Friday 25 June 2010

Happy Release Day, Nicole Austin!

Once a woman’s deepest, darkest desires have been exposed—whetting her appetite for taboo pleasures of the flesh—her unquenchable hungers will not be denied.

Floggers and whips.

Chains and leather restraints.

Erotic rewards and punishments…oh my!

Seduced by erotic stories and the forbidden lure of Dominance and submission, Evie Sloan longs to explore the scintillating delights firsthand. While some fantasies are better left to the imagination, for the chance to visit a real BDSM club, she’s willing to take a risk.

Been there, done that, seen it all—or so jaded Dominant Niko Kovalenko thought. Evie’s arrival on the scene reawakens long-dormant passions and ramps them up to a whole new level. She’s an exciting challenge, a dangerous temptation, igniting the compulsion to posses. To collar.

Evie is no man’s submissive pet. Niko strips her bare, sheds light on all her secret desires and weaknesses, but it’s still not enough for him. To win her man, she’ll have to confront her fears and find a way to bridge the distance between them.

Thursday 24 June 2010

New Cave Release - Regina Carlysle

Book three in the Texas Passions series.

When Callista Hill settles in tiny Morgan’s Creek, she vows to make a better life for herself. She never figured lust and screaming-hot orgasms were part of the equation. One look at the local bar owner and she’s flooded with the need to have him in her bed. He burns her to ash with every erotic touch, bringing her sex-starved body achingly to life.

The instant dark, moody Mac Moreno claps eyes on Callie, he knows he wants her. Her lush curves turn him inside out and have his libido racing from zero to sixty in three seconds flat. Burning up the sheets with this sassy, sweet lady brings him back to life. But when her stalking ex hunts her down, will Callie run?

Not if Mac can help it.


~*~



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

An Excerpt From: EAGLE’S REFUGE

Copyright © REGINA CARLYSLE, 2010

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Chapter One




Mac Moreno leaned back against the corral fence and looked out over land that now belonged, in part, to him. A year ago, he would never have imagined such a thing but with Joe Morgan’s death, the White Eagle Ranch had been split into thirds, leaving his half sister Leah, half brother Dash and himself with a legacy that was pretty overwhelming to a guy who’d scratched out a living alone for most of his life.

Heavy noonday sunshine beat down on him. Mac swept the battered straw cowboy hat from his head and mopped his sweaty brow with a bandana he kept tucked in his back pocket.

Damn hot today.

A savage shriek ripped through the air. Mac squinted at the violently blue Texas sky and watched a lone eagle glide through that vivid palette to land on the roof of the barn where it pierced him with an unblinking gaze. Eagle and man shared a moment of utter communion. No doubt the bird of prey wondered what the hell a nobody like himself was doing out here laying claim to this land, this ranch.

Mac had asked himself the same question a million times over the past few months. Sending his gaze over the immediate area, taking in the stately ranch house in the distance, the corrals, the barn, he wondered about the fickleness of fate. His mother Elena had been the housekeeper for Joe Morgan thirty-odd years ago and on one hot Texas night, she’d slept with the boss and wound up pregnant. That event had ended her employment at White Eagle Ranch and she’d moved on to clean the houses of wealthy folks in the town of Morgan’s Creek, scratching out a living as a single mother until the day she’d died.

Mac’s jaw tightened.

As he shifted his gaze to the side of the barn, memories assaulted him, bitter and ultimately humiliating. He’d been sixteen, a gangly kid who knew full well the rich, powerful Joe Morgan was the father who’d never claimed him, never wanted him.

“What the hell are you doing here, boy?”

Mac swallowed hard. His hands were shaking but he didn’t want his father to see so he shoved them in the pockets of his jeans and tried like hell to look cool. “Looking for work, sir.”

Joe scowled at him. He was a big man with a shock of white hair and as intimidating as hell. This was the man who didn’t want him, didn’t speak to him on the streets of Morgan’s Creek, the town that bore his name. The big man looked down and then up, taking him in, sizing him up, and Mac knew Joe Morgan didn’t like what he saw. Nope. He didn’t measure up but had he thought he would? He’d been fooling himself.

“Aren’t you Elena Moreno’s kid?”

“Yessir.”

Silence fell. Mac sucked in a breath and held it. What the hell had he been thinking? Had he imagined his dad would call him son and hug him like he meant it?

Suddenly Mac felt stupid and dumb and more on the outside than ever before.

Why would the all-powerful Joe Morgan ever in a million years acknowledge a poor Mexican kid from the wrong side of the tracks? To most of the town, Mac was nothing but trash. He had no hope of college and could lay claim to no kind of future. Hell, his mom had saved for years just to buy him a class ring so he could remember his high school days. Dumb thing but it made Elena proud to do it. She’d saved every dime so he could have a couple of new pairs of jeans at the start of every school year. She’d worked her fingers to the bone, scrubbing toilets and polishing floors, to give him the bare necessities of life. Joe Morgan had never contributed. Not once.

