30 June 2019

Blast from the Past...Spotlighting Cassie O'Brien's "The Girls' Club"


A girl with darkness in her past. A man who can heal her wounds.
A dark night. A shortcut through the park. A nineteen-year-old girl is violently mugged.
Four years later…
Ness lives in London with her flatmate Jules—single, carefree but shadowed by the darkness of the violence that has created a distrust of strangers and the inability to have a sexual relationship with a man who is not first a friend. Then she meets Jason…
Their attraction is powerful, their sex incredible and they are compatible in other ways, too, but Ness’ insecurities come to the fore. She doesn’t have the life experience to determine whether Jason feels the same—and the antics of her co-workers aren’t helping.
Jason—who has mysterious ties to his business and the artworld—must recognize that his attractiveness to other females is an issue before the sudden threat he encounters puts them both in danger of not being together at all or suffering a deadly fate.

 
Q & A  

            1. Did you plot this book out or write wherever an idea took you?

I plot a rough outline then see where the creative process takes me. I like to set down the 1st couple of chapters then I write scenes ‘out of order’ according to where my imagination takes me.

            2.  Did you leave out anything in this book that you wished you hadn’t?

Lol – no. In fact, my publisher asked me to take 10,000 words out, it was so long. Originally, The Girls’ Club came in at 130k words and is still a super-plus size novel but at a more readable 119k words.

 3.  Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

I think an eye-catching cover is essential, especially for on-line sales where a prospective reader can scroll past 10’s of titles in an instant.



EXCERPT  

I slipped my hands into Jason’s back jeans pockets and squeezed. “Not going to happen. I don’t like people standing close if I don’t know them. I take steps to avoid it. It’s why I don’t do clubs or any venue that gets too crowded.”

“The Barleymow last week?”

“Was fine. I knew a lot of people there. It’s a crowd full of complete strangers that sets my teeth on edge.”

Jason kissed the top of my head. “You get knocked off your feet in a crowd or something sometime because you’re so small, Ness?”

I kissed his chest and smiled upward. “Yeah. Getting knocked off my feet and getting hurt because of it just about sums it up. Now, did you say you had some wine in there or shall we stay out here and continue to delight your neighbors?”

“Just one more for Mrs. Noakes, then. She’ll have her nose firmly pressed up against the window. I’m sure she’s being waiting for me to do something scandalous ever since I moved in.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and giggled as he kissed my lips, lifted me, threw me over his shoulder, patted my butt then walked to the street door, holding me with one arm while he used the other the other to tap in the entry code. Jason stood me on my feet inside the entrance lobby.

“Right. If she wants any more than that she can get herself over to Amsterdam for a floor show like everyone else.”

I laughed and slipped my hand into his as he called for the lift, put my bag on my shoulder and cuddled in around his waist when the lift doors closed. Jason cupped my butt with his hands. “You got a case of butt love there?”

Jason squeezed. “Cutest little one I’ve ever laid my hands on.

I nipped my teeth on his neck. “So, would you like to do my butt?”

“Yes, that.” I kissed his neck.

“You want me to bend over the back of your sofa, maybe?”

He pressed me closer and I breathed deeper as his cock hardened against me. “Please.”

O'Brien, Cassie. The Girls' Club . Totally Bound Publishing. Kindle Edition.


WHERE TO BUY

https://www.totallybound.com/book/the-girls-club

https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Club-Cassie-OBrien-ebook/dp/B078HG6LHL

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-girls-club-3

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-girls-club-cassie-obrien/1127687816


27 June 2019

The Evernighties Blog Challenge Week 26

My Favorite  Indulgence


Wow, a writer could get into a lot of trouble with this week's challenge. I think I'll keep mine PG.

I would have to say spirits or wine, but only once a week. Usually either Friday or Saturday night, depending if I have to work on Sunday or not. Mike and I like to visit a store called Total Wine and pick something to drink out. Last night was a Pinot Noir that I didn't really enjoy, but drank anyway because I don't waste wine. If I've thrown away wine it was because it tasted like vinegar. 

Another indulgence would be watching "scary" shows right before I go to bed, because there's nothing better than having ghost sightings running through my head right before I go to sleep. (The sarcasm is heavy here). Why do I do that to myself? I'll watch Ghost Adventures or Portals to Hell, and then turn out all the lights and try to not think about them. 

I guess the last indulgence I'll write about is the fact I still sleep with a teddy bear I named Rosie. She was a gift from my mom on my 16th birthday (so Rosie is thirty years old!). I like sleeping on my stomach and she's the perfect size to wedge under my chest, as a type of pillow. She's lost some stuffing and her fur is matted together, but I love Rosie. 

**Make sure to check out the other Evernighties Challenge authors!

26 June 2019

Wednesday's Writers Block Exercise - Week 25

Got Writer’s Block?

Yeah, it happens to the best of us.  Life gets in the way and your brain is taken in another direction and before you know it, it’s been days or weeks since you last looked at that book you’re trying to write.  You’ve forgotten little details.  What eye color did you give your hero?  What town was your heroine born in?  Perhaps you need to jumpstart your creative mojo, and that's what this series is designed for. Not to explain writer's block, but to help you move in a different direction.



