Hard Mated, by Jennifer Ashley

Shifters! I love them, especially the sexy wildcats, wolves, and bears that populate my Shiftertowns.

A few years ago, when my publisher nixed my idea for a vampire series (too many vamps out there, they said), I pouted, then brought forth an idea for a shapeshifter series that had been swimming around in the back of my head.

I’m so glad I did! The first book, Pride Mates, was my first New York Times bestseller, and paved the way for more Shifters to come.

I decided right from the start that my series wouldn’t be “save the world from evil,” or “save the species from the evil thing trying to kill it.” The books would be about the Shifters themselves, how they live and love, about their families, how they interact with the human world, and the problems (sometimes dire) that they have to solve in order to thrive.

Pride Mates and Primal Bonds (Books 1 and 2) introduce Liam Morrissey and his family, three generations of charming Irish bachelor wildcat Shifters living in the same house in Austin, Texas.

Indie publishing has let me put out stories in this word between the main books, and Bodyguard (Book 2.5), is about Ronan, a Kodiak bear Shifter who works for Liam. The book is available in print from Amazon, and in e-book everywhere you can buy ebooks.

This was followed by Wild Cat (Book 3) which introduces yet another family—wildcat Shifters Cassidy and Eric Warden (brother and sister), Eric’s son Jace, and the grizzlies next door. Wild Cat is Cassidy’s story (she meets up with a hunk of a Latino cop).

In October, Mate Claimed (Book 4), Eric’s story, will hit the shelves, and introduce yet another Shifter (Tiger), who gets his book next June.

Meanwhile, I’m pleased that this week, another character from the Austin Shiftertown gets his story told: Spike in Hard Mated (Book 3.5).

Spike is a “tracker”, a Shifter who works for the Shiftertown leader, one of a team of bodyguards and fighters. Spike is also a champion fighter at the Shifters’ fight club. Spike has a colorful past, working for the villain in Book 1, but now he’s one of the good guys. He’s tough and strong, and he’s about to meet he woman who cracks his hard exterior.

Hard Mated is available in ebook first, with a print edition following in a couple of weeks.

For more about the series—characters, blurbs, books, links, and my “Humans’ Guide to Shifters” see https://www.jennifersromances.com/NewSite/shifters/SU_main.html

More about all my series is at https://www.jennifersromances.com

Post a comment and you’ll be entered to win a free book from this series’ backlist! Winner’s Choice! 

Excerpt from Hard Mated:

“Fight’s over!” one of the refs shouted. “The bear  is down.”

The grizzly’s few supporters moaned in disappointment. The rest of the crowd screamed and hollered, humans punching the air, beasts doing victory leaps. Spike, champion of the Austin Shiftertown, had won again.

Spike stood still and caught his breath, his Collar sending fiery jolts of pain down his neck and into his spine. He’d pay a long time for what he’d done in the rings tonight. Close fight. The bear was damn good.

Spike stretched his forepaws into the air and let himself become human, his tall six foot six. He kept his arms up, acknowledging his victory, and his fans filled the place with noise.

Cormac the bear came across the ring, Collar sparking with residual arcs, and gave Spike a nod. “Good fight,” he said, his voice rasping.

The bear had no malice in his eyes, only approval for Spike’s technique and stamina. That was the problem with bears. They were so damn affable—when they weren’t trying to kill you.

“Good fight,” Spike said back. He kept his words light, pretending he didn’t want to fall onto the soft dirt of the ring and pass out. A few gallons of water poured down his throat wouldn’t hurt either.

Cormac turned away to his friends and a woman ran to Spike with a sports bottle.

Spike grabbed the bottle and upended a stream of water into his mouth before he realized two things. First, the woman who’d handed him the bottle was human, and second, he’d never seen her here before.

She had black hair cut short but wildly curly, blue eyes that looked back at him in perfect equanimity, a round face that was cute rather than pretty, and lips that any male, human or Shifter would want to sink into. Her plump body had nice curves that she didn’t much hide behind a button-down shirt, a sexily-cut lace tank, and jeans that rested low on her hips.

