C.A. Szarek's Blog, page 4

Friday Feature: COVER REVEAL! Second by Chantal Fernando!

I am super excited about this Cover Reveal because it's YUMMY!!!!!




TITLE: SECONDS AUTHOR: Chantal Fernando RELEASE DATE: 2015GOODREADS



Blurb:
The first time he saw me fall was in pain.The second was in love—with him.
It wasn’t meant to happen.But he was there for me.A bad boy I had nothing in common with.
He was trouble. And he saved me.
But as secrets have their way of unravelling, the truth came to light. It always does.




AUTHOR BIO & LINKS 

Chantal Fernando is 26, a mother of three beautiful little boys and lives in Western Australia. Chase is her debut novel, followed by Kade, Ryder, James and Maybe This Time. She is currently working on a few other projects.

Facebook | Goodreads

Friday Feature: Lisabet Sarai's Confused Characters! AND GIVEAWAY!

It's always a pleasure to have fellow Totally Bound author, Lisabet Sarai on the blog. She's got a great guestpost today, so I will let her get to it!

***Make sure you answer Lisabet's question to YOU so you can get entered in her drawing for an awesome read!***



Confused Characters


Romance heroines tend to be quite sure of themselves, at least as far as love is concerned. There are two common situations that show up again and again. In many stories, the heroine recognizes her soul mate early on. She and the hero struggle against the external obstacles to their eventual union: social, economic or cultural differences; war, disease or disaster; active resistance or meddling by villains or other ill-intentioned individuals. In other tales, the heroine starts out quite certain that the hero is not a good match, because he’s too young for her, perhaps, or too arrogant, or because they’re on the opposite or competing sides in some conflict (for instance, he’s a Federal agent and she’s a local police officer, as in C.A.’s Collision Force). In these stories, she must overcome the inner barriers separating her and her (eventual) mate.


Many of my books don’t fall into either of these patterns. Thinking about my most recent release, The Ingredients of Bliss, I realized that my heroines are frequently confused about their romantic fate. In my very first novel, Raw Silk, Kate is torn among three lovers, each of whom fulfills her needs in a different way. She ends up choosing one of them, but both she and the reader are in suspense for much of the book. In Wild About That Thing, Ruby Jones feels conflicted and guilty when the dashing René enters her life, making her question her passionate “friends-with-benefits” relationship with Zeke. The solution in this book is a polyamorous triad, not something Ruby would have ever considered until the two men who care for her suggest it.
Mei Lee “Emily” Wong has similar problems in The Ingredients of Bliss . Is her mild-mannered master Harry Sanborne meant to be the love of her life? Or the sexy, debonair chef Etienne Duvalier, who secretly wants to be her slave? When both guys end up in her bed together, does this mean the three of them can construct a long-term, stable triangle? Or will an attempt to satisfy both the submissive and the dominant aspects of Emily’s psyche just lead to pain and disappointment?
It may be that this recurring theme in my work harkens back to my own somewhat wild and crazy youth. At one point, I had several romantic relationships going on concurrently. I recall feeling the same sort of confusion when trying to understand just how each of the people with whom I was involved might fit into my future.
I do worry a bit that my heroines’ uncertainty might turn readers off. There’s not much I can do about it, though. As my hostess will undoubtedly confirm, characters tend to have minds of their own. If one of my heroines is confused, I have to wait for her to find her own answers. I can’t impose them.
What do you think?  Do characters need to be sure what they want? Or are you willing to let them discover their true desires over the course of a story? Leave me a comment with your answer (and your email address).  
I’ll draw one name and give away an ebook copy of my sexy music-themed ménage romance Wild About That Thing.

And before I forget, a big thanks to C.A. for having me as her guest. Actually, she will be at my blog tomorrow. I hope you’ll drop by for a visit! 
  



 



The Ingredients of Bliss by Lisabet Sarai


One sexy French chef.One kinky American TV producer. One ambitious Chinese gal who thinks she wants them both. The ingredients of bliss? Or a recipe for disaster?


Accomplished cook Mei Lee ‘Emily’ Wong knows exactly what she wants—her own show on the Tastes of France food channel. But life is full of complications. First, her deceptively nerdy producer Harry Sanborne initiates Emily into the delights of submission. Then her boss, legendary chef Etienne Duvalier, begs her to dominate him. Emily just can’t resist—especially when Harry orders her to explore her inner mistress. Suave and sexy Etienne will do whatever she asks, in the bedroom if not in the kitchen. And Harry, her lovingly diabolical Dom, adores pushing Emily’s limits.


