Eve Devon's Blog, page 7
December 15, 2014
Naughty or Nice?
Take one shared, starting paragraph written by Georgia Beyers and let HarperImpulse authors write fifteen unique Christmas short stories. Package them together and then make it all deliciously Christmassy #FREE!If you love the authors voice, click on the link to their websites below and see what else they’ve written.
Lori Connelly
Aimee Duffy
AJ Nuest
Angela Campbell
Carmel Harrington
Charlotte Phillips
Erin Lawless
Jane Lark
Linn B. Halton
Lynne Marie Hulsman
Mandy Baggot
Romy Sommer
Teresa F. Morgan
Zara Stoneley
Next week I'll be showcasing some of the other fabulous HarperImpulse holiday anthologies.
Eve xx
December 8, 2014
"I Looked Away"
It’s exciting (and a little nerve-wracking) trying new things. But I’m so glad I joined this wonderful group of
Written Fireside
international authors so I could participate in the round-robin style contemporary women’s fiction story “I Looked Away”. 
Previous parts are here: Part One
Lori Connolly
, Part Two
Elsa Winckler
, Part Three
Aileen Harkwood
, Part Four
Elise Forier Edie
, Part Five
Patricia Sands
, and on 16th December you’ll find Part Seven here: Bella Osborne
"I Looked Away" Part 6 Inside the tent Madeline sat rigid. Her attention focused on the art student trying desperately to recall enough details to sketch a likeness of the man she had seen running into the forest with Megan.
Pen scratched hesitantly over notepaper and Madeline hovered between willing the teenager to take her time getting details right, and needing her to hurry, hurry, hurry.
Garrett’s radio suddenly crackled with life, snapping at Madeline’s focus so that she shifted her gaze to the ranger who had held her in his arms when she’d sobbed and who had half-carried her in here when she’d been close to collapse under the dead weight of dread in her chest.
His steely gray gaze whipped over her as he rose to exit the tent, his expression deliberately absent of false promise and in that fleeting moment before all she could think about again was her daughter, Madeline silently thanked him for his honesty because it helped her make a decision. She would use Garrett’s strength to help her hold it together until she was holding Megan in her arms again.
And she would hold her in her arms again.
She had to.
Life would hold no meaning if she didn’t get to do that ever again.
So when Garrett stepped quietly outside, Madeline gathered what resolve she had and rose on shaky legs to follow.
“Copy that,” he was saying into the radio. “I’ll forward the image as soon as I have it in my hands. Out.”
Madeline willed hope to flutter its wings in her soul. “Is there news?”
Garrett turned to face her. “State troopers report stopping and searching the pink Buick. No sign of Megan.”
One car left to find but…“So she could still be in the park?” Madeline stated, bringing her arms up around her as she tried to let the thought bring comfort—tried to imagine the army of volunteers doubling, tripling, quadrupling, as they spread out in lines to fill up every inch of space so that the vastness of land would be reduced to no-place-left-to-hide with her daughter.
“As soon as Miss Simpson finishes sketching,” Garrett informed her, “I’ll photograph the image with my phone and circulate it.”
Madeline nodded stiltedly, her gaze skating over to the line of trees where the man had been seen running with her daughter. Under the tree canopy the ground was drier. She wondered if the man would have set her daughter back on her feet there as she got heavy. Maybe there would be a trail. Maybe dogs could pick up her scent. There should be trackers shouldn’t there? Had Garrett arranged that and she hadn’t remembered? Was there more they should be doing? Something she should be doing? The need to run into the forest screaming for the entire world to stop until Megan was found was overwhelming.
“Don’t,” Garrett instructed as if he could tell her thoughts were threatening to spiral again. “I appreciate the waiting feels unbearable, but you can’t let yourself go under. Your daughter needs you.”
Madeline knew he was right and hadn’t she come outside to get this from him—medicine to help her cope with her worst nightmare. Staring up at him she searched the shadows in his eyes and saw wisps of what he strove so professionally and gallantly to hide from her. Between blinks she witnessed the pain and grief he had found at the end of the search for the last missing child on his watch.
Dragging in breath she stumbled forward to grip his forearm. “I need to believe this isn’t like before. I can’t—won’t accept that inevitability. We’re going to find my daughter.” Her Megan wasn’t going to end up like the little boy Garrett had found.
A large hand covered hers and squeezed. “You should wait back inside the tent. Try and keep dry. Try and keep warm.”
She was too numb now to feel the cold and what did getting more wet matter. “I can’t be in there. It’s too-,” she broke off, drawing in some of the oxygen that felt lacking inside the tent.
Where are you, baby? Who has you? Tell Mommy and I’ll be right there, I promise…
In her head she put the words out there but nothing came back.
The hand squeezed again. “Have you camped here before? Would Megan know the area? You’d be surprised what kids remember.”
Madeline shook her head. “We live fifteen miles away. A friend at work suggested coming here. He has his kids every weekend and brings them up here to camp regularly. I thought it sounded great because I didn’t want to spend too much time driving and have Megan get bored.” Madeline felt tears pool and overflow to merge silently with raindrops. “She was so patient helping me put up the tent and was so excited to see the ducks. God, Garrett. Why didn’t I just pick her up and let her cry while I came back for our jackets? We would have been at the lake in minutes and watching the ducks. Together.”
“Torturing yourself is wasting energy. You’re a good mother, Madeline. I shouldn’t have implied otherwise.”
“Sir?” The teenager in the gray hoodie emerged from the tent. “Kim’s finished her drawing.”
With a quick glance at Madeline, Garrett strode straight back inside. “You’re sure this is a good likeness of the man you saw?”
Kim nodded. “I’m certain.”
Madeline reached out to see the face of the man who had her daughter but Garrett immediately stopped her. “You’re hands are wet. Let me send the image through first.”
Madeline felt her smile wobble as one of the teenagers handed her a towel to dry hands that were now shaking badly and then suddenly Garrett was pressing his phone into her hands for her to see.
Madeline didn’t know what she had expected. But as her gaze dropped to the image her breath hissed out of her.
“I don’t understand,” she shook her head and frowned and as recognition hit she launched herself at Kim Simpson. “Is this a trick? Some sort of joke?”
Kim stared at her aghast, shouting that she had drawn the man she had seen. There was no joke. No trick.
Madeline sank to her knees trying to get breath. Was she simply projecting something she wanted to see onto the drawing? Was she having a breakdown? Quickly she snatched the paper from Garrett to compare it with the image he’d taken with his phone. She stared hard, relief flooding through her. There was no way the man who had Megan would hurt her.
Garrett bent towards her. “Damn it, don’t go into shock on me now,” she heard him mutter as he shook her.
With a strength she didn’t know she possessed she pushed clear and holding the phone and the notepaper up to him, whispered, “I know this man. I know this man…” Eve xx
Previous parts are here: Part One
Lori Connolly
, Part Two
Elsa Winckler
, Part Three
Aileen Harkwood
, Part Four
Elise Forier Edie
, Part Five
Patricia Sands
, and on 16th December you’ll find Part Seven here: Bella Osborne"I Looked Away" Part 6 Inside the tent Madeline sat rigid. Her attention focused on the art student trying desperately to recall enough details to sketch a likeness of the man she had seen running into the forest with Megan.
Pen scratched hesitantly over notepaper and Madeline hovered between willing the teenager to take her time getting details right, and needing her to hurry, hurry, hurry.
Garrett’s radio suddenly crackled with life, snapping at Madeline’s focus so that she shifted her gaze to the ranger who had held her in his arms when she’d sobbed and who had half-carried her in here when she’d been close to collapse under the dead weight of dread in her chest.
His steely gray gaze whipped over her as he rose to exit the tent, his expression deliberately absent of false promise and in that fleeting moment before all she could think about again was her daughter, Madeline silently thanked him for his honesty because it helped her make a decision. She would use Garrett’s strength to help her hold it together until she was holding Megan in her arms again.
And she would hold her in her arms again.
She had to.
Life would hold no meaning if she didn’t get to do that ever again.
So when Garrett stepped quietly outside, Madeline gathered what resolve she had and rose on shaky legs to follow.
“Copy that,” he was saying into the radio. “I’ll forward the image as soon as I have it in my hands. Out.”
Madeline willed hope to flutter its wings in her soul. “Is there news?”
Garrett turned to face her. “State troopers report stopping and searching the pink Buick. No sign of Megan.”
One car left to find but…“So she could still be in the park?” Madeline stated, bringing her arms up around her as she tried to let the thought bring comfort—tried to imagine the army of volunteers doubling, tripling, quadrupling, as they spread out in lines to fill up every inch of space so that the vastness of land would be reduced to no-place-left-to-hide with her daughter.
“As soon as Miss Simpson finishes sketching,” Garrett informed her, “I’ll photograph the image with my phone and circulate it.”
Madeline nodded stiltedly, her gaze skating over to the line of trees where the man had been seen running with her daughter. Under the tree canopy the ground was drier. She wondered if the man would have set her daughter back on her feet there as she got heavy. Maybe there would be a trail. Maybe dogs could pick up her scent. There should be trackers shouldn’t there? Had Garrett arranged that and she hadn’t remembered? Was there more they should be doing? Something she should be doing? The need to run into the forest screaming for the entire world to stop until Megan was found was overwhelming.
“Don’t,” Garrett instructed as if he could tell her thoughts were threatening to spiral again. “I appreciate the waiting feels unbearable, but you can’t let yourself go under. Your daughter needs you.”
Madeline knew he was right and hadn’t she come outside to get this from him—medicine to help her cope with her worst nightmare. Staring up at him she searched the shadows in his eyes and saw wisps of what he strove so professionally and gallantly to hide from her. Between blinks she witnessed the pain and grief he had found at the end of the search for the last missing child on his watch.
Dragging in breath she stumbled forward to grip his forearm. “I need to believe this isn’t like before. I can’t—won’t accept that inevitability. We’re going to find my daughter.” Her Megan wasn’t going to end up like the little boy Garrett had found.
A large hand covered hers and squeezed. “You should wait back inside the tent. Try and keep dry. Try and keep warm.”
She was too numb now to feel the cold and what did getting more wet matter. “I can’t be in there. It’s too-,” she broke off, drawing in some of the oxygen that felt lacking inside the tent.
Where are you, baby? Who has you? Tell Mommy and I’ll be right there, I promise…
In her head she put the words out there but nothing came back.
