Author Archives: Nicola Cameron
Nicola’s Sunday Shoutout: Annalynne Russo
Today’s Sunday Shoutout goes to Annalynne Russo, whose smouldering new erotic romance Blood of the Nile is now available from Evernight Publishing and other retailers of fine erotic romance.
Maliyah Aziz has no time for men. Employed by the U.S. Government overseas, the self-described workaholic refuses to let a relationship derail her flourishing career. But when her estranged father passes away abruptly, she must re-examine her priorities and return to Cairo, a place plagued with bittersweet memories of her childhood.
For eight hundred years, vampire Ramses Shakir maintains a low profile, making a living along the trade routes of the Nile River. Although not until he forms a partnership with a human by the name of Anwar al Aziz, does he truly make his mark on society. Together the two men amass a fortune and forge an unbreakable bond. Suspicious of Anwar’s sudden death, the vampire turns to his best friend’s daughter in search of answers. As they scour all of Egypt for clues, the last thing Ramses and Maliyah expect to find is love.
Story Excerpt
Ramses dragged his fingers through his damp hair as perspiration gathered at the base of his skull. That day, the temperature in the Sahara surpassed one hundred degrees and Maliyah wasn’t doing him any favors by turning up the heat. The wanton tease made him want to yank off the flowing, floral print dress she wore and fuck her silly. Visions of her sweet ass plastered against the windows of the train car danced in his head. He wanted her naked and it didn’t matter if a whole caravan of desert nomads stopped to catch a glimpse. Their coupling was bound to happen. Why not sooner than later?
Nonetheless, Maliyah made a good point. Ramses had promised her cousin Husani that he’d keep his hands to himself. A man of honor, he intended to stay true to his word. He wouldn’t touch Maliyah. At least, not with his hands. His mouth and cock, on the other hand, were both fair game.
Before Maliyah returned from the powder room, he reached into the small rolling suitcase he’d brought along for the trip. He pulled out a red paisley necktie and placed it next to the other articles of clothing he’d dangled over the chair. There was a good chance he’d need to be tied up in order to keep his paws off Maliyah. The necktie would come in handy if that turned out to be the case.
The door swung open and Maliyah sauntered in. Her hair was now loose, its shiny, brown tentacles hung haphazardly in front of her face. She’d removed most of her make-up and traded in her three-inch heels for a pair of simple strappy sandals. She looked up at Ramses. Her green-gold gaze locked with his. At the same time, her lower lip jutted out to entice him with its sultry pout.
Maliyah stepped closer and spoke into his chest. He could feel the heat from her skin tickle his nerve endings. “So now what? We’ve got eleven hours to kill and I’m saving the fashion magazines Salma shoved in the side of my bag until I get desperate?”
“You? Desperate?” Ramses repeated. His raspy tone came out as sensual and breathy, with a hint of sarcasm mixed in to keep Maliyah on her toes. “It’d be a pity if we let that happen. I think we can find something to keep us occupied. Maybe there’s a deck of cards in my carry on.”
Maliyah put her hand to her lips as if to giggle, but instead a loud snort came out through her nose.
Is she mocking me? Ramses thought to himself. She hadn’t uttered a single word, yet he knew her snicker was meant in protest.
Only Maliyah, a siren who embodied the perfect combination of subtle innocence and feisty femme fatale, could dish out corrosive rancor just as well as she could take it. That time, she’d done so without even opening her mouth. Although Ramses had great reverence for the Egyptian culture in which he was reared, he found himself drawn to Maliyah’s freethinking, American tendencies. He respected her desire for independence and the rebellious streak she wielded at every turn.
Before he could think of a saucy comeback, Maliyah had already placed both hands on Ramses’ bare shoulders. She massaged his biceps and let the pads of her fingers caress their way up and down his arm. Soon, they became tangled in the shaggy, black hair that gathered at his neck.
“How could a game of cards possibly keep me amused? Not when I have all this tempting, well-toned flesh at my disposal.”
“Wait,” Ramses said, pulling back slightly. He hadn’t anticipated Maliyah’s aggressive pursuit. His need for her bordered on the absurd, but he knew he’d have to take things slow. Otherwise, his vampire persona might make an unexpected appearance. He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from touching her. “What about the pledge we made to Husani?”
Maliyah leaned in, and her heated breath skated across his tanned skin, sending a direct signal to his cock. It was time to come out and play. Whatever sport Maliyah wanted to tackle, Ramses would step up to the plate.
“I made no such promise. Just keep your hands to yourself, lover boy. Let me do all the work,” she said, darting her tongue out to taste him. God damn, Maliyah was a woman after his own heart. Her succulent lips blazed a path from his neck, passed the sparse patch of hair that peeked out from the top of his shirt.
Maliyah hiked the shirt up past his navel. Her eyes followed the line of dark curls downward until she once again spotted the thick erection through his jeans. She sank to her knees, and then used her hands to remove his belt. One by one, she undid the buttons of his 501’s, as a flush of red spread across her face. She must have realized that he wore nothing underneath.
