Laurie Roma's Blog, page 9

~ The Midnight Gala ~

Come join me, Kali Argent, Susan Hayes, Lacey Thorn, Jenika Snow and Erika Reed in New Orleans the weekend of Oct 9-11th for the Midnight Gala Masquerade Ball and other events! 

The weekend will provide a unique opportunity to spend time in an amazing city that is seeped in history and culture.
The event ticket will grant admittance to the Saturday night Midnight Gala Masquerade Ball, as well as an official Q&A and book signing with all the authors earlier that day. Wanna know what's in the swag bag I'm giving away? Well, you'll just have to come and see! 
There’s sure to be a tour or two, plenty of beignets, lots of music, and great conversation. We will be exploring the city, and everyone is encouraged to join us. So, grab a friend or drag your partner with you, and come along to experience the magic of the city and indulge yourself at the masquerade!
I always love dressing up for an evening out, and the masquerade ball is the perfect opportunity. Do you have a bridesmaid dress in your closet you've only worn once? How about a ball gown you've always wanted, but never had an occasion to wear it to? Get it and wear it to The Midnight Gala!

This will be my first author event, and I'm so excited about it. Registration ends September 1st and seating is limited, so don't miss your chance to join us for an amazing weekend. We hope to see you there!
THE MIDNIGHT GALA WEBSITE!

~ Guest: Kali Argent - Shadow Soldier ~

I'm so excited to present the first book in the Revenant Series -- SHADOW SOLDIER! Happy Reading!

Available now from: AMAZON | B&N | ARe
When the Purge nearly wiped out humanity and gave rise to the Allied Races Coalition, Roux Jennings refused to become a paranormal’s new pet. Forced into hiding, she remains constantly on the move, never staying in one place for too long. It’s a harsh existence filled with too many dangers and not enough food, but at least she’s free.
Coalition Captain Deke Collins is tasked with protecting the citizens of Trinity Grove—both human and paranormal alike. Presenting the mask of a loyal and dutiful soldier isn’t always easy, but it’s a necessary evil. If anyone discovers he’s the leader of a group of rebels secretly known as the Revenant, he won’t live to see the next sunrise. 
When circumstances force him into the path of a beautiful and tenacious female, he’s immediately drawn to the human. Dragging Roux into his world may put her in more danger than even he realizes, but it’s a risk he must take to protect her.
In a reality where paranormals rule and humans are nearly extinct, lines are drawn, sides are chosen, and a war for freedom rages in secret.

CHAPTER ONE TEASER
Nevah shrugged and dropped the subject. “After we get supplies, we really need to move on.”
“That’s the plan.” Roux glanced sideways at her comrade. “We never stay in one place for too long, and we don’t stick around after a raid.”
Nevah shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. We need to get as far away from this place as possible, away from Trinity Grove.”
“What’s in Trinity Grove? Other than a horde of vampires, that is.”
“Not just vampires, but all kinds of Gemini.”
The Gemini. That was what everyone called them—the monsters with two faces, with dual natures. Vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, and whatever other strange supernatural creatures prowled the night. Normally, most looked no different than her or any other human, but their dark essence always lurked just beneath the surface. Roux didn’t know where the term had originated, but she definitely found it fitting.
After the Purge, the Gemini had been all too eager to come out of hiding. With so few humans left to oppose them, they’d quickly risen to power, forming the Allied Races Coalition. By the end of the year, they’d divided North America into territories—cities and surrounding areas governed by prominent paranormal families—and nothing had been the same since. 
Trinity Grove resided in vampire-controlled territory, but beyond that, Roux didn’t know much about the town or the family that ruled it. 
“I still don’t get it,” she admitted. “Gemini are everywhere, what makes this place so different?”
“They call it the Devil’s Den,” Nevah answered after a long pause, her voice quieter, more subdued. “It’s controlled by the Diavolos family. Very old, very powerful, and very deadly. The rumor is their roots go all the way back to the amphitheaters of Rome.”
“Like gladiators?” Roux snorted and shook her head. “Are you serious?”
Nevah didn’t return her smile. “Exactly like gladiators. They’re not strangers to carnage, Roux, and they won’t be merciful if they catch us.”
As far as Roux could tell, they sounded no different than any other member of the Coalition, but she didn’t argue. The trees had started to thin, their branches trimmed back from the two-lane highway as houses and businesses appeared on the side of the road. Just ahead, past a two-story farmhouse with blue siding and white shutters, the grocer stood illuminated by a pair of yellow streetlamps. 
Bright paint decorated the glowing, storefront windows in a summer mural of colorful flowers and a corny depiction of a smiling sun. A shingled awning stretched over a wooden porch that wrapped around the sides of the small store, and by all appearances, the grocer had once been someone’s home. 
As usual, Cade went first, motioning for everyone to stay put until he’d crossed the highway and ducked into the shadows at the corner of the building. Denny followed next, moving quicker than his fragile appearance would suggest he could. Once Greg and Brody had joined them, Nevah stepped out of the tree line, her gaze cautious and alert as she started across the street.
Roux crouched in the bushes, sliding her utility knife from its sheath as she listened for Nevah’s footsteps to fade. The humidity of the day paired with the falling temperatures of the night produced a hazy fog that covered the ground and swirled around her feet. A light mist had begun to fall, and while it wouldn’t wash away the weeks of dirt and grime, Roux closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment to enjoy the cool water against her skin. 
The crunch of gravel reached her ears, meaning Nevah had reached the grocer’s parking lot. Rising from her position, Roux kept low, checking her surroundings once again before stepping around the neatly trimmed hedge. She’d just stepped across the white line on the edge of the asphalt when a scream pierced the air.
Denny.

A lump formed in her throat as her heart pounded a hard rhythm against her sternum. Torn between helping her group and saving her own ass, Roux stood frozen, one foot still planted on the street. She’d never proclaimed to be brave, and it wasn’t as though she could do anything useful. More than likely, she’d only end up dead, or worse…captured. Better to be dead than what awaited her in the city.
Against her better judgment and all of her instincts, Roux released the breath she’d been holding and darted across the highway. Instead of a direct route to the grocer, however, she veered to the left, slipping into the darkness cast along the side of the farmhouse. Another cry rose up on the wind, this one deeper, more guttural, and Roux instantly recognized it as Cade’s.
A line of peach trees separated the residential home from the small store, its low-hanging branches creating a perfect swath of shadows. Gathering her courage, Roux pushed away from the side of the house and hurried across the sodden grass to the nearest tree, just as the rain began to fall in earnest. With her back pressed against the wide trunk, she paused, fighting to control her rapid breathing. 
“Your plan is what, exactly?” a low, masculine voice asked from somewhere in the darkness to her right. “Rescue your friends armed with a single knife and determination?”
BUY LINKS: AMAZON | B&N | ARe

Amazon.com Widgets

~ Symposium - Dream On ~

Hello Everyone! Welcome to my June Symposium!
I hope everyone is having a wonder summer so far! Since we are at the halfway point of the year, this month I thought I’d asked my friends and fellow authors to give everyone an update on what they will be working on so all you readers out there will know what you have to look forward to! So, mark your calendars, ladies and gents...we have some awesome releases coming your way!
LAURIE ROMA: Wow, it seems like I blinked and half the year just disappeared! Right now, I’m currently finishing up the 3rd book of my Breakers’ Bad Boy series, Dante’s Angel, then I will be working on the 4th, which is Nikita’s story, Ash’s Flame. When those are complete, I will be working on my next contribution to the 3013 Series - 3013: GENESIS, which is Maddox, Daimon and Tavius Adaro (the Krytos owners of New Vega) and Mya Spartan’s story. I would also like to work on one or two more Fated Encounters novellas. After that, I hope to find time to work on my first YA story. I’m very excited about each of these new installments. Now, I just need to find the time to write all of them. LOL For all my Arcadian and IAD fans, those books will have to wait a while for me to continue them since I'm no longer writing for that publishing house, but have no fear, I still plan to continue with more books in both series as soon as I am able...so please just be patient!
Katra Tesera is a female Dragon Warrior on a mission. Unsatisfied with the life her family wishes for her back on her home world, she seeks something more for her own future. When the opportunity to visit Earth arises, Katra is eager for the excitement and adventure of traveling the stars. She believes she is ready for whatever lies at the end of her journey, but nothing can prepare her for meeting her mate…the dark and dangerous Tarin warrior, Lord Jaden Tor.

Warlord Jaden Tor is a dedicated leader who is fighting a civil war to save his people. He has always known his path in life, but everything changes the moment he meets the dark-haired beauty with glowing silver eyes. Jaden wants to claim her for his own, however, there is more at stake than his own happiness… 

When legacies are challenged, and with Tartarus in turmoil, can Jaden and Katra find a way to be together, or will their love be shattered by the chaos that threatens everything around them?

BUY LINKS: AMAZON | B&N | ARe | SMASHWORDS | KOBO

JOEY W. HILL: I’ve just started another book in my Vampire Queen series world. It’s called The Night’s Templar, and it’s about a vampire who was (is?) a Templar. Kind of mind-boggling, right? How did he participate in battles in daylight? How did they miss his unusual dietary requirements? (lol) Anyhow, the gist of the story is this. Lord Uthe, a member of the Vampire Council, was a Templar centuries ago. Even up to present day, he has attempted to honor the spirit of the Rule, despite the volatile and highly sexual nature of the vampire world. Yet now he’s caught the attention of the Fae Lord Keldwyn, liaison between the Council and Fae Court. Keldwyn challenges Uthe’s emotional isolation and dominant nature. When a quest from Uthe’s past requires Keldwyn’s help to protect both their worlds, Uthe will have to decide whether the Fae male is a gift from God to be cherished and trusted, or a curse that will cause Uthe to fail the oath he took centuries ago.
Click here to see all the Vampire Queen Books - Six of them are currently ON SALE for $3.99 (ebooks) and you can see which ones on my FB Page.
Celeste has worked her ass off to establish her freelance blog as a source of accurate crime news for the Baton Rouge area. Being a workaholic, focusing solely on her career, was her choice. Five years ago, she had a life-changing experience in a BDSM club that made it clear she is a submissive, but she believes her past makes embracing that path impossible. Then Sergeant Leland Keller walks into her life. He’s the Dom she’s always feared and hoped she’d meet, and he recognizes her as what he’s been looking for as well. But she fights submission as much as she longs for it.
Leland always thought he was looking for a docile, sweet-natured sub, but Celeste captures his attention in a way no other submissive has. He can tell Celeste is aching for love and surrender. Having served in the military and now as a patrol sergeant in one of Baton Rouge’s most dangerous districts, he doesn’t shy from a challenge.His job is to protect and serve. He’s not going to let her down.
BUY LINK: AMAZON
N.J. WALTERS: The year is half over, but there’s still plenty of time to write a few more books before it’s done. 2015 has been the year of the Salvation Pack. I’ve written and contracted book 6: Wolf on a Mission. I’ve just submitted book 7 to my publisher and hope to deliver book 8 in July. (Book 4: Wolf from the Past is due out on October 13, and Book 5: Wolf on the Hunt in January 2016.) I’m not sure what comes next. It will either be another Salvation Pack book or something totally new. That’s what I love about being a writer—I constantly have the freedom to create and explore new worlds and characters. I’m currently editing a firefighter novella that will be part of a boxed set releasing in a few months. This is one smoking hot paranormal.
Tilly Ledet has long been a friend of the immortal, shape-shifting warriors who follow the Lady of the Beasts, a willing helper in their battle against Hades. But now that Hades is free and unable to touch the warriors, Tilly is fair game.
When Phoenix shows up insisting she drop everything to go into hiding, Tilly balks. Phoenix is strong and courageous, but when she imagines being in his arms, the protective barriers guarding her heart slam down.
For the first time in his immortal life, Phoenix feels fear. Not for himself, but for the woman whose beauty and forthright nature heat both his mind and body. While one kiss easily ignites her passion, claiming her as his own will take more than heat.

It may require a sacrifice that could send them both up in flames.

BUY LINKS: SAMHAIN| AMAZON | KOBO | B&N| ARe
SUSAN HAYES: I’m currently working on Wilde Blues, the fourth book in my Wilde Brothers series. Once Blues is submitted I’ll be writing 3013: FATED. I’m going back Fort Saken on Earth for this story. The last few months of the year will be spent ending one series and starting a new one. I hope to have the last Wilde Brothers book written before the end of 2015, and then I will be writing the first book in my new selkie shifter series, Destiny Bay. Between all that writing I’ll be attending my first convention in August. I’m an attending author at Authors After Dark in Atlanta, and then in October I will be joining some amazing ladies as one of the hosts of the Midnight Gala in New Orleans. I hope to see some of you there!
As the future CEO of Forrester Industries, Lucas Forrester has the kind of life most men only dream of. He’s travelled the world, brokering deals and sealing contracts that have benefited the company while making a name for himself as a cold, calculating negotiator.

