Suicide Prevention Blog Hop

It’s National Suicide Prevention week September 8-14, 2013. Several authors are SuicidePreventionWeek_badgeparticipating in this blog hope to show that we care. 

Suicide (Latin suicidium, from sui caedere, “to kill oneself”) is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair, the cause of which is frequently attributed to a mental disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse.[1] Stress factors such as financial difficulties or troubles with interpersonal relationships often play a role.

As I was thinking on writing this blog entry I thought on how suicide has effected my life.  Everyone in some way has been touched by this whether it has been a family member, friend or a friend of a friend.

The statistics are astounding and can be found here: http://www.suicidology.org/stats-and-tools/suicide-statistics.

I myself contemplated suicide at one time in my life.  When I was younger.  There were things in my life that brought me to that point.  Luckily for me things changed and I’m here.  There are many who don’t just attempt suicide but succeed.  This is in no way acceptable.  We need to find away to prevent this from happening.  So many people are crying out for help, we need to heed the call and find ways to help those in need.

Need help?  Or know someone who does?:

http://www.suicidehotlines.com/text/index.html

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Suicide-Prevention-Week-2013/448377988559076?ref=br_tf

 

There are some great prizes on the Rafflecopter check out the other blogs…as the other stops will be giving away their own prizes.  I myself will give away a book from my backlist.  If it’s a series that you want then I will give away the first book of the series of your choice.  Please make sure to leave your email in the comments section for your chance to win an ebook from my backlist. Check out my bookshelf on the blog!  For a list of the other blogs go to this blog: http://louisabacio.blogspot.com/2013/09/suicidepreventionhop.html

Click this link for the rafflecopter giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Biggest Fan by Lea Bronsen

Shawn Torien is a handsome, arrogant bassist with the groove rock band Bloodless. At thirty four, he’s seen everything, been everywhere, and all is handed to him on a silver plate, groupies included. His rock star attitude is questioned when the record company’s young webmistress Samantha joins the band to cover their life on the road. As she has crushed on Shawn for years, he takes great pleasure in teasing her and pushing her away… until he learns to know her.

BUY LINK:

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/my-biggest-fan-by-lea-bronsen/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/My-Biggest-Fan-Romance-ebook/dp/B00EODVUXK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1377067309&sr=8-7&keywords=my+biggest+fan#_

 

 

AUTHOR BIO:

Lea lives in Europe with her husband and three children. She’s a fan of intense reads, the same way she loves intense sports, music, and rides. She has written adventure, mystery, and action-packed stories from an early age. In addition to the erotic romance short story “My Biggest Fan”, she recently published the crime drama novel “Wild Hearted” and has the thriller sequel “Carnivora”, the erotica novella “Risky Fever”, and a mystery/romance collaboration novel coming soon.

MEET LEA:

http://www.leabronsen.com

http://www.facebook.com/LeaBronsen

https://twitter.com/LeaBronsen

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6966248.Lea_Bronsen

http://www.amazon.com/author/leabronsen

Email: leabronsen@yahoo.com

EXCERPT:my-biggest-fan

 

The backstage room is filling with people. Band members, roadies, management, and special guests such as family, media, and a few pre-selected fans. The place buzzes with chatting and chuckling, and I stop in the door to assess. Don’t see any eye-catching hotness yet.

Sweat runs from my head, along my back, and down my abs. My soaked shirt glues to my skin, and I stink of hour-long transpiration. I need a shower, but there’s so much else I want to do first: get a drink, a smoke, and some pussy before the tour bus leaves. None of these are allowed on board. I’m electrical, high. I need to move, and my whole body thirsts to get higher.

Next to a merchandise booth in a corner stands a table with plates of sandwiches and cut fruit, a selection of mineral water bottles, and alcoholic drinks.

“Shawn! Shawn!” Strangers rush me with expectant smiles, probably wanting me to sign CD covers or something.

But I’ve made up my mind. Ignoring them, I stride to the table, grab a can of cold beer and down it in one take. The icy beverage rushes through my throat and refreshes me. The sweaty hairs on my arms rise as if chilly air blew on them. I open another, gulp down the beer, and grab a third.

“Hey, Shawn,” a female says behind me.

I hate being interrupted, but I’ve heard that voice before. Beer in hand, I spin around.

Oh, Samantha from the record company. I don’t know if that pleases or annoys me. She’s cute, though, with long brown tendrils at shoulder-length, and hazel eyes glowing with warm intelligence.

The alcohol makes me a little tipsy; I can’t resist the want to tease her. I give her the can with a grin and proceed to take off my soaked shirt, as if it’s the most natural thing. Damp body heat and the sharp smell of sweat emanate as I lift my arms in the air, struggling to remove the wet fabric, groaning.

Once done, I drop it to the floor and cross my arms, making my well-trained muscles protrude, and scrutinize her reaction. Offering a little male sexiness has worked on most females before.

Flabbergasted is the best word to describe her face. I flash my teeth as her gaze runs over my torso. She can’t possibly be aware of her nostrils’ tiny movements, revealing her inhalation of my scent.

I let a moment pass, then ask, pointing at the can in her hands, “You gonna have that beer?”

“Oh.” She straightens with a deep breath, regains composure, looks at the brand logo on the can, and shakes her head. “No, I don’t drink alcohol at work.”

I like her voice. It’s soft, comforting, reminds me of my mother’s. But when she hands me my drink, the wolf in me wants to play. I cover her hand and tug while taking a step closer, pulling her toward me. She wears a discreet perfume, the scent of prairie flowers, I think. Her cheeks blush as she lifts her chin to meet my eyes, and her pupils grow feverish. She’s holding her breath. With my other hand, I grab her round, firm butt and press her stomach against mine.

All sounds around us vanish; the talking, the laughter. I focus on the girl in my arms. She’s not really my type, but knowing her infatuation, she’ll be an easy fuck. That’s all I need before getting on the bus. Tomorrow, it’ll be someone else.

