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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

ROW80 Check-in #70 Beauty in Contrasts

Click here for my post for Ella’s Turning What? Blog Party

The writing challenge that knows you have a life.

Life is full of contrasts, from morning to night, from birth to death. Each point on the spectrum has its beauty and each has the ability to take you completely off guard.

This week I helped my in-laws celebrate 50 years of marriage. They’re an amazing couple. So, I was not surprised at the amount of family and friends that came to celebrate. They re-danced their first dance while my husband and his brother sang and played the guitar. At that exact moment, in the background, was a video of them dancing their first dance at their wedding. It was beautiful.

Also in this same week, we’ve had health scares for an Aunt and a young cousin. A friend learned of her good friend’s cancer and another friend lost her pet.

The contrasts are brutal and each remind you how short life can be. As I move from one busy week right into another one, I will strive for balance and to see beauty even in the contrasts.

I picked Paul and Mackenzie from SYTYCD once again this week. This piece is choreographed by Mandy Moore. The contrasts of strength and breath here is quite extraordinary.

The Goals – week-6 results

    • Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters – done.
    • Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting – kind of done. On Monday, I finished another round of edits on my upcoming debut and sent them back to my publisher. The rest of the week, I struggled to spend time on my WIP. Instead, I spent time reading and enjoying books.
    • Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep, and my calorie limit – kind of done. I got in 3 workouts, but I blew my calorie limit.
    • Weekly Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure) – kind of done. I danced the 3rd new routine. Wow. I picked some great routines and this one might be my favorite. 😀 WEEK 7 PRIORITY
    • Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities – done. I didn’t have to do anything this week. Yeah!
    • Organize something in the house each week & clean something in the house every day – not done. WEEK 7 PRIORITY
    • Spend time in the garden – done, but I’m hosting a party next weekend. So, this needs to be a priority again. WEEK 7 PRIORITY

What you might have missed here this week:

NEW RELEASE ALERT!! Claimed by Stacey Kennedy

Ella’s Turning What? Blog Party <- includes a giveaway and a Grand Prize Giveaway

Ella’s Turning What? Blog Party

Welcome to Ella’s turning what? blog party hop. I’m going to share some fun memories and talk a bit about my upcoming first EVER book birthday.

click this graphic to jump to list of hop participants

Ella and I are actually the same age which gives me another reason to celebrate. I adore Ella and her books. My birthday celebrations have changed over the years, have yours? pink cakeI went from parties with the girlfriends, to a night with the boyfriend, then date night with the hubby. This year, my besties and I made it an event to remember. They showed up on my doorstep (a two-hour drive for them) on my birthday and took me out for margaritas, such good times. A couple months later, we spent a night away that included margaritatreatments at the spa, shopping, and a bunch of girl talk over coffee. Finally, back in June we went out, like we did back when we were youngins. We had so much fun. Those girls got me before I did anything with my life and they still get me. I love it. Although I enjoy spending the day with my hubby, I loved spending it with my two best girlfriends.

I’m sure it won’t surprise you that my two besties are both mentioned in the dedication to my debut coming out very soon. I cannot wait to see the cover. For now, I have this adorable promise.

It is coming! 😀

For a snippet about my upcoming release - click here for my books page

I’ve been reading books published by Evernight Publishing for some time. I love them which is one of the reasons I’m so excited. Since my book is not yet released, I’ll be giving away a $5 gift card to Evernight Publishing to one lucky commenter. So, you can get to know them better. I’ll randomly selected my giveaway winner first thing Monday morning.

Plus, there is a GRAND PRIZE for the blog hop: a $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) Gift Card. The Grand Prize winner will also be notified Monday morning.

A comment here on my post that includes your email address will enter you in my giveaway AND into the Grand Prize giveaway.

In addition, every blog in the hop has their own prizes. Once you have fun here, there are over 100 other places to hop. The more places you comment, the more chances you’ll have to win. 

I hope you’ll consider following me. Thanks for stopping by and party on. 😀

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Happy Birthday, Ella!!

NEW RELEASE ALERT!! Claimed by Stacey Kennedy

CLAIMED cover - click to see my review on Goodreads

CLAIMED Book Blurb: 

A novel of erotic discovery and forbidden desire that goes beyond Fifty Shades of Grey. 

Presley Flynn is ripe to experience her secret fantasies… and Dmitri Pratt wants nothing more than to fulfill them. Once inside the elite Club Sin in Las Vegas, Presley is nervous but excited—and determined to surrender to her every desire. Dmitri is her Master, and his touch is like fire. With each careful, calculated caress, he unleashes her wildest inhibitions, giving her unimagined pleasure.

Presley is different than the other submissives Dmitri has mastered. The BDSM lifestyle is new to her, and so are the games they play at Club Sin. From the Start, Presley stirs emotions in Dmitri far beyond the raw purity between a Dom and the perfect sub. For the ecstasy they share goes beyond the dungeon, igniting a passion that claims the very depths of the heart.

CLAIMED is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

Find CLAIMED on Goodreads

ABOUT STACEY KENNEDYStaceyKennedy

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 Sons of Anarchy, Supernatural, True Blood and Lost Girl.

PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF CLAIMED:

Amazon  |  B&N  |  iBookstore  | Google Play  | Random House and other retailers

Connect with Stacey

Facebook | Twitter  |  Website

Connect with Loveswept 

Facebook |  Twitter  |  Website

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEWAY

Stacey is holding a giveaway for a $50 Visa Gift Card and Author Swag.
It’ll run from August 5th to the 12th.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

EXCERPT:

“Master Dmitri doesn’t expect sex.” Cora grunted. “You’ll keep your clothes on.”

Presley Flynn scanned the foyer of the snazzy mansion and looked for something to hold on to as her roommate, Cora Adams, hustled her down the corridor. With a little shove, Cora added, “You wanted this, remember?”

“Clearly, I’ve lost my damn mind.” Presley pushed back against Cora’s hands, trying to hold her ground.

The mansion was pleasant, with thick dark wood on the trim of the doorways and gentle burgundy-painted walls, but it did nothing to settle her nerves. Beneath her feet, located in the basement, was the elite BDSM dungeon, Club Sin. “Maybe I need to go to a therapist. Or skip that part and go straight to the nuthouse.”

Cora stepped in front of Presley, and her big blue eyes, lined with dark makeup, sparkled. Her long chocolate-colored hair fell over her black blouse, and her red lipstick covered pursed lips. “You told me you wanted to join the dungeon.”

Presley snorted. “You said I was a long-lost submissive who needed the lifestyle. Which, apparently, is so far from the truth, since why am I on the verge of puking all over this fancy hardwood floor?”

Cora smirked. “Please don’t puke on Master Dmitri’s floor.”

“Okay, great,” Presley muttered in total agreement. “See, it’s best I leave.”

She turned to get the hell out of the place when Cora grabbed her arm, pulling Presley back in front of her. “One chance, Presley, that’s all you get. If you leave now, you won’t be allowed to come back.”

Cora walked forward, and Presley found herself matching her stride. They passed a grand wooden staircase on the left, leading to the upstairs. A huge wrought-iron balcony curved around the entire upper floor, which led to numerous doors used for God knew what.

They strode by an oval-shaped dining room, and Cora added, “There’s a reason why you read so many BDSM erotic novels. There’s a reason why it turns you on. And there’s a reason why you made the decision to come with me tonight.”

Stopping near the doorway to the office that Presley had been avoiding for the last five minutes, she inhaled. “You’re right. I did come here for a reason.” To surrender to her every desire. “I don’t want to walk out the front door, but—” She pointed toward the office. “I’m scared shitless to walk through that door.”

“Of course you are.” Cora grinned. “Your darkest, most secret fantasies await you in that office.” Without another word, she spun on her heel and headed down the hallway in the opposite direction.

“Do you plan on coming in?”

Presley started at the powerful low voice that seemed to draw her forward, giving the fearful butterflies in her stomach a flutter of excitement. Her feet moved without thought as she entered the office, which looked much like a library.

Books filled the shelves at the far end of the room, along with a grand wooden desk. A computer and telephone and other office accessories sat on top of it. A sleek black leather couch was situated straight ahead, under the bay window.

“Ah, she finally decides to enter.”

Presley froze, as time halted. The man never raised his head to look at her, but he didn’t need to. His presence filled the room, making her entirely aware of him. He sat at the desk, his head bowed toward the paper he’d been reading. With the slight curve to his mouth, he stole the air from her lungs. He was hot.

As the owner of Club Sin and the president of Las Vegas’s top casino, Dmitri Pratt matched the mansion with his wealthy exuberance. Hard angles defined his jawline and cheekbones. His lips were lush and sculpted and his nose straight-edged. The sleeves of his black dress shirt were rolled up on his muscular forearms, displaying a tribal dragon tattoo on his left arm.

When she didn’t move, Dmitri stated, with his eyes still focused on the paper, “Take a seat on the couch.”

Exhaling slowly, she shed the tension in her chest as she made her way to the leather sofa and sat down. The coolness of the upholstery against her heated skin came as much needed relief. She crossed her legs, doing her best to portray confidence.

In front of this powerful and experienced man, she didn’t want to show her apprehension. In fact, she’d never been this uncomfortable around men, but Dmitri wasn’t simply a man. He sexually dominated women, and as a Dom, he did the kinky things Presley had only dreamed of fulfilling.

He signed the paper, then he lifted his head. Presley forgot the world around her, absorbed in him. His piercing blue eyes gazed over her from head to toe before his focus returned to her face. The depth of those eyes pulled her in with the intensity of how he watched her. No, how he studied her. He didn’t give her a quick look but a long examination.

Under his stare, her body went mushy and hot. Flames flickered through her veins as he stood from his chair and approached. Her fingernails bit into her palms as her heart rate increased. His muscular frame didn’t fit his fluid gait. Each step he took exuded authority, like a lion on a hunt, but appeared graceful, with controlled power.

She scanned the thickness of his shoulders beneath his black dress shirt, and she noticed how the fabric clung to him, detailing the valleys of his muscles. Glancing lower, she found the rest of him to be more of the same—powerful and masculine. His black slacks, held tight by a leather belt hung low on his hips, hugged his thick thighs.

