Sixth Cycle – #Birthday #Dreams #FreeBook

Image by Frances Locke from Pixabay

Today, the 31^st of January, is my birthday – an occasion for joy and for reflection. I’m grateful to have made it through another year with health, relationships, finances and sanity intact. When you’re as old as I am, you become acutely aware of just how fragile and how precious life is. Every day is a gift – the maxim might be a cliché, but it’s still true.

Many people I’ve loved, people who were dear companions on my life’s journey, have passed on. I try not to mourn, reminding myself that change is the only constant in the universe and that holding on too tightly is a recipe for suffering. When we look back over our lives, we can choose to focus on what was lost or on the new challenges, adventures and joys that each successive season brings.

Aging is not easy. When your vision blurs, your joints ache or your memory goes blank, it’s tempting to complain or to sink into depression, contemplating the specter of diminishing capabilities. Sometimes I succumb to that temptation.

Then I remember all the wonders my life has provided over the years. I can truly say that most of my life dreams have come true. I’ve had a stimulating and varied career that allowed me contribute to society while earning enough to comfortably support myself. I’ve enjoyed amazing erotic adventures yet ended up married to a sensitive, compassionate, intelligent and funny man who makes every day a pleasure. As a child, I fantasized about traveling the world; as an adult, I’ve visited dozens of countries and now live in one of the most fascinating places on the planet. Aside from my “real world” job, I’ve had the opportunity to be Lisabet Sarai, writing stories to entertain and perhaps challenge my readers and belonging to a community of beloved colleagues who share their own creative visions.

Today’s a specially auspicious birthday, according to Asian tradition. It is my Sixth Cycle anniversary. In the west, we tend to segment our lives by decades: you’re in your twenties, your fifties, your seventies, and so on. In China and Southeast Asia, they count in twelves, according to the eastern Zodiac. So today, having reached the venerable age of seventy-two, I have complete six cycles of twelve years.

The people in my adopted country would celebrate a Sixth Cycle anniversary by visiting temples or giving to charity. If you’d like to help me mark this day of good fortune, I invite you to visit my Charity Sunday post from a few days ago and leave a comment. I will make a donation to my chosen cause for every comment I receive.

In addition, I have a birthday gift for you. For a limited time, you can get a copy of my paranormal romance The Eyes of Bast absolutely free. Just go to Smashwords (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1390042) and use this coupon code: FV59Z

This offer expires on Valentine’s Day, so don’t wait to claim your free book.

I’m full of joy and gratitude on my birthday. I’d like you to be, too.

Welcoming the Year of the Snake – #ChineseNewYear #ParanormalRomance #MFRWHooks

Happy New Year! Today is the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year festival. This might not have made it onto your calendar, but if you live in Southeast Asia, as I do, Chinese New Year is a big deal.

According to the Chinese zodiac, we are entering the Year of the Snake. According to the South China Morning Post (the main English language newspaper in Hong Kong) snakes in Chinese culture are not necessarily evil but hold a more complex and varied symbolism. They are simultaneously associated with harvest, procreation, spirituality, and good fortune, as well as cunning, threat, and terror.

Sounds appropriate for the world we’re facing in 2025, doesn’t it?

To kick off the Year of the Snake in the MFRW Book Hooks blog hop, I’m sharing a hook from my paranormal erotic romance Serpent’s Kiss. Set in Guatemala, the book draws on Mayan legend and features the shape-shifting god Quetzlcoatl, the Feathered Serpent.

This novella features otherworldly passion passion and apocalyptic drama. I would not, however, recommend it to anyone with a fear of snakes!

Blurb

When a woman atoning for past sins heals the human avatar of an ancient god, she’s drawn into a perilous dance of destiny and desire.

From the first, Dr. Elena Navarro senses that the wounded man she discovers outside the gate of her rural clinic is not an ordinary mortal. With his chest ripped open, Jorge Pélikal still demonstrates unnatural strength and power. Elena is irresistibly attracted to Jorge, although he warns her their coupling could open the gates of chaos and cost her life. Despite his dire predictions, they fall in love. Gradually Elena comes to understand that Jorge is a supernatural player in a cosmic drama that will determine the fate of the earth and of mankind—and that even if he triumphs in his apocalyptic struggle with his nemesis, she may lose him forever.

