An Intimate Conversation with Sebastian Marriott

Sultry, wounded hero of Fierce, by Sabrina York, A Decadent Press 1NightStand

Read on for 3 giveaway opportunities from Sabrina York!

INTERVIEWER: Welcome back everyone. We’re talking to Sebastian Marriott, CEO of SEM Inc., successful entrepreneur and all around great guy—not to mention, quite a hunk. So Sebastian, we’ve talked about your climb up the business ladder, the booming success of all your companies. But there’s one thing we haven’t discussed.

SEBASTIAN CLEARS HIS THROAT IN A DEEP RUMBLE. Yes?

INTERVIEWER: Your love life.

SEBASTIAN SHIFTS IN HIS SEAT: My love life?

INTERVIEWER: Come on, Mr. Marriott. You know that’s what all the ladies want to hear about. The one question burning in everyone’s mind. Are you single?

CHARMINGLY, SEBASTIAN MARRIOTT, BUSINESS ICON, BILLIONAIRE AND FORBES MAN OF THE YEAR, BLUSHES.

INTERVIEWER: Well? Are you?

SURELY HER QUESTION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS DARK GOOD LOOKS, BROAD SHOULDERS, LONG SINFUL LASHES…

SEBASTIAN: Well, I am seeing someone.

THE INTERVIEWER POUTS. BUT ONLY A LITTLE. Is it serious?

SEBASTIAN BLUSHES AGAIN. Serious? Yes. It is very serious. AFTER A MOMENT, HE CHUCKLES. But it didn’t start out that way. I mean, our first date almost never happened.

THE INTERVIEWER NARROWS HER EYES. A little birdie told me you met through a dating service. But not a…conventional dating service. AN EVIL GRIN. Tell us about that.

SEBASTIAN BLOWS OUT A BREATH. That’s kind of private.

THE INTERVIEWER LEANS FORWARD. This is An Intimate Conversation with Sebastian Marriott. Come now, Mr. Marriott. The world wants to know how you found the woman of your dreams.

SEBASTIAN. All right. The broad strokes. HE RAKES HIS FINGERS THROUGH HIS HAIR.

CURLS TUMBLE. THE INTERVIEWER DROOLS.

SEBASTIAN. As an incredibly busy man I rarely have time to meet women, much less date. So yes, on occasion, I have used a dating service.

INTERVIEWER: But this was no ordinary dating service, was it?

WHEN SEBASTIAN DOESN’T ANSWER THE INTERVIEWER PRESSES ON. It was, in fact Madame Eve’s One Night Stand Service. Where men, and women, can ‘hook up’ for a night of fantasy sex with absolutely no strings attached. IT IS CLEAR, FROM HER EXPRESSION, THE INTERVIEWER WOULD LIKE A NIGHT OF FANTASY SEX WITH SEBASTIAN.

ALTHOUGH SHE MIGHT PREFER THE STRINGS.

SEBASTIAN: That is correct.

INTERVIEWER: So you engaged Madame Eve, she found you your perfect woman, you had this wild night of unbelievable sex…and fell in love?

SEBASTIAN: As I said, this is private.

THE INTERVIEWER, NONPLUSSED, RIFFLES HER NOTES: Okay. So, tell me what you meant when you said the date almost never happened?

SEBASTIAN SNORTS. It had been a really long day. Even though I’d made all the arrangements for a …romantic tryst, I thought about just staying in my suite that night. I was tired. Been traveling all day. But it was more than that. I was tired of…I dunno. Tired of searching, I suppose.

INTERVIEWER: Searching for the perfect woman? Yes. We all know about your first marriage. THE INTERVIEWER MUTTERS IN AN UNDERTONE. If I were your wife, I would never cheat on you with your best friend. And your business partner…

SEBASTIAN: And my gardener.

INTERVIEWER: Yes. Of course. I’d forgotten that one. Suffice to say, you are better off out of a marriage with a woman who is not faithful.

SEBASTIAN, FIERCELY: Fidelity is everything.

THE INTERVIEWER LEANS FORWARD. PATS HIS HAND. You deserve better.

SEBASTIAN: I found better.

INTERVIEWER: But you almost didn’t go on the date Madame Eve set up for you.

SEBASTIAN CHUCKLES. I almost didn’t go. But something about the arrangements intrigued me. So I went down to the bar, where we were supposed to meet. Just to have a drink. Maybe check her out. Hell, I wasn’t even dressed for a date…

INTERVIEWER: And?

