Roundup for November 2013

We have all sorts of interesting news to report this month--new releases, old releases, awards, reviews, cover reveals and a veriety of teasers for up-coming projects *cough* Christmas stories *cough*!

First up, Meg Benjamin is pleased to announce that she just recently signed a new contract with Samhain Publishing.

This is for Hungry Heart, book eight in  her Konigsburg, Texas series.

Book seven in the same series, Fearless Love will be released in print on December 3. Here's what readers have had to say about it:

“I enjoyed revisiting the town of Konigsburg.”— Dear Author on Fearless Love

 “Fearless Love is another enjoyable addition to the Konisburg series.”—Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

“ This book well deserves to be an EPIC eBook Award Finalist.  ” – sweetpete

“ Meg's stories just get better and better!  ”— R. Sampson

 Fearless Love is available for pre-order now:

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/fearless-love-p-73115.html


Jennifer Bernard (Juniper Bell's alter ego) has a new Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel novel releasing in December. Desperately Seeking Fireman is number 4.5 in the series.


Fire Captain Jeb Stone and incredibly successful press secretary Nita Moreno have both been burned by love before. That's why neither of them is looking for more than a few steamy nights of passion. When circumstances find them stranded on an island together, babysitting a cross-dressing senator and the very pregnant wife of San Gabriel's most famous captain, they allow the sparks they feel to take center stage. But as their feelings grow, can they each allow the other past the barriers both have built to protect their hearts? - See more at: http://www.avonromance.com/book/jennifer-bernard-desperately-seeking-fireman#sthash.20824eZw.dpuf

And here's a sneak peek at the cover for book #5, Four Weddings and a Fireman, due out in February.
It takes a certain kind of man to stand out among the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel. Firefighter Derek "Vader" Brown is one of a kind—six feet of solid muscle with the heart of a born hero. It's that protective streak that has him pursuing a promotion to Captain to pay for his mother's home care. And it's why he intends to figure out why his sometime girlfriend Cherie Harper runs hot as hellfire one minute and pushes him away the next. Cherie's got it bad. Vader sweeps her off her feet—literally—and their chemistry is combustible. There's just the little problem of a nightmare from her past she was desperate to escape. And then her sister Trixie arrives, causing havoc for Cherie and the male population of San Gabriel. Cherie doesn't want her past to complicate Vader's life or his career. But there's nothing like a firefighter to break through all your defenses, one smoldering kiss at a time . . . - See more at: http://www.avonromance.com/book/jennifer-bernard-four-weddings-and-a-fireman#sthash.HOaq1NkS.dpuf


PG Forte wants to make sure everyone knows the special introductory price on the Midnight Ink collection will only be available for another week. That's eight great novellas for only .99

The anthology (also available in print at: http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Ink-Orleans-romances-Bestselling-ebook/dp/B00GR272ME/ ) has been getting some very nice reviews:

You can’t find anything better than eight brilliant authors getting together and bringing us some HOT, tattooed, Alpha males, some kick ass women all centered in the sin city of New Orleans. – Shey, Guilty Pleasures

If for any other reason you should buy this book, buy it for the Inked Memories the breast cancer survivor. – J. Boutillier

What a fabulous mix of authors! This has to be the sexiest, hottest, best box set ever to be sold! – Melanie McClure

This is not my first encounter with PG but it is the first time I cried while reading a story. – Charity, Literal Addiction

RT Book Reviews recently announced the finalists for their Editor's Choice Awards and we're thrilled that Kelly Jamieson's Rule of Three was chosen as one of the nominees for Best Erotic Romance! 

This story had me hooked. I love the way it ended. All of the characters seemed so innocent in the beginning and they all managed to surprise me by the end of the book. I initially thought this was just going to be kinky erotica but there's actually conflict and a story in there. -- Jasmine Harvin
OMG I really enjoyed this book with its 3 love stories. Especially fell in love with Dag and his courage to finally grasp what he wanted with both hands -- Michelle

Rhythm of Three, book two in the series was released last month and was also well-received:

“ What a story, amazing relationships and characters so full of emotion, you almost feel like you're living their lives!”— Lover to Books

“ It was sweet sappy, sexy loving and hot as sin!!!  ”— Donna Buccella

“I always know I'm going to get a great story when I read a book written by author Kelly Jamieson and of course, I did with her newest release, Rhythm of Three.” — P. Phan

The sex was smoking hot, oh my !!!! Had me turning the pages not really wanting the scenes to end! — Julie Kirby

And, finally, Kelly is pleased to announce she's just signed a contract for book three. Reward of Three is scheduled for a July release. 

And speaking of threes...

Erin Nicholas has also been receiving rave reviews for Best of Three, which released earlier this month: 

"Damn!! Erin did it again!!! Best of Three is amazing...and hot!"--Alexis, Book Reviews by Lexi

"I loved this book for so many reasons"-- Ellen

"The bottom line? This is a typical Erin Nicholas read. Fun and entertaining, yet such a compelling story that we can't put it down."--Sarah, the Book Reading Gals

"Emma Dixon is sassy and fun loving. Nate Sullivan is large and in charge.Together they melt the pages."-- Laura G.

What can I say about Erin Nicholas that I haven’t said in my previous reviews? I absolutely adore her! I love her books. ALL OF THEM! She is simply amazing. — Crystal

“I totally love Erin's books and will drop all the other books to read hers. ”— Lorigonzo

And, for those of you who haven't seen it yet, here's a look at Erin Nicholas' upcoming Going for Four. This is book four (you probably guessed that) in her Counting on Love series and is due out in February.

