Vallory Vance's Blog, page 6

Spotlight on Sex Boot Camp by Paisley Brown

A week away…




After a hectic month at work, Cara expects to spend the next few days relaxing in her pajamas. Until her boyfriend surprises her with a getaway to a remote location.

To open her mind…




When she arrives at Sex Boot Camp, she anticipates her boyfriend will be by her side. Instead, she is left with a houseful of curious young women and a sexy instructor.

And fulfill desires she never dreamed of…




Although reluctant at first, Cara becomes entangled in a world of seduction and wicked fantasies.

Caution: This story contains an Alpha leader who ensures his guests leave satisfied, hot woman-on-woman action, and an MFM ménage that will leave you breathless.


“I’m sorry, Cara. I should have told you about this. It’s just that I really want things to get better between us. I’m trying, okay?”

The hint of vulnerability surprised me. I’d never seen this side of him before. As much as the place filled me with the urge to run far away, I also wanted things to improve between me and Braeden. Ending the relationship took just as much work as trying to fix it. We were here already. And if boot camp worked, why not? Maybe he could learn some new moves, too.

“Okay, I’ll give this a go, but there are some things I just won’t do.”

He stroked my cheek with his thumb, the gentlest touch since…forever. Could he really become the lover I desired? If so, I would have come here long ago.

“I know.” He helped me out of the car, lacing his fingers with mine as we walked to the porch of the chalet. A definite improvement, and hopefully a sign of things to come.

A man and woman came out the front door of the chalet when we reached the porch. They didn’t wear military fatigues like I’d expected. The man’s faded T-shirt hugged his wide, muscular frame. His khaki shorts and the stubble across his jaw only added to his casual appearance, taking away some of my tension. If he looked relaxed, I could be, too. He stared at me, his eyes a cerulean blue that left me mesmerized. I glanced away before I started drooling.

He seemed the total opposite of the woman beside him wearing a finely tailored black suit. Her blonde hair up in a bun and black-rimmed glasses completed the businesswoman look I was all too familiar with. But my heart pounded with one glance at the clipboard she held. What did she want to know? What did she already know?

“You’re Braeden Jones and Cara Taylor?” She lifted her glasses, glancing back and forth between us.
I froze. What if we pretended we were lost? We could get back in the car and pretend we’d never seen the place. I could spend my time off doing what I wanted all along. But Braeden would never go along with the story. He’d driven us there. Since I didn’t have an escape, I kept quiet.

“Yes, we are.” He squeezed my hand, another unexpected move. A spark of hope flickered in my chest. This really was where we needed to be.

“Great, let’s get started then.” She lowered her clipboard. “I’m Denise. Cara, you’re with me. Braeden, you’ll be escorted to your quarters by Daemon.”

A sexy name for a sexy man. I hoped to see him around during my stay. A little eye candy never hurt.
“But I thought….” Braeden gripped my fingers, almost cutting off the circulation. “I thought we’d be staying together, at least. I don’t remember this detail on the website.”

“Great! You signed us up for something you read about online?” So much for fixing anything. Of all the lame-brained things for him to do. I stepped back, out of his reach. I never should have gotten in the vehicle to begin with. One sexy man taking my jerk of a boyfriend away was not going to convince me to stay all week.

“Hold on.” I help up my hands. “I didn’t agree to any of this, only found out where we were going when we pulled up. So, if you would call me a cab, I’ll be going home to pretend this was all a horrible dream.”
“Unfortunately, taxis don’t travel all the way out here,” Denise said.

Buy Links:   Amazon      Amazon UK     All Romance eBooks     Smashwords

About the Author:

I’m happily married with a naughty imagination. Sometimes all it takes is a whispered word or a sexy picture to inspire my next tale. My erotica stories may be contemporary, sci-fi, or paranormal, but all of them will leave you wet and panting for more.




Author Links : Blog    Facebook     Twitter    Goodreads   
Follow her tour with Shades of Rose by clicking here.

Writers Reviewing Writers with Julie Hutchings

If one author writing within a genre thinks another in the same genre is absolutely horrid, should a public review be left and why?