SEBASTIAN, SOFTLY: And I saw her. Laughing. Her head thrown back. Eyes sparkling. I was rooted to the spot. Couldn’t leave. Then she and her friend sat down at the table next to me. Chatting, drinking. I listened in on their conversation. Couldn’t help myself. What I heard…well, it poleaxed me.

INTERVIEWER, BREATHILY: What did you hear?

SEBASTIAN’S LIPS CURL, SLOWLY. DIMPLES WINK ON HIS CHEEK. HIS FACE IS TRANSFORMED FROM THAT OF A HARD, INTRANSIGENT BUSINESSMAN TO THAT OF A MAN IN LOVE.

INTERVIEWER, AGAIN: What did you hear?

SEBASTIAN SITS BACK AND CROSSES ONE LONG LEG OVER HIS KNEE. HE FOLDS HIS FINGERS OVER HIS BELLY AND QUIRKS A BROW. That, my dear Delilah, is private. But it was what I wanted. What I needed. What I’d been craving down to the depths of my soul. She is. My. Everything. That one night—which almost didn’t happen—gave me everything I’d been missing in my life. And more.

INTERVIEWER SIGHS. GAZES AT HIM DREAMILY: Oh Mr. Marriott…

AT HER PRODUCER’S NUDGE, SHE COLLECTS HERSELF. Well, we are almost out of time. Two more questions, Mr. Marriott, if you don’t mind.

SEBASTIAN: Sure.

INTERVIEWER: Question number one. When does the world get to meet this perfect mystery woman?

SEBASTIAN, FINGERS A SMALL BOX IN HIS POCKET. BITES BACK A SMILE: Soon.

INTERVIEWER: And if you could describe her, in one word…what would that word be?

SEBASTIAN’S SMILE BROADENS, BLOSSOMS INTO A GRIN. In one word?

INTERVIEWER: Yes.

SEBASTIAN: Without a doubt… Fierce. My Katie is fierce.

About Fierce

The last thing Katie is expecting—when she meets her friend Joy for a girls’ weekend in Vegas to celebrate her divorce—is an ambush. But Joy, determined to get Katie “back on the horse,” has submitted her profile with Madame Eve—who’s found her the perfect man.

Katie doesn’t want another man. She certainly doesn’t want or need confirmation that it’s her fault Mark could never satisfy her in bed.

When Sebastian—scarred by the infidelity of his wife—overhears Katie’s confession, and the fact that she was faithful to her husband for ten years even though he never met her needs, he’s intrigued. More than intrigued. He’s determined to prove to this gorgeous, tempting, fascinating woman that she is not frigid. In fact, she is fierce.

He took her empty glass from her and set it on the table. Then he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her away from him.

She glanced over her shoulder with a frown. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing. Just a little massage while we talk. Do you like massages?” Read the rest of this entry »

Music or Books? 

Thank God we don’t have to choose, right? My dad used to love to ask us kids if we had to pick one—being blind or being deaf—which would we choose? Of course, with braille and audiobooks, blind people can enjoy books, but I know what he was really asking—would you rather go the rest of your life without music, or without books?  As an avid reader and an adorer of music, he thought this was the dilemma of the century.

This may sound like sacrilege, but if I was on a deserted island and could have limitless books or limitless music, I’d go with music.

Music can take me out of time and place, and tell me a story. It pulls moods from me as well as any book, with the added bonus of making me shake my ass (it needs to be shaken more, I tell ya). Like an author you love—because, let’s face it, musicians are writers and then some—you can get numerous stories from your favorite bands, especially if they’ve been around for a while. And you can hear them countless times. Yes, you may re-read a favorite book, but, at least for me, it’s not something I can do over and over and over again. I think my all-time favorites I’ve read three times at most. My favorite songs I can listen to three or four times a day when they are really new and exciting, and then I revisit them periodically after the honeymoon has faded to “relive” the experience.

Again, I am so glad I’m not on that island. We can have both, and sometimes we can even have both together. My love of music (and hot musicians) inspired me to write my newest release “Forever is Now.” I especially love metal and heavy rock, and went to a number of concerts and called them “research” (if anyone from the IRS is reading this, don’t worry, I’m not deducting the ticket cost). I hit Three Days Grace the week before Adam Gontier left the band. We saw Avenged Sevenfold while I was writing “Forever” (and again this August—hey, they’re my absolute favorite). We caught Foo Fighters with Social Distortion, Stone Sour with In this Moment, and Soundgarden, sans opening act, as well this past year. All in the name of research!

