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Claudia Y. Burgoa Author Spotlight

Born on the mystical day of October 30th in the not so mystical lands of Mexico City, Claudia grew up with a childhood that resembled a caffeine-injected soap opera. Seventeen years ago she ventured to the lands of her techie husband—a.k.a. the U.S.—with their offspring to start a new adventure.

She now lives in Colorado working as a CFO for a small IT company, managing her household filled with three confused dogs, said nerd husband, two daughters wrought with fandoms and a son who thinks he’s the boss of the house. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact.

Get to know Claudia:

What’s the best thing about being an author?

I enjoy playing with the character’s lives delineating their outcome and in my own world making things better… or worse.

Are you inspired by any particular books or authors?

I think I have the influence of every author and book I ever read, trying to pinpoint a specific one is hard.

What are your must have writing accessories?

Wireless keyboard, tea and music.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Don’t give up, write, write, write and write.

If you could work with any author who would it be?

Oscar Wilde

What sort of books do you personally enjoy to read?

Like music, I’ve eclectic taste. I enjoy about every genre—except horror, I’ve read only a few of those in my life time.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

Unbelievable, it can only happen to me!

Tell us a little about Next to You?

Next To You is the sequel to Where Life Takes You, it starts right after the first book ended. This book is written from Daniel’s POV, as oppose as WLTY where we follow the story from Becca’s side. Daniel tells you what is life without his best friend, his own healing journey and happiness.

What traits do you and Becca have in common?

My love for chocolate

Who designed the book cover?

Damonza

What was the hardest part of writing the book?

Writing the entire book from the perspective of Daniel, and making the decision to cut the number of letters between Dan and Becca. We didn’t want the reader to fall asleep after letter number 10.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Standing By, the second book of the Knight series; to be released around mid-September and I’m working on a new Sci-Fi Nix Terra.

Him

…I need time. Time to heal those wings and learn to use them…

Was part of the letter Rebecca Trent, Daniel Brightmore’s fiancée and best friend left when she ran away. The person he trusted the most for the past decade disappeared without giving him a second glance. She taught him how to love, believe in family and that everyone deserves a happily ever after. Now he’s struggling between wiping any traces of her from his life and drowning his sorrows away with the help of his new best friends—Don Julio and Jack Daniels.

Her

Rebecca’s past suffocated her to the point of not wanting to continue, her lifeline and the only reason to live began to withdraw from her. She wished it had been her imagination, but heard it loud and clear: “If not, there’s always a divorce, nothing is forever.” This time it became a leave or die situation. Something has got to change—she had to change. Packing light and leaving a letter behind, she takes a journey that can help her find herself through the shards of her painful childhood.

As letters, memories and stories are exchanged, two once inseparable people reconcile what’s left of their relationship. Beyond the confines of everything they built together, they’re left with two lonely people searching for what it means to be whole. Will they find meaning under their bruised psyches or will their pasts get the better of them?

As I step outside the elevator and come close to my office, Betsy my efficient fifty some year old assistant with the pressed tailored suit and blond bob opens her eyes wide. She straightens her posture and I know her back stiffens right when I reach her desk, though she says nothing. The grimace on her face feels like a judgment and some part of me wants to apologize, though the rest of me wins and I choose to ignore her.

“Coffee Sir?” she asks as I take the messages from the tray on the left corner of her desk where she usually leaves them in the morning without answering. “Mr. Brightmore.” She clears her throat and finally stops typing. “Dr. Vadapalli called earlier and asked me to send you home if you came by. You need to rest.”

A grunt escapes me, home… there’s no fucking home. My new address is down the block in the Presidential suite of one of the hotels I own, but I refrain from giving her those specifics since she knows them well enough.

“Raj Vadapalli isn’t the one running this company,” I remind her while reading through my messages. “As I recall, I’m the one who signs your paycheck.”

Ty, Buddy, Raj and Ashley have left messages, all of them telling me to go home. Call them, they are here for me. It has been four days. Four fucking days since I came home to find the letter on top of her pillow with the pink diamond ring next to it, saying ‘goodbye, have a fucking nice life.’ Fucking bitch.

