Guest blog by Ambrielle Kirk

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to let Ambrielle Kirk take over the blog today

7 Date Night Ideas to Keep the Romance Alive by Ambrielle Kirk

Need some ideas for a fun date night with your significant other. Try something else besides dinner and a movie, here are some suggestions:
1.       A carpet picnic! Lay a blanket on the floor and have a picnic, complete with chocolate covered strawberries. No need to venture outside, especially if the weather isn’t picnic-worthy.
2.       Create a mixed CD of both your favorite tunes. On your next long trip together, you won’t have to argue about which radio station to listen to.
3.       On a stormy night, play a game of Twister.
4.       Role playing. Put on a sexy costume, and act out your favorite scenario.
5.       Take a dancing class together. Learn the tango or samba.
6.       Strap on some skates or grab a skateboard and head out to your local park.
7.       Jacuzzi time! Take times pampering each other while in the bath together, complete with wine and romantic tunes.
When you’re not spending time with your honey, why not enjoy a romantic read.

Hard Drive
Content with his computer business, Carlos is happy with his choices in life…until a confident Nubian beauty walks into his store. Too bashful and insecure to unleash the romantic man inside, he is instantly attracted to Dana as she unknowingly changes his preconceived notions about gorgeous women who need every male at their beck and call.

But the truth comes out: Dana may have another agenda, and Carlos is ready to hide behind his glasses and computers. But will he combat his trust before this beauty walks out on him…for good?






Liaison: Soul Bond Book One
Hailed as Queen to her coven through the Ring of Power, Leona Moreau is the youngest witch leader to date. Lost in the Otherworld during her mother’s reign, the Book of Power became Leona’s job to retain.

Stuck in the Otherworld, Carrick struggles with an identity crisis and believes the Book of Power is the only bartering tool he can use to retrieve his soul from his evil, demonic father…until Leona summons him to Earth.

Attraction strikes between witch and demon, but will Leona give up her fate as Queen to save Carrick’s soul?

Buy Link: http://www.breathlesspress.org/Book/313

Guest blog & giveaway with Lila DiPasqua

Should you read A MIDNIGHT DANCE?  By Lila DiPasqua
A MIDNIGHT DANCE (Berkley Sensation) is the third installment in the Fiery Tales series (steamy, yet romantic, retellings of classic fairy tales!)  And it’s my version of Cinderella.  There’s a strong, smart destitute beauty.  A sinfully handsome, carnally-gifted “Prince Charming”.  Oh, and plenty of scandalous behavior. *smiles*
Believe me, I know there have been many retellings of Cinderella, but there has NEVER been a retelling like quite like A MIDNIGHT DANCE.
But you shouldn’t read it.  🙂  
Well, as least you shouldn’t read it if:
  1. You have an aversion to tall, dark, gorgeous heroes who have an edge of danger edge to them.  Jules de Moutier is drop dead sexy.  And he’s out for revenge, to find out who framed his father as a traitor to the Crown, and to restore his family’s good name.  Having been stripped of his nobility, tossed out of the King’s Navy and disgraced before his peers, Jules is finally in a position to walk away from privateering. It’s taken him years, but he’s intent on using his newly captured silver treasure to help him reclaim his former life and clear his family’s name.  All is going according to plan, until he crosses paths with a certain blond and beautiful desperate thief.
  1. You shouldn’t read A MIDNIGHT DANCE if you want to read about a damsel in distress who’s waiting around to be rescued.  Our heroine Sabine Laurent, daughter of the late playwright, Paul Laurent, may be in dire straits, but she’s not waiting for anyone to rescue her.  Like any practical woman, she’s taking matters into her own hands.  She’s going to steal the silver treasure.  Getting her hands on that kind of wealth will save her family—or what’s left of the eccentric lot. Namely, the balance of her late father’s acting troupe, his long-time mistress and her two spoiled daughters. Too bad she didn’t realize that the wealth she’d be stealing belongs to none other than Jules de Moutier, the object of her girlhood infatuation. She’s convinced she can seduce the rake and make off with a fortune.
  1. You shouldn’t read A MIDNIGHT DANCE if you dislike scorching hot love scenes.  Sabine may blame her family’s downfall on Jules and his family, but his potent appeal is difficult to ignore and even more difficult to resist.  With devilishly seductive Jules, it’s not going to be easy for Sabine to snatch the silver.  The chemistry between them is white-hot. 
  1. You shouldn’t read A MIDNIGHT DANCE if you dislike the classic beloved fairy tale of Cinderella.  A MIDNIGHT DANCE has a ball, a glass slipper, a fairy godmother in the form of a loveable yet highly opinionated apothecary, a determined impoverished beauty and a man who proves to be the Prince Charming every woman longs for.
  1. You shouldn’t read A MIDNIGHT DANCE if you don’t like an exciting read with intrigue and twists.  With a surprising villain that will shock you.  An ending that will make you sigh . . . and gasp in surprise.
Once upon a time there was a woman whose life was in cinders. Her story has been retold many ways, many times, throughout the realm. Throughout time. Her family’s wealth was gone, as were their elegant home, and their prestigious theater.  They were as lost to her as her girlhood dream of marrying a man she’d loved from afar. A man who was well beyond her reach.
A man she’d dubbed her Dark Prince, for he was tall, dark, and oh so handsome. But her opinion of him had soured. No longer did she believe in a happily ever after.
Yet one night, at the stroke of midnight, the stars aligned.
Destiny stepped in.
And she came face-to-face with her Dark Prince.
But she didn’t arrive before him as she’d dreamed all those years ago. She was not in a golden-colored gown, but in humble attire, not in a gilded carriage, but in a rickety cart, as worthless as a pumpkin, driven by two men, as meek as mice . . . carrying wine mixed with a special potion . . .
What’s in the wine, you ask?  Knowing she must come up with the funds to pay the Crown taxes, Sabine plans on drugging Jules and stealing a fortune in silver.  It’s a desperate plan.  But, then, desperate people must resort to desperate measures.  She’s not above using her acting skills, posing as a common harlot named Elise to try to seduce him, and enlisting her eclectic—and rather eccentric blended family/friends—to help her in this mad scheme.  The only appeal about this crazy plan—she’ll be stealing from Jules de Moutier—whom she blames for her dire predicament in the first place.  Let the seduction begin!
In all seriousness, if you’re looking for something fresh and different, if you love fairy tales, historical romance, a hot hero, a clever heroine, sizzling sexual tension, love scenes that will leave you breathless and delightful secondary characters—if you want a fast-paced read with unexpected twists—I hope you’ll check out A MIDNIGHT DANCE.  🙂
BOOK TRAILER FOR A MIDNIGHT DANCE



A Fiery Tale
Lila DiPasqua
Berkley Sensation
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
August 2011
ISBN: 978-0425241981
Born into wealth, Sabine Laurent and her twin sister lived a life of luxury, their father’s prestigious theater frequented by royalty and aristocracy alike. And Sabine dreamed of her own prince charming—the devastatingly handsome Jules de Moutier.
That was before the loss of her sister and her family’s fall from grace—a disaster Sabine blames on the Moutier family. Now, with her father’s death, she’s inherited his sizable debt and the responsibility of caring for his spoiled long-time mistress and her two wastrel daughters. But with the help of Sabine’s eccentric friends—the balance of her father’s acting troupe—she plans to get very close to her old infatuation, seduce the rake—and make away with a fortune.
Resisting Jules’s skillful mouth and tantalizing touch is not as easy as Sabine supposed. And soon she must decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than her desire for her one and only prince…
Praise for A MIDNIGHT DANCE

[A] fantastic heroine… [A] fantastic hero!” — Night Owl Reviews—REVIEWER’S TOP PICK!

“A deliciously dark hero and a heroine who’s more than a match for him! Sure to delight!” — Jennifer Ashley, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author

“Wickedly passionate . . . a sensual treat.”— Sylvia Day, national bestselling author

“Lila DiPasqua’s ‘Fiery Tale’ version of Cinderella sets the classic story ablaze!” — Anna Campbell, award-winning author.
A Midnight Dance … [a] romance that touches the heart.  I can ensure that this is a dance you’ll never forget.” — Top Pick! – The Season Blog!
“Ms. DiPasqua’s take on Cinderella is a gorgeous sizzling tale! I finished and wanted to start it over immediately.” — JOYFULLY REVIEWED raves!

Order at:
BIO:
Lila DiPasqua writes wicked & witty historical romance for Penguin/Berkley. She lives with her real-life hero husband and three children and is a firm believer in the happily-ever-after. To learn more about Lila and her books, visit www.LilaDiPasqua.com



GIVEAWAY TIME: 

QUESTION:  If you were in a movie, playing the part of Cinderella, who would you choose to play your perfect Prince Charming?  (NOTE: If my hubby is not available, I’m choosing Bradley Cooper).  Two random commenters will win a book from my Fiery Tales series. READERS’ CHOICE. Giveaway open WORLDWIDE.