 

The Hook

The feather woke her, trembling between her breasts like some trapped wild animal. Her eyes fluttered open. A virid radiance flooded the cave from outside, as if the sun had risen green instead of golden. The wind had risen, too, twining her hair around her face as she sat up and gazed around.

“Jorge?” Her voice sounded tentative. Gusts of air swirled around her, tearing at her clothing.

The cave was clearly still empty. But something was happening outside. Elena crept to the edge of the porch and gazed out at the night.

It was, in fact, still night. The sky was ebony velvet. The glow emanated from nearer the earth. Down in the field of maize, the stalks were whipped into a frenzy by the wind. And amid the stalks, or perhaps on top of them, something—someone—danced.

Hovering in a pool of emerald light, the figure was taller than a man. However, it was not shaped like a man. From above, Elena could barely make out the outline of the creature that swirled and twisted in that core of brilliance. She had a sense of limbs that folded at impossible angles, glittering sparks of red and gold, and plumes of extravagant feathers.

The pinion hung around her neck vibrated with joy.

Elena found she was humming some wordless tune that she could not place. The creature below seemed to be dancing in time. She slipped on her sandals and ran down the slope, drawn irresistibly to the flashing, leaping form below.

Bizarre as the scene was, she felt no fear, only an attraction that she did not question. As she drew closer, she could make out more details.

The body was elongated, elegant coils of gleaming muscle as thick as a man’s waist. It swept down to a narrower tail adorned with a brilliant feathery tuft. Instead of skin, the creature’s flesh was encased in a hide of finely-textured, jewel-colored scales. Talons like an eagle’s capped jointed limbs that he held folded close to his body. He danced on the tip of his tail, not on his feet. Enormous wings towered over the creature’s head, swaying in the wind, or perhaps creating it.

Half-snake, half-bird, the figure was bizarre but beautiful. A ridge of bone climbed up the forehead to blossom into a lush crest of green-gold feathers. A scaled snout pierced by nasal slits opened into fierce jaws. Huge, liquid, luminous eyes glowed on either side of the head, reflecting the radiance the creature generated.

Elena paused on the edge of the field, near the shrine where she had witnessed the earlier ritual. Without realizing it, she increased the volume of her wordless song. The glorious, alien creature paused in his dance. He looked into her eyes.

Wonder and terror seized Elena. She fell on her knees, hands clutched to her breast. She knew those eyes which stared dark and soulful out of the beautiful monster’s face.

The globe of iridescence drifted closer, with the plumed serpent at its center. Now he was dancing just in front of her—dancing for her. His gleaming body writhed and stretched, towering above her. He spread his resplendent feathered crown like a peacock’s tail. His wings fluttered in lazy arcs, holding him suspended above the earth. The bird-like limbs stretched themselves in her direction, claws flexing, but she felt no fear.

The vibrant apparition drew closer still. Now she was bathed in light, as the coils of his flesh spiralled around her kneeling form. She could, if she dared, reach out and stroke his scales. She tried to convince herself that she was not dreaming.

“Kulkulcan,” she heard herself intone. “Holy one, your servant attends you.”

The circling stopped. He bent his massive head to her, capturing her with his hypnotic gaze. “Worship me,” she heard him say, deep in her mind. The mental voice was familiar, like Jorge’s but stronger, richer, full of power, with no trace of her lover’s dark uncertainty.

She gazed back into the serpent’s eyes, fearless, adoring. “Show me, Lord. Guide me.” She spoke aloud, though she knew that was unnecessary.

Find all the buy links for Serpent’s Kiss on my website: https://www.lisabetsarai.com/serpentskiss.html

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today’s Book Hooks.