Ramses’ shaft was as hard as stone. It sprang eagerly from his jeans. Maliyah lowered them to the floor and without hesitation licked the head of his cock into her mouth.
“To hell with restraint!” Ramses groaned.
Where To Buy
Evernight Publishing
Amazon
Bookstrand
All Romance Books
About Annalynne Russo
A native of sunny San Diego, California, Annalynne Russo always had a vivid imagination. As a child, she loved to escape reality by immersing herself in books and poetry. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Spanish literature, Annalynne worked as both a bilingual elementary school teacher and curriculum developer for more than 10 years. But soon her dream of becoming a writer became too difficult to ignore.
Nowadays, she passes the time fantasizing about hot and sexy heroes that nearly leap out of her imagination, begging for their stories to be told. A firm believer in the phrase, Love Conquers All, Annalynne is a sucker for a juicy romance and spends almost as much time reading as she does writing.
Come Back, Creative Mojo! I Have Cookies!
A while ago, an author friend of mine paid me the nicest compliment. She was heading off to Australia for a combination book tour/vacation, and I tweeted to her that I was jealous (which I am. Because, duh, Australia).
She thanked me and said that since she’s routinely jealous of me this must be cosmic balance. Which surprised me, since I couldn’t really think of anything she could be jealous of — my life is pretty nifty, but she’s an award-winning YA author, her career is going great guns, and her personal life is damned fine. When I told her this, she said, “It’s that wacky imagination of yours. You got the Platinum Level kind. I had to hock my soul to just reach the Gold Level.”
I replied that I was just making a buck off my barely suppressed insanity, and to quote Will Graham, “I know what kind of crazy I am.” She said as long as I claimed it, it’s all good.
And that’s true. Because if you think about it, most writers are more than a little nuts. We create alternate realities in our heads, make up stories about those alternate realities, and tell those stories to other people. If you do that in any other field apart from acting, you wind up in a psychiatrist’s office, if not a nice quiet mental ward somewhere.
But writers are encouraged to do this. Hell, we’re paid to do it, sometimes quite well. And in return all we have to do is go inside our heads, find those other worlds, shake them hard until an interesting story falls out, and bring it back to ground state reality in one piece.
Which can be an absolute piece of cake at times; the story practically leaps into your arms, and you gently deposit it on the page with a few gentle brushes to dislodge the travel dust. It giggles, flutters its wings, burps up a couple of pink bubbles, and you send it off with a song in your heart and the sure knowledge that this one will get you that six-figure book deal that finally lets you quit your day job.
Other times, yeah, not so much. You get a tantalizing glimpse of an interesting story, but you can’t quite track it down. Or you’ve got the story, but the little bugger is fighting you like a chocolate-smeared toddler at bedtime, and you wind up needing a stiff drink and some painkillers by the time you wrestle that sucker onto the page.
And sometimes you’re stuck there looking around at your various universes, wondering why nobody is doing anything. There’s just no oomph there, no inspiration to be had. How can you as a writer be expected to come up with entertaining lies if nothing interesting is happening inside your head? It doesn’t help when all your writer friends are crowing about their new stories or their latest sales on FB and Twitter, and you’re left there wondering what you did to offend the Muse.
Thing is, it happens to the best of us. Sometimes, it’s an issue of brain chemistry, other times it’s a sign that you have been overdoing it just a bit. The best thing you can do in this case is step back from your keyboard, take a deep breath, then get the hell out of Dodge and go do something that is Not Writing. Read a book. Work in your garden. Go for a walk. Have a nice dinner with your SO and/or family. Pick up a cute tattoo artist and have wild sexual adventures whilst on a road trip (okay, I may have borrowed that from Robin Alan’s Cruise Control).
The important thing, however, is that you’re no longer engaged in output. Rather, you are engaged in input, absorbing all kinds of wonderful little bibs and bobs of information, detail, trivia, imagery, whatever, that get lodged in your subconscious and become the building blocks of your next story. This is important because you never know what will spark a story idea, you truly don’t. I once got a fantasy novel entitled Pharaoh of the Lone Star State from being stuck in downtown Dallas traffic (the exact chain of thought went, “Stupid traffic jam, might as well look at the architecture. Man, there are a lot of pyramids in Dallas architecture. Anyone who knew how to use pyramid power would love this place. Oooh, wait…”
This process of input also gives your imagination a chance to take a breather, which it needs once in a while. Writers have to put their imaginations through pretty hefty workouts; just as with physical muscle, that mental muscle needs downtime in order to recuperate and regrow, otherwise it fails on you. Getting away from the computer screen and doing stuff is exactly the kind of relaxation your imagination needs, plus you often wind up with a clean house or a nice weekend with your loved ones as a result.
Once you’re tanned, rested and ready, you’ll find that your writer’s brain has been hovering in the background, greedily sucking up all your new experiences and processing them into your subconscious. And that, my friends, is where the magic happens. You’ll be sitting there, explaining patiently to your cat that you’re hot and tired from doing battle with the Triffids trying to take over your yard and he can’t sit on you right now, and all of a sudden your subconscious will fire a shot across the port bow and you think, “Wait a minute — that thing I read about the Medusa myth on Tumblr! I can use that in my next book! Hell, I can turn that into a major subplot with my characters! Betrayal! Rejection! Death and angst! Rebirth and renewed love! Where’s my keyboard?”
