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Interview with Lacie Nation + Excerpt of Gravity Beach!
Today we’re joined by the fabulously awesome Lacie Nation, whose book Gravity Beach (the sequel to Courageous Dares) hits the shelves this month through Secret Cravings Publishing.
- What song makes you happy every time you hear it? The Adele version of Make You Feel My Love
- What movie can you see over and over again without getting sick of it? HAHA…there are many, but Hope Floats or PS I Love You are the two I can watch constantly.
- What is the worst fashion trend you ever bought into? *Cringes* Teasing my bangs. I’m talking major teasing with a toothbrush to get those bad boys to stand almost straight up! Ugh, it was awful!
- Coffee or tea? (Bonus: what flavor?) Cappuccino actually…Folgers French Vanilla.
- What book makes you sob like an infant (but you love it anyway)? Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward
- What is your writing process? Depends on what kind of scene I’m writing. If it’s not particularly emotional then I’m good to just dive into it. If it is emotional then I have to have a favorite movie playing in the background, a hot cup of cappuccino, and a box of tissues. It’s comical actually because I’ve sat here and just sobbed through a scene before.
- Revisions: love them or hate them? Most of the time I love them. There is the occasion where I want a scene a certain way and won’t change it.
- Who/what inspired you to become an author? My life. LOL…I’ve been through so much that I just wrote it all down. Long story short those ramblings turned into a story which got published.
- How much of your day-to-day life goes into your writing? Not so much my day to day life, but certain things that my family does or says might make it in.
- Kids in books: yes or no? Yes…they make great secondary characters.
- Pets in books: cheesy or sweet? Sweet
- What’s your favorite thing to eat? (recipes welcome!) Popcorn! With nacho cheese powder.
- What is the scariest thing about being an author? Negative reviews. I understand I can’t please everyone, but there are some people out there who thrive off being hateful! It stings.
- What is the most exciting thing about being an author? Positive feedback. To hear a reader say they loved my work is the absolute best thing in the world.
- Do you have anything to share with us? Not really…I pretty much laid it all out there!
THIS OR THAT
1. Peanut butter or jelly? Peanut butter. SO good if you put it on apples.
2. Chips or cookies? Umm…cookies. Like that’s even a question. LOL
3. Best talent: music or art? Art
4. Print or eBook? E-book, but it is nice to hold a print book sometimes.
5. Pen or pencil? Pen because the sound a pencil makes on paper give me a shiver.
6. Best friends: as many as possible or only need one? As many as possible. You can never have enough friends.
7. Notebook or computer? Computer. I will lose a notebook in a heartbeat.
8. Print or cursive? Print, if you can call my hand writing that.
9. Zombies or vampires? Zombies! I love zombies…unless they try to eat my face, then I have to kill them.
10. Angel or Spike? Spike all the way! Love that vamper.
Jolie Baker had it all, amazing friends, a college degree, and a man she planned to spend the rest of her life with. When her love is killed in action, Jolie has to learn to live again. Three years after Ethan’s death, she moves to Gravity Beach to start a new life. At her new teaching job, one of her students is surprised when her father returns home from war. Jolie never imagined how important the returning solider and his daughter would become.
David Stokes wants nothing more than to raise his daughter, Madison, and give her the best life he can. Because Madison’s mother abandoned them, David is all she has. When he meets his little girl’s teacher on the beach, he is surprised by how much he wants to know her. David sees the pain in Jolie’s eyes, but will his love be enough to ease her tattered soul?
Excerpt:
Jolie wanted to say something profound to him. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him. How important he was to her very being. But, when she pressed her hand against his chest every single word left her brain. There was not a single trace of his normal warmth. His chest, normally firm, because he was a muscular man, now was hard to the touch and she could feel the coldness radiating through the thick layers of his uniform. Jolie jerked her hand away and stumbled back. She couldn’t catch her breath. Her heart beat so fast it was painful. She needed air, so she rushed back through the mourning people and crashed through the front doors of the funeral home. The fingers she’s pressed to his chest still felt cold and the chill seemed to be spreading throughout her entire body. Jolie wanted her love back. She wanted her life back. She wanted Ethan.
Bio:
I live in Columbus, Ga with my fiancée and our dog, Libby. I spend most of my time reading and writing. I write from a very personal place and find that creating a story based off of things I have been through is very cleansing. I am extremely close to my family so I tend to use little quirks that I love from my family members to create characters that are realistic.
Book Spotlight: The Best Man by Ana Blaze
Beth Chase is too busy planning perfect weddings to worry about the lack of action in her own love life. But if she was looking for a man, she wouldn’t be looking at Colin Pratt. Her boss swears that Best Man Colin is a quiet scholar and science fiction writer who couldn’t possibly cause a fuss at his own brother’s wedding. He’s clearly never met the man in question. Snarky, sexy and more than a little inebriated, Colin is the final obstacle between Beth and the last perfect wedding she needs to make partner. Of course, when she helps him into a taxi at the end of the night she has no idea that he’s only just begun to poke holes in her professional exterior. Colin might have the skills to seduce a romance professional, but can he convince her that he’s the best man to share her happy ever after?
The Best Man EXCERPT
© Ana Blaze
Colin followed her, snatched her hand and spun her around so her back was pressed against the wall near her bedroom door. He kissed her again, one of his magic kisses that left her weak in the knees and nearly distracted from the matter at hand.
“You can’t just get all sexy every time I disagree with you.”
His teeth teased her earlobe. “Quite right,” he murmured.
“I’m trying to have a serious conversation here.”
“We’re amazing together. Tell me you don’t feel it too?”
“Of course I feel something, but it can’t be love.”
“Why not?”
“It takes more than a couple days to know if you’re compatible enough to share your life with someone.”
Colin touched her temple. “You’re talking about something that comes from here instead of the thing that comes from here.” He placed his hand over her heart.
“Yeah, well I’m pretty sure the body part you’re thinking with is a bit lower.”
Shaking his head, he pulled her hand up and placed it on his chest. “You’re under my skin, Beth. There isn’t a part of me that doesn’t want you.” He brushed her hair off her forehead.
“You took a pretty hard hit to the head the other day.”
“It started before that. You floored me the moment we met.”
“You’re claiming love at first sight?”
“Is it so hard to believe?’ Colin skimmed her bottom lip with his thumb. “You have a stack of videos in the other room that tell me you want to believe in happily ever after. Take the chance.”
“Those are fantasies, pretty stories about pretty people. I like them, but I don’t think they’re real.”
His hands kept moving; they slid up her neck, down her arms. They tugged her shirt out of her skirt and caressed the small of her back. “Want to know what I think? I think you liked me from the start. I think you felt this connection too, right away. You tried to act all proper but you couldn’t wait to get your hands on me.”
She laughed. “I thought you were a pain in the ass.”
“You mean you couldn’t stop looking at my arse, saucy girl.”
