Excerpt Tuesday:Living For The City

Available from Cobblestone Press, November 9th.

Mercy would be pleased to see how successful her meddling had been over the past couple of weeks. She was much more likely to set people up than Jules. Maybe he was lazy, or maybe he just liked to let people find their own dates. Because what if he was wrong? What if the hook-up was a disaster?

He’d let Mercy make those mistakes. He’d just make sure the equipment was running correctly, that everyone ended up where they were supposed to be on the site, and he wouldn’t worry about anything else.

But when he got back into the office after his weekend with Shea—and yes, he’d called in and begged Mercy to take over for him on the weekend—he’d seen her handiwork everywhere.

She’d fixed up half a dozen people and, as always, she had put together couples he’d never have considered. He kept meaning to do a study on the statistics. How many of Mercy’s hook-ups were successful? How many were disasters? How many—and he was willing to bet it was more than a few—ended up as permanent relationships?

It was a skill, or maybe an instinct, he didn’t have. When it was his shift to stay in the office and check the posts, he mostly ran an eye over them looking for something exciting, something to make the evening interesting. He had never linked someone up. He couldn’t see what Mercy saw, that immediate possibility of connection.

Jules loved that about Mercy, and it also drove him crazy.

The minute he’d arrived back in the office after his weekend with Shea, he could see the wheels spinning in her head. He suspected that she’d known before he did that he wasn’t just having sex with Shea, he was having a relationship. For the first time in forever. Maybe for the first time ever.

What he and Mercy had together was a relationship. It was love. But it wasn’t love. It had taken Jules a while to figure out what the difference was. No, it hadn’t taken a while, it had taken Shea.

Mercy was his best friend. She was amazing. Smart, beautiful, entertaining, everything a man could want. Except he didn’t want her that way. He wanted Shea. But Mercy would always be his best friend.

Shea had said to him something that had cemented what Jules felt for him, made him realize how insightful he was and how well he already knew Jules.

“I want to spend some time with Mercy,” he said. “Just the two of us. I want to get to know her, and for her to get to know me. She’s your best friend, your business partner, the most important person…”

Jules kissed him into silence before saying, “Not anymore.”

Shea smiled and continued, his voice a little shaky. “…in your life. She always will be. We need to be comfortable with each other. She needs to know that I know how important she is to you, and I won’t do anything to harm that closeness.”

Tears welled in Jules’ eyes. “Shea. Love.” He had to stop talking before he started sobbing.

Kissing away the tears, Shea smiled. “I know,” he said.

“No, you don’t. I…” Jules hesitated, unsure whether he could actually get the words out of his throat, into his mouth, and out into the world. “I love you. Mercy will always be part of my life, but you… You’re everything.”

Jules’ heart thundered in his chest. What if Shea didn’t love him back? What if he’d made a complete and utter fool of himself? What if…”

“Shh,” Shea whispered against Jules’ mouth. “Shh. You can’t imagine how long I’ve been waiting for you to say that, how often I’ve dreamed of you saying that.” He kissed him, softly, sweetly, gently, and then pulled away to kneel at Jules’ feet.

“I love you, Jules. I will always love you. I’ll make you happy. I promise.”

You can find Josee at:

http://joseerenard.wordpress.com/

http://www.joseerenard.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Josee-Renard/163055307086304/

http://www.twitter.com/Josee_Renard

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/author/joseerenard.htm

Lure of the Blood- Doris O'Connor

A good friend of mine has her debut release. You should really check out this good book. Here's all the details. You can find Doris at these places Facebook, Twitter and her website. Her book can be purchased from Evernight Publishing and Amazon

Blurb

Marnie's decision to finance her law degree by pole dancing awakens her latent sexuality, and the mysterious stranger lurking in the shadows sends her libido into overdrive.

Realizing her sexy lurker is a vampire is bad enough, but her boss is the alpha wolf of a pack of shifters? Torn between her attraction to both men and surrounded by danger, she has a decision to make. One that will change her life forever

Excerpt:

A ruthless determination emanated from the man carrying her up the stairs, three at a time, as easily as though she weighed no more than a feather. His heartbeat thundered in her ear as erratically as her own and his arms tightened around her, when she wriggled closer into the warmth of his skin, not able to stop her instinctive need to lick his chest.

