1 Night Stand

Southern Comfort with a Vegas Twist

2012-02-24T03:01:00.003-05:00

by Cate Masters

In researching for my 1Night Stand short, hot romance, I did a little digging into Southernisms, those sassy sayings that always bring a smile. There seems to be one for every occasion and situation. Some make me wish I’d thought of them.

Like this one: swinging my legs from a dime. What an inventive way to say you’re embarrassed! So yes, I had to use that one. Here are a few others that brought a chuckle:

My cow died last night so I don’t need your bull

He fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down

Screwed, blued and tattooed

Guilty as homemade sin

As easy as sliding off a greasy log backward

You are the turd of misery

You’ve got champagne taste with a beer pocketbook

And here’s a phrase you can add to any exclamation to add extra oomph: with a tail on it.

Once I began adding these sayings to scenes of Tonight You Belong to Me, it added the perfect flavor. More than Paula Deen herself could have!

I have a soft spot for Southern ladies. My mother-in-law was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky. When she talked, everything sounded a bit more special. Mark Twain said it best: “Southerners talk music!” So this story’s dedicated to Gracie. Saucy Southern girl that she was, I think she’d approve. :)

Here’s the blurb:

Danny O’Malley’s screwed. The love of his life, Jillian Jones, tossed him out, thinking he’d cheated. They’d moved to Las Vegas together, hoping to find their big break at the Castillo Resort. Now he’s in deep with a loan shark to pay for the 1NS date with Jilly, his last chance to win her heart again.

Jillian Jones wants to see Sin City – in her rearview mirror. Agreeing to a blind 1NS date as a favor to a friend on her last night in Las Vegas, she melts when Danny plays their song: Tonight You Belong to Me. Thinking one night reliving the past won’t hurt, she ends up in bed with Danny. But when two thugs break in demanding money, Jilly finds she might go out with a bang in an unexpected way. Can she save him, and their relationship?

Available today as part of Decadent Publishing’s 1NS series! Woot!

**Leave a comment with your email address for an opportunity to win the Decadent Publishing 1Night Stand book of your choice! Winners will be contacted via email**

Multipublished, award-winning author Cate Masters loves stories with a dash of magic, mayhem and romance! Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”

When not spending time with her family, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com, and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

Cate loves to hear from readers. Email her at: cate.masters[AT]gmail.com

Win it Before You Can Buy it - TWO DAYS ONLY!

2012-02-22T03:01:00.003-05:00

February 22nd and 23rd ONLY - Answer the question below (make sure you leave your email address in your comment!) and cross your fingers! You could win an e-copy of

TONIGHT YOU BELONG TO ME

Danny O’Malley’s screwed. After he and the love of his life, Jillian, moved to Las Vegas hoping to find their big break in show business, she’d tossed him out, thinking he’d cheated. Now he’s in deep with a loan shark to pay for a 1Night Stand—a date he believes is his last chance to win her heart again.

Jillian Jones wants to see Sin City—in her rearview mirror. Agreeing to a blind 1Night Stand date on her last night in Las Vegas as a favor to a friend, she discovers her match is Danny. When he plays their song, Tonight You Belong to Me, she melts. But when two thugs break in demanding money, she finds she might go out with a bang in an unexpected way. Can she save him, and their relationship?

Question: If you could have someone sing you a love song, what would that song be and why?

**CONGRATULATIONS TO ANNE R.

SHE HAS WON THE COPY BEFORE SHE COULD BUY IT!!**

The Fallen

2012-02-20T22:46:00.002-05:00

by Mahalia Levey

I’ve had an avid fascination with fallen angels since I was a teenager. There was just something profound to me about their history and the paths to destruction that led them to fall from grace. I mean where we have free will to learn from our mistakes one mistake for them ended their world as they knew it. But what if they had a second chance to make their wrong right? How/If could they earn their wings back? What different wing colors would there be designating their lot in their new life? Lastly, should this new start be possible, would they want to lose their immortality and start over?

I could imagine a world such as Earth but in a different realm where all kinds of species of demons, incubi, succubae and other beings live. I could see the way the river of fire spread from level to level in a series of spider-webbed areas, leeching outward like veins and capillaries keeping a mortal heart beating. I saw a world where good and evil mixed and were only separated by a slight shade of grey. Since then I’ve written demons, incubus males and succubae females, and began to think of a new fallen story. Orias’ story.

A Fallen makes a decision to protect others. This extraordinary man doesn’t brood or blame anyone else for his mistakes. Bitterness doesn’t fill his soul, nor does he cross the divide forfeiting the humanity left in him. We all need a selfless man, a hero like Orias.

If there was an off shot chance that this magnificent hero could find a fork in the road that could lead him to another destiny, I needed to see it happen. Madame Eve though turned my plot into a different story line together by bringing together to lonely souls needing someone to latch onto.

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Her eyes flitted over the crowd. She located him in a seat right next to the stage. The intriguing man who’d come in every night for two weeks. She fixed a smile on her cherry-red painted lips and gyrated in front of him, gliding around the pole, the cool steel warming under her palms. Up she inched, higher, her gaze never straying from his. What’s his deal?

She enacted a series of spins, anchoring her hands between her thighs to distribute her weight and display her flexibility. Her underarm locking her in position, she spiraled down the pole. Caileigh enjoyed this part of her job the most, playing on stage, moving to the music, contorting from position to position. Her toned muscles supported her body. Bent upside down, the underside of her knee caressed the cool metal; her arm held the stem of her booted foot. She released her hold to land gracefully on the smooth floor.

She sidled around again and again, offering a smile or a wink, before engaging in a new series of acrobatics. She locked her legs in a side split then flipped to a sitting position to regard the crowd. Too much silence greeted her. Tough group.

She used her upper body strength and slammed to the floor in a center split, her boots clacking, a sonic boom echoing from her landing. Heads snapped in her direction. Caileigh unleashed the naughty vixen in her, performing complex floor work until she rose with grace and sashayed across the stage. Take that, people.

Her second song began, the haunting gothic voices echoing in a series of oohs and ahhs. Swaying to the slower rhythms, she untied her top, baring areolas the color of dark chocolate in contrast to her milk chocolate skin.

Bracing in front of the pole, she worked her floor routine then moved to the edge of the stage to accept bills with a seductive smile, thanking the men with an air peck next to their cheeks. She moved back to center stage, twisting and pirouetting, finishing her set with a single spin around the pole, relishing the cool metal between her thighs. The nameless man’s penetrating gaze fired her blood. No man…no customer had ever affected her as he did.

His gaze made concentration impossible. She’d perfected her series of pole tricks—each with a name only a dancer would know—or she’d have landed on her head. She forced herself to break the stare down…to try to forget his dark brown orbs bordering on obsidian enough to blend in with his pupils. Not once had he spoken to her, queried for a dance. He didn’t have a welcoming presence with his mercenary appearance. Sweat beaded her upper back. The song ended and applause began. Caileigh waved to the growing crowd and headed for the main floor. A shiver wracked her body as she passed him, as if his eyes were boring into her skin.

www.mahalialevey.com

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WELCOME TO VEGAS

2012-02-17T03:01:00.004-05:00

by Jennifer Probst

Setting is the backdrop of a story, and writers use location as an important tool to draw readers in. Setting can actually become an integral part of a series, such as small towns that become almost like a character.

So, when I envisioned my gorgeous heroes – The Steele Brothers – for my Decadent 1NSseries, I knew immediately there was no other place to tell my story than Vegas.

Why?

Ah, where to start? First, my heroes come from a long line of casino dealers so it’s in the blood. Each of them gets transported from Atlantic City to Vegas to work and deal cards. Where else can the sights and sounds of a casino and the dealer lifestyle be sketched out so vividly? Vegas also gave me a unique opportunity to bring the reader into certain establishments that can be glimpsed nowhere else. Secret nightclubs, themed restaurants, strip clubs, lush Penthouse suites where every fantasy can be played out...where day bleeds into night and time stops...the city is rich with opportunities to explore my characters.

In Catch Me, my heroine Tara is running from a brutal past, and still struggles with some demons. Here’s a quick snippet of dialogue to show how setting can be pulled in to make a scene richer and even bring depth to a character.

“Do you live in Vegas now?” He stroked her hair.

“Yes. I knew I’d have a new start here. Get lost. Find my own way.” A glimmer

of a smile ghosted her lips. “I like the idea of a tarnished city being my home. I

can paint myself up with makeup and glitter and clothes, but in the light of day, I

always felt lacking.

I hope you will join me in the journey and watch how each brother’s story plays out in the city of secrets and dreams. Here’s a quick blurb from the first book, Catch Me:

Meet the Steele Brothers. They work hard. Play harder. And they’re about to face the biggest obstacle of all…love.

Rick Steele has avoided women since he caught his fiancée cheating, but when he’s talked into spending a one night stand through Madame Eve, he’s not prepared for his emotional and physical reaction to his date. For the first time, he wants more than one night..but he needs to catch her first…

Tara Denton escaped a brutal past and needs one night with a stranger to break down her sexual and emotional limitations. On the brink of recovering her strength and independence, she wants nothing to do with a relationship. But Rick Steele does more than rock her body…he rocks her heart. Tara has to make a choice, and she’s not ready to get caught…

Come share your experience and thoughts on setting in a book. What are your favorites?

Win it Before You Can Buy it!

2012-02-16T10:16:00.001-05:00

Leave a comment today only for a chance to win a copy of Catch Me by Jennifer Probst!

Tell us what a man (or woman!) has to do to Catch You!

Winner will be notified by email, so make sure you leave your email address in your comment!

**CONGRATULATIONS TO SHADOW KOHLER, WINNER OF CATCH ME!**

Happy Release Day to Me!

2012-02-14T03:01:00.004-05:00

by KT Grant

A Bid for Love is out today and is perfect reading for your Valentine’s Day.

When I decided to write a story for the 1Night Stand series, I wanted to use the setting of Las Vegas. I’ve been to Las Vegas three times and it’s a grownup version of Disney World. It’s one of my favorite vacation destinations. I also used this opportunity to write one of my favorite storylines- the May/December romance.

A Bid for Love features Anthony Conlin, a forty-one year old financial broker who has fallen hard for his younger, studly neighbor, the twenty-nine year old Reece Whitmore. Poor Anthony has lusted for Reece for three long years and thinks Reece would never give him a second thought. But what Anthony doesn’t know is that Reece is very attracted to him and wants to get to know him better.

The biggest issue was how do I get these two together? Why not have an auction where Reece is being auctioned off (in disguise) and Anthony bids on him, having no idea it’s Reece? Anthony thinks the man on stage is a total stranger, but he finds him attractive and would like to spend a night with him in order to forget Reece. Anthony’s good friend, Jagger Castillo works behind the scenes to make sure these two men have a night together they’ll never forget. A penthouse suite, chocolate covered strawberries and a hot tub are all put to good use. As to how Anthony and Reece use these things to their benefit, you’ll just have to read A Bid to Love to find out.

Nothing says romance like chocolate covered strawberries and a fun times in a hot tub!

Blurb: Anthony Conlin is a forty-one year old workaholic in love with his twenty-nine year old neighbor, Reece Whitmore, who looks like he belongs on the cover of GQ magazine. Anthony longs for Reece to the point of obsession, but doesn’t think he stands a chance because of their difference in age, his graying hair and a less than rock hard physique.

When Anthony’s friend, Jagger Castillo, urges Anthony to try the matching services of 1Night Stand, Anthony still refuses because of his crush on Reece. But Jagger, along with the help of Madame Evangeline, the owner of 1Night Stand, has something up their sleeves to make certain Anthony and Reece finally get together.

A charity auction sets the stage and rolls into motion a night Anthony and Reece will never forget.

Find KT Grant:
Babbling About Books, and More!

http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/
KT Grant (Author of "out of the box" reads)
http://ktgrant.com/

10 Ways to Tell If Your Blind Date is A Knight

2012-02-10T03:01:00.001-05:00

by Cate Masters

1. Wearing a plain black polo and jeans, he still has a regal bearing

2. Even with visible old battle scars, he’s still more handsome than any other guy

3. His graceful moves suggest he trains every day – for more than exercise

4. His alertness at the slightest threat of danger means he’s used to meeting enemies head on

5. The gorgeous woman who’s after him wants his body – to torture

6. You have no problem imagining his Harley as a horse

7. His timeless charm and mannerisms signal he’s not from around here, and possibly from another time

8. His knowledge of all things medieval either means he has an unhealthy obsession, or he’s lived it

9. He’s more worldly than any other guy you’ve met; no one could have traveled to so many places in one lifetime

10. He treats you like royalty

In my 1NS short, A Hard Day’s Knight, Gwyn at first thinks her blind date is merely stuck up. Once she senses the danger he’s in, she’s ready to give her all for the guy she’s waited so long for… but not nearly as long as he’s waited for her. Centuries!

The only thing standing between them now is a witch, an ancient sorceress with an ancient grudge to match, not to mention a temper.

Here’s a sneak peek at A Hard Day’s Knight:

She’d rocked him, body and soul. Possessed him so that he’d forfeited his honor. The stolen nights they’d shared haunted him, and he feared she’d returned to torture him again, ever out of reach. Trying to reconcile the vision in his head with the one approaching, he licked his dry lips.

The woman who haunted him was not the one who walked toward him.

Yet they were one and the same, he’d swear an oath.

Hands full with three tall glasses of beer, Darien returned and scooted next to Kurt. “Did you tell him?”

Kurt mumbled something and slurped.

“Lighten up, Lance, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Darien’s muted squeal heightened his attention. “Oo, here she comes.”

One of the three? Dread formed a cold pit in Lance’s stomach and he took the fresh mug of beer, tempted to apply its “lite” description to all of present day. With his luck, she’d be the raven-haired girl with the overbite. He detested women with dark hair. Brought back too many bad memories.

“Gwyn!” Standing, Darien waved.

The blonde waved back. Excitement coiled in Lance’s chest. He distantly registered Darien leaning against his arm, whispering something, and Kurt adding a comment and a guffaw. But the light glinting against her golden locks gave her an angelic appearance. He imagined his fingers working the laces along the front of her bodice, unfastening them, letting the full green skirt pool around her ankles to reveal that creamy silken skin he’d so missed. Craved.

Hitching up her gown, she glided toward them like a swan across a lake. When she fixed her green eyes on him, he scrambled to his feet, dumbfounded as a peasant before a princess.

Available today as part of Decadent Publishing’s 1NS series! Woot!

