Travis Luedke's Blog, page 5

The Long Way Down ~ A Guilty Pleasure of Dark Fiction #UrbanFantasy #Review #ASMSG

The Long Way Down (Daniel Faust #1) by Craig Shaefer
Amazon  http://ow.ly/GMA1rGoodreads  http://ow.ly/GMAd0
Nobody knows the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas like Daniel Faust, a sorcerer for hire and ex-gangster who uses black magic and bullets to solve his clients' problems. When an old man comes seeking vengeance for his murdered granddaughter, what looks like a simple job quickly spirals out of control. 
Soon Daniel stands in the crossfire between a murderous porn director; a corrupt cop with a quick trigger finger; and his own former employer, a racket boss who isn't entirely human. Then there's Caitlin: brilliant, beautiful, and the lethal right hand of a demon prince. 
A man named Faust should know what happens when you rub shoulders with demons. Still Daniel can't resist being drawn to Caitlin's flame as they race to unlock the secret of the Etruscan Box, a relic that people all over town are dying -- and killing -- to get their hands on. As the bodies drop and the double-crosses pile up, Daniel will need every shred of his wits, courage and sheer ruthlessness just to survive. 
Daniel Faust knew he was standing with one foot over the brink of hell. He's about to find out just how far he can fall.
THE REVIEW : ★★★★★
As a fan of dark fiction from the likes of Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, and Jim Butcher, this novel was precisely the kind of book I get into. I found all my favorites within these pages.
Daniel Faust is a gifted sorcerer with a dark, violent, troubled past and a knack for biting off more than he can chew as a private investigator. Faust's character walks on the perpetual crumbling edge of hell, often doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, and makes for such wonderful dark fiction reading. Craig Schaefer struck a genius balance of the ever-darkening grey moral fiber of Daniel Faust, a man who just might surprise you when he does the right thing once in a while.
Faust faces corrupt cops, half-demon mobsters, sorcerers delving in the blackest of magics, a pornographer with a succubus on a leash, a well-organized group of religious fanatics, and steps squarely in between the forces of heaven and hell to avert apocalypse -- with nothing more than a few cards up his sleeve ... and his friends, of course.
Faust's friends are the oddest bunch of conjurers and sorcerers ever assembled at a Vegas convention. Faust's new girlfriend pulls his ass out of the fire a few times, but dating The Hound of Hell has its consequences.
Fans of paranormal suspense, horror, thriller, urban fantasy, or dark fantasy will be glad they found a new series to enjoy with Daniel Faust. 
FIVE STAR PARANORMAL BADASSARY
The Long Way Down is also available for a limited time in a kickass box set of dark fantasy and paranormal suspense,  THE SHADOW BOX:

Explore The Dark Side of Urban Fantasy – Paranormal Suspense with THE SHADOW BOX from NY Times & USA Today bestselling authors.

***A limited offer at a steeply discounted price – only available until Feb. 2015

10 Full Length Novels for only $.99!
Amazon http://smarturl.it/ShadowBox
Nook http://ow.ly/FDzrv
Itunes http://ow.ly/FDzDR
Kobo http://ow.ly/FNAxb 
Add it on Goodreads! http://ow.ly/FDAEC
Add it on Booklikes! http://ow.ly/FDNLo

Ride the cutting edge of dark fantasy in this unique collection of fast-paced, gritty, suspenseful thrillers. Filled with black magic, vampire trailer trash, werewolves, sorcerers, assassins, clairvoyants, zombie draggers, and old-school gothic horror, a sure bet for fans of paranormal suspense.

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Marketing 4 DeadBroke Writers ~ Stop Wasting $$$ on #BookMarketing, Start Selling Books #ASMSG

Writers Stop Starving, and Start Selling Books!
Marketing for DeadBroke WritersOnline Education Sponsored by ASMSGPresented by Joel Scott
Learn effective book marketing via social media with this inexpensive 11 class course.  For details and registration, go to  http://bit.ly/1HbzlVs
Marketing for DeadBroke WritersOnline Education 
Sponsored by ASMSG
Presented by Joel Scott
Joel Scott is a published author with six educational books in the for Dummies series and nearly 100,000 books sold. He is also an experienced educator and speaker.The Marketing for DeadBroke Writers™ course was designed and presented by Joel Scott for the Author Learning Center, a division of Author Solutions. That company was absorbed by Penguin, which in turn, was absorbed by Random House.  Since its inception in 2011 this course has attracted more than a thousand students.After every class, each student was asked to submit an evaluation. Here are a few quotes from prior students.“This has been the best Author Learning Center webinar I have listened to!”“I found the technical conversations the most helpful, and enjoyed when he gave a visual example of another facebook page.”“I am new to Twitter and this webinar helped fill in information on how to use Twitter.  Didn’t have the foggiest notion before and don’t like to stumble around in the dark.”“The information about linking Twitter to your Facebook fan Page, and creating an audio excerpt [was really helpful].”As the results of the recent ASMSG poll showed, our members feel the need for in-depth training on author marketing in today’s confusing world of social media and promotions. Joel Scott and ASMSG have designed a special set of online classes at a steeply discounted price exclusively available to members of ASMSG.Here are some key parameters.Each of the eleven online sessions will be about 45 minutes in length and will have a Q&A session.Each class will be presented twice to accommodate peoples’ schedules and time zones.Classes will be recorded for students to access later at their convenience.The first class, Planning and Building your Audience, will be  free  to all ASMSG members.Members signing up for the course will also receive a  free  copy of Mr. Scott’s upcoming book,Marketing for DeadBroke Writers.The entire course costs just $50 – a significant discount just for ASMSG membersClasses are planned to begin in January, 2015 and there will be a class each week.Wednesday sessions at 8:30 p.m Eastern and Sunday sessions at 8:30 pm Eastern (a repeat of Wednesday)Scheduled Classes for 2015 Winter Semester1Planning and Building your Audience (FREE TO EVERYONE)January 14 & 182Selecting the Right PublisherJanuary 21 & 253Using Facebook Fan PagesFebruary 4 & 84Using Twitter and associated toolsFebruary 11 & 155Filling in with other Social MediaFebruary 18 & 226Using Amazon and Smashwords ToolsFebruary 25 & 297Creating and Using Audio ExcerptsMarch 4 & 88How to Blog and integrate it with the rest of your campaign toolsMarch 11 & 159Building your own websiteMarch 18 & 2210I don’t need no stinkin’ editorMarch 25 & 2911How to go Viral (really?)April 1 & 5 
We will provide details on each class and a registration form.  Holiday promotional price of $50.00 Enrollment open until January 14th 2015  ENROLL NOW! http://bit.ly/1HbzlVs