The one thing that a writer must do is keep the interest of the reader. One good way of doing that, of keeping the drama alive, is to make getting to the HEA difficult to achieve.

Television shows do this all the time. Some of my favorite series were/are Grimm, Roswell New Mexico,  and The Walking Dead franchise. One reason is because the writers take a story I wouldn't have thought about, and explore it. It challenges my own imagination. I believe this helps me think outside the box whenever I write my own stories.




#25 Every Blessing is a Curse

You think it's better, but no, it's worse. Find ways to turn your hero's success against her.

>List three things your hero wants. How could each of them lead to ruin?

> Curses are hard to break, often requiring perilous journeys and exotic rituals. Brainstorm challengine ways for your hero to remove the affliction.

> Some curses are blessings in disguise. List three ways a bad event could end up helping your hero.





From monkey paws to pet cemeteries, fables have taught us that gifts rarely come without a price. But this needn't play as a supernatural moral lesson; almost any improvement in the hero's life can backfire.

Look for ways to turn a character's achievements against him. The new love interest can become a stalker. The new hourse can be a deathtrap. The new job can literally be nurder. 




Happy Writing!


***John August designed these cards to help writers fix plot holes, spice up stock characters and
rethink your themes.  They, of course, do not guarantee you’ll get published or that you’ll become the next J.K. Rowling, and of course they are only a tool to help you think outside the box. I make no monetary gain with them nor do I expect anything in return.  I do not own the contents in these cards. If you're interested in them, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Writer-Emergency-Pack/dp/B00R6ZLIOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502046610&sr=8-2&keywords=john+august 


23 June 2019

Blast from the Past...Spotlighting January Bain's "Racing the Tide"


Racing the Tide, Book one in the TETRAD Group series

Cole and Gabby, undercover in Vancouver’s Chinatown, have no time for the attraction developing between them. Not when the race is on to rescue a kidnap victim before time runs out.

My name is Cole McClintock. My new job with the TETRAD Group has me working with a woman that’s gotten me so tied up in unfuckingbelievable knots that I’m a certifiable nut job. I mean, just look at her. The woman is beyond hot with those big doe eyes and luscious curves that makes me want to possess every single inch of her.

One look at Cole McClintock and knew I should stay right the fuck away from him. My name is Gabriella Banks and I’d be the first to admit I’m complicated, but at least my job as a new operative with The TETRAD Group keeps me too busy to dwell on my lack of a sex life. I never thought I’d be admitting this, but my strong-woman exterior hides a craving for something more—something only Cole can provide…



Q & A 

1, Did you plot this book out or write wherever an idea took you?

Aw, the perennial question: Plotter or Pantzer? Actually, I do a bit of both, a hybrid of knowing where I’d like the story to go and then listening to my characters as to where they see themselves going! This allows me to have a sense of solidity and yet adds a lot of creative juice to the experience. 😊

2. Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

I do believe a book cover plays an important role. It’s the first impression for attracting readers and it needs to say so much. What the story is about? Is the impression left that the book is well-crafted? Does the cover reflect the genre properly so readers get the story they want? My hats off to those that create the covers. A lot of thought goes into them. I feel blessed by the amazing covers that have been made for my series at Totally Bound Publishing. They are always beautiful and spot-on!

3.  Any advice you would like to give to your younger self?

Good question! Yes, definitely, relax more and enjoy the journey! I have worried too much about if I could figure things out in a story, but overtime, I realize there are many ways for plots to advance and that all is revealed when the right moment appears. Guess I do believe there is magic afoot when continuing exercising creative muscles! So far to date, after at least thirty books written, things have a marvelous way of working out that often surprises even me. I think read all you can is one of the best bits of advice I have ever been given.


EXCERPT 

He joined her in the cab, his eyes drawn to her lovely face, pain lancing him when he found it filled with worry, a sharp crease burrowing between her eyebrows while she chewed on her lips. The lips he had lost himself in only moments ago. It seemed like forever now, the sight a pure aphrodisiac. He reached over and drew her to him, rougher than he intended. Took that beautiful concerned face between the palms of his hand and claimed a kiss of those perfect pink lips. The effect startling, satisfying, essential, the electrical current between them bursting into flames.

He pressed harder, seeking the warmth within. His blood heated red-hot, coursing under his skin, tightening his cock until it felt about to burst free from his jeans, hard as steel. A moan. A gasp. The outside world dropped away, making only this moment, this second, all that mattered.

She softened into him across the annoyance of the center partition between the seats. He wanted to drag her right up close to him, push into her, fill her with himself. He was lost in her, grasping a full breast and finding the nipple hard, budded. The warmth of the pliant flesh sent him reeling. God, he wanted her. Wanted to have her stretched naked beneath him, wet for him. Wanted into the very core of her. Make me forget.

