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3 Days to His Every Fantasy! (Contest)
Saturday, August 30th, 2014

NOTE: The Random Scavenger Hunt Contest is still ongoing!
See details in the next post!

* * * * *

His Every Fantasy_600His Every Fantasy releases in most places next Tuesday! Some of you nag me to write longer stories. Well, here’s one. Sure, Amazon’s being a butt, which hasn’t helped readers find it or the one before it one little bit. But both are here (almost) for my friends to enjoy. Everything you love is there—sexy, Alpha, ex-SEAL, Black Ops guys; suspense; some light, BDSM to get your heart thumping; steamy Louisiana bayous; hot merciless Mexican sun, Caribbean sea…

But before I show you all the reasons why you will love this story, I’d like to remind you about its prequel novel, Her Only Desire. Enjoy a brief taste!

Comment today, and you may win a free Amazon download of HER ONLY DESIRE!

Her Only Desire

“Her Only Desire is a red hot erotic romance that wow’d me, shocked me, and left me wanting more of Tilly, Boone, and his hunky ex-Navy SEAL friends… I was really quite impressed by Delilah Devlin’s writing style. Erotic/BDSM novels can be pretty intense, for obvious reasons, but she managed to inject both a sense of humor and a thread of mystery to this story.” ~ 4 1/2 Stars from Harlequin Junkie

A Sultry Summer Nights Novel

The moment Tilly Floret sees the sleek Bentley driving down Main Street, she knows trouble has arrived in her sleepy little town. A mysterious job posting keeps appearing at the diner where she works, and she can’t resist applying. No matter that the entire town of Bayou Vert is whispering about the wealthy, powerful man behind it all and his scandalous return home. The moment his ice-blue eyes meet hers, he ignites an all-consuming desire she never imagined possible, one she can’t deny.

Ex-navy SEAL Boone Benoit never thought he’d set foot in Louisiana again. As soon as Tilly starts her new job in his pleasure club, he senses a kindred soul. One who has carefully guarded secrets of her own-and a simmering hunger for the taboo rites of mastery and submission. The only difference is she doesn’t yet know it. Now as Boone tutors Tilly in the tantalizing world of leather and lace, she will shed her every inhibition and surrender to him, body and soul.

Excerpt…

“Tell me, Tilly. What do you think BDSM is all about?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” she said faintly. No way would she describe the images in her mind.

“Blunt talk. You were ready for that from me. Give me the same courtesy.”

Her fingers were clasped tightly in her lap. She drew a breath and let her gaze fall away. “I think it’s for people who haven’t learned to connect with others in a healthy way. Or who have something missing inside themselves.”

He stayed silent for a moment, his expression shuttered. “Are you open to the possibility that entering that world can help a person find what’s missing in their lives?”

She raised her gaze and gave him a frown. “Maybe that’s what you choose to believe about me, but twisting my words doesn’t make it true.”

“What do you think might be missing inside me?”

She shook back her hair and lifted her chin. “Like I said. Connection. Being forced to leave everything and everyone you knew behind can’t have been easy. You were the high school football star. On the honor roll. Everything was ripped out from under your feet.”

“So, you think my lack of control over what happened made me seek the ultimate control over my body and someone else’s?”

Her chest pinched, and she sucked in a deep breath before she gave him a nod.

His gaze studied her. “Does that thought disturb you? Surrendering control to someone else?”

“I can’t imagine trusting anyone enough to allow them to tie me up and do whatever they want. It’s dangerous.”

“It can be,” he said, nodding. “But creating fear in my submissive is never my goal. Inspiring trust. Giving pleasure. Helping her discover her own potential for pleasure and submission… Now, those acts are things that excite me.”

A shiver worked its way down her spine, although whether from what he described or the silky tone of his voice, she didn’t know. A knot lodged in her throat, and she swallowed hard. “What did I do to make you think I might be like…that?”

His grin was easy, startling, and at odds with the stern set of his jaw. “You gave me your foot.” He leaned over the table, his eyes alight with humor. “You didn’t want to, but you were curious. The action, lifting your foot, put you physically off-balance. You, Tilly Floret, gave yourself over to me.”

Her breath hitched. The memory flashed in her mind and she remembered the jumble of sensations and emotions that simple action and his care had engendered in her. “All you did was slide a shoe on my foot. I wasn’t acceptin’ anything else from you.”

“You let me touch you,” he said softly.

She blinked. A subtle tell, she realized, because his crooked smile widened. His eyes narrowed as he studied her face. His expression was…expectant, his body unmoving. “Can I show you it’s not all about whips and chains?”