The next thing you know, you’re pounding away, hip-deep in your next story and your cat is looking at you like you’re insane. Or that just may be my cat. In any case, your creativity has been jump-started and you’re working again. So if you find yourself struggling or in a dry spell, for God’s sake don’t fret about it. Go off and treat yourself to some input, even if it’s just a new book or a walk around the block. I promise you, it works wonders.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I really need to get back to work on this story because, you know, Gorgons.
Fabulous Friday Reads: Arms of Serenity
Welcome to the weekend, and let’s kick it off with the new erotic romance Arms of Serenity from Donina Lynn, now available from Evernight Publishing and other purveyors of fine erotic romance. Here’s what Donina has to say about her new book:
Thank you so much for having me on your blog today! I’m very excited to be here and to be sharing my debut novel Arms of Serenity.
When I first sat down to think about what I wanted to write, the one thing I knew I wanted to incorporate was a message. That being that the events of the past shouldn’t dictate how we live our lives in the future. We should learn from our experiences and look to the future as an opportunity for a new beginning. Simple, right? But when we are unable to move beyond those events and they threaten to determine who we are today, is it ever that easy to forget and find the peace within ourselves to allow happiness into our lives? Life and especially love are never that simple.
In Arms of Serenity, you meet Nick and Becca. Both are emotionally damaged and in desperate need of someone to show them how to let go of their pasts and that love is possible as long as they are willing to let it in. Their story is full of inner struggles, laughs, romance and even a smidgen of danger. Doesn’t every good love story need at least one or two bad guys?
Plagued by guilt, Nicholas Hollsten ended his military career in the Special Forces and returned home only to be forced into a life he never wanted. Nick found himself running his father’s company and making good on a promise to his team. Angry and frustrated with the direction his life was taking, he calms his thoughts by filling his evenings and bed with soft distractions. Until one woman captures his interest.
Rebecca Klayton thought she was happy in her small town, running her bakery and avoiding love. That emotion only meant heartache and being left exactly where you started—alone. Lesson learned. But, when the sexy stranger from their hot New Year’s Eve party shows up at her counter, will she be able to ignore the temptation or will she find what she’s been missing in the Arms of Serenity?
Story Excerpt
Becca got as far as the curve outside before she heard Nick’s voice calling her name. She closed her eyes and groaned.
Almost made it.
Why was he following her? Couldn’t he just leave her alone? She held up her hand to signal a taxi and hoped ignoring him would work until one stopped.
Becca heard him say her name again. Only this time he was too close to pretend that she didn’t hear him. She turned to find him holding the picture frame.
“You forgot this.”
He just wanted to give her the frame. She sighed in relief and reached to take it from him.
“Thank you.”
He looked at her and put a smug smile on before saying, “You forgot these also.” He reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a glimpse of white lace material.
Becca gasped when she realized it was her forgotten panties. She got closer to put her hand out.
“Thank you for finding them.”
Nick pushed them back in his pocket. “How about that coffee?”
Becca took a step back and crossed her arms. “Are you seriously holding my underwear hostage until I go out on a date with you? Doesn’t that border on blackmail?”
Nick laughed. “Just using whatever means I have at my disposal to get you to say yes.”
Becca would laugh too if she wasn’t so angry. He was being an arrogant pushy ass. She glared at him. From his polished shoes, tailored pants, and what looked like a cashmere sweater, he was head to toe everything that Becca wasn’t. Why was he doing this? Damn him for coming after her. Damn him for wanting more when he could go back into the ballroom and have anyone of those models sitting at the table.
“You’re not my type.” She turned away from him and once again put her hand up in the air.
She stood there not wanting to look back. He hadn’t answered her, and Becca silently hoped that he had walked away. She was a mess. Her insides trembled at the conflicting emotions of anger and longing coursing through her. It would be so easy to give in and go with him.
Becca felt a hand brush against her neck and his voice against her ear.
“I’m going to have to argue that statement. I seem to remember being exactly your type last night as you shook and screamed in pleasure when I was buried deep inside of you.” He kissed the spot behind her ear, and she gasped in response. Shivers cascaded through her, and she leaned back melting into his body.
Becca cursed herself.
Dammit, Becca get some control! He’s just a rich guy who thinks he can get anything he wants.
Becca pulled away and turned around to face him as a taxi finally came to her rescue. Opening the door, she stood behind it to use as a barrier between them and took a breath to steady her trembling legs and gain some courage.
“Nick, last night was great, and thank you for not saying anything back in there.” She nodded her head in the direction of the hotel and continued. “But I’m just not interested.” She got in the cab, closed the door, and stared ahead as she gave the driver her destination. As the taxi pulled away, she could see him in the rearview mirror. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, she left him just standing and staring after her.