“Fuck, woman,” he murmured against her lips, “I have to have you. Now.” Their breaths mingled, heating the air around them, obscuring the outside world as moisture formed, clouding over the windows. It ran down the glass in rivets, like the tears of the world.

His hands pulled at her clothing until she began to help, shucking off her shoes, jeans and panties in one frantic movement. He unbuckled his belt and pulled down the zipper, yanked a condom from his pocket. She tore it from his hands and before he could get his jeans and boxers completely off, she was on top of him, centering herself over him, grasping his cock with one hand, rolling the condom on and thrusting him into her pussy. He slid inside, pushing past the slick, tight entrance to thrust up into her, pulling her down as far as he could, burying himself balls-deep inside her tight warmth.

“Oh, my God,” he moaned, his cock straining for sweet release, his head swimming with the quickness of being inside her. He’d dreamed of this moment since he’d first laid eyes on her. He lunged into her, burying his face in her fragrant hair, working his hands over her naked breasts, pushing her bra cups down to make them jut out farther until she moaned against his mouth, wetness flooding her channel.

His body wasn’t his own, his need powerful. He forgot everything else, where they were, what was going on. He was rough, rougher than he had ever been with a woman. His hot cum rushed up from inside his balls, tingling and seeking release. Raw. Like he had never known. Harder than he had ever been.


WHERE TO BUY

https://www.amazon.com/Racing-Tide-TETRAD-Group-Book-ebook/dp/B0783QBFK7

https://www.amazon.ca/Racing-Tide-TETRAD-Group-Book-ebook/dp/B0783QBFK7

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/racing-the-tide-1


20 June 2019

The Evernighties Blog Challenge Week 25

Do You Keep a Journal or Diary?

I've never been one of those people who wrote down my thoughts in a journal or diary. I guess I had too many other fictional stories running in my head to write down what was going on in my boring life. I grew up in a very small Missouri town in the bootheel, where not much happens, so I spent most of my days reading or daydreaming.

I wanted to be Indiana Jones exploring the world. I thought the only way to live a life of exploration was to be a travel agent, or a tour guide somewhere. But after my junior year of highschool my grandmother (in Delaware) got sick and needed my mom to take care of her, so my parents sold our house and we moved to the East Coast. I ended up my senior year graduating from the same high school my mom had twenty-five years before me.

I don't recommend switching high schools the last year unless you have to. It wasn't the best experience. I ended up meeting my first husband (who was 12 years my senior), but that only lasted four years before I ended up splitting with him. At that point in my life, I ended up moving a lot. First to Tennessee, then to California, to Louisiana, and then back to Cali until finally moving to Nevada. The Sagittarian in me loved the constant excitement of adventure, but it was starting to wear thin.

Now, I'm able to write the stories that have clamored in my head, and put them together in a coherent frame. I would say that my books are my journals, although they aren't about my personal self. They are the stories that flood my head and need to be written.

19 June 2019

Wednesday's Writers Block Exercise - Week 24

Got Writer’s Block?

Yeah, it happens to the best of us.  Life gets in the way and your brain is taken in another direction and before you know it, it’s been days or weeks since you last looked at that book you’re trying to write.  You’ve forgotten little details.  What eye color did you give your hero?  What town was your heroine born in?  Perhaps you need to jumpstart your creative mojo, and that's what this series is designed for. Not to explain writer's block, but to help you move in a different direction.





No one ever checks to make sure the bad guy is dead. And he never is. It's an old trope that is ALWAYS used, and it's not exclusive to the antihero. Even the good guy on occasion is thought to be dead, only to pop up again at the right moment.

Another cliché is the old "that's not a knife, this is a knife" scenario, meaning the first bad guy isn't the real BAD GUY. The trick I like to put into my stories is who is the real bad guy? I like to give misdirection to the reader. You think it's one person, or one situation, but in reality, it's this person whom I mentioned very briefly at the beginning. If you are going to throw this misdirection, however, make sure to put very subtle clues throughout the story, so the reveal at the end is a surprise.



#24 That's Not the Dragon

You thought that was the enemy? Nope. The real danger lies ahead.


>Bait the trap. List three things that could be used to lure your hero to danger.


> Picture the puppet master. Who could be pulling the strings? What would he gain by remaining hidden? How could your hero discover him?

> Heroes can have puppets, too. Brainstorm deceptions your hero could use to confuse or delay the enemy.


The best villains often hide behind henchmen and facades. Your hero might believe she has defeated the enemy, only to discover he's stronger than ever. Or perhaps, like The Wizard of Oz, there's a man pulling levers behind the curtain.

Look for reversals. Can the supposed enemy be turned into an ally? Has your hero been an unwilling toll of a greater evil? Was the whole thing a trap, or just a delay?

Even fake dragons have teeth. Let his bite count.






Happy Writing!




***John August designed these cards to help writers fix plot holes, spice up stock characters and
rethink your themes.  They, of course, do not guarantee you’ll get published or that you’ll become the next J.K. Rowling, and of course they are only a tool to help you think outside the box. I make no monetary gain with them nor do I expect anything in return.  I do not own the contents in these cards. If you're interested in them, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Writer-Emergency-Pack/dp/B00R6ZLIOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502046610&sr=8-2&keywords=john+august 


18 June 2019

New Western Romance from Allyson Young!