This is Cody and Olivia's story. You might get to see a little sneak peek at the two of them right here this coming month. Be sure and check back next week for more info on that!


http://store.samhainpublishing.com/counting-love-series-436.html

Sydney Somers also has a new release coming out this month. Must Be Magic, book number four in the Spellbound series is due out on the 17th. You can check out her website for a sneak peek at the first chapter! http://www.sydneysomers.com/bookshelf/spellbound/must-be-magic/

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/must-magic-p-73140.html


Finally, join us for the next few weeks as we celebrate sweater season. The weather forecast calls for fun. prizes, all new stories featuring some of our favorite characters and nine memorable sweaters.

 

(For even more fun, party with us all month on Facebook  )

Happy Thanksgiving from the Nine Naughty Novelists!

It's Turkey Day, so naturally we got sappy and introspective and talked about what we're grateful for this year.

PG: My daughter spending Thanksgiving at home for the first time in THREE YEARS.

Meg: I'm thankful for my hubs, my readers, my fellow Naughties, and wine. Particularly wine. (Kate says: I'm co-signing Meg's comment!)

Erin: That I have a family (particularly husband) who is hugely supportive of my writing, readers who buy and love my books, and the ability to now do it *almost* full time.

Skylar: I'm thankful that work-life balance is now a reasonable expectation. Goodby EDJ!

Sydney: I'm extremely grateful for the amazing readers who buy my books, recommend me to my friends or even just take time out of their busy days to chat with me on blogs or Facebook. That kind of support is what makes my job so incredible.

Juniper: I'm thankful that in this busy world, people still take time to read and to share their love of books.  

Kate: I'm thankful for romance readers and writers!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers and friends! We couldn't do this without you.

Surviving the Herd

If you’re like me then life has probably taught you that there’s rarely such a thing as a convenient time to be sick.

Even if you wind up coming down with something on the weekend, it’s almost a guaranteed you probably had something planned. Date night, hanging out with friends, maybe redecorating a bedroom.

But nothing says seriously bad timing like being sick and having kids to look after—like me, today. Good times.

At least, though, it’s not Thanksgiving prep/travel time for me like it is for my American peeps.

But just in case you’re also sick, have kids and Thanksgiving to deal with (and dear god, Black Friday) then let me share 5 things I’ve learned about being sick when my herd is involved...

1. Netflix is your friend. For you (if you’re up for watching tv) and also for your kids. Especially for your kids. I promise a few marathon session of their favorite show won’t rot their brains. Just yours if they happen to want to watch BeyBlades. “Let er rip…”

2. Being sick heightens your senses to an alarming degree. Because if you have to hear, “Let er rip…” one more time, it’s alarming how much you may want to put a baseball bat through your television.

3. They never need anything until you think you have them preoccupied (see number 1) and try to take a nap.

4. Your kids will inevitably have an appointment, project or something else they absolutely need to do when you’re cuddled up in bed, praying to feel better or for your fairy godnanny to pull a Mary Poppins and save you from your own kids. If only…

5.  You cannot be held accountable for threats that may or may not involve duct tape when you have a fever.

Don't tell my kids, but I think number 5 might be my favorite. So what do you guys think? Am I missing any tips, things you’ve learned about being sick when you had to look after your kids or someone else’s?

Guest Blogger Tina Donahue - Be Thankful for Ménages…

And every other kind of racy, steamy, oh-so-luscious scenarios romance writers think of.

Isn’t it wonderful to be living in a country where we’re allowed to express ourselves? Sure, there will always be those who claim erotic romances are horrible, nothing but the lowest form of filth.

What they really reflect is part of the human experience.

We’re not perfect. We’re not always nice, well-groomed, or even sane. But we are vibrantly alive (well, some of us are).

Imagine what our world would be like if we had one rigid template to follow when we write a story. Gotta be sweet. Gotta be pure. No sex. No touching. No kissing. No females and males looking at each other too long (God forbid, we should even consider two males doing that). Gotta have them fully dressed at all time, both feet on the floor and preferably several rooms away from each other. Yep, that’s romance the way it was supposed to be.

Give me a break.

I’ve read sweet romances that I thought were wonderful and those that made me want to gag. I’ve read erotic romances that sent my temperature up several degrees and those that had me nodding off.

The most important thing of all is that I was able to read what I wanted and made my own decision.

Let’s be thankful about that this holiday season. That we still have a right to let our imaginations go wild, and if someone out there likes what we’ve written, they have a right to buy it.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Here’s the blurb and a brief excerpt from my latest ménage Illicit Intent. Book Three, Appointment with Pleasure series.

Blurb:

What’s your wildest erotic wish?

For Piper, that’s easy. Two Alpha males who ravish her like marauding pirates and find her curves beyond luscious. She knows her type isn’t for every man…certainly not Guy and Joel, right? Guy’s tall, dark and sinfully virile. Joel’s blond and bronzed. They’re freaking gods, escorts her friend hired so Piper’s thirtieth birthday is unforgettable with the bondage and submission she’s fantasized about. Carnal games that awaken Piper’s sensuality, while her voluptuous figure and sweet vulnerability fuels both men’s animal hunger.

One evening of decadent pleasure isn’t enough. Piper aches to perform ménage acts with them for agency clients who like curvy women. A wicked idea, except for her family’s ties with law enforcement, the threat of exposure. Is it worth the risk?

Hell yeah. By day, she’ll be good. During their wanton acts, the three of them will explore their growing bond as they’re very, very bad…

Excerpt:

As the elevator approached the top floor, Piper ogled the breathtaking view of the Capitol building and Washington Monument, both bathed in the bright radiance of spotlights. “What’s the name of the place where we’re going?”

Elaine snickered. “It doesn’t have a name.”

