Welcome to Marvelous Monday Reads, and today I’ll be featuring the deliciously hot Regency romance The Wager by the prolific Raven McAllen. This is what Ms. McAllen has to say about her book:

The Wager was one of those stores that wrote itself. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean it was easy, oh no it was very, very, hard. This pair were determined to fight each other and me, and boy did they! I struggled big time with some of their ideas, but they were having none of it. It was their story, and no darned author was going to mess with it.

So I did as I gad to and listened to them, and do you know? I’m so glad I did. This may not be the most overtly hot story I’ve ever told, but oh boy, just read between the lines. Hot is just a word, their actions aren’t.

I so love writing Regencies, everything about them is a challenge, but the satisfaction when your characters tell you you’ve got it correct is second to none.

Catherine is in despair. Her brother has lost a wager and the prize is her. The winner is the one person she dare not be in thrall to. How will she cope?

Brook suggests they wager on the outcome of the previous bet, but he intends to win.

What happens is more than either of them anticipates.

Story Excerpt

“Will you ride…?” He paused and looked her up and down. Her muscles clenched, and her mouth went dry. The looked seared her to the center of her soul, and her pulsed raced at his innuendo. “With me?” he continued. She choked on nothing and he grinned.

“My dear, you owe me,” he said.

Catherine glared and he smirked. Her hands once more itched to touch his skin, and not in an arousing manner. Unless he was one who enjoyed pain. She gritted her teeth and dipped her head. “Gladly, if it means this farce will be soon over.”

Brook lifted her so she could swing her leg over the saddle. His eyes lingered on her ankle, and his hand held on a fraction too long as he helped her settle her foot in the stirrup. His touch seared her, when she looked down she was amazed his fingers were not imprinted on her skin.

“Farce? Not of our making my dear, but if you feel that way you should have reneged. As you didn’t, well, now ’tis the time for me to call the tune. Follow me, or do I need tie the horses?

“No, I will follow,” she said. “For what is the point of deprecating? It happened, I bowed, and agreed to your demand.” Catherine settled deep into the saddle, and patted the mare, who whickered softly. As she allowed her mount to tuck close behind his horse, she could not but admire the spirited steed he swung up onto it. Neither could she stop the frisson of excitement that coursed through her, making every nerve end tingle. She had not felt so aware since she last crossed words with him.

Her horse, Misty, Brook had told her, plodded behind his, as the path wound its way between the tress. They were densely planted and not easy to see between. Several times he seemed to change direction for no reason, and Catherine wondered what was going on. Were they doubling back on themselves, or was he deliberately trying to disorient her? On occasion a tiny glade would appear, and once a waterfall that fell down a sheer rock face for five or six feet, its base covered with tiny spring flowers. She would have loved to stop and pick some, to walk around the area, and enjoy the serenity she sensed there. Brook ignored them and continued on his less than straightforward route. After a while, although she was entranced by those tiny glimpses of something other than trees, Catherine was bored by the ride and beginning to get other ideas about the man ahead of her. His seat on his horse was straight, his back elegant, and his buttocks taut. Why had she been so altruistic in the past? If that was what she had been. Now she thought perhaps the word for her action was ‘foolish’.

The track twisted around a shallow pond, the water in it dark and full of weeds. Catherine shivered and her horse sidestepped as her movement projected to the animal. She soothed her with a few soft words and averted her eyes from the disgusting water. For one brief second her imagination had gone haywire. All she could think was what a good place it was to hide a body.

Where to Buy

Evernight Publishing
All Romance Ebooks
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Bookstrand

Where to find Raven McAllen

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Welcome to Marvelous Monday Reads, and today we’ll be featuring the Free Read Irish Comfort by the prolific Nikki Prince. Nikki understands that sometimes the path from friendship to romance goes through the kitchen…

Imani Parker has had it with just friendship with Skylar Magee. Saint Patrick’s Day will either make them a couple or break them. She wants to show him that his place is with her and she is the only home he needs.  She invites Skylar to dinner for Saint Patrick’s Day and plans to show him that they can be lucky in love.

Story Excerpt

“Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan; if you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get a man’.” –Irish Folktale

“Girl, do you even know how to make Irish food?”

Imani looked over at her sister Sonia and laughed. Sonia had the most skeptical look on her face. “Yes, Soni, I can make Irish food. Besides before Sky’s mother passed away she’d sent me her recipes for everything that I’ve made for him tonight.”

Sonia crossed her brown eyes and made a silly face at her, and Imani could not stop the laugh that escaped.

“Do you think I’d try to pretend I knew how to cook it? If I did that this whole plan could backfire.”

“What are you planning on making him?” Sonia took a deep breath. “Least it smells good in here, so I guess you do get what you’re doing.” She chuckled.

“I’m making bangers and mash, along with corn beef and cabbage and boxties.”

“Okay, I’ve heard of the first two, but what the heck are boxties?”

“Basically an Irish potato pancake.” She couldn’t stop the smile that spread over her face as she perused her sister.

“So tell me your plan again?” Sonia questioned.

“Basically, Soni, Skylar has been feeling homesick. I plan to show him some Southern California comfort via the Irish way.”

“Ah, so the whole ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’ deal?”

“In a nutshell, yes, that’s exactly my plan. Sky hasn’t been himself lately and the closer we got to today, which is Saint Patrick’s Day, it’s gotten even worse. I want to show him that home is wherever he lays his head and that I can take care of him and give him what he needs. I want him to smile again.”