Stopping in front of her, he stared at her with impressively intense eyes, and a strand of his stylish blond hair hung across his forehead. “So, you’re Cora’s friend? Presley, right?”

The commanding nature of his voice made her breathing erratic. This man had the capability of making her feel giddy as a schoolgirl, as if he were her secret crush who’d noticed her at last. “Yes, that’s me.”

Dmitri’s mouth twitched, and he tucked a finger under her jaw, tilting up her chin. “Welcome to my home, Presley.”

She shivered at the stern yet gentle hold. “Thank you.”

He slid a finger along her jawline, cocking his head, and his study of her touched the center of her soul, awakening her body in a foreign way. As if, for the first time in her life, a man looked at her and truly saw her. His examination made her bare, totally exposed to him, and unusually vulnerable.

Locked in a stare she couldn’t break free from, she wiggled in her seat, unable to stop herself, then she froze. After another shift, she couldn’t ignore the damp silk between her thighs. How was that even possible—nervous one minute to undeniably turned on the next?

Dmitri’s eyebrow arched, and that sexy smile returned. “Pretty little thing, aren’t you, doll?”

He removed his hold and she quivered, and her body hummed with desire. The memory of his touch remained. The path his finger had taken was scorched into her skin, and the heat within only intensified as she drew in his masculine scent, edged with sandalwood.

Watching the twinkle in his eyes increase, she cursed herself for being entirely too obvious. Or maybe she should curse him for being so talented at reading people. To calm down, she glanced around the office, looking for something to take her mind off of her response to him.

It was hopeless.

The home seemed like a fairy tale all in itself. Along the dark taupe wall across from her were four huge canvases forming a solid picture of a lone tree and a moon, reminding her that she was out of her element. “That painting is beautiful.” Enormous and expensive. “Did you pick it out?”

Dmitri followed her gaze for only a moment. “Do I look like the type of man who’d know about art?”

She licked her dry lips, staring at his sculpted mouth that held the mysterious smile, and she admitted, “Kind of.”

“No, doll, I couldn’t care less about it.” He winked. “That’s what interior decorators are for.”

Dmitri deftly turned and strode toward the watercooler in the corner of the office. Presley frowned at his back. Perhaps she had misread him and he wasn’t as fancy as she’d thought, since he seemed amused by her response.

After filling a tall glass with water, he returned to her and offered her the glass. “Here, drink this, love.”

“Thanks.” She accepted the glass, and settled the cool glass on her lap, not sure she’d get the water down her dry throat.

Dmitri leaned in and gazed into her eyes dead-on. “I didn’t give you the glass to hold. I gave you the water because you need it. Drink up, Presley.”

The stern set of his jaw indicated he wouldn’t relent, so with a shrug, she sipped the water. The cool liquid rushed through her mouth and down her throat, easing the tightness as she swallowed. Maybe she needed that more than she’d thought. He gave a firm nod. “Better.”

As he sat next to her on the couch, his thick thigh brushed against hers, and a spark blasted through her, causing her cheeks to warm. The side of his mouth once again curved as he stared at her blush before those intense eyes zeroed in on hers. “Now, then, tell me a bit about yourself.”

“Well—” She focused on their conversation and away from how incredible his body felt against hers. “My parents are still together and have a good marriage. I grew up in Apple Valley my entire life, but I moved to Vegas about four months ago to live with my ex.” She took another sip of the water and realized she’d almost opened a door she didn’t want to go through. Gathering her thoughts, she looked at her hands, clenched around the glass, and continued. “That’s a story not worth repeating.” No way in hell would she tell him about her ex-boyfriend, Steven Moser, on whom she wasted eight years of her life. “Let’s see . . . I’m twenty-five and have no kids.”

Dmitri raised his ankle over his knee, drawing her focus to him, and she noticed his body shaking in silent laughter. Maybe, with Steven on her mind, her defenses were already on high alert. Or perhaps Dmitri made her feel way too inexperienced and even too nervous in this erotic adventure she’d entered, but her glare came fierce and instant.

He frowned. “Would you like to try that again?”

“I have nothing else to say.” She shifted against the couch, realizing now that she deserved his mirth. In this place, she might as well have a halo over her head. “That’s all there is to know about me.”

“No, Presley.” His eyes were dark, firm, and cold. “In my house, my guests don’t glare at me.”

Had he honestly noticed her glare? Most times when she glared at Steven, he didn’t see it or didn’t care enough to ask what had upset her. “I—”

Dmitri’s eyes narrowed. “If I’ve upset you, tell me, so I can address it. Don’t give me nasty looks that I don’t deserve, considering I’ve hardly said a word.”

The authority in his voice made her insides quiver. It was the meaning in his statement that spoke to something deep inside her—I see you. Even if what she’d done bothered him, he didn’t overlook any of her actions. For the first time in a long time—possibly ever—she wasn’t a shadow, a person everyone passed and never truly looked at, and that made her speechless.

However, at his firm look urging her to continue, she took his advice and asked, “What did you find so funny?”

He dropped his ankle from his knee and turned to face her. “Your little rundown there.” His stern expression melted away to a charming smile, drawing her full attention to his kissable mouth. “I didn’t mean for you to tell me everything about yourself, as if I were hiring you.”