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Natural camouflage – #RomanticSuspense #Giveaway

Blurb

My name is Tess Reynolds, and I’ll admit few people would think I’m a badass Army sniper called the Scorpion. After all, women snipers were unheard of in 1990. People look at me and see a petite blonde who is cute as a button. My father calls it my natural camouflage.

My time in the Middle East has been full of unforeseen complications. I have a rogue CIA agent trying to kill me and I caught the attention of a Force Recon Marine by the name of Alexander Stone. Wowzer! He’s hot but he’s also the biggest jackass I have ever met. To make things even more interesting, I need the Jackass’s help to stay alive.

Excerpt

My jaw dropped. Three naked men were floating in the shallow water. They all had dog tags and looked to be American, probably the Force Recon team. My gaze locked on the biggest guy. Yowzer! He made my heart go pitty-pat. Too bad a thick, black beard covered his face. His body was utter perfection. He had to be at least six-feet-seven, with a massive chest, bulging biceps and heavily muscled thighs.

My gaze froze on his groin, and I suddenly knew what Sally meant when she said a guy was hung like a stallion. Would that thing even fit? Since Pops never allowed me to date, I had zero experience with men. Never been kissed and the one kid that tried ended up with a busted jaw: courtesy of my father.

C’mon handsome, roll over and show me your butt.

A coyote howled.

I frowned. There weren’t any coyotes in the Koh-i-Baba Mountain range or were there? I quickly surveyed the area. Nothing moved and there was no sign of any critters. I turned my attention back to the lake and my stomach knotted. It was empty. Somehow, they knew I was here. One of their scouts must have spotted my footprints.

Damn, I wasn’t in any shape to go up against a Force Recon team. I could always ask them for help, but since I was the Army’s secret weapon, that might get me booted.

About the Author

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Glendale Police Department and to keep from going totally bonkers – I mean people have no idea what a real emergency is. Take this for example: I answered, “9-1-1 emergency, what’s your emergency?” And this hysterical woman yelled, “My bird is in a tree.” Sometimes I really couldn’t help myself, so I said, “Birds have a tendency to do that, ma’am.” The woman screeched, “No! You don’t understand. My pet parakeet is in the tree. I’ve just got to get him down.” Like I said, not a clue. “I’m sorry ma’am but we don’t get birds out of trees.” The woman then cried, “But… What about my husband? He’s up there, too.” See what I had to deal with? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone I took up writing.

http://www.gailkoger.com

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1598719.Gail_Koger

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https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gail-koger

http://www.amazon.com/Gail-Koger/e/B001K838BY

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Gail Koger will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Listen to The Master’s Mark – #AudioBook #SteamPunk #NewRelease

I just got the news that the third book in my steam punk erotica trilogy The Toymaker’s Guild – The Master’s Mark – has finally been released in audio. My audio books are all published by Wordwooze. The company does an absolutely stellar job. All are narrated by real, live humans... This one is the work of C.C. Kline, who is truly amazing. One of the reasons it took so long to produce this book is that it was difficult to find a narrator who could handle the British accents and the Victorian period language in this series.

I hope you’ll feel it was worth the wait.

You can buy the audio book from Amazon or from Audible. Amazon has a preview available but I can’t seem to copy the link.

In case you’ve forgotten the story, here’s the blurb.

Blurb

How do you train a steampunk sexbot?

Gillian Smith’s promotion to journeyman proves she’s ready to lead the Toymakers in producing astonishing new erotic artifacts. Creative, brilliant, and debauched, she’ll stretch her capabilities to the limit as she juggles a talent shortage and a pair of jealous rivals. Then there’s the challenge of their latest commission—a life-sized programmable sex doll intended to replace a client’s deceased paramour.

Normally she would consult the enigmatic Master Toymaker, but he seems preoccupied with his own concerns. Though her lusty crew of sexual renegades can offer technical and carnal assistance, Gillian is ultimately responsible for delivering the promised, near-impossible technology.

It’s fortunate she’s not one to give up—not even when events threaten the Guild’s very survival.

If you’re an audio book fan – get your copy today!