The silkiness was still there in his tone, a teasing quality that tugged at her willpower.

“Will you allow me to show you that surrender can be subtle and beautiful? That the lifestyle isn’t really about sexual perversion at all?”

Maybe the wine was to blame for her body’s reactions. Her skin tingled, flushing hot. Her nipples tightened. She shifted on her seat, squeezing her thighs together, because the timbre of his voice, so deep and smooth, felt like a physical caress.

He leaned closer. “We’re alone. Just you and me. Answer me.”

She cleared her throat, shaking her head slightly, a halfhearted gesture because her body was already leaning toward his. “That’s a lie. You have people all around us. For all I know, you have this courtyard filled with bugs and cameras. Observin’ people is your business. The way you live.”

“True, but only my most trusted are here. They won’t intrude. Or ever speak about what they see or hear.”

Tilly drew in a deep breath. “And that’s supposed to reassure me?” Her eyes narrowed. “Are the bedrooms wired?”

This time he blinked, and her back stiffened. She’d paraded around nude after her shower, while she’d sifted through clothing to find the most flattering outfit.

His mouth tightened a fraction. “The cameras are for your protection, you know. You entered my world willingly. This is one of the prices.”

She remembered the way he and Serge had watched her on the flight to Monterrey. Certainly his large, rugged next-in-command was one of those overseeing her “protection.” Renewed irritation tensed her muscles. “You expect me to learn to be comfortable knowin’ your men watch me?”

“I expect you to learn to take comfort from the fact that I’ll keep you safe.” He said, his words slightly clipped.

Tilly’s shoulders drooped. Suddenly, she felt weary. “At what price?”

Boone leaned back and set his napkin beside his plate.

A door opened onto the patio and a servant walked to the table and took their dishes.

When the woman’s dark-eyed gaze rose to Boone’s and he gave her a nod, Tilly snorted. Not just for her protection or his. For his comfort and amusement as well. He didn’t have to ring a bell to bring the staff. All he had to do was give a subtle signal, placing his napkin beside his plate, to bring someone running.

“You’re entitled to your anger,” Boone said, his voice once again soothing. “But please stay for dessert. Marta will be disappointed if you don’t try it.”

“I think I’ve had enough,” she said quietly. Right this moment, the only thing she wanted was to run as far away from this man as she could.

“If staying would please me, would you? A taste is all I ask.”

And he wasn’t talking about the dessert. She was certain of that.

The door opened again. The woman, Marta, brought out a tray. She set down plates with molded flan and half a dozen raspberries beside the custards. Then she left again as quietly as she’d come.

The chair across from hers scraped.

Her pulse raced as Boone carried his chair and his plate toward her. But she didn’t move. She couldn’t. Her damnable curiosity kept her frozen in her chair because she was dying to know what he intended to do next. If he moved close enough to touch her, would she have the will to resist?

He sat the plate beside hers, his chair as well, and then leaned back. “The fact that a table separated us gave you courage,” he murmured.

“Now you want to intimidate me?” The quaver in her voice matched the trembling in her body.

“No, I want to be close enough to you that I won’t miss anything.”

Close enough that he couldn’t help but note how flushed her skin was or how her erect nipples pushed against the front of her thin bra. Pretending she didn’t care, she lifted her chin defiantly.

Boone gave her a half smile and leaned toward her. “Indulge me?” he whispered. “I promise I won’t do anything that will embarrass you.”

She met his steady gaze, her fearless pose unraveling because he was so close she felt the heat from his thigh right beside hers.

“Tilly…close your eyes. I want to feed you.”

She searched his expression, carefully neutral except for the slight curving of his mouth. He was teasing her. “This is silly. I feel silly.”

“Indulge me. We’ll both enjoy the experience.”

Huffing a breath, she closed her eyes. Not trusting him for a moment, but she’d let him play his game. Fact was, she enjoyed the intimacy of sitting so close to him. She liked the way he smelled: like cinnamon and male. Liked the heat emanating from his body.

“Open your mouth.”

She complied, opening like a baby bird waiting for a worm. At that thought, she wrinkled her nose. Then she tasted the metal bottom of a spoon on her tongue and an explosion of sweetness as she closed her mouth around the flan. She groaned in ecstasy.

“Open.”

She opened again and received a second spoonful of the sinfully delicious dessert—creamy, smooth, sweet like caramel.

“Open.”

