Snippet Sunday – “Sleeping Beauty”

He began looking around for an escape route. They were too far from the elevators and already boxed in from the rear. The only other thing was the trash chute.

Ah, fuck!

He squeezed her hand. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. Her quick response warmed his blood but also made him pause. He’d never had someone’s unquestioning loyalty before, except for Noah’s. It made his heart pound in his chest.

“Then trust me that you’re not going to like this,” he said grimly.

“What?”

 The next second he turned and ran for the trash chute. It opened when he got near and he picked her up, throwing her in feet first. The next instant he grabbed the door frame and hoisted his own body through it, sliding headfirst into the nastiest-smelling tube in the universe.

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Blurb:

Ronan Hark and Noah Kabot are deep space salvagers, partners in business as well as in life.  While investigating an old ship they discover a cryo chamber holding the frozen body of a beautiful woman who’s been asleep for thirty-one years.  Against Ronan’s better judgment, they take the chamber and wake her up.

Alivia Carian has spent her life living as a sheltered yet unloved princess, until the day she is forced into cryostasis.  It was only supposed to be for a short time, but somehow her ship crashed and she became nothing more than a memory.

But now everything has changed.  A hunter is after her and killing anyone who knows she’s alive.  As they race across the expanse of space, can Ronan and Noah keep her safe?  And what happens when she finally returns home to confront a life that forgot about her?
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Available for Pre-Order!  http://www.bookstrand.com/sleeping-beauty

Buy now & save 15%!

Snippet Sunday- Lawless Hearts MFM Historical Romance

Snippet Sunday is a blast from the past…literally.  Lawless Hearts is set in 1888 in Missouri, and tells the story of two men who come to tell Scharlie Thorn that her beloved brother has been murdered.  Worse, he was an outlaw and now, she’s falling in love with her brother’s accomplices.

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“The storm’s coming in fast,” Garrett said as he followed them in.

Just then, the hail and wind abruptly died, and an eerie silence

descended. The room felt charged, electric, and a flash of light

suddenly ignited the dark. Cassidy opened the door again with Garrett

and Scharlie on his heels.

Outside, Scharlie saw the sky was a greenish-black color, the

clouds hanging thick but moving rapidly. More bright flashes of light

struck the ground not too far in the distance. And then, suddenly, the

wind picked up so quickly Scharlie had to grab hold of Garrett to

maintain her balance.

“Scharlie, do you have a cellar?” Cassidy urgently asked.

“In the kitchen, under the rug,” she answered and watched as he

ran to uncover it.

If possible, the wind outside picked up speed, slamming into the

house with monstrous force. She realized that this wasn’t just a drill,

that a tornado was bearing down on them and she’d done nothing to

secure the livestock she had.

“My animals!” Scharlie cried and ran for the door.

“Scharlie!” Cassidy called out.

But his warning came a little late. The wind caught hold of the

door and ripped it from her hands. The wind whipped mercilessly at

her hair and skirts, pulling her forward into the whirling nightmare.

She frantically reached for the doorframe and screamed just as Garrett

grabbed her around the waist and managed to slam the door shut.

“Move!” Cassidy yelled.

She saw Garrett grab his and Cassidy’s gear, as well as a

Winchester rifle. They all hurried down the cellar steps and had just

managed to secure the door when a ferocious sound blasted over them.

Garrett still held on to her waist and dragged her back from the stairs

until he bumped into the wall. The cellar was pitch black and smelled

of rich earth. Scharlie shivered a little despite being wrapped in

Garrett’s warm arms.

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Available at Amazon.com, B&N, and Siren. 

http://www.bookstrand.com/lawless-hearts

www.bethdcarter.com

After Dark - Rated Very Naughty!

From my upcoming release, Sleeping Beauty (MMF), due out Sept. 11^th from Siren Book-strand.

