Heat On (and Off) the Ice - Kelly Jamieson

Wrapping up week five of the hop is Kelly Jamieson. Kelly writes really fun and hot contemporary romances, and today's excerpt is from one of her hockey themed books, One Man Advantage. I am a hockey fan, and really need to grab this one for myself.

Excerpt:


She rang the bell, found the front door unlocked and walked in with easy familiarity. “Hello! Anyone home?”

Of course they were home, with the door unlocked, but who knew where they were in the ginormous mansion. Maybe she should have reminded Taylor what time she was coming home. Merde, they were probably in bed playing sheet shinny.

She made a face, dropped her purse on a table and wandered into the great room. Empty. Hmmm. And where was Silvia? She should have come running to greet her with ecstatic joy. Well. Should she check the bedroom?

“Hey,” she called, moving down the hall. “You guys home?”

She smacked right into a wall of naked man chest which emerged from a bedroom. “Oomph!”

He grabbed hold of her upper arms. “Whoa there. Who the hell are you?”

She gazed up at him, every sense taking him in, her eyes wide, her mouth open, the scent of spicy male shower gel and humid warmth enveloping her. Tabarnac, what a man. His grip on her arms was powerful and yet surprisingly careful. He glared down at her with a knee-weakeningly authoritative stare. Tall. At least several inches over six feet tall, since she was five nine and her new boots had three-inch heels. Broad enough to take up the entire width of the hall. Drops of water beaded on wide, muscular shoulders and a few trickled down over sculpted pecs and -- mon dieu de câlisse -- eight-pack abs and then lower still into a thatch of dark hair at his groin and…she gulped and tried to pull away from him, up close and personal with his nakedness. He released her and whipped a towel from around his neck to wrap it around his hips, but not before she got a glimpse of his package. Wow. Impressive.

She blinked and opened her mouth, her heart thudding. “Who am I? Who are you?”

He scowled at her. “I’m a friend of Fedor’s.”

“Well, I’m a friend of Taylor’s. Where are they?” She frowned. A shiver worked its way over her flesh beneath his fixed stare, his narrowed eyes and the dark scruff of beard on his square jaw giving him a dangerous air. Had this guy murdered them or something? But then why would he be taking a shower in one of their bathrooms?

“They took some mutt for a walk.”

“Mutt!” Her fingers curled into her palms. “Silvia is no mutt! She’s a purebred miniature schnauzer!”

“Oh.” He tilted his head slightly. “Ah…it’s yours?”

“Yes. They’ve been looking after her while I was out of town.” She folded her arms across the chest of her brand-new Jones New York peacoat, her new leopard-print scarf wrapped around her throat, and tapped the pointy toe of her new boots. “And once again…you are…?”

“Logan Heller.”

She blinked. Câlisse! She should have recognized him, but with his damp hair all darkly slicked back and…well, naked, she’d been a little distracted. She frowned. “Er…what are you doing here?” She didn’t recall the Condors being in town until late December.

“Staying with Fedor. ’Til I find a place of my own.” His towel slipped low on his hips and Nicole’s eyes were drawn to the way his sculpted obliques arrowed down to his groin, his hip bones square and strong looking. Tabarnac de câlisse, she wanted to lean over and lick every one of those drips of water off that incredible body. Or maybe fall to her knees and…

When she looked up, she saw he was smiling knowingly and checking her out in pretty much the same way. She swallowed. “Maybe you should get dressed before we continue this confusing conversation.”

“What’s confusing about it?” He shrugged and ran a hand through short wet hair, obviously unconcerned about being naked. Hockey players wandered around the locker room naked all the time. She’d accidentally run into a naked hockey player more than once when she’d been down near the dressing room after a game.

“Why are you here?”

He regarded her with pursed lips, a shadow flickering across his brown eyes. “Not into hockey, are you?”

Her eyes widened. He didn’t know who she was. She couldn’t help but grin. “A little,” she lied. She tossed her newly highlighted hair behind her shoulders. “Why?”

He shrugged and the towel slipped again. This time he reached for it and adjusted it on his hips, drawing her eyes yet again. Heat built inside her, starting low down between her legs and spreading through her body. “If you followed hockey, you’d know I was just traded to the Caribou.”

Her jaw went slack again. “Traded?”

“Yeah.” His eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Mon dieu,” she whispered, lifting her hands to her mouth. “So they did it.” She’d carefully avoided watching television or reading newspapers while she’d been in New York. “Who’d they trade?”

His eyes narrowed. “Sly Sorren and Mike Enrick. And a second-round draft pick. Why?”

She sank her teeth into her bottom lip. So it wasn’t Cody. They’d said they weren’t trading him, but she couldn’t help but have that faint hope. Oh well. “Oh. Um. I was hoping it wasn’t Fedor.”

“Oh yeah, you said you’re a friend of Taylor.”

“Um. Yeah.”

His eyes warmed as he studied her, gaze again tracking over her body. The way he looked at her made her bones melt, made her feel as if he knew every kinky thing she liked to do in bed. Heat flashed beneath her skin at his sexy perusal.

Kelly Jamieson is giving away Cake Cookie Dough Personal Lubricant to one winner.