My debut novel is of the vampire variety. Needless to say, there are plenty of vampire novels out there to read, some may say too many. And of course, when you have a plethora of work to look at, some stand out as particularly terrible, just as some stand out as benchmarks.

I’m a big fan of speaking your mind, but not of running your mouth. Say something if there’s a point. And I don’t think there is any point to putting up a derogatory review for the sake of yapping your flapper and making yourself feel superior.

I’ll still leave a review, an honest one, but if it’s just a plain awful book, it will be short, pointing out the one or two things I did find merit in, and I’ll plainly state what I did not find to my liking. Because that’s all it really is; not to my liking. Someone  else may find it to be amazing. Literature speaks to different people for different reasons. Reading in your genre can be difficult for the fact that you tend to find what you would do differently, i.e, better. But I read with an open mind, and try to think of what I would write to portray the same thing that author was trying to. Why wasn’t it successful for me? What is the difference between that author’s voice and my own?

Again, when you talk about vampire novels, the scathing comments one constantly hears about Twilight spring to mind. After reading the series, I was entranced by it, and could not quite put my finger on why I was. I grew tired really quickly of people saying how badly it was written. The fact remains that the series is the most popular vampire series since Interview WithThe Vampire for a reason. It appeals to every age, and is something we can all relate to—finding something and someone absolutely extraordinary in your ordinary world. The writing style may not be what many authors find to be developed enough, but for me, the story took precedence over what didn’t work.

I find authors that write negative reviews without looking back generally do so because they don’t find anything to learn from what they’re reading. Every book has something for you to learn from it in one way or another, and the ones in your genre are the most important of all. To post a bad review is self-serving in the worst way in my eyes.

Before writing a negative review, ask yourself if it has any value aside from deterring people from reading and forming their own opinions, and burning a bridge in the meantime. Authors should support one another and offer their criticisms privately in a professional manner, or risk being seen as a hack themselves. 

To read more of Julie’s work, check out Running Home

Death hovers around Ellie Morgan like the friend nobody wants. She doesn’t belong in snowswept Ossipee, New Hampshire; she doesn’t belong in the frigging gift shop she works at, she doesn’t belong with people that death will always take from her, and she definitely does not belong at this black tie party with Kat. But that is where she is, and where he is. Nicholas French, the man who mystifies her with a feeling of home she’s been missing, and impossible knowledge of her troubled soul.

Nicholas followed an abomination that is one of his own, but soon finds fate has driven him to New Hampshire as more than a bystander. He reveals himself to Ellie as being of the Shinigami, a heroic vampire order that “save” their victims from more tragic ends. He knows why Ellie is human repellent, and why physical agony grips them when apart. The Shinigami are cornered into isolated human lives, plucked out when they have no one left to be created for their higher purpose. Ellie is destined to be a legendary Shinigami, and Nicholas her creator.

Nicholas and Ellie’s fates intertwine closer when his latest victim in waiting turns out to be the only person who tethers her to this world, Kat. Fate will not be ignored, and in the only real choice Ellie has made in her life, she must determine a horrifying path; let the vampire who would make her a hero wither to shreds or sacrifice the life of her closest companion.

About the Author

Julie’s debut novel, Running Home, an Urban Fantasy  giving you vampires with a Japanese mythology twist will be published by Books of the Dead Press July 22nd, 2013. In the meantime, the Muscle and Wildcard of the Undead Duo is working on the sequel, Running Away, and a new and fun freakshow called The Harpy. Julie revels in all things Buffy, has a sick need for exotic reptiles, and drinks more coffee than Juan Valdez and his donkey combined, if that donkey is allowed to drink coffee.  Julie’s a black belt with an almost inappropriate love for martial arts. And pizza. And Rob Zombie. Julie lives in Plymouth, MA, constantly awaiting thunderstorms with her wildly supportive husband and two magnificent boys.

In addition to Running Home, you can also read her stories at Elephant Press and Opening Line Magazine.