This time, she didn’t hesitate. But a spoon didn’t enter her mouth. Instead, two fingers, tasting slightly salty, deposited a raspberry on her tongue. She shivered, fighting the urge to close her lips around his fingers as she had the spoonfuls of flan.

A fingertip dragged across her tongue as it left her mouth. She bit into the berry, tart, sweet, and salty exploding on her taste buds.

“If we were lovers,” he said beside her ear. “I’d take advantage of the fact you can’t anticipate my moves,” he whispered. “Open.”

Without a thought, she did, and his finger daubed flan on her tongue. The taste was even better than before without the metallic aftertaste of the silver spoon.

“I’d open that clasp and part your pretty dress. Open.”

Again, his fingers entered her mouth, dropping another raspberry. Her breaths grew ragged. Her heart raced.

“I’d thumb open the clasp of your bra and expose your pretty breasts. Open. No talking.”

She was just about to ask how he knew her breasts were pretty. How had he known? The thought of cameras entered her mind and for the first time, they didn’t horrify her. They became part of his seduction.

Flan, again, was delivered by two fingers.

The urge was too strong. She latched her lips around them and sucked.

His breath gusted against her cheek.

Not as steady as before.

She almost smiled.

He withdrew his fingers. “Open.”

She did. And this time, a hand cupped her cheek and tilted her head back. His lips touched hers, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. She could taste the flan on his tongue and she swallowed greedily, taking him even deeper inside her mouth. An arm settled on her shoulders, turning her slightly. The kiss deepened.

Flan, wine, raspberries—none tasted quite as wicked as Boone Benoit’s mouth. His lips sealed hers. When he began to move, dragging her lips in slow circles, she was helpless to follow his lead, drugged by the sensual tug.

When he drew back, she licked her lips and slowly opened her eyes.

His blue eyes gleamed. “There’s pleasure in submission, Tilly.”

 

Delilah’s Random Scavenger Hunt!
Thursday, August 28th, 2014

For the next few days, I’ll be sharing posts from His Every Fantasy and the prequel book, Her Only Desire. Today, I just want to play. Well, I’m going to be working at my desk, but I invite you to play. We’re having a scavenger hunt! The winner gets his or her choice of one of these Cross ‘n’ Bones bracelets I’ve made (not the multi-cross one!):

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DO NOT POST YOUR ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS HERE! Why would you want to help someone else qualify for the prize, huh?

DO POST HERE SAYING HOW MUCH FUN YOU HAD. Not that I’ll make posting a comment here a requirement to win, but hey, I do like to know whether the things I do here are something you enjoy!

So here are the questions…

1) What is the name of Delilah’s second board among her Pinterest boards? And how many pins has she made?

2) Where does my most recent pin take you? Just give me the name of the website.

3) Which romantic couple do I pay homage to on the home page of my Delilah Devlin website? And what special event of theirs does the video memorialize?

4) What three books are listed on my bookshelf page?

5) Which book on my Coming Soon page do you most look forward to reading?

And that’s it. While you’re visiting my stops, why not follow or subscribe? I do try to think of fun things to encourage you to return. Maybe you’ll discover a passion of your own you have to share.

REMEMBER! Do Not post your answers here! Send them to me PRIVATELY! SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO ME AT: delilah@delilahdevlin.com! I can’t wait to see your answers. Enjoy!

This contest will close on Sunday. So you have plenty of time to play! ~DD

Delilah Does Dallas (Contest)
Saturday, August 2nd, 2014

Watch where your gutter-mind is goin’! 🙂

I’m on the road today, heading to Dallas with my dd, to pick up the 10-year-old who has been spending a month with her daddy in San Antonio. So I’ll be stuck in a car for the nine-hour round trip. Any suggestions for things we can do on our trip that will help us while away the hours? Dream up the usuals, but have some fun with your suggestions, too! I’ll give away a $5 Amazon gift card for the “best” suggestion.

CC Mackenzie: Real Life Inspiration (Free Read & Contest)
Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

One of the things authors are asked over and over again is, “Where  do you get your ideas?” And our response is always the same, “Everywhere.”

Let me give you an example of everywhere. Four years ago I was sitting in the spring sunshine, outside a smart French café, chilling out and people watching with my daughters. I have two daughters of marriageable age. They’re beautiful (they’d kill me if they read that, but I’m their mother so I get to say it) independent, career-oriented, super-smart… and ruthlessly… single.

