Category: Spotlight Feature

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Spotlight Feature & Giveaway of The Red Serpent by Rishabh Jain

The Red Serpent Trilogy 

Book Summary (condensed)

The Red Serpent Trilogy presents a highly evolved vampire to fear: cold and callous, powerful and dangerous, possessed by mystic promises and destroyed only by silver. It is the year 2021 — the human world has degraded, its inhabitants unworthy of the supernatural gifts bestowed upon them. Compelled by ancient prophesy, an ancient vampire army takes the human race by force, sparing few lives. They await the second coming of their king, Anaxagoras, which will hurl the world into a final battle that will free the vampires from their infinite hiding. But by the hands of fate, there is one human who may save his entire race.The Red Serpent Trilogy is a celestial fusion of science fiction and fantasy, unfolding conflicting intentions for the survival of both the human and vampire races. But in a world ruled by supernatural and mythological forces, there is only room for one race, and neither will go easily. The few survivors of the fatal vampire onslaught escape to an asteroid space station, Regnum, where they thrive as they keep an attentive watch on the vampires on the earth below. But unbeknown to himself or anyone else, Alex, half human half vampire, holds the keys to secrets that will help him realize his duties and cement his fate as either a human or a vampire.The Red Serpent Trilogy Book Summary (full)
“The evils of the World in which Anaxagoras shall come will be caused by the unworthy people of the world. Our race shall come unto the Earth and bravely wage war with them . . .”

In 2021, the Vampires attacked Earth and decimated the human population. After a fierce and bloody battle, war commander John Howe led the forced evacuation of the humans to the gigantic orbiting space station Regnum, and the human refugees have been there ever since.

Then one day, General Howe’s orphan nephew, Alexander, uncovers a terrible secret about his past — and that he may be the subject of prophesy.

“Two decades later, a new kind of evil, a Falsifier, shall come unto the Earth . . .”

The boy’s world is turned upside down when Gareng, the Vampiric General, reveals his own family ties to Alexander. As the two grow closer, Gareng begins to question the wisdom of his people waging Vampiric war on the humans. But Gareng’s own son will stop at nothing to seize control and eliminate the humans once and for all . . .

“There will be a second coming of Anaxagoras, when the sun is blocked by the moon . . .”

After learning his true origins, Alexander finds himself in an impossible situation: he must choose whether his allegiance lies with his mother’s people, or with his father’s — and condemn the other to certain doom.

“In the End of Days, the Falsifier shall challenge Anaxagoras for the fate of the world…”

But migra is thicker than water, and as Alexander embraces his role as Falsifier, he begins to hope that there could be another way.

Can Alexander forge a peace between the two warring factions — could he and Gareng ever convince the Vampires to agree — or will prophecy reach its bloody final chapter as Earth is plunged again into unrelenting war?

Rishabh Jain‘s Bio: (full)

Rishabh Jain was born in the city of Kanpur, in India, in 1990. From a young age, he displayed remarkable traits of creativity and inventiveness. When a young boy of 8 or 9 years old, Rishabh left his father (himself an electrical engineer) shocked and speechless one day, when he managed to make an asymmetrical and unbalanced structure made of blocks, with which he was very fond of playing, stand stable for 2 to 3 minutes, blissfully unaware that the laws of physics and mechanics made it impossible.Rishabh entered Pathways World School in 2003, an International Baccaulaureate School on the outskirts of New Delhi, in the 8th Grade. Here, his multidisciplinary talents and interests blossomed in the creative environment of an International Level School. He was awarded an Academic Merit Scholarship from Pathways World School, for the academic years 2004-05 and 2005-06 (his 9th & 10th Grades). Being an absolutely ardent fan of and enamored by the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the Harry Potter series, it was his dream to write a story of his own as a “Trilogy.” This was the inspiration from which he conceived the genesis and plot of this current book The Red Serpent Trilogy, and he finally realized his dream and completed the book in 2006 and was issued the copyright to the same in January of 2007.Rishabh completed his High School (10th Grade) in 2006, with an award of Distinction from IGCSE, Cambridge. He participated in “Harvard Model Congress Asia” (a three-day student conference organized by Harvard University, where selected students were invited from around the world to take part in simulations of the United States Congress) in Bangkok, in September 2006. He also was a participant in Ryan International School’s Indian Model United Nations (INMUN) in 2006, which was a three-day simulation of the United Nations, wherein he received a Certificate of Achievement.

While studying for the International Baccaulaureate Diploma (11th & 12th Grades) in the same school, Rishabh participated in and won 1st prize in two competitions (one for extempore speaking and the other for debate) in VIVUM Bangalore (India). He also built a Bio-Gas plant during a Community Service Project in a village of Rajasthan near Rathambore National Park. Rishabh was democratically elected by the student body for a period of two years (2007 & 2008) as a member of the Student Council (consisting of a total of twelve members representing the whole school) — a most responsible and keenly contested and coveted position.

Due to the peer recognition of his multidisciplinary talents in Creative Writing, English, Literature, and General Knowledge, and his unique ability to relate to people, Rishabh was also elected as the Editor of the Annual School Magazine Rewind. In June 2007, Rishabh participated in “GLOBAL YOUNG LEADERS CONFERENCE” (GYLC) in Washington & New York. This was a global conference, where approximately 200 international students from various countries around the globe were invited to attend. The conference lasted two weeks, with one in Washington and one in New York. He was awarded “Youth Leadership Award” in recognition of meritorious achievement in scholarship, leadership and citizenship.

Due to his exemplary performance in GYLC in 2007, he was invited to attend a week-long program, and as a special guest among a very few selected international students, attended the appointment and swearing-in ceremony of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the USA, in January 2009. After earning his International Baccaulaureate Diploma (11th & 12th Grades) in 2008, from among a large number of offers from various prestigious Universities, Rishabh entered the Mechanical Engineering program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he presently resides and is currently pursuing his engineering degree. Amid his grueling schedule of Engineering studies, Rishabh has almost completed a 2nd book, which is a space science fiction adventure & love story.


Paperback
Price: $12.99
Publisher: AJ International Press
ISBN: 9780984752201
Pages: 131
Release: 2007Buy link: (coming soon)
http://the-red-serpent-trilogy.com/


Excerpt:
Chapter 1
Blessed Mother and Child
The year 2025

It was past young Alex’s bedtime and his mother came by his room to tuck him in. He said to his mother, “Mom, since it’s my birthday, will you tell me a story, please?”

“Yes, dear, I will,” she said sweetly to him, patting his back as he lay down on his bed, and she tucked him in. “This is a legend about a world different from ours. It was a world filled with people like us, and was bigger than the Monolith of Faith, and had a great big round shape.”

Alex’s eyes widened; he had never known of anything bigger than the Monolith of Faith. It was the largest monument in his world.

“It had large amounts of water, which separated places as big as our world. The people there were many, who dwelled in peace and harmony, until one day flying humans, the vampires, killed them and took over their world.”

“Mommy,” interrupted Alex, “What are vampires?”

“They’re these monstrous creatures, who have long teeth and—”

“As long as my teeth?”

“No, even longer.” Alex was perplexed. Everyone at his school made fun of him because of his long teeth, but now he was amazed that there were people who had longer teeth than his. Unfortunately, such people existed only in his mother’s myths and legends, not in real life. “Anyway, they also were able to use powers, which burned the trees, and kill humans by drinking their blood.”

“Wait a minute, what are trees?” he asked in confusion.

“They are like O2s*,” answered Minerva.

“Are they still alive?” asked Alex curiously.

“Yes, they are,” said his mother, with anger and sadness in her eyes.

“What happened to the other humans?”

“Go to bed, it is too late now,” she said in a hushed voice, and then kissed him on the forehead.

* In Alex’s world, the trees were given a special name due to their extraordinary properties.

Giveaway Time: 

I have one copy of The Red Serpent to giveaway.

