Hot Summer Nights Bloghop

I want to thank you all for stopping by my blog for this bloghop.  The winner of a copy of Bound To Protect is Vanessa N. Congrats!

Hot Summer Nights Erotica Bloghop

Today, I'm taking part in the Hot Summer Nights Erotica Bloghop. No doubt that in the summertime you find some people having a hot summer fling, only to end it as fall draws closer. The days are longer and a lot hotter. There's so much that lovers can do to cool off.

Some days get to over 100 degrees like in Las Vegas. I'm sure when it's that hot you might need to find some naughty things to do inside to cool off.  Maybe a shower for two, or a skinny dip in an indoor pool, or letting a man master your body while you're tied helpless to the bed.

In my book Bound To Protect, Katie lets Chad cuff her to the bed and show her what she's been missing in her life. He must also protect her from a crazy ex-lover that wants her dead.

Blurb

Katie Thomas has been living a secret life for four years to keep safe. She’s scared and not sure what to do, until she moves next door to fellow doctor, Chad Davis. One sizzling night together has her yearning for more, but what he wants in the bedroom is a threat to everything she’s ever believed.

Chad Davis has always had a thing for the sexy doctor. Assigned to protect Katie, he is determined to bring down her ex. His reasons are personal, but one erotic night together in his bed is all it takes for his priorities to shift. He is not giving her up, no matter how much she insists she is not right for him.

Can Chad help Katie unlock her hidden desires and prove to her she means more to him than a fling?

Excerpt:

The moans coming from Katie just about did him in. Chad lowered her onto the bed and the grip of her arms around his neck tightened. For a moment, she pulled away from the kiss.

“I’ve got you. I won’t drop you.”

A smile crossed her face and made his heart grip tighter against his chest. He was going to enjoy teaching her to be submissive.

“Take your shirt off,” he said with a gruff voice.

“What?”

“You heard what I said.” She stiffened and pulled her legs against her chest. Chad stifled a curse. He had to get his dominant side in check if he was going to reach her. He couldn’t go all “hard-ass” on her the first time. What she needed right now was reassurance that she was safe enough with him to truly let go.

“You’re not going to take it off?” Uncertainty laced her voice. .

“If I wanted to take it off of you, I would have.” Kneeling on the bed beside her, Chad promised himself to go as slowly as she needed. His gut told him she wanted this even if she wasn’t sure how it worked. It was part of his job to show her what her body wanted, needed and craved deep down inside. “If you didn’t have a fantasy about this, you wouldn’t have books on BDSM. Let me show you what your body secretly craves.”

“I’m not a helpless bimbo that needs to be told what to do to get off,” she spit back.

He hardly kept his laugh inside. She still wanted to fight what he knew her body wanted, but her independent streak was woven so deeply that she didn’t want to let go and feel. Hell, after all she’d been through, he could understand why. That was one thing he admired about her.  Katie didn’t take shit from anyone.

 ****

“Is that so?” Butterflies slammed against her stomach as his hand continued to roam her body. For a moment she worried about Chad's taking things too far, about not being what he needed in a woman. What if she wasn’t built to do what he wanted? He didn’t give her much time to think on that before slipping off her thong. Now she was completely naked with his hard body pressed against hers.

“Yes. Now, no talking, unless you’re screaming out my name. Until then, call me ‘Sir’.”

“What if I have a question or something is bothering me?”

“Address me as ‘Sir’ and we’ll deal with it. Are you ready?”

 Katie nodded. Nothing could happen to her, and if she needed it, she had a safe word. If she had to, she’d hold onto that reassurance with all her might and not hesitate to speak the safe word if things overwhelmed her. That was the whole point of having a safe word.

“I asked you a question.”

Drawing in her bottom lip, she grazed it with her teeth. “Yes, I’m ready.”

“Yes, what, Katie?” He stopped the caress just a whisper away from her breast. She desperately wanted him to touch her again. Arching towards him, she tried to bring her body into contact with his hand, but he moved.

“Yes, Sir. I’m ready.”

