Close Encounters with the Night Kind

First Kiss and Giveaway with Georgia Fox and The Wagered Wench

2012-02-23T21:14:00.001-08:00

Welcome to my newest First Kiss Spotlight!! Today I have Georgia Fox with me and she is going to share an excerpt and a giveaway of her newest book The Wagered Wench. But first, let's take a look at the book details:

Blurb:

As her father's only child, Elsinora must take a husband to help her run the manor of Lyndower. Although capable of managing the place herself, no one trusts a woman to lead. She can be a wife and mother, nothing more. But she's determined to choose the man for herself and she has just the one in mind—handsome, clever, chivalrous and kind-hearted.

She hasn't met him yet, but he's out there. Somewhere.

However, when her father returns home drunk one evening after a game of tavern dice, Elsinora soon discovers that sobering him up is not her only problem this time. The scarred Norman beast with the crude manners and insulting tongue—the one who brought her father home slung over the rump of his horse, has won not only the manor of Lyndower as his prize after a night of gambling. He's also won Elsinora.

Be Warned: anal sex, menage sex (m/f/m), public exhibition (YES YES YES)!!!!!! Love that cover!! Here are the links to where you can buy your own copy, if you don't win it here!!

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-wagered-wench-by-georgia-fox/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0074AVM4C/spea06-20#customerReviews

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thewageredwench-677250-161.html

And now for a tastey teaser!!!

Her mouth, she realized belatedly, flapped wide open. Pulling

herself together, she exclaimed, "You try to tell me you would be a

faithful husband content with one woman? Do I look like a fool?"

"I do not try telling you anything, woman. I tell."

She folded her arms. "I know about men and their need to sow

seed widely."

"What means this?" He scowled now, the faint smile gone. He

moved closer to where she stood. "Speak plain woman and not in

riddles."

He wanted plain words? She'd give him plain. "Women do not

want a man as often as a man wants a woman. Men are beasts who

enjoy fucking more than women do. That is why men can never be

satisfied with one partner. A sensible wife encourages her husband to

take mistresses, so that she may have peace from his crude fumblings

and the constant toil of childbirth."

As she spoke he advanced again, each one of her angry words

apparently drawing him in rather than chasing him away as she'd

hoped. With every forward step he took, Elsinora backed up. His eyes

were hot, hard. "And what gives you all this knowledge of men and

fucking? Your father assured me you are a maid. Is this not so?" He

stared at her crossly, branding her again with his mark of ownership.

"Tell me now if you are not."

Aha! This would be her chance to chase him off, but before

she could speak, he added in a calmer tone, "Not that it matters. I

should like to be warned, however."

She stumbled back. He followed again.

Don't think of the way his body fits inside those breeches.

Look at his scar instead and remember how ugly he is, how he

frightened you last night when he loomed out of the dark.

He raised his hand and captured her chin, his thumb pressed to

her lips, the ring on his finger cold against her jaw. She tried to pull

away but found herself trapped by a low stone wall. On the other side

of it there was the dung heap. The Norman widened his stance,

penning her in against the wall. His thumb pressed down on her lower

lip and then his mouth claimed hers.

She raised her knee between his legs but he was ready for her.

Showing off his warrior's reflexes he dropped his tunic and blocked

her thigh with his free hand, pushing it down and then sliding

immediately between her legs. Her gown was in his way, but he

fondled her through the material, trying to work an insistent finger

through the weave. She gasped, and as her mouth opened he thrust his

tongue into her mouth, taking it roughly. Elsinora tasted his

breakfast—ale and something else—mint leaves? He must have been

down to the herb garden early this morning and plucked mint for his

breath. Few men she knew would bother.

"I'll see for myself if you are virgin," he growled into her lips.

She was too shocked to fight. Yes, that must be the reason

why she went limp and let him kiss her again. Let him lift her gown

aside and push his hand between her legs to touch her quinny. The

stone wall pressed into her lower back, but he did not care apparently

about her discomfort. When the callused pad of his finger slipped

between her labia, she almost forgot about it too.

This was a secluded corner of the yard and wreathed in

shadow as the morning sun, not yet reaching its highest point, moved

around behind the buildings. Here no one came unless to heave a

barrow of dung after cleaning out the barns and stables, but that

would not be done again until evening. Spring plowing had just begun

in the fields however, and the manure would occasionally be fetched

by cart, so there remained a small chance of being disturbed. Her

heart kept a scattered pace, her gaze shifting to the corner of the barn

over his shoulder, watching just in case.

He stroked her daisy, working it with a gentle fingertip. Again

his lips covered hers, kissing her as she'd never been kissed, not even

by Stryker Bloodaxe. His tongue wound itself around hers, tugging

and insistent. He moved closer, his strong muscular thighs holding

hers apart while his hand explored her pussy. She imagined her

mother's voice, scolding and harsh as it was most often, telling her to

stop him.

Elsinora what are you doing? Down on your knees, this

instant, and repent girl. Repent!

But how could she get down on her knees with this man's hand

between her thighs?

When his lips released hers, she glanced downward and saw

the stiff bulge in his breeches.

"Stop," she gasped belatedly.

His fingertip was poised within her. He waited, breathing

hard, his eyes black, staring down into hers.

She perused his scarred cheek, her conscience trying to remind

her of his evil. But a spark of wanton desire and curiosity flamed

inside her loins, too hot to be ignored. "Oh, very well then. See for

yourself if I am a maid. Have your proof. If you must."

At once his finger moved further and she tensed against the

intrusion. She stared at the muscle flexing in his shoulder and felt the

finger at the end of that arm penetrating her another short distance

until he felt her hymen. Finally he pronounced, "No man has been

here."

"Now let me go, filthy swine!"

He chuckled and she felt that too, tickling her tender petals.

She gasped. "Just like any other Norman pig, forcing himself

on a woman."

He leaned back a little, but kept his hand on her sex, his finger

in her damp cleft. "I will not take your virgin blood unless you are my

wife. And then you will be my only woman, from that moment on, as

I told you once already."

"Of course!" She turned her face away. "You'll never look at

another pair of titties"

"I might look. I might even admire, but I won't touch. Not

once I have a lawful wife. This I swear."

"I don't know why you bother telling me this," she groaned, as

he worked his finger lightly and teasingly over her blossoming flower.

"I don't care what you do with your cock, Norman." She wanted to

run away, but her legs felt useless. The heat he conjured between her

thighs was fierce, scalding, mesmerizing. His entire hand possessed

her now, the heel of his palm pressed into her pubic mound. Slowly

and carefully he added a second finger to the first.

He leaned over her again, watching her lips as if they were a

small treat held out and he a mastiff fixated on that promise.

"Remember my name?" he growled. "Coeur du Loup. Heart of the

Wolf."

Elsinora had not known what his name meant, but she

shrugged, trying to ignore the fingertips sliding in and out of her now,

slick with the wetness of her passionate, shameful arousal. His touch

was far more tender than the stream and yet the sensations he lured

out of her were much deeper, much hotter.

So what can you do to win a copy of this yummy read? Just fill out the Rafflecopter!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dirty Little Secret

2012-02-23T20:27:00.002-08:00

Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Dirty Little Secret # 36

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by us at Under the Covers. Every Thursday we get to know other bloggers and our readers more intimately by asking them a question hoping to reveal their dirty little secrets. We hope that you will all join us!

To participate in the meme all you need to do is:

1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image (code above) and copy instructions.
3. Answer the question we propose! This can be done in any way you like, post a video, write a post etc.
4. Then add your link below.

Non-bloggers: We want to hear from you as well!!! Let us know your answer in the comments!

We hope you join us and let us know your Dirty Little Secrets!

This week's question:

It's lent and time to give up your favourite things for 40 days and 40 nights (or sneak some when no one is looking!) What series of books would you have to give up, and why?

I can't go with a certain series since LMM Barrons series is over(I was seriously addicted to this!! I was one of those people checking daily for posts about WHEN the last book was coming out!!) unless you consider Lora Leigh's Breed series or Nalini Singh's Angel series...heart breaking!! I'd rather just bail on it and give up coke!! LOL!! What about you guys?

Giveaway and Review of Bound By Pleasure: Dirty Discoveries By: Morticia Knight

2012-02-23T02:30:00.000-08:00

Good Morning CEWTNK!! I can't thank all of my new and regular viewers enough for making this blog hop a complete success!! You all rock. So what tasty treat do I have lined up for you today? We are dipping into some decadence with Morticia Knight and her latest book Bound by Pleasure: Dirty Discoveries. Stay tuned afterwards for the giveaway details! Right now, let's take a look at the book:

Young Jeffrey has been forcing himself to lead a very restrained and proper life. The only child of very conservative parents, he has been with the sweet, innocent Mia for almost three years, and it is pretty much a given that their families believe the nineteen-year-olds will be married as soon as they finish school. But while Jeffrey is away on a summer family trip for two weeks, it appears that something drastic happened to Mia - she is completely different and wants to break the whole thing off when he returns.
Jeffrey is distraught, and becomes determined to find out exactly what is going on with Mia. There are several dirty discoveries to be made, not the least of which is what Jeffrey has been hiding from himself. Will Jeffrey be able to convince Mia to come back to him? Or is he more likely to find comfort in someone else's arms, maybe even one of the dungeon participants?

My Review:

So getting into this book I really thought it was going to be about Mia. Low and behold my surprise that it turns out to be all about Jeffery!! Jeffery is your normal average every-day kind of guy. Not aggressive, pretty laidback, tries to do the right thing, and has been smothered in his parents firm religious beliefs. But Jeffery has a secret. A deep dark secret that would blow his carefully constructed world out of the water, should he ever allow his fantasies to run wild. Mia leaving him was probably the best thing that could of ever happened to him. Because through his quest to reclaim Mia, Jeffery meets Master Greg.
Master Greg was tasked with escorting Jeffery out of the house. He had seen Mia chained up, throat deep is some pretty intense sexual debauchery and had completely come apart. Jeffery was completely unprepared not only for the sights to which Mia had exposed him but also to his reaction. Thank goodness he had found a friend in Master Greg. But Greg had other ideas about what to do with Jeffery. As he listened to him sob out his misery, Greg began forming a plan in his head for some more time with Jefferey. After his tears had all dried, he handed him a card with his number and ordered Jeffery to call him tomorrow. He promised he could make Jeffery's pain disappear.
Jeffery is unsure about what to do. Should he try to pick up the pieces of his dreams with Mia as his wife, even though that image of her was forever burned in his memory, or start over again? Mia had been the only person he had ever been with, if you didn't count his impure thoughts. Calling Master Greg the next day suddenly seemed like the best advice ever. He desperately needed a friend.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a short hot sexy ride introducing the discovery of Jefferey:) Jeffery is kind of wimpy but I guess all men can't be alpha, especially when your playing with BDSM. Bottoms are essential to the role playing world and Jeffery fits right in. But does he dare cross that line between fantasy and real life? Find out in this awesome series!!

So how can you win your very own copy of this hot book? Just fill out the rafflecopter!! Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Below the Belt By Sky Warren

2012-02-23T01:39:00.000-08:00

Black belt Abe Montgomery is focused on winning gold. But at nationals, Abe meets Paris, a beautiful, mysterious woman. Paris Rivera has sworn off men and martial arts. Her black belt cost her more than years of dedication and sweat. The fight of Abe’s life looms ahead, with his dreams of owning a school and his future with Paris hanging in the balance. He may dominate on the mats, but he’s fallen hard for her. When the time comes for them to part, he may not be able to let go.

BELOW THE BELT is a 30,000 word novella of erotic romance featuring explicit sex and graphic language. Not for those under 18 years of age or those uncomfortable with the subject matter.

My Review

Abe is a completely focused, alpha, intent on winning that championship so he can obtain his dream of opening his own school. He was his masters prize student and dedicated his life to his art. At an extremely boring opening ceremony, Abe finds his eyes wondering the crowd to the same old throng of partygoers and brainless blondes. He would much rather be practicing for the competition or in his room sleeping then here. His buddies try to liven up the party by forcing Abe to make a bet. Intent on seeing the wager through, he scans the crowd for a challenge. His eyes land on Paris and what happens next blows him away.

Paris so wished she could be anywhere but here. She had long ago given up this lifestyle and wanted as far away from it as possible. But her sister counted on her for support and to keep their mother from totally driving her nuts. That in itself was a full time job. Her mother had been completely disappointed in her when she had decided to drop out of her martial art. So here she was, being a good daughter/sister when Abe approaches her table. At first she is shocked because she knows who he is and couldn't help but wonder why he approached her. Then her hormones start doing a happy dance and all logic fails.

This was a cute short story about love/lust at first site. I would definitely say it starts with lust and ends up in love :) Both characters have their own issues and work through resolving them in this book. Paris has a little more than Abe. Together you get some hot sex scenes and a little sweet romance. I enjoyed this book and can't wait for more form this author!!

Winners!!

2012-02-23T01:08:00.000-08:00

It is time to post some winners!! First off I would like to thank all of you for participating!! This blog would not have gone anywhere without your constant support!! Thank You so much and remember you are all winners in my book!! So let's get down to it :) My first ever blog hop was a screaming success!!! And I have over 100 different ladies to thank for making it that way!! Everyone who joined in, be it comments or links, I want you to know you all Rock in my book!! So I had 7 prizes to giveaway!!

Prize 7 was an e-copy of The Willing and this goes to Sarah K.!

Prize 6 was the Nora Weston Package and the winner is....Beverly G.!

Prize 5 was the first 2 books in the Dragon Saga..and the winner is...Lexi!!

Prize 4 was an autographed print copies of the 1st 2 books in the watcher series and the winner is..Vanessa!!

Prize 3 was some decadent chocolate paint and the winner is....Hilary!!

Prize 2 was my Naughty Box and the winner is.....Rhonda D.!!

And our Grand Prize winner was.....Vivian!!

Next was a copy of Kiss and Make Up....And the winner is.....

Michele!!!

I have 3 winners for the Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum:

Sara B.S won the book

Rachel P V won the Bookmark

and

Christina D C won the postcard

And the winner of Lily is.....MJB Booklover!

All winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen!!

First Kiss and Giveaway with author Skye Warren

2012-02-21T23:23:00.001-08:00

Good Morning! I'd like to take a minute to welcome on board our new subscribers!! Thanks for the add and I'll try to make it worth your wild :) LOL..Today I have with me Skye Warren and she is going to share a first kiss between two of her characters in her latest novel Below the Belt. Let's take a look at the book details:

A Kiss Between Strangers

A first kiss can be the culmination of weeks or months of years of longing. It can come at the end of years of platonic friendship or at the end of dates filled with sexual tension. But what about when the couple doesn’t really know each other?

It’s out of order. They aren’t friends yet, they haven’t dated yet, but the situation was ripe and someone went for it. Maybe they’re seeking respite from a stressful time in their lives or maybe they just don’t value the physical relationships…yet. I’d say both of these apply to Below the Belt’s hero, Abe.

He’s here at a National martial arts competition, where everyone is looking at him as the guy to beat. His entire future is riding on winning gold, because that means sponsorships and being able to afford to open his own Taekwondo school. And then, at a stuffy ballroom even, his friends goad him into a bet.

From there he meets Paris. He doesn’t know her. This is only supposed to be physical. It only can be physical, because they hardly know each other. Take a look:

He led her by the hand out into the hallway, with only the muted laughter spilling out of the ballroom behind them. A few people loitered in small groups outside the ballroom doors, but as soon as Abe and Paris rounded the corner they were alone. They walked through the shadows of the spacious hotel hallways, the thick carpet strange under his dress shoes. The chandeliers and sconces were dimmed, the doors closed, not part of the night’s event.

“Are we allowed to be here?” she whispered.

Abe shrugged. “Who’s going to catch us?”

They wandered down the hallway, the voices from the ballroom dimmed to a faint hum.

“You never did tell me what you’re doing here,” he said.

She didn’t answer right away.

Abe heard the sound of an elevator opening from around the corner. He didn’t want to be seen. A pair of heavy doors were nearby, cracked open.

He pulled her into his arms as they stumbled into the dark room.

She gasped.

“Shh,” he said into her hair. They both held still in an embrace against the door. He breathed in the sweet citrus scent of her, fighting the urge to let his hands wander.

When the voices had passed by, she said breathlessly, “I guess that answers that question.”

“What question?” he asked. He was having a hard time focusing with her warmth pressed fully against his body. She had to feel his hardness now.

“About who’s going to catch us.”

“Oh.” He didn’t move away. He tangled his hand in her curls like he’d been wanting to since he first saw them. So soft. His fingers tightened slightly. “We’ll be safe in here. It’s more fun without a crowd anyway, don’t you think?”

“Is that all you think about—fun?”

“No. Hardly ever.” And wasn’t that the truth. Between training and working to save up to open his own school, he rarely had time to kick back or go out. He’d only come to this sponsors’ event because Sa Bum Nim made attendance mandatory.

“What about you?” He trailed his other hand up her hip to rest on her waist.

“What?” She sounded distracted. Good. He was distracted, too.

“Are you all about the fun?”

“No.” She exhaled long and low. “Not usually.”

He rested his forehead against hers, trying to find some control. His cock swelled uncomfortably against his pants. All he wanted to do was grind it into her—no, push it into her—but he had to go slowly. He didn’t want to scare her away.

Abe wanted her. It wasn’t about some stupid bet or even about stress relief. He wasn’t sure what was so special about her, or whether it was purely physical, but he wanted her, and badly.

“Paris, I’m going to kiss you.”

“Okay,” he thought she said. As he pressed a light, almost chaste, kiss to her lips, a jolt of heat seared him. His tongue swiped the seam of her lips. He tasted champagne as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth.

More, set up a steady chant in his head, in time with the rush of blood in his head and his cock.