In the distance, a horse galloped across a pasture. Pretty Leah, his half sister, the legitimate child of Joe Morgan, was out riding her beautiful mare, her ponytail whipping out behind her like a shiny flag. Resentment welled up deep inside him. His heart tightened and frustration dug steely spurs into his belly. She had everything. He had nothing. The fact that she didn’t know he was her brother wasn’t the issue. Mac was so jealous he wanted to just die.

He was the unacknowledged bastard kid of a rich dude who apparently hated his guts.

Mac focused on the older man and wanted to kick his own ass. His being here was stupid, ridiculous.

Joe shifted his stance and gave him a fierce look. “Think you’ve got what it takes to be a cowboy, kid?”

The spit dried in Mac’s mouth. “Yessir.”

“Well, I don’t think so,” he drawled. “Got plenty of hands and they don’t need to be babysitting you. Now you get on out of here, kid. You don’t belong here.”

Mac watched him walk away without a backward glance, standing there, his eyes burning like hellfire from tears. Then he turned and ran as fast as he could to the old beat-up truck he’d borrowed from a friend. Slamming the door of the truck, he rubbed his stinging eyes before driving away.


Monday 21 June 2010

Jasmine Aherne Interview

Please welcome Jasmine Aherne to my humble blog abode. Much sauciness ahead with Orlando Bloom...in Jasmine's room. God, I should have been a poet...

Nat: So, how does writing make you feel, darling?

Jasmine: Great! Like slipping into someone else's skin for an hour, or two, or three. No matter what's going on in your own life it's nice to take a load off your mind and tackle someone else's problems instead, or...give them more problems! Mwahaha.

Nat: Oh, you wicked woman, you! Which of your books is your fave--and why? Gotta know the why because I'm nosey.

Jasmine: Stranded, I think. How could it not be? It was my first ever published novel, and my first novel with one of my publishers, Pink Petal Books. Why? Because I adored writing it. The hero, Will, is based on one of my favourite actors, Edward Norton, and it gave me an excuse to watch a lot of his films. Research, yes. *cough cough*

Nat: Ah, he's the geezer who played Will Graham in Red Dragon, isn't he? I do believe you can keep him. He's not my mug of tea, dear. There will be no squabbles over men at this present time...

Do you need silence to write, or can you pen a tale with a household tempest swirling around you?

Jasmine: I like music. Right now I'm sat on my sweetie's bed with my computer on my lap. I'm warm and comfy and my sweetie is at his PC killing zombies. It's nice to be able to share space with him but do different things at the same time. Mind you, he has to wear headphones too or I get distracted by the zombies going splat... Eeew.

Nat: Eww indeed! What books do you have planned for the future, or don't you know until you open a clean document?

Jasmine: I don't know! I'd like to say I have a list as long as my arm of planned books...but I don't know. I usually get an idea when I go to the movies. Films are so inspirational to me.

Nat: That guy there. Look at him. He seriously has your list on his damn arm. Imagine having an arm like that, though! You could tap someone on the shoulder way ahead of you in a queue then snake your arm back quickly and pretend you didn't do it. The fun you could have!

How much writing time do you have each day/week, and do you wish you had more?

Jasmine: About an hour or two, more on weekends. I wish I had more! I'm lucky that I don't work terribly long hours in my day job, but sometimes I get home too tired to do more than pour dinner down my neck and collapse into bed!

Nat: I like that idea. Pouring dinner down your neck. It would save so much time not having to chew!

Okay, imagine this, if you will.. You've been asked to attend a writing convention, and a genie appears (come on, indulge me...), offering to magic one star who will accompany you. Who would you pick and why? Details, I must have details, and if it's a star I'd pick, I'll fight you for the sexy bleeder! *holds fists up and stands in a menacing position, just so you know I mean business*

Jasmine: All right! *rubs hands with glee* Well, I do have a thing for Edward Norton, but in this case, it'd HAVE to be Orlando Bloom. In his Pirates of the Carribean get up. Oh yeah, baby. The long hair, the pirate coat, the boots, the open shirt, the voice.... all of it. And why? Just look at him! And it gets better when he has a sword. Men + weapons do it for me!

Nat: Okay, so now we have a squabble on the horizon. Unless you agree to share... He is rather dishy, isn't he? A veritable plate of dishiness that begs to be eaten up. Eyes, look at the eyes. Ooooh. Ooooooooooooh!

Oh crap! The genie has appeared again--gosh, he's an accommodating fella but arrives at the most inopportune friggin' fantasy moment GRR--and grants you another wish. Personally, I think he fancies you, hence his reappearance, but he's so shy he's just making out he has to visit you with three wishes. Yeah, right, Genie Boy, whatever you say. Hmm. Why doesn't he just say he thinks you're lush? Men! Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. The genie says you can take your star on an all-expenses paid holiday. Where would you go and why?

