Author: Kelly

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Interview with T.D. Jones


Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome TD Jones to the blog today. We are going to be talking about her new book Coming up for Air.

I’m a West Texas girl and wouldn’t have it any other way. I love to see the blue sky and all the open space. At night you can walk out and see stars for miles. There’s nothing like sitting on a porch and watching the Texas sky on a warm, summer night. 
I’ve always dreamed of becoming a published writer and finally decided two years ago I was either going to make my dream come true or give it up. Luckily Melange-books decided I was worth giving a chance and published Hot Days. My dreams seem to becoming more of a reality since I will have my second story published in July 2011 and more to come out soon.
I love writing about characters who aren’t perfect. They have problems and have to figure out ways to make their life better. Humor is sprinkled throughout my stories. It always surprises me that I’m able to write humor because I don’t really find myself funny. I’m known to worry about things and stress out easy so maybe that’s why I love writing humor, at least my characters are having fun!
Writing feeds my soul and I want to do it forever. I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I love writing them.
Website / Blog / Twitter
                                       
TD: Hi. Thank you for having me. I’m excited to be at Books-n-Kisses. This is my first stop on my book tour.

Q1) Can you tell us a little about yourself?  
TD: I write under the name T.D. Jones and I write Romance/Family Drama/Mystery. All my books have humor in them. I write for Melange-books, XoXo Publishing and New Dawning BookFair Publishing.

Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
TD:  I have always been a ‘closet writer’ and always wanted to be published and finally two years ago I decided I was going to work really hard at making that dream happen. It was kind of ‘Do it or Bust’ kind of thing.  I quit just saying I wanted to be a writer and I became one. I learned you can’t fulfill a dream till you start to believe you are good enough to do it and that’s what I finally did. I started calling myself a writer and I write whenever I can.

Q3) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
TD:   I loved LaVyrle Spencer when I was younger. Now I love to read Janet Evanovich and Debbie MaComber and when I really need some spice I read Jackie Collins. I think all these women influenced me due to they know how to take a simple story and make characters come alive. We’ve all been in love and had heartache but these writers know how to make us really feel the emotions. I love J. Evanovich humor, she keeps me laughing and that is my goal to do for my readers in my books.

Q4) Can you tell us what a typical writing day for you is like. 
TD:  I work full time at a hospital so my day starts about 4am and I will write and answers e-mails and promote until 6:30 am and then go to work at 8am and then back home at 5pm and usually I try to write at least for about an hour if I can find the energy. Weekends are really when I write. I have been known to stay in my home office all day and write. I’m not one of those writers that has to be writing at a set time, just as long as I write.

Q5) Can you tell us a little about you book Coming up for Air?
TD: Coming Up For Air is about Maggie Dawson and Kevin Walker. They were young lovers and going to get married, but Kevin leaves Maggie at the altar. Eighteen years later he is back to sale the family ranch but he’s not alone. Kevin has brought his pregnant fiancée with him. Maggie Dawson is the local doctor and thinks she has moved on when it comes to Kevin but soon finds out she’s wrong and her heart is still beating for him. This book has some fun in it and of course some surprises.  It’s a sweet romance and published by XoXo Publishing.

Q6) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
TD:   Maggie Dawson came to me first and started telling me about Kevin. I know it sounds strange but usually a character will show up and start talking to me. I would never tell anyone this before, but as I got to know more writers it seems to be a normal thing with us so I’m thrilled to say I’m not crazy!

Q7) What is up next for you?
TD:  After Coming Up For Air, I have Salem’s World and Wrangled Hearts to be released. Both books should be released by March and Dangerous Games should be released sometime around there also. I always have at least three stories going, one I’m doing edits, one I’m writing and one I’m just thinking about.  I’m not sure if I would suggest that for anyone who wants to write, but it seems to work for me.

Q8) What is the next book on your To Read Pile that you are dying to jump into?
TD: I want to read Janet Evanovich #18 and I have a lot of friend authors that have some great books out I want to read.

Q9) Is there anything else you would like to add?
TD: You can find all the information about my books on my web and I always have some kind of contest going on so visit www.tdjones.weebly.com or on my blog at www.writingonthego.blogspot.com  I’ve just started doing twitter so come see me there at www.twitter.com/TDJones5

Books-n-Kisses: TD, again thank you so very much for making Books-n-Kisses a stop on your book tour.  I have enjoyed learning more about you and your book.  I look forward to reading and see what you come up with next.
TD:  Thank you so much for having me here at Books-N-Kisses. I love visiting with everyone and hope I get to come back sometime for another visit. Love T.D.
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Spotlight Feature & Giveaway of Bess, Nicholas & A Dog Called Bones by Tessa Armytage

Bess, Nicholas & A Dog Called Bones
by Tessa Armytage
Amazon | B&N 
Bess Saint Clair is about to lose everything and the only man who can save her is Nicholas Blake. It’s just a pity she can’t stand him.
Nicholas is a record industry hotshot with a reputation for being a Big, Bad Wolf. That’s okay by publicist Bess – she’s the sort of Little Red Riding Hood who eats wolves for breakfast. From the moment Nicholas and Bess clap eyes on each other they share a common bond: they want to tear each other’s throats out.
When Nicholas discovers that the man he has hired for the job is a woman, he’d like nothing better than to boot her out of his office. When Bess discovers he is one of those creatures of prehistoric legend – a male chauvinist – she’d like nothing better than to flip him the bird and turn on her heel.
But he needs her talent and she needs his money.
Each is hell bent on teaching the other a lesson. Both are about to learn a lesson they’ll never forget. The battle over who will wear the pants will be fiercest when neither is wearing any.
Funny, tender and deeply sensual, Bess, Nicholas & A Dog Called Bones is set in a picturesque valley vineyard and features a heroic, shameless sausage extortionist of a dog who is almost as human, and every bit as unforgettable, as Nicholas and Bess.
  