The first two books of the trilogy are also available from Wordwooze.

 https://www.amazon.com/Pornographers-Apprentice-Toymakers-Guild-Book/dp/B0993368YX

https://www.amazon.com/Journeymans-Trial-Toymakers-Guild-Book/dp/B0BT8KBJV9/

Charity Sunday: Holding on to compassion – #CharitySunday #Immigration

Today is the first Charity Sunday of 2025. Lately, my life has been even more hectic than usual, so it snuck up on me. Thus, I didn’t have the chance to open it up to other authors.

I’ve been doing Charity Sunday for eight years now. Since I never manage to donate more than twenty or thirty dollars per month, I can’t claim that the meme has made a big impact. However, I do believe that even the smallest gestures of kindness and compassion have a ripple effect. Maybe someone who reads my post is inspired to some benevolent act of their own. Perhaps one of my charities is new to a reader, but resonates with their own priorities and values, so that they decide to investigate further. In fact, these days it is worthwhile simply to remind readers that there’s a lot more good out there in the world than you’d guess from the daily news.

Anyway, I hope you’ll read this, leave a comment, then carry the positive feeling into your life.

My charity today is KIND (Kids In Need of Defense). (https://supportkind.org/) I’ve featured them before. They have a very specific objective: to protect and guide unaccompanied migrant and refugee children, helping them to navigate the complexities of immigration law as well as offering them physical and emotional support. 

 

I don’t think I need to explain why I’ve chosen them at this moment.

For each comment I receive on this post, I will donate two dollars to KIND.

As usual I have an excerpt for you, but it’s pretty hard for me to find something relevant. Actually I think that out of the dozens of stories I’ve written, only one features a heroine who has a child. (And he’s much beloved.) In Wild About that Thing, Ruby Jones is a single mother trying to raise her thirteen year old son. I’ve got a snippet that shows their relationship.

Blurb

There’s more than one way to beat the blues

Ruby Jones has clear priorities. Her teenage son comes first, then her struggling blues club. Her love life ranks as a distant third. Deserted by her cheating ex-husband, Ruby's determined she's going to make it on her own. She's not about to let any man into her heart. Now her hot blood seems to have landed her in an impossible situation. Two lovers…and she wants them both.

Excerpt

Ruby didn’t bother to go back to bed. She could hear Isaiah moving around in his room, directly above hers. Belting her robe around the waist, she made her way to the kitchen nook and opened the refrigerator. She’d been right—there were still four eggs, plus milk and a crusty lump of parmesan. She’d make them a proper breakfast for a change.

Butter was sizzling in the cast iron skillet by the time Isaiah appeared. “Mama! You’re up!” He gave her an enthusiastic hug, almost causing her to drop the spatula. Ruby loved the fact that he still felt comfortable with that kind of physical affection. Most teenage boys would rather die than touch their mothers.

“Got done so late last night, it hardly seemed worthwhile going to sleep. Maybe I’ll nap after you’re gone.”

Her son sniffed. “Cheese omelet? My favorite!” Without being asked, he pulled half a loaf from the bread box and dropped two slices into the toaster.

“I thought pancakes were your favorite,” Ruby teased. “And what about biscuits and gravy?”

“Um—gee, I like everything you cook!” He plumped himself down in his usual chair. Ruby set two steaming plates on the table and seated herself across from him. He dived into the food as though he hadn’t eaten in a week.

Ruby took a bite of her own omelet. The heavenly taste of fluffy egg spiked with sharp cheese made her realize she was hungry as well. When she wasn’t eating with Isaiah, her meals tended to be pretty irregular.

As his plate emptied, her son became more talkative. “How was the open mic?”

“Fabulous! I’d say there were twice as many customers as usual for a Sunday. It was a great idea, hon.” Isaiah and some of his friends had a rock band called Spyder City; Isaiah played bass. After some of the girls in his class had begged to join him and his buddies on stage, he’d suggested that maybe Ruby should invite her customers to perform.

Her son nodded sagely. “I knew it. Everybody loves to be in the spotlight.”