A Western Romance:
When Kathleen and Carter meet, it’s intrigue at first sight, and they awaken from emotional exile. A turn of events finds her spontaneously joining him on his working ranch. Despite being really hard work, she’s blissfully happy—and the fringe benefits aren’t too shabby either.

Carter can’t believe his luck. He desperately needed a housekeeper, not that he welcomed this amazing woman into his home for that reason. He can cope with her bond with her daughter, no matter how it forces him to remember his lost young son. And he can’t give her his heart, but what he can give is surely enough.

In love with this amazing man, Kate ignores that Carter withholds, believing he’ll change, and she’s willing to wait. When she inadvertently discovers he was angling for a housekeeper all along, it knocks her blinders off.

She’s done waiting. She deserves more—and so does he.




Buy Links:




Excerpt:

“I think I’m good. I should probably get to bed,” she said. “What time do you get up?”

“Early. And I head out straight away. You stay in bed until you’re ready to face the day. I’ll leave you my cell number, and you text me. I’ll head back.”

“I’m an early riser too.”

“Five o’clock for me tomorrow, Kathleen.”

“Oh, maybe not. I’ll text you.”

He pulled out his cell. “What’s your number?”

With the exchange complete, he lurked in the doorway. “The bathroom is across the hall. Towels in the cabinet.”

“Great, thanks. I’ve got everything I need.”

Did she? So near and yet so far, she hovered there like a wood sprite. When she stooped to slip the strap off her shoe, then the other and stepped out of the heels, he found he’d closed the gap.

“Kathleen.”

She looked up, having lost a slight difference in height, and her eyes flared green, the pupils dilating. A good night kiss, then. A peck. He reached out and with only tacit permission lowered his mouth over hers.

On a startled gasp, her lips parted, and he took advantage, yet maintained control, alert to any distress. It separated him into distinct parts that soon melded when she pressed into him, her arms wreathing around his neck.

He learned her, her taste and texture, reveling in her response, swallowing her tiny moans. When he pulled away to breathe, resting his forehead against hers, she sagged in his arms and he kept her steady.

His heart pounded in tandem with hers, and he was so hard he hurt. She shivered, and he said, “Do I need to apologize? Because it’ll be difficult.”

In a whisper, she said, “No need. I’m just sorry I’m so out of practice.”

“If you’re out of practice, I hope to kiss you when you’re at your best.”

Tipping her head back, she met his eyes before glancing away. “I don’t do this on a first date. I don’t date. Lord.”

He eased his body away from hers, regretting that he’d encroached on her personal space. She tugged him back. “But I want to. I want you. If that makes me a—”

He stopped her with a hard kiss. “Don’t. Don’t make this a bad thing.”

Her lips twitched in a tremulous smile. “I don’t want to overthink it.”

“I’ll take care of you,” he promised.

He lost his Stetson and shrugged out of his jacket, bemoaning any inability to keep a hand on her as she tugged a zipper hidden in a side seam of her dress and let it slither down the length of her body to pool at her feet.

His fingers froze on the snaps of his shirt as he took in the sight of her in scraps of pink lace and honest-to-God thigh-high stockings. With a dry mouth, he wrenched the placket apart and threw the shirt to one side, gathering her to him, nuzzling the hollow at the base of her neck and then down to the tops of her breasts.

“You’re stunning.”

She arched into him, and he fumbled with the clasp and freed those gorgeous mounds that tumbled into his waiting hands. Soft skin tipped with beaded nipples he desperately wanted to get his mouth on. And her sultry scent…

His belt buckle pressed into her belly, and he made one hand abandon its prize and yank open the offending metal, dealing with the button and zipper while he was at it. His cock breathed a sigh of relief—he swore it—as his mouth found its target.

“God, Carter.” She pushed into him, and he sucked harder, gently using his teeth against the tip.

Her hands found his hips and pushed his jeans down, dragging his boxer briefs with them. The sensation of her fingers on his ass made him groan, his pelvis thrusting, his cock against her center.

At this rate, he’d disgrace himself.

When she sought him out, he turned with her, hobbled by his own jeans, the ignominy nearly making him smile as he held her against the wall. “Touch me, darlin’, and I’ll lose it all over your sweet hand.”

“Out of practice, too,” she teased, her hair awry and her mouth swollen. “I’m so ready, Carter.”

He worked his hand beneath her panties, staring into her eyes, soaking in the pleasure sparking there when he found her apex, full and wet. “You are.”

Still, he played at her entrance, then feathered over the knot above, making her rise on her toes and whimper. “Please.”

It took some awkward gymnastics to get a hand into his jeans’ pocket and lift his wallet, all while stroking her, but he managed it. Somehow got the condom out and open and smoothed on.

