Tuesday, March 31, 2015

.@SensuousPromos presents Cowboy Up 2




Thank you for having my main characters over today. Readers first meet Johnson O’Neill and Debra Donahue in The Heartsong Cowboy, my novella in the book bundle-Cowboy Up. In Cowboy Up 2, they get their own chance at happily ever after. 

Melissa: What word best describes true love? 

Debra: Let me answer. (She looks over at Johnson and smiles.) True love is finding someone who accepts your past and mistakes. I’m lucky that I’ve found Johnson. 

Melissa: Finish this sentence: Then I think of love, I think of _______ 

Johnson: Debra…she makes me smile.

Melissa: What’s your ideal romantic evening? 

Debra: I love to cook for him, making him a special dinner, wine, soft music…but he’s the one who has a wonderful way to finish off the night. (Debra’s face turns red.)

Melissa: What song title best describes your relationship track record: “Nothing but a Good Time,” “Turn Me Loose,” “Shot Through the Heart (You Give Love a Bad Name)”, “Money Talks/Material Girl”, “Looking for Love in All The Wrong Places”? 

Johnson: I’d say “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places” In my previous relationship, she wanted to change me and I couldn’t stand her big city ways.

Melissa: What’s an absolute deal breaker in a relationship? 

Debra: Honesty. We’re both recovering alcoholics and sometimes stress plays a part in our relapses. Being honest and talking through this is vital. It’s not just with us but in our relationships with others. 

Melissa: What was your first opinion of each other? 

Johnson: When I saw her tapping her feet at Jake’s wedding, she tempted me. I was worried she’d be another city girl like my ex, but I couldn’t stop myself from pulling her into my arms…(He stands and pulls her into his arms. They beging to dance around the room.)

Melissa: Hey, guys…I still have more questions…Guys??

Well, I guess I’m done now. You can find out more about Johnson and Debra’s rocky path to happiness in The Heartbroken Cowboy in Cowboy Up 2.

Cowboy Up 2

Saddle Up with the best-selling authors who brought you Cowboy Up... And fall for Six more Cowboys ready to steal your heart!

Featuring:

Good Ride, Cowboy by Allison Merritt
Sometimes all you need is one good ride to clear your head.

Cowboy in Waiting by Leslie P. Garcia
She’d buried a hero. She wasn’t looking for another. But her cowboy in waiting was far from a hero…

Cowboy in Trouble by Autumn Piper
A cowboy on the run and a girl on the rebound make for a messy fling.

A Cowboy’s Heaven by Sara Walter Ellwood
From the hell of lost love, can they find heaven together?

Cowboy Proud by D’Ann Lindun
She left town to chase her dreams... He stayed and ignored his... Can they find their dreams together?

The Heartbroken Cowboy by Melissa Keir
Love isn’t found at the bottom of a bottle…

Johnson O’Neill joined The Heartsong Ranch to escape his addiction. One night at a friend’s wedding, stress causes him to fall off the wagon and into the arms of the woman of his dreams.

Debra Donahue lost her husband to alcohol then pulled herself up by her bootstraps becoming a million-dollar selling real estate agent. One night with a sexy cowboy and a bottle of whiskey, Debra falls hard.

Can an alcoholic cowboy and a brokenhearted woman find love despite their fears? Or will the bottom of a bottle claim another happily ever after?

Cowboy Up 2

Saddle Up with the best-selling authors who brought you Cowboy Up... And fall for Six more Cowboys ready to steal your heart!

Good Ride, Cowboy by Allison Merritt
Sometimes all you need is one good ride to clear your head.

Thanks to her ex-boyfriend, Sommer Allen's life is in shambles. She's headed home to Courtland, Texas for her sister's wedding, but when a quick stop a gas station ruins her plans, she's left stranded and at the mercy of a handsome cowboy.

Perry Glidewell is on his way back to Texas after winning another championship in the arena versus a bull. When he finds Sommer having a meltdown in the middle of a parking lot, he knows he can't leave her alone. Since her hometown is near his, it makes sense to hit the road together.

Sommer never imagined falling for a cowboy. His manners and gallant attitude win her over quickly, but with her future uncertain, she's not quite willing to give her whole heart to Perry. He'll do whatever it takes to break the walls around Sommer's heart, because beneath her tough-talking exterior, he sees she's the type of Texas girl he's always dreamed of.

EXCERPT:

Perry opened the door. “What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to steal my truck?”

She glowered. “Of course not. You snore. I thought I'd be able to sleep out here. I was asleep, until I turned a little and set off the alarm. I'm so sorry.” She handed him the keys and knocked something off the dash.

A lacy bra landed on his bare feet. His gaze shot straight to her chest. Sommer's t-shirt was tight around her breasts and her nipples made perky bumps in the material.

Perry clenched his teeth. Of all the damn things to notice. He bent down and picked the bra up by the strap. “Think you lost something.”

