Saturday, August 31, 2013

My Sexy Saturday ~ Excerpt from THUNDER

Finally remembered to post a "My Sexy Saturday" tidbit.  It's been a hectic week. In  the midst of a promo tour for HEAT WAVE, SLEEPY HOLLOW released in paperback and ebook!

So here's an excerpt from THUNDER,  Book 2  in my Sleepy Hollow series of 1Night Stand stories. It's part of the 5-book SLEEPY HOLLOW anthology.




She tried to ignore the torrid gaze that immediately focused on her mouth. She had to be imagining that. All she could think about right then was his mouth. The way his lips would feel on hers, bruising and commanding, as he plunged his tongue in and out, the way his mouth might travel downward, blazing a fiery path to her breasts, her inner thighs, her…. Another second under his scorching perusal and she’d spontaneously combust.

“Clearly, it’s a mix up then,” she managed to strangle out at last. “So if you don’t want to….”

“I didn’t say that.” He let go of her hair, hesitating briefly, as if it was the last thing he wanted to do. Instead, he blotted his own, towel-drying the rich brown locks with vigor. The chandelier hanging in the cathedral ceiling high above them picked up sunnier highlights she’d never noticed before. “And I’m damn sure it’s no mix-up. Madame Eve doesn’t make mistakes.”

As if to confirm his words, another burst of thunder blasted her ear drums. She almost leapt into his arms. His absorbed demeanor told her he wouldn’t have minded if she had. A crystal bead of water meandered down his chest, matching the casual, erotic way his drawl deepened. “Besides, princess…I’m not going back out there in that storm.” His last words held the merest hint of sheepish ruefulness, as if he were offering her some sort of apology.

“Afraid you’re stuck with me tonight.”

She relaxed the tiniest bit, searching his blue eyes, their drowsy glint sexy and tantalizing. Cripes. In another second she’d be ripping off what remained of his clothes and tumbling him to the marble floor.

“That blush is a good look for you,” he mused, as he took her in. As he took all of her in. “I wonder if you’re so rosy every—”

“We should get you out of the rest of those wet clothes, Mr. Jones.”
 
 
 

Buy the SLEEPY HOLLOW Paperback only at Amazon  US | UK | DE
 
Buy the E-book at Amazon US | UK | CanadaDE |
 
And be sure to to check out the other "My Sexy Saturday" authors at http://mysexysaturday.blogspot.com/

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Nana Prah's LOVE THROUGH TIME


Choosing a book cover color

 

Today Taryn and I have swapped blogs. We are each talking the colors of our book covers. If you miss her too much, then head on over to my blog to see what she had to say about her book cover. 

 As you can see I chose purple for the cover of my novel Love Through Time. I’ll admit that I love all things purple.  It’s interesting how a color can draw it to you so much that even if an object you don’t like is in that color then it suddenly becomes more attractive. The cover art was done by Jennifer Gibson.
 
The heroine, Jasmine Gibson, experiences a few of her past lives. Although the concept is considered to be paranormal in today’s society, I see it as more of a spiritual view of thinking. The soul travels from life to life attempting to find, learn or even become more that what it is. For me this is a spiritual quest. The color purple represents one of spirituality and this was the main driving force for choosing this color.

But mostly I loved the color. 
 

BLURB:
 
Defending her family – no problem. Recalling past lives – maybe just a small problem. Taking a chance on love again – well…

Jasmine Gibson has her world turned upside down when she meets gorgeous Sean Taylor. He’s the first man she’s been attracted to since her fiancĂ© dumped her two years ago. But when the disturbing daydreams start, Jasmine begins to fear that her actions in a past life may have finally caught up with her.

Sean finds it impossible to stay away from Jasmine even though he can’t shake the inexplicable feeling of betrayal, simmering deep inside him every time he sees her.

To complicate things, someone is out to hurt Jasmine and every time she and Sean are together, the police have to be called. Even if Jasmine can make Sean trust her, the two of them may not stay alive long enough to enjoy their love this time around.

 Excerpt:

She was coming to terms about their past lives, but he was having trouble just dealing with her in this one.