I glance at the KISS patches on her chest. Gene Simmons once declared we’re all in this business for sex, and whoever says he does it for the music is lying. Besides, the girls beg to be screwed senseless by celebrities, so they can brag to their friends. Shawn in Bloodless slept with me! Squee!

Maybe she thinks I’m going to kiss her, but I’m not. Call me crazy, but there’s a little romantic in me saving that for a special girlfriend—if such a thing is in the cards for a guy like me. Instead, I move my hands to her denim jacket and start unbuttoning it from the top.

“You seem to need a little help with that,” I joke.

Damn, we’re so close, and her feminine heat makes my blood boil. I picture bringing her to a dark corner behind the stage curtain and having her hands on my cock. I suggestively push my hardness against her warm thighs.

She frowns and takes a step back.

No? What is it? My beer breath? I withdraw as well. Too fucking bad.

Eyes shimmering, she opens her mouth, but I turn and grab a new can. I mean, who the hell do you think you are to turn me down like that?

I gulp the whole drink, release a solid burp, and take what must be the fifth can before leaving.

Bedroom Bully by Avril Ashton

Bedroom Bully: Part of Evernight Publishing’s Romance on the Go line.

Romance on the Go is a multi-author series unique to Evernight Publishing. Our readers have busy lives. Sometimes there just isn’t enough time to engage in a novel but an escape into romance is still desired. We offer our readers a collection of short stories that can be read during work breaks, on the bus, in the waiting room, or before bed.

BLURB

Sometimes a woman needs more than a gentle touch…

El Lively needs to be punished and after more than a few auditions, she’s found the perfect man for the job. Her body is up for grabs. Not her heart, and definitely not her secrets, but Jud has other ideas.

Jud Kincaid agrees to El’s more-than-indecent proposal, but he’s after more than the physical. He wants an explanation for her sexual kinks, and a way into her heart. El’s being stubborn, but lucky for Jud, he’s just signed on to be her own personal Bedroom Bully.

http://evernightpublishing.com/

http://avrilashton.com/books/bedroom-bully/

https://www.amazon.com/author/avrilashton

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Avril+Ashton

EXCERPT

“Why choking?”

Her throat worked. It took a while, but she finally answered in a voice so low, he had to lean forward to catch the words. “It’s the only way I can get aroused. The way I can reach climax.” Wringing her wrists, she looked away.

Jud stared at her, at the forlorn expression on her face. He recalled the shame and pain in her eyes when she’d made her proposal. “Remove the scarf.” He made his voice hard, harsh, issuing the command that brooked nothing other than immediate compliance.

She obeyed, but didn’t look at him. Despite her skin color, he had no problem seeing the thick dark bruise that wrapped all the way around her neck like a collar. He got to his feet and went to her, dropping on his knees when she made room for him.

“What made this?” He touched her skin with the pad of a hesitant finger.

She inhaled sharply. “Leather belt.” She shook violently. “He buckled it around me and pulled.” Her voice dropped to a thin thread of sound, shuddering. “He pulled on it as I sucked him, as he fucked me.”

He cursed viciously.

“No. I wanted it. It’s what I want, Jud. It’s what I need.”

“Fuck.” He palmed her throat lightly. She trembled for him, wide eyes holding him in place. He applied a little pressure. “This, Elliot? This is what you want?”

“Yes.” She hissed and shifted, legs falling open. He got a whiff of it, her arousal, wafting to him from her parted thighs. “Jud.”

He squeezed her again, harder this time. Her pupils dilated. “I’ve decided to take you up on your proposal, Elliot.”

The pulse under his palm galloped. Her scent grew deeper, sharper. He leaned forward and nuzzled her cheek, ignoring his own hard dick pressing against his zipper. There’d be some marks on his flesh later, no doubt.

“I’ll give you what you need,” he whispered to her, loving the way she shuddered. “Only me,” he growled, “no one else.”

Author BIO/Links

A Caribbean transplant, Avril now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with a tolerant spousal equivalent. Together they raise an eccentric daughter who loves reading and school (not so much school anymore). Avril’s earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing the plot points of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother.

Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing in August of ’09 and never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril’s stories, but there’ll always be a happy ending; Av remains a believer of love in all its forms.

Addicted to cake, the ID Channel and the UFC, Avril writes Erotic and GLBT Romance for Ellora’s Cave, Evernight Publishing, eXtasy Books, Secret Cravings Publishing and Total-e-Bound.

Visit: http://www.avrilashton.com

Friend me on: http://facebook.com/writeravrilashton

http://www.twitter.com/#!/AvrilAsh

http://avrilashton.tumblr.com/

Shane’s Submission by Erin M. Leaf

BDSM, Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Romance on the Go, MM

Word Count: 8,300

Heat Level 4

Published By: Evernight Publishing

An Evernight Editor’s Pick!

Description:

Shane and Leo have been best friends forever: through high school, dating disasters, and family losses. Lately though, Shane has been feeling more and more unsettled. His girlfriend dumped him because he wouldn’t spank her, and he can’t stop thinking about the kiss he and Leo shared in high school, long before life happened and they grew up.

When Leo confronts Shane about his depression, the whole, unpleasant story about the breakup comes spilling out. Leo offers to spank Shane so he can understand the appeal, and shockingly, Shane wants to agree, but both of them are straight and he’s not sure it’s a good idea. Besides, he’s not into pain and he feels weird asking his best friend for sexual advice—Leo is too important to him to risk their friendship over something like this. So what if he can’t figure out why the idea is so intriguing?

Be Warned: light BDSM, m/m sex

________________

Author Details:

Erin M. Leaf is a romance novel devotee, the steamier the better, with a specialty in edgy erotic tension. She also writes romance as Marie E. Blossom.

website: http://erinmleaf.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/erinmleaf

Twitter: @erinmleaf

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4355929.Erin_M_Leaf

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/erin-m-leaf/

________________

Where to Buy:

Evernight

Amazon

ARe

BookStrand

Rainbow eBooks

________________

Story Excerpt:

“Just relax,” he said out loud. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince himself or Shane.