She snatched the bra out of his hand. “You try sleeping in one of these.”

“Not really my style, sweetheart.”

“It's not like I have a garment bag to store it in. Anyway, you snore really bad. It's like the cross between a wood chipper and a rabid lion. I can't spend the rest of the night listening to you.”

“You could have woke me up instead of alerting the whole world to where we are.” He shook his head. “You're one strange lady.”

“Am not.” Her lower lip slid out and she folded her arms under her breasts, pushing them up higher.

About Allison Merritt:

A love of reading inspired Allison Merritt to pursue her dream of becoming an author who writes historical, paranormal and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. When she's not writing or reading, she hikes in national parks and conservation areas.

Allison graduated from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri with a B.A. in mass communications that's gathering dust after it was determined that she's better at writing fluff than hard news.


Cowboy in Waiting by Leslie P. Garcia

She’d buried a hero. She wasn’t looking for another. But her cowboy in waiting was far from a hero…

Bury enough dreams, and you’re bound to grow up. 

Diana Salas Chester is a rancher’s daughter and a hero’s widow. There isn’t a lot she can’t do, from raising her daughter Gwen to facing down the loss of dream after dream. And then a birthday celebration goes wrong, and Diana winds up in Border Patrol Agent Ray Bennett’s bed. 

Not many of her acquaintances approve of Ray “Baby” Bennett. But is he just the cowboy she’s been waiting for? Ray Bennett spent his life running away from the demands of his cowboy brothers and the ranching life. So when he wakes up in bed with his Border Patrol partner’s sister, he doesn’t want the complications. But suddenly the choice isn’t his to make.

EXCERPT:

Across from him, Di straightened in her chair. He looked her over appreciatively. The halter dress she wore plunged deeply, the icy blue contrasting with a smooth, even tan that went enticingly lower than he would have expected. Compassion headed toward desire. Hell, toward lust. Maybe if the night went suddenly better…

She tilted her head a little, then shook it. “You…what kind of car do you drive?” she asked abruptly.

“Yellow Corvette.” He waited for the gleam of appreciation. 

“Then you’re the idiot in the yellow car!” She closed her fingers around her drink glass so hard he thought it might break, and gulped half the drink before slamming it down again.

“I will never forgive Rachel for this—this nightmare! My best friend? How could she set me up with some stupid, stuck-up, oversexed jerk in a yellow car? Damn you, Rachel!”

He gaped for a moment, then slowly closed his mouth. “Just one thing,” he asked. “Who’s Rachel?” 

About Leslie Garcia:

Leslie P. García grew up lost among a crowd of six siblings and a menagerie that included more than twenty horses and ponies, uncounted dogs and cats, possums, raccoons—even a lion and monkeys. Then she moved to Texas, fell in love, was disowned—and embarked on her real adventures, raising 4 children, teaching hundreds, and loving 9 grandkids through forty years of marriage. The fabric of that colorful life has always been writing. In A Cowboy Heart, Leslie celebrates two of her passions—cowboys and the ever present chance at redemption in spite of past mistakes. Leslie loves hearing from readers and can be found all over cyber space, including these places:


The Heartbroken Cowboy by Melissa Keir

Love isn’t found at the bottom of a bottle…

Johnson O’Neill joined The Heartsong Ranch to escape his addiction. One night at a friend’s wedding, stress causes him to fall off the wagon and into the arms of the woman of his dreams.

Debra Donahue lost her husband to alcohol then pulled herself up by her bootstraps becoming a million-dollar selling real estate agent. One night with a sexy cowboy and a bottle of whiskey, Debra falls hard.

Can an alcoholic cowboy and a brokenhearted woman find love despite their fears? Or will the bottom of a bottle claim another happily ever after?

EXCERPT:

“I don’t drink, but could use a strong one, right now. Not this sissy stuff.” He lifted the glass to his lips, downed the contents, and shoved his now-empty champagne flute away before he leaned in toward her. The smell of alcohol on his breath hinted that he’d already had too much to drink. “Know anyone around here with some whiskey?” The dark sapphire of his eyes chilled her. This was a man used to getting what he wanted. “I’d even share.” His voice deepened and became husky with his offer and she shivered.

“I don’t drink with men I don’t know.” Debra stuck out her hand. “I’m Debra, and you are?”

The man grabbed another glass of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray and guzzled the drink in one swallow. “The name’s Johnson O’Neill. Now about that whiskey.” He reached out and drew her up to standing then tugged her in close to him. Wrapping his arm around her back, he moved her body in a slow two-step motion.

Debra gazed into his eyes. “You don’t have to seduce me for the whiskey.” She stepped out of his embrace and put her hands on her hips. She frowned.

“That’s not why I drew you into my arms. You were tapping your foot when I arrived—and I thought you might like a dance. A pretty woman like you shouldn’t be sitting alone.” He stretched his palm out again in a plea.

