Aaaaand it’s soup
Those are some magical damn words, people.
As of 5:30 AM this morning I officially finished the second draft of Palace of Scoundrels and sent it off to the betas. While they’re daubing red all over the pages I’ll go through and do a mechanical edit (grammar, punctuation, and spelling) and weasel word edit (adverbs, weak words), then do the ebook setup and finalize the cover. Luckily for me the lovely Jay Aheer, who did the cover for Empress of Storms, was kind enough to tell me where she found her cover model pic, so I found a similar one by the same model which will work well for Palace (yeah, I’m doing the cover as well. I’ve done covers for other people, so I may as well do my own).
Right now, the goal is to add the beta comments, do a final polish, then have everything formatted and up on Amazon by next Wednesday (it will be on sale for $.99 for one week, and Empress will also be on sale for that price for the same amount of time), at which point I shall sleep for a week. HA! I jest. At which point I switch into Promo mode and start pimping the book in various places, then head off to Niagara by the Lake for the first annual Evernight Publishing writer’s retreat where I will be finishing either Do No Harm or Behind the Iron Cross, I can’t decide. Yes, I am going to do my utmost to get both of THOSE out this month, as well. Wahey! (insert gif of Jeremy Brett as Holmes clicking his heels here)
After they’re done and out, I get cracking on The Chevalier, which I’ve decided will be a fantasy erotic romance sex comedy (because lord, I need some laughs right now). The final book of the year, which definitely won’t be out until 2017, will be the untitled Von Steuben historical romance.
But what about Olympic Cove #4, I hear you cry. Have I just abandoned the series? Never fear, poppets — Cross Current is definitely on the writing schedule, and I have some nifty news about the series coming in the new year. Stay tuned!
My current status on, well, everything
So, yeah, it has been brought to my attention that I’ve been maintaining radio silence while working on Palace of Scoundrels, so sorry about that. I’ve been focusing on finishing the damn book so much that I kinda forgot, “Uh, you have a blog? And people might like to know how things are going?”
So yeah, we are now officially into the home stretch, as seen at left. I strongly doubt this will be the final word count — I have at least two major scenes to insert while doing the rewrite, and I’m guessing it’ll top out more around 73K. But that’s still a chunky little piece of high fantasy erotic romance, so for all of you who are looking for fixes to your GOT jones just hang on for another week.
(I am still absolutely boggled that I’m writing high fantasy erotic romance. But damn it, this world is just so much fun.)
Also, while we’re on the topic of GOT, if you’re a fellow fan of that delightfully tall drink of Scottish water Rory McCann (Sandor “The Hound” Clegane), might I suggest that you track down a British comedy TV series called The Book Group on Hulu? It’s from 2002 and stars Anne Dudek, who played House fellow applicant/Wilson’s girlfriend Amber on House, and is the story of a rather neurotic American named Clare who moves to Glasgow and starts a book group to meet people. The other members of the group include three footballers’ wives (one of whom is played by the goddess Michelle Gomez, also known as Missy/The Master on Doctor Who), a rather sweetly clueless guy named Rab who is secretly having an affair with Michelle’s footballer husband, an obnoxious hipster played by James Lance, and McCann’s character Kenny, who is a kindly lifeguard at a local leisure center. Kenny’s also in a wheelchair after what we presume is a climbing accident, and the writers do a great job of not turning him into the Magical Paraplegic or giving him Very Special Episode moments. He’s got a couple of issues, not to mention crap taste in girlfriends, but he’s still one of the better-adjusted people in the group along with Rab, and his low level flirtation with Clare goes everywhere from exasperation to genuine friendship.
Also, it’s really nice to hear McCann using his own accent–he’s got this amazing young Sean Connery thing going on. Pity he was depilating his chest at the time, but one can’t have everything, I suppose.
Fabulous Friday Reads: Deciding Her Faete
Let’s kick off this lovely weekend with the second entry in Elena Kincaid, Maia Dylan, and Sarah Marsh’s Beyond the Veil series, Deciding Her Faete. Take it away, ladies!
Thanks so much for hosting us on your blog today for the release of Deciding Her Faete, book number two in our ménage paranormal romance series. The Beyond The Veil series started out as a fun exercise in our Sinfully More Erotic Street Team group and we’ve had such a great time writing them! So far, we have 5 books planned in the series, but I wouldn’t be surprised if more sprout up along the way. All three of us fell in love with this mysterious world Beyond The Veil as well as our very overprotective Shifters on this side of the Veil.
April always knew that she was a little different. She spent most of her life trying to forget that fact, but when her instincts tell her to pack up everything and move to an entirely different country, she can’t help but listen … and then a handsome stranger comes to her rescue one night. The force of her connection with Jason and then later, his brother Donovan, pierces her soul. When she and Jason are abducted by a crazed maniac, claiming that she isn’t human, she doesn’t know what to believe in anymore.