Shane snorted. “Um, sure. No problem. You’re about to spank me, God help us both, and you’re telling me to relax?”

“Okay then, don’t relax. I don’t think it will make a difference,” Leo said, abruptly amused. What the hell were they doing? This was crazy. “Christ, how much did we drink tonight?”

Shane burst out laughing. “Not that much. Not nearly enough. In fact, I think we need to drink more.” He made as if to get off the bed, but Leo pushed down on his shoulders, preventing him from moving. Shane immediately buried his head in his pillows, shoulders still shaking from laughter.

And fuck if he doesn’t look fucking fantastic on my bed, burrowed into my pillows. God, I’m going to lose it tonight, Leo thought. He sat on the bed, ignoring the way Shane froze as the mattress dipped under his weight. “I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Shane lifted his face and glanced at him, then buried his face in the crook of his elbow. “I thought that was the point,” came his muffled response.

Leo ran his palm from Shane’s shoulder to his waist. Damn, the man was fine. And warm. So damn warm… “You know what I mean,” he murmured, massaging Shane’s back. His friend was so tense Leo half expected him to sprain something if he didn’t relax.

Shane shrugged. From Leo’s point of view, the movement highlighted his friend’s impeccably toned back. He sighed as his cock gave an interested twitch, then raised his hand and brought it down firmly on Shane’s backside.

Shane yelped, thighs twitching. “Give a guy some warning!”

Leo smacked him again. “Warning you will only make you tense up.”

Shane made a muffled sound.

“What did you say?” Leo asked, bringing his hand down again. He wished he could see through Shane’s jeans. He wanted to watch his friend’s skin get rosy and hot. Jesus. He closed his eyes, idly rubbing the spot where he’d spanked Shane.

“I said, wouldn’t this be better if I took off my jeans?”

Leo’s throat closed up. He coughed. “Yeah,” he croaked, unbelievably turned on. “Probably.” He had no blood left in his brain for thinking.

“Close your eyes,” Shane said.

Leo frowned, hand still rubbing over Shane’s ass. “What?”

“Close your eyes. I can’t do this with you staring at me.”

Leo blinked. “That makes no sense. I’ve seen you naked before.”

“Just fucking close your eyes, okay?” Shane asked, sounding frustrated.

Leo took a deep breath and humored him. “Fine. My eyes are closed.” He felt Shane pull away from him, then heard a rustle of fabric. The mattress bounced and he put his hands in his lap, hoping Shane couldn’t tell how aroused he was.

“Okay,” Shane said nervously.

Leo opened his eyes and gasped. Shane was lying on his stomach completely nude. He let his eyes roam up and down his body, finally coming to rest on the glowing pink of Shane’s ass.

“Don’t just stare,” Shane said, sounding even more tentative.

Leo felt his hand move as if in a dream, coming down on Shane’s left buttock firmly. The smack echoed through the room. Shane jumped.

“Oh God,” he moaned, so softly Leo wasn’t sure he hadn’t imagined it. He let his hand caress the skin, enjoying the way Shane’s soft hair felt on his palm. He was golden all over, soft hair covering up sleek muscles. Without giving any warning, he spanked Shane again, on the right side of his ass this time. The imprint of his hand showed up beautifully on Shane’s perfect skin.

Board Stiff by Jessica Jayne

Board Stiff – Taking Advantage, Book 1 by Jessica Jayne

Romance on the Go – Evernight Publishing

SKU:978-1-77130-477-1

ASIN: B00DUPVIWG

Blurb:

John Dorsey’s life is good. He is the owner of Dorsey Construction. He’s the youngest person on the board of directors for Advantage Insurance Company. He lives on the beach. And he knows he can have any woman he wants. John’s got the world at his fingertips… except he’s yet to find a woman that stimulates both his body and mind.

Elizabeth Wright worked hard in a large Tampa law firm making a name for herself, but it came at the expense of her personal life. When Advantage Insurance Company offers her a job as corporate counsel, Elizabeth cannot turn it down. The thought that she can have a successful legal career and a life excites and intimidates her.

But when their worlds collide one day in the Advantage board room, neither Elizabeth nor John knows what’s hit them. All they know is they can’t stay away from each other.

Excerpt:

“Are you seeing anyone? Sleeping with anyone?” he asked further.

“What?” she said, standing up from her chair. Her face was incapable of hiding her shock at his questions. Her green eyes were wide. Her lips parted. “What sort of questions are these?” John’s stride made short use of the distance between them. He stood directly in front of her, cornering her behind her desk. He looked down into her green eyes. They were gorgeous… she was gorgeous. And he had every intention of claiming her.

“Answer my questions, Elizabeth. Are you seeing anyone?” He watched as her eyes widened even further with shock at his determination to get answers to his questions. Nervousness flittered across her face, but her breath came out in short pants as if his close proximity affected her. He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath. God, he wanted to feel her body against his. He just knew she would feel perfect against him… in his arms.

“Your questions are inappropriate,” she replied sharply. Despite her body giving her attraction away, she held firm. He liked that. He liked a woman that wasn’t too easy of a catch.

“I agree,” he said, impatiently. “They are inappropriate. I need the answers nonetheless.”

“Why?” she asked. Her gaze scanned his face as if looking for the answer to her question.

“Answer me,” he demanded. His hand reached out and caressed her cheek as if to soothe the harshness of his words.

“You are way out of line, Mr. Dorsey,” Elizabeth said.

“Yes, I know,” he said a little softer this time. His fingers tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. His gaze dropped to her bared neck. He had to fight the urge to nuzzle the spot just below her ear. “But I need to know if there are any obstacles to making you mine. Are you seeing anyone?”

“No,” she whispered. “I’m not seeing anyone.” Her lips parted for a moment before she bit down on her lower lip. That was almost his undoing.