And as a contemporary romance writer having my girls and their life-long besties in my life is literary ‘gold-dust’.  You would not believe the dramas about body issues, clothes, the heartbreaks, the falling madly in love with the wrong man, I’ve witnessed over the years. Anyway, we were revelling in the vibe; listening to a language spoken faster than a speeding bullet, savouring chocolate pastries, drinking coffee shots, eyeing immaculately turned out women, beautifully dressed man candy – when my eldest daughter decided to spill all about a blind date. To say we were surprised is an understatement, because she tends to keep pretty tight-lipped about this sort of thing (probably because her mother writes romance).

Apparently, one of her work colleagues had ‘the perfect man’ for her and set-up a date. Now my daughter is nobody’s fool. She knew nothing about him, but he sounded, in her own words, ‘normal’, so she thought she’d give him a chance. However, she also decided on the venue and the time, just in case the whole thing went pear-shaped.

Meanwhile, her sister and I were sitting wide-eyed listening to the tale. I was wondering if they’d put something in her coffee because she never, ever, discusses boyfriends with me. Can’t think why.

So after work, at the appointed time on the appointed day, she arrived at the busy bar of an upmarket hotel to meet her date. First impressions were not great, apparently his hair was at least one day overdue for a wash and his fingernails were not exactly clean and bitten to the quick (she has a thing about nice hands). But she soldiered on, deciding to have one drink before she let him down gently and left. He very kindly bought her a drink, a soft drink because she was driving.

And then he sat back, gave her the once-over, his eyes lingering on her breasts, and said, “Dontcha think the rooms in this place are too expensive for a quickie?”

She blinked, opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.

“You’re obviously gagging for it, love. Why don’t we drink up and find somewhere cheaper.”

It’s not often my daughter is rendered speechless, she takes after me in that respect. But she kept her cool, placed her drink on the table, and excused herself to visit the restrooms.

Once there, she took off her shoes, used a stool to step onto a big glass sink to open the window, tossed out her shoes, her handbag, climbed out (she’s bendy, she does yoga and pilates), ran to her car, and left.

By this time her sister and I, visualising the creep waiting and waiting for her to return and maybe even asking bar staff to check the toilet, were howling with laughter.

Wiping my eyes, I said, ‘Good for you, baby.’

Then, looking at us with big blue eyes, she gave us the kicker.

“That’s the second time I’ve done it. I always meet my first dates there. Last time the bar staff let me leave through the kitchens in case I broke my neck climbing out of the window.”

And right there Reckless Nights In Rome was born – download it free at stores listed below.

Reckless Nights In Rome

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Betrayed but unbroken, now she must fight to save her home and her heart!

…She’s lost everything. Her parents, her home, and her fiancé. It’s taken two years, but now Bronte has it all. A successful business, and a life that brings her happiness. But now the charismatic Italian, Nico Ferranti, wants to take it all.

Bronte isn’t looking for a fling, she certainly isn’t looking for love… will she be able to resist sweet temptation? Or is the pastry chef about to get burned…

GooglePlay https://smarturl.it/rnrgoogle
Smashwords https://smarturl.it/ccrnrsm
iBooks https://smarturl.it/ccrnrib
Amazon https://smarturl.it/ccrnr
Barnes and Noble https://smarturl.it/ccrnrbn
Kobo https://smarturl.it/rnrkobo

Now it’s your turn to spill the beans.

Contest

What’s the worst/best/funniest first date you or your bestie have had?

The world demands to know.

And the lovely Delilah, thank you for having me, will pick out a winner who will receive an eBook copy of my latest release, Desert Orchid.

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Think Memoirs of a Geisha meets Taken.

…A young Arabian Queen must marry a wild, wicked and wilful Desert Prince to save her people from civil unrest and protect the wealth of her Kingdom…Charisse never expected to find love with a man who looked and lived like a rock star rather than a prince…But tragic events in her past threaten to destroy her Kingdom and her life, too…Can their fragile love survive…

Amazon https://smarturl.it/ccdoamaz
Barnesand Noble https://smarturl.it/dobn
GooglePlay https://smarturl.it/ccmkdogoogle
iBooks https://smarturl.it/ccdoit
Kobo https://smarturl.it/ccdokobo
Smashwords https://smarturl.it/ccdosmw

Author’s Bio

cmCC 01CC was fourteen when she read her first romance – ‘The Grand Sophy’ by Georgette Heyer. And right there her future as a romance author was born. Of course, it took a while. Writing romance, she was told by her teachers, does not an income make. In order to write about the lives of others, she needed to live a very full one of her own. And she did.