Jason and Donovan had taken a huge risk when they left their pack in the hopes of finding their mate. April is everything the brothers had ever dreamt about, but she’s even more special than they know. The battle between their enemies on the other side of The Veil comes crashing into their lives at the worst possible time, just when Jason and Donovan now have something precious to lose.
Will April be able to accept the truth of her real heritage and embrace it in time to find her happy ending?
Story Excerpt
When she stepped out of the bathroom, Donovan and Jason were waiting for her in the bedroom. Donovan sat at the edge of the king-sized bed while Jason looked at her from the armchair next to it. She didn’t miss the fact that they both ogled her bare legs as she stepped closer to them. She felt her entire body heat up from the intensity of their stares.
“I like the way my shirt looks on you, angel.” Donovan’s voice was low and husky. He got up suddenly from the bed to stand in front of her. “Talk to us, April. Please.”
“How could the two of you still possibly want me?” April’s words came out rushed and strangled. She closed her eyes, swallowing the rest of the speech she had prepared for them as if her vocal cords stubbornly refused to say goodbye to them.
“Cut that shit out, April,” Jason bellowed before he, too, stood before her. She flinched at the harshness of his tone. “I’m the one who failed you. Not the other way around.”
“How can you say that? It was me Kheelan was after all this time. Not you. He took Dee and God knows how many others, all to get to me. Oh God, Dee! Have they found her yet?”
“No,” Donovan said quietly. “But we will. I swear it.”
“He’ll just keep coming for me.” She reached out and placed her hand on Jason’s cheek. “I felt so helpless when you were in that cell. I can’t bear the thought of him hurting you like that again.” She turned to Donovan and put her other hand on his cheek. “And it’s not only Jason’s screams I dreamt about. Sometimes it was you I pictured Kheelan torturing. I’d rather die than to ever let him get his hands on either of you. Not when I can prevent it.” She took a deep steady breath. Her words would not fail her this time. “You both have to let me go.”
“Fuck that!” Jason growled. Before she even had time to blink, she found herself tossed on the bed. Her hands were held above her head by Donovan while Jason fiercely, unyieldingly took her mouth in a fiery kiss. She returned it with the same fervor, unable to help herself.
April had no time to think, to collect her thoughts, for as soon as Jason released her lips, Donovan took his place. He released the grip he had on her wrists, but instead of pushing him away, she wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She’d only had a brief taste of him when he came to rescue her from the dungeons, so this felt like their first real kiss. She found her resolve quickly fading because she sensed their pain at the thought of her leaving them. She knew she didn’t have the strength to walk away from them on her own, and it seemed that neither of her stubborn men was willing to let her go.
When Donovan ended their kiss, he looked deeply into her eyes and cradled her face. Like that first night with Jason, she felt as if he could see the inside of her soul. He wasn’t repulsed by her or angry. Instead, he looked at her with longing and adoration.
“That’s not the way this works, my angel. Whatever happens to one of us, happens to all three.”
“And we would chase you to the ends of the Earth, April,” Jason added. “So don’t even think about running from us.”
“Let us show you how much we want you, angel.” Donovan nuzzled her ear as he spoke.
“Yes,” she whispered, closing her eyes, prompting Donovan to continue with his assault on her ear. He licked her inner shell then proceeded to torment her ear with soft bites and kisses, eliciting a few successive moans from her. He moved onto to delivering the same attention to her neck while Jason’s warm hands caressed her bare legs.
Donovan cupped her face. She opened up her eyes for a brief moment and saw him hovering over her. His lips quirked in an adorable sly smile before he pressed them to hers. He kissed her softly at first, their tongues barely touching, but when she hugged him to her tightly, he deepened the kiss, moaning into her mouth. His hand cupped her breast over the thick sweatshirt, but she felt it searing into her skin as if she had been wearing nothing at all.
She felt Jason shift in between her legs. His hands roamed up her thighs, and under her shirt, stopping at her hips. He placed his forehead on her lower stomach. “Do you have any idea how difficult it has been lying here, not touching you, knowing you had nothing underneath this sweatshirt?” His voice, muffled by said shirt, sounded strained.
Donovan hummed in agreement and moved on to kissing her neck. She nudged him a little so that he could give her room to sit up. She then lifted her hands in the air. It didn’t take long for them to catch her meaning. Donovan peeled off the sweatshirt from her body, slowly revealing every naked inch of her to their gaze.
Where to Buy
Evernight
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
About the Authors
Sarah Marsh was born in British Columbia where she still lives. She has only recently began her writing career, finding it the perfect outlet for taking the edge off a nine to five office job. She’s been a science fiction and romance junkie for years and when her imagination started to take the characters she’d read about even further in their adventures, she decided to try writing something of her own.