“It’s a private club?” Would that be any better than a singles bar?

“It’s my penthouse.”

“You have a penthouse in addition to your other places?” A pricey mansion in Georgetown and one in Maryland willed to Elaine by her paternal grandfather.

“I haven’t actually moved in permanently as yet. I recently got this place…as an investment.” She shrugged. “Who am I to argue with my financial advisors?”

The elevator came to a delicate halt—barely a bump—and the doors whooshed open. Not onto a hall, but a foyer.

The flooring was the same butter-colored stone as that in the building’s entrance. The walls appeared to be made of copper and had sheets of water rolling down them, which made faint gurgling sounds. A massive vase of black granite stood to the right boasting a wild arrangement of tropical plants in varying tints of crimson and orange with dark green leaves.

A series of overhead lights lit the way, each a perfect oval, their illumination so subdued, it bathed Piper and Elaine in its gentle glow.

“Down here,” Elaine said, leading Piper. Or trying to do so.

Piper held back, gaping at the opulence. “Why are we here?” For a tour? Now? Unless… “Did you forget something?”

Elaine had her purse with her, a little silver bag that matched her glittery sheath and spike heels. Maybe she’d forgotten her lipstick or condoms, stuff she would have probably stocked here even if she hadn’t moved in permanently as yet.

“It’s your birthday.” Elaine bumped Piper’s arm with her own and murmured, “I want you to have a good time.”

That didn’t get Piper to budge. “You’ve thrown me a surprise party?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“What’s that mean—wait.”

Elaine didn’t. For a small woman she had a lot of strength, tugging on Piper’s hand, forcing her through the foyer that was easily the length of a football field. At its end, there was an intersection.

To the right was what appeared to be a living room with several dark-gold leather sofas and chairs that faced a massive fireplace of polished marble in mottled cream and brown. The penthouse walls were actually windows angled inward at the top, which offered a sweeping view of the District. Countless lights blazed in the surrounding dark.

Elaine went to the left. Unable to help herself, Piper stopped again.

Ahead was a glassed-off terrace stuffed with vegetation…feathery ferns, huge banana plants, small shrubs, endless flowers, petals of all sizes bobbing in the slight breeze from the ceiling fans. Music pumped from inside. Kelly Clarkson’s Miss Independent, the beat subdued by the glass partition, the atmosphere within the area downright romantic. Candlelight offered the only interior illumination. The terrace’s outside walls, also made of glass, reflected the candle’s gentle glow with those bobbing flames softening the shadows and revealing what else lay ahead.

To one side was a serving table with silver warming trays and bottles of what seemed to be wine and hard liquor. A few steps from it was a pale green circular sofa with several long-stemmed roses laid across the cushions, those petals as red as the countless candles.

Two men stood on either side of the sofa, both of them deliciously tall and broad-shouldered. Each dressed in black shirts and slacks, tailored to fit their bodies perfectly. One had longish dark hair. One was blond.

Piper forgot to breathe. She blinked as the center section of the glass wall facing them turned on its own, allowing entrance into the terrace. To the two men. The feast. That freaking sofa.

The music was louder now, pouring out as Kelly reached the melodic chorus where she said goodbye to her old self.

Elaine pushed to her toes and whispered in Piper’s ear, “Happy birthday, sweetie. Tonight, those hunks you’ve dreamed about are no longer a fantasy or a wish. They’re yours.”

Bio:

Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, and Kensington. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic romances (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep, Dark, Delicious) were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. The French review site, Blue Moon reviews, chose her erotic romance Sensual Stranger as their Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category). The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for Lush Velvet Nights, and two of her titles (The Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition (2011 and 2012). Take Me Away and Adored both won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different years). Tina is featured in the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. She was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.



Email: tina@tinadonahue.com

Website: http://www.tinadonahue.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinadonahue

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tina.donahue.75

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authortina/my-books/

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/tinadonahue

My page at TRR: http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/mypageprofile.php?location=tinadonahue

Celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who

So there's this show about an alien who travels through space and time in a big blue police box...

It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but no--this alien, known only as the Doctor, inspired decades (generations, even) of fans so passionate that they stuck with this man through changing times and faces.

Oh wait--I didn't mention that this spacetime traveling alien reincarnates into a new body when he dies?

Many of you, I'm sure, have seen snippets of Doctor Who. Others have been bitten by the Whovian bug and are positiviely overjoyed from this weekend's 50th anniversary episode. But don't tell me anything! I'm seeing it tonight.

If you haven't been exposed to Doctor Who, you're probably wearing the same look I had when I saw Jersey Shore for the first time. Unlike that reality TV travesty (sorry I'm not sorry...), Doctor Who is about exploring the depths of what it means to be alive and human.

I can't speak for every Whovian, but my utter love for the Doctor stems from seeing worlds through his eyes. There are ugly realities about modern life that we don't want to face, but can acknowledge and criticize when we see those same flaws in a different time or place.

On a more micro scale, Doctor Who raises questions about what it means to be alive and human (Gallifreyan, in the Doctor's case...). If your circumstances change--your body, your companions, your time and place--to what extent are you still the same person? If everything has been stripped from you, how can you find that remaining kernel of kindness--and does the enemy even deserve that?

It's fascinating to see different aspects of one being highlighted in each incarnation. The 9th Doctor (Eccleston) was dark and brooding; the 10th (Tennant) was a believer in the goodness of people, though that covered up so much angst; the 11th (Smith) was a jolly good time, right up until his loved ones were ripped away--then he was downright frightening in his coldness. Same man, different faces, and it's impossible for me to watch that without thinking of how we have a tendency to silo our personalities, or how nature and nurture battle for supremacy in our formation.