“Are you fucking anyone?” he asked. She released her bottom lip and sucked in a breath when he asked that question. Her gaze fell from his eyes to his lips and then to her hands. He placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up to meet his gaze again. He wanted to see her eyes when she answered him. There was heat in her gaze, and that thrilled him.

“No, Mr. Dorsey, I’m not fucking anyone at the moment,” she said. Her voice was hard, but he heard the desire in it and that snapped his restraint. His hand weaved into her hair until his palm gripped the back of her head, pulling her into him. His mouth slammed down on hers. Her full lips were soft and pliable, and his tongue flicked out over her lips to taste her. She tasted so sweet…like candy.

Buy Links:

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/board-stiff-by-jessica-jayne/

http://www.amazon.com/Board-Stiff-Taking-Advantage-ebook/dp/B00DUPVIWG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373457913&sr=8-1&keywords=board+stiff+by+jessica+jayne

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Board-Stiff-Taking-Advantage-ebook/dp/B00DUPVIWG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373458648&sr=8-1&keywords=board+stiff+by+jessica+jayne

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-boardstiff-1228873-149.html

http://www.bookstrand.com/board-stiff-mf

Author Bio:

I am a born and raised small town Ohio girl, who moved to the Sunshine State after graduating from college. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English because I could not imagine doing anything else but reading and writing. It is such a pleasure to be able to share all the stories in my head!

In the journey of life, I also became a wife and a mother of three children. So, life is always an adventure. But the love of writing has never died.

My favorites: I love to read and write… obviously! But I also enjoy all sports, especially college football and the Ohio State Buckeyes! Go Steelers! Go Rays! I LOVE to travel… LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to travel. And I love sharing my love to travel with my children. I love to drink Teavana teas! I love a good glass of wine, especially if it comes from a bottle made by the FOOLS wine club… yep, I’m a member of that!  I love hanging out with my family and my friends! Big fan of music, but love nothing better than putting on my jean shorts, tank top, cowboy boots and hat and watching Tim McGraw belt it out! I’m a sucker for a cowboy hat! 

Where you can find me:

http://www.jessicajayneauthor.com

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6545547.Jessica_Jayne

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Author-Jessica-Jayne/388268367912903

Twitter: @JessicaJayne13

http://pinterest.com/thejessicajayne/boards/

Scars by Kiru Taye

Book Title: Scars (Part 1, Scars Trilogy)

Author: Kiru Taye

Series: Passion Shields

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

Line: Romance On The Go (Sexy Shorts/Novellas)

Genre: Contemporary romance, interracial

Heat level: 3scarsl1m

 

She clutches at control to cover her flaws.

He wants to strip her bare because she’s beautiful.

Selina Moss hides a secret beneath her controlled happy exterior. Her body is covered in scars and she’s never revealed them to anyone. She’s not beautiful and she doesn’t want pity.

However, it’s her wedding night and husband, Benjamin Moss, is determined to strip down her barriers.

Benjamin is not playing fair, not when he’s deploying breath-stealing seduction as well as mind-melting sex toys. But will he still want her when she bares all?

Adult content: Sex Toys, Spanking and Bondage.

Available from: Evernight Publishing

Excerpt – Scars by Kiru Taye

“There’s something I need to show you in our suite upstairs.”

The corners of his mouth lifted in a boyish grin as the lift doors opened. Her gaze fixated on his lips—sensuously full, they were a mix of firmness on the edges and softness on the inside—and she wondered if he would kiss her.

Her pulse rate skyrocketed as they rode up and he pulled her into the circle of his arms. He looked so handsome in his fitted charcoal suit, broad torso tapering at the hips. Leaning this closely to him, his taut muscles beneath the soft silk fabric offered protection as well as a glimpse of the possession to come. With her head on his shoulder, his all-male spice permeated her pores with every breath she took.

“You do know we can’t leave our guests at the reception just for a quickie,” she said. Tilting her head so she could see his face, she curled her lips in an I’d-like-you-to-take-me smile. Her womb contracted in agreement.

Truth was, she needed to get laid—the hot, fast, sweaty kind. Since she agreed to marry Ben they hadn’t been together, not even for a hand job. The mad rush to organise a wedding ceremony in such a short period of time, his insistence for her to move her things into his waterside penthouse apartment in Chelsea, combined with a pretty hefty schedule at work for both of them had left little time for anything else.

“Who says we can’t?”

He kissed her, a ruthless sweep of his tongue and demand of his lips. She clutched the lapels of his jacket, hanging on as sensation assaulted her.

Beneath her dress, her lacy thong got soaked as she squirmed against him. She’d worn the skimpy underwear to avoid panty-lines showing through her dress. Perhaps she should’ve chosen something sturdier like French knickers.

When he lifted his head, she was breathless, panting.

“Ben?” she asked when she finally got her voice back.

The dark colour of his suit emphasised the intensity of his eyes and complemented his tanned skin. With his South African heritage, his skin tone was always on the golden side, despite the recent bad weather and lack of sunshine.

“No. But I’ve got the next best thing for you.”

They stepped out of the lift, and he opened the door to the bridal suite. She followed him in, heart pounding in excitement.

“By the time the reception is over, you’ll be begging me to fuck you.”

Giveaway

To celebrate my book releases this August, I’m giving away 2 $10 gift cards to 2 lucky winners. All you have to do to enter the prize draw is to leave a comment on this blog post and visit my blog or enter the rafflecopter prize draw. This contest is open internationally. Entrants must be 18 years and over. Contest ends 31 August, 2013. Winners are chosen randomly via rafflecopter.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Kiru Taye

A lover of books, as a teenager Kiru Taye used to read novels under the blanket during lights-outs in boarding school. These days, with a young family to take care of, she’s still sacrificing sleep for the pleasures of a good book.

During the day though, she transforms her wildly vivid imagination into sensual, atmospheric romance stories with passionate characters.

When she’s not writing or reading, she’d hanging out with family and friends or travelling. Born in Nigeria, she currently lives in the UK with husband and children.