“Shh,” Betsy hisses while setting her index finger on top of her lips, like a school librarian chiding a child. “Mr. Brightmore, are you drunk again?”

“Nope,” I answer standing up as straight as I can. “Again would imply that I let the buzz go, and I won’t… Hold my calls.” I bang her desk a couple of times with the crystal paperweight that reads employee of the year. It was a present from Rebecca to her. “I’m in the mood to destroy a company or two.”

After that, I head into my office, but stop right in the threshold. “Did you cancel the wedding?” A question I had been meaning to ask yesterday… or whenever Raj sent me home. Unlike today, when he said I needed to be responsible. “Because she said no wedding.” I place a hand inside my pants pocket and fidget with the ring she returned. “How stupid is that? You know, I have women throwing themselves at my feet on a daily basis. Women who are more willing to do whatever shit I tell them to do. Anyone would do anything to be Mrs. Brightmore… and she dumped me.” Betsy doesn’t seem to assimilate it quiet yet. That makes me say it louder. “She dumped me.” There’s no response from her part and I walk back to her desk and grab the phone handle, then press the keys to access the company speaker and say it again. This time separating the words, so they sink in. “Rebecca. Trent. Dumped. Me.”

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Fate’s Mistake by Brandace Morrow Cover Reveal

Book Title: Fate’s Mistake

Author: Brandace Morrow

Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 19, 2014

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

He was the perfect gentleman, and my parents adored him. In time, I learned to adore him too. I married him. He was my forever.

Until the day he hit me.

Five years went by with the speed of a ticking clock, counting down my life one painful second at a time.

Until Danny. Danny saw me. Danny was my hero.

Danny was the one I was supposed to be with. But now I’m broken, shattered into pieces too jagged to fit back together.Isn’t that what fate is? Puzzles fit together by an unseen hand to form a life worth living.So when fate makes a mistake, who fixes it?

Brandace Morrow is a full time mom of four, and currently stationed overseas with her sexy soldier. Her recent obsessions are Maroon 5, Luke Bryan, The Pretty Reckless, rum and coke, and reading, in no particular order. Despite being terribly awkward with social media, she’s everywhere. Frequently subjecting the public to pictures of her minion’s messes, and everything that is momdom in the Morrow house.

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Taken by Koko Brown Sneak Peek

Book Title: Taken

Author: Koko Brown

Genre: Erotica

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

The playboy…

Khalid Francois Duïs is a man who isn’t afraid to take what he wants. And what he wants is Olivia Pierce. As his best friend’s sister, she was supposed to be off limits but Olivia quickly becomes a fever in his blood he simply can’t shake. He will do whatever it takes to have her with him and underneath him, even it means kidnapping.

The independent woman…

Olivia Pierce vows to never marry, instead choosing to focus on her career. But a clandestine encounter with Khalid’s threatens her resolve. Though her mind says no, her body screams yes! Her only option is to reject the the arrogant industrialist who believes a woman’s place is in his bed.

When Olivia rejects Khalid’s advances, he takes matters in his own hands and whisks her away to placate his obsession. From the tempestuous passion of their first encounter, across stormy seas, to a beautiful oasis in Africa, Olivia becomes his prisoner and a slave to Khalid’s all-consuming seduction.

Olivia inhaled a deep, calming breath. She’d marched downstairs to put Khalid Francois Duïs in his place, but her shored-up indignation crumbled the moment she laid eyes on him. So much so, her temper had become self-directed.

She’d expected a man dressed in Eastern garb, sporting a bushy beard and moustache. Not a refined, clean-shaven gentleman in black evening attire with a face that would make most women lose their common sense.

His features were downright exquisite. Sun-kissed skin and inky black hair cropped closely to his head, served to emphasize the lean sculpted planes of his face and full, sensual mouth. And yet, none of these fine attributes compared to his eyes, which were pale green, thickly lashed and absolutely mesmerizing.

