About S.J. Maylee

S.J. Maylee fell in love with storytelling at a young age and with it came a deep-seated desire for everyone to find their happily ever after. She’s finding the happy endings for her characters one steamy story at a time. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her caring for her garden, laughing with her two young sons, or dancing to her husband’s music. She’s a PMP (Project Management Professional), Nia instructor, and coffee addict. As a writer she has a tendency to break hearts, but she always glues them back together

Spotlight: BET ON ECSTASY by Stacey Kennedy

Posted on September 24, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Pact of Seduction, Book 3 is here. I can’t wait to read BET ON ECSTASY. I’ve been loving this series. See the series on Goodreads here. Enjoy!

BET ON ECSTASY

Pact of Seduction, Book 3

By Stacey Kennedy

Publisher: Loose Id

ISBN: 978-1-62300-462-0

Release date: September 24, 2013

BUY LINKS:

Author website – http://www.staceykennedy.com/bet-on-ecstasy/

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Bet-Ecstasy-Pact-Seduction-ebook/dp/B00FEIYY5K

Loose Id – http://www.loose-id.com/pact-of-seduction-3-bet-on-ecstasy.html

Book Description:

Business partners, Smith and Brock share their fortune, success, and they share their women. A healthy competitive streak built MDR Software into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, and their on-going bets continuously raise the stakes. The current proposition: an arranged ménage encounter through the sex club, Castle Dolce Vita. The prize: a sexy kitten, Kyra.

While the two wealthy, powerful men are enough to pique Kyra’s interests to fulfill the Pact of Seduction and live out her ultimate fantasy, a bet forged between the men comes with an intriguing promise. Her pleasure is now part of their wager.

Soon, Kyra fights against her desire for the men as she struggles through the complications of a ménage relationship. Of course, the men take their bets seriously and are determined to show Kyra that in this game of seduction no one loses.

About the Author:

Stacey Kennedy is an urban fantasy lover at heart, but she also enjoys losing herself in dark and sensual worlds. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who gave her a happily-ever-after. Together, they have two small children who can always make her smile, and who will never be allowed to read Mommy’s books. If she’s not plugging away at a new story, you’ll find her camping, curling up with the latest flick, or obsessing over Supernatural, True Blood, Lost Girl, and Sons of Anarchy.

Website – http://www.staceykennedy.com/

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/AuthorStaceyKennedy

Facebook Fan Page – www.facebook.com/StaceyKennedyFanPage

Twitter – https://twitter.com/#!/Stacey_Kennedy

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3473046.Stacey_Kennedy

CHECK OUT THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE PACT OF SEDUCTION SERIES:http://www.staceykennedy.com/bind-me/

http://www.staceykennedy.com/beg-for-it/

EXCERPT:

“Prick.” Smith slammed the pool cue down on the table, cursing the game that had cost him a thousand dollars. The muscles in his neck ached, as did the throb in his head from concentrating on winning for the last twenty minutes.

His business partner, Brock, laughed. The black ball spun in the corner pocket, and the white ball swept up the table to hit one of Smith’s two remaining striped balls. “Pay up,” Brock stated.

Smith scowled at the glow in Brock’s blue-gray eyes. He mentally flipped Brock off for his satisfied smirk. With a snort, Smith grabbed his wallet from his back pocket, then tossed the money onto the pool table. “You got lucky.”

“Lucky!” Brock gave a booming laugh. “It’s all skill, buddy.”

He cursed again under his breath, dropping down into the leather seat in the corner of his office. Perhaps he shouldn’t have purchased the new pool table. Then he wouldn’t have had his ass handed to him.

His secretary had thought he’d lost his mind when he asked her to place the order. Smith figured it made total sense. A game in between the long hours he worked kept him sane, which made a thought rise. “Did you go through the last stack of résumés?”

Brock nodded. “Sure did, but no one stood out.”

Smith pointed. “You’re too damn picky.” He’d seen at least four résumés that fit exactly what they were looking for to hire new employees to ease up their workload.

Brock grinned. “Perhaps.” He hesitated, then gave a halfhearted shrug. “Why change something that works.”

Even if the month-long search grated on Smith’s last nerve, he also couldn’t deny the truth behind Brock’s statement.

MDR Software had been built upon years of hard work and sweat, not only from Smith, but from Brock too. When the company had celebrated its five-year anniversary, it had grown into a million-dollar venture in Chicago. After the takeover a year later of fellow software company HighDot, located in the heart of Baltimore, MDR’s worth tripled.

Brock leaned against the pool table, his gaze glowing. “New bet?”

“You emptied my wallet, who says I want another bet?”

While Smith did have money in the bank, he didn’t have any other cash on him. It had taken a good year to stop the memories of living paycheck to paycheck and pinching every penny. Though he’d grown more comfortable with money, he’d never forget when they first opened the company, he ate hotdogs for an entire month.

“Not interested in winning your cash back?” Brock asked, stretching his arms.

The sardonic look Brock delivered usually raised the stakes in their bets. A competitive streak had remained healthy between them, and not only in business. For the most part, Smith enjoyed betting on things, except when he lost. “Possibly.”

Smith laced his fingers behind his head, catching a glimpse of the Baltimore skyline out the large panoramic window. The dark night was typical. There wasn’t a day he, or Brock, didn’t put in a ten-hour shift.

Hard work made for a solid company. Yet the long hours had also been the reason why Smith had been pushing for new employees. He wanted a life, not more time in his damned office.

The telephone next to Smith rang once, and Brock’s grin became sinful. Smith’s irritation at the loss of the game morphed into a new type of heat, pooling low in his groin. He reached for the phone on the side table, then held it to his ear. “Smith.”

“Kyra Garner is here to see you,” the security man, Antonio, said. “I realize it’s late, but she said you were expecting her.”

“Send her up.” Smith placed the phone back on the base, spotting Brock’s expression shift in intensity. Smith also sensed the growing impulse to control and conquer. It’d been a long day waiting for Kyra to arrive, and now Brock’s question held a stronger appeal. “I take it she’s the bet?” At Brock’s nod, he added, “What’s the wager?”

Brock smirked. “Ecstasy.”

Smith had always understood why women flocked to Brock; his charisma, handsome features, matched with a lighthearted personality impressed the ladies. Smith witnessed the toughest businesswomen crack under the assault of that smile. “Bet on ecstasy, hmm?” He rubbed his jaw, considering the proposition. “I’m intrigued, but why that one?”

Brock lifted a lazy shoulder. “Any other bet would make us assholes.”

Smith nearly offered a bet on who Kyra would take an interest in, perhaps who she might want to date when the night concluded. It had happened before. Smith had attempted to date two of the women he’d met through ménage adventures with Brock. The last woman had become near obsessive, causing Smith to shut her down when she showed up at his office. The only thing that resulted from any relationship lately was money-hungry women who wanted a certain lifestyle he wouldn’t give them.

Even the women he dated who weren’t into ménage relationships ended up more interested in where he took them for dinner. The social circuit in Baltimore had been disappointing and hadn’t given him anything other than one-night stands.

After consideration, he dismissed the thought of his idea for the bet. Anything too emotional crossed a line neither him, nor Brock, would cross. He preferred no-strings-attached sex, but he wasn’t a coldhearted bastard. “Interesting bet. Indeed.”

Brock ran a hand through his sandy-colored messily styled hair, which amused Smith. No matter if they were surrounded by millionaires, at work, or watching Sunday-night football, his hair always remained disheveled. “Christ, she’ll reap the rewards anyway.”

From what Smith heard out in the hallway, Kyra was nearly at his office, her high heels clicking along the marble floor. “No one loses,” Smith agreed. “Well, except one of us, which will be you.”

“Dream on.” Brock jumped off the pool table as the sound of her heels against the floor drew closer. “You in?”