To Enter: 
(MUST) Answer Lila’s question above
(MUST) Leave email 
Be a follower of my blog is always good too.

Giveaway ends Sept 9th
Winner announced Sept 12th 


Guest Blog & Giveaway with Kathleen Gallagher

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Kathleen Gallagher to the blog today.  She is talking Play list for her newest book Echoes at Dawn.  Don’t forget to read all the way to the end Kathleen is giving away a copy of her book.

PLAYLIST FOR ECHOES AT DAWNBY KATHLEEN ANN GALLAGHER

Today, I thought I would share some of the songs from my playlist for my debut novel Echoes at Dawn, released by Decadent Publishing. The print version is finally here, and I’m so excited. It’s wonderful to be here to celebrate with you.

 Echoes at Dawn is a story inspired by an old black and white photo from the 1920’a. It takes place in today’s world, but the past is an important part of the characters future.   

The songs I’ve chosen all have a special meaning. One of them plays a significant role in the story itself. However, I won’t give it away. You’ll have to read Echoes at Dawn to find out which one it is.

Love theme from Titanic, My Heart Will Go On    Celine Dion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saalGKY7ifU

This song was released the year I started dating my husband.  

 (You Want To) Make a Memory by Bon Jovi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWuZMBtrc1E&feature=fvwrel

I love this haunting melody, and of course the singer.

Suddenly   Billy Ocean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HCIJfA5UXY

Suddenly is my hero’s song to his lady.

The Power of Love   Celine Dion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5BkHaoR5uo

This song is my heroine’s song to her love.

The Music of Goodbye from Out of Africa  Al Jarreau and Melissa Manchester
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vrc80VGXmY

This song is so beautiful, and it ties in with the characters conflict.

Dream On  Aerosmith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Qd9VR1gD8

Dream On, sums it all up with an amazing performance by Steven Tyler.

BLURB
The strangely intertwined lives of a widowed woman, and a charismatic bachelor come together in order to show that in life, there are no coincidences…only destiny.


Waterfront restaurant chef Madeline Young adores her job. If only her love and family’s lives were as successful as her career. With a teenage son, who spends time in the emergency room for alcohol poisoning and a dementia-plagued mother, Madeline doesn’t know how much more she could handle. Then her mother enlists the help of her deceased twin sister, Mary, to guide Madeline to find happiness. An early dawn visit from the spirit directs Madeline to volunteer at the local hospitals center for addiction recovery, where she comes alive for the first time in many years under the attention of Nat Griffin.


Nathaniel Griffin, a part-time counselor and contractor, fascinates his clients with his lectures. In keeping with his philosophy of professionalism, Nat prefers to keep his personal life private. When attraction tests his beliefs, Nat must confront his marred past. Is he willing to face his demons or take the easier path and remain isolated?


Can unworldly ghosts save this couple from their own self-destructive behavior? Will they be able to accept change and move forward, or allow secrets to stand in the way?

You can find me here:  

 
One random commenter will receive a print copy of Echoes at Dawn.     
 Thanks for stopping by today.

To Enter: 
Please leave a comment or question for Kathleen.
leave your email (NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY)
Be a follower of Books-n-Kisses

Extra Points: 
+1 Follow Kathleen on FB

+1 Share on Facebook, Twitter, on your Blog, or any where else…
(Please leave link) 


Giveaway ends Sept 7th
Winner announced Sept 9th


Guest blog with Stephanie Beck & Giveaway

Books-n-Kisses, is please to let Stephanie Beck take over the blog today and talk about a perfect night.

Take it away Stephanie,

A Perfect Night:

Picture it: Eight thirty at night, the sun has been set for an hour, letting the darkness of night trickle further in. Stars in the sky don’t illuminate much, but the huge white moon gives light to the darkness. A cool breeze blows through, rustling leaves and kicking up little bunches of vegetation seeing its final days before the snows cover and make it food for the next year’s growth.
Alone in front of a window, the outside happenings only a distant second to the scent of cinnamon wafting from warm apple cider cooling in a turquoise colored mug. A comfy chair, soft sweats and a fuzzy blanket within reach.
Add in a bowl of chocolate candy and the scene is set for me to read anything and everything.
I love fall. It’s my favorite time of year to do most things, including read. As a mom and writer, I read all the time, but when autumn hits full force and I can steal an evening just for indulgence, I do.
Set your reading scene. Where and when? What’s beside you? What’s the story?
by Stephanie Beck
Blurb:
Marc kills demons. While he doesn’t love it, he’s happy to do his job, keeping people safe and destroying the brethren of the demons who stole his human life.
Beth lives quietly, content to stitch her samplers and fancywork in an era she wasn’t born to but is magically destined to live through.
A late-night visit changes both Marc and Beth’s worlds, reuniting them after over a hundred years, long after their love affair ended tragically during the Civil War. Back together, the two must decide what their future holds as they battle the real threat—a demon with a bad case of rose envy.
Excerpt:
The cat hissed again, and Beth sighed. “Fine, I’ll let you out, you stinking beast,” she muttered, going to the side door that released to the wraparound porch she loved. “Go on now, and don’t you— Who’s there?”
The figure at her front door, only three feet away from her, froze. It was the middle of the night, so she’d long ago turned off the porch light. Terror welled. Her longevity was a given, but she was still as easily broken as any human woman under five feet tall and just as susceptible to villains of the night.
“Elisabeth?”
The figure turned with her name on his lips. That voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. She flipped on the light switch for the hall behind her, but it didn’t help much, not until he came into the light.
“Marcato? But…how…how?”
She ran for him, the three steps taking only a heartbeat before she launched into his arms. He felt just the same as when she’d given him one final embrace before he’d gone off to fight with his brothers so long ago. How she’d loved her soldier boy, though before the war he’d been sweet and gentle, a young man on his way to the seminary to be a preacher.
She ran her fingers down his face, the same face she remembered in her dreams. Not so often anymore, but there was no way she could have forgotten about him. Not him.
Giveaway Time:
Answer Stephanie’s Questions: Set your reading scene. Where and when? What’s beside you? What’s the story? 
Leave your Email and one lucky follower will win a e-copy of Cross stitch and Brimstone
Giveaway will be open until Sept 2nd
Winner will be announce Sept 5th. 
Open Internationally

Guest blog with Lee Brazil

I have turned my blog over to the capable hands of Lee Brazil……  

Why’d You Do That?

On August 5th my first m/f book was released by Breathless Press.  (pause)  Oh- And Happy Anniversary month to Breathless Press!  They’re embarking on their third year in the business, and since I’m seeing their titles all over the best seller lists at various e-vendors… it’s looking to be a great year. 

Anyway—  rewind – Friday August 5th, my first m/f book, Giving Up, was released by BP.  It is the third book in a planned series of six. One day it’ll have middle child syndrome, but right now, it’s my youngest child, thrust out vulnerable and unprepared into the world.  And… it’s different. 

Book 1
I’m a third child as well.  Two older siblings and a whole herd of younger ones.  And I, too, was different than my older siblings.  All my life I walked into classrooms where teachers held up the yardstick of my vivacious, active eldest sibling and said- “Hmmm… you’re a quiet one, aren’t you?”  Or they remembered my second sibling, and said, “You’re a bit of a dreamer, aren’t you? Not at all the helpful and eager student your sibling is.” They were good with numbers and science.  I was not.  I excelled in languages and history, anything that I could read and understand.  I cannot tell you how many practical and well meaning guidance counselors pointed out the value of taking calculus instead of French 4, Physics II instead of sociology. 

Relatives noticed the differences.  Family friends pointed it out.  “Lee is so quiet.  Why doesn’t Lee do this, or that?”  They shook their heads, I buried my nose in another book and tried to block out the words.  They didn’t really mean I wasn’t good enough.  They just couldn’t believe I was happy enough with my music and my books and my few good friends.  Who needs baseball and football? I had band practice and Steinbeck, and a friend with a fake id.  What else does a high school kid with pretentions to literary greatness need?

Book 2
Well, twenty something years later, I have an answer to that. You need to understand your audience.  I didn’t consider the audience when I wrote Brandon’s story.  Truth or Dare has been more successful than I dreamed.  The first two books however, were m/m, and that unintentionally created an expectation among readers that the whole series would be m/m.  It’s not.  Primarily it will be, but I wanted the series to showcase family in a variety of non-traditional forms.  So the first book is m/m, with a wide age gap.  The second is m/m/m with twincest.  Both of those stories end with children being included in the family.  Then there’s the third book.

It’s m/f. 

Can’t tell you how many emails and pm’s I’ve received wanting to know why I did that.  They want to know why Brandon’s life partner isn’t a man. 