KELLY IS ALSO DOING A HUGE GIVEAWAY TO CELEBRATE HER NEW RELEASE HOT RIDE 9/11 RELEASE. SHE WILL BE GIVING AWAY TO ONE LUCKY TOURWINNER AN AMAZON KINDLE PLUS TWO OTHER WINNERS WILL WIN A MOTORCYCLE USB DRIVE LOADED WITH THEIR CHOICE FROM HER BACKLIST.SO BE SURE TO FILL OUT BOTH RAFFLECOPTERS FOR YOUR CHANCE WIN.

Samhain - http://store.samhainpublishing.com/hot-ride-p-6981.html



Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Ride-ebook/dp/B008L40O08/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1346744213&sr=1-1&keywords=hot+ride+kelly+jamieson

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-ride-kelly-jamieson/1112120181?ean=9781619211230

Blurb~

Courage is feeling the fear... then pouring on the throttle.

Abandoned or betrayed by everyone she ever loved, Sera Manning’s life spiraled out of control until a near death experience left her with a mission. Now a DEA agent, her sole focus -- and her first undercover assignment -- is to take down a drug cartel that’s manufacturing seductive, deadly angel sugar.

To do it, she needs access to Operation Black Abyss to establish a connection between the cartel and the Death Angels outlaw motorcycle gang. Which means she must pose as a couple with another agent who’s already deep undercover.

ATF agent Ryan Thomas desperately needs a female agent to maintain his cover in the gang, but the last thing he wants is a rookie agent jeopardizing his op. Especially one that is a sexy reminder why it’s a bad idea to get involved while on a case.

Living together, surrounded by crime, pretending their sizzling sexual tension is just for show is getting harder by the day. But as the mission comes to a head, the two fiercely independent warriors must decide which fear is worse. Losing their quarry... or losing each other.

Warning: Features a badass biker hero and kickass heroine who go at it undercover -- and under the covers.


More stops on the Book Tour

9/ 11 Caribbean Accent Book Reviews

9/14 Sweet, Sexy, Scorching Blog Hop (12 Stops)

9/16 Harlequin Book Blog

9/18 Book Whore

9/20 Ms. Romantic Reads

9/24 Book Obsessed Chicks

9/26 Cari Quinn

9/27 The Autumn Review

9/29 Under The Covers

9/30 Harlie’s Book Blog

10/1 Ana’s Attic










a Rafflecopter giveaway





a Rafflecopter giveaway

As we near the end of the week, I am sure we all need a brief boost to our hotness levels: I know I do, and Juniper Bell is really good at bringing the hot factor to the fore. First, a bit about the lovely and talented Ms Juniper Bell.

Hi, I’m Juniper Bell. Here’s a little about me: I live in a cabin in Alaska, eleven miles from the nearest town. My sweetie and I are building a home here, which we hope will someday have running water. For now, the spectacular views of glaciers, the peace, the pure air, and the occasional visiting moose will have to do. I’ve been writing erotic romances ever since I left my high-stress life as a TV writer in Los Angeles. Quite a transformation …

… and that’s what I like to write about. Transformation. Those turning-points in life that bring out the deep secrets we hold inside. Finding bliss by transcending the limits we’ve placed on ourselves. Freeing our true selves to be wilder, braver, more joyful. Everyone has a journey, and I write about those moments when the path takes an unexpected turn into sensual discovery. I believe magic happens when you open your soul and let sensuality transform you.

When my sweetie and I need a break from the frozen North, we go to the Big Island of Hawaii, where we’re building a cabin that we hope will someday have electricity. For now, the beautiful views of papaya fields, the peace, the sweet tropical breezes, and the occasional visiting mosquito will have to do.


Thanks for stopping by. I love to hear from readers, so please feel free to email or follow me. Facebook , Blog , Group Blog , Twitter , Goodreads , E-Mail

Buy Juniper Bell's books at:
Amazon Barnes & Noble Fictionwise Sony Kobo AllRomance Ebooks

Training the Receptionist~

Book One, The Receptionist

It's her naughty dream job-if they're satisfied with her performance... Eager to escape her miserable existence in Low-Life, Long Island, street-wise Dana Arthur jumps at an entry-level position with the consulting firm Cowell & Dirk. As her training period begins, she quickly discovers she's required to do more than take messages and order office supplies. Her job description contains some deliciously naughty duties that give receptionist a whole new meaning.

Simon has almost given up on finding the right woman who will please his clients as well as his demanding partner and mentor, Ethan Cowell. No one measures up-until Dana. Her inner fire and fearless nature are perfect for the job. No matter what wicked punishment he devises to chastise her for her on-the-job mistakes, she accepts with a relish that leaves him wondering which one of them is really in control. The last thing he expects to discover is that she's a perfect sexual soul mate he can't bear to share. But share he must-it's part of his business agreement. Unless he makes Ethan the deal of a lifetime...

Warning: This title contains explicit sex, bondage, mnage, ingenious use of office furniture, lingerie, and the occasional sex toy. Oh, and did I mention the package delivery guy?

Restraining the Receptionist

Book Two, The Receptionist

Every deal has a loophole.

Dana Arthur’s new job with the firm of Cowell & Dirk is going well. Translation: the occasionally kinky ménage with her two bosses, Ethan and Simon, has been several months of politically incorrect bliss.

Except the relationship feels unbalanced. While Ethan is the undisputed master, the partners’ iron-clad agreement stipulates that Simon must be present as she performs her “duties”. And she senses there’s a subtle, powerful tug-of-war developing for more than just her body.