Smith nodded. “Double it up.”

The clicks of Kyra’s heels sounded right outside the door. One second passed of silence—far longer than he expected. He wondered if she searched for bravery. When she finally entered through the opened door, the sight of her stunned him, and his entire body came to life.

His cock hardened to steel, causing him to groan as raw primal need tensed his muscles. He experienced a pull to her that shocked the wind right out of his lungs—it was more than lust; it was raw chemistry. Kyra was beautiful.

Standing at the doorway, she offered a sweet smile that held a mysterious edge. Her green eyes were a stunning light color he’d never seen before. Her long black hair would drape beautifully over his thighs when her puffy lips pleasured him.

“Hello, Kyra,” he murmured.

She strode into the office with a confidence he favored in women, chin high, gaze fixated directly on him. Once in the center of the office, she licked those lovely glossy pink lips. “Smith.” Her gaze cut to the right. “Brock.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Brock winked, a playful smile teasing the corners of his mouth. “I mean to say, in person, and not through e-mails and texts.”

Her laughter was as lovely as the women who owned it. “Yes, exactly.”

Smith stood from the chair in the corner, gesturing to the leather couch. “Please take a seat.”

Kyra approached the couch, and her scent carried to him. Smith inhaled the mix of flowers and spice that suited her. Sweet with a slice of fire. He reveled in that combination. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

Her smile was polite. “Yes, thank you.”

Smith chuckled under his breath, unable to stop himself. An outsider would think she arrived tonight for business. Kyra looked all too proper in her rose-colored blouse and black pencil skirt, but her killer legs were anything but appropriate.

The meeting tonight had nothing to do with discussing software.

Brock closed the office door and locked it before he dropped down into the couch across from her, while Smith retrieved her wine from the small bar in the corner.

“Do tell us, Kyra, about this pact of seduction you made with your friends,” Brock said. “I must admit, I found your ad at the Castle Dolce Vita…appealing.”

A personal ad Smith and Brock had stumbled upon late one night on the Web site’s forum. Castle Dolce Vita was located out of Bowleys Quarters, a half-hour drive from Baltimore. The castle catered to everything from ménage encounters to BDSM to just about anything the mind could conjure.

Smith poured her wine and corked the bottle. He turned to hear her reply in a strong voice, “It’s a silly pact between friends to live out our ultimate fantasies. Call it boredom, or maybe insanity, but that’s the gist of it. Two of my friends have already completed the pact, and so, here I am.”

Smith enjoyed the strength Kyra portrayed. Most women wouldn’t voice such thoughts so freely without a stumble in speech or mere hesitation. Impressed by her, he approached, eyeing her silky calf crossed over her knee, envisioning exactly where and how he planned to touch her.

Smith reached her, raised his attention to her face, and she bewitched him with her elegance. He offered her the wineglass. “You all joined the Castle Dolce Vita to fulfill this pact?”

She accepted the glass and as she did, he brushed his fingers over hers. Kyra’s eyes widened, breath hitched. “Yes, we all joined. It seemed like the best place to find others looking for similar ventures.”

The perfect place, Smith thought.

Though that interested him, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, more than pleased he wasn’t the only one affected by the clear heat between them. Tonight would be enjoyable for all, if her reactions were anything like she’d shown from the simple touch.

He and Brock had both been members of Castle Dolce Vita since they relocated to Baltimore. Of course, they also had visited many sex clubs around the country who catered to sexual exploration. He’d reveled in the freedom. No emotions. No needy women. He could have fun, then walk away.

While both of them had numerous relationships throughout the years, some lasting longer than others, all failed miserably. Their tastes included an active sexual appetite. Smith had never met a woman who fulfilled him enough, and none of their ménage relationships had ever worked out. The women they’d been with had thought they could handle two men, but it always turned out two was just a little too much.

“Why are you members?” Kyra asked.

Simple question. Simple answer.

Together, they weren’t only solid partners in business and excelled at their work, but with a woman between them, they shone. They’d shared their fortune, success, and enjoyed sharing their women.

Smith watched as Kyra took a sip of her wine and her eyes fluttered closed, indicating she enjoyed the taste of the wine. At six hundred dollars a bottle, Smith wasn’t surprised. He sat down in the leather chair to her left, gazing over the long lines of her shapely, silky legs.

Images of them wrapped around his waist while he drove into her could be his undoing. He forced his gaze onto her face again, which was currently turning a lovely rose color under his examination.

Smith liked the effect he had on her.

He fought to remember her question and cleared his throat. “Our business is our top priority. This tends to mean our time is limited. The castle has provided a means for us to enjoy sex without involving relationships. Also, it has the highest form of privacy.” Even he heard the cold distance in his voice and saw her eyebrows rise.

Every person who joined the castle signed a waiver swearing to keep things private and not share identities to nonmembers, and everyone went through STD and AIDS testing. Smith preferred knowing his sexual partners were clean rather than having casual sex with strangers from a nightclub, and the privacy of the castle offered a sense of freedom.

Kyra took another mouthful of her wine, then with a twinkle in her eyes, tipped the glass at him. “Understandable. Privacy is something I can appreciate too.”

Woman, you are to be appreciated, and then some.

Brock chuckled at Smith, clearly reading his thoughts. He turned to Kyra. “Tell us a little something of yourself. More than the basic details in the profile we saw when we discovered you, kitten.”

The side of her mouth arched at the nickname indicating she didn’t mind, and why would she? Smith had no doubt Brock lowered his voice to inflict a straight attack on her hormones.

“I’d prefer if we kept the small talk to minimum,” she said.

Smith leaned back in his seat. He’d never met a woman who didn’t want some type of intimate connection before they had sex. Not in any of the encounters that had been arranged through the castle, or relationships out of the castle for that matter.

He lifted his chin. “All business, then?”

She drank a larger sip of her wine before she lowered the glass. “We’re not here to get to know one another, are we? We’re here to fulfill my ménage fantasy.” Her eyebrows rose higher. “That is what we agreed to, yes?”

“All action. No talking.” Brock’s grin widened as he rubbed his jawline. “Damn, kitten, you’re my type of woman.”

While Brock seemed eager and accepting of her response, Smith wasn’t so easily swayed. Women, even if they came in different colors and shapes, were still women rich with emotions. Right now, Kyra acted more like a man, void of any emotional connection. “Are you comfortable with that arrangement, Kyra?”

Her deep swallow displayed her nerves, but she sipped her wine in haste controlling the reaction. “I prefer it.”

Smith grinned at her while she shifted uneasily in her seat. He enjoyed that he unnerved her, since her presence gave him a hefty erection. Plus, she made him far more interested than he’d ever been in any woman.

While he believed she had, in fact, lied to him with her answer, he wouldn’t speculate as to why. He also wouldn’t argue it out with her either. Her emotions belonged to her. “Fair enough.”

He paused while she drank her wine again. Once he had her fixated on him, he leaned forward, resting his arms on his elbows. “It’s important you’re aware of what’s ahead of you tonight. Before you arrived, Brock and I decided to make a bet on you, if you’re agreeable.”

Suspicion darkened her eyes as she lowered her glass onto her lap. “What sort of bet?”

“Your orgasms,” Brock declared.

A blush crept over her face, yet her expression didn’t hold any wrath at such a bet, which Smith would’ve expected. She blinked. “E-excuse me?”

Brock added, “The wager is simple: orgasms for points. Whoever gains the most points from your pleasure by the end of the night wins the money.”

Her pupils dilated, and her lips arched up into a sexy smile. “Might I ask what the value of this bet is?”

“Two thousand dollars,” Smith stated.

All the heated reaction vanished in a millisecond replaced by wide eyes, and her mouth fell open. She glanced around the office as she must’ve realized their wealth. Maybe only now she realized they didn’t just work at MDR Software, but they owned the company.

