thoughts. They were wise to remain cautious here. This garden surrounding her home was not what it appeared.        “Verity Lavender Alexander.” Pallora spoke, she thought. Though hoods obscured their faces, it was always Pallora who spoke. “Your sentence, as well as Sage’s, will be lifted at moon’s zenith. As the one bearing the mark of her punishment, you may have the honor of informing your sister.”      Some fucking honor. The hated voice was the one haunting her dreams. The sound turned her determination to be civil to thistledown in a thunderstorm. What was the point of being obsequious now? Metaphorically kneeling before these cruel bitches wouldn't change their mindset. If Dignata, Verax, and Pallora were expecting Verity to be gracious, she hoped they handled disappointment better than they wielded power.        Squaring her shoulders, she stared into the dark cowl shrouding the face of the oracle who’d spoken, annoyed by her inability to see her condemner’s eyes. “I am as I was named. I reiterate my innocence. Sage and Rosemary are innocent as well. The Line may have been crossed, but not by one of my family. Your fear has become as acid, dissolving your wisdom.”         She sensed Dignata was the most offended by her caustic words, though she couldn't tell the three apart. Sage’s conviction meant the Alexander family had fallen from aristocracy to outlaw in adorii society. The shiny scars lacing Verity’s back seemed to tighten. Pain lanced her, but she’d be damned before she’d show weakness before these women. Her father was a demigod in his own right. Rex Hin may have rejected Verity when he learned of her mother’s trickery, but his blood still flowed in her veins. The Triscaro hadn't yet spilled it all.       “Blame not me, Verity. One you love deceives.”       “Speaking of deceivers, when will Rex Hin’s sentence end? Will you set my father free or do you fear he is still a threat to your rule?” Overhead, the clouds reformed, dividing into dark, roiling shapes above and a wide swath of gold below, as though the Goddess also mocked this rotten bunch.        The air around Verity began to shimmer, betraying her anger. Pallora’s silence was underscored by the roar of waves crashing against the cliffs fifty yards behind the spot where the Triscaro stood. The pounding of the ocean echoed in her pulse and seethed in her ears. The blood-draped trio turned as one, showing her with their backs what they wouldn't deign to say. Her father wasn't getting off his conjured island prison any time soon.        She didn't give a damn whether Rex Hin ever set foot on shore again, but Sage and Rosemary cared. Adrienne, Verity’s mother, cared. Adrienne cared about little else, in fact. Over the roaring waves, Verity heard another sound, the musical tinkling of her charms, signaling the all-clear. The prickling, uncomfortable feeling of being watched by unseen eyes eased. Janus had called his minions home. Verity blew out a harsh breath, relieved to be rid of the spirits. Rats. Informers. Tattletales. Whatever. Their absence felt like the first kiss of spring.       Her hated watchers formed a leaden fog around the Triscaro, as though they knew it would be wise to protect the women’s backs. She stared until they were gone, caressing the rose head, regretting she hadn’t taken the rare opportunity to send them on the attack. The ruling sisters were reluctant to set foot out of the adorii realm. For them to come here meant… she wasn't sure what it meant, but a smile crossed her lips. She’d known they were coming. Known, despite their ‘sentence’. Half-breed she might be, but Verity had powers from her Wiccan side the triumvirate could not suspend.       A fingernail of moon appeared above the clouds. Closing her eyes, Verity tried to let go of her anger, focusing instead on the pull she felt from the fat quarter. Desire pulsed in her feminine tissues for the first time in eleven lunar cycles. Not tonight. Soon, she’d find a willing male and give in to her burgeoning desires, but now she had an appointment to keep. When she opened her eyes, the gazing globe had returned to its silvery state. Verity smiled at the reflection of the roses, topped by a circular reflection of the dusky gold and blue clouds overhead.        She was free. Stepping off the porch, she moved down the front walk. When she passed the pedestal supporting the decorative ball, she let her fingers skate across the smooth, yet slightly wavy glass. The mercury-filled piece felt warmer than the evening air, drawing her attention.       The curving image on the ball began to move. The deep red reflection of the surrounding rose petals began to fold in on themselves, turning into rectangles that became bricks. The bricks piled onto one another. The round image of the sky became a square, then a dirty display window. When all motion stilled, the image had resolved, not into a reflection of anything around her, but a dilapidated storefront. Verity thought the building looked familiar, but the sphere warped the image to the point she wasn't sure which realm it was in, human or adorii.        No matter. If the building was important, it would find her.

