New #HolidayRelease – Yule Be Mine boxed set is out today! #LGBTQ #EroticRomance #Snowstorm

 Image by DarkmoonArt_de from Pixabay

Totally Bound, the premier venue for hot romance, has put together a cool deal for the holidays. Get yourself a copy of Yule Be Mine, a new boxed set featuring seasonal tales by J.P. Bowie, Em Woods and yours truly. The boxed set releases today!

A Special Christmas by J.P. Bowie

A romantic hideaway on a snow-covered mountain — what better place to meet the man who could heal a broken heart?

Question: What's Brett Masters to do when his best laid plans for a special Christmas alone with his lover in a mountain cabin resort get axed because the lover up and leaves? Brett's first instinct is to just suck it up, go home early and spend the Yuletide with his family — but it might have been a good idea if he'd called the airline and changed his flight to an earlier one.

Thwarted, he decides to use the cabin he's paid for, all the while wondering if this form of self punishment is such a good idea. A romantic hideaway without the romantic partner — what's that about? But fate steps in and takes him for a spin in the arms of Devyn Weston, the resort manager's hunky brother.

What's Brett to do when he and Devyn get stranded by a snowstorm?

Almost Home by Lisabet Sarai

Home is a state of heart.

Suzanne and Gino have history going back to high school, but for years Suzanne has been three thousand miles away, preoccupied with her challenging career.

A mistletoe kiss at a holiday party reminds her of their old bond and proves that some things get better with age. When Gino rescues her from a New England blizzard, though, she discovers that she's not the only love in his life. Gino shares his bed and his colonial-era farm house with taciturn painter Harris Steele.

Snowed in, without electricity or running water, the three explore the many shapes a triangle can assume. Although she's far away from her everyday existence, Suzanne realizes that she's almost home.

Chasing Alex by Em Woods

Trapped by a snowstorm in a remote cabin in northern Michigan, photographer Victor Schwartz hopes to convince his assistant, Alex Merit, that he has serious intentions…

But will Alex see past the playboy to the man who wants it all, or will he toss Victor out in the cold?

Here’s snippet from my tale, the kiss that starts it all:

The kiss caught her off guard.

One moment Suzanne was standing in the doorway to Helena’s den, scanning the occupants and wondering if she knew anyone at all at this party. The next moment someone twirled her around and fastened a pair of firm lips on hers. Out of instinct or habit, she closed her eyes. The darkness heightened her other senses. Powerful arms circled her body and pulled her against a fuzzy male chest. Her partner’s scent rose around her, a complex mix of soap and musk, evergreen and wood smoke. His tongue teased the seam where her lips met and she let him enter, her self-protective reflexes dulled by his warmth and the glass of merlot she’d downed on her arrival. His mouth tasted of eggnog and candy canes, appropriately seasonal. He was delicious, in fact—not just his mouth but the quiet confidence of his probing tongue, the sculpted muscle she felt under his sweater, his bold hands wandering across her back to her buttocks. She hadn’t enjoyed a kiss like this in a long time.

She’d felt chilled and tense ever since her plane touched down in frigid Boston but now her muscles began to unknot. He was a miniature sun, melting her, turning her languid and dreamy. She clutched at his solid form and returned his kiss, trading heat for heat. Tropical colours paraded behind her eyelids—fuschia, lime, peach, and aqua—shimmering like the water in her pool back home. She even began to perspire, her long-sleeved velvet dress suddenly too warm for comfort.

He pulled her full hips against his lean ones. A tell-tale lump, wonderfully hard, pressed against her belly. Her panties and tights dampened, too.

Normally she would have resisted but stress and alcohol made her susceptible. She allowed the kiss to lengthen and deepen, sinking into the pure pleasure of it.

A smattering of applause brought her back to awareness. “Whoa there!” hooted one of the guests. “You two want some privacy?”

Suzanne broke away from the man who had ambushed her. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” Embarrassment added a sharp edge to her voice.

The dark haired man favoured her with a grin. “Mistletoe,” he said, pointing upward. Sure enough, a cluster of green leaves and pale berries dangled from the door frame. He could scarcely contain his laughter.