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We wish you a $.99 Christmas and a NIGHTLIFE MOSCOW New Year! #Vampires #ASMSG

NOW AVAILABLE ON PREORDER AT $.99! (Release Date January 20, 2015)
THE NIGHTLIFE MOSCOW  (Book 5 in The Nightlife Series)
$.99 on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/NightlifeMoscowAdd to Goodreads: http://ow.ly/GovgqAdd to Booklikes: http://ow.ly/GoxDW 
*The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy*
Vampires Aaron and Michelle have landed in Moscow, on the prowl. In the company of a misfit pack of mercenary werewolves and Urvashi, a fallen angel, the vampires are forced into the violent, decadent underworld of Russian mafia, drugs and blood slaves.
This time the hunters have become the hunted.
Dmitri, a Russian vampire billionaire, sends his mafia goons to the streets, gunning for the wolf pack. Now they must bring the fight to Dmitri before he finds them first.
Experience the violent, sensual underbelly of Nightlife Moscow, as Aaron and Michelle mix up a wicked blend of sex, chaos, mayhem, and vengeance.
Get your copy of the latest urban fantasy – paranormal suspense novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Travis Luedke.
Praise for The Nightlife Series:
“Fast paced, no holds-barred, gripping, gut-wrenching, soul-ripping and most definitely tear-inducing. Perfection!”“You know when you see a violent or bloody scene in a movie and you cover your eyes for a couple of seconds until it has past? I caught myself doing that with this book, then I realized that the lines were not going to go away until I read them.”“I love that we have strippers, prostitutes, sluts, and Mr. Luedke is unapologetic about it...Nightlife gives it to us in spades.”“Mr. Luedke once again showcasing his considerable talent for crafting erotic, action-packed, supernatural thrillers that leave the reader saying “Wow!”“A no-holds-barred, easy-to-read romp that mixes fantasy, suspense, horror and erotica, and does it well.”
AS MY GIFT TO YOU THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, ENJOY THE NIGHTLIFE SERIES OMNIBUS for $.99!Four Full-Length Nightlife Novels in one box set!

Four full-length novels from a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy. Enjoy these pulse-pounding tales of vampires Aaron and Michelle as they travel from New York to Las Vegas and Paris, skating through the dark underworld of escorts, strippers, mafia, drugs and vampires!
Includes:THE NIGHTLIFE NEW YORKTHE NIGHTLIFE LAS VEGASTHE NIGHTLIFE PARISBLOOD SLAVE
$.99 on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/NightlifeSeries$.99 on Barnes & Noble: http://ow.ly/GozjQ$.99 on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/336520Add to Goodreads: http://ow.ly/GozaSAdd to Booklikes: http://ow.ly/GoB9e
Fans of the Nightlife Series also get two more kickass $,99 box set deals:
THE SHADOW BOX  10 Novels of Dark Fantasy & Paranormal Suspense
PREORDER NOW for only $.99!
Explore The Dark Side of Urban Fantasy – Paranormal Suspense with THE SHADOW BOX from NY Times & USA Today bestselling authors.

***A limited offer at a steeply discounted price – only available until Feb. 2015

PREORDER 10 Full Length Novels for only $.99! Amazon http://smarturl.it/ShadowBoxNook http://ow.ly/FDzrvItunes http://ow.ly/FDzDRKobo http://ow.ly/FNAxb Add to Goodreads! http://ow.ly/FDAECAdd to Booklikes! http://ow.ly/FDNLo
Ride the cutting edge of dark fantasy in this unique collection of fast-paced, gritty, suspenseful thrillers. Filled with black magic, vampire trailer trash, werewolves, sorcerers, assassins, clairvoyants, zombie draggers, and old-school gothic horror, a sure bet for fans of paranormal suspense.

PASSIONATE BITES
10 Novels of Vampire Romance

AMAZON smarturl.it/PassionateBitesNOOK http://bit.ly/1tpLrB2GOODREADS https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23279860-passionate-bites

Ten hot vampire romance novels by NY Times & USA Today bestselling authors.
A limited offer – a steeply discounted price.
***Only available until Jan. 2015***Full novels
Passionate Bites is a paranormal romance collection loaded with sizzling hot alpha-males & badass heroines. From vampires to werewolves to witches & demons, these dark, sensual tales of romantic suspense weave a tapestry of intrigue, desperation, betrayal, & enough steamy desire to satisfy every taste.http://www.twluedke.com/
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The Modern Hero and Heroine in Contemporary Fiction by Elizabeth SaFleur @ElizaLoveStory #ASMSG

