Sunday, January 31, 2016

Blog Tour!



Greetings, readers!

It's Sunday, which means it's time for one of the sexy kiss excerpts you've come to expect from Beyond Romance. For more Sunday Snogs, go visit Victoria Blisse's Snog Central.


However, today is also T minus one day for my super Gazillionaire and Virgin blog tour. The tour will run from February 1st to 15th. This post is where you should bookmark and return to for the latest links. 

(By the way, if you tried to comment on Nikko Lee's Tuesday post and had problems...she has fixed the issue. So I do hope you will go back to try again!)

Here's the current lineup:

February 1Elisabeth Joye
February 2Publish or Perish
February 3Selena's Mewsings
February 4Erotica For All
February 5Cheyenne Blue
February 6S.Dora
February 7Paid by the Weird
February 7Beyond Romance
February 8KD Grace
February 9Pick a Genre Already
February 10K. Vale
February 11Jacqueline Brocker
February 12Mountain Musings
February 13Flash of Romance
February 14F. Leonora Solomon
February 14Beyond Romance
February 15Beyond Romance


I am giving away a $50 bookstore gift certificate (first prize) and a print copy of the new book (second prize). To enter, you need to comment on a post, and include your email address (obfuscated if you wish). The more posts you comment on, the greater your chances of winning. I've written a different essay for each post, so you won't get bored.

Now, on to the snog! Here's a brand new, exclusive excerpt! 

~~~ 

I drag Theo toward the front of the store. He's silent, distant, not looking at me or at the cute blonde cashier. While she rings up our purchases, he fiddles with the car air fresheners hanging near the register. He doesn't object when I pull out my credit card. I can see that he's floundering once again in a swamp of self-doubt.

He does grab the bag though, which I appreciate since it weighs far more than I would have expected. He strides toward his car with those long legs of his, leaving me to hurry after him.

"I'll drive," I announce when I catch up. "Give me the keys."

"Don't tell me what to do."

"But you seem upset..."

The alarm beeps and the door locks click open. "Get in, Rachel."

He focuses on the road, driving with detached precision. I keep quiet, not sure how to handle this latest mood.

We pull into the parking lot behind his condo. He kills the engine then sits stiffly behind the wheel, making no move to get out.

He's hurting, I can tell. I wish I understood why. I place a tentative hand on his solid bicep. He doesn't shake it off as I feared he might, but he doesn't soften either. "Theo? What's wrong? What did I do now?" Had I offended him by taking charge of the interaction in the store? Somebody had to?

"Nothing-nothing, really. It's not you, Rachel. It's me. I just can't do this."

"This? You mean the bondage? Of course you can."

"Honestly, I have no idea how to go about it. I've got no knowledge, no experience. All I've got is a bunch of kinky porn."

"And excellent instincts." I stroke his slightly stubbly cheek and turn his eyes toward me. He looks desolate, lost. "You have to trust those instincts, Theo." I lean in to brush his obdurate lips with mine. "I do."

"You'd trust a total amateur like me to tie you up? You're crazy. I could really hurt you."

"We'll go slow. We'll have a safeword. And we've got those humongous shears to cut me free if necessary."

The faintest hint of a grin tugs at his lips. This time when I bend closer to kiss him, he kisses me back. He cradles my breast as our mouths meld, flicking at the nipple with his thumb. My lust comes roaring back. The vicious pinch he delivers makes me gasp and moan. By the time he releases me, I've soaked his shirt, not to mention his car seat.

"You really want this, Dr. Zelinsky." It's a statement, not a question. His eyes are diamond-bright, diamond-sharp. He strips me to my essential self.

I nod. "Don't you, Theo?"

He licks those ripe, sensitive, boyish lips. "More than anything in the world."

~~~

As it happens, today is also my birthday. To celebrate, I'll give away a copy of my BDSM erotic romance Coming in Costume to one person who leaves me a comment. Just to get you warmed up for the tour and all! Be sure to include your email in the comment. And go visit Elisabeth Joye's blog tomorrow, for the start of the tour.