Simon had agreed to share the firm’s fiery, sensually daring receptionist…to a point. With Simon out of town, Ethan plans a feast of erotic temptations designed to have Dana begging him to break the deal. He didn’t realize his heart would be a casualty.

Once she surrenders to his wicked demands, Dana realizes there’s no going back. It’s time for a three-way renegotiation…this time, all or nothing.

Warning: NSFW!! Do Not Try This at Your Job. Contains highly inappropriate workplace behavior including m/f/m, m/m, bondage, creative use of office space and a high-stakes trip to Atlantic City.

Thanking the Receptionist

Book 2.5, The Receptionist

Dana Arthur has found the job of her dreams ... if her two sexy bosses are satisfied with her performance. On her very first business trip, Ethan and Simon intend to show Dana just how much the firm of Cowell & Dirk appreciates her.

AND COMING OCTOBER 30TH FROM SAMHAIN PUBLISHING

Unleashing the Receptionist

Book Three, The Receptionist

You can tie a girl up, but you can’t keep her down…

In the year since Dana joined Ethan and Simon’s firm, the three of them have found the perfect balance of power and pleasure in their three-way, work/play relationship. Not only that, but it’s been the firm’s most successful year financially.

Except something is missing. Her men won’t tell her anything about their past. How they met, or how they formed such an unconventional business and personal partnership. Until they start sharing their secrets, Dana fears she’ll always be the odd girl out.

Everything changes when a vengeful former partner resurfaces. Suddenly, both the business and their idyllic relationship are under siege. With a tax auditor watching their every move, the three must be on their best behavior.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Dana seizes the chance to prove herself—and finally win her sexy bosses’ full trust and confidence. Now the race is on to root the evil nemesis out of their lives once and for all—before her dream relationship cracks under the pressure.


Warning: Contains hot three-way M/F/M sex, highly inappropriate office behavior, a shocking secret, a kinky accountant and some really bad girl-on-girl porno reenactments.

Unedited Excerpt from UNLEASHING THE RECEPTIONIST – Book 3 – Coming October 30

Inside my place, Ethan marched me into the bedroom, lit only with a red nightlight.

“Do you doubt, for one second, how I feel about you? How Simon feels?” He shot the questions at me like bullets as he practically tore the dress off my body.

“No,” I managed to gasp. “That’s not it.” But his hands were all over me and little fires of craving raced across my body.

“When something’s perfect as it is, why stir up trouble?” He unzipped my skirt and slipped it off my body. I held onto his broad shoulder as I stepped out of it, one foot at a time.

“You know the most important thing I’ve learned in life, Dana?”

I shook my head.

“Take care of the people you care about. Take care of the people you can count on. Once you’ve found the people who won’t betray you, treat them like gold. Because that’s exactly what they are.”

He stripped. The dim red light glinted off his massive arousal. If I hadn’t already been turned on, the sight of that enormous erection would have done the job. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled me onto his lap. My eyes half closed in sheer, horny bliss as he held my hips and slowly impaled me on his cock. The lips of my pussy stretched around his flesh, my inner muscles clenched at him. My head drooped onto his shoulder. The man completed me, filled me, chased all other thoughts from my mind.

“I want you to forget about everything but this. Everything but you, me, Simon and our glorious, magnificent fucking,” he ordered me as he stroked my backside. I wriggled and sighed under his caresses, which made me sink even deeper onto his cock.

“Simon,” he called as he rocked me back and forth. “Get that new toy I mentioned.” Every time he shifted me, my clit piercing got pressed. With my face buried in his shoulder, I licked his skin. The mere scent of him excited me—it brought back so many memories of the ecstatic experiences he’d given me. If I could have burrowed under his skin I would have.

“I’m going to fill you up so there’s no room for anything else. No doubts. No worries. No questions.”

Juniper is offering up to one lucky winner the choice of two books from her backlist.

-




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visiting With the Bradfords - Erin Nicholas Does it Just Right

Today's post from Erin Nicholas is from her Bradfords series, and is deleted material giving a quick peek at what didn't stay in the book Just Right. Thanks for the 'behind the scenes' look, Erin.

 Bradford Extras

Deleted Scenes

JUST RIGHT

It just sucked. That was all there was to it. He was sitting in the large overstuffed armchair in the TV area of the Center with his arm around Sophie, her snuggled up against his side, his hand resting on her stomach feeling the baby kick. It was the first time they were hanging out as more than friends with the rest of their Center buddies. Everyone was completely at ease, it seemed, though with him and Sophie as a couple. He should have been totally content.

But his head hurt like a son of a bitch.

Mario was glad he hadn't had a haircut for awhile. The gash on his left temple from Drake's big—ass school ring would have freaked Sophie out, not to mention Miss Bradford, the other Miss Bradford and probably even Doc T.

Really, he just wanted to go to sleep. He loved being close like this with Sophie, but damn his head throbbed and now his stomach was turning too.

Maybe if she'd lay on the couch with him he could still hold her, but keep his brain from trying to jackhammer its way out of his skull.

He was just glad nobody had any food. Even a whiff of a ham sandwich might send him running for the toilet like Sophie in her first two months.

Mario slumped down so that he could rest his head on the back of the chair.

Nobody noticed the seemingly slight shift, most eyes on the movie on the TV. Sophie just snuggled closer, her head resting on his chest.