The hand squeezed again. “Have you camped here before? Would Megan know the area? You’d be surprised what kids remember.”
Madeline shook her head. “We live fifteen miles away. A friend at work suggested coming here. He has his kids every weekend and brings them up here to camp regularly. I thought it sounded great because I didn’t want to spend too much time driving and have Megan get bored.” Madeline felt tears pool and overflow to merge silently with raindrops. “She was so patient helping me put up the tent and was so excited to see the ducks. God, Garrett. Why didn’t I just pick her up and let her cry while I came back for our jackets? We would have been at the lake in minutes and watching the ducks. Together.”
“Torturing yourself is wasting energy. You’re a good mother, Madeline. I shouldn’t have implied otherwise.”
“Sir?” The teenager in the gray hoodie emerged from the tent. “Kim’s finished her drawing.”
With a quick glance at Madeline, Garrett strode straight back inside. “You’re sure this is a good likeness of the man you saw?”
Kim nodded. “I’m certain.”
Madeline reached out to see the face of the man who had her daughter but Garrett immediately stopped her. “You’re hands are wet. Let me send the image through first.”
Madeline felt her smile wobble as one of the teenagers handed her a towel to dry hands that were now shaking badly and then suddenly Garrett was pressing his phone into her hands for her to see.
Madeline didn’t know what she had expected. But as her gaze dropped to the image her breath hissed out of her.
“I don’t understand,” she shook her head and frowned and as recognition hit she launched herself at Kim Simpson. “Is this a trick? Some sort of joke?”
Kim stared at her aghast, shouting that she had drawn the man she had seen. There was no joke. No trick.
Madeline sank to her knees trying to get breath. Was she simply projecting something she wanted to see onto the drawing? Was she having a breakdown? Quickly she snatched the paper from Garrett to compare it with the image he’d taken with his phone. She stared hard, relief flooding through her. There was no way the man who had Megan would hurt her.
Garrett bent towards her. “Damn it, don’t go into shock on me now,” she heard him mutter as he shook her.
With a strength she didn’t know she possessed she pushed clear and holding the phone and the notepaper up to him, whispered, “I know this man. I know this man…” Eve xx
December 6, 2014
A Season to Remember
Today I have the lovely Eva Scott on the blog with a #FREE Christmas anthology: 
Noelle Clarke, Susanne Bellamy, Elizabeth Ellen Carter and I first met online via the Romance Writers of Australia Facebook group, now defunct. We chatted back and forth, soon realising we were all living in South-east Queensland. We each occupy a different point of the compass; me in the north on the Redcliffe peninsula, Noelle in the east on Moreton Bay, Susanne up in the mountains at Toowoomba and Elizabeth in the south on the glamorous Gold Coast.
One day we decided to meet in the middle at Brisbane and the rest is history. It wasn’t long before someone (we can’t quite remember who) suggested we try our hand at an anthology which led to our current project A Season To Remember. We decided it would be nice to offer our readers a Christmas present in the form of a free ebook to help us celebrate the festive season and to thank them for reading our books throughout the year.
Each story is as different as the four women who wrote them. I do hope you enjoy them all!
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-season-to-remember-four-short-stories-for-christmas
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/493542
‘Three Ships’ by Elizabeth Ellen Carter
Blurb: An adventure romance set in the early 19th century on the Devon Coast.
Excerpt from Three Ships
“Why doesn’t the lieutenant do something?” Laura whispered tautly.
“Just wait,” her father insisted.
Blackwell too had stopped running as he watched his two men close the gap. They were now only ten yards away when Renten picked up the lantern, pulled out the candle and dropped it in the cauldron.
The blackguards closed in – five yards, two yards – then the powder in the cauldron ignited. Renten disappeared in a flash of light and billowing smoke.
The two men ran into the miasma and, a moment later, their cries of distress were heard as they ran right off the edge of the cliff.
Laura gripped her father’s hand at the sound and the sight.
When the white-blue smoke cleared, the cliff edge was deserted, save for the cauldron.
Sands of Time’ by Noelle Clark
Blurb: Kitty faces her first Christmas without the love of her life. She looks back with fondness on the memories of Christmases past and, with the love and support of her grandson Joe, finds inner strength to face the future with anticipation. Kitty realises that, as she gets older, time passes so quickly. Although sad and happy memories flood through her on this special Christmas day, she chooses to embrace every moment of life.
Excerpt from Sands of Time:
“Merry Christmas.” He reached into a small canvas tote and pulled out a small, square box wrapped in Christmas paper and tied with red and green ribbon.
She took his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly.
He pulled away, his face as eager as a child’s. “Here, open it.”
She ripped off the ribbon and tore at the paper. Inside was a dark red velvet box. She flipped open the lid, revealing two gold earrings set with dark blue sapphires. Love swelled inside her, almost making her swoon. Unshed tears stung the backs of her eyes.
“They’re beautiful!” Her words were barely audible. She kissed him again, deeply, lovingly. When they broke their embrace, Billy rose and walked over to his wooden dinghy, untied the plastic mistletoe, and returned, attaching it to a stumpy mangrove bush next to where they were lying on their towels.
He lay down next to her again. She still remembered how his eyes looked that day—deep, dark pools exuding love. He bent his head and kissed her. “I love you so much, Kathryn. I adore you.”
Their embrace, fuelled by their love, fanned the flames of passion. There, on the sandy crescent of beach on Kingfisher Island, with no witnesses save some gulls and a few waterbirds, they consummated their love for the first time, pledging their devotion—and their lives—to each other.
‘All That Glitters’ by Eva Scott
Blurb: Molly is a modern day Cinderella, second best to her half-sister Aimee and never measuring up to her step-mother’s expectations. Now Aimee has the chance to marry an elderly millionaire and Molly is expected to keep the man’s grandson, Connor Rathmore, from sabotaging the event. Handsome, charismatic and very, very sexy - how is she going to keep him from sabotaging her heart?
Excerpt: All That Glitters
“Well, are you ready?” She sounded rude but it was all she could manage to say. On the way over to pick him up she’d been too preoccupied to consider him at all. Instead she replayed the conversation she’d had with her stepmother. After receiving a reprimand for arriving late, Maria had grilled her over Connor Rathmore and found her answers less than satisfactory. Then the lecture started on her appearance. Where were the shoes? She’d kicked off those horrible expensive shoes at the airport and hadn’t given them another thought. An unforgivable act in her stepmother’s eyes. It was impressed upon her that she must try harder and remember her sister’s happiness. Of course. Molly loved her half-sister, Aimee, despite the fact the girl was spoilt rotten. Underneath all the embellishments she really did have a good heart. It wasn’t Aimee’s fault she’d been raised to be a life-sized doll.
She appraised the man before her. She steeled herself not to react to him. When he’d opened the hotel room door, more primal male than any man she had ever encountered, something unexpected happened to her. Bam! Right to the heart. Very inconvenient and impossible, the idea could not be entertained. Not for a millisecond. The consequences would be devastating.
“Good evening to you too.” He bestowed what she assumed was his best killer smile. “Shall we go?”
He stepped through the door, so close the heat radiating off his body hit her like a furnace. Her natural reserve began to melt. The scent of him was so… masculine and her knees wobbled as she caught her breath. Moving away wasn’t an option, even if she tried.
He smiled as if aware of the effect he had on her. Without looking back he strode towards the elevator and pushed the button. They stood in silence side by side while they waited. The animal magnetism between them shimmered, increasing with every passing second.
Molly’s senses scrambled. She stumbled into the lift. This situation would need careful handling. The man beside her must not guess his presence caused a meltdown. Her attraction to him created a complication she did not need. Just one week. Please help me make it through this one week. If her stepmother suspected an attraction between Molly and Connor, all hell would break loose.
‘A Touch of Christmas’ by Susanne Bellamy
Blurb: As Starship Bluefire settles into orbit around Earth, Captain Andra Veluthian anticipates meeting her favourite human, Colonel Nick Madigan. Have his efforts to save the planet succeeded? And if so, will she lose any chance to be with him?
Knowing Andra’s fascination with all things Terran, Nick has planned a surprise for her. After all, it is Christmas, the season of giving. But when Earth’s leader and the Gravlarian captain spend time planet side, the temperature soars.
Excerpt: A Touch of Christmas
Starship Bluefire – Log entry #1878 Orbit established around Planet Earth. Local time: 0715 - 22 December 2525 AD
“Reverse thruster off. Docking complete, Captain.”
Captain Andra Veluthian ordered her viewing screen to retract, rolled her shoulders then rested her head against the padded headrest of her Conforma-chair and looked at the view. Framed by a huge window on the bridge, planet Earth appeared close and surprisingly whiter than on her last stopover two years earlier. Through breaks in the dense cloud cover she could even discern the long coastline of what Earth dwellers used to call South America and, just appearing on the western edge across an expanse of ocean, was the island continent they called Australia. Home of the wombat, wallaroo and one handsome colonel.
Colonel Nicholas Madigan, political leader and guiding hand in Earth’s struggle against extinction.
Last visit, the fair-haired colonel had set more than a few hearts pounding among her crew. Including hers. Author Profiles:
Elizabeth Ellen Carter A future with words was always on the books for Elizabeth Ellen Carter who started writing her own stories when she ran out of Nancy Drew mysteries to read at the age of ten. Using her mother’s Olivetti typewriter with all italic keys, she spent endless school holidays making up her own (italicised) stories and then using the Dewey Decimal System to arrange and categorise her bookshelf.
Somewhere around the age of 13, she determined to become a journalist and at 17 was awarded a newspaper cadetship. She covered news, council, education and health but had the most fun as an entertainment and features reporter covering film, TV and music.
Best of all, she met her husband at the newspaper and, together, they started a small award-winning media, marketing and advertising agency. Today, she works as marketing manager for an international organic skin care company.
In 2012, Elizabeth also returned to the keyboard to write stories (and found laptops are so much better than manual typewriters).
Her debut novel, Moonstone Obsession, was shortlisted for the 2013 Romance Writers of Australia’s Emerald Awards for unpublished manuscripts.