Cate loves to hear from readers. Email her at: cate.masters[AT]gmail.com

Blind Need

2012-02-08T03:01:00.000-05:00

by Dakota Trace

In a previous post on my blog about the writing of Blind Need, I talked about some of the research I did to get into the role of my heroine, Xavieria, who happens to be blind. About how I wandered around my house in a blindfold and had my son guiding me down steps. But Xaviera isn’t the only character in my book I had to do research on. I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the hero, Ignatius, too. Nate as he insists on being called, is a smoke jumper. In other words, he jumps out of perfectly good planes to put out forest fires and the occasional canyon fire.

When I was going the research for his character, I wanted a man who had a heroic job that possibly had been injured on the job saving someone but didn’t want a cop or the standard firefighter. That’s when a fellow author friend of mine suggested a smoke jumper. They go in and save peeps all the time or at least their belongs in the case of forest fires. The idea was intriguing and I decided to go with it. But I didn’t know much about smoke jumpers. I live in Iowa and we don’t get forest fires here. Field fires, yes, but forest fires…no. So I did some research on them and here are a few tidbits about Nate’s profession that I found interesting.

· The first smoke jump was in 1940 at the Nez Perce National Forest in the Northern Region of Idaho.

· The first woman smoke jumper was certified in 1981. (How’s that for woman’s lib? Come join us …we’ll let you jump out of a plane into a forest fire.)

· Currently there are 270 certified smokejumpers in the U.S.

· Smokejumpers wear padded jump jacket and pants, made of Kevlar, a wire mesh motorcycle helmet and carry water canteens, fire shelters, hard hats and gloves. They also have a let down rope in their right leg pocket, just in case they get caught in a tree and have to repel down.

These wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned when I thought of a smoke jumper – I had pictured a more traditional fireman but I can’t say I’m disappointed. These men and women do us a great service and I had fun with Nate. His dedication to his job is quite obvious – considering he let Madame Eve set him up on a 1NightStand just to keep his job. J

To celebrate my first release with Decadent I want to give away a free copy of Blind Need. Just leave a comment and tell me what profession you think is the sexiest out there.

(It might just might show up in my next book :D)

Blurb:

Two wounded souls, one blind and the other scarred, are matched up by the famous Madame Evangeline—neither one expecting more than a brief meeting of two bodies in the dark for one night.

Xaviera Navarro had it all, a wonderful career ahead of her running her family’s wine business, a sexy fiancé, and her dream-wedding around the corner, but that all changed in the blink of an eye. A freak accident has left the Navarro wine heiress blind with no future other than the company of her seeing-eye dog, Lucy. After licking her wounds, she finally is tired of her own company and ventures out in hopes of finding a man who might be strong enough to stand beside her but not in front of her. If she can’t have that, she’ll settle for a night of hot loving before returning home.

Ignatius "Nate" Ramirez is not only a scarred fire-jumper with a justifiably bad attitude toward women, he’s also under strict orders by his Captain that if he doesn’t get laid on his vacation, he’s going to bench him. After finding out about 1Night Stand, he requests Madame Evangeline find him the perfect fantasy woman to have under the cover of darkness. Figuring he’ll have a better chance with his date with all the lights out, he wasn’t expecting a feisty, no punches pulled heiress to knock him off his feet.

A blind woman and a scarred fire-jumper should be a match made in heaven, but will Nate and Xaviera manage to leave their baggage at the door and find love all in one night.

Giving Yourself Over

2012-02-07T03:01:00.000-05:00

by Sascha Illyvich

How easily are you tempted? Are you one who understands the pain/pleasure concept that speakers like Anthony Robbins apply to humanity? Did you ever stop to think about that in a sexual context?

Livia, in my 1Night Stand - Surrender to Love hasn't, at least not until her therapist suggests she learn to find control from within. As an artist, she must learn to look outside her inner world of fear and agoraphobic behavior to find more beauty and inspiration. The human being can only live vicariously for so long before life becomes boring and routine. Livia must learn like many of us that through denial, we cause ourselves pain but if we're willing to go the extra mile and push past what seems like pain, we can find immense pleasure. Trust is the key issue in this story, as is the exploration of true freedom. Imagine being tied down with only words that would be obeyed. Being spread open and kissed by your lover as he has you tied down and only your words and responses can control the situation.

This is the position Livia finds herself in after arranging to meet with someone using 1Night Stand. But her partner holds a secret too.

In order to cure the dreaded creative rut she’s in, Livia ends up in Las Vegas by suggestion from her therapist. Oh and there’s a catch. Livia ‘s been set up to have a one night stand with a very handsome man who promises her freedom through submission. Can she surrender to more than just passion?

I based this story on a real life heroine who is near and dear to my heart. Her presence made writing the story easier because I merely had to think about being in her shoes. Online and off, I'm such an enormous presence that sometimes I forget what it's like to be who I used to be. Shy, far from outgoing and in short, very reclusive. By my very nature as the Bad Boy of Romance, I place trust where it's needed, have fun as required, and flirt often. There's usually a large dose of drinking involved to help loosen tensions of meeting new people.

Livia only has a few drinks to start with, and then she goes to bed. One of the rare times when I wrote a character who didn't drink like I do, modifying the character to meet the needs of the story became a breeze. The culture shock from Colorado to Las Vegas swam around her head until Bruce stepped into the picture and, just like a larger than life God, offered her a choice. A very sensual choice.

Just like The Playground, the previous 1Night Stand I wrote, the reader is promised one hell of a sexy read.

Sascha Illyvich

The Beauty and Romance of a Sunset

2012-02-03T03:01:00.001-05:00

by C.R. Moss

Sunsets. Viewing them is a simple pleasure of mine. The phenomena are such a beauty to behold and so varied in their coloring depending upon location, season, and atmospheric conditions. It’s due to living in Las Vegas that spurred on my love of sunsets. [See, it’s not all about the strip and gambling! ;)] I’ve seen some spectacular ones with gorgeous fiery reds, oranges, and yellows or amethyst and fuchsia to name a couple. This is a picture I took of a sunset near a place I used to live in.

In the summer of 2008 I went on my first cruise. We stopped at ports in Cozumel and Grand Cayman. It was so nice enjoying the beauty of the water, the beaches and the sunsets, especially since we live hours from an ocean beach in a desert area. One late afternoon we were hanging out on a patio just off one of the ship’s dining rooms and experienced a beautiful golden sunset.

Did you know that there is a little place called Hell on Grand Cayman? In Hell you’ll find a group of short, black, limestone formations roughly the size of half a soccer field. There are two viewing platforms for tourists since people aren’t allowed to traverse in the area. It’s claimed that the name derived from the fact that if a pebble is thrown out into the formation, it echoes amongst the limestone peaks and valleys and sounds as if the pebble is falling all the way down to hell. But I digress… We spent the bulk of our time on Seven Mile beach and had food and drinks at a little bar/restaurant. The open air, pub-style beach bar reminded me of a Southern-style wraparound porch except this place had a tin roof.

The experience of the cruise and visiting Grand Cayman inspired me to write a few stories, including my first Decadent Publishing 1NS release Sunset Desires.

Sunset Desires ~ A blind date. A hot tropical evening. She’ll be someone he can’t forget. He’ll fulfill her ultimate fantasy.

Back to Las Vegas… I love setting stories in the city, not just because I live here but also because, like sunsets, it’s such a diverse place—lots to do and see on the strip and off. My next sunset story, Sunset Seduction, takes place in a hotel room in Las Vegas. The characters have a view of the city and mountains and both take note of the setting sun. I describe the sunset’s colors as the sun settles and dips behind the western range, setting the scene for romance. And, the cover—done in the spirit of the story, sunsets and the exciting city of Las Vegas—is hot!

Sunset Seduction ~ One evening. One date. Easy right?

Aside from my love of sunsets, there’s another reason ‘sunset’ is used in the titles for the stories I’m writing, but you’ll have to read them to find out what it is. ;)

**To celebrate the release of Sunset Desires, I’m giving away a signed cover flat. The picture is signed by me and cover model Jimmy Thomas! To have a chance to win this prize, all you need to do is comment on this post and leave your name and email. I will choose a winner on Monday, February 6 after 6PM PST and email the winner to discuss details. International respondents are welcome too!**

     Find out more about the sunset series and C.R. Moss here: www.crmoss.net
     Happy Reading!
     C.R. Moss

Why do sane adults make New Year's resolutions?

2012-01-07T03:01:00.013-05:00

by Olivia Starke

This is the question I ask myself each year, and each year I make a list which I’ll most assuredly break within a week. I’ll eat more of this, less of that, be nicer to people who are showing they only have two active brain cells, blah, blah, blah.

And as I puzzled over a new list to break for ‘12, the light bulb went off—resolutions are the positive promises of the year to come and not a way to set ourselves up for immediate failure.I hadn’t seen it in that light before, and this gives me hope. So I racked my brain trying to think of what resolution I could make to keep that positive outlook for the year.

I watched the Nutcracker ballet in December, and was astounded by the grace in which the dancers moved. Effortless, their bodies non-resistant in any way they chose to use it. Even after a dancer took a hard fall, she was back on her feet in a heartbeatand danced on in perfection with the rest. All were simply the most beautiful poetry I could imagine moving in human form.

With that I thought grace! I’m making my resolution to learn grace. Okay, grace isn’t something that comes naturally to me. I plow through life. And when I say I plow through life I mean—if there’s a wall I’ll plow into the corner of it, if there’s a low table I’ll plow into the corner of it, if there’s an open door I’ll miss and plow into the corner of it. You get the idea.

Yes, I hope to attain some sense of where my body is in proportion to the space around it, but I’d like to take grace farther. I want to keep that effortless view with the world, despite all the turmoil and drama it holds. Sure there are hard falls out there, but whether I run off stage and except defeat or continue to dance and bring beauty to my own world—and the world around me—is up to me.

And in ’12, I plan on dancingJ

Share your New Year’s Resolutions with an email for a chance to win Sweets & Swag (contest if for US residents—darn those customs but I love you all!)

Olivia Starke

www.authoroliviastarke.com http://romancingthepentoday.blogspot.com

Familiar Desires

Blurb:

Ashley Adams signed up with the 1NightStand service in hopes of stirring up some cougar passion in her lackluster life. When she meets tall, dark, and oh-so-sexy Justin, the sparks fly. But something deeper lies in their magical connection, something she isn’t prepared for. Will a casual one-night stand change her life forever?

Excerpt: “You’re more beautiful than your picture.” He reached past her shoulder and hit the emergency stop. Her breath caught in her throat when the elevator jolted to a halt.

“What are you doing?” She darted a glance up at the security camera.

The way his mouth curved at the corners made her knees knock. “Your profile said you liked to be adventurous.” The tip of his tongue stroked over his bottom lip as he watched her through heavy-lidded eyes.

“I—I meant trekking through the wilds of Africa, sky diving, that sort of thing.” Her heart beat so loudly, surely he had to hear it. He stepped forward—his finger traced her jaw line before he tipped her chin up. She swallowed.

“Skydiving?Can’t say I’d have the guts to try that, though I’d love the chance to kiss a pretty girl in an elevator.”

A corny come-on line if she’d ever heard one, but spoken with a whiskey-smooth Kentucky drawl—damn, it works for me. That’s what she’d come for, to have an unforgettable night with a hot hunk to stir up her humdrum life. After all, she’d dished out the funds for the flight, half the price of the hotel room, and the 1Night Stand fee.

He moved in close, and a wonderful, heady mix of musk and spice filled her nose. Her insides somersaulted in anticipation, wicked intent written all over his perfectly chiseled face. They could be kicked out of the hotel, or worse—arrested and appear on one of those dumbest criminals shows. The elevator wall pressed into her back, but when he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers, all the reasons they shouldn’t be doing this in the elevator evaporated.

A Dance Club in a Space Station?

2012-01-02T23:36:00.000-05:00

Unknown Futures is the combination of two stories. After readers of Celestial Seduction asked for more Frey and Carrie, I decided to write more of their story. But my muse was also toying with another 1Night Stand story which would take place in a dance club. When I hit a road block with Frey and Carrie, I conceited, and my muse went wild.

A dance club in a space station complete with extra-terrestrials of all sorts, and two heroines... (Sometimes I wonder where these ideas come from, yet I never want them to stop.)

So, I needed music for this story, a playlist containing songs with a heavy beat. I needed songs that I would dance to. Although some of these are old-school (I pumped up the jam during my first year of camp), here is part of my playlist for Unknown Futures:

Afraid by Nelly Furtado

Big Girls Don’t Cry by Fergie

Boom Boom Pow by The Black Eyed Peas

Don’t Phunk With My Heart by The Black Eyed Peas

Faces by 2 Unlimited

Hook Me Up by The Veronicas

I’m Into You by Jennifer Lopez

Just Dance by Lady Gaga

Let The Beat Control Your Body by 2 Unlimited

Take Me On The Floor by The Veronicas

Giveaway

I will randomly draw a name from those leave a comment to WIN an ebook copy of Unknown Futures.

Unknown Futures Blurb

Attacked as a young adult, Jewel is left scarred and alone. She applies to the 1 Night Stand service, believing no one can see past her appearance to love her. But she doesn’t expect to be sent to a space station where her date could be any number of unusual alien species.

Flavia left everything behind to be one of five humans working for the Space Service space station. Extremely homesick, she is excited to learn she will be a guide to a woman from Earth visiting the station for a couple days. She is immediately drawn to the petite woman, seeing past her scars to her true inner beauty, stirring unforeseen desires.

Unfortunately, Jewel is there for a date which Flavia hasn’t been told about. Can she contain her lust and simply show her a good time? Or will she let her desire lead them into an unknown future?

Book trailer

Available from Decadent Publishing and other ebook retailers.

Buy Links here: http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?page_id=7671

Bio:

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.

Website/Blog: http://www.markofthestars.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jsubject

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-E-Subject-author/205759796126370

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4959083.Jessica_E_Subject

Google +: https://plus.google.com/100079570422204018357/posts

Liz Loves Soccer...

2011-12-30T03:01:00.003-05:00

Some might say she is obsessed.

But you gotta have a sport, right? Truth be told I love pretty much all sports, “Football” (European style) being number one, followed closely by basketball and then American football (or “hand egg” as I’ve heard it described by hard core footie fans.)

I love the extreme beauty of a man on the pitch, at a dead run intent on scoring or protecting his team’s goal. Love. It.

These dudes are bloody fit too, not like the ass scratchers on a baseball diamond.

I have a couple of new stories bouncing around in my brain pan (Hans the Muse is working overtime this holiday season it seems) and plan to come up with a fun new 1Night Stand focusing on a hot male player whose only failing at least in his own mind is that he loves men. Ah, yes.

