Blood of the Nile by Annalynne Russo

Annalynne Russo is here at the Spicy Butterfly Garden today to introduce us to her latest Evernight Publishing release, Blood of the Nile. A vampire love story in Egypt! Can it get anymore intriguing? Check it out!

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Blurb:

Maliyah Aziz has no time for men. Employed by the U.S. Government overseas, the self-described workaholic refuses to let a relationship derail her flourishing career. But when her estranged father passes away abruptly, she must re-examine her priorities and return to Cairo, a place plagued with bittersweet memories of her childhood.

For eight hundred years, vampire Ramses Shakir maintains a low profile, making a living along the trade routes of the Nile River. Although not until he forms a partnership with a human by the name of Anwar al Aziz, does he truly make his mark on society. Together the two men amass a fortune and forge an unbreakable bond. Suspicious of Anwar’s sudden death, the vampire turns to his best friend’s daughter in search of answers. As they scour all of Egypt for clues, the last thing Ramses and Maliyah expect to find is love.

Excerpt:

Ramses dragged his fingers through his damp hair as perspiration gathered at the base of his skull. That day, the temperature in the Sahara surpassed one hundred degrees and Maliyah wasn’t doing him any favors by turning up the heat. The wanton tease made him want to yank off the flowing, floral print dress she wore and fuck her silly. Visions of her sweet ass plastered against the windows of the train car danced in his head. He wanted her naked and it didn’t matter if a whole caravan of desert nomads stopped to catch a glimpse. Their coupling was bound to happen. Why not sooner than later?

Nonetheless, Maliyah made a good point. Ramses had promised her cousin Husani that he’d keep his hands to himself. A man of honor, he intended to stay true to his word. He wouldn’t touch Maliyah. At least, not with his hands. His mouth and cock, on the other hand, were both fair game.

Before Maliyah returned from the powder room, he reached into the small rolling suitcase he’d brought along for the trip. He pulled out a red paisley necktie and placed it next to the other articles of clothing he’d dangled over the chair. There was a good chance he’d need to be tied up in order to keep his paws off Maliyah. The necktie would come in handy if that turned out to be the case.

The door swung open and Maliyah sauntered in. Her hair was now loose, its shiny, brown tentacles hung haphazardly in front of her face. She’d removed most of her make-up and traded in her three-inch heels for a pair of simple strappy sandals. She looked up at Ramses. Her green-gold gaze locked with his. At the same time, her lower lip jutted out to entice him with its sultry pout.

Maliyah stepped closer and spoke into his chest. He could feel the heat from her skin tickle his nerve endings. “So now what? We’ve got eleven hours to kill and I’m saving the fashion magazines Salma shoved in the side of my bag until I get desperate?”

“You? Desperate?” Ramses repeated. His raspy tone came out as sensual and breathy, with a hint of sarcasm mixed in to keep Maliyah on her toes. “It’d be a pity if we let that happen. I think we can find something to keep us occupied. Maybe there’s a deck of cards in my carry on.”

Maliyah put her hand to her lips as if to giggle, but instead a loud snort came out through her nose.

Is she mocking me? Ramses thought to himself. She hadn’t uttered a single word, yet he knew her snicker was meant in protest.

Only Maliyah, a siren who embodied the perfect combination of subtle innocence and feisty femme fatale, could dish out corrosive rancor just as well as she could take it. That time, she’d done so without even opening her mouth. Although Ramses had great reverence for the Egyptian culture in which he was reared, he found himself drawn to Maliyah’s freethinking, American tendencies. He respected her desire for independence and the rebellious streak she wielded at every turn.

Before he could think of a saucy comeback, Maliyah had already placed both hands on Ramses’ bare shoulders. She massaged his biceps and let the pads of her fingers caress their way up and down his arm. Soon, they became tangled in the shaggy, black hair that gathered at his neck.

“How could a game of cards possibly keep me amused? Not when I have all this tempting, well-toned flesh at my disposal.”

“Wait,” Ramses said, pulling back slightly. He hadn’t anticipated Maliyah’s aggressive pursuit. His need for her bordered on the absurd, but he knew he’d have to take things slow. Otherwise, his vampire persona might make an unexpected appearance. He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from touching her. “What about the pledge we made to Husani?”

Maliyah leaned in, and her heated breath skated across his tanned skin, sending a direct signal to his cock. It was time to come out and play. Whatever sport Maliyah wanted to tackle, Ramses would step up to the plate.

“I made no such promise. Just keep your hands to yourself, lover boy. Let me do all the work,” she said, darting her tongue out to taste him. God damn, Maliyah was a woman after his own heart. God damn, Maliyah was a woman after his own heart. Her succulent lips blazed a path from his neck, passed the sparse patch of hair that peeked out from the top of his shirt.

Maliyah hiked the shirt up past his navel. Her eyes followed the line of dark curls downward until she once again spotted the thick erection through his jeans. She sank to her knees, and then used her hands to remove his belt. One by one, she undid the buttons of his 501’s, as a flush of red spread across her face. She must have realized that he wore nothing underneath.

Ramses’ shaft was as hard as stone. It sprang eagerly from his jeans. Maliyah lowered them to the floor and without hesitation licked the head of his cock into her mouth.

“To hell with restraint!” Ramses groaned.

Buy Links:

Evernight

Amazon

ARe

Bookstrand

About Annalynne Russo:

A native of sunny San Diego, California, Annalynne Russo always had a vivid imagination. As a child, she loved to escape reality by immersing herself in books and poetry. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Spanish literature, Annalynne worked as both a bilingual elementary school teacher and curriculum developer for more than 10 years. But soon her dream of becoming a writer became too difficult to ignore.