*US only*

Please leave a comment and your EMAIL address

Posted on

Spotlight feature of Donna Grant’s Dawn’s Desire

ISBN-13: 978-1466807457Ebook
OnlyDark Kings #3
September 25, 2012

Dawn’s Desire

For centuries, the immortals knows as the Dragon Kings have hidden their shapeshifting powers from the world. But when a mortal enemy threatens to expose them, the warrior Banan must leave his secret lair in the Highlands, risk his life for the dragons within – and resist the temptations of human love…

Jane Holden has never considered herself beautiful. But when the impossibly handsome Banan casts his gaze upon her, smoldering with sensuality, she feels like the sexiest woman on earth. Banan, however, is a man on a mission. He refuses to succumb to this modern woman’s charms – or his own desires. Two of his warrior brethren have already surrendered to forbidden love. But as the danger closes in, Banan realizes that he needs to possess Jane – mind, body, and soul. For she is more than his match.

She is his destiny…

Excerpt: 

Jane Holden twisted her ankle as she stepped onto the elevator. “Damn,” she muttered and leaned a shoulder against the wall so she could take her weight off the injured ankle.

“Beautiful shoes.”

For the first time, Jane realized she wasn’t alone. She looked over at the blond beauty and realized who she was.“You’re Elena Griffin. I’m glad you’re back, and so very sorry about Sloan. It was such a tragic event.”

Elena’s smile was forced, but Jane didn’t hold it against her. She’d been through a traumatic experience in that awful mountain in the Highlands of Scotland.

“You’re from the States as well?” Elena asked, her sage green eyes kind.

Jane looked at the floor to hid her embarrassment over her clumsiness and tenderly put some weight on her ankle. She wasn’t surprised Elena hadn’t noticed her before. No one ever noticed her unless she was being her usual klutzy self.

Whereas Elena was stunning, and literally stopped men in their tracks with her wavy blond hair and green eyes, Jane was plain. She’d prayed as a little girl that she would grow out of the nickname Plain Jane, but she’d not been so fortunate.

Her features were too stark, her eyes too large, and her lips too full. Her hair was an awful shade of auburn. It was almost as if couldn’t decide to be brown or red.

Jane cleared her throat when she realized she hadn’t answered. “Yes. Seattle, actually.”

“What brings you to London?”

She was wondering how to answer Elena when the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Jane stayed in the back corner as Elena stepped onto the top floor of PureGems and was immediately surrounded by people.

Jane watched her for a moment. She envied how easily Elena was around people. It wasn’t until the doors began to close that Jane leaped forward to stop them and dropped her armful of papers in the process.

Her body prevented the doors from closing as she hastily gathered the spilled papers and straightened. She swallowed and smiled when she realized everyone was staring at her with a mixture of laughter and horror.

Jane was forever doing stupid things. Apparently, being a klutz had been programed into her DNA. Her mother had often joked that it took skill to fall on a flat surface, which Jane did often.

All Jane knew was that it was mortifying.

She straightened her pencil skirt with her free hand and walked to her desk praying she made it without incident. After plopping the mound of papers on her desk, she sat down with a sigh.





 












Banan


Banan has never had a problem using humans to help further hide the Dragon Kings. Not once has he ever thought twice about lying regarding who he was to get what he wants. After all, he’d been one of the Kings who had fought to save mankind.


But all that changes the moment he sees Jane Holden. It’s his duty to get close to her and discover any secrets she might have regarding the Kings, but when her life is threatened, Banan doesn’t hesitate to save her. Or show her who he really is.





 




Dragon Color:
Dark Blue




Power:
Hallucinations




Favored Region:
Mountains
























Donna is Giving away a Kindle or Nook copy of


Book 2 in the Dark Kings series, Night’s Awakening


to one lucky commenter today!




Be sure to check out ALL the Stops on Donna’s


Dawn’s Desire Blog Tour for new blurbs every day ~


and a new chance to WIN!











Oct. 3rd ~~ www.simplyali.com








Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She’s the author of more than twenty novels spanning multiple genres of romance—Scottish Medieval, dark fantasy, time travel, paranormal, and erotic. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Sword, features a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her husband, two children, a dog, and three cats in Texas.




Learn more about Donna Grant and her books here —


http://www.donnagrant.com/category/books/?series=dark-kings


The Dark Kings series is a spin off the Dark Warriors series and Dark Sword series.




 




















Read all three of The Dark Kings Books ~~










Dark Craving

Dark Kings #1

July 31, 2012		
Night’s Awakening

Dark Kings #2

August 28, 2012		
Dawn’s Desire

Dark Kings #3

September 25, 2012		








	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Spotlight Feature of DARE by Kacey Hammell
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		
DARE


By Kacey Hammell




Contemporary Erotic Romance


Availableat Evernight Publishing


www.evernightpublishing.com


 


Legal secretary, Olivia Warner enjoys being single and, aside from her closest gal pals, usually keeps to herself. But the night of her thirty-fourth birthday, she and her friends spend a fun-filled evening at a local bar where her friends dare her to approach a man, and spend the night with him. Olivia’s not one to turn down a dare, especially from her old college pals. She only hopes the man in question is in for some good conversation, because that is all she’ll give him.


 


Darren “Dare” Shalvis has given up on women. He’s tired of being chased for his money, good looks, and prowess in bed. He prefers to meet a woman who, for once, wants nothing more from him than mere conversation. If only the woman asking him to spend the night with her wasn’t his favorite legal secretary.


 


Accepting a dare has never been so tempting…


 


 


 


Excerpt © Kacey Hammell


 


She gave a small laugh and lifted the glass for a drink.


Dare watched her lips as she drank. He wondered what they’d taste like. It was something he’d considered many times lately.


He was drawn to her, but unsure he’d ever act on it.


Her whole demeanor said ‘hands off.’ And he wasn’t sure he was ready for the challenge.


“Tell me about it.”


“I’ll cut right to the chase.” As he turned on the stool, their knees brushed. Neither moved.


He thought he saw her eyes lit up. Perhaps Ms. Warner wasn’t as immune as he thought.


“My friends brought me here tonight for my birthday.”


“Happy birthday.”


She smiled. “Thank you. The jury’s still out whether it’s happy or not. My friends decided that as a present they’d get me a man.”  She blushed and reached for her drink.


“Go on.” Intriguing.


She set down her glass and continued, “They dared me. Dared me to find myself a man and spend the night with him.”


Women…who understood them? He’d only ever participated in dares when he was younger. He didn’t think anyone took them seriously anymore.


“And you need my help, how?” Dare’s heart rate accelerated. She wasn’t asking him to…


She stared up at him, her gaze steady. “I need you to spend the night with me.”


If he hadn’t heard it with his own ears, he wouldn’t have believed it. This night was the strangest he’d had in a long time. It was as if he’d been offered a million dollars on a silver platter.


Of course, he wanted to spend the night with her. He’d fantasized about it many times. He just wasn’t clear on what exactly she was asking. He didn’t want any misunderstandings. “Are you asking me to spend the night with you to…” Dare cleared his throat. “…be with you?”


“Oh! No, yes, I mean no. Dammit, I’ve screwed this up.”


“Relax.” He put a hand on her knee. “It’s okay. Let’s try this—do you want me to have sex with you?”


Olivia groaned. Dare love that sound, and heat filled his groin.


“No. Not to have sex. God, this is mortifying.” Olivia placed her hand over his where it still rested on her knee. “Just to spend the night together—a movie, hang out, whatever—until eight a.m., when the dare is over.”


Dare laughed. She talked so fast he could hardly keep up. He’d never seen her so animated before. He liked her flustered and breathless…a lot. He wondered if she looked and sounded like that during sex.


He couldn’t go that route. Not now.


“Okay, so let me get this straight. You want us to spend the night together—with no sex—until morning? All because of a dare? Why didn’t you just say no?”


“I can’t. In college, the five of us made a pact—in blood, for God’s sake—that we’d always be friends and never back down from a dare. Trust me, right now, I wish I’d never made it.”


He chuckled. “Yes, I can imagine how you feel.”


“I’m so tired after the day we had. This was the last thing I needed tonight.”


“Yeah, when I stopped by the office today you seemed a bit irritated.”