Shifter groupie? Maybe, but she didn’t have the obsessed look, nor did she wear a fake Collar or paint on whiskers or anything like that.

On the other hand, Spike was standing next to her wearing nothing but his tattoos, sweat, and the blood from the fight. The woman kept her gaze on Spike’s face, not even flickering it to his very naked body.

Spike upended the bottle, squirted water onto his face, and rubbed his hand over it. A shower was going to feel good.

A nice roll the sack would be great too, and here was this nice little morsel, handing him water and looking fine in a Texas cowgirl kind of way.

Not that Spike usually went for humans. He had to be too careful in bed with humans, because things could get wild and wicked. Shifters women were more resilient, more used to male Shifters and what they wanted.

But there was something Spike liked about this human.

“Who are you, sweetheart?” he asked.

“My name’s Myka. Myka Thompson. You don’t know me, but you know Jillian.”

Jillian. Jillian. Who the hell was Jillian?

“You knew her, I should say,” Myka said. “For one night at least. Five years ago. Shifter bar. You were a Shifter, she was a Shifter groupie . . .” She trailed off, one hand moving before she returned it to her shapely hip.

Memory came to him. Five years ago, sure, and Spike had been very drunk that night, but Jillian had been the hottest thing he’d seen in a long, long time. “Red-headed little thing, fiery. Yeah, I remember her.”

He’d never seen Jillian again. Spike liked to date his ladies for more than a night, much more than a night, but the phone number Jillian had given him had been disconnected, and she’d not come to the bar again—that one or any other Shifter bar.

Some humans were like that. They wanted a taste of the beast, but they didn’t want anything long-term with a Shifter.

“How’s she doing?” Spike asked. He grabbed a towel he’d left on a box outside the ring and rubbed his wet face.

“She’s dying,” Myka said.

Spike jerked back to her, towel dangling from his grasp. “What?”

“I said, Jillian’s dying. She wants to see you, but you have to come with me now.”

Order this book via: https://www.jennifersromances.com

Yesterday’s winner is…Savannah Chase! Savanna, you’ve won a free copy of Fortune’s Favor.
Email me, and I’ll get you in touch with Marie! ~DD

Two quick notes!
1) I thought I was posting my Girls Who Score blog turn here, but it’s on the Girls Who Score website. So, be sure to drop by there to read an excerpt from my story “Playing the Field.”
2) Also, the Cowboy Lust Blog Tour continues. Check this blog post for all the details. Today’s stop is at Menagerie Authors. Remember, there are prizes up for grabs!

Since my blog is unexpectedly free, I thought I’d share a little local flavor. I hate saying this, but a relative of mine is the long-haired combatant in this video. Be warned. It’s painful to watch, worse to listen to. Guess you won’t need reminding I live in Arkansas. 😯

Don’t know why I’ve watched it so many times. It’s like a train wreck. But I just know there’s a story in there somewhere.

 

Yesterday’s winner is Melissa P! Melissa, contact me to arrange delivery of your prize! ~DD

Gotta love male/male romance. The only thing that makes it better is throwing in another m or an f. Sexual tension increases enjoyment, because anything worth having is worth working for. In my PowerUp! series, about psychic ex-government agents now living as civilians, a large group of convoluted personalities mesh and grind…in more ways than one.

I write m/f romance, and I write m/m romance. The woman point of view is easy. I’m a girl. I write men from what I know of them. And I know a lot.

Pause.

That might not sound right. I meant that I’ve spent a lifetime surrounded by men. All my best buds growing up were guys. And my professional life was male-dominated. I was surrounded by men in the Marine Corps, where I spent five years as a communications officer. And then I went to work for a trucking company, managing drivers. Again, heavy on the testosterone side.