That laugh. That voice. Something tickled Suzanne’s memory. “Gino!” she exclaimed, finally, chuckling herself. “I can’t believe it! Still acting like we’re in high school.”

“I couldn’t resist, Suzy Q.” The old nickname made her blush. He hadn’t relinquished her hand. “In fact, if you don’t move, I’m very likely to kiss you again.”

Get your copy of this sentimental and steamy collection today, from Totally Bound/Pride Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever you like to buy your books. Only $2.99!

Follow J.P. on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J-P-Bowie/e/B002BLZX2Q/

Follow Em on Twitter: https://twitter.com/emwoodsauthor

All she can offer him is a fling... #RomanticSuspense #SecondChanceRomance #DeerbourneInn @AmberDaulton1

Blurb

Reuniting with the man who broke her heart has never felt so right.

Divorced dad Birley Haynes is too busy raising his children and running his family’s music academy to start a relationship. Then Harmony Holdich, his high school sweetheart, returns home to Willow Springs, Vermont for Christmas and falls into his bed. She brings light and fun back into his life, but he can’t brush aside the threatening incidents around his workplace.

Harmony hadn’t expected a complication like Birley, especially so soon after the death of her unfaithful husband. With her life a mess, she plans to move across the country and start over. All she can offer him is a fling, but her heart yearns for more.

When the threats rise, how will Birley keep his children safe and convince Harmony to give love another chance?

 

Excerpt

He sighed heavily. Snapping at her wouldn’t convince her to stick around. “Have you thought about me over the years?”

Her bottom lip trembled, then she sucked it between her teeth. “Of course I have. High school was a long time ago, and our dreams clashed. You wanted a laidback life, even though you cut loose with Susannah in college. I wanted big-city living, and I got it. I like it.”

“So a rich-ass condo means that much to you? You want a new job slaving away five or six days a week for some major corporation until you’re exhausted?” He silently cursed. Not only did he slave away at his job, he was growing more tired of it by the day.

Good job, man. Way to control your temper.

In the back of his mind, he’d always believed he and Harmony would find one another again. Susannah and Claude didn’t compute. How crazy was that? Did he marry someone so different from himself because, subconsciously, he didn’t want the relationship to work?

A frown creased her brow. “I don’t need or want expensive things, but I like to work, to feel useful. My dream home is a little yellow bungalow with a big yard in a suburb.” She rocked in the chair as though she longed to jump up and run out the door. “I don’t want to argue. Let’s finish eating and hit the slopes.” She polished off her chips in a handful of loud crunches.

“What did you expect?” His throat constricted. “We’ve never hashed this stuff out since Susannah and Claude were always stuck up our asses. It’s time we deal with it.”

She scowled, then finished her grinder.

Birley gritted his teeth. Why had he been so stupid all those years ago? He’d wanted her to attend the University of Vermont with him, but she balked at another lengthy stint in school. He never should’ve walked off, leaving her crying on the porch of her parents’ house. She wanted time to think about her future—they’d only graduated from high school that morning—but her refusal didn’t mean she’d stopped loving him.

Too bad he hadn’t realized the truth at the time. She’d hurt his pride and broken his heart. Nothing mattered but hurting her in return. They avoided each other for the rest of the summer, then he headed off to the university.

God, how he’d missed her. She’d continued to work for her uncle while earning her accounting degree at a local community college and later moved to New Jersey for her job. Any chance of repairing their relationship had left with her, but by then, he was with Susannah.

Birley ate the rest of his sandwich, which slid down his gullet like cardboard. “No matter what you decide, I’m happy you’re home now.” The hope in his chest deflated. He stood and tugged on his gloves. “Let’s hit one of the blue squares. You okay with that?”

She nodded and followed him up. After they threw away their trash, they left the lodge.