About the Author
Ana lives just outside Washington DC with her very supportive husband and three rather demanding cats. She loves the ocean, Indian food, IKEA, and cooking. Ana admits to watching too much television and she swears that someday she’s going to learn how to play the guitar resting on the bookshelf in her office.
Website: www.anablaze.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnaBlazeLove
Twitter: @ana_blaze
Blog Tour: Excerpt & recipe from MJ O’Shea
Hi Everyone:) This is MJ O”Shea here! In my book A Little Bite of Magic (April 30th from LooseId Publishing) My main character Frankie is a witch who likes to season his food with a touch of magic…
In one of my favorite scenes he makes a custard for Addison who desperately needs a bit of magic to loosen up and learn to enjoy life a little more.
* * * *
I can’t. I shouldn’t be here. That much was obvious. Addison really hadn’t planned on doing anything. Really. He was just going to talk to the beautiful man in the wine bar, then go home and fantasize about what could’ve been. What could never have been, actually, since he wasn’t going to do anything about it. So why was he here, then, with said beautiful man in a deserted restaurant kitchen about to do what was definitely something?
Because I want to. More than anything I’ve ever wanted before.
Frankie was dancing around the kitchen, clearly in his element, taking out ingredients and cookware.
What are you making?”
He grinned, that sweet flashy smile that made Addison’s belly weak. I want to touch him again. It had been heaven simply holding hands. Who would’ve thought his routine day would end in such an amazing way? He had expected to have a glass of wine and walk himself home. Alone. Instead he was with a gorgeous chef in an old-restaurant kitchen that should’ve been creepy but was instead atmospheric and wonderful. Addison didn’t want to wake up from whatever dream he’d landed in. Telling the truth would result in a short ride back to reality.
It’s okay. Just for tonight. I don’t have to tell him who I am if I never see him again.
Frankie poured cream and cracked eggs into a glass bowl. He made the motions look graceful. Effortless. Even when he whisked it all with a big metal thing that looked like a torture device.
Are you going to tell me what you’re cooking?” Addison couldn’t believe he wanted to know so badly. Even though there was nothing really happening yet, he smelled magic on the breeze. Wait, there was a breeze? There was. It was subtle and warm and sweet but didn’t seem to have an origin. “Where’s that wind coming from?”
It’s a surprise, nosy, and what wind? The door is closed.” Frankie cocked his head to the side and listened. Addison didn’t feel anything.
Weird.
Frankie put the bowl of cream and eggs over a pot of water that he set to boil. Then he started splitting black stalks that looked like beans over the bowl and scraping out the tiny bits of seeds until they were swirling in the cream before dropping the pods in whole. The vanilla smell was instant and intense. He then added a cascade of sparkling sugar and began to stir with an old wooden spoon.
I get the vanilla from Madagascar and Tahiti. The flavor is gorgeous. It’s sexy and rich.”
Addison’s mouth watered. He wanted sexy and rich. He wanted to feel it on his tongue. Frankie sprinkled in a spoon of white powder.
What’s that?” Addison asked. He sat on a stool opposite Frankie’s cooktop. He couldn’t stop staring.
A bit of cornstarch. It helps everything to get nice and thick.”
Why does everything he say sound so damn hot?
Frankie kept stirring. He concentrated hard for a moment, eyes closed.
What are you doing now?” Addison had never seen anything like Frankie cooking.
Frankie grinned at him. “Just adding the magic touch. My relatives are…very French. I got some odd customs from my mother’s side of the family.”
Addison nodded. Ahh. Frankie poured a small measure of liquid into the warming mixture. It was amber-dark and rich and caught the light as it trickled from his measuring cup.
“Rum.” Frankie grinned wickedly. “Can you handle it?”
Addison’s head swam. The steam coming from the pot was enthralling, stirring his belly and settling in his chest. He felt warm and melty, like he could close his eyes and float. Frankie leaned his head over the bowl and inhaled. Addison wanted to lean closer too, to the bowl and to Frankie. He wanted to inhale and kiss and taste and…ohhh. How much wine had he had?
Needs some caramel, I think,” Frankie murmured. He took a jar from the ancient monster of a refrigerator, stirring and murmuring until the golden ribbon of gooey sugar was all gone, dissolved into the swirling creamy white.
Are you talking to the food?”
Frankie smiled. “I think all chefs do. Here, taste.” He took another spoon and dipped it into the warm mixture.
Addison leaned across the island before he could think and let the spoon slip into his mouth. The flavors melted across his tongue, filling him until he was tasting and inhaling and reaching out to cup Frankie’s jaw in his hand.
Good?” Frankie’s voice was a rough whisper.
Amazing.”
Here.” Another spoonful found its way into Addison’s mouth, even more intoxicating than the first. He savored the exotic flavor, licked the sweet warmth off the spoon. Frankie moaned.
What?” Addison asked. He felt even looser than he’d been at the wine bar, although he knew it was impossible from just that small taste of rum. His body was heating up and opening, and he wanted to touch.
Frankie sucked the rest of the custard from the spoon. “You,” he answered. “Do you have any idea how sexy you are?”
Can I have more?” Addison asked.
They shared another spoonful, then another, then a third. The haze got thicker in Addison’s head. Frankie slowly drifted his way around the island, the custard spoon in his hand. He wriggled his way in between Addison’s thighs. Then he dipped the spoon again and brought it to Addison’s lips.
I need to kiss him.
Addison licked rich rum-scented caramel cream from the spoon again, savoring his odd high, and leaned forward. Frankie’s hips nudged closer. Addison wanted to get closer still.
Can I…?” Frankie whispered.
Addison nodded. Yes. Please…
Their lips touched, just barely at first, and Addison inhaled Frankie’s sugar-scented breath. More. He had to taste. Addison’s fingers found their way behind Frankie’s neck; his tongue swiped along a lush lower lip. The taste, oh the taste, it crawled down his spine with sweetly stinging claws of pleasure. Addison shivered.
Then Frankie slipped his tongue out and tasted Addison’s lips, just like he’d been tasted. The moment was excruciating and perfect, sweet and a little wild.
“Is this okay?” Frankie asked.
“God, yes,” Addison breathed. He barely recognized his own voice.
“Good, ’cause I need more.” Frankie lifted his arm and threaded a long-fingered hand through Addison’s hair. He pulled him close until their mouths collided in a kiss so intense, Addison wondered if he’d be able to breathe once it was over. Frankie moaned against his mouth, or maybe it was Addison who moaned. It didn’t matter. The result was pleasure. Hotter and sweeter than any he’d ever thought possible. He tasted dessert and something more that he knew had to be Frankie—warm, rich, and sexy as hell. He heard the distant clang of a spoon on flagstones, but it barely registered. The only thing he was aware of was the swirling, consuming, gorgeous flavor that bloomed between them, and the heavy sexual haze that he couldn’t surface from. He didn’t want to surface anyway. Ever. Frankie pressed closer. Addison couldn’t drag him close enough.