Fast forward a few decades later: a husband and three children and a couple of careers, she found her fourteen year old self again. And decided to follow her dream and write a contemporary romance. Five years later and Reckless Nights In Rome, book one of The Ludlow Hall series, was published. CC loves to write about deliciously handsome men and strong women. Since then Reckless has been downloaded over 450,000 times and hit the best seller lists across thirty countries. There are now five books in the series published with two more coming very soon.

CC is also working on a paranormal romance series, The Vampyre Legal Chronicles. She loves those suckers, so watch this space!

CLICK HERE To Receive News of CC’s Latest Releases 

Keep in Touch on:
Website: https://ccmackenzie.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCMzie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CCMacKenzie1
Email: ccmackenzie@ccmackenzie.com

Melissa Snark: Voice (Giveaway)
Friday, July 18th, 2014

Every character must have one. The real test is figuring out the trick to creating a truly unique person. As an author, you want your hero to walk off the page, sweep the reader into his arms, and carry her off for the ride of her life.

The task can be easier said than done. Personally, I have tried any number of methods for fleshing out characters–from studying horoscope profiles to reading about the sixteen personality types. I’ve invested hours in studying the GMCs (Goal, Motivation & Conflict). In the quest to create memorable people that stand apart from the crowd, I’ve slapped my characters with scars, childhood traumas, and Tic Tac addictions.

Zachary Hunter, the hero of my erotic paranormal novel, The Mating Game, walked off the page Totally British. He’s a mystery suspense novelist and a sexy werewolf. He also possesses a dry wit and biting sarcasm. His voice was crisp and clean, but his vernacular presented an immediate issue. I, his author, am from Northern California. My familiarity with English accents derives primarily from Monty Python and Joss Whedon characters.

California has a great deal of diversity, so Brits are sometimes spotted in the wild, lurking about pubs and book stores. My early attempts into research began with tea and scones placed under a box trap, but the English are shy, wily creatures. The snare stood empty for days.

When I switched to baiting with hard liquor, I caught a fine Scottish lad immediately. Only I coldna understand a word he said. Not fer the life o’ me. Sadly, I set him free and turned to Google.

The Best of the British” and “A Dictionary of Slang” are the top two hits to return when searching “British Slang”. Both are fun and interesting sites with a ton of useful information. I highly recommend them.  I had a blast doing the research, and it presented a real challenge to use the jargon sparingly.

Zach talking to the heroine, Theresa:

“I’ve got a deadline, love. My editor is an absolute slave driver. That’s why I’m in this state.” He indicated the odious apparel with a flourish.

She rolled her eyes. “Of course. Your editor made you run through the forest in an orange dress. Makes perfect sense. I’m sorry I asked.”

He frowned. “I was running on four legs, love, not two. You know that.”

“Of course I do, but you didn’t expect anything but a hard time—showing up here in that.” Grinning, she gave him a quick up-down.

Zach chuckled. “Not really. To make a long story short, I left my clothes in a hunter’s blind but when I returned, my clothing was gone.”

“Did someone find your clothes?” she asked with a worried frown. Such a minor thing might result in unforeseen troubles for the pack. As a rule, the local werewolves went to great lengths to conceal their presence from the human population. Normal people in the small Nevada town of Iron Stone remained blithely unaware of the wolves living amongst them.

“Not someone—something,” Zach said. “Raccoons: three of the scrotty little sods. They ripped my clothes to shreds and dredged the creek with my shoes.”

“Oh, no!” Laughter again threatened to split her sides. She pressed her hands to her ribcage and gasped for breath. “Did you eat them?”

“No.” Zach looked miserable for the admission. “It was a mum and two babes. I didn’t have the heart.”

Theresa reached out and touched his hand. “You’re a good man, Zachary Hunter.”

“Thanks, but I’d rather be a clothed man,” Zach said. “I stole this getup off a laundry line in the Widow Crawley’s yard.”

“For shame! Stealing from a little old lady.”

Zach rolled his shoulders to add emphasis to the voluminous dress. “Not so little.”

The Mating Game

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The Mating Game
Melissa Snark
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: June 20, 2014
ISBNs: 978-1-62830-378-0 Paperback; 978-1-62830-379-7 Digital
Number of pages: 344
Word Count: 82,508
Cover Artist: Rae Monet

Two males…two friends…a competition for the right to claim The Heart of the Iron Stone Pack.

An alpha female at her core, Theresa Sanchez struggles to protect her young daughter, but rivalries and politics create volatility in the pack. As Theresa comes into heat, lust and need rule her body. Her pack demands only the most virile male have her. How can she choose only one mate when her body craves two—the virile beta and the man she loves?