But beyond that, the thing that it most awe-inspiring is how this powerful, ancient alien so desperately needs human companionship to keep him whole. Us, petty little humans, are absolutely essential to the Doctor. 

Maybe I'm overthinking this whole thing...maybe he's just a 900+ year old alien who picks up human strays and gallivants around the universe with them. But where's the passion and hope in that?

If you're a Doctor Who fan, leave a comment with either your favorite episode, or why you love the show!

First BOOK Friday-- Juniper Bell

It's First BOOK Friday!  For the next few months, we're going to highlight the first book from each of the Nine Naughties.  Sometimes people find us further down our backlist, sometimes readers think they're picking up our first book when really it's number 3 or so, sometimes our first book was so long ago even we've forgotten!  (just kidding... it's true that you never forget your first!).  So we thought it would be fun to revisit the books that started it all for each of us!


This month we're featuring the first book from Juniper Bell,  The Extremist.


A note from Juniper:

The day before I got “the call,” I drove my car 250 feet down a ravine. I skidded on black ice, veered into a snowbank, hit a tree, overturned, then went toboggan-ing down the hillside upside down. My husband and I were hanging by our seatbelts all the way down. Our crazy rollercoaster ride finally ended when the car slammed into snow packed under a fallen tree branch. My husband kept his cool much better than I did.  I couldn’t find my glasses, and kept babbling, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” He calmed me down and got us out through the back seat window, since the windshield was completely caved in. It happened to be a stretch of Alaska highway with no cell service. We grabbed as much stuff as we could carry, but sadly had to leave behind the leftover salmon that now littered the snow with fleshy specks of pink. It must have been flung forward at some point. We figured the squirrels would love us. We scrambled back up the icy ravine, then stood by the side of the highway, giddy with adrenaline, bleeding, shaken, and completely, deliriously happy. We actually whooped. “I guess the universe has more for us to do before we go,” my husband decided. “I guess so.”

The next day, I got an email that Liquid Silver wanted to buy my first book, The Extremist. Sometimes I think the crazy rollercoaster ride has never really stopped. 

Blurb:

Sex on the beach…just what the doctor ordered.

Lovely, shy Annie Swenson has a few phobias. Okay, more than a few. Crowds, heights, sun, public exposure.  When her therapist urges her to take a vacation, she picks a remote island in the Bahamas – the perfect solo hideaway.

So much for plans. Who knew she’d be the only single woman at the resort? Who knew her nemesis from college would be staying there?  Who knew she’d be desperate enough to introduce the gorgeous man behind her in the buffet line as her boyfriend?  

The sexy stranger goes along with her charade…for a price. Before she knows it, she’s playing his erotic, boundary-pushing games and loving it. How far will she go? How many of her inhibitions will she shatter? And who is this mysterious man known as “The Extremist”? After a vacation like this, Annie’s life will never be the same.

Reader Advisory: This novella contains explicit sex, light bondage, exhibitionism, a supremely hot Aussie, and, of course, sex on the beach. 

Excerpt:

A gorgeous, pink sand beach stretched from one side of the bay to the next, and Annie couldn’t see a single person on it. A few houses, along with several large estates, were scattered on the cliffs above. The scent of gardenia drifted over the waves from someone’s garden.

Martin went to the cooler that held their breakfast. “Hungry?” he asked Annie over his shoulder.

“Sure. I usually eat toast and a little yogurt for breakfast.”

“Change of menu, then,” he said, handing her a slice of papaya. “This is the tropics, you know. You can’t eat toast in the tropics.”

The papaya, tasting of lime and lushness, slid across her tongue. Martin watched her with his eyes darkening. “I can live with the outfit, with some slight adjustments.”

“What?” she said warily, through a mouthful of fruit.

He leaned forward and unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt. Annie made no move to stop him. Another button went, then another, until the shirt was halfway unbuttoned and her bra exposed. “No bra, for starters.”

“What?”

“In fact, I don’t like this bra.” It was plain white cotton, like all her bras. “Do you have any scissors in that first aid kit of yours?”

“What are you talking about?” For the first time, she wondered if he was literally crazy. Was he going to cut her clothes to shreds? She was considering throwing herself overboard when he returned from her bag, scissors in hand.

“Shhh,” he said when she tried to object. “Don’t worry so much.” His eyes held a concentrated, relentless look that made her shrink back weakly against the side of the boat. Two short snips severed her bra straps. He reached around her back and unsnapped the fastener, then drew the bra away from her body. “Much better,” he breathed, letting one finger brush against her right nipple. When it stiffened eagerly he smiled. “You see? No one liked that bra.”

He drew the shirt off one shoulder, leaving one breast exposed and the other hidden. They’re so white they gleam.” He stroked his hand in a circle around the breast he’d bared.

“Much nicer. Now, I don’t mind your outfit so much. Your breasts are beautiful.”

Annie felt a deep quiver run through her body. Even though his hand was nowhere near her nipple, still it jumped to attention.

“You don’t understand. I need to protect my skin. I need SPF 100,” she said in a choked voice.

“So that’s your beauty secret. I like mineral oil myself. No worries.” He triumphantly held up her sunscreen and advanced toward her. She shrank back, mouth dry. “But you’d better take the whole shirt off then.” He eased it off her shoulders. Her hands flew to cover her breasts. “Now, now, that won’t do. You’re too beautiful to hide. Rest your arms along the side of the boat.”

With her arms stretched to either side, she gave her body to his touch. With slow, teasing motions, he spread the sunscreen over her pale skin. She felt the sun beating down on her head and saw the glints of gold it sparked in Martin’s hair. He began with her torso, tracing the bones of her rib cage and using a delicate touch just short of a tickle on her sensitive belly. It made her squirm slightly, with an embarrassed laugh.