I want to keep kissing you all night,” Frankie murmured, his voice breathless.
Yes,” Addison answered. “All night.”
And just like he’d always hoped, the rest of the world disappeared.
* * * *
Here’s a recipe for Dulce de Leche. In my story, Frankie doctors his up a bit with rum and caramel. That’s one of my favorite things to do: take a basic recipe and make it my own.
Basic Dulce de Leche
Ingredients
1 quart whole milk
12 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions
Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.
Thanks for having me:) And I’m always looking for great magical recipes, new and old. You can get in contact with me at any of the places below:
Website: http://mjoshea.com/
Blog with Piper http://mjandpiper.blogspot.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/MjOsheaSeattle
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/mj.oshea.5
Mj
In a family full of powerful witches, Frankie Vallerand is the black sheep. He doesn’t care about honing his magic. All he wants is to open up a restaurant and spend his days serving up delicious food. But when he sees a customer crying and wishes for her to be happy, he inadvertently transforms his old wooden soup spoon into a wand, and realizes that maybe a little bit of kitchen magic is just what his customers need.
Addison Allbright is The Phantom Foodie, an anonymous food critic notorious for his scathing reviews. For most people, being paid to eat would be a dream job. Not for Addison. He doesn’t care for overpriced designer food. He’s a tea and toast kind of guy. Until both the food and the owner of L’Osteria Di Pomodoro sweep him off his feet and throw his neat, orderly life completely off-kilter.
Frankie isn’t sure how to tell Addison he’s a witch, or that he charmed Addison’s food the night they first met, without sounding totally crazy. But little does he know that Addison has secrets too. Not only did he snark Frankie’s restaurant in his last review column, he’s also engaged to be married…to a woman.
Coming Soon from LooseId:)
http://www.loose-id.com/newest/coming-soon/a-little-bite-of-magic.html
Excerpt: Endless Heart by Emma Lang
The lovely Emma Lang (who is also known as Beth Williamson) has provided MKR an excerpt of her book Endless Heart, which was released on April 2 by Samhain Publishing.
She’s learning to live. He’s forgotten how. Love will be their teacher.
Lettie Brown has lived in the shadow of violence. After escaping her brutal past, she’s finally at home in Forestville, Wyoming, where she would live a normal life—if she knew how. She’s content working at The Blue Plate and printing the town newspaper, if not happy. Then a stranger stumbles into her world and turns everything upside down.
Shane Murphy is a shell of a man, destroyed by the aftermath of the war, his personal tragedies and a penchant for cheap whiskey. When he lands, literally, on Lettie’s feet, his future takes a hard right turn.
As they fumble through a relationship that should not have been, a deep love takes root, one that cannot be denied. Together they discover a bond as unbreakable as steel and as undeniable as life itself—until the past rears its ugly head and threatens the happiness they’ve found in each other.
Heart Series Book 3
Samhain Publishing
April, 2013
ISBN-13: 9781619210561
ISBN-10: 1619210568
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The wagon was ready and waiting outside the restaurant. The rig and the horses had been rented from the livery in town, costing the Gundersons money. Yet she knew others in town had contributed some, asking for supplies of their own. Lettie had a hefty list of goods to purchase, and she hoped the store in Benson had everything she needed.
Without waiting for assistance, she climbed into the wagon and settled onto the seat. The wood creaked and popped as Shane hoisted himself up beside her. He didn’t say a thing, but his thigh settled inches from hers. Feeling petty but unable to help herself, she pulled her skirt closer so it didn’t touch him.
What was wrong with her? He was a seemingly good man, who for some unknown reason found her attractive, and she pushed him away. It wasn’t logical, and she could hardly explain it to herself. Here they sat, uncomfortable and out of sorts, barely speaking. It seemed like a lifetime ago she’d bathed his body and they’d kissed. In the days since then, she had dreamed of making love with him.
A twister roared through her, tying her up into tight little knots she couldn’t possibly undo. Sitting there was as uncomfortable as she’d expected, even more so. She counted each clop of the horses’ hooves as each second ticked by. It helped pass the time and gave her something to do besides be silent and awkward.
By the time she reached two thousand four hundred and thirty, she was gritting her teeth. She could swear Shane was deliberately inching closer to her. The metal handle on the seat was currently digging into her hip.
At six thousand two hundred and fifty, she gave up counting entirely. Her hip was throbbing, she had to pee and she had swallowed a bug. It was time to stop and rest for a few minutes.
“Stop the wagon.”
“Huh?” He turned to her, as though he had been daydreaming about anything but sitting beside her on a wagon.
“Stop. The. Wagon. I need to, ah, use the necessary.” Lettie refused to say please. That was not in her vocabulary anymore when she spoke to men, any man.
“Oh, sure thing. I could stretch my legs too after the last couple hours.”
“A couple hours? It’s only been a couple hours?” She punched him in the arm.
“Ow.” He pulled the wagon to a stop in a grassy area and set the brake. As he rubbed the spot where she’d punched him, he scowled at her from under the brim of his borrowed flat-brimmed brown hat. “Why did you hit me?”
Lettie stared, horrified by the fact she had punched him. The man had been beaten nearly to death, and she knew very well how much fists hurt, far longer than the bruises lasted. Yet she had deliberately hit him.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. When he opened his mouth to respond, she turned and leapt off the wagon. She landed hard on her right ankle, which then throbbed as she tottered off to the nearby bushes to relieve herself.
Lettie was never this out of sorts. She felt itchy, as though she could jump out of her skin any minute. As she found a suitable bush, she pulled up her skirt and did what she needed to. She never forgot for a second that Shane was close enough to hear her urinate. It was another strange thing about a strange day.
By the time she cleaned herself up and straightened her clothes, she had calmed down sufficiently to return to the wagon. Her swollen ankle complained with each step, and her boot was too tight. The day kept getting worse.
Shane leaned against the side of the wagon, his feet crossed at the ankle, a stalk of grass stuck between his teeth. He watched her approach, his face hidden by the shade of his hat so she couldn’t see his eyes. She didn’t like that one bit.
“What’s wrong with your foot?”
“Nothing. I twisted it a bit is all.” She went around the back of the wagon and reached into the basket for a bite to eat. With her stomach jumping like a passel of frogs, she didn’t need to get sick from having no food.
“Is there enough in there for me?”
“No.”
“You sure are being ornery, Lettie.” Shane wasn’t accusatory, but he was annoying.
“Then you know the real me.” She found a ham biscuit and turned her back to him. No need to flaunt the food at him—she wasn’t that mean. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to look at him. Or at least that was what she told herself.
“No, but I’m waiting to meet her.” Shane’s response made her pause in mid-motion.
She swung around and speared him with a glare. “What do you mean by that?”
He shrugged. “Just that. You don’t let anyone see you, Lettie.”