Just kill me now!

His eyes softened, as did his voice. “I meant for you to tell me why you want to join the dungeon, considering you look incredibly nervous.”

She almost rolled her eyes but stopped herself. “Right, I guess that’s what you’d want to know.” Shoving her embarrassment away to fret over later, she put on a brave face and lifted her chin. “Well, I read a lot of erotic romance books and . . . um . . . Cora has told me about the lifestyle, and you see, it . . . ”

With a gentle hold, he gripped her chin, tilting her head downward. “Arouses you?”

He dropped his hand and she nodded, and the water in the glass rippled in waves from the tremble of her hands. Gripping it tightly, she bit her lip, which didn’t ease the flickers of mortified tremors.

“What about BDSM arouses you?”

His intense study reached into her soul. She squirmed against the leather couch, and her skin flushed wicked hot. “Err . . . the sex stuff.”

One sleek eyebrow lifted. “The sex stuff?”

She followed the line of his brow along the masculine contours of his face. While his eyebrow arch looked simple enough, it portrayed a statement of curiosity, and he was beautiful. “You know, being tied up, dominated . . . and um . . . other stuff.”

Dmitri considered her in a way that made her feel as if he noticed every flaw on her face. “I’m going to be blunt with you, Presley.” Before she could inquire what he meant by blunt, he added, “I’d appreciate if you stay quiet while I talk. After I’m done, we can discuss what I’ve told you.” He waited for her nod, then he continued. “A Club Sin submissive can be restrained with ropes, cuffs, chains, or anything that can be used to bind a person.” His grin became devilish. “Doms enjoy being creative.”

Sweet Jesus!

“In a scene, you might be flogged, paddled, whipped, spanked, or caned. You could find yourself tied to a Saint Andrew’s cross, tossed over a spanking bench, or attached to any other device located in the dungeon.”

Damn her body for flushing at those choices, and damn his wicked expression declaring enjoyment. She took a big gulp of the water, which this time didn’t help the dryness in her throat.

His eyes twinkled. “If it’s within your limits, you might have intercourse in the dungeon or be asked to give oral sex; if your Dom is especially pleased, you could find yourself climaxing in front of a crowd.”

Her mouth dropped open, but he seemed not to realize or care. He added, “This isn’t a sex club meant to have vanilla sex. At Club Sin, you are the submissive and are treated as such.” Drawing in a deep breath, he allowed her a minute to process before he said, “There are no slaves at Club Sin. We have submissives who, outside of the dungeon, are equal in every regard. In the dungeon, you are the bottom in the relationship and will need to accept that. You don’t make decisions. You don’t ask questions. You do what your Dom tells you to do.”

A shiver slid down her spine. Not at what he said, exactly, but how he said it. The heated look in his eye and the stern tone portrayed a confidence that her lower half appreciated. Which had been part of the battle, excitement at the thought of a man controlling her, yet she’d been raised to have a voice and thoughts. Meshing the two desires and wants was confusing at best.

His head tilted. “Submissives at Club Sin are expected to be submissive only while in a scene. Meaning you’re not expected to be in high protocol at all times in the dungeon, as in kneeling at your Dom’s feet and avoiding eye contact. These are the rules I’ve put in place at Club Sin, because they’re what I prefer. To be a member, everyone must follow that rule.”

He once again let her process it all before he said, “Of course, you are to respect all Doms with proper address; mind your manners; and be respectful to other submissives. But we are not a club that expects high protocol, unless that’s something your Dom requires of you for a punishment.” That ridiculously sexy eyebrow arched again. “Do you understand?”

Presley nodded and wiggled in her seat, trying to ignore the heat swirling between her thighs. All of what he said were things she’d read about, fantasized over, and the idea that she’d play the submissive role made her burn.

“Some submissives like things others don’t, and that’s why you outline your limits when you sign the dungeon’s agreement. That part of play at Club Sin is nonnegotiable. Your limits will never be broken. If you want to change a limit, you’ll have a sit-down with me to discuss it. I may agree without hesitation, or I might request that I watch you in scene first if the limit change is drastic.” He casually picked a piece of lint off his pants. “What you do in your private life is your business. Here, in the dungeon, what you do is my business, since I’m the owner of Club Sin. All clear?”

She nodded, managing to close her parted lips, but she was unable to look away from his eyes. There, in their depths, she found something so intoxicating, so centered. Dmitri appeared to be the most put-together man she’d ever met in her life, so sure of himself and his choices, and that was even sexier than his muscular frame and gorgeous face.

He flicked the piece of lint onto the floor. “If you don’t follow what has been asked of you, you will be punished. If you refuse your punishment, you will be escorted from the dungeon and not allowed to return.”

Her breath became trapped in her throat, and as if he read her concern, he added, “A punishment can be a spanking with a hand or a paddle, a night spent wearing a gag, or whatever the Dom thinks is appropriate for your disobedience. But no punishment would ever exceed your limits. One thing you can count on is your punishment will be fair.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling gently. “Now tell me how you feel about what I’ve told you.”

“It’s . . . well . . . I . . .” She swallowed, shifting through all the confusion coursing through her veins. Her body burned so hot that she wanted out of her skin. Her mind warned her how insane it was to agree to something that could, in fact, lead to a punishment.