Sarah’s also a former pastry chef and spends a lot of time cooking and baking for friends and family as well as painting and knitting. Her biggest weaknesses are animals of any kind … she even loves the ones that wake you up at four in the morning because they can almost see the bottom of their food dish.
When it comes to life in general, she’s a big believer that laughter is the best medicine and that there’s no such thing as too much love, which is why she’s such a sucker for a happy ending.
Bookstrand | Amazon | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Facebook Street Team
Maia Dylan lives, loves and works in beautiful New Zealand. She married her best friend and they have two adorable, but stubborn children who obviously take after their father.
Maia’s career has featured a lot of travel, and she has filled her time at airports and in the air with books, books and more books. Her love of erotic paranormal romance has seen her amass a huge library. She has been an avid reader and lover of ménage romances since she read her first book in this genre about three years ago.
Outside of writing, Maia loves to eat, so she loves to cook! Her herb garden is legendary, but she still has issues getting tomatoes to grow. She’s been a performer for years, and has even sung on international stages, she would love to own a classic Ford Mustang one day and of course have the opportunity to race it on a race track without fear of a speeding ticket.
Although ultimately her dream is to be able to write full time on a sandy beach with a Mai Tai at hand, she is quite happy to fit her writing in when she can. As long as someone reads her books, gets a laugh and maybe come to love her characters and much as she does, then she feels that she is living her dreams no matter what!
Amazon | Facebook | Street Team FB Page | Goodreads | Twitter | Website | Blog | Newsletter sign up link
Elena Kincaid is an award winning author. She writes Erotic Paranormal and Contemporary MFM and MF Romances. She developed a passion for reading and writing at an early age and loves to write what she loves to read and that is usually romance with a paranormal twist. Her desk is constantly cluttered with journals, sticky notes, and torn out pieces of paper full of ideas.
She was born in Ukraine and raised in New York, where she currently lives with her daughter. She graduated college with a BFA in creative writing and In addition to writing, she also started a graphic design business a few years after graduating. When not working, Elena loves to spend time with her family, travel the globe, curl up with a good book, and catch up on her soaps.
Blog | Website | Twitter | FB Author Page | FB Beyond The Veil series | Goodreads | Amazon | Evernight
Interview with Daniel Riding and Update on Palace of Scoundrels
The lovely and perspicacious Daniel Riding recently interviewed me on his blog about writing MM erotic romance, the Olympic Cove series, and just where do I get all those marvelous ideas from, anyway? I forgot to mention my writing tiara (shown at left), but the interview is here — thanks again, Daniel!
In writing news, I’m firing away on all cylinders on Palace of Scoundrels, with a plan to have it released on (checks calendar) September 20. Less than two weeks, in other words. Whee! Sleep’s overrated! After that I plan on sleeping even less and finishing edits on Do No Harm so that I can get it out a few days after Palace, because not only am I going to the Evernight Publishing writer’s retreat in October, I’m also schlepping my sister on a 3-day cruise a few weeks after that (mainly so that she can see if she can tolerate a cruise — she gets terribly motion sick, poor lamb), and I have to pay for all this travel without actually selling an organ or a cat.
Fabulous Friday Reads: Ever So Madly
Let’s kick off this lovely weekend with J.R. Gray’s newest romance, Ever So Madly, now available from Evernight and other online purveyors of fine romance. Take it away, Gray!
Love is for peasants, nobles marry for power. These are the rules Jocelynn has lived by. She is expected to be the poised and perfect vision of relentless power. Set to inherit the House of Akillie she was bred to rule. Men have never turned her head, until now
Madden achieved the impossible, the first in over a century to escape the life of hard labor and earn a place among the elite. With the chance for a fresh start, he has to stay focused, not damn himself by falling for the one girl forbidden to him.
Madden was an experiment in freedom, and she didn’t mean to fall. But now she can’t live without him. Some choices are easier than others, while some aren’t choices at all. He’s worth running from everything she’s ever known.
Jocelynn turns to a formidable group of rebels to escape her fate. But with a war to be won, the rebels have their own agenda. Drowning in a game of power and politics, Madden and Jocelynn can’t trust anyone if they want make it out alive.
Story Excerpt
A grin spread over his face. “Like that?”
I bit down on my lip and nodded as he slid lower replacing his hand with his mouth. My lips parted in a silent gasp as he hooked his thumbs in my shorts inching them lower.
“Yes…” My toes curled as I pulled my knees up, opening up for him further. “Too much.”
He explored my stomach with his mouth, blowing his hot breath over my skin. My eyes slid half closed as I toyed with his hair.
“If you keep saying too much, I’m going to start thinking you want me against your will.” He glanced up as me as he pushed my shorts even lower still with his chin.