Maybe that’s why I like m/m romance so much? I don’t know. But I’m fascinated by strong male characters. Men like Avery Holton and Nathan Kraft, who rub each other the wrong way before they get it right, in Fortune’s Favor Avery was a major in the Marine Corps. Nathan worked for Uncle Sam learning secrets. He’s a touch-telepath, a man gifted with psychometry—the ability to know things by touching an object associated with the person who carried it. These men but heads and generally fight their attraction to one another. But when danger comes calling, they have to rely on each other. I love the whole enemies turned friend dynamic, so I decided to use it with these stubborn men.                       

I loved the characters, and I love the story. I hope you will too. One lucky commenter will receive an electronic download of Fortune’s Favor. Good luck! Contest ends tonight (August 17^th) at 9 pm. Winner announced then.

Nathan Kraft needs more than the life he’s currently living. Once an agent for the Psychic Warfare Program, he’s now reduced to helping civilians get in shape at the PowerUp! gym, where his buddies and he continue to train their minds in secret. He’s always up for some excitement, in the form of a job or a man, but lately he’s getting neither. Then he’s assigned a job, one like he used to do for the government, except this job involves his past.

Avery Holton has butted heads with Nathan since they first met a year ago when he joined the staff of the PowerUp! gym. Nathan gets impressions from touching objects. Avery sees the future. Nathan is fun, loves men, and craves adventure like a drug. Avery likes discipline, is quiet but not closeted about his bisexuality, and does the job like a professional, a carryover from his days in the Marine Corps. Thrust together on a mission that links to Nathan’s childhood, the pair will have to learn to trust each other. It will take all their psychic skills and an acceptance of their growing love to defeat an evil out to get Nathan and everyone he loves…before it’s too late.

Avery had matured past the point where boys kissed and told, and even at that young age, he’d never shared his personal life. He didn’t hide the fact that he liked men and women sexually, but he didn’t see the need to show it off either. Unlike Nathan, who had nothing better to do with this social life than parade an endless supply of pretty boys under Avery’s nose.

He scowled, remembering how each and every one of Nathan’s conquests had made him feel—annoyed, angry, possessive. The confusing need for Nathan made him want to go against his hard and fast rule of no fucking around with coworkers. Maybe if he’d gotten the man out of his system, he could react normally around him.

Then again, he and Nathan didn’t usually work together, not on PWP-type missions. The gym was different. Since he’d been put on the night shift, he and Nathan cleaned equipment, helped out gym-goers, and worked out themselves. Nathan had height and brawn but not a killer instinct. Oh, he boxed well enough, and he could wrestle with the best of them. But Avery instinctively knew best how to handle an opponent. With Nathan, he would muscle the big man down flat on his back. Then his fantasies intruded, and he’d see himself straddling Nathan’s face and shoving his cock in that warm, wet mouth. Read the rest of this entry »

Two quick notes!
1) The Cowboy Lust Blog Tour continues! Check out the link to find all the stops. We’re breaking for the weekend, but that only means you have time to go back and hit every site. Your comments still count!
2) Post a comment here today and you’ll be entered to win a free download of this book or another from my backlisted Samhain books! ~DD

* * * * *

You know I’m not the least bit shy. And I don’t let modesty or social convention get in the way of my wicked imagination. So when my guy Jackson needs the support of his best buddies, you know they are there to give him and Marti everything they need. Here’s a scene where the guys prove what great friends they are… 🙂

“FIVE WAYS ‘TIL SUNDAY was an awesome read…” ~4.5 Stars, Night Owl Reviews

“Delightfully quick read, you are so consumed in the story it is difficult to put it down…” ~ Sensual Reads

Sometimes a man’s just gotta call for backup…

Marti Kowalski is all wrong for Officer Jackson Teague—he just won’t listen to reason. She didn’t finish high school, runs a bar. Has a tattoo and a blue streak in her hair. Yet he still wants to marry her? She can’t say she’s not tempted, but she’s got a bucket list to complete before she ties the knot.

Not just any bucket—more like a fifty-five-gallon drum of sexual wishes so explicit, there’s no way one man, even Jackson, can fulfill them all.