His words hit her square between the eyes. It was the truth, of course, but painful nonetheless. She managed not to spit out the bite in her mouth that had turned to ash on her tongue. Lettie swallowed what she could to save herself from looking foolish. Her hands shook with anger.
A little voice deep inside told her it was fear.
“That’s none of your business, Mr. Murphy. You don’t mean anything to me.”
“I know that.”
“You are a drunk, a stranger who puked on my shoes and nothing more.”
“I know that.”
She was within a foot of him, her sharp words whipping through the air like knives. He didn’t flinch or move as she beat him with her verbal fury. Her chest heaved as she struggled for breath, overwhelmed and out of control.
“You are here out of pity. Marta and Pieter felt sorry for you. You aren’t part of our family and you never will be.” Her mouth fairly burned with the viciousness of her attack.
“I know that.”
“Stop saying that.” She thumped one fist on his chest, then the other. Soon she was punching him for all she was worth. Her throat burned, her eyes shed angry tears and she let loose a torrent of sobs that sounded more like a wounded animal than a woman.
Lettie lost all sense of time and self. She tumbled down into a dark, deep hole and huddled there. Strong arms surrounded her, keeping her from sinking any further. Soft crooning echoed in her ear while warm hands rubbed her back.
She couldn’t tell how much time had passed before she realized she was curled into a ball on someone’s lap. A male lap. Her arms and legs were stiff, her face hot and wet. She shifted, flush with embarrassment over her attack on him and her subsequent fit. Angeline was the only one who knew about them. Until now.
His arm tightened around her shoulders. “Sit.”
“I can’t sit on your lap, Shane.” She got to her feet, her legs trembling. When she took a step, she lost her balance and fell. He caught her in midair, his arm pushing the breath out of her lungs.
“I reckon you’ll sit now.” He flipped her around, and she found herself right back in his lap.
She should have gotten up, should have told him to let her go, but she didn’t. The sad truth was, he was comfortable, he smelled good and she didn’t want to move. Normally after losing control like that, she felt sick the rest of the day. Shane’s presence must have kept that sickness at bay because her stomach wasn’t hurting in the least.
“I, uh, I’m sorry about what I did.” The apology was like sawdust in her mouth, dry and tasteless.
“You don’t need to apologize.” His voice was honey smooth in her ear.
“Yes I do. I didn’t mean to. I’ve been having fits for a while. I can’t rightly control it.” Her cheeks burned as she admitted there was something very wrong with her.
“I get that way too with whiskey,” he admitted. “I have days, hell weeks, I don’t remember.”
She knew whiskey could make a man stupid but didn’t know it could snatch days from his memory. Another reason not to drink a drop of it. She wondered if Shane would fall back into the bottle again or if he could resist the lure of its amber depths. Lettie didn’t have a choice when it involved her black periods, but maybe he didn’t either.
The sounds of life surrounded them, birds sang, squirrels chattered and bees buzzed. The sun shone brightly on the meadow while Shane and Lettie sat in the shadow of the wagon. It seemed only they knew how dark life could be.
Blog Tour – Guest Post, excerpt, & contest by Loucinda McGary
Thank you so much for having me as a guest on MamaKitty Reviews today and for giving me a chance to talk about my newest release, His Reluctant Bodyguard which is the second book in my Adventure Cruise Line series. A romantic suspense novel set partially on a cruise ship and partially on a tropical Caribbean Island, His Reluctant Bodyguard can be read as a stand-alone or along with my first Adventure Cruise Line book, High Seas Deception.
Cruising is my absolute favorite mode of travel! There are mountains of delicious food and dozens of helpful people who can’t wait to serve, clean-up after, and entertain you, not to mention those exciting ports-of-call. What’s not to love?
So when I sat down to write my very first series, I decided to set it on a fictional cruise line. After sailing on 20+ cruises on multiple real-life lines to many exotic locations, I felt like readers would enjoy a little escape of their own. Also, since I’ve been on quite a few cruise ships and talked to lots of different cruise employees from officers and entertainers down to the guys who wash the windows, I thought it would be fun to add a few details about cruise life that readers might not know.
For example, did you know that in many foreign ports, a harbor pilot must steer the ship in and out of port? And did you know that said pilot must leap from a small vessel onto the moving ship? After witnessing that amazing feat a few times, I decided it would be an exciting opening for my newest release, His Reluctant Bodyguard. So here is the opening scene where my hero, Rip Pollendene must jump onto the moving cruise ship Valiant:
“Tell me again how we’re getting from this itty bitty boat into that — that behemoth?” he asked Williams.
“Wow, a jock who uses big words.” The agent mocked with the patronizing attitude he’d displayed most of the evening.
“In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s a big ship,” Rip retorted, but bit back anything personal he might have added. No point sinking to Williams’ level. “And we’re supposed to jump from the deck through a doorway they open? Please tell me we’ll all be standing still when it happens.”
“They can’t exactly stop those big boys on a dime.” Even in the darkness, Rip could see Williams rolling his eyes with derision. “Besides, Adventure Cruise Lines is doing a lot to accommodate us, so no. We won’t be standing still.” He gestured at their skipper and mate. “These guys know what they’re doing. Don’t be scared of falling in.”
Rip started to ask if he looked scared, but thought better of it. The fund-raiser he’d attended had been a formal event. He’d taken off his tuxedo jacket, shirt, and bow tie and put on the hoodie, but he still wore his dress shoes and slacks. He might not look scared but he was relatively certain he looked pretty damn ridiculous.
“Fine,” he muttered, wishing for the jeans and sneakers Williams had changed into from his own piece of luggage.
At least he wouldn’t have too much more time to worry about leaping from one moving watercraft to another, for Valiant loomed up on their left side pretty much filling his field of vision. They hit the wake of the big ship and their much smaller vessel bounced and banged across the waves before they turned to pull parallel with Valiant. As they skimmed alongside, Rip heard their skipper cut back the engine and felt their speed decrease. He supposed he should be grateful that Valiant was moving a lot slower than they had been, but the dark water still seemed to be moving too fast for him to feel much comfort.
While he tried to count the number of stories on the cruise liner, Williams disappeared into the cabin for a moment and re-emerged with their duffle bags. Rip took out his wallet and shoved it into his almost empty bag. Just in case the worse happened and he did fall into the water, his money and ID wouldn’t get wet. He ignored Williams’ contemptuous snort.
Their boat slowed further, and the mate brushed past him and Williams to climb out onto the front deck. Two wide double doors gaped open on Valiant’s side about five or six feet above the water line. Rip saw several blue-clad crewman milling inside the ship.
“Hand me your bags,” the mate shouted as the skipper adjusted their speed to match the big ship.
Rip passed his over, noting how easily the man balanced on the slick, moving deck.
“Heads up!” The mate shouted and when two crewmen moved to either side of the door, he easily tossed Rip’s duffel through the opening into one man’s waiting arms. Williams’ bag was obviously much heavier, for the mate had to grip it with both hands before he slung it across.