When the network sends the trio to France to shoot a series of cooking shows on location, Emily knows her career is on the upswing. Her plans fall apart in Marseille as a Hong Kong drug syndicate kidnaps both Etienne and Harry. The Iron Hammer Triad mistakes Etienne for notorious gangster Jean Le Requin, who has stolen their drug shipment, worth millions. Emily realizes she must find the real Le Requin, retrieve the purloined dope, and bargain it for Harry’s and Etienne’s lives. The secret she’s been keeping from Harry might prove useful. Still, what chance does one woman whose knife skills are limited to chopping vegetables have against the ruthless cruelty of two criminal organizations?


Read an Excerpt Here!

Buy it!Totally Bound | Amazon US |Amazon UK | KOBO |ARe 



More Lisabet:

Website
Blog
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Yahoo Group


About Lisabet:



Lisabet Sarai believes that imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac. Determined to live up to that motto, she has published more than fifty single author erotic titles and scores of sexy short stories, as well as editing nine acclaimed erotic anthologies. Lisabet has more degrees than anyone would ever need, from prestigious educational institutions who would no doubt be deeply embarrassed by her chosen genre. A passionate traveler, she currently lives in Southeast Asia with her indulgent husband and two exceptional felines, where she pursues an alternative career that is completely unrelated to her creative writing. 

Tell Me About it Tuesday Welcomes DEBUT Author Carolyn Rae!

I am SUPER excited to have a friend of mine on here today. I have known this wonderful lady for a few years, and she's an AWESOME person.

Her romance debut is FINALLY out, and I am honored to have her here for an interview and a share!

Meet Carolyn:

An active member of the North Texas RWA, the Dallas Area Romance Authors, the Yellow Rose RWA and the DFW Writer’s Workshop, Carolyn has written several novels, including a series featuring people in the Witness Security Program.
Carolyn also loves to travel. On her mini-cruise to Coco Kay she spoke to the attendees of the Florida Romance Writer’s Fun in the Sun Conference about Luring Readers into the Story though Deep Viewpoint and followed up with Finding Time for Your Dream on a later Fun in the Sun Conference.


Q. Do you do any special research for your novels?

A. I saw an invitation to join an archaeological dig in Peru near Cuzco and researched all the equipment I’d need. Then I spoke with a friend who had been to Machu Picchu. She gave me pictures of the scenery and what the natives wore and told me about chewing Coca leaves to lessen the effects of high altitude. She said some natives just chew them because they enjoy doing it. I researched the history of Machu Picchu on the Internet and read in the newspaper about Yale University reaching an agreement with Peru about keeping some of the Machu Picchu artifacts, donated by Hiram Bingham who discovered it in July, 1911, and returning others to Peru.

Q. What’s your favorite genre to read? Do you write it?

A. I love reading romantic suspense, action adventure stories, thrillers and mysteries. I write romantic suspense and romantic thrillers.

Q. What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?
A. I am working on the sequel, Romancing the Doctor. I have finished it and am waiting for it to be edited.
Q. Did you ever write a character you didn’t like? Or one that gave you problems, goingagainst your intentions for them or your story?

Okay...enough with the business questions! How about some fun stuff. You know, just between the two of us.

Q. The opportunity to go on a surprise vacation arises. You have 90 minutes to pack and get to the airport. Where will you go and what will you pack?
A. I’ve always wanted to go to Greece, see the Parthenon, and visit some of the islands. I’d take my camera, a notebook, a bathing suit, some comfortable shoes and clothes, and my Kindle to read novels on the plane.
Q. When YOU read, what do you like to pick up?
A. I love thrillers and romantic suspense
Q. If they make a movie about your life, who do you want to play your part?
A. Katherine Turner. She was great in Romancing the Stone.
Q. Tell us one thing about you that might surprise us...it can be a secret...we won't tell. :)
A. I used to work in a federal prison in Fort Worth. When I learned I was going to be laid off, I was offered a job by one of the inmates. I turned him down.  He was a pimp.

Now for my FAVE PART! Tell me about the BOOK! (THE COVER IS FAB!)