Elizabeth is a member of the Romance Writers of Australia, the Australian Romance Readers Association and the Gold Coast Writers Association. She is currently published by Etopia Press. Website: http://eecarter.com/
Noelle Clark is an Australian author of contemporary romance and commercial historical fiction novels. Her books weave romance, intrigue, and adventure into colourful, exotic, and interesting locations around the world. Widely travelled, Noelle uses real life experience of places, culture, and people as a backdrop to her stories, giving the reader an authentic taste of the location. Her novels feature strong, mature heroines and heroes, who—often without knowing it—are ready for new beginnings.
She lives close to the sea and shares her home with two cats and two dogs. She has two grown up children, and five very small grandchildren. When Noelle's not writing and travelling, she plays guitar, tends her vegetable garden, enjoys the company of family and friends, and—of course—reading.
Noelle is a member of Queensland Writers Centre; YON Beyond Writing Group; Romance Writers of Australia; and Australian Romance Readers Association, and is currently published by Etopia Press and Secret Cravings Publishing.
Website: www.noelleclark.net
Eva Scott writes contemporary romance set in her homeland of Australia and historical fiction set in the Ancient World. Her books offer passion and adventure in some of the most beautiful and intriguing places in the world. Her heroes and heroines are strong, sassy and ready to rise to their challenges, and learn a little bit about themselves along the way.
Having lived overseas for several years, Eva returned to study Anthropology before heading off to live in Papua New Guinea for a year. There she met the love of her life, author G.W. Gibson, who was stationed there with the Australian Defence Force. The rest is history, romantic history.
She now lives on the Redcliffe peninsula with her husband, small son and an assortment of animals. When Eva is not writing she enjoys mentoring first-time authors, cooking up a story, practising yoga and getting out on the bay on her stand-up paddle board.
Eva is a member of Romance Writers of Australia; North Lakes Writers Group; Queensland Writers Centre and Australian Romance Readers Association. She is published by Musa Publishing and Harlequin Escape.
Website: http://www.evascottromance.com/
Susanne Bellamy is an Australian author of contemporary and suspense romances set in exciting and often exotic locations. Her heroes have to be pretty special to live up to the real life one she married. He saved her life then married her. They live on the edge of bush land on a mountain in beautiful sunny Queensland, Australia with two children and their dog.
Paris will always be one of her top spots, and she fell in love with Scotland when they visited the west coast (nothing to do with fine single malts!), and recently had her first real trip to Italy--tick off one Bucket List item! She has enjoyed New Year in Kathmandu and trekked in the Annapurnas, sailed in Ha Long Bay on a junk, and stayed on a floating hotel beside a tethered elephant in Thailand. The Peak in Hong Kong and Mt Faber cable car ride in Singapore are favourite spots. Susanne loves travelling to new places and exploring the culture and history, and meeting new people. These experiences are gradually being incorporated into her stories.
Her as yet unrealised dream is a trip into Earth’s orbit.
Susanne is a member of RWA and enjoys mentoring new authors. She is published with Escape Publishing, and will be a 2015 release author with Entangled Publishing.
Website: http://www.susannebellamy.com/ Eve xx
Noelle Clarke, Susanne Bellamy, Elizabeth Ellen Carter and I first met online via the Romance Writers of Australia Facebook group, now defunct. We chatted back and forth, soon realising we were all living in South-east Queensland. We each occupy a different point of the compass; me in the north on the Redcliffe peninsula, Noelle in the east on Moreton Bay, Susanne up in the mountains at Toowoomba and Elizabeth in the south on the glamorous Gold Coast.One day we decided to meet in the middle at Brisbane and the rest is history. It wasn’t long before someone (we can’t quite remember who) suggested we try our hand at an anthology which led to our current project A Season To Remember. We decided it would be nice to offer our readers a Christmas present in the form of a free ebook to help us celebrate the festive season and to thank them for reading our books throughout the year.
Each story is as different as the four women who wrote them. I do hope you enjoy them all!
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-season-to-remember-four-short-stories-for-christmas
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/493542
‘Three Ships’ by Elizabeth Ellen Carter Blurb: An adventure romance set in the early 19th century on the Devon Coast.
Excerpt from Three Ships
“Why doesn’t the lieutenant do something?” Laura whispered tautly.
“Just wait,” her father insisted.
Blackwell too had stopped running as he watched his two men close the gap. They were now only ten yards away when Renten picked up the lantern, pulled out the candle and dropped it in the cauldron.
The blackguards closed in – five yards, two yards – then the powder in the cauldron ignited. Renten disappeared in a flash of light and billowing smoke.
The two men ran into the miasma and, a moment later, their cries of distress were heard as they ran right off the edge of the cliff.
Laura gripped her father’s hand at the sound and the sight.
When the white-blue smoke cleared, the cliff edge was deserted, save for the cauldron.
Sands of Time’ by Noelle ClarkBlurb: Kitty faces her first Christmas without the love of her life. She looks back with fondness on the memories of Christmases past and, with the love and support of her grandson Joe, finds inner strength to face the future with anticipation. Kitty realises that, as she gets older, time passes so quickly. Although sad and happy memories flood through her on this special Christmas day, she chooses to embrace every moment of life.
Excerpt from Sands of Time:
“Merry Christmas.” He reached into a small canvas tote and pulled out a small, square box wrapped in Christmas paper and tied with red and green ribbon.
She took his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly.
He pulled away, his face as eager as a child’s. “Here, open it.”
She ripped off the ribbon and tore at the paper. Inside was a dark red velvet box. She flipped open the lid, revealing two gold earrings set with dark blue sapphires. Love swelled inside her, almost making her swoon. Unshed tears stung the backs of her eyes.
“They’re beautiful!” Her words were barely audible. She kissed him again, deeply, lovingly. When they broke their embrace, Billy rose and walked over to his wooden dinghy, untied the plastic mistletoe, and returned, attaching it to a stumpy mangrove bush next to where they were lying on their towels.
He lay down next to her again. She still remembered how his eyes looked that day—deep, dark pools exuding love. He bent his head and kissed her. “I love you so much, Kathryn. I adore you.”
Their embrace, fuelled by their love, fanned the flames of passion. There, on the sandy crescent of beach on Kingfisher Island, with no witnesses save some gulls and a few waterbirds, they consummated their love for the first time, pledging their devotion—and their lives—to each other.
‘All That Glitters’ by Eva ScottBlurb: Molly is a modern day Cinderella, second best to her half-sister Aimee and never measuring up to her step-mother’s expectations. Now Aimee has the chance to marry an elderly millionaire and Molly is expected to keep the man’s grandson, Connor Rathmore, from sabotaging the event. Handsome, charismatic and very, very sexy - how is she going to keep him from sabotaging her heart?
Excerpt: All That Glitters
“Well, are you ready?” She sounded rude but it was all she could manage to say. On the way over to pick him up she’d been too preoccupied to consider him at all. Instead she replayed the conversation she’d had with her stepmother. After receiving a reprimand for arriving late, Maria had grilled her over Connor Rathmore and found her answers less than satisfactory. Then the lecture started on her appearance. Where were the shoes? She’d kicked off those horrible expensive shoes at the airport and hadn’t given them another thought. An unforgivable act in her stepmother’s eyes. It was impressed upon her that she must try harder and remember her sister’s happiness. Of course. Molly loved her half-sister, Aimee, despite the fact the girl was spoilt rotten. Underneath all the embellishments she really did have a good heart. It wasn’t Aimee’s fault she’d been raised to be a life-sized doll.
She appraised the man before her. She steeled herself not to react to him. When he’d opened the hotel room door, more primal male than any man she had ever encountered, something unexpected happened to her. Bam! Right to the heart. Very inconvenient and impossible, the idea could not be entertained. Not for a millisecond. The consequences would be devastating.
“Good evening to you too.” He bestowed what she assumed was his best killer smile. “Shall we go?”
He stepped through the door, so close the heat radiating off his body hit her like a furnace. Her natural reserve began to melt. The scent of him was so… masculine and her knees wobbled as she caught her breath. Moving away wasn’t an option, even if she tried.
He smiled as if aware of the effect he had on her. Without looking back he strode towards the elevator and pushed the button. They stood in silence side by side while they waited. The animal magnetism between them shimmered, increasing with every passing second.
Molly’s senses scrambled. She stumbled into the lift. This situation would need careful handling. The man beside her must not guess his presence caused a meltdown. Her attraction to him created a complication she did not need. Just one week. Please help me make it through this one week. If her stepmother suspected an attraction between Molly and Connor, all hell would break loose.
‘A Touch of Christmas’ by Susanne Bellamy Blurb: As Starship Bluefire settles into orbit around Earth, Captain Andra Veluthian anticipates meeting her favourite human, Colonel Nick Madigan. Have his efforts to save the planet succeeded? And if so, will she lose any chance to be with him?
Knowing Andra’s fascination with all things Terran, Nick has planned a surprise for her. After all, it is Christmas, the season of giving. But when Earth’s leader and the Gravlarian captain spend time planet side, the temperature soars.
Excerpt: A Touch of Christmas
Starship Bluefire – Log entry #1878 Orbit established around Planet Earth. Local time: 0715 - 22 December 2525 AD
“Reverse thruster off. Docking complete, Captain.”
Captain Andra Veluthian ordered her viewing screen to retract, rolled her shoulders then rested her head against the padded headrest of her Conforma-chair and looked at the view. Framed by a huge window on the bridge, planet Earth appeared close and surprisingly whiter than on her last stopover two years earlier. Through breaks in the dense cloud cover she could even discern the long coastline of what Earth dwellers used to call South America and, just appearing on the western edge across an expanse of ocean, was the island continent they called Australia. Home of the wombat, wallaroo and one handsome colonel.
Colonel Nicholas Madigan, political leader and guiding hand in Earth’s struggle against extinction.
Last visit, the fair-haired colonel had set more than a few hearts pounding among her crew. Including hers. Author Profiles:
Elizabeth Ellen Carter A future with words was always on the books for Elizabeth Ellen Carter who started writing her own stories when she ran out of Nancy Drew mysteries to read at the age of ten. Using her mother’s Olivetti typewriter with all italic keys, she spent endless school holidays making up her own (italicised) stories and then using the Dewey Decimal System to arrange and categorise her bookshelf.
Somewhere around the age of 13, she determined to become a journalist and at 17 was awarded a newspaper cadetship. She covered news, council, education and health but had the most fun as an entertainment and features reporter covering film, TV and music.