The Modern Hero and Heroine: Not Your Grandmother’s Character by Elizabeth SaFleur
Originally posted here: http://eroticaforall.co.uk/guest-blogs/the-modern-hero-and-heroine-not-your-grandmothers-character-by-elizabeth-safleur-elizalovestory/#

In the late 1970s, when my interests changed from horses to boys, I discovered my first romance book. I don’t recall the title, but the story featured a grey-eyed, red-headed virgin heroine who was brutally deflowered by a nearby Lord. Yes, there was bodice ripping, fainting and, in the end, true love. Of course, the sex was tame. We were given a few lines of purple prose (I think his “manhood” was mentioned once) and little else. But more distressing than the lack of sex was the heroine. She was, well, wimpy. In subsequent “bodice rippers” the heroines weren’t much different.Then some years later I discovered Anne Rice’s Exit to Eden and her Sleeping Beauty series. The books were proudly displayed in a bookstore in downtown Washington, D.C. I couldn’t believe my good luck. Spelled out sex! In broad daylight! And for once, the heroines were depicted as strong women. In Exit to Eden, Lisa, the head trainer at an exclusive BDSM club, was in charge. As the years passed, I noticed the “strengthening” of female leads across all genres continued, but no greater than in romance, erotic romance and erotica.From Savannah Tennyson and Marcie Moira in Joey W. Hill’s Knight of the Board Room series to the more recent Karina Casper of Cecilia Tan’s Slow Surrender series, the modern heroine is nothing like the redheaded beauty of my first-read romance novel. Savannah made her hero work for her. Marcie went after her man with a vengeance. And Karina didn’t take any crap from her guy. They all ended up with true love.Today’s female protagonist rocks.Unlike the blushing brides of decades past, these modern heroines are spirited and worldly with strong goals and ideas. Even in recently-written regency books, the women have strong opinions. Also, while two decades ago a female character “putting up” with the hero’s abuse would have been a natural step to love, today such a hero would find himself on the street. In today’s books, connections are mutually beneficial and characters come together as partners—or they don’t happen at all.The heroine is not the only character who has undergone shifts, either. The contemporary hero is vastly different than the conquering Lords from previous decades. For one, heroes go through emotional journeys and character growth. In essence, they change. (I didn’t say it mirrored real life. Just kidding, guys.)Add the importance of consent and safe sex, and one could say the modern romance—erotic or not—has travelled light years from the “bodice-rippers” of the past.These changes are a natural progression. After all, society has shifted with more male-female equality. But this evolution of the romance, erotica and erotic romance genres makes me wonder what the heroes and heroines in twenty years will bring us. How far can we go?How do you view the modern hero or heroine? Do you find them cast differently than years ago?Caption: His Hour (1924) with John Gilbert & Aileen PringleCaption: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, heroine of the Hunger Games books*****

(An excerpt from LOVELY by Elizabeth Safleur - keep reading for the GIVEAWAY!)