Sophie's voice sounded far away and Mario realized his eyes were closed. Slowly he became aware that she was saying his name. It was really difficult but he managed to get his eyelids up.

"You okay?" Sophie looked concerned, even alarmed.

Mario liked her concern, but he didn't want to scare her.

"Sure," he said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

"You look really weird."
Well, then he looked better than he felt, which was downright horrible.


He lifted his head from the back of the chair and felt really nauseous. If only talking to her didn't involve looking at her.

"I'm okay."

But Sophie's frown separated into two frowns. Now he was getting scared too.

He shook is head to clear the double vision, but that made it feel like his brain had been put into a clothes dryer and was tumbling over and over.

"Sophie said she's using your middle name somehow for the baby's middle name," Travis said, not sounding alarmed at all. "Hope it's not something stupid."

They all laughed and Kevin asked, "Yeah, what is your middle name?"

He wasn't sure.

But he liked the idea of the baby having the same name. He liked it a lot.

He stood up, needing to get to the bathroom for some cold water, or peace and quiet, or something. He just didn't feel right.

Mario stood up and felt steady for about four seconds before the floor shifted, knocking him off his feet.

Then everything went black.

Erin is giving away cotton candy flavored body power and her newest book, Just My Type, which features this fun stuff!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pacific Passions with a Twist - Vivian Arend

Today's featured author is from Up North, and one of my dearest online friends, Vivian Arend. Vivian writes so many different genres, and does them all well, but most folks know her for her 'wolfies' , that delightful group of hot and sexy shifters in the Granite Lake and Takhini Packs. I'm here to tell you, she also writes some hot contemporary romances with adventure and daring, and some more than sexy cowboys. But today I am happy to give a taste of another of her paranormal creations with the first two of her Pacific Passions series. So without further ado, may I present Vivian Arend's Pacific Passions. 

Stormchild

Pacific Passion, Book 1

These elements have no desire to be tamed…

As the new traveling doctor for the Pacific Inside Passage settlements, Matthew Jentry balances dual roles for his water-shifter people—caring for their health as a human-trained physician, and for their spiritual needs as a shaman.

Distractions of the female kind are not on his agenda, but his magical bloodline makes him a target for every marriage-minded woman within range. There’s something about the mysterious Laurin Marshall, though, that he finds far too enticing. It’s just as well that it’s time for him to move on.

Laurin thought she had perfected her guise as a mild-mannered teacher, but the sexual fireworks she and Matt touch off are threatening to blow her cover out of the water. Luckily it’s time for her to catch the boat to her next assignment.

When she discovers she’ll be sailing with Matt, she realizes there’s only one thing more dangerous than their unforgettable one-night stand—being trapped with him on a boat that gives “riding out the storm” a whole new meaning…

Warning: Contains strong sexual currents and powerful waves of desire that break down inhibitions. Recommended only for those able to navigate through extremely steamy situations, on land and at sea.

Stormy Seduction


Pacific Passion, Book 2

Sensual water shifters meet volatile air shifters—there’s a storm coming.

As morning-afters go, this one is looking pretty bright. Both air shifter Laurin Marshal and water shifter/shaman Matthew Jentry are aware, though, that trouble won’t be long in coming. And they’re right—before they’ve barely begun to work out the details of their mystical bond, the People of the Air find them to challenge Laurin’s right to choose Matt as her mate.

Fending off Laurin’s would-be suitors is easier than Matt anticipated, but there’s another dilemma still to face. His own people. Laurin is just beginning to trust that his heart and body are completely hers, a radical change after she’s spent the past two years alone and on the run. What will happen when his skittish, innocent partner encounters the playful, sensual—even lusty—ways of the Otter Clan?

Especially since they are arriving at the peak of the traditional summer solstice fertility rituals. And tradition demands they be the main attraction…

Warning: Incoming extreme passion yielding one otherworldly adventure. Don’t let the book length fool you—there’s enough heat in this story to challenge global warming. Four plus two equals one ceremony so explosive it may throw the earth off its axis.

Vivian will be giving away a print copy of Freestyle to one lucky commenter. This is a US/INT contest.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coyote Hunger - Passion and Adventure from Rhian Cahill

Welcome to week Five of the Sweet, Sexy, Scorching Blog Hop. This week starts out with another of my favorite authors from Down Under, Rhian Cahill. Rhian writes about shifters, but she also writes fantastic hot abd sexy contemporary stories with nary a shifter in sight. I happen to absolutely love the Hunger series and am happy to bring them to more folks' attention. But, before today's post begins, a word from our sponsors, and the winners from Week Four.

Thank you to everyone who has followed the hop this week! Please make sure you stop back next week too, there will be another week of winners and you can enter the grand prize again.


We hope you all are enjoying this Guess Who hop!