Pushing aside the fabric guarding her pussy, he bent his knees a fraction and set his cock at her opening. With a single thrust, he filled her, freezing in place as they both adjusted. She was wet but so fucking tight. She’d said she didn’t do this, didn’t date. Christ. How long had it been?

“You okay?” he rasped, willing her to open her eyes.

As if on cue, her lashes fluttered open, and he drowned in the depths behind them. Urgent need enticed him, and he responded, easing out and pushing back in. Heated, wet satin sucked at him as he powered toward orgasm, knowing it wouldn’t be long.

But he wasn’t getting there alone. Watching her for any signs, doing his best to ignore the pull at the base of his spine, he found her sweet spot and swiveled his hips to take her there. She responded by working herself against him, her breath increasing in shallow pants as she crested.

With a short cry, she tensed and clamped on him, shuddering, her head grinding against the wall. There was no resisting her, and he followed her over, emptying himself. He set his teeth on the top of her shoulder and muffled his groan, then kissed the spot reverently.


About the Author:

Allyson Young aka Peri Elizabeth Scott lives in cottage country, Manitoba, Canada where she and her husband pretend to work well together in their seasonal business.

She has always enjoyed the written word, and after reading an erotic romance, quite by mistake, decided to try her hand at penning one. That was followed by a mix of spicy (Ally) and sweet (Peribeth) romances in various genres as well as a post-apocalyptic adventure without a lick of romance by Peribeth.

A bestselling Amazon author, a hybrid, and a coauthor, as of November 2018 she has published seven series and several standalones, with others in the works.


www.allysonyoung.com

https://www.facebook.com/sweetnspicyauthor/


17 June 2019

New Release from Lynn Burke!




Title: In Between
Author: Lynn Burke
Genre: MMF Erotic Romance
Release Date: June 17, 2019



Blurb

After his stepfather nearly ruins both his family name and business, Damien Fiorenza becomes suspicious of everyone—except for his long-time partner, Ethan Lord. He doesn’t trust people in authority, much less the woman who weasels her way into his walled-up heart, alongside his lover of fifteen years.

Ethan dislikes his empathic abilities, especially since they allow him to feel his mother’s indifference toward him, her only son. Damien, however, has always made Ethan feel needed, appreciated, and protected—but he can’t voice what Ethan is desperate to hear. Falling for their new secretary is unexpected, but she encourages and supports him in ways Damien won’t.

Shaylia Bright’s father chose his secret family over her and her mother. Ever since, she’s striven to be the best she can be, unable to stomach being second best. Although an office romance is taboo, she can’t deny the passionate chemistry among the three of them and finds herself drawn to both her bosses.

A dark and deep secret from the past forces Damien to raise his defenses. Haunting revelations tear everyone apart, dooming Shaylia to second best and Ethan to an incomplete life. Wrought with insecurity and stubbornness, can they find the courage to accept parts of their painful past in order to forge a path together, toward a happily ever after?







Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU





Excerpt

I stared up at Ethan as he asked me if I was okay, and knowing I stood on the brink of a cliff, the bottom far from sight, I hesitated before nodding.

His hold on my waist tightened as he squeezed, his smile flooding my heart. He glanced over my head—at Damien behind me—and I wondered at the silent communication between them.

Ethan returned his focus to me, to my mouth and released one hand on my hip to slide up to cradle the back of my head as Damien’s hand settled where his had vacated. “Can I kiss you?”

Damien’s touch singed through my capris, and I swallowed a rush of saliva as my heart pounded in my ears. “Yes.”

I wondered at my need to hurry, to rise to my tiptoes to close the distance between us, but couldn’t help myself. I’d missed him, his touch more than I’d thought. The softness, the gentle caress of his lips lightened my head and nearly caved my chest in with the depletion of anxiety.

Zero doubt I belonged to Ethan raged through my body, heightening my already racing pulse. I grabbed hold of his head and sank into him as he slid his tongue into my mouth, weakening my knees.

The brush of Damien against my back raced fire over my skin, pebbling every inch, exposed and beneath clothing. A shift of my hips pressed my ass against his thighs, and he groaned as his hard length rubbed against my lower back.

Forget fire—lava rushed through my veins, and I shuddered, pulling away from Ethan’s mouth, gasping for breath. “I-I’ve never done this before,” I somehow managed to say before trembling took over my body.

“We’ll take things slow,” Ethan whispered, brushing my hair back from my face.

If that’s what you want,” Damien added, the heat of his breath lifting the hairs on my nape.

I bit back a moan as he sandwiched me fully between the two men, tempting all thought to flutter from my mind. My head tipped back onto Damien’s shoulder as I fought to slow my pulse, to catch my breath. He leaned in and kissed Ethan right beside my face.

Kissed Ethan … inches from my face.

Both groaned, and my core liquefied as I stared at their hungry mouths, tongues, and teeth, appearing in flashes as they devoured one another, grinding against me as though I was a conduit between their bodies.

All strength left me, and I sagged between their hardness, my pussy pulsing, thighs squeezing to ease the ache in my clit. I bit my lip at Ethan’s moan, his surrender to Damien’s hold on his hair and control of the kiss.