Jasmine: Ireland, without a doubt. It might be cold, but it's beautiful. Sheer cliffs that stagger down to roaring pale blue seas, a summer sky bluer than a robin's egg, and live music every night in most pubs. And the men's accents! Whoa. That accent should be illegal, it's so hot. Seriously! Although I suppose with Orlando on my arm I'd be greedy if I checked out the men....

Nat: Ah, I see what you're doing. Staking a claim on Orlando with that last comment *grin*. Making it clear he's yours, ya big meany. So tell me, what would you do with him? You know, do-do *wink*.

Jasmine: Three words. Bed. Silk scarves. You can imagine the rest. And oh boy, am I imagining right now...

Nat: LOL! Now, you're fully sated by Orlando, and the genie is back, jealous as all get out and raging at you to run away with him. But Orlando has claimed your heart and you've claimed his. The genie offers you unlimited wishes if you go with him, but you can't use one to keep the star as yours. Would you run away with the genie or stay with the star?

Jasmine: Ooh! I don't know. That's a tough one... I guess I could wish for the genie to turn into Orlando...is that allowed, or is trying to trick him naughty?

Nat: I love it! I wouldn't have thought of doing that. Yes, that's allowed, whoop!

So, do you believe in love at first sight, soul mates, and destiny?

Jasmine: I believe in love at first sight, and I believe in destiny. As for soul mates, I just don't know. I used to believe in that "one person for everyone" theory, but then I thought, what if your "one" gets taken from you? Are you just doomed to wander around, loveless, without them, never to feel a love that wonderful again? That makes me sad.

Nat: I know what you mean. That wandering thing makes me want to cry.

Where do you see yourself in your writing career in five year's time?

Jasmine: I'd like to be able to write part time and work part time--hopefully I'll be making enough money to do that. And maybe in ten year's time, I could write full time! Aahhhh, wishing... Where's that genie when you need him?

Nat: He's buggered off, jealous about Orlando.

And one for luck... Do you think I'm rather mental? I've asked myself this a dozen times, but my other me won't answer.

Jasmine: Nah. You're fun! And hey, you gave me a nice Orlando Bloom fantasy for free... *turns laptop so her sweetie can't see, just incase he's finished killing zombies*

Nat: Oh good. Glad to have been of service, heh heh! Well, it was great having you here. I had much fun. Good luck with all your books, darling, and have a good fantasy tonight! LOL!

Now, my beauties, here is an excerpt from Jasmine. Whee!




~*~




Excerpt from Stranded by Jasmine Aherne




Will wanted to look at Rachel but he didn’t. Her shiny, chocolate brown hair swung past her chin and brushed her shoulders in gentle waves. He wondered what it would feel like between his fingers.

He longed to say something, anything, anything at all, a comment on her appearance, an enquiry about the time of flight she would attempt to board tomorrow, but his thought processes were interrupted when the elevator slid to a halt and the doors opened. Her floor.

“My room is right around this corner.” She led him down the large tan hallway. It looked like a nice place, not too expensive, not too cheap. “Here we are, this should be-” she got her key ready.

He stayed her hand. “Would you like me to come in with you?”

Rachel deliberated. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes filled with anxiety.

Their eyes met. Rachel hesitated, but then she nodded firmly. “Yes. Please.”

The key slid home. The door opened, and Will had time for a cursory glance around the empty room.

His fingers itched to touch, to stroke her cheek, hold her hand.
But he didn’t, of course, he didn’t. He had proved himself a gentleman, and he didn’t want to outstay his welcome. Yet his feet stayed rooted to the ground. He wanted to stay with her, near her. Even though I shouldn’t. It would be so inappropriate.

“All right.” He finally kicked himself into doing the right thing, unfortunately it was the opposite of what he wanted.

What I want is just to stand here and drink her in: her delicate profile, still so wounded in the harsh light of the hotel room. To feel the softness of her hair and taste the salt of her tears.

“All right?” she asked.

“I should go. You should get some sleep. It’s been a long day for you.”

"Yes. It has.” She rubbed at her hair, a nervous gesture. “Thanks, Will. For… seeing me safely up here.” She lifted a hand and dropped it, then leaned up and kissed his cheek, very gently, her lips silk-soft against his skin.

He hoped she had left a lipstick-colored imprint. Something to remember her by.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He turned to go, but then, just couldn’t help adding, “So what are you doing tomorrow? You have a whole day to just mess around the city, right?”

Realization dawned. “Oh, I… I hadn’t thought about it, but yes I do.”

Silence circled around them. Finally, Will gathered up the wherewithal to ask, “Do you want me to show you about?”

Wednesday 16 June 2010

New Release! Lily Harlem

Struggling artist Ariane Arlington flees the Welsh valleys after exposing her corrupt boss. But when the sun rises she finds herself jobless and homeless in Cardiff city with barely a penny to her name.

She responds to an advert in the local paper—Room to let, wanted, girl to share. What she doesn’t realize is that the two insanely gorgeous guys who live in the penthouse apartment really do want a girl to share, in every sense of the word. Fortunately for Ariane, rent is the last thing on their minds.