Best of all, she met her husband at the newspaper and, together, they started a small award-winning media, marketing and advertising agency. Today, she works as marketing manager for an international organic skin care company.
In 2012, Elizabeth also returned to the keyboard to write stories (and found laptops are so much better than manual typewriters).
Her debut novel, Moonstone Obsession, was shortlisted for the 2013 Romance Writers of Australia’s Emerald Awards for unpublished manuscripts.
Elizabeth is a member of the Romance Writers of Australia, the Australian Romance Readers Association and the Gold Coast Writers Association. She is currently published by Etopia Press. Website: http://eecarter.com/
Noelle Clark is an Australian author of contemporary romance and commercial historical fiction novels. Her books weave romance, intrigue, and adventure into colourful, exotic, and interesting locations around the world. Widely travelled, Noelle uses real life experience of places, culture, and people as a backdrop to her stories, giving the reader an authentic taste of the location. Her novels feature strong, mature heroines and heroes, who—often without knowing it—are ready for new beginnings.
She lives close to the sea and shares her home with two cats and two dogs. She has two grown up children, and five very small grandchildren. When Noelle's not writing and travelling, she plays guitar, tends her vegetable garden, enjoys the company of family and friends, and—of course—reading.
Noelle is a member of Queensland Writers Centre; YON Beyond Writing Group; Romance Writers of Australia; and Australian Romance Readers Association, and is currently published by Etopia Press and Secret Cravings Publishing.
Website: www.noelleclark.net
Eva Scott writes contemporary romance set in her homeland of Australia and historical fiction set in the Ancient World. Her books offer passion and adventure in some of the most beautiful and intriguing places in the world. Her heroes and heroines are strong, sassy and ready to rise to their challenges, and learn a little bit about themselves along the way.
Having lived overseas for several years, Eva returned to study Anthropology before heading off to live in Papua New Guinea for a year. There she met the love of her life, author G.W. Gibson, who was stationed there with the Australian Defence Force. The rest is history, romantic history.
She now lives on the Redcliffe peninsula with her husband, small son and an assortment of animals. When Eva is not writing she enjoys mentoring first-time authors, cooking up a story, practising yoga and getting out on the bay on her stand-up paddle board.
Eva is a member of Romance Writers of Australia; North Lakes Writers Group; Queensland Writers Centre and Australian Romance Readers Association. She is published by Musa Publishing and Harlequin Escape.
Website: http://www.evascottromance.com/
Susanne Bellamy is an Australian author of contemporary and suspense romances set in exciting and often exotic locations. Her heroes have to be pretty special to live up to the real life one she married. He saved her life then married her. They live on the edge of bush land on a mountain in beautiful sunny Queensland, Australia with two children and their dog.
Paris will always be one of her top spots, and she fell in love with Scotland when they visited the west coast (nothing to do with fine single malts!), and recently had her first real trip to Italy--tick off one Bucket List item! She has enjoyed New Year in Kathmandu and trekked in the Annapurnas, sailed in Ha Long Bay on a junk, and stayed on a floating hotel beside a tethered elephant in Thailand. The Peak in Hong Kong and Mt Faber cable car ride in Singapore are favourite spots. Susanne loves travelling to new places and exploring the culture and history, and meeting new people. These experiences are gradually being incorporated into her stories.
Her as yet unrealised dream is a trip into Earth’s orbit.
Susanne is a member of RWA and enjoys mentoring new authors. She is published with Escape Publishing, and will be a 2015 release author with Entangled Publishing.
Website: http://www.susannebellamy.com/ Eve xx
December 3, 2014
Her Perfect Lips by Lisa Fox
Today I have Lisa Fox on the blog to tell us about her new book...
Her Perfect Lips by Lisa Fox
Book Two of the Midnight Kiss Series, set in the dynamic world of ONE KISS …
Blurb: You have to take a risk to live an adventure.
Determined, capable, and primed to rock her first big marketing conference, Stacy Saunders is not about let to anything get in the way of her ambition. It's been a long time since she's been in New Orleans, but she has no use for beads or Bourbon Street. She built a strict itinerary for this trip – one that certainly didn't include running into the gorgeous Tennyson Landry again.
A chance reunion between the former lovers brings old feelings to the surface and the possibility of rekindling old flames. Their second time around could be the best time of all – if they can bridge the gap even wider than the thousand miles between them…
An Excerpt From:
HER PERFECT LIPS
Copyright © LISA FOX, 2014
All Rights Reserved, Harper Impulse, a Division of HarperCollins Publishers
Bourbon Street was just as she remembered—loud music and neon lights, frat boys in muscle shirts and girls in crop tops, the stench of beer and pine-scented antiseptic cleaner, the sidewalks littered with garbage and puke. Their little entourage stumbled into the first club they found, which had “Play That Funky Music” blaring from the speakers. Stacy shook her head. Some things truly never changed. Bars on Bourbon Street would play that song until some ultimate, catastrophic apocalypse finally managed to wipe the city out for good.
The barker at the door proudly announced that the club was now offering their world famous three-for-one happy hour. The vodka tonic Stacy ordered was served in a plastic cup the size of which was rarely seen outside of a 7-Eleven. It contained more alcohol than any human should probably ever consume in a single serving, and she was glad to see that in addition to the bad music, the drinking culture had not changed either.
She headed toward the back of the club, outside into the little courtyard area where the music was somewhat blunted and she was less likely to have a drink spilled over her. The others followed, people in the group talking amongst themselves and goggling at the drunken antics on the dance floor. Peter had fallen back to walk alongside Melanie, and they ambled slowly, their heads close together, taking softly. Stacy sighed. So much for the whole reason to participate in this journey. Not that she could blame him. Melanie was gorgeous. Still, the rejection stung. Not that it would’ve worked anyway. The distance between them would have eventually become a hassle.
She sipped her cocktail, watching the dance floor light up red, then blue, then green as the strobe light pulsed over the dancers. Once again, she had a choice and none of her options were all too appealing. She could go back to the hotel and try to find a new group of people to talk with, she could go to bed, or she could stay right where she was and basically drink alone.
“Let’s go someplace quieter,” Peter shouted over the music and everybody agreed.
She followed them back out onto Bourbon Street, seriously considering her next move. Should I stay or should I go now? She let the chorus play out in her head and in that one millisecond pause, a drunken man wearing only jeans shorts and plastic beads lunged at her from the crowd. She sidestepped around him and almost collided with a woman exiting Pat O'Briens. The woman squealed and Stacy veered off the sidewalk into the street. A group of tourists swept her away, forcing her backward along with them. She fought against the wave of bodies, but it was a losing battle. And then, out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her arm, a lifeline in the storm.
The tourists continued on their journey, but Stacy was held in place, firmly anchored by that strong grip. The hold on her arm was a little too familiar for a stranger and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to thank or berate her rescuer. She turned, and her breath caught when she recognized her savior. “Hello, Ten.”
“Hey, Stacy.”
He grinned and every single part of her tingled. He was as attractive as she remembered—tall and strong, with rich, chocolate-brown hair, and a twinkle of mischief in his startling green eyes. The years had changed him only slightly, taking away the softness of youth and adding hard ridges and planes to his handsome face. His hair was a little too long, and he had a two-day beard, but the scruffiness didn’t take away from his almost poetic good looks. And though she would never admit it out loud, just the way his thighs filled out his well-worn blue jeans sent a thread of wicked heat trickling down her spine. Ten was the stuff of all kinds of naughty fantasies, and a few of her favorite ones instantly flashed through her mind.
BUY LINKS:
Harper Impulse: http://www.harperimpulseromance.com/books/her-perfect-lips
Amazon: http://goo.gl/tEUlUn
Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/qw69Ma
B&N: http://goo.gl/K9Fd46 Eve xx
Her Perfect Lips by Lisa Fox
Book Two of the Midnight Kiss Series, set in the dynamic world of ONE KISS …
Blurb: You have to take a risk to live an adventure.
Determined, capable, and primed to rock her first big marketing conference, Stacy Saunders is not about let to anything get in the way of her ambition. It's been a long time since she's been in New Orleans, but she has no use for beads or Bourbon Street. She built a strict itinerary for this trip – one that certainly didn't include running into the gorgeous Tennyson Landry again.
A chance reunion between the former lovers brings old feelings to the surface and the possibility of rekindling old flames. Their second time around could be the best time of all – if they can bridge the gap even wider than the thousand miles between them…
An Excerpt From:
HER PERFECT LIPS
Copyright © LISA FOX, 2014
All Rights Reserved, Harper Impulse, a Division of HarperCollins Publishers
Bourbon Street was just as she remembered—loud music and neon lights, frat boys in muscle shirts and girls in crop tops, the stench of beer and pine-scented antiseptic cleaner, the sidewalks littered with garbage and puke. Their little entourage stumbled into the first club they found, which had “Play That Funky Music” blaring from the speakers. Stacy shook her head. Some things truly never changed. Bars on Bourbon Street would play that song until some ultimate, catastrophic apocalypse finally managed to wipe the city out for good.
The barker at the door proudly announced that the club was now offering their world famous three-for-one happy hour. The vodka tonic Stacy ordered was served in a plastic cup the size of which was rarely seen outside of a 7-Eleven. It contained more alcohol than any human should probably ever consume in a single serving, and she was glad to see that in addition to the bad music, the drinking culture had not changed either.
She headed toward the back of the club, outside into the little courtyard area where the music was somewhat blunted and she was less likely to have a drink spilled over her. The others followed, people in the group talking amongst themselves and goggling at the drunken antics on the dance floor. Peter had fallen back to walk alongside Melanie, and they ambled slowly, their heads close together, taking softly. Stacy sighed. So much for the whole reason to participate in this journey. Not that she could blame him. Melanie was gorgeous. Still, the rejection stung. Not that it would’ve worked anyway. The distance between them would have eventually become a hassle.
She sipped her cocktail, watching the dance floor light up red, then blue, then green as the strobe light pulsed over the dancers. Once again, she had a choice and none of her options were all too appealing. She could go back to the hotel and try to find a new group of people to talk with, she could go to bed, or she could stay right where she was and basically drink alone.
“Let’s go someplace quieter,” Peter shouted over the music and everybody agreed.