Her hair was so soft. His hands tightened through the strands. He used his grip in her hair to tilt her head back further, kissed her more deeply. Maybe he was pushing her too hard, too fast, then he’d lose her…but then she moaned against his mouth. Yes. His cock twitched in response.

She was hot. He knew that, but this one small kiss blew him away. Sex had always been purely physical to him before, like lifting weights—going through the motions and at the end reaping the payoff. His body responded like usual now, but there was something else going on. He felt like he had the first time he had walked into his dojang, the school—almost reverent. What the hell was happening to him?

Overwhelmed, he forced himself to break off the kiss. He needed to get his bearings.

“Wow.” She blinked up at him, eyes shining through darkness. “That was…crazy.”

“Crazy good?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

“Yeah. Crazy good.” She smiled, and his pulse thumped in response.

His cock thumped, too, but that bastard needed a time out, before he embarrassed himself. Or worse, nailed her up against the door before she could think about refusing him.

What can I say? Abe is such a guy. He fights, he swears, and he thinks with his… *ahem*. He has a lot of making up to do after this scene, but I think even here, even so early on, there’s this chemistry, this pull that makes him want – no, need – to get closer to her. In a way, there’s something special about it, that it happens to relative strangers, because it’s a complete surprise.

To me that’s what a kiss is really about. Because it’s not a purely sexual thing, it’s not even necessary for quick sex with a stranger, but neither is it platonic. Kisses are about attraction and connection. They may have been strangers before the kiss, but after, they know each other, in that elemental, undefinable way.

If you’re interested in seeing what happens next, be sure to check out Below the Belt. It’s sexy, it’s sweet and it’s only $0.99. Here’s the blurb and the buy links:

BELOW THE BELT is a 30,000 word novella of erotic romance featuring explicit sex and graphic language. Not for those under 18 years of age or those uncomfortable with the subject matter.

Oh, and one lucky commenter will win a copy of Below the Belt. What do you think about chemistry on the first meeting or first date? Do you think it’s something that has to build gradually, or do you think sometimes you just know? Just fill out the rafflecopter and good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway and Review of The Third Son by Elise Marion

2012-02-21T00:55:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to this stop on Elise's fabulous book tour!! I have had the opportunity to review this book and I must say I enjoyed it immensely!! Let's take a look at the book details but stay tuned for details about how you can win a copy of this fabulous book!!!

Title: The Third Son (Kings of Cardenas, Book 1)
Author: Elise Marion
Publisher: Self
Length: 113,000 words
Sub-Genres: Historical, Mystery/Thriller, Suspense
VBT Dates: Feb 13-Feb 22

AVAILABLE AT:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Third-Son-Kings-Cardenas-ebook/dp/B005P8BK6K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326667972&sr=1-1

BLURB:

Rake. Rogue. Scoundrel. Each of these words has been used to describe Damien Largess, youngest prince of Cardenas, most frequently by his ridiculously somber eldest brother. Damien is perfectly content to spend his days drinking at the card tables, and his nights in the bed of his scheming mistress, especially since doing these things seems to vex his high-handed brother to no end. But when he steps into a glittering ballroom on the night of his twenty-fifth birthday, the roguish young prince’s life will be forever changed.

Beautiful. Graceful. Sensual. When Esmeralda steps into the center of the King’s ballroom to perform for his youngest son’s birthday, every eye in the room is glued to the tall, lithe Gypsy dancer. One pair of eyes seems to burn straight through her, and though she has worked endlessly to shield her heart, she finds her defenses slowly slipping away in the presence of the handsome prince. She cannot resist his devastating charm, nor is she immune to the earth shattering desire in his kiss. As she falls rapidly under his spell, Esmeralda dares to hope for a future she would never have thought possible.

With a deadly plot against the royal family surrounding him in danger and intrigue, Damien will face a decision he never thought he would have to make. Would he step up to claim a responsibility that should never have fallen to the third son? Or will he abandon it to risk all for love?

EXCERPT:

“Tell me about that thing you were looking into earlier.”Damien stood and grabbed the long black instrument from the balcony rail. “This? You’ve never seen a telescope before?” He smiled when she shook her head again. “My father told me about them,” she said wistfully, thinking of the stories her father used to tell her of his travels. “I’ve never seen one in person though.” “Well, allow me to demonstrate how it works,” he said handing her the portable telescope and pointed out various constellations. Esmeralda noticed the way his face softened and his eyes lit up as he showed her each cluster of stars and the history behind them.

“I would not have guessed that you were interested in something as intellectual as astronomy.” Esmeralda regretted the words the moment she said them. She had not wanted to offend him. But he merely shrugged and returned the telescope to its case.

“It is not common knowledge,” he said, rejoining her on the chaise. “My less reputable hobbies are more known than my intellectual ones. I have several telescopes, of varying sizes and for different purposes, kept in the observatory in the east wing of the palace. My personal library contains several volumes on astronomy, poetry, botany, and biology.”

“The rumors I’ve heard about you make you seem so superficial,” she said, unable to believe that this man before her who spoke so eloquently of science and poetry could be the same drinking, gambling rakehell she’d heard so many stories about. “How is it that no one seems to know of your many other interests?”

“That is mostly my fault,” he admitted, toying with his signet ring to keep from touching her skin. “I have kept these interests mostly to myself, though my family and servants know of them. Publicly though, I have only allowed people to see one side of me.”

Esmeralda nodded. “I know exactly what you mean,” she said sincerely. “Being a Gypsy who dances in a tavern gives people certain ideas about me all the time.”

Damien knew he was guilty having misguided thoughts of his own about her. “Yes but you are innocent, where I am not. People have the right idea about me.”

“Then why don’t you change it?”

Damien shrugged. “Because for all the gossip that exists about me, people are more concerned with the heir to the throne than with me. Lionus will be king, Serge will be general of Cardenas’ military, and I will be the third son. No one really expects much from me.”

“But surely you must want more than that? To be known as more than just the last son?”

It was like she had read his mind, Damien thought. How could she have known of his desire for a more fulfilling life?

“Of course I want more. It is just that no one has ever expected anything of me, and so I’ve never expected anything from myself.”

“But there must be something,” she prodded.

“I have often thought of founding a university, perhaps even naming it for my father.”

Esmeralda smiled, and her entire face nearly glowed. Damien felt that smile tugging at his insides, twisting at his heart. “That’s a wonderful idea!” she said, her excitement contagious, sparking something in him now that he had given voice to his dream. “I see no reason why you shouldn’t do just what you’ve said.”

Damien studied her face, illuminated by the pale moonlight. “You are a marvel,” he said softly, cupping her cheek with his hand. He had resisted long enough, the urge to touch her had finally overcome his will. “Such freshness and passion,” he murmured, reaching up to slide the white cap from her head. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders; the scent of jasmine grew even stronger. She stiffened slightly when he leaned toward her, but relaxed when he pressed his face to her thick locks and inhaled. “That fragrance is intoxicating.”

“My mother makes perfumes and soaps,” she said. Or at least she thought she said it aloud. Damien brushed his lips lightly up her neck, moving up over her chin, and finding her lush mouth. The moment his lips touched hers, she was lost.

He swept her swiftly into his arms and crushed her against him, molding her body against his from chest to hip. Though his hold on her was tight and fierce, his lips moved with surprising softness over hers. He took her mouth slowly, trying carefully not to overwhelm her with his growing ardor. He clenched a handful of her hair and tugged gently, slanting her head back to gain better access to her mouth.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding achingly over hers, arousing feelings she never thought could exist low in her belly. Heat suffused through her, spreading from her middle until she was hot all over. Her hands rested on his chest, tingling at the feel of his corded muscles beneath her fingers. He brought his hands to her waist, so slender he could nearly span the width of it with his large hands. He slid his hands slowly upward over her ribcage, his fingertips lightly brushing her breasts. She sighed into his mouth and arched her back unknowingly, her body responding before her mind could rationalize what she was doing. He lowered his head, showering her neck and shoulders with kisses, working his way steadily downward. His hand cupping one breast jolted her senses, sending her blood rushing rapidly through her veins.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As a child I always had my nose in a book. From R.L. Stine to Chronicles of Narnia to The Babysitter's Club and Sweet Valley High, I read it all. When I started Junior High and found out that the school library had over 400,000 books, my goal was to read every single one! Of course I didn't achieve that particular goal, but I sure had fun trying! In high school I developed a talent for writing and discovered romance. Needless to say I combined my love for both and am now a published Indie author. After almost a year of peddling my book from agent to agent with no success I decided that my work was good enough despite the constant rejection. That's when I discovered the world of indie publishing through e-books. I couldn't have made a better decision than stepping out on faith and doing something for myself instead of waiting around for someone else to do it for me.

A litle bit more about me: My husband Kevin and I have been married for 4 years and have two beautiful children, Haley (4) and Gavin (4 months). We are a military family, which means I spend a lot of my time alone with two children. People often ask me how I deal with the military life. I simply say, someone's got to do it, right? I am proud of my husband for serving his country.
When I'm not reading (which is almost always) or writing (I try to every day), I am watching movies (which I love), cooking (which I love even more) or watching someone else cook on TV (love me some Paula Deen). I have been singing my entire life and enjoy being my church's choir every Sunday. My large, extended family is close and means the world to me.

Website: www.elisemarion.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elisemarion86

Twitter: @elise_marion

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/elise_marion

Email: elisemarionwrites@yahoo.com

My Review:

Damien was the third son. He was not defined with a role and saddled with endless responsibilities as were his two older brothers. He did as he pleased. Yes, he was the womanizing bad boy with the looks and charm, that his older brother constantly frowned upon because of his reckless behavior. He supposed that he really should try to clean up his act, but it was such fun irritating his oldest brother. Being the baby did come with many privileges, the best of which was the unlimited amount of freedom. The truth was Damien had grown rather weary and lonely with his lifestyle, but was unsure of just how to fix it. Fate, it seems, was willing to help push him in an entirely unexpected direction. It all began with a simple dancer at his birthday party whose eyes were branded in his memory for all time.

Esmeralda had a wonderful and free life. Even though her gypsy life was a little at odds with what was considered the norm of her race because her father decided to settle down, Esmeralda loved her family and the club she had help to establish. A terrible accident had robbed her of her father among other things and his loss was a constant stabbing pain in her heart. But love seemed illusive in her life. Her childhood best friend had an extreme crush on her but she felt only brotherly love in return. She longed for the passion and heat that once upon a time her parents had known. But when she spotted Damien sitting in her club, all thoughts of never finding that special someone fled.

This was quite an interesting read!! Though the main part of the book focuses on Damien and Esmeralda, fate seems to throw them quite a cruel hand. The sub-plots in this story are well thought out and leave you quite in the dark about what is really going on in the castle. Esmeralda's grandmother was my favorite character in the book. She had an old-world cryptic way about her and was a genuine fortuneteller to boot!! This story had a piece of a few of my favorite books inside, which made this book all the more enjoyable. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!! In fact this review was the only reason I haven't dived into it yet!! I really enjoyed this book!!

So what do you have to do to win a copy of this fabulous book? Just fill out the raffelcopter below!! Good luck and dont forget to check out the rest of the book tour: http://cblspromotions.blogspot.com/2012/01/vbt-kings-of-cardenas-books-one-and-two.htm

a Rafflecopter giveaway

First Kiss and Giveaway with author Russell Bittner

2012-02-19T23:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday my delightfully decadent subscribers. Today I have Russell with me and we are going to be talking about his latest lavishly erotic book Trompe-l'oeil. I'm also going to share with you an excerpt from the book with includes the first f**k as well. No, I haven't decided to change the theme just yet..lol...that was just my way of warning you!! So let's take a look at the book details and get ready to dive into the decadence :)

Why would a woman entering middle age--attractive, sexy, articulate, imaginative, intelligent, charming, charismatic, wealthy and successful in almost every aspect of her life--knowingly give up the only thing missing from that life: namely, love? And love with a younger man she meets serendipitously not once, but three times--and whose appreciation of her quickly grows from mere physical attraction to adoration and then to obsession? The riddle from start to finish is perhaps to be found in the word "knowingly." The answer to that riddle? Revealed only in the final chapter.

DANEKA SØRENSEN is a Danish transplant to NYC, where she manages her life from an Upper East Side apartment building by night and from the top floor of a mid-town skyscraper by day--ostensibly, all under tight control. KIT ADDISON is a fashion photographer with a sideline penchant for flora and poetry who lives on the Lower East Side. The distance between them, however, is about much more than a mere hundred city blocks.

In Chapter One, serendipity brings Daneka and Kit together for the first time as both are exiting the Columbia campus--she from a poetry class in which she dabbles once a week, he from Philosophy Hall in which he labors days and nights without respite. This first encounter is both poetic and philosophical--but too hot to be captured in a mere haiku, too impulsive to be squeezed into an imperative, moral or historical, for either of them. At the start of Chapter Two, already eleven years later, they--or rather his camera and the front bumper of her limousine--meet a second time on a zebra crossing. Her search for a photographer for a special project (too hot and too imperative for any of the more than competent staff of a major magazine of which she is the Managing Editor) leads to a third serendipitous meeting. What follows these three meetings is, in the coming weeks, a game of cat and mouse--until, that is, their affair becomes such that "it seemed as if they might engulf each other in this single, ferocious act, like tigers chasing their own tails and slowly churning, turning, burning into butter."

Their affair takes them from New York to Paris, to the coast of Portugal, to Rome and Positano, Italy, to the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, then back to New York City. What they discover about each other in those few weeks is more than most people discover in a mate or lover over a lifetime. The exploration is an erotic Elysian field, but also a psychological inferno.
What gradually comes to light in the space of two continents and one return transatlantic flight is that, while love's bite may initially be sweet, the aftertaste may be exceedingly bitter--when not downright nauseating.

nauseating.

Teaser Exceprt:

As he started out from Philosophy Hall towards the subway entrance at 116th and Broadway, he was tired - of arguing, certainly, but also of the rules of argumentation. He heaved heavy eyes towards a logic-free heaven, then let them sink back down to earth - finding nothing of Quine's quiddities there to help, but suddenly seeing her as she exited from Lewisohn. He carried a well-thumbed Schopenhauer. She, he saw, carried only herself and a sheaf of papers - though both exceedingly well.

He continued walking towards the subway - watching, then sensing, that her footsteps might now be nudging the continents towards some sublime, quixotic shift. As the two of them emerged from under the arches, he saw a limo standing in a No Standing zone. Her driver also stood - holding open, with a servant's hand and salute, the back door.
She ducked down to enter and caught her mink on the handle; a few papers went flying. He came up quickly behind her; picked one up; recognized the comely shape of verse; read the header and the first two lines:

They Know I Did It

In turns, we're heir to nightmares;

and so, debauched of dreams.

He paused as he considered what he might've just stumbled upon: another Sappho-in-the-making; a masked poetess.

Masked, in-the-making, and in mink - hence, a minx, he thought as he gave the piece back with a single word of acknowledgment - "Provocative" - and accidentally touched her glove in the hand-off. She thanked him soundlessly with only a flicker of her lips, though eyes aided and abetted - and not just a little.

Nice mouth - she thought.

The quad lay behind him; the MTA in front. A turnstile to any torch show in Manhattan was his for the pushing - until, that is, he caught the scent of something like perfume; heard a sound on concrete no sneaker could make; glanced back and understood, in an instant, how easily even heathens could hallelujah when an angel heaved up on a pair of spike heels.

He pretended to fumble with his transit card - which, at his age, was first blush, second nature. Pretending? He still lacked the catechism for it. She, meanwhile, stood at the kiosk attempting to purchase a subway token. An opportunity, he thought - as purchasing subway tokens was clearly not her kind of shopping. But then it suddenly fell upon him like spring rain: perhaps she was no better at pretending than he was, even if one thing was now perfectly clear: fumbling was not her forte.

"Fuck it," he pretended to say as he turned away from the turnstile and started out towards the stairway on the opposite side of Broadway.

"Fandens også!" was the collision of consonants and odd vowels he heard her whisper as he saw a hand slip back through mink and drop the two bills - though he would've known nothing of the syllables, much less of the sexy little accent. Lights on this scene in any case went to dark as he hit the exit.

When he came back up and turned the corner, it was to a set of sun's rays retiring over Riverside. She came up after him and immediately claimed her turf with a single stiletto heel while perusing the panorama - real lighthouse-like. Sending a beacon out in search of lost sailors, however, was not a couch this Siren could get cozy on, as she was more accustomed to being the shoal on which they crashed. And the clean-up? Somebody else's problem.

She finally saw him walking much too cavalierly down 116th in the direction of the park; studied his walk; then mimicked it - staying a frivolous fifty paces behind. He leaned up against the wall of a building, fumbled with a cigarette. She leaned up against her own piece of wall, took out her own cigarette. He flicked at something frantically. She slipped out a Dunhill 18-carat gold-enameled; pressed down gently on the lever; let the electrons do the heavy lifting.

She inhaled, then let the smoke flow back out. Charming as a bounty of church bells chiming 'Glory Borealis' he thought as he caught her exhalation out of the corner of his eye.

He, she noticed, was still flicking. She advanced and extended the Dunhill. He looked briefly into a pair of cool emerald greens, then back at the lighter; cupped his hands 'round while letting one thumb rest an instant upon her glove; took the fire and inhaled.

"Thanks," he said.

"Pas de quoi," she answered.

He lost the momentum of the exchange - though only for an instant. "Vous êtes-?"

"Just teasing," she sniffed as she put the cigarette between her lips and inhaled, then let the smoke stream back out through flared nostrils. Gentle as a riptide, he thought, his brain now just a commotion of molecules. Beautiful and Baudelairian - he also thought, but couldn't say, as he was now just a bashful mass of feet and no mouth.

She, in the meantime, grew bored - and glanced down at his carry-on luggage: The Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason.