       Bunt! Who the fuck laid down a bunt with two outs in the bottom of the ninth? Cursing aloud, Mike Reardon charged toward the ball rolling slowly away from home plate. It was too much to hope the fucking thing would go foul. He didn't glance at the rookie, now hurtling down the first base line. Mike's entire focus was on the nine-inch sphere of white leather, held together by precisely one hundred and eight red stitches. Halfway to home plate, the damn thing lost all momentum. Charging hard, Mike extended his left arm, palm up. He was taking a risk, trying to scoop the ball up with his glove alone, but this was the top of the ninth in a goddamn exhibition game and he still didn't know whether or not he’d earned the starting job as Atlanta’s third baseman. So, fuck it, he was going for broke.        Leaning over while still running flat out, Mike’s attention diverted to the piece of supple leather he wore on his left hand. His cleats churned the rust-toned infield dirt. It seemed to take forever before the tip of his short infielder’s glove touched the sphere. Flipping his wrist, he grinned when he saw the ball jump into the air. Snatching the ball with his bare right hand, he dug his cleats into Turner Field, trying to stop his forward momentum, knowing he’d fall. Twisting at the waist, he pulled the fist grasping the ball level with his ear before hurling the ball toward the first baseman. The force of his throw and the torque put on his frame by his competing motions threw him off his feet, but falling was something he had a lot of experience doing.               
      Tumbling over the snowy chalk line marking foul territory, Mike rolled to a stop and got to his knees. Cameras flashed all over the stadium, blinding him. Gulping a lungful of air, he held it, barely able to see the ball fly across the infield for the spots before his eyes and the roiling infield dust. He strained to hear one voice in fifty thousand.       The blue shirted man behind the first base bag balled his right fist. “Yer out! Ball game!”       Yes. Mike pumped his fist, looking around at the roaring crowd in the stands. He was officially off work now—well, after an interview or three—and Mike knew exactly how he planned to celebrate. A new town and a new team meant it was time for new ink.


To be continued on April 8th.




Now, jump with me over to the blogs of my two baseball-lovin' pals and see what Jennifer Simpkins and Kathleen King Grieve have in store today on the baseball theme. Together, we're the "Baseball Babes", so named for our mutual love of the sport. All season, the three of us will be posting on a baseball theme every Monday. I'm going to kill two birds with one stone and rewrite this  older WIP, since my hero is a professional baseball player. 

Also, Breaking Glass is now available on Amazon! How would you tell your lover you wanted a ménage with his best friend? 
Free spirited, passionate Jillian picked the wrong moment to blurt out her fantasy, causing her husband Dylan to turn so cold she asked him to move out. Now, rather than celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary, the Carmichaels are headed for divorce court.
Enter Eros, popcorn-loving owner of those passion-tipped points. When a hot jolt of lust doesn’t melt Dylan’s hard heart, what’s a demoted demigod to do? It’s gonna be a long night, because Eros has been given only one to rekindle the Carmichael’s love.

A Hot Man and a Quickie ~ Too Bad It Wasn't His C*ck

The hot man: 


Nice view isn't it? You're welcome. <grin>

Places to stalk romance cover model John Quinlan:
http://irishjohnquinlan.blogspot.com/http://www.johnquinlan.org/http://twitter.com/johnjquinlan
The quickie: (excerpt from CC #2, untitled)


His wife had perfect lips. They’d never looked better than they did at this moment, rounded into a perfect oval as she climaxed. Her swaying breasts were perfect as well, their motion reflecting the rhythm of the hard cock pistoning into her.Too bad it wasn't his cock, but those were his lips, his breasts, and for that matter, his nose. J.J. Winters leaned against the opened door frame, waiting for Mallory to notice him. Shouldn't be long now. Her young stud was starting to grunt and groan and he’d lost his smooth stroke. J.J. tried to care. He figured he should feel a lot of things he no longer felt, and not just about his wayward wife. The gleaming brass headboard called up a long-buried memory of his older brother’s sports trophies, the ones his mother displayed on her mantelpiece, pointing them out to any visitor unfortunate enough to darken the door of her south Boston home. He was a long way from Boston. A long way from the pimple-faced, painfully shy bookworm his mother mostly ignored. He no longer had acne and he’d lost the frail physique that had kept him on the sidelines while his brother lettered in three sports.His brother was a pipe fitter and lived about four blocks from their mother, while J.J. was a plastic surgeon with a surgical suite adjacent to Emory University Hospital. Apparently, his accomplishments weren't enough for Mallory. 