In the meantime, allow me to introduce you to Ramon Castillo, one-time super stud of the pitch and the boudoir (if rumors are to be believed) whose career has been leveled by a Dutch player with a grudge in the finals of the World Cup. He’s shattered in more ways than one, and hiding out thanks to the generosity of his cousin, Jackson (yes, “that Jackson”) at the casino resort, playing too much black jack and trying not to throw up at the thought of playing soccer ever again.

Imagine it: you spend your entire life playing a sport, you are the best of the best and then suddenly you can’t play at the top level ever again. Will playing down or coaching ever really satisfy? It can, if Madame Eve has anything to do with it.

Enter Gillian Winter, one of my fav heroine’s I’ve ever created. She’s a former women’s soccer star who fell in love with her coach, got pregnant and left the game to marry him only to be widowed thanks to his rare, undiagnosed heart condition. She has a pretty huge chip on her shoulder. Male stars can play and play beyond college and make a ton of money at it. Women still cannot even thought U.S. Women’s national team has gone farther with more gold medals in world cup and Olympic level play than the men’s team.

Her young son has one dream: to meet his hero, Ramon Castillo.

Serendipity? Not in Vegas!

“Caught Offside” is a love story. How a mutual love for a game, and an understanding between two people about that love can take them to a new level, and help them heal together.

Excerpt:

Gillian’s hands were on fire. But she had no complaints. The vision of Ramon Castillo, kicking a soccer ball around with her son, the beauty of his rippling muscles as they took turns hitting it toward her took her breath away. She never wanted it to stop.

He’s leaving in two days, remember? Jesus, woman, get a grip.

But finally, she had to hold up one stinging hand and take a break. She’d made some amazing saves; she knew it and the admiration in the man’s mesmerizing dark eyes kept growing. They officially had a crowd and Harrison played it up like only he could. The kid had the attitude of a soccer stud—self-confident to a fault. And he showed signs of talent to match. She walked off toward the bathrooms to grab an ice pack from the first aid station, leaving the former star and her son in passing drills.

Taking a minute to catch her breath, visions of Joe passed through her brain, as they always did when around their favorite game. She’d avoided any sort of serious soccer since his death. The two were so entwined, she couldn’t imagine enjoying it ever again without him. Watching Harrison’s games were hard enough. But today seemed like a turning point. She’d been in her element, in goal, her natural competitive nature winning out. She smiled, thinking of Jackson’s declaration about mutual healing.

Ice packs clutched between aching palms, she turned and nearly plowed straight into him. He was so close she could smell him, feel the heat from his skin. He grabbed her arm to keep her upright.

“Oh, um, sorry.” He pointed to the ice. “You okay?”

“Yeah, sure. Don’t get cocky though. I just needed gloves. I can still stop you. You project you know, I can see it in your eyes every time you pull your leg back. And your favorite spot is upper right corner. I got it every time, if I’m not mistaken.” She smiled, trying like hell to be calm.

He shrugged and grinned. Her heart leapt at the sight. The silky-looking brown skin, raven’s-wing black hair and chocolate-colored eyes, and a boyish look of self-deprecation completely unlike his public persona nearly undid her. The man fucked supermodels—apparently two or three at a time, she’d read. And she believed it now that she’d been this close to him. He oozed sexuality and confidence in spite of himself—not hard to do if you were a millionaire twice over thanks to endorsements. She let resentment creep back in as a defensive mechanism. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair and shot her a sheepish look.

“Well, apparently, we have ourselves a game and you and I are coaching.”

She stared at him. What the hell? He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. She saw about twenty kids ranging in age from ten to teenagers, all watching them. She grinned.

“Okay, but my team is gonna kick your ass.”

To her utter shock, he stepped into her personal space, his lips mere centimeters from hers. His arm wrapped around her waist. She sucked in a breath.

“Big talk, but I’ll take that challenge.” He still held her, one arm curled around the small of her back. When his lips touched hers, it felt like coming home.

Bio:

Microbrewery owner, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great middle west, in a Major College Town. Years of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse plus making her way in a world of men (i.e. the beer industry) has prepped her for life as erotic romance author. When she isn't sweating beer inventory, sales figures or promotional efforts for her latest publication, doing pounds of laundry for her sweaty athletic children, watching La Liga on the Fox Soccer Channel, or trying to figure out what to order in for dinner, she can be found walking her standard poodles or doing Bikram Yoga. Liz loves her Foo Fighters Pandora station, and watching reruns of Deadwood, when there isn't any decent European football on the telly. If you want a beer education follow her: www.a2beerwench.com. For writing related stuff, including her backlist, go to: www.brewingpassion.com.

And the photo is of Yours Truly with her own soccer lads, imports from England who love to come and watch Premiere League on the tellies in her Tap Room (because she springs for all the soccer channels!)

On the Right Track

2011-12-26T03:01:00.000-05:00

On the Right Track, my first 1NS story, was inspired by my near disaster in snow. First thing you need to know is that England does not cope well with snow. It always seems to take us by surprise and the moment it begins to settle, chaos erupts. I was working sixty miles away from where I lived and I could see the snow falling thicker and thicker outside. Eventually, my boss realized we’d all get stranded and told us to leave. My home was on the other side of the Pennines – a spine of hills that runs down part of the middle of the country.

I managed to get to the motorway which was a miracle in itself but to find a major road was already snow covered with not a plough in sight was disturbing. I followed the tracks of other vehicles and we all slowly made our way across the rolling moorland. My hands were gripping the wheel so tight they were clear.

I skidded. My car suddenly fishtailed and despite the fact that I knew what to do, in those few moments my brain went blank. Luckily I didn’t hit anyone or anything and found myself back in the tracks again, sobbing, and eventually I made it home where I started sobbing again. A journey of 80 minutes took four hours. Husband was also stuck and his normal journey of 50 minutes took nine hours. Told you we don’t do well in snow!

In my story, Hollie isn’t so lucky. Or maybe she is?

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Always driving through life along the straight and narrow, Hollie wants a break from staying within the lines. She hopes a hookup at 1Night Stand with a tall fair-haired guy who’s organized and sensible, likes small-breasted brunettes, and can deal with any crisis life throws at him, will jar her from the mundane path she’s been on.

Except what seemed like the perfect plan when she set off, turns into the worst idea ever as the snow falls thickly. Slipping and sliding, her arms numb from clenching the wheel, she becomes frantic to avoid what’s looming in front of her.

Dark-haired Nick is on his way to a party with hopes of connecting with a busty blonde—assuming he’s even on the right road and can dig himself out of a heap of snow before he freezes solid. Too bad he never plans ahead, no coat and no shovel in the car, and soon he won’t even see a road at all, let alone any vehicle barrelling down it.

When two hearts get lost in a snowstorm of what they think they want, can Madame Eve's magic put them back on the right track?

One commentator will win a copy of my 1NS story – available on the 23rd December.

Happy Holidays!

www.barbaraelsborg.com

www.barbaraelsborg.blogspot.com

Who is your Prince Charming?

2011-12-23T03:01:00.000-05:00

by Clarissa Yip

Every little girl at one point in their life has dreamt of Prince Charming coming to the rescue! Galloping in on a white horse (Okay, maybe black…) with a billowing white shirt, calf-hugging boots, and tights that would mold the perfect— There’s no kids hanging around here, right?
An old time favorite of mine has always been Cinderella and Snow White. When times get tough, that brave man will swoop into your life and save you from the evil villain and carry you off to that magnificent castle and you’ll live happily ever after!

Well…in Sarah Westfall’s case…Prince Charming didn’t turn out so Prince Charming-ey. With the need for adventure, Sarah runs off to Vegas with her two girlfriends Brenda and Mia (Tempting a Cowboy) geared for the night of her life with a Prince Charming since they were all meeting their dates at a masquerade. Think modern times, not the whole normal white ball gown and fancy men in tights exactly. Sarah’s been crushing on Evan for life, and now she’s ready to move on, but fate has it that Evan turns out to be her date. What were the chances?
He’s never known she existed. Practically treats her like a little sister since Sarah is his sister’s best friend, and believes that Sarah is off-limits anyway. Career-driven and determined to take his enemy down, Evan just isn’t Prince Charming material…or is he?
Guess you’ll have to see!

Who is your Prince Charming? Does he have any flaws or is he as perfect as sin? (If you have the perfect man, please let us know if he has any kin…)

Come celebrate Tempting a Prince’s release with me today!

Starting tomorrow, Romance Author Hotspot’s Holiday Bash kicks off at http://romanceauthorhotspot.com Meet your favorite authors, publishers, editors, and booksellers! Enter to win a Kindle Fire!

Tempting a Prince
Blurb:
Sarah Westfall is on a mission. Living the mundane life of a near spinster school teacher and sick of her parents throwing eligible men at her, she is determined to get over her crush on her best friend’s brother. She wants a prince and wouldn’t settle for less. What better way than a 1Night Stand?

Evan Hunt needs to figure out his enemy’s game plan. Chasing his nemesis to Las Vegas and signing up for Madame Eve’s service and masquerade, he never expected the woman he’s desired for years to appear before him…as his princess.

When their attraction fires the night, the inevitable happens. Her prince isn’t as charming as she’s hoped, but he does save her from trouble. Would he be willing to fulfill her fantasies also?

Excerpt:
Ryder nudged Evan in the arm. “Yo.”
“What?” He couldn’t keep the annoyance out of his tone. He’d searched the room and no McCormick. Was this a joke? Had his informant lied to him?
“Think I spot your date.”
Evan turned to where Ryder pointed. His breath hitched at the sight before him. No more than twenty feet away, his princess stood with her back turned. Her shimmery white gown hugged her loving curves like a glove. The chandelier above formed a golden hue around her lush figure. Her smooth, milky skin glowed in the light, and his mouth watered as his gaze trailed from the bottom up to her slim hips to the bare expanse of her back. He took in the thick blonde curls on top of her head and the sparkle of her crown. Definitely his princess.
Heat rushed through him. Desire struck, blood pooled in his groin.
“You lucky bastard. My date better be as hot as her.”
He barely heard Ryder. All thoughts flew out of his mind. He couldn’t draw his attention from the woman. His feet involuntarily moved forward. His pulse sped as he got closer. When he stood right behind her, he studied her closely. She looked out into the crowd as if searching for someone. He noted the smoothness of her skin, the delicate curve of her earlobe, the gracefulness of her neck. His fingers itched to touch her. He smelled peaches and drew in a deeper breath, her perfume permeating his senses. An alarm sounded in his head. Something familiar about her, but he couldn’t pin it down. He didn’t care. One thing was for sure: he wanted her.
“Princess.”
His date whipped around. Her mouth fell open and her violet eyes widened in shock.
Recognition struck like a fist pummeling his chest.
“Sarah?” His voice actually squeaked.

Gale Force Passion - and the weekend that inspired it

2011-12-20T07:04:00.001-05:00

by Kate Richards

Once upon a very romantic weekend many long years ago...I stayed at the most wonderful little hotel on Lower Abaco Island. Just ten rooms, back to back in five sort of 'huts' and no television, radio...or any other kind of electronic distraction. There was snorkeling in the ocean and the lagoon, a gorgeous salt water pool, wonderful food...and a double hammock hanging outside each room. We were horrified. Yes it was a romantic getaway, but no television, no phones? The only music on the property was a single Caribbean tape that played over and over in the restaurant until the staff must have been going insane.

Each room did have a tall bookshelf stuffed with books. For me that heavenly and I read several, cuddled in my guy's strong arms in the hammock's swinging embrace. Once we mastered getting two people into a hammock at the same time with nobody ending up dumped on the hard ground... Then one afternoon I was perusing the shelves for something interesting and found.... erotica!

From that moment on we discovered....reading aloud! We took turns reading these books to one another...and stopped going out to the hammock. We did emerge to eat because our lovely hotel did not have room service, and to play in the surf, but it was the most incredibly sexy thing. Just the two of us, in a thatch roofed hut. No interruptions, no news...no telephones! At first a little shy, then laughing, then, well you can imagine.

So writing a romantic story about the Bahamas was a no brainer. I can't imagine a sexier, more romantic place to go, and I do not completely attribute my enjoyment to the endless Bahama Breeze cocktails we enjoyed. For those of us who aren't able to run to the Bahamas this winter, here's a recipe!

Bahama Breeze
/2 oz apricot brandy
1/2 oz banana liqueur
1/4 oz grenadine syrup
1/4 oz honey
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 oz orange juice
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz dark rum
1/2 oz coconut rum

Combine all ingredients in a blender with a few ice cubes. Pour into a tall glass. Garnish with an orange wedge and a cherry.

Gale Force Passion Blurb: What to do when your fiancé dumps you for a bimbo, right before a vacation of a lifetime to a luxurious Bahamas couples resort? If you’re lucky, like Terese, the reservations clerk can refer you to another resort, even nicer, and suggests you contact the fabulous Madame Eve at 1Night Stand—for a replacement date!

David is Terese’s date. Very tall, ebony dark and handsome, he’s also starting to yearn for more connection than career has allowed. After years of working at various resorts, he can settle in and enjoy his position as Castillo Resorts’ newest manager right in his native Bahamas.

Add in a hurricane with a sudden change in course, and David and Terese may have a more exciting date than either of them planned. In more ways than one.

Excerpt: A dream…not a dream. The armful of woman with her thigh slung over his legs, fisting his rock hard dick was Terese, his one-night stand date. And apparently she’d decided not to wait until their actual date the next night. His head cleared and he was delighted, if surprised. She hadn’t seemed like a woman who would be so aggressive, or who would be ready to have sex without at least a little “getting to know you” time. He must have been mistaken.

Who am I not to accommodate the lady? It would be ungentlemanly.

He used the arm pinned under her shoulders to pull her closer, stroking her back through her soft T-shirt and pressing kisses over her face before returning to her welcoming lips. He urged them apart and thrust his tongue into her mouth, desire warring with the warning in his head. Wait, David, there’s something not right here.
What could be wrong? Terese wanted to make love to him. An attractive, sexy female, and he already more than liked her. Why not go along with the lady’s wishes right now, unless it made tonight count as their date. Nah, just a little fooling around. Tomorrow I’ll wine and dine her and show her a good time on the island. But for tonight, if she wants….

Gale Force Passion is available at www.decadentpublishing.com or your favorite eBookstore and you can visit Kate at http://katerichards.wordpress.com.

Beneath the Starry Sky and Alopecia Areata

2011-12-16T03:01:00.002-05:00

by Jessica E. Subject

The heroine in Beneath the Starry Sky, Tamara Johnston, deals with Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune skin disorder which may appear as one or more small, round or oval-shaped patches on the head, to a complete loss of all body hair. This non-contagious disease occurs when the body’s immune system mistakes hair follicles as foreign invaders. Often beginning in childhood, Alopecia Areata affects almost two percent of Americans regardless of sex, age, or Ethnic background.