Nowadays, she passes the time fantasizing about hot and sexy heroes that nearly leap out of her imagination, begging for their stories to be told. A firm believer in the phrase, Love Conquers All, Annalynne is a sucker for a juicy romance and spends almost as much time reading as she does writing.

Visit Annalynne here: http://www.vampirescribe.com/

Learning To Love In The “Arms of Serenity”

It’s with great pleasure that I welcome Donina Lynn to the Spicy Butterfly Garden today. She has a debut novel entitled Arms of Serenity, Book 1 of the Rock Services series, published by Evernight Publishing that she is here to share with us today! Thanks for coming by, Donina.

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today! I’m very excited to be here and to be sharing my debut novel Arms of Serenity.

When I first sat down to think about what I wanted to write, the one thing I knew I wanted to incorporate was a message. That being that the events of the past shouldn’t dictate how we live our lives in the future.  We should learn from our experiences and look to the future as an opportunity for a new beginning. Simple, right? But when we are unable to move beyond those events and they threaten to determine who we are today, is it ever that easy to forget and find the peace within ourselves to allow happiness into our lives? Life and especially love are never that simple.

In Arms of Serenity, you meet Nick and Becca. Both are emotionally damaged and in desperate need of someone to show them how to let go of their pasts and that love is possible as long as they are willing to let it in. Their story is full of inner struggles, laughs, romance and even a smidgen of danger. Doesn’t every good love story need at least one or two bad guys? 🙂

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Blurb:

Plagued by guilt, Nicholas Hollsten ended his military career in the Special Forces and returned home only to be forced into a life he never wanted. Nick found himself running his father’s company and making good on a promise to his team. Angry and frustrated with the direction his life was taking, he calms his thoughts by filling his evenings and bed with soft distractions. Until one woman captures his interest.

Rebecca Klayton thought she was happy in her small town, running her bakery and avoiding love. That emotion only meant heartache and being left exactly where you started—alone. Lesson learned. But, when the sexy stranger from their hot New Year’s Eve party shows up at her counter, will she be able to ignore the temptation or will she find what she’s been missing in the Arms of Serenity?

 

Excerpt:

Becca got as far as the curve outside before she heard Nick’s voice calling her name. She closed her eyes and groaned.

Almost made it.

Why was he following her? Couldn’t he just leave her alone? She held up her hand to signal a taxi and hoped ignoring him would work until one stopped.

Becca heard him say her name again. Only this time he was too close to pretend that she didn’t hear him. She turned to find him holding the picture frame.

“You forgot this.”

He just wanted to give her the frame. She sighed in relief and reached to take it from him.

“Thank you.”

He looked at her and put a smug smile on before saying, “You forgot these also.” He reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a glimpse of white lace material.

Becca gasped when she realized it was her forgotten panties. She got closer to put her hand out.

“Thank you for finding them.”

Nick pushed them back in his pocket. “How about that coffee?”

Becca took a step back and crossed her arms. “Are you seriously holding my underwear hostage until I go out on a date with you? Doesn’t that border on blackmail?”

Nick laughed. “Just using whatever means I have at my disposal to get you to say yes.”

Becca would laugh too if she wasn’t so angry. He was being an arrogant pushy ass. She glared at him. From his polished shoes, tailored pants, and what looked like a cashmere sweater, he was head to toe everything that Becca wasn’t. Why was he doing this? Damn him for coming after her. Damn him for wanting more when he could go back into the ballroom and have anyone of those models sitting at the table.

“You’re not my type.” She turned away from him and once again put her hand up in the air.

She stood there not wanting to look back. He hadn’t answered her, and Becca silently hoped that he had walked away. She was a mess. Her insides trembled at the conflicting emotions of anger and longing coursing through her. It would be so easy to give in and go with him.

Becca felt a hand brush against her neck and his voice against her ear.

“I’m going to have to argue that statement. I seem to remember being exactly your type last night as you shook and screamed in pleasure when I was buried deep inside of you.” He kissed the spot behind her ear, and she gasped in response. Shivers cascaded through her, and she leaned back melting into his body.

Becca cursed herself.

Dammit, Becca get some control! He’s just a rich guy who thinks he can get anything he wants.

Becca pulled away and turned around to face him as a taxi finally came to her rescue. Opening the door, she stood behind it to use as a barrier between them and took a breath to steady her trembling legs and gain some courage.

“Nick, last night was great, and thank you for not saying anything back in there.” She nodded her head in the direction of the hotel and continued. “But I’m just not interested.” She got in the cab, closed the door, and stared ahead as she gave the driver her destination. As the taxi pulled away, she could see him in the rearview mirror. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, she left him just standing and staring after her.

 

Buy Links:

Evernight Publishing:  http://www.evernightpublishing.com/arms-of-serenity-by-donina-lynn/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Arms-Serenity-Rock-Services-ebook/dp/B00FE686L0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1379998300&sr=1-1

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About Donina Lynn:

Hi! I live in a small rural Pennsylvania town on the outskirts of the Poconos. As in small, I mean we don’t even have a traffic light. We do, however, have a DG, a pizzeria and a Chinese restaurant. Thank goodness! Because, I would probably starve without takeout and a microwave. Cooking is something I enjoy during the holidays and for special occasions. But on a normal day, I take full advantage of a supermarket’s frozen section.

Even though I was born and raised a country girl, my idea of communing with nature is gazing out my window while guzzling mass quantities of coffee. Next to the microwave, my Keurig is my prized possession. Seriously, the inventors of that gadget deserve an award and are personal heroes of mine.

When I’m not at my day job, hanging with my family or friends, curled up with my Kindle,
or typing away at the computer, you can find me in front of the TV watching anything paranormal, sci-fi or a good action flick. Kudos go to any movie or show that incorporates explosions, big guns, and gratuitous butt shots.