After a moment, she realized the winner of the internal battle was glaringly obvious, because it was why she’d come here tonight. “God forgive me, I liked it.”

Dmitri gave her a long look before he threw his head back with laughter. Her embarrassment quickly turned to anger, and she stood so fast that the water spilled on the floor. “Stop laughing at me! This isn’t funny.”

He slowly looked at her. His eyes had darkened. He rose to his feet with a powerful grace, taking the glass from her hands, and slamming it on the end table with a clunk. “To your knees.”

In a swift move, she dropped to her knees, cringing when she connected with the hardwood floor. The second the pain eased, she realized what he’d asked and what she’d done.

Had she honestly responded to Dmitri without a single thought? Was she seriously kneeling for the man at his feet? And why had he told her to kneel? Because she snapped at him, or maybe she’d glared again? Her mind raced to understand what had happened in the last couple of seconds, but failed miserably.

Dmitri’s shiny black shoes rested in front of her, and his rich masculine scent wrapped around her. He didn’t move, nor did he say a word.

She did the only thing she thought would be appropriate in this extremely awkward moment. She whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Weekend Writing Warriors – Warning Signs

Click here to go to the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Click the logo to go to the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. 🙂 Once again, I’m sharing from my just started WIP.

Gina’s still healing from divorce. Although she gets along with her ex, it’s his best friend, Marcus, that’s the last person she’d want to see on her night out at the local BDSM club, but that’s exactly who she ran into at the benches. Marcus can’t let this woman in need walk away and he gets her to bend over his spanking bench. Last Week: Gina forgot to count and Marcus started from the beginning. This week: You’ll be glad to know she did start counting again. I’ve skipped a few lines.

Somewhere over the next couple swats, Gina remembered why she’d come back into the club tonight. Her knuckles turned white with the force of her grip. She gulped in a breath of air and waited for the next hit to land with its punishing kiss of heat, but none came.

Marcus stepped into her line of sight, just out of reach. The paddle was no longer in his hand.

“I’ll keep counting, Sir. Please, I need this.”

He lowered beside her and reached out to caress her fingers until she released her strangle hold. “I’ll finish, after I’ve determined you’re in the right frame of mind.”

Told you he was one of the good guys. He can tell something’s wrong. Marcus caught the warning signs. Will Gina reward him with the truth? <~ You can <tweet that> if you want. Hope you’ll come back and find out more about these two. Poor Gina, she’s still looking for release or maybe just punishment, hmm …  

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 Groupand Saturday Spankings too.

ROW80 Check-in #69 Going for it

The writing challenge that knows you have a life.

I had one of those weeks. You know them. The kind that forces you to push yourself on less and less sleep. There are not enough hours in the day. You’d think I’d know this by now.

I won’t bore you with the details, but I need to learn how to say no. Ugh. My solace this week was editing. Normally, I’m not a big fan of editing. It’s hard. Well, everything in writing is hard, but editing is the hardest part for me.

I did turn in a set of edits earlier this week and by the next day I’d received more notes from MY editor. I have an editor. 🙂 and I’ve been working all week. Yesterday, it was time to stop. I had to go for it. I’ve put in my all and now it’s time to let it go.

I turned my MS in yesterday. Gulp.

What a week.

I found another treat on SYTYCD this week. This routine inspired a whole story while I watched. Wow. I’ve been loving Hayley and she got to dance her routine this week with one of her choreographers because her partner got injured. Poor Curtis, but wait till you see this. There’s a spot about 1/2 that is a must see. It’s one of those quite moments, a lift and a freze and then it all melts away. It will steal your breath away. The dancing starts about 44 seconds into the video. Here’s Hayley and choreographer Leonardo (replacing an injured Curtis) performing an Argentine Tango routine choreographed by Miriam and Leonardo

The Goals – week-5 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 edited everyday and worked a smidgen on my new WIP on Friday.
    • Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep, and my calorie limit – done. I got in 6 workouts this week and hit the other goals here too.
    • Weekly Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure) – kind of done. I only danced two of my three new routines. Wow. They are full of awesome. I can’t wait to dance them again. Powerful stuff. 😀 WEEK 6 PRIORITY
    • Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities – done. It was a busy week here with deposits, all kinds of reporting, follow-up, and training.
    • Organize something in the house each week & clean something in the house every day – not done. Once again I’m not getting to these bottom two goals. I really would have benefitted from daily cleaning this week too, but instead I smushed all the cleaning into my Friday and Saturday. Grr. WEEK 6 PRIORITY
    • Spend time in the garden – not done. WEEK 6 PRIORITY

What you might have missed here this week:

Spotlight Board Stiff – Taking Advantage, Book 1 by Jessica Jayne

Spotlight: A Secret Love by Douglas Black

Spotlight: Healed Hearts by Tamsin Baker

Spotlight: Healed Hearts by Tamsin Baker

Healed Hearts cover - click to see on GoodreadsHealed Hearts (Third Bite # 3)

By Tamsin Baker

Genre: MMMF Vampire Historical
Released: July 12, 2013
Publisher: Evernight Publishing

BLURB:

Lucas and Thomas believed themselves unusually blessed to have found their third mate within only three hundred years of being a vampire. Unfortunately, once they turned Piers, that empty, lonely feeling is still there, within all of them.