“It’s not that…” My words trailed off turning into a soft moan when he bit at my hip.
“Then what is it?” His voice was low and husky, laced with need.
I had visions of us hot and sweaty, all wrapped up in each other. I flushed all over at the thought of how he would feel against me.
“It’s…” I pressed my eyes closed, tilting my head back. “I’m afraid no one else will ever feel this good, that this is my only chance, and you’re five hundred light years away.”
Where to Buy
Evernight
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Goodreads
Bookstrand (TBA)
All Romance eBooks (TBA)
Giveaway
J.R. is also offering a $20 dollar Amazon gift card giveaway! To enter to win, click the Rafflecopter link here.
About J.R. Gray
When not staying up all night writing, J.R. Gray can be found at the gym where it’s half assumed he is a permanent resident to fulfill his self-inflicted masochism. A dominant and a pilot, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. He frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns and conversations, to jot down notes or plot bunnies. Commas are the bane of his existence even though it’s been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder. If Gray wasn’t writing…well, that’s not possible. The buildup of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave, insanity or both. The idea of haunting has always appealed to him. J.R. Gray is genderqueer and prefers he/him pronouns.
Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Tumblr | Tumblr | Mailing List | Blog | Amazon
Goodbye, August!
And with it any hope that I would get Palace out this month. Oh, well. It should be done in a week or so, so I’ll take that as a win.
In addition, I just wanted to show this off. A friend of mine saw the cabs I was wrapped and asked if the labradorite had been spoken for yet. When I said no, he asked if I could do a Slytherin-themed bracelet in sterling with it (“with reptilian wrappings,” he specified).
You know me, I’m always up for a challenge. The result is Salazar, a sterling silver wire wrap and chain mail bracelet with a hand-forged snake as the feature element. I’d forgotten how heavy sterling silver is — this thing has HEFT.
Also? I really need to make enough to buy a jewelry kiln, because I’ve got all kinds of ideas for sculptural jewelry that I could make with precious metal clay. And then, someday, the lost wax casting class. Someday.
Wicked Wednesday Reads: Dark Redemption
Whee, it’s Wednesday! Never fear, for today I’m here with Sarah Marsh and her new book Dark Redemption, now available from Limitless Publishing. Take it away, Sarah!
Sofia Boon was ready to make changes in her life, but she didn’t see this coming…Taking a chance, she finds the nerve to ask out her handsome neighbor, but when he doesn’t show up for their date, Sofia knocks on his door and meets a man claiming to be his roommate, and she soon realizes she’s made a horrible mistake.
Eitan Kent is a tortured man, haunted by a death he was unable to prevent…
Eitan believes he is unworthy of being loved. He buries himself in his work and takes a job to track down a wanted criminal, Ben Donovan. He locates Donovan’s apartment, but finds it empty—until Donovan’s “date” shows up.
Eitan doesn’t know what to make of sweet, curvy Sofia, but she’s the only lead he has…
Feeling he has no choice, Eitan decides to take her with him to see if she can somehow lead him to Donovan before it’s too late—or if her innocence is all an act and she’s involved in the bastard’s crimes.
Sofia is terrified and tries to explain to the dark stranger that she barely knows her neighbor and has no idea how to track him down, but Eitan knows exactly how to get the truth from her. Who knew a little torture could be so sweet?
Story Excerpt
That rat bastard! She thought as she watched him stroll out of the room just as though nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t just gotten her so turned on that she thought she’d spontaneously combust and then just…left.
Sofia didn’t think about what she would have done if he’d tried to have sex with her. That would just ruin the fury she was currently riding. She should be relieved he hadn’t tried to force her. She should have been, logically speaking, but she had to admit to herself her overheated body was ready to beg for release and that her traitorous hormones were killing the rational part of her brain. Sofia knew it was crazy, but all she could think about right now was that the most satisfying way to get some relief was under her sexy captor. It was an issue that only got worse as he walked back into the room with a tray of food and all that beautiful, tanned bare skin.
“Here, let me help you sit up so you can eat,” he said, putting the tray down on the nightstand and moving closer, “Or would you rather wash up and use the bathroom first?”
“Bathroom first, please,” she said immediately, thinking she could follow his lead and get some satisfaction while cleaning up.
But clearly her eagerness must have given her away because he raised one eyebrow in challenge.
“Okay, but you have ten minutes to shower, and you are not allowed to touch yourself other than to get clean―am I understood?” he said in a firm tone as he leaned forward and undid her wrists.
“You’re going to watch me?” she asked, not quite certain if she was offended or turned on at the prospect. She wondered for a second why his firm tone seemed to excite her more than it should have.
“Do you want me to watch you?” he whispered low next to her ear, causing awareness to spread through her entire body.