My addiction to romance novels started as soon as I could turn a page and has stayed with me until much later in life when I decided to sit down and give writing one a whirl. Who knew that decision would have brought me here? I am extremely grateful it has and hope you enjoy reading about the characters that have taken up residence in my head. There is a bit of a warning, however. I have a fondness – bordering on obsession – with the military, public service, bad boys, and men with bald heads, goatees or tattoos.  Heroes with one or many of these traits might be a reoccurring theme until I can work through these issues. 🙂

Where to find Donina:

http://www.doninalynn.com

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/donina-lynn/

https://www.facebook.com/donina.lynn

https://twitter.com/DoninaLynn

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7277385.Donina_Lynn

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FE8T3HY

* Donina has an incredible feature on her blog called Behind The Book. She’s asked authors to guest blog about what made them write their stories. I visited her several weeks ago discussing my book, In Flames.  It’s always a great post as you’ll come to find each author is inspired by something different. Make sure you check out her blog. 🙂

 

 

 

 

On The Run With “The Wolf on the Run”

Today, I welcome Jorja Lovett to the Spicy Butterfly Garden. She has allowed me to pick her brain regarding her latest release from Total-E-Bound, The Wolf on the Run, book 2 in The Wild Irish Wolves series, as well as sharing a little bit about herself and her writing. Welcome Jorja! 🙂

Give us the title and genre of your book and a quick 50 word or less tagline.

The Wolf on the Run is the second book in my paranormal romance series, The Wild Irish Wolves.

Alpha Rory is determined to protect his pack, including feisty Naomi. How can he get close when she’s intent on facing her demons alone?

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This is a gorgeous cover. I love it!

Did you have any inspiration for this story or its characters?

I was on a road trip through Southern Ireland when I had the idea for my wolf pack. The rolling hills were perfect inspiration for the Olcan Hills shifter community to roam. Rory was an integral part of the first book and I really thought he deserved to have his own story told. (And I wanted to get him naked!)

I have the same “relationship” with some of my characters. I think one of the best parts of being an erotic romance writer is all the men we can get naked and not really get in trouble with our husbands! 😉

What was your favorite scene to write?  Why?

The strip scene! As the local policeman and Alpha of his pack, Rory is such a serious character. I wanted him to have fun. So, when Caleb volunteered their services during a hen night at the local pub it was a good excuse to indulge. (See previous answer)

Sounds exciting. Can’t wait to read it!

Give us an interesting and fun fact about your book and/or its characters.

There’s a scene in the book where Naomi and Mia have a run in with a particularly nasty assistant in a bridal shop. It’s based on my experience when I was shopping for my wedding dress, and payback for the woman who told me I’d have to cut out the cookies if I wanted to look good.

Seriously?! Some people have nerve! But it sounds like you got your revenge in the story! 🙂

As an author myself, I find one of the hardest parts to completing a story is coming up with a title that captures the true essence of the story.  How do you come up with the title to your stories?

I like my titles to give a clear indication to the reader what the book is about. Although, this book started off with the title, ‘Hidden in the Pack’ lol

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?  The worst?

When I was going through one of my ‘I’m useless’ phases, another author told me if I could give up writing I should. Of course, the characters and stories wouldn’t let me, so I shut up and started writing.

The worst piece of advice probably came from my husband. He’s forever providing random ‘ideas’ that I wouldn’t go near with a ten foot pole. I’m beginning to wonder if he had anything to do with this recent trend for dinosaur erotica…

What is the deal with dinosaur erotica? It’s been mentioned like four times this week and I’m pretty sure I’m missing something…

What has been your most rewarding experience since becoming a published author?

I’ve had my fair share of disappointments and publishers who didn’t live up to my expectations. Getting that first contract with Total-E-Bound for The Wolf on the Hill was a turnaround for me. I finally began to believe in myself when I signed with them. It helped that I made Are’s Bestseller list with that book too.

 What book (or books) are you reading now?

C.A Szarek’s Collision Force.

Do you have any unique talents or hobbies? 

I used to enjoy painting. I sold a few watercolours to local craft shops and even worked as a figurine painter in a factory for a while.

Three words that best describe you: Honest, quirky, dreamer.

Favorites of all Time:

Favorite Number? 5. There’s no rhyme or reason to this…it just is.

Favorite Food? Chocolate. It’s a food group, right?

God, I hope so! 😉

Favorite Song? Extreme – More than Words. I was with my first boyfriend when this came out and the perfect age to swoon at Nino’s good looks.

Favorite Movie? 10 Things I Hate About You. I love the humour combined with the romance and the soundtrack is pretty awesome too.

Favorite place on Earth? My bed lol I write there, sleep there, and make sexy times with my hubby there. Where else would I rather be? 😀

Favorite memory? We once did a tour of Scotland and England with our kids, and our guinea pigs! We got some strange looks from the hotel owners every time we carried our piggies in. More so from the people in the park we took them to for the day.

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Before you go, can you please provide us with a tantalizing snippet from your book? 

Excerpt:

Naomi came after Rory, pitting her stealthy grace against his sheer power. In his peripheral vision, he could see the wisps of her breath spiralling into the cold air as she forged ahead, determined to catch him. Rory snorted, sending his own white breath curling up into the atmosphere.

He led her over the hills, their claws making short work of carving up the cold, hard terrain. Naomi never lost ground. Even when he made a turn towards the woods on the boundary, she kept pace.

The chase awakened something deep inside him—that animal freedom with no responsibilities except the survival of himself and his pack. The spiky silhouettes of barren trees lined his path, like broad strokes of a black marker pen scratched against the silver sky.