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He leaned down and captured Noah’s lips, kissing him almost ferociously. He tasted himself on the man’s lips, a mixture of musk and salt, and wondered if Noah was thinking the same, tasting himself as well. He loomed over the smaller man and Noah fell back. His hands roamed over Noah’s chest, rolling his nipples between his fingers. Noah arched his back, pushing into Ronan’s hardness.

“Please,” Noah begged between gasps of air, “fuck me. Please fuck me!”

Ronan could no longer stand it either. He reached toward the side table where he’d laid the bottle of lube, and Noah took it from him to lather up Ronan’s cock. Ronan hissed in pleasure and pain to feel Noah’s hands on him, simply because he needed to be buried inside him so badly.

“Fuck!” he moaned, closing his eyes. “That feels good.”

He took the lube from Noah and squirted his fingers, easing down to start stretching his partner.

“I don’t know how much longer I can stand it,” Noah whispered.

Ronan knew what he was feeling but was but was beyond speech as he concentrated on widening Noah’s hole. When he inserted another finger he felt the muscled ring relax completely, and knew it was time. He withdrew his fingers and used more lube on his covered cock before angling his hips. Ronan leaned down, kissed Noah and entered him. There was no resistance as he slid into deep heat.

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BLURB:

Ronan Hark and Noah Kabot are deep space salvagers, partners in business as well as in life. While investigating an old ship they discover a cryo chamber holding the frozen body of a beautiful woman who’s been asleep for thirty-one years.  Against Ronan’s better judgment, they take the chamber and wake her up.

Alivia has spent her life living as a sheltered yet unloved princess, until the day she is forced into cryo stasis.  It was only supposed to be for a short time, but somehow her ship crashed and she became nothing more than a memory.

But now everything has changed.  A hunter is after her and killing anyone who knows she’s alive.  As they race across the expanse of space, can Ronan and Noah keep her safe?  And what happens when she finally returns home to confront a life that forgot about her?

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Pre-Order coming soon!

http://www.bookstrand.com/beth-d-carter

www.bethdcarter.com

Be sure to visit the others After Dark at:
http://theafterdarkworld.blogspot.com/2013/08/saturdays-afterdark-moment-08172013.html

The Mortal Instruments Movie Review

WARNING: SPOILERS.  Don't read if you don't want to know.

2nd WARNING: I'm a fan of the book.

For anyone who has read City of Bones there are certain expectations to be met for a successful film adaptation.  As I watched the movie, I was looking for key points throughout the story.  I didn’t care about certain things that really didn’t matter to the overall effect of the book translation, like the fact that Valentine had dark hair instead of white blonde.  What I was looking for was the heart of the story, the intricacies of the relationships that made a fantastic book. 

And I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed.  Although I have read some disparaging reviews, I don’t necessarily agree.  Eh.  Maybe I’m too much a fan of the book.

Now, translating a book into a film isn’t easy, especially when trying to keep the core of what the story is about.  Certain things do need to be sacrificed.  A book can take us on a journey for a long period of time and by the end we feel like we went on this rollercoaster along with the characters.  In a film, everything needs to be condensed, concise, and articulated with a time frame.  So that’s very hard to do with dealing with the elaborate world of The Mortal Instruments. 

Clary Fray is an ordinary girl, or so she thinks, until she starts writing an odd symbol everywhere.  Suddenly, she’s not so simple and the world isn’t quite what it seems.  She stumbles into the world of the Shadow Hunters, half angel and half human fighters who rid the world of demons.  In fact, Clary is one herself, only her mother hid her from this world.  And for good reason.  Her father, Valentine, is a sadistic good guy turned bad when he plans to kill everything but the Shadow Hunters.  He’s looking for The Mortal Cup, the cup that the angel Raziel poured his blood into to give to the band of humans wanting to fight demons.  With this Mortal Cup, Valentine can do pretty much anything.

