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: The Submission of a Mafia Princess by Sandra Bunino

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

I’m smiling today. One of my favorite authors has a brand new release and I have all the details for you. Enjoy.

The Submission of a Mafia Princess

by Sandra Bunino

Series: The Satin Rose Experience #3
Length: 100 pages
Release Date: February 12th 2013 TODAY!!
Publisher: Evernight Publishing

~~~~~> Buy Link <~~~~~

BLURB:

Duty, Respect, and Honor thy Family…

As the only child of notorious mob boss, Tony “The Chief” Azzari, Antonietta lives her life by this mantra. Toni never questions the world where decisions are made for her, until she meets Harley-Davidson riding bad boy, Braxton Malone. Ever since their fiery first kiss all those years ago, she can’t deny the desire to submit to his control.

Brax always knew he’d be walking a dangerous tightrope if he fell for Toni, but like a moth to a flame, he couldn’t stay away. Barely surviving the wrath of the mob within an inch of his life, a scorned Brax has vowed never again to allow a woman under his skin.

Three years later, Brax is a top Dom at The Satin Rose Experience, New York’s posh BDSM club. When Toni shows up to fulfill her fantasy of submission before being forced into a loveless marriage, that vow is in just as much jeopardy as his life. Can they overcome the crimes of passion from their past and change Toni’s fate forever?

EXCEPRT:

Toni lay in darkness, left alone with her thoughts and listening to the air flowing in through her nose and out through her mouth as Mia had instructed. Candles were one of Toni’s demands, especially when she discovered the submissive pose would push her ass high in the air. She couldn’t handle a harsh spotlight on her full cheeks. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, the dim lights also served the purpose of keeping her Dom of choice, Mick, as anonymous as possible. Not that she needed candles for that; his last minute demand was to blindfold her. Something that they hadn’t talked about while reviewing her soft and hard limits.

Toni wasn’t sure how much time had passed since Mia left the room after preparing her for the scene. She tested the restraints connected to her wrist bindings. Only an inch or two of slack allowed her to shift slightly on the sumptuous bed. Crisp linens cradled her shins, which were spread slightly. Deep breaths pushed her leather-covered breasts into the soft mattress. Her position of submission caused the leather strap between her backside cheeks to tighten against her sensitized folds.

The click of the lock and slide of the door caused every nerve ending to stand at attention. Heavy footfalls sounded on the suite’s plush carpeting. Concentrating on her breathing, Toni willed her heart to stay within the confines of her chest.

Inhale through her nose. Fingers caressed the back of her calf and eased her shoe off her right foot.

Exhale through her mouth. Her other shoe slid from her foot and a single finger drew a slow line down the bottom of her foot.

Inhale. The ticking of a zipper filled her ears.

Exhale. Shit, the breathing thing wasn’t working.

Inhale and hold. She squeezed her eyes shut. I can do this. I can do this.

The floodgates opened with a sobbing exhale. “Fire! Fire. I’m sorry. I can’t. I just…can’t. I thought I could. I thought it would be like before. But it’s not.”

“Before?” a low voice whispered. There was something about that voice.

“Yes, before. With Brax. I’m sorry. I just can’t, not like this.” A sob wracked her chest and tears soaked her blindfold.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Hands stroked her hair enveloping her into a comforting sensation that was as familiar as breathing. She picked her head up and perked her ears toward the source.

“Brax?”

“It’s me, Antonietta. You’re safe.”

The bed dipped next to her and the blindfold slipped off her head. She blinked a few times to focus her eyes.

“Hello, sunshine.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Come on, you know me a little better than to think I’d sit back idly and allow some random man have his way with you.”

Toni sat up on her heels causing her tethered hands to rise awkwardly.

“Here. Let’s get you out of these.” Brax unhooked the restraints from her bindings and took her hands into his. He untied the satin cords and slowly uncoiled them from her wrists. Rubbing them in between his hands, memories came flooding back. Back when she was his.