“Some impressive talent, too.” Ruby’s thoughts slipped back to the lean stranger who’d triggered such powerful desire.

“Yeah? Maybe you should invite some of them to be regulars. Uncle Zeke’s band is awesome, but people like variety.”

“Oh really? Since when are you an entertainment mogul?” Ruby grinned and brushed her hand over his close-cropped skull. “No—don’t bother with the dishes, hon. I’ll take care of them. You go brush your teeth.”

“You sure? I’ve got time, and you must be tired.”

“I’m fine. Anyway, it’s nearly seven-thirty. You’d better get going!”

Without further argument her son scampered up the stairs. Like many old buildings in New York, the one that housed Crossroads was taller than it was wide. The bar was located on the ground floor. On the second floor, Ruby had set up an office. The third floor held her bedroom, the kitchen and dining area and a tiny living room. Isaiah had the whole top floor to himself. He’d been thrilled when he’d seen the place—a spacious bedroom plus a second room where he could study and practice his bass or his violin.

If the owner evicts you, you’ll need to find a new apartment, too. Ruby’s good mood evaporated as she remembered the letter. Resolutely, she pushed the thought into the background. She had ninety days, according to the notice. Today she needed to focus on today’s problems.

You could marry Zeke and move in with him. The voice just wouldn’t give up. True, Zeke had a big, rent-controlled place on Gansevoort Street, not far from the Crossroads. Not that it mattered. If she got kicked out, that would be the end of the bar. She didn’t have the resources to start again.

 

You can find buy links here: https://www.lisabetsarai.com/wildaboutbook.html

Please leave a comment! Every one provides some help for kids stranded without their parents on inhospitable borders.

Free Steamy Fiction! #FreeBook #BDSM #MFRWHooks

So I gave away a free book last week... I thought that this week I’d feature an excerpt from my perma-free story collection Crowd Pleaser. This novella-length book is a mixture of romance and erotica, more the former than the latter. You can download your free copy from Smashwords in your choice of e-book formats.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/954307

The book used to be available on B&N and Kobo, too... but the censors have been busy purging my work. Out of more than 50 of my self-published titles, B&N now sells only three.

Hopefully you are more broad-minded...

This story, Reunion, is one of the most romantic in the collection. I hope you enjoy the snippet.

The Hook

From “Reunion”

Three years since I last saw him, and now his plane is late. I perch on the edge of the chair across from the American Airlines desk where he told me to meet him, tension winding me tighter with every moment.

It's always like this. My chest aches. It's difficult to breathe. My nipples are as taut and swollen as if he already had them wrapped in elastic bands. I try not to be distracted by the stickiness between my bare thighs. I glance at the arrivals screen. His flight has just landed. Ten minutes, fifteen at most, before I can expect him. I fill my lungs deliberately and try to slow my racing pulse.

I hover between joy and terror. It has been so long, too long. What will he think of me, the strands of gray in my hair, the new wrinkles? What will he ask of me? Will I be able to give him what he needs? I remember other reunions, too few, too short. No time for more than a few kisses, a few playful swats on my bared butt. I remember lying on his lap in Golden Gate Park, my skirt flipped up around my waist. I can precisely recreate my shame and my excitement. I recall slouching down in the front seat of his car in a dark, sweltering parking garage, while he unbuttoned my blouse and dabbled his fingers inside me, naming me as his slut. A few hours every few years is all we manage, a country and my marriage separating us even as our history and our fantasies draw us together.

Today will be different. I've booked us a hotel room, in this city where neither of us live. We have the entire day. My husband waits for me at home, while I wait here in the airport for my master.

I don't call him that to his face. He'd mock me, his voice bitter. “If I were your master, I'd simply order to you leave him and come to me, and you would.” He doesn't give me that order, although I suspect that he's tempted. He refrains, out of respect for me and my choices, or maybe in fear that his power over me is not as great as he would like to imagine. He spares us both, and I'm grateful, though now, waiting, burning to see him again, I almost wish that he'd put me to that ultimate test and take away the awful yearning that I feel when we're apart.