           

The book is amazing and the movie was pretty good.  Sure, there was exposition, you just can’t get awa  And there wasn’t enough Magnus Bane, but I was surprised that the film balanced each character’s story. 

y from that when you have this epic background story.

I was also surprised (but glad) they didn’t gloss over certain subjects that could be taboo in a YA film.  Like Alec’s love for Jace and Mangus’s attraction to Alec.  I half expected the producers to gloss over those two situations but they didn’t.  Now, the only part I was slightly disappointed in, but I understand why they did it, was Hodge blatantly telling the audience about the big twist of Valentine’s kids.  As readers, we didn’t find out until book 3 but I know parents will be taking their kids to see this and so it was probably the big wig’s way of making sure there wasn’t a big to-do. 

Otherwise, I liked the liberties the writers and the director took with the ending of the book.  Visually, it was stunning.  I always like a good sword fight.  And while I was at first disappointed with who they chose to play Jace (I only had Twilight to base him off...see photo), in the end I was happy that he did some beefing up to play the

sarcastic but brave & witty Shadow Hunter.

I would recommend anyone to see this film.  While knowing the world of The Mortal Instruments would help endear the movie, it’s not necessary.  I really hope they plan on making the other two films City of Ashes & City of Glass because at the end of City of Glass there is a scene by a lake that would be AMAZING to see acted out.  But the producers were wise enough to end CoB in a way that may or may not be followed.  I guess time will tell. 

Reviews for Otherworldly & Snippet Sunday

Just rec'd some great reviews for my paranormal erotica romance, Otherworldly, and had to share, plus

give a tempting little snippet for a new segment I'm dubbing "Snippet Sunday". 

 

Great Story

By****on August 17, 2013

Format: Paperback

The heroine has a gift - she gets visions from dead people - but only those that have been murdered. The hero, a police detective, doesn't believe in hocus-pocus, but he learns to believe in her. This story has it all - gripping plot, great sex scenes, interesting twists and turns, believable and intriguing characters, and is fairly clean from typos. My husband read this book on one evening! I took several days, but was annoyed at all the interruptions that kept me from finishing it. I just bought the sequel (Kindle format) and excuse me, but I'm going to go read that now.

Holy One-Clickable Batman! I loved this!

By *** on August 18, 2013

Format: Paperback

Seriously, this book is a one clickable treat that will make your Kindle, or whatever you read on, say "Thank you ma'am!" This book was a total page turn (which is awesome because my cat stole my bookmark as I was reading). I read this in one sitting and I really enjoyed the story. I am really glad this is a series. These characters are well developed and they make you want to see they find a happy conclusion. Every suspenseful twist will keep you flipping pages until you reach the ending. Without giving away how the book concludes I have to admit I was biting my nails during the last chapter. Happily, I wasn't disappointed. This story has everything needed for a good series. The book doesn't feel as if the story left me dangling, but it did make me want more. How this book isn't in the top 100 on Amazon is mindboggling. READ THIS BOOK! I loved it and I hope you will too.
 

Charlotte is a great heroine. She's brave, and motivated by her own past demons. She's the kind of heroine who's not afraid to be a woman without being the kind of girl you want to hate. This character is someone you can't help but like. She's full of personality and life. Jonas Daire is the perfect sexy hero. He doesn't start out as Charlotte's biggest fan. Just as the reader can't help but find her intriguing and likable detective Daire falls under her spell. This story is full of tragedy, intrigue, and surprisingly enough, hope. Charlotte helps more than one person put their grief to rest. This is a paranormal suspense story you shouldn't miss. 

 

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He stared at her for a heartbeat and then looked down at his plate,
eating slowly and letting the silence lengthen. She respected the
boundary he set and let him eat and work through the thoughts in his
head.
 

She knew how he felt because she had once been in his shoes.
Those who didn’t know what it felt like to draw spirits to them
couldn’t wrap their mind around how it worked, and of course
Hollywood didn’t make it any easier. Charlotte couldn’t count how
many times she denied she was anything like Jennifer Love Hewitt’s
character in Ghost Whisperer.
 