Saturday, January 30, 2016

Raw Silk Available for Pre-order!




With all the excitement about The Gazillionaire and the Virgin, I almost forgot to mention that the expanded version of Raw Silk is now available for pre-order. You can purchase it from the Totally Bound site starting Tuesday. It will be available for general release on March 1st.

Here’s a quick bit from this BDSM erotic romance, my very first novel.

~~~


When Kate arrived at DigiThai the next morning, she found another message from Gregory Marshall.

Kate,
Why deny yourself?
Do not deny me.
I am the one you seek.
Gregory

The nerve! Still, the message brought a little self-satisfaction. Let him beg, she thought smugly. Let him pretend that he can control me. She set to work with a lighter heart.

He sent another email around noon, and still another as she was getting ready to leave.

Kate,
I know you.
I see you.
Kneeling before me.
Trembling beneath me.
Do not keep me waiting.
Gregory

This time she caught a hint of anger or impatience in his style. It scared her, a bit. She considered whether she should reply to the message, to tell him to leave her alone, but decided that would just add fuel to his strange fire.

The pattern continued—the messages became more intense. On Wednesday night she received the longest and most explicit yet. She read it over several times, with an odd, hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Kate,
Believe—believe in me, and in your own dreams.
For I will make them real.
I am the one, the Master.
Give me your nakedness, your naked heart.
As you open yourself to me, so I will satisfy your lust.
Come.
Gregory

There was no message waiting Thursday morning. Kate found that she was dismayed and disappointed. She did not allow herself to examine these feelings too closely.

Around noon, her boss knocked on her office door. “I just got off the phone with Gregory Marshall,” he told her. “We’ve reached an agreement on the projected 3-D project.” She heard satisfaction in his voice. “The arrangement should be quite lucrative for DigiThai, even if the project is not a success. So I’d like you to give this top priority from now on.”

Her stomach did a flip at the mention of Marshall’s name. “Of course, Edward,” she answered, keeping her voice neutral. “I’m eager to get started.”

Keep me posted on your progress. And do not, under any circumstances, talk to Marshall about your work, if he should call for information. That man is a snake. I wouldn’t trust anything he says.”


Friday, January 29, 2016

Today's the Day!




It’s finally here! Release day for The Gazillionaire and the Virgin!

If you love BDSM erotic romance, but you’re sick of the clichés, this is the book for you!

It’s out now, on Amazon and B&N. Additional sales venues should be coming soon. Also, the print version will be available in a couple of weeks. (Don’t worry, I’ll let you know!)

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Add on Goodreads:

 


Here’s a sexy little snippet to whet your appetite.


Rachel,” he gasps as we break our clinch to breathe. “What am I going to do with you?”

Um—oh, yes, that’s exactly right—oh, Theo!—anything you want…” With his right hand dancing between my legs and his left kneading my breast, it’s astounding I can speak at all.

Be careful what you promise, Dr. Zelinsky.” He twists my nipple, dialing my arousal to an even higher level. “I’ll hold you to your word.” Hauling my blouse up from my skirt to bare my chest, he dives down and catches that swollen nub in his teeth. The last remaining fragment of my rational self tells me it hurts, but the rest of me just wants more.

How does he know? Everything he does feels incredible. He has me stretched me out along the seat now, my knees drawn up and my pussy gaping. When he sweeps his tongue along my exposed cleft, reality shimmers and almost dissolves. When he sucks my swollen clit into his hot mouth, I shatter. Just as he intends.



Wednesday, January 27, 2016

A Special Offer from Libby Hellman

A few weeks ago I hosted Libby Fischer Hellman's cover reveal for her new novel Jump Cut. She has a special offer for readers that you might want to take advantage of!



If you pre-order Jump Cut for 99¢ (the Kobo price WILL go down before you are charged)  and send your proof of purchase to pre-order@libbyhellmann.com, Libby will send you the 1st, award-winning Ellie Foreman novel, An Eye For Murder, absolutely FREE! All she asks in return is that you share a few pre-written tweets and FB posts which she will send you in a week or so. But act NOW — this offer ends soon.  Pre-order from the retailer of your choice:


New from Secret Hungers!

[My friend and colleague Erzabet Bishop asked me to share the news about these two new boxed sets. If you're looking for a lot of erotic romance, these collections may be for you! ~ Lisabet]





Salacious
 
A boxed set, sure to satisfy contemporary BDSM, ménage and MM lovers, written by eight bestselling and award-winning erotic romance authors.

Frisky Business (Frisky Romance #1) by Michele Bardsley

Synopsis: When Claire Williams is talked into one last favor for her ex-boss, magazine publisher Lucius Devereaux, she never imagines she’ll end up at a BDSM resort. Worse, she accidentally stumbles into a slave auction— and finds herself sold to a mysterious, masked Dom who promises to show her passion beyond her wildest desires. After the billionaire magazine owner buys his almost ex-assistant under the guise of a Dominant, he’s not sure how long he’ll be able to keep his identity secret. He’s wanted the beautiful, strong woman since the moment she started working for him. Now, he has a chance to show her true pleasure. Still, the only thing Lucius wants more than Claire’s body… is her heart.

Seducing My Billionaire Boss by Cynthia Sax

Synopsis: I have to land the position Robert Reyes, the CFO of Powers Corporation, recently posted. My friend’s health depends on it. I’ve heard the rumors— that Rob will require… extra duties from this new hire. He’s young, handsome, intelligent. Pleasing him won’t be a hardship. Not falling in love with him will be the big challenge. I’ve lusted after Rob for years, like him more than is prudent, dream of him every night. Touching his body, tasting the salt on his skin, will be both a self-inflicted torment and a fantasy come true. I’ll be a convenience for my hunky executive. This is a job, not a romance. As long as both of us remember this, our relationship should work.

The Dirty Martini (Cocktails Book Four) by Renee George

Synopsis: When bartender Chris Lawson goes into shock after getting the worst news of his life, he wakes up in the arms of Marty Lincoln, an Army Ranger on leave from his post. Even in his grief, Chris feels instantly connected to the war ravaged vet. Only two problems: Marty is his boss’s younger brother. And even if that wasn’t an obstacle, the battle-hardened Ranger is straight. Or is he?

Curing Doctor Vincent (The Good Doctor, Book 1) by Renea Mason

Synopsis: Elaine Watkins, Public Relations Advisor, is surprised when she receives a summons from the very attractive and enigmatic Dr. Xavier Vincent. She worships the talented physician and company icon responsible for developing the cure that saved her sister’s life and isn’t immune to his charm. Even though puzzled by his request, she is excited and eager to get started on his latest project. But Dr. Vincent has other ideas. Instead of discussing cures, drugs and marketing strategies, he asks Elaine to join him in Paris to indulge his unique sexual appetites. Torn between gratitude for saving her sister, her attraction for the powerful man and compromising her pre-conceived notions of sexuality, she must decide if it’s easier to feed his desires or walk away. Until she devises a plan of her own.
Make no mistake, Elaine, I am a king. Kings command and conquer. They are brutal and uncompromising. You don’t want a king. Face it, you came here expecting a saint.” —Dr. Xavier Vincent

Red Hot (A Sapphire Club Masquerade Novella) by Erzabet Bishop

Synopsis: One bet. One kiss is all it takes. Girl’s night out was supposed to be her downtime, but Justine Harwood finds herself staring temptation in the face when her author buddies give her a dare she can’t refuse. But Justine has secrets of her own. A polka dot dress and some seductive intentions are all Justine needs when she heads to The Sapphire Club to meet her girlfriend and hopefully a new boy toy. Because some men just need to learn their manners and Justine is just the woman to teach them. If you can’t stand the sizzle, step away from the fire… Brendan is a secret submissive, torn between his working day world as a local news reporter and his fantasy world at The Sapphire Club. He loves to watch, but when he steps too close to the object of his desire, will he be able to back away before he gets burned?

Stuck In Between (A Bound by Your Love Series novel) by Blakely Bennett