“You look beautiful,” he said, surveying her body.

She focused on his face, attempting to sear every feature of him into her memory: the planes and light stubble of his cheeks, his tousled hair, and his eyes that had always been able to read her like a book from the first day they met.

There was so much she wanted to say, but it was pointless. “One night is all we have.”

Brax took her chin between his thumb and index finger and pulled her close. “I know. Get up and get dressed.”

“Where are we going?”

“Your fantasy of submission starts now. No questions,” he said and playfully slapped her ass. Grabbed his jacket from the chair, he strode to the door before turning around.

“You have ten minutes. Wear a dress and these.” He pulled a flash of red and lace from the jacket’s pocket and tossed it to Toni.

Find THE SUBMISSION OF A MAFIA PRINCESS here:

Evernight Publishing / Amazon / AllRomance eBooks / Bookstrand

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).

Stalk Sandra here:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Pinterest

Remember, following is sexy!

Weekend Writing Warriors – Breaking Loose

Posted on February 10, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Welcome friends new and old. It’s Sunday, so I’m sharing six, NOPE, hold the phone, I’m sharing EIGHT sentences from my WIP.

I’ll continue where I left off last week from my current WIP, In the Blind (working title), and you can see the past five posts from this WIP here. The Logline: When a head hunter finds her dream lover in a night of pitch black unrestrained passion, she fears she’ll never find him again. Fate steps in and throws the two together, but they might never discover the truth and stay in the blind.

Over the past few weeks we’ve seen Jane remove her clothes, leave her bad memories behind, and get her first kiss at Club Blind. It’s the kind of place where they turn off all the lights, clothing is not an option, and they pair you up to… 😉 Rest assured, the club stands by the motto: safe, sane, and consensual. Last Week Jane figured out why they needed no blankets as she was engulfed in the sexual heat of the night. I’ve skipped a few lines. Jane’s mystery man has been, ah, kissing her somewhere. Today I’ll give you 8-more from this scene.

Pleasure swelled through her kicking her breathing into a higher gear, another second and the orgasm would pulse to life, but he let go. Her complaint fell quiet when his fingers filled her and stroked from the inside. The blissful tingles of an orgasm wanting to run free gathered strength. Her limbs shifted and stretched, swaying to the rhythm of the music.

She needed to touch the man giving her pleasure like she’d never known, but once again, he left her wanting before the orgasm broke loose. The bed shifted slightly and she felt his knees move along side her hips. She reached for him and found his shoulders, her fingers gripped while his hand caressed her body to land beside her head.

He nipped her earlobe. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

I think I’ll leave Jane right there for the week. 🙂 Hope you enjoyed my eight today. 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 and Saturday Spankings too. I hope to see you again next Sunday.

ROW80 check-in #49 Perseverance

Posted on February 10, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

This week my schedule was totally out of control. Have you had one of those lately? You know, the day that starts one way and ends up being like something completely different. Normally, my work from home schedule allows me the flexibility to dip into my main interests, but this week everything that could pop up did. From extras for both kid’s schools, work, work, work, and, with the hubs out of town, I was left to deal with the snow filled driveway too. Ugh!

This week definitely pushed my buttons and almost pushed me over. Each day I told myself tomorrow would be better, but, when the next day arrived, something else came up until finally the black cloud of doubt rained down on me. Why am I doing this to myself. Ugh!

Frustration.

Did you watch American Idol this week? The boys went through Hollywood Week. It’s definitely one of those experiences that will push you, test you. Stress can take you to extremes and force you to face facts. Do you have what it takes to persevere?

I often wonder if I will ever get published. I’ll tell you one way to ensure I don’t: simply stop, give in…give up.

No, I can not. The thought starts an ache in my chest that shakes through me and leaves me nauseous. So, this week I’ve assigned myself one word: Perseverance. Google gave me this definition: Continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no indication of success. <–That’s it. That’s where I am, but I’ll keep going. I’ll persevere.