Excerpt
The bedroom door slammed shut.  Bess jumped and whirled around.
Nicholas leaned back against the door, his arms crossed and one knee bent, his foot upon the door.
“This rule of yours.”
He had on the shirt she had touched in his wardrobe.  It was open at the neck and he had nothing on beneath it and he was bright-eyed from rest and clean-shaven and fresh from the shower and Good God, he was glorious.
“What rule?” she breathed.
“The one about no making love with a man you’re not in love with.”
He pushed himself away from the door.
Her legs wanted to run.  Bess didn’t know – to him or past him – only that they wanted to run somewhere.
“Oh, that one.”  The words were barely audible; her lungs were bellows.
Nicholas took a step toward her.
“Does it apply to… kissing?”
Her mouth went dry. He advanced another step.
“I… hadn’t thought about it.”
One more step. He towered over her.  Bess looked up into his face. 
“No?”
“Strictly speaking… kissing isn’t lovemaking.”
“It can be.”
“You think s–”
One kiss – one soft, warm, hungry-making kiss – and then he was gone, just beyond her reach, his tilted face hovering above hers, his lips parted.  Somehow she had come to be balanced on her tiptoes.  Bess swayed toward him.
“I know so,” he breathed, and his eyes closed as his lips found hers once, twice, thrice he caressed her mouth with a seeking gentleness that breathed sweet life into her mouth, and she tilted her chin and reached for him as his arms swept around her and gathered her into his embrace.
His lips were tantalising, his kisses so soft, so meltingly, deliciously soft, they made her ache and they made her thirst and she tilted her chin higher and reached for more, and sweetly, tenderly, Nicholas answered her need, his fingertips drawing a feathered trail over her throat.
One more – the softest of kisses, it was a billowing cloud against her lips – and then he withdrew almost imperceptibly; his lips, touched to hers, became still.  Bess opened her eyes.  Amber eyes, flashing and dancing in the firelight watched her.   Her fingers curled into his shirt.
“Please, sir,” she whispered, “May I have some more?”
He covered her mouth with an appetite that shocked her.  
Hungry as she was, her appetite was no match for his.  She gasped into his open, seeking mouth and, overwhelmed, she tried to turn her face away, even as her hands gathered his shirt into her clasping fingers.  He arched her back and deepened his kiss, dipping her back to receive him.    Bess closed her eyes and took her medicine.
He pulled away.  She held onto his shirt for support.
Nestling his cheek against hers, he nuzzled the words into her ear.  “What say you, Miss Saint Clair?  Was that lovemaking or kissing?”
“Kissing–”
Seized by the hips she was borne up and around; Nicholas held her aloft, then, holding her eyes, he slowly slid her against his body until her dangling feet touched the floor.
He unclasped her fingers from his shirt and drew her arms around his neck, pressing her chest to his. Without a word, he studied her upturned face, his eyes alight with swirls of burnished copper.  He covered her mouth, kissing her deeply, then drew away.
Suddenly grasping her hips he parted her legs with his hips and thrust her back against the door.
Bess swallowed the cry that rushed to her lips.  She had asked for more, she’d bitten off more than she could chew, and…
Damned before she’d admit to it.
She held Nicholas’s eyes, her chest heaving against his.
A half-smile toyed devilishly with his lips.
His tilted head came down slowly, inch by inch by tormenting inch. His lips a whisper away from hers, he stopped.
“How about that, Miss Saint Clair?” he murmured, “Was that kissing or lovemaking?”
“Strictly speaking–”
Swiftly he descended and how eagerly she rose to his mouth, but at the last moment his lips glanced off the side of her face and lit on her neck. He set to work with breathtaking purpose, his pulsing lips warmly provocative, a living electrical current on her throat.  Her legs were having trouble holding her up.
His hands were under her cashmere sweater; his fingers were cool and long, their delicate stroking utterly sumptuous.  Her head fell forward, she was drowning in sensation: his body was hard, his touch was soft, his lips were electrifying and she could stand no more; Bess took a ravenous taste of that damnable jaw before she placed her lips to his ear and whispered her plea to be kissed.
He smiled against her neck.
Understanding flashed with blinding clarity – once before, she had deflected his kiss.  He was punishing her.
She turned her head to make it easier for him.
Caressing her shoulders he pulled her away from the wall and bent her backwards; further parting her thighs to accommodate him, he pushed himself between them.
He took to her throat like a honeyeater awash in a wealth of nectar.
Bess gasped silently and shuddered beneath him.  Nicholas paused, his lips on her throat, his breathing ragged against her skin.  He seemed to be having trouble speaking.  “Kissing…” he drew a breath, “…or lovemaking, Be–”
“Just… kissing.”
His head flew up.  His eyes were lightning.  “Just–”
Bess shrieked as Nicholas hefted her from her feet and swung her against him, her legs astride his waist.
His forearms brandishing steel against her back, Nicholas carried her to the bed.
The eiderdown rustled loudly as he threw it back.  The bed rocked wildly as she was tossed onto it.
Nicholas knelt above her.
Author Bio:
When Tessa Armytage isn’t writing, she likes to take long solitary walks near her country home, thinking about cooking, writing and whatever else tickles her fancy.  Bess, Nicholas & A Dog Called Bones is her second book.
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Guest Blog with Lila Murno


