Have you had a fortunate life? #Romance #Giveaway #Australia @CynthiaTerelst

By Cynthia Terelst (Guest Blogger)

Hi everyone,

I’m Cynthia Terelst. I write contemporary romance with some heat. Thank you to Lisabet for inviting me to share a story with you today.

When I think about the question above, my first instinct is to say no. I don’t have riches or drive a fancy car or wear designer clothes. But living a fortunate life does not need to be about money. I’ve survived a suicide attempt, heartbreak, domestic violence, and mountains of debt. That to me is fortunate. Surviving, living, is fortunate.

And on top of that I have done many amazing things. My daughter and I travelled around Australia for three years with our cat and dog. There were many reasons we did this, but the most significant was the number of hours I worked and how I was missing watching her grow up. The trip had the desired effect; we are close, almost like sisters.

Some of the places and experiences mentioned in my first novel, The Cat’s out of the Bag, are from our travels. We did climb a fire tree like Evie and Jesse, but only made it to the first platform. My daughter’s ten-year-old legs were too short to make in the rest of the way. But when you think about it, climbing 30 metres (over 90 feet) up a tree using only steel pegs driven into the side of the tree, with no safety harness or netting is pretty impressive for anyone, let alone a ten-year-old. (Sorry, I can’t share a photo, but if you google Fire Tree Pemberton you will see what I’m talking about.)

Ultimately, The Cat’s out of the Bag is a love story, with some Australian scenery. We watch Evie and Jesse’s relationship grow. It’s not always an easy path, just like any relationship. The book touches on tough subjects like domestic violence and trust. Rest assured, this is not a totally serious book, there are many places where you will laugh.

Giveaway - I would like to give an eBook of The Cat’s out of the Bag away to one lucky reader. Please tell us why you feel you have a fortunate life. The winner is selected randomly and is not based on the best story. We are all fortunate in some way and this is a good opportunity to appreciate that.

The Cat’s Out of the Bag

One van. Two hearts. Thousands of kilometres.

Jesse’s a self-made billionaire who yearns to get away from his empty life and the money-hungry parasites who inhabit it. The plan? Go to Australia, tell no one about his money and find himself. Instead of finding just himself, he finds Evie, who is everything anyone should aspire to be. Now, what he aspires to be, is hers. But to be hers, he needs to tell her everything.

Evie has left her past behind. She has rebuilt herself, and her life, into one of happiness. After she meets Jesse, while volunteering at a cat shelter, memories of her past filter back in. She is stronger now and wants to trust him. But after all she has been through, is trust even possible?

The quest to find a cat a forever home leads them to travel across the country together. Can the close quarters drive them to open up to each other? Or will it drive them apart?

Excerpt

Jesse

The wave petered out, and I paddled back to the line-up. Sitting, watching, waiting. The constant breeze in my ears and the sound of waves breaking relaxed me. Lulled by the gentle rise and fall of the swells, I thought about Evie.

She was one of the most complicated people I’d ever met. Whatever she had been through had made her strong and independent. But underneath, she was all doubt. I could see her trying to be brave, but that could change in an instant as her insecurities took over. I felt like it was a fight between Nick and me, and I didn’t even know the guy. I didn’t know how to beat a ghost. But I would. I would figure it out, and I would gain Evie’s trust, bit by bit.

Her. Me. That’s what I would strive for.

Buy Link

https://www.amazon.com/Cats-out-Bag-billionaire-international-ebook/dp/B07ZC2Y2PG

About the Author

Cynthia Terelst is a project officer by day and a writer by night. She is a contemporary romance writer who likes to share a little bit of history, some Australian scenery and a whole lotta love.

Cynthia does not shy away from difficult topics, as she feels that they should not be ignored.

She lives in Queensland, Australia, where the sun shines at least 283 days a year.