Ah shit, here we go! Rip’s mouth went dry with the realization that he really had to do this.
“Want me to go first and show you how it’s done?” Williams asked, but Rip shouldered him aside.
“No, I’ll go first.” He wiped his sweaty palms on his pant legs and climbed up next to the mate.
He could feel every movement of the boat, and as he’d suspected, just standing on the front deck was harder than it looked.
The wiry mate gripped his shoulder to help him maintain his balance. “Piece o’ cake,” the man encouraged. “Those guys will catch you same as they did the bags.”
Rip refrained from mentioning that at six four and two thirty, he was considerably bigger than any piece of luggage. Instead, he clenched his jaw, focused on the open doorway bobbing a few feet away, and leaped.
The second in mid-air seemed to stretch an eternity — like all those times on the field when he’d reached out to catch the football and it seemed to hang just beyond his grasp. But that long moment of free-fall ended with his feet hitting the floor of the ship in mid-stride.
Trust me, things get even more complicated for poor Rip as the story progresses. He’s being sent to the island of Benezet, which he left as a child, to intervene in a civil war. As if that weren’t trouble enough, the first person he encounters on the cruise ship is Avery Knox, the “girl who got away.” Golden girl Avery turned down Rip’s advances ten years ago, but he never forgot her. Now Fate seems to have thrown them together at the worst possible time, for someone wants Rip dead.
I hope you enjoy reading about Rip and Avery’s adventures in His Reluctant Bodyguard, and that you enjoy a few peeks into life onboard a cruise ship!
I’m giving away a free download (Kindle or Nook, winner’s choice) of His Reluctant Bodyguard to one commenter today. Plus, everyone who comments is entered into a drawing for a $20 gift card at the end of my blog tour (Dec. 5th).
Happy reading and happy cruising, everyone!
The last person cruise director Avery Knox expected to see aboard her very first trip out on Valiant is former college football star, Rip Pollendene. A decade ago, she had turned down his advances at the University of Miami and lived to regret her decision. Why is she so reluctant to take the second chance she’s been handed?
Rip Pollendene is the heir apparent to a beautiful island nation. But it’s a heritage Rip has ignored and rejected for twenty years. Now his homeland is on the brink of a bloody civil war with outside forces trying to manipulate the outcome. Is that why someone wants him dead?
How much should Rip sacrifice for a country he hardly knows? And is it sheer coincidence that has thrown golden girl Avery Knox back into his life? Can they stay alive long enough to find out if their love really is meant to be?
Buy Links:
Amazon http://tinyurl.com/aqnzga6
Barnes & Noble http://tinyurl.com/ak3k2f7
About Loucinda (Cindy) McGary
Blessed with the gift of “Irish Blarney” Loucinda McGary (everyone calls her Cindy) became a storyteller shortly after she learned to read. If she didn’t like the way a story ended, she made up her own ending.
A long-time reader of romances, Cindy discovered and joined Romance Writers of America in 2001. But her stressful career as the manager of a multi-million dollar State and Federally funded program prevented her from doing much writing or traveling. She still managed to squeeze in a little of both, but not enough of either to be truly satisfying. Finally, at the end of 2003 she decided to take an early retirement from her career to fully pursue her twin passions of travel and writing.
On Sept. 14, 2007 Cindy received “the call” from an editor that changed her life, and she sold her first book (actually the third book she’d written since she left her job four years earlier). The Wild Sight was released Oct. 2008 and received a rare and coveted starred review from Publishers Weekly magazine. It also went on to win the “Best First Book” category in the More Than Magic contest. In 2010, the electronic version of Wild Sight became an Amazon bestseller in their Top 100 of all books.
In Sept. 2009, her second published novel, The Treasures of Venice was released. This story previously finaled in the prestigious Golden Heart contest in 2006 under the title Jewels of the Madonna. Treasures of Venice went on to win the Judge a Book By Its Cover contest and to final in several other regional contests.
In July 2010 her third traditionally published novel, The Wild Irish Sea was released, and received a four star review from Romantic Times Book Review magazine.
Cindy likes to set her novels of romance and suspense in some of the fascinating places she has visited. To date, she has visited 47 states and 32 foreign countries.
Blog Tour Guest post, excerpt, & CONTEST with Brien Michaels
Today, the fabulously talented Brien Michaels is taking over MKR. I’ve given him the reins today so that I can read a book clean the house and do homework. (We all know what I’m really doing, don’t we? *wink*) So, I’ll leave you in the capable hands of Brien. Do take care of my readers, dear. I rather like them.
-MK
Mamakitty! *Tackle hugs* Thanks so much for having me on, hon! You are seriously the sweetest thing ever!
*Composes self* Ok, so now that that’s out of the way. I want to thank everyone for coming by. I’d give you all chocolate for coming to play with me, but I don’t think I’d be able to afford all the shipping fees. Lol. Now, today is a very special day for me. Not only is it the release of my very first book with Loose Id, it’s also the first stop of my blog tour for said book! *Confetti cannon*
The book is called As Long As You’re Mine, and it’s the first book in my Sexy College Studs series. I know, I know. Everyone is writing about college guys these days (one particular series of note is Daisy Harris’ Holsum College books. They’re ah-maz-ing!), so what makes mine different? Well for one, Sexy College Studs doesn’t refer to my heroes so much as the phone sex line one of my heroes works for. Yes. That’s right. Phone sex. It happens more than any of us realize, but you never really see anybody write about it except in passing. Not this time.
Why phone sex, you ask? Because I wanted something different. Something outside of the normal (note: I do not mean boring by that) sex you see in erotic romance. The characters meet, hook up a few times, fall in love, the end. But I started to think…what if it wasn’t that simple?
Wade, my jock hero, has suspected for a long time that he might be into guys, but he’s never had the balls to try it out, or the friends he could fool around with without being ostracized. So when he calls up Sexy College Studs and finds himself talking to Zac, who just happens to be the acting classmate he’s been crushing on all semester, things really get moving.
The two of them phone a couple times before they ever actually hook-up in person, and I think that’s better. Because phone sex, if you think about it, is a lot like reading a book. The words may be there, but when it boils right down to it, it’s all about your imagination. How far can you stretch it? How far beyond your comfort zone are you willing to go for that all-important satisfaction?
Here’s the blurb:
Who isn’t a little bi-curious in college?
Wade Criss has always known there was something a little…off about him, but he hasn’t been able to admit it until now. He wants to sleep with another man. But not just any man. He wants his geeky, sexy acting classmate Zac.
Zac has been watching Wade all semester, waiting for the moment the other man would renounce his straight boy ways and fall into his bed. But when the two of them are paired together for their final exam, Zac isn’t sure how to react. What if Wade finds out his secret?
Zac is an Adult Phone Entertainer, and it’s that knowledge that turns Wade on more than anything. After all, there’s nothing hotter than the anonymity of phone sex. But it doesn’t matter how hot the sex is; everything always gets more complicated once feelings get involved. And Zac and Wade’s relationship is far from the exception
Appetite whet yet? Want an excerpt?