Unable to help herself, Olivia’s gaze drifted across the table. To her horror, Khalid was staring right back at her, unabashed, with a smile that bordered on arrogant.

In that instant, Olivia knew she despised him. He was everything she loathed in a man—chauvinistic, narcissistic, and pigheaded. And there would be no changing him. He would never respect her as his equal.

Too bad her body responded to his allure in quite a different manner. With each passing second, her temperature seemed to soar. Heat raced through her veins, causing her cheeks, breasts and the hidden place between her thighs to become enflamed.She was practically burning up, as if overcome with a fever which left her slightly delirious and incapable of resisting him or her suddenly depraved thoughts. He had her so befuddled she fought the impulse to jump from her seat, march around the table, and plant her mouth over his.

Koko Brown is an USA TODAY Bestselling author and romance junkie who once read over 200 Zebra romance Club novels the summer before her senior year in high school.

Her writing career began at the tender age of nine when she self-published and distributed a newspaper for her fellow classmates. Unfortunately, her grade-school principal Mr. Clark didn’t appreciate the competition and put her out of business after one best-selling issue.

Undaunted, Koko continued to write and read everything she could get her hands on. She honed her writing skills as a staff writer on her college’s newspaper, writing obituaries for the local newspaper, and even teaching American Literature.

One day, while daydreaming in bed, she came up with the idea for her first erotic manuscript. Taking a hiatus from teaching, she had enough time on her hands to flesh out the story in two short weeks. A month later, she cleaned it up and sent it to Ellora’s Cave . By January, she received a revision letter from one of their editors and by March she signed a contract for her vampire erotic novel Charmed.

Koko calls the east coast of Florida home. Even though she’s a multipublished author of interracial erotic romance, she has a life. She loves to travel (three continents, 20+ countries and 38 states so far), shop in thrift stores, ride motorcycles, and volunteering.

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Designed by Alicia Renee Kline Release Day Event

Book Title: Designed

Author: Alicia Renee Kline

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 18, 2014

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Blake Snyder is an expert at bringing visions to life. Owner of a successful interior design business, she prides herself on creating things that are picture perfect. If only her talent extended to her personal life.

Chris Taylor is her brother’s best friend, but more importantly, her ex. After a messy breakup years ago, they’ve been careful to avoid each other.

But out of sight isn’t necessarily out of mind. Chris holds a special place for her in his heart – and a never presented engagement ring. Blake can’t stop thinking about him – despite her frequent attempts to replace him.

When a series of events in the present lead Blake to confront the truth in her past, she knows that it’s time to come clean about what really drove them apart. What she reveals is something that brings him to his knees yet again.

Can Chris forgive her for a decade of secrets and omissions? Will their love for one another be strong enough to withstand the repercussions of a decision made long before? Or will the bombshell spell their ultimate demise?

Alicia Renee Kline has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her work has evolved from scrawling story ideas in spiral notebooks in loopy, middle school handwriting (complete with scribbles) to more professional looking fare via her laptop. She is eternally grateful for the “delete” key, so that no one can tell that she doesn’t get everything right the first time.

She resides in Northeastern Indiana with her husband, two daughters, two cats and two hamsters. When she isn’t being an author, she works full time in the insurance industry.

Why did my mind always wander to him? I stared at my reflection in my bedroom mirror, wondering if I was only fooling myself into believing that I was happy being by myself. I’d proven both him and my father wrong during the almost decade since Matthew’s second arrest, holding true to my word that I’d be okay on my own. In many ways, I had been.

I slumped down on my round mattress, allowing myself a moment of composure. This was my sanctuary now, a place Chris had never physically touched, though his memory lived here most every night. My bedroom was my favorite room in my house, loving referred to as “The Bubble Room” due to the circular patterns found throughout. The look I’d been going for was reminiscent of floating on a cloud, or blowing a giant bubble out in the middle of a purple sunset. I succeeded on both counts based on the looks that people gave me when they entered. It almost made me believe my own hype; that I was as talented as others insisted I was.

But clouds brought storms and bubbles popped.