If you have a close family member with Alopecia Areata, you have a slightly increased chance of developing the disease, but it often occurs in people with a family history of other autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, and more.

In most cases, hair does grow back, but it may fall out again before the disease runs its course. There is no cure or drugs approved to treat Alopecia Areata, although some medications approved for other purposes can help hair to grow back, at least temporarily.

It is important to note that while the effects of Alopecia Areata can be socially and emotionally disturbing, it is not a painful disease, nor does it make people physically sick. Those with the disease are generally healthy otherwise.

(Information taken from: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Alopecia_Areata/default.asp)

To learn more about Alopecia Areata and to help find a cure, visit the National Alopecia Areata Foundation http://www.naaf.org and the Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation http://canaaf.org/

Beneath the Starry Sky Blurb

Left at the altar with bald patches on her head and her self-confidence stripped away, Tamara Johnson must pick up the pieces of her life and face her Alopecia, the autoimmune disease causing her hair to fall out. She is convinced no man will date a bald woman and arranges a one-night stand through Madame Evangeline’s popular service, 1Night Stand. With her new wig held firmly in place, Tamara arrives at the Castillo Hotel in Las Vegas for a night of passion and pleasure. Anything more than one night would mean exposing her bald head, and she will never do that to any man again.

Running into the Castillo Hotel, away from the paparazzi constantly at his heels, Josh Summers wants to spend his next few days locked away from the flashing lights and screaming fans. When he finds an incredibly sexy woman lying on his hotel room bed in nothing but lingerie, he thinks management has made a mistake. Leaving her behind, he heads for the lobby to get the situation rectified. But an unexpected text from Madame Evangeline sends him back to his room. Though unsure whether the woman on the bed is really his perfect match or just another fan believing him to be like his character on television, he knows he must find out, even if it means he must risk telling her his own secrets. If Tamara can handle his imperfections, she just might be his ideal woman.

Available from Decadent Publishing and other ebook retailers.

Bio:

Website/Blog: http://www.markofthestars.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jsubject

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-E-Subject-author/205759796126370

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4959083.Jessica_E_Subject

Google +: https://plus.google.com/100079570422204018357/posts

The Power of Submission

2011-12-13T03:01:00.000-05:00

by Erykah Wyck

So you ask, how can you possibly allow a man to have complete control over you? And I say the answer is complex. I am a woman who is strong and in charge of a great many parts of her life. I have run offices and had a great many people report to me. So if you had asked me if I would ever let a man control me, my answer would have been a resounding …HELLS,NO.

BUT

And there is always a but, isn’t there? But then I found a man who showed me that in giving up control, I could find a new power. In trusting him to take care of me and my needs I could find freedom. When I am submissive, the stresses of the day to day world fall away. He takes those from me and allows me to just be me.

Did it happen overnight? No. Like David says in my book submission doesn’t always come easy and it takes time. And a good Dom understands that. They understand that a submissive isn’t a horse needing to be broken. But a person who is complex and for whatever their reason needs to feel dominated, controlled, call it what you will.

My road to submission wasn’t one that I found easy, it wasn’t the road another submissive might have traveled. I never understood Doms who say that what I need is to be spanked until I can let out my emotions. Who are they to say? Only my Dom and I can say for sure. And I have to trust him to know what’s best for me. Giving up my control in or out of the bedroom to my Dom is a gift, one that should be cherished and respected. Because once a trust between a D/s is broken, it’s very hard to find your way back.

There is some insight into my submissive world. Do I live the lifestyle 24/7? Not at the moment, but I do as often as I can. Do most people know I am a submissive? No and most would be shocked. Is it anyone’s business? Not really, because what goes on between the two of us is for us and us alone. Do I like a good spanking?

Why not try it and you tell me.

Follow at Blog http://erykahwyck.blogspot.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/ErykahWyck

Madame Eve has a Free Gift for you!

2011-12-11T12:01:00.000-05:00

Madame Eve’s Gift is FREE with any purchase of a 1Night Stand story.
Happy holidays from Kate Richards and Decadent Publishing!

Christmas Eve is finally here and Nicholas Castillo’s staff has trimmed the trees and decked the halls for the Gala. All is in readiness and even Kathryn, the pilot who is responsible for ferrying in Madame’s Eve’s 1Night Stand guests to the remote hotel in Castle Alaska has hung up her wings for the holiday. Even better, she’s Nicholas’s date for the evening.

Because she lost a bet. But he’ll take a date with her any way he can get it because Nick has hopes that the Christmas spirit will help him to win over the woman he’s longed and lusted for since the first time her plane touched down outside his hotel. If only she didn’t think of him as a friend.

Kathryn wonders when Nick will take a hint. She’s even willing to put aside her comfy flying duds to don an elegant dress and stilettoes for one night if it will make him notice that she’s a woman and hopefully attractive. But in the years they’ve known one another, she’s never had the nerve to tell him she’s interested, and why would a rich, handsome hotelier, a member of the Castillo family, be interested in a woman who rarely hangs around for more than a day or two before flying off to the wilds of Alaska’s interior. It will take a heaping dose of Christmas magic—or maybe Madame Eve’s own brand—to make this one work out!

Almost Perfect!

2011-12-09T03:01:00.001-05:00

Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me

by Jenna Jaxson

The Christmas season is such a great time for reflection, for making peace, for giving thanks for what you have. But what if what you have is not what you want?

Ask Pam Kimball, my heroine in Almost Perfect, what Christmas song described her best and I think she’d say Elvis Presley’s classic Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me. This was my favorite Christmas song growing up. I loved the up-beat, the catchy lyrics, and Elvis’s gorgeous voice crooning to me on a snowy night.

As adults we’ve all wanted to sit on Santa’s lap and ask for that one perfect present. This year, Pam’s request would the same one as Elvis’s. She’d hem and haw about it, deny it to your face, but when she whispered her Christmas wish, it would be Roger she wanted to find underneath her Christmas tree—all tied up with a red bow and nothing else. Bet she wouldn’t wait until Christmas morning to open her present either!

Recipe for an Almost Perfect Holiday:

Take 1 semi-deserted island paradise

Add 1 movie obsessed ex-wife

And 1 techno-geeky ex-husband

Sprinkle in some wild skinny-dipping

Top with a romantic dinner for two

And spice it all up with some hot sex on the beach

Yield: One 1Night Stand you’ll never forget!

Excerpt:

Pam pulled the bottle from her mouth and wiped her hand across her lips where she had dribbled some. She held the bottle out for Roger then noticed his slack-jawed gaze aimed straight at her chest. One hand held the Perrier, the other was at her side. Which meant…

“You still look fine, Pam. Mighty fine.” Her ex-husband’s grin reached almost ear to ear. If there wasn’t still some water left in the bottle she’d brain him with it.

He reached down and flipped off his sandals, then untied his drawstring, all the while gawking at her breasts. With one swift movement, he shucked his pants down and stepped out of them to reveal a hard tanned body, complete with a serious erection.

Pam had not seen that coming. Her mouth dropped open as the Perrier hit the sand. She stared at his fully aroused cock, a shiver of pure desire sparking through her before she dragged her eyes back up to his face. A low chuckle rumbled from deep in his chest. “A promise is a promise, Pam. You showed me yours.” He threw her one more impish grin and took off for the water. “You coming?”

Pam stared as he splashed in and dove under. His pale rounded butt flashed her before sliding under the waves. Her heart pounded and blood sang through her veins as it had not done in years. And there was a deep ache between her thighs that was pitifully familiar, though it too had lain dormant until now. It’s just been too long, that’s all. I’d feel twice this horny if that were my pirate out there. She fought to believe that was true.

Roger’s head broke the surface and he flipped his hair out of his face. “You coming? The water’s great!” She didn’t move. “I promise not to bite.”

“But I might,” she muttered, and started for the water, afraid they had the makings of a real live Blue Lagoon here.

Unfinished Business

2011-12-08T03:01:00.002-05:00

by Barbara Sheridan

I’ve loved the idea behind the 1NS series since I first heard of it, but I just wasn’t able to come up with an idea that “fit”.

Leave it to the wayward Muse to smack me in the head one day and point out the obvious—I had quite a lot of unfinished business with a trio of characters from a “free read” short story I did at the request of the lovely and vivacious Heather Bennett (Decadent Publishing’s Executive Editor and co-owner).

That short, Personal Business, was a multicultural historical set in 19th century Japan at a time when many foreign educators and businessmen were bringing modern ideas and innovations to the country as well as Japanese officials visiting places like the United States, France and England and seeing those ideas an innovations in practice.

It was these circumstances that brought together American Jennie with former samurai Hideo and brought Jennie’s old friend Charley into the picture. Being a short there wasn’t as much room to explore the trio getting acquainted *wink wink, nudge nudge* so I let the Muse lead the way with a bit of a New Age shove that has Jennie and her favorite men reincarnated in the present day and able to fully explore that Unfinished Business from before.

I hope you’ll enjoy Unfinished Business, the story of Kim, David and Jack, as they acknowledge the inexplicable emotional bond they share and take delight in exploring the physical joy they’ve only dreamed about.

The free short historical is still available free with any purchase from Decadent or by contacting me Barbara DOT SheridanAT yahoo Dot com

Unfinished Business excerpt:

Kim set the computer on the end table and buried her face in her hands. She pictured a multitude of deities staring down at her, mostly smirking. A threesome. She’d nearly overloaded her credit card for a night of three-way sex with two strange men. Please let me pull off this insane stunt and get my life back on track.

She was sure the deities laughed.

Taking a deep breath, Kim pulled herself together and got up. She headed to the guestroom. Jetlag was still biting her in the butt and she had enough time to take a quick nap before she had to head out to the Castillo Hotel complex on the outskirts of Tokyo. If anyone was to blame for this insane idea and even more insane acting on it, it was whoever had written that article in the new architectural trade magazine she’d subscribed to.

One look at the multi-page spread for the new hotel had opened some forbidden door in her psyche and made her infatuation over her two bosses kick into overdrive.

And she’d done so well in stomping the shit out of that infatuation over the two years she’d been working at D & K Associates. Hell, she’d put such a tight lid on the hots her bosses aroused in her, she should be on a list for sainthood somewhere.

Untucking her blouse, Kim let the soft silk glide down her arms and folded the garment over the back of the desk chair. She unzipped her knee length gabardine skirt and did the same. She sat on the edge of the bed and shook her head as she slid off her thigh high stockings and draped them on the bedside table.

The whole hots-for-the-bosses was so weird. Beyond weird. Her sister loved teasing about her inborn ultra-conservative streak and she’d never even so much as looked at another guy on those rare occasions she’d steadily dated. To be attracted to two men at once was like something out of leftfield.

Worse yet, it wasn’t just an attraction to their good looks or intelligence. An all-out lust wave hit her if she spent more than five minutes in their combined presence.

That made weekly staff meetings ever so much fun.

All She Wants for Christmas is Her Dom

2011-12-07T03:01:00.000-05:00

Madame Eve never disappoints, does she? I’ve written five 1NS stories now and I really do love writing in this world. I will admit that they are entirely addictive. I think the reason is because you go into writing the books knowing that the couple is a perfect match.So romantic.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a paranormal, GLBT, or BDSM—Madame Eve will not only pair up the perfect couple, but she’ll put them in the perfect setting so their love can blossom, or they can fulfill the lustful night they are after. There is something very romantic about that and it’s refreshing to not have to deal with “hard times” to get the couple together.

When I started All She Wants for Christmas is Her Dom, I wasn’t expecting the little twist in the story that connected it all. I really thought I’d take a woman, Taryn, and a Dom, Blake, and give them one night hot BDSM! But the characters as always—including Madame Eve—threw some surprises at me.

I’ve learned one thing from writing these stories—as much as the characters take me on an adventure, Madame Eve always has a few shockers in there to make me stunned at what I’m writing.And this happened a few times over when writing this story. She not only picked the perfect couple to be together, but she reminded me that she always has a few tricks up her sleeve.

I’d love to hear from you so don’t forget to come find me on Facebook and Twitter.

Madame Eve’s 1NightStand service has brought together Blake and Taryn on a cold Christmas Eve at the Castillo Lodge. The two will set out on an adventure of pain and pleasure surrounded by Alaskan snow-capped mountains and nestled in a warm country lodge. But as the night develops, Taryn discovers it’s not Christmas presents that will surprise her but instead the very man who mastered her through a night of intense BDSM.

WARNING- This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: INTENSE BDSM theme and elements.

Teaser: (WARNING – BDSM ELEMENTS – Not for readers under the age of eighteen)

The suite in the Castillo Lodge far exceeded Blake’s expectations. Rustic in appearance with log walls, hardwood panel floors, and the rich scent of evergreens filling the air, it was exactly what he requested and fit the mood for a Christmas getaway. The room delighted him, but the woman who stood before him enchanted him more.

He led the blindfolded Taryn over to the four-poster wooden bed with a quilt on top and placed her hands on the railing over the footboard. “I suggest you present yourself.” She bent over, spread her long, sexy legs, and angled her hips to expose her ass decorated by a thong. Her straight brown locks hung loosely down her back, covering the crimson lace bra that looked lovely against her pale skin. “Nicely done.”

Her chest rose and fell quickly. Nervous?The thought only lingered on his mind a moment—no one paired with him would hold anxieties. As a Dom, he demanded much of his submissives. He needed them to be strong and obedient. And Madame Eve, a matchmaker out of Las Vegas who had arranged the encounter, had been well aware of that fact. As he examined her more closely, he equated her reaction to being aroused, and relished the thought that his mere presence caused her reaction.

“I’m here to please you, Sir.”

The fire in the large stone fireplace on the far side of the large room cast a lovely glow over her skin. “Your desire to entice me is working.” He pressed his hard cock against the seam of her ass to declare she hadn’t been the only one affected. “I appreciate you addressing me with such respect, but for now, we can do without it. I’d advise, though, to use the term when you believe I want to hear it.” He rubbed himself against her and held back his groan. “Is my cock what you want?”

“My pussy aches for you.”

He chuckled before he moved away and saw her stance falter. “That kind of pleasure you’ll have to earn.”

She proved she was a skilled submissive as she recovered her position without pause. “I want to earn it, Sir.”

He strode toward his bag on the floor by the stone fireplace and took out his flogger. She tensed as he flicked his hand to allow her to hear the sound of the tails whooshing through the air. “Do you have a safe word, my pet?”

“Marshal.”