Actually, that’s a load of crap. I was merely feeding my addiction. They were nothing but fun—and so was writing this book.

If you love sexy musicians and broiling-hot manlove, or maybe you enjoy a good friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-and-back-to-lovers theme, you should totally check out “Forever is Now.”

And if you like it, have no fear, the next installment is on the way. I just bought my Pearl Jam tickets to make sure I’m doing things right. 😉

If you love someone, set him free. If he steals something of yours, hunt him down and make him sorry.

Alex Bremen is over Chance Ralan. Ever since his high school boyfriend ditched him nine years ago, Alex has barely thought of Chance at all. Sure, Alex attended a concert or two when his ex’s band, Armageddon Showdown, was in the area, but that was more curiosity than anything else. Who wouldn’t want to see firsthand how his once clean-cut boyfriend transformed into a pierced and tattooed heavy metal god?

But when Chance has the nerve to record a love song Alex wrote for him years ago, Alex crosses the country to confront him. Revenge becomes a dish best served sizzling hot. The two men lock horns, but find the chemistry between them has only intensified with time, and occasionally love needs to do some growing up before it can be done right.

“I bet you never got over that first boyfriend, huh?” Delia must have been a scab-picker as a kid. She just did not quit.

“Him? I gave up on him a long time ago.”

“Well, he sounds like a real asshole, letting you go.” Delia shrugged.

“Yeah, his loss, right?”

Chance picked up his beer glass and chugged the remainder before he slammed it down on the table. He nudged the startled groupie, who scooted out of the booth with him right behind her. Like a pent-up and poked lion, he stalked to the bar. Judging by the two fingers Chance held up, he ordered a double of something clear. He threw back the shooter and stomped off toward the men’s room.

“What’s his deal?” Delia asked no one in particular.

Alex’s glass was low, and he used the opportunity to excuse himself. Jools grabbed his computer and slid it over to pick up where he left off without a skipped beat. Miles racked pool balls across the room, while Jimmy laughed loudly and chalked his cue. Alex breathed a sigh of relief to see his assistant occupied.

He was so stupid for sticking his dick in that guy. He’d have to look for another position for him—one where they wouldn’t work closely together. Obviously, Miles hadn’t gotten past it.

When Alex entered the men’s room, he initially thought Chance wasn’t in there after all. A toilet flushed, and the door on the end stall flew open hard enough to crash against the tiled wall behind it. Chance squinted at him as they both stood before the row of sinks, the rocker washing his hands and Alex giving him a dull stare.

“What the fuck are you playing at, Alex? Why are you here?”

“What am I playing at? You’ve got to be kidding, right?”

“You come here just to screw with my head?” Chance stared accusingly into the mirror, moss-green eyes skewering Alex.

“Like you need any help with that, Chance. I think your head is fucked well and good, and it’s got nothing to do with me. Besides, you sent me a goddamn bat signal on the airwaves when you used my song!”

“So, you didn’t just show up ’cause you missed this, huh?” He grinned maliciously into the glass while he grabbed his crotch in a mocking gesture. In the harsh lighting, even with his dark makeup ringing his eyes from the concert, and the ebony spiral of a dragon’s body curling around his neck and disappearing into the ripped collar of his shirt, Alex could still see flashes of the boy he once knew. The row of stainless steel rings that marched up his left earlobe, and the skinny black leather pants, the anti-social hair and full sleeves of ink—even the cold and cynical glint in his eyes couldn’t completely mask the Chance Alex used to adore.

“How could you sing that song? I know I lost the competition. You needed to be a rock star more than you need me. I’m over it. But here you fuckin’ are, Chance—you made it to the big time without me, and without that song. The least you could do is show an ounce of fucking respect for what we had.”

“I do… I didn’t…” He tripped over his words, and Alex shook his head, about to walk out. Distance was the best thing to have between them. Why did he think confronting Chance would bring some sort of resolution, some kind of healing to the wound that never closed no matter how much time passed? He should have known being so near Chance would tear him apart all over again.

“Wait. Alex?” Chance exhaled a deep breath as if trying to decide if he really wanted to say whatever he was about to.

“I was drunk one night. I couldn’t get you … that song out of my head. I just thought if I sang it, I could sleep, ya know? Cliff heard me. Said we had to cut it.” Chance shook his head as if to negate his words. “He had the rest of the band pressure me.”

“So, once again, I lose to the band, huh? It’s classic Chance. You fucked me over for your career already! Years later, with an entire country between us, you do it again? I let you go, Chance. You should do the same.”