“I must have been a great man in previous life,” Sean said jokingly, but Jasmine’s expression turned serious as she held onto the doorpost. “Are you all right? Are you getting lightheaded?” 

“No, I’m fine.”
 But he could tell something was bothering her. “Now you’re holding something back from me.” 

“Do you believe in past lives?”

  “I haven’t thought about it. I’ve seen so much in my travels around the world that I wouldn’t be surprised if it existed. Do you?” 

“I think it might exist, and the thought about coming back and making your soul better is very appealing. At the same time it could be painful, especially if you hurt someone else in a past life and met them again in another.” 

Sean felt a chill go up his spine. He knew there was something more to this conversation, but he couldn’t pin point it. He wanted to stay and talk with her about it, but he had to get back to studying. 

He leaned down and kissed her cheek. It was nothing but a friendly kiss, but he felt the shock of it straight down to the soles of his feet. Jasmine looked just as affected as he was. 

 
BUY LINKS FOR LOVE THROUGH TIME: 
 Black Opal Books | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |Smashwords|ARe    

Find Nana at:
 
Twitter: @NanaPrah
 
     BIO:

Nana Prah was born in Ghana, West Africa, raised in the US and currently resides in Ghana where she loves her job as a writer and nurse educator. She has been writing since she can remember (in her journal) and has been an avid reader of romance novels since the eighth grade. She has finally been able to utilize the years and years of inadvertent research into writing her own romance novels where love always conquers all.

 

Nana is giving away 3 $10 Amazon gift-cards at the end of the blog tour through rafflecopter. Enter for a chance to win!
 



 
 

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

SLEEPY HOLLOW!

 
 
 Out Now in Paperback and E-book!
 

 
Buy the Paperback at Amazon

Buy the E-book at Decadent Publishing | ARe
 
 “Sexy sizzler to make your heart zing!” ~NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer Probst

 

Welcome to steamy Sleepy Hollow, where lightning strikes, the temperatures are HOT, and the erotic sparks fly!

You wouldn't think three sultry succubi sisters, two sexy fire-demons, a reluctant witch and a couple of mega hunky mortals would need hook-ups courtesy of Madame Eve's ultra-exclusive 1Night Stand agency…but hey, the dating scene can be rough, even if you've got extraordinary paranormal powers and live in a mystical village populated by supernaturals…where things tend to go bump in the night.
 
Taryn Kincaid's erotic 1Night Stand stories, LIGHTNING,THUNDER, FROST and HEAT WAVE are a little snarky, a lot smokin' and will melt your heart! And then BLIZZARD will set you aflame!
 

 

Saturday, August 24, 2013

HEAT WAVE Sexy Saturday Snippet


 
“I know why you’re out of control,” he murmured. “I probably would be, too.” Probably? No freakin’ doubt about it. His own leash neared the snapping point.
Her eyes reflected her confusion “You do?”
Motherfucker! Had he said that out loud? Even if he’d correctly guessed why she’d been acting out, the dingy club corridor didn’t exactly come equipped with an armchair psychoanalyst’s couch. Not that he was in any position to play how-do-you-feel-about-that with her.
He shook his head, trying to clear it. Don’t fucking lose it now, pal. Get a grip. Regain control. Rein yourself the fuck in. More difficult when she stood so close. Im-fucking-possible. But by the unholy get of Lilith, she smelled good. Like the Cinnabon stand at the mall. His guilty weakness whenever a regal assignment took him topside to the human plane.
 
        But better than that. Spicier. Muskier. As if trickles of rich mocha, dark chocolate, a hint of pepper, and brain-melting sex had been swirled into the alluring bun recipe. His mouth practically watered. He wanted to devour her.
 