Where to Buy
Evrnight Publishing
Amazon
All Romance Ebooks
Bookstrand
About Donina Lynn
Hi! I live in a small rural Pennsylvania town on the outskirts of the Poconos. As in small, I mean we don’t even have a traffic light. We do, however, have a DG, a pizzeria and a Chinese restaurant. Thank goodness! Because, I would probably starve without takeout and a microwave. Cooking is something I enjoy during the holidays and for special occasions. But on a normal day, I take full advantage of a supermarket’s frozen section.
Even though I was born and raised a country girl, my idea of communing with nature is gazing out my window while guzzling mass quantities of coffee. Next to the microwave, my Keurig is my prized possession. Seriously, the inventors of that gadget deserve an award and are personal heroes of mine.
When I’m not at my day job, hanging with my family or friends, curled up with my Kindle, or typing away at the computer, you can find me in front of the TV watching anything paranormal, sci-fi or a good action flick. Kudos go to any movie or show that incorporates explosions, big guns, and gratuitous butt shots.
My addiction to romance novels started as soon as I could turn a page and has stayed with me until much later in life when I decided to sit down and give writing one a whirl. Who knew that decision would have brought me here? I am extremely grateful it has and hope you enjoy reading about the characters that have taken up residence in my head. There is a bit of a warning, however. I have a fondness — bordering on obsession — with the military, public service, bad boys, and men with bald heads, goatees or tattoos. Heroes with one or many of these traits might be a reoccurring theme until I can work through these issues. 🙂
Where to Find Donina Lynn
Website
Evernight Publishing
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon
Mid Week Tease: Breaker Zone
Happy Hump Day! Let’s celebrate it with a Mid Week Tease, courtesy of the lovely and talented Sandra Bunino. This week, I’ll be sharing a teaser from my current WIP and Book Two in the Olympic Cove series, Breaker Zone. When Dr. Nick Gardiner goes on the run from a psychotic ex and shows up at Olympic Cove, he never expects to get pulled in Ian’s new life as a God — and he definitely doesn’t expect to be courted by a pair of gorgeous mermen.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
###
Their tongues met, clashed, tangled with an intensity that set Nick’s nerves on fire. Fingers slid between his own, clenching down and pinning his hands against the mattress. The knowledge that he was trapped under the merman’s body poured gasoline on his need, and he mewled into Aidan’s mouth.
“You like that?” the merman said, grinding his cock against Nick’s. “You like knowing you’re mine?”
“Yes,” Nick gasped. “Oh, God, yes.”
“Good.”
That wet, hungry mouth left his, sucking open-mouthed kisses along his jaw, down the side of his neck. Teeth nipped the tender space under his ear, and Nick bucked up uncontrollably, desperate. Aidan chuckled, the filthiest laugh he had ever heard. “Yeah, you like that. You want me to own you, make you mine. You want me to fuck you, angel.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I’ll fill you up, nice and deep. You’ll have to wrap those long legs around me, because I’m not gonna let you move. I’ll make you lie there and feel my cock pushing inside you over and over again. I’ll keep hitting your sweet spot and you’ll go crazy because it feels so good. And I won’t come until I feel you pulsing around me, coming hard and screaming my name. Then I’ll mark you, make you mine. You want that?”
Nick couldn’t speak. He could only nod, his throat clicking dryly.
“Mmm.” Aidan worked down his body, leaving a trail of livid bites and suck marks in his wake. That wicked, perfect mouth closed around his nipple, tongue teasing it hard, then nipping. A little shock of pain shot through his body, grounding out somewhere between his cock and balls. Nick drove his head hard into the pillow, feeling the promise of pain turning into pleasure, the lure of subspace.
Aidan switched to his other nipple, nipping and licking it until it was erect. He switched off between the two until they were swollen and aching, glistening from his mouth. “I’m going to let go of your hands.”
Nick whined, and flinched at the hard bite on his sternum. “You’re going to grab your headboard and hold on, like a good boy. You understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
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Nicola’s Sunday Shoutout: Eve Meridian
Today’s Sunday Shoutout goes to Eve Meridian, whose hot new Romance on the Go story Sam’s Learning Curve is now available from Evernight Publishing and other retailers of fine erotic romance. And now, a little bit about Eve’s main character Sam!
Sam is perfectly fine being single. She has a job that she loves and the company she works for is promoting her after she finishes her M.B.A. She has great friends and a newly found love of running. Then she meets Ben, the sexy bike builder who just moved back into town and is unlike anyone she’s ever dated. Can she overcome her fear of getting hurt again and the fear of riding motorcycles so she doesn’t miss out on a great guy? Is it finally time for Sam to learn how to love again?
Story Excerpt
After she showered, Samantha slid into a stylish pair of jeans. She put on a silky black sleeveless shirt that showed a tiny hint of cleavage in the front, especially when paired with her favorite bra. She wasn’t sure why she’d spent an obscene amount of money on that bra, other than the fact that it made her feel sexy. She did her make-up so that it subtly played up her green eyes and found her spiky black heels. They were fabulous shoes that added a few inches to her petite frame, but they weren’t very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Oh the price we pay for beauty, she thought to herself.