She followed them back out onto Bourbon Street, seriously considering her next move. Should I stay or should I go now? She let the chorus play out in her head and in that one millisecond pause, a drunken man wearing only jeans shorts and plastic beads lunged at her from the crowd. She sidestepped around him and almost collided with a woman exiting Pat O'Briens. The woman squealed and Stacy veered off the sidewalk into the street. A group of tourists swept her away, forcing her backward along with them. She fought against the wave of bodies, but it was a losing battle. And then, out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her arm, a lifeline in the storm.
The tourists continued on their journey, but Stacy was held in place, firmly anchored by that strong grip. The hold on her arm was a little too familiar for a stranger and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to thank or berate her rescuer. She turned, and her breath caught when she recognized her savior. “Hello, Ten.”
“Hey, Stacy.”
He grinned and every single part of her tingled. He was as attractive as she remembered—tall and strong, with rich, chocolate-brown hair, and a twinkle of mischief in his startling green eyes. The years had changed him only slightly, taking away the softness of youth and adding hard ridges and planes to his handsome face. His hair was a little too long, and he had a two-day beard, but the scruffiness didn’t take away from his almost poetic good looks. And though she would never admit it out loud, just the way his thighs filled out his well-worn blue jeans sent a thread of wicked heat trickling down her spine. Ten was the stuff of all kinds of naughty fantasies, and a few of her favorite ones instantly flashed through her mind.
BUY LINKS:
Harper Impulse: http://www.harperimpulseromance.com/books/her-perfect-lips
Amazon: http://goo.gl/tEUlUn
Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/qw69Ma
B&N: http://goo.gl/K9Fd46 Eve xx
November 28, 2014
#BlackFriday
Are having AHH-MAZ-ING #BlackFriday book deals and:
Is one of them!You can find all the titles in the Entangled Publishing Black Friday Sale here:
http://bit.ly/15ov2si
The sale goes on until 6th December.
Happy Reading Everyone Eve xx
October 22, 2014
Bloodpledge: Book 2 in the Dantonville series...
Today I thought I'd share with you all a little bit about the fabulous Tima Maria Lacoba's book two in her Dantonville series.... 
BLOODPLEDGE:
Bloodpledge continues Alec and Laura’s story from Bloodgifted. Having undergone the Ritual and induction into the vampire community, Laura— the prophesised Child of Light and Darkness and last of the Ingenii--takes her place as Alec’s consort and First Lady of the Brethren.
But resentment and anger grow at Alec’s privileged position as daywalker. Among a powerful few, alliances are made and conspiracies formed, threatening a war that could destroy them all and endanger every human on Earth—creatures who would do anything to prevent the curse from ending. Now Alec and Laura must invoke the Pledge, an ancient ceremony that enforces Brethren loyalty to the Principate.
When Laura’s ex-boyfriend, Detective Inspector Matt Sommers, turns up with a threat that could expose Alec, the battle for their world and their lives begins.
Buy Links
Amazon - http://amzn.to/ZFVw5w
iTunes - http://bit.ly/SpEXHs
Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/1pUEypt
Kobo - http://bit.ly/1svXwby
Smashwords - http://bit.ly/1iHUN6K Extract from Bloodpledge In Alec’s room, a single tall, metal lamp gave off a weak light. There were no windows to allow in deadly sunrays, so presumably it predated the time when he became Princeps. The four-poster, wrought iron bed and I were well acquainted, since we’d made love in it several times.
Alec wrapped his arm around my waist and held me close. With his other hand, he tucked my hair behind my ear. ‘We have a little over an hour before the Prefects start arriving.’
‘Let’s not waste it.’ Every minute with him was precious. Three nights ago, Jean-Philippe nearly murdered us both and, even though he was now dead, the danger was not entirely over—tonight’s incident a stark reminder.
He lowered his head and kissed me with a fervency that left me breathless. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. Our tongues meshed in a delicious tangle of desire and passion.
‘What happened?’ I asked between kisses.
‘We had a disagreement ….’
I knew what he meant by that. ‘You had a fight.’
‘No avoiding it. Two of them are caged down in the cellar. Cal and Karl are keeping an eye on them till the Pledging.’
‘How many were there?’
‘Five—three men, two women.’
My stomach dropped. ‘You could have been killed!’
‘But I wasn’t.’
‘What if Luc hadn’t arrived—’
‘Shhh’, he sealed his lips over mine and, as always, I melted in his arms. A while later, he murmured against my mouth, ‘I probably could’ve handled it alone. After the Pledging tonight there should be no more incidents.' His lips grazed my throat.
‘Promise?’
‘Cross my heart.’ He drew the figure of a cross over his heart. ‘Luc told you about the powers of the rings. If anyone tries anything, they’re ash.’
I nodded. After a previous rebellion, centuries ago, my father forced the surviving Brethren to swear an oath on the Serpent Rings. Those who defied it were killed when the rings flashed fire and destroyed them.
I didn’t want to think about it, let alone witness something like that.
Alec could probably see the anxiety in my eyes, for he smoothed the hair from my face and said, ‘The Pledge worked in the past. No reason why it shouldn’t do so again.’ His confidence was comforting and I released the breath I’d been holding. ‘Besides,’ he said, ‘Pledge or no Pledge, I’ll kill anyone who dares try and harm you.’ A deadly edge to his voice both frightened and excited me. He lowered his head, and took complete possession of my mouth with such passion it ignited a painful throbbing in my core that only he could relieve.
His hands slid down to my waist, untied my sash. Gently he eased my robe off my shoulders. It dropped to the floor, where my camisole soon joined it. He touched the crimson vial Luc gave me, which was nestled between my breasts. It contained three drops of Marcus’s, Antonia’s and Luc’s blood, and it would render the drinker immortal.
‘Luc explained?’
I nodded.
‘Would you take it?’
‘Yes.’ I breathed.
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his eyes. They were filled with such love, such intensity of longing I almost wished the curse wouldn’t be lifted so there’d be no chance of my blood becoming normal. Yet, our children, the future….
Author Bio
I'm a fifty-something-young woman who lives on the Central Coast, an hour's drive north of Sydney in Australia. My little house is surrounded by bushland, possums and seed-dropping Rosellas on one side, and waterways on the other. I moved out of the big city a few years ago, and the only thing I miss about it are the quaint shops and cafes. But I've gained fresh air and a home with front and backyards--with a garden swing--and wooded hillside views.
Prior to that, home was a three-bedroom, inner city apartment in Sydney. It was lovely and close to the city and my job. Unfortunately, it was also right under the flight path. Eventually I got sick of being able to tell the time by the passenger jets zooming above my head.
Prior to that I was a practicing archaeologist, and I was lucky enough to have worked on some amazing digs around the world. After several years in the field I was drawn to teaching and ended up as Head of History in a local high school. While there I took the opportunity to take my students overseas to visit various archaeological sites in Europe and Britain. It was a fabulous way to combine my love of history with travel, and share it with others. On one tour, in Italy, I managed to indulge my other passion--gelato ice cream. We renamed it The Gelato Crawl of Italy!
I've always been a story-teller, but it wasn't until five years ago that I seriously ventured into writing. The result was Bloodgifted. In 2011 it was shortlisted in the Atlas Award and came fourth. In 2012 it was listed among the top ten in the Choclit Search for an Aussie Star Competition. In 2013, I was offered a publishing contract but declined in favour of going indie. I liked the idea of being in charge of my own creation.
Bloodgifted is just the start of a four-part series I've entitled, The Dantonville Legacy. Book 2, Bloodpledge, was released four months ago. Later I intend writing individual books on the other characters in the series, for they all have their own story.
Social Media Links
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/timamarialacoba
Facebook – http://www.facebook/TimaMariaLacoba
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads/TimaMariaLacoba
My website – http://timamarialacoba.blogspot.com
Amazon Author page - http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FIZXFJA Eve xx
BLOODPLEDGE: Bloodpledge continues Alec and Laura’s story from Bloodgifted. Having undergone the Ritual and induction into the vampire community, Laura— the prophesised Child of Light and Darkness and last of the Ingenii--takes her place as Alec’s consort and First Lady of the Brethren.
But resentment and anger grow at Alec’s privileged position as daywalker. Among a powerful few, alliances are made and conspiracies formed, threatening a war that could destroy them all and endanger every human on Earth—creatures who would do anything to prevent the curse from ending. Now Alec and Laura must invoke the Pledge, an ancient ceremony that enforces Brethren loyalty to the Principate.
When Laura’s ex-boyfriend, Detective Inspector Matt Sommers, turns up with a threat that could expose Alec, the battle for their world and their lives begins.
Buy Links
Amazon - http://amzn.to/ZFVw5w
iTunes - http://bit.ly/SpEXHs
Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/1pUEypt
Kobo - http://bit.ly/1svXwby
Smashwords - http://bit.ly/1iHUN6K Extract from Bloodpledge In Alec’s room, a single tall, metal lamp gave off a weak light. There were no windows to allow in deadly sunrays, so presumably it predated the time when he became Princeps. The four-poster, wrought iron bed and I were well acquainted, since we’d made love in it several times.
Alec wrapped his arm around my waist and held me close. With his other hand, he tucked my hair behind my ear. ‘We have a little over an hour before the Prefects start arriving.’
‘Let’s not waste it.’ Every minute with him was precious. Three nights ago, Jean-Philippe nearly murdered us both and, even though he was now dead, the danger was not entirely over—tonight’s incident a stark reminder.
He lowered his head and kissed me with a fervency that left me breathless. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. Our tongues meshed in a delicious tangle of desire and passion.
‘What happened?’ I asked between kisses.
‘We had a disagreement ….’
I knew what he meant by that. ‘You had a fight.’
‘No avoiding it. Two of them are caged down in the cellar. Cal and Karl are keeping an eye on them till the Pledging.’
‘How many were there?’
‘Five—three men, two women.’
My stomach dropped. ‘You could have been killed!’
‘But I wasn’t.’
‘What if Luc hadn’t arrived—’
‘Shhh’, he sealed his lips over mine and, as always, I melted in his arms. A while later, he murmured against my mouth, ‘I probably could’ve handled it alone. After the Pledging tonight there should be no more incidents.' His lips grazed my throat.
‘Promise?’
‘Cross my heart.’ He drew the figure of a cross over his heart. ‘Luc told you about the powers of the rings. If anyone tries anything, they’re ash.’
I nodded. After a previous rebellion, centuries ago, my father forced the surviving Brethren to swear an oath on the Serpent Rings. Those who defied it were killed when the rings flashed fire and destroyed them.