He positioned himself behind her and trailed the flogger over her backside. “Explain why that word holds significance?” He smacked her ass with a hard hit to test her limits.

“I’m a U.S. Marshal in Texas.” She groaned. “Supervisory Deputy to be exact.”

He ran the flogger over her bottom again to tease her. “Is that why the submissive role appeals to you, because of the job you hold?”

“It feels wonderful to give up the control I carry in my day-to-day life.” She moaned as he issued another hit. “And I enjoy being punished.”

He’d already known she enjoyed pain play. Madame Eve had sent him an extensive list of her limits, but he preferred learning for himself where those limits were drawn. “How long have you lived the BDSM lifestyle?”

“Five years.” She squeaked as he delivered a hard hit on her back then let the tails of the flogger tickle down the sweet cheeks of her ass.

“But you haven’t had a lifestyle Dom?”

“I—” She paused. “I’d prefer not to discuss it.”

Unacceptable. He hit hard twice. She bowed her head and cringed. “I didn’t ask what you preferred. Answer the question.”

She breathed deep as he hit lightly along her thighs. “I did have someone, but not anymore.”

“Would he be jealous that I’m your Dom tonight?”

“I’d imagine he would be.” She gasped when he flogged her on the shoulders and continued down her back.

“I suppose then, I’ll need to leave my mark on you for all to see, so they’re well aware who you belong to now.”

~*~

Stacey Kennedy’s novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you’ll find fast paced action, life threatening moments and a big bad villain that needs to be destroyed. Her urban fantasy/paranormal and erotic romance series have hit Amazon Kindle and All Romance Ebooks Bestseller lists. If she isn’t plugging away at her next novel, tending to her two little ones, she’s got her nose deep in a good book. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband.

Be sure to drop her a line at www.staceykennedy.com, she loves to hear from her readers.

Do You Still Believe in Santa?

2011-12-06T07:12:00.000-05:00

by Cerise DeLand

OH. I do!

I have proof.

Every year when I was a child, a prayed for someone to love and love me back. Every year, I prayed for a calm, serene Christmas with laughing people in the house.

And today? I have that.

With a man whom I have loved dearly more and more each year. For 42 years, in fact!

So in Santa, Cutie (my newest release, in the Holiday anthology by Decadent), Susanna Corrigan believes in Santa so much she'll even go to chilly Alaska to have a 1Night Stand with a man meant for her!

And where did this idea come from?

Ever heard the song Santa, Baby sung by sexy contralto Eartha Kitt?

"Santa, Baby, I want a new convertible, too

That's blue..."

Sing it for your man!

ON to the story!

Her First White Christmas

2011-12-04T03:01:00.002-05:00

When I wrote my first 1NS story, One Hot Australian Night, I knew I wanted to make it a bit of a series within a series; meaning I would write about each character – and some relatives – of Zalia & Xavier’s in further 1NS shorts.

Then I received an email from the wonderful Decadent ladies, asking me to contribute a story for Madame Eve’s 1Night Stand Holiday Anthology, I nearly fell off my chair. And I had the perfect story in mind.

Her First White Christmas is about Remy, who happens to be Zalia’s brother. He’s been living in the United States, based in Orlando, travelling across the country as CFO for an international charity organisation. He’s kind, generous, has a few spare dollars and, of course, incredibly sexy. He’s lived his life carefree, not wanting to settle down with one woman. He prefers casual flings that don’t tie him down, so he’s free to travel for work and have fun along the way.

When he returns to Melbourne for a few weeks, to attend his sister’s wedding (yes Zalia and Xavier get married), it gives him the kick in the boot he’s needed to convince him he’s ready to settle down. Luckily for him, Zalia knows just the woman to help.

His date needed to be as generous, kind and sexy as he was. Bella Donna came straight to mind. All of her attributes came to my Muse in an instant. She runs a rehabilitation centre for rescue dogs, specifically power breeds, loves animals and is a lot of fun. But she couldn’t be happy and bouncy all the time; she needed a little secret, something that made her feel ashamed. Something that Remy could help her overcome.

And what is that little secret? Well, you’ll just have to read the story to find out ;-)

Blurb:

Remy Sommers has grown weary of his playboy lifestyle. He’s ready to fall in love and settle down. Problem is, he doesn’t know where to start. After attending his sister’s wedding, he takes her advice and contacts the 1 Night Stand dating agency – the same agency she used to find her new husband.

Bella Donna has had enough of blind dates. She’s always left bitterly disappointed. On the advice of a friend, she contacts Madame Evangeline, hoping her reputation precedes her and she can find Bella Donna her perfect man.

A mysterious invitation from Madame Evangeline leads them both to the secluded and exclusive Castillo Lodge in Alaska for a holiday event.

Will they get their happily ever after? Or will their first white Christmas end in disaster and disappointment?

My Big Fat Family Christmas

2011-12-02T03:01:00.001-05:00

By Rebecca Royce

As you read this, it is likely that I am sitting in a house in Texas surrounded by family, eating really good food. Sound like heaven? Let’s try again.

I don’t live in Texas. I live in New Jersey. So, to get to Texas, I boarded a plane with my husband and our three boys (ages 2, 4, and 6). The 4 year old and the 6 year old are excellent flyers. The 2 year old? Um…..Not so much.

After a four hour plane ride, I arrived in Texas where we rented a car. The children fought with each other the whole way through the airport. Finally, hours later we arrived at the rental house to find that they didn’t have sheets on the bed.

I’m imagining all of this because as I write this, I am sitting in my home in New Jersey, four weeks away from our trip. Maybe it all went smoothly. Maybe our 2 year old slept the whole way to Texas.

But, I am not a glass half-full kind of a girl. I tend to assume all will be hard and exhausting. In this way, I am like my heroine, Bethany, in I’ll Be Mated For Christmas.

She does not look forward to the holidays. She assumes they will be hard and rough, as they were when she was one of the only humans in a pack of werewolves. In fact, it has taken her many years to get over her childhood, to recreate a life for herself elsewhere. Her one night stand is a reward for getting to where she needed to be emotionally.

But Luke, the new Alpha of the pack she grew up in has other plans. She is his mate. She can’t turn her back on werewolves. Not when she’s meant to be his.

What do you think? Like Bethy will I be surprised this Christmas? Or should I prepare myself for a trip into the abyss and back again?

This Endris Night

2011-12-01T03:01:00.001-05:00

I was once asked why I write.

Why do artists draw, athletes compete?

I guess for me it’s another outlet to express myself. Many people are not aware, not only am I an author, but I’m a wildlife artist. I also paint pet portraits and fantasy subjects like knights and dragons. I’ve always been a day-dreamer, that kid in school that sat in the back and doodled on her notebook and missed half the notes for that Earth science final.

I love escape. I love to sneak away from my 8-5 job, from the daily stress of the grind and immerse myself in worlds I create. I love to daydream about heroes who’ll steal your heart and breath. It’s always a joy to see my stories published, so I can share the adventure, and an unusual world for you to get lost in.

This Endris Night was no exception. The minute I found out the titles had to be named after a Christmas Carol, my search started and it was from that song, This Endris Night, a 16^th century carol, I found inspiration for the story. The lines spoke to me, they said look up, into the sky, something amazing is about to happen. Add my love of wildlife and an Alaskan setting, and you get the premise for my Christmas tale.

So, since we’re talking wildlife, I’ll share some of my art, and for one lucky commenter, I’ll send one of my paintings.

My Experience with Kidnappers…

2011-11-29T07:53:00.000-05:00

By Lily McCormick

Are you laughing? Don’t. This is a serious matter—a serious crime! They should tar and feather my older brother, Shane (Surely, you’ve met him in Tempting a Cowboy). It’s all hisfault! Just because I had set him up with Madame Eve not so long ago and he couldn’t even be more appreciative over the fact that I had helped hook him up with Mia, our local town librarian (She’s pretty sassy, don’t let her quiet ‘good girl’ demeanor deceive you). If it weren’t for me, all he would know to do was cuddle up with his stupid software…or is it hardware? (I don’t remember. I think he named his computer after someone we knew…). Back to Shane…he’s just ungrateful!

Do you know how he repays me?

He kidnaps me against my will and shove me on a plane! A PLANE!

Here I am doing my chores on the ranch, going over the books, and he rushes in and literally ties me up and throws me on a plane with a suitcase! And do I know where I’m going? Of course not!

But there’s lots of snow…I’ve been kidnapped to winter wonderland hell!

So here are my tips just in case you end up in the same predicament as me.

1. Be sure to brush up on your karate and self-defense skills. You never know when you need them. My cowgirl boots can only do so much.

2. Always carry a can of mace. You never know who you’ll see. (Yes, I would mace my own brother if he pulled that crap on me again.)

3. Learn to play dead if you have to. Just go limp in your attacker’s hold, then escape when you have the chance.

4. Oh most importantly, SCREAM! That should scare them off if you can scream as loud as me…

If you have any other tips, please share!

Blurb:

Stubborn and proud cowgirl, Lily McCormick, is finally coming to terms with her quiet life on her parent’s ranch, until her older brother, as payback, signs her up for 1NightStand. Kidnapped and forced onto a plane to a foreign location, she faces the dreaded cold and an unwanted tryst, until her ex-husband appears before her…as her date.

New York City District Attorney, Rafe Martinez, would do anything to get his ex-wife back, even if it meant taking drastic measures to pretend he was there for another woman. When jealousy and rage surfaces and Lily’s tough demeanor wanes, desire and lust sparks their once powerful connection as truths unfold. Will Rafe convince her to return to him or push her further away from giving their love a second chance?

How to Celebrate Christmas…Just About Anywhere

2011-11-18T03:01:00.001-05:00

If you haven’t figured this out by now, I have lived all over the world, including Istanbul, Turkey for 2 years. When you are a semi-professional ex-pat like my family was for the better part of 8 years you learn quickly that “the holidays” are the WORST time to try and head home to the U.S. We did that once. Once. And swore on a stack of valiums never to try that again.

Besides, why not experience the holidays in our temporarily adopted country? The first year was in Japan. The Japanese are CONSUMATE consumers. Truly professional at it. So you’d really never guess that it was a holiday in anyway meant for anything other than….shopping!

When we arrived in Turkey as the ass-end of summer, miserable, hot, culture-shocked and (in my case) pissed I had agreed to it, the “holidays” were the last thing on my mind I assure you. The first year we watched as the super upscale mall in our neighborhood converted itself into the most obnoxiously decorated bastion to consumerism I have ever seen. I thought the Japanese were bad. Granted, our little section of Istanbul was populated by ex-pat executives, diplomats and their families and some of the most ostentatiously wealthy natives going. These women shopped, got massages and mani/pedis, had their hair washed and styled nearly every night by professionals, and shopped some more before hitting Istanbul’s exclusive round of restaurants and nightclubs.

But we got invited to spend actual Christmas that year with our friends, fellow auto exec types, in Koln Germany and had a stone-cold blast at the Christmas markets, slugging back the Gluhwein, buying adorable, over priced crap and being made fun of by Germans. It was an epic holiday, Old World style. Christmas eve in the Koln Cathedral? I will never ever forget it.

But the next year we stayed put. By then I had sussed out the best rug merchants, the most reliable leather jacket tailors, had bonded with my favorite spice merchants and trinket guys. Between them, they found us a HUGE Christmas tree, and we festooned it with lights and ornaments made from all manner of “nazarlik” or the small, ubiquitous “God’s eye” good luck charms. It snowed that year. It was peaceful for us, although the Turks are nothing if not ready to see you sh*t, and with the huge population of ex-pats they knew to decorate appropriately from upscale malls to small coffee shops.

Turkey is a melting pot of a country. Its people are a mish mash of eastern Europeans, Africans, Arabs, Ancient Romans, Viennese. At one point the Ottoman Empire extended as far north as Hungry and part of southern Russia, Iran, the Palestinian coastline, Egypt and North Africa. Everywhere the Ottomans went they collected and brought back the locals. There is a large contingent of Christians there still and some of the ancient houses of worship I visited in the country that was home to every single one of the churches of Paul were amazing, spiritual and once-in-a-lifetime experiences for me.

Christmases the next 2 years were a lot more traditional. We were in England by then, and while the English high cuisine is not much beyond bangers and mash and shepherd’s pie (or Chicken Tikka Masala) they do know how to throw a high church holiday. You haven’t seen anything until you’ve gawked at Harrod’s in full Holiday Consumer Mode. Jaw dropping. Especially when you get the bill.

I channeled my Turkish experiences to create a series of short stories as part of the 1NightStand series. Turkish Delights, Blue Cruise and Tulip Princess are among the most fun stories I’ve created. I hope you enjoy reading them as much I enjoyed writing them. Am noodling a German-based time travel, beer thing. And a fun London love story has just occurred to me.

Blurbs:

Turkish Delights: The fifteen year age difference between Elle Kensington, ex-patriat American executive and Emre Demir, son of Istanbul's most successful businessmen, has not kept them from becoming fast friends as they tour Istanbul together. But the time has come for him to return to the U.S. to finish his master's degree and she has just been named CEO of the pharmaceutical company that brought her to Turkey in the first place. Elle adores her adopted country, and is alarmed to find herself falling in love with the young man who's been her impromptu guide for the last few months.

But she knows they can never be. She will return home to California within a month, leaving behind all she loves about the ancient city. In a rare fit of spontaneity, Elle has contracted with Madame Eve's OneNightStand dating service to hopefully find a way to forget the dark, handsome young man who has captured her heart. Little does she know what awaits her in the ancient recesses of the Ottoman palace turned luxury hotel under the hands of her one night stand masseur.

Blue Cruise: Caleb and Tarkan were an odd couple, men from two different cultures, but so in love they were determined to overcome any obstacles. Fate had different plans. Two years after tragedy strikes, Caleb is still a hollow shell of himself, alone and miserable.

Adem Broussard is happy enough, as owner and chef of his restaurant on the Turkish southern coast. But a tall, American Adonis he saw once, years ago on a Turkish Blue Cruise haunts his most erotic dreams and he hopes contracting with Madame Eve's 1NightStand service for an unconventional date will help him forget.

When Caleb caves in to his friend Elle's insistence that he return to Turkey and exorcise some of the demons that haunt him, he reluctantly climbs on board a private yacht for a special 1NightStand Blue Cruise. There he comes face to face with the man who remembers him well, and wants to help him heal.

Tulip Princess: Do true soul mates exist? Can two people from different cultures and different worlds with needs only the other can meet find happiness?