Perhaps - she thought - I could throw him a starter kit. "How many squares would a square root wreck if a square root wrecked for a reason?"

Not only beautiful, he thought as he looked up, but -.

They both exhaled simultaneously. Perfect timing, she thought. Much better than sufficient reason.

For the next minute, they exchanged only smoke and stares. He then dropped his cigarette and stamped it out. She dropped hers, kicked it in his direction. He looked down; got a fix on its location; looked back up as he squashed it. Lids dropped like a last curtain call on a pair of prominent cheekbones, Danish-cut. The time for dallying, he thought, is done.

"Wanna chuck wood?"

"Sure," she said. "Let's chuck."

He grabbed her hand and moved. The sun, now a mere palimpsest over the Palisades, drew them in the direction of Jersey, just across the Hudson - and about a million miles away.

At Riverside, he sought a shady spot. Moonbeams can be murder on a mink, he thought. He found a maple, looked for moths - spotted a pair and told 'em to scram - then probed for rough spots before leaning her back against the bark. The curtsy of her coat suggested that rough spots - like moths - were now on the run. Her own sigh confirmed it.

"Te-tell me-" he stuttered.

"Show me," she countered. The stop, he thought, was drop-dead glottal.

He reached under her coat, then let his hand rise slow as sizzle on a hotplate along the inside of her thigh as she rotated. Like a pirate on a picnic, he felt a tremor, paused, waited till it had subsided; then eased his hand on up until it met with an impasse of pure silk.

He was now Marco Polo, but also Kepler, Copernicus and Galileo. He'd found the road to China - but was about to blow it off for a date with the Milky Way.

Like a lonely reverend, he pulled the silk aside, unzipped and slipped in. He'd surely fry - but he had the rest of his life and then some to contemplate how hot the coals. Now, however, he bowed his head to the nape of her neck, inhaled, found tiny hairs with his lips, and touched the salt of her skin with the tip of his tongue.

The sight, feel, smell and taste of her sent his synapses into overdrive, while his cortex collapsed in a smooth smolder. She'd burned her way in - and the memory would forever after stick to him like a brand.

So how can you score a copy of this book? Just answer Russell's question: "What defines an 'erotic novel' (versus a novel with erotic content, but which is really about much more than erotica)?" and fill out the rafflecopter form!!

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Trompe-l'oeil by Russel Bittner

2012-02-19T23:15:00.001-08:00

Why would a woman entering middle age--attractive, sexy, articulate, imaginative, intelligent,

Why would a woman entering middle age--attractive, sexy, articulate, imaginative, intelligent, charming, charismatic, wealthy and successful in almost every aspect of her life--knowingly give up the only thing missing from that life: namely, love? And love with a younger man she meets serendipitously not once, but three times--and whose appreciation of her quickly grows from mere physical attraction to adoration and then to obsession? The riddle from start to finish is perhaps to be found in the word "knowingly." The answer to that riddle? Revealed only in the final chapter.

DANEKA SØRENSEN is a Danish transplant to NYC, where she manages her life from an Upper East Side apartment building by night and from the top floor of a mid-town skyscraper by day--ostensibly, all under tight control. KIT ADDISON is a fashion photographer with a sideline penchant for flora and poetry who lives on the Lower East Side. The distance between them, however, is about much more than a mere hundred city blocks.

In Chapter One, serendipity brings Daneka and Kit together for the first time as both are exiting the Columbia campus--she from a poetry class in which she dabbles once a week, he from Philosophy Hall in which he labors days and nights without respite. This first encounter is both poetic and philosophical--but too hot to be captured in a mere haiku, too impulsive to be squeezed into an imperative, moral or historical, for either of them. At the start of Chapter Two, already eleven years later, they--or rather his camera and the front bumper of her limousine--meet a second time on a zebra crossing. Her search for a photographer for a special project (too hot and too imperative for any of the more than competent staff of a major magazine of which she is the Managing Editor) leads to a third serendipitous meeting. What follows these three meetings is, in the coming weeks, a game of cat and mouse--until, that is, their affair becomes such that "it seemed as if they might engulf each other in this single, ferocious act, like tigers chasing their own tails and slowly churning, turning, burning into butter."

Their affair takes them from New York to Paris, to the coast of Portugal, to Rome and Positano, Italy, to the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, then back to New York City. What they discover about each other in those few weeks is more than most people discover in a mate or lover over a lifetime. The exploration is an erotic Elysian field, but also a psychological inferno.

What gradually comes to light in the space of two continents and one return transatlantic flight is that, while love's bite may initially be sweet, the aftertaste may be exceedingly bitter--when not downright nauseating.

My Review:

The human psyche has quite often fascinated me. It bends, compromises, breaks, and more often than not, punishes itself. How often have you witnessed a behavior or peculiar habit and thought why does he/she do that? Daneka, one of our main focal points in this lavishly erotic tale, has several such habits that are quite fascinating. She is a complex and utterly fascinating character that tries to escape her past by locking her dark secrets away. Unfortunately, our past helps shape us, for good or bad, and always finds a way to break through to the surface. Such is the case in her dealings with Kit. Her carefully erected facade begins to chip away under his continual presence and uncontrollable emotions tumble forth. Emotions, that Daneka has been able to bury and deny the existence of. She chooses instead to concentrate instead on sensations, and uses her erotic dabblings as an outlet.

This story is about their romance. It takes you through their first erotic encounter, to the next professional one, and through the downward spiral of their relationship. This book is an exceedingly volatile roll-coaster ride through the erotic decadence in which their relationship springs forth. Their passion burns hot, and their sexual encounters throughout their travels are each more sensually erotic than the last. But complexity that makes Daneka's character so fascinating, could be the breaking point in the relationship. As worldly as Kit seems to be, Daneka brings a whole other edge, to which in my opinion, proves too much for Kit to handle. Communication is such a fragile thing but it is completely necessary for the growth into something more. Can these two characters climb out of their heads and bring to the table the necessary attributes needed to make this love affair last?

This was a fascinating read. It was erotically off the charts and gives you a taste of the darker side of passion. I enjoyed this book even though many parts of it made me sad. It also makes you reconsider some situations in your own past, and how you may view them differently now. The full picture can be heartbreaking. I'm glad, in the end, that I was able to review this book. I look forward to reading more from this author.

First Kiss with author Jaye Frances

2012-02-19T01:07:00.005-08:00

Good Morning my decadent and delightful viewers!! Today I am pleased to have with me author Jaye Frances, who is sharing a first kiss and the book info on her latest The Kure. Take it away Jaye!!

Thank you, Nikki, for including me in “First Kiss” on Close Encounters With The Night Kind. What a terrific concept! In my new paranormal/occult romance novel, The Kure, the main characters, John Tyler and Sarah Sheridan, share their first kiss in a most unexpected situation. It happens when they’re caught in the fury of a violent storm while attempting to perform a forbidden ritual from the ancient book, the Kure.

Here’s an excerpt:

From the moment the elements had turned violent, John had wanted to move Sarah and Beth out of danger. Yet his salvation was here, falling all around him, if he could keep Beth on her feet long enough to run with him for a few steps.

“John, you’ve got to hurry,” Sarah warned. “The light, it’s changing.”

He shielded his eyes and looked up. She was right. The clouds were moving again, closing like a heavy black curtain over the moon.
Sarah pushed hard at their backs. “You’ve got to go. Now!”
John took a step, pulling Beth along with him, knowing he would eventually have to force her into a run. After a few short strides, he tried to increase the pace, but Beth was already laboring in the thick sludge, unable to keep up. Still drunk and unsteady, she began to pull back, begging John to slow down.
“You’ve got to keep up,” John yelled. “We have to keep moving.”
Beth tottered on flagging legs. “I can’t! You’re going too fast.”
He could feel her hand slipping away.
Sarah caught her cousin by the shoulders. Ever since pushing them forward, she had remained at Beth’s side. “Stay up with John. You have to run, you’ve got to—”
She stopped, her words suffocating in a rush of dark water.
Dark water.
She looked up, squinting into the driving rain, searching for the moon. Only a sliver remained, and it was swiftly fading behind the thickening web of the storm. In seconds, it was gone.
“We’ve lost the light,” John shouted. “It’s over. We have to get inside.”
Sarah’s eyes flashed in defiance, her voice resolute. “We can’t give up now. The clouds will blow over and the moon will come back. We just have to wait for it.”
Given the choice, John would have endured the worst that nature could offer before denying Sarah. But the power of the cure had been swallowed by the convulsing sky. He had to move both girls to safety. He drew her close. “No, Sarah, listen to me. It’s too dangerous. Take Beth’s arm and help me get her inside.” “But we’ve seen it,” Sarah argued. “We need to try one more time.”
He knew her insistence was for his benefit, but the night had become a violent maelstrom, and he would not forsake his promise to protect her. “Sarah, I can’t let anything happen to you. Not now, not ever! I made a vow. To keep you safe.” She started to speak, but John brought a finger to her lips, stopping her. Even through the punishing torrent, he could see her disappointment. He brushed the water from her cheek and she instinctively closed her eyes, as though wanting to feel nothing but his touch. It happened in the middle of a raging tempest, with John naked and shivering in the cold. It happened with the wind at Sarah’s back, the rain pelting them so hard John could only hope she would feel his caress. As he brought his lips to hers and let them linger, he let it all in, wanting to remember the moment forever. They separated slowly. John waited for Sarah to open her eyes before pointing to Beth. Sarah nodded and without further argument, swiftly moved to her cousin’s side. Looking toward the main house, John searched for the huge landmark. But the mansion had vanished in a sea of rain. He turned back to Sarah and shouted. “We’ll each take an arm. You’ll have to lead. I can’t see the house or the barn.” Sarah nodded. “We’ll start off slowly to keep Beth from falling. Get a good grip, she’s covered in—”

A hundred yards away, a massive bolt of white fire erupted from the ground. Later, Sarah would argue that it had been a simple coincidence, while John would continue to wonder if their persistent defiance against the elements had exceeded the limits of some unknown constraint of the spell. Regardless of cause, the storm would no longer tolerate their presence, and it raised its angry voice in a stark display of dominance and power.

Here’s a brief synopsis:

Although initially rejecting the vile and sinister rite, John realizes, too late, that the ritual is more than a faded promise scrawled on a page of crumbling paper. And as cure quickly becomes curse, the demonic text unleashes a dark power that drives him to consider the unthinkable—a depraved and wicked act requiring the corruption of an innocent soul.

Ultimately, John must choose between his desperate need to arrest the plague that is destroying his body, and the virtue of the woman he loves, knowing the wrong decision could cost him his life.

Jaye Frances was born in the Midwest and grew up surrounded by traditional values and conservative attitudes (which she quickly discarded). She readily admits that her life’s destination has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things irreverent, and she invites visitors to her website with a friendly caveat: “Be forewarned, my life has not followed the traditional path of homemaker, wife, and mother.” When she’s not consumed by her writing, Jaye enjoys cooking, traveling to all places tropical and “beachy” and taking pictures—lots of pictures—many of which wind up on her website. She lives on the central gulf coast of Florida, sharing her home with one husband, six computers, four cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes.

For a limited time, read “The Kure” for only $.99 (kindle version)

I always spend the last few days of December reviewing my writing plan for the coming year—to determine what’s going to receive priority and how I will budget my time to make sure I get it done. During one of those planning sessions, I noticed my husband was also putting a few goals together for the new year. When I asked him to tell me about his “resolutions,” he said that one of them was to read more, especially books that fall outside his favorite genres, “just to see what else is out there.” We began to talk about how many more people are now reading books of all kinds, primarily due to increased availability and choice of low-cost eBooks for the kindle and nook. I often see comments from readers who decided to try a particular author’s work because it was ninety-nine cents, or in some cases, free. Then my husband asked an interesting question: “Why don’t you offer some kind of promotion to encourage more people to read The Kure, with the idea that they’ll be more inclined to read the book if you temporarily lower the price?” I really had to think about this one, but after realizing it might motivate a few more folks who are not familiar with The Kure to take a look, I decided to do it. I’m calling it “Resolve To Read”, and it’s going on right now. The kindle version of The Kure can be purchased for ninety-nine cents on Amazon. So if you were planning on buying a kindle version anyway, why not take advantage of the “Resolve To Read” promotion and save two bucks?

My website is: http://www.jayefrances.com

My blog is: http://blog.jayefrances.com

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12718447-the-kure

My Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jaye-Frances-writer/171415992923563

Links for The Kure on Amazon and BN:

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Kure-Jaye-Frances/dp/1466262966/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317073140&sr=1-1
BN:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the-kure-by-jaye-frances?keyword=the+kure+by+jaye+frances&store=ebook
Thanks for stopping by Jaye!! Be sure and check out her Resolve to Read program for yourselves!!

First Kiss with Nandi (Nanny) Berry

2012-02-17T23:41:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to announce that I have my friend and fellow blogger joining me today for my first kiss event!!!! Nanny is the author of a kick-ass blog called Getting Naughty Between the Stacks :) Stop by and check out her blog : http://gnbstacks.blogspot.com/ Stop by and say Hi if you have a chance. Nanny always has some smokin hot authors and reads over there. Today she has agreed to talk about her newest book release and guess what? You can get it for free!! Let's take a look:

Through His Stomach By Nandi Berry

Free on Smashwords

Buy link- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132866

Blurb:Through His Stomach is a Valentine Short Story.

People say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
Becki's first love has always been food. Her second love treats her like she's his little sister. Deciding to take and seduce Paul into realizing she isn't just his best.friend little sis. Becki uses her first love to catch her second.
Warning: this book contains inappropriate use of chocolate, and will make you hungry... for food and possibly other things.
Bonus: At the end of the book are two recipes for chocolate body paint.

Excerpt:

Paul drew in a sharp intake of breath. He knew he should back up, yet he didn't. Even as his cock began to press against his jeans. Becki shifted in front of him, this time actually rubbing against him. He looked at her, as she peeked over her shoulder. He watched unable to look away as her pink tongue darted out licking a dollop of dark gooey chocolate off the spoon. A mischievous smile graced her luscious lips. Damn it she was actually trying to seduce him. He'd seen that sparkle in her eye, one too many times. Ben was going to kill him, but by God he was going to earn his pummeling. Becki licked her lips. “Want a taste?” Yes he wanted to taste her lips, her neck. He wanted to removed all her clothes and taste every inch of her body. Not trusting his voice he nodded. Dipping the spoon in the bubbling chocolate she pulled it back out and blew on it. Turning she held the up to him. Two could play her little game. A shocked look crossed her face as he pulled the spoon from her fingers. Her eye's widened as he dabbed her lips with chocolate. Her breath hitched as he went in for the kill, darting out his tongue and licking it off her mouth. Then pressed his lips against her's turning it into a kiss. She tasted like the chocolate, with a hint of Cayenne pepper, and her own unique flavor. She whimpered as he pulled away. “Delicious.” Reaching behind her he turned the burner under the pan off.She smiled, her lips red and plump from the kiss. “So it's true the best way to a guys heart is through his stomach.” Paul chuckled. “You know Ben's going to kill us, right?” Becki put her arms around his neck. “I guess we should make the best of it then. Also my chocolate rocks are ruined, so we have a pan of melted chocolate to use up.”He groaned, pulling her tight against him. “Aren't you worried about our respective siblings and how they'd feel?”She frowned looking up at him. “This was Vicky's idea, she's known about my feelings for you for a long time. Ben will just have to deal. I'm more worried about how you feel.”He rocked his hips against her's. “That's how I feel.”Her eyes fluttered shut as she practically purred and he felt his resolve weakening. It was hard to say no, with her pressed up against him. The idea of drizzling spicy chocolate all over her body, playing through his mind. Becki looked up at him, pulling back she plucked the spoon from his hand. “I'll have you covered in chocolate yet.”

First Kiss and Giveaway with The Dazzling Regan Black

2012-02-17T01:21:00.000-08:00

Hello and Welcome to CEWTNK!! I am so thrilled to have Regan with me again!! Today she is here to share an excerpt of her fabulous novel Matchmaker's Mark and the First Kiss that goes along with it!! I had the opportunity to review this fabulous novel and you can check it out here : http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com/2011/10/matchmakers-mark-by-regan-black.html
Stay tuned afterwards to see how you can win your own copy!! Regan is also participating in my blog hop and has offered 3 lucky commenters a chance to win an earring and necklace set+ her e-book, and two other great books. Click here to enter: http://www.reganblack.com/paranormal-romance-novels/a-little-naughty-is-good-for-you/. And now take it away Regan!!

This excerpt is from The Matchmaker's Mark and showcases the first passionate kiss between Lily and Dare. Lily has returned to her flower shop after her brother Cade has trashed the place fighting a werewolf who'd been holding Lily hostage:

With her sleeves rolled up to put her shop to rights, Lily had to accept her mark in all its bigger and bolder glory. Was the mark why Dare hadn't kissed her? She was sure he'd thought about it, but he'd pulled away. The mark wasn't twitching right now, thank the gods, but it was gaining color, deepening as if she was in the process of layering a tattoo.

Everyone around her had their thing and seemed comfortable with it. Cade and Dare had the Elite Guard. The werewolf had growling and intimidation. She had flowers.

Damn that werewolf. His overbearing presence and infernal insistence that she wasn't good enough for him had put a spotlight on her perpetual solitude. Was it too much to hope for one decent boyfriend? How was she supposed to have any confidence when even a shape shifter didn't find her worthy?

Henry [the cat] strolled by, eyed her cautiously, and she wiggled her fingers with one hand while she dried her tears with the other. "I'm just being a girl," she told him. "It's not contagious." The cat turned on the purr, rubbing his face against her knee and hand. The comforting rumble and soft fur eased the ache in her heart a little.