Ten years of strained relations lead them to a ball where an old friend helps them track down a woman they have all dreamt of.

Maryanne has been thrown out of London in punishment for allowing her fiancée into her bed. She is travelling to meet her new horrid husband-to-be, when she is accosted by three male vampires, all claiming to want to love her.

What is a shamed lady meant to do? Her duty? To marry the horrible old lord, or risk loving three men who are the answer to her prayers?

EXCERPT

“Tommy, I want you to drain me. I like your bite better.”

Thomas smiled, his eyes, an identical brown to Lucas’s, lighting up at the thought.

Lucas pinched him gently in reprimand.

“And what about me? You don’t love my bite?”

Piers reached out both of his hands, and his mates took one each. A bolt shot through him, pure pleasure. Nothing felt as good to him in this world as being connected to his two men, but it was still there. A loneliness, an ache. Something that did not feel quite right, but tonight they were going to change that.

“I want to drink your blood, Luc. Perhaps I will get some of your strength.” He joked, though they all knew he was partly serious. He hated being so much weaker than his mates.

Lucas leaned forward and dropped the sweetest kiss on his lips, and Piers felt his cock swell. These men aroused him like no others ever had.

“You don’t need some of my strength. You have all of it, Piers. I will love and protect you forever.”

Piers gripped the two hands he held tighter. He was ready.

“Tommy, I love you. Bite me.”

He tilted his head away and waited for the sweet pinch.

Thomas bit gently into Piers’s neck, and his heart sang with happiness. He moaned as Thomas continued to drink, far past the usual stopping point.

Death was nearing. Piers could feel a cold hand gripping his heart.

Lucas pressed his warm wrist to Piers’s open mouth.

“Drink, my love.”

Piers felt the pull of death dragging him down, but the hands that held him, anchored him in the real world. He extended his tongue and tasted sweet, thick blood. Slightly metallic, yet so addictive. He moaned as his body began to regain its strength. He attached more firmly onto Luc’s wrist and drank as much of the blood as he could swallow.

Heat flames licked along his legs and arms, and his chest swelled with power and blood.

He opened his eyes and saw his mates. They looked exactly the same. Well that was all right, he supposed. He gripped their hands tighter and smiled as he searched his feelings.

Oh my God!

“It’s still there!” He jumped off the bed and glared at his mates.

“We don’t understand … how?” Lucas looked at Thomas, who looked equally perplexed.

Anger, pure and unforgiving, poured through Piers. How could they do this to him?

“I will never forgive you for this.”

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/healed-hearts-by-tamsin-baker/

http://www.amazon.com/Healed-Hearts-Third-Bite-ebook/dp/B00DVZYV4C

Spotlight: A Secret Love by Douglas Black

I’m spotlighting another Romance on the Go today. I told you I love this line. Please help me welcome Douglas Black. Enjoy. 🙂

Hello everyone! Hello S.J.! Thanks so much for letting me come over to play for a little while. I’d love to introduce my latest release, ‘A Secret Love’. Like the weather we’re currently enjoying in Scotland (fingers crossed it lasts) ‘A Secret Love’ is very hot and steamy. It’s an erotic M/M story about Mark and James, a couple who have been forced to hide their relationship for years. I hope you enjoy this little sneak-peak into their secret world!

A Secret Love cover - click to see on GoodreadsA Secret Love

by Douglas Black

Published: July 11, 2013
Publisher: Evernight Publishing

Blurb

James is nervous when he pulls into the car park of the secluded and conservative Caledonian Hotel. He slips off his wedding ring, gives a false name at reception and checks into his room.

When Mark finally arrives James expects their time together to conform to the usual pattern, but Mark surprises him. Mark wants candlelit dinners and walks on the beach. James, well, James just wants to make up for lost time. More importantly, he doesn’t want to get caught. They have six months left before they can leave behind everything they know and start a new life together and James is desperate to be discrete. Unfortunately, he never could control himself around Mark. Throw in an interfering old couple and some very public displays of affection and Mark and James’s short hotel stay might just be about to destroy not only the secrecy that has always shrouded their relationship, but also their plans for a future together.

Excerpt

Mark returned the kiss passionately. James trembled in his arms. Tension coursed through his body and he could feel it mirrored in Mark’s. He could almost taste the other man’s nerves in his kiss. James savoured Mark’s strong arms around him. He pushed his hands inside Mark’s suit jacket and clung to the warm, toned body underneath. The body was so familiar despite the amount of time that had passed since their last meeting.

“God I’ve missed you,” James said when he finally pulled away. Mark was breathless and didn’t respond at first, but the sexy, playful smile on his lips told James everything he needed to know. James took his hands and led him further into the room.

It was a large suite with living area and a huge bathroom. Mark swung a new sports bag, bright orange and emblazoned with sponsorship logos, off his shoulder and dumped it onto one of the two couches. He paused momentarily, reaching into his suit pocket.

James watched as Mark pulled out his phone and turned it off without checking for messages. He waited patiently until Mark had tucked it safely into his bag and smiled at him when he had finished. “Difficult getting away this time?” he asked.