Lale Deniz, young, drifting and prone to wildness that her Turkish family doesn't understand is seeking something to help reestablish control over her life. Her beloved brother Tarkan has tragically exited her life. His twin lives far away in America with his growing family. When Elle, Emre's wife has a scary brush with death, Lale is dispatched to California to help with their five-year old daughter. But a recovering Elle has plans for Lale that include a magical 1NightStand.

Andreas Michos, Greek former NFL star, now athletic director at UNLV also floats through life seeking fulfillment. His ex-wife and sexual sub left him when he took away the limelight of football stardom. He doubts his own abilities anymore and has given up finding an outlet for his natural Dom.

Set against a backdrop of ancient cultural clashes and Mediterranean family dynamics, Lale and Andreas do meet in Las Vegas at the famous Castillos resort for a date. But it appears destined to fail. Unless they are both willing to relinquish control and discover what can be found inside the soul of another.

Seducing Liberty by D.L. Jackson

2011-11-08T03:01:00.001-05:00

Spies, time travel and a ménage make up the premise of Seducing Liberty. I don’t often write historical novels, but a story about Washington’s Culper Spy Ring, proved to be irresistible when penning this 1NightStand story.

On release day I usually show you the cuts that didn’t make it into the final story, and today will be no exception. During the delicate task of weaving this story together I had to make some choices. I wanted this to be one of those stories where the reader asks, did she really travel back in time, or did she black out and dream it? I needed it to be feasible in a fantasy setting, or contemporary. So here’s the ending that never made it, because I couldn’t work it into the real world.

Chop from Seducing Liberty:

“That’s a wrap for the day, ladies and gentlemen. Want you back here Monday at 6 a.m. to finish the beach scene.” Liberty blinked, staring up at the mid-day sky. For a moment she’d thought she’d been in another place. A wet dream. That’s what she got for watching her assistant fuck. A shadow fell over and she lifted her chin to stare at a face backlit by the sun and in silhouette.

“You need a hand up?”

She reached out and took his hand. Something about him…

He pulled her to her feet and chest to chest. Liberty’s eyes widened. Dark hair, blue eyes and a wicked smile. Her heart bounced against her tonsils. No. it couldn’t be. Thomas didn’t exist—well, not in her time. He wore a white button up shirt, with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and blue jeans—so un-patriotic. Well, not something she’d ever seen him in, and damn if he didn’t wear 2011 well. “Thomas?”

“So this is what you do when you’re not spying for the Patriots,” he said.

A second man made his way over to them, dressed in knee length khaki shorts and a t-shirt with a sexy pirate woman and rum ad on the front. His hair was a little longer, but the spark in his eyes and the come fuck me vibe, was more than familiar.

Definitely not a wet dream. “Aaron? How did you…”

“Not sure, but I have to tell you the men’s room down the beach is amazing. You hit a lever and all the waste disappears—and hot running water pipes into a bowl for you to wash your hands. And jet skis, and my God, have you seen the bikinis? Do you own a bikini, Madelyn?”

“Bikini?” She blinked. “Are you really here? On the set? Was any of our date real or was it all a figment of my imagination?”

Thomas smiled. “Yes. Yes. And all of it—real. Somehow you brought us with you. When we woke, we were lying on the sand dressed like this. A note from a someone called Madame Eve was between us.” He handed it to her.

Liberty took the envelope and opened the flap, slipping the paper out.

Your dates have come to you. Enjoy. She looked up. “Are you staying?”

Thomas and Aaron nodded. “We talked. Wherever you are, we decided we want to be—if you’ll have us. Besides, we already have a job. Some director guy offered us a part in something called a movie. He said we looked like the perfect Patriots, and could use a couple of replacements.”

She couldn’t agree more. Liberty smiled and hooked each man’s arm, walking them down the beach and toward her trailer. “If you liked the toilets, wait until you see my shower.”

Now, if you’d like a chance to win a copy of this time-traveling, spy novel, leave a comment below answering this question:

If you could travel back in time, to what time would you go and why?

Thanks for stopping by and helping me to celebrate Seducing Liberty’s release day!

D L

Turkish Delights is in the House!

2011-11-04T08:43:00.000-04:00

Book One ~ Turkish Delights series

The fifteen year age difference between Elle Kensington, ex-patriat American executive and Emre Demir, son of Istanbul's most successful businessmen, has not kept them from becoming fast friends as they tour Istanbul together. But the time has come for him to return to the U.S. to finish his master's degree and she has just been named CEO of the pharmaceutical company that brought her to Turkey in the first place. Elle adores her adopted country, and is alarmed to find herself falling in love with the young man who's been her impromptu guide for the last few months.

But she knows they can never be. She will return home to California within a month, leaving behind all she loves about the ancient city. In a rare fit of spontaneity, Elle has contracted with Madame Eve's 1Night Stand dating service, hoping to find a way to forget the dark, handsome young man who has captured her heart. Little does she know what awaits her in the ancient recesses of the Ottoman palace turned luxury hotel under the hands of her one-night stand masseur.

Excerpt:

“I miss you already,” Emre said, with his usual candor. “I can’t believe I just met you and now we must part.” He finished his tea and signaled the waiter for another. Before she could lean back, he reached over the tiny table and captured her hand, putting it to his mouth. Elle’s entire body zinged. His lips were gentle, soft but with a firmness that spoke of his potential talents with them. Exactly as she thought they would be, even if just pressed to her hand. She bit her lip, no longer caring what the gawkers around them thought, as she pressed her thighs together to ease the ache building between them.

“I know.” Her voice was just a whisper. “It’s been…nice getting to know you.” Lame, her brain screamed. Just kiss him, for crying out loud. You are the newly-named CEO of a major pharmaceutical company. You eat fear for breakfast. What the hell is your problem?

*WIN A COPY OF TURKISH DELIGHTS!*

Read the blurb and excerpt and answer two questions in the comments section, and leave your email address so we can contact you if you're our winner!

1. Why does Elle think she can't have Emre?

2. What does Elle eat for breakfast?

Demons and Humans and Jinns...oh, my!

2011-10-30T20:23:00.000-04:00

Kill Me Tomorrow is about Jasmine, a jinn. In the story, a jinn is a creature that is half-human, half-angel. Their primary existence is to fight evil demons. Jinn’s are generally extremely passionate creatures—except for Jasmine. She has yet to feel desire for a man—yet alone need. Her lack of desire is a very pressing issue, so she contacts Madame Eve for a one-night stand.

Enter Gavin, a hot demi-sanguine. What might that be, you ask? Well…it’s a half-demon, half-human. Yup, the first man to ever make her feel lust just so happed to be her enemy. And that is only the beginning of the complications that arise on their pre-arranged date. What will happen when enemies collide?

Guess you’ll have to read it to find out. J

Blurb:

Jasmine Baruch is a jinn-a supernatural being who fights demons with fire. While that’s difficult enough, she’s got bigger problems. She’s a virgin, and in the jinn culture, that is sheer blasphemy. Jinn are supposed to be passionate, promiscuous creatures-everything she isn’t. Due to marry the next day, she takes matters into her own hands by using 1NS. But, like the rest of her life, nothing is easy. The man chosen for her, though incredibly gorgeous, is a demi-sanguine; a half-human, half-demon-her enemy.

Gavin Werbato is looking for an easy night of sex. Nothing more, nothing less. Instead, he gets a gorgeous jinn convinced it is her duty to kill him. He can certainly think of better things to do with her soft hands than murder. He need only convince her of that…

Can the fire sparked when these beings collide be controlled, or will it consume their world as they know it?

Excerpt:

She’d accomplished nothing at all.

Nothing.

A weight sank beside her on the bed, and she shrieked. She darted a glance at the door, but it remained locked. Of course it did— portals didn’t hold back demons.

“Good punch.” He laughed and rubbed his nose. “Some men might hold a grudge—but not me. I heal too fast.”

Indeed he did. A glance at his face revealed features as gorgeous as ever. This sucked for the self-pity party she’d been trying to throw.

She preferred him bloody and not so devilishly striking.

She groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “Why won’t you just leave?” He caressed her arm in a lazy, seductive way, and she shivered. “Stop that.”

His hand stopped moving, but he didn’t remove it. “Why do I have to stop?” he murmured. “Why do I have to leave?” He traced an invisible path leading up to her shoulder. From there, he grasped a curl and twirled it between his fingers, as if testing its elasticity. Her scalp tingled at his tender tug, and a jolt of lightning shot straight to her stomach, causing her to bite back a moan.

“Because….” She lifted her head, and turned to face him.

His eyes were so blue they were nearly purple, which, combined with his light blond hair, made him a lethal opponent indeed. How could she resist such a gorgeous creature, knowing that it might be her last chance to rid herself of her virginity? Yet, how could she say yes? “Because you are half demon, and I am a jinn. We are adversaries, you and I.”

“I’m not an evil demi-sanguine,” he assured her calmly. “I don’t rape, kill, or pillage. I’m unremarkably human—plus a few small details. But you are hardly normal yourself,” he drawled with a lazy grin. “And I’d like to make love to you.”

Damnation and Desire

2011-10-28T03:01:00.002-04:00

Have I ever been to Salem? No, but the history and spiritual energy of this epic town calls to me, so this is a place I plan to visit in this lifetime, for now, I had to settle for writing about it. Those readers who have read my other books, will find I write a variety of genres, but even sub genres in the paranormal domain. Why am I obsessed with writing it? Because everything about the paranormal fascinates me! That would explain why Halloween is my favourite time of the year, even over Christmas! Yes, I did just type that lol.

I love witches. No, not the kind on a broomstick, with long noses and warts, although some of them can be quite endearing over tea.

What I do love, is the earthy element of magic; herbs, potions, remedies, candles and of course, incense. The premise of having an established faith is paramount to me, regardless of what deity or form of worship people choose to follow. I am accepting of all faiths, provided it adheres to the universal law, and harm to none, do what thou will. Paganism, Wicca, etc., carries a significant importance of developing and maintaining faith, hope and belief, so naturally, it appeals to me on a personal level. (No, I don’t dance naked under the full moon by the fire, let’s face it, someone could get hurt that way – evil grin.)

The illusive draw to the supernatural in unavoidable, but I’m okay with that. The meaning of supernatural, is “that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature; abnormal..” Well, I admit, I am, for lack of a better description, abnormal. If you can’t see it, feel it or hear it physically, then many dismiss it as superstition, because it can’t be scientifically proven or explained. That to me, is where faith is a comparable argument. I don’t have to see it to believe it, except maybe my bank account, lol.

The characters that pop in to chat when I’m sleeping, often won’t leave until I assuredly write down everything they want to share. For my longer books, you can well imagine how busy dreamtime is for me. I have been asked, what brought about Tessa Ledger as such an alpha female personality? It’s difficult to say, but perhaps the best explanation I can offer, is every heroine I write, has some aspect of me. I wouldn’t call myself alpha so-to-speak, but when push comes to shove, I can hold my own and then some.

Tessa’s need to research the Salem witch trials, wasn’t far off from my own curiosity. In fact, I shared her reaction to the brutal and ghastly contents of theMalleus Maleficarum, which was the book that sparked the hunting and persecution of witches in 1692. Our hero Samson Langley however, he could potentially be considered, an alpha male in hiding. Maybe his years of service to the church curbed some of his more aggressive tendencies. This is, until he meets Tessa. A handsome man, who secludes his sexual desires and darkest secret of generations past, he is quickly released from the confines of his self-imposed restrictions. Will they be a good match?....you’ll have to read to find out.

Happy reading & HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!

Blurb:

Tessa Ledger is Wiccan and a descendent of a condemned witch. She is obsessed with the history of the Salem Witch Trials, the Malleus Maleficarumand its claim that women are susceptible to the influence if the devil through their sexuality. Tessa seeks the services of 1NS to tame her blazing carnal desires, and a little experiment on bewitching men. Perhaps she’s feeling the temptation of the Devil, as the Witch’s Hammer suggests. When she receives an email back from Madame Evangeline, she prepares for her interlude in Salem…on the most supernatural night possible, where the veil between the living and the dead is at it’s thinnest and anything can happen.

Samson Langley is a highly revered clergyman in his hometown outside of Salem. Being a positive community leader and overcoming his ancestral legacy has been his lifelong purpose, but he his assailing libido haunts him day and night. Overwhelmed with sexual starvation, he agrees to his mentor’s suggestion to meet his darkest desires through the services of the 1NS, to exercise his personal demons. What he doesn’t expect beyond the physical temptation, now his own faith and integrity are in question given the choice he is faced with; satisfaction, or damnation?

Soul Mate is HERE!

2011-10-27T03:01:00.002-04:00

On October 25, 2011, my new submission to the fantastic 1Night Stand series was released! Let me tell you, that is an awesome feeling!

Soul Mate is a romance between Nora, who doesn’t believe there’s a guy for her, and Angus, who never thought he’d find his soul mate – let alone find her on a date his brother arranged. Writing this story was one of the easiest ones. Sometimes you just have characters that speak to you and make it easy, and these two are no exception. There’s even an idea for continuing their story in a longer form later. Maybe. If you guys really want to see more. Because this is the easy part of their relationship.

I hope that you take a peek and like what you read. Nora and Angus are eager to share their story!

Here’s the absolutely fantastic cover, and the blurb and excerpt as well:

After her friend buys her a date from Madame Evangeline's 1Night Stand service, Nora isn't sure she can go through with it. Especially when she sees her date walk in. He’s way out of her league in more ways than just looks.

Angus MacInnes knows his time as Enforcer of his vampire clan is slowly driving him mad. When his brother sent him on a date, he assumed it would be a bust from the beginning. He didn't expect to find the one woman he's been hoping would appear for the last few centuries.

But can a vampire Enforcer smooth his rough edges enough to convince Nora that they’re Soul Mates?

Excerpt:

“I don’t think I can do this.” I clutched my cell phone in one sweaty palm.

“Nora. Take a deep breath.” My best friend, Anna, laughed in my ear. “I bought you this so you could have a good time. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet Mr. Right?”

Yeah. Sure. “I don’t belong here, Anna. I’m not rich. This guy’s going to get all the wrong ideas about me.”

Anna went silent on the other end for a moment, and then her breath blew static into the phone. I flinched at the noise. “Stop being ridiculous. Get out of the car and go meet him. Have a fling. You’ve been single forever, and I’m trying to fix that.”

Almost against my will, I opened the car door. “Just because wedded bliss agrees with you doesn’t mean it needs to be thrust it on everyone else. I am perfectly content as I am.”

She seized on the word as soon as she heard it. “Exactly. Content. You should be happy. Content is for old women with forty cats.”

“All right.” I took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I agreed to this. And I can back out of the whole thing after dinner if I want to.” She sighed into the phone. “But it doesn’t matter, because I’m going to be totally wild for one night. I can do this.”