Sam eyed herself critically in the mirror. “Not bad, not bad at all,” she muttered. She decided to leave her shoulder length blonde hair down instead of pulling it up as she usually did. Samantha added a layer of light lip gloss and decided she was as ready as she would ever be for a night out.
Just as she was grabbing a light sweater, the doorbell rang and she heard Jules. “Yoohoo! Anybody home? I know you’re in there. Answer your door! It’s time to go out and pick up some hot guys! You might actually get laid tonight!”
Sam opened the door, shaking her head and laughing. “Will you stop? My neighbors don’t need to hear about my sex life!”
“You don’t even have a sex life, so what’s it matter?” Julie replied as Sam locked the door behind them.
“So, like I said earlier, Tamara’s brother is meeting us there tonight. It should be a fun night. He’s hot. Maybe you can work on your flirting skills. If you have any left, that is,” Jules said as she glanced at Sam from the driver’s seat.
“Maybe I don’t want to flirt. And if he’s so hot, why don’t you go for him?” Sam retorted.
“Because Dave is also meeting us here, and I actually kind of like him. He’s catching a ride with Tamara and her brother,” said Jules. “Dave doesn’t know it yet, but I plan on taking him home tonight and doing evil things to him. I’ve got to thank Tamara for setting us up. By the way, how was class today?”
“My Principles in Management professor is going to be a bear, and I don’t like the idea of spending all my Saturdays at school for the foreseeable future, but I need to finish my degree. That way I can get that promotion and the raise that goes along with it. I really want to buy a house soon.”
“How long will it take you to get it done?” Jules asked. “And more importantly, are there any hot guys there?”
“It’s an accelerated program, so it’ll only take about a year and a half. That’s another reason I don’t need any distractions,” Sam said as she pointed her finger at her friend. “But yes, there’s a guy in my management class who is absolutely gorgeous.” She described Ben’s muscular arms and broad shoulders and the way his jeans cupped his backside just right.
Where To Buy
Evernight Publishing
Amazon
Bookstrand
All Romance Books
About Eve Meridian
I live in a small Ohio town with my military husband, two daughters, a neurotic cat named Max and a Lab/Newfoundland mix named Freyja. I’m an avid runner. I love writing (and reading) contemporary romances. Coffee and red wine are my two favorite food groups.
Where To Find Eve Meridian
So, about this week
As I mention on my About page, I have four cats — JJ, Jordan, Jessica, and Jeremy (yes, we were following a theme). We don’t have kids, so the J Crew are pretty important to us and very much beloved, even when they try to lick our oatmeal before we’re finished with it and insist on grooming us (because obviously we’re falling down on fur maintenance).
Back in June, Jordan started throwing up some fairly nasty stuff. He and JJ are my two 12-year-olds, and JJ throws up as a hobby so I didn’t think much about it at the time, just dragged out the carpet cleaner and muttered under my breath about cats who couldn’t bother to walk two feet and throw up on tile. But when Jordan stared vomiting every day and I suddenly realized I could feel his vertebrae, I knew something was seriously wrong and took him into the vet.
Our vet, who is a gem of her profession, took a blood test and examined him, and said it was either GI issues or cancer. She prescribed prednisone, showed me how to administer subcutaneous fluids to keep him hydrated, and said she wanted a followup in three weeks. The blood test came back the next day — signs of red blood cell generation and an elevated white blood cell count. In the back of my mind I knew what that meant, but Jordan had perked up wth the Pred and sub-q fluids, so I basically stuck my fingers in my ears and said, “La la la, it’s just GI issues, la la la.”
Well, it wasn’t. Jordan’s recheck showed some improvement and the vet recommended B-12 shots, so that got added to the sub-q ritual, but within a few days his health took a downturn and he stopped eating. His belly began to swell, and I had to use an appetite stimulant and syringe feed him to get anything down his throat. A week ago today, he started eating again and I thought for a moment that we’d turned the corner and he was going to get better.
Unfortunately, I was wrong. He stopped eating again, and by this point he was skeletal except for the swollen belly. Back he went into the vet on Monday; after an X-ray showed thickening of the intestinal wall, the vet said that the thickening plus the ascides (fluid in his belly) meant that Jordan had GI lymphoma, which cats don’t come back from (they can go into remission sometimes, but there’s never a cure), and I had to get ready to let him go.
Since he was still alert and didn’t seem to be in serious pain, we elected to delay the euthanasia. My husband and I spent the next two days holding him, which was his all-time favorite activity, telling him how much we loved him, and watching him fade away. By Wednesday I knew it was time, and called to make the appointment. I spent that night pretty much sitting vigil with him; carrying him to the litter box so that he could pee, getting him water when he was thirsty, and petting him while I tried to cry silently.
Thursday, my husband carried Jordan in his arms as I drove us to the vet’s. Jordan was essentially comatose by that point, but made a couple of sad little squeaks that had us both sobbing. When the doc administered the first sedative, I can honestly say that I didn’t see any difference. His heart may still have been beating, but for all intents and purposes he was already gone.
Five minutes later, his heart stopped beating, and I lost my sweet little tuxedo boy.