“Can I ask you a favor?” he asked once he’d finished with his
food and pushed his plate away.
 

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “All right.”
 

“I’ve gone through Zach’s apartment a dozen times, but maybe if
you go there you’ll get another vision.”
 

“Okay.”
 

He blinked. “That easy?”
 

She shrugged. “You’ve been really nice to me. Minus the
interrogation room, of course.”
 

“Sorry,” he said, sounding chastised. “You’re right. I’m an ass.”
 

She rested her elbow on the table and placed her chin in her palm.
“And what an ass it is. I’ve been admiring it all day.”
 

“How much wine have you had?”

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And here's a little tidbit about Otherworldly...  I used a fictional city I created for one of my previous books, In a Chord.  I got the name Alecia Falls after one the characters from the British television show "Misfits".

Where to buy:  www.bethdcarter.com or http://www.bookstrand.com/otherworldly

 

After Dark Moments...Excerpt (Rated R)

Thanks to all who visited my Release Day Contest.  Mindy was the winner of my free ebook "Once Upon a Love Story"!  Up next is a MMF sci-fi romp through space in "Sleeping Beauty"...Two men find a woman frozen in cryo sleep for thirty-one years and decide to wake her up.  Now they're all in danger as someone tries to make sure she never reaches home.  Available Sept.11th from Siren.

Today is a Saturday's After Dark Moments, with a sexy excerpt from Once Upon a Love Story.  Please note this excerpt is rated R.  To visit the others with sexy tidbits, please follow the links at: http://afterdarkmoments.blogspot.com/


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“I want to pleasure you, Delilah,” he whispered.  “I want to lick you and eat you until you come for me, until I breathe you in and know your flavor.”

            She whimpered and her hips surged upward in wordless agreement.  Excitement surged through him, making his hands slightly shake.  He bent his head and kissed her cheek, over her jaw and down her neck, giving little flecks with his tongue over her skin. 

            “God, you’re sweet,” he crooned.  “Like warm honey.  I love how soft your skin is.”

            His hand slipped under her t-shirt, tracing over her ribs until he found the curve of her breast.  He cupped the shape, molding her to his palm as he gently squeezed.  Her nipple pebbled under the thin nylon of her bra and he traced over the turgid peak with his fingertip.  She arched and gasped.  He pushed her shirt and bra up, revealing her perfect breasts, the tips pointed in invitation.  He bent his head and closed his mouth over one, lavishing it with his tongue and teeth, tugging tenderly until she lay beneath him writhing. 

            He sat back for a moment to sweep her shirt over hear head, his fingers making quick work of her bra.  She lay bathed in moonlight, the goddess of beauty.  Her nipples were a darker shade than her skin, like ripe little berries.  She held her hands up toward him and he returned to her breasts, unable to get enough of them. 

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Belated Release Party Contest

I was in Las Vegas at the Romance Novel Convention when “Once Upon a Love Story” released and didn’t get a chance to host a party…so I’m doing it now.  I will give away one free PDF version of my newest novel…all you have to do is leave a comment!  The winner will be chosen at random on Saturday (so be sure to leave a way to contact you!)

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Females throughout Romance

I grew up in the Eighties.  A fun time for a teenage girl with the emergence of Madonna and Cyndi Lauper (to name only two of the plethora or female singers).  We piled our hair high and used a can of hairspray a day.  The fashion of dangling earrings as big as dangling bracelets, fishnets under shorts, floppy bows, and large necklaces that said “Boy Toy”.  

As a young girl I had such romantic ideas spurred on by the fantastical romance of Harlequin Present and LoveSpell novels.  Books that told of breathless passion between men and women.  I couldn’t wait to grow up and find that kind of love.  I was about twelve when I started writing my own romance novel, longhand of course.  My first typewriter was manual and my best friend was a new invention called White Out. 