Every one of my senses is on alert, yet he manages to surprise me. I'm looking toward the gates. He comes from the other direction and calls to me softly. “Sarah.”

I start and then laugh nervously. When I stand up, my bag tumbles off my lap to the floor, toys clattering inside. “You're here!” I feel clumsy, silly, stupid, but when he bends to kiss me, everything but the joy disappears. I'm flooded with it, gasping, overwhelmed.

In his limbs I feel his pitiless strength. His lips, though, are gentle, questioning. Am I still his? I melt, open my mouth and my mind to him. Does he sense the answer? Sometimes I am certain that he reads my thoughts. He laughs ironically and calls me suggestible. I don't know what to believe, which suits him perfectly. He wants me a bit off-balance.

I struggle to act normal, as if I were just meeting an old friend. “How was your flight? Did you have trouble with your connections? What about your baggage? Is that the only jacket you have? October here can be kind of chilly...”

“Hush,” he says, laying a blunt finger upon my lips. “Don't chatter. Take me to the hotel.”

We take public transit to the city center. The desk clerk eyes us curiously when we register, an odd couple, me so petite and my master so tall, checking into a hotel room at ten-thirty in the morning. I blush as the clerk hands back my credit card. “Have a nice stay,” he says, and I'm sure that I catch something conspiratorial in his tone. However, my master is already pulling me towards the elevator; I don't have time to worry about what other people think.

This hotel is more than a hundred years old. I selected it deliberately, hoping that it might offer some Victorian style, but the room is fairly ordinary—no four-poster bed, no fireplace, no curtain fastenings that might serve double duty as attachment points for bonds.

There is, however, a fine wing-back chair next to the window, with a footstool. My master tosses his backpack in the corner and settles himself into the chair. He grins at me, and butterflies swoop through my stomach. “Well, Sarah. Alone at last.”

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today’s Book Hooks hop!

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Review Tuesday: In Control: The short, kinky, otherworldly fiction of M.Christian - #Erotica #Literature #ReviewTuesday

In Control by M. Christian

Parisian Phoenix Kink, 2024

Back in the golden age of erotica—before romance smothered the edginess of sex, before nervous booksellers purged their shelves of anything with a hint of deviance, before AI-assisted hacks flooded Amazon with clumsy, cookie-cutter smut—there was M. Christian. Although he has penned several novels, including the chillingly prescient Finger’s Breadth, short stories have always been his preferred form.

And by short stories I don’t mean the multi-chaptered, 20K-word tales currently on the market. No, I mean real short stories, tightly crafted nuggets only a few thousand words long that stimulate both your curiosity and your senses and that linger in your mind long after you’ve finished.

During that golden age (mid-nineties to maybe 2010?), a handful of indie publishers like Cleis and Circlet put together amazing collections of original, surprising, well-written and arousing tales, on themes open-ended enough to invite exploration. If you picked up one of these books, there was a good chance it would include a story by M.Christian. Indeed, I’m proud to admit that I edited a number of these anthologies, and M.Christian contributed to quite a few.

So reading In Control, a new edition of Christian’s stories originally released in 2013, felt a bit like stepping into a time machine. I’d almost forgotten the delight to be found in this sort of lush literary tidbit. When I’d finished, I felt a level of intellectual and sensual satisfaction that I realized I’d missed.

The stories in this collection all explore the nature or experience of desire. In that sense they fit my definition of erotica. They are not, however, primarily about sex. Some of my favorites (“The Train They Call the City of New Orleans”, “The Waters of Biscayne Bay”) have no sex at all, except in the minds of the characters. If you’re looking for orgasms, this is not the book for you.

On the other hand, if you’re fascinated (as I am) by the mysteries of the erotic, the way desire grabs us by the guts and twists us into new and surprising shapes, read on. Modern offerings that call themselves erotica are all too often painfully predictable. Not these tales. In “Gertrude”, a woman cop handles a simple case of disturbing the peace, only to have her sense of self permanently warped. “Moving” strips away the trappings of kink and reduces submission to its essence. “Dust” explores the corrosive nature of infidelity then offers unexpected redemption. In “Alice”, one of the more playful stories, both protagonists discover selves, and pleasures, they never expected.