Lila’s Top Ten…Sexy Foods….
Thanks, for having me over today! I thought I’d share a bit about me today rather than bore everyone with one of my lessons in writing. J Sexy foods anyone?
My idea of a sexy thing doesn’t necessarily embody what most would consider sexy…you know dark and lush and completely sinful. My list does involve a few standards, but I think you’ll be surprised what else I find decadent…tasty…sexy.
Before I get started, I’ll tell you a bit about how I came up with my list. Several months ago I was asked what I thought was the sexiest room in the house other than the bedroom. Without a second’s pause I immediately replied, “The kitchen.” Why you might ask? Because to me it’s the heart of the home where nurturing takes place…and that’s sexy. It’s also sensual, and if I might say it lends to a completely submissive frame of mind in and of that is where you can care for someone, give yourself up to them in a pleasing way, in a non-sexual way. I love to cook and when I know I’ve pleased my husband by feeding him something that satisfied him on not just a purely nutritional level…that makes me a very happy woman…
So here goes…Lila’s top ten sexy foods…
Number ten: Fondue. Yes you read that correctly. What’s more fun than gooey cheese or drippy chocolate that you can feed each other?
Number nine: Cheesecake. Need I say more? I mean come on…it’s lush and decadent and feels so good on the tongue…yum!
Number eight: Oysters. I live on the east coast…yes, it is true what they say. I’ve never been disappointed yet after one or a dozen.
Number seven: Strawberries. What’s not to love? Sweet, juicy goodness on a stem that can be rubbed across…
Number six: Chocolate. Yes, a standard, but this stuff is just pure sin in any form. Would you not agree?
Number five: French fries. J I can hear you all right now…What? Okay, this one comes from a friend who tells me one of the most romantic moments with her husband involved French fries…I believe her. J
Number four: Pasta, specifically spaghetti and meatballs. Why? Because of Lady and the Tramp, that’s why…and that’s my husband’s and my movie…I know a hopeless romantic.
Number three: Comfort food. See I told you I was outside the box. What says love more than a plate of fried chicken, mashed and gravy, and a big fluffy biscuit? I think it’s a sexy way to feed my man after a hard day’s work and it keeps up his strength for other things…
Number two: Pizza. When I first met my husband I was working horrendous hours and he was an instructor. Dinner time was not a joy and sometimes didn’t exist. It was the sexiest thing for him to bring home a pizza and feed me…see this erotic nourishing runs both ways. J
And, the number one sexy food for me: Wedding cake. There is nothing sexier than sharing that first piece as man and wife…sometimes I buy a cute little cake just because I can and have it with my husband along with a glass of bubbly—also sexy by the way…

Lila Munro currently resides on the coast of North Carolina with her husband and their two four-legged kids. She’s a military wife with an empty nest and takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around for the past fifteen years. Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. Her genre of choice is contemporary romance that spans everything from the sensual to BDSM and ménage. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum and aquarium, taking field research trips, and soaking up the sun on the nearby beaches. Her works include The Executive Officer’s Wife, Bound By Trust, Destiny’s Fire, Salvation, Three for Keeps, the Force Recon series, the Slower Lower series, and the Identity series. She’s a member in good standing of RWA and Passionate Ink. Currently she’s working on sequels to several series to be released throughout 2012. And has a brand new line scheduled for winter 2012-13. Ms. Munro also works as the VP of Business Affairs for Rebel Ink Press. She loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted via her website http://realmanticmoments.blogspot.com  or through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lila_Munro You can also contact her via email at lilasromance@gmail.com For more information about Rebel Ink Press please visit their website at www.rebelinkpress.com

Assumed Identity

Innocent childhood games of dress-up and pretend…

Julie Stevens is as straight as they come. Or so she tries to convince herself. But it isn’t easy believing that little white lie when she has the two most sexually eccentric best friends on the planet. One is a bi-sexual Domme who believes if it looks fun, try it. The other is a gay man in the role of slave to his very sexy Master whom Julie often wishes wasn’t gay. Dante’s commanding presence makes her want to do things that set her on fire with need and embarrassment. Given her boring vanilla life, how exactly does she fit into their world? Would they like to have a shinier third wheel?

Are a completely different animal for grownups…

After one wild evening and a bit too much liquid encouragement, Julie discovers a side of herself she’s always tried to ignore. The realization she’s a sub not only scares her, it excites her and she yearns for more. But the process of finding the right man to teach her becomes a real issue, until Mason comes along. He’s everything Julie imagines a Dom should be. Armed with her masque and Renaissance costume, Julie is thrown for a loop when the handsome Master draws more willingness out of her than she ever thought possible. Is it possible she’s more than a submissive? And will the assumptions he’s made about her identity end up tearing them apart?