 
Amazon: US | UK | Canada

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Cate Masters' CHARMED


So pleased to have Cate Masters, one of my favorite Decadent Publishing pals, with me today, to preview CHARMED, Book 2 of her The Vitruvian Man series for Decadent's Tease line.Please welcome her!              
Charmed
 
                 Dark fantasy, paranormal romance
                           Coming Aug. 20 1013
                           Decadent Publishing
                           www.decadentpublishing.com
                               
Blurb
Brought together by accident, bound by fate—and magic.  Love works its charm over Bruno DiCesare and Melina Weaver during his transformation from beast to man. But love likewise blinds them to the secrets each holds. Bruno thinks his secret will devastate Melina. Melina’s afraid Bruno will hate her for what she’s become. Neither guess the greatest danger lurks outside their door – and will force them to decide between love and life itself. 
Excerpt
Wow, so fast. Melina held Bruno’s hand until his grasp went slack. The treatment seemed to take effect almost as soon as he’d swallowed it. He shouldn’t react immediately; his body should be able to handle it better by this time. Unless Eldie increased the dosage?
Suspicion drew her gaze to the bottle. Of course she couldn’t tell by sight, and she had no idea what ingredients the sorceress had used in the other preparations. She shouldn’t have agreed to it so readily, nor trusted Eldie so blindly. In any other situation, she’d have asked to review the complete specifications.
She stroked Bruno’s arm. I wanted him cured for me as much as for himself. If her selfishness harmed him in any way, she’d carry that guilt forever. Try to make it up to him forever.
For now, she’d have to occupy her mind with something else or drive herself insane. His deep breaths meant he’d sleep for at least a day.
A hushed sigh sounded from the other room.
“Eldie?” Back so soon?
No answer came except for a slight rustle. She crept to the curtain. “Who’s here?”
Even as she asked, she sensed a presence unlike any she’d encountered before. Everything remained as she’d left it, the lamp glowing in the center of the table, laptop beside the scattered books. Lucky the sorceress hadn’t seen them. Luck, or something more.
She returned to the volume she’d left open. A page rippled, lifted straight up and fell over. Another muffled sigh escaped. Melina. The whisper so slight, it was barely audible. Yet without a doubt, she heard her name.
She traced a finger down the spine. It quivered beneath her touch like the plucked string of a guitar. With a gasp, she jerked her hand back.
Uncertain she hadn’t imagined it, she repeated the move and got the same result.
How? She pulled the chair close to the table and examined the pages. Nothing out of the ordinary, except perhaps how finely executed the handwritten entries appeared, each letter as perfect as the last. Almost like they’d been printed to fool the eye of a curious reader. An Italian reader. If only these were in English.
The longer she studied the text, the clearer it became. The letters blurred, shimmered, then shifted, rearranging themselves into… English. She didn’t need to enter the words into the translator site on her laptop, she understood every sentence.
She ran her fingers lightly over the page. The letters shifted again, scattering at her touch, as if she’d disturbed the surface of a pond.
“What the…” It changed back to Italian, the letters appearing to float. She swirled a fingertip across the surface, and the words formed a swarm, like a school of fish following bait. Like fish, they seemed to nibble at the tip of her finger. Impossible, but it tickled.
Fascinating. But this silliness got her nowhere. She’d never learn anything if this kept up. “Stop.”
The scripted words froze in a jumbled, nonsensical order.
She hovered her hand above the passage, and the letters stretched up off the page in tall columns to meet it. The pull of the connection reached inside her skin, as if it had been magnetized.
This is crazy. But obviously it’s not. It’s happening. It’s real.
  
Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Cate loves to hear from readers! Email her at: cate.masters@gmail.com
 
Catch up to Cate
Blog     Facebook     Goodreads   Amazon
 

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Carrie Ann Ryan's HIDDEN DESTINY

 
 
COVER REVEAL
 
Carrie Ann Ryan's HIDDEN DESTINY
(A Redwood Pack Novel)
 
 
 
 
From Carrie Ann:

Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for much for stopping by to see my new cover for HIDDEN DESTINY. I love this one. The background, couple…everything. Scott Carpenter, my artist, did an amazing job. Also, one of my favorite authors, gave me a cover quote that made me cry.
Carrie Ann Ryan writes sexy shifters in a world full of passionate happily-ever-afters” – NYT Bestselling author, Vivian Arend
Thank you again for stopping by and if you want to make sure you know exactly when you can purchase North’s book, check out my website and sign up for my newsletter. You can also find Hidden Destiny on Goodreads for your shelf.