Synopsis: Jacqs is a twenty-eight year old woman caught up in an on again, off again relationship with Bond, who is her best friend and the one who causes her the most heartache. She succumbs, yet again, to his powerful charisma, but vows not make it into more than it is, a great night of sex. Bond, too sexy for his own good, wants Jacqs for himself as he “dates” his way through the female population of South Florida. He selfishly doesn’t see the conflict of interest. Red, Bond’s best friend, has watched Bond take Jacqs for granted for way too long and soon stakes his own claim on her. Will Red and Jacqs budding relationship pull apart their tight-knit group of friends and will Jacqs survive being Stuck in Between.

Sin at Sea (A Sinful Series Novel) by Emma Nichols

Synopsis: When Alysin decided to surprise her boyfriend at work with dinner, the surprise was on her. Since he was going at it with his secretary on the conference table, she packed a bag and called her BFF. Jolie and Alysin had been traveling the country, working as digital nomads for ten years ever since graduation. Taking this as a sign it was time for a new move, they decided to take a cruise, regroup, and make a plan. Then she meets Mr. Bedroom Eyes. Following her lead, they pretend to be married so she can rid herself of the guy who started hitting on her before the boat left the dock. Though it was supposed to be a momentary arrangement, he asks her to take it one step farther.

Then another. Along the way, Alysin learns she won’t have to fake an orgasm if she’s with someone who knows what to do, not all men suck, but the best ones suck really well, and sometimes what starts out as something pretend, can fast become something completely real. Will the woman who lives life with no regrets, regret she made the stupid rule about not exchanging names and contact info?

Blind Taste Test by Anne Lange

Synopsis: An erotic romance author who needs to inject more realism into her sex scenes finds herself in the middle of a blind taste test in which she’s the dish for a double helping of dessert.

Buy Links:

Amazon:

Barnes and Noble:

Kobo
Intoxicating

A boxed set, sure to satisfy erotic romance lovers, written by seven contemporary romance authors.

Sucked Into Love (Bachelorette Party Series #1) by Rochelle Paige

Synopsis: It’s just Jocelyn’s luck that she meets her match at the fake bachelorette party her best friend throws for her… She knows better than to get pulled into any of Cee-Cee’s antics. It must have been sheer exhaustion that made her agree to help her best friend out with a work project – one that ended up with her playing bachelorette for the night! No man ever wants to be knocked off his feet by a woman he meets while she’s wearing a bachelorette “suck for a buck” shirt… Andrew knows that he wants Jocelyn the moment he lays eyes on her, but he’s never been one to poach on another man’s territory. He walks away but finds himself changed by the experience. Imagine his surprise when he sees her again, only to discover she isn’t married and has never even been engaged. Although this is book one in the Bachelorette Party series, there is no cliffhanger. Each book features a different couple. And if you’ve read the Blythe College series, you’ll see some familiar faces in Sucked Into Love.

The Only One For Her by Carlie Sexton

Synopsis: When is a heart too broken to fix? Just days before his wedding, handsome, successful entrepreneur, Trace Michaels, finds out his love wasn’t enough. With a broken heart, Trace lands in Maui, hoping to find solace in the beautiful island. What he finds is beauty, but in the form of an alluring, grieving woman. One he feels an instant and inescapable attraction to. Young widow, Lindy Bernard, had her heart broken when her husband died. In Maui to reluctantly close a chapter in her life, she suddenly finds herself in the arms of a drop-dead, gorgeous Adonis. After his relentless pursuit, Lindy and Trace begin to find healing… only to have that endangered by a secret threatening to tear them apart. All is not what it seems in Trace’s company, and it seems one woman has set out to ruin him. Can he juggle the odious plots against him while chasing the woman of his heart? Will she wait or are some hearts too broken to be fixed?

Cop Shot by Lexi Ostrow