Social Media Links

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Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/cynthiaterelst

"A strong and poignant love story..." @deesknight #vietnamwar #secondchance #Lostlove

About the book

Consider the role of strangers in our lives. An unknown postman in Virginia hides a bag of mail one day. His simple action set in motion untold consequences for many others—strangers—all over the country. How many bridges were burned in that forgotten mail pouch?

Sara Richards’s world is rocked when three love letters from 1970 are delivered decades late. The letters were written by Paul Steinert, a young sailor who took her innocence with whispered words of love and promises of forever before leaving for Vietnam. Sara is left behind, broken hearted and secretly pregnant, yearning for letters she never received.

Then Paul died.

Now, years later, she discovers the betrayal wasn’t Paul’s, when her mother confesses to a sin that changed their lives forever. How can Sara reveal to Paul’s parents that they have a granddaughter they’ve missed the chance to know? Even worse, how will she find the words to tell her daughter that she’s lived her life in the shadow of a lie?

Picking her way through the minefields of secrets, distrust, and betrayal, Sara finds that putting her life together again while crossing burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Buy link: http://mybook.to/BurningBridges

 

Excerpt

Sara stared at the letters arranged before her in numerical order. The moment in time she and Paul shared was long ago, yet her dream had conjured his presence as though she’d just seen him. In her mind, his blue eyes darkened with passion before his lips captured hers, and he moaned his appreciation when their tongues met. She tasted his sweetness and knew the steel of his arms as he held her. How many nights had she put herself through hell reliving those memories? Too damn many.

After the concert, they’d met clandestinely on weekends, mostly at Sandbridge, where they could walk and talk undisturbed. With each meeting, stirrings built deep in Sara that pushed her to want more, but Paul insisted they restrain themselves because of her age.

Then the weekend before he shipped out, she'd planned a surprise and her life changed forever.

The kettle screeched, bringing her back to the present. Sara prepared a cup of tea and then picked up the envelope marked twenty-eight. At one time, she would have given her right arm to hold this letter. Now, curiosity and the desire for a brief escape drove her more than the passion of youth. Blind love had faded when she’d had no word to bolster her during the long weeks after the ship left.

First had come the waiting. No letters arrived, even though she wrote him daily. There were no phone calls, no notes, no anything, for days that dragged into weeks then crept into months.

Anticipation morphed into anxiety. She worried he was sick or hurt and unable to write.

One day she admitted that Paul must be afraid to write for some reason, and she feared what he would say if she did receive a letter. That their time together had been a mistake, that she was too young to be in love. That he really loved someone else and Sara had been only a stand-in while he was in Virginia. Perversely, she began to sigh with relief when she arrived home and found no word.

Now, knowing why she hadn’t received mail, what would she feel if she opened this letter and her old fears proved to be true?

“Nothing,” she murmured. “Paul’s dead. He can’t hurt me anymore.” At the very least, his letters might allow her to put his ghost to rest. For that reason alone, she had to read them.

She slid her thumb under the flap and ripped the envelope open. A single sheet held his hurried scrawl.

Buy link: http://mybook.to/BurningBridges

About the Author

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.

After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website. Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity. Contact Anne at annekrist@nomadauthors.com.

Website: https://nomadauthors.com/annekrist/index.html

Reader and Reviewer comments

Readers

"I loved it! And now my daughter's reading it." Sherry, a reader

"I just finished reading BURNING BRIDGES. Thank you for writing such a powerful story about how real love can overcome all obstacles. I appreciate the fact that Sara and Paul were imperfect and made mistakes. They needed each other to polish off their rough edges and make them complete. How nice that characters of middle age were written as attractive and sexual human beings." A reader, Virginia

"I give Burning Bridges 6 stars out of 5!! A true love story...I'm ready for more." - A reader, Byron, TaylorMade Bod

"I loved it, just loved it! I was going to take it with me on vacation but I started reading and didn't want to stop. It was addictive." - Chiara, a reader

"Loved it. Just loved it." - Beverly, a Beaufort reader

Reviewers

"…an emotionally captivating tale from beginning to end. … a beautiful story about a young love ripped apart that burns bright through two decades of separation."