I knew some people wouldn’t buy book 1 because it was m/m and some people just don’t read that sort of thing.

That’s cool.

I knew some people wouldn’t buy book 2 because it’s twincest, and some people just don’t read that sort of thing.

That’s cool.

Before Giving Up released I started picking up vibes from all over the social media. 
            Is that a woman on the cover of your new book?
            Is that m/f?
            What the ?

I started getting worried about poor Brandon.  My baby was heading out into a hostile environment. 

It seems some people won’t buy book 3 because its m/f, and some people just don’t read that sort of thing.

That’s cool. 

Brandon’s story does him justice in my opinion.  It illustrates a concept of family that is unusual and nontraditional in some ways, if not in the gender pairing. 

Take a look, and see what you think!

Giving Up
Truth or Dare #3
Avialable from

Breathless Press

Can Dr. Arden Grey teach Brandon Blake that giving up control is worth while, with the right woman?



Brandon Blake has a problem.  His family is fed up with his controlling ways. They don’t need him managing their affairs any more.  Brandon doesn’t want to lose his connection with his brothers, but he doesn’t know any other way to live.   He’s been in charge for a long time. Now his brothers are leaving home and making families of their own, and Brandon’s interference has caused some serious rifts. Brandon’s’ stressful job as CEO of the family production studio and his concerns for his brothers have contributed to the ulcer his doctor recently diagnosed. Therapy is supposed to help Brandon learn how to let go and give up the need to control every thing.  Brandon finds the counselor he’s been sent to intriguing, if a bit intimidating, though she has absolutely nothing in common with the women he’s dated in the past.

Dr. Arden Gray knows about control.  A survivor of marriage to a dominant, abusive partner, she’s spent the last twenty years turning her life around.  She’s learned to take control and has made a career of teaching others to do the same.  Brandon Blake is a surprise.  When his doctor sends Brandon to her, Arden isn’t sure how she can help the man.  But after a few sessions, she sees something intriguing hidden inside Brandon Blake, something that tells her he just might be the man she’s been looking for.  If only she can convince him that giving up control to the right woman will solve all his problems!








Guest Blog Laura Stamps aka The Sex Witch

The Sex Witch has taken over my blog and she is sharing a little (okay long) excerpt from A Vampires Kiss.    Take it away Laura….



More Hot Vampire Sex!!
Alrightyyyy! 
As promised, here’s another hot sex scene from one of my sizzling erotica novels to keep your pussies wet and your dicks hard.  *lick, lick*
Since “A Vampire’s Kiss” has been a Kindle Bestseller since it came out the end of April, I thought I would treat you to another sex scene from this scorcher. Here it is in the Kindle Store if you haven’t read this HAWT vamp novel yet:
This time it’s sex in the office.  Been there, done that.  And, oh, how I love it!  But I would, since Sara is a clone of me.  *kinky wink*
Enjoy!
*********************