At work, Luke lives behind his corporate persona, but when a chance encounter with a beautiful and caring stranger brings out his true nature, he finds himself reluctant to go back into hiding.

Veronica Hood’s life will never be mistaken for a fairytale, but she’s proud of what she’s accomplished so far. After years of planning, she’s finally got her own coffee shop, with enough money coming in to stay out of the red and pay for her grandmother’s medical bills, too. When Lucas sees her delivering food to the hungry, he appoints himself as her protector, stealing her heart and starting a whirlwind love affair straight out of a storybook.

The trouble is, Lucas isn’t the only one who has fallen for Ronnie. When her stalker finally emerges from the shadows, Luke will have to fight for his redheaded angel. In the end only one of them can possess her, but who will be the victor...her champion or the dark-hearted wolf?   BUY LINK: AMAZON

JENIKA SNOW: I have so much planned for this year. Not only am I planning on adding to my already established series, I also plan on writing more for the Grizzly MC and Brothers of Menace MC. I have just started a next generation series for the Brothers of Menace, which features their adult children. I have a few stand-alone titles in the works, and a taboo story I am currently working on. My writing partner, the very talented Sam Crescent and I have more plans for our The Soldiers of Wrath MC series, as well as a short story paranormal series that features heavy elements of BDSM. We also are working on a spin-off Soldiers of Wrath series called Beautiful Torment. That series will be dark, gritty, and will hold nothing back. Lots to do this year still, but I’m looking forward to it.
Marcus wants Corin, but his hands are covered in blood, his soul dark. He isn’t a good man, but he can also see her home life is rocky, and she has a wall around herself. Part of him wants to be good for her. 
Corin’s life changed five years ago. She’s a loner, and has isolated herself. And then she meets a hardened biker, one that defends her even though she means nothing to him. He’s rough around the edges, coarse, and a little scary—but he’s all she can think about. 
Being the son of The Brothers of Menace VP means Marcus is used to the gritty world of violence and death. But even if Corin’s too good for him he still wants her for himself. He doesn’t know if she fully knows that giving herself to him means she is his irrevocably.

BUY LINKS: AMAZON US | AMAZON AU | BOOKSTRAND | ARe| EVERNIGHT
MICHELLE HOWARD : Thanks for asking what I have planned for the rest of the year. There are so many books that I want to work on, it’s almost hard to put together a clear picture but I’ll try. Coming July 14, 2015 is Arak’s Love, Book 2 of my A World Beyond Series. The books feature women from Earth moving to alien worlds in hopes of finding love and romance. I’m currently working on Book 3 with hopes to have it out in the fall/winter. I’ve agreed to do a novella for a small anthology set which will probably have a shifter of some sort in it due to release around November/December. I’m also excited to work on a story for a small secondary character that readers have asked about. Time permitting, I’d love to get it out before the end of 2015. Those are the concrete stories but I’m liable to throw in an unscheduled extra. 
Half-Argoran shifter, Arak O’tir knew good people existed. He worked with some of them. But as a deadly Jutak warrior, his work often took him into the less savory elements of society. So much so, he shielded his heart from those he rescued. That was, until one particular mission leaves him longing for a specific female. 
Someone who made him tremble even if she wasn’t from his world.Sylvia Forrester never expected her quest for a husband would lead her into danger. Nor could she have ever foreseen that her search would find her captured by aliens and added to a list of potential sex-slaves to be sold for a high profit. While her captors should have broken her, destroying any hope she’d had of a life happily-ever-after, Sylvia’s savior has her wondering if her earlier dreams could still come true.
But Arak and Sylvia soon discover love and passion has its own price.  

BUY LINKS: AMAZON| APPLE | B&N

TEHYA TITAN: For the rest of this year, I plan on continuing my paranormal sci-fi Warrior's series with more stories about the planet Tor and the humans that find themselves mated to the demon warriors there. I'm also working a few more projects that I hope to share with readers soon, including a werewolf serial that I can't wait to start!
Army Lieutenant Jordan Ramsey is having the worst day of her life. Kidnapped, Jordan is taken from Earth and brought to a new world where she is to become the property of an alien warrior that is more demon than man. But even though her future is no longer her own, she won’t go down without a fight…
Kadan Krell is the King of Tor. As a ruthless warrior, he never thought he would find his mate, but when he sees the beautiful human named Jordan, he knows she is destined to be his. Nothing will stop him from claiming what belongs to him, and showing her exactly what it means to be a warrior’s mate.
BUY LINK: COMING JUNE 30TH!



JORDAN MARIE: What’s coming up? Goodness! That is a loaded question. I am two books away from finishing my Savage Brother’s MC series. Claiming Crusher will be released in August of this year and hopefully followed up with Bull’s story. I also have an anthology this year with some great authors, including Cora Brent. I’m using this platform to introduce readers to Skull’s story. It’s an Alpha male anthology. Skull is definitely an over the top alpha.  I also have a new country series that centers around four sisters all getting a second chance of love by some very unlikely men, which range from a biker, an ex-con, wounded soldier and a broken down cowboy. I’m loving it so far, I hope readers do too. At present, my books are only available on Amazon though that may change in the coming year.
NICOLE 
I'm marrying my soulmate. We're having a baby. Life is perfect. But having it all, means you have everything to lose. In the blink of an eye, all my dreams slip through my fingers like grains of sand. 
DRAGON 
I have it all. My woman has my ring on her finger, my baby in her belly and my club is healing. Then everything goes to hell. Nicole thinks we're done. We are not. She's mine. 
***** Love makes the strong weak. Will loving Nicole bring Dragon to his knees? When dark secrets from the past surface, will it be the end of the Savage Brothers MC?
BUY LINK: AMAZON
ERIKA REED: I have a few things going on as of right now that I plan to finish up within the next six months. I recently release my first installment in a new steamy menage series in which I have been working on. Club Cravings series is set up in a nightclub atmosphere with delectable club owners, sexy bartenders, beefy doormen, and the lucky women who will eventually fall head over heels for them? I also have a stand alone menage story that I have had on the back burner for some time now that I am trying to finish up, and I can't wait to share with my readers.
A girls' night out with her best friends at Club Cravings is just what Gianna DeLuca needs. She's tired of her boring life, with "nice guys" who leave her unsatisfied in the bedroom. That is until she meets the two handsome nightclub owners who show her what she's been missing all along.

From the minute Gianna walked into their club, Bryce and Dylan Nash knew they had to have her. The rich and successful club owners are tired of meaningless, one-night stands, and they want more in life. After meeting Gianna, the two will stop at nothing to prove two is better than one.

Will Gianna allow Bryce and Dylan to show her what it feels like to be loved by two men?

BUY LINK: AMAZON
SAM CRESCENT: Wow, it’s that time already, and I can’t believe we’re over half way through the year. It has been a pretty hectic year so far. So, what do I have in store for the second half of 2015? Well, the hope is to complete the two books remaining in my, Friends, Men, and Secrets series, along with getting more, The Skulls, and Chaos Bleeds books completed. I hope by the end of the year, I can get onto the next generation of MC for those two series. Of course, I’ve got several books planned with the amazing, Jenika Snow, and I hope she still wants to write with me into 2016. :) Pretty busy second half of the year, and I hope that I can keep up with everything that I’ve got planned. 
Once you’re part of The Family there’s no getting out!
After Paige’s father disappeared without a trace she never expected her mother to find another family, but she does. Paige’s world is turned upside down when she discovers Donnie Martinez is her brand new stepbrother. He’s dangerous, vicious—and Paige realizes the rumors about Donnie and his family are true. Her new stepfamily is part of the mafia. Paige doesn’t intend to stick around to get mixed up in those problems. The moment she can, she’ll be gone.
Ordered by The Family, Donnie has to get close to Paige in order to find out what she knows about her father’s disappearance. But he finds Paige herself to be worth more than her information. He doesn’t want her to end up dead, but on the day of her eighteenth birthday, there is only one way to save her.
Indebted to Donnie, Paige has no choice but to do as he says. She must marry him in order to stay alive. But how can she be with a man who has taken lives for The Family? Is there any way out for all of them? Is it possible for Paige to love a monster? Can Donnie overcome a lifetime of training to discover love?
BUY LINK: AMAZON
KYLA KINCAID: I work a full-time job on top of being a full-time mom, so it’s not always easy to stick to a writing schedule. With that said, I do have several projects on my calendar for the remainder of the year. I’ll be working on the Alpha Bitten series for the next few months. Lone Wolf is coming up next, with a release date slated for the end of July. Then Cat’s Cradle and Alley Cat to follow shortly thereafter. I have a new paranormal trilogy I’d like to begin before the end of the year, as well as a pretty badass cyborg series, but these are just tentative plans right now. Still, I’m hoping to eek out at least the first book in each series by December. I’m really looking forward to these projects, and I hope readers will be just as excited about them as I am!
He claimed her to save her, but now that she’s his, he’ll walk through hell before he lets her go.
An Alpha in his own right, Draven Eckhart isn’t looking forward to returning to his birth pack, even if it’s only for a few days. The Alpha Council has questions that need answers, though, and they’ve decided Draven is the only wolf for the job.
When a human female is pitted against an untamed she-wolf during the annual Gathering, Draven steps in to save the young woman’s life. He never imagined the fiery redhead with emerald green eyes would end up being his mate, nor did he anticipate just how hot he’d burn for her.

BUY LINK: AMAZON
JAMES COX: Bikers on mars fighting for equality. My eight book series is all about sexy badass bikers trying to do the right thing. I loved Sons of Anarchy and the biker genre is exploding. I wanted to add my own twist but also make sure my bad guys weren't so...bad. I switched things up. I made the government pure evil. Women are for breeding, dark skinned men are slaves and homosexuality is punished by death. Outlaw is the president of the club and while they fight the government, he’s pining away for the love of his life who’s in prison on earth for fifteen long years. I love the stories that are unique but I do make sure my men find their happy endings. So far, each book had been a bestseller and I can’t thank my fantastic readers enough. Come join the fight!
What if bad guys ruled the world and the good guys were the outlaws?
This time the MCs are taking the war to the surface of Mars. No more shadows. No more hiding. The old laws—homosexuality is a death sentence, women are for breeding, and dark skinned-men are slaves—are going to be broken. But the Outlaw MC has a rat among them...
Torrin is a prospect. He didn’t have a big problem with the way Mars worked but that’s because he’s not just a prospective member. Torrin is also an undercover peacekeeper. His beliefs are thrown upside down because of one man, Mayhem. The Sergeant at Arms and explosive expert managed to break Torrin. Now, this formerly straight peacekeeper has to deal with the attraction sizzling between them and tell the club about his lies. The truth can hurt but for Torrin it may just get him killed.
And while Torrin sorts out his new feelings for loving another man, the club plans to take this war to the next step. Cup your junk, things are about to get explosive.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON| EVERNIGHT| ARe
KALI ARGENT: I have lots of new books planned for the rest of the year, but nothing is etched in stone. I go where my muse takes me, and sometimes that means working on a different book than I originally had scheduled. As of today, the next book on my list is 3013:ALTERED, and I’m so excited to begin working on it. In August, I’m hoping to have Boundless, the second book in the Pandora series ready for release. Beyond those two books, it’s a little more up in the air. I’ll be working on a new story for the Prelude series, another Pandora book, and at least one more book for The Revenant series. I’m just not sure which order I’ll be writing them in at the moment. Hopefully, there will be a little something for everyone in the coming months, though. Happy Reading!
When the Purge nearly wipes out humanity and gives rise to the Allied Races Coalition, Roux Jennings refuses to become a paranormal’s new pet. Forced into hiding, she remains constantly on the move, never staying in one place for too long. It’s a harsh existence filled with too many dangers and not enough food, but at least she’s free.
Coalition Captain Deke Collins is tasked with protecting the citizens of Trinity Grove—both human and paranormal alike. Presenting the mask of a loyal and dutiful soldier isn’t always easy, but it’s a necessary evil. If anyone discovers he’s the leader of a group of rebels secretly known as the Revenant, he won’t live to see the next sunrise.
When circumstances force him into the path of a beautiful and tenacious female, he’s immediately drawn to the human. Dragging Roux into his world may put her in more danger than even he realizes, but it’s a risk he must take to protect her.
In a reality where paranormals rule and humans are nearly extinct, lines are drawn, sides chosen, and a war for freedom rages in secret.
COMING SOON AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

~ New Release - 3013: CHAOS ~

3013: CHAOS
The eighth book in this best selling sci-fi/futuristic series!