Thinking of my characters and their stories helped too, but so did these quotes from some simply brilliant folks.

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. -Harriet Beecher Stowe

***

It’s when things get rough and you don’t quit that success comes. -Unknown

***

Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting. -Napoleon Hill

The Goals – week-5 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- 1/2 done. WEEK 6 PRIORITY
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- 1/2 done. I almost finished the third Lecture in my Margie Packet. I wrote on only two days, but that is far better than none, and added 1238 words to the WIP. I ended the week on a high, by finishing the first draft of one of my WIPs. Wow, feeling a little better now. I didn’t make any progress in critiquing the latest WIP from my CP, a must do for this week. WEEK 6 PRIORITY
Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- Almost DONE. I got in two workouts this week. WEEK 6 PRIORITY
Daily Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- I did some practice teaching this week, but that’s about it. WEEK 6 PRIORITY
Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. Parent meeting and a dozens tiny things that interrupted my day, everyday. Ugh.
Organize something in the house each week- done. I made progress on updating my file storage. Each year I go through the papers collected, shred/recycle duplicates, and put needed items in longer term storage, i.e. banker boxes and ready the desk with room for the year to come. This process is another step in our tax preparation. We are getting closer to handing things over to the accountant. Wahoo.

What you might have missed here this week:

A Blog Takeover by Kharisma Rhayne author of Highlander Mine
Spotlight: Caressed By A Crimson Moon by Amanda J. Greene
Flash Fiction #37 Sounds of the Night

Sources: Google: Persevere search with definition; Proverbia.net: Perseverance Quotes

Flash Fiction #37 Sounds of the Night

Posted on February 8, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.

Sienna knew her traps kept most of the warriors away, but they kept trying and eventually one would get through. She stilled her body and listened to the sounds of the night, waiting for the supposed worthy one. The snap of a twig to her left startled her. She closed her eyes and felt nothing but her raucous heart until another crackle rang out. In an instant she was on her feet and ready to defend. Electricity tickled her spine, he hadn’t tripped a single trap.

“Sienna?”

“A few skills and my name gains you nothing.”

“I’ll earn the rest.”

Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.

J S Morbius: http://morbiussworld.blogspot.co.uk/
Angelica Dawson: http://angelicadawson.blogspot.com/
Naomi Shaw: www.authornaomishaw.com
Sherri Hayes: http://sherri-hayes.blogspot.com/
Angi Crum: http://cherrydarling317.wordpress.com/

Spotlight: Caressed By A Crimson Moon by Amanda J. Greene

Posted on February 7, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Caressed By A Crimson Moon

by Amanda J. Greene

Length: 388 pages

Sub-Genres: Paranormal Romance

BLURB

Consumed by madness and tormented by dark memories of blood and death, Hadrian Lucretius, King of the Validus Clan, has returned after living in self-imposed exile for nearly three hundred and fifty years.

To maintain peace with the vampires, Eva Maldonado is offered as a sacrifice to the crazed vampire king by her father, the alpha of the Silveria Shifter Pack. Hadrian’s reputation is both legendary and lethal; he is ruthless, bloodthirsty, lusty, and soulless. When Eva arrives at the ancient fortress high in the Carpathian Mountains, she is shocked to find a ravaged man with dark burning eyes filled with loneliness and dangerous desire.

Would she be his lover…or his prey? His savior…or his victim? Would Hadrian lure her into madness or would their perilous passion be their redemption?

EXCERPT

Dear God, what had her father done?

He sacrificed me. She snorted. He couldn’t send one of his precious purebred daughters off to what was surely her death.

Eva pushed away from the wall and began to pace. Falcon had been gone for nearly fifteen minutes and her nerves were making her restless. Glancing about, she decided to take a little tour. She would not go far and, with luck, she may find the knight. Besides, if she remained immobile, consumed by her thoughts, she would soon have herself worked up into another fit of hysteria.