A Vampire’s Kiss: Book One of the Manigault Vampires

~Chapter 16~
Laura Stamps (c)
On Friday morning Sara rolls the plant cart off the elevator and turns toward Dray’s office.  Eight pots of colorful tulips sit on top of the heavy cart, while a roll of paper towels, a large watering can, and several spray bottles of herbal plant cleaner are stored underneath. 
Dray’s office is first on her rotation schedule today.  Sara’s plan is to exchange the small plants in his office and clean the larger ones.
Then she’ll deliver her surprise. 
On the way back to the greenhouse she’ll stop by Val’s office and take care of his plants as well. 
It’s always a treat to visit the fifteenth floor.  Most of the offices at Manigault Technologies are decorated with stylishly framed, inexpensive prints and posters.  But the fifteenth floor is home to the executive suites.  Oil paintings hang in the hallways and offices, while exquisite Oriental rugs cover black marble floors.
Dray’s office is located at the end of the main hallway.  As Sara passes the big glass doors to Val’s office, she waves at his Administrative Assistant.  A knowing smile lights the woman’s face.  Then she lifts her hand and forms a “thumbs up” sign. 
Sara bursts out laughing.  Obviously, Lacey spread the word about Sara’s surprise for Dray today.  What fun!  She’ll have to kid Lacey about it as soon as she reaches Dray’s office. 
But when she arrives the reception area is empty.
“Lacey must be out,” Sara muses, tugging the heavy cart through the ornate cherry doors to stop in front of her friend’s desk.  “Guess she decided to leave me alone with her boss this morning.”  A sly smile curls her lips.  “Smart woman.”
Sara lifts a pot of English ivy from the corner of the desk, its leaves a sickly shade of dull green.  “Poor baby,” she soothes.  “I’ll take you back to the greenhouse and give you a nice herbal bath this afternoon.  You’ll be feeling sparkly again in no time.”
She sets the pot of ivy on the cart and gently runs her fingers over its weary vines.  Each leaf she touches immediately darkens to a healthier color.  Pulling a tissue from the pocket of her garden apron, Sara cleans a few grains of potting soil from the desk and then selects a cheerful pot of pink tulips to replace the ivy.
“Much better,” she observes, wiping her hands on the apron.  “Lacey is gonna love these flowers.”
When Sara looks up she catches her reflection in the antique mirror behind the desk.  Lifting her arms, she twirls once, watching her long blonde braid swing behind her back.  When she stops, she giggles and takes a minute to approve of her image. 
Today she’s dressed in faded, hip-hugging jeans.  A thin teal sweater barely covers her flat stomach and allows the silver faery dangling from her navel ring to dance unhindered. 
She chose her outfit with Dray in mind, knowing how much he loves this particular piece of jewelry.  A hot pink garden apron hides the faery for now. 
“But not for long,” she whispers, grinning mischievously.
Sara walks to a coffee table in the reception area and replaces a weary-looking snake plant with a pot of yellow tulips.  Afterwards she cleans and fertilizes two miniature palmetto trees.  Then she swings open the heavy wooden doors to Dray’s office and pushes the cart through.
“Don’t you believe in knocking, sugar?” Dray asks, his head bowed in concentration.  He finishes the note he’s scribbling in a manila folder, closes it, and tosses his pen on the desk.  When he looks up, his eyes twinkle like warm cinnamon and a teasing smile tugs at his lips.
“Dear Goddess,” Sara purrs.  She stops in front of his desk and rests her hands on her slim hips.  “You look good enough to eat, big boy.”
Leaning back in his chair, Dray clasps his hands behind his head and laughs.  “You always surprise me, sugar.  I forget how freely you speak your mind.”
Sara ignores his comment while she unties the garden apron.  Dropping it on the plant cart, she saunters toward him, grinning triumphantly when his gaze falls to the faery navel ring.  His eyes flash to black for just a moment before returning to their normal color.
Dray looks up and winks at her.  Pushing his chair away from the desk, he opens his legs, allowing her to move between his thighs.  When he hugs her legs for a moment with his knees, she giggles.  There’s something about coaxing the playful side out of this serious man that totally turns her on. 
Then again, everything about Dray turns her on.  Especially when she pushes him over the edge sexually.  And she intends to do just that. 
Next.
Sara leans over and places her hands on his slacks, curling her slim fingers into his thighs, inches from his crotch.  “I’m a spontaneous Witch, remember?” 
Dray chuckles and inclines his head.  “That you are, darlin’.”  
Looking at him now, Sara can’t believe it’s been five days since she kissed him in the greenhouse storage closet.  She’d forgotten how his black hair shimmers almost blue beneath the florescent lights of the office.  As usual, it’s tied neatly at the nape of his neck with a dark ribbon and flows elegantly down to his waist.  Her fingers ache to wade through its silky waves.
Today he’s wearing a black pinstripe suit, obviously Karl Lagerfeld.  The jacket is neatly folded and lying over the back of an antique loveseat next to the desk.  A pale lavender dress shirt and orchid tie complete his outfit. 
Dray shifts in the chair, and she notices he’s wearing another pair of expensive Italian loafers.  Black, of course.  His designer socks are a soft cashmere blend in a tasteful black and lavender argyle pattern.
Sara can’t help smiling.  The man always looks like he just stepped off a fashion runway.
His subtle cologne teases her senses, and she wonders if she’ll have the strength to carry through with her plan.  Once again, she underestimated the fiery effect his presence has on her libido, which is making it hard to concentrate.  All she can think about is how much she wants to jump him and impale herself on his delicious cock.
Right now.  
But she can’t.
Dray opens his legs wider and reaches toward Sara, pulling her to him.  His cool fingers slip beneath her sweater and caress her hips.  
“I do love this,” he muses, flicking the silver faery dangling from the ring in her navel.
“You’re so easy,” Sara taunts.  She slides her hands up his arms, enjoying the solidity of his lean muscles beneath the expensive weave of the lavender dress shirt. 
Dray takes a deep breath and then exhales slowly.  “What is that exotic fragrance you wear, sugar?”  He inhales deeply again and growls.  “It was clinging to my skin when I left you at the greenhouse.”  His eyes darken.  “I had meetings the rest of the day, but that fragrance haunted me.  It made me want to bend you over this desk and take you hard and fast.”
“Alrightyyyy!” Sara exclaims, wiggling against his thighs.  “I knew there was a reason I liked you, bat-boy.”
Dray winces and shakes his head. 
Before he can protest she places her finger on his lips.  “It’s called Egyptian Musk.  I order it online from an incense shop in California.”
“Mmm,” Dray hums, and his tongue darts out to lick the tip of her finger.  “Val could smell it on me, too.  He kidded me about it the rest of the day.”
“Did that bother you?”
“Val delights in bothering me.”  Dray sighs, looking exasperated.  He shifts in his chair again, and Sara notices his cock straining against the fabric of his slacks. 
Oh, yeah.  He definitely likes her signature scent. 
The sight of his steely bulge makes her want to purr.  But she resists.  This surprise isn’t about her.  It’s about Dray, and how far she can push him today. 
The last time she saw him was Monday morning.  Now it’s Friday.  Almost five days with no contact is not acceptable as far as she’s concerned.  In less than two months she’ll be moving to Atlanta.  She plans to be incredibly well-fucked by this gorgeous man before she leaves Columbia. 
Dray needs to realize that.  And fast.
“So,” he begins, the silver faery tumbling between his long fingers, “what made you think you could barge into my office unannounced, Sara?  I am your boss, after all.”
Leaning down, she licks the shell of his ear, and he shivers.  “Why should I knock?” she whispers.
“Because I might be on a conference call or in a meeting.”
“But you weren’t.”
“Not this time.”  He reaches up and strokes the base of her throat, lingering for a moment over her rapidly beating pulse.  “Did you miss me, sugar?”  He pulls her closer, and she balances both hands on the arms of his chair.
Slowly he brushes his lips against hers before initiating a smoldering kiss.  Sara sighs with satisfaction and presses in to taste more of him.  He chuckles, and his tongue snakes forward to dance with hers. 
A few minutes later he leans back and kisses the corner of her mouth.  “Why are you here, Sara?” he murmurs.
She licks his bottom lip playfully.  “Your plants are on my rotation schedule this morning.”  She cups his face with her hands, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs.  “Plus, I want kisses.”
Dray’s fingers slide beneath the waistband of her jeans to toy with the black lace of her panties.  “Is that all?” he asks roughly.
“Nah,” Sara replies, slanting her lips over his.  She flicks her tongue into his mouth and kisses him deeply, while her right hand drops to his crotch.  When she wraps her fingers around his throbbing dick and squeezes gently, Dray groans.  Pulling back from their hungry kiss, she waggles her eyebrows.  “I want this, too, big boy.”
Dray chuckles and clears his throat.  “Darlin’, we’re in my office in the middle of the day.  I can’t fuck you now.  Not here.”
“But you said you wanted to bend me over this desk and give it to me hard and fast.”
Dray arches his eyebrows and laughs.  “Fantasy and reality rarely ever meet, sugar.”
“Oh, really, Dracula?” she challenges.  Her left hand grips his zipper and slides it down.  Before he can move she lifts his swollen cock from the folds of expensive fabric.  “They do for me all the time.”
“Sara, don’t,” he warns, and then jerks when she slides her fingers over the satin skin of his thickening shaft.
“Hush, big-boy,” she scolds.  “It’s almost lunchtime.  Let me play.”  She releases his cock and backs up, motioning for him to slide his chair up to the desk.
“Sara, you didn’t lock the door.”
She laughs naughtily while she sits for a moment on the edge of his desk.  “And this is supposed to discourage an exhibitionist?”
“Oh, no.”  Dray closes his eyes and sighs.  “I forgot.”
“I didn’t,” she chimes, dropping to her knees and ducking her head to scoot beneath the desk.
“Sara, stop,” he commands, reaching for her arms to lift her up.
Quickly, she grasps his thighs and licks a drop of salty fluid from the engorged head of his cock.  Dray stiffens and inhales sharply.  His grip tightens on her arms.  Not to pull her up, but to hold on as she sucks the crest of sensitive skin beneath the head, tickling it with her tongue.
“Fuck,” he exhales.  “You can’t do this here.”
Sara looks up at him and licks her lips.  She wraps her fingers around his hardening shaft and begins to pump slowly.  “But I am, big-boy.”  She giggles and pumps faster.  “I’ve been wanting to eat you ever since you nailed me in the greenhouse.”  She gives him a Fey smile and bats her eyelashes.  “Really.”
“Damn,” he moans, his jaw rigid as he struggles for control.  “You’re destroying me, Sara.”
“Well, it’s about time somebody did.”  She looks down at his gorgeously stiff cock between her hands.  “I’d say you’re long overdue, wouldn’t you?”
Dray shivers when Sara dips her head and takes his entire shaft into the moist warmth of her mouth.  “You look like an angel, sugar.  But I swear, you’re as dangerous as sin.”  He exhales roughly.  “I never know what you’re going to do.”
“Or say,” she adds.  Then she licks his erection from the root to the head in one slow, sensuous stroke.
“That, too.”
“Good,” Sara replies.  She wraps her lips around his shaft and pulls back, sucking slow and hard until his cock pops out of her mouth.  “You have no idea how much I love this.”
“Oral sex?” he asks, gritting his teeth when she sucks the swollen head of his dick, kissing the tiny slit after she flicks her tongue across it.
“Cocks,” she corrects, letting his dick pop out of her mouth a second time.