Mark nodded. “I left as soon as I could. I was so scared I was going to miss the flight. I’m sorry it had to be mid-week this time. Will you get in trouble at work?”

“I have the flu.”

Mark smirked. “You look perfectly healthy to me.”

“It came on all of a sudden,” James said, closing the space between them. “Unexpected. Probably be gone in a few days. You know how these things are.” Mark nodded and James slipped into his arms once more. With his head on Mark’s shoulder, he turned to whisper against the other man’s neck. “I wouldn’t have been able to stand it if you had missed the flight, if you had cancelled. It’s been so long. It’s always so long.”

Author Bio

Douglas Black bio imageDouglas Black was born and raised in bonnie Scotland. He started writing erotica as a means of paying the bills when he was a student at university, but after graduation he found he no longer had the time to write. Over the summer of 2012, Black picked up a pen once more. After a brief, successful flirtation with self-publishing, Black’s novella ‘Business or Pleasure’ was picked up and released in April 2013. It quickly made the publisher’s best-sellers list. Douglas Black’s short story, ‘A Secret Love’, was published in July 2013 by Evernight Publishing.

Author Links

http://amazon.com/author/douglasblack

http://www.goodreads.com/DouglasBlack

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Douglas-Black/1632968396841732

https://twitter.com/DBlackErotica @DBlackErotica

http://douglasblackerotica.wordpress.com

Buy Links

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Love-Romance-Go-ebook/dp/B00DV6Q52M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373539149&sr=8-1&keywords=douglas+black+a+secret+love

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Love-Romance-Go-ebook/dp/B00DV6Q52M/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1373539183&sr=8-5&keywords=douglas+black+a+secret+love

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/a-secret-love-by-douglas-black/

http://www.bookstrand.com/a-secret-love-mm

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-asecretlove-1230719-149.html

Spotlight Board Stiff – Taking Advantage, Book 1 by Jessica Jayne

I’ve fallen in love with Evernight Publishing’s Romance on the Go line. These quick yummy reads are perfect for the busy reader. I’m putting my spotlight on another recent release in this line. I’ll definitely be reading this one. Enjoy. Take it away, Jessica. 🙂

I’d like to give a big thanks to S.J. for spotlighting me today and my Evernight Publishing release, Board Stiff.  It’s a pleasure to be here.  Thank you!

Board Stiff cover - click to see on GoodreadsBoard Stiff – Taking Advantage, Book 1

by Jessica Jayne

Romance on the Go – Evernight Publishing

SKU:978-1-77130-477-1Editor's Pick

ASIN: B00DUPVIWG

Blurb:

John Dorsey’s life is good.  He is the owner of Dorsey Construction.  He’s the youngest person on the board of directors for Advantage Insurance Company.  He lives on the beach.  And he knows he can have any woman he wants.  John’s got the world at his fingertips… except he’s yet to find a woman that stimulates both his body and mind.

Elizabeth Wright worked hard in a large Tampa law firm making a name for herself, but it came at the expense of her personal life. When Advantage Insurance Company offers her a job as corporate counsel, Elizabeth cannot turn it down.  The thought that she can have a successful legal career and a life excites and intimidates her.

But when their worlds collide one day in the Advantage board room, neither Elizabeth nor John knows what’s hit them.  All they know is they can’t stay away from each other.

Excerpt:

“Are you seeing anyone?  Sleeping with anyone?” he asked further.

“What?” she said, standing up from her chair.  Her face was incapable of hiding her shock at his questions.  Her green eyes were wide.  Her lips parted.  “What sort of questions are these?”  John’s stride made short use of the distance between them.  He stood directly in front of her, cornering her behind her desk.  He looked down into her green eyes.  They were gorgeous… she was gorgeous.  And he had every intention of claiming her.

“Answer my questions, Elizabeth.  Are you seeing anyone?”  He watched as her eyes widened even further with shock at his determination to get answers to his questions.  Nervousness flittered across her face, but her breath came out in short pants as if his close proximity affected her.  He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath.  God, he wanted to feel her body against his.  He just knew she would feel perfect against him… in his arms.

“Your questions are inappropriate,” she replied sharply.  Despite her body giving her attraction away, she held firm.  He liked that.  He liked a woman that wasn’t too easy of a catch.

“I agree,” he said, impatiently.  “They are inappropriate.  I need the answers nonetheless.”

“Why?” she asked.  Her gaze scanned his face as if looking for the answer to her question.

“Answer me,” he demanded.  His hand reached out and caressed her cheek as if to soothe the harshness of his words.

“You are way out of line, Mr. Dorsey,” Elizabeth said.

“Yes, I know,” he said a little softer this time.  His fingers tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear.  His gaze dropped to her bared neck.  He had to fight the urge to nuzzle the spot just below her ear.  “But I need to know if there are any obstacles to making you mine.  Are you seeing anyone?”

“No,” she whispered.  “I’m not seeing anyone.”  Her lips parted for a moment before she bit down on her lower lip.  That was almost his undoing.