You reach her via her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Pinterest

Follow her blog for latest news and giveaways: http://kirutayewrites.blogspot.com

Read book excerpts and free short stories on her website: http://www.kirutaye.com

 

Hot Femdom Action by Lucy Felthouse

The 30th July brings a new release from me, a seriously hot femdom novella from Secret Cravings Publishing. Testing Tom is pretty hardcore BDSM, and I had a ton of fun writing it. Here’s the skinny:

When Katrina’s ex, Tom, turns up on her doorstep, he’s literally the last person she was expecting to see. After dumping her and running off with a vanilla chick, Tom broke the Domme’s heart and left her seriously hurting. So when he returns, begging for another chance, Katrina is understandably very confused and protective of her bruised feelings. She finds it very difficult to believe that he’s turned his back on a vanilla lifestyle for good and wants to be with her, a professional dominatrix. Rather than letting her head or her heart figure out what to do, whether to forgive him, she decides to put Tom through a series of challenges that will prove his devotion to her—or not. Testing Tom is not something she’d ever expected she’d have to do, but to her, it’s the only way she can be sure whether he’s back for good.

Excerpt:

Katrina was halfway through an episode of her favorite drama series when her doorbell rang. She jumped, gasping as her heart lurched painfully, then pressed ‘pause’ on the remote control. Wincing slightly as she unfolded her legs from beneath her bottom—she’d been watching the program back-to-back for a couple of hours and she was stiff—she moved to the window and peered out through a gap in the curtains, careful not to let the mystery visitor see her, should she need to ignore them. Cold callers were common in her area, and drove her crazy. If she wanted to buy something, she’d contact them, not the other way around.

As it happened, it wasn’t a salesperson. She ducked back from the window, clenched her hands into fists.

“What the fuck is he doing here?”

He was literally the last person she’d expected to see standing at her door. Prince William or George Clooney would have been less of a shock.

For there, outside her house, stood the man that had broken her heart several months ago. Thomas Black. She hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him since, and now, totally out of the blue, he’d turned up.

Katrina contemplated ignoring him, going back to her show and pretending she wasn’t in. But apparently that wasn’t an option.

“I know you’re there, Katrina,” he yelled through the letterbox, “your car is on the drive, and I can see the glow of the telly through the curtains.”

Katrina decided it was time to get thicker curtains. Not wanting to cause a scene, which her nosey neighbors would no doubt adore, she moved to the front door, unlocked it and flung it open.

“Get in,” she said, quickly closing the door behind him, then turning to face her unwanted visitor. “What the hell do you want?”

He held his hands up in supplication, then spoke. “Look, I know I’m probably the last person you expected to see—wanted to see—but I have to talk to you. Please?”

He adopted the puppy-dog look he’d long-since perfected. Katrina sighed.

“You’ve got five minutes. Sit down.”

They moved over to the sitting area, and Katrina deliberately sat in the chair, so Tom couldn’t sit next to her. Settling onto the end of the sofa nearest to her, he clasped his hands together, presumably to summon his courage, and began.

“Kat, I’m here to say I’m sorry, all right? I was wrong, so wrong, to finish with you the way I did and go off with Alicia.”

“She dumped you, has she?” Katrina clenched her teeth, and felt the rage beginning to build inside her. If Tom thought he could come running back to her because his bimbo had ditched him, then he had another think coming.

“No,” he said firmly, and, she suspected, honestly. “I finished with her, actually. When I realized that I wasn’t happy with her. She never made me feel the way you do, Kat. Not once. And I know, I know it’s my fault. I wanted something… different from what we had, or at least I thought I did. I couldn’t help thinking at the time that what we did was wrong, was weird. Abnormal, even. So when Alicia started flirting with me at work, I started thinking perhaps I should try for something normal. Like everybody else out there.”

He fixed her with his soulful gaze, and continued. “But I couldn’t have been more wrong. Yes, Alicia offered me normality, a vanilla relationship, but I soon discovered it couldn’t satisfy me. Sure, she could make me come in all the usual ways—”

“Ugh, I don’t want to hear this, Tom. I don’t want to hear about your sex life with someone else!”

“Sorry, Kat. Please, just let me finish?”

When she gave a curt nod, he carried on speaking.

“Alicia could make me come in all the usual ways—I am just a man, after all—but it wasn’t the same. Wasn’t as good. It wasn’t long before I started to miss you, miss what we had together, both in and out of the bedroom. I ignored it for as long as I could, forced myself to make the effort with Alicia, but it just got to the stage where I couldn’t do it anymore. Couldn’t ignore what I was, what I enjoyed, what I needed. And that’s you, Kat. I need you, and everything that goes with you.”

As a Domme, Katrina had become an expert in hiding her feelings, whether she was aroused, angry, happy, sad… it was all stuffed behind a stern facial expression. Now, though, she almost faltered. When Tom had left her, she’d remained cool and silent until the door had slammed. Then she’d broken down. She’d been deeply in love with him, and his decision had left her devastated. Months down the line, her love for him hadn’t faded, not one bit, and the fact that he was here, right now, apparently trying to get her back, was something she’d never expected. She didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or throw something at him.

She didn’t do any of those things. She kept her face straight, her thoughts whizzing through her head at a hundred miles per hour. Eventually, after letting him squirm in his seat for a minute or so, she replied. “So what exactly are you saying, Tom? What do you want?” She knew the answer, but she wanted to make him suffer, the way he had done to her after ditching her for something, someone, that could never

*****

More info and buy links here: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/testing-tom/

Add it to your Goodreads shelves here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18147133-testing-tom

*****

Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over seventy publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include Best Bondage Erotica 2012 and 2013, and Best Women’s Erotica 2013. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies. She owns Erotica For All, and is book editor for Cliterati. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

A Secret Love by Douglas Black

Hi Nikki,

Thank you so much for having me over to your fabulous blog to talk about my new release, ‘A Secret Love’. ‘A Secret Love’ is a short, steamy M/M tale about a couple who are forced to keep their relationship a secret from everyone around them.