Here are the winners from week four of the Sweet, Sexy, Scorching Giveaway Hop-

Sopelinda (from My Secret Romance) is the winner of Mari Carr's signed Dangerous Curves book



Slinkydennis (from The Smutty Kitty) is the winner of Meg Benjamin's ebook copy of Don't Forget Me


Mary M (from BlackRaven's Erotic Cafe) is the winner of Jess Dee's two books from her backlist


June M (from House of Millar) is the winner of S.L. Carpenter's choice of either Owned or Remember When


Joanne (from My Odd Little World) is the winner  of either a copy of PG Forte's Edge of Heaven or any LA Love Lesson books, winner’s choice, plus a set of Romance Trading Cards


I have not heard back from these winners:

Jayne Rylon winner of Red Light District series- Allie (from Close Encounters with the Night Kind)

RG Alexander winner of $10.00 gift card- Catherine Lee (from My Little Odd World)

Lucy Felthouse winner of $5.00 gift card- Kelly (from Lori's Book Blog)

Winners, please send an email to Taryn@mysecretromancebookreviews.com and she'll get your prize out to you.

Past winners, if you have not received your prize yet, please email me again and I will get it straightened out.

And now, back to our hot and sexy regular programming.



Released June 18, 2010

Available from:

ELLORA’S CAVE

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

ALL ROMANCE eBOOKS

Also available in print - Coyote Hunger

Coyote Wild


Coyote Hunger Book Two

Brogan Wilder knows all about animal urges. As a coyote shifter, he’s lived with them all his life but he’s never experienced the bone-deep hunger Eloise Crawford elicits. Claiming a mate is one thing. Claiming one who’s human and has no idea shifters exist is another matter altogether. In El, he’s found his destiny. Now he just has to convince her they are meant to be together.

A visit to help her best friend with wedding plans seems like just the kind of relaxation El is after. But once she arrives, there’s nothing relaxing about the reaction she has to her friend’s brother. Suddenly her senses are on high alert and she’s drawn to him in a way she finds nothing short of terrifying. But there’s more to this man than his golden eyes and magical touch. There’s something else. Something not exactly human.

Accepting her fate should have been the difficult part, but when El finds herself the target of an outraged pack member, the true struggle begins.

Excerpt~

The first thing El noticed was the pain lancing her side. She was lying on hard ground, sharp jagged edges digging through her clothes into her ribs and hipbone. The second thing she reacted to was the cold. She shivered as her senses came more awake. Moaning, she tried to move her legs and couldn’t. Something held them together.

Her eyes popped open, her vision unfocused at first but as it cleared she took note of her surroundings. She also took note of the fact her ankles and wrists were tied together with rope. The quiet indicated no one was near and remaining perfectly still, she concentrated on listening for any clue she wasn’t alone.

Nothing.

Not even the raspy sound of breathing.

She had no idea where he’d taken her or where he’d gone. The ground around her had been cleared of snow, small mounds of white sat in front of her and it covered the trees and shrubs in sight. A rock or stick dug into her thigh as she twisted to look behind her. The view was the same. He’d left her outside, in the forest somewhere.

Urgency grabbed hold. She needed to get away before whoever had taken her came back. El had no idea who the man was or what he wanted but the thought of him returning sent ice rushing in her veins and fear exploding in her gut. If he’d left her here, he’d meant for her to die alone. If not, he planned to come back. El didn’t like either of those ideas.

Clouds covered the sky, blocking out the sun so she couldn’t make out what time it was or which direction he’d taken her. The freezing temperature made her numb, but the rope around her limbs added to the sensation by cutting off her circulation. She wouldn’t be able to get away with her hands and feet tied. How could she get free? The nylon cords were biting into her flesh and she hadn’t tried to loosen them yet.

She needed to think, clear her mind of the panic and fear then work out a way to get untied and back to Rowan. El didn’t know what had happened at the house but she was pretty sure the guy who’d taken her had hurt her friend. Had Brogan and Quinn come back from their meeting and found Rowan hurt and El missing? Were they out here looking for her?

Pain streaked up her arms and pulling them in front of her for a closer look took effort. Biting her lip to stop from crying out, El studied the knots at her wrists. It didn’t look as if she’d be able to undo them. Her abductor hadn’t been kind enough to leave her with a neat bow to loosen them. She pulled the ropes to her mouth and used her teeth to tug at dirt-covered fibers.

They didn’t give and the movement rubbed the raw skin already circling both her arms. She needed something sharp. There was no hope of getting through the thick rope with her teeth. Frustration bubbled and a growl slid up her throat. Muscle and skin stretched and her teeth lengthened.

Her teeth.

With renewed hope, she brought her hands to her mouth and sank her coyote teeth into the knots. El gnawed at the ropes, felt them give a little. She could do this. Wiggling her hands and fingers to bring back the circulation, she bit down harder. One strand snapped, fell from her wrist. It gave her room to move and soon a second and third piece of rope fell away.

El breathed through the pain as blood surged back into her fingers. She shook her hands, clenched and unclenched her fists to try and ease the throb. She gritted her teeth and used her stiff arms to push herself up. The agony in her ribs eased but there would be bruises. The dull ache was manageable and she didn’t appear to have suffered any other injuries. Her legs, numb and weak from lack of blood, hurt but she drew them up to examine her ankle restraints.

She was greeted with bigger and more complicated knots than the ones on her wrists. She growled and bent double, thanking her lucky stars for years of gymnastics and yoga. Flexibility had always been her strong point. Her back and shoulders ached as she stretched to reach the knots with her teeth. Sensing victory within her grasp, El ripped at the ropes with teeth as sharp as any knife.