I didn’t want to think about it, let alone witness something like that.
Alec could probably see the anxiety in my eyes, for he smoothed the hair from my face and said, ‘The Pledge worked in the past. No reason why it shouldn’t do so again.’ His confidence was comforting and I released the breath I’d been holding. ‘Besides,’ he said, ‘Pledge or no Pledge, I’ll kill anyone who dares try and harm you.’ A deadly edge to his voice both frightened and excited me. He lowered his head, and took complete possession of my mouth with such passion it ignited a painful throbbing in my core that only he could relieve.
His hands slid down to my waist, untied my sash. Gently he eased my robe off my shoulders. It dropped to the floor, where my camisole soon joined it. He touched the crimson vial Luc gave me, which was nestled between my breasts. It contained three drops of Marcus’s, Antonia’s and Luc’s blood, and it would render the drinker immortal.
‘Luc explained?’
I nodded.
‘Would you take it?’
‘Yes.’ I breathed.
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his eyes. They were filled with such love, such intensity of longing I almost wished the curse wouldn’t be lifted so there’d be no chance of my blood becoming normal. Yet, our children, the future….
Author Bio I'm a fifty-something-young woman who lives on the Central Coast, an hour's drive north of Sydney in Australia. My little house is surrounded by bushland, possums and seed-dropping Rosellas on one side, and waterways on the other. I moved out of the big city a few years ago, and the only thing I miss about it are the quaint shops and cafes. But I've gained fresh air and a home with front and backyards--with a garden swing--and wooded hillside views.
Prior to that, home was a three-bedroom, inner city apartment in Sydney. It was lovely and close to the city and my job. Unfortunately, it was also right under the flight path. Eventually I got sick of being able to tell the time by the passenger jets zooming above my head.
Prior to that I was a practicing archaeologist, and I was lucky enough to have worked on some amazing digs around the world. After several years in the field I was drawn to teaching and ended up as Head of History in a local high school. While there I took the opportunity to take my students overseas to visit various archaeological sites in Europe and Britain. It was a fabulous way to combine my love of history with travel, and share it with others. On one tour, in Italy, I managed to indulge my other passion--gelato ice cream. We renamed it The Gelato Crawl of Italy!
I've always been a story-teller, but it wasn't until five years ago that I seriously ventured into writing. The result was Bloodgifted. In 2011 it was shortlisted in the Atlas Award and came fourth. In 2012 it was listed among the top ten in the Choclit Search for an Aussie Star Competition. In 2013, I was offered a publishing contract but declined in favour of going indie. I liked the idea of being in charge of my own creation.
Bloodgifted is just the start of a four-part series I've entitled, The Dantonville Legacy. Book 2, Bloodpledge, was released four months ago. Later I intend writing individual books on the other characters in the series, for they all have their own story.
Social Media Links
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/timamarialacoba
Facebook – http://www.facebook/TimaMariaLacoba
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads/TimaMariaLacoba
My website – http://timamarialacoba.blogspot.com
Amazon Author page - http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FIZXFJA Eve xx
October 20, 2014
Cover Reveal: Jill Knapp
Today we have the first glimpse at the cover art of HarperImpulse author, Jill Knapp's next book, "We've Always Got New York", coming out November 20th! 
This novel is book #2 in the "What Happens To Men..?" series, which is now available in paperback in Great Britain. The first book has gotten rave reviews, and has divided its readers into two groups. Are you on Team Michael? Or are you on Team Hayden?
You can get a copy of book #1 here -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Happens-When-They-Manhattan-ebook/dp/B00KKC43BA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1413380045&sr=1-1&keywords=jill+knapp "We've Always Got New York" picks up after Amalia Hastings returns to Manhattan from her trip to Brazil to find that life has in fact gone on without her. Fresh off the plane, she is left feeling anxious and unresolved, left alone to pick up the pieces, and deal with the repercussions of choosing her own path over Michael. Amalia finds herself without an apartment, without a job, and starting to wonder if she's even without a best friend!
Jill can be reached on Twitter at @JL_Knapp and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jill-Knapp/1488935691330000?ref=hl
Now here's a sneak peak at the first chapter of "We've Always Got New York"!! Excerpt: Chapter 1- Amalia
I could tell by the look on her face that she was expecting something from me. She was expecting something to be different. For me to be, in some way, changed.
I’m Amalia Hastings, and on August 20th at 9:17 pm, I was home.
Home. The word seemed funny to me because I didn’t have a home to go back to. I moved out of my apartment right before leaving for Brazil and after my friend-with-benefits, Michael, showed up at my apartment, asking me to stay. I hadn’t thought it through properly; I just knew I didn’t want to live in that apartment anymore. Before my trip to Brazil I packed up what little stuff I owned and put it in storage for when I returned, assuming I would deal with it then. Well, “then” has become “now”. So for tonight I was staying with my best friend Cassandra. Who was currently waving at me.
I knew what she wanted. She wanted stories. Juicy ones that involved hot hookups on the sand. She wanted to see pictures. Pictures of the places I went, the food I ate, and the hot guys I met. She wanted me to run up to her in a sun dress, hair braided and skin tanned, and explain, no, to pontificate, to her how life-changing my trip was. She wanted me to playfully link her arm around mine and gush about how amazing it all was. How I was changed forever. That I had a new appreciation for life, food, and music. She wanted me to tell her that I would never be the same.
But this isn’t the movies and I’m not Julia Roberts.
The florescent lights above me flickered, making the airport look dark and ominous. I looked down at my hand as I pulled my rolling suitcase across the sticky, tiled floor. Not even my hand had acquired a tan. Three months in the Brazilian sun and my skin remained as pale as ever.
Cassandra was looking right at me with wide, unblinking eyes. I walked a little slower.
For some reason I couldn’t pinpoint, coming off the plane felt like a surreal experience to me. Although I was relieved to have landed, and I wouldn’t have wanted to stay in Brazil any longer, I still wasn’t utterly happy with being back. I wondered if it merely had to do with the fact that I had no apartment to go back to and was feeling pretty untethered from not having a proper home.
There’s an old saying. I’m not really sure where it’s from or who said it first. Kind of the proverb equivalent of The House of the Rising Sun. It proffers, “Wherever you go, there you are”, and up until about one month ago I had no idea what it meant. But now it means everything. It rings in my ears like a scolding mother, repeating itself over and over again until I submit.
I finally stood face to face with Cassandra, who was grinning like a fool at this point. She was dressed down for the night, wearing a purple racer-back tank top that showed off her summer glow, jeans, and gold flip-flops. Her blonde hair was pulled into a loose, messy bun and her make-up was minimal, apart from the extra-shiny, coral lip-gloss she was wearing. She reeked of summer.
“Hey,” I offered, looking down at my sneakers. I wished I had more energy for her, but after ten hours on a plane it was all I could muster up.
Cassandra cocked her head to the side and smiled. Her hair swung back and forth and she popped her hip out like a model in training. She looked as fierce as ever, even dressed-down in comfortable summer clothes.
“That’s all I get? Get over here!” she said, pulling me in for a hug.
I hugged her back for a moment and then pulled away, overcome with exhaustion and jet-lag. I smiled at Cassandra. She smelled like a salty coconut and I realized she had probably come straight from Fire Island, a beach not too far from Long Island and just outside of the city. That explained the dressed-down attire, but not the lip-gloss. Unless, of course, we were going straight back there from JFK airport.
I looked back at the gate. Most people I knew hated airports, but I liked them. They offered a chance to escape. Get on a plane and in six hours from now you could be across the country. You could be in a different town, in a different house, with a different group of people. I think we all took that for granted.
I could go back to Brazil right now. Or I could go somewhere else. I’ve never been to Cincinnati; I wonder what it’s like there. Or maybe Savannah. I could definitely live in Savannah! I took a step backwards, away from Cassie. Back toward the inside of the airport. She just smiled.
“Very funny, Amalia!” she said through perfectly white teeth. “Don’t sneak away from me now. I’m so glad you’re back, I really missed you.”
Cassie threw her arm over me and smushed our faces together. She whipped out her iPhone and flipped the camera application around so the front lens could be used and snapped a picture of the two of us. Before I knew it, she uploaded the picture to Facebook with the caption “So excited, Amalia is officially home!”
Without glancing back, she walked a few feet in front of me and remained glued to her phone. The back of her Havaianas smacking onto her heels echoed throughout the now nearly empty hallway. I let out a long sigh that Cassandra didn’t hear and pulled my suitcase toward the exit. Yep, it was official. I was home. Eve
This novel is book #2 in the "What Happens To Men..?" series, which is now available in paperback in Great Britain. The first book has gotten rave reviews, and has divided its readers into two groups. Are you on Team Michael? Or are you on Team Hayden? You can get a copy of book #1 here -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Happens-When-They-Manhattan-ebook/dp/B00KKC43BA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1413380045&sr=1-1&keywords=jill+knapp "We've Always Got New York" picks up after Amalia Hastings returns to Manhattan from her trip to Brazil to find that life has in fact gone on without her. Fresh off the plane, she is left feeling anxious and unresolved, left alone to pick up the pieces, and deal with the repercussions of choosing her own path over Michael. Amalia finds herself without an apartment, without a job, and starting to wonder if she's even without a best friend!
Jill can be reached on Twitter at @JL_Knapp and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jill-Knapp/1488935691330000?ref=hl Now here's a sneak peak at the first chapter of "We've Always Got New York"!! Excerpt: Chapter 1- Amalia
I could tell by the look on her face that she was expecting something from me. She was expecting something to be different. For me to be, in some way, changed.
I’m Amalia Hastings, and on August 20th at 9:17 pm, I was home.
Home. The word seemed funny to me because I didn’t have a home to go back to. I moved out of my apartment right before leaving for Brazil and after my friend-with-benefits, Michael, showed up at my apartment, asking me to stay. I hadn’t thought it through properly; I just knew I didn’t want to live in that apartment anymore. Before my trip to Brazil I packed up what little stuff I owned and put it in storage for when I returned, assuming I would deal with it then. Well, “then” has become “now”. So for tonight I was staying with my best friend Cassandra. Who was currently waving at me.