Sofia was a little breathless at the thought of putting on the same show for him as he did for her, but in the end, her pride won out over the wanton need she felt inside.
“No,” she barely answered, and it sounded weak even to her ears.
His deep chuckle at her answer made her nipples peak even more, and she was almost disappointed when he leaned back and pushed the timer on his watch.
“You’ve got ten minutes, Sofia. Then I come in and get you.”
Sofia had never used the washroom and showered so fast in all her life, she got done with barely a minute to spare as she put her bra and underwear back on and then wrapped herself in a big fluffy towel before she walked back out into the room.
“You can keep the towel until you’ve eaten, then it’s off,” he said once he saw her.
She’d take that small win, and she took her sweet ass time eating as well until he finally took the tray away after she’d spent five minutes chewing a single piece of melon.
“Now are you going to make this difficult on both of us or are you going to behave?” he said as he motioned toward the wrist cuffs once again.
She thought about it, but there was nothing she could do against his superior strength, so she begrudgingly laid back against the padded headboard and raised her wrists.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly. “I told you everything I know already.”
“Well, I’ll see about that soon enough, won’t I?” was all he said in reply as he fastened the cuffs and picked up the tray before he left the room.
****
By the time Eitan had gotten the kitchen cleaned up from breakfast and returned to the bedroom, he was already half hard from replaying how she’d looked watching him come in the shower. He thought about putting on a pair of jeans, but why bother? He certainly wasn’t ashamed for her to see how she affected him and she sure as hell didn’t seem to be put off by his body, so he may as well use that to his advantage, right?
“Ready for the ankle cuffs?” he asked as he entered the room.
He saw her swallow hard and move her legs tighter together.
“Why do you have to?” she asked with a worried look. “Are you going to touch me?”
“You don’t want me to touch you?” he challenged, already knowing her body didn’t have any arguments.
“Of course I don’t want you to touch me!” she answered, clearly trying to sound offended that he’d suggest such a thing, “I don’t even know your name!”
“Well, that’s easy enough to remedy,” he said as he placed one knee on the bed and pulled up the first ankle cuff. “My name is Eitan. Now give me your leg, Sofia.”
He could tell she was surprised he’d given her his name, and to be truthful, he was a bit surprised by that himself. But the more he thought about his name on her lips as she moaned her pleasure, the harder his cock got. He was doing all sorts of things with this little captive that seemed to be breaking his rules, and Eitan wasn’t sure he really cared.
When she tentatively placed her little foot in his hand, he quickly attached the cuff and then slowly ran his fingers over the softness of her skin. Clearly she waxed her legs as the skin was still supple and hair free. That thought made him more aware of the noticeably smooth skin under those pretty purple panties, and his mouth watered as he imagined how soft it would feel under his tongue. As he fastened the second cuff and her legs moved further apart, it was all he could do not to crawl up her body and relieve her of those panties just as he’d fantasized about doing in the shower this morning. It was then that he finally had to admit to himself that this interrogation was probably going to be more difficult for him than it was going to be for her…because his self-control was already bucking to be let loose.
Where to Buy
About Sarah Marsh
Sarah Marsh was born in British Columbia where she still lives, she has only recently began her writing career finding it the perfect outlet for taking the edge off a nine to five office job. She’s been a science fiction and romance junkie for years and when her imagination started to take the characters she’d read about even further in their adventures she decided to try writing something of her own.
Sarah’s also a former pastry chef and spends a lot of time cooking and baking for friends and family as well as painting and knitting. Her biggest weaknesses are animals of any kind…she even loves the ones that wake you up at four in the morning because they can almost see the bottom of their food dish.
When it comes to life in general she’s a big believer that laughter is the best medicine and that there’s no such thing as too much love, which is why she’s such a sucker for a happy ending.
Blog | Twitter | Street Team | Limitless Publishing | Bookstrand | Facebook | Amazon
Marvelous Monday Reads: His Mafia Princess
Welcome to another edition of Marvelous Monday Reads, pumpkins! Today I’m featuring April Zyon and her new erotic romance His Mafia Princess (Family First, Book 1). Take it away, April!
Thank you, for hosting me today. This book was truly one of those books that simply had to be written, it was one that was inside of my head and demanded to be let out. I hope that everyone loves it as much as I loved writing it.
I am doing a giveaway; 10 lucky winners will win a free copy of His Mafia Princess… read to the end to learn how.
Gregorio Bosco worked his way up the ranks of The Family. He never had trouble killing, selling, or anything he was tasked to do. He’d been trained to take over for Giovanni when he stepped down, but that all changed when Alessandra was taken. She was the only good in his life, and he’d do anything in order to protect her—no matter the cost to anyone around him.
Alessandra Morello was born into a life that she didn’t understand. She thought she was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, however she learned it was far from the truth. She’s pulled into the center of a war with Gregorio as her only constant. Her attraction for the older man has only grown over the years, but can there be a future for them in their twisted world?