She sighed and ran her fingers over his hand. Dare was surprised how comfortable it felt to have their knees and hands touch. He didn’t think Olivia was even aware she caressed his hands…or wreaked havoc on his libido. If her innocent touches could send him into overdrive, he wondered what would happen if she put all she had into it.


“It was the day from hell. I just wanted to meet the girls for a few drinks, then head home to soak the day away.”


Dare grit his teeth and tried not to think of Olivia in a bathtub—water floating around her body, relaxed, languid. The image could send him over the edge.


“Well, you’re in luck. I’m your man for the night.”


Olivia smiled and her eyes danced.  “Thank you. I really appreciate it. The last thing I wanted to do was have to pick up some random guy. I’m so glad you were here.”


Pleased he could help her, Dare grinned. He realized he wanted to anything to put that carefree smile on her face.


“So.” He took a sip of his beer. “What do you want to do?”


She scowled. “Well, we could go back to my place. I have a spare room that you can crash in if you want.”


Surprised, Dare took in her flushed face. “Are you sure?”


She nodded. “Yeah. We don’t exactly have to stay up all night. It’s still spending the night together, right?”


He chuckled. “Yeah, in a manner of speaking. Your friends weren’t specific.”


A smug smile crossed Olivia’s face. “No they weren’t. Which is a testament to how much they thought this through. I would have made a list of do’s and don’ts.”


They both laughed. Olivia had a naughty streak and he liked it. Liked it—and her—very much. A night with Olivia Warner wasn’t what he’d expected.


Sure, he’d thought of her in his bed often, writhing and moaning with passion, but he never thought fantasy would become a reality. He couldn’t let the opportunity go.


His buddies didn’t call him Dare for no reason. He could never resist a challenge.


He placed both hands on her shoulders, drew her gaze from her glass, and put his cards on the table.


“What if we have an agreement?”


She frowned. “What do you mean?”


“For us to spend the night together, we should have some ground rules.”


“Ground rules?”


“I will spend the night with you. More than eager to do so, except one thing.”


“What’s that?” she whispered. He barely heard her but saw her lips move.


He wanted to taste them, desperately.


“I don’t want to sleep in any spare room.”


“You don’t?” She gawked at him.


Her expression was comical but Dare didn’t feel like laughing.


“No. I want to spend the night in your room.” Dare had her full attention. She stared at him, eyes wide. “In your bed.”


 


Readers can learn more about Kacey’s books/contact her via …


Website/Blog


Facebook


Facebook Author Page


Twitter


Amazon


Goodreads


 


Giveaway:


Follow Kacey on Twitter — https://twitter.com/KaceyHammell — then leave a comment here that you did along with your @Name, and you’ll be entered to a $5 Starbucks Gift Card. Open to all.  Winner will be drawn from those new twitter followers on Sept 24.


 


	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Spotlight Feature of Naughty Little Bedtime Stories by Tamaris Soana
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		
Naughty Little Bedtime Stories


Bedtime storp your night.


Naughty Little Bedtime Stories contains twelve short stories that will arouse your senses. You’ll find stories that contain light bondage, food play, ménage (m/m/f), and other erotic events. Each story has a different setting and couple who explore all things naughty in and out of the bedroom.


Content Warning: adult language, graphic sexual situations


Purchase: Beach walk Press




Excerpt:


EXCERPT FROM Strawberries and Whipped Cream


We ate dinner, drank some wine, and talked about our week. Maybe tonight I would finally pop the question. After cleaning up, I refilled our glasses.


“Did you get something for dessert?” Emma asked.


I smiled. “Yes, I did. Why don’t you go into the living room and make yourself comfortable while I get it ready.”


“Okay. Are you sure you don’t need help?”


“I’m sure.”


After she left the kitchen, I gathered the bowl of strawberries and can whipped cream from the fridge. I walked in the room to find her on the couch, sipping her wine. I sat down next to her and placed the food on the coffee table.


“I love strawberries, but why the can of whipped cream?” she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.


“Close your eyes. No peeking,” I whispered in her ear.


I took a strawberry and traced her bottom lip with it. She opened her mouth slightly, and I allowed her to take a small bite. A low moan escaped her lips, and my dick twitched in response. I began to feed her another piece of fruit. My cock was getting harder by the minute as I watched her lips wrap around the strawberries.


“I want to feed you one,” she said as she opened her eyes.


“I have a better idea. Close your eyes,” I said in a deep voice.


Emma sighed and closed her eyes. I picked up a strawberry and touched her bottom lip with it, and she opened her mouth to take it in. I leaned in and bit the other end, letting our lips meet and eliciting a faint squeal from her.


“Would you like some whipped cream?” I asked her as I grabbed the can and shook it.


“Yes,” she whimpered.


I squirted some whipped cream on her bottom lip. She seductively licked them while looking at me lustfully. I groaned, shifted to adjust myself, and placed my lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around me and the kiss deepened. Our tongues rubbed against each other. She tasted like whipped cream. Pulling away, I placed kisses down her neck and made my way to her chest. I lifted her shirt over her head. She was wearing a pink lace bra.


“Beautiful,” I whispered as I reached around her and unhooked her bra. I slid the straps off her arms, placing more kisses on her neck. “Lay back,” I told her as I took my shirt off.


I unbuttoned her jeans and slowly unzipped them. She lifted herself up as I slid them down her amazing legs and threw them on the floor. She was a sight to behold in just a pair of pink boy shorts.


“Do you trust me?” I asked.


EXCERPT FROM Instant Attraction


We walked out of the restaurant and down the hall into the main lobby of the hotel, my eyes scanning for any photographers. I really didn’t want my face all over the tabloids tomorrow.


“I had a great time meeting you today. So, what now?” Slade asked as he looked deep into my eyes.


“I don’t know,” I whispered. I didn’t want the afternoon to end.


“I don’t want to leave you just yet, Jewel,” he whispered in a sexy tone.


I bit my bottom lip and started to fidget. “Then don’t.” I took a deep breath, trying to figure out everything that was racing through my head. “Would you like to come to my suite for a drink, maybe?” I couldn’t believe I’d just asked him that, but I knew what I wanted, and at the moment it was him.


“I thought you’d never ask.”


We stepped in the elevator and the doors closed. We were alone. Before I could process what I was doing I was kissing him. The simple kiss set all the nerves in my body on fire. The elevator stopped and I pulled away as the doors opened.


“This is my floor,” I said breathlessly.


We walked into the hallway in silence. The tension between us was so strong. We reached my suite and I swiped my card to open the door. I could feel his gaze on me, it was making me nervous and turning me on at the same time. My stomach was in knots as I walked in, but not the bad kind of knots, the I-want-to-jump-him kind of knots. He was making me crazy. I truly just wanted to go with what I was feeling. I was so attracted to him. As soon as the door shut Slade pushed me against the wall and started kissing me.


“Jewel, you are so alluring,” he said as he kissed my neck.


“Slade,” I moaned. I could feel how hard he was as he pressed harder into me.


“I want you,” he said as his hand grazed my breast. “Do you want me?”


“Yes!” My heart was pounding in my chest as I led him to the bed. His urgent lips were on mine. He unzipped my sundress and it fell to the floor, leaving me in only a black lace bra and thong.


“So sexy,” he whispered in my ear as he kissed my neck.


 


About the author: Tamaria Soana is middle-aged but feels like her life has just begun. She writes contemporary romance stories with a high heat level that always end with a ‘happily ever after’. Growing up, she loved to read and make up new places in her head to escape to. In her late teens she began writing short stories and poetry. It wasn’t until her late thirties before she began to spin a full story.


She’s married and a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful young girls. They reside in Western New York. Cuddling up with a good book under an electric throw is her way to escape the cold Buffalo nights.


Besides writing, she co-owns Shades of Rose Marketing and Shades of Rose YA Marketing, and she also hosts a talk show on Talkshoe called Live with Tamaria ~ Giving Authors a Voice.