I’d said I hadn’t come to their condo for sex, but hell if I could think of anything else at that moment.

© Lynn Burke 2018



Author Bio


Lynn Burke is a full time mother, voracious gardener, and scribbler of spicy romance stories. A country bumpkin turned Bay Stater, she enjoys her chowdah and Dunkin Donuts when not trying to escape the reality of city life.


Author Links


14 June 2019

New Release from Lacee Hightower!



Blurb:



What’s a person to do when they discover everything they’ve believed is nothing but lies?

I grew up wealthy, a spoiled rich kid some would say, blessed with a natural athletic physique and erotic good looks that could get me into the panties of just about any girl I set my mind to.

I wanted … what I wanted.

And that meant one thing: the beautiful brunette from study hall—but she left me high and dry.

Today, I have a heart made of stone.  I’m angry, a professed lifelong bachelor, and a sexual sadist.

My soul is a cold river.

Eight years later, she’s back in my life and holding secrets that are ruthless, unforgiveable.

I want to punish her, make her cry, watch her suffer.  I want to hate her for what she’s done.

But I want my hands on her.

Mine.  All mine.

I simply want … Ava Montgomery.

Warning:  This title contains explicit sex scenes, BDSM, and anal sex




Excerpt:

 I ached for him with such a depth that it was a visceral kind of pain. I wanted his hands on me, touching me everywhere, taking me to that place I’d fantasized about for years.

“It’s your decision, doll.”

“Are you going to tear up my butt? Leave bloody marks on my back? Ruin my nipples? Are you…” My voice faded into silence as I stared at his focused expression that was so sure, so certain, his eyes that sent shimmers down my spine, his body that made me cave with pleasure every time it came near me. Heat flowed through my veins. “Yes. God, yes. I want to know everything. I want you to…”

Before I finished the words that were caught in my throat, his lips were on mine, crushing his mouth against me with a scorching kiss that felt like he was ravenous. His hands twisted fiercely through my hair, my body arching into him as he licked into me, purging deep, kissing me for long minutes like he wanted me more than any one thing in his existence. 

I wanted this so badly that it hurt.

His lips fell to the sweet spot just underneath my ear. “You wouldn’t happen to still have that blindfold by any chance?”

Another whimper rose up my throat as I collapsed into his chest, turning to soft liquid and ceding in submission.

Of course, I still had the blindfold. I’d stared at it a dozen times. Fantasized about what it would feel like being bound, in the dark, his hands on me, oblivious to his next move, and if all my daydreams were a reality … or a fool’s paradise.

“Yes,” I breathed, captivated.

“Grab it, kitten. And follow me.”

Blistering heat flooded my core as he trailed kisses across my neck.

“And, Ava,” he added in a hard tone, “before the night ends, my marks will be all over you.”

Buy Links:
Evernight:  https://www.evernightpublishing.com/intrigue-me-by-lacee-hightower/
Amazon:  https://amazon.com/dp/B07SSYJTQK
Books2read(Universal link):  https://books2read.com/u/bQ6qAd

About the Author:

Lacee Hightower is an American writer and romance novelist, referring to her style as contemporary romance with a nice big pinch of kink.  Living in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, she describes herself as a foodie that can’t cook, a large lover of fashion and shoes, and an enormous hopeless romantic.  Since she was old enough to know what the word meant, she loved the whole concept of romance and happy endings. Even though she has always enjoyed writing, life got in the way and she never really thought of pursuing it seriously until she decided to write her first book after both her children were grown in 2017.  Now with a nice glass of wine in hand, or not, she is learning to love bringing the characters in her head to life on paper for those who enjoy peeking into another world.



Social Media Links:

Facebook:  Facebook

 Twitter:   Twitter

Instagram:  Instagram

Website:   laceehightower.com

BookBub:   Bookbub





 Intrigue Me (Tangled Pleasures)
An Erotic Romance Novel by Lacee Hightower
Publisher:  Evernight Publishing
Release Date:  June 11, 2019























13 June 2019

The Evernighties Blog Challenge Week 24

Item I Can't Live Without

I'm going to go with the word "item" in this challenge, because there are obviously people I can't live without. My son is one. My husband is another. I never want to imagine life without them.

So if we're focusing on an item, there are a few. Chapstick is one. I absolutely can not stand when my lips are dry. Drives me batty. I probably have a dozen Chapsticks lying around my home, one in each coat and jacket pocket. I must have Chapstick. My favorite is peppermint because it seems to last the longest, although I don't like the taste of peppermint. Ironic, eh?

The other item I can't live without is something to write with and paper. Stories are constantly in my head and I might go mad if I can't write them down. I would've said laptop, but I have to think about the battery dying.

What if I'm on a deserted island by myself? Then I would say a satellite phone so I can call for rescue.

What if it's the zombie apocalypse? Then weapons, of course. Something that doesn't need bullets because you'll run out of those.

What if it's the end of the world? Books. Something I don't mind reading over and over again. I would be the person who went on quests to find new books to read.