About Melissa Keir:

Melissa Keir has always wanted to be an author when she wasn’t hoping for a career as a race car driver. Her love of books was instilled by her mother and grandparents who were avid readers. She’d often sneak books away from them so that she could fantasize about those strong alpha males and plucky heroines. In middle school and high school, Melissa used to write sappy love poems and shared them with her friends and still has those poems today! In college her writing changed to sarcastic musings on life as well as poems with a modern twist on fairy tales and won awards for her writing. You can find many of these musings along with her latest releases on her website and blog.

As a writer, Melissa likes to keep current on topics of interest in the world of writing. She’s a member of the Romance Writers of America, Mid-Michigan RWA Chapter, and EPIC. She is always interested in improving her writing through classes and seminars. 

Melissa doesn’t believe in down time. She’s always keeping busy. Melissa is a wife and mother, an elementary school teacher, a movie reviewer, an owner of a publishing company as well as an author. Her home blends two families and is a lot like the Brady Bunch, without Alice- a large grocery bill, tons of dirty dishes and a mound of laundry. She loves to write stories that feature happy endings and is often seen plotting her next story.


Cowboy in Trouble by Autumn Piper

A cowboy on the run and a girl on the rebound make for a messy fling.

Colby may be having the worst day ever. He wakes up at gunpoint, “hired” by a stranger to do a new job he doesn’t want. Worried the load he’s hauling is contraband, he walks off the job once he’s out of sight of his new employer. Running may not be his best plan, but he needs time to find a way out of this mess.

Delta’s day starts off rough when her pickup stalls on the side of the road. Lucky for her, a handsome cowboy comes along and works mechanical magic on the poor old truck. They strike a deal: he’ll help her out around the farm in exchange for a place to lay low for a few days. He turns out to be handy in all the right ways. A real keeper…not that she’s interested in keeping a man right now. She can afford a rebound fling, but nothing more.

Besides, once Colby gets rid of the crime boss breathing down his neck, he’ll hit the trail. A rodeo circuit cowboy from Oklahoma wouldn’t want to stick around on a little farm in Colorado. Or would he?

EXCERPT:

The door across the hall opened and by the time she turned around, Colby stood there in nothing but a towel. Hubbahubba, a very small towel, since she kept her nice big ones downstairs and hadn’t remembered to provide him one.

Um. Dripping, mostly naked, and looking as surprised as she felt… Wow. Those shoulders looked even better without a shirt. He had the prettiest eyes. Did guys like their eyes being called pretty? Whatever. Nice green-gray. And oh, how she’d appreciate a wardrobe malfunction right about now, just a little slippage of that towel. Although the healthy bulge beneath might not allow it to slip far.

“Ahem.”

“Er,” she answered ever-so-intelligently. “Sorry.”

“Sorry,” he said at the same time. “Forgot my bag in here.”

Caught leering. Her face must be flame-red. “Thought I had time to make up the bed for you.”

“I’ll just…” He indicated his bag on the floor by the window.

“Oh. Sure.” She stepped aside so he could get to it. Lord, please grant us a wardrobe malfunction...

He picked up his bag without the towel slipping, although she had to say it had soaked up water in some prime spots and clung just right.

As he passed by her, he paused, and she tore her eyes away. Reluctantly. God. Her mother had definitely taught her it was rude to stare. The poor guy probably worried she’d attack him in the night. He was hot enough, it had probably happened before.

“Ditto,” he said.

“Huh?”

With his free hand, he rubbed his thumb over her chin. “Whatever you’re thinking, right back atcha.” Looking up into his eyes was like riding the downhill part of a rollercoaster. Her heart screamed Weeeee!

About Autumn Piper:

Born and raised in itty-bitty Rifle, Colorado, Autumn Piper studiously avoided trouble…but is now inclined toward it, particularly in her novels. She thinks the best things in life are funny, and the runners-up, romantic.

An admitted carb addict, Autumn writes, edits, manages two teenagers, two cats, a box turtle with a huge personality, one husband and many supersize houseplants, and does the cooking and cleaning when forced to.

To sign up for Autumn’s occasional newsletter:
http://mad.ly/signups/105424/join


A Cowboy’s Heaven by Sara Walter Ellwood

From the hell of lost love, can they find heaven together?

Katie Chester is alone in the world. After losing her husband and then her parents, she’s left to run Heaven, a thousand-acre ranch encompassing nearly an entire Montana mountain. She rents out a suite of rooms, but ends up with a boarder who shakes her to her foundation.

When Pennsylvanian ex-Army doctor Collin Kirkpatrick lost his wife a year ago, he lost his world. He needs to escape the pain, and where better than in an isolated town in the West? He answers an ad for resident doctor in Evansville, Montana, but is surprised to find Heaven and the angel residing there.

But can they leave their grief and pain in the past to blaze a new path into the future?