Katra Tesera is a female Dragon Warrior on a mission. Unsatisfied with the life her family wishes for her back on her home world, she seeks something more for her own future. When the opportunity to visit Earth arises, Katra is eager for the excitement and adventure of traveling the stars. She believes she is ready for whatever lies at the end of her journey, but nothing can prepare her for meeting her mate…the dark and dangerous Tarin warrior, Lord Jaden Tor.
Warlord Jaden Tor is a dedicated leader who is fighting a civil war to save his people. He has always known his path in life, but everything changes the moment he meets the dark-haired beauty with glowing silver eyes. Jaden wants to claim her for his own, however, there is more at stake than his own happiness… 
When legacies are challenged, and with Tartarus in turmoil, can Jaden and Katra find a way to be together, or will their love be shattered by the chaos that threatens everything around them?

EXCERPT

Once Katra and Jaden were alone together, he straightened to his full height and used his most lordly tone when he said, “Tartarus is my world, and my word is law. Once we land, you will obey.”
“Keep dreaming, Tarin.” Katra turned on her heels, and headed for the door. 
Dismissed. She’d just fucking dismissed him. No one had ever tried the like with Jaden before. His people knew better, and anyone else would have been too concerned of his formidable wrath to even consider it. 
Katra was ready for it when he grabbed her arm and spun her around so she was facing him again, but she hadn’t been prepared for what would happen when he touched her skin for the first time. Energy surged up her arm from where his hand touched her and sent such a strong jolt of lust racing through her system that it made her snarl. She had to fight back the need to throw herself at him and take what belonged to her.
Jaden’s expression was furious as he shoved his face close to hers. “You will obey,” he repeated in a snarl of his own. “Or I will keep your sweet ass confined to the human outpost. I won’t have you flying off on your own and getting into trouble.”
“I am a Dragon Warrior. I do not need your protection.”
He flung her arm away from him as if touching her had burned him. “You do need protection…from yourself. You think you’re invincible, but you can still be killed.”
“I am more than capable defending myself—”
“Your magic be damned!” Jaden raged. “What good will your magic do if someone cuts off your head? I will not have your death on my hands. Don’t push me on this, Katra.”
Perhaps that was the problem. She hadn’t pushed him enough to deal with what was between them. Well, that was going to change. Katra’s glowing eyes flared bright with challenge. Reaching up, she used both of her hands to shove him back a step, then watched his eyes go comically wide with shock. 
“Do you really think me so unskilled that I cannot defend myself without my magic? Maybe I should show you just how capable I am.” 
She went to push him again, but he gripped her wrists. Turning around, she caught him off guard when she used the momentum to flip him over her shoulder. She’d expected him to fall flat on his back, but he used his own agility to twist and land on his feet. The move impressed her.
Damn, she wanted him.
“What in thunder do you think you’re doing? I’m not going to fight you, female.”
“Aye, you are. Show me your strength, if you dare,” Katra taunted. She could see a battle light enter his dark eyes, and it aroused her. Wanting to goad him further, she raised one hand and gestured him forward with two fingers. “Come, warrior. Do not worry, I will not hurt you…too much.”
He came at her fast. It was as if a switch had been turned off inside of him, and she was seeing the real Jaden for the first time. The thought thrilled her, and she struggled to hold back a grin as she countered each move with precision and skill.
It took great effort not to use her magic, but she was determined to meet him on even ground. They fought for supremacy, but both of them were careful not to really hurt the other. It was like they were doing some strange sort of dance, moving and counter-moving without thought. The restraint they used made the fight more a kind of ferocious foreplay, each of them testing their opponent’s weaknesses, while marveling at the other’s strengths. 
Chairs and tables were overturned as they continued to fight. They moved around the room, leaving destruction in their wake. His heavy muscles made it difficult to match his sheer strength, but she was faster and more agile than he was. She ran at the wall and used it as a springboard to launch herself over his head as he pulverized a table that was in his way to get to her. 
Katra thought she had propelled herself far enough, but she underestimated Jaden’s determination. In one motion, he turned, grabbed her around the throat and spun her around, slamming her back against the wall. Instinct had her striking out, but she pulled her punch before she made contact so she didn’t take his head off. Still, she ended up clipping him as he jerked his head to the side, right into the path of her fist.
“Enough!” Jaden snarled.
Their gazes met and held, both of them breathing hard. A small trickle of blood appeared at the side of his mouth from where she’d hit him. Katra wanted to lean in and taste him, to take him inside her so they would always be connected, except she couldn’t move. Couldn’t look away from his stormy eyes. Aye, he was angry, but there was something else in his dark gaze. 
Passion.

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~ Symposium: The Right Man ~

Hello Everyone! Welcome to my May Symposium!


This month is all about our leading men. Do you go for the bad boy, the silent and brooding guy or the sweet and caring type of man?

I thought I’d asked my friends and fellow authors to give everyone a little inside peak at what their favorite type of heroes are and why. Read on and find out what everyone had to say!


LAURIE ROMA: I love variety when it comes to my leading men. Sometimes, I love the bad boy. Then again, I also love the sweet, caring kind of guy. Other times, I enjoy the slightly jaded brooder. But something that they all have to have in common is their honor and integrity. My type of hero doesn’t have to be perfect, but he has to be a good man under it all. He has to know how to love, and have a balance of possessive and protective qualities…and not have too many stupid male moments. :)
Katra Tesera is a female Dragon Warrior on a mission. Unsatisfied with the life her family wishes for her back on her home world, she seeks something more for her own future. When the opportunity to visit Earth arises, Katra is eager for the excitement and adventure of traveling the stars. She believes she is ready for whatever lies at the end of her journey, but nothing can prepare her for meeting her mate…the dark and dangerous Tarin warrior, Lord Jaden Tor.

Warlord Jaden Tor is a dedicated leader who is fighting a civil war to save his people. He has always known his path in life, but everything changes the moment he meets the dark-haired beauty with glowing silver eyes. Jaden wants to claim her for his own, however, there is more at stake than his own happiness… 

When legacies are challenged, and with Tartarus in turmoil, can Jaden and Katra find a way to be together, or will their love be shattered by the chaos that threatens everything around them?

BUY LINKS:
AMAZON | B&N | ARe | SMASHWORDS

EVANGELINE ANDERSON: The longer I write, the more interest I have in twisted, complex characters with shadowy, painful pasts.  I suppose they represent more of a challenge to write than your average good guy in a white hat. My hero, Laish, in Ruby Shadows, the third book in my Born To Darkness series, is such a character. As a fallen angel he has seen the best of Heaven and the worst of Hell and he has been scarred and hardened by his experiences. The reader may feel he is past redemption but then Laish gets called to the Mortal Realm by my heroine, Gwendolyn, who happens to come from a long line of Creole witches. What follows is an unforgettable trip through Hell itself. Laish is cast in the role of protector and he must keep Gwendolyn safe not only from all the dangers of the Infernal Realm, but also himself. He is drawn to her, though he cannot understand why and in the end he has to make a terrible choice between betraying her to save her life...and losing her forever.
Nothing is for free when it comes to demons…a fact that Gwendolyn LaRoux finds out the hard way when she summons Laish, a minor demon from the Shadow Lands to help her cook up a little black magic. Unfortunately black magic has a way of growing and soon Gwendolyn finds herself drowning in darkness. Still, she’s determined to clean up her own mess. But when a creature from the Abyss enters our world and threatens her beloved grandmother, Gwendolyn has to admit she needs help—which means summoning the infuriating Laish, even though she swore never to call on him again.
Answering Gwendolyn’s incantations in a moment of boredom was a mistake for a demon who keeps what little heart he has left under lock and key. Laish immediately fell for the Creole beauty with jade green eyes and creamy, café au lait skin and now he’s determined to have her—no matter what the cost. And thanks to Gwendolyn’s sticky dilemma, the price just went up.
When it turns out that the intrepid witch must travel through the Shadow Lands and close the door she left open to the Pit, she knows at once she can’t make the dangerous journey on her own. Of course Laish is more than willing to act as her escort and bodyguard…for a not-so-small fee. Gwendolyn doesn’t want to use her body as a bargaining chip but the lustful demon will accept no other form of currency. And since her grandmother’s life is at stake, she has no choice. Little by little she must give in to his demands.
As Gwendolyn and Laish travel further and further into the interior of Hell, will he be able to keep her safe? And will she be able to keep her innocence? Or with they lose themselves and each other among the… Ruby Shadows?
BUY LINKS: AMAZON| B&N| SMASHWORDS
N.J. WALTERS: When it comes to reading romance, we all have our favorite kind of hero—billionaire, cop, military veteran, cowboy, biker, the guy next door, Viking, Regency lord, warlord—the list is endless. My favorite to read and to write is the wounded hero. This is the man who has been through hell and doesn’t want to be anyone’s hero. All he wants is to be left alone. This tortured soul can be anyone from a cop who has seen too much and become disillusioned with the system, a military veteran who can’t forget the horrors of war, to an eternal shape-shifting warrior who feels he has lost his soul to the darkness. This man may not always do what other people think he should, but he has his own code and he lives by it. When the chips are down, he does the right thing, even at great cost to himself.
Now that the five-thousand-year curse that kept him and his fellow shapeshifting warriors trapped in animal form has been lifted, Mordecai doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. He is free—in theory.
Hell left its stain on his soul, and his relationship with the warriors who once trusted him is uneasy. The only bright spot in his life is Jessica, whose shining innocence he dare not taint with his inner darkness. But it’s getting harder and harder to stay away from her.
Jessica longs for the days she and Mordecai shared an easy friendship. Now he seems as distant as the stars. He denies there’s a problem, but she’s determined to penetrate his shields.
Hades has been plotting his revenge from his prison. He can’t harm Mordecai without harming himself. But there’s nothing to stop him from wreaking havoc by hurting the one woman Mordecai would give his life to protect—Jessica.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON| B&N | SAMHAIN| ARe
LACEY THORN: I have a tendency to write alpha males. I like the type of man who steps up and takes charge. I don’t want him to be an asshole. He can have a moment here or there, but I don’t want it to be his personality. He needs to be the protector. He has to understand his woman’s worth and never forget what she brings to him. Respect is key. Love is mandatory. Faithfulness? Not even an option. If he cheats, he’s out. He can be the biggest badass out there, but when he takes his woman in his arms, he needs to become weak with need and hunger. That’s the man I envision when I write. Some are more outspoken. Some are quiet. They all are willing to step up to the plate and be the man their woman needs.
Legend awakened...
Reno has known there was more to him since he awoke in the hospital, alive when he should have died. Only one thought consumed him. Find Tah. Watch over him. Protect him. Then everything changed.
A tempted tiger...
A mission gone wrong brings him face to face with a woman who tempts his tiger from hiding. He wants her with a fierce hunger that consumes him and shocks him with the possessive nature she awakens.
Mine
Amia belongs nowhere. Not with the Blane family of hunters she was born into, and not with the dominant man who kidnaps her and turns her world upside down. She runs. She fights. And when the time comes, she pays the price. Running isn't an option, and there's no fighting a man who turns her inside out with unquenchable lust. Maybe, just maybe, she's found where she belongs.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON| B&N| RESPLENDENCE| ARe| KOBO
SUSAN HAYES: For me, it’s all about the sass. I love a hero with a wicked sense of humor. He might use humor to hide his pain, or he could just have been born a smartass, but invariably I am drawn to a hero who isn’t afraid to laugh at himself or the world around him. I love a bit of witty banter, or a kissable mouth turned up into a grin. Toss in the gleam of laughter in the hero’s eyes and you’ve got the ingredients for a book that will have me reading until the wee hours of the morning. My love of laughter spills over into the heroes I write, too. My latest hero, a fierce gargoyle shifter named Vamir, has a wicked sense of humor hidden beneath his stony exterior.
Two souls bound by fate. Two lovers enslaved by magic.
Vamir Halmar is the Commander of the last Company of Guardians. When a summoning spell targets the wrong man and drops Vamir into the enemy’s hands, he discovers his salvation in the form of a beautiful slave with quicksilver eyes and the heart of a warrior.
Torn from her family and home before she had grown into her powers, Gwyneth Annaren has spent most of her life as the unwilling servant to one of the most fearsome Magi. When Vamir is accidently summoned by her master, she finds herself face to face with a living reminder of the past she has forced herself to forget.  The handsome guardian is as dangerous to her as he is compelling, tempting her to dream of freedom and an end to her loneliness.
Can they have a future together, or will the price of their freedom be paid in sacrifice and heartbreak?
BUY LINKS: AMAZON | B&N| KOBO| ARe
ROSANNA LEO: Thanks so much to Laurie for hosting us once again! The right man, huh? My favorite subject. There are so many delicious heroes out there but at the end of the day, the ones that get my heart pumping are the ones with confidence. Not ego, that's different. I'm talking about a man who is sure of himself, no matter his station in life or romantic situation. As my heroine Winn says in The Stand-In, I like a hero whose roguish grin hints "at past misadventures and the willingness to partake in more." This is the sort of hero who sees right through you, into your soul. He knows what you need and isn't afraid to give it to you. A hero with cheeky confidence sets my heart fluttering and inspires my fingers to fly over the keyboard. He's the man who makes me dream.
Who makes you dream?
Failed actress Winn Busby is at the end of her rope. With no money and no prospects, she accepts the one job she never thought she’d see on her résumé. Professional bridesmaid. It should be easy. If only the idea of weddings and vows didn't give Winn a case of the hives. Her role becomes more challenging when she's told a reporter will shadow her work for a men's magazine article.
Working for Player Magazine is Patrick Lincoln's worst nightmare. A former political journalist, he used to write thoughtful columns for one of Toronto's most respected papers. That is, until he was blackballed for allegedly sleeping with the boss's wife. Overnight, Patrick becomes the city's most reviled bad boy. And now he's forced to write a seedy expose on, of all things, a bridesmaid.
Patrick begrudgingly accompanies Winn to a series of strange weddings. As they are forced to work together, he learns there is more to the stand-in bridesmaid than puffy dresses and pretty speeches. She, in turn, begins to question whether or not Patrick actually deserves the derision of his peers. As much as they fight their attraction, it begins to threaten their work and their sanity.
For so long, Winn has felt second-best. A stand-in. She finally meets a man who believes in her value. But can she let go of the past and accept him?
BUY LINKS: AMAZON| B&N| LSBOOKS | ARe| KOBO | iTUNES
JENIKA SNOW: My favorite type of hero is definitely the over the top alpha. The type of hero that sees the heroine, is immediately obsessed, and has to do everything in his power to be with her. He can’t stay away from the heroine, is possessive, territorial, and just overall insane for the heroine. But there also has to be devotion, trust, and of course love. He isn’t the type of hero that can be redeemed right away, because of course he’ll have this darkness in him that makes him a hero that the reader just has to root for.
Jana Finley just wants to escape from her abusive ex and start over with her son. She never envisioned her new life involving a motorcycle club. Even with the sex, partying, and violence that surrounds the MC, one biker in particular fascinates her.
From the moment Boston “Tuck” Oakley saw Jana he wanted her. When Jana is abducted right off club property something inside of him snaps. A beast emerges, thirsty for the blood of the one that took her. With vengeance running his blood cold, he will do whatever it takes to find her and kill anyone that stands in his way.
But time is running out, so in order to find Jana, Tuck resorts to something that puts the club in danger. Because of that betrayal his patch and even his life are on the line. He must find some way to make it right with the MC, as well has convince Jana that being with him isn’t the absolute worst mistake she’ll ever make.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON| AMAZON UK | EVERNIGHT| ARe| B&N| KOBO
ELODIE PARKES: My favorite hero is such a complex character little wonder I've never met him in real life, so it’s great I can at least find him in stories, mine, and other authors’. He’s sweet, sexy, sometimes alpha, sometimes vulnerable, often caring. He’ll share his thoughts and fears. He’ll do things with you that don’t always align with his interests. He knows what he wants, and will go after it. He’s intelligent, muscled and handsome, and best of all he’s extra loving. Once he loves you, he’ll never let you down. He’s so great at sex just the thought of his kiss makes you go gooey. All my heroes are complex and I fall in love with everyone one them. Sighs.
Cade’s trying to get over a broken heart when his friend Jack takes him off to a nightclub, named only, The Club. Although at first Cade is shocked by the place, he meets Marissa. It’s not long before he and Marissa get together, but under the pressure of mixed emotions, and Marissa’s fear of commitment, they’re both running in opposite directions.
Gorgeous Cade has touched Marissa’s heart in ways she doesn’t want to admit.Lovely Marissa has lifted Cade’s sadness and opened his heart to love again.
The trouble is — someone has to give a little. Who’s it going to be?
A contemporary erotic romance with a sprinkle of BDSM