  Blurb:  Megan McKinley finds searching for gold fascinating when she meets attractive photographer Joseph Logan. However, he has a secret agenda, to discover who’s smuggling Peruvian artifacts.This fall, you can follow Megan McKinley as she rediscovers the teacher she had a crush on as a studly, bearded photographer. Then she finds out the real reason he’s here, and that he suspects her of wrong doing.
ROMANCING THE GOLD
Chapter One
Megan McKinley basked in the warm sun. Here she was, sitting beside her friend, Paula, on a hard wooden board, on her way to Cuzco, Peru, in a donkey cart of all things. She took a deep breath of the clear, fresh air. She’d waited all year to take part in this archaeological expedition, and she’d already made a great find.Noise from behind made her look back. A red car was creeping along beside them. A hulking man stepped out of the car.“Hand over your purses,” he barked.Megan’s stomach lurched. She couldn’t hand him her bag. Her debit card would allow access to the money she’d scrimped and saved to finish her master’s degree. Why the hell hadn’t she put it in her money belt? Now, she wished they hadn’t missed the archaeology camp’s van leaving for town. Her degree and this expedition were supposed to cinch that job at the Smithsonian. Ever since her parents took her to the museum as a child, Megan wanted to spend days and days there. She’d hoped she might soon have that chance, but now….The driver cracked his whip and gave a command. The donkey brayed as the cart jerked forward. Every bump jarred her, while overworked muscles complained with twinges and aches from digging for artifacts.The man with the bulging biceps continued to walk beside them.“Stop!” he commanded, but their teenaged driver refused to comply.Cropped, curly hair framed the stocky man’s brown-skinned face as he puffed on a cigarette. The acrid smoke set her nostrils quivering. The gun in his hand, although only palm-size, made her tremble. The dark-skinned car-driver, leaner, but just as mean looking, continued to keep pace with the donkey cart.The man on foot pointed the gun directly at Megan. His eyes narrowed.“Give me your purses,” he bellowed and motioned with his free hand.Eagles collided in Megan’s stomach. A bead of sweat trickled down her neck. Her fingers tensed and her insides twisted even tighter. Staring at the barrel of the gun, she caught her breath. Dust from the dirt road swirled around, making it hard to breathe. BUY IT:MuseItUp | Amazon | B&N |KOBO |Smashwords | iBooks   More Carolyn FacebookBlog Email

Friday Feature: RELEASE DAY FOR ME!!!!!!!!! Collision Control is OUT!

I am so excited. Every Release Day is AWESOME, but this one is even MORE SPECIAL becuase I ADORE Jared and Mel!

YAY!



COLLISION CONTROL (CROSSING FORCES BOOK FOUR) is out DAY!








Blurb:
A one night stand can’t possibly mean forever…Detective Jared Manning met his match at a bar. After a night of passion, she sneaks out of his bed without so much as a note. Problem is, now he can’t find her.
Kindergarten teacher, Melody Nash doesn’t do one night stands. Embarrassment gets the best of her and she lies about her name.When they collide at her school, Mel resists his pull. She won’t risk her heart on the obvious playboy, even though she can’t stop thinking about the night in his arms.
Stress engulfs Jared’s personal and professional lives. His brother is at the center of the joint case he and his partner are working in cooperation with FBI.
He puts his job on the line when he fails to share his blood relation. Complications he doesn’t need, considering the FBI agent on the case is convinced his brother killed her fiancé.
Balance is the name of the game. Can Jared save his brother and convince Mel they’re meant to be together?

Excerpt:
Jared cleared his throat. “Can I sit next to you?”Her head whipped back around. “Why?”He rocked back on the heels of his shitkickers. Why?Charm. Focus on being charming.“I like to keep the company of a beautiful woman.” Jared smiled.She frowned.He stared. He couldn’t help it. She frowned at a compliment? Jared quirked an eyebrow and slid onto the chair next to hers, because she was never going to invite him to sit. And that made him want to join her even more. Intrigued the hell out of him. “What’s your name?”Cocking her head to one side, she studied him. “Uh…Ren.”“Wren like the bird? Cool name.”“No.” Her cheeks reddened again and she looked away. “Umm…it’s…short for Renee.”He watched her fidget before she’d meet his gaze again. His stomach churned at the thought of her being uneasy with him. He forced words out. “Can I call you Renee?”Those eyes met his and he swallowed hard. Crystal blue, like a morning summer sky. Jared had never seen anything so beautiful in his life.“O-o-o-kay. I mean, sure.” More shifting, so he reached for her hand. Touching her resulted in a zing of energy shooting up his arm. Their eyes locked. Her lips parted and his mouth went dry. He wanted to kiss her. No. Jared needed to kiss her. Before he could even lean in, Renee gasped and moved away. “Which one of them put you up to this?” she demanded. The suspicion in her voice made him rear back. He blinked. Wanting to kiss a woman two seconds after meeting her was fast…even for him. Get it together, seriously.“Excuse me?” His voice cracked.She looked away. “Never mind.”Jared studied her. She was nervous. No…uncomfortable. Why? “Renee.”When she met his eyes, his heart skipped. “I want to have a nice evening. A drink. A dance. With you.”She cleared her throat and Jared wanted to kiss it. “With. Me.” It wasn’t a question.He nodded. “With you. Is that a problem?”Renee’s pale blue gaze raked his face. “No. I guess not. My friends are always telling me I need to loosen up.”“Are they now?” He flashed his best charming grin. “Just so happens I’m pretty good at helping that along.”