5 Ribbons, Chrissy Dionne, Romance Junkies

"I absolutely adored this story ... packed with real emotion ... There was a powerful "WOW" factor..."

5 Hearts and Reviewer Top Pick, Diana, Night Owl Romance

"Rarely does a story come along which touches one in countless ways from every affecting scene, yet this writer does so with her first release. The name of Anne Krist will become recognized as an author who conveys genuine and heightened feelings between her memorable characters.

With surprising twists and believable interplay between characters, BURNING BRIDGES is an unforgettable love story filled with passionate desires and potent emotions."

5 Stars, Amelia, eCataRomance, eCataromance Reviewers’ Choice Award Winner

"Burning Bridges is a yummy romance. Anne Krist has a talent for conveying great emotion. Keep a box of tissues close at hand when you read Burning Bridges. I was wiping tears throughout the book. The plot quickly captured my interest, and I felt I was part of the drama. The tension between Paul and Sara (both are stubborn and hardheaded) left me tingling. The love they shared was obvious. I did not want this story to end. Fans of romance should place Burning Bridges at the top of this summer's reading list."

5 Stars, Anne, Review Your Book

"...a strong and poignant love story... Displaying unwavering talent when dealing with delicate situations, Anne Krist's BURNING BRIDGES stayed with me long after I finished."

5 Pixies Recommended Read, Twila King, Dark Angel Reviews

"Ms. Krist has a heart-warming, emotional story on her hands. ... This is one I highly recommend!"

5 Cups, Krista, Coffee Time Romance

Release blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services.

Bound Hearts: Hot, heartfelt new #BDSM from @PebblesLacasse #Dominance #Submission #EroticRomance

Blurb

The love between Coach and Rayna seems unshakable. The life they are building is better than either had dreamed possible.

Trusting him completely, she allows him to take her deeper into HIS world. Coach introduces her to the life he once lived, as Master Demon at the BDSM house, Fallen. Back then, he was free to set his Demon loose with masochistic women who craved his dominance.

While there, Coach insists she submit to him completely and without hesitation, but can she live up to his expectations, or is he asking more of her than she can give?

Rayna meets and forms a connection with one of his former submissives. Can Coach accept the blooming friendship between the two women, or will his tumultuous history cause problems?

Now that he’s testing the freedoms of Demon, can Coach and Rayna survive the blending of past and future lifestyles?

Buy Links

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S6JRN9S

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/940747

Hardcore Excerpt

“I fucking own you!” I hiss.

“No, you don’t,” she hisses back. She’s really pushing her boundaries and I’m so madly in love with her because of it. This woman owns me, not the other way around, and she knows it.

“We’ll see,” I growl through clenched teeth. My inner Demon is shadowboxing.

I pull her head forward, sliding my prick into her throat again, this time, she doesn’t gag, which I find to be disappointing. I hold her in place, humping my prick down her throat, again and again. I won’t stop until her tears are running down her cheeks taking her mascara with them. I will mess her make-up and not allow her to make herself presentable before we leave this room. She, along with everyone here, will know she is under my control.

When I pull her face back, the evidence of my punishment is evident with black tears dripping from her chin. She isn’t crying, it’s just a reaction from gagging. She can make me stop with just one word, Red.

If I keep making her suck my cock, I’ll definitely cum. I want to fuck her good and hard. I make her stand using the grip I have in her tangled hair. I spin her, so that my arm is at her waist and she’s bent over facing behind me, her waist held tightly against my hip. The grip I have on her waist is vicious. She cannot get away.

With her unable to stand straight up, I yank the hem of her dress up, exposing her lacy thong. I start swinging my arm, spanking her ass until she’s crying out and fighting to get away. Her ass is hot and red, swollen with my handprints covering both cheeks.