The scent and very essence of Ion exploded on her tongue. Need slamming into her, all thoughts of injuries fled her befuddled brain, when Ion pinned her against the wall, the minute they reached the safety of the bedroom.

He slid her down his naked body with infinite slowness and they groaned in unison when his rock-hard erection made brief contact with her groin on the way down. Marnie couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. She was locked in the prison of Ion’s arms, every cell in her body craving his touch. Her knees buckled when he sniffed her neck, inhaling deeply. One of his thighs, between her legs, stopped her descent and his wolf’s grumble vibrated through her, causing more moisture to seep through her soaked thong. He had to feel that! Heat rose in her cheeks, even as his cock seemed to grow bigger still, a hard shaft against her belly, setting her skin alight where it touched through the thin barrier of her summer dress.

Ion’s barely controlled growl in her ear was the most arousing sound she had ever heard. His delicious scent intensifying around her, she didn’t even try to stop the needy moan escaping on a shuddery breath of air.

“Ion, please.”

“What, little one?”

The rasp of his rough tongue along her sensitive neck stopped Marnie from being able to respond at all, as the friction his tongue created sent sparks of electricity dancing across her body. Every lick along her fevered skin pitched her arousal higher, until the whole world was centred on the next trail of friction along her jaw. Her hips moved of their own accord, grinding her core into Ion’s roughened thigh, until the iron grip of his hands on her hips stopped her.

“Easy, little one. This will be so much better if we go slowly. I want to taste every inch of you, drink your cream and make you come again and again against my tongue and then, only then, my sweet will you feel my cock so deep inside you, you will never want to leave me.”

The hands on her hips softened, as Marnie froze. Shivers of excitement or fear or both, she couldn’t be quite sure which, danced along her spine at the images those growled words created. Her hands clung to his shoulders and she lost herself in his predatory smile, when she risked a glance up at his face. The eyes of his wolf were looking down on her and he crowded her further against the wall. Her breasts flattened against his chest and his thigh moved sinuously against her core.

“So wet, my little one. Tell me, is this bounty all for me?”

A renewed surge of moisture was his answer and his eyes darkened further. She could feel his claws slowly dragging along her sides as his hands wandered to her neck and he pulled back slightly, one hand cupping her breast through the fabric of her dress, whilst his head lowered and Marnie’s eyes fluttered closed in anticipation of his invasion.

The gentleness of the kiss that followed took her breath away. Not the harsh invasion she had been expecting, but a tender seduction of lips and teeth, coaxing her to open on a sigh. Ion slipped into that moan, his tongue exploring every part of her mouth with agonising slowness, whilst his hand on her nipple rubbed and teased, every roll sending shards of pure pleasure between her thighs. Desperate to take the kiss deeper, her tongue sought his, but every time she tried he withdrew with a muttered growl, shaking his head and the hand on her breast stopped its intimate massage.

“I told you, we’re taking this slow, little one. I have no wish to hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me, Ion. Please, I need you.”

Something hot and dangerous flashed across his face at her whispered plea, the grip on her tightening for an instant. He smiled, the fangs of his wolf clearly visible, and Marnie held her breath at the struggle she sensed in him. The hand on her breast gripped the front of her dress and with one quick flick of his sharp claws the dress ripped, exposing her to his hungry gaze from the waist down. She sucked in her tummy on a shuddered moan as those menacing claws ran a trail over the soft skin of her abdomen, skimming the top of her thong with a feather touch, before he withdrew his claws and his fingers dipped under the elastic. His thigh spread her wider, as his fingers hovered over her clit and he resumed the kiss, his raspy tongue duelling with hers, until she thought she was going to dissolve into a sodden mess of drool and need.

His breathing was as heavy as hers when he finally pulled back, his eyes glowing in the darkness of the room.

“What makes you so sure I won’t hurt you. You’re such a little thing. You have no idea what my wolf could do to you.”

Marnie couldn’t breathe under the intensity of his fevered gaze. Of course she knew what he could do. Had she not seen his wolf in action mere minutes ago, about to rip Lucas to shreds? Terror slammed into her anew, not at Ion’s wolf, but at what could have happened to him, and she bit her lip so hard she could taste her own blood.

Ion released her with a muffled curse, all traces of his wolf gone. The flash of pain she saw in his eyes, before he turned his back on her, sliced straight through her heart.