I’m writing about this because I know I may have come across as a little ditzy or distracted for the last six weeks, and I wanted to apologize. If I’ve dropped the ball or missed a deadline on a post, if I haven’t promoted people as aggressively as normal, well, now you know why. I also wanted to say that I very much appreciate all the kind comments I’ve gotten, and everyone who has been retweeting Doris O’Connor and C.R. Moss’s posts on Grading the Curve have just blown me away. This outpouring of kindness during an incredibly rough week has made a huge difference to me, so thank you.
Jordan P. Feline, 2001 – 2013. We love you, baby. Always.
Mid Week Tease: Grading the Curve
Happy Hump Day! Let’s celebrate it with a Mid Week Tease, courtesy of the lovely and talented Sandra Bunino. This week, I’ll be sharing a teaser from my new Romance on the Go story Grading the Curve, featuring virginal college student Ellen who’s about to enjoy the hot professor she’s been lusting after all semester long. What can I say — I think teachers are sexy.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
###
Alex carried Ellen through the house and up a flight of stairs. With no other option, she buried her face in the crook of his neck. His scent was more concentrated there, and she breathed deeply, wanting to taste it.
And then they were in his bedroom, plainly decorated with grey walls and dark wood furniture. The bed, a king, was the only real luxury in the room, covered with a thick maroon duvet that looked silky in the low light. Pillows in black and maroon cases were piled at the head of the bed. Cord eased her to her feet, keeping an arm tucked around her as he slid off his glasses, tossing them on the nightstand next to a framed picture. “So. Here we are.”
She stared at the bed, wondering if he could hear her heart pound. “You’re the teacher. Tell me what to do.”
His hands slid around her face, cupping it and turning it towards him. “I think we should start out with a nice kiss.”
The phrase bounced around in her head, then slotted into place. She couldn’t stop her grin. “Not leaping for the clitoris like a bull at the gate, then?”
His eyes narrowed in appreciation. “Oho, a Monty Python fan. My admiration for you grows with each moment. But no, I think we’d be best with a nice, soft kiss.”
He brought his mouth to hers, a brush of lips that caught and clung. She closed her eyes, reveling in the firmness of his lips, the slight rasp of stubble on his chin. He gently sucked her upper lip, then lower, before nudging her mouth open and slipping his tongue just inside, licking at the satiny inner flesh.
He tasted wonderful, like salt and wine and something that was uniquely him. Their tongues tangled, teasing slides that caused heat to pool between her thighs. Everything she’d read about French kissing made it sound disgusting. This was nothing like that.
Oh, God, this was so much better.
###
Grading the Curve is available from the following retailers:
Evernight / Amazon / All Romance Ebooks / Bookstrand
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Soon, my precious, soon…
My new Romance on the Go story, Grading the Curve, will be released this Thursday from Evernight, and I just got the final cover art today. And as you can see, yes, that is a woman on the cover.
*pauses so that people can recover*
I know, I know, but I don’t always write M/M erotic romance. I don’t. Stop laughing. Look, sometimes an MF story will hit the “I must write this NOW” button, and Grading the Curve just happened to be one of those stories. And yeah, the fact that I have a rather pronounced teacher kink and my male lead is a gruff but sexy professor may have also had something to do with it, but we won’t get into that right now.
And no, Alex isn’t based on anyone in real life, so if (God forbid) any of my previous teachers somehow stumble across this website, don’t worry, I’m not writing about you. Anyway, here’s the blurb:
Ellen Ragsdale is a scholarship student who just wants to get her college degree and start her life. Alexander Cord is an English professor who hides his loneliness behind an arrogant facade. School rules have kept them at arm’s length all year long. But on the last night of Ellen’s college career, the two of them risk everything to find out if their mutual attraction is more than a classroom crush.
And because I love you all to bits, here’s a teaser:
“Did you know that you always blush when you talk to me?” he said quietly. “It’s charming. You look like a medieval maiden receiving her first suitor.”
It felt like someone had painted fire across her skin. She ducked her head, staring dumbly at the hallway’s scarred paint. He couldn’t know. Nobody knew that about her. It wasn’t that obvious.
Was it?
“Interesting.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “I meant it as a compliment, but perhaps I struck closer to the truth than I’d intended.” He moved closer, and she could feel the heat from his whole body now, warming her like an invisible caress. “Are you?”
She swallowed hard. He couldn’t be asking what she thought he was asking. “A-am I—”
“A maiden. A virgin. I believe a popular term is ‘unicorn bait.'” His voice dropped, turning into a soft rumble. “I have to admit, I’m puzzled as to how someone as lovely and intelligent as you could still be virginal.”
Her entire face now felt like it was on fire. She’d gone on the occasional date, usually doubling with Keisha or Dianne, but once the guys found out what her schedule was like they didn’t bother calling again. “Too busy, I guess. Working, studying.”
To her surprise, cool fingers slid under her chin, gently turning her face up. “What a shame,” Cord said, his voice low and soft. “But if it’s of any consolation, men your age do tend to be rather slapdash and impatient when it comes to women. I assure you, you haven’t missed out on much by skipping the undergraduate sexual circus.” The façade of the academic disappeared. Underneath was a man she didn’t know, warm and standing so close to her. “That being said, I wonder … would you be willing to consider me?”