You can find Tamaria at the following places:


Blog / Twitter / Facebook


	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Spotlight Feature of A Baron in Her Bed by Maggi Andersen
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		


 


A Baron in her Bed


Author: Maggi Andersen




Series: The Spies of Mayfair Series


Genre: Historical Romance (Regency Romance)


Publisher: Knox Robinson Publishing


Paperback/Ebook


Expected Publication: September 6th, 2012


Book Description:


London, 1816. A handsome baron. A faux betrothal. And Horatia’s plan to join the London literary set takes a dangerous turn. Now that the war with France has ended, Baron Guy Fortescue arrives in England to claim his inheritance, abandoned over thirty years ago when his father fled to France after killing a man in a duel. When Guy is set upon by footpads in London, a stranger, Lord Strathairn, rescues and befriends him. But while travelling to his country estate, Guy is again attacked. He escapes only to knock himself out on a tree branch. Aspiring poet Horatia Cavendish has taken to riding her father’s stallion, “The General”, around the countryside of Digswell dressed as a groom. She has become bored of her country life and longs to escape to London to pursue her desire to become part of the London literary set. When she discovers Guy lying unconscious on the road, the two are forced to take shelter for the night in a hunting lodge. After Guy discovers her ruse, a friendship develops between them. Guy suspects his relative, Eustace Fennimore is behind the attacks on his life. He has been ensconced in Rosecroft Hall during the family’s exile and will become the heir should Guy die. Horatia refuses to believe her godfather, Eustace, is responsible. But when Guy proposes a faux betrothal to give him more time to discover the truth, she agrees. Secure in the knowledge that his daughter will finally wed, Horatia’s father allows her to visit her blue-stocking aunt in London. But Horatia’s time spent in London proves to be anything but a literary feast, for a dangerous foe plots Guy’s demise. She is determined to keep alive her handsome fiance, who has proven more than willing to play the part of her lover even as he resists her attempts to save him.


Purchase Links:


Pre-Order Amazon:  HERE


 


About the Author: 


Maggi Andersen and her lawyer husband are empty nesters, living in the countryside outside Sydney with their cat and the demanding wildlife. Parrots demand seed, possums fruit, ducks swim in the stream at the bottom of the garden, and the neighbors chickens roam their yard providing wonderful eggs. She began writing adventure stories at age eight. Three children, a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing degree later, her novels are still filled with adventure and suspense, but are also passionate romances. Georgette Heyer among others, brought inspiration to her seductive Regencies .


Find Maggi Andersen at:


Website: http://www.maggiandersenauthor.com/

Blog: http://maggiandersen.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @maggiandersen


 


 


	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Spotlight Feature & giveaway with Kacey Hammell
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		
AWAKENINGS


In the Arms of the Law, Book 2


Available at Decadent Publishing




With her old flame back in her life, and on the trail of a killer, Detective Alicia Knowles is forced to face the past as she tries to make decisions about her future…


Detective Alicia Knowles once believed there was good in everyone. Not anymore. After a harrowing experience, her life had changed and she was a very different woman. Now more dangerous, she moves through the darkness of her once sunny world, unsure what to do with her pent up feelings of fear and anger.


Even her new boss, Cole Douglass, makes her feel out of control. One night, years ago, he made her feel things she’d never felt with any other man. This time it can only be business between them.


With her latest case, however, temperatures flare.


Their passion is rekindled as the search is on for a missing child and a murderer on the run. Can Alicia protect her heart from the most dangerous power of all…love?


© Kacey Hammell


She turned around. Their chests brushed, and she gave him a half-smile. “I know Hannah might not blame me, but I do. A few more moments, it’s all we would have needed. I’d change it if I could.” When Cole opened his mouth, she placed her fingers on his lips to silence him. “I can’t, but I vow to do whatever it takes to catch this son-of-a-bitch.”


Alicia tried to convey the sincerity of her promise as she stared into his eyes. For Hannah, and this man, she’d do whatever she could to bring peace to their family once more.


“I know you would. But you can’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. We’ll get him.” He raised his hand to her cheek and pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her face. Her breath quickened at the light touch. Her body stilled.


The air crackled with electricity. She was sure he could feel it, too; the tension rolled off his body like waves in the ocean. To walk away would be the best thing to do, but for the life of her, Alicia couldn’t get her feet to move.


“You know what, Ali?” His voice was soft and powerfully seductive. “You know what I remember most about our night together?”


Alicia’s hand clasped his wrist, below where his fingers rested lightly on her cheek. She wanted to fall into his arms, burn beneath his touch again. They’d never talked about it and she was curious to know what he remembered.


She remembered it all.


Every touch and sigh. Every kiss and pleasure she basked in.


Through many a cold and lonely night, she cherished the memories of Cole’s hard body pressed against hers, pushing her against the mattress—and the wall and the bathroom counter—but she marveled at how he’d made her feel like more of a woman in one night than she’d felt in all her adult years.


Her voice hoarse and scratchy, she whispered, “What do you remember?”


“Our fire.”


When his mouth claimed hers, her body ignited with long-repressed emotions. Hunger, mind-blowing hunger, rattled through her. It was so hard to breathe.


 


 


TIED DOWN


An “Edge” short story


Available at Decadent Publishing




Connected to In the Arms of the Law Series


The time has come for Brady Jacobs to grab hold of the woman he loves and their future. But his lady, Isabella Knowles, is skittish. He knows she’ll bolt at the mention of twenty, forty or sixty more years together.


He needs to handle this with precise planning, tools to seduce and never give her a moment to flee.


Brady will tie her down, pleasure her, push her further than she’s ever experienced.


Then he’ll ask her …


© Kacey Hammell


Isabella stirred at a tug on her ankle. She shifted, not in any way eager to wake up.


Snuggling her cheek deeper into the pillow, she sighed. The web of slumber curled around her as she relaxed again.


At the shuffle of footsteps and a thump, she stirred. Her eyes flew open and she lifted her head. As she shifted to her side, she gasped.


Why couldn’t she move?


Jesus, what the hell? 


Danger screamed through her mind while she took in the room around her. Right where she’d fallen asleep, in Brady’s bed.


No need to fear for her safety. Right?


“What the fuck is this?” Damn the bindings around her wrists and feet. “Brady!” she screamed. She’d kill the bastard who dared to enter their personal space. Cripes, if he’s been hurt, she’d carve out their hearts and throw the bodies in the ocean.


“Brady!”


“I’m right here, babe.”


His head appeared over the foot of the bed. Her heart skipped a beat. Safe. Her head fell back in relief. She’d die if something happened to him. Could never relive him ever being hurt again. She’d barely survived once before when he’d been stabbed and almost blown to bits. She did not ever want to go through anything like it again.


“You okay, babe? These scarves aren’t too tight, are they?”


So lost in her own thoughts, she forgot she lay there, tied like some prisoner.


“What the hell? What’s going on?” He knelt at the end of the bed. She gaped as she took in her naked body, the scarves holding her legs and arms captive. Her heart rate accelerated. She had no control over any of this. Desperate to get out of the ties and the situation, she pulled hard, jerked her limbs to escape their captivity.


“Fuck! Goddamn it. Let me loose.”


Purchase Illusions & Awakenings, which precede this story, at Decadent Publishing


Giveaway


~ To enter to win a chance at a Coffee Mug (which says “Detectives Love Handcuffs”) plus author swag, simply leave a comment/question below.


Winner will be chosen Sept 15th


*open to everyone.  Kacey will pick winner on the 15th*


	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Spotlight feature of Heart of the Ozarks by LeeAnn Sontheimer-Murphy
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		


Amazon | B&N


After St. Louis TV weathercaster Cole Celinksi loses his almost estranged wife and three children in a car crash, his boss orders him to take a leave of absence.  He heads to the quiet side of Lake Taneycomo in the Ozarks, to a resort he visited as a child.  On arrival Cole learns that his old summer friend Maggie runs the place and before long mutual attraction ignites.  Before he can heal, he must learn to deal with his loss and to see if he can create a new family with Maggie and her children.  It’s a task he’s not sure he can handle but if he wants to be with Maggie, he must.  A near tragedy brings them all together into a close knit unit and afterward, Cole may be able to make his dreams reality.