Smith had seen the reaction many times—fancy things impressed women, sparkly things even more. What he hadn’t ever seen before, once the surprise faded from her eyes, she didn’t seem at all interested in that. “Seriously, a two-thousand-dollar bet on my orgasms?”

“Yes, kitten, we’re quite serious.” Brock grinned. “Are you willing?”

Christ, Smith could only grip the armrests to stop himself from going to her, tossing her legs over his shoulders, and having himself a snack. No woman had ever made him this damn hard.

In a slow, seductive slide of her finger she traced the rim of her glass as she regarded them. “I’m agreeable to join the bet.” Her cheeks flushed a color that wreaked havoc on Smith’s cock, making it ache in need. “But I’m afraid there’s a problem.”

Smith forced his attention away from her slender finger that he hoped would make a similar move on his dick. He also ignored her pinkish cheeks that he prayed burned deeper while she writhed beneath him. “Which is?”

She hesitated, then said on a quick breath, “I don’t orgasm easily.”

Smith smiled. As if that would be a problem. But it was glaringly obvious she pretended to be a sex kitten who was, in fact, more or less, in way over her beautiful head.

He could see himself respecting a woman like Kyra.

He exchanged a look with Brock, who gave him a firm nod, indicating their thoughts ran on the same line. Smith turned to Kyra again, and he noticed how she squirmed in her seat.

Exactly how he wanted her.

Smith appreciated a confident woman who fought to be brave, and he respected the trait, yet without a certain vulnerability to her, the appeal would fade. He loved pink cheeks and a stunned speechless woman under his touch. More to the point, enjoyed when a woman unraveled in his presence. To hold such heady power fed a greedy part in his soul.

In the minutes Kyra had been in his office, she’d given him all these things.

He tilted his head, regarding the treat awaiting him on the couch. “Quite the dilemma, isn’t it?” He stood from his seat and approached her. It delighted him how she sucked in a deep breath, and how ragged it sounded from her parted lips.

Once in front of her, he took the wineglass from her hands. The stunning clarity in her eyes mesmerized him. “Sit on the desk. Do not cross your legs.”

Her eyes blazed with reservations, even as she licked her lips. “Why?”

Smith scanned over her long, beautiful neck, her silky skin stretching over her hammering pulse. “We take our bets seriously and need to know what we’re up against. It’s a lot of money to wager if it’s bound to fail.” He leaned down into her face, his cock pressed against the zipper in his slacks. “Get on the desk, Kyra.”

Inside Look with Sandra Bunino author of Tie Me Free

Posted on September 23, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Squee! Sandra Bunino is here today with her latest release, TIE ME FREE. I love Sandra’s books. I gobble them right up. I’ve read TIE ME FREE and I loved it. You can read about my experience here. Sandra’s going to start us off by introducing us to her new book. Take it away, Sandra. 🙂

Thank you for having me on to share Tie Me Free with your readers! Tie Me Free is the fourth book of my Satin Rose Experience series. However, no worries if readers haven’t read the other three books, because as with the other books in the series, it can be enjoyed as a stand alone story. That said, readers of the series will be reunited with old friends! Of course Asher and Mia make an appearance as the heads of SRE, New York’s exclusive BDSM club. Jackson Reid is also back as he demonstrates his knowledge of sensual rope tying.

Tie Me Free was an absolute joy to write because it touches on so many aspects of art. You see, I’m a modern art buff and like my heroine, Kate Angel, I love to get lost in a museum for an afternoon. In Tie Me Free, Kate is introduced to another type of art called Shibari, an ancient Japanese form of rope art. Instead of paint on canvas, beauty is created with rope on skin. Kate harbors body issues. Her insecurities multiply because the person dying to tie her up is a much younger Dom with an oh-so-sexy Irish accent!

Anyway, I better stop here so I don’t give too much away. If you like hot Irish Doms, a little bit o’ kink and a whole lotta sexy, please consider downloading Tie Me Free.

Tie Me Free

(The Satin Rose Experience)

by Sandra Bunino

Release date: September 12, 2013

From Evernight Publishing

Blurb:

She’s forty and vanilla…he’s twenty-eight and…not.

Score one for Kate Angel. She’s just signed the hottest erotica author to her start up publishing house, Angel Books, but she needs a crash course in kink to appease her demanding client. Creating a Domsublife.com profile seems like an innocent way to do her homework and satisfy her curiosity.

Mason Myers has lived a lifetime in his twenty-eight years. The product of an Irish orphanage, he grew up fast to overcome his lonely, humble beginnings to become the successful businessman he is today. He’s also an experienced Dom at the Satin Rose Experience, an elite BDSM club in New York City.

A mutual appreciation for modern art establishes their online connection. Mason convinces Kate to meet him at the Guggenheim museum’s erotica exhibit where she reveals her fascination in the art of rope bondage, known as Shibari. Introducing her to the ancient art within the safety of the club, Mason helps Kate surrender her deep-seated hang-ups about her age and body image.

As the physical and emotional ties that bind her into the submissive of his fantasies tighten, can Kate learn to break the emotional tethers ruling her life and embrace the freedoms they bestow?

Tie Me Free can be found here:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / AllRomance eBooks

BookStrand / Evernight Publishing

Excerpt:

Kate stared at the platform as the click of the door sounded over the mesmerizing music. Looking over her shoulder, she found Mason watching her from his spot next to the door. She turned to the only other piece of furniture, a large armoire with a double door. “May I?” She glanced back to Mason.

He extended his hand toward the cabinet. “Of course. Please.”

Kate’s heels clicked on the wood floor as she approached the cabinet and swung open the door. Assorted colors of rope lengths lined the shelves. Kate fingered the cords and pulled out a loop of red silk rope. “I didn’t realize the ropes were so soft.”

Mason pushed off from the wall and walked to her. “The ropes are an extension of the person performing the tying. An extension of their arms and fingers. They’re meant to caress and comfort. The ropes are symbolic of the connection between the individuals involved in the scene as you saw outside.” Mason stood just a whisper from her face. His thumb brushed her fingers holding the silk cord as their gazes locked. “How about a little roleplay, Kate?”

She cocked her head. “Roleplay?”

“Do you want to know how it feels to be dominated? To be tied?”

Kate held her breath and her heartbeat hammered in her chest.

“Kneel on the platform and put your hands behind your back.”

“What?”

“Your safe word is moon. Use it now or anytime during the session.”

“Session? We never talked about a session tonight.” Kate pulled her hand away but Mason held it firm in his grasp. “I’m not playing games with you, Mason.” She wriggled her wrist free and walked toward the painting.

Soft footfalls approached and his breath tickled at the back of her head. “You’re looking for something more in your life, Kate. It’s why you took on Blaze as a client, it’s why you joined Domsublife, it’s why you met me at the Guggenheim and it’s why you’re here in this suite. I’d kept tabs on your reaction and body cues as you watched the demonstration. You’re craving to be bound, I can taste it. And I assure you, this is no game. If you don’t like it or it makes you feel uncomfortable to the point you want to stop, say the safe word and I’ll stop and untie you. No questions asked.”

He was right. Somehow he’d always been right on the mark when it came to her and what she was feeling. The music ceased for a moment between songs. Kate spun around to meet his stare, heartbeat pounding in her chest as her breathing became shallow but she refused to break their stare.

Kate considered his words and studied his face. “Are the cameras on? Are they watching?”

Mason nodded. “Yes. Surveillance is on. I gave Mia and Asher the heads up that you might want to experiment. They have your safe word.”

Kate turned back to face the painting and leaned into his chest. “You scare me,” she whispered.

His fingertips trailed a path up and down her arms. “Why?”