*~*~*~*~*

News:
Not only will Breaking Glass be available tomorrow on Amazon, but I finally have the rights to the De Marco series back, so here's a peek at the mock-up of the new cover I've designed  for Soft Sounds of Pleasure:



Thanks for dropping in. Have a great week!  

A Hot Man and a Quickie ~ 'Baseball' Means 'No'?

The hot man:

While I do enjoy a good game of football, I'd love to persuade gorgeous romance cover model John Quinlan to pick up a baseball bat for his next shoot. Perhaps that's because I have baseball on the brain right now. Come on, Opening Day! 

Places to stalk John:http://irishjohnquinlan.blogspot.com/http://www.johnquinlan.org/http://twitter.com/johnjquinlan
Baseball  made an appearance in my excerpt today,too:

The quickie: (excerpt from Forceful Negotiations, Carmine Club V.1)

What's that? Oh, yeah, I did change this cover again.  (blush) This is the final version, pinkie swear. 

Jane merely smiled and pressed her palms to her knees, locking her elbows. “You understand this is role play, Cameron?”“I understand no means no.” The frost in his tone should have painted her office walls whiter than that damn ballroom. He stared over her shoulder, refusing to look at the woman, though he felt her scrutiny. Instead, he looked at the neat row of her diplomas, framed in black. The wall behind them was painted dark beige or light brown. He couldn't decide what to call the color. He did know what to call the obscenity written on the paper she wouldn't take from him. Rape. How many times had he promised a jury no woman had ever asked to be raped?
“In this case, ‘baseball’ means ‘no’.” Jane’s statement sounded so ludicrous, he turned to look at her. “That’s her safe word, the word that causes all activity to cease immediately, no matter what may be happening. She wants this, Cameron. It’s her fantasy.” Jane leaned forward so abruptly her glasses slipped down her nose. She laid her hand on his knee. “Cam, you went into that ballroom. You picked her. You touched her, maybe even intimately. A connection was formed. Despite the titillating idea of illicit sex, what happens here is quite different. These women bare themselves so they can get some sexual healing.”
Looking away from her beseeching eyes, Cam narrowed his gaze on the row of diplomas again. “Then she needs a shrink.”
“No, what she needs is for you to get in touch with that man you've muted, the less civilized one lurking inside.” 
Her voice. Dear God, Aphrodite’s voice came from the throat of this plain woman. It was like audible sex. He didn't want to listen, but her words seemed to penetrate his brain.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Speaking of baseball, starting April 1, I'll be writing a novel in weekly installments, right here on my blog. Guarding the Line is a paranormal baseball romance. How's that for genre-bending? You can read the premise here. 





Thanks for dropping in! See you next week, when hopefully, I'll be announcing the release of Breaking Glass.

A Hot Man and a Quickie ~ How Do You Ask For A Menage, Anyway?

The hot man:



Enjoy the weekly peek at romance cover model John Quinlan.  Something about that unbuttoned white dress shirt just does it for me. How about you?

http://irishjohnquinlan.blogspot.com/http://www.johnquinlan.org/http://twitter.com/johnjquinlan

The Quickie:

...is from the Carmine Club prequel, Breaking Glass, which now has a cover and is off to the editor. 