What if I'm at the end of my life? Then a kiss from the people I love. I wouldn't mind taking a kiss from them into the afterlife. To know I'm loved and will be missed is all a person can ask for at the end of their life.

**Make sure to check out the other Evernighties blog posts!

12 June 2019

Wednesday's Writers Block Exercise - Week 23

Got Writer’s Block?

Yeah, it happens to the best of us.  Life gets in the way and your brain is taken in another direction and before you know it, it’s been days or weeks since you last looked at that book you’re trying to write.  You’ve forgotten little details.  What eye color did you give your hero?  What town was your heroine born in?  Perhaps you need to jumpstart your creative mojo, and that's what this series is designed for. Not to explain writer's block, but to help you move in a different direction.



In romance the hero can't really be alone by himself because the love interest has to grow and build through the story. But the story I'm writing now, I've isolated my hero and heroine in an underground bunker, separated from everyone and completely off the grid.

I plan for my hero to go a little crazy because all he knows is technology. And now he's got nothing to work with.

This is a great opportunity for me to put myself in someone else's shoes. As the writer, I'm able to control my emotions because I'm the architect of the story. However, what would I do if I was in the bunker, unable to call for help? I wouldn't be calm, that's for sure.

It can be fun and exciting plopping your hero or heroine into a situation either on their own or out of their comfort zone. I look forward seeing how my own hero gets out of this situation.



#23 Lose the Cavalry
Take away the allies and support. Leave your hero to fend for himself.

>List three ways a person could get help in this situation, then list ways to prevent it.


> Maybe your hero is the cavalry. How could she fail to come to the aid of an ally? What are the consequences?

> Go ahead and send the cavalry - but at a cost. Perhaps the recuers are worse than the original enemies.





If your hero can easily call for help, the stakes won't be very high. So take away her lifeline. No parents, no mentors, no 911.

Or set up the expectation that help is on the way, but then prevent it. Perhaps the reinforcements are stuck in a blizzard. The police show up at the wrong address. The replacement wedding dress is destroyed by ferrets. 

Force your hero to figure this out for herself.





Happy Writing!


***John August designed these cards to help writers fix plot holes, spice up stock characters and
rethink your themes.  They, of course, do not guarantee you’ll get published or that you’ll become the next J.K. Rowling, and of course they are only a tool to help you think outside the box. I make no monetary gain with them nor do I expect anything in return.  I do not own the contents in these cards. If you're interested in them, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Writer-Emergency-Pack/dp/B00R6ZLIOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502046610&sr=8-2&keywords=john+august 


10 June 2019

Q & A with Elyzabeth M Valey!


Hello Elyzabeth!  Thank you so much for visiting Written Butterfly with me today!  It’s such a pleasure to chat with you.  So tell me…



Q) Is your book part of a series?  If so, can you tell us about it?  



Thank you for having me! Yes, it is. Open is book one of the Lust, Love, and Darkness series. It will be a three book BDSM series, featuring characters who shared a common, traumatic past, and must now rediscover the pleasures of BDSM.

 

Q) Do you have a favorite book you’ve written?



I love all the books I’ve written but I seem to have developed a soft spot for The Beauty of Forever,  my vampire Christmas story. I’m just in love with Christopher, the hero.

 

Q) Do you write in a linear fashion or do you jump from scene to scene and then go back and “fill in the blanks”?



Hum. A bit of both really. Lately I find myself writing in a more linear fashion, but I’ve also written inspiring scenes and then built the story from there.



Q) Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?



When I write a series, I try to make them so that each one stands on its own and readers can pick up any book in the series and feel as if they’re not missing out on anything big.



Q) What are your upcoming projects?



I’ve just signed a contract with Evernight Publishing for book 4 of the Alpha Protectors series, titled, Killian’s Hope, and I’m working on book 2 of Lust, Love and Darkness, which will be Becky’s story. (She is mentioned in Open).






One day she’d be his.

Almost a decade ago, Marcus Grimes worked as a bodyguard to a man who didn’t deserve the woman he’d had. When she finally left, Marcus vowed to eventually find her and make her his.

The time is now.

Marcus runs into Gabi at a BDSM club, indulging in a different partner every week but never really exploring beyond the mere superficial. She doesn’t remember him, and he convinces her to give him a chance.

All she has to do is open.
After leaving an abusive relationship, Gabi moved cities and reinvented herself. Now, she’s confident and capable of playing with any Dom she sees fit without compromising herself or her emotions.

Until she meets Marcus Grimes.

There is something familiar about him, which should have stopped her, but instead spurs her on, and before she realizes it, Marcus is not only opening her body to his exploration, he’s also delving into her heart.

However, when their mutual past comes to light and everything she’s fought for during the last eight years is jeopardized, will she close herself off again or will she give love an opportunity?

Be Warned: BDSM, flogging, sex toys

Buy now:







Excerpt:


Marcus sipped at his soda, wishing it were something stronger so his libido would subside. Who was he kidding? Looking at her would get him aroused regardless of the amounts of alcohol he drank.