“Because you seem to know what I’m thinking before I do.” Because you’re so right for me but so wrong. Because you’re like a gooey, delicious ice cream sundae I’ll never allow myself to taste.

Mason chuckled. “Is that a bad thing?” His voice poured through her body. Closing her eyes, she pulled away from him. Her glance moved from the door to the platform. She’d never have another chance like this to experience it. Kate squared her shoulders. “Okay. But I’m not getting naked,” she said, holding an index finger up. She moved to the platform and kneeled. Even though the surface was hard, a calmness came over her as she moved to the middle of the table and gazed over the painting in front of her.

“I’m fine with that limit, for now, except for your feet.” Mason slipped off her shoes and rubbed tight circles his thumbs into the arch of her foot.

Kate let out a throaty moan. “How do you know how to do that?”

“Reflexology. It’s part of the study of shibari. I also learned where the body’s pressure points are.” His thumbs traveled to the balls of her feet and let up on the pressure. “How’s that feel?”

Kate groaned. “Heavenly.” Her muscles loosened instantly.

“Good. Now just relax, spread your knees apart and sit on your heels. This will be the most comfortable position for you as we do this.”

Kate complied as his fingers traveled up her back to her shoulders. “You have knots in your shoulders. Under stress?”

“That’s an understatement,” she snorted.

“Close your eyes and get lost in the music. Don’t think of anything outside of this room. It’s just you and me.”

Kate smiled. “There is no you and me, Mason.”

Mason shushed her and applied pressure to the knot in her shoulder, making her wince. “That hurt like a bitch and felt amazing at the same time. How the hell do you do that?”

“Shh. Don’t make me gag you, Angel.”

The words rolled off his tongue as Kate’s mind flashed to the model in the first picture they’d seen at the bondage exhibit. Warmth spread through her body at the thought. Her breath hitched as she imagined the assortment of gags and blindfolds in the drawers of the cabinet. The warmth of Mason’s body radiated through her shirt, his face against the back of her head. “The thought of being gagged turns you on, doesn’t it?”

“Shit,” she whispered. Did it turn her on? What. The. Hell?

Author Bio:

Sandra Bunino is a numbers crunching business professional by day who stays up past her bedtime thanks to her oh-so-sexy imagination. Who needs sleep, anyway? Sandra is constantly searching for different ways to achieve a heart-pumping, stomach-flipping, breath-catching reaction from her readers.

These days, Sandra lives on a wooded mountaintop not far from New York City with her family. She always looks forward to hearing from her readers and she may be contacted at sbunino@gmail.com. As a social media junkie in need of a ten-step program, you can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@sandrabunino).

Remember, following is sexy!

Contact Sandra:

Website / Email / Facebook / Goodreads

Amazon Author Page / Twitter @sandrabunino

Weekend Writing Warriors – Cold Shower … Hot Shower

Posted on September 22, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click the logo to go to the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. Today, I’m sharing from my debut, TAKING CHANCES. It’s available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Just one week left to enter by debut release giveaway. Find the Rafflecopter below.

Taking Chances is the first in a series of books I’m calling The Love Projects. Taking Chances is the story of Lydia and Jake. The blurb and cover are below. In Previous Weeks: Jake and Lydia entered the room where they’ll be working together and both have been fighting their desire. LAST WEEK: While Lydia got to work, Jake got lost in thoughts of sucking on … well, you get my point, lol. THIS WEEK: I’ve skipped forward a few pages. Jake’s taking a shower in his boss’ office. The shower started cold, but it just wasn’t helping.

Turning the water to scalding he tugged on his cock in quick strokes. His fingers slipped over the slick head and back to the base. He imagined Lydia on her back before him, waiting patiently for his command. His cock thickened in his hand. She would stare into his eyes with intensity similar to what he’d seen today. A tug on his sack threw him right over the edge. He continued to stroke himself and wondered what her moans would sound like. Would they be throaty and low or high and squealing?

That shower didn’t work out as planned, lol. Jake certainly took matters into his own hands. <~ You can <tweet that> if you want. This day at the office keeps getting more interesting. I wonder what will happen next? 😉

Click here to add TAKING CHANCES to your Goodreads TBR list

5 Star Review: ”Taking Chances is SJ Maylee’s debut novel and she does an excellent job of creating interesting characters searching for connection while providing enough kink and spice to heat things up.”

5 Star Review: “it’s well written, there’s no slw moments and it’s packed full of hot sexual tension”

BLURB:

Lydia’s father walked away from her when she was eight. She’s struggled to not let him affect her, but fears she wasn’t loveable enough to make him stay. Jake wants to love one woman, but after scaring the last woman he met outside of the club, he doubts he has the right. She protects her heart by sticking with her fantasies, and he lives by a set of rules that excludes women who choose a vanilla lifestyle.

The two will be kept in a conference room working together until their special project is complete. If Lydia and Jake hold tight to their bland lives, they’ll always yearn for love that is out of reach. But together they can find common ground, passion, and a reason to take chances. Once they discover the grand possibilities of the love they desire, they find themselves in the very place they tried never to be again, facing unguaranteed love.

I’m holding a GIVEAWAY through the end of September to celebrate my debut.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BUY LINKS:

Evernight | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookStrand | All Romance Ebooks

Thank you so much for visiting me, it means a lot to me that you took the time to visit my little place on the web. Don’t forget to check out the other Weekend Warriors, the Snippet Sunday Facebook Group, and Saturday Spankings too.

Lila Shaw author of Wild West Succubus

Posted on September 19, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

I’m a new fan when it comes to succubi, but I’ve been a fan of Lila Shaw’s for some time. I recently read Succubus Games and loved it. Below, you’ll find all the details on Lila’s newest succubi book, Wild West Succubus and why she likes to write about them. Please give her a warm welcome. Take it away, Lila. 🙂

Thanks, SJ, for having me over to talk about my latest release, Wild West Succubus from Liquid Silver Books.

It’s no secret that I adore writing about succubi. I’ve written shorts for two anthologies and three novelettes (Romance on the Go’s) featuring these ladies. I have a free read on Smashwords and ARe called Succubus Bites: Tasmin. Wild West Succubus is my longest so far at novella length.

Why do I like writing about succubi so much?

They exude power. They are unapologetic in their love of sex. They’re smart and silly, fearless and vulnerable, humble and brash. They are every woman but with a common cross to bear–their sexuality comes at a predatory price. The succubus’s pleasure is achieved at the expense of her partner, drains his energy to fuel her. She is a sort of vampire. She’s the ultimate bad girl. Like an assertive heroine? Look no further than the succubus.

Wild West Succubus is about one bad girl in particular: Priscilla. Though on the surface she’s cynical and hard, there’s a strong current of remorse flowing through her veins. The one man who sees and appreciates that in her is also the one sent to kill her–Hugo. Hugo is a gargoyle. I’ll tell you more about those critters some other day, or you can read the book and discover for yourself what they are. For now let’s learn more about a certain Wild West Succubus…

Blurb:

A woman damned…

Priscilla Goodnight, a widow in the harsh Kansas frontier, has a cattle ranch to run. She can’t afford to reveal any cracks in her tough exterior or indulge in sexual liaisons with her ranch hands. But a hungry succubus can only exercise so much self-restraint, making discretion, disguise and memory-wiping her top managerial skills.

The mysterious stranger who knows her darkest secret…

Priscilla doesn’t remember hiring the man with the wily smile and the flannel voice. At all. Men as physically appealing as Hugo Desmond rarely escape her bed, let alone her memory. And how is he able to move so fast, yet nobody notices but her?

Is she his target, his mission or his bait?

Hugo is a gargoyle—a specially-trained executioner—sent to purge the west of evil. With succubi falling squarely in demon territory, Priscilla has every reason to fear him … yet she can’t stay away. Hugo says he needs her help and wants to save her soul. But is redemption possible for a woman as wicked as Priscilla, or will love thaw her heart just enough for Hugo to crush it?