“Are you fucking anyone?” he asked.  She released her bottom lip and sucked in a breath when he asked that question.  Her gaze fell from his eyes to his lips and then to her hands.  He placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up to meet his gaze again.  He wanted to see her eyes when she answered him.  There was heat in her gaze, and that thrilled him.

“No, Mr. Dorsey, I’m not fucking anyone at the moment,” she said.  Her voice was hard, but he heard the desire in it and that snapped his restraint.  His hand weaved into her hair until his palm gripped the back of her head, pulling her into him.  His mouth slammed down on hers.  Her full lips were soft and pliable, and his tongue flicked out over her lips to taste her.  She tasted so sweet…like candy.

 Buy Links:

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/board-stiff-by-jessica-jayne/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Board-Stiff-Taking-Advantage-ebook/dp/B00DUPVIWG

http://www.amazon.com/Board-Stiff-Taking-Advantage-ebook/dp/B00DUPVIWG

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-boardstiff-1228873-149.html

http://www.bookstrand.com/board-stiff-mf

Author Bio:

I am a born and raised small town Ohio girl, who moved to the Sunshine State after graduating from college. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English because I could not imagine doing anything else but reading and writing. It is such a pleasure to be able to share all the stories in my head!100_8255

In the journey of life, I also became a wife and a mother of three children. So, life is always an adventure. But the love of writing has never died.

My favorites:  I love to read and write… obviously! But I also enjoy all sports, especially college football and the Ohio State Buckeyes!  Go Steelers!  Go Rays! I LOVE to travel… LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to travel. And I love sharing my love to travel with my children. I love to drink Teavana teas! I love a good glass of wine, especially if it comes from a bottle made by the FOOLS wine club… yep, I’m a member of that!  I love hanging out with my family and my friends!  Big fan of music, but love nothing better than putting on my jean shorts, tank top, cowboy boots and hat and watching Tim McGraw belt it out!  I’m a sucker for a cowboy hat!

Where you can find me:

http://www.jessicajayneauthor.com

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6545547.Jessica_Jayne

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Author-Jessica-Jayne/388268367912903

Twitter:  @JessicaJayne13

http://pinterest.com/thejessicajayne/boards/

Weekend Writing Warriors – Off Her Game

Click here to go to the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Click the logo to go to the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. 🙂 Once again, I’m sharing from my just started WIP.

Gina’s still healing from divorce. Although she gets along with her ex, it’s his best friend, Marcus, that’s the last person she’d want to see on her night out at the local BDSM club, but that’s exactly who she ran into at the benches. Marcus can’t let this woman in need walk away and he gets her to bend over his spanking bench. Last Week: Marcus awakened her senses with the paddle. This week: I’ve skipped nothing.

The paddle rubbed over her right cheek and then smacked, rocking her whole body. She was surprised by the force behind the swat which was not her first mistake. What had she been thinking? Submitting to Marcus was on her list of things to never try. She had to give him more credit. He’d caught her off her game.

“We’ll start back at one each time you forget to count.” He smacked her other cheek.

I hope she starts counting soon, lol. Marcus caught her off her game, but will he receive her submission? <~ You can <tweet that> if you want. Hope you’ll come back and find out more about these two. Poor Gina, she’s still looking for release. Maybe next week, maybe. 😉 

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 Groupand Saturday Spankings too.

ROW80 Check-in #68 The Final Cleaning

The writing challenge that knows you have a life.

I received edits from my publisher. <~~ Do you know how long I’ve been wanting to type that very sentence. 😀 ~~ This past week I’ve gone through the comments and made little tweaks here and there. I did several full read throughs which I have not done on this MS since last December. The distance really helped.

Now that the must haves are taken care of, I can’t seem to let it go and hit send…again. I could sit with it for another week. It’s my baby. I grew so much as I wrote this story. It will never be perfect. I don’t need it to be perfect. Really. Really.

Still, it takes a lot of guts to show your writing to the world and although I’ve done it before, I’ve never done it quite like this. I’m hoping sometime over the next seven days, I’ll find that blend of clean satisfaction and groovy deliciousness I crave in my work. When I find it, I will hit send, again.

I found the perfect inspiration this week from SYTYCD. Amy and Fik-Shun performed a Tyce Diorio routine. Wow. This routine has that effortless perfection that sits right in the pocket.

The Goals – week-4 results

    • Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters – done.
    • Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting – done. My week was full of edits. I made progress everyday. I also added an epilogue. My first goal in this list helped it all come together. Nice.
    • Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep, and my calorie limit – done. I got workouts in everyday but one. I did go over my calorie limit a bit on a couple of days. I’m editing. It’s going to happen. lol.
    • Weekly Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure) – kind of done. My three new routines arrived this week. I’ve viewed some of each, but have not danced any of them yet. I can’t wait. They look like so much fun. I did do a practice teaching session this week. 😀 WEEK 5 PRIORITY
    • Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities – done. Answered countless emails and phone calls and made several deposits.
    • Organize something in the house each week & clean something in the house every day – not done. WEEK 5 PRIORITY
    • Spend time in the garden – not done. WEEK 5 PRIORITY

What you might have missed here this week:

Spotlight His Passion, Her Temptation by Malia Mallory

Spotlight: Persuasion Skills by Laurel Cremant

Flash Fiction #46 One Last Time