“What—” Her throat clicked, it was so dry. She swallowed and tried again. “What are you saying?”
He tilted his head to the side. “I want to take you to bed, Miss Ragsdale. I want to kiss that pink mouth of yours, undress you ever so slowly, play with those gorgeous breasts and suck your nipples before I caress every inch of your body. I want to bury my tongue between your legs and lap at your clit, and when you’re dripping wet I want to bury my cock in you. I want to see that sweet mouth of yours open and scream my name as I make you come over and over again.” Now she could smell his cologne, something masculine, woody, and underneath that, the musk of clean male. “Come home with me tonight, Miss Ragsdale. Let me make love to you. I promise you, you won’t regret it.”
Marvelous Monday Reads: Sin’s Flower
Welcome to Marvelous Monday Reads, angels! Is it hot where you are? Well, it’s about to get hotter, because today I’ll be featuring the sinfully saucy contemporary erotic romance Sin’s Flower by Carlene Love Flores. This is what Carlene has to say about her book:
Hi Nicola! Greetings readers and visitors! I hope you’re all finding a way not to melt on these hot, hot days and nights of summer. I know as romance writers, we don’t do a whole lot to help in the cooling off department. It’s our goal, or at least one of them, to deliver a steamy read. I do have some good news though! Sin’s Flower, while sizzling hot, is also set during Christmas time in the remote riverside town of Bugscuffle, Tennessee. So perhaps you’ll find yourself pleasantly experiencing both ends of the spectrum with Jaxon and Lily. Please enjoy this sneak peek of their story and have a great summer!
When Jaxon James, a sexy rock star and struggling single-father, is invited to ditch California and spend Christmas in Tennessee with his estranged family, he hesitantly accepts for his young daughter’s sake. But his attraction to his best friend’s baby sister, Lily Elstone, threatens to unravel the bonds he’s made for his daughter. The honorable thing to do would be to give up Lily. But his instincts are telling him she’s exactly the one who could bring light to his life and the missing fire to his bed. Unfortunately, Lily’s too sweet for his world. He fears his rock and roll life style will taint her. How far are Jaxon and Lily willing to go to find what’s missing at home?
Story Excerpt
Jaxon watched Lily’s hands sinking down into the sand from behind as hesitancy chopped up his steps. Years of ending up in dire situations had made him a decisive man when he needed to be. He was making one of those executive decisions right now. It didn’t matter why she’d come. And he was close to dismissing his reluctance over whose baby sister she was. Not when she wore that swishing angelic lavender top that covered her from neck to shoulder to fingertip, driving him insane with curiosity. God, and that flaming hair which had gone from neon just yesterday to a flattering shade of cinnamon temptation tonight. His grip tightened around the folding chairs he’d gone to fetch. Purposefully, he slowed down.
Then stopped.
Wanting her was one thing, but hurting this young woman was not okay.
Standing back, he took another couple minutes to contemplate what could happen tonight. What he could control and make happen.
He knew they should talk. He just hoped she didn’t mind how close he intended on being to her while that happened. His grip loosened and one of the folding lounge chairs fell to the sand. There would be plenty of room for the both of them on the one. He walked until he made it back to her side and unfolded the chair to its full length.
“Uh, hi,” she said shyly, her brow furrowing in concentration.
“Hey.” He sat down and held his arms out to assist her. “Sit with me?” He hadn’t given her much of a choice and caught her eye scanning the sandy trail where he’d come from. “Yeah, I figured we didn’t need that one.”
“Oh, okay. Wait, just so we’re clear here. You want me to sit, where exactly?”
God, she would kill him tonight. That amount of cute couldn’t be faked. “Here, with me.” Her eyes widened in disbelief so he scooted until he was flush with the back of the nylon chair and then opened his legs, letting one straddle each side. “There’s room.”
“You’re crazy,” she said shaking her head.
He let out a faked huff. His quick decision had been too fast for her and she wouldn’t believe this was his way of comforting her. “I’ll go fetch the other chair.”
She gouged her hand into her hip. “Wait. It’s just…I really don’t think I’m gonna fit.”
A hurricane couldn’t have swayed her decision to stay put. But she eventually bent her knees, bracing herself with strong hands, and lowered herself until her squeezable bottom met the chair. Because he wanted her closer, he took the liberty of placing his hands at each side of her waist and scooted her back until she was flush with his chest and his lap.
On second thought, that was way too close.
Someone would kill him for the throbbing going on so close to their little sister. He wiggled an inch of space between Lily and his now obvious and straining erection. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her thinking he was incapable of a conversation without sex ending up front and center. He had amazing amounts of control in that department. It came along with all the years he’d practiced on the road. Tonight, plainly put, he just wanted to be close to someone, to Lily. And this was the way he knew how to do that.
“So what did you want to talk about?” he asked.
“I, I don’t know.” It sounded like nerves had her.
They didn’t have to start with words. Fuck him for his appetite but he could say more by doing this anyway.