“I like the way you move,” he murmured. He stood directly in front of her and ran his hand up her chest, between her breasts, ending with his hand circling her neck. Her head bent back against the side of the boat, and her eyes closed against the dazzling sunshine.

Add it to your library here! 

Thursday 13: We confess to the writing gods!

Even the best, most well-intentioned authors commit a bevy of sins. Today, we confess!

1. Kinsey: I confess to almighty Erin, and to you our readers and followers, that I failed to post my allotted blog entry.
2. Kelly: I use too many !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and "just"s in my MS.
• PG: I like Just. I refuse to apologize for my overuse of Just!
• Erin:I also sinfully overuse Just.
3. Kinsey: I harbor envy in my heart for Kelly's sales and reviews.
4. Juniper: Greed--I want every single person on the planet to read my books.
5. Meg: I procrastinate like crazy. Once I get started I'm okay, but it takes me a while to stop looking at Facebook.
6. Erin:I don't really, know where the hell, any commas go ever.
7. Juniper: Envy--I covet my friends' sales numbers.
8. Kate: Sometimes I count brainstorming and plotting in my word count for the day. "They go on a road trip. Things happen." Cool, eight more words done!
• PG: Kate--wait, we can't do that???
9. PG: I overindulge in ellipses and em-dashes...but--I'm sure--you already knew that.
10. Syd: Ah, the em-dash. I'm pretty sure we're having an affair. I work that little piece of punctuation to death.
11. Skylar: I confess that I read when I should be writing!
12. Juniper: Sloth--I can't make myself spend time on Pinterest. 
13. Erin:  All of my characters roll their eyes A LOT.

Leave your writing and reading sins in the comments. Unburden yourself! 

Guest Blogger Leah Braemel - Heroes and Villains

Even before I was published, I always had tons of stories swirling around in my head. I’ve never really had to worry about trying to find ideas for what to work on next. Yet in almost every book I’ve written, I’ve had someone email asking about a secondary character and when they’re getting their story. Many times I do have a plan for that character, but sometimes it’s a character I don’t expect.

Lately I’ve been asked a lot about a character in my latest release Slow Ride Home who some might call a villain, wanting to know if he’ll be redeemed and get his own story. Without giving away details of which character it is, I didn’t have any plans to give him his own story this time last week, but now I’m starting to wonder. Can you redeem a villain?

For this character yes, because I totally understand why he did what he did. It doesn’t excuse his later behavior, but I think he is redeemable. Of course he’s got a long way to go to redeem himself, or does he? Lots to think about.

Have you ever read a story where a character was a villain in one book and returned to be a hero later?

* * *

Slow Ride Home

Losing his father was hard enough, but now Ben Grady must face the fact that he and his brother may not be sole owners of their beloved ranch. To protect his family’s legacy, he’s forced to rely on the legal prowess of the woman who stars in his erotic fantasies: Allie O’Keefe. Ben’s never forgotten the illicit encounter they shared fifteen years ago—or forgiven himself for letting her go.

Allie thought she’d moved beyond the scandal that cost her Ben in the past. But working so closely with the seductive rancher arouses the wild child within the cautious woman she’s become. Though she tries to keep business and pleasure separate, Allie soon gives in to temptation, and discovers Ben’s sensual skills surpass even her X-rated memories…

Allie has every intention of leaving Bull’s Hollow forever after her investigation is complete. But there are a few complications. Not the least of which is that while saving the ranch, Allie’s lost her heart.

Read an excerpt: http://leahbraemel.com/books/the-grady-legacy/slow-ride-home/slow-ride-home-excerpt/

Or order your copy from Amazon.com B&N or Carina Press

* * *
The only woman in a houseful of men (even the cat and dog are male), Leah Braemel loves hiding away from all the dust bunnies while she writes sexy heroes and heroines finding true love. To read more about Slow Ride Home or any of Leah’s other books, you can visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or on Facebook.

Leah is giving away a $5 AMZN gift certificate. Tell her if you think a villain can turn into a hero… Winner will be drawn on November 23 here on this post.**a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mad About the (Cow)Girls

It’s holiday crafts fair time here in the Rockies, when all the local artisans turn up every weekend at one venue or another, hoping to sell you something for Christmas. One weekend we found ourselves in a high school gym, looking at all the various tchotchkes we could buy but probably wouldn’t. Except for one booth. There the artist had taken several old time photographs and used them for coasters and the covers of wooden boxes. I probably wouldn’t have been so intrigued if it hadn’t been for the subjects of the photographs. Cowgirls. They were all cowgirls.

I admit it upfront: I have a thing about cowgirls, but maybe I should define what I’m talking about. Cowgirls did and do a lot more than herd cattle (although they did that too on occasion). Sometimes they lived on ranches and worked the livestock along with raising kids and keeping the ranch house in some kind of order (Lyle Lovett has a beautiful song about this called “Bosque County Romance”). They were also outlaws (Belle Starr), rodeo riders (Bonnie McCarroll and Kitty Canutt), sheriffs (Margo Frasier), and just about every other western role you can think of. In other words they were tough western women who didn’t take any crap, although occasionally they had to put up with crap that was pushed on them by others.

The rodeo riders are a case in point. Originally women did most of the same events men did in the rodeo, and there are lots of pictures of riders like Kitty Canutt going hell for leather on their bucking broncos. Then Bonnie McCarroll was killed in a bad fall (that’s Bonne in the picture at the top, although that’s not the fall that killed her). The male rodeo riders, who were apparently annoyed at being beaten by women, demanded that women be banned from most events since they were too “fragile” to compete. The picture of Kitty Canutt above should demonstrate that idea was horse pucky, but the rules were passed and ever since then women have been limited to “safe” events. Cowboys occasionally seem to find cowgirls a mite threatening.