“Are you wet, angel?” Mason asked, running one hand down the middle of her back. Her intake of breath told him she was and that she didn’t want to admit it. “Answer me. Now.”
“Yes,” she whispered over a whimper.
Covering her body with his, Mason leaned over her and gently took her by her hair. “Tell me what you need, angel.”
Silence. Sniffling. Muffled moans.
“Julie. Tell. Me. What. You. Need.”
“Sex.” Her voice was barely audible.
“No. That’s what you think I want. I know what I want. You’re to free your mind of thoughts concerning what you think I want.” Mason pushed back up and began moving one hand over her back in a soothing pattern. “Tell me what you need.”
“I need…I…Don’t make me…”
“Say it.”
“I need to come,” she whined.
“Good girl,” he praised. “Now tell me what you want.”
“I don’t understand…”
“Yes, you do. Tell me,” he growled.
“I want you to make me come,” she gushed, arching her back into his constant touch.
“I’m going to do just that, angel,” he spoke harshly, leaning back over her and taking a handful of hair, raising her head enough he could nip her earlobe. “Tell me you understand.”
“I understand.”
“When’s the last time you had an orgasm?” She started to answer and he cut her off. “With a man?”
“I can’t remember.”
“Shame on them,” Mason told her.
He stood and while keeping one hand on her lower back letting her know he was still present, he unbuttoned his jeans then unzipped them slowly, adding to her agony by being forced to listen to the click of each tine popping open. Scooting his pants down his legs along with his boxers, he stepped out of them and when his hand left her so he could sheath himself, Julie grunted in frustration.
“Get on your back on the bed,” he said as he finished rolling the condom down. She needed the visual contact even if she couldn’t see anything but shadows and reflections.
She hesitated, looked behind her as if trying to determine if he was baiting her or not, then turned and backed across the mattress before lying down with her legs spread and her arms at her sides, her eyes tightly squeezed shut. So clinical, as if she expected to be used as a vessel. Who the hell had she been with before and what the hell had they done to her to make her think sex was about lying like a dead fish while the man got what he wanted? Then he remembered what she’d been like at the party, after he’d caught her in the chase.
She was carefree and happy, not at all a dead fish beneath him. As he’d lain on her in the garden, she was vital and eager. Mason believed she’d have done anything he asked of her she was so pliable…She’d been Hayden. Not Julie. She’d not just been dressed for the party. She was literally hiding behind her masque.
A bit of anger and sorrow wound around Mason’s state of arousal and squeezed him as he realized she had to assume an identity to feel. Then he was almost ashamed at the bit of happiness that crept in at the realization that she was not only fresh and new to his world but actually, she was like putty in his hands. She was ready to be molded into the person she was perfectly capable of being. He could be the one to show Julie how good it really could be, not just physically, but emotionally as well. For tonight though, she needed a safe haven, a place where she could turn her fears into dancing.
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=lila+munro&searchBy=author&qString=lila+munro
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Guest blog & Giveaway with Jessica Subject

The First Kiss
The first kiss in any relationship can be such a magical experience, or absolutely dreadful, but either way, always memorable. It can turn friends into lovers, crushes into relationships, or make you want to run and hide. I remember them all.
In fiction, the first kiss changes everything as well. It is usually a major plot point in any romance story, and determines what the characters do next.
Here is the first kiss in Unknown Futures:
Jewel pressed against her, her head resting on her shoulder, swaying to the decelerated beat. “I don’t want this night to end.”
Their dancing became deliberate, a sensuous and intimate rhythm. “It doesn’t have to.”
Jewel stopped and looked up at her. “You…you’re interested?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? You’re the most beautiful creature in the space station.” Somehow, she had to make her see. She brushed her thumb across her lips, wanting to touch more, her entire luscious body. Taking a deep breath, V steadied herself. If this were to go any further, Jewel needed to show her own intentions. As warm moisture pooled between her thighs, V schooled herself to patience.
“Are you sure you’re not my date?”
Shit! That damn date, the only wedge between them. “No, but I wish I was.”
“I wish you were, too.” Jewel stood on the tips of her toes and claimed her mouth. V pulled her closer until the bit of space between them had been filled. Excited by the warm, curvaceous body pressed against her taut nipples, she fed from the sweetness of Jewel’s mouth, drawing out each delicious sweep. But she wanted more. She wanted all of her.
Now, in one word, describe your first kiss.

Unknown Futures 
Attacked as a young adult, Jewel is left scarred and alone. She applies to the 1Night Stand service, believing no one can see past her appearance to love her. But she doesn’t expect to be sent to a space station where her date could be any number of unusual alien species.
Flavia left everything behind to be one of five humans working for the Space Service space station. Extremely homesick, she is excited to learn she will be a guide to a woman from Earth visiting the station for a couple days. She is immediately drawn to the petite woman, seeing past her scars to her true inner beauty, stirring unforeseen desires.
Unfortunately, Jewel is there for a date which Flavia hasn’t been told about. Can she contain her lust and simply show her a good time? Or will she let her desire lead them into an unknown future?
Book trailer: http://youtu.be/HOBmZ9vKwYE
Available from Decadent Publishing and other ebook retailers.
Buy Links here: http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?page_id=7671


Bio:
Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.
Website/Blog: http://www.markofthestars.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jsubject

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-E-Subject-author/205759796126370

Giveaway!!
As part of the Unknown Futures blog tour with Sizzling PR, Jessica is giving away a $20 gift certificate to either Amazon.com or AllRomanceEbooks.com. Simply leave a comment with your email address for your chance to WIN! Be sure to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?page_id=8896
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Help Wanted!!!!! Apply within.

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Interview & Giveaway with Margaret Ethridge

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have Margaret Ethridge back on the blog today.  We are going to be talking about her new book Commitment. 
Hi Margaret, welcome back to Books-n-Kisses
Margaret: Thanks so much for having me back! I love Books-n-Kisses. Your readers are awesome.

Q1) Margaret, for those who may have missed you last time you were on the blog can you share a little about yourself?