"I don't know what else to say, but I've gotta get Jill back. I've thought about this all night. I'm not insecure about much, but Jillian's my world." Dylan swiped at his face again and raked his nails along his jaw. “If she needs this…. Will you help me give Jill her fantasy?”“My turn?” Went sat up and unlaced his fingers. Dylan nodded, a difficult feat because his heart was wedged in his throat. Dropping his hands to the edge of his desk, Went drummed his index fingers momentarily. "This won’t come as any big shock to you, but the idea of saying ‘I love you’ to a woman scares the ever-lovin’ hell outta me. I don’t have time to make partner and cure my fear of intimacy. But that night at the festival, when I walked up on you with Jill and she said ‘I want him too’, it hit me how perfect that could be." Swiping at a speck of dust Dylan couldn't see, he added, "You've known me since we were twelve, dude. I'm the last man on Earth you'd need to worry about taking your woman. But…."Dylan only stared across the desk. Was Went saying ‘yes’, or leading up to ‘hell, no’? His heart stuttered. The rest of his plans hinged on his friend’s agreement. Finding another man was out of the question. Teague had been right. Went was the only man he’d trust. Jill wouldn't believe words, not after last night, but if he could prove—"But goddammit, I'm sick of serial fucking. It just seemed like… like she wanted it… the three of us… that might be an outside-the-box solution." Shifting in his seat, Went looked about as miserable as Dylan had felt until sometime around sunrise, when he stepped outside to stretch his legs and realized he could fix everything. All he had to do was break something first—tradition. "That’s why I kissed her. But if it wasn't something you were into…. That’s what I shouldn't have to tell you. I’d never lay a hand on her without y—"Dylan held up a hand. He’d known that all along. During the dark, silent days last August, when Jill asked for a spot to put up a studio just before they split up, he showed her several of his properties, but quoted a monthly price for the building next door at less than half the mortgage payment, to see if the pair hooked up. Joe was right; Jill and Went hadn't so much as gotten donuts and coffee together. He’d have heard about it if they had. "I'm sure I love her. I'm sure she wants the two of us at once. I don’t think I'll get her back any other way." Dylan lowered his eyes to the carpet and dragged his nails along the worn seams of his work jeans. "I couldn't say this to anyone but you. We've been friends since the sixth grade, but hell, all I could think was, what if she likes your equipment better than mine?"


~*~*~*~*~*~

 I'll be posting a weekly chapter of a new story every week, starting April 1. Read the blurb for Guarding the Line here. 

Thanks for dropping in. Have a great week! 

A Hot Man and a Quickie ~ Golf Isn't the Game Played at Carmine Club

It's been a busy week for me. Edits came back for Forceful Negotiations, I'm putting the finishing touches on Always Kiss Me Last, and in my spare time I worked on a blog makeover and designed a new logo. 
Speaking of graphics, I have no idea how many covers I've made for this series, but the image on the left-hand side is the final cover art. Yes, I know what you're thinking, "Another 'final' one, Eden?" but it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind and this time, I'm seriously done.

The Hot Man: I'm almost certain I'll be using this shot of model John Quinlan for the cover of the third Carmine Club story. You may stalk John at the following locations:http://irishjohnquinlan.blogspot.com/http://www.johnquinlan.org/http://twitter.com/johnjquinlan


The Quickie:  (excerpt from Carmine Club No. 01, Forceful Negotiations)
Why do women want men who aren’t capable of love?Never again,Cam vowed, staring at the litter of makeup pots and pencils, old photos of people he didn’t know, half-filled perfume bottles, and romance novels. No more women who can’t acknowledge their own worth. The next time he met a woman who needed saving he was gonna leave to slay her own dragons and run like hell in the opposite direction. Squatting, he picked up a pot of something pink, turning it in his fingers. Compliments, flowers, helping her polish her resume to look for a better job, all the time spent trying to boost Anna’s self-confidence was like the makeup. The effect came off the next time she showered.Tossing bits of Anna into a garbage bag, Cam knew the echo in his heart meant little. They’d been done for over a year. His thoughts veered to the coming weekend. His boss had extended an invitation to join his club. A southern gentleman and native of Savannah, Scott always couched his orders as invitations. Dreading endless weekend rounds of golf, Cam had been delighted to learn the place wasn’t the country club he’d expected. He turned Scott’s explanation over in his mind.Carmine Club caters to the sexual fantasies of women, Cameron. The ultimate high any man can achieve is gratifyin’ a woman sexual desires, whatever they may be. Knowing you can satisfy any woman, anytime, anywhere, no matter what she needs, is a power trip unlike any other. It’s not that hard for us to get off, but women… ah, they’re marvelously complex little things. I believe any man who knows he can do that will exhibit that confidence in his day-to-day tasks. This club provides the ideal place for learning what makes women tick. And if you can understand women, you can understand any damn thing. Gentlemen elected to join this exclusive fraternity are honor-bound to make the ladies’ fantasies come true, without judgment.Despite his vow, a sexual suit of armor sounded intriguing. Cam’s footsteps echoed in the empty apartment, their sound muted when he stepped into the carpeted hall. Yanking open the discrete door at the end of the corridor, he dropped her things down the garbage chute, letting what remained of his feelings for her follow. Tugging up his sweater sleeve, he ripped off the cotton ball taped to the inside of his elbow and tossed it, too.A fraternity of men honor-bound to make any sexual fantasy come true. Carmine Club sounded a helluva lot better than any golf club.