I grasp the thin material that runs between her ass cheeks and yank, lifting her feet off the ground, but the lace won’t give. I pull it to the side, that’ll do. My fingers reach between her folds, slipping in her wetness. Fuck, yes!

I shove two of my fingers into her drenched cunt and wave, rubbing her g-spot with a roughness that has her moaning within seconds. She isn’t fighting to get away anymore. Now she’s squirming and trying to hump my fingers, but my grip on her body is extensive.

Her pussy is tightening around my fingers. She’s going to cum. No, she won’t! I pull my fingers out just before she reaches orgasm. I resume cracking her ass, alternating from one hot cheek to the other. She’s fighting to get away again, panting and wailing, but not saying the word to make it stop.

I jam my fingers into her again, and fuck her hard, not giving her any mercy. It isn’t more than ten seconds before she’s ready to cum again. Just before she does, I stop again, removing my fingers and continuing with the punishing slaps. She’s fighting me and yelling.

“Fuck you! Let me go! Fucking stop!”

“Say the word if you want it to end,” I reply in a calm voice.

I ram my fingers back into her and bring her close, again. I repeat this action eight-more times, getting her so near to climax that her body begins to tighten and then stopping, to inflict more pain. She isn’t screaming from the pain anymore. Her moans are loud and deep, like a growl.

She’s learning what it is to lose herself on that fine line between pleasure and pain, blurring it to the point where you can’t tell the difference between the two. This is where I wanted to take her. She needs to experience this for herself, so she can fully understand why that woman would challenge her body in that way.

This time, I don’t pull my hand away. My fingers flail wildly inside her as her muscles tighten and cease to ease, holding her in a violent full-body spasm. Her cunt is gripping and pulling and pushing at my hand. A flood of hot cum sprays from her depths, coating my hand and splashing to the marble floor.

I am relentless, not stopping even when the grip she has on my fingers is so tight that I can hardly move them. Her body is quivering, twitching and jerking to get free, but I don’t allow it. My fingers don’t quit, continuing to invade her body with force until she erupts into a second raging orgasm that has her knees shaking to the point that they give out. I’m holding her up now, keeping the momentum going until she rides completely through her climax.

I stand her up and scoop her into my arms, dropping to one knee and sitting her on the other. Her head rests on my shoulder, her arms hang limply around my neck. She’s so weak and I know she’s trying to get the fogginess of the euphoria to fade away.

“I’m sorry I had to punish you, but you needed to know your place. I wanted to prove to you that the threshold of pain can be pushed until the person can’t decipher between something hurting and something giving them absolute pleasure.”

“Yes, I understand,” is all she manages to say.

“I love you, Rayna,” I whisper, kissing her forehead tenderly.

About the Author

I typically write erotic romance novels with a bdsm genre. All of my tales contain love stories because I do enjoy a happy ending, or at least one that leaves it open for the reader to assume that they remain in love for the rest of their lives.

Many of my plots started out as dreams. When I wake from a one that really captures me, I write it down as quickly as possible so that I won’t forget what it was about. Needless to say, I have a lot of plots scribbled on loss sheets of paper. When I finish writing a book, I go through my notes to choose one of those scribbled notes start writing that tale.

Writing is a passion of mine. While my fingers are typing away, my mind is lost in the fantasy, playing out the characters actions as if I were watching a slow-playing movie. I always fall in love with every one of my characters, even the wicked ones, because each of them will become my close and personal friend while I’m writing their most intimate thoughts, building up their personalities and their histories, so the reader can understand what makes them tick.

I plan to create many, many more books in the future until most of my captivating dreams are recorded. Helping people to escape their everyday woes and into an imaginary existence, even if it’s only for a little while, makes the effort worthwhile to me.

Follow me, visit me, let me know what you think!

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Special shout-out to my cover model Chris LaPointe. Here’s how to contact him for modelling opportunities: Instagram & Facebook

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