“Did you really?” Chance turned toward him, closing the distance between their bodies. Alex smelled sweat and leather, and Chance’s breath held the essence of liquor as he spoke. “You want to tell me you didn’t think about me at all this whole time? Is that why you never tried to find me? Never called?”

“Are you fucking serious? Is that what I was supposed to do?” Alex clenched his fists, torn between wanting to hit him, and dying to know if his lips, his tongue, tasted like vodka, or beer, or both.

“It woulda shown you cared.”

“I see the world still revolves around you. Nice to know some things never change.”

“Yeah, some things don’t. Your eyes are still that same amazing blue.” Chance leaned closer and the tip of his tongue flicked out to smooth his lips. “I still feel like I could just … dive into them and drown.”

Fuck. A shiver of excitement rumbled through Alex’s body. He had come here to yell at him, to make him realize what a self-centered prick he was. Hopefully shame him, at least a little. After that he was going to leave.

Instead, he leaned in, and his lips were on Chance’s. And, good lord, he tasted and smelled just the way Alex remembered underneath the burn of booze. Chance’s face was rougher against his chin and cheeks, not like the smooth-faced boy Alex used to steal kisses from. Damn, if the man wasn’t so much hotter. He licked the seam of Chance’s closed lips and the guy groaned beneath Alex’s onslaught while his mouth opened in response. Their tongues met, and Chance molded his warm body against Alex’s.

Christ, he feels almost too good.

Alex’s hand wrapped around the back of Chance’s neck. He loved the thatch of hair at Chance’s nape. Different color, but still reassuringly soft. Threading his fingers through the silky mass, he pulled Chance’s mouth closer, his tongue deeper into his own moist heat.

Alex smiled against Chance’s mouth as the rocker ground his hips upward into Alex’s throbbing groin. The guy’s cock was hot and hard, wrapped in buttery leather. It surged against Alex’s hard-on.

Not everything changed.

The squeak of the outer door being tugged open broke the love buzz, and Chance wrenched guiltily out of his arms.

Alex turned on the tap in a liquid-lightning move and started splashing water around as nonchalantly as he could manage. The sink was the right height to cover most of the bulge in his pants, and he prayed it would be enough.

When Dave wobbled in with a shit-faced grin and a “Heyahh!” Alex knew they were safe. Chance was safe, actually, because Alex had quit giving a donkey’s dick what anyone thought about his sexuality a long time ago.

He ran wet fingers through his dark-brown hair and spared Chance a last look. He wouldn’t even make eye contact. The guy was obviously freaked out of his mind.

Alex laughed out loud at the look of abject terror twisting Chance’s face, and gave Dave a nod as he walked out. His balls burned with disappointment, but his heart was lighter than it had been in a long time.

———

Find Forever is Now from Liquid Silver Books, Amazon, All Romance, and other major e-book retailers beginning 9/9/13.

And stop by my blog— www.kimbervale.wordpress.com —to help me name the puppy in book two of my Shooting Stars series. The winner will get a shout-out in my acknowledgments, an e-copy of book two (Double Takes) when it releases, and a $20 Amazon gift card.  You have until 10/6 to get your name suggestions in, so get to work on something totally rocking!  And thanks for playing!

-Kimber Vale

www.kimbervale.com

Hello, all you delicious Delilah D fans. Love her writing, and love the chance to chat with her readers. Waving—thanks for the invite, Ms D!

I’ve been having a blast this summer and fall, writing a hot, hot, hot new series for Samhain. Club 3 debuted October 1^st, which I love. October just seems like the month to get naughty, you know? With Halloween coming, my Bad Girl starts twitching her tail and wanting to get in T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

So what’s the worst kind of trouble a girl can get into? Well … does mouthing off to not one, not two, but three doms in her first night at a new club count? Yikes! Think that would do it. The only question will be how hard is that spanking gonna be?

I love reading BDSM and D/s. But for me, it’s not about the physical, it’s about the emotional. In real life I’m shy, and passed up a few guys in whom I was genuinely interested because I could not get my stupid tongue untangled long enough to chat with them.  God blessed me (and he was no doubt rolling his eyes by then) by plunking my handsome husband before me at a big dance club in Montana when I’d had just enough alcohol to loosen up and actually act out my extreme interest in this hunk. Through two handsome sons, several moves and life crises, we are still together. Love my alpha male!