Synopsis: Bridget O’Casey has wanted nothing more than to be a cop since she was a little girl and used to listen to her dad’s stories. He however, was completely against it and she found herself modeling. When he was gunned down on a chase it only furthered her desire to put her life in a different direction and finally enroll in the academy. She wanted revenge for her father’s death and honoring him was the only way to really do so. A night of partying before the first day could spell disaster when she finds out who the deadly handsome man was. Jeremy Trellins is a high profile detective. When things get slightly of out control and he’s put on training duty he wanted nothing to do with it. Until he found out the woman he slept with the night before was now one of the recruits. He’s torn between his duty and his desire and she’s not giving him any indication she doesn’t want him right back. When a series of police station shootings break out across southern California things get shaky as the academy must make the choice to train, or shut down. When a link to Bridget appears with the killings there is so much more on the line for Bridget then she realized. It’s not all black and white as Bridget takes the connection to the killer and her own thoughts of revenge resurface. She will have to find a way to balance training, a not so secret relationship that could both of them removed from the force and a killer that has his sites on her.

A Favor by Fiona Murphy

Synopsis: Zoe has been called cold and empty and undeserving of love when she can’t give it back. It isn’t how she wants be, but she knows no way of changing it, so she understands and hasn’t gone looking for a relationship. But then it finds her in the form of Sam King. Sam is a former Ranger, scarred on the outside from a mission that forced him out. The security contracting company needs Sam, but very soon Zoe realizes she needs him too. But it isn’t fair to get involved with him when he’s already been hurt, she has no right to add to his pain. But Sam is insistent that he’s not looking for a relationship— sex is all he wants and needs from her. Fighting Sam and her body is a lost cause, and she gives in. Soon she’s the one wanting more from Sam, but how can she find a way to not be cold and empty? Is it her turn to end up hurt at the end?

One Summer by Kassandra Wylde

Synopsis: Twenty-two-year-old recent nursing graduate Amy is headed to Greece – much to her parents’ chagrin. They want to keep her home in Arizona where they can keep an eye on her. Amy wants adventure, though, and quickly falls for her gorgeous Greek professor, Dimitri. When Amy finds out that her Greek god is married, and meets his beautiful wife, Lydia, she is torn between her attraction and respect for their marriage. Then when Lydia makes Amy an offer she can’t refuse, she struggles with the possibility that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Despite her concerns, eventually she gives in to Lydia’s encouragement, and Amy and Dimitri’s passionate affair is everything Amy has ever dreamed of. What starts out as a breezy summer fling, however, becomes a struggle for happily ever after when the lovers are faced with the ultimate betrayal. They must learn to trust again in order for their love to survive, but is it too much to ask?

When Forever Ends (The Maxwell Series, Book 1) by Mariah Kingsley

Synopsis: Charles has loved Vivian with all of his heart for the past twenty years, but after overhearing a conversation between her and her girlfriends he learns that she doesn’t feel the same. Cassie and Mason have tried and failed at having a family, and the loss has begun to change the way the love that was once so solid. Cassie has the job opportunity that will take her away from her husband for a few months. Hoping that the time away will bring them closer together. Charles and Cassie become great friends and after a short time they begin to confide in each other about their greatest fears. Their failing marriages. With the commitment to help each other fix their dying marriages they begin to see all that they were missing in each other.

Masked Hearts (Book 1 in the Holiday Cafe Series) by Evelyn Aster

Synopsis: Mark is a rich single dad crazy about his son’s teacher. Sienna, recently ditched at the altar, refuses to date him but agrees to nights of breathless sex in his expansive house in the foothills. On a whim, she binds herself to the tie rack in his closet and realizes how much she trusts him with her body. But will she ever trust him with her heart?

Buy Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble:

Kobo:

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Review Tuesday: A World of Yes by Amanda Earl

A World of Yes by Amanda Earl
Devil House Press, 2015