Zachary Hunter will do anything to take Theresa as his mate, even if it means killing his best friend. However, Robert Blane is just as determined to ascend to Alpha. Both their beasts howl to mark her flesh, but only one can survive to claim her.

But with enemies circling, they must fight…for the pack, for Theresa, and for a future together.

Warning: Book contains wolf shifters, pack politics, gritty fight scenes, offbeat humor, and sizzling sexual adventures between a ménage of partners.

Available at:
Amazon Paperback
Amazon Kindle
All Romance ebooks
Barnes and Noble Nook
iTunes
The Wild Rose Press Paperback
The Wild Rose Press ebook

msMelissaSnark author photo for bookFast Facts About Melissa Snark:

  • Melissa Snark is published with The Wild Rose Press & as an Indie author with five unique titles: A CAT’S TALE, THE MATING GAME, LEARNING TO FLY, THE CHILD THIEF, HUNGER MOON.
  • Her Loki’s Wolves series includes THE CHILD THIEF, HUNGER MOON AND BATTLE CRY (to be released in 2014).
  • She lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband, three children and a glaring of cats.
  • She is a professional cat herder and unrepentant satirist who blogs about books and writing on The Snarkology.

Connect with Melissa Snark:
Author Website
The Snarkology
Email: melissasnark at gmail.com
Facebook Author Page
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page

The Mating Game Excerpt (Chapter 1):  

Bright and early Saturday morning, Theresa Sanchez opened her front door to discover Zachary Hunter clad in a bright orange dress on her porch. The loose bodice fell low on his chest, displaying dark blond curls and showcasing his broad shoulders and powerful torso. The neon hemline stopped above the knees, revealing muscular calves, strong ankles, and shapely feet.

It was unusual attire for a dominant male werewolf.

She stepped closer and sniffed, seeking to satisfy the impulses of her she-wolf. The earthy scent of him flooded her nostrils—masculine and potent—inciting the heated ache of arousal between her thighs. She licked her lips, hoping that drool hadn’t dribbled down her chin. The man made her mouth water.

“My eyes are up here, love,” Zach quipped in a crisp British accent. His hand lifted and a long, elegant finger tapped her chin.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” She forced her roaming eyes upward, away from his buff chest, striving to remember that she and Zach didn’t play like that. The man was many things to her: best friend, confidant, and protector. He fixed leaky faucets and kept her ancient car running. But of all the roles he played, he remained “lover” only in her dreams.

Giveaway

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

One Week Until BLUE MOON! (Contest)
Tuesday, July 8th, 2014

UPDATE: The winner is Bobbi Kinion!

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I’m on pins and needles, waiting for this book to release. It’s just the sort of thing I love to write, and I’m hoping you’ll love it too! It releases on July 15th and it’s ready for pre-order now. Here are the links:

Samhain | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Last Tuesday, I shared the opening of the story so you could meet my two lovers, Bryn and Ethan. She’s a witch. He’s a troll. She’s determined never to be possessed by another demon. He’s determined to have a witch in his pocket, because having one increases a demon’s standing and power. Of course, everything ends happily enough. And the sex is out of this world. Luckily, there are four other sister-witches in Bryn’s coven who need their happy endings. And let me tell you, the fellas outnumber the women, so you know where the series will lead. 😉

I’ve included an excerpt. A tease, really. Just to give you a glimpse of the other characters you’ll meet along the way. And yes, there are a lot of names in this passage, but I promise if you read the whole book, you will know several of them already…

Leave a comment and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a free download from among my backlist of Samhain titles.

EXCERPT: Bryn has just discovered Ethan is a troll…

The house was eerily silent when they stepped inside the kitchen. Bryn gave Ethan a questioning glance, but he shook his head. He took her by the hand and pulled her behind him as they made their way to the parlor.

Inside, she halted. The room was crowded with men. Others. She knew because each was perfectly formed as only otherworldly creatures could be. They appeared happy to see Ethan. So they were friends of his. She hoped he’d stay true to his word. Although now, she worried he might be torn to pieces when he told the group they couldn’t take the women.

Her sisters sat, four in a row on the couch, their hands clasped together, eyes wide as saucers. When they saw her, they all began shouting.

“They’re demons.”

“Ethan’s one of them.”

“They’ve come to claim us.”

“Fucking bastards.” That last comment came from Darcy whose green eyes flashed.

Bryn shook her head, telling them silently to be quiet. Then she bowed her head.

