L.V. Lewis's Blog, page 22

New Release ~ Odin’s Murder by Angel Lawson and Kira A. Gold

Title:   Odin’s Murder

Author(s):  Angel Lawson and Kira A. Gold

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance

Publication Date:  September 10, 2013

Purchase Link:  Amazon

Cover Designed By:  AngstyG

My Review of Odin’s Murder

Ethan Tyrell knows how to work the system because that’s where he’s languished most of his life. Without a loving family to keep him on the straight-and-narrow, he harbors bitter anger, and might have fallen through the cracks were it not for a caring social worker who recognized his talent and pulled some strings to get him into a refined honors program at a local college. Each student has been selected based on a unique skillset they bring to the table. Or are they?

Getting into scrapes don’t bother Ethan, but it might ruin his chances of of staying out of prison. However, trouble seems to follow him, and she’s a smart, leggy brunette named Memory Erickssen who has the goods and knows just how to flaunt them to her advantage. She also happens to be Ethan’s roommate’s twin sister, and somehow they all get thrown together for a group project by a quirky professor who seems hell-bent on amplifying Ethan’s suffering among the nerds.

Early on, Ethan doubts his ability to keep up with these academically gifted students, questioning why he was thrown together with the likes of the brilliant twins, and Faye, the daughter of an expert linguist who has come into her own as an expert in ancient languages and mythology.  Ethan’s photography, however, is not shabby, so he has a gift to share with the team. When Memory’s roommate, Sonja, from the previous year is a no-show, the project group begins down by one, which irritates Julian, Memory’s twin, to no end. Julian is competitive and wants to win the competition since he came so close to doing so the year before. The team struggles to impress the professor academically while solving the mystery of first Sonja’s disappearance, and then the methodical dropping of other team members like flies–or dead crows.

This New Adult paranormal romance is one of the most intelligent I’ve read since the advent of this new genre. Lawson and Gold spin a savvy tale which delves into a little-used mythology that makes it a fresh read. The characters are as mature as a group of soon-to-be college matriculaters can be, and very well-rounded. None are left without a purpose or used inappropriately in the story. Both the main plot and the sub-plots are very-well written and fleshed out to their potential. The romance that blossoms between the characters happens naturally, and isn’t forced or thrust immediately upon the reader. The primary story threads effortlessly through Ethan and Memory’s love-hate relationship that finally culminates in a connection that isn’t contrived or insta-love as a lot of YA/NA stories tend to be today.

The authors have an unparalleled skill for writing wonderful prose and one-liners that keep the reader interested in what these characters do and say. Even if there wasn’t a couple of burgeoning romances interwoven into the story, the solving of the mystery alone would keep a reader on their toes.

As the students uncover layer after layer of the mythology surrounding their research subject, they discover clues that bring them closer to figuring out where their members are going. But will they be too late?

I give Odin’s Murder 5 out of 5 stars!

Meet The Authors

Angel Lawson lives with her family in Atlanta and has a lifelong obsession with creating fiction from reality, either with paint or words. On a typical day you can find her writing, reading, plotting her escape from the zombie apocalypse and trying to get the glitter out from under her nails.

She is the author of five books, including the Wraith Series, Serial Summer, FanGirl, and Vigilant. She is the co-author of the New Adult Paranormal book, Odin’s Murder with Kira Gold. She has one other New Adult title, No Regrets, under the pen name Lila Atkinson.

Kira A. Gold is a costume designer and textile artist who writes strange fiction when not holding fabric or a Shakespeare script. She lives in Kentucky with her very patient husband and too many cats. Look for her debut solo NA novel coming out this spring. She occasionally blogs at www.kiraagold.wordpress.com

Hydraulic Level Five by Sarah Latchaw – Blog Tour

Title:   Hydraulic Level Five

Author:  Sarah Latchaw

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date:  September 3, 2013

Publisher:  Omnific Publishing

Cover Designed By:  Amy Brokaw / Micha Stone

Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

 

Synopsis

How does a woman get over her one great love? With whitewater rafting, bluegrass, and a touch of revenge…

Kaye is an extreme sports addict with a kind heart and an axe to grind with her childhood sweetheart and ex-husband, renowned writer Samuel Caulfield Cabral. While Samuel enjoys a celebrity life in New York, Kaye remains in their hometown of Lyons, Colorado, running her PR agency and chatting daily with Samuel’s family, the beloved Cabrals—first-generation Mexican-Americans who have embraced Kaye as their own.

But when Samuel returns for his sister’s wedding with his new love interest, stunning editor Caroline Ortega , the gloves are stripped off. Kaye is determined to unearth the reasons behind the death of their marriage and why two people who lived to love each other were driven apart.

She discovers startling revelations about Samuel, about life…and about herself.

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18331335-hydraulic-level-five

About the Author

Sarah Latchaw was raised in eastern Iowa and appreciates beauty in mud-splattered gravel roads, weathered farm faces, and combine harvesters powering through cornfields. She also loves to explore the world, thanks to countless family minivan trips across the States to coastal cities and national monuments. This passion for finding stories led to college adventures to Israel and Palestine, Jordan, Slovakia, Germany, and other European countries. Each place’s story rests in the back of her mind and in her childhood photo albums.

In 2002, Sarah received her BA from Wartburg College in public relations and media, and entered the workforce, ready to climb the ladder. However, when researching MBA applications evoked feelings of dread, she realized a corporate marketing career wasn’t for her. With the unfailing support of her loving husband, she chose to pursue a career in freelance and creative writing, and received her MA from Iowa State University in 2009.

These days, Sarah wakes every morning thrilled to cuddle her small children, show them the world, then capture that world and shape it into stories on paper. She also enjoys her piano, volunteering in her community, and reading anything with a cohesive plot. She and her family reside in Des Moines, Iowa.