She discovers the men are bound together by a turbulent past. Liam, a computer whiz, keeps a painful secret hidden beneath his buff exterior, whilst Quinn, a pioneering neurosurgeon, wonders if he’ll ever meet a woman who can live with his controlling ways. They admit the one thing missing from their lives is a woman just like Ariane, who can handle them both in and out of the bedroom and who, together, they can keep satisfied, loved and most of all, safe.

Tuesday 15 June 2010

Karenna Colcroft Interview

Please welcome Karenna Colcroft to my blog home. Park your botties if you like reading about hotties...like Johnny Depp *swoon*...

Nat: Hi Karenna! Welcome! What do you like best about writing?

Karenna: Creating new realities. Getting to know my characters, and having them guide me through their stories. It’s like making new friends every time I write a new story, and I’m usually kind of sad when I finish a story, because that means I’m finished with those characters. Unless I’m fortunate enough to have a sequel to put them in.

Nat: It's great when you can follow your characters through several books, isn't it? Especially when you've become so attached from the beginning.

What sets you off on a new book? Do you need visuals or audio to spark a plot?

Karenna: I don’t really need any kind of a trigger. Just the knowledge that I have to write something. Sometimes a song or something I see on TV or in real life gives me a little seed of an idea, but sometimes it’s just a matter of “What am I going to write this time?” and then off I go. I even have times when I don’t know what I’m writing until the words appear on the computer monitor. Those times are pretty cool.

Nat: Yes, like a story that's been hiding inside you without your knowledge and just takes that opportunity to come out. I hear you on that.

Do you write via keyboard or pen and paper? Or both?

Karenna: Most of the time I use my desktop computer. I’ve been writing for so long that I now type faster than I can write by hand. Sometimes, though, I use pen and paper if I’m out somewhere. For one of my novellas, I actually wrote a sex scene while sitting in a subway station in East Boston waiting for my train. Thank goodness no one peeked over my shoulder!

Nat: LOL! Can you imagine the red face if they did?

When writing, we're interrupted by many things. Of course, this isn't evident in the tale, but is there a funny moment in your real life that interrupted your writing, one that you'll always remember when you read your book again, that you'd like to share with your readers? I like to think of my books as memory keepers in a way, where special events rest between the lines that no one but me can see. Do you have the same thing going on?

Karenna: Sometimes my special events end up in the story. Just read my novella Beginner’s Luck, from Pink Petal Books… Fortunately, my husband is a tolerant man, otherwise some of the sex between Kyla and Alec in that story might have upset him just a bit. Likewise, in my novel Eternal Love, which is coming from Pink Petal on July 8, some of the reassurances and comments Rhys makes are things my husband has said to me, or said to me while I was writing the book. Those are pretty special.

I don’t have very many memorable things happening in my life, though. I’m actually pretty boring.

Nat: If you could visit one place right now, where would you go and why?

Karenna: Only one place? But…but…there’s more than one I want to visit!

Nat: Oh, go on then! More than one.

Karenna: I’d love to go back to the cottage on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where my husband and I spent our honeymoon a couple of months ago. That was such a quiet, peaceful place, and I got some good writing done there. I’d also love to visit Lunenburg, Nova Scotia (up in Canada), which is my mother’s hometown and a place I spent a week or two every year when I was growing up. I haven’t been there in almost eight years, though, and I really want to go back.

Nat: I hope you get your dream!

If you could have one thing that would make your writing life easier, what would it be and why?

Karenna: My own room! I have two kids, and my first husband was more demanding than either of them, so I’m pretty used to writing through distractions. But let me tell you…when I’m sitting here with my hubby bashing mobs in his online role-playing game on his computer behind me, with my eleven year old sitting at her computer (yes, we have a lot of computers here…) playing a dolphin game and giving us a play-by-play account of it, and my fourteen year old traipsing into the room every few minutes to cry about something mean her friend said or tell me something cute her boyfriend texted her…it kinda puts a cramp in writing sex scenes!

Nat: I know exactly what you mean!

Do you have any phobias? What are they, and why do you think you have them?

Karenna: I’m horribly afraid of heights. Well, not so much heights…I’m afraid of falling from heights! I’m not sure why that is. I’m also terrified of not being able to breathe, which allegedly is because I drowned in a past life.

Nat: Oh, how cool. Not that you drowned in a previous life, of course, but that you know you did. I find that sort of thing fascinating, although, if you've been regressed, I don't think I'd be as brave as you and try it myself.

Do you have any obsessions? What are they, and why do you think you have them? Yes, I'm nosey...

Karenna: I’m obsessed with writing. Do I really need a reason? LOL

Nat: Nope! That's a good enough answer without explanation.

If you could look like one star, who would it be?

Karenna: I’d kind of rather keep looking like myself; I’m pretty happy with me.

Nat: That's great to be comfortable with yourself like that!

If you had the choice of going to a book signing with a star on your arm, who would it be and why?