Daisy Charles, the heroine of She’s All In is the girl I always wished I was, but wasn’t. She has the spunk to walk up to a big, handsome weightlifter that she knows is a dom, and ask him for a date.

He turns her down. Yeah, there’s a crusher. But Daisy, being a tough woman who’s gone through hell in her own way, jumps right back up and agrees to try things his way first. By accepting an invitation to his BDSM club.

Now, I’m going to slam on the brakes, and tell you WHY I wrote this series. I love BDSM, but  … many of the stories I read include elements that are not right for me. Isn’t that the way with erotic romance? When a story is intense, passionate, raw and delves into the darker side of the human psyche, there are bound to be scenes, or even just lines that make us uncomfortable.  Sometimes in a fun, squirm-in-our-seats way and sometimes in an I-can’t-handle-this way.

That’s how I am with the darker BDSM. I fully support those who love that. I don’t. What I do love about BDSM romance  is the emotional risk, the need to connect on a deep level, the trust that develops. The capacity for ecstasy when it works, and for stark emotional pain when that trust is broken, sometimes unwittingly.

So that’s what I write. Light BDSM. I tried the term ‘vanilla BDSM’, lol, but just confused the heck out of many readers. Yeah, I see you wrinkling your cute little nose at the computer. You too, huh?

If you’d love to try a romance with plenty of heat, a few chuckles and some heartbreak, leave a comment and let us know what you enjoy about reading D/s and BDSM. I’ll give away a copy of the ebook, SHE’S ALL IN here. PLEASE leave your email addy so I can find you!

For an excerpt, visit  Samhain Publishing. And stop by My Website for more chances to win. You might also win my Naughty Club 3 Halloween Basket!

Best,

Cathryn Cade

Goodreads, My Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Samhain Author Page,

And sign up for My Newsletter for a chance to win goodies!

Bondage Boot Camp Part 1 & Contest

When I decided to write my first BDSM novel, Together in Cyn, I thought I was so prepared to write it, because A) I’ve read the genre for years, B) I had what I thought was a great story, and C) I’ve watched porn.

Of course this, in my mind, meant I had all my bases covered and I was ready to write the story.

I wrote it, submitted it, it was accepted, I turned around and signed with the agency I’ve always wanted, and someone how or another that turned into a 10 book contract within 4 months. Thus the Members Only series was born. Haaaaaaa!! (Please picture sparkly lights coming down from pretty clouds here, because seriously it was that cool. **SMILE**)

Then my fabulous editor gave me my first round of edits. Holy shitballs, Batman!! I’m pretty sure a crayon box exploded on the MS. I organized it, made a spreadsheet of what I needed to do, did a major re-write on a few chapters, added more sex—‘cause I COULD, and then sent it back.

Between this round of edits and the second one – guess where I went?

You guessed it! Bondage Boot Camp.

Was it really called that? No, but that’s what it was. For me anyways. It was two and a half days of bondage, bondage, and more bondage. Chains, duct tape, and lots and lots of rope. Shibari bondage has a very special place in my heart. It’s wonderful and beautiful, and painful, and cleansing, and sexy, even if there’s no sex involved.

That brings me to the most important revelation of Boot Camp. Bondage does not equal sex. And bondage, at least the good bondage is better than porn even without the sex. It’s about a connection between a top and a bottom. Speaking to each other in complete silence. Their breathing coalescing in a symphony of not a single spoken word. Maybe a moan, or laughter. It’s so very different than what I had in my head. I am forever grateful for being exposed to this.

When I got the last round of edits for Together in Cyn my head was finally in the right place. In a space where bondage can coexist with the vanilla and blossom. Self-discovery is amazing and I hope each and every one of you has a chance to experience something that changes you, moves you, makes you look at the world from a different perspective to find something inside you never knew to look for.

Now you may notice that it says Part 1 in the title. As I write this, I am scheduled to go to another bondage convention in T-minus 4 days. Next month on Oct 20^th, right here on DD’s blog, I’ll let you know how this one went. I can’t wait!!

CONTEST – Bad Girls of Romance Trading Cards plus Swag and Trading cards from yours truly. Get them before anyone else!! They are so hot you might need gloves to open the package!

Tell me if you’ve had any revelations like mine in regards to kink? What did you discover is VERY different from a pre-conceived notion you had?

Members Only, Book One

She knows it’s wrong. Cyn shouldn’t have feelings for fraternal twins Jared and Chris, her best friends. She shouldn’t want them to tie her up or strap her down, to take her one at a time—or together. The only way to control her taboo desires is to write them down and lock them away in her diary. Guys like Jared and Chris could never be interested in someone like her, or in the kind of sex she craves.