The sixth book in USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan’s Redwood Pack series is all about the other twin in our hearts.

North.
This highly anticipated book is the penultimate novel in the series and goes down a dark path to find the way to end the war. You can find this book in all eretailers on January 14th, 2014.

 ***
Back Cover Copy:
North Jameson has always held his wolf closer to the surface then others. He's the quiet one, the one no one really knows about yet he holds the darkest secret. He’s watched his brothers find their mates and start families, and now it was his turn. He knows Lexi could be his and her son could be part of his family, but he doesn't know if he's ready to share the darkness that's entwined with his soul.
Lexi Anderson is a mother, a sister, a latent wolf, and a new member of the Redwood Pack. She’s also holding secrets so close to her heart she’s not even sure she knows the truth anymore. When North takes another step closer to wanting to cement their bond, Lexi must come to grips with her past and what it means for her future. The Centrals’ war isn’t over yet and Lexi’s life is on the line as the paths they've chosen takes a drastic turn.

 

Monday, August 19, 2013

Heather Long's Taking the Stage

                                                                   SOULGIRLS #2

TAKING THE STAGE
 
by HEATHER LONG
 

Roseâtre takes one look at the white tigers that the stage manager has brought in to shake things up at the Midnight Mystery Lounge, and nearly has a heart attack. It doesn’t matter that the beautiful creatures’ handler raises her pulse and makes her want to purr. The tigers are sure to recognize her—and arouse her need for the hunt.
 
Pride outcast Anthony diNapoli wasn’t expecting to encounter an Amazon princess when he brought his white tigers to the lounge. The lucrative show will go a long way toward securing his future, but not if he gives in to the urge to make her submit to his dominance, and claim her as his mate.
 
No matter how desperately her body aches for the sun-kissed stranger and his completely lickable abs, Roseâtre is no man’s prize. Yet she finds herself hungering for Anthony to defeat her and take her for his own.
 

It’s show time in the Arcana Royale’s Midnight Mystery Lounge and all bets are off. 

Warning:  Contains sword fights, shackles, sexy showgirls, and a game of dominance between a determined weretiger and an Amazon who refuses to submit. Blades, bliss and battles, oh my!

Taking the Stage
Soulgirls #2
Release Date: Aug 13, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61921-580-1
Samhain Publishing


About the Author:

A national best selling author, Heather Long lives in Texas with her family and their menagerie of animals. In addition to military romance, Heather writes a wide variety of romance from paranormal historical western romance to contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She loves characters and the stories they have to tell. As a child, Heather skipped picture books and enjoyed the Harlequin romance novels by Penny Jordan and Nora Roberts that her grandmother read to her. Heather believes that laughter is as important to life as breathing and that the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus are very real. In the meanwhile, she is hard at work on her next novel. 

Contact Details: 

Website: http://www.heatherlong.net
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HVLong
 
Enjoy the following excerpt for Taking the Stage:
 
 
“Not the toes.” Roseâtre refused to squeal. As lead dancer for the Arcana Royale’s Midnight Mystery Lounge, she would never squeal or scream, but her voice pitched high enough that the syllable at the end of toes cracked.
 
The great white tiger snuffling her feet through the five-inch strappy black-and-sapphire Louboutins rolled his head away. Instead of obeying, he stroked a whiskered cheek down her bare leg.
 
“Cut!” Voice booming, the show’s stage manager hustled out from the wings. Heidi was a brisk woman with a quick temper and a stout body, dedicated to creating the best shows. After Pandora’s escape from her contract, she relied on all of her girls to have the same dedication to the performance, Roseâtre more than most.
 
Pandora. She’d always made the lead look easy. She’d walked out on the stage and owned the audience. Roseâtre believed Pandora could have shared the stage with twelve chimpanzees and it wouldn’t have mattered. Gazes would have been riveted to the tawny nymph.
 
The white tiger stretched out his neck and yawned, showing off a mouthful of glistening teeth. He flexed his paws, claws scoring the stage. She wasn’t fooled by the sleepy-eyed expression or house-cat similarities. Big cats weren’t pets.
 