“Relax. Every time I touch you, I can feel you jump. No one’s going to hurt you here.”

Taking in a deep breath, she willed herself to relax, or at least try. Before, this was the point where she’d have trouble and start to pull back from her lover.

“Shouldn’t we lie down?”

“If I thought we needed to, then I’d have told you. Get in the middle of the bed and sit back on your heels.” He could almost see the wheels turning in her head, and for a moment, he wondered if she would use the safe word. Taking a breath, she moved to the bed and did as he had told her. Good girl. Chad climbed on the bed behind her. He palmed her ass, sending heat racing down her body. “Anyone ever take you back here?”

Oh God, not there! That shouldn’t turn her on even more. Chad’s body heat seeped into her back as he blanketed her with the hard muscles of his chest. His hand moved between her thighs.

“Don’t make me ask again. I’ll spank your ass next time.”

“Yes, but I don’t like it. It hurts.” She turned her head to glance at him. “No anal. I can’t do that. You can kiss your chance to fuck me away if you think you’re going to hit me.” Never again would she allow a man to hit her. Being that weak again wasn’t an option anymore. Moisture seeped between her thighs at the erotic thought of  him smacking her, but no way would she tell him that it turned her on to have him do it. She'd read about it in her books, and it was never abusive. According to the books, it was always done in a safe manner, and brought the woman pleasure. There’d been times that she’d been so turned on after reading that she had to take care of things on her own. And she had no doubts that Chad would see to her pleasure in every way.

Prizes!

Comment below to win a copy of Bound To Protect or one of the grand prizes from the blog hop.

Grand Prize #1: $100 Gift Card to Fun Online Sex Shop EdenFantasys

Grand Prize #2: Digital Gift Basket with 50 Erotica Books

Special thanks to Kitty Thomas, Candace Blevins, Cari Quinn, Cara Bristol, Karla Doyle, Lucy V. Morgan, Eliza Gayle,Annika Martin, Donya Lynne, Savannah Chase, Sara Brookes, Shoshanna Evers, Bonnie Bliss, Lillian Grant, Cari Silverwood, Jennifer Lynne, Alyssa Fox, Annabelle Weston, Cassandra Carr, Elise Hepner, Eliza Knight, Suzanne Rock, Skhye Moncrief, Leila Desint, Erica Chilson, Daryl Devore, Malia Mallory, Sadey Quinn, Brandy Buckwhine,Sasha White, Jane Lyre, Ella Ardent, Trinity Jane, Aubrey Watt, Shyla Colt, Patricia Green, Brandi Whyne, Lolita Lopez, Katie O’Connor, Taryn Elliot, Doris O’Connor, Tonya Kinzer, Marie-Claire Payne, Tory Richards, Raven McAllan, Becca Simone, Adriana Kraft, Steve Tindle & Brenda Woody for their donations.

Visit each stop on the bloghop for chances to win a different individual prize as well as be entered to win one of the grand prizes:http://skyewarren.com/summerhop/

Wednesday Excerpt

This week I have Lola Drake with me with her new release Pursuit of a Kiss.

Ousted from Olympus until he can restore true love to the world, Eros stumbles upon a match made in heaven – if they can survive hell first.

Juliet doesn’t have much in common with her namesake. Her career-centric life sorely lacks romance. Then one night everything changes when she witnesses a gang shooting, and she ends up a victim herself.

FBI Agent Jake Parker has known Juliet for years, but only as the baby sister of his best friend. He still imagines her as the awkward teenager she used to be. When Jake must protect Juliet from the gang determined to eliminate the only witness who can testify against them, he discovers that he’s not the only one who’s changed in the last ten years.

As sparks fly and the danger mounts, Juliet and Jake must decide what they're willing to risk in the pursuit of what's possibly true love's kiss.

Excerpt

Juliet emerged from the shower, relieved to be out of the hospital and back at her own house. Pulling off the plastic bag that had kept her arm dry, she limped to the closet – her hip still a bit sore from the “flesh wound.” Easy for doctors to say––it wasn’t their flesh that bullet had blazed a path across. She knew she had far more pressing things to worry about, but she couldn’t help taking a moment to hope the scar wouldn’t be too ugly once it healed. 