He was just about to shut down when his phone rang. He froze, heart hammering. For a few seconds, he considered not answering it, but curiosity got the better of him, and he reached for the device with trembling fingers.
“Hello?”
“Hi.”
Wade’s heart nearly exploded. Holy shit, it was Zac; even from that one syllable, there was no mistaking it. What should he do? What should he say?
He must have been quiet for too long, because Zac said, “Hello?”
“Sorry,” Wade said, wiping sweat from his brow. “This is kinda my first time, you know?”
A soft chuckle met his ears. “Well, what are you into?”
Wade shrugged, then realized he was in the room alone. “I don’t know. I’m not even really sure I’m gay. I just have these…feelings.”
“Feelings like what?”
For a moment, he found himself wondering why he was telling this to a semistranger, but then remembered who this semistranger was and decided to have some fun. “I think I’ve been attracted to guys for a while, but it’s gotten worse lately. I have this classmate, and he’s really hot.”
“Really? Hot how?”
“I dunno. He’s kind of nerdy, but it’s cute. And I keep wondering what he looks like without his shirt on. I bet his body is incredible.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because my best friend is a total nerd. He feels like he has to make up for not being athletic like other guys, so he works out all the time.”
“Hmm…” Zac was silent, as though trying to decide where to take the conversation next. “Did you ever do anything with this friend?”
“No. I got close once, but I chickened out.”
“What happened?”
Wade smiled as he remembered. “It was after graduation, and we’d both gotten really drunk in my basement. I don’t even remember how it came up, but I talked him into having a dick-measuring contest.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. We both whipped them out, and he was hard as a fucking brick as soon as he pulled his pants down. I tried not to look at it, but I think he noticed me staring. I managed to get it up, and we stood there, crotch to crotch.”
“What happened then?” Zac sounded like he was into the story, and somehow that knowledge turned Wade on even more.
He closed his computer and set it down on the floor next to the bed. “I just remember thinking how bad I wanted him to blow me. And I think I was trying to give him signals that I wanted him to without saying it, ’cause I kept licking my lips and staring at his. But my head was getting foggier, and the more I looked at his lips, the more I wanted to kiss him. So I started to lean in, little by little.”
“Go on,” Zac whispered.
Wade pulled the covers off and palmed his dick through his boxers, the memory combined with Zac’s interest making him so hard he ached. “We were almost there, but then his dick brushed against my leg and I freaked out. I ran in the bathroom and hid in there for about an hour.”
“Was he still there when you came out?
“Yeah. He was sitting on the couch, watching TV like nothing had happened. We never talked about it again.”
“Do you wish you hadn’t run?”
“Sometimes. Just so I could know what it’s like.”
“And if you had the chance…what would you do with this classmate of yours?”
Wade pondered that. So many things he wanted to try, but he didn’t know where to start. “I think I’d start by kissing him.”
“Hmm… How is it?”
Closing his eyes, Wade tried to imagine what it might be like to kiss another guy for the first time. “His lips are soft. And he knows it’s my first time, so he kisses me really slow.”
“Is there tongue?”
“Not at first, but when I try to slide my tongue in his mouth, he doesn’t stop me.”
“What then?”
“I pull his shirt off and kiss my way down his body.”
“And how does that feel?”
Wade’s control was slipping, his mind and body quickly becoming lost to the fantasy. “It feels weird, but then he starts moaning and playing in my hair, and I can’t stop. The sounds he’s making are turning me on.”
“Do they sound like this?” Zac moaned softly.
A tremor rocked Wade’s body, and he chewed his bottom lip. He didn’t want to touch himself and shoot his load too soon; if this would be his only opportunity, he had to make it last. “Yeah,” he said, a little breathless. “They sound exactly like that.”
“Do you want him to stop?”
“No. Never.”
“So what do you do to make him keep moaning?”
“I take off his pants. Kiss my way down his thighs.” He was rewarded with another moan.
“You said he knows it’s your first time?”
“Yeah.”
“So do you think he’d make you suck him off?”
“He wouldn’t make me, no.”
“But would you want to?”
“If it would make him make that sound again.”
“What if it sounded like this?” This moan was louder, more desperate, as if Zac had never felt anything so amazing in his life.
Wade’s dick throbbed, and he used his free hand to shove his underwear down around his knees. “If it sounded like that, I’d do anything he wanted me to.”
Thanks so much for coming to play with me, everyone! Leave a comment for a chance to win a $25 Amazon GC at the conclusion of the tour. Also, there’s a free copy of As Long As You’re Mine up for grabs for one random commenter on this post. But if you’d like to buy it (and I promise I’ll love you forever if you do), the book can be found right this minute on http://www.loose-id.com (or you can click on the book cover above to be taken directly to the “buy” page).
Brien Michaels was born at an early age. In the time that he is not writing, he enjoys reading, eating, and terrorizing young wood nymphs. After an altercation with a person in a mask, he fled to the hills and now lives in seclusion with the voices in his head. He currently writes dark fiction, erotic fiction, and dark erotic fiction for the creatures that have moved in under his bed.
- Brienmichaels.com
- Brienmichaels.blogspot.com
- Twitter.com/brienmichaels
- Goodreads.com/brienmichaels
- Facebook.com/brienmichaels
#AADSAV spotlight: Excerpt from “The Good Fight” by Andrew Grey
Jerry Lincoln has a problem: his Sioux Falls IT consulting business has more work than one man can handle. Luckily, that means he can hire some help. Jerry just hopes his new employee, John Black Raven, ends up being more helpful than distracting—but John’s deep eyes and long hair are very distracting.
John came to town for an education and a chance at a life he couldn’t have on the reservation, but what’s important to him now is getting a job and keeping it. Six months ago, his sister died, and now her children are in foster care. Despite having the law on his side, John can’t get custody—can’t even see his niece and nephew.
As Jerry and John grow closer, John discovers he doesn’t have to struggle alone. Jerry helps him win visitation rights and provides much-needed support. Yet their victories aren’t without setbacks. Child Services is tangled up with money, politics, and red tape, and Native American children are their bread and butter. But John and Jerry are determined to fight the good fight and to win—in more ways than one.
- Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (September 2, 2012)
- Language: English
- ASIN: B0095HIWNQ
- Purchase links:
- Dreamspinner
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
“Yes. He’s shutting down his computer,” John said, and I was about to get up when I heard what sounded like sniffles. Cracking my eyes open, I saw a kid in shorts and a T-shirt shuffling down the sidewalk, looking all around, sniffing.
“Mama,” he called, and I watched as he continued walking closer to the house. “Mama,” he called again. The sniffles got louder, and as he came closer I could see tears running down his cheeks. I stood up, walked down the steps, and went slowly out toward the sidewalk, where I knelt down in front of him as I heard thunder sound in the distance. I saw him jump. “Mama!” he yelled, and I touched his arm to calm him.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him, looking into huge dark eyes and a dark, round face framed by jet-black hair. I heard the door of one of the neighbors’ houses snap closed.