"You know," she whispered to the cat, "I indulge in the goofiest fantasies. I saw Dare, the other elf," she clarified for Henry "and thought he might be the one." She pushed to her feet, letting the cat guide her to his food bowl.

"I know it's silly, but he's seen so much of the world, I thought maybe he'd be more open-minded about me."

Henry turned a tight circle at her feet as she poured cat food in to his bowl. "Do you know how many times I've researched these symbols and the Matchmaker legends? It's been an obsession. I need to forget about it. I'm just letting life pass me by."

Henry finished his kibble with all due haste and darted out the door, clearly unwilling to listen to more girlish nonsense.

And that's what she was indulging. Nonsense. So she had a human mom and a weird birthmark. She was done waiting for life to come to her, done being a pawn. Her shop gave her a purpose and work she loved, but she'd been waiting for Mr. Right to walk in, see her mark and say, "Hey look. I was meant for you!"

How passively pathetic.

In her mind, he'd be a tall, lean elf who could overlook her less than stellar DNA. Funny how her elf roots ruled her romantic and sexual preferences, when so many fine-enough human males had been interested. Though she'd dated, she'd always held something back from the men on this side of her life.

"No more," she muttered. I'll take a cruise, meet someone and just do the deed. That'll relieve the pressure." And if she never met the counterpart for her birthmark, she wouldn't have any regrets.

"The hell you will."

She spun, gaped at the imposing form of Dare standing just behind her, with a smug looking Henry twining between his feet.

"How? What?"

"He…fetched me." Dare's hands fisted at the thought of her 'doing the deed' with some unworthy stranger. He might not be much of an improvement on the concept, but at least he was her kind. Mostly.

He would never let her execute such a foolish plan. If she'd managed to sail away in search of… he couldn't even think it… Cade would've killed him.

"I don't see how anything about me is really your business."

"Where is Cade?"

"Out. How should I know?"

"I will stay until he returns." Dare watched as she got to her feet. Tracked her progress as she approached him, temper sparking like blue flames in her eyes. He'd never seen a more beautiful sight.

"You will not. You are not my keeper. I don't need another brother!"

"I hardly think of you as a sister." She opened her mouth again, but his blood roared in his ears. He captured her mouth with his. Gripping her arms, he dragged her closer until her breasts were crushed to his chest, the friction delightful as the breath sawed in and out of both of them.

Her mouth softened, welcoming his kiss. He reveled in her sweet taste. When her tongue boldly stroked his, he gasped, catching the scent of the roses she processed rather than the lilies she was named for.

She filled his senses, zeroed any hope of rational thought. He'd never been more grateful to be stupid.

His mouth fused with hers as his hands learned the truth of her shape, skimming over lean muscles and molding to her soft curves. Her hips, hot under his palms, were an answer to every male prayer.

But she was not for any other male.

She was for him....

website: http://www.reganblack.com

twitter: @ReganBlack

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReganBlack.fans

The Matchmaker's Mark on amazon: http://amzn.to/oQuURu

The first boy who kissed me 'romantically' made his move in Kindergarten. (Back then, our teachers and parents thought the chaste peck on my cheek in the middle of a school open house was adorable rather than sexual harassment). Decades later, when I first kissed the man I did marry, it was a blend of shock and delightful perfection. I knew he was the one for me!

As an author I love writing about kisses. From awkward to perfect, kisses can reveal so much about the characters.

As a reader, do you find yourself anticipating that scene where the characters first lock lips? And which type of kiss is your favorite: tender, possessive, or an awkward moment that turns into sigh-worthy?

Btw, there's no wrong answer to that question...so do tell!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dirty Little Secret!!

2012-02-17T00:49:00.000-08:00

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by us at Under the Covers. Every Thursday we get to know other bloggers and our readers more intimately by asking them a question hoping to reveal their dirty little secrets. We hope that you will all join us!

To participate in the meme all you need to do is:

1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image (code above) and copy instructions.
3. Answer the question we propose! This can be done in any way you like, post a video, write a post etc.
4. Then add your link below.

Non-bloggers: We want to hear from you as well!!! Let us know your answer in the comments!

We hope you join us and let us know your Dirty Little Secrets!

This week's question:

Heroes in historical romance like the extremes - the virgin hero or the rogue rake. Which of the two makes you shudder in pleasure?

I have to say the rogue rake :) I loooooove bad boys!! The harder or more tortured the man is, the more the thrill of the conquest for me!! I live through my heroines, so I like them to have a challenge!! They must have a good heart and loads of experience because lets face it ladies, only a man who knows more than me can make me shudder!!!

What are your opinions?

Winners!!!!

2012-02-17T00:39:00.000-08:00

It's that time again!! We have had some fabulous giveaways end and it's time to announce some winners!!! Yeah!! So let's see who won!!

And the winner is........JoHana H. B.!!

And the winner is.....Joanne B!!!!

And the winner of a copy of A Breach of Promise is.....Heather Chamblin!!

We have 2 winners for this hop because we have 2 prizes!!!
Julie W won a copy of The Kure!
Foretta won A World Apart!!

Thank you to everyone who entered!! I wish I could give you all a prize because you are all winners in my book!!

First Kiss and Giveaway with Xavier Axelson and a Review of his Newest Paranormal...Lily

2012-02-16T00:36:00.000-08:00

Good Morning CEWTNK!!! I know your busy hopping around the fabulous blog hop my partner and I have put together but I have a special treat for you today!! I have the wonderfully talented Xavier Axelson with me today!! * Happy Dance* I had the pleasure of hosting him the last time he toured and he agreed to come back to talk about his newest book Lily!! So here are the details of Lily before we get into Pryor and Ned's first kiss!!

Buylink:

http://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/lily-ebook-p-714

Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SY8R3kX2B0

Blurb:

When Pryor's daughter Lily is taken by a wolf, Pryor is convinced she has turned into the creature he sees lurking in his woods. He swears she promises to return to him. But is it his despair and desperation making him see things or is there something more lurking in the shadows of the forest? When he meets Ned, a silversmith who helps him with a plan to bring his daughter back into his life, he begins to live again. But can his newfound love help ease the horror that may be waiting? What if the ultimate horror isn’t when Lily was taken but it’s when Lily returns and he realizes his nightmare has only just begun...

Excerpt:

LILY

I am Lily's father, my name is Pryor. It was a year ago last Father's Day when she was taken from me. I still believe being Lily's father is the most important thing in this world.

Unfortunately, my daughter dwells in another world.
* * * * *

I glanced at the necklace. Ned's pressed close to me, but the necklace I hoped would bring Lily back to me felt closer. Ned was soft in his sleep; not the bull of a man he was when he's awake. I loved him soft and I loved him hard. It was his hardness that grounded me, that brought me in from the darkness. The necklace caught the light of the fading moon and I wondered where Lily was tonight.

The old clock on the nightstand hummed quietly; its vintage florescent glow a pale mockery of the necklace that lay beside it and yet I heard the clock, it won in that department. Time always does.

Ned moved against me, I could feel his arms pull me close, felt the bulge of his muscles, his arms thick and powerful. He had never loved a man before me. I had only loved Lily. Once she changed, I had little left to love; in fact, I was certain love had disappeared from my life all together.

The clock still hummed, never quiet; it's old and made noise as if time itself wanted us all to know that it was passing and with each minute Lily fell farther and farther into the darkness. The tears came then and at the same time Ned's cock pushed more firmly against my back. He grumbled, pulled me even tighter so that I could truly feel his penis--not hard, not entirely soft--on the edge of wanting. A tear fell and I gasped a little. Seeing the necklace; hearing the clock, feeling Ned's cock, his muscles, I fell away into him and closed my eyes.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I was," I replied softly.

"No you weren't," his voice was sleepy; distant and yet he knew things, he knew I was awake, thinking about my lost daughter.

"It's Father's Day," I answered, skipping over my lie. "Do you think she will come?" I felt him nod and nodded in return against my pillow. Another tear fell.

"Come closer," he whispered.

"How much closer could I get?"

"Closer," he said again, a growl, a grunt; there was the bull I knew.

His lips brushed on my neck, a hand on my thigh stroking, touching, pulling a sigh from my mouth. I wiped a hand across my face.

"I never get sick of touching you," he whispered wetly, his tongue tracing my ear.

Smiling, I turned in his big arms and I could feel my thoughts ease. Ned had that way about him. 'Magic arms' I called him because he had this way of holding me that made me feel completely safe and for one man to be able to do that for another was amazing.

I kissed him and was happy to discover his breath was not bad but sweet, the trace of his toothpaste before bed still there and I smiled even as I kissed him. Ned sighed gently, his cock fully hard now, urgent, pressing. I reached down and stroked him through his boxers; he was already wet. I tried to pull my tongue from his mouth but he only pulled me closer, deeper; at one point I was almost certain one of us was going to stop breathing.

He finally relented but only because I jokingly squeezed his balls a little too tightly.

"Fuck, you make me nuts," he grumbled, we both laughed at his joke.

His hand reached for my cock; I slept naked so there was no flimsy cotton between his rough hands and my skin.

"You like that?"

I nodded, I did like it, I'd thought I wouldn't ever be able to like sex again, or any intimacy after Lily disappeared.

His hands were rough but I relished his edges; he touched me as if he knew me and, after a year, I guess he kind of did.

"You want me to suck it?" His voice was hoarse with his question; there was still a shy embarrassment behind it, as if he couldn't really believe he was going to suck cock.

"What do you think?"

My response excited him. I could see it in his eyes, even in the dark; the fading moon told me just enough.

When you had a daughter like mine, you learned a lot from the moon.

Where to find Xavier Axelson:

http://www.facebook.com/xaviersaxel

http://www.twitter.com/xaviersaxel

http://www.examiner.com/la-in-los-angeles/francis-xavier

http://www.xavieraxelson.com

And now another sneak inside at their first kiss!!

Ned and Pryor’s First Kiss

Xavier Axelson

We hadn’t kissed the first time we fucked. It had been too desperate, I had been too desperate, and Ned too overwhelmed. Our meeting of tongue, teeth, and lips; lips I would know in a dark room, blindfolded, came later.

***

“Hi,” I said, trying to sound casual; but wanting him more than I could stand.

“Hi yourself,” he replied, and looked up at me from his work.

“I forgot something,” I said and moved closer to him.

“Yeah?” He half-smiled before his eyes returned to the piece of jewelry he was working on.

The closer I got the more I could smell him; my tongue darted over my lips hoping to taste Ned’s scent.

“What’d you forget?” He asked, not looking up.

Unable to stand it any longer I leaned down, jerked his chin towards me and hungrily pressed my mouth against his as if his mouth held the key to assuage my hunger.

His lips resisted at first, his body reacted; stunned, and weary.

Had Ned kissed a man before? I wondered, but the thought fell away as his mouth opened and our tongues met. I pulled him closer to me, groaned as I felt the hardness of his body, and the softness of his lips.

More, I thought as Ned grabbed the back of my head and pulled my tongue deeper into the warmth of his mouth, I want more…

Breathless, I tried to pull away, my body needing air, my heart only wanting more of him; I tried to pull away and gasped as we parted.

Ned bit my lower lip; pulled and teased me back into his oral forge. He was not just a silversmith, he was a miner; mining a cave not empty, but sleeping, neglected and damaged. His first kiss told me he would repair what was condemned, he would search out the treasure behind the loss, and the precious behind what had perished.

My Review:

Yes. This book had some incrediably hot sex scenes in it :) I was very excited when Xaiver contacted me to review this book. I absolutely loved his last book. It was full of yummy food and decadently wicked sex. But the story tied to this particular romance is heart-wrenching. Only a parent could relate to the pain and utter loss that is expressed so solemly in Pryor. His daughter was taken from him by a wolf as he helplessly watched her being dragged away. He was unable to find her no matter how frantically he searched. Lily was all he had in his life and now she was gone. The town had distanced themselves from him because of his steadfast refusal to change his story. They considered him crazy. There were no wolves reported to ever have been anywhere near the town but Pryor swore that his daughter was taken by a wolf. Not only that, but he also believed she had turned into one.

As a mother, I can absolutely empathize what Pryor was going through. The pain, longing, and helplessness expressed in the story captures you and will literally bring you to tears. Nothing can comfort you when so much is left unknown about what is going on with your child. The guilt and worry had made him practically unrecognoziable, to himself as well as others. He shut himself off from life and away from everyone he knew. Until he met Ned. Ned was like a becon of light in all of the darkness surrounding him. A solace of temporary comfort where he could just breath for a little while. But will Ned believe him? Or will he write him off as everyone else had? I enjoyed this book immensley and really really hope Xavier intends to expand on the series!!

Now for the giveaway!! For your chance to win your own copy just fill out the rafflecopter!! Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Naughty After Dark

2012-02-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first ever Naughty After Dark Blog Hop hosted by lovely and talented Natasha Blackthorne and yours truely!!

All of us naughty gals have linked up to bring you some yummy treats that will tickle...well some part of your fancy. LOL!! So what can you win here? Lets take a look at the prizes! And don't forget I have several other giveaways going on. Feel free to enter them all!!

1st Prize (Int)

A $25 dollar Giftcard

Prize 2 (US) Naughty Box

What's in my Naughty Box?

1 whip :)

1 pair of cuffs

1 blindfold

1 feather tickler

2 choice books out of Larissa Iones Demonica Series or other if you have the entire series

Prize 3 (US) Chocolate Paint LOL!! Ladies and Gents...trust me when I say, this is tons of yummy fun!!
Prize 4 (Int) Autographed Print copies of the first 2 books in The Watcher's Trilogy!

Prize 5(Int) Ebook copies of the first 2 books in The Dragon Saga:

Prize 6(Int) Nora Weston Package Ecopy

Prize 7(Int) Ecopy of The Willing

And as a special treat CS Splitter's first book in this series, The Reluctant is free on Amazon!!!
Click here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Reluctant-Crayder-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004VS751O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329281756&sr=8-1

So all you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter form!! Stay Naughty and good luck!! And don't forget to ceck out the rest of these great blogs!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

First Kiss with author Karice Bolton

2012-02-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

Yes...I will be yours!! Hello CEWTNK!! Today I have the fabulous author Karice Bolton to share not only her characters first kiss, but her awesome new series as well!! Take it away Karice:

Thank you so much to Nikki for allowing me to provide a guest post! In honor of all things in the kiss category, I thought it would be fun to provide an excerpt from Awakening between Ana and Athen.

A little snippet about me, and why I find it so fun to write at least a few romance scenes in most everything I write is because I married my H.S. sweetheart. I totally believe that falling for people hard and fast isn’t a bad thing. It might not be for everyone, but it worked for me (many moons ago)!! So for this series, I thought it would be intriguing to dive into long lost loves, memory loss, fallen angels, and battling for it all in The Watchers Trilogy. As the titles kind of allude Awakening has more romance, Legions has romance and lots of battles, and Cataclysm has a lot of both!! Cataclysm will be out in the Spring!! I hope you fall for Athen as much as I did while writing about him and Ana.

I’d love to hear about your first smooch in the comments section below – whether it was hysterical, out of this world, or completely forgettable!

Thanks again and hope to hear from you!

Alone in snowy, remote Whistler village, Ana tries to build a new life since losing her parents. With a cozy condo, a sweet-faced bulldog and an evening job to leave the days free for the slopes, life slips into a great routine. If only she could shake the guilt for not remembering anything about her parents and banish the night terrors that haunt her every dream.
On a whim, Ana goes out with Athen, a guy she's just met in the Grizzly Pub... The only problem is that she feels like she already knows him.

Within 48 hours of meeting Athen and his family, Ana's world implodes. She falls for Athen quickly and before she knows it, a past life begins to resurface. As thrilling as the revelations appear at first, she fights against the chilling information that Athen is from the underworld. Soon she begins to struggle as her own supernatural gifts are slowly unveiled, and she realizes that the nightmares she's been having might be premonitions and not dreams at all.
It is up to Ana to decipher between fact and fiction before it is too late, and her new love, Athen, follows in her same fate - one that is lost between two worlds.

Excerpt from Awakening:

I walked over and grabbed his hands. We settled down on the floor and held each other. It was wonderful, and for once I wasn’t being overly eager. I was eating up every second of what the afternoon had in store for me. I knew tonight would be the night. Like he said, the other times weren’t right. Tonight would be perfect. I was going to let him be in charge. We spent hours laughing, catching up on memories I had no recollection of. I was so intrigued to hear details about my life.

Athen wanted to walk the beach, and I thought that sounded wonderful. I quickly got dressed and met him in the kitchen where he was preparing a plate of smore’s ingredients. That made me chuckle.

“What are you giggling about?” He asked.

“Nothing. Sometimes it seems too perfect. Like I am in a coma and will wake up at the worst moment.”

“Nope. We belong together. Besides when you are together for as long as we have been, you don’t sweat the small stuff. That’s what people always get caught up in, but stretched over our lifetimes, most things are pretty inconsequential.”

He grabbed the skewers, the Ziploc baggies full of goodies, and my hand as we left out the back door. I hadn’t really gotten to visit the beach since I arrived.

I never noticed from the house, but they had little solar lights on the trail down to the beach, which was nice especially with my lack of coordination. The beach was amazing, not the typical sandy beaches that are on postcards, but rather shiny, multicolored pebbles with patches of sand and boulders encasing the path. Athen brought me to the largest patch of sand. Enough for a picnic or maybe sunbathing, not that there is ever that much warmth, I thought to myself. I looked over to the right and saw the ferry heading back to Edmonds, how special this place was. I was extremely lucky to be a part of it. The sun was gently saying its goodbyes for the evening, and I scanned the beach for Athen. Finally I spied him behind me gathering pieces of wood. I was wondering if it was for a bonfire or for a backup at the house. The twilight hours were so mind numbingly beautiful that it was easy to forget the chill that was hovering in the air.

“What are you doing? Is there anything I can help with?”