How to connect with Julie:

undeadduo@hotmail.com
deadlyeverafter.com
facebook.com/deadlyeverafterblog
Twitter: @hutchingsjulie
www.booksofthedeadpress.com

Writers Reviewing Writers with Kristen Strassel

Once I started working with editors, I noticed that I read more critically. This isn’t a big surprise, I’ve been trained to notice details in every line I’ve work I’ve ever done. This means I’m particular about makeup, clothing, ear piercings, even underwear. Watching TV with me can be a trying experience, and I’ve had to learn to keep my critiques to myself.

Now when I read for pleasure, I have remind myself to shut that internal editor off. The book has been completed and published, and no one is looking for my opinion on sentence structure or tense or any of that sort of stuff. It is meant for me to enjoy just how it is.

Have you ever had a bad review? If not, brace yourself, because it’s coming. It’s impossible to please everyone. Think of all the bands that are popular right now, how many of them do you really enjoy? Or look at reviews for some recent best sellers. Not everyone liked them. In fact, it almost becomes a sport to not like what’s popular.

“You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.” –Dita von Teese

There’s no way around it. Bad reviews crush the soul. It’s having people laugh while your imagination gets trampled. Some negative reviews contain important advice, but when people hide behind their computer, some of them can’t resist the urge to just be plain mean.

Bad reviews do have their place. If I’m booking a hotel or looking for a restaurant, I seek out the bad reviews. I find that they are honest, but they’re only capturing a moment in time. An opinion. That could have been the only time that establishment was off point. It needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Book reviews should be done by readers, not writers. It’s their experience that we are most interested in.

I’ve decided not to review books at all anymore unless a friend asks me to review their work. Why? I’m too close to writing to give a completely objective review. I feel like it’s a conflict of interest. This means good reviews and bad reviews. Now, as an author, I never know when I will cross paths with a fellow author. I don’t want to create bad blood.

The last time I ever gave a negative review, someone asked me to do an interview, along with the author of the book I didn’t enjoy. There are the time of things that happen to me. How could anyone come out of that looking good? That solidified my decision to never post another negative review.

If a book particularly moves me, I may break this policy. But you’ll never see another negative review from me. I feel as if it would instantly look like mean spirited nit picking. I would never intentionally write a mean review, but I know I’m a tough critic, and my words might be taken in a way I didn’t intend them to be interpreted. There’s enough of that in the world. If enough people felt like that book was good enough to be published, my opinion is nothing more than that, an opinion. The next person who picks that same book may love it.

I would never want to stop someone from finding something they love.

To read more from Kristen Strassel -

Because the Night: Sex, Blood, and Rock n’ Roll.
Immortal Dilemma is the hottest band in the Las Vegas vampire rock scene. They draw insatiable fans from around the globe, thanks to a supernatural attraction called Bloodlust. Tristan craved such an opportunity to fill his empty mortal life, and now he has eternity to earn his place along the legends of rock n roll debauchery.Callie always feared that Tristan’s excesses would get him into trouble, but she never thought they’d lead him to immortality. To reconnect with him, she must weave her way through a world not only she had no idea existed, but does not welcome her.

Blade turned down a spot in Immortal Dilemma after learning what he must sacrifice for that lifestyle. He finds Callie a refreshing change from the girls in the vampire rock scene. When Callie drags Blade back into the world of Immortal Dilemma, his resistance drives her into the waiting arms of Tristan, who shows her the true meaning of Bloodlust.

But the very things that Callie fights so hard to save are the very things that fight to destroy her.

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble 


About the author:

Kristen shares a birthday with Steven Tyler and Diana Ross.  She spends each day striving to be half as fabulous as they are.  She’s worn many hats, none as flattering as her cowboy hat: banker, retail manager, fledgling web designer, world’s worst cocktail waitress, panty slinger, now makeup artist and aspiring author.  She loves sunshine, live music, the middle of nowhere, and finding new things to put in her house. Kristen is represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg of Foreword Literary.

Spotlight on A Love Unfinished

A Love Unfinished by Bethany-Kris

Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance

Length: 95k—Full length novel.