Her sisters gasped at her submissive gesture.

Ethan’s arm encircled her waist. He tipped up her face. “We made a bargain, and it didn’t include you bowing to my will.”

Her gaze clung to him. What was he doing?

His glance swept the men gathered in the parlor. There was over a dozen of them—dark and fair, burly and lean, all with shining eyes. Renner’s sea-bright gaze was so intense, she wondered how they’d missed the fact he was Other. All of the men shared the same hard-edged, feral look. Their expressions had grown shuttered, their gazes watchful. Even Renner, who had seemed so easygoing, was frowning.

“There are complications,” Ethan said. “Bryn was already claimed. But we’ve mated. She tells me she may already be pregnant. Her sisters,” he said, nodding to the quiet women, “are mine to protect.”

Renner stepped forward. “You’re keeping them? All of them?” he asked, his voice rising.

Ethan’s frown was fierce. “I won’t be bedding them. But they will remain in this house with us. And they have my protection. I’ve promised Bryn that her friends will be given their choice of mates.”

The expressions of all the men darkened, fierce scowls that made gooseflesh rise on Bryn’s arms.

Ethan squeezed her hand and glanced down at her. “Bryn was previously mated with a hellhound. Merrick, to be precise. And since you all know his reputation, you know that when he finds us, he’ll try his best to kill me. You have no obligation to stand with me. If you leave now, you won’t be implicated.”

Bryn offered him a small smile and then they both turned back to the group.

Renner’s gaze shot to the women. His frown eased as he gave each a thorough glance.

Bryn knew what he saw. Four very frightened but determined women.

He raised his head to meet Ethan’s stern glance. “I’m staying. I’ll help you protect them.”

There were murmurs from the group, but they stepped forward one by one and gave the same pledge.

Renner smiled ruefully. “For a low-life troll, you’ve certainly reached high.”

“As a bottom-dwelling draugr, you aren’t exactly standing on my shoulders.”

In truth, if all the men in the room were friends to a troll and a draugr, they were from the lowest echelons of demon spawn. It was easy to see that ambition to rise higher than their birthright and their kind had bonded them.

Ethan gave a nod. “So be it. Every woman will have three guards. You’ll work in shifts. One at night, two during the day. And we have to continue the bridge project.” His gaze went to Renner. “You make the assignments.”

Miren cleared her throat, drawing all the male gazes to where she sat on the couch. “Since we’re the ones who have to put up with you constantly underfoot, don’t you think we should choose our own bodyguards? I run a shrimping outfit. Who among you doesn’t lose his breakfast on a boat?”

Renner’s grin stretched. “I’m a sea-draugr.”

Two more raised their hands. “We’re mer-folk.”

And so the assignments were made according to common interests and powers.

Finding beds for all of them proved more challenging. The women took Bryn’s remaining empty rooms. Pallets were made up for the men in the upstairs hallway and on the porch, with one man stationed inside each of the witchs’  rooms. Something the women seemed entirely too excited about.

“Sisters,” Bryn hissed after she pulled them into the kitchen for a last-minute chat. “I know we’ve been without male company for a while, but you’ve been offered a gift. Don’t allow them to romance the right of choice out from under you.”

“So says the woman who has twice been claimed,” Darcy said with an arch of her red brow.

“Claimed once by a monster. As you well remember.” She sighed. “Please, take your time. We don’t know these men. For now, Ethan seems to have them roped in, but they’ve all caught your scents. We can’t have them challenging each other for your hands.”

“It’s not like we have to choose only one,” Miren said, but then pressed her lips into a narrow line at Bryn’s frown. “Just sayin’.”

Her sisters giggled.

“True,” said Darcy. “And how does one choose between a dragon and a gargoyle?” Darcy ran a crafters’ cottage, complete with pottery wheel and kiln. Her choices had naturally aligned with stone and fire.

Radha giggled. “The satyr offered to let me sheer his fur to make yarn on my spindle.”

Bryn couldn’t help it, a smile tugged at her mouth. “So long as you realize that the moment you accept a mate and he claims you, that the echo will sound.”

“Merrick and his friends might already know,” Aoife said. “How can we trust that every one of Ethan’s friends will keep his silence?”

“There are plenty of games we can play without risking an echo,” Darcy said with a graceful wave of her hand. “A little play might bind them closer to us.”

A rap sounded on the kitchen door. Ethan pushed through it. “The men are ready to bed down. It might be best for the women to retreat to their rooms.”