But Jared and Chris have read her diary, and sweet little Cyn is in for the shock of her life. The brothers not only own a members-only BDSM club, they want her. Need her. And now, with their unlimited funds and an entire establishment devoted to fulfilling her darkest pleasures, they’re going to claim Cyn for their own.

Inside Scoop: If you have a kink, this book probably has it too. If you like your ménage romances extra hot with a side of male-male romance, spanking, voyeurism and girl-on-girl action, come and get it.

A Romantica® BDSM erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Buy Links below and others on the TIC webpage along with an Excerpt and Video
Amazon | Ellora’s Cave | Barnes and Noble

Website – https://www.jenniferkacey.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.kacey.7
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JenniferKacey
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6941549.Jennifer_Kacey
Pinterest – https://pinterest.com/jenniferkacey/

Jennifer Kacey is a wife, mother, and business owner living with her family in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

The Lure Of The Selkie

First, thanks to Delilah for having me on the blog today!  Glad to be here.

Second, I’m thrilled to talk about one of my favorite magical creatures.

My favorite stories are those made of myth and magic.  For me, a supernatural hero is the ultimate bad boy.  He usually struggles with the fact he’s trapped between the human and magical worlds and that can make for great conflict.  One such creature I’ve always been fond of is the Selkie. Below are some magical facts about the Selkie.

Selkies are magical, shapeshifting seal people born of myth from Celtic legend, especially Irish and Scottish legend.  But similar seal creatures exist in many cultures. They’re usually very good looking. And very sexy.  It’s been said male Selkies come ashore for the sole purpose of finding a mortal woman in need of a good romp.

If a Selkie comes ashore and sheds his/her skin, then he/she must remain in human form until the skin is found.  This also means they cannot return to the sea until their pelt is recovered.

According to legend, if a mortal woman wished to meet a male Selkie, she could do so by crying seven tears into the sea. Those tears would be answered by her Selkie who would then come ashore for an amorous encounter.

If a mortal male found a discarded female Selkie skin, and stole it, the Selkie woman would then remain land-bound and become his wife. In the latter, it is usually the children of the Selkie who eventually return the skin to their mother, who then leaves them for the call of the sea.  Selkie children often have webbed fingers or toes.

In my novella, IN THE SHADOW OF THE SELKIE, my Selkie hero is also part vampire.  His enemy comes from the Fin-folk—a darker, not-so-nice sea shifter from Celtic legend.  My heroine is part-human, part-Selkie.

I’d love to know what’s your favorite magical creature. And if you have a favorite myth or legend you like to read.

In the Shadow of the Selkie
ISBN: 1-59998-874-7
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Red Hots!
Length: Novella
Buy at: Samhain | Amazon | B&N | Kobo

In the dangerous world of the selkie underground, a selkie vampire king and a mortal woman join forces to fight the queen of darkness that would destroy them all.

Lady Theodosia Barrett is blackmailed by Dubheasa, Queen of the Dark Fin-Folk, and forced to stalk the Cu Maran crypts in search of a selkie king’s pelt. What she finds is the king himself—and he isn’t only a selkie, but also a vampire. Calling upon her skills as a vampire hunter, Theo stakes him. But she doesn’t complete the kill. A year later, King Roane comes back, demanding her hand in marriage.

Theo has no choice. To protect her family, she must accept.

Selkie vampire King Roane Cu Mara is determined to keep his people safe from the Dark Fin-Folk. To do so, he must first solve the puzzle as to why Theo, a soul born to protect the selkies, tried to kill him. Until he can figure out why she betrayed her own kind, Roane sets out to keep a close eye on her by making her his bride.

But even as Theo begins to warm Roane’s cold, vampyric heart, Queen Dubheasa plots to destroy selkie-kind in a twisted quest to make Roane her own. For she knows something that Roane doesn’t—Theo’s soul holds the key to keeping the selkie kingdom alive.

AUTHOR BIO:
M.A. duBarry is a native New Yorker who’s as zany as the city she grew up in. As a child her favorite toy was Emerald The Witch, a small doll with green eyes, green hair and purple skin.

Miss duBarry’s books and novellas have garnered numerous awards and nominations, including the Sapphire Award, P.E.A.R.L. Award & Word Weaving Award. Her books have also been featured on Midwest Book Review’s Book Watch TV. M.A.’s first novel, COME THE NIGHT (w/a Angelique Armae), made Fictionwise’s Best of the Best list, rounding out the top five best selling dark fantasy books of the year. Her most recent novel, SHADOWS OF THE SOUL (w/a Angelique Armae) made the Amazon Kindle and Books bestsellers lists.