 

Add to Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55691564-harmony-s-embrace

Check it out on BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/harmony-s-embrace-deerbourne-inn-by-amber-daulton

Purchase Links

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Harmonys-Embrace-Deerbourne-Amber-Daulton-ebook/dp/B08L73TB9C/

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/harmonys-embrace-amber-daulton/1137951572

Apple/iBooks – https://books.apple.com/us/book/harmonys-embrace/id1539081673

Universal link – https://books2read.com/u/bPX6kR

Sign Up for my Newsletter, Amber Daulton Romance

https://emailoctopus.com/lists/9d60a166-f2ea-11ea-a3d0-06b4694bee2a/forms/subscribe

 

About the Author

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press, Books to Go Now, and Daulton Publishing, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

Social Media Links

Website – https://amberdaulton.wordpress.com/

Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/amber.daulton.author

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AmberDaulton1

Pinterest – https://pinterest.com/amberdaulton5/

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6624921.Amber_Daulton

Amazon Author Page – https://amzn.to/14JoZff

Book Bub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amber-daulton

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amberdaultonauthor1/

Sizzling Sunday: Sample my #NewRelease -- #Steampunk #Erotica #NaughtyToys

 

Welcome to a very special Sizzling Sunday! I’m sharing an exclusive excerpt from my new steam punk erotica novel The Pornographer’s Apprentice, Book 1 of a new series: The Toymakers Guild. The book will not be released until tomorrow, but today I am sharing a generous (and very spicy) bit to whet your appetite.

The book is full of naughty sex toys – creating them is, after all, the business of the Guild. Here’s a bit where Gillian and her fellow apprentices are involved in some “product testing”.

 

“If only we could test—” Archie sucked in his breath. “Oh! Jill—you could help even more if you were willing…”

“To give the device a trial run?” Gillian finished his thought. “I might consider it.” Her juices flowed more copiously as she contemplated the imminent realisation of her naughty fantasies. However, she didn’t want to seem too eager. “Not both of the cocks at once, of course.”

Archie’s cheeks flushed bright pink. “No, no, of course not. No young lady would ever—”

“At least not until I’ve tried them one at a time. I need to be able to concentrate.”

“Quite so,” Ian agreed, a lecherous light burning in his green eyes. “So are you willing?”

“For the sake of the Guild? Certainly.” She glanced around the lab. “But where?”

“Over here.” Archie led her to an alcove, behind the gallery stairs. Tucked into the cosy space she found something similar to a dentist’s chair, with padded seat, back, headrest and armrests. Instead of a single footrest, the apparatus provided separate extensions for supporting each leg, with stirrups for each foot. Levers on the side were obviously intended to control the height, inclination and the separation of the thighs. Furthermore, she couldn’t help but notice the sturdy leather straps with brass buckles, affixed to the arm and leg supports, obviously intended to restrain the chair’s occupant.

Archie gave a quick demonstration of the fiendishly clever apparatus. Hydraulically controlled, the chair moved smoothly from one position to another.

Gillian swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. Was she really so brazen? So much in thrall to her carnal cravings? It appeared that she was. Without further enticement, she climbed into the chair, positioned her limbs appropriately, and pulled the voluminous lab coat up to her waist to bare her dripping sex.

“I’m ready,” she told her fellow apprentices.

“So we see,” commented Ian with a wicked grin. He fiddled with some controls. The stirrups drew closer to the seat, allowing her to bend her knees. Then they separated, opening her further.

By itself, the position aroused her. Lewdly displayed, the folds of her cunny slick and swollen, she was both accessible and vulnerable. Had they cared to do so, either Archie or Ian could have overpowered her, forcing their pricks into her wide-open cavity. A quick glance told her that both were in fact erect. However, the randy apprentices had other goals to accomplish.

Archie stood beside her, a cock in each hand. “Who do you want to try first? Fat Charlie or Long Donald?”

Gillian giggled. “Those were Lady Marlborough’s husbands?”

Archie nodded.

Gillian surveyed the two phalluses. Her mouth watered. Both were lovely.

“You choose,” she replied finally.

“Very well,” said Ian, at her other side. “Why don’t we blindfold you? Then we’ll see if you can distinguish the two.”