“That’s my girl. Knock him dead.” She giggled again. “I so wish I could be there. But call and let me know how it turns out!”

“Sure. Talk to you later.”

She hung up, and I tossed the phone into the small, beaded clutch I’d brought. I dug out the crumpled printout of Madame Eve’s email and reread the instructions again.

Go to the Castillo Hotel and Resort Washington DC. Inside is the Skyline Grill. Give the waiter your name, and he will seat you in the proper place. If you arrive before your companion, please relax. Have a drink, and enjoy yourself. The rest is up to you.

Night Stand has reached the big FIVE-OH!

2011-10-26T13:30:00.001-04:00

We wanted to take a moment, we being Valerie Mann and Kate Richards, to thank everyone who has made 1Night Stand such a success, so far! The authors, the staff and publishers at Decadent Publishing, and mostly the readers.

When we, and Olivia Starke wrote the first three, we loved Madame Eve right away, but we really didn't konw how magical she is!

She has dealt with distraught lovers, widows, subs in search of a Dom, Doms in search of a sub, aliens from outer space, time travel, vampires, witches and ghosts, Sexy hoteliers and their relatives and even a virgin or two. So if you like 1Night Stand, leave a comment and maybe you'll win a book, we're giving away several today to celebrate our 50th story. But there are lots more to come!

Wait until you see how Madame helps her clients celebrate the holidays!

Fantasies.Feathers.Flames. Firestorm

2011-10-25T03:01:00.001-04:00

by a.c. Mason

Let me go back to a conversation I was having with fellow author Toni Kelly this summer about a Haboob, which started the entire idea. Yes, you read that correctly aHaboob. I thought what the heck is that too? So she explained about this wall of sand that comes right at you. Apparently they occur in places like Phoenix. It reminded me of the mythological bird. Just then I thought about this 1 Night Stand I wanted to write and how I desiredto do something unique and different. I thought Mason wouldn’t it be cool to have a race of Phoenixes? (Sometimes I talk to myself.) In my usual Mason style I did some research of the mythology of the Greek and Persians views of Phoenixes. Then I sat there thinking about how the technicalities would work. The only hot bird man I could think of was Brendan Lee in The Crow. So I needed to come up with some searing material for the birth of my supernatural beings.

Would they become birds? (Side note: Mason takes issue when humanstransform into things bigger or smaller than the mass of their body. I know it’s a weird issue. I’m seeing someone about it.)Where would one hide a big bird? People would notice if they shifted into a massive bird. So I came up with an alternate idea. You’ll have to read the story to find out.

How would the rebirth work?Rising from the ashes but how? Were they born as Phoenixes or does something make you one of them?

What abilities do they have? Fire of course. What do they do with it? What else can they do?

What purpose do they have on earth? Why were they created? I don’t always answer this question outright but hope that the reader comes to their own conclusion.

How do they mate?Not the act of mating. Naughty reader, but the pairing. Trust me I’ve got the acts too.

And lastly I needed why my characters wanted a 1 Night Stand. I know this will come as a shock to most but I’m a total prude. So if I was going to write a 1 Night Stand the reasons for the characters doing it needed to be believable to me. After all that wonderful angst I went through Seneb, Cinaed and Era were born to create a Firestorm.

Here’s a feathers tickle of a fantasy of flames, Firestorm:

Firestorm

Interracial Paranormal Erotic (Ménage, Romance, Multicultural)

Blurb:

Master Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer, Era Bennu has a thing for combustible situations. All she wants is one smokin' night with two hot supernaturals before she goes out in blaze of glory on her current mission.

Scorch marks are the insignia of the Phoenix. This anniversary’s gift for mates Seneb Keita and Cinaed Bryce is explosive. They're going to savor one searing night with a woman that they can share.

What they get is a firestorm and Era finds serenity in the midst of a roaring blaze.

Can she accept her destiny is to play with fire when she’s the one meant to rise from the ashes?

Excerpt:

“Room 201.” Era shoved the email printout in her backpack, removed the room key, and swung the strap onto her shoulder.

Why hadn’t she noticed the irony until now? Two on one.Clever. Not a soul had bothered her through the check-in process as per her instructions. If anyone had, her classic “and whom do you think you are” look would have stopped them dead! If not, she could flash her Secretary of Defense issued hall pass.

“Ecstasy, here I come.” At the age of thirty-two, one last thing remained on her list of desires. Tonight she would strike this fantasy off the list.

So far, Madame Eve seemed to be running a tight operation and appeared to be on the up and up. In less than fourteen minutes, two amazing supernatural males would walk into this very room to give her a night she’d never forget. Maybe her last night on earth. Tomorrow she was Iraq-bound for a Black Ops mission involving a missing diplomat, a terrorist bomb, and her skills to defuse. If such a result could occur. Highly explosive situations were unavoidable in her life. Most of the team would be coming home in pine boxes with flags draped over them; they had a point one percent chance of survival under the circumstance. But for the safety of her fellow Americans, it was a price she would gladly pay. All the team would.

In her haste to get this night squared away, she hadn’t specified what type of supernaturals, just that they be a kind that couldn’t infect or maker her into what they were. Please let them have talents no human male possessed. Not that she knew much about the paranormal. Though she’d always been drawn to the unknown. She had chalked up her fascination with paranormal activity to a desire to escape from the cruelties humans could inflict on each other, which she’d seen firsthand. Tonight was about her.

No matter what her ex had said about her, she wasn’t frigid. So she didn’t want another woman in her bed. She’d be more than happy to be of service to a few good men. Two to start. And then who knows, if after tomorrow dawn rose on another day, and she wasn’t disfigured for life—the world would be hers for the taking. Technically, they weren’t men either they were…. Well, she didn’t know yet.

The hall was vacant. The Castillo Resort even managed to ensure a clear coast on her arrival at her room. What service!

She unlocked the door, opened it, and stepped in.

Sin incarnate stood with a towel around his neck.

Contest: One lucky commenter before 12 am pacific time October 26^th 2011will win an ecopy of Firestorm by a.c. Mason open worldwide except where prohibited by law by answering the following question. A Phoenix has the ability to control red or blue flames. If you were a Phoenix what shade or color would you want your flame to be?

Born from the union of her Scottish and Belgian mother and an African American and Cherokee father, a.c.Mason’s youth was filled with dichotomies and moving from place to place. She developed a curiosity to explore through writing the seedy side of our nature and desires. Given her own diverse background, she writes stories that represent the world she grew up in. She is fluent in French and English. For the past eight years of her life, she has worked with one foot in the past spanning from 18th century, the Bering Strait theory to modern day and now late Victorian. She advocates the preservation of our natural and cultural riches for future generations. Her stories are the place where darkness meets human desire and fairytales endings are not promised but earned. In 2011 her work was nominated for six 2012 Bookie Awards. If you’d like to learn more about a.c. Mason go to www.acmason.com.

Relieving Zoe's Virtue is here!

2011-10-23T03:01:00.001-04:00

My 1NS story, RelievingZoe’s Virtue, is making its debut just in time for Halloween!

When my friend Casea encouraged me to write a short story for Decadent’s 1NS series, my first thought was I’d have to write something really erotic. But that new and unknown adventure held appeal, so I set out to pen a scorching hot fantasy romance. And I believe I succeeded. But I’ll be wicked and say you have to read the story to find out!

I paired one human librarian with a Leanan Sidhe (fae) male who was looking for the love of his life, his One. However, Zoe, our heroine, merely wanted to lose her virginity without any ties to encumber her. She’d already had enough of loser boyfriends poaching on other women’s “pastures,” so a one-night stand set up by Madame Eve’s dating service seemed likely to satisfy all her desires. In fact, she didn’t care who she got as long as he was “out of this world.”

Boy, did she ever get her wish. If Sinnon weren’t so delectable, I would say she should be more careful with her wishes. As it is, I think she’s one very lucky young lady. Of course, Sinnon gives her a passion-filled night. But will he get his heart’s desire and will she discover hers in time? Again, you’ll have to read to find out!

Relieving Zoe’s Virtue Blurb:

After Zoe Cohen catches her boyfriend with another woman, she decides losing her virginity is just the solution to shake up her straight-laced life as librarian. Tired of waiting for Mr. Right, she’ll settle for Mr. Do Me Right Now.

To achieve this end, she uses the exclusive dating service, 1Night Stand, to set up a rendezvous, but never expects her destination to take her to the fey Otherworld. Once she meets her match, Sinnon, a wickedly seductive Leanan Sidhe, she knows she’s in for an explosive experience. With a name and body for sin, he tempts her like no other. His touch commands her total surrender. But this night is on her terms, and the happy ending he desires may come at too high a price.