“I am about to start a fire. It’ll only take a second. I think I got it handled.” He said beaming. I noticed how proud he was whenever he did something to make me happy. My insides immediately warmed. I felt so special, so very lucky.

“Oh yeah, the smores! How could I forget? I think I must be a little antsy.” I laughed.

“Can’t imagine what for.” He said with his eyes reflecting the moonlight that was beginning to show itself.

I sat on the blanket near the fire, purely in awe of everything. As the sun drifted away, we were left with nothing but darkness. The gentle lapping of the waves mixed with the crackling of the fire was so soothing. I looked over at the glow as it danced in the darkness. I leaned my head against Athen, soaking up everything that this day had brought to me so far. I knew it was coming to a close. I didn’t want it to end. I looked up at Athen, wanting nothing more than him for all eternity. I knew he wanted the same.

“Thank you Athen. Thank you for everything.” Then it hit me – the beach! My dream! This was my dream - this was the beach. Heaven was about to exist. I was certain of it.

Athen stood up, grabbed me from the blanket where we were sitting and cradled me in his arms. I could feel him moving, that he was taking me somewhere, but with the darkness I wasn’t able to judge where we were going until he gently laid me down against a boulder. The coldness of the boulder mixed with the heat of my body was shocking. I looked into his eyes, with the darkness around us, I saw that his eyes had a gentle, green glow, very soft and sensual. I wondered if mine had the same. I saw the man who I had loved for centuries and would for centuries more, but at this moment in this lifetime, it was a first. He began lightly kissing my neck as I began unbuttoning his shirt. The quiet sound of the fire crackling brought me back to reality for a moment before I heard Athen begin speaking.

“Tonight’s the beginning of our eternity Ana. I will not lose you again.” His hand was lifting my sweater up, and I could feel his breath on me like never before. It hovered over every inch of my body, bringing me to a level of pleasure that I didn’t think possible. I grabbed his neck and didn’t ever want to let go. I could feel the strength of his arms as he continued to caress and kiss every inch of my body. With every crash of a wave, an insurmountable flood of desire ran through me. A love that I had longed a lifetime for was finally my reality. A partner who would carry me into eternity was finally with me. Nothing in my life was predictable any longer, and that was fine with me as long as I had Athen by my side.

My body moved rhythmically with his, never wanting this moment to end. I had tried so many times before, and Athen was right. This was the right moment. I could feel his hands gracing every part of my body with the lightest of touch as he cradled me in between him and the boulder. His kissing became more intense and passionate, stopping every so often to hold my head in his hands to look me in my eyes. I had never been more connected to him. This was perfection for me. I knew this was the life that was meant to be mine again. I grabbed his shoulders and began kissing his chest more intensely as he held me closer. He lifted me from the boulder, carrying me to the blanket that he had so carefully laid out for us near the fire. His warmth came through me again. I knew that this night would continue for as long as I wanted. I hoped the fire between us would never die down.

Doesn't this look like an amazing!! Come back soon for the review!!!!

Naughty After Dark Blog Hop

2012-02-14T20:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first ever Naughty After Dark Blog Hop hosted by yours truly and the lovely and talented Natasha Blackthorne!! All of us naughty gals have linked up to bring you some yummy treats that will tickle...well some part of your fancy. LOL!! So what can you win here? Lets take a look at the prizes! And don't forget I have several other giveaways going on. Feel free to enter them all!!

1st Prize (Int)

A $25 dollar Giftcard

Prize 2 (US) Naughty Box

What's in my Naughty Box?

1 whip :)

1 pair of cuffs

1 blindfold

1 feather tickler

2 choice books out of Larissa Iones Demonica Series or other if you have the entire series

Prize 3 (US) Chocolate Paint LOL!! Ladies and Gents...trust me when I say, this is tons of yummy fun!!
Prize 4 (Int) Autographed Print copies of the first 2 books in The Watcher's Trilogy!

Prize 5(Int) Ebook copies of the first 2 books in The Dragon Saga:

Prize 6(Int) Nora Weston Package Ecopy

Prize 7(Int) Ecopy of The Willing

So all you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter form!! Stay Naughty and good luck!! And don't forget to ceck out the rest of these great blogs!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Men are Idiots? LOL By C. S. Splitter

2012-02-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

Before the hate comments start pouring in, one of my guests today, C.S. Splitter(who wrote this post) is in fact a man!! So if he wishes to gender bash then he may!! LOL!! Take it away Splitter!!

Men are Idiots

How many times have you heard that? The thing is...it is often true. We all have our moments. Sometimes, however, being an idiot pays off. It did for me, at least.

I am the analytical sort. I look at numbers and try to see patterns. I research topics to draw conclusions. This is especially true when it comes to business and writing IS a business.

But I did not do those things before I wrote “The Reluctant.” I just got some inspiration and tried to write a good story. Had I done a little research, I would have realized that women rule the fiction market making up about 80% of the audience. If I had known that beforehand, I would have written a different book. I would have written a different series. I would have catered to what I thought women wanted in their reading.

Instead, I made my main character, Tom Crayder, a regular guy. There are no bulging muscles, no bodices being ripped, and no overt romantic gestures. I know what you are thinking: “Splitter! Not all women demand those things in their books! Even those of us who like some of that stuff have wider tastes. You are really stereotyping the female of the species.”

Err....all I am saying is that had I done my research, the numbers might have led me to those conclusions. I didn't say they would have been right. In my ignorance, I took my main character one step further: I made him a bit of a pig. He doesn't mean to be a pig, he just can't help himself sometimes. He draws wrong conclusions, let's his libido do his thinking at times, and is generally a fellow idiot.

So, I wrote a book with a male lead who has few traditional leading man characteristics AND I made him in such a way that 80% of the audience would have a hard time liking him. I told you I was an idiot.

However, what no amount of research would have shown me was that women would like Tom. More than 90% of the emails I receive are from women and, almost universally, they take on this form:

“I didn't like Tom at the beginning. That part about him considering cheating on his wife was a huge turn off.”

“I hated Lorena, the home wrecker, too!”

“By the end, however, Tom had grown on me. He reminds me of my husband/boyfriend/friend/brother/father. Finally! An honest portrayal of a man. He really is a good guy and those scenes with his wife are heartwarming. And are you going to give us more background on Lorena in the future? I really want to know more about her...”

They, whoever “they” are, say that numbers do not lie. I disagree. Numbers would not show just how diverse women's tastes in books really are. Numbers would not support having a “regular guy” as a main character. Do women read action/adventure? You bet.

Ignorance is bliss. Ignorance run wild is idiocy. I was wildly ignorant and, now, I am glad about it.

“The Reluctant,” the first book in the series, went nuts on the Amazon charts in January. Book two, “The Willing,” just came out in eBook form in November. Both of them have just been released on Amazon in print.

Did I mention that I have made “The Reluctant” free? Well, it is. Just follow the links below. Plus, we are giving away “The Willing” as an eBook today!

If you didn't win “The Willing,” I am also offering a promo price for the blog tour at Amazon. Free + $.99...I told you I was an idiot.

Splitter

Splitter's Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/splitter

SplittersWorld Blog: http://splittersworld.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002241805910

Twitter: @SplitterCS

Let's take a look at his books:

The Reluctant:

Action, adventure, suspense, and thriller in one story told with a liberal dose of humor.

Tom’s problems are not unique. His business is failing and his wife has to work too many hours to make ends meet. He is under some rather large financial pressures and wants more from his marriage and his life.

He finds his respite in the air as a private pilot. Unfortunately for Tom, he is behind on payments for his plane and is forced to take odd jobs from a local crime boss. Tom is no criminal, but the errands he is running are just slightly on the wrong side of the law and the money is almost good enough to allow him to make his plane payments.

Just as things begin to come under some semblance of control, he meets a woman who just might represent the adventure he seeks. He soon discovers that appearances, and beautiful women, can sometimes be deceiving.

“The Reluctant” is the first in the Crayder Chronicles series and yet is a stand alone story with a satisfying conclusion of its own.

The Willing:

Book Two in "The Crayder Chronicles"

How far would you go to protect your friends and family?

Tom Crayder is the All-American guy next door with a business, a wife, a son, a mortgage, and an expensive hobby. He is also a politically incorrect, wisecracking operative working for a shadowy organization dedicated to administering justice outside of a broken system. Not even his wife knows of his other life when she finds herself unwittingly involved in a drug war.

Strap in with Tom as he navigates his way through the strata of a drug cartel. Lock and load with Lorena, a hard-hearted assassin, as she lends her deadly skills to Tom’s fight for his family. Sit back to watch Tom and Lorena figure out how to work together without killing each other.

Join the rest of the cast from "The Reluctant (Crayder Chronicles)" as they pitch in to track down the hitmen that threaten their associate.

Some mysteries are solved. Some questions are answered. Some live. Some die.

Sounds great right? Well tune in for the blog hop where this book is up for grabs!!!!

First Kiss with Legend of the Inero Dragons By: J F Jenkins

2012-02-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

Hello CEWTNK~!! Today is an extremely busy day and I'm, sooo excited about everything that I am starting early!! I am a tour stop on JF Jenkins book tour, and am offering up a copy of the first and second book in the series (Lucky guys!) in a giveaway that will be posted on the blog hop page!! J F is going to share with us a first kiss excerpt which is then followed by my review! It was a great book!! Take it away JF:

THE FIRST KISS

That perfect moment where you're looking into your significant other's eyes, and all you can think about is what their lips will feel like against yours. All you want to do is know, and so you lean in, hoping they'll want it too, and BAM the first kiss happens. In the media, it's usually painted as some kind of magical moment between two people. In reality, if it's a true, first kiss, it might be kind of awkward.

Those are my favorite first kisses to watch in the movies. They're especially fun to write. In “Legend of the Inero Dragon” there is a first kiss moment. I won't give away too many spoilers but it's by far one of my favorite kiss scenes I've ever had to write. What made it so special though was the fact that it was a true first kiss. Awkward, sweet, tender, but still special. The first kiss can tell a lot about a person. I've had first kisses that missed the sparks and only had the awkward going on with none of the sweet and tender. Then I've had a first kiss that was awkward, but had the sweet and tender as well as the special.

Another first kiss that was fun to write was one for an upcoming novel I have coming out. In it, the couple who is on-again, off-again, gets back to the on-again stage. It's the kiss that tells them whether or not they need to keep being together again, or call it quits for good. Again, no spoilers, but it was fun to write something that represented such a trying and meaningful time for them both.

The kiss is powerful, the first kiss especially so. The more real and heartfelt they are, the better. There doesn't need to be violin's playing and roses involved. Things probably won't go smoothly, but if the love is there, then that's what makes the first kiss, true love's first kiss..

And now on to the good stuff!! Here is the book blurb and my review:

Twin brothers Jason and Matthias Inero are the favorite sons of the great dragon lord of fire. More often than not they get whatever they want. Matt wants to do great things for his people while Jason wants to go off and explore the world. Both can have what they desire, but not until they take a bride and enter into adulthood.

Enter Kat and Gwen, two girls from very different backgrounds. Kat is happy to leave her home when the royal guard comes to bring her to loving arms of her childhood sweetheart, Matt. Gwen on the other hand is livid to be taken from her farm only to be thrust into Jason's life, and he's not to thrilled with the idea either. They have one year to find happiness with each other, or else they will be placed at the mercy of the ruthless dragon lord Lynx. Favorite or not, dragon law must be obeyed.

As their nation begins to prepare for war against a neighboring tribe, the brothers find themselves as key components in the battle plans. A dark prophet has had a vision of Inero victory, but at what cost? Both must decide where their loyalties lie and what they're willing to sacrifice – including each other – to achieve their goals.

My Review:

This story begins with the selection of a group known as the Elite. Young girls are stripped from their parents when they come of age. This story takes us through the process by focusing on the twin boys and their chosen mates. Matt was lucky. He had met and fallen in love with Kat 5 years before the selection process even began. He could never tell Kat how he felt, what he was, or that he hoped she would be chosen as an elite so they could be together. All he could do was be there for her when she needed him and hope that through his friendship, he could gain her love. He was ready to give up everything and run away with her if she wasn't selected. His heart beat solely for her, and there was no other for him. Matt was determined to tell his father of his wishes, only to be smiled upon because his feelings for the girl were so apparent. Of course she was chosen as an elite, his father assured him. His twin Jason, however, wasn't as fortunate. He had no interest in marriage, or mating and hated having to go through this. But this was a rite of passage, and a necessity. When he entered the room and looked over the females that had been chosen, his eyes were immediately drawn to Gwen. She wasn't the most beautiful or the curviest, but she seemed to be the only one there that really didn't want to be there. It was that honest expression that drew him to her and his choice was made.

This really was quite an enjoyable book! You start off thinking the characters are all given to you at face value, good twin and not so good twin, which ends up throwing you completely off balance towards the middle of the story. The political churnings inside the book are surprising and there is a lot going on behind the scenes that is only hinted at during the book. This book leaves you wanting to dive into the next because of all the unanswered questions. It truly keeps you on your toes as far as guessing want is really in store for our characters. Its hard to say which character is being totally honest, not only with themselves, but with the others involved. I did enjoy Navi. This was the twins stepmother, and was in her own rite, a story inside of another one. I would have liked to have known more of her story. But I suspect those answers are going to be waiting for us in the next book!

First Kiss and Giveaway with author Stephen Prosapio

2012-02-13T22:46:00.000-08:00

LOL!! Happy Valentines Day Everyone!! I have with me today, for your amusement and viewing pleasure author Stephen Prosapio. He has agreed to share with us an excerpt from his newest work, along with giving away a copy of his book Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum!! Take it away Steve!!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

While much of the world focuses on new romance, I certainly think there’s a lot to be said for keeping older relationships spicy. As a writer we’re often challenged to write love/sex scenes, and they’re difficult enough when new lovers meet. What about writing those scenes where characters are involved in existing relationships? How do you/they keep things exciting?

So, in celebration of Valentine’s Day and those who keep romance in their everyday relationships, below is the rough draft of a scene I came up with for my cozy paranormal mystery novel in progress. Suggestions are welcome, but I’d really rather have a discussion on the words used/over used//rarely used/never used in various formats of fiction. For example, how exactly is a sex scene in a mystery suspense novel different from one in a romance novel? How does erotica take it to the next level?

Scene below Diego (female) has just come home from a difficult day of disappointments. Her live in boyfriend Corey is already home.

“You want to talk about it?” he asked gently.

She shook her head. “No. Not right now anyway.”

“Thank God!” He lifted his eyes to the ceiling and raised his hands in homage to an invisible deity.

“You’re. An. Asshole.” She tried desperately to say it without slanting her lips into anything that could be taken for a smile. She stared at him with mock ire, and then gave up and grinned. “Asshole,” she repeated.

“Aww, baby.” Corey made his way from the kitchen with his arms outstretched.

“No. Stay away from me.” But she made no attempt to escape the hug. She made him work for it though—a little anyway—by not hugging back.

“C’mon babe,” he said. She let herself go a little bit limp within his enveloping arms. “If you don’t want to talk about your bad day, then there’s only one way I know to relieve your stress…”

He had a point.

Their kissing started softly but matured into hot and heavy even before they reached the bedroom door. Diego let him lead her all the way to the bed. Then she turned the tables.

She slipped around him never leaving his torso. As he turned toward her, she reached and dug her fingers into the upper part of his chest, then she shoved him backwards onto the bed. She’d pushed with all her might and loved that his broad frame could take any frustration she could dish out on it.

He was already scooting upwards toward the pillows and sliding out of his jeans when she pounced on him.

“Ugh. Geez, babe.”

Diego growled and then lowered her mouth to his, pressing down hard. She could taste the salty remnants of his after-work beer. His lips enveloped and caressed hers as her tongue smothered his. The insides of her thighs gripped his hips, and she rhythmically worked him into position. He swelled to greet her. Corey broke their kiss and exhaled heated breath into and around her mouth. She needed his flesh.

Diego pulled away and lifted his shirt exposing his lean taut abs and muscular chest. Pulling it up over his face, she stopped and let it pin his arms over his head. He started to struggle it off, and that’s when she pressed herself over the tip of him. Rubbing gently and then, shoving herself around him—around it—pressing her herself down down down until he was all the way up inside her.

His eyelids fluttered; Diego felt a gush of his hot breath in her face. She began grinding herself onto him. There was no pleasant—no nice girl—word for it. Grinding. She let all her pent up frustrations from the day eke out her very pores.

Diego caught glimpse of Corey looking up at her. His eyes wide in excitement and wonder. He’d seen her aggressive before but maybe never like this. It was then that she realized she was still holding his arms to the bed in the tangled shirt.

She loved Corey. Loved what a man he was. Strong and confident but there were times where she not only needed to take him, but needed to overtake him.

Her insides were electric and treacherous; they felt like a live wire in search of a spark. She got closer and closer but wasn’t going to climax without him. She clenched herself around him and pumped in rapid purposeful succession.

“Christ!” he moaned. And she felt him give way.

She let herself go, and a wave of wet electricity spilled from her. The live wire inside zapping everything within its reach. She convulsed in excruciating pleasure and then collapsed on his sweaty flesh. Diego even allowed herself a girly coo of satisfaction. She was spent.

Outside the window, a motorcycle roared down the street. Farther off, a train rambled by. For a moment, it seemed absurd that life was continuing on as usual, as though nothing orgasmic had just taken place. Their breathing slowed to normal.

“Feeling better?” Cory asked, his voice both deep and content.

Diego sighed. “No,” she said. “Now I want to talk about it.”

Thanks for sharing that with us Stephen!! So to enter in the giveaway, just fill out the rafflecopter. Be sure to answer Stephen's question!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Barrage!! With Snowbound Valentine!!