 


 About the Author:


Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy writes romance from sweet to heat, from historical to contemporary.  She grew up in a blue collar neighborhood in the old river town of St. Joseph, Missouri where the past always seemed close enough to touch.  Her Granny shared stories of love and life and when Grandma took her along to the beauty shop, Lee Ann learned more than any child should about romance!  As soon as she could, she did her own field research into the subject.


Her romance novels for Rebel Ink Press include Love Never Fails, Witness Protection Program, Sing We Now of Christmas, A Patient Heart, In Love’s Own Time, Miss Good Samaritan, In The Shadow of War, Guy’s Angel, Heart of the Ozarks, Dustbowl Dreams, Kosovo Stories: Two Hearts, One Love, and Devlin’s Grace available now or coming soon. Her Champagne Books titles include Kinfolk, A Time To Love, Long Live The King, and coming in March 2012, Urban Renewal.  Evernight Publishing offers her Love Covenant series as well as the stand-alone Wolfe’s Lady and Red In The Hood.   She has numerous other writing credits in fiction, non-fiction, and other media.


Lee Ann is a member of Romance Writers of America, Missouri Writers Guild, and the Ozark Writers League.  She earned a degree in both Communication Arts and History from Missouri Southern State University as well as a degree from Crowder College.  She spent a decade working in broadcast media and interviewed everyone from pro-league baseball players to country music icons and politicians.  She now lives in a small Missouri town in what passes for the suburbs.  Her husband, Roy, and her three children share her life along with her adorable Jack Russell terrier, Jackson.


Website / Facebook / Twitter


	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Cover Reveal of Violet Midnight by Lynn Rush
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		
Violet Midnight (Violet Night, #1), by Lynn Rush

Release Date: October 15th, 2012




Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press


Preorder HERE


Back Cover Blurb:


 Let the Hunt begin…


Blending in with her college co-eds proves difficult for vampire Hunter, Emma Martin, considering the mystical tattoo on her wrist glows whenever Vamps are near. And after three months of silence, the glow is back with a vengeance.


Jake Cunningham witnesses Emma, a violet-eyed beauty, using unimaginable powers to fight off a fanged creature. Finally, after two years of searching, he may have found out what he’s become—a Hunter, like Emma.


Thankful for an ally in the fight against the Vamps, Emma finds hope and comfort in Jake’s arms. As she learns more about her new love’s family and its dark heritage, she may be forced not only to hunt them but to sacrifice her life to save Jake’s soul.


 


Book Trailer by the amazing Rachel Firasek: http://youtu.be/obt-pEKwxT4


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


 What people are already saying about Violet Midnight…


“Buffy had better watch out…Emma Martin is one hunter to watch!” –Cynthia Eden, National Best-selling Author


“Lynn Rush does it again!” –Lynda Hilburn, author of Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist series


“Violet Midnight had me at the start and wanting more in the end. Love, danger and excitement plus so much more we love in a paranormal read! I loved it and it’s a for sure read of 2012!” –Paranormal Book Club