Chapter OneThe Jefferson Suite had a reputation. Everyone said so.Christiana Snow watched Henrick, the sous-chef, slip a red rose into the silver bud vase on the room service tray she’d been tasked to deliver. “There are some naughty stories about the guests that stay in that suite.” He winked. “Let me take you to dinner, and I’ll tell you all about it.”She turned her back on Henrick’s smirk—and his eyes that never seemed to travel farther north than her neck. Since the day Christiana started working at The Oak she’d fought the desire to bend her knees to force his gaze to her face. It would only give him the wrong idea.Instead she threw back two ibuprofens with her milk and then set the glass into a nearby bin of dirty dishes. Gossip made her head hurt.She felt Henrick’s eyes travel her body as she pushed the room service cart into the elevator. “For a reporter’s daughter, you aren’t very curious,” he called after her.Curiosity wasn’t the issue. The Oak, which stood mere blocks from the White House, attracted politicians and paparazzi—and dozens of men, sporting earbuds attached to wires disappearing into their dark suits, sent to watch them both. It took real concentration to ignore the stories that the hotel’s staff collected like trophies.At least the tips were good at the boutique hotel and restaurant, and the mundane work gave her time to think—or think forward, as her father always said. And that’s what she was going to do—think forward and move forward. She didn’t have time to get wrapped up in other people’s lives and certainly not the pseudo reality of the D.C. politicos.The elevator creaked to a stop. Water sloshed in the silver pitcher as Christiana leaned over the cart to push the slatted metal door aside. A dusty, oil-paint smell greeted her as she started down the hallway, lined with canvases of hunting scenes set in over-sized, gilded frames higher than she was tall and wider than her arms could stretch.Christiana took in a lungful of the stagnant air as she reached the Jefferson Suite’s double doors at the end of the corridor. She knocked and listened for the sound of footsteps. No one came.Her leg danced with impatience. Mrs. DeCord’s order was Christiana’s last task of the day, and she wanted to finish it as fast as possible to rush off to meet Avery, her best friend. Christiana had agreed to be her “date” at some society fundraiser that afternoon.Christiana studied the rich mahogany crown molding, lining the long hallway. Gold brocade wallpaper led her eyes to images of smiling women, draped in gossamer swaths of pastel blue and green fabric. They stared down from their ceiling mural home, their eyes cold and full of secrets.Christiana knocked on the door once more. After no response, she pulled her master key card from her apron pocket and slipped it to the lock slot. The door cracked open but stopped against something on the other side. Through the gap in the door, she saw a man’s shoe lying on its side.She called into the room, “Hello? Room service. Ma’am?” No one answered though muffled voices resonated deeper within.Well, she couldn’t wait. She pushed harder on the door, and the shoe slid aside.The cart’s wheels whispered over the marble entryway floor. She announced herself one more time. No reply. She picked up the man’s dress shoe, an expensive leather smell wafting to her nose. She set it down beside a tufted chair in the hall.A male voice echoed from the bathroom off the suite’s master bedroom. “No, Yvette.”“Please take me. I won’t say a thing.” Mrs. DeCord’s voice reverberated off the tile.“You know our agreement.”Mrs. DeCord whined, “I don’t understand why I wasn’t invited. I’ll show up anyway.”“You won’t do any such thing, Yvette.” He spoke her name like a caress. “Take off your panties.”Christiana’s insides seized at the man’s abrupt change in tone. Maybe she had heard wrong. After a long silence, she urged the cart forward, but the wheels bogged down on the plush carpet in the living area.The voice spoke. “Bend over, put your hands on the counter. Good. Look in the mirror. Eyes on me, Yvette.”Smack! A sharp slap pierced the air, and Christiana jerked backward as if stung. Mrs. DeCord moaned. Was she hurt?Christiana couldn’t break her gaze, eyes glued on the bedroom doors. They weren’t closed completely. They were slightly ajar, a sliver of the interior showing through a small crack.“Open your legs.” The man’s voice, sandpaper and velvet, rooted Christiana in place even though her heart fluttered wildly. “Very nice, baby.”Christiana took a deep breath to steady herself, inhaling musk mixed with the fragrance of lilacs. Something else hung heavy in the air.Mrs. DeCord’s whimpers grew louder.Should she call, so they knew she wasn’t trying to hide her presence? If they saw her, would they realize she had overheard? Should she leave? If she abandoned the lunch, they’d know she’d heard and run away, probably to gossip.“Mmm, you like that, don’t you, sweetheart?”Christiana licked her lips at the man’s chocolate-caramel tone. She tried to place the voice—maybe he was a radio announcer. No, he sounded too sexy and way too dangerous.Slap! Slap! Christiana’s leg bumped into the cart and silverware clanked. Water splashed on the linen, and she stilled, but no new sound came from the bedroom.She couldn’t abandon the lunch in the middle of the living room. She’d just have to be quick. Christiana maneuvered the cart to the small bay window overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. She set up the silver and lifted the dome on Mrs. DeCord’s salad.“Touch yourself,” the deep, rich voice said. Christiana’s heart punched at her ribs, and she lifted one hand to her breast to still it. Her eyes darted to the doors.She gulped and tried to shake off the sound of the man’s sexy intonation. Christiana tiptoed over to the French doors of the master bedroom and risked a peek into the room. The bed’s comforter wilted over one side of the bed, and sheets bunched in a tight wad at the foot, bulging through the brass rails of the footboard. Pillows lay scattered on the floor. Braided black ropes hung limply from the frame of the headboard. She envisioned a restrained body, spread-eagle and helpless on the bed. Oh, god.A chill broke out across her body. Instinct told her to click the doors shut. She winced at the snick of the door jam. Did they hear her?More whispers escaped from behind the closed doors. She couldn’t make out the words, but the sensual rhythm of his voice rose and fell in a soothing, hypnotic cadence. Christiana’s ears strained for the man’s instructions, for what he wanted Mrs. DeCord to do next. Footsteps brushed across the carpet in the bedroom. The man spoke in rumbling purrs, approaching the bed.She bit her bottom lip when a thought arose about that strange, human scent. Sex. A pang hit between her thighs as an image slipped into place of the faceless man—with that voice—putting his mouth on Mrs. DeCord’s neck.A long wail and an ecstatic groan drifted from inside the bedroom.Christiana stepped back. She needed to leave—now. If caught eavesdropping, even accidentally, she’d be dismissed. She clutched the silver dome to her chest like a shield and slunk to the marble foyer. The man’s smoky voice oozed into the main room as the suite’s front door clacked behind her, a barrier to . . . what?She jogged down the long hallway to the elevator, punched the call button, and tried to steady her breathing as the elevator creaked upward. The man’s voice still reverberated in her chest. Relief coursed through her body, glad she hadn’t run into either of them inside, especially him. One look and he would have guessed she’d heard, had sucked in the air, heavy with sex, and understood.Her imagination settled on Mrs. DeCord pressed into the mattress under a dark, mysterious man. His lips floated over her breast. Christiana shook her head in a vain attempt to stop the image from evolving into the man slipping his hands between the woman’s legs.Christiana hit the button twice more. Come on. She gave up on the antiquated elevator and headed to the stairs. More questions surfaced with each step downward.Did Henrik’s wink mean he knew? Who was Mrs. DeCord hooking up with in the Jefferson Suite? The mystery man had done something carnal to her, something she’d wanted done, though Christiana couldn’t imagine what. Something with ropes and slaps and Lord knows what else. Maybe she should’ve listened when the other waitresses, huddled in the employee break room, tittered about who slipped through the hotel lobby trying not to be noticed.Then again, maybe not. She began to understand why her manager, Brian, had directed staff to drop off the orders and avoid looking around. He had warned, “In the political climate of Washington, D.C., some things are best not to see.”Christiana dislodged her overactive daydreaming and ran to the staff room to gather her things before clocking out. She jumped when her phone rang.