Social Media Links

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Tour-Wide Giveaway  (US Residents ONLY)

$25 Omnific gift card, Five (5) signed, paperback copies of Hydraulic Level Five, Ten (10) eco-friendly Duck Duck Farms totes containing signed books, music, and other Colorado-centric items.

Click The Graphic Below To Enter Rafflecopter Giveaway:

MY REVIEW OF HYDRAULIC LEVEL FIVE

The names of the hero and heroine in this book are just about as unique as they can get: Aspen Kaye Trilby and Samuel Caulfield Cabral. These lent a true aura of romance to the story, despite their divorce and seven-year estrangement.

Kaye has used extreme sports as her counseling to get over her ex, while he has hit the big time as an author who enjoys success the likes of which one can only compare to J.K. Rowling or George R.R. Martin. Kaye is a Gringa who has been accepted into Sam’s first-generation Mexican American family in their hometown of Lyons, Colorado, while Sam lives the high life in New York City, dating actresses, models and finally his editor, Caroline Ortega.

When Kaye learns that Samuel is returning for his sister, and her best friend, Danita’s wedding with the gorgeous Caroline on his arm, Kaye is spurred to use this opportunity to figure out once and for all why her marriage failed. There was so much they shared in their youth, yet some very pertinent history was glossed over, or not explained at all and taken completely off the table. Samuel doesn’t share his demons and Kaye doesn’t fight to make him reveal what ultimately destroyed their relationship.

Through a series of flashbacks, most of which are metaphorical in nature and appear in Samuel’s book series, and armed with the assistance of her divorce lawyer, we discover right along with Kaye what really happened. Against the backdrop of Danita and Angel’s wedding, Kaye and Sam find the courage to open up old wounds.

Will the eleventh hour revelations be enough to begin the process of knitting them back together, or will the secrets and betrayals be too severe to revive, at the very least, their friendship? Find out by reading for yourself the startlingly well-written and wonderful Hydraulic Level Five.

Latchaw’s story is not one you can read like it’s fluff or gratuitous entertainment; in fact it reads like literary fiction rather than a romance. The reader really has to dig in and pay attention to the excerpts of Samuel’s books as well as the flashbacks from when Kaye and Sam were younger to piece together just what occurred. There is also a large and lively cast of characters to keep track of. So, my advice would be to read this when you want to sink your teeth into a substantive story.

I give HL5 4 out of 5 stars.

Sneak Peek Sunday – To Be Loved by Andrea Goodson #A2A #NA

To Be Loved by Andrea Goodson

Sneak Peek

I only talked with him for a few moments. I was tired of the same rhetoric, the same circles of conversation that never led anywhere. My father loved me, I knew he did, but our relationship had always been a consistent cycle of love and irritation. One minute I would be his favorite person on the planet and the next, he acted as if he couldn’t wait to get away from me. The second I did or said something that he didn’t agree with, that was it, he was done talking.

Mom wasn’t that different, she was much the same as my Dad, just in a different way. I quickly learned while living with her that, rather than becoming upset if she disagreed with me, she would simply act as if I hadn’t said anything at all. Where my father would fight with me, she would fake ignorance.

As I laid in my bed thinking about the strange relationships I had with both of my parents, the phone rang again. I glanced over at the sleek black handset, wondering if I should even bother answering. I knew it would be my father again. I took a deep breath, exhaled, and gave in to the loud ringing.

“What now?” I answered, sure that it was my father calling again to tell me how bad I screwed up. Surely, one time wouldn’t be enough for him.

“Ok then, Beautiful. I’ll just call you later!”

It was Graysen.

My frown quickly changed to a smile. I loved it when he called me that. Beautiful.

“Wait!” I replied. “I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

“Who? Your other boyfriend?”

“No!”

Wait, had he just said boyfriend?

I thought for a few moments, silent on my end of the phone.

“You there?” he asked.

I carefully worded my response.

“Well, yeah I’m here. I mean, I would have to have one boyfriend to be able to have a second one, right?”

I leaned forward on my bed, resting my chin upon my hand as the seconds of silence slowly passed. I wondered why he hadn’t answered me yet? My ears filled with the deafening silence on the other end of the line. I bit my lip, impatiently awaiting his response. After a few more moments I was ready to ask if he was still there, perhaps we had lost connection or he had just hung up because I had put him on the spot with an uncomfortable question. But then, Graysen said something so simple and so silly that I couldn’t have possibly imagined at that point in time how much those few words would change my life. It was a point where everything was about to change for me. In hindsight, I wish I would have realized just how seriously that change would impact my life.

“Well, who am I, your cousin?”

A huge smile spread across my face. I held my hand against my mouth as the joy inside bubbled out of me. Despite all of my flaws and all of my past mistakes, this boy on the other end of the phone line wanted me. He wanted to be with me. He liked the new Avery Brooks, just as much as my past friends in Chicago liked the old Avery Brooks. He liked me for who I was becoming. Not a girl who went out all the time, not a girl who liked party and get high every chance she got. But a girl who would be dependable for him, a girl that he could count on to remain true and loyal. I wanted to be that girl, I could be that girl. Because as long as I was that girl then Graysen Bennett was my boyfriend.

“Hello?” he asked, obviously now worried that I was the one who wasn’t there.

I quickly tried to stifle the gitty girl that was coming out and replied.

“Ok.”

“Ok?” he asked.

“Yeah, ok.” I smiled and I felt sure he could feel the happiness I exuded coming through the phone.

“Well, good. Now that we have that little detail taken care of, who did you think it was when I called?”

“Oh, that. Just my Dad. We had been talking earlier and arguing. I thought you were him calling me back again.”

“Oh.” He answered. “Well, that couldn’t be me.”

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Because I could never argue with you?”

I laughed.

“Never?”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re too perfect.”

Perfect. He thought I was perfect. I was thankful that he couldn’t see me blushing.

“Perfect?”

“Yeah, you’re pretty. Like, really pretty. You’re fun and so smart. You’re different than the other girls around here. You act how a girl should act.”