Buy Links
Totally Bound | Amazon US

 |KOBO |ARe

*Still waiting for it to show live at B&N 



Need to get caught up on Crossing Forces?






Bad boy FBI agent and feisty widowed police detective collide pursuing a human 
trafficker in small town Texas on their way to true love.





Dedicated detective and fiery redhead collide in small town Texas while he’s protecting her from human traffickers and end up taking a chance on true love.
Hard-as nails-FBI agent collides with an attorney and former lover when she has to take him into protective custody after witnessing a murder at the hands of a human trafficker. 

RELEASE DAY BLITZ!!! Lisa Swallow's UNPLUGGED! GIVEAWAY!

This looks like a FAB read. Can't wait to dig in!






Title: Unplugged (Blue Phoenix, #3)Author: Lisa SwallowRelease Date: September 29th Genre: Contemporary Romance


SYNOPSIS
A rock star, the girl from his past and a Disney princess.
Find out what happens when Liam Oliver is unplugged from Blue Phoenix.

"A rock star doesn't return to his humble beginnings and whisk away the girl he kissed once. Especially if she has a four year old and her relationship status is 'it's complicated'." 
Blue Phoenix bass player, Liam Oliver discovers pictures of his fiancée with another man and his world crashes around him. He packs up his humiliation and hurt and flies back to his Welsh family home for Christmas.

Cerys Edwards once had pictures of Liam Oliver covering her bedroom wall. Her best friend's big brother never gave her the time of day when they were growing up. When she was fifteen, he left town leaving Cerys with her fantasies. Now he's back. The problem is, she has a daughter and a broken relationship of her own. Do they have a second chance?

In the world of his Christmas past, Cerys and Liam reconnect. Are they two hurt people looking for comfort in a time of heartbreak or does Cerys have a place in Liam's future too?

Months later and unplugged from his Blue Phoenix lifestyle, Liam reconnects with Cerys. He discovers Cerys's world is full of complications he never expected - including Ella's father who isn't happy about being replaced by a rock star.

Unplugged is more than a rock star romance. This is a story of second chances, family and unexpected bonds made that can't be broken.

This is book three of the Blue Phoenix rock star series but can be read as a standalone - Liam and Cerys are minor characters in the first two books.
No cliffhanger.



AMAZON US AMAZON UK AMAZON AUS  AMAZON CA 

EXCERPT


Our faces touch, his rough cheek against my forehead, and I know if I move my head a few centimetres, our mouths will meet and our worlds will shift."Is kissing you still wrong?" I ask."Your lips are meant to be on mine." He moves his face. The static charge of our mouths so close and the snow drifting onto our bodies drag us into a surreal world. The shift happens. I slide my cheek along his, the stubble scratching my skin as my lips meet the edge of his.The world is covered in white, hidden from reality; a reality that I hate currently. I can escape for an evening, maybe a few days, and allow his blizzard to overwhelm me. If life is the same struggle when everything melts away again, a few moments lost in a fantasy after months of feeling worthless are what I need and worth the consequences.Liam digs his hand into my hair and crashes his mouth against mine. I gasp in surprise at the force as he delves his tongue into my mouth, sliding against mine. When Liam kissed me in the bedroom the other day, there was a tension in him where he held back part of himself. Was this because Liam knew I did too? This time the world falls away completely as we kiss frantically, noses bumping as he pulls me into the snowstorm that is Liam Oliver. Liam moves to kiss my cheeks, a delicious scrape against my skin as his hot lips burn into my cool neck. He slides a hand around my waist, beneath my coat and holds me against him. Convinced my legs are going to give way and cursing the lack of walls for Liam to press me against, I grip his sleeve. Liam nudges his nose back across my face, hot breath mingling with mine and misting in the air. “Definitely feels right,” he whispers.Then Liam kisses me so gently that he takes my soul and pulls it apart. My head spins as the intensity of the slow kiss fills me with a craving for this man that will never be satiated. This is more than feeling right, this is our hearts open and raw finding their way together.Which means when they’re torn apart again the pain will kill me.
The heat we create counteracts the falling temperature around us but the cold of reality isn't far. I pull my face away; I need to pull myself out of this.