BUY LINKS: AMAZON| AMAZON UK | BOOKSTRAND | EVERNIGHT| ARe
HAZEL GOWER: Thanks so much for inviting me to be a part of your blog. I love this discussion, The Right Man. This can be answered in so many ways and is different for everyone.  I like my book men to be very alpha, but I can tell you my hubby isn’t that alpha, shh, don’t tell him I’m telling everyone, I still love him though. Now if we were talking about my favourite type of hero to write, I’d have to say, tall, muscular, and I myself am partial to blue eyes, and a nice olive skin. Hair, you’ll find I have a decent amount of redheads in my books, or as my hubby says, ‘strawberry blond’. Personality, wow, that’s hard. I think it depends on the individual and what they’re looking for. I like to have my male characters positive, possessive, caring, trustworthy, protective, sure of themselves and at least have a direction of where they want their life to go. Now not all my men have this, but that’s what I personally like them to have, sometimes a male character can be bordering on none of those qualities and I really have to work with him and help guide him in at least the right direction.
My new book Gordon’s Dawn, Gordon needed a little push.
Gordon Wilks thought he had it all—women, power, and money—until a car accident had him questioning what he really wanted in life.
Moving to Australia where no one knows him, Gordon has a plan to find what he really wants, which is everything he never had and thought he didn’t need—until now—a woman to love him and to become his wife. His new neighbor in Australia, with her gothic looks, horrible taste in music, and amazing cooking gets in his way.
Dawn has a new neighbor, who at first is almost as bad as her last—calling the police on her for her loud music a couple of nights a week. One night, things change when she opens her door—not to the police, but to her new handsome neighbor.
Gordon gave himself a year to find a potential wife, and that year is close to an end. He finally gives in to the attraction he feels for Dawn despite their differences. Once he faces his true feelings, he realizes she’s the only one for him, and he has fallen in love with her.
Only, his time is now up and he needs to go back to his old life. The problem is Dawn has no idea he is Gordon Wilks, CEO of Wilks and Co Financial, and the only son of a Dallas dynasty family. She thinks he is a lowly bartender.
Will Dawn stay with him when she learns the truth?
BUY LINKS: AMAZON | AMAZON UK | B&N| KOBO | iTUNES
S.J. MAYLEE: I write about the kind of men that light my fire. They’re definitely a bit brooding. They can’t seem to help themselves from caring. In fact, once they fall in love, they’ll face just about anything to keep their heroine safe. My newest hero, I love him something fierce, may appear like your standard businessman. He’s an assassin for hire. The bad boy he may be, but I swoon for the way he saves his heroine. *fans self*
Life is passing Nadia Duskin by from her position in the mailroom. It only fulfills two necessities, keeping the repo man away and keeping her up to date on her sexy CEO.
Ethan Wright is prepared to frighten and fire the nosey girl who sorts his company’s mail. After engaging with her at one of his favorite places in the world, he digs deeper.
Together, they find the kind of pleasure that could keep them satisfied for a lifetime. Her love may be the key to putting both of their lives back on track, but to what end? When a man he’s been contracted to kill threatens Nadia’s life, he forces her to face reality. Either they’ll delve deeper into the desires neither expected or they may die trying.



BUY LINKS: EVERNIGHT| AMAZON| AMAZONUK | B&N | ARe


KALI ARGENT: I would have to say my favorite type of hero is a little bit of everything, the everyday hero, so to speak. I like men who are secure in their manhood, but aren’t afraid of stake a claim to what belongs to them. Possessive, but not jealous. Protective, but not smothering. It’s a delicate balance between being Alpha and being overbearing, and my favorite heroes are the ones who tread that wire with ease. I want men who aren’t intimidated by strong women, but would also go to the ends of the earth to protect them, even from themselves. I have to admit that men are a constant source of confusion for me, but at the end of the day, I think I kind of like the mystery, the unpredictability, and I want my heroes the same way.
A scroll with exceptional abilities, Camille Brighton lived a life of wealth and privilege until tragedy changed everything. The gifts that had once made her special are suddenly a curse to be feared, and she finds herself a captive in her own home with a world of possibilities just beyond her reach. When the demons of her past return, though, forcing her to flee to the outer rim of Alliance territory, she soon realizes freedom isn’t exactly the adventure she’d thought it would be. Running from his own past on Helix, Tariq Navarra has spent the last nine years as a mechanical engineer on Beta Station 4. Life has proven the only person he can depend on is himself, and he’s built an impenetrable wall around his heart, wearing suspicion and distrust like a second skin. Then a slip of a woman carrying the scent of fresh rain and lavender turns his world upside down with just a smile. He’s never wanted anything or anyone more, and he’ll go to the ends of the universe to keep Cami safe. With danger lurking at every turn, he may just be forced to prove it—even if that means protecting the angel from himself. Betrayal left them broken. Can love see them mended?
BUY LINKS: AMAZON| ARe | B&N| KOBO


Have a great weekend, and happy reading!

~ Coming Soon - 3013: CHAOS ~

3013: CHAOS

The eighth book in the best selling sci-fi/futuristic series!

Katra Tesera is a female Dragon Warrior on a mission. Unsatisfied with the life her family wishes for her back on her home world, she seeks something more for her own future. When the opportunity to visit Earth arises, Katra is eager for the excitement and adventure of traveling the stars. She believes she is ready for whatever lies at the end of her journey, but nothing can prepare her for meeting her mate…the dark and dangerous Tarin warrior, Lord Jaden Tor.
Warlord Jaden Tor is a dedicated leader who is fighting a civil war to save his people. He has always known his path in life, but everything changes the moment he meets the dark-haired beauty with glowing silver eyes. Jaden wants to claim her for his own, however, there is more at stake than his own happiness… 
When legacies are challenged, and with Tartarus in turmoil, can Jaden and Katra find a way to be together, or will their love be shattered by the chaos that threatens everything around them?
COMING SOON!

Amazon.com Widgets

~ Symposium: Impossible is Nothing ~

Hello Everyone! Welcome to my April Symposium!

Since my grandmother just passed away this week, I’ve had bucket lists on the brain. She was 93 (actually, a week away from turning 94) and told me that she was ready, and that she’d done everything she’d wanted to do during her life. 
This made me consider what I still wanted to accomplish during my lifetime. So, I posed this same question to my friends and fellow authors this month. Read on and find out what adventures everyone has planned!
LAURIE ROMA: When I was thinking about my bucket list, I realized that I’ve already started knocking some of the things I’ve wanted to do over the last few years. Skydiving, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting - check. Now, some of my other goals are a little complicated, since I don’t really have control over whether or not they actually happen. For instance, I would love to see one (or more) of my screenplays come to life on the big screen. I’d also like to make the NY Times Best Sellers List, but as I said, I can’t actually make those things happen. So, I’ll focus on the places I want to travel to, like Japan, to see the cherry blossoms bloom, and Scotland, to stomp around old castle ruins. I’d also like to stand on the white sands of Crete, drink wine at a vineyard in Tuscany, and I also want to go cage diving with the great white sharks in Australia. So many wonderful places to see…now, I just have to start checking them off my list!
On a personal note, I would like to thank everyone for the condolences to me and my family for the loss of my grandmother. All the support and prayers have meant more than words can say.

Tessa Campbell is a woman in an impossible situation. As the owner of an event planning company, her days are usually filled celebrating the best moments of people’s lives, but all of that changes when her father makes a grievous mistake that may cost him the job he loves. He is depending on her to fix his mistake, but nothing is ever as simple as it seems. In order to save him, she must find a way to reason with his boss...the man everyone calls The Beast. 

Drake Vidal has a dangerous reputation. A ruthless business man who has taken Vidal Labs and Technology to the top of the industry, he expects perfection from everyone who works for him. He has never believed in love, but all it takes is one look at the gentle beauty that comes to him to plead for her father for him to lose his heart. Can she find a way to see beyond the savage veneer he portrays to the world to discover the good hidden beneath, or will she think he isn’t worth taming? For who could ever really love a beast? 