He already held a black velvet domino. Evidently this was a standard item of lab equipment in the Toymakers Guild.

He covered her eyes with the mask and tied it behind her head, careful not catch any of her hair. The world went black. Almost immediately, Gillian’s other senses grew more acute. She caught a whiff of Ian’s earthy scent as he moved past her. She felt currents of air as someone positioned himself between her splayed legs. A snatch of song came to her ears, then the sound of a hammer, apparently in the main room.

“Who’s that?” she asked. She hadn’t looked all that closely, but she had thought they were alone in the laboratory.

“What?” Archie’s voice, close to her side.

“I hear a woman, singing. And someone doing some sort of construction.”

“That’s just Lucinda, up in the gallery. She’s our graphic artist.”

“Tug’s building a new bondage frame.” Ian’s voice, near her feet. “Didn’t you see him?”

“I thought it was just us…” She’d been more than ready to be their guinea pig, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to be involved in a public performance of depravity.

“Don’t worry. We’re all sworn members of the Guild,” Archie reminded her.

“And we’re all used to salacious activities. I’m sure they will hardly notice.” Ian chuckled. “Anyway, it’s too late to back out now. Open up, Jill.”

Before she had time to object, even to breathe, the first dildo slid into her quim. Between her escapade with Amelia and her fantasies, her channel was drenched. The artificial cock sliced into her like a knife through butter. She’d hardly begun to adapt to its incursion when motor started humming. The fake phallus sprang to life and began to thrust.

Oh! Ian’s motor performed flawlessly. Deep, deeper, and deeper still, in and out, in and out, the device fucked her with mechanistic precision. She’d never been penetrated so thoroughly; Lyle had barely entered her when he’d spent. In addition to its pumping motion, the toy began to vibrate, sending quivering echoes along all her nerves. Her clit throbbed and tingled. A climax gathered like an impending storm, tension roiling in her belly. The dildo’s strokes accelerated, accentuating the pleasure instant by instant and pushing her closer to spending. A little faster, a little harder, and she would reach the peak.

Just as she was about to let go, someone yanked the dildo from her cunt. “No!” she yelled. “Wait!” Then she gasped as a new and very different object pushed into her, thrusting even as it entered. This had to be Fat Charlie. Her cunny felt full to the point of bursting, her flesh stretched to the limit of endurance. She worried briefly that the toy would damage her tender parts, then forgot her concerns as the dildo triggered a dozen varieties of bliss. The thick rod pressed firmly against her clit, sliding in and coming out. Meanwhile its stroking motion dragged that sensitive bud back and forth, rocking it like a little switch and lighting up her senses. Fat Charlie didn’t reach as deep as Long Donald, but the sense of fullness more than compensated. Gasping and writhing, she teetered on the brink of climax, wishing the artificial cock were just a wee bit fatter.

As if in answer to her desires, the toy began to pulse, swelling against her inner walls. The extra pressure was just what she needed. The need built to unbearable levels until at last the dam burst. Waves of bliss swept through her, flooding all her senses. Behind the blindfold, bright bursts of colour danced, matching the delight that sparked along her nerves.

Get your copy of this delightfully randy Victorian romp from your favorite bookstore!

Kinky Literature – https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/8424-the-pornographers-apprentice-the-toymakers-guild-book-1/

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MWMZZGP

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08MWMZZGP

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1053072

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-pornographers-apprentice-lisabet-sarai/1138144978?ean=2940164724573

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/th/en/ebook/the-pornographer-s-apprentice-1

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55857159-the-pornographer-s-apprentice

For a sizzling Friday the 13th... #menage #reverseharem #PNR #LimitedRelease @cw1985

Surrender your soul...

Four steamy reverse harem/menage stories from bestselling authors who can't resist a handsome man, or rather men, in uniform.

And to further ramp up the action, as a Halloween special, these strong heroes and sassy heroines are not as they seem. With visceral vampires and dashing demons galore, they are sure to heat you up as the nights grow cold.

Want romance? You'll get it in bucketsful. Need steam? Hell yeah! Action and adventure? Yes, baby, yes!