EXCERPT:

He smirked at her as he sat beside her on the hay bale. “You’re laughing at me.”

“Not at all. You’re actually a pleasant surprise, Dr. Kirkpatrick.”

“I hope in a good way.” He winked at her and quirked his lips up into a lopsided smile, then turned his attention fully on the cow and calf, and leaned over his long legs with his elbow planted on his knees.

The calf suddenly lurched herself onto her back feet and Collin grinned from ear to ear. “She’s a beauty.”

Dear God, he more than surprised her, he overwhelmed her, and yes, it was in a good way. A very good way.

Katie let out a breath and violently shivered. He picked up the discarded blanket and pulled it over her legs. “You’re going to catch your death. Were you out in this cold all day?”

She nodded and swallowed. No way could she tell him that the sensation had nothing to do with the cold, and everything to do with him.

With a deep breath to steady her racing heart, she watched as the calf latched onto one of her mother’s teats and started sucking with loud, hungry pulls.

“We can go inside in a few moments.” Sweet mercy, was that low, husky voice hers?

Collin only nodded as they watched the miracle of life before him.

About Sara Walter Ellwood:

Although Sara Walter Ellwood has long ago left the farm for the glamour of the big town, she draws on her experiences growing up on a small hobby farm in West Central Pennsylvania to write her contemporary westerns. She’s been married to her college sweetheart for over 20 years, and they have two teenagers and one very spoiled rescue cat named Penny. She longs to visit the places she writes about and jokes she’s a cowgirl at heart stuck in Pennsylvania suburbia. Sara Walter Ellwood is a multi-published author and publishes paranormal romantic suspense under the pen name Cera duBois.


Cowboy Proud by D’Ann Lindun

She left town to chase her dreams... He stayed and ignored his... Can they find their dreams together?

All Madeline Harper ever wanted was to escape the tight fences of Black Mountain, Colorado. Nothing would stop her from pursuing her goals--not a devoted boyfriend or infant son. Leaving everything behind, she landed her dream job as a Western Girl jeans model. Her sister’s wedding is the only thing that can entice her home. What she learns upon her return shakes her to the core…and changes everything.

For the last five years Shan Ellis’ life has consisted of taking care of his son and being a cowhand on his parents’ ranch. He scarified everything to be a single dad. College. A career. Girls. Now, the one woman he can’t forget is back in town. Can he take a chance, and risk his heart, or steer clear and never know what might have been?

EXCERPT:

This is how Shan had always pictured his life.

Doing what he loved with his wife and children.

Like him, Mason lived to be with the horses and cows. Too bad his mother hated the cowboy lifestyle with a passion. Shan couldn’t forget that for a second. Madeline Harper had ripped out his guts once before—he’d be damned if he’d let her do it again. Even if she wore a mile-wide smile and looked as at home on the back of a horse, herding cows as well as any cowgirl she wasn’t happy here. He couldn’t make her love the life, their son or him.

His good mood faded.

Last night, Callie Donovan had all but mounted him on the dance floor. He liked her well enough, but turned down her advances because he couldn’t get his mind off the dark-haired beauty from his past. In the five years since Maddy left town he’d held onto to the hope she’d return.

He was a fool.

Nothing had changed. He wanted a family; she craved fame and fortune.

About D’Ann Lindun:

Falling in love with romance novels the summer before sixth grade, D’Ann Lindun never thought about writing one until many years later when she took a how-to class at her local college. She was hooked! She began writing and never looked back. Romance appeals to her because there's just something so satisfying about writing a book guaranteed to have a happy ending. D’Ann’s particular favorites usually feature cowboys and the women who love them. This is probably because she draws inspiration from the area where she lives, Western Colorado, her husband of twenty-nine years and their daughter. Composites of their small farm, herd of horses, five Australian shepherds, a Queensland heeler, two ducks and cats of every shape and color often show up in her stories! 

D’Ann loves to hear from readers! Please contact her at:



Monday, March 30, 2015

@SensuousPromos presents Sexy To Go


Sexy to Go – Volume 1

Sizzling short stories from top-selling authors

Sample romance in all its flavors in Sexy to Go. From paranormal to contemporary, you’ll find your fix here. Look for a brand new collection every month.


Meant to Be
By Nerika Prke

Hello, I’m Nerika Parke and I write intensely romantic love stories. 

I know, that sounds like I’m introducing myself at a support meeting! Although it is kind of appropriate because I am addicted to writing about people falling in love. Can’t get enough of it and can’t stop! Likeable characters, humour, heat, and a lot of love are the prerequisites for my books and all my stories are written straight from the heart. My aim is to enable my readers to feel as much as my characters do. If a book I’ve written leaves you smiling, I’ve done my job!

My “Love After Death” paranormal romance series deals with the ups and downs of being a ghost and falling in love. So far there are two novels, Every Touch and Oliver’s Choice, with a third planned for later this year. Be warned, they have been known to make people cry!