“What do you mean how a girl should act?”

“I don’t know. I guess I mean, you don’t go showing off for attention. You’re just you and you don’t care what anyone thinks. Like at Sam’s party the other night, you didn’t let Sam intimidate you. You stuck to your guns and didn’t get all messed up like the other girls. I like that. I like a good girl.”

A good girl? I realized I had been right. A good girl is exactly what Graysen wanted. I thought for a few moments about telling him of my life in Chicago, I really did. I thought about telling him that I wasn’t some innocent princess, that I had already done my fair share of bad deeds, skipping school, drinking, and pot smoking. But why would that matter? He liked what he saw now, and it wasn’t fake. I wanted to be good. I wanted to be out of the whole party scene and how lucky was I that I met a gorgeous guy that liked a girl like that? I wanted Graysen. I wasn’t going to say a word to him that might change what he thought of me, the new me. The only question that lingered was why I had changed so rapidly. At that moment in time, I couldn’t even understand myself what it was that had made me want to change, so how could I explain it to him?

Character Depiction



Meet 17 year old Avery Brooks. New to the small town of Elkins, West Virginia and confident that her last 2 years of high school will fly by without a hitch. Fighting past troubles from her hometown of Chicago, Avery is looking for smooth sailing from here on out. Everything seems to be going exactly as planned until Graysen Bennett, the only boy who has caught her eye, suddenly notices her. Captivated by his attention, soon Avery’s plans begin to fall apart. But what else does she really need than to be loved?

To Be Loved is scheduled for release in November 2013!

For more information and to learn about Andrea’s other books, you can follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/andreagoodsonbooks , Twitter www.twitter.com/bethelightwrite , and her website at www.andreagoodson.wordpress.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Et tu, Brute? Or Exit Strategy and Mailing Lists ~ #ASMSG #50SoJF #Erotica #Romance

Friends, Readers, and Lovers of Keisha Beale and Tristan White! Hear me for my cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me for mine honor that there will be a Book 2 of the Ghetto Girl Romance Quadrilogy!

Albeit late as hell, the book is coming. Well, you know Brutus’s speech didn’t take this trajectory when he presented it in Act 3, Scene 2 of Julius Caesar after taking part in Caesar’s murder (I was that geek who totally paid attention in high school Literature). Also, contrary to popular opinion, I’m not trying to kill you all by making you wait so long. In the words of the famous anonymous person who said it the first time: Life happens! And it happened to me in an abundance–which gives new meaning to the phenomenon called Murphy’s Law.

In preparation for the momentous occasion of the release of the second book in the tetralogy, I am doing what many veteran authors have advised me to do, and I just haven’t gotten around to it. I am making an attempt to build a mailing list, because you know and I know, you all don’t come to my blog everyday (not even I do that–unless I’m writing a new blog entry). Also, you don’t stalk me on Facebook, or Twitter, so when Exit Strategy debuts, you might not hear for days. I don’t want you to be that person who doesn’t hear about the new release of the book until weeks later, so it would behoove you, if you want to get a notification the minute the book drops, to join my mailing list.

I know, I know–you think I’m going to spam you with a crapload of unimportant things that you’d just as soon not be privy to. Well, I’m here to tell you, that won’t be the case. In fact, I promise, I won’t even use the mailing list unless I have a release, or some other really pertinent stuff you want to hear, like what the next two book covers will look like, or a guesstimate as to when the next two books (and mine or my alter ego’s future books) will be published. These are the tidbits of information that “try men’s souls,” so I promise, that is the only time you will hear from me if you join my mailing list.

Now, I have Mail Chimp, but I haven’t figure out how to use it yet, but you can bet, once I do, I’ll be incorporating that into sending my infrequent missives to you. So, be one of the avante garde readers of L.V. Lewis’s brand of kink and join my mailing list so you can get up-to-the-minute, real-time information on the release of Exit Strategy. If you are still exited to read the completion of Keisha and Tristan’s story, you will be glad you did this. Trust me.

So, ladies (and brave gentlemen), please sign up for my newsletter here:

L.V. Lewis’s Newsletter Sign-up!

(Maybe I’ll figure out how to put the widget on my website/blog soon.)

Lessons Learned by Sydney Logan – One Year Anniversary Giveaway

September 6 marks the one year anniversary of the release of Sydney Logan’s debut novel, Lessons Learned. To celebrate, Sydney is offering a fantastic giveaway! The Blurb: A young girl needs to spread her wings, but a young woman needs roots.



English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past. She discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. As the newest faculty members at Sycamore High School, they quickly become friends – bonding through Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance.Their love is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas – along with the town of Sycamore Falls – are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love.



Praise for Lessons Learned
“I haven’t read a book in a long time that I can compare to my favorite author Nicholas Sparks. THIS book is that book.” - Becky, Book Blogger

To thank her readers for an amazing year, Sydney is celebrating with a giveaway! You can win a signed copy of Lessons Learned and a $25 Amazon or iTunes gift card! The Rafflecopter is below. 

Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, iTunes, or Blogger. We hereby release all names listed of any liability. Winner(s) will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. Let me know if you have any questions or issues by contacting me: @SydneyALogan. – Good Luck!

Traci L. Slatton Blog Tour – I’ve Fallen for “Fallen”

I’ve Fallen for “Fallen”

Let me just throw this out there: I love dystopian books.

A few other things you might want to know about me is 1) I love science fiction, 2) I love the conflict of man against nature gone wrong, and 3) I love a hearty romance thrown in there for good measure. Fallen had all of these ingredients, and more.

In Fallen, author Traci L. Slatton has built a world where noxious mists have killed off a goodly number of the earth’s inhabitants, dissolved much of its commerce, and crippled civilization to the point where humans are forced to live as they had before the industrial revolution. Horses are again the mode of transportation, and those who’ve survived have had to learn to scavenge abandoned communities for food, or to live off the land again.