Deciding to head in the direction Falcon had, she did not enter the main hall though the large arched entrance was directly in front of her. She turned left and headed down a long, dimly lit corridor. She paused outside each door she passed, she knocked and tried their knobs, but no one called from the other side and every door was locked.

After the fifth door, she gave up her search and allowed her curiosity to take over. The hall was lined with wood paneling decorated by sharply detailed paintings. Each featured a portrait of a man and was accompanied by a gold placard with his name. These were the kings of the Validus Clan.

The name of the last painting read Hadrian Lucretius, but the image had been savagely shredded. Stepping closer, Eva reach up, trying to place the pieces back together, wanting to get a look at the vampire—

A cool hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her scream as she was hauled back. Eva fought for freedom, twisting down, she jabbed her elbow in her attacker’s side then kicked back, connecting with his shin. He growled in response and spun her about, trapping her with his body. His hands slammed into the wall, cracking the wood, on either side of her head.

“Little girls should not wander alone in the dark.”

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. His voice, it was dark, threatening—pure sex. He leaned his head down, his lips brushed her ear and, God help her, she shivered. Whether it was from fear or something entirely sexual, she did not know. Confusion, terror, and desire fought for control of her brain, as she remained pinned between the large, solid male and the wall.

“Bad things prowl in the dark,” he whispered against her ear and Eva’s knees went weak. His words were heavily accented, his voice deep. It echoed with evil and laced with lust. “Bad things, like me.”

Eva tried to speak, knowing she should demand he release her, or scream, but nothing came.

One of his hands dropped from the wall to encircle her wrist, the pad of his thumb gently brushed over her erratically beating pulse.

“Your scent,” he said, his voice rough, the sound sending waves of need crashing over her.

His fingers lightly traced up her arm to cup her nape, tickling her sensitive flesh.

Eva’s breathing grew shallow as her body began to burn.

Desire?

Yes. Oh, God, yes.

The menacing male drew closer, his second hand dropping to her shoulder, pressing her firmly against the wall. Danger, it radiated from him, yet desire flickered in his cold, black eyes. Instinct took hold of her. Eva wrapped her arms about his waist. Her hands pressed flat against his lower back, urging him closer. She arched her back trying in vain to close the space between them.

“Sweet…warm vanilla.” His cool breath caressed the tender flesh of her throat, sending chills all the way down to her toes.

Was he going to bite her?

God, what was she doing? She had no idea who this man was let alone what he was doing to her. She should shove him away. She should bring her knee up and hit him where it counts. But she could not move. Her heart beat frantically, her blood rushed like lava through her veins as her body responded to this aggressive male.

“My king!”

Eva’s sigh was a mix of relief and disappointment when she heard Falcon’s voice.

“Release her.”

The vampire’s mystifying obsidian gaze held her captive as he asked, “Do you want to be rescued?”

No, but her self-preservation cried yes.

He vampire gently brushed her bottom lip with his thumb and Eva shuttered.

“My king,” Falcon bellowed.

The stranger lifted his head and glared at Falcon for a long breathless moment. She could sense the tension that coiled in his body. Pure lethal power flowed from him like tidal waves.

Finally he turned his attention back to her. Framing her jaw with his large hands, he bent his head down. Was he going to kiss her? Another rush of heat coursed through her and pooled at her core. She wished she could see his face. The shadows hid his features. All she could see were his dark as midnight eyes, which burned in the darkness, violence and lust.

He leaned into her, his solid chest brushing her breasts, causing them to ache, as he sank his lower body against her. Surrounded. Hot, aggressive male surrounded her and—wild, she was wild with need.

His cool lips brushed against hers as he whispered, “Until we meet again, little one.” He disappeared.

Eva sagged against the wall, her body feeling bereft without him. Shock pulsed through her body and she struggled to make sense of what just happened. Her initial reaction had been fear, but was quickly replaced by desire. She focused on her breathing, trying to calm herself as she gathered her scattered, confused thoughts.