Thanks for dropping by. Have a great week! 

A Hot Man and a Quickie ~ Polishing Eve's Pomegranites

Wow, Saturday already. time for a hot man and a quickie. 
The hot man, 
as always, is romance cover model John Quinlan.



Do take that shirt off, John. It's summer somewhere.

Places to stalk John:
http://irishjohnquinlan.blogspot.com/http://www.johnquinlan.org/http://twitter.com/johnjquinlan

The quickie. 

I figured it's time y'all met Eros, the uninvited paranormal guest who's hiding from the mighty warrior angel Ishmael the Lessor at Carmine House, much to Willa's chagrin. 

(unedited excerpt from Carmine Club's free prequel ~ Always Kiss Me Last)

"You have been summoned." Ishmael pointed his sword at Eros, sounding all bad-ass."Cool, there’s an orgy?" He took pleasure from the tight lines appearing around the angel’s mouth. "I’m so there.""Hardly. The Judicious One requires your presence. Leave the toy bow and arrow here. No more of your accidents." The angel glared down his nose. One accident, Eros ruffled his feathers. Just one little accident. His fingers twitched on the taut string he’d just installed on his bow. Not for the first time, he contemplated shooting an arrow at the chaste angel. What fun it would be to watch the smug bastard driven insane by a lust he wasn’t allowed to enjoy, but he'd never quite worked out what the consequences of that act might be.  The bastard had a memory longer than his wings. Millenniums had passed since the day they'd all visited to Earth to admire One’s new Garden. Eros's arrow had missed the juicy red fruit he’d been aiming for, striking Eve. He was almost positive Ishmael used his massive wings to create the naughty wind spoiling his perfect aim that fateful day. Ishmael never missed a chance to rub Eros's nose in the fact he'd set the downfall of mankind in motion. Seriously, to hear the angel talk, you’d think the Serpent had been an innocent earthworm, hanging about holding a hankie in case Eve needed her pomegranates polished.

Have a great week! Thanks for dropping by!

At War in the Willows ~ Kiki Howell Print Release Tour

To view participating blogs, click here
Kiki Howell and Naughty Nights Press are pleased to announce the At War In The Willows book tour, celebrating the release of At War In The Willows in paperback format. Please visit the participating blogs and join in the fun.Kiki Howell, affectionately dubbed The Queen of Paranormal Erotica,  has captured our hearts with her trilogy, At War In The Willows. The first book, The Vampire’s Witch was quickly followed by The Vampire’s Wolf and ended with The Vampire’s Human.

Synopsis: The Willows is a resort town run by vampires, werewolves and witches. Here, their true identities are kept secret from humans, and intimate relations between the individual clans are strictly forbidden.When it becomes known that the vampire Amberlyn has fallen in love with the werewolf Kane, the tedious line of their co-existence has been crossed. Caught in the crossfire of this revelation, Drake, the vampire clan leader and Amberlyn’s maker, is killed along with an innocent witch. These deaths spark a series of horrific events leading to an all out War In The Willows.Unexpected close encounters, bodies ripe with need, and situations beyond their control lead to forbidden relationships. Now three vampires, a witch, a werewolf and a human must ride along the edges of the rules. They will attempt once unthinkable romantic entanglements despite all those who oppose their relationships, while fighting for their lives as well.With the Willows full of violence and bloodshed, meetings and magic amiss, will the clans ever be able to find peace among them again? Or, will this war destroy the Willows?