Story Excerpt
Gregorio was pissed off that he had been called to the mansion, again. He had to get a hold of his men, or the Boss wouldn’t let him take over in the timeframe given to them. It wasn’t because of his fuck up, but one of his underlings. The little bastard was dead now. Greg had personally seen to it. No one got away with stealing from the family, not under his watch. Period. Now if only he could get the Boss to agree that times needed to change and the stakes had to be higher so that their family ran even tighter, because the Russians were trying to move in on their turf and usurp their power. It was up to Gregorio as the Boss’s right hand—and eventual heir—to ensure that they died trying instead of taking over the area that they had carved out for themselves.
When he was let into the Boss’s study, he stood loose in front of the man. Gregorio was armed and ready for anything. “You called?”
“Gregorio, take a seat.” The man didn’t pose it as a question, and Gregorio knew it. It was an order. Once he was sitting, the Boss nodded. “I hear you took care of the mistake.” The Boss sneered as he said the last word, as if it were dirty. “And you made an example?”
“Yes, sir. I did. He’s currently hanging with his hands cut off and his gullet filled with molten silver. His silver-filled body was left on the lawn of the Russian Boss’s home, as per your request. We will need to be more careful with our recruits. How this one passed as Italian, I will never know. It was the theft from the small general store that got him. The girl recalled him speaking Russian as he stole from her. She was injured and in the robbery, she remembered our underling because he had come to collect the protection fee two days earlier.”
Gregorio smiled. It was a smile of pure darkness as he thought of the pain the man suffered. He then tilted his head slightly as he asked the next question. “You let your daughter leave without a guard?” Gregorio changed the subject to one he really wanted to know. That woman had gotten under his skin and had been there since she was sixteen when he saw her naked in the pool house. That was when he was third in the organization. Gregorio killed the second because he was jacking off to Alessandra. Only he was allowed to even think of her in that capacity, and he ensured that every-fucking-one knew it. Even the Boss knew now that Gregorio had declared himself to the man.
“She plays golf with her friends every Thursday. Her guards are with her. Have you learned more of her mugging?”
“I have.” Another reason Gregorio was angry; he was here when he should be tracking the bastards that hurt her. No one hurt her and lived.
“And?” the Boss asked impatiently.
“One of them is sitting in my basement tied to a chair. I was in the middle of discussing respect with the man when you called.”
“It’s more than respect,” the Boss said angrily. “You would do well to remember respect yourself.”
Gregorio had to bite the inside of his cheek. “Yes, Boss. I’m sorry.” He hated those words because it was a reminder of just how much more Gregorio had to learn. Just saying them had him wanting to kill someone.
“That’s better. You have to remember who you are speaking with at all times. Yes, I have been grooming you to take over, but that’s in the near future. In the meantime, you’ve much to learn, things I had to learn the hard way through trial and error and a lot of blood lost.”
“Thank you, sir.” Those words came from his mouth in a near growl. It wasn’t that Gregorio didn’t appreciate what the Boss was doing for him, but the simple fact was that he was impossibly impatient at times.
“Now, what was offered to Tomas to make him turn from his Family?”
“Half million and the promise of a new life. Beyond that, it was the tie to his long lost relative who was a Russian that we didn’t know about.” He shook his head decisively at that statement.
“The Russians are growing bolder. They are searching out long lost Russians in our family’s men and enforcers. Seems as if we need to work on our own genealogy so we can head these off at the pass when possible.”
“They want what we have. They want the docks. They want the refinery and everything else we have. Everything we’ve worked so hard to get.”
“That I worked so hard to get. That my Father worked so hard to get. Don’t forget, Gregorio, you are only being groomed because I didn’t have a son but a daughter. One that I would kill for and one that will never know the reality of her life.”
Greg knew the truth though. The old man had twin sons that were older than Alessandra, but they were born from his whore so they would never hold any sort of position of power inside of the organization.
“I agree. She’ll never know the truth of this life. Not as long as I live. That’s my blood vow to you, Boss.” He would give it too, his blood to keep Alessandra safe, to keep her pure and to keep her out of this life.
He was going to say something else when the doors opened. Gregorio was on his feet with his weapon drawn on reflex.
The man who stood in the doors literally pissed his pants. “I’m sorry, Boss, but we got a note you have to read.”
“Bring it.”
Gregorio holstered his weapon and watched. He was curious about what would have anyone daring to open the door when he and the Boss were in a conference. No one but Alessandra dared do such a thing. She would breeze in when they were planning war and not realize what she walked in on.