Contains

CRAVED BY THEM by Lily Harlem

THE CORRUPTION OF SISTER MARY IMMACULATE by Katie Douglas

THE LONG NIGHT by Lucy Felthouse

EXORCISE ME by Felicity Brandon

*Anthology available for a limited time only, so grab your copy today!

Buy now, or read in Kindle Unlimited: http://mybook.to/DutyBoundBite

Excerpt from The Long Night by Lucy Felthouse

I’m prepared for pretty much anything on my way to my next-door neighbor’s house for her Halloween party. Loulou is well known across north London for her wild, extravagant events, a few of which I’ve had the good fortune to be a part of—they’re always good fun. So I’m expecting something spectacular—she wouldn’t let me help, or even have a sneak peek at the decorations, so whatever she’s gone for will be a complete surprise to me.

The nearest streetlamp to our houses is providing just enough light to show off her outdoor decorations. I smile as I push open her fake-cobweb-covered front gate, duck as a plastic bat swoops toward my head, then make my way up the garden path, which is lined with creatively carved pumpkins, the tealights nestled inside each helping to illuminate the way to the door.

For all intents and purposes, I’m walking through a graveyard. Headstones in varying states of decay litter the grass. Noises ring out periodically—the hoot of an owl, the howl of a wolf, the yowl of a cat. There’s even a dry ice machine secreted somewhere, as a sinister, low-lying fog hovers over the ground.

I jump and gasp as I pass a large tree to find a decrepit, bloodstained zombie grinning at me from behind its trunk. Tutting, then chuckling at my own silliness, I mount the three steps up to the porch, where more of the same greets me, as well as some macabre smiling skulls, blood dripping from their mouths and spiders crawling from their eye sockets. It’s great, it really is, but there’s nothing unusual about any of it. This is Loulou we’re talking about—I’m waiting for the ‘wow’ factor, that extra something she’s thrown in to make her party an event that’ll be talked about for weeks, maybe even months, to come.

A sign with Gothic blood-red print is fixed to the door.

PARTY THIS WAY. ENTER IF YOU DARE.

Obviously, I dare. With a roll of my eyes, I depress the door handle—which has a large plastic spider hanging off it—and step inside. It’s only a few minutes past the official start time for the party, so it’s still pretty quiet. I’m fine with that—it gives me the opportunity to have a good look around at what Loulou has done with the décor before it gets too busy, too heaving with bodies. Live ones, that is. The dead ones dotted around the place don’t seem to care one way or the other.

I don’t bother announcing my presence to my neighbor—we’ll find each other before long. Instead, I immediately start exploring, exchanging the occasional polite nod with other early partygoers as we pass. The scent of pumpkin spice hangs in the air. So far, so typical—more cobwebs, spiders, pumpkins, skulls, bats, black cats, ghosts, witches, zombies, black floaty material draped everywhere, creepy music…

Then something catches my eye. Toward the back of what is usually Loulou’s enormous living room—the properties in this area, including mine, are huge—is a sectioned-off area. A partition, designed to look like an old stone wall. It’s dark, gloomy, spooky. I love it. And that’s before I notice the sign affixed to the arched doorway embedded in the wall.

THE VAMPIRE’S LAIR

A snort escapes me, and I quickly look around to make sure nobody noticed. I’m alone, thankfully—probably the others are diving into the drinks and snacks which are most likely laid out in the dining room, getting their hands on all the best stuff before other people arrive.

I open the door carefully, since I don’t know how sturdy this whole shebang is, and I don’t want to wreck it—Loulou’ll kill me—and enter, eager to find out exactly what Loulou thinks a vampire lair looks like.

You’d think she’d have an idea, really, given she lives next door to one.

 

 

 

Release blitz organised by Writer Marketing Services.

What happens when a woman thinks too much... #Fantasy #Review #Feminist #Giveaway

 

Blurb

Do you know what your problem is?

Ryalgar knows hers. People have been telling this overeducated 13th-century woman for years. So when an equally intellectual prince decides he loves her, it looks like everyone was wrong and her dreams have come true.