What people have said about At War In The Willows Good plot, great characters and sexy enough to raise the temperature in my house about 20 degrees. A real page turner! ~4/5 Stars by Angela Holtz: Reviews for Book I, The Vampire's Witch“This is the first adult book I've read by Kiki Howell. And it was delicious! Good plot, great characters and sexy enough to raise the temperature in my house about 20 degrees... It's a very fast read, only about 50 pages. But it's a real page turner!” ~4/5 Stars by Lilac Wolf“Ms Howell weaves a spell binding web that ensnares the mind and lets the reader drift away in to another world. I highly look forward to the next two books in this series!” ~4/5 Stars by Phoenix Johnson“This is a sexy but short vampire and witch story which takes place in the middle of an upcoming war between three species. I can't wait for the next book in the series.” ~ 4 Stars from Linda Tonis, Member of the Paranormal Romance Review TeamReviews for Book II, The Vampire's Wolf“This is the second book in the series and picks up exactly where the first when left off… This is a short story with explicit sex. I can't wait for the next book to find out what Devin's story is and to continue learning about Isaac and Amberlyn.”~ 4 Stars from Linda Tonis, Member of the Paranormal Romance Review Team 
Purchase your eBook copy at NNP eStore | All Romance eBooks | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Smashwords Coming soon on Kobo, B&N and Diesel Books

Purchase your print copy at Createspace | Amazon 

***Meet Kiki Howell
Ever since she was young, Kiki Howell has loved to listen to a well-woven tale with real characters, inspired plots, and delightful resolutions. Kiki could spend hours lost in a book, and soon she knew that creating lives, loves, and losses with just words had to be the greatest thing that she could do. To that end, she pursued her study of literature and writing, earning a bachelor’s degree in English. She then followed in a Master’s program in Creative Writing.
“After a long break having my boys, I finally just had to write again. And, as soon as I gave the stories the space, they entered it. It’s both awesome and humbling to find the words in my mind become characters on a page and create their lives.”She has now had over thirty stories published between eleven different publishers. Kiki could not be more thrilled or grateful to see her creations polished and out in the real world. Please look around. Although a bit of caution, most of her stories tend to hang out on the graphically sexy side of town.

In May, 2011, Kiki was chosen as an Ohioana Book Festival author for her novel, Torn Asunder. And, in March 2012, Kiki was awarded Bestselling Author for Naughty Nights Press, also earning two Silver Stars from All Romance Ebooks for her NNP novellas: Love, Creativity and Magick; The Vampire's Witch; and most recently Mystical Mayhem. Kiki's At War in the Willows Series has also been nominated for Best Series of 2012 by Sizzling PRKiki resides in the Midwest with her incredibly handsome and talented, singer/songwriter husband Stephen Howell and two children. When she is not writing, she is spending time with her family, reading, baking or knitting.Her biggest dream is to have a novel she writes be made into a movie that her husband creates the soundtrack for, and then cruise to Alaska with her family on the money they make.***Contact Kiki Howell:Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Fan Page | Pinterest 
To commemorate her print release, Kiki is giving one lucky reader a hand-knitted scarf, complete with jeweled 'blood droplets'. Enter to win on every participating blog! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Character Interview with Cree Walker ~ Whisper on a Scream and Giveaway Goodness, too!

E: Welcome, Cree. Congratulations on your print release. I get excited about the chance to do character interviews, so  before we get to the nitty-gritty details of your release tour, let's meet the characters of Whisper on a Scream, an exclusive interview for this stop: 


Sugar Lubec: What would you give up everything to have?
One night with Jack Coon, without all the rules, without the Council breathing down our necks and without the idea that spending one night with him could result in that whole, ‘til death do you part werewolf thing that terrifies me. I know I want him at least once but I don’t believe in forever.
Jack Coon: What is your biggest fear?
That she’ll never want me the way I want her. That the damage that’s been done to her is too much for even a werewolf pairing to rectify, that she doesn’t know how to love.
Sugar Lubec: What do you see when you look in the mirror?
A scared little girl covered in scars nobody else can see. I see weakness, pain and tragedy. I see someone so broken they can barley take care of themselves much less the Queen Jack wants me to be.
            What is about to change for you?
For the first time in my life I am going to allow myself to heal. I’m going to trust Jack enough to let him help me become the woman I was Born to be.
Jack Coon: Who are you?
I am an Alpha werewolf to the largest pack in North America. I’m also the one the Council relies on to enforce our laws. Some people call me a killer, a murderer but our way of life is being threatened by those who ignore our rules and I will do anything, anything to protect my pack.
           Jack Coon: What is about to change for you?
For the first time in my life I’m putting one person ahead of my pack and I will risk everything to convince her that she is the only one I would ever do this for. Being an Alpha female isn’t something that can ever be taught and she was Born to be mine.