“Good, I knew you’d come to your senses.”

Happy Veteran's Day

I want to thank all our Veterans past and present for all they do for us. Thank you for your service and faithfulness. I have many in my family who have served in one branch of the military or another, and I'm proud of each and every one of them.

Do you NaNo?

Do you NaNo?

Well, it’s that time again for all of us crazy writers. It’s National Writing Month or also known as NaNo. It’s where writers from all over pledge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Crazy, right? Of course for those of us in the USA it has to been in the same month as Thanksgiving, so that makes it even more of a challenge.

I think it’s a good thing as it helps to turn off your internal editor. I mean, really, you can’t write that much in a month and be going back to edit what you’re working on, or you’ll never get the book written. I’ve been doing this since ‘09, and it’s really helped me focus on what I’m working on at that time.

Some other good things about NaNo is you get to meet other writers from all over, and make connections, which in turn could help once you’re published to get spots on their blogs, and also readership. I’ve connected with some really neat people, who after it’s over with, we still stay in touch throughout the year.

This year, most of the members in my critique group are doing it as well. We’re there to encourage one another, and help plot out problems that arise. The whole point of doing this is to get your butt in a chair and write with no excuses. If you can write 1,667 words a day, then you can finish a 50,000 word book in a month. If you need to write more for a longer book, then do the math, but just do it. No whining or saying there’s no time to write because there is. Don’t worry about writing a good first draft give yourself permission to write crap, as that can be fixed, but blank pages can’t.

So, tell me are you joining in on NaNo this year?

Excerpt Tuesday

This week's excerpt comes from Raven McAllan and her debut book Wallflowers Don't Wilt.

Blurb

One man looking for adventure. Can he persuade them that freedom comes in many forms, including three bodies entwined?

Ivo Daranton is bored. What he sees in a busy ballroom soon removes the boredom and replaces it with the thrill of the chase. His quarry? Serena and Arabella—Sappho-following, pinkie-linking, more than just friends.

Although they had not thought they were inclined to include a man in their lives, Ivo decides they are wrong: a man is needed, and that man is him. How he persuades them to give him and his idea a chance—or rather, how the ladies encourage him to persuade them—is as unconventional as the life they intend to lead.

Excerpt

He was bored and needed entertainment. No, be honest with yourself, Ivo. You need a ménage. Soon. For some strange, inexplicable reason, hopefully with these two.

High in the mountains of China on his varied travels, he was introduced to the delights of loving and being loved by two women at the same time. Seeing them fondle each other and him was his ultimate, nay his only, desire. One-on-one or with either sex—and in- deed, he had tried both—did not give him the satisfaction he desired. He could, and did, enjoy that conventional coupling on occasion, but the relief he gained was short-lived. As was the relief achieved solely with another male. Paying for the privilege, although sometimes a necessity, was also something he had no desire to do.

Therefore, once back in England, he was not often fulfilled. Luckily he was a master at self-help; however, now perhaps maybe fulfillment without that was near.

Ivo wondered why these two affected his cock when others hadn’t.

To get your copy of this book go to Breathless Press. Raven can also be found around the internet at her website, Facebook page and her blog

Review- Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery just got a 5cup rating from Coffee Beans & Love Scenes! Here's what the reviewer had to say about the book.

Road to Recovery

Author: Alyssa Fox

Sub-Genre(s): Erotic Romance

Publisher: Pink Petal Books

Publication Date: May 5, 2011

ISBN #: B0051HF0LG

Format: eBook from Author

Reviewer: Toni

Rating: 5 Cups

Blurb:*

Dr. Erin Miller’s life was going great; for the most part, anyway. She was single, had a career she loved, and a cherished circle of friends, but something was missing. When a mentorship with the Chief Pediatric Surgeon becomes available, she couldn’t be more thrilled. Maybe this is just what the doctor ordered! That is, until the handsome and charismatic Dr. Kyle Reynolds decides he wants the mentorship as well.

Kyle Reynolds has lost everything including his wife and daughter. With nothing left in his life except for his job, he sets his sights on the new mentorship position with single-minded determination. The only obstacle he faces is the sexy Dr. Erin Miller

Review:

Two brilliant doctors vying for the same coveted position. Problem is…they are going to be not only fighting for the position, but also their hearts.