The idea of that enforced secrecy was something that really drew me into the story. I wanted to know how a relationship can cope when the two people involved can only meet up once every so often, and even then only in secret. I wondered what kind of pressure that would put on my characters Mark and James as individuals, and as a couple.

Most of all, I wondered what they would do about their situation? Would they make the best of it, or would they try to change it. Would they come out vocally to the rest of the world, or would they think they had wasted enough time already and just slip away to be together?

In the end, I let the characters lead me through the story, and their decisions were both surprising and rewarding. ‘A Secret Love’ was a story I absolutely loved writing, and I hope people get a similar enjoyment through reading it!

Blurb

James is nervous when he pulls into the car park of the secluded and conservative Caledonian Hotel. He slips off his wedding ring, gives a false name at reception and checks into his room.

When Mark finally arrives James expects their time together to conform to the usual pattern, but Mark surprises him. Mark wants candlelit dinners and walks on the beach. James, well, James just wants to make up for lost time. More importantly, he doesn’t want to get caught. They have six months left before they can leave behind everything they know and start a new life together and James is desperate to be discrete. Unfortunately, he never could control himself around Mark. Throw in an interfering old couple and some very public displays of affection and Mark and James’s short hotel stay might just be about to destroy not only the secrecy that has always shrouded their relationship, but also their plans for a future together.

Excerpt

Mark returned the kiss passionately. James trembled in his arms. Tension coursed through his body and he could feel it mirrored in Mark’s. He could almost taste the other man’s nerves in his kiss. James savored Mark’s strong arms around him. He pushed his hands inside Mark’s suit jacket and clung to the warm, toned body underneath. The body was so familiar despite the amount of time that had passed since their last meeting.

“God I’ve missed you,” James said when he finally pulled away. Mark was breathless and didn’t respond at first, but the sexy, playful smile on his lips told James everything he needed to know. James took his hands and led him further into the room.

It was a large suite with living area and a huge bathroom. Mark swung a new sports bag, bright orange and emblazoned with sponsorship logos, off his shoulder and dumped it onto one of the two couches. He paused momentarily, reaching into his suit pocket.

James watched as Mark pulled out his phone and turned it off without checking for messages. He waited patiently until Mark had tucked it safely into his bag and smiled at him when he had finished. “Difficult getting away this time?” he asked.

Mark nodded. “I left as soon as I could. I was so scared I was going to miss the flight. I’m sorry it had to be mid-week this time. Will you get in trouble at work?”

“I have the flu.”

Mark smirked. “You look perfectly healthy to me.”

“It came on all of a sudden,” James said, closing the space between them. “Unexpected. Probably be gone in a few days. You know how these things are.” Mark nodded and James slipped into his arms once more. With his head on Mark’s shoulder, he turned to whisper against the other man’s neck. “I wouldn’t have been able to stand it if you had missed the flight, if you had cancelled. It’s been so long. It’s always so long.”

Author Info

Douglas Black was born and raised in bonnie Scotland. He started writing erotica as a means of paying the bills when he was a student at university, but after graduation he found he no longer had the time to write. Over the summer of 2012, Black picked up a pen once more. After a brief, successful flirtation with self-publishing, Black’s novella ‘Business or Pleasure’ was picked up and released in April 2013. It quickly made the publisher’s best-sellers list. Douglas Black’s short story, ‘A Secret Love’, was published in July 2013 by Evernight Publishing.

http://amazon.com/author/douglasblack

http://www.goodreads.com/DouglasBlack

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Douglas-Black/1632968396841732

https://twitter.com/DBlackErotica

http://douglasblackerotica.wordpress.com

http://douglasblackerotica.blogspot.co.uk

Three Things You Didn’t Need to Know About Douglas Black

  1. Douglas Black had his first story published at the age of eleven. It had something to do with a bunny rabbit, a rainy night and a falling down caravan…
  2. Douglas Black is allergic to gelatin.
  3. Douglas Black is firmly of the opinion that, if Hell does exist, there will be a special place reserved there for whichever fool decided to cancel ‘Deadwood’.

Buy Links

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Love-Romance-Go-ebook/dp/B00DV6Q52M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373539149&sr=8-1&keywords=douglas+black+a+secret+love

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Love-Romance-Go-ebook/dp/B00DV6Q52M/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1373539183&sr=8-5&keywords=douglas+black+a+secret+love

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/a-secret-love-by-douglas-black/

http://www.bookstrand.com/a-secret-love-mm

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-asecretlove-1230719-149.html

Meet Jaxon Grey from Laurel Cremant’s Persuasion Skills!

Hi Nikki! Thanks so much for having me here today. I wanted to share with you my latest hero, computer engineer Jaxon Grey. Jax is no stranger to tackling difficult and mind bending problems. However, when it came down to convincing his best friend and business partner, Pepper Holts that their relationship was more than just a great friendship he had to develop a new set of skills in persuasion.

Jaxon Grey’s Top Ten Persuasion Skills

1.)Preparation

Always be prepared for a little resistance. If you can’t plead your case effectively then no one will ever agree with you. If you’re dealing with a particularly feisty audience a good workout routine is also a positive . . . and handcuffs. Handcuffs are indeed a must.

2.)Research

Know your opponent. Learn their weaknesses. If you’re lucky you’ll happen to be one of them.

3.)Mechanics

Technical know how is always a plus. You never know when you’ll have to disable a car or block cell phone towers. You can’t persuade anyone if they’re not there to listen.

4.)Romance

Planning the perfect long walk or table for a romantic dinner will always come in handy. However, beware of snarky, too smart for their own good dinner companions. They will try to distract you.

5.)Distraction

Your goal is to be the distracter, not the distractee. Being blunt and honest tends to put distractors in their place.

6.)Sincerity

You’ll never win your prize if your words aren’t heartfelt and true.

7.)Smile Always be happy with your situation. Dimples are always a plus. You’d be amazed at what a well timed smile can do.