Margaret: I went back in my files to see what I said last time so I didn’t repeat myself and I found that it all still holds true. I thought I’d do a little copy and paste with updated commentary. You ready for this?
Each day I roll out of bed with my make-up already applied and every hair in place (Still true. That is, if bed wrinkles count as make-up and Mrs. Toucanella from Horton Hears a Who styled my hair.), hop in my sports car (I did buy a little red coupe since we last spoke, but it’s a 4-cylinder Kia. Cute as all get-out.), and zip through a traffic-free commute to my office (They are expanding our building, so these days I follow the dump-trucks of dirt.). There, I count bottles of booze. (Still counting.) Literally. My mother is proud. I have her dream job. (She still likes her vodka. A lot.)
When I return to my spotless abode each evening (cracking up), my loving husband greets me at the door wearing nothing but black mesh boxer briefs and a smile, asks about my day (This may or may not be true. I’ll never tell.), and leads me to a candlelit table laden with Steakburgers from Steak ‘n Shake, heaps of McDonald’s fries, bowls of candy corn and Smarties, platters of Krispie Kreme crullers, and a convoy of Route 44 Diet Cokes from the Sonic. (Sigh. Is there anything hotter than a food fantasy?) I consume them all without ever gaining an ounce or getting a zit whilst Colin Firth climbs out of the pond in our back yard wearing a wet white shirt… (I’m imagining Mr. Darcy climbing out of the goldfish pond by my patio. Still imagining…)
Yeah. So…I still write fiction-as you can tell. It’s fiction about ordinary people finding extraordinary romance where and when they least expect it. And that’s the truth.
Q2) When did you decide you wanted to be an author?
Margaret: I was one of those people who said, ‘Someday, I’d like to write a book.’ I’ve been an avid reader since I was young, but I didn’t start writing until about five or six years ago. Now, I can’t stop.
Q3) What is your typical writing day like?  What are the things you have to have while writing?
 Margaret: Well, my typical writing day doesn’t begin until 7 or 8PM, which means I have about 2-3 hours to attend to all of my authorly duties including writing, editing, and promotion before I have to hit the sack. Unfortunately, I cannot function on less than 6 hours of sleep, and they don’t appreciate me sleeping at my desk at work. Weekends are prime time for me.
I’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to my writing routine. I grew up in a large, noisy family, so I do need some form of background noise in order to concentrate. Oh, and my feet must be warm. Fuzzy socks are a must. Cheese Its don’t hurt, either.
Q4) Who do you feel has influenced your writing style?
 Margaret: Wow. So many people. I started reading Nora Roberts when I was in my early teens. I picked up a copy of Irish Thoroughbred, and I was hooked. I love the humor in Janet Evanovich’s books. She always makes me laugh out loud. Sarah Addison Allen’s writing is so breathtakingly descriptive it make my heart go pitter-patter. I love her books and I dream of being able to create stories as utterly charming as hers.
Q5) Can you tell us about your book Commitment 
 Margaret: I love this book! Is it bad to admit that? I can’t help it. I love this couple. They’re so funny and sexy. There were times when I thought they would spontaneously combust on the page. And they’re real. I would totally hang out with them. That makes it even more fun as far as I’m concerned.
Here’s the blurb:

Tom Sullivan wants a woman who is willing to accept him as he is. The successful divorce attorney has seen enough of the flip-side of love to know better than to promise forever. Women have tried to pin him down, but none have managed to make it stick.
Until Maggie McCann.
Maggie is only interested in one thing. Her fortieth birthday is looming and the tick-tock-tick-tock in her head means her biological clock is about to strike midnight on her dreams of finding Prince Charming. Armed with a new plan for her happily ever, she foregoes the Fairy Godmother routine and makes an appointment with a fertility clinic for a rendezvous with a sperm donor.
The last thing Maggie needs is to get mixed up with a player like Tom Sullivan.
A chance encounter and the opportunity to scratch a decade-long itch prove irresistible, and what starts as a one night stand turns into a game of cat and mouse when Tom learns of Maggie’s plan to start a family on her own.
To Maggie, messing with a guy like Tom Sullivan is the single-girl equivalent of playing with fire, but she convinces herself to take what she can get for as long as she can and expect nothing more. But Tom falls hard and fast for Maggie, and now that they’re planning to have a baby together he starts banking on his own happily ever after.

If only he can get her to commit…
 Q6) How did you come with the idea for this story.
 Margaret: We first met Maggie in Tom in my June 2011 release, Contentment. Maggie is Tracy Sullivan’s friend and Jiminy Cricket, and Tom is Sean Sullivan’s snarky and elusive older brother. In Contentment, everyone is stunned when they learn that Tracy’s good-girl friend has hooked up with Sean’s bad-boy brother. And that’s when the fun begins…
Maggie and Tom’s story is much more light-hearted than Tracy and Sean’s story. In Contentment Tracy and Sean were stumbling about trying to navigate the perilous middle of their relationship, and not having much success. Maggie and Tom are just embarking on this backwards kind of relationship. It was great fun to turn their expectations inside-out and upside-down.
Q7) Can you tell us about your current work in progress
Margaret: Well, at the moment my naughty alter ego is monopolizing the writing time (Her name is Maggie Wells. Shh. Don’t tell my mother…), but I do have two more novels coming in 2012. The next is the tale of an unexpected love affair between a small-town widower and the big-city divorcee. Spring Chickens will be released by The Wild Rose Press in April 2012. Coming in June 2012, Turquoise Morning Press will release Inamorata, the sequel to my ghostly paranormal romance, Paramour.
Q8) Can you tell us what you would be doing if you were not an author?
 Margaret: I would probably be reading quite a few more books. I don’t get to read nearly as much as I did once upon a time.
Q9) Because I am nosey.  What is up next in your to read pile?
 Margaret: Just started The Fall of Rain by the fabulous Renee Vincent. It’s the third in her Emerald Isle Trilogy, a contemporary romance to wrap up a historical series. I’m loving it so far.
Q10) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Margaret: I just want to thank your readers for their enthusiastic response. I’ve made quite a few new friends through Books-n-Kisses, which is always a treat. Please feel free to contact me – I love hearing from readers!
Books-n-Kisses, Margaret: it always pleasure to have you on the blog. I look forward to having you back again.  What do you say we give a copy of Commitment away to one lucky follower?
Margaret: I say let’s do it! Thanks again for having me here. The pleasure is all mine. Happy reading, everyone!
Want to learn more about Margaret?  You can find her here:
Website –  Facebook –  Twitter –  Goodreads
Giveaway Time
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Siren’s Desire by Devyn Quinn