When not working, Ms. duBarry enjoys traveling, learning about the ancient Celts, exploring history and learning new languages (she’s fluent in English and Italian and speaks some French). M.A. studied history and French literature at SkidmoreCollege.

Visit her website

Naughty Things Cowboys Do

 Howdy! In celebration of my latest release UNBROKEN, a hot new contemporary western ménage a trois, I’d like to share the top five naughty things cowboys do.

*clears throat* Okay, let’s see if I can think coherently.

1. Tip their hats and say “how’s it goin’ ma’am?” –just like the Jewel song Do You, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOVzkz9cLwI) these rugged shoot ‘em ups do that thing with their thumbs against the brims of their hats that make a woman’s knees turn to jelly .
2. Glare –Something about a piercing glare from beneath a hat brim sends out a warning to everyone in their vicinity. Although we ladies flock to that kind of alpha male, right?
3. Fistfight – who doesn’t love to watch a couple pissed-off cowboys taking a swing at each other? As one friend put it to me when I told him I was writing a fight scene between cowboys, “Go for the one-punch, Em. We cowboys do it right the first time!”
4. Hook their thumbs in their belt buckles – watching a man hook his thumb in that belt only draws attention to his hips swathed in denim, or denim with chaps. Who doesn’t want to ogle that?
5. Care for animals –Because their lives are spent around cattle and horses, they appreciate how to care for them. Does this mean they’re in tune with their softer sides? I’d like to think so. At least the cowboys in my story Outlaws of Love are!

What drives you crazy about a rough and tumble type? I’d love to hear from you. And please read on for an excerpt of my new release!

It’ll take more than rope to tie down the man they love.

Country Fever, Book 3

When Christian comes out of the bar to find a bat-wielding country girl beating the hell out of his best friend Tucker’s truck, he does the only thing he can—he flirts with her. Unfortunately, he knows her pain—he’s in love with Tucker too.

Claire plans to nurse her bruised heart alone, but inevitably Tucker draws her back in—along with Christian—and the three of them tumble headlong into delirious passion. Then she and Christian wake to find that Tucker has fled his horse ranch, leaving them to care for the animals and each other.

Still grieving the death of his fiancée, pressured to sign over mining rights to a coal company, Tucker is boots-deep in emotional turmoil. Running only sharpens his longing for what he truly wants—Christian and Claire in his bed, in the barn, and under the stars.

But roping themselves firmly inside the circle of love will take everything they have—bulldogged determination, flying fists and aching hearts.

Product Warnings: Wrangle one heartsick cowboy, and the man and woman who love him. Throw in weeks of working in close quarters, bales of pent-up lust, and feel the burn of prairie-fire-hot desire. Now just try to walk away with your heart unbranded.

EXCERPT–rated melting-hot ADULT

“That’s it, baby. Open to me. Let me make you cling to the ceiling while Christian watches you come apart.”

Claire pasted a hand over Tucker’s chest, absorbing the rumble of his words. She darted a glance at Christian to find his eyes hooded with longing, his hard jaw set and fists clenched as if struggling to keep from diving into the booth with them.

Tucker drove his finger deep into her pussy, plunging it in and out twice then smearing the juices over her distended button. Pleasure surged, rushed in her ears. He circled her clit once…twice.

Ground it against her body.

And she spasmed. Digging her fingers into Tucker’s nape, she drew his mouth to hers as her pussy contracted wildly.

All the time, she stared into Christian’s eyes.

Her head spun as she came back down to reality. Crash landed, actually, when the cook called her name from the back room.
Tucker pulled his hand free and his mouth free and slid out of the booth. “I’ll handle this, baby doll.”

A boneless lump still twitching with pleasure, Claire could do nothing more than watch her lover stride across the diner to intercept the cook.
Claire met Christian’s dark, excited gaze. “You’re beautiful, you know.”

Warmth shot to her heart, causing a blossom of sudden affection. She felt her smile spread. “So are you. So is he.” She jerked her jaw at the man that wicked up all of the life in the room.

Christian swung his gaze toward the cowboy who was persuading the cook to take over the operation of the whole diner tonight, since it was so slow.

“Yeah,” Christian said slowly, as if dumbstruck, “a man like that should have a warning label.”