He didn’t kiss her. Why did he not—

“Did I not ask you to remain in the foyer, because I distinctly remember doing so,” Falcon said.

“W-what?” she sputtered.

When she looked up at him, his expression was not what she had expected. His tone implied announces but his gaze was quizzical as he studied her, his brow furrowed in thought.

“Nothing,” he said with a shake of his head.

Falcon cursed a string of obscenities, some in English but most in an old form of…French?

“Come on, I’ll show you to your room so you can get settled.”

He turned and began back down the hall.

Eva shoved away from wall and jogged to catch up with him. Her legs were still weak and she feared they might give out. She caught his arm and Falcon stopped.

“Was that…I mean, he was—”

“Hadrian Lucretius, King of the Validus Clan of vampires,” he answered.

“I thought so,” she said, her voice a faint whisper.

BUY LINK

Amazon

BIO

When she is not writing, Amanda can found playing the role of a full time university student who works part time. She lives in Southern California with her very supportive husband and their sweet cocker spaniel. Doing all the above and being a military wife is not easy, but rewarding! Of course, she accomplishes everything with a strong cup of coffee in her hand.

Author’s Site ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

@AmandaJGreene1

Sharing Only Six – No Blankets Required

Posted on February 3, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Welcome friends new and old. It’s Sunday, so I’m going to do what I always do and share six sentences from my WIP. You might have found me through Skye Warren’s linky or Weekend Writing Warriors, which is going to allow us up to eight-sentences. Next week for sure I’ll share a couple more, but for this week, in acknowledgement of the Six Sentence Sunday legacy, I give you just six.

I’ll continue where I left off last week from my current WIP, In the Blind (working title), and you can see the past four posts from this WIP here. The Logline: When a head hunter finds her dream lover in a night of pitch black unrestrained passion, she fears she’ll never find him again. Fate steps in and throws the two together, but they might never discover the truth and stay in the blind.

Over the past few weeks we’ve seen Jane remove her clothes, leave her bad memories behind, and prepare for a night she’ll never forget, at Club Blind. It’s the kind of place where they turn off all the lights, clothing is not an option, and they pair you up to… 😉 Rest assured, the club stands by the motto: safe, sane, and consensual. Last Week she got her first kiss. They’re there for the same reasons, and she’s all his for the evening. I’ve skipped only a line or two since last week.

She’d worried she’d get cold with no blankets to cover them. She understood now it was a needless worry. The heat running through her body reminded her of a hot summer day. The bed dipped slightly near her feet and instinctively she spread her legs. Large, warm hands caressed her body and her pulse leaped in an almost syncopated rhythm. Since there was absolutely no need to be quiet, she let a moan escape and reached for him.

Hope you enjoyed my six today. 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 and Skye’s linky too, there is also Saturday Spankings. Between the three, you should be able to find almost all of your Six Sunday favorites.. I hope to see you again next Sunday.

ROW80 check-in #48 Slow and Steady

Posted on February 3, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

I could call this week slow and steady, or simply consistent. It seems if I start the day with craft study, and then get into writing, the rest of the day falls into place. All that is wonderful, but I’ve been sacrificing my morning workouts to make everything work. Not good. But isn’t that the way. Once you figure one thing out then there is something new to work on. Life certainly isn’t boring that way.

A year and a half ago, when I stared my healthy journey, I got up consistently at the same time everyday and worked out. My body hummed with joy then, but now I’m running on empty. The thing is, life is different now, I have a very active three-year-old to wrangle and get to school twice a week and with an already impossible schedule, that change has flipped my morning routine into quandary.

No more excuses. I know what it takes and it’s time to recommit and just do it. I’ve corralled my mid morning routine and now I must conquer the early morning hour and get up after only hitting snooze once. Oy! 😀

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. Finished the second Lecture in my Margie Packet and got about half why through the third. <–This makes me so happy. I wrote everyday but Monday this week and added 3344 words to the WIP. I spent my time well on the first goal this week and that contributed to filling in all my plot holes and the writing started to come together. I think I might actually finish the first draft of my WIP next week. Wahoo!! Permission to do a little everyday made this week work.
Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- NOT DONE. We’ve already talked about that. WEEK 5 PRIORITY
Daily Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- The daily thing did not happen, but the tip I got last week totally works. I waited until yesterday to try it out, but it works. Sometimes you really do just need to come at a task from a different angle. WEEK 5 PRIORITY
Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. Horrible busy week with bills, invoices, reporting and deposits.
Organize something in the house each week- done. Our house will be full of friends today. It’s our year to host the annual Super Bowl party. Organization this week wasn’t a little project, but giving the house the company shine. Glad that’s all done, so now I can enjoy.

What you might have missed here this week:

Review: A Man to Trust by Cheryl Yeko
A Conversation with Malia Mallory author of His Need, Her Desire
Flash Fiction #36 POW!

Flash Fiction #36 POW!

Posted on February 1, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.

Angel rubbed her hands on her knees, rolled her shoulders, and waited for the moment to make her move. The plan worked perfectly, her captors had no idea what they’d trapped. It’d been over a year since she’d seen her husband, but even with her eyes closed, she knew the moment John entered the room.

“Leave the new prisoner here, there’s room for both of them,” the guard said.

John sat beside her, together again, her heart flipped. She opened her eyes and waited. Tonight they’d be free. The guard stalled in front of her and she took her shot.

POW! I hope you felt her emotions as she knocked out the guard. Wish I could see her husband’s face, something tells me it holds a knowing grin. Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.

Talulah Rose: http://tallulahrose.wordpress.com/
Gemma Parkes: http://gemmaparkes.blogspot.com/
J S Morbius: http://morbiussworld.blogspot.co.uk/
Sherri Hayes: http://sherri-hayes.blogspot.com/

A Conversation with Malia Mallory author of His Need, Her Desire

Posted on January 30, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

I have a special guest today, Malia Mallory, all the way from Hawaii. She’s going to heat things up today and answer some questions. Thanks, Malia, for playing along.

Thank you Sidney for having me on your blog today! I’m delighted to have the opportunity to speak with you about my work.

I want you comfortable, so picture your favorite place in the world. Now, please tell us a little bit about the place you’ve pictured?

Right now, I think my favorite place would be in a hot, bubbling tub. I’ve been dying for a nice, long soak and it’s been so cold!

That sounds lovely. It’s actually warm here today, well above freezing, tomorrow will be a whole different story. Good thing this is a virtual visit, can you say Malia popsicle, lol. What was the last book you read that made a lasting impression on you?

I’ve been spending a great deal of time with How to Cook Everything. It really is a great cookbook. I highly recommend the Chicken Biryani. It’s become a favorite of mine. Seriously, this book has all the classics and dozens of great to try, can’t miss recipes.

I love to cook. I’m going to have to check out that book. Thanks! Can you tell us about a criticism you’ve received that pushed you into a better writing place?

I do accept criticism. You really have to if you are going to put your writing out there. Sometimes though it can be weird, you’ll actually get people saying things that are almost the opposite. So, in the end, you have to do what you think is right and put out the very best product that you can.

That’s so true, trusting your own instincts is important, in life and in writing. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Freedom from fear. Freedom from stress and sleeping in on a weekend morning….sometimes.

Sleeping in, that sounds nice. I’m not even sure I could do that anymore. As my kids get older I’m going to have to work on getting that skill back. Freedom from fear. Love it, Malia. What turns you on creatively?

There are those occasions where I am really in the zone. I can feel the sentences coming and I’m happy with the picture I’m creating in my mind. I wish all my writing felt like that!

Your zone sounds nice. I want to go there. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

I have to watch out for helping verbs. I go back through and take out everything I can – all the began to, started to etc. I also have to try to reign in the passive voice.

