One Night Stand Hits the Road

by Kate Richards

This past weekend Valerie Mann and I took 1Night Stand to Cincinnati where we talked to readers and authors at the Lori Foster Reader Author Get Together about this and other Decadent Publishing series.

We had a few exciting moments.

Valerie ate her first Chicago Dog 

Kate  met fans who have dozens of 1Night Stand books on their eReaders! 

And together we continued our quest to attract the best authors to write for 1Night Stand. 

We think you’ll be pleased with the stories in coming months. We already have so many wonderful authors lined up, and the ladies and, yes, a gentleman! who plan to submit in the near future are some of the best in the industry…but you’ll just have to wait and see!

But it’s goint to be exciting!

Thank you readers! You’re the reason we write, and the reason we are able to write. Leave a comment and tell us your favorite 1Night Stand story. We will pick two commenters at random to win a 1Night Stand Story of their choice! 

The Name Game

by Jennifer Probst

Naming characters can be great fun to a novelist...or great pain. Readers may think when they pick up a book that the author has just named a character on a fun fling and not thought too much about it...and sometimes you are right. But most authors name their story babies as carefully as their human babies. Then jump out into the world and hope the reader approves!

When I began my series with the Steele Brothers for Decadent’s  1Night Stand, I envisioned a group of fierce, sexy men who work hard and play harder. Vegas shimmered on the horizon of my imagination, and I knew I’d like to write a series with the mystery and playfulness of the city as my setting.

I didn’t even have to think on the last name – Steele came right to mind. But I played with stringing the names together like a proud mama would and finally came up with the three R’s: Rick, Rome, and Rafe.

YUM.

My goal? An image of a confident, domineering, sexy predator strolling the casinos of Vegas. Cha ching!

Jackpot!

My heroines were quite different and named for their unique individuality. In Catch Me, Tara Denton reminded me of a softer woman on the outside, with strength shimmering in the inside. Easy. Sloane Keller burst onto the scene without a second thought to be the match of Rome in Play Me. I knew I needed an edgy name to match a fiery woman who refused to cower for any man. Good thing I made Rome stubborn enough to be her match! And finally, for Dare Me, my heroine needed to inspire a delicate lightness that would be completely at odds with her personality – a true Dominatrix. Enter Summer Preston and we have the perfect named trilogy.

Do names inspire certain images for you? Do you think about the names of the characters in the stories you read? Come by and share with me! Here’s a sneak peek at my new release, Play Me!

Professional gambler Sloane Keller is tired of dating weak willed men and longs to meet a man who challenges her dominant personality and forces her to submit. As the Queen of Cards, she’s used to making her own rules and craves the excitement of Vegas. But her inner heart cries out for someone who can be her match, both inside the casino and in the bedroom.

As the new dealer in town, Roman Steele is burnt out on women looking for a quick penny and a man to follow. He craves a woman with fire in her soul and a keen intellect who can challenge him. When his brother recruits Madame Eve to help, Rome is amazed at the complicated woman he gets to spend the night with. But when the evening is over, will she be gutsy enough to offer him forever?

Stalking is highly encouraged. For real.

Website and Blog: http://www.jenniferprobst.com

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2965489.Jennifer_Probst?origin=

Author Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/jenniferprobst.authorpage

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

Dare to take on a Dragon-Lover, or two?

by Kali Willows

I have to admit, I’m not usually a creature of addiction, but ever since I wrote my first 1Night Stand story, I just can’t seem to stop! It’s been exactly a year since I met the wonderful ladies of Decadent and was swooned by them as individuals, and as a fantastic publisher with such a unique story line that applies to any genre! It has been both a pleasure, and an honor to work with such a talented & creative group.

The concept of 1Night Stand is intriguing, and allows the intimate imaginings of authors and readers to indulge in the “what ifs” of anonymous matchmaking for a single evening of erotic fulfilment. I love that the stories also are completed with a HEA, or at best, a HFN ending make them a wonderful, yet brief escape.

 Madame Evangeline continues to amaze & surprise us with her mystical match making skills, and in my new story, her gift is no exception. In fact, I think she outdoes herself connecting these three people in the ultimate spot for a fiery romance, with a surprising twist.

Today, my fifth 1Night Stand story releases!

Double Dragon Seduction – is a yummy tale of interracial /urban fantasy/erotic romance (ménage), with two of the most scrumptious men my muse has introduced me to so far!

Picture it, a unique, secluded spot in Niagara Falls, & I do mean IN. My heroes are two beautiful Asian men with jade green eyes & a life-threatening secret that could potentially ruin their plans with Gwen for the night.

There is something so remarkably sexy about their eyes, contrasted against their darker features of shoulder length, ebony hair and their tanned complexions. I melt just thinking about them, and the Kanji tattoos on their sculptured pecks; *wipes the drool from her chin*, you have to read for yourself!

Gwen’s horrible ex is still messing with her happiness. He creates big trouble for her evening of erotic romance with identical twins!

How many women fantasize of being in the middle of two smoldering, exotic men like this, and being the centre of attention? Of course, there is a catch! There is a huge element of danger involved in a night with these two! What could it possibly entail?

BLURB:

Gwen Trembley is disturbed with the upcoming wedding of her reprehensible ex, and coping with her emerging dark side with a surprising talent. Years of suppressed sexuality prompts her unyielding need for an extraordinary experience. Gwen seeks the services of 1NS for a night where new carnal knowledge will revive her damaged soul. Madame Eve has the perfect arrangements, but perhaps twice what she bargained for.

Twin brothers Tatsu and Yong Li, are in desperate need of a unique woman who can accept them as inseparable. They carry not one, but two inconceivable secrets. These exotic brothers can’t be with just any woman, and any who dare try, will find themselves facing the most passionate, lust-filled night of their lives, but will she survive? More so, will they? Madame Eve finds a match they never expected possible.

  

EXCERPT:

“This isn’t such a good idea, Tatsu.”

“Little brother, we have to get a date soon.”

“But surely there’s another way…?”

“Trust me. I don’t need to remind you of the consequences if we ignore the signs much longer.” He plopped on the side of his bed and took a long, fortifying swallow of his latte.

“No, you don’t.” Shrugging his shoulders to loosen his tight muscles, Yong sank back in the armchair and placed his cup on the table beside him.

“Besides, with an ordinary date, we’d be obligated to explain, but our one-night stand comes with no strings attached. She won’t even know how to contact us afterward.” Not that she’ll want to. She’ll probably be so freaked out, she’ll move to Ecuador to put more space between her and us.

“So, how does it work?”

 “Madame Eve arranged a match for the night, and then we can get back to normal.”

“How did you find the service?” Yong was puzzled.

“Grandfather knew Eve from years ago. He assured me she is discreet and can be trusted with…” he glanced at the hotel room door before lowering his voice to continue, “…anything.”

“Grandfather approved the plan then?”

“Yes, and we would do well to follow his advice. We’re running out of time.”

Tatsu  fidgeted with his cup before setting it on the bedside table.

“Is it uncomfortable?” Studying his older brother for any signs of the change, Yong cringed as Tatsu rubbed the drying skin on his forearm.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Leave a comment for a chance to win an ebook of your choice from the Decadent Publishing online catalog. Please leave your email in your comment so we can get in touch with you!

Double Dragon Seduction – 1NS with Decadent Publishing, releasing April 20, 2012

Happy Reading!

Kali Willows

Happy Release Day to Me!

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/

Almost Perfect!

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

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

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. 

My Big Fat Family Christmas

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

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…

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

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.