The rest of the dancers relaxed from their poses, some even dropping down to coo and stroke the cats whose arrival had elicited a long round of awws and aren’t they sweets. Roseâtre, however, shifted away from the cat with his tickling whiskers and raspy tongue.
 
“Rose?” Heidi beckoned, a pen behind one ear and a notebook tucked under her arm. She pursed her lips in a you’re-not-in-trouble-yet moue, but the wrinkles knitting her brow told an entirely different story.
 
“Yes, ma’am?” Roseâtre didn’t drag her feet. One certainly never dragged Louboutins, but she couldn’t quite resist displaying her mutiny with an uplifted chin and wrinkled nose.
Cats.
 
Her nose twitched. Her sinuses burned. Her eyes threatened tears. But she maintained her composure.
 
Damn cats.
 
“Look, I know you’re not thrilled with this idea.” The opening gambit was classic Heidi, softening her up for the too-damn-bad often attached to those statements.
 
Closeted together at the far end of the stage, Roseâtre was glad to be out of earshot of her shield-sister Cerveau, the other dancers and thankfully, the damn tigers.
 
The Midnight Mystery Lounge was closed for an entire week so the dancers could learn this new act. She’d woken to the bad news that the diNapoli Tigers—tigers—were joining the show for a three-month trial to drum up business in the magical casino and resort.
 
“But you’re just going to have to get over it. The apothecary will provide you with a tea for your allergies. We need this show and you’re the headliner. That means you and the tiger will be all over each other on that stage and you’re going to love it.”
 
And there it was, the verbal slap demanding submission. The command chafed. But a promise was a promise and she was as bound by her oath as her shield-sister Cerveau was by her curse.
 
“Is there any way we can do this without cats?”
 
“Not really, no.” The sympathy was real, but from Heidi’s compressed expression, the stage manager was plainly not on Roseâtre’s side. “I’m sorry, Rose. But the diNapoli Tigers were an enormous success in Monaco and Paris. We need them for resurgence of interest or the Overseers may very well break up the show.”
 
“Really?” Panic drifted under the surface of her skin, sending her heart puttering. The Overseers controlled the Arcana Royale, the sprawling complex where meta-humans of all types were welcome and could be themselves. They controlled the shows, the people and in the case of the dancers, their souls. Breaking up the show meant the dancers with varying leases on their souls could be placed elsewhere at the Overseers’ discretion.
 
Worse, Roseâtre and Cerveau could be separated. Roseâtre couldn’t allow that to happen. She’d sworn an oath. Pride could be sacrificed. Honor could not.
 
A shield-borne oath was an oath.
 
“I’ll try. It’s not just the allergy, though.”
 
“What is it?”
 
No simple answer existed. Roseâtre glanced over her shoulder to where the great cats lounged. Some groomed themselves while yet another rolled over on its back, presenting its belly to Peppermint for attention. Of all the dancers, Peppermint was the most gracious, the most loving and the most likely to enjoy gamboling with the tigers on the stage.
 
“I assure you, nothing is wrong with my cats.” The dark, deep masculine tones teased up her spine. She jerked her attention back to discover a bare-chested, bare-footed blond god had joined them.
 
Oh my. Who did he kill to get those abs?
 
She snapped her jaw shut with a flicker of irritation, and forced her gaze up from the hard six-pack of clear-cut muscle to roam over the ripped planes of his chest and shoulders.
 
Dear gods, does it end?
 
The cool dislike in his blue eyes slapped her back to the present. Everything about the man seemed larger than life, from his thick thighs, easily three times the size of hers, to his wide hands and square, chiseled jaw.
 
“Roseâtre, Anthony diNapoli.” Heidi’s snapped introduction rebuked her. “Anthony, this is our headliner, Roseâtre.”
 
Be professional. She extended her hand and kept her gaze focused above his chin. Despite the five additional inches her designer shoes added to her considerable height, topping at around six foot, the man towered over her.
 
And he inspected her with an air of detached amusement, his gaze clearly dipping below her chin to where her breasts strained against the confinement of the black leotard.
 