Karenna: Johnny Depp…in full Captain Jack Sparrow regalia. Enough said. LOL


Nat: No, not enough said. I mean, this is Johnny we're discussing here. How can there ever be enough said? Now, let's see. He's beautiful. Mysterious. Sexy. Did I already say beautiful? He's charming, delightful, he's...he's...looking at us two, smile on his face, look, knowing we fancy the pants off him. Oh, what a rogue! What a devil!

Ahem, yes. Let the interview proceed. Please pardon my sojourn into my head for a minute there...

If you have children and/or you work full time, how do you find the time to write? (Johnny, Johnny, my love, I adore you... Sorry. I really am sorry, Karenna. Please do carry on.)

Karenna: I do have children. Two daughters, 14 and 11 (both with birthdays next month). Making things a bit more complicated, the eleven year old has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, so some days she’s spot on and you’d never know she isn’t just like every other kid her age, and other days she has meltdowns, won’t stop babbling about one of her obsessions, or just plain acts like she hates everyone around her. I also work part-time.

But finding time for writing isn’t as difficult as it might sound. My job is only 12-15 hours a week, and I work for my father-in-law, so he’s very flexible about my hours. My husband’s entire family knows I write, and they’re all pretty proud of me, so if I tell my father-in-law I’m under a deadline he’ll let me go home early or even let me write in the office. (Though after last week, when my husband’s uncle looked over my shoulder to see me typing something about my heroine, er, sucking the hero’s best friend, I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to write down there anymore…)


Nat: ROFL!

Karenna: My kids are in school right now, which gives me writing time, and even during the summer they’ll be off with friends or visiting their step-grandmother across the street. They’re also having to spend a month this summer with their father, which will give me way too much time alone to write.

And I get up insanely early so I have at least an hour of uninterrupted, absolutely silent time before anyone else in the household gets up. On a typical day, I manage at least 3-4 hours of writing time, though that may be scattered into 15 minutes here, half an hour there.

Nat: Oh, you've got it made! So, add your own private writing room, and you'll feel like a queen.

Fave genre, time period?

Karenna: Favorite genre…I’d have to say paranormal/urban fantasy. I love the idea that there’s stuff lurking around us that doesn’t fit the “normal” world. Though I have to admit I’m not so into vampires… I’ve read a few too many vampire stories, and since those seem to proliferate like the proverbial bunnies, a vamp story has to have something really unique or special to catch my attention.

That’s for reading, though. I’d love to write more urban fantasy, but for some reason most of the romance I write turns out to be plain old contemporary, though my novel Eternal Love is paranormal. Homicidal immortals. Very cool. LOL. Everything I write takes place in the present, because I wouldn’t even know where to start researching for something historical.

Nat: Sounds as groovy as, well, a groovy thing!

If you had one piece of advice for aspiring authors, what would it be?

Karenna: Write. Keep writing. Keep revising what you write, and learn from everything you do. No matter how much you learn about the craft, there’s always more to learn, so don’t expect to ever fully master it. Just enjoy trying. And don’t get too stressed about making your stuff perfect the second it comes out of your head onto the keyboard. You can always fix it later, but get it written first.

I think that’s more than one piece…


Nat: Yes, but jolly good advice, what? Sorry, that's the Brit in me coming out.

Well...Johnny, stop that, would you? I'm trying to talk to Karenna, dear. Gosh, he's a fiesty one... Once again, sorry about that. Karenna, it's been wonderful having you here. I've had a great time. You're a pleasure to chat with.

Darling readers, if you're ready now for a spot of tea and scones with butter and jam, please partake of such delights while you sit and read an excerpt from Karenna Colcroft, a wonder of a woman!



~*~

Beginner's Luck by Karenna Colcroft



Desire filled his eyes. “Which means we have about three hours until you have to leave. So let’s spend a little quality time together now.” He pulled her to her feet. “Race you to the bedroom.”

“I’ll win,” she taunted.

“Of course you will, because I want to watch your cute butt going up the stairs in front of me.” He lightly swatted her ass. “So get going!”

She hurried ahead of him, but with his longer legs he caught up to her at the stairs. Hands on her hips, he half chased, half pushed her to the bedroom, both of them laughing the whole way. He made everything so much fun! She’d always been scared of letting go and losing control, and playfulness had just made her feel nauseated. But Alec was so unlike anyone she’d ever known, he’d changed her. With him, she dared to let go, and he’d brought out the playful side she’d never known she had.

Just inside the bedroom door, with a twinkle in his eye that belied his stern expression, he grabbed her and dragged her toward the bed. She squelched the brief fear that surged inside her, covering it with laughter. Like Alec would ever hurt her.

He hurt himself, though. As usual, he slammed his shin into the protruding footboard of the bed. “Damn it!” he yelped. “We’re buying another bed.”

“No point doing that if we might move,” Kyla said practically.

“I meant when we move.” Smiling, he abruptly shoved her down to the bed and imprisoned her with his arms. “Unless you have other ideas.”