He dodged in and out, never slowing, with Naomi always in pursuit. Occasionally, a pair of woodland eyes blinked at him from the darkness—a rabbit, a fox, observing their bizarre courtship.

Rory had no doubt the exhilaration of their illicit run would end in wild sex between him and Naomi. It was like a very enthusiastic bout of foreplay without actual touching.

They crunched through the leaf-littered forest floor until he tired of being the hunted. He looped back the way they came and stopped in a clearing. In all aspects of life he preferred to be the one doing the chasing, but at this moment in time he wanted nothing more than to be caught.

He shifted back into his naked, horny self. Naomi came to a skidding halt seconds later, scooting a bundle of leaves over his bare feet. “You can run, wolf lady, I’ll give you that. Now can we go back to bed?”

She shifted back to stand beautifully naked before him. “Not until you say it.”

“Say what?” He was hard as hell and ready for round two.

“That I’m as good as you.” She gave him a flirty smile. One which said she was looking forward to the future rather than staring back at the past. The run had obviously done wonders for her too.

“That was probably a fluke. I don’t think you could keep up with me on a normal day. You know, one where you haven’t seduced me on top of a car boot and made me carry you home first.” The play fighting wasn’t limited to their animal personas. Not when it proved such a turn on. Human or wolf, the scent of Naomi’s arousal would always draw him to her.

“I didn’t hear you complaining at the time. But, if you’re tired, just say and we’ll call it a night.” She shrugged her shoulders, making her boobs jiggle enough to bring his erection to full strength once more.

He stepped forward and brushed her wild hair from her face. “I’ll never be too tired for you, Naomi. I’ll race you back. This time the winner stays on top.”

She grinned, eyes twinkling as bright as the stars. “You’re on.”

This was one race he intended to lose.

Available from Total-E-Bound 4th October

On general release from 1st November

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About Jorja Lovett:

Jorja Lovett is a British author with both Irish and Scottish roots, which makes for a very dry sense of humour. Writing since she was old enough to wield a pen, it wasn’t until she joined her crit group, UCW, that she pursued her passion seriously.

Now, with Joe Manganiello as her permanent muse, if she can leave the pause button on her Magic Mike dvd long enough, she hopes to spend the rest of her days writing steamy romances.

 

Author Links: Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Website

 

Rock On With “Rock Star Ex”

Welcome to the Spicy Butterfly Garden, Jewel Quinlan! And how exciting! I get to feature not only her first Evernight Publishing release, but her first published piece, Rock Star Ex! And it’s about a rock star! Who doesn’t love a sexy rock and roll hero?!?! 🙂 Thanks for being here, Jewel!

Hello everyone! Thanks, Jessica, for having me on your spicy blog. I am so excited about the release of Rock Star Ex. It is the first of my works to be published. The scheduled release date for it is October 10th, 2013 and will be closely followed by another novella and also a full-length novel that are currently churning through edits and so forth.

I had so much fun writing Rock Star Ex! Although I do live near Los Angeles and often travel to Las Vegas there was a lot of research I had to do for this novella. My characters are in settings that I have never personally been in such as back-stage at a concert and inside a tour bus. I rarely go to concerts so I even had to research what a typical groupie looked like, how many members are normally in a band and what route the tour would take. I can only say that it was a lot fun discovering the details of all these things and it is one of those rare moments where I was thankful for technology instead of grouchy about having to wrap my head around it all. The Internet has my eternal gratitude! Now, on to details about the story…

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Blurb:

Social media consultant, Eve Everett, is less than thrilled when her business partner hooks them up with a job covering celebrity rock band Arsenal.  Their new lead singer, Devon Quinn, is the man who broke her heart five years ago.  But there’s no way Eve can turn down the assignment. It’s the big break their fledgling company needs.

To boost Arsenal’s social media presence the band’s manager wants intimate coverage, especially of Devon,  which means traveling with the band  in their tour bus while they promote their new album.  It’s not long before Devon tries to rehash the past but Eve would rather leave it buried where it is.

When Eve is asked to be part of a music video, she decides it’s a great opportunity to reap some revenge by showing Devon what he’s missing. But soon she’s the one losing control. Will Devon once again claim her heart as well as her body?

Excerpt:

“It’s good to see you again, Eve,” he said softly so the others wouldn’t pick up on it.  He knew she wouldn’t want to hear it.  It couldn’t be helped, but it just had to be said.

Her head snapped up, eyes wide.

“That’s what I wanted to say the other night, but you didn’t give me a chance.”

Big mistake.

Her eyes narrowed.  “I didn’t give you a chance?  Then I’d say we’re even.”

“Look, Eve, things didn’t happen the way you’re thinking.  It wasn’t like that.”  He set the bottom of Tommy’s guitar on the floor, his hand on the neck, and leaned closer in to talk to her.

“The way I’m thinking?” she repeated.  Standing up straight, she stuck one foot out to the side and said in a low hiss, “Look, Devon, the facts are the facts.  You left and I never heard from you again.  Not once.  It has nothing to do with the way I’m thinking.”

He tensed.  It was happening again.  She was misunderstanding him.  “No, look, that’s not what I mean, okay?”

“Oh, then what do you mean?”  She cocked her head at him and waited.

“It’s…it was hard on the road, to keep in touch with anyone, for a lot of reasons.  You don’t know what it was like.  I mean we were bouncing around from place to place, driving for long periods of time and then having to work until really late at night.  It was pretty much impossible to communicate.  Besides, you had no answering machine back then, remember?”

She visibly puffed up.  “I see, so it’s my fault you couldn’t communicate with me?”