8.)Humility

Don’t be afraid to admit when you’re wrong. You may suffer a bit (a lot) of discomfort but you have to know when you’re wrong.

8.)Determination

Know what want and always keep your final goal in mind. Don’t settle for less than 100 percent of your goal. Why settle for few days of lust when you can have forever?

10.) Flexibility: Learn to be flexible and know when you’re wrong. Even the best of strategic plans needs to allow for flexibility. The reward is that much sweeter when you know you haven’t conquered, but won your prize.

I hope you get a chance to read my latest book, PERSUASION SKILLS and get a chance to see Jax try out his skills. happy reading!persuasion-skills1m.jpg

 

 

GENRE: Erotic Contemporary Romance

 

BLURB. . .

In the aftermath of a major health scare, Pepper Holts makes the relief-inspired decision to seize the day. Unfortunately, most of her “seizing” involves a bit of merlot and her best friend’s pants! After a shared night of passion she realizes that her feelings for Jax are a lot more complicated than she ever thought.

Jax has finally realized that his allergy to marriage has nothing to do with the institution itself, and everything to do with the women in his bed—or more specifically, the one woman not in his bed. Her reaction to their one night together has him scrambling to regroup. So he does what he knows best—he disappears, and he thinks. The plan?—convince Pepper into staying with him at a secluded cabin for one week. One week of pretending to be a happily married couple to show her how great they could be together.

 

TAGS: Contemporary,BDSM, Light Bondage, Erotic, Interracial

EXCERPT. . .

 

The smooth humming of an engine finally wove its way up the road as he continued to chop.

He glanced up from his task in time to see a slate grey SUV make its way up the gravel path that passed as the driveway to his cabin. Within a few seconds, he could see Pepper’s face peering at him through the front window.

The usual sense of peace that her presence always gave him rushed through, right before his skin tightened in a zing of awareness. Seeing her never failed to jumpstart his senses. Her features had changed very little since college, but she’d grown her afro out to a long mass of curls that stretched past her shoulders.

At that moment, the mouth he’d secretly lusted after for years was set in a firm line, and a blaze of anger shone in her steady gaze. Neither warning sign prevented a smile from spreading across his face as the car drew near.

She wore a white snow cap with earflaps, her curls spilling around her shoulders, and what looked like a heavy white winter coat. She looked like a ferocious bunny.

If looks could kill. He chuckled softly.

He swung the axe one last time and planted the blade firmly in the chopping block before walking leisurely to the top of the drive and waiting.

It wasn’t hard to keep the smile on his face as his gaze caught hers and held. He could practically feel the waves of rage rolling off of her as she pulled the car to an abrupt stop only inches from where he stood.

He merely winked at her and gave a cheerful wave. God, he loved hunting rabbits.

She stared at him for a searing moment before climbing out of the tall vehicle and dragging out a medium-sized piece of luggage. She snapped up its telescoping handle and marched the few steps it took to stand in front of him.

He let his gaze wander over her frame, taking in the rapid rise and fall of her chest, the tight grip she had on the luggage handle, and the clenching and unclenching of her free hand. Yet the only thing that caused his smile to dim was the hurt mingled with the outrage on her lovely face.

He let his gaze drift back to her clenching fist for a moment before looking at her face again. Staring into her eyes, he let loose a loud sigh as he widened his stance and shoved his hands into his coat pockets. This is going to hurt.

“Go ahead. Do it. You know you want to.”

He let the taunt hang in the air, waiting for her to speak, react, do anything.

She stared at him for a few seconds before her eyes swelled with unshed tears.

The sight caused a small ache in his chest. Nothing ever hurt as much as seeing Pepper cry.

The thought barely registered in his mind before she pulled back her clenched fist and slammed it squarely on his jaw.

His head jerked to the side with a snap.

“Fuck!”

He let loose a few more choice expletives. Trust Pepper to have a killer right hook.

The stars in his eyes cleared just in time for him to watch her turn and stomp toward the porch steps and up to the front door of the cabin.

“Feel better now?” he called out to her retreating back.

Her answering response was a decisively unladylike hand gesture over her shoulder before she entered the cabin and slammed the door behind her.

He rubbed his jaw for a few seconds before turning and walking to the car door. Peering inside, he glimpsed the keys still dangling from the ignition.

Reaching inside, he pocketed the keys before popping the hood of the SUV open.

“Well, let the games begin,” he muttered to himself as he walked to the front of the car and reached under the hood.

He barely winced in pain as a smile spread across his face while he reached into the belly of the car and yanked out a bundle of wires.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/PersuasionSkillsBoardroomActsebook/dp/B00DSHXQWG

Amazon(UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/PersuasionSkillsBoardroomActsebook/dp/B00DSHXQWG

All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/productpersuasionskills-1228259-147.html

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/persuasionskillsmf

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/persuasionskillsbylaurelcremant/All

 

ABOUT LAUREL CREMANT

Laurel is a romance author, who like most writers loves to read. Her first love (pun intended) has always been romance. From the sappy YA romance novel to the more risqué erotica novels, Laurel is a sucker for a good love story.

Laurel writes paranormal and contemporary romance and is a self proclaimed, out of the closet nerd. She admits that she can’t seem to avoid adding a bit of “nerdology” or “geek-dom” to all of her books. Living in Miami, she also admits that she can’t seem to avoid giving her heroines gorgeous shoes, “In Miami, we worship everything strappy, open toed and just plain hot!”

 

AUTHOR WEBSITE & LINKS

 

Website: www.LaurelCremant.com

Blog: www.laurelcremant.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/LaurelCremant

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaurelCremantAuthor

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/LaurelCremant

 

The Orgasm Project by Doris O’Connor

Thanks so much for hosting me today, Nikki.

I love it when a story comes from nowhere, grabs my attention, and forces me to put fingers to keyboard. This is what happened with The Orgasm Project. This story started as a flash. You know those literary flashes of inspiration that you get. In this case it was three little words. Not even once.