And my sanctuary wasn’t a place of fond memories, of calm and restoration. It was a place where I retreated, alone, after a full day of pretending that I wasn’t. A place where I sometimes woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and sobbing, doubled over in phantom pain as I remembered the life that never was.

It had been a nice touch to make my bed round, I supposed. It might be quirky and impossible to buy bedding for in a store, but it was damn well convenient for curling up into the fetal position.

So often, I’d dreamt about him being here with me, stroking my hair adoringly as he dried my tears. As he whispered forgiveness for what I’d done to him. As he told me the thing I most wanted to hear: that he loved me despite everything in our past.

But he’d never sat beside me and said that, much as I wanted him to. Yet I reserved that space for him here like he had, much the same as I held it open in my heart. Until he’d warmed it with his presence, it was sacred and I’d never let anyone else fill that void.

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SMASHWORDS | ITUNES

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Cover Reveal for FINDING US by Allie Everhart

 

After the events of last year, Jade and Garret are anxious to get a fresh start in a new town and a new college, far away from the people who tried to tear them apart.But soon after moving, their relationship problems begin. Jade finds out Garret hasn’t been completely honest with her. And knowing he’s been keeping secrets drives her back to old habits. Garret begins to worry when he sees Jade reverting back to the girl he met last year and yet he continues to hide things from her, thinking it’s for the best.

Jade and Garret thought they’d be safe in a small college town but they start to question their safety when a crime occurs in their neighborhood. And the more they investigate it, the more suspicious it becomes. Was it just a random crime or were they the intended victims?

It’s a turbulent start to their new life together. But this is just the beginning. Plans are in the works behind the scenes and Jade and Garret have no idea what’s in store for them.

Note to Readers – BIG Change for Jade #6!

In this latest installment of The Jade Series, readers will finally hear from Garret! Finding Us is written from both Jade’s point of view and Garret’s point of view.

 
 

 

 

Allie Everhart writes about dating, love, and romance. She’s also a freelance writer for magazines and websites. Before freelancing, she was a book editor for a publishing company where she worked on several NYT bestselling nonfiction books. She loves to read as much as she loves to write. And when she’s not reading or writing, she’s outside running, which is when she gets her best book ideas.

Website   |   Facebook   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads

 

The Jade Series

 

The Jade

Series is a New Adult Romance that follows the relationship of Jade and Garret

in their first year of college. 

In Choosing You, (Jade 1), Jade and Garret meet on Jade’s first night at Moorhurst College and despite their strong attraction to each other, they’re not allowed to date because of the strict rules that control Garret’s life.

 

In Knowing You, (Jade 2), Garret breaks the family rules and begins dating Jade. Their relationship grows deeper but issues from Jade’s past complicate matters.

 

In Loving You (Jade 3) shows Jade and Garret growing closer as a couple but also hints at the trouble that lies ahead.

 

In Promising You (Jade 4), in which a new challenge emerges for Garret that could interfere with the future he wants with Jade.

 

Originally, book 4 was the end of the series, but fans wanted more of Jade and Garret, so Allie recently published Forever You, an all-new, full-length follow-up book to The Jade Series.

 

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Chris Westlake

Chris Westlake, author of the much-celebrated novel Just a Bit of Banter, Like, has just released his second book!

Rare Bits is a collection of twenty short stories, all with a gritty South Wales setting.

Chris says: “I’ve really tried to test myself with this book, venturing into the unknown. I’ve adapted my writing style for each story and I’ve covered a whole range of different genres, from drama to mystery, suspense and erotica. The stories reflect my own observations of the world as I see it, and I’m sure it equates to funny, if sometimes scary, reading!’

Chris has deliberately kept the price of the book low. It is available from Amazon as a Kindle book for 75p/99c. Chris wants as many potential readers to sample his work so that they can join him for his future endeavours, of which he plans many, including his second novel.