A New Yorker stranded in Paris, Emma, the book’s heroine has by default become the caregiver of seven other children besides her own child, Mandy. Through ingenuity and a bit of luck, they have learned to avoid the mists for a little over a year together in the Parisian countryside. The story opens with Emma believing that Mandy is about to breathe in and be consumed by the mist. As this harrowing situation plays out, a miraculous thing happens–a band of men on horseback ride up and drive the mist away.

Since the proliferation of the mists, human beings have acquired abilities they didn’t have before. For example, Emma has healing properties in her hands, her daughter Mandy sees shadows of people who’ve been in places before, and her charge Newt is psychic and sees the future. Armed with knowledge from Newt that these men are good and not a group of marauders that rape women and kill children like some, Emma decides to proposition their leader, Arthur for food and shelter for her and the children.

Arthur agrees on the condition that she doesn’t expect commitment and doesn’t nag him. The story unfolds as Emma and her children assimilate into the camp community these men have created. Heretofore, the men kept to themselves out of fear that the mists might make them do unspeakable things to women and children. However, over time Arthur and his men grow to appreciate having a woman and children around, and learn to live fairly well in this post-apocalyptic society.

The conflict in the story is caused by nature, by desperate people, by family thought to be dead still alive, and by old grudges borne by another charismatic leader who wants Arthur to suffer as much as he has. As the daily lives of the people in Arthur’s camp unfold, we get to see a relationship grow between Emma and the camp leader that neither of them expected. Word spreads that a woman who can heal is among the people of Arthur’s camp and this gift unwittingly makes Emma a target.

Will Emma be able to avoid being taken by other camps who covet her service? Or will she be lost to Arthur for an entirely different reason?

Full of action, adventure and a very intelligent read, I absolutely loved this story. There were only one or two things I could nitpick about it. The first being: although this is a dystopian trilogy, it is billed as a romance. The love that grows between Emma and Arthur is epic in nature and that should have been shown more. Most of their intimate moments were of the “fade to black” variety. As this is an adult dystopian book, I certainly could’ve handled a few more of their sexy times together. The emotion underlying could certainly have been shown more, as well.

The second was the handling of Mandy as Emma’s child by a husband she’s certain is still alive, yet there was no treatment of exactly how Emma explained her behavior with Arthur to this child. As time went on, she didn’t try to hide the fact that she slept in the tent with Arthur, nor did they hide their PDA from the children. It just would have been nice for that bit of conflict to be handled in some way and not ignored.

Fallen ends in a place where you know there will be a sequel, and this was fine by me, because I wasn’t ready to let go of this world Traci L. Slatton had created so beautifully.

I give Fallen 4.5 out of 5 Stars!

*vMv*

ABOUT TRACI L. SLATTON:

Traci L. Slatton is a graduate of Yale and Columbia, where she taught freshman composition.

She lives in Manhattan, though her love for Renaissance Italy inspired her historical novel Immortal [Bantam Dell], which is currently in film pre-production and reached bestseller status in Italy, Russia and Brazil. Also the author of The Botticelli Affair and the After trilogy (Fallen, Cold Light and Far Shore [forthcoming late spring 2013]), Slatton has published The Art of Life, a photo essay about figurative sculpture; a book of poetry; as well as a non-fiction title on science and spirituality, Piercing Time & Space. Her forthcoming novel, The Mission, is a meaty historical saga set during World War II.

To learn more, visit, http://tracilslatton.com/ / http://parvatipress.com/

Find Traci on Twitter & Facebook

Cover Reveal – Illicit Affairs by NJ Cole, Jo Matthews and Bec Rose – #NSFW, #ASMSG, #31WriteNow

COVER REVEAL

Title: Illicit Affairs

Authors: Jo Matthews, Bec Rose, & N.J. Cole

Genre: Erotica

Expected Release Date: 9.13.2013

Being release through Malfunction Erotica. Cover reveal was organized by Malfunction Erotica. 

Illicit Affairs

Illicit Affairs is a compilation of three erotic tales with women giving into their darkest desires and pursuing the forbidden.

Unexpected Journey by Jo Matthews

Sarah thought she met her soul mate in Mitch Chandler. High school sweethearts, they married right after graduation. Eight years later, he is a stranger to her and their marriage is on the rocks. In a halfhearted attempt to placate her, Mitch suggests a trip to Hawaii, but schedules a business meeting to write off the expense.

Aaron Johnson, Mitch’s friend and business partner, agrees to help with the presentation and plans are made for all three to go. What happens when Mitch backs out at the last

minute to spend a romantic weekend with his secretary, forcing Aaron’s hand so that he has to accompany Sarah alone?

Will an innocent friendship turn into something more as Aaron’s attraction for Sarah grows? How will Sarah manage when she realizes that Aaron is awakening feelings in her that she’s never felt before? The sexual tension burns hot as these two embark on an unexpected journey that neither are prepared for.

 

Excerpt – Unexpected Journey:

“I want you, Sarah. I want to feel your pussy wrapped around my cock while I fuck you. Are you ready for that…for me?” As he was talking, he was tearing a condom open and sliding it over his erection.

“Yes,” I whimpered as I clenched my legs together to gain some much needed friction.

My one word answer seemed to be enough of a response because he moved between my legs and pushed them farther apart. “God, you’re perfect,” he complimented as his eyes drank in my naked pussy. “Every part of you is beautiful.”

He licked his lips and I couldn’t help but moan. Remembering exactly what his tongue could do, I tried to squeeze my legs together. He wasn’t having any of that, though, because he pinned them in place. “Please, Aaron, fuck me already. I need to feel you,” I begged. Was it shameless? Maybe. Did I care in that moment? Hell no. The only thing I cared about was having him inside me.

“Mmm, such a dirty mouth, Baby. I’ll make sure to put that to good use later,” he teased as he moved to hover over me. “But for now, this pussy is what I’m interested in.” His words got me even wetter, and the anticipation of feeling him inside me had me at my boiling point.