BUY LINK: AMAZON
EVE LANGLAIS: My bucket list is ever changing. Right now, it involves me being more adventurous. I'd like to visit wild new places like Australia and Mexico. I'd like to experience different cultures. Explore some Aztec ruins. Go on an ocean cruise. I'd like to visit Disney and explore all the theme parks. I'd also like to go see those Down Under Strippers I keep hearing about, because damn, those guys are HAWT! lol ;)

His system is shutting down, but he's determined to keep a promise - even if it kills him.
Being a cyborg was so much better when all his parts worked. Avion's nanotechnology stopped functioning after some experimentation done on him by the military. They broke him and now, Avion is no better than a human, even more annoying, he's dying.
But at least he completed his final mission. He saved, One.
Mysterious and alluring, Avion isn't the only person who wonders what surprises this woman hides. The human military and their alien allies fear what she's capable of and will stop at nothing to destroy her. However, the one thing they didn't take into account is that the cyborgs always protect their own, and they aren't afraid to use deadly force.
And no one could imagine the depths One will stoop to in order to protect the man she loves.
The universe is about to change. A war is brewing. The question is, who is the real enemy, and what will the cyborgs have to do in order to survive?
BUY LINKS: AMAZON| B&N| ARe| KOBO
N.J. WALTERS: When asked what is on my bucket list, I had to stop and think about it. I’m lucky enough to be living one of my dreams—being a full-time writer.  I’m grateful for that blessing every single day. My health is good and I have a wonderful, if slightly crazy, family. Some folks want to skydive or do crazy things, but I’ve always been a quiet, stay-at-home kinda gal so those things don’t appeal to me. However, there are a few things on my list. I’d love to visit Scotland. Whenever I see a picture of the Scottish Highlands I get a yearning in my heart. I’d also like to visit Arizona and see the redwood forests in California. Admittedly I’m not a good traveller so we’ll see how that goes. I’d also love to own a home. I’ve always lived in apartments and crave my own space on a piece of land.
Tilly Ledet has long been a friend of the immortal, shape-shifting warriors who follow the Lady of the Beasts, a willing helper in their battle against Hades. But now that Hades is free and unable to touch the warriors, Tilly is fair game.
When Phoenix shows up insisting she drop everything to go into hiding, Tilly balks. Phoenix is strong and courageous, but when she imagines being in his arms, the protective barriers guarding her heart slam down.
For the first time in his immortal life, Phoenix feels fear. Not for himself, but for the woman whose beauty and forthright nature heat both his mind and body. While one kiss easily ignites her passion, claiming her as his own will take more than heat. 
It may require a sacrifice that could send them both up in flames.
BUY LINKS:  SAMHAIN | AMAZON | KOBO | B&N | ARe
LACEY THORN: There are many things on my personal bucket list. One is that I’d like to travel more, not just abroad but here in the USA, as well. My ultimate vacation would be a trip to Ireland and Scotland. One day I will! Professionally, I’m like most authors and want to hit the list, whether it be USA Today or NY Times. Hitting the top one hundred overall at Amazon has only made me hungrier! I’d also like to continue with writing as my full time career, though it gets hard at times. Mostly, I want to make the most of every day, soaking up the time I have with my children before they are grown and gone. I want to remember to laugh more and worry less. To smile for no reason. To sing, loud and off key with no care for who’s listening. Life is a precious gift. I don’t plan to squander any of the time I have left.

Five Years Ago: Brutal Attack Rocks Entertainment Industry
Paisley Ames can't escape the headline splashed across every news outlet, a vivid reminder of the tragedy that changed her life and still haunts her. Despite the passage of time, she can't heal. She can't let in the man who might show her how to live again.
Barrett “Bare” Locke took one look at Jamison Knight’s daughter and saw a survivor. A woman, fierce and strong. Too bad she doesn’t see it. He understands what it is to lose someone you love. If Paisley will give him the chance, he’ll show her how to heal the jagged pieces of her broken heart.
But someone doesn’t want Paisley to heal. They want her to remember…until they decide it’s time for her to die.
BUY LINK: AMAZON
SUSAN HAYES:When I sat down and thought about it, I realized that I’ve accomplished many of the goals that were on my unofficial bucket list. The things that remain are mostly travel related, places I’ve never seen or want to see again. High on the list is Scotland. I loved it there, and I want to spend more time exploring some of the smaller towns and villages this time around. I also plan to head to Chicago someday to visit Laurie, as she has informed me I haven’t lived until I’ve eaten a proper Chicago style deep dish pizza. This year I’m actually going to take another destination off my list when I head to the Midnight Gala in New Orleans this October to meet up with my fellow author friends and our readers for an amazing weekend of fun and laughter.
As the future CEO of Forrester Industries, Lucas Forrester has the kind of life most men only dream of. He’s travelled the world, brokering deals and sealing contracts that have benefited the company while making a name for himself as a cold, calculating negotiator.
At work, Luke lives behind his corporate persona, but when a chance encounter with a beautiful and caring stranger brings out his true nature, he finds himself reluctant to go back into hiding.
Veronica Hood’s life will never be mistaken for a fairytale, but she’s proud of what she’s accomplished so far. After years of planning, she’s finally got her own coffee shop, with enough money coming in to stay out of the red and pay for her grandmother’s medical bills, too. When Lucas sees her delivering food to the hungry, he appoints himself as her protector, stealing her heart and starting a whirlwind love affair straight out of a storybook.
The trouble is, Lucas isn’t the only one who has fallen for Ronnie. When her stalker finally emerges from the shadows, Luke will have to fight for his redheaded angel. In the end only one of them can possess her, but who will be the victor...her champion or the dark-hearted wolf?
BUY LINK: AMAZON

STACEY ESPINO: I have many goals in life, some large and some small—all important. I strongly feel we can accomplish almost anything if we put our hearts and minds to it. The most important thing is to believe you can do it, and never dismiss your own dreams. They might take time, hard work, or sacrifice, but never give up! One of my smaller goals is to master the three splits and several other body contortions. Since I'm only starting now (almost 40) it's no easy task! But I will get there. One of my big goals is to adopt. After courses, mountains of paperwork, doctor checks, and home studies, we are on the final stretch to realizing our big dream. Of course, my never-ending goal is to write more books! I've take too much time off, but I'm back in the saddle and working hard on my series books and many new stories.
Tammy Palmer can barely control her uniform fetish when she walks by Station 23. The four firefighters she fantasizes over are pure sex and muscle. But Tammy's not ready for love after her last disastrous relationship, not to mention she's not even in the same league as these delicious men.
When the newspaper she edits for gives her the chance for a promotion from pushing pencils, she jumps at the opportunity. The only problem is she's expected to spend two weeks at the new fire station in preparation for the article.
Tammy's wanton desires are soon unleashed when she moves into the station. But good things rarely last, and Tammy's crazed ex returns, luring the men away from the station. He's determined to get her back at any cost.
Will the men of Station 23 be able to save the woman they've grown to love in time?
BUY LINKS: BOOKSTRAND | AMAZON
JENIKA SNOW: In the next few years I still hope to be writing full-time. It’s been a dream of mine for so long that I want to be an old lady and still creating raunchy, romance-filled stories. I’d like to start attending more reader conventions as an author over the next few years as well, and would also like to travel to Europe again. There are so many places overseas I’d love to travel to, and have since I was a little girl. I’d also love to go back to my mother’s home country of Portugal. The food, smells, sights, and of course all the people will most definitely make me feel like she’s right there with me.
Travis Sterling helps run the farm that’s been in his family for the last three generations. When he needs to appease his sexual appetite there is never a shortage of willing women in the small town of Granite, Colorado.
Pearl Connors just moved to Granite to take care of her grandmother’s estate. Trying to let loose, she finds herself at the local bar, then in the bed of a rough and tough cowboy named Travis. But the next morning she tries to put the one-night stand behind her and make Granite her new home. She finds a job on a ranch to help three brothers, and soon realizes her one-night stand is right back in her face, and one-third owner of the Sterling Farm.
Can she put her desire for the dirty-talking cowboy behind her, or will she allow his dominating ways to make her submit all over again?
BUY LINKS: AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | BOOKSTRAND | EVERNIGHT
KD JONES: There are so many things I want to accomplish within the next few years. These are divided between what’s on my author’s bucket list and what is on my personal bucket list. I would really love to hit amazon’s top 100 bestsellers for overall store. I also want to be able to have more time writing to get ahead of my schedule. I want to be able to have really good interactions with my readers. On a personal bucket list I would love to spend more time with my wonderful son. I want to lose weight and get healthy. If it is in the cards for me I would hope to fall in love with a wonderful man who is good to me and my son. I want to travel and see the world so that I can write about it.

Maxim is a droid halfsie, part human and part android, created in a lab. Now free from the madman that converted him, he must find a way to make a new life for himself. In an effort to put his past behind him, he takes a job as a fighter for the Galactic Cage Fighter Association. Unfortunately, he soon learns that the position comes with some unwanted benefits, like constantly being surrounded by adoring fans. It’s a situation that’s definitely all new for him, and he has to work hard to adjust. Just when he thinks he has finally moved on and gotten used to his new life, he discovers that the past cannot simply be ignored forever. These revelations of his past put everyone around him in danger, including the one woman that holds the key to his hidden heart.
Alona is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful halfsie women in the world. But human men only seem to seek her out when they want to display her as their trophy, and most halfsie men see her delicate features as far too human-like. Just as she feels ready to give up on the hope of a real relationship, she meets a droid halfsie that attracts her like no other. The more she tries to fight her attraction, the more she seems to want him.
Will Maxim let down his guard and allow Alona to see him for who he is? Will Alona overcome her disenchanted view of relationships and give Maxim a chance to prove there is more to him than the surface? Can they find their way to one another while surviving the dangers surrounding them?
BUY LINKS: AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | B&N
VELLA DAY: It’s so ironic that Laurie asked about fulfilling my bucket list, because a few months ago, we decided to “just do it.” I figured I won’t be any younger tomorrow, so my husband and I are selling our condo and moving abroad—my dream. It will take a while. We’ll put the condo up for sale next January then spend the next few months applying for the VISA as we plan to live abroad for 2-3 years. I’ve always wanted to be fluent in a foreign language, so we’re heading to Spain for 2 years and then possibly moving to the French Riviera for another year or so. It puts a dent in my ability to do conferences, but I will be writing!!! Thank goodness for FB and Skype. It should be business as usual.
Burke Devereaux’s life is turned upside down after receiving news of his brother’s death. After years of being gone from Hidden Hills, NC, the guilt-ridden bear shifter returns home for the funeral. 
Tasha Wilder, an overweight, bear shifter librarian, used to lust after the sexy, high school basketball player back in the day. She never acted on those feelings, knowing full well he’d never want someone as plain as her. Burke now is back and she does her best to keep her animalistic urges hidden by keeping her distance—until fate intervenes. Doing her best to offer him only sympathy during an unexpected encounter, her inner beast explodes with unbridled lust and passion. 
Burke tackles his inner demons and finally accepts that Tasha is his mate, but he hadn’t expected her to deny their destiny. What can he do to convince Tasha she’s his one and only?
BUY LINK: AMAZON
ERIKA REED: My Bucket List isn’t as extravagant as others might be. I don’t have the urge to jump out of a perfectly good plane, run with the bulls in Spain, or even cliff dive off into the ocean. Maybe when I was younger I would have considered some of those, but nowadays I am too much of a chicken to do any of them. I just want to be able to live life to the fullest and enjoy watching my family grow, as I get older. I can’t say I really have ever given it much thought, coming up with a Bucket List, but Laurie made me think about this… Now that I am a lot older there are a few things I should start thinking about seeing and doing. I would like to retire someday from my job and become a full time writer. I have always wanted to take CPR classes. Stand at the top of the Eifel Tower…and not the one in Las Vegas. ;) I would to spend a week at a dude ranch and learn how to ride a horse. I want to take a cruise to Alaska with my husband. I have always wanted to see Greece. Buy a house on the lake and live out the rest of my years with my husband.

Goldie Locke is in love with her boss, Travis. He has always been the man of her dreams, but it’s getting harder to work for him when she really wants more. After a fire in her apartment leaves her temporarily homeless, she finds herself on her way to Travis’ cabin in the mountains, at his brothers’ insistence. She decides to use the time away to make some decisions about her future...with or without Travis.
Travis Baer had always prided himself at making his construction business a success. He is a man who goes after what he wants, but what he desires more than anything is Goldie. After being tricked into a weekend alone with his gorgeous assistant, Travis is determined to finally make Goldie his, and reveal his true feeling for her.
Could their weekend retreat be the beginning to the fairytale ending Goldie has always wanted?
BUY LINK: AMAZON
JUDY HORNBUCKLE: I hit the big six-oh this year. So I guess, in effect, I’m already working that list I comprised in my thirties of the things I wanted to experience before I got, you know, like, old.  Impossible to achieve?  Nothing but dreams? Oh hell to the NO! I wanted to travel & perhaps live overseas (completed 2000 – 2004).  I wanted to raise my kids to live independently, to love without reservation & to be compassionate instead of judgmental (1997).  To attend a Beatles concert (2014 – Paul McCartney) & to love/be loved by a bad boy with a good heart (2014).  I wanted to write books that helped other women escape from the drudge of everyday life much like Johanna Lindsey, Kathleen Woodiwiss & LaVeryl Spencer did for me (2013). Yet to do?  Man, the list is endless.  Because the heart never stops reaching for impossible…no matter what age you are.
He was convinced he was dying, slowly wasting from the same disease that took both his father and grandfather’s lives.
So Bishop began the necessary steps to wrap up his life, trying to gain closure in every area.  Especially in regard to his ex-wife, Dory.  A woman who left him when he’d just been a lowly recruit in the Hellion Motorcycle Club.  Reaching out, he asks to meet with her in order to finally put to rest all the unresolved, heart-sick emotions her quick departure had left behind so many years before.
Dory had escaped Missoula and the Hellions where she’d once been a Honey and a wife. 
She’d moved on, creating a new life for herself in Casper, Wyoming.  And those thirteen years away had been bordered in secrets, both in the past and present.  So when Bishop calls her, almost demanding she meet with him, Dory recognizes it’s time for truth.  For letting go of the undisclosed, of exposing her hidden life in favor of the peace that only honesty can bring.From the author of Hiding in Plain Sight, The Possibility of Trey and the other books in the Hellion MC Series comes the last novel, Checkmate With Bishop.
 It’s a story about forgiveness…especially when one of the many apologies you offer must be given to yourself.
BUY LINK: AMAZON
KALI ARGENT: Bucket lists. Hmm, I’m more of a “live in the moment” kind of girl, but there are a few things I’d like to accomplish or experience in this lifetime. I want to visit Ireland one day and explore the castles there. The nerd in me wants to learn to speak Elvish, even if it has no practical use whatsoever, while the realistic part of me would like to learn French. Another item on my bucket list is a cross-country road trip with a stop at a landmark in each state. I’ve always wanted to see the Northern Lights. I want to go on a tour of a haunted house or stay in a haunted inn. I don’t know if I believe in ghosts or not, but it would certainly be an experience.