“I’m not saying it was anyone’s fault, Eve.  Just that there was no way to call.”  He felt relieved.  He had finally been able to tell her, to explain.  Maybe now she would understand.  Well, when she calmed down at least.

“And you couldn’t write a letter?”   She spoke quietly but the words dripped acid.

She had him there.  Even though she was several inches shorter he suddenly felt very small.  He looked down and stuck a hand in his pocket, not knowing what to say.  That was an even more complicated topic.

Her cold eyes were on him.  The silence stretched on for another moment.  Before he could gather any other words to try to explain she turned and headed back up front, her ponytail slapping him in the face as she went.

Where to buy:

I don’t have the official links as of yet but, according to the Evernight, it will be available at the following: Evernight Publishing website, Amazon, All Romance e-Books, Barnes & Noble, BookStrand, Sony, Apple iBooks, Chapters-Indigo/KOBO, Coffee Time Romance and Rainbow Ebooks (GBLT)

Add it to your TBR list!

About Jewel Quinlan:

From a young age, Jewel Quinlan has had an abundant imagination and strong desire to write novels.  She particularly enjoys writing paranormal and fantasy romance. An avid traveler, she has visited fifteen countries so far (which she enjoys using as settings in her novels) and has plans to see more of the world. She has a particular fondness for Bavaria and studies the German language as one of her hobbies. During the day, she works as a pharmaceutical sales representative and, at night, she writes romance. She currently lives in Orange County, California with her two dogs; Shimmer and Penny. For more information you can visit her website www.jewelquinlan.com or follow her on Facebook – AuthorJewelQuinlan and Twitter @JewelQuinlan.

Mid-Week Tease – WIP – Board Discretion – #MWTease

Mid Week Tease Button

In the midst of the craziness of the Evernight Publishing Birthday Bash, I felt as if I needed to share with you one of my current WIPs. As most of you know, I love this blog post feature that Author Sandra Bunino hosts and allows me, and others, to participate in every week. Mid-Week Tease allows us authors to share a snippet of a new release, a backlisted title or a WIP. Aside from having the opportunity to share a little part of my work, I also get to read snippets of other authors and get to be introduced to amazing authors and books.

This week I’ve been putting a lot of effort in my final book in the Taking Advantage series – tentatively called Board Discretion. If you’ve read book 1 – Board Stiff and book 2 – Board Approved, you’ve been introduced to both the main characters in book 3 – Mark Olson and Suzie McCormick. Please keep in mind… it is a WIP so it’s unedited at this point… be kind! 😉

Mark is the owner of several car dealerships in the St. Petersburg/Tampa area. He is also a member of the board of directors for Advantage Insurance Company. Mark is forty years and has been painting the town and sowing his wild oats – so to speak – for the last couple years after escaping a fifteen year marriage that lost its love. But all of his friends are settling down and Mark is wondering if maybe a second chance in love is possible.

Suzie is the executive assistant to the CEO at Advantage. She’s in her early thirties and has been burned more than once in love. Though she’s thrown herself at various men in an attempt to find the right one, she’s been very unlucky. But Mark has always paid her attention and she’s more than attracted to him. Will his playboy in a mid-life crisis reputation get in their way?  We’ll see…

“That’s it, baby. Come apart for me,” he whispered, watching her facial features contort in ecstasy. Slipping a finger to her opening, he hovered over it, teasing her hole with his finger.

“I need you,” she begged, hiking her leg over his hip and giving him better access to her pussy. Her cream leaked on to his fingers and coated his hand, the scent of which wafted to his nostrils and made him eager to taste her.

                “What do you need?” he asked, licking and sucking the long column of her neck.

                “I need you inside me,” she pleaded.

 “Like this?” he asked, slipping his middle finger inside her hot channel. Her pussy clamped down on his finger as it intruded her body. His thumb circled her clit, then pressed on it and her body quivered.

“More,” she solicited. He smiled against her skin as he slipped a second finger inside her. Fuck! She was tight! The thought of filling her tightness with his cock made him unimaginably harder.

“How’s that, baby?” He penetrated her cunt with two fingers, all the while watching her body react to his ministrations. Her head hung back, cascading her straight blonde hair down her back. Her eyelashes caressed her flushed cheeks, her tiny nostrils flared and her lips separated with each stroke of his fingers. Her fingers dug into his biceps, almost to the point of pain, but he didn’t care.

He’d fantasized a number of times over the years of knowing her what it would be like to bring her to the precipice of an orgasm and then fling her over it. Now was his chance! No one had to know about this rendezvous in the dark bathroom of the Beach Club. His seat on the Board of Directors would be safe, but he needed this…needed her.

If you haven’t read the first two books in the Taking Advantage series, below is information on how to find them!

If you want to add Board Stiff to your TBR list, you can find it here on Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17969401-board-stiff

If you want to add Board Approved to your TBR list, you can find it here on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18214843-board-approved

Both Taking Advantage books are 40% off right now at Evernight!

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If you are ready to purchase Board Stiff, you can find it here: Evernight!

board-approved2

If you are ready to purchase Board Approved, you can find it here: Evernight!

They are also at Amazon, ARe, B&N and Bookstrand.

Click on the link below to find the amazing authors that are participating with me in this week’s Mid-Week Tease! Enjoy!

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Join the Club “A Mile High”!

A great big welcome to new Evernight Publishing author Bethany-Kris. She’s here today at the Spicy Butterfly Garden to share with us her new release, A Mile High, and yes, she’s about to take us to that club we’ve all fantasized about joining (and some of us may have already joined :)) A Mile High. Thanks for joining us today, Bethany-Kris!