2012-02-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!! I have a few treats for you today!! First I have this lovely book I'd like to share with you that has a yummy excerpt. Let's take a look at the book details:

Title: Snowbound Valentines (Touch of Love Anthology)

Author: JL Oiler

Publisher: Silver Publishing

Length: 176 Pages/33,431 Words (Entire Anthology)

Sub-Genres: Contemporary, Erotic, M/M/F

AVAILABLE AT:

Silver Publishing - https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/touch-of-love-anthology-ebook-p-805

BLURB:

Morgan Phelps finds herself living in a small West Virginia town after her car decided it could go no further. Thankfully, the local café needs a waitress as badly a Morgan is needing a job. Now six months later, she finds herself working the midnight shift on Valentine’s Day and as though things didn’t already suck, the weatherman has predicted a major snowstorm heading straight for them. Lucky for her, she won’t be working the late shift alone.

Trey and Christian are not only best friends and notorious ladies men, but they are also secret lovers. This dynamic duo have both been attracted to the pretty red head working at the café with them since she started and a slow valentines night and a snowstorm might be the perfect opportunity to turn their twosome into a threesome.

If cupid works his magic, these three snowbound lovers might just discover they are a perfect combination for happily ever after.

ADULT EXCERPT:

Christen came out of the back, wiping his hands on a faded blue dishtowel, as the only customer in the place finished paying at the register and departed. His dirty blond hair looked like he just climbed out of bed. The thirty-year-old fry cook drew women into the small establishment with his rugged good looks and cut muscles. Every woman in town and a few of the men seemed to venture to Molly's just for a peek. Morgan often wondered how many he gave private "cooking" lessons. He looked big, bad, and bulging like some sort of god. In fact, a tribal tattoo representing the god Ares circled his left bicep, and Morgan often thought he might be the god reincarnated.

Trey and Christen were darn near inseparable friends. They even shared a house together about two miles outside town. So naturally, Molly scheduled them to work the same shift. Lately that shift included Morgan as well. The three amigos handled the evening shift together five out of seven days a week. Working with those two was the highlight of her world at the moment. Morgan could spend hours just watching them as they moved about the small café. If anything in this town seemed worth staying for, the sight of both men horsing around and laughing together happened to be it. What Morgan would not give for a night of hot sex with either of them. Too bad they treated her more like a little sister than a potential lover.

"Looks like it's just us three tonight," Christen said, hopping up on one of the silver and red stools surrounding the counter.

"Most likely won't have any customers this evening." Trey said with a wink. "Tonight being Valentine’s, and with what the television said would be a pretty good storm blowing in, we might be stuck here alone all night." He added while moving up to stand only a few inches from the blond cook.

"Well then," Christen responded, a broad smile on his chiseled face, which revealed his perfect white teeth. "We should make ourselves comfortable and settle in for a long hard night."

Morgan's jaw dropped to the floor as she watched Christen run his hands around Trey's waist then up his back intimately before the smaller male leaned down and kissed him. Not just a peck, but a full out tongue-down-his-throat-make-you-weak-in-the-knees kiss.

When finally the two broke away from one another, Christen sighed and Morgan could tell he was smitten with the owner's son. This was not something she expected—she understood the two were close, but Morgan witnessed firsthand both dating women. Hell, their sexcapades were legendary in the small town. Morgan heard Molly just three months ago complain about yet one more paternity test the court ordered her beloved son to take, and then rejoice when the test came back negative.

"Hey Morgan," Trey said, awaking her out of her state of shock. "When you can close your mouth, would you mind keeping an eye on things out here while me and Chris go back into the office and fuck?"

"Or you could join us if you like." Christen offered with a suggestive wag of his perfectly sculpted eyebrows.

Morgan could not move. She thought perhaps someone glued her feet to the floor and cut out her tongue. After looking at her a moment, both men chuckled.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JL Oiler grew up in the mountains of West Virginia where she still lives with her husband and children. She is a graduate of Fairmont State University in Fairmont West Virginia, and holds a Masters degree from Ball State University in Muncie Indiana. She always possessed a passion to create stories to entertain her friends and family, but life led her on a variety of paths before she found the opportunity to return to the dream of writing stories to share.

JL currently has stories with Rebel Ink Press and Silver Publishing. She enjoys the Erotic Paranormal genre, but has dabbled in other areas of romance as well. Her first release came in January of 2010, since that time she has had multiple individual releases as well as the opportunity to work on several anthologies. She can often be found chatting about upcoming events or releases on Facebook.

Website - www.joiler.weebly.com

Yummy!! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour here: http://cblspromotions.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-barrage-snowbound-valentines-touch.html.

Winners!!

2012-02-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

We have had a lot of giveaways end and now its time to announce the winners!!! Yeah!! So the lovey Cari Quinn was on not to long ago and she offered up winners choice from her book list!! And the winner is..........Veronica De Luna!!

Next we have Steve's Giveaway of is Fabulous book and a $10 amazon card!!

And the winner is......Mary Preston!!

and the winner for Romancing the giveaway hop is....Jennifer S.!!

And the winner of the Valentine's Day package hosted by my good friend Nora Weston is...Savannah Miller!!! Congrads to all my winners and I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day!!!

First Kiss and Giveaway with author Faye Robertson

2012-02-13T00:59:00.000-08:00

Good Morning CEWTNK!!! Today I have a special guest with me!! She is from New Zealand!! Doesn't that rock? I'd love to spend my Valentines Day there!!! Faye is going to share with us a little bit about her new release, Kiss and Make-Up and give one lucky commenter a chance to win their very own copy!! Let's take a look:

Blurb

The Opportunity of a Lifetime…

Makeup artist Tabby Rogers is thrilled to land a job on a New Zealand movie set with lots of perks, including getting her hands on sexy Kiwi stunt man, Eli Black.

The sexual electricity zapping between them can't be denied, but neither of them is in a position to handle happily-ever-after. Eli’s jetting off to Hollywood, Tabby’s next assignment is in the UK. But there’s nothing wrong with a short-term fling, right?

Except as the sparks burn hotter and responsibilities pull at them from opposite ends of the globe, it quickly becomes clear that something’s gotta give. Must Tabby sacrifice her hard-won career for love? Or will Eli forever be the one that got away?

And a little tease with their first kiss:

She rested her hands on his chest, his muscles hard beneath her fingers. She looked up at him helplessly. "I'd coped fine until I met you. But it's been torture all week. You're driving me insane." He laughed, slid one hand behind her head, and kissed her.
Oh, it was a heavenly kiss. His lips were soft, gentle, and he kissed her very, very slowly. He moved his mouth across hers with a tenderness that surprised her. After a while, he brushed his tongue across her lips, and she opened her mouth to him, sliding a hand up to cup his face. She inhaled as he pulled her to him, one hand in the small of her back, the other threading through her hair as if he were afraid she might move away. There wasn't much chance of that. Tabby was so hot for him she was almost self-combusting, and she delved her tongue into the warm cavern of his mouth. He groaned and deepened the kiss as he pushed her back the four or five inches to the wall. She met it with a bump and gasped.

And a little bit about our author:

Bio

Faye Robertson lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes fun, flirty, and sexy contemporary romances for the modern woman who likes intelligent, spirited heroines, and hunky but approachable heroes. She’s won several romance writing competitions and is a member of the Romance Writers of New Zealand. She would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies. You can check out all her books at www.fayerobertsonromance.com.

She rested her hands on his chest, his hard muscles hard beneath her fingers. She looked up at him helplessly. “I’d coped fine until I met you. But it’s been torture all week. You’re driving me insane.”

He laughed, slid one hand behind her head, and kissed her.

Oh, it was a heavenly kiss. His lips were soft, gentle, and he kissed her very, very slowly. He moved his mouth across hers with a tenderness that surprised her, given that she’d practically given him permission to rip off her clothes and do whatever he wanted with her. After a while, he brushed his tongue across her lips, and she opened her mouth to him, sliding a hand up to cup his face. She inhaled as he pulled her to him, one hand in the small of her back, the other threading through her hair as if he were afraid she might move away.

There wasn’t much chance of that. Tabby was so hot for him she was almost self-combusting, and she delved her tongue into the warm cavern of his mouth. He groaned and deepened the kiss as he pushed her back the four or five inches to the wall. She met it with a bump and gasped.

Links

Website: http://www.fayerobertsonromance.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/serenitywoodsromance

Twitter: @FayeRobertsonNZ

Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/fayerobertson

Book Sounds awesome!! So for your chance to win just fill out the rafflecopter!! Good Luck!!

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2 Kindle Fire July Blog Hop Sign Up!!!!

2012-02-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

Hosted by:

Queentutt's Word of Escapism

Close Encounters of the Night Kind

Sponsored by:

Various Bloggers & Authors

(see list below)

Hello Everyone! Are you are ready to celebrate Independence? Well Ronda and I (Nikki) are celebrating big along with our wonderful Co-sponsors. Yes we are Cocked & Loaded with some amazingly great books, Shootin Stars with the Authors & Bloggers, and Blasting a Giveaway with TWO (2) KINDLE FIRES loaded with the Co-Sponored Author's book (s).

Cool Right! Not only that, at each stop on the hop you have more chances to win more great prizes. So join in and lets have some fun!

I'd like to take the time and give a Special Thanks to our Fore Fathers and our Military Troops for fighting to keep our Liberties & Freedoms.

Blogger Sponsors:

Rage, Sex, & Teddy Bears

Reading Between the Wines

Fictional Candy

Sam, E, and R's Awesomness

(list is under construction)

Author Sponsors:

Natasha Blackthorne

Keta Diablo
Bonnie Elliot
Regan Black

Victoria Vane
Stephen Prosapio
Nandi Berry
BK Walker

(list is under construction)

Hop Rules:

1. Posts must be up at 12 am on the 5th. I will be checking!! Any post not up by the allotted time will be deleted from the event (By 2nd day of Hop).

2. Posts must include the hop button which is supplied below.

3. Posts must include either the linky list, the links to the next three bloggers, or a link back to either Queentutt's World of Escapism or Close Encounters with the Night Kind. We want everyone to be able to hop to all the sites.

4. Your post must include the main link from Queentutt's World of Escapism in order for them to enter for the Kindle e-readers using the Rafflecopter. There will only be one Rafflecopter for the 2 Kindles.

5. Lets keep this simple and only have two main requirement and that is they follow you in some way (ie... GFC, RSS, newsletter, by email, facebook, twitter, or G+ for entry for your prize) and or leave a comment (up to you if you want them to comment).

6. Your giveaway can be anything but it must include something related to the holiday theme of celebrating the fourth of July, Independence, and freedom. It can be Sexy, Sweet, or just a tribute to the 4th. Prizes like jewelry or clothing..or decadent like candy, sweets or chocolate, a book (meaning anything book related, swag, reading lights or book accessories, gift cards, e-copies, or paperbacks), or if your a blog designer and want to strut your stuff you can offer services and or templates, buttons, or other gadgets - its all welcome!!

7. Hop ends at midnight on the 11th and winner announcements must be given out within the next two days.

8. Have fun :)

Special note to authors... If you would like to donate a book to add to the Kindle Grand Prize collection, but do not wish to participate in the hop itself, please email me viajeradelmar@aol.com with the details!! Participating authors are more than welcome to donate books as well :)

This is a Blog Hop!

First Kiss with author Jaz Primo

2012-02-12T03:45:00.000-08:00

Good Morning CEWTNK!! Today I have Jaz with me and we are going to talk about some scrumptious first kiss action in his great book series staring Katrina and Caleb. If you like to check out a review of the first book, Sunrise at Sunset (love the title) click http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com/2012/02/sunrise-at-sunset-by-jaz-primo.html. I really enjoyed the first book and can't wait to dive into the next one!!! LOL...and as many of you know Jaz comes strolling in with his own soundtrack...so take it away Jaz!!

Valentine's Day Is All About First Kisses

** "Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Rey plays **

"Walked into the room you know you made my eyes burn; It was like, James Dean, for sure..."

"I will love you till the end of time, I would wait a million years; Promise you'll remember that you're mine..."

Happy Almost-Valentine's Day, Everyone!

Once again, it's that magical time of the year when pucker factor has more to do with prospects for a romantic interlude than the sticker-shock from the dozen red roses that are helping to mark the day. To me, one of the most remarkable things about Valentine's Day is the allure surrounding that first kiss. Even if it's not between you and that "special someone" but rather the central characters in the paranormal romance novel that you're reading, or perhaps the stars of a romantic film that you're absorbed in, it's likely that you're captivated by the first kiss. But what's so special about that noteworthy moment that captures our imagination?

** "Strange Attractor" by Animal Kingdom plays **

"The light in your eyes; Well it’s pulling me in...Yeah, it’s pulling me in..."

"It only comes in waves, and then it goes away; Well it must be chemical..."

Kissing is as much about brain chemistry as it is about physical chemistry. The pheromones and endorphins surrounding the laws of attraction between two people is one of nature's most complex, yet potentially gratifying, experiences. Yet, combine that intangible thread of attraction with the fulfillment of personal anticipation or longing, and the first kiss becomes a magical Hollywood-like moment that we would each like to experience again and again. For my Sunset Vampire Series, the "first kiss" moment happens between Caleb (the human) and Katrina (the vampire) in the first book of the series, Sunrise at Sunset. However, the accomplishment of this momentous endeavor wasn't as seamless as Caleb would have liked, and required a second attempt to complete it. It is for that reason that I present the following two events: the Almost First Kiss and the eventual First Kiss moments.

THE ALMOST FIRST KISS

She bent her free arm up on the table and propped her chin on her hand as she smiled at him. He swallowed once and moved his face closer to hers. It felt like an imaginary string was pulling him to her as he gazed into her penetrating stare. She slyly smiled like a predator that had snared its prey and was relishing the catch. As their lips almost touched, their meal abruptly arrived with the appearance of their server.

To Katrina’s amusement, Caleb turned his head to look up at their waiter with a forced, false grin, offering, “Wow, that was amazing timing.”

THE FIRST KISS

Maybe it was the way she looked at him, or perhaps it was the sound of her voice at that moment, but no matter the reason, Caleb felt an immediate urge to kiss her. And unlike the night at the restaurant, he leaned his body towards her without hesitation until his face was nearly touching hers. She didn’t move an inch as his mouth neared hers. He ever-so-gently brushed his lips once against hers. There was warmth as their lips touched, and his eyes softened as his face hovered before her.

Katrina listened to Caleb’s accelerated heartbeat and felt his warm breath against her lips. She was feeling extremely satisfied with how he had conducted himself. Now she understood his intentions even better than he probably did, and it pleased her.

Her right hand went immediately and gently to the back of his neck, where she cupped the base of his head, and her lips pressed with firm, deliberate pressure against his. She drew deeply against his breath for a single passionate moment, and he responded with a shudder that went through his body as he returned her kiss in kind.

So, you can see that sometimes the First Kiss can be a challenge in and of itself within the overarching storyline of the novel or film. Still, once accomplished, the First Kiss is a sort of mini-climactic moment between characters. And despite the challenges remaining for the characters to overcome, the hallmark First Kiss creates a foundation to build upon for further romance, and hopefully, the development of a successful relationship. Better yet, maybe even the development of another exciting sequel! *smile*

** "Paradise" by Coldplay plays **

"Every night, the stormy night, away she flied...and dreamed of Paradise..."

Well, it's about time for me to go, folks. My sincere thanks to Nikki for inviting me to share in a Close Encounter With the Night Kind today! *wink* I hope that each of you have an excellent, romantic, and satisfying Valentine's Day. And if you're one of the fortunate few who experience that first kiss, may it be all that you have hoped for. For the rest of us, find that special partner in your life and just "pucker up."

*grin*

I also hope that you'll consider reading my Sunset Vampire Series. The third novel, Summit at Sunset, was just released on January 31st. (Below is the teaser from the novel's back cover.) All my best to you!

Peace.

------------------

Powerful vampire Katrina Rawlings and her human mate, Caleb Taylor, are once more drawn into dangerous circumstances. Representatives of the most powerful and influential vampires from around the world converge upon a scenic mountain retreat located in Slovenia's Upper Bohinj Valley for a summit of historic proportion. Mystery leads to treachery, and events quickly spiral out of control. With the fates of both vampires and humans in jeopardy, Katrina desperately struggles to reconcile the balance of worldwide vampire power against honoring her commitment to the love of her life. Unwilling to be rendered helpless, Caleb initiates a desperate gamble that leads to a mortal decision. Meanwhile, the sexy and sassy vampire, Paige Turner, spearheads her own mission involving both surprising revelations of heart and grave circumstances for those around her.

In Summit at Sunset, unlikely alliances will be sought, eternal bonds of friendship will be tested, unrequited love will be unleashed, blood will be shed, and one pivotal person's fate will collide with destiny.

------------------

Where can you find Jaz Primo?

Website: http://www.jazprimo.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Sunset-Vampire-Series/223514840998333

Twitter: @jazprimo

Blog: http://primovampires.blogspot.com

Buy links for Jaz's novels:

+ AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3AJaz+Primo&keywords=Jaz+Primo&ie=UTF8&qid=1329002315&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B0042L3R4O

+ BARNES&NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/jaz-primo?keyword=jaz+primo&store=allproducts

+ Also in the APPLE iBookstore for iPad/iPhone!

A big thank you to Jaz for coming on!! I love having him here!!

With Love, Valentine's Day Blog Hop

2012-02-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to CEWTNK!! A big thank you to Drea for putting this wonderful hop together!! I have a special book up for grabs for the hop. Its called a Breach of Promise by Victoria Vane. Let's take a look:

On the night of her betrothal, Lydia Trent receives just a taste of what ecstasy will be at the hands of her fiancé…and then he leaves her wanting. After waiting six years, and tired of being neglected by her exceedingly reluctant husband-to-be, Lydia decides to break it off.