That was the word prompt that started it all, and it was all it took for Carter and Jake to pop into my head, and there they stayed, niggling away, until I told their story. And what a story it was, full of twists I had no idea where coming until they told me. Such is the joy of being a panster, and it’s probably what I like most about the writing process.

Blurb:

What’s a girl to do when her best friend confides her inability to orgasm? Set up the Orgasm Project of course, and Maria knows just the guys to do it. Full of themselves her hot as Hades brothers might be, but at least they are safe. What can possibly go wrong?

Anastasia wants the ground to swallow her whole, when she meets the twins. How embarrassing can this be, even if the gorgeous hunks set her knickers aflame with just one look?

Jake and Carter know their mate when they see her, and nothing is going to stop these cougar shifters from claiming her. Their night of passion leads to discoveries neither one of them is prepared for.

Has their bite awakened a monster or their destiny?

Excerpt:

"What if I don’t want to go home with you?"

She opened her eyes to find Jake smiling down at her. Carter’s gaze, too, sought hers through the rear view mirror, and a shiver of unease went down her spine at the disapproval she read in his eyes—eyes that bled from blue to golden and back again as she watched in stunned fascination.

"What are you?" The question left her lips before she could stop herself, and she inwardly groaned at her stupidity.

"You know what we are." Jake said, his hot breath a whisper’s breadth away from her neck as he sniffed her again. "Look into yourself and tell me that you don’t feel this connection. I know you do. Your body gives you away as surely as your sweet scent. You’re wet for us just thinking about what we might do to you, and that’s not fear I can smell, but arousal. You want us as much as we want you, have wanted you from the first moment we caught your scent all those months ago."

"You can’t be serious."

Anastasia shook her head and pushed against his chest. His heartbeat thundered under her fingertips in tune with her own galloping rhythm. The fact that he seemed as affected as her by whatever was happening between them gave her a heady rush of feminine power. Liquid arousal pooled between her thighs and slicked the top of her legs. She put up no resistance to Jake’s questing digits trailing up her inner thigh. Underneath the skimpy dress she had worn at Maria’s insistence, his hand inched ever upwards until his knuckles brushed against the damp fabric covering her slit, and she bit back a moan when his thumb found her clit. That normally shy little bundle of nerves contracted under that slight touch and seemed to swell in need. Jake caught her groan in his mouth, and Anastasia forgot any objections she might have had at the first swipe of his tongue inside her mouth.

If she thought he smelled good, then he tasted even better. His musk exploded on her tongue, and she opened to his gentle insistence. He swooped in and took possession of the kiss. One hand fisted in her hair while the other still showed homage to her little nubbin, and she gasped into the ever more passionate kiss, when one of his incredibly long fingers slid under the elastic of her thong. She was so wet that he slipped right into the tight clasp of her body, and her internal muscles contracted around that digit. He growled low in his throat, and she ground herself against his hand as his thumb settled on her clit.

He added another finger and then a third, thrusting in and out of her needy pussy in tune with his tongue’s thrusts inside her mouth, and Anastasia gave herself up to the ever more urgent demands of her body. Her hands fisted in his shirt, as the tingles started deep inside her core. Like a tidal wave of sensation they grew and tumbled forth, retreating a bit with every thrust, only to double in force with every faster pump of his fingers inside her channel.

The car lurched round a corner and then came to an abrupt stop. Cool air rushed into the heated interior, and Anastasia moaned her denial when Jake withdrew his fingers. In the blink of an eye she was freed out of her seat belt, and Jake broke the kiss to shift her body backwards. Carter’s strong hands gripped her thighs, and she caught a glimpse of his glowing eyes, before he buried his head between her thighs. Her underwear gave way with an audible rip, and then his hot breath on her swollen folds robbed her of any coherent thoughts.

"My turn to taste her, brother." The growled words vibrated against her slit, seconds before his tongue delved into her quivering channel. Anastasia arched her back in desperate need to get closer to the hot mouth he used to such devastating effect on her clit. Jake chuckled in her ear, and she saw him lick his fingers, slick with her arousal. The sight was incredibly erotic, and she could taste herself in the kiss he gave her. Carter chose that moment to bite down on her clit, and she screamed. The barely functioning side of her brain marveled at that need-filled scream, muffled as it was by Jake’s kiss, and she clamped her thighs around Carter’s head, as she started to tumble over that elusive edge no man had ever managed to help her over.

Unlike the weak orgasms she had managed by her own hand, this one took her breath away. All sense of time and reason disappeared as her body convulsed under the hands of her lovers. Carter pushed her over that edge again, and again, and again, whilst Jake’s hands played with her breasts and nipples. He rolled each hard nub between his thumb and forefinger, pinching hard, and the sharp pain zinged straight to her clit.

Jake finally broke the kiss and nibbled his way down her neck as her body shook in delicious aftershocks.

"All ours," the men grumbled in unison.

Buy Links:

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-orgasm-project-by-doris-oconnor/

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DR3YJUY

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theorgasmproject-1227977-146.html

http://www.bookstrand.com/the-orgasm-project-mfm

****

Author Bio:

Glutton for punishment would be a good description for Doris… at least that’s what she hears on an almost daily basis when people find out that she has a brood of nine children, ranging from adult to toddler and lives happily in a far too small house, cluttered with children, pets, dust bunnies, and one very understanding and supportive husband. Domestic goddess she is not.

There is always something better to do after all, like working on the latest manuscript and trying not to scare the locals even more than usual by talking out loud to the voices in her head. Her characters tend to be pretty insistent to get their stories told, and you will find Doris burning the midnight oil on a regular basis. Only time to get any peace and quiet and besides, sleep is for wimps.

She likes to spin sensual, sassy, and sexy tales involving alpha heroes to die for, and heroines who give as good as they get. From contemporary to paranormal, BDSM to F/F, and Ménage, haunting love stories are guaranteed.

STALKING LINKS:

Website Blog Twitter Facebook Pinterest Evernight Publishing

Amazon All Romance E-Books BookStrand Barnes&Noble