Luckily, the wait was over and he lined himself up with my entrance. Looking directly in my eyes, he slowly slid his length inside me, giving me time to adjust. When our hips met and I thought he was in as far as he could go, he thrust just a little harder. “Oh, God…so fucking full…fuck!”

He started to move within me, and with each thrust it felt like he went deeper. The feeling was heavenly, and I couldn’t imagine it getting any better. I was wrong. Oh, how I was wrong. I had only ever had sex lying flat on my back, so when Aaron grabbed my left leg and lifted it up onto his shoulder, I was a little leary—at least until he thrust his hips forward, hitting me so deep it felt like he was in my stomach. “So fucking tight, Baby. Ungh, does that feel good?”

“Yesssss…oh, God, yes!” I panted as he continued to thrust in and out of me. “Oh fuck! Please don’t stop.”

Before I knew what was happening, my right leg was up on his other shoulder and he was leaning down. I wasn’t aware I was still so flexible, but the way my knees were touching my shoulders proved otherwise. The new position also allowed Aaron to penetrate me deeper, and within three thrusts, I was clenching around him and screaming through another orgasm.

“That’s it, Baby. Squeeze my cock. Fuck, you’re so tight. I’m not…ugh…gonna last.” His movements became erratic, and he sat up on his knees, grabbed my hips, and held me in place as he slammed into me twice more before stilling and collapsing on top of me.

I was breathing hard but feeling euphoric. Nothing could bring down my high. “That was um…good,” I giggled.

Moving off of me slightly, Aaron leaned down and kissed me hard. When he pulled back, he smirked. “Just good? I guess I’ll have to try again.”

About the Author:

Jo Matthews is an Arizona native, where she lives with her husband and son. A stay-at-home mom since 2007, she only recently discovered her love and passion for the written word. When she’s not writing, she’s usually knee deep in editing—an aspect she thoroughly enjoys.

As an editor she has propelled quite a few authors into the published world, and with her skills, has landed several stories on Amazon’s Top Sellers lists.

Hot Summer Nights by Bec Rose

Annie Murphy had the picture perfect life. A beautiful home, a wonderful son, and a husband who adored her. It was every woman’s dream until her husband of over twenty years came out of the closet, leaving her a forty-five year old divorcee struggling to regain her confidence. Needing a distraction, she agrees to allow her son’s friend, Jamie, to spend the summer at her house while working as an intern. When Jamie, the cute female intern she’d been expecting turns out to be Jaime, the hot male intern with abs to drool over, it kicks Annie’s fantasies into overdrive. When she realizes that her desires are not one sided, it’s more than the temperature that causes some hot summer nights.

Excerpt – Hot Summer Nights:

She kept her eyes on mine as she knelt down in front of me. I nearly came just at the sight of her down there, but needed to hold it together. I started thinking about some god-awful things just to keep my composure, not wanting to look like the novice.

Annie licked her lips before she took her eyes off mine and focused her attention on my swollen cock. I don’t think I had ever been that hard before in my life. When she leaned forward, she grinned to herself before licking my cock from tip to base. My body shuddered and I needed to hold on to the railing beside me to stop myself from crumbling to the floor in pleasure.

“Fuck, Annie! God, please.” I was begging for her mouth to be wrapped around my cock, and even if this was the first and last time we would be together, just the memory of her in this position would give me reason enough to jerk off for months to come.

She finally gave in at my insistence and sucked on my throbbing cock, the tip beyond ready to burst. I hissed at the feeling, my head rolling from side to side. I wanted to watch what she was doing but the pleasure she was giving me was so fucking good that I couldn’t help but close my eyes.

I had no idea how or what she was doing, but the overload of sensations just from her mouth was incredible. I had only ever been with high school or college age girls, and clearly, none of them had known what they were doing when giving head.

“Oh, fuck! Annie, you need to stop or I’m going to come.” I had to be honest; she must have felt my cock strain at the pressure, and I knew I was only moments away. Her tongue continued to swirl around the tip as she came up and then plunged back down, swallowing around me, almost taking all of me in.

I felt her nod as I told her, and when I looked down, that was my undoing. Watching her suck on my cock—on her knees in front of me while looking back up at me—was all I could handle. I came hard and pushed myself further into her mouth. She swallowed fast, easily keeping up with the streams of come I released down her throat. Then, after sucking on me once more as if to pull every last drop from my shaft, she released my cock with a pop.

When she stood up in front of me, I had to kiss her. I didn’t care that just moments before she had my cock in her mouth. That simple act had clearly driven me insane. I wanted to fuck this woman more than anything else right then, and I only hoped she felt the same.

Second Chances by NJ Cole

Calla Moretti married her college sweetheart, Bill. Married life was great at first, but as his career had her dropping out of college and moving away from her family and friends, Calla struggled with her role as a wife and homemaker. Stress due to infertility and Bill’s affairs, had the marriage on the brink of failure. When she drives home in the middle of a thunderstorm and spots first a broken down motorcycle, then the sexy rider, she decides to take a chance and offer him assistance. Realizing fate brought her together with a man who could give her the one thing her husband couldn’t—a baby—Calla decides to take a chance. One romantic night, one big lie, will it save her marriage or fill her heart with more emptiness? Will this be the answer to her prayers? In life, are there truly second chances?

 

Excerpt – Second Chances by NJ Cole:

As the euphoria began to subside, I realized I still had his head in the vice that was my thighs. I relaxed my muscles to release him, but he didn’t seem in a hurry to move. Instead, he lowered his lead slightly and licked at the arousal I could feel trickling from my body.

“God, you’re delicious,” he groaned, pulling back. “I could do that all night, but I have to have you.” Standing at the foot of the bed, he lowered his pants. I was glad he hadn’t turned off the light or I wouldn’t have been able to see the most magnificent cock in the world. It was long and thick and beautiful—if that was even possible.