Siren’s Desire
(Dark Tides #3)
by Devyn Quinn 
Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook
After defeating the covert agency that threatened to destroy her and her sisters, Addison Lonike grudgingly resumes her life as an EMT in Maine. She would love nothing more than to take on the dangerous Mer queen, Magaera, who is hell-bent on destroying them. But with two baby nieces on the way, she can’t take the risk. That is, until Mason McKenzie arrives…

Captain of the naval task force on the hunt for Queen Magaera in the Mediterranean, Mason sees the perfect recruit in Addison. But while at sea, the pair is pulled under a wave of passion that threatens their independent natures—and their mission. An encounter with a new race of male sea-shifters further complicates Addison’s desires. Now, she must choose between a life of the sea, or fulfilling the deepest longings of her heart…



Excerpt: 

This one is trouble with a capital T, some inner voice of preservation warned. Keeping her at arm‘s length was going to be hard, but he‘d just have to bite the bullet and keep everything that occurred between them on a professional level.
Mason immediately forced himself to crush the attraction he felt toward Addison Lonike. She definitely had charisma, that special something that most would define as flesh impact. In the back of his mind he briefly wondered what it would be like to hook up with a mermaid…
He cut the thought short with practiced precision. Why the hell was he even thinking that way? He hadn‘t come here to propose to the woman, for God‘s sake. He‘d come to talk her into joining a vital mission that might well determine the way Mer and humans regarded each other in the future.
Mason coughed discreetly into his hand. “With all due respect, ma‘am, I have to let you know I‘m not interested in your, ah, finer attributes.”
The playful spark immediately left her eyes. Uncrossing her legs, she sat up straight. The air around her chilled more than a little. “Okay, cut the bullshit, shall we? What does the government want with us now? Except for that little slip-up today, I haven‘t done anything wrong. And thanks to the wonders of medical science, the victims who saw me today won‘t even remember it once the docs get finished playing mad scientist.”
In lieu of an immediate answer, Mason indicated the chair across from her. “May I?”
She nodded. ”Knock yourself out.”
Mason sat, placing the briefcase he carried within easy reach. “In order not to waste any more of your time, ma‘am, I will let you know that acting on orders from the Secretary of the Navy, I have been sent to inquire about your availability to serve your country.”
Addison Lonike‘s eyes widened.  “Are you asking me to join the Navy?”
Mason nodded. He opened his suitcase, pulling out the folder he‘d been given. “The Secretary is offering you a civilian‘s position as an MTA, which would be Mer Tactical Advisor.” He handed over the folder. “The details are inside, along with the financial compensation and what your first assignment would entail.”
Addison eagerly accepted the folder. Flipping it open, she quickly scanned the few pages she‘d been given. Her face darkened as she read. “Gee, you guys don‘t pay very much,” she commented. “I make more as an EMT.”
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Guest blog & Giveaway with Laura Kaye