“Your pleasure, I’m sure.” The bastard smiled and ignored her hand.
 
“Anthony’s cats are in high demand, and he’s graciously consented to this trial contract so we’re going to do the best we can to make the most of this situation.” Heidi turned to Anthony as though unaware of the icy drop in Roseâtre’s regard. “We’ll add extra rehearsal time so Roseâtre and her cat can get used to each other.”
 
We will? Incredulous, Roseâtre could barely pull her eyes away from Anthony to look at the stage manager. “More rehearsals?” Tired of holding her hand out to the air, she let it drop.
 
“Absolutely.” Heidi nodded briskly, clapping her hands and striding away to gather the dancers, completely ignoring the cats with the poise of one who was likely more dangerous than the wild animals. “Ladies!”
 
Cerveau stood next to Kiki, Peppermint and Amber, the question in her expression obvious, but Roseâtre shook her head, waving her off with one short hand gesture. She didn’t need backup.
 
“So what’s your problem with cats, princess?” The words shivered up her spine. Anthony’s voice prowled behind her, his body heat brushing against her in challenge and invitation.
 
“Does it matter?”
 
She didn’t have to play nice. The bastard couldn’t be bothered to shake her hand.
 
“It might. You’re going to be riding my tiger every night for the next three months.” The words dripped with mockery and some other indefinable emotion.
 
Roseâtre shifted away, sparing him a dismissive look. She’d practiced the art of cool disdain for years under her mother’s tutelage. He might call her princess in his low, rolling sexy voice as a jest, but it didn’t make it any less true.
 
“What’s the problem now, princess?”
 
“You’re getting sarcasm on my shoes.” She lifted one, taking great care to inspect it.
 
Anthony threw his head back and laughed, a deep belly-trembling shout of amusement.
 
The noise drew the dancers’ attention like children to free chocolate. Cerveau’s face twisted comically, a mixture of censure and curiosity reddening her cheeks. She wouldn’t approve the tone, but she would appreciate the cause.
 
“You still haven’t told me why you don’t like my cats.”
 
“They’re cats.”
 
Head canted to the right, he studied her. The deep blue of his eyes was enhanced by a circle of darker blue along the iris. His pupils seemed to blink on their own, but that wasn’t possible. Roseâtre forced her gaze back to his dimples, just barely disguised by the thick rush of blond beard coating his cheeks.
 
“Cats are magnificent, bold and affectionate creatures. They are slow to trust, but have unshakable loyalty.”
 
“Until you’re dead and then they just eat your corpse.” She shuddered.
 
He laughed again. “You don’t need your body when you’re dead.”
 
She was missing everything Heidi was saying to the other dancers. Clearly, the stage manager didn’t care because she wasn’t even looking in Roseâtre’s direction, much less shooting her with her optic laser beams of impatience.
 
“I’d rather my body was undisturbed, thank you very much. The idea of anything feasting after I’m dead is unappealing.” Not to mention sacrilegious. A warrior’s death should be honored with blades and flame, never teeth.
 
Or, the gods forbid, a hairball. Roseâtre grimaced.
 
“Would you prefer they do it while you’re alive?” The silken whisper brushed against her ear. Tingles raced over her skin from the sweep of his beard on her cheek.
 
Heart leaping, Roseâtre barely managed to suppress her startled scream and settled for smacking his chest. The hard muscles didn’t even budge as her hand made contact, leaving a vivid, white mark against the golden tan.
 
“You really need to stop doing that.” Enough is enough. The man might be here at Heidi’s request or the Overseers’, but his job was to deal with the damn cats.
 
“Stop what?” The mock innocence coating his teasing grin reminded her more of the tiger yawning than it did a conciliatory gesture.
 
“Invading my bubble.” She rolled her hand in the air between them. “You haven’t been invited into my bubble.”
 
The coolness in his gaze warmed considerably, his grin widened. He was obviously enjoying the hell out of her irritation.
 
“How does one get invited into your bubble?” He batted the air in front of her, a downright playful gesture that sank its claws into her belly.
 
Nope. Not going to be turned on.