She was perfect. Everything he’d ever fantasized about: luscious curves, ample bottom, tits which would fit his hands, and a mouth made for sucking and screaming out his name.

Gabi. Her last name was of no consequence. Neither was her first name. Years ago, he’d known her as Abby. What mattered was that when he made her his, he’d refer to her as “kitten”. He’d called her it once, by accident. The term had come naturally. Back then, she had been vulnerable, small, like an abandoned pet. Now, however, he stood in the presence of a different type of cat. She was graceful, strong, seductive.


Unfortunately, unlike cats, which tended to be more snobbish when it came to choosing an owner, Gabi played with just about everyone. She was a regular at the BDSM club where he’d found her. One night, he’d see her getting a spanking, the next, a caning, and another day, she was being whipped. There didn’t seem to be anything Gabi wouldn’t try, except sticking with the same partner. She had a different Dom every weekend, playing with them at a distance, never really giving in to the experience. He knew why, and he was determined to change it. Starting tonight.


Currently, she was tied to the Saint Andrew’s cross, and Master Eric was giving her a good flogging. The Dom played her like an instrument, knowing exactly where to hit to make her skin tingle but not bruise. Marcus scowled. When they played, he’d make sure to mark her so every time she sat down, she would remember him and how her body had yielded to her Dom’s touch.


Marcus downed the last of his drink and moved closer to the cross. It’d been close to eight years since he’d last seen her. Eight years. He sometimes thought they had been wasted years, but deep down, he knew they hadn’t. After what she’d gone through, she’d needed the time to heal and become the person she was now.


In all that time, he’d never stopped wanting her. He’d been incapable of erasing her from his mind even after he’d lost track of her whereabouts. And then, fate had thrown her in his path. He’d finally decided to join the BDSM community in the city, and he’d found her. Here of all places. In his city.


One look at her and he’d made up his mind. Gabi would be his. Permanently this time. He’d bided his time, investigating her present, trying to find out more about who she was today. Every weekend for the past month, he’d come to the club and watched her. He’d leave with a hard-on and a desperate craving to claim her.


Tonight would be different. Eric was almost done, each stroke of the flogger turning into a caress until it came to a full stop. Gabi shuddered and hung her head. Marcus stiffened. Was she okay? Eric seemed to think the same because he hurried forward and whispered in her ear. Gabi nodded. Eric chuckled. Giving her ass a light tap, he began to undo the restraints.


Marcus clenched his fists. Soon, he’d be the only one spanking Gabi’s behind. He waited patiently for them to finish. His heart hammered in his chest, and sweat gathered at his nape. He hadn’t been so on edge in years.


Finally, Gabi became free and turned around. Marcus’s breath caught. She wasn’t naked, but she didn’t need to be to get his dick hardening. He focused on her mouth. Wide with plump lips. How many times had he fantasized about having them around his dick? Fucking her mouth. Marcus swallowed a groan.


Soon.


Eric blocked his view, stepping in front of Gabi to give her a hug. She smiled politely, but there was no affection in her gaze. She was merely being civil. Marcus smirked. They wouldn’t end their sessions with a friendly pat. Finally, Eric left. Before Gabi could also leave, Marcus approached her. She saw him coming, her gaze narrowing and her lips parting into a coquettish smirk. He couldn’t wait to make it sincere.


“Gabi?”


“That’s me. What can I call you, handsome?”


“Marcus will do for now.”


She pouted, feigning disappointment.


“Shame, I thought you were a Dom.”


Marcus grinned. “I am.”


“And you don’t want me to call you Sir or Master? Do you prefer Daddy?” She ran her fingertips across his forearm making goosebumps sprout on his flesh. Marcus pulled away.


“If the men you’ve been playing with require you call them Sir after barely ten seconds of interaction, you’ve been hanging around the wrong people.”


She shrugged, her gaze dipping then just as quickly meeting his again.


“So, why are we having this conversation, Marcus?”


“I would like to play with you.”


Gabi quirked an eyebrow. “And you don’t want me to call you ‘Sir’?”


“Not yet.”


“Well, I’m done for today, so maybe next time,”


He grabbed her wrist. Her eyes blazed.


“Release me.”


“In a minute, kitten.”


“Don’t call me that. I didn’t give you the right.”


“Forgive me,” Marcus apologized. “You’re right.” He stepped into her personal space, forcing her to tilt her head to look at him even though she wasn’t much shorter. “You have to understand, Gabi, I don’t want to play with you right now. I want to get to know you a bit before I make you kneel at my feet, open up that pretty little mouth of yours and stuff it with my cock until you gag.”







Available at:






About Elyzabeth M. VaLey

Elyzabeth M. VaLey is a writer of sizzling, sexy romance who firmly believes in happy ever after.  From paranormal to contemporary, fantasy, or historical, she enjoys exploring her characters' darker side and writing stories about tortured heroes, strong heroines, and all that comes between them and their love.


When she's not writing, she can be found walking in the Spanish countryside with her black Lab, exploring castles, or enjoying some tapas with her friends. 

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