“Nothing Less Than Paradise” is a series of contemporary romances about ordinary people finding extraordinary love. Paving Paradise and Finding Paradise are out now and I have more planned for the future. 

I also have a short, sexy novella available titled Defenceless. An added bonus to my books is that you get all the UK English spellings included free of charge! 

You can follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nerikaparke and find my Amazon author page at http://www.amazon.com/Nerika-Parke/e/B00K5YR3WO where you can buy my books and click ‘follow’ to never miss a new release.

But what I’m really here to tell you about is the exciting new anthology series Sexy To Go!

I am thrilled to be part of a group of talented authors who have gathered together to produce a monthly collection of sexy, romantic stories for all lovers of romance. With romance being such a varied genre, we have created a diverse assortment, including contemporary, historical, paranormal and erotic. So whatever your taste, you’ll find something here for you. And maybe we can help introduce you to a few new reading experiences too!

My story in the first volume of Sexy To Go is called “Meant To Be” and is the tale of a woman whose humdrum life is turned upside down when she meets a gorgeous musician after a rock concert. Here’s a snippet of Jessica and Shaun’s story, where things heat up on a deserted beach...

Excerpt:

Shaun moved his mouth down to her neck, his lips hot on her skin as he ran his hand slowly down the side of her body to her waist. She didn’t know if he was aware of the effect he was having on her, but she was pulsing with desire. She couldn’t think of anything but him, his smell, his taste, the weight of his body on hers, his lips setting her skin alight. Though the sun was setting and the air temperature falling, her temperature was rising. 

Jessica’s heart raced, she felt as if she no longer had control. She wanted him.  
No, it was more than that. 

She needed him.

She found herself considering something she never would have thought herself capable of.

“Shaun?” she gasped, struggling to find her voice.

“Mmm?” His lips didn’t break contact with her skin.

“How, oh…” She had to pause to catch her breath as he moved his lips round to the front of her neck. She swallowed and tried again, “How quiet is this beach?”

“Don’t…know,” he said, moving down to her chest and punctuating each word a kiss, “never…been here…after dark… Why?”

He froze in mid-kiss, lifting his head to look at her, his eyes wide. She slid her fingers into his hair and drew him back down onto her, kissing him in a way that could leave him in no doubt as to what she wanted. 

They separated again, both of them gasping for breath.

“Here?” he said.

She nodded. “Unless,” she said, desperately hoping it wasn’t the case, “you don’t want to.”

“Oh, I want to,” he said, his eyes straying down to her lips. “I really want to, but…” He looked around doubtfully.

She was suddenly embarrassed for suggesting it. “I’m not usually like this,” she said. “You make me feel like I can do anything.”


“Meant To Be”, along with ten other exciting, romantic, sexy stories, can be found in Sexy To Go volume one which is available now from all these places, so just take your pick:




And you can follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sexytogobooks

Volume two, with another wealth of new stories, will be out at the end of February. Don’t miss it! 

Friday, March 13, 2015

Hot For Fridays Blog Hop: turning up the Texas Heat #RomFantasy


Let me introduce you to Chase and Cheyenne - a couple who dance around their desire for each other, until it threatens to explode... This is from the Amazon Top Ten Best-selling short story TEXAS HEAT:


“Miss MacKenzie,” he said.

She walked around the truck and looked at him.

The speculative look in her eyes kissed the back of his neck with a tingle of uncertainty. He was always edgy around her, like something was close but still eluding him. He didn’t like it.

“It’s Cheyenne, Chase,” she reminded him.

He nodded. They’d done this dance a time or two before. There was something too familiar about her, but he couldn’t pin it down. The now customary flare of annoyance woke inside him. Half his damn past was missing since he’d come home from Iraq. Maybe he’d known her once, though he couldn’t imagine forgetting someone like her. “Something I can do for you, ma’am?”

She laughed and dropped the tailgate on the pickup, bending over with what he knew was deliberate intent. There was no denying the appeal of her well-shaped ass in the tight jeans, and his cock twitched in response. She turned, tossed him a beer, and sat on the tailgate looking at him while she took a swig of her own drink.

Chase opened the can of beer and drank half of it. He strolled to the truck, braced his arm casually on the side as he stared at her. “You haven’t answered my question, Cheyenne.”

She twisted around until she faced him, and cradled the cooler between her breasts. Her nipples were clearly outlined and pushing against the thin cotton of her tank-top.

He met her candid stare and grinned at the challenge in her expression.

“Why don’t you like people, Chase?”

“I like people just fine, ma’am,” he said. “I just prefer my own company to that of idiots.”

She considered his reply then shrugged. “Do you consider me an idiot, Chase?”

He laughed. “No, ma’am.”

“Good answer,” she said.

“I have work to do, Cheyenne.” He finished his beer and tossed the can into the ice-filled hamper containing the rest of the six-pack she’d brought with her.