Dray hisses, and his shaft jerks with need.  “You did it again.”
“I know.  I can’t help it, Dracula.  I love everything about cocks, especially yours.  The musky way you taste.  How wonderful my tongue feels gliding over your soft, silky skin.”  She kisses the tip again.  “I love this fat head, ya know?”  She hums as she licks the bulging vein running down his steely shaft.  “I could eat you for lunch,” she whispers.  “And I think I will.”
Dray frowns and lifts his hips toward her.  “In other words, I’m in serious trouble.”
Sara looks up at him and gives him a saucy grin.  “Definitely.”
At that moment a sharp knock on the door causes Dray to straighten.  Quickly, he helps Sara scoot all the way under his desk.  Then he slides his chair forward to hide her presence completely.
“Dray,” Val says, striding into the office.  “I have those marketing reports you asked for.”
Sara presses her cheek to Dray’s leg, smothering a giggle.  Then she nips his thigh through the fabric of his slacks.  When he jumps she hears papers rustling.
“Are you okay, little brother?” Val asks.  “You look flushed.”
Before Dray can reply, he inhales sharply as Sara swallows his cock, slowly pulling back in long, sucking strokes.  With her right hand she pumps the root of his shaft again.
“No, I’m fine, Val,” he replies huskily.
“Okay,” Val says, not sounding convinced.  “Lacey wasn’t at her desk, so I thought I’d check to see if you’re free to discuss this.”
“No problem.  What can I do for you?”  Dray grips Sara’s arm and shakes it.
She ignores his warning and sets a tight, suctioning rhythm, swirling her tongue over the head of Dray’s thick cock.  Rock-hard now, his shaft twitches in her mouth.  When she reaches out and fondles his balls, Dray jumps again.
“I see Sara has been here,” Val comments, sounding amused.
“Oh?”
“Her plant cart,” Val continues.  “But I didn’t pass her on the way in.  Where is she?”
“Miss Gadsden had something she wanted to take care of first,” Dray replies.  His thighs tremble against Sara, while she relentlessly works his needy shaft.
If she could, she’d laugh out loud.  Val’s timing is perfect.  She had hoped her surprise would push Dray beyond his comfort zone.  But Val’s presence takes it to the next level.  She’s so turned-on she can feel her juices flowing through the lace of her panties, soaking the seam of her jeans.
Sara hears Val chuckle when the desk creaks above her.  He must be sitting on the edge like he did the first time she met him.
“There is the most unusual fragrance in this room.”  Val hesitates, and she can hear him sniffing loudly.  The man obviously loves to torment his brother.  “It smells like a mix of Sara’s intriguing perfume and something else.  Something hot and wet.”
Dray clears his throat irritably.  “Val….,” he warns.
“Don’t worry, little brother,” Val replies, laughing.  “I think we can have this discussion another time.”
The desk creaks again, and Sara can hear Val walking toward the door. 
“Would you like me to lock this for you when I leave?” Val asks.
“Please,” Dray growls.
After Sara hears the door close and the snick of the lock she bursts out laughing.  She can’t resist.  Val’s interruption was so timely it was as if she’d planned it herself.  But she didn’t.  And that made it even better.
“Enough!” Dray exclaims, thoroughly exasperated.  
He digs his heels into the Oriental rug beneath the desk and pushes back, rolling the chair away while lifting Sara to her feet in one effortless motion. 
“Vixen,” he exhales, leaning back in the chair and taking a ragged breath.  His engorged dick is so hard it presses against his stomach like a flagpole.
“Wasn’t that fun?” she asks, clapping her hands and laughing out loud again.  “I just loved it!”
“You would, sugar,” he grumbles.
Standing between his legs, Sara looks down at him and sighs.  There’s no other way to say it: the man is simply gorgeous. 
At this moment Dray’s face is flushed with sexual tension.  His eyes shine like onyx beneath lids heavy with lust.  His hair is no longer neatly gathered at the nape of his neck.  Now a few loose strands frame his moist face.  He definitely has the look of a man who needs release, and she wants him badly. 
How did she ever think she could push him like this and deny herself?  Suddenly, her brilliant plan doesn’t seem like such a good one.
As if sensing her inner struggle, Dray begins to stroke his rigid cock still slick with her saliva.  Gone is the conservative businessman.  In his place is a wild creature, who watches her with the intensity of a seasoned predator. 
The planes of his face seem sharper now, and his expression radiates raw need.  Knowing him, she’s sure it’s the blood lust of the Sanguinarian.  Still, his piercing stare almost melts her.  It’s so blatantly sexual. 
And hungry. 
Her pussy gushes, and she craves him with a hunger of her own.  Every cell in her body urges her to jump into his lap and ride him until they’re both sweaty and exhausted. 
“Dear Goddess, you’ve got to be sexiest man I’ve ever met,” she breathes.   
Before she can change her mind and ditch her plan, Sara drops to her knees and takes his thick cock into her mouth.  Massaging his balls with her fingertips, she feels them draw up tight against his groin.  She starts to hum, vibrating his shaft as she drags her tongue around the bulbous head, fluttering it over the sweet spot underneath. 
“Damn!”  Dray wraps her braid around his fist.  “Suck me,” he commands, pumping his hips while he fucks her mouth. 
His cock hardens like an iron rod.  Sara’s cheeks hollow while she runs her tongue across the head and then down his shaft.  Back and forth.  Up and down. Taking him deeply into her throat, she swallows to give the tip a squeezing, erotic kiss.  At the same time she pumps him with her right hand, working him thoroughly to the root. 
A few minutes later he swells even larger, and an intense climax roars through him.  Sara looks up and watches Dray tip back his head and howl with feral pleasure. 
Immediately, he tries to pull back.  But Sara digs the short nails of her left hand into his thigh, holding onto him as she swallows and laps up the streams of hot cum his pulsing dick shoots down her throat.  When he finishes, she tenderly kisses his softening shaft before releasing it. 
Sitting back on her heels, Sara grins up at him and licks her swollen lips.  “That was quite a yell, big-boy.  Think Lacey is gonna call 911?”
Dray collapses in the chair and chuckles wearily.  Reaching up, he tugs the ribbon from his hair.  As he finger-combs his long tresses he pushes them away from his moist face.  Then he pulls out a drawer in the desk and grabs a monogrammed handkerchief to blot the perspiration from his forehead.
Taking advantage of the moment, Sara leaps up and straddles his lap before he can protest.  “Here.  Let me help you with that.”  She takes the handkerchief from him and gently dabs his face and neck.  A bead of sweat rolls down his cheek, and she licks the salty fluid with the tip of her tongue. 
“No,” Dray finally replies, loosely wrapping his arms around her.
“No, what?”
“No, Lacey isn’t going to call 911.”  He takes a ragged breath and exhales slowly.  “She had a doctor’s appointment this morning and won’t return until after lunch.”
“You’re a lucky guy,” Sara giggles, kissing the corner of his mouth.
“And you, sugar, are a dangerous woman.”  Dray turns until their lips meet, and his tongue enters at a leisurely pace.  But when Sara moans, his arms tighten around her.  His kiss becomes aggressive, and he takes possession of her mouth.
Sara leans into him, surrendering completely.  Lust fuels her libido, and heat pools low in her belly.  She presses her fingers into his arms to keep from ripping the expensive designer clothes from his body and ramming his gorgeous cock inside her. 
Breathlessly, Sara pulls away from his mouth when she feels her resistance slipping.  “You, Mr. Manigault, are a dangerous kisser,” she whispers.
Dray tucks a stray wisp of blonde hair behind her ear, his touch lingering while his thumb strokes the pulse at her neck.  “That was an incredible blow job, sugar.”  He bends forward, his hot breath caressing her neck as he nips her shoulder.  “I think you’re the one with the dangerous lips.”
Sara laughs and wiggles her ass against his thighs.  Unfortunately, it brings her clit in direct contact with his crotch, reminding her of how much she wants him. 
Once again, as if Dray can read her thoughts, his hand moves down to cup her mound.  His thumb presses against that sensitive bundle of nerves while he massages her pussy. 
It feels so good her resistance crumbles.  Sara closes her eyes and mewls as she bucks against his talented fingers. 
When he removes his hand, she whimpers in protest. 
“Shh,” Dray soothes.  Staring at her intently, he brings his fingers to his nose and takes a deep breath.  His eyes flash as black as a summer night while he inhales the spicy scent of her arousal.  Slowly, he lowers his hand, his dark eyes never losing contact with hers.  “What about you, sugar?  What can I do for you?” 
“Nothing,” she replies, swallowing hard to bolster her resolve.
“No?”  He strokes her thighs, stopping short of her aching cunt.
Sara shakes her head, unable to trust her voice.  Carefully, she tucks his semi-hard cock back into his slacks and zips him up with trembling fingers.  “I like the idea of you owing me, Dracula.” 
He lifts his eyebrows with surprise.
“Don’t worry.”  She glances up at him through thick lashes.  “I’ve got something reallllllly kinky in mind.” 
Dray just looks at her.  Speechless and horrified.
A saucy smile lights Sara’s face.  “Payback is a bitch, isn’t it?”
“Damnation, woman,” he grumbles.  “You’re not dangerous.  You’re lethal.”
“Just figuring that out, huh?”  Sara laughs, rocking back on his thighs.  “Hey, ever notice how I’m always sitting on your lap before or after sex, bat-boy?”
“Do tell,” he murmurs.  “Almost looks as thought you’ve conquered me, doesn’t it, darlin’?”
“Maybe I have,” she whispers, nuzzling his neck, suddenly not as anxious to leave Columbia in January as she’d planned.
“What a weird thought,” she muses.  Then she nips his earlobe.
Hard.
“You bit me!” Dray exclaims, jerking back from her.
“Fair is fair, Dracula.”  Sara laughs again, the sound as high and clear as the tinkling of tiny bells. 
Dray rubs his ear and frowns.
“What?  You thought you were the only one who could play vamp?”  Sara winks at him.  “Think again, big-boy.”  She places her finger on his sexy lips. “Remember, I’m an expert on vampires.”
“I know, sugar.”  A wry grin curves one corner of Dray’s mouth.  He lifts her hand, turns it over, and slowly presses a kiss to the center of her palm.  “I haven’t forgotten.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laura Stamps is an award-winning, Pagan paranormal erotica novelist, whose blog is wickedly naughty. Her work has been published in over a thousand magazines, literary journals, and anthologies worldwide. The recipient of a “Pulitzer Prize” nomination and seven“Pushcart Award” nominations, she is the author of more than 53 books. A Wiccan Faery Witch (Otherkin Fey), empath, sexual sorceress, and psychic, Laura enjoys writing novels about contemporary Pagans living in the Deep South. Because she portrays Pagans realistically, her novels are full of real spells, chants, and rituals. You’ll also find romance and HOT sex in most of her books. Why? Because she’s totally oversexed and loves it! Currently, Laura lives in Columbia, South Carolina, with 9 cats and her Alpha husband (Wes) in an antebellum-style house. Beyond her backyard lies a state forest, which just happens to be full of faeries.  *Fey wink*
You can find Laura on the web here:
Laura Stamps
Pagan Paranormal Erotica Novelist(HOT vampires, shapeshifters, witches)
Email: laurastamps18@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com
Kindle ebooks (all $0.99): http://ht.ly/4GPqd
Blog: http://www.erotica-laurastamps.blogspot.com/
Tarot Card Readings: http://www.tarotbylaurastamps.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sexwitch
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SexWitchLaura
Pagan-Playground: http://www.pagan-playground.com/Laura_Stamps
PaganSpace: http://www.paganspace.net/profile/LauraStamps