Where to Buy

Evernight Publishing
All Romance Ebooks

About Nikki Prince

Nikki Prince is a mother of two, who’s always had a dream to be a published author in the romance genre. Her passion lies in raising her children as readers, gaming, cooking, reading and her writing. Her mother can now breathe easy about the child who used to get in trouble because she was hiding books everywhere and reading when it wasn’t appropriate.

Nikki’s a multi-published author with several epublishing houses. She loves to write Interracial romances in all genres, but wants to let everyone know to not box her in, because there is always room for growth.

Nikki’s also a member of Romance Writer’s of America National chapter (http://www.rwa.org) and OCC/RWA local chapter (http://www.occrwa.org) and is a member of the board as Co-Programs Director.  She is also a member of the online chapter Passionate Ink RWA.

Nikki would love to hear from you…

Where to find Nikki Prince

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Goodreads
Authorgraph
Email

Welcome to Marvelous Monday Reads, and our very first one goes to C.R. Moss, whose current story, Lovers and the Fiend, is now available from Evernight Publishing and other purveyors of fine erotic romance. Lovers and the Fiend is a story in Evernight Publishing’s Naughty Fairy Tale line. The characters, Jack and Kristina, appeared in C.R.’s short story Chasing Miss Kringle that’s in Evernight Publishing’s anthology Stockings and Suspenders. This is the first of a handful of stories she has planned for the NFT line that revolve around the world started in CMK and Lovers. C.R. says you don’t have to read the anthology story to read Lovers, but it’d be nice if you did. 😉 And now, here’s C.R!

Ex-cop turned private investigator, Jack Vorst, learns his elf girlfriend Kristina has been missing for a few days after being invited to an underground vampire club. He, too, is summoned to visit club Hexenringe and is taken captive. Jack finds Kristina bound and gagged in a human sized bird cage. They’re both thrust into a kinky world at the hands of Kol, the club owner. Kol, a vampiric beast, shifts into human form to be with Jack and Kristina and needs them to remember their pasts and to love him so he can return to what he used to be. Can Kol make the pair fall in love with him despite his current situation and the fact he’s keeping them captive or will they leave, making it too late for him to change all their fates?

Warning: ménage a trois, M/M, bondage, anal sex, sex toys, public exhibition

Story Excerpt

The handsome guy grabbed his pants, hurried off the stage and down the side steps.

Well, it’s either find my girl or appease any inquisitiveness toward being with a member of the same sex. Like maybe with Mr. Sexy who’s coming toward me.

Jack stopped several inches short of running into the dancer, who happened to be the same height as his six-foot frame. The man smiled. His dazzling gray eyes twinkled. The dancer reminded Jack of someone, but he couldn’t place who. The guy dropped his pants, grabbed the back of Jack’s head and planted his lips on his. The kiss was harsh, demanding, but the man didn’t seem to care, so neither did Jack. His free hand traveled down and cupped the bulge hiding in Jack’s jeans. Tingles raced through his body, and Jack wondered what the feel of the dancer’s hand on his naked cock would be like.

For the merest of moments, the man swept his tongue into Jack’s mouth. He tasted of a nutty, roasted flavor with a sweet tinge. Caramel? Perhaps. Jack made a note to find the beer the dancer drank beforehand and read the ingredients.

Loving the play of his tongue against his, Jack was about to reciprocate in the intensity of the kiss, but the dancer broke it off.

“I’m glad you approved,” the man’s tenor voice purred in a hint above a whisper.

Jack wasn’t sure if he meant how Jack didn’t mind the stranger planting one on him, touching him or the thought he had about what he’d been drinking, or all of it, so he just nodded.

“Come.” The man presented his long fingered hand with a charming smile.

Surprised how it didn’t faze him to accept it, he grinned, and where they touched, Jack’s skin sizzled. His knees seemed to weaken, and the only thought running through his lust-addled brain was that he’d follow the dancer anywhere, do anything the man wanted him to do.

The dancer winked, making him feel like his mind was an open book to him, and guided him to a door between the bar and stage. After stepping through the doorway, the man shut the door, encasing them in darkness. His hand tugged Jack’s. In silence, the dancer led him through the dark. How? He didn’t know. But in a weird way, Jack trusted him not to lead him astray.

Several feet in, the man stopped. “I am pleased you made the right decision to come here tonight.” His hot breath fanned Jack’s cheek.

Jack wished he could see the man and how close he actually was to him. If he moved his head, would he be able to kiss the guy in the thong? He cleared his throat. “Well, first off I came to find my woman. Secondly, your invitation seemed to be one I couldn’t ignore, and…” Jack paused. And what? Now that he was here, he found himself aroused and craving the man’s attention. Could he admit that aloud?

“And?” The man licked the edge of his ear.

Desire within Jack spiked, and heat fanned out from his ear and encompassed his neck. He gulped. “And now I think I want you.”

Where to Buy

Evernight Publishing
Amazon
All Romance eBooks
Bookstrand

About C.R. Moss

Hi! Thanks for having me here today. 🙂 My name is Chris, and I write under the names C.R. Moss for erotic and mainstream romance and Casey Moss for mainstream dark fiction (horror, suspense, urban fantasy). My professional bio for C.R.: “An eccentric and eclectic writer, C.R. Moss pens stories for the mainstream and erotic romance markets, giving readers Worlds of Possibilities when it comes to love.” Basically I write stories from the light and sweet to the dark and deadly with varying degrees of sexual heat. The bio for my other persona: Casey Moss delves into the darker aspects of life in her writing, sometimes basing the stories on reality, sometimes on myth. No matter the path, her stories will take you on a journey from the light-hearted paranormal to dark things unspeakable. What waits around the corner? Come explore…

Where to find C.R. Moss

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Double D Ranch Tales
C.R. Moss e-mail
Link for Casey Moss