E: Whew, that sounds like an intense love story. I'm a sucker for a man who's already in love when we meet him. 

Naughty Nights Press Press announcement:

Cree Walker is over the moon to announce that one of her bestselling books, Whisper On A Scream, is now available in paperback format.Choosing which NNP author and book would be NNP's first paperback release was a very difficult choice. NNP went with the readers choice for who would be the first lot of paperback novels to be released and Cree Walker’s book was one of those rating the highest.
Book Description:Sugar Lubec is the daughter of two bitten werewolf parents. When born werewolf Jack Coon, is sent by the Council to eliminate the daughter of their greatest enemy, he thinks his chance for revenge has finally come – that is, until he meets Sugar for the first time. Now he has to not only convince the Council that Sugar isn't a threat to them, but that she maybe the very key to saving their dying race.***What People Have Said:The story line was unique and kept my attention through to the last page. You find yourself rooting for the characters, you want them to beat the odds stacked against them. This is the perfect recipe for an entertaining book. 5 stars

Great start to a new series. I liked Sugar and you'll like Sugar, because she has a strong personality ... funny, and snarky ... loyal and strong willed. I don't know how many times I laughed at her comments throughout the book. You'll cheer Sugar on through her trials and tribulations and cry when things work out. I think everyone has a little bit of Sugar in them, and you just want her to come out on top in the end. 5 stars

Fantastic storyline. I thought the story line was fantastic, I was drawn into Sugar's world and found myself rooting for this character, hoping that the world would allow her some happiness after denying her for so long. There are glimmers of humor and also romance which alleviate the darkness of the storyline. 4 stars

This is one of the best books I have read in along time. Could not put it down. Love the detail and descriptions so that I could put a face to Sugar and Jack. Simply a wonderful story. A+++++ Cree. Well done. 5 stars***Ebook: NNP eStore | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Are| Smashwords | B&N | Kobo | Diesel BooksPaperback: Createspace | Amazon***Meet Cree Walker:Cree Walker lives in Northern Maine, otherwise known as the part north of Bangor. There she lives with her partner in crime and most patient debate opponent and their two dogs, a Doberman Pinscher for snuggling and a thirteen pound Rat Terrier for security. She can be found most days typing away at the computer or, because she’s forced to, working a full time job as an advanced psychiatric technician for the local hospital.***Contact Cree Walker at the following places:
Blog | Fan Page | Visit list of participating blogs here for more chances to win.



In celebration of her print release, Cree's holding a raffle for this painting, actually described in the story. Cree ha painted it herself, showcasing yet another of her talents. Enter below to win! (Due to postage considerations, only US addresses are eligible)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Hot Man and a Quickie ~ Grandma Calls Her a Floozy

The hot man: 

I just woke and already, I have an urge to crawl back into bed. Romance cover model John Quinlan looks smokin' in this shot. Dress shirt unbuttoned. White sheets to show off that tan. (shivers). Enjoy!

Contact links for John:
http://irishjohnquinlan.blogspot.com/http://www.johnquinlan.org/http://twitter.com/johnjquinlanPinterest boards featuring John and his romance covers: http://pinterest.com/taabia/model-john-quinlan/
http://pinterest.com/mfrworg/john-quinlan-romance-cover-model/


The Quickie:(From Kiss Me Last, Carmine Club prequel)"My friend started throwin' these parties for women. They’re called CFNM parties. You ever heard of those?"Dylan shook his head, trying to guess what the acronym stood for. He owned a real estate investment firm, but he loved nothing more than working with his hands. Joe pulled off his own real estate deals. Whatever he needed from Dylan had to be carpentry."Teague borrowed two, but I got three windows. I’ll give 'em all to you if you’ll work the Clothed Female, Naked Male party tonight."Three was the perfect number. With three, he could put them in the— Joe's words registered. Dylan choked on his coffee. "Basically, you strip down to your skivvies and waltz around the room. You can’t touch the women, but they can touch you any way they’d like." Dylan gaped. Joe shrugged, grinning like a tabby cat on a tuna boat. "After a few minutes of fondling, they cuff you to a chair or to another guy. The women form two teams. The winning team is the one that makes their guy come first. All my windows are yours if you can hold out twenty minutes before you shoot." Joseph grinned. "Just wear that suit. They'll give you a mask and sexy underwear, but your cock’s gonna be bare."Dylan blinked, imagining strange women stroking his cock. At a party.Jillian would love a party like that. The memory of Jill's scornful tone when she'd called him 'boring' made him wince. It wasn’t boring to be discrete. Dylan's almost-ex wife was what his grandmother called a floozy.
Thanks for droppin' in. Have a great week! (Giveaway happenin' through 2/11 one post down! Let me buy you a book for reading another Carmine Club excerpt.)