Excerpt:

A few of the men are laughing and eating breakfast, but as soon as I walk in, they grow silent … mostly.

“Morning, Miss Priscilla. Did you sleep well?” Fred asks, his last words ending with a snicker.

Most of the other men snicker too, all but Hugo, that is. He probably doesn’t know the rest well enough to be privy to their secrets.

Jesse slaps Gray on the back and Gray grins. Speaking through a mouth full of half-chewed biscuits, Gray says, “I slept like a titty baby myself.”

The others snort back their laughter. Hugo’s forehead furrows as he glances around the table.

I sigh. I don’t know why I expected better from Gray. But little boys must be taught their lessons, and the first one is don’t fuck with a succubus who holds your soul in hock.

After giving each man a smile in turn, I close my eyes and yank on Gray’s tether. He keels over and falls face first into the puddle of gravy on his plate.

“What the … Gray?” Jesse lifts Gray’s face from the plate and shoves him back against his chair, wide-eyed but unseeing. Mr. Yao’s savory sauce drips in long slimy strings from Gray’s nose. “Gray?” Jesse slaps Gray on the face a few times.

Gray isn’t home anymore. I slurp the last bits of his soul’s life-force in and breathe deeply as it spreads throughout every inch of my body. I am energized, immortal, powerful, and pissed off.

Hugo skewers me with his gaze, cold and hard. “Are you sure you want to do that? May raise more questions than it solves.”

What the hell is he talking about? Fuck him! Fuck all of them!

One by one, starting with Jesse, I lock gazes with each man around the table. As I ransack their recent memories, their expressions transform from mirth to horror to incoherent. The two newer hands I’ve never had to mind-wipe before—Winston and Jasper—fall asleep. The older hands will slowly regain their wits with what have been called devilishly hideous headaches. If any of them think they can take to their beds sick today, they’re dead wrong.

Hugo watches the entire proceedings, and when I get to him, my last target, he presses his lips into a thin line and resists my trespass into his mind. Those glacial blue eyes of his frost over and then seal shut, expelling me and slamming the door in my face.

How the hell is he able to do that?

With a snap of Hugo’s fingers, all motion, except his and mine, ceases. The clock stops ticking. A napkin casually tossed hovers an inch above the table’s surface. Mouths are frozen mid-word. Arms float rigidly in the air, and eyes stare blankly.

“Think, Pris,” Hugo repeats. His jaw is rigid, and his hands are curled into fists.

I stop trying to force my way inside Hugo’s mind. “Wh-what’s going on?” I wave a hand in front of Fred’s face, nearly threatening to put his eye out, but he doesn’t flinch, doesn’t even blink. I shove my chair away from the table and jump to my feet. “What kind of sorcery is this?”

Hugo slowly raises his eyes to mine. In measured words he says, “Give Gray back his soul.”

“I need it.”

“No.” He shakes his head. “You don’t.”

“He deserved what he got!”

“No. He didn’t. All you needed to do was mind-wipe him, just like the others. Sucking him dry is excessive. You don’t have to go that far. Besides that, we’re kinda short-handed. Do you really want to fall behind this time of year? Think about how hard it will be to find a replacement.”

The horror of this man’s cognizance of what I am grips me. “Who are you? What are you?” I take a few steps back, wondering if I should flee.

He lifts his eyes to mine. “I’m someone you should be very afraid of.”

“Afraid? Of you?” I throw my head back and laugh dramatically, just like those ladies on the stage. “Oh, little big man. I’m not afraid of any man.” But I am afraid of this one.

Author’s Bio:

Lila Shaw is the pen name for a wee hours author of erotica and erotic romance. She adores writing about strong-willed women and the clever, charming (and well-endowed) men who love them. She believes if you can’t occasionally laugh at human foibles, and especially the physical aspects of love, you’re taking life far too seriously … unless the condom breaks, then you have every right to fret. Lila lives in the Portland, OR area with her family. www.lilashaw.com

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Buy Links:

Liquid Silver Books

Amazon

All Romance eBooks

Interview: Ella Jade author of The Weekend Proposition

Posted on September 17, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Happy Day! I have one of my favorite authors here today. Please help me welcome Ella Jade. I’ve thrown a bunch of questions at her and she’s sharing her brand new release, The Weekend Proposition. I’ve read it and I really enjoyed it. Read more about my reading experience here. Ella has also brought a GIVEAWAY. Look for the rafflecopter below. Enjoy!

Blurb

One weekend—no strings, no expectations, and no commitments. On Sunday afternoon it all ends, or does it?

No-nonsense businessman Spencer Cannon has a dilemma. He’s headed to Connecticut for the weekend to attend his cousin’s elaborate wedding. His whole family will be there in addition to his obsessed ex-girlfriend Ava. According to Spencer’s brother, Ava has been telling her friends she’s planning a magical reunion with her favorite ex-boyfriend. Spencer’s not in the mood to deal with her, but he can’t miss the wedding. He needs a plan.

Struggling Brooklyn waitress and aspiring graphic designer Dakota Vercelli has fallen on hard times. College debts, pending eviction, and her sick mother are taking a toll on her. A chance encounter with Mr. Cannon, CEO of Cannon and Carrington Advertising, leads to a proposition that may be just the thing to solve both of their problems. Spencer’s offer—spend four days with him during the wedding festivities and keep his ex off his trail. In return, he’ll compensate her generously for her time. He needs a weekend girlfriend, and Dakota needs the cash.

It was just supposed to be a business deal, but after sharing a room, kissing under the stars, and attending a wedding, their attraction is undeniable. Will the illusion end when the weekend is over or is the proposition just the beginning?

Content Warning: contains mature language and graphic sexual content

THE INTERVIEW

What advice have you received that pushed you into a better writing place?

To just keep doing what I’m doing and the rest will fall into place. My writing gets stronger with each book. I feel like I’ve come so far in the past two years and I credit that to amazing editors and a fantastic publisher. I have a great support team.

That’s great advice. What turns you on creatively?

My characters. Developing their stories and connections fuel my fire. I connect with them and really care about where they end up.

I totally get that with your books. J What quality do you most admire in your characters?

Loyalty. I think it’s important for the love interests to constantly support and be there for the other.

I love loyalty, especially in book boyfriends. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being able to do what I love (writing) while raising a family and being the best mom and wife I can be.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I’m a clothes and shoes whore. I think I may shop a little too much 😉

I know what you mean. I do okay as long as I stay out of the stores, away from the catalogs, and off the internet, lol. Clothes, shoes, purses pose extreme dangers to my budget. What is the one thing you do after finishing a story?

Jump right into the next one. The plots and dialog never stop for me so I keep going. I’m also eager to put some new words on the page.

I love that. Your fans, including me, are always eager for another story from you. Tell us a bit about the projects you are working on now?

I’m working on a baseball series. I don’t have a title yet but the first book is all plotted out and just waiting for my kids to go back to school. I’m really excited about starting this one.

I’m really looking forward to reading this series. Thank you for being her today, Ella, and thank you for another fabulous read.

BUY LINKS

Beachwalk Press | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Excerpt

“I have a proposition for you.”

“A proposition?” What could he possibly have to offer her?

“I have to attend my cousin’s wedding this weekend. Actually, I have to leave tomorrow afternoon. I don’t want to go alone for reasons I don’t wish to discuss right now. I need someone to accompany me. I’m offering that to you.”

“And you think I’m ‘to the point’?”

He smiled but didn’t say anything. She couldn’t stand the silence. She wanted to figure out his game. There had to be some sort of catch.

“You want me to go to a wedding with you?”

“It’s in Connecticut. I would require your services until Sunday afternoon. All of your expenses would be paid, including a wardrobe which would be yours to keep after the weekend.”