Bonnie Clowd is a poet, a day-dreamer, a free spirit, a smart ass, a sex maniac, an appalling housekeeper, aggressively Canadian, just turned thirty five, and single. Amanda Earl’s hilarious and provocative novel A World of Yes takes us into Bonnie’s chaotic but sensual world, as she tries to make sense of her own desires. The book opens just before Bonnie’s thirty fifth birthday party, when she somehow finds herself in a lustful embrace with her best friend Charlene. After the arrival of Bonnie’s meddling Aunt Winifred interrupts their clinch, Charlene disappears and Bonnie, deeply shaken by her own level of arousal, drinks herself into a stupor. She awakens the next day to discover discarded condoms and other evidence that her guests had continued the party without her. None of her friends, though, will give her an honest account of what happened.

Although she’s independent and self-sufficient, Bonnie’s often lonely—and pretty much always horny. A World of Yes follows her adventures, and misadventures, as she navigates the minefield of her life: her attentive but often unavailable married lover Sean, her gorgeous but sleazy boss Byron, the sweet and slightly goofy guy she meets on an online dating site, the seductive stranger on the train who offers to introduce her to dominance and submission, the selfish guy she picks up in a bar and fucks in a back alley, and of course the mysteriously missing Charlene, who probably would give Bonnie some great advice, if only she’d answer her phone.

Amanda Earl somehow manages to keep the sexual heat turned up, even when Bonnie veers close to the edge of ridiculous. Having edited her collection of short stories, I already knew that Ms. Earl could write gorgeous, intense, transgressive erotica, the sort of stories that melt you as you read. I didn’t realize she had such comic talent. Bonnie had me laughing out loud, even though I knew her sexual-existential crisis was fundamentally a serious issue. Here’s a sample:

Okay!” I hang up and looked around my living room. I start putting stuff away. I’ve been told I’m an excellent tidier. The trick is to put everything in a big bag and throw it in the closet. It sits there with all the other big bags full of useless crap and after a year of not being missed, gets thrown out. On my way over to the closet whose doors can barely close with big brown bags bulging out, I spot a small fragment of a photograph. I don’t recognize it right away, but then I see it’s Esmeralda and she’s got her arm around a guy, but all I can see is the guy’s arm. She’s sitting on my own couch! But she’s never been to my place. I’m sure of it. I see Charlene’s pink fluffy scarf on the couch, the one a friend of hers made for her. She was showing it off to me the day before my birthday. What? That means Esmeralda was over here…during my party. What the heck! She told me flat out that she didn’t come. Even was annoyed at not being included in the orgy. Talked about planning one for my birthday next year even. Geez. What the heck happened at my party? And why won’t anyone tell me?

Meantime I have to get the kitchen a bit cleaner. Sean won’t feel like eating my food if he sees the state of my kitchen right now. It’s like an archeological dig. I’d better excavate and quickly, before Indiana unearths my mummy. I manage to get everything put away, including that stupid photo, which I stick underneath a book on call girls.

Even the chapter titles are brilliant: “The Way of the Armadillo”, “Figs, Flowers and Other F Words”, “Would you like an epiphany with your cinnamon roll?”

One aspect of the book that I particularly enjoyed was the strong sense of place. Most of the book is set in Ottawa, but Bonnie travels to Toronto and to Montreal, and the author makes it clear these different cities have different souls.

What impressed me most, though, when I’d finished the novel, was how tight the narrative turned out to be. As I read, I had the feeling of being, like Bonnie, a bit out of control, but that’s an illusion. The structure of this book is almost Platonic. All of Bonnie’s wild excesses, her emotional ups and downs, her binges and her crises, take place within a single week. By the end of that week, Ms. Earl has brought the story full circle to provide a surprising and satisfying conclusion that answers many of Bonnie’s (and the reader’s) questions. That’s when I realized that Ms. Earl knew exactly what she was doing. In retrospect, I saw the patterns which had faded into the background against the immediacy of Bonnie’s emotions.

Like Bonnie, Amanda Earl is a poet. Like a poem, A World of Yes is meticulously constructed but gives the impression of spontaneity. The deeper you look, the more you see.

Highly recommended!