“You work for me, too, Chase,” she reminded him softly.

He took a long look at her, his appraisal meant to be offensive and blatant.

At only a little over five feet tall, Chey was stacked and curvy in all the right places. Her long auburn hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, and she wore no makeup.

He dropped his gaze to her breasts, fingertips tingling as he contemplated what her skin would feel like, and taste like if he leaned in and took one of her ripe nipples into his mouth. She slid a little bit closer to him and he shook off the heat that was building inside him. “Thanks for the beer, ma’am. I’ll be getting back to my work now.”

He would have left but she grabbed his arm and he was too aware of the pebbled point of her nipple brushing against his bicep.

“I want―”

He put a finger over her lips, silencing her as he shook his head. “Baby, I know what you want, but I’m not playing that game.”

She slid her hand along the front of his jeans, stopping to squeeze hard and his cock reacted instantly and pushed against the heavy denim.

“I want you to fuck me, Chase,” she whispered, her gaze locked with his, the glint in her dark eyes a clear dare. “I think you want it, too.”

He smiled and let the predator in his nature emerge in his expression. More than one woman had backed off when his smile went dark and warning.

Cheyenne’s eyes widened, but she didn’t back down. Her chest rose and fell as her breaths quickened with obvious excitement.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for, Cheyenne,” he told her. “I don’t play nice.”

“Maybe I don’t want nice?” she said, uncertainty in her words.

He needed to push her away while he still had some control over the situation. He took the bottle she’d been clutching and tossed it aside, grabbed her ponytail and eased her head back, exposing the graceful curve of her neck. Leaning in, he licked the smooth hollow at the base of her throat, smiling against her skin when the tang of sweetness and sweat touched his tongue. “You have no idea how tempting you are, Cheyenne, but I like my job here, so you have to go.”

She moved her head a bit, what her restricted freedom would allow. When she laughed, the whisper of her breath fanned across his skin. “I’m not going anywhere, Chase.”

“Yes, honey,” he paused, smiled, and finished, “you are.” He let go of her and stepped back, adjusting his jeans as he fought down his arousal. “I have work to do, and fucking you isn’t part of my job.”

Hurt flared in her eyes then vanished. She was quick, hiding behind an expression that would have made a sudden arctic wind feel warm. It had the desired effect, though. She almost flew around the truck and tore open the door. In a spew of gravel and rocks, she roared away.

Chase rubbed his temples. A now familiar headache was banging like a drum behind his eyes. She’d taken away the few moments of peace he’d found. Every muscle was tense, and his mind agitated all over again.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


TEXAS HEAT
(Contemporary Western)


Chase Jordan is a man with half his life missing since his return from the war in Iraq. He arrives back in Texas, a drifter looking for home. When he arrives at the Double D ranch, the owners know him, even if he can’t remember them. Cheyenne’s been infatuated with Chase since her high school days, but Deke MacKenzie’s already made it clear to Chase that his kid sister is off limits.

A loner by nature, and even more so now as PTSD plagues him, Chase rejects Cheyenne’s efforts to seduce him. He senses complications he wants no part of if he gets too close to her, and part of his soul is very much at home on the Double D. When an old boyfriend of Cheyenne’s goads him into a fight, his anger put him on all kinds of edge–and Cheyenne’s determination to turn up the Texas Heat get her in over her head...

Chase has warned her, he doesn’t play nice. When she ignores his invitation to leave, she puts herself at the mercy of his anger, his lust, and the most explosive passion she’s ever experienced... But what happens when the “job” is over, and Chase turns his back on her again? Memories are waking, the kind that will change both their lives in dramatic ways.


Monday, March 9, 2015

Freeing The Beast with @TinaDonahue

FREEING THE BEAST
(Book One – Taming the Beast series)
by Tina Donahue

Please support my Thunderclap campaign.

Buy Links:

Amazon * Samhain * B&N

Available for pre-order February 8 - click here - Ready to read March 10

Blurb:

No more Mr. Nice Guy.

Magic is Becca Salt’s business, but it ain’t happening in her bedroom. The half-witch proprietress of From Crud to Stud performs miracle makeovers for paranormal creatures. Once she’s done with them, they’re out the door hunting for hot babes, not hanging around for a too-curvy, plain Jane like her.

Her newest client is hot, hung, mouthwatering perfection. What could she possibly improve upon?

Eric Diletto. Descendant of Cupid, bred for courtship, courtesy, and all that other gentlemanly junk. What has it gotten him? Dumped time and again for bad boys. He needs Becca’s help for an entirely different reason—regression therapy to release his inner beast. Grrrr.

Two potions later, they’re crawling all over each other. Becca aches for a man who loves her as she is, not because he’s under the influence. But Eric isn’t as impaired as she thinks. And he intends to take Becca here, there, and everywhere—anything to convince her his desire isn’t just the potions talking.