Hello! Thanks for having me on your blog today and giving me the chance to talk about my newest release. A little information on the book first, and why it came to be… A Mile High was a product of my stressful work, upcoming vacation that wasn’t going to be arriving nearly soon enough, and my very hectic house. In the midst of all that chaos, I wanted to write about someone—Olivia—who also found herself working far too much and was in desperate need of a vacation. In the end, A Mile High was what came from that. I hope you like it.

amilehigh

Blurb:

Olivia wants a vacation, that’s all, but when the airline screws up her plans for a week getaway to the beautiful Barbados, instead putting her on a new path that intertwines with the handsome, funny, and charming Sal, she can’t say no to his offer of joining the mile high club. Their meeting is explosive, attraction intense, and when the flight ends, Olivia is unwilling to part ways but unable to voice her wants. Still, fate is at work with its own plan, and where it finishes just might not be where it ends up.

There’s nothing quite like sex at a mile high.

Excerpt:

“Doubt it,” Sal put in quietly. “Pilot’s all ready to go, we’re away from the gates, and there’s another plane bussing in to take off behind us right now, probably. We’re taking off. Her friend will likely give her some Gravol, set her up in their little section there, and we’ll be on our way.”

A quick, vague apology sounded over the plane’s announcement system, informing the passengers it would be another minute before takeoff. Given I had a bit of time to do whatever, I decided to use the bathroom. Excusing myself from our comfortable little cubby, I made my way through to the back of the plane, ignoring the questioning gazes of other passengers in coach who were likely wondering what had happened up in first class.

In the panic-worthy, small as hell bathroom, I washed my face and hands, checking my face out in the mirror as a ding sounded above me. I looked up to see the seatbelt sign had appeared just as the pilot’s voice sounded over the speakers, asking everyone to buckle up and ready for takeoff.

Making my way back to my seat as quickly as possible, I had just moved in to sit down—Sal drawing in his stretched out legs to let me through—as the plane jerked forward. I yelped under my breath, trying to catch myself but between the black, peep-toe pumps with a four-inch heel on my feet, and the sudden movement, I ended up on something warm…and hard. Something that breathed, chuckled, and touched me.

Sal.

My brown hair created a curtain over my face. Huffing a breath and blowing strands out of my line of vision, Sal laughed in my ear, rocking both our bodies. I felt his hands skim above my knees where the flimsy material of the skirt I wore had risen up. Gooseflesh pebbled at the motion and I tried hard not to shiver when fingers grasped tightly to my legs.

“You okay?” he murmured. “Because I think you’re just fine.”

I nodded, trying really hard not to be embarrassed. I didn’t want to show how turned on I was by his palms to my flesh and the suggestive tone to his words. “Yeah, just surprised. I’m so—”

“Don’t be,” he interrupted, voice turning huskier than I expected. “Unless you plan on moving, that is.”

Teeth cut into my bottom lip as I fought the urge to exhale harshly. “I have to. We’re just about to take off, right?”

The dismissive sound he made under his breath didn’t help the lust raging through my senses. Those warm hands of his skimmed a little higher under my dress, making me groan quietly, grinding my backside shamelessly against his jeans when he whispered, “You ever join the mile-high club?”

Buy Links:

Evernight Publishing: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/a-mile-high-by-bethany-kris/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A-Mile-High-ebook/dp/B00FEXO4TQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380101486&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Mile+High+Bethany

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-amilehigh-1304746-149.html

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/a-mile-high-mf

About Bethany-Kris:

Bethany-Kris is a twenty-three year old Canadian author, lover of much, and mother of two young boys, two cats, and two dogs who works more than she should, writes when she can, and loves every moment of it.

Find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger.

Evernight Publishing’s 3d Birthday Bash

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Third Birthday, Evernight Publishing!

Happy Birthday to you!

Celebrate like a ROCK STAR because Evernight Publishing is THREE!

In three short years, Evernight has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to readers like you! Evernight is pulling out all the stops and throwing an extreme BIRTHDAY BASH BLOG HOP in your honor!

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That’s right! It’s Evernight’s birthday but YOU get the presents…

Prizes include:

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Kindle Paperwhite

Kobo Touch

$100 Evernight and Amazon Gift Certificates

Mega Evernight Swag Pack

Plus, each author on the hop will offer his/her own special prize!

As an author, I’m thrilled to share my stories with you and Evernight helps make my books shine! Woohoo! I can’t believe I’ve had the privilege of spending almost the last seven months working with such an amazing publishing company as Evernight. Venturing into the world of being an author can be a scary adventure. You send the piece you’ve been working so hard on, the one you poured your heart and soul into out into the world of submissions and potential rejections. It’s not easy. But I will say this… once you become a member of the Evernight family, you are surrounded by people (authors, editors, marketing experts) that are there to help, support and encourage you. Whether it’s the weekly posts with marketing suggestions and ideas, the camaraderie amongst the authors in putting together events like Sexy Snippets, topics for our Facebook Reader’s page or the numerous offerings to help promote your book on the various author’s blogs, Evernight Publishing attracts amazing individuals. I’ve made great friends here and I am more than happy to be a part of the Evernight Family. Happy Birthday, Evernight Publishing… and to many, many, many more birthday celebrations! 🙂

Evernight-Family

My first book published by Evernight Publishing was In Flames. This story deals with an emotional situation involving loss and how it brought two people together. I fell in love with these characters – Gracelyn and Matt. They consumed me for months as I tried to get their story on the pages. These two are touched by the same tragedy and it takes courage and strength to stand again… together.

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Blurb:

Gracelyn Riley married a firefighter. She knew that came with risks. But she never imagined herself widowed in her early thirties with two children to care for on her own.

As a fireman, Matt Riley was at the scene when his brother, Chad, was killed. He suffered greatly from survivor’s guilt and depression after the accident.