If you enjoyed the dark satire offered in Just a Bit of Banter, Like, then be sure to grab yourself a copy of Rare Bits.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rare-Bits-Chris-Westlake-ebook/dp/B00LG9Q4KY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404671267&sr=1-1&keywords=rare+bits

The book pushes my comfort zone as a reader and aims to push the comfort zone of you, as the reader, too. The stories cover such a range of genres – drama, suspense, action, erotica, humour, mystery – that on occasions I’ve ventured into the unknown, drawing the reader along for the journey.

Some of the stories are dark, others are deep. Some are light, others are slapstick. They are all based in South Wales, continuing the theme from Just a Bit of Banter, Like. At all times my writing is sharp and observational. I’m not one to blow my own trumpet, but I’m very proud of the results!

Having read Just a Bit of Banter, Like, I know how snarky Chris can be, and can’t wait to dive into his latest works!

Thanks for sharing the news of your new release with me today, Chris :) Happy writing!

Giveaway Alert!

I’m neck deep in giveaways at the moment!

So, for your chance to win freebie copies of the Naughty Nookie series, as well as countless other gear, check this out:

 

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Collide by Melissa Toppen Book Blitz

Book Title: Collide

Author: Melissa Toppen

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Book One in the Two Hearts Series.

Grace Morgan is just like any other new college graduate. Driven, head strong and full of life, or so that’s what she lets everyone think. But Grace is not the girl everyone believes her to be and she hasn’t been for years.

After losing her high school sweetheart in a tragic cliff diving accident her junior year of high school, Grace becomes a shadow of her former self. She hides behind her fake smile and her carefree attitude, not allowing even her closest friends and family to see the broken girl she has become. Crippled by loss and heartache, she doesn’t believe in love anymore, not in the way a normal twenty-two year old girl should.

But all of that is about to change…..

Zayne Evans is the one man that holds the power to bring Grace to her knees. Her older brother’s best friend, a successful entrepreneur and a known womanizer, Zayne may be beautiful and charming as hell, but he also has bad news written all over him. But that doesn’t stop Grace from wondering what it would be like to spend just one night with a man like Zayne. A man who is just as good as she is at hiding the real person beneath the mask.

What starts out as a rocky week vacation at her families Lake House, turns into the beginning of something neither of them is prepared for. After an intense week under the same roof, Grace is determined to walk away and never seen Zayne again. But fate has a different plan…..

Zayne is the one person that can see through Grace’s façade. Grace is the one woman who is not blinded by Zayne’s looks, money, or his untouchable persona. They challenge each other in a way that neither has been challenged before.

But what happens when the one person you know you need to resist is the only person that makes you feel alive? And what would you sacrifice to feel that way always?

Melissa is a lover of books and enjoys nothing more than losing herself in a good novel. She has a soft spot for Romance and focuses her writing in that direction but hopes to one day branch off and do something completely original. She loves music and is obsessed with the band Blue October! She has a rock star of a husband who gives it to her straight and two beautiful young children that show her what really matters in this life.

“You just gonna hide out here all day baby girl?” Alec’s smooth voice fills my ears just moments later, startling me. I shoot my head up and pin my eyes on my oldest brother. He smiles at me lovingly and takes a couple more steps down the dock until he is standing just feet from where I am laying

“If it means avoiding Ian’s taunting for a few minutes longer, then yes.” I say, smiling widely at him. He nods, knowing full well what I mean and closes the distance between us. He sits down next to me, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

I pull my sunglasses down onto the bridge of my nose and peer up at him. While Ian made it out to my graduation with mom, I have not seen Alec in almost a year. Even still, time has not changed him. He looks almost exactly as I remembered him. Rumpled brown hair that hangs across his forehead, his large toned frame dressed in tan cargo shorts and a white t-shirt. He crosses his muscled arms in front of his broad chest and meets my gaze.

“How are you Grace?” He asks. “I mean really.” He adds, knowing full well that I will tell him everything is wonderful no matter what is going on with my life. Even with that knowledge, he still pushes for the truth. Unlike Ian, Alec has always had a way of reading me, even if he doesn’t admit it.