“Hey, get here already! I’m guarding your dress in the main ladies room. You know where,” Avery said. “I never wore it, and you seem to like blue.”Avery’s closet enjoyed a regular turnover, as the budding socialite wouldn’t be caught dead photographed in anything twice. Christiana was the grateful recipient of Avery’s generosity. Her hand-me-downs were really more like hand-me-ups for Christiana.She grabbed her purse from her locker. “I’m leaving right now. How come this event is so early?”“Mom said it’d be like happy hour. It’s really so they can all start drinking earlier. Serve anyone interesting today?”“No one special.” She glanced in the small mirror inside the door and smoothed down a few wispy bangs to cover up the two-inch scar on her forehead, now pink from exertion.“Oh, come on. It’s an election year. Everyone wants to be seen.”Christiana laughed. “You sound like my dad.” The silence on the other end signaled Avery wasn’t pleased with the comparison. Another faux pas—something Avery said Christiana was very good at making, like wearing the same dress to a charity event more than once.“Um, do you know Mrs. DeCord?” Christiana asked.“Sure. Former Miss Dallas, married to a high-powered lawyer. Well, at least for now. Women like that go through men like wardrobe changes. Why? What’d she do? Spill it.”“Oh, nothing. She comes in from time to time.” Damn, she shouldn’t have asked. Avery’s natural investigative nature came alive when a fellow socialite’s name arose.“Who was she with today? Not her husband?” Avery’s voice lit up with excitement.“I don’t know what her husband looks like. It was probably him.”Avery snorted. “Yeah, right. No one goes to The Oak with who they’re supposed to be with.”“I’ll take your word for it. Look, I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay?”Christiana stuffed her phone into her purse and sprinted to the garage.Cars choked Constitution Avenue even on a Saturday. Tourist season had begun in Washington. Families clad in matching t-shirts and people carrying maps and cameras would soon replace D.C.’s full-time residents, who would escape the city for Rehoboth Beach on most muggy summer weekends.She shifted in her seat and adjusted the air conditioning vents to blow directly over her clammy chest. Christiana glanced to the National Mall alongside Constitution Avenue. Stopping at a red light every thirty-five feet never used to bother her. It gave her time to take in the sights. But lately the Washington Monument’s constant pointing to the sky created an unsettling feeling. It only reminded her nothing really changes in D.C.Christiana pulled up to the entrance of the Rosemont Country Club only ten minutes late. Sunlight bounced off the brass plaque on the white brick pillars, the only announcement to the outside world that the elite of Washington gathered at the other end of the dogwood-lined driveway. Members of Congress discussed budget negotiations while golfing and bored wives complained about Neiman Marcus inventory while sunning themselves on the terrace.Avery’s family had held membership here since the club opened in the 1920s. Her great-grandfather was one of the founding members. The Churchill women had spent countless hours flipping from their backs to their fronts by the swimming pool and attending mixers and events in the cool evenings. Avery reveled in the ambience. Butterflies usually took over Christiana’s stomach at the thought of crossing the threshold of the country club though she attempted to raise a little gratitude for Avery’s generosity in letting her tag along. Or drag me along.Christiana handed her keys to the valet, whose traditional red coat was replaced by a ridiculous number in black and pink. Oh, right, today’s event was a fundraiser for breast cancer research. Great, she’d be in blue while everyone else draped themselves in various shades of fuchsia and rose. She hoped no one would notice. She knew everyone would. Even when helping a great cause, Washington feasted on mistakes, and failure to heed dress codes was a major gaffe. It took a lot of time and money—none of which she had—to conform to all the rules of Avery’s world.She shook her head and tried to focus on not tripping up the stairs in her high-heeled sandals. But memories of work today and what she’d overheard at the Jefferson Suite kept replaying in her mind. Stop it. Chris. Think forward. She slipped through the massive oak door.*****Blurb:Can you have love and power at the same time?Congressman Jonathan Brond has mastered his work, his reputation and the art of sexual domination while keeping his family’s political legacy intact. But a chance encounter with college student Christiana Snow promises something he didn’t think was possible–meeting someone honest.When the charismatic man proposes a summer of sensual, sexual submission, Christiana leaps into his world—the antidote to her bland life. But Washington, D.C. is an unforgiving place; soon gossip and scandal threatens their relationship.Yet, in a town of players, sometimes introducing a new game is the only way out. Who knew love would be the winning plan?Stand alone. Not a cliff-hanger.Available at Amazon   Kobo  Smashwords Goodreads For a sneak peak at the Elite Doms’ attempt to bring a little discipline to Washington, D.C., curious readers can download Holiday Ties,  the series’ first novelette, free from Amazon and Smashwords *****Reviews from Goodreads5 star: “Elizabeth SaFleur’s book explodes and almost rocked our capital for a loop!”5 star: “Wow. Where do I start… This book, ‘Lovely’, was an exceptional book.”5 star: “Elizabeth SaFleur did an amazing job in creating a book that will stay with me. A must add to your tbr list. Highly recommended.”4 star: “Madame SaFleur a job well done. A perfect title—simply Lovely. Hoping that this story continues. In my opinion, Christiana and Jonathan’s journey is far from over.”4 star: “This page turner leaves you feeling vindicated and wanting more of HOT Jonathan.”4 star: “A great read and an author I’m certain to keep going back to.”*****About the Author:Elizabeth SaFleur is an erotic romance author who is finally sharing what simmers in her imagination—lots of alpha males, seductive encounters, and love. For many years she lived and worked in her novels’ setting, Washington, D.C., in public relations. In her thirty-year career, she represented or encountered some of the city’s powerful insiders.Elizabeth now writes, tweets and posts under her pseudonym, Elizabeth SaFleur, since her former clients might be a little shocked at their past PR counselor’s new career choice.  Then again, perhaps they would fear they provided inspiration. (She has sworn secrecy.)Her series, the Elite Doms of Washington, is contemporary erotic romance for the progressive woman—unafraid and unencumbered by society’s boundaries.Lovely, the first novel in the series debuting in January 2015, was inspired one sunny day at an outside café in Washington Harbor where Elizabeth swore she witnessed a woman being lashed to a sailboat mast, happily. Lovely’s hero, Jonathan Brond, was born that day when he silently answered her unspoken question, “does she like that?” with yet another question: “Would you like to find out?”Today Elizabeth shares twenty-eight, wildlife-filled acres in Central Virginia with her husband and dog, and is sometimes separated from her laptop to indulge in dance classes and visits to wineries and hiking trails with friends. She lives by one quote: “If you really want to be happy, nobody can stop you.”Elizabeth is a member of the Romance Writers Association, the Washington Romance Writers, and avid reader of all fiction genres, but especially books with a happily-ever-after ending. Visit www.ElizabethSaFleur.com to drop her a note.Author Website: http://www.elizabethsafleur.com/
Publisher Website: http://www.trollriverpub.com/
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethSaFleur
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElizaLoveStory
Author Google+ profile: http://google.com/+ElizabethSaFleur
Author Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/elizabethlovest/
Author Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8409162.Elizabeth_SaFleur
Author Amazon profile: www.amazon.com/author/elizabethsafleur