TEASERS



THE BLUE PHOENIX BOOKS

Summer Sky 
(Blue Phoenix #1) - Dylan & Sky (99c)
http://amzn.to/1voCf3O


Falling Sky (Blue Phoenix #2) - Dylan & Sky
http://amzn.to/1mBkhdu
(These two books must be read in order - book one has a cliffhanger and book two completes the story)
Unplugged (Blue Phoenix #3) - Standalone - Liam & Ceryshttp://amzn.to/103mjsX

Rising (Blue Phoenix #4) - Standalone available December 2014 - Jem & Ruby


Blue Phoenix Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/BluePhoenixSeries
Blue Phoenix Series:
http://lisaswallow.net/blue-phoenix-series/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Lisa is an author of new adult romance and writes both paranormal and contemporary, often with a side of snark. In between running a business, looking after her family and writing, Lisa sometimes finds spare time to do other things. This often involves swapping her book worlds for gaming worlds. Lisa is originally from the UK but moved to Australia in 2001 and now lives in Perth in Western Australia with her husband, three children and dog.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS I 
 I AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE I MAILING LIST


GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Six Sentence Sunday: First Look at Rogue's Call

SO I'm currently working on Rogue's Call (The King's Riders Book Three) and I am a teeeeensy bit shy of half-way through (at least as wordcount is considered). 

I haven't done one of these in a long time, but I found myself wanting to share!  So here's a small part of Chapter 11.

P.S. I love these two and can't wait to finish so this one is out there for y'all to read!  (It's more than 6, but I am fond of this part.)





Hope danced across Lady Elissa’s eyes. It lit her up, from the inside out. The lass in his arms glowed. Like he’d given her a gift.
His chest swelled. His heart stuttered. Alasdair swallowed. Hard. With her looking at him like that, he’d promise her anything. That scared the shite out of him. Her smile sealed the deal. He would give her his soul if she but asked.


If you need to get caught up on The King's Riders series, now is a GREAT time! 
I'm running a sale this w/end for only 99 Pennies each!
Check it out!
My entire Highland Secrets Trilogy is also only .99 a piece, too. (Yes, it includes The Parchment Scroll, even though it's not in the pic!)





   They're on sale at

    Amazon, KOBO and

      Smashwords!
 

Friday Feature: HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY ASHLEY LADD! Guestpost and Feature!

Today I am overjoyed that we have a BOOK BIRTHDAY to fellow Totally Bound author, Ashley Ladd!





She has an AWESOME post about Strong Heroines but I wanted to throw confetti and balloons on her book's release day!





Strong Female Heroines
By Ashley Ladd
I was just reading a post on Facebook where the reader likes strong heroines. However, she was upset concerned that some authors make their heroines bitchy or act like uncouth men dressed in women’s clothing. That reminds me of when Mulan has to dress like an army soldier because she’s pretending to be a man. 
Not only does Mulan look like a man, but she does really ill-mannered things like spit per the advice of her dragon companion (played by Eddie Murphy).
Other than a good reason like Mulan had (she would be put to death if she was caught and she was doing this to save her father’s life) I don’t believe a woman has to act like a man to be strong. Nor does she have to be witchy and contrary.

I’m blessed to know several strong women. My aunt is the most mature, beautiful woman I know. I know a lot of people who are supposedly “grown up” but few really are. She lends her shoulder and her ear to everybody. She’s the family’s rock.
I have another friend who heavily relies on a cane to walk and she recently retired due to physical reasons. Yet, through her personal pain and disabilities, she counsels people daily to see the bright side of life. She is a strong prayer warrior that others rely on to get through the day.
Several years ago one of my fellow church members was a very gracious, soft-spoken, seemingly gentle woman. Yet she was also an active duty FBI agent.
Everyday women have children and raise families. That takes a lot of strength and wisdom. It’s not easy to run a household or to deal with multiple, often warring personalities.
I’ve written more than seventy romances and thus lots of different heroines. One of my favorites is Haley from ‘Purrfect Justice’. She had been rejected from the police force due to poor eyesight so she went to work in police headquarters as an administrative assistant. While there she fell in love with one of the detectives. 
On Halloween while she’s dressed up at Cat Woman, she hears on the police scanner that the man she loves is in trouble so she rescues him. Then it becomes a habit. When he sets a trap for her and tries to find out who his mysterious masqued crusader is, she jumps her motorcycle over the police car blocking her way.
Julie, the heroine in my current Totally Bound release, ‘Her Men’, is an ex-FBI agent who is sheriff of her small home town in Indiana. In the story, she’s on vacation and revisiting her past. Although she’s kick ass on the job, she’s dressing up and being very feminine off duty as she tries to recapture the affections of the two men she’s never forgotten.

Nowadays women don’t need to dress in men’s garb and act like them (like Mulan had to) to be strong. They can be whoever, whatever they want while still being feminine. We don’t need men to be our knights in shining armor—or at least we can take turns doing the rescuing. We need mature, sexy partners to be our helpmeets.