Product Warnings

A witchdoctor’s nightmare. Contains potions with weird side effects, a sorceress with limited magical skills and a yearning heart, plus a minor god who wants to get down and dirty. Bad, bad boy!


Excerpt:

He gaped at the claw marks on the walls, the padded table with extensions for arms and legs with leather restraints dangling from both areas. In other words, the props for an executioner’s wet dream.

Eric circled the table. “You’re going to strap me to this?”

Becca closed the door and locked it. She heard Constance and Heather move closer immediately, their shoes tapping the floor. “It’s for your protection…and mine. It’s in the contract.” She held it up to remind him. “Page fifty-two, right above where you initialed it.”

He seemed sorry he had. “How much of my beast are you going to pull out?”

“Only a little,” she promised. “If there’s any at all.”

“There is.” He appeared offended that she kept questioning it. “There has to be. I’m a guy, all right?”

Becca wasn’t about to argue with him. He’d worn a navy tee and battered jeans that didn’t hide one muscle on his gorgeous body. She sagged against the door, needing it for support. Even his feet were luscious, nice and big, his toes long, coming right to the edges of his leather sandals.

Given that this was a weekday, he must have taken off from work because he didn’t know what to expect.

Join the club. She murmured, “What do you do?”

He stopped fingering the wrist restraints. “Do?”

“At your job.”

“Oh. I’m a financial analyst. I make sure my extended family’s investments are sound. Were you thinking of investing?”

Before he whipped out his business card, Becca shook her head. “How aggressive do financial analysts get?”

“In their recommendations?”

“While they’re at work. Once I’ve pulled out some of your inner beast…that is, if there is any to pull—”

“Haven’t I already said there is? Don’t you worry. I don’t have to be a pussycat at work.” He hooked his thumbs into his front pockets. “Let’s get started.”

A lock of hair had fallen over his forehead. The rest of those sun-kissed waves were mussed as though he’d just rolled off a woman and out of bed. He was rumpled and all male. Hotter than sin. With just a smidgen of his inner beast liberated, he’d be irresistible to every female on planet earth and beyond.

Damn him.

“Becca?”

On watery legs, she forced herself to the sink to mix her mom’s potions. “Take off your clothes.”

“What? Why?”

An image flashed in her mind of him tugging the stretchy boxers up his thighs, but only after she’d gotten a good look at his stuff. She wanted to see it again. Was that so damn bad? “Sorry, didn’t know you were modest.”

“I’m not. But I am curious.”

Becca put the bottle of cloves and apple seeds next to the Bordeaux, stalling for a good lie. At last, she had it. “I need to see the potion’s effect on every part of your body.” She turned. “All right?”

He stared at his groin. “By every part do you mean…”

“Nope. Just your skin.” She hoped.

He sighed in obvious relief and ditched his clothes, tossing them on one of the institutional chairs. Naked, unashamed and exceedingly well hung, he faced her.

The world stopped.

Slabs of firm, hard muscle draped his frame, all golden skin with no trace of a tan line. He swam or sunbathed in the nude and was more gorgeous than any Greek god Becca had read about in her literature classes.

“What now?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“What happens now?”

Not what Becca wanted, that was for sure. “Turn around.”

He frowned. “Why?”

So she’d quit seeing herself on her knees, his glorious shaft in her palms. She’d sniff it first, then his balls, finally his thick thatch of hair, needing to drown in his scent. He’d smell of the outdoors and something masculine. She’d moan. He’d smile, then push to his toes as she licked his wiry curls and tasted his crown, lapping it as she would a scoop of decadent fudge ice cream, savoring the bead of moisture glistening on the small slit. His pre-come. Already excited, he’d go over the moon with her slavish attention, his rod growing longer and harder and…

Becca stifled a needy whimper and continued to lie, “So you don’t see the secret ingredients I’m using.”

“Would I even recognize them?”

“You might.”

“Then they’re normal.”

“Define normal.”



About Me (You know you want to know!):

I’m an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Siren Publishing, Booktrope, and Kensington. Yay! Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised my work, and trust me, I’m forever grateful for that. I’ve had my books reach finals in the EPIC competition, one title was named Book of the Year at a review site, and others have won awards in RWA-sponsored contests. I’m actually featured in the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Talk about feeling like a freaking star. Before my writing career, I was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company. Outside of being an admitted and unrepentant chocoholic, I’ve flown a single-engine plane (scary stuff), rewired an old house using an electricity for dummies book, and have been known to moan like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally whenever I’m eating anything Mexican or Italian. Yeah, I like to eat (burp). 