Release Date: January 10th, 2014

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

Blurb:

Over two decades ago, an attack on The Clan of Cobalt left families of dragons in ruins; now, with the clans able to start rebuilding their lives, history is beginning to rewrite, one dragon and one mate at a time…

Dani Heartview spent a year running from the past she can’t forget and it’s about to catch up in the form of Holden Levy. When he suddenly disappeared, she was devastated, but now he’s back. Even if she can’t deny their connection, the man who returned is vastly different from the one who left.

With Holden’s secrets uncovered, the Alpha dragon inside the man is demanding for its mate to be claimed, but there’s danger lurking close by. Still, his abandonment is a monster she can’t shake. Can she forgive to restart their life, and if she does, can Dani handle exactly what it means to be a dragon’s mate?

~~~~

Clans of Fire, Book One

Excerpt:

“Get away from me,” I hissed. “You have no right to be here.”

Emotion broke through on his handsome features, marring it with sadness as my eyes blurred with unshed tears. “Please, Dani…”

“Stop saying my name.” My voice was rising to an unhealthy octave. My heart was pounding at a too fast pace. Why would he be here? He had to have known I wouldn’t want him here. “Stop sharing my fucking air. For God sakes, get out of my space, Holden.”

“Ouch, man.”

Holden didn’t even glance back at his friend. “Shut up, Duran.” There was a timber in his tone, something else I didn’t recognize from the man standing before me. I felt wetness drip down my cheeks. “Oh, Dani, please don’t cry…I didn’t come here to make you cry, baby.”

 Baby? “Who in the hel—”

“Dani!” Jade was out of the kitchen and rushing over to my side. She barely noted the men or my heartbroken expression. That, or she mistook it for the pain of the coffee spill. “Did you get burned?”

“I’m fine.” Those words were the biggest lie I’d ever spoken.

“She’s not,” Holden replied quietly. “Could you get a cool cloth and the first aid kit, if you have one?”

“I’m fine,” I repeated. “Jade, could you handle these guys, please?”

“Dani, wait.”

“Holden, I swear to God if you don’t walk out of this place right now and never look back, I will…” I couldn’t finish my sentence because there wasn’t anything I didn’t already feel for him. Hate. Love. Desire. Disgust. I felt all of that. With him being so close, it only served to make me more confused. Defeated, air rushed from my lungs, in a harsh exhale. “Leave, right now.”

Jade appeared lost. “Um…okay, I’m going to grab the first aid. You’re going to stay here and sit down.”

Duran smiled at Jade when no one responded. “Thanks, sweetheart.”  

Holden hadn’t taken his eyes off me. When he moved forward, I backed up. “Don’t come any closer. I don’t want you near me.”

Agony pulled Holden’s full lips into a frown. “Let me explain.”

“I told you this wouldn’t be the best place to approach her,” Duran said. “We should have waited.”

“We don’t have that kind of time.”

“Why haven’t you left?” I asked, feeling a seething rage beginning to take over my initial shock and pain. “Have I not made it clear enough yet that you’re not welcomed?”

“You made it clear.” Holden’s gaze flickered up to the ceiling, a tick showing in his strong jaw. “But it’s not that simple. One minute, Dani. That’s all I’m asking for. After all we were, don’t you owe me that?”

“Owe you?” My hands trembled. The sudden burst of fury and courage that swept over me was all consuming. I stepped up to him and slammed my fist into his chest. Holden barely flinched and the action hurt me a great deal more than it must have him, but emotional pain registered in his eyes. “I owe you. Are you fucking insane? You left me, Holden. Left me in Tennessee with nothing. Not a goddamned explanation, not a goodbye…nothing!”

I hit him in the chest again, disbelief coursing through me. “How could you ever say that I owe you after everything you did to me? I waited for months. I called your phone every day. I texted, emailed, and left messages until your inbox was full. You could have been dead if not for that stupid note. I defended you when it was clear you didn’t want me anymore … Once, Holden. All you had to do was answer me back just once! You up and walked away from me, from our home, and our life without a single care in the world. And you have the audacity to say that I owe you anything?”

“Do not…” he growled, face suddenly mere inches from mine, “…say that I just walked away from you, Dani. I never would have walked away from you like that had I been given the choice. Ever.”

His response only served to fuel my rage. “Well, excuse me for living. What would you call me waking up to an empty house, with a note on the counter, and no you to be seen again, exactly?”

Anger clouded his face. “What did that note say, Dani?”

“Holden, calm down.” Duran was up off the bench, a hand on his friend’s shuddering arm. Rippling tension flowed between the men, but my former lover and fiancé didn’t register the one person attempting to help the situation. No, his focus was solely on me. “Come on, we’ll do this another time.”

“You won’t do it ever again,” I spat hatefully.

“Yes, I will. I have to. I can’t be me without you.” That confession struck me like a knife in the chest, the blade twisting painfully. Holden breathed deeply, the fight suddenly gone from his body as quickly as it came. “I will always come back for you. I lo—”

“No, you don’t. You never did. If you had, this…” I said with a wave at us, “…wouldn’t have happened.”

Buy Links:

Amazon | Evernight | Bookstrand | ARe