When Marcus, Lord Russell, receives Lydia’s letter requesting a release from their contract, he is stunned by her audacity. Confident he’ll have her eating out of his hand with his usual wit and charm, he’s determined to repair the damage. However, the headstrong woman she’s blossomed into is equally determined to thwart his every effort to win her back.

Marcus discovers, in spite of her conviction to end the union, Lydia is more responsive to his touch than he ever imagined. He just needs to get her alone to unleash the promised passion he sees within his wanton virgin. Marcus will use any tool in his arsenal to exploit her weakness—his kisses, his hands, his mouth…her own body. In short, he’ll just have to ruin her!
So...to enter to win a copy of this book just fill out the rafflecopter and be sure to hop on to these other great blogs!! http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/. Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FIB character interview By Devon Ashley

2012-02-10T21:53:00.000-08:00

Hello! I have had the privelage of being a part of this book tour. Today I have Jenna with me, and she has agreed to answer a few questions for me!! I'm so glad she could stop by!!

Hi Jenna! I'm so glad you could stop by today!

Hi Nikki, thanks for having me!

I know you hate talking about how you grew up, so let’s get this question out of the way…What was it like? I don’t really have any memories of those years, but I remember a general sense of happiness. I’m pretty much the same way. I don’t really have any memories of my first years…just these snapshots of me and the people that adopted me - and a general sense of being loved and feeling safe and happy. But then they gave me up when I was three and I still don’t know why. Well, everything went downhill from there. I was shuffled around from foster home to foster home and that sense of being safe diminished with each new home. And it’s not like anyone was mean or abusive towards me, but I just felt unwanted. No one took me long term. I’ll admit I became quiet and began to keep to myself, so I probably wasn’t a lot of fun for anyone to keep. When I got older, they started putting me in group homes. Not sure why they shuffled me from one to the next, but I had the distinct feeling they thought my reclusiveness was because I was unhappy with my surroundings, so they kept moving me hoping to find a place I’d be more comfortable in. Truth is, I just wanted out. My life had been one disappointment after another and I wanted some stability in my homestead. So when I found out the private school nearby offered scholarships, I jumped on the chance! So glad I did. I now have my first best friend and first real boyfriend and am generally pretty happy these days now that I’ve got some stability in my life. J

I know you have worked extremely hard in your studies, hence the scholarship, but what is your favorite subject? I love everything science-related. Well, almost everything. I’m not particularly fond of chemistry.

I know you plan on going to college, but what would you like to study? Any career choices or certain fields that stand out? You know, I’m still trying to figure that one out. I’m pretty sure it’ll have something to do with science, I’m just not sure what field I wanna get into yet. That’s why I’m gonna study biological sciences. They make you take all the sciences – so even if I end up not liking a particular science, at least the credit will still go towards my degree.

Where did you meet your roommate? How long have you two been friends? I met Sophie the day I moved into the dorm freshman year. This particular academy only covers the high school years so it was the first year there for both of us. The first time I saw her she was plastering the walls with posters of Katy Perry and The Killers. I knew from that moment we’d get along just fine!

When was the first time you remember seeing Robert? I think I noticed him for the first time freshman year during lunch. We didn’t have any classes together until spring semester so I didn’t know his name or anything until then. But I remember thinking he was cute…and he drew my gaze every once in awhile.

Was it an instant attraction, or something that grew? Totally grew. Like I said before, I’d seen him around campus and I knew by the team shirts he wore that he was a swimmer. We didn’t really hang out with the same people, so I had no idea he was all that interested in me either.

How was it comparable to being with Chance? Chance was funny. He exuberated so much confidence and knew just what to say to make me feel comfortable. Robert and I were interested but we were still a little shy around each other in the beginning.

During your visits with Chance, did you guys ever make plans or discuss anything of import? Well, it’s hard to make plans when your dreams don’t really acknowledge time. I mean, seriously, it felt like summer year round in there. Not at all typical of Vermont. But we had the normal boyfriend-girlfriend conversations – family, favorite things, etc.

Which boy did you have more in common with? Uh, I’m not really into sports or movies…pretty much just books, which is the complete opposite of both of them. I guess Robert, cause he seems more into school than Chance. But I guess that’s because we both attend the academy together and Chance was off in a summer wonderland most of the time. Good thing opposites attract, huh?

If you could go back to the day after your accident, would you change anything? LOL. I would change the part where I hit the bottom of the pond, rendered myself immovable and drowned. If saving me is something Robert liked doing, I’d much rather twist an ankle and need to be carried back to school in his arms!

What do you see in your future? Above all, an education and a job. I really do hope my relationship works out, but the most important thing for me moving forward is to be able to take care of myself. I don’t wanna ever need to be dependent and find myself in the mercy of group homes or whatever the equivalent of that is for adults!

Thank you so much for joining us here today at CEWTNK. I really enjoyed your visit!! Please check out Devon's book. It was wonderful!!

18 and over Blog Hop!!!

2012-02-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines. This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 & over crowd, and make some new friends!

How to join in:

-You should run a book blog that features and reviews mostly adult reads, some Y.A.’s are okay but 18 & over adult reads should be your majority.

-Make a separate post for the 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow on your blog.

-Copy the html for the button above and place it at the top of your post.

-List & answer the ‘Question of the Week.’

-Place your name and blog title in the linky below and the url for a direct link to your post

-Visit the other blogs on the list and say 'Hi!' Following each blog is not mandatory but I know it is always appreciated, and if someone comments saying they’re a new follower it’s polite to follow back. J It’s always nice to spread the 18 & Over Book Blogging love!

-Contact me (readingbetweenthewines10 at gmail dot com) with any questions!

Question of the Week: Reviews; do you write them as soon as you finish a book or not?

My Answer: I usually try to. It will bug me if I don't, especially if I know an author is waiting on the review from me!! LOL!! Sometimes I miss reading just to read. You start dissecting every book with the what you like what you didn't like and what they could improve on and sometimes miss enjoying the book. I wouldn't trade it for anything...I still love my hot reads!!

Vampires For Valentines Day Giveaway Hop

2012-02-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

Vampires for Valentines Giveaway Hop

February is the month of love and what do we love more than hot, sexy, dangerous and seductive vampires? Vampires For Valentines Giveaway Hop is all about spreading our love for these supernatural creatures. So sign up your blog below and join us in bringing readers their very own vampire for Valentines!

Vampires For Valentines Giveaway Hop runs from 12:01am February 10th through to 11:59pm February 16th 2012, and is hosted by Felicity Heaton (Paranormal Romance Author) and Bitten by Paranormal Romance.

Hello and welcome to CEWTNK!! A big thank you to our hosts for putting this together!! Its an awesome hop. So what can you win here?? One of the best Vampire Books, that is in an Angel Series!! LOL...What you ask? Just take a look!!!!

The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting...and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more...

This is one of my favorite series!! This book is all about Dmitri, so its perfect for this giveaway since he is the head vamp!! This giveaway is open to everyone but if I draw an international name I will send you a 10 amazon card...or if you you already have this book and win!! LOL!! Good Luck!! Just fill out the rafflecopter form and be sure to check out the rest of these great blogs!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The One Barrage and enter for your chance to win a choice $25 gift card and more!!

2012-02-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone and welcome to another Blog Barrage, but this one has a little twist. The author is hosting 2 giveaways througout the tour and you can enter them both right here!!!! First, lets read about her fabulous new release, wich just happens to be the sequel of In Love with a Younger Man. Let's take a look:

Title: The One (Sequel to "In Love with a Younger Man")

Author: Cheryl Robinson

Publisher: Rose Colored Books

Length: 356 pages

Sub-Genres: Contemporary, May-December

AVAILABLE AT:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984711007?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwcherylrobi-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0984711007

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-one-cheryl-robinson/1034812361?ean=9780984711000&itm=3&usri=the%2bone%2bby%2bcheryl%2brobinson

Amazon Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0073YEZ0C?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwcherylrobi-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0073YEZ0C

Nook Book:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1106492308?ean=2940014078535

Rose Colored Books:

http://rosecoloredbooks.com/Purchase.html

BLURB:

10 Romantic Destinations

10 Eligible Bachelors

1 Difficult Decision

A fateful encounter with a savvy young producer lands aspiring writer Olena Day the role of America’s bachelorette on the new reality show The One. There are just two problems: Olena despises reality TV, and technically she’s not single. What could she possibly hope to gain? A book deal? But Olena’s made it clear; she won’t resort to the stereotypical antics often portrayed by women on reality TV. But ratings rule and the producers have plans of their own to assure the show’s success—even if it means exposing some of Olena’s long-held and most embarrassing secrets.

Jason Nix is a former NFL superstar turned TV sports commentator. He’s been dating Olena off and on for almost a year. Financially, he’s set for life, but he isn’t happy. When Olena’s preoccupation with reality show stardom puts their relationship on the rocks, he meets a young woman from Dallas who captivates him in ways no other woman has. There’s something about the makeup-free, Bible-toting Texan that Jason can’t seem to get enough of, and soon makes him wonder whether she’s too good to be true, or if the real problem is she’s not Olena.

Step behind the scenes of the highly competitive and unique world of reality dating shows, in this relationship-driven page-turner that keeps delivering surprises.

LINK TO PROLOGUE AND FIRST CHAPTER:

http://cherylrobinson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/TheOne-prologue-ch1.pdf

LINK TO BOOK TRAILER:

http://youtu.be/mYMtjWbsLTo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Cheryl Robinson has a Bachelor of Science degree from Wayne State University. Her passion for writing was sparked while taking a fiction writing course as a college elective. She began her literary career by self-publishing two novels before acquiring a literary agent and then a publishing deal. Remember Me was her sixth novel with New American Library, an imprint of the Penguin Group.

In January 2012, Cheryl embarked on her own new beginning with the launch of her independent publishing company Rose Colored Books. She lives in Central Florida and will release The One on February 14, 2012. She is currently writing her ninth novel, Like Mom.

Website:

http://cherylrobinson.com
So now on to the giveaway information!! Cheryl is hosting a spectacular 14 days event on her blog:

Here is the link to the giveaway!! http://cherylrobinson.com/14daysofvalentines... But wait!! Before you go don't forget to enter to win that $25 card!! Just fill out the rafflecopter!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck everyone

Dirty Little Secret

2012-02-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Dirty Little Secret # 34

So it's V-Day. You are all dressed up in your tiniest, yet most expensive undies (go figure!), got a dress on your mother would definitely disapprove of and enough condoms to keep a football team happy, where are you going and which of your favourite book boyfriends are taking you there?

My Answer? Vane from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Night Play(Yummm) ..He was one of my first crushes in the paranormal world(6'6, long hair, amazing stamina). If I could jump into a book and live it out I would soooo want to be his mate. Where are we going? A soundproof hotel room with a Jacuzzi, room service(because I will not let him come up for air...lol), a huge 4 poster king size bed with a balcony (oooohhhhYeah), and an indoor swimming pool on a secluded tropical island overlooking a beach. Its my fantasy right? *sigh* How about you guys?

First Kiss with Mari Freeman

2012-02-08T23:05:00.000-08:00

Good Morning CEWTNK!! Today I have a first-timer on to share with you her newest release, and it sounds completely awesome! So make Mari feel welcome and don't forget to say hi!! Take it away Mari!!

Good morning, Nikki!

Thanks so much for having me here as part of your First Kiss event. We all know first kisses are a huge moment in a romance, but in About to Blow, the first kiss kind of ruins everything by sending my hero and heroine into another world…literally.

Blurb:

Valkyrie’s Vow, Book One

For a thousand years, Mist has shepherded battle-slain warriors to their choice of Valhalla or Asgard. It’s the task she was charged with upon her own death, the mission she chose when becoming Valkyrie. Never before has she fallen for one of those warriors. But then, never has she felt emotions like those evoked by Kurt Stone.

As an undercover cop, Kurt expected a shortened life. He didn’t expect an afterlife spent jumping from realm to realm, screwing a tattooed hottie who makes his blood boil. He should be choosing his next destination, but he’d rather spend eternity indulging in Mist’s delectable body.

The vicious betrayal that led to her death has made Mist reluctant to trust, let alone love. If Kurt can help her face ancient demons, they both might find their idea of Heaven…together.

Sneak Peek:
Say hello to Kurt and Mist….

Kurt Stone’s head hurt. Bad. He tried to pry his crusty lids open, but couldn’t see even when he did manage a small slit. His body felt as if it’d been hit more times than a piñata stuffed with pills in a room full of junkies. He relaxed. Maybe if he went back to sleep, he’d feel better later.

“Sorry, big guy, but it’s time to wake up.” The voice was soothing, sexy. He wanted to see who it belonged to and just where he was. ’Cause at the moment, Kurt had no clue. Where had he been?

He tried his burning eyes once more. They peeled open. He blinked several times and things began to take form. Not that he could make out any of it, but there were at least shapes.

“That’s it, Gorgeous.”

He felt a hand on his chest. “Kurt,” he managed. The single word hurt to say. “Shot?”

“Shhh.” Now he felt a hand on his forehead. “Don’t talk yet. It’ll hurt like the devil. Give yourself a few minutes to adjust. Okay?”

Okay. She was right. It did hurt. Must be in the hospital. Working undercover had landed him there more than once. But he didn’t remember being on a bust. He was at Club 81, last he remembered. Looking for his snitch. Shit.

“Who blew my cover?” Words really did hurt. He tried to move but a searing pain took over everything. He let out a yell. That hurt too.

“Easy, Kurt. Death hurts, baby. Relax into it. Your body must adjust.”

He felt his cock getting hard from the sound of her voice. That hurt even worse. What the heck? He took several deep breaths, relaxed his burning muscles and, sure enough, the pain subsided and he started to feel normal. Well, not exactly normal. He wasn’t sure what he felt. Maybe he’d been given painkillers, because the screaming pain had suddenly eased.

“Very nice, Kurt.” She continued to run her fingers over his chest, repeating some design he couldn’t make out. “You’ll be in your new state soon.”

He blinked a few more times. His vision cleared a bit. “Where am I?”

“In between.”

A hot young woman leaned over him, but she was no nurse. Her black, cropped and torn t-shirt exposed her belly, at least seven different necklaces adorned her throat and her ears had more piercings than he could count. Her jet-black hair was cut short. A swirling tribal tattoo adorned her forehead over one eyebrow and trailed down beside her right eye. Not his type. But he was drawn to her round face and mesmerizing green eyes. “Between what?”

“This life and the next. Think of it as a layover.”

He looked around at the stone walls. “In a cave?”

She shrugged. “Not my…most creative transition. Sorry.”

He still didn’t really understand. “So, you’re no nurse.”

“Sorry. No such luck.” She smiled. “I’m Mist.” She traced the design on his chest once again. “You were shot down in a parking lot. I’m afraid you didn’t survive.”

“That sucks.” He would have chuckled if he didn’t know it would hurt.

“Yes. No. Maybe.”

One more of the designs danced over his skin. He felt all the pain drain out of his body, slipping away from his chest, ebbing out of his legs. It tingled in his toes as it flowed from his feet like water.

His vision finally sharpened—along with a memory. She was the one he’d been dancing with. The one the redhead had diddled on the dance floor. He’d been distracted by the sexy little show the two girls had been putting on and had let Herzog’s men get the drop on him. She could even be one of his gang. Maybe Kurt was still in trouble.

“I am a Valkyrie, Kurt,” she said, as if reading his mind. Her palm stilled on his chest. It was comforting, no matter the weirdness of the situation.

His knowledge of mythology didn’t come in handy very often. Strange to need it now. “Like the myth? You’re here to take me to Valhalla?”

Her smile was cynical. “You know your mythology. Not many twenty-first-century warriors do.” She sat back and he had to rise up on his elbows to see her. No problem. The pain was gone. He still felt alive.

“You have a choice. I’ll escort you to one of two places. You can attempt Valhalla—or Heaven, as your culture calls it—or you can choose a place that’s a little more…foreign to your circle of understanding. A different life in a different kind of place called Asgard. Kind of a dumpy city, if you ask me, but it’s better than the alternative if Heaven isn’t something you can achieve.”

Interesting.

She stood and paced away, toward the back of what seemed to be a very large, empty cave. Her hips had a unique sway. Kind of a swing with a bit of a limp. Her skirt was short, her legs clad in black socks that rolled over her knees, and she wore solid work boots. She looked like many of the party girls he’d busted.

“Not too excited by the term ‘attempt’ in that statement.”

“I’m sent to men who fight bravely and with honor. The warrior in you has earned the choice. I know nothing about you, your beliefs or who you might be off the battlefield. Choose Heaven, and we land at the Gates and you get your judgment day.” She turned back to him and shrugged. “If you’re an asshole who beats his wife, you may want door number two.”

“No wife,” he said, a bit more abruptly than he would have liked. He’d never married and had no other family who would mourn his departure. Undercover work for years tended to alienate a man from any kind of normal life. That should make him sad, but now he figured it was best. No one left behind to weep on his casket. “But I need to warn another cop. If my cover was blown, Nick’s was too. He does have a family.”

“When we get to Asgard, you can speak to someone there. I don’t make ghosts.” She shivered, as if the thought frightened her. “Now, you must answer.”

She paced back toward him. Her limp was a little more pronounced from this direction. She squatted down in front of him and, without thought, his eyes zeroed in on the junction of her thighs peeking from beneath the leather skirt. Her panties were still wet from her fun on the dance floor.

Despite his worry over his death and Nick, Kurt wanted this chick. Maybe the extra horny was normal for a dead guy. Maybe in death, one could have a hard-on as often and for as long as one wanted. Maybe Viagra angels flitted about flinging blue happy dust. Who knows?

“How about we stay here and finish what we started in the club?” She was hot. He was willing. Nothing wrong with that.

She shot him with a somewhat surprised expression then stood and attempted to pull her skirt down. “That shouldn’t have happened. Stay serious. Your soul to Heaven’s Gates or this body to Asgard?”