Ablutions complete, she sank, exhausted, onto the chair in front of her old-fashioned white vanity. Her mother had used that vanity as a teenager, and she’d given it to Juliet for her sixteenth birthday. Now, even at twenty-nine, Juliet still loved using it. Somehow she always felt prettier seeing her reflection in that ornate antique mirror than she did anywhere else, especially in the last few years since her mother died. She trailed her finger over a tiny crack in the wood. Her mother had been furious when Juliet had done that. Now, however, as she rested her palm upon it, she couldn’t think of anything in the world she wanted more than a hug from her mother and her reassuring voice saying everything would be all right.

The soft knock on the door startled her. “Come in.”

Jake poked his head in the doorway. “Are you doing okay? Need any help?”

“I’m managing.”

“You in a lot of pain?”

Juliet shook her head, attempting to brush her hair left-handed. “The medication helps. I’m more frustrated than anything.”

“So let me help.”

Jake came up behind her, took the brush from her hand, and stroked it through her hair. His thumb grazed the back of her neck as he gathered up a section of curls, holding them so he wouldn’t pull at her head as he worked out a tangle. Their eyes met in the mirror and held. Juliet’s heart thumped in her chest so loudly she wondered if Jake could hear it. If he did, he gave nothing away as he ran his long fingers gently across her scalp.

“You have beautiful hair.”

Juliet chuckled. “Now I know you’re feeling sorry for me. My hair’s brown and boring.”

Jake shook his head, gently separating out a few strands. His eyes met hers in the mirror once more. “No it’s not. It has shades of auburn and even gold under certain light. It’s beautiful.”

Her breath caught. The air around them grew heavy with expectation as once more their eyes locked through the mirror. Slowly, as though afraid any movement might startle him like a frightened deer in the woods, Juliet turned around to face him. Desire flared inside her. She’d wanted him for so long, and now, with the heat in his gaze… was he finally going to kiss her after all these years? 

Keeping her eyes glued to his, she rose, their bodies so close they practically touched. Jake’s breath warmed her cheek and a need, a hunger flared in his eyes. As he leaned in, Juliet’s eyes drifted closed, the anticipation of having his mouth on hers at last overwhelming her. And then it happened, his lips touched her––on the forehead. 

What the…? Juliet’s eyes flew open. 

Jake abruptly stepped back, setting down her brush. “Got any good movies? Let’s go watch a movie. I need a beer.” He turned on his heel and practically sprinted from the room.

Juliet couldn’t understand what the hell had just happened. She did know she wished she had thrown the brush at his retreating back. He clearly wanted her. Didn’t he?

A photo of her and her brother Aaron from her high school graduation caught her eye. Oh yeah. Aaron. Maybe that had prompted Jake’s decision not to touch her? At least, she hoped that was the reason and not that he still thought of her as an ungainly kid sister. But she felt sure she hadn’t imagined anything. He had lightly licked in his lips in that moment before leaning in, and the way he had caressed her hair definitely didn’t feel like something a brother would do.

No, Jake wanted her. And she would convince him to see that.

You can purchase Pursuit of a Kiss from Evernight Publishing.

Wednesday Excerpt

 I know I've been away for a small break, but now I'm back and have switched to doing Excerpts on Wednesday's instead of Tuesday's. This week I have Allison Grey with me.

BLURB

Newly wed half-vampires Reney and Ahulani have just had their first child, and they couldn’t be happier…if they didn’t live in constant fear of the vampires Jane and Marian. The cousin of the vampire Richard, Marian is a notoriously sadistic intellectual who will stop at nothing to please his lovers. When the half-lings find out Jane will only be satisfied with the murder of their daughter, they must travel to the homeland of the vampires to try and make the first move in a horrifying race to save their daughter.