~~~~

Author Bio:

Bethany-Kris is a Canadian author, lover of much, and mother to two young sons, two cats, and two dogs. With her children under her feet, animals at her side, and spouse calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something…when she can find the time.

Author Links:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads

Writers Reviewing Writers with Vallory Vance

Here’s the question, I asked last month – Should writers in the same genre review each other? I got some responses so check back to get other writer’s opinions. Here’s mine:

I read quite a bit. Not as much as I did before I started writing, but still a lot. There are books I don’t like. There are some I love. There are some I think are okay.

Will I post these up on Amazon or Goodreads or this blog? If I’m asked to I will. Or if I just love them and have to tell somebody, then sure. What if I hated it? Nope. I’ll keep that to myself.

Why? Because I know how difficult the work was to create in the first place. I know there was time away from families and sleepless nights involved in putting that story out there and I know how negative reviews sting.

It’s also self-preservation for my writing dreams. I want to be a part of the small community of interracial romance writers and a supporter of the genre. I don’t want to be one of it’s detractors. There are enough of those without me.

My two cents – Kristen Strassel will give hers this weekend.

Happy Reading!

 

 

 

Spotlight on The Decision by James Burnett

 

Sexy superstar idol Chevalier has a problem. Shy and publicity averse, he escapes his fans by morphing into a woman, thanks to a family gene. However, this ability will not last forever, and in any case will end the first time he – or she – has sex.

Six years into an amazingly successful career when he had no time to do anything but work, it’s now time, after twelve years of switching between the two aspects, to work out which one should become permanent.

The challenge, while dating in both aspects, and trying new things to help settle which of two different futures will be best, is to work out which choice will bring the greatest happiness. Of course all this has to be done without revealing the family secret.

This proves harder than expected, as both aspects interact with a lot of the same people, several of whom notice that the two aspects are never seen together.

Complications abound as work and social pressures combine to create unexpected situations which threaten to derail the process of making the right decision.

Excerpt:

The concert had been a great success. As always. He was wildly popular, with his slim physique and knock’em dead looks, but it was the voice that captured them. Women and girls swooned over him, and he was not unaware of the occasional glances he got from men. As the stadium cleared out, Chevalier locked himself in his changing room. Changing room. He laughed at the thought. Yes, that’s what he did in here, but nobody suspected what changed. The transition took a few minutes, but the body needed several more to recover. That was one reason the door was locked. The other was that he didn’t want anyone to discover his other clothes. They also fit a five foot ten person, but not Chevalier, at least not when he was Chevalier. Three inch heels and a B cup wouldn’t do anything for his image, if they were found.

Another seven minutes later, she emerged. She was dressed to be ignored. Undistinguished working clothes that looked like they had been worked in. Nothing to draw attention to herself. The heels were to make her taller than Chevalier. In five years as Chevalier’s administrative assistant, more gofer in the eyes of his management company, nobody had suspected Serina Sharpe was also Chevalier.