“When we move?” she repeated, shocked. She must have missed that decision. Sure, they’d said things like “if we move in together, we should…,” but it had never been anything definite. Even though she desperately wanted it to be. After her marriage, she hadn’t thought she’d ever want to live with any man again, but in her heart she wanted a life with Alec. And his words sounded pretty definite.

“I want you and the kids to live with me.” His arms abandoned the cage they’d formed and wrapped around her as he lay on his side next to her. His eyes filled with the deep feelings she knew he had for her. “I love you, I love them, and I love being with you. It just doesn’t feel right when I head home and leave you behind.” He sounded uncertain as he added, “I thought we’d already decided we would move in together, but maybe I was wrong.”

Kyla’s heart soared. For weeks she’d wondered where their relationship stood, and now he had told her. He wanted a life together as much as she did. She’d never dreamed she would find love this strong.

He studied her, waiting for her response, and she hastened to reassure him. “Maybe I’m just too literal. Maybe I expected you to come out and formally ask me.”

“Which I just did,” he pointed out.

“Yes.”

He blinked, confused. “Yes I just asked, or yes you’ll move in with me?”

“Yes, I’ll move in with you!” To show how much she meant it, she brought her mouth to his in a hard, tongue-filled kiss. “As soon as I talk the girls into it,” she added slowly when they parted.

“Good luck with that,” Alec joked. “They aren’t going to want to live with me.”

“Bullshit,” Kyla said firmly. “They adore you. They just won’t want to move again.”

“Yeah, well, I know how much their father moved you guys around,” Alec said. His face twisted like he’d smelled something horrible, the way it often did when he mentioned Kyla’s ex. Then he smiled. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk about it. It’s not like it’s going to happen tomorrow.” With a lascivious look in his eyes, he moved onto her. “Right now I think we have something to do before you go pick up those girls.”

“And what would that be?” Kyla said innocently.

“Where do you hide your toys?” He pressed against her so she couldn’t mistake his arousal.

Sunday 13 June 2010

Tory Richards Interview

A little about Tory Richards…

Tory is a multi-published, best-selling author who lives in Florida with her soul mate and three crazy cats. She likes to travel, preferably by cruise ship, and doesn’t like to fly but will if she has to. She collects antiques and art, loves chocolate (who doesn’t?) and good coffee.

Tory has wanted to be a writer since she was a kid, but life got in the way of her dreams. A few years ago, with the support and encouragement of her family, she decided to get serious. Her romances are laced with humor and filled with suspense and sizzling sex.

Talk Dirty to Me is Tory’s first erotic romance with Ellora’s Cave and she vows it won’t be the last!


~*~



Please welcome Tory Richards to my humble online blog home! Tory Richards, come on doooooown!

Nat: Hiya! Lovely to have you here. I'll dive straight in and get on with the questions.


What do you like best about writing?

Tory: While I enjoy the characters and places I create I have to say the finished product. The editing is done, the book cover has been designed, and it's release day! Nothing sweeter.

Nat: I know what you mean! Getting covers is my favourite part.


What sets you off on a new book? Do you need visuals or audio to spark a plot?

Tory: Anything can set me off. Sometimes a thought will just pop into my head, and blossom into a story. Other times I might be watching a show on TV and something in it will spark an idea. Something someone tells me might give me an idea.

Nat: Same here.

Do you write via keyboard or pen and paper? Or both?

Tory: LOL...I started out with pen and paper around the age of ten, then graduated to a manual typewriter at thirteen. Since getting my first computer a few short years ago there's nothing better.

Nat: Gosh, I remember my first typewriter. Noisy old thing.


When writing, we're interrupted by many things. Of course, this isn't evident in the tale, but is there a funny moment in your real life that interrupted your writing, one that you'll always remember when you read your book again, that you'd like to share with your readers? I like to think of my books as memory keepers in a way, where special events rest between the lines that no one but me can see. Do you have the same thing going on?

Tory: None comes to mind right now.

Nat: Maybe I'm just strange then LOL.

If you could visit one place right now, where would you go and why?

Tory: Ireland. I've actually planned a trip there twice but had to cancel both times. I'll make it some day, though. I like to travel and there's something about Ireland, the castles and history of the place, that seems romantic.

Nat: Ooh, I have friends who live there.


If you could have one thing that would make your writing life easier, what would it be and why?

Tory: More time in the day. As it stands right now I work full time, so I only have a couple hours in the evening and weekends to write.

Nat: I'm with you on time. I'd like another 6 hours.


Do you have any phobias? What are they, and why do you think you have them?


Tory: Gosh, don't we all have phobias? LOL I'm a germaphobic, or so I've been told. Have no idea why.


Nat: I have too many phobias to mention, so I won't!


Do you have any obsessions? What are they, and why do you think you have them?

Tory: Actually, nothing comes to mind right now.

Nat: If you could look like one star, who would it be?

Tory: Raquel Welsh, I think she's absolutely beautiful and ageless.