Huge thanks to Books-n-Kisses for hosting me here today! I’m celebrating the release of my new dark paranormal romance, In the Service of the King, the first in my Vampire Warrior Kings series. I thought I’d play on the awesomely cute name of this blog and assert that there’s nothing better than vampires-n-kisses, too! *winks* And, to prove my case, I’m offering a few vamptastic excerpts to seal the deal.
First, there’s nothing like a first kiss, is there? Here’s Kael’s and Shayla’s:
            Shayla’s mind erupted into a cacophony of joyous confusion. She’d been specifically told there would be no kissing. The king did not kiss. But, holy hell! Did the king ever kiss.
            His large frame bent down over her, surrounding her in his heat. His full lips sucked and pulled at hers and his tongue demanded entrance and exploration, which she freely granted. His hard muscles bunched and thrummed around her, setting her body on fire everywhere they touched. The scent of powerful masculinity filled her nose, and the exquisite flavor of his tongue in her mouth intoxicated her. And, oh God, every time she felt the passing hardness of his fangs as they kissed made her whimper and moan. Her body readied itself immediately for his, moistening, opening.
            Having shielded herself from physical relationships, she was astounded to learn her body had the ability to produce this crazy, urgent euphoria. Her brain scrambled to process each new, maddening sensation. In that moment, she would’ve done anything to maintain the feeling. Was it always like this?
            Kael growled low in his chest as his mouth came at her again and again, and Shayla felt the vibration of the feral sound against her breasts. She squeezed her thighs together, seeking friction to satisfy even a little of her now uncontrollable lust. Her mouth was so filled with his probing tongue it was difficult to get enough oxygen, but his kisses convinced her she could live without it as long as he continued to devour her so intensely.
            Never had she imagined the expression of physical love could make her feel so wanted, so needed.
            His obvious pleasure throbbed against her stomach and flooded her with unbelievable feelings of power, and just a little fear. Because they were off the grid now, outside the bounds of the rules and expectations she’d been taught during her training. And she was thrilled it might mean he was as affected by her as she was by him. Wherever the king was leading them, she was only too happy to follow. In truth, she felt powerless to do otherwise.
While desperate kisses like the one above are amazing, there’s something to be said for soft, sensual ones, too. Like…this one, for example:
            This wasn’t the wild kiss he’d claimed her with earlier. His lips found hers gently, reverently, as if he was savoring small tastes of a rare gourmet meal. One large hand grasped her shoulder and the other cupped her cheek—both brought her closer to him. He pulled and sucked at her lips, his hair falling around their faces as he rose up over her. She opened herself before he even demanded it of her—her body remembered his exquisite taste and begged for its return.
            Their tongues stroked and explored, but she needed more. She pushed forward just enough to suck his whole tongue deep into her mouth.
            Sweet fulfillment exploded against her taste buds, dragging whimpers and moans from her. He groaned and her hands flew to his hair. Her left hand found masses of thick silky bronze she gripped and tugged as she held him to her, but her right hand fell on his jeweled braid. Knowing the significance of it, she yanked her hand back, afraid she’d offended him.
            But then his big hand grasped hers where it rested against his chest and pulled it back up
to his head. “Hold me,” he whispered against her lips. “Touch me.”
And, just to make sure my case for the awesomeness of vampires-n-kisses is full-proof, I offer you more kisses, just, this time, not on the mouth:
            Shayla licked her lips as she gazed at the red-painted knot over Kael’s heart. She wanted to…to…
            She sprang at him and opened her mouth over the red. The moment her tongue touched his skin, she groaned, a nearly strangled sound from deep in her throat. This was the urge she’d been feeling all day. She licked and sucked at the spot over his heart until only his clean tattoo remained. She drew back, whimpering. Not enough. It wasn’t enough.
            “Here,” he rasped. He pointed to another symbol painted on the bulge of his bicep.
            Needy sounds spilled from her as she pulled his arm to her mouth. She feasted on the mark, but it, too, was gone too soon.
            He held his hair away from the left side of his throat. “Again.”
            She moaned and climbed up him. His other arm strapped her against him, held her in place while she sucked and licked the red away. Kael grunted and shook under her frenzied attention and it drove her on.
            It was blood. His blood. It sang to her, beckoned her. She needed more. So much more.
So, did I successful make my case? *winks* The awesome thing is: we don’t have to choose between books-n-kisses or vampires-n-kisses, do we? Because In the Service of the King proves one can have books-n-vampires-kisses altogether!
Thanks for reading!
Laura Kaye
GIVEAWAY!
To celebrate her new release, Laura is giving away one e-copy of In the Service of the King at each stop on her New Release Tour, 1/30 – 2/15! In addition, all commenters from across the tour will be entered to win a prize bag filled with swag and various vampire items, perfect for the vampire lover! RULES: Must leave e-mail address & if from U.S. in comment. Ebook prizes open to international; prize bag to U.S. only.
About In the Service of the Kings
Book 1 in the Vampire Warrior Kings Series
Harlequin Nocturne Cravings
Kael, Warrior King of the Vampires, loathes the Night of the Proffering. He needs the blood of either his mate or a human virgin to maintain his strength, but hasn’t enjoyed the ritual since he lost his mate centuries ago. Kael doesn’t want a new companion, yet his resolve is tested when he lays eyes on his new offering, Shayla McKinnon. He is drawn to Shayla’s beauty and poise…and the submission she offers. She is eager to give him anything he wishes, including her innocence, to please him. Will Kael give in to their overwhelming desire–even if it means risking Shayla’s life?
About Laura Kaye
Voted Breakout Author of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is the bestselling and award-winning author of a half-dozen books. Hearts in Darkness is a finalist for the EPIC eBook Award for Best Novella, Forever Freed won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011, and North of Need, the first book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, was named GraveTells’ Best Book of 2011 and won their 5-STAR Gold Heart Award, and won Sizzling Hot Read of the Year at Sizzling Hot Books. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
GIVEAWAY TIME:
To enter for a chance to win Laura’s newest book.  Please use the Rafflecopter form below. 



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my review of Tempted by Blood by Laurie London.

Tempted by Blood
Book 3 in the Sweetblood Series
Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two Vampire coalitions:

Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors….

He might be known for his effortless charm, but Guardian Jackson Foss is hiding a terrible secret. For months, he has battled the emergence of his dark nature—deadly urges that threaten to consume him. And those cravings only intensify when he meets Arianna Wells, the human he’s been assigned to protect. Smart and perceptive, Arianna doesn’t seem like a dangerous temptress. Yet she awakens in Jackson an unstoppable need that, if left unchecked, will brand him a traitor…a crime punishable by death.

But soon their bond may be Arianna’s only hope. For stalking her in the shadows is a merciless enemy—one who will stop at nothing to claim her completely….

My Thoughts:
Jackson is the playboy, extreme bad boy of the group but he has been keeping secrets from this team mates.  Secrets that once exposed could get him killed.  But in order to save the ones he loves he will put everything on the line.
Arianna has always known that there are monsters hiding in the shadows, because she watched those shadows kill her mother.  When Arianna learns the truth of these monsters she will have to learn to trust the one thing that she has feared all her life.
OH, How I loved Jackson’s story.  I just love when the bad boy gets taken down a notch or two by the woman that they are going to fall in love with.  It is so much fun to watch them fall, and boy do they fall hard.   Jackson & Arianna are great together.  And Jackson is a man with many talents and a few surprises I never saw coming.
This was another wonderful book from the uber talented Laurie London.  If you enjoyed the first two books in the Sweetbloods series, Tempted by Blood will not let you down.  
I am looking forward to book 4 now, scheduled for release summer 2012
HUGE thank you to Laurie for allowing me to read and review Jackson’s book, I have only been begging for Jackson’s book since I finished Alfonso’s book.  
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Review of Heart Ache by Morgan Kearns

Book 1 in the Bound by Touch series
One Touch
 Gabrielle Ryan felt an electric attraction to her new employer the first time he reached out and shook her hand. She dreams of him, fantasizes about him, but all Nikolai wants is an assistant—and to Gabby’s chagrin, it’s not to assist him with taking off his pants!
One Beat
 An ache has inhabited Nikolai Voinea’s chest for the last four hundred years. Yet stubbornly resolute not to repeat his father’s mistakes, Nikolai refuses to take the one female who is his heart’s greatest desire.
Captures His Heart Forever
 When murder charges make Gabby second guess everything she knows about him, she’s hurt and angry and determined to walk away. But Nikolai’s just as determined to do everything within his power to keep her.
My Thoughts:
Nikolai will do anything for the woman he loves.  Even give her away to marry someone else.  But if given the chance to love her he will never let her go.