She had Chevalier’s clothing and stuff in an anonymous bag, and walked confidently out of the exit, straight past the crowd of fans aching for a closer look at their idol. An idol that nobody ever saw leave. Even so, there was still a crowd of hopefuls, all of whom ignored her, a nondescript woman who didn’t deserve a second glance.

As far as Chevalier’s management company, MAK Industries, was concerned, she was a necessary evil. On paper she worked directly for Chevalier and was supposedly his cousin. She had become not only a buffer between him and his managers, but between him and the world.

In the taxi she took back to the hotel, she remembered the night when he was thirteen. Puberty had arrived, and he woke up in the middle of the night, exhausted and sweating, as if from a disquieting dream. Absently he went to scratch his balls. They weren’t there. Neither was the other thing that should be close by. Instead there was a slit. He had run to his parent’s bedroom, frightened out of his mind. As soon as they had turned on the light, his father had said, “Calm down. I didn’t know whether this would happen to you, but I know what it is.”

“What!” he, or was it now she, had screamed. “You knew this might happen and you said nothing!”

His mother’s calm voice took over. “We didn’t know whether it would happen or not. If it didn’t, well, we would have scared you for nothing. Your father’s family has a gene that affects roughly three children out of four. At puberty you gain the ability to switch sexes.”

“You mean I’m a girl now?” It was almost a squeak.

“Yes, Steve.” His father explained, “But only for the moment. You can change back and forth, until you decide which one suits you the best. It takes a lot of energy, so I wouldn’t do it too often.”

“Daddy, you mean you were a girl once?” He fought to keep his voice normal.

“Yes, but I much preferred to be a man. One word of warning. This ability will only last until you have sex for the first time. After that, you’re stuck with the role you chose. Also, if you don’t make a choice, sometime in your mid to late twenties, your body will choose for you, and it may not be the one you want.”

“Don’t worry, love” his, or was it now her, mother said, enveloping her in a warm and comforting hug until she stopped trembling. “Tomorrow we can go out and buy you a lot of girl’s clothes. I always hoped I could do girly things with you.” The enthusiasm in his mother’s voice gave him pause. He knew she had wanted a daughter, which was why they had tried for his brother, Dave, who was ten now. He loved her, and if this would give her joy, then he would be a dutiful daughter for a while.