While Ian is my cute, playful, snowboard loving, free spirited, artist of a brother. Alec is the more serious one. While I like to think that I know him well, like me, I know that he never truly lets people in. But he is my protector. The one who stepped into my father’s shoes even though he was already away at college when dad passed. Being ten years older than me, he has always been very protective of me and that fact increased one hundred fold when he became the eldest man in the family.

“I’m good.” I finally answer, sighing loudly and resting my chin on hand. “How’s New York?” I ask. While the main reason I am moving there is for Emma, it doesn’t hurt that my oldest brother also resides there and will give me some sense of home in the craziness that is New York. “How’s the business?” I tack on, referring to the software development company that he started a few years back with his college roommate. While he doesn’t brag, I know that they have managed to be very successful. Creating and selling various apps for smart phones and other devices.

“It’s good.” He says, being completely modest by how well he has done for himself. I mean, I don’t know what kind of money a business like that brings in but from the way mom describes his downtown penthouse, I would say he makes more than he would ever need.

“Sorry I couldn’t make it out to see you graduate. Hell, I barely got away to come here for the week.” He shrugs. “We both know mom would have killed me.” I can only nod my head in agreement, knowing full well that my mother would have been heartbroken had he not been able to make the trip. None of us has missed a year yet.

“No worries. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Besides, my part lasted a whopping thirty seconds. The rest of the time you would have had to sit there and listen to them call out hundreds of names and I can only imagine how dreadfully boring that would have been for you.”

“It would have been worth it baby girl. You’re a college graduate now. That’s something to be very proud of.” He says, smiling down at me.

I shrug. “Yeah I guess. I’m just glad it’s over honestly. I mean, it was a great experience and all but I am ready to start living my life. College was just a necessary step. I need publishing houses to take me seriously, having an English major is the first step in achieving that.”

“Hey Alec.” A man’s voice I don’t recognize interrupts us. I twist my head to the side and instantly my mouth falls open. Holy hell. Zayne Evans. My brothers college roommate and best friend has always been a looker but I certainly was not prepared to lay my eyes upon the sex god that is now hovering just feet from where my inappropriately covered body is laying. “Your mom and Rob are here.” He says casually, his eyes finding mine for a fraction of a second before turning back to Alec.

“Thanks man.” Alec says, pushing himself to his feet. “Come on baby girl.” He says, holding his hands out to me. I push up on my knees, doing my best to make sure all areas are covered before taking his hands and letting him help me to my feet.

I turn, feeling ridiculously awkward and very self conscious, to face Zayne. The moment my eyes find him again, I have to mentally force myself not to drool. I haven’t seen him since he came home for Thanksgiving with Alec my senior year of high school. Even then he was something to admire but I was just a kid then. Now, words can’t even describe the man before me.

He’s tall, at least six feet or so. His shoulders are broad and his tight fitted gray t-shirt clings to every perfectly defined muscle across his chest and stomach. When my eyes finally make it to his face, I falter. Oh my god, this man is beyond gorgeous. How do I not remember him being so beautiful? Piercing blue eyes with lashes so thick that the shade is only that much more intense. His dark hair is short and messy and has what Emma would call ‘the just fucked look’. Instantly I am envisioning running my hands through his hair, pulling his body flush with mine and kissing him hard. I take a shaky inhale and try to gather my barrings. I have not thought about a man in that way since Kyle and the thought is more than a little unsettling.

“Zayne right?” The question sounds stupid but considering it’s been five years, it doesn’t seem completely ridiculous.

“Good to see you again Grace.” He nods, his smooth voice dripping with seduction. His eyes rake over my nearly naked torso and then back to my face before he quickly turns back to Alec. The action causing my insides to bubble.

“I’ll see you up there.” He says, quickly turning and making his way back up the steps, two at a time. I can’t help but watch him. The way his back flexes with each step, his massive calve muscles clenching with the movement.

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Giveaway Alert!!

Another giveaway and more chances to win lots of prizessssss :)

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Giveaway Alert!

I’m neck deep in giveaways at the moment!

So, for your chance to win freebie copies of the Naughty Nookie series, as well as countless other gear, check this out:

 

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