Guest Blog & Giveaway with Berengaira Brown

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to let Berengaira Brown take over the blog today…..

Take it away Berengaira:



When I was very small, before I started kindergarten, my mom was quite ill. My dad had to work and there was no one to watch me, so I had to stay in the hospital room with my mom, and be quiet so she could rest, all day while Dad was at work.

The first day he arrived from work with a box of blocks for me to build with. They were awesome blocks, with bridges, and arches as well as straight ones for walls. But not sufficiently awesome to entertain me all day while he was at work. So the second night he started to teach me to read. Within a few days I was reading and thereafter he dropped me off at the hospital each day with an armload of library books as well as the blocks. When mom came home again he would still visit the library every few days returning with a pile of books for me to read.
Time passed. Mom got better. I began school. I read, and read, and read. By the time I was around ten I’d read every book in the children’s section of the library. Dad just smiled and gave me his adult borrowing card. I started methodically at “A” and read my way around that library. When people gasped at what I was reading, he refused to let anyone put boundaries on my reading. He let me read and borrow anything I wanted to.
Consequently I read anything, and all heat levels from the sweetest most innocent of romance to the very kinky. And all other genres as well.
And that’s the way I write. I have published one sweet romance (just a kiss), and erotic MF, MM, FF, MMM, MFM, MMF, FFM, MFMM and more.
Here’s a taste of “Dinner Delights” my MF story at Breathless Pres.
Blurb-
Two workmates. A boring dinner function. An explosion of lust. Will it lead to love?
Krystal is thrilled when Troy asks her to be his seatmate at a boring work dinner. He is a totally yummy hunk, whom she has loved forever.
When they dance, their passions combust and they rush back to her apartment to take their relationship to the next level: from friends to lovers.
Their night together is better than anything Krystal had ever imagined. But can it last? What will happen tomorrow?
Excerpt-
This time, the band played a slow song, and Troy pulled her into his arms. Drawing her closer, he said, “I’m glad we came together tonight. It’s been good to have someone to laugh with.”
Speechless with joy at his words, Krystal tightened her arms around him.
He ran his hands up and down her back and discreetly palmed her butt. Then added, “And that dress looks very good on you. I like a woman who actually eats real food and has something I can hold onto.”
He liked her being overweight? Wow!
Krystal leaned into his chest, inhaling his fresh, clean smell and loving the hard warmth of his body. “I hate going to the gym, and I’m afraid my body demonstrates that all too clearly. But thank you for being so polite about it. Besides, the food was too delicious not to eat. Guess I lack discipline.”
“Mmmm, I like your lack of discipline,” Troy murmured, pulling her even closer to him. She couldn’t help but notice his hard, hot cock pressing into her belly.
Tingles spread up and down her spine as she pushed into him with her hips, and rubbed her breasts against him.
“God, you’re hot, Troy. You’re the nicest man I know, and the sexiest.”
Troy bent his head and nibbled her earlobe, sending waves of heat through her body and a rush of cream to her pussy.



Giveaway Time: 
e-book of Dinner Delights
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Contest ends August 26th
Winner Announce August 29th





Many of my books can be found at All Romance ebooks:
Berengaria Brown
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Guest Blog & Giveaway with Ava Delany

Hello and welcome to the first day of my Beginnings series blog tour. Please feel free to comment because I will pick one lucky commenter from the commenters on my blog tour and they will win a copy of the soon to be released A Soldier’s Woman.

Let’s start out this tour hot. Let’s talk about the most popular types of heroes in romance today. Mmm, my favorite topic, sexy, luscious, handsome heroes.

A popular hero right now is the vamp. So what makes a vamp sexy? Superhuman powers and an alpha personality. So yummy. Plus, I love the fact that, all through the centuries, he’s chosen only the heroine. No one else will do.

The shifter is another popular hero. He has the superhuman and alpha things going for him too, and I love the feral quality of a beast barely contained.

Who could forget the bad boy? He’s cocky, sexy, and doesn’t play by the rules—especially when it comes to the woman he wants. That’s a seriously hot combo. I love the wildness of a bad boy. You never know what he’ll do.

The alpha (he can be a prince, a duke, rich, or just a plain old alpha, but he’s powerful by human standards) is another fabulous hero. He’s handsome, well dressed, and sexy, and I love the power he wields more comfortably than if it were his own skin. He knows what he wants and is willing to do what he must to get it. Just thinking about it gives me a little thrill.

The cowboy is a hero that has many women drooling. Washboard abs and manners, that’s a great combo. I love that little bit of cocky a cowboy exudes, and how well he can protect the woman he loves.

Last, but not least, the funny, charming guy. He’s funny, disarming, and hot. I love this kind of hero because he’d never intentionally hurt the heroine, but if he or anyone else does, he steps up and fixes it.

A number of my heroes fall into the funny, charming category or the alpha category, but never completely. Though in Dark Daze—the paranormal romantic suspense I hope to release this year—my hero has paranormal powers, most of my heroes are human. In A Librarian’s Desire, the hero is a sexy and cool frat boy, but he’s got that cowboy style protective streak in him. In Dominated, my hero is an alpha dom, but has a quiet desire for a strong sub. In The Wedding Night and it’s prequel A Surprising Day, my two hero-centered stories, the hero is a bad boy with tats and a wild streak, who also is sincere and sweet in many ways.

Did I miss your favorite hero type?

Even if I didn’t, feel free to list your favorite type of hero and tell us why you love him. And don’ t forget to tell us if there’s some sort of juxtaposition you love. (The alpha that’s soft only with the woman he loves, etc…) I love to talk about sexy heroes!



GIVEAWAY TIME:
We are giving away one e-copy of A Librarian’s Desire

Please leave a comment 
your EMAIL (VERY IMPORTANT, no email no entry)

Giveaway will be open until Aug 19th
Winner announced Aug 22nd


Want to learn more about Ava?  Find her here:

Guest blog with Lynda Fishman

Repairing Rainbows
A True Story of Family, Tragedy and Choices
This is a remarkable true story of a thirteen year old faced with horrific tragedy, and the journey she took from disaster to life fulfillment.
Rita and Saul had a fairy tale life. Rita, a woman with a heart of gold, was a caring, kind and generous wife to the jolly and friendly Saul, who loved to giggle at his own jokes. Their three adorable daughters, Lynda, Carla and Wendy knew the perfect family life that many children can only dream of having – a very close-knit family in a home filled with riches – not rich with money, but with priceless love and happiness which they shared with extended family.
Sweet tunes of music from the big brown radio in the kitchen echoed through the bustling household that was often filled with laughter and celebrations with relatives. The aroma of delicious dinners permeated from the kitchen, and the entertaining piano playing and dance steps of little feet in the living room was performed with joy.
The three sisters have never flown and are looking forward to the plane ride and the family Bar Mitzvah in California. Young Lynda convinces her parents to let her fly a week ahead with the grandparents to help get everything prepared for their month long stay in California. A week later, Carla (11), Wendy (8) and the mom, Rita (39), board a flight from Montreal bound for LA, with a stop-over in Toronto.
Their Air Canada flight 621, with 109 people on board, crashes seven miles from the Toronto airport. There are no survivors. It was pilot error.
Saul receives a horrific phone call with tragic, shocking news that changed everything. His family has been extinguished in an instant. Inconceivable.
In a state of complete horror and despair, Saul is completely emotionally paralyzed. Unable to move past that terrible day, Saul withdrew into himself, struggling and distraught, leaving thirteen year old Lynda alone in her grief.
Never again the father she knew, Saul, too broken to recover, was so immersed in his own grief that he simply continued to exist, in a state devoid of life or hope.
Lynda, at the young age of thirteen was basically orphaned. She officially lost her mother and two younger sisters and unofficially lost her father too. Teetering on that tender brink between childhood and adolescence, Lynda faces profound loss, the responsibility of a father in a complete state of shock, a house to take care of, and complicated decisions about how to proceed with their shattered lives.
Their home is transformed from comfort and joy, to despair and deafening silence. Terrifying sounds of crying shatter the silence in the house – sounds of sadness and misery emitting from a broken man and a terrified young teen.
Saul and Lynda are unwillingly assigned to a new category of heartbreaking loss, one that not many people will ever experience. Faced with agonizing memories of funerals, nightmares, sorrow and hardship, a young teen and her dad are left to cope with immense grief and loneliness.
Pursued by ambulance-chasing lawyers, Saul becomes involved in an overwhelming and intimidating legal battle with Air Canada. What happened behind the headlines was different than what the public was told. Shockingly, Air Canada’s ruthless, insensitive legal team handled the aftermath of the plane crash and the subsequent law suit in a callous and heartless manner. With complete lack of sensitivity, the family was subjected to hours and hours of depositions as they itemized the dollar value of a mother and two little girls. Saul was essentially bullied into settling for what was obviously a ridiculously low settlement.
Unable to face the reality of this colossal tragedy, Saul is stuck in a state of emotional denial, pushing his daughter further and further away.
Pursued by a pretty widow, Saul quickly marries Sonia who personifies the evil stepmother stereotype in all the darker senses of the word. Controlling and self-absorbed, Sonia wedges herself between Lynda and Saul, constantly forcing Saul to choose between them.
For years to come, Lynda is hurt, frustrated and angry at her father.
At age seventeen, Lynda meets and falls in love with Barry, her soul mate. Barry has also suffered tremendous loss – his mother died when he was an infant, and his father died when Barry was seventeen, just a few months before meeting Lynda. To make matters even more interesting and challenging, Barry has a developmentally delayed brother, a few years older than him. Barry and Lynda are left with the responsibility of Mitchell.
The shared bond of pain allows them to form a deep, mutual understanding of each other.
You root for them as they build their relationship, get married, start a family and balance each other perfectly. Their lives flourish together. They are dedicated to each other and to helping others.
The final part of the story deals with life-changing and comforting visits to a Psychic Medium. Lynda and Barry receive specific, detailed messages and information from their family members on the other side that validates their on-going connection – illustrating without question that while they can’t be with them physically, they have stayed with them. It warms your heart to learn that Lynda and Barry’s family members are “alive and happy” in another realm, and that they have stayed among them as angels, guiding and protecting them.
Choices
It is obvious throughout the story that “we always have choices” and that it is possible with perseverance, courage and patience to be able to live life once again. Lynda made the choice to do everything she could to escape the cloud of despair. She chose to bounce back after such a monumental tragedy, to pick up the tragic pieces of her life and move on. She chose school, growth, positivity, career, family. She chose to stay super busy with school, volunteer work at hospitals, cooking, baking, gardening. She chose to fight the obstacles of pity. She chose hope over despair. She chose to survive and to thrive.
Both Lynda and Barry were determined to live – they chose to create a happy future and to live a happy life. They have strength, will and courage. They were determined not to succumb to sorrow and despair – to use whatever tools they could find, including considerable grit, to build a life together – to fashion the life they wanted. Together, they had and still have indomitable will to focus on the positive.
Repairing Rainbows is a Powerful Story
Prepare yourself for an emotional roller-coaster ride through gut-wrenching trauma, incomprehensible loss, terror, anger, hope, tenacity and triumph. It is powerful not only in regard to the tragedy, but in the messages delivered throughout the story. This is a story of victory – of rebuilding – of the immense power of positivity.
Repairing Rainbows is a story for everyone who delights in true-life accounts of triumph over tragedy. Repairing Rainbows resonates long after you finish the book – it is an unforgettable story of courage, strength and hope.
Repairing Rainbows is described as compelling, captivating, honest, brave, and inspirational. It is a truly special story about choices – a story that reminds you that you should never give up, keep on trying, and that every storm ends with a rainbow.
There’s no template to follow that will determine the course of any tragedy and the effect it has on ones life. But the toughest decision a person has to make is whether or not they are choosing life. Whether or not you respond to a crisis with hope, is a choice. It’s a choice about whether you want to live or die. Lynda chose life.