 

  Released August 26, 2011

Available from:

ELLORA’S CAVE

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

ALL ROMANCE eBOOKS

Coyote Whispers

Coyote Hunger Book Three

“Doc” Gordie has tried to keep Steve McKenna at arm’s length, but the sexy coyote shifter is under her skin, in her blood and in her heart. No matter how much she fears what he makes her feel, she can’t bear to stay away. After he rescues her from a vicious attack, Gordie is helpless to deny the sizzling attraction burning between them.

There hasn’t been a day Steve has not wanted Doc in his bed, but bruised and bloody is not what he had in mind. The need for revenge is riding his coyote—almost as much as his aching desire to finally claim Doc as his own. But that will have to wait. He must first convince Doc the safest place for her is by his side. When a second attack draws them together, suppressed needs explode, leaving no doubt where they both belong.

But danger is never far behind and Gordie is forced to make a fatal decision that could destroy all they’ve worked so hard to discover.

Rhian Cahill is giving away to two lucky winners the choice of any ebook from her backlist, including her two new releases!








a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meg Benjamin's Konigsburg Tales

Don’t Forget Me

Excerpt:

Nando Avrogado was hiding. Granted, the Dew Drop Inn didn’t provide much in the way of cover, although it was dark enough to make identifying anyone pretty challenging unless you were less than six inches away. Granted, Nando himself, at six three and a hundred eighty-eight pounds, was somewhat difficult to hide, even when he wasn’t in uniform (as he wasn’t at the moment). Nonetheless, he was hiding. From Francine Richter, five three and a hundred five.

It was embarrassing. It was nothing a mature adult male of twenty-eight should be doing.

He should just get over it. He knew that. He should just head down the street to the Faro tavern, where he usually hung out, and take his punishment, whatever that punishment turned out to be—tears, curses, possibly violence. It wasn’t exactly his fault that Francine hadn’t understood the meaning of their goodbye date the way she was supposed to. It sure wasn’t his fault that she’d been leaving messages on his voice mail for the past two days.

Except that it was his fault. Sort of. He’d tried to make it clear throughout their handful of dates that nothing more serious was on the horizon for them. That they weren’t going to hook up for the long term. That they were just having some temporary good times.

And in reality, the times hadn’t even been all that good after the first couple of dates. He had to admit that, for the most part, he’d just been going through the motions. Francine was okay. She didn’t natter too much. She looked good. She was…a decent kisser. Not bad exactly, but not good either.

Nando sighed, taking a sip of his lukewarm beer. If he were honest, it wasn’t Francine who’d been the real disappointment. He was the one who wasn’t measuring up to expectations, Francine’s for sure, but his own too. Given his lack of enthusiasm, maybe it was just as well that they’d never progressed beyond a few hot make-out sessions on Francine’s couch.

Of course, if he were honest he wouldn’t be sitting in this dive, drinking beer that tasted like dishwater. He’d be down the street with his friends at the Faro, drinking some honest brew and dealing with Francine when and if she showed up.

He rubbed his eyes and fought back the impulse to groan in frustration. God, he was tired. And it wasn’t just the hours from his job as a Konigsburg cop. During the last few months he’d seemed to fall into a rut that just got deeper and deeper. Same people, same problems, same everything. When had this feeling started anyway? And why? He’d gotten all the things he’d once thought he wanted in his life—full-time appointment to the Konigsburg police force, a decent place to live away from his parents (sharing an apartment with his brother Esteban, but doing that wasn’t such a bad deal), an active social life without being tied down to anybody.

Yeah, right. It was that “active” social life that was the problem. Maybe he should try deliberate celibacy rather than the unintentional kind for a while. See what it felt like to not hit the clubs on his night off. The whole excitement-of-the-chase thing was getting very old. And truth be told, the chase hadn’t been that exciting for a long time. Eighteen months, in fact.

Don’t go there. It’s over. No matter how much you wish it weren’t.

“Geez, where’d you hide the body? You look like a man at a wake.” His brother Esteban slid onto the stool next to him, waving a hand toward Ingstrom, the bartender. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you did your drinking at the Faro these days.”

“I could say the same thing about you.” Nando took a disgruntled pull on his beer. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in this dive before.”

Esteban cleared his throat. Ingstrom, who owned the Dew Drop Inn as well as being its bartender, was standing across from them behind the bar. He scowled at Nando before turning to his brother. “You want beer or wine?”

“Lonestar,” Esteban said hastily. He was the assistant wine master at Cedar Creek Winery, which meant he routinely avoided the wine-in-a-jug served by the Dew Drop Inn. “You still haven’t explained why you’re here,” he continued as Ingstrom headed back down the bar. “I haven’t seen you in the Dew Drop for a couple of months. Why aren’t you at the Faro watching Deirdre Brandenburg serve beers like every other red-blooded man in town?”

Nando shrugged. “Deirdre’s attached to Tom Ames. If I start ogling Deirdre, he’s likely to put Ipecac in my beer. Besides, the Dew Drop’s closer to home. I didn’t feel like walking.”

Esteban smirked. “Yeah, those three blocks will really do you in. Especially with the temperature hovering in the high seventies.”

“Get stuffed,” Nando muttered, but his heart wasn’t in it.

Esteban turned, resting his elbows on the bar behind him as he surveyed the room. “You trying to avoid your latest fling? I’d say that’s a heavy price to pay for romance gone wrong.”