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DARKER THINGS, a brilliant beginning to a #DarkFantasy Series #ASMSG

DARKER THINGS The Lockman Chronicles Book One by Rob Cornell
Find Darker Things on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/DarkerThingsAdd to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22019652-darker-things
THE BLURB:
Craig Lockman... 
No one had called him that in fifteen years. 
Not since his days at the Agency. Not since he was trained to kill creatures that were supposed to exist only in nightmares. 
Yet the teenage girl on his doorstep not only knows his real name, she claims she's his daughter. 
Before Lockman can learn how the girl found him, he's attacked by a black-ops team of assassins. But these aren't ordinary killers--they're heavily armed vampires sent by his most hated enemy. 
Forced on the run, Lockman protects his daughter from an onslaught of horrors while searching for who betrayed him and why. The investigation leads him to Detroit, where he unwittingly sets a plan into motion that could trigger a paranormal apocalypse and cost him his soul. 
Darker Things presents a new breed of urban fantasy, paced like a thriller and filled with gritty action. "Imagine if James Patterson wrote about vampires." -- Will Entrekin, author of The Prodigal Hour.
THE REVIEW:   ★★★★★
Craig Lockman is a man with a dark wicked past he thought he'd left behind. When the daughter he never knew existed comes knocking, she unwittingly brings the darkness straight to his doorstep.
The race for survival is on. Craig must figure out who gave up his location and why, while trying to protect his trouble-making daughter from the marauding vampires, werewolves and other nasties that are hunting them both. Lockman's nemesis wants him alive, and he has powerful supernatural allies to ensure he gets his man.
This is a fast-paced dark urban fantasy thriller filled with paranormal suspense and in-your-face action sequences. Lockman must balance his violent tendencies and badassary with this new strange dynamic in his life, his growing love for his daughter.

Reminiscent of Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, and all my old-school horror favorites, Darker Things is a phenomenal start to a dark fiction series. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment, Dark Legion, Book 2 in the Lockman Chronicles.


Luckily Darker Things is also available through the holidays in a kickass box set of dark fantasy and paranormal suspense, THE SHADOW BOX:

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THE SHADOW BOX: Preorder 10 full length novels for only $.99! #DarkFantasy #ASMSG

Explore The Dark Side of Urban Fantasy – Paranormal Suspense with THE SHADOW BOX from NY Times & USA Today bestselling authors.
***A limited offer at a steeply discounted price – only available until Feb. 2015
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Ride the cutting edge of dark fantasy in this unique collection of fast-paced, gritty, suspenseful thrillers. Filled with black magic, vampire trailer trash, werewolves, sorcerers, assassins, clairvoyants, zombie draggers, and old-school gothic horror, a sure bet for fans of paranormal suspense.
DARKER THINGS by Rob CornellFifteen years have passed since Craig Lockman worked for a shadowy agency fighting monsters most think exist only in nightmares. A mysterious teen girl arrives at his door with his fiercest enemy on her tail. Now he must protect the daughter he never knew from the dark world he thought he left behind.
MOTH by Sean PoindexterSocial worker Max Hollingsworth is no stranger to monsters. Supernatural or human, he's faced all kinds. But when he's called upon to investigate a missing child, he may have met his match.
THE SHEPHERD by Travis LuedkeAfter saving a mysterious girl from a hit and run, 16 yr. old Mike Evans soon finds his life spiraling out of control. Facing clairvoyant visions of grisly death, Mike struggles to avert disaster and make his way through the chaos.
COUNCIL OF PEACOCKS by M. Joseph MurphyA band of misfit, half-demon teenagers join the ruthless, immortal Wisdom, to stop The Council of Peacocks. The Council, a secret society of sorcerers, has plotted for centuries, and now the time has come for Activation – a hostile takeover of Earth.
A DEATH DISPLACED by Andrew ButcherWhen Nicolas Crystan unexpectedly sees the future, he acts fast to save Juliet Maystone from a fatal accident, unintentionally "displacing" her–giving her the power to see ghosts. Together, they must use their newfound abilities to unravel a mystery more connected to Nicolas than he ever imagined ...
BOUND BY BLOOD by Shane KP O’NeillVlad Dracula: ruler, tyrant, warlord, and champion of the Catholic faith, is seized by Lucifer in his moment of death and becomes a monster, born of Darkness. Vlad is charged with destroying the institution of the Catholic Church, to help turn man against God so that Lucifer may finally return to Heaven and end all of mankind.
LUNA SANGUIS by Simon OkillA mysterious woman awakes in an asylum in France, 1925, with amnesia. As her memory is restored she reveals her true vampiric nature and unleashes a bloody nightmare that might destroy all humanity.
TELL ME WHEN I’M DEAD by Steven RamirezWhen a contagion decimates the town of Tres Marias, recovering alcoholic Dave Pulaski, his wife, Holly, and a group of armed soldiers and civilians must find a way to survive.
THE LONG WAY DOWN by Craig SchaeferThe death of a porn star leads sorcerer Daniel Faust down a rabbit hole of conspiracy and madness. For the first time, black magic and bullets might not be enough to save him from the brink of damnation.
BLACKJACK by Kristopher NorrisWhen Vincent Black, a gun for hire, is told vampires are all too real, he thinks it’s a joke. But soon he learns that he is not the most dangerous brand of hunter out there...
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PASSIONATE BITES Release Day Party Bash! #Vampire #Romance #99cents #ASMSG

November 25th is upon us, and PASSIONATE BITES is live!