Buy Unbroken: Samhain | Amazon | BN

Thanks for reading! I’m giving away 1 e-book to one lucky commenter! Winner’s choice from my backlist.

Em Petrova
~hardworking heroes–in bed and out~
www.empetrova.com

The Business of Writing

First, I want to thank Delilah for having me here today. I’m very excited to chat with all of you.

I’m not sure if many of us start out writing thinking we were starting our own business, right? We started writing because we had a story to tell. Or the voices in our heads wouldn’t leave us alone. It was most likely an artist venture or a personal journey. Not a business decision.

Then, once we had that lovely little story in hand, we thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could get it published.” The thought is much easier than the action, but the action starts a chain reaction which leads to a lot of work we probably never expected.

Writing may be artistic, but you need an MBA to deal with the business of publishing. Whether you contract with a publishing house or self-publish, technically we are all self-employed. What does that mean? A lot of work, planning and thinking.

My question to you today is do you treat your writing like a business?

Huh? What? (I know that’s what went through many of your minds.)

Here are some things you should think about as a business owner of (Your Name Here) Publishing.

• Do you have a business plan with both short and long-term strategies? – Why do you need a business plan? It is your business/career map. It keeps you focused on your writing career goals and measures the success of your business. Most business fail because they never understood what success looks like. And success doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. Understand where you want to go and map out the direction to get you there.
• Show me your short and long-term marketing plan. – Most of the time this is a part of your business plan. I tend to keep one outside of my business plan because I look at my marketing plan more frequently than my business plan. You need to track how much money marketing activities are costing you and whether you’re getting a return on your investment. Do you know which activities actually translate to sales? Most writer would say no. Why? Because they never track and measure the outcomes of a marketing activity. If you advertise at a site, what do you get from it? If you get no return on your investment, don’t keep advertising. How do you measure? Document your sales prior to the marketing activity going live, then check it for the week after it ends. How many sales did you get? What was your profit? Now subtract the cost of running the promotion. Did it make or cost you money? If it cost you money, did you get something else in return? (i.e. additional followers) Yes. All these things go into planning your marketing. I tend to look at my marketing plan each quarter, adding new items or removing items which no longer work.
• Where do you want to spend your time? – This is something that is hard for me. We are writers. As writers, we need to do what? WRITE! So, don’t try to be an expert at everything or sometimes there is value in outsourcing. I found myself, especially since I self-pub some of my books, spending more time doing things like building/administering my website or trying to create banners or book covers. Those things are not my expertise, even if I could figure out how to do them. They also took way too much time away from my actual writing. Yes. We all want to save money, especially since there is very little aggregate profit in each book. But as authors our job is to write the best book we can and keep pumping them out for our fans. Spend your time and energy where it matters.

Those are a few activities which will help you with the business side of your writing. I’ve learn to appreciate having a strong business component in my day job to help manage my writing business. You don’t need a business degree to do this. Just a little common sense and awareness.

Upcoming Release in November 2013 – Book 3 in the Dueling with the Devil Series

Stolen Innocence Blurb:

They say ignorance is bliss, but when it comes to love and mating, Charity Lovell wished someone had schooled her on the ins and outs. She fell hard when she saw the beautiful face of the fair-haired demon as he lay broken in Lucifer’s dungeon. Her body ached for him. Her heart cried for him. This had to be her mate, right? Who else could make her trade her soul to the Devil to save someone she didn’t know? Someone should’ve told her love wasn’t quite as straight forward as that.

Damon lived an uncomplicated life, even as the alpha of the Lake Charles pack and the son of Lucifer. He should’ve taken a mate years ago, but held on to the hope of love. Only one female came close to making him believe he still had a chance for happiness. Yet, her heart belonged to someone else. Once again, the feeling is back, stronger than ever. And again, his female has pledged herself to another. Damn demons were ruining his love life. This time Damon plans to fight for what is his and win his rightful mate.

Author Bio:

Although Vivi Dumas grew up an Army brat, she calls Louisiana home, but have endured the hot summers and cold winters of Maryland for the last 16 years. She is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University with an MBA in Finance and Marketing. Her analytical side has honed a career in the financial industry for almost twenty years. To balance her logical, numerical day job, she unleashes her creativity in her writing.

Vivi pens multicultural paranormal romance, mixing the two genres she loves. Her steamy paranormal romances indulge in worlds inhabited by demons, werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural beings. She has published works with Decadent Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and Breathless Press.

Website Address: www.vividumas.com
Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/vivi_dumas
Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/vividumasfanhub