Nando studied his younger brother with hooded eyes. Esteban looked like a linebacker, which he’d been in high school, or like someone who bench-pressed wine barrels, which he also did frequently. He wore his hair almost as short as Nando’s, even though the management at Cedar Creek wasn’t as stiff about hair length as Chief Toleffson was at the cop shop. But he made up for the hair with the luxuriant moustache that curved around his mouth. His skin was darkened from working in the vineyards—just like their father.

“What would you know about romance gone wrong?” Nando grabbed a handful of peanuts. “I haven’t noticed you tearing up the town with anybody since you broke up with Dawn Benavidez. And that’s been over three months, bro.”

Esteban shook his head. “Nice try, but we’re not switching the subject of this conversation to me. Are you or are you not trying to avoid Francine Richter?”

Nando blew out a breath. “Maybe.”

“Right.” Esteban shook his head. “You don’t think that’s a little pathetic? Hiding out in a joint like the Dew Drop just to avoid a woman you dated for a couple of weeks?”

Nando ran his glass through the circle of condensation on the bar. “I can drink where I want, bro. Who knows? Maybe I’ll check out the talent around here this evening.” There had to be some. Even at the Dew Drop.

Ingstrom set Esteban’s draft on the bar with a clink. “Stay away from my barmaids, Avrogado, they got work to do.” He stomped back to the other end of the bar.

Nando took a quick survey of the Dew Drop’s barmaids, the most prominent one anyway. Ruby looked more like a biker chick than usual. Tonight she had on a leather vest that was zipped partway up her sizeable chest and blue jeans that showed a roll of white flesh at the waist. Her magenta hair was caught in a banana clip that looked perilously close to slipping out. Every man in the bar was trying not to look down her cleavage, knowing the instant retribution that followed. As if she sensed she was being watched, Ruby caught Nando’s eye. Her lip twisted in a world-class sneer.

“Now going after that really would be pathetic,” he muttered.

Esteban nodded. “True that. So why can’t you just tell Francine it’s over? Fun while it lasted, time to move on and so forth.”

Nando grimaced. “Because I’d rather not get into one of those discussions where you end up either making somebody cry or making somebody mad enough to bean you with her purse. If I stay out of her way long enough, she’ll get the message.”

“And that way you just come off as a jerk instead of a sleaze.”

Nando gritted his teeth. “You could put it that way.”

“You know, bro, sooner or later all this bad karma you’re building up with women is going to come back and bite you on the ass.” Esteban took a long swallow of Lonestar.

“What are you, some kind of wine-making Buddhist now?” Nando shook his head. “This doesn’t qualify as bad karma. So I don’t like talking about ‘relationships’ with women. Name me one man who does.”

Esteban shrugged. “I’m just saying if all the women you’ve screwed around with over the past few months ever got together, you’d be a dead man.”

Nando rubbed his eyes again. The vision of all his recent exes getting together, possibly with automatic weapons, was not altogether comfortable. “Yeah, well, I’m thinking of cutting back. Maybe putting the brakes on the relationships for a while. Take a breather from women.”

“You?” The corners of Esteban’s mouth curved up. “You’re giving up women? Maybe I should spread the word. I could sell tickets.”

A slight prickle of unease slid down Nando’s spine. He wasn’t that much of a womanizer, was he? He never used to think of himself that way. Of course, that was before the major fuck-up of his love life. “Do not spread the word.” He gritted his teeth again. “This was just between the two of us. And I haven’t decided for sure what I’m going to do. Just thinking about it.”

Esteban nodded, still grinning. “Right.”

Nando drained the rest of his beer. Screw it. “I’m going down to the Faro, see what’s going on. You want to come?”

“Maybe later.” His brother peered toward the far corner of the bar where Britney Collins was seated with a couple of her girlfriends.

Nando rolled his eyes. Clearly, he wasn’t the only Avrogado who had females on the brain. “Good luck with that.”

He dropped a handful of bills on the bar, then pushed back, dodging around a couple of protruding rear ends to get to the door. Among other things, the Dew Drop was short on open space, particularly since Ingstrom had added some extra tables in the middle of the room. Nando ran through the bar’s very own obstacle course, then opened the door to the street.

It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the early evening light. People still strolled down Main, ducking into the few open stores. Mid-March wasn’t a great tourist time in Konigsburg, but they got some families who filled up the motels and bed and breakfasts for Spring Break. He settled his Stetson on his forehead and started up the street toward the Faro.

Ahead of him the crowd parted for a moment and he saw a swing of long dark hair reaching down below a woman’s shoulders. Nice. For a moment, he concentrated on her as she walked up the street in front of him, wondering what she’d look like when she turned around. You could never predict exactly how attractive someone’s face would be based on her back side.

Nando grimaced. He really needed to stop ogling women. Particularly if he wanted to take the whole celibacy thing seriously. Besides, if anyone ever heard him talking about faces and back sides like that, he’d be banned from the female sex for life. Which you would richly deserve, and which might not be such a bad thing.

A couple walking in front of him turned in to one of the candy stores and he got a better look at the woman up ahead. Silken dark hair, slender waist, long, long legs that showed off well in her white Capri pants. Nando finally gave in and checked her behind. More than respectable. The whole package was superlative, in fact. Always assuming the face matched.

What the hell are you doing? You’re supposed to be giving this up. You know it won’t go anywhere.