I drug my eyes from it and looked up to his face to find that he wasn’t smiling. In fact, he looked upset. The color seemed to have drained from his face in the blink of an eye.  I was about to ask what was wrong when he spoke. “I um…I don’t have a condom. I just…well I didn’t know.” He raked his hand over the stubble on his face. “Do you? Of course you don’t. It’s not like someone like you would have…” His words trailed off as he ran his hand through his hair. “I can go and see if there is any place open. SHIT! I don’t even have my bike. I could borrow…”

“It’s okay,” I said softly, interrupting his little rant.

He looked at me, eyes wide. “You mean it’s okay to borrow your car? Or…” he hesitated and dropped his voice an octave,  “is it okay okay?”

Lying back, I pulled him on top of me. “I mean, it’s okay.” I knew he thought I meant I was on birth control; it was deceitful, but it was what I needed.

Settling on top of me, he slid one hand under my back as the other cupped my cheek. “You are so beautiful,” he said, gazing down at me. “I swear I could stare into your eyes all night.”

I whimpered at his words and how genuine they sounded. I’d never felt so attractive in my life. It was impossible to understand why he thought my muddy green eyes were beautiful, but I could tell that he believed what he said.

“God I want you,” he groaned through gritted teeth. “I can’t remember ever wanting anything more.”

His eyes closed as he kissed me gently. It wasn’t urgent like the others; I could tell he was taking his time. As our tongues met, he shifted his weight nudging my legs apart slightly. When he moved his hips, I felt his cock glide in long strokes over the top of my swollen pussy and rub against my clit. I rotated my hips slightly and groaned in response.

His lips left mine as he shifted back onto his knees. With the hand that was under my back, he lifted me slightly and lined me up with his cock. He didn’t reach between us—there was no fumbling at all—he just pressed forward gently, the tip of his erection separating my folds. He stared into my eyes as his throbbing member entered and stretched me.

“Fuck, you’re so small, Baby. Am I hurting you?” he whispered, his lips inches from mine.

I shook my head, unable to speak. It didn’t hurt at all; it felt wonderful. I did, however, mewl in pleasure, causing him to stop his forward movement.

Finding my voice I whimpered, “Please don’t stop. You feel so good.”

“Ungh, I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to,” he groaned, rolling his hips and inching in a bit more. I craved all of him, so I grabbed onto his ass and pulled him to me as I lifted my hips and thrust myself toward him. I yelped in pain as he entered me fully, our hips finally touching. His eyes flashed with concern at my sound, but I smiled up at him. It was painful, but it was a good pain. I’d never felt so full.

 

About the Author:

NJ Cole is a mid-western girl with a kinky side. She works by day and writes by night, all while being a mother to her wonderful boys and serving her Sir. Unlike many of today’s authors, she chooses to write in first person, allowing the readers to experience life through the eyes of the unique characters that live in her head. Her love of those characters and respect for their stories come through loud and clear in her writing. Reaching Amazon’s top 100 list in Erotica with Midnight Caller and Landslide, NJ Cole promises to entertain and excite the reader with her newest tales of love, romance, and as always, hot, steamy sex.

 

Sneak Peek Sunday with Jo Matthews, Bec Rose and NJ Cole ~ #31WriteNow #ASMSG

Sneak Peek with Jo Matthews, Bec Rose and NJ Cole’s Illicit Affairs.
After nearly a year of begging from readers, Jo Matthews, Bec Rose and NJ Cole teamed up to bring you a steamy anthology.  Illicit Affairs  is a compilation of forbidden tales. Each told in first person point of views, readers get to experience the feelings of the characters first hand. A common theme in these three tales is that of strong women who even though they may have been dealt a bad hand, have taken it upon themselves to find happiness.

SUMMARY:
Illicit Affairs is a compilation of three erotic tales with women giving into their darkest desires and pursuing the forbidden.

Unexpected Journey
Sarah thought she met her soulmate in Mitch Chandler. High school sweethearts, they married right after graduation. Eight years later, he is a stranger to her and their marriage is on the rocks. In a halfhearted attempt to placate her, Mitch suggests a trip to Hawaii, but schedules a business meeting to write off the expense.
Aaron Johnson, Mitch’s friend and business partner, agrees to help with the presentation and plans are made for all three to go. What happens when Mitch backs out at the last minute to spend a romantic weekend with his secretary, forcing Aaron’s hand so that he has to accompany Sarah alone?
Will an innocent friendship turn into something more as Aaron’s attraction for Sarah grows? How will Sarah manage when she realizes that Aaron is awakening feelings in her that she’s never felt before? The sexual tension burns hot as these two embark on an unexpected journey that neither are prepared for.

Hot Summer Nights

Annie Murphy had the picture perfect life. A beautiful home, two wonderful children, and a husband who adored her. It was every woman’s dream until her husband of over twenty years came out of the closet, leaving her a forty-five year old divorcee struggling to regain her confidence. Needing a distraction, she agrees to allow her son’s friend, Jamie, to spend the summer at her house while working as an intern. When Jamie, the cute female intern she’d been expecting turns out to be Jaime, the hot male intern with abs to drool over, it kicks Annie’s fantasies into overdrive. When she realizes that her desires are not one sided, it’s more than the temperature that causes some hot summer nights.

Second Chances

Calla Moretti married her college sweetheart, Bill. Married life was great at first, but as his career had her dropping out of college and moving away from her family and friends, Calla struggled with her role as a wife and homemaker. Stress due to infertility and Bill’s affairs, had the marriage on the brink of failure. When she drives home in the middle of a thunderstorm and spots first a broken down motorcycle, then the sexy rider, she decides to take a chance and offer him assistance. Realizing fate brought her together with a man who could give her the one thing her husband couldn’t—a baby—Calla decides to take a chance. One romantic night, one big lie, will it save her marriage or fill her heart with more emptiness? Will this be the answer to her prayers? In life, are there truly second chances?