Title: Her MenPublisher: Totally BoundGenre: Contemporary Erotic male-female-male romanceBook Length: 22,000 words

BLURB:
Forty-four year old Julie Weston has loved Timmy and James since her college days twenty something years ago. She's fantasized about both all these long years, never able to choose between them.
Hoping Tim and James will attend, she attends their college marching band reunion. When both men show up her dreams are answered. They're sexier than she imagined and she hopes they won't be disappointed by her older self.
It turns out both men came just to see her again and neither is happy about the other’s presence. They fight over her, confusing her more than ever. It takes a hot ménage…or two…for her heart to decide which one she’s in love with.


EXCERPT:
Oh God. She couldn’t make up her mind, just as she’d feared. They were both fulfilling her dreams and almost her fantasies. Why couldn’t she be like Connie and love just one man?
“I’m single. And confused,” she admitted unhappily, hoping and praying her answer wouldn’t drive either man away before her heart could decide who it wanted. She held her breath, waiting for James to drop her on her ass and leave in disgust.
But he stayed. His eyes darkened. His fingers bit into her arms, but he didn’t walk away. Instead, he kissed her again, rubbing his groin against her. When he finally released her, he promised, “Game on.”Tim stomped over and shoved James away. “What the hell was that?”
James pushed him back. “What in the hell does it look like?”
“Keep your hands off her.”
“I don’t see a ring on her finger, and she started it.”
Tim wrinkled his brow, captured her hand and yanked her to him. “She’s had too much to drink.”
Again she help up one finger and repeated, “I just had one.” She thought it best not to mention the Benadryl.
With sad eyes, Tim asked, “Who do you want? Me or him?”
Fighting back sudden, scalding tears, she freed herself, stepped back and regarded both men. “I don’t know.”
Tim’s expression grew incredulous as if she’d struck him. He echoed, “You don’t know? Since when do you like him?”
“Maybe since you dumped her,” James said with a sneer. He puffed up and faced off with Tim. “If you don’t like it, back out. I’m going to fight for her—like I should have before.”
Tim’s eyes grew large as saucers. “I had no idea. You were with Theresa…”
“Theresa dropped me like a hot cake. And you disappeared.”
“And I heard she was going out with Gus, not you.” Tim looked around as though to make sure Gus wasn’t about to pop out of nowhere.
She heaved a sigh. “Gus was my friend. He fell for me, not vice versa. I feel bad if I led him on. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Like me? You never realized I liked you as more than a friend,” Phil interjected as he danced nearby with Anita.
She blanched and wanted to evaporate.
James winked. “It seems you were quite the siren, leaving all of us shipwrecked in your wake.”
Stunned, she clasped her hand to her throat. “I swear, I had no clue. I’m so sorry.”
“Yet you’re still leaving us in your wake, honey.” Tim glared at all of them and fisted his hands on his hips.
Honey? She didn’t like the sound of that.

BUY LINK:Totally Bound | Amazon US | 



Ashley Ladd is a disabled Air Force vet that is hard of hearing but still loves language, especially the written word. She loves a sexy man, especially one with a military background and they’ll often pop up in her stories. She also loves cats and has been known to empower a cat with the gift of speech. Unfortunately he wouldn’t shut up. J She loves to plug into Pandora and sip Diet Coke while writing, usually with a cat or kid at her side.


More Ashley:
Email
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Shelfari

Amazon Author Page

BLOG TOUR: Pumping Iron by Nya Rawlyns!

Thanks for having me today! It’s my pleasure to present my newest addition to the Bad Boyfriends series: Pumping Iron. From the shadowy world of high-end male escort services to the hot, sweaty, hard bodies in the gym, two men with very different skill sets are forced to co-operate in keeping a mutual client out of sight and out of mind.
Sean Rourke is Bad Boyfriends’ A-list escort, the man in demand when very special clients are in town. Mike Douglas is a fitness trainer to the stars and the silent partner in both the escort agency and the gym. Mike’s a loner, with a dour, drill sergeant nature. Sean’s an actor by avocation, used to being in the spotlight. Their mutual attraction is something neither man can explain … except for one little thing: they share a devilish, rowdy sense of humor.



EXCERPT:
Lovett Junior, the client from hell who not only likes his partners young and nubile, but also likes to watch, added an interesting level of difficulty when Mike and Sean finally manage a little alone time. Mike Douglas was not amused.
Our client wasn’t smiling and humming and shoveling his food in his mouth like a contented man on vacation just because of a clear line of sight to two adult men doing what they do in the throes of passion. We’d managed to not only sing the halleluiah chorus a cappella, but I’d punched a hole in the wallboard behind my head in my enthusiasm.But the pièce de résistance, at my own personal high point, was Junior overcoming his ED and spraying his joy all over the glass door. Where he found glass cleaner and paper towels, I’ll never know, but our cool down was punctuated with the skritching sounds of him removing the evidence. Sean had pulled the quilt over his head and howled like a loon.Junior and Sean were looking at me as I reminisced. Obviously I’d missed something, judging from Junior’s, “Well, do you?”“Do I do what?”“Play.” Sean had wandering hands under cover of the counter. I was tempted to say yes and see what fell out of the sky, but instead I shrugged and let both of them guess.Sean gave a squeeze and release while I considered which of the free weights would fit where. It would be a tight squeeze. But then, that’s why they invented lube.