Passive voice, urgh, it’s my nemesis. What quality do you most admire in a man?

Honesty. Hands down. After that probably kindness.

What quality do you most admire in a woman?

Again, honesty. After that perhaps compassion and empathy.

What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is probably something bad happening to my daughter. I imagine that is true for many parents.

Yes, it’s most true for this parent right here. I just checked, they’re both fine. 🙂 Which living person do you most admire?

In terms of writers, there are a few. I admire Stephen King for his terrific imagination and the awesome book he put out on writing. I also have great admiration for Nora Roberts. She is so prolific with an amazing work ethic for her writing.

Stephen and Nora are favs of mine as well. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

I love to cook and do so all the time. I’ve considered going into that at a couple different junctures in my life. You never know!

What is your greatest extravagance?

If I could, I go back to getting the occasional massage and pedicure.

I melt a little for any kind of spa treatment. What is your favorite music (genre/artist/album/song)?

Right now, I am very into Pink. I’m a huge fan of her music and am very impressed with her song writing. I also like that she just goes for it in her songs, attitude and all.

I love Pink. This is for you, Malia.

What is your motto?

For writing, it is probably a toss up between “Don’t get it right, get it down” or “You can’t fix a blank page.” Editing is a great fixer.

Love those. They help me get past my hesitation and get my fingers moving on the keyboard. Tell us a bit about the projects you are working on now?

I’m working on three books at the moment. The first is entitled His Desire, Her Surrender. This is the second book in the Dominating BDSM Billionaires series and the sequel to His Need, Her Desire. In this book, Tabitha and Marcus wrap up their story.

I am also working on another title in The ABCs of Erotica series. K is for Kinky is the story of three couples who have a bet – which couple can do the kinkiest thing in the next month?

The third is an erotic steampunk novella. Clockwork Caning features a newly married couple. The husband has some proclivities of which his new wife was unaware, but she is learning fast. He is also an inventor – of some very unusual objects.

Clockwork Caning, love that! Thank you for hanging with me today, Malia.

Malia has much more to share, first up is a link to her newsletter, a blurb and excerpt below for His Need, Her Desire, along with her bio and all kinds of links.

Enjoy.

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Until January 31, all new newsletter subscribers get a copy of The ABCs of Erotica – Volume 1: A-C. Sign up for my mailing list here.

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His Need, Her Desire Blurb

Tabitha Quinn didn’t come to Hawaii to be spanked. But when vacationing businessman Marcus Granger saves her from drowning, they begin an affair that moves from the beach to the bedroom and straight into an experience Tabitha’s never had before: dark-haired, blue-eyed Marcus is a dominant, and spanking is just the beginning. The sex is intense, the emotion even more so, until they both must decide if this is a holiday fling or the real thing.

His Need, Her Desire Excerpt

Tabitha’s smile grew wide. She held out her hand. “Really, I can’t thank you enough for your help.”

He held her hand in a firm grasp a shade longer than necessary, but Tabitha didn’t mind. She enjoyed looking at him. Though he had probably shaved that morning, an attractive shadow highlighted his chin and strong jawline.

“I’m glad I was in the right place.”

Tabitha released his hand. “So, where’s your sister?”

“My sister? How did you know?”

Tabitha bit her lip. “I’m sorry to say that I eavesdropped a bit. I was sitting near you at dinner last evening.”

“Eavesdropping? That seems extremely naughty.”

Tabitha was caught off guard by the tone of his voice. He was teasing, and yet, there was a thread of authority running through his words. Tabitha tried to suppress a shiver. “Well, sometimes I just can’t help myself.”

Marcus appeared disarmed by her honesty. “Are you traveling with anyone?”

Tabitha gave him a playful look. “Why do you ask?”

Marcus smiled. “Because I’m interested in knowing the answer, of course.”