The sisters shared charged glances. “If anyone cries out,” Bryn whispered, “we shall all answer.”

They nodded, and then the women trailed out of the kitchen, leaving Bryn alone with Ethan.

Bryn sighed. “This is—”

“Complicated,” he finished. “I know. But you can trust me.”

“And should I trust the others?”

He arched one brow. “You don’t think they all fear a troll?”

She shrugged. “I suppose. I’ve never seen you in your true form.”

“And you won’t. Not unless I have to protect you.” He held out his hand. A hint of his earlier arousal was there in his dark eyes. “I’ll be staying in your room.”

Not a question, but she nodded, agreeing. “Of course.”

“Kahn and Sigurd understand that so long as they watch over you during the day, they are free to woo the others.”

She jutted her chin. “You didn’t offer them the chance to share?”

His grunt was wickedly masculine. “Do you really think you could handle more than me in your bed?”

She remembered the immense pressure. She was sure, once she was accustomed to his girth, that just the act of him entering her would be enough to set her off. “No. I don’t want another lover. And we have a bargain. You’re free to include that stipulation.”

“Then I will. Come to bed.”

As meek as a lamb, she allowed him to lead her through her house and up the wooden staircase. She passed the girls’ rooms, heard laughter, smelled the heady mix of testosterone and estrogen, of arousal so thick her own body began to warm, her breasts and pussy to thicken with her stirring blood.

She stepped around the pallet of blankets and quilts that Kahn had made for himself outside her door. He was jinn, and his talents would have more naturally aligned with Radha’s, but Bryn understood her sister’s reluctance to accept his proximity. He was seduction incarnate when he smiled. His mouth was sensual and mobile, his black eyes filled with mystery. He’d probably scared the dickens out of Radha.

“Sigurd’s on the porch,” Kahn said. “He wants to run in wolfskin tonight.”

She nodded, uncomfortable with the way the men talked openly about their true selves after having suppressed her own for so long except in front of her sisters.

Ethan followed her into her room and began to disrobe.

She stiffened.

He studied her face and stopped when he was wearing only his boxer briefs. “I’ll sleep on top of the covers.”

She shook her head. “We’ve passed that point. But this is an adjustment for me.”

“And I told you before we mated that I’d respect your right to tell me no.”

“I can’t tell you that,” she said, her eyes beginning to well with tears. Her need was strong. And he knew it. A tremble shook her frame and she gasped.

There was understanding in his eyes. Perhaps a little sympathy. A witch’s heightened state of arousal when in the company of a mate wasn’t something she was prepared to fight. Especially not when she knew the pleasure he would give her.

She turned and lifted her hair. And just as he had in the gazebo, he moved closer and pulled down her zipper.

Susan R. Hughes: Weddings on Main Street (Contest)
Monday, July 7th, 2014

UPDATE: Linda Richter won the free download!

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shSueWedding season is upon us. I love weddings. I adore the glamorous gowns, the profusion of flowers, seeing family and friends brought together in celebration, and most of all I love watching a couple pledge their forever love to one another. Some people are cynical about marriage these days, but I believe in it wholeheartedly. Something I love about romance novels is that you’re guaranteed a happily-ever-after ending, and usually that means a wedding. Of course, a perfect wedding doesn’t mean the years that follow will go smoothly. There are bumps in the road for any couple on their journey through life together—but at the end of a well-crafted story, we know the bond between the hero and heroine is strong enough to carry them through the challenges they are bound to face.

As wonderful as weddings are, preparing for the big day can be fraught with stress. Brides put pressure on themselves to create the perfect event, and there may be budget strains or conflict with family over decisions. And consider the bridesmaids, forced to wear whatever puffy-sleeved tangerine or fuchsia monstrosity the bride chooses for her!

All the drama can make an ideal backdrop for a story. My new novella, Kiss the Bridesmaid (available as part of the Weddings on Main Street boxed set), follows the budding romance of Mari and Jake, a bridesmaid and a wedding photographer, during the months leading up to Mari’s brother’s wedding. For Mari, the stress of preparing for the wedding has nothing to do with money, fashion or squabbles with the other attendants. She’s anxious about her hidden disorder that might make it difficult to stand at the front of the church during the ceremony. Meanwhile, Jake is recovering from a disastrous marriage and only wants to focus on the needs of his young daughter—but he can’t resist falling in love with Mari.

Do you have a favourite wedding story? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of Weddings on Main Street, a collection of all-new novellas by eleven authors.

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Amazon link: https://authl.it/B00KV0AZVI
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