When the Boss stood fast enough to send his chair flying behind him, Gregorio knew it had to involve Alessandra. She was the only one that would garner that sort of reaction in the man. “Those fucking bastards!” The Boss yelled out his frustration. “Get everyone here.” He looked at Gregorio. “Someone took Alessandra. Took her in the middle of a crowded lunch at the Country Club.”
Gregorio saw red. He shook in his fury. “Who?” He spoke to the man that brought the note. “Where are her guards?”
“They were found in their cars, both with holes in their foreheads. Whoever did this made it personal. They wanted these men to see who killed them.”
“Boss?” Gregorio waited for his orders to find the woman that held both of their hearts.
“Go. Find her. Take her to safety. I’m done with these Russian bastards on our turf.”
“You calling a war?”
“They did when they took her,” the Boss said as he pulled his weapons from his desk.
Where to Buy
Evernight | Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Bookstrand | All Romance eBooks | Smashwords | iTunes
Giveaway
Simply click this link. (PS only available in the US, sorry!): https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/2f09835d46c86b22
About April Zyon
Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Reader Group | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Website
Nicola’s Sunday Shoutout: S.J. Maylee
Today’s Sunday Shoutout goes to S.J. Maylee and her new entry in her Assassins and Sweethearts series Unexpected Destiny, now available online from purveyors of fine erotic romance. Take it away, S.J.!
Thank you for having me today. I’m thrilled that Unexpected Destiny has released!
These assassins have really gotten a hold on me. I can’t wait till they all have their happily ever after. How did I get here, giving happy endings to assassins?
Initially I was looking to find love for a bad boy. Assassins aren’t usually the hero. They’re the villain. But I wanted to change all that. These four men came to me almost instantly. In no time, I had bits of each of their stories. I knew I had to write it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly on these men who want to save the lives of those who can’t get the help they so desperately need, whose lives are in immediate danger.
Now that I’ve pulled that string, I see a whole mess of stories. Once I tell the stories of these four men, more will come. Great things are in store. I can’t wait to experience it all.
Elizabeth Martin thought she had her happily ever after, until her husband mysteriously disappeared. Aidan Clery is a skilled assassin-for-hire who wants nothing more than to find the love of his life. Fate throws Liz in his path and everything is perfect, except Aidan just won the contract on her life.
The truth surrounding Liz’s estranged husband takes the pair on a dangerous journey. Nothing in their lives will ever be the same. Destiny may be unexpected but it will be up to Aidan and Liz to discover the truth and claim their real happily ever after.
Story Excerpt
Aidan turned off the faucet and caught the reflection of those gorgeous brown eyes in the mirror.
“Oops. Wrong door,” said his girl as she turned around.
“I can share.” He could handle the surveillance later. This woman deserved his attention.
She stopped and turned around. “Okay then.” She took a step toward him. “You know what? I should have asked for confirmation earlier.” Her gaze was full of mischief.
“You’re right. You should have asked.” He took a hold of her hand and pulled her close. “I sure would like to see that tiny scrap of lace.” And just like that his night got infinitely better.
She stopped her forward movement when their chests were a mere inch apart. A nice rosy blush heated her cheeks. He kept hold of her hand while her other played with the lapel of his dark leather jacket. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“You need to get back to your friends?”
“Yes, but…” She licked her bottom lip. “Maybe I could stay here for a few minutes.”
“At least a few.” He tapped the bottom of her chin. “How about you start by telling me your name?”
“Liz.” Her gaze met his and he wanted time to stop. Something about the lonely look in her eyes called to him to not let her get away. She shifted closer. “Who are you?”
He pushed his finger over her waistband, rubbing her hipbone. “I’m Aidan.” He squeezed the hand he still held. Her soft body relaxed against his.
“I should probably go. I need to get my friends home.”
“I don’t think you should go anywhere.” He brushed his nose against hers.
A delicious moan slipped from her lips. “I don’t want to leave but I need to make sure they get home safely.”
“It’s nice of you to look out for them.” Damn, she smelled good. It was lilacs or roses or something.
“I’d rather stay here with you.” She leaned in and their lips almost met. “My friends are always right. I should have gone out with them months ago.”
“Stay a few more minutes.” He caressed over her hips to her round ass. Hot tension filled his thoughts. Forget a few more minutes, he’d take all night and then some to explore this beautiful woman.
“More.” She scraped her teeth over her bottom lip.
A second later, the door opened. “Lizzy, we got to go. Emily isn’t feeling well.”
She dropped her head to his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Lizzy.” The woman held the door open. “You’re right. He is cute. Bring him with you. Emily won’t mind.”
“She’ll be right out,” he said. Once the friend left the bathroom, he brushed her hair behind her shoulders and stroked her back.
“I feel like I’m cursed.”
“You and me both, sweetheart.” He didn’t let her go.