When Marti turns him down again, Jackson doesn’t give up, he insists on knowing why. That’s when she shows him her list. He takes it, thinks about it—and calls on the only men he can trust: four buddies from his academy graduating class.

Between the five of them, he’s sure they can come up with a plan to check off every item on her list in one wild, wicked weekend. That is, if she has the nerve to follow through—and if he can bear to share her.

Warning: Five men on a mission to break down the resistance of one determined woman. Author suggest readers keep their significant others on speed dial. Not responsible for accidental 911 calls.

Two days later, Jackson sat at his usual table with his buddies in The Emerald Tavern, eyeing Marti’s flushed face as she worked the bar. She hadn’t glanced his way except once when he’d first arrived.

Things had been strained between them since he’d read the note. Although they’d gone through the motions, the part of their relationship that made it so different than anything he’d experienced before was absent, crushed beneath the strain of the damn list.

“So’s the honeymoon over?”

Jackson shot Craig with a stinging glare then scanned the rest of his friends. Thursday was the one day of the week where their schedules allowed them to meet. They slouched in their seats. Condensation glistened on the sides of their beers. Not something that happened often because the first beer was always eagerly consumed.

Absent were the rowdy laughter and crude jokes. Not a single gibe had been aimed his way, even though his attention was snagged, as usual, by the curvy brunette behind the counter.

Beau McIntyre cleared his throat. “Craig said you needed some help with something.” Humor glinted in his slanted, dark brown eyes, but his features were difficult to read. Although he was only half Asian, the other half African American, inscrutable was still a word that fit his neutral expression. If he was laughing inside, no hint shown in his dark eyes as he watched Jackson.

Jackson glanced at Craig, frowning, wondering if he’d spilled the beans about The List. “I don’t need help with a goddamn thing.” Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t forget! The Cowboy Lust Blog Tour continues!
Today’s stop is Ramblings from This Chick! ~DD

Less than a week until IF I WERE YOU! I just can’t believe it is finally going to be here. I’ve waited for this book for what feels like a lifetime. I say this because the story was born when Diego, my DH, and I were buying and selling storage units, long before the shows existed.

Oh what an experience that was. Well, DH found a journal in one of the storage units and started reading and from there he was convinced that I had to write a story. And after years of hearing him say this–I finally did.

Looking back, who would have know how buying and selling those units could have influenced my career. I remember the first time we got a until, our house was packed with boxes and we didn’t know what we were doing. All we knew was the furniture was worth money. We took pictures and it sold fast so we had to clean it out. And what did I find? A sex drawer. Oh yes. I did. Can you say GLOVES? There is nothing sexy about cleaning out someone’s sex drawer. You can imagine what might have been in there! I won’t share:) Your imagination might be more fun. In fact, this seems like a good time to share a sexy excerpt to get back to sexy!

EXCERPT:

Rounding the corner, I enter the hallway, and Chris is suddenly there in the narrow passage with me, pressing me against the wall, his powerful thighs framing mine.

My hand goes instinctively to his t-shirt-clad chest. I am immediately aware of the intimacy of the touch, of my body’s reaction to the man who has betrayed me. “Don’t shove me against another wall and try to intimidate me, Chris.”

“I’m not trying to intimidate you. I was protecting you, Sara.” His hands move to my waist, scorching me, and my reaction to the sizzling touch is instant. I cover his hands with mine, trying to control what he does next, but it doesn’t help. Now, my hands are on his hands and his hands are on my body.

“Call it what you want,” I ground out, “but you had no right to do what you did.”

“He had to know he couldn’t manipulate your dream. Money, and my many resources at your disposal, does that.”

His words knock my anger and my breath away, and confusion consumes me. His actions and his words conflict at every turn. “Why would you help me? You said I don’t belong in this world.”

“Because I won’t watch him gobble you up and destroy you.”

I remember his words, and understand now that he wanted me out of this gallery, not this profession. “Because he’s a dark, messed up, arrogant asshole who will play with my mind and use me until there is nothing else left of me I recognize.”