“You need a date?”

“I would need you to appear as my girlfriend.”

“Is this a joke?”

“I wouldn’t joke about something like this. I’ve thought the entire thing through.”

“A man who looks like you should have no problem finding a real girlfriend to buy clothes for and flaunt in front of his family.” She thought for a moment. “Unless there’s something wrong with you.”

“There’s nothing wrong with me.” He raised his voice a bit. “I had planned on attending alone but circumstances have changed. I’m in a bind and from what I gather, you are too.”

Her instincts screamed to run in the opposite direction. She’d never been the type to fall for a scam. “I’m not interested in—”

“I’ll pay you two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for your time.”

“What?” Apparently a side of crazy came with those good looks.

“One hundred and twenty-five thousand today, if you agree.” He pulled out a check from the inside pocket of the jacket he had draped on the back of the chair. He slipped the mint green paper across the table. “You’ll get the rest on Sunday afternoon.”

“That’s fifty grand a day.” She studied the check. It would take her years to make that kind of money working these shit-end jobs.

“I’m aware.” He nodded as if the money meant nothing. “I’m asking for your time, a commodity I believe should be well compensated.”

Too good to be true.

“Do you make it a habit of paying women to be your girlfriend?”

“Pretend girlfriend,” he reminded her. “You would be the first.”

“Why me?”

“Does it matter?”

“What exactly do you expect me to do for that money?”

“I told you.” He narrowed his eyes. “I need a date for a long weekend. Everyone needs to think we’re a couple.”

“You’re willing to pay me to go away with you for four days. I’m supposed to take your word we’re going to a wedding in Connecticut? How do I know you won’t kidnap me and want to do all sorts of kinky stuff to me? You could be some sex-obsessed lunatic.”

“Kinky stuff?”

“Yeah, you know, like bondage and blindfolds.”

“Do you like that sort of thing?” He tried to conceal his smirk.

About Ella

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can’t be stopped.

Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she’s not chasing after her kids, she’s busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you’ll get lost in her words.

You can find Ella here…

http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ella-Jade-Author/186959391390708?ref=hl

GIVEAWAY

Please enter the rafflecopter for your chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card and a coffee mug with The Weekend Proposition cover on it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Look Inside Raven McAllan and Nash’s Niche

Posted on September 16, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

I have a treat for you today. I have the charming Raven McAllan and she’s going to give us a look inside why she’s writing Regency and her latest release in the Behind Closed Doors series, Nash’s Niche. Enjoy! 🙂

If you told me two years ago I’d be writing Regency stories, and loving it I may well have scratched my head. Oh I enjoyed reading them, but write them? Mind you I guess I’d’ve said that about writing anything. I was so not sure. It’s one thing ‘writing’ in your mind, another actually typing those words out. Like lots of things, it was a ‘one day’ scenario.

Then one day I knuckled down, got researching, got hooked, and got writing!

I love the depth of mystery in that period. It might look regimented and staid, but like most things, there are hidden depths, and oh my are those depths murky in places.

This book Nash’s Niche is book four in the Behind Closed Doors series, about the Brigstock family. A most unusual family, with more murky depths than most. Convention hardly touches them, and when it does it ends up unconventional.

Nash is the third son, and one who family decree and history said should became a cleric. As Nash himself says, he couldn’t think of anyone less suited to go into the Church. Instead he runs a hunt in Rutland, and tries to keep out of mischief’s way. He doesn’t succeed.

Felicity is on the run from what’s expected of her. As ever in Regency times, no one listens to what a young lady wants. But she’s going to fight for it. I really understood how difficult it must be for her, and oh boy did I want her to be happy. Is she? You’ll have to read the book to find out 🙂

Nash’s Niche

Behind Closed Doors, 4

by Raven Mcallen

Blurb

A chance meeting at a masked ball leads to explosive and unforgettable sex for both Nash and Felicity.

Reunited under dangerous circumstances, they realize they may have to fight for their love, especially when Felicity is promised to Nash’s brother.

With the future of the country at stake and unsure who to trust, can there be a future for the star stuck lovers?

And a wee tease…

Felice—he thought of her by that name—let herself be ushered toward the house. Once inside Nash turned toward the hallway, where a lamp burned low, awaiting his return.

“Would you like to leave your cloak?” She shook her head.

“Your mask? Your dress?”

She laughed. “No, no and no, not here.”

He slung his cloak over a chair. “Then after you, it’s to the right at the top of the stairs.” He lifted the lamp to show them the way.

Madame Felice nodded and gathered the hem of her cloak and dress up, which gave him a perfect view of pair of trim and shapely ankles.

“If you raise your skirts further, perhaps I could see your arse as well as your feet?” he said in a deep voice. “It would appeal to my baser instincts.”

She took the first three steps and turned to look over her shoulder. “I wouldn’t have though you were so jaded as to need titillating, My Lord.”

“Minx.” He couldn’t help but admire her retort. “I don’t need stimulating, but your arse does need tanning. I will take great pleasure in watching it turn the color of your lips.”

Her lips parted and a soft sigh escaped. Her face suffused with color. “What?” She turned away and continued up the staircase. Nash noticed a little more of her legs were now visible, and then a quick flash of a garter. His lady was teasing. They would see just who teased whom before long. He took the stairs two at a time to catch her up, and then opened the bedroom door, to usher Madame Felice inside.

“We won’t be disturbed until I ring,” he said as he put the lamp down and lit another one. He wanted to see his lady in all her nakedness. “Now strip.”

Would his crude and blunt demand appeal or repulse her?

She smiled and undid her cloak. “You will need to play ladies maid, my lord. I didn’t expect to undress without one.”

That was something Nash could do. His cock protested that it was ignored and hardened to such a degree that he wanted to take it to hand and give himself some relief there. Instead, Nash stroked his lady’s neck and rejoiced in her tiny erotic quiver as he began to undo a row of diminutive buttons, which stretched from the nape of her neck to the enticing cleft in her arse. The dress undone and in a swirl of silk at her feet, Nash began on the ties of her petticoat, pleased her body was such that she didn’t need a corset. When he reached her chemise, Madame Felice shivered.

“I can finish. I feel distinctly underdressed here.”

“The mask,” he reminded her.

Her hand went to her face. “The mask stays,” she said firmly. Nash decided it wasn’t worth arguing over. He’d undo it later. Once she was in the throes of passion, she wouldn’t realize what he was doing.

He bowed, and pressed a series of nipping kisses to the nape of her neck. She shuddered and moaned.

“My Lord … ah … that sends such feelings through me.”

“Good. Take off your chemise and get into bed whilst I disrobe. Then I’ll show you what other feelings I can give you.” He’d never shrugged out of evening wear so fast, and even used a jack for his boots. By the time Felice had slipped her chemise off, and he’d had a brief glimpse of rounded thighs and a perfect globe of her arse, he was naked alongside her. “Wait,” he said hoarsely. “I need to taste.” Before she had a chance to ask what he meant, Nash held both her hands in one of his, bent his head and suckled each nipple in turn. Her keening cry was enough to make his juices gather at the tip of his engorged cock.

He lifted his head with reluctance. “On the bed, lie on your back and spread your legs for me. If you don’t want this, now is the time to say so.” He waited, his body tight with anxiety less she did say ‘no more’. She didn’t.

Nash’s Niche is available from www.evernighpublishing.com

Evernight, Amazon, All Romance EBooks, and Bookstrand

If you want to know more about Raven, here’s her nosy links,

Raven lives in Scotland, along with her husband and their two cats—their children having flown the nest—surrounded by beautiful scenery, which inspires a lot of the settings in her books.

She is used to sharing her life with the occasional deer, red squirrel, and lost tourist, to say nothing of the scourge of Scotland—the midge.