You can check me out here – yes, I am everywhere! J

Email: tina@tinadonahue.com
Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/1ChWFkO
My page at TRR: http://bit.ly/1vb7eEc
EC Author Page: http://bit.ly/1Dh9wor
Samhain Author Page: http://bit.ly/1Bvw6mL
Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K
Romance Books 4 US: http://bit.ly/1JPtfeS

CONTEST

I’m offering one winner her (or his) choice of THREE of my backlist ebooks from this list:

1. Adored – RWA award-winning; EPIC 2011 Finalist; 4 Stars RT
2. Deep, Dark, Delicious – EPIC 2011 Finalist; Holt Medallion Award of Merit
3. Lush Velvet Nights – EPIC 2011 Finalist; Golden Nib Award
4. In His Arms – SIX 5 Star Reviews; 4 Stars RT
5. Sensual Stranger – 2010 Book of the Year (erotic); 4 Stars RT
6. The Yearning – Top Ten Bestseller
7. Take Me Away – #1 Pick, Miz Love Loves Books
8. Unending Desire – Best Book Rating LASR
9. SiNN – Nominated for Book of the Week LASR
10. Sinfully Wicked – Magnificent – Romancing the Book
11. Claiming Magique – Top Pick – NOR
12. Illicit Desire – Four Stars Romantic Times
13. Come Fill Me – Five Stars – Guilty Pleasures
14. Losing Control - Four and a Half Stars - Sensual Reads
15. Shameless Desire - Four and a Half Stars - The Jeep Diva
16. Illicit Intent – Four and a Half Stars – Sensual Reads
17. Deep Within Me – Four Stars – Romantic Times
18. Seven Sensuous Days – Four Stars – Long & Short Reviews
19. Stolen Desire – Five Hearts – Novel Broads

Friday, March 6, 2015

Shades of Rose presents Stealing His Heart @EllaJade1

Stealing His Heart by Ella Jade
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance

Will the bad-boy pitcher strike out when it comes to love?

Shy music teacher Sophia Ballis has sworn off men. After a bad experience with a college jock she decided it was better to be alone than to get burned again. She focused on her education and now her new job at a local private school.

Professional baseball pitcher Paxton Hughes is a player both on and off the field. He's signed to the Kingston Crushers to bring home the coveted championship title. Nothing can get in his way. Serious relationships don't mix with a life on the road and he never loses focus on the game. One-night stands are his specialty for a reason.

While out jogging one spring morning, the two collide, setting their course in motion. Pax is immediately drawn to the unassuming beauty. Sophia is aware of his reputation and decides one night of meaningless sex with the attractive Texas charmer is just what she needs to get over her self-imposed dry spell. Pax has more than a one-night stand on his mind, but will his bad-boy persona and demanding schedule ruin any chances of a happily ever after?

Content Warning: contains explicit sex and adult content

~Excerpt~

“Can I walk you to your car?” Pax asked.

“Thank you.” Sophia got up from the table and took his hand. “I’m parked right out front.”

He led her across the dance floor, waving to the few people who were left, and then out to the parking lot.

“It’s that one.” She pointed to her beat-up car, the one she’d bought her freshman year of college. It was used then but it still managed to get her where she needed to go. “Probably not as nice as what you drive.”

He leaned her against the car and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her heart pounded hard against her chest, strumming loud between her ears. She could smell the beer that lingered on his breath. His hazel eyes narrowed as he swiped the tip of his tongue along his top lip before tilting his head.

“I have a feeling I’m going be seeing you in my dreams tonight.”He sighed as he brought his mouth to hers. “Give me something to remember these next few days.”

She nodded as she placed her hands on his broad shoulders and guided him to her, closing any space between them. When his warm lips touched hers, she thought she would explode. A burn coursed through her and settled between her legs. The mild tingling she’d experienced when they danced was nothing compared to the intensity she felt now.

As he deepened the kiss, his tongue massaged hers. Increasing his hold on her hips, he pinned her between the car and his massive thighs. She tightened her grip on him when his erection grazed her center. Every nerve ending in her begged to be satiated. The ache inside her stomach moved lower until the dampness invaded her panties. Her nipples poked against the thin material of her silk bra.

When she moaned into his mouth, he placed one last kiss on her lips before pulling away. He looked at her for a moment, pressing his forehead to hers as he stuttered a few words.

“That was…well, I’ve never…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “You have me tongue-tied, sugar. That doesn’t happen often.”

Now she wanted to know what else he could do with that tongue.

“You best get in that car and drive away before I…”

She’d never wanted to have a one-night stand more than she did at that very moment. Maggie had said if there was ever a guy to have one with, Pax would be the one. He was a no-strings-attached player. Why hadn’t he asked her to go home with him?

“Be safe driving home.” He reached for the handle and opened her door. “You have some sweet dreams. I know I sure will.”

Sleep? That was the last thing on her mind.

Buy Links


~About the Author~

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can’t be stopped.

Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she’s not chasing after her kids, she’s busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you’ll get lost in her words.

Author Links:  Site Facebook Author Page Twitter


~Giveaway~ 
  
Ella is giving away 5 Swag Packs during her Tour.
For a chance to win please fill out the rafflecopter below.
This giveaway is for US readers only!