Only a head vampire stands a chance in a fight with Marian Popescu, and Reney can think of only one with any incentive to assist…. He wants his throne back. Reney wants her life back. But will their worst enemy really team up with them without turning on the half-lings himself?

EXCERPT

He kissed her, and they embraced for a moment before Reney became aroused as her body caressed her lover’s. The pregnancy hadn’t taken much of a toll on Reney’s figure, and the weight had wilted off her tall frame in a matter of a few weeks. Even if it had not, Reney wouldn’t have minded. ‘Olina was everything she had ever dreamed of. The moment her baby was born, an intense and instantaneous love struck. It overtook her so much she found herself in tears at moments. With Ahulani beside her, it was somehow easy to forget all the horrors they

had seen since they had met last year. Richard was the hardest to try and stop thinking about. He was the vampire who had lured Reney to the Hawaii in order to drink the blood of a half-vampire, and Reney hadn’t even known what she was yet. She was a half-ling, a half-vampire, and the blood of her kind was like ambrosia to the full vampires. They had faced him again in Romania. It was there that Reney’s former best friend, Jane, had killed him. The two women had worked together in New York as interns at So Glam magazine. Their cubicles had been side by side, and a close friendship had formed between them. But their entire friendship had been no more than a ruse, a plot to lure Reney into Richard’s hands. Jane was also a half-ling, but had known her entire life. She had been obsessed with Richard. Infatuated to the point of madness. She had killed Richard when she found out about….

Reney shook away the thought. It was all in the past now. A mistake. Jane, now a full vampire after drinking Richard’s blood, hadn’t made contact with them thus far. But Reney had feared retribution from Jane, who became furious when she found out Richard had seduced Reney. This had all taken place while she was with Ahulani, further galling Jane and mortifying Reney to the point of denial. After she had slept with him, Richard revealed to her that a special half-ling like Reney would be unable to resist the charms of a full vampire. He had used it to his advantage, to try to mate with Reney and produce an heir for himself.

It was better that he had died. Reney had been terrified of an attack from Jane while she was pregnant with ‘Olina. The pregnancy had passed peacefully though, if one did not count morning sickness. Reney suspected now that Jane had regretted killing Richard shortly after the fatal staking. Hopefully she had gone too mad with grief to even seek revenge. Jane had never been one for biding her time. Reney took solace that Ahulani’s family, all powerful half-lings, surrounded her. She may be able to raise their daughter in a rather normal, safe environment. At least, she hoped so.

But for now, they had a rare moment together. The first few months of ‘Olina’s life had been constant waking and feedings, and she treasured her private time with Ahulani in a whole new way.  She breathed in Ahulani’s scent. That sweet cinnamon fragrance he seemed to exude from his very pores. Reney kissed her husband, the man who had put a ring on her finger immediately after discovering the pregnancy. It had all been so fast, but Reney was fine with that. She knew in her heart she was meant to be with Ahulani for eternity.

    “Kiss me, you fool,” Reney said, and rolled away from him. 
    He grabbed her by the shoulders and she giggled as he flipped her over.
    “Yes, Ma’am,” he smiled.

He pressed his mouth to hers, engulfing Reney in his charming aroma, coveting her. She sighed. Within a few moments, her satin nightgown lay on the floor next to Ahulani’s clothing. Reney moaned, enjoying every touch as his warm hands explored her breasts. He handled her body as if she were a new and fascinating lover every time he was with her.

    It was faster than either of them would have liked. Ahulani writhed his warm, soft hips into her own, shaking her insides faster and faster until he ground her pussy into a shuddering orgasm. She bit her lip in an attempt to not wake the baby Her efforts were foiled by a knock on their door. In the middle of the night, it would most certainly be unwelcome news.
    Ahulani jumped under the covers while Reney struggled to get her nightdress on. She tried her best to pull her hair back into something suitable for company, a smooth style that wouldn’t give away their activities. ‘Olina had awoken, and Reney picked up the squealing infant. She pressed her daughter close to her heart. More than anything, motherhood had come
naturally to the half-vampire. The birth of ‘Olina had sealed her bond with Ahulani to the core, bringing new life to their love.
    She was surprised to find Ahulani’s father at the door.
    “Akua,” she said. “What brings you here at this hour?”
    Akua, who was usually in bed by nine, rarely came by the apartment. He favored meeting in the common area downstairs, as his limbs were stiffening and he found it hard to make it upstairs. He did not partake much in the drinking of animal’s blood with the rest of the family. Akua wished to die at a typical human age, rather than live out the two hundred plus years he might acquire as a half-ling. Reney moved ‘Olina to her other hip in nervousness. If Akua had come up to the apartment, he must have important news for them.