A lover of reading, she appreciates the history inside a book, and the chance to peek into the lives of those from years ago. Raven admits that she enjoys the research for her books almost as much as the writing; so much so, that sometimes she realizes she’s strayed way past the information she needs to know, and not a paragraph has been added to her WIP.

Her lovely long-suffering husband is learning to love the dust bunnies, work the Aga, and be on stand-by with a glass of wine.

You can find out more about Raven here…

http://www.ravenmcallan.com

http:/ /www.ravenmcallan.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/rmcallan (my page)

https://www.facebook.com/ravenmcallan (author page)

https://twitter.com/RavenMcAllan

Weekend Writing Warriors – An Invitation

Posted on September 15, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click the logo to go to the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. Today, I’m sharing from my debut, TAKING CHANCES. It’s available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Taking Chances is the first in a series of books I’m calling The Love Projects. Taking Chances is the story of Lydia and Jake. The blurb and cover are below. LAST WEEK: Jake and Lydia entered the room where they’ll be working together and both are already fighting their desire. THIS WEEK: I’ve skipped forward a few pages. At this point, Lydia is working and Jake is working on something. 😉

He shouldn’t be thinking about taking Lydia right here on the table. Best to put a stop to it now before things spiraled out of control.

They were working at a fast pace, but they had several days ahead of them. Time to get your head back on what’s right in front of you. He looked up to find her leaning over him pointing at the screen.

“Right here, Jake, we need to add a screen print here so they don’t get confused.”

She was beautiful in her convictions, but it was the slant of her neck to her shoulder that continued to captivate his attention. The patch of skin called to him, invited him. It wouldn’t take much effort to hold her to the spot and lick the junction into his greedy mouth.

She’s talking about screen prints and he’s thinking about, well, clearly not screen prints. <~ You can <tweet that> if you want. Interesting day at the office, lol. Wonder if it will get any easier? What do you think?

Click here to add TAKING CHANCES to your Goodreads TBR list

BLURB:

Lydia’s father walked away from her when she was eight. She’s struggled to not let him affect her, but fears she wasn’t loveable enough to make him stay. Jake wants to love one woman, but after scaring the last woman he met outside of the club, he doubts he has the right. She protects her heart by sticking with her fantasies, and he lives by a set of rules that excludes women who choose a vanilla lifestyle.

The two will be kept in a conference room working together until their special project is complete. If Lydia and Jake hold tight to their bland lives, they’ll always yearn for love that is out of reach. But together they can find common ground, passion, and a reason to take chances. Once they discover the grand possibilities of the love they desire, they find themselves in the very place they tried never to be again, facing unguaranteed love.

I’m holding a GIVEAWAY through the end of September to celebrate my debut.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BUY LINKS:

Evernight | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookStrand | All Romance Ebooks

ROW80 Check-in #75 Personal Research

Posted on September 15, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

For the I Heart Books Giveaway! click here <– Today is the last day to enter.

The writing challenge that knows you have a life.

Some weeks will test you in a way that you realize you’ve never really been tested before. They make you think about what’s really important in life.

Life, it’s a journey of a million different challenges. Some are bullshit we put on ourselves and others are journeys that can deliver us right into the hands of all we’ve ever wanted.

I won’t take you through the hell a family goes through when cancer is being diagnosed, but do not resuscitate conversations are the worst. By Friday, I was a pile of blubbering goo, but then the final diagnosis arrived. The doctor’s got excited and now I know why. Within a few hours of getting the first dose of chemotherapy, my father-in-law was already feeling better. Yesterday, he actually sat up in bed and by the afternoon he sat in a chair and took a short walk. They know exactly how to fight this cancer and it’s working.

It’s fricking amazing.

Results.

Got to love results.

I’m starting to see the errors in my ways in this writing journey. Some lead me to the path of no productivity and others lead me to sweet success. It’s time to start listening to my own research.

Here’s to finding and following the proven path to productivity.

Now, for some visual inspiration …

SYTYCD may have had its season finale, but I wanted to share one of my all time favorites. It’s a haunting piece I first saw back in 2010. It’s set to Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah. Sonya Tayeh’s choreography is brilliant, as is Alex and Allison’s dancing.

The Goals – week-11 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters – done.
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting – done! I didn’t make it to my craft book this week, but I spent some productive time on the WIP. I really hope I can finish it up this week and send it out for critiques. Fingers crossed.
Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep, and my calorie limit – not done. I wallowed in a black hole this week. It’s time to dig my way out.
Weekly Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure) – not done.
Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities – done. Co-treasurer pulled her weight this week and handled almost everything. 😀
Organize something in the house each week & clean something in the house every day – 1/2 done. I didn’t get to organizing, but I did clean something every day.
Spend time in the garden – not done.

I’m holding a GIVEAWAY through the end of September to celebrate my debut.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What you might have missed here this week:

Spotlight: Knowing Destiny by Tamsin Baker

Spotlight: Burn by Jenny Lyn

Posted on September 12, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Burn

by Jenny Lyn

Length: 80 pages
Released: August 28, 2013
Publisher: Evernight Publishing

BLURB:

Eight years ago, life was good for Tate Reilly. Living in Atlanta and attending college, her dream of becoming a doctor was within reach, and she was in love with Ryan Hart. Then one night while Tate slept, Ryan disappeared. No note, no phone call, nothing left of a love she thought would last forever. Confused and heartbroken, she doesn’t let it hold her back in her quest to become a physician. If anything, the hurt and disappointment only serve to fuel her drive to succeed.

Ryan never wanted to leave Tate behind the way he did, but sometimes life takes away the choice. The best way to spare Tate the disruption of her bright future with his problems is to make a clean break. So he does the hardest thing he’s ever done—he walks away from her.

Now Ryan is back in Atlanta, working as a sous chef in the most popular restaurant in the city, and he has every intention of winning Tate back, no matter what it takes. It’s not easy because Tate wants answers that Ryan’s not ready to give just yet. First, he needs to remind her of what they once had together. The heat between them is undeniable, and it’s not long before it melts her resistance and she starts to lose the grip on her heart again.

But until Ryan can come clean with Tate about why he left, she can’t fully forgive him and move on. Time doesn’t always heal all wounds. Sometimes you have to shed more blood to become whole again.

EXCERPT:

A small part of Tate wanted to kill Ryan for tricking her, just reach out and wrap her hands around his throat and squeeze the life right out of him.

But the larger part of her, which unfortunately included the lady parts, wanted to touch him for other reasons, reasons that she suspected dictated her actions when she’d asked for his address rather than telling him to go back to the ER to be checked out. Besides, if he had truly been concerned about his arm possibly being infected, he wouldn’t have asked if she was working, he would’ve just gone to the hospital. Ryan valued his limbs too much to risk losing them to something like cellulitis or sepsis.

So that made her almost as culpable as he was.

She couldn’t concentrate while staring at him without a shirt on. His chest was too appealing and distracting. All bulgy solid muscle over thick bone, smooth tan skin, his areolas small and dark in … Holy crap, one of his nipples is pierced!

Before Tate could stop herself, she’d reached for it as if it was some sort of intriguing abnormality. She had seen piercings on patients naturally, but never one she wanted to touch as badly as she did his.

She didn’t even look up at his face for permission. When her fingers made contact with the small silver hoop, he flinched but didn’t move to stop her. She shifted closer then, running the tip of her finger around his nipple to watch it tighten, before she gave the ring a little indulgent tug.

Ryan hissed through his teeth, and his hands shot out to capture her hips, pulling her flush to his body. The more she toyed with the jewelry, the stiffer his cock grew against her stomach and the harder his fingertips dug into her jean-covered skin. And she had to admit, she liked that she could cause that reaction in him with such a simple touch. Feeling it made her wonder about something else, though.