Except, this prince is already betrothed to another. He’s leading the army training to defend their tiny realm against an expected Mongol invasion and he is considering sacrificing Ryalgar’s home nichna of Vinx by abandoning it’s rich farmlands to their foes.

Another woman would flee to safety. Maybe she would seek another lover. But not Ryalgar. Living in a world where witchcraft has been allowed to flourish and problematic powers remain, she devises her own strategy to keep the invaders from destroying her home.

This is just the sort of thing that happens when a woman thinks too much.

Excerpt

After a couple of anks, I decided to ask about seeing Nevik. I’d noticed the other women came and went, missing classes and chores on occasion, and it didn’t seem to bother anyone.

We were in the kitchen, and our instructor, a chubby and friendly woman from Lev, was going over how the Velka traded our skills and products for most of our food and drinks, as few edible products grew in the shade of the forest.

“Uh, I know I can’t, shouldn’t, leave the forest yet, but I was told …. well … that I could ….. um …”

The other four girls in my morning acclimation session all giggled and our instructor slapped the table with mirth. “Spit it out, Ryalgar. You’re getting horny? What’s your pleasure?”

“Um. There’s a man. We were lovers before I came here. I’d like to get word to him. To find a way to see him.”

“To see him. Right. Well, orientation instructors like me assist with all such requests for seeing. So, we’ve got Velka going out to markets in each nichna in the realm. Where would this man of yours be found?”

“He’s in Pilk.”

“Plenty going that direction. Must be a dozen markets there. Can you be more specific?”

“Uh, I think you’d find him at the palace.”

“Ah. You’re hooking up with a Svadlu, are you? Those military types can be sexy. I’ve had a few myself.”

I looked down at my hands.

“Not to worry,” she added, trying to guess why I hesitated to say more. “When I said we Velka value discretion, I meant it. Word of your soldier friend will not leave the forest. You can count on it.”

“Actually, he’s a prince.”

“You’re sleeping with a member of the Pilk royal family? Seriously?”

I had everyone’s full attention now.

“His name is Nevik.”

She slammed her hand down a second time and laughed out loud. “You’re telling me the golden granddaughter we recruited is also secretly sleeping with the guy who just got betrothed to some fancy princess from another realm?”

I nodded. “That sounds like Nevik.”

“Well, you do know how to make things difficult, don’t you?”

Review by Lisabet Sarai

Ryalgar, the oldest of seven very different sisters, didn’t intend to fall in love with a prince. But when they connect at the midwinter solstice festival, Nevik is sweet and funny, respectful and intelligent, while their physical compatibility leaves them both craving more. Knowing her infatuation is unwise, Ryalgar visits the Velka woman in the market, seeking a potion to undo her growing affection. She is surprised to discover that the wise crone who tends the stall selling herbs and remedies is her paternal grandmother, whom she has never met due to her mother’s unexplained antipathy. Ryalgar and her grandmother share an immediate affinity. Before long, much to her mother’s dismay, Ryalgar leaves home to join the Velka, a mysterious society of women who live in and protect the impenetrable Open Forest. Within their enclave, she’s able to read and study as much as she likes, as well as practicing and perfecting her talent for oomrush – telekinesis.

Becoming a Velka does not require her to be celibate. She and Nevik can still meet when his palace duties allow. However, his impending marriage, a political alliance of convenience, as well as the frightening news that Mongol hordes are preparing to conquer the land of Ilari, complicate Ryalgar’s life. In concert with her Velka sisters, she hatches a plan to fight the Mongols, not with force but with craft, deception and misdirection. More intellectual than outgoing, thoughtful rather than charismatic, Ryalgar nevertheless finds herself in the position of leading her country’s campaign to discourage and deter the impending invasion.