Buy Link:    Amazon

 

~~~ About the Author~~~

I was educated at Gordonstoun School in Scotland, where I lived in what was supposed to be an enormous pentacle built by a mad sorcerer. That may have affected my outlook on life.

I made my career in casinos, first in London, and then in The Bahamas, having now worked for what is now Atlantis casino on Paradise Island for almost forty years. I really enjoy meeting all sorts of interesting people every day, and that gives me an awful lot of insight into people’s characters which I can use in my writing.

I run a pit that is located between two enormous glass sculptures by Dale Chihuli of the sun and the moon. This means that I tell people that I can always be found ‘between the Sun and the Moon in Paradise’.

Having read SF and Fantasy from a very early age, it was probably inevitable that I would write my novels in that genre.

When I need to chill I take the ferry to one of the other islands, which is fabulous for doing absolutely nothing. Except writing of course.

I am married and have two wonderful daughters, and two furry cats who often sleep with us.

I started out by writing stories from the casinos where I worked, as many were worth recording, and some were truly outrageous. I started novel writing when I had exhausted what was truly a mother lode of entertaining vignettes.

I don’t write for a particular market, but I write what I would like to read myself, and I always try to be different.

 

 

Let Her Go – Passenger

Researchers have found, according to a NPR report on a random day, that Americans are most unhappy on Tuesdays. The happy effect from the previous weekend has passed and the upcoming weekend seems far away.

So from the Vallory V blog, I add artistic validity to this sad day:

And the Blog Hops Have It- Ten Most Popular Blog Posts of 2013

This tells me that either I need to up my game as a blogger or that blog hops are King. The majority of the top ten read posts of 2013 were a part of blog hops, check them out below:

New Year’s Blog Hop – 2013
Male Romance Authors: Do You Read Them?
Chatting with Ayden Stone
Hump Day Hook – Christmas 2014
Hero Worship Week’s Real Life Heroine – Corinthia
Lady Amber’s Author’s Blog Hop – 2013
Sparks Will Fly Blog Hop – 2013
After Party – New Sensual Short
The Loving Day Blog Hop ~ 2013
The Regency Era and Romance by Anya Wylde

Only two posts were not part of a larger organized event – After Party -  New Sensual Short and The Regency Era and Romance by Anya Wylde.

Going forward into 2014, I realize I have to become more engaging as a blogger. However, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the hops as much as I have.

Happy Reading

~Val

What They Did Last Christmas

I can’t believe that one I have a day off from the day job and two I get to spend it with my family enjoying Christmas.

I’m writing this on Christmas Eve because I know tomorrow is going to be busy and I’ll probably have a few glasses of wine with lunch and dinner.

Tonight as we have arrived home from a Christmas musical and eaten our usual take-out Chinese Christmas Eve dinner, I began to reflect on the couples with whom I’d spent my 2013 writing year. What were they doing last Christmas?

Darcey St. Claire and Vincent Guidry from Déjà Vu  -

By Christmas Day 2012, Vincent Guidry had finalized plans for a New Year’s Eve party for one of his companies, Guidry Construction. He rarely attended the employee events himself but had to admit that he was intrigued by the woman who was the catering manager at the Hotel.

It was her laugh. He couldn’t get the melodic sound out of his head and booked a room at the Hayden Court.

Darcey St. Claire spent Christmas Day with her family in Miami. The only time her father was remotely interested in her career was when she mentioned that a former quarterback, Vincent Guidry, was a client.

“He was magnificent on the field,” her father said.

“Really? He seemed like an ass on the phone.” Darcey then turned to her sister-in-law, counting the hours until she could spend her Christmas bonus at the Sawgrass Mills Mall.

Elise Donaldson and Jacques Aristide from The Artist, a flash fiction piece included in Hot Flashes –

On Christmas Day, Elise was fielding questions from her family in Tyler, Texas about what exactly she was doing all these years in school. Apparently, anthropologist didn’t resonate with anyone within a hundred miles. By the end of the day, she snuggled up with a six pack of beer and her dog-eared copy of Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel in what used to be her childhood bedroom. She read and drank until she fell asleep.

Jacques Aristide attended a private showing of an emerging artist. His date for the evening was a curvy red head with sparkling green eyes. They left soon after the initial walk through. He wasn’t interested in hobnobbing; besides Annette charged outrageous rates for her holiday dates.

Amber Grayson and Kevin Miller from The Beginning of Forever –

These two spent Christmas together and Kevin proposed. You can read about it on Goodreads.

Alexis Joplin and Shane Fowler from One Stormy Night

Actually they spent Christmas Day together as well.

The weather derailed Alexis’s flight to her hometown of Ellicott City, Maryland. On Christmas Day, she was treated to a marathon of Christmas movies and a warm-and-eat dinner from a grocery store close to Shane’s apartment.

“I guess it all worked out since your dad is out of town. You didn’t have to spend Christmas Day alone.” Alexis had said as she stuffed the last paper plate into a wastebasket.