EXCERPTS:

Unexpected Journey:

The flight to San Diego was quick, though the one to Hawaii was considerably longer. Somewhere over the Pacific, Sarah fell asleep; the day had obviously taken a toll on her emotions and exhausted her. I wasn’t really tired myself, so I grabbed a magazine from the caddy in front of me and started flipping through it. Not ten minutes later, she shifted in her sleep and leaned over, her head resting on my shoulder.
I froze in place, unsure of what to do. Part of me was screaming to wake her up or at least move her, while the other part of me—the part that tended to take over in any man when there was a sexy goddess nearby—wanted me to savor the moment. I must have warred with myself for three minutes straight until I decided it didn’t matter. There was no harm in letting Sarah sleep on my shoulder on a plane to Hawaii. No harm at all, considering her husband was the one who put us on the flight together.

Unable to resist any longer, I turned my head into her hair and breathed in her intoxicating scent. She smelled like wildflowers and sunshine, and I couldn’t help but inhale more deeply as I closed my eyes.


Hot Summer Nights:
 

It seemed like forever before he finally made his way back downstairs, and I heard him rummaging through the fridge for something before he walked into the den carrying some homemade chocolate mousse. I moved to the main sofa, sitting down next to him so we were both within reach of the dessert.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I made this before dinner. I have a bit of a sweet tooth.” He grinned at me as he took a bite. I smiled back and dipped my spoon in, groaning at the amazing taste that exploded in my mouth when I took my first bite.

“Oh, god, Jaime, you’re going to make me fat if you cook like this all the time,” I laughed. When I heard no reply, I looked next to me, seeing Jaime staring at my lips with—if I wasn’t completely misinterpreting it—a look of lust in his eyes.

“Oh, um, I’m sorry?” He seemed confused.

“I just said that you’re going to make me fat if you keep cooking like this.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, Annie. You have an amazing figure if you don’t mind me saying.” I was surprised by his comment. It had been a long time since anyone had complimented me like that.

“Oh, well, um…thank you, Jaime,” I replied, embarrassed.
We finished off the dessert, both of us silently deciding to stay on the couch next to each other by settling back as Jaime changed the channel to watch an old movie. It was nice to sit with someone and not feel the need to fill the air with unnecessary conversation. Jaime was easy to just be with, and I was once again glad it had turned out to be a male houseguest instead of a female.

Excerpt Second Chances:

I couldn’t believe it when she’d stopped the car. That was a very dangerous thing for a woman to do, but I was so glad she did. When she’d rolled down the window I could barely see her, but what I could make out from the illumination of the dashboard left me breathless. Her skin looked flawless under the soft glow and her hair seemed to reflect back the blue-green light. What intrigued me the most, though, was her voice—the soft sweet voice of an angel.

I was shocked that she had offered me a ride, but I was grateful to be out of the rain. I’d wanted to take her to a nice dinner, partly to thank her and partly to get to know her better, but with it being a small town, nothing was open. I’d settled for a fast food restaurant and would have probably left it at that if the dining area had been open. We would have eaten, she would have left, and I would have gone to the motel.  Fate, however, had a different idea and we’d ended up in my hotel room together.

Check it out on Goodreads!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18371043-illicit-affairs

¸¸•.¸¸.•´¯`• (¯`•♥•´¯)•´¯`•.¸¸.•.¸¸.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Jo Matthews:

Jo Matthews is an Arizona native, where she lives with her husband and son. A stay-at-home mom since 2007, she only recently discovered her love and passion for the written word. When she’s not writing, she’s usually knee deep in editing—an aspect she thoroughly enjoys.
As an editor she has propelled quite a few authors into the published world, and with her skills, has landed several stories on Amazon’s Top Sellers lists. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jo-Matthews/584982844878100


Bec Rose:
Bec Rose is a budding author and mother of two. When she isn’t reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her son and daughter. Residing on the west coast of Australia, she possesses a subtle charm that carries through into her writing. In her debut novella, Bec Rose not only tugs on our heartstrings but leaves us panting for more.


NJ Cole:


NJ Cole is a mid-western girl with a kinky side. She works by day and writes by night, all while being a mother to her wonderful boys and serving her Sir. Unlike many of today’s authors, she chooses to write in first person, allowing the readers to experience life through the eyes of the unique characters that live in her head. Her love of those characters and respect for their stories come through loud and clear in her writing. Reaching Amazon’s top 100 list in Erotica with Midnight Caller and Landslide, NJ Cole promises to entertain and excite the reader with her newest tales of love, romance, and as always, hot, steamy sex. https://www.facebook.com/njcoleauthor

Living In The Era of Literary McCarthyism – #31WriteNow – #ASMSG

A year or so ago when I was researching the possibility of self-publishing, I heard through social media and ran across some articles about these mobs of readers and sometimes writers who do a lot of unpleasant bandwagon commenting on some Indie writers’ new releases. This happened quite a lot on GoodReads, and unfortunately it also happened on other social media platforms.

It kind of works like this: if a new indie author happens to make an offhand comment or do something to otherwise tick off the readers, fans, writers, BFFs of writers, or writers by sometimes just the act of posting their intended release– the bullies will jump on and make belittling comments, rate you before even reading your work, place your work on these shelves that are often derogatory, and sometimes make veiled and unveiled threats. This is an act of cyber bullying that they dress up as freedom of speech.

When I told some author friends I wanted to write about this on my blog back then, most of them said “no you don’t want to do that, they could target you, too.” So, I didn’t write about it then, but I coined the phrase Literary McCarthyism to describe what was happening on social media platforms all over the net. McCarthyism defined is a political ploy that wields accusations and shame without significant evidence. In the literary world, it is wielding hateful, slanderous accusation against an author or their person, often without having even read their work. These occurrences became so frequent, they were being written about in well-known e-zines like Huffington Post, Salon, and many others. However, we Indies were being advised not to speak on it. Ever.