If you would like to learn more about Linda or her book please check out her website: http://www.repairingrainbows.com/index.php

Guest Blog with DC Juris

Hi folks! ::waves:: DC Juris here. I’ll be your blog hijacker for the day! ::grins::
A question I get asked a lot is “are there any of your real-life elements in your stories?”  Usually, the answer is yes and no, more along the no side. But with my latest Breathless Press release, “Buried Treasure,” I drew on something I’d never used before – my husband’s childhood.
Hubby’s father died when Hubby was just thirteen years old. For that, and a lot of other reasons I won’t go into, Hubby ended up spending his summers with his cousin’s grandmother, Grandma M, who ran a retirement home.
Hubby recounts Grandma M as a hard-working, caring individual. She ran the retirement home out of her actual home – back in the day when things like that just went on and people were simply happy they had a place to be.  Some of her residents needed minimal care, but some needed more, and Grandma M happily did whatever needed to be done, no matter what.  She had a friendly demeanor with those in her care, often joking with them and had special nicknames for some.
Sharp-witted and dedicated, Grandma M ran the nursing home right up until she passed away at the age of eighty-three. Even her death, though, was remarkable – the car she was in got stopped on train tracks, and the driver didn’t move fast enough. Seriously.
So when the character Mark popped into my head, and told me about the retirement home where his dad lived, I knew immediately that it had to be based – loosely, of course – on the real retirement home.  Though I never got to meet Grandma M, I know from the stories Hubby tells that she’s proud of the man he turned into, and I hope she’d be touched by my little tribute. 

Buried Treasures
After his last long-term relationship ended because of his nightmares, Mark closed his heart to the possibility of finding love again. He’s certainly never considered Gabe, the orderly who works at Miller’s Retirement Home where his father lives. But there’s more to Gabe than meets the eye, and if Mark is willing to let Gabe in, he might just discover the most important buried treasure of all.

Read an excerpt HERE
Learn more about DC Juris HERE.

Guest Blog & Giveaway with Cynthia Selwyn

For the Love of Dogs (in books and beyond)…by Cynthia Selwyn

A lot of interviewers have asked me about the dog in my recent release, Dog-Gone But Not Forgotten. Pictured on the cover, Ellie is an Irish Wolfhound on a mission to get Jack Radigan, the town dog officer, and Carrie Moore, a journalist together—for good. Interviewers ask what inspired her, or just how did you get the idea for her?
The answer is simple. I have dogs and they channel their thoughts through me. (Okay, yes, I know that sounds crazy. It’s something I started doing for my children when they were small and it became a habit; every animal talks now, even though my oldest is thirteen. But we still laugh about our dogs’ comments and adventures.)
Most of the adventures of Duffy (a Cairn Terrier—think, “Toto”) and Rosie (a black and white mutt with many hunting hounds in her genes) revolve around the quest for food. Especially the kind you have to catch. Rosie, for example, loves to chase squirrels. And within the past week, the nuts on the beech trees in our backyard have ripened so the trees are loaded with the little rodents. Loads of them. Like…a million.
For the past two mornings, I’ve opened the door to the back yard for Rosie. She pauses in the doorway, freezes as she spots those squirrels thirty feet in the air—and bolts. “I’m going to eat you!” she yells as she tries to climb the tree. “Get down here, you bad squirrrls!” (As Duffy says, “Rosie has a speech pedalment”, so the word “squirrels” is hard for her to say. Especially when she’s salivating with the need to kill. But I digress.)
Squirrels bolt; the tree is alive with racing gray streaks, swirling leaves, and falling beechnuts. “Come on squirrrls! Get in my mouth! Right now! Get in my mooooouuuuth!”
And the squirrels say, “No! Go away!” and hurl sticks at her. (Okay…maybe the sticks fall naturally, but isn’t it more fun to imagine the squirrels throwing them at her, distainful sneers on their little faces?)
Meanwhile, Duffy, who prefers not to go out first thing in the morning (because he likes to sleep in) will stand there with me at the door, watching. He mutters to himself. “Stupid puppy.” Then he flops down in the morning sunshine patch on the dining room floor, able to claim it in Rosie’s absence. Later in the day, when he’s awake, he will tremble with delight and tell me, “Look at her! She runs like the wind. She is a grand hunter.”
That’s not to say Duffy doesn’t hunt, himself. He, too, is a busy hunter for the mice which have recently taken up residence in our home. (Note: the problem with giving animals dialogue is that when you probably should exterminate them, you can’t. You think of them in the trap, screaming, “Help me!” and start to cry instead.) But Duffy spends his time staring at places mice might be or have been, like under the drawer of the stove. “Come out, Mouse,” he says. “If you get in my mouth, you will be delicious and nutritious.”
Needless to say, it hasn’t happened, yet. The mice stay under the stove and say, “No. Go away.” And Rosie sometimes chimes in. “Duffles, those mice are for poop. We need to chase squiirrrls.”
The dogs provide a running commentary about what’s going on in the house, too. “Daddy is home!” they yell. “We must celebrate! The return of the alpha! I’m so excited! I will drink water!” Or, they look at my four-year-old and say, “The little person is very annoying. He has a sandwich. Let’s follow him.”
In Dog-Gone But Not Forgotten, Ellie the dog doesn’t appear to be as food motivated as Duffy and Rosie, but by the strong, almost human-like drive to get Jack and Carrie to resolve their differences and be together as they should have been had they not been driven apart by an immature lack of communication and distance. She somehow ensures that they are thrown together again and again. And she has her reasons…but you’ll have to read the book to find out what they are and why she finally succeeds. As Duffy and Rosie have told me, it’s “…a five biscuit experience. Now give me a cookie.”  