I knew what she wanted. She wanted stories. Juicy ones that involved hot hookups on the sand. She wanted to see pictures. Pictures of the places I went, the food I ate, and the hot guys I met. She wanted me to run up to her in a sun dress, hair braided and skin tanned, and explain, no, to pontificate, to her how life-changing my trip was. She wanted me to playfully link her arm around mine and gush about how amazing it all was. How I was changed forever. That I had a new appreciation for life, food, and music. She wanted me to tell her that I would never be the same.
But this isn’t the movies and I’m not Julia Roberts.
The florescent lights above me flickered, making the airport look dark and ominous. I looked down at my hand as I pulled my rolling suitcase across the sticky, tiled floor. Not even my hand had acquired a tan. Three months in the Brazilian sun and my skin remained as pale as ever.
Cassandra was looking right at me with wide, unblinking eyes. I walked a little slower.
For some reason I couldn’t pinpoint, coming off the plane felt like a surreal experience to me. Although I was relieved to have landed, and I wouldn’t have wanted to stay in Brazil any longer, I still wasn’t utterly happy with being back. I wondered if it merely had to do with the fact that I had no apartment to go back to and was feeling pretty untethered from not having a proper home.
There’s an old saying. I’m not really sure where it’s from or who said it first. Kind of the proverb equivalent of The House of the Rising Sun. It proffers, “Wherever you go, there you are”, and up until about one month ago I had no idea what it meant. But now it means everything. It rings in my ears like a scolding mother, repeating itself over and over again until I submit.
I finally stood face to face with Cassandra, who was grinning like a fool at this point. She was dressed down for the night, wearing a purple racer-back tank top that showed off her summer glow, jeans, and gold flip-flops. Her blonde hair was pulled into a loose, messy bun and her make-up was minimal, apart from the extra-shiny, coral lip-gloss she was wearing. She reeked of summer.
“Hey,” I offered, looking down at my sneakers. I wished I had more energy for her, but after ten hours on a plane it was all I could muster up.
Cassandra cocked her head to the side and smiled. Her hair swung back and forth and she popped her hip out like a model in training. She looked as fierce as ever, even dressed-down in comfortable summer clothes.
“That’s all I get? Get over here!” she said, pulling me in for a hug.
I hugged her back for a moment and then pulled away, overcome with exhaustion and jet-lag. I smiled at Cassandra. She smelled like a salty coconut and I realized she had probably come straight from Fire Island, a beach not too far from Long Island and just outside of the city. That explained the dressed-down attire, but not the lip-gloss. Unless, of course, we were going straight back there from JFK airport.
I looked back at the gate. Most people I knew hated airports, but I liked them. They offered a chance to escape. Get on a plane and in six hours from now you could be across the country. You could be in a different town, in a different house, with a different group of people. I think we all took that for granted.
I could go back to Brazil right now. Or I could go somewhere else. I’ve never been to Cincinnati; I wonder what it’s like there. Or maybe Savannah. I could definitely live in Savannah! I took a step backwards, away from Cassie. Back toward the inside of the airport. She just smiled.
“Very funny, Amalia!” she said through perfectly white teeth. “Don’t sneak away from me now. I’m so glad you’re back, I really missed you.”
Cassie threw her arm over me and smushed our faces together. She whipped out her iPhone and flipped the camera application around so the front lens could be used and snapped a picture of the two of us. Before I knew it, she uploaded the picture to Facebook with the caption “So excited, Amalia is officially home!”
Without glancing back, she walked a few feet in front of me and remained glued to her phone. The back of her Havaianas smacking onto her heels echoed throughout the now nearly empty hallway. I let out a long sigh that Cassandra didn’t hear and pulled my suitcase toward the exit. Yep, it was official. I was home. Eve
October 4, 2014
Jazz Baby...
Today I have the fabulous author Téa Cooper on the blog taking us through the inspiration for her latest book Jazz Baby which releases 22nd October. She's given us a lovely excerpt to tempt us with too. Take it away Téa... Inspiration comes from the strangest places. I work in the local museum and more often than not it is some snippet or artifact that sends my muse into overload. JAZZ BABY was different. She was born in a tiny wine bar in Sydney one wet and rainy evening.
Love Tilly Devine
nestles a tiny back alley where Tilly once ruled the underbelly of Sydney. 
Tilly Devine, known as the Queen of Woolloomooloo (that truly is the name of a Sydney suburb!) ran a series of brothels. She and another madam, named Kate Leigh fought for supremacy of the illegal grog and prostitution trade. Their battles became known as the Razor Gang Wars.
I couldn’t resist the setting and wondered if there were ever any happy ever after endings …
Blurb: In the gritty underbelly of 1920s Sydney, a fresh-faced country girl is about to arrive in the big, dark city – and risk everything in the pursuit of her dreams.
Sydney is no place for the fainthearted—five shillings for a twist of snow, a woman for not much more, and a bullet if you look sideways at the wrong person.
Dolly Bowman is ready and willing to take on all the brash, bustling city has to offer. After all it is the 1920s, a time for a girl to become a woman and fulfil her dreams. Turning her back on her childhood, she takes up a position working as a housemaid while she searches for her future.
World War I flying ace Jack Dalton knows he’s luckier than most. He’s survived the war with barely a scratch, a couple of astute business decisions have paid off, and he’s set for the high life. But a glimpse of a girl that he had forgotten, from a place he’s tried to escape suddenly sets all his plans awry. Try as he might he can’t shake the past, and money isn’t enough to pay the debts he’s incurred.
ISBN: 9780857991928
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2014 Buy Links:
Harlequin Escape http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/author/téa-cooper
Amazon.com: http://ow.ly/B4ybQ
iTunes: http://ow.ly/B4ym3
Amazon.Aus : http://ow.ly/B4ytq
Kobo: http://ow.ly/B6SJM
For reviewers: NetGalley https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/show/id/52901 Excerpt:
Heeled shoes tip-tapped on the black and white floor tiles and she gaped at the vision framed in the narrow hallway. A shiny black, beaded dress, fringed and tasseled, stopped almost at the woman’s knees and her long slim legs, encased in the sheerest silk stockings, led to the most elegant ankle strapped shoes ever seen. Smoothing her hands down her brown worsted coat, Dolly blinked and peered at the woman. Her bobbed hair lay like a waved helmet on her head and the ribbon holding it all in place looked like a fine bandage.
The woman stopped halfway down the hall and gave a little shimmy. “Well hello! What have we here?”
“I’m here to see Mrs Mack, about the job.” Dolly screwed up her face cringing at the squeaky sound of her voice.
“Oh! A new girl. How exciting!” Lifting her hand to her mouth the woman dragged on a cigarette in an ivory holder, then exhaled a cloud of perfect smoke rings making Dolly’s eyes water.
“Darling!” The woman called down the hallway, “Come and meet the new girl.”
Biography:
Téa Cooper divides her time between Sydney and the nineteenth century village of Wollombi, in the Hunter Valley of NSW Australia. When she isn't writing, Téa can be found haunting museums or chatting to the locals, who offer a never-ending source of inspiration. Her first two rural historical romances, Lily’s Leap and Matilda’s Freedom are set in and around Wollombi and Jazz Baby involves both Sydney and Wollombi.
In February 2015 Forgotten Fragrance the first book in a family saga entitled From the Ocean to the Outback, is due for release and there is a sequel to Jazz Baby entitled The Wages of Sin in the pipeline. At the moment Téa is working on a parallel time-line series entitled The Adventures of Miss Abigail Wynter and an Australian Regency – The Great Platypus Hoax. She has also written three contemporary romances.
Find out more about her here:
Website: www.teacooperauthor.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeaCooper
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeaCooper1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/teacooperauthor
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/teacooperauthor/ Eve xx
Tilly Devine, known as the Queen of Woolloomooloo (that truly is the name of a Sydney suburb!) ran a series of brothels. She and another madam, named Kate Leigh fought for supremacy of the illegal grog and prostitution trade. Their battles became known as the Razor Gang Wars.I couldn’t resist the setting and wondered if there were ever any happy ever after endings …
Blurb: In the gritty underbelly of 1920s Sydney, a fresh-faced country girl is about to arrive in the big, dark city – and risk everything in the pursuit of her dreams. Sydney is no place for the fainthearted—five shillings for a twist of snow, a woman for not much more, and a bullet if you look sideways at the wrong person.
Dolly Bowman is ready and willing to take on all the brash, bustling city has to offer. After all it is the 1920s, a time for a girl to become a woman and fulfil her dreams. Turning her back on her childhood, she takes up a position working as a housemaid while she searches for her future.
World War I flying ace Jack Dalton knows he’s luckier than most. He’s survived the war with barely a scratch, a couple of astute business decisions have paid off, and he’s set for the high life. But a glimpse of a girl that he had forgotten, from a place he’s tried to escape suddenly sets all his plans awry. Try as he might he can’t shake the past, and money isn’t enough to pay the debts he’s incurred.
ISBN: 9780857991928
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2014 Buy Links:
Harlequin Escape http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/author/téa-cooper
Amazon.com: http://ow.ly/B4ybQ
iTunes: http://ow.ly/B4ym3
Amazon.Aus : http://ow.ly/B4ytq
Kobo: http://ow.ly/B6SJM
For reviewers: NetGalley https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/show/id/52901 Excerpt:
Heeled shoes tip-tapped on the black and white floor tiles and she gaped at the vision framed in the narrow hallway. A shiny black, beaded dress, fringed and tasseled, stopped almost at the woman’s knees and her long slim legs, encased in the sheerest silk stockings, led to the most elegant ankle strapped shoes ever seen. Smoothing her hands down her brown worsted coat, Dolly blinked and peered at the woman. Her bobbed hair lay like a waved helmet on her head and the ribbon holding it all in place looked like a fine bandage.
The woman stopped halfway down the hall and gave a little shimmy. “Well hello! What have we here?”
“I’m here to see Mrs Mack, about the job.” Dolly screwed up her face cringing at the squeaky sound of her voice.
“Oh! A new girl. How exciting!” Lifting her hand to her mouth the woman dragged on a cigarette in an ivory holder, then exhaled a cloud of perfect smoke rings making Dolly’s eyes water.
“Darling!” The woman called down the hallway, “Come and meet the new girl.”
Biography:
Téa Cooper divides her time between Sydney and the nineteenth century village of Wollombi, in the Hunter Valley of NSW Australia. When she isn't writing, Téa can be found haunting museums or chatting to the locals, who offer a never-ending source of inspiration. Her first two rural historical romances, Lily’s Leap and Matilda’s Freedom are set in and around Wollombi and Jazz Baby involves both Sydney and Wollombi.