You can get your copy of Half-ling: Bloody Promises from Evernight Publishing.

Show Don't Tell

Let's talk about showing vs telling. It's the one thing that can mess up any writer and drive him or her nuts. This can also keep you from getting a contract. I know when I started writing a few years ago this tripped me up more than anything else that I had to learn about writing.  So let's dig into the differences and I'll also post some examples from my book Bound To Protect.


First off, when you're writing and it's telling, it's super boring and will no doubt make someone either throw the book, or if it's a sex scene, to skip over that part in the book. That is not what an author ever wants to happen. When you're showing it draws the reader into the book. It makes them feel like they're there with the hero and heroine experiencing what they're feeling, hearing, doing or seeing.


To get into showing, you need to get into deep POV(Point Of View). It's an intense point of view, not only using sights, sounds, and smells, but also their reaction and the unique way your characters look at the world. For this you will need this formula: 

• Action
• Decision
• Thought
• Emotion  

You will want to remember this formula while writing. I took a class at Savvy Author on this and the lady who taught this told us that, and she was totally right. Once I learned this formula I did so much better with going into deep POV which in turn made my characters 3 dimensional. Let's take a look at some examples from my book on how to show and not tell.


Example 1 Katie was uptight. (Telling and gives us no idea what is going on in the scene. Chad tells us instead of showing.)

Example 2 The first impression he’d had of her, that she needed to loosen up, had been right. The book he held was a book on bondage. He

flipped it open and trailed his finger down the Table of Contents, which had headings such as Bondage 101, Getting Started, and What to Expect from Your Partner, among other things.

If she was curious about bondage, she could ask him. He’d be more than happy to give her an education she wouldn’t forget. The jeans he wore grew a little tighter. If only he could get her to relax. Something told him that his uptight Katie would find freedom in letting him take care of her pleasure. However, first she had to learn to trust a man again.

****

“What book do you have there?” Katie asked. She crossed the distance between them, a distance which had started to feel smaller the closer she got. Need had tightened in her gut when she'd opened the door earlier and had seen him standing there. His scent had wrapped around her and for the life of her she couldn’t place what it was.

“It sounds like a spicy book.”

Oh, no. He’d found the books she’d bought recently. The ones she’d never tell anyone about—the ones that were her deepest secret. Katie had no idea how in the world to explain. If only she’d been thinking when he’d headed toward that box, she would have stopped him. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she felt hot.

“Give me that. It’s nothing at all.”

“Doesn’t sound like nothing.” Chad quirked a brow at her and moved a step closer, heat deep in his sea-green gaze, a gaze set on making the beating in her chest louder. Chad’s fingertips caressed her bare shoulder, creating arousal on which she'd long ago given up. One that, if Katie was truthful with herself, she wasn’t sure she wanted to end.

“It seems to me that you’re interested in bondage.”
“I, no, I mean––

”
“Don’t lie to me.”
There was no mistaking the command in his voice. It wrapped around her body and sent an ache coursing through her veins. Katie debated if she could admit her attraction to Chad, or if she should keep her emotions under tight wrap. Chad dropped the book back into the box and drew her into his arms, forcing the breath from her lungs once again. “Yes,” she said, then nibbled on her bottom lip.

You see the difference? Example number two is longer and that will happen when your in deep POV. It draws the reader in. We see what Chad is looking at, and a secret fetish that Katie is carrying. We also get to see the chemistry between them.