Dog Gone but Not Forgotten 
by Cynthia Selwyn
She needs to get out of there, fast.
Eighteen years ago, Jack Radigan took Carrie Moore’s virginity—and then broke her heart by marrying her best friend. Now Carrie’s Nana has died, forcing her back to Rhode Island, where she’s trying to sell off Nana’s estate before she runs into him. But Nana had a dog not even her lawyer knew about and it appears Carrie’s plan is doomed. Because the Irish wolfhound seems to have an agenda all her own, and it involves making Carrie deal with Jack—the town’s animal control officer— on a daily basis. The havoc the beast wreaks is costing Carrie a fortune. Hopefully, it won’t cost the last whole bits of her heart, too.
Jack married Becky…but he didn’t love her.
She was pregnant and he needed to be a father to the child. Now, Becky’s gone, and Carrie’s back home.  So when her dog runs amok in their town of Narragansett , it’s his job to get the animal under control. But first, he has to control his desire to kiss Carrie, the woman he was meant to marry many years before.




GIVEAWAY TIME:

Please leave a comment 
with EMAIL (VERY IMPORTANT)
one lucky commenter will get Dog Gone but Not Forgotten (in ebook form)

Giveaway will stay open until August 12th
Winner announce August 15th. 



Guest blog & Giveaway with Dianne Hartsock

I have had the pleasure of letting Dianna Hartsock take over my blog today.   The floor is yours Dianna…

The Benefits of Boredom

Thank you for having me on your wonderful site today. Would you like to know what inspired me to write my m/m romances? Boredom, to start with! My husband and I had taken a trip to Glacier National Park last summer. Beautifully romantic trip. But the long drive through the Idaho desert would have done me in, if it wasn’t for my sometimes naughty imagination.
            The air conditioner wasn’t able to keep up with the close to 100 degree weather outside. We were in a desert in the middle of nowhere! Not another living soul on the road. Hot, dry, burnt landscape around us. Scrubby brush and stones baking in the sun. Heat waves rippling across the road. Humid, sultry air in the car lulling me towards sleep…
            I’d recently written a short ghost story, The Trials of a Lonely Specter (MuseItUp Publishing, due out in October) and I began to wonder what my two men had done when they were alive. How had they met? Who would they be in the new story taking shape in my mind?
            Nevil came first. Handsome, sexy, witty. Do you know the song ‘Last of the Famous International Playboys’ by Morrissey? That’s my Nevil.
            And who would be special enough to win his heart? Someone shy and beautiful, unsure yet alluring in his own way. Definitely a temptation. Lovely Shelton.
            Now to get them together. Yum. But I couldn’t just start with them in bed, however much as I’d like to! Should I start with their first meeting, where Shelton falls helplessly for Nevil’s charm? Come on, who wouldn’t!
            Too predictable, though even as I’m writing this, I picture their first encounter in my mind, Shelton meeting Nevil’s burning glance across the room, his bones melting as the gorgeous man seemed interested in him…
But no, I wanted their relationship to be special. So I started later, with Shelton already hopelessly in love, his happily ever after still achingly out of reach. The story is about Shelton’s struggle to win Nevil’s elusive heart and not break his own.
*
Shelton in Love
Breathless Press May 13, 2011 http://www.breathlesspress.org/Book/291
 Shelton is falling hard for his best friend and roommate, finding Nevil’s dark good looks and moments of gentleness almost impossible to resist. But Nevil is more interested in affairs of the body than the heart. As Shelton’s desire for the man grows, he wonders if he can change Nevil’s mind. But does he even want to? Nevil might not stay, once he learns Shelton’s secret, and then his loneliness would be complete.

Excerpt:

            Shelton glanced up at a low whistle, feeling the tingle of a blush in his cheeks under Nevil’s appraising eyes.
            “You dress up nicely,” Nevil assured him as he stepped closer to bat Shelton’s fumbling hands away from the tie. “Let me do that.”
            Shelton concentrated on Nevil’s fingers on his tie, urging his heart to stop racing before Nevil felt it pounding under his fingertips or heard its wild patter. Nevil’s breath brushed his cheek and his spicy cologne sent his senses whirling.
Why did the man have to be so damned attractive?
            Shelton hardly noticed Tera slipping a jacket on his arms until Nevil commented on it, rubbing the silk and wool material between his fingers. “Nice.”
            Shelton glanced at his sleeve and admired the sharkskin pattern of taupe and tan and black checkers. He shrugged his shoulders, delighted with the fit and comfort of the sport coat. “A new one?” he asked Tera.
            “I’ve had the design finished for months, but couldn’t decide if it should go in my summer or fall catalogue.”
            Nevil finished with the tie and stepped back, looking Shelton up and down. “Definitely summer, though I’d wear a coat like that all year round. Almost any color of slacks would go with it.”
            “Or socks,” Shelton muttered, a reminder to himself as Nevil ran his fingers through his hair, sending sparks of desire through his body as the man mussed his curls.
            Nevil tilted his head to take in the overall affect. A lazy smile spread on his face while a warm gleam entered his fantastic eyes. “Delicious.” His gaze lingered on Shelton’s shoulders, before sliding down to his hips.
            The whirl of the camera in Tera’s hand recalled him from the tantalizing thought of Nevil’s hands on him as well as his gaze, and Shelton moved to stand under the soft light she set up to compliment the glow from the setting sun.
            He thought he’d feel awkward with Nevil watching as he posed, but instead found the man’s presence exhilarating. Shelton knew he looked his best and Nevil’s admiring attention bolstering his confidence. Ignoring the stares of a few passersby, he flirted with the camera, losing his inhibition as Tera called encouragements and clicked frame after frame, only calling a halt when the sunlight had gone.
            “These are lovely. They’ll fill out the catalogue nicely,” she commented, tilting the camera to show the men a few of her favorites.
            Nevil whistled at one in particular, where Shelton had glanced at the camera through lowered lids, a secret smile playing on his lips. The overhead light brought out the highlights in his chestnut hair and lightened his hazel eyes, complimenting the warm colors of his ensemble for an overall attractiveness.
            “You’ll need to stockpile this coat, Tera.” Nevil observed, his eyes never leaving Shelton’s. “Every man who sees that picture is going to want one for his own.” His gaze was intense and Shelton colored at the innuendo.
*
After I’d finished the story and sent it off to Breathless Press, I couldn’t just leave Shelton and Nevil like that. What happened to my lovely men afterwards? The sequel, Shelton’s Promise, takes place six months later, with Shelton just as much in love as ever, and Nevil just as carefree as before.
Shelton’s Promise
Breathless Press on July 8, 2011 http://www.breathlesspress.org/Book/345
Shelton has a gift he’s eager to give to Nevil. At a party, Nevil flirts with one man after another, keeping Shelton on his toes. Then Percy, an ex, shows up to complicate things. Despite his best efforts, Shelton can’t find the right moment to give Nevil his gift. Will Nevil ever let Shelton get close to him, or will Shelton have to keep the gift in his pocket all evening?

Excerpt:

“You naughty boy. So this is where you’ve been hiding.” Andrea leaned against him, and Shelton could smell the gin on her breath. He scrambled to his feet as the woman brushed his lap with her hands. He wished Andrea would try to seduce another one of her husband’s gay friends at the party. Between her and Nevil, his head was reeling.

As if conjured, Nevil appeared at his side, handing Shelton a full glass of something golden. Percy laughed spitefully, and they both glanced at him. “I didn’t know Shelton liked girls,” Percy drawled, waving a hand at Andrea.

The woman lounged back on the couch as she sipped her martini, her hot gaze traveling from Shelton’s shoulders to his dark slacks.

Nevil looked back at Shelton. “Neither did I,” he said, interested.

Before Shelton could answer, someone pushed between them. The interloper threw an arm around Nevil’s neck and then kissed his cheek.

“Michael!” Nevil grinned at the attractive brunet. “What brings you here?”

“I’m with Sara Gibbs. And who’s this gorgeous man?”

Shelton blinked when he realized the stranger meant him.

“This is Shelton,” Nevil replied, slipping an arm around Shelton’s waist.

“He likes girls,” Percy put in nastily and raised his glass as Shelton glowered at him.

“Is that so?” Michael remarked, his tone cheery in contrast. “How nice. Oh, Nevil, that reminds me…” Michael pulled Nevil aside. Shelton watched their animated conversation a moment, curious how Nevil knew the man, then moved across the room to the wall, needing something to lean against as the last drink began to take affect.

Shelton floated, pleasantly dizzy, but he hadn’t had enough to drink to numb the stab of jealousy when Nevil leaned over Percy’s chair and whispered something in his ear. The man looked into Nevil’s face and laughed, a tinge of color in his cheeks.

Seeing them together, Shelton thought of the jewelry box in his coat pocket and wished he’d had the balls earlier to give it to Nevil. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever have the nerve. What if Nevil didn’t want it? Irritated with himself, he made his way through the crowd to the kitchen, intent on finding the bottle of bourbon he’d seen on the counter earlier.

GIVEAWAY TIME…….

Winner’s choice of either of Shelton’s book 
To Enter: 
Please leave me a comment with EMAIL!!!
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Giveaway will be open until August 12th 
Winner Announced August 15th


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