Driven and career-focused, Starla Winters doesn’t have the time or patience for dating. Other than her family, she has only a handful of personal connections, only a few relationships that truly mean anything to her, but she’s content. Or so she thinks. Then the laidback, free-spirited owner of a local toy store blows into her life, making her want things she’s never even contemplated.
Turner McCord fell in love the moment the uptight advertising agent marched into his office, and nothing has been the same for him since. He knows it won’t be easy to break through Starla’s shiny layer of professionalism to the fiery woman beneath, but he’s determined to make her his. After all, to love someone as beautiful and captivating as Starla Winters would be an awfully big adventure.
BUY LINK: AMAZON

~ New Release: Beauty ~

Beauty is Now Available Exclusively on Amazon!

Tessa Campbell is a woman in an impossible situation. As the owner of an event planning company, her days are usually filled celebrating the best moments of people's lives, but all of that changes when her father makes a grievous mistake that may cost him the job he loves. He is depending on her to fix his mistake, but nothing is ever as simple as it seems. In order to save him, she must find a way to reason with his boss...the man everyone calls The Beast.

Drake Vidal has a dangerous reputation. A ruthless business man who has taken Vidal Labs and Technology to the top of the industry, he expects perfection from everyone who works for him. He has never believed in love, but all it takes is one look at the gentle beauty that comes to him to plead for her father for him to lose his heart. Can she find a way to see beyond the savage veneer he portrays to the world to discover the good hidden beneath, or will she think he isn't worth taming? For who could ever really love a beast?
***This book was previously part of the limited edition Seduction at Midnight Anthology***
BUY LINK: AMAZON


They called him The Beast.
Tessa Campbell thought the name was highly appropriate as she waited in the private reception area outside of Drake Vidal’s office at the corporate headquarters of Vidal Labs and Technology, located in the heart of downtown Chicago on a cold, windy Monday morning. The meeting had been set for ten o’clock, and she had arrived fifteen minutes early to ensure she was on time. It hadn’t mattered, though, since she’d been kept waiting for over an hour.
If given the choice, she never would’ve come. Would never have put herself in the position of being anywhere near Drake Vidal, but it couldn’t be helped. She’d made a promise to her father, and she would see it through, no matter the cost. 
From the research she had done on the reclusive man, Drake Vidal was a brilliant inventor of medical equipment, but he was also known as a corporate shark and pretty much an all-round ruthless bastard. She had found almost nothing about his private life when she had done her search for him on the Web, except for several pictures of him taken with a bevy of beauties on his arm. Not that he’d posed for those photos. 
Vidal was elusive, which made the media revere him as the mysterious millionaire of Chicago’s elite society. His obvious disdain for publicity did nothing to lessen people’s interest, but somehow, he’d been able to keep anyone from prying into his private life. Still, speculation about him ran rampant, but he didn’t seem to mind the bad press about himself as long as the news about his company remained positive.
Tessa liked to do extensive research when it came to her business. Details were key in her profession as an event planner who owned her own company with a partner she considered her best friend. Elegantly Yours had started out as a dream, but hard work and dedication had made it a reality. For some, throwing parties for a living seemed frivolous, but Tessa thought it was the perfect job. Whether it be weddings, anniversaries or a random holiday party, people entrusted her company with the important events of their lives and depended on them to make those days special. That was why it was important to know details about the people she was dealing with.
But Drake Vidal was an unknown variable...and that made him dangerous.
The room where Tessa waited had stark, white walls, black furniture and a gray, granite floor. On the walls hung black and white photographs with touches of red accents in plain black frames. The only other color came from the blood red roses that stood out of a crystal vase on a large pedestal in the center of the room. For some, the space would have been streamlined and ultra-modern, but for Tessa, it just showed a lack of emotional depth—and to be honest—she found it sort of depressing. 
Unlike other high-rises in the downtown area, the Vidal building was not one that welcomed those who didn’t belong there. From the moment she walked in, she’d felt like an outsider intruding in a foreign world where only the elite fit in.
Even dressed in one of her best suits, Tessa knew she didn’t belong. She had chosen a black suit she’d gotten on super sale and paired it with her favorite emerald, silk blouse she wore to give herself an extra boost of courage. She’d tried to hide her exhaustion under a thin layer of makeup, but knew she looked as weary as she felt. To save herself time, she’d pulled her long brown hair back with a clip, but the light flurries outside made wisps of hair escape to frame her face, making her look less professional than she would have liked.
Tessa’s wool coat had been taken from her when she had arrived on the top floor by a young woman who had been sent to lead her back to the private reception area. After the assistant hung Tessa’s coat up in a small, hidden closet, she sat down at a desk adjacent to a formidable looking older woman who guarded the gates to Vidal’s office. The woman introduced herself as Mrs. Potts, Vidal’s personal secretary. Her silver hair was pulled back in an elegant chignon, and her suit looked like something that could be worn to have tea with the royal family. She was intimidating, but her smile had been kind when she’d told Tessa that Mr. Vidal was running a few minutes behind and to take a seat in the lounge.
Tessa refused the offer of refreshments as she placed her black bag on the floor near her chair, and silently hoped the man inside the office would give her the chance to explain the situation. As she sat there, she noted the way the employees’ voices lowered reverently when they spoke to the admin that guarded the entrance to Vidal’s office. There was a hint of fear in their tones when they spoke of him, and hearing it just made Tessa’s anxiety increase. 
But if he thought making her wait would make her give up and leave, he’d thought wrong.
She was startled when Mrs. Potts called out, “Ms. Campbell, Mr. Vidal will see you now.”
“Thank you.” Taking a steadying breath, Tessa picked up her bag. Mrs. Potts nodded to her before leading the way to Vidal's office door. She softly rapped twice on the closed door, then pushed it open for Tessa to enter. 
And there he was.
Drake Vidal was a man who commanded attention without saying a word. 
The pictures Tessa had seen online were nothing compared to seeing him in person. He had striking features, with a hard, chiseled jaw, dark hair, and penetrating, laser blue eyes. His face looked like it had been carved from stone by a master artisan. Drake was devastatingly handsome in his dark-gray suit with a stark, white dress shirt. To some, the absence of a tie would make him seem more approachable, but Tessa thought it made the power he exuded even more pronounced. 
Standing behind his massive desk, Drake Vidal looked like a man who ruled his world with an iron fist. The quiet intensity of his gaze reminded her of a beast, ready to strike at the first sign of weakness, and it made his nickname seem highly appropriate. Saying that he was intimidating was an understatement, but Tessa was on a mission, and she was determined to see it through.
“Ms. Campbell. Have a seat.”
His voice was deep and rough as he gave the command. She heard the sound of the door closing behind her, and Tessa had to order herself to move forward when all she wanted was to turn around and run for safety. The sound of her heels clicking on the granite floor sounded overloud as she crossed the expanse of the large office. 
She noticed he waited until she was settled in one of the plush chairs facing his desk before he sat back down, surveying her like some king from his throne. She set her bag down so it was propped against side of the chair, then gripped her shaking hands together in her lap, hoping to mask the telltale sign of her nervousness.
If he asks me to tell him about myself, I’m out of here.
Tessa fought back a wave of nervous laughter as she struggled with how uncomfortable the situation was. It was now or never. “Mr. Vidal, I know this was a highly unusual request, but I would like to thank you for seeing me.”
Drake Vidal took his time studying the dark-haired beauty that sat across from him. He knew she was nervous. Most people were when they met with him, but he was impressed she met his gaze head-on without looking away as most usually did.
He had deliberately made her wait. 
At first, he’d been annoyed when he discovered she had come instead of her father, but he found himself intrigued enough to take the meeting. He’d looked over the file on Tessa Campbell his faithful admin had compiled for him while she waited in his private reception area. There wasn’t much in the file, but he had enough to know who she was and what she did.
It impressed him even more the way she bore his silent scrutiny without fidgeting as she patiently waited. He’d deliberately kept his office dark so he was partially cast in shadows, but he could see her clearly in the light streaming in from the windows. She had a stunning face, with delicate features, flawless skin and pretty hazel eyes that were wary as she gazed at him. When coupled with the dark hair that framed her face, she looked younger than the twenty-six years he knew she was.
Still, Drake wouldn’t let a pretty face sway his decision over what must be done. 
Patrick Campbell was one of the most talented biomedical engineers Drake had, but there were consequences for violating the strict confidentiality clause in the contracts all Vidal employees had to sign when they started working at the company. It pained Drake to lose such a brilliant mind, but he couldn’t allow for the breach of the contract terms to go unpunished. He touched the folder containing the severance papers that had been prepared for the meeting, but having Patrick’s daughter show up changed his plans. Pushing the folder aside, Drake leaned back in his chair.
“Why are you here, Ms. Campbell?”
Drake wanted to sigh as she flinched at his curt question. He had little tact and barely took the time to deal with formal niceties, but he hadn’t meant to sound so abrupt. Basically, his people skills sucked, and he knew it. He was well aware of his reputation and what most people thought of him. It had taken courage for her to come, and he didn’t want to make this harder than it already was. He tried to soften his expression as he waited for her to speak, but could see it did little good to put her at ease. 
Tessa’s throat felt dry as a desert, and she swallowed, trying to regain her composure. “I know it was presumptuous of me to come here when you ordered—I mean, when you asked my father to be here today. I needed to meet with you to tell you the article that was posted yesterday about your company’s new product wasn’t his fault. Well, it was, but it wasn’t.”
“That clears it up,” Drake said dryly. “Patrick has worked for me for years and knows the consequences of his actions. He violated the confidentiality clause when he spoke to that reporter about the project he’s been working on.”
“He didn’t know that man was a reporter, I swear he didn’t. I know what he did was wrong, but he’s dedicated his life to the work he does for you. It’s the number one priority in his life, and he would never willingly jeopardized that.”
“But he did,” Drake said with conviction. “Ms. Campbell—”
“Please, call me Tessa.”
“Fine. Tessa, even if the prototype for the new scanner is complete, it will be launched under my directive at the time of my choosing, not of my employee’s and certainly not the media’s.”
“I understand. That man took advantage of my dad. I’m not trying to excuse what he did, but this is a bad time of year for my father...for us.” Tessa had no intention of getting personal when she’d walked in the door, but the words just came spilling out. “Five years ago, my mother was killed by a drunk driver on New Year’s day. The anniversary of when we buried her was a few days ago and my father went to that bar to try and forget. He didn’t know that man sitting next to him was a reporter, and my father certainly didn’t think he would print anything that was said.”
“I’m sorry for the loss your mother, Tessa.”
“Thank you.” Tessa saw Drake’s sharp blue eyes soften with sympathy and kept going, pushing hard. “My father values his position with your company. He knew when he read the article that he was the one who had leaked the information. He emailed you immediately to tell you. He didn’t try to hide it or cover it up. He knows he shouldn’t have spoken to anyone about it, but he didn’t do it deliberately. I can guess when you asked to meet with him this morning that you were going to let him go, but I’m asking you to please reconsider. Mr. Vidal—”
“Drake.”
She tried to smile, but feared the trembling of her lips made it look more like a grimace. “Drake—”
“Why didn’t your father come to the meeting, Tessa? Why send you here to plead for his job if it means so much to him?”
Tess tried to fight back the tears that filled her eyes, but she knew he could see them and hated herself for the telltale sign of weakness. “He would have, but he had a heart attack last night after...”
“After he got my message,” Drake finished for her when she took a moment to regain her composure. “Christ, I’m sorry for that.”
“It’s not your fault. None of this is, and I’m the one who is sorry about everything. They want to keep him in the hospital for a few days under observation or else he would have come. Mr. Vidal—Drake, I know my father screwed up, and I want to make it right.”
He looked skeptical. “And how exactly would you do that? The leak to the media about our new medical scanner gives my competitors an opportunity to move up their timetables to try and match our launch. It also sets a dangerous precedence on how these matters are dealt with within my corporation. I sympathize with what your father has been through, but you can’t go back in time and undo what’s been done.”
“No, but we can use this as an opportunity.” Tessa scooted to the edge of her seat and leaned forward. The time had come for her pitch. “I read the article after my father told me what happened, and there really wasn’t much information in it besides anticipation to see what good your new scanner would do. We can use that. I can help you. If you fire my father, it makes the article something negative, but why not use it for something positive instead?”
“Go on.”
“What I propose is for us to throw an event we can use to highlight the release of your new product. It would be an elaborate, highly public affair, and we could ask the guests to donate to a charity of your choice. Since your new imaging system helps detect cancer earlier, we could pick something that has to do with cancer research or something that helps families dealing with the illness. This way, your company will get the goodwill associated with the donation, and it’ll make any of your competitors look foolish if they tried to undercut your launch. It would also help your own reputation since, honestly, you could use it.”
Drake’s eyebrow rose at that. “Really?”
Tessa flushed with embarrassment as she realized what she’d said, but she didn’t back down. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you, but from everything I’ve read about you, I really think you could benefit from some good PR.”
Drake couldn’t help but be amused at the casual way she had insulted him, but he refused to let it show. She was without artifice, and he found it refreshing. People were always telling him what they thought he wanted to hear, and it was rare for someone to speak so honestly to him. “So, you think throwing a party is the answer to my problems?”
“Not exactly, but it’s a starting point.” She reached down to grab her bag and set it on her lap. “I’ll waive my fee to put everything together for you, and try to make this as easy as possible, with minimal work on your part. I’ve brought a binder of basic concepts for you to look over. I can leave it with you since I can see you’re tired, and I don’t want to take up anymore of your time.”
He rubbed at the dark stubble on his chin and cheeks absently. “So, now I look tired, and I need help with my image? I don’t know if my ego can take anymore of your assessment of me.”
Her shoulders sagged under a new heaping of guilt. Tessa let out a groan and closed her eyes. She needed to shut up before he had her escorted out of his office and banned from the building. Or worse. “I’m going to leave now.”
Drake looked down at the clock on his computer screen and made an impulsive decision. He stood. “You’re right, I am tired. I was in the lab working all night.” 
She watched as he strode across the room to the coat rack in the corner by the doorway. He put on his long, black coat, then stalked over to open the door to his office. 
“What? Wait...you’re leaving?”
He looked at her with that penetrating gaze of his and simply said, “Come.”