“You didn’t pierce your…” Tate licked her lips, inexplicably shy with her words all of a sudden. Her eyes jumped up to his.

“My cock?” He grinned. “No. I’m not that brave.”

“Or crazy. I’ve seen horror stories, trust me on that.”

“I can imagine. This was a drunken impulse four years ago.”

She continued to finger the jewelry. “If you take it out, the hole will grow up.”

“I started to, but then … I kind of got used to it.”

Tate gave it another tug, causing him to make a soft grunting noise in his throat. “And there’s a direct correlation between the nerves in the nipple and the nerves in the genitals.”

Ryan laughed, pressing his erection against her stomach. “No kidding, Doc. I’m rock hard. ‘Course a lot of that has to do with the company.”

Tate had opened this door by touching him so intimately, and she was about to step through it. There was no denying she wanted him. Giving in to that desire might not be the smartest thing she’d ever done, but this was Ryan. They had a history, even though the last chapter was depressing. There was no question sex with him would be amazing. She’d worry about the ramifications later. For once, she wanted to act rash and bold and selfish.

Author Bio:

I started reading when I was four, thanks to a babysitter who found out the only way to get me to sit still was to put a book in my hand. By the time I entered kindergarten, I’d blown through just about every Little Golden Book ever printed. Ten years later, much to my mother’s dismay, I found her stash of paperback romance novels. She tried to divert me back to something more chaste by buying me Harlequins, but I still snuck copies of her Kathleen Woodiwiss’s and Johanna Lindsey’s when she wasn’t looking. Shanna, The Flame and the Flower, and Fires of Winter will always hold special places in my heart because they introduced me to roguish heroes, headstrong heroines, and the trouble they could get into together.

I live in a swampy little corner of north-central Florida with my family, both the two-legged and four-legged variety. I love to read, run hot and cold in regards to cooking, and I never miss an episode of Justified, Longmire, or Dexter. I guess I like justice in all its various forms.

BUY LINKS:

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/burn-by-jenny-lyn/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Burn-ebook/dp/B00ETN1CNS

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Jenny-Lyn?store=ebook&keyword=Jenny+Lyn

All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-burn-1271459-149.html

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Website: http://www.authorjennylyn.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenny-Lyn/352263128210885

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JennyLynwrites

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5418962.Jenny_Lyn

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jennylynwrites/

Spotlight: Knowing Destiny by Tamsin Baker

Posted on September 9, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Knowing Destiny

(Book 2 in Shifters of the land, sea and air.)

By Tamsin Baker

Released: August 22, 2013
Publisher: Evernight Publishing

BLURB:

Chase, a golden eagle shifter, is destined to be the leader of his flock, the shifters of the air. But he has a few problems. He’s not ready for the responsibility, he isn’t sure who he wants as his mate and there’s the little issue of an unsolved killing to sort out.

Ben is also a golden eagle shifter, Chase’s best friend and three time lover. He wants to be his best friend’s mate, but can he be honest about his feelings?

Ariana is a young peregrine falcon shifter who has loved Chase for years. But why would he want her when he can have anyone he wants?

Three shifters, three separate problems, all fighting to find out who they are and how they can love each other.

EXCERPT:

Ben showered and dressed quickly. What was he going to say?

“You’re going to be honest, just once, and then forget about it.”

Ben closed up his house and made his way to Chase’s place. He couldn’t live like this anymore, on tenterhooks every day, wondering what Chase was thinking, how he was feeling. Wanting to tell Chase he loved him, but not knowing how.

He had never felt so impotent in his life. But it was time to end that. He would finally admit all to Chase and live with the consequences. Today was the last day he was going to feel like this.

He jogged up the stairs and knocked on the door. “Hey, Chase, you home?”

His best friend opened the door, jeans on, but nothing on his gorgeous chest or feet.

“Hey, yeah. Come on in.”

Ben’s cock swelled within his jeans. His instant attraction to this man frustrated him, and he burst into Chase’s house.

“How did last night go?”

Chase pushed the door closed and frowned as he walked forward. “It went really well. What’s up, Ben?”

Ben clenched his fists tighter then opened them by force. Calm, he needed to stay focused.

“So, Ariana is it for you? You’ll mate with her?”

He began to pace, nervous energy working through his system and turning into anger. How could he have missed his chance to be with Chase?

Chase walked closer warily, approaching him how one would move towards an injured and angry bird. Chase had almost reached him now, and his brow knitted together. “Well, we’ve only had one night together, and she’s still at Uni, but yeah. I think so.”

Pain broke through Ben’s chest, making it feel like his ribs were being split open.

He stopped and gasped, putting a hand to his heart.

“Ben, seriously, what’s wrong?”

Ben growled and began pacing again. He couldn’t stay still, and if Chase touched him, he would surely scream.

“I don’t know how to tell you this. I’ve been wanting to talk to you for months, and it looks like I’ve run out of time.”

Inevitability settled into Ben’s mind, and he knew this was it.

Chase’s face was wary, his tone of voice gentle when he spoke. “What had you been wanting to tell me, Ben?”

Ben looked at him, his belly tight with worry. “I need to tell you … that I…”

Ben stumbled over the words. How did you tell your male best friend that you were in love with him?

Chase leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms, that smug grin firmly in place. “If you’re going to tell me you want Ariana, too, then you’re going to have a fight on your hands.”

Ben clenched his fists, anger boiling up inside him. He opened his mouth and screamed at the man he had loved for a decade.

“I don’t want Ariana! I fucking want you! Don’t you get it? I don’t want to be your best friend who you fucked when you were drunk! I want to be your mate, too!”

Chase’s mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened. Then his eyes turned yellow, and he took a step forward. His huge hands reached for Ben, cupping his face and drawing it to his mouth.

Ben groaned and grabbed Chase about the waist, hauling his huge male into his body, absorbing Chase’s moan and squeezing his arse.

He pulled back and grabbed Chase’s jean-covered arse. “I want you.”

He stared at the man he wanted above all else waiting for a sign that Chase felt the same.

“I…” Chase cleared his throat. “I want you, too,” Chase said, the words gravelly.

Ben dropped to his knees and unbuttoned Chase’s jeans in a hurry. He had never done this for his lover, their previous intimacies brief with almost no foreplay. Now, he could think of no other way to brand Chase as his own. His powerful eagle was close to the surface.

He opened up Chase’s jean placket, and his cock sprang out, pointing directly to Ben’s mouth. Thick, heavy, red, and swollen.

God, it’s beautiful.

He wrapped his hand around the base and looked up at his man.

“I want to suck you so bad.”

He waited, wanting the confirmation that Chase wanted it, too.

His mate didn’t respond with words, but slid his fingers into Ben’s short hair and pulled him closer. That was all the permission he needed.

Ben smiled as he licked the tip. Yum.

“Chase … are you here?” Ariana’s voice shocked them both, and Ben turned his head, ready to jump up.

But he was already too late. She wasn’t coming in. She was already here.

BIO:

Tamsin Baker is an Aussie girl who only found erotic romance about ten months ago. Before that she read sexy romance, skipping the plot looking for the ‘good bits.’ Since then she have written and obtained 14 contracts of varying lengths with erotic romance and erotica. She absolutely LOVES reading and writing it! She have two other jobs, kids and a hubby too, but writing is a passion that she has to indulge, for fear of insanity.

M/M is a passion of hers so even in her menage stories, there is always M/M. Female domme is a fun one to write too, but she is open to all genres. One step at a time she is learning to read more and write more. Soon she’ll have stories published in every sub genre of erotic romance – or that is her aim anyway.

LINKS:

www.erotictamsinbaker.blogspot.com.au

www.tamsinbakererotic.com

BUY LINKS:

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/knowing-destiny-by-tamsin-baker/