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


Add Violet Midnight to your Goodreads list


Find Emma Martin on Facebook and Twitter


Find Lynn Rush on Facebook and Twitter


***A portion of all proceeds donated to American Cancer Society***


~~~~~




	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Playing to Win by Jaci Burton
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		
Someone’s going to have to let down their guard…




Release day 9/4/2012


Amazon | B&N


Football star Cole Riley is notorious for doing as he pleases—on the field and off. He parties hard and fights harder, but if he doesn’t clean up his act, his career is over—so Cole reluctantly agrees to work with image makeover consultant Savannah Brooks. He’s not used to being told what to do, especially by some (admittedly hot) southern belle. As for Savannah, she’s not convinced she can transform this cocky (and aggressively sexy) force of nature. But she’s determined to give it her best shot.


 When the sparks start to fly, Savannah lays down the ground rules: no personal complications. If she can turn off the tingle she feels every time Cole gives her a hot stare, he can turn off his desire as well. But for two people determined to have it all, a hands-off policy can only last so long before one of them yields.


Excerpt:


“So what’s your conclusion?” Cole asked.


“This is just a preliminary analysis, but my belief is that you have anger management issues.”


He let out a snort. “I do not.”


Savannah speared a leaf of lettuce, and didn’t argue with him.


“Seriously. I don’t have anger management issues. Or any other kind of issues. I told you last night, the media lies. They blow everything out of proportion.”


“What about your issues with the teams you’ve been on?”


He shrugged. “Personality clashes. I’ve just been on the wrong teams.”


“I see. And you think it’ll be different with the Traders.”


“Yeah. I’ve already connected with them. This is a good fit for me.”


“So assuming this team is, in fact, a good fit for you and you have no skirmishes with anyone on your team, from players to management, what about your personal life?”


“What about it? I told you it’s not me, it’s the media.”


She laid her fork down and dabbed at the corners of her mouth with the napkin. “To some extent, you’re likely correct. The media has a tendency to overdramatize and exaggerate. But if you don’t give them anything to work with, they have nothing to report. You give them plenty, so even if what’s there is minor, they have the opportunity to blow it up.”


“That’s bullshit.” He pushed his empty plate to the side and finished his glass of water. Mike was right there to refill it, then blended into the darkness of the restaurant again. “I don’t give them anything. They make shit up.”


“You also have an issue of not being able to accept blame for your actions.”


“If I’m wrong, I’ll accept blame.”


She raised her fork, then paused, her lips lifting in a hint of a smile. “Let me guess. You’re never wrong?”


Irritation spiked. He pushed it down, refusing to get into an argument with her here. “I didn’t say that. And you’re baiting me.”


“I’m not baiting you, Cole. We’re having a conversation. Your anger is quick to spark. Once it does, you don’t back down. That’s why you get into trouble so easily. And so often.”


He sucked in a breath, trying to keep control. “So is this an exercise to see how fast you can piss me off?”


“No.” She looked down at her plate, then back up at him. “It’s lunch.”


“You think this is funny.”


“I wasn’t making a joke. I’m trying to get you to understand that you’re angry for no reason. We’re having a conversation. A conversation that you’ve turned into what you think is me attacking you.” She pushed her plate to the side and drew the file folder in front of her, opened it up and pulled out photos and articles. “If you’d like, you can explain these photos and altercations. Give me an understanding of you, of what was happening during these events.”


He took the photos. “This one was at a club. I was kicking back with some friends, and suddenly there are ten cameras in my face. Lights are popping, they’re pushing the woman I was with just to get closer to me. What the hell was I supposed to do? I shoved them out of the way so I could get my date out of there. She was freaked out.”


He pulled out an article, this one from some tabloid rag that said he’d been drunk and passed out in a club. He snorted. “Paparazzi tripped me while I was trying to get away from them. So they take this photo of me lying facedown in a club and then print that I’m drunk and passed out.”


At her dubious look, he shot her a glare. “I don’t drink during the season. It affects my performance. Look at the date.” He handed the article back to her.


“October fifteenth.”


“Exactly. Deep in the middle of the season. No alcohol. You can go to the club owners and ask them.”


She filed the article away. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”


“This one, I was out with my parents. My parents. That’s news? It was their anniversary and I wanted to take them out to dinner. Some place nice and quiet and the goddamned media shows up. I’m not an actor. I’m not Hollywood. I’m just a jock. Taking my parents out to dinner isn’t newsworthy. Yet they stalked me and hounded my parents, blinding them with their cameras.”


“Did you bring a date that night?”


He frowned. “What?”


“When you took your parents out to dinner for their anniversary. Did you bring a date?”


“Yeah.”


“That’s why you had the media stalking you. You’re a hot commodity, Cole. You have big endorsement deals, you’ve done commercials, and you’ve been known to date high-profile women. That makes you attractive to the media. Next time you want to take your parents out for a quiet dinner, don’t bring a date.”


“It shouldn’t matter whether I want to bring a date or not. The media should leave me alone.”


She smiled at him. “What you want and what you’re going to get are two different things. You’ve been in the NFL for six years now, and you were hot even when you played college ball. If you don’t want this life, then maybe you should consider retiring.”


He was about ready to let Peaches hoof it back to her car. “That’s a bullshit suggestion.”


“And you’re a whiner. You have a great career, you make more money than most of the people in this country will ever dream of. You have a ton of perks, you can retire before you’re forty and live a life of luxury—provided you’re financially astute and haven’t pissed it all away. Yet you’ve cornered yourself into a terrible reputation and your career is hanging by a thread. What? Fame, money, and success aren’t enough for you? Are you unhappy?”


He pushed his chair back, pulled a wad of bills out of his wallet, and threw them on the table, then tossed some extra at her. “You can take a cab back to your car, Peaches. We’re done here.”


He walked out.


Now that was the Cole Riley she’d researched. Savannah took a deep breath and reached for her glass of iced tea to take a sip.


Carmen came over. “Are you all right, dear?”


She smiled up at the woman. “I’m just fine. Thank you for asking. I believe Cole left more than enough money to cover the bill.”


She clasped her hands together. “He always does. He’s very generous.”


Yeah, he was generous all right. She left the money he’d thrown at her, figuring Mike could use it. She pushed back her chair and stood. “The meal was wonderful, Carmen. Thank you so much.”


“It’s so unlike Cole to be so, to be such a . . .”


Jerk? Asshole? Prick? Baby? Seemed to her he’d acted just as she’d expected. Exactly as the profile had indicated. She laid her hand on Carmen’s arm. “It’s quite all right, Carmen.”


“Men. They’re difficult to understand sometimes. My Fred. Most of the time he’s so warm and loving. And then sometimes I’d like to bash him upside the head with my cast-iron skillet. Of course they’d arrest me if I killed him, so I call him names instead.”


She couldn’t imagine a mean word coming out of the tiny woman, but Savannah laughed. “Well, yes, killing them is illegal.”


Carmen linked her arm with Savannah’s. “They’re all a pain in the ass every now and then and require a lot of patience. But the great sex is worth it.”


Savannah blinked. “I’m sure it is. Thank you again for lunch, Carmen. I’ll just call a taxi.”


“You wait in here, then. It’s hot outside.” Carmen wandered off and Savannah stared after her.


Clearly Savannah had a lot to learn about men and women and relationships. Right now she was happy to be single.


She pulled out her phone when she walked outside, surprised to see Cole parked at the front door. He was leaning against the passenger-side door, his arms crossed in front of him.


“So maybe I do have a temper.”


She slipped her phone in her purse and walked toward him.


“And maybe I can be an asshole.”


She put on her sunglasses and tilted her head back.


“I’m sorry,” he said. “But not everything in your super secret file there is true.”


“Then start proving me wrong instead of proving everything in it is right.”


He clenched his jaw, but then he gave her a quick nod. He moved away and opened the door for her, helped her up, then climbed in on his side.


“Where to now?” he asked.


“I’m yours to command. Take me wherever you’re going.”


He relaxed his shoulders, shot her a grin, and started the car.


At least he didn’t stay angry long. Point in his favor.


 


	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Spotlight Feature of Night’s Awakening by Donna Grant (giveaway too)
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		
Night’s Awakening


by Donna Grant


Book 2 in the Dark King’s Trilogy




ISBN-13: 978-1466807440


Ebook Only


Dark Kings #2


August 28, 2012


Fueled by dragon magic, the dark immortal warriors were never meant to feel human desire, much less fall in love. But when Guy, a member of an ancient order of shape-shifting warriors, meets Elena Griffin—a mere mortal whose beauty and blind ambition shakes him to his core—all bets are off…


Having left America to explore the Scottish Highlands, Elena suddenly finds herself lost in a dark cave—alone, injured, and utterly hopeless…until Guy appears from out of nowhere. Is she dreaming her own rescue when she falls into his arms? A man—and a passion—this strong is too good to be true. It’s only a matter a time before she learns the truth about the flames in his heart. And the dragon in his soul…


Meet the hero ~










Guy


















Guy is wholly unprepared for his life to be shaken to its very core when he saves a woman who has trespassed onto their land and decided to go caving in their mountain. While everyone else is worried what she might have seen, Guy is more concerned with the way he can’t stay away from Elena or her very tempting lips.


Never once has he turned his back on his fellow Dragon Kings, but for Elena he would do anything just to keep her near him. Even if it meant going against everything it was to be a King.

































Dragon Color:


















Red


















Power:


















Erase Memories


















Favored Region:


















Desert










Read a snippet from Night’s Awakening ~~


The three forged ahead, their focus now on discovering where the woman was. They searched for almost two hours before Guy saw a flash of light in the darkness.“There,” he whispered, and pointed.


Banan and Rhys were on his heels as they made their way to the light. Guy wasn’t sure what he expected to find, but it wasn’t the sight of a woman slumped over either unconscious or dead.