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Ten hot vampire romance novels by NY Times & USA Today bestselling authors.
A limited offer – a steeply discounted price.
***Only available until Jan. 2015***Full novels
Passionate Bites is a paranormal romance collection loaded with sizzling hot alpha-males & badass heroines. From vampires to werewolves to witches & demons, these dark, sensual tales of romantic suspense weave a tapestry of intrigue, desperation, betrayal, & enough steamy desire to satisfy every taste.
DARKNESS SERIES, 1 & 2 - K.F. BreeneSasha has grown up with one surety: she’s not normal. Since she was little, she’s had unexplained talents & seen strange shapes in the shadows no one else can see. One night, everything changes. Suddenly she is immersed in a world full of danger & magic. She must finally reveal her secrets in order to survive.
LUCA’S MAGIC EMBRACE - Kym GrossoIn the Big Easy, vampire, Luca Macquarie, & witch, Samantha Irving, embark on a spellbinding journey, searching for a mystical relic. With cryptic clues & clandestine allies, will they destroy the dangerous amulet before others acquire it? Will Luca give in to his erotic desire for the witch who magically captures his heart?
DAMON - Teresa GabelmanDamon DeMasters, vampire warrior, has taken an oath to protect his own kind as well as humans. Social worker, Nicole Callahan fights for the right of every child placed in her care. Damon has been ordered to train Nicole & her colleagues against the dangers they now face. Even as sparks fly, Nicole & Damon depend on each other to protect the children of both races.
DESTINED - Brenda K. DaviesTerrified of becoming mated like her parents, Isabelle has locked herself away to avoid their fate. Despite her determination to remain alone, her world is rocked when Stefan arrives at their door. Just as she begins to let her guard down, Stefan’s dark & deadly past catches up to him & threatens to destroy them both.
HONEYMOON BITE - Sharon HamiltonAnne caught her husband cheating before their wedding cake was cut, so she takes her honeymoon in Tuscany alone. Bitten by a vampire on her wedding night, she is left for dead, until Marcus Monteleone, her 300 year old fated mate, rescues her. Will they be able to navigate Marcus’ rocky & dangerous past to have an immortal future together?
A SUMMONER’S TALE - Victoria DanannThe devastatingly seductive ex-vampire, Istvan Baka, is forced to relive his tragic life as human & confront his past as vampire while his friends search for him. That search ultimately proves that love waits patiently through lifetimes for a second chance.
BLOOD AND SNOW VOLUMES 1-8 - RaShelle Workman"Lips red as rubies, hair dark as night. Drink your true love's blood, become the Vampire, Snow White."Every thousand years the Vampire Queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, & this time she’s chosen Snow White.
THE NIGHTLIFE SAN ANTONIO - Travis LuedkeVampires, Mafia & Sexy Mayhem:EMT on call, Adrian Faulkner resuscitates a beautiful woman after a mafia shootout. He can't explain why he picks her up in the hospital parking lot three days later, then ducks the police. She wanted to escape. He wanted to get laid. They both got more than they bargained for.
MIDNIGHT CAPTIVE - Arial BurnzAfter seven years, James Knightly returns as a master swordsman, ready to captain a ship & wed his childhood sweetheart, Cailin MacDougal. Waiting for him is a dagger-toting hellion for a bride, an immortal father-in-law, & an enemy bent on threatening the family James holds most dear.
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Meet Prince DeHelios of HERS TO CLAIM, a Hot #Fantasy #Erotic #Romance ASMSG

Originally blogged here: http://www.elizabethsafleur.com/blog/meet-prince-dehelios-of-hers-to-claim-a-hot-fantasy-erotic-romance#
Meet Prince DeHelios of Hers to Claim, a Hot Fantasy Erotic Romance The following character interview was first published on Eclipse Reviews blog site, and is reprinted below with permission by author Patricia A. Knight, writer of the Verdantia Series. (She's the lucky lady who has Prince DeHelios whisper in her ear. )

Hel, or as he says "Prince DeHelios if you must be formal,” is the hero of Hers to Claim, the fourth in the Verdantia series, fantasy erotic romance at its best. We were lucky to hear directly from Hel in the interview below.  When we first meet Hel in Hers to Claim, he has one goal in mind: save his people. Then he meets Adonia. 


Speaking of Adonia, he prefaced his talk below in this manner: I’m certain I didn’t look like much when Adonia first saw me. I had been living wild for some years. She tells me I improved after she cut my hair and shaved off my beard.


And, now? Well. . . Meet Prince DeHelios . . . Describe yourself what is your worst and best quality?  My worst quality? It depends upon who you ask, I suppose. For the love ofHer, don’t ask Ramsey DeKieran. His answer would probably singe your ears. It would certainly be unprintable. Others tell me that I am arrogant. As for my best quality? I will die to defend those I am responsible for.