There’s darkness in these tales, an acknowledgment that sexuality has the power to wound, even to kill. Several titles (“The Will of Dr. Mabuse”, “The Curse”) might even be called horror. Many stories are also touched with magic, sometimes benign (“Dead Letter”, “The Waters of Biscayne Bay”) but often dangerous (“The Tinkling of Silver Bells”). M.Christian’s stories will not necessarily leaving you feeling comfortable, no matter how much you admire his craft.

One gets the sense that the author may be uncomfortable as well.

The title story, “In Control”, in some ways sums up this impressive collection. It’s an ironic tale of an online Dom so arrogant that he believes his own mythology. When the perfect submissive he’s chosen simply abandons him, he struggles to hold on to the notion that he’s the one making the choices.

By using this as the title story, M.Christian may be hinting at a truth that lies at the heart of the erotic. Most of the time we are not in control. Lust can turn us into unrecognizable, even repellent beasts. Unfulfilled desire can crush us—can literally kill. The erotic is never safe.

But for me, at least, it’s always fascinating.

Realistic, genuine romance to warm your heart – #ChosenFamily #Foodie #BoxedSet #Diversity @SadiraStone

Do you enjoy romance featuring characters who are genuine and adult, dealing with realistic conflicts and family issues? Like to read about people who have actual jobs instead of being billionaires, rock stars or supermodels? Then come to Banger’s Tavern and meet the team who help make it the most welcoming bar in scenic, funky Tacoma.

Sadira Stone has collected all five of her Banger’s Tavern tales into one glorious boxed set. It’s selling wide, not just on Amazon, and will be released on January 30^th. Pre-order your copy now; I've read them all, and I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bangers-Tavern-Romance-Complete-Collection-ebook/dp/B0DSVR4Q68

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bangers-tavern-romance-sadira-stone/1146824745?ean=2940184633589

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1689405

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bangers-tavern-romance

Google Play Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sadira_Stone_Bangers_Tavern_Romance?id=ETE-EQAAQBAJ

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/bangers-tavern-romance-complete-series-collection/id6740586951

UBL: https://books2read.com/BangersTavernBoxSet

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223544723-bangers-tavern-romance

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/bangers-tavern-romance-complete-series-collection-by-sadira-stone

Bangers Tavern Romance: Complete Series Collection

Come to Bangers Tavern for super-steamy rom-coms featuring chosen family, diverse characters, creative cocktails, and the best tater tots in Tacoma. Four full-length novels and one novella each deliver a satisfying HEA and an unforgettable holiday bash in the neighborhood bar that feels like home. One night in Bangers, and you’ll want to return again and again! 

When two Scrooges collide under the mistletoe, their kiss blazes too hot to handle.

Bangers Tavern bartender River hates Christmas almost as much as he hates the sexy, snarky server who squashed his ego. So guess who sashays into his bar?

Home for the holidays with her estranged dad, Charlie finds sweet relief in her old job at Bangers—until she locks horns with the hunky, hostile bartender.

When greedy developers threaten their beloved bar, Charlie and River must set aside their mutual malice, or Bangers is doomed!

Come to Bangers Tavern for enemies to lovers, fake dating, found family, snowed-in shenanigans, holiday cocktails, and grumpy, snarky love.

Read Lisabet’s review: https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2020/12/review-tuesday-christmas-rekindled-by.html

 

A mismatch sparks the hottest flames.

Bodacious and curvy, budding tattoo artist Rosie is too smart to fall for her shy, strait-laced coworker at Bangers Tavern, but too much New Year’s Eve bubbly lands her in his bed. For Eddie, their New Year’s surprise is a dream come true—until his grandma walks in on them! Panicked, Eddie fabricates a relationship on the spot.