She’d taken off her helmet so that her wealth of dark blond hair could be seen. It was held back in a ponytail, but the wavy locks that had come loose to frame her face made him want to see the rest of it down as well.


The woman sighed and turned her face toward him, and the beam from her hard hat crossed her face. Guy was arrested by the fragile beauty.


Her heart-shaped face was smudged with dirt on her forehead and chin. Her nose was small and her forehead wide, but she had incredibly high cheekbones and a mouth made for sin.


Guy looked at those tempting lips and felt his balls tighten. He took a hasty step back, and touched his chest as something peculiar seemed to move within him.


“What is it?” Banan whispered.


He ignored the question because he couldn’t explain it. It had begun five months earlier with Hal. The dragon magic they had used to bind their feelings so as never to be betrayed by a human again somehow stopped working with Hal.


Hal not only felt emotions for humans but fell in love with one. Cassie had proved herself to Hal, and to Con and the rest of them. Which had been a good thing, because no amount of dragon magic could reinstate the spell on Hal.


Guy thought something special had occurred with Hal and Cassie, something that might not happen again for hundreds of years.


Yet, there was no mistaking the feeling within him was stronger than the lust he usually felt. It was lust, but . . . there was more.


As if he just now realized what was missing from his life, as if a part of him was missing.


He lifted his gaze to find Rhys and Banan staring at him curiously. Guy gave a nod and squatted behind the woman while the other two knelt before her.


Be sure to check out more stops on Donna’s Dark King’s


Book Blurb Tour for more snippets!! 


The Next Stop on the Tour is ~


http://maw25.wordpress.com


Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She’s the author of more than twenty novels spanning multiple genres of romance—Scottish Medieval, dark fantasy, time travel, paranormal, and erotic. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Sword, features a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her husband, two children, a dog, and three cats in Texas.


Learn more about Donna Grant and her books here —


http://zcrazyartist.blogspot.com


http://www.donnagrant.com/category/books/?series=dark-kings


The Dark Kings series is a spin off the Dark Warriors series and Dark Sword series.




 








Dark Craving

Dark Kings #1

July 31, 2012		


Night’s Awakening

Dark Kings #2

August 28, 2012		


Dawn’s Desire

Dark Kings #3

September 25, 2012		












GIVEAWAY TIME: 




Today’s prize will be a Kindle or Nook copy of Book 1 in


The Dark King’s trilogy, Dark Craving!


To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter from below.




a Rafflecopter giveaway




	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Spotlight Feature & giveaway of Lisa Renee Jones’ “If I Were You”
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		


If I Were You


Fifty Shades of Grey meets Basic Instinct


Book 1: If I Were You


Book 2: Being Me


Book 3: Revealing Us


He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.


More About IF I WERE YOU


How it began….


One day I was a high school teacher on summer break, leading a relatively uneventful but happy life. Or so I told myself. Later, I’d question that, as I would question pretty much everything I knew about me, my relationships, and my desires. It all began when my neighbor thrust a key to a storage unit at me. She’d bought it to make extra money after watching some storage auction show. Now she was on her way to the airport to elope with a man she barely knew, and she needed me to clear out the unit before the lease expires.


Soon, I was standing inside a small room that held the intimate details of another woman’s life, feeling uncomfortable , as if I was invading her privacy. Why had she let these items so neatly packed, possessions that she clearly cared about deeply, be lost at an auction? Driven to find out by some unnamed force, I began to dig, to discover this woman’s life, and yes, read her journals—-dark, erotic journals that I had no business reading. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I read on obsessively, living out fantasies through her words that I’d never dare experience on my own, compelled by the three men in her life, none of whom had names. I read onward until the last terrifying dark entry left me certain that something had happened to this woman. I had to find her and be sure she was okay.


Before long, I was taking her job for the summer at the art gallery, living her life, and she was nowhere to be found. I was becoming someone I didn’t know. I was becoming her…


The dark, passion it becomes…


Now, I am working at a prestigious gallery, where I have always dreamed of being, and I’ve been delivered to the doorstep of several men, all of which I envision as one I’ve read about in the journal. But there is one man that will call to me, that will awaken me in ways I never believed possible. That man is the ruggedly sexy artist, Chris Merit, who wants to paint me. He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.


All I know for certain is that he knows me like I don’t even know me, and he says I know him. Still, I keep asking myself — do I know him? Did he know her, the journal writer, and where is she? And why doesn’t it seem to matter anymore? There is just him and me, and the burn for more.


Excerpt:


Rounding the corner, I enter the hallway, and Chris is suddenly there in the narrow passage with me, pressing me against the wall, his powerful thighs framing mine.


My hand goes instinctively to his t-shirt-clad chest. I am immediately aware of the intimacy of the touch, of my body’s reaction to the man who has betrayed me. “Don’t shove me against another wall and try to intimidate me, Chris.”


“I’m not trying to intimidate you. I was protecting you, Sara.” His hands move to my waist, scorching me, and my reaction to the sizzling touch is instant. I cover his hands with mine, trying to control what he does next, but it doesn’t help. Now, my hands are on his hands and his hands are on my body.


“Call it what you want,” I ground out, “but you had no right to do what you did.”


“He had to know he couldn’t manipulate your dream. Money, and my many resources at your disposal, does that.”


His words knock my anger and my breath away, and confusion consumes me. His actions and his words conflict at every turn. “Why would you help me? You said I don’t belong in this world.”


“Because I won’t watch him gobble you up and destroy you.”


I remember his words, and understand now that he wanted me out of this gallery, not this profession. “Because he’s a dark, messed up, arrogant asshole who will play with my mind and use me until there is nothing else left of me I recognize.”


“That’s right.”


“And yet you say you’re worse.”


He stiffens and cuts his gaze, seeming to struggle before fixing me in a turbulent stare. “I am, Sara, which is why you should run as far away from me as you can. And I should step back and let you.”


“Then why aren’t you?” I whisper.


His eyes hold mine, and what I see there, the depth of his desire, overwhelms me. He flattens his palm on my belly and I tremble beneath the touch, and he has to feel it too. “Because,” his voice low, seductive, his hand traveling up the center of my body, “I can’t stop thinking about you, and everything I want to do to you, everywhere I want to touch you.”


His hand presses to the swell between my breasts, and my nipples ache with a wish he would touch them. His boldness ignites something sultry and dark inside me, a side of me that defies the good-girl school teacher who is appalled I haven’t stopped this. I want him. I want him here and now, and any way I can have him.


And when his gaze lowers to my mouth and lingers, I know he is thinking about kissing me and I have never wanted to be kissed so badly in my life.


“Do you taste as good as I think you do?” he asks, but he doesn’t wait for my reply.


Suddenly, his fingers have tunneled into my hair and he’s dragging my mouth to his. I am all soft submission, yielding to the moment, to the man. I melt into him, welcome the hardness of his body pressed to mine. And when his tongue presses past my lips, a long, wicked caress, I taste his hunger, his need. There is possessiveness to his kiss, to his hand on my back, molding me closer. I am lost in the ache that has become my need for this man, this stranger I cannot resist. He says he’s protecting me; he says he’s dangerous. I am conflicted, and sure I should be angry with him, but I am completely incapable and unable of processing why.


 


GIVEAWAY TIME:


IF I WERE YOU is a story of self discovery. The heroine finds a journal in a storage unit and begins reading. She starts to fear for the woman who wrote it and seeks her out. In doing so she changes and so does her life. Suddenly, she is living out her career dreams and there are several men in her life, and they push her to the sensual limits. But where is the woman who wrote the journal? Is she okay?


To win a $10 Amazon gift card….


To Enter:


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Also….there is still time…


Want to win $75? I draw every week on Saturday through August 24th. Every time IF I WERE YOU hits 100 new bookshelves I draw for $75. If it hits 500 new shelves that week I draw for $75 5 times. You can win more than once.


The details are here:


http://www.lisareneejones.com/win-75-every-time-if-i-were-you-sells-100/


 


  


	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Spotlight feature of “Life Cycle” by Zoe Winters
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		
Life Cycle


Preternaturals #4


by Zoe Winters









Immortality can be a bitch…Tamara has lived nearly two thousand years, trapped by a spell of her own creation. Hunted by her enemy and former lover, she knows there is only one man strong enough to release her from the curse. But will Cain honor her death wish, or keep her for himself, whatever the cost?


Two ancient souls. Two weary fighters, torn between love and hate, forced to decide if the other could be worth living for.


Heat Level 3 of 5.

Some sexually explicit content and innuendo.






Life Cycle Excerpt


Used with Permission.


Copyright © 2012 Zoe Winters.


Prologue


123 A.D. A hidden cavern near the waters of the Blue Grotto in Italy.


Tamar shivered with her twelve companions. They were about to attempt their most daring incantation. An opening at the top of the cavern allowed the light from the full moon to shine down on them, illuminating their secret gathering and adding its own power to the unfolding ritual.


Salt water splashed on her from a waterfall in the nearby pool. They’d searched for the water of immortality, a legend that had spread since before her birth. Far and wide, people had spoken of water that could make a person eternal and young.


But it wasn’t the water that conferred immortality. It was the creatures that lived inside the water. They were transparent and hard to see, with spongy tops and long tendrils on the bottom that could sting if you got too close. They didn’t die. Instead, they could age backward, reaching the end of their life, and then, without dying, start over again.


“We’ll freeze to death if you don’t hurry.” Tamar glared at the man in the middle of the circle. The irony of freezing to death while seeking immortality caused her to stifle a dark laugh.