“Well, if you’re thinking about ditching my body at sea, I’ve got six family members waiting for me in my hotel room upstairs. If you’re thinking about asking me to dinner, there is no reason why you shouldn’t.” Tabitha amazed herself. Where is this coming from? This man brought something out in her. She’d bet those broad shoulders and sexy smile had enticed many a woman.

He laughed. “You have nothing to worry about. I never use force, unless of course, it is desired.”

“Oh?” The truth burst into her mind. It suddenly became clear that he was fishing around a bit. There had been several hints here and there, but it seemed like he might be looking for a certain sort of woman. No, he couldn’t be. I’m imagining things.

“It’s true. I would be pleased if you joined me for dinner this evening.”

Tabitha did a mental fist pump in her mind. Woohoo! Dinner with Gorgeous Guy. “What did you have in mind?”

“Would you be averse to allowing me to surprise you?”

Tabitha hesitated then plunged ahead. “Not at all. It’s clear you have excellent taste.”

Marcus raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, we both dined at the same restaurant last night, and I thought it was terrific.”

“Ah, well, my meal was less than pleasant unfortunately.” His tone indicated the subject was off-limits.

“Perhaps it was the company and not the food?”

Marcus laughed. “You are undoubtedly right and surprisingly honest.”

“My mother would say that my tongue is quicker than my brain.”

The corners of Marcus’s mouth lifted. “I’ve always been a fan of quick tongues.”

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BUY LINKS:

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Malia Mallory Biography

Malia Mallory lives in Hawaii with her husband and daughter. She’s been working with words since alphabet blocks rolled into her crib, not only writing her own work but copy editing and proofreading the work of others. She has loved to read about relationships since she first sneaked off with her mother’s Harlequin.

Malia Mallory is the best-selling author of The ABCs of Erotica series, which covers the erotic spectrum from BDSM to ménage and everything in between. More releases in the series are on the way. She has also released the Mia’s Cop Craving series and Santa’s Backdoor Baby. Malia’s books have hit the bestselling erotica lists at both Amazon and iTunes. Her books are available in electronic format at major retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, Sony, Diesel, Smashwords and AllRomance Books.

Connect with Malia Mallory

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@MaliaMallory

Review: A Man to Trust by Cheryl Yeko

Posted on January 28, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

A Man to Trust

by: Cheryl Yeko

Published: October 13th 2012

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense

BLURB:

The battered survivor of an abusive marriage, Angela doesn’t mourn her husband’s death in a drug deal gone bad. But she’s not sure she can survive losing her heart to the handsome detective who believes she’s a criminal, too.

Tasked with Angela’s safety after she’s targeted by an unknown enemy, Jake discovers the beautiful widow is not what she seems. He soon realizes that trusting her goes hand-in-hand with desiring her, and passion and duty collide.

Now it’s up to Jake to keep Angela—and their chance at happiness—alive.

SJ’s REVIEW:

This story took hold of me on page one. I instantly liked Angela (heroine) and began cheering for her, but Jake (hero) didn’t buy her story, and boy oh boy, it made for some page turning fun. As the story begins to develop, Jake is forced to take another look at this sexy female and protect her from men trying to kill her. This book lives up to the name romantic suspense, you have them both, live and in heart pounding action.

There are several hot scenes in here as well. Cheryl does a great job of pushing her characters to face their realities and makes them deal. It’s not always pretty, and you better believe Jake stumbles over his tongue a time or two, but they keep trying and we’re rewarded with scorching pages.

Nothing really comes easy for these two though. At one point Angela says: “When he looks at me, he sees a drug dealers wife. He’ll always be suspicious that I was a part of it.” Nope, nothing comes easy, they have to fight for it all. The ending pages are very satisfying, there are some fabulous tense moments, everything gets wrapped up in a way you’ll enjoy. I really liked this book and easily give it Five-Stars.

Click on the cover above to see A Man To Trust on Goodreads.

note from S. J. : A Man to Trust was provided to me for an honest and fair review