Zoe may lose her virginity, but will she forfeit her heart to Sinnon in the process?

~~~

Eve Edwards loves to escape into the fantasy of penning a romance. She lives in Illinois with her husband, son, and Siamese cat. On most days, you’ll find her chained to her computer. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and exercising, but hates mowing the lawn. Stop by Eve’s blog and drop her a line at http://eveedwards01.wordpress.com/ She loves to hear from readers.

For your chance to win a copy of Relieving Zoe’s Virtue, leave a comment telling which paranormal or fantasy male (vampire, shifter, fae, etc., or even human!) you’d love to spend the night with. Please leave your email address so if you’re the winner, I can contact you. Good luck!

Kissing Dracula

2011-10-21T03:01:00.000-04:00

by JoAnne Kenrick

They may sparkle one year, and be grotesquely ugly the next. But one thing's for sure, vampires are here to stay and have a long line of expectations to live up to. Although new rules are added, mixed up and deleted with each work of fiction, I prefer the cliche; no reflections, fear of garlic and religious artifacts, sunlight will kill them and of course killing them can be a bit tricky unless you shoove them out into the day or chop off their heads. Buffy will tell ya, though. The best way to kill a vamp is a stake through the heart.

These classic vampires are my favorite kind, not just to read about or watch on the big screen in all their sexy glory. Nuh-uh. I also love to write about them, too. And Dracula's Kiss is a product of my huge love for this genre, I sure hope my passion for vampires shine in this story.

Gothic. Dark. Mysterious. Sexy.

I wanted to go back to the idea of classic vampire movie plotlines, where vampires haven't been outted and have to be somewhat cunning to get by without getting caught...and Slains Castle, Cruden Bay in Scotland, offers a fantastic back-drop for such a story. 16^th century ruins on a cliff-edge, and Bram Stoker supposedly used this location for inspiration for Dracula's humble abode. It's just too darn perfect not to use this as the place where Alec Murray finally meets Cathela. BUYLINKS

What is Dracula's Kiss about? We're talking sexy Scottish vampire, spooky castle ruins with connections to Bram Stoker's Dracula, a halloween ball, and a darkly delicious cocktail named Dracula's Kiss. In the style of the classic vampire movies I do so love, Cathela wants to be allured to the dark side by a vampire...in her fantasies. But can she handle it when her desires becomes a reality? If ever there was one of my books that I want to see turned into a movie, this would be it. And if it was, it'd imagine it to be a cross between Embrace of the Vampire and Queen of the Damned...but set in Scotland.

BLURB:

Cathela's Office Halloween Ball is a complete bust. She spills out her Dracula's Bride costume, and her vamp fetish chases away her boyfriend. Only redeeming feature to the night? Necking multiple shots of Dracula's Kiss—a lush Black Cherry Vodka cocktail—and an interlude with a gorgeous man dressed Gary Oldman style.

No one comes close to satisfying Alec Murray's needs until he meets Cathela during some lame-ass party for bankers. One taste of her blood, sweet yet darkly dangerous, he knows she's perfect for him.

A night of goth bondage is planned for one. For the other, a night of sexual control is a must. A perfect fit. Alec is compelled to reveal his true nature, but can their relationship survive his dark secret?

EXCERPT

What’s the worst that could happen? I get lost? The ruins aren’t that big. I’ll have a little wander around then take a taxi back to the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel and sober up.

The ceiling height dropped with every tiny step she took, and she could no longer stretch out her arms without bumping into walls. The tight space terrified her. Heart pounding, she rounded a bend and laughed with the ridiculousness of the situation, unable to believe she had accidentally on purpose arrived at the dungeons. Thick, steel bars still enclosed two of the cells and heavy-duty iron handcuffs were chained to the walls. She crept into the first chamber and glided her finger along the iron of the torturous restraints. Imagining the pain and horrors that must have happened there, she shuddered.

“Have ye been naughty? Do I need tae teach ye a lesson and lock ye up?” A voice penetrated the darkness around her, shattering her little game of pretend cat and mouse. She spun to see who’d followed her. Not wanting to be caught in a drunken state, she prayed it was a stranger. But in the same moment, she hoped for someone she knew who wished her no harm. No one would hear me scream for help.

Her candle snuffed out from a breath, and not her own. The chill exhale kissed her neck and skated down her body like an icicle drip. The horror of it sent her hurtling backward. Had it not been for the wall behind her, she would have landed on her butt.
“Who’s there? Bar dude, is that you?”

DRACULA'S KISS BUYLINKS

For a chance to win a digital copy of Dracula's Kiss...comment with why you want to read it.

JoAnne Kenrick, an ex-Ghost Tour Guide turned Romance Author, is a Welsh lass who has lived in various countries around the world. She now calls North Carolina her home, where she lives with her husband, two children and a lazy cat. When they aren't demanding her attention, she can most likely be found watching a vampire movie, reading or baking up a British favorite in her N.C. kitchen. That is, when she isn't writing or chatting up a storm on social networking sites. www.joannekenrick.com Her current release, Sweet Irish Kiss, is an ARe bestseller!

FACEBOOK / GOODREADS / THE ROMANCE REVIEWS / AMAZON PROFILE

2011-10-13T22:12:00.001-04:00

My second 1NS Story is here, just in time for Halloween! I am a Halloween fanatic! I love everything about it, the gore, the ghoulish creatures, the spooky stories and scary costumes...As some may have already noticed, (Kate and Val lol) I’m drawn to writing more of the paranormal, so hopefully this blog provides some insight to my obsession.

I will admit it, I myself, have delved into the world of paranormal, which I hope, my own personal experience adds something extra to this story. To what extent of my involvement, (admittedly, I’ve done my share of ghost walks and paranormal investigations), I won’t elaborate, but when you read this book, you may get a sense of some of my more—hmmm—hidden talents, that I share with special people. My only regret for Samhain? It’s one night out of the entire year. The build up is awesome, but it quickly fades and then, we wait as the year slowly creeps by for another one to arrive. Perhaps that’s why I’m so drawn to writing the paranormal characters and stories that congregate in my head, year round.

That being said, Savannah’s Ghost Tale doesn’t occur on Halloween night per se, but this paranormal romance does take place in the sultry, haunting and picturesque town of Savannah, Georgia. You will find yourself experiencing the looming and eerie aura of the cobblestone streets in the dark of night, led by our stunning and gifted hero. What can one say about Cameron Evans? Well, he’s smokin’ hot, charming and a little haunting I suppose. An eligible bachelor any lady would dream of landing with the striking good looks of a Greek God! (Adonis – big toothy grin) He would definitely win my vote! His penetrating azure eyes, his lush, curly blonde hair, his spectacular physique... is it getting hot in here?

Although I could go on, this magnificent creature has become burdened with the aftermath of his extraordinary talent—seeing, hearing and communicating with the dead. Personally, I find an intuitive man a turn on, but it would seem Cameron’s dates don’t. Most often, they end up running away—screaming—and not with bliss of any sort. If only the ghosts would wait until AFTER his dates to try and get their messages from the other side to their loved ones. His big brother has an idea to help him get past the first course and into the bedroom where his libido is dying to go—one night, with a match made by the gifted Madame Evangeline.

Vannah, is a head-strung, obstinate, obsessed woman, reeling from the death of her fiancé Mark, and a dark secret she carries with her. Her sister sees her three years of ghost hunting expeditions are not helping her move on from her grief, so she dares her younger sister to agree to one night of passion, in the hopes it will kick start her desire to start living again.

Their chemistry is instant, but will a medaling ghost interrupt their plans for the night? It would seem...read and find out! It will send shivers down your spine!

BLURB: Savannah’s Ghost Tale

Savannah Teale has an obsession with the supernatural—to disprove it. An unorthodox Ghost Hunter with a dark secret, she doesn’t believe in life after death. Not anymore. Being romantically challenged since the traumatic death of her fiancé, she has no interest in dating, but her sister’s loving interference has led her to accept a date for a 1Night Stand.

Cameron Evans is one of Savannah’s most handsome, charismatic, and sexy bachelors. He’s an exceptionally gifted tour guide, and a psychic, but hasn’t learned how to turn off his gifts. Since his conversations with the dead are a turn-off for most women—to put it mildly—Cameron has turned to Madame Eve to find a woman who can accept him for himself and all he has to give.

They may be a great match—if a certain, lingering ghost would just step out of the picture.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Savannah's Ghost Tale!

Win it Before You Can Buy it!

2011-10-10T22:21:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to *Debbie*, winner of an ecopy of Ghost of a Chance
Thanks to everyone for your spooky tales!

Ghost of a Chance

Deena Remiel

TELL US YOUR GHOST STORY. DEENA WILL PICK THE BEST ONE ON THURSDAY AND THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE AN E-COPY OF

GHOST OF A CHANCE!

Blurb:

Susannah’s married to her career. And she’s about ready for a divorce. Drowning in grief over the loss of her husband years ago, she initially immersed herself in a high-powered position at her marketing firm. But recently, she’s lost that loving feeling. Is she finally able to accept that her need for a man, for love in her life is stronger than her desire to bury it?

Remy, once a high-profile building magnate, is a ghost of a man, literally. Cursed by a vengeful ex-wife he neglected, he’s relegated to shadows of his former world. She meant for him to spend the rest of his life without the chance of normalcy ever again, and he believed she succeeded. But could there be a way out?

Susannah and Remy, two people ghosting through life, until they are brought together by a fateful One Night Stand. Both are seeking re-entry to the land of the living and loving. Can they fulfill each other’s deepest desires and learn what it means to live again?

Stacey's Shadowed Soul

2011-10-09T03:01:00.004-04:00

Woo hoo! My paranormal 1Night Stand has arrived, and boy-oh-boy, it surely holds true to a one-night stand. The story revolves around one night of erotic bliss with a woman and a vampire, who are going at it until the sun rises. It’s by far the hottest story—and I’ve written some seriously HOT stories—that I’ve ever done.

When I first started Shadowed Soul, I had fully intended for it to simply be the one night of hot sex and nothing more.I thought that was all the characters needed. Of course, they took over and even though the story is sizzling, it ended up being quite emotional and had me cheering for the couple to stay together in the end. But with Ellie’s broken heart and Bryce’s dark secret of being a vampire…will it be possible?

Read it to find out! (Yes, I’m that evil).

Four months have passed since Ellie’s heart was broken by her cheating boyfriend, Gerrid. Sick of mourning, she sets out in search of one thing, a man to make her forget. Madame Eve, a matchmaker, arranges for Ellie to meet just the man at Nocturnal Nightclub in Miami. Bryce is not only sexy as sin, but full of mystery. He does things no man should be capable of. Ellie might question his fast speed, cold hands, and even the way he bites at her skin―if he wasn’t so determined to awaken the part of her that’s been buried by lies.

Days have passed since Bryce’s last feeding and his vampire hungers demand to be sated. But feeding is not his only intention. Ellie seeks to be a different woman, to gain power for herself, and Bryce plans to push her to discover it. To show her she can do things she never thought possible and force her to see the strength she yearns for already lives inside of her.
Ellie will have to choose, expose all of herself, or remain hidden in the dark shadows. But Bryce will have to make a choice of his own—let her go or keep Ellie forever?
*m/f, anal, voyeurism, masturbation.

Teaser:

Ellie scanned the dance floor, searching for the man matching the picture Madame Eve had emailed her. Instead, she got a few heated glances from guys she wouldn’t touch on her worst days. So, instead of continuing to search, she lingered taking a seat upon a stool, listening to the bartender and Kenna talk dirty nothings to each other. Why isn’t he here?

After she downed her second Cosmo, goose bumps pimpled on the back of her neck, and she glanced over her shoulder to discover her date standing against the back wall. His gaze focused on one person, her.

Hallelujah!

“Oooo...my night is looking up,” she exclaimed.

Kenna didn’t respond, too busy playing googly eyes with the bartender. Ellie jabbed an elbow into her side. She hissed as she rubbed her ribs. “Ow, what?”

“He’s here. I’m going to dance.” She gestured behind her and grinned to show her intentions.

Kenna peeked over her shoulder before focusing back on Ellie and giving a shit-eating grin. “Have fun.”

Ellie slid off the stool, keeping her focus on the stranger. His mere presence screamed sex. Much taller than her five-foot-five frame—around six-two—but built like a brick shit house. His muscular arms were crossed over his chest, his broad shoulders tempting her and she couldn’t wait to run her hands over them tonight.

Putting a little oomph into her step, she made her way onto the dance floor. The loud techno song washed over her and the vibrations were strong against her feet. Her kinda music—hard and dirty.

Staying at the edge of the crowd, she found her beat and moved with the rhythm. Twirling, she ran her hands along her torso and did anything and everything to gain his attention.

To all appearances, her plan worked.

He dropped his arms to his side and stepped forward. His sparkling blue eyes, short, fashionably-styled black hair, and chiseled features warmed her right down to her toes. Her heart raced. Her insecurities drifted away. The world around her ceased to exist, leaving only him and her.

Wetness pooled in her panties. His nostrils flared and his heated gaze burned deeper. He approached and as he settled in front of her, he grabbed her lower back and yanked her against his hard body. Her head tilted back and he leaned down, cupped her nape and kissed her.

A kiss not meant for strangers―not meant as a sweet hello. No, a promise he would pleasure her and she sang a big thank you, Jesus for bringing him to her. No thoughts.No regrets.Just two sweaty bodies going at it until exhaustion set in.

~*~

Be sure to drop her a line at www.staceykennedy.com, she loves to hear from her readers.

Expectations ~ One Knight in Brooklyn ~ a new 1NS by Casea Major

2011-10-07T03:01:00.002-04:00

At times we, as human beings, have high expectations for our lives. It's good to have goals and reach for the stars for how else can we see what's possible. To prepare and plan for the future is a good thing. And to gain something long desired through effort and hard work is satisfying. But sometimes we get our hearts set on something that isnot only unrealistic, but will ultimately make us unhappy.

Several years ago when I was still young and single, neither of which I am now, I bought a Mustang convertible. I'd always wanted one, craved one. Of course it had to be the V-8 engine fully-loaded, and I thought it would make me happy. On beautiful days there was nothing like driving around with the top down. But I never considered the consequences of having that car. The least of which was not the cost of the payment and insurance, not to mention all the speeding tickets. Getting in and out of the damn thing was another issue. And please don't remind me of the cost of gas.

In truth, what I wanted was the idea of my hair blowing in the breeze and the attention that driving a flirty car brings. And it did not make me happy. Don't get me wrong. I was glad for the experience of owning it, and there were genuine times of joy in that car. (heehee – I will say no more) But it taught me a valuable lesson -- When you drive with the top down, hair gets in your face and the tangles are a bitch to comb out.

This was the idea behind my 1Night Stand story, One Knight in Brooklyn.

Like me, my heroine, Marianne longs for something she thinks she wants. But her desire isn't based in reality. It's based in a fantasy world that doesn't exist.

Victoria, the mysterious concierge, gives Marianne this piece of advice:

“My grandfather was a mariner, and he always said the Treasure of Cortez would never be found until the one who sought it looked beyond their desire. Many wondrous treasures are often overlooked, Ms. Caldwell, for those that seek them cannot see beyond their own expectations.”

When we have our hearts set on something, it's hard to look past expectations to see what the results of gaining our desire will bear. To let go of a long held wish is difficult. But I believe, when we're able to see past those false expectations and let go of them—for the right reasons— we are blessed with something far better. A deeper understanding of ourselves.

Here is an excerpt of One Knight in Brooklyn where Marianne sees Robert her 1NS date for the first time:

She tentatively walked along the forest’s edge down into the rolling hills of the meadow. The high grass tickled her calves, and the smell of clover scented the air. A rustling in the undergrowth of the forest followed by a melodic whistle startled her. She froze.

A man stepped out of the forest clad in tight brown leggings and a blousy ecru tunic. Though the shirt laced in a V-neck, he wore it loose, revealing a patch of hair against tanned skin that stretched over his chest and broad shoulders. She indulged in the masculine treat.

Catching her gaze, he strode toward her with the confidence of a master champion. She quietly gasped, pinned by sapphire eyes sparkling with a sensual promise he could surely make good on. He'd tied a light wool cape at his neck and it casually fell over his shoulder. Short hair framed his head in brown waves, and his freshly-shaven face relaxed in composure.

He smiled, revealing a deep dimple and straight white teeth. Her breath quickened, and her mouth went dry. She wanted him right then. And somehow it didn’t matter where she was as long as he accompanied her.

Perfectly proportioned, he fit her precise specifications. Her gaze flitted to his crotch. Though covered by the tunic, enough of a bulge pressed against the gauzy fabric to assure her of the fulfillment of even that desire. This man wasn’t a knight; he was a god. Strong.Magnificent….

And then her paradigm shifted as something unfortunate happened—he spoke.

One Knight inBrooklyn is available for purchase on the Decadent website and at most major retailers. Go get it now – before they run out! LOL

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF THIS NEW RELEASE FRESH FROM THE eINK PRESS, HEAD OVER TO JOANNE KENRICK'S WEBSITE -- SUPER EASY

ENTRY/COMMENT TO WIN!! HERE Contest open through 7pm CDT, October 7, 2011.

Thanks for stopping by. And my hope is that One Knight in Brooklyn makes you laugh and surpasses all of your expectations.

You can find me at my Blog: http://caseamajor.wordpress.com/

And on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CaseaMajor

Trail of Hearts

2011-10-03T17:17:00.004-04:00

What do you get if you take a sophisticated city woman and a girl who likes to ride the open range? A romance that can only take place in the lovely Sierra Mountains north of Reno, Nevada. There aren’t many places I love more, than the High Sierras and my husband and I love to travel over Highway 395 at any season to get there, but the fall is particularly lovely.
These women, from completely different backgrounds, touched my heart. Both strong, both willing to do whatever it takes to be independent, they’ve had to do it alone so far. I think sometimes we all feel that way, right? We’ve had to work hard and the backup isn’t there? I looked around recently and realized that my husband, though he has his cranky, grouchy…did I say cranky?…moments, absolutely has my back when it counts. He’s been there for me through some great and awful times and I never have to take a fall all alone. If he isn’t right there to catch me, he’s sure there right after to pick me up and dust me off…and give me a hug.
Charlotte and Birdie from Trail of Hearts have never had that. They’ve had to work darn hard to survive and even thrive and I got the feeling they never even thought it could be different. Sometimes being a strong woman is a lonely job.
So…a dude ranch, even one run by the Castillo family, may not be what Miss Charlotte expects, but for her, and for Birdie, displaced cattle rancher…it may be more than they ever dreamed of.
I hope you’ll enjoy Trail of Hearts. We’re giving a copy away to a commenter on this blog, so say hello and maybe you’ll win!
You can find Trail of Hearts here .
Or stop by Kate's site.

1 Night Stand

Southern Comfort with a Vegas Twist

Win it Before You Can Buy it - TWO DAYS ONLY!

The Fallen

WELCOME TO VEGAS

Win it Before You Can Buy it!

Happy Release Day to Me!

10 Ways to Tell If Your Blind Date is A Knight

Blind Need

Giving Yourself Over

The Beauty and Romance of a Sunset

Why do sane adults make New Year's resolutions?

A Dance Club in a Space Station?

Liz Loves Soccer...

On the Right Track

Who is your Prince Charming?

Gale Force Passion - and the weekend that inspired it

Beneath the Starry Sky and Alopecia Areata

The Power of Submission

Madame Eve has a Free Gift for you!

Madame Eve’s Gift is FREE with any purchase of a 1Night Stand story.Happy holidays from Kate Richards and Decadent Publishing!

Almost Perfect!

Unfinished Business

All She Wants for Christmas is Her Dom

Do You Still Believe in Santa?

Her First White Christmas

My Big Fat Family Christmas

This Endris Night

My Experience with Kidnappers…

How to Celebrate Christmas…Just About Anywhere

Seducing Liberty by D.L. Jackson

Turkish Delights is in the House!

Demons and Humans and Jinns...oh, my!

Damnation and Desire

Soul Mate is HERE!

Night Stand has reached the big FIVE-OH!

Fantasies.Feathers.Flames. Firestorm

Relieving Zoe's Virtue is here!

Kissing Dracula

Win it Before You Can Buy it!

Stacey's Shadowed Soul

Expectations ~ One Knight in Brooklyn ~ a new 1NS by Casea Major

Trail of Hearts

Madame Eve’s Gift is FREE with any purchase of a 1Night Stand story.
Happy holidays from Kate Richards and Decadent Publishing!