Heartbreaker Hop ~ You Wanna Handcuff Me to WHAT?

We've all had our hearts broken. That's what heartbreakers do, they leave behind a trail of broken-hearted women. Willa Davis Seachrist has had her share of heartbreak. If you find it hard to feel sympathy for her, I'd understand  After all, how much pain can a woman with a billion dollar divorce settlement actually feel?
Enough pain to set her on a unique course. As a pimp.


 (unedited excerpt from Carmine Club No. 01 Forceful Negotiations)

"I wanted this house. So, I bought it and set about restorin' it. In the process, I found Eve Carmine's diaries. This house was completed in eighteen fifty-nine. Readin' her comments about her life, I realized in the midst of all this wealth, Eve was livin' in sexual poverty. I could relate. I wasn't struck as much by what had changed for women in two hundred and fifty-three years as I was by what hasn't. Rich or poor, women still have to scrimp in one important regard. Sexual satisfaction. Too damn many of us live in sexual poverty, Teague." The elegant woman turned her back on the window. Her painted lips curved into the first smile Teague felt was genuine. "One day I had an epiphany. What if I could use my money and this estate to offer women the chance to explore their fantasies in a safe, consensual environment? Why not create a place where our fantasies are the ones being celebrated?" Sex had been a luxury for Teague, something she rarely had time to indulge in. When she did, if she'd been open about her needs, she only hit another wall of male condemnation. Yet sex was like breathing, everyone was compelled to do it. The fact sex usually left her gasping for a release that never came only made fucking less effective than air, not different. She felt the truth of Willa's words down to her soul. Hell, she could be the poster child for sexual starvation."Why an auction?" Before she penned the hardest part of her short statement, caution made Teague voice the concern. Roaming the estate and meeting someone she wanted to sleep with was one thing, but the way this club worked was unusual, to say the least.Willa returned to her chair, smoothing her side swept bangs in a way that made Teague think of a cat perfecting its fur. The older blonde lowered her voice and lifted her index finger to her temple. "Men must compete in order to tap into that head space where we need them to be on our club weekends. We want them feelin' manly and confident. Competitive. Think of the auction as sexual theater." Teague thought Willa's near-whisper a ploy to be sure the woman had her attention. She resented the tactic even as she strained to make out every word. "We need their testosterone pumpin'. The auction sets that up nicely. You'll strip and be handcuffed to one of our luggage carts. They work deliciously well."
           Poor Willa. While she's fearless when it comes to helping her friends cure their sexual starvation, take it from me, she's not gonna be a happy camper when she finds out Cupid has moved into her mansion. His mission? Help Willa find her soul mate. Not the easiest job when she's fighting Eros tooth and nail. And honey, if anyone knows how to fight dirty, it's a former Miss Georgia. 


HOP PRIZES: 

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
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For dropping in and enjoying a bit of my new series-in-progress, I'd like to offer a prize, too. 
For a chance to have me gift you ANY BOOK on your Amazon, B&N, or Kobo wish list (up to $9.99) leave a comment below, telling me how you'd feel about being in Teague's shoes, finding out you're about to take off your clothes, be handcuffed to a luggage cart, fondled by strange men you can't see, and have your most secret sex fantasy auctioned to the highest bidder--satisfaction guaranteed. For an extra entry into my drawing, post your response in your very best Georgia drawl. (Think Gone with the Wind, if you've never had the pleasure of talkin' to someone from Georgia :p)

BOOK BLOGGERS & REVIEWERS: If you'd be interested in an advance ARC of the new Carmine Club series for review, please let me know in your comments so I can forward a copy to you as soon as it's ready.) It's explicit, erotic, romantic fun.

Now, back to the main hop page for more heartbreakers and hot giveaways!  http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/