But lots of other people find cowgirls fascinating. There are lots of pictures, historical and contemporary, available for viewing. I’m not the only one who has a cowgirl Pinterest board. Ft. Worth has an entire museum devoted to these women, the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in town. You’ll find exhibits there about the women rodeo riders along with cowgirl country singers like Emmylou Harris and cowgirl actresses like Gail Davis (who played Annie Oakley on TV). But they also have pictures and stories of ranch women and pioneer homesteaders, the original cowgirls whose names have been lost to history. My favorite coffee mug has their motto: “My heroes have always been cowboys cowgirls”.

And here’s the thing—you don’t have to be a westerner to be a cowgirl. You don’t even have to own a horse. All you need is the cowgirl attitude: the belief that if something needs doing, you’ll do it because you can. That you’re strong enough and brave enough to get something done, whatever it may be.

Cowgirls, God bless ’em.

Friday Fight Club - Nate vs Declan

Let's get ready to RRRRRRUMBLE......

Welcome to Friday Fight Club! Two of our heroes will be duking it out for the glory of being named the WINNER - and you could win, too! 

Today, Erin Nicholas' hero Nate and PG Forte's hero Declan will be answering questions on our Facebook page. For each question, you get to pick a winner based on their answers. And at the end of the day, one lucky winner will get copies of both books! (Actually, this first winner will get NINE books - Erin's upcoming release, Best of Three, and all eight stories in the Midnight Ink anthology, including PG's Inked Memories!)

So who are our first competitors? Meet Nate and Declan:

NATE

Nate Sullivan is the cocky, sexy trauma surgeon who drives Emma Dixon crazy-- in lots of ways.  Of course, it's a very mutual crazy.  Nate is always right (just ask him) and knows what he wants.  He's unafraid of pushing the limits-- whether it's as a single dad to his eighteen year old son, or having a fling with the sassiest, sexiest woman he's ever met. Nate likes to be in charge in everything, including the bedroom.  But when he finally meets his match in Emma, he realizes that when you give a little, you get a whole lot back.

 Sometimes it takes a couple of tries before you get love right.

Counting on Love, Book 3

Emma Dixon is known for getting in over her head—and having a great time doing it. She’s aware her shenanigans rub Nate Sullivan the wrong way, but getting a rise out of the cocky surgeon is one of her favorite pastimes. Truth be told, exasperated looks aren’t the only things she wants from the guy.

Nate has no intention of taking another trip down the falling-in-love road. Women are carefully compartmentalized—to his bedroom. Women who don’t mind his take-charge tendencies. Women very different from sassy, sexy, independent Emma.

But his usual strategy of arguing with Emma to keep from kissing her goes out the window when his son falls in love with her friend’s daughter. Emma sees a normal teenage romance. Nate sees his plans for the boy’s future ruined.

As Nate tries to derail the relationship, Emma runs interference, putting herself directly in the path of the chemistry that grows stronger every time they butt heads. And that could very well lead to the best surprise of all.

 Warning: Contains a guy who knows exactly who he is and what he wants and a girl who’s going to change his mind about, well, everything. Plus inappropriate use of chocolate cake (of course, that depends on your definition of inappropriate).

Amazon

B&N

Samhain

DECLAN

Declan Ross achieved national fame as a celebrity tattoo artist on the popular show, Inked in O-Town, where he plays a thinly veiled (or, as he likes to put it, jerkified) version of himself. Declan is sexy—and he knows it—but his confident manner hides the pain left by the multiple tragedies in his past. Declan’s a firm believer in the power of tattoos to heal and transform people’s lives. So, obviously, he’s dedicated to his art. Does he think he knows better than 99% of the clients who come to him for tattoos? Absolutely. Declan is used to getting under people’s skins. Sophie is the one person who can get under his.

Inked Memories

Every memory leaves its mark.

 

All Sophie wants is a tattoo to commemorate her battle with cancer. What she gets is celebrity tattoo artist Declan Ross, the same sexy bad-boy who used to rock her world. This time, they’ve both got scars, and the ones you can’t see are still the hardest to cover.

(buy links coming soon!)

So don't miss out! Hop on over to the Nine Naughty Novelists' page on Facebook and start voting! 

Thursday 13: Awesome Dates Ripped from our Pages

One of the most fun things about writing romance is putting your characters into situations where they can't help but fall in love with each other (PG: Yeah, I tend to use dates to torture my characters). These dates are ones we've sent our characters on.

In the comments, tell us about the best date scenario you've read!