This past week, an Indie author made the decision to pull her story before it released due to such bullying on GoodReads. This seemed like the straw that broke the camel’s back because so many authors came to her defense, she finally got a response from GoodReads. They seemed to acknowledge that some of their members’ responses were inappropriate and would look into it, particularly where it pertained to some of the site’s own librarians either inciting or participating in such activities.

In my case and many other Indies who have been unfairly taunted by folks on GoodReads or other social media, this may seem like it’s too little too late. However, for those coming after us, I certainly hope the social media sites will make better attempts to control the unruly behavior of some of their members. Some people are a lot more fragile than others and can’t take being told “you suck,” or “you need to die in a fire,” or “you should be raped in a prison erected by your bad writing,” or such similar things.

During a not so wonderful time in our history, there was a U.S. Senator named Joseph McCarthy who made a public accusation that more than 200 “card-carrying communists” had infiltrated the United States government. Although his accusations were eventually proven to be untrue, his zealous campaigning ushered in one of the most repressive times in Twentieth Century American politics. In the final analysis, he was censured by the Senate for unbecoming conduct, however, he had by that time ruined the lives and destroyed the livelihoods of many people. Most of them were writers, artists and entertainers.

Who’s going to censure the Literary McCarthyism occurring today? This senseless, hurtful practice of mobbing unsuspecting authors, whose only crime was to write and self-publish a book, has to stop. Authors can expect that not everyone will love what they write, no matter who they are. However, authors should not expect to be personally humiliated or bullied into pulling their work. It’s time to stop the cyber bullying that’s just another form of Literary McCarthyism and let Indie writers do what they love without fear of repercussions or reprisals for absolutely no reason at all.

Don’t Believe Your Own Press or The Case For Deciding Whether To Read Your Reviews – #31WriteNow – #ASMSG

When I first published my book, I was like a proverbial kid in a candy story when good reviews began to roll in. After a horrible first start at GoodReads, Amazon readers actually reviewed the story, not the title. They also didn’t hate on the fact that I chose to do a parody/pastiche of Fifty Shades of Grey. Any reader who knows anything about form and genre knows that this is allowed. Don’t they? Otherwise we wouldn’t have Ulysses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, or even Fifty Shames of Earl Grey, just to name a few.

I have an amazing base of readers who get what I was trying to do with this story–put a little diversity in a popular erotic romance and poke fun at some things that, as an African American woman, used to totally piss me off. Like the use of the terms “Jungle Fever” and “Ghetto.” I wanted to show readers that people are not always a product of their environment. You can take the hood out of the girl–well most of it. I also used the pop culture references and the fairies to infuse the story with humor that bordered on the ridiculous, sort of like that old HBO sitcom Dream On.

My goal was to strike a precarious balance in Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever, because I didn’t want to go to extremes on either end of the spectrum. I honestly didn’t want to offend anyone, but I should never have been so naïve. “You can’t please all of the people all of the time” is sage advice, or real talk as we like to say these days.

I found out in short order that my balance wasn’t precarious enough. While for the most part, my reviews skew good, I get the rare one or two rating. Usually these are from people who are 1) offended by the title, 2) rushing to judgment, 3) biased for reasons both known and unknown, 4) determined not to like it because I deigned to spoof Fifty Shades of Grey, 5) editors in their own minds, but really don’t have a clue what bad editing looks like (no, it is not the odd typo). There are other groups, but there are so few of them that don’t get a category.

When you’re a new writer–and a minority of veterans, I understand–you tend to take reviews personally. I decided early on I wouldn’t do this. In fact, when I got my first one rating, I celebrated with a blog post because I felt it was a momentous occasion. That less-than-stellar rating validated me as an author, because I knew that all writers get bad reviews. Some books, as well-written as they are, are not the literary tastes of all readers. Readers feel compelled to tell you and the world when this is the case. That will likely never change.

As I have interacted with other authors, both Indie and traditionally published, I’ve found that writers have varying ways of dealing with reviews. While some read each and every one and let them roll off their backs, some read every one and agonize over them, analyzing the nuance of every sentence and the words contained within. Some writers are deeply offended by bad reviews and others couldn’t care less.

Then there is the camp of authors who don’t read their reviews at all. These are the ones that fascinate me most. Their reasons for doing so vary, but I find most do so for either one of two reasons 1) they don’t want to be that writer who believes their own press (reviews, if you will), and 2) they don’t want what’s there to mess with their creative muse or mojo as we writers like to call it. I am an author who falls in the later camp, but I also find myself torn over this issue. While I want to read all my readers reviews and emails out of appreciation for purchasing and reading my book, I find myself often getting distracted by things that really shouldn’t matter.

Often it is the reviews or emails I don’t understand that keep me thinking about them. Reviews that say things like, “your characters are too ghetto,” or “your characters aren’t ghetto enough,” or “there is too much ebonics in this story (newsflash: there is a difference between ebonics, vernacular, and slang).” I particularly love the ones that say, “this story is poorly edited,” because my story has gone through two rounds of spectacular editing, and if there are any typos in there, they are entirely my fault. It is because my eyes have played tricks on me when I’m going through and accepting and rejecting the changes from my editors. (And if another author or reader notices any of these in my book, please point them out to me.)

However, the granddaddy of them all is the “I could not finish reading this book, but I’m going to give you a one, anyway.” This really doesn’t merit any expounding on because, well . . . it’s like filling out a customer service survey for a product or service you’ve never sampled or experienced. How do you know what your rating would be, since you didn’t really try that product or service?

I had been toying with the idea of not reading reviews at all anymore, but I felt like that would be a slight to the many readers who’ve read and enjoyed my book. So my compromise is this: when I’m in the throes of writing and trying to meet a deadline, I will not read my reviews for fear of stalling my creativity. However, when I’m not working on a deadline or going through a severe case of writer’s block, I will read every review and email I get, because I refuse to let an opinion in the minority negate the validation that so many other readers have given my book.