From the first page, with its hand drawn map, She’s the One Who Thinks Too Much pulls the reader into a diverse, colorful and plausible world, with its own geography, culture, language and politics. S.R. Cronin has done a wonderful job creating Ilari and its peoples. She places the country vaguely “west of the Black Sea”, but east of the steppes that are the Mongols’ home. Ilari is fantasy world that includes subtle forms of magic, but the author presents oomrush, luskis (people who can use their voice to make others obey) and frundles (idiot savant visionaries) more in terms of individual aptitudes than awesome powers. Like cooking or gardening or archery, the strength of these abilities varies from individual to individual, and can be enhanced through focus and exercise. Ilari also has distinctive customs (strongly linked to the calendar points of solstice and equinox), prejudices (the Velka and the promiscuous, gypsy-like reczazy are both suspect), and sexual mores, which are more relaxed than one might expect from a traditional society, but which still emphasize family and children.

Ryalgar is an unusual heroine, whose most important attributes are not beauty or ambition or even courage, but rather imagination and analytical ability. The defenses she builds are surprising, creative and complex. I particularly enjoyed the notion of re-sculpting the landscape, building new hills and re-routing roads, in order to confuse the enemy. Ryalgar’s father, a soil expert, supervises this challenging task, which must be accomplished by thousands of people with shovels.

My one criticism of the novel has to do with the pacing, which seemed a bit too even. Ryalgar’s defense plans take shape gradually, bit by bit, but as the expected invasion draws closer, the intensity of the action does not climb accordingly. Although events provide a narrative arc, cresting with the Mongol’s onset, the emotional energy remains a bit too steady for my liking. There’s no climactic scene, even when Ryalgar unexpectedly finds herself in the middle of a battle. Her schemes unfold more or less like clockwork. Though the very survival of Ilari is at stake, I often didn’t feel much sense of urgency.

Maybe this is a reflection of the way Ryalgar’s mind works. She is the point of view character, telling the story in the first person, and she is, ultimately, the one who thinks – maybe more than feels.

Overall I really enjoyed She’s the One Who Thinks Too Much. I’d definitely consider reading the other books in the series, each of which I gather will feature one of Ryalgar’s sisters. Ilari’s a place I’d be happy to revisit.

About the Author

Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.

She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels. She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how odd she is.

All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case.

Author Social Media Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cinnabar01

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/46Ascending

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805814.Sherrie_Cronin

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Sherrie-Cronin/e/B007FRMO9Q

Author Blog: https://sherriecronin.xyz/

Book Series Blog: https://troublesome7sisters.xyz/

S.R. Cronin will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A powerful appetite … #MFRWsteam #MFRWAuthor #NewRelease #Giveaway

Welcome to another Marketing for Romance Writers Steam Hop! If you like to read on the spicy side, you have definitely come to the right place.

Today I am featuring my brand new release The Pornographer’s Apprentice, first book in my series The Toymakers Guild. In fact, the book is still on pre-order. However, you have a chance to read it before it becomes publicly available on November 16^th. Just leave me a comment with your email address, and I’ll enter you into a drawing for a copy of this steam punk erotica opus.

Warning: this book is very explicit – as you’d expect from a story about a secret society that designs and builds sex toys.

When you have recovered from my excerpt, I hope you’ll visit some of the other steamy authors participating in today’s blog hop. Just click on the links at the end of the post.

She wants to build sex toys... if they'll let her.

In prudish, patriarchal Victorian England, nineteen year old prodigy Gillian Smith finds a secret society dedicated to the erotic arts. She’ll need both her intellect and her physical charms to earn the permanent position she craves.

Inspired by a salacious catalogue found in her deceased uncle’s library, she applies for an apprenticeship with the Toymakers Guild. The Guild fabricates bespoke sexual artifacts for the private pleasure of select clients – an occupation for which Gillian, with her technical abilities and her lascivious temperament, is eminently suited.

The other apprentices, initially skeptical about a female engineer, become enthusiastic supporters once they’ve tested her erotic aptitude. The voluptuous Governing Director, and the dashing French journeyman likewise help expand her carnal repertoire. The final decision, however, rests with the reclusive Master Toymaker, who has been missing for nearly two years.