“Well.” She looked up at him from under her long, dark lashes. “It’s not what I had in mind but would you help me with my friends?” The soft tone of her voice had him imagining how she’d purr if he made her come. “I think I might be the only one sober and they can be a bit much to wrangle into a cab. They live north in Edgewater and then we could do something, maybe go back to my place.” She worried her poor bottom lip once more.
“I’d like that.” He squeezed her ass. “Sure. I’ll help, Lizzy.” He tugged on her hair. Then he’d help himself to more of her.
Where To Buy
Evernight
Amazon
All Romance Ebooks
Bookstrand
Praise for the first book in the Assassins and Sweethearts Series
Desire Unexpected
5 stars from Cocktails and Books: “Their love for each other was very fierce, and when they began to have sex, it goes completely off the charts. Their love scenes were intense and oh, so hot! They had feeling of a kind of desperation to them. They’ve found what they were looking for in each other, and they’re clinging to it with everything they had.”
4 Hearts from Sizzling Hot Reads: “It had the hot steamy sex scenes but also the mystery behind the group Ethan belonged too. I look forward to more from the Assassins and Sweethearts series.”
4 stars from Redz World Reviews: “over all this is a great start to what promises to be a good series
Where you can find Desire Unexpected
Amazon | Evernight Publishing | Barnes & Noble | Bookstrand | All Romance Ebooks | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords
Praise for the second book in the Assassins and Sweethearts Series
Desire Protected
FREE
5 stars from Liz’s Reading Life: Desire Protected is a quick, sensual, heart pounding read that will have you desiring more.
5 stars from a reader, Tracy W: Another well done story from an author I come back to again and again.
5 stars from a reader, Doris O: Suspense, heat, and above all love. Read it, you won’t be disappointed.
Where you can find Desire Protected
Amazon | Evernight | Barnes & Noble | Bookstrand | All Romance eBooks| Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords
About S.J. Maylee
S.J. Maylee fell in love with storytelling at a young age and with it came a deep-seated desire for everyone to find their happily ever after. She’s finding the happy endings for her characters one steamy story at a time.
When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her caring for her garden, laughing with her two young sons, or dancing to her husband’s music. She’s a PMP (Project Management Professional), Nia instructor, and coffee addict.
As a writer she has a tendency to break hearts, but she always glues them back together.
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Google+ | Pinterest | Goodreads
So, Nicola’s been making jewelry
I’m writing, too, never fear, and Palace of Scoundrels and Do No Harm will be out next month to prove it. Buuuuut my budget kinda got blown out of the water this month when 1) I forgot to budget for the cost of an out-of-town convention, 2) one of our cats had a rather expensive vet visit (turns out his kidneys are failing, but the vet said it’s VERY early stages and he could survive for another 1-3 years or even longer. As he’s already 15.5 years old, I’ll be grateful for any extra time I get with him) and 3) Shutterstock surprised me by renewing two photo packages without me expecting it, so that was a surprise hundred on the Amex.
And since the Amazon royalties this month have already been spoken for, I’m falling back on my (ahem) awesome jewelry-making expertise to wire wrap some gorgeous semi-precious cabochons and get them out where customers can buy them. Of the cabs shown below (left to right), I’ve already wrapped and sold the tiger’s eye, I’m going to wrap the dragonstone next in antique brass, the fossilized coral is waiting for some bronze wire and sheet to come in (I’ve been inspired by a Game of Thrones character, what can I say), a friend has already claimed the azurite/malachite, and the labradorite and amethyst will be wrapped in sterling silver if I can figure out where the hell I put the SS I bought last month.
On the left, by the way, is Irena, the tiger’s eye cab wrapped with gold wire, gold beads and brick seed beads. When my buddy Peter heard that I’d bought the cab he said, “Mine! Just tell me when you get it done.” I love it when people do that.
On the right is a piece of picasso marble wrapped in gunmetal wire with silver, black, and base metal beads and a black crystal drop. I couldn’t resist calling it Winterfell — the streaks on the marble look like a forest in winter. Also, I may have been bingeing on Seasons 3 and 4 of GOT, I dunno. This one is still available if anyone has a hankering for it — $40 plus $3 shipping in the US.
In between the writing and the jewelry making I have to finish a quilt for a friend, get some cleaning and laundry done, and finish a long-pending video project for a buddy. But it’s a hell of a lot better than being bored, right?
In other news, I think I may have added a new actor to my favorites stable. I blame myself for avoiding GOT for so damn long, but now that I’m watching it I have to admit that I’m rather taken with Rory McCann, that tall Scottish drink of water who plays the Hound. I’m also kicking myself because he was at LoneStarCon 3 a couple of years ago making the rounds of the room parties, and I thought, “Meh. An actor. Whatever. I’m going to bed.” I swear, one of these days I’m going to stop sabotaging myself…
Nicola Cameron Writes 