1. PG: In The third Oberon book, Sam took Marsha out for a romantic, Valentine's Day dinner. He proposed...she turned him down. 
2. Meg: In Venus In Blue Jeans, Cal and Docia go to a Konigsburg Street Fair, the Liddy Brenner Festival. Docia wears a costume that's based on her idea of Sweet Betsy from Pike (it looks like Sweet Betsy's spent a little time off the trail, if you get my drift). Cal is so generally crazed by lust he has a hard time making it through the evening.
3. Kelly: In Offside, Matt takes Honey on a long bike ride along the beach, from Santa Monica to Venice Beach, lunch in Marina del Ray, on to Hermosa Beach and back. Then they have dinner and wine at his place, go in the hot tub, start making out a little and...Honey passes out. 
4. Erin: In She's the One Amanda takes Ryan to play laser tag... dark corners can be a lot of fun. 
5. Juniper: In the Extremist, Martin takes Annie out on a scuba boat in the Caribbean. Suffice it to say her clothes don't last long. 
6. Kate: In Take a Chance on Me, Jessica and Tom take a ferry ride together. 
7. PG: In Love From A to Z, Zach takes April to breakfast at Gladstones...which used to be awesome until they changed the menu and got rid of all my favorites. 
8. Skylar: In A Love Worth Living, David shows Carrie around DC, starting with breakfast at a bistro/bookstore, then continuing on to the Natural History Museum. He had her at the Hope Diamond...
9. Erin: In Just Right, Ben takes Jessica to play video games and then finds fun ways to distract her so he can win 
10. Meg: In Bolted, Greta and Hank basically get pushed out the door by the devious Dubrovnik sisters, who want them to take things to the next level. Which they do. On a blanket. At the lake. 
11. Juniper: In Doll, Dustin makes a picnic for Chloe in the widow's walk of his house. 
12. Kate: In Lessons in Love, Alex flies Brynn to Italy to shop. (Hey, he's a prince - literally!) 
13. PG: In next week's release, Inked Memories, Declan invites Sophie to dinner, which goes like this: 

"But she knew it wouldn’t end with dinner. It never did… Just as she’d expected, dinner led to drinks, which led to a nostalgic visit to that little jazz place over on Frenchmen Street where they always used to go, which led to even more drinks. From there it was just a short walk back to the hotel where Declan was staying, in an extravagant, two-story suite with shuttered French doors and a balcony that looked down on Bourbon Street."

Got Ink?

I can hardly wait for next Tuesday. Not only is it a great day for the Naughty Nine with TWO releases, including Erin Nicholas's Best of Three.

I got a sneak peek at it a few months back, and I know readers are in for a real treat with this one.

But I have a confession to make. As excited as I am about Erin's release, I'm even a teeny bit more excited about my own release, Inked Memories, which is part of the Midnight Ink boxed set.

First of all, this books is very different for me--and that's saying something! It's the first erotic contemporary I've written in a really long while. I was surprised to realize how much I've missed that genre. The heroine has health issues, which I don't think is something I've really ever written about before. The whole collection of stories is set in New Orleans--I love New Orleans. They all take place in or around a tattoo shop and most of them involve characters either giving or getting tattoos--I adore tattoos. It's angsty--I like that too. And, I gotta say it, I think my hero is kind of hawt.

Possibly the most exciting part of this whole project, however, was getting to work with so many great authors--you'll see what I mean when you take a look at this lineup!

Midnight Ink - November 19

One tattoo shop in one infamous city sets the stage for eight stories about resolutions, kink, love and ink. 

Get ready to let the good times roll! 

Jayne Rylon

Report For Booty
When Burke Levine got marching orders, he couldn’t bear to make his girlfriend Chavon White a military widow. Years later, discovering his name tattooed on her perfect ass via a New Orleans’ artist’s portfolio confirms his epic mistake. Will Midnight Ink’s New Year’s Eve party grant them a second chance?

Sidney Bristol
Picture Her Bound (Bayou Bound)
She’s a police officer desperate enough to break the rules. He’s the bounty hunter standing between her and ruin. Picture Her Bound–the first book in the brand new Bayou Bound series from Sidney Bristol–a story of right, wrong and binding pleasures.

Robin L. Rotham
Not So Over Eli 
Paramedic Bart Rigger finally has the life he wants rather than the one his father dictated, thanks to hot new fiancée Rhonda Giannetti. But a whirlwind trip to New Orleans puts it all at risk when he’s forced to confront unresolved feelings for his first love, tattoo artist Elijah Bell.

PG Forte

Inked Memories
All Sophie wants is a tattoo to commemorate her battle with cancer. What she gets is celebrity tattoo artist Declan Ross, the same sexy bad-boy who used to rock her world. This time, they’ve both got scars and it’s still the ones you can’t see that are the hardest to cover.

RG Alexander
To The Bone (A novella in the Bone Daddy series)
Etta Santos has one resolution—to cover up the last visible evidence of her past. When Christie Ryder, sexy musician and new owner of Midnight Ink, pursues her, he seems too good to be true. His music touches her soul, but can she risk trusting another bad boy with her heart?     

Eden Bradley
Dangerously Inked (A novella in the Dangerous series)
When the tattoo artist Finn Carter lined up for his visit to New Orleans turns out to be the mysteriously alluring sub he played on New Year’s Eve at The Bastille, the city’s BDSM club, more than his skin will be marked forever—and Rosie is just the woman to bring this playboy to his knees.

Carrie Ann Ryan

Ink Inspired (Montgomery Ink 0.5)

In Carrie Ann Ryan’s Ink Inspired, the prequel to her upcoming Montgomery Ink series, Ice Princess Shea Little wants ink and a change. Shepard Montgomery not only wants to ink her, but get through that icy exterior.  Together, they’ll heat up the streets of New Orleans…and each other.

Mari Carr

Blank Canvas (Big Easy, book one)

Disillusioned by divorce, Jennifer’s about to discover her wild side, starting with a tattoo from Caliph. And continuing with submission, spankings, wax play…all under the skilled hands of her wickedly sexy tattoo master.

For more information, be sure and check us out on Facebook:

 https://www.facebook.com/MidnightInkBoxedSet

Guest Blogger Nara Malone - Discovering the Sexy Selkie by Discovering his World

Most men run from tears. A selkie swims to them. From across the deep Atlantic, Ronin heard Maille's tears fall into the surf, could taste each one. A woman's tears free a selkie from his enchantment,free him for one night, sunset to sunrise. Free him to be her every desire.