In February 2015 Forgotten Fragrance the first book in a family saga entitled From the Ocean to the Outback, is due for release and there is a sequel to Jazz Baby entitled The Wages of Sin in the pipeline. At the moment Téa is working on a parallel time-line series entitled The Adventures of Miss Abigail Wynter and an Australian Regency – The Great Platypus Hoax. She has also written three contemporary romances.
Find out more about her here:
Website: www.teacooperauthor.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeaCooper
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeaCooper1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/teacooperauthor
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/teacooperauthor/ Eve xx
September 18, 2014
Cover Reveal: The Love List
So as my next contemporary romance comes out on...2nd October 2014 I thought I'd share with you all the lovely cover and blurb! 
Blurb:
Falling in love is just not on Nora King’s To Do List…
Neither is accidentally super-gluing her shoe to her hand right before the biggest presentation of her life!
With all the hard work she’d put into securing the
family business after her father’s death, Nora has no choice but to accept help from a knight in shining armour.
Disaster relief worker Ethan Love is still
haunted by his last deployment, and desperate for distraction. He’s in town to ask Nora for a major favour, and swooping in to save her presentation is a sure way to get her on side.
As Ethan sticks around and helps Nora through her grief, her barriers tumble down…but will she dare to swap her To Do lists for a How to Fall in Love list?
Available for pre-order at:
AMAZON GOOGLE PLAY
iTUNES KOBO
p.s. If you've already fallen in love with the first King--Jared, from Her Best Laid Plans, then you'll love meeting his sister Nora King, and watching her fall for sexy, laid-back Ethan Love. Eve xx
Blurb:Falling in love is just not on Nora King’s To Do List…
Neither is accidentally super-gluing her shoe to her hand right before the biggest presentation of her life!
With all the hard work she’d put into securing the
family business after her father’s death, Nora has no choice but to accept help from a knight in shining armour.
Disaster relief worker Ethan Love is still
haunted by his last deployment, and desperate for distraction. He’s in town to ask Nora for a major favour, and swooping in to save her presentation is a sure way to get her on side.
As Ethan sticks around and helps Nora through her grief, her barriers tumble down…but will she dare to swap her To Do lists for a How to Fall in Love list?
Available for pre-order at:
AMAZON GOOGLE PLAY
iTUNES KOBO
p.s. If you've already fallen in love with the first King--Jared, from Her Best Laid Plans, then you'll love meeting his sister Nora King, and watching her fall for sexy, laid-back Ethan Love. Eve xx
September 2, 2014
Sneak Peek...Stable Mates by Zara Stoneley
Today I have the very lovely Zara Stoneley on the blog with a real treat...a sneak peek from her forth-coming fabulousness, "Stable Mates". Take it away Zara... 
Stable Mates by Zara Stoneley
There’s one thing better than hot hero – and that’s several! I’ve worked and played in the Cheshire countryside for quite a few years now and I’ve learned that all that fresh air and exercise can give you an appetite for life (and food – but you can work the calories off!).
In Stable Mates I had the ideal opportunity to introduce lots of athletic, yummy men – from the fit eventer Rory, to the older Billy and ex-model Tom, with a lot more in between! Tempted to check them out?
Well HarperImpulse kindly indulged me and ran some profiles here , you can find out more about Tippermere here , or just read on and find out a bit more about the gorgeous Mick…
Excerpt
Lottie walked on to Rory’s yard just as a man she’d never seen before stripped his t-shirt over his head and displayed a very attractive
six-pack. She counted. It was definitely a six-pack. And she was pretty sure that if she had seen it before she would have remembered. Bodies like that tended to make a lasting impression.
Driving back from Tipping House, she’d had two things on her mind. One, what was her grandmother up to? Because she was definitely up to something as far as Tom and Uncle Dom went. And two, why was Tom here, in Tippermere? Why here exactly? There was something he wasn’t saying, and she had a horrible feeling there was something Elizabeth knew. Or why would she have been so interested?
Both thoughts were swiftly delegated to the back of her mind though as the beautiful naked torso, or was that naked beautiful torso, grabbed
every inch of her attention. As he had his top fixed firmly over his head, and so couldn’t see, there didn’t seem to be a problem in taking advantage and staring. So she did. Until she realised he’d thrown the clothing to one side and
she was staring open-mouthed at a guy who was staring straight back at her. He wasn’t open-mouthed though, he looked slightly concerned, like she might be a deranged mad woman escaped from the nearest loony bin. She shut her mouth.
‘Sorry.’ And went red. ‘I, er, have you seen Rory, or er, Pip?’
‘You must be Lottie.’ Now that was the type of deep, dark, sexy voice she thought only existed in her imagination. She’d always had a thing for
a nice accent, and Irish just shot straight to the top of the hit parade. Lottie resisted the fleeting urge to shut her eyes and ask him to keep talking. Then it registered that he knew her name. And she didn’t know his; she really would have remembered if she’d met him before. With or without clothes. Definitely.
Thanks for letting me stop by, Eve! x
Blurb
Secrets and scandals, love and lust –
when the ‘Cheshire Set’ are up against the ‘Footballer’s Wives’ the only common
ground is carnal…
Flirting and fun seem the perfect antidote for
Lottie's battered heart, and where better to find them than back in tranquil Tippermere, home of sexy eventer Rory Steel, the smiling Irish eyes of hunky farrier Mick O'Neal, and mysterious newcomer, model Tom Strachan?
But when landowner Marcus James drops dead unexpectedly, and the threat of his waggish wife Amanda selling the heart of the village out from under them looms large, things look like they're about to heat up in and out of the saddle.
With tensions running high, and the champagne flowing as freely as the adrenalin, is it any wonder that love catches more than one of them
unawares?
Buy links
Amazon Barnes& Noble Kobo Foyles Waterstones Sainsbury’s
Google Play iTunes Blackwells
Bio
Bestselling author Zara Stoneley lives
in deepest Cheshire surrounded by horses, dogs, cats and amazing countryside.
When she’s not visiting wine bars, artisan markets or admiring the scenery in her sexy high heels or green wellies, she can be found in flip flops on the beach in Barcelona, or more likely sampling the tapas!
Zara writes hot romance and bonkbusters.
Her latest novel, ‘Stable Mates’, is a fun romp through the Cheshire countryside and combines some of her greatest loves – horses, dogs, hot men and strong women (and not forgetting champagne and fast cars)!
She writes for Harper Collins and Accent Press.
Find out more about Zara:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Google+ Eve xx
Stable Mates by Zara Stoneley There’s one thing better than hot hero – and that’s several! I’ve worked and played in the Cheshire countryside for quite a few years now and I’ve learned that all that fresh air and exercise can give you an appetite for life (and food – but you can work the calories off!).
In Stable Mates I had the ideal opportunity to introduce lots of athletic, yummy men – from the fit eventer Rory, to the older Billy and ex-model Tom, with a lot more in between! Tempted to check them out?
Well HarperImpulse kindly indulged me and ran some profiles here , you can find out more about Tippermere here , or just read on and find out a bit more about the gorgeous Mick…
Excerpt
Lottie walked on to Rory’s yard just as a man she’d never seen before stripped his t-shirt over his head and displayed a very attractive
six-pack. She counted. It was definitely a six-pack. And she was pretty sure that if she had seen it before she would have remembered. Bodies like that tended to make a lasting impression.
Driving back from Tipping House, she’d had two things on her mind. One, what was her grandmother up to? Because she was definitely up to something as far as Tom and Uncle Dom went. And two, why was Tom here, in Tippermere? Why here exactly? There was something he wasn’t saying, and she had a horrible feeling there was something Elizabeth knew. Or why would she have been so interested?
Both thoughts were swiftly delegated to the back of her mind though as the beautiful naked torso, or was that naked beautiful torso, grabbed
every inch of her attention. As he had his top fixed firmly over his head, and so couldn’t see, there didn’t seem to be a problem in taking advantage and staring. So she did. Until she realised he’d thrown the clothing to one side and
she was staring open-mouthed at a guy who was staring straight back at her. He wasn’t open-mouthed though, he looked slightly concerned, like she might be a deranged mad woman escaped from the nearest loony bin. She shut her mouth.
‘Sorry.’ And went red. ‘I, er, have you seen Rory, or er, Pip?’
‘You must be Lottie.’ Now that was the type of deep, dark, sexy voice she thought only existed in her imagination. She’d always had a thing for
a nice accent, and Irish just shot straight to the top of the hit parade. Lottie resisted the fleeting urge to shut her eyes and ask him to keep talking. Then it registered that he knew her name. And she didn’t know his; she really would have remembered if she’d met him before. With or without clothes. Definitely.
Thanks for letting me stop by, Eve! x
Blurb Secrets and scandals, love and lust –
when the ‘Cheshire Set’ are up against the ‘Footballer’s Wives’ the only common
ground is carnal…
Flirting and fun seem the perfect antidote for
Lottie's battered heart, and where better to find them than back in tranquil Tippermere, home of sexy eventer Rory Steel, the smiling Irish eyes of hunky farrier Mick O'Neal, and mysterious newcomer, model Tom Strachan?
But when landowner Marcus James drops dead unexpectedly, and the threat of his waggish wife Amanda selling the heart of the village out from under them looms large, things look like they're about to heat up in and out of the saddle.
With tensions running high, and the champagne flowing as freely as the adrenalin, is it any wonder that love catches more than one of them
unawares?
Buy links
Amazon Barnes& Noble Kobo Foyles Waterstones Sainsbury’s
Google Play iTunes Blackwells
Bio
Bestselling author Zara Stoneley lives
in deepest Cheshire surrounded by horses, dogs, cats and amazing countryside.
When she’s not visiting wine bars, artisan markets or admiring the scenery in her sexy high heels or green wellies, she can be found in flip flops on the beach in Barcelona, or more likely sampling the tapas!
Zara writes hot romance and bonkbusters.
Her latest novel, ‘Stable Mates’, is a fun romp through the Cheshire countryside and combines some of her greatest loves – horses, dogs, hot men and strong women (and not forgetting champagne and fast cars)!
She writes for Harper Collins and Accent Press.
Find out more about Zara:
Website
Google+ Eve xx