Dr. Erin Miller is smart, determined, goal oriented and one of the most brilliant surgical residents on staff. Her dream has always been to work with children and now she has a chance to achieve that goal. Her only obstacle is Dr. Kyle Reynolds. Our first description of him is priceless, “God, could his scrubs hug his body any tighter?”

Kyle lives every day for his job. With nothing else in his life, he only wants to be the best he can be. After losing his daughter, he is bound and determined to never allow another parent feel what he felt when he lost his little girl. He is an arrogant, but amazing surgeon. He is a perfect candidate for the job.

Erin and Kyle have been at the same hospital from the beginning, starting their internship at the same time. They had chemistry right from the start, but circumstances got in the way and now they have the position for mentorship with a predominate surgeon as an barrier too. Ms. Fox didn’t play that obvious angle in the plot; it was more of a starting point for them. As their attraction grew the job actually took a whole different angle all together. I enjoyed how she tackled their troubles and made Erin and Kyle seem like real people with real problems. I fell in love with them right from the beginning.

I really should mark my rating down to say 4.5 cups, but I can’t. I have two reasons; one problem is there is something that happened between the lovers that was never resolved. Normally that wouldn’t be a concern for me if it wasn’t continually brought up. It was addressed right at the end of the book and a then a few pages later the story was done. Poof – that was it no answers or closure! It would have been better not to blatantly shine a light on it and then just drop it. My second problem is obvious editing errors. They were not major, just correctly spelled words that were not right for their context. One example is the use of trusted instead of thrusted. Believe me “trusted” wasn’t the proper word. But according to Word, thrusted is a misspelled word, so that could have been the problem.

I enjoyed the novel too much to even allow those two points to deter me from giving it a rating of 5 Cups. I totally enjoyed every sentence. There was realism, tenderness and believability. Road to Recovery is an exceptionally well written contemporary romance novel.

Road to Recovery can be purchased at Pink Petal Books,Barnes & Noble and Kindle.

Excerpt Tuesday: Road to Recovery.

"Can I cut in?"

She jerked her head in his direction and shot him a dirty look. Kyle’s pulse raced as he glanced over her body. She wore a short skirt and halter-top. Her clothes flattered all the right places on her. She'd finished the look off with some sexy heels.

“No.”

The other man’s hands slid to her hips, pulling her closer. Kyle couldn’t miss the surprised expression that appeared on her face. Or how he wanted to rip the man’s hands from her hips at that moment.

“I believe it’s her choice who she dances with.”

“Listen, you had your chance before I asked her,” Dave barked back.

“Hello, I’m right here and can speak for myself. I’m not some toy.”

The other guy walked off in a huff, spitting something about jealous boyfriends. Kyle pulled her close. She flattened her palms against his chest. The heat from her hands seared him, as if there wasn’t a shirt as a barrier between her touch and his bare flesh.

"I never said I wanted to dance with you."

"Too bad. You’re going to."

"The hell I will." She took her hands off him and turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

Kyle placed her arms around his neck and molded her body to his. Like a switch, the arousal he’d seen in her eyes earlier flared to life. A sensual voice echoed around them as it blared from the speakers. She took a ragged breath before she moved with him.

She rolled her hips into him, and he pulled her closer, allowing no space between them.

His right hand trailed a slow path down her arm; goose bumps rose on her satiny skin. Kyle looked at Erin as his hand trailed down to her hips, her gaze on his mouth. He could tell what had happened earlier had affected her as much as it had him. He planned to kiss her before the night ended, but for now, he'd enjoy having her in his arms, keeping her wondering when it would happen.

She drew her focus to his eyes. “You're arrogant."

"Yes, and now we have that out of the way, let's move on, because it's not going to change."He bent closer to her and inhaled the cinnamon-orange scent that was only her. "Je tu vous embrasserai, donc à fond que vous oublierez votre nom, votre sucre.”

"Stop, doing that! I haven't a clue what you said."

He moved closer to where only she could hear him. “I said I'm going to kiss you, so thoroughly you'll forget your name, Sugar.” Kyle moved back and watched her cheeks flush pink as she contemplated what he'd said.

Road to Recovery can be purchased at Pink Petal Books,Barnes & Noble and Kindle.