I'd heard the selkie legends, knew selkies were irresistible to human females. But when I was asked t write a selkie story for the Passion's Portal series I still didn't get the attraction...a seal? How had seals inspired the sexy selkie tales of old?

I knew in part it had to do with their voices. I'd listened to seal crying in the mists surrounding barrier islands. They do sound human. It's easy to believe they are souls reincarnated as seals to serve a sentence for a past-life crime. I thought if I could know those islands better, I might understand the seal mythology better.

My journey to know Ronin's story took me to a small barrier island, where I spent a few days living in a tent. Cold autumn winds pummeled me and the tent.

Sand worked its way under clothes into my sleeping bag, and into my meals. It didn't matter because once the sun started to set the wild ponies came out. The stallions call rang out in the dark and sometimes I get a glimpse of him trotting between dunes head high.

After a couple of days I woke up to find the entire herd grazing around my tent. Yes, the wild horses made their way into my selkie tale too.

When I came home I recreated the island in a virtual world online. In that process more characters revealed themselves:

The blue-skinned Goddess, Mere.

The kelpie stallion, Trey. And Maille.

Writing Make Me Wet was an adventure for me. I've left the world and the characters I created online for readers to interact with and explore.

You can learn how to login at Selkie Island and visit Shadowling Manor here on the series website: Passion's Portal.com.

http://www.passionsportal.com/p/blog-page.html

I hope you enjoy discovering Ronin's story and his world as much as I did.

Blurb for Make Me Wet:

Seven tears cast upon the water summon the selkie, summon seal across the ocean, summon man from beast—liquid keys to break the curse. Freed one night every seven years, Ronin is doomed to repeat that cycle into eternity. Unless he can find a woman powerful enough to resist a selkie’s irresistible pheromones and sex magick.

Maille believes she lost reality between Maine and New Mexico. Between where she is now and where she should be. She believes in facts, not magick. But facts can’t explain how she wound up naked on a beach with the sexiest man she’s ever laid eyes on. Or how she knows in her bones that losing herself in the passion Ronin offers is a path to disaster.

It’s going to be a long, hot, wet night. Caught between sex magick and a sexy selkie, disaster is inevitable for Maille. To break the enchantment she has to rely on the oldest magick of all—the power of love-drenched hearts.

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, please exit this site.

An Excerpt From Make Me Wet
Copyright © NARA MALONE, 2013
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

A piercing cry rose above the thunder of surf. Human? A seal could sound so human it was hard to tell the difference. Whichever, Maille recognized it as a wail of mortal distress. She couldn’t say how she understood that, no more than she could say how she wound up on the beach. One fact she was certain of—she couldn’t ignore it.

Without thought for consequences she plunged into the surf, diving under swells, power-stroking through roiling water.

Once past the breakers Maille paused, treading water as she turned in circles, searching in the inky swells for the curve of a human head. Impossible with the waves breaking moonlight into sequined facets and the rise and fall of swells tall as houses.

She’d never find him. She needed him to cry out once more.

“Come on. Give me a hint.”

An irregular shape, not seal-like or wavelike, caught her attention. As she paddled closer, she made out a man waving, heard his hoarse cry before his head disappeared below a wave. He resurfaced choking.

She dove under the water, swimming straight for where she’d seen him last. She resurfaced as he went under again, but she was close enough now to reach his long hair, swirling like dark kelp in the water. She grabbed a handful.

It was surprisingly easy to pull him along, as if he had managed to overcome his instinctive terror and submit to her rescue. He might not have been so submissive had he realized, as she did now, that they weren’t making progress.

Riptide. Crap.

Maille fought down a sudden kick of panic in her chest, struggling to swim parallel to the shore, caught by swells that tossed them dangerously close to jagged rocks. She had to concentrate her energy on swimming north until they were beyond the rip where she was free to swim shoreward.

When her feet finally found ground, a wave slammed her, flinging them both onto the sand. Depositing them in a tangle of limbs. Maille on top.

A small wave washed over them, and the sensation was that of a liquid blanket settling around her shoulders and then melting away. Panting, draped over his body,Maille was too spent to lift her head from a pillow of seaweed.

Another wave swept up, warm liquid fingers caressing her thighs.

She needed to move him higher up the beach, away from the rising tide, see to his needs. With a groan she pushed up to hands and knees, still straddling his body.

Damn! She’d hauled in one hell of a wet dream. Jet-black hair fanned out on the sand. His body lean, long and lusciously muscled. She started to lick her lips, caught herself, and forced her tongue back in her mouth. She was supposed to be saving his life, not jumping his bones.

Something was wrong. That realization drowned attraction in a wave of adrenaline.

His chest didn’t seem to be moving. Her breath caught and her heartbeat kicked up to double time. Maille thought there’d been a slight rise and fall of his chest beneath her breasts when they’d first washed ashore. His lips looked blue. But when she put her ear to his chest, the beat of his heart was strong and quick.

She scraped her mind for facts.

Fact—a heart could beat for several minutes after breathing stopped.

Would his lips still be blue?

Fact—in the moonlight everything looked blue.

Fact—his eyelids were at half-mast, and there was a barely perceptible gleam aimed at her. He probably didn’t need to be resuscitated.

Fact—she could discover the state of his respiration in other ways than this slow descent of her head and the pressing of lips to his. He tasted like sin and secrets.

His lips were warm and firm under hers, and they parted in a humid mingling of breath. Goddess, he smelled wonderful. She inhaled the scent of male and mystery laced with magick. Worries over what was real, what wasn’t, where she was, trickled away like so many grains of sand.

Fact…

Fuck a bunch of facts.




Buy link: http://www.ellorascave.com/make-me-wet.html