Their lies spin out of control, and the longer Eddie pretends, the deeper he falls. Trouble is, Rosie won’t let Eddie hide his big dreams behind a good-son façade. Now, he has to choose. Will he keep his family happy, or hold onto a life-changing love?

Come to Bangers Tavern for steamy, opposites-attract, fake dating, BBW rom-com fun that ignites in all the worst ways—and the best!

 

Cupid has lousy timing.

Worst week ever: frazzled nurse Anna catches her husband cheating, kicks him to the curb, then discovers she’s pregnant. A fling with Bangers Tavern’s delectable chef is the last thing she needs, even if his sweet smile reminds her how delicious love can be.

One look at Anna, and Diego’s heart spins out of control—but pursuing her could send his food truck dreams up in smoke. With Anna’s belligerent ex and both overprotective families hell-bent on separating them, Diego’s only hope is convincing Anna and the whole fam-damily he’s in it for keeps.

Come back to Bangers Tavern for a sweet and spicy tale of forbidden love that will warm your heart and whet your appetite!

Read Lisabet’s review: https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2022/01/review-tuesday-moved-to-wednesday.html

 

Loving him means risking the only family she has left.

Bouncer Jojo has a fierce crush on sassy server Lana, but she’s laser-focused on keeping her orphaned teen brothers together in the only home they’ve ever known. One more slip-up, and she’ll lose custody of the devastated boys.

Though Jojo’s antics warm her wounded heart, the last thing Lana needs is a muscly goofball messing with her fragile family. But when the teens’ shenanigans land them in trouble, Jojo may be the only person who can save them.

Come back to Bangers Tavern for a slow burn, sizzling hot, friends to lovers, workplace rom-com that untangles the glorious chaos of 21^st century family—the ones we’re born into, and the ones we gather to our hearts.

Read Lisabet’s review: https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2022/10/review-tuesday-moved-to-thursday-sweet.html

 

Will Cupid’s misfire cost her everything?

Stinging from a breakup, Carla drowns her sorrows at Bangers Tavern’s Anti-Valentine’s Bash, where she meets a swoonworthy silver fox. Could a no-strings fling mend her tattered heart?

Lonely and jaded, Jeremy just wants to escape the lovey-dovey hype, but lands in a raucous pub party where he meets a woman so enticing, he simply must pursue her. Trouble is, his real estate firm has the hots for her vintage shop.

To save her livelihood, Carla must dare to trust her enemy. Will her silver fox prove a predator, or will Cupid’s arrow strike true?

Excerpt

From Delicious Heat 

He dipped a spoon in his olive and sun-dried tomato tapenade and held it to her lips. She held his gaze as her soft pink lips closed delicately around the morsel. Then her eyes closed, and her fingers fluttered to the delicate V where her collar bones met. Her soft moan brought his dick to full attention.

Note to self—cook for Anna as often as possible.

A devilish smile bloomed across Anna’s lovely face. “What Olive doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

“Smart mom.” He slathered her feta-studded burger with tapenade, topped it with a dollop of tzatziki, and filled the rest of the plate with garlic tots.

Watching Anna eat was his new favorite thing. Perched on her stool at the center island, she attacked her dinner with enthusiasm bordering on feral. Each groan of pleasure echoed between his thighs.

She licked tzatziki from her thumb, then glanced up and caught him gawking. “Oh, jeez, I must look like a pig.”

He shook his head. “A pig could never be so pretty.” Or tempting. Or bewitching. Or fascinating...

She ducked her chin and giggled. “You’re trying to seduce me and Olive with your cooking superpowers, aren’t you?”

“Drat.” He smacked the counter. “You’ve discovered my evil plan.”

About the Author

 

Award-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales set in small businesses—a quirky bookstore, a neighborhood bar, a vintage boutique. Set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found shaking her hips in dance class, playing her guitar (badly, but getting better), exploring the Western U.S. with her charming husband, cooking up a storm, and gobbling all the romance books. For a guaranteed HEA (and no cliffhangers!) visit Sadira at https://sadirastone.com

Visit Sadira on All the Socials!

https://linktr.ee/SadiraStone