When an unscrupulous nobleman sets up a competing enterprise, he threatens not only the livelihood of the Guild’s members but their lives as well. Gillian hatches an audacious plan to entrap the villain, save the Guild, and leave the absent Master no choice but to grant her heart’s desire.

If you like steam punk erotica with a kinky feminist bent, you'll love The Pornographer's Apprentice.

Excerpt

When she emerged, she found her companions lounging in the parlour, in equally casual attire. Archie wore his dress shirt, mostly unbuttoned, with loose, knee-length drawers underneath. Ian sported a short robe belted at the waist. They’d opened a bottle of wine from the spirits cabinet and filled their glasses to the brim. Indeed, the bottle was more than half empty.

“Hallo, Jill,” said Archie. “We’re celebrating. Care for some wine? It’s the good stuff, French.” Without waiting for her response, he poured a third goblet and passed it to her. “Chin chin!”

She bit back her scolding. They’d worked hard, after all, and the generous tips bestowed by Lady Marlborough would more than cover the cost. After seating herself on a convenient sofa, she accepted his offering.

“Cheers.” The first sip was pure ambrosia. She drank more deeply, savouring the fruity accents and the hint of oak, then set the glass on the table beside her. “It’s lovely,” she agreed. “But perhaps I should order some food as well. I imagine you must have quite an appetite after your exertions this afternoon.”

Ian leaned closer “We’ve a powerful appetite,” he said, his voice low and seductive. “But not for dinner.”

Archie downed half the contents of his glass, then slipped to the floor at her feet. Teasing her gown open to fully expose her bare foot and trim ankle, he trailed one finger along her instep, then up her leg, before bending to plant a kiss on the inside of her knee. “We’re hungry for you, Jill.”

She shivered with delight at the delicate, reverential touch of his lips. “You’re not thoroughly sated, after gorging on Her Ladyship’s bounty?”

Ian shuffled over from his chair to sit beside her. His right arm circled her waist and pulled her against his slim, hard body, while his left slid into the gap between her lapels to stroke her breast.

Her nipples snapped into aching knots as soon as he touched her. He captured one between his fingers, rolling it back and forth like a bit of modelling clay. Exquisite tension skittered down to her clit, equally swollen and sensitive.

Ian flicked his tongue across her earlobe. Sparks flared. “All the time I was buried in her arse,” he murmured, “I was wishing she was you.”

His words made her suddenly and acutely aware of her rear hole, tight and untouched. When he nuzzled her neck, she imagined such lubricious attention applied to that tender whorl of muscle. She could almost feel the way she’d open to him as he licked and probed, gentle but irresistible. She squirmed on the sofa, nether parts tingling, as Ian pulled her into a wine-flavoured kiss.

Closing her eyes, she surrendered to Ian’s demanding mouth. Meanwhile, Archie nibbled his way up her inner thigh, pushing the gown further open as he went along. She felt him part the engorged folds of her quim and sensed the warmth of his breath as he paused to inhale her scent. Then he dove into her cunny, licking and sucking as though starved for her flesh.

“Oh! Archie!” She jerked away from Ian’s lips as fireworks exploded between her legs. Her thighs clamped down around Archie’s head and she ground herself against his face. Ian tore open her gown and captured a nipple between his teeth, gnawing gently while twisting the other between his finger and thumb.

Oh, by Archimedes, it was almost too much! Gillian writhed on the sofa, helpless under the onslaught of so much pleasure. As she thrashed, no more than a few breaths from spending, Archie wriggled one hand under her buttocks. Immediately her attention flew to her arsehole. He continued licking her cunny while running his finger along the cleft between her rear cheeks. Back and forth he slid, gathering her juices and smearing them over the twitching knot of her sphincter.

She felt every movement, every bit of pressure, every glide of his fingertips across the forbidden portal. A climax loomed over her, a fierce, dark wave ready to break. Then Archie pushed one finger deep inside her arse, Ian bit down on her nipple, and the pleasure came crashing down, sweeping everything away.

If this sounds like your kind of book, don’t forget to leave a comment!

Pre-order Links:

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MWMZZGP

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1053072