“That’s right.”

“And yet you say you’re worse.”

He stiffens and cuts his gaze, seeming to struggle before fixing me in a turbulent stare. “I am, Sara, which is why you should run as far away from me as you can. And I should step back and let you.”

“Then why aren’t you?” I whisper.

His eyes hold mine, and what I see there, the depth of his desire, overwhelms me. He flattens his palm on my belly and I tremble beneath the touch, and he has to feel it too. “Because,” his voice low, seductive, his hand traveling up the center of my body, “I can’t stop thinking about you, and everything I want to do to you, everywhere I want to touch you.”

His hand presses to the swell between my breasts, and my nipples ache with a wish he would touch them. His boldness ignites something sultry and dark inside me, a side of me that defies the good-girl school teacher who is appalled I haven’t stopped this. I want him. I want him here and now, and any way I can have him.

And when his gaze lowers to my mouth and lingers, I know he is thinking about kissing me and I have never wanted to be kissed so badly in my life.

“Do you taste as good as I think you do?” he asks, but he doesn’t wait for my reply.

Suddenly, his fingers have tunneled into my hair and he’s dragging my mouth to his. I am all soft submission, yielding to the moment, to the man. I melt into him, welcome the hardness of his body pressed to mine. And when his tongue presses past my lips, a long, wicked caress, I taste his hunger, his need. There is possessiveness to his kiss, to his hand on my back, molding me closer. I am lost in the ache that has become my need for this man, this stranger I cannot resist. He says he’s protecting me; he says he’s dangerous. I am conflicted, and sure I should be angry with him, but I am completely incapable and unable of processing why.

Want to win? Just comment for your chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Want to win $75? I draw every week on Saturday through August 24^th. Every time IF I WERE YOU hits 100 new bookshelves I draw for $75. If it hits 500 new shelves that week I draw for $75 5 times. You can win more than once.

The details are here:

https://www.lisareneejones.com/win-75-every-time-if-i-were-you-sells-100/

I look forward to your comments!

Lisa Read the rest of this entry »

At last, I get to announce the lineup for my next Cleis Press collection, Smokin’ Hot Firemen! The book will release summer 2013. Congrats to all the authors and thanks to everyone who submitted. Here is the tentative Table of Contents:

Smoking Stilettos – Rachel Firasek
Saving Charlotte – Sabrina York
Hook Me Up – Adele Dubois
Big Trucks – Lynn Townsend
Lost and Found – Nanette Guadiano
Temperature Rising – Cathryn Fox
Unexpected Detour – Ily Goyanes
Rescue Me – Maggie Wells
Chasing Fire – Elle James
Stoke – Tahira Iqbal
Something’s Burning – Cynthia D’Alba
Fire Hazard – M. Marie
The Fireman’s Rescue – Kalissa Wayne
Falling Ashes – Shoshanna Evers
Fire Extinguisher – Rowan Elizabeth
Her Hero – Catherine Paulssen
Johnny Blaze – Delilah Devlin

The Authors After Dark Grab Bagszzz Contest

Yes, bagszzz, as in three of these pretty nylon totes stuffed full of goodies!
There will be three lucky winners!

What’s in the prize packszzz?
Things too numerous to mention, but which include: author’s water bottles, note pads, nail files, koozies, bookmarks and trading cards, and tons of other kitschy stuff. Stuff you HAVE to have, including my mini bondage kits—okay, so they are office kits with paper clamps and twine to hang your Post-its, but I like the mini-bondage set angle better. And of course there will be books, some signed, some not. Whatever I could grab or was given to me to give away. Three winners will get a very nice stash!

What do you have to do to win?
Post comments on this blog from now until the contest ends! Each time you post counts as another entry!

This contest ends August 30th! 

Here’s a question to start today’s conversation:

If you were offered five acres of property anywhere in the world, where would you want that property to be located? And no, you can’t turn it and sell it for something else. You have to LIVE there or vacation there for the rest of your life!