Gabrielle has had a huge crush on her boss for the last three years.  But now she is engaged to someone else.  But if Nikolai would just say the words would she change her mind or is it too late?

Nikolai is stubborn to a fault.  I wanted to slap him upside the head at times.  But finally, FINALLY he does something.  But it may be too late.

Heart Ache is book one in Morgan’s Bound by Touch series and WOW!!  This was a really good book.  There is so much emotional turmoil happening both good and bad.  And let me tell you the bad is really, really BAD!!!!!  But just like any good romance novel there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

I can’t wait to see what Morgan has in store for us next in this series.   

Thank you to Morgan for allowing me to read and review your story. 
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Shiloh Walker’s Ash Trilogy

If You Hear Her
By Shiloh Walker
Book 1 in the Ash Trilogy
Amazon | BN | BAMM | Indiebound | Book Depository
A CRY IN THE WOODS
The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration.
Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can’t escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close?
When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman’s screams, his instincts tell him that Lena’s life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her.
Read an Excerpt Here
If You See Her
By Shiloh Walker
Book 2 in the Ash Trilogy
Amazon | B & N | Booksamillion | Indiebound | Book Depository
A FACE IN THE MIRROR
Hope Carson may not look like a survivor, but she has escaped an abusive ex-husband and recovered from a vicious assault. Now she endures the painful memories and suspicious rumors surrounding her involvement in the attack. Her ex is a cop, so the last people she trusts are law enforcement officials—and she certainly doesn’t trust how the local DA makes her feel inside.
Remy Jennings should know better. He has no business falling for a woman who he suspects may have a deeply troubled mind. And even if he did make a move, she’d bolt like a frightened rabbit. But how can he deny a burning desire that threatens to consume him? As Hope’s past catches up with her in the worst way, Remy is determined to break through her defenses, earn her trust, and keep her safe in his arms—before it’s too late.
He wanted to touch her…he wanted it so bad, he hurt with it, ached with it, would have gone to his knees and begged it he thought it would have done any good.
Read an Excerpt Here

If You Know Her
By Shiloh Walker
Book 3 in the Ash Trilogy
Feb 28, 2012
PreOrder:
Amazon| B&N | Booksamillion | Indiebound | Book Depository
A SHADOW IN THE WINDOW
Nia Hollister doesn’t scare easily. Come hell or high water, she intends to find her cousin’s killer. She returns to Ash, Kentucky, for answers. What she doesn’t expect is to ache with desire every time she sees Law Reilly. If any man can help her escape the nightmares for a while, it’s him. But can she allow herself to take comfort in those strong arms when a murderer still roams free?
Unknown to Nia, as she quietly slips into Law Reilly’s home, is that she’s being watched—by someone who is waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Timing is everything, though he can’t wait forever. If she’s not frightened, she soon will be. Nia has made a vow to find her cousin’s killer. She should be careful what she wishes for.
Read an Excerpt Here
Learn more about Shiloh Walker here: http://www.shilohwalker.com
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Spotlight Features of Jennifer Probst


Release: February 17, 2012 from Decadent Publishing
Rick Steele has avoided women since he caught his fiancée cheating, but when he’s talked into spending a one night stand through Madame Eve, he’s not prepared for his emotional and physical reaction to his date. For the first time, he wants more than one night..but he needs to catch her first…
Tara Denton escaped a brutal past and needs one night with a stranger to break down her sexual and emotional limitations. On the brink of recovering her strength and independence, she wants nothing to do with a relationship. But Rick Steele does more than rock her body…he rocks her heart. Tara has to make a choice, and she’s not ready to get caught…
Release: February 1, 2012 from Red Sage Publishing
An unbreakable contract. A stunning lie. And lots of mind blowing, take-no prisoners sex…
Julianna needs to marry a man with money to save her family estate.
Jack needs to marry a woman who will love him for himself, and not for his wealth and title.
 When Jack disguises himself a gardener, and promises to show Julianna the dark world of pleasure she never experienced, he’s convinced his heart is safe. But when his cousin comes to town, disguised as the perfect husband for Julianna and intent on stealing Jack’s legacy, he ignites a chain reaction that will change them forever. Can love and truth triumph?
The Marriage Bargain Releasing March 1, 2012 from Entangled Publishing
Alexandria Maria McKenzie casts a love spell for a man to help save her childhood home, but she never planned on her best friend’s older brother.  He offers her a bargain: marry him for one year and he will meet her price.  A marriage in name only with certain rules: no emotion, no attachments, no sex.  The terms should be easy to follow since he is the man who broke her heart years ago.  Or are they?
Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage or family, but he needs a wife in order to inherit DreamScape Enterprises.  He looks for a suitable candidate, but never planned on his sister’s childhood friend.  She is everything he usually avoids in a woman: too impulsive, too emotional, too demanding.  Of course, he intends to avoid any real entanglements and stick strictly to business.  Or can he?
The stakes are high, but neither bargained for love…

Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.
She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons, one 4 and one 6, keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.
Her first contemporary romance, Heart of Steel, was re-launched in e-book form. Her publications with Red Sage include “Masquerade” Secrets Volume 11,  The Tantric Principle, and her February 1st release, Sex, Lies and Contracts. She has also written a children’s book, Buffy and the Carrot, co-written with her twelve year old niece, along with a short story, “A Life Worth Living.” Her newest series include Catch Me, the first in The Steele Brothers series with Decadent, and The Marriage Bargain, her new Marriage to a Billionaire series with Entangled. All of her books are available at her website or Amazon.
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