“The potion must be altered with other ingredients unless you want to come back as a newborn each time. You’ll find that frustrating,” Jacob said. He was their leader and the best with potions.


Tamar made a face, but huddled closer to her sister, Naomi, for warmth. A circle of salt had been poured around them. Candles were already lit. A large stone had become a makeshift table upon which the coven leader worked. The sea creatures had been pulverized and added to an iron pot. He poured the herbal infusions into the potion.


Jacob passed a sharp knife to the person on his left. “Each of us must contribute blood to the potion or it will fail. The magic is in this creature, but they have no blood. Our blood must bond with this animal if we hope to succeed.”


“Are you sure that’s necessary?” Naomi asked. Tamar nodded her agreement. Cutting themselves and mixing their blood seemed extreme. What would be the consequences of linking together eternally?


“I am sure,” Jacob said, losing patience with their squeamishness. Magic like this had a price, and they all knew it. But the consequences always showed themselves when it was too late.


One by one they sliced the center of their palms with the ritual knife and added their blood. Jacob stirred the concoction with a wooden spoon; it smelled like death. When he was finished, he dipped a silver goblet into the brew.


“We each drink and then we chant,” he said, passing the goblet.


Tamar couldn’t help feeling pride at the chant she’d written. When they’d all drunk, they clasped hands and turned their faces up to the moonlight. The cavern echoed their words back to them. “Da immortalitatem. Renatus sine oblitus. Numquam moriens. Da immortalitatem. Renatus sine oblitus. Numquam moriens…”


And then they all died.


Tamar jolted as oxygen flooded into her body. Something felt very strange. Had the spell worked? She glanced around at her companions, each of them coming back to life one by one.


“We’re all children.”


 


Chapter One


 


Golatha Falls, Georgia. The Present.


Tam perched on the bar stool in her kitchen, still as death. Her third cup of Earl Grey tea cooled on the counter, ignored. Normally the warm brew calmed her nerves, but nothing would comfort her today.


She’d read her tarot cards, tea leaves, and scried with a bowl of water and sea salt. Everything she tried gave her the same morbid story. The death card glared back at her, mocking, and though she’d told many others—sometimes truthfully, sometimes not so much—that the death card didn’t always mean death, she knew this card said her number was up.


Jack—as Jacob was called now—was back, and he was after her. She fought to keep the tremor out of her hand as she raised the tea to her lips. He wouldn’t offer her a quick death. It would involve a cold stone slab, bleeding to death, and having vital organs removed. Ritualistic, because ritual was how you got the most effect out of stealing a fellow magic user’s power.


Tam had considered herself a cycler since the night she was reborn in that cavern nearly two thousand years ago. True to Jack’s word, each time they died, they came right back in their own younger body, looking for all the world to be about twelve years old—an inconvenience to say the least. Tam had been shuffled from orphanage to orphanage each time she began a new life cycle.


This last time she’d gotten lucky and been adopted by a well-to-do family who had taken her in and put her through a good school. The thought was nice, though pointless, given how many times she’d already suffered through school.


Cyclers kept their memories, their sense of continuity. They were effectively immortal, just like the rare breed of jellyfish they’d discovered so long ago.


Jack had only been actively hunting the other cyclers for a few centuries. He’d gone power hungry, convinced he could stop the cycle altogether and achieve true immortality by draining the power of his coven. Magic users aged differently—the more magic, the longer they could live. But it wasn’t just that. She knew him. He had an angle—something more than a personal quest for immortality.


If murder was his new hobby, his purpose for gaining all that power couldn’t be good. If he was going to get her anyway, suicide seemed the smarter option. It would free her to be reborn the normal way and keep her safe from a more brutal death at Jack’s hands.


But it wasn’t so simple. There were two ways she could die for real—and two ways only: at the hands of another cycler, or through magical means by a very old preternatural being, such as a demon or vampire at least a few thousand years old. Those were hard to come by, and their killing methods were usually too creative for Tam’s taste. She wanted to break the cycle, not be tortured.


Either way, she’d managed, through this latest cycle, to stifle the suicidal urge. Until now.


The image of the demon she’d chosen formed in her mind. Cain. The very first incubus. If he couldn’t kill her, nobody could. And he hated her. It should be simple enough to get him to agree, assuming she could find him. She’d dropped him in front of his badass pals a couple of times already with energy balls. He was probably plotting her death at this very moment.


Anna might know where to find him, since she was mated to a demon, but Tam hadn’t seen her best friend in three months. It wasn’t as if Tam had directions to the demon portals or a way to get through to their dimension even if she did. If Anna surfaced in the human dimension, Tam could do a spell to locate her, but who could say when that would happen? And would it be before Jack reached her?


Deep in her gut, she knew she was going to die—either by Cain’s hand or by Jack’s. As arrogant as the bastard was, Cain’s methods would at least be pleasurable. Bleeding out and organ removal versus orgasms. Gee, how do I decide? They both sound so glamorous and exciting.


***


 


Cain snarled as he passed through the portal point into Cary Town, Washington. The filmy dimensional doorway shimmered and then fizzled out of existence as he moved through the forest away from it. He couldn’t believe he’d allowed himself to be summoned by the vampire king. Half-breeds.


He’d thought his business with Anthony was finished when Cain had delivered his don’t mess with us again or there will be a war speech the last time they’d met. But now there was a bigger evil brewing, something that risked the living standards of all the factions—and possibly their lives.


Even his newly turned succubus and her werewolf mate would be at the meeting, which was going to be awkward to say the least, given that they all hated Anthony. And the feeling was mutual. How this was going to go with everybody in one room, he couldn’t say. Officially, the werewolf pack was banished from Cary Town. If someone saw them slinking through the night to Anthony’s penthouse, things would get entertaining.


The demon nodded at the guardian in the lobby of the Cary Town Luxury Apartments. This meeting was being kept on the down-low. The Preternatural Council had been shut out. Even most of the vampire king’s coven didn’t know he was fraternizing with the enemy and holding a secret meeting in his former penthouse residence. Cain stepped onto the elevator and pulled out the key he’d been given to gain access to the sixth floor.


The door at the end of the hall was answered by a vampire who looked more like a butler. “They’re on the roof by the pool, sir.”


Cain took the stairs two at a time. His presence announced itself as the metal door clanged against the brick. All eyes went to him, and he smirked.


“Well, well, looks like the gang’s all here.” And what a motley crew they were.


Anthony stood at one end of the table beside an overhead projector and portable screen that had been plugged into an outlet embedded in the brick.


At the table were several familiar faces. Beside Anthony was his human mate, Charlee. Coming around the table was Cain’s brother, Luc, and his annoying mate, Anna. Then there was Jane, the new succubus who was mated to Cole, the Cary Town werewolf pack alpha. The rest, he didn’t know.


“You’re late,” Anthony said, bristling. “We’ve been waiting, and Charlotte needs her rest. The baby takes a lot out of her.”


Cain’s eyes cut to the vampire’s mate. She was so pregnant she’d pop any day now. If this meeting was about her and her spawn, heads were going to roll. If he didn’t care about a half-breed, he sure as hell didn’t care about a quarter-breed.


“I was detained. These things happen. Lovely little school teacher. I made some third graders very happy today. Or they’ll be happy tomorrow, anyway.”


Cole growled from his seat beside Jane. “You killed a woman, you mean.”


Cain chuckled. “My god, man, what is it with you and this obsession with killing? Which one of us is the demon? Perhaps amongst your kind third graders are happy when their teacher dies. She’s… just a little spent. She’ll have to take a sick day tomorrow.”


He dropped into a chair at the end of the table where he could most easily glare at and annoy Anthony. Since Cain wasn’t killing him right now, annoying him would be the second best thing. He didn’t like that Anthony was in charge of this meeting. The vampire king was practically a child next to Cain’s eight thousand years. It should be seniority rule.


The vampire cleared his throat. “Sitting next to you is Father Hadrian who is one of mine… And over here is our resident sorcerer, Dayne, and his lovely werecat, Greta.” Anthony leered at the brunette beside the sorcerer and Greta gripped Dayne’s hand tighter.


“Therian, not werecat! You know I hate that term,” Greta hissed.


“Whether you like it or not, it’s accurate.”


“Really, Anthony?” Charlee said, an irritated expression on her face at her mate’s goading.


The vampire chuckled. “What? Is it my fault your friend is so easy to mess with?”


He took a clear plastic sheet with writing on it and placed it on the overhead projector. “I apologize for being so vague as to the purpose of this meeting. Half of you are officially enemies, but if I go to the Preternatural Council with this, my vampires will all know, and I’m not prepared for it to go public yet. We can go back to hating each other after we’ve eliminated the threat.”


Anthony flipped on the light of the projector, and an electric buzz filled the silence. “I had this letter reproduced onto a transparency for our purposes. In case the context doesn’t spell it out to you, we’ve been contacted by Jack the Ripper. He’s still alive, and he’s one of us.”


“You couldn’t just use a computer program?” the werewolf asked. Cole was the most tech-savvy of the group.


“Don’t try, it won’t get you anywhere,” Charlee said.


Dear Boss, 


I’m back. You didn’t take the threat seriously last time. Shame on you. Did you not understand my joke? It wasn’t for the common people. It was for the others. Was “from Hell” not a big enough clue? It’s where we all are, after all. 


When I’ve killed the other cyclers, I’ll change the world. There are 13 of us, a perfect coven. The first kill was an accident, the second an experiment. Whitechapel was only three. You were wrong. It wasn’t five. Those and others were copycats all wanting Ripper’s glory.


Since then, there have been four more, but I’ve been quiet as a mouse, giggling at my funny little games. With you in power, I thought I’d make this interesting. Only three left to kill; catch me first or Hell is mine.


Yours Truly,


The Cycler


Don’t mind the new trade name. The old one was stale, and this one will give you something new to chew on. A new mystery to solve. Do better this time. The stakes are higher now.


P.S. Have fun when the human media gets this letter. I’ll give you a head start. Tick, tock.