Nat: Oh, I agree. I love her eyes.


If you had the choice of going to a book signing with a star on your arm, who would it be and why?

Tory: Hmmm...let me think about that one for a while.

Nat: LOL! Too many to pick from, hmm?


If you have children and/or you work full time, how do you find the time to write?

Tory: Writing is just a hobby for me so I don't stress if I don't have time for it. My family comes first.

Nat: Fave genre, time period?

Tory: The present. If I wrote in another period I'd have to do research, and I hate homework. :)

Nat: LOL! If you had one piece of advice for aspiring authors, what would it be?

Tory: Don't give up, believe in yourself and someone else will, too.

Nat: Ooh! I like that last line. I hadn't thought of it like that. Well, it was lovely having you here, Tory. Thank you so much for dropping by!


If you beautiful readers would like to find more information on Tory, you can visit the links at the end of this post, but for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy an excerpt from Tory's latest book, Talk Dirty To Me. Oh my!


~*~


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

An Excerpt From: TALK DIRTY TO ME

Copyright © TORY RICHARDS, 2010

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.


Lilly collapsed against him. God, it was just like old times. And she’d made it so easy for him. Damn it! She wasn’t going to let him break her heart again! But she wasn’t going to dwell over what she couldn’t change either, and besides, she’d thoroughly enjoyed their quickie.

As they straightened their clothes and prepared to leave, he asked, “So, what’s the plan?”

“I take you home with me. You can use Ross’ room until he comes home tomorrow. I hope you like pizza and wine because that’s what I intend to have for dinner.” Hopefully there was an extra bottle of wine stashed in the fridge.

“All I want for now is a shower, a bed, and some more of you.”

Now was a good time to lay down the law. She had let her desire get the best of her once but that had been temporary insanity. She took a deep breath. “Speaking of bed, you’ll be in it alone, Blake. There’ll be no more kissing or touching or anything else between us while you’re here.”

He chuckled. “You weren’t complaining a minute ago.”

She was still flushed from their mutual satisfaction. “I mean it, Blake. You can’t continue to come back into my life every few months or a year, turn it upside down and then just leave again. I didn’t want to pick you up, I didn’t want to see you again, and I have a boyfriend.” She was amazed at how easily the lies slipped from her lips. Almost as easily as her mouth had devoured his cock a moment ago.

“Relax, baby, I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.”

Lilly had her doubts. She’d never been able to resist him. Blake had the moves and he’d never been afraid to put them on her before. Even a glance could turn her knees to jelly. And she was weak where he was concerned. He knew that, she was sure.

She focused on the road the rest of the way home, and tried not to imagine a naked, sexy Blake in her shower.

~*~

Email: tory.richards@yahoo.com

Website: www.toryrichards.com

Friday 11 June 2010

Happy Release Day Nikki Soarde!

Kat Mulligan, a tiny woman with a big personality and bigger heart, built a business and life for herself and her handicapped brother. Her focus is on the positive—and the future. The past can stay buried.

Until her estranged father suddenly reappears. She tries ignoring him, and the pain he brings with him. However, she can’t ignore his proposition—head to the Australian wilderness in search of a treasure that could change her life.

Dane Calder, her handsome would-be guide, is too irresistible for her own good and the two of them connect explosively. Kat decides to go on the search, but to keep her focused on her goal and not on her rugged guide, she insists her best friend Chay accompany them. The gay man is the perfect chaperone. Or is he?

Dane’s desire for Kat is obvious, but his feelings for her athletic, boy-next-door friend come as a surprise—to all three. None of the adventurers are prepared for the secret loves and desires unleashed beneath the azure skies of the Kakadu.

Tuesday 8 June 2010

Jambrea Jones - New Cave Release!

Attorney Becca Scott doesn’t have time for a relationship. She’s worked hard to prove herself to the old boys’ club and now it’s her time to shine. She certainly doesn’t have time for the tempting Samson Roust. He’s totally lickable, but sex with the boss is never a good idea—unless you draw up a contract to protect yourself. At least, it seems like a great idea to Becca.

Samson, however, knows his passion can’t be contained by a silly document. He lures Becca to his house for a meeting and the case of Scott vs. Roust gets some much-needed deep probing of the sexual kind.

Now Becca must decide if she should close the case on love…or engage Samson in more intense negotiations.



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

An Excerpt From: APPEALING PROPOSAL

Copyright © JAMBREA JO JONES, 2010

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.




With minutes to spare, I entered Conference Room B. Samson sat at the table going over some papers in front of him. He looked so handsome sitting there I wanted to ruffle him. Why did it take so long for me to see him as a man? Me and my stupid competitive nature, damn it. Well I was ready now and I liked what I saw.

He glanced up, catching me staring and I tried not to blush.

“You ready, Becca?”

I liked the way my name rolled off his tongue. His tongue. Oh great, now my mind was going back in the gutter and we really did have work to get done tonight.

“Becca?”

“Wha—oh, yes?”