Amazon.com Widgets

~ Symposium: Swinging on a Star ~

Hello Everyone! Welcome to my March Symposium!

Since this is my birthday month, I have wishes on the brain. Although my greatest wish is for the health and happiness of my friends and family, I wanted to do something a little more fun for this month’s symposium. 

Because of this, I’ve asked my friends and fellow authors to pick their three most outrageous wishes to share with you. Read on and find out what everyone had to say!
LAURIE ROMA: If I had a genie in a bottle and could have three of the most outrageous wishes I could think of, the first would have to be a sort of catch all. I want magic...or the ability to make my own wishes come true. It might be considered cheating, but who cares. LOL. My second wish would be to visit some sort of alien world, or one of my own creation. I wouldn’t mind having a few Dragon Warriors to call my own. But really, can you blame me? My last wish is something I consider more of a goal than a wish. Someday, I would like to make the NY Times Best Sellers list. I think if that day comes, it’ll be like touching a star...

Feel free to share your most outrageous wishes in the comments section of this post!

Tessa Campbell is a woman in an impossible situation. As the owner of an event planning company, her days are usually filled celebrating the best moments of people’s lives, but all of that changes when her father makes a grievous mistake that may cost him the job he loves. He is depending on her to fix his mistake, but nothing is ever as simple as it seems. In order to save him, she must find a way to reason with his boss...the man everyone calls The Beast.

Drake Vidal has a dangerous reputation. A ruthless business man who has taken Vidal Labs and Technology to the top of the industry, he expects perfection from everyone who works for him. He has never believed in love, but all it takes is one look at the gentle beauty that comes to him to plead for her father for him to lose his heart. Can she find a way to see beyond the savage veneer he portrays to the world to discover the good hidden beneath, or will she think he isn’t worth taming? For who could ever really love a beast?
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON AMAZON APRIL 1ST!

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S.E. SMITH:  Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have my wish I wish tonight…What should I wish for? My first wish is to travel to the stars and beyond. I’ve always been fascinated by what is out there. So my wish would include meeting other, non-threatening, species and discovering new worlds much like my characters do. My second wish would to live in a world where paranormal creatures lived and thrived beside us. In my Magic, New Mexico series, they do. They are normal in an abnormal way. I would love to have a best friend who was a werewolf, or a vampire, or even a garden troll. My third wish is to become one of those paranormal or sci-fi characters. I think it would totally rock to be a shifter, or a witch, or an alien dragon shifter with a symbiot of my own.

Dagger is a Trivator warrior. He is known for his dark and dangerous edge, making him the perfect warrior for impossible missions. He fears nothing, until he meets a young, delicate human female who wakens his heart. Her gentle touch, soft voice, and her shy sense of humor touch him in a way he never thought could happen. The thought of anything harming something so beautiful and fragile fills him with terror.
Jordan Sampson is slowly adjusting to her new life on a strange planet far away from war-torn Earth. She had been seventeen when she was brought to the Trivator’s home world of Rathon along with her older sister, Jesse, and younger sister, Taylor, a couple years earlier. Fear, confusion, and uncertainty of what the future holds threaten to drown her as she tries to fit in. There is only one hope that keeps her going. It is the handsome alien male that stirs something deep inside her and makes her feel whole. 

When Dagger is captured during a mission and sold to the illegal Fight Rings, it is only the memory of Jordan that keeps him going. Time blurs as he slowly sinks deeper and deeper into a world of violence and pain until he becomes more animal than Trivator. 

Jordan knows Dagger is out there, somewhere. She can feel him in her heart. The heart she gave to him the first time he held her protectively in his arms. 

When she discovers where he is being held, she refuses to let anything stop her from rescuing him. What Jordan doesn’t realize is that she has been Dagger’s hope during his captivity. The one thing that holds the thin thread to his sanity. 

The fight to save Dagger takes Jordan on a journey that she hopes they both survive. The star system is a dangerous place for a young human female and a damaged Trivator warrior. Can Jordan reach Dagger in time, and if she does, can she heal his shattered soul?
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NJ WALTERS : When Laurie asked me to imagine I had a genie in a bottle and could have three outrageous wishes, I had to stop and really think about it. I’m the type of person who is pretty content with what I have. BUT...if I had three wishes, I’d take a trip to Scotland. I’ve always been drawn to the landscape and castles, and I would do a tour of the Scottish and English countryside. I’d also love to see the Redwood Forests of California and while I was on the west coast, I’d slip over to see the Glass Beach at MacKerricher State Park. With my final wish, I’d visit Arizona. I find the rock formations and desert landscape beautiful.  Not sure if those things will ever happen considering I really don’t like to travel. Only time will tell. If only my genie could instantly transport me there.

Now that the five-thousand-year curse that kept him and his fellow shapeshifting warriors trapped in animal form has been lifted, Mordecai doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. He is free—in theory.
Hell left its stain on his soul, and his relationship with the warriors who once trusted him is uneasy. The only bright spot in his life is Jessica, whose shining innocence he dare not taint with his inner darkness. But it’s getting harder and harder to stay away from her.
Jessica longs for the days she and Mordecai shared an easy friendship. Now he seems as distant as the stars. He denies there’s a problem, but she’s determined to penetrate his shields.
Hades has been plotting his revenge from his prison. He can’t harm Mordecai without harming himself. But there’s nothing to stop him from wreaking havoc by hurting the one woman Mordecai would give his life to protect—Jessica.
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LACEY THORN : My three most outrageous wishes…Wish number one: I want to be my ideal of the perfect weight for my height (notice I’m not changing my height) and never gain a pound no matter how much I eat or exercise! My ideal may be different from someone else’s but this is all about me! Lol! Wish number two: I want to have just enough money to keep me and my children able to live a comfortable life without worry. I don’t need to be a millionaire. Wish number three: I’d like a machine that allows me to place a book inside it which it will bring to life. I can step between the covers of my most cherished novels and live out the role of the character of my choice. This is so much better than a movie or television show. I have a huge stack just waiting for this machine! Yummy!
The lone Jaguar...
Gideon prefers to stay on the outside, watching, but he’s willing to step in and protect when needed. He doesn’t want family, keeps friends at arm’s length and refuses to believe there might be a woman out there meant to be his and only his. Men like him don’t have mates.
A Woman Undone...
Vic only has one use for men, and it sure as hell isn’t to protect her. She was a Marine. She takes care of herself. She feels the intense burn of desire and knows what others think. There’s only one way to prove them wrong. Sate the lust and walk away.
Mine...
He’s sure he can fight the need for her even with the touch of fever in his veins, but he never counted on fighting her need as well. Neither of them wants a mate, but the beast inside Gideon is ready to stake a claim.  And if that happens, one night might turn into forever.
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SUSAN HAYES : I was raised on stories like the Monkey’s Paw, so if I ever found a wish-granting entity, it would probably take me a month to come up with a wish and then run it by a lawyer to check for loopholes. If I set my paranoia aside though, these would be my wishes. An income that would support me for the rest of my life and allow me to buy a private Villa on a tropical island. Complete with staff, of course. I’d wish for a pill with no side effects that would make me lose weight quickly and easily. I’d ask for just one more hour with my little brother, Corey.  I never got to say goodbye or tell him that I loved him before he died. My greatest regret is that I never said the things I should have, because I thought we had all the time in the world.

As the future CEO of Forrester Industries, Lucas Forrester has the kind of life most men only dream of. He’s travelled the world, brokering deals and sealing contracts that have benefited the company while making a name for himself as a cold, calculating negotiator.
At work, Luke lives behind his corporate persona, but when a chance encounter with a beautiful and caring stranger brings out his true nature, he finds himself reluctant to go back into hiding.
Veronica Hood’s life will never be mistaken for a fairytale, but she’s proud of what she’s accomplished so far. After years of planning, she’s finally got her own coffee shop, with enough money coming in to stay out of the red and pay for her grandmother’s medical bills, too. When Lucas sees her delivering food to the hungry, he appoints himself as her protector, stealing her heart and starting a whirlwind love affair straight out of a storybook.
The trouble is, Lucas isn’t the only one who has fallen for Ronnie. When her stalker finally emerges from the shadows, Luke will have to fight for his redheaded angel. In the end only one of them can possess her, but who will be the victor...her champion or the dark-hearted wolf?
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JENIKA SNOW : When I was younger I wished for a lot of things that were totally outrageous and off the wall. And I still wish I could do them now! I’d love to be able to fly. I wouldn’t really have or need any place to go, but just to go up in the air and away from everything would be incredible. I would also love to be invisible. This is one of the big ones I had when I was younger. To be able to walk around and experience things without anyone seeing, or even judging you, brings freedom to a whole other level. I’d also like to be able to think of something I want it just “poofs” right in front of me. I’d never have to leave my house again, or at least not for the things I hate doing…grocery shopping!
Drevin South, the last unattached original Grizzly MC member, knows that at this stage in the game he’s probably missed his chance at finding love. But when Allie Harper comes into Steel Corner, his bear won’t back away, and he’s not about to fight the bastard on this.
Allie is starting over, staying healthy and hoping to start a life in the small Colorado town of Steel Corner. When she meets grizzly bear shifter Drevin something inside of her awakens. He frightens but arouses her, making her want things she’s never thought she’d be lucky enough to have. But her past is tainted, and she doesn’t know if anyone could love her if he knew the truth.
Can Drevin accept Allie’s dark past enough to make her his old lady? Can he show her that she’s all he wants, and that he’ll do anything to make her his?

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SAM CRESCENT : Well, I’ve been asked to go as extravagant as I want and I’m going to do that. If I could have three wishes, what would they be? Here are the three that have come to mind right now. A fully paid trip around the whole of America and Canada. I would love to go and visit all of the authors I adore, and to get to know my readers. To be able to eat what I want without putting on a single pound. I love food, cooking and baking, but it doesn’t love my hips. To be a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, that would be a dream LOL. You did say we could all dream. Happy Birthday, Laurie.