Nando shook his head. Going cold turkey was going to be a lot harder than he’d thought. On the other hand, he couldn’t go on indefinitely moving from woman to woman like some deranged honey bee, could he? Time to start being selective. Time to learn how to pace himself.

Time to grow up. More than time, if he were honest. He grimaced. That one hurt, largely because it was true.

Ahead of him, the woman slowed alongside Docia Toleffson’s bookstore. Slowed and then stopped, staring in the window. After a moment, she waved at someone inside. Nando let his own pace slow down so that he wouldn’t pass her just yet. He really wanted to see her face.

The door to the bookstore flew open, and Docia Toleffson herself stepped out, all six feet of her—maybe seven feet if you counted that pile of red hair on top of her head. She grinned at the stranger and then extended her arms to give her a hug. As she did, Nando got his first look at the woman’s face.

His heart stuttered and then promptly dropped to his shoes. Oh god, of course. I really had this coming.

“Kit,” Docia was saying. “Kit Maldonado. Where have you been keeping yourself? Allie said you were coming back this week. Oh, it’s so good to see you!”

Kit said something back, but Nando didn’t hear it. He was too busy stepping backward into the doorway of another shop where he’d have some cover. The last thing he wanted right then was a conversation with Kit. Hell, he didn’t even want her to see him just yet. Not until he figured out what exactly he was going to say to her. And how he was going to say it. And what it would mean.

Kit Maldonado. Here. Back in Konigsburg.

For a moment he swore he could almost hear Esteban laughing. The force of karma had just sunk its teeth firmly into his ass.

Meg is giving away a copy of Don’t Forget Me to one lucky winner.





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Things Come in Tall Packages Tour

Welcome to Ann Montclair's Virtual Blurb Blitz Tour for her new release, Good Things Come in Tall Packages, a contemporary romance from Musa Publishing. Ann will be awarding one random commenter along the tour a $25 Amazon GC. Be sure to leave an e-mail address with your comment.

I grew up sneak-reading all my mom's steamy romance novels. She kept them high on a shelf in her closet and warned, "You better not read those..." Of course, I read them. And now I write them! I strive to take readers on a fun, emotionally charged, and highly sensual ride to happily ever after. Available now: THE BILLIONAIRE'S BAUBLE (Soul Mate Publishing 2011), ONE WET SUMMER (Musa Publishing 2012), and GOOD THINGS COME IN TALL PACKAGES (Musa Publishing 2012). Next up: LADY IN DEED, my debut novel in historical romance set in Tudor England (Musa Publishing Winter 2012).

I am a member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and a community college English professor. I live in the Finger Lakes region of New York with my sexy hero and our teenage son. Our grown daughter lives in Los Angeles, California--my hometown.

Thanks for learning a little about me. You can contact me at ann@annmontclair.com.LINKS

Web site: http://www.annmontclair.com

Blog: http://annmontclair.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnnMontclairFanPage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AnnMontclair

Buy link: http://www.musapublishing.com/

Blurb for Good Things Come in Tall Packages

Dr. Joe Connors and socialite lawyer Lucy Alcott come from two different worlds, two very different cultures. But will those differences keep them apart when their attraction is too strong to be denied?

When socialite Savannah attorney Lucy Alcott entered the Hyatt looking for fun, martinis, and hot sex, the last thing she expected to find was Dr. Joe Connors.

Joe is Lucy's opposite in every way: he’s dark, she’s pale; he’s tall and reserved, she's tiny and vivacious; he wears his compassion and deep spirituality on his sleeve, she wears designer bags and clothes. That night at the Hyatt Lucy found herself not in the arms of a casual encounter but reaching out to a man who challenged the walls she had built around her heart—and when he gave her his number, Lucy knew Joe deserved a woman as warm and tender as he was. So she threw his number away. When an unexpected meeting six months later brings them together again, will Joe overcome Lucy’s fear of losing her heart, or are their two very different worlds destined to keep them apart forever?

Excerpt for Good Things Come in Tall Packages

The man wanted her.

Lucy felt the passion rolling off of Joe like tidal waves, and she was more than ready to let him knock her off her feet.

“Shall we go upstairs, Joe? I could use a quiet moment with you before we say goodbye again. Every time we’ve been together it’s been in a crowd with music pulsing in the background and drinks in our hands. Let’s be real. Let’s go upstairs and spend some alone time. I won’t bite. Unless you want me to.”

His big smile lit up the room like Georgia sunshine. He stood and proffered his hand, looming above her like an awesome Egyptian statue. Lucy was dwarfed by almost everyone, but Joe was enormous by anyone’s standards. When she’d first met him, despite the fact he was at a medical convention, she’d assumed he played for the NFL. The fact that he possessed brains and brawn made him ideal for bed sport. It hadn’t worked out that night, but tonight…Lucy could hardly wait.

 “Should we say goodbye to Ben and Maura?” Lucy cocked her head to scan the crowded room. She spotted them in the center of the ballroom floor, Jessie sandwiched between her parents, standing on her dad’s feet as the happy newlyweds shared a family dance.

 “Let’s not bother them. Come on, sweetness.” Joe effortlessly pulled Lucy to her sore feet and put his strong arm around her waist. She hobbled a bit. “Shall I carry you, my Southern Belle?”

Got to love gentlemen and their manners, right? Remember, Ann will award a $25 Amazon GC to one random commenter, so leave your email address with your comment.