“Are you ready?”

“Yes. I have my notes here for you to go through.”

“That would be great. You up for doing the closing arguments? You’ve done most of the legwork.”

I walked to where he sat and handed him my notes. “Yes, I’m up for it. Is there anything you would change? I think I’ve covered everything. How far do you think we are from closing?”

“I would guess one more day of testimony, another in cross-examination, and then closing. The earliest will be next week.”

“Okay, that gives me a little more time to prepare and fine-tune. Are there any questions we should be prepared for that I haven’t thought of?”

“I think most of it is pretty standard unless the defendant throws us for a loop. He’s last up on the stand. As long as he doesn’t crack under cross-examination we’ll be good.”

“It looks like we have everything under control, so why did you book the conference room?”

I was still standing beside him. He shifted his chair back to pull me into his lap.

“I knew the building would be clear tonight so I could get you alone.”

“Um… Ahh.” I bit my lip. This wasn’t going the way I expected it to. He was taking away my control over the situation. I didn’t know if I liked that or not. I liked to be in charge and I still had to lay out the rules.

“Rebecca Scott, have I rendered you speechless? I’d better mark my calendar.”

I jumped off his lap and backed away. No way, not like this. I had a plan. He couldn’t just take over. I was in charge.

“Not speechless, I’m just thinking. There’s something you should see before we continue. I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

I didn’t give him a chance to answer as I rushed out the door to my office. The contract, where did I leave the damn thing? It was nowhere near finished, but I wanted to have a little control. I searched in the papers on my desk, grabbed it and raced back. I stopped at the door and took a deep breath, getting myself together. I wanted to have the power. Or maybe I needed to have it, along with the rules. They were my safety net.

When I entered the room again I made sure to shut and lock the door. Just in case. You never knew with lawyers. They came and went at all times around the office. He still sat in the same spot. Good, my neuroses hadn’t scared him off—yet. Maybe there was hope for us.

“Where did you go?”

“I left something in my office. Something for us. Here.”

I handed him the contract and sat down in the chair next to him. He looked down at the papers and then back at me. He peered into my eyes for a second and I released a breath at the lust I saw there. When he looked back at the contract and started to read the connection broke, giving me time to get myself under control.

A couple minutes went by and he didn’t say anything. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I started to chew my thumbnail. A bad habit, but I couldn’t seem to break it.

“What is this?” He waved the papers at me.

“What do you mean, what is it? It’s a contract.” Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. What if he didn’t want sex? Wait, now I was being silly. I saw how he looked at me. He wanted me as much as I wanted him. Shit, this could go bad, quickly.

“Why would you write up a contract for sex?” He seemed perplexed.

“Because we work together and technically you’re my boss. We need to establish rules.”

“Maybe, but a contract? Are you serious?”

I started to chew on my nail again. He had a funny look on his face.

“Yes. I-I am. I’m a firm believer in rules.”

“I am too, but does this…” He leaned into me, but he didn’t go for my lips like I expected him to. He went for my neck. I never knew how sensitive that spot was until he licked me. “Call for rules?”

“Oh my god,” I moaned.

He didn’t stop with a lick, he started to nibble and bite. I loved it. Then he stopped.

“Should I continue, Becca?”

How could he even ask me this question?


Tuesday 1 June 2010

Flow or Stall?

When a book almost writes itself, for an author it could be said there’s nothing better. The words flow, the plot falls into place and the word count grows quickly. It’s sad, too, when books like that come to an end. There’s never any guarantee the next book will spill onto the page like the previous. Those books that are pulling-teeth painful to write could be books I shouldn’t even be writing. If I’m finding it tough, why do I continue with that book? Because I hate wasted words. I hate admitting the book isn’t calling to me as I think it should, so I write it anyway. It doesn’t mean I’ll ever submit it for publication, but I’ll finish it all the same. Sometimes I start over, which is what I’ll be doing with a book I’ve left half written. The beginning is an information dump, something I try very hard not to do, but at first I couldn’t work out what was wrong with it. I just didn’t have the urge to write more of it and was too close to it to see the light. Now, since taking a break and looking at it objectively, I saw the information dump and realised that rather than having my words wasted, I just need to rearrange them and write things in between to thin out the feel of giving my readers a list.

Lightbulb moments are great.

The thing is, I’m so into the flowing book that I’m afraid if I switch to the info dump book I’ll lose the urge to finish the one that is shouting to be written. So the flowing book wins until it’s completed, and then I’ll return to the other book and fix the mess I made. Hopefully. If not, I have a cozy home for it in a file on my computer.

So far I have no title for the flowing book. Sometimes I start with the title and work from there, but other times I find a title crops up as I’m writing. One line appears in the book and the title is born. I have yet to have a book where a title totally eludes me, but hey, there’s a first time for everything!

So, off I go back into my world where a kidnap has occurred and a rescue is about to take place. Oh, the joys of putting my mind films on the page. I really do love my job!


(Lightbulb image from www.faqshop.com)