Hey you, horny fucker. This is the part where you pat her on the head, say you’re sorry, and send her back to her big sister. This is not the time for indulging. Pack it up, Jaxon.
Yeah, no questions about it. That’s what he should do.
Where to Buy
Evernight
Amazon
All Romance e-Books
BookStrand
About Carlene Love Flores
Carlene Love Flores is a big fan of the stars (especially Orion), honest music (especially Depeche Mode), and her travelling family (no favorites there-she loves them all). These things have always inspired her to think up edgy, intimate love stories and continue to do so. If she could touch someone’s heart with her writing the way others have done for her, she’d say truly there never lived a luckier girl.
Where to find Carlene Love Flores
Website
Evernight Publishing
Facebook
Twitter
Waterworld Mermaids
Marvelous Monday Reads: Board Stiff – Taking Advantage
Welcome to Marvelous Monday Reads, and today I’ll be featuring the hot new contemporary romance Board Stiff, Book One in the Taking Advantage series by Jessica Jayne. And if that wasn’t enough to send you off rarin’ to buy it, Book Two, Board Approved, is out today! And now, here’s something to whet your appetite!
John Dorsey’s life is good. He is the owner of Dorsey Construction. He’s the youngest person on the board of directors for Advantage Insurance Company. He lives on the beach. And he knows he can have any woman he wants. John’s got the world at his fingertips… except he’s yet to find a woman that stimulates both his body and mind.
Elizabeth Wright worked hard in a large Tampa law firm making a name for herself, but it came at the expense of her personal life. When Advantage Insurance Company offers her a job as corporate counsel, Elizabeth cannot turn it down. The thought that she can have a successful legal career and a life excites and intimidates her.
But when their worlds collide one day in the Advantage board room, neither Elizabeth nor John knows what’s hit them. All they know is they can’t stay away from each other.
Story Excerpt
“Are you seeing anyone? Sleeping with anyone?” he asked further.
“What?” she said, standing up from her chair. Her face was incapable of hiding her shock at his questions. Her green eyes were wide. Her lips parted. “What sort of questions are these?” John’s stride made short use of the distance between them. He stood directly in front of her, cornering her behind her desk. He looked down into her green eyes. They were gorgeous… she was gorgeous. And he had every intention of claiming her.
“Answer my questions, Elizabeth. Are you seeing anyone?” He watched as her eyes widened even further with shock at his determination to get answers to his questions. Nervousness flittered across her face, but her breath came out in short pants as if his close proximity affected her. He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath. God, he wanted to feel her body against his. He just knew she would feel perfect against him… in his arms.
“Your questions are inappropriate,” she replied sharply. Despite her body giving her attraction away, she held firm. He liked that. He liked a woman that wasn’t too easy of a catch.
“I agree,” he said, impatiently. “They are inappropriate. I need the answers nonetheless.”
“Why?” she asked. Her gaze scanned his face as if looking for the answer to her question.
“Answer me,” he demanded. His hand reached out and caressed her cheek as if to soothe the harshness of his words.
“You are way out of line, Mr. Dorsey,” Elizabeth said.
“Yes, I know,” he said a little softer this time. His fingers tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. His gaze dropped to her bared neck. He had to fight the urge to nuzzle the spot just below her ear. “But I need to know if there are any obstacles to making you mine. Are you seeing anyone?”
“No,” she whispered. “I’m not seeing anyone.” Her lips parted for a moment before she bit down on her lower lip. That was almost his undoing.
“Are you fucking anyone?” he asked. She released her bottom lip and sucked in a breath when he asked that question. Her gaze fell from his eyes to his lips and then to her hands. He placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up to meet his gaze again. He wanted to see her eyes when she answered him. There was heat in her gaze, and that thrilled him.
“No, Mr. Dorsey, I’m not fucking anyone at the moment,” she said. Her voice was hard, but he heard the desire in it and that snapped his restraint. His hand weaved into her hair until his palm gripped the back of her head, pulling her into him. His mouth slammed down on hers. Her full lips were soft and pliable, and his tongue flicked out over her lips to taste her. She tasted so sweet…like candy.
Where to Buy
Evernight Publishing
Amazon
Amazon UK
All Romance Ebooks
Bookstrand
About Jessica Jayne
I am a born and raised small town Ohio girl, who moved to the Sunshine State after graduating from college. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English because I could not imagine doing anything else but reading and writing. It is such a pleasure to be able to share all the stories in my head!
In the journey of life, I also became a wife and a mother of three children. So, life is always an adventure. But the love of writing has never died.
My favorites: I love to read and write… obviously! But I also enjoy all sports, especially college football and the Ohio State Buckeyes! Go Steelers! Go Rays! I LOVE to travel… LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to travel. And I love sharing my love to travel with my children. I love to drink Teavana teas! I love a good glass of wine, especially if it comes from a bottle made by the FOOLS wine club… yep, I’m a member of that! I love hanging out with my family and my friends! Big fan of music, but love nothing better than putting on my jean shorts, tank top, cowboy boots and hat and watching Tim McGraw belt it out! I’m a sucker for a cowboy hat!
Nicola Cameron Writes 