She turned in time to see Shane flick his tongue over around his opened mouth.

Surely, there were no hints of the apple pie left after they’d devoured the dessert.

“I’m going to get some sheets for the guest room.”

Shane left the kitchen leaving her wondering exactly what he hoped to taste on his curvy lips.

That’s what they were doing last year. Please feel free to comment on what you think they’re doing this year.

And Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

~Val

The Pink Cove – Laughter, Fun and Self-Discovery

Join THE PINK COVE inhabitants on a journey of laughter, fun and self-discovery ~  Eva Lindke

The Pink Cove: Volume 1 by Eva Lindke   ~ excerpt PG, book rated R May contain adult language/situations of sexual and non-sexual nature ~

Genre: Sultry, Erotic Content

Length: Novel  

Summary

The series starts with the unusually sultry and provocative founder of The Pink Cove. Sandra is a woman who has seen the disaster and destruction of the rich and famous. For many years it was her job to hide their secrets and make their troubles disappear. Tired of that life Sandra retires and begins her own scandalous life at The Pink Cove. Mitch is enchanted by a seductive woman he met in an internet chat room. After moving their interludes out of cyber space Mitch becomes more enchanted. Now he is ready to move the relationship onto the next phase. But will Sandra’s secrets keep Mitch from accepting the woman society scorns.

The story continues when Lela finds herself in a legal and ethical battle from her youth. Some would see what she did as a crime and a disgrace. Lela sees it as an act of art and self-expression. As she battles the courts to clear her of the charges of child pornography she learns that hiding who she is, is the real crime.

Mikah is a man whose sole purpose in life is to protect is client and friend Grant from the glaring eyes of the nosy public. But when he meets Grant’s sister his life takes on a new battle of protecting both of their secrets from intrusive reporters. Along the way he finds himself lost in Lela’s complicated world with no hopes of escaping it.

Excerpt

Sandra looked at herself in the mirror. The lighting was low, but there was no mistaking how fabulous the thin, sheer satin molded to her full curves. The emerald color highlighted her tan skin and black wavy hair. She smiled at her reflection. She wasn’t a model by any means, but she knew that her figure captivated and pleased him.

Entering the room in a dress that made his mouth water he thought he would never breathe again. When she walked in front of the lamp he could see clear through the divine confection. The outline of her legs reached her sexual center and his heart nearly stopped. His cock stiffened instantly fortunately the satin robe hid it from her view.

Beautiful wasn’t a word you could use to describe this goddess. His appetite was not towards the thin shapely models but a woman who was ample in all the right areas. The sexuality she exuded was exotic, erotic and a complete mystery. Walking towards him she had a clear destination in mind, to kill him. Leaning over she reached for a glass of wine, her breasts weighted heavy on the fabric and gave him a tantalizing view. He wanted to touch her and feel her though he feared the rules and what breaking them would bring.

Sipping the wine she settled on the cushion she had tossed at his feet. He was a magnificent specimen of male and how she relished each time they met. It was sheer ecstasy watching how every move and gesture tortured him. Licking her lips in anticipation of what would come next, she reached out and grabbed the end of the belt and tugged gently. His robe opened to expose an intensely masculine naked male. His arousal was apparent and so was her desire to please him.

Website:

AskMeAboutMyBooks.com – The author website of Eva Lindke, Blanche Mae and Joanna Swank

ThePinkCove.com – a new interactive site coming January 2014

To Get Your Copy:

Amazon, Barnes and Noble or at AskMeAboutMyBooks.com

Available in paperback at CreateSpace eStore

Eva Lindke

Author’s Biography

A new emerging Southern New Jersey author, Eva Lindke is taking the Romance field by storm. Her novels fall into a category of their own, sultry. Her sultry novels are not as extensively graphic as erotic but hotter than what is normally considered steamy romance novels.

Eva is a unique mix of quiet restraint with a wild mind of romance and seduction. She is a unique individual who is turning out romance novels that are amazing and keep the reader on track.

The Pink Cove series is the Pinnacle of the sultry novel genre. It is a unique and racy private club where people either fear it or desire to be a part of it. The Pink Cove allows you to be free to experience your greatest desires without the fear of persecution for “normal” society.

Eva Lindke developed this genre out of a realization that a category of readers where not being reached. Now she is becoming more in demand and her readers can’t wait for the next installment of The Pink Cove clan to be released. Because of the genre Eva is somewhat of a recluse and only steps out from behind her computer or other devices for a few rare book appearances. But one look at Eva and you realize that she is as unique as her characters.

Eva loves to travel to new exotic locations but often favors those places surrounded by warm tropical water.

For more information or photos, please contact;

Joanna Swank

Marketing & Promotion for AskMeAboutMyBooks.com

authors@askmeaboutmybooks.com