BLURB:
What does it take to bring a slow simmer to a rolling boil?
Sean Rourke is hiding in plain sight as a Bad Boyfriends A-list escort, hoping to dodge the bullet from a few career missteps.
Mike Douglas’ financial backing and very special negotiating skills have him partnering not-so-silently at Bad Boyfriends, as well as running a training center for athletes and gym rats.
Eying each other at a distance is all they’ve allowed themselves until a joint special project at a seaside retreat in the Hamptons, entertaining a wily Boston attorney, shows them exactly how well they fit together, in more ways than simply business as usual.


GENRE: gay romance, gay romantic comedy, contemporary M/M romance


BUY LINKS:
Amazon  | ARe/OmniLit | B&N | Kobo | Apple  | Scribd 

COVER REVEAL! Faith Ashlin's A SLOW PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING!

I adore cover reveals and this one is no exception.

This is a gorgeous, thought provoking cover, to go along with the title. Can't wait to read it!




BLURB:

A Slow Process of Understanding By Faith Ashlin
In an alternate world very similar to this one the all-powerful state controls just about every aspect of life—including the sanctioning of slavery. Jimmy, enjoying the privileged life of a television actor, has never given the matter much thought, or paid much attention to the fight for freedom going on around him.
So what is Jimmy meant to do when a careless, drunken moment leads to him being permanently bonded to a slave he doesn't want? Does it change who he is? What he is?
Trouble is, Jimmy isn't sure who he was to start with. He never thought about it.
And what about his slave, Nate? Can a slave force Jimmy into learning something about himself? 




About Faith AshlinWhen Faith was clearing out her attic many years ago, she found a book she'd written as a ten-year-old. On rereading it she realised that it was the love story of two boys. Over the years her fascination with the image of beautiful young men, coiled together as they fell head over heels in love, became a passion for her.Since that first innocent book—written in purple sparkly pen—she has written many stories, set in varied worlds, but always with two men finding their way to happiness.Still nothing much has changed because now she can be found in a daydream, wandering around the supermarket, or sitting in a meeting at work still dreaming up stories.

Website

COVER REVEAL! Julia Mills Saved by Her Dragon!

I am so freaking excited about this book and I can't wait to read it! It's my honor to have Julia here today for her cover reveal! It is totally freaking GORGEOUS too!!






Saved By Her Dragon (Dragon Guards #5)By Julia MillsComing September 23rd
 There Are No Coincidences…Devon’s heritage has given him a unique perspective into the world around him. His father was one of the fiercest Guardsmen in history and his mother is a very talented and highly respected Healer. At the age of his transformation he made the choice to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a Guardsman but in his heart he always carried the belief and wisdom of his mother’s clan. That knowledge and his complete trust in Destiny may be all that saves the One the Universe made for him.The Universe Does Not Make Mistakes…Orphaned as a child and raised by powerful Earth witches, Anya Sloane thought her life was pretty normal and relatively happy until the night she left the family farm and headed into town. Abducted and left for dead outside the hospital, she spent the better part of a month fighting her way out of a magically induced coma only to wake and find everything she’d ever knew was little more than smoke and mirrors. Fate Will Not Be Denied…Anya is the light of his soul and the only woman able to tame the beast within. Devon has the strength and knowledge she will need in the coming days. Together, they just may be the key to saving Dragon kin. All they have to do is defeat the traitor…but that means they have to find him first.

  Excerpt from Epilogue of For the Love of Her Dragon: Needing to stretch his legs and get some fresh air, Devon stepped outside, sure to keep the large doors at the end of the hall in sight. Watching a cluster of dragonflies flitting around the blossoms of an azalea bush, his mind wandered, and for the first time he heard the voice of the woman from his dreams during his waking hours. She sounded even more desperate than when he was deep in slumber. “Help me, please.” He closed his eyes, focused on the echo of the voice, and spoke to her the same way he communicated with his brethren, “Who are you? Where are you?” There was a slight intake of breath and then she answered, “Can you really hear me? Please tell me I’m not dreaming.” He looked around to make sure one of his brethren wasn’t pranking him and saw nothing or no one that even looked familiar. "Yes, I can hear you.” He paused, realizing she hadn’t answered his questions and decided to try a different approach to get the answers he needed. “My name’s Devon. What is yours?”