“That’s one of them injun kids. Just leave him alone.” I turned and glared at old Mr. Hooper, anger boiling inside me. He’d been a grouch and a certified pain in the ass for as long as I could remember, but this was the first time in my life that I contemplated hitting the old bastard. Instead I ignored him.
“Are you lost?” I asked him, and the kid sniffled and nodded. “What’s your name?”
“Keyan,” he answered, and I looked at John and then back at the boy.
“It’s going to be all right. I’m Jerry and this is—” I was about to say “John” when he interrupted me.
“Akecheta,” John said, and the boy sniffed once, and his eyes widened as if he were seeing John for the first time. Thunder sounded again, and the breeze, which had been blowing softly, picked up, whistling through the trees and around the house.
“Why don’t you sit with us on the porch,” I told Keyan. “Your mother is probably trying to find you.” I figured she was probably looking frantically, and Keyan’s wandering wasn’t helping. If she didn’t show up soon, I’d call the police. He nodded as lightning flashed, followed by more thunder. Keyan jumped and squeaked before hurrying up onto the porch. He stood near one of the front railings looking up and down the street, eyes scanning for his mother. Bryce came out, and I saw him and John talking before both of them sat down.
“You two can head home. I’ll take care of things,” I told them. Bryce peered toward the west, and I knew he was wondering whether he was going to get home before the storm hit. “Go on, Bryce. We’ll review things in the morning.” He nodded and said good night to both of us before hurrying to the driveway and into his car.
The first drops of rain hit the sidewalk as Bryce’s taillights faded from view. The wind picked up, and I gently moved Keyan further back on the porch as the sky opened up. “I’d better call the police,” I told John, and he placed his hand on my arm to stop me from going inside, shaking his head.
“Don’t,” John said. “She’ll be here soon.”
I was beginning to have doubts about that, but agreed to wait a few more minutes. As I was digging into my pocket for the phone, I heard a cry from the street, and the boy raced toward the edge of the porch. John stopped him, and a few seconds later a woman had the boy in her arms. He was crying, and she looked soaked to the skin as she rocked her son back and forth. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” she scolded nervously before crushing him into a hug once more.
The rain came down harder, pounding the ground and pavement. “Please have a seat until the rain stops,” I told her, and she nodded, sitting on one of the wooden chairs with her son close by.
“He wandered off and I’ve been looking for him all over,” she explained, and I wanted to ask what had happened, but like any mother, she just seemed relieved to have found him. I turned to John and then went inside and returned with a towel that I handed to her. She dried her face and hands before handing the towel back.
“Thank you for the towel, and for helping Keyan,” she said, and I took a minute to really look at her. She was a striking woman with pronounced cheekbones and huge eyes, with black hair pulled back into braids that hung down her back. She could have been a movie star, she was so striking.
“You’re welcome. We found him fifteen minutes ago, and he’d just had a bit of a fright,” I said, and she smiled, staring out into the rain. We didn’t talk much, and when the rain let up, she lifted Keyan into her arms, and after saying thank you once again, she hurried off down the street.
“That was a nice thing you did. Thank you,” John told me, and I turned to look at him, confused. “You helped her.” John looked toward the neighboring porch where old man Hooper looked back at us. “Too many people are like him.” John inclined his head, and I felt my righteous indignation rising.
“Dumb old fuck,” I muttered. I usually don’t swear, but I couldn’t stop it this time. “John, do you mind if I ask a few questions? I don’t mean anything by them, but they may not sound politically correct.”
“You may ask anything,” John said a bit warily. The rain picked up a bit, and the sky darkened once more. It was early evening, but it seemed later in the darkness.
“Is everyone from your tribe beautiful?” I realized how that sounded and shook my head. “Not that I’ve met many Native Americans, but the lady, her son… you.” I knew I sounded like an idiot and wished I’d simply kept my mouth shut.
“You think I’m beautiful?” John asked, and I saw him move closer, a smile on his face, as I nodded. My heart beat a staccato rhythm in my chest, and John’s rich scent mixed with the fresh smell of the rain. John moved still closer. “I think you’re very handsome,” John told me, our gazes meeting. I could have lost myself in the soul-deep eyes that stared back at me.
I shook my head slowly. “I’m pale and scrawny,” I whispered, not wanting to break the spell his eyes held me under. “You’re dark and strong.” I wanted to touch and find out if his cheek was as soft and smooth as it looked and if his lips tasted as rich and earthy as the scent on his breath and the muskiness that flowed off him like the rainwater. I could feel my body being pulled toward him, my fantasies and longing overriding my brain. John drew closer, and I knew I shouldn’t be doing this, but I wanted to kiss him more than anything.
“Did that injun kid find its mother?”
I backed away from John with a stifled groan and glared across at the other front porch. I could feel John tense next to me, like he was getting ready to launch himself at my neighbor. “You know, Mr. Hooper,” I began calmly, “it’s better to remain quiet and appear stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!” By the end, my words snapped out of my mouth, and I think the old fart got the message, because he stood up, shaking, his eyes trying to burn a hole through me. With a grunt, he pulled open his front door and went inside, the screen slapping closed behind him. When I turned back to John, I caught a glimpse of a shocked look that quickly morphed into a smile.
Blind Destiny by Shiloh Walker – blurb and contest (link)
**Please note…the above image is not the final. The final pendant has Grimm’s Circle engraved on the back side. The image above features both the front and back side (flat side) of the pendant.
Ways to win…
- Leave a comment on Shiloh’s page
- Post the above button on your blog (you can use the code found on Shiloh’s blog)
- Post the cover for BLIND DESTINY to your blog (also found on Shiloh’s blog)
- Tweet about the contest
- Add Blind Destiny to your Goodreads shelves (link)
- If you are a reviewer who has reviewed it, that gets you a free entry (requirements for this are noted in the rafflecopter entry on Shiloh’s blog)
Heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s back to hell she goes…
Grimm’s Circle, Book 7
Myrsina knows the stories. As one of the oldest of the Grimm, she had a hand in writing most of them, but only she knows the dark origin of the Seven Bloody Sisters. It springs from the place of her birth—and her death. A place of pain and misery to which she plans to never return. Unless forced.
When Luc appears on her doorstep, her heart twists with suppressed longing for the man who can never be hers. The only man who can make her do the impossible—go home.
Luc may be blind, but through their unique, bittersweet connection, even he can see that the task laid before them is ripping Sina’s soul apart. This time it isn’t as simple as fighting a demon that has escaped from the netherplains.
Sina must go back in time—to that cursed ground—and right a wrong that she unknowingly brought about. To write a new ending to a story that may give them both a chance at happily ever after. Assuming they survive.
- Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (October 16, 2012)
- ASIN: B009AZ88VY
Excerpt
As he was stripping out of his clothes, Luc wondered if maybe Will was right.
As much as he hated to consider that idea—it was a matter of principle, really—he had to consider it, because either he was losing his mind, or he’d felt something very, very much like his own hunger just a few minutes ago.
The problem wasn’t her hunger, though.
And he knew it.
Broodingly, he made his way over to the shower, swearing when he accidentally bumped into the wall. If he’d been here a few more days, it wouldn’t have happened. Or maybe it would have. Buildings weren’t like living creatures and they didn’t give off the vibes he used to paint a mental picture, but he could acclimate after a few days and rarely bumped into anything anymore.
Just another thing to sour his already black mood, although it was nothing compared to what really had him troubled.
And it wasn’t even Sina.
She had him pissed, she had him horny, and if he was around her too long, he suspected she’d leave him hurting.
The bigger problem was what was going on out there in the village, a problem he couldn’t untangle.
Need to clear my mind, he thought as he turned on the shower, adjusting the spray until it came down in a hot, pulsating blast. This was another one of the pleasures of modern life. Showers. Hot, long showers. He loved them. Plain and simple, loved them.
If the water would hold out, he could just stand in there long enough to clear his mind.
That would be ideal.
Blanking his mind, he braced his hands on the tile wall and dipped his head, letting the water pound on his neck and back, groaning in pleasure.
Need to—
A tingle danced along his flesh. Buzzed through his mind.
Familiar.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
Water dripped off his cheeks, nose and chin, but he didn’t move as he tried to remember the placement, everything in the bathroom. The hotel was worn and rundown, but clean. Nicer than he’d expected, really, considering how the outside had looked.
Somebody had done some updates on recently and they tried to cater to younger couples.
There were mirrors all over the fucking bathroom.
Mirrors.
And as he stood there, the tingling on his flesh grew more intense and in the very back of his mind, he felt a warmth.
Sina used mirrors. The way he used Krell’s eyes, although her ability wasn’t anywhere as keen as his. Whether it was the inanimate object, whether it was because she didn’t practice as much as he did, or what.
Watching me, Snow White?
The idea might have unsettled him at some other time.
But just then, he was feeling just a little mean. Shoving away from the wall, he eased back, bracing himself against the tile. As the water continued to pour down around him, he rested a hand down his belly…
Amazon | BN | Samhain | iBookstore
#AAD spotlight excerpt: Virna de Paul – Shades of Temptation
Carrie Ward understands dangerous men, and she’s got the scars to prove it. These days, the Special Investigations Group detective saves her risk taking for the job. But when she’s asked to pursue a high-profile serial killer, she’ll have to join forces with the last man she wants to depend on—Jase Tyler, an ace senior detective who’s as reckless as she is cautious. And despite her best intentions, the sparks begin to fly.
As Carrie and Jase race to try to save the next victim, the passion that simmers between them ignites. But a cunning killer at the top of his game is challenging carrie to play to the very end. Now all she can count on are her instincts—and Jase, the one man daring enough to keep her safe?.
- Publisher: Harlequin HQN (September 18, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0373776748
- ISBN-13: 978-0373776740
- Available for preorder: Amazon // Barnes & Noble
She pushed a wayward strand of hair back over one ear and licked her lips. “Careful, Tyler. Your date might not like it if you stand so close to me. I mean, not that she’d view me as a threat or anything, but you know how silly most women can be.”
Jase’s fingers flexed. Absently, she noted he’d removed them from his pockets. He had big hands. Long, elegant fingers that belonged on some kind of artist rather than a cop. He had big feet, too. Although he had more than his fair share of height, he lacked the sheer bulk of some of their teammates, especially Liam “Mac” McKenzie and Simon Granger. And while he was handsome, Jase was more pretty boy than ruthless masculinity. It often made people underestimate him, shocking them when he transformed from dazzling charmer to dangerous bad ass right in front of their eyes. Sometimes even Carrie forgot how ruthless he could be. When that happened, he’d inevitably remind her by apprehending a dangerous suspect or responding to one of her snarky comments with a scathing retort. Tensing, she waited for such a retort now.
It didn’t come. Instead, he lifted one of those big hands of his and lightly brushed her cheek with his fingertips. Her heart beat wildly. Immediately, she was tempted to close her eyes and lean into him. As it was, she recalled the first and only time he’d kissed her, just a week ago, when Mac’s girlfriend, Natalie Jones, had been assaulted and ended up in the hospital. Jase’s kiss had been one of comfort, a light, brief touching of lips, over too soon. But its affect on her had been as forceful as a blow. Just as his touch was now. She couldn’t help it. She trembled, and from the way his eyes heated and narrowed, he didn’t miss her reaction.
“Regina should definitely view you as a threat,” he said softly.
Check it out: Fragile by Shiloh Walker (excerpt)
Sometimes the last thing you want is exactly what you need…
BATTLE SCARRED
Six years after trading in his combat gear for hospital scrubs, Luke Rafferty still hasn’t found what he’s been searching for: a normal life. At his job, Luke is faced with things just as heartbreaking as those on the battlefield, none more so than the abused children brought in by a pretty red-headed social worker.
HEARTBROKEN
For Devon Manning, being a social worker is a rewarding job, but also a constant reminder of her own troubled youth. Devon takes everything one day at a time–unable to form a relationship with anyone except the children she rescues.
A DESIRE TO HEAL…
When Luke meets Devon, he thinks he might have found what he’s been looking for, but in order to get the life he wants, Luke has to break through Devon’s emotional barriers and make her realize that his healing touch might be just the complication her life needs…
- Publisher: Berkley; Reissue edition (August 7, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0425250954
- ISBN-13: 978-0425250952
- Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Shiloh’s website
“So if you’re not here for to watch football, why are you here?”
Devonscanned the crowd and then shot him a grin. “You, being a guy and all, might not have noticed that outside this steakhouse with the loud TVs, wonderful wings and cold beer, there’s this nifty thing called a mall. There are lots of stores–bookstores, music stores, shoe stores, stores where you can buy all sorts of girly stuff like lotion and clothes.”
Luke grinned at her. “So you’re shopping?”
“The coming of fall also means end of the season clearance.” She rolled her eyes. “I just spent half of next week’s paycheck and I haven’t even gotten it yet. I’m kind of bad about that.” She shot him a small grin and shrugged. “I have an addictive personality.”
Crooking a brow at her, Luke repeated, “An addictive personality. Addicted to what?”
Devonsmiled. “Oh, all sorts of things. Books. That girly stuff, lotion and stuff. Shoes–oh, man, shoes. I love shoes.”
He craned his head around a little and glanced under the table. She had on a pair of glittery, strappy heels. Pretty feet, too. Her toenails were red. He hadn’t ever thought that he was the foot fetish type, but Luke had an overpowering desire to see her wearing those shoes–just the shoes…