What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?  I am approachable. I’m not some prince isolated in an ivory tower who wishes nothing to do with his people. I care about all those who reside in Nyth Uchel. No one is too low to approach me.

What is your biggest secret something no one knows about? It not all that much of a secret, but I would prefer my first name not be bandied about for obvious reasons. You don’t know my first name? Good. Don’t ask. What are you most afraid of? Losing my Adonia. I fear that more than death.

What do you want more than anything?  A normal life with a loving woman and a throng of children creating chaos in the palace.

What is your relationship status?  I consider myself very, very married.

How would you describe your sense of fashion?  Non-existent. Though I have a very good idea of how I would like to see Adonia attired. The woman dresses in rags. I instructed her maid to burn her old clothing, but I’m not certain Adonia didn’t save them somehow. On the other hand, she has a pair of gold stiletto sandals that should be banned for the thoughts they incited in me. Of course, they were all she wore at the time.

How much of a rebel are you? I don’t see myself as a rebel. I have always been a dutiful son to our Great Mother and servant to my people.

What do you considered to be your greatest achievement? If I could restore Nyth Uchel and Torre Bianca to the state they were in prior to the Haarb invasion, I would consider that an achievement that no other could surpass.

What is your idea of happiness?  Sitting down to the family dining table, a table that has held the dinners for the DeHelios family for hundreds of years, with a wife and children of my own.

What is your current state of mind?  At the moment, I am trying to regain it. The last few months have been somewhat … tumultuous.

What is your most treasured possession?  Adonia.

What is your most marked characteristic?  Loyalty.

What is it that you, most dislike? Treachery. Selfishness. Cowardice.

Which living person do you, most despise?  This is a silly question. Those I despise no longer live.

What is your greatest regret?  That I couldn’t prevent the death of my children. That I didn’t ask Queen Constante for help sooner ... but then I wouldn’t have met Adonia, so I suppose I don’t regret that after all.

What is the quality you most like in a man?  I rarely think about things like this. These are questions better answered by women. I like Ramsey DeKieran. Whatever qualities he has, I like. Of course, half the time I would cheerfully kill him, but I’d still choose him at my back in a pitched battle.

What is the quality you most like in a woman? Big tits and a curvaceous ass? And you are a fool if you believe that. Look at my woman. She is everything I most like.

Who is your favorite hero in fiction? I don’t have time for fiction. I deal with real, everyday, heroes and heroines, the greatest of whom is my wife.

Which living person do you most admire? I have answered this question in a thousand different ways. The answer will always be Adonia.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? I would be a better husband. I would be a better friend.

What is your motto?  Primum, ut serviatis. It means “the first to serve”.

Hers to Claim book description:
A prince from the Nyth Uchel mountains … a healer from the Oshtech desert …

Scornfully rejected by her desert lover and uncertain of her place in the world, Adonia traveled a perilous road to the fabled mountain-city of Nyth Uchel. She came to heal the sick and dying, but in the arms of highborn prince, Hel, Adonia found the answer to saving herself.

Descended from nobility, once great kings of Verdantia, Hel willingly bore the burden of his dying city and its people on his shoulders. Watching helplessly as a malingering evil attacked the very soil under his feet, he crushed his pride to summon help. He’d been staggered to discover the answer to saving his city and perhaps all Verdantia might lie behind a heavy fall of chocolate hair and shy brown eyes.

As their entire planet faces an encroaching black death, two seemingly disparate individuals forge a partnership of love and sacrifice that will alter their future forever. All of Verdantia will be tested.

Stand alone. Not a cliff-hanger. HEA 360 pages. M/F, Mild D/s themes, light spanking, and an over-sexed but sensitive prince with a hero complex.

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Vote on the cover for THE NIGHTLIFE MOSCOW, Dark #UrbanFantasy #Erotica #ASMSG

Vote now for the cover art of 
THE NIGHTLIFE MOSCOW Book 5 in The Nightlife Series
Preorder: Nov. 20th 2014Release date: December 20th 2014
Vampires Aaron and Michelle have landed in Moscow, on the prowl. Join their escapades through the dark alleys and frozen underbelly of Russia's capital. In the company of a misfit pack of mercenary werewolves and Urvashi, a fallen angel, the vampires are forced into the violent, decadent underworld of Russian mafia, drugs and blood slaves. 
This time the hunters have become the hunted. 
Dmitri, a Russian vampire billionaire, sends his mafia goons to the streets, gunning for the wolf pack. Now they must bring the fight to Dmitri before he finds them first.

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FREE #BDSM #Romance (Advance Review) LOVELY, by @ElizaLoveStory #ASMSG

Readers ♀♂ ARC Opportunity!Posted:Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:00:01 GMT
I'm so excited!! "Lovely: Elite Doms of Washington" Book 1 is available for pre-order BUT--swing your reading glasses over to the ARC opportunity over -->HERE!<-- 
Fill out the form and get ready to read a hot D/s novel by a debut author.
Here's the blurb:
Congressman Jonathan Brond has mastered his work, his reputation and the art of sexual domination while keeping his family’s political legacy intact. But a chance encounter with college student Christiana Snow promises something he didn’t think was possible–meeting someone honest.  When the charismatic man proposes a summer of sensual, sexual submission, Christiana leaps into his world—the antidote to her bland life. But Washington, D.C. is an unforgiving place; soon gossip and scandal threatens their relationship. Yet, in a town of players, sometimes introducing a new game is the only way out. Who knew love would be the winning plan?

If you are interested in the ARC R4R opportunity then sign up NOWWWWW! It ends tomorrow and she has limited copies to send. Of course if you Loved "Holiday Ties" and just want to pre-order "Lovely" click the links below:


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