The last year has been difficult for both Gracelyn and Matt. They’ve relied on each other to get through the tough times. With the anniversary of Chad’s death upon them, Gracelyn and Matt once again turn to each other for comfort and support. They find it in each other’s arms—and bed.

Will their desire for each other consume them? Can they overcome the guilt and scrutiny to find love again…together?

Add In Flames to your TBR list: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17280663-in-flames

Buy In Flames now: Evernight  Amazon  ARe  BN  Bookstrand  – You can grab In Flames on sale at the Evernight or ARe link!

Click for my giveaway here!

Enter to win the Grand Prizes using Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e561a316/

Hop to the next stop here: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=314265

 

It’s the perfect time to buy the Evernight titles on your TBR list, as well as new gems you find during the event, because Evernight’s entire backlist is on sale at evernightpublishing.com and allromanceebooks.com through October 7th!

The Millionaire’s Convenient Bride

Larisa Anderson is with us today at the Spicy Butterfly Garden to show off her new release from Evernight Publishing, The Millionaire’s Convenient Bride. Congratulations, Larisa!

bride

Blurb:

Louisa wanted nothing more than to be self-sufficient. She had her own law  firm and no man in her life to complicate things—until, that is, one of  her biggest clients and family friends dies, leaving Louisa to deal with the life-changing directions in his will.  

An accident leaves Louisa in the care of her deceased client’s son  Dominic, her high school fling and the very person who will complicate  her life. Before she can leave, and save her heart, news comes that her  other clients have abandoned her. Dominic seizes the chance to get Louisa back into his life and offers her a  deal she can’t refuse. Marry him, and he will save her law firm. Can  Louisa keep her feelings in check long enough to get away from the man  who threatens to steal her heart and the life she has built for herself?

Excerpt:

His dark eyes sparkled in the half light. She felt a warmth spread through  her body that had nothing to do with the tea she had drunk.  She found  it hard to believe that she ever mistrusted him. He was taking care of  everything with such efficiency and care, and he was doing it all to  help her. She didn’t know why she did it, but she found herself leaning  forward and kissing the corner of his mouth.
“Thank you,” she told him, leaning back and using her next move to hide the silence that followed. She looked up just as his hand reached behind her head and pulled her mouth to his. His lips were warm and soft, moving gently against her mouth.  She opened to him and felt him deepen the kiss. He tasted of tea and  something that she couldn’t identify. She wanted more. His fingers  caressed her neck as he placed last kiss on her swollen lips. He pulled  back slightly and rested his forehead against hers, his breath still hot against the sensitive skin of her lips.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice soft and husky. “I shouldn’t have done that. You just looked so…” The waiter came at that moment with the food they ordered, and they broke  apart reluctantly.  She couldn’t look at him. She waited for her pulse  to stop thundering around her body. She could still taste him on her  lips. The temptation to trace them with her tongue, to taste him again,  was overwhelming, and she tried to keep her hands from shaking as she  ate. She had to say something to break the silence.
“Thank you for arranging this so quickly,” she said finally as she put her fork back on her plate and moved it to one side.
“It’s the least I can do after putting you in such a position. You have enough to worry about.” He smirked as he pushed his own plate aside and made his next move on the board. “Check.”
Louisa sighed and relaxed again. She had been afraid that he might want to  talk about what just happened. She smiled at the cocky grin on his lips. She had the impression he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“Drat,”  he muttered, as she took his queen. He leant over and rested his elbows on his knees, a look of concentration now replacing the grin.
“Dominic, can I ask you something?”
“Mmm,” he mumbled still studying the board.
“When I left all those years ago, why didn’t you call me?”
She hadn’t wanted to ask, but she couldn’t move on with this arrangement  knowing that he had just let her go once before, that he hadn’t even  tried to get her to come back. She knew it was childish of her. She had  been the one to walk out, but he had just let her, not even bothering to call and ask why. She spent so long after their last day together  wondering. Her friends tried to take her mind off him. With every blind  date Louisa felt more and more that she had lost something. Love sounded so old fashioned, but all she knew was that she felt so calm, so happy  in Dominic’s arms. Once she lost that, it had taken her years to  convince herself she needed to move on, and she could never forget.  Telling herself it wasn’t meant to be helped her get on with her life.  Now here he was again, like a ghost, and she couldn’t help but feel  betrayed. The door of the café opened allowing a breeze to blow past her carrying the scent of the street, wet and cold. She had to know. Had he thought about her after that night? Or had he seen her as nothing more  than another woman in a long line of conquests? His gaze shot up to meet hers, his eyebrows raised in what was clearly surprise.
 “I did call you. Each time I called, your roommate answered and said she would leave a message for you.”
Louisa frowned. She hadn’t received any messages. She asked her roommate  Cassie many times over the first few weeks if anyone called for her. She clicked her tongue against her teeth as she thought. “I didn’t get any messages.”
“Does it matter now?”

Buy links:

Where to Find Larisa:

www.Larisaanderson.com

When It’s Dark, “Light the Shadows”

Today, I have Michelle Clay at the Spicy Butterfly Garden showing off the first book in her Grimm Novel series, Light the Shadows. This book is an Editor’s Pick at Evernight Publishing and I will admit, I am completely captivated by the blurb. I just added this to my TBPS (To Be Purchased Soon) list because I’m intrigued and I think you will be too. Enjoy!

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Blurb:

You only get one chance at life then you die. The game’s over, no second chances.  But she was never one to follow all the rules.

In a strange twist of fate, a woman flees purgatory only to jump into a newly vacated body. When she wakes in the hospital, she has a brand new life and a whole lot of unanswered questions.  Now she’s Micah Munroe, a real estate agent with broken memories of the messed up life she once lived. A mysterious man who claims to be Death says she’s his granddaughter and that she’s something called a grimm.