An eye for an eye.
Alex doesn’t have a clean past. His is filled with betrayal, anger, hurt, and loss. All he had to do was protect a young woman, Preston’s sister. Instead she ends up dead, and Alex hides the evidence, keeping silent about it for ten years. A tooth for a tooth.
Alex’s mistakes have caught up with him. He may be part of The Skulls, but he knows better than most that the MC wants him gone. Everything he’s sacrificed means nothing in the face of one man intent on hurting him by hurting the people he cares about, including his newfound love, Sunshine.
A life for a life.
Sunshine, Michael, Tabitha, Tiny, The Skulls—who will survive, and who will die? Will Alex have to face this alone? Or will The Skulls pull through for the man who has always been in the background of their lives? The countdown is on.
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ROSANNA LEO : Thank you, Laurie, for allowing me to play here once again and happy birthday! 3 wishes, huh? Well, I'm a greedy girl and I could do a lot of damage with 3 wishes, but let's see if I can contain myself. Wish 1 - I would like English actor Richard Armitage to take on new role and become my personal manservant. It wouldn't be a tough job - no heavy lifting involved - but it would require him to rub my back a lot and bring me snacks. Oh, and sex. A lot of it. So perhaps, in retrospect, he might have to do a bit of heavy lifting. Wish 2 - Putting aside dreams of Mr. Armitage for a moment, I wish my two teen sons would somehow remember that their mother is the light of their lives. They would be required to tell me, at least twice daily, that they love me and think I'm so much cooler than other moms. And I want my hugs back. Since they became young men, they seem to have decided hugging Mom is no longer an option. Wish 3 - Again, forgetting Mr. Armitage, I suppose I should make a wish that includes my long-suffering husband. I would love for us to be able to retire early and travel to all the places we've dreamed of seeing. There. 3 wishes. I think they're all doable, don't you? Now get over here, Richard Armitage, and rub my feet.
Failed actress Winn Busby is at the end of her rope. With no money and no prospects, she accepts the one job she never thought she’d see on her résumé. Professional bridesmaid. It should be easy. If only the idea of weddings and vows didn't give Winn a case of the hives. Her role becomes more challenging when she's told a reporter will shadow her work for a men's magazine article.
Working for Player Magazine is Patrick Lincoln's worst nightmare. A former political journalist, he used to write thoughtful columns for one of Toronto's most respected papers. That is, until he was blackballed for allegedly sleeping with the boss's wife. Overnight, Patrick becomes the city's most reviled bad boy. And now he's forced to write a seedy expose on, of all things, a bridesmaid.
Patrick begrudgingly accompanies Winn to a series of strange weddings. As they are forced to work together, he learns there is more to the stand-in bridesmaid than puffy dresses and pretty speeches. She, in turn, begins to question whether or not Patrick actually deserves the derision of his peers. As much as they fight their attraction, it begins to threaten their work and their sanity.
For so long, Winn has felt second-best. A stand-in. She finally meets a man who believes in her value. But can she let go of the past and accept him?
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WILLOW BROOKE : Thank you to Laurie Roma for having me! I actually felt myself slip back to a kid thinking of outrageous wishes of horses and giant candy factories with a swimming pool full of gumballs.  Those are silly, of course. I’d rather wish for an endless shopping spree for shoes and clothes and all things books! And, since my closet is small and there isn’t much room for all of the ancient artifacts and treasure chests in my house, the next wish would be for a huge lodge style home on more acreage than one could walk in a month.  It’d have to have horses and cows, and a waterfall that pooled into a naturally hot steamy lake for swimming under the stars.  I’d need a library for all of my books, which would need me to wish up more hot steamy books by all of the other fabulous authors here! I could go on and on, wishing my little sexy genie to grant, but if he was hot, maybe there wouldn’t be much ‘wishing’ needed… ;)

In book two of Southern Bred:  My name is Brandon West. I was born in this small town and have lived here my entire life.  Some people leave, some come back, but I never wanted any part of that.  This is my home and I’m proud of it.
Growing up in these parts, either you’re kin to half of the town and dated the other half at one point or another, or you are a passer-by—meaning you won’t be here long.  
With that outlook, imagine my surprise the day a little she-devil in stilettos and designer clothes drove up our dusty road—you guessed it—everything changed.
Facing lush lips, full hips, long legs, and eyes that can see straight through to your soul are hard to ignore, so what started as a plan for a few nights of fun, soon got a little more complicated than I anticipated.
When left with no choice, what do I do?  Well, what else is there, besides tying her little fine ass up and teaching her a lesson, country style. 
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OLIVIA BLACK : If I was granted three outrageous wishes what would they be? This is a hard question. It actually took me a while to think about what I would really want. I needed to think outside the box. Like most people, I usually wish for regular everyday things – good health, enough money to pay my bills, and maybe even one day fame and fortune. Pushing all those regular thoughts away, I decided to dream BIG. My first wish is to take my daughter on an extravagant vacation. A year on a cruise ship traveling around the world. We love watching the Travel channel together and I think it would be amazing to see it all in person versus while we’re sitting on the couch. My second wish, having one of my books made into a movie. And for my third wish, I decided to ask my daughter what she would want. She wants us to have different homes around the world.  
You have to be the best to go to war with the worst. That’s the motto the agents of the Federal Paranormal Agency live by. They train hard to hunt down those that go rogue, enforcing the laws set down through the ages. They deliver justice to those that break the laws and save the innocent. They are the enforcers of the paranormal world.
Braig Rabgix is an ancient vampire and an agent for the Federal Paranormal Agency. While following a rogue wolf shifter that deals in human sex trafficking, Braig finds his True Match among the victims. He takes the scared human home and tends to his wounds, gently wooing the man meant to be his.
Beaten and held in a cage, Daniel Bombelles has lost touch with who he really is. The world flashes by him in shades of pain. When he’s saved by a stranger with hypnotic brown eyes, something inside Daniel says that he can trust the handsome vampire.
The danger isn’t over. The rogue wolf that tortured Daniel is on the loose in New York City and its Braig’s job to track him down. But there’s a difference between justice and revenge, and Braig is willing to cross the line.
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KALI ARGENT:  Happy Birthday, Laurie! Oh, three extravagant wishes! I’m not overly concerned with material possessions, but I admit that I’ve always wanted to live in a castle. Not a large castle, but definitely one with turrets and maybe even a clock tower. My second wish is easy. I want to eat all the chocolate and cookies I want and never gain a pound or feel any discomfort. Moderation is so overrated. For my third and final wish, I’m not really sure what I’d ask for, to be honest. Maybe a superpower. Not telepathy, because that sounds exhausting. Ooh, I think I’d like something magical, like the ability to wave my hand, and ta-da! My house is clean! With three boys at home, that would definitely come in handy.  

Deep within the fortress of Pandora, Lieutenant Vane Schiva has spent millennium guarding precious artifacts and ancient secrets from around the universe. As the son of a decorated commander, he has always been a soldier first, putting the needs of his people before his own desires. So when the compound is breached and he’s sent across the galaxies to track down the thief, he never imagined the assignment would lead him to the only thing he’s ever wanted for himself.
Growing up in New Orleans, Charlotte Rousseau has seen her share of the strange and unexplainable, but everything she thought she knew about the world is about to be tested. What started as any other day, quickly spirals into a nightmarish reality, leaving her no choice but to place her trust—and her life—in a stranger’s hands. Safety comes at a price, though, and Charlotte soon realizes her only chance at survival means leaving behind her fears and following Vane into the fire.
Faced with the threat of war, new alliances are formed and old loyalties are tested in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. While emotions run high and sexual tensions simmer, Vane still guards a dangerous secret, one that could cost him everything in the end. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect Charlotte, though, even if that means turning his back on his own people.
War is easy. Love takes courage.
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Check out Kali's March Friday Faves! 

~ Seduction at Midnight Anthology and The Midnight Gala! ~

Today is the release day of Seduction at Midnight - an all-new Anthology of modern-day, fairy tale romances! 
I want to thank my friends and fellow authors Lacey Thorn, Jenika Snow, Susan Hayes, Catalina Harper, Kali Argent and Erika Reed for joining me for this special project. I am so proud to have worked with these amazing authors on this Anthology, and hope that everyone enjoys the stories we have written for you.
As most of you know, my mother is going through chemo right now, and will be having stem cell transplant surgery later this month, so this charity project is very near and dear to my heart. Please help up us spread the word on this project, because ALL proceeds of the Limited Edition Box Set will be going to the Make a Wish Foundation.
On Sale for .99¢ only from March 9 - 30th!
     
Beautiful Dreamer by Lacey Thorn - Chase wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the attack that left her best friend dead, and her lost in a deep slumber. Will Detective Phillip Wade be able to keep her safe, or will the secrets he's keeping tear them apart?
Cinder’s Rising by Jenika Snow - Cinder is the light to Ryder's darkness, and he must show her she's worth so much more than she gives herself credit for. It's up to him to show her that she's his world now.
Rescuing Red by Susan Hayes - When an act of kindness sparks a moment of chivalry, two lives are changed forever. Veronica and Lucas have a chance at a storybook ending, but first, they'll have to face the monster who wants Veronica for himself.
Wonderland by Catalina Harper - Alison has wanted eccentric club owner, Chris Jensen, since the day she started working at Wonderland. Nothing about a relationship with Chris will be easy, but Alison is determined to make the ex-Marine see her as more than just one of the guys.
Stardust by Kali Argent - What could a self-professed workaholic and a laid-back toy store owner possibly have in common? Nothing, as far as Starla Winters is concerned, but when roguishly handsome Turner McCord sets his sights on her, she’ll soon understand why sometimes, opposites do attract.
Goldie by Erika Reed - After being tricked into a weekend alone with her handsome boss, Goldie Locke is looking forward to getting to know Travis Baer outside of the office. Could this be the beginning to the fairy tale ending Goldie has always wanted?
Beauty by Laurie Roma - Tessa Campbell has to face the man everyone calls The Beast in order to protect her father. Can she find a way to see beyond Drake Vidal's savage veneer to the good hidden beneath, or will she think he isn't worth taming?





My contribution for the box-set is BEAUTY, which is inspired by the classic tale Beauty and the Beast...enjoy the short excerpt!




Tessa sighed. “Drake isn’t what everyone thinks. Once you get to know him...well, I wouldn’t call him sweet, but he’s smart and caring and thoughtful—”
“And sexy as hell,” Jamie added. “So...I have to ask, why haven’t you had sex with him yet?”
“Jamie!”
“What? I think it’s a fair question.”
“It’s not like that. We’re working together, you know that.”
Jamie rolled her eyes. “Working, right. Honestly, you’ve been spending so much time together it’s like you guys are practically attached at the hip. When you’re not with him, you talk about him constantly. Obviously, there is more to this than you’re admitting.”
“It can’t happen. Let’s just leave it at that.” Appetite gone, Tessa put the bag of candy back in her desk drawer.
“Oh, my God! You’ve gone and done it, haven’t you? You’re in love with him.”
Panic surged through Tessa. She looked up and shook her head vigorously. “What? That’s crazy! I’ve only known him a few months. Less than that, actually.”
“That doesn’t matter.” Jamie said with wide eyes. “I can see it all over your face.”
“I...Oh, God, Jamie. I am,” Tessa said with a moan. “I think I’m in love with Drake.”
“That’s great!”
“No it’s not! It’s horrible. I’ve fallen for one of the most unavailable men in Chicago. There is nothing great about that!”
“Come on, Tessa. It can’t be that bad. He obviously likes spending time with you.”
“But that doesn’t mean he wants a real relationship with me. Jesus, he dates supermodels, Jamie. I’m just...me.”
“Hey, now. You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman. Don’t sell yourself short, Tessa.”
“What am I going to do, Jamie? He’s going to break my heart. I just know it.” Tessa sighed again. “I just have to make it to the ball, then everything can go back to normal.”
Jamie looked thoughtful for a moment before she said, “You know...maybe you just need to get him out of your system. You know, just do it...or him to be more exact. Don’t you want to know what sex with him would be like?”
“Of course I do! What sane woman wouldn’t want to sleep with Drake? But he doesn’t want me—”
The sound of a throat clearing from the doorway had Tessa stiffening in her chair. Jamie’s expression of shocked horror told her all she needed to know. “Oh, God, oh, God. He’s standing there, isn’t he?” At Jamie’s silent nod, Tessa slowly lowered her head to her desk with a low moan of distress. “Just kill me now.”
There was the whisper of movement, then Jamie said, “I’m just going to...go.”
A few minutes passed, but it seemed like an eternity. The silence was unbearable. He made no sound, but she felt Drake’s presence looming over her. Like the angel of doom, she thought sullenly. Tessa raised her head and slowly looked up at Drake, who was indeed standing right in front of her desk. His strong, handsome face was a mask of impassivity, but his eyes—holy God, those bright blue eyes—were blazing with heat.
“Drake, I...”
“Come with me.”
NOW AVAILABLE!
     
And...


Another bit of exciting news is the announcement of The Midnight Gala! What simply started out as part of the plot in the Anthology stories has now become a reality! Come join me, Kali Argent, Lacey Thorn, Jenika Snow, Susan Hayes, Catalina Harper and Erika Reed in New Orleans the weekend of Oct 9-11th for the Midnight Gala Masquerade Ball and other events. 
This will be my first author event, and I'm so excited about it. For registration and info on the event, please visit The Midnight Gala Website!

We hope to see you there, and remember to share the links and info about the Anthology and help us raise money for charity. Happy Reading!