He sat up and squeezed his thighs. He wanted a little more time. “My body feels strange.”

She crossed her arms. “You died. That’s what all the pain and burning was about. This is a shell of your humanity. You can feel and such, but it is not like it was when you were alive.”

He chuckled. “I’m not like a vampire, am I?”

She gave him a little smile. “No. Not far off though.” She tilted her head. “So…is it Heaven or Asgard? Think carefully, it’s a forever decision. You can’t change your mind.”

He liked her smile. “Shit. Can we do it first and then I decide?” He smiled back and added, “Don’t I get a last request or a wish or something?” Kurt lay back, tucking his arms behind his head and crossing his legs.

“I’m not a freaking genie, dude.” She sounded angry but she was giving him a good looking over.

Kurt knew desire when he saw it. And desire was looking him straight in the crotch. He tightened his cock muscles a couple times to make it twitch under his jeans. Her eyes got bigger.

Yeah. She was desire wrapped in Heaven. He’d wanted women before, but not like this one. Yeah, buddy. He wanted her bad. He had when she was dancing with the redhead. That’s why he’d quit paying attention to what was going down around him in the dingy club and let those two pushers get the drop on him. Precisely how they’d fingered him as a cop, he didn’t know, but none of that meant shit now.

Mist put her hands on her hips and her brows drew in tight. She was clearly getting agitated. He was starting to like his little Valkyrie.

“Are you getting this? You are dead. D. E. A. D. You have to go somewhere.” She looked around as if something had suddenly caught her attention. Something Kurt couldn’t see. “And soon.”

“Or?” He stood. She wasn’t really giving a guy a chance to think things through. He’d never liked being rushed into decisions.

She huffed. “You won’t be able to go anywhere if you don’t pick soon. Oblivion. Get it? You are dead. Dead things have to be put someplace where their souls can exist. You can’t exist here. We’re in a temporary place.”

“You don’t have to get all serious on me. I’ll decide. Sorry.”

She huffed again. “I know this is all messed up and confusing, dude. You’re feeling all fucked up. But you have to decide.” She walked closer and grabbed his wrist. “Right now.”

Suddenly Kurt started to feel squiggy, as if he were dissolving. That couldn’t be good. “Fine. The other.”

“What?” Mist’s image was shimmering.

“Not Heaven…door number two!” he shouted.

And just before the whole of his body felt loose and watery, like his bones were disappearing and his skin was left holding Jell-O, he wrapped his arm around her, pulled her close and kissed her, plundering her sweet mouth, tasting her lips.

He had to at least kiss her. Kurt was afraid it might be his last chance. For all he knew, Mist could be the last woman he’d ever see.

Now being alone with her forever…that would be Heaven.

***

Mist knew they’d jumped to the wrong place before she even managed to wrench herself from his fabulous lips. She growled at him and thumped his chest with her fist, not really punching him so much as illustrating some of her frustration.

After taking a moment to breathe and another moment to look around them, she growled again, only this time it was a curse that left her lips, with a frightening, unnatural echo through the heavily wooded forest they’d landed in. She shoved Kurt back.

“Hey!”

“Shut up for a minute, will ya? I need to think!” And kissing him again would not help. She felt for her magic. It was weak and Mist felt as if there was a layer of muck between her and the power that allowed her to move through the realms.

With a huff, she grabbed Kurt’s hand, closed her eyes and attempted to transport them to Asgard once again. For an instant, she thought it might work—but then reality shimmered back into place.

They were stranded. Her powers were far too depleted for the jump.

She poked Kurt in the chest. “You moron! Do you have the slightest clue what you just did?”

He shrugged. He didn’t. She wanted to walk away and leave him right where his ass stood. He’d screwed up their jump. Even though he had no real power—except to make her want what he’d been wanting in that moment. She spun back to him. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“I wanted a kiss. Is that so awful? You kissed me back so it couldn’t have been, could it?” He tried to look smug. It didn’t work. Damn, he was cute, but…

“No. I mean literally. What were you thinking? At the moment you kissed me?”

He shrugged again. “Being alone with you forever would be like Heaven.”

With that lovely thought, she did turn away and stomp off. To where didn’t matter. She followed a narrow path through the trees. She’d been doing this job a thousand years, maybe more. She’d been medaled for her efficiency, her bravery. She’d led rulers and presidents to their place in eternity and now…now…

She looked around. Everything was alive, but it was off. There were no ambient noises, no other signs of life at all. The air tasted metallic. This was not the real Earth.

She was so screwed.

This book sounds absolutely yummy!! Thanks so much for sharing it with us today Mari!!

Mari's Facebook. www.facebook.com/marifreeman

Twitter @marifreeman

Buy: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9881-about-to-blow.aspx

Sunrise at Sunset By: Jaz Primo

2012-02-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

"We vampires are focused and tend to shape our own realities." My name is Katrina Rawlings, and I am a vampire. I declare that with neither pride nor ego. I am simply nature's most dangerous predator. On occasion, it's a very valuable quality. It helped me protect Caleb Taylor one day when he was very young. But that single, traumatic day is behind him now; wiped from his memory, or so I hope. Caleb has finally matured into a rather striking young man, and believe me, I like what I see. I'll readily admit that there are issues for us to confront and overcome, though a sense of mutual commitment isn't one of them. I'm feeling hopeful for our future together, in fact. But an adversary from my past has returned to haunt me, and she's trying to get back at me through Caleb. That was her first...and last...mistake. I'll protect my Caleb at all costs, and I'll make her regret the day she was born. So, I suppose that I'm not just a vampire. I'm about to become someone's worst nightmare.

My Review:

We begin with Katrina being weary of life. After a couple hundred years, I could honestly say I understand. She was ready for her final sunset. The sun was one of the things she missed most about being a human. When she was human, the morning sunrise always brought the promise of a better day. Now it was just the signal for her to come inside. But something happens to Katrina as she waits out in the sunlight for the first time in decades. And with that split-second decision, she meets someone who changes her life forever.

Caleb was your average all American kind of guy. Tall, athletic, and good-hearted with a laid-back easy manner. His goal after finishing college was to teach history at a university. He wasn't very good with relationships, but he figured that with the right girl everything would just fall into place. He, however, didn't plan on meeting that girl in his night class. He also, however, didn't plan one having his life turned completely upside down in the matter of one semester!

I'm going to start out by saying that I LOVED Katrina!! She was an alpha through and through and she was by far my absolute favorite character. She was everything you would hope to see in an alpha vamp heroine. She was a very old vampire and the best warrior out of the vampires introduced. She was the ultimate predator, that quickly developed a tender spot for Caleb which turns into so much more.l But can he handle living in her world? Will she disgust him when she reveals her true nature? Caleb is tender hearted and innocent. Will she destroy this in him?

Even though I can understand why Katrina would want someone like Caleb, and even appreciate his other qualities, he is not your usual hero. That being said..lol..I really enjoyed the book!! It was take on a side of a vampire you might not consider. Innocence has its appeal, even to female vampires. What makes this series unique is the fact that it is a alpha role reversal. I can't wait for the next book. I have a lot of unanswered questions!!

Blog Barrage and Giveaway!!!

2012-02-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to CEWTNK!! Are you ready to read about another great book that's touring? LOL...well here it is!! Let's take a look!!

BLURB:

Things get personal for Sam Brower, undercover task force detective for human trafficking, when his niece, Autumn, goes missing. To make matters worse, he’s forced to work with his ex-girlfriend, Lisa Conover, former DC cop, when she’s assigned to a cold case involving his long lost brother.

After infiltrating the gang responsible for the multiple abductions, Sam and Lisa try to unravel the stories behind the kidnapping of Autumn and the disappearance of Luke before their cover is blown.

Undercover work doesn’t lend well to trust. Even if they work together like a fine tuned instrument, will Lisa and Sam be able to salvage love after all they’ve been through?

EXCERPT:

“Ahh!! Oh!! Yes! Yes! It feels so good! Right there! Please, don’t stop, please,” Lisa Conover muttered. “Harder, harder! No! Don’t leave now!” She groaned as she pounded her fists into the hardwood floor. “Damn it! Why did you stop?” she asked Godiva, her twenty-two-pound silver tabby cat, who had jumped off her back and now sauntered over to a sunny spot on the carpet, flopping down in a very unladylike manner. Just like Sam used to do years ago, gets me feeling comfortable and then he takes off.

Lisa’s aching back muscles were so tight from hunching over her computer ten to twelve hours a day every day for the past weeks. She needed a massage. Better yet, she needed a vacation.

She rolled over onto her back and stared above at the open-beamed ceiling of her log cabin in the North Carolina mountains outside Hickoryville. She studied the accumulation of dust bunnies along the beams.

The setting sun cast shadows across the room as she gazed out the two-story floor-to-ceiling windows on one wall. The view of the tranquil scenic mountains in its resplendent fall glory replaced some of the angst she felt about her work. She relaxed and stretched her arms above her head. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t had any lunch today.

She stood, trying to stretch her still-aching muscles by turning side to side at the waist, touching her toes—or attempting to, anyway.

Then maybe she could get a few more hours of work done before bedtime.

After putting down fresh water and food for Godiva she opened the fridge, hoping to find something for dinner. She knew what she would find but she looked anyway. It was empty except for a couple of eggs, and an older-than-she-knew container of yogurt she couldn’t trust anymore.

She glimpsed down at Godiva, who had already finished her dinner. “I think I’ll run down to The Barn and get something to eat. You can hold down the fort here for a while, right?” she asked Godiva, who sauntered away licking her lips.

She walked the short distance from the kitchen to the corner of the large open room to her desk, which held her state-of-the-art computer system with three screens and a laptop. She sat down to start turning everything off when the phone on her desk rang.

“Conover Investigations, Lisa speaking.”

“Hi, is Sam Brower there?”

“Sorry, but I haven’t heard from Sam in years. How did you get my number?”

“This is the last number I had for him. I really need to talk to him ASAP.”

“Maybe I can help you. What’s the problem?”

“No, I need to talk to Sam.”

“I’m sorry I can’t help you. Give me your name and a number where he can reach you, and if I hear from him I’ll let him know you’re trying to get in touch with him, okay?”

“My name’s Luke and he can reach me at…” Then the phone line went dead. He had hung up.

What is it about men? They never say good-bye.

BUY LINK:

Bookstrand.com - http://www.bookstrand.com/DEADLY-DELIVERANCE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I live on a peninsula in the mid west coast of Florida with my husband, 2 cats, and AJ, my long haired Chihuahua.

I wrote my first story in the fourth grade in the form of a play which actually was produced by my teacher for parents and students. I continued writing and majored in English in College. I practice everyday to improve my craft.

I love reading almost as much as writing and have filled my book shelves with my favorites, i.e. Harlan Colban, Eliza March, Johanna Lindsey, Kathy Carmichael, Terri Garey, Karen Rose, LuAnn Rice, and Bobbi Smith just to mention a few, as well as all the classics.

I am a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America), TARA (Tampa Area Romance Authors), PRO, CSI (Crime Scene Investigations), just to mention a few.

Website - http://www.loreleiconfer.com

Wow!! This book sounds great!!! To enter to win, just fill out the rafflecopter!! Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners!!!

2012-02-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

Its time to post some winners!!! A big thank you to everyone who stopped by and entered!! The Kiss of Death Tour was giving away a print copy of one of their authors books!! And the winner is.....

Gena!!!!
We had an awesome Blog Hop that ended as well, that had some amazingly delicious man candy attached to their perspective book titles :) And the winners of the Book Boyfriend Hop are....

For the Grand Prize, which is the complete set of the Soul Trilogy, was ...Barbara!!
And as for the rest of the yummy books? Guess what? The amazingly awesome Leanore Elliot has decided to give all the people who commented, the man they choose!! That's right!! If you commented you will receive your ideal man candy's book!! Doesn't Leanore totally rock? You guys really are all winners today!! Congrads!!

And the winner is...Veronica De Lune!!!

Love is in the Air Giveaway Hop

2012-02-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to CEWTNK!! I'd like to start off by saying thank you to all of the wonderful ladies at UTC for putting this together! They have an excellent blog and I have been a follower for as long as I have been blogging!! You chicks rock! So here today I have 2 books to giveaway. These are e-books, so they are open to everyone!!

In a war that’s not hers, she loses everything.
Everything she loses is because of him.
Forgiveness is not an option.
Or maybe...Lieutenant Cassandra Toma, trauma surgeon in the Romanian National Army starts her deployment at a joint-unit air base on a wrong foot, clashing on her first day with her new commander, Major David Hunt. Her rebellious nature and sassiness rival her excellent performance in the operating room—the only reason why she's not reprimanded, or maybe not the only reason.

They meet. They clash. A forbidden passion consumes them with the intensity of an erupting volcano, leaving her heartbroken and him with tarnished honor and pride as an officer. The only way out for David is disappearing into the dangerous warzone in Iraq. Their flame was supposed to be over when destiny brings them back under the same roof, this time with a common goal—to find Cassandra's brother, Maj. Robert Toma, kidnapped by insurgents while on patrol.

To rescue Robert, Cassandra and David put aside their resentments, uniting forces against a common enemy. Trying to forget the painful past, Cassandra opens up to give David—and their love—another chance. What she doesn’t realize is that her anguish is the result of David’s impetuous action—one reckless choice he made for which she may never forgive him.

His mistake, his secret, could cost them both the love they've finally found.

John Tyler, a young man in his early twenties, awakens to find a ghastly affliction taking over his body. When the village doctor offers the conventional, and potentially disfiguring, treatment as the only cure, John tenaciously convinces the doctor to reveal an alternative remedy—a forbidden ritual contained within an ancient manuscript called the Kure.

Although initially rejecting the vile and sinister rite, John realizes, too late, that the ritual is more than a faded promise scrawled on a page of crumbling paper. And as cure quickly becomes curse, the demonic text unleashes a dark power that drives him to consider the unthinkable—a depraved and wicked act requiring the corruption of an innocent soul.

Ultimately, John must choose between his desperate need to arrest the plague that is destroying his body, and the virtue of the woman he loves, knowing the wrong decision could cost him his life.

So up for grabs is a copy of each!! Just fill out the rafflecopter form. Feel free to join in all the rest of the great giveaways here and be sure to check out the other great blogs on this hop!!!
http://underthecoversbookblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/love-is-in-the-air-giveaway-hop-sign-up.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Close Encounters with the Night Kind

First Kiss and Giveaway with Georgia Fox and The Wagered Wench

Dirty Little Secret

Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Dirty Little Secret # 36

Giveaway and Review of Bound By Pleasure: Dirty Discoveries By: Morticia Knight

Below the Belt By Sky Warren

Winners!!

First Kiss and Giveaway with author Skye Warren

Giveaway and Review of The Third Son by Elise Marion

Title: The Third Son (Kings of Cardenas, Book 1)Author: Elise MarionPublisher: SelfLength: 113,000 wordsSub-Genres: Historical, Mystery/Thriller, SuspenseVBT Dates: Feb 13-Feb 22

BLURB:

EXCERPT:

First Kiss and Giveaway with author Russell Bittner

Trompe-l'oeil by Russel Bittner

First Kiss with author Jaye Frances

First Kiss with Nandi (Nanny) Berry

First Kiss and Giveaway with The Dazzling Regan Black

Dirty Little Secret!!

Winners!!!!

First Kiss and Giveaway with Xavier Axelson and a Review of his Newest Paranormal...Lily

Naughty After Dark

First Kiss with author Karice Bolton

Naughty After Dark Blog Hop

Men are Idiots? LOL By C. S. Splitter

First Kiss with Legend of the Inero Dragons By: J F Jenkins

First Kiss and Giveaway with author Stephen Prosapio

Blog Barrage!! With Snowbound Valentine!!

Title: Snowbound Valentines (Touch of Love Anthology)

Author: JL Oiler

Publisher: Silver Publishing

Sub-Genres: Contemporary, Erotic, M/M/F

AVAILABLE AT:

Silver Publishing - https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/touch-of-love-anthology-ebook-p-805

BLURB:

If cupid works his magic, these three snowbound lovers might just discover they are a perfect combination for happily ever after.

ADULT EXCERPT:

Winners!!

First Kiss and Giveaway with author Faye Robertson

2 Kindle Fire July Blog Hop Sign Up!!!!

First Kiss with author Jaz Primo

With Love, Valentine's Day Blog Hop

FIB character interview By Devon Ashley

18 and over Blog Hop!!!

Vampires For Valentines Day Giveaway Hop

Vampires for Valentines Giveaway Hop

The One Barrage and enter for your chance to win a choice $25 gift card and more!!

AVAILABLE AT:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984711007?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwcherylrobi-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0984711007

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-one-cheryl-robinson/1034812361?ean=9780984711000&itm=3&usri=the%2bone%2bby%2bcheryl%2brobinson

Amazon Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0073YEZ0C?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwcherylrobi-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0073YEZ0C

Nook Book:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1106492308?ean=2940014078535

Rose Colored Books:

http://rosecoloredbooks.com/Purchase.html

BLURB:

LINK TO PROLOGUE AND FIRST CHAPTER:

http://cherylrobinson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/TheOne-prologue-ch1.pdf

LINK TO BOOK TRAILER:

http://youtu.be/mYMtjWbsLTo

Dirty Little Secret

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Dirty Little Secret # 34

First Kiss with Mari Freeman

Sunrise at Sunset By: Jaz Primo

Blog Barrage and Giveaway!!!

Winners!!!

Love is in the Air Giveaway Hop

Title: The Third Son (Kings of Cardenas, Book 1)
Author: Elise Marion
Publisher: Self
Length: 113,000 words
Sub-Genres: Historical, Mystery/Thriller, Suspense
VBT Dates: Feb 13-Feb 22