Sully knows she’s an imposter because he reaped the soul of the real Micah only a week ago. He suspects she might be a misplaced shadow, what he calls spirits and vengeful ghosts. He becomes obsessed with finding out who she really is and just how she inhabited a new body.  He’ll stop at nothing to find the truth and send her back to purgatory where she belongs.  What he didn’t bargain on was how his body would react to her or how powerful the white light within her is.

When a powerful shadow and her horde of angry spirits kidnaps Sully’s best friend, they must work together to get him back.  Fighting their feelings for each other isn’t half as difficult as fighting the army of shadows bent on starting a war with the living.

Excerpt: 

His husky drawl sent a vibration of hunger through her and ignited a fire deep within her core. “You are so fucking hot.”

Recapturing her mouth, he pressed against her, proving just how hot, how hard she made him. Micah whimpered, and he drew his mouth away from her lips. Just like his tongue and hands, his incredibly sexy eyes ignited a fire within her.

“Sully.” She bit her lower lip and reveled in knowing she was the reason he was so hard.

His fingers were at her waist, unzipping then dragging the dress pants down her hips. Micah trembled with need as he shucked them from her legs and dropped them onto the floor. He closed the space between them, and her thighs closed around his waist. Her sex drowned with desire, clouding her mind with seductive thoughts and want. With him so intimately close, his hard-on pressed against her through the damp lace of her panties. She shifted her hips, and Sully rewarded her with a groan.

“Tell me something.” He grinned wickedly then slid his fingers up her inner thigh. They inched closer to her pool of desire and made her heartbeat race. “Are you wet?”

Her hands lifted from his shoulders, ran through his silken hair and down to his chest. Her nimble fingers fluttered across his shirt and even reached the second button before his hand closed over hers, stilling it. He prevented her from going any further by pulling her hand to his mouth. One by one, he kissed her fingers.

She frowned and pulled away from him to look up into his eyes. “Sully, I want…”

“I know what you want, doll.” His eyes glittered with feral passion.

A gasp shuddered past her lips when Sully’s index finger slid past the ribbon-thin panties then traveled downward. His finger slid through the tight coils of hair at the juncture of her thighs then lightly grazed her most delicate area. She clutched his shoulders and tightened her thighs around him. “Sully!”

“Want me to stop?” His voice was full of gravel and sexy as hell.

She nipped his bottom lip. “Don’t you dare.”

Buy Links:

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/light-the-shadows-by-michelle-clay/

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CDXS0YA

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lighttheshadows-1163337-140.html

Stalk Michelle:

www.michelle-clay.com

www.michelle-clay.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/Author.Michelle.Clay

Mid-Week Tease – Board Approved – #MWTease

Mid Week Tease Button

As most of you know, I love this blog post feature that Author Sandra Bunino hosts and allows me, and others, to participate in every week. I had to take last week off of participating for personal reasons, but I am back and very glad about that. Mid-Week Tease allows us authors to share a snippet of a new release, a backlisted title or a WIP. Aside from having the opportunity to share a little part of my work, I also get to read snippets of other authors and get to be introduced to amazing authors and books.

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In honor of my book blog tour that is taking place this week, I am providing a short scene in my latest Evernight Publishing release, Board Approved. Greg Snow helped Tessa Mills out of a jam after finding her stranded in the parking lot with a broken down VW Bug. He agreed to take her where she needed to go and this is the conversation that ensued just before he dropped her off. Enjoy!

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“I only have one request,” he said almost in a whisper.  His gaze came back to hers.

“What’s that?”

“Go out with me,” he said.  “Please.”

“Like on a date?” she asked shyly.

“Most definitely,” he said with a small chuckle.  Tessa did everything she could to keep from bursting.  This gorgeous man… this generous man wanted to take her out on a date.  She knew she would be risking her heart by agreeing to this.  How could someone like him really be interested in her?  He was a big-time attorney for a large firm making good money and living on the beach.  He could probably have any woman he wanted.  She was just a young yoga instructor trying to make it on her own.  It had taken her three years to save enough money to move out of her mother’s rundown bungalow.  Her mother would steal money from Tessa for booze and then order Tessa out of the house because she was a bother.  She finally had her first apartment.  And it wasn’t much.  Just a little one-bedroom apartment near Tyrone Square Mall.  She really had little to offer him besides herself.  But he was asking her out. Even if it was ultimately just sexual, she couldn’t find a way to say no to his request.  Nothing in her wanted to say no.  Just from their limited time together, Tessa knew he was going to open her eyes to a whole new world and that excited her. And that made her want to risk it all.

“It doesn’t bother you that I’m twenty-seven?” she asked in all seriousness.

“Does it bother you that I’m forty-two?” he asked.  His face was sincere when he asked the question.  She could tell he was concerned that his age would be an issue for her.

“Forty-two, huh?” she said, making her best effort to keep a serious tone.  “Goodness, you are old!  Will you need a walker for the date?”  His eyes widened a bit at her comment before she broke into laughter and then so did he.

“So, what are you saying?”

“Yes,” she said softly before throwing her arms around his neck.  “I say yes.”  His arm slid around her body and gave her a squeeze.  The feel of his hand on her low back sent a heat coursing through her body.  She wanted to know what it would be like to feel his hands everywhere on her body.  She wanted to throw caution to the wind.

 If you want to add Board Approved to your TBR list, you can find it here on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18214843-board-approved

If you are ready to purchase it, you can find it here: Evernight!  It is also at Amazon, ARe and Bookstrand.

Click on the link below to find the amazing authors that are participating with me in this week’s Mid-Week Tease:

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