There was no answer and the silence droned on until he was sure either he had imagined her or she had decided to screw with someone else.

As he reentered the hospital, the voice came again, and this time it was louder and clearer, and if possible, more panicked. “Help me, please?”

His lack of sleep and frustration got the better of him and he snapped, “How the hell am I supposed to help you when won’t tell me where you are or who you are?”

Again his question was met with silence, but this time it made him want to yell or hit something, or act in ways completely uncharacteristic for him. There was something about her voice, something that he felt every time he heard it, something that called to him. He wanted to chalk it up to the fact that he was a sworn protector and she needed help, but he knew it went deeper than that.

Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, he decided she was gone for real this time and took his seat next to reception. It wasn’t long before Sam came out looking like she needed a weeks’ worth of sleep. Trying to lighten the mood, he teased, “How’s tricks, Doc?”

She smiled and leaned against the desk, “Busy and beat, my friend. How about…”

He missed the rest of what Sam said because at that moment, his senses were assaulted with the scent of sand and the sea. It wasn’t a dream this time. It was real…and nearby!

Without a word, he followed the tantalizing aroma, immediately locating its origin. A gurney quickly moving away from him with long dark tresses hanging off the side and an elegant olive-toned hand lying precariously on top of the white blanket covering the patient it transported was the source.

Devon raced to catch up but just missed the elevator as the doors closed. Using his enhanced senses, he listened as the orderly pushing the gurney asked his companion to press the button for x-ray. He raced back to reception, grabbed Sam by the arm and quickly walked back to the elevators.

“What’s going on, Dev?” Sam asked, and it was the concern in her voice that made him stop and explain.

“You’re going to think I’m nuts, but the woman that was just wheeled to x-ray has been talking to me, through mind speak…in my dreams.” He waited for Sam to tell him he was crazy, but all she did was push the down arrow and smile at him.     

"You aren’t taking me to the Psych ward are you?”     

"No, silly man, we’re going to x-ray.”

“You believe me?” He was as surprised as he had ever been.

“Of course I do. Of all the things I’ve seen hanging out with you guys, this is tame,” she laughed as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside.

When they arrived at their destination, Sam used her access to look up the patient, but came back knowing no more than they did before. “She is listed as a Jane Doe and they have no idea what’s wrong with her. She has no outward injuries, but has been unresponsive for almost six weeks and shows no signs of improvement.”

His heart sank and it apparently showed on his face, because Sam touched his forearm before saying, “I’m so sorry, Dev. Is there anything else I can do?”

“I don’t know, Sam, I just don’t know,” he answered, and it was then that everything clicked into place. The mind speak, her scent, his undeniable need to help her no matter the cost, it was all there, but he had been too frustrated and too tired to see it. Devon blurted out what he was thinking, “Holy shit, she’s my mate.”




I am a sarcastic,sometimes foul-mouthed, not afraid to drink a beer, always southern woman with 2 of the most amazing teenage daughters, a menagerie of animals and a voracious appetite for reading who recently decided to write the stories running through her brain. I read my first book, Dr Suess' Cat in The Hat by myself at 4 and was hooked. I believe a good book along with shoes, makeup and purses will never let a girl down and that all heroes of all the books I have ever read or will ever write pale in comparison to my daddy! I am a sucker for a happy ending and love some hot sweaty sex with a healthy dose of romance.I am still working on my story but believe it will contain all of the above with as much SPICE as I can work into it. CHEERS!


Website: http://www.juliamillsauthor.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JLakeMills?ref=hlTwitter: https://twitter.com/JuliaMills623Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/juliamills623/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7200721.Julia_Mills Her Dragon to SlayAmazon http://www.amazon.com/Her-Dragon-Slay-Guard/dp/1493751263/ref=la_B00GRJ1F7U_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410125461&sr=1-2Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-dragon-to-slay-julia-mills/1117474408?ean=2940045437639 Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/377277Her Dragons FireAmazon http://www.amazon.com/Her-Dragons-Fire-Dragon-Guard/dp/1495464091/ref=la_B00GRJ1F7U_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410125461&sr=1-1Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-dragons-fire-julia-mills/1118199671?ean=9781495464096Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/398930Haunted by Her DragonAmazon http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Her-Dragon-Guard/dp/1497572169/ref=la_B00GRJ1F7U_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410125461&sr=1-3Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/haunted-by-her-dragon-julia-mills/1119159909?ean=9781497572164Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/425986Her Dragon to LoveAmazon http://www.amazon.com/Love-Her-Dragon-Julia-Mills/dp/1500263265/ref=la_B00GRJ1F7U_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410125461&sr=1-4Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-the-love-of-her-dragon-julia-mills/1119883670?ean=9781500263263Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/450247