Romance females back then were girls I could relate to.  Most were secretaries, receptionists, nurses or schoolteachers.  The men were usually wealthy and hard-bitten, softened by love.  They whisk the girl away from her downtrodden job or life and sweep her into future of love, wealth and privilege.  

As movies like “Working Girl” swept in a new generation of women’s lib, tastes started to change.  I started to read more stories with stronger females, love that had to be fought for, flawed heroes with emotions.  My perspective on romance changed.  In my twenties I thought I had found my hero, only to be disappointed.  And as my taste in what I read changed, so too did my writing.

Now I prefer flawed characters redeemed through love.  Heroes or heroines who may start out weak and use love to transform themselves.  In my current book, Once Upon a Love Story, my heroine has had a horrible life.  She’s a stripper who has a dream of obtaining her GED and thinks that once she does, life will be a bowl of roses.  It’s not, of course, but she does find a man who loves her for who she is. 

The role of females in romance and erotic romance has changed significantly since the Seventies and Eighties, and the introduction of e-readers has allowed many fantasies to be explored.  Women are allowed to explore sexual situations once thought taboo, a sort of “burning of the bras” computer style.  And though sometimes I have the hero saving the girl, more than likely I make sure the girl can save herself.
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BLURB:

Caleb Tasker lost his wife to cancer but it took him a long time to put her memory to rest.  Deciding he needs a vacation, he accepts the gracious invitation of living in his friend’s Malibu home for an over due holiday.

Delilah Ward grew up in rural Mississippi and ran away when she was sixteen, moving to Los Angeles with thoughts of being anything but the person she was born to be.  But reality settled in quickly and the bright lights of Hollywood soon faded into the dark abyss of dancing on a darkened platform.

Caleb is used to love being easy and Delilah is used to fighting against everything.  They have nothing in common except a wildfire attraction that won’t let go of them.  But when tough choices need to be made, will they both be able to be honest to what they really want?   

(This is the sequel to Love Story for a Snow Princess.  Book Three titled Lights, Camera, Love Story is being written now!)

 

Given by Ashlynn Monroe -Book Review

Holy crap, what a great story!

I stayed up all night reading this book but it was worth it. Every time I tried putting aside my brain just kept jumping back to “What happens next?”.  I am a huge fan of dystopian society books and this one had a very unique twist.  Ms. Monroe fabulously weaves a good story, sex and a plotting into one book, plus gives an ending I didn’t see coming.

Warning: Minor Spoilers below

Krista lives in a world where there aren’t that many women, and for those left alive, their rights have been stripped away.  They live in protection housing until they are twenty-one and then are auctioned off in a lottery to six men who have signed an agreement pact.  These men have to meet certain standards like money, health, and age.  A lot of men won’t get the chance to have a wife or a girlfriend, or even have sex with a woman. 

Krista gets auctioned to her six and Ms. Monroe brings a different voice to each man.  And while each man is unique, Krista falls in love with only one, Brax.  He loves her back but they can’t do anything because each night she has to go to a different man in hopes of getting pregnant.  If she doesn’t, then she’d deemed “infertile” and gets taken back by the government.

As you read the book, you get a sense of hopelessness because there’s nothing Krista can do to escape her fate.  The world is very dangerous for a woman, especially someone so sheltered.  I have expected a predictable ending to the book.  She falls in love with all the men, has babies, lives happily ever after, yada yada yada.  And yet…that is so not the ending.

I won’t spoil it and say what happens but after reading it (in one night) I’m left with a sense of happiness…and sadness.  I’m hoping this is a series because I’m left with some questions.  This is my second Ashlynn Monroe novel and I’m such a huge fan of hers. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Content Warning: contains voyeurism, multiple partners, and anal sex

To buy:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1